A systematic analysis of directional site effects at stations of the Italian Seismic Network to test the role of local topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pischiutta, Marta; Cianfarra, Paola; Salvini, Francesco; Cara, Fabrizio; Vannoli, Paola

2018-03-01

Directional site effects observed at seismological stations on pronounced relief are analyzed. We investigate the ground motion properties calculating horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios and horizontal polarization of both ambient vibrations and earthquake records using broadband seismograms of the Italian Seismic Network. We find that a subset of 47 stations with pronounced relief, results in a significant (>2) directional amplification of the horizontal component, with a well defined, site-specific direction of motion. However, the horizontal spectral response of sites is not uniform, varying from an isolated (resonant) frequency peak to a broadband amplification, interesting frequency bands as large as 1-10 Hz in many cases. Using the 47 selected stations, we have tried to establish a relation between directional amplification and topography geometry in a 2D-vision, when applicable, through a morphological analysis of the Digital Elevation Model using Geographic Information Systems. The procedure computes the parameters that characterize the geometry of topographic irregularities (size and slope), in combination with a principal component analysis that automatically yields the orientation of the elongated ridges. In seeking a relation between directional amplification and the surface morphology, we have found that it is impossible to fit the variety of observations with a resonant topography model as well as to identify common features in the ground motion behavior for stations with similar topography typologies. We conclude that, rather than the shape of the topography, local structural complexities and details of the near-surface structure must play a predominant role in controlling ground motion properties at sites with pronounced relief.

A systematic analysis of directional site effects at stations of the Italian seismic network to test the role of local topography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pischiutta, Marta; Cianfarra, Paola; Salvini, Francesco; Cara, Fabrizio; Vannoli, Paola

2018-07-01

Directional site effects observed at seismological stations on pronounced relief are analysed. We investigate the ground motion properties calculating horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios and horizontal polarization of both ambient vibrations and earthquake records using broad-band seismograms of the Italian seismic network. We find that a subset of 47 stations with pronounced relief results in a significant (>2) directional amplification of the horizontal component, with a well-defined, site-specific direction of motion. However, the horizontal spectral response of sites is not uniform, varying from an isolated (resonant) frequency peak to a broad-band amplification, interesting frequency bands as large as 1-10 Hz in many cases. Using 47 selected stations, we have tried to establish a relation between directional amplification and topography geometry in a 2-D vision, when applicable, through a morphological analysis of the digital elevation model using geographic information systems. The procedure computes the parameters that characterize the geometry of topographic irregularities (size and slope), in combination with a principal component analysis that automatically yields the orientation of the elongated ridges. In seeking a relation between directional amplification and the surface morphology, we have found that it is impossible to fit the variety of observations with a resonant topography model as well as to identify common features in the ground motion behaviour for stations with similar topography typologies. We conclude that, rather than the shape of the topography, local structural complexities and details of the near-surface structure must play a predominant role in controlling ground motion properties at sites with pronounced relief.

Discrepancy Between ASTER- and MODIS- Derived Land Surface Temperatures: Terrain Effects

PubMed Central

Liu, Yuanbo; Noumi, Yousuke; Yamaguchi, Yasushi

2009-01-01

The MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) are onboard the same satellite platform NASA TERRA. Both MODIS and ASTER offer routine retrieval of land surface temperatures (LSTs), and the ASTER- and MODIS-retrieved LST products have been used worldwide. Because a large fraction of the earth surface consists of mountainous areas, variations in elevation, terrain slope and aspect angles can cause biases in the retrieved LSTs. However, terrain-induced effects are generally neglected in most satellite retrievals, which may generate discrepancy between ASTER and MODIS LSTs. In this paper, we reported the terrain effects on the LST discrepancy with a case examination over a relief area at the Loess Plateau of China. Results showed that the terrain-induced effects were not major, but nevertheless important for the total LST discrepancy. A large local slope did not necessarily lead to a large LST discrepancy. The angle of emitted radiance was more important than the angle of local slope in generating the LST discrepancy. Specifically, the conventional terrain correction may be unsuitable for densely vegetated areas. The distribution of ASTER-to-MODIS emissivity suggested that the terrain correction was included in the generalized split window (GSW) based approach used to rectify MODIS LSTs. Further study should include the classification-induced uncertainty in emissivity for reliable use of satellite-retrieved LSTs over relief areas. PMID:22399955

Geophysical investigation of the Raton Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheney, R. S.

1982-05-01

This thesis correlates gravity, magnetic, and seismic data for the Raton Basin of Colorado and New Mexico. The gravity data suggest that the study area, and the region around it, is in isostatic equilibrium. The free air anomaly in the southern portion of the study area suggests lack of local compensation due to Quaternary volocanic rock. The volcanic rock thickness, calculated from the free air gravity data, is 180 m. The gravity data indicated a crustal thickness of about 45 km, and the crust thinned from west to east. A basement relief map was constructed from the Bouquer gravity data. Computer techniques were developed to calculate the depth to the basement surface and to plot a contour map of that surface. The Raton Basin magnetic map defined the same surface found on the basement relief map since the overlying sedimentary rocks have no magnetism; therefore, any magnetism present is caused by the basement rock. A seismic survey near capulin Mountain detected a high level of microseismicity that may be caused by adjustment along faults or dormant volcanic activity.

Coupling Aeolian Stratigraphic Architecture to Paleo-Boundary Conditions: The Scour-Fill Dominated Jurassic Page Sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cardenas, B. T.; Kocurek, G.; Mohrig, D. C.; Swanson, T.

2017-12-01

The stratigraphic architecture of aeolian sandstones is thought to encode signals originating from both autogenic dune behavior and allogenic boundary conditions within which the dune field evolves. Mapping of outcrop-scale bounding surfaces and sets of cross-strata between these surfaces for the Jurassic Page Sandstone near Page, AZ, USA, demonstrates that dune autogenic behavior manifested in variable dune scour depth, whereas the dominant boundary conditions were antecedent topography and water-table elevation. At the study area, the Page Sandstone is 60 m thick and is separated from the underlying Navajo Sandstone by the J-2 regional unconformity, which shows meters of relief. Filling J-2 depressions are thin, climbing sets of cross-strata. In contrast, the overlying Page consists of packages of one to a few, meter-scale sets of cross-strata between the outcrop-scale bounding surfaces. These surfaces, marked by polygonal fractures and local overlying sabkha deposits, are regional in scale and correlated to high stands of the adjacent Carmel sea. Over the km-scale outcrop, the surfaces show erosional relief and packages of cross-strata are locally truncated. Notably absent within these cross-strata packages are early dune-field accumulations, interdune deposits, and apparent dune-climbing. These strata are interpreted to represent a scour-fill architecture created by migrating large dunes within a mature dry aeolian sand sea, in which early phases of dune-field construction have been cannibalized and dune fill of the deepest scours is recorded. At low angles of climb, set thickness is dominated by the component of scour-depth variation over the component resulting from the angle of climb. After filling of J-2 depressions, the Page consists of scour-fill accumulations formed during low stands. Carmel transgressions limited sediment availability, causing deflation to the water table and development of the regional bounding surfaces. Each subsequent fall of the water table with Carmel regressions renewed sediment availability, including local breaching of the resistant surfaces and cannibalization of Page accumulations. The Page record exists because of preservation associated with Carmel transgressions and subsidence, without which the Page would be represented by an erosional surface.

LASER APPLICATIONS AND OTHER TOPICS IN QUANTUM ELECTRONICS: On the possibility of studying the temporal evolution of a surface relief directly during exposure to high-power radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abramov, D. V.; Arakelyan, S. M.; Galkin, A. F.; Klimovskii, Ivan I.; Kucherik, A. O.; Prokoshev, V. G.

2006-06-01

The video image of the graphite surface exposed to focused laser radiation is obtained with the help of a laser monitor. A bright ring moving over the heated surface was observed. A method for reconstructing the surface relief from the video image is proposed and realised. The method is based on the measurement of the angular distribution of the light intensity scattered by the graphite sample surface. The surface relief of the graphite sample changing in time is reconstructed. The relative change in the relief height during laser excitation is measured. The statistical characteristics of the reconstructed graphite surface shape and their variation during laser irradiation are studied. It is found that a circular convexity appears within the bright ring. The formation mechanism of this convexity requires further investigations.

Rectangular Relief Diffraction Gratings for Coherent Lidar Beam Scanning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cole, H. J.; Chambers, D. M.; Dixit, S. N.; Britten, J. A.; Shore, B. W.; Kavaya, M. J.

1999-01-01

The application of specialized rectangular relief transmission gratings to coherent lidar beam scanning is presented. Two types of surface relief transmission grating approaches are studied with an eye toward potential insertion of a constant thickness, diffractive scanner where refractive wedges now exist. The first diffractive approach uses vertically oriented relief structure in the surface of an optical flat; illumination of the diffractive scanner is off-normal in nature. The second grating design case describes rectangular relief structure slanted at a prescribed angle with respect to the surface. In this case, illumination is normal to the diffractive scanner. In both cases, performance predictions for 2.0 micron, circularly polarized light at beam deflection angles of 30 or 45 degrees are presented.

Crisis Communication Practices at an International Relief Agency

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genova, Gina L.

2006-01-01

When a disaster strikes, the affected population relies upon the swift response and aid rendered by relief organizations such as the California-based Direct Relief International. Since 1948, Direct Relief's mission has been to provide essential material resources to locally run health programs in areas affected by natural disasters, wars, and…

Tectonics, climate and mountain building in the forearc of southern Peru recorded in the 10Be chronology of low-relief surface abandonment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, S. R.; Farber, D.; Audin, L.; Finkel, R. C.

2009-12-01

Regional low-relief surfaces have long been recognized as key features to understanding the response of landscapes to surface uplift. The canonical models of low-relief surface formation involve an extended period of tectonic quiescence during which, the fluvial systems bevel the landscape to a uniform elevation. This quiescent period is punctuated by a period(s) of surface uplift, which causes fluvial incision thereby abandoning the low-relief landscape. Over time, as rivers continue to incise in response to changes in sediment supply, river discharge, and base level fall, pieces of the relict low-relief landscape are left as abandoned remnants stranded above active channels. By determining the age of abandoned surfaces, previous workers have identified the onset of a change in the tectonic or climatic setting. One key assumption of this model is that the low-relief surfaces are truly abandoned with no current processes further acting on the surface. To improve our understanding of the underlying assumptions and problems of low-relief surface formation, we have used detailed mapping and absolute dating with cosmogenic 10Be to investigate surfaces in the hyperarid forearc region of southern Peru between ~14° and 18°S. Within this region, marine terraces and strath terraces reflect Plio-Pleistocene surface uplift, and together with the hyperarid climate, ongoing surface uplift provides a perfect natural laboratory to examine the processes affecting low-relief surface abandonment and preservation. With our new chronology we address: 1) the space and time correlations of surfaces, 2) incision rates of streams in response to base-level fall, and 3) surface erosion rates. Multiple surfaces have yielded 10Be surface abandonment ages that span >2 Ma - ~35 ka. While most of the surfaces we have dated are considerably less than 1 Ma, we have located two surfaces which are likely older than 2 Ma and constrain regional erosion rates to be <0.5mm/yr. Where the surface age and elevation relative to current base level are known, we can estimate incision (uplift) rates of ~0.1-0.3mm/yr. These ages, erosion rates, and uplift rates suggest that the hyperarid forearc landscape has been recently modified (surface uplift, climate events), while paradoxically, very little erosion is occurring on these surfaces. The four surface abandonment age clusters we observe correlate with cold wet periods preceding deglaciation on the Altiplano. Thus, we suggest that the recorded chronology of Pleistocene surface abandonment results from the interaction and linkage of surface uplift in the forearc, to specific climatic periods in the high Andes that produce high discharge through the fluvial system.

Scaling the Teflon Peaks: Rock type and the generation of extreme relief in the glaciated western Alaska Range

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ward, Dylan J.; Anderson, Robert S.; Haeussler, Peter J.

2012-01-01

Parts of the Alaska Range (Alaska, USA) stand in prominent exception to the “glacial buzzsaw hypothesis,” which postulates that terrain raised above the ELA is rapidly denuded by glaciers. In this paper, we discuss the role of a strong contrast in rock type in the development of this exceptional terrain. Much of the range is developed on pervasively fractured flysch, with local relief of 1000–1500 m, and mean summit elevations that are similar to modern snow line elevations. In contrast, Cretaceous and Tertiary plutons of relatively intact granite support the range's tallest mountains (including Mt. McKinley, or Denali, at 6194 m), with 2500–5000 m of local relief. The high granitic peaks protrude well above modern snow lines and support many large glaciers. We focus on the plutons of the Denali massif and the Kichatna Mountains, to the west. We use field observations, satellite photos, and digital elevation data to demonstrate how exhumation of these plutons affects glacier longitudinal profiles, the glacial drainage network, and the effectiveness of periglacial processes. In strong granite, steep, smooth valley walls are maintained by detachment of rock slabs along sheeting joints. These steep walls act as low-friction surfaces (“Teflon”), efficiently shedding snow. Simple scaling calculations show that this avalanching may greatly enhance the health of the modern glaciers. We conclude that, in places such as Denali, unusual combinations of rapid tectonic uplift and great rock strength have created the highest relief in North America by enhancing glacial erosion in the valleys while preserving the peaks.

Cryoablation for the treatment of occipital neuralgia.

PubMed

Kim, Chong H; Hu, Wayne; Gao, Jeff; Dragan, Kristin; Whealton, Thomas; Julian, Christina

2015-01-01

Treatment of occipital neuralgia (ON) can be complex, though many treatment options exist. Cryoablation (CA) is an interventional modality that has been used successfully in chronic neuropathic conditions and is one such option. To study and evaluate the efficacy and safety of cryoablation for treatment of ON. Retrospective evaluation. Academic university-based pain management center. All patients received local anesthetic injections for ON. Patients with greater than or equal to 50% relief and less than 2 week duration of relief were treated with CA. Thirty-eight patients with an average age of 49.6 years were included. Of the 38 patients, 20 were treated for unilateral greater ON, 10 for unilateral greater and lesser ON, and 8 for bilateral greater ON. There were 10 men and 28 women, with an average age of 45.2 years and 51.1 years, respectively. The average relief for all local anesthetic injections was 71.2%, 58.3% for patients who reported 50 - 74% relief (Group 1) and 82.75% for patients who reported greater than 75% relief (Group 2). The average improvement of pain relief with CA was 57.9% with an average duration of 6.1 months overall. Group 1 reported an average of 45.2% relief for an average of 4.1 months with CA. In comparison, Group 2 reported an average of 70.5% relief for 8.1 months. The percentage of relief (P = 0.007) and duration of relief (P = 0.0006) was significantly improved in those reporting at least 75% relief of pain with local anesthetic injections (Group 2 vs Group 1). Though no significance in improvement from CA was found in men, significance was seen in women with at least 75% benefit with local anesthetic injections in terms of duration (P = 0.03) and percentage (P = 0.001) of pain relief with CA. The average pain score prior to CA was 8 (0 - 10 visual analog scale, VAS), this improved to 4.2, improvement of 3.8 following CA at 6 months (P = 0.03). Of the 38 patients, 3 (7.8%) adverse effects were seen. Two patients reported post procedure neuritis and one was monitored for procedure-related hematoma. Study limitations include the retrospective nature of the study. Additionally, only the percentage of relief, pain score, and duration of relief were collected. CA is safe, and should be considered in patients with ON. Cryoablation, cryoanalgesia, occipital neuralgia, treatment, adverse effects.

SURPHEX (tm): New dry photopolymers for replication of surface relief diffractive optics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shvartsman, Felix P.

1993-01-01

High efficiency, deep groove, surface relief Diffractive Optical Elements (DOE) with various optical functions can be recorded in a photoresist using conventional interferometric holographic and computer generated photolithographic recording techniques. While photoresist recording media are satisfactory for recording individual surface relief DOE, a reliable and precise method is needed to replicate these diffractive microstructures to maintain the high aspect ratio in each replicated DOE. The term 'high aspect ratio' means that the depth of a groove is substantially greater, i.e. 2, 3, or more times greater, than the width of the groove. A new family of dry photopolymers SURPHEX was developed recently at Du Pont to replicate such highly efficient, deep groove DOE's. SURPHEX photopolymers are being utilized in Du Pont's proprietary Dry Photopolymer Embossing (DPE) technology to replicate with very high degree of precision almost any type of surface relief DOE. Surfaces relief microstructures with width/depth aspect ratio of 1:20 (0.1 micron/2.0 micron) were faithfully replicated by DPE technology. Several types of plastic and glass/quartz optical substrates can be used for economical replication of DOE.

Hypnosis and Local Anesthesia for Dental Pain Relief-Alternative or Adjunct Therapy?-A Randomized, Clinical-Experimental Crossover Study.

PubMed

Wolf, Thomas Gerhard; Wolf, Dominik; Callaway, Angelika; Below, Dagna; d'Hoedt, Bernd; Willershausen, Brita; Daubländer, Monika

2016-01-01

This prospective randomized clinical crossover trial was designed to compare hypnosis and local anesthesia for experimental dental pain relief. Pain thresholds of the dental pulp were determined. A targeted standardized pain stimulus was applied and rated on the Visual Analogue Scale (0-10). The pain threshold was lower under hypnosis (58.3 ± 17.3, p < .001), maximal (80.0) under local anesthesia. The pain stimulus was scored higher under hypnosis (3.9 ± 3.8) than with local anesthesia (0.0, p < .001). Local anesthesia was superior to hypnosis and is a safe and effective method for pain relief in dentistry. Hypnosis seems to produce similar effects observed under sedation. It can be used in addition to local anesthesia and in individual cases as an alternative for pain control in dentistry.

Deformation relief induced by scratch testing on the surface of Hadfield steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lychagin, D. V.; Filippov, A. V.; Novitskaya, O. S.; Kolubaev, A. V.; Sizova, O. V.

2017-12-01

The paper is devoted to deformation relief formed on the surface of Hadfield steel while scratching under a linearly increasing load. The deformation relief is analyzed to detect regions with microfracture of the surface layer of Hadfield steel. Crack generation regions coincide with regions of the most intense acoustic emission (AE) signal. Single and multiple slip bands are observed in various grains of the material. As the load increases, slip bands thicken and grains with multiple slip are more frequent.

Surface topography of 1€ coin measured by stereo-PIXE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gholami-Hatam, E.; Lamehi-Rachti, M.; Vavpetič, P.; Grlj, N.; Pelicon, P.

2013-07-01

We demonstrate the stereo-PIXE method by measurement of surface topography of the relief details on 1€ coin. Two X-ray elemental maps were simultaneously recorded by two X-ray detectors positioned at the left and the right side of the proton microbeam. The asymmetry of the yields in the pixels of the two X-ray maps occurs due to different photon attenuation on the exit travel path of the characteristic X-rays from the point of emission through the sample into the X-ray detectors. In order to calibrate the inclination angle with respect to the X-ray asymmetry, a flat inclined surface model was at first applied for the sample in which the matrix composition and the depth elemental concentration profile is known. After that, the yield asymmetry in each image pixel was transferred into corresponding local inclination angle using calculated dependence of the asymmetry on the surface inclination. Finally, the quantitative topography profile was revealed by integrating the local inclination angle over the lateral displacement of the probing beam.

Relationships between substrate, surface characteristics, and vegetation in an initial ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biber, P.; Seifert, S.; Zaplata, M. K.; Schaaf, W.; Pretzsch, H.; Fischer, A.

2013-12-01

We investigated surface and vegetation dynamics in the artificial initial ecosystem "Chicken Creek" (Lusatia, Germany) in the years 2006-2011 across a wide spectrum of empirical data. We scrutinized three overarching hypotheses concerning (1) the relations between initial geomorphological and substrate characteristics with surface structure and terrain properties, (2) the effects of the latter on the occurrence of grouped plant species, and (3) vegetation density effects on terrain surface change. Our data comprise and conflate annual vegetation monitoring results, biennial terrestrial laser scans (starting in 2008), annual groundwater levels, and initially measured soil characteristics. The empirical evidence mostly confirms the hypotheses, revealing statistically significant relations for several goal variables: (1) the surface structure properties, local rill density, local relief energy and terrain surface height change; (2) the cover of different plant groups (annual, herbaceous, grass-like, woody, Fabaceae), and local vegetation height; and (3) terrain surface height change showed significant time-dependent relations with a variable that proxies local plant biomass. Additionally, period specific effects (like a calendar-year optimum effect for the occurrence of Fabaceae) were proven. Further and beyond the hypotheses, our findings on the spatiotemporal dynamics during the system's early development grasp processes which generally mark the transition from a geo-hydro-system towards a bio-geo-hydro system (weakening geomorphology effects on substrate surface dynamics, while vegetation effects intensify with time), where pure geomorphology or substrate feedbacks are changing into vegetation-substrate feedback processes.

44 CFR 206.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

.... Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93-288, as amended. (2) Applicant... Government or through State or local governments or disaster relief organizations. For further information... disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby. (18...

44 CFR 206.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

.... Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93-288, as amended. (2) Applicant... Government or through State or local governments or disaster relief organizations. For further information... disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby. (18...

44 CFR 206.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

.... Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Public Law 93-288, as amended. (2) Applicant... Government or through State or local governments or disaster relief organizations. For further information... disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby. (18...

Does pain relief by CT-guided indirect cervical nerve root injection with local anesthetics and steroids predict pain relief after decompression surgery for cervical nerve root compression?

PubMed

Antoniadis, Alexander; Dietrich, Tobias J; Farshad, Mazda

2016-10-01

The relationship of pain relief from a recently presented CT-guided indirect cervical nerve root injection with local anesthetics and steroids to surgical decompression as a treatment for single-level cervical radiculopathy is not clear. This retrospective study aimed to compare the immediate and 6-week post-injection effects to the short- and long-term outcomes after surgical decompression, specifically in regard to pain relief. Patients (n = 39, age 47 ± 10 years) who had undergone CT-guided indirect injection with local anesthetics and steroids as an initial treatment for single cervical nerve root radiculopathy and who subsequently needed surgical decompression were included retrospectively. Pain levels (VAS scores) were monitored before, immediately after, and 6 weeks after injection (n = 34), as well as 6 weeks (n = 38) and a mean of 25 months (SD ± 12) after surgical decompression (n = 36). Correlation analysis was performed to find potential associations of pain relief after injection and after surgery to investigate the predictive value of post-injection pain relief. There was no correlation between immediate pain relief after injection (-32 ± 27 %) and 6 weeks later (-7 ± 19 %), (r = -0.023, p = 0.900). There was an association by tendency between immediate pain relief after injection and post-surgical pain relief at 6 weeks (-82 ± 27 %), (r = 0.28, p = 0.08). Pain relief at follow-up remained high at -70 ± 21 % and was correlated with the immediate pain amelioration effect of the injection (r = 0.37, p = 0.032). Five out of seven patients who reported no pain relief from injection had a pain relief from surgery in excess of 50 %. The amount of immediate radiculopathic pain relief after indirect cervical nerve root injection is associated with the amount of pain relief achieved at long-term follow-up after surgical decompression of single-level cervical radiculopathy. Patients can still expect sufficient pain relief from surgery even if they did not respond to the cervical infiltration.

Method of fabricating reflection-mode EUV diffusers

DOEpatents

Anderson, Erik; Naulleau, Patrick P.

2005-03-01

Techniques for fabricating well-controlled, random relief, engineered surfaces that serve as substrates for EUV optical devices are accomplished with grayscale exposure. The method of fabricating a multilevel EUV optical element includes: (a) providing a substrate; (b) depositing a layer of curable material on a surface of the substrate; (c) creating a relief profile in a layer of cured material from the layer of curable material wherein the relief profile comprises multiple levels of cured material that has a defined contour; and (d) depositing a multilayer reflection film over the relief profile wherein the film has an outer contour that substantially matches that of the relief profile. The curable material can comprise photoresist or a low dielectric constant material.

Effective grating theory for resonance domain surface-relief diffraction gratings.

PubMed

Golub, Michael A; Friesem, Asher A

2005-06-01

An effective grating model, which generalizes effective-medium theory to the case of resonance domain surface-relief gratings, is presented. In addition to the zero order, it takes into account the first diffraction order, which obeys the Bragg condition. Modeling the surface-relief grating as an effective grating with two diffraction orders provides closed-form analytical relationships between efficiency and grating parameters. The aspect ratio, the grating period, and the required incidence angle that would lead to high diffraction efficiencies are predicted for TE and TM polarization and verified by rigorous numerical calculations.

Erosion of mountain plateaus along Sognefjord, Norway, constrained by cosmogenic nuclides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andersen, Jane Lund; Egholm, David L.; Knudsen, Mads F.; Linge, Henriette; Jansen, John D.

2016-04-01

Norway is famous for its deeply incised, steep-sided fjords, carved out by glacial erosion. The high relief of the fjords stands in contrast to the extensive areas of relatively low relief found between the fjords. The origin and development of these low-relief areas remain debated. The classical interpretation relates them to a Mesozoic peneplanation surface, uplifted to the current high elevation in the early Cenozoic (e.g. Nesje, 1994). The validity of this interpretation has, however, been repeatedly questioned in recent times (e.g. Nielsen et al. 2009, Steer et al. 2012). Recent studies point instead to a significant impact of glacial and periglacial erosion processes on the long-term development of the low-relief surfaces (Egholm et al. 2015). Here, we present a large new dataset of in-situ produced cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al in bedrock and boulders from the high, flat summit surfaces along a transect from the coast to the inner parts of Sognefjorden in Norway. Our results indicate substantial glacial modification of the sampled low-relief surfaces within the last 50 ka. Close to the coast, at an elevation of around 700 meters, the cosmogenic nuclide signal was reset around the Younger Dryas due to extensive glacial erosion. Regarding the higher surfaces further inland, our results indicate a maximum cosmogenic nuclide inheritance of 20-30 ka prior to the last deglaciation. We do not find any signs of exceptional longevity of the low-relief landscape. In contrast, our results indicate that the low-relief areas were continuously eroded by glacial and periglacial processes in the Quaternary. Nesje & Whillans. Erosion of Sognefjord, Norway. Geomorphology 9(1), 33-45, 1994. Nielsen et al. The evolution of western Scandinavian topography: a review of Neogene uplift versus the ICE (isostasy-climate-erosion) hypothesis. Journal of Geodynamics 47(2), 72-95, 2009. Steer et al. Bimodal Plio-Quaternary glacial erosion of fjords and low-relief surfaces in Scandinavia. Nature Geoscience 5(9), 635-639, 2012. Egholm et al. The periglacial engine of mountain erosion - Part 2: Modelling large-scale landscape evolution. Earth Surface Dynamics 3(4), 463-482, 2015.

Hydrological Drought in the Anthropocene: Impacts of Local Water Extraction and Reservoir Regulation in the U.S.: Hydrological Drought in the Anthropocene

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

Wan, Wenhua; Zhao, Jianshi; Li, Hong-Yi

Hydrological drought is a substantial negative deviation from normal hydrologic conditions and is influenced by climate and human activities such as water management. By perturbing the streamflow regime, climate change and water management may significantly alter drought characteristics in the future. Here we utilize a high-resolution integrated modeling framework that represents water management in terms of both local surface water extraction and reservoir regulation, and use the Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI) to quantify hydrological drought. We explore the impacts of water management on hydrological drought over the contiguous US in a warming climate with and without emissions mitigation. Despite themore » uncertainty of climate change impacts, local surface water extraction consistently intensifies drought that dominates at the regional to national scale. However, reservoir regulation alleviates drought by enhancing summer flow downstream of reservoirs. The relative dominance of drought intensification or relief is largely determined by the water demand, with drought intensification dominating in regions with intense water demand such as the Great Plains and California, while drought relief dominates in regions with low water demand. At the national level, water management increases the spatial extent of extreme drought despite some alleviations of moderate to severe drought. In an emissions mitigation scenario with increased irrigation demand for bioenergy production, water management intensifies drought more than the business-as-usual scenario at the national level, so the impacts of emissions mitigation must be evaluated by considering its benefit in reducing warming and evapotranspiration against its effects on increasing water demand and intensifying drought.« less

Hydrological Drought in the Anthropocene: Impacts of Local Water Extraction and Reservoir Regulation in the U.S.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Wenhua; Zhao, Jianshi; Li, Hong-Yi; Mishra, Ashok; Ruby Leung, L.; Hejazi, Mohamad; Wang, Wei; Lu, Hui; Deng, Zhiqun; Demissisie, Yonas; Wang, Hao

2017-11-01

Hydrological drought is a substantial negative deviation from normal hydrologic conditions and is influenced by climate and human activities such as water management. By perturbing the streamflow regime, climate change and water management may significantly alter drought characteristics in the future. Here we utilize a high-resolution integrated modeling framework that represents water management in terms of both local surface water extraction and reservoir regulation and use the Standardized Streamflow Index to quantify hydrological drought. We explore the impacts of water management on hydrological drought over the contiguous U.S. in a warming climate with and without emissions mitigation. Despite the uncertainty of climate change impacts, local surface water extraction consistently intensifies drought that dominates at the regional to national scale. However, reservoir regulation alleviates drought by enhancing summer flow downstream of reservoirs. The relative dominance of drought intensification or relief is largely determined by the water demand, with drought intensification dominating in regions with intense water demand such as the Great Plains and California, while drought relief dominates in regions with low water demand. At the national level, water management increases the spatial extent of extreme drought despite some alleviations of moderate to severe drought. In an emissions mitigation scenario with increased irrigation demand for bioenergy production, water management intensifies drought more than the business-as-usual scenario at the national level, so the impacts of emissions mitigation must be evaluated by considering its benefit in reducing warming and evapotranspiration against its effects on increasing water demand and intensifying drought.

Effects of Orbit and Pointing Geometry of a Spaceborne Formation for Monostatic-Bistatic Radargrammetry on Terrain Elevation Measurement Accuracy

PubMed Central

Renga, Alfredo; Moccia, Antonio

2009-01-01

During the last decade a methodology for the reconstruction of surface relief by Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) measurements – SAR interferometry – has become a standard. Different techniques developed before, such as stereo-radargrammetry, have been experienced from space only in very limiting geometries and time series, and, hence, branded as less accurate. However, novel formation flying configurations achievable by modern spacecraft allow fulfillment of SAR missions able to produce pairs of monostatic-bistatic images gathered simultaneously, with programmed looking angles. Hence it is possible to achieve large antenna separations, adequate for exploiting to the utmost the stereoscopic effect, and to make negligible time decorrelation, a strong liming factor for repeat-pass stereo-radargrammetric techniques. This paper reports on design of a monostatic-bistatic mission, in terms of orbit and pointing geometry, and taking into account present generation SAR and technology for accurate relative navigation. Performances of different methods for monostatic-bistatic stereo-radargrammetry are then evaluated, showing the possibility to determine the local surface relief with a metric accuracy over a wide range of Earth latitudes. PMID:22389594

Strain-induced phase transformation at the surface of an AISI-304 stainless steel irradiated to 4.4 dpa and deformed to 0.8% strain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gussev, M. N.; Field, K. G.; Busby, J. T.

2014-03-01

Surface relief due to localized deformation in a 4.4-dpa neutron-irradiated AISI 304 stainless steel was investigated using scanning electron microscopy coupled with electron backscattering diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy. It was found a body-centered-cubic (BCC) phase (deformation-induced martensite) had formed at the surface of the deformed specimen along the steps generated from dislocation channels. Martensitic hill-like formations with widths of ˜1 μm and depths of several microns were observed at channels with heights greater than ˜150 nm above the original surface. Martensite at dislocation channels was observed in grains along the [0 0 1]-[1 1 1] orientation but not in those along the [1 0 1] orientation.

Surface relief model for photopolymers without cover plating.

PubMed

Gallego, S; Márquez, A; Ortuño, M; Francés, J; Marini, S; Beléndez, A; Pascual, I

2011-05-23

Relief surface changes provide interesting possibilities for storing diffractive optical elements on photopolymers and are an important source of information to characterize and understand the material behaviour. In this paper we present a 3-dimensional model based on direct measurements of parameters to predict the relief structures generated on the material. This model is successfully applied to different photopolymers with different values of monomer diffusion. The importance of monomer diffusion in depth is also discussed.

An ecological mechanism to create regular patterns of surface dissolution in a low-relief carbonate landscape

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, M. J.; Martin, J. B.; Mclaughlin, D. L.; Osborne, T.; Murray, A.; Watts, A. C.; Watts, D.; Heffernan, J. B.

2012-12-01

Development of karst landscapes is controlled by focused delivery of water undersaturated with respect to the soluble rock minerals. As that water comes to equilibrium with the rock, secondary porosity is incrementally reinforced creating a positive feedback that acts to augment the drainage network and subsequent water delivery. In most self-organizing systems, spatial positive feedbacks create features (in landscapes: patches; in karst aquifers: conduits) whose size-frequency relationship follows a power function, indicating a higher probability of large features than would occur with a random or Gaussian genesis process. Power functions describe several aspects of secondary porosity in the Upper Floridan Aquifer in north Florida. In contrast, a different pattern arises in the karst landscape in southwest Florida (Big Cypress National Preserve; BICY), where low-relief and a shallow aquiclude govern regional hydrology. There, the landscape pattern is highly regular (Fig. 1), with circular cypress-dominated wetlands occupying depressions that are hydrologically isolated and distributed evenly in a matrix of pine uplands. Regular landscape patterning results from spatially coupled feedbacks, one positive operating locally that expands patches coupled to another negative that operates at distance, eventually inhibiting patch expansion. The positive feedback in BICY is thought to derive from the presence of surface depressions, which sustain prolonged inundation in this low-relief setting, and facilitate wetland development that greatly augments dissolution potential of infiltrating water in response to ecosystem metabolic processes. In short, wetlands "drill" into the carbonate leading to both vertical and lateral basin expansion. Wetland expansion occurs at the expense of surrounding upland area, which is the local catchment that subsidizes water availability. A distal inhibitory feedback on basin expansion thus occurs as the water necessary to sustain prolonged inundation becomes limiting. The implied strong reciprocal coupling between surface production of organic matter and patterns of induced subsurface carbonate dissolution are a novel example of co-evolving biogeomorphic processes in the earth system. Fig. 1 - Regular patterned landscape in Big Cypress National Preserve showing cypress dominated wetlands (round features) embedded in a mosaic of pine and grass uplands. Exposed carbonate rings are evident at the margins of many of the wetland basins.

Modeling of normal contact of elastic bodies with surface relief taken into account

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goryacheva, I. G.; Tsukanov, I. Yu

2018-04-01

An approach to account the surface relief in normal contact problems for rough bodies on the basis of an additional displacement function for asperities is considered. The method and analytic expressions for calculating the additional displacement function for one-scale and two-scale wavy relief are presented. The influence of the microrelief geometric parameters, including the number of scales and asperities density, on additional displacements of the rough layer is analyzed.

Transformation twinning of Ni-Mn-Ga characterized with temperature-controlled atomic force microscopy.

PubMed

Reinhold, Matthew; Watson, Chad; Knowlton, William B; Müllner, Peter

2010-06-01

The magnetomechanical properties of ferromagnetic shape memory alloy Ni-Mn-Ga single crystals depend strongly on the twin microstructure, which can be modified through thermomagnetomechanical training. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) were used to characterize the evolution of twin microstructures during thermomechanical training of a Ni-Mn-Ga single crystal. Experiments were performed in the martensite phase at 25 degrees C and in the austenite phase at 55 degrees C. Two distinct twinning surface reliefs were observed at room temperature. At elevated temperature (55 degrees C), the surface relief of one twinning mode disappeared while the other relief remained unchanged. When cooled back to 25 degrees C, the twin surface relief recovered. The relief persisting at elevated temperature specifies the positions of twin boundaries that were present when the sample was polished prior to surface characterization. AFM and MFM following thermomechanical treatment provide a nondestructive method to identify the crystallographic orientation of each twin and of each twin boundary plane. Temperature dependent AFM and MFM experiments reveal the twinning history thereby establishing the technique as a unique predictive tool for revealing the path of the martensitic and reverse transformations of magnetic shape memory alloys.

Transformation twinning of Ni–Mn–Ga characterized with temperature-controlled atomic force microscopy

PubMed Central

Reinhold, Matthew; Watson, Chad; Knowlton, William B.; Müllner, Peter

2010-01-01

The magnetomechanical properties of ferromagnetic shape memory alloy Ni–Mn–Ga single crystals depend strongly on the twin microstructure, which can be modified through thermomagnetomechanical training. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) were used to characterize the evolution of twin microstructures during thermomechanical training of a Ni–Mn–Ga single crystal. Experiments were performed in the martensite phase at 25 °C and in the austenite phase at 55 °C. Two distinct twinning surface reliefs were observed at room temperature. At elevated temperature (55 °C), the surface relief of one twinning mode disappeared while the other relief remained unchanged. When cooled back to 25 °C, the twin surface relief recovered. The relief persisting at elevated temperature specifies the positions of twin boundaries that were present when the sample was polished prior to surface characterization. AFM and MFM following thermomechanical treatment provide a nondestructive method to identify the crystallographic orientation of each twin and of each twin boundary plane. Temperature dependent AFM and MFM experiments reveal the twinning history thereby establishing the technique as a unique predictive tool for revealing the path of the martensitic and reverse transformations of magnetic shape memory alloys. PMID:20589105

38 CFR 18.410 - Effect of State or local law or other requirements and effect of employment opportunities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Effect of State or local law or other requirements and effect of employment opportunities. 18.410 Section 18.410 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (CONTINUED) NONDISCRIMINATION IN FEDERALLY-ASSISTED PROGRAMS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS...

Effect of Cover Thickness on the Relationship of Surface Relief to Diameter of Northern Lowland QCDs on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buczkowski, D. L.; Frey, H. V.; McGill, G. E.

2005-01-01

Previous work has established that there is a relationship of surface relief to diameter for quasi-circular depressions (QCDs) around the Utopia Basin [1]. This relationship has been used to support the contention that the QCDs represent impact craters buried beneath a differentially compacting cover material. For any given regional cover thickness, total cover thickness is greater over the centers of completely buried craters than over their rims; thus total compaction is greater over the center of craters than their rims and topographic depressions will form. Since large craters are deeper than small craters, differential compaction models also predict that surface relief will be proportional to the diameter of the buried crater [2]. It is highly unlikely, however, that the material covering the QCD impact craters is a consistent thickness throughout the entire northern lowlands of Mars. We explore the effects that changes in cover thickness would have on the surface relief vs. diameter relationship of QCDs.

Topology-optimized broadband surface relief transmission grating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andkjær, Jacob; Ryder, Christian P.; Nielsen, Peter C.; Rasmussen, Thomas; Buchwald, Kristian; Sigmund, Ole

2014-03-01

We propose a design methodology for systematic design of surface relief transmission gratings with optimized diffraction efficiency. The methodology is based on a gradient-based topology optimization formulation along with 2D frequency domain finite element simulations for TE and TM polarized plane waves. The goal of the optimization is to find a grating design that maximizes diffraction efficiency for the -1st transmission order when illuminated by unpolarized plane waves. Results indicate that a surface relief transmission grating can be designed with a diffraction efficiency of more than 40% in a broadband range going from the ultraviolet region, through the visible region and into the near-infrared region.

Shaded Relief of Rio Sao Francisco, Brazil

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-02-14

This topographic image acquired by SRTM shows an area south of the Sao Francisco River in Brazil. The scrub forest terrain shows relief of about 400 meters (1300 feet). Areas such as these are difficult to map by traditional methods because of frequent cloud cover and local inaccessibility. This region has little topographic relief, but even subtle changes in topography have far-reaching effects on regional ecosystems. The image covers an area of 57 km x 79 km and represents one quarter of the 225 km SRTM swath. Colors range from dark blue at water level to white and brown at hill tops. The terrain features that are clearly visible in this image include tributaries of the Sao Francisco, the dark-blue branch-like features visible from top right to bottom left, and on the left edge of the image, and hills rising up from the valley floor. The San Francisco River is a major source of water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. Mapping such regions will allow scientists to better understand the relationships between flooding cycles, forestation and human influences on ecosystems. This shaded relief image was generated using topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. A computer-generated artificial light source illuminates the elevation data to produce a pattern of light and shadows. Slopes facing the light appear bright, while those facing away are shaded. On flatter surfaces, the pattern of light and shadows can reveal subtle features in the terrain. Shaded relief maps are commonly used in applications such as geologic mapping and land use planning. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02700

In situ KPFM imaging of local photovoltaic characteristics of structured organic photovoltaic devices.

PubMed

Watanabe, Satoshi; Fukuchi, Yasumasa; Fukasawa, Masako; Sassa, Takafumi; Kimoto, Atsushi; Tajima, Yusuke; Uchiyama, Masanobu; Yamashita, Takashi; Matsumoto, Mutsuyoshi; Aoyama, Tetsuya

2014-02-12

Here, we discuss the local photovoltaic characteristics of a structured bulk heterojunction, organic photovoltaic devices fabricated with a liquid carbazole, and a fullerene derivative based on analysis by scanning kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Periodic photopolymerization induced by an interference pattern from two laser beams formed surface relief gratings (SRG) in the structured films. The surface potential distribution in the SRGs indicates the formation of donor and acceptor spatial distribution. Under illumination, the surface potential reversibly changed because of the generation of fullerene anions and hole transport from the films to substrates, which indicates that we successfully imaged the local photovoltaic characteristics of the structured photovoltaic devices. Using atomic force microscopy, we confirmed the formation of the SRG because of the material migration to the photopolymerized region of the films, which was induced by light exposure through photomasks. The structuring technique allows for the direct fabrication and the control of donor and acceptor spatial distribution in organic photonic and electronic devices with minimized material consumption. This in situ KPFM technique is indispensable to the fabrication of nanoscale electron donor and electron acceptor spatial distribution in the devices.

Method of fabricating reflection-mode EUV diffraction elements

DOEpatents

Naulleau, Patrick P.

2002-01-01

Techniques for fabricating a well-controlled, quantized-level, engineered surface that serves as substrates for EUV reflection multilayer overcomes problems associated with the fabrication of reflective EUV diffraction elements. The technique when employed to fabricate an EUV diffraction element that includes the steps of: (a) forming an etch stack comprising alternating layers of first and second materials on a substrate surface where the two material can provide relative etch selectivity; (b) creating a relief profile in the etch stack wherein the relief profile has a defined contour; and (c) depositing a multilayer reflection film over the relief profile wherein the film has an outer contour that substantially matches that of the relief profile. For a typical EUV multilayer, if the features on the substrate are larger than 50 nm, the multilayer will be conformal to the substrate. Thus, the phase imparted to the reflected wavefront will closely match that geometrically set by the surface height profile.

Locality and nonlocality in geomorphic transport laws: Implications of a particle-based model of hillslope evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tucker, G. E.; Bradley, D. N.

2008-12-01

Many geomorphic transport laws assume that the transport process is local, meaning that the space and time scales of particle displacement are short relative to those of the system as a whole. This assumption allows one to express sediment flux in terms of at-a-point properties such as the local surface gradient. However, while this assumption is quite reasonable for some processes (for example, grain displacement by raindrop impact), it is questionable for others (such as landsliding). Moreover, particle displacement distance may also depend on slope angle, becoming longer as gradient increases. For example, the average motion distance during sediment ravel events on very steep slopes may approach the length of the entire hillslope. In such cases, the mass flux through a given point may depend not only on the local topography but also on topography some distance upslope, thus violating the locality assumption. Here we use a stochastic, particle- based model of hillslope evolution to gain insight into the potential for, and consequences of, nonlocality in sediment transport. The model is designed as a simple analogy for a host of different processes that displace sediment grains on hillslopes. The hillslope is represented as a two-dimensional pile of particles. These particles undergo quasi-random motion according to the following rules: (1) during each iteration, a particle and a direction are selected at random; (2) the particle hops in the direction of motion with a probability that depends on the its height relative to that of its immediate neighbor; (3) the particle continues making hops in the same direction and with the same probability dependence, until coming to rest or exiting the base of the slope. The topography and motion statistics that emerge from these rules show a range of behavior that depends on a dimensionless relief parameter. At low relief, hillslope shape is parabolic, mean displacement length is on the order of two particle widths, and the probability distribution of displacement length is thin- tailed (approximately exponential). At high relief, hillslopes become planar, average displacement length increases by an order of magnitude, and the displacement-length distribution becomes heavy-tailed (albeit truncated at the slope length). Across the spectrum of relief values, the relationship between mean flux and gradient resembles the family of nonlinear flux-gradient curves that has been used to model hillslope evolution. We compare the emergent morphology and transport statistics with linear, nonlinear, and fractional diffusion models of hillslope transport.

Element of an inductive coupler

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Fox, Joe

2006-08-15

An element for an inductive coupler in a downhole component comprises magnetically conductive material, which is disposed in a recess in annular housing. The magnetically conductive material forms a generally circular trough. The circular trough comprises an outer generally U-shaped surface, an inner generally U-shaped surface, and two generally planar surfaces joining the inner and outer surfaces. The element further comprises pressure relief grooves in at least one of the surfaces of the circular trough. The pressure relief grooves may be scored lines. Preferably the pressure relief grooves are parallel to the magnetic field generated by the magnetically conductive material. The magnetically conductive material is selected from the group consisting of soft iron, ferrite, a nickel iron alloy, a silicon iron alloy, a cobalt iron alloy, and a mu-metal. Preferably, the annular housing is a metal ring.

Formation of surface relief grating in polymers with pendant azobenzene chromophores as studied by AFM/UFM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulikovska, Olga; Gharagozloo-Hubmann, Kati; Stumpe, Joachim; Huey, Bryan D.; Bliznyuk, Valery N.

2012-12-01

We studied peculiarities of the structural reconstruction within holographically recorded gratings on the surface of several different amorphous azobenzene-containing polymers. Under illumination with a light interference pattern, two processes take place in this type of polymer. The first process is the light-induced orientation of azobenzene units perpendicular to the polarization plane of the incident light. The second one is a transfer of macromolecules along the grating vector (i.e. perpendicular to the grating lines). These two processes result in the creation of a volume orientation grating (alternating regions of different direction or degree of molecular orientation) and a surface relief grating (SRG)—i.e. modulation of film thickness. One can assume that both orientation of molecules and their movement might change the local mechanical properties of the material. Therefore, formation of the SRG is expected to result also in modulation of the local stiffness of the polymer film. To reveal and investigate these stiffness changes within the grating, spin-coated polymer films were prepared and the gratings were recorded on them in two different ways: with an orthogonal circular or orthogonal linear polarization of two recording light beams. A combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and ultrasonic force microscopy (UFM) techniques was applied for SRG development monitoring. We demonstrate that formation of the phase gratings depends on the chemical structure of polymers being used, polymer film thickness, and recording parameters, with the height of grating structures (depth of modulation) increasing with both the exposure time and the film thickness. UFM images suggest that the slopes of the topographic peaks in the phase gratings exhibit an increased stiffness with respect to the grating depressions.

Ubiquitous Creation of Bas-Relief Surfaces with Depth-of-Field Effects Using Smartphones.

PubMed

Sohn, Bong-Soo

2017-03-11

This paper describes a new method to automatically generate digital bas-reliefs with depth-of-field effects from general scenes. Most previous methods for bas-relief generation take input in the form of 3D models. However, obtaining 3D models of real scenes or objects is often difficult, inaccurate, and time-consuming. From this motivation, we developed a method that takes as input a set of photographs that can be quickly and ubiquitously captured by ordinary smartphone cameras. A depth map is computed from the input photographs. The value range of the depth map is compressed and used as a base map representing the overall shape of the bas-relief. However, the resulting base map contains little information on details of the scene. Thus, we construct a detail map using pixel values of the input image to express the details. The base and detail maps are blended to generate a new depth map that reflects both overall depth and scene detail information. This map is selectively blurred to simulate the depth-of-field effects. The final depth map is converted to a bas-relief surface mesh. Experimental results show that our method generates a realistic bas-relief surface of general scenes with no expensive manual processing.

Ubiquitous Creation of Bas-Relief Surfaces with Depth-of-Field Effects Using Smartphones

PubMed Central

Sohn, Bong-Soo

2017-01-01

This paper describes a new method to automatically generate digital bas-reliefs with depth-of-field effects from general scenes. Most previous methods for bas-relief generation take input in the form of 3D models. However, obtaining 3D models of real scenes or objects is often difficult, inaccurate, and time-consuming. From this motivation, we developed a method that takes as input a set of photographs that can be quickly and ubiquitously captured by ordinary smartphone cameras. A depth map is computed from the input photographs. The value range of the depth map is compressed and used as a base map representing the overall shape of the bas-relief. However, the resulting base map contains little information on details of the scene. Thus, we construct a detail map using pixel values of the input image to express the details. The base and detail maps are blended to generate a new depth map that reflects both overall depth and scene detail information. This map is selectively blurred to simulate the depth-of-field effects. The final depth map is converted to a bas-relief surface mesh. Experimental results show that our method generates a realistic bas-relief surface of general scenes with no expensive manual processing. PMID:28287487

Dual-detector X-ray fluorescence imaging of ancient artifacts with surface relief

PubMed Central

Smilgies, Detlef-M.; Powers, Judson A.; Bilderback, Donald H.; Thorne, Robert E.

2012-01-01

Interpretation of X-ray fluorescence images of archeological artifacts is complicated by the presence of surface relief and roughness. Using two symmetrically arranged fluorescence detectors in a back-reflection geometry, the proper X-ray fluorescence yield can be distinguished from intensity variations caused by surface topography. This technique has been applied to the study of Roman inscriptions on marble. PMID:22713888

77 FR 50481 - Development of Programmatic Requirements for the State and Local Implementation Grant Program To...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-21

... the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Act). The Notice describes the programmatic... Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (Act).\\1\\ The Act meets a long-standing priority of the Obama... will help them to do their jobs more safely and effectively. \\1\\ Middle Class Tax Relief and Job...

Topography of the Central Alps in the light of Tertiary collisional tectonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, Claudio; Garcia, Sebastian

2013-04-01

Collisional shortening in the Central Alps is partitioned very differently between the upper and lower plates along the strike of the orogen. North of the Insubric Line, the amount of post-nappe shortening accommodated in the wedge of accreted lower crustal material, increases westwards, whereas south of the Insubric Line, post-nappe shortening accommodated in the upper plate increases eastward (Rosenberg and Kissling, 2013). Taking the Bergell pluton as a time marker, the age of these deformations is inferred to be post 30 Ma. We investigate the present-day topography of the Central Alps, in order to test whether the systematic, along-strike changes, in the amounts of post-nappe shortening are associated to a systematic change in the topographic signature. In order to do so, the maximum and minimum elevations, and the local relief along a series of N-S sections are analysed and compared. The analysis of these topographic sections shows that the local relief varies following two along-strike trends: 1. North of the Insubric Line, i.e. in the wedge of accreted lower crust, the relief decreases from west to east, showing the transition from a highly incised topography in the west to a plateau-like topography in the East. 2. South of the Insubric Line, i.e. in the lower plate, the relief increases from East to West. These trends point to a positive correlation between the amount of shortening and the intensity of local relief. Linear correlations between local relief and uplift rate (e.g. Hurtez et al., 1999), and between local relief and shortening rates (Champagnac et al., 2012) have been inferred for different, tectonically active areas. Areas of larger finite shortening in the Central Alps, characterized by higher local relief, probably correspond to areas of higher shortening (and uplift) rates during Alpine collision. Considering the very slow, present-day, convergent movements across the Central Alps (Noquet and Calais, 2004) it is not clear whether the observed correlation between shortening and relief is the result of past, but still active tectonics or a well preserved relict of Miocene teconic activity. References: Champagnac, J.-D., P. Molnar, C. Sue, and F. Herman (2012), Tectonics, climate, and mountain topography, J. Geophys. Res., 117, B02403, doi:10.1029/2011JB008348. Hurtez, J._E., Lucazeau, F., Lavé, J., and Avouac, J.-P. (1999), Investigation of the relationships between basin morphology, tectonic uplift, and denudation from the study of an active fold belt in the Siwalik Hills, central Nepal. J. Geophys. Res., 104, NO. B6, PAGES 12,779-12,796 Nocquet, J.-M. and Calais, E. (2004), Geodetic measurements of crustal deformation in the Western Mediterranean and Europe. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 161, 661-681, doi:10.1007/s00024-003-2468-z Rosenberg, C.L. and Kissling, E. (2013), 3D Structure of collision in the Central Alps: lower-plate or upper-plate indentation? EGU Abstract volume, EGU2013-ASC-2013-7946.

Photo-responsive surface topology in chiral nematic media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Danqing; Bastiaansen, Cees W. M.; Toonder, Jaap. M. J.; Broer, Dirk J.

2012-03-01

We report on the design and fabrication of 'smart surfaces' that exhibit dynamic changes in their surface topology in response to exposure to light. The principle is based on anisotropic geometric changes of a liquid crystal network upon a change of the molecular order parameter. The photomechanical property of the coating is induced by incorporating an azobenzene moiety into the liquid crystal network. The responsive surface topology consists of regions with two different types of molecular order: planar chiral-nematic areas and homeotropic. Under flood exposure with 365 nm light the surfaces deform from flat to one with a surface relief. The height of the relief structures is of the order of 1 um corresponding to strain difference of around 20%. Furthermore, we demonstrate surface reliefs can form either convex or concave structures upon exposure to UV light corresponding to the decrease or increase molecular order parameter, respectively, related to the isomeric state of the azobenzene crosslinker. The reversible deformation to the initial flat state occurs rapidly after removing the light source.

Diffraction efficiency of plasmonic gratings fabricated by electron beam lithography using a silver halide film

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

Sudheer,, E-mail: sudheer@rrcat.gov.in, E-mail: sudheer.rrcat@gmail.com; Tiwari, P.; Srivastava, Himanshu

2016-07-28

The silver nanoparticle surface relief gratings of ∼10 μm period are fabricated using electron beam lithography on the silver halide film substrate. Morphological characterization of the gratings shows that the period, the shape, and the relief depth in the gratings are mainly dependent on the number of lines per frame, the spot size, and the accelerating voltage of electron beam raster in the SEM. Optical absorption of the silver nanoparticle gratings provides a broad localized surface plasmon resonance peak in the visible region, whereas the intensity of the peaks depends on the number density of silver nanoparticles in the gratings. Themore » maximum efficiency of ∼7.2% for first order diffraction is observed for the grating fabricated at 15 keV. The efficiency is peaking at 560 nm with ∼380 nm bandwidth. The measured profiles of the diffraction efficiency for the gratings are found in close agreement with the Raman-Nath diffraction theory. This technique provides a simple and efficient method for the fabrication of plasmonic nanoparticle grating structures with high diffraction efficiency having broad wavelength tuning.« less

Buckling analysis of stiff thin films suspended on a substrate with tripod surface relief structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Qingmin; Chen, Furong; Li, Ming; Cheng, Huanyu

2017-09-01

A wavy configuration is a simple yet powerful structural design strategy, which has been widely used in flexible and stretchable electronics. A buckled structure created from a prestretch-contact-release process represents an early effort. Substrates with engineered surface relief structures (e.g., rectangular islands or tripod structure) have enabled stretchability to the devices without sacrificing their electric performance (e.g., high areal coverage for LEDs/photovoltaics/batteries/supercapacitors). In particular, the substrate with a tripod surface relief structure allows wrinkled devices to be suspended on a soft tripod substrate. This minimizes the contact area between devices and the deformed substrate, which contributes to a significantly reduced interfacial stress/strain. To uncover the underlying mechanism of such a design, we exploit the energy method to analytically investigate the buckling and postbuckling behaviors of stiff films suspended on a stretchable polymeric substrate with a tripod surface relief structure. Validated by finite element analysis, the predications from such an analytical study elucidate the deformed profile and maximum strain in the buckled and postbuckled stiff thin device films, providing a useful toolkit for future experimental designs.

Linking Surface and Subsurface Processes: Implications for Seismic Hazards in Southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, J. C.; Moon, S.; Yong, A.; Meng, L.; Martin, A. J.; Davis, P. M.

2017-12-01

Earth's surface and subsurface processes such as bedrock weathering, soil production, and river incision can influence and be influenced by spatial variations in the mechanical strength of surface material. Mechanically weakened rocks tend to have reduced seismic velocity, which can result in larger ground-motion amplification and greater potential for earthquake-induced damages. However, the influence and extent of surface and subsurface processes on the mechanical strength of surface material and seismic site conditions in southern California remain unclear. In this study, we examine whether physics-based models of surface and subsurface processes can explain the spatial variability and non-linearity of near-surface seismic velocity in southern California. We use geophysical measurements (Yong et al., 2013; Ancheta et al., 2014), consisting of shear-wave velocity (Vs) tomography data, Vs profiles, and the time-averaged Vs in the upper 30 m of the crust (Vs30) to infer lateral and vertical variations of surface material properties. Then, we compare Vs30 values with geologic and topographic attributes such as rock type, slope, elevation, and local relief, as well as metrics for surface processes such as soil production and bedrock weathering from topographic stress, frost cracking, chemical reactions, and vegetation presence. Results from this study will improve our understanding of physical processes that control subsurface material properties and their influences on local variability in seismic site conditions.

Quantifying relief on alluvial fans using airborne lidar to reveal patterns of sediment accumulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morelan, A. E., III; Oskin, M. E.

2017-12-01

We present a method of quantifying detailed surface relief on alluvial fans from high-resolution topography. Average slope and curvature of the fan are used together to empirically derive an idealized, radially symmetric fan surface, from which we compute residual topography. Maps produced using this technique highlight spatial patterns of fan deposition and avulsion. Regions of high residual topography reveal active and abandoned sediment lobes accumulated from recent depositional events, often with well-defined channels at their apex. Preliminary observations suggest that surface relief is uniform across a collection of fans in a given region and source lithology. Alluvial fans with granitic catchment lithologies in eastern California (n=12), each with varying source catchment size and mean fan slope, all show relief of around 4 meters. A collection of fans from the Carrizo Plain in central California (n=12), with source catchments set within Miocene marine and nonmarine sedimentary rocks, show significantly lower relief values around 2 meters. We hypothesize that particle grain size determines this contrasting relief through its control on the thickness of fan-building debris flows. In both settings we find that sediment lobes tend to extend toward the fan toe. This pattern supports a process, observed in analog experiments, of fan deposition dominated by back-filling and overtopping of distributary channels by debris-flows.

Simulating the Surface Relief of Nanoaerosols Obtained via the Rapid Cooling of Droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tovbin, Yu. K.; Zaitseva, E. S.; Rabinovich, A. B.

2018-03-01

An approach is formulated that theoretically describes the structure of a rough surface of small aerosol particles obtained from a liquid droplet upon its rapid cooling. The problem consists of two stages. In the first stage, a concentration profile of the droplet-vapor transition region is calculated. In the second stage, local fractions of vacant sites and their pairs are found on the basis of this profile, and the rough structure of a frozen droplet surface transitioning to the solid state is calculated. Model parameters are the temperature of the initial droplet and those of the lateral interaction between droplet atoms. Information on vacant sites inside the region of transition allows us to identify adsorption centers and estimate the monolayer capacity, compared to that of the total space of the region of transition. The approach is oriented toward calculating adsorption isotherms on real surfaces.

Exploring Formation Models for Ceres Tholi and Montes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruesch, O.; Platz, T.; McFadden, L. A.; Hiesinger, H.; Schenk, P.; Sykes, M. V.; Schmidt, B. E.; Buczkowski, D.; Thangjam, G.; Raymond, C. A.; Russell, C. T.

2015-12-01

Dawn Framing Camera (FC) images of Ceres surface revealed tholi and mons, i.e., positive relief features with sub-circular to irregular basal shapes and varying height to diameter ratios and flank slopes. These domes and mounts are tentatively interpreted as volcanic constructs [1]. Alternative formation mechanisms, e.g., uplifting by diapirism or shallow intrusions [e.g., 2], could have also led to the observed features with different geological implications. FC images derived local digital elevation models reveal that the largest dome on Ceres (near Rongo crater) has a ~100 km wide base, concave downward margins with slopes of 10°-20°, a relatively flat top reaching altitudes of ~5 km relative to surrounding, and a summit pit chain of putative endogenic origin. A relevant mons on Ceres is a cone-shaped relief (10°S/316°E) with a ~30x20 km base, reaching a high of ~5 km relative to surroundings. Flank slopes approach a concave upward shape. These constructs are located in a complex geological area having resurfaced units with onlap contacts. Because of the varying morphometries of the reliefs, we explore several physical models of volcanic constructs, e.g., steep-sided dome and shield volcano. Physical models are based on radially spreading viscous gravity currents with a free upper surface [e.g., 3, 4]. Testing formation scenarios will exploit recently developed methods, such as time-variable viscosity and fixed-volume models [5], and constant flow rate models [6]. We aim to provide constraints on viable emplacement mechanisms for the different reliefs. [1] Platz et al. (2015), EPSC abstract 915, vol. 10; [2] Fagents, S.A. (2003), JGR, vol. 108, E12, 5139; [3] Huppert, H. (1982), J. Fluid Mech., vol. 121, pp. 43-58; [4] Lacey et al. (1981), EPSL, vol. 54, pp. 139-143; [5] Glaze et al. (2012), LPSC abstract 1074 ; [6] Glaze et al. (2015), LPSC abstract 1326.

The effects of phase on the perception of 3D shape from texture: psychophysics and modeling.

PubMed

Thaler, Lore; Todd, James T; Dijkstra, Tjeerd M H

2007-02-01

Two experiments are reported in which observers judged the apparent shapes of elliptical cylinders with eight different textures that were presented with scrambled and unscrambled phase spectra. The results revealed that the apparent depths of these surfaces varied linearly with the ground truth in all conditions, and that the overall magnitude of surface relief was systematically underestimated. In general, the apparent depth of a surface is significantly attenuated when the phase spectrum of its texture is randomly scrambled, though the magnitude of this effect varies for different types of texture. A new computational model of 3D shape from texture is proposed in which apparent depth is estimated from the relative density of edges in different local regions of an image, and the predictions of this model are highly correlated with the observers' judgments.

43 CFR 1882.1 - Loan fund, general.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GENERAL MANAGEMENT (1000) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Mineral Development Impact Relief Loans § 1882.1 Loan fund, general. Funds appropriated by Congress for loans for relief of adverse social and economic impacts resulting from the development of Federal mineral deposits...

A multi-directional and multi-scale roughness filter to detect lineament segments on digital elevation models - analyzing spatial objects in R

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumann, Sebastian; Robl, Jörg; Wendt, Lorenz; Willingshofer, Ernst; Hilberg, Sylke

2016-04-01

Automated lineament analysis on remotely sensed data requires two general process steps: The identification of neighboring pixels showing high contrast and the conversion of these domains into lines. The target output is the lineaments' position, extent and orientation. We developed a lineament extraction tool programmed in R using digital elevation models as input data to generate morphological lineaments defined as follows: A morphological lineament represents a zone of high relief roughness, whose length significantly exceeds the width. As relief roughness any deviation from a flat plane, defined by a roughness threshold, is considered. In our novel approach a multi-directional and multi-scale roughness filter uses moving windows of different neighborhood sizes to identify threshold limited rough domains on digital elevation models. Surface roughness is calculated as the vertical elevation difference between the center cell and the different orientated straight lines connecting two edge cells of a neighborhood, divided by the horizontal distance of the edge cells. Thus multiple roughness values depending on the neighborhood sizes and orientations of the edge connecting lines are generated for each cell and their maximum and minimum values are extracted. Thereby negative signs of the roughness parameter represent concave relief structures as valleys, positive signs convex relief structures as ridges. A threshold defines domains of high relief roughness. These domains are thinned to a representative point pattern by a 3x3 neighborhood filter, highlighting maximum and minimum roughness peaks, and representing the center points of lineament segments. The orientation and extent of the lineament segments are calculated within the roughness domains, generating a straight line segment in the direction of least roughness differences. We tested our algorithm on digital elevation models of multiple sources and scales and compared the results visually with shaded relief map of these digital elevation models. The lineament segments trace the relief structure to a great extent and the calculated roughness parameter represents the physical geometry of the digital elevation model. Modifying the threshold for the surface roughness value highlights different distinct relief structures. Also the neighborhood size at which lineament segments are detected correspond with the width of the surface structure and may be a useful additional parameter for further analysis. The discrimination of concave and convex relief structures perfectly matches with valleys and ridges of the surface.

Sequence stratigraphy of the Monterey Formation, Santa Barbara County: Integration of physical, chemical, and biofacies data from outcrop and subsurface

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

Bohacs, K.M.

1990-05-01

Deep basinal rocks of the Monterey Formation can be allocated to different depositional environments based on an integration of bedding, facies stacking patterns, lithology, biofacies, and inorganic and organic chemistry. These rocks show evidence of systematic changes in depositional environments that can be related to eustatic sea level change and basin evolution. Even deep-basinal environments are affected by changing sea level through changes in circulation patterns and intensities nutrient budgets and dispersal patterns, and location and intensity of the oceanic oxygen minimum. The sequence-stratigraphic framework was constructed based on the physical expression of the outcrop strata and confirmed by typingmore » the outcrop sections to an integrated well-log/seismic grid through outcrop gamma-ray-spectral profiles. Interpretation of a sequence boundary was based on increased proportions of hemipelagic facies, evidence of increased bottom-energy levels above the boundary, and local erosion and relief on the surface. The proportion of shallower water and reworked dinoflagellates increased to a local maximum above the boundary, Downlap surfaces exhibited increased proportions of pelagic facies around the surface, evidence of decreased bottom-energy levels and terrigenous sedimentation rates, and little or no significant erosion on the surface. The proportion of deeper water dinoflagellates increased to a local maximum at or near the downlap surface; there was no evidence of reworked individuals. The detailed sequence-stratigraphic framework makes it possible to the rock properties to genetic processes for construction of predictive models.« less

Stereotactic Radiosurgery for the Treatment of Primary and Metastatic Spinal Sarcomas

PubMed Central

Balagamwala, Ehsan H.; Angelov, Lilyana; Suh, John H.; Djemil, Toufik; Magnelli, Anthony; Qi, Peng; Zhuang, Tingliang; Godley, Andrew

2016-01-01

Purpose: Despite advancements in local and systemic therapy, metastasis remains common in the natural history of sarcomas. Unfortunately, such metastases are the most significant source of morbidity and mortality in this heterogeneous disease. As a classically radioresistant histology, stereotactic radiosurgery has emerged to control spinal sarcomas and provide palliation. However, there is a lack of data regarding pain relief and relapse following stereotactic radiosurgery. Methods: We queried a retrospective institutional database of patients who underwent spine stereotactic radiosurgery for primary and metastatic sarcomas. The primary outcome was pain relief following stereotactic radiosurgery. Secondary outcomes included progression of pain, radiographic failure, and development of toxicities following treatment. Results: Forty treatment sites were eligible for inclusion; the median prescription dose was 16 Gy in a single fraction. Median time to radiographic failure was 14 months. At 6 and 12 months, radiographic control was 63% and 51%, respectively. Among patients presenting with pain, median time to pain relief was 1 month. Actuarial pain relief at 6 months was 82%. Median time to pain progression was 10 months; at 12 months, actuarial pain progression was 51%. Following multivariate analysis, presence of neurologic deficit at consult (hazard ratio: 2.48, P < .01) and presence of extraspinal bone metastases (hazard ratio: 2.83, P < .01) were associated with pain relief. Greater pain at consult (hazard ratio: 1.92, P < .01), prior radiotherapy (hazard ratio: 4.65, P = .02), and greater number of irradiated vertebral levels were associated with pain progression. Conclusions: Local treatment of spinal sarcomas has remained a challenge for decades, with poor rates of local control and limited pain relief following conventional radiotherapy. In this series, pain relief was achieved in 82% of treatments at 6 months, with half of patients experiencing pain progression by 12 months. Given minimal toxicity and suboptimal pain control at 12 months, dose escalation beyond 16 Gy is warranted. PMID:27074915

Geophysical interpretation of the gneiss terrane of northern Washington and southern British Columbia, and its implications for uranium exploration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cady, John W.; Fox, Kenneth F.

1984-01-01

The Omineca crystalline belt of northeastern Washington and southern British Columbia has a regional Bouguer gravity high, and individual gneiss domes within the terrane are marked by local gravity highs. Models of crustal structure that satisfy the limited available seismic-refraction data and explain the gravity high over the gneiss terrane permit the hypothesis that the core metamorphic complexes are the surface expression of a zone of dense infrastructure that makes up the upper 20 km (kilometers) of the crust within the crystalline belt. The Omineca crystalline belt is characterized regionally by low aeromagnetic relief. The gneiss domes and biotite- and biotite-muscovite granites are generally marked by low magnetic relief, whereas hornblende-biotite granites often cause magnetic highs. Exceptional magnetic highs mark zones of magnetic rock within the biotite- and biotite-muscovite granites and the gneiss domes; these areas are worthy of study, both to determine the origin and disposition of the magnetite and to explore the possible existence of uraniferous magnetite deposits.

Super-resolution photon-efficient imaging by nanometric double-helix point spread function localization of emitters (SPINDLE)

PubMed Central

Grover, Ginni; DeLuca, Keith; Quirin, Sean; DeLuca, Jennifer; Piestun, Rafael

2012-01-01

Super-resolution imaging with photo-activatable or photo-switchable probes is a promising tool in biological applications to reveal previously unresolved intra-cellular details with visible light. This field benefits from developments in the areas of molecular probes, optical systems, and computational post-processing of the data. The joint design of optics and reconstruction processes using double-helix point spread functions (DH-PSF) provides high resolution three-dimensional (3D) imaging over a long depth-of-field. We demonstrate for the first time a method integrating a Fisher information efficient DH-PSF design, a surface relief optical phase mask, and an optimal 3D localization estimator. 3D super-resolution imaging using photo-switchable dyes reveals the 3D microtubule network in mammalian cells with localization precision approaching the information theoretical limit over a depth of 1.2 µm. PMID:23187521

38 CFR 41.510 - Audit findings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Audit findings. 41.510 Section 41.510 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (CONTINUED) AUDITS OF STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Auditors § 41.510 Audit findings. (a...

Changes in sleep and wake in response to different sleeping surfaces: a pilot study.

PubMed

McCall, W Vaughn; Boggs, Niki; Letton, Alan

2012-03-01

Six married couples (12 adults, mean age 34.8 years) were randomized as couples in a cross-over design to sleep on a queen-size conventional mattress for 2 weeks and a specially-designed pressure-relief mattress for 2 weeks. The pressure-relief mattress was designed to reduce the number of contact points exceeding 30 mm Hg. Actigraphic measurements of sleep and self-reports of sleep and daytime symptoms were collected at baseline for 2 weeks on each couple's home mattress and box springs at home, followed by 2 weeks of data collection on each randomized mattress for a total of 6 weeks of data collection. Pressure maps were created for each participant on each sleeping surface. There were no significant differences between the randomized sleeping surfaces for any measure of actigraphic sleep or self-reported sleep and daytime symptoms. However, poor pressure relief performance of the home mattress was associated with better actigraphic sleep on the randomized pressure-relief mattress. We conclude that while pressure-relief mattresses may not be universally preferred, baseline characteristics of the sleeper and/or their mattress may explain performance and sleeper preferences on future mattress selection. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Coordination and resource maximization during disaster relief efforts.

PubMed

Lee, Vernon J; Low, Edwin

2006-01-01

In the aftermath of the Earthquake and Tsunami in Southeast Asia, many relief organizations sent medical aid to affected areas. The aim of this paper is to examine the mix of healthcare workers resulting from an influx of aid to Meulaboh, Indonesia, and how they met local healthcare needs. Data were collected from the registration center for relief organizations in Meulaboh and daily hospital meetings on healthcare needs and available workers. Prior to the Tsunami, there were 14 doctors and 120 nurses in the hospital. By the third week after the Tsunami, there were 21 surgeons performing 10 surgeries daily, and >20 non-surgical doctors in the 90-bed hospital. There were <70 nurses available during the month after the Tsunami, which was insufficient for the needs of the hospital. In the town of Meulaboh, the number of doctors exceeded the number of nurses, while public health workers comprised <5% of the healthcare workers. An initial disaster-coordinating agency, formed by the United Nations (UN) in conjunction with affected countries, should link actively with relief organizations. This will optimize help in meeting local needs, and direct relief to where it is needed most.

Sequence stratigraphy of the Monterey Formation, Santa Barbara County: Integration of physical, chemical, and biofacies data from outcrop and subsurface

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

Bohacs, K.M.

1991-02-01

Deep basinal rocks of the Monterey Formation can be allocated to different depositional environments based on an integration of bedding, stacking patterns of facies, lithology, biofacies, and inorganic and organic chemistry. These rocks show evidence of systematic changes in depositional environments that can be related to eustatic sea level changes and basin evolution. Even deep-basinal environments are affected by changing sea level through changes in circulation patterns and intensities, nutrient budgets and dispersal patterns, and location and intensity of the oceanic oxygen minimum. The sequence-stratigraphic framework was constructed based on the physical expression of the outcrop strata and confirmed bymore » typing the outcrop sections to an integrated will-log/seismic grid through outcrop gamma-ray spectral profiles. Interpretation of a sequence boundary was based on increased proportions of hemipelagic facies and evidence of increased bottom-energy levels above the boundary, and local erosion and relief on the surface. The proportion of shallower water and reworked dinoflagellates increased to a local maximum above the boundary. Downlap surfaces exhibited increased proportions of pelagic facies around the surface, a secular change in the dominant lithology across the surface, evidence of decreased bottom-energy levels and terrigenous sedimentation rates, and little or not significant erosion on the surface. The proportion of deeper water dinoflagellates increased to a local maximum at or near the downlap surface; there was no evidence of reworked individuals. The detailed sequence-stratigraphic framework makes it possible to tie rock properties to genetic processes for construction of predictive models.« less

38 CFR 41.230 - Audit costs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Audit costs. 41.230 Section 41.230 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (CONTINUED) AUDITS OF STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Audits § 41.230 Audit costs. (a) Allowable...

Mitigating Climate Change with Earth Orbital Sunshades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coverstone, Victoria; Johnson, Les

2015-01-01

An array of rotating sunshades based on emerging solar sail technology will be deployed in a novel Earth orbit to provide near-continuous partial shading of the Earth, reducing the heat input to the atmosphere by blocking a small percentage of the incoming sunlight, and mitigating local weather effects of anticipated climate change over the next century. The technology will provide local cooling relief during extreme heat events (and heating relief during extreme cold events) thereby saving human lives, agriculture, livestock, water and energy needs. A synthesis of the solar sail design, the sails' operational modes, and the selected orbit combine to provide local weather modification.

Radiofrequency sensory ablation as a treatment for symptomatic unilateral lumbosacral junction pseudarticulation (Bertolotti's syndrome): a case report.

PubMed

Burnham, Robert

2010-06-01

Describe the clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, and successful treatment of a case of symptomatic unilateral lumbosacral junction pseudarticulation using a novel radiofrequency nerve ablation technique. A 56-year-old female patient who had suffered with low back and right upper buttock pain for 16 years experienced incomplete relief with L4/5 facet joint radiofrequency ablation. She was found to have an elongated right L5 transverse process that articulated with the sacral ala (Bertolotti's syndrome). Fluoroscopically guided local anesthetic/corticosteroid injection into the pseudarthrosis eliminated her residual right buttock pain for the duration of the local anesthetic only. Complete pain relief was achieved by injecting local anesthetic circumferentially around the posterior pseudarthrosis articular margin. Accordingly, bipolar radiofrequency strip thermal lesions were created at the same locations. Complete pain relief and full restoration of function was achieved for 16 months postprocedure. This case report describes a novel radiofrequency technique for treating symptomatic lumbosacral junction pseudarticulation that warrants further evaluation.

Comparison between newer local anesthetics for myofascial pain syndrome management.

PubMed

Zaralidou, A Th; Amaniti, E N; Maidatsi, P G; Gorgias, N K; Vasilakos, D F

2007-06-01

Myofascial pain syndromes are characterized by the presence of painful loci within muscles, tendons or ligaments, called trigger points. Infiltration of these points with local anesthetics is often used as a treatment modality. The aim of the study was to comparatively evaluate 0.25% levobupivacaine and 0.25% ropivacaine for trigger point injection regarding pain on injection, treatment efficacy and duration of symptoms remission. Sixty-eight patients, suffering from myofascial pain syndromes, were randomly assigned to two groups to receive either levobupivacaine or ropivacaine for trigger-point injection. After completion of the procedure, patients were asked to rate pain during injection and efficacy of the treatment, based on immediate relief. Two weeks later, they were asked about the duration of this relief. Statistical analysis did not reveal significant differences between groups with respect to pain during injection, efficacy of the treatment and duration of pain relief. The two local anesthetics seem to be equally effective for trigger point infiltration. (c) 2007 Prous Science. All rights reserved.

Diffraction efficiency calculations of polarization diffraction gratings with surface relief

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nazarova, D.; Sharlandjiev, P.; Berberova, N.; Blagoeva, B.; Stoykova, E.; Nedelchev, L.

2018-03-01

In this paper, we evaluate the optical response of a stack of two diffraction gratings of equal one-dimensional periodicity. The first one is a surface-relief grating structure; the second, a volume polarization grating. This model is based on our experimental results from polarization holographic recordings in azopolymer films. We used films of commercially available azopolymer (poly[1-[4-(3-carboxy-4-hydroxyphenylazo) benzenesulfonamido]-1,2-ethanediyl, sodium salt]), shortly denoted as PAZO. During the recording process, a polarization grating in the volume of the material and a relief grating on the film surface are formed simultaneously. In order to evaluate numerically the optical response of this “hybrid” diffraction structure, we used the rigorous coupled-wave approach (RCWA). It yields stable numerical solutions of Maxwell’s vector equations using the algebraic eigenvalue method.

29 CFR 553.225 - Early relief.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Early relief. 553.225 Section 553.225 Labor Regulations... FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT TO EMPLOYEES OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Fire Protection and Law Enforcement Employees of Public Agencies Tour of Duty and Compensable Hours of Work Rules § 553.225 Early...

29 CFR 553.225 - Early relief.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Early relief. 553.225 Section 553.225 Labor Regulations... FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT TO EMPLOYEES OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Fire Protection and Law Enforcement Employees of Public Agencies Tour of Duty and Compensable Hours of Work Rules § 553.225 Early...

29 CFR 553.225 - Early relief.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Early relief. 553.225 Section 553.225 Labor Regulations... FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT TO EMPLOYEES OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Fire Protection and Law Enforcement Employees of Public Agencies Tour of Duty and Compensable Hours of Work Rules § 553.225 Early...

46 CFR 54.30-15 - Requirement for analysis and computation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... PRESSURE VESSELS Mechanical Stress Relief § 54.30-15 Requirement for analysis and computation. (a) A stress... mechanical stress relief process. This analysis should include consideration of the local stresses in way of saddles or other supporting structure and additional bending stresses due to the weight of the...

38 CFR 41.100 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Purpose. 41.100 Section 41.100 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (CONTINUED) AUDITS OF STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS General § 41.100 Purpose. This part sets forth standards for obtaining consistency and...

46 CFR 54.30-15 - Requirement for analysis and computation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... PRESSURE VESSELS Mechanical Stress Relief § 54.30-15 Requirement for analysis and computation. (a) A stress... mechanical stress relief process. This analysis should include consideration of the local stresses in way of saddles or other supporting structure and additional bending stresses due to the weight of the...

46 CFR 54.30-15 - Requirement for analysis and computation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... PRESSURE VESSELS Mechanical Stress Relief § 54.30-15 Requirement for analysis and computation. (a) A stress... mechanical stress relief process. This analysis should include consideration of the local stresses in way of saddles or other supporting structure and additional bending stresses due to the weight of the...

46 CFR 54.30-15 - Requirement for analysis and computation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... PRESSURE VESSELS Mechanical Stress Relief § 54.30-15 Requirement for analysis and computation. (a) A stress... mechanical stress relief process. This analysis should include consideration of the local stresses in way of saddles or other supporting structure and additional bending stresses due to the weight of the...

46 CFR 54.30-15 - Requirement for analysis and computation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... PRESSURE VESSELS Mechanical Stress Relief § 54.30-15 Requirement for analysis and computation. (a) A stress... mechanical stress relief process. This analysis should include consideration of the local stresses in way of saddles or other supporting structure and additional bending stresses due to the weight of the...

Shaded Relief of Rio Sao Francisco, Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

This topographic image acquired by SRTM shows an area south of the Sao Francisco River in Brazil. The scrub forest terrain shows relief of about 400 meters (1300 feet). Areas such as these are difficult to map by traditional methods because of frequent cloud cover and local inaccessibility. This region has little topographic relief, but even subtle changes in topography have far-reaching effects on regional ecosystems. The image covers an area of 57 km x 79 km and represents one quarter of the 225 km SRTM swath. Colors range from dark blue at water level to white and brown at hill tops. The terrain features that are clearly visible in this image include tributaries of the Sao Francisco, the dark-blue branch-like features visible from top right to bottom left, and on the left edge of the image, and hills rising up from the valley floor. The San Francisco River is a major source of water for irrigation and hydroelectric power. Mapping such regions will allow scientists to better understand the relationships between flooding cycles, forestation and human influences on ecosystems.

This shaded relief image was generated using topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. A computer-generated artificial light source illuminates the elevation data to produce a pattern of light and shadows. Slopes facing the light appear bright, while those facing away are shaded. On flatter surfaces, the pattern of light and shadows can reveal subtle features in the terrain. Shaded relief maps are commonly used in applications such as geologic mapping and land use planning.

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), launched on February 11, 2000, uses the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. The mission is designed to collect three-dimensional measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter-long (200-foot) mast, an additional C-band imaging antenna and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, DC.

The influence of vegetation and relief heterogeneity on turbulent exchange of CO2 between land surface and the atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhartova, Juliya; Levashova, Natalia; Volkova, Elena; Olchev, Alexander

2016-04-01

The possible effect of spatial heterogeneity of vegetation cover and relief on horizontal and vertical turbulent exchange of CO2 was described using a process-based two-dimensional (2D) turbulent exchange models (Mukhartova et al. 2015). As a key area for this modeling study the hilly territory situated at the boundary between broadleaf forest and steppe zones in European part of Russia (Tula region) was selected. The vegetation cover in the study region is represented by complex mosaic of crop areas, grasslands, pastures, mires and groves. The very heterogeneous vegetation cover and complex dissected relief make very difficult an adequate determining the local and regional CO2 fluxes using experimental methods only. The two-dimensional model based on solution of the Navier-Stokes and continuity equations using well-known one-and-a-half order (TKE) closure scheme is applied. For description of the plant canopy photosynthesis and respiration rates the model uses an aggregated approach based on the model of Ball et al (1987) in Leuning modification (1990, 1995), the Beer-Lambert equation for the description of solar radiation penetration within a plant canopy (Monsi, Saeki 1953), and also an algorithm describing the response of stomatal conductance of the leaves to incoming photosynthetically active radiation. All necessary input parameters describing the photosynthesis and respiration properties of different plants and soil types in the study region were measured in the field or taken from the literature. The system of differential equations in the model is numerically solved by the finite-difference method. It is assumed that the influence of ground surface heterogeneities at the upper boundary of computing domain is very low and the pressure excess can be therefore considered as zero. The concentration of CO2 at the upper boundary of computing domain is assumed to be equal to some background value. It is also assumed that all boundaries between different vegetation and land-use types are situated far enough from the domain boundaries. It enabled us to assume that near these boundaries the values of vertical and horizontal wind components are independent on x coordinate. To quantify the possible effects of relief and vegetation heterogeneity on CO2 fluxes the three transects crossing the study area were chosen. For each transect the 2D patterns of wind speed components, turbulent exchange coefficients, CO2 concentrations and fluxes were calculated. The modeled vertical CO2 fluxes were compared with the fluxes calculated without allowing for turbulent disturbances due to relief and vegetation heterogeneity. All modeling experiments were provided for different weather conditions. The results of modeling experiments for different transects under various meteorological conditions showed that relief and vegetation heterogeneity have a significant impact on CO2 fluxes within the atmospheric surface layer and their ignoring can results in uncertainties in flux estimations. This study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (Grant 14-14-00956).

Rotorcraft Use in Disaster Relief and Mass Casualty Incidents - Case Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

Disaster Relief and Mass 6. Performing Organization Code C asuallty Incidents- C ase Studies 8._P rfo minOr ani ati nR porNo 7. Author (s) 8...disaster planning process; and 3) produce a color video tape promoting the need for and the use of rotorcraft and heliports in disaster relief. 17...disaster prepaLedness ageicies for use in the integration of local helicopter assets into the disaster planning process; and 3) produce a color video tape

Architectural features of the Kayenta formation (Lower Jurassic), Colorado Plateau, USA: relationship to salt tectonics in the Paradox Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bromley, Michael H.

1991-09-01

Fluvial sandstones of the Kayenta Formation were analyzed using architectural element analysis. Paleocurrent trends, the distribution of lacustrine facies and local silcrete development indicate that synsedimentary movement of evaporites in the underlying Paradox Basin created an unstable basin floor beneath the Kayenta fluvial system. This instability resulted in deflection of fluvial axes, local basin development and local areas of interrupted fluvial deposition with eolian dunes. Paleocurrent trends in the Kayenta system reflect periodic interruptions of southwesterly flow. Salt migrating laterally out of a rim syncline into an adjacent salt anticline resulted in a rim syncline of slight topographic relief. The resulting basin was probably rapidly filled, allowing the resumption of southwesterly flow. Differential movement of salt (incipient solution collapse features (?)) resulted in the formation of small centripetal basins in which playa mudstones formed. A laterally extensive resistant ledge underlies a horizontal surface, suggestive of deflation to the water table of an exposed section of valley fill. A channel scour in the top of one of these surfaces has margins much steeper ( > 60°) than the angle of repose for unconsolidated sand. Early cementation of the exposed floodplain could account for this resistance.

Possible modes of coral-reef development at Molokai, Hawaii, inferred from seismic-reflection profiling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barnhardt, W.A.; Richmond, B.M.; Grossman, E.E.; Hart, P.

2005-01-01

High-resolution, seismic-reflection data elucidate the late Quaternary development of the largest coral-reef complex in the main Hawaiian Islands. Six acoustic facies were identified from reflection characteristics and lithosome geometry. An extensive, buried platform with uniformly low relief was traced beneath fore-reef and marginal shelf environments. This highly reflective surface dips gently seaward to ???130 m depth and locally crops out on the seafloor. It probably represents a wave-cut platform or ancient reef flat. We propose alternative evolutionary models, in which sea-level changes have modulated the development of reef systems, to explain the observed stratigraphic relationships. The primary difference between the models is the origin of the underlying antecedent surface, which arguably could have formed during either regression/lowstand or subsequent transgression. 

Effects of large deep-seated landslides on hillslope morphology, western Southern Alps, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korup, Oliver

2006-03-01

Morphometric analysis and air photo interpretation highlight geomorphic imprints of large landslides (i.e., affecting ≥1 km2) on hillslopes in the western Southern Alps (WSA), New Zealand. Large landslides attain kilometer-scale runout, affect >50% of total basin relief, and in 70% are slope clearing, and thus relief limiting. Landslide terrain shows lower mean local relief, relief variability, slope angles, steepness, and concavity than surrounding terrain. Measuring mean slope angle smoothes out local landslide morphology, masking any relationship between large landslides and possible threshold hillslopes. Large failures also occurred on low-gradient slopes, indicating persistent low-frequency/high-magnitude hillslope adjustment independent of fluvial bedrock incision. At the basin and hillslope scale, slope-area plots partly constrain the effects of landslides on geomorphic process regimes. Landslide imprints gradually blend with relief characteristics at orogen scale (102 km), while being sensitive to length scales of slope failure, topography, sampling, and digital elevation model resolution. This limits means of automated detection, and underlines the importance of local morphologic contrasts for detecting large landslides in the WSA. Landslide controls on low-order drainage include divide lowering and shifting, formation of headwater basins and hanging valleys, and stream piracy. Volumes typically mobilized, yet still stored in numerous deposits despite high denudation rates, are >107 m3, and theoretically equal to 102 years of basin-wide debris production from historic shallow landslides; lack of absolute ages precludes further estimates. Deposit size and mature forest cover indicate residence times of 101-104 years. On these timescales, large landslides require further attention in landscape evolution models of tectonically active orogens.

Photopatterned surface relief gratings in azobenzene-amorphous polycarbonate thin films

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vollmann, Morten; Getek, Peter; Olear, Kellie; Combs, Cody; Campos, Benjamin; Witkowski, Edmund; Cain, Erin; McGee, David

Photoinduced orientation of azobenzene chromophores in polymeric host materials has been broadly explored for optical processing applications. Illumination of the chromophore with polarized light rotates the trans isomer perpendicular to the polarization, resulting in spatially modulated birefringence. The photoinduced anisotropy may also drive mass transport, with surface relief patterns being observed in a wide variety of systems. Here we report photoinduced birefringence in a guest-host system of Disperse Red 1- amorphous polycarbonate (DR1-APC). Birefringence was induced with a 490 nm laser and probed at 633 nm, with typical values of Δn = 0.01 in 2 micron thick films. Illumination of DR1-APC with intensity and/or polarization gratings also resulted in sinusoidal surface relief patterns with periodicity 1- 3 micron as controlled by the interbeam crossing angle of the 490 nm writing beams; the surface modulation was +/- 20 nm as measured by atomic force microscopy. Photopatterned DR1-APC is advantageous for applications given the ease of thin-film fabrication and the high glass transition temperature of APC, resulting in robust optically-induced surface gratings. We acknowledge support from NSF-DMR Award No. 1138416.

38 CFR 41.225 - Sanctions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sanctions. 41.225 Section 41.225 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (CONTINUED) AUDITS OF STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Audits § 41.225 Sanctions. No audit costs may be charged to Federal awards when audits...

38 CFR 41.315 - Audit findings follow-up.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Audit findings follow-up. 41.315 Section 41.315 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (CONTINUED) AUDITS OF STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Auditees § 41.315 Audit findings follow-up. (a) General. The auditee is...

Material parameters that determine the surface accuracy of large astronomical mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amur, G. I.

1983-03-01

The design and manufacture of large astronomical mirrors are examined from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The effects of birefringence, tool-load relief, cord position, and temperature gradient on the surface quality are assessed quantitatively and discussed in terms of material choice and fabrication technique. It is shown that a single cord positioned horizontally produces only minimum image distortion. Formulas for calculating the deformation of the wave front by the mirror surface due to birefringence difference, the optimum load relief, and the deformation temperature, are presented. Graphs of important relationships and a table listing the diameters and surface parameters of recently built large telescopes are provided.

Can deformation of a polymer film with a rigid coating model geophysical processes?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volynskii, A. L.; Bazhenov, S. L.

2007-12-01

The structural and mechanical behavior of polymer films with a thin rigid coating is analyzed. The behavior of such systems under applied stress is accompanied by the formation of a regular wavy surface relief and by regular fragmentation of the coating. The above phenomena are shown to be universal. Both phenomena (stress-induced development of a regular wavy surface relief and regular fragmentation of the coating) are provided by the specific features of mechanical stress transfer from a compliant soft support to a rigid thin coating. The above phenomena are associated with a specific structure of the system, which is referred to as “a rigid coating on a soft substratum” system (RCSS). Surface microrelief in RCSS systems is similar to the ocean floor relief in the vicinity of mid-oceanic ridges. Thus, the complex system composed of a young oceanic crust and upper Earth's mantle may be considered as typically “a solid coating on a soft substratum” system. Specific features of the ocean floor relief are analyzed in terms of the approach advanced for the description of the structural mechanical behavior of polymer films with a rigid coating. This analysis allowed to estimate the strength of an ocean floor.

Why are older peoples' health needs forgotten post-natural disaster relief in developing countries? A healthcare provider survey of 2005 Kashmir, Pakistan earthquake.

PubMed

Chan, Emily Ying Yang

2009-01-01

Although older people may be recognized as a vulnerable group post-natural disasters, their particular needs are rarely met by the providers of emergency services. Studies about older people's health needs post disasters in the South East Asia Tsunami, Kashmir, Pakistan, China, and United States has revealed the lack of concern for older people's health needs. Recent study of older people's health needs post the Kashmir Pakistan earthquake (2005) found older peoples' health needs were masked within the general population. This survey study examines the providers' perceptions of older people's vulnerabilities post-2005 Pakistan earthquake. It aims to understand the awareness of geriatric issues and issues related to current service provision/planning for older people's health needs post disasters. Specifically, service delivery patterns will be compared among different relief agencies. Cross-sectional, structured stakeholder interviews were conducted within a 2 weeks period in February 2006, 4 months post-earthquake in Pakistan-administrated Kashmir. Health/medical relief agencies of three different types of organizational nature: international nongovernmental organization (INGO), national organization, and local/community group were solicited to participate in the study. Descriptive analysis was conducted. Important issues identified include the need to sensitize relief and health workers about older people's health needs post disaster the development of relevant clinical guidelines for chronic disease management postdisaster in developing countries and the advocacy of building in geriatric related components in natural disaster medical relief programs. To effectively address the vulnerability of older people, it is important for governments, relief agencies, and local partners to include and address these issues during their relief operations and policy planning.

Transpiration cooling in the locality of a transverse fuel jet for supersonic combustors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Northam, G. Burton; Capriotti, Diego P.; Byington, Carl S.

1990-01-01

The objective of the current work was to determine the feasibility of transpiration cooling for the relief of the local heating rates in the region of a sonic, perpendicular, fuel jet of gaseous hydrogen. Experiments were conducted to determine the interaction between the cooling required and flameholding limits of a transverse jet in a high-enthalpy, Mach 3 flow in both open-jet and direct-connect test mode. Pulsed shadowgraphs were used to illustrate the flow field. Infrared thermal images indicated the surface temperatures, and the OH(-) emission of the flame was used to visualize the limits of combustion. Wall, static presures indicated the location of the combustion within the duct and were used to calculate the combustion efficiency. The results from both series of tests at facility total temperatures of 1700 K and 2000 K are presented.

Surface relief and refractive index gratings patterned in chalcogenide glasses and studied by off-axis digital holography.

PubMed

Cazac, V; Meshalkin, A; Achimova, E; Abashkin, V; Katkovnik, V; Shevkunov, I; Claus, D; Pedrini, G

2018-01-20

Surface relief gratings and refractive index gratings are formed by direct holographic recording in amorphous chalcogenide nanomultilayer structures As 2 S 3 -Se and thin films As 2 S 3 . The evolution of the grating parameters, such as the modulation of refractive index and relief depth in dependence of the holographic exposure, is investigated. Off-axis digital holographic microscopy is applied for the measurement of the photoinduced phase gratings. For the high-accuracy reconstruction of the wavefront (amplitude and phase) transmitted by the fabricated gratings, we used a computational technique based on the sparse modeling of phase and amplitude. Both topography and refractive index maps of recorded gratings are revealed. Their separated contribution in diffraction efficiency is estimated.

Oscillatory neural representations in the sensory thalamus predict neuropathic pain relief by deep brain stimulation.

PubMed

Huang, Yongzhi; Green, Alexander L; Hyam, Jonathan; Fitzgerald, James; Aziz, Tipu Z; Wang, Shouyan

2018-01-01

Understanding the function of sensory thalamic neural activity is essential for developing and improving interventions for neuropathic pain. However, there is a lack of investigation of the relationship between sensory thalamic oscillations and pain relief in patients with neuropathic pain. This study aims to identify the oscillatory neural characteristics correlated with pain relief induced by deep brain stimulation (DBS), and develop a quantitative model to predict pain relief by integrating characteristic measures of the neural oscillations. Measures of sensory thalamic local field potentials (LFPs) in thirteen patients with neuropathic pain were screened in three dimensional feature space according to the rhythm, balancing, and coupling neural behaviours, and correlated with pain relief. An integrated approach based on principal component analysis (PCA) and multiple regression analysis is proposed to integrate the multiple measures and provide a predictive model. This study reveals distinct thalamic rhythms of theta, alpha, high beta and high gamma oscillations correlating with pain relief. The balancing and coupling measures between these neural oscillations were also significantly correlated with pain relief. The study enriches the series research on the function of thalamic neural oscillations in neuropathic pain and relief, and provides a quantitative approach for predicting pain relief by DBS using thalamic neural oscillations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Remineralization of early enamel caries lesions using different bioactive elements containing toothpastes: An in vitro study.

PubMed

Wang, Yu; Mei, Li; Gong, Lin; Li, Jialing; He, Shaowei; Ji, Yan; Sun, Weibin

2016-09-14

Demineralization can be arrested or reversed when remineralization agents are applied to incipient carious or non-cavitated carious lesions. A large number of therapeutic agents including non-fluoridated products have been developed to promote enamel remineralization. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of different bioactive elements containing toothpastes in remineralization of artificial enamel lesions. Artificial carious lesions were created on 40 human enamel slabs, and were randomly divided into four groups: (1) control group (no treatment), (2) casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate group (CPP-ACP, GC Tooth Mousse), (3) 8% arginine and calcium carbonate group (ACC, Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief), (4) calcium sodium phosphosilicate group (CSP, NovaMin®). All samples were subjected to 15 days of pH-cycling. Subsequently, a one-hour acid resistance test was carried out. Surface hardness of the samples was assessed using the Knoop hardness test, and surface morphology and roughness were assessed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Tukey's test and paired t test. The three tested toothpastes exhibited a significantly higher remineralization efficacy compared with the control group (P< 0.05 for all). After pH-cycling, the specimens treated with Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief and NovaMin® showed a significant higher surface hardness (P< 0.001 and P= 0.03, respectively) and lower surface roughness (P< 0.05 for both) compared those treated with GC Tooth Mousse. While after the acid resistance test, all groups showed a significant loss of surface hardness (P< 0.001 for all) and significant increase of surface roughness (P< 0.05). The specimens treated with Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief and NovaMin® still showed a significant higher surface hardness and lower surface roughness in comparison with those treated with GC Tooth Mousse (P< 0.05 for all). No significant difference was found in surface hardness and roughness between Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief and NovaMin® during the pH-cycling test and acid resistance test (P= 0.45 and P= 0.83, respectively). Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief and NovaMin® present an advantage in enhancing remineralization and inhibiting demineralization for early enamel carious lesions in comparison with GC Tooth Mousse.

Multi data mode method as an alternative way for SPM studies of high relief surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdullayeva, S. H.; Molchanov, S. P.; Mamedov, N. T.; Alekperov, S. D.

2006-09-01

In this paper we report the results of our studies of the high relief surfaces of Al oxide-based ceramic catalyst by SPM contact mode, and by so-called Multi Data Mode (MDM) method for comparison. We failed to obtain any reasonable image of the highly-developed surfaces of above material by the first method but were successful in doing so when applied the second one. The topographic and complimentary images obtained by MDM probing with high resolution are discussed to show a full range of the applications possible using MDM.

Evolution of Martian polar landscapes - Interplay of long-term variations in perennial ice cover and dust storm intensity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cutts, J. A.; Blasius, K. R.; Roberts, W. J.

1979-01-01

The discovery of a new type of Martian polar terrain, called undulating plain, is reported and the evolution of the plains and other areas of the Martian polar region is discussed in terms of the trapping of dust by the perennial ice cover. High-resolution Viking Orbiter 2 observations of the north polar terrain reveal perennially ice-covered surfaces with low relief, wavelike, regularly spaced, parallel ridges and troughs (undulating plains) occupying areas of the polar terrain previously thought to be flat, and associated with troughs of considerable local relief which exhibit at least partial annual melting. It is proposed that the wavelike topography of the undulating plains originates from long-term periodic variations in cyclical dust precipitation at the margin of a growing or receding perennial polar cap in response to changes in insolation. The troughs are proposed to originate from areas of steep slope in the undulating terrain which have lost their perennial ice cover and have become incapable of trapping dust. The polar landscape thus appears to record the migrations, expansions and contractions of the Martian polar cap.

- and Scene-Guided Integration of Tls and Photogrammetric Point Clouds for Landslide Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zieher, T.; Toschi, I.; Remondino, F.; Rutzinger, M.; Kofler, Ch.; Mejia-Aguilar, A.; Schlögel, R.

2018-05-01

Terrestrial and airborne 3D imaging sensors are well-suited data acquisition systems for the area-wide monitoring of landslide activity. State-of-the-art surveying techniques, such as terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and photogrammetry based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery or terrestrial acquisitions have advantages and limitations associated with their individual measurement principles. In this study we present an integration approach for 3D point clouds derived from these techniques, aiming at improving the topographic representation of landslide features while enabling a more accurate assessment of landslide-induced changes. Four expert-based rules involving local morphometric features computed from eigenvectors, elevation and the agreement of the individual point clouds, are used to choose within voxels of selectable size which sensor's data to keep. Based on the integrated point clouds, digital surface models and shaded reliefs are computed. Using an image correlation technique, displacement vectors are finally derived from the multi-temporal shaded reliefs. All results show comparable patterns of landslide movement rates and directions. However, depending on the applied integration rule, differences in spatial coverage and correlation strength emerge.

The influence of topographic structures on night-time surface temperatures: Evaluation of a satellite thermal image of the upper Rhine plain and the surrounding highlands. [Germany and Switzerland

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gossmann, H. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Satellite data supplied the same information as aerial IR registrations with corresponding averaging for all studies requiring a survey of the thermal pattern within an area measuring 10 km x 10 km ore more, provided that sufficiently precise control points could be established for the purpose of geometric rectification in the surroundings of the area observed. Satellite thermal data are more comprehensive than aircraft data for studies on a regional, rather than a local scale, since airborne images often obscure the basic correlation in thermal patterns because of a variety of irrelevant topographical detail. The satellite data demonstrate the dependence of surface temperature on relief more clearly than comparable airborne imagery.

Review of interventions to relieve postpartum pain from perineal trauma.

PubMed

Petersen, Melanie Robin

2011-01-01

As an increased risk for infection and potentially significant source of pain, perineal trauma can negatively impact a mother's postpartum recovery. A variety of nursing interventions aimed at relieving perineal pain are largely based on localized cooling. Unfortunately, these interventions may not follow best practice for providing adequate pain relief or preventing perineal postpartum infection. This article provides a review of the literature related to utilizing localized cooling for postpartum perineal pain relief, suggests clinical guidelines for safe implementation of these measures, and calls for further research for evidence of nursing interventions to relieve pain caused by perineal trauma.

Scientific rationale for selecting northwest Isidis Planitia (14 deg - 17 deg N latitude, 278 deg - 281 deg longitude) as a potential Mars Pathfinder landing site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Tim J.; Rice, Jim W.

1994-01-01

The northwest Isidis Basin offers a unique opportunity to land near a fretted terrain lowland/upland boundary that meets both the latitudinal and elevation requirements imposed on the spacecraft. The landing site lies east of erosional scarps and among remnant massif inselbergs of the Syrtis Major volcanic plains. The plains surface throughout Isidis exhibits abundant, low-relief mounds that are the local expression of the 'thumbprint terrain' that is common within a few hundred kilometers of the lowland/upland boundary. The massif inselbergs are not as numerous nor as massive as those fretted terrains to the northwest, so local slopes are not expected to be steep. Neither feature should pose a serious threat to the lander. Landing on or adjacent to one of these features would enhance the science return and would help to pinpoint the landing site in Viking and subsequent orbiter images by offering views of landmarks beyond the local horizon.

Flood, disaster, and turmoil: social issues in cleft and craniofacial care and crisis relief.

PubMed

Strauss, Ronald P; van Aalst, John A; Fox, Lynn; Stein, Margot; Moses, Michael; Cassell, Cynthia H

2011-11-01

To examine social issues in the conduct of cleft and craniofacial care through relief programs in disrupted crisis contexts. Social, health policy, and ethical analyses. At best, craniofacial team care is multidisciplinary, coordinated, and sustained, requiring a long-term relationship between team members, patients, and families. Disasters and societal turmoil interrupt such relationships, causing craniofacial care to become a secondary concern. Providing craniofacial team care in a crisis setting requires rebuilding disrupted coordination and communication. Crisis relief care involves a complex set of expectations and responsibilities and raises issues such as (1) quality assurance, infection control, appropriate standards of care, and follow-up care/continuity; (2) equity of access to services and clinical ethics in the context of war and/or deprivation; (3) training of visitors in the local nation or site; (4) disciplinary composition of teams, interprofessional communication/rivalry, and credentials of clinicians; (5) ownership of the site and local visitor relations; (6) fundraising and marketing strategies; and (7) ethical issues in the doctor-patient relationship. Specific ethical standards for international cleft and craniofacial care delivery also apply to domestic and global crisis relief contexts. Guidance on issues related to professional experience, informed consent, and continuity of care will help care providers address social and ethical issues raised in crisis relief programs. This paper proposes that the Position Paper of the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association (ACPA) on International Treatment Programs should be used as a template to develop and disseminate a set of standards that apply to crisis relief.

SPECIAL ISSUE DEVOTED TO THE 80TH BIRTHDAY OF S.A. AKHMANOV: Three-wave interactions of surface defect-deformation waves and their manifestations in the self-organisation of nano- and microstructures in solids exposed to laser radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emel'yanov, Vladimir I.; Seval'nev, D. M.

2009-07-01

The self-organisation of the surface-relief nanostructures in solids under the action of energy and particle fluxes is interpreted as the instability of defect-deformation (DD) gratings produced by quasi-static Lamb and Rayleigh waves and defect-concentration waves. The allowance for the nonlocality in the defects—lattice atom interaction with a simultaneous account for both (normal and longitudinal) defect-induced forces bending the surface layer leads to the appearance of two maxima in the dependence of the instability growth rate of DD waves on the wave number. Three-wave interactions of quasi-static coupled DD waves (second harmonic generation and wave vector mixing) are considered for the first time, which are similar to three-wave interactions in nonlinear optics and acoustics and lead to the enrichment of the spectrum of surface-relief harmonics. Computer processing of experimental data on laser-induced generation of micro- and nanostructures of the surface relief reveals the presence of effects responsible for the second harmonic generation and wave vector mixing.

On the inscription of period and half-period surface relief gratings in azobenzene-functionalized polymers.

PubMed

Sobolewska, Anna; Miniewicz, Andrzej

2008-04-17

Laser-light-induced surface relief grating inscription was carried out in the newly synthesized azobenzene-functionalized poly(amide-imide)s having the same main- and side-chain structures but different substituents in the azobenzene groups. The gratings were inscribed employing the two-wave mixing technique with linearly polarized laser beams. Three different polarization configurations were used: s-s, p-p, and s-p. The relatively deep surface relief gratings of period Lambda were formed for the case of s-s and p-p polarizations, whereas the s-p inscription resulted in the half-period grating (Lambda/2) with the weak surface modulation. The origin of the formation of Lambda/2 structure for s-p configuration results from the interference between zeroth- and first-order beams scattered on the polarization refractive index grating and having the same polarization. On the basis of this idea, we presented the simple kinetic model predicting and modeling the half-period grating formation with its temporal evolution. The proposed model is consistent with the experimental findings.

Disasters and development in agricultural input markets: bean seed markets in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch.

PubMed

Mainville, Denise Y

2003-06-01

The bulk of developing countries' populations and poor depend on agriculture for food and income. While rural economies and people are generally the most severely affected by natural disasters, little is known about how disasters and subsequent relief activities affect agricultural markets with differing levels of development. The article addresses this gap, drawing evidence from bean seed markets in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch. Case studies are used to address hypotheses about a disaster's effects on supply and demand in seed markets, farmers' responses and the performance of relief interventions in markets showing differing levels of development. The results show the importance of tailoring relief interventions to the markets that they will affect and to the specific effects of a disaster; the potential to use local and emerging seed distribution channels in a relief intervention; and opportunities for relief activities to strengthen community seed systems.

Diffractive Alvarez lens

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

Barton, Ian M.; Dixit, Sham N.; Summers, Leslie J.

2000-01-01

A diffractive Alvarez lens is demonstrated that consists of two separate phase plates, each having complementary 16-level surface-relief profiles that contain cubic phase delays. Translation of these two components in the plane of the phase plates is shown to produce a variable astigmatic focus. Both spherical and cylindrical phase profiles are demonstrated with good accuracy, and the discrete surface-relief features are shown to cause less than {lambda}/10 wave-front aberration in the transmitted wave front over a 40 mmx80 mm region. (c) 2000 Optical Society of America.

Anaesthetic injection versus ischemic compression for the pain relief of abdominal wall trigger points in women with chronic pelvic pain.

PubMed

Montenegro, Mary L L S; Braz, Carolina A; Rosa-e-Silva, Julio C; Candido-dos-Reis, Francisco J; Nogueira, Antonio A; Poli-Neto, Omero B

2015-12-01

Chronic pelvic pain is a common condition among women, and 10 to 30 % of causes originate from the abdominal wall, and are associated with trigger points. Although little is known about their pathophysiology, variable methods have been practiced clinically. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of local anaesthetic injections versus ischemic compression via physical therapy for pain relief of abdominal wall trigger points in women with chronic pelvic pain. We conducted a parallel group randomized trial including 30 women with chronic pelvic pain with abdominal wall trigger points. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups. One group received an injection of 2 mL 0.5 % lidocaine without a vasoconstrictor into a trigger point. In the other group, ischemic compression via physical therapy was administered at the trigger points three times, with each session lasting for 60 s, and a rest period of 30 s between applications. Both treatments were administered during one weekly session for four weeks. Our primary outcomes were satisfactory clinical response rates and percentages of pain relief. Our secondary outcomes are pain threshold and tolerance at the trigger points. All subjects were evaluated at baseline and 1, 4, and 12 weeks after the interventions. The study was conducted at a tertiary hospital that was associated with a university providing assistance predominantly to working class women who were treated by the public health system. Clinical response rates and pain relief were significantly better at 1, 4, and 12 weeks for those receiving local anaesthetic injections than ischemic compression via physical therapy. The pain relief of women treated with local anaesthetic injections progressively improved at 1, 4, and 12 weeks after intervention. In contrast, women treated with ischemic compression did not show considerable changes in pain relief after intervention. In the local anaesthetic injection group, pain threshold and tolerance improved with time in the absence of significant differences between groups. Lidocaine injection seems to be better for reducing the severity of chronic pelvic pain secondary to abdominal wall trigger points compared to ischemic compression via physical therapy. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00628355. Date of registration: February 25, 2008.

Tectonic controls of transient landscapes in the Bhutan Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, B. A.; Whipple, K. X.; Hodges, K. V.; Van Soest, M. C.; Heimsath, A. M.

2013-12-01

Previous research has identified many landscapes within the Himalaya that are not easily explained by classical critical taper models of orogenic wedges. One of the most striking examples is the sharp physiographic transition between the more subdued landforms of the Lower Himalayan ranges and the Higher Himalayan ranges to the north in Nepal. This transition has been attributed to several potential causes: changes in the rheology of rocks at depth, a ramp in the basal detachment of the orogenic wedge, a blind duplex, or a north-dipping, surface-breaking thrust fault. A similar, but more subdued transition marks the northern margin of perched, low-relief landscape patches found at ca. 3000 m in Bhutan. These low-relief surfaces, characterized by bogs and thick saprolites at the surface, overlie piggyback basins within the evolving orogenic wedge, filled with hundreds of meters of colluvial and alluvial deposits. The southern boundaries of the low-relief surfaces are less regular than the physiographic transition at their northern boundaries. The surfaces occur at similar elevations but are not continuous geographically, having been dissected by a series of river systems draining southward from the crest of the range. Pronounced knickpoints have formed at the southern margins of the low-relief surfaces. Our work suggests that there is a young (Pliocene-Pleistocene) fault system coincident with the physiographic transition in Bhutan. This high-angle, north-dipping structure, the Lhuentse fault, has minor normal-sense offset and could not have been responsible for differential uplift of the rugged terrain (in the hanging wall) relative to the low-relief landscape (in the footwall). The Lhuentse fault is coincident with the back limb of a previously inferred blind duplex at depth, and thus may be associated with active deformation on a rotated horse within the duplex. This duplex may also be responsible for the creation of the low-relief landscapes to the south of the Lhuentse fault due to upstream tilting in the back limb of the antiformal rock uplift pattern. Erosion patterns modeled on the basis of newly acquired 40Ar/39Ar and (U-Th)/He thermochronometric data as well as basin-average erosion rates from detrital cosmogenic nuclide concentrations are consistent with this hypothesis. We used a landscape evolution model (CHILD) to track landscape response to an imposed antiformal rock uplift gradient produced by an active duplex at depth. Rotation associated with the back limb of such a duplex causes aggradation, surface uplift, and headward migration of knickpoints. The wedge of sediment deposited during fluvial aggradation migrates northward beyond the back limb where uplift lessens. At this position in the landscape, a subdued physiographic transition develops in the model, similar to the one observed in Bhutan. Our modeling suggests that the presence and juxtaposition of low-relief landscapes and a physiographic transition, and our observed distribution of erosion rates can be explained by a single, simple mechanism related to the growth of a blind duplex.

Viscous relaxation of the Moho under large lunar basins

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, C. David; Grimm, Robert E.

1993-01-01

Viscously relaxed topography on the Moon is evidence of a period in lunar history of higher internal temperatures and greater surface activity. Previous work has demonstrated the viscous relaxation of the Tranquilitatis basin surface. Profiles of the lunar Moho under nine basins were constructed from an inversion of lunar gravity data. These profiles show a pattern of increasingly subdued relief with age, for which two explanations have been proposed. First, ancient basins may have initially had extreme Moho relief like that of younger basins like Orientale, but, due to higher internal temperatures in early lunar history, this relief viscously relaxed to that observed today. Second, ductile flow in the crust immediately after basin formation resulted in an initially shallow basin and subdued mantle uplift. The intent is to test the first hypothesis.

Relief diffracted elements recorded on absorbent photopolymers.

PubMed

Gallego, S; Márquez, A; Ortuño, M; Francés, J; Pascual, I; Beléndez, A

2012-05-07

Relief surface changes provide interesting possibilities for storing diffractive optical elements on photopolymers and are an important source of information for characterizing and understanding the material behavior. In this paper we use a 3-dimensional model, based on direct parameter measurements, for predicting the relief structures generated on without-coverplate photopolymers. We have analyzed different spatial frequency and recording intensity distributions such as binary and blazed periodic patterns. This model was successfully applied to different photopolymers with different values of monomer diffusion.

The Ins and Outs of Relief Casting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Yvonne

2000-01-01

Describes a unit on clay casting that introduces students to relief sculpture. The unit takes three 45 to 50 minute class periods three weeks apart. Discusses each class session in detail: (1) creating the casting; (2) turning out and rinsing the casting; and (3) enriching the surface with color. (CMK)

43 CFR 4.1367 - Request for temporary relief.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... APPEALS PROCEDURES Special Rules Applicable to Surface Coal Mining Hearings and Appeals Request for Review... Transfer, Assignment Or Sale of Rights Granted Under Permit (federal Program; Federal Lands Program... temporary relief. (a) Where review is requested pursuant to § 4.1362, any party may file a request for...

Destruction of dolines: the examples from Slovene karst

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovacic, G.; Ravbar, N.

2012-04-01

Due to the absence of soil and flat agricultural land, in karst regions, the cultivation of doline bottoms and the clearing of stones on fields and meadows were traditional methods of adapting farming practices to the landscape with limited agricultural potential. In recent years, a variety of activities resulting from comprehensive economic and urban development have increased pressure on karst landscapes. In some areas the surface and the underground are increasingly threatened by industrial activities, uncontrolled settlement and spread of infrastructure, the development of tourism, and intensive agrarian land use. Unsupervised human encroachment on karst landscapes is causing the increasingly more frequent and more widespread degradation of karst relief forms. The intensive reshaping of the landscape has expanded beyond control largely as a result of technological development and mechanization. The excessive modern filling of dolines, as one of the most distinctive karst surface features, has become a major encroachment on the environment for leveling purposes. Such kind of human influence affects the shape of karst features and the appearance of the landscape as well as the intensity of karst processes such as corrosion. Many dolines are filled with general and construction waste, which threatens the existence of unique habitats and quality of groundwater and consequently water supply. This contribution presents some cases of inappropriate management of karst landscape in Slovenia and examines the national legislative framework on spatial planning in karst regions. Unfortunately, in the current legislation, the standards and conditions for the protection of karst landscape characteristics (e.g. dolines) are loose and not fully elaborated. Principally, there are no uniform mechanisms to protect specific relief forms or for the adequate protection of karst. To a large extent, the preservation of the characteristic karst landscape is left to local communities that most often lack the necessary financial and professional resources to appropriately direct land use, and those dealing with spatial planning and land use have insufficient knowledge regarding the complexity of karst and its vulnerability. The unique karst relief with various types, shapes and dimensions of dolines is usually considered only as an obstacle for faster local spatial development (e.g. building of industrial zones, traffic infrastructure, settlements, etc.) by decision makers, planners and construction engineers. Therefore, dolines are extremely susceptible to human impacts, which has to be considered in spatial planning in karst in order to preserve their natural value.

A conceptual framework for assessing cumulative impacts on the hydrology of nontidal wetlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Winter, Thomas C.

1988-01-01

Wetlands occur in geologic and hydrologic settings that enhance the accumulation or retention of water. Regional slope, local relief, and permeability of the land surface are major controls on the formation of wetlands by surface-water sources. However, these landscape features also have significant control over groundwater flow systems, which commonly play a role in the formation of wetlands. Because the hydrologic system is a continuum, any modification of one component will have an effect on contiguous components. Disturbances commonly affecting the hydrologic system as it relates to wetlands include weather modification, alteration of plant communities, storage of surface water, road construction, drainage of surface water and soil water, alteration of groundwater recharge and discharge areas, and pumping of groundwater. Assessments of the cumulative effects of one or more of these disturbances on the hydrologic system as related to wetlands must take into account uncertainty in the measurements and in the assumptions that are made in hydrologic studies. For example, it may be appropriate to assume that regional groundwater flow systems are recharged in uplands and discharged in lowlands. However, a similar assumption commonly does not apply on a local scale, because of the spatial and temporal dynamics of groundwater recharge. Lack of appreciation of such hydrologic factors can lead to misunderstanding of the hydrologic function of wetlands within various parts of the landscape and mismanagement of wetland ecosystems.

Betwixt and Between: Structure and Evolution of Central Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meltzer, A.; Ancuta, L. D.; Carlson, R. W.; Caves, J. K.; Chamberlain, C. P.; Gosse, J. C.; Idleman, B. D.; Ionov, D. A.; McDannell, K. T.; Tamra, M.; Mix, H.; Munkhuu, U.; Russo, R.; Sabaj-Perez, M.; Sahagian, D. L.; Sjostrom, D. J.; Smith, S. G.; Stachnik, J. C.; Tsagaan, B.; Wegmann, K. W.; Winnick, M. J.; Zeitler, P. K.; Prousevitch, A.

2015-12-01

Central Mongolia sits deep in the Asian continental interior between the Siberian craton to the north, the edge of the India-Asia collision to the south, and far-field subduction of the Pacific plate to the east. It has a complex geologic history comprising Archean to Early Proterozoic crystalline rocks modified by accretionary events in the Paleozoic, and Cenozoic deformation and basalt volcanism that continues today. Within central Mongolia, the broad domal Hangay upland is embedded in the greater Mongolian Plateau. Elevations within the dome average ~1.5 km above the regional trend and locally reach ~4000 m. This elevated landscape hosts a low-relief surface cut into crystalline basement, and a 30 Ma record of intermittent basalt magmatism. Here we integrate observations from geomorphology, geochronology, paleoaltimetry, biogeography, petrology, geochemistry, and seismology to document the timing, rate, and pattern of surface uplift in the Hangay and more broadly to understand the geodynamics of the Mongolian plateau. Results from mantle and crustal xenoliths, seismology, thermochronology, and basalt geochemistry are consistent with: a high geothermal gradient with temperatures reaching ~900°C at 60 km depth, intercepting the mantle adiabat at ~90 km depth; an uppermost mantle composed mostly of fertile peridotites; low-volume Cenozoic basaltic magmatism sourced below the lithosphere, with isotopic characteristics similar to much east-Asian Cenozoic mafic volcanism; a 42-57 km-thick crust of island-arc affinity formed during accretion of the Central Asia Orogenic Belt; elevations supported primarily by crustal isostasy; slow exhumation (30-100 m/My) over hundreds of millions of years; and long-term thermal stability of the upper crust and relief lowering since the Mesozoic. Results from geomorphology, paleoaltimetry, fish genetics, and basalt geochronology imply that drainage divides are stable since the mid-Miocene with modest surface uplift (up to 1 km) and topographic relief up to 800 m remaining largely unchanged since ~10 Ma. Surprisingly, this area of remarkable stability over significant time and space sits above a shallow convecting mantle and hosts some of the largest recorded intracontinental earthquakes.

Scaling of Viscous Shear Zones with Depth Dependent Viscosity and Power Law Stress-strain Rate Dependence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meltzer, A.; Ancuta, L. D.; Carlson, R. W.; Caves, J. K.; Chamberlain, C. P.; Gosse, J. C.; Idleman, B. D.; Ionov, D. A.; McDannell, K. T.; Tamra, M.; Mix, H.; Munkhuu, U.; Russo, R.; Sabaj-Perez, M.; Sahagian, D. L.; Sjostrom, D. J.; Smith, S. G.; Stachnik, J. C.; Tsagaan, B.; Wegmann, K. W.; Winnick, M. J.; Zeitler, P. K.; Prousevitch, A.

2014-12-01

Central Mongolia sits deep in the Asian continental interior between the Siberian craton to the north, the edge of the India-Asia collision to the south, and far-field subduction of the Pacific plate to the east. It has a complex geologic history comprising Archean to Early Proterozoic crystalline rocks modified by accretionary events in the Paleozoic, and Cenozoic deformation and basalt volcanism that continues today. Within central Mongolia, the broad domal Hangay upland is embedded in the greater Mongolian Plateau. Elevations within the dome average ~1.5 km above the regional trend and locally reach ~4000 m. This elevated landscape hosts a low-relief surface cut into crystalline basement, and a 30 Ma record of intermittent basalt magmatism. Here we integrate observations from geomorphology, geochronology, paleoaltimetry, biogeography, petrology, geochemistry, and seismology to document the timing, rate, and pattern of surface uplift in the Hangay and more broadly to understand the geodynamics of the Mongolian plateau. Results from mantle and crustal xenoliths, seismology, thermochronology, and basalt geochemistry are consistent with: a high geothermal gradient with temperatures reaching ~900°C at 60 km depth, intercepting the mantle adiabat at ~90 km depth; an uppermost mantle composed mostly of fertile peridotites; low-volume Cenozoic basaltic magmatism sourced below the lithosphere, with isotopic characteristics similar to much east-Asian Cenozoic mafic volcanism; a 42-57 km-thick crust of island-arc affinity formed during accretion of the Central Asia Orogenic Belt; elevations supported primarily by crustal isostasy; slow exhumation (30-100 m/My) over hundreds of millions of years; and long-term thermal stability of the upper crust and relief lowering since the Mesozoic. Results from geomorphology, paleoaltimetry, fish genetics, and basalt geochronology imply that drainage divides are stable since the mid-Miocene with modest surface uplift (up to 1 km) and topographic relief up to 800 m remaining largely unchanged since ~10 Ma. Surprisingly, this area of remarkable stability over significant time and space sits above a shallow convecting mantle and hosts some of the largest recorded intracontinental earthquakes.

Determining stress states using dike swarms: The Lauma Dorsa example

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grosfils, Eric B.; Head, James W., III

1992-01-01

Initial examination of the Magellan coverage of Venus has revealed between 150 and 300 large, radially lineated landforms distributed across the planet's surface. Where the lineaments have been examined in detail, the majority fail to exhibit signatures indicative of relief at or above the resolution of the radar; however, when the sense of topographic relief may be ascertained, the lineaments commonly appear as fissures or flat-floored trenches interpreted as graben. Individual lineaments can display graben, fissure, and zero relief behavior along their length, suggesting either that these differences are a function of the resolution of the radar, or that the morphological distinctions are real but somehow genetically linked. In many instances, radial lineaments exhibiting these characteristics are directly associated with surface volcanism, including flanking and terminal flows, superimposed shield domes and pit chains, and central, calderalike topographic lows. These observable characteristics, as well as theoretical studies and comparison with similar terrestrial features, have led to the working hypothesis that many of the radial fracture systems on Venus are the surface manifestation of subsurface dikes propagating laterally from a central magma source. If this interpretation is correct, studies of terrestrial dikes suggest that the lineament directions, with localized exceptions and barring subsequent deformation, should be perpendicular to the orientation of the least compressive stress at the time of their formation. To test this hypothesis, we briefly examine a radial fracture system (63.7 degrees N, 195 degrees E) located between two deformation belts in Vinmara Planitia, and verify that the lineaments to the east behave in the expected manner. We have also chosen this feature, however, because of its proximity to Lauma Dorsa to the west. On the basis of Venera 15/16 data, both compressional and extensional origins for this deformation belt have been proposed. By examining the stratigraphy and applying our interpretation that the fracture system is linked to the presence of subsurface dikes, we present an independent evaluation of the stress state associated with Lauma Dorsa, and thus contribute to the assessment of its origin.

Successful Surface Treatments for Reducing Instabilities in Advanced Nickel-base Superalloys for Turbine Blades

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Locci, Ivan E.; MacKay, Rebecca A.; Garg, Anita; Ritzert, Frank J.

2004-01-01

An optimized carburization treatment has been developed to mitigate instabilities that form in the microstructures of advanced turbine airfoil materials. Current turbine airfoils consist of a single crystal superalloy base that provides the mechanical performance of the airfoil, a thermal barrier coating (TBC) that reduces the temperature of the base superalloy, and a bondcoat between the superalloy and the TBC, that improves the oxidation and corrosion resistance of the base superalloy and the spallation resistance of the TBC. Advanced nickel-base superalloys containing high levels of refractory metals have been observed to develop an instability called secondary reaction zone (SRZ), which can form beneath diffusion aluminide bondcoats. This instability between the superalloy and the bondcoat has the potential of reducing the mechanical properties of thin-wall turbine airfoils. Controlled gas carburization treatments combined with a prior stress relief heat treatment and adequate surface preparation have been utilized effectively to minimize the formation of SRZ. These additional processing steps are employed before the aluminide bondcoat is deposited and are believed to change the local chemistry and local stresses of the surface of the superalloy. This paper presents the detailed processing steps used to reduce SRZ between platinum aluminide bondcoats and advanced single crystal superalloys.

The surfaces of Larissa and Proteus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stooke, Philip J.

1994-01-01

Topographic models of Neptune's small inner satellites Larissa and Proteus were derived from the shapes of limbs and terminators in Voyager images, modified locally to accomodate large craters and ridges. The models are presented here in tabular and graphic form, including the first map of Larissa and the first detailed relief map of Proteus. The shape of Larissa is approximated by a triaxial ellipsoid with axes of 208, 192 and 178 km, but is only weakly constrained by the single available view. The volume is estimated to be 3.5 +/- 1.0 x 106cu km. The surface is heavily cratered and may be crossed by one or two poorly seen linear ridges. Proteus is approximated by a triaxial ellipsoid with axes of 424, 390 and 396 km (the latter being the rotation axis dimension). The volume is estimated to be 3.4 +/- 0.4 x 107 cu km. Its surface appears to be very heavily cratered and extensive evidence for linear fractures is observed despite very low image quality.

Interflow dynamics on a low relief forested hillslope: Lots of fill, little spill

DOE PAGES

Du, Enhao; Rhett Jackson, C.; Klaus, Julian; ...

2016-01-27

In this paper, we evaluated the occurrence of perching and interflow over and within a sandy clay loam argillic horizon within first-order, low-relief, forested catchments at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. We measured soil hydraulic properties, depths to the argillic layer, soil moisture, shallow groundwater behavior, interflow interception trench flows, and streamflow over a 4-year period to explore the nature and variability of soil hydraulic characteristics, the argillic “topography”, and their influence on interflow generation. Perching occurred frequently within and above the restricting argillic horizons during our monitoring period, but interflow wasmore » infrequent due to microtopographic relief and associated depression storage on the argillic layer surface. High percolation rates through the argillic horizon, particularly through soil anomalies, also reduced the importance of interflow. Interflow generation was highly variable across eleven segments of a 121 m interception trench. Hillslopes were largely disconnected from stream behavior during storms. Hillslope processes were consistent with the fill-and-spill hypothesis and featured a sequence of distinct thresholds: vertical wetting front propagation to the argillic layer; saturation of the argillic followed by local perching; filling of argillic layer depressions; and finally connectivity of depressions leading to interflow generation. Lastly, analysis of trench flow data indicated a cumulative rainfall threshold of 60 mm to generate interflow, a value at the high end of the range of thresholds reported elsewhere.« less

Interflow dynamics on a low relief forested hillslope: Lots of fill, little spill

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

Du, Enhao; Rhett Jackson, C.; Klaus, Julian

In this paper, we evaluated the occurrence of perching and interflow over and within a sandy clay loam argillic horizon within first-order, low-relief, forested catchments at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in the Upper Coastal Plain of South Carolina. We measured soil hydraulic properties, depths to the argillic layer, soil moisture, shallow groundwater behavior, interflow interception trench flows, and streamflow over a 4-year period to explore the nature and variability of soil hydraulic characteristics, the argillic “topography”, and their influence on interflow generation. Perching occurred frequently within and above the restricting argillic horizons during our monitoring period, but interflow wasmore » infrequent due to microtopographic relief and associated depression storage on the argillic layer surface. High percolation rates through the argillic horizon, particularly through soil anomalies, also reduced the importance of interflow. Interflow generation was highly variable across eleven segments of a 121 m interception trench. Hillslopes were largely disconnected from stream behavior during storms. Hillslope processes were consistent with the fill-and-spill hypothesis and featured a sequence of distinct thresholds: vertical wetting front propagation to the argillic layer; saturation of the argillic followed by local perching; filling of argillic layer depressions; and finally connectivity of depressions leading to interflow generation. Lastly, analysis of trench flow data indicated a cumulative rainfall threshold of 60 mm to generate interflow, a value at the high end of the range of thresholds reported elsewhere.« less

8. Occipital neuralgia.

PubMed

Vanelderen, Pascal; Lataster, Arno; Levy, Robert; Mekhail, Nagy; van Kleef, Maarten; Van Zundert, Jan

2010-01-01

Occipital neuralgia is defined as a paroxysmal shooting or stabbing pain in the dermatomes of the nervus occipitalis major and/or nervus occipitalis minor. The pain originates in the suboccipital region and radiates over the vertex. A suggestive history and clinical examination with short-term pain relief after infiltration with local anesthetic confirm the diagnosis. No data are available about the prevalence or incidence of this condition. Most often, trauma or irritation of the nervi occipitales causes the neuralgia. Imaging studies are necessary to exclude underlying pathological conditions. Initial therapy consists of a single infiltration of the culprit nervi occipitales with local anesthetic and corticosteroids (2 C+). The reported effects of botulinum toxin A injections are contradictory (2 C+/-). Should injection of local anesthetic and corticosteroids fail to provide lasting relief, pulsed radio-frequency treatment of the nervi occipitales can be considered (2 C+). There is no evidence to support pulsed radio-frequency treatment of the ganglion spinale C2 (dorsal root ganglion). As such, this should only be done in a clinical trial setting. Subcutaneous occipital nerve stimulation can be considered if prior therapy with corticosteroid infiltration or pulsed radio-frequency treatment failed or provided only short-term relief (2 C+).

The Role of School Development in the School Improvement Process of Prince George's County. Lessons Learned from One Local District's Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grady, Michael K.

In September 1985, the Prince George's County Public School System located in the Washington metropolitan area east of the District of Columbia, began implementation of a Milliken relief program to revamp its equity strategy. Initially, 10 of 117 elementary schools in the system were targeted for relief, but by September 1988, the Milliken program…

Fluid-structure interaction dynamic simulation of spring-loaded pressure relief valves under seismic wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Dongwei; Zhang, Jian; Yu, Xinhai

2018-05-01

In this paper, a fluid-structure interaction dynamic simulation method of spring-loaded pressure relief valve was established. The dynamic performances of the fluid regions and the stress and strain of the structure regions were calculated at the same time by accurately setting up the contact pairs between the solid parts and the coupling surfaces between the fluid regions and the structure regions. A two way fluid-structure interaction dynamic simulation of a simplified pressure relief valve model was carried out. The influence of vertical sinusoidal seismic waves on the performance of the pressure relief valve was preliminarily investigated by loading sine waves. Under vertical seismic waves, the pressure relief valve will flutter, and the reseating pressure was affected by the amplitude and frequency of the seismic waves. This simulation method of the pressure relief valve under vertical seismic waves can provide effective means for investigating the seismic performances of the valves, and make up for the shortcomings of the experiment.

Erosion, Transportation, and Deposition on Outer Solar System Satellites: Landform Evolution Modeling Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Jeffrey Morgan; Howard, Alan D.; Schenk, Paul M.

2013-01-01

Mass movement and landform degradation reduces topographic relief by moving surface materials to a lower gravitational potential. In addition to the obvious role of gravity, abrasive mechanical erosion plays a role, often in combination with the lowering of cohesion, which allows disaggregation of the relief-forming material. The identification of specific landform types associated with mass movement and landform degradation provides information about local sediment particle size and abundance and transportation processes. Generally, mass movements can be classified in terms of the particle sizes of the transported material and the speed the material moved during transport. Most degradation on outer planet satellites appears consistent with sliding or slumping, impact erosion, and regolith evolution. Some satellites, such as Callisto and perhaps Hyperion and Iapetus, have an appearance that implies that some additional process is at work, most likely sublimation-driven landform modification and mass wasting. A variant on this process is thermally driven frost segregation as seen on all three icy Galilean satellites and perhaps elsewhere. Titan is unique among outer planet satellites in that Aeolian and fluvial processes also operate to erode, transport, and deposit material. We will evaluate the sequence and extent of various landform-modifying erosional and volatile redistribution processes that have shaped these icy satellites using a 3-D model that simulates the following surface and subsurface processes: 1) sublimation and re-condensation of volatiles; 2) development of refractory lag deposits; 3) disaggregation and downward sloughing of surficial material; 4) radiative heating/cooling of the surface (including reflection, emission, and shadowing by other surface elements); 5) thermal diffusion; and 6) vapor diffusion. The model will provide explicit simulations of landform development and thusly predicts the topographic and volatile evolution of the surface and final landscape form as constrained by DEMs. We have also simulated fluvial and lacustrine modification of icy satellites landscapes to evaluate the degree to which fluvial erosion of representative initial landscapes can replicate the present Titan landscape.

Knowledge-based modelling of historical surfaces using lidar data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Höfler, Veit; Wessollek, Christine; Karrasch, Pierre

2016-10-01

Currently in archaeological studies digital elevation models are mainly used especially in terms of shaded reliefs for the prospection of archaeological sites. Hesse (2010) provides a supporting software tool for the determination of local relief models during the prospection using LiDAR scans. Furthermore the search for relicts from WW2 is also in the focus of his research. In James et al. (2006) the determined contour lines were used to reconstruct locations of archaeological artefacts such as buildings. This study is much more and presents an innovative workflow of determining historical high resolution terrain surfaces using recent high resolution terrain models and sedimentological expert knowledge. Based on archaeological field studies (Franconian Saale near Bad Neustadt in Germany) the sedimentological analyses shows that archaeological interesting horizon and geomorphological expert knowledge in combination with particle size analyses (Koehn, DIN ISO 11277) are useful components for reconstructing surfaces of the early Middle Ages. Furthermore the paper traces how it is possible to use additional information (extracted from a recent digital terrain model) to support the process of determination historical surfaces. Conceptual this research is based on methodology of geomorphometry and geo-statistics. The basic idea is that the working procedure is based on the different input data. One aims at tracking the quantitative data and the other aims at processing the qualitative data. Thus, the first quantitative data were available for further processing, which were later processed with the qualitative data to convert them to historical heights. In the final stage of the workflow all gathered information are stored in a large data matrix for spatial interpolation using the geostatistical method of Kriging. Besides the historical surface, the algorithm also provides a first estimation of accuracy of the modelling. The presented workflow is characterized by a high flexibility and the opportunity to include new available data in the process at any time.

Medium-term and long-term outcomes of interventions for primary psoas tendinopathy.

PubMed

Garala, Kanai; Prasad, Vishnu; Jeyapalan, Kanagaratnam; Power, Richard A

2014-05-01

To assess medium- and long-term outcomes of psoas tendinopathy to psoas tenotomy and image-guided steroid injections. This is a 14-year retrospective case-control study to identify the efficacy of psoas tenotomy and image-guided steroid injections. This study was undertaken in a secondary care setting. Patients with confirmed psoas tendinopathy were followed up by postal questionnaire, which included a nonarthritic hip score (NAHS) and a study patient satisfaction questionnaire. Patients underwent image-guided steroid injections. Depending on the analgesic or symptomatic relief, some patients proceeded to psoas tenotomy. Response to steroid injection. Pain relief and symptomatic relief after the surgery. Twenty-three patients were reviewed with a 70% follow-up over a time of 49 months for surgery (range, 13-144 months) and 77 months for injection (range, 14-160 months). Eight patients had a lasting response to injection and required no further intervention, and 15 patients proceeded to psoas tenotomy using a medial Ludloff approach. The average NAHS scores after the surgery and injection were 66.15 and 76.08, respectively. Ten patients reported pain relief after their tenotomy, and 5 patients reported no change in pain. All 8 patients, who only underwent injection, reported lasting pain relief. Local steroid injections can provide long-term relief for patients presenting with psoas tendinopathy. For those patients with only temporary relief from injection, psoas tenotomy can provide good long-term pain relief.

Effect of castration and dehorning singularly or combined on the behavior and physiology of Holstein calves.

PubMed

Sutherland, M A; Ballou, M A; Davis, B L; Brooks, T A

2013-02-01

The objectives of this study were to determine i) the effect of castration, dehorning, or both on the physiology and behavior of 3-mo-old Holstein calves, and ii) the effectiveness of pain relief to alleviate the pain caused by castration and/or dehorning. Holstein calves (n = 80) were assigned randomly to 1 of 8 treatments (10 calves/treatment): i) control handling (SHAM); ii) surgical castration (CAS); iii) dehorning (DH); iv) surgical castration and dehorning (CD); v) control handling plus pain relief (ANA); vi) surgical castration plus pain relief (CAS+A); vii) dehorning plus pain relief (DH+A); or viii) surgical castration and dehorning plus pain relief (CD+A). Pain relief consisted of administering local anesthetic and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) immediately before castration, dehorning, or both. Sequential blood samples were collected to measure leukocyte counts and cortisol concentrations. Behavior was recorded using 5-min scan samples during the first 3 h after application of the treatments. Calves were weighed before and 24 h after treatment application. Calves dehorned spent more time head shaking (p < 0.001) and ear flicking (p < 0.05), and CD calves spent more time ear flicking (p < 0.05) and foot stamping (p < 0.01) than SHAM handled calves. Calves castrated, dehorned, or both spent less (p < 0.01) time eating compared with sham handled calves. Giving calves pain relief before castration and/or dehorning increased (p < 0.05) the time spent eating compared with CAS, DH, and CD calves. At 6 h posttreatment, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was greater (p < 0.01) in castrated and/or dehorned calves compared with SHAM-handled calves. Castration and/or dehorning also increased (p < 0.05) cortisol concentrations for at least 4 h after these procedures were performed; however, administering pain relief before castration and/or dehorning markedly reduced (p < 0.05) this response. Behavioral and physiological changes caused by castration, dehorning, or both are indicative of calves experiencing pain for at least 4 h after application of these procedures, and these responses were additive when performed together. Therefore, providing calves with pain relief, in the form of local anesthetic and an NSAID, can markedly reduce both the behavioral and physiological response to these procedures.

Cu self-sputtering MD simulations for 0.1-5 keV ions at elevated temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metspalu, Tarvo; Jansson, Ville; Zadin, Vahur; Avchaciov, Konstantin; Nordlund, Kai; Aabloo, Alvo; Djurabekova, Flyura

2018-01-01

Self-sputtering of copper under high electric fields is considered to contribute to plasma buildup during a vacuum breakdown event frequently observed near metal surfaces, even in ultra high vacuum condition in different electric devices. In this study, by means of molecular dynamics simulations, we analyze the effect of surface temperature and morphology on the yield of self-sputtering of copper with ion energies of 0.1-5 keV. We analyze all three low-index surfaces of Cu, {1 0 0}, {1 1 0} and {1 1 1}, held at different temperatures, 300 K, 500 K and 1200 K. The surface roughness relief is studied by either varying the angle of incidence on flat surfaces, or by using arbitrary roughened surfaces, which result in a more natural distribution of surface relief variations. Our simulations provide detailed characterization of copper self-sputtering with respect to different material temperatures, crystallographic orientations, surface roughness, energies, and angles of ion incidence.

Teaching with AR as a Tool for Relief Visualization: Usability and Motivation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrera, Carlos Carbonell; Perez, Jose Luis Saorin; Cantero, Jorge de la Torre

2018-01-01

In the field of geographical and environmental education, maps and geo-referenced information are frequently used, in which the earth's surfaces are represented in a two-dimensional (2D) way. Students have difficulty interpreting the relief representation and switching between 2D and 3D scenarios. Digital terrain modelling is added to the…

Value of percutaneous radiofrequency ablation with or without percutaneous vertebroplasty for pain relief and functional recovery in painful bone metastases.

PubMed

Clarençon, Frédéric; Jean, Betty; Pham, Hang-Phuong; Cormier, Evelyne; Bensimon, Gilbert; Rose, Michèle; Maksud, Philippe; Chiras, Jacques

2013-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation with or without percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) on pain relief, functional recovery and local recurrence at 6 months' follow-up (FU), in patients with painful osseous metastases. Thirty RF ablations were performed in 24 patients (mean age: 61 years) with bone metastases. Half of the patients had an additional PV. The primary end point was pain relief evaluated by a visual analogue scale (VAS) before treatment, and at 1 and 6 months' FU. Functional outcome was assessed according to the evolution of their ability to walk at 6 months' FU. Imaging FU was available in 20 out of 24 patients with a mean delay of 4.7 months. Reduction of pain was obtained at 6 months FU in 81% of cases (15 out of 18). Mean pretreatment VAS was 6.4 (±2.7). Mean VAS was 1.9 (±2.4) at 1 month FU, and 2.3 (±2.9) at 6 months' FU. Pain was significantly reduced at 6 months FU (mean VAS reduction = 4.1; P < 0.00001). Functional improvement was obtained in 74% of the cases. Major complications rate was 12.5 % (3 out of 24) with 2 skin burns, and 1 case of myelopathy. Local tumour recurrence or progression was recorded in 5 cases. Radiofrequency ablation is an effective technique in terms of pain relief and functional recovery for the treatment of bone metastases, which provides a relatively low rate of local recurrence.

The role of fluoroscopic interlaminar epidural injections in managing chronic pain of lumbar disc herniation or radiculitis: a randomized, double-blind trial.

PubMed

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Singh, Vijay; Cash, Kimberly A; Pampati, Vidyasagar; Falco, Frank J E

2013-09-01

There is continued debate on the effectiveness, indications, and medical necessity of epidural injections in managing pain and disability from lumbar disc herniation, despite extensive utilization. There is paucity of literature on interlaminar epidural injections in managing lumbar disc herniation or radiculitis in contemporary interventional pain management settings utilizing fluoroscopy. A randomized, double-blind, active-control trial was undertaken to assess the effectiveness of lumbar interlaminar epidural injections with or without steroids for disc herniation and radiculitis. The primary outcome was defined as pain relief and functional status improvement of ≥ 50%. One hundred twenty patients were randomly assigned to 1 of the 2 groups. Group I patients received lumbar interlaminar injections containing a local anesthetic (lidocaine 0.5%, 6 mL), whereas Group II patients received lumbar interlaminar epidural injections of 0.5% lidocaine, 5 mL, mixed with 1 mL of non-particulate betamethasone. In the patients who responded with initial 2 procedures with at least 3 weeks of relief, significant improvement was seen in 80% of the patients in the local anesthetic group and 86% of the patients in the local anesthetic and steroid group. The overall average procedures per year were 3.6 in the local anesthetic group and 4.1 in the local anesthetic and steroid group, with an average relief of 33.7 ± 18.1 weeks in the local anesthetic group and 39.1 ± 12.2 weeks in the local anesthetic and steroid group over a period of 52 weeks in the overall population. Lumbar interlaminar epidural injections of local anesthetic with or without steroids might be effective in patients with disc herniation or radiculitis, with potential superiority of steroids compared with local anesthetic alone at 1 year follow-up. © 2012 The Authors Pain Practice © 2012 World Institute of Pain.

A hydrologically explicit, spatially exact, classification of landforms for Canada at 1:500,000 scale.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacMillan, Robert A.; Geng, Xiaoyuan; Smith, Scott; Zawadzka, Joanna; Hengl, Tom

2016-04-01

A new approach for classifying landform types has been developed and applied to all of Canada using a 250 m DEM. The resulting LandMapR classification has been designed to provide a stable and consistent spatial fabric to act as initial proto-polygons to be used in updating the current 1:1 M scale Soil Landscapes of Canada map to 1:500,000 scale. There is a desire to make the current SLC polygon fabric more consistent across the country, more correctly aligned to observable hydrological and landscape features, more spatially exact, more detailed and more interpretable. The approach is essentially a modification of the Hammond (1954) criteria for classifying macro landform types as implemented for computerized analysis by Dikau (1989, 1991) and Brabyn (1998). The major modification is that the key input variables of local relief and relative position in the landscape are computed for specific hillslopes that occur between individual, explicitly defined, channels and divides. While most approaches, including Dikau et al., (1991) and SOTER (Dobos et al., 2005) compute relative relief and landscape position within a neighborhood analysis window (NAW) of some fixed size (9,600 m and 1 km respectively) the LandMapR method assesses these variables based on explicit analysis of flow paths between locally defined divides and channels (or lakes). We have modified the Hammond criteria by splitting the lowest relief class of 0-30 m into 4 classes of 0-0 m, 0-1 m, 1-10 m and 10-30 m) in order to be able to better differentiate subtle landform features in areas of low relief. Essentially this enables recognition of lakes and open water (0 relief and 0 slope), shorelines and littoral zones (0-1 m), nearly flat, low-relief landforms (1-10 m) and low relief undulating plains (10-30 m). We also modified the Hammond approach for separating upper versus lower landform positions used to differentiate flat areas in uplands from flat lowlands. We instead differentiate 3 relative slope positions of channel valley, toe slope and upper slope consistently and exhaustively and so can identify any flat areas that occur in any of these three landform positions. We did not find it necessary to use slope gradient as a criteria for defining and delineating classes because relief acts as a surrogate for slope and each relief class exhibits a narrow and definable range of slope gradients. Dominant slope gradient (or other attributes) can be computed, post classification, for each defined polygon, if there is a need to further classify by slope or other attribute. This simplifies classification and also reduces pixilation in the classification arising from considering too many local criteria in the class definitions. The resulting polygons provide an extremely detailed classification of relief and landform position at the level of individual hillslopes across all of Canada. The polygon boundaries explicitly follow major identifiable drainage networks and work their way upslope to delineate interfluves that occupy upslope positions at all levels of relief. The detailed LandMapR polygon classifications nest consistently within more general regions defined by the original Hammond-Dikau procedures. Initial visual analysis reveals a strong and consistent spatial relationship between observable changes in slope, vegetation and drainage regime and LandMapR landform polygon boundaries. More detailed quantitative assessment of the accuracy and utility of the LandMapR polygon classes is planned.

Two-dimensional Ag/SiO2 and Cu/SiO2 nanocomposite surface-relief grating couplers and their vertical input coupling properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jun; Mu, Xiaoyu; Wang, Gang; Liu, Changlong

2017-11-01

By etching two SiO2 optical waveguide slabs separately implanted with 90 keV Ag ions and 60 keV Cu ions at the same dose of 6 × 1016 cm-2, two-dimensional Ag/SiO2 and Cu/SiO2 nanocomposite surface-relief grating couplers with 600-nm periodicity and 100-nm thickness were fabricated, and their structural and vertical input coupling properties were investigated. Experimental results revealed that the two couplers could convert light beams at wavelengths of 620-880 nm into guided waves with different efficiencies, highlighting the special importance of metal nanoparticles (NPs). Further discussions also revealed that owing to the introduction of periodically distributed metal NPs, the periodical phase modification of the transmitted beam was enhanced drastically, and the nanocomposite veins could behave as efficient light scatterers. As a result, the two couplers were much larger in coupling efficiency than the NP-free one with identical morphological parameters. The above findings may be useful to construct thin and short but efficient surface-relief grating couplers on glass optical waveguides.

Printing transferable components using microstructured elastomeric surfaces with pressure modulated reversible adhesion

DOEpatents

Menard, Etienne; Rogers, John A.; Kim, Seok; Carlson, Andrew

2016-08-09

In a method of printing a transferable component, a stamp including an elastomeric post having three-dimensional relief features protruding from a surface thereof is pressed against a component on a donor substrate with a first pressure that is sufficient to mechanically deform the relief features and a region of the post between the relief features to contact the component over a first contact area. The stamp is retracted from the donor substrate such that the component is adhered to the stamp. The stamp including the component adhered thereto is pressed against a receiving substrate with a second pressure that is less than the first pressure to contact the component over a second contact area that is smaller than the first contact area. The stamp is then retracted from the receiving substrate to delaminate the component from the stamp and print the component onto the receiving substrate. Related apparatus and stamps are also discussed.

Global small-scale lunar cartography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lipskiy, Y. N.; Pskovskiy, Y. P.; Rodionova, Z. F.; Shevchenko, V. V.; Chikmachev, V. I.; Volchkova, L. I.

1972-01-01

The primary sources information for compiling this map were the photographs of the visible hemisphere obtained by earth-based observatories, the Luna 3 and Zond 3 pictures, and a small number of Lunar Orbiter pictures. The primary content of the complete lunar map is the surface relief and its tonal characteristics. In preparing the map, particular attention was devoted to the variety of lunar relief forms. The color spectrum of the map was selected not only for the natural coloring of the lunar surface, but also with the objective of achieving maximum expressiveness. A lunar globe to scale 1:10 million was prepared along with the preparation of the map. The scale of the globe, half that of the map, led to some selection and generalization of the relief forms. The globe permits maintaining simultaneously geometric similarity of contours, exact proportions of areas, and identical scales in all directions. The globe was prepared in both the Latin and Russian languages.

Tectonic controls on nearshore sediment accumulation and submarine canyon morphology offshore La Jolla, Southern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Le Dantec, Nicolas; Hogarth, Leah J.; Driscoll, Neal W.; Babcock, Jeffrey M.; Barnhardt, Walter A.; Schwab, William C.

2010-01-01

CHIRP seismic and swath bathymetry data acquired offshore La Jolla, California provide an unprecedented three-dimensional view of the La Jolla and Scripps submarine canyons. Shore-parallel patterns of tectonic deformation appear to control nearshore sediment thickness and distribution around the canyons. These shore-parallel patterns allow the impact of local tectonic deformation to be separated from the influence of eustatic sea-level fluctuations. Based on stratal geometry and acoustic character, we identify a prominent angular unconformity inferred to be the transgressive surface and three sedimentary sequences: an acoustically laminated estuarine unit deposited during early transgression, an infilling or “healing-phase” unit formed during the transgression, and an upper transparent unit. Beneath the transgressive surface, steeply dipping reflectors with several dip reversals record faulting and folding along the La Jolla margin. Scripps Canyon is located at the crest of an antiform, where the rocks are fractured and more susceptible to erosion. La Jolla Canyon is located along the northern strand of the Rose Canyon Fault Zone, which separates Cretaceous lithified rocks to the south from poorly cemented Eocene sands and gravels to the north. Isopach and structure contour maps of the three sedimentary units reveal how their thicknesses and spatial distributions relate to regional tectonic deformation. For example, the estuarine unit is predominantly deposited along the edges of the canyons in paleotopographic lows that may have been inlets along barrier beaches during the Holocene sea-level rise. The distribution of the infilling unit is controlled by pre-existing relief that records tectonic deformation and erosional processes. The thickness and distribution of the upper transparent unit are controlled by long-wavelength, tectonically induced relief on the transgressive surface and hydrodynamics.

A case history of using high-resolution LiDAR data to support archaeological prediction models in a low-relief area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacskó, Vivien; Székely, Balázs; Stibrányi, Máté; Koma, Zsófia

2016-04-01

Hungary is situated in the crossroad of several large-scale infrastructural pathways like transnational pipelines and transcontinental motorways. At the same time the country is rich in known and potential archaeological sites. Archaeological prediction techniques aided by remote sensing are intended to help increase preparedness for archaeological surveying and rescue activities in response to planned new infrastructural developments (e.g., a new pipeline), as they try to estimate the number of potential archaeological sites, area to be surveyed, potential cost and time needed for these activities. In very low-relief areas microtopographic forms may indicate sites, high-resolution LiDAR DTMs are suitable for their detection. Main sources of archaeological prediction models are known archaeological sites, where optimal environmental conditions of settling down existed at historic ages. Hydrological characteristics, relief, geology, vegetation cover and soil are considered to be as most important natural factors. Sorting of the factors and accuracy of the sampling differentiate our models. Resolution of an inductive model depends on the spatial properties of the integrated data: a raster data set can be generated that contains probability values and the reliability of the estimation. The information content of the predictive model is highly influenced by the resolution of the used digital terrain model (DTM): its derivatives (slope, aspect, topographic features) are important inputs of the modelling. The quality of the DTM is even more important in low-relief areas as microtopographic features may indicate archaeological sites. The conventional digital elevation models (SRTM, ASTER GDEM) provide unsatisfying resolution (both in horizontal and vertical senses) as they are rather digital surface models containing the vegetation and the built-up structures. Processed multiecho LiDAR data can be used instead. Our study area is situated in the foothills of the Transdanubian Range characterized by NNW-SSE directed valleys. One of the largest valleys is a conspicuously straight valley section of the River Sárvíz between Székesfehérvár and Szekszárd. Archaeological surveys revealed various settlement remains since the Neolithic. LiDAR data acquisition has been carried out in the framework of an EUFAR project supported by the European Union. Although the weather conditions were not optimal during the flight, sophisticated processing (carried out with of OPALS software) removed most of the artifacts. The resulting 1 m resolution digital terrain model (DTM) has been used to out. This DTM and the known archaeological site locations were integrated in a GIS system for qualitative and quantitative analysis. The processing aimed at analyzing elevation patterns of archaeological sites: local microtopographic features have been outlined and local low-relief elevation data have been extracted and analysed along the Sárvíz valley. Sites have been grouped according to the age of the artifacts identified by the quick-look archaeological walkthrough surveys. The topographic context of these elevation patterns were compared to the relative relief positions of the sites. Some ages groups have confined elevation ranges that may indicate hydrological/climate dependency of the settlement site selection, whereas some long-lived sites can also be identified, typically further away from the local erosional base. Extremely low-relief areas are supposed to have had swampy or partly inundated environmental conditions in ancient times; these areas were unsuitable for human settlement for long time periods. Such areas can be typically attributed by low predictive probabilities, whereas small mounds, patches of topographic unevenness would get higher model probabilities. The final the models can be used for focused field surveys that can improve our archaeological knowledge of the area. The data used were acquired in the framework of the EUFAR ARMSRACE project (to MS), the studies were carried out in project OTKA NK83400 financed by the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund. BS contributed as an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow.

Profilometric characterization of DOEs with continuous microrelief

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korolkov, V. P.; Ostapenko, S. V.; Shimansky, R. V.

2008-09-01

Methodology of local characterization of continuous-relief diffractive optical elements has been discussed. The local profile depth can be evaluated using "approximated depth" defined without taking a profile near diffractive zone boundaries into account. Several methods to estimate the approximated depth have been offered.

Rapid incision of the Colorado River in Glen Canyon - insights from channel profiles, local incision rates, and modeling of lithologic controls

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cook, K.L.; Whipple, K.X.; Heimsath, A.M.; Hanks, T.C.

2009-01-01

The Colorado River system in southern Utah and northern Arizona is continuing to adjust to the baselevel fall responsible for the carving of the Grand Canyon. Estimates of bedrock incision rates in this area vary widely, hinting at the transient state of the Colorado and its tributaries. In conjunction with these data, we use longitudinal profiles of the Colorado and tributaries between Marble Canyon and Cataract Canyon to investigate the incision history of the Colorado in this region. We find that almost all of the tributaries in this region steepen as they enter the Colorado River. The consistent presence of oversteepened reaches with similar elevation drops in the lower section of these channels, and their coincidence within a corridor of high local relief along the Colorado, suggest that the tributaries are steepening in response to an episode of increased incision rate on the mainstem. This analysis makes testable predictions about spatial variations in incision rates; these predictions are consistent with existing rate estimates and can be used to guide further studies. We also present cosmogenic nuclide data from the Henry Mountains of southern Utah. We measured in situ 10Be concentrations on four gravel-covered strath surfaces elevated from 1 m to 110 m above Trachyte Creek. The surfaces yield exposure ages that range from approximately 2??5 ka to 267 ka and suggest incision rates that vary between 350 and 600 m/my. These incision rates are similar to other rates determined within the high-relief corridor. Available data thus support the interpretation that tributaries of the Colorado River upstream of the Grand Canyon are responding to a recent pulse of rapid incision on the Colorado. Numerical modeling of detachment-limited bedrock incision suggests that this incision pulse is likely related to the upstream-dipping lithologic boundary at the northern edge of the Kaibab upwarp. ?? 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[A Case of Locally Advanced Thoracic Esophageal Cancer with Larynx Preservation and Curative Resection via Combined Modality Therapy].

PubMed

Iwama, Mitsuru; Kimura, Yutaka; Shiraishi, Osamu; Kato, Hiroaki; Hiraki, Yoko; Tanaka, Yumiko; Yasuda, Atsushi; Shinkai, Masayuki; Imano, Motohiro; Imamoto, Haruhiko; Yasuda, Takushi

2017-11-01

Prognosis of locally advanced esophageal cancer is poor. The greatest prognostic factor of locally advanced esophageal cancer is a local control. We experienced a case of T4 locally advanced thoracic esophageal cancer who was successfully resected without any combined resection after multimodality therapy. A male in 75-year-old. was diagnosed with type 3 locally advanced upper thoracic esophageal cancer whose metastatic right recurrent laryngeal lymph node invaded into the trachea. Definitive chemoradiation therapy(CRT)was performed, leading to a significant shrinkage of the main tumor, but T4 lesion remained. Next, adding DCF therapy(docetaxel, CDDP and 5-FU), a relief of T4 was finally obtained. Then, salvage surgery with subtotalesophagectomy and retrosternalesophagealreconstruction with gastric tube was performed, resulting in R0 resection without any combined resection. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient has been alive without recurrence for 1 year after surgery. In locally advanced cancer, focusing on T4 downstaging, it is significantly important in terms of safety, curativity and organ preservation to perform surgery after a sure sign of T4 relief by multimodality therapy.

Recently active contractile deformation in the forearc of southern Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, S. R.; Farber, D.; Audin, L.; Finkel, R. C.

2010-12-01

In the Precordillera and Western Cordillera of southern Peru (14°-18°S), vast pediment surfaces have been abandoned through drainage diversion and river incision, with the major drainages carving deep canyons. Within this region, we have identified range-sub-parallel contractile structures that accommodate significant distributed crustal deformation. Young geomorphic features document both the presence and youthfulness of these contractile structures. Here, we determine exposure ages on geomorphic features such as pediment surfaces and fluvial terraces using in situ produced cosmogenic radionuclides, in conjunction with field and remote mapping. This chronologic data reveals that ancient surfaces have been preserved as a result of very low erosion rates. We measure this rate to be <0.5m/Ma on genetically similar surfaces spanning over 4 degrees of latitude throughout this region. While many ancient surfaces are preserved in forearc localities, we also observe young (30ka-1Ma) low-relief pediment surfaces modified by recent processes. Specifically, active structures accommodating compressional stresses locally displace active drainages and offset river terraces leading to their abandonment. Based on our chronology and geomorphic mapping, we calculate a Pleistocene river incision rate of ~0.3mm/yr determined from data collected along exoreic rivers. This rate is consistent with longer-term incision rates measured in other localities along this margin. We suggest that, in this region of southern Peru, the steep western wedge of the Andean margin supports the high topography of the Altiplano through a combination of uplift along steeply dipping contractile west-vergent structures and isostatic responses to the focused removal of large amounts of crustal material through canyon incision. Further, that these range sub-parallel structures are related at depth to a thrust system that plays a role in not only the maintenance of the Andean margin, but potentially in its formation as well.

The possibility of using platinum foils with a rippled surface as diffraction gratings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korsukov, V. E.; Ankudinov, A. V.; Butenko, P. N.; Knyazev, S. A.; Korsukova, M. M.; Obidov, B. A.; Shcherbakov, I. P.

2014-09-01

The atomic structure and surface relief of thin cold-rolled platinum foils upon recrystallization annealing and loading under ultrahigh vacuum conditions have been studied by low energy electron diffraction (LEED), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The surface of samples upon high-temperature annealing and subsequent uniaxial extension of recrystallized Pt foils represents a fractal structure of unidirectional ripples on various spatial scales. The total fractal dimension of this surface is D GW = 2.3, while the fractal dimensions along and across ripples are D ‖ ≈ 1 and D ⊥ ≈ 1.3, respectively. The optical spectra of a halogen lamp and a PRK-2 mercury lamp were recorded using these rippled Pt foils as reflection diffraction gratings. It is shown that Pt foils with this surface relief can be used as reflection diffraction gratings for electromagnetic radiation in a broad spectral range.

The role of private organisations in welfare work. The historical perspective.

PubMed

Hastrup, B

1992-06-01

The Danish welfare measures originated in private initiatives. From the end of the last century, welfare activities have developed through private relief organisations and with support from the State, local governments, and counties. Since the 1960s, many institutions which had been built up by private relief organisations were actually taken over by local governments or counties. By way of illustration, the development of EGV DaneCare (the Danish Association for the Care of the Elderly), from its origin as a voluntary relief organisation based on voluntary work and collected funds, is described. From 1910, EGV was the pioneer within the field of, for example, old people's homes, winter shelters, and holidays in the country for elderly people. In the 1960s, EGV became a professional service organisation which assisted the local governments in developing a wide range of variegated offers within the work for elderly people. Assistance offered to the local governments became the organisation's principal project up to the 1980s. The population's confidence in the ability of the public authorities to cope with the social tasks was at the time undermined by increasing scepticism. That was why EGV founded the DaneAge Association, which soon became a national cause with more than 200,000 members. The DaneAge Association operates as an association independent of the public authorities pursuing both local and national policies concerning the elderly and implementing humanitarian initiatives based on voluntary work. Studies made by the DaneAge Association show, among other things, that 20 per cent of the people aged 60 and over need practical assistance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Geomorphic characterization of hilly relief in the north alpine foreland basin: The Hausruck- and Kobernaußerwald region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumann, Sebastian; Robl, Jörg; Keil, Melanie; Salcher, Bernhard

2014-05-01

The area of the Hausruck and Kobernaußerwald represents the highest relief of the Molasse Basin in Upper Austria. The region is characterized by a dissected landscape with elevation differences of 400 m and peaks reaching up to 800 m. The latest marine influence of this realm is dated to 11 Ma before present and constrains the onset of the inversion of the peripheral alpine foreland basin. Since that time the relief evolution is controlled by surface uplift and fluvial erosion. The Hausruck-Kobernaußerwald region forms a local watershed and is drained by three drainage systems that are tributaries of the Inn River, the Traun River and the Trattnach River. The Danube River represents the base level for all these streams. In contrary to the nearby Eastern Alps the study area shows no evidence for local deformation or glacial overprint. Therefore, the Hausruck- Kobernaußerwald region represents a perfect testing ground to explore the evolution of relief in a setting of regional uplift and relative base level lowering. This is done by characterizing the fluvial and hillslope system and exploring the effect of contrasting lithology and different base levels. We further give constraints on the geomorphological state of equilibrium and provide a discussion about the spatial position of the highest relief within the Molasse Basin in Upper Austria. Therefore, we have performed a series of morphometric analyses on a high resolution LiDAR digital elevation model. This includes longitudinal channel profiles, the best fit concavity index, the steepness and the normalized steepness index, the slope-area relationship, the slope elevation distribution and hypsometric curves of all individual catchments. All longitudinal channel profiles are graded and show a concave form without any natural knickpoints with best fit concavity indices in the range of 0.35 and 0.55. All observed knick points in the channel profiles could be traced back to an anthropogenic impact like bridges or culverts. Interestingly, the transition from one lithological unit to another does not influence the channel slopes in the profiles suggesting that the erodibility of different rock types is in the same order of magnitude. The contributing drainage area and channel slope for all catchments of the study area follow a power law relationship as proposed by Hack. The transition from hillslope- to fluvial processes is observed in channel slope-drainage area plots and is consistently identified in longitudinal channel profiles at very small drainage areas (A < 0.05 km²). Hypsometric curves commonly show a S-shaped form with hypsometric integrals close to 0.5 suggesting a topographic steady-state of the study area.

Palliative percutaneous transhepatic drainage for inoperable obstructive jaundice.

PubMed Central

Baxter-Smith, D. C.; Temple, J. G.; Howarth, F.

1982-01-01

A technique of percutaneous transhepatic drainage under local anaesthesia is described for the relief of intractable pruritus in patients with obstructive jaundice due to inoperable carcinoma. After standard percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography a polyethylene catheter is introduced into one of the large dilated bile ducts and left in situ, thereby establishing external retrograde biliary drainage. The technique has been used successfully in 6 cases with reduction in serum bilirubin levels and relief of pruritus. PMID:6182832

Land-surface evolution at the continental time-scale: An example from interior Western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mabbutt, J. A.

1988-12-01

The interior plateau of Western Australia in the Wiluna—Meekatharra area is in part an exhumed pre-Permian surface of low relief and to that extent of Gondwana age. A lateritic duricrust on interfluvial remnants of an Old Plateau surface is probably the outcome of several cycles of weathering and stripping, rather than of a single geomorphic episode. Landforms above the Old Plateau have maintained their relief during this circumdenudation and there is no regional evidence of their isolation by major escarpment retreat. A New Plateau surface has extended by stripping of saprolite and is an etchplain, as also is the Old Plateau under the genesis postulated. The New Plateau cycle was initiated by general drainage rejuvenation whilst lateritic weathering still continued, but its extension was halted through increasing climatic aridity, probably during the Miocene.

Effect of fluoroscopically guided caudal epidural steroid or local anesthetic injections in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation and radiculitis: a randomized, controlled, double blind trial with a two-year follow-up.

PubMed

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Singh, Vijay; Cash, Kimberly A; Pampati, Vidyasagar; Damron, Kim S; Boswell, Mark V

2012-01-01

Lumbar disc herniation and radiculitis are common elements of low back and lower extremity pain. Among minimally invasive treatments, epidural injections are one of the most commonly performed interventions. However, the literature is mixed about their effectiveness in managing low back and lower extremity pain. In general, individual studies and systematic reviews of epidural steroid injections have been hampered by their study design, baseline differences between treatment groups, inadequate sample sizes, highly controlled settings, lack of validated outcome measures, and the inability to confirm the injectate location because fluoroscopy was not used. A randomized, controlled, double blind, active control trial. A private, interventional pain management practice, specialty referral center in the United States. To assess the effectiveness of fluoroscopically directed caudal epidural injections with local anesthetic with or without steroids in managing chronic low back and lower extremity pain in patients with disc herniation and radiculitis. One hundred twenty patients were randomized to two groups: Group I received 10 mL caudal epidural injections of local anesthetic, lidocaine 0.5%; Group II patients received caudal epidural injections of 0.5% lidocaine, 9 mL, mixed with 1 mL of steroid. Multiple outcome measures were utilized. The primary outcome measures were Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and the Oswestry Disability Index 2.0 (ODI). Secondary outcome measures were employment status and opioid intake. Significant pain relief improvement was defined as 50% or more improvement in NRS and ODI scores. In the successful category, 77% of Group I had significant pain relief of >/= 50% and functional status improvement of >/= 50% reduction in ODI scores; in Group II it was 76%, whereas overall it was 60% and 65% in Groups I and II. Over the two years, Group I had an average number of procedures of 5.5 ± 2.8; Group II was 5.3 ± 2.4. Even though there was no significant difference in overall relief between the two groups, the average relief for each procedure was superior for steroids. Presumed limitations of this evaluation include lack of a placebo group. Caudal epidural injections of local anesthetic with or without steroids might be an effective therapy for patients with disc herniation or radiculitis. The present evidence illustrates the potential superiority of steroids compared with local anesthetic at two year follow up based on average relief per procedure. NCT00370799.

47 CFR 1.6009 - Relief.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... carrier has retransmitted the television broadcast station to at least one person in the local market of... directing the satellite carrier immediately to stop making any further retransmissions of the television broadcast station to any person within the local market of such station until such time as the Commission...

47 CFR 1.6009 - Relief.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... carrier has retransmitted the television broadcast station to at least one person in the local market of... directing the satellite carrier immediately to stop making any further retransmissions of the television broadcast station to any person within the local market of such station until such time as the Commission...

Why campaigns for local transportation funding initiatives succeed or fail : an analysis of four communities and national data

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-06-01

As funding from state and national sources has dwindled and demands for relief from traffic and congestion have grown, local governments and transportation agencies are increasingly left to develop their own sources of enhanced revenues. Frequently t...

Effectiveness of DoD Humanitarian Relief Efforts in Response to Hurricanes Georges and Mitch

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-03-01

31 October (wind speed of 35 mph). The storm’s path then took it across southern Guatemala, over Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, back over water in the...standards in sectors like water and sanitation, health care, and nutritional assistance. Incorporation of the work of the Sphere Project and other...their livestock may be a cost-effective mechanism for rebuilding local nutrition and economic capacity, thereby hastening the end of direct relief

Single Shot Epidural Injection for Cervical and Lumbosaccral Radiculopathies: A Preliminary Study

PubMed Central

Nawani, Digambar Prasad; Asthana, Veena

2010-01-01

Background Epidural steroid injection is an established treatment modality for intervertebral disc prolapse leading to radiculopathy. In cases where two levels of radiculopathy are present, two separate injections are warranted. Herein, we present our experience of management of such cases with a single epidural injection of local anaesthetic, tramadol and methylprednisolone, and table tilt for management of both radiculopathies. Methods 50 patients of either sex aged between 35-65 years presenting with features of cervical and lumbar radiculopathic pain were included and were subjected to single lumbar epidural injection of local anaesthetic, tramadol and methylprednisolone, in the lateral position. The table was then tilted in the trendelberg position with a tilt of 25 degrees, and patients were maintained for 10 minutes before being turned supine. All patients were administered 3 such injections with an interval of 2 weeks between subsequent injections, and pain relief was assessed with a visual analogue scale. Immediate complications after the block were assessed. Results Immediate and post procedural complications observed were nausea and vomiting (20%), painful injection site (4%), hypotension (10%) and high block (4%). Pain relief was assessed after the three injections by three grades: 37 (74%) had complete resolution of symptoms; 18% had partial relief and 8% did not benefit from the procedure. Conclusions This technique may be used as an alternative technique for pain relief in patients with unilateral cervical and lumbar radiculopathies. PMID:21217889

Testing the link between sympathetic efferent and sensory afferent fibers in neuropathic pain

PubMed Central

Raja, Srinivasa N.; Treede, Rolf-Detlef

2012-01-01

The diagnosis of sympathetically maintained pain (SMP) is typically established by assessment of pain relief during local anesthetic blockade of the sympathetic ganglia that innervate the painful body part. To determine if systemic alpha-adrenergic blockade with phentolamine can be used to diagnose SMP, we compared the effects on pain of local anesthetic sympathetic ganglion blocks (LASB) and phentolamine blocks (PhB) in 20 patients with chronic pain and hyperalgesia that were suspected to be sympathetically maintained. The blocks were done in random order on separate days. Patients rated the intensity of ongoing and stimulus-evoked pain every 5 min before, during, and after the LASB and PhB. Patients and the investigator assessing pain levels were blinded to the time of intravenous administration of phentolamine (total dose 25-35 mg). The pain relief achieved by LASB and PhB correlated closely (r = 0.84), and there was no significant difference in the maximum pain relief achieved with the two blocks (t = 0.19, P greater than 0.8). Nine patients experienced a greater than 50% relief of pain and hyperalgesia from both LASB and PhB and were considered to have a clinically significant component of SMP. We conclude that alpha-adrenergic blockade with intravenous phentolamine is a sensitive alternative test to identify patients with SMP. PMID:22592181

Optimizing Micromixer Surfaces To Deter Biofouling.

PubMed

Waters, James T; Liu, Ya; Li, Like; Balazs, Anna C

2018-03-07

Using computational modeling, we show that the dynamic interplay between a flowing fluid and the appropriately designed surface relief pattern can inhibit the fouling of the substrate. We specifically focus on surfaces that are decorated with three-dimensional (3D) chevron or sawtooth "micromixer" patterns and model the fouling agents (e.g., cells) as spherical microcapsules. The interaction between the imposed shear flow and the chevrons on the surface generates 3D vortices in the system. We pinpoint a range of shear rates where the forces from these vortices can rupture the bonds between the two mobile microcapsules near the surface. Notably, the patterned surface offers fewer points of attachment than a flat substrate, and the shear flows readily transport the separated capsules away from the layer. We contrast the performance of surfaces that encompass rectangular posts, chevrons, and asymmetric sawtooth patterns and thereby identify the geometric factors that cause the sawtooth structure to be most effective at disrupting the bonding between the capsules. By breaking up nascent clusters of contaminant cells, these 3D relief patterns can play a vital role in disrupting the biofouling of surfaces immersed in flowing fluids.

Selecting boundary conditions in physiological strain analysis of the femur: Balanced loads, inertia relief method and follower load.

PubMed

Heyland, Mark; Trepczynski, Adam; Duda, Georg N; Zehn, Manfred; Schaser, Klaus-Dieter; Märdian, Sven

2015-12-01

Selection of boundary constraints may influence amount and distribution of loads. The purpose of this study is to analyze the potential of inertia relief and follower load to maintain the effects of musculoskeletal loads even under large deflections in patient specific finite element models of intact or fractured bone compared to empiric boundary constraints which have been shown to lead to physiological displacements and surface strains. The goal is to elucidate the use of boundary conditions in strain analyses of bones. Finite element models of the intact femur and a model of clinically relevant fracture stabilization by locking plate fixation were analyzed with normal walking loading conditions for different boundary conditions, specifically re-balanced loading, inertia relief and follower load. Peak principal cortex surface strains for different boundary conditions are consistent (maximum deviation 13.7%) except for inertia relief without force balancing (maximum deviation 108.4%). Influence of follower load on displacements increases with higher deflection in fracture model (from 3% to 7% for force balanced model). For load balanced models, follower load had only minor influence, though the effect increases strongly with higher deflection. Conventional constraints of fixed nodes in space should be carefully reconsidered because their type and position are challenging to justify and for their potential to introduce relevant non-physiological reaction forces. Inertia relief provides an alternative method which yields physiological strain results. Copyright © 2015 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background Paper on State and Local Taxation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLoone, Eugene

This paper represents part of a comprehensive study of the existing New York State school support formulae. The report consists of (1) analysis of the 1969 State revenue increases -- wage increases and inflation, expansion of State and local government services, property tax relief, and increased annual revenue needs; (2) explication of factors…

A Systematic Means of Federal Support for Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Boyle, John R.

1982-01-01

Direct payment of teacher salaries by the federal government is one means of achieving uniform financial support of education, local tax relief, resolution of many professional problems and improvement of quality instruction and instructors. No change is proposed in local control of hiring, firing, seniority, tenure, or merit practices. (Author)

33 CFR 25.507 - Claims payable.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... property involved would be liable under local law. (b) The fact that the act giving rise to a claim may constitute a crime does not, by itself, bar relief. (c) Local law or custom pertaining to contributory or comparative negligence, and to joint tort-feasors, are applied to the extent practicable. ...

Food provision among food relief agencies in rural Australia, and perceived barriers and enablers to provide healthy food.

PubMed

Bortolin, Natalia; Priestly, Jaqueline; Sangster, Janice

2018-04-01

Food insecurity affects 4-14% of Australians, and up to 82% of vulnerable groups. Food relief agencies commonly provide food parcels or food vouchers. Little research has been undertaken on food relief agencies within rural Australia. This study determined the type of food assistance provided by rural food relief agencies, and barriers and enablers to provide healthy food. Cross-sectional study, using telephone questionnaires with qualitative and quantitative aspects. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Rural New South Wales, Australia. Representatives of 10 food relief agencies. Types of food assistance and food provided, and the barriers and enablers to provide healthy food to clients. Most agencies provided food hampers and perishable and non-perishable food. Rural food relief agencies had a greater capacity to provide non-perishable compared to perishable food. Grains, breads and cereals, and canned fruit and vegetables were most popular. Nine key themes emerged including 'Ability to purchase and provide healthy food', 'Ability to regulate food purchased or chosen by clients', 'Financial constraints of the agency' and 'Lack of storage'. There are many variables to consider in order to understand the capacity of rural food relief agencies to provide healthy food. There are also opportunities for food relief agencies to appraise current practices and make changes. Initiatives to improve storage facilities and food availability are key and include networking with local businesses, community organisations and government. Rural food relief agency clients could benefit from accessing food literacy and health programs like FoodREDi, OzHarvest NEST and SecondBite Fresh NED. © 2017 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

[Disaster relief through inter-professional collaboration --from the standpoint of a dietitian].

PubMed

Inamura, Yukiko

2013-01-01

The present study examined disaster relief efforts by registered and other dietitians following the Great East Japan Earthquake to identify related problems. Based on this, the study discussed what is required to develop a "disaster relief system through inter-professional collaboration" to cope with unanticipated disasters. On March 15, 2011, the Japan Dietetic Association (JDA) independently established the "Great East Japan Earthquake relief emergency headquarters". The association along with these volunteers was committed to the establishment of a system for disaster relief activities with the support of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima Prefectures: the number of registered volunteers was 978; a total of 1,588 dietitians were dispatched; and 602 became involved in relief work in the disaster-stricken areas. Registered and other dietitians dispatched for disaster relief provided support and home care for evacuation centers, elderly facilities, and temporary housing, including dietary and nutrition advice and consultation, in cooperation and collaboration with administrative dietitians in disaster areas, registered and other dietitians of disaster headquarters in disaster-stricken prefectures, the Primary Care for All Teams (PCAT) of the Japan Primary Care Association, disaster medical assistance teams (DMATs), and volunteer groups. Through the course of the relief activities, the following problems were identified: difficulties in responding to varying needs in different phases, nutritional measures (population-based and high-risk approaches), nutritional disparities among evacuation centers, necessity of a section to collect ever-changing information on disaster areas in a comprehensive manner, importance of working cooperatively to establish a support system, and differences in volunteers' support skills. To facilitate disaster relief through inter-professional collaboration, it is necessary for many different organizations to understand each other's capabilities in the event of a disaster, methods to share problems, needs, and information among them and with new members, and the importance of local coordinators.

Geomorphic and Fish Genetics Constraints on Late Cenozoic Long Wavelength Topographic Evolution of the Hangay Mountains, Central Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegmann, K. W.; Tamra, M.; Sabaj Pérez, M.; Lopresti, M.; Cole, M. B.; Gosse, J. C.; Smith, S. G.; Bayasgalan, G.; Ancuta, L. D.; McDannell, K. T.; Gallen, S. F.

2014-12-01

The Hangay Mountains stand 1.5 - 2 km above adjacent lowlands and the timing and cause of their high elevation is debated. As part of a broad collaborative project, we synthesize several data sets that collectively suggest the Hangay increased in elevation during the mid-to-late Miocene, while topographic relief, one metric commonly associated with active mountain ranges, remained largely unchanged. The topographic crest of the Hangay forms the drainage divide between the Selenga River and internal drainage of the Mongolian Depression of Lakes (MDL) and northern Gobi. Synthetic drainage divides for the Hangay were created by filtering digital topography in the spectral domain (50 - 200 km wavelengths) using a 2D-FFT function. The co-location of the synthetic and modern divides suggests that the Hangay divide is in a stable, equilibrium configuration. This assumption is corroborated by chi-maps of steady-state river channel elevations that exhibit nearly equal values across water divides. An exception to both of these metrics occurs in the northwest Hangay where the Bulnay fault crosses a low divide between the western Selenga basin and the MDL. Recent basalt vesicle paleoaltimetry results allow for ~1 km of surface uplift of the central Hangay in the past ~ 10 Ma. These same basalt flows in-filled late Miocene valleys cut into basement with a minimum of 800 m of local relief; similar to the amount of modern, post-glacial relief along the drainage divide. mtDNA analyses from > 250 combined Stone Loaches (Barbatula), Grayling (Thymallus), and Eurasian Dace (Leuciscus) samples from both sides of the continental drainage divide are supportive of Miocene surface uplift. Molecular genetic differences between the loach populations across the divide suggest that they separated from a common ancestor between 20 and 11 Ma. This date is consistent with the timing of surface uplift and valley incision preserved in the Miocene basalt flows. The dace and grayling populations on either side of the divide separated more recently, at ~ 2 Ma and < 1 Ma, respectively. We speculate that either (1) Quaternary climate change via glacial drainage reorganization or (2) drainage capture in response to slip along the Bulnay fault forced these more recent separations. These topo-genetic constrains are needed inputs for regional geodynamic models.

Impact cratering experiments in Bingham materials and the morphology of craters on Mars and Ganymede

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fink, J. H.; Greeley, R.; Gault, D. E.

1982-01-01

Results from a series of laboratory impacts into clay slurry targets are compared with photographs of impact craters on Mars and Ganymede. The interior and ejecta lobe morphology of rampart-type craters, as well as the progression of crater forms seen with increasing diameter on both Mars and Ganymede, are equalitatively explained by a model for impact into Bingham materials. For increasing impact energies and constant target rheology, laboratory craters exhibit a morphologic progression from bowl-shaped forms that are typical of dry planetary surfaces to craters with ejecta flow lobes and decreasing interior relief, characteristic of more volatile-rich planets. A similar sequence is seen for uniform impact energy in slurries of decreasing yield strength. The planetary progressions are explained by assuming that volatile-rich or icy planetary surfaces behave locally in the same way as Bingham materials and produce ejecta slurries with yield strenghs and viscosities comparable to terrestrial debris flows. Hypothetical impact into Mars and Ganymede are compared, and it is concluded that less ejecta would be produced on Ganymede owing to its lower gravitational acceleration, surface temperature, and density of surface materials.

Overpaint Removal on a Gilded Wooden Bas-Relief Using a Nd:YAG Laser at 1.064 µm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strzelec, M.; Marczak, J.; Koss, A.; Szambelan, R.

The paper presents the work on laser renovation of wooden bas-relief (lime tree), consisting of three figures: Saint Anna and Mary with Jesus, made by unknown artist at the beginning of XVII century. Almost whole relief surface is covered by gilding placed on a special preparation (bolus alba) with binding media. The painting layers cover only the parts of complexion and hairs of figures. The application of a 1.064 µm, Q-switched, Nd:YAG laser, allowed to unveil, in a short time the intact substrate of the object with well preserved gilding remains.

Semi-automated extraction of longitudinal subglacial bedforms from digital terrain models - Two new methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jorge, Marco G.; Brennand, Tracy A.

2017-07-01

Relict drumlin and mega-scale glacial lineation (positive relief, longitudinal subglacial bedforms - LSBs) morphometry has been used as a proxy for paleo ice-sheet dynamics. LSB morphometric inventories have relied on manual mapping, which is slow and subjective and thus potentially difficult to reproduce. Automated methods are faster and reproducible, but previous methods for LSB semi-automated mapping have not been highly successful. Here, two new object-based methods for the semi-automated extraction of LSBs (footprints) from digital terrain models are compared in a test area in the Puget Lowland, Washington, USA. As segmentation procedures to create LSB-candidate objects, the normalized closed contour method relies on the contouring of a normalized local relief model addressing LSBs on slopes, and the landform elements mask method relies on the classification of landform elements derived from the digital terrain model. For identifying which LSB-candidate objects correspond to LSBs, both methods use the same LSB operational definition: a ruleset encapsulating expert knowledge, published morphometric data, and the morphometric range of LSBs in the study area. The normalized closed contour method was separately applied to four different local relief models, two computed in moving windows and two hydrology-based. Overall, the normalized closed contour method outperformed the landform elements mask method. The normalized closed contour method performed on a hydrological relief model from a multiple direction flow routing algorithm performed best. For an assessment of its transferability, the normalized closed contour method was evaluated on a second area, the Chautauqua drumlin field, Pennsylvania and New York, USA where it performed better than in the Puget Lowland. A broad comparison to previous methods suggests that the normalized relief closed contour method may be the most capable method to date, but more development is required.

Tectonic control on sea-floor relief and the localization of Lower Mississippian Waulsortian mounds, New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffery, David L.

1997-11-01

Lower Mississippian carbonate mud-rich bioherms, generally referred to as Waulsortian mounds, are commonly associated with low-paleolatitude carbonate ramp settings and have recently been recognized as important hydrocarbon reservoirs. The factors controlling localization of Waulsortian mounds have heretofore been poorly understood. Stratal relations exposed in the Alamogordo Member of the Lake Valley Formation in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico illustrate the effects of tectonism on carbonate sedimentation prior to, during, and after mound growth. They indicate that mound initiation and localization were strongly controlled by tectonically generated, intraramp, sea-floor topography. These observations bear strongly on understanding the controls on localization and growth of mud mounds in general. Stratal geometries observed in the underlying Andrecito Member indicate that this topography was modified by erosional and depositional processes prior to mound initiation. Mounds formed on the surfaces and margins of the intraramp topography as the result of aggradational, in situ accumulation of biogenic sediment. Differences in growth geometry of stratal units within individual mounds and differences between mounds are correlated with position of the mound on the ramp and the deformation occurring immediately prior to mound growth. It is probable that local tectonism continued during mound growth, and that local differences in the amount of relative uplift resulted in different amounts of space for growth of individual mounds, and thus determined differences in mound size and geometry.

Constraints on crustal rheology and age of deformation from models of gravitational spreading in Ishtar Terra, Venus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smrekar, Suzanne E.; Soloman, Sean C.

1992-12-01

Gravitational spreading is expected to lead to rapid relaxation of high relief due to the high surface temperature and associated weak crust on Venus. In this study, we use new Magellan radar and altimetry data to determine the extent of gravitational relaxation in Ishtar Terra, which contains the highest relief on Venus as well as areas of extremely high topographic slope. Within Ishtar Terra the only mountain belts found on Venus, Akna, Danu, Freyja, and Maxwell Montes, nearly encircle the smooth, high (3-4 km) plateau of Lakshmi Planum. Finite-element models of this process give expected timescales for relaxation of relief and failure at the surface. From these modeling results we attempt to constrain the strength of the crust and timescales of deformation in Ishtar Terra. Below we discuss observational evidence for gravitational spreading in Ishtar Terra, results from the finite-element modeling, independent age constraints, and implications for the rheology and timing of deformation.

Light-induced spiral mass transport in azo-polymer films under vortex-beam illumination

PubMed Central

Ambrosio, Antonio; Marrucci, Lorenzo; Borbone, Fabio; Roviello, Antonio; Maddalena, Pasqualino

2012-01-01

When an azobenzene-containing polymer film is exposed to non-uniform illumination, a light-induced mass migration process may be induced, leading to the formation of relief patterns on the polymer-free surface. Despite many years of research effort, several aspects of this phenomenon remain poorly understood. Here we report the appearance of spiral-shaped relief patterns on the polymer film under the illumination of focused Laguerre–Gauss beams with helical wavefronts and an optical vortex at their axis. The induced spiral reliefs are sensitive to the vortex topological charge and to the wavefront handedness. These findings are unexpected because the doughnut-shaped intensity profile of Laguerre–Gauss beams contains no information about the wavefront handedness. We propose a model that explains the main features of this phenomenon through the surface-mediated interference of the longitudinal and transverse components of the optical field. These results may find applications in optical nanolithography and optical-field nanoimaging. PMID:22871808

Constraints on crustal rheology and age of deformation from models of gravitational spreading in Ishtar Terra, Venus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smrekar, Suzanne E.; Soloman, Sean C.

1992-01-01

Gravitational spreading is expected to lead to rapid relaxation of high relief due to the high surface temperature and associated weak crust on Venus. In this study, we use new Magellan radar and altimetry data to determine the extent of gravitational relaxation in Ishtar Terra, which contains the highest relief on Venus as well as areas of extremely high topographic slope. Within Ishtar Terra the only mountain belts found on Venus, Akna, Danu, Freyja, and Maxwell Montes, nearly encircle the smooth, high (3-4 km) plateau of Lakshmi Planum. Finite-element models of this process give expected timescales for relaxation of relief and failure at the surface. From these modeling results we attempt to constrain the strength of the crust and timescales of deformation in Ishtar Terra. Below we discuss observational evidence for gravitational spreading in Ishtar Terra, results from the finite-element modeling, independent age constraints, and implications for the rheology and timing of deformation.

Evaluation of Buprenorphine Hydrochloride and Butorphanol Tartrate on the Inflammatory Reaction of the Sereny Test

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-10-01

recently to screen candidate ShigeUa vaccines for efficacy. This test undoubtedly causes pain in test animals; however, recommendation for use of local...proves otherwise, pain relief must be consid- tion of the organisms over the conjunctiva and cornea. Ocular ered essential. At the request of the...of system (11). It is increasingly used for pain relief and is one these studies. Some guinea pigs tended to develop a notice- of the most useful

Tectonic and climatic significance of a late Eocene low-relief, high-level geomorphic surface, Colorado

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregory, Kathryn M.; Chase, Clement G

1994-01-01

New paleobotanical data suggest that in the late Eocene the erosion surface which capped the Front Range, Colorado was 2.2-2.3 km in elevation, which is similar to the 2.5-km present elevation of surface remnants. This estimated elevation casts doubt on the conventional belief that the low-relief geomorphic surface was formed by lateral planation of streams to a base level not much higher than sea level and that the present deeply incised canyons must represent Neogene uplift of Colorado. Description of the surface, calculations of sediment volume, and isostatic balance and fluvial landsculpting models demonstrate that while the high elevation of the erosion surface was due to tectonic forces, its smoothness was mostly a result of climatic factors. A sediment balance calculated for the Front Range suggests that from 2 to 4 km of material were eroded by the late Eocene, consistent with fission track ages. This amount of erosion would remove a significant portionof the 7 km of Laramide upper crustal thickening. Isostatic modeling implies that the 2.2-3.3 km elevation was most likely created by lower crustal thickening during the Laramide. A numerical model of fluvial erosion and deposition suggests a way that a late Eocene surface could have formed at this high elevation without incision. A humid climate with a preponderance of small storm events will diffusively smooth topography and is a possible mechanism for formation oflow-relief, high-level surfaces. Paleoclimate models suggest a lack of large strom events in the late Eocene because of cool sea surface temperatures in the equatorial region. Return to a drier but stormier climate post-Eocene could have caused the incision of the surface by young canyons. By this interpretation, regional erosion surfaces may represent regional climatic rather than tectonic conditions.

High-resolution seismic-reflection images across the ICDP-USGS Eyreville deep drilling site, Chesapeake Bay impact structure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powars, David S.; Catchings, Rufus D.; Goldman, Mark R.; Gohn, Gregory S.; Horton, J. Wright; Edwards, Lucy E.; Rymer, Michael J.; Gandhok, Gini

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) acquired two 1.4-km-long, high-resolution (~5 m vertical resolution) seismic-reflection lines in 2006 that cross near the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP)-USGS Eyreville deep drilling site located above the late Eocene Chesapeake Bay impact structure in Virginia, USA. Five-meter spacing of seismic sources and geophones produced high-resolution images of the subsurface adjacent to the 1766-m-depth Eyreville core holes. Analysis of these lines, in the context of the core hole stratigraphy, shows that moderate-amplitude, discontinuous, dipping reflections below ~527 m correlate with a variety of Chesapeake Bay impact structure sediment and rock breccias recovered in the cores. High-amplitude, continuous, subhorizontal reflections above ~527 m depth correlate with the uppermost part of the Chesapeake Bay impact structure crater-fill sediments and postimpact Eocene to Pleistocene sediments. Reflections with ~20-30 m of relief in the uppermost part of the crater-fill and lowermost part of the postimpact section suggest differential compaction of the crater-fill materials during early postimpact time. The top of the crater-fill section also shows ~20 m of relief that appears to represent an original synimpact surface. Truncation surfaces, locally dipping reflections, and depth variations in reflection amplitudes generally correlate with the lithostrati-graphic and sequence-stratigraphic units and contacts in the core. Seismic images show apparent postimpact paleochannels that include the first possible Miocene paleochannels in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. Broad downwarping in the postim-pact section unrelated to structures in the crater fill indicates postimpact sediment compaction.

Phase recording for formation of holographic optical elements on silver-halide photographic emulsions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganzherli, Nina M.; Gulyaev, Sergey N.; Maurer, Irina A.; Chernykh, Dmitrii F.

2009-05-01

Holographic fabrication methods of regular and nonregular relief-phase structures on silver-halide photographic emulsions are considered. Methods of gelatin photodestruction under short-wave ultra-violet radiation and chemical hardening with the help of dichromated solutions were used as a technique for surface relief formation. The developed techniques permitted us to study specimens of holographic diffusers and microlens rasters with small absorption and high light efficiency.

Field Report: Medical Response to Super Typhoon Haiyan.

PubMed

Noone, Michael

2015-10-01

This report describes the experience and observations during a humanitarian medical response 10 days after landfall of Typhoon Haiyan in the Leyte Island region of the Philippines. Loss of availability of local health care providers was observed to affect the ability of the local community to provide for immediate, post-event medical relief.

43 CFR 1882.4 - Allocation of funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GENERAL MANAGEMENT (1000) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Mineral Development Impact Relief Loans § 1882.4 Allocation of funds. If applications for loans exceed the funds...

Local Taxpayer Relief Act

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Rep. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI-2

2011-04-04

House - 04/15/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Local Taxpayer Relief Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Noem, Kristi L. [R-SD-At Large

2013-06-06

House - 07/08/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Remote sensing evidence of lava-ground ice interactions associated with the Lost Jim Lava Flow, Seward Peninsula, Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcucci, Emma C.; Hamilton, Christopher W.; Herrick, Robert R.

2017-12-01

Thermokarst terrains develop when ice-bearing permafrost melts and causes the overlying surface to subside or collapse. This process occurs widely throughout Arctic regions due to environmental and climatological factors, but can also be induced by localized melting of ground ice by active lava flows. The Lost Jim Lava Flow (LJLF) on the Seward Peninsula of Alaska provides evidence of former lava-ground ice interactions. Associated geomorphic features, on the scale of meters to tens of meters, were identified using satellite orthoimages and stereo-derived digital terrain models. The flow exhibits positive- and mixed-relief features, including tumuli ( N = 26) and shatter rings ( N = 4), as well as negative-relief features, such as lava tube skylights ( N = 100) and irregularly shaped topographic depressions ( N = 1188) that are interpreted to include lava-rise pits and lava-induced thermokarst terrain. Along the margins of the flow, there are also clusters of small peripheral pits that may be the products of meltwater or steam escape. On Mars, we observed morphologically similar pits near lava flow margins in northeastern Elysium Planitia, which suggests a common formation mechanism. Investigating the LJLF may therefore help to elucidate processes of lava-ground ice interaction on both Earth and Mars.

Linking Anomalously Low Topographic Relief in the Taiwan Arc-Continent Collision to a Submarine Plateau South of the Collision.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrne, T. B.; Lin, A. T.; Su, C. C.; Lewis, J. C.; Liu, C. S.; Ouimet, W. B.; Chen, T. T.; Huang, C.

2015-12-01

Ouimet et al. (2014; submitted) have recently described broad areas of anomalously low relief and slope that straddle the topographic ridge crest in Taiwan. The areas are anomalous because Taiwan also preserves some of the steepest topography in the world, as expected from the high rates of convergence, exhumation and erosion. In addition, several age-elevation data sets (see Hsu et al. this meeting), using new and previously published ZrnFT, ZrnHe and ApFT ages, show exhumation cooling rates of 3 to 5 mm/yr since ~1.5-2.0 Ma, which is consistent with the exposure of reset zircons beneath the surfaces. Erosion rates of this magnitude, however, are expected to produce significant topographic relief, making it difficult to generate a topographic surface of low slope and low relief centered on the ridge crest. Very young ApFT and ZrnHe ages (e.g., < 0.5 Ma) also suggest a more recent acceleration in exhumation cooling. A relatively large area of low relief centered on the top of the submarine accretionary prism south of Taiwan may provide a solution for this conundrum. The area covers ca 1000 km2, has a mean elevation of ca 450 m below sea level and appears to be composed of hard, intact rocks rather than unlithified deep sea muds. Several attempts at gravity and piston coring failed to penetrate the substrate and samples retrieved in the core catcher include rounded clasts of quartz and siltstone. Geophysical studies also show high Vp velocities at relatively shallow depths beneath the sea floor, suggesting the removal of a significant volume of sediment and rock, presumably through erosion. We propose that this low relief plateau serves as a modern analog for the formation of the low relief surfaces that currently straddle the ridge crest in Taiwan. If this interpretation is correct, it suggests a tectonic model in which submarine erosion processes modulate vertical growth of the prism until collision of thick continental crust promotes uplift that outpaces erosion. This requires significant erosion rates (e.g., mm/yr) in the shallow water marine environment. Based on the young ApFT and ZrnHe ages, we propose that emergence of the prism occurred less than about a half a million years ago, and that this hypothesis could be tested by chronologic and thermochronologic data from cores retrieved through submarine drilling.

Appalachian Piedmont landscapes from the Permian to the Holocene

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cleaves, E.T.

1989-01-01

Between the Potomac and Susquehanna Rivers and from the Blue Ridge to the Fall Zone, landscapes of the Piedmont are illustrated for times in the Holocene, Late Wisconsin, Early Miocene, Early Cretaceous, Late Triassic, and Permian. Landscape evolution took place in tectonic settings marked by major plate collisions (Permian), arching and rifting (Late Triassic) and development of the Atlantic passive margin by sea floor spreading (Early Cretaceous). Erosion proceeded concurrently with tectonic uplift and continued after cessation of major tectonic activity. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf sediments record three major erosional periods: (1) Late Triassic-Early Jurassic; (2) Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous; and (3) Middle Miocene-Holocene. The Middle Miocene-Holocene pulse is related to neotectonic activity and major climatic fluctuations. In the Piedmont upland the Holocene landscape is interpreted as an upland surface of low relief undergoing dissection. Major rivers and streams are incised into a landscape on which the landforms show a delicate adjustment to rock lithologies. The Fall Zone has apparently evolved from a combination of warping, faulting, and differential erosion since Late Miocene. The periglacial environment of the Late Wisconsin (and earlier glacial epochs) resulted in increased physical erosion and reduced chemical weathering. Even with lowered saprolitization rates, geochemical modeling suggests that 80 m or more of saprolite may have formed since Late Miocene. This volume of saprolite suggests major erosion of upland surfaces and seemingly contradicts available field evidence. Greatly subdued relief characterized the Early Miocene time, near the end of a prolonged interval of tropical morphogenesis. The ancestral Susquehanna and Potomac Rivers occupied approximately their present locations. In Early Cretaceous time local relief may have been as much as 900 m, and a major axial river draining both the Piedmont and Appalachians flowed southeast past Baltimore. The Late Triassic landscape was influenced by rift basin development. Streams drained into a hydrologically closed basin: no through-flowing rivers seem to have been present. A limestone escarpment along the Blue Ridge may have existed as a consequence of a semi-arid climate. The Permian may have been a time of Himalayan-like mountains and mountain glaciers. Streams (and glaciers) generally flowed southwest and west. ?? 1989.

43 CFR 1882.0-5 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GENERAL MANAGEMENT (1000) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Mineral Development Impact Relief Loans § 1882.0-5 Definitions. As used in this subpart, the term: (a) Secretary means...

Shaded Relief of South Africa, Northern Cape Province

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Located north of the Swartberg Mountains in South Africa's Northern Cape Province, this topographic image shows a portion of the Great Karoo region. Karoo is an indigenous word for 'dry thirst land.' The semi-arid area is known for its unique variety of flora and fauna. The topography of the area, with a total relief of 200 meters (650 feet), reveals much about the geologic history of the area. The linear features seen in the image are near-vertical walls of once-molten rock, or dikes, that have intruded the bedrock. The dikes are more resistant to weathering and, therefore, form the linear wall-like features seen in the image. In relatively flat arid areas such as this, small changes in the topography can have large impacts on the water resources and the local ecosystem. These data can be used by biologists to study the distribution and range of the different plants and animals. Geologists can also use the data to study the geologic history of this area in more detail.

This shaded relief image was generated using topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. A computer-generated artificial light source illuminates the elevation data to produce a pattern of light and shadows. Slopes facing the light appear bright, while those facing away are shaded. On flatter surfaces, the pattern of light and shadows can reveal subtle features in the terrain. Colors show the elevation as measured by SRTM. Colors range from green at the lowest elevations to reddish at the highest elevations. Shaded relief maps are commonly used in applications such as geologic mapping and land use planning.

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), launched on February 11, 2000, uses the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. The mission is designed to collect three-dimensional measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter-long (200-foot) mast, an additional C-band imaging antenna and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) and the German (DLR) and Italian (ASI) space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, DC.

Groundwater in the Boreal Plains: How Climate and Geology Interact to Control Water Table Configurations in a Sub-Humid, Low-Relief Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hokanson, K. J.; Devito, K.; Mendoza, C. A.

2017-12-01

The Boreal Plain (BP) region of Canada, a landscape characterized by low-relief, a sub-humid climate and heterogeneous glacial landforms, is experiencing unprecedented anthropogenic and natural disturbance, including climate change and oil & gas operations. Understanding the controls on and the natural variability of water table position, and subsequently predicting changes in water table position under varying physical and climatic scenarios will become important as water security becomes increasingly threatened. The BP is composed of a mosaic of forestland, wetland, and aquatic land covers that contrast in dominant vegetation cover, evapotranspiration, and soil storage that, in turn, influence water table configurations. Additionally, these land-covers overlie heterogeneous glacial landforms with large contrasts in storage and hydraulic properties which, when coupled with wet-dry climate cycles, result in complex water table distributions in time and space. Several forestland-wetland-pond complexes were selected at the Utikuma Research Study Area (URSA) over three distinct surficial geologic materials (glacial fluvial outwash, stagnant ice moraine, lacustrine clay plain) to explore the roles of climate (cumulative departure from the long term yearly mean precipitation), geology, topographic position, and land cover on water table configurations over 15 years (2002 - 2016). In the absence of large groundwater flow systems, local relief and shallow low conductivity substrates promote the formation of near-surface water tables that are less susceptible to climate variation, regardless of topography. Furthermore, in areas of increased storage, wet and dry climate conditions can result in appreciably different water table configurations over time, ranging from mounds to hydraulic depressions, depending on the arrangement of land-covers, dominant surficial geology, and substrate layering.

Interaction of surface plasmon polaritons in heavily doped GaN microstructures with terahertz radiation

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

Melentev, G. A., E-mail: gamelen@spbstu.ru; Shalygin, V. A.; Vorobjev, L. E.

2016-03-07

We present the results of experimental and theoretical studies of the surface plasmon polariton excitations in heavily doped GaN epitaxial layers. Reflection and emission of radiation in the frequency range of 2–20 THz including the Reststrahlen band were investigated for samples with grating etched on the sample surface, as well as for samples with flat surface. The reflectivity spectrum for p-polarized radiation measured for the sample with the surface-relief grating demonstrates a set of resonances associated with excitations of different surface plasmon polariton modes. Spectral peculiarities due to the diffraction effect have been also revealed. The characteristic features of themore » reflectivity spectrum, namely, frequencies, amplitudes, and widths of the resonance dips, are well described theoretically by a modified technique of rigorous coupled-wave analysis of Maxwell equations. The emissivity spectra of the samples were measured under epilayer temperature modulation by pulsed electric field. The emissivity spectrum of the sample with surface-relief grating shows emission peaks in the frequency ranges corresponding to the decay of the surface plasmon polariton modes. Theoretical analysis based on the blackbody-like radiation theory well describes the main peculiarities of the observed THz emission.« less

Anisotropy in Ostwald ripening and step-terraced surface formation on GaAs(0 0 1): Experiment and Monte Carlo simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazantsev, D. M.; Akhundov, I. O.; Shwartz, N. L.; Alperovich, V. L.; Latyshev, A. V.

2015-12-01

Ostwald ripening and step-terraced morphology formation on the GaAs(0 0 1) surface during annealing in equilibrium conditions are investigated experimentally and by Monte Carlo simulation. Fourier and autocorrelation analyses are used to reveal surface relief anisotropy and provide information about islands and pits shape and their size distribution. Two origins of surface anisotropy are revealed. At the initial stage of surface smoothing, crystallographic anisotropy is observed, which is caused presumably by the anisotropy of surface diffusion at GaAs(0 0 1). A difference of diffusion activation energies along [1 1 0] and [1 1 bar 0] axes of the (0 0 1) face is estimated as ΔEd ≈ 0.1 eV from the comparison of experimental results and simulation. At later stages of surface smoothing the anisotropy of the surface relief is determined by the vicinal steps direction. At the initial stage of step-terraced morphology formation the kinetics of monatomic islands and pits growth agrees with the Ostwald ripening theory. At the final stage the size of islands and pits decreases due to their incorporation into the forming vicinal steps.

In-situ high-resolution visualization of laser-induced periodic nanostructures driven by optical feedback.

PubMed

Aguilar, Alberto; Mauclair, Cyril; Faure, Nicolas; Colombier, Jean-Philippe; Stoian, Razvan

2017-11-28

Optical feedback is often evoked in laser-induced periodic nanostructures. Visualizing the coupling between surfaces and light requires highly-resolved imaging methods. We propose in-situ structured-illumination-microscopy to observe ultrafast-laser-induced nanostructures during fabrication on metallic glass surfaces. This resolves the pulse-to-pulse development of periodic structures on a single irradiation site and indicates the optical feedback on surface topographies. Firstly, the quasi-constancy of the ripples pattern and the reinforcement of the surface relief with the same spatial positioning indicates a phase-locking mechanism that stabilizes and amplifies the ordered corrugation. Secondly, on sites with uncorrelated initial corrugation, we observe ripple patterns spatially in-phase. These feedback aspects rely on the electromagnetic interplay between the laser pulse and the surface relief, stabilizing the pattern in period and position. They are critically dependent on the space-time coherence of the exciting pulse. This suggests a modulation of energy according to the topography of the surface with a pattern phase imposed by the driving pulse. A scattering and interference model for ripple formation on surfaces supports the experimental observations. This relies on self-phase-stabilized far-field interaction between surface scattered wavelets and the incoming pulse front.

47 CFR 76.7 - General special relief, waiver, enforcement, complaint, show cause, forfeiture, and declaratory...

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Local Taxpayer Relief Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI

2013-06-06

Senate - 06/06/2013 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Epidural injections with or without steroids in managing chronic low back pain secondary to lumbar spinal stenosis: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials

PubMed Central

Meng, Hai; Fei, Qi; Wang, Bingqiang; Yang, Yong; Li, Dong; Li, Jinjun; Su, Nan

2015-01-01

Background Epidural injections of anesthetic with or without steroids are widely used for treating lumbar spinal stenosis, a common cause of chronic low back pain, but there is a lack of rigorous data comparing the effectiveness of epidural injections of anesthetic with and without steroids. This meta-analysis presents a current, comprehensive picture of how epidural injections of anesthetic with steroids compare with those using local anesthetic alone. Methods PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from their inception through February 5, 2015. Weight mean difference, risk ratio, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. A random effects model or fixed effects model was used to pool the estimates, according to the heterogeneity between the included studies. Results We included 13 randomized controlled trials, involving 1,465 patients. Significant pain relief (≥50%) was demonstrated in 53.7% of patients administered with epidural injections of anesthetic with steroids (group 1) and in 56.4% of those administered with local anesthetic alone (group 2). Patients showed a reduction in numeric rating scale pain score of 3.7 and 3.6 in the two groups, respectively. Significant functional improvement was achieved in 65.2% of patients in group 1 and 63.1% of patients in group 2, with Oswestry Disability Index reductions of 13.8 and 14.5 points, respectively. The overall number of injections per year was 3.2±1.3 and 3.4±1.2 with average total relief per year of 29.3±19.7 and 33.8±19.3 weeks, respectively. The opioid intakes decreased from baseline by 12.4 and 7.8 mg, respectively. Among the outcomes listed, only total relief time differed significantly between the two groups. Conclusion Both epidural injections with steroids or with local anesthetic alone provide significant pain relief and functional improvement in managing chronic low back pain secondary to lumbar spinal stenosis, and the inclusion of steroids confers no advantage compared to local anesthetic alone. PMID:26316704

Epidural injections with or without steroids in managing chronic low back pain secondary to lumbar spinal stenosis: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Meng, Hai; Fei, Qi; Wang, Bingqiang; Yang, Yong; Li, Dong; Li, Jinjun; Su, Nan

2015-01-01

Epidural injections of anesthetic with or without steroids are widely used for treating lumbar spinal stenosis, a common cause of chronic low back pain, but there is a lack of rigorous data comparing the effectiveness of epidural injections of anesthetic with and without steroids. This meta-analysis presents a current, comprehensive picture of how epidural injections of anesthetic with steroids compare with those using local anesthetic alone. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from their inception through February 5, 2015. Weight mean difference, risk ratio, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. A random effects model or fixed effects model was used to pool the estimates, according to the heterogeneity between the included studies. We included 13 randomized controlled trials, involving 1,465 patients. Significant pain relief (≥50%) was demonstrated in 53.7% of patients administered with epidural injections of anesthetic with steroids (group 1) and in 56.4% of those administered with local anesthetic alone (group 2). Patients showed a reduction in numeric rating scale pain score of 3.7 and 3.6 in the two groups, respectively. Significant functional improvement was achieved in 65.2% of patients in group 1 and 63.1% of patients in group 2, with Oswestry Disability Index reductions of 13.8 and 14.5 points, respectively. The overall number of injections per year was 3.2±1.3 and 3.4±1.2 with average total relief per year of 29.3±19.7 and 33.8±19.3 weeks, respectively. The opioid intakes decreased from baseline by 12.4 and 7.8 mg, respectively. Among the outcomes listed, only total relief time differed significantly between the two groups. Both epidural injections with steroids or with local anesthetic alone provide significant pain relief and functional improvement in managing chronic low back pain secondary to lumbar spinal stenosis, and the inclusion of steroids confers no advantage compared to local anesthetic alone.

Filamentary superhydrophobic Teflon surfaces: Moderate apparent contact angle but superior air-retaining properties.

PubMed

Di Mundo, Rosa; Bottiglione, Francesco; Palumbo, Fabio; Notarnicola, Michele; Carbone, Giuseppe

2016-11-15

Micro-scale textured Teflon surfaces, resulting from plasma etching modification, show extremely high water contact angle values and fairly good resistance to water penetration when hit by water drops at medium-high speed. This behavior is more pronounced when these surfaces present denser and smaller micrometric reliefs. Tailoring the top of these reliefs with a structure which further stabilizes the air may further increase resistance to wetting (water penetration) under static and dynamic conditions. Conditions of the oxygen fed plasma were tuned in order to explore the possibility of obtaining differently topped structures on the surface of the polymer. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to explore topography and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) to assess chemical similarity of the modified surfaces. Beside the usual advancing and receding water contact angle (WCA) measurements, surfaces were subjected to high speed impacting drops and immersion in water. At milder, i.e. shorter time and lower input power, plasma conditions formation of peculiar filaments is observed on the top of the sculpted reliefs. Filamentary topped surfaces result in a lower WCA than the spherical ones, appearing in this sense less superhydrophobic. However, these surfaces give rise to the formation of a more pronounced air layer when placed underwater. Further, when hit by water drops falling at medium/high speed, they show a higher resistance to water penetration and a sensitively lower surface-liquid contact time. The contact time is as low as previously observed only on heated solids. This behavior may be ascribed to the cavities formed beneath the filaments which, similarly with the salvinia leaf structures, require a surplus of pressure to be filled by water. Also, it suggests a different concept of superhydrophobicity, which cannot be expected on the basis of the conventional water contact angle characterization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Bacterial communities in pigmented biofilms formed on the sandstone bas-relief walls of the Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom, Cambodia.

PubMed

Kusumi, Asako; Li, Xianshu; Osuga, Yu; Kawashima, Arata; Gu, Ji-Dong; Nasu, Masao; Katayama, Yoko

2013-01-01

The Bayon temple in Angkor Thom, Cambodia has shown serious deterioration and is subject to the formation of various pigmented biofilms. Because biofilms are damaging the bas-reliefs, low reliefs engraved on the surface of sandstone, information about the microbial community within them is indispensable to control biofilm colonization. PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of biofilm samples from the pigmented sandstone surfaces showed that the bacterial community members in the biofilms differed clearly from those in the air and had low sequence similarity to database sequences. Non-destructive sampling of biofilm revealed novel bacterial groups of predominantly Rubrobacter in salmon pink biofilm, Cyanobacteria in chrome green biofilm, Cyanobacteria and Chloroflexi in signal violet biofilm, Chloroflexi in black gray biofilm, and Deinococcus-Thermus, Cyanobacteria, and Rubrobacter in blue green biofilm. Serial peeling-off of a thick biofilm by layers with adhesive sheets revealed a stratified structure: the blue-green biofilm, around which there was serious deterioration, was very rich in Cyanobacteria near the surface and Chloroflexi in deep layer below. Nitrate ion concentrations were high in the blue-green biofilm. The characteristic distribution of bacteria at different biofilm depths provides valuable information on not only the biofilm formation process but also the sandstone weathering process in the tropics.

Late cenozoic fluvial stratigraphy of the New Jersey piedmont: A record of glacioeustasy, planation, and incision on a low-relief passive margin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanford, S.D.; Ashley, G.M.; Brenner, G.J.

2001-01-01

Late Cenozoic fluvial deposits and erosional landforms in the New Jersey Piedmont record two episodes of valley incision, one in the Late Miocene and one in the Early Pleistocene, separated by periods of planation and fluvial deposition. The upland erosion surface and a fluvial gravel are the remnants of a low-relief Late Miocene landscape. Late Miocene incision was followed by deposition of a fluvial plain and cutting of straths in the Pliocene. Early Pleistocene incision produced the present valleys, which contain Middle to Late Pleistocene fluvial deposits. The two incisions correspond to permanent glacioeustatic lowering during expansion of the Antarctic ice sheet in the Middle to Late Miocene and development of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets in the Late Pliocene. Bordering Coastal Plain marine deposits indicate that the upland erosion surface was formed during a rising sea-level trend between the Late Oligocene and Middle Miocene. The Pliocene plain and straths formed during a period of rising sea level in the Early Pliocene. The stratigraphic record indicates that the oldest preserved landforms are no older than Late Miocene, that landscape planation in coastal regions of low-relief passive margins can be achieved in <20 m.yr., and that these surfaces can be incised and dissected in <5 m.yr.

Sediment dispersal patterns within the Nares Abyssal Plain: observations from GLORIA Sonographs

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

Shephard, L.E.; Tucholke, B.E.; Fry, V.A.

1985-01-01

Features evident on GLORIA sonographs from the Nares Abyssal Plain suggest a sediment dispersal pattern for turbidity currents that varies temporally and spatially, resulting in randomly distributed turbidite deposits in the distal abyssal plain east of 64/sup 0/W. Regional variations in backscatter intensities across the abyssal plain are related to the frequency and thickness of near-surface silt beds, basement highs disrupting the seafloor, and subtle changes in surface and sub-surface bedforms related to low-relief turbidite flow paths, biologic activity, and possibly erosion. High backscatter intensities, prevalent west of 64/sup 0/W, are generally associated with those areas containing thicker silt bedsmore » and very regular subbottom reflectors on 3.5 kHz profiles. Low backscatter intensities, prevalent east of 64/sup 0/W, are associated with those areas containing thin silt beds or stringers with a much higher percentage of pelagic clay. Seafloor lineaments occur throughout the survey area but decrease in abundance east of 64/sup 0/W. These features have no apparent relief when crossed by surface-towed seismic reflection profiles. In some instances the lineaments may correspond to low-relief turbidite flow paths that contain varying textural compositions resulting in increased backscatter. These features would be indicative of sediment transport directions. Other possible origins for the lineaments, that often appear trackline parallel, include near-surface morphology that is preferentially detected and aligned by GLORIA, or possibly the lineaments result from complex subbottom interference patterns that would not be readily apparent in areas with a more irregular seafloor.« less

A nondestructive stratigraphic and radiographic neutron study of Lorenzo Ghiberti's reliefs from paradise and north doors of Florence baptistery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Festa, G.; Andreani, C.; de Pascale, M. P.; Senesi, R.; Vitali, G.; Porcinai, S.; Giusti, A. M.; Schulze, R.; Canella, L.; Kudejova, P.; Mühlbauer, M.; Schillinger, B.; Ancient Charm Collaboration

2009-10-01

A neutron study on two gilded bronze reliefs by Lorenzo Ghiberti is presented. The two reliefs, representing heads of prophets, come from the north and east doors of the Baptistery of Florence. The east door will be permanently located at the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore museum at the end of its restoration, which is still in progress at the Metals Conservation Department of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence. The north door is kept in the original site, on the north facade of the Florentine Baptistery. Both reliefs exhibit critical aspects regarding their state of conservation in particular the stability of the gold layer on the bronze surface. Moreover the east head presents a remelting of which extension and composition are still unknown. The present work describes a non-destructive study of the subgilding area and bulk. The two main objectives of such analyses are: (1) to study the manufacturing technique and state of conservation of the reliefs; and (2) to assess the two cleaning techniques (laser cleaning and Rochelle salts chemical cleaning) used by the conservators during the restoration process of the east door. The experiment was carried out using prompt gamma-ray activation imaging combined with neutron radiography and conventional neutron radiography. The former method was applied to map the elemental composition of the two reliefs, while neutron radiography was used to investigate the bulk. The results provide significant information about subsuperficial areas, elemental composition of the objects from the surface down to a depth of 1 mm below gilding, and bulk structure of the remelting. Such information will guide the curators in the selection of the most suitable microclimatic conditions for the exhibition of the east door and for future conservation work on the north door.

Integrated study on the topographic and shallow subsurface expression of the Grote Brogel Fault at the boundary of the Roer Valley Graben, Belgium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deckers, Jef; Van Noten, Koen; Schiltz, Marco; Lecocq, Thomas; Vanneste, Kris

2018-01-01

The Grote Brogel Fault (GBF) is a major WNW-ESE striking normal fault in Belgium that diverges westward from the NW-SE striking western border fault system of the Roer Valley Graben. The GBF delimits the topographically higher Campine Block from the subsiding Roer Valley Graben, and is expressed in the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) by relief gradients or scarps. By integrating DTM, Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Cone Penetration Test (CPT) and borehole data, we studied the Quaternary activity of the GBF and its effects on local hydrogeology. In the shallow subsurface (< 50 m) underneath these scarps, fault splays of the GBF were interpreted on newly acquired ERT profiles at two investigation sites: one on the eastern section and the other on the western section, near the limit of the visible surface trace of the fault. Borehole and CPT data enabled stratigraphic interpretations of the ERT profiles and thereby allowed measuring vertical fault offsets at the base of Pleistocene fluvial deposits of up to 12 m. Groundwater measurements in the boreholes and CPTs indicate that the GBF acts as a hydrologic boundary that prevents groundwater flow from the elevated footwall towards the hangingwall, resulting in hydraulic head differences of up to 12.7 m. For the two investigation sites, the hydraulic head changes correlate with the relief gradient, which in turn correlates with the Quaternary vertical offset of the GBF. ERT profiles at the eastern site also revealed a local soft-linked stepover in the shallow subsurface, which affects groundwater levels in the different fault blocks, and illustrates the complex small-scale geometry of the GBF.

Relief influence on the spatial distribution of the Atlantic Forest cover on the Ibiúna Plateau, SP.

PubMed

Silva, W G; Metzger, J P; Simões, S; Simonetti, C

2007-08-01

Several studies suggest that, on a large scale, relief conditions influence the Atlantic Forest cover. The aim of this work was to explore these relationships on a local scale, in Caucaia do Alto, on the Ibiúna Plateau. Within an area of about 78 km(2), the distribution of forest cover, divided into two successional stages, was associated with relief attribute data (slope, slope orientation and altitude). The mapping of the vegetation was based on the interpretation of stereoscopic pairs of aerial photographs, from April 2000, on a scale of 1:10,000, while the relief attributes were obtained by geoprocessing from digitalized topographic maps on a scale of 1:10,000. Statistical analyses, based on qui-square tests, revealed that there was a more extensive forest cover, irrespective of the successional stage, in steeper areas (>10 degrees) located at higher altitudes (>923 m), but no influence of the slope orientation. There was no sign of direct influence of relief on the forest cover through environmental gradients that might have contributed to the forest regeneration. Likewise, there was no evidence that these results could have been influenced by the distance from roads or urban areas or with respect to permanent preservation areas. Relief seems to influence the forest cover indirectly, since agricultural land use is preferably made in flatter and lower areas. These results suggest a general distribution pattern of the forest remnants, independent of the scale of study, on which relief indirectly has a strong influence, since it determines human occupation.

Occlusal relief changes with molar wear in Pan troglodytes troglodytes and Gorilla gorilla gorilla.

PubMed

M'kirera, Francis; Ungar, Peter S

2003-06-01

Most research on primate tooth form-function relationships has focused on unworn teeth. This study presents a morphological comparison of variably worn lower second molars (M(2)s) of lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla; n=47) and common chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes; n=54) using dental topographic analysis. High-resolution replicas of occlusal surfaces were prepared and scanned in 3D by laser scanning. The resulting elevation data were used to create a geographic information system (GIS) for each tooth. Occlusal relief, defined as the ratio of 3D surface area to 2D planometric area of the occlusal table, was calculated and compared between wear stages, taxa, and sexes. The results failed to show a difference in occlusal relief between males and females of a given taxon, but did evince differences between wear stages and between taxa. A lack of significant interaction between wear stage and taxon factors suggests that differences in occlusal relief between chimpanzees and gorillas are maintained throughout the wear sequence. These results add to a growing body of information on how molar teeth change with wear, and how differences between primate species are maintained at comparable points throughout the wear sequence. Such studies provide new insights into form-function relationships, which will allow us to infer certain aspects of diet in fossils with worn teeth.

Allergy Relief for Your Child

MedlinePlus

... last 20 years, there has been a remarkable transformation in allergy treatments,” says Slater. “Kids used to ... Emergency Preparedness International Programs News & Events Training & Continuing Education Inspections & Compliance Federal, State & Local Officials Consumers Health ...

Theoretical modeling and design of photonic structures in zeolite nanocomposites for gas sensing. Part I: surface relief gratings.

PubMed

Cody, D; Naydenova, I

2017-12-01

The suitability of holographic structures fabricated in zeolite nanoparticle-polymer composite materials for gas sensing applications has been investigated. Theoretical modeling of the sensor response (i.e., change in hologram readout due to a change in refractive index modulation or thickness as a result of gas adsorption) of different sensor designs was carried out using Raman-Nath theory and Kogelnik's coupled wave theory. The influence of a range of parameters on the sensor response of holographically recorded surface and volume photonic grating structures has been studied, namely the phase difference between the diffracted and probe beam introduced by the grating, grating geometry, thickness, spatial frequency, reconstruction wavelength, and zeolite nanoparticle refractive index. From this, the optimum fabrication conditions for both surface and volume holographic gas sensor designs have been identified. Here, in part I, results from theoretical modeling of the influence of design on the sensor response of holographically inscribed surface relief structures for gas sensing applications is reported.

A phase field crystal model simulation of morphology evolution and misfit dislocation generation in nanoheteroepitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Chen, Z.; Cheng, C.; Wang, Y. X.

2017-10-01

A phase field crystal (PFC) model is employed to study morphology evolution of nanoheteroepitaxy and misfit dislocation generation when applied with enhanced supercooling, lattice mismatch and substrate vicinal angle conditions. Misfit strain that rises due to lattice mismatch causes rough surfaces or misfit dislocations, deteriorates film properties, hence, efforts taken to reveal their microscopic mechanism are significant for film quality improvement. Uniform islands, instead of misfit dislocations, are developed in subcritical thickness film, serving as a way of strain relief by surface mechanism. Misfit dislocations generate when strain relief by surface mechanism is deficient in higher supercooling, multilayers of misfit dislocations dominate, but the number of layers reduces gradually when the supercooling is further enhanced. Rough surfaces like islands or cuspate pits are developed which is ascribed to lattice mismatch, multilayers of misfit dislocations generate to further enhance lattice mismatch. Layers of misfit dislocations generate at a thickening position at enhanced substrate vicinal angle, this further enhancing the angle leading to sporadic generation of misfit dislocations.

Fabrication of meso- and nano-scale structures on surfaces of chalcogenide semiconductors by surface hydrodynamic interference patterning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bilanych, V.; Komanicky, V.; Lacková, M.; Feher, A.; Kuzma, V.; Rizak, V.

2015-10-01

We observe the change of surface relief on amorphous Ge-As-Se thin films after irradiation with an electron beam. The beam softens the glass and induces various topological surface changes in the irradiated area. The film relief change depends on the film thickness, deposited charge, and film composition. Various structures are formed: Gausian-like cones, extremely sharp Taylor cones, deep craters, and craters with large spires grown on the side. Our investigation shows that these effects can be at least partially a result of electro-hydrodynamic material flow, but the observed phenomena are likely more complex. When we irradiated structural patterns formed by the electron beam with a red laser beam, we could not only fully relax the produced patterns, but also form very complex and intricate superstructures. These organized meso- and nano-scale structures are formed by a combination of photo-induced structural relaxation, light interference on structures fabricated by the e-beam, and photo-induced material flow.

Terrain-analysis procedures for modeling radar backscatter

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaber, Gerald G.; Pike, Richard J.; Berlin, Graydon Lennis

1978-01-01

The collection and analysis of detailed information on the surface of natural terrain are important aspects of radar-backscattering modeling. Radar is especially sensitive to surface-relief changes in the millimeter- to-decimeter scale four conventional K-band (~1-cm wavelength) to L-band (~25-cm wavelength) radar systems. Surface roughness statistics that characterize these changes in detail have been generated by a comprehensive set of seven programmed calculations for radar-backscatter modeling from sets of field measurements. The seven programs are 1) formatting of data in readable form for subsequent topographic analysis program; 2) relief analysis; 3) power spectral analysis; 4) power spectrum plots; 5) slope angle between slope reversals; 6) slope angle against slope interval plots; and 7) base length slope angle and curvature. This complete Fortran IV software package, 'Terrain Analysis', is here presented for the first time. It was originally developed a decade ago for investigations of lunar morphology and surface trafficability for the Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle.

Controls on large landslide distribution and implications for the geomorphic evolution of the southern interior Columbia River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Safran, E.B.; Anderson, S.W.; Mills-Novoa, M.; House, P.K.; Ely, L.

2011-01-01

Large landslides (>0.1 km2) are important agents of geomorphic change. While most common in rugged mountain ranges, large landslides can also be widespread in relatively low-relief (several 100 m) terrain, where their distribution has been relatively little studied. A fuller understanding of the role of large landslides in landscape evolution requires addressing this gap, since the distribution of large landslides may affect broad regions through interactions with channel processes, and since the dominant controls on landslide distribution might be expected to vary with tectonic setting. We documented >400 landslides between 0.1 and ~40 km2 across ~140,000 km2 of eastern Oregon, in the semiarid, southern interior Columbia River basin. The mapped landslides cluster in a NW-SE-trending band that is 50-100 km wide. Landslides predominantly occur where even modest local relief (~100 m) exists near key contacts between weak sedimentary or volcaniclastic rock and coherent cap rock. Fault density exerts no control on landslide distribution, while ~10% of mapped landslides cluster within 3-10 km of mapped fold axes. Landslide occurrence is curtailed to the NE by thick packages of coherent basalt and to the SW by limited local relief. Our results suggest that future mass movements will localize in areas stratigraphically preconditioned for landsliding by a geologic history of fluviolacustrine and volcaniclastic sedimentation and episodic capping by coherent lava flows. In such areas, episodic landsliding may persist for hundreds of thousands of years or more, producing valley wall slopes of ~7??-13?? and impacting local channels with an evolving array of mass movement styles. ?? 2011 Geological Society of America.

Evaluation of Lumbar Facet Joint Nerve Blocks in Managing Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Trial with a 2-Year Follow-Up

PubMed Central

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Singh, Vijay; Falco, Frank J.E.; Cash, Kimberly A.; Pampati, Vidyasagar

2010-01-01

Study Design: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Objective: To determine the clinical effectiveness of therapeutic lumbar facet joint nerve blocks with or without steroids in managing chronic low back pain of facet joint origin. Summary of Background Data: Lumbar facet joints have been shown as the source of chronic pain in 21% to 41% of low back patients with an average prevalence of 31% utilizing controlled comparative local anesthetic blocks. Intraarticular injections, medial branch blocks, and radiofrequency neurotomy of lumbar facet joint nerves have been described in the alleviation of chronic low back pain of facet joint origin. Methods: The study included 120 patients with 60 patients in each group with local anesthetic alone or local anesthetic and steroids. The inclusion criteria was based upon a positive response to diagnostic controlled, comparative local anesthetic lumbar facet joint blocks. Outcome measures included the numeric rating scale (NRS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), opioid intake, and work status, at baseline, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Results: Significant improvement with significant pain relief of ≥ 50% and functional improvement of ≥ 40% were observed in 85% in Group 1, and 90% in Group II, at 2-year follow-up. The patients in the study experienced significant pain relief for 82 to 84 weeks of 104 weeks, requiring approximately 5 to 6 treatments with an average relief of 19 weeks per episode of treatment. Conclusions: Therapeutic lumbar facet joint nerve blocks, with or without steroids, may provide a management option for chronic function-limiting low back pain of facet joint origin. PMID:20567613

Assessment of surface relief and short cracks under cyclic creep in a type 316LN austenitic stainless steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkar, Aritra; Nagesha, A.; Parameswaran, P.; Sandhya, R.; Laha, K.

2015-12-01

Formation of surface relief and short cracks under cyclic creep (stress-controlled fatigue) in type 316LN stainless steel was studied at temperatures ranging from ambient to 923 K using scanning electron microscopy technique. The surface topography and crack distribution behaviour under cyclic creep were found to be strong functions of testing temperature due to the difference in strain accumulation. At 823 K, surface relief mainly consisted of fine slip markings due to negligible accumulation of strain as a consequence of dynamic strain ageing (DSA) which led to an increase in the cyclic life. Persistent slip markings (PSM) with distinct extrusions containing minute cracks were seen to prevail in the temperature range 873-923 K, indicating a higher slip activity causing higher strain accumulation in the absence of DSA. Besides, a large number of secondary cracks (both transgranular and intergranular) which were partially accentuated by severe oxidation, were observed. Extensive cavitation-induced grain boundary cracking took place at 923 K, which coalesced with PSM-induced transgranular cracks resulting in failure dominated by creep that in turn led to a drastic reduction in cyclic life. Investigations on the influence of stress rate were also carried out which underlined the presence of DSA at 823 K. At 923 K, lowering the stress rate caused further strengthening of the contribution from creep damage marked by a shift in the damage mechanism from cyclic slip to diffusion.

Time-dependent effects of heat advection and topography on cooling histories during erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mancktelow, Neil S.; Grasemann, Bernhard

1997-03-01

Both erosion and surface topography cause a time-dependent variation in isotherm geometry that can result in significant errors in estimating natural exhumation rates from geochronologic data. Analytical solutions and two-dimensional numerical modelling are used to investigate the magnitude of these inaccuracies for conditions appropriate to many rapidly exhumed mountain chains of rugged relief. It is readily demonstrated that uplift of the topographic surface has a negligible effect on the cooling history of an exhumed rock sample and cannot be quantified by current geochronologic methods. The topography itself perturbs the isotherms to a depth that depends on both the vertical and horizontal scale of the surface relief. Estimations employing different isotopic systems in the same sample with higher closure temperatures (> 200°C) are not generally influenced by topography. However, direct conversion of cooling rates to exhumation rates assuming a simple constant linear geotherm markedly underestimates peak rates, due to variation of the geothermal gradient in time and space and to the time lag between exhumation and cooling. Estimations based on the altitude variation in apatite fission-track ages are less prone to such inaccuracies in geothermal gradient but are affected by near-surface time-dependent variation in isotherm depth due to advection and topography. In tectonically active mountain belts, high exhumation rates are coupled with rugged topography, and exhumation rates may be markedly overestimated, by factors of 2 or more. Even at lower exhumation rates on the order of 1 mm/a, the shape of the cooling curve is modified by advection and topography. A convex-concave shape to the cooling curve does not necessarily imply a change of exhumation rate; it may also be attained by a more complicated geothermal gradient induced by topographic relief. Very fast cooling below 100°C, often interpreted as reflecting faster exhumation, can be more simply explained by the lateral cooling effect of topographic relief, with samples exhumed in valleys displaying a different near-surface cooling history to those on ridge crests.

The role of local strains from prior cold work on stress corrosion cracking of α-brass in Mattsson's solution

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

Ulaganathan, Jaganathan, E-mail: jagan.ulaganathan@mail.utoronto.ca; Newman, Roger C., E-mail: roger.newman@utoronto.ca

2014-06-01

The dynamic strain rate ahead of a crack tip formed during stress corrosion cracking (SCC) under a static load is assumed to arise from the crack propagation. The strain surrounding the crack tip would be redistributed as the crack grows, thereby having the effect of dynamic strain. Recently, several studies have shown cold work to cause accelerated crack growth rates during SCC, and the slip-dissolution mechanism has been widely applied to account for this via a supposedly increased crack-tip strain rate in cold worked material. While these interpretations consider cold work as a homogeneous effect, dislocations are generated inhomogeneously withinmore » the microstructure during cold work. The presence of grain boundaries results in dislocation pile-ups that cause local strain concentrations. The local strains generated from cold working α-brass by tensile elongation were characterized using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The role of these local strains in SCC was studied by measuring the strain distributions from the same regions of the sample before cold work, after cold work, and after SCC. Though, the cracks did not always initiate or propagate along boundaries with pre-existing local strains from the applied cold work, the local strains surrounding the cracked boundaries had contributions from both the crack propagation and the prior cold work. - Highlights: • Plastic strain localization has a complex relationship with SCC susceptibility. • Surface relief created by cold work creates its own granular strain localization. • Cold work promotes crack growth but several other factors are involved.« less

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

Kitai, M S; Semchishen, A V; Semchishen, V A

The optical quality of the eye cornea surface after performing the laser vision correction essentially depends on the characteristic roughness scale (CRS) of the ablated surface, which is mainly determined by the absorption coefficient of the cornea at the laser wavelength. Thus, in the case of using an excimer ArF laser (λ = 193 nm) the absorption coefficient is equal to 39000 cm{sup -1}, the darkening by the dissociation products takes place, and the depth of the roughness relief can be as large as 0.23 mm. Under irradiation with the Er : YAG laser (λ = 2940 nm) the clearingmore » is observed due to the rupture of hydrogen bonds in water, and the relief depth exceeds 1 μm. It is shown that the process of reepithelization that occurs after performing the laser vision correction leads to the improvement of the optical quality of the cornea surface. (interaction of laser radiation with matter)« less

Laser-induced dewetting of silver-doped chalcogenide glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douaud, Alexandre; Messaddeq, Sandra Helena; Boily, Olivier; Messaddeq, Younès

2018-07-01

We report the observation of laser-induced dewetting responsible for the formation of periodic relief structures in silver-based chalcogenide thin-films. By varying the concentration of silver in the Agx(As20S80)100-x system (with x = 0, 4, 9 and 36), different surface relief structures are formed. The evolution of the surface changes as a function of laser parameters (power density, duration of exposure, and polarisation) as well as film thickness and silver concentration has been investigated. The scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images of irradiated spots show periodic ripples aligned perpendicularly to the electric field of incident light. Our results show that addition of silver into sulphur-rich chalcogenide thin-films improves the dewetting when compared to pure As20S80 thin-films. The changes in surface morphology were attributable to photo-induced chemical modifications and a laser-driven molecular rearrangement.

Modification of the Surface Topography and Composition of Ultrafine and Coarse Grained Titanium by Chemical Etching.

PubMed

Nazarov, Denis V; Zemtsova, Elena G; Solokhin, Alexandr Yu; Valiev, Ruslan Z; Smirnov, Vladimir M

2017-01-13

In this study, we present the detailed investigation of the influence of the etching medium (acidic or basic Piranha solutions) and the etching time on the morphology and surface relief of ultrafine grained (UFG) and coarse grained (CG) titanium. The surface relief and morphology have been studied by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the spectral ellipsometry. The composition of the samples has been determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Significant difference in the etching behavior of UFG and CG titanium has been found. UFG titanium exhibits higher etching activity independently of the etching medium. Formed structures possess higher homogeneity. The variation of the etching medium and time leads to micro-, nano-, or hierarchical micro/nanostructures on the surface. Significant difference has been found between surface composition for UFG titanium etched in basic and acidic Piranha solution. Based on the experimental data, the possible reasons and mechanisms are considered for the formation of nano- and microstructures. The prospects of etched UFG titanium as the material for implants are discussed.

Rotational reorganization of doped cholesteric liquid crystalline films.

PubMed

Eelkema, Rienk; Pollard, Michael M; Katsonis, Nathalie; Vicario, Javier; Broer, Dirk J; Feringa, Ben L

2006-11-08

In this paper an unprecedented rotational reorganization of cholesteric liquid crystalline films is described. This rotational reorganization results from the conversion of a chiral molecular motor dopant to an isomer with a different helical twisting power, leading to a change in the cholesteric pitch. The direction of this reorganization is correlated to the sign of the change in helical twisting power of the dopant. The rotational reorganization of the liquid crystalline film was used to rotate microscopic objects 4 orders of magnitude larger than the bistable dopants in the film, which shows that molecular motors and switches can perform work. The surface of the doped cholesteric liquid crystalline films was found to possess a regular surface relief, whose periodicity coincides with typical cholesteric polygonal line textures. These surface features originate from the cholesteric superstructure in the liquid crystalline film, which in turn is the result of the presence of the chiral dopant. As such, the presence of the dopant is expressed in these distinct surface structures. A possible mechanism at the origin of the rotational reorganization of liquid crystalline films and the cholesteric surface relief is discussed.

Modification of the Surface Topography and Composition of Ultrafine and Coarse Grained Titanium by Chemical Etching

PubMed Central

Nazarov, Denis V.; Zemtsova, Elena G.; Solokhin, Alexandr Yu.; Valiev, Ruslan Z.; Smirnov, Vladimir M.

2017-01-01

In this study, we present the detailed investigation of the influence of the etching medium (acidic or basic Piranha solutions) and the etching time on the morphology and surface relief of ultrafine grained (UFG) and coarse grained (CG) titanium. The surface relief and morphology have been studied by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and the spectral ellipsometry. The composition of the samples has been determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). Significant difference in the etching behavior of UFG and CG titanium has been found. UFG titanium exhibits higher etching activity independently of the etching medium. Formed structures possess higher homogeneity. The variation of the etching medium and time leads to micro-, nano-, or hierarchical micro/nanostructures on the surface. Significant difference has been found between surface composition for UFG titanium etched in basic and acidic Piranha solution. Based on the experimental data, the possible reasons and mechanisms are considered for the formation of nano- and microstructures. The prospects of etched UFG titanium as the material for implants are discussed. PMID:28336849

Evolution of continental-scale drainage in response to mantle dynamics and surface processes: An example from the Ethiopian Highlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sembroni, Andrea; Molin, Paola; Pazzaglia, Frank J.; Faccenna, Claudio; Abebe, Bekele

2016-05-01

Ethiopia offers an excellent opportunity to study the effects and linkage between mantle dynamics and surface processes on landscape evolution. The Ethiopian Highlands (NW Ethiopia), characterized by a huge basaltic plateau, is part of the African Superswell, a wide region of dynamically-supported anomalously high topography related to the rising of the Afar plume. The initiation and steadiness of dynamic support beneath Ethiopia has been explored in several studies. However the presence, role, and timing of dynamic support beneath Ethiopia and its relationship with continental flood basalts volcanism and surface processes are poorly defined. Here, we present a geomorphological analysis of the Ethiopian Highlands supplying new constraints on the evolution of river network. We investigated the general topographic features (filtered topography, swath profiles, local relief) and the river network (river longitudinal profiles) of the study area. We also apply a knickpoint celerity model in order to provide a chronological framework to the evolution of the river network. The results trace the long-term progressive capture of the Ethiopian Highlands drainage system and confirm the long-term dynamic support of the area, documenting its impact on the contrasting development of the Blue Nile and Tekeze basins.

Evolution of continental-scale drainage in response to mantle dynamics and surface processes: an example from the Ethiopian Highlands.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sembroni, Andrea; Molin, Paola; Pazzaglia, Frank J.; Faccenna, Claudio; Abebe, Bekele

2016-04-01

Ethiopia offers an excellent opportunity to study the effects and linkage between mantle dynamics and surface processes on landscape evolution. The Ethiopian Highlands (NW Ethiopia), characterized by a huge basaltic plateau, is part of the African Superswell, a wide region of dynamically-supported anomalously high topography related to the rising of the Afar plume. The initiation and steadiness of dynamic support beneath Ethiopia has been explored in several studies. However the presence, role, and timing of dynamic support beneath Ethiopia and its relationship with continental flood basalts volcanism and surface processes are poorly defined. Here, we present a geomorphological analysis of the Ethiopian Highlands supplying new constrains on the evolution of river network. We investigated the general topographic features (filtered topography, swath profiles, local relief) and the river network (river longitudinal profiles) of the study area. We also apply a knickpoint celerity model in order to provide a chronological framework to the evolution of the river network. The results trace the long-term progressive capture of the Ethiopian Highlands drainage system and confirm the long-term dynamic support of the area, documenting its impact on the contrasting development of the Blue Nile and Tekeze basins.

760 nm high-performance VCSEL growth and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinaldi, Fernando; Ostermann, Johannes M.; Kroner, Andrea; Riedl, Michael C.; Michalzik, Rainer

2006-04-01

High-performance vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) with an emission wavelength of approximately 764 nm are demonstrated. This wavelength is very attractive for oxygen sensing. Low threshold currents, high optical output power, single-mode operation, and stable polarization are obtained. Using the surface relief technique and in particular the grating relief technique, we have increased the single-mode output power to more than 2.5mW averaged over a large device quantity. The laser structure was grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on GaAs (100)-oriented substrates. The devices are entirely based on the AlGaAs mixed compound semiconductor material system. The growth process, the investigations of the epitaxial material together with the device fabrication and characterization are discussed in detail.

Stream response to repeated coseismic folding, Tiptonville dome, New Madrid seismic zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guccione, M. J.; Mueller, K.; Champion, J.; Shepherd, S.; Carlson, S. D.; Odhiambo, B.; Tate, A.

2002-03-01

Fluvial response to tectonic deformation is dependent on the amount and style of surface deformation and the relative size of the stream. Active folding in the New Madrid seismic zone (NMSZ) forms the Tiptonville dome, a 15-km long and 5-km wide surface fold with up to 11 m of late Holocene structural relief. The fold is crossed by streams of varying size, from the Mississippi River to small flood-plain streams. Fluvial response of these streams to repeated coseismic folding has only been preserved for the past 2.3 ka, since the Tiptonville meander of the Mississippi River migrated across the area forming the present flood plain. This surface comprises a sandy point-bar deposit locally overlain by clayey overbank and silty sand crevasse-splay deposits, an abandoned chute channel infilled with laminated sandy silt and silty clay, and an abandoned neck cutoff filled with a sandy cutoff bar and silty clay oxbow lake deposits. Dating various stream responses to coseismic folding has more tightly constrained the timing of earthquake events in the central NMSZ and provides a means of partitioning the deformation amount into individual seismic events. Three earthquakes have been dated in the Reelfoot Lake area, ca. A.D. 900, 1470, and 1812. The latter two earthquakes had large local coseismic deformation. Both of these events were responsible for numerous stream responses such as shifting depocenters, modification of Mississippi River channel geometry, and derangement of small streams. Overbank sedimentation ceased on the dome as it was uplifted above the normal flood stage, and sedimentation of crevasse-splay deposits from the Mississippi River, colluvium from the scarp, and lacustrine sediment accumulated in the adjacent Reelfoot basin. The much larger Mississippi River channel responded to uplift by increasing its sinuosity across the uplift relative to both upstream and downstream, increasing its width/depth ratio across and downstream of the uplift, and decreasing the width/depth ratio upstream of the uplift. Despite the size of the Mississippi River, it has not yet attained equilibrium since the latest uplift 190 years ago. Small channels that could not downcut through the uplift were filled, locally reversed flow direction, or formed a lake where they were dammed. Uplift and stream response to folding along the Tiptonville dome is less dramatic between 2.3 and 0.53 ka. During this interval, abandoned channel fill and overbank deposition across the dome suggests that it was not a high-relief feature. One earthquake event occurred during this interval (ca. A.D. 900), but coseismic stream response was probably limited to a slight aggradation of a small flood-plain stream.

Origin of the high plateau in the Central Andes, Bolivia, South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamb, Simon; Hoke, Leonore

1997-08-01

The Bolivian Altiplano, in the Central Andes of South America, is part of the second largest high plateau on Earth. It is an elongate region of subdued relief, ˜1.2 × 105 km2 and ˜4 km above sea level, bounded by the Eastern Cordillera and volcanic arc (Western Cordillera). Here the crust is up to ˜75 km thick. We describe the Cenozoic geological evolution of this region, using a revised chronostratigraphy and an analysis of the crustal and lithospheric structure. Crustal shortening and magmatic addition and, locally, sedimentation are the main mechanisms of Cenozoic crustal thickening, leading to nearly 4 km of surface uplift since the Paleocene. Addition of mafic melts appears to be a first-order mechanism of Cenozoic crustal growth, contributing ˜40% of the crustal thickening beneath the volcanic arc. Removal of the basal part of the lithosphere may have caused two episodes of widespread arc and behind-arc mafic volcanism, at ˜23 Ma and 0 - ˜5 Ma, contributing to the surface uplift. The Altiplano originated as a sedimentary basin, several hundred kilometers wide, between the proto-Western Cordillera and a narrow zone of uplift (proto-Eastern Cordillera) farther east. The latter zone formed by inversion of the center of a wide lacustrine or marine Cretaceous - Paleocene basin close to sea-level at ˜45 Ma. A thickness of 2-4 km of Paleogene continental elastics accumulated in the proto-Altiplano basin. Subsequently, in the Oligocene, we estimate that this region and the western margin of the Eastern Cordillera were technically shortened ˜22% (˜65 km), resulting in ˜9 km of average crustal thickening. The Altiplano basin was rejuvenated at ˜25 Ma and subsequently flooded with up to 8 km thickness of detritus eroded from the uplifting Eastern and Western Cordilleras. Between ˜25 and 5 Ma, folding and thrusting in the western margin of the Eastern Cordillera migrated westward into the center of the Altiplano basin, essentially terminating deposition, except in local subbasins, and accommodating ˜13% (˜30 km) of shortening and an estimated ˜7 km of average crustal thickening. Subsequently, there has been strike-slip deformation and limited local thrusting (< 5 km of shortening). Geomorphological and geochronological evidence for 1.5-2 km of surface uplift of this region since the Late Miocene suggests ˜14 km of lower crustal thickening beneath an essentially rigid "lid", and can be explained by ˜100-150 km of underthrusting of the Brazilian shield and adjacent regions beneath the eastern margin of the Central Andes. The present subdued relief in the Altiplano may be a result of ductile flow in the lower crust and sedimentation and erosion in an internal drainage basin.

High-resolution seismic-reflection images across the ICDP-USGS Eyreville deep drilling site, Chesapeake Bay impact structure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Powars, D.S.; Catchings, R.D.; Goldman, M.R.; Gohn, G.S.; Horton, J. Wright; Edwards, L.E.; Rymer, M.J.; Gandhok, G.

2009-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) acquired two 1.4-km-long, high-resolution (??5 m vertical resolution) seismic-reflection lines in 2006 that cross near the International Continental Scientifi c Drilling Program (ICDP)-USGS Eyreville deep drilling site located above the late Eocene Chesapeake Bay impact structure in Virginia, USA. Five-meter spacing of seismic sources and geophones produced high-resolution images of the subsurface adjacent to the 1766-m-depth Eyreville core holes. Analysis of these lines, in the context of the core hole stratigraphy, shows that moderateamplitude, discontinuous, dipping reflections below ??527 m correlate with a variety of Chesapeake Bay impact structure sediment and rock breccias recovered in the cores. High-amplitude, continuous, subhorizontal reflections above ??527 m depth correlate with the uppermost part of the Chesapeake Bay impact structure crater-fi ll sediments and postimpact Eocene to Pleistocene sediments. Refl ections with ??20-30 m of relief in the uppermost part of the crater-fi ll and lowermost part of the postimpact section suggest differential compaction of the crater-fi ll materials during early postimpact time. The top of the crater-fi ll section also shows ??20 m of relief that appears to represent an original synimpact surface. Truncation surfaces, locally dipping reflections, and depth variations in reflection amplitudes generally correlate with the lithostratigraphic and sequence-stratigraphic units and contacts in the core. Seismic images show apparent postimpact paleochannels that include the fi rst possible Miocene paleochannels in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. Broad downwarping in the postimpact section unrelated to structures in the crater fi ll indicates postimpact sediment compaction. ?? 2009 The Geological Society of America.

36 CFR 223.201 - Limitations on unprocessed timber harvested in Alaska.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Conservation and Shortage Relief Act of 1990 Program § 223.201 Limitations on unprocessed timber harvested in... or serious deterioration of logs unsalable locally because of an unforeseen loss of market, (c...

A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial of fluoroscopic caudal epidural injections in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation and radiculitis.

PubMed

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Singh, Vijay; Cash, Kimberly A; Pampati, Vidyasagar; Damron, Kim S; Boswell, Mark V

2011-11-01

A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial. To assess the effectiveness of fluoroscopically directed caudal epidural injections in managing chronic low back and lower extremity pain in patients with disc herniation and radiculitis with local anesthetic with or without steroids. The available literature on the effectiveness of epidural injections in managing chronic low back pain secondary to disc herniation is highly variable. One hundred twenty patients suffering with low back and lower extremity pain with disc herniation and radiculitis were randomized to one of the two groups: group I received caudal epidural injections with an injection of local anesthetic, lidocaine 0.5%, 10 mL; group II patients received caudal epidural injections with 0.5% lidocaine, 9 mL, mixed with 1 mL of steroid. The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), the Oswestry Disability Index 2.0 (ODI), employment status, and opioid intake were utilized with assessment at 3, 6, and 12 months posttreatment. The percentage of patients with significant pain relief of 50% or greater and/or improvement in functional status with 50% or more reduction in ODI scores was seen in 70% and 67% in group I and 77% and 75% in group II with average procedures per year of 3.8 ± 1.4 in group I and 3.6 + 1.1 in group II. However, the relief with first and second procedures was significantly higher in the steroid group. The number of injections performed was also higher in local anesthetic group even though overall relief was without any significant difference among the groups. There was no difference among the patients receiving steroids. Caudal epidural injection with local anesthetic with or without steroids might be effective in patients with disc herniation or radiculitis. The present evidence illustrates potential superiority of steroids compared with local anesthetic at 1-year follow-up.

New aspects concerning geoelectrical tests on shallow landslides in Telega, Romania

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maftei, R.-M.; Rusu, E.; Ciurean, R.; Avram, O.; Scutelnicu, I.; Grigorescu, S.; Grigorescu, A.

2009-04-01

New aspects concerning geoelectrical tests on shallow landslides in Telega, Romania Raluca Maftei, Emil Rusu, Roxana Ciurean, Ovidiu Avram, Ionut Scutelnicu, Stefan Grigorescu, Andrei Grigorescu (1) (1) GIR, Bucharest, Romania The analysis of natural hazards involved by landslides requires the revealing of both depth and relief of the slipping surface, and also to show the extension of the dislocated material areas. A particular aspect in Romania is related to the frequent occurrence of salt. It is to be mentioned that Romania contains the largest salt resources/reserves throughout Europe. This potential of about three billion tons could supply salt for the whole world population for over four hundred years. Telega village, separated by Campina town through Doftana River, is situated at 5 km from it, in the west part of Prahova County. The village covers a medium altitude relief (550m), characterized by irregularities of ground, many valleys and swales crossed by streams. On the left bank of Telega valley, the landslides' effects have a large extension, in some places being catastrophic. Among these, the one called at "Butoi" area presents a huge interest according of their produced destructions and because of the influence on Telega Spa, main communal road etc. In the above-mentioned sector, the slope is badly affected over a 0.4 sqkm surface. The morphology presents many scars, sometimes with steeps, waves with variable amplitudes and counter slope aspects in which water accumulates as lakes and swamps, with transversal and longitudinal fissures with different lengths and depths. The slope is very steep, especially in crest area. Besides the covering deluvial, clayey, yellow-gray quaternary rocks, other rocks form the basement are moving, in the detachment area marly, gray-black, fine stratified, sandy rocks interbeded with soft, gray sandstones of Meotian age are affected. Also, the rocks of the "salt breccias horizon" of Badenian age are affected. Predominantly are gray-purple marls with breccias aspect with white-gray large crystallized lens of salt. The whole stack of sediments is trapped into a very complex structure crossed by Campina-Cosminele fault and flanked NE by Martin fault. The salt presence influences land's instability phenomena occurrence. The water's circulation is made through the gritty and sandy horizons (layers), with a relatively large development. The permeability and the porosity of these rocks vary depending on the lithologic constitution of the respectively stratigraphic layer. The geoelectric investigation outlines horizontally the sliding area, and vertically the elements of the landslide surface - position, depth, shape, and the bedrock's relief. The quantitative interpretation of the resistivity geoelectrical vertical tests, and the correlation with the geological structure identified 3 sliding surfaces, from which only the upper one (2-6m depth) was known before the stability works. There were localized the rainfall waters circulation and accumulation zones, areas with high sliding risk Same results were obtained in sliding zones, been localized the principal elements of the landslides, with practical implications in land instability and estimation of the evolution of the destructive phenomena mechanisms. With this study we try to quantify the complex relationship between the natural factors that generate the terrain instability phenomena and the intensity of the socio-economic effects, at a regional and local scale, by correlating the engineering geology information and geophysical data. This paper is part of the DIGISOIL project dissemination plan. The DIGISOIL project is financed by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, Area "Environment", Activity 6.3 "Environmental Technologies". The [following text] reflects the author's views. The European Commission is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Color Shaded-Relief and Surface-Classification Maps of the Fish Creek Area, Harrison Bay Quadrangle, Northern Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mars, John L.; Garrity, Christopher P.; Houseknecht, David W.; Amoroso, Lee; Meares, Donald C.

2007-01-01

Introduction The northeastern part of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) has become an area of active petroleum exploration during the past five years. Recent leasing and exploration drilling in the NPRA requires the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to manage and monitor a variety of surface activities that include seismic surveying, exploration drilling, oil-field development drilling, construction of oil-production facilities, and construction of pipelines and access roads. BLM evaluates a variety of permit applications, environmental impact studies, and other documents that require rapid compilation and analysis of data pertaining to surface and subsurface geology, hydrology, and biology. In addition, BLM must monitor these activities and assess their impacts on the natural environment. Timely and accurate completion of these land-management tasks requires elevation, hydrologic, geologic, petroleum-activity, and cadastral data, all integrated in digital formats at a higher resolution than is currently available in nondigital (paper) formats. To support these land-management tasks, a series of maps was generated from remotely sensed data in an area of high petroleum-industry activity (fig. 1). The maps cover an area from approximately latitude 70?00' N. to 70?30' N. and from longitude 151?00' W. to 153?10' W. The area includes the Alpine oil field in the east, the Husky Inigok exploration well (site of a landing strip) in the west, many of the exploration wells drilled in NPRA since 2000, and the route of a proposed pipeline to carry oil from discovery wells in NPRA to the Alpine oil field. This map area is referred to as the 'Fish Creek area' after a creek that flows through the region. The map series includes (1) a color shaded-relief map based on 5-m-resolution data (sheet 1), (2) a surface-classification map based on 30-m-resolution data (sheet 2), and (3) a 5-m-resolution shaded relief-surface classification map that combines the shaded-relief and surface-classification data (sheet 3). Remote sensing datasets that were used to compile the maps include Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper+ (ETM+), and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IFSAR) data. In addition, a 1:250,000-scale geologic map of the Harrison Bay quadrangle, Alaska (Carter and Galloway, 1985, 2005) was used in conjunction with ETM+ and IFSAR data.

Relief of Injection Pain During Delivery of Local Anesthesia by Computer-Controlled Anesthetic Delivery System for Periodontal Surgery: Randomized Clinical Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Chang, Hyeyoon; Noh, Jiyoung; Lee, Jungwon; Kim, Sungtae; Koo, Ki-Tae; Kim, Tae-Il; Seol, Yang-Jo; Lee, Yong-Moo; Ku, Young; Rhyu, In-Chul

2016-07-01

Pain from local anesthetic injection makes patients anxious when visiting a dental clinic. This study aims to determine differences in pain according to types of local anesthetizing methods and to identify the possible contributing factors (e.g., dental anxiety, stress, and sex). Thirty-one patients who underwent open-flap debridement in maxillary premolar and molar areas during treatment for chronic periodontitis were evaluated for this study. A randomized, split-mouth, single-masked clinical trial was implemented. The dental anxiety scale (DAS) and perceived stress scale (PSS) were administered before surgery. Two lidocaine ampules for each patient were used for local infiltration anesthesia (supraperiosteal injection). Injection pain was measured immediately after local infiltration anesthesia using the visual analog pain scale (VAS) questionnaire. Results from the questionnaire were used to assess degree of pain patients feel when a conventional local anesthetic technique (CNV) is used compared with a computer-controlled anesthetic delivery system (CNR). DAS and PSS did not correlate to injection pain. VAS scores were lower for CNR than for CNV regardless of the order in which anesthetic procedures were applied. VAS score did not differ significantly with sex. Pearson coefficient for correlation between VAS scores for the two procedures was 0.80, also indicating a strong correlation. Within the limitations of the present study, relief from injection pain is observed using CNR.

Large Alluvial Fans on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Jeffrey M.; Howard, Alan D.

2004-01-01

Several dozen distinct alluvial fans, 10 to greater than 40 km long downslope are observed exclusively in highlands craters. Within a search region between 0 deg. and 30 deg. S, alluvial fan-containing craters were only found between 18 and 29 S, and they all occur at around plus or minus 1 km of the MOLA-defined Martian datum. Within the study area they are not randomly distributed but instead form three distinct clusters. Fans typically descend greater than 1 km from where they disgorge from their alcoves. Longitudinal profiles show that their surfaces are very slightly concave with a mean slope of 2 degrees. Many fans exhibit very long, narrow low-relief ridges radially oriented down-slope, often branching at their distal ends, suggestive of distributaries. Morphometric data for 31 fans was derived from MOLA data and compared with terrestrial fans with high-relief source areas, terrestrial low gradient alluvial ramps in inactive tectonic settings, and older Martian alluvial ramps along crater floors. The Martian alluvial fans generally fall on the same trends as the terrestrial alluvial fans, whereas the gentler Martian crater floor ramps are similar in gradient to the low relief terrestrial alluvial surfaces. For a given fan gradient, Martian alluvial fans generally have greater source basin relief than terrestrial fans in active tectonic settings. This suggests that the terrestrial source basins either yield coarser debris or have higher sediment concentrations than their Martian counterpoints. Martian fans and Basin and Range fans have steeper gradients than the older Martian alluvial ramps and terrestrial low relief alluvial surfaces, which is consistent with a supply of coarse sediment. Martian fans are relatively large and of low gradient, similar to terrestrial fluvial fans rather than debris flow fans. However, gravity scaling uncertainties make the flow regime forming Martian fans uncertain. Martian fans, at least those in Holden crater, apparently formed around the time of the Noachian-Hesperian boundary. We infer that these fans formed during an episode of enhanced precipitation (probably snow) and runoff, which exhibited both sudden onset and termination.

Reverse switching of surface roughness in a self-organized polydomain liquid crystal coating.

PubMed

Liu, Danqing; Liu, Ling; Onck, Patrick R; Broer, Dirk J

2015-03-31

In this work we propose randomly ordered polydomain nematic liquid crystal polymer networks to reversibly generate notable jagged relief patterns at a polymer coating surface by light illumination. The domain size is controlled by the addition of traces of partly insoluble fluorinated acrylate. The photoresponse of the coating is induced by a small amount of copolymerized azobenzene monomers. Upon exposure to UV light, azobenzene undergoes trans to cis isomerization, resulting in a change in molecular order and packing within each domain. The extent of this effect and its directionality depends on the domain orientation. Localized to domain level, this morphological change forms large 3D spikes at the surface with a modulation amplitude of more than 20% of the initial thickness. The process is reversible; the surface topographical patterns erase within 10 s by stopping the light exposure. A finite element model is applied to simulate the surface topography changes of the polydomain coating. The simulations describe the formation of the topographic features in terms of light absorption and isomerization process as a function of the director orientation. The random director distribution leads to surface structures which were found to be in close agreement with the ones measured by interference microscopy. The effect of domain size on surface roughness and depth modulation was explored and related to the internal mechanical constraints. The use of nematic liquid crystal polydomains confined in a polymer network largely simplifies the fabrication of smart coatings with a prominent triggered topographic response.

Sublimation as a Landform-Shaping Process on Pluto

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, J. M.; Howard, A. D.; White, O. L.; Umurhan, O. M.; Schenk, P. M.; Beyer, R. A.; McKinnon, W. B.; Singer, K. N.; Spencer, J. R.; Stern, S. A.;

Anserina Bursitis—A Treatable Cause of Knee Pain in Patients with Degenerative Arthritis

PubMed Central

Brookler, Morton I.; Mongan, Edward S.

1973-01-01

The anserina bursa is located on the medial surface of the tibia deep to the tendons of the sartorius, gracilis, and semimembranosus muscles and superficial to the insertion of the tibial collateral ligament. Knee pain, a palpable swelling of the bursa, and tenderness over the medial anterior aspect of the tibia just below the knee are the hallmarks of anserina bursitis. In a three-year period, 24 patients with anserina bursitis were seen in a rheumatology clinic. All but one were women, 18 were obese, and only four were under 50 years old. Knee x-ray studies showed degenerative arthritis in 20 of the 24 patients. In ten, varus knee deformities were present, while three had valgus deformities. Ultrasound or local steroid injections gave dramatic relief in all but one patient. PMID:4731586

Synapsin Determines Memory Strength after Punishment- and Relief-Learning

PubMed Central

Niewalda, Thomas; Michels, Birgit; Jungnickel, Roswitha; Diegelmann, Sören; Kleber, Jörg; Kähne, Thilo

2015-01-01

Adverse life events can induce two kinds of memory with opposite valence, dependent on timing: “negative” memories for stimuli preceding them and “positive” memories for stimuli experienced at the moment of “relief.” Such punishment memory and relief memory are found in insects, rats, and man. For example, fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) avoid an odor after odor-shock training (“forward conditioning” of the odor), whereas after shock-odor training (“backward conditioning” of the odor) they approach it. Do these timing-dependent associative processes share molecular determinants? We focus on the role of Synapsin, a conserved presynaptic phosphoprotein regulating the balance between the reserve pool and the readily releasable pool of synaptic vesicles. We find that a lack of Synapsin leaves task-relevant sensory and motor faculties unaffected. In contrast, both punishment memory and relief memory scores are reduced. These defects reflect a true lessening of associative memory strength, as distortions in nonassociative processing (e.g., susceptibility to handling, adaptation, habituation, sensitization), discrimination ability, and changes in the time course of coincidence detection can be ruled out as alternative explanations. Reductions in punishment- and relief-memory strength are also observed upon an RNAi-mediated knock-down of Synapsin, and are rescued both by acutely restoring Synapsin and by locally restoring it in the mushroom bodies of mutant flies. Thus, both punishment memory and relief memory require the Synapsin protein and in this sense share genetic and molecular determinants. We note that corresponding molecular commonalities between punishment memory and relief memory in humans would constrain pharmacological attempts to selectively interfere with excessive associative punishment memories, e.g., after traumatic experiences. PMID:25972175

Synapsin determines memory strength after punishment- and relief-learning.

PubMed

Niewalda, Thomas; Michels, Birgit; Jungnickel, Roswitha; Diegelmann, Sören; Kleber, Jörg; Kähne, Thilo; Gerber, Bertram

2015-05-13

Adverse life events can induce two kinds of memory with opposite valence, dependent on timing: "negative" memories for stimuli preceding them and "positive" memories for stimuli experienced at the moment of "relief." Such punishment memory and relief memory are found in insects, rats, and man. For example, fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) avoid an odor after odor-shock training ("forward conditioning" of the odor), whereas after shock-odor training ("backward conditioning" of the odor) they approach it. Do these timing-dependent associative processes share molecular determinants? We focus on the role of Synapsin, a conserved presynaptic phosphoprotein regulating the balance between the reserve pool and the readily releasable pool of synaptic vesicles. We find that a lack of Synapsin leaves task-relevant sensory and motor faculties unaffected. In contrast, both punishment memory and relief memory scores are reduced. These defects reflect a true lessening of associative memory strength, as distortions in nonassociative processing (e.g., susceptibility to handling, adaptation, habituation, sensitization), discrimination ability, and changes in the time course of coincidence detection can be ruled out as alternative explanations. Reductions in punishment- and relief-memory strength are also observed upon an RNAi-mediated knock-down of Synapsin, and are rescued both by acutely restoring Synapsin and by locally restoring it in the mushroom bodies of mutant flies. Thus, both punishment memory and relief memory require the Synapsin protein and in this sense share genetic and molecular determinants. We note that corresponding molecular commonalities between punishment memory and relief memory in humans would constrain pharmacological attempts to selectively interfere with excessive associative punishment memories, e.g., after traumatic experiences. Copyright © 2015 Niewalda et al.

Acupuncture Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain by Using the Jingjin (Meridian Sinews) Model.

PubMed

Legge, David

2015-10-01

This case report details the unexpected and sustained relief from chronic low back pain in a patient after a single acupuncture treatment. The treatment administered on that occasion was based on the jingjin (i.e., "meridian sinew") model of traditional acupuncture. Treatments based on the jingjin model involve needling the ah shi (i.e., locally tender) points in myofascial tissue along the jingjin pathway. Tight chains can be needled to treat symptoms that are either close to or at some distance from the site of the needling treatment. In this patient, the points were in the gastrocnemius muscle and the hamstring muscles, which are part of the Bladder jingjin pathway. The patient, a 69-year-old woman, had had back pain for more than 40 years. The relief from the pain occurred within a day after the treatment and, at the time of this report, the relief has persisted for 5 months. This report examines two possible mechanisms for such a result: (1) a local increase in the extensibility of the hamstrings could be responsible or (2) the complex interactions within the central nervous system that are involved in acupuncture treatment could be more important factors. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Results and interpretation of measurements of the light flux in the near-surface layer of the Venusian atmosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Golovin, Y. M.; Moshkin, B. Y.; Ekonomov, A. P. E.

1979-01-01

The characteristics of the field of radiation in the near surface layer of the atmosphere and on the surface of Venus are reported. Optical measurements made during the landing of the descent vehicles are described. The relief of the surface and the amount of dust on it are examined. The spectral relationship of the albedo of the soil and the light flux incident on the surface is discussed.

Malnutrition in the Field. Nigerian Civil War 1968-9

PubMed Central

Hughes, S. P. F.

1969-01-01

A short-term, large-scale medical and feeding programme has been provided for a population of 150,000 in the bush area near Udi in eastern Nigeria (Biafra). By January 1969 8,000 patients were receiving medical treatment each week for varying degrees of protein malnutrition (including kwashiorkor), vitamin deficiency, and dehydration; while 100,000 received weekly rations of a protein-supplemented diet. Close cooperation between the medical team—which consisted of one doctor, four nurses, and two relief workers—and the local Ibo people contributed to the success of the relief programme. PMID:5781491

Emigration and development: the case of a Bangladeshi village.

PubMed

Rahman, M M

2000-01-01

This article examines the developmental consequences of international labor migration in a Bangladeshi village. The data are from the Hoglakandi, a village 30 km southeast of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. A structured questionnaire with both open-ended and closed category questions was used among 50 Singapore returnees, supplemented with additional in-depth interviews. International labor migration has often been seen by many sending countries as a short cut development because of its role in unemployment relief, balance of payments relief, and capital formation of national level. The study argues that the causes and effects of emigration can better be understood only when the process is placed within its local context, since what may prove to be advantageous at the national level may prove to be detrimental to a household or community or vice-versa. It demonstrates how the contribution of labor migration is merely the transformation of labor into a structural component of the international political economy. The Hoglakandi experience reveals that labor migration does not fuel the local economy from an external pipeline of remittances and skill acquisition, rather it drains local resources that retard the development.

Outcomes After Diagnostic Hip Injection.

PubMed

Lynch, T Sean; Steinhaus, Michael E; Popkin, Charles A; Ahmad, Christopher S; Rosneck, James

2016-08-01

To provide a comprehensive review of outcomes associated with local anesthetic (LA) or LA and corticosteroid (CS) diagnostic hip injections, and how well response predicts subsequent operative success. A systematic review from database (PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Embase) inception to January 2015 for English-language articles reporting primary patient outcomes data was performed, excluding studies with >50% underlying osteoarthritis. Studies were assessed by 2 reviewers who collected pertinent data. Seven studies were included, reporting on a total 337 patients undergoing diagnostic hip injection. The mean age was 34.4 years, with 5 studies reporting 94 (35.2%) males and 173 (64.8%) females. One study examined the rate of pain relief with LA (92.5%); 2 CS studies reported relief on a scale from 0% to 100% (no to complete relief), ranging from 61% to 82.3%; and 3 studies used 10-point pain scales, with a CS study noting a pain score of 1.0, an LA study with a score of 3.03, and 1 study using either CS or LA scores of 3 to 5.6. Duration of pain relief was 9.8 (CS) and 2.35 days (LA). By pathology, greatest relief was achieved in acetabular chondral injury (93.3%) and least in cam impingement (81.6%), with clinical and imaging findings being unreliable predictors of relief. One study showed nonresponse to be a strong predictor of negative surgical outcome for femoroacetabular impingement. Diagnostic hip injections provide substantial pain relief for patients with various hip pathologies, with limited data to suggest greatest relief for those with chondral injury. Clinical and imaging findings are unreliable predictors of injection response, and nonresponse to injection is a strong negative predictor of surgical outcome. Future research should focus on elucidating differences by underlying pathology and predicting future operative success. Level IV, systematic review. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Approach to the Crustal Thickness Inversion Problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Marchi, F.; Di Achille, G.

2017-12-01

We describe a method to estimate the crustal thickness of a planet and we apply it to Venus. As in the method of (Parker, 1972), modified by (Wieczorek & Phillips, 1998), the gravity field anomalies of a planet are assumed to be due to the combined effect of topography and relief on the crust-mantle interface. No assumptions on isostasy are necessary. In our case, rather than using the expansion of the powers of the relief in Taylor series, we model the gravitational field of topography/relief by means of a large number of prism-shaped masses covering the whole surface of the planet. Under the hypothesis that crustal and mantle densities are the same everywhere, we solve for the relief depths on the crust-mantle interface by imposing that observed and modeled gravity field at a certain reference spherical surface (external to the planet) must be equal. This method can be extended to the case of non-uniform densities. Finally, we calculate a map of the crustal thickness of Venus and compare our results with those predicted by previous work and with the global distribution of main geological features (e.g. rift zones, tesserae, coronae). We discuss the agremeent between our results and the main geodynamical and crustal models put forth to explain the origin of such features and the applicability of this method in the context of the mission VOX (Venus Origins Explore), proposed for NASA's NF4 call.

A quantitative analysis of microcirculation in sore-prone pressure areas on conventional and pressure relief hospital mattresses using laser Doppler flowmetry and tissue spectrophotometry.

PubMed

Rothenberger, Jens; Krauss, Sabrina; Held, Manuel; Bender, Dominik; Schaller, Hans-Eberhard; Rahmanian-Schwarz, Afshin; Constantinescu, Mihai Adrian; Jaminet, Patrick

2014-11-01

Pressure ulcers are associated with severe impairment for the patients and high economic load. With this study we wanted to gain more insight to the skin perfusion dynamics due to external loading. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of different types of pressure relief mattresses. A total of 25 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. Perfusion dynamics of the sacral and the heel area were assessed using the O2C-device, which combines a laser light, to determine blood flow, and white light to determine the relative amount of hemoglobin. Three mattresses were evaluated compared to a hard surface: a standard hospital foam mattress bed, a visco-elastic foam mattress, and an air-fluidized bed. In the heel area, only the air-fluidized bed was able to maintain the blood circulation (mean blood flow of 13.6 ± 6 versus 3.9 ± 3 AU and mean relative amount of hemoglobin of 44.0 ± 14 versus 32.7 ± 12 AU.) In the sacral area, all used mattresses revealed an improvement of blood circulation compared to the hard surface. The results of this study form a more precise pattern of perfusion changes due to external loading on various pressure relief mattresses. This knowledge may reduce the incidence of pressure ulcers and may be an influencing factor in pressure relief mattress selection. Copyright © 2014 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effectiveness of fluoroscopic cervical interlaminar epidural injections in managing chronic cervical disc herniation and radiculitis: preliminary results of a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

PubMed

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Cash, Kimberly A; Pampati, Vidyasagar; Wargo, Bradley W; Malla, Yogesh

2010-01-01

Chronic neck pain is a common problem in the adult population with a typical 12-month prevalence of 30% to 50%. Cervical disc herniation and radiculitis is one of the common conditions described responsible for chronic neck and upper extremity pain. Cervical epidural injections for managing chronic neck pain with disc herniation are one of the commonly performed non-surgical interventions in the United States. However, the literature supporting cervical interlaminar epidural steroids in managing chronic neck pain is scant. A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. A private interventional pain management practice and specialty referral center in the United States. To evaluate the effectiveness of cervical interlaminar epidural injections of local anesthetic with or without steroids in providing effective and long-lasting relief in the management of chronic neck pain and upper extremity pain in patients with disc herniation and radiculitis, and to evaluate the differences between local anesthetic with or without steroids. Patients were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups: Group I patients received cervical interlaminar epidural injections of local anesthetic (lidocaine 0.5%, 5 mL); Group II patients received cervical interlaminar epidural injections with 0.5% lidocaine, 4 mL, mixed with 1 mL of non-particulate betamethasone. Multiple outcome measures were utilized. They included the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), the Neck Disability Index (NDI), employment status, and opioid intake. Assessments were done at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment. Significant pain relief was defined as 50% or more; significant improvement in disability score was defined as a reduction of 50% or more. Significant pain relief (> or = 50%) was demonstrated in 77% of patients in both groups. Functional status improvement was demonstrated by a reduction (> or = 50%) in the NDI scores in 74% of Group I and 71% of Group II at 12 months. The overall average procedures per year were 3.7 +/- 1.1 in Group I and 4.0 +/- 0.91 in Group II; the average total relief per year was 39.45 +/- 11.59 weeks in Group I and 41.06 +/- 11.56 weeks in Group II over the 52 week study period in the patients defined as successful. The initial therapy was considered to be successful if a patient obtained consistent relief with 2 initial injections lasting at least 4 weeks. All others were considered failures. The study results are limited by the lack of a placebo group and a preliminary report of 70 patients, 35 in each group. Cervical interlaminar epidural injections with local anesthetic with or without steroids might be effective in 77% of patients with chronic function-limiting neck pain and upper extremity pain secondary to cervical disc herniation and radiculitis.

Differential compaction mechanism for earth fissures near Casa Grande, Arizona.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jachens, R.C.; Holzer, T.L.

1982-01-01

Precise gravity measurements indicate that earth fissures or tension cracks caused by ground-water withdrawal within a 10km2 area SE of Casa Grande are associated with relief on the buried interface between the alluvial aquifer and underlying bedrock. These relations suggest that the fissures are forming in response to localized differential compaction caused by localized variations of aquifer-system thickness. -from Authors

Sustaining engagement through work in postdisaster relief and reconstruction.

PubMed

Wang, Xiao Lu; Shi, Zhan Biao; Ng, Siu Man; Wang, Bin; Chan, Cecilia L W

2011-04-01

After the devastating 2008 earthquake in China, grass-roots government officials were the main local force in postquake relief and reconstruction. Like other survivors, many officials were severely bereaved. Their psychological well-being was at stake. We conducted 25 semistructured interviews to investigate sources of stress at work and their coping experiences. We coded interviews using the content analysis method. Misunderstandings and assaults from survivors, prolonged heavy workload, and grief and bereavement were major sources of stress at work. Finding meaning in the work, emotion regulation, and goal and time management were main coping strategies. The challenge and importance of the work, combined with support and recognition at work, fostered an empowering work environment. Few interviewees reported fatigue, whereas the majority displayed dedication to work, indicating a status of work engagement more than burnout among grass-roots officials. Implications of a meaning-oriented empowerment approach to stress management for disaster relief forces are drawn.

Chronic, burning facial pain following cosmetic facial surgery.

PubMed

Eisenberg, E; Yaari, A; Har-Shai, Y

1996-01-01

Chronic, burning facial pain as a result of cosmetic facial surgery has rarely been reported. During the year of 1994, two female patients presented themselves at our Pain Relief Clinic with chronic facial pain that developed following aesthetic facial surgery. One patient underwent bilateral transpalpebral surgery for removal of intraorbital fat for the correction of the exophthalmus, and the other had classical face and anterior hairline forehead lifts. Pain in both patients was similar in that it was bilateral, symmetric, burning in quality, and aggravated by external stimuli, mainly light touch. It was resistant to multiple analgesic medications, and was associated with significant depression and disability. Diagnostic local (lidocaine) and systemic (lidocaine and phentolamine) nerve blocks failed to provide relief. Psychological evaluation revealed that the two patients had clear psychosocial factors that seemed to have further compounded their pain complaints. Tricyclic antidepressants (and biofeedback training in one patient) were modestly effective and produced only partial pain relief.

Investigation of the Martian environment by infrared spectroscopy on Mariner 9

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conrath, H. R.; Conrath, B. J.; Novis, W.; Kunde, V. G.; Lowman, P.; Maguire, W.; Pearl, J. C.; Pirraglia, J.; Prabhakara, C.; Schlachman, B.

1972-01-01

Measurements obtained during and after the planet-wide dust storm indicate that large diurnal variations in atmospheric temperature existed up to at least 30 km; winds inferred from the temperature fields show a strong tidal component and significant ageostrophic behavior. With the dissipation of the dust, the daily maximum in the atmospheric temperature field moved from approximately latitude -60 and late afternoon local time to near the subsolar point in latitude and time. Analysis of spectral features due to the atmospheric dust indicates as SIO2 content of 60 ? 10%, implying that substantial geochemical differentiation has occurred. Water vapor estimates indicate abundances of 10 to 20 precipitable micrometers. Between November 1971 and April 1972 no gross latitudinal or temporal dependence in the water vapor distribution was detected from the south polar region to the equator. Water vapor was not detected over the north polar regions. Surface pressure mapping was carried out from which topographic relief of nearly two pressure scale heights is inferred. Extensive regions were found where the surface pressure exceeds the triple point pressure of water.

Evaluating Intra-Articular Drug Delivery for the Treatment of Osteoarthritis in a Rat Model

PubMed Central

Allen, Kyle D.; Adams, Samuel B.

2010-01-01

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that can result in joint pain, loss of joint function, and deleterious effects on activity levels and lifestyle habits. Current therapies for OA are largely aimed at symptomatic relief and may have limited effects on the underlying cascade of joint degradation. Local drug delivery strategies may provide for the development of more successful OA treatment outcomes that have potential to reduce local joint inflammation, reduce joint destruction, offer pain relief, and restore patient activity levels and joint function. As increasing interest turns toward intra-articular drug delivery routes, parallel interest has emerged in evaluating drug biodistribution, safety, and efficacy in preclinical models. Rodent models provide major advantages for the development of drug delivery strategies, chiefly because of lower cost, successful replication of human OA-like characteristics, rapid disease development, and small joint volumes that enable use of lower total drug amounts during protocol development. These models, however, also offer the potential to investigate the therapeutic effects of local drug therapy on animal behavior, including pain sensitivity thresholds and locomotion characteristics. Herein, we describe a translational paradigm for the evaluation of an intra-articular drug delivery strategy in a rat OA model. This model, a rat interleukin-1β overexpression model, offers the ability to evaluate anti-interleukin-1 therapeutics for drug biodistribution, activity, and safety as well as the therapeutic relief of disease symptoms. Once the action against interleukin-1 is confirmed in vivo, the newly developed anti-inflammatory drug can be evaluated for evidence of disease-modifying effects in more complex preclinical models. PMID:19943805

Laser-assisted photothermal imprinting of nanocomposite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Y.; Shao, D. B.; Chen, S. C.

2004-08-01

We report on a laser-assisted photothermal imprinting method for directly patterning carbon nanofiber-reinforced polyethylene nanocomposite. A single laser pulse from a solid state Nd :YAG laser (10ns pluse, 532 and 355nm wavelengths) is used to melt/soften a thin skin layer of the polymer nanocomposite. Meanwhile, a fused quartz mold with micro sized surface relief structures is pressed against the surface of the composite. Successful pattern transfer is realized upon releasing the quartz mold. Although polyethylene is transparent to the laser beam, the carbon nanofibers in the high density polyethylene (HDPE) matrix absorb the laser energy and convert it into heat. Numerical heat conduction simulation shows the HDPE matrix is partially melted or softened, allowing for easier imprinting of the relief pattern of the quartz mold.

The Transfer of a Holographic Structure from Dihromated Gelatin Layers on a Polymethylmethacrylate Substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganzherli, N. M.; Gulyaev, S. N.; Maurer, I. A.; Khazvalieva, D. R.

2018-03-01

The possibility of the transfer of a holographic structure that was originally registered on layers of dichromated gelatin (DCG) onto a substrate material of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) has been shown. The use of a selective destructive effect of short-wave UV radiation with a wavelength that is less than 270 nm is the basis of the mechanism of formation of secondary relief-phase holographic structure on the surface of PMMA. The optimization of processing modes and selection of developing compositions which are based on isopropanol and methylisobutylketone (MIBK) have been carried out, which made it possible to create reliefphase holographic gratings with high diffraction efficiency (DE) of about 25% and the maximum depth of the surface relief of the order of 1 μm on the substrates of PMMA.

Geologic interpretation of Seasat SAR imagery near the Rio Lacantum, Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rebillard, PH.; Dixon, T.

1984-01-01

A mosaic of the Seasat Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) optically processed images over Central America is presented. A SAR image of the Rio Lacantum area (southeastern Mexico) has been digitally processed and its interpretation is presented. The region is characterized by low relief and a dense vegetation canopy. Surface is believed to be indicative of subsurface structural features. The Seasat-SAR system had a steep imaging geometry (incidence angle 23 + or - 3 deg off-nadir) which is favorable for detection of subtle topographic variations. Subtle textural features in the image corresponding to surface topography were enhanced by image processing techniques. A structural and lithologic interpretation of the processed images is presented. Lineaments oriented NE-SW dominate and intersect broad folds trending NW-SE. Distinctive karst topography characterizes one high relief area

Development of Elevation and Relief Databases for ICESat-2/ATLAS Receiver Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leigh, H. W.; Magruder, L. A.; Carabajal, C. C.; Saba, J. L.; Urban, T. J.; Mcgarry, J.; Schutz, B. E.

2013-12-01

The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) is planned to launch onboard NASA's ICESat-2 spacecraft in 2016. ATLAS operates at a wavelength of 532 nm with a laser repeat rate of 10 kHz and 6 individual laser footprints. The satellite will be in a 500 km, 91-day repeat ground track orbit at an inclination of 92°. A set of onboard Receiver Algorithms has been developed to reduce the data volume and data rate to acceptable levels while still transmitting the relevant ranging data. The onboard algorithms limit the data volume by distinguishing between surface returns and background noise and selecting a small vertical region around the surface return to be included in telemetry. The algorithms make use of signal processing techniques, along with three databases, the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), the Digital Relief Map (DRM), and the Surface Reference Mask (SRM), to find the signal and determine the appropriate dynamic range of vertical data surrounding the surface for downlink. The DEM provides software-based range gating for ATLAS. This approach allows the algorithm to limit the surface signal search to the vertical region between minimum and maximum elevations provided by the DEM (plus some margin to account for uncertainties). The DEM is constructed in a nested, three-tiered grid to account for a hardware constraint limiting the maximum vertical range to 6 km. The DRM is used to select the vertical width of the telemetry band around the surface return. The DRM contains global values of relief calculated along 140 m and 700 m ground track segments consistent with a 92° orbit. The DRM must contain the maximum value of relief seen in any given area, but must be as close to truth as possible as the DRM directly affects data volume. The SRM, which has been developed independently from the DEM and DRM, is used to set parameters within the algorithm and select telemetry bands for downlink. Both the DEM and DRM are constructed from publicly available digital elevation models. No elevation models currently exist that provide global coverage at a sufficient resolution, so several regional models have been mosaicked together to produce global databases. In locations where multiple data sets are available, evaluations have been made to determine the optimal source for the databases, primarily based on resolution and accuracy. Separate procedures for calculating relief were developed for high latitude (>60N/S) regions in order to take advantage of polar stereographic projections. An additional method for generating the databases was developed for use over Antarctica, such that high resolution, regional elevation models can be easily incorporated as they become available in the future. The SRM is used to facilitate DEM and DRM production by defining those regions that are ocean and sea ice. Ocean and sea ice elevation values are defined by the geoid, while relief is set to a constant value. Results presented will include the details of data source selection, the methodologies used to create the databases, and the final versions of both the DEM and DRM databases. Companion presentations by McGarry, et al. and Carabajal, et al. describe the ATLAS onboard Receiver Algorithms and the database verification, respectively.

Diffusion of new technology, health services and information after a crisis: a focus group study of the Sichuan "5.12" Earthquake.

PubMed

Zhou, Hong; Shi, Lu; Mao, Yuping; Tang, Juan; Zeng, Yu

2014-01-01

The Sichuan "5.12" Earthquake in 2008 occurred in a relatively underdeveloped area in China. The rainy weather, the mountainous environment and the local languages all posed major challenges to the dissemination of information and services after the disaster. By adopting a communication perspective, this study applies the diffusion of innovations theory to investigate how healthcare professionals diffused health technologies, health information and services during the rescue and relief operation. The authors conducted three focus group sessions with the health professionals who had attended to the rescue and relief work of the Sichuan "5.12" Earthquake in 2008. A range of questions regarding the diffusion of innovations were asked during these sessions. The health professionals used their cell phones to communicate with other healthcare providers, disseminated knowledge of health risks and injuries to affected residents with pamphlets and posters and attended daily meetings at the local government offices. They reported on the shortage of maritime satellite cell phones and large-size tents for medical use, and the absence of fully equipped ambulances. Volunteers, local health professionals and local officials provided health information and services in different ways. However, the diffusion of health information and services was less likely to reach those living next to transportation centers, in remote areas and in disaster areas neglected by the media. New communication devices such as cell phones and the mobile Internet enabled medical professionals to coordinate the rescue and relief work after this major natural disaster, at a time when the country's emergency response system still had plenty of room for improvement. In future, the mobile Internet should be used as a means of collecting bottom-up disaster reports so that the media will not neglect any disaster areas as they did during the Sichuan Earthquake. Rescue relief work would have been substantially easier if medical teams had been equipped with advanced appliances such as maritime satellite cell phones. "Disaster medicine" should be treated as a separate discipline in medical schools and receive more investment. Moreover, a stronger public health emergency response system is needed for more efficient dispatch and coordination. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Build-and-fill sequences: How subtle paleotopography affects 3-D heterogeneity of potential reservoir facies

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKirahan, J.R.; Goldstein, R.H.; Franseen, E.K.

2005-01-01

This study analyzes the three-dimensional variability of a 20-meter-thick section of Pennsylvanian (Missourian) strata over a 600 km2 area of northeastern Kansas, USA. It hypothesizes that sea-level changes interact with subtle variations in paleotopography to influence the heterogeneity of potential reservoir systems in mixed carbonate-silidclastic systems, commonly produdng build-and-fill sequences. For this analysis, ten lithofacies were identified: (1) phylloid algal boundstone-packstone, (2) skeletal wackestone-packstone, (3) peloidal, skeletal packstone, (4) sandy, skeletal grainstone-packstone, (5) oolite grainstone-packstone, (6) Osagia-brachiopod packstone, (7) fossiliferous siltstone, (8) lenticular bedded-laminated siltstone and fine sandstone, (9) organic-rich mudstone and coal, and (10) massive mudstone. Each facies can be related to depositional environment and base-level changes to develop a sequence stratigraphy consisting of three sequence boundaries and two flooding surfaces. Within this framework, eighteen localities are used to develop a threedimensional framework of the stratigraphy and paleotopography. The studied strata illustrate the model of "build-and-fill". In this example, phylloid algal mounds produce initial relief, and many of the later carbonate and silidclastic deposits are focused into subtle paleotopographic lows, responding to factors related to energy, source, and accommodation, eventually filling the paleotopography. After initial buildup of the phylloid algal mounds, marine and nonmarine siliciclastics, with characteristics of both deltaic lobes and valley fills, were focused into low areas between mounds. After a sea-level rise, oolitic carbonates formed on highs and phylloid algal facies accumulated in lows. A shift in the source direction of siliciclastics resulted from flooding or filling of preexisting paleotopographic lows. Fine-grained silidclastics were concentrated in paleotopographic low areas and resulted in clay-rich phylloid algal carbonates that would have made poor reservoirs. In areas more distant from silidclastic influx, phylloid algal facies with better reservoir potential formed in topographic lows. After another relative fall in sea level, marine carbonates and silidclastics were concentrated in paleotopographic low areas. After the next relative rise in sea level, there is little thickness or fades variation in phylloid algal limestone throughout the study area because: (1) substrate paleotopography had been subdued by filling, and (2) no silidclastics were deposited in the area. Widespread subaerial exposure and erosion during a final relative fall in sea level resulted in redevelopment of variable paleotopography. Build-and-fill sequences, such as these, are well known in other surface and subsurface examples. Initial relief is built by folding or faulting, differential compaction, erosion, or deposition of relief-building facies, such as phylloid algal and carbonate grainstone reservoir fades, or silidclastic wedges. Relief is filled through deposition of reservoir-fades siliciclastics, phylloid algal fades, and grainy carbonates, as well as nonreservoir facies, resulting in complex heterogeneity.

Modeled post-glacial landscape evolution at the southern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet: hydrological connection of uplands controls the pace and style of fluvial network expansion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lai, J.; Anders, A. M.

2017-12-01

Landscapes of the US Midwest were repeatedly affected by the southern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the Quaternary. Glacial processes removed pre-glacial relief and left constructional landforms including low-relief till plains and high-relief moraines. As the ice retreated, meltwater was collected in subglacial or proglacial lakes and outburst floods of glacial lakes episodically carved deep valleys. These valleys provided the majority of post-glacial landscape relief. However, a significant fraction of the area of low-relief till plains was occupied by closed depressions and remained unconnected to these meltwater valleys. This area is referred to as non-contributing area (NCA) because it does not typically contribute surface runoff to stream networks. Decreasing fractions of NCA on older glacial landscape surfaces suggests that NCA becomes integrated into external drainage networks over time. We propose that this integration could occur via two different paths: 1) through capture of NCA as channel heads propagate into the upland or, 2) through erosion of a channel along a flow path that, perhaps intermittently, connects NCA to the external drainage network. We refer the two cases as "disconnected" and "connected" cases since the crucial difference between them is the hydrological connectivity on the upland. We investigate the differences in the evolution of channel networks and morphology in low relief landscapes under disconnected and connected drainage regimes through numerical simulations of fluvial and hillslope processes. We observe a substantially faster evolution of the channel network in the connected case than in the disconnected case. Modeled landscapes show that channel network in the connected case has longer, more sinuous channels. We also find that the connected case removes lower amounts of total mass than the disconnected case when the same degree of channel integration is achieved. Observed landscapes in US Midwest are more comparable to the connected case than the disconnected case. This finding suggest that the hydrological connectivity in these landscapes may not be entirely controlled by topographic drainage divides.

SkinChip, a new tool for investigating the skin surface in vivo.

PubMed

Lévêque, Jean Luc; Querleux, Bernard

2003-11-01

Non-invasive methods used for characterizing skin micro-relief and skin surface hydration were developed in the 1980s. Although they allowed some progress in the knowledge of skin properties, they are not completely satisfactory in many aspects. Today, new technologies are emerging that may address such issues. We adapted the technology produced by the ST Microelectronics Company for sensing fingerprint for the measurement of skin surface properties. Accordingly, we developed acquisition software for obtaining routinely the distribution of skin surface capacitance along different body sites. Image analysis softwares were also processed for collecting both the main orientations of the micro-relief lines and their density. The average value of skin capacitance is also obtained. The images allow a highly precise observation of the skin topography that can be easily quantified in terms of line density and line orientation. The mean gray levels of the images appear much closely correlated to the Corneometer values. This new device appears to be a very convenient way for characterizing the properties of the skin surface. With regard to hydration, it usefully provides both the average value and the hydration chart of the investigated skin zones.

Reconstruction of Post-Deccan topographies from mapping of relict lateritic paleosurfaces: Implications for long-term denudation of Peninsular India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jean, Amandine; Beauvais, Anicet; Chardon, Dominique; Bonnet, Nicolas; Mudlappa, Jayananda; Janwari, Shazia; Mathé, Pierre-Etienne

2017-04-01

Cenozoic topographic rejuvenation of divergent continental margins and their cratonic hinterland is a matter of debate. For instance, continental scale tilt has been advocated as a cause of Late Cenozoic relief growth of the Indian Peninsula. Our work aims at providing independent geomorphological constraints to test such assertions. The western margin of the Peninsula bears the Western Ghats Escarpment (WGE), which carves both Precambrian rocks and 65 Ma old Deccan Traps. The escarpment separates a narrow coastal lowland plain drained to the Arabian Sea from a highland plateau drained towards the Bengal Sea. Alternating and coupled chemical weathering and erosion led to formation and dissection of lateritic paleolandscapes preserved both sides of the WGE. In the highland, the relicts of three distinctive lateritic surfaces are recognized. They formed successively from 53 Ma to 23 Ma on the basis of ages obtained by Ar-Ar dating of K-rich manganese oxides [1]. The first surface is topped by a duricrust rich in Al (bauxite) forming mesas at altitudes of 960 to 1400 m. The second surface called "Intermediate" is mantled by a ferricrete, whose relicts remain 100 m below the bauxite at altitudes of 850 to 1250 m. The third surface corresponds to the relicts of a lateritic pediment, which may be capped by a ferricrete at altitudes of 600 to 900 m. Three lateritic surfaces have been documented in the lowland. The Ar-Ar ages obtained indicate common lateritic weathering in both the highland and the lowland between at 53-45 Ma, then a divergence later on [1]. The oldest remnants of lateritic surface in the lowland are preserved at maximum elevation of 400-500 m close to the WGE and correspond to a pediment. This ancient landform was re-altered at 24-19 Ma to form residual hills of the "Intermediate" relief (ca. 350-200 m). A younger pediment formed around the residual hills and is preserved at ca. 150-50 m elevation. Relicts' elevations of the three surfaces have been retrieved in both the lowland and the highland to reconstruct successive topographies across the WGE and estimate relief evolution and erosion budgets for major time steps. The results suggest that the denudation did not exceed 10 m/my in the Highland since 45 Ma, and is less than 11 m/my since mitigation of chemical weathering ca. 23 Ma ago. In the lowland, denudation was limited to 5 m/my since 45 Ma and less than 6 m/my since 19 Ma, implying negligible reworking of the WGE, which stabilized at least 50 Ma ago [2]. These results have major implications for relief evolution of South India. They imply very low relief growth since the Eocene and do not require a tilt of the Peninsula. They further put constraints on sedimentary supplies to both margins of the Peninsula over the last 50 Ma. [1] Bonnet et al., 2016, Chemical Geology 446, 33-53. [2] Beauvais et al., 2016, Geology 44, 299-302.

Temperature modeling of laser-irradiated azo-polymer thin films.

PubMed

Yager, Kevin G; Barrett, Christopher J

2004-01-08

Azobenzene polymer thin films exhibit reversible surface mass transport when irradiated with a light intensity and/or polarization gradient, although the exact mechanism remains unknown. In order to address the role of thermal effects in the surface relief grating formation process peculiar to azo polymers, a cellular automaton simulation was developed to model heat flow in thin films undergoing laser irradiation. Typical irradiation intensities of 50 mW/cm2 resulted in film temperature rises on the order of 5 K, confirmed experimentally. The temperature gradient between the light maxima and minima was found, however, to stabilize at only 10(-4) K within 2 micros. These results indicate that thermal effects play a negligible role during inscription, for films of any thickness. Experiments monitoring surface relief grating formation on substrates of different thermal conductivity confirm that inscription is insensitive to film temperature. Further simulations suggest that high-intensity pulsed irradiation leads to destructive temperatures and sample ablation, not to reversible optical mass transport. (c) 2004 American Institute of Physics

Image processing of HCMM-satellite thermal images for superposition with other satellite imagery and topographic and thematic maps. [Upper Rhine River Valley and surrounding highlands Switzerland, Germany, and France

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gossmann, H.; Haberaecker, P. (Principal Investigator)

1980-01-01

The southwestern part of Central Europe between Basal and Frankfurt was used in a study to determine the accuracy with which a regionally bounded HCMM scene could be rectified with respect to a preassigned coordinate system. The scale to which excerpts from HCMM data can be sensibly enlarged and the question of how large natural structures must be in order to be identified in a satellite thermal image with the given resolution were also examined. Relief and forest and population distribution maps and a land use map derived from LANDSAT data were digitalized and adapted to a common reference system and then combined in a single multichannel data system. The control points for geometrical rectification were determined using the coordinates of the reference system. The multichannel scene was evaluated in several different manners such as the correlation of surface temperature and relief, surface temperature and land use, or surface temperature and built up areas.

Buildings That Teach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiebenson, John

1998-01-01

Teachers can use "built teaching aids" or elements of the school building itself to expand teaching and enhance learning. Possibilities include bulletin boards, display cases, murals painted by local artists, permanent information panels, interior windows to classrooms, flags, and bas-reliefs on building exteriors. Playground pavement…

Directed spatial organization of zinc oxide nanostructures

DOEpatents

Hsu, Julia [Albuquerque, NM; Liu, Jun [Richland, WA

2009-02-17

A method for controllably forming zinc oxide nanostructures on a surface via an organic template, which is formed using a stamp prepared from pre-defined relief structures, inking the stamp with a solution comprising self-assembled monolayer (SAM) molecules, contacting the stamp to the surface, such as Ag sputtered on Si, and immersing the surface with the patterned SAM molecules with a zinc-containing solution with pH control to form zinc oxide nanostructures on the bare Ag surface.

A novel and effective acupuncture modality as a complementary therapy to acute pain relief in inpatients with rib fractures.

PubMed

Ho, Hsin-Yi; Chen, Chao-Wei; Li, Ming-Chieh; Hsu, Yu-Pao; Kang, Shih-Ching; Liu, Erh-Hao; Lee, Ko-Hung

2014-01-01

Pain control has been emphasized as a priority for both practitioners and inpatients with rib fractures, since analgesia could only offer limited relief from severe pain. A prospective and randomized controlled trial was conducted to analyze the efficacy and efficiency of acupuncture in acute pain relief for inpatients with rib fractures. A total of 58 inpatients were recruited and allocated to two groups, receiving identical doses of conventional oral analgesics as well as filiform needles as treatment and thumbtack intradermal (TI) needles placed upon the skin surface as a control, respectively, via novel acupuncture modality once daily for three consecutive days. The effect of pain relief was evaluated during activities that induce pain, and sustained maximal inspiration (SMI) lung volumes and sleep quality were assessed. The patients treated with filiform needles had more effective pain relief than those in the TI needle group during deep breathing, coughing, and turning over the body (p < 0.05), and the effect persisted for at least 6 h in most patients. Sustained maximal inspiration lung volumes and sleep quality did not show improvement through every acupuncture intervention, and they could not respond accurately to pain relief via acupuncture. The active evaluation could provide a more adaptive model for assessing pain intensity due to rib fractures. This novel acupuncture modality in which the needle insertion sites are corresponding to the pain spots can be a safe and viable therapy for relieving pain in inpatients with rib fractures.

Identification of maars and similar volcanic landforms in the West Eifel Volcanic Field through image processing of DTM data: efficiency of different methods depending on preservation state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seib, Nadine; Kley, Jonas; Büchel, Georg

2013-04-01

The West Eifel Volcanic Field comprises 98 maars, tuff rings, and scoria rings of volcanoes younger than 700 ka. Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) allow to automatically measure morphologic parameters of volcanic edifices such as slope angles, diameters, elevations, floor, and slope surface areas. Based on their morphological characteristics, we subdivided the West Eifel volcanoes into five morphometric groups which reflect different stages of erosion. Group I, II, and IV comprise clear ring-shaped structures. The difference between these groups is that a tephra ring is well preserved in Group I, partially preserved in Group II and absent in Group IV. The original shapes of Group III maars have been lost more substantially than in Groups I, II, or IV, but they nevertheless retain a negative shape (a depression) and have characteristic channel systems, which can be used as search criteria. Maar-diatremes of Group V are eroded down to their feeder pipes and form hills. In order to locate potential volcanic depressions that are likely to be maar volcanoes, we defined common search criteria such as circular negative landforms or particular drainage system patterns for all groups except the least well-preserved Group V. These criteria were taken as the basis for further processing of the DTM data. The first processing step consisted of constructing a residual relief calculated as the difference between a filtered (smoothed) topographic surface and the original DTM data. This identifies local topographic features. We propose a method for regulating the degree of smoothing which is based on filtering of local maxima according to their distance from a surface constructed from local minima. The previously defined search criteria for Groups I to IV such as specific ranges of curvature, slope, circularity, density of the drainage network were then applied to the residual relief in order to extract maar shapes. Not all criteria work equally well for all morphological groups. Combinations of multiple search criteria therefore yield the best results and efficiently identify most known maars. They also separate some probable new, hitherto unrecognized maars from a large number of other local depressions. We also compared the erosional state of maars to their absolute ages. Published estimates of erosion rates for maars in the French Massif Central suggest a general trend of erosion rates decreasing with time elapsed since eruption. However, this cannot explain the strongly varying ages for maars of the same morphometric group (i.e., similar preservation state) in the West Eifel Volcanic Field. The spatial distribution of the morphometric groups shows some regularity. For example, strongly eroded maars are concentrated in the Gerolstein area (where maar density is highest), whereas most well-preserved maars are located east of the Eifel North-South Depression (ENSD). Most maars affected by fluvial erosion lie near the Kyll and Kleine Kyll streams. These observations suggest differential recent uplift of the West Eifel Volcanic Field, with stronger uplift occurring west of the ENSD.

Humanitarian Relief Capabilities in the Horn of Africa.

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-13

surface runways (Central Intelligence Agency 2014a). Camp Lemonnier, the only U.S. military base in Africa, is located in Djibouti. The camp is in close... Intelligence Agency 2014d). Somalia has sixty-one airports, of which six have permanent surface runways (Central 10 Intelligence Agency 2014e). Ethiopia...has fifty-seven airports, of which seventeen have permanent surface runways (Central Intelligence Agency 2014c). The country with the same number

Characterization of Laser Cleaning of Artworks

PubMed Central

Marczak, Jan; Koss, Andrzej; Targowski, Piotr; Góra, Michalina; Strzelec, Marek; Sarzyński, Antoni; Skrzeczanowski, Wojciech; Ostrowski, Roman; Rycyk, Antoni

2008-01-01

The main tasks of conservators of artworks and monuments are the estimation and analysis of damages (present condition), object conservation (cleaning process), and the protection of an object against further degradation. One of the physical methods that is becoming more and more popular for dirt removal is the laser cleaning method. This method is non-contact, selective, local, controlled, self-limiting, gives immediate feedback and preserves even the gentlest of relief - the trace of a paintbrush. Paper presents application of different, selected physical sensing methods to characterize condition of works of art as well as laser cleaning process itself. It includes, tested in our laboratories, optical surface measurements (e.g. colorimetry, scatterometry, interferometry), infrared thermography, optical coherent tomography and acoustic measurements for “on-line” evaluation of cleaning progress. Results of laser spectrometry analyses (LIBS, Raman) will illustrate identification and dating of objects superficial layers. PMID:27873884

Digital Shaded-Relief Image of Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Riehle, J.R.; Fleming, Michael D.; Molnia, B.F.; Dover, J.H.; Kelley, J.S.; Miller, M.L.; Nokleberg, W.J.; Plafker, George; Till, A.B.

1997-01-01

Introduction One of the most spectacular physiographic images of the conterminous United States, and the first to have been produced digitally, is that by Thelin and Pike (USGS I-2206, 1991). The image is remarkable for its crispness of detail and for the natural appearance of the artificial land surface. Our goal has been to produce a shaded-relief image of Alaska that has the same look and feel as the Thelin and Pike image. The Alaskan image could have been produced at the same scale as its lower 48 counterpart (1:3,500,000). But by insetting the Aleutian Islands into the Gulf of Alaska, we were able to print the Alaska map at a larger scale (1:2,500,000) and about the same physical size as the Thelin and Pike image. Benefits of the 1:2,500,000 scale are (1) greater resolution of topographic features and (2) ease of reference to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) (1987) Alaska Map E and the statewide geologic map (Beikman, 1980), which are both 1:2,500,000 scale. Manually drawn, shaded-relief images of Alaska's land surface have long been available (for example, Department of the Interior, 1909; Raisz, 1948). The topography depicted on these early maps is mainly schematic. Maps showing topographic contours were first available for the entire State in 1953 (USGS, 1:250,000) (J.H. Wittmann, USGS, written commun., 1996). The Alaska Map E was initially released in 1954 in both planimetric (revised in 1973 and 1987) and shaded-relief versions (revised in 1973, 1987, and 1996); topography depicted on the shaded-relief version is based on the 1:250,000-scale USGS topographic maps. Alaska Map E was later modified to include hypsometric tinting by Raven Maps and Images (1989, revised 1993) as copyrighted versions. Other shaded-relief images were produced for The National Geographic Magazine (LaGorce, 1956; 1:3,000,000) or drawn by Harrison (1970; 1:7,500,000) for The National Atlas of the United States. Recently, the State of Alaska digitally produced a shaded-relief image of Alaska at 1:2,500,000 scale (Alaska Department of Natural Resources, 1994), using the 1,000-m digital elevation data set referred to below. An important difference between our image and these previous ones is the method of reproduction: like the Thelin and Pike (1991) image, our image is a composite of halftone images that yields sharp resolution and preserves contrast. Indeed, the first impression of many viewers is that the Alaskan image and the Thelin and Pike image are composites of satellite-generated photographs rather than an artificial rendering of a digital elevation model. A shaded-relief image represents landforms in a natural fashion; that is, a viewer perceives the image as a rendering of reality. Thus a shaded-relief image is intrinsically appealing, especially in areas of spectacular relief. In addition, even subtle physiographic features that reflect geologic structures or the type of bedrock are visible. To our knowledge, some of these Alaskan features have not been depicted before and so the image should provide earth scientists with a new 'look' at fundamental geologic features of Alaska.

A review of analgesic compounds used in food animals in the United States.

PubMed

Coetzee, Johann F

2013-03-01

Extralabel drug use for pain relief in the United States is regulated under the Animal Medicinal Drug Use Clarification Act. Agents that may provide analgesia in livestock include local anesthetics, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, opioids, α2-agonists, and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonists. The challenges associated with providing pain relief in food animals and the salient pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features of the analgesic compounds that could potentially be used in livestock are reviewed. The potential use of novel agents such as bicarbonate, magnesium, ethanol, and gabapentin to augment analgesia is also discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Targinact--opioid pain relief without constipation?

PubMed

2010-12-01

Targinact (Napp Pharmaceuticals Ltd) is a modified-release combination product containing the strong opioid oxycodone plus the opioid antagonist naloxone. It is licensed for "severe pain, which can be adequately managed only with opioid analgesics".1 The summary of product characteristics (SPC) states that "naloxone is added to counteract opioid-induced constipation by blocking the action of oxycodone at opioid receptors locally in the gut". Advertising for the product claims "better pain relief", "superior GI [gastrointestinal] tolerability" and "improved quality of life" "compared to previous treatment in a clinical practice study (n=7836)". Here we consider whether Targinact offers advantages over using strong opioids plus laxatives where required.

Evaluation of the rockfall susceptibility of the Solà D'Andorra using the Matterock methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mavrouli, O.; Pedrazzini, A.; Loye, A.; Jaboyedoff, M.; Corominas, J.

2010-05-01

The rockfall susceptibility of a slope is directly linked to the topographical relief and the presence of favorable discontinuities for the detachment of rock volumes from the slope face. In order to rank the rockfall susceptibility throughout a slope so as to localize the zones which are the most probable to produce rockfalls, these parameters have to be taken into consideration. In this context, the objective of this work was the identification of susceptible areas on the Solà de Andorra, in Andorra. The susceptibility is evaluated implementing a GIS platform and the Matterock methodology (Rouiller et al., 1998) by superposition of four criteria that are related to the topographical relief and the presence of discontinuities. The used parameters and the related analyses to obtain them are the following and they are briefly described in the continue: 1. Comparison of the slope angle with the threshold value defined by slope angle analysis. 2. Average number of unfavorable discontinuities per surface unit. 3. Number of kinematically permitted plane or wedge failures. 4. Value in cubic meters of the potentially instable volumes using the Slope Local Base Level, SLBL, method. The slope angle analysis is used for the determination of an angle value above which rockfalls are very probable. It is based on the decomposition of the histogram of the present slope angles to different families, using a Gaussian distribution. The families represent the existing geo-morphological structures. The threshold value is determined by the angle characterizing the steepest family. The unfavorable discontinuities are detected using the Matterock software. The input data is the DEM and the principal discontinuity sets. The output is the average number of discontinuities counted in every topographic facet. The kinematic tests are also performed using the Matterock software. For each unfavorable discontinuity set, the number of potential plane or wedge failures is calculated. The volumes above a base level that is determined by the topographical relief are calculated using the SLBL method, also on a GIS platform. For the application at a local scale to the Solà de Andorra, the four analyses are performed and their outputs are ranked using appropriate rating. The susceptibility index that is used is equal to the sum of the ranked outputs and it is expressed on an increasing scale from 0 to 8. Historical rockfall events are superimposed on the topographic map to check the consistency of the results. It is indicated that areas characterized by high values of the susceptibility index coincide with past events, thus may be considered prone to also produce rockfalls in the future. References Rouiller, J.-D., Jaboyedoff, M., Marro, C., Phlippossian, F. and Mamin, M. (1998): Pentes instables dans le Pennique valaisan. Rapport final PNR31. VDF, Zürich.

Temporal formation of optical anisotropy and surface relief during polarization holographic recording in polymethylmethacrylate with azobenzene side groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sasaki, Tomoyuki; Izawa, Masahiro; Noda, Kohei; Nishioka, Emi; Kawatsuki, Nobuhiro; Ono, Hiroshi

2014-03-01

The formation of polarization holographic gratings with both optical anisotropy and surface relief (SR) deformation was studied for polymethylmethacrylate with azobenzene side groups. Temporal contributions of isotropic and anisotropic phase gratings were simultaneously determined by observing transitional intensity and polarization states of the diffraction beams and characterizing by means of Jones calculus. To clarify the mechanism of SR deformation, cross sections of SR were characterized based on the optical gradient force model; experimental observations were in good agreement with the theoretical expectation. We clarified that the anisotropic phase change originating in the reorientation of the azobenzene side groups was induced immediately at the beginning of the holographic recording, while the response time of the isotropic phase change originating in the molecular migration due to the optical gradient force was relatively slow.

Soil Production and Erosion on a Low-Relief, Soil-Mantled Landscape in the Pinaleno Mountains, Arizona

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foster, M.; Whipple, K. X.; Heimsath, A. M.; Jungers, M.

2014-12-01

Soil thickness plays an essential role in hydrology, ecology, biogeochemistry, and erosion and transport processes at the Earth's surface. Controls on soil production rate set this important characteristic, however, relative roles of these controls have not been quantitatively assessed. I take advantage of uniform lithology and climate on anenigmatic perched, low-relief high elevation landscape in the Pinaleno Mountains in southeastern Arizona to examine controls of formation and preservation of the upper, low-relief soil mantled landscape. This landscape is sharply bounded on all sides by steep, rugged terrain where soil cover is patchy but pervasive. Knickpoints appear along channel profiles around the edges of the low-relief landscape, suggesting a transient response to some tectonic disturbance, either due to rock uplift and basin subsidence during Basin and Range tectonic forcing, or more recent base-level drop in adjacent drainage systems. Slow erosion rates recently measured along the flanks of this range support the hypothesis that this upper transient surface has been preserved after a late Miocene-Pliocene basin and range disturbance that has since been followed by slow topographic decay. To shed light on the processes driving weathering, soil production and erosion in this landscape that maintains steep, rocky catchments only below knickpoints on channels draining the upper low-relief landscape, we utilize high-resolution soil thickness measurements coupled with terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide soil production rate measurements. In order to determine soil thicknesses at the high-resolution scale useful to describe hillslope process, we utilize shallow seismic survey data, calibrated by soil pit measurements of soil down through saprolite and fractured bedrock. Broadly applicable, these high-resolution soil thickness measurements coupled with soil production and erosion rate data can be useful disentangle relationships among catchment-mean erosion rate, mean soil thickness, and soil production efficiency.

Section Height Determination Methods of the Isotopographic Surface in a Complex Terrain Relief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Syzdykova, Guldana D.; Kurmankozhaev, Azimhan K.

2016-01-01

A new method for determining the vertical interval of isotopographic surfaces on rugged terrain was developed. The method is based on the concept of determining the differentiated size of the vertical interval using spatial-statistical properties inherent in the modal characteristic, the degree of variability of apical heights and the chosen map…

Local cooling for relieving pain from perineal trauma sustained during childbirth.

PubMed

East, C E; Begg, L; Henshall, N E; Marchant, P; Wallace, K

2007-10-17

Perineal trauma is common during childbirth and may be painful. Contemporary maternity practice includes offering women numerous forms of pain relief, including the local application of cooling treatments. To evaluate the effectiveness and side effects of localised cooling treatments compared with no treatment, other forms of cooling treatments and non-cooling treatments. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (January 2007), CINAHL (1982 to January 2007) and contacted experts in the field. Published and unpublished randomised and quasi-randomised trials (RCTs) that compared localised cooling treatment applied to the perineum with no treatment or other treatments applied to relieve pain related to perineal trauma sustained during childbirth. At least two independent authors performed data extraction for each study. Analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis where data allowed. We sought additional information from the authors of three trials. Seven published RCTs were included, comparing local cooling treatments (ice packs, cold gel pads or cold/iced baths) with no treatment, hamamelis water (witch hazel), pulsed electromagnetic energy (PET), hydrocortisone/pramoxine foam [Epifoam] or warm baths. The RCTs reported on a total of 859 women. Ice packs provided improved pain relief 24 to 72 hours after birth compared with no treatment (risk ratio (RR) 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41 to 0.91). Women preferred the utility of the gel pads compared with ice packs or no treatment, although no differences in pain relief were detected between the treatments. None of our comparisons of treatments resulted in differences detected in perineal oedema or bruising. Women reported more pain (RR 5.60, 95% CI 2.35 to 13.33) and used more additional analgesia (RR 4.00, 95% CI 1.44 to 11.13) following the application of ice packs compared with PET. There is only limited evidence to support the effectiveness of local cooling treatments (ice packs, cold gel pads, cold/iced baths) applied to the perineum following childbirth to relieve pain.

38 CFR 41.305 - Auditor selection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Auditor selection. 41.305... OF STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Auditees § 41.305 Auditor selection. (a) Auditor procurement. In procuring audit services, auditees shall follow the procurement standards...

43 CFR 1882.2 - Qualifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GENERAL MANAGEMENT (1000) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Mineral Development Impact Relief Loans § 1882.2 Qualifications. (a) Any State receiving payments from the Federal... and economic impacts as a result of the leasing and development of Federal mineral deposits under the...

To provide immediate fiscal relief to cities experiencing serious budget deficits by providing funds for payments to qualified local governments.

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Brady, Robert A. [D-PA-1

2009-01-14

House - 02/24/2009 Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

The role of dynamic surface water-groundwater exchange on streambed denitrification in a first-order, low-relief agricultural watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahimi, Mina; Essaid, Hedeff I.; Wilson, John T.

2015-12-01

The role of temporally varying surface water-groundwater (SW-GW) exchange on nitrate removal by streambed denitrification was examined along a reach of Leary Weber Ditch (LWD), Indiana, a small, first-order, low-relief agricultural watershed within the Upper Mississippi River basin, using data collected in 2004 and 2005. Stream stage, GW heads (H), and temperatures (T) were continuously monitored in streambed piezometers and stream bank wells for two transects across LWD accompanied by synoptic measurements of stream stage, H, T, and nitrate (NO3) concentrations along the reach. The H and T data were used to develop and calibrate vertical two-dimensional, models of streambed water flow and heat transport across and along the axis of the stream. Model-estimated SW-GW exchange varied seasonally and in response to high-streamflow events due to dynamic interactions between SW stage and GW H. Comparison of 2004 and 2005 conditions showed that small changes in precipitation amount and intensity, evapotranspiration, and/or nearby GW levels within a low-relief watershed can readily impact SW-GW interactions. The calibrated LWD flow models and observed stream and streambed NO3 concentrations were used to predict temporal variations in streambed NO3 removal in response to dynamic SW-GW exchange. NO3 removal rates underwent slow seasonal changes, but also underwent rapid changes in response to high-flow events. These findings suggest that increased temporal variability of SW-GW exchange in low-order, low-relief watersheds may be a factor contributing their more efficient removal of NO3.

The role of dynamic surface water-groundwater exchange on streambed denitrification in a first-order, low-relief agricultural watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rahimi Kazerooni, Mina N.; Essaid, Hedeff I.; Wilson, John T.

2015-01-01

The role of temporally varying surface water-groundwater (SW-GW) exchange on nitrate removal by streambed denitrification was examined along a reach of Leary Weber Ditch (LWD), Indiana, a small, first-order, low-relief agricultural watershed within the Upper Mississippi River basin, using data collected in 2004 and 2005. Stream stage, GW heads (H), and temperatures (T) were continuously monitored in streambed piezometers and stream bank wells for two transects across LWD accompanied by synoptic measurements of stream stage, H, T, and nitrate (NO3) concentrations along the reach. The H and T data were used to develop and calibrate vertical two-dimensional, models of streambed water flow and heat transport across and along the axis of the stream. Model-estimated SW-GW exchange varied seasonally and in response to high-streamflow events due to dynamic interactions between SW stage and GW H. Comparison of 2004 and 2005 conditions showed that small changes in precipitation amount and intensity, evapotranspiration, and/or nearby GW levels within a low-relief watershed can readily impact SW-GW interactions. The calibrated LWD flow models and observed stream and streambed NO3 concentrations were used to predict temporal variations in streambed NO3 removal in response to dynamic SW-GW exchange. NO3 removal rates underwent slow seasonal changes, but also underwent rapid changes in response to high-flow events. These findings suggest that increased temporal variability of SW-GW exchange in low-order, low-relief watersheds may be a factor contributing their more efficient removal of NO3.

Characteristics and functions of semi-desert soils in the Negev (Israel) depending on precipitation, relief and vegetation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Felde, V.; Drahorad, S.; Felix-Henningsen, P.

2009-04-01

The Negev desert in south western Israel has been the subject of several investigations concerning soil forming processes and matter fluxes in desert soils. In order to investigate the influence of the ‘global change' on semi-desert ecosystems, study sites along a steep rainfall gradient are of great advantage. The study site "Nizzana 69", which is in the focus of this study, lies about 25 km south of the Mediterranean Sea near the border between Israel and Egypt. The area has an annual rainfall of approximately 170 mm * a-1. A catena consisting of six profiles, three under the legume Retama raetam and three in the bare interspace between shrubs was investigated in order to show the impact of this perennial plant and the relief on soil properties. The results show a strong influence of the shrub due to accumulation of nutrients, carbonates and soluble salts, which were precipitated with dust and rainfall, or which derive from mineralisation of plant litter. The interspace between the plants is covered by a biological soil crust, which also strongly influences the matter fluxes by creating runoff, nitrogen-fixation and stabilizing the soil surface and protecting it against deflation. The distribution of salts and carbonates in the profiles indicate leaching processes. All soils of the study site "Nizzana 69" are weekly developed Arenosols without horizons of carbonate or salt enrichment to a depth of 1 m. The comparison with other areas along the rainfall gradient shows higher inputs of soluble salts with increasing precipitation due to wet deposition, while carbonate contents increase with decreasing precipitation due to deposition of dust, which was generated in the lime stone Negev. On the other hand leaching of soluble soil constituents decreases and accumulation in the upper soil horizon increases with decreasing annual precipitation. Furthermore the importance of local relief aspects for plant growth decreases with increasing rainfall.

Hydrology of Area 61, Northern Great Plains and Rocky Mountain Coal Provinces, Colorado and New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abbott, P.O.; Geldon, Arthur L.; Cain, Doug; Hall, Alan P.; Edelmann, Patrick

1983-01-01

Area 61 is located on the Colorado-New Mexico boundary in Huerfano and Las Animas Counties, Colorado, and Colfax County, New Mexico, and includes the Raton Mesa coal region. The 5 ,900-square-mile area is an asymmetrical structural trough bounded by the Rocky Mountains on the west and the Great Plains on the east. The area is drained by the Huerfano, Apishapa, Purgatoire, and Canadian Rivers (and their tributaries), all tributary to the Arkansas River. The principal coal-bearing formations are the Vermejo Formation of Late Cretaceous age and the Raton Formation of Late Cretaceous and Paleocene age. Much of the coal in the area is of coking quality, important to the metallurgical industry. Topographic relief in the area is greater than 8,700 feet, and this influences the climate which in turn affects the runoff pattern of area streams. Summer thunderstorms often result in flash floods. Virtually all geologic units in the region yield water. Depth to ground water ranges from land surface to 400 feet. Surface and ground water in the area contain mostly bicarbonate and sulfate ions; locally in the ground water, chloride ions predominate. Potential hydrologic problems associated with surface coal mining in the area are water-quality degradation, water-table decline, and increased erosion and sedimentation.

The significance of pre-existing, deeply weathered crystalline rock in interpreting the effects of glaciation in the Minnesota River valley, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Patterson, C.J.; Boerboom, Terrence

1999-01-01

Minnesota is largely underlain by Precambrian crystalline bedrock that was weathered to an average depth of 30 m prior to Late Cretaceous time. The fresh-rock-weathered-rock interface is irregular, with as much as 45 m of relief. Weathering exploited joints, locally isolating meter-sized volumes of rock known as corestones. Variable amounts of residuum were removed through glaciation to leave (1) saprolite overlain by an in-situ Late Cretaceous soil profile; (2) partially eroded saprolite; and (3) undulating fresh rock surfaces (commonly mantled by rounded boulders) that display striae and glacial or fluvial polish. Significant subglacial erosion of fresh bedrock is not required to form smoothly undulating bedrock surfaces with closed depressions; they may also form through removal of weathered bedrock and exposure of the weathering front. Large rounded boulders are not always shaped during transport; they may represent chemically rounded corestones resting at or near the bedrock source. Unambiguous evidence for glacial erosion includes striae and streamlining of bedrock parallel to striae. Polish on rock can be created fluvially, and smoothed grooves and ridges in the rock may be chemically produced. Many rounded boulders found in glacial till and strewn on bedrock surfaces probably originated as corestones.

[High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for tumor pain relief in inoperable pancreatic cancer : Evaluation with the pain sensation scale (SES)].

PubMed

Marinova, M; Strunk, H M; Rauch, M; Henseler, J; Clarens, T; Brüx, L; Dolscheid-Pommerich, R; Conrad, R; Cuhls, H; Radbruch, L; Schild, H H; Mücke, M

2017-02-01

High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) in combination with palliative standard therapy is an innovative and effective treatment option for pain reduction in patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer. Evaluation of the effects of additive ultrasound (US)-guided HIFU treatment in inoperable pancreatic cancer on the sensory and affective pain perception using validated questionnaries. In this study 20 patients with locally advanced inoperable pancreatic cancer and tumor-related pain were treated by US-guided HIFU (6 stage III, 12 stage IV according to UICC and 2 with local recurrence after surgery). Ablation was performed using the JC HIFU system (HAIFU, Chongqing, China) with an ultrasonic device for real-time imaging. Clinical assessment included evaluation of pain severity using validated questionnaires with particular attention to the pain sensation scale (SES) with its affective and sensory component and the numeric rating scale (NRS). The average pain reduction after HIFU was 2.87 points on the NRS scale and 57.3 % compared to the mean baseline score (n = 15, 75 %) in 19 of 20 treated patients. Four patients did not report pain relief, however, the previous opioid medication could be stopped (n = 2) or the analgesic dosage could be reduced (n = 2). No pain reduction was achieved in one patient. Furthermore, after HIFU emotional as well as sensory pain aspects were significantly reduced (before vs. 1 week after HIFU, p < 0.05 for all pain scales). US-guided HIFU can be used for effective and early pain relief and reduction of emotional and sensory pain sensation in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.

Analgesic and sedative effects of intranasal dexmedetomidine in third molar surgery under local anaesthesia.

PubMed

Cheung, C W; Ng, K F J; Liu, J; Yuen, M Y V; Ho, M H A; Irwin, M G

2011-09-01

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is an alpha 2-adrenoreceptor agonist, which induces sedation and analgesia. This study aimed to determine whether intranasal DEX offered perioperative sedation and better postoperative analgesia. Patients having unilateral third molar surgery under local anaesthesia were recruited and allocated to receive either intranasal DEX 1 µg kg(-1) (Group D) or same volume of saline (Group P) 45 min before surgery. Patient-controlled sedation with propofol was offered as a rescue sedative. Perioperative sedation, postoperative pain relief and analgesic consumption, vital signs, adverse events, postoperative recovery, and satisfaction in sedation and analgesia were assessed. Thirty patients from each group were studied. Areas under curve (AUC) of postoperative numerical rating scale (NRS) pain scores 1-12 h at rest and during mouth opening were significantly lower in Group D (P=0.003 and 0.009, respectively). AUC BIS values and OAA/S sedation scores were significantly lower before surgery and at the recovery area (all P<0.01) with significantly less intra-operative propofol used in group D (P<0.01). In group D, heart rate was significantly lower at recovery period (P=0.005) while systolic blood pressure in different periods of the study (all P<0.01), but the decreases did not require treatment. More patients from placebo group experienced dizziness (P=0.026) but no serious adverse event was found. No difference was found in postoperative psychomotor recovery and satisfaction in pain relief and sedation. Patients receiving intranasal DEX for unilateral third molar surgery with local anaesthesia were more sedated perioperatively with better postoperative pain relief. No delay in psychomotor recovery was seen.

Microexplosions initiated by a microwave capillary torch on a metal surface at atmospheric pressure

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

Gritsinin, S. I.; Davydov, A. M.; Kossyi, I. A., E-mail: kossyi@fpl.gpi.ru

2015-07-15

The interaction of the plasma of a microwave capillary argon torch with a metal surface was studied experimentally. It is shown that the interaction of the plasma jet generated by the capillary plasma torch with the metal in atmospheric-pressure air leads to the initiation of microexplosions (sparks) on the metal surface. As a result, the initially smooth surface acquires a relief in the form of microtips and microcraters. The possibility of practical application of the observed phenomenon is discussed.

Topographic Effects on the Surface Emissivity of a Mountainous Area Observed by a Spaceborne Microwave Radiometer

PubMed Central

Pulvirenti, Luca; Pierdicca, Nazzareno; Marzano, Frank S.

2008-01-01

A simulation study to understand the influence of topography on the surface emissivity observed by a satellite microwave radiometer is carried out. We analyze the effects due to changes in observation angle, including the rotation of the polarization plane. A mountainous area in the Alps (Northern Italy) is considered and the information on the relief extracted from a digital elevation model is exploited. The numerical simulation refers to a radiometric image, acquired by a conically-scanning radiometer similar to AMSR-E, i.e., flying at 705 km of altitude with an observation angle of 55°. To single out the impact on surface emissivity, scattering of the radiation due to the atmosphere or neighboring elevated surfaces is not considered. C and X bands, for which atmospheric effects are negligible, and Ka band are analyzed. The results indicate that the changes in the local observation angle tend to lower the apparent emissivity of a radiometric pixel with respect to the corresponding flat surface characteristics. The effect of the rotation of the polarization plane enlarges (vertical polarization), or attenuates (horizontal polarization) this decrease. By doing some simplifying assumptions for the radiometer antenna, the conclusion is that the microwave emissivity at vertical polarization is underestimated, whilst the opposite occurs for horizontal polarization, except for Ka band, for which both under- and overprediction may occur. A quantification of the differences with respect to a flat soil and an approximate evaluation of their impact on soil moisture retrieval are yielded. PMID:27879773

Sensitivity of local air quality to the interplay between small- and large-scale circulations: a large-eddy simulation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf-Grosse, Tobias; Esau, Igor; Reuder, Joachim

2017-06-01

Street-level urban air pollution is a challenging concern for modern urban societies. Pollution dispersion models assume that the concentrations decrease monotonically with raising wind speed. This convenient assumption breaks down when applied to flows with local recirculations such as those found in topographically complex coastal areas. This study looks at a practically important and sufficiently common case of air pollution in a coastal valley city. Here, the observed concentrations are determined by the interaction between large-scale topographically forced and local-scale breeze-like recirculations. Analysis of a long observational dataset in Bergen, Norway, revealed that the most extreme cases of recurring wintertime air pollution episodes were accompanied by increased large-scale wind speeds above the valley. Contrary to the theoretical assumption and intuitive expectations, the maximum NO2 concentrations were not found for the lowest 10 m ERA-Interim wind speeds but in situations with wind speeds of 3 m s-1. To explain this phenomenon, we investigated empirical relationships between the large-scale forcing and the local wind and air quality parameters. We conducted 16 large-eddy simulation (LES) experiments with the Parallelised Large-Eddy Simulation Model (PALM) for atmospheric and oceanic flows. The LES accounted for the realistic relief and coastal configuration as well as for the large-scale forcing and local surface condition heterogeneity in Bergen. They revealed that emerging local breeze-like circulations strongly enhance the urban ventilation and dispersion of the air pollutants in situations with weak large-scale winds. Slightly stronger large-scale winds, however, can counteract these local recirculations, leading to enhanced surface air stagnation. Furthermore, this study looks at the concrete impact of the relative configuration of warmer water bodies in the city and the major transport corridor. We found that a relatively small local water body acted as a barrier for the horizontal transport of air pollutants from the largest street in the valley and along the valley bottom, transporting them vertically instead and hence diluting them. We found that the stable stratification accumulates the street-level pollution from the transport corridor in shallow air pockets near the surface. The polluted air pockets are transported by the local recirculations to other less polluted areas with only slow dilution. This combination of relatively long distance and complex transport paths together with weak dispersion is not sufficiently resolved in classical air pollution models. The findings have important implications for the air quality predictions over urban areas. Any prediction not resolving these, or similar local dynamic features, might not be able to correctly simulate the dispersion of pollutants in cities.

[Percutaneous ablation of metastases: where are we and new techniques].

PubMed

Palussière, Jean; Buy, Xavier; Fonck, Mariane

2013-04-01

When a metastatic disease is localized and slowly evolving either spontaneously or after a general treatment, a local treatment may be proposed. For about 15 years, image-guided percutaneous ablation has been developed which allows to treat tumors with temperature modifications. These mini-invasive techniques may be repeated in patients whose disease may be chronic. Ablation techniques are also used in a more palliative manner on bone metastases to obtain pain relief.

Sedimentology and preservation of aeolian sediments on steep terrains: Incipient sand ramps on the Atacama coast (northern Chile)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ventra, Dario; Rodríguez-López, Juan Pedro; de Boer, Poppe L.

2017-05-01

The origin of topographically controlled aeolian landforms in high-relief settings is difficult to synthesize under general models, given the dependence of such accumulations on local morphology. Quaternary sand ramps have been linked to palaeoclimate, regional geomorphology and wind patterns; however, controls on the early development and preservation of such landforms are poorly known. This study describes the morphology and sedimentology of complex sedimentary aprons along steep coastal slopes in the Atacama Desert (Chile). Direct slope accessibility and continuous stratigraphic exposures enable comparisons between active processes and stratigraphic signatures. Stratigraphic facies distribution and its links with patterns of aeolian deposition show that the preservation of wind-laid sediments depends on the morphology and processes of specific slope sectors. The spatial organization of runoff depends on bedrock configuration and directly controls the permanence or erosion of aeolian sediment. The occurrence of either water or mass flows depends on the role of aeolian fines in the rheology of flash floods. In turn, the establishment of a rugged surface topography controlled by patterns of mass-flow deposition creates local accommodation for aeolian fines, sustaining the initial aggradation of a colluvial-aeolian system. By contrast, slopes subject to runoff develop a thin, extensive aeolian mantle whose featureless surface is subject mostly to sediment bypass down- and across-slope; the corresponding stratigraphic record comprises almost exclusively thin debris-flow and sheetflood deposits. Slope morphology and processes are fundamental in promoting or inhibiting aeolian aggradation in mountain settings. Long-term sand-ramp construction depends on climate and regional topography, but the initial development is probably controlled by local geomorphic factors. The observed interactions between wind and topography in the study area may also represent a process analogue for the interpretation of similar geomorphic features on Mars.

A novel ropivacaine-loaded in situ forming implant prolongs the effect of local analgesia in rats

PubMed Central

Lu, Lei; Zhang, Wei; Wu, Xin; Wang, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Min; Zhu, Quangang; Ding, Xueying; Xu, Zhiyun

2012-01-01

Introduction Prolonged postoperative analgesia cannot be achieved by a single injection of local anesthetic solution. The objective of this study was to optimize the formulation of a ropivacaine hydrochloride (Ropi-HCl) loaded in situ forming implant (ISI) by addition of different co-solvents, and evaluate the in vitro release of Ropi-HCl, and the analgesic effect and toxicity of the optimized formulation in rats. Material and methods Triacetin (TA), benzyl benzoate (BB) and polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) were used as additives and added to the solvent of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP). Drug release to the surface and inner structural properties of the formed implant were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The analgesic effect was determined by injection near the rat sciatic nerve. Results The solvent system added with TA or BB significantly decreased the burst release, whereas PEG 400 increased the Ropi-HCl burst release from the formulation. Over 70% of the incorporated Ropi-HCl was released from all formulations in 14 days in the in vitro assay. The SEM showed that the surface of NMP-BB formulation was less porous and more homogeneous, compared with the other formulations. Compared with Ropi-HCl injection, the optimized formulation (NMP-BB) significantly prolonged the analgesic effect in 48 h (p < 0.05), with a mild degree of motor block from 3 h to 12 h. Histological evaluation of the injection site revealed only mild inflammatory infiltration without obvious pathological nerve alterations. Conclusions The biodegradable Ropi-HCl-loaded ISI system with NMP-BB may prove to be an attractive and safe alternative for the delivery of parenteral local anesthetics to prolong pain relief. PMID:24049519

Response and recovery measures for two floods in north China during the nineteenth century: a comparative study.

PubMed

Ye, Yu; Fang, Xiuqi; Li, Fan

2016-01-01

The process of human response to natural disasters and its mechanisms as revealed by historical events still has a broad significance for modern society. This study analyzed the disaster relief process and the social response for two floods in China: the Yongding River flood in 1801 and the Yellow River flood in 1841. These two floods reflect the different response processes between the national and provincial capitals during a stage of climate cooling and social transition in the Qing dynasty. Applying methods of historical documents analysis and qualitatively comparative analysis to the materials such as Relief Chronicles Authorized by the Emperor in XinYou and Flood Description in Bian Liang , it shows that: (1) In 1801, the central government took on a lead position, from flood surveying to relief processes. However, local government and gentries played an important role in 1841. (2) In 1801, the government successfully undertook a series of relief measures addressing production, housing, food prices, taxes, and water conservancy and administration. In 1841, the response measures were relatively simple, focusing mainly on providing shelter and food for victims. (3) The government carried out long-term disaster prevention measures such as dredging channels after the flood in 1801. In 1841, however, the efforts were focused mainly on emergency rescue. (4) Refugees in the 1801 flood were effectively managed by a centralized authority. In 1841, regulation of the flooding was delayed by corruption and conflicts between officers, leading to an expansion of the disaster's impact. Above results have led to the conclusion that disaster relief systems and response measures had a significant effect on the consequences of those floods. Various flood relief measures and natural disasters management regimes have implications for contemporary flood hazard mitigation.

A reliable method of manufacturing metallic hierarchical superhydrophobic surfaces

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

Pogreb, Roman; Whyman, Gene; Barayev, Reuven

2009-06-01

A method of manufacturing hierarchical metallic surfaces demonstrating superhydrophobic properties is presented. The surfaces showed apparent contact angles as high as 153 deg. and sliding angles of 10 deg. for 50-100 {mu}l droplets. The Cassie-like model [A. B. D. Cassie and S. Baxter, Trans. Faraday Soc. 40, 546 (1944)], considering the hierarchical topography of the relief, predicts apparent contact angles in a satisfactory agreement with the measured values.

Delays in Tapping Energy Sources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abelson, Philip H.

1975-01-01

Summarizes factors that will create severe energy shortages by 1980. Indicates that conservation is not enough, and the quickest path toward relief is the expansion of surface mining of low-sulfur coal in the Rocky Mountain states. (GS)

Do tidal or swing waves roughen planetary surfaces?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kochemasov, Gennady G.

2010-05-01

Surfaces of the terrestrial planets and their moons are far from being smooth. They are warped by several wavelengths and show a remarkable regularity: their roughness increases with the solar distance. Thus, if for Mercury the surface relief range does not exceed several km, for Mars it is already about 30 km. Earth's range is 20 km, Venus' one 14 km. Recently it was shown that this row of ranges reflects ratios of the tectonic granules radii of terrestrial planets [1, 2]. These radii related to unity of reduced planetary globes (in a geometrical model all planets are represented by even circles [2]) are as follows: Mercury πR/16, Venus πR/6, Earth πR/4, Mars πR/2. It means that in the great planetary circles (equators) there are 32, 12, 8, and 4 tectonic granules (now they all are mapped by remote methods) and their numbers are inversely proportional to the orbital frequencies of the planets: higher frequency - smaller granule, and, vice versa, lower frequency - larger granule. In this planetary law is a firm confirmation of the main conceptual point of the wave planetology: "Orbits make structures" [3]. But how this happens? A basic reason lies in the keplerian elliptical orbits implying periodical changes of planetary bodies accelerations. Periodical slowing down and speeding up produce inertia-gravity waves warping any celestial body. In rotating bodies this wave warping is divided in four directions: two orthogonal and two diagonal. An interference of these directions produces tectonic blocks of three kinds: uplifting, subsiding, and neutral. Sizes and amplitudes of the blocks (granules) depend on the warping wavelengths and increase with the solar distance. Thus, a relief-forming potential and the actual relief range observed on the planets increase in this direction [1, 2, 4]. But the tidal forces diminish in this direction. That is why they cannot be a reason for the relief-forming potential. Having in mind a swinging action of planetary orbits on heavenly bodies one might think of swing forces and swing waves (contrary to the tidal waves) producing the wave warping surfaces and the deeper planetary spheres [1]. Three observations in relation with this revelation might be mentioned. 1. An increasing surface roughness of the icy satellites of Saturn with increasing distances from the planet [5]. 2. Atmospheric masses of terrestrial planets increase with the diminishing solar distance as a sequence of more frequent wave oscillations - a sweeping out making atmospheres volatiles from planetary depths is facilitated by more frequent oscillations. 3. The inner rapidly orbiting satellites of Jupiter (Io), Saturn (Enceladus), and Neptun (Triton) are still emitting volatiles as a result of more thorough sweeping out their volatile stock. Mercury also has traces of some metals in its exosphere (MESSENGER data). References: [1] Kochemasov G.G. (2009) A regular row of planetary relief ranges connected with tectonic granulations of celestial bodies // New Concepts in Global Tectonics Newsletter, # 51, 58-61. [2] Kochemasov G.G. (2009) A quantitative geometric model of relief-forming potential in terrestrial planets // EPSC Abstracts, Vol. 4, EPSC2009-16-1. [3] Kochemasov G.G. (1998) Tectonic dichotomy, sectoring and granulation of Earth and other celestial bodies // Proceedings of the International Symposium on New Concepts in Global Tectonics, "NCGT-98 TSUKUBA", Geological Survey of Japan, Tsukuba, Nov 20-23, 1998, 144-147. [4] Kochemasov G.G. (1993) Relief-forming potential of planets // 18th Russian-American microsymposium on planetology, Abstracts, Oct. 9-10, 1993, Moscow, Vernadsky Inst. (GEOKHI), 27-28. [5] Thomas, P.C., Veverka, J., Helfenstein, P., Porco, C. et al. (2006) Shapes of the saturnian icy satellites // Lunar and Planetary Science Conference XXXVII, Houston, USA, Abstract 1639 pdf. CD-ROM.

43 CFR 1882.0-2 - Objective.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GENERAL MANAGEMENT (1000) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Mineral Development Impact Relief Loans § 1882.0-2 Objective. The objective of the program is to provide financial... social and economic impacts as a result of the development of Federal mineral deposits leased under the...

43 CFR 1882.3 - Application procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GENERAL MANAGEMENT (1000) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Mineral Development Impact Relief Loans § 1882.3 Application procedures. No later than October 1 of the... economic impacts suffered as a result of the leasing and development of Federal mineral deposits. (e) An...

Topographic relationships for design rainfalls over Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, F.; Hutchinson, M. F.; The, C.; Beesley, C.; Green, J.

2016-02-01

Design rainfall statistics are the primary inputs used to assess flood risk across river catchments. These statistics normally take the form of Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves that are derived from extreme value probability distributions fitted to observed daily, and sub-daily, rainfall data. The design rainfall relationships are often required for catchments where there are limited rainfall records, particularly catchments in remote areas with high topographic relief and hence some form of interpolation is required to provide estimates in these areas. This paper assesses the topographic dependence of rainfall extremes by using elevation-dependent thin plate smoothing splines to interpolate the mean annual maximum rainfall, for periods from one to seven days, across Australia. The analyses confirm the important impact of topography in explaining the spatial patterns of these extreme rainfall statistics. Continent-wide residual and cross validation statistics are used to demonstrate the 100-fold impact of elevation in relation to horizontal coordinates in explaining the spatial patterns, consistent with previous rainfall scaling studies and observational evidence. The impact of the complexity of the fitted spline surfaces, as defined by the number of knots, and the impact of applying variance stabilising transformations to the data, were also assessed. It was found that a relatively large number of 3570 knots, suitably chosen from 8619 gauge locations, was required to minimise the summary error statistics. Square root and log data transformations were found to deliver marginally superior continent-wide cross validation statistics, in comparison to applying no data transformation, but detailed assessments of residuals in complex high rainfall regions with high topographic relief showed that no data transformation gave superior performance in these regions. These results are consistent with the understanding that in areas with modest topographic relief, as for most of the Australian continent, extreme rainfall is closely aligned with elevation, but in areas with high topographic relief the impacts of topography on rainfall extremes are more complex. The interpolated extreme rainfall statistics, using no data transformation, have been used by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to produce new IDF data for the Australian continent. The comprehensive methods presented for the evaluation of gridded design rainfall statistics will be useful for similar studies, in particular the importance of balancing the need for a continentally-optimum solution that maintains sufficient definition at the local scale.

“Can LUSI be stopped? - A case study and lessons learned from the relief wells”

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutrisna, E.

2009-12-01

Since May 2006, in East Java, Indonesia, the LUSI mud volcano has been erupting huge volumes of mixture of predominately mud and water, with little sign of slowing down. It has disrupted social and economic life in this highly populated region. Most geologists believe LUSI is a naturally-occurring mud volcano (MV), like other MV in the Java island of particular interest are the MV along the Watukosek fault, such as, Kalang Anyar, Pulungan, Gunung Anyar, and Socah MV. All of these MV lie in the vicinity of the SSW/NNE trending Watukosek fault that passes through LUSI. The Porong collapse structure is an ancient MV closest to LUSI approx. 7 km away, which on seismic sections demonstrate its complex multi-branching plumbing system. Assuming that the mudflow passed through the wellbore due to an underground blowout, relief wells (RW) were planned to kill the mudflow and carried out in 3 stages, these were: 1. Re-entering the original Banjarpanji-1 (BJP-1) well to obtain accurate survey data so the relief wells could be steered into intersect this original well. 2. Drilling a monitoring well (M-1) to ascertain whether the soil had sufficient strength to support relief wells. 3. Drilling RW-1 and RW-2. Both RW-1 and RW-2 suffered of surface and subsurface problems never achieved their objectives and had to be aborted. Numbers of good lessons were learned from the relief well initiative, such as: 1. No gas or liquid flowed from the wellhead area when it was excavated one month after the eruption started. The wellhead remained intact and totally dead suggesting that the mud flowed to surface through a fault zone or a fracture network instead of up the wellbore. 2. The ‘fish’ in BJP-1 wellbore was found at its original location and not eroded away. This suggests that the mud flow did not pass through the wellbore. 3. The Temperature log showed lower temp. than surface mud temp. The Sonan log response was quiet. These results suggest that there was no near casing mudflow. 4. Dynamic subsurface conditions of the area with shear movement at a depth of 1,100 ft to 1,500 ft. 5. The RW-1 experienced alternate loss and kicks at a depth of around 3,200 ft. as it entered the unstable fault zone and fracture network which likely served as the mud flow conduit. Drilling in the zone of instability around the mudflow conduit cannot be avoided and is full of hazards. 6. The area suffers a dynamic geological condition. The subsidence rate at the rig site of more than 100 cm in a month. The subsidence also had a lateral component. 7. LUSI has multiple mudflow conduits as reflected in the more than 100 gas bubbles currently occurring within a radius of 1.5 km. Although the relief wells did not achieve their intended purpose to stop the mudflow, they allowed the collection of valuable data, all of which suggests that the mudflow did not originate from the BJP-1 wellbore as originally assumed. The use of relief wells to kill the mudflow is a futile attempt since in such complex plumbing system. New conduits or the two dormant mudflow centers along the fault line that appeared at the beginning of LUSI may reactivate if the currently active conduit is blocked. In conclusion, LUSI appears to be another naturally occurring MV that is impossible to kill using relief wells.

Chronic disease and disasters medication demands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

PubMed

Jhung, Michael A; Shehab, Nadine; Rohr-Allegrini, Cherise; Pollock, Daniel A; Sanchez, Roger; Guerra, Fernando; Jernigan, Daniel B

2007-09-01

Preparing for natural disasters has historically focused on treatment for acute injuries, environmental exposures, and infectious diseases. Many disaster survivors also have existing chronic illness, which may be worsened by post-disaster conditions. The relationship between actual medication demands and medical relief pharmaceutical supplies was assessed in a population of 18,000 evacuees relocated to San Antonio TX after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast in August 2005. Healthcare encounters from day 4 to day 31 after landfall were monitored using a syndromic surveillance system based on patient chief complaint. Medication-dispensing records were collected from federal disaster relief teams and local retail pharmacies serving evacuees. Medications dispensed to evacuees during this period were quantified into defined daily doses and classified as acute or chronic, based on their primary indications. Of 4,229 categorized healthcare encounters, 634 (15%) were for care of chronic medical conditions. Sixty-eight percent of all medications dispensed to evacuees were for treatment of chronic diseases. Cardiovascular medications (39%) were most commonly dispensed to evacuees. Thirty-eight percent of medication doses dispensed by federal relief teams were for chronic care, compared to 73% of doses dispensed by retail pharmacies. Federal disaster relief teams supplied 9% of all chronic care medicines dispensed. A substantial demand for drugs used to treat chronic medical conditions was identified among San Antonio evacuees, as was a reliance on retail pharmacy supplies to meet this demand. Medical relief pharmacy supplies did not consistently reflect the actual demands of evacuees.

Study of recrystallization and devitrification of lunar glass

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulrich, D. R.

1974-01-01

The technique of differential thermal analysis (DTA) was applied to the study of the Apollo 17 orange soil (74220,63) and the Apollo 16 glass coated anorthite (64455,21). These glasses show accentuated exotherms of strain relief in the annealing range which is indicative of rapid cooling. These are amenable to interpretation by comparison to the known history of synthetic glasses. Synthetic glasses were prepared whose similarity in behavior between the lunar glasses and their synthetic analogs is striking. Approximate rates of cooling of the lunar glasses were determined from comparative DTA of lunar and synthetic glasses and from the determination of the relation of strain relief in the annealing range to quench rate. At higher temperatures the glasses show exotherms of crystallization. The crystallization products associated with the exothermic reactions have been identified by X-ray diffraction and the surface morphologies developed by strain relief and crystallization have been characterized with scanning electron microscopy.

Deformation relief evolution during sliding friction of Hadfield steel single crystal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lychagin, D. V.; Filippov, A. V.; Novitskaya, O. S.; Kolubaev, A. V.; Sizova, O. V.

2017-12-01

The paper deals with the evolution of the deformation relief formed on lateral faces of single crystals of Hadfield steel during dry sliding friction. The use of single crystals with the predetermined orientation enables to analyze the development of shear systems subject to the duration of tribological tests. As the test duration increases, slip bands are curved and thicken in the near-surface region. After 24 hours of friction, single crystals of Hadfield steel demonstrate the maximum hardening. Afterwards, the wear process begins, which is followed by the repeated strain hardening of the specimens. After 48 hours of friction, the height of the deformation relief nearly halves on all of the three faces, as compared to that observed after 24 hours of friction. Differences in the propagation height of slip bands on the faces occur due to the uneven running-in as well as the complex involvement pattern of shear systems into the deformation process.

High voltage bushing having weathershed and surrounding stress relief collar

DOEpatents

Cookson, Alan H.

1981-01-01

A high voltage electric bushing comprises a hollow elongated dielectric weathershed which encloses a high voltage conductor. A collar formed of high voltage dielectric material is positioned over the weathershed and is bonded thereto by an interface material which precludes moisture-like contaminants from entering between the bonded portions. The collar is substantially thicker than the adjacent weathershed which it surrounds, providing relief of the electric stresses which would otherwise appear on the outer surface of the weathershed. The collar may include a conductive ring or capacitive foil to further relieve electric stresses experienced by the bushing.

Continuous tone printing in silicone from CNC milled matrices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoskins, S.; McCallion, P.

2014-02-01

Current research at the Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR) at the University of the West of England, Bristol, is exploring the potential of creating coloured pictorial imagery from a continuous tone relief surface. To create the printing matrices the research team have been using CNC milled images where the height of the relief image is dictated by creating a tone curve and then milling this curve into a series of relief blocks from which the image is cast in a silicone ink. A translucent image is cast from each of the colour matrices and each colour is assembled - one on top of another - resulting is a colour continuous tone print, where colour tone is created by physical depth of colour. This process is a contemporary method of continuous tone colour printing based upon the Nineteenth Century black and white printing process of Woodburytype as developed by Walter Bentley Woodbury in 1865. Woodburytype is the only true continuous tone printing process invented, and although its delicate and subtle surfaces surpassed all other printing methods at the time. The process died out in the late nineteenth century as more expedient and cost effective methods of printing prevailed. New research at CFPR builds upon previous research that combines 19th Century Photomechanical techniques with digital technology to reappraise the potential of these processes.

Gravity study of the Middle Aterno Valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

di Nezza, Maria; di Filippo, Michele; Cesi, Claudio; Ferri, Fernando

2010-05-01

A gravity study was carried out to identify the geological and structural features of the Middle Aterno Valley, and intramontane depression in the central Appennines, which was targeted to assess the seismic hazard of the city of L'Aquila and surrounding areas, after the Abruzzo 2009 earthquake. Gravity anomalies have been used for the construction of a 3D model of the area, and gravity data for the construction of Bouguer and residual anomaly maps. These data, together with geological surface data allowed for the understanding of the Plio-quaternary tectonic setting of the basins. The study area has been differentiated into different domains with respect to structural and morphological features of different styles of faults. Geology and gravity data show that the local amplification phenomena are due to the fact that the historical center of L'Aquila was built on a coarse breccias (debris-flow deposits with decameter scale limestone blocks) overlying sandy and clayey lacustrine sediments. As these sediments have a low density, gravity prospecting very easily identifies them. Residual anomalies, showing a relative gravity low corresponding to the historical center of L'Aquila, and surrounding areas, indicated that these sediments are up to 250 m-thick. Gravity prospecting also revealed the uprooting of the reliefs which outcrop in the area of Coppito. These reliefs, practically outcrop in the middle of the basin. Here, the gravity anomalies are negative and not positive as would be expected from outcropping geological bedrock.

Diffractive optics in industry and research: novel components for optical security systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laakkonen, Pasi; Turunen, Jari; Pietarinen, Juha; Siitonen, Samuli; Laukkanen, Janne; Jefimovs, Konstantins; Orava, Joni; Ritala, Mikko; Pilvi, Tero; Tuovinen, Hemmo; Ventola, Kalle; Vallius, Tuomas; Kaipiainen, Matti; Kuittinen, Markku

2005-09-01

Design and manufacturing of diffractive optical elements (DOEs) are presented. Mass replication methods for DOEs are explained including UV-replication, micro-injection moulding and reel-to-reel production. Novel applications of diffractive optics including spectroscopic surface relief gratings, antireflection surfaces, infrared light rejection gratings, light incoupling into thin waveguides, and additive diffractive colour mixing are presented.

Process Damping and Cutting Tool Geometry in Machining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, C. M.; Sims, N. D.; Turner, S.

2011-12-01

Regenerative vibration, or chatter, limits the performance of machining processes. Consequences of chatter include tool wear and poor machined surface finish. Process damping by tool-workpiece contact can reduce chatter effects and improve productivity. Process damping occurs when the flank (also known as the relief face) of the cutting tool makes contact with waves on the workpiece surface, created by chatter motion. Tool edge features can act to increase the damping effect. This paper examines how a tool's edge condition combines with the relief angle to affect process damping. An analytical model of cutting with chatter leads to a two-section curve describing how process damped vibration amplitude changes with surface speed for radiussed tools. The tool edge dominates the process damping effect at the lowest surface speeds, with the flank dominating at higher speeds. A similar curve is then proposed regarding tools with worn edges. Experimental data supports the notion of the two-section curve. A rule of thumb is proposed which could be useful to machine operators, regarding tool wear and process damping. The question is addressed, should a tool of a given geometry, used for a given application, be considered as sharp, radiussed or worn regarding process damping.

An intermediate-scale model for thermal hydrology in low-relief permafrost-affected landscapes

DOE PAGES

Jan, Ahmad; Coon, Ethan T.; Painter, Scott L.; ...

2017-07-10

Integrated surface/subsurface models for simulating the thermal hydrology of permafrost-affected regions in a warming climate have recently become available, but computational demands of those new process-rich simu- lation tools have thus far limited their applications to one-dimensional or small two-dimensional simulations. We present a mixed-dimensional model structure for efficiently simulating surface/subsurface thermal hydrology in low-relief permafrost regions at watershed scales. The approach replaces a full three-dimensional system with a two-dimensional overland thermal hydrology system and a family of one-dimensional vertical columns, where each column represents a fully coupled surface/subsurface thermal hydrology system without lateral flow. The system is then operatormore » split, sequentially updating the overland flow system without sources and the one-dimensional columns without lateral flows. We show that the app- roach is highly scalable, supports subcycling of different processes, and compares well with the corresponding fully three-dimensional representation at significantly less computational cost. Those advances enable recently developed representations of freezing soil physics to be coupled with thermal overland flow and surface energy balance at scales of 100s of meters. Furthermore developed and demonstrated for permafrost thermal hydrology, the mixed-dimensional model structure is applicable to integrated surface/subsurface thermal hydrology in general.« less

Guide to Magellan image interpretation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ford, John P.; Plaut, Jeffrey J.; Weitz, Catherine M.; Farr, Tom G.; Senske, David A.; Stofan, Ellen R.; Michaels, Gregory; Parker, Timothy J.; Fulton, D. (Editor)

1993-01-01

An overview of Magellan Mission requirements, radar system characteristics, and methods of data collection is followed by a description of the image data, mosaic formats, areal coverage, resolution, and pixel DN-to-dB conversion. The availability and sources of image data are outlined. Applications of the altimeter data to estimate relief, Fresnel reflectivity, and surface slope, and the radiometer data to derive microwave emissivity are summarized and illustrated in conjunction with corresponding SAR image data. Same-side and opposite-side stereo images provide examples of parallax differences from which to measure relief with a lateral resolution many times greater than that of the altimeter. Basic radar interactions with geologic surfaces are discussed with respect to radar-imaging geometry, surface roughness, backscatter modeling, and dielectric constant. Techniques are described for interpreting the geomorphology and surface properties of surficial features, impact craters, tectonically deformed terrain, and volcanic landforms. The morphologic characteristics that distinguish impact craters from volcanic craters are defined. Criteria for discriminating extensional and compressional origins of tectonic features are discussed. Volcanic edifices, constructs, and lava channels are readily identified from their radar outlines in images. Geologic map units are identified on the basis of surface texture, image brightness, pattern, and morphology. Superposition, cross-cutting relations, and areal distribution of the units serve to elucidate the geologic history.

Characterization of the Navy Fan Channel-to-Lobe Transition: Geomorphology, Gradient, and Structure Imaged through High-Resolution AUV Bathymetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carvajal, C.; Paull, C. K.; Caress, D. W.; Anderson, K.; Lundsten, E. M.; Gwiazda, R.; Fildani, A.; Dykstra, M.; McGann, M.; Maier, K. L.; Herguera, J. C.

2016-12-01

Channel to lobe transition zones (CLTZ) are elusive sectors of the seafloor. They record complex interactions between sediment-gravity flows, flow confinement, and gradient that can result in contrasting geomorphologies. If present, structural controls can add additional intricacies. We illustrate such complexities in the Navy Fan CLTZ offshore California/Mexico using AUV-collected high-resolution (1x1x0.25 m) bathymetry and chirp profiles. The AUV bathymetry images the fine scale details of the seafloor, otherwise unresolved in surface-ship-mounted multibeam bathymetry. Three morphological areas standout that in a direction transverse to sediment transport are: 1) An unconfined area with variable but overall steep gradients (0.5o-1.7o), and considerable erosion shown by numerous large scours that truncate underlying strata. These scours are elongate (<500x180 m), deep (<18 m), asymmetric (steeper proximally), and more prominent along steeper gradients; 2) An area of moderate confinement along a smoother, gentler gradient (0.2o-0.5o; 0.9o locally). This area is 8 km long with a channel (WxD: 233x11 m) that transitions basinwards to low confinement (WxD: 1000x4 m); and 3) An area with an escarpment (<25 m high, <19o) and ridge of the San Clemente Fault. We hypothesize that the erosional morphologies of the unconfined areas reflect swifter turbidity currents due to high gradients, which resulted from relief along the San Clemente Fault and probably from differential seafloor aggradation. In the moderate confinement area, the smoother and gentler seafloor may be related to more efficient sediment dispersal able to transfer/deposit sediment to heal structural relief (though not completely) while avoiding significant local aggradation, hence preventing major gradient build up. In the faulted area, the steep and prominent structure reroutes the sediments. The findings of this study have broad application to any seafloor areas with rapid changes of gradient.

Method for forming precision clockplate with pivot pins

DOEpatents

Wild, Ronald L [Albuquerque, NM

2010-06-01

Methods are disclosed for producing a precision clockplate with rotational bearing surfaces (e.g. pivot pins). The methods comprise providing an electrically conductive blank, conventionally machining oversize features comprising bearing surfaces into the blank, optionally machining of a relief on non-bearing surfaces, providing wire accesses adjacent to bearing surfaces, threading the wire of an electrical discharge machine through the accesses and finishing the bearing surfaces by wire electrical discharge machining. The methods have been shown to produce bearing surfaces of comparable dimension and tolerances as those produced by micro-machining methods such as LIGA, at reduced cost and complexity.

40 CFR 230.60 - General evaluation of dredged or fill material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... generally found in areas of high current or wave energy such as streams with large bed loads or coastal... show watercourses, surface relief, proximity to tidal movement, private and public roads, location of...

40 CFR 230.60 - General evaluation of dredged or fill material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... generally found in areas of high current or wave energy such as streams with large bed loads or coastal... show watercourses, surface relief, proximity to tidal movement, private and public roads, location of...

40 CFR 230.60 - General evaluation of dredged or fill material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... generally found in areas of high current or wave energy such as streams with large bed loads or coastal... show watercourses, surface relief, proximity to tidal movement, private and public roads, location of...

40 CFR 230.60 - General evaluation of dredged or fill material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... generally found in areas of high current or wave energy such as streams with large bed loads or coastal... show watercourses, surface relief, proximity to tidal movement, private and public roads, location of...

40 CFR 230.60 - General evaluation of dredged or fill material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... generally found in areas of high current or wave energy such as streams with large bed loads or coastal... show watercourses, surface relief, proximity to tidal movement, private and public roads, location of...

Constructive spin-orbital angular momentum coupling can twist materials to create spiral structures in optical vortex illumination

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

Barada, Daisuke; Center for Optical Research and Education; Juman, Guzhaliayi

It was discovered that optical vortices twist isotropic and homogenous materials, e.g., azo-polymer films to form spiral structures on a nano- or micro-scale. However, the formation mechanism has not yet been established theoretically. To understand the mechanism of the spiral surface relief formation in the azo-polymer film, we theoretically investigate the optical radiation force induced in an isotropic and homogeneous material under irradiation using a continuous-wave optical vortex with arbitrary topological charge and polarization. It is revealed that the spiral surface relief formation in azo-polymer films requires the irradiation of optical vortices with a positive (negative) spin angular momentum andmore » a positive (negative) orbital angular momentum (constructive spin-orbital angular momentum coupling), i.e., the degeneracy among the optical vortices with the same total angular momentum is resolved.« less

[Morphologic characteristics of the endometrium in women with endometriosis].

PubMed

Skopichev, V G; Savitkiĭ, G A; Gorbushin, S M

1998-01-01

It was established that in accordance with certain phases of sexual cycle (menstrual cycle in women and estral cycle in rats) on the background of hormone action at follicular and luteal phase the surface of epitheliocytes acquires specific relief (formation and degradation of microvilli appropriately in first and second halves of the cycle, accordingly). Disturbance of cyclic change of the relief of apical surface of epitheliocytes of the endometrium, persistence of high binding activity of the cationic dye and formation of intercellular clefts were demonstrated in developing endometriosis, which significantly interferes with the reproductive function. This was suggested to be an unfavourable result of cytotoxic effect of autoimmune processes that develop due to implantation of cells of endometrium in abdominal cavity and initiation of cooperative cellular response, which seems to be morphologically demonstrated by significant increase in number of macrophages in tissues of the uterus and in menstrual discharge.

Topography-Dependent Motion Compensation: Application to UAVSAR Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Cathleen E.; Hensley, Scott; Michel, Thierry

2009-01-01

The UAVSAR L-band synthetic aperture radar system has been designed for repeat track interferometry in support of Earth science applications that require high-precision measurements of small surface deformations over timescales from hours to years. Conventional motion compensation algorithms, which are based upon assumptions of a narrow beam and flat terrain, yield unacceptably large errors in areas with even moderate topographic relief, i.e., in most areas of interest. This often limits the ability to achieve sub-centimeter surface change detection over significant portions of an acquired scene. To reduce this source of error in the interferometric phase, we have implemented an advanced motion compensation algorithm that corrects for the scene topography and radar beam width. Here we discuss the algorithm used, its implementation in the UAVSAR data processor, and the improvement in interferometric phase and correlation achieved in areas with significant topographic relief.

Rapid fabrication of surface-relief plastic diffusers by ultrasonic embossing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Shih-Jung; Huang, Yu-Chin; Yang, Sen-Yeu; Hsieh, Kuo-Huang

2010-07-01

This paper discusses an innovative and effective ultrasonic embossing process, which enables the rapid fabrication of surface-relief plastic diffusers. The metallic mold bearing the microstructures is fabricated using a tungsten carbide turning machine. A 1500-W ultrasonic vibrator with an output frequency of 20 kHz was used to replicate the microstructure onto 1-mm-thick PMMA plates in the experiments. During ultrasonic embossing, the ultrasonic energy is converted into heat through intermolecular friction at the master mold/plastic plate interface due to asperities to melt the thermoplastic at the interface and thereby to replicate the microstructure. Under the proper processing conditions, high-performance plastic diffusers have been successfully fabricated. The cycle time required to successfully fabricate a diffuser is less than 2 s. The experimental results suggest that ultrasonic embossing could provide an effective way of fabricating high-performance plastic diffusers with a high throughput.

38 CFR 43.20 - Standards for financial management systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards for financial... LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Post-Award Requirements Financial Administration § 43.20 Standards for financial... procedures for expending and accounting for its own funds. Fiscal control and accounting procedures of the...

38 CFR 61.64 - Religious organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., practice and expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use direct financial assistance..., on the basis of religion or religious belief. (f) If a State or local government voluntarily... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Religious organizations...

38 CFR 61.64 - Religious organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., practice and expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use direct financial assistance..., on the basis of religion or religious belief. (f) If a State or local government voluntarily... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Religious organizations...

38 CFR 62.62 - Religious organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... definition, practice, and expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use direct financial... technical assistance, on the basis of religion or religious belief. (f) If a State or local government... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Religious organizations...

38 CFR 61.64 - Religious organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., practice and expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use direct financial assistance..., on the basis of religion or religious belief. (f) If a State or local government voluntarily... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Religious organizations...

38 CFR 62.62 - Religious organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... definition, practice, and expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use direct financial... technical assistance, on the basis of religion or religious belief. (f) If a State or local government... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Religious organizations...

38 CFR 61.64 - Religious organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... religion or religious belief. (f) If a state or local government voluntarily contributes its own funds to... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Religious organizations... § 61.64 Religious organizations. (a) Organizations that are religious or faith-based are eligible, on...

38 CFR 62.62 - Religious organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... definition, practice, and expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use direct financial... technical assistance, on the basis of religion or religious belief. (f) If a State or local government... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Religious organizations...

38 CFR 62.62 - Religious organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... definition, practice, and expression of its religious beliefs, provided that it does not use direct financial... technical assistance, on the basis of religion or religious belief. (f) If a State or local government... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Religious organizations...

38 CFR 61.64 - Religious organizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... religion or religious belief. (f) If a state or local government voluntarily contributes its own funds to... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Religious organizations... § 61.64 Religious organizations. (a) Organizations that are religious or faith-based are eligible, on...

Advertising and Regulation during the New Deal Era, 1933-1941.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanfranco, Leonard W.

As the "New Deal" era of the "Great Depression" promised relief from the publicly perceived failures of business and industry, a corresponding attitude of consumerism arose, aimed at "Big Business's" accomplice, advertising. Across the nation, national and local consumer protection organizations arose, and nonconsumer…

78 FR 65212 - Suspension of Community Eligibility

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-31

... adopt and administer local floodplain management measures aimed at protecting lives and new construction... Relief and Emergency Assistance Act not in connection with a flood) may be provided for construction or...; November 6, 2013, Susp West Virginia: Parkersburg, City of, Wood 540214 July 1, 1974, ......* do Do. County...

Military Review. Volume 90, Number 2, March-April 2010

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-01

because their families’ survival depends on the child working elsewhere. Yet, the local population may greatly appreciate water wells and irrigation...terror he associated with flashbacks he called “war porn .” Properly diagnosed with PTSD in 2001, Doucette found relief after he began treatment and

Remote sensing data of SP Mountain and SP Lava flow in North-Central Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schaber, G.G.; Elachi, C.; Farr, T.G.

1980-01-01

Multifrequency airborne radar image data of SP Mountain [Official name of feature (U.S. Geological Survey, 1970)] and SP flow (and vicinity) in north-central Arizona were obtained in diverse viewing directions and direct and cross-polarization, then compared with surface and aerial photography, LANDSAT multispectral scanner data, airborne thermal infrared imagery, surface geology, and surface roughness statistics. The extremely blocky, basaltic andesite of SP flow is significantly brighter on direct-polarization K-band (0.9-cm wavelength) images than on cross-polarized images taken simultaneously. Conversely, for the longer wavelength (25 cm) L-band radar images, the cross-polarization image returns from SP flow are brighter than the direct-polarized image. This effect is explained by multiple scattering and the strong wavelength dependence of polarization effects caused by the rectilinear basaltic andesite scatters. Two distinct types of surface relief on SP flow, one extremely blocky, the other subdued, are found to be clearly discriminated on the visible and thermal wavelength images but are separable only on the longer wavelength L-band radar image data. The inability of the K- and X- (3-cm wavelength) band radars to portray the differences in roughness between the two SP flow surface units is attributed to the radar frequency dependence of the surface-relief scale, which, described as the Rayleigh criterion, represents the transition between quasispecular and primarily diffuse backscatter. ?? 1980.

Child health in complex emergencies.

PubMed Central

Moss, William J.; Ramakrishnan, Meenakshi; Storms, Dory; Henderson Siegle, Anne; Weiss, William M.; Lejnev, Ivan; Muhe, Lulu

2006-01-01

Coordinated and effective interventions are critical for relief efforts to be successful in addressing the health needs of children in situations of armed conflict, population displacement, and/or food insecurity. We reviewed published literature and surveyed international relief organizations engaged in child health activities in complex emergencies. Our aim was to identify research needs and improve guidelines for the care of children. Much of the literature details the burden of disease and the causes of morbidity and mortality; few interventional studies have been published. Surveys of international relief organizations showed that most use World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and ministry of health guidelines designed for use in stable situations. Organizations were least likely to have formal guidelines on the management of asphyxia, prematurity, and infection in neonates; diagnosis and management of children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; active case-finding and treatment of tuberculosis; paediatric trauma; and the diagnosis and management of mental-health problems in children. Guidelines often are not adapted to the different types of health-care workers who provide care in complex emergencies. Evidence-based, locally adapted guidelines for the care of children in complex emergencies should be adopted by ministries of health, supported by WHO and UNICEF, and disseminated to international relief organizations to ensure appropriate, effective, and uniform care. PMID:16501716

Onset of action during on-demand treatment with maalox suspension or low-dose ranitidine for heartburn.

PubMed

Faaij, R A; Van Gerven, J M; Jolivet-Landreau, I; Masclee, A A; Vendrig, E M; Schoemaker, R C; Jacobs, L D; Cohen, A F

1999-12-01

To compare the onset of action of the local antacid Maalox and the systemic H2-antagonist ranitidine, during 'on demand' ambulant treatment of a single heartburn episode, using a randomized, parallel group, double-blind, double-dummy design. Subjects with self-perceived heartburn without known gastrointestinal disease or interfering treatments were selected with questionnaires. The study was performed unsupervised, whenever heartburn required medication. An electronic patient diary gave instructions when to take study medication, and provided visual analogue scales and five-item relief ratings for heartburn, at frequent time intervals activated by an alarm-clock. After a study of the natural history of heartburn and the feasibility of the study procedures in 23 patients, 49 subjects took Maalox and 45 ranitidine. Half of these experienced meaningful heartburn relief within 19 min after Maalox, and within 70 min after ranitidine. One hour after intake, the average heartburn relief score was 3.43 in the Maalox group and 3.04 in the ranitidine group (3 means 'slight improvement' and 4 'strong improvement'). Heartburn was similar in both groups after 3 h. Maalox provides faster relief of heartburn than ranitidine. Heartburn can be assessed frequently and reliably under ambulant conditions using an electronic patient diary.

[Medical Relief Response by Miyako Public Health Center after the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, 2011].

PubMed

Yanagihara, Hiroki

2016-01-01

To improve disaster preparedness, we investigated the response of medical relief activities managed by Iwate Prefectural Miyako Public Health Center during the post-acute phase of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami on March 11, 2011. The study divided the post-disaster period into three approximate time segments: Period I (time of disaster through late March), Period II (mid-April), and Period III (end of May in Miyako City, early July in Yamada Town). We reviewed records on medical relief activities conducted by medical assistance teams (MATs) in Miyako City and Yamada Town. Miyako Public Health Center had organized a meeting to coordinate medical relief activities from Period I to Period III. According to demand for medical services and recovery from the local medical institutions (LMIs) in the affected area, MATs were deployed and active on evacuation centers in each area assigned. The number of patients examined by MATs in Miyako rose to approximately 250 people per day in Period I and decreased to 100 in Period III. However, in Yamada, the number surged to 700 in Period I, fell to 100 in Period II, and decreased to 50 in Period III. This difference could be partly explained as follows. In Miyako, most evacuees had consulted LMIs which restarted medical services after disaster, and the number of LMIs restarted had already reached 29 (94% of the whole) in Period I. In Yamada, most evacuees who had consulted MATs in Period I had almost moved to LMIs restarted in Period II. During the same time, a division of roles and coordination on medical services provision was conducted, such as MATs mainly in charge of primary emergency triage, in response to the number of LMIs restarted which reached 1 (20%) in Period I and 3 (60%) in Period II. Following Period III, more than 80% of patients in Miyako had been a slight illness, such as need for health guidance, and the number of people who underwent emergency medical transport reached pre-disaster levels in both locations. These results suggest that demand for medical services of evacuees declined to a stable level in an early stage of Period III. Using the above findings, one might justify supporting local medical institutions' recovery earlier. Then, medical relief activities might be finished properly. This study shows useful perspectives in the response of medical relief activities during post-acute phase after disaster and the importance of establishing systems for information management that apply these perspectives.

Dendritic azo compounds as a new type amorphous molecular material with quick photoinduced surface-relief-grating formation ability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Yaning; Gu, Xinyu; Guo, Miaocai; Wang, Xiaogong

2008-09-01

A series of dendritic azobenzene-containing compounds have been synthesized as a new type amorphous molecular material, which can show quick surface-relief-grating (SRG) formation ability upon light irradiation. For the synthesis, the dendritic precursor tris(2-(ethyl(phenyl)amino)ethyl)benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate and tris(3,5-bis(2-(ethyl(phenyl)amino)ethoxy)benzyl)benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate were prepared by esterification reactions between 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl chloride and N-ethyl- N-hydroxyethyl-aniline and 3,5-bis[2-( N-ethylanilino)ethoxy] benzylalcohol. The precursors were, respectively reacted with the diazonium salts of 4-nitroaniline, 4-aminobenzoic acid, and 4-aminobenzonitrile to introduce different types of donor-acceptor azo chromophores at the peripheral positions. The structure and properties of the dendritic azo compounds were characterized by the spectroscopic methods and thermal analysis. The surface-relief-grating (SRG) formation behavior of the dendritic azo compounds was studied by exposing the spin-coated thin films to an interference pattern of laser beams (532 nm) at modest intensity (100 mW/cm 2). The results show that the azo compounds can form stable amorphous glasses in a broad temperature range. The glass transition temperatures ( Tgs) depend on the backbone structures and the type of the peripheral azo chromophors. The type of the electron withdrawing groups in the p-positions of the terminal azobenzene units shows a significant influence on the SRG inscription rate. For the compounds containing the same type azo chromophores, the SRG inscription rate is also affected by the backbone structure.

The relationships between residual stress relaxation and texture development in AZ31 Mg alloys via the vibratory stress relief technique

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

Wang, Jia-Siang, E-mail: andy304312003@yahoo.com.tw; Hsieh, Chih-Chun, E-mail: jeromehsieh@gmail.com; Lai, Hsuan-Han, E-mail: g099066020@mail.nchu.edu.tw

2015-01-15

A systematic study of residual stress relaxation and the texture evolution of cold-rolled AZ31 Mg alloys using the vibratory stress relief technique with a simple cantilever beam vibration system was performed using a high-resolution X-ray diffractometer and a portable X-ray residual stress analyzer. The effects of vibrational stress excitation on the surface residual stress distribution and on the texture of pole figures (0002) occurring during the vibratory stress relief were examined. Compared with the effects corresponding to the same alloy under non-vibration condition, it can be observed that the uniform surface residual stress distribution and relaxation of the compressive residualmore » stress in the stress concentration zone were observed rather than all of the residual stresses being eliminated. Furthermore, with an increase in the vibrational aging time, the compressive residual stress, texture density, and (0002) preferred orientation increased first and then decreased. It should be underlined that the vibratory stress relief process for the vibrational aging time of more than 10 min is able to weaken the strong basal textures of AZ31 Mg alloys, which is valuable for enhancement of their formability and is responsible for an almost perfect 3D-Debye–Scherrer ring. - Highlights: • 3D-Debye ring about VSR technique is not discussed in the existing literature. • A newly developed VSR method is suitable for small or thin workpieces. • The cosα method accurately and effectively determines the residual stresses. • The VSR technique is valuable for enhancement of their formability. • The texture and preferred orientation change with the vibrational aging time.« less

Complex structures of different CaFe2As2 samples

PubMed Central

Saparov, Bayrammurad; Cantoni, Claudia; Pan, Minghu; Hogan, Thomas C.; II, William Ratcliff; Wilson, Stephen D.; Fritsch, Katharina; Gaulin, Bruce D.; Sefat, Athena S.

2014-01-01

The interplay between magnetism and crystal structures in three CaFe2As2 samples is studied. For the nonmagnetic quenched crystals, different crystalline domains with varying lattice parameters are found, and three phases (orthorhombic, tetragonal, and collapsed tetragonal) coexist between TS = 95 K and 45 K. Annealing of the quenched crystals at 350°C leads to a strain relief through a large (~1.3%) expansion of the c-parameter and a small (~0.2%) contraction of the a-parameter, and to local ~0.2 Å displacements at the atomic-level. This annealing procedure results in the most homogeneous crystals for which the antiferromagnetic and orthorhombic phase transitions occur at TN/TS = 168(1) K. In the 700°C-annealed crystal, an intermediate strain regime takes place, with tetragonal and orthorhombic structural phases coexisting between 80 to 120 K. The origin of such strong shifts in the transition temperatures are tied to structural parameters. Importantly, with annealing, an increase in the Fe-As length leads to more localized Fe electrons and higher local magnetic moments on Fe ions. Synergistic contribution of other structural parameters, including a decrease in the Fe-Fe distance, and a dramatic increase of the c-parameter, which enhances the Fermi surface nesting in CaFe2As2, are also discussed. PMID:24844399

Beyond Pain Relief: Total Knee Replacement Surgery

MedlinePlus

... long distance runners or high performing athletes,” said orthopedic surgeon Joshua J. Jacobs, M.D. NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) supports Dr. Jacobs’ research. The surgery involves replacing weight-bearing surfaces of ...

A new experimental material for modeling relief dynamics and interactions between tectonics and surface processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graveleau, F.; Hurtrez, J.-E.; Dominguez, S.; Malavieille, J.

2011-12-01

We developed a new granular material (MatIV) to study experimentally landscape evolution in active mountain belt piedmonts. Its composition and related physical properties have been determined using empirical criteria derived from the scaling of deformation, erosion-transport and sedimentation natural processes. MatIV is a water-saturated composite material made up with 4 granular components (silica powder, glass microbeads, plastic powder and graphite) whose physical, mechanical and erosion-related properties were measured with different laboratory tests. Mechanical measurements were made on a modified Hubbert-type direct shear apparatus. Erosion-related properties were determined using an experimental set-up that allows quantifying the erosion/sedimentation budget from tilted relaxation topographies. For MatIV, we also investigated the evolution of mean erosion rates and stream power erosion law exponents in 1D as a function of slope. Our results indicate that MatIV satisfies most of the defined criteria. It deforms brittlely according to the linear Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion and localizes deformation along discrete faults. Its erosion pattern is characterized by realistic hillslope and channelized processes (slope diffusion, mass wasting, channel incision). During transport, eroded particles are sorted depending on their density and shape, which results in stratified alluvial deposits displaying lateral facies variations. To evaluate the degree of similitude between model and nature, we used a new experimental device that combines accretionary wedge deformation mechanisms and surface runoff erosion processes. Results indicate that MatIV succeeded in producing detailed morphological and sedimentological features (drainage basin, channel network, terrace, syntectonic alluvial fan). Geometric, kinematic and dynamic similarity criteria have been investigated to compare precisely model to nature. Although scaling is incomplete, it yields particularly informative orders of magnitude. With all these characteristics, MatIV appears as a very promising material to investigate experimentally a wide range of scientific questions dealing with relief dynamics and interactions between tectonics, erosion and sedimentation processes.

Understanding key drivers controlling daily stable isotope variations in precipitation of Costa Rica, Central America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Murillo, Ricardo; Welsh, Kristin; Birkel, Christian; Esquivel-Hernández, Germain; Corrales-Salazar, Jose; Boll, Jan; Brooks, Erin; Roupsard, Olivier; Katchan, Irina; Arce-Mesén, Rafael; Soulsby, Chris; Araguás-Araguás, Luis

2015-04-01

Costa Rica is located on the Central American Isthmus, which receives direct moisture inputs from the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The relatively narrow, but high relief Central American land bridge is characterized by unique mountainous and lowland microclimates. However, only limited knowledge exists about the impact of relief and regional atmospheric circulation patterns on precipitation origin, transport, and isotopic composition in this tropical region. Therefore, the main scope of this study is to identify the key drivers controlling variations in meteoric waters of Costa Rica using stable isotopes based on daily sample collection for the year 2013. The monitoring sites comprise three strategic locations across Costa Rica: Heredia (Central Valley), Turrialba (Caribbean slope), and Caño Seco (South Pacific slope). Sporadic dry season rain is mostly related to isolated enriched events ranging from -5.8‰ d18O up to -0.9‰ d18O. By mid-May, the Intertropical Convergence Zone reaches Costa Rica resulting in a notable depletion in isotope ratios (up to -18.5‰ d18O). HYSPLIT back air mass trajectories indicate the strong influence on the origin and transport of precipitation of two main moisture transport mechanisms, the Caribbean Low Level Jet and the Colombian Low Level Jet as well as localized convection events. Multiple linear regression models constructed based on Random Forests of surface meteorological information and atmospheric sounding profiles suggest that Lifted Condensation Level and surface relative humidity are the main factors controlling isotopic variations. These findings diverge from the recognized 'amount effect' in monthly composite samples across the tropics. Understanding of stable isotope dynamics in tropical precipitation can be used to enhance catchment and groundwater modeling efforts in ungauged basins where scarcity of long-term monitoring data drastically limit current and future water resources management.

43 CFR 1882.0-3 - Authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GENERAL MANAGEMENT (1000) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS Mineral Development Impact Relief Loans § 1882.0-3 Authority. Section 317(c) of the Federal Land Policy and Management... development of Federal minerals leased under the Act of February 25, 1920 (30 U.S.C. 181 et seq.). ...

USSR Report, International Affairs

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-09

and planted in the black Djibouti soil the cutting of a jojoba —a tree capable of enduring all the adversities of the desert and symbolizing in local... jojoba , Africa will be able to breathe a sigh of relief," the Kenyan DAILY NATION wrote. "We would all like this most protracted and explosive

44 CFR 208.2 - Definitions of terms used in this part.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Force personnel compensation, itemized fringe benefit rates and amounts including calculations, and... State or Local Government that has executed an MOA with DHS to organize and administer a Task Force. Stafford Act means the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121...

38 CFR 17.74 - Standards applicable to medical foster homes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... medical foster homes. 17.74 Section 17.74 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS MEDICAL Community Residential Care § 17.74 Standards applicable to medical foster homes. (a) General. A medical foster home must: (1) Meet all applicable state and local regulations, including...

38 CFR 41.200 - Audit requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Audit requirements. 41...) AUDITS OF STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Audits § 41.200 Audit requirements. (a) Audit required. Non-Federal entities that expend $500,000 or more in a year in Federal awards shall have...

Gravity/Topography Admittances and Lithospheric Evolution on Mars: The Importance of Finite-Amplitude Topography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGovern, Patrick J.; Solomon, Sean C.; Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria T.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Head, J. W., III; Phillips, Roger J.; Simons, Mark

2001-01-01

We calculate localized gravity/topography admittances for Mars, in order to estimate elastic lithosphere thickness. A finite-amplitude correction to modeled gravity is required to properly interpret admittances in high-relief regions of Mars. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

38 CFR 41.515 - Audit working papers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Audit working papers. 41...) AUDITS OF STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Auditors § 41.515 Audit working papers. (a) Retention of working papers. The auditor shall retain working papers and reports for a minimum of...

Spring Outlook: Moderate flood risk for drenched Louisiana, east Texas |

Science.gov Websites

Climate Oceans & Coasts Fisheries Satellites Research Marine & Aviation Charting Sanctuaries improve drought in Northern California; little relief for rest of state Weather Climate climate outlooks weather and climate tools that NOAA provides emergency managers, water managers, state and local officials

Security Notice To Federal, State and Local Officials Receiving Access to the Risk Management Program’s Off-site Consequence Analysis Information

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Based on the Chemical Safety Information, Site Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act (CSISSFRRA), this notice states that while you may share with the public data from OCA sections, it is illegal to disclose/distribute the sections themselves.

Cassini radar views the surface of Titan.

PubMed

Elachi, C; Wall, S; Allison, M; Anderson, Y; Boehmer, R; Callahan, P; Encrenaz, P; Flamini, E; Franceschetti, G; Gim, Y; Hamilton, G; Hensley, S; Janssen, M; Johnson, W; Kelleher, K; Kirk, R; Lopes, R; Lorenz, R; Lunine, J; Muhleman, D; Ostro, S; Paganelli, F; Picardi, G; Posa, F; Roth, L; Seu, R; Shaffer, S; Soderblom, L; Stiles, B; Stofan, E; Vetrella, S; West, R; Wood, C; Wye, L; Zebker, H

2005-05-13

The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper imaged about 1% of Titan's surface at a resolution of approximately 0.5 kilometer, and larger areas of the globe in lower resolution modes. The images reveal a complex surface, with areas of low relief and a variety of geologic features suggestive of dome-like volcanic constructs, flows, and sinuous channels. The surface appears to be young, with few impact craters. Scattering and dielectric properties are consistent with porous ice or organics. Dark patches in the radar images show high brightness temperatures and high emissivity and are consistent with frozen hydrocarbons.

Composite patterning devices for soft lithography

DOEpatents

Rogers, John A.; Menard, Etienne

2007-03-27

The present invention provides methods, devices and device components for fabricating patterns on substrate surfaces, particularly patterns comprising structures having microsized and/or nanosized features of selected lengths in one, two or three dimensions. The present invention provides composite patterning devices comprising a plurality of polymer layers each having selected mechanical properties, such as Young's Modulus and flexural rigidity, selected physical dimensions, such as thickness, surface area and relief pattern dimensions, and selected thermal properties, such as coefficients of thermal expansion, to provide high resolution patterning on a variety of substrate surfaces and surface morphologies.

Cassini radar views the surface of Titan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elachi, C.; Wall, S.; Allison, M.; Anderson, Y.; Boehmer, R.; Callahan, P.; Encrenaz, P.; Flamini, E.; Franceschetti, G.; Gim, Y.; Hamilton, G.; Hensley, S.; Janssen, M.; Johnson, W.; Kelleher, K.; Kirk, R.; Lopes, R.; Lorenz, R.; Lunine, J.; Muhleman, D.; Ostro, S.; Paganelli, F.; Picardi, G.; Posa, F.; Roth, L.; Seu, R.; Shaffer, S.; Soderblom, L.; Stiles, B.; Stofan, E.; Vetrella, S.; West, R.; Wood, C.; Wye, L.; Zebker, H.

2005-01-01

The Cassini Titan Radar Mapper imaged about 1% of Titan's surface at a resolution of ???0.5 kilometer, and larger areas of the globe in lower resolution modes. The images reveal a complex surface, with areas of low relief and a variety of geologic features suggestive of dome-like volcanic constructs, flows, and sinuous channels. The surface appears to be young, with few impact craters. Scattering and dielectric properties are consistent with porous ice or organics. Dark patches in the radar images show high brightness temperatures and high emissivity and are consistent with frozen hydrocarbons.

Periodic surface instabilities in stressed polymer solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsukruk, Vladimir V.; Reneker, Darrell H.

1995-03-01

The surface morphology of isothermally grown polymer single crystals of polypropylene is observed by atomic force microscopy. The distinguishing features of the polymer single crystals studied are periodic undulations and transverse fractures (cracks) across the single crystal laths. Up to 20 wrinkles are observed near the edges of the cracks. The periodicity of these surface perturbations is 400+/-100 nm and the amplitude is 6+/-3 nm. The formation of the periodic modulations and transverse fractures is attributed to surface stress relief caused by the uniaxial thermal contraction of polymer solids.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a lidocaine and tetracaine (7%/7%) cream for induction of local dermal anesthesia for facial soft tissue augmentation with hyaluronic Acid.

PubMed

Cohen, Joel L; Gold, Michael H

2014-10-01

Injection of dermal fillers for soft tissue augmentation is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure with growing popularity. However, patients often express concern about pain with such procedures. A topical anesthetic cream formulated with lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2006 and recently reintroduced to the market for use during superficial dermatological procedures. A Phase 3 study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream versus placebo cream when used to induce local dermal anesthesia during injections with hyaluronic acid. Mean visual analog scale scores significantly favored lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream. A significant percent of subjects also indicated that lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream provided adequate pain relief and that they would use lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream again. Investigators also rated lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream significantly better than placebo cream for providing adequate pain relief and on the assessment of pain scale. Lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream was safe and well tolerated with most subjects reporting no erythema, edema, or blanching. No related adverse events were reported with lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream; one related adverse event of erythema was reported with placebo cream. The results of this study indicate that lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream is efficacious and safe at providing pain relief for soft tissue augmentation with hyaluronic acid.

Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of a Lidocaine and Tetracaine (7%/7%) Cream for Induction of Local Dermal Anesthesia for Facial Soft Tissue Augmentation with Hyaluronic Acid

PubMed Central

Gold, Michael H.

2014-01-01

Injection of dermal fillers for soft tissue augmentation is a minimally invasive cosmetic procedure with growing popularity. However, patients often express concern about pain with such procedures. A topical anesthetic cream formulated with lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 2006 and recently reintroduced to the market for use during superficial dermatological procedures. A Phase 3 study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream versus placebo cream when used to induce local dermal anesthesia during injections with hyaluronic acid. Mean visual analog scale scores significantly favored lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream. A significant percent of subjects also indicated that lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream provided adequate pain relief and that they would use lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream again. Investigators also rated lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream significantly better than placebo cream for providing adequate pain relief and on the assessment of pain scale. Lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream was safe and well tolerated with most subjects reporting no erythema, edema, or blanching. No related adverse events were reported with lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream; one related adverse event of erythema was reported with placebo cream. The results of this study indicate that lidocaine/tetracaine 7%7% cream is efficacious and safe at providing pain relief for soft tissue augmentation with hyaluronic acid. PMID:25371769

Surface Roughness of Composite Resins after Simulated Toothbrushing with Different Dentifrices.

PubMed

Monteiro, Bruna; Spohr, Ana Maria

2015-07-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate, in vitro, the surface roughness of two composite resins submitted to simulated toothbrushing with three different dentifrices. Totally, 36 samples of Z350XT and 36 samples of Empress Direct were built and randomly divided into three groups (n = 12) according to the dentifrice used (Oral-B Pro-Health Whitening [OBW], Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief [CS], Colgate Total Clean Mint 12 [CT12]). The samples were submitted to 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 cycles of simulated toothbrushing. After each simulated period, the surface roughness of the samples was measured using a roughness tester. According to three-way analysis of variance, dentifrice (P = 0.044) and brushing time (P = 0.000) were significant. The composite resin was not significant (P = 0.381) and the interaction among the factors was not significant (P > 0.05). The mean values of the surface roughness (µm) followed by the same letter represent no statistical difference by Tukey's post-hoc test (P <0.05): Dentifrice: CT12 = 0.269(a); CS Pro- Relief = 0.300(ab); OBW = 0.390(b). Brushing time: Baseline = 0,046ª; 5,000 cycles = 0.297(b); 10,000 cycles = 0.354(b); 20,000 cycles = 0.584(c). Z350 XT and Empress Direct presented similar surface roughness after all cycles of simulated toothbrushing. The higher the brushing time, the higher the surface roughness of composite resins. The dentifrice OBW caused a higher surface roughness in both composite resins.

Recrystallization and modification of the stainless-steel surface relief under photonic heat load in powerful plasma discharges

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

Budaev, V. P., E-mail: budaev@mail.ru; Martynenko, Yu. V.; Khimchenko, L. N.

Targets made of ITER-grade 316L(N)-IG stainless steel and Russian-grade 12Cr18Ni10Ti stainless steel with a close composition were exposed at the QSPA-T plasma gun to plasma photonic radiation pulses simulating conditions of disruption mitigation in ITER. After a large number of pulses, modification of the stainless-steel surface was observed, such as the formation of a wavy structure, irregular roughness, and cracks on the target surface. X-ray and optic microscopic analyses of targets revealed changes in the orientation and dimensions of crystallites (grains) over a depth of up to 20 μm for 316L(N)-IG stainless steel after 200 pulses and up to 40more » μm for 12Cr18Ni10Ti stainless steel after 50 pulses, which is significantly larger than the depth of the layer melted in one pulse (∼10 μm). In a series of 200 tests of ITER-grade 316L(N)-IG ITER stainless steel, a linear increase in the height of irregularity (roughness) with increasing number of pulses at a rate of up to ∼1 μm per pulse was observed. No alteration in the chemical composition of the stainless-steel surface in the series of tests was revealed. A model is developed that describes the formation of wavy irregularities on the melted metal surface with allowance for the nonlinear stage of instability of the melted layer with a vapor/plasma flow above it. A decisive factor in this case is the viscous flow of the melted metal from the troughs to tops of the wavy structure. The model predicts saturation of the growth of the wavy structure when its amplitude becomes comparable with its wavelength. Approaches to describing the observed stochastic relief and roughness of the stainless-steel surface formed in the series of tests are considered. The recurrence of the melting-solidification process in which mechanisms of the hill growth compete with the spreading of the material from the hills can result in the formation of a stochastic relief.« less

Design of continuous surface-relief phase plates by surface-based simulated annealing to achieve control of focal-plane irradiance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Y.; Kessler, T. J.; Lawrence, G. N.

1996-10-01

High-performance phase plates are of vital concern for controlling the far-field irradiance of laser-fusion systems. Several designs for solving this difficult problem have been reported in Optics Letters [e. g., S. N. Dixit et al., Opt. Lett. 19, 417 (1994)]. We report a surface-based form of simulated annealing that significantly improves the irradiance control while eliminating the high-scatter problems that have plagued other methods.

Macrocognition in Teams and Analysis of Information Flow During the Haiti Disaster Relief

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

supplies, clean water and electricity. TIE TIE TIE Local soccer field is now a safe landing ground for helicopters. TIE TIE TIE Five flights have...TIE TIE OR’s adequate medical supplies, clean water and electricity (generator) TIE TIE TIE Local soccer field is landing pad. TIE TIE TIE 5... soccer /helo pad, TIE TIE TIE Have own ambulances for transport. TIE TIE TIE 62 Contact: "NAME" (Ground Coordinator) Haiti cell "PHONE", "E

Evaluation of the effectiveness of lumbar interlaminar epidural injections in managing chronic pain of lumbar disc herniation or radiculitis: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

PubMed

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Singh, Vijay; Falco, Frank J E; Cash, Kimberly A; Pampati, Vidyasagar

2010-01-01

The pathophysiology of lumbar radicular pain is the subject of ongoing research, with a reported prevalence of sciatica or radiculitis ranging from 1.2% to 43%. Among the numerous non-surgical interventions available, epidural injections are the most commonly performed interventions in the United States in managing chronic low back and lower extremity pain. A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. An interventional pain management practice, a specialty referral center, a private practice setting in the United States. To evaluate the effectiveness of lumbar interlaminar epidural injections with local anesthetic, with or without steroids, in managing chronic low back and lower extremity pain secondary to disc herniation or radiculitis in providing effective and long-lasting pain relief. Patients were assigned to one of 2 groups with local anesthetic only or with local anesthetic mixed with non-particulate betamethasone. Randomization was performed by computer-generated random allocations sequence by simple randomization. Seventy patients were included in this analysis. Patient outcomes were measured at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment with the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), the Oswestry Disability Index 2.0 (ODI), employment status, and opioid intake. Decrease of > or = 50% of NRS scores and Oswestry scores were considered significant. Significant pain relief (> or = 50%) was seen at 12 months in 74% of patients in Group I and 86% in Group II, and 69% and 83% in ODI scores respectively. Significant differences were noted in pain relief characteristics at 6 months between Group I and Group II (p = 0.001) and functional status improvement was significantly better in Group II at 6 months and 12 months (p = 0.019 and 0.045). The overall average procedures per year were 4.3 in Group I and 4.2 in Group II with an average total relief per year of 42.2 +/- 10.5 weeks in Group I and 41.4 +/- 11.0 weeks in Group II over a period of 52 weeks in the successful group. The study limitations include the lack of a placebo group and the fact that this is a preliminary report of 35 patients in each group. Overall, 74% of patients in Group I without steroids and 86% in Group II with steroids with lumbar disc herniation or radiculitis might benefit from lumbar interlaminar epidural injections.

A new surface-process model for landscape evolution at a mountain belt scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Willett, Sean D.; Braun, Jean; Herman, Frederic

2010-05-01

We present a new surface process model designed for modeling surface erosion and mass transport at an orogenic scale. Modeling surface processes at a large-scale is difficult because surface geomorphic processes are frequently described at the scale of a few meters, and such resolution cannot be represented in orogen-scale models operating over hundreds of square kilometers. We circumvent this problem by implementing a hybrid numerical -- analytical model. Like many previous models, the model is based on a numerical fluvial network represented by a series of nodes linked by model rivers in a descending network, with fluvial incision and sediment transport defined by laws operating on this network. However we only represent the largest rivers in the landscape by nodes in this model. Low-order rivers and water divides between large rivers are determined from analytical solutions assuming steady-state conditions with respect to the local river channel. The analytical solution includes the same fluvial incision law as the large rivers and a channel head with a specified size and mean slope. This permits a precise representation of the position of water divides between river basins. This is a key characteristic in landscape evolution as divide migration provides a positive feedback between river incision and a consequent increase in drainage area. The analytical solution also provides an explicit criterion for river capture, which occurs once a water divide migrates to its neighboring channel. This algorithm avoids the artificial network organization that often results from meshing and remeshing algorithms in numerical models. We demonstrate the use of this model with several simple examples including uniform uplift of a block, simultaneous uplift and shortening of a block, and a model involving strike slip faulting. We find a strong dependence on initial condition, but also a surprisingly strong dependence on channel head height parameters. Low channel heads, as expected, lead to more fluvial capture, but with low initial relief initial and a small channel-head height, runaway capture is common, with a few rivers capturing much of the available drainage area. With larger channel-head relief, lateral capture of rivers is less common, resulting in evenly spaced river basins. Basin spacing ratios matching those observed in nature are obtained for specific channel head parameters. These models thus demonstrate the mixed control on basin characteristics by antecedent river networks and channel-head parameters, which control the mobility of drainage basin water divides.

Treatment of anal fissures using a combination of minoxidil and lignocaine: a randomized, double-blind trial.

PubMed

Muthukumarassamy, Rajakannu; Robinson, Smile S; Sarath, Sistla Chandra; Raveendran, R

2005-01-01

Anal fissures are associated with hypertonia of the internal anal sphincter and pain. We evaluated the efficacy of local application of a combination of minoxidil and lignocaine in healing anal fissures. In this prospective, randomized, double-blind study, 90 patients with anal fissure were recruited. Patients received local applications of ointments containing 5% lignocaine (n=28), 0.5% minoxidil (n=36), or both (n=26). Healing of anal fissure at 6 weeks was used as the primary end-point. Rates of complete healing of fissure were similar in the three groups (lignocaine alone 8/27, minoxidil alone 10/34, combination 7/22; p=ns). Mean (SD) time taken for complete healing with combination treatment [1.9 (0.6) weeks] was significantly shorter than that with minoxidil alone (3.1 [1.7] weeks; p=0.001) or with lignocaine alone (3.3 [0.8] weeks; p=0.002). Rates of pain relief were similar in the three groups. Stoppage of bleeding occurred more often with combination treatment than with lignocaine alone. No patient had systemic or local side effects. Combination treatment with minoxidil and lignocaine helps in faster healing of anal fissures and provides better symptomatic relief than either drug alone.

Hypsometry and relief analysis of the southern termination of the Calabrian arc, NE-Sicily (southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavano, F.; Catalano, S.; Romagnoli, G.; Tortorici, G.

2018-03-01

Tectonic forcing causes the relief-building of mountain chains and enforces the surficial processes in a persistent dismantling of rock volumes, continuously modelling Earth's surface. Actually, we observe transient landscapes that have temporarily recorded tectonic forcing as a codified signal. The Late Quaternary tectonic evolution of northeastern Sicily, located along the Nubia-Eurasia plate boundary at the southern termination of the Calabrian arc, has been dominated by intense Plio-Pleistocene dynamics that severely modified the Late Miocene landscape. The present work aims to investigate geomorphically northeastern Sicily, essentially focusing on the hypsometric and relief analyses of the region in order to define how the topography responds to the post-Pliocene tectonic deformation. We apply different relief morphometric indices (Hypsometric Integral, Topographic Relief and Topographic Dissection) measured for each differently sized moving window, and we use different swath topographic profiles as well. Our analysis evidences differential morphological responses between distinct morphotectonic domains of the studied area, led by the combination of earlier morphological background and Late Quaternary tectonic deformation stages of the region. In addition, in the context of a constant and uniform tectonic uplift, the results define the general space- and time-relating pathways of the landscape geomorphic metrics. This enables us to bring out the controls of the vertical scale of landscape on hypsometry, exploring their mutual relationships. Finally, we reconstruct the Late Quaternary morphotectonic evolution of the region, defining the role played by the main tectonic alignments on the present geomorphic setting.

Orographic barriers GIS-based definition of the Campania-Lucanian Apennine Range (Southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuomo, Albina; Guida, Domenico

2010-05-01

The presence of mountains on the land surfaces plays a central role in the space-time dynamics of the hydrological, geomorphic and ecological systems (Roe G. H., 2005). The aim of this paper is to identify, delimitate and classify the orographic relief in the Campania - Lucanian Apennine (Southern Italy) to investigate the effects of large-scale orographic and small-scale windward-leeward phenomena on distribution, frequency and duration of rainfall. The scale-dependent effects derived from the topographic relief favor the utilization of a hierarchical and multi-scale approach. The approach is based on a GIS procedure applied on Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with 20 meters cell size and derived from Regional Technical Map (CTR) of Campania region (1:5000). The DEM has been smoothed from data spikes and pits and we have then proceed to: a) Identify the three basic landforms of the relief (summit, hillslope and plain) by generalizing a previous 10-type landforms using the TPI method (Weiss A. 2001) and by simplifying the established rules of the differential geometry on topographic surface; b) Delimitate the mountain relief by modifying the method proposed by O. Z. Chaudhry and W. A. Mackaness (2008). It is based on three concepts: prominence , morphological variability and parent-child relationship. Graphical results have shown a good spatial correspondence between the digital definition of mountains and their morpho-tectonic structure derived from tectonic geomorphological studies; c) Classify, by using a set rules of spatial statistics (Cluster analysis) on geomorphometric parameters (elevation, curvature, slope, aspect, relative relief and form factor). Finally, we have recognized three prototypal orographic barriers shapes: cone, tableland and ridge, which are fundamental to improve the models of orographic rainfall in the Southern Apennines. References Chaudhry O. Z.and Mackaness W. A. (2008). Creating Mountains out of Mole Hills: Automatic Identification of Hills and Ranges Using Morphometric Analysis. Transactions in GIS. 12(5), pp. 567-589 Roe Gerard H. 2005. Orographic precipitation. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Vol. 33: 645-671. Weiss A., 2001. Topographic position and landform analysis. Poster Presentation. ESRI User Conference. San Diego, CA.

Paleoseismology of the Chelungpu Fault during the past 1900 years

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chen, W.-S.; Lee, K.-J.; Lee, L.-S.; Ponti, D.J.; Prentice, C.; Chen, Y.-G.; Chang, H.-C.; Lee, Y.-H.

2003-01-01

The 1999 earthquake brought about 80-km-long surface ruptures along the Shihkang, Chelungpu, and Tajienshan Faults, central Taiwan. Several trenches have been excavated across the Chelungpu Fault of the middle segment. The surface ruptures display clear scarps ranging from 0.2 to 4 m high, showing a complex geomorphic pattern due to coseismic faulting and folding. In the study, measurement of the vertical offset or structural relief was taken with reference to the hanging wall beyond the trishear deformation zone. Therefore we suggest that, for the measurement of offset, we should disregard the trishear zone, and that structural relief on the hanging wall should be represented as a real vertical offset. The net slip is then calculated from the structural relief and dip angle of the thrust on a vertical plane along the slip direction. Through the excavation of a pineapple field across the Chelungpu Fault, we are able to provide evidence of at least four earthquake events for the past about 1900 years, including the 1999 earthquake. Furthermore, based on the radiocarbon dates and historical record, the timing of the penultimate event is bracketed to be between 430 and 150 years ago, and the average recurrence interval is less than 700 years. These data indicate that the average slip rate is about 8.7 mm/yr for the past 1900 years. ?? 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Raised Relief Mars Globe Brings the Red Planet Closer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

The Mars Globe 20x is the first digitally produced raised relief globe to be sold at retail establishments. The rises and dips of the Martian landscape have been multiplied by 20 to make the shapes more noticeable to human touch and sight. They make this globe, with its over 1 million elevation points, a visually stunning introduction to the planet. Spectrum 3D used the NASA digital land elevation data to aim lasers that then shaped and defined the master globe s surface. Subsequent copies were then made by creating a master globe mold. The molded copies are hand finished by workers who remove errant edges or lines that may appear on the raw globes and then paint the surfaces. The result is a globe that measures in at 18 inches in diameter, roughly 1:15,729,473 scale of the actual planet. The exaggerated raised relief is like having a 3-D digital microscope for planetary shapes. This makes the landmarks easier to learn and understand, as it provides easy visuals for orientation. People have a natural propensity for understanding 3-D shapes more easily than numbers or words. The 3-D globes appeal to both the kinetic and visual learning aspects of the brain, making it easy for people to readily memorize the landmarks and to make a mental model that they will remember for a long time.

Geomorphic evidence for post-10 Ma uplift of the western flank of the central Andes 18°30'-22°S

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoke, Gregory D.; Isacks, Bryan L.; Jordan, Teresa E.; Blanco, NicoláS.; Tomlinson, Andrew J.; Ramezani, Jahandar

2007-10-01

The western Andean mountain front forms the western edge of the central Andean Plateau. Between 18.5° and 22°S latitude, the mountain front has ˜3000 m of relief over ˜50 km horizontal distance that has developed in the absence of major local Neogene deformation. Models of the evolution of the plateau, as well as paleoaltimetry estimates, all call for continued large-magnitude uplift of the plateau surface into the late Miocene (i.e., younger than 10 Ma). Longitudinal river profiles from 20 catchments that drain the western Andean mountain front contain several streams with knickpoint-bounded segments that we use to reconstruct the history of post-10 Ma surface uplift of the western flank of the central Andean Plateau. The generation of knickpoints is attributed to tectonic processes and is not a consequence of base level change related to Pacific Ocean capture, eustatic change, or climate change as causes for creating the knickpoint-bounded stream segments observed. Minor valley-filling alluvial gravels intercalated with the 5.4 Ma Carcote ignimbrite suggest uplift related river incision was well under way by 5.4 Ma. The maximum age of river incision is provided by the regionally extensive, approximately 10 Ma El Diablo-Altos de Pica paleosurface. The river profiles reveal that relative surface uplift of at least1 km occurred after 10 Ma.

Weathering-limited hillslope evolution in carbonate landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godard, Vincent; Ollivier, Vincent; Bellier, Olivier; Miramont, Cécile; Shabanian, Esmaeil; Fleury, Jules; Benedetti, Lucilla; Guillou, Valéry; Aster Team

2016-07-01

Understanding topographic evolution requires integrating elementary processes acting at the hillslope scale into the long-wavelength framework of landscape dynamics. Recent progress has been made in the quantification of denudation of eroding landscapes and its links with topography. Despite these advances, data is still sparse in carbonate terrain, which covers a significant part of the Earth's surface. In this study, we measured both long-term denudation rates using in situ-produced 36Cl concentrations in bedrock and regolith clasts and surface convexity at 12 sites along ridges of the Luberon carbonate range in Provence, Southeastern France. Starting from ∼30 mm/ka for the lowering of the summit plateau surface, denudation linearly increases with increasing hilltop convexity up to ∼70 mm/ka, as predicted by diffusive mass transport theory. Beyond this point denudation rates appear to be insensitive to the increase in hilltop convexity. We interpret this constant denudation as indicating a transition from a regime where hillslope evolution is primarily controlled by diffusive downslope regolith transport, toward a situation in which denudation is limited by the rate at which physical and chemical weathering processes can produce clasts and lower the hilltop. Such an abrupt transition into a weathering-limited dynamics may prevent hillslope denudation from balancing the rate of base level fall imposed by the river network and could potentially explain the development of high local relief in many Mediterranean carbonate landscapes.

Analysis of topography and relief as a function of the tectonic - geomorphologic evolution of the Eastern Alps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bungies, Nadin; Rosenberg, Claudio

2014-05-01

Alpine topography and relief vary regionally (Frisch et al., 1997), even on the scale of tens of kilometers. The causes of these differences are the aim of this work that is based on a geomorphological study of the eastern Alps. Earlier investigations on the topography of the Central Alps (Rosenberg & Garcia, 2013) show, by using 50 km, 75 km, and 100 km swath profiles, that the relief northward of the Insubric Line increases westward, whereas the relief southwards of the Insubric Line decreases eastward. This trend reflects collisional shortening trends recently observed in the Central Alps (Rosenberg & Kissling, 2013). In this work, we analyse the topography of the eastern Alps from the Brenner Area in the west to the Steiermark Area in the east, based on satellite images and digital terrain models, that cover an area of 36 000 km2 in the Austrian and Italian Alps. Based on these data, new GIS-aided datasets containing selected relief factors have been derived. These data are set in relationship to the eastward decrease in collisional shortening to test whether the latter trend has a geomorphic expression. In order to assess such a relationship north-south striking profiles, subparallel to the shortening direction and in addition to an E-W profile are investigated. It can be shown that the total relief of 3100 m (500-3600 m asl.) in the west of the working area is more pronounced than the total relief of 2300 m (700-3000 m asl) in the east of the working area. Furthermore slopes have higher amplitudes in the west when compared to the east. In the west approximately 65% of the slope profile show slopes larger than 50° while in the east approximately 40% of slopes are larger than 50° (based on 30 m topographic data). The evaluation of potential influencing factors will be achieved by conducting spatial and statistical data analysis and interpretation and is complemented by local studies investigating the evolution of relief for selected geologic units. Here, morphometrical indices play a major role in order to draw conclusions on the interdependencies of controlling factors (e.g. isostatic uplift, erosion and climate, resistance to weathering) and relief evolution. [1] Frisch et al. 1997, Tectonophysics, 297,1-15. [2] Rosenberg and Garcia, 2013, Geophys. Res. Abs. 15, EGU2013-9905. [3] Rosenberg and Kissling, 2013, Geophys. Res. Abs. 15, EGU2013-ASC-2013-7946.

Left ventricle to aorta valved conduit for relief of diffuse left ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

PubMed

Reder, R F; Dimich, I; Steinfeld, L; Litwak, R S

1977-06-01

Operative relief of congenital tunnel subaortic stenosis by means of local incision or excision, or both, has generally been unsatisfactory. The use of a valve-bearing conduit between the left ventricular apex and thoracic aorta offers a predictable means of bypassing the left ventricular outflow obstruction. The procedure was used in a 17 year old girl with an excellent hemodynamic result. The history of operative management with diverting plantation of valved conduits in this position have not been defined, but use of these prostheses appears advisable in severe subvalvular, valvular and supravalvular obstructions that are not readily amenable to predictable and safe surgical palliation. The operation may prove useful in selected cases of idiopathic hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy.

'Relief of oppression': an organizing principle for researchers' obligations to participants in observational studies in the developing world.

PubMed

Lavery, James V; Bandewar, Sunita V S; Kimani, Joshua; Upshur, Ross E G; Plummer, Frances A; Singer, Peter A

2010-06-30

A central question in the debate about exploitation in international research is whether investigators and sponsors from high-income countries (HIC) have obligations to address background conditions of injustice in the communities in which they conduct their research, beyond the healthcare and other research-related needs of participants, to aspects of their basic life circumstances. In this paper, we describe the Majengo sexually transmitted disease (STD) Cohort study, a long-term prospective, observational cohort of sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya. Despite important scientific contributions and a wide range of benefits to the women of the cohort, most of the women have remained in the sex trade during their long-standing participation in the cohort, prompting allegations of exploitation. The Majengo STD cohort case extends the debate about justice in international research ethics beyond clinical trials into long-term observational research. We sketch the basic features of a new approach to understanding and operationalizing obligations of observational researchers, which we call 'relief of oppression'. 'Relief of oppression' is an organizing principle, analogous to the principle of harm reduction that is now widely applied in public health practice. Relief of oppression aims to help observational researchers working in conditions of injustice and deprivation to clarify their ethical obligations to participants. It aims to bridge the gap between a narrow, transaction-oriented account of avoiding exploitation and a broad account emphasizing obligations of reparation for historic injustices. We propose that relief of oppression might focus researchers' consideration of benefits on those that have some relevance to background conditions of injustice, and so elevate the priority of these benefits, in relation to others that might be considered and negotiated with participants, according to the degree to which the participating communities are constrained in their realization of fundamental freedoms. The over-arching aim of relief of oppression is that, within the range of benefits negotiated over time with the local communities and organizations, an increasing proportion reflects a shared interest in improving participants' fundamental freedoms. We describe how harm reduction serves as a useful analogy for how we envision relief of oppression functioning in international research.

'Relief of oppression': An organizing principle for researchers' obligations to participants in observational studies in the developing world

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background A central question in the debate about exploitation in international research is whether investigators and sponsors from high-income countries (HIC) have obligations to address background conditions of injustice in the communities in which they conduct their research, beyond the healthcare and other research-related needs of participants, to aspects of their basic life circumstances. Discussion In this paper, we describe the Majengo sexually transmitted disease (STD) Cohort study, a long-term prospective, observational cohort of sex workers in Nairobi, Kenya. Despite important scientific contributions and a wide range of benefits to the women of the cohort, most of the women have remained in the sex trade during their long-standing participation in the cohort, prompting allegations of exploitation. The Majengo STD cohort case extends the debate about justice in international research ethics beyond clinical trials into long-term observational research. We sketch the basic features of a new approach to understanding and operationalizing obligations of observational researchers, which we call 'relief of oppression'. 'Relief of oppression' is an organizing principle, analogous to the principle of harm reduction that is now widely applied in public health practice. Relief of oppression aims to help observational researchers working in conditions of injustice and deprivation to clarify their ethical obligations to participants. It aims to bridge the gap between a narrow, transaction-oriented account of avoiding exploitation and a broad account emphasizing obligations of reparation for historic injustices. We propose that relief of oppression might focus researchers' consideration of benefits on those that have some relevance to background conditions of injustice, and so elevate the priority of these benefits, in relation to others that might be considered and negotiated with participants, according to the degree to which the participating communities are constrained in their realization of fundamental freedoms. Summary The over-arching aim of relief of oppression is that, within the range of benefits negotiated over time with the local communities and organizations, an increasing proportion reflects a shared interest in improving participants' fundamental freedoms. We describe how harm reduction serves as a useful analogy for how we envision relief of oppression functioning in international research. PMID:20591194

14 CFR 11.103 - What exemption relief may be available to federal, state, and local governments when operating...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Administrator certifies that the aviation safety program of the unit of government is effective and appropriate... 11.103 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL... aircraft that are not public aircraft? The Federal Aviation Administration may grant a federal, state, or...

38 CFR 51.43 - Per diem and drugs and medicines-principles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... medicines-principles. 51.43 Section 51.43 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS... Per diem and drugs and medicines—principles. (a) As a condition for receiving payment of per diem... for State, Local, and Indian Tribal Governments.” (f) As a condition for receiving drugs and medicines...

38 CFR 41.215 - Relation to other audit requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Relation to other audit... (CONTINUED) AUDITS OF STATES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS Audits § 41.215 Relation to other audit requirements. (a) Audit under this part in lieu of other audits. An audit made in accordance...

47 CFR 1.1206 - Permit-but-disclose proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... preemption of state or local regulatory authority and petitions for relief under 47 U.S.C. 332(c)(7)(B)(v... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Permit-but-disclose proceedings. 1.1206 Section... presentations to Commission decision-making personnel are disclosed pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section...

38 CFR 23.420 - Access to schools operated by LEAs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Access to schools... Prohibited § 23.420 Access to schools operated by LEAs. A recipient that is a local educational agency shall... education operated by such recipient; or (b) Any other school or educational unit operated by such recipient...

38 CFR 23.420 - Access to schools operated by LEAs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Access to schools... Prohibited § 23.420 Access to schools operated by LEAs. A recipient that is a local educational agency shall... education operated by such recipient; or (b) Any other school or educational unit operated by such recipient...

Preparing routine health information systems for immediate health responses to disasters

PubMed Central

Aung, Eindra; Whittaker, Maxine

2013-01-01

During disaster times, we need specific information to rapidly plan a disaster response, especially in sudden-onset disasters. Due to the inadequate capacity of Routine Health Information Systems (RHIS), many developing countries face a lack of quality pre-disaster health-related data and efficient post-disaster data processes in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Considering the significance of local capacity during the early stages of disaster response, RHIS at local, provincial/state and national levels need to be strengthened so that they provide relief personnel up-to-date information to plan, organize and monitor immediate relief activities. RHIS professionals should be aware of specific information needs in disaster response (according to the Sphere Project’s Humanitarian Minimum Standards) and requirements in data processes to fulfil those information needs. Preparing RHIS for disasters can be guided by key RHIS-strengthening frameworks; and disaster preparedness must be incorporated into countries’ RHIS. Mechanisms must be established in non-disaster times and maintained between RHIS and information systems of non-health sectors for exchanging disaster-related information and sharing technologies and cost. PMID:23002249

Drainage reorganization during mountain building in the river system of the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Struth, Lucía; Babault, Julien; Teixell, Antonio

2015-12-01

The Eastern Cordillera of Colombia is a thick-skinned thrust-fold belt that is characterized by two topographic domains: (1) the axial zone, a high altitude plateau (the Sabana de Bogotá, 2500 masl) with low local relief and dominated by longitudinal rivers, and (2) the Cordillera flanks, where local relief exceeds 1000 m and transverse rivers dominate. On the basis of an analysis of digital topography and river parameters combined with a review of paleodrainage data, we show that the accumulation of shortening and crustal thickening during the Andean orogeny triggered a process of fluvial reorganization in the Cordillera. Owing to a progressive increase of the regional slope, the drainage network evolves from longitudinal to transverse-dominated, a process that is still active at present. This study provides the idea of progressive divide migration toward the inner part of the mountain belt, by which the area of the Sabana de Bogotá plateau is decreasing, the flanks increase in area, and ultimately transverse rivers will probably dominate the drainage of the Cordillera.

Reference Frames and 3-D Shape Perception of Pictured Objects: On Verticality and Viewpoint-From-Above

PubMed Central

van Doorn, Andrea J.; Wagemans, Johan

2016-01-01

Research on the influence of reference frames has generally focused on visual phenomena such as the oblique effect, the subjective visual vertical, the perceptual upright, and ambiguous figures. Another line of research concerns mental rotation studies in which participants had to discriminate between familiar or previously seen 2-D figures or pictures of 3-D objects and their rotated versions. In the present study, we disentangled the influence of the environmental and the viewer-centered reference frame, as classically done, by comparing the performances obtained in various picture and participant orientations. However, this time, the performance is the pictorial relief: the probed 3-D shape percept of the depicted object reconstructed from the local attitude settings of the participant. Comparisons between the pictorial reliefs based on different picture and participant orientations led to two major findings. First, in general, the pictorial reliefs were highly similar if the orientation of the depicted object was vertical with regard to the environmental or the viewer-centered reference frame. Second, a viewpoint-from-above interpretation could almost completely account for the shears occurring between the pictorial reliefs. More specifically, the shears could largely be considered as combinations of slants generated from the viewpoint-from-above, which was determined by the environmental as well as by the viewer-centered reference frame. PMID:27433329

Using satellite vegetation and compound topographic indices to map highly erodible cropland buffers for cellulosic biofuel crop developments in eastern Nebraska, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gu, Yingxin; Wylie, Bruce K.

2015-01-01

Cultivating annual row crops in high topographic relief waterway buffers has negative environmental effects and can be environmentally unsustainable. Growing perennial grasses such as switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) for biomass (e.g., cellulosic biofuel feedstocks) instead of annual row crops in these high relief waterway buffers can improve local environmental conditions (e.g., reduce soil erosion and improve water quality through lower use of fertilizers and pesticides) and ecosystem services (e.g., minimize drought and flood impacts on production; improve wildlife habitat, plant vigor, and nitrogen retention due to post-senescence harvest for cellulosic biofuels; and serve as carbon sinks). The main objectives of this study are to: (1) identify cropland areas with high topographic relief (high runoff potentials) and high switchgrass productivity potential in eastern Nebraska that may be suitable for growing switchgrass, and (2) estimate the total switchgrass production gain from the potential biofuel areas. Results indicate that about 140,000 hectares of waterway buffers in eastern Nebraska are suitable for switchgrass development and the total annual estimated switchgrass biomass production for these suitable areas is approximately 1.2 million metric tons. The resulting map delineates high topographic relief croplands and provides useful information to land managers and biofuel plant investors to make optimal land use decisions regarding biofuel crop development and ecosystem service optimization in eastern Nebraska.

Periapical Microsurgery: The Effects of Locally Injected Dexamethasone on Pain, Swelling, Bruising, and Wound Healing.

PubMed

Kan, Elena; Coelho, Marcelo Santos; Reside, Jonathan; Card, Steven J; Tawil, Peter Z

2016-11-01

The purpose of this prospective, double-blind, randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the postoperative healing of endodontic periapical microsurgery after local administration of dexamethasone. Sixty patients were divided into 2 groups. The dexamethasone group received a single local submucosal injection of 4 mg dexamethasone, and the placebo group received a submucosal injection of saline solution at the conclusion of standardized periapical microsurgery. Acetaminophen and hydrocodone/acetaminophen were prescribed for pain relief. A Likert-like 6-point scale was used for self-evaluation of pain, bruising, swelling, and wound healing at 24, 48, 72, 96 hours and at 1 week. The number of tablets taken was registered. Data were analyzed using the chi-square and Fisher exact tests at a significance level of P < .05. No improvements in pain, bruising, and wound healing were registered at any time interval. No difference was found in the number of tablets taken for pain relief. Subjects who received the dexamethasone injection reported less swelling 24 hours after periapical microsurgery (P < .05) but showed no significant benefit for the longer follow-up periods. This study shows that a 4-mg dose of dexamethasone administered through a local submucosal injection after periapical microsurgery has minimal impact on pain, bruising, and apparent wound healing at any time over a 7-day interval, and the impact on swelling seems limited. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nematocyst discharge in Pelagia noctiluca (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) oral arms can be affected by lidocaine, ethanol, ammonia and acetic acid.

PubMed

Morabito, Rossana; Marino, Angela; Dossena, Silvia; La Spada, Giuseppa

2014-06-01

Nematocyst discharge and concomitant delivery of toxins is triggered to perform both defence and predation strategies in Cnidarians, and may lead to serious local and systemic reactions in humans. Pelagia noctiluca (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) is a jellyfish particularly abundant in the Strait of Messina (Italy). After accidental contact with this jellyfish, not discharged nematocysts or even fragments of tentacles or oral arms may tightly adhere to the human skin and, following discharge, severely increase pain and the other adverse consequences of the sting. The aim of the present study is to verify if the local anesthetic lidocaine and other compounds, like alcohols, acetic acid and ammonia, known to provide pain relief after jellyfish stings, may also affect in situ discharge of nematocysts. Discharge was induced by a combined physico-chemical stimulation of oral arms by chemosensitizers (such as N-acetylated sugars, aminoacids, proteins and nucleotides), in the presence or absence of 1% lidocaine, 70% ethanol, 5% acetic acid or 20% ammonia, followed by mechanical stimulation by a non-vibrating test probe. The above mentioned compounds failed to induce discharge per se, and dramatically impaired the chemosensitizer-induced discharge response. We therefore suggest that prompt local treatment of the stung epidermis with lidocaine, acetic acid, ethanol and ammonia may provide substantial pain relief and help in reducing possible harmful local and systemic adverse reaction following accidental contact with P. noctiluca specimens. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Local variance for multi-scale analysis in geomorphometry.

PubMed

Drăguţ, Lucian; Eisank, Clemens; Strasser, Thomas

2011-07-15

Increasing availability of high resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) is leading to a paradigm shift regarding scale issues in geomorphometry, prompting new solutions to cope with multi-scale analysis and detection of characteristic scales. We tested the suitability of the local variance (LV) method, originally developed for image analysis, for multi-scale analysis in geomorphometry. The method consists of: 1) up-scaling land-surface parameters derived from a DEM; 2) calculating LV as the average standard deviation (SD) within a 3 × 3 moving window for each scale level; 3) calculating the rate of change of LV (ROC-LV) from one level to another, and 4) plotting values so obtained against scale levels. We interpreted peaks in the ROC-LV graphs as markers of scale levels where cells or segments match types of pattern elements characterized by (relatively) equal degrees of homogeneity. The proposed method has been applied to LiDAR DEMs in two test areas different in terms of roughness: low relief and mountainous, respectively. For each test area, scale levels for slope gradient, plan, and profile curvatures were produced at constant increments with either resampling (cell-based) or image segmentation (object-based). Visual assessment revealed homogeneous areas that convincingly associate into patterns of land-surface parameters well differentiated across scales. We found that the LV method performed better on scale levels generated through segmentation as compared to up-scaling through resampling. The results indicate that coupling multi-scale pattern analysis with delineation of morphometric primitives is possible. This approach could be further used for developing hierarchical classifications of landform elements.

Local variance for multi-scale analysis in geomorphometry

PubMed Central

Drăguţ, Lucian; Eisank, Clemens; Strasser, Thomas

2011-01-01

Increasing availability of high resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) is leading to a paradigm shift regarding scale issues in geomorphometry, prompting new solutions to cope with multi-scale analysis and detection of characteristic scales. We tested the suitability of the local variance (LV) method, originally developed for image analysis, for multi-scale analysis in geomorphometry. The method consists of: 1) up-scaling land-surface parameters derived from a DEM; 2) calculating LV as the average standard deviation (SD) within a 3 × 3 moving window for each scale level; 3) calculating the rate of change of LV (ROC-LV) from one level to another, and 4) plotting values so obtained against scale levels. We interpreted peaks in the ROC-LV graphs as markers of scale levels where cells or segments match types of pattern elements characterized by (relatively) equal degrees of homogeneity. The proposed method has been applied to LiDAR DEMs in two test areas different in terms of roughness: low relief and mountainous, respectively. For each test area, scale levels for slope gradient, plan, and profile curvatures were produced at constant increments with either resampling (cell-based) or image segmentation (object-based). Visual assessment revealed homogeneous areas that convincingly associate into patterns of land-surface parameters well differentiated across scales. We found that the LV method performed better on scale levels generated through segmentation as compared to up-scaling through resampling. The results indicate that coupling multi-scale pattern analysis with delineation of morphometric primitives is possible. This approach could be further used for developing hierarchical classifications of landform elements. PMID:21779138

Comparison of Surface Mountain Climate With Equivalent Free Air Parameters Extracted From NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis: Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pepin, N. C.; Hardy, D.; Duane, W.; Losleben, M.

2007-12-01

It is difficult to predict future climate changes in areas of complex relief, since mountains generate their own climates distinct from the free atmosphere. Thus trends in climate at the mountain surface are different from those in the free air. We compare surface climate (temperature and vapour pressure) measured at seven elevations on the south-western slope of Kilimanjaro, the tallest free standing mountain in Africa, with equivalent observations in the free atmosphere from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data for September 2004 to January 2006. Correlations between daily surface and free air temperature anomalies are greatest at low elevations below 2500 metres, meaning that synoptic (inter-diurnal) variability is the major control here. However, temperatures and moisture on the higher slopes above the treeline (3000 m) are decoupled from the free atmosphere, showing intense heating/cooling by day/night and import of moisture from lower elevations during the day. The lower forested slopes thus act as a moisture source, with large vapour pressure excesses reported in comparison with the free atmosphere (>5 hPa) which move upslope during daylight and subside downslope at night. Strong seasonal contrasts are shown in the vigour of the montane thermal circulation, but interactions with free air circulation (as represented by flow indices developed from reanalysis wind components) are complex. Upper air flow strength and direction (at 500 mb) have limited influence on surface heating and upslope moisture advection, which are dominated by the diurnal cycle rather than inter-diurnal synoptic controls. Thus local changes in surface characteristics (e.g. deforestation) could have a direct influence on the mountain climate of Kilimanjaro, making the upper slopes somewhat divorced from larger scale advective changes associated with global warming.

Randomized Trial of Desktop Humidifier for Dry Eye Relief in Computer Users.

PubMed

Wang, Michael T M; Chan, Evon; Ea, Linda; Kam, Clifford; Lu, Yvonne; Misra, Stuti L; Craig, Jennifer P

2017-11-01

Dry eye is a frequently reported problem among computer users. Low relative humidity environments are recognized to exacerbate signs and symptoms of dry eye, yet are common in offices of computer operators. Desktop USB-powered humidifiers are available commercially, but their efficacy for dry eye relief has not been established. This study aims to evaluate the potential for a desktop USB-powered humidifier to improve tear-film parameters, ocular surface characteristics, and subjective comfort of computer users. Forty-four computer users were enrolled in a prospective, masked, randomized crossover study. On separate days, participants were randomized to 1 hour of continuous computer use, with and without exposure to a desktop humidifier. Lipid-layer grade, noninvasive tear-film breakup time, and tear meniscus height were measured before and after computer use. Following the 1-hour period, participants reported whether ocular comfort was greater, equal, or lesser than that at baseline. The desktop humidifier effected a relative difference in humidity between the two environments of +5.4 ± 5.0% (P < .001). Participants demonstrated no significant differences in lipid-layer grade and tear meniscus height between the two environments (all P > .05). However, a relative increase in the median noninvasive tear-film breakup time of +4.0 seconds was observed in the humidified environment (P < .001), which was associated with a higher proportion of subjects reporting greater comfort relative to baseline (36% vs. 5%, P < .001). Even with a modest increase in relative humidity locally, the desktop humidifier shows potential to improve tear-film stability and subjective comfort during computer use.Trial registration no: ACTRN12617000326392.

Ultra-deep oxidation and exotic copper formation at the late pliocene boyongan and bayugo porphyry copper-gold deposits, surigao, philippines: Geology, mineralogy, paleoaltimetry, and their implications for Geologic, physiographic, and tectonic controls

USGS Publications Warehouse

Braxton, D.P.; Cooke, D.R.; Ignacio, A.M.; Rye, R.O.; Waters, P.J.

2009-01-01

The Boyongan and Bayugo porphyry copper-gold deposits are part of an emerging belt of intrusion-centered gold-rich deposits in the Surigao district of northeast Mindanao, Philippines. Exhumation and weathering of these Late Pliocene-age deposits has led to the development of the world's deepest known porphyry oxidation profile at Boyongan (600 m), and yet only a modest (30-70 m) oxidation profile at adjacent Bayugo. Debris flows, volcanic rocks, and fluviolacustrine sediments accumulating in the actively extending Mainit graben subsequently covered the deposits and preserved the supergene profiles. At Boyongan and Bayugo, there is a vertical transition from shallower supergene copper oxide minerals (malachite + azurite + cuprite) to deeper sulfide-stable assemblages (chalcocite ?? hypogene sulfides). This transition provides a time-integrated proxy for the position of the water table at the base of the saturated zone during supergene oxidation. Contours of the elevation of the paleopotentiometric surface based on this min- eralogical transition show that the thickest portions of the unsaturated zone coincided with a silt-sand matrix diatreme breccia complex at Boyongan. Within the breccia complex, the thickness of the unsaturated zone approached 600 in, whereas outside the breccia complex (e.g., at Bayugo), the thickness averaged 50 m. Contours of the paleopotentiometric surface suggest that during weathering, groundwater flowed into the breccia complex from the north, south, and east, and exited along a high permeability zone to the west. The high relief (>550 m) on the elevation of the paleopotentiometric surface is consistent with an environment of high topographic relief, and the outflow zone to the west of the breccia complex probably reflects proximity to a steep scarp intersecting the western breccia complex margin. Stable isotope paleoaltimetry has enabled estimation of the elevation of the land surface, which further constrains the physiographic setting during supergene oxidation. Isotopic measurements of oxygen in supergene kaolinite from Boyongan suggest that local paleometeoric water involved in weathering had a ??180 composition of approximately -5.7 per mil. At the latitude of the southern Philippines, this value corresponds to Pleistocene rain water condensing at elevations between 750 and 1,050 m above contemporary sea level, providing a maximum estimate for the surface elevation during weathering of the porphyry systems. Physiographic reconstuctions suggest that the deep oxidation profile at Boyongan formed in an environment of high topographic relief immediately east of a prominent (>550 m) escarpment. The high permeability contrast between the breccia complex and the surrounding wall rocks, coupled with the proximity of the breccia complex to the escarpment, led to a depressed groundwater table and a vertically extensive unsaturated zone in the immediate vicinity of Boyongan. This thick vadose zone and the low hypogene pyrite/copper sulfide ratios (0.6) at Boyongan promoted in situ oxidation of copper sulfides with only modest (<200 m) supergene remobilization of copper. In contrast, higher hypogene pyrite/chalcopyrite ratios (2.3) at Bayugo led to greater acid production during weathering and more complete leaching of copper above the base of oxidation. This process promoted significant (600 m) lateral dispersion of copper down the paleohydraulic gradient into the diatreme breccia comple, ultimately leading to the formation of an exotic copper deposit. ?? 2009 Society of Economices Geologists, Inc.

Surface Roughness Relief

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marras, L.; Fontana, R.; Gambino, M. C.; Greco, M.; Materazzi, M.; Pampaloni, E.; Pezzati, L.; Poggi, P.

The knowledge of the shape of an artwork is an important element for its study and conservation. When dealing with a stone statue, roughness measurement is a very useful contribution to document its surface conditions, to assess either changes due to restoration intervention or surface decays due to weathering agents, and to monitor its time-evolution in terms of shape variations. In this work we present the preliminary results of the statistical analysis carried out on acquired data relative to six areas of the Michelangelo's David marble statue, representative of differently degraded surfaces. Determination of the roughness and its relative characteristic wavelength is shown.

Clinical Use of High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for Tumor and Pain Reduction in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer.

PubMed

Strunk, H M; Henseler, J; Rauch, M; Mücke, M; Kukuk, G; Cuhls, H; Radbruch, L; Zhang, L; Schild, H H; Marinova, M

2016-07-01

Evaluation of ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) used for the first time in Germany in patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer for reduction of tumor volume and relief of tumor-associated pain. 15 patients with locally advanced inoperable pancreatic cancer and tumor-related pain symptoms were treated by HIFU (n = 6 UICC stage III, n = 9 UICC stage IV). 13 patients underwent simultaneous standard chemotherapy. Ablation was performed using the JC HIFU system (Chongqing, China HAIFU Company) with an ultrasonic device for real-time imaging. Imaging follow-up (US, CT, MRI) and clinical assessment using validated questionnaires (NRS, BPI) was performed before and up to 15 months after HIFU. Despite biliary or duodenal stents (4/15) and encasement of visceral vessels (15/15), HIFU treatment was performed successfully in all patients. Treatment time and sonication time were 111 min and 1103 s, respectively. The applied total energy was 386 768 J. After HIFU ablation, contrast-enhanced imaging showed devascularization of treated tumor regions with a significant average volume reduction of 63.8 % after 3 months. Considerable pain relief was achieved in 12 patients after HIFU (complete or partial pain reduction in 6 patients). US-guided HIFU with a suitable acoustic pathway can be used for local tumor control and relief of tumor-associated pain in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. • US-guided HIFU allows an additive treatment of unresectable pancreatic cancer.• HIFU can be used for tumor volume reduction.• Using HIFU, a significant reduction of cancer-related pain was achieved.• HIFU provides clinical benefit in patients with pancreatic cancer. Citation Format: • Strunk HM, Henseler J, Rauch M et al. Clinical Use of High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) for Tumor and Pain Reduction in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2016; 188: 662 - 670. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Effect of local wound infiltration with ropivacaine on postoperative pain relief and stress response reduction after open hepatectomy.

PubMed

Sun, Jing-Xian; Bai, Ke-Yun; Liu, Yan-Feng; Du, Gang; Fu, Zhi-Hao; Zhang, Hao; Yang, Jin-Huan; Wang, Ben; Wang, Xiu-Yu; Jin, Bin

2017-09-28

To prospectively evaluate the effect of local wound infiltration with ropivacaine on postoperative pain relief and stress response reduction after open hepatectomy. A total of 56 patients undergoing open hepatectomy were randomly divided into two groups: a ropivacaine group (wound infiltration with ropivacaine solution) and a control group (infiltration with isotonic saline solution). A visual analog scale (VAS) at rest and on movement was used to measure postoperative pain for the first 48 h after surgery. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), time to bowel recovery, length of hospitalization after surgery, cumulative sufentanil consumption, and incidence of nausea and vomiting were compared between the two groups. Surgical stress hormones (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol) were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the results were compared. VAS scores both at rest and on movement at 24 h and 48 h were similar between the two groups. Significantly lower VAS scores were detected at 0, 6, and 12 h in the ropivacaine group compared with the control group ( P < 0.05 for all). MAP was significantly lower at 6, 12, and 24 h ( P < 0.05 for all); HR was significantly lower at 0, 6, 12, and 24 h ( P < 0.05 for all); time to bowel recovery and length of hospitalization after surgery ( P < 0.05 for both) were significantly shortened; and cumulative sufentanil consumption was significantly lower at 6, 12, 24, and 36 h ( P < 0.05 for all) in the ropivacaine group than in the control group, although the incidence of nausea and vomiting showed no significant difference between the two groups. The levels of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol were significantly lower in the ropivacaine group than in the control group at 24 and 48 h ( P < 0.01 for all). Local wound infiltration with ropivacaine after open hepatectomy can improve postoperative pain relief, reduce surgical stress response, and accelerate postoperative recovery.

Modeling the non-grey-body thermal emission from the full moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vogler, Karl J.; Johnson, Paul E.; Shorthill, Richard W.

1991-01-01

The present series of thermophysical computer models for solid-surfaced planetary bodies whose surface roughness is modeled as paraboloidal craters of specified depth/diameter ratio attempts to characterize the nongrey-body brightness temperature spectra of the moon and of the Galilean satellites. This modeling, in which nondiffuse radiation properties and surface roughness are included for rigorous analysis of scattered and reemitted radiation within a crater, explains to first order the behavior of both limb-scans and disk-integrated IR brightness temperature spectra for the full moon. Only negative surface relief can explain lunar thermal emissions' deviation from smooth Lambert-surface expectations.

Nano-metrology and terrain modelling - convergent practice in surface characterisation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pike, R.J.

2000-01-01

The quantification of magnetic-tape and disk topography has a macro-scale counterpart in the Earth sciences - terrain modelling, the numerical representation of relief and pattern of the ground surface. The two practices arose independently and continue to function separately. This methodological paper introduces terrain modelling, discusses its similarities to and differences from industrial surface metrology, and raises the possibility of a unified discipline of quantitative surface characterisation. A brief discussion of an Earth-science problem, subdividing a heterogeneous terrain surface from a set of sample measurements, exemplifies a multivariate statistical procedure that may transfer to tribological applications of 3-D metrological height data.

Surface Roughness of Composite Resins after Simulated Toothbrushing with Different Dentifrices

PubMed Central

Monteiro, Bruna; Spohr, Ana Maria

2015-01-01

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate, in vitro, the surface roughness of two composite resins submitted to simulated toothbrushing with three different dentifrices. Materials and Methods: Totally, 36 samples of Z350XT and 36 samples of Empress Direct were built and randomly divided into three groups (n = 12) according to the dentifrice used (Oral-B Pro-Health Whitening [OBW], Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief [CS], Colgate Total Clean Mint 12 [CT12]). The samples were submitted to 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 cycles of simulated toothbrushing. After each simulated period, the surface roughness of the samples was measured using a roughness tester. Results: According to three-way analysis of variance, dentifrice (P = 0.044) and brushing time (P = 0.000) were significant. The composite resin was not significant (P = 0.381) and the interaction among the factors was not significant (P > 0.05). The mean values of the surface roughness (µm) followed by the same letter represent no statistical difference by Tukey's post-hoc test (P <0.05): Dentifrice: CT12 = 0.269a; CS Pro- Relief = 0.300ab; OBW = 0.390b. Brushing time: Baseline = 0,046ª; 5,000 cycles = 0.297b; 10,000 cycles = 0.354b; 20,000 cycles = 0.584c. Conclusion: Z350 XT and Empress Direct presented similar surface roughness after all cycles of simulated toothbrushing. The higher the brushing time, the higher the surface roughness of composite resins. The dentifrice OBW caused a higher surface roughness in both composite resins. PMID:26229362

Surface relief gratings: experiments, physical scenarios, and photoinduced (anomalous) dynamics of functionalized polymer chains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitus, A. C.; Radosz, W.; Wysoczanski, T.; Pawlik, G.

2017-10-01

Surface Relief Gratings (SRG) were demonstrated experimentally more than 20 years ago. Despite many years of research efforts the underlying physical mechanisms remain unclear. In this paper we present a short overview of the main concepts related to SRG - photofluidization and its counterpart, the orientational approach - based on a seminal paper by Saphiannikova et al. Next, we summarize the derivation of the cos2 θ potential, following the lines of recent paper of this group. Those results validate the generic Monte Carlo model for the photoinduced build-up of the density and SRG gratings in a model polymer matrix functionalized with azo-dyes, presented in another part of the paper. The characterization of the photoinduced motion of polymer chains, based on our recent paper, is briefly discussed in the last part of the paper. This discussion offers a sound insight into the mechanisms responsible for inscription of SRG as well as for single functionalized nanoparticle studies.

A surface vitrinite reflectance anomaly related to Bell Creek oil field, Montana, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barker, C.E.; Dalziel, M.C.; Pawlewicz, M.J.

1983-01-01

Vitrinite reflectance measurements from surface samples of mudrock and coal show anomalously high values over the Bell Creek oil field. The average vitrinite reflectance (Rm) increases to a maximum of 0.9 percent over the field against background values of about 0.3 percent. The Rm anomaly coincides with a geochemical anomaly indicated by diagenetic magnetite in surface rocks and a geobiologic anomaly indicated by ethane-consuming bacteria. These samples were taken from the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek and Paleocene Fort Union Formations which form an essentially conformable sequence. The depositional environment is similar in both formations, and we expect little variation in the source and composition of the organic matter. The surface R m should be approximately constant because of a uniform thermal history across the field. Temperature studies over local oil fields with similar geology suggest the expected thermal anomaly would be less than 10?C (50?F), which is too small to account for the significantly higher rank over the field. Coal clinkers are rare in the vicinity of Bell Creek and an Rm anomaly caused by burning of the thin, discontinuous coal seams is unlikely. The limited topographic relief, less than 305 m (1,000 ft), over the shallow-dipping homoclinal structure and the poor correlation between Rm and sample locality elevation (r = -0.2) indicate that the Rm anomaly is not due to burial, deformation and subsequent erosion. We conjecture that activity by petroleum-metabolizing bacteria is a possible explanation of the Rm anomaly. Microseepage from oil reservoirs supports large colonies of these organisms, some of which can produce enzymes that can cleave hydrocarbon side-chains on the kerogen molecule. The loss of these side chains causes condensation of the ring structures (Stach and others, 1982) and consequently increases its reflectance. These data indicate that vitrinite reflectance may be a useful tool to explore for stratigraphic traps in the Powder River Basin. Further, the large variation of R across the Bell Creek area suggests that vitrinite reflectance data from surface samples should be interpreted with caution.

The effect of different combinations of local anaesthesia, sedative and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on daily growth rates of dairy calves after disbudding.

PubMed

Bates, A J; Laven, R A; Chapple, F; Weeks, D S

2016-09-01

To assess the effect of sedation and local anaesthesia (LA) at disbudding, and the addition of meloxicam or ketoprofen treatment, on weight gain in dairy calves following disbudding. Friesian-Jersey cross calves, from four dairy farms, were enrolled when 3-6 weeks old. All calves (n=271) were disbudded by veterinary personnel and randomly assigned to six groups: 136 were disbudded without sedation or LA, of which 31 received 20 mg meloxicam S/C and 75 received 150 mg ketoprofen I/M. A further 135 were disbudded with sedation (0.25 mg/kg xylazine I/M) and LA, of which 30 also received meloxicam and 75 received ketoprofen. Calves were weighed 3 days before, and 15 and 30 days after, disbudding (Day 0). Daily weight gain was analysed using mixed models and ANOVA. Complete results were obtained from 263 calves. From Day -3 to Day 15, the growth rate of calves disbudded without pain relief (0.53 (95% CI=0.47-0.60) kg/day) was less that of calves disbudded with some form of pain relief (0.65 (95% CI=0.62-0.68) kg/d; p=0.004). There was no difference between the effect of meloxicam or ketoprofen (p=1.00). An interaction between use of sedation and LA and additional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) meant that NSAID treatment did not increase growth rates in calves disbudded with sedation and LA but did increase growth rates for calves disbudded without pain relief (p<0.05). From Day 16 to Day 30 there was no effect of NSAID treatment on growth rate, but calves receiving LA and sedation grew faster (0.74 (95% CI=0.69-0.80) kg/day) than calves disbudded without LA and sedation (0.66 (95% CI=0.61-0.71) kg/day; p=0.018). From Day -3 to Day 30, calves disbudded with sedation and LA grew faster (0.71 (95%CI=0.64-0.77) kg/day) than calves disbudded without sedation and LA (0.60 (95% CI=0.55-0.65) kg/day; p=0.011). However, addition of NSAID to sedation and LA made no further difference to growth rates (p=0.69). Dairy calves disbudded with no pain relief had slower growth rates than calves receiving pain relief. From Day 15 to 30 calves given no pain relief, or NSAID alone, grew more slowly than those receiving sedation and LA at disbudding. The addition of NSAID treatment to sedation and LA did not further increase growth rates. This study adds to the evidence that pain management when disbudding is beneficial for calf productivity as well as calf welfare.

Preliminary results of a randomized, equivalence trial of fluoroscopic caudal epidural injections in managing chronic low back pain: Part 2--Disc herniation and radiculitis.

PubMed

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Singh, Vijay; Cash, Kimberly A; Pampati, Vidyasagar; Damron, Kim S; Boswell, Mark V

2008-01-01

The pathophysiology of lumbar radicular pain is a subject of ongoing research. The prevalence of sciatica or radiculitis ranges from 1.2% to 43%. Epidural injections are one of the most commonly performed interventions in the United States in managing chronic low back and lower extremity pain secondary to disc herniation and radiculitis. There is a paucity of evidence with contemporary methodology used in performing epidural injections under fluoroscopy and based on pain relief and functional status improvement. A randomized, double-blind, equivalence trial. An interventional pain management practice, a specialty referral center, a private practice setting in the United States. To evaluate the effectiveness of caudal epidural injections with or without steroids in managing chronic low back and lower extremity pain secondary to disc herniation or radiculitis in providing effective and long-lasting pain relief and evaluate the differences between local anesthetic with or without steroids. Patients were assigned to one of 2 groups; Group I patients received caudal epidural injections with an injection of local anesthetic (lidocaine 0.5%), whereas, Group II patients received caudal epidural injections with 0.5% lidocaine 9 mL mixed with 1 mL of steroid. Randomization was performed by computer-generated random allocations sequence by simple randomization. Multiple outcome measures were utilized which included the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), the Oswestry Disability Index 2.0 (ODI), employment status, and opioid intake with assessment at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months post-treatment. Significant pain relief was defined as 50% or more, whereas significant improvement in disability score was defined as a reduction of 40% or more. The percentage of patients with significant pain relief of 50% or greater at 12 months was 79% in Group I and 81% in Group II. Reduction of Oswestry scores of at least 40% was seen in 83% of the patients in Group I and 91% in Group II. The overall average procedures per year were 3.9 +/- 1.26 in Group I and 3.6 +/- 1.08 in Group II with an average total relief per year of 35.2 +/- 17.18 weeks in Group I and 35.9 +/- 15.34 weeks in Group II over a period of 52 weeks. The results of this study are limited by lack of a placebo group and a preliminary report of 42 patients in each group. Caudal epidural injections with or without steroids may be effective in patients with disc herniation or radiculitis with between 79% to 91% of patients showing significant pain relief and improvement in functional status.

Comparison of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Lidocaine on Episiotomy Complication in Primiparous Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Rezaeyan, Maryam; Geranmayeh, Mehrnaz; Direkvand-Moghadam, Ashraf

2017-01-01

Introduction: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) through the skin is a nonpharmacological method of pain relief. The present study aimed to compare TENS and lidocaine on episiotomy complication in primiparous women. Material and Methods: In a randomized, controlled clinical trial, 80 participants were included from March to July 2011 at the antenatal clinic and postdelivery ward in the Social Security Organization Hospital, Khorramabad, Lorestan, Iran. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, visual analog scale and redness, edema, ecchymosis, discharge, and approximation scales. The participants were randomized into two groups with equal number of participants. All participants received 5 cc of local infiltration of 1% lidocaine before episiotomy, and TENS electrodes were placed on He Gu and Shenmen points during the crowning of fetal head. The TENS group received TENS with 100; 250 μs, the output range of 15–20 mm amplifier from crowning of first stage of labor to the end of the episiotomy repairing. The lidocaine group received 10 cc of local infiltration of 1% lidocaine before episiotomy repair while did not receive TENS electrodes. The pain intensity during and after episiotomy repair was recorded. Results: TENS and lidocaine have similar effects on pain relief at the episiotomy cutting, the start of the episiotomy repair, and at end of the episiotomy repair; however, the pain relief of both the interventions was different during the episiotomy repair. The effect of TENS in reducing edema was statistically significant (P = 0.001). Conclusions: TENS and lidocaine are effective for the episiotomy complications during and after episiotomy repair. PMID:28382054

Feature weight estimation for gene selection: a local hyperlinear learning approach

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Modeling high-dimensional data involving thousands of variables is particularly important for gene expression profiling experiments, nevertheless,it remains a challenging task. One of the challenges is to implement an effective method for selecting a small set of relevant genes, buried in high-dimensional irrelevant noises. RELIEF is a popular and widely used approach for feature selection owing to its low computational cost and high accuracy. However, RELIEF based methods suffer from instability, especially in the presence of noisy and/or high-dimensional outliers. Results We propose an innovative feature weighting algorithm, called LHR, to select informative genes from highly noisy data. LHR is based on RELIEF for feature weighting using classical margin maximization. The key idea of LHR is to estimate the feature weights through local approximation rather than global measurement, which is typically used in existing methods. The weights obtained by our method are very robust in terms of degradation of noisy features, even those with vast dimensions. To demonstrate the performance of our method, extensive experiments involving classification tests have been carried out on both synthetic and real microarray benchmark datasets by combining the proposed technique with standard classifiers, including the support vector machine (SVM), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), hyperplane k-nearest neighbor (HKNN), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and naive Bayes (NB). Conclusion Experiments on both synthetic and real-world datasets demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed feature selection method combined with supervised learning in three aspects: 1) high classification accuracy, 2) excellent robustness to noise and 3) good stability using to various classification algorithms. PMID:24625071

A simplified CT-guided approach for greater occipital nerve infiltration in the management of occipital neuralgia.

PubMed

Kastler, Adrian; Onana, Yannick; Comte, Alexandre; Attyé, Arnaud; Lajoie, Jean-Louis; Kastler, Bruno

2015-08-01

To evaluate the efficacy of a simplified CT-guided greater occipital nerve (GON) infiltration approach in the management of occipital neuralgia (ON). Local IRB approval was obtained and written informed consent was waived. Thirty three patients suffering from severe refractory ON who underwent a total of 37 CT-guided GON infiltrations were included between 2012 and 2014. GON infiltration was performed at the first bend of the GON, between the inferior obliqus capitis and semispinalis capitis muscles with local anaesthetics and cortivazol. Pain was evaluated via VAS scores. Clinical success was defined by pain relief greater than or equal to 50 % lasting for at least 3 months. The pre-procedure mean pain score was 8/10. Patients suffered from left GON neuralgia in 13 cases, right GON neuralgia in 16 cases and bilateral GON neuralgia in 4 cases. The clinical success rate was 86 %. In case of clinical success, the mean pain relief duration following the procedure was 9.16 months. Simplified CT-guided infiltration appears to be effective in managing refractory ON. With this technique, infiltration of the GON appears to be faster, technically easier and, therefore, safer compared with other previously described techniques. • Occipital neuralgia is a very painful and debilitating condition • GON infiltrations have been successful in the treatment of occipital neuralgia • This simplified technique presents a high efficacy rate with long-lasting pain relief • This infiltration technique does not require contrast media injection for pre-planning • GON infiltration at the first bend appears easier and safer.

Indications and outcomes for surgical treatment of patients with chronic migraine headaches caused by occipital neuralgia.

PubMed

Ducic, Ivica; Hartmann, Emily C; Larson, Ethan E

2009-05-01

Occipital neuralgia is a headache syndrome characterized by paroxysmal headaches localizing to the posterior scalp. The critical diagnostic feature is symptomatic response to local anesthetic blockade of the greater or lesser occipital nerve. Further characterization is debated in the literature regarding the diagnosis and optimal management of this condition. The authors present the largest reported series of surgical neurolysis of the greater occipital nerve in the management of occipital neuralgia. A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify 206 consecutive patients undergoing neurolysis of the greater or, less commonly, excision of the greater and/or lesser occipital nerves. A detailed description of the procedure is presented, as is the algorithm for patient selection and timing of surgery. Preoperative and postoperative visual analogue pain scores and migraine headache indices were measured. Success was defined as a reduction in pain of 50 percent or greater. Of 206 patients, 190 underwent greater occipital nerve neurolysis (171 bilateral). Twelve patients underwent greater and lesser occipital nerve excision, whereas four underwent lesser occipital nerve excision alone. The authors found that 80.5 percent of patients experienced at least 50 percent pain relief and 43.4 percent of patients experienced complete relief of headache. Mean preoperative pain score was 7.9 +/- 1.4. Mean postoperative pain was 1.9 +/- 1.8. Minimum duration of follow-up was 12 months. There were two minor complications. Neurolysis of the greater occipital nerve appears to provide safe, durable pain relief in the majority of selected patients with chronic headaches caused by occipital neuralgia.

Coseismic landslides reveal near-surface rock strength in a high-relief tectonically active setting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gallen, Sean F.; Clark, Marin K.; Godt, Jonathan W.

2014-01-01

We present quantitative estimates of near-surface rock strength relevant to landscape evolution and landslide hazard assessment for 15 geologic map units of the Longmen Shan, China. Strength estimates are derived from a novel method that inverts earthquake peak ground acceleration models and coseismic landslide inventories to obtain material proper- ties and landslide thickness. Aggregate rock strength is determined by prescribing a friction angle of 30° and solving for effective cohesion. Effective cohesion ranges are from 70 kPa to 107 kPa for 15 geologic map units, and are approximately an order of magnitude less than typical laboratory measurements, probably because laboratory tests on hand-sized specimens do not incorporate the effects of heterogeneity and fracturing that likely control near-surface strength at the hillslope scale. We find that strength among the geologic map units studied varies by less than a factor of two. However, increased weakening of units with proximity to the range front, where precipitation and active fault density are the greatest, suggests that cli- matic and tectonic factors overwhelm lithologic differences in rock strength in this high-relief tectonically active setting.

Using earthquake-triggered landslides as a hillslope-scale shear strength test: Insights into rock strength properties at geomorphically relevant spatial scales in high-relief, tectonically active settings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gallen, Sean; Clark, Marin; Godt, Jonathan; Lowe, Katherine

2016-04-01

The material strength of rock is known to be a fundamental property in setting landscape form and geomorphic process rates as it acts to modulate feedbacks between earth surface processes, tectonics, and climate. Despite the long recognition of its importance in landscape evolution, a quantitative understanding of the role of rock strength in affecting geomorphic processes lags our knowledge of the influence of tectonics and climate. This gap stems largely from the fact that it remains challenging to quantify rock strength at the hillslope scale. Rock strength is strongly scale dependent because the number, size, spacing, and aperture of fractures sets the upper limit on rock strength, making it difficult to extrapolate laboratory measurements to landscape-scale interpretations. Here we present a method to determine near-surface rock strength at the hillslope-scale, relying on earthquake-triggered landslides as a regional-scale "shear strength" test. We define near-surface strength as the average strength of rock sample by the landslides, which is typically < 10 m. Based on a Newmark sliding block model, which approximates slope stability during an earthquake assuming a material with frictional and cohesive strength, we developed a coseismic landslide model that is capable of reproducing statistical characteristics of the distribution of earthquake-triggered landslides. We present results from two well-documented case-studies of earthquakes that caused widespread mass-wasting; the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan Earthquake, Sichuan Province, China and the 1994 Mw. 6.8 Northridge Earthquake, CA, USA. We show how this model can be used to determine near-surface rock strength and reproduce mapped landslide patterns provided the spatial distribution of local hillslope gradient, earthquake peak ground acceleration (PGA), and coseismic landsliding are well constrained. Results suggest that near-surface rock strength in these tectonically active settings is much lower than that obtained using typical laboratory shear strength measurements on intact rock samples. Furthermore, the near-surface material strength is similar between the study areas despite differences in tectonic, climatic, and lithologic conditions. Variations in near-surface strength within each setting appear to be more strongly associated with factors contributing to the weakening rock through chemical or physical weathering, such as mean annual precipitation and distance to active faults (a proxy for rock shattering intensity), rather than intrinsic lithologic properties. We hypothesize that the shattering of rock through long-term permanent strain accumulation and by repeated earthquakes is an important mechanism that can explain low rock strength values among the different study sites and the spatial pattern of rock strength within each location. These findings emphasize the potential role of factors other than lithology in controlling the spatial distribution of near-surface rock strength in high-relief, tectonically active settings, which has important implications for understanding the evolution of landscapes, interpreting tectonic and climatic signals from topography, critical zone processes, and natural hazard assessment.

Sustained Release of Lidocaine from Solvent-Free Biodegradable Poly[(d,l)-Lactide-co-Glycolide] (PLGA): In Vitro and In Vivo Study.

PubMed

Kau, Yi-Chuan; Liao, Chia-Chih; Chen, Ying-Chi; Liu, Shih-Jung

2014-09-16

Local anesthetics are commonly used for pain relief by regional nerve blocking. In this study, we fabricated solvent-free biodegradable pellets to extend the duration of lidocaine release without any significant local or systemic toxicity levels. To manufacture the pellets, poly[(d,l)-lactide-co-glycolide] (PLGA) was first pre-mixed with lidocaine powder into different ratios. The powder mixture was then compressed with a mold (diameter of 1, 5, 8 or 10 mm) and sintered at 65 °C to form pellets. The in vitro release study showed that the lidocaine/PLGA pellets exhibited a tri-phase release behavior (a burst, a diffusion-controlled release and a degradation-dominated release) and reached completion around day 28. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photos show that small channels could be found on the surfaces of the pellets on day 2. Furthermore, the polymer matrix swelled and fell apart on day 7, while the pellets became viscous after 10 days of in vitro elution. Perineural administration of the lidocaine/PLGA pellets produced anti-hypersensitivity effects lasting for at least 24 h in rats, significant when compared to the control group (a pure PLGA was pellet administered). In addition, no inflammation was detected within the nerve and in the neighboring muscle by histopathology.

Near-terminator and earthshine photography. [special lunar photography obtained during Apollo 17 flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Head, J. W.; Lloyd, D.

1973-01-01

Photographic results obtained during the Apollo 17 flight for the near terminator and earthshine conditions are discussed. Lunar surface photographs taken in the vicinity of the sunshine terminator provide important information that is not obtained on photographs taken at higher sun evaluation angles. Earthshine photography also provides data on low relief, crater morphology, and small scale structures. Examples of photographs of the lunar surface taken under both conditions are provided.

Design of continuous surface-relief phase plates by surface-based simulated annealing to achieve control of focal-plane irradiance

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

Lin, Y.; Kessler, T.J.; Lawrence, G.N.

1996-10-01

High-performance phase plates are of vital concern for controlling the far-field irradiance of laser-fusion systems. Several designs for solving this difficult problem have been reported in {ital Optics} {ital Letters} [e.g., S. N. Dixit {ital et} {ital al}., Opt. Lett. {bold 19}, 417 (1994)]. We report a surface-based form of simulated annealing that significantly improves the irradiance control while eliminating the high-scatter problems that have plagued other methods. {copyright} {ital 1996 Optical Society of America.}

Installation Restoration Program. Preliminary Assessment: Record Search for the 110th Tactical Air Support Group, Michigan Air National Guard, W. K. Kellogg Regional Airport, Battle Creek, Michigan.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-01

these wetlands. Because of the generally low relief at the Base, several manmade drainage ditches have been constructed to improve surface water ...northerly boundary (Hickock, 1985). Within the Marshall Formation, the water table or piezometric surface con- forms somewhat to the land surface. The...34hills" in the water table underlie hills seen on land. The " lows " in the water table coincide with low areas on land (Vanlier, 1966). Thus, the

Fine-Scale Relief in the Amazon Drives Large Scale Ecohydrological Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nobre, A. D.; Cuartas, A.; Hodnett, M.; Saleska, S. R.

2014-12-01

Access to soil water by roots is a key ecophysiological factor for plant productivity in natural systems. Periodically during dry seasons or critically during episodic climate droughts, shortage of water supply can reduce or severely impair plant life. At the other extreme persistent soil waterlogging will limit root respiration and restrict local establishment to adapted species, usually leading to stunted and less productive communities. Soil-water availability is therefore a very important climate variable controlling plant physiology and ecosystem dynamics. Terra-firme, the non-seasonally floodable terrain that covers 82% of the landscape in Amazonia,[1] supports the most massive part of the rainforest ecosystem. The availability of soil water data for terra-firme is scant and very coarse. This lack of data has hampered observational and modeling studies aiming to develop a large-scale integrative ecohydrological picture of Amazonia and its vulnerability to climate change. We have mapped the Amazon basin with a new terrain model developed in our group (HAND, Height Above the Nearest drainage[2]), delineating soil water environments using topographical data from the SRTM digital elevation model (250 m horizontal interpolated resolution). The preliminary results show that more than 50% of Terra-firme has the water table very close to the surface (up to 2 m deep), while the remainder of the upland landscape has variable degree of dependence on non-saturated soil (vadose layer). The mapping also shows extremely heterogeneous patterns of fine-scale relief across the basin, which implies complex ecohydrological regional forcing on the forest physiology. Ecoclimate studies should therefore take into account fine-scale relief and its implications for soil-water availability to plant processes. [1] Melack, J. M., & Hess, L. L. (2011). Remote sensing of the distribution and extent of wetlands in the Amazon basin. In W. J. Junk & M. Piedade (Eds.), Amazonian floodplain forests: Ecophysiology, ecology, biodiversity and sustainable management (pp. 1-28). Ecological Studies-Springer. [2] Nobre, A. D., Cuartas, L. A., Hodnett, M., … Saleska, S. (2011). Height Above the Nearest Drainage - a hydrologically relevant new terrain model. Journal of Hydrology, 404(1-2), 13-29

Federal disaster assistance programs

Treesearch

William J. Patterson

1995-01-01

The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act—Public Law 93-288, as amended—is designed to provide support and assistance to citizens, state, and local government from catastrophic disasters and emergencies. The law provides support in three distinct phases, including preparedness in avoiding or minimizing the effect of a disaster, response...

Property Tax Restrictions on School Board Taxing Authority in Pennsylvania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shrom, Timothy J.; Hartman, William

2014-01-01

The purpose of this article was to present the results of a study that analyzed Pennsylvania local school boards' taxing authority, pre- and post-enactment of Special Session Act 1, "The Taxpayer Relief Act," in 2006, in terms of its percent share of school districts' total budget in order to better understand the impact of the new…

Analysis of dissolved gas and fluid chemistry in mountainous region of Goaping river watershed in southern Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Kai-Wen; Chen, Cheng-Hong; Liu, Tsung-Kwei

2016-04-01

Annual rainfall in Taiwan is up to 2500 mm, about 2.5 times the average value of the world. However due to high topographic relief of the Central Mountain Range in Taiwan, groundwater storage is critical for water supply. Mountain region of the Goaping river watershed in southern Taiwan is one of the potential areas to develop groundwater recharge model. Therefore the target of this study is to understand sources of groundwater and surface water using dissolved gas and fluid chemistry. Four groundwater and 6 surface water samples were collected from watershed, 5 groundwater and 13 surface water samples were collected from downstream. All samples were analyzed for stable isotopes (hydrogen and oxygen), dissolved gases (including nitrogen, oxygen, argon, methane and carbon dioxide), noble gases (helium and radon) and major ions. Hydrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios of surface water and groundwater samples aligned along meteoric water line. For surface water, dissolved gases are abundant in N2 (>80%) and O2 (>10%); helium isotopic ratio is approximately equal to 1 RA (RA is 3He/4He ratio of air); radon-222 concentration is below the detection limit (<200 Bq/m3); and concentrations of major anions and cations are low (Na+ <20 ppm, Ca2+ < 60 ppm, Cl- <2 ppm). All these features indicate that surface waters are predominately recharged by precipitation. For groundwater, helium isotopic ratios (0.9˜0.23 RA) are lower and radon-222 concentrations (300˜6000 Bq/m3) are much higher than the surface water. Some samples have high amounts of dissolved gases, such as CH4 (>20%) or CO2 (>10%), most likely contributed by biogenic or geogenic sources. On the other hand, few samples that have temperature 5° higher than the average of other samples, show significantly high Na+ (>1000 ppm), Ca2+ (>150 ppm) and Cl- (>80 ppm) concentrations. An interaction between such groundwater and local hot springs is inferred. Watershed and downstream samples differ in dissolved gas species and fluid chemistry for groundwater and surface water. The higher hydrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios for surface water from downstream are most probably caused by evaporation. Low radon-222 concentrations of some groundwater from downstream may represent sources from different aquifers. Therefore, we conclude that surface water from downstream are recharged directly from its watershed, but groundwater are influenced by the local geological environment. Keywords: groundwater, dissolved gas, noble gas, radon in water, 3He/4He

49 CFR 173.301 - General requirements for shipment of compressed gases and other hazardous materials in cylinders...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... relief device, or bears evidence of physical abuse, fire or heat damage, or detrimental rusting or... valve installed is dropped 1.8 m (6 ft.) or more onto a non-yielding surface, such as concrete or steel...

Graphoepitaxy by encapsulation

DOEpatents

Geis, Michael W.; Smith, Henry I.; Antoniadis, Dimitri A.; Flanders, Dale C.

1986-01-01

Improvements on the graphoepitaxial process for obtaining epitaxial or preferred orientation films are described wherein a cap of material is formed over the film to be oriented, artificial surface-relief structure may be present in the substrate, the cap, or both, and the film may be heated by irradiation with electromagnetic radiation.

Verification of ICESat-2/ATLAS Science Receiver Algorithm Onboard Databases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carabajal, C. C.; Saba, J. L.; Leigh, H. W.; Magruder, L. A.; Urban, T. J.; Mcgarry, J.; Schutz, B. E.

2013-12-01

NASA's ICESat-2 mission will fly the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimetry System (ATLAS) instrument on a 3-year mission scheduled to launch in 2016. ATLAS is a single-photon detection system transmitting at 532nm with a laser repetition rate of 10 kHz, and a 6 spot pattern on the Earth's surface. A set of onboard Receiver Algorithms will perform signal processing to reduce the data rate and data volume to acceptable levels. These Algorithms distinguish surface echoes from the background noise, limit the daily data volume, and allow the instrument to telemeter only a small vertical region about the signal. For this purpose, three onboard databases are used: a Surface Reference Map (SRM), a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and a Digital Relief Maps (DRMs). The DEM provides minimum and maximum heights that limit the signal search region of the onboard algorithms, including a margin for errors in the source databases, and onboard geolocation. Since the surface echoes will be correlated while noise will be randomly distributed, the signal location is found by histogramming the received event times and identifying the histogram bins with statistically significant counts. Once the signal location has been established, the onboard Digital Relief Maps (DRMs) will be used to determine the vertical width of the telemetry band about the signal. University of Texas-Center for Space Research (UT-CSR) is developing the ICESat-2 onboard databases, which are currently being tested using preliminary versions and equivalent representations of elevation ranges and relief more recently developed at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Global and regional elevation models have been assessed in terms of their accuracy using ICESat geodetic control, and have been used to develop equivalent representations of the onboard databases for testing against the UT-CSR databases, with special emphasis on the ice sheet regions. A series of verification checks have been implemented, including comparisons against ICESat altimetry for selected regions with tall vegetation and high relief. The extensive verification effort by the Receiver Algorithm team at GSFC is aimed at assuring that the onboard databases are sufficiently accurate. We will present the results of those assessments and verification tests, along with measures taken to implement modifications to the databases to optimize their use by the receiver algorithms. Companion presentations by McGarry et al. and Leigh et al. describe the details on the ATLAS Onboard Receiver Algorithms and databases development, respectively.

Femtosecond laser fabrication of sub-diffraction nanoripples on wet Al surface in multi-filamentation regime: High optical harmonics effects?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ionin, A. A.; Kudryashov, S. I.; Makarov, S. V.; Rudenko, A. A.; Saltuganov, P. N.; Seleznev, L. V.; Sinitsyn, D. V.; Sunchugasheva, E. S.

2014-02-01

Relief ripples with sub-diffraction periods (≈λlas/3, λlas/4) were produced on a aluminum surface immersed in water and irradiated in a multi-filamentation regime by focused 744 nm femtosecond laser pulses with highly supercritical, multi-GW peak powers. For the VUV (8.5 eV) surface plasmon resonance on the wet aluminum surface, such small-scale surface nanogratings can be produced by high - second and third - optical harmonics, coming to the surface from the optical filaments in the water layer. Then, the sub-diffraction surface ripples may appear through interference of their transverse electric fields with the longitudinal electric fields of their counterparts, scattered on the surface roughness and appeared as the corresponding high-energy, high-wavenumber surface polaritons.

Detachment-limited erosion, alluvial transport, and relief in decaying landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnstone, S. A.; Hilley, G. E.

2013-12-01

The correspondence between relief and erosion rates in tectonically active orogens suggests that erosion rates and relief adjust relatively rapidly to changes in the rates of tectonic processes. This rapid landscape response is at odds with the preservation of ancient orogens for 10s to 100s of millions of years after orogenesis has ceased. We hypothesize that this hysteresis in response times to the acceleration versus deceleration of tectonic rates results from a geomorphic process transition in fluvial networks. In steep landscapes found in tectonically active environments erosion is largely controlled by detachment-limited incision, whereas the increasing importance of alluvial transport in decaying landscapes controls relief and response time-scales in these situations. We present results from one-dimensional (profile) numerical modeling of channels undergoing topographic decay from an initial steady state following a cessation in uplift to understand process transitions that may reconcile the large differences in response times implied by active versus ancient mountain-belts. We performed dimensional analysis on the governing equations such that relief in the channels, process transitions between alluvial transport and detachment-limited erosion, and response times could be viewed in terms of dimensionless numbers that capture the relative strength of sediment transport, bedrock incision, and the initial uplift rate. We found that the form of the decaying profile is dictated by the relative ability of a system to incise vs. transport sediment. When sediment transport is inefficient relative to bedrock incision, models suggest that relief decays in a manner that preserves the overall channel profile geometry as channel slopes decline. In contrast, when the ability of a system to transport sediment greatly exceeds its ability to incise bedrock, decay will be dominated by the consumption of topography by slope retreat. We find that the declivity of the surface along which slopes retreat is set by the sediment transport slope of the fluvial network. As slope retreat progresses, the fraction of area undergoing rapid erosion (and therefore the sediment flux) decreases, which causes a perpetual decline in the sediment transport slope itself. This is manifest as a headward migrating transition from areas dominated by slope retreat to slope decline. While this behavior occurs to some degree in all simulations undergoing slope retreat, it is only clearly observed when steady state alluvial transport slopes are comparable to, but smaller than, bedrock incision slopes. For a given length scale we find that the evolution of relief through time, measured as the fraction of initial relief preserved, is independent of dimensionless fluvial erosion and transport coefficients. High sediment transport slopes can act to limit the rate of decay of relief in landscapes evolving by slope retreat. However, because slope decline occupies only the downstream portion of drainage networks in these cases, the majority of the relief reduction is typically accomplished by slope retreat. These results highlight the importance of erosional process transitions in shaping the relief of decaying landscapes.

Comparison of Local Wound Infiltration with Ropivacaine Alone or Ropivacaine Plus Dexmedetomidine for Postoperative Pain Relief after Lower Segment Cesarean Section.

PubMed

Bhardwaj, Shaman; Devgan, Sumeet; Sood, Dinesh; Katyal, Sunil

2017-01-01

Dexmedetomidine, α 2 -adrenergic agonist, when coadministered with local anesthetics, improves the speed of onset, duration of analgesia and decreases the dose of local anesthetic used. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of local subcutaneous wound infiltration of ropivacaine alone with ropivacaine plus dexmedetomidine for postoperative pain relief following lower segment cesarean section (LSCS). The study was a prospective, randomized control, double-blind study. Sixty female patients belonging to physical status American Society of Anesthesiologists Grade I or II scheduled for LSCS under spinal anesthesia were randomly allocated into two groups of thirty patients each. Group A: local subcutaneous wound infiltration of 0.75% ropivacaine (3 mg/kg) diluted with normal saline to 40 ml. Group B: local subcutaneous wound infiltration of 0.75% ropivacaine (3 mg/kg) plus dexmedetomidine (1.5 μg/kg) of the body weight diluted with normal saline to 40 ml. Standard spinal anesthesia technique was used and LSCS was conducted. The allocated drug was administered by local subcutaneous wound infiltration before closure of the skin. In postoperative period, pain was assessed using visual analog scale (VAS) over a period of 24 h, time of giving first rescue analgesic consumption, mean analgesic consumption, patient satisfaction, and incidence of side effects in 24 h postoperative period was noted. All observations were tabulated and statistically analyzed using Chi-square test and unpaired t -test. A total number of patients requiring rescue analgesic, mean VAS each time rescue analgesic was given, and the mean analgesic required in 24 h postoperative period was lesser in Group B than in Group A. Dexmedetomidine added to ropivacaine for the surgical wound infiltration significantly reduces postoperative pain and rescue analgesic consumption in patients undergoing LSCS. No serious adverse effects were noted.

Structure and shale gas production patterns from eastern Kentucky field

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

Shumaker, R.C.

Computer-derived subsurface structure, isopach, and gas-flow maps, based on 4000 drillers logs, have been generated for eastern Kentucky under a project sponsored by the Gas Research Institute. Structure maps show low-relief flextures related to basement structure. Some structures have been mapped at the surface, others have not. Highest final open-flow (fof) of shale gas from wells in Martin County follow a structural low between (basement) anticlines. From there, elevated gas flows (fof) extend westward along the Warfield monocline to Floyd County where the high flow (fof) trend extends southward along the Floyd County channel. In Knott County, the number ofmore » wells with high gas flow (fof) decreases abruptly. The center of highest gas flow (fof) in Floyd County spreads eastward to Pike County, forming a triangular shaped area of high production (fof). The center of highest gas flow (fof) is in an area where possible (basement) structure trends intersect and where low-relief surface folds (probably detached structure) were mapped and shown on the 1922 version of the Floyd County structure map. Modern regional maps, based on geophysical logs from widely spaced wells, do not define the low-relief structures that have been useful in predicting gas flow trends. Detailed maps based on drillers logs can be misleading unless carefully edited. Comparative analysis of high gas flows (fof) and 10-year cumulative production figures in a small area confirms that there is a relationship between gas flow (fof) values and long-term cumulative production.« less

Anthropogenic degradation of mountainous raised bogs. Case study of the Polish Carpathians

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lajczak, Adam

2016-04-01

Publications on the human impact on peat bogs pay a lot of attention to peat erosion, peat burning and changes in the physical and chemical properties of peat deposits that indicate pollution in the environment, but a more detailed analysis of current changes in the peat bog relief as a result of peat deposit extraction and drying is omitted. Compared to other areas of the world, the level of knowledge on anthropogenic changes in the relief of peat bogs in some areas of Poland may be considered advanced. This applies not only to peat bogs in northern Poland but also southern Poland, where peat bogs in the Carpathians and the Sudetes are also found. The best analyzed peat bogs in southern Poland are the raised bogs in the Orawsko-Nowotarska Basin (Western Carpathians) and in valleys in the Bieszczady Mts. (Eastern Carpathians). Both areas are impacted by deep precipitation shadow. The purpose of this paper is: (1) to assess the rate of shrinkage in the surface area of peat domes in the mentioned areas, (2) to describe the rate of growth in the surface area of older and younger post-peat areas, (3) to explain current changes in peat bogs morphology, (4) to explain changes in water retention in peat deposit, (5) to separate phases in peat bogs relief changes. With that in mind, the direction and rate of change of landforms typical of younger post-peat areas, such as peat extraction scarps, post-extraction hollows, drainage systems including ditches and regulated stream channels, were analyzed. A special emphasis was placed on the period of time when the restoration of such areas has taken place. The paper is based on an analysis of maps produced over the last 230 years as well as on aerial photographs taken since 1965 and on LiDAR data. Fieldwork included the geomorphological and hydrographic mapping of specified landforms within peat bogs using GPS methods. In period prior to human activity peat domes were larger than today and were surrounded by lagg fens and were drained by meandering streams. In period prior to the end of peat extraction and drying the amount of area lost by the peat dome and former wetland fringe can be identified in terms of older and younger post-peat areas. Stream channels in the general area have been regulated and drainage ditches dug. Partial or full peat extraction taking place primarily in the domes' fringe zone has produced major changes in peat bog relief and has substantially reduced peat bog water content. The increased density of drainage ditches in the area surrounding the remnants of peat domes has led to further drying of the peat bogs. An unintended consequence of stream regulation are shallower and wider channels that evolve into braided channels with a local tendency to aggradate material. The current stage of peat bogs development is their restoration which started when peat extraction had been halted in most peat bogs and drainage ditch maintenance had been abandoned.

New modalities of pain treatment after outpatient orthopaedic surgery.

PubMed

Beaussier, M; Sciard, D; Sautet, A

2016-02-01

Postoperative pain relief is one of the cornerstones of success of orthopaedic surgery. Development of new minimally-invasive surgical procedures, as well as improvements in pharmacological and local and regional techniques should result in optimal postoperative pain control for all patients. The analgesic strategy has to be efficient, with minimal side effects, and be easy to manage at home. Multimodal analgesia allows for a reduction of opiate use and thereby its side effects. Local and regional analgesia is a major component of this multimodal strategy, associated with optimal pain relief, even upon mobilization, and it has beneficial effects on postoperative recovery. Ultrasound guidance improves the success rate of distal nerve blocks and makes distal selective blockade possible, helping to preserve the limb's motility. Besides peripheral nerve blocks, local infiltration (incisional and/or intra-articular) is also important to consider. Duration of the nerve blockade is limited after a single injection. This must be taken into consideration to avoid the recurrence of pain when the patient returns home. Continuous perineural blocks using catheters are an option that can be easily managed at home with monitoring by home-care nurses. Extended-release liposomal bupivacaine and adjuvants such as dexamethasone could significantly enhance the duration of the sensory block, thereby reducing the indications for pain pumps. Non-pharmacological approaches, such as cryotherapy, hypnosis and acupuncture should not be ignored. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Erosion-tectonics feedbacks in shaping the landscape: An example from the Mekele Outlier (Tigray, Ethiopia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sembroni, Andrea; Molin, Paola; Dramis, Francesco; Faccenna, Claudio; Abebe, Bekele

2017-05-01

An outlier consists of an area of younger rocks surrounded by older ones. Its formation is mainly related to the erosion of surrounding rocks which causes the interruption of the original continuity of the rocks. Because of its origin, an outlier is an important witness of the paleogeography of a region and, therefore, essential to understand its topographic and geological evolution. The Mekele Outlier (N Ethiopia) is characterized by poorly incised Mesozoic marine sediments and dolerites (∼2000 m in elevation), surrounded by strongly eroded Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks and Tertiary volcanic deposits in a context of a mantle supported topography. In the past, studies about the Mekele outlier focused mainly in the mere description of the stratigraphic and tectonic settings without taking into account the feedback between surface and deep processes in shaping such peculiar feature. In this study we present the geological and geomorphometric analyses of the Mekele Outlier taking into account the general topographic features (slope map, swath profiles, local relief), the river network and the principal tectonic lineaments of the outlier. The results trace the evolution of the study area as related not only to the mere erosion of the surrounding rocks but to a complex interaction between surface and deep processes where the lithology played a crucial role.

Printing enzymatic reactions.

PubMed

Tian, Junfei; Shen, Wei

2011-02-07

We used relief and planographic printing methods to print the catalytic effect of an enzyme, but not the enzyme molecules, onto paper. Printing enzymatic reactions have applications in bioactive papers, low-cost diagnostics, anti-counterfeiting devices and advanced packaging materials. These methods can create novel printing effects on commodity surfaces for advanced applications.

Got Sheetrock?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheehan, Diane B.

2005-01-01

The author of this article, an art teacher, describes a high school studio lesson about sculptural reliefs using Sheetrock. She describes how students can work with and prepare Sheetrock and how they can create a design and transfer it onto the dry Sheetrock plaster. Making repairs to the surface, coloring and finishing, and the tools required are…

Graphoepitaxy by encapsulation

DOEpatents

Geis, M.W.; Smith, H.I.; Antoniadis, D.A.; Flanders, D.C.

1986-01-21

Improvements on the graphoepitaxial process for obtaining epitaxial or preferred orientation films are described wherein a cap of material is formed over the film to be oriented, artificial surface-relief structure may be present in the substrate, the cap, or both, and the film may be heated by irradiation with electromagnetic radiation. 13 figs.

30 CFR 57.4430 - Surface storage facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... liquids shall be— (1) Capable of withstanding working pressures and stresses and compatible with the type.... These pressure relief requirements do not apply to tanks used for storage of Class IIIB liquids that are... withstanding working pressures and stresses; (2) Compatible with the type of liquid stored; and (3) Maintained...

30 CFR 57.4430 - Surface storage facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... liquids shall be— (1) Capable of withstanding working pressures and stresses and compatible with the type.... These pressure relief requirements do not apply to tanks used for storage of Class IIIB liquids that are... withstanding working pressures and stresses; (2) Compatible with the type of liquid stored; and (3) Maintained...

Assessing the Damage Potential in Pretensioned Bridges Caused by Increased Truck Loads Due to Freight Movements (Phase 1)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-05-01

When evaluating the condition of existing bridges determining in situ stresses in the members provides valuable information about the condition of the structures. In this study, a method of surface strain relief was investigated whereby the change in...

Climate Variability and Surface Processes in Tectonically Active Orogens: Insights From the Southern Central Andes and the Northwest Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strecker, M. R.; Bookhagen, B.

2008-12-01

The Southern Central Andes of NW Argentina and the NW Himalaya are important orographic barriers that intercept moisture-bearing winds associated with monsoonal circulation. Changes in both atmospheric circulation systems on decadal to millennial timescales fundamentally influence differences in the amount and location of rainfall in both orogens. In India, the eastern arm of the monsoonal circulation draws moisture from the Bay of Bengal and transports humid air masses along the southern Himalayan front to the northwest. There, at the end of the monsoonal conveyer belt, rainfall is diminished and moisture typically does not reach far into the orogen interior. Similar conditions apply to the NW Argentine Andes, which are located within the precipitation regime of the South American Monsoon. Here, pronounced local relief blocks humid air masses from the Amazon region, resulting in extreme gradients in rainfall that leave the orogen interior dry. However, during negative ENSO years (La Niña) and intensified Indian Summer Monsoon years, moisture penetrates farther into the Andean and Himalayan orogens, respectively. Structurally pre- conditioned valley systems may enhance this process and funnel moisture far into the orogen interior. The greater availability of moisture increases runoff, lateral scouring of mountin streams, and ultimately triggers intensified hillslope processes on decadal to centennial timescales. In both environments, the scenario of intensified present-day surface processes and rates is analogous to protracted episodes of enhanced mass removal from hillslopes via deep-seated landslides during the early Holocene and late Pleistocene. Apparently, these episodes were also associated with transient storage of voluminous conglomerates and lacustrine deposits in narrow intermontane basins. Subsequently, these deposits were incised, partly removed, and the fluvial systems adjusted themselves to the pre-depositional base levels through a readjustment and an increase in the fluvial efficiency and connectivity. Farther into the orogen interior, however, the episodically occurring increase in the availability of material may have contributed to the overall long-term reduction of relief due to reduced fluvial connectivity and the inability of rivers to evacuate material to the foreland. Pronounced coeval variations in erosion and depositional processes therefore emphasize the far-reaching impact of climate variability on the surface-process regime and hence provide insights into intensified episodes of landscape evolution in orogens. In addition, the present-day effects of climatic variability on the surface-process system may serve as a model for similar intensified processes that might be expected in a future global change scenario.

Climatic vs. tectonic control on glacial relief

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasicek, Günther; Herman, Frederic; Robl, Jörg

2017-04-01

The limiting effect of a climatically-induced glacial buzz-saw on the height of mountain ranges has been extensively discussed in the geosciences. The buzz-saw concept assumes that solely climate controls the amount of topography present above the equilibrium line altitude (ELA), while the rock uplift rate plays no relevant role. This view is supported by analyses of hypsometric patterns in orogens worldwide. Furthermore, numerical landscape evolution models show that glacial erosion modifies the hypsometry and reduces the overall relief of mountain landscapes. However, such models often do not incorporate tectonic uplift and can only simulate glacial erosion over a limited amount of time, typically one or several glacial cycles. Constraints on glacial end-member landscapes from analytical, time-independent models are widely lacking. Here we present a steady-state solution for a glacier equilibrium profile in an active orogen modified from the mathematical conception presented by Headley et al. (2012). Our approach combines a glacial erosion law with the shallow ice approximation, specifically the formulations of ice sliding and deformation velocities and ice flux, to calculate ice surface and bed topography from prescribed specific mass balance and rock uplift rate. This solution allows the application of both linear and non-linear erosion laws and can be iteratively fitted to a predefined gradient of specific mass balance with elevation. We tested the influence of climate (fixed rock uplift rate, different ELAs) and tectonic forcing (fixed ELA, different rock uplift rates) on steady-state relief. Our results show that, similar to fluvial orogens, both climate and rock uplift rate exert a strong influence on glacial relief and that the relation among rock uplift rate and relief is governed by the glacial erosion law. This finding can provide an explanation for the presence of high relief in high latitudes. Headley, R.M., Roe, G., Hallet, B., 2012. Glacier longitudinal profiles in regions of active uplift. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 317-318, 354-362.

Sandmeier model based topographic correction to lunar spectral profiler (SP) data from KAGUYA satellite.

PubMed

Chen, Sheng-Bo; Wang, Jing-Ran; Guo, Peng-Ju; Wang, Ming-Chang

2014-09-01

The Moon may be considered as the frontier base for the deep space exploration. The spectral analysis is one of the key techniques to determine the lunar surface rock and mineral compositions. But the lunar topographic relief is more remarkable than that of the Earth. It is necessary to conduct the topographic correction for lunar spectral data before they are used to retrieve the compositions. In the present paper, a lunar Sandmeier model was proposed by considering the radiance effect from the macro and ambient topographic relief. And the reflectance correction model was also reduced based on the Sandmeier model. The Spectral Profile (SP) data from KAGUYA satellite in the Sinus Iridum quadrangle was taken as an example. And the digital elevation data from Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter are used to calculate the slope, aspect, incidence and emergence angles, and terrain-viewing factor for the topographic correction Thus, the lunar surface reflectance from the SP data was corrected by the proposed model after the direct component of irradiance on a horizontal surface was derived. As a result, the high spectral reflectance facing the sun is decreased and low spectral reflectance back to the sun is compensated. The statistical histogram of reflectance-corrected pixel numbers presents Gaussian distribution Therefore, the model is robust to correct lunar topographic effect and estimate lunar surface reflectance.

Femtosecond diffraction dynamics of laser-induced periodic surface structures on fused silica

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

Hoehm, S.; Rosenfeld, A.; Krueger, J.

2013-02-04

The formation of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on fused silica upon irradiation with linearly polarized fs-laser pulses (50 fs pulse duration, 800 nm center wavelength) is studied experimentally using a transillumination femtosecond time-resolved (0.1 ps-1 ns) pump-probe diffraction approach. This allows to reveal the generation dynamics of near-wavelength-sized LIPSS showing a transient diffraction at specific spatial frequencies even before a corresponding permanent surface relief was observed. The results confirm that the ultrafast energy deposition to the materials surface plays a key role and triggers subsequent physical mechanisms such as carrier scattering into self-trapped excitons.

The role of intraoperative radiation therapy in patients with pancreatic cancer.

PubMed

Palta, Manisha; Willett, Christopher; Czito, Brian

2014-04-01

Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) techniques allow for the delivery of high doses of radiation therapy while excluding part or all of the nearby dose-limiting sensitive structures. Therefore, the effective radiation dose is increased and local tumor control potentially improved. This is pertinent in the case of pancreatic cancer because local failure rates are as high as 50%-80% in patients with resected and locally advanced disease. Available data in patients receiving IORT after pancreaticoduodenectomy reveal an improvement in local control, though overall survival benefit is unclear. Series of patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer also suggest pain relief, and in select studies, improved survival associated with the inclusion of IORT. At present, no phase III data clearly supports the use of IORT in the management of pancreatic cancer. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Phyllotactic arrangements of optical elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horacek, M.; Meluzin, P.; Kratky, S.; Matejka, M.; Kolarik, V.

2017-05-01

Phyllotaxy studies arrangements of biological entities, e.g. a placement of seeds in the flower head. Vogel (1979) presented a phyllotactic model based on series of seeds ordered along a primary spiral. This arrangement allows each seed to occupy the same area within a circular flower head. Recently, a similar arrangement of diffraction primitives forming a planar relief diffractive structure was presented. The planar relief structure was used for benchmarking and testing purposes of the electron beam writer patterning process. This contribution presents the analysis of local periods and azimuths of optical phyllotactic arrangements. Two kinds of network characteristic triangles are introduced. If the discussed planar structure has appropriate size and density, diffraction of the incoming light creates characteristic a phyllotactic diffraction pattern. Algorithms enabling the analysis of such behavior were developed and they were validated by fabricated samples of relief structures. Combined and higher diffraction orders are also analyzed. Different approaches enabling the creation of phyllotactic diffractive patterns are proposed. E-beam lithography is a flexible technology for various diffraction gratings origination. The e-beam patterning typically allows for the creation of optical diffraction gratings in the first diffraction order. Nevertheless, this technology enables also more complex grating to be prepared, e.g. blazed gratings and zero order gratings. Moreover, the mentioned kinds of gratings can be combined within one planar relief structure. The practical part of the presented work deals with the nano patterning of such structures by using two different types of the e-beam pattern generators.

Fluoroscopic cervical epidural injections in chronic axial or disc-related neck pain without disc herniation, facet joint pain, or radiculitis

PubMed Central

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Cash, Kimberly A; Pampati, Vidyasagar; Malla, Yogesh

2012-01-01

Background While chronic neck pain is a common problem in the adult population, with a typical 12-month prevalence of 30%–50%, there is a lack of consensus regarding its causes and treatment. Despite limited evidence, cervical epidural injections are one of the commonly performed nonsurgical interventions in the management of chronic neck pain. Methods A randomized, double-blind, active, controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of cervical interlaminar epidural injections of local anesthetic with or without steroids for the management of chronic neck pain with or without upper extremity pain in patients without disc herniation, radiculitis, or facet joint pain. Results One hundred and twenty patients without disc herniation or radiculitis and negative for facet joint pain by means of controlled diagnostic medial branch blocks were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups, ie, injection of local anesthetic only (group 1) or local anesthetic mixed with nonparticulate betamethasone (group 2). The primary outcome of significant pain relief and improvement in functional status (≥50%) was demonstrated in 72% of group 1 and 68% of group 2. The overall average number of procedures per year was 3.6 in both groups with an average total relief per year of 37–39 weeks in the successful group over a period of 52 weeks. Conclusion Cervical interlaminar epidural injections of local anesthetic with or without steroids may be effective in patients with chronic function-limiting discogenic or axial pain. PMID:22826642

Investigation of local meteorological events and their relationship with ozone and aerosols during an ESCOMPTE photochemical episode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Augustin, P.; Delbarre, H.; Lohou, F.; Campistron, B.; Puygrenier, V.; Cachier, H.; Lombardo, T.

2006-11-01

The international ESCOMPTE campaign, which took place in summer 2001 in the most highly polluted French region, was devoted to validate air pollution prediction models. Surface and remote sensing instruments (Lidar, Radar and Sodar) were deployed over the Marseille area, along the Mediterranean coast, in order to investigate the fine structure of the sea-breeze circulation and its relationship with the pollutant concentrations. The geographical situation of the Marseille region combines a complex coastline and relief which both lead to a peculiar behaviour of the sea-breeze circulation. Several local sea breezes, perpendicular to the nearest coastline, settled in during the morning. In the afternoons, when the thermal gradient between the continental and marine surface grows up, a southerly or a westerly sea breeze may dominate. Their respective importance is then a function of time, space and altitude. Furthermore, an oscillation of the westerly sea breeze with a period of about 3 h is also highlighted. We show that these dynamical characteristics have profound influences on the atmospheric boundary-layer (ABL) development and on pollutant concentrations. In fact, the direction and intensity of the sea-breeze determine the route and the transit time of the stable marine air flow over the continental surface. Thus, the ABL depth may exhibit several collapses correlated with the westerly sea-breeze pulsation. The ozone and aerosol concentrations are also related to the dynamical features. In the suburbs and parts of the city under pulsed sea breezes, a higher ABL depth and higher ozone concentrations are observed. In the city centre, this relationship between pulsed sea-breeze intensity and ozone concentration is different, emphasising the importance of the transit time and also the build-up of pollutants in the marine air mass along the route. Finally, the variations of aerosol concentration are also described according to the breeze direction.

Atomic force microscopy study of enamel remineralization

PubMed Central

Poggio, Claudio; Ceci, Matteo; Beltrami, Riccardo; Lombardini, Marco; Colombo, Marco

2014-01-01

Summary Aim The aim of the present in vitro study was the evaluation of two products: a CPP-ACP paste (GC Tooth Mousse, GC Corp.) and a desensitizing toothpaste (Colgate Sensitive Pro Relief, Colgate-Palmolive) on preventing enamel erosion produced by a soft drink (Coca Cola) by using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Methods Thirty enamel specimens were assigned to 6 groups of 5 specimens each. 1: intact enamel, 2: enamel + soft drink, 3: intact enamel + Colgate Sensitive Pro Relief, 4: enamel + soft drink + Colgate Sensitive Pro Relief, 5: intact enamel + GC Tooth Mousse, 6: enamel + soft drink + GC Tooth Mousse. The surface of each specimen was imaged by AFM. The root mean-square roughness (Rrms) was obtained from the AFM images and the differences in the averaged values among the groups were analyzed by ANOVA test. Results Comparing groups 4 and 6 (soft drink + toothpastes) with group 2 (eroded enamel) a statistical difference (P<0.05) was registered, suggesting effectiveness in protecting enamel against erosion of the products investigated. Conclusions The use of new formulation toothpastes can prevent enamel demineralization. PMID:25506414

Sublimation as a landform-shaping process on Pluto

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, Jeffrey M.; Howard, Alan D.; Umurhan, Orkan M.; White, Oliver L.; Schenk, Paul M.; Beyer, Ross A.; McKinnon, William B.; Spencer, John R.; Grundy, Will M.; Lauer, Tod R.; Nimmo, Francis; Young, Leslie A.; Stern, S. Alan; Weaver, Harold A.; Olkin, Cathy B.; Ennico, Kimberly; New Horizons Science Team

2017-05-01

Fields of pits, both large and small, in Tombaugh Regio (Sputnik Planitia, and the Pitted Uplands to the east), and along the scarp of Piri Rupes, are examples of landscapes on Pluto where we conclude that sublimation drives their formation and evolution. Our heuristic modeling closely mimics the form, spacing, and arrangement of a variety of Tombaugh Regio's pits. Pluto's sublimation modified landforms appear to require a significant role for (diffusive) mass wasting as suggested by our modeling. In our models, the temporal evolution of pitted surfaces is such that initially lots of time passes with little happening, then eventually, very rapid development of relief and rapid sublimation. Small pits on Sputnik Planitia are consistent with their formation in N2-dominated materials. As N2-ice readily flows, some other ``stiffer'' volatile ice may play a role in supporting the relief of sublimation degraded landforms that exhibit several hundred meters of relief. A strong candidate is CH4, which is spectroscopically observed to be associated with these features, but the current state of rheological knowledge for CH4 ice at Pluto conditions is insufficient for a firm assessment.

Standing-up exerciser based on functional electrical stimulation and body weight relief.

PubMed

Ferrarin, M; Pavan, E E; Spadone, R; Cardini, R; Frigo, C

2002-05-01

The goal of the present work was to develop and test an innovative system for the training of paraplegic patients when they are standing up. The system consisted of a computer-controlled stimulator, surface electrodes for quadricep muscle stimulation, two knee angle sensors, a digital proportional-integrative-derivative (PID) controller and a mechanical device to support, partially, the body weight (weight reliever (WR)). A biomechanical model of the combined WR and patient was developed to find an optimum reference trajectory for the PID controller. The system was tested on three paraplegic patients and was shown to be reliable and safe. One patient completed a 30-session training period. Initially he was able to stand up only with 62% body weight relief, whereas, after the training period, he performed a series of 30 standing-up/sitting-down cycles with 45% body weight relief. The closed-loop controller was able to keep the patient standing upright with minimum stimulation current, to compensate automatically for muscle fatigue and to smooth the sitting-down movement. The limitations of the controller in connection with a highly non-linear system are considered.

Property Taxes and Elderly Mobility

PubMed Central

Shan, Hui

2009-01-01

The 2000–05 housing market boom in the U.S. has caused sharp increases in residential property taxes. Housing-rich but income-poor elderly homeowners often complain about rising tax burdens, and anecdotal evidence suggests that some move to reduce their tax burden. There has been little systematic analysis, however, of the link between property tax levels and the mobility rate of elderly homeowners. This paper investigates this link using household-level panel data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and a newly collected data set on state-provided property tax relief programs. These relief programs generate variation in effective property tax burdens that is not due solely to arguably endogenous local community choices about taxes and expenditure programs. The findings provide evidence suggesting that higher property taxes raise mobility among elderly homeowners. The point estimates from instrumental variable estimation using relief programs to generate instruments suggest that a $100 increase in annual property taxes is associated with a 0.73 percentage point increase in the two-year mobility rate for homeowners over the age of 50. This is an eight percent increase from the baseline two-year mobility rate of nine percent. These results are robust to alternative specifications. PMID:20161617

Analytical results, geology, and sample locality map of mercury-sulfur-gypsum mineralization at Crater, Inyo County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Erickson, M.S.; Marsh, S.P.; Roemer, T.A.

1984-01-01

The Crater mercury-su l fur-gypsum ~ineral ized area is located in east-central California along the crest of the Last Chance Range, west of the north end of Death Valley (fig. 1). The area is in the northwest quarter of the Last Chance Range 15-minute quadrangle and occupies the area between 117 39 and 117 45 longitude and 37 10 and 37 15 latitudP.. The area studied lies between 5000 ( 1525 m) and 6000 ( 1830 m) feet above sea level. Relief isgenerally moderate but can be extreme in some places, as at Hanging Rock Canyon (plate 1). The climate is arid, and there are no active streams in the area. The range fronts east and west of the area are precipitous and incised by many steep canyons, whereas the range crest has relatively low relief. The old abandoned town and mine site of Crater 1 ie in this area of low relief. Access to the Crater area is by paved and dirt roads from Big Pine to the west or from the north end of the Death Valley National Monument to the southeast.

Combined spinal epidural anesthesia in achondroplastic dwarf for femur surgery

PubMed Central

Bakhshi, Rochana Girish; Jagtap, Sheetal R.

2011-01-01

Achondroplasia is the commonest form of short-limbed dwarfism and occurs in 1:26,000-40,000 live births. This is an autosomal dominant disorder with abnormal endochondral ossification whereas periosteal and intramembranous ossification are normal. The basic abnormality is a disturbance of cartilage formation mainly at the epiphyseal growth plates and at the base of the skull. The anesthetic management of achondroplastic dwarfs is a challenge to the anesthesiologist. Both regional as well as general anesthesia have their individual risks and consequences. We report a case of an achondroplastic dwarf in whom combined spinal epidural anesthesia was used for fixation of a fractured femur. The patient had undergone previous femur surgery under general anesthesia since he had been informed that spinal anesthesia could be very problematic. There was no technical difficulty encountered during the procedure and an adequate level was achieved with low-dose local anesthetics without any problem. Postoperative pain relief was offered for three consecutive postoperative days using epidural tramadol. We discuss the anesthetic issues and highlight the role of combined spinal epidural anesthesia with low-dose local anesthetics in this patient. This approach also helped in early ambulation and postoperative pain relief. PMID:24765361

Crater gradation in Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum, Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, J. A.; Arvidson, R. E.; Crumpler, L. S.; Golombek, M. P.; Hahn, B.; Haldemann, A. F. C.; Li, R.; Soderblom, L. A.; Squyres, S. W.; Wright, S. P.; Watters, W. A.

2006-01-01

The Mars Exploration Rovers investigated numerous craters in Gusev crater and Meridiani Planum during the first ~400 sols of their missions. Craters vary in size and preservation state but are mostly due to secondary impacts at Gusev and primary impacts at Meridiani. Craters at both locations are modified primarily by eolian erosion and infilling and lack evidence for modification by aqueous processes. Effects of gradation on crater form are dependent on size, local lithology, slopes, and availability of mobile sediments. At Gusev, impacts into basaltic rubble create shallow craters and ejecta composed of resistant rocks. Ejecta initially experience eolian stripping, which becomes weathering-limited as lags develop on ejecta surfaces and sediments are trapped within craters. Subsequent eolian gradation depends on the slow production of fines by weathering and impacts and is accompanied by minor mass wasting. At Meridiani the sulfate-rich bedrock is more susceptible to eolian erosion, and exposed crater rims, walls, and ejecta are eroded, while lower interiors and low-relief surfaces are increasingly infilled and buried by mostly basaltic sediments. Eolian processes outpace early mass wasting, often produce meters of erosion, and mantle some surfaces. Some small craters were likely completely eroded/buried. Craters >100 m in diameter on the Hesperian-aged floor of Gusev are generally more pristine than on the Amazonian-aged Meridiani plains. This conclusion contradicts interpretations from orbital views, which do not readily distinguish crater gradation state at Meridiani and reveal apparently subdued crater forms at Gusev that may suggest more gradation than has occurred.

Response of groundwater level and surface-water/groundwater interaction to climate variability: Clarence-Moreton Basin, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Tao; Raiber, Matthias; Pagendam, Dan; Gilfedder, Mat; Rassam, David

2018-03-01

Understanding the response of groundwater levels in alluvial and sedimentary basin aquifers to climatic variability and human water-resource developments is a key step in many hydrogeological investigations. This study presents an analysis of groundwater response to climate variability from 2000 to 2012 in the Queensland part of the sedimentary Clarence-Moreton Basin, Australia. It contributes to the baseline hydrogeological understanding by identifying the primary groundwater flow pattern, water-level response to climate extremes, and the resulting dynamics of surface-water/groundwater interaction. Groundwater-level measurements from thousands of bores over several decades were analysed using Kriging and nonparametric trend analysis, together with a newly developed three-dimensional geological model. Groundwater-level contours suggest that groundwater flow in the shallow aquifers shows local variations in the close vicinity of streams, notwithstanding general conformance with topographic relief. The trend analysis reveals that climate variability can be quickly reflected in the shallow aquifers of the Clarence-Moreton Basin although the alluvial aquifers have a quicker rainfall response than the sedimentary bedrock formations. The Lockyer Valley alluvium represents the most sensitively responding alluvium in the area, with the highest declining (-0.7 m/year) and ascending (2.1 m/year) Sen's slope rates during and after the drought period, respectively. Different surface-water/groundwater interaction characteristics were observed in different catchments by studying groundwater-level fluctuations along hydrogeologic cross-sections. The findings of this study lay a foundation for future water-resource management in the study area.

Efficacy of Ambroxol lozenges for pharyngitis: a meta-analysis

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Ambroxol has a local anaesthetic action and is marketed for pain relief for sore throat. The objective is to examine the efficacy and safety of ambroxol for the relief of pain associated with acute uncomplicated sore throat. Methods A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis. Selection criteria consisted of randomized controlled trials which compared ambroxol to placebo or any other treatment for sore throat. Two reviewers independently assessed for relevance, inclusion, and risk of bias. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) were calculated and are reported with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results and conclusion From 14 potentially relevant citations, five trials reported in three publications met the inclusion criteria, three of them were published twice. Ambroxol lozenges were compared in different dosages (5–30 mg) with mint flavoured lozenges and once with benzocaine. Main outcome was a ratio of pain reduction measured repeatedly over 3 h compared to baseline on 6-item verbal rating scale. A total of 1.772 adult patients participated in the trials. Pain intensity decreased in both study arms. A meta-analysis of the 5 controlled trials resulted in a difference in pain reduction compared to placebo of -0.11 (95% CI [-0.15, -0.07]; p < 0.0001) favouring ambroxol 20 mg. Quality of reporting of the studies was low. Ambroxol is slightly more effective in relieving pain in acute sore throat than mint flavoured lozenges over a period of 3 h. However, the additional benefits of ambroxol beyond three hours, remain unclear given that more than 50% of patients using mint flavoured lozenges for pain relief reported good or very good efficacy after 1 day compared to 69% with ambroxol. Ambroxol is a safe option for individual patients with mainly local symptoms asking for treatment. PMID:24621446

Efficacy of Ambroxol lozenges for pharyngitis: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Chenot, Jean-François; Weber, Peter; Friede, Tim

2014-03-13

Ambroxol has a local anaesthetic action and is marketed for pain relief for sore throat. The objective is to examine the efficacy and safety of ambroxol for the relief of pain associated with acute uncomplicated sore throat. A systematic review of the literature and meta-analysis. Selection criteria consisted of randomized controlled trials which compared ambroxol to placebo or any other treatment for sore throat. Two reviewers independently assessed for relevance, inclusion, and risk of bias. Weighted mean differences (WMDs) were calculated and are reported with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). From 14 potentially relevant citations, five trials reported in three publications met the inclusion criteria, three of them were published twice. Ambroxol lozenges were compared in different dosages (5-30 mg) with mint flavoured lozenges and once with benzocaine. Main outcome was a ratio of pain reduction measured repeatedly over 3 h compared to baseline on 6-item verbal rating scale. A total of 1.772 adult patients participated in the trials. Pain intensity decreased in both study arms. A meta-analysis of the 5 controlled trials resulted in a difference in pain reduction compared to placebo of -0.11 (95% CI [-0.15, -0.07]; p < 0.0001) favouring ambroxol 20 mg. Quality of reporting of the studies was low. Ambroxol is slightly more effective in relieving pain in acute sore throat than mint flavoured lozenges over a period of 3 h. However, the additional benefits of ambroxol beyond three hours, remain unclear given that more than 50% of patients using mint flavoured lozenges for pain relief reported good or very good efficacy after 1 day compared to 69% with ambroxol. Ambroxol is a safe option for individual patients with mainly local symptoms asking for treatment.

A model of depressional wetland formation in low-relief karst landscapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heffernan, J. B.; Murray, A. B.; Cohen, M. J.; Martin, J. B.; Mclaughlin, D. L.; Bianchi, T. S.; Watts, A.

2014-12-01

Karst landscapes are formed by the self-reinforcing dissolution of limestone and other soluble rocks, and these positive feedbacks can create a variety of landforms depending on initial topography, climate, bedrock characteristics, and potentially, the activity of biota. In Big Cypress National Preserve (BICY), a low-relief karst landscape in southwestern FL (USA), depressional wetlands, are interspersed within an upland matrix in a regular pattern. This landscape is characterized by over-dispersion of wetland patches, periodic variation in bedrock depth and soil thickness, and distinct bi-modality of these and other soil properties. We hypothesize that the structure of the BICY landscape reflects the concurrent effects of local positive feedbacks among hydroperiod, vegetation productivity and bedrock dissolution; these local processes may ultimately be constrained by landscape scale limitations of water volume. We further hypothesize that low relief and shallow water tables are essential boundary conditions for the emergence of regular patterning of wetlands. To explore these hypotheses, we have developed a quasi-spatial model of a single nascent wetland and its catchment, where the expansion of the wetland basin is driven by acidity associated with belowground root production and aquatic metabolism and their effects on carbonate mineral dissolution, and by the lateral and vertical discharge of water between wetlands and bedrock porosity. This model can, depending on boundary conditions, recreate a range of karst features, including vertical dissolution holes, extensive wetlands that overtake the entire basin, or smaller wetlands whose size equilibrates at a small proportion of the catchment area. This last endpoint, a landform similar to those observed in BICY, occurs only in response to relatively shallow water tables, limited hydrologic inputs, and strong positive feedbacks of biotic activity on dissolution.

Dynamics of the small-scale changes of metal optic surfaces induced by pulsed light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liukonen, R. A.; Trofimenko, A. M.

1991-10-01

A study is made of small-scale changes in the relief and absorptivity of mirror metal surfaces due to interaction with pulsed infrared irradiation. Several singularities are identified which are associated with the pulsed nature of the interaction and which cannot be explained by the surface temperature change alone. These include small-scale deformations observed even in the case of uniform distribution of the incident radiation intensity; an increase in deformation in excess of the increase attributable to heating only; and a change in the absorptivity of metal mirrors in excess of the theoretically predicted value.

Mechanical Effects of Normal Faulting Along the Eastern Escarpment of the Sierra Nevada, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martel, S. J.; Logan, J. M.; Stock, G. M.

2013-12-01

Here we test whether the regional near-surface stress field in the Sierra Nevada, California, and the near-surface fracturing that heavily influences the Sierran landscape are a mechanical response to normal faulting along its eastern escarpment. A compilation of existing near-surface stress measurements for the central Sierra Nevada, together with three new measurements, shows the most compressive horizontal stresses are 3-21 MPa, consistent with the widespread distribution of sheeting joints (near-surface fractures subparallel to the ground surface). In contrast, a new stress measurement at Aeolian Buttes in the Mono Basin, east of the range front fault system, reveals a horizontal principal tension of 0.014 MPa, consistent with the abundant vertical joints there. To evaluate mechanical effects of normal faulting, we modeled both normal faults and grabens in three ways: (1) dislocations of specified slip in an elastic half-space, (2) frictionless sliding surfaces in an elastic half-space; and (3) faults in thin elastic beams resting on an inviscid fluid. The different mechanical models predict concave upward flexure and widespread near-surface compressive stresses in the Sierra Nevada that surpass the measurements even for as little as 1 km of normal slip along the eastern escarpment, which exhibits 1-3 km of structural and topographic relief. The models also predict concave downward flexure of the bedrock floors and horizontal near-surface tensile stresses east of the escarpment. The thin-beam models account best for the topographic relief of the eastern escarpment and the measured stresses given current best estimates for the rheology of the Sierran lithosphere. Our findings collectively indicate that the regional near-surface stress field and the widespread near-surface fracturing directly reflect the mechanical response to normal faulting along the eastern escarpment. These results have broad scientific and engineering implications for slope stability, hydrology, and geomorphology in and near fault-bounded mountain ranges in general.

Cervical epidural injections in chronic discogenic neck pain without disc herniation or radiculitis: preliminary results of a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.

PubMed

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Cash, Kimberly A; Pampati, Vidyasagar; Wargo, Bradley W; Malla, Yogesh

2010-01-01

Chronic neck pain is a common problem in the adult population with a typical 12-month prevalence of 30% to 50%. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding the causes and treatments of chronic neck pain. Despite limited evidence, cervical epidural injections are one of the commonly performed non-surgical interventions in the management of chronic neck pain. A randomized, double-blind, active control trial. An interventional pain management practice, a specialty referral center, a private practice setting in the United States. To evaluate the effectiveness of cervical interlaminar epidural injections with local anesthetic with or without steroids in the management of chronic neck pain with or without upper extremity pain in patients without disc herniation or radiculitis or facet joint pain. Patients without disc herniation or radiculitis and negative for facet joint pain by means of controlled diagnostic medial branch blocks were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups: injection of local anesthetic only or local anesthetic mixed with non-particulate betamethasone. Seventy patients were included in this analysis. Randomization was performed by computer-generated random allocation sequence by simple randomization. Multiple outcome measures were utilized including the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), the Neck Disability Index (NDI), employment status, and opioid intake with assessment at 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment. Significant pain relief or functional status was defined as a 50% or more reduction. Significant pain relief (> or = 50%) was demonstrated in 80% of patients in both groups and functional status improvement (> or = 50%) in 69% of Group I and 80% of Group II. The overall average procedures per year were 3.9 +/- 1.01 in Group I and 3.9 +/- 0.8 in Group II with an average total relief per year of 40.3 +/- 14.1 weeks in Group I and 42.1 +/- 9.9 weeks in Group II over a period of 52 weeks in the successful group. The results of this study are limited by the lack of a placebo group and a preliminary report of 70 patients, with 35 patients in each group. Cervical interlaminar epidural injections with local anesthetic with or without steroids may be effective in patients with chronic function-limiting discogenic.

Rates and style of Cenozoic deformation around the Gonghe Basin, northeastern Tibetan Plateau

USGS Publications Warehouse

Craddock, William H.; Kirby, Eric; Zhang, Huiping; Clark, Marin K.; Champagnac, Jean-Daniel; Yuan, Daoyang

2014-01-01

The northeastern Tibetan Plateau constitutes a transitional region between the low-relief physiographic plateau to the south and the high-relief ranges of the Qilian Shan to the north. Cenozoic deformation across this margin of the plateau is associated with localized growth of fault-cored mountain ranges and associated basins. Herein, we combine detailed structural analysis of the geometry of range-bounding faults and deformation of foreland basin strata with geomorphic and exhumational records of erosion in hanging-wall ranges in order to investigate the magnitude, timing, and style of deformation along the two primary fault systems, the Qinghai Nan Shan and the Gonghe Nan Shan. Structural mapping shows that both ranges have developed above imbricate fans of listric thrust faults, which sole into décollements in the middle crust. Restoration of shortening along balanced cross sections suggests a minimum of 0.8–2.2 km and 5.1–6.9 km of shortening, respectively. Growth strata in the associated foreland basin record the onset of deformation on the two fault systems at ca. 6–10 Ma and ca. 7–10 Ma, respectively, and thus our analysis suggests late Cenozoic shortening rates of 0.2 +0.2/–0.1 km/m.y. and 0.7 +0.3/–0.2 km/m.y. along the north and south sides of Gonghe Basin. Along the Qinghai Nan Shan, these rates are similar to late Pleistocene slip rates of ∼0.10 ± 0.04 mm/yr, derived from restoration and dating of a deformed alluvial-fan surface. Collectively, our results imply that deformation along both flanks of the doubly vergent Qilian Shan–Nan Shan initiated by ca. 10 Ma and that subsequent shortening has been relatively steady since that time.

Surface features of central North America: a synoptic view from computer graphics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pike, R.J.

1991-01-01

A digital shaded-relief image of the 48 contiguous United States shows the details of large- and small-scale landforms, including several linear trends. The features faithfully reflect tectonism, continental glaciation, fluvial activity, volcanism, and other surface-shaping events and processes. The new map not only depicts topography accurately and in its true complexity, but does so in one synoptic view that provides a regional context for geologic analysis unobscured by clouds, culture, vegetation, or artistic constraints. -Author

Some aspects of lithological and exogenic control of sandstone morphology, the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mts. case study, Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urban, Jan; Górnik, Marek

2017-10-01

Various morphologies of cliffs built of different quartzose rocks in the Świętokrzyskie (Holy Cross) Mts. (upland region, central Poland) - from Cambrian quartzites and Devonian quartzitic sandstones to Triassic and Jurassic porous sandstones - were described in order to examine the constraints of their lithological and spatial occurrence. The quantitative study of the occurrence of these morphologies on cliffs makes it possible to distinguish two principal groups of morphologies: angular relief produced by rock splitting (crumbling), typical of quartzites indurated in silica and of open porosity less than 1.5%, and morphologies developed due to granular disintegration and exfoliation of sandstones of open porosity higher than 1.5%. Among the relief types of this second group, morphology reflecting sedimentary and diagenetic structures as well as smooth surfaces are the most common and are referred to sandstones of a wide range of porosity, whereas honeycombs and surfaces suffering fast granular decay and scaling are characteristic of rocks of specific porosity (respectively: 5-8% and 3.5-8%). The occurrence of honeycombs on rock surfaces is also conditioned by exogenic factors: sun, wind and rain, since this morphology tends to occur on cliffs with aspects ranging from south-east, through south, to west-north-west.

ROV advanced magnetic survey for revealing archaeological targets and estimating medium magnetization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eppelbaum, Lev

2013-04-01

Magnetic survey is one of most applied geophysical method for searching and localization of any objects with contrast magnetic properties (for instance, in Israel detailed magneric survey has been succesfully applied at more than 60 archaeological sites (Eppelbaum, 2010, 2011; Eppelbaum et al., 2011, 2010)). However, land magnetic survey at comparatively large archaeological sites (with observation grids 0.5 x 0.5 or 1 x 1 m) may occupy 5-10 days. At the same time the new Remote Operation Vehicle (ROV) generation - small and maneuvering vehicles - can fly at levels of few (and even one) meters over the earth's surface (flowing the relief forms or straight). Such ROV with precise magnetic field measurements (with a frequency of 20-25 observations per second) may be performed during 10-30 minutes, moreover at different levels over the earth's surface. Such geophysical investigations should have an extremely low exploitation cost. Finally, measurements of geophysical fields at different observation levels could provide new unique geophysical-archaeological information (Eppelbaum, 2005; Eppelbaum and Mishne, 2011). The developed interpretation methodology for magnetic anomalies advanced analysis (Khesin et al., 1996; Eppelbaum et al., 2001; Eppelbaum et al., 2011) may be successfully applied for ROV magnetic survey for delineation of archaeological objects and estimation averaged magnetization of geological medium. This methodology includes: (1) non-conventional procedure for elimination of secondary effect of magnetic temporary variations, (2) calculation of rugged relief influence by the use of a correlation method, (3) estimation of medium magnetization, (4) application of various informational and wavelet algorithms for revealing low anomalous effects against the strong noise background, (5) advanced procedures for magnetic anomalies quantitative analysis (they are applicable in conditions of rugged relief, inclined magnetization, and an unknown level of the total magnetic field for the models of thin bed, thick bed and horizontal circular cylinder; some of these procedures demand performing measurements at two levels over the earth's surface), (6) advanced 3D magnetic-gravity modeling for complex media, and (7) development of 3D physical-archaeological (or magnetic-archaeological) model of the studied area. ROV observations also permit to realize a multimodel approach to magnetic data analysis (Eppelbaum, 2005). Results of performed 3D modeling confirm an effectiveness of the proposed ROV low-altitude survey. Khesin's methodology (Khesin et al., 2006) for estimation of upper geological section magnetization consists of land magnetic observations along a profile disposing under inclined relief with the consequent data processing (this method cannot be applied at flat topography). The improved modification of this approach is based on combination of straight and inclined ROV observations that will help to obtain parameters of the medium magnetization with areas of flat terrain relief. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This investigation is funding from the Tel Aviv University - the Cyprus Research Institute combined project "Advanced coupled electric-magnetic archaeological prospecting in Cyprus and Israel". REFERENCES Eppelbaum, L.V., 2005. Multilevel observations of magnetic field at archaeological sites as additional interpreting tool. Proceed. of the 6th Conference of Archaeological Prospection, Roma, Italy, 1-4. Eppelbaum, L.V., 2010. Archaeological geophysics in Israel: Past, Present and Future. Advances of Geosciences, 24, 45-68. Eppelbaum, L.V., 2011. Study of magnetic anomalies over archaeological targets in urban conditions. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 36, No. 16, 1318-1330. Eppelbaum, L.V., Alperovich, L., Zheludev, V. and Pechersky, A., 2011. Application of informational and wavelet approaches for integrated processing of geophysical data in complex environments. Proceed. of the 2011 SAGEEP Conference, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, 24, 24-60. Eppelbaum, L.V., Khesin, B.E. and Itkis, S.E., 2001. Prompt magnetic investigations of archaeological remains in areas of infrastructure development: Israeli experience. Archaeological Prospection, 8, No.3, 163-185. Eppelbaum, L.V., Khesin, B.E. and Itkis, S.E., 2010. Archaeological geophysics in arid environments: Examples from Israel. Journal of Arid Environments, 74, No. 7, 849-860. Eppelbaum, L.V. and Mishne, A.R., 2011. Unmanned Airborne Magnetic and VLF investigations: Effective Geophysical Methodology of the Near Future. Positioning, 2, No. 3, 112-133. Khesin, B.E., Alexeyev, V.V. and Eppelbaum, L.V., 1996. Interpretation of Geophysical Fields in Complicated Environments. Kluwer Academic Publishers - Springer, Ser.: Modern Approaches in Geophysics.

Influence of pre-salt topographic features on supra-salt deformation in Mediterranean basins: Geology vs. physical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferrer, Oriol; Vidal-Royo, Oskar; Gratacós, Oscar; Roca, Eduard; Muñoz, Josep Anton; Esestime, Paolo; Rodriguez, Karyna; Yazmin Piragauta, Mary; Feliu, Nil

2017-04-01

The presence of a thick Messinian evaporite unit is a well known feature of the Mediterranean basins. This salt unit is composed of three sub-units (Lower, Mobile and Upper Units) in the Northwest Mediterranean. In contrast, in the Eastern Mediterranean it is characterized by a multilayered evaporite sequence. In both regions the salt acted as a detachment favoring the downslope gravitational failure of the overlying sediments in a thin-skinned deformation regime (e.g. Liguro-Provençal or Levant basins). As a result, these salt-bearing passive margins exhibit the classical three-domain structural zonation characterized by upslope extension, intermediate translation and downslope contraction. Nevertheless, the presence of pre-salt reliefs (e.g. irregularly eroded palaeotopography or volcanic edifices) is rather common in the translational domain of the Northwestern Mediterranean (e.g. Liguro-Provençal and West Corsica margins). In this scenario, pre-salt reliefs act as flow barriers and hinder salt drainage. When their summit lies close or above the top salt, these structures may partially or fully block salt flow. They also disrupt locally the structural zonation of the passive margin and constrain cover deformation. In contrast, in the Eastern Mediterranean the Eratosthenes seamount is characterized by a large scale submerged massif (ca. 120 km in size) that significantly influenced the structural evolution of the surrounding areas. This inherited relief acted as a buttress and deflected the Messinian salt flow constraining supra-salt deformation (e.g. Levant Basin and Nile margin). In addition, the geometry of the Eratosthenes seamount also restrained the structural style of the allochthonous salt that was expulsed during the development of the Cyprus subduction zone to the north. Using an experimental approach (sandbox models) and new analysis techniques, we investigate salt and supra-salt deformation in response to two different types of pre-salt relief: 1) local seamounts during gravitational gliding (Western Mediterranean) and, 2) large regional reliefs during the emplacement of a thrust system (Eastern Mediterranean). The experimental results of the Western Mediterranean show that the geometry, continuity and orientation of these reliefs with respect to the margin slope are key factors during gravitational failure and influence supra-salt deformation. Experimental results in the Eastern Mediterranean indicate that different responses are obtained along-strike as a consequence of shortening when modeling the Eratosthenes seamount. These differences were basically controlled by the location of the seamount, that was a topographic high during the deposition of the Messinian evaporites. The presence of seamounts in the contractional domain, instead, initially enhanced salt inflation by buttressing and the subsequent development of salt sheets with the formation of an escarpment at the edge of the salt. The experimental results also provide geometrical constraints to bear in mind during interpretation of these structures and associated hydrocarbon plays, which are commonly poorly imaged in seismic data.

Clay mineralogy in different geomorphic surfaces in sugarcane areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camargo, L.; Marques, J., Jr.

2012-04-01

The crystallization of the oxides and hydroxides of iron and aluminum and kaolinite of clay fraction is the result of pedogenetic processes controlled by the relief. These minerals have influence on the physical and chemical attributes of soil and exhibit spatial dependence. The pattern of spatial distribution is influenced by forms of relief as the geomorphic surfaces. In this sense, the studies aimed at understanding the relationship between relief and the distribution pattern of the clay fraction attributes contribute to the delineation of specific areas of management in the field. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of oxides and hydroxides of iron and aluminum and kaolinite of clay fraction and its relationship with the physical and chemical attributes in different geomorphic surfaces. Soil samples were collected in a transect each 25 m (100 samples) and in the sides of the same (200 samples) as well as an area of 500 ha (1 sample each six hectare). Geomorphic surfaces (GS) in the transect were mapped in detail to support mapping the entire area. The soil samples were taken to the laboratory for chemical, physical, and mineralogical analysis, and the pattern of spatial distribution of soil attributes was obtained by statistics and geostatistics. The GS I is considered the oldest surface of the study area, with depositional character, and a slope ranging from 0 to 4%. GS II and III are considered to be eroded, and the surface II plan a gentle slope that extends from the edge of the surface until the beginning of I and III. The crystallographic characteristics of the oxides and hydroxides of iron and aluminum and kaolinite showed spatial dependence and the distribution pattern corresponding to the limits present of the GS in the field. Surfaces I and II showed the best environments to the degree of crystallinity of hematite and the surface III to the greatest degree of crystallinity of goethite agreeing to the pedoenvironment conditions of each surface. The rate goethite/(goethite+hematite) decreases the surface I to III this result is the variation of the source material that has an increase of clay which is characteristic of sandstone rock (Adamantine Formation) in the surface III. The rate kaolinite/(kaolinite+gibbsite) also shows a decrease of the surface I to the surface III. The spatial distribution pattern of mineralogy influenced the pattern of physical and chemical properties. On the surface III (with higher iron and gibbsite) had the best physical condition (lower density, higher porosity and aggregates) and greater phosphorus sorption. In this sense, the identification and mapping of the GSs, allowed a better understanding of cause and effect of the distribution of soils in the area, and the recognition of areas of controlled variability of soil attributes. These areas can be considered specific areas of management, useful for planning and management practices in the culture of sugarcane. Besides, suggesting criteria for the recognition of map units that would be equivalent to the future series of soils of the Brazilian System of Soil Classification.

CW laser damage testing of RAR nano-textured fused silica and YAG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

MacLeod, Bruce D.; Hobbs, Douglas S.; Manni, Anthony D.; Sabatino, Ernest; Bernot, David M.; DeFrances, Sage; Randi, Joseph A.; Thomas, Jeffrey

2017-11-01

A study of the continuous wave (CW) laser induced damage threshold (LiDT) of fused silica and yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) optics was conducted to further illustrate the enhanced survivability within high power laser systems of an anti-reflection (AR) treatment consisting of randomly distributed surface relief nanostructures (RAR). A series of three CW LiDT tests using the 1070nm wavelength, 16 KW fiber laser test bed at Penn State Electro-Optic Center (PSEOC) were designed and completed, with improvements in the testing protocol, areal coverage, and maximum exposure intensities implemented between test cycles. Initial results for accumulated power, stationary site exposures of RAR nano-textured optics showed no damage and low surface temperatures similar to the control optics with no AR treatment. In contrast, optics with thin-film AR coatings showed high surface temperatures consistent with absorption by the film layers. Surface discriminating absorption measurements made using the Photothermal Common-path Interferometry (PCI) method, showed zero added surface absorption for the RAR nanotextured optics, and absorption levels in the 2-5 part per million range for thin-film AR coated optics. In addition, the surface absorption of thin-film AR coatings was also found to have localized absorption spikes that are likely pre-cursors for damage. Subsequent CW LiDT testing protocol included raster scanning an increased intensity focused beam over the test optic surface where it was found that thin-film AR coated optics damaged at intensities in the 2 to 5 MW/cm2 range with surface temperatures over 250C during the long-duration exposures. Significantly, none of the 10 RAR nano-textured fused silica optics tested could be damaged up to the maximum system intensity of 15.5 MW/cm2, and surface temperatures remained low. YAG optics tested during the final cycle exhibited a similar result with RAR nano-textured surfaces surviving intensities over 3 times higher than thin-film AR coated surfaces. This result was correlated with PCI measurements that also show zero-added surface absorption for the RAR nano-textured YAG optics.

43 CFR 4.1263 - Contents of application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Contents of application. 4.1263 Section 4.1263 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the Interior DEPARTMENT HEARINGS AND APPEALS PROCEDURES Special Rules Applicable to Surface Coal Mining Hearings and Appeals Applications for Temporary Relief § 4.1263 Contents of application....

49 CFR 173.412 - Additional design requirements for Type A packages.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... relief device, is provided with an enclosure to retain any leakage. (h) Any radiation shield that... structural part of the packaging, under both normal and accident conditions, must not impair the ability of... significant increase in the radiation levels recorded or calculated at the external surfaces for the condition...

49 CFR 173.412 - Additional design requirements for Type A packages.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... relief device, is provided with an enclosure to retain any leakage. (h) Any radiation shield that... structural part of the packaging, under both normal and accident conditions, must not impair the ability of... significant increase in the radiation levels recorded or calculated at the external surfaces for the condition...

49 CFR 173.412 - Additional design requirements for Type A packages.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... pressure relief device, is provided with an enclosure to retain any leakage. (h) Any radiation shield that... structural part of the packaging, under both normal and accident conditions, must not impair the ability of... significant increase in the radiation levels recorded or calculated at the external surfaces for the condition...

49 CFR 173.412 - Additional design requirements for Type A packages.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... relief device, is provided with an enclosure to retain any leakage. (h) Any radiation shield that... structural part of the packaging, under both normal and accident conditions, must not impair the ability of... significant increase in the radiation levels recorded or calculated at the external surfaces for the condition...

Middle Jurassic continental biota and paleolandscape in the Dubinino locality (Sharypovo area, Krasnoyarsk krai)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivantsov, S. V.; Bystritskaya, L. I.; Krasnolutskii, S. A.; Lyalyuk, K. P.; Frolov, A. O.; Alekseev, A. S.

2016-09-01

On the basis of the lithological-facies analysis, it was established that deposits of the Upper Itat Subformation, comprising the Dubinino locality of the Middle Jurassic flora and insects (Sharypovo district, Krasnoyarsk krai), accumulated in alluvial and lacustrine and, to a lesser extent, floodplain environments (floodplain and alluvial fan facies). The occurrence of remains of insects, macroremains of flora, spores, and pollen allowed us to make a paleoreconstruction of an area with a strongly dissected relief: continental fresh-water reservoir (lake) with varying degree of overflow, surrounded by hills covered with gymnospermous and ginkgo forests.

Advances in dental local anesthesia techniques and devices: An update

PubMed Central

Saxena, Payal; Gupta, Saurabh K.; Newaskar, Vilas; Chandra, Anil

2013-01-01

Although local anesthesia remains the backbone of pain control in dentistry, researches are going to seek new and better means of managing the pain. Most of the researches are focused on improvement in the area of anesthetic agents, delivery devices and technique involved. Newer technologies have been developed that can assist the dentist in providing enhanced pain relief with reduced injection pain and fewer adverse effects. This overview will enlighten the practicing dentists regarding newer devices and methods of rendering pain control comparing these with the earlier used ones on the basis of research and clinical studies available. PMID:24163548

Photosensitive response of azobenzene containing films towards pure intensity or polarization interference patterns

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

Yadavalli, Nataraja Sekhar; Santer, Svetlana, E-mail: santer@uni-potsdam.de; Saphiannikova, Marina

2014-08-04

In this paper, we report on differences in the response of photosensitive azobenzene containing films upon irradiation with the intensity or polarization interference patterns. Two materials are studied differing in the molecular weight: an azobenzene-containing polymer and a molecular glass formed from a much smaller molecule consisting of three connected azobenzene units. Topography changes occurring along with the changes in irradiation conditions are recorded using a homemade set-up combining an optical part for generation and shaping of interference patterns and an atomic force microscope for acquiring the kinetics of film deformation. In this way, we could reveal the unique behaviormore » of photosensitive materials during the first few minutes of irradiation: the change in topography is initially driven by an increase in the azobenzene free volume along with the trans-cis isomerization, followed by the mass transport finally resulting in the surface relief grating. This study demonstrates the great potential of our setup to experimentally highlight puzzling processes governing the formation of surface relief gratings.« less

Optimization of nonbinary slanted surface-relief gratings as high-efficiency broadband couplers for light guides.

PubMed

Bai, Benfeng; Laukkanen, Janne; Kuittinen, Markku; Siitonen, Samuli

2010-10-01

We propose and investigate the use of slanted surface-relief gratings with nonbinary profiles as high-efficiency broadband couplers for light guides. First, a Chandezon-method-based rigorous numerical formulation is presented for modeling the slanted gratings with overhanging profiles. Then, two typical types of slanted grating couplers--a sinusoidal one and a trapezoidal one--are studied and optimized numerically, both exhibiting a high coupling efficiency of over 50% over the full band of white LED under the normal illumination of unpolarized light. Reasonable structural parameters with nice tolerance have been obtained for the optimized designs. It is found that the performance of the couplers depends little on the grating profile shape, but primarily on the grating period and the slant angle of the ridge. The underlying mechanism is analyzed by the equivalence rules of gratings, which provide useful guidelines for the design and fabrication of the couplers. Preliminary investigation has been performed on the fabrication and replication of the slanted overhanging grating couplers, which shows the feasibility of fabrication with mature microfabrication techniques and the perspective for mass production.

Davenport Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia, SRTM Shaded Relief and Colored Height

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

The Davenport Ranges of central Australia have been inferred to be among the oldest persisting landforms on Earth, founded on the belief that the interior of Australia has been tectonically stable for at least 700 million years. New rock age dating techniques indicate that substantial erosion has probably occurred over that time period and that the landforms are not nearly that old, but landscape evolution certainly occurs much slower here (at least now) than is typical across Earth's surface.

Regardless of their antiquity, the Davenport Ranges exhibit a striking landform pattern as shown in this display of elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Quartzites and other erosion resistant strata form ridges within anticlinal (arched up) and synclinal (arched down) ovals and zigzags. These structures, if not the landforms, likely date back at least hundreds of millions of years, to a time when tectonic forces were active. Maximum local relief is only about 60 meters (about 200 feet), which is enough to contrast greatly with the extremely low relief surrounding terrain.

Two visualization methods were combined to produce this image: shading and color coding of topographic height. The shade image was derived by computing topographic slope in the northeast-southwest (image top to bottom) direction, so that northeast slopes appear bright and southwest slopes appear dark. Color coding is directly related to topographic height, with green at the lower elevations, rising through yellow and tan, to white at the highest elevations.

Elevation data used in this image were acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between NASA, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) of the U.S. Department of Defense and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, D.C.

Size: 270 kilometers (168 miles) by 145 kilometers (90 miles) Location: 20.9 degrees South latitude, 134.9 degrees East longitude Orientation: Northeast toward the top Image Data: Shaded and colored SRTM elevation model Date Acquired: February 2000

Geology of 243 Ida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, R.; Greeley, R.; Pappalardo, R.; Asphaug, E.; Moore, Johnnie N.; Morrison, D.; Belton, M.J.S.; Carr, M.; Chapman, C.R.; Geissler, P.; Greenberg, R.; Granahan, J.; Head, J. W.; Kirk, R.; McEwen, A.; Lee, P.; Thomas, P.C.; Veverka, J.

1996-01-01

The surface of 243 Ida is dominated by the effects of impacts. No complex crater morphologies are observed. A complete range of crater degradation states is present, which also reveals optical maturation of the surface (darkening and reddening of materials with increasing exposure age). Regions of bright material associated with the freshest craters might be ballistically emplaced deposits or the result of seismic disturbance of loosely-bound surface materials. Diameter/depth ratios for fresh craters on Ida are ???1:6.5, similar to Gaspra results, but greater than the 1:5 ratios common on other rocky bodies. Contributing causes include rim degradation by whole-body "ringing," relatively thin ejecta blankets around crater rims, or an extended strength gradient in near-surface materials due to low gravitational self-packing. Grooves probably represent expressions in surface debris of reactivated fractures in the deeper interior. Isolated positive relief features as large as 150 m are probably ejecta blocks related to large impacts. Evidence for the presence of debris on the surface includes resolved ejecta blocks, mass-wasting scars, contrasts in color and albedo of fresh crater materials, and albedo streaks oriented down local slopes. Color data indicate relatively uniform calcium abundance in pyroxenes and constant pyroxene/olivine ratio. A large, relatively blue unit across the northern polar area is probably related to regolith processes involving ejecta from Azzurra rather than representing internal compositional heterogeneity. A small number of bluer, brighter craters are randomly distributed across the surface, unlike on Gaspra where these features are concentrated along ridges. This implies that debris on Ida is less mobile and/or consistently thicker than on Gaspra. Estimates of the average depth of mobile materials derived from chute depths (20-60 m), grooves (???30 m), and shallowing of the largest degraded craters (20-50 m minimum, ???100 m maximum) suggest a thickness of potentially mobile materials of ???50 m, and a typical thickness for the debris layer of 50-100 m. ?? 1996 Academic Press, Inc.

Randomized clinical trial of local anesthetic versus a combination of local anesthetic with self-hypnosis in the management of pediatric procedure-related pain.

PubMed

Liossi, Christina; White, Paul; Hatira, Popi

2006-05-01

A prospective controlled trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of an analgesic cream (eutectic mixture of local anesthetics, or EMLA) with a combination of EMLA with hypnosis in the relief of lumbar puncture-induced pain and anxiety in 45 pediatric cancer patients (age 6-16 years). The study also explored whether young patients can be taught and can use hypnosis independently as well as whether the therapeutic benefit depends on hypnotizability. Patients were randomized to 1 of 3 groups: local anesthetic, local anesthetic plus hypnosis, and local anesthetic plus attention. Results confirmed that patients in the local anesthetic plus hypnosis group reported less anticipatory anxiety and less procedure-related pain and anxiety and that they were rated as demonstrating less behavioral distress during the procedure. The level of hypnotizability was significantly associated with the magnitude of treatment benefit, and this benefit was maintained when patients used hypnosis independently. 2006 APA, all rights reserved

Spray shadowing for stress relief and mechanical locking in thick protective coatings

DOEpatents

Hollis, Kendall [Los Alamos, NM; Bartram, Brian [Los Alamos, NM

2007-05-22

A method for applying a protective coating on an article, comprising the following steps: selecting an article with a surface for applying a coating thickness; creating undercut grooves on the article, where the grooves depend beneath the surface to a bottom portion with the grooves having an upper width on the surface and a lower width on the bottom portion connected by side walls, where at least one of the side walls connects the upper width and the lower width to form an undercut angle with the surface less than 90.degree.; and, applying the protective coating onto the article to fill the undercut grooves and cover the surface, thereby forming weak paths within the protective coating.

Quantification of neotectonic stress orientations and magnitudes from field observations in Finnmark, northern Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pascal, Christophe; Roberts, David; Gabrielsen, Roy H.

2005-05-01

Fieldwork was conducted in Finnmark, northern Norway, with the purpose of detecting and measuring stress-relief features, induced by quarrying and road works, and to derive from them valuable information on the shallow-crustal stress orientations and magnitudes. Two kinds of stress-relief features were considered in this study. The first consists of drillhole offsets that were found along blasted road-cuts and which were triggered by the sudden rock unloading following the actual blasting. Vertical axial fractures found in the concave remains of boreholes represent the second kind of stress-relief feature. The axial fractures are tension fractures produced by gas overpressure inside the drillhole when the blast occurs. As such, their strike reflects the orientation of the ambient maximum horizontal stress axis. The borehole offsets show mostly reverse-slip displacements to the E-SE and the axial fractures trend NW-SE on average, in agreement with NW-SE compression induced by North Atlantic ridge-push forces. Mechanical considerations of the slip planes offsetting some of the drillholes lead to the conclusion that the magnitude of the maximum horizontal stress at the surface is in the range ˜0.1-˜1 MPa. This range of magnitudes is 1-2 orders less than the horizontal stress magnitudes measured at the surface in other post-glacial environments (e.g. Canada). It is suggested that this difference is related to the marked decline in stress that followed the tremendous post-glacial burst of earthquake activity that affected Fennoscandia but apparently not the Canadian Shield.

Reconstruction of pre-rift Pyrenean relief in the Oligo-Quitanian Camargue Basin (Gulf of Lion passive margin, SE France): Implications on thermal history of basins

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

Benedicto, A.; Labaume, P.; Seranne, M.

1995-08-01

Fault reconstruction techniques commonly assume horizontal pre-rift level datum to calculate fault geometry from hanging-wall geometry or viceversa. Example from Camargue basin shows that neglecting pre-rift relief may lead to important errors in calculating the fault and hanging-wall geometries, and the total extension. These errors have direct implications on reconstruction of the thermal history of basins. The Camargue basin results front NW-SE extension and rifting of the Gulf of Lion passive margin. More than 4000m of Oligo-Aquitanian syn-rift series unconformably overlie a crust previously thickened during Pyrenean orogeny. The half-graben basin is controlled by the SE-dipping listric Nimes basement faultmore » which generated a typical roll-over. As both fault and hanging-wall geometries are constrained, the pre-rift surface topography can be restored, using three reconstruction techniques. Either the constant-bed-length and constant-heave techniques produce a depression in the axis of the basin and a relief (1500m and 12(X)m respectively) atop the roll-over. The simple-shear (a=60{degrees}) technique generates a 1500m topography atop the roll-over, more coherent with regional data. Testing the hypothesis of a pre-rift horizontal datum leads to a roll-over 1400m too deep. Pre-rift surface elevation corresponds to the residual topography herited from the Pyrenean orogeny. Consequently, there has been some 1000m subsidence more than predicted by the syn-rift sedimentary record.« less

Characterization of 3C-SiC Films Grown on 4H- and 6H-SiC Substrate Mesas During Step-Free Surface Heteroepitaxy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neudeck, Philip G.; Powel J. Anthony; Spry, David J.; Trunek, Andrew J.; Huang, Xianrong; Vetter, William M.; Dudley, Michael; Skowronski, Marek; Liu, Jinqiang

2002-01-01

This paper reports detailed structural characterization of 3C-SiC heteroepitaxial films grown on 4H- and 6H-SiC mesa surfaces. 3C-SiC heterofilms grown by the "step-free surface heteroepitaxy" process, free of double-positioning boundary (DPB) and stacking-fault (SF) defects, were compared to less-optimized 3C-SiC heterofilms using High Resolution X-ray Diffraction (HRXRD), High Resolution Cross-sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRXTEM), molten potassium hydroxide (KOH) etching, and dry thermal oxidation. The results suggest that step free surface heteroepitaxy enables remarkably benign partial lattice mismatch strain relief during heterofilm growth.

Cold therapy in the management of postoperative cesarean section pain.

PubMed

Amin-Hanjani, S; Corcoran, J; Chatwani, A

1992-07-01

Sixty-two patients were randomized to receive either localized cold therapy to the cesarean section incision or routine postoperative care. Evaluation of the amount of analgesia requested, infection rate, and length of hospital stay did not show a significant difference between the two groups. There is no objective evidence to show that the use of cold therapy in postoperative cesarean section pain relief is beneficial.

Plasma surface modification of polypropylene track-etched membrane to improve its performance properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kravets, L. I.; Elinson, V. M.; Ibragimov, R. G.; Mitu, B.; Dinescu, G.

2018-02-01

The surface and electrochemical properties of polypropylene track-etched membrane treated by plasma of nitrogen, air and oxygen are studied. The effect of the plasma-forming gas composition on the surface morphology is considered. It has been found that the micro-relief of the membrane surface formed under the gas-discharge etching, changes. Moreover, the effect of the non-polymerizing gas plasma leads to formation of oxygen-containing functional groups, mostly carbonyl and carboxyl. It is shown that due to the formation of polar groups on the surface and its higher roughness, the wettability of the plasma-modified membranes improves. In addition, the presence of polar groups on the membrane surface layer modifies its electrochemical properties so that conductivity of plasma-treated membranes increase.

Efficacy of lidocaine 5% medicated plaster (VERSATIS®) in patients with localized neuropathic pain poorly responsive to pharmacological therapy.

PubMed

Martini, Alvise; Del Balzo, Giovanna; Schweiger, Vittorio; Zanzotti, Michele; Picelli, Alessandro; Parolini, Massimo; Chinellato, Eris; Tamburin, Stefano; Polati, Enrico

2018-05-31

Localized neuropathic pain (LNP) is a subgroup of neuropathic pain characterized by consistent and circumscribed area(s) of maximum pain, associated with negative or positive sensory signs and/or spontaneous symptoms characteristic of NP. Lidocaine medicated plasters (LMP) have shown to be effective in pain relief in selective LNP syndromes. We collected data of 130 patients in our database with LNP syndromes who used LMP. Forty-one patients out of 130 patients(32%) were treated with antiepileptics, antidepressants and opioids without improvement and/or with intolerable adverse effects and are not assuming systemic therapy anymore. Globally, during the 12 months follow-up, 15% of patients reached a complete pain relief without any systemic therapy, mainly in trigeminal and post-herpetic neuralgia (p=0.009), 38% of patients reduced analgesic drug consumption with the highest reduction in radiculopathy, post-herpetic neuralgia and trigeminal neuralgia. Topical and transient adverse effects, such as itching or local erythema, were seen in 19/130 (14.6%) patients; 7 of these patients (5.4%) needed to discontinue the treatment due to the occurrence of adverse effects. The dropout rate on global population (excluding cured and lost to follow up) was 45%, and the main cause of dropouts was the inefficacy of treatment in the first 3 months of therapy with LMP. LMP treatment is safe and worth consideration also as add-on therapy in order to reduce analgesic drug consumption in selected LNP.

Glacier and landslide feedbacks to topographic relief in the Himalayan syntaxes

PubMed Central

Korup, Oliver; Montgomery, David R.; Hewitt, Kenneth

2010-01-01

Despite longstanding research on the age and formation of the Tibetan Plateau, the controls on the erosional decay of its margins remain controversial. Pronounced aridity and highly localized rock uplift have traditionally been viewed as limits to the dissection of the plateau by bedrock rivers. Recently, however, glacier dynamics and landsliding have been argued to retard headward fluvial erosion into the plateau interior by forming dams and protective alluvial fill. Here, we report a conspicuous clustering of hundreds of natural dams along the Indus and the Tsangpo Rivers where these cross the Himalayan syntaxes. The Indus is riddled by hundreds of dams composed of debris from catastrophic rock avalanches, forming the largest concentration of giant landslide dams known worldwide, whereas the Tsangpo seems devoid of comparable landslide dams. In contrast, glacial dams such as river-blocking moraines in the headwaters of both rivers are limited to where isolated mountain ranges intersect the regional snowline. We find that to first-order, high local topographic relief along both rivers corresponds to conspicuously different knickzones and differences in the type and potential longevity of these dams. In both syntaxes, glacier and landslide dams act as a negative feedback in response to fluvial dissection of the plateau margins. Natural damming protects bedrock from river incision and delays headward knickpoint migration, thereby helping stabilize the southwestern and southeastern margins of the Tibetan Plateau in concert with the effects of upstream aridity and localized rock uplift. PMID:20212156

High-dose-rate intraluminal brachytherapy prior to external radiochemotherapy in locally advanced esophageal cancer: preliminary results

PubMed Central

Safaei, Afsaneh Maddah; Ghalehtaki, Reza; Khanjani, Nezhat; Farazmand, Borna; Babaei, Mohammad

2017-01-01

Purpose Dysphagia is a common initial presentation in locally advanced esophageal cancer and negatively impacts patient quality of life and treatment compliance. To induce fast relief of dysphagia in patients with potentially operable esophageal cancer high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy was applied prior to definitive radiochemotherapy. Material and methods In this single arm phase II clinical trial between 2013 to 2014 twenty patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer (17 squamous cell and 3 adenocarcinoma) were treated with upfront 10 Gy HDR brachytherapy, followed by 50.4 Gy external beam radiotherapy (EBRT) and concurrent chemotherapy with cisplatin/5-fluorouracil. Results Tumor response, as measured by endoscopy and/or computed tomography scan, revealed complete remission in 16 and partial response in 4 patients (overall response rate 100%). Improvement of dysphagia was induced by brachytherapy within a few days and maintained up to the end of treatment in 80% of patients. No differences in either response rate or dysphagia resolution were found between squamous cell and adenocarcinoma histology. The grade 2 and 3 acute pancytopenia or bicytopenia reported in 4 patients, while sub-acute adverse effects with painful ulceration was seen in five patients, occurring after a median of 2 months. A perforation developed in one patient during the procedure of brachytherapy that resolved successfully with immediate surgery. Conclusions Brachytherapy before EBRT was a safe and effective procedure to induce rapid and durable relief from dysphagia, especially when combined with EBRT. PMID:28344601

Delayed hypersensitivity reaction of the knee after injection of arthroscopy portals with bupivacaine (marcaine)

PubMed

Craft, D V; Good, R P

1994-06-01

The number of arthroscopic procedures performed annually for the management of intraarticular injuries has grown at an exponential rate. Whether done with the patient under general anesthesia or local anesthesia supplemented with intravenous sedation, it is common practice to postoperatively inject each portal as well as the joint with a local anesthetic to provide pain relief in the transition to the recovery room and discharge after outpatient surgery. To our knowledge, no previous reports of localized urticaria and delayed hypersensitivity reaction have been reported in the postarthroscopy setting. We are reporting a case of delayed hypersensitivity reaction and urticaria of the knee that presented after bupivacaine (Marcaine) injection of arthroscopic portals after routine meniscectomy.

3D Thermal/Mechanical Evolution Of The Plate Boundary Corner In SE Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, A.; Koons, P.; Upton, P.; Pavlis, T.; Chapman, J.

2007-12-01

The St Elias orogen of southeast Alaska forms part of an actively deforming plate boundary corner. The corner accommodates the transition from a strike-slip lateral boundary to a convergent normal boundary. Oblique convergence of the Yakutat microplate into the corner generates early stage tectonic characteristics associated with other corner systems (e.g. Himalayan Eastern Syntaxis). In combination with the high relief, the extreme erosive processes of the region redistribute crustal material, partition tectonic strain, and influence the advection of deep crustal material. The evolution of the convergent corner is investigated using 3D numerical models and sandbox analog models. Preliminary model results indicate the deformation partitions into a narrow two-sided orogen along the lateral boundary. The pattern transitions into a wider zone of shortening bounded by inboard and outboard directed thrusts along the frontal boundary. The inclusion of erosion boundary conditions leads to nascent tectonic aneurysm behavior, involving increased strain localization and focused vertical advection of deep crustal material. Thermal models, using the 3D velocity field from these mechanical solutions, show a vertical deflection (towards the surface) of isotherms beneath the eroding region. Sensitivity of the aneurysm behavior is related to the efficiency of the imposed erosion rate (i.e. greater erosion rates led to greater bedrock uplift rates). Higher erosion rates are localized within zones containing major glacier systems in SE Alaska: Bering Glacier, Bagley Icefield, Malaspina Glacier, and Seward Glacier. Combined thermal/mechanical solutions identify the glacier valleys as rheological weakspots, defined by localized strain and differential advection of deep crustal material.