Methods for Data-based Delineation of Spatial Regions

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

Wilson, John E.

In data analysis, it is often useful to delineate or segregate areas of interest from the general population of data in order to concentrate further analysis efforts on smaller areas. Three methods are presented here for automatically generating polygons around spatial data of interest. Each method addresses a distinct data type. These methods were developed for and implemented in the sample planning tool called Visual Sample Plan (VSP). Method A is used to delineate areas of elevated values in a rectangular grid of data (raster). The data used for this method are spatially related. Although VSP uses data from amore » kriging process for this method, it will work for any type of data that is spatially coherent and appears on a regular grid. Method B is used to surround areas of interest characterized by individual data points that are congregated within a certain distance of each other. Areas where data are “clumped” together spatially will be delineated. Method C is used to recreate the original boundary in a raster of data that separated data values from non-values. This is useful when a rectangular raster of data contains non-values (missing data) that indicate they were outside of some original boundary. If the original boundary is not delivered with the raster, this method will approximate the original boundary.« less

Methodology for Augmenting Existing Paths with Additional Parallel Transects

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

Wilson, John E.

2013-09-30

Visual Sample Plan (VSP) is sample planning software that is used, among other purposes, to plan transect sampling paths to detect areas that were potentially used for munition training. This module was developed for application on a large site where existing roads and trails were to be used as primary sampling paths. Gap areas between these primary paths needed to found and covered with parallel transect paths. These gap areas represent areas on the site that are more than a specified distance from a primary path. These added parallel paths needed to optionally be connected together into a single path—themore » shortest path possible. The paths also needed to optionally be attached to existing primary paths, again with the shortest possible path. Finally, the process must be repeatable and predictable so that the same inputs (primary paths, specified distance, and path options) will result in the same set of new paths every time. This methodology was developed to meet those specifications.« less

Applications of Computer Technology in Complex Craniofacial Reconstruction.

PubMed

Day, Kristopher M; Gabrick, Kyle S; Sargent, Larry A

2018-03-01

To demonstrate our use of advanced 3-dimensional (3D) computer technology in the analysis, virtual surgical planning (VSP), 3D modeling (3DM), and treatment of complex congenital and acquired craniofacial deformities. We present a series of craniofacial defects treated at a tertiary craniofacial referral center utilizing state-of-the-art 3D computer technology. All patients treated at our center using computer-assisted VSP, prefabricated custom-designed 3DMs, and/or 3D printed custom implants (3DPCI) in the reconstruction of craniofacial defects were included in this analysis. We describe the use of 3D computer technology to precisely analyze, plan, and reconstruct 31 craniofacial deformities/syndromes caused by: Pierre-Robin (7), Treacher Collins (5), Apert's (2), Pfeiffer (2), Crouzon (1) Syndromes, craniosynostosis (6), hemifacial microsomia (2), micrognathia (2), multiple facial clefts (1), and trauma (3). In select cases where the available bone was insufficient for skeletal reconstruction, 3DPCIs were fabricated using 3D printing. We used VSP in 30, 3DMs in all 31, distraction osteogenesis in 16, and 3DPCIs in 13 cases. Utilizing these technologies, the above complex craniofacial defects were corrected without significant complications and with excellent aesthetic results. Modern 3D technology allows the surgeon to better analyze complex craniofacial deformities, precisely plan surgical correction with computer simulation of results, customize osteotomies, plan distractions, and print 3DPCI, as needed. The use of advanced 3D computer technology can be applied safely and potentially improve aesthetic and functional outcomes after complex craniofacial reconstruction. These techniques warrant further study and may be reproducible in various centers of care.

Crystal Structure of Neurotropism-Associated Variable Surface Protein 1 (VSP1) of Borrelia Turicatae

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

Lawson,C.; Yung, B.; Barbour, A.

2006-01-01

Vsp surface lipoproteins are serotype-defining antigens of relapsing fever spirochetes that undergo multiphasic antigenic variation to allow bacterial persistence in spite of an immune response. Two isogenic serotypes of Borrelia turicatae strain Oz1 differ in their Vsp sequences and in disease manifestations in infected mice: Vsp1 is associated with the selection of a neurological niche, while Vsp2 is associated with blood and skin infection. We report here crystal structures of the Vsp1 dimer at 2.7 and 2.2 Angstroms. The structures confirm that relapsing fever Vsp proteins share a common helical fold with OspCs of Lyme disease-causing Borrelia. The fold featuresmore » an inner stem formed by highly conserved N and C termini and an outer 'dome' formed by the variable central residues. Both Vsp1 and OspC structures possess small water-filled cavities, or pockets, that are lined largely by variable residues and are thus highly variable in shape. These features appear to signify tolerance of the Vsp-OspC fold for imperfect packing of residues at its antigenic surface. Structural comparison of Vsp1 with a homology model for Vsp2 suggests that observed differences in disease manifestation may arise in part from distinct differences in electrostatic surface properties; additional predicted positively charged surface patches on Vsp2 compared to Vsp1 may be sufficient to explain the relative propensity of Vsp2 to bind to acidic glycosaminoglycans.« less

33 CFR 104.235 - Vessel recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... of participants; and any best practices or lessons learned which may improve the Vessel Security Plan... its effective period; and (8) Annual audit of the VSP. For each annual audit, a letter certified by...

33 CFR 104.235 - Vessel recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... of participants; and any best practices or lessons learned which may improve the Vessel Security Plan... its effective period; and (8) Annual audit of the VSP. For each annual audit, a letter certified by...

33 CFR 104.235 - Vessel recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... of participants; and any best practices or lessons learned which may improve the Vessel Security Plan... its effective period; and (8) Annual audit of the VSP. For each annual audit, a letter certified by...

33 CFR 104.235 - Vessel recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of participants; and any best practices or lessons learned which may improve the Vessel Security Plan... its effective period; and (8) Annual audit of the VSP. For each annual audit, a letter certified by...

33 CFR 104.235 - Vessel recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... of participants; and any best practices or lessons learned which may improve the Vessel Security Plan... its effective period; and (8) Annual audit of the VSP. For each annual audit, a letter certified by...

33 CFR 104.415 - Amendment and audit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amendment and audit. 104.415 Section 104.415 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY MARITIME SECURITY: VESSELS Vessel Security Plan (VSP) § 104.415 Amendment and audit. (a) Amendments. (1) Amendments to a Vessel Security Plan...

Use of three-dimensional, CAD/CAM-assisted, virtual surgical simulation and planning in the pediatric craniofacial population.

PubMed

Gray, Rachel; Gougoutas, Alexander; Nguyen, Vinh; Taylor, Jesse; Bastidas, Nicholas

2017-06-01

Virtual Surgical Planning (VSP) and computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) have recently helped improve efficiency and accuracy in many different craniofacial surgeries. Research has mainly focused on the use in the adult population with the exception of the use for mandibular distractions and cranial vault remodeling in the pediatric population. This study aims to elucidate the role of VSP and CAD/CAM in complex pediatric craniofacial cases by exploring its use in the correction of midface hypoplasia, orbital dystopia, mandibular reconstruction, and posterior cranial vault expansion. A retrospective analysis of thirteen patients who underwent 3d, CAD/CAM- assisted preoperative surgical planning between 2012 and 2016 was performed. All CAD/CAM assisted surgical planning was done in conjunction with a third party vendor (either 3D Systems or Materialise). Cutting and positioning guides as well as models were produced based on the virtual plan. Surgeries included free fibula mandible reconstruction (n = 4), lefort I osteotomy and distraction (n = 2), lefort II osteotomy with monobloc distraction (n = 1), expansion of the posterior vault for correction of chiari malformation (n = 3), and secondary orbital and midface reconstruction for facial trauma (n = 3). The patient's age, diagnosis, previous surgeries, length of operating time, complications, and post-surgery satisfaction were determined. In all cases we found presurgical planning was helpful to improve accuracy and significantly decrease intra-operative time. In cases where distraction was used, the planned and actual vectors were found to be accurate with excellent clinical outcomes. There were no complications except for one patient who experienced a wound infection post-operatively which did not alter the ultimate reconstruction. All patients experienced high satisfaction with their outcomes and excellent subjective aesthetic results were achieved. Preoperative planning using CAD/CAM and VSP allows for safe and precise craniofacial reconstruction in complex pediatric cases with a reduction of operative time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

VSP - Discussion: The Common Interest on Planning Hulls and Plan for Collaboration Studies between NSWC and KRISO - Washington DC

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-07

planning hulls and plan for N62909-15-1-2052 collaboration studies between NSWC and KRISO - Washington DC Sb. GRANT NUMBER N62909-15-1-2052 Sc. PROGRAM...be carried out in MASK’s facilities. We discussed common interests on planing hulls , and made plans for collaboration studies between NSWC and KRISO... hull forms for satisfying the requirements of the project. Model tests and analyses are required to assess the maneuvering and seakeeping performance

Expression of the voltage-sensing phosphatase gene in the chick embryonic tissues and in the adult cerebellum.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Shinji; Aoki, Naoya; Kitajima, Takaaki; Okamura, Yasushi; Homma, Koichi J

2014-10-01

Voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) consists of a transmembrane voltage sensor domain (VSD) and the cytoplasmic domain with phosphoinositide-phosphatase activities. It operates as the voltage sensor and directly translates membrane potential into phosphoinositide turnover by coupling VSD to the cytoplasmic domain. VSPs are evolutionarily conserved from marine invertebrate up to humans. Recently, we demonstrated that ectopic expression of the chick ortholog of VSP, Gg-VSP, in a fibroblast cell line caused characteristic cell process outgrowths. Co-expression of chick PTEN suppressed such morphological change, suggesting that VSP regulates cell shape by increasing PI(3,4)P2. However, the in vivo function of Gg-VSP remains unclear. Here, we showed that in chick embryos Gg-VSP is expressed in the stomach, mesonephros, pharyngeal arch, limb bud, somites, floor plate of neural tube, and notochord. In addition, both Gg-VSP transcripts and the protein were found in the cerebellar Purkinje neurons. These findings provide an insight into the physiological functions of VSP.

Validation of temporal and spatial consistency of facility- and speed-specific vehicle-specific power distributions for emission estimation: A case study in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Zhai, Zhiqiang; Song, Guohua; Lu, Hongyu; He, Weinan; Yu, Lei

2017-09-01

Vehicle-specific power (VSP) has been found to be highly correlated with vehicle emissions. It is used in many studies on emission modeling such as the MOVES (Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator) model. The existing studies develop specific VSP distributions (or OpMode distribution in MOVES) for different road types and various average speeds to represent the vehicle operating modes on road. However, it is still not clear if the facility- and speed-specific VSP distributions are consistent temporally and spatially. For instance, is it necessary to update periodically the database of the VSP distributions in the emission model? Are the VSP distributions developed in the city central business district (CBD) area applicable to its suburb area? In this context, this study examined the temporal and spatial consistency of the facility- and speed-specific VSP distributions in Beijing. The VSP distributions in different years and in different areas are developed, based on real-world vehicle activity data. The root mean square error (RMSE) is employed to quantify the difference between the VSP distributions. The maximum differences of the VSP distributions between different years and between different areas are approximately 20% of that between different road types. The analysis of the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission factor indicates that the temporal and spatial differences of the VSP distributions have no significant impact on vehicle emission estimation, with relative error of less than 3%. The temporal and spatial differences have no significant impact on the development of the facility- and speed-specific VSP distributions for the vehicle emission estimation. The database of the specific VSP distributions in the VSP-based emission models can maintain in terms of time. Thus, it is unnecessary to update the database regularly, and it is reliable to use the history vehicle activity data to forecast the emissions in the future. In one city, the areas with less data can still develop accurate VSP distributions based on better data from other areas.

A vision system planner for increasing the autonomy of the Extravehicular Activity Helper/Retriever

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Magee, Michael

1993-01-01

The Extravehicular Activity Retriever (EVAR) is a robotic device currently being developed by the Automation and Robotics Division at the NASA Johnson Space Center to support activities in the neighborhood of the Space Shuttle or Space Station Freedom. As the name implies, the Retriever's primary function will be to provide the capability to retrieve tools and equipment or other objects which have become detached from the spacecraft, but it will also be able to rescue a crew member who may have become inadvertently de-tethered. Later goals will include cooperative operations between a crew member and the Retriever such as fetching a tool that is required for servicing or maintenance operations. This paper documents a preliminary design for a Vision System Planner (VSP) for the EVAR that is capable of achieving visual objectives provided to it by a high level task planner. Typical commands which the task planner might issue to the VSP relate to object recognition, object location determination, and obstacle detection. Upon receiving a command from the task planner, the VSP then plans a sequence of actions to achieve the specified objective using a model-based reasoning approach. This sequence may involve choosing an appropriate sensor, selecting an algorithm to process the data, reorienting the sensor, adjusting the effective resolution of the image using lens zooming capability, and/or requesting the task planner to reposition the EVAR to obtain a different view of the object. An initial version of the Vision System Planner which realizes the above capabilities using simulated images has been implemented and tested. The remaining sections describe the architecture and capabilities of the VSP and its relationship to the high level task planner. In addition, typical plans that are generated to achieve visual goals for various scenarios are discussed. Specific topics to be addressed will include object search strategies, repositioning of the EVAR to improve the quality of information obtained from the sensors, and complementary usage of the sensors and redundant capabilities.

Conversion of Component-Based Point Definition to VSP Model and Higher Order Meshing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ordaz, Irian

2011-01-01

Vehicle Sketch Pad (VSP) has become a powerful conceptual and parametric geometry tool with numerous export capabilities for third-party analysis codes as well as robust surface meshing capabilities for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. However, a capability gap currently exists for reconstructing a fully parametric VSP model of a geometry generated by third-party software. A computer code called GEO2VSP has been developed to close this gap and to allow the integration of VSP into a closed-loop geometry design process with other third-party design tools. Furthermore, the automated CFD surface meshing capability of VSP are demonstrated for component-based point definition geometries in a conceptual analysis and design framework.

Coregulation of soybean vegetative storage protein gene expression by methyl jasmonate and soluble sugars.

PubMed

Mason, H S; Dewald, D B; Creelman, R A; Mullet, J E

1992-03-01

The soybean vegetative storage protein genes vspA and vspB are highly expressed in developing leaves, stems, flowers, and pods as compared with roots, seeds, and mature leaves and stems. In this paper, we report that physiological levels of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and soluble sugars synergistically stimulate accumulation of vsp mRNAs. Treatment of excised mature soybean (Glycine max Merr. cv Williams) leaves with 0.2 molar sucrose and 10 micromolar MeJA caused a large accumulation of vsp mRNAs, whereas little accumulation occurred when these compounds were supplied separately. In soybean cell suspension cultures, the synergistic effect of sucrose and MeJA on the accumulation of vspB mRNA was maximal at 58 millimolar sucrose and was observed with fructose or glucose substituted for sucrose. In dark-grown soybean seedlings, the highest levels of vsp mRNAs occurred in the hypocotyl hook, which also contained high levels of MeJA and soluble sugars. Lower levels of vsp mRNAs, MeJA, and soluble sugars were found in the cotyledons, roots, and nongrowing regions of the stem. Wounding of mature soybean leaves induced a large accumulation of vsp mRNAs when wounded plants were incubated in the light. Wounded plants kept in the dark or illuminated plants sprayed with dichlorophenyldimethylurea, an inhibitor of photosynthetic electron transport, showed a greatly reduced accumulation of vsp mRNAs. The time courses for the accumulation of vsp mRNAs induced by wounding or sucrose/MeJA treatment were similar. These results strongly suggest that vsp expression is coregulated by endogenous levels of MeJA (or jasmonic acid) and soluble carbohydrate during normal vegetative development and in wounded leaves.

Coregulation of Soybean Vegetative Storage Protein Gene Expression by Methyl Jasmonate and Soluble Sugars 1

PubMed Central

Mason, Hugh S.; DeWald, Daryll B.; Creelman, Robert A.; Mullet, John E.

1992-01-01

The soybean vegetative storage protein genes vspA and vspB are highly expressed in developing leaves, stems, flowers, and pods as compared with roots, seeds, and mature leaves and stems. In this paper, we report that physiological levels of methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and soluble sugars synergistically stimulate accumulation of vsp mRNAs. Treatment of excised mature soybean (Glycine max Merr. cv Williams) leaves with 0.2 molar sucrose and 10 micromolar MeJA caused a large accumulation of vsp mRNAs, whereas little accumulation occurred when these compounds were supplied separately. In soybean cell suspension cultures, the synergistic effect of sucrose and MeJA on the accumulation of vspB mRNA was maximal at 58 millimolar sucrose and was observed with fructose or glucose substituted for sucrose. In dark-grown soybean seedlings, the highest levels of vsp mRNAs occurred in the hypocotyl hook, which also contained high levels of MeJA and soluble sugars. Lower levels of vsp mRNAs, MeJA, and soluble sugars were found in the cotyledons, roots, and nongrowing regions of the stem. Wounding of mature soybean leaves induced a large accumulation of vsp mRNAs when wounded plants were incubated in the light. Wounded plants kept in the dark or illuminated plants sprayed with dichlorophenyldimethylurea, an inhibitor of photosynthetic electron transport, showed a greatly reduced accumulation of vsp mRNAs. The time courses for the accumulation of vsp mRNAs induced by wounding or sucrose/MeJA treatment were similar. These results strongly suggest that vsp expression is coregulated by endogenous levels of MeJA (or jasmonic acid) and soluble carbohydrate during normal vegetative development and in wounded leaves. ImagesFigure 1Figure 4Figure 5 PMID:16668757

Characterization of the Functional Domains of a Mammalian Voltage-Sensitive Phosphatase.

PubMed

Rosasco, Mario G; Gordon, Sharona E; Bajjalieh, Sandra M

2015-12-15

Voltage-sensitive phosphatases (VSPs) are proteins that directly couple changes in membrane electrical potential to inositol lipid phosphatase activity. VSPs thus couple two signaling pathways that are critical for cellular functioning. Although a number of nonmammalian VSPs have been characterized biophysically, mammalian VSPs are less well understood at both the physiological and biophysical levels. In this study, we aimed to address this gap in knowledge by determining whether the VSP from mouse, Mm-VSP, is expressed in the brain and contains a functional voltage-sensing domain (VSD) and a phosphatase domain. We report that Mm-VSP is expressed in neurons and is developmentally regulated. To address whether the functions of the VSD and phosphatase domain are retained in Mm-VSP, we took advantage of the modular nature of these domains and expressed each independently as a chimeric protein in a heterologous expression system. We found that the Mm-VSP VSD, fused to a viral potassium channel, was able to drive voltage-dependent gating of the channel pore. The Mm-VSP phosphatase domain, fused to the VSD of a nonmammalian VSP, was also functional: activation resulted in PI(4,5)P2 depletion that was sufficient to inhibit the PI(4,5)P2-regulated KCNQ2/3 channels. While testing the functionality of the VSD and phosphatase domain, we observed slight differences between the activities of Mm-VSP-based chimeras and those of nonmammalian VSPs. Although the properties of VSP chimeras may not completely reflect the properties of native VSPs, the differences we observed in voltage-sensing and phosphatase activity provide a starting point for future experiments to investigate the function of Mm-VSP and other mammalian VSPs. In conclusion, our data reveal that both the VSD and the lipid phosphatase domain of Mm-VSP are functional, indicating that Mm-VSP likely plays an important role in mouse neurophysiology. Copyright © 2015 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dimerization of the voltage-sensing phosphatase controls its voltage-sensing and catalytic activity.

PubMed

Rayaprolu, Vamseedhar; Royal, Perrine; Stengel, Karen; Sandoz, Guillaume; Kohout, Susy C

2018-05-07

Multimerization is a key characteristic of most voltage-sensing proteins. The main exception was thought to be the Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensing phosphatase (Ci-VSP). In this study, we show that multimerization is also critical for Ci-VSP function. Using coimmunoprecipitation and single-molecule pull-down, we find that Ci-VSP stoichiometry is flexible. It exists as both monomers and dimers, with dimers favored at higher concentrations. We show strong dimerization via the voltage-sensing domain (VSD) and weak dimerization via the phosphatase domain. Using voltage-clamp fluorometry, we also find that VSDs cooperate to lower the voltage dependence of activation, thus favoring the activation of Ci-VSP. Finally, using activity assays, we find that dimerization alters Ci-VSP substrate specificity such that only dimeric Ci-VSP is able to dephosphorylate the 3-phosphate from PI(3,4,5)P 3 or PI(3,4)P 2 Our results indicate that dimerization plays a significant role in Ci-VSP function. © 2018 Rayaprolu et al.

Treatment of Brodie's Syndrome using parasymphyseal distraction through virtual surgical planning and RP assisted customized surgical osteotomy guide-A mock surgery report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dahake, Sandeep; Kuthe, Abhaykumar; Mawale, Mahesh

2017-10-01

This paper aims to describe virtual surgical planning (VSP), computer aided design (CAD) and rapid prototyping (RP) systems for the preoperative planning of accurate treatment of the Brodie's Syndrome. 3D models of the patient's maxilla and mandible were separately generated based on computed tomography (CT) image data and fabricated using RP. During the customized surgical osteotmy guide (CSOG) design process, the correct position was identified and the geometry of the CSOG was generated based on affected mandible of the patient and fabricated by a RP technique. Surgical approach such as preoperative planning and simulation of surgical procedures was performed using advanced software. The VSP and RP assisted CSOG was used to avoid the damage of the adjacent teeth and neighboring healthy tissues. Finally the mock surgery was performed on the biomodel (i.e. diseased RP model) of mandible with reference to the normal maxilla using osteotomy bur with the help of CSOG. Using this CSOG the exact osteotomy of the mandible and the accurate placement of the distractor were obtained. It ultimately improved the accuracy of the surgery in context of the osteotomy and distraction. The time required in cutting the mandible and placement of the distractor was found comparatively less than the regular free hand surgery.

46 CFR 116.202 - Plans and information required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... electronic format. Information for submitting the VSP electronically can be found at http://www.uscg.mil/HQ... movers; (v) Type and size of generator cables, bus-tie cables, feeders, and branch circuit cables; (vi) Power, lighting, and interior communication panelboards with number of circuits and rating of energy...

46 CFR 116.202 - Plans and information required.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... electronic format. Information for submitting the VSP electronically can be found at http://www.uscg.mil/HQ... movers; (v) Type and size of generator cables, bus-tie cables, feeders, and branch circuit cables; (vi) Power, lighting, and interior communication panelboards with number of circuits and rating of energy...

Surface to Borehole Procedures

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

There is a progression in both complexity and benefits from check shot and synthetic seismogram to vertical seismic profiles (VSP), three‑component VSP, offset VSP, and extrapolation and description of lithologic parameters into the geologic formations.

Depression of voltage-activated Ca2+ release in skeletal muscle by activation of a voltage-sensing phosphatase.

PubMed

Berthier, Christine; Kutchukian, Candice; Bouvard, Clément; Okamura, Yasushi; Jacquemond, Vincent

2015-04-01

Phosphoinositides act as signaling molecules in numerous cellular transduction processes, and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) regulates the function of several types of plasma membrane ion channels. We investigated the potential role of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in Ca(2+) homeostasis and excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling of mouse muscle fibers using in vivo expression of the voltage-sensing phosphatases (VSPs) Ciona intestinalis VSP (Ci-VSP) or Danio rerio VSP (Dr-VSP). Confocal images of enhanced green fluorescent protein-tagged Dr-VSP revealed a banded pattern consistent with VSP localization within the transverse tubule membrane. Rhod-2 Ca(2+) transients generated by 0.5-s-long voltage-clamp depolarizing pulses sufficient to elicit Ca(2+) release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) but below the range at which VSPs are activated were unaffected by the presence of the VSPs. However, in Ci-VSP-expressing fibers challenged by 5-s-long depolarizing pulses, the Ca(2+) level late in the pulse (3 s after initiation) was significantly lower at 120 mV than at 20 mV. Furthermore, Ci-VSP-expressing fibers showed a reversible depression of Ca(2+) release during trains, with the peak Ca(2+) transient being reduced by ∼30% after the application of 10 200-ms-long pulses to 100 mV. A similar depression was observed in Dr-VSP-expressing fibers. Cav1.1 Ca(2+) channel-mediated current was unaffected by Ci-VSP activation. In fibers expressing Ci-VSP and a pleckstrin homology domain fused with monomeric red fluorescent protein (PLCδ1PH-mRFP), depolarizing pulses elicited transient changes in mRFP fluorescence consistent with release of transverse tubule-bound PLCδ1PH domain into the cytosol; the voltage sensitivity of these changes was consistent with that of Ci-VSP activation, and recovery occurred with a time constant in the 10-s range. Our results indicate that the PtdIns(4,5)P2 level is tightly maintained in the transverse tubule membrane of the muscle fibers, and that VSP-induced depletion of PtdIns(4,5)P2 impairs voltage-activated Ca(2+) release from the SR. Because Ca(2+) release is thought to be independent from InsP3 signaling, the effect likely results from an interaction between PtdIns(4,5)P2 and a protein partner of the E-C coupling machinery. © 2015 Berthier et al.

Source Repeatability of Time-Lapse Offset VSP Surveys for Monitoring CO2 Injection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Z.; Huang, L.; Rutledge, J. T.; Denli, H.; Zhang, H.; McPherson, B. J.; Grigg, R.

2009-12-01

Time-lapse vertical seismic profiling (VSP) surveys have the potential to remotely track the migration of injected CO2 within a geologic formation. To accurately detect small changes due to CO2 injection, the sources of time-lapse VSP surveys must be located exactly at the same positions. However, in practice, the source locations can vary from one survey to another survey. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that a variation of a few meters in the VSP source locations can result in significant changes in time-lapse seismograms. To address the source repeatability issue, we apply double-difference tomography to downgoing waves of time-lapse offset VSP data to invert for the source locations and the velocity structures simultaneously. In collaboration with Resolute Natural Resources, Navajo National Oil and Gas Company, and the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration under the support of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, one baseline and two repeat offset VSP datasets were acquired in 2007-2009 for monitoring CO2 injection at the Aneth oil field in Utah. A cemented geophone string was used to acquire the data for one zero-offset and seven offset source locations. During the data acquisition, there was some uncertainty in the repeatability of the source locations relative to the baseline survey. Our double-difference tomography results of the Aneth time-lapse VSP data show that the source locations for different surveys are separated up to a few meters. Accounting for these source location variations during VSP data analysis will improve reliability of time-lapse VSP monitoring.

VSP Monitoring of CO2 Injection at the Aneth Oil Field in Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, L.; Rutledge, J.; Zhou, R.; Denli, H.; Cheng, A.; Zhao, M.; Peron, J.

2008-12-01

Remotely tracking the movement of injected CO2 within a geological formation is critically important for ensuring safe and long-term geologic carbon sequestration. To study the capability of vertical seismic profiling (VSP) for remote monitoring of CO2 injection, a geophone string with 60 levels and 96 channels was cemented into a monitoring well at the Aneth oil field in Utah operated by Resolute Natural Resources and Navajo National Oil and Gas Company. The oil field is located in the Paradox Basin of southeastern Utah, and was selected by the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, to demonstrate combined enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and CO2 sequestration. The geophones are placed at depths from 805 m to 1704 m, and the oil reservoir is located approximately from 1731 m to 1786 m in depth. A baseline VSP dataset with one zero-offset and seven offset source locations was acquired in October, 2007 before CO2 injection. The offsets/source locations are approximately 1 km away from the monitoring well with buried geophone string. A time-lapse VSP dataset with the same source locations was collected in July, 2008 after five months of CO2/water injection into a horizontal well adjacent to the monitoring well. The total amount of CO2 injected during the time interval between the two VSP surveys was 181,000 MCF (million cubic feet), or 10,500 tons. The time-lapse VSP data are pre-processed to balance the phase and amplitude of seismic events above the oil reservoir. We conduct wave-equation migration imaging and interferometry analysis using the pre-processed time-lapse VSP data. The results demonstrate that time-lapse VSP surveys with high-resolution migration imaging and scattering analysis can provide reliable information about CO2 migration. Both the repeatability of VSP surveys and sophisticated time-lapse data pre-processing are essential to make VSP as an effective tool for monitoring CO2 injection.

Functional diversity of voltage-sensing phosphatases in two urodele amphibians.

PubMed

Mutua, Joshua; Jinno, Yuka; Sakata, Souhei; Okochi, Yoshifumi; Ueno, Shuichi; Tsutsui, Hidekazu; Kawai, Takafumi; Iwao, Yasuhiro; Okamura, Yasushi

2014-07-16

Voltage-sensing phosphatases (VSPs) share the molecular architecture of the voltage sensor domain (VSD) with voltage-gated ion channels and the phosphoinositide phosphatase region with the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), respectively. VSPs enzymatic activities are regulated by the motions of VSD upon depolarization. The physiological role of these proteins has remained elusive, and insights may be gained by investigating biological variations in different animal species. Urodele amphibians are vertebrates with potent activities of regeneration and also show diverse mechanisms of polyspermy prevention. We cloned cDNAs of VSPs from the testes of two urodeles; Hynobius nebulosus and Cynops pyrrhogaster, and compared their expression and voltage-dependent activation. Their molecular architecture is highly conserved in both Hynobius VSP (Hn-VSP) and Cynops VSP (Cp-VSP), including the positively-charged arginine residues in the S4 segment of the VSD and the enzymatic active site for substrate binding, yet the C-terminal C2 domain of Hn-VSP is significantly shorter than that of Cp-VSP and other VSP orthologs. RT-PCR analysis showed that gene expression pattern was distinct between two VSPs. The voltage sensor motions and voltage-dependent phosphatase activities were investigated electrophysiologically by expression in Xenopus oocytes. Both VSPs showed "sensing" currents, indicating that their voltage sensor domains are functional. The phosphatase activity of Cp-VSP was found to be voltage dependent, as shown by its ability to regulate the conductance of coexpressed GIRK2 channels, but Hn-VSP lacked such phosphatase activity due to the truncation of its C2 domain. © 2014 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Physiological Society and The Physiological Society.

Fibrin(ogen)olytic activity of bumblebee venom serine protease

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

Qiu Yuling; Joint Laboratory between Dong-A University and Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang; Choo, Young Moo

Bee venom is a rich source of pharmacologically active components; it has been used as an immunotherapy to treat bee venom hypersensitivity, and venom therapy has been applied as an alternative medicine. Here, we present evidence that the serine protease found in bumblebee venom exhibits fibrin(ogen)olytic activity. Compared to honeybee venom, bumblebee venom contains a higher content of serine protease, which is one of its major components. Venom serine proteases from bumblebees did not cross-react with antibodies against the honeybee venom serine protease. We provide functional evidence indicating that bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) venom serine protease (Bt-VSP) acts as a fibrin(ogen)olyticmore » enzyme. Bt-VSP activates prothrombin and directly degrades fibrinogen into fibrin degradation products. However, Bt-VSP is not a plasminogen activator, and its fibrinolytic activity is less than that of plasmin. Taken together, our results define roles for Bt-VSP as a prothrombin activator, a thrombin-like protease, and a plasmin-like protease. These findings offer significant insight into the allergic reaction sequence that is initiated by bee venom serine protease and its potential usefulness as a clinical agent in the field of hemostasis and thrombosis. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: > Bumblebee venom serine protease (Bt-VSP) is a fibrin(ogen)olytic enzyme. > Bt-VSP activates prothrombin. > Bt-VSP directly degrades fibrinogen into fibrin degradation products. > Bt-VSP is a hemostatically active protein that is a potent clinical agent.« less

Method for modeling driving cycles, fuel use, and emissions for over snow vehicles.

PubMed

Hu, Jiangchuan; Frey, H Christopher; Sandhu, Gurdas S; Graver, Brandon M; Bishop, Gary A; Schuchmann, Brent G; Ray, John D

2014-07-15

As input to a winter use plan, activity, fuel use, and tailpipe exhaust emissions of over snow vehicles (OSV), including five snow coaches and one snowmobile, were measured on a designated route in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Engine load was quantified in terms of vehicle specific power (VSP), which is a function of speed, acceleration, and road grade. Compared to highway vehicles, VSP for OSVs is more sensitive to rolling resistance and less sensitive to aerodynamic drag. Fuel use rates increased linearly (R2>0.96) with VSP. For gasoline-fueled OSVs, fuel-based emission rates of carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) typically increased with increasing fuel use rate, with some cases of very high CO emissions. For the diesel OSVs, which had selective catalytic reduction and diesel particulate filters, fuel-based NOx and particulate matter (PM) emission rates were not sensitive to fuel flow rate, and the emission controls were effective. Inter vehicle variability in cycle average fuel use and emissions rates for CO and NOx was substantial. However, there was relatively little inter-cycle variation in cycle average fuel use and emission rates when comparing driving cycles. Recommendations are made regarding how real-world OSV activity, fuel use, and emissions data can be improved.

3D imaging of geological structures by R-VSP utilizing vibrations caused by shaft excavations at the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuoka, T.; Hodotsuka, Y.; Ishigaki, K.; Lee, C.

2009-12-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency is now conducting the Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) project. The MIU consists of two shafts (main shaft: 6.5m, ventilation shaft: 4.5m diameter) and horizontal research galleries, in sedimentary and granitic rocks at Mizunami City, Central Japan. The MIU project is a broad scientific study of the deep geological environment providing the basis for research and development for geological disposal of high level radioactive waste. One of the main goals is to establish techniques for investigation, analysis and assessment of the deep geological environment in fractured crystalline rock. As a part of the MIU project, we carried out the Reverse-Vertical Seismic Profile (R-VSP) using vibrations from the blasting for the shaft excavations and drilling of boreholes in the horizontal research galleries and examined the applicability of this method to imaging of geological structures around underground facilities, such as the unconformity between the sedimentary rocks and the basal granite, and faults and fracture zones in the granite. R-VSP method is a seismic method utilizing the receiver arrays on surface and seismic sources underground (e.g. in boreholes). This method is advantageous in that planning of 3-dimensional surveys is easy compared with reflection seismic surveying and conventional VSP because seismic source arrays that are major constraint for conducting surveys on surface are unnecessary. The receiver arrays consist of six radial lines on surface with a central focus on the main shaft. Seven blast rounds for the main shaft excavation from GL-52.8m to GL-250m and the borehole drilling in the GL-200m horizontal research gallery were observed. Three types of data processing, conventional VSP data processing (VSP-CDP transform and VSP migration), Reflection data processing utilizing Seismic interferometry method (“Seismic interferometry”) and Reflection mapping utilizing Image Point transform method (“IP transform”), were performed to obtain reflection images from heterogeneous geological structure. As the results, the reflective events that seemed to correspond with sedimentary layers, the unconformity between sedimentary rocks and granite, and fracture zones in granite could be detected by reflection profiles using “conventional VSP data processing” and “Seismic interferometry”. However, it is difficult to identify the faults around the MIU because they are generally at a high-angle. “IP transform” is one type of Radon transform which change common shot gather to IP domain. Image Points are defined through geometries of sources and reflectors. Reflection signals in time domain can be accumulated and enhanced in IP domain by “IP transform” on the condition of the right angle to a fault. So, by a search of the direction that reflection signals are enhanced using “IP transform”, the locations of faults can be inferred. By this method, the distribution of faults that correspond with faults in the current geological model constructed from investigation data in the MIU project could be detected.

Three-Dimensional Modeling of Aircraft High-Lift Components with Vehicle Sketch Pad

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Olson, Erik D.

2016-01-01

Vehicle Sketch Pad (OpenVSP) is a parametric geometry modeler that has been used extensively for conceptual design studies of aircraft, including studies using higher-order analysis. OpenVSP can model flap and slat surfaces using simple shearing of the airfoil coordinates, which is an appropriate level of complexity for lower-order aerodynamic analysis methods. For three-dimensional analysis, however, there is not a built-in method for defining the high-lift components in OpenVSP in a realistic manner, or for controlling their complex motions in a parametric manner that is intuitive to the designer. This paper seeks instead to utilize OpenVSP's existing capabilities, and establish a set of best practices for modeling high-lift components at a level of complexity suitable for higher-order analysis methods. Techniques are described for modeling the flap and slat components as separate three-dimensional surfaces, and for controlling their motion using simple parameters defined in the local hinge-axis frame of reference. To demonstrate the methodology, an OpenVSP model for the Energy-Efficient Transport (EET) AR12 wind-tunnel model has been created, taking advantage of OpenVSP's Advanced Parameter Linking capability to translate the motions of the high-lift components from the hinge-axis coordinate system to a set of transformations in OpenVSP's frame of reference.

Potential role of voltage-sensing phosphatases in regulation of cell structure through the production of PI(3,4)P2.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Shinji; Kurokawa, Tatsuki; Taira, Ikuko; Aoki, Naoya; Sakata, Souhei; Okamura, Yasushi; Homma, Koichi J

2014-04-01

Voltage-sensing phosphatase, VSP, consists of the transmembrane domain, operating as the voltage sensor, and the cytoplasmic domain with phosphoinositide-phosphatase activities. The voltage sensor tightly couples with the cytoplasmic phosphatase and membrane depolarization induces dephosphorylation of several species of phosphoinositides. VSP gene is conserved from urochordate to human. There are some diversities among VSP ortholog proteins; range of voltage of voltage sensor motions as well as substrate selectivity. In contrast with recent understandings of biophysical mechanisms of VSPs, little is known about its physiological roles. Here we report that chick ortholog of VSP (designated as Gg-VSP) induces morphological feature of cell process outgrowths with round cell body in DF-1 fibroblasts upon its forced expression. Expression of the voltage sensor mutant, Gg-VSPR153Q with shifted voltage dependence to a lower voltage led to more frequent changes of cell morphology than the wild-type protein. Coexpression of PTEN that dephosphorylates PI(3,4)P2 suppressed this effect by Gg-VSP, indicating that the increase of PI(3,4)P2 leads to changes of cell shape. In addition, visualization of PI(3,4)P2 with the fluorescent protein fused with the TAPP1-derived pleckstrin homology (PH) domain suggested that Gg-VSP influenced the distribution of PI(3,4)P2 . These findings raise a possibility that one of the VSP's functions could be to regulate cell morphology through voltage-sensitive tuning of phosphoinositide profile. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Coordinated regulation of accessory genetic elements produces cyclic di-nucleotides for V. cholerae virulence.

PubMed

Davies, Bryan W; Bogard, Ryan W; Young, Travis S; Mekalanos, John J

2012-04-13

The function of the Vibrio 7(th) pandemic island-1 (VSP-1) in cholera pathogenesis has remained obscure. Utilizing chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing to map the regulon of the master virulence regulator ToxT, we identify a TCP island-encoded small RNA that reduces the expression of a previously unrecognized VSP-1-encoded transcription factor termed VspR. VspR modulates the expression of several VSP-1 genes including one that encodes a novel class of di-nucleotide cyclase (DncV), which preferentially synthesizes a previously undescribed hybrid cyclic AMP-GMP molecule. We show that DncV is required for efficient intestinal colonization and downregulates V. cholerae chemotaxis, a phenotype previously associated with hyperinfectivity. This pathway couples the actions of previously disparate genomic islands, defines VSP-1 as a pathogenicity island in V. cholerae, and implicates its occurrence in 7(th) pandemic strains as a benefit for host adaptation through the production of a regulatory cyclic di-nucleotide. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Vertical Seismic Profiling at riser drilling site in the rupture area of the 1944 Tonankai Earthquake, Japan (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hino, R.; Kinoshita, M.; Araki, E.; Byrne, T. B.; McNeill, L. C.; Saffer, D. M.; Eguchi, N. O.; Takahashi, K.; Toczko, S.

2009-12-01

A series of scientific drilling expeditions is in operation in the Nankai Trough to reveal the faulting mechanism of the magathrust earthquakes, through clarifying composition, fine structure, mechanical behavior, and environmental variables of the seismogenic faults. In the studied area, extensive seismic surveys for site characterization have been made to image detailed geometry of the fault complex in the accretionary prism as well as Vp distribution around the faults. Although these previous surveys provided invaluable information for understanding seismotectonic processes in this subduction zone, more complete knowledge is needed to be acquired to predict dynamic behavior of the faults, such as geometrical irregularities in short wavelength, Vs and seismic attenuation which are sensitive to fluid distribution in and around fault zones. It is expected that estimation of these parameters would be improved considerably by a seismic exploration using a vertical array of seismographs installed in a deep borehole (VSP: vertical seismic profiling). In July 2009, we made a VSP at one of the drilling sites located just above the rupture area of the 1994 Tonankai Earthquake (M 8.1), during the IODP Exp.319. The well site of our VSP was made by the riser drilling of D/V Chikyu. The seismic array, lowered from Chikyu into the hole, was composed of a three-component accelerometer and vertical separation of the array elements was 15.12 m. The VSP was composed of offset VSP and zero-offset VSP. In the offset VSP, a tuned airgun array towed by R/V Kairei was shot along one straight line (walk-away VSP) and another circular line (walk-around VSP) and seismic signals were recorded by an array consisting of 16 elements installed from 907 to 1,135 m in depth from seafloor. The object of the walk-away VSP is to obtain fine image of the faults using reflection arrivals with less attenuation. It is also expected to obtain spatial variation of Vs from arrival time tomography of refracted S waves. For this purpose, we preferred extraordinarily longer (~ 30 km) offset shooting than usual industrial VSPs. Shot spacing was 60 m along the same line as the previous 3D reflection and OBS wide angle surveys. The radius of circle of the walk-around VSP was 3.5 km to detect azimuthal anisotropy of downgoing P and S waves, correlated to stress state around the site. In zero-offset VSP, shots just above the hole were recorded by the 8 element array moving from 0 to 1,135 mbsf along the hole so that seismic structure with comparable vertical resolution as core-log information would be obtained. In the records of the walk-away VSP, clear first arrivals as well as several evident later arrivals were clearly identified. The later phases contain the reflection from the megasplay fault and the refracted S wave through the accretional prism, on both of which we have significant interest. The walk-around VSP also provided us with high S/N records but detailed data reduction, such as velocity analysis using vertical array, are required to derive anisotropic nature of the formation around the hole.

Analysis of storage possibility of raw and smoked breast meat of oat-fattened White Kołuda® goose based on their quality characteristics.

PubMed

Damaziak, K; Stelmasiak, A; Michalczuk, M; Wyrwisz, J; Moczkowska, M; Marcinkowska-Lesiak, M M; Niemiec, J; Wierzbicka, A

2016-09-01

Raw and smoked (spickgans) fillets of oat-fattened White Kołuda® goose were packed in: PET - ethylene terephthalate bags; VSP - 99% vacuum; MAP1 - 80% O2, 20% CO2; MAP2 - 70% N2, 30% O2; MAP3 - 30% O2, 40% N2, 30% CO2, and stored at a temperature of 2°C. On the day of packaging (0 d) and during storage of raw (5, 7, 10 d) and smoked fillets (5, 10, 15 d), the samples were analyzed for weight losses, physicochemical traits, and chemical composition. The study demonstrated the effect of storage time and packaging method on storage yield of raw and smoked fillets. In VSP, the raw fillets were characterized by the lowest amount of leakage, whereas spickgans were characterized by the highest storage yield and weight loss. The analysis of the effect of the modified atmosphere demonstrated the lowest weight loss of raw fillets at, simultaneously, the smallest amount of leakage in MAP1. The spickgans stored in MAP2 showed higher weight, higher yield after storage, and lower storage loss in all terms of analyses compared to MAP1 and MAP3. The greatest cooking loss at simultaneously the lowest pH values was determined for the samples stored in VSP. The WBSF values of raw fillets were decreasing along with storage time, in contrast to WBSF values of spickgans, in which case the value of this parameter increased compared to 0 d. Raw fillets stored in MAP1 and MAP3 were characterized by the most significant increase in the value of L*, by a decrease in the value of a* and an increase in that of b* parameter. Visual assessment of spickgans on 15 d of storage revealed the presence of white sediment on the surface of products, except for the samples stored in VSP. The study demonstrated the effect of storage time on the contents of protein and fat in raw fillets and on the contents of salt and fat in spickgans. © 2016 Poultry Science Association Inc.

Virtual surgical planning and three-dimensional printing in multidisciplinary oncologic chest wall resection and reconstruction: A case report.

PubMed

Sharaf, Basel; Sabbagh, M Diya; Vijayasekaran, Aparna; Allen, Mark; Matsumoto, Jane

2018-04-30

Primary sarcomas of the sternum are extremely rare and present the surgical teams involved with unique challenges. Historically, local muscle flaps have been utilized to reconstruct the resulting defect. However, when the resulting oncologic defect is larger than anticipated, local tissues have been radiated, or when preservation of chest wall muscles is necessary to optimize function, local reconstructive options are unsuitable. Virtual surgical planning (VSP) and in house three-dimensional (3D) printing provides the platform for improved understanding of the anatomy of complex tumours, communication amongst surgeons, and meticulous pre-operative planning. We present the novel use of this technology in the multidisciplinary surgical care of a 35 year old male with primary sarcoma of the sternum. Emphasis on minimizing morbidity, maintaining function of chest wall muscles, and preservation of the internal mammary vessels for microvascular anastomosis are discussed. While the majority of patients at our institution receive local or regional flaps for reconstruction of thoracic defects, advances in microvascular surgery allow the reconstructive surgeon the latitude to choose other flap options if necessary. VSP and 3D printing allowed the surgical team involved to utilize free tissue transfer to reconstruct the defect with free tissue transfer from the thigh. Perseveration of the internal mammary vessels was paramount during tumor extirpation. Virtual surgical planning and rapid prototyping is a useful adjunct to standard imaging in complex chest wall resection and reconstruction. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Consumer preferences for beef color and packaging did not affect eating satisfaction.

PubMed

Carpenter, C E; Cornforth, D P; Whittier, D

2001-04-01

We investigated whether consumer preferences for beef colors (red, purple, and brown) or for beef packaging systems (modified atmosphere, MAP; vacuum skin pack, VSP; or overwrap with polyvinyl chloride, PVC) influenced taste scores of beef steaks and patties. To test beef color effects, boneless beef top loin steaks (choice) and ground beef patties (20% fat) were packaged in different atmospheres to promote development of red, purple, and brown color. To test effects of package type, steaks and patties were pre-treated with carbon monoxide in MAP to promote development of red color, and some meat was repackaged using VSP or PVC overwrap. The differently colored and packaged meats were separately displayed for members of four consumer panels who evaluated appearance and indicated their likelihood to purchase similar meat. Next, the panelists tasted meat samples from what they had been told were the packaging treatments just observed. However, the meat samples actually served were from a single untreated steak or patty. Thus, any difference in taste scores should reflect expectations established during the visual evaluation. The same ballot and sample coding were used for both the visual and taste evaluations. Color and packaging influenced (P<0.001) appearance scores and likelihood to purchase. Appearance scores were rated red>purple >brown and PVC >VSP>MAP. Appearance scores and likelihood to purchase were correlated (r=0.9). However, color or packaging did not affect (P>0.5) taste scores. Thus, consumer preferences for beef color and packaging influenced likelihood to purchase, but did not bias eating satisfaction.

A multi-stakeholder evaluation of the Baltimore City virtual supermarket program.

PubMed

Lagisetty, Pooja; Flamm, Laura; Rak, Summer; Landgraf, Jessica; Heisler, Michele; Forman, Jane

2017-10-23

Increasing access to healthy foods and beverages in disadvantaged communities is a public health priority due to alarmingly high rates of obesity. The Virtual Supermarket Program (VSP) is a Baltimore City Health Department program that uses online grocery ordering to deliver food to low-income neighborhoods. This study evaluates stakeholder preferences and barriers of program implementation. This study assessed the feasibility, sustainability and efficacy of the VSP by surveying 93 customers and interviewing 14 programmatic stakeholders who had recently used the VSP or been involved with program design and implementation. We identified the following themes: The VSP addressed transportation barriers and food availability. The VSP impacted customers and the city by including improving food purchasing behavior, creating a food justice "brand for the city", and fostering a sense of community. Customers appreciated using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to pay for groceries, but policy changes are needed allow online processing of SNAP benefits. This evaluation summarizes lessons learned and serves as a guide to other public health leaders interested in developing similar programs. Provisions in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Bill 2014 allow for select grocers to pilot online transactions with SNAP benefits. If these pilots are efficacious, the VSP model could be easily disseminated.

Identification of a novel selective PPARγ ligand with a unique binding mode and improved therapeutic profile in vitro

PubMed Central

Yi, Wei; Shi, Jingjing; Zhao, Guanguan; Zhou, X. Edward; Suino-Powell, Kelly; Melcher, Karsten; Xu, H. Eric

2017-01-01

Thiazolidinediones (TZD) function as potent anti-diabetic drugs through their direct action on the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), but their therapeutic benefits are compromised by severe side effects. To address this concern, here we developed a potent “hit” compound, VSP-51, which is a novel selective PPARγ-modulating ligand with improved therapeutic profiles in vitro compared to the multi-billion dollar TZD drug rosiglitazone (Rosi). Unlike Rosi, VSP-51 is a partial agonist of PPARγ with improved insulin sensitivity due to its ability to bind PPARγ with high affinity without stimulating adipocyte differentiation and the expression of adipogenesis-related genes. We have determined the crystal structure of the PPARγ ligand-binding domain (LBD) in complex with VSP-51, which revealed a unique mode of binding for VSP-51 and provides the molecular basis for the discrimination between VSP-51 from TZDs and other ligands such as telmisartan, SR1663 and SR1664. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that: a) VSP-51 can serve as a promising candidate for anti-diabetic drug discovery; and b) provide a rational basis for the development of future pharmacological agents targeting PPARγ with advantages over current TZD drugs. PMID:28128331

Walkaway-VSP survey using distributed optical fiber in China oilfield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Junjun; Yu, Gang; Zhang, Qinghong; Li, Yanpeng; Cai, Zhidong; Chen, Yuanzhong; Liu, Congwei; Zhao, Haiying; Li, Fei

2017-10-01

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is a new type of replacement technology for geophysical geophone. DAS system is similar to high-density surface seismic geophone array. In the stage of acquisition, DAS can obtain the full well data with one shot. And it can provide enhanced vertical seismic profile (VSP) imaging and monitor fluids and pressures changes in the hydrocarbon production reservoir. Walkaway VSP data acquired over a former producing well in north eastern China provided a rich set of very high quality data. A standard VSP data pre-processing workflow was applied, followed by pre-stack Kirchhoff time migration. In the DAS pre-processing step we were faced with additional and special challenges: strong coherent noise due to cable slapping and ringing along the borehole casing. The single well DAS Walkaway VSP images provide a good result with higher vertical and lateral resolution than the surface seismic in the objective area. This paper reports on lessons learned in the handling of the wireline cable and subsequent special DAS data processing steps developed to remediate some of the practical wireline deployment issues. Optical wireline cable as a conveyance of fiber optic cables for VSP in vertical wells will open the use of the DAS system to much wider applications.

Visuospatial Aptitude Testing Differentially Predicts Simulated Surgical Skill.

PubMed

Hinchcliff, Emily; Green, Isabel; Destephano, Christopher; Cox, Mary; Smink, Douglas; Kumar, Amanika; Hokenstad, Erik; Bengtson, Joan; Cohen, Sarah

2018-02-05

To determine if visuospatial perception (VSP) testing is correlated to simulated or intraoperative surgical performance as rated by the American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) milestones. Classification II-2 SETTING: Two academic training institutions PARTICIPANTS: 41 residents, including 19 Brigham and Women's Hospital and 22 Mayo Clinic residents from three different specialties (OBGYN, general surgery, urology). Participants underwent three different tests: visuospatial perception testing (VSP), Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS®) peg transfer, and DaVinci robotic simulation peg transfer. Surgical grading from the ACGME milestones tool was obtained for each participant. Demographic and subject background information was also collected including specialty, year of training, prior experience with simulated skills, and surgical interest. Standard statistical analysis using Student's t test were performed, and correlations were determined using adjusted linear regression models. In univariate analysis, BWH and Mayo training programs differed in both times and overall scores for both FLS® peg transfer and DaVinci robotic simulation peg transfer (p<0.05 for all). Additionally, type of residency training impacted time and overall score on robotic peg transfer. Familiarity with tasks correlated with higher score and faster task completion (p= 0.05 for all except VSP score). There was no difference in VSP scores by program, specialty, or year of training. In adjusted linear regression modeling, VSP testing was correlated only to robotic peg transfer skills (average time p=0.006, overall score p=0.001). Milestones did not correlate to either VSP or surgical simulation testing. VSP score was correlated with robotic simulation skills but not with FLS skills or ACGME milestones. This suggests that the ability of VSP score to predict competence differs between tasks. Therefore, further investigation is required into aptitude testing, especially prior to its integration as an entry examination into a surgical subspecialty. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Depression of voltage-activated Ca2+ release in skeletal muscle by activation of a voltage-sensing phosphatase

PubMed Central

Berthier, Christine; Kutchukian, Candice; Bouvard, Clément; Okamura, Yasushi

2015-01-01

Phosphoinositides act as signaling molecules in numerous cellular transduction processes, and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P2) regulates the function of several types of plasma membrane ion channels. We investigated the potential role of PtdIns(4,5)P2 in Ca2+ homeostasis and excitation–contraction (E-C) coupling of mouse muscle fibers using in vivo expression of the voltage-sensing phosphatases (VSPs) Ciona intestinalis VSP (Ci-VSP) or Danio rerio VSP (Dr-VSP). Confocal images of enhanced green fluorescent protein–tagged Dr-VSP revealed a banded pattern consistent with VSP localization within the transverse tubule membrane. Rhod-2 Ca2+ transients generated by 0.5-s-long voltage-clamp depolarizing pulses sufficient to elicit Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) but below the range at which VSPs are activated were unaffected by the presence of the VSPs. However, in Ci-VSP–expressing fibers challenged by 5-s-long depolarizing pulses, the Ca2+ level late in the pulse (3 s after initiation) was significantly lower at 120 mV than at 20 mV. Furthermore, Ci-VSP–expressing fibers showed a reversible depression of Ca2+ release during trains, with the peak Ca2+ transient being reduced by ∼30% after the application of 10 200-ms-long pulses to 100 mV. A similar depression was observed in Dr-VSP–expressing fibers. Cav1.1 Ca2+ channel–mediated current was unaffected by Ci-VSP activation. In fibers expressing Ci-VSP and a pleckstrin homology domain fused with monomeric red fluorescent protein (PLCδ1PH-mRFP), depolarizing pulses elicited transient changes in mRFP fluorescence consistent with release of transverse tubule–bound PLCδ1PH domain into the cytosol; the voltage sensitivity of these changes was consistent with that of Ci-VSP activation, and recovery occurred with a time constant in the 10-s range. Our results indicate that the PtdIns(4,5)P2 level is tightly maintained in the transverse tubule membrane of the muscle fibers, and that VSP-induced depletion of PtdIns(4,5)P2 impairs voltage-activated Ca2+ release from the SR. Because Ca2+ release is thought to be independent from InsP3 signaling, the effect likely results from an interaction between PtdIns(4,5)P2 and a protein partner of the E-C coupling machinery. PMID:25825170

Utilization of environmentally acquired very small particles as a means of association.

PubMed

Stoney, David A; Bowen, Andrew M; Stoney, Paul L

2015-09-01

Very small particles (VSP) are ubiquitous in our environment and are virtually ignored by forensic science. These particles range in size from an order of magnitude smaller than conventional trace evidence, down to the molecular level. Combinations of VSP provide an extraordinary, largely untapped resource for forensic associations and source attribution. This paper describes an initial effort to exploit VSP for one specific application. An approach was developed and tested for the SEM/EDS analysis of VSP recovered from the surfaces of carpet fibers - one of the most common types of trace evidence examined in crime laboratories. Our goal was to exploit existing computer-assisted SEM/EDS methods to test whether VSP profiles could be useful to associate shed fibers with a source carpet. Particles were harvested by washing and filtration onto polycarbonate filters. An SEM/EDS analysis protocol currently employed for environmental particle analyses was used, resulting in individual particle characterization based on fitting to reference spectra of 28 elements. Target Particle Types were defined based on the most abundant elemental profiles and used to bin the results for each specimen, resulting in a Target Particle Type profile. Within-carpet variability was assessed using Target Particle Type profiles from three different areas on each of nine carpets. Area profiles, defined from sets of ten fibers, were compared to profiles from individual fibers. Between-item variation was explored using a survey of an additional 12 carpets. Hundreds to thousands of VSP were found to routinely occur on individual carpet fibers. Their quantity and character was sufficient to associate fibers with their area of origin. Within-carpet variations showed roughly even distributions for most TPTs and between-carpet variations showed wide ranges in types and quantities of VSP. Environmentally acquired VSP showed clear potential to provide quantitative means to link carpet fibers with their area of origin. This finding is noteworthy, since such particles are acquired post-manufacture and are independent of characteristics determined by manufacture. More generally, VSP are ubiquitous, present on or in virtually any item, and there is the potential for linkages among items of any type based on adhering VSP. By way of example, the present work provides impetus for a fundamental change in the way that forensic trace evidence is conceptualized. Further fundamental research is indicated to better understand the underlying variability, usefulness and limitations of this approach. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the VSP-A (Vécu et Santé Perçue de l'Adolescent), a health-related quality of life (HRQoL) instrument for adolescents, in a healthy Brazilian population

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment, encompassing the adolescents' perceptions of their mental, physical, and social health and well-being is increasingly considered an important outcome to be used to identify population health needs and to provide targeted medical care. Although validated instruments are essential for accurately assessing HRQoL outcomes, there are few cross-culturally adapted tools for use in Brazil, and none designed exclusively for use among adolescents. The Vécu et Santé Perçue de l'Adolescent (VSP-A) is a generic, multidimensional self-reported instrument originally developed and validated in France that evaluates HRQoL of ill and healthy adolescents. Purpose To cross-culturally adapt and validate the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the VSP-A, a generic HRQoL measure for adolescents originally developed in France. Methods The VSP-A was translated following a well-validated forward-backward process leading to the Brazilian version. The psychometric evaluation was conducted in a sample of 446 adolescents (14-18 years) attending 2 public high schools of São Gonçalo City. The adolescents self-reported the Brazilian VSP-A, the validated Psychosomatic Symptom Checklist and socio-demographic information. A retest evaluation was carried out on a sub-sample (n = 195) at a two-week interval. The internal construct validity was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multi-trait scaling analyses, Rasch analysis evaluating unidimensionality of each scale and Cronbach's alpha coefficients. The reproducibility was evaluated by intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). Zumbo's ordinal logistic regression analysis was used to detect differential item functioning (DIF) between the Brazilian and the French items. External construct validity was investigated testing expected differences between groups using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Mann-Whitney tests and the univariate general regression linear model. Results CFA showed an acceptable fit (RMSEA=0.05; CFI=0.93); 94% of scaling success was found for item-internal consistency and 98% for item discriminant validity. The items showed good fit to the Rasch model except 3 items with an INFIT at the upper threshold. Cronbach's Alpha ranged from 0.60 to 0.85. Test-retest reliability was moderate to good (ICC=0.55-0.82). DIF was evidenced in 4 out of 36 items. Expected patterns of differences were confirmed with significantly lower physical, psychological well being and vitality reported by symptomatic adolescents. Conclusions Although DIF in few items and responsiveness must be further explored, the Brazilian version of VSP-A demonstrated an acceptable validity and reliability in adolescents attending school and might serve as a starting point for more specific clinical investigations. PMID:21272317

Exploratory benchtop study evaluating the use of surgical design and simulation in fibula free flap mandibular reconstruction

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Surgical design and simulation (SDS) is a useful tool to help surgeons visualize the anatomy of the patient and perform operative maneuvers on the computer before implementation in the operating room. While these technologies have many advantages, further evidence of their potential to improve outcomes is required. The present benchtop study was intended to identify if there is a difference in surgical outcome between free-hand surgery completed without virtual surgical planning (VSP) software and preoperatively planned surgery completed with the use of VSP software. Methods Five surgeons participated in the study. In Session A, participants were asked to do a free-hand reconstruction of a 3d printed mandible with a defect using a 3d printed fibula. Four weeks later, in Session B, the participants were asked to do the same reconstruction, but in this case using a preoperatively digitally designed surgical plan. Digital registration computer software, hard tissue measures and duration of the task were used to compare the outcome of the benchtop reconstructions. Results The study revealed that: (1) superimposed images produced in a computer aided design (CAD) software were effective in comparing pre and post-surgical outcomes, (2) there was a difference, based on hard tissue measures, in surgical outcome between the two scenarios and (3) there was no difference in the time it took to complete the sessions. Conclusion The study revealed that the participants were more consistent in the preoperatively digitally planned surgery than they were in the free hand surgery. PMID:23800209

Exploitation of very small particles to enhance the probative value of carpet fibers.

PubMed

Stoney, David A; Neumann, Cedric; Mooney, Kim E; Wyatt, J Matney; Stoney, Paul L

2015-07-01

Environmentally acquired very small particles (VSP), present on the surfaces of carpet fibers, have shown potential for the association of fibers with their carpet source. To unlock this potential, research is required addressing a number of areas, including the application of methods under realistic casework conditions and the utilization of computational methods for the refinement and testing of the approach. In this work field collections of carpet fibers were conducted by crime scene practitioners under realistic casework conditions. VSP were isolated using previously developed methods, and analyses were conducted using SEM/EDS analytical protocols in an operational crime laboratory setting. Computational methods were designed, allowing sets of hundreds to thousands of VSP to be characterized. Classifiers were designed to associate and discriminate among specimens. These classifiers were applied to the VSP data for specimens collected by crime scene practitioners, as well as to a previously collected research dataset. Quantitative measures of correspondence and probative value were designed based on the classification measures and successfully applied to both sets of VSP data. Particle sets larger than 500 showed strong promise for quantitative associations with their sources. The use of larger numbers of target particle types (TPTs) showed strong promise to improve the performance of classification and association. Overall, the usefulness of VSP to provide objective, quantitative associations has been established. Because VSP are acquired post-manufacture, these methods can address fundamental limitations to probative value that arise when class characteristics, determined by manufacture, are shared among mass produced commodities. These findings are of broad significance for the future of trace evidence analysis. The results of this research are likely extendable, with minor modifications, to other trace evidence types (such as glass, tape and human hair), and are expected to contribute significantly for those types of trace evidence that have long been considered of low evidential value (such as undyed cotton and animal hairs). Furthermore, entirely new approaches to trace evidence are enabled by exploiting VSP profiles, such as comparing different types of trace evidence with one another and comparing VSP defined by crime scene or suspect environments to those on virtually any item of physical evidence. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A safe and accurate method to perform esthetic mandibular contouring surgery for Far Eastern Asians.

PubMed

Hsieh, A M-C; Huon, L-K; Jiang, H-R; Liu, S Y-C

2017-05-01

A tapered mandibular contour is popular with Far Eastern Asians. This study describes a safe and accurate method of using preoperative virtual surgical planning (VSP) and an intraoperative ostectomy guide to maximize the esthetic outcomes of mandibular symmetry and tapering while mitigating injury to the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN). Twelve subjects with chief complaints of a wide and square lower face underwent this protocol from January to June 2015. VSP was used to confirm symmetry and preserve the IAN while maximizing the surgeon's ability to taper the lower face via mandibular inferior border ostectomy. The accuracy of this method was confirmed by superimposition of the perioperative computed tomography scans in all subjects. No subjects complained of prolonged paresthesia after 3 months. A safe and accurate protocol for achieving an esthetic lower face in indicated Far Eastern individuals is described. Copyright © 2016 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Initial Assessment, Surveillance, and Management of Blood Pressure in Patients Receiving Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Signaling Pathway Inhibitors

PubMed Central

Bakris, George L.; Black, Henry R.; Chen, Helen X.; Durand, Jean-Bernard; Elliott, William J.; Ivy, S. Percy; Leier, Carl V.; Lindenfeld, JoAnn; Liu, Glenn; Remick, Scot C.; Steingart, Richard; Tang, W. H. Wilson

2010-01-01

Hypertension is a mechanism-based toxic effect of drugs that inhibit the vascular endothelial growth factor signaling pathway (VSP). Substantial evidence exists for managing hypertension as a chronic condition, but there are few prospectively collected data on managing acute hypertension caused by VSP inhibitors. The Investigational Drug Steering Committee of the National Cancer Institute convened an interdisciplinary cardiovascular toxicities expert panel to evaluate this problem, to make recommendations to the Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program on further study, and to structure an approach for safe management by treating physicians. The panel reviewed: the published literature on blood pressure (BP), hypertension, and specific VSP inhibitors; abstracts from major meetings; shared experience with the development of VSP inhibitors; and established principles of hypertension care. The panel generated a consensus report including the recommendations on clinical concerns summarized here. To support the greatest possible number of patients to receive VSP inhibitors safely and effectively, the panel had four recommendations: 1) conduct and document a formal risk assessment for potential cardiovascular complications, 2) recognize that preexisting hypertension will be common in cancer patients and should be identified and addressed before initiation of VSP inhibitor therapy, 3) actively monitor BP throughout treatment with more frequent assessments during the first cycle of treatment, and 4) manage BP with a goal of less than 140/90 mmHg for most patients (and to lower, prespecified goals in patients with specific preexisting cardiovascular risk factors). Proper agent selection, dosing, and scheduling of follow-up should enable maintaining VSP inhibition while avoiding the complications associated with excessive or prolonged elevation in BP. PMID:20351338

Enzyme domain affects the movement of the voltage sensor in ascidian and zebrafish voltage-sensing phosphatases.

PubMed

Hossain, Md Israil; Iwasaki, Hirohide; Okochi, Yoshifumi; Chahine, Mohamed; Higashijima, Shinichi; Nagayama, Kuniaki; Okamura, Yasushi

2008-06-27

The ascidian voltage-sensing phosphatase (Ci-VSP) consists of the voltage sensor domain (VSD) and a cytoplasmic phosphatase region that has significant homology to the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome TEN (PTEN). The phosphatase activity of Ci-VSP is modified by the conformational change of the VSD. In many proteins, two protein modules are bidirectionally coupled, but it is unknown whether the phosphatase domain could affect the movement of the VSD in VSP. We addressed this issue by whole-cell patch recording of gating currents from a teleost VSP (Dr-VSP) cloned from Danio rerio expressed in tsA201 cells. Replacement of a critical cysteine residue, in the phosphatase active center of Dr-VSP, by serine sharpened both ON- and OFF-gating currents. Similar changes were produced by treatment with phosphatase inhibitors, pervanadate and orthovanadate, that constitutively bind to cysteine in the active catalytic center of phosphatases. The distinct kinetics of gating currents dependent on enzyme activity were not because of altered phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate levels, because the kinetics of gating current did not change by depletion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, as reported by coexpressed KCNQ2/3 channels. These results indicate that the movement of the VSD is influenced by the enzymatic state of the cytoplasmic domain, providing an important clue for understanding mechanisms of coupling between the VSD and its effector.

Engineering of a genetically encodable fluorescent voltage sensor exploiting fast Ci-VSP voltage-sensing movements.

PubMed

Lundby, Alicia; Mutoh, Hiroki; Dimitrov, Dimitar; Akemann, Walther; Knöpfel, Thomas

2008-06-25

Ci-VSP contains a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) homologous to that of voltage-gated potassium channels. Using charge displacement ('gating' current) measurements we show that voltage-sensing movements of this VSD can occur within 1 ms in mammalian membranes. Our analysis lead to development of a genetically encodable fluorescent protein voltage sensor (VSFP) in which the fast, voltage-dependent conformational changes of the Ci-VSP voltage sensor are transduced to similarly fast fluorescence read-outs.

Multi-azimuth Anisotropic Velocity Measurements in Fractured Crystalline Rock From the International Continental Drilling Program Outokumpu Borehole, Finland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schijns, H.; Duo, X.; Heinonen, S.; Schmitt, D. R.; Kukkonen, I. T.; Heikkinen, P.

2008-12-01

A high resolution seismic survey consisting of a multi-depth multi-azimuth VSP, a zero-offset VSP and a reflection/refraction survey was conducting in May, 2006, near the town of Outokumpu, Finland, using the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program 2.5 km deep fully cored scientific borehole. The survey was undertaken in order to create an anisotropic velocity model for future micro-seism studies as well as to provide a higher resolution reflection profile through the area than was previously available. The seismic survey high frequency seismic vibrator as a source, employing 8 s linear taper sweeps from 15-250 Hz at 20 m shot spacing. Receivers were 14 Hz single component geophones on the surface and a three component geophone downhole. The walk-away VSP included measurements over two azimuths with the receiver at depths of 1000, 1750 and 2500 m, while the zero-offset VSP used a 2 m depth increment. Surface geophones were located along the same seismic lines as employed in the walk-away VSP and were nominally 4 m apart. The survey area is located on the Fennoscandian shield, and the glacial history of the area required significant static corrections to account for the variable overburden overlying the mica-rich schist and pegmatitic granite composing the bedrock. These were calculated using travel-time inversion of the refraction data and were applied to the walk-away VSP and reflection profiles, significantly improving the quality of both. Anisotropic velocity analysis was performed using a plane-wave decomposition of the processed walk-away VSP. The maximum anisotropy was observed in the walk-away VSPs along the Southeastern azimuth, with the P-wave phase velocity ranging from 5330-5950 m/s between 50-1000 m in depth, and up to 6150 m/s between 1000-1750 m in depth. Shear wave splitting was observed in the Northeastern direction. Preliminary analysis of the zero-offset VSP has revealed shown good agreement with the relevant portions of the anisotropic velocity measurements and the reflection profile.

When do humans spontaneously adopt another's visuospatial perspective?

PubMed

Freundlieb, Martin; Kovács, Ágnes M; Sebanz, Natalie

2016-03-01

Perspective-taking is a key component of social interactions. However, there is an ongoing controversy about whether, when and how instances of spontaneous visuospatial perspective-taking occur. The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying factors as well as boundary conditions that characterize the spontaneous adoption of another person's visuospatial perspective (VSP) during social interactions. We used a novel paradigm, in which a participant and a confederate performed a simple stimulus-response (SR) compatibility task sitting at a 90° angle to each other. In this set-up, participants would show a spatial compatibility effect only if they adopted the confederate's VSP. In a series of 5 experiments we found that participants reliably adopted the VSP of the confederate, as long as he was perceived as an intentionally acting agent. Our results therefore show that humans are able to spontaneously adopt the differing VSP of another agent and that there is a tight link between perspective-taking and performing actions together. The results suggest that spontaneous VSP-taking can effectively facilitate and speed up spatial alignment processes accruing from dynamic interactions in multiagent environments. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Free Surface Downgoing VSP Multiple Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maula, Fahdi; Dac, Nguyen

2018-03-01

The common usage of a vertical seismic profile is to capture the reflection wavefield (upgoing wavefield) so that it can be used for further well tie or other interpretations. Borehole Seismic (VSP) receivers capture the reflection from below the well trajectory, traditionally no seismic image information above trajectory. The non-traditional way of processing the VSP multiple can be used to expand the imaging above the well trajectory. This paper presents the case study of using VSP downgoing multiples for further non-traditional imaging applications. In general, VSP processing, upgoing and downgoing arrivals are separated during processing. The up-going wavefield is used for subsurface illumination, whereas the downgoing wavefield and multiples are normally excluded from the processing. In a situation where the downgoing wavefield passes the reflectors several times (multiple), the downgoing wavefield carries reflection information. Its benefit is that it can be used for seismic tie up to seabed, and possibility for shallow hazards identifications. One of the concepts of downgoing imaging is widely known as mirror-imaging technique. This paper presents a case study from deep water offshore Vietnam. The case study is presented to demonstrate the robustness of the technique, and the limitations encountered during its processing.

Crystal structure of the cytoplasmic phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-like region of Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensing phosphatase provides insight into substrate specificity and redox regulation of the phosphoinositide phosphatase activity.

PubMed

Matsuda, Makoto; Takeshita, Kohei; Kurokawa, Tatsuki; Sakata, Souhei; Suzuki, Mamoru; Yamashita, Eiki; Okamura, Yasushi; Nakagawa, Atsushi

2011-07-01

Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensing phosphatase (Ci-VSP) has a transmembrane voltage sensor domain and a cytoplasmic region sharing similarity to the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). It dephosphorylates phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate upon membrane depolarization. The cytoplasmic region is composed of a phosphatase domain and a putative membrane interaction domain, C2. Here we determined the crystal structures of the Ci-VSP cytoplasmic region in three distinct constructs, wild-type (248-576), wild-type (236-576), and G365A mutant (248-576). The crystal structure of WT-236 and G365A-248 had the disulfide bond between the catalytic residue Cys-363 and the adjacent residue Cys-310. On the other hand, the disulfide bond was not present in the crystal structure of WT-248. These suggest the possibility that Ci-VSP is regulated by reactive oxygen species as found in PTEN. These structures also revealed that the conformation of the TI loop in the active site of the Ci-VSP cytoplasmic region was distinct from the corresponding region of PTEN; Ci-VSP has glutamic acid (Glu-411) in the TI loop, orienting toward the center of active site pocket. Mutation of Glu-411 led to acquirement of increased activity toward phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate, suggesting that this site is required for determining substrate specificity. Our results provide the basic information of the enzymatic mechanism of Ci-VSP.

Method for in-use measurement and evaluation of the activity, fuel use, electricity use, and emissions of a plug-in hybrid diesel-electric school bus.

PubMed

Choi, Hyung-Wook; Frey, H Christopher

2010-05-01

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a methodology for characterizing at high resolution the energy use and emissions of a plug-in parallel-hybrid diesel-electric school bus (PHSB) to support assessments of sensitivity to driving cycles and comparisons to a conventional diesel school bus (CDSB). Data were collected using onboard instruments for a first-of-a-kind prototype PHSB and a CDSB of the same chassis and engine, operated on actual school bus routes. The engine load was estimated on the basis of vehicle specific power (VSP) and an empirically derived relationship between VSP and engine manifold absolute pressure (MAP). VSP depends on speed, acceleration, and road grade. For the PHSB, the observed electrical discharge or recharge to the traction motor battery was characterized on the basis of VSP. The energy use and emission rates of the PHSB from tailpipe and electricity use were estimated for five real-world driving cycles and compared to the engine fuel use and emissions of the CDSB. The PHSB had the greatest advantage on arterial routes and less advantage on highway or local routes. The coupled VSP-MAP modeling approach enables assessment of a wide variety of driving conditions and comparisons of vehicles with different propulsion technologies.

Repeated combined endovascular therapy with milrinone and nimodipine for the treatment of severe vasospasm: preliminary results.

PubMed

Sherif, Camillo; Wambacher, Bernhard; Loyoddin, Michel; Karaic, Radenko; Krafft, Peter; Valentin, Andreas; Tscholakoff, Dimiter; Kleinpeter, Guenther

2015-01-01

Delayed vasospasm (VSP) following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remains a major source of morbidity. Milrinone was recently suggested as an invasive VSP treatment option. It is a phosphodiesterase III inhibitor with vasodilating and additional positive inotrope and anti-inflammatory effects. In this preliminary series, we included patients with severe VSP and unsuccessful maximum conservative therapy. Inclusion criteria were (1) transcranial Doppler (TCD) mean >180 cm/s; (2) increase of >50 % of TCD mean values within 6 h to values >150 cm/s; and/or (3) neurological deterioration (after exclusion of hemorrhage, hydrocephalus, and other systemic reasons). Patients received endovascular therapy with nimodipine 2 mg followed by milrinone 4-8 mg. Reinterventions were indicated aggressively in cases of persistent neurological deficits or persistent high mean TCD >180 cm/s. Of 121 consecutive aSAH patients, 16 (13.2 %) received endovascular VSP therapy. Of these, 11 patients (68.5 %) received ≥ 3 interventions (median 4; maximum 9); 14 (87.5 %) showed postinterventional angiographic improvement of vessel diameters; and 11 (68.5 %) showed improvement of their neurological deficits after a mean follow-up time of 4.5 months. No cardiovascular adverse events attributed to milrinone were observed. Milrinone may be a useful supplementary substance for endovascular VSP therapy. Aggressive reintervention indications did not cause additional adverse events.

Ventricular Septal Perforation after Biventricular Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Successfully Repaired with an Amplatzer Device: First Report in the Literature.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Alfredo E; Fernandez-Pereira, Carlos; Mieres, Juan; Ascarrunz, Diego; Gabe, Eduardo; Rodríguez-Granillo, Alfredo Matías; Frattini, Romina; Stuzbach, Pablo

2016-01-01

A 79-year-old female was admitted with sudden onset dyspnea, mild oppressive chest pain, and severe anxiety disorder. Patient had history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. On admission blood pressure was 160/90 and heart rate was 130 bpm. Transthoracic echocardiography (TE) and contrast tomography showed a thin septum with an abnormal left and right ventricular contraction with an "apical ballooning" pattern and mild increase of cardiac enzymes. At the 4th day of admission, the patient presented symptoms and signs of congestive heart failure and developed cardiogenic shock. EKG showed an inversion of T waves in all precordial leads. In a new TE, a ventricular septal perforation (VSP) in the apical portion of the septum was seen. Coronary angiogram showed angiographically "normal" coronary arteries. With a diagnosis of VSP in takotsubo cardiomyopathy, a percutaneous procedure to repair the VSP was performed 11 days after admission. The VSP was closed with an Amplatzer device. TE performed 24 hours after showed significant improvement of ventricular function and good apposition of the Amplatzer device. Three days later she was discharged from the hospital. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a VSP in a TCM repaired percutaneously with an occluder device.

Numerical modeling of time-lapse monitoring of CO2 sequestration in a layered basalt reservoir

USGS Publications Warehouse

Khatiwada, M.; Van Wijk, K.; Clement, W.P.; Haney, M.

2008-01-01

As part of preparations in plans by The Big Sky Carbon Sequestration Partnership (BSCSP) to inject CO2 in layered basalt, we numerically investigate seismic methods as a noninvasive monitoring technique. Basalt seems to have geochemical advantages as a reservoir for CO2 storage (CO2 mineralizes quite rapidly while exposed to basalt), but poses a considerable challenge in term of seismic monitoring: strong scattering from the layering of the basalt complicates surface seismic imaging. We perform numerical tests using the Spectral Element Method (SEM) to identify possibilities and limitations of seismic monitoring of CO2 sequestration in a basalt reservoir. While surface seismic is unlikely to detect small physical changes in the reservoir due to the injection of CO2, the results from Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) simulations are encouraging. As a perturbation, we make a 5%; change in wave velocity, which produces significant changes in VSP images of pre-injection and post-injection conditions. Finally, we perform an analysis using Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI), to quantify these changes in the reservoir properties due to CO2 injection.

Evaluation of the VeriStrat® serum protein test in patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung treated with second-line afatinib or erlotinib in the phase III LUX-Lung 8 study.

PubMed

Gadgeel, Shirish; Goss, Glenwood; Soria, Jean-Charles; Felip, Enriqueta; Georgoulias, Vassilis; Lu, Shun; Cobo, Manuel; Syrigos, Konstantinos; Lee, Ki Hyeong; Göker, Erdem; Guclu, Salih Z; Isla, Dolores; Morabito, Alessandro; Dupuis, Nicholas; Bühnemann, Claudia; Krämer, Nicole; Solca, Flavio; Ehrnrooth, Eva; Ardizzoni, Andrea

2017-07-01

Identification of biomarkers associated with clinical benefit may be crucial in establishing optimal treatment choice for patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the lung after first-line chemotherapy. In this study, the ability of the VeriStrat serum protein test to predict differential clinical benefit with afatinib versus erlotinib, and the association of VeriStrat status with clinical outcomes irrespective of EGFR-TKI used, was assessed in a retrospective analysis of the phase III LUX-Lung 8 trial. Pretreatment plasma samples were analyzed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Spectra were evaluated to assign a VeriStrat 'Good' (VS-G) or VeriStrat 'Poor' (VS-P) classification. Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival, and other endpoints were assessed with respect to pretreatment VeriStrat status; OS was the primary efficacy variable. Outcomes with other efficacy endpoints were similar. Of 795 patients randomized in LUX-Lung 8, 675 were classified (VS-G: 412; VS-P: 263). In the VS-G group, OS was significantly longer with afatinib versus erlotinib (HR 0.79 [95% CI: 0.63-0.98]). In the VS-P group, there was no significant difference in OS between afatinib and erlotinib (HR 0.90 [0.70-1.16]). However, there was no interaction between VeriStrat classification and treatment group for OS (p interaction =0.5303). OS was significantly longer in VS-G versus VS-P patients, both in the overall VeriStrat-classified population (HR 0.41 [0.35-0.49]) and afatinib-treated patients (HR 0.40 [0.31-0.51]). Multivariate analysis showed that VeriStrat was an independent predictor of OS in afatinib-treated patients, regardless of ECOG PS or best response to first-line chemotherapy. VS-G classification is strongly associated with favorable survival outcomes with either afatinib or erlotinib compared with VS-P classification. In VS-G patients, survival outcomes with afatinib are superior to those with erlotinib. VeriStrat classification may guide treatment decisions in patients with SCC of the lung. ClinicalTrials.gov registration number: NCT01523587. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

3′ Phosphatase activity toward phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate [PI(3,4)P2] by voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP)

PubMed Central

Kurokawa, Tatsuki; Takasuga, Shunsuke; Sakata, Souhei; Yamaguchi, Shinji; Horie, Shigeo; Homma, Koichi J.; Sasaki, Takehiko; Okamura, Yasushi

2012-01-01

Voltage-sensing phosphatases (VSPs) consist of a voltage-sensor domain and a cytoplasmic region with remarkable sequence similarity to phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), a tumor suppressor phosphatase. VSPs dephosphorylate the 5′ position of the inositol ring of both phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3] and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] upon voltage depolarization. However, it is unclear whether VSPs also have 3′ phosphatase activity. To gain insights into this question, we performed in vitro assays of phosphatase activities of Ciona intestinalis VSP (Ci-VSP) and transmembrane phosphatase with tensin homology (TPTE) and PTEN homologous inositol lipid phosphatase (TPIP; one human ortholog of VSP) with radiolabeled PI(3,4,5)P3. TLC assay showed that the 3′ phosphate of PI(3,4,5)P3 was not dephosphorylated, whereas that of phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate [PI(3,4)P2] was removed by VSPs. Monitoring of PI(3,4)P2 levels with the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain from tandem PH domain-containing protein (TAPP1) fused with GFP (PHTAPP1-GFP) by confocal microscopy in amphibian oocytes showed an increase of fluorescence intensity during depolarization to 0 mV, consistent with 5′ phosphatase activity of VSP toward PI(3,4,5)P3. However, depolarization to 60 mV showed a transient increase of GFP fluorescence followed by a decrease, indicating that, after PI(3,4,5)P3 is dephosphorylated at the 5′ position, PI(3,4)P2 is then dephosphorylated at the 3′ position. These results suggest that substrate specificity of the VSP changes with membrane potential. PMID:22645351

3' Phosphatase activity toward phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate [PI(3,4)P2] by voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP).

PubMed

Kurokawa, Tatsuki; Takasuga, Shunsuke; Sakata, Souhei; Yamaguchi, Shinji; Horie, Shigeo; Homma, Koichi J; Sasaki, Takehiko; Okamura, Yasushi

2012-06-19

Voltage-sensing phosphatases (VSPs) consist of a voltage-sensor domain and a cytoplasmic region with remarkable sequence similarity to phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), a tumor suppressor phosphatase. VSPs dephosphorylate the 5' position of the inositol ring of both phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P(3)] and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P(2)] upon voltage depolarization. However, it is unclear whether VSPs also have 3' phosphatase activity. To gain insights into this question, we performed in vitro assays of phosphatase activities of Ciona intestinalis VSP (Ci-VSP) and transmembrane phosphatase with tensin homology (TPTE) and PTEN homologous inositol lipid phosphatase (TPIP; one human ortholog of VSP) with radiolabeled PI(3,4,5)P(3). TLC assay showed that the 3' phosphate of PI(3,4,5)P(3) was not dephosphorylated, whereas that of phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate [PI(3,4)P(2)] was removed by VSPs. Monitoring of PI(3,4)P(2) levels with the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain from tandem PH domain-containing protein (TAPP1) fused with GFP (PH(TAPP1)-GFP) by confocal microscopy in amphibian oocytes showed an increase of fluorescence intensity during depolarization to 0 mV, consistent with 5' phosphatase activity of VSP toward PI(3,4,5)P(3). However, depolarization to 60 mV showed a transient increase of GFP fluorescence followed by a decrease, indicating that, after PI(3,4,5)P(3) is dephosphorylated at the 5' position, PI(3,4)P(2) is then dephosphorylated at the 3' position. These results suggest that substrate specificity of the VSP changes with membrane potential.

Outbreaks of diarrhoeal illness on passenger cruise ships, 1975-85.

PubMed Central

Addiss, D. G.; Yashuk, J. C.; Clapp, D. E.; Blake, P. A.

1989-01-01

We reviewed data from the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), established by the US Public Health Service in 1975, to describe the epidemiology of shipboard diarrhoeal outbreaks, determine the risk of outbreak-related illness among cruise ship passengers, and evaluate changes in rates and patterns of shipboard diarrhoeal illness since the VSP was implemented. When the programme began, none of the cruise ships passed periodic VSP sanitation inspections; since 1978, more than 50% of ships have met the standard each year. On cruises lasting 3-15 days and having at least 100 passengers, diarrhoeal disease outbreaks investigated by the Centers for Disease Control decreased from 8.1 to 3.0 per 10 million passenger days between 1975-79 and 1980-85. The proportion of outbreaks due to bacterial pathogens (36%) did not change. Seafood cocktail was implicated in 8 of 13 documented food-borne outbreaks. The risk of diarrhoeal disease outbreaks on cruise ships appears to have decreased since implementation of the VSP but has not been eliminated. PMID:2776853

The Arabidopsis mutant cev1 has constitutively active jasmonate and ethylene signal pathways and enhanced resistance to pathogens.

PubMed

Ellis, C; Turner, J G

2001-05-01

Jasmonates (JAs) inhibit plant growth and induce plant defense responses. To define genes in the Arabidopsis JA signal pathway, we screened for mutants with constitutive expression of a luciferase reporter for the JA-responsive promoter from the vegetative storage protein gene VSP1. One mutant, named constitutive expression of VSP1 (cev1), produced plants that were smaller than wild type, had stunted roots with long root hairs, accumulated anthocyanin, had constitutive expression of the defense-related genes VSP1, VSP2, Thi2.1, PDF1.2, and CHI-B, and had enhanced resistance to powdery mildew diseases. Genetic evidence indicated that the cev1 phenotype required both COI1, an essential component of the JA signal pathway, and ETR1, which encodes the ethylene receptor. We conclude that cev1 stimulates both the JA and the ethylene signal pathways and that CEV1 regulates an early step in an Arabidopsis defense pathway.

The Arabidopsis Mutant cev1 Has Constitutively Active Jasmonate and Ethylene Signal Pathways and Enhanced Resistance to Pathogens

PubMed Central

Ellis, Christine; Turner, John G.

2001-01-01

Jasmonates (JAs) inhibit plant growth and induce plant defense responses. To define genes in the Arabidopsis JA signal pathway, we screened for mutants with constitutive expression of a luciferase reporter for the JA-responsive promoter from the vegetative storage protein gene VSP1. One mutant, named constitutive expression of VSP1 (cev1), produced plants that were smaller than wild type, had stunted roots with long root hairs, accumulated anthocyanin, had constitutive expression of the defense-related genes VSP1, VSP2, Thi2.1, PDF1.2, and CHI-B, and had enhanced resistance to powdery mildew diseases. Genetic evidence indicated that the cev1 phenotype required both COI1, an essential component of the JA signal pathway, and ETR1, which encodes the ethylene receptor. We conclude that cev1 stimulates both the JA and the ethylene signal pathways and that CEV1 regulates an early step in an Arabidopsis defense pathway. PMID:11340179

Electro-chemical coupling in the voltage-dependent phosphatase Ci-VSP

PubMed Central

Kohout, Susy C.; Bell, Sarah C.; Liu, Lijun; Xu, Qiang; Minor, Daniel L.; Isacoff, Ehud Y.

2010-01-01

In the voltage sensing phosphatase, Ci-VSP, a voltage sensing domain (VSD) controls a lipid phosphatase domain (PD). The mechanism by which the domains are allosterically coupled is not well understood. Using an in vivo assay, we find that the inter-domain linker that connects the VSD to the PD is essential for coupling the full-length protein. Biochemical assays show that the linker is also needed for activity in the isolated PD. We identify a late step of VSD motion in the full-length protein that depends on the linker. Strikingly, this VSD motion is found to require PI(4,5)P2, a substrate of Ci-VSP. These results suggest that the voltage-driven motion of the VSD turns the enzyme on by rearranging the linker into an activated conformation, and that this activated conformation is stabilized by PI(4,5)P2. We propose that Ci-VSP activity is self-limited because its decrease of PI(4,5)P2 levels decouples the VSD from the enzyme. PMID:20364128

Voltage-dependent motion of the catalytic region of voltage-sensing phosphatase monitored by a fluorescent amino acid

PubMed Central

Sakata, Souhei; Jinno, Yuka; Kawanabe, Akira; Okamura, Yasushi

2016-01-01

The cytoplasmic region of voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) derives the voltage dependence of its catalytic activity from coupling to a voltage sensor homologous to that of voltage-gated ion channels. To assess the conformational changes in the cytoplasmic region upon activation of the voltage sensor, we genetically incorporated a fluorescent unnatural amino acid, 3-(6-acetylnaphthalen-2-ylamino)-2-aminopropanoic acid (Anap), into the catalytic region of Ciona intestinalis VSP (Ci-VSP). Measurements of Anap fluorescence under voltage clamp in Xenopus oocytes revealed that the catalytic region assumes distinct conformations dependent on the degree of voltage-sensor activation. FRET analysis showed that the catalytic region remains situated beneath the plasma membrane, irrespective of the voltage level. Moreover, Anap fluorescence from a membrane-facing loop in the C2 domain showed a pattern reflecting substrate turnover. These results indicate that the voltage sensor regulates Ci-VSP catalytic activity by causing conformational changes in the entire catalytic region, without changing their distance from the plasma membrane. PMID:27330112

Voltage-dependent motion of the catalytic region of voltage-sensing phosphatase monitored by a fluorescent amino acid.

PubMed

Sakata, Souhei; Jinno, Yuka; Kawanabe, Akira; Okamura, Yasushi

2016-07-05

The cytoplasmic region of voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) derives the voltage dependence of its catalytic activity from coupling to a voltage sensor homologous to that of voltage-gated ion channels. To assess the conformational changes in the cytoplasmic region upon activation of the voltage sensor, we genetically incorporated a fluorescent unnatural amino acid, 3-(6-acetylnaphthalen-2-ylamino)-2-aminopropanoic acid (Anap), into the catalytic region of Ciona intestinalis VSP (Ci-VSP). Measurements of Anap fluorescence under voltage clamp in Xenopus oocytes revealed that the catalytic region assumes distinct conformations dependent on the degree of voltage-sensor activation. FRET analysis showed that the catalytic region remains situated beneath the plasma membrane, irrespective of the voltage level. Moreover, Anap fluorescence from a membrane-facing loop in the C2 domain showed a pattern reflecting substrate turnover. These results indicate that the voltage sensor regulates Ci-VSP catalytic activity by causing conformational changes in the entire catalytic region, without changing their distance from the plasma membrane.

Voltage-sensing phosphatase modulation by a C2 domain.

PubMed

Castle, Paul M; Zolman, Kevin D; Kohout, Susy C

2015-01-01

The voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) is the first example of an enzyme controlled by changes in membrane potential. VSP has four distinct regions: the transmembrane voltage-sensing domain (VSD), the inter-domain linker, the cytosolic catalytic domain, and the C2 domain. The VSD transmits the changes in membrane potential through the inter-domain linker activating the catalytic domain which then dephosphorylates phosphatidylinositol phosphate (PIP) lipids. The role of the C2, however, has not been established. In this study, we explore two possible roles for the C2: catalysis and membrane-binding. The Ci-VSP crystal structures show that the C2 residue Y522 lines the active site suggesting a contribution to catalysis. When we mutated Y522 to phenylalanine, we found a shift in the voltage dependence of activity. This suggests hydrogen bonding as a mechanism of action. Going one step further, when we deleted the entire C2 domain, we found voltage-dependent enzyme activity was no longer detectable. This result clearly indicates the entire C2 is necessary for catalysis as well as for modulating activity. As C2s are known membrane-binding domains, we tested whether the VSP C2 interacts with the membrane. We probed a cluster of four positively charged residues lining the top of the C2 and suggested by previous studies to interact with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] (Kalli et al., 2014). Neutralizing those positive charges significantly shifted the voltage dependence of activity to higher voltages. We tested membrane binding by depleting PI(4,5)P2 from the membrane using the 5HT2C receptor and found that the VSD motions as measured by voltage clamp fluorometry (VCF) were not changed. These results suggest that if the C2 domain interacts with the membrane to influence VSP function it may not occur exclusively through PI(4,5)P2. Together, this data advances our understanding of the VSP C2 by demonstrating a necessary and critical role for the C2 domain in VSP function.

Voltage-sensing phosphatase modulation by a C2 domain

PubMed Central

Castle, Paul M.; Zolman, Kevin D.; Kohout, Susy C.

2015-01-01

The voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) is the first example of an enzyme controlled by changes in membrane potential. VSP has four distinct regions: the transmembrane voltage-sensing domain (VSD), the inter-domain linker, the cytosolic catalytic domain, and the C2 domain. The VSD transmits the changes in membrane potential through the inter-domain linker activating the catalytic domain which then dephosphorylates phosphatidylinositol phosphate (PIP) lipids. The role of the C2, however, has not been established. In this study, we explore two possible roles for the C2: catalysis and membrane-binding. The Ci-VSP crystal structures show that the C2 residue Y522 lines the active site suggesting a contribution to catalysis. When we mutated Y522 to phenylalanine, we found a shift in the voltage dependence of activity. This suggests hydrogen bonding as a mechanism of action. Going one step further, when we deleted the entire C2 domain, we found voltage-dependent enzyme activity was no longer detectable. This result clearly indicates the entire C2 is necessary for catalysis as well as for modulating activity. As C2s are known membrane-binding domains, we tested whether the VSP C2 interacts with the membrane. We probed a cluster of four positively charged residues lining the top of the C2 and suggested by previous studies to interact with phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] (Kalli et al., 2014). Neutralizing those positive charges significantly shifted the voltage dependence of activity to higher voltages. We tested membrane binding by depleting PI(4,5)P2 from the membrane using the 5HT2C receptor and found that the VSD motions as measured by voltage clamp fluorometry (VCF) were not changed. These results suggest that if the C2 domain interacts with the membrane to influence VSP function it may not occur exclusively through PI(4,5)P2. Together, this data advances our understanding of the VSP C2 by demonstrating a necessary and critical role for the C2 domain in VSP function. PMID:25904865

Investigation of sinkhole areas in Germany using 2D shear wave reflection seismics and zero-offset VSP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tschache, Saskia; Wadas, Sonja; Polom, Ulrich; Krawczyk, Charlotte M.

2017-04-01

Sinkholes pose a serious geohazard for humans and infrastructure in populated areas. The Junior Research Group Subrosion within the Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics and the joint project SIMULTAN work on the multi-scale investigation of subrosion processes in the subsurface, which cause natural sinkholes. In two case studies in sinkhole areas of Thuringia in Germany, we applied 2D shear wave reflection seismics using SH-waves with the aim to detect suitable parameters for the characterisation of critical zones. This method has the potential to image near-surface collapse and faulting structures in improved resolution compared to P-wave surveys resulting from the shorter wavelength of shear waves. Additionally, the shear wave velocity field derived by NMO velocity analysis is a basis to calculate further physical parameters, as e.g. the dynamic shear modulus. In both investigation areas, vertical seismic profiles (VSP) were acquired by generating P- and SH-waves (6 component VSP) directly next to a borehole equipped with a 3C downhole sensor. They provide shear and compressional wave velocity profiles, which are used to improve the 2D shear wave velocity field from surface seismics, to perform a depth calibration of the seismic image and to calculate the Vp/Vs ratio. The signals in the VSP data are analysed with respect to changes in polarisation and attenuation with depth and/or azimuth. The VSP data reveal low shear wave velocities of 200-300 m/s in rock layers known to be heavily affected by subrosion and confirm the low velocities calculated from the surface seismic data. A discrepancy of the shear wave velocities is observed in other intervals probably due to unsymmetrical travel paths in the surface seismics. In some VSP data dominant conversion of the direct SH-wave to P-wave is observed that is assumed to be caused by an increased presence of cavities. A potential fault distorting the vertical travel paths was detected by abnormal P-wave first arrivals in the VSP dataset of a borehole located near the city of Bad Frankenhausen. In addition, a strong attenuation of the source signals may indicate areas influenced by subrosion.

On-board measurement of particle numbers and their size distribution from a light-duty diesel vehicle: Influences of VSP and altitude.

PubMed

Liu, Jia; Ge, Yunshan; Wang, Xin; Hao, Lijun; Tan, Jianwei; Peng, Zihang; Zhang, Chuanzhen; Gong, Huiming; Huang, Ying

2017-07-01

In this study, the particle size-resolved distribution from a China-3 certificated light-duty diesel vehicle was measured by using a portable emission measurement system (PEMS). In order to examine the influences of vehicle specific power (VSP) and high-altitude operation, measurements were conducted at 8 constant speeds, which ranged from 10 to 80km/hr at 10km/hr intervals, and two different high altitudes, namely 2200 and 3200m. The results demonstrated that the numbers of particles in all size ranges decreased significantly as VSP increased when the test vehicle was running at lower speeds (<20km/hr), while at a moderate speed (between 30 and 60km/hr), the particle number was statistically insensitive to increase VSP. Under high-speed cruising conditions, the numbers of ultrafine particles and PM 2.5 were insensitive to changes in VSP, but the numbers of nanoparticles and PM 10 surged considerably. An increase in the operational altitude of the test vehicle resulted in increased particle number emissions at low and high driving speeds; however, particle numbers obtained at moderate speeds decreased as altitude rose. When the test vehicle was running at moderate speeds, particle numbers measured at the two altitudes were very close, except for comparatively higher number concentrations of nanoparticles measured at 2200m. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Biophysical characterization of the fluorescent protein voltage probe VSFP2.3 based on the voltage-sensing domain of Ci-VSP.

PubMed

Lundby, Alicia; Akemann, Walther; Knöpfel, Thomas

2010-11-01

A voltage sensitive phosphatase was discovered in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. The phosphatase, Ci-VSP, contains a voltage-sensing domain homologous to those known from voltage-gated ion channels, but unlike ion channels, the voltage-sensing domain of Ci-VSP can reside in the cell membrane as a monomer. We fused the voltage-sensing domain of Ci-VSP to a pair of fluorescent reporter proteins to generate a genetically encodable voltage-sensing fluorescent probe, VSFP2.3. VSFP2.3 is a fluorescent voltage probe that reports changes in membrane potential as a FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) signal. Here we report sensing current measurements from VSFP2.3, and show that VSFP2.3 carries 1.2 e sensing charges, which are displaced within 1.5 ms. The sensing currents become faster at higher temperatures, and the voltage dependence of the decay time constants is temperature dependent. Neutralization of an arginine in S4, previously suggested to be a sensing charge, and measuring associated sensing currents indicate that this charge is likely to reside at the membrane-aqueous interface rather than within the membrane electric field. The data presented give us insights into the voltage-sensing mechanism of Ci-VSP, which will allow us to further improve the sensitivity and kinetics of the family of VSFP proteins.

Phosphatase activity of the voltage-sensing phosphatase, VSP, shows graded dependence on the extent of activation of the voltage sensor

PubMed Central

Sakata, Souhei; Okamura, Yasushi

2014-01-01

The voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) consists of a voltage sensor and a cytoplasmic phosphatase region, and the movement of the voltage sensor is coupled to the phosphatase activity. However, its coupling mechanisms still remain unclear. One possible scenario is that the phosphatase is activated only when the voltage sensor is in a fully activated state. Alternatively, the enzymatic activity of single VSP proteins could be graded in distinct activated states of the voltage sensor, and partial activation of the voltage sensor could lead to partial activation of the phosphatase. To distinguish between these two possibilities, we studied a voltage sensor mutant of zebrafish VSP, where the voltage sensor moves in two steps as evidenced by analyses of charge movements of the voltage sensor and voltage clamp fluorometry. Measurements of the phosphatase activity toward phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate revealed that both steps of voltage sensor activation are coupled to the tuning of phosphatase activities, consistent with the idea that the phosphatase activity is graded by the magnitude of the movement of the voltage sensor. PMID:24277865

Application of CART3D to Complex Propulsion-Airframe Integration with Vehicle Sketch Pad

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hahn, Andrew S.

2012-01-01

Vehicle Sketch Pad (VSP) is an easy-to-use modeler used to generate aircraft geometries for use in conceptual design and analysis. It has been used in the past to generate metageometries for aerodynamic analyses ranging from handbook methods to Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD). As desirable as it is to bring high order analyses, such as CFD, into the conceptual design process, this has been difficult and time consuming in practice due to the manual nature of both surface and volume grid generation. Over the last couple of years, VSP has had a major upgrade of its surface triangulation and export capability. This has enhanced its ability to work with Cart3D, an inviscid, three dimensional fluid flow toolset. The combination of VSP and Cart3D allows performing inviscid CFD on complex geometries with relatively high productivity. This paper will illustrate the use of VSP with Cart3D through an example case of a complex propulsion-airframe integration (PAI) of an over-wing nacelle (OWN) airliner configuration.

Phosphatase activity of the voltage-sensing phosphatase, VSP, shows graded dependence on the extent of activation of the voltage sensor.

PubMed

Sakata, Souhei; Okamura, Yasushi

2014-03-01

The voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) consists of a voltage sensor and a cytoplasmic phosphatase region, and the movement of the voltage sensor is coupled to the phosphatase activity. However, its coupling mechanisms still remain unclear. One possible scenario is that the phosphatase is activated only when the voltage sensor is in a fully activated state. Alternatively, the enzymatic activity of single VSP proteins could be graded in distinct activated states of the voltage sensor, and partial activation of the voltage sensor could lead to partial activation of the phosphatase. To distinguish between these two possibilities, we studied a voltage sensor mutant of zebrafish VSP, where the voltage sensor moves in two steps as evidenced by analyses of charge movements of the voltage sensor and voltage clamp fluorometry. Measurements of the phosphatase activity toward phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate revealed that both steps of voltage sensor activation are coupled to the tuning of phosphatase activities, consistent with the idea that the phosphatase activity is graded by the magnitude of the movement of the voltage sensor.

In vitro study of the variable square pulse Er:YAG laser cutting efficacy for apicectomy.

PubMed

Grgurević, Josko; Grgurević, Lovro; Miletić, Ivana; Karlović, Zoran; Krmek, Silvana Jukić; Anić, Ivica

2005-06-01

Variable square pulse (VSP) Er:YAG laser should be quicker than older Er:YAG lasers. The objectives were: (1) comparison of VSP laser and mechanical handpiece efficacy for apicectomy and (2) determination of optimal pulse width/energy/frequency combination. Sixty extracted, single-rooted mature human teeth with round apical parts were instrumented, root filled, cleaned, and divided into four groups. Apical 2 mm of each root were apicectomized with mechanical handpiece and Er:YAG laser with three different settings (LaserA = 200 mJ/300 microseconds/ 8 Hz; LaserB = 200 mJ/100 microseconds/8 Hz; LaserC = 380 mJ/100 microseconds/20 Hz). Timing results were statistically compared. LaserC was the most efficient setting. Differences between groups were significant except between LaserC-Mechanical and LaserA-LaserC (P < 0.05). VSP Er:YAG laser used for apicectomy is slower by a factor of 7-31 than mechanical handpiece, but treatment outcome is acceptable. Optimal settings for apicectomy with VSP laser are 380 mJ/100 microseconds/20 Hz. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Probing α-3(10) transitions in a voltage-sensing S4 helix.

PubMed

Kubota, Tomoya; Lacroix, Jérôme J; Bezanilla, Francisco; Correa, Ana M

2014-09-02

The S4 helix of voltage sensor domains (VSDs) transfers its gating charges across the membrane electrical field in response to changes of the membrane potential. Recent studies suggest that this process may occur via the helical conversion of the entire S4 between α and 310 conformations. Here, using LRET and FRET, we tested this hypothesis by measuring dynamic changes in the transmembrane length of S4 from engineered VSDs expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Our results suggest that the native S4 from the Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensitive phosphatase (Ci-VSP) does not exhibit extended and long-lived 310 conformations and remains mostly α-helical. Although the S4 of NavAb displays a fully extended 310 conformation in x-ray structures, its transplantation in the Ci-VSP VSD scaffold yielded similar results as the native Ci-VSP S4. Taken together, our study does not support the presence of long-lived extended α-to-310 helical conversions of the S4 in Ci-VSP associated with voltage activation. Copyright © 2014 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Coupling between the voltage-sensing and phosphatase domains of Ci-VSP.

PubMed

Villalba-Galea, Carlos A; Miceli, Francesco; Taglialatela, Maurizio; Bezanilla, Francisco

2009-07-01

The Ciona intestinalis voltage sensor-containing phosphatase (Ci-VSP) shares high homology with the phosphatidylinositol phosphatase enzyme known as PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10). We have taken advantage of the similarity between these proteins to inquire about the coupling between the voltage sensing and the phosphatase domains in Ci-VSP. Recently, it was shown that four basic residues (R11, K13, R14, and R15) in PTEN are critical for its binding onto the membrane, required for its catalytic activity. Ci-VSP has three of the basic residues of PTEN. Here, we show that when R253 and R254 (which are the homologues of R14 and R15 in PTEN) are mutated to alanines in Ci-VSP, phosphatase activity is disrupted, as revealed by a lack of effect on the ionic currents of KCNQ2/3, where current decrease is a measure of phosphatase activity. The enzymatic activity was not rescued by the introduction of lysines, indicating that the binding is an arginine-specific interaction between the phosphatase binding domain and the membrane, presumably through the phosphate groups of the phospholipids. We also found that the kinetics and steady-state voltage dependence of the S4 segment movement are affected when the arginines are not present, indicating that the interaction of R253 and R254 with the membrane, required for the catalytic action of the phosphatase, restricts the movement of the voltage sensor.

A New First Break Picking for Three-Component VSP Data Using Gesture Sensor and Polarization Analysis

PubMed Central

Li, Huailiang; Tuo, Xianguo; Shen, Tong; Wang, Ruili; Courtois, Jérémie; Yan, Minhao

2017-01-01

A new first break picking for three-component (3C) vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data is proposed to improve the estimation accuracy of first arrivals, which adopts gesture detection calibration and polarization analysis based on the eigenvalue of the covariance matrix. This study aims at addressing the problem that calibration is required for VSP data using the azimuth and dip angle of geophones, due to the direction of geophones being random when applied in a borehole, which will further lead to the first break picking possibly being unreliable. Initially, a gesture-measuring module is integrated in the seismometer to rapidly obtain high-precision gesture data (including azimuth and dip angle information). Using re-rotating and re-projecting using earlier gesture data, the seismic dataset of each component will be calibrated to the direction that is consistent with the vibrator shot orientation. It will promote the reliability of the original data when making each component waveform calibrated to the same virtual reference component, and the corresponding first break will also be properly adjusted. After achieving 3C data calibration, an automatic first break picking algorithm based on the autoregressive-Akaike information criterion (AR-AIC) is adopted to evaluate the first break. Furthermore, in order to enhance the accuracy of the first break picking, the polarization attributes of 3C VSP recordings is applied to constrain the scanning segment of AR-AIC picker, which uses the maximum eigenvalue calculation of the covariance matrix. The contrast results between pre-calibration and post-calibration using field data show that it can further improve the quality of the 3C VSP waveform, which is favorable to subsequent picking. Compared to the obtained short-term average to long-term average (STA/LTA) and the AR-AIC algorithm, the proposed method, combined with polarization analysis, can significantly reduce the picking error. Applications of actual field experiments have also confirmed that the proposed method may be more suitable for the first break picking of 3C VSP. Test using synthesized 3C seismic data with low SNR indicates that the first break is picked with an error between 0.75 ms and 1.5 ms. Accordingly, the proposed method can reduce the picking error for 3C VSP data. PMID:28925981

Seismic anisotropy from walk-around VSP data in the Kumano basin south of Kii Peninsula (IODP Site C0009A)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsuji, T.; Hino, R.; Sanada, Y.; Park, J.; No, T.; Araki, E.; Kinoshita, M.; Bangs, N. L.; von Huene, R.; Moore, G. F.

2010-12-01

We estimated seismic anisotropy from the walk-around Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) data in Site C0009A obtained during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 319. It is generally agreed that seismic anisotropy within sediments is related to the cracks. For vertical cracks (Horizontal Transverse Isotropy; HTI), the fast velocity direction coincides with the direction of crack alignment, while the degree of velocity difference provides information about crack density (Crampin, 1985). If cracks are produced by a regional tectonic stress field, seismic anisotropy can be used to estimate stress orientation and magnitude. In unconsolidated sequence, furthermore, the stress-induced anisotropy can be observed due to increasing contact between grains (Johnson et al., 1998). In this case (increasing grain-contact), the fast velocity direction from walk-around VSP experiment is also consistent with the principal horizontal stress direction. Site C0009A is located in the Kumano basin where ~1350m unconsolidated Kumano basin sediment overlies the accretionary prism. During VSP operations, we obtained walk-away, walk-around, and zero-offset VSP data (Saffer et al., 2009). We used mainly walk-around VSP data to study seismic anisotropy. In the walk-around VSP experiments, R/V Kairei deployed 4 air-gun strings (128 L total volume) and generated 275 shots. The shooting interval was 30s and the distance from the borehole was a constant 3.5 km. We deployed the Vertical Seismic Imager (VSI) wireline tool into the borehole between 2989 and 3218m below the sea surface (935-1164m below seafloor). This interval corresponds to the bottom of the Kumano basin sediment section. From the walk-around VSP data, we obtained the following anisotropic parameters: (1) P-wave velocity anisotropy derived from azimuthal velocity analysis (Grechka and Tsvankin, 1998), (2) P-wave amplitude variation with azimuth (AVAZ), and (3) S-wave amplitude variation with azimuth associated with S-wave splitting (Haacke et al., 2009). We observed the S-wave splitting both from the upgoing and downgoing converted S-waves. These analyses demonstrate that the P-wave velocity anisotropy within the Kumano basin sediment (above the VSI tool) is ~5 %. The fast velocity direction and strong amplitude direction are aligned with the convergence vector of the Philippine Sea plate. The fast velocity as well as strong amplitude is clearly observed for at 180 degree from the convergence vector. Therefore the dip of the Kumano basin sequence (Tilted Transverse Isotropy; TTI) should have only a subtle effect on our results. These results indicate that the maximum horizontal stress orientation is the subduction direction at Site C0009C. This observation is consistent with the principal stress orientation estimated from borehole breakout at same borehole (Kinoshita et al., 2008).

Hybrid Wing Body Planform Design with Vehicle Sketch Pad

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, Douglas P.; Olson, Erik D.

2011-01-01

The objective of this paper was to provide an update on NASA s current tools for design and analysis of hybrid wing body (HWB) aircraft with an emphasis on Vehicle Sketch Pad (VSP). NASA started HWB analysis using the Flight Optimization System (FLOPS). That capability is enhanced using Phoenix Integration's ModelCenter(Registered TradeMark). Model Center enables multifidelity analysis tools to be linked as an integrated structure. Two major components are linked to FLOPS as an example; a planform discretization tool and VSP. The planform discretization tool ensures the planform is smooth and continuous. VSP is used to display the output geometry. This example shows that a smooth & continuous HWB planform can be displayed as a three-dimensional model and rapidly sized and analyzed.

New Visiting Scholars Program at Frederick National Laboratory | Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research

Cancer.gov

The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research is now accepting Expressions of Interest to its new Visiting Scholars Program (VSP). VSP is a unique opportunity for researchers to work on important cancer and AIDS projects with teams of scientists at the only federal national laboratory in the United States devoted exclusively to biomedical research.

Virtual working systems to support R&D groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dew, Peter M.; Leigh, Christine; Drew, Richard S.; Morris, David; Curson, Jayne

1995-03-01

The paper reports on the progress at Leeds University to build a Virtual Science Park (VSP) to enhance the University's ability to interact with industry, grow its applied research and workplace learning activities. The VSP exploits the advances in real time collaborative computing and networking to provide an environment that meets the objectives of physically based science parks without the need for the organizations to relocate. It provides an integrated set of services (e.g. virtual consultancy, workbased learning) built around a structured person- centered information model. This model supports the integration of tools for: (a) navigating around the information space; (b) browsing information stored within the VSP database; (c) communicating through a variety of Person-to-Person collaborative tools; and (d) the ability to the information stored in the VSP including the relationships to other information that support the underlying model. The paper gives an overview of a generic virtual working system based on X.500 directory services and the World-Wide Web that can be used to support the Virtual Science Park. Finally the paper discusses some of the research issues that need to be addressed to fully realize a Virtual Science Park.

Seismic Fracture Characterization Methodologies for Enhanced Geothermal Systems

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

Queen, John H.

2016-05-09

Executive Summary The overall objective of this work was the development of surface and borehole seismic methodologies using both compressional and shear waves for characterizing faults and fractures in Enhanced Geothermal Systems. We used both surface seismic and vertical seismic profile (VSP) methods. We adapted these methods to the unique conditions encountered in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) creation. These conditions include geological environments with volcanic cover, highly altered rocks, severe structure, extreme near surface velocity contrasts and lack of distinct velocity contrasts at depth. One of the objectives was the development of methods for identifying more appropriate seismic acquisition parametersmore » for overcoming problems associated with these geological factors. Because temperatures up to 300º C are often encountered in these systems, another objective was the testing of VSP borehole tools capable of operating at depths in excess of 1,000 m and at temperatures in excess of 200º C. A final objective was the development of new processing and interpretation techniques based on scattering and time-frequency analysis, as well as the application of modern seismic migration imaging algorithms to seismic data acquired over geothermal areas. The use of surface seismic reflection data at Brady's Hot Springs was found useful in building a geological model, but only when combined with other extensive geological and geophysical data. The use of fine source and geophone spacing was critical in producing useful images. The surface seismic reflection data gave no information about the internal structure (extent, thickness and filling) of faults and fractures, and modeling suggests that they are unlikely to do so. Time-frequency analysis was applied to these data, but was not found to be significantly useful in their interpretation. Modeling does indicate that VSP and other seismic methods with sensors located at depth in wells will be the most effective seismic tools for getting information on the internal structure of faults and fractures in support of fluid flow pathway management and EGS treatment. Scattered events similar to those expected from faults and fractures are seen in the VSP reported here. Unfortunately, the source offset and well depth coverage do not allow for detailed analysis of these events. This limited coverage also precluded the use of advanced migration and imaging algorithms. More extensive acquisition is needed to support fault and fracture characterization in the geothermal reservoir at Brady's Hot Springs. The VSP was effective in generating interval velocity estimates over the depths covered by the array. Upgoing reflection events are also visible in the VSP results at locations corresponding to reflection events in the surface seismic. Overall, the high temperature rated fiber optic sensors used in the VSP produced useful results. Modeling has been found useful in the interpretation of both surface reflection seismic and VSP data. It has helped identify possible near surface scattering in the surface seismic data. It has highlighted potential scattering events from deeper faults in the VSP data. Inclusion of more detailed fault and fracture specific stiffness parameters are needed to fully interpret fault and fracture scattered events for flow properties (Pyrak-Nolte and Morris, 2000, Zhu and Snieder, 2002). Shear wave methods were applied in both the surface seismic reflection and VSP work. They were not found to be effective in the Brady's Hot Springs area. This was due to the extreme attenuation of shear waves in the near surface at Brady's. This does not imply that they will be ineffective in general. In geothermal areas where good shear waves can be recorded, modeling suggests they should be very useful for characterizing faults and fractures.« less

Characterisation of the subtelomeric regions of Giardia lamblia genome isolate WBC6.

PubMed

Prabhu, Anjali; Morrison, Hilary G; Martinez, Charles R; Adam, Rodney D

2007-04-01

Giardia trophozoites are polyploid and have five chromosomes. The chromosome homologues demonstrate considerable size heterogeneity due to variation in the subtelomeric regions. We used clones from the genome project with telomeric sequence at one end to identify six subtelomeric regions in addition to previously identified subtelomeric regions, to study the telomeric arrangement of the chromosomes. The subtelomeric regions included two retroposons, one retroposon pseudogene, and two vsp genes, in addition to the previously identified subtelomeric regions that include ribosomal DNA repeats. The presence of vsp genes in a subtelomeric region suggests that telomeric rearrangements may contribute to the generation of vsp diversity. These studies of the subtelomeric regions of Giardia may contribute to our understanding of the factors that maintain stability, while allowing diversity in chromosome structure.

A genetically encoded tool kit for manipulating and monitoring membrane phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate in intact cells.

PubMed

Hertel, Fabian; Switalski, Agathe; Mintert-Jancke, Elisa; Karavassilidou, Katharina; Bender, Kirsten; Pott, Lutz; Kienitz, Marie-Cécile

2011-01-01

Most ion channels are regulated by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PtdIns(4,5)P(2)) in the cell membrane by diverse mechanisms. Important molecular tools to study ion channel regulation by PtdIns(4,5)P(2) in living cells have been developed in the past. These include fluorescent PH-domains as sensors for Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), to monitor changes in plasma membrane(.) For controlled and reversible depletion of PtdIns(4,5)P(2), voltage-sensing phosphoinositide phosphatases (VSD) have been demonstrated as a superior tool, since they are independent of cellular signaling pathways. Combining these methods in intact cells requires multiple transfections. We used self-cleaving viral 2A-peptide sequences for adenovirus driven expression of the PH-domain of phospholipase-Cδ1 (PLCδ1) fused to ECFP and EYFP respectively and Ciona intestinalis VSP (Ci-VSP), from a single open reading frame (ORF) in adult rat cardiac myocytes. Expression and correct targeting of ECFP-PH-PLCδ1(,) EYFP-PH-PLCδ1, and Ci-VSP from a single tricistronic vector containing 2A-peptide sequences first was demonstrated in HEK293 cells by voltage-controlled FRET measurements and Western blotting. Adult rat cardiac myocytes expressed Ci-VSP and the two fluorescent PH-domains within 4 days after gene transfer using the vector integrated into an adenoviral construct. Activation of Ci-VSP by depolarization resulted in rapid changes in FRET ratio indicating depletion of PtdIns(4,5)P(2) in the plasma membrane. This was paralleled by inhibition of endogenous G protein activated K(+) (GIRK) current. By comparing changes in FRET and current, a component of GIRK inhibition by adrenergic receptors unrelated to depletion of PtdIns(4,5)P(2) was identified. Expression of a FRET sensor pair and Ci-VSP from a single ORF provides a useful approach to study regulation of ion channels by phosphoinositides in cell lines and transfection-resistant postmitotic cells. Generally, adenoviral constructs containing self-cleaving 2A-peptide sequences are highly suited for simultaneous transfer of multiple genes in adult cardiac myocytes.

Aircraft Conceptual Design Using Vehicle Sketch Pad

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fredericks, William J.; Antcliff, Kevin R.; Costa, Guillermo; Deshpande, Nachiket; Moore, Mark D.; Miguel, Edric A. San; Snyder, Alison N.

2010-01-01

Vehicle Sketch Pad (VSP) is a parametric geometry modeling tool that is intended for use in the conceptual design of aircraft. The intent of this software is to rapidly model aircraft configurations without expending the expertise and time that is typically required for modeling with traditional Computer Aided Design (CAD) packages. VSP accomplishes this by using parametrically defined components, such as a wing that is defined by span, area, sweep, taper ratio, thickness to cord, and so on. During this phase of frequent design builds, changes to the model can be rapidly visualized along with the internal volumetric layout. Using this geometry-based approach, parameters such as wetted areas and cord lengths can be easily extracted for rapid external performance analyses, such as a parasite drag buildup. At the completion of the conceptual design phase, VSP can export its geometry to higher fidelity tools. This geometry tool was developed by NASA and is freely available to U.S. companies and universities. It has become integral to conceptual design in the Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch (ASAB) here at NASA Langley Research Center and is currently being used at over 100 universities, aerospace companies, and other government agencies. This paper focuses on the use of VSP in recent NASA conceptual design studies to facilitate geometry-centered design methodology. Such a process is shown to promote greater levels of creativity, more rapid assessment of critical design issues, and improved ability to quickly interact with higher order analyses. A number of VSP vehicle model examples are compared to CAD-based conceptual design, from a designer perspective; comparisons are also made of the time and expertise required to build the geometry representations as well.

Differential expression of VGLUT1 or VGLUT2 in the trigeminothalamic or trigeminocerebellar projection neurons in the rat.

PubMed

Ge, Shun-Nan; Li, Zhi-Hong; Tang, Jun; Ma, Yunfei; Hioki, Hiroyuki; Zhang, Ting; Lu, Ya-Cheng; Zhang, Fu-Xing; Mizuno, Noboru; Kaneko, Takeshi; Liu, Ying-Ying; Lung, Mandy Siu Yu; Gao, Guo-Dong; Li, Jin-Lian

2014-01-01

The vesicular glutamate transporters, VGLUT1 and VGLUT2, reportedly display complementary distribution in the rat brain. However, co-expression of them in single neurons has been reported in some brain areas. We previously found co-expression of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 mRNAs in a number of single neurons in the principal sensory trigeminal nucleus (Vp) of the adult rat; the majority of these neurons sent their axons to the thalamic regions around the posteromedial ventral nucleus (VPM) and the posterior nuclei (Po). It is well known that trigeminothalamic (T-T) projection fibers arise not only from the Vp but also from the spinal trigeminal nucleus (Vsp), and that trigeminocerebellar (T-C) projection fibers take their origins from both of the Vp and Vsp. Thus, in the present study, we examined the expression of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 in Vp and Vsp neurons that sent their axons to the VPM/Po regions or the cortical regions of the cerebellum. For this purpose, we combined fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) histochemistry with retrograde tract-tracing; immunofluorescence histochemistry was also combined with anterograde tract-tracing. The results indicate that glutamatergic Vsp neurons sending their axons to the cerebellar cortical regions mainly express VGLUT1, whereas glutamatergic Vsp neurons sending their axons to the thalamic regions express VGLUT2. The present data, in combination with those of our previous study, indicate that glutamatergic Vp neurons projecting to the cerebellar cortical regions express mainly VGLUT1, whereas the majority of glutamatergic Vp neurons projecting to the thalamus co-express VGLUT1 and VGLUT2.

Seismic Anisotropy of Soft Sands, Offshore Western AUstralia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urosevic, M.; Gurevich, B.

2007-05-01

Seismic anisotropy is commonly measured in sand shale environment. Intrinsic polar anisotropy of the shale and its effect on seismic data processing and analysis is well established and reasonably well understood. In sandstone, azimuthal anisotropy is often detected and is typically connected to an in situ stress regime and the brittleness of the rock. This type of anisotropy, commonly referred to as fractured induced anisotropy, has been widely and extensively studied as it directly affects both permeability and the strength of the rock. Hence fracture induced anisotropy is not only important for hydrocarbon exploration but also for geotechnical studies, underground mining, etc. Interestingly, in the last few years azimuthal anisotropy has also been detected in soft, poorly consolidated clean sands, mainly by cross-dipole sonic log measurements. This is somewhat surprising as in such soft, typically highly porous and permeable rocks stress induced fractures are unlikely to be abundant. In this study we analyse the anisotropy in such sand class using well-log measurements, three-component VSP data, as well as 2D and 3D surface seismic (reflection) data. High-quality cross-dipole sonic log measurements showed significant shear wave splitting over unconsolidated, highly porous and permeable sand interval. The shear wave anisotropy was computed to be around 10-15%. This is commonly seen as an indication that the rock is fractured and that the fractures are likely to be open. However, image log data over the same sand section suggested dilute most likely non-conductive fractures. Analysis of the shear wave splitting in VSP data also suggested low fracture density. The frequency content of the direct fast and slow shear waves on the VSP data was very similar, not supporting the presence of open fluid saturated fractures. Unfortunately, the evidence from the VSP data is not very compelling because the reservoir is thin compared to the wavelength and sampling interval of the VSP data. Further analysis of the soft sand anisotropy was conducted on surface seismic data. Magnitude of the overlain shale anisotropy was first established by measurements in the dominant horizontal stress direction. Subsequently pre-stack reflection amplitudes measured along several azimuths were matched to expected amplitudes from anisotropic AVO modelling. The results indicate that the anisotropy of the reservoir sands is high (more than 10%) at sonic frequencies but weak (about 2-3%), at seismic frequencies. We think this anisotropy is caused by the preferential closure of compliant inter-granular contacts oriented perpendicular to the principal horizontal stress. The effect is weaker at seismic frequencies since the wavelength in this case involves shales as well as sand. Furthermore, sonic anisotropy could have also been affected by the local stress conditions around the wellbore.

Genome Sequence of Vibrio cholerae Strain O1 Ogawa El Tor, Isolated in Mexico, 2013

PubMed Central

Hernández-Monroy, Irma; López-Martínez, Irma; Ortiz-Alcántara, Joanna; González-Durán, Elizabeth; Ruiz-Matus, Cuitláhuac; Kuri-Morales, Pablo; Ramírez-González, José Ernesto

2014-01-01

We present the draft genome sequence of Vibrio cholerae InDRE 3140 recovered in 2013 during a cholera outbreak in Mexico. The genome showed the Vibrio 7th pandemic islands VSP1 and VSP2, the pathogenic islands VPI-1 and VPI-2, the integrative and conjugative element SXT/R391 (ICE-SXT), and both prophages CTXφ and RS1φ. PMID:25359919

Structures of Trypanosome Vacuolar Soluble Pyrophosphatases: Anti-Parasitic Drug Targets

PubMed Central

Yang, Yunyun; Ko, Tzu-Ping; Chen, Chun-Chi; Huang, Guozhong; Zheng, Yingying; Liu, Weidong; Wang, Iren; Ho, Meng-Ru; Danny Hsu, Shang-Te; O’Dowd, Bing; Huff, Hannah C.; Huang, Chun-Hsiang; Docampo, Roberto; Oldfield, Eric; Guo, Rey-Ting

2016-01-01

Trypanosomatid parasites are the causative agents of many neglected tropical diseases including the leishmaniases, Chagas disease, and human African trypanosomiasis. They exploit unusual vacuolar soluble pyrophosphatases (VSPs), absent in humans, for cell growth and virulence and as such, are drug targets. Here, we report the crystal structures of VSP1s from Trypanosoma cruzi and T. brucei, together with that of the T. cruzi protein bound to a bisphosphonate inhibitor. Both VSP1s form a hybrid structure containing an (N-terminal) EF-hand domain fused to a (C-terminal) pyrophosphatase domain. The two domains are connected via an extended loop of about 17 residues. Crystallographic analysis and size exclusion chromatography indicate that the VSP1s form tetramers containing head-to-tail dimers. Phosphate and diphosphate ligands bind in the PPase substrate-binding pocket and interact with several conserved residues, and a bisphosphonate inhibitor (BPH-1260) binds to the same site. Based on Cytoscape and other bioinformatics analyses it is apparent that similar folds will be found in most if not all trypanosomatid VSP1s, including those found in insects (Angomonas deanei, Strigomonas culicis), plant pathogens (Phytomonas spp.) and Leishmania spp. Overall, the results are of general interest since they open the way to structure-based drug design for many of the neglected tropical diseases. PMID:26907161

Impact of adding artificially generated alert sound to hybrid electric vehicles on their detectability by pedestrians who are blind.

PubMed

Kim, Dae Shik; Emerson, Robert Wall; Naghshineh, Koorosh; Pliskow, Jay; Myers, Kyle

2012-01-01

A repeated-measures design with block randomization was used for the study, in which 14 adults with visual impairments attempted to detect three different vehicles: a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) with an artificially generated sound (Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians [VSP]), an HEV without the VSP, and a comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. The VSP vehicle (mean +/- standard deviation [SD] = 38.3 +/- 14.8 m) was detected at a significantly farther distance than the HEV (mean +/- SD = 27.5 +/- 11.5 m), t = 4.823, p < 0.001, but no significant difference existed between the VSP and ICE vehicles (mean +/- SD = 34.5 +/- 14.3 m), t = 1.787, p = 0.10. Despite the overall sound level difference between the two test sites (parking lot = 48.7 dBA, roadway = 55.1 dBA), no significant difference in detection distance between the test sites was observed, F(1, 13) = 0.025, p = 0.88. No significant interaction was found between the vehicle type and test site, F(1.31, 16.98) = 0.272, p = 0.67. The findings of the study may help us understand how adding an artificially generated sound to an HEV could affect some of the orientation and mobility tasks performed by blind pedestrians.

NON-INVASIVE DETERMINATION OF THE LOCATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FREE-PHASE DENSE NONAQUEOUS PHASE LIQUIDS (DNAPL) BY SEISMIC REFLECTION TECHNIQUES

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

Michael G. Waddell; William J. Domoracki; Tom J. Temples

2001-05-01

This semi-annual technical progress report is for part of Task 4 (site evaluation), on DOE contact number DE-AR26-98FT40369. The project had planned one additional deployment to another site other than Savannah River Site (SRS) or DOE Hanford. After the SUBCON midyear review in Albuquerque, NM, it was decided that two additional deployments would be performed. The first deployment is to test the feasibility of using non-invasive seismic reflection and AVO analysis as monitoring to assist in determining the effectiveness of Dynamic Underground Stripping (DUS) in removal of DNAPL. The Second deployment site is the Department of Defense (DOD) Charleston Navymore » Weapons Station, Solid Waste Management Unit 12 (SWMU-12) Charleston, SC was selected in consultation with National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and DOD Navy Facilities Engineering Command Southern Division (NAVFAC) personnel. Base upon the review of existing data and due to the shallow target depth the project team has collected three Vertical Seismic Profiles (VSP) and experimental reflection line. At the time of preparing this report VSP data and experimental reflection line data has been collected and has have preliminary processing on the data sets.« less

The Use of Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing in Acute Mandibular Trauma Reconstruction.

PubMed

Kokosis, George; Davidson, Edward H; Pedreira, Rachel; Macmillan, Alexandra; Dorafshar, Amir H

2018-05-01

Virtual surgical planning (VSP) with subsequent computer-aided design and manufacturing have proved efficacious in improving the efficiency and outcomes of a plethora of surgical modalities, including mandibular reconstruction and orthognathic surgery. Five patients underwent complex mandibular reconstruction after traumatic injury using VSP from July 2016 to August 2017 at our institution. The Johns Hopkins University Hospital institutional review board approved the present study. The patient's occlusion was restored virtually, and a milled 2.0-mm plate was created that would bridge the defect with the patient in occlusion. Appropriate occlusion was confirmed using postoperative computed tomography. No patient developed any adverse outcomes, except for a minor dehiscence of the intraoral incision in 1 patient that was treated with local wound care. The average interval from the injury to custom plate availability was approximately 7 days. The utility of this technology in acute complex mandibular trauma can overcome the challenges of traditional treatment. Custom patient-specific prebent and milled plates permit the use of a lower profile and therefore less palpable hardware, can guide reduction, avoid the need for plate bending, and obviate the need for an extraoral incision. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Advanced Usage of Vehicle Sketch Pad for CFD-Based Conceptual Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ordaz, Irian; Li, Wu

2013-01-01

Conceptual design is the most fluid phase of aircraft design. It is important to be able to perform large scale design space exploration of candidate concepts that can achieve the design intent to avoid more costly configuration changes in later stages of design. This also means that conceptual design is highly dependent on the disciplinary analysis tools to capture the underlying physics accurately. The required level of analysis fidelity can vary greatly depending on the application. Vehicle Sketch Pad (VSP) allows the designer to easily construct aircraft concepts and make changes as the design matures. More recent development efforts have enabled VSP to bridge the gap to high-fidelity analysis disciplines such as computational fluid dynamics and structural modeling for finite element analysis. This paper focuses on the current state-of-the-art geometry modeling for the automated process of analysis and design of low-boom supersonic concepts using VSP and several capability-enhancing design tools.

Volume Sensor Development Test. Series 5 - Multi-Compartment System

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-12-30

while concurrently rejecting nuisance sources. The VSP system was also successfully integrated with the DD(X) Autonomic Fire Suppression System ( AFSS ...represents a functional prototype of the device-level layer of the envisioned DD(X) Flight I AFSS control system [24]. The system’s automated response to...present in the DD(X) Flight I design [24]. The VSP system was incorporated into the AFSS control system , replacing the fire and smoke detectors that were

Genome Sequence of Vibrio cholerae Strain O1 Ogawa El Tor, Isolated in Mexico, 2013.

PubMed

Díaz-Quiñonez, José Alberto; Hernández-Monroy, Irma; López-Martínez, Irma; Ortiz-Alcántara, Joanna; González-Durán, Elizabeth; Ruiz-Matus, Cuitláhuac; Kuri-Morales, Pablo; Ramírez-González, José Ernesto

2014-10-30

We present the draft genome sequence of Vibrio cholerae InDRE 3140 recovered in 2013 during a cholera outbreak in Mexico. The genome showed the Vibrio 7th pandemic islands VSP1 and VSP2, the pathogenic islands VPI-1 and VPI-2, the integrative and conjugative element SXT/R391 (ICE-SXT), and both prophages CTXφ and RS1φ. Copyright © 2014 Díaz-Quiñonez et al.

Voltage-sensing phosphatase: its molecular relationship with PTEN.

PubMed

Okamura, Yasushi; Dixon, Jack E

2011-02-01

Voltage-sensing phosphoinositide phosphatase (VSP) contains voltage sensor and cytoplasmic phosphatase domains. A unique feature of this protein is that depolarization-induced motions of the voltage sensor activate PtdIns(3,4,5)P(3) and PtdIns(4,5)P(2) phosphatase activities. VSP exhibits remarkable structural similarities with PTEN, the phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10. These similarities include the cytoplasmic phosphatase region, the phosphoinositide binding region, and the putative membrane interacting C2 domain.

Impact of adding artificially generated alert sound to hybrid electric vehicles on their detectability by pedestrians who are blind

PubMed Central

Kim, Dae Shik; Emerson, Robert Wall; Naghshineh, Koorosh; Pliskow, Jay; Myers, Kyle

2012-01-01

A repeated-measures design with block randomization was used for the study, in which 14 adults with visual impairments attempted to detect three different vehicles: a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) with an artificially generated sound (Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians [VSP]), an HEV without the VSP, and a comparable internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. The VSP vehicle (mean +/− standard deviation [SD] = 38.3 +/− 14.8 m) was detected at a significantly farther distance than the HEV (mean +/− SD = 27.5 +/− 11.5 m), t = 4.823, p < 0.001, but no significant difference existed between the VSP and ICE vehicles (mean +/− SD = 34.5 +/− 14.3 m), t = 1.787, p = 0.10. Despite the overall sound level difference between the two test sites (parking lot = 48.7 dBA, roadway = 55.1 dBA), no significant difference in detection distance between the test sites was observed, F(1, 13) = 0.025, p = 0.88. No significant interaction was found between the vehicle type and test site, F(1.31, 16.98) = 0.272, p = 0.67. The findings of the study may help us understand how adding an artificially generated sound to an HEV could affect some of the orientation and mobility tasks performed by blind pedestrians. PMID:22773198

Transfer of Kv3.1 voltage sensor features to the isolated Ci-VSP voltage-sensing domain.

PubMed

Mishina, Yukiko; Mutoh, Hiroki; Knöpfel, Thomas

2012-08-22

Membrane proteins that respond to changes in transmembrane voltage are critical in regulating the function of living cells. The voltage-sensing domains (VSDs) of voltage-gated ion channels are extensively studied to elucidate voltage-sensing mechanisms, and yet many aspects of their structure-function relationship remain elusive. Here, we transplanted homologous amino acid motifs from the tetrameric voltage-activated potassium channel Kv3.1 to the monomeric VSD of Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensitive phosphatase (Ci-VSP) to explore which portions of Kv3.1 subunits depend on the tetrameric structure of Kv channels and which properties of Kv3.1 can be transferred to the monomeric Ci-VSP scaffold. By attaching fluorescent proteins to these chimeric VSDs, we obtained an optical readout to establish membrane trafficking and kinetics of voltage-dependent structural rearrangements. We found that motifs extending from 10 to roughly 100 amino acids can be readily transplanted from Kv3.1 into Ci-VSP to form engineered VSDs that efficiently incorporate into the plasma membrane and sense voltage. Some of the functional features of these engineered VSDs are reminiscent of Kv3.1 channels, indicating that these properties do not require interactions between Kv subunits or between the voltage sensing and the pore domains of Kv channels. Copyright © 2012 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High Resolution Vertical Seismic Profile from the Chicxulub IODP/ICDP Expedition 364 Borehole: Wave Speeds and Seismic Reflectivity.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nixon, C.; Kofman, R.; Schmitt, D. R.; Lofi, J.; Gulick, S. P. S.; Christeson, G. L.; Saustrup, S., Sr.; Morgan, J. V.

2017-12-01

We acquired a closely-spaced vertical seismic profile (VSP) in the Chicxulub K-Pg Impact Crater drilling program borehole to calibrate the existing surface seismic profiles and provide complementary measurements of in situ seismic wave speeds. Downhole seismic records were obtained at spacings ranging from 1.25 m to 5 m along the borehole from 47.5 m to 1325 mwsf (meters wireline below sea floor) (Fig 1a) using a Sercel SlimwaveTM geophone chain (University of Alberta). The seismic source was a 30/30ci Sercel Mini GI airgun (University of Texas), fired a minimum of 5 times per station. Seismic data processing used a combination of a commercial processing package (Schlumberger's VISTA) and MatlabTM codes. The VSP displays detailed reflectivity (Fig. 1a) with the strongest reflection seen at 600 mwsf (280 ms one-way time), geologically corresponding to the sharp contact between the post-impact sediments and the target peak ring rock, thus confirming the pre-drilling interpretations of the seismic profiles. A two-way time trace extracted from the separated up-going wavefield matches the major reflection both in travel time and character. In the granitic rocks that form the peak ring of the Chicxulub impact crater, we observe P-wave velocities of 4000-4500 m/s which are significantly less than the expected values of granitoids ( 6000 m/s) (Fig. 1b). The VSP measured wave speeds are confirmed against downhole sonic logging and in laboratory velocimetry measurements; these data provide additional evidence that the crustal material displaced by the impact experienced a significant amount of damage. Samples and data provided by IODP. Samples can be requested at http://web.iodp.tamu.edu/sdrm after 19 October 2017. Expedition 364 was jointly funded by ECORD, ICDP, and IODP with contributions and logistical support from the Yucatan State Government and UNAM. The downhole seismic chain and wireline system is funded by grants to DRS from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Education Grants Program.

Prevalence and correlates of treatment failure among Kenyan children hospitalised with severe community-acquired pneumonia: a prospective study of the clinical effectiveness of WHO pneumonia case management guidelines.

PubMed

Agweyu, Ambrose; Kibore, Minnie; Digolo, Lina; Kosgei, Caroline; Maina, Virginia; Mugane, Samson; Muma, Sarah; Wachira, John; Waiyego, Mary; Maleche-Obimbo, Elizabeth

2014-11-01

To determine the extent and pattern of treatment failure (TF) among children hospitalised with community-acquired pneumonia at a large tertiary hospital in Kenya. We followed up children aged 2-59 months with WHO-defined severe pneumonia (SP) and very severe pneumonia (VSP) for up to 5 days for TF using two definitions: (i) documentation of pre-defined clinical signs resulting in change of treatment (ii) primary clinician's decision to change treatment with or without documentation of the same pre-defined clinical signs. We enrolled 385 children. The risk of TF varied between 1.8% (95% CI 0.4-5.1) and 12.4% (95% CI 7.9-18.4) for SP and 21.4% (95% CI 15.9-27) and 39.3% (95% CI 32.5-46.4) for VSP depending on the definition applied. Higher rates were associated with early changes in therapy by clinician in the absence of an obvious clinical rationale. Non-adherence to treatment guidelines was observed for 70/169 (41.4%) and 67/201 (33.3%) of children with SP and VSP, respectively. Among children with SP, adherence to treatment guidelines was associated with the presence of wheeze on initial assessment (P = 0.02), while clinician non-adherence to guideline-recommended treatments for VSP tended to occur in children with altered consciousness (P < 0.001). Using propensity score matching to account for imbalance in the distribution of baseline clinical characteristics among children with VSP revealed no difference in TF between those treated with the guideline-recommended regimen vs. more costly broad-spectrum alternatives [risk difference 0.37 (95% CI -0.84 to 0.51)]. Before revising current pneumonia case management guidelines, standardised definitions of TF and appropriate studies of treatment effectiveness of alternative regimens are required. © 2014 The Authors. Tropical Medicine & International Health published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

VGLUT1 or VGLUT2 mRNA-positive neurons in spinal trigeminal nucleus provide collateral projections to both the thalamus and the parabrachial nucleus in rats.

PubMed

Zhang, Chun-Kui; Li, Zhi-Hong; Qiao, Yu; Zhang, Ting; Lu, Ya-Cheng; Chen, Tao; Dong, Yu-Lin; Li, Yun-Qing; Li, Jin-Lian

2018-04-12

The trigemino-thalamic (T-T) and trigemino-parabrachial (T-P) pathways are strongly implicated in the sensory-discriminative and affective/emotional aspects of orofacial pain, respectively. These T-T and T-P projection fibers originate from the spinal trigeminal nucleus (Vsp). We previously determined that many vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT1 and/or VGLUT2) mRNA-positive neurons were distributed in the Vsp of the adult rat, and most of these neurons sent their axons to the thalamus or cerebellum. However, whether VGLUT1 or VGLUT2 mRNA-positive projection neurons exist that send their axons to both the thalamus and the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) has not been reported. Thus, in the present study, dual retrograde tract tracing was used in combination with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for VGLUT1 or VGLUT2 mRNA to identify the existence of VGLUT1 or VGLUT2 mRNA neurons that send collateral projections to both the thalamus and the PBN. Neurons in the Vsp that send collateral projections to both the thalamus and the PBN were mainly VGLUT2 mRNA-positive, with a proportion of 90.3%, 93.0% and 85.4% in the oral (Vo), interpolar (Vi) and caudal (Vc) subnucleus of the Vsp, respectively. Moreover, approximately 34.0% of the collateral projection neurons in the Vc showed Fos immunopositivity after injection of formalin into the lip, and parts of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunopositive axonal varicosities were in direct contact with the Vc collateral projection neurons. These results indicate that most collateral projection neurons in the Vsp, particularly in the Vc, which express mainly VGLUT2, may relay orofacial nociceptive information directly to the thalamus and PBN via axon collaterals.

File format for normalizing radiological concentration exposure rate and dose rate data for the effects of radioactive decay and weathering processes

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

Kraus, Terrence D.

2017-04-01

This report specifies the electronic file format that was agreed upon to be used as the file format for normalized radiological data produced by the software tool developed under this TI project. The NA-84 Technology Integration (TI) Program project (SNL17-CM-635, Normalizing Radiological Data for Analysis and Integration into Models) investigators held a teleconference on December 7, 2017 to discuss the tasks to be completed under the TI program project. During this teleconference, the TI project investigators determined that the comma-separated values (CSV) file format is the most suitable file format for the normalized radiological data that will be outputted frommore » the normalizing tool developed under this TI project. The CSV file format was selected because it provides the requisite flexibility to manage different types of radiological data (i.e., activity concentration, exposure rate, dose rate) from other sources [e.g., Radiological Assessment and Monitoring System (RAMS), Aerial Measuring System (AMS), Monitoring and Sampling). The CSV file format also is suitable for the file format of the normalized radiological data because this normalized data can then be ingested by other software [e.g., RAMS, Visual Sampling Plan (VSP)] used by the NA-84’s Consequence Management Program.« less

Vehicle Sketch Pad: a Parametric Geometry Modeler for Conceptual Aircraft Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hahn, Andrew S.

2010-01-01

The conceptual aircraft designer is faced with a dilemma, how to strike the best balance between productivity and fidelity? Historically, handbook methods have required only the coarsest of geometric parameterizations in order to perform analysis. Increasingly, there has been a drive to upgrade analysis methods, but these require considerably more precise and detailed geometry. Attempts have been made to use computer-aided design packages to fill this void, but their cost and steep learning curve have made them unwieldy at best. Vehicle Sketch Pad (VSP) has been developed over several years to better fill this void. While no substitute for the full feature set of computer-aided design packages, VSP allows even novices to quickly become proficient in defining three-dimensional, watertight aircraft geometries that are adequate for producing multi-disciplinary meta-models for higher order analysis methods, wind tunnel and display models, as well as a starting point for animation models. This paper will give an overview of the development and future course of VSP.

Understanding Seismic Anisotropy in Hunt Well of Fort McMurray, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malehmir, R.; Schmitt, D. R.; Chan, J.

2014-12-01

Seismic imaging plays vital role in geothermal systems as a sustainable energy resource. In this paper, we acquired and processed zero-offset and walk-away VSP and logging as well as surface seismic in Athabasca oil sand area, Alberta. Seismic data were highly processed to make better image geothermal system. Through data processing, properties of natural fractures such as orientation and width were studied and high probable permeable zones were mapped along the deep drilled to the depth of 2363m deep into crystalline basement rocks. In addition to logging data, seismic data were processed to build a reliable image of underground. Velocity analysis in high resolution multi-component walk-away VSP informed us about the elastic anisotropy in place. Study of the natural and induced fracture as well as elastic anisotropy in the seismic data, led us to better map stress regime around the well bore. The seismic image and map of fractures optimizes enhanced geothermal stages through hydraulic stimulation. Keywords: geothermal, anisotropy, VSP, logging, Hunt well, seismic

Joint inversion of time-lapse VSP data for monitoring CO2 injection at the Farnsworth EOR field in Texas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, M.; Gao, K.; Balch, R. S.; Huang, L.

2016-12-01

During the Development Phase (Phase III) of the U.S. Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP), time-lapse 3D vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data were acquired to monitor CO2 injection/migration at the Farnsworth Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) field, in partnership with the industrial partner Chaparral Energy. The project is to inject a million tons of carbon dioxide into the target formation, the deep oil-bearing Morrow Formation in the Farnsworth Unit EOR field. Quantitative time-lapse seismic monitoring has the potential to track CO2 movement in geologic carbon storage sites. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has recently developed new full-waveform inversion methods to jointly invert time-lapse seismic data for changes in elastic and anisotropic parameters in target monitoring regions such as a CO2 reservoir. We apply our new joint inversion methods to time-lapse VSP data acquired at the Farnsworth EOR filed, and present some preliminary results showing geophysical properties changes in the reservoir.

Coupling of the phosphatase activity of Ci-VSP to its voltage sensor activity over the entire range of voltage sensitivity

PubMed Central

Sakata, Souhei; Hossain, Md. Israil; Okamura, Yasushi

2011-01-01

Abstract The voltage sensing phosphatase Ci-VSP is composed of a voltage sensor domain (VSD) and a cytoplasmic phosphatase domain. Upon membrane depolarization, movement of the VSD triggers the enzyme's phosphatase activity. To gain further insight into its operating mechanism, we studied the PI(4,5)P2 phosphatase activity of Ci-VSP expressed in Xenopus oocytes over the entire range of VSD motion by assessing the activity of coexpressed Kir2.1 channels or the fluorescence signal from a pleckstrin homology domain fused with green fluorescent protein (GFP) (PHPLC-GFP). Both assays showed greater phosphatase activity at 125 mV than at 75 mV, which corresponds to ‘sensing’ charges that were 90% and 75% of maximum, respectively. On the other hand, the activity at 160 mV (corresponding to 98% of the maximum ‘sensing’ charge) was indistinguishable from that at 125 mV. Modelling the kinetics of the PHPLC-GFP fluorescence revealed that its time course was dependent on both the level of Ci-VSP expression and the diffusion of PHPLC-GFP beneath the plasma membrane. Enzyme activity was calculated by fitting the time course of PHPLC-GFP fluorescence into the model. The voltage dependence of the enzyme activity was superimposable on the Q–V curve, which is consistent with the idea that the enzyme activity is tightly coupled to VSD movement over the entire range of membrane potentials that elicit VSD movement. PMID:21486809

Identification of a Linked Set of Genes in Serpulina hyodysenteriae (B204) Predicted To Encode Closely Related 39-Kilodalton Extracytoplasmic Proteins

PubMed Central

Gabe, Jeffrey D.; Dragon, Elizabeth; Chang, Ray-Jen; McCaman, Michael T.

1998-01-01

A tandem pair of nearly identical genes from Serpulina hyodysenteriae (B204) were cloned and sequenced. The full open reading frame of one gene and the partial open reading frame of the neighboring gene appear to encode secreted proteins which are homologous to, yet distinct from, the 39-kDa extracytoplasmic protein purified from the membrane fraction of S. hyodysenteriae. We have designated these newly identified genes vspA and vspB (for variable surface protein). PMID:9440540

Fracture characterization from near-offset VSP inversion

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

Horne, S.; MacBeth, C.; Queen, J.

1997-01-01

A global optimization method incorporating a ray-tracing scheme is used to invert observations of shear-wave splitting from two near-offset VSPs recorded at the Conoco Borehole Test Facility, Kay County, Oklahoma. Inversion results suggest that the seismic anisotropy is due to a non-vertical fracture system. This interpretation is constrained by the VSP acquisition geometry for which two sources are employed along near diametrically opposite azimuths about the well heads. A correlation is noted between the time-delay variations between the fast and slow split shear waves and the sandstone formations.

The derivation of an anisotropic velocity model from a combined surface and borehole seismic survey in crystalline environment at the COSC-1 borehole, central Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, H.; Buske, S.; Krauß, F.; Giese, R.; Hedin, P.; Juhlin, C.

2017-09-01

The Scandinavian Caledonides provide a well-preserved example of a Palaeozoic continent-continent collision, where surface geology in combination with geophysical data provides information about the geometry of parts of the Caledonian structure. The project COSC (Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides) investigates the structure and physical conditions of the orogen units and the underlying basement with two approximately 2.5 km deep cored boreholes in western Jämtland, central Sweden. In 2014, the COSC-1 borehole was successfully drilled through a thick section of the Seve Nappe Complex. This tectonostratigraphic unit, mainly consisting of gneisses, belongs to the so-called Middle Allochthons and has been ductilely deformed and transported during the collisional orogeny. After the drilling, a major seismic survey was conducted in and around the COSC-1 borehole with the aim to recover findings on the structure around the borehole from core analysis and downhole logging. The survey comprised both seismic reflection and transmission experiments, and included zero-offset and multiazimuthal walkaway Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) measurements, three long offset surface lines centred on the borehole, and a limited 3-D seismic survey. In this study, the data from the multiazimuthal walkaway VSP and the surface lines were used to derive detailed velocity models around the COSC-1 borehole by inverting the first-arrival traveltimes. The comparison of velocities from these tomography results with a velocity function calculated directly from the zero-offset VSP revealed clear differences in velocities for horizontally and vertically travelling waves. Therefore, an anisotropic VTI (transversely isotropic with vertical axis of symmetry) model was found that explains first-arrival traveltimes from both the surface and borehole seismic data. The model is described by a vertical P-wave velocity function derived from zero-offset VSP and the Thomsen parameters ε = 0.03 and δ = 0.3, estimated by laboratory studies and the analysis of the surface seismic and walkaway VSP data. This resulting anisotropic model provides the basis for further detailed geological and geophysical investigations in the direct vicinity of the borehole.

Influence of summer sowing dates, N fertilization and irrigation on autumn VSP accumulation and dynamics of spring regrowth in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.).

PubMed

Justes, Eric; Thiébeau, Pascal; Avice, Jean-Christophe; Lemaire, Gilles; Volenec, Jeffrey J; Ourry, Alain

2002-01-01

Herbage yield of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) depends on forage management or environmental conditions that change C and N resource acquisition, and endogenous plants factors such as root organic reserves and number of active meristems. The aim of this work is to study the influence of two sowing dates in summer (12 July or 9 August), N fertilization (0 or 100 kg ha(-1)) and/or irrigation applied during the first year of alfalfa establishment on (i) the accumulation of N organic reserves (soluble proteins and more specifically vegetative storage protein) in taproots during autumn, (ii) the number of crown axillary meristems present at the end of winter and (iii) the dynamics of spring shoot growth. Delaying the sowing date for one month reduced root growth and root N storage, especially vegetative storage proteins (VSP) during autumn. Irrespective of sowing dates, N fertilization did not affect root biomass, number of crown buds, total root N, root soluble protein or VSP concentrations. By contrast, water deficiency during alfalfa establishment in the early summer reduced both root growth and N reserve accumulation. When spring growth resumed, there is a significant linear relationship between leaf area development and soluble protein and VSP concentrations in taproots, and also the number of crown buds. The results showed that an early sowing date and adequate water status during the summer allowed alfalfa plants to accumulate N reserves by increasing taproot mass and soluble protein concentrations, especially VSPs. This resulted in rapid shoot regrowth rates the following spring.

Bacterial genes mutL, mutS, and dcm participate in repair of mismatches at 5-methylcytosine sites.

PubMed Central

Lieb, M

1987-01-01

Certain amber mutations in the cI gene of bacteriophage lambda appear to recombine very frequently with nearby mutations. The aberrant mutations included C-to-T transitions at the second cytosine in 5'CC(A/T)GG sequences (which are subject to methylation by bacterial cytosine methylase) and in 5'CCAG and 5'CAGG sequences. Excess cI+ recombinants arising in crosses that utilize these mutations are attributable to the correction of mismatches by a bacterial very-short-patch (VSP) mismatch repair system. In the present study I found that two genes required for methyladenine-directed (long-patch) mismatch repair, mutL and mutS, also functioned in VSP mismatch repair; mutH and mutU (uvrD) were dispensable. VSP mismatch repair was greatly reduced in a dcm Escherichia coli mutant, in which 5-methylcytosine was not methylated. However, mismatches in heteroduplexes prepared from lambda DNA lacking 5-methylcytosine were repaired in dcm+ bacteria. These results indicate that the product of gene dcm has a repair function in addition to its methylase activity. PMID:2959653

Sensing charges of the Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensing phosphatase.

PubMed

Villalba-Galea, Carlos A; Frezza, Ludivine; Sandtner, Walter; Bezanilla, Francisco

2013-11-01

Voltage control over enzymatic activity in voltage-sensitive phosphatases (VSPs) is conferred by a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) located in the N terminus. These VSDs are constituted by four putative transmembrane segments (S1 to S4) resembling those found in voltage-gated ion channels. The putative fourth segment (S4) of the VSD contains positive residues that likely function as voltage-sensing elements. To study in detail how these residues sense the plasma membrane potential, we have focused on five arginines in the S4 segment of the Ciona intestinalis VSP (Ci-VSP). After implementing a histidine scan, here we show that four arginine-to-histidine mutants, namely R223H to R232H, mediate voltage-dependent proton translocation across the membrane, indicating that these residues transit through the hydrophobic core of Ci-VSP as a function of the membrane potential. These observations indicate that the charges carried by these residues are sensing charges. Furthermore, our results also show that the electrical field in VSPs is focused in a narrow hydrophobic region that separates the extracellular and intracellular space and constitutes the energy barrier for charge crossing.

Domain-to-domain coupling in voltage-sensing phosphatase.

PubMed

Sakata, Souhei; Matsuda, Makoto; Kawanabe, Akira; Okamura, Yasushi

2017-01-01

Voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) consists of a transmembrane voltage sensor and a cytoplasmic enzyme region. The enzyme region contains the phosphatase and C2 domains, is structurally similar to the tumor suppressor phosphatase PTEN, and catalyzes the dephosphorylation of phosphoinositides. The transmembrane voltage sensor is connected to the phosphatase through a short linker region, and phosphatase activity is induced upon membrane depolarization. Although the detailed molecular characteristics of the voltage sensor domain and the enzyme region have been revealed, little is known how these two regions are coupled. In addition, it is important to know whether mechanism for coupling between the voltage sensor domain and downstream effector function is shared among other voltage sensor domain-containing proteins. Recent studies in which specific amino acid sites were genetically labeled using a fluorescent unnatural amino acid have enabled detection of the local structural changes in the cytoplasmic region of Ciona intestinalis VSP that occur with a change in membrane potential. The results of those studies provide novel insight into how the enzyme activity of the cytoplasmic region of VSP is regulated by the voltage sensor domain.

Domain-to-domain coupling in voltage-sensing phosphatase

PubMed Central

Sakata, Souhei; Matsuda, Makoto; Kawanabe, Akira; Okamura, Yasushi

2017-01-01

Voltage-sensing phosphatase (VSP) consists of a transmembrane voltage sensor and a cytoplasmic enzyme region. The enzyme region contains the phosphatase and C2 domains, is structurally similar to the tumor suppressor phosphatase PTEN, and catalyzes the dephosphorylation of phosphoinositides. The transmembrane voltage sensor is connected to the phosphatase through a short linker region, and phosphatase activity is induced upon membrane depolarization. Although the detailed molecular characteristics of the voltage sensor domain and the enzyme region have been revealed, little is known how these two regions are coupled. In addition, it is important to know whether mechanism for coupling between the voltage sensor domain and downstream effector function is shared among other voltage sensor domain-containing proteins. Recent studies in which specific amino acid sites were genetically labeled using a fluorescent unnatural amino acid have enabled detection of the local structural changes in the cytoplasmic region of Ciona intestinalis VSP that occur with a change in membrane potential. The results of those studies provide novel insight into how the enzyme activity of the cytoplasmic region of VSP is regulated by the voltage sensor domain. PMID:28744425

Calculation of elastic properties in lower part of the Kola borehole from bulk chemical compositions of core samples

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

Babeyko, A.Yu.; Sobolev, S.V.; Sinelnikov, E.D.

1994-09-01

In-situ elastic properties in deep boreholes are controlled by several factors, mainly by lithology, petrofabric, fluid-filled cracks and pores. In order to separate the effects of different factors it is useful to extract lithology-controlled part from observed in-situ velocities. For that purpose we calculated mineralogical composition and isotropic crack-free elastic properties in the lower part of the Kola borehole from bulk chemical compositions of core samples. We use a new technique of petrophysical modeling based on thermodynamic approach. The reasonable accuracy of the modeling is confirmed by comparison with the observations of mineralogical composition and laboratory measurements of density andmore » elastic wave velocities in upper crustal crystalline rocks at high confining pressure. Calculations were carried out for 896 core samples from the depth segment of 6840-10535m. Using these results we estimate density and crack-free isotropic elastic properties of 554 lithology-defined layers composing this depth segment. Average synthetic P-wave velocity appears to be 2.7% higher than the velocity from Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP), and 5% higher than sonic log velocity. Average synthetic S-wave velocity is 1.4% higher than that from VSP. These differences can be explained by superposition of effects of fabric-related anisotropy, cracks aligned parallel to the foliation plain, and randomly oriented cracks, with the effects of cracks being the predominant control. Low sonic log velocities are likely caused by drilling-induced cracking (hydrofractures) in the borehole walls. The calculated synthetic density and velocity cross-sections can be used for much more detailed interpretations, for which, however, new, more detailed and reliable seismic data are required.« less

The Giardia lamblia genome.

PubMed

Adam, R D

2000-04-10

Giardia lamblia is a protozoan parasite of humans and other mammals that is thought to be one of the most primitive extant eukaryotic organisms. Although distinctly eukaryotic, it is notable for its lack of mitochondria, nucleoli, and perixosomes. It has been suggested that Giardia spp. are pre-mitochondriate organisms, but the identification of genes in G. lamblia thought to be of mitochondrial origin has generated controversy regarding that designation. Giardi lamblia trophozoites have two nuclei that are identical in all ways that have been studied. They are polyploid with at least four, and perhaps eight or more, copies of each of five chromosomes per organism and have an estimated genome complexity of 1.2x10(7)bp of DNA, and GC content of 46%. There is evidence for recombination at the telomeres of some of the chromosomes, and multiple size variants of single chromosomes have been identified within cloned isolates. However, the internal regions of the chromosomes demonstrate no evidence of recombination. For example, there is no evidence for control of vsp gene expression by DNA recombination, and no evidence for rapid mutation in the vsp genes. Single pass sequences of approximately 9% of the G. lamblia genome have already been obtained. An ongoing genome project plans to obtain approximately 95% of the genome by a random approach, as well as a complete physical map using a bacterial artificial chromosome library. The results will facilitate a better understanding of the biology of Giardia spp. as well as their phylogenetic relationship to other primitive organisms.

Subsurface Characterization and Seismic Monitoring for the Southwest Partnerships Phase III Demonstration Project at Farnsworth Field, TX

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Will, R. A.; Balch, R. S.

2015-12-01

The Southwest Partnership on Carbon Sequestration is performing seismic based characterization and monitoring activities at an active CO2 EOR project at Farnsworth Field, Texas. CO2 is anthropogenically sourced from a fertilizer and an ethanol plant. The field has 13 CO2 injectors and has sequestered 302,982 metric tonnes of CO2 since October 2013. The field site provides an excellent laboratory for testing a range of monitoring technologies in an operating CO2 flood since planned development is sequential and allows for multiple opportunities to record zero CO2 baseline data, mid-flood data, and fully flooded data. The project is comparing and contrasting several scales of seismic technologies in order to determine best practices for large scale commercial sequestration projects. Characterization efforts include an 85 km2 3D surface seismic survey, baseline and repeat 3D VSP surveys centered on injection wells, cross-well tomography baseline and repeat surveys between injector/producer pairs, and a borehole passive seismic array to monitor induced seismicity. All surveys have contributed to detailed geologic models which were then used for fluid flow and risk assessment simulations. 3D VSP and cross-well data with repeat surveys have allowed for direct comparisons of the reservoir prior to CO2 injection and at eight months into injection, with a goal of imaging the CO2 plume as it moves away from injection wells. Additional repeat surveys at regular intervals will continue to refine the plume. The goal of this work is to demonstrate seismic based technologies to monitor CO2 sequestration projects, and to contribute to best practices manuals for commercial scale CO2 sequestration projects. In this talk the seismic plan will be outlined, progress towards goals enumerated, and preliminary results from baseline and repeat seismic data will be discussed. Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Department of Energy under Award No. DE-FC26-05NT42591.

Visual sign phonology: insights into human reading and language from a natural soundless phonology.

PubMed

Petitto, L A; Langdon, C; Stone, A; Andriola, D; Kartheiser, G; Cochran, C

2016-11-01

Among the most prevailing assumptions in science and society about the human reading process is that sound and sound-based phonology are critical to young readers. The child's sound-to-letter decoding is viewed as universal and vital to deriving meaning from print. We offer a different view. The crucial link for early reading success is not between segmental sounds and print. Instead the human brain's capacity to segment, categorize, and discern linguistic patterning makes possible the capacity to segment all languages. This biological process includes the segmentation of languages on the hands in signed languages. Exposure to natural sign language in early life equally affords the child's discovery of silent segmental units in visual sign phonology (VSP) that can also facilitate segmental decoding of print. We consider powerful biological evidence about the brain, how it builds sound and sign phonology, and why sound and sign phonology are equally important in language learning and reading. We offer a testable theoretical account, reading model, and predictions about how VSP can facilitate segmentation and mapping between print and meaning. We explain how VSP can be a powerful facilitator of all children's reading success (deaf and hearing)-an account with profound transformative impact on learning to read in deaf children with different language backgrounds. The existence of VSP has important implications for understanding core properties of all human language and reading, challenges assumptions about language and reading as being tied to sound, and provides novel insight into a remarkable biological equivalence in signed and spoken languages. WIREs Cogn Sci 2016, 7:366-381. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1404 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Short and long-term quality of life after reconstruction of bladder exstrophy in infancy: preliminary results of the QUALEX (QUAlity of Life of bladder EXstrophy) study.

PubMed

Jochault-Ritz, Sandy; Mercier, Mariette; Aubert, Didier

2010-08-01

The aim of the study was to assess quality of life (QOL) of patients born with bladder exstrophy (BE) and reconstructed during early childhood in 7 French university hospitals (QUALEX study: QUAlity of Life of bladder EXstrophy). Patients from 6 to 42 years old answered self-administered Short-Form 36 (SF-36), VSP-A (Vécu et Santé Perçue de l'Adolescent), VSP-AE (Vécu et Santé Perçue de l'Enfant), AUQUIE (AUto-QUestionnaire Imagé de l'Enfant), and general questionnaires about functional and socioeconomic data. Dimension scores were compared between adults and adolescents using SF-36 and adolescents and children using VSP-AE. Scores were also compared to the general French population. Among the 134 eligible patients, 36 adults, 18 adolescents, and 17 children answered the questionnaire. There was no difference between responders and nonresponders in reconstruction criteria. Continence was achieved in 77% of adults, 65% of adolescents, and 12% of children. Adolescent QOL was globally superior to adults and children. Adult QOL was globally lower than the general population except on the physical dimension. Children's QOL was also globally lower than the general population except for relations with family and school work. Adolescents' scores on SF-36 were superior to the general population but lower on half of the dimensions with VSP-AE. Patients presenting with reconstructed BE have impaired QOL, and functional results seem to be the most likely predictive factor of health-related QOL score. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrated Geophysical Monitoring Program to Study Flood Performance and Incidental CO2 Storage Associated with a CO2 EOR Project in the Bell Creek Oil Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burnison, S. A.; Ditty, P.; Gorecki, C. D.; Hamling, J. A.; Steadman, E. N.; Harju, J. A.

2013-12-01

The Plains CO2 Reduction (PCOR) Partnership, led by the Energy & Environmental Research Center, is working with Denbury Onshore LLC to determine the effect of a large-scale injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into a deep clastic reservoir for the purpose of simultaneous CO2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) and to study incidental CO2 storage at the Bell Creek oil field located in southeastern Montana. This project will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 1 million tons a year while simultaneously recovering an anticipated 30 million barrels of incremental oil. The Bell Creek project provides a unique opportunity to use and evaluate a comprehensive suite of technologies for monitoring, verification, and accounting (MVA) of CO2 on a large-scale. The plan incorporates multiple geophysical technologies in the presence of complementary and sometimes overlapping data to create a comprehensive data set that will facilitate evaluation and comparison. The MVA plan has been divided into shallow and deep subsurface monitoring. The deep subsurface monitoring plan includes 4-D surface seismic, time-lapse 3-D vertical seismic profile (VSP) surveys incorporating a permanent borehole array, and baseline and subsequent carbon-oxygen logging and other well-based measurements. The goal is to track the movement of CO2 in the reservoir, evaluate the recovery/storage efficiency of the CO2 EOR program, identify fluid migration pathways, and determine the ultimate fate of injected CO2. CO2 injection at Bell Creek began in late May 2013. Prior to injection, a monitoring and characterization well near the field center was drilled and outfitted with a distributed temperature-monitoring system and three down-hole pressure gauges to provide continuous real-time data of the reservoir and overlying strata. The monitoring well allows on-demand access for time-lapse well-based measurements and borehole seismic instrumentation. A 50-level permanent borehole array of 3-component geophones was installed in a second monitoring well. A pre-injection series of carbon-oxygen logging across the reservoir was acquired in 35 wells. The baseline 3-D surface seismic survey was acquired in September 2012. A 3-D VSP incorporating two wells and 2 square miles of overlapping seismic coverage in the middle of the field was acquired in May 2013. Initial iterations of geologic modeling and reservoir simulation of the field have been completed. Currently, passive seismic monitoring with the permanent borehole array is being conducted during injection. Interpretation results from the baseline surface 3-D survey and preliminary results from the baseline 3-D VSP are being evaluated and integrated into the reservoir model. The PCOR Partnership's philosophy is to combine site characterization, modeling, and monitoring strategies into an iterative process to produce descriptive integrated results. The comprehensive effort at Bell Creek will allow a comparison of the effectiveness of several complementary geophysical and well-based methods in meeting the goals of the deep subsurface monitoring effort.

Vertical electromagnetic profiling (VEMP)

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

Lytle, R.J.

1984-08-01

Vertical seismic profiling (VSP) is based upon reception measurements performed in a borehole with a source near the ground surface. This technology has seen a surge in application and development in the last decade. The analogous concept of vertical electromagnetic profiling (VEMP) consists of reception measurements performed in a borehole with a source near the ground surface. Although the electromagnetic concept has seen some application, this technology has not been as systematically developed and applied as VSP. Vertical electromagnetic profiling provides distinct and complementary data due to sensing different physical parameters than seismic profiling. Certain of the advantages of VEMPmore » are presented. 28 references, 7 figures.« less

Elastic-Waveform Inversion with Compressive Sensing for Sparse Seismic Data

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

Lin, Youzuo; Huang, Lianjie

2015-01-28

Accurate velocity models of compressional- and shear-waves are essential for geothermal reservoir characterization and microseismic imaging. Elastic-waveform inversion of multi-component seismic data can provide high-resolution inversion results of subsurface geophysical properties. However, the method requires seismic data acquired using dense source and receiver arrays. In practice, seismic sources and/or geophones are often sparsely distributed on the surface and/or in a borehole, such as 3D vertical seismic profiling (VSP) surveys. We develop a novel elastic-waveform inversion method with compressive sensing for inversion of sparse seismic data. We employ an alternating-minimization algorithm to solve the optimization problem of our new waveform inversionmore » method. We validate our new method using synthetic VSP data for a geophysical model built using geologic features found at the Raft River enhanced-geothermal-system (EGS) field. We apply our method to synthetic VSP data with a sparse source array and compare the results with those obtained with a dense source array. Our numerical results demonstrate that the velocity models produced with our new method using a sparse source array are almost as accurate as those obtained using a dense source array.« less

Processing of a nine-component near-offset VSP for seismic anisotropy

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

MacBeth, C.; Li, X.Y.; Zeng, X.

1997-03-01

A convolutional sequence of matrix operators is offered as a convenient deterministic scheme for processing a multicomponent vertical seismic profile (VSP). This sequence is applied to a nine-component near-offset VSP recorded at the Conoco borehole test facility, Kay County, Oklahoma. These data are corrected for tool spin and near-surface anisotropy together with source coupling or imbalance. After wave-field separation using a standard f-k filter, each source and receiver pair for the upgoing waves is adjusted to a common reference depth using a matrix operator based on the downgoing wavefield. The up- and downgoing waves are then processed for anisotropy bymore » a similarity transformation, to separate the qS1 and qS2 waves, from which the anisotropic properties are estimated. These estimates reveal a strong (apparent) vertical birefringence in the near-surface, but weak or moderate values for the majority of the subsurface. The target zone consists of a thin sandstone and deeper shale layer, both of which possess a strong vertical birefringence. The sandstone corresponds to a zone of known fluid flow. An observed qS2 attenuation and polarization change in the shale suggest it contains large fractures.« less

Sensing charges of the Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensing phosphatase

PubMed Central

Frezza, Ludivine; Sandtner, Walter

2013-01-01

Voltage control over enzymatic activity in voltage-sensitive phosphatases (VSPs) is conferred by a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) located in the N terminus. These VSDs are constituted by four putative transmembrane segments (S1 to S4) resembling those found in voltage-gated ion channels. The putative fourth segment (S4) of the VSD contains positive residues that likely function as voltage-sensing elements. To study in detail how these residues sense the plasma membrane potential, we have focused on five arginines in the S4 segment of the Ciona intestinalis VSP (Ci-VSP). After implementing a histidine scan, here we show that four arginine-to-histidine mutants, namely R223H to R232H, mediate voltage-dependent proton translocation across the membrane, indicating that these residues transit through the hydrophobic core of Ci-VSP as a function of the membrane potential. These observations indicate that the charges carried by these residues are sensing charges. Furthermore, our results also show that the electrical field in VSPs is focused in a narrow hydrophobic region that separates the extracellular and intracellular space and constitutes the energy barrier for charge crossing. PMID:24127524

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor-Induced Hypertension.

PubMed

Agarwal, Megha; Thareja, Nidhi; Benjamin, Melody; Akhondi, Andre; Mitchell, George D

2018-06-21

The purpose of this paper is to identify commonly used tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) that are associated with hypertension, primarily, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway (VSP) inhibitors. We review the incidence, mechanism, and strategies for management of TKI-induced HTN. We hope to provide clinicians with guidance on how to manage similar clinical scenarios. Many of the newer VSP inhibitors are reviewed here, including cediranib, axitinib, pazopanib, and ponatinib. Trials utilizing prophylactic treatment with angiotensin system inhibitors (ASIs) are discussed as well as recent data showing an improvement in overall survival and progression-free survival in patients on ASIs and TKI-induced hypertension. The incidence of TKI-induced HTN among the VEGF inhibitors ranges from 5 to 80% and is dose dependent. Newer generation small-molecule TKIs has a lower incidence. The mechanism of action involves VSP inhibition, leading to decreased nitric oxide and increased endothelin production, which causes vasoconstriction, capillary rarefaction, and hypertension. ASIs and calcium channel blockers are first-line therapy for treatment and are associated with improved overall survival. Nitrates and beta-blockers are associated with in vitro cancer regression; however, there is a paucity of trials regarding their use as an anti-hypertensive agent in the TKI-induced HTN patient population.

Hybrid-Electric Passenger Car Carbon Dioxide and Fuel Consumption Benefits Based on Real-World Driving.

PubMed

Holmén, Britt A; Sentoff, Karen M

2015-08-18

Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) have lower fuel consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions than conventional vehicles (CVs), on average, based on laboratory tests, but there is a paucity of real-world, on-road HEV emissions and performance data needed to assess energy use and emissions associated with real-world driving, including the effects of road grade. This need is especially great as the electrification of the passenger vehicle fleet (from HEVs to PHEVs to BEVs) increases in response to climate and energy concerns. We compared tailpipe CO2 emissions and fuel consumption of an HEV passenger car to a CV of the same make and model during real-world, on-the-road network driving to quantify the in-use benefit of one popular full HEV technology. Using vehicle specific power (VSP) assignments that account for measured road grade, the mean CV/HEV ratios of CO2 tailpipe emissions or fuel consumption defined the corresponding HEV "benefit" factor for each VSP class (1 kW/ton resolution). Averaging over all VSP classes for driving in all seasons, including temperatures from -13 to +35 °C in relatively steep (-13.2 to +11.5% grade), hilly terrain, mean (±SD) CO2 emission benefit factors were 4.5 ± 3.6, 2.5 ± 1.7, and 1.4 ± 0.5 for city, exurban/suburban arterial and highway driving, respectively. Benefit factor magnitude corresponded to the frequency of electric-drive-only (EDO) operation, which was modeled as a logarithmic function of VSP. A combined model explained 95% of the variance in HEV benefit for city, 75% for arterial and 57% for highway driving. Benefit factors consistently exceeded 2 for VSP classes with greater than 50% EDO (i.e., only city and arterial driving). The reported HEV benefits account for real-world road grade that is often neglected in regulatory emissions and fuel economy tests. Fuel use HEV benefit factors were 1.3 and 2 for the regulatory highway (HWFET) and city (FTP) cycles, respectively, 18% and 31% higher than the EPA adjusted fuel economy values. This study establishes the significant need for high-resolution vehicle activity and road grade data in transportation data sets to accurately forecast future petroleum and GHG emissions savings from hybridization of the passenger vehicle fleet.

Ion channel regulation by phosphoinositides analyzed with VSPs—PI(4,5)P2 affinity, phosphoinositide selectivity, and PI(4,5)P2 pool accessibility

PubMed Central

Rjasanow, Alexandra; Leitner, Michael G.; Thallmair, Veronika; Halaszovich, Christian R.; Oliver, Dominik

2015-01-01

The activity of many proteins depends on the phosphoinositide (PI) content of the membrane. E.g., dynamic changes of the concentration of PI(4,5)P2 are cellular signals that regulate ion channels. The susceptibility of a channel to such dynamics depends on its affinity for PI(4,5)P2. Yet, measuring affinities for endogenous PIs has not been possible directly, but has relied largely on the response to soluble analogs, which may not quantitatively reflect binding to native lipids. Voltage-sensitive phosphatases (VSPs) turn over PI(4,5)P2 to PI(4)P when activated by depolarization. In combination with voltage-clamp electrophysiology VSPs are useful tools for rapid and reversible depletion of PI(4,5)P2. Because cellular PI(4,5)P2 is resynthesized rapidly, steady state PI(4,5)P2 changes with the degree of VSP activation and thus depends on membrane potential. Here we show that titration of endogenous PI(4,5)P2 with Ci-VSP allows for the quantification of relative PI(4,5)P2 affinities of ion channels. The sensitivity of inward rectifier and voltage-gated K+ channels to Ci-VSP allowed for comparison of PI(4,5)P2 affinities within and across channel subfamilies and detected changes of affinity in mutant channels. The results also reveal that VSPs are useful only for PI effectors with high binding specificity among PI isoforms, because PI(4,5)P2 depletion occurs at constant overall PI level. Thus, Kir6.2, a channel activated by PI(4,5)P2 and PI(4)P was insensitive to VSP. Surprisingly, despite comparable PI(4,5)P2 affinity as determined by Ci-VSP, the Kv7 and Kir channel families strongly differed in their sensitivity to receptor-mediated depletion of PI(4,5)P2. While Kv7 members were highly sensitive to activation of PLC by Gq-coupled receptors, Kir channels were insensitive even when PI(4,5)P2 affinity was lowered by mutation. We hypothesize that different channels may be associated with distinct pools of PI(4,5)P2 that differ in their accessibility to PLC and VSPs. PMID:26150791

Genome Sequence Analysis of Vibrio cholerae clinical isolates from 2013 in Mexico reveals the presence of the strain responsible for the 2010 Haiti outbreak.

PubMed

Díaz-Quiñonez, José Alberto

2017-01-01

La primera semana de septiembre de 2013, el Sistema Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemiológica identificó dos casos de cólera en Ciudad de México. Los cultivos de ambas muestras se confirmaron como Vibrio cholerae serogrupo O1, serotipo Ogawa, biotipo El Tor. Los análisis iniciales por electroforesis por campos pulsados y por reacción en cadena de la polimerasa indicaron que ambas cepas eran similares, pero diferentes de las previamente reportadas en México. La semana siguiente se identificaron cuatro casos más en una comunidad del Estado de Hidalgo, ubicada a 121 kilómetros al noreste de Ciudad de México. Posteriormente se inició un brote de cólera en la región de La Huasteca. Los análisis genómicos de cuatro cepas obtenidas en este estudio confirmaron la presencia de las islas de patogenicidad VPI -1 y VPI-2, VSP-1 y VSP-2, y del elemento integrador SXT. La estructura genómica de los cuatro aislamientos fue similar a la de V. cholerae cepa 2010 EL-1786, identificada durante la epidemia en Haití en 2010. Este estudio pone de manifiesto que la epidemiología molecular es una herramienta muy poderosa para vigilar, prevenir y controlar enfermedades de importancia en salud pública en México. The first week of September 2013, the National Epidemiological Surveillance System identified two cases of cholera in Mexico City. The cultures of both samples were confirmed as Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor. Initial analyses by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and by polymerase chain reaction-amplification of the virulence genes, suggested that both strains were similar, but different from those previously reported in Mexico. The following week, four more cases were identified in a community in the state of Hidalgo, located 121 km northeast of Mexico City. Thereafter a cholera outbreak started in the region of La Huasteca. Genomic analyses of the strains obtained in this study confirmed the presence of pathogenicity islands VPI-1 and VPI-2, VSP-1 and VSP-2, and of the integrative element SXT. The genomic structure of the 4 isolates was similar to that of V. cholerae strain 2010 EL-1786, identified during the epidemic in Haiti in 2010. This study shows that molecular epidemiology is a very powerful tool to monitor, prevent and control diseases of public health importance in Mexico. Copyright: © 2017 SecretarÍa de Salud.

Virtual Surgical Planning: The Pearls and Pitfalls

PubMed Central

Efanov, Johnny I.; Roy, Andrée-Anne; Huang, Ke N.

2018-01-01

Objective: Over the past few years, virtual surgical planning (VSP) has evolved into a useful tool for the craniofacial surgeon. Virtual planning and computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) may assist in orthognathic, cranio-orbital, traumatic, and microsurgery of the craniofacial skeleton. Despite its increasing popularity, little emphasis has been placed on the learning curve. Methods: A retrospective analysis of consecutive virtual surgeries was done from July 2012 to October 2016 at the University of Montreal Teaching Hospitals. Orthognathic surgeries and free vascularized bone flap surgeries were included in the analysis. Results: Fifty-four virtual surgeries were done in the time period analyzed. Forty-six orthognathic surgeries and 8 free bone transfers were done. An analysis of errors was done. Eighty-five percentage of the orthognathic virtual plans were adhered to completely, 4% of the plans were abandoned, and 11% were partially adhered to. Seventy-five percentage of the virtual surgeries for free tissue transfers were adhered to, whereas 25% were partially adhered to. The reasons for abandoning the plans were (1) poor communication between surgeon and engineer, (2) poor appreciation for condyle placement on preoperative scans, (3) soft-tissue impedance to bony movement, (4) rapid tumor progression, (5) poor preoperative assessment of anatomy. Conclusion: Virtual surgical planning is a useful tool for craniofacial surgery but has inherent issues that the surgeon must be aware of. With time and experience, these surgical plans can be used as powerful adjuvants to good clinical judgement. PMID:29464146

Er:YLF-laser microperforation of the nail plate for drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belikov, Andrey V.; Skrypnik, Alexei V.; Sergeev, Andrey N.; Smirnov, Sergey N.; Tavalinskaya, Anastasia D.

2018-04-01

Laser microperforation of a human nail plate is an effective method to increase the speed of local drugs delivery in the treatment of nail diseases. In this paper we present the study results of the influence of spatial parameters of Er:YLFlaser- produced microhole array in human nail plate (the diameter of microholes and their packing density) on the rate (vsp) of 0.25 % water-alcohol solution of methylene blue penetration through a single microhole and on the time (Tmp) required for uniform distribution of this drug under the nail plate. In experiments, the diameter of microholes was 220 +/- 10 μm, 300 +/- 10 μm or 350 +/- 10 μm. The packing density for microholes of each of these diameters was 100 μholes/cm2, 400 μholes/cm2 and 950 μholes/cm2. It is shown that vsp is mainly determined by the microhole diameter, and the packing density does not have a significant influence on it. It was experimentally established that the rate vsp is maximal for microholes with 350 μm diameter at packing density of 950 μholes/cm2 and reaches a value of 6.3 μm/s, and the time Tmp is minimal and equal to 180 +/- 10 s at the same values of microhole diameter and packing density.

MASCOT - MATLAB Stability and Control Toolbox

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, Sean; Crespo, Luis

2011-01-01

MASCOT software was created to provide the conceptual aircraft designer accurate predictions of air vehicle stability and control characteristics. The code takes as input mass property data in the form of an inertia tensor, aerodynamic loading data, and propulsion (i.e. thrust) loading data. Using fundamental non-linear equations of motion, MASCOT then calculates vehicle trim and static stability data for any desired flight condition. Common predefined flight conditions are included. The predefined flight conditions include six horizontal and six landing rotation conditions with varying options for engine out, crosswind and sideslip, plus three takeoff rotation conditions. Results are displayed through a unique graphical interface developed to provide stability and control information to the conceptual design engineers using a qualitative scale indicating whether the vehicle has acceptable, marginal, or unacceptable static stability characteristics. This software allows the user to prescribe the vehicle s CG location, mass, and inertia tensor so that any loading configuration between empty weight and maximum take-off weight can be analyzed. The required geometric and aerodynamic data as well as mass and inertia properties may be entered directly, passed through data files, or come from external programs such as Vehicle Sketch Pad (VSP). The current version of MASCOT has been tested with VSP used to compute the required data, which is then passed directly into the program. In VSP, the vehicle geometry is created and manipulated. The aerodynamic coefficients, stability and control derivatives, are calculated using VorLax, which is now available directly within VSP. MASCOT has been written exclusively using the technical computing language MATLAB . This innovation is able to bridge the gap between low-fidelity conceptual design and higher-fidelity stability and control analysis. This new tool enables the conceptual design engineer to include detailed static stability and trim constraints in the conceptual design loop. The unique graphical interface developed for this tool presents the stability data in a format that is understandable by the conceptual designer, yet also provides the detailed quantitative results if desired.

Detailed study of seismic wave attenuation from four oilfields in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchaala, F.; Ali, M. Y.; Matsushima, J.

2018-02-01

In the present study, we provide a detailed study of seismic wave attenuation obtained from four oilfields. The reservoir zones of these oilfields are complicated due to complex fracture networks, the presence of tar mat and high heterogeneity of carbonate rocks of which the subsurface of Abu Dhabi is mainly composed. These complexities decrease signal-to-noise ratio and make attenuation estimation difficult. We obtained high-resolution attenuation profiles from vertical seismic profiling (VSP) and sonic waveform data. The VSP data were recorded in all four oilfields and the sonic data were acquired in the reservoir zones of oilfields I and IV. We found that the VSP scattering attenuation ({Q}{{S}{{c}}{{a}}{{t}}}-1) varies from -0.080 to 0.180 over a depth range of 400-3500 m. We attributed this significant scattering to the high heterogeneity of carbonate rocks. The scattering profiles seem to be sensitive to fractures, lithology heterogeneity and tar mat, but their effect is superimposed. The VSP intrinsic attenuation varies from -0.15 to 0.246 with high variation within each formation. Since intrinsic attenuation is closely related to fluids, we assumed that this variation is due to the non-uniform distribution of fluids caused by the complex porosity network of the subsurface. The sonic monopole attenuation ({Q}{{M}{{f}}}-1) in the reservoir zones ranges between 0.033-0.094 and dipole inline attenuation ({Q}{{I}{{n}}{{l}}}-1) ranges from 0.040-0.138. The sonic attenuation appears to be sensitive to the presence of fluid and type of fractures, where it shows high attenuation for open fractures and low attenuation for resistive fractures. The zones with high clay content display high sonic intrinsic attenuation in the reservoir of oilfield II. We explain this by the frictional movement between the clay and carbonates due to the elasticity contrast of these two materials. Therefore, the solid grain friction may be the dominant attenuation mechanism in those zones.

Synergistic modulation of KCNQ1/KCNE1 K(+) channels (IKs) by phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and [ATP]i.

PubMed

Kienitz, Marie-Cécile; Vladimirova, Dilyana

2015-07-01

Cardiac KCNQ1/KCNE1 channels (IKs) are dependent on the concentration of membrane phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2) and on cytosolic ATP by two distinct mechanisms. In this study we measured IKs and FRET between PH-PLCδ-based fluorescent PIP2 sensors in a stable KCNQ1/KCNE1 CHO cell line. Effects of activating either a muscarinic M3 receptor or the switchable phosphatase Ci-VSP on IKs were analyzed. Recovery of IKs from inhibition induced by muscarinic stimulation was incomplete despite full PIP2 resynthesis. Recovery of IKs was completely suppressed under ATP-free conditions, but partially restored by the ATP analog AMP-PCP, providing evidence that depletion of intracellular ATP inhibits IKs independent of PIP2-depletion. Simultaneous patch-clamp and FRET measurements in cells co-expressing Ci-VSP and the PIP2-FRET sensor revealed a component of IKs inhibition directly related to dynamic PIP2-depletion. A second component of inhibition was independent of acute changes in PIP2 and could be mimicked by ATP-free pipette solution, suggesting that it results from intracellular ATP-depletion. The reduction of intracellular ATP upon Ci-VSP activation appears to be independent of its activity as a phosphoinositide phosphatase. Our data demonstrate that ATP-depletion slowed IKs activation but had no short-term effect on PIP2 regeneration, suggesting that impaired PIP2-resynthesis cannot account for the rapid IKs inhibition by ATP-depletion. Furthermore, the second component of IKs inhibition by Ci-VSP was reduced by AMP-PCP in the pipette filling solution, indicating that direct binding of ATP to the KCNQ1/KCNE1 complex is required for voltage activation of IKs. We suggest that fluctuations of the cellular metabolic state regulate IKs in parallel with Gq-coupled PLC activation and PIP2-depletion. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A strategy for the application of frequency domain acoustic waveform tomography to marine Walkaway VSP data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouzidi, Y.; Takam Takougang, E. M.

2016-12-01

Two dimensional frequency domain acoustic waveform tomography was applied to walkaway VSP data from an oil field in a shallow water environment, offshore the United Arab Emirates, to form a high resolution velocity model of the subsurface around and away from the borehole. Five close parallel walkaway VSP lines were merged to form a 9 km line, with 1344 shots at 25 m shot interval and 4 m shot depth. Each line was recorded using a typical recording tool with 20 receivers at 15.1 m receiver intervals. The recording tool was deployed in a deviated borehole at different depths for each line (521-2742 m depth). Waveform tomography was performed following a specific inversion strategy to mitigate non-linearity. Three parameters were critical for the success of the inversion: the starting model obtained from traveltime tomography, the preconditioning of the input data used for amplitudes correction to remove of shear waves and noise, and a judicious selection of the time damping constant τ to suppress late arrivals in the Laplace-Fourier domain. Several values of the time damping constant were tested, and 2 values, 0.5 s and 0.8 s that suppress waveforms arriving after 1.2 s and 2 s respectively, were retained. The inversion was performed in 2 stages, with frequencies ranging from 5 Hz to 40 Hz. The values of the time damping term τ = 0.5 s and τ = 0.8 s were used in sequence for the frequencies 5-25 Hz, and τ = 0.8 s was used for the frequencies 25-40 Hz. A group of 5 frequencies at 0.5 Hz intervals were used and 6 iterations were performed. A velocity model that generally correlates well with the sonic log and estimated velocities from normal incidence VSP was obtained. The results confirmed the success of the inversion strategy. The velocity model shows zones with anomalous low velocities below 2000 m depth that correlate with known locations of hydrocarbons reservoirs. with known locations of hydrocarbon reservoirs. However, between 500 m and 1200 m depth, the velocity model appears to be slightly underestimated, which can be explained by possible elastic effects and out-of-plane structures not considered during the inversion. This result shows that acoustic waveform tomography can be successfully applied to walkaway VSP data when a good preconditioning of the input data and inversion strategy are used.

Imaging the Alpine Fault: preliminary results from a detailed 3D-VSP experiment at the DFDP-2 drill site in Whataroa, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lay, Vera; Bodenburg, Sascha; Buske, Stefan; Townend, John; Kellett, Richard; Savage, Martha; Schmitt, Douglas; Constantinou, Alexis; Eccles, Jennifer; Lawton, Donald; Hall, Kevin; Bertram, Malcolm; Gorman, Andrew

2017-04-01

The plate-bounding Alpine Fault in New Zealand is an 850 km long transpressive continental fault zone that is late in its earthquake cycle. The Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP) aims to deliver insight into the geological structure of this fault zone and its evolution by drilling and sampling the Alpine Fault at depth. Previously analysed 2D reflection seismic data image the main Alpine Fault reflector at a depth of 1.5-2.2 km with a dip of approximately 48° to the southeast below the DFDP-2 borehole. Additionally, there are indications of a more complex 3D fault structure with several fault branches which have not yet been clearly imaged in detail. For that reason we acquired a 3D-VSP seismic data set at the DFDP-2 drill site in January 2016. A zero-offset VSP and a walk-away VSP survey were conducted using a Vibroseis source. Within the borehole, a permanently installed "Distributed Acoustic Fibre Optic Cable" (down to 893 m) and a 3C Sercel slimwave tool (down to 400 m) were used to record the seismic wavefield. In addition, an array of 160 three-component receivers with a spacing of 10 m perpendicular and 20 m parallel to the main strike of the Alpine Fault was set up and moved successively along the valley to record reflections from the main Alpine Fault zone over a broad depth range and to derive a detailed 3D tomographic velocity model in the hanging wall. We will show a detailed 3D velocity model derived from first-arrival traveltime tomography. Subsets of the whole data set were analysed separately to estimate the corresponding ray coverage and the reliability of the observed features in the obtained velocity model. By testing various inversion parameters and starting models, we derived a detailed near-surface velocity model that reveals the significance of the old glacial valley structures. Hence, this new 3D model improves the velocity model derived previously from a 2D seismic profile line in that area. Furthermore, processing of the dense 3C data shows clear reflections on both inline and crossline profiles. Correlating single reflection events enables us to identify the origin of reflections recorded in the data and reveal their 3D character. This array data gives strong evidence for reflections coming from the side, possibly from the steeply dipping valley flanks. Finally, the data will be processed using advanced seismic imaging methods to derive a detailed structural image of the valley and the fault zone at depth. Thus, the results will provide a detailed basis for a seismic site characterization at the DFDP-2 drill site, that will be of crucial importance for further structural and geological investigations of the architecture of the Alpine Fault in this area.

Treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures with variable screw placement or Isola instrumentation and arthrodesis: case series and literature review.

PubMed

Alvine, Gregory F; Swain, James M; Asher, Marc A; Burton, Douglas C

2004-08-01

The controversy of burst fracture surgical management is addressed in this retrospective case study and literature review. The series consisted of 40 consecutive patients, index included, with 41 fractures treated with stiff, limited segment transpedicular bone-anchored instrumentation and arthrodesis from 1987 through 1994. No major acute complications such as death, paralysis, or infection occurred. For the 30 fractures with pre- and postoperative computed tomography studies, spinal canal compromise was 61% and 32%, respectively. Neurologic function improved in 7 of 14 patients (50%) and did not worsen in any. The principal problem encountered was screw breakage, which occurred in 16 of the 41 (39%) instrumented fractures. As we have previously reported, transpedicular anterior bone graft augmentation significantly decreased variable screw placement (VSP) implant breakage. However, it did not prevent Isola implant breakage in two-motion segment constructs. Compared with VSP, Isola provided better sagittal plane realignment and constructs that have been found to be significantly stiffer. Unplanned reoperation was necessary in 9 of the 40 patients (23%). At 1- and 2-year follow-up, 95% and 79% of patients were available for study, and a satisfactory outcome was achieved in 84% and 79%, respectively. These satisfaction and reoperation rates are consistent with the literature of the time. Based on these observations and the loads to which implant constructs are exposed following posterior realignment and stabilization of burst fractures, we recommend that three- or four-motion segment constructs, rather than two motion, be used. To save valuable motion segments, planned construct shortening can be used. An alternative is sequential or staged anterior corpectomy and structural grafting.

Adjusted linguistic validation and psychometric properties of the Colombian version of KIDSCREEN-52.

PubMed

Jaimes-Valencia, Mary Luz; Perpiñá-Galvañ, Juana; Cabañero-Martínez, Maria José; Cabrero-García, Julio; Richart-Martínez, Miguel

2018-01-01

In health and clinical studies, health-related quality of life is often assessed using the well-established KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaires as well as the Vécu et Santé Perçue de l'Adolescent (VSP-A). The purpose of this study was twofold: to perform an adjusted linguistic validation of the Colombian version of the KIDSCREEN-52 and to assess its psychometric properties in children and adolescents. A total of 146 children and adolescents completed the KIDSCREEN-52, adolescents ( n = 48) additionally completed the VSP-A. Psychometric analyses focused on the internal consistency as well as the convergent and discriminant validity of the KIDSCREEN-52 Colombian version. Syntactic and semantic modifications were made to 19 items in the adapted version of the KIDSCREEN-52. Cronbach's α ranged from .74 to .89 for eight dimensions, while α < .70 was obtained for self-perception and social acceptance. We found evidence of good convergent validity with the VSP-A dimensions. Regarding known-groups validity, children aged between 8 and 10=years, male, with a high socioeconomic level and no chronic health condition obtained higher scores compared to the other categories. The developed Colombian version of the KIDSCREEN-52 showed acceptable reliability and validity. This study provides a cultural adaptation of the Spanish version of the KIDSCREEN-52 for Colombian children and adolescents.

PARTICLE DISPLACEMENTS ON THE WALL OF A BOREHOLE FROM INCIDENT PLANE WAVES.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lee, M.W.

1987-01-01

Particle displacements from incident plane waves at the wall of a fluid-filled borehole are formulated by applying the seismic reciprocity theorem to far-field displacement fields. Such displacement fields are due to point forces acting on a fluid-filled borehole under the assumption of long wavelengths. The displacement fields are analyzed to examine the effect of the borehole on seismic wave propagation, particularly for vertical seismic profiling (VSP) measurements. When the shortest wavelength of interest is approximately 25 times longer than the borehole's diameter, the scattered displacements are proportional to the first power of incident frequency and borehole diameter. When the shortest wavelength of interest is about 40 times longer than the borehole's diameter, borehole effects on VSP measurements using a wall-locking geophone are negligible.

Phosphoinositide 5- and 3-phosphatase activities of a voltage-sensing phosphatase in living cells show identical voltage dependence

PubMed Central

Keum, Dongil; Kim, Dong-Il; Suh, Byung-Chang

2016-01-01

Voltage-sensing phosphatases (VSPs) are homologs of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate [PI(3,4)P2] and phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3] 3-phosphatase. However, VSPs have a wider range of substrates, cleaving 3-phosphate from PI(3,4)P2 and probably PI(3,4,5)P3 as well as 5-phosphate from phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI(4,5)P2] and PI(3,4,5)P3 in response to membrane depolarization. Recent proposals say these reactions have differing voltage dependence. Using Förster resonance energy transfer probes specific for different PIs in living cells with zebrafish VSP, we quantitate both voltage-dependent 5- and 3-phosphatase subreactions against endogenous substrates. These activities become apparent with different voltage thresholds, voltage sensitivities, and catalytic rates. As an analytical tool, we refine a kinetic model that includes the endogenous pools of phosphoinositides, endogenous phosphatase and kinase reactions connecting them, and four exogenous voltage-dependent 5- and 3-phosphatase subreactions of VSP. We show that apparent voltage threshold differences for seeing effects of the 5- and 3-phosphatase activities in cells are not due to different intrinsic voltage dependence of these reactions. Rather, the reactions have a common voltage dependence, and apparent differences arise only because each VSP subreaction has a different absolute catalytic rate that begins to surpass the respective endogenous enzyme activities at different voltages. For zebrafish VSP, our modeling revealed that 3-phosphatase activity against PI(3,4,5)P3 is 55-fold slower than 5-phosphatase activity against PI(4,5)P2; thus, PI(4,5)P2 generated more slowly from dephosphorylating PI(3,4,5)P3 might never accumulate. When 5-phosphatase activity was counteracted by coexpression of a phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate 5-kinase, there was accumulation of PI(4,5)P2 in parallel to PI(3,4,5)P3 dephosphorylation, emphasizing that VSPs can cleave the 3-phosphate of PI(3,4,5)P3. PMID:27222577

Seismic imaging of gas hydrate reservoir heterogeneities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jun-Wei

Natural gas hydrate, a type of inclusion compound or clathrate, are composed of gas molecules trapped within a cage of water molecules. The presence of gas hydrate has been confirmed by core samples recovered from boreholes. Interests in the distribution of natural gas hydrate stem from its potential as a future energy source, geohazard to drilling activities and their possible impact on climate change. However the current geophysical investigations of gas hydrate reservoirs are still too limited to fully resolve the location and the total amount of gas hydrate due to its complex nature of distribution. The goal of this thesis is twofold, i.e., to model (1) the heterogeneous gas hydrate reservoirs and (2) seismic wave propagation in the presence of heterogeneities in order to address the fundamental questions: where are the location and occurrence of gas hydrate and how much is stored in the sediments. Seismic scattering studies predict that certain heterogeneity scales and velocity contrasts will generate strong scattering and wave mode conversion. Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) techniques can be used to calibrate seismic characterization of gas hydrate expressions on surface seismograms. To further explore the potential of VSP in detecting the heterogeneities, a wave equation based approach for P- and S-wave separation is developed. Tests on synthetic data as well as applications to field data suggest alternative acquisition geometries for VSP to enable wave mode separation. A new reservoir modeling technique based on random medium theory is developed to construct heterogeneous multi-variable models that mimic heterogeneities of hydrate-bearing sediments at the level of detail provided by borehole logging data. Using this new technique, I modeled the density, and P- and S-wave velocities in combination with a modified Biot-Gassmann theory and provided a first order estimate of the in situ volume of gas hydrate near the Mallik 5L-38 borehole. Our results suggest a range of 528 to 768x10 6 m3/km2 of natural gas trapped within hydrate, nearly an order of magnitude lower than earlier estimates which excluded effects of small-scale heterogeneities. Further, the petrophysical models are combined with a 3-D Finite Difference method to study seismic attenuation. Thus a framework is built to further tune the models of gas hydrate reservoirs with constraints from well logs other disciplinary data.

On-road pollutant emission and fuel consumption characteristics of buses in Beijing.

PubMed

Wang, Aijuan; Ge, Yunshan; Tan, Jianwei; Fu, Mingliang; Shah, Asad Naeem; Ding, Yan; Zhao, Hong; Liang, Bin

2011-01-01

On-road emission and fuel consumption (FC) levels for Euro III and IV buses fueled on diesel and compressed natural gas (CNG) were compared, and emission and FC characteristics of buses were analyzed based on approximately 28,700 groups of instantaneous data obtained in Beijing using a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS). The experimental results revealed that NOx and PM emissions from CNG buses were decreased by 72.0% and 82.3% respectively, compared with Euro IV diesel buses. Similarly, these emissions were reduced by 75.2% and 96.3% respectively, compared with Euro III diesel buses. In addition, CO2, CO, HC, NOx, PM emissions and FC of Euro IV diesel buses were reduced by 26.4%, 75.2%, 73.6%, 11.4%, 79.1%, and 26.0%, respectively, relative to Euro III diesel buses. The CO2, CO, HC, NOx, PM emissions and FC factors all decreased with bus speed increased, while increased as bus acceleration increased. At the same time, the emission/FC rates as well as the emission/FC factors exhibited a strong positive correlation with the vehicle specific power (VSP). They all were the lowest when VSP < 0, and then rapidly increased as VSP increased. Furthermore, both the emission/FC rates and emission/FC factors were the highest at accelerations, higher at cruise speeds, and the lowest at decelerations for non-idling buses. These results can provide a base reference to further estimate bus emission and FC inventories in Beijing.

Analysis of Emission Effects Related to Drivers' Compliance Rates for Cooperative Vehicle-Infrastructure System at Signalized Intersections.

PubMed

Liao, Ruohua; Chen, Xumei; Yu, Lei; Sun, Xiaofei

2018-01-12

Unknown remaining time of signal phase at a signalized intersection generally results in extra accelerations and decelerations that increase variations of operating conditions and thus emissions. A cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system can reduce unnecessary speed changes by establishing communications between vehicles and the signal infrastructure. However, the environmental benefits largely depend on drivers' compliance behaviors. To quantify the effects of drivers' compliance rates on emissions, this study applied VISSIM 5.20 (Planung Transport Verkehr AG, Karlsruhe, Germany) to develop a simulation model for a signalized intersection, in which light duty vehicles were equipped with a cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system. A vehicle-specific power (VSP)-based model was used to estimate emissions. Based on simulation data, the effects of different compliance rates on VSP distributions, emission factors, and total emissions were analyzed. The results show the higher compliance rate decreases the proportion of VSP bin = 0, which means that the frequencies of braking and idling were lower and light duty vehicles ran more smoothly at the intersection if more light duty vehicles complied with the cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system, and emission factors for light duty vehicles decreased significantly as the compliance rate increased. The case study shows higher total emission reductions were observed with higher compliance rate for all of CO₂, NO x , HC, and CO emissions. CO₂ was reduced most significantly, decreased by 16% and 22% with compliance rates of 0.3 and 0.7, respectively.

Analysis of Emission Effects Related to Drivers’ Compliance Rates for Cooperative Vehicle-Infrastructure System at Signalized Intersections

PubMed Central

Liao, Ruohua; Yu, Lei; Sun, Xiaofei

2018-01-01

Unknown remaining time of signal phase at a signalized intersection generally results in extra accelerations and decelerations that increase variations of operating conditions and thus emissions. A cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system can reduce unnecessary speed changes by establishing communications between vehicles and the signal infrastructure. However, the environmental benefits largely depend on drivers’ compliance behaviors. To quantify the effects of drivers’ compliance rates on emissions, this study applied VISSIM 5.20 (Planung Transport Verkehr AG, Karlsruhe, Germany) to develop a simulation model for a signalized intersection, in which light duty vehicles were equipped with a cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system. A vehicle-specific power (VSP)-based model was used to estimate emissions. Based on simulation data, the effects of different compliance rates on VSP distributions, emission factors, and total emissions were analyzed. The results show the higher compliance rate decreases the proportion of VSP bin = 0, which means that the frequencies of braking and idling were lower and light duty vehicles ran more smoothly at the intersection if more light duty vehicles complied with the cooperative vehicle-infrastructure system, and emission factors for light duty vehicles decreased significantly as the compliance rate increased. The case study shows higher total emission reductions were observed with higher compliance rate for all of CO2, NOx, HC, and CO emissions. CO2 was reduced most significantly, decreased by 16% and 22% with compliance rates of 0.3 and 0.7, respectively. PMID:29329214

Visiting Scholars Program | FNLCR Staging

Cancer.gov

The Visiting Scholars Program (VSP) is a scientific partnership program that offers extramural scientists access to the intellectual capital and state-of-the-art facilities of the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR), the only na

Visiting Scholars Program | Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

The Visiting Scholars Program (VSP) provides a unique opportunity for scientists to collaborate with the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR), the only federal national laboratory in the United States devoted exclusively to b

The voltage-sensing domain of a phosphatase gates the pore of a potassium channel.

PubMed

Arrigoni, Cristina; Schroeder, Indra; Romani, Giulia; Van Etten, James L; Thiel, Gerhard; Moroni, Anna

2013-03-01

The modular architecture of voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channels suggests that they resulted from the fusion of a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) to a pore module. Here, we show that the VSD of Ciona intestinalis phosphatase (Ci-VSP) fused to the viral channel Kcv creates Kv(Synth1), a functional voltage-gated, outwardly rectifying K(+) channel. Kv(Synth1) displays the summed features of its individual components: pore properties of Kcv (selectivity and filter gating) and voltage dependence of Ci-VSP (V(1/2) = +56 mV; z of ~1), including the depolarization-induced mode shift. The degree of outward rectification of the channel is critically dependent on the length of the linker more than on its amino acid composition. This highlights a mechanistic role of the linker in transmitting the movement of the sensor to the pore and shows that electromechanical coupling can occur without coevolution of the two domains.

Gas-hydrate concentration estimated from P- and S-wave velocities at the Mallik 2L-38 research well, Mackenzie Delta, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carcione, José M.; Gei, Davide

2004-05-01

We estimate the concentration of gas hydrate at the Mallik 2L-38 research site using P- and S-wave velocities obtained from well logging and vertical seismic profiles (VSP). The theoretical velocities are obtained from a generalization of Gassmann's modulus to three phases (rock frame, gas hydrate and fluid). The dry-rock moduli are estimated from the log profiles, in sections where the rock is assumed to be fully saturated with water. We obtain hydrate concentrations up to 75%, average values of 37% and 21% from the VSP P- and S-wave velocities, respectively, and 60% and 57% from the sonic-log P- and S-wave velocities, respectively. The above averages are similar to estimations obtained from hydrate dissociation modeling and Archie methods. The estimations based on the P-wave velocities are more reliable than those based on the S-wave velocities.

Judy Creek: Successful use of offset VSP to find porosity

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

Campbell, A.; Pearcy, R.; Lee, H.

1994-12-31

In March of 1993, Imperial Oil Resources Ltd. drilled the Judy Creek 14-7-64-10w5 well. The target was porosity on the front of the Judy Creek ``A`` reef. The well encountered poor porosity development. Available surface seismic was of low resolution, so an alternative method was sought to locate better porosity. An offset VSP was acquired, and an anomaly was observed on the P-wave data at a distance of 125 meters form the well. A short radius horizontal radial was drilled from the existing wellbore and encountered porosity development at 125 meters from the well bore. Subsequently, S-wave processing was carriedmore » out. Once again, an anomaly was observed at 125 meters form the well bore. The S-waves had the additional advantage of providing better resolution of the porous zone than the P-wave image.« less

Seismic site survey investigations in urban environments: The case of the underground metro project in Copenhagen, Denmark.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martínez, K.; Mendoza, J. A.; Colberg-Larsen, J.; Ploug, C.

2009-05-01

Near surface geophysics applications are gaining more widespread use in geotechnical and engineering projects. The development of data acquisition, processing tools and interpretation methods have optimized survey time, reduced logistics costs and increase results reliability of seismic surveys during the last decades. However, the use of wide-scale geophysical methods under urban environments continues to face great challenges due to multiple noise sources and obstacles inherent to cities. A seismic pre-investigation was conducted to investigate the feasibility of using seismic methods to obtain information about the subsurface layer locations and media properties in Copenhagen. Such information is needed for hydrological, geotechnical and groundwater modeling related to the Cityringen underground metro project. The pre-investigation objectives were to validate methods in an urban environment and optimize field survey procedures, processing and interpretation methods in urban settings in the event of further seismic investigations. The geological setting at the survey site is characterized by several interlaced layers of clay, till and sand. These layers are found unevenly distributed throughout the city and present varying thickness, overlaying several different unit types of limestone at shallow depths. Specific results objectives were to map the bedrock surface, ascertain a structural geological framework and investigate bedrock media properties relevant to the construction design. The seismic test consisted of a combined seismic reflection and refraction analyses of a profile line conducted along an approximately 1400 m section in the northern part of Copenhagen, along the projected metro city line. The data acquisition was carried out using a 192 channels array, receiver groups with 5 m spacing and a Vibroseis as a source at 10 m spacing. Complementarily, six vertical seismic profiles (VSP) were performed at boreholes located along the line. The reflection data underwent standard interpretation and the refraction included wavepath Eikonal traveltime tomography. The reflection results indicate the presence of horizontal reflectors with discontinuities likely related to deep lying structural features in deeper lying chalk layers. The refraction interpretation allowed the identification of the upper limestone surface, relevant to map for tunneling design. The VSP provided additional information regarding limestone quality and provided correlation data for improved refraction interpretation. In general, the pre-investigation results demonstrated that it is possible to image the limestone surface using the seismic method. The satisfactory results lead to the implementation of a 15 km survey planned during the spring 2009. The survey will combine reflection, refraction, walkaway-VSP and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The authors wish to acknowledge Metroselskabet I/S for permission in presenting the preliminary results and the Cityringen Joint Venture partners Arup and Systra.

A molecular surveillance reveals the prevalence of Vibrio cholerae O139 isolates in China from 1993 to 2012.

PubMed

Zhang, Ping; Zhou, Haijian; Diao, Baowei; Li, Fengjuan; Du, Pengcheng; Li, Jie; Kan, Biao; Morris, J Glenn; Wang, Duochun

2014-04-01

Vibrio cholerae serogroup O139 was first identified in 1992 in India and Bangladesh, in association with major epidemics of cholera in both countries; cases were noted shortly thereafter in China. We characterized 211 V. cholerae O139 isolates that were isolated at multiple sites in China between 1993 and 2012 from patients (n = 92) and the environment (n = 119). Among clinical isolates, 88 (95.7%) of 92 were toxigenic, compared with 47 (39.5%) of 119 environmental isolates. Toxigenic isolates carried the El Tor CTX prophage and toxin-coregulated pilus A gene (tcpA), as well as the Vibrio seventh pandemic island I (VSP-I) and VSP-II. Among a subset of 42 toxigenic isolates screened by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), all were in the same sequence type as a clinical isolate (MO45) from the original Indian outbreak. Nontoxigenic isolates, in contrast, generally lacked VSP-I and -II, and fell within 13 additional sequence types in two clonal complexes distinct from the toxigenic isolates. In further pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) (with NotI digestion) studies, toxigenic isolates formed 60 pulsotypes clustered in one group, while the nontoxigenic isolates formed 43 pulsotypes which clustered into 3 different groups. Our data suggest that toxigenic O139 isolates from widely divergent geographic locations, while showing some diversity, have maintained a relatively tight clonal structure across a 20-year time span. Nontoxigenic isolates, in contrast, exhibited greater diversity, with multiple clonal lineages, than did their toxigenic counterparts.

Association of Mumps Virus V Protein with RACK1 Results in Dissociation of STAT-1 from the Alpha Interferon Receptor Complex

PubMed Central

Kubota, Toru; Yokosawa, Noriko; Yokota, Shin-ichi; Fujii, Nobuhiro

2002-01-01

It has been reported that mumps virus protein V or the C-terminal Cys-rich region of protein V (Vsp) is associated with blocking of the interferon (IFN) signal transduction pathway through a decrease in STAT-1 production. The intracellular target of the V protein was investigated by using a two-hybrid screening system with Vsp as bait. Full-length V protein and Vsp were able to bind to RACK1, and the interaction did not require two WD domains, WD1 and WD2, in RACK1. A significant interaction between V protein and RACK1 was also demonstrated in cells persistently infected with mumps virus (FLMT cells), and the formation of the complex was not affected by treatment with IFN. On the other hand, in uninfected cells, STAT-1 was associated with the long form of the β subunit of the alpha IFN receptor, and this association was mediated by the function of RACK1 as an adaptor protein. Immunoprecipitation and glutathione S-transferase pull-down experiments revealed that the association of RACK1 or mumps virus V protein with the IFN receptor was undetectable in mumps virus-infected cells. Furthermore, RACK1 interacted with mumps virus V protein with a higher affinity than STAT-1 did. Therefore, it is suggested that mumps virus V protein has the ability to interact strongly with RACK1 and consequently to bring about the disruption of the complex formed from STAT-1, RACK1, and the IFN receptor. PMID:12438593

First genotyping of Cryptosporidium spp. in pre-weaned calves, broiler chickens and children in Syria by PCR-RFLP analysis.

PubMed

Kassouha, Morshed; Soukkarieh, Chadi; Alkhaled, Abdulkarim

2016-07-30

In this study, PCR-RFLP was used for the first time in Syria for genotyping Cryptosporidium species of man, calves and chickens. The total of 391 fecal samples included 213 from children with diarrhea (<5years), 67 from pre-weaned calves with diarrhea and 111 from broiler chicken farms. All samples were collected and examined with acid fast stain to detect the positive samples. Subsequently a nested-PCR test was performed on 35 positive samples (17 from calves, 11 from chicken, and 7 from children) targeting SSU rRNA gene, and was followed by RFLP analysis using three restriction enzymes SspI, VspI and MboII. Results showed that C. parvum was the only identified species in children and calves, on the other hand C. baileyi was identified in broilers in addition to another species with unknown RFLP profile in comparison to those which have been described in chicken. Further studies using more genes are needed to sequence and detect subtypes of this parasite. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimizing the design of vertical seismic profiling (VSP) for imaging fracture zones over hardrock basement geothermal environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiser, Fabienne; Schmelzbach, Cedric; Maurer, Hansruedi; Greenhalgh, Stewart; Hellwig, Olaf

2017-04-01

A primary focus of geothermal seismic imaging is to map dipping faults and fracture zones that control rock permeability and fluid flow. Vertical seismic profiling (VSP) is therefore a most valuable means to image the immediate surroundings of an existing borehole to guide, for example, the placing of new boreholes to optimize production from known faults and fractures. We simulated 2D and 3D acoustic synthetic seismic data and processed it through to pre-stack depth migration to optimize VSP survey layouts for mapping moderately to steeply dipping fracture zones within possible basement geothermal reservoirs. Our VSP survey optimization procedure for sequentially selecting source locations to define the area where source points are best located for optimal imaging makes use of a cross-correlation statistic, by which a subset of migrated shot gathers is compared with a target or reference image from a comprehensive set of source gathers. In geothermal exploration at established sites, it is reasonable to assume that sufficient à priori information is available to construct such a target image. We generally obtained good results with a relatively small number of optimally chosen source positions distributed over an ideal source location area for different fracture zone scenarios (different dips, azimuths, and distances from the surveying borehole). Adding further sources outside the optimal source area did not necessarily improve the results, but rather resulted in image distortions. It was found that fracture zones located at borehole-receiver depths and laterally offset from the borehole by 300 m can be imaged reliably for a range of the different dips, but more source positions and large offsets between sources and the borehole are required for imaging steeply dipping interfaces. When such features cross-cut the borehole, they are particularly difficult to image. For fracture zones with different azimuths, 3D effects are observed. Far offset source positions contribute less to the image quality as fracture zone azimuth increases. Our optimization methodology is best suited for designing future field surveys with a favorable benefit-cost ratio in areas with significant à priori knowledge. Moreover, our optimization workflow is valuable for selecting useful subsets of acquired data for optimum target-oriented processing.

Real-world fuel use and gaseous emission rates for flex fuel vehicles operated on E85 versus gasoline.

PubMed

Delavarrafiee, Maryam; Frey, H Christopher

2018-03-01

Flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) typically operate on gasoline or E85, an 85%/15% volume blend of ethanol and gasoline. Differences in FFV fuel use and tailpipe emission rates are quantified for E85 versus gasoline based on real-world measurements of five FFVs with a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS), supplemented chassis dynamometer data, and estimates from the Motor Vehicle Emission Simulator (MOVES) model. Because of inter-vehicle variability, an individual FFV may have higher nitrogen oxide (NO x ) or carbon monoxide (CO) emission rates on E85 versus gasoline, even though average rates are lower. Based on PEMS data, the comparison of tailpipe emission rates for E85 versus gasoline is sensitive to vehicle-specific power (VSP). For example, although CO emission rates are lower for all VSP modes, they are proportionally lowest at higher VSP. Driving cycles with high power demand are more advantageous with respect to CO emissions, but less advantageous for NO x . Chassis dynamometer data are available for 121 FFVs at 50,000 useful life miles. Based on the dynamometer data, the average difference in tailpipe emissions for E85 versus gasoline is -23% for NO x , -30% for CO, and no significant difference for hydrocarbons (HC). To account for both the fuel cycle and tailpipe emissions from the vehicle, a life cycle inventory was conducted. Although tailpipe NO x emissions are lower for E85 versus gasoline for FFVs and thus benefit areas where the vehicles operate, the life cycle NO x emissions are higher because the NO x emissions generated during fuel production are higher. The fuel production emissions take place typically in rural areas. Although there are not significant differences in the total HC emissions, there are differences in HC speciation. The net effect of lower tailpipe NO x emissions and differences in HC speciation on ozone formation should be further evaluated. Reported comparisons of flex fuel vehicle (FFV) tailpipe emission rates for E85 versus gasoline have been inconsistent. To date, this is the most comprehensive evaluation of available and new data. The large range of inter-vehicle variability illustrates why prior studies based on small sample sizes led to apparently contradictory findings. E85 leads to significant reductions in tailpipe nitrogen oxide (NO x ) and carbon monoxide (CO) emission rates compared with gasoline, indicating a potential benefit for ozone air quality management in NO x -limited areas. The comparison of FFV tailpipe emissions between E85 and gasoline is sensitive to power demand and driving cycles.

Genetic diversity of environmental Vibrio cholerae O1 strains isolated in Northern Vietnam.

PubMed

Takemura, Taichiro; Murase, Kazunori; Maruyama, Fumito; Tran, Thi Luong; Ota, Atsushi; Nakagawa, Ichiro; Nguyen, Dong Tu; Ngo, Tu Cuong; Nguyen, Thi Hang; Tokizawa, Asako; Morita, Masatomo; Ohnishi, Makoto; Nguyen, Binh Minh; Yamashiro, Tetsu

2017-10-01

Cholera epidemics have been recorded periodically in Vietnam during the seventh cholera pandemic. Since cholera is a water-borne disease, systematic monitoring of environmental waters for Vibrio cholerae presence is important for predicting and preventing cholera epidemics. We conducted monitoring, isolation, and genetic characterization of V. cholerae strains in Nam Dinh province of Northern Vietnam from Jul 2013 to Feb 2015. In this study, four V. cholerae O1 strains were detected and isolated from 110 analyzed water samples (3.6%); however, none of them carried the cholera toxin gene, ctxA, in their genomes. Whole genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the four O1 isolates were separated into two independent clusters, and one of them diverged from a common ancestor with pandemic strains. The analysis of pathogenicity islands (CTX prophage, VPI-I, VPI-II, VSP-I, and VSP-II) indicated that one strain (VNND_2014Jun_6SS) harbored an unknown prophage-like sequence with high homology to vibriophage KSF-1 phi and VCY phi, identified from Bangladesh and the USA, respectively, while the other three strains carried tcpA gene with a distinct sequence demonstrating a separate clonal lineage. These results suggest that the aquatic environment can harbor highly divergent V. cholera strains and serve as a reservoir for multiple V. cholerae virulence-associated genes which may be exchanged via mobile genetic elements. Therefore, continuous monitoring and genetic characterization of V. cholerae strains in the environment should contribute to the early detection of the sources of infection and prevention of cholera outbreaks as well as to understanding the natural ecology and evolution of V. cholerae. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Passenger behaviors associated with norovirus infection on board a cruise ship--Alaska, May to June 2004.

PubMed

Chimonas, Marc-Andre R; Vaughan, George H; Andre, Zandra; Ames, Jaret T; Tarling, Grant A; Beard, Suzanne; Widdowson, Marc-Alain; Cramer, Elaine

2008-01-01

During May 2004, the Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP) investigated an outbreak of norovirus gastroenteritis on board a cruise ship sailing in Alaska waters. The objectives were to identify a common food item source and explore behavioral risk factors for person-to-person transmission among passengers. A case was defined as three or more episodes of loose stools within 24 hours or two or fewer episodes of loose stools accompanied by one or more episodes of vomiting. Vomitus and stool samples from affected passengers were tested for norovirus by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Environmental health officers performed an environmental investigation following VSP protocol. Questionnaires about food items consumed and behavioral risk factors were placed in cabin mailboxes (n = 2,018). A case-control study design using multivariable logistic regression tested associations between risk factors and disease. A total of 359 passengers (24.1% of respondents) met the case definition. Four of seven clinical specimens tested positive for norovirus. No significant deficiencies in environmental health practices were identified, and no meal servings were associated with disease. Having a cabin mate sick with diarrhea or vomiting [odds ratio (OR): 3.40; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.80-6.44] and using a specific women's toilet that was contaminated with vomit (OR: 5.13; 95% CI = 1.40-18.78) were associated with disease. Washing hands before meals was protective (OR: 0.25; 95% CI = 0.12-0.54) against disease. Widespread person-to-person norovirus outbreaks can occur on board cruise ships, even with appropriate environmental health practices. Programs to prevent and control norovirus outbreaks on board cruise ships should involve strategies that disrupt person-to-person spread and emphasize hand washing.

Comparative genome analysis of VSP-II and SNPs reveals heterogenic variation in contemporary strains of Vibrio cholerae O1 isolated from cholera patients in Kolkata, India

PubMed Central

Sekizuka, Tsuyoshi; Mizuno, Tamaki; Takemura, Taichiro; Yamashiro, Tetsu; Chowdhury, Goutam; Pazhani, Gururaja P.; Mukhopadhyay, Asish K.; Ramamurthy, Thandavarayan; Miyoshi, Shin-ichi; Kuroda, Makoto; Shinoda, Sumio; Ohnishi, Makoto

2017-01-01

Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease and a major public health problem in many developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Since the Bay of Bengal is considered the epicenter for the seventh cholera pandemic, it is important to understand the genetic dynamism of Vibrio cholerae from Kolkata, as a representative of the Bengal region. We analyzed whole genome sequence data of V. cholerae O1 isolated from cholera patients in Kolkata, India, from 2007 to 2014 and identified the heterogeneous genomic region in these strains. In addition, we carried out a phylogenetic analysis based on the whole genome single nucleotide polymorphisms to determine the genetic lineage of strains in Kolkata. This analysis revealed the heterogeneity of the Vibrio seventh pandemic island (VSP)-II in Kolkata strains. The ctxB genotype was also heterogeneous and was highly related to VSP-II types. In addition, phylogenetic analysis revealed the shifts in predominant strains in Kolkata. Two distinct lineages, 1 and 2, were found between 2007 and 2010. However, the proportion changed markedly in 2010 and lineage 2 strains were predominant thereafter. Lineage 2 can be divided into four sublineages, I, II, III and IV. The results of this study indicate that lineages 1 and 2-I were concurrently prevalent between 2007 and 2009, and lineage 2-III observed in 2010, followed by the predominance of lineage 2-IV in 2011 and continued until 2014. Our findings demonstrate that the epidemic of cholera in Kolkata was caused by several distinct strains that have been constantly changing within the genetic lineages of V. cholerae O1 in recent years. PMID:28192431

A pilot study of treatment of striae distensae with variable square pulse Erbium: YAG laser resurfacing.

PubMed

Wanitphakdeedecha, Rungsima; Meeprathom, Walailak; Manuskiatti, Woraphong

2017-12-01

Striae distensae (SD) are a frequent skin condition for which treatment remains a challenge. Various laser treatments have been employed to remove the epidermis and cause dermal wound and heating with subsequent dermal collagen remodeling. To determine the efficacy and safety of a variable square pulse Erbium: YAG (VSP Er:YAG) laser for the treatment of striae in skin phototypes III-IV. Twenty-one women with SD were treated monthly for 2 months with VSP Er:YAG laser resurfacing using a 7-mm spot size. One side of their striae was randomly treated with one pass of 400 mJ in short pulse (SP) mode with 50% overlapping and one pass of 2.2 J/cm 2 in smooth (SM) mode with nonoverlapping. The other side of their striae was treated with two passes of 400 mJ in SP mode with 50% overlapping. Objective and subjective assessments were obtained at baseline and 1-, 3-, and 6-month after treatment. In both SP&SM and SP only group, volume of SD measured by Visioscan VC98 reduced significantly at 6-month follow-up visit (P=.017 and P=.034, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in skin roughness (SER), skin smoothness (SESM), and surface measured by Visioscan VC98. Transient postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is the common side effect found in patients with darker skin tone even in nonsun exposure areas and can last as long as 6 months. VSP Er:YAG laser resurfacing is a promising treatment option for SD. Lower fluence should be used in patients with darker skin phototype to avoid the risk of PIH. In addition, pre- and post-treatment with topical preparations for PIH prevention may be needed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A PEMS study of the emissions of gaseous pollutants and ultrafine particles from gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Cheng; Lou, Diming; Hu, Zhiyuan; Feng, Qian; Chen, Yiran; Chen, Changhong; Tan, Piqiang; Yao, Di

2013-10-01

On-road emission measurements of gasoline- and diesel-fueled vehicles were conducted by a portable emission measurement system (PEMS) in Shanghai, China. Horiba OBS 2200 and TSI EEPS 3090 were employed to detect gaseous and ultrafine particle emissions during the tests. The driving-based emission factors of gaseous pollutants and particle mass and number were obtained on various road types. The average NOx emission factors of the diesel bus, diesel car, and gasoline car were 8.86, 0.68, and 0.17 g km-1, all of which were in excess of their emission limits. The particle number emission factors were 7.06 × 1014, 6.08 × 1014, and 1.57 × 1014 km-1, generally higher than the results for similar vehicle types reported in the previous studies. The size distributions of the particles emitted from the diesel vehicles were mainly concentrated in the accumulation mode, while those emitted from the gasoline car were mainly distributed in the nucleation mode. Both gaseous and particle emission rates exhibit significant correlations with the change in vehicle speed and power demand. The lowest emission rates for each vehicle type were produced during idling. The highest emission rates for each vehicle type were generally found in high-VSP bins. The particle number emission rates of the gasoline car show the strongest growth trend with increasing VSP and speed. The particle number emission for the gasoline car increased by 3 orders of magnitude from idling to the highest VSP and driving speed conditions. High engine power caused by aggressive driving or heavy loads is the main contributor to high emissions for these vehicles in real-world situations.

Health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression in parents of adolescents with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome: a controlled study.

PubMed

Jalenques, Isabelle; Auclair, Candy; Morand, D; Legrand, G; Marcheix, Magali; Ramanoel, Clémentine; Hartmann, Andreas; Derost, Ph

2017-05-01

Our objectives were to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL), anxiety, depression of Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) adolescents' parents compared to controls; to assess GTS adolescents' HRQoL compared to controls; to investigate which parental and adolescent variables are associated with poorer parental HRQoL. The controlled study involved GTS outpatients and their parents, adolescent healthy controls matched for gender and age and their parents. Parents' HRQoL was assessed using SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF; anxiety, depression using HADS. Adolescents' HRQoL was assessed by adolescents using VSP-A instrument and by their parents using VSP-P. A total of 75 GTS adolescents, 75 mothers, 63 fathers were compared to 75 control adolescents, 75 mothers, 62 fathers. GTS mothers had worse HRQoL than controls on 5 of the 8 SF-36 dimensions and 1 of the 4 WHOQOL-BREF dimensions, while GTS fathers had worse HRQoL on 2 of the WHOQOL-BREF dimensions. GTS mothers had poorer HRQoL than fathers. GTS mothers had more depression than control mothers and GTS fathers had more anxiety than control fathers. GTS adolescents had worse HRQoL than controls on 5 of the 9 VSP-A dimensions. Factors significantly related to parental HRQoL were anxiety, depression, GTS adolescents' HRQoL and, concerning mothers, behavioural and emotional adolescents' problems; concerning fathers, severity of vocal tics, duration since first symptoms. This study provides a better understanding of poorer HRQoL and psychiatric morbidity of GTS adolescents' parents. Clinicians should pay attention to their emotional well-being and HRQoL and be aware that mothers and fathers are differently affected.

Comparison of on-road emissions for hybrid and regular transit buses.

PubMed

Hallmark, Shauna L; Wang, Bo; Sperry, Robert

2013-10-01

Hybrid technology offers an attractive option for transit buses, since it has the potential to significantly reduce operating costs for transit agencies. The main impetus behind use of hybrid transit vehicles is fuel savings and reduced emissions. Laboratory tests have indicated that hybrid transit buses can have significantly lower emissions compared with conventional transit buses. However the number of studies is limited and laboratory tests may not represent actual driving conditions, since in-use vehicle operation differs from laboratory test cycles. This paper describes an on-road evaluation of in-use emission differences between hybrid-electric and conventional transit buses for the Ames, Iowa transit authority, CyRide. Emissions were collected on-road using a portable emissions monitoring system (PEMS) for three hybrid and two control buses. Emissions were collected for at least one operating bus day. Each bus was evaluated over the same route pattern, which utilizes the same driver. The number of passengers embarking or disembarking at each stop was collected by an on-board data collector so that passenger load could be included. Vehicle emissions are correlated to engine load demand, which is a function of factors such as vehicle load, speed, and acceleration. PEMS data are provided second by second and vehicle-specific power (VSP) was calculated for each row of data. Instantaneous data were stratified into the defined VSP bins and then average modal emission rates and standard errors were calculated for each bus for each pollutant. Pollutants were then compared by bus type. Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbon emissions were higher for the regular buses across most VSP bins than for the hybrid buses. Nitrogen oxide emissions were unexpectedly higher for the hybrid buses than for the control buses.

Comparative genome analysis of VSP-II and SNPs reveals heterogenic variation in contemporary strains of Vibrio cholerae O1 isolated from cholera patients in Kolkata, India.

PubMed

Imamura, Daisuke; Morita, Masatomo; Sekizuka, Tsuyoshi; Mizuno, Tamaki; Takemura, Taichiro; Yamashiro, Tetsu; Chowdhury, Goutam; Pazhani, Gururaja P; Mukhopadhyay, Asish K; Ramamurthy, Thandavarayan; Miyoshi, Shin-Ichi; Kuroda, Makoto; Shinoda, Sumio; Ohnishi, Makoto

2017-02-01

Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease and a major public health problem in many developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Since the Bay of Bengal is considered the epicenter for the seventh cholera pandemic, it is important to understand the genetic dynamism of Vibrio cholerae from Kolkata, as a representative of the Bengal region. We analyzed whole genome sequence data of V. cholerae O1 isolated from cholera patients in Kolkata, India, from 2007 to 2014 and identified the heterogeneous genomic region in these strains. In addition, we carried out a phylogenetic analysis based on the whole genome single nucleotide polymorphisms to determine the genetic lineage of strains in Kolkata. This analysis revealed the heterogeneity of the Vibrio seventh pandemic island (VSP)-II in Kolkata strains. The ctxB genotype was also heterogeneous and was highly related to VSP-II types. In addition, phylogenetic analysis revealed the shifts in predominant strains in Kolkata. Two distinct lineages, 1 and 2, were found between 2007 and 2010. However, the proportion changed markedly in 2010 and lineage 2 strains were predominant thereafter. Lineage 2 can be divided into four sublineages, I, II, III and IV. The results of this study indicate that lineages 1 and 2-I were concurrently prevalent between 2007 and 2009, and lineage 2-III observed in 2010, followed by the predominance of lineage 2-IV in 2011 and continued until 2014. Our findings demonstrate that the epidemic of cholera in Kolkata was caused by several distinct strains that have been constantly changing within the genetic lineages of V. cholerae O1 in recent years.

Statistical Algorithms for Designing Geophysical Surveys to Detect UXO Target Areas

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

O'Brien, Robert F.; Carlson, Deborah K.; Gilbert, Richard O.

2005-07-29

The U.S. Department of Defense is in the process of assessing and remediating closed, transferred, and transferring military training ranges across the United States. Many of these sites have areas that are known to contain unexploded ordnance (UXO). Other sites or portions of sites are not expected to contain UXO, but some verification of this expectation using geophysical surveys is needed. Many sites are so large that it is often impractical and/or cost prohibitive to perform surveys over 100% of the site. In that case, it is particularly important to be explicit about the performance required of the survey. Thismore » article presents the statistical algorithms developed to support the design of geophysical surveys along transects (swaths) to find target areas (TAs) of anomalous geophysical readings that may indicate the presence of UXO. The algorithms described here determine 1) the spacing between transects that should be used for the surveys to achieve a specified probability of traversing the TA, 2) the probability of both traversing and detecting a TA of anomalous geophysical readings when the spatial density of anomalies within the TA is either uniform (unchanging over space) or has a bivariate normal distribution, and 3) the probability that a TA exists when it was not found by surveying along transects. These algorithms have been implemented in the Visual Sample Plan (VSP) software to develop cost-effective transect survey designs that meet performance objectives.« less

Statistical Algorithms for Designing Geophysical Surveys to Detect UXO Target Areas

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

O'Brien, Robert F.; Carlson, Deborah K.; Gilbert, Richard O.

2005-07-28

The U.S. Department of Defense is in the process of assessing and remediating closed, transferred, and transferring military training ranges across the United States. Many of these sites have areas that are known to contain unexploded ordnance (UXO). Other sites or portions of sites are not expected to contain UXO, but some verification of this expectation using geophysical surveys is needed. Many sites are so large that it is often impractical and/or cost prohibitive to perform surveys over 100% of the site. In such cases, it is particularly important to be explicit about the performance required of the surveys. Thismore » article presents the statistical algorithms developed to support the design of geophysical surveys along transects (swaths) to find target areas (TAs) of anomalous geophysical readings that may indicate the presence of UXO. The algorithms described here determine (1) the spacing between transects that should be used for the surveys to achieve a specified probability of traversing the TA, (2) the probability of both traversing and detecting a TA of anomalous geophysical readings when the spatial density of anomalies within the TA is either uniform (unchanging over space) or has a bivariate normal distribution, and (3) the probability that a TA exists when it was not found by surveying along transects. These algorithms have been implemented in the Visual Sample Plan (VSP) software to develop cost-effective transect survey designs that meet performance objectives.« less

Use driving simulator to synthesize the related vehicle specific power (VSP) for emissions and fuel consumption estimations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-01-01

Driving simulator approach can readily incorporate drivers real driving behaviors, the essential parameter that influences emissions. With regard to this, this research is proposed to test and validate the feasibility and applicability of the driv...

Type of packaging affects the colour stability of vitamin E enriched beef.

PubMed

Nassu, Renata T; Uttaro, Bethany; Aalhus, Jennifer L; Zawadski, Sophie; Juárez, Manuel; Dugan, Michael E R

2012-12-01

Colour stability is a very important parameter for meat retail display, as appearance of the product is the deciding factor for consumers at time of purchase. This study investigated the possibility of extending appearance shelf-life through the combined use of packaging method (overwrapping - OVER, modified atmosphere - MAP, vacuum skin packaging - VSP and a combination of modified atmosphere and vacuum skin packaging - MAPVSP) and antioxidants (vitamin E enriched beef). Retail attributes (appearance, lean colour, % surface discolouration), as well as colour space analysis of images for red, green and blue parameters were measured over 18days. MAPVSP provided the most desirable retail appearance during the first 4days of retail display, while VSP-HB had the best colour stability. Overall, packaging type was more influential than α-tocopherol levels on meat colour stability, although α-tocopherol levels (>4μgg(-1) meat) had a protective effect when using high oxygen packaging methods. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

V390 Nor = Nova Normae 2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waagen, Elizabeth O.

2007-06-01

Nova Normae 2007 was discovered photographically by William Liller on June 15.086 UT at magnitude 9.4. Precise position measured by G. Bolt from his unfiltered CCD image of June 16.7 UT: 16:32:11.51 -45:09:13.4 (2000.0). Giorgio Di Scala reported to the AAVSO that a low-resolution spectrum indicates a nova a week or so after outburst, with strong H-alpha emission. E. Kazarovets, Sternberg Astronomical Institute, reports that N Nor 07 has been assigned the name V390 Nor. Discovery originally announced in IAU Central Bureau Electronic Telegram 982 (Daniel W. E. Green) and AAVSO Special Notice #49 (Arne Henden). Information in this Alert Notice was received at AAVSO from William Liller, Giorgio Di Scala, or via IAU Circular No. 8850, ed. Daniel W. E. Green. A chart for V390 Nor is available via the Variable Star Plotter (VSP). Go to: http://www.aavso.org/observing/charts/vsp/ and enter the name V390 NOR.

The voltage-sensing domain of a phosphatase gates the pore of a potassium channel

PubMed Central

Arrigoni, Cristina; Schroeder, Indra; Romani, Giulia; Van Etten, James L.; Thiel, Gerhard

2013-01-01

The modular architecture of voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels suggests that they resulted from the fusion of a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) to a pore module. Here, we show that the VSD of Ciona intestinalis phosphatase (Ci-VSP) fused to the viral channel Kcv creates KvSynth1, a functional voltage-gated, outwardly rectifying K+ channel. KvSynth1 displays the summed features of its individual components: pore properties of Kcv (selectivity and filter gating) and voltage dependence of Ci-VSP (V1/2 = +56 mV; z of ∼1), including the depolarization-induced mode shift. The degree of outward rectification of the channel is critically dependent on the length of the linker more than on its amino acid composition. This highlights a mechanistic role of the linker in transmitting the movement of the sensor to the pore and shows that electromechanical coupling can occur without coevolution of the two domains. PMID:23440279

Allosteric substrate switching in a voltage-sensing lipid phosphatase.

PubMed

Grimm, Sasha S; Isacoff, Ehud Y

2016-04-01

Allostery provides a critical control over enzyme activity, biasing the catalytic site between inactive and active states. We found that the Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensing phosphatase (Ci-VSP), which modifies phosphoinositide signaling lipids (PIPs), has not one but two sequential active states with distinct substrate specificities, whose occupancy is allosterically controlled by sequential conformations of the voltage-sensing domain (VSD). Using fast fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) reporters of PIPs to monitor enzyme activity and voltage-clamp fluorometry to monitor conformational changes in the VSD, we found that Ci-VSP switches from inactive to a PIP3-preferring active state when the VSD undergoes an initial voltage-sensing motion and then into a second PIP2-preferring active state when the VSD activates fully. This two-step allosteric control over a dual-specificity enzyme enables voltage to shape PIP concentrations in time, and provides a mechanism for the complex modulation of PIP-regulated ion channels, transporters, cell motility, endocytosis and exocytosis.

Allosteric substrate switching in a voltage sensing lipid phosphatase

PubMed Central

Grimm, Sasha S.; Isacoff, Ehud Y.

2016-01-01

Allostery provides a critical control over enzyme activity, biasing the catalytic site between inactive and active states. We find the Ciona intestinalis voltage-sensing phosphatase (Ci-VSP), which modifies phosphoinositide signaling lipids (PIPs), to have not one but two sequential active states with distinct substrate specificities, whose occupancy is allosterically controlled by sequential conformations of the voltage sensing domain (VSD). Using fast FRET reporters of PIPs to monitor enzyme activity and voltage clamp fluorometry to monitor conformational changes in the VSD, we find that Ci-VSP switches from inactive to a PIP3-preferring active state when the VSD undergoes an initial voltage sensing motion and then into a second PIP2-preferring active state when the VSD activates fully. This novel 2-step allosteric control over a dual specificity enzyme enables voltage to shape PIP concentrations in time, and provides a mechanism for the complex modulation of PIP-regulated ion channels, transporters, cell motility and endo/exocytosis. PMID:26878552

Aviation Particle Emissions Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wey, Chowen C. (Editor)

2004-01-01

The Aviation Particle Emissions Workshop was held on November 18 19, 2003, in Cleveland, Ohio. It was sponsored by the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) under the Vehicle Systems Program (VSP) and the Ultra- Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) Project. The objectives were to build a sound foundation for a comprehensive particulate research roadmap and to provide a forum for discussion among U.S. stakeholders and researchers. Presentations included perspectives from the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, and United States airports. There were five interactive technical sessions: sampling methodology, measurement methodology, particle modeling, database, inventory and test venue, and air quality. Each group presented technical issues which generated excellent discussion. The five session leads collaborated with their members to present summaries and conclusions to each content area.

Request for regular monitoring of the symbiotic variable RT Cru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waagen, Elizabeth O.

2014-08-01

Dr. Margarita Karovska (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) and colleagues have requested AAVSO observer assistance in their campaign on the symbiotic variable RT Cru (member of a new class of hard X-ray emitting symbiotic binaries). Weekly or more frequent monitoring (B, V, and visual) beginning now is requested in support of upcoming Chandra observations still to be scheduled. "We plan Chandra observations of RT Cru in the near future that will help us understand the characteristics of the accretion onto the white dwarf in this sub-class of symbiotics. This is an important step for determining the precursor conditions for formation of a fraction of asymmetric Planetary Nebulae, and the potential of symbiotic systems as progenitors of at least a fraction of Type Ia supernovae." Finder charts with sequence may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (http://www.aavso.org/vsp). Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. See full Alert Notice for more details and observations.

The sinkhole of Schmalkalden, Germany - Imaging of near-surface subrosion structures and faults

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadas, Sonja H.; Tschache, Saskia; Polom, Ulrich; Krawczyk, Charlotte M.

2017-04-01

In November 2010 a sinkhole of 30 m diameter and 20 m depth opened in a residential area in the village Schmalkalden, Germany, which fortunately led to damage of buildings and property only. The collapse was caused by leaching of soluble rocks in the subsurface, called subrosion. For an improved understanding of the processes leading to subrosion and sinkhole development a detailed characterization of the subsurface structures and elastic parameters is required. We used shear wave reflection seismic, which has proven to be a suitable method for high-resolution imaging of the near-surface. The village Schmalkalden is located in southern Thuringia in Germany. Since the Upper Cretaceous the area is dominated by fault tectonics, fractures and joints, which increase the rock permeability. The circulating groundwater leaches the Permian saline deposits in the subsurface and forms upward migrating cavities, which can develop into sinkholes, if the overburden collapses. In the direct vicinity of the backfilled sinkhole, five 2-D shear wave reflection seismic profiles with total length of ca. 900 m and a zero-offset VSP down to 150 m depth were acquired. For the surface profiles a 120-channel landstreamer attached with horizontal geophones and an electrodynamic micro-vibrator, exciting horizontally polarized shear waves, were used. For the VSP survey an oriented borehole probe equipped with a 3C-geophone and electrodynamic and hydraulic vibrators, exciting compression- and shear waves, were utilized. The seismic sections show high-resolution images from the surface to ca. 100 m depth. They display heterogeneous structures as indicated by strong vertical and lateral variations of the reflectors. In the near-surface, depressions are visible and zones of low seismic velocities < 180 m/s show increased attenuation of the seismic wave field. These are probably the result of the fractured underground, due to fault tectonics and the ongoing subrosion. The unstable zones are additionally characterized by a low shear modulus < 120 MPa, which is derived from density and shear wave interval velocities. The results from the 2-D reflection seismics are supplemented with results of a VSP survey in a borehole near the former sinkhole. The VSP data shows anomalies of the Vp-Vs ratio with values above 2,5. This indicates unstable zones correlated with the anomalies revealed by the 2-D sections. Possible factors for the development of the Schmalkalden sinkhole in 2010 are the presence of soluble Permian deposits, the strongly fractured underground and the identified faults.

Gas hydrate concentration estimated from P- and S-wave velocities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carcione, J. M.; Gei, D.

2003-04-01

We estimate the concentration of gas hydrate at the Mallik 2L-38 research site, Mackenzie Delta, Canada, using P- and S-wave velocities obtained from well logging and vertical seismic profiles (VSP). The theoretical velocities are obtained from a poro-viscoelastic model based on a Biot-type approach. It considers the existence of two solids (grains and gas hydrate) and a fluid mixture and is based on the assumption that hydrate fills the pore space and shows interconnection. The moduli of the matrix formed by gas hydrate are obtained from the percolation model described by Leclaire et al., (1994). An empirical mixing law introduced by Brie et al., (1995) provides the effective bulk modulus of the fluid phase, giving Wood's modulus at low frequency and Voigt's modulus at high frequencies. The dry-rock moduli are estimated from the VSP profile where the rock is assumed to be fully saturated with water, and the quality factors are obtained from the velocity dispersion observed between the sonic and VSP velocities. Attenuation is described by using a constant-Q model for the dry rock moduli. The amount of dissipation is estimated from the difference between the seismic velocities and the sonic-log velocities. We estimate the amount of gas hydrate by fitting the sonic-log and seismic velocities to the theoretical velocities, using the concentration of gas hydrate as fitting parameter. We obtain hydrate concentrations up to 75 %, average values of 43 and 47 % from the VSP P- and S-wave velocities, respectively, and 47 and 42 % from the sonic-log P- and S-wave velocities, respectively. These averages are computed from 897 to 1110 m, excluding the zones where there is no gas hydrate. We found that modeling attenuation is important to obtain reliable results. largeReferences} begin{description} Brie, A., Pampuri, F., Marsala A.F., Meazza O., 1995, Shear Sonic Interpretation in Gas-Bearing Sands, SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, 1995. Carcione, J.M. and Gei, D., Gas hydrate concentration estimated from P- and S-wave velocities at the Mallik 2L-38 research well, Mackenzie Delta, Canada, submitted to Geophysics. Gei, D. and Carcione, J.M., Acoustic properties of sediments saturated with gas hydrate, free gas and water, Geophysical Prospecting, in press. Leclarie, Ph., Cohen-Tenoudji, F., and Aguirre-Puente, J., 1994, Extension of Biot's theory of wave propagation to frozen porous media, J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 96, 6, 3753-3768.

Seismic investigations in downtown Copenhagen, Denmark

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, K.; Mendoza, J. A.; Olsen, H.

2009-12-01

Near surface geophysics are gaining widespread use in major infrastructure projects with respect to geotechnical and engineering applications. The development of data acquisition, processing tools and interpretation methods have optimized survey production, reduced logistics costs and increase results reliability of seismic surveys during the last decades. However, the use of geophysical methods under urban environments continues to face challenges due to multiple noise sources and obstacles inherent to cities. A seismic investigation was conducted in Copenhagen aiming to produce information needed for hydrological, geotechnical and groundwater modeling assessments related to the planned Cityringen underground metro project. The particular objectives were a) map variations in subsurface Quaternary and limestone properties b) to map for near surface structural features. The geological setting in the Copenhagen region is characterized by several interlaced layers of glacial till and meltwater sand deposits. These layers, which are found unevenly distributed throughout the city and present in varying thicknesses, overlie limestone of different generations. There are common occurrences of incised valley structures containing localized instances of weathered or fractured limestone. The surveys consisted of combined seismic reflection and refraction profiles accounting for approximately 13 km along sections of the projected metro line. The data acquisition was carried out using standard 192 channels arrays, receiver groups with 5 m spacing and a Vibroseis as a source at 5 m spacing. In order to improve the resolution of the data, 29 Walkaway-Vertical Seismic Profiles were performed at selected wells along the surface seismic lines. The refraction data was processed with travel-time tomography and the reflection data underwent standard interpretation. The refraction data inversion was performed twofold; a surface refraction alone and combined with the VSP data. Three general velocity layers were observed; 800-1250 m/s, 1250-1700 m/s and a high velocity layer 1700-2500 m/s with localized zones of greater velocities. The variations in the higher velocity layer provide information on limestone properties relevant for tunneling design. The Walkaway-VSP proved to be a useful tool for identifying the velocity fields corresponding to the shallow sediments and the deep sequences of limestone, thus aiding the interpretation of the surface refraction imaging. Data acquisition was planned overnight to reduce external noise impact and optimise production, and urban challenges (e.g. traffic, pipelines) were overcome. Further integrated geophysical interpretation will be done together with hydrogeological analyses, geotechnical evaluations and geological modelling. The authors acknowledge Metroselskabet I/S for permission to present these results, and the Cityringen Joint Venture partners COWI, Arup and Systra.

NON-INVASIVE DETERMINATION OF THE LOCATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF FREE-PHASE DENSE NONAQUEOUS PHASE LIQUIDS (DNAPL) BY SEISMIC REFLECTION TECHNIQUES

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

Michael G. Waddell; William J. Domoracki; Tom J. Temples

2001-12-01

This annual technical progress report is for part of Task 4 (site evaluation), Task 5 (2D seismic design, acquisition, and processing), and Task 6 (2D seismic reflection, interpretation, and AVO analysis) on DOE contact number DE-AR26-98FT40369. The project had planned one additional deployment to another site other than Savannah River Site (SRS) or DOE Hanford Site. After the SUBCON midyear review in Albuquerque, NM, it was decided that two additional deployments would be performed. The first deployment is to test the feasibility of using non-invasive seismic reflection and AVO analysis as a monitoring tool to assist in determining the effectivenessmore » of Dynamic Underground Stripping (DUS) in removal of DNAPL. The second deployment is to the Department of Defense (DOD) Charleston Naval Weapons Station Solid Waste Management Unit 12 (SWMU-12), Charleston, SC to further test the technique to detect high concentrations of DNAPL. The Charleston Naval Weapons Station SWMU-12 site was selected in consultation with National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and DOD Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southern Division (NAVFAC) personnel. Based upon the review of existing data and due to the shallow target depth, the project team collected three Vertical Seismic Profiles (VSP) and an experimental P-wave seismic reflection line. After preliminary data analysis of the VSP data and the experimental reflection line data, it was decided to proceed with Task 5 and Task 6. Three high resolution P-wave reflection profiles were collected with two objectives; (1) design the reflection survey to image a target depth of 20 feet below land surface to assist in determining the geologic controls on the DNAPL plume geometry, and (2) apply AVO analysis to the seismic data to locate the zone of high concentration of DNAPL. Based upon the results of the data processing and interpretation of the seismic data, the project team was able to map the channel that is controlling the DNAPL plume geometry. The AVO analysis located a major amplitude anomaly, which was tested using a Geoprobe{trademark} direct push system. The Geoprobe{trademark} was equipped with a membrane interface probe (MIP) that was interfaced with a sorbent trap/gas chromatograph (GC) system. Both the Photo Ionization Detector (PID) and Electron Capture Detector (ECD) on the GC exceeded the maximum measurement values through the anomaly. A well was installed to collect a water sample. The concentration of chlorinated solvents in the water sample was in excess of 500 ppm. Other amplitude anomalies located directly under an asphalt road were also tested. Both the PID and ECD were zero. It appears that editing of poor quality near-offset traces during data processing caused these anomalies. Not having the full range of source to receiver offset traces in those areas resulted in a false anomaly during AVO analysis. This phenomenon was also observed at the beginning and end of each seismic profile also for the same reason. Based upon the water samples and MIP probes, it appears that surface seismic and AVO analysis were able to detect the area of highest concentration of DNAPL.« less

Morningness-eveningness and health-related quality of life among adolescents.

PubMed

Delgado Prieto, Pedro; Diaz-Morales, Juan Francisco; Escribano, Barreno Cristina; Collado Mateo, M José; Randler, Christoph

2012-07-01

Accumulating evidence suggests that evening-type adolescents are exposed to a number of determinants that might have a negative impact on their health condition. Given that few studies have investigated the association between chronotype and quality of life measures in large samples of adolescents, the aim of this study was to assess the relationship between morningness-eveningness and health-related quality of life among 1600 adolescents (aged 12-16 years). Adolescents completed the Veçu et Santé Perçue de L'adolescent (VSP-A) and the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children (MESC). Girls and older adolescents reported worse health indicators and were more evening oriented. Evening-type adolescents obtained lower scores on vitality, physical and psychological well-being, body image, relations with parents, relations with teachers, school work and global health scale.

In vitro resistance to 5-nitroimidazoles and benzimidazoles in Giardia duodenalis: variability and variation in gene expression.

PubMed

Argüello-García, Raúl; Cruz-Soto, Maricela; Romero-Montoya, Lydia; Ortega-Pierres, Guadalupe

2009-12-01

The susceptibility of Giardia duodenalis trophozoites exposed in vitro to sublethal concentrations of metronidazole (MTZ) and albendazole (ABZ) may exhibit inter-culture (variability) and intra-culture (variation) differences in drug susceptibility. It was previously reported that MTZ-resistant trophozoites may display changes in pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) expression while changes at the beta-tubulin molecule are apparently absent in ABZ-resistant cultures. To assess the levels of gene expression of these molecules, we obtained cloned cultures growing at concentrations up to 23 microM MTZ (WBRM23) and up to 8muM ABZ (WBRA8) and gene sequence and expression of pfor and beta-tubulin loci were compared with these of drug-susceptible clone WB1. Neither the pfor nor the beta-tubulin genes showed changes at sequence level but the MTZ-resistant clones WBRM21 and WBRM23 showed up-regulation of the pfor RNA using the gdh gene as reference. By using WB1 and WBRA8 clones in representational difference analyses of gene expression (RDA) an insert referred to as ARR-VSP was selected and sequenced. It showed the highest homology to one VSP molecule in the Giardia Genome Database (orf GL50803_101765). This isogene was up-regulated in five ABZ-resistant clones and the clone WBRA8 exhibited the highest RNA expression level. When successive progenies of clones WB1, WBRM23 and WBRA8 were analyzed in Northern blot assays to detect pfor and ARR-VSP RNAs respectively, the expression patterns showed variation for both genes but it was much lower in the clone WBRA8. These results suggest that G. duodenalis cultures either susceptible or resistant to MTZ and ABZ may display variability and variation at RNA expression levels albeit these were more marked in the MTZ-resistant parasites. These data might have further implications defining major mechanisms involved in drug resistance of Giardia.

[Dynamic road vehicle emission inventory simulation study based on real time traffic information].

PubMed

Huang, Cheng; Liu, Juan; Chen, Chang-Hong; Zhang, Jian; Liu, Deng-Guo; Zhu, Jing-Yu; Huang, Wei-Ming; Chao, Yuan

2012-11-01

The vehicle activity survey, including traffic flow distribution, driving condition, and vehicle technologies, were conducted in Shanghai. The databases of vehicle flow, VSP distribution and vehicle categories were established according to the surveyed data. Based on this, a dynamic vehicle emission inventory simulation method was designed by using the real time traffic information data, such as traffic flow and average speed. Some roads in Shanghai city were selected to conduct the hourly vehicle emission simulation as a case study. The survey results show that light duty passenger car and taxi are major vehicles on the roads of Shanghai city, accounting for 48% - 72% and 15% - 43% of the total flow in each hour, respectively. VSP distribution has a good relationship with the average speed. The peak of VSP distribution tends to move to high load section and become lower with the increase of average speed. Vehicles achieved Euro 2 and Euro 3 standards are majorities of current vehicle population in Shanghai. Based on the calibration of vehicle travel mileage data, the proportions of Euro 2 and Euro 3 standard vehicles take up 11% - 70% and 17% - 51% in the real-world situation, respectively. The emission simulation results indicate that the ratios of emission peak and valley for the pollutants of CO, VOC, NO(x) and PM are 3.7, 4.6, 9.6 and 19.8, respectively. CO and VOC emissions mainly come from light-duty passenger car and taxi, which has a good relationship with the traffic flow. NO(x) and PM emissions are mainly from heavy-duty bus and public buses and mainly concentrate in the morning and evening peak hours. The established dynamic vehicle emission simulation method can reflect the change of actual road emission and output high emission road sectors and hours in real time. The method can provide an important technical means and decision-making basis for transportation environment management.

Shallow 3-D vertical seismic profiling around a contaminant withdrawal well on the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Site

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

Rector, J.; Bainer, R.; Milligan, P.

1997-01-30

One of the major problems associated with ground water contaminant remediation is well placement. Optimal-placement of wells requires an accurate knowledge of geologic structure and stratigraphy in the near surface sediments and rock (0 to 100 m). Without the development of remote imaging provided by geophysical techniques, the required spacing between treatment wells may be less than 2 m in order to be confident that all contaminant reservoirs had been remediated. One method for characterizing geologic structure and stratigraphy in the near surface is vertical seismic profiling (VSP), a technique often used on deep exploration wells to calibrate surface seismicmore » reflection data. For near-surface applications, VSP data can be acquired efficiently using an array of hydrophones lowered into a fluid-filled borehole (Milligan et al, 1997). In this paper we discuss the acquisition and processing of a 3-D VSP collected at a shallow remediation site located on the grounds of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) near Livermore, California. The site was used by the United States Navy as an air training base. At this time, initial releases of hazardous materials to the environment occurred in the form of solvents [volatile organic compounds (VOCs)] that were used for the cleaning of airplanes and their parts. Gasoline, diesel and other petroleum-based compounds are also known to have leaked into the ground. California Research and Development Company, a subsidy of Standard Oil, occupied the southeastern portion of the site from 1950 to 1954. The first releases of radioactive materials to the environment occurred at this time, with the beginning of testing of radioactive materials at the site. In 1952, LLNL acquired the site. Additional releases of VOCS, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), metals, radionuclides (primarily tritium), gasoline and pesticides have occurred since. These releases were due to localized spills, landfills, surface impoundments, disposal pits, broken sewer lines and pipes, and leaking tanks.« less

A New Family of Giardial Cysteine-Rich Non-VSP Protein Genes and a Novel Cyst Protein

PubMed Central

Birkeland, Shanda R.; Preheim, Sarah P.; Cipriano, Michael J.; McArthur, Andrew G.; Gillin, Frances D.

2006-01-01

Since the Giardia lamblia cyst wall is necessary for survival in the environment and host infection, we tested the hypothesis that it contains proteins other than the three known cyst wall proteins. Serial analysis of gene expression during growth and encystation revealed a gene, “HCNCp” (High Cysteine Non-variant Cyst protein), that was upregulated late in encystation, and that resembled the classic Giardia variable surface proteins (VSPs) that cover the trophozoite plasmalemma. HCNCp is 13.9% cysteine, with many “CxxC” tetrapeptide motifs and a transmembrane sequence near the C-terminus. However, HCNCp has multiple “CxC” motifs rarely found in VSPs, and does not localize to the trophozoite plasmalemma. Moreover, the HCNCp C-terminus differed from the canonical VSP signature. Full-length epitope-tagged HCNCp expressed under its own promoter was upregulated during encystation with highest expression in cysts, including 42 and 21 kDa C-terminal fragments. Tagged HCNCp targeted to the nuclear envelope in trophozoites, and co-localized with cyst proteins to encystation-specific secretory vesicles during encystation. HCNCp defined a novel trafficking pathway as it localized to the wall and body of cysts, while the cyst proteins were exclusively in the wall. Unlike VSPs, HCNCp is expressed in at least five giardial strains and four WB subclones expressing different VSPs. Bioinformatics identified 60 additional large high cysteine membrane proteins (HCMp) containing ≥20 CxxC/CxC's lacking the VSP-specific C-terminal CRGKA. HCMp were absent or rare in other model or parasite genomes, except for Tetrahymena thermophila with 30. MEME analysis classified the 61 gHCMp genes into nine groups with similar internal motifs. Our data suggest that HCNCp is a novel invariant cyst protein belonging to a new HCMp family that is abundant in the Giardia genome. HCNCp and the other HCMp provide a rich source for developing parasite-specific diagnostic reagents, vaccine candidates, and subjects for further research into Giardia biology. PMID:17183673

Quantitative Estimation of Seismic Velocity Changes Using Time-Lapse Seismic Data and Elastic-Wave Sensitivity Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denli, H.; Huang, L.

2008-12-01

Quantitative monitoring of reservoir property changes is essential for safe geologic carbon sequestration. Time-lapse seismic surveys have the potential to effectively monitor fluid migration in the reservoir that causes geophysical property changes such as density, and P- and S-wave velocities. We introduce a novel method for quantitative estimation of seismic velocity changes using time-lapse seismic data. The method employs elastic sensitivity wavefields, which are the derivatives of elastic wavefield with respect to density, P- and S-wave velocities of a target region. We derive the elastic sensitivity equations from analytical differentiations of the elastic-wave equations with respect to seismic-wave velocities. The sensitivity equations are coupled with the wave equations in a way that elastic waves arriving in a target reservoir behave as a secondary source to sensitivity fields. We use a staggered-grid finite-difference scheme with perfectly-matched layers absorbing boundary conditions to simultaneously solve the elastic-wave equations and the elastic sensitivity equations. By elastic-wave sensitivities, a linear relationship between relative seismic velocity changes in the reservoir and time-lapse seismic data at receiver locations can be derived, which leads to an over-determined system of equations. We solve this system of equations using a least- square method for each receiver to obtain P- and S-wave velocity changes. We validate the method using both surface and VSP synthetic time-lapse seismic data for a multi-layered model and the elastic Marmousi model. Then we apply it to the time-lapse field VSP data acquired at the Aneth oil field in Utah. A total of 10.5K tons of CO2 was injected into the oil reservoir between the two VSP surveys for enhanced oil recovery. The synthetic and field data studies show that our new method can quantitatively estimate changes in seismic velocities within a reservoir due to CO2 injection/migration.

The Lateral Organ Boundaries Domain Transcription Factor LBD20 Functions in Fusarium Wilt Susceptibility and Jasmonate Signaling in Arabidopsis1[W

PubMed Central

Thatcher, Louise F.; Powell, Jonathan J.; Aitken, Elizabeth A.B.; Kazan, Kemal; Manners, John M.

2012-01-01

The LATERAL ORGAN BOUNDARIES (LOB) DOMAIN (LBD) gene family encodes plant-specific transcriptional regulators functioning in organ development. In a screen of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) sequence-indexed transferred DNA insertion mutants, we found disruption of the LOB DOMAIN-CONTAINING PROTEIN20 (LBD20) gene led to increased resistance to the root-infecting vascular wilt pathogen Fusarium oxysporum. In wild-type plants, LBD20 transcripts were barely detectable in leaves but abundant in roots, where they were further induced after F. oxysporum inoculation or methyl jasmonate treatment. Induction of LBD20 expression in roots was abolished in coronatine insensitive1 (coi1) and myc2 (allelic to jasmonate insensitive1) mutants, suggesting LBD20 may function in jasmonate (JA) signaling. Consistent with this, expression of the JA-regulated THIONIN2.1 (Thi2.1) and VEGETATIVE STORAGE PROTEIN2 (VSP2) genes were up-regulated in shoots of lbd20 following treatment of roots with F. oxysporum or methyl jasmonate. However, PLANT DEFENSIN1.2 expression was unaltered, indicating a repressor role for LBD20 in a branch of the JA-signaling pathway. Plants overexpressing LBD20 (LBD20-OX) had reduced Thi2.1 and VSP2 expression. There was a significant correlation between increased LBD20 expression in the LBD20-OX lines with both Thi2.1 and VSP2 repression, and reduced survival following F. oxysporum infection. Chlorosis resulting from application of F. oxysporum culture filtrate was also reduced in lbd20 leaves relative to the wild type. Taken together, LBD20 is a F. oxysporum susceptibility gene that appears to regulate components of JA signaling downstream of COI1 and MYC2 that are required for full elicitation of F. oxysporum- and JA-dependent responses. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a role for a LBD gene family member in either biotic stress or JA signaling. PMID:22786889

Fracture characterization by means of attenuation and generation of tube waves in fractured crystalline rock at Mirror Lake, New Hampshire

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hardin, E.L.; Cheng, C.H.; Paillet, F.L.; Mendelson, J.D.

1987-01-01

Results are presented from experiments carried out in conjunction with the U. S. Geological Survey at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest near Mirror Lake, New Hampshire. The study focuses on our ability to obtain orientation and transmissivity estimates of naturally occurring fractures. The collected data set includes a four-offset hydrophone vertical seismic profile, full waveform acoustic logs at 5, 15, and 34 kHz, borehole televiewer, temperature, resistivity, and self-potential logs, and borehole-to-borehole pump test data. Borehole televiewer and other geophysical logs indicate that permeable fractures intersect the Mirror Lake boreholes at numerous depths, but less than half of these fractures appear to have significant permeability beyond the annulus of drilling disturbance on the basis of acoustic waveform log analysis. The vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data indicate a single major permeable fracture near a depth of 44 m, corresponding to one of the most permeable fractures identified in the acoustic waveform log analysis. VSP data also indicate a somewhat less permeable fracture at 220 m and possible fractures at depths of 103 and 135 m; all correspond to major permeable fractures in the acoustic waveform data set. Pump test data confirm the presence of a hydraulic connection between the Mirror Lake boreholes through a shallow dipping zone of permeability at 44 m in depth. Effective fracture apertures calculated from modeled transmissivities correspond to those estimated for the largest fractures indicated on acoustic waveform logs but are over an order of magnitude larger than effective apertures calculated from tube waves in the VSP data set. This discrepancy is attributed to the effect of fracture stiffness. A new model is presented to account for the mechanical strength of asperities in resisting fracture closure during the passage of seismic waves during the generation of VSPs.

Vibrio cholerae O1 epidemic variants in Angola: a retrospective study between 1992 and 2006.

PubMed

Valia, Romy; Taviani, Elisa; Spagnoletti, Matteo; Ceccarelli, Daniela; Cappuccinelli, Piero; Colombo, Mauro M

2013-01-01

Cholera is still a major public health concern in many African countries. In Angola, after a decade of absence, cholera reemerged in 1987, spreading throughout the country until 1996, with outbreaks recurring in a seasonal pattern. In 2006 Angola was hit by one of the most severe outbreaks of the last decade, with ca. 240,000 cases reported. We analyzed 21 clinical strains isolated between 1992 and 2006 from several provinces throughout the country: Benguela, Bengo, Luanda, Cuando Cubango, and Cabinda. We used two multiplex PCR assays to investigate discriminatory mobile genetic elements (MGE) [Integrative Conjugative Elements (ICEs), VSP-II, GI12, GI14, GI15, K, and TLC phages] and we compared the profiles obtained with those of different reference V. cholerae O1 variants (prototypical, altered, and hybrid), responsible for the ongoing 7th pandemic. We also tested the strains for the presence of specific VSP-II variants and for the presence of a genomic island (GI) (WASA-1), correlated with the transmission of seventh pandemic cholera from Africa to South America. Based on the presence/absence of the analyzed genetic elements, five novel profiles were detected in the epidemic strains circulating in the 1990s. The most frequent profiles, F and G, were characterized by the absence of ICEs and the three GIs tested, and the presence of GI WASA-1 and the WASA variant of the VSP-II island. Our results identified unexpected variability within the 1990s epidemic, showing different rearrangements in a dynamic part of the genome not present in the prototypical V. cholerae O1 N16961. Moreover the 2006 strains differed from the current pandemic V. cholerae O1 strain. Taken together, our results highlight the role of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in diversifying the genetic background of V. cholerae within a single epidemic.

A Preliminary Study of Pneumonia Etiology Among Hospitalized Children in Kenya

PubMed Central

Kazungu, Sidi; Morpeth, Susan C.; Gibson, Dustin G.; Mvera, Benedict; Brent, Andrew J.; Mwarumba, Salim; Onyango, Clayton O.; Bett, Anne; Akech, Donald O.; Murdoch, David R.; Nokes, D. James; Scott, J. Anthony G.

2012-01-01

Background. Pneumonia is the leading cause of childhood death in the developing world. Higher-quality etiological data are required to reduce this mortality burden. Methods. We conducted a case-control study of pneumonia etiology among children aged 1–59 months in rural Kenya. Case patients were hospitalized with World Health Organization–defined severe pneumonia (SP) or very severe pneumonia (VSP); controls were outpatient children without pneumonia. We collected blood for culture, induced sputum for culture and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and obtained oropharyngeal swab specimens for multiplex PCR from case patients, and serum for serology and nasopharyngeal swab specimens for multiplex PCR from case patients and controls. Results. Of 984 eligible case patients, 810 (84%) were enrolled in the study; 232 (29%) had VSP. Blood cultures were positive in 52 of 749 case patients (7%). A predominant potential pathogen was identified in sputum culture in 70 of 417 case patients (17%). A respiratory virus was detected by PCR from nasopharyngeal swab specimens in 486 of 805 case patients (60%) and 172 of 369 controls (47%). Only respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) showed a statistically significant association between virus detection in the nasopharynx and pneumonia hospitalization (odds ratio, 12.5; 95% confidence interval, 3.1–51.5). Among 257 case patients in whom all specimens (excluding serum specimens) were collected, bacteria were identified in 24 (9%), viruses in 137 (53%), mixed viral and bacterial infection in 39 (15%), and no pathogen in 57 (22%); bacterial causes outnumbered viral causes when the results of the case-control analysis were considered. Conclusions. A potential etiology was detected in >75% of children admitted with SP or VSP. Except for RSV, the case-control analysis did not detect an association between viral detection in the nasopharynx and hospitalization for pneumonia. PMID:22403235

Assessing the Role of ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR Transcriptional Repressors in Salicylic Acid-Mediated Suppression of Jasmonic Acid-Responsive Genes.

PubMed

Caarls, Lotte; Van der Does, Dieuwertje; Hickman, Richard; Jansen, Wouter; Verk, Marcel C Van; Proietti, Silvia; Lorenzo, Oscar; Solano, Roberto; Pieterse, Corné M J; Van Wees, Saskia C M

2017-02-01

Salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA) cross-communicate in the plant immune signaling network to finely regulate induced defenses. In Arabidopsis, SA antagonizes many JA-responsive genes, partly by targeting the ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR (ERF)-type transcriptional activator ORA59. Members of the ERF transcription factor family typically bind to GCC-box motifs in the promoters of JA- and ethylene-responsive genes, thereby positively or negatively regulating their expression. The GCC-box motif is sufficient for SA-mediated suppression of JA-responsive gene expression. Here, we investigated whether SA-induced ERF-type transcriptional repressors, which may compete with JA-induced ERF-type activators for binding at the GCC-box, play a role in SA/JA antagonism. We selected ERFs that are transcriptionally induced by SA and/or possess an EAR transcriptional repressor motif. Several of the 16 ERFs tested suppressed JA-dependent gene expression, as revealed by enhanced JA-induced PDF1.2 or VSP2 expression levels in the corresponding erf mutants, while others were involved in activation of these genes. However, SA could antagonize JA-induced PDF1.2 or VSP2 in all erf mutants, suggesting that the tested ERF transcriptional repressors are not required for SA/JA cross-talk. Moreover, a mutant in the co-repressor TOPLESS, that showed reduction in repression of JA signaling, still displayed SA-mediated antagonism of PDF1.2 and VSP2. Collectively, these results suggest that SA-regulated ERF transcriptional repressors are not essential for antagonism of JA-responsive gene expression by SA. We further show that de novo SA-induced protein synthesis is required for suppression of JA-induced PDF1.2, pointing to SA-stimulated production of an as yet unknown protein that suppresses JA-induced transcription. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Assessing Uncertainty and Repeatability in Time-Lapse VSP Monitoring of CO2 Injection in a Brine Aquifer, Frio Formation, Texas (A Case Study)

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

Nazari, Siamak; Daley, Thomas M.

2013-02-07

This study was done to assess the repeatability and uncertainty of time-lapse VSP response to CO 2 injection in the Frio formation near Houston Texas. A work flow was built to assess the effect of time-lapse injected CO 2 into two Frio brine reservoir intervals, the ‘C’ sand (Frio1) and the ‘Blue sand’ (Frio2). The time-lapse seismic amplitude variations with sensor depth for both reservoirs Frio1 and Frio2 were computed by subtracting the seismic response of the base survey from each of the two monitor seismic surveys. Source site 1 has been considered as one of the best sites formore » evaluating the time-lapse response after injection. For site 1, the computed timelapse NRMS levels after processing had been compared to the estimated time-lapse NRMS level before processing for different control reflectors, and for brine aquifers Frio1, and Frio2 to quantify detectability of amplitude difference. As the main interest is to analyze the time-lapse amplitude variations, different scenarios have been considered. Three different survey scenarios were considered: the base survey which was performed before injection, monitor1 performed after the first injection operation, and monitor2 which was after the second injection. The first scenario was base-monitor1, the second was basemonitor2, and the third was monitor1-monitor2. We considered three ‘control’ reflections above the Frio to assist removal of overburden changes, and concluded that third control reflector (CR3) is the most favorable for the first scenario in terms of NRMS response, and first control reflector (CR1) is the most favorable for the second and third scenarios in terms of NRMS response. The NRMS parameter is shown to be a useful measure to assess the effect of processing on time-lapse data. The overall NRMS for the Frio VSP data set was found to be in the range of 30% to 80% following basic processing. This could be considered as an estimated baseline in assessing the utility of VSP for CO 2 monitoring. This study shows that the CO 2 injection in brine reservoir Frio1 (the ‘C’ sand unit) does induce a relative change in amplitude response, and for Frio2 (the ‘Blue’ sand unit) an amplitude change has been also detected, but in both cases the uncertainty, as measured by NRMS indicates the reservoir changes are, at best, only slightly above the noise level, and often below the noise level of the overall data set.« less

Unusual Physical Properties of the Chicxulub Crater Peak Ring: Results from IODP/ICDP Expedition 364

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christeson, G. L.; Gebhardt, C.; Gulick, S. P. S.; Le Ber, E.; Lofi, J.; Morgan, J. V.; Nixon, C.; Rae, A.; Schmitt, D. R.

2017-12-01

IODP/ICDP Expedition 364 Hole M0077A drilled into the peak ring of the Chicxulub impact crater, recovering core between 505.7 and 1334.7 m below the seafloor (mbsf). Physical property measurements include wireline logging data, a vertical seismic profile (VSP), Multi-Sensor Core Logger (MSCL) measurements, and discrete sample measurements. The Hole M0077A peak ring rocks have unusual physical properties. Across the boundary between post-impact sediment and crater breccia we measure a sharp decrease in velocities and densities, and an increase in porosity. Mean crater breccia values are 3000-3300 m/s, 2.14-2.15 g/cm3, and 31% for velocity, density, and porosity, respectively. This zone is also associated with a low-frequency reflector package on MCS profiles and a low-velocity layer in FWI images, both confirmed from the VSP dataset. The thin (24 m) crater melt unit has mean velocity measurements of 3800-4150 m/s, density measurements of 2.32-2.34 g/cm3, and porosity measurements of 20%; density and porosity values are intermediate between the overlying impact breccia and underlying granitic basement, while the velocity values are similar to those for the underlying basement. The Hole M0077A crater melt unit velocities and densities are considerably less than values of 5800 m/s and 2.68 g/cm3 measured at an onshore well located in the annular trough. The uplifted granitic peak ring materials have mean values of 4100-4200 m/s, 2.39-2.44 g/cm3, and 11% for compressional wave velocity, density, and porosity, respectively; these values differ significantly from typical granite which has higher velocities (5400-6000 m/s) and densities (2.62-2.67 g/cm3), and lower porosities (<1%). All Hole M0077A peak-ring velocity, density, and porosity measurements indicate considerable fracturing, and are consistent with numerical models for peak-ring formation.

Effects of Attenuation of Gas Hydrate-bearing Sediments on Seismic Data: Example from Mallik, Northwest Territories, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellefleur, G.; Riedel, M.; Brent, T.

2007-05-01

Wave attenuation is an important physical property of hydrate-bearing sediments that is rarely taken into account in site characterization with seismic data. We present a field example showing improved images of hydrate- bearing sediments on seismic data after compensation of attenuation effects. Compressional quality factors (Q) are estimated from zero-offset Vertical Seismic Profiling data acquired at Mallik, Northwest Territories, Canada. During the last 10 years, two internationally-partnered research drilling programs have intersected three major intervals of sub-permafrost gas hydrates at Mallik, and have successfully extracted core samples containing significant amount of gas hydrates. Individual gas hydrate intervals are up to 40m in thickness and are characterized by high in situ gas hydrate saturation, sometimes exceeding 80% of pore volume of unconsolidated clastic sediments having average porosities ranging from 25% to 40%. The Q-factors obtained from the VSP data demonstrate significant wave attenuation for permafrost and hydrate- bearing sediments. These results are in agreement with previous attenuation estimates from sonic logs and crosshole data at different frequency intervals. The Q-factors obtained from VSP data were used to compensate attenuation effects on surface 3D seismic data acquired over the Mallik gas hydrate research wells. Intervals of gas hydrate on surface seismic data are characterized by strong reflectivity and effects from attenuation are not perceptible from a simple visual inspection of the data. However, the application of an inverse Q-filter increases the resolution of the data and improves correlation with log data, particularly for the shallowest gas hydrate interval. Compensation of the attenuation effects of the permafrost likely explains most of the improvements for the shallow gas hydrate zone. Our results show that characterization of the Mallik gas hydrates with seismic data not corrected for attenuation would tend to overestimate thicknesses and lateral extent of hydrate-bearing strata and hence, the volume of hydrates in place.

On vertical seismic profile processing

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

Tariel, P.; Michon, D.

1984-10-01

From the wealth of information which can be deduced from VSP, the information most directly comparable to well logs is considered: P-wave and S-wave interval velocity, acoustic impedance, and the velocity ratio ..gamma.. = V /SUB s/ /V /SUB p/ . This information not only allows better interpretation of surface seismic sections but also improves processing. For these results to be usable a number of precautions must be taken during acquisition and processing; the sampling in depth should be chosen in such a way that aliasing phenomena do not unnecessarily limit the spectra during the separation of upwards and downwardsmore » travelling waves. True amplitudes should be respected and checked by recording of signatures, and the interference of upwards and downwards travelling waves should be taken into account for the picking of first arrivals. The different steps in processing and the combination of results in the interpretation of surface seismic results are described with actual records.« less

Pilot study: evaluation of the use of the convergent interview technique in understanding the perception of surgical design and simulation.

PubMed

Logan, Heather; Wolfaardt, Johan; Boulanger, Pierre; Hodgetts, Bill; Seikaly, Hadi

2013-06-19

It is important to understand the perceived value of surgical design and simulation (SDS) amongst surgeons, as this will influence its implementation in clinical settings. The purpose of the present study was to examine the application of the convergent interview technique in the field of surgical design and simulation and evaluate whether the technique would uncover new perceptions of virtual surgical planning (VSP) and medical models not discovered by other qualitative case-based techniques. Five surgeons were asked to participate in the study. Each participant was interviewed following the convergent interview technique. After each interview, the interviewer interpreted the information by seeking agreements and disagreements among the interviewees in order to understand the key concepts in the field of SDS. Fifteen important issues were extracted from the convergent interviews. In general, the convergent interview was an effective technique in collecting information about the perception of clinicians. The study identified three areas where the technique could be improved upon for future studies in the SDS field.

Pilot study: evaluation of the use of the convergent interview technique in understanding the perception of surgical design and simulation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background It is important to understand the perceived value of surgical design and simulation (SDS) amongst surgeons, as this will influence its implementation in clinical settings. The purpose of the present study was to examine the application of the convergent interview technique in the field of surgical design and simulation and evaluate whether the technique would uncover new perceptions of virtual surgical planning (VSP) and medical models not discovered by other qualitative case-based techniques. Methods Five surgeons were asked to participate in the study. Each participant was interviewed following the convergent interview technique. After each interview, the interviewer interpreted the information by seeking agreements and disagreements among the interviewees in order to understand the key concepts in the field of SDS. Results Fifteen important issues were extracted from the convergent interviews. Conclusion In general, the convergent interview was an effective technique in collecting information about the perception of clinicians. The study identified three areas where the technique could be improved upon for future studies in the SDS field. PMID:23782771

The Chief Joseph Hatchery Program 2013 Annual Report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldwin, Casey; Pearl, Andrea; Laramie, Matthew; Rohrback, John; Phillips, Pat; Wolf, Keith

2016-01-01

The Chief Joseph Hatchery is the fourth hatchery obligated under the Grand Coulee Dam/Dry Falls project, originating in the 1940s. Leavenworth, Entiat, and Winthrop National Fish Hatcheries were built and operated as mitigation for salmon blockage at Grand Coulee Dam, but the fourth hatchery was not built, and the obligation was nearly forgotten. After the Colville Tribes successfully collaborated with the United States to resurrect the project, planning of the hatchery began in 2001 and construction was completed in 2013. The monitoring program began in 2012 and adult Chinook Salmon were brought on station for the first time in June 2013. BPA is the primary funding source for CJH, and the Mid-Columbia PUDs (Douglas, Grant and Chelan County) have entered into cost-share agreements with the tribes and BPA in order to meet some of their mitigation obligations. The CJH production level was set at 60% in 2013 in order to train staff and test hatchery facility systems during the first year of operation. Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery (LNFH) provided 422 Spring Chinook broodstock in June, 2013; representing the official beginning of CJH operations. In July and August the CCT used a purse seine vessel to collect 814 summer/fall Chinook as broodstock that were a continuation and expansion of the previous Similkameen Pond program. In-hatchery survival for most life stages exceeded survival targets and, as of April 2014, the program was on track to exceed the 60% production target for its start-up year. The CJH monitoring project collected field data to determine Chinook population status, trend, and hatchery effectiveness centered on five major activities; 1) rotary screw traps (juvenile outmigration, natural-origin smolt PIT tagging) 2) beach seine (naturalorigin smolt PIT tagging) 3) lower Okanogan adult fish pilot weir (adult escapement, proportion of hatchery-origin spawners [pHOS], broodstock) 4) spawning ground surveys (redd and carcass surveys)(viable salmonid population [VSP] parameters) 5) eDNA collection (VSP parameter—distribution/spatial structure). Adult summer/fall Chinook spawning escapement in 2013 was estimated to be 8,193, with more than 6,227 natural-origin spawners, which exceeded the recent five year and long term averages. The values for pHOS (0.24) and proportion of natural influence (PNI) (0.79) in 2013 exceeded the objectives (0.67), but the five year averages fell short of the goals (0.39 and 0.62, respectively). An Annual Program Review (APR) was held in March, 2014 to share hatchery production and monitoring data, review the salmon forecast for the upcoming year, and develop action plans for the hatchery, selective harvest, and monitoring projects. Based on a strong pre-season forecast of 67,500 Upper Columbia summer/fall Chinook, the plan for 2014 is to operate the hatchery at full program levels of 2 million summer/fall Chinook and 900,000 spring Chinook. To maximize PNI, broodstock for the integrated program should Chief Joseph Hatchery Program 2013 Annual Report 3 be 100% natural-origin broodstock (NOB) and CCT should plan to harvest their full allocation with the selective harvest program removing as many adult hatchery Chinook as possible with the purse seine, the weir, and at the hatchery ladder.

Novel memory architecture for video signal processor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hung, Jen-Sheng; Lin, Chia-Hsing; Jen, Chein-Wei

1993-11-01

An on-chip memory architecture for video signal processor (VSP) is proposed. This memory structure is a two-level design for the different data locality in video applications. The upper level--Memory A provides enough storage capacity to reduce the impact on the limitation of chip I/O bandwidth, and the lower level--Memory B provides enough data parallelism and flexibility to meet the requirements of multiple reconfigurable pipeline function units in a single VSP chip. The needed memory size is decided by the memory usage analysis for video algorithms and the number of function units. Both levels of memory adopted a dual-port memory scheme to sustain the simultaneous read and write operations. Especially, Memory B uses multiple one-read-one-write memory banks to emulate the real multiport memory. Therefore, one can change the configuration of Memory B to several sets of memories with variable read/write ports by adjusting the bus switches. Then the numbers of read ports and write ports in proposed memory can meet requirement of data flow patterns in different video coding algorithms. We have finished the design of a prototype memory design using 1.2- micrometers SPDM SRAM technology and will fabricated it through TSMC, in Taiwan.

A chloroplast lipoxygenase is required for wound-induced jasmonic acid accumulation in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Bell, E; Creelman, R A; Mullet, J E

1995-09-12

Plant lipoxygenases are thought to be involved in the biosynthesis of lipid-derived signaling molecules. The potential involvement of a specific Arabidopsis thaliana lipoxygenase isozyme, LOX2, in the biosynthesis of the plant growth regulators jasmonic acid (JA) and abscisic acid was investigated. Our characterization of LOX2 indicates that the protein is targeted to chloroplasts. The physiological role of this chloroplast lipoxygenase was analyzed in transgenic plants where cosuppression reduced LOX2 accumulation. The reduction in LOX2 levels caused no obvious changes in plant growth or in the accumulation of abscisic acid. However, the wound-induced accumulation of JA observed in control plants was absent in leaves of transgenic plants that lacked LOX2. Thus, LOX2 is required for the wound-induced synthesis of the plant growth regulator JA in leaves. We also examined the expression of a wound- and JA-inducible Arabidopsis gene, vsp, in transgenic and control plants. Leaves of transgenic plants lacking LOX2 accumulated less vsp mRNA than did control leaves in response to wounding. This result suggests that wound-induced JA (or some other LOX2-requiring component of the wound response pathway) is involved in the wound-induced regulation of this gene.

Cryptosporidium canis in Two Mexican Toddlers.

PubMed

González-Díaz, Mariana; Urrea-Quezada, Alejandro; Villegas-Gómez, Isaac; Durazo, María; Garibay-Escobar, Adriana; Hernández, Jesús; Xiao, Lihua; Valenzuela, Olivia

2016-11-01

Cryptosporidium canis is reported for the first time in 2 toddlers in Northwestern Mexico. The 2 toddlers (33 and 34 months old) were symptomatic at diagnosis, presenting diarrhea and fever, and 1 case presented chronic malnutrition. Both toddlers were HIV-negative. C. canis was identified by SspI and VspI restriction enzyme digestion of the 18S rRNA polymerase chain reaction products and confirmed by sequence analysis.

Multistage Pulse Tube Refrigeration Characterization of the Northrop Grumman High Capacity Cooler - An Update

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

Additional information on AIP Conf. Proc. Journal Homepage: http://proceedings.aip.org/ Journal Information: http://proceedings.aip.org/about...coolers would make comparing temperature and load data virtually meaningless. One solution as presented by Razani [4] is to compare exergy vs...P Q ,=η (2) Where exercoolingQ , is the total exergy delivered to all refrigerated reservoirs and

Elastic full-waveform inversion and parameterization analysis applied to walk-away vertical seismic profile data for unconventional (heavy oil) reservoir characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Wenyong; Innanen, Kristopher A.; Geng, Yu

2018-03-01

Seismic full-waveform inversion (FWI) methods hold strong potential to recover multiple subsurface elastic properties for hydrocarbon reservoir characterization. Simultaneously updating multiple physical parameters introduces the problem of interparameter tradeoff, arising from the covariance between different physical parameters, which increases nonlinearity and uncertainty of multiparameter FWI. The coupling effects of different physical parameters are significantly influenced by model parameterization and acquisition arrangement. An appropriate choice of model parameterization is critical to successful field data applications of multiparameter FWI. The objective of this paper is to examine the performance of various model parameterizations in isotropic-elastic FWI with walk-away vertical seismic profile (W-VSP) dataset for unconventional heavy oil reservoir characterization. Six model parameterizations are considered: velocity-density (α, β and ρ΄), modulus-density (κ, μ and ρ), Lamé-density (λ, μ΄ and ρ‴), impedance-density (IP, IS and ρ″), velocity-impedance-I (α΄, β΄ and I_P^'), and velocity-impedance-II (α″, β″ and I_S^'). We begin analyzing the interparameter tradeoff by making use of scattering radiation patterns, which is a common strategy for qualitative parameter resolution analysis. In this paper, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the scattering radiation patterns and recommend that interparameter tradeoffs be evaluated using interparameter contamination kernels, which provide quantitative, second-order measurements of the interparameter contaminations and can be constructed efficiently with an adjoint-state approach. Synthetic W-VSP isotropic-elastic FWI experiments in the time domain verify our conclusions about interparameter tradeoffs for various model parameterizations. Density profiles are most strongly influenced by the interparameter contaminations; depending on model parameterization, the inverted density profile can be over-estimated, under-estimated or spatially distorted. Among the six cases, only the velocity-density parameterization provides stable and informative density features not included in the starting model. Field data applications of multicomponent W-VSP isotropic-elastic FWI in the time domain were also carried out. The heavy oil reservoir target zone, characterized by low α-to-β ratios and low Poisson's ratios, can be identified clearly with the inverted isotropic-elastic parameters.

Fluid Substitution Modeling to Determine Sensitivity of 3D Vertical Seismic Profile Data to Injected CO­2­ at an active Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage Project, Farnsworth field, TX.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haar, K. K.; Balch, R. S.

2015-12-01

The Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration monitors a CO2 capture, utilization and storage project at Farnsworth field, TX. The reservoir interval is a Morrowan age fluvial sand deposited in an incised valley. The sands are between 10 to 25m thick and located about 2800m below the surface. Primary oil recovery began in 1958 and by the late 1960's secondary recovery through waterflooding was underway. In 2009, Chaparral Energy began tertiary recovery using 100% anthropogenic CO2 sourced from an ethanol and a fertilizer plant. This constitutes carbon sequestration and fulfills the DOE's initiative to determine the best approach to permanent carbon storage. One purpose of the study is to understand CO­2 migration from injection wells. CO2­ plume spatial distribution for this project is analyzed with the use of time-lapse 3D vertical seismic profiles centered on CO2 injection wells. They monitor raypaths traveling in a single direction compared to surface seismic surveys with raypaths traveling in both directions. 3D VSP surveys can image up to 1.5km away from the well of interest, exceeding regulatory requirements for maximum plume extent by a factor of two. To optimize the timing of repeat VSP acquisition, the sensitivity of the 3D VSP surveys to CO2 injection was analyzed to determine at what injection volumes a seismic response to the injected CO­2 will be observable. Static geologic models were generated for pre-CO2 and post-CO2 reservoir states through construction of fine scale seismic based geologic models, which were then history matched via flow simulations. These generated static states of the model, where CO2­ replaces oil and brine in pore spaces, allow for generation of impedance volumes which when convolved with a representative wavelet generate synthetic seismic volumes used in the sensitivity analysis. Funding for the project is provided by DOE's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) under Award No. DE-FC26-05NT42591.

Elastic full-waveform inversion and parameterization analysis applied to walk-away vertical seismic profile data for unconventional (heavy oil) reservoir characterization

DOE PAGES

Pan, Wenyong; Innanen, Kristopher A.; Geng, Yu

2018-03-06

We report seismic full-waveform inversion (FWI) methods hold strong potential to recover multiple subsurface elastic properties for hydrocarbon reservoir characterization. Simultaneously updating multiple physical parameters introduces the problem of interparameter tradeoff, arising from the covariance between different physical parameters, which increases nonlinearity and uncertainty of multiparameter FWI. The coupling effects of different physical parameters are significantly influenced by model parameterization and acquisition arrangement. An appropriate choice of model parameterization is critical to successful field data applications of multiparameter FWI. The objective of this paper is to examine the performance of various model parameterizations in isotropic-elastic FWI with walk-away vertical seismicmore » profile (W-VSP) dataset for unconventional heavy oil reservoir characterization. Six model parameterizations are considered: velocity-density (α, β and ρ'), modulus-density (κ, μ and ρ), Lamé-density (λ, μ' and ρ'''), impedance-density (IP, IS and ρ''), velocity-impedance-I (α', β' and I' P), and velocity-impedance-II (α'', β'' and I'S). We begin analyzing the interparameter tradeoff by making use of scattering radiation patterns, which is a common strategy for qualitative parameter resolution analysis. In this paper, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the scattering radiation patterns and recommend that interparameter tradeoffs be evaluated using interparameter contamination kernels, which provide quantitative, second-order measurements of the interparameter contaminations and can be constructed efficiently with an adjoint-state approach. Synthetic W-VSP isotropic-elastic FWI experiments in the time domain verify our conclusions about interparameter tradeoffs for various model parameterizations. Density profiles are most strongly influenced by the interparameter contaminations; depending on model parameterization, the inverted density profile can be over-estimated, under-estimated or spatially distorted. Among the six cases, only the velocity-density parameterization provides stable and informative density features not included in the starting model. Field data applications of multicomponent W-VSP isotropic-elastic FWI in the time domain were also carried out. Finally, the heavy oil reservoir target zone, characterized by low α-to-β ratios and low Poisson’s ratios, can be identified clearly with the inverted isotropic-elastic parameters.« less

Elastic full-waveform inversion and parameterization analysis applied to walk-away vertical seismic profile data for unconventional (heavy oil) reservoir characterization

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

Pan, Wenyong; Innanen, Kristopher A.; Geng, Yu

We report seismic full-waveform inversion (FWI) methods hold strong potential to recover multiple subsurface elastic properties for hydrocarbon reservoir characterization. Simultaneously updating multiple physical parameters introduces the problem of interparameter tradeoff, arising from the covariance between different physical parameters, which increases nonlinearity and uncertainty of multiparameter FWI. The coupling effects of different physical parameters are significantly influenced by model parameterization and acquisition arrangement. An appropriate choice of model parameterization is critical to successful field data applications of multiparameter FWI. The objective of this paper is to examine the performance of various model parameterizations in isotropic-elastic FWI with walk-away vertical seismicmore » profile (W-VSP) dataset for unconventional heavy oil reservoir characterization. Six model parameterizations are considered: velocity-density (α, β and ρ'), modulus-density (κ, μ and ρ), Lamé-density (λ, μ' and ρ'''), impedance-density (IP, IS and ρ''), velocity-impedance-I (α', β' and I' P), and velocity-impedance-II (α'', β'' and I'S). We begin analyzing the interparameter tradeoff by making use of scattering radiation patterns, which is a common strategy for qualitative parameter resolution analysis. In this paper, we discuss the advantages and limitations of the scattering radiation patterns and recommend that interparameter tradeoffs be evaluated using interparameter contamination kernels, which provide quantitative, second-order measurements of the interparameter contaminations and can be constructed efficiently with an adjoint-state approach. Synthetic W-VSP isotropic-elastic FWI experiments in the time domain verify our conclusions about interparameter tradeoffs for various model parameterizations. Density profiles are most strongly influenced by the interparameter contaminations; depending on model parameterization, the inverted density profile can be over-estimated, under-estimated or spatially distorted. Among the six cases, only the velocity-density parameterization provides stable and informative density features not included in the starting model. Field data applications of multicomponent W-VSP isotropic-elastic FWI in the time domain were also carried out. Finally, the heavy oil reservoir target zone, characterized by low α-to-β ratios and low Poisson’s ratios, can be identified clearly with the inverted isotropic-elastic parameters.« less

Elastic full-waveform inversion and parametrization analysis applied to walk-away vertical seismic profile data for unconventional (heavy oil) reservoir characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Wenyong; Innanen, Kristopher A.; Geng, Yu

2018-06-01

Seismic full-waveform inversion (FWI) methods hold strong potential to recover multiple subsurface elastic properties for hydrocarbon reservoir characterization. Simultaneously updating multiple physical parameters introduces the problem of interparameter trade-off, arising from the simultaneous variations of different physical parameters, which increase the nonlinearity and uncertainty of multiparameter FWI. The coupling effects of different physical parameters are significantly influenced by model parametrization and acquisition arrangement. An appropriate choice of model parametrization is important to successful field data applications of multiparameter FWI. The objective of this paper is to examine the performance of various model parametrizations in isotropic-elastic FWI with walk-away vertical seismic profile (W-VSP) data for unconventional heavy oil reservoir characterization. Six model parametrizations are considered: velocity-density (α, β and ρ΄), modulus-density (κ, μ and ρ), Lamé-density (λ, μ΄ and ρ‴), impedance-density (IP, IS and ρ″), velocity-impedance-I (α΄, β΄ and I_P^' }) and velocity-impedance-II (α″, β″ and I_S^' }). We begin analysing the interparameter trade-off by making use of scattering radiation patterns, which is a common strategy for qualitative parameter resolution analysis. We discuss the advantages and limitations of the scattering radiation patterns and recommend that interparameter trade-offs be evaluated using interparameter contamination kernels, which provide quantitative, second-order measurements of the interparameter contaminations and can be constructed efficiently with an adjoint-state approach. Synthetic W-VSP isotropic-elastic FWI experiments in the time domain verify our conclusions about interparameter trade-offs for various model parametrizations. Density profiles are most strongly influenced by the interparameter contaminations; depending on model parametrization, the inverted density profile can be overestimated, underestimated or spatially distorted. Among the six cases, only the velocity-density parametrization provides stable and informative density features not included in the starting model. Field data applications of multicomponent W-VSP isotropic-elastic FWI in the time domain were also carried out. The heavy oil reservoir target zone, characterized by low α-to-β ratios and low Poisson's ratios, can be identified clearly with the inverted isotropic-elastic parameters.

Site Characterization for CO 2 Storage from Coal-fired Power Facilities in the Black Warrior Basin of Alabama

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

Clark, Peter E.; Pashin, Jack; Carlson, Eric

2013-11-29

Coal-fired power plants produce large quantities of carbon dioxide. In order to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions from these power plants, it is necessary to separate and store the carbon dioxide. Saline formations provide a potential sink for carbon dioxide and delineating the capacity of the various known saline formations is a key part of building a storage inventory. As part of this effort, a project was undertaken to access the storage capacity of saline reservoirs in the Black Warrior Basin of Alabama. This basin has been a productive oil and gas reservoir that is well characterized to the westmore » of the two major coal-fired power plants that are north of Birmingham. The saline zones were thought to extend as far east as the Sequatchie Anticline which is just east of the power plants. There is no oil or gas production in the area surrounding the power plants so little is known about the formations in that area. A geologic characterization well was drilled on the Gorgas Power Plant site, which is the farthest west of two power plants in the area. The well was planned to be drilled to approximately 8,000 feet, but drilling was halted at approximately 5,000 feet when a prolific freshwater zone was penetrated. During drilling, a complete set of cores through all of the potential injection zones and the seals above these zones were acquired. A complete set of openhole logs were run along with a vertical seismic profile (VSP). Before drilling started two approximately perpendicular seismic lines were run and later correlated with the VSP. While the zones that were expected were found at approximately the predicted depths, the zones that are typically saline through the reservoir were found to be saturated with a light crude oil. Unfortunately, both the porosity and permeability of these zones were small enough that no meaningful hydrocarbon production would be expected even with carbon dioxide flooding. While this part of the basin was found to be unsuitable for carbon dioxide injection, there is still a large storage capacity in the basin to the west of the power plants. It will, however, require pipeline construction to transport the carbon dioxide to the injection sites.« less

Neural correlates of behavior therapy for Tourette's disorder.

PubMed

Deckersbach, Thilo; Chou, Tina; Britton, Jennifer C; Carlson, Lindsay E; Reese, Hannah E; Siev, Jedidiah; Scahill, Lawrence; Piacentini, John C; Woods, Douglas W; Walkup, John T; Peterson, Alan L; Dougherty, Darin D; Wilhelm, Sabine

2014-12-30

Tourette's disorder, also called Tourette syndrome (TS), is characterized by motor and vocal tics that can cause significant impairment in daily functioning. Tics are believed to be due to failed inhibition of both associative and motor cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical pathways. Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), which is an extension of Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT), teaches patients to become more aware of sensations that reliably precede tics (premonitory urges) and to initiate competing movements that inhibit the occurrence of tics. In this study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural changes associated with CBIT treatment in subjects with TS. Eight subjects with TS were matched with eight healthy controls in gender, education, age, and handedness. Subjects completed the Visuospatial Priming (VSP) task, a measure of response inhibition, during fMRI scanning before and after CBIT treatment (or waiting period for controls). For TS subjects, we found a significant decrease in striatal (putamen) activation from pre- to post-treatment. Change in VSP task-related activation from pre- to post-treatment in Brodmann's area 47 (the inferior frontal gyrus) was negatively correlated with changes in tic severity. CBIT may promote normalization of aberrant cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical associative and motor pathways in individuals with TS. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Downhole measurements in the AND-1B borehole, ANDRILL McMurdo Ice Shelf Project, Antarctica

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morin, R.; Williams, T.; Henrys, S.; Crosby, T.; Hansaraj, D.

2007-01-01

A comprehensive set of downhole measurements was collected in the AND-1B drillhole as part of the on-ice scientific programme defined for the McMurdo Ice Shelf (MIS) Project. Geophysical logs were recorded over two operation phases and consisted of calliper, temperature, fluid conductivity, induction resistivity, magnetic susceptibility, natural gamma activity, acoustic televiewer, borehole deviation, and dipmeter. In addition, two standard vertical seismic profiles (VSP) and one walk-away VSP were obtained. Radioactive logs (porosity and density) were not run because of unstable borehole conditions. Although the total depth of the hole is 1285 metres below seafloor (mbsf), the depth range for in situ measurements was limited by the length of the wireline (1018 mbsf) and by the nullification of some geophysical logs due to the presence of steel casing. A depth correction was derived to account for systematic discrepancies in depth between downhole measurements and cores; consequently, log responses can be directly compared to core properties. The resulting data are amenable to studies of cyclicity and climate, heat flux and fluid flow, and stricture and stress. When integrated with physical properties and fractures measured on the core, this information should play a significant role in addressing many of the scientific objectives of the ANDRILL programme.

Traveltime inversion and error analysis for layered anisotropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Fan; Zhou, Hua-wei

2011-02-01

While tilted transverse isotropy (TTI) is a good approximation of the velocity structure for many dipping and fractured strata, it is still challenging to estimate anisotropic depth models even when the tilted angle is known. With the assumption of weak anisotropy, we present a TTI traveltime inversion approach for models consisting of several thickness-varying layers where the anisotropic parameters are constant for each layer. For each model layer the inversion variables consist of the anisotropic parameters ɛ and δ, the tilted angle φ of its symmetry axis, layer velocity along the symmetry axis, and thickness variation of the layer. Using this method and synthetic data, we evaluate the effects of errors in some of the model parameters on the inverted values of the other parameters in crosswell and Vertical Seismic Profile (VSP) acquisition geometry. The analyses show that the errors in the layer symmetry axes sensitively affect the inverted values of other parameters, especially δ. However, the impact of errors in δ on the inversion of other parameters is much less than the impact on δ from the errors in other parameters. Hence, a practical strategy is first to invert for the most error-tolerant parameter layer velocity, then progressively invert for ɛ in crosswell geometry or δ in VSP geometry.

A chloroplast lipoxygenase is required for wound-induced jasmonic acid accumulation in Arabidopsis.

PubMed Central

Bell, E; Creelman, R A; Mullet, J E

1995-01-01

Plant lipoxygenases are thought to be involved in the biosynthesis of lipid-derived signaling molecules. The potential involvement of a specific Arabidopsis thaliana lipoxygenase isozyme, LOX2, in the biosynthesis of the plant growth regulators jasmonic acid (JA) and abscisic acid was investigated. Our characterization of LOX2 indicates that the protein is targeted to chloroplasts. The physiological role of this chloroplast lipoxygenase was analyzed in transgenic plants where cosuppression reduced LOX2 accumulation. The reduction in LOX2 levels caused no obvious changes in plant growth or in the accumulation of abscisic acid. However, the wound-induced accumulation of JA observed in control plants was absent in leaves of transgenic plants that lacked LOX2. Thus, LOX2 is required for the wound-induced synthesis of the plant growth regulator JA in leaves. We also examined the expression of a wound- and JA-inducible Arabidopsis gene, vsp, in transgenic and control plants. Leaves of transgenic plants lacking LOX2 accumulated less vsp mRNA than did control leaves in response to wounding. This result suggests that wound-induced JA (or some other LOX2-requiring component of the wound response pathway) is involved in the wound-induced regulation of this gene. Images Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 PMID:7567995

Oil Recovery Enhancement from Fractured, Low Permeability Reservoirs. [Carbonated Water

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Poston, S. W.

1991-01-01

The results of the investigative efforts for this jointly funded DOE-State of Texas research project achieved during the 1990-1991 year may be summarized as follows: Geological Characterization - Detailed maps of the development and hierarchical nature the fracture system exhibited by Austin Chalk outcrops were prepared. The results of these efforts were directly applied to the development of production decline type curves applicable to a dual-fracture-matrix flow system. Analysis of production records obtained from Austin Chalk operators illustrated the utility of these type curves to determine relative fracture/matrix contributions and extent. Well-log response in Austin Chalk wells has been shown to be a reliable indicator of organic maturity. Shear-wave splitting concepts were used to estimate fracture orientations from Vertical Seismic Profile, VSP data. Several programs were written to facilitate analysis of the data. The results of these efforts indicated fractures could be detected with VSP seismic methods. Development of the EOR Imbibition Process - Laboratory displacement as well as Magnetic Resonance Imaging, MRI and Computed Tomography, CT imaging studies have shown the carbonated water-imbibition displacement process significantly accelerates and increases recovery from oil saturated, low permeability rocks. Field Tests - Two operators amenable to conducting a carbonated water flood test on an Austin Chalk well have been identified. Feasibility studies are presently underway.

Mapping Antigenic Sites of an Immunodominant Surface Lipoprotein of Mycoplasma agalactiae, AvgC, with the Use of Synthetic Peptides

PubMed Central

Santona, Antonella; Carta, Franco; Fraghí, Peppinetta; Turrini, Franco

2002-01-01

As a first step toward the design of an epitope vaccine to prevent contagious agalactia, the strongly immunogenic 55-kDa protein of Mycoplasma agalactiae was studied and found to correspond to the AvgC protein encoded by the avgC gene. The avg genes of M. agalactiae, which encode four variable surface lipoproteins, display a significant homology to the vsp (variable membrane surface lipoproteins) genes of the bovine pathogen Mycoplasma bovis at their promoter region as well as their N-terminus-encoding regions. Some members of the Vsp family are known to be involved in cytoadhesion to host cells. In order to localize immunogenic peptides in the AvgC antigen, the protein sequence was submitted to epitope prediction analysis, and five sets of overlapping peptides, corresponding to five selected regions, were synthesized by Spot synthesis. Reactive peptides were selected by immunobinding assay with sera from infected sheep. The three most immunogenic epitopes were shown to be surface exposed by immunoprecipitation assays, and one of these was specifically recognized by all tested sera. Our study indicates that selected epitopes of the AvgC lipoprotein may be used to develop a peptide-based vaccine which is effective against M. agalactiae infection. PMID:11748179

Imaging Faults in Carbonate Reservoir using Full Waveform Inversion and Reverse Time Migration of Walkaway VSP Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takam Takougang, E. M.; Bouzidi, Y.

2016-12-01

Multi-offset Vertical Seismic Profile (walkaway VSP) data were collected in an oil field located in a shallow water environment dominated by carbonate rocks, offshore the United Arab Emirates. The purpose of the survey was to provide structural information of the reservoir, around and away from the borehole. Five parallel lines were collected using an air gun at 25 m shot interval and 4 m source depth. A typical recording tool with 20 receivers spaced every 15.1 m, and located in a deviated borehole with an angle varying between 0 and 24 degree from the vertical direction, was used to record the data. The recording tool was deployed at different depths for each line, from 521 m to 2742 m depth. Smaller offsets were used for shallow receivers and larger offsets for deeper receivers. The lines merged to form the input dataset for waveform tomography. The total length of the combined lines was 9 km, containing 1344 shots and 100 receivers in the borehole located half-way down. Acoustic full waveform inversion was applied in the frequency domain to derive a high resolution velocity model. The final velocity model derived after the inversion using the frequencies 5-40 Hz, showed good correlation with velocities estimated from vertical incidence VSP and sonic log, confirming the success of the inversion. The velocity model showed anomalous low values in areas that correlate with known location of hydrocarbon reservoir. Pre-stack depth Reverse time migration was then applied using the final velocity model from waveform inversion and the up-going wavefield from the input data. The final estimated source signature from waveform inversion was used as input source for reverse time migration. To save computational memory and time, every 3 shots were used during reverse time migration and the data were low-pass filtered to 30 Hz. Migration artifacts were attenuated using a second order derivative filter. The final migration image shows a good correlation with the waveform tomography velocity model, and highlights a complex network of faults in the reservoir, that could be useful in understanding fluid and hydrocarbon movements. This study shows that the combination of full waveform tomography and reverse time migration can provide high resolution images that can enhance interpretation and characterization of oil reservoirs.

Near‐surface evaluation of Ball Mountain Dam, Vermont, using multi‐channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) and refraction tomography seismic methods on land‐streamer data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ivanov, Julian M.; Johnson, Carole D.; Lane, John W.; Miller, Richard D.; Clemens, Drew

2009-01-01

A limited seismic investigation of Ball Mountain Dam, an earthen dam near Jamaica, Vermont, was conducted using multiple seismic methods including multi‐channel analysis of surface waves (MASW), refraction tomography, and vertical seismic profiling (VSP). The refraction and MASW data were efficiently collected in one survey using a towed land streamer containing vertical‐displacement geophones and two seismic sources, a 9‐kg hammer at the beginning of the spread and a 40‐kg accelerated weight drop one spread length from the geophones, to obtain near‐ and far‐offset data sets. The quality of the seismic data for the purposes of both refraction and MASW analyses was good for near offsets, decreasing in quality at farther offsets, thus limiting the depth of investigation to about 12 m. Refraction tomography and MASW analyses provided 2D compressional (Vp) and shear‐wave (Vs) velocity sections along the dam crest and access road, which are consistent with the corresponding VSP seismic velocity estimates from nearby wells. The velocity sections helped identify zonal variations in both Vp and Vs (rigidity) properties, indicative of material heterogeneity or dynamic processes (e.g. differential settlement) at specific areas of the dam. The results indicate that refraction tomography and MASW methods are tools with significant potential for economical, non‐invasive characterization of construction materials at earthen dam sites.

Control and Optimization Tools for Systems Governed by Nonlinear Partial Differential Equations

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-06

parameter a) leading to a J&(a) f VST (X, y; a). ih dFb. aai Jrb where ST= aT " caai This sensitivity variable, along with s,, =-u and s = _-•p satisfy...with respect to the parameter ai: p(sU-Vu+u-Vsu) = --Vsp+V-.T(s)-pgI0sT+f, v.s =O0 pC (Su. VT + u VST ) V (KVST) +±q where we have assumed, among other

Biochemical and full genome sequence analyses of clinical Vibrio cholerae isolates in Mexico reveals the presence of novel V. cholerae strains.

PubMed

Díaz-Quiñonez, José Alberto; Hernández-Monroy, Irma; Montes-Colima, Norma Angélica; Moreno-Pérez, María Asunción; Galicia-Nicolás, Adriana Guadalupe; López-Martínez, Irma; Ruiz-Matus, Cuitláhuac; Kuri-Morales, Pablo; Ortíz-Alcántara, Joanna María; Garcés-Ayala, Fabiola; Ramírez-González, José Ernesto

2016-05-01

The first week of September 2013, the National Epidemiological Surveillance System identified two cases of cholera in Mexico City. The cultures of both samples were confirmed as Vibrio cholerae serogroup O1, serotype Ogawa, biotype El Tor. Initial analyses by PFGE and by PCR-amplification of the virulence genes, suggested that both strains were similar, but different from those previously reported in Mexico. The following week, four more cases were identified in a community in the state of Hidalgo, located 121 km northeast of Mexico City. Thereafter a cholera outbreak started in the region of La Huasteca. Genomic analyses of the four strains obtained in this study confirmed the presence of Pathogenicity Islands VPI-1 and -2, VSP-1 and -2, and of the integrative element SXT. The genomic structure of the 4 isolates was similar to that of V. cholerae strain 2010 EL-1786, identified during the epidemic in Haiti in 2010. Copyright © 2016 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

The IODP NanTroSEIZE Transect: Accomplishments and Future Plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobin, H. J.; Kinoshita, M.; Araki, E.; Byrne, T. B.; Kimura, G.; McNeill, L. C.; Moore, G. F.; Saffer, D. M.; Underwood, M.; Saito, S.

2009-12-01

The Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) is a decade-long project to investigate the processes and properties that determine the nature of frictional locking, creep and other fault behavior governing seismogenic rupture and tsunamigenesis on a major plate boundary where great subduction earthquakes occur. The main goal of the science plan is to sample and instrument the key faults in several locations across the transition from those dominated by frictionally stable, aseismic processes vs. those hypothesized to be frictionally locked (seismogenic) faults of the megathrust system. The transect includes primary drill sites from the incoming plate, across the outer accretionary complex of the lower slope, to the Kumano forearc basin and underlying up-dip end of the likely locked plate interface. The scale of this project required a division into multiple stages of operations, spanning a number of years and IODP expeditions. From September 2007 through October 2009, the NanTroSEIZE science team has achieved many of its primary goals during 5 expeditions. Completed drill sites to date include penetrations ranging from ~200 m to ~1600 m below the sea floor that have documented the faults and wall rocks of both the frontal thrust and out-of-sequence splay faults in the accretionary system, the sedimentary section of the subducting plate, and the thick forearc basin sedimentary record and underlying older subduction complex in the hanging wall of the main plate interface. Major results include characterization of: the fault zone geology, strain localization, and physical properties shallower than ~ 1 km, the distribution of ambient (and paleo-) stress orientations across the transect, the absence of evidence for focused fluid channeling along the principal shallow fault systems, and the tectonic history of the subduction system. Extensive downhole measurements and a 2-ship VSP have further documented stress, pressure, rock strength, and elastic properties around the boreholes. The first temporary long-term monitoring instruments are now in place in one sealed borehole, recording pore pressure and temperature. The most ambitious aspect of the NanTroSEIZE project remains for the now-scheduled next stage: drilling to ~ 7000 m below the sea bed across the faults of the main plate boundary, then placing long-term monitoring instruments into both deep and shallow sealed borehole observatories - all to test hypotheses of locking, strain accumulation, and interseismic fault processes.

Southwestern Regional Partnership For Carbon Sequestration (Phase 2) Pump Canyon CO2- ECBM/Sequestration Demonstration, San Juan Basin, New Mexico

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

Advanced Resources International

2010-01-31

Within the Southwest Regional Partnership on Carbon Sequestration (SWP), three demonstrations of geologic CO{sub 2} sequestration are being performed -- one in an oilfield (the SACROC Unit in the Permian basin of west Texas), one in a deep, unmineable coalbed (the Pump Canyon site in the San Juan basin of northern New Mexico), and one in a deep, saline reservoir (underlying the Aneth oilfield in the Paradox basin of southeast Utah). The Pump Canyon CO{sub 2}-enhanced coalbed methane (CO{sub 2}/ECBM) sequestration demonstration project plans to demonstrate the effectiveness of CO{sub 2} sequestration in deep, unmineable coal seams via a small-scalemore » geologic sequestration project. The site is located in San Juan County, northern New Mexico, just within the limits of the high-permeability fairway of prolific coalbed methane production. The study area for the SWP project consists of 31 coalbed methane production wells located in a nine section area. CO{sub 2} was injected continuously for a year and different monitoring, verification and accounting (MVA) techniques were implemented to track the CO{sub 2} movement inside and outside the reservoir. Some of the MVA methods include continuous measurement of injection volumes, pressures and temperatures within the injection well, coalbed methane production rates, pressures and gas compositions collected at the offset production wells, and tracers in the injected CO{sub 2}. In addition, time-lapse vertical seismic profiling (VSP), surface tiltmeter arrays, a series of shallow monitoring wells with a regular fluid sampling program, surface measurements of soil composition, CO{sub 2} fluxes, and tracers were used to help in tracking the injected CO{sub 2}. Finally, a detailed reservoir model was constructed to help reproduce and understand the behavior of the reservoir under production and injection operation. This report summarizes the different phases of the project, from permitting through site closure, and gives the results of the different MVA techniques.« less

Acquisition and deconvolution of seismic signals by different methods to perform direct ground-force measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poletto, Flavio; Schleifer, Andrea; Zgauc, Franco; Meneghini, Fabio; Petronio, Lorenzo

2016-12-01

We present the results of a novel borehole-seismic experiment in which we used different types of onshore-transient-impulsive and non-impulsive-surface sources together with direct ground-force recordings. The ground-force signals were obtained by baseplate load cells located beneath the sources, and by buried soil-stress sensors installed in the very shallow-subsurface together with accelerometers. The aim was to characterize the source's emission by its complex impedance, function of the near-field vibrations and soil stress components, and above all to obtain appropriate deconvolution operators to remove the signature of the sources in the far-field seismic signals. The data analysis shows the differences in the reference measurements utilized to deconvolve the source signature. As downgoing waves, we process the signals of vertical seismic profiles (VSP) recorded in the far-field approximation by an array of permanent geophones cemented at shallow-medium depth outside the casing of an instrumented well. We obtain a significant improvement in the waveform of the radiated seismic-vibrator signals deconvolved by ground force, similar to that of the seismograms generated by the impulsive sources, and demonstrates that the results obtained by different sources present low values in their repeatability norm. The comparison evidences the potentiality of the direct ground-force measurement approach to effectively remove the far-field source signature in VSP onshore data, and to increase the performance of permanent acquisition installations for time-lapse application purposes.

Estimation of seismic attenuation in carbonate rocks using three different methods: Application on VSP data from Abu Dhabi oilfield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchaala, F.; Ali, M. Y.; Matsushima, J.

2016-06-01

In this study a relationship between the seismic wavelength and the scale of heterogeneity in the propagating medium has been examined. The relationship estimates the size of heterogeneity that significantly affects the wave propagation at a specific frequency, and enables a decrease in the calculation time of wave scattering estimation. The relationship was applied in analyzing synthetic and Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) data obtained from an onshore oilfield in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Prior to estimation of the attenuation, a robust processing workflow was applied to both synthetic and recorded data to increase the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). Two conventional methods of spectral ratio and centroid frequency shift methods were applied to estimate the attenuation from the extracted seismic waveforms in addition to a new method based on seismic interferometry. The attenuation profiles derived from the three approaches demonstrated similar variation, however the interferometry method resulted in greater depth resolution, differences in attenuation magnitude. Furthermore, the attenuation profiles revealed significant contribution of scattering on seismic wave attenuation. The results obtained from the seismic interferometry method revealed estimated scattering attenuation ranges from 0 to 0.1 and estimated intrinsic attenuation can reach 0.2. The subsurface of the studied zones is known to be highly porous and permeable, which suggest that the mechanism of the intrinsic attenuation is probably the interactions between pore fluids and solids.

Characterization of the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield Using a Massive 3D VSP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavarria, J.; Goertz, A.; Karrenbach, M.; Milligan, P.; Paulsson, B.

2005-12-01

In preparation for the drilling of SAFOD's Phase II we installed an 80 level array of 3C seismometers inside the well. The goal of the array was to refine the existing velocity model to better locate the target events, and to monitor the local seismicity. The array, with sensors laying mostly within the deviated portion of the well, spans depths ranging from 2.7 to 1.5 km with levels every 15 m. It is this dense spacing what makes 3D VSP capable of bridging the gap between drill-hole observations and observations from the surface like 2D seismics. During April and May 2005 we recorded thirteen far offset shots surrounding the SAFOD site and target event area. Data from these shots was simultaneously recorded by the surface networks and used for better location of the target events. In addition to these, a zero offset shot at SAFOD was generated to refine the structure surrounding the well. The 1D velocity model inverted from the zero offset is representative of the current geologic model at SAFOD. The complexity of the velocity model for this segment of the fault can be inferred from deviations between the zero offset model and the shorter wavelength model derived from well logs. In addition to strong changes in velocity, both zero offset and far offset shots show the presence of strong scattered phases associated to the complex geologic structure of the San Andreas Fault Zone. In addition to the active portion of the experiment we monitored the local seismicity (i.e. aftershocks from the Parkfield 2004 event) over a period of 13 days. During this period of time we recorded continuously at high sampling rates (4kHz) a large number of events, some of which were located by the surface networks and felt onsite. The quiet environment in the borehole enabled us to record microearthquakes that were not present in the NCEDC catalog. In some cases these small events were not even recorded along the entire array. Besides its high level of event detection, the high vector fidelity of the 3C geophones allowed for precise particle motion analysis of first arrivals to determine the location of microearthquakes recorded during this effort.

Development of Vertical Cable Seismic System for Hydrothermal Deposit Survey (2) - Feasibility Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asakawa, E.; Murakami, F.; Sekino, Y.; Okamoto, T.; Mikada, H.; Takekawa, J.; Shimura, T.

2010-12-01

In 2009, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(MEXT) started the survey system development for Hydrothermal deposit. We proposed the Vertical Cable Seismic (VCS), the reflection seismic survey with vertical cable above seabottom. VCS has the following advantages for hydrothermal deposit survey. . (1) VCS is an effective high-resolution 3D seismic survey within limited area. (2) It achieves high-resolution image because the sensors are closely located to the target. (3) It avoids the coupling problems between sensor and seabottom that cause serious damage of seismic data quality. (4) Various types of marine source are applicable with VCS such as sea-surface source (air gun, water gun etc.) , deep-towed or ocean bottom sources. (5) Autonomous recording system. Our first experiment of 2D/3D VCS surveys has been carried out in Lake Biwa, JAPAN. in November 2009. The 2D VCS data processing follows the walk-away VSP, including wave field separation and depth migration. The result gives clearer image than the conventional surface seismic. Prestack depth migration is applied to 3D data to obtain good quality 3D depth volume. Uncertainty of the source/receiver poisons in water causes the serious problem of the imaging. We used several transducer/transponder to estimate these positions. The VCS seismic records themselves can also provide sensor position using the first break of each trace and we calibrate the positions. We are currently developing the autonomous recording VCS system and planning the trial experiment in actual ocean to establish the way of deployment/recovery and the examine the position through the current flow in November, 2010. The second VCS survey will planned over the actual hydrothermal deposit with deep-towed source in February, 2011.

The use of vertical seismic profiles in seismic investigations of the earth

USGS Publications Warehouse

Balch, Alfred H.; Lee, M.W.; Miller, J.J.; Ryder, Robert T.

1982-01-01

During the past 8 years, the U.S. Geological Survey has conducted an extensive investigation on the use of vertical seismic profiles (VSP) in a variety of seismic exploration applications. Seismic sources used were surface air guns, vibrators, explosives, marine air guns, and downhole air guns. Source offsets have ranged from 100 to 7800 ft. Well depths have been from 1200 to over 10,000 ft. We have found three specific ways in which VSPs can be applied to seismic exploration. First, seismic events observed at the surface of the ground can be traced, level by level, to their point of origin within the earth. Thus, one can tie a surface profile to a well log with an extraordinarily high degree of confidence. Second, one can establish the detectability of a target horizon, such as a porous zone. One can determine (either before or after surface profiling) whether or not a given horizon or layered sequence returns a detectable reflection to the surface. The amplitude and character of the reflection can also be observed. Third, acoustic properties of a stratigraphic sequence can be measured and sometimes correlated to important exploration parameters. For example, sometimes a relationship between apparent attenuation and sand percentage can be established. The technique shows additional promise of aiding surface exploration indirectly through studies of the evolution of the seismic pulse, studies of ghosts and multiples, and studies of seismic trace inversion techniques. Nearly all current seismic data‐processing techniques are adaptable to the processing of VSP data, such as normal moveout (NMO) corrections, stacking, single‐and multiple‐channel filtering, deconvolution, and wavelet shaping.

Expression profiles of genes involved in jasmonic acid biosynthesis and signaling during growth and development of carrot.

PubMed

Wang, Guanglong; Huang, Wei; Li, Mengyao; Xu, Zhisheng; Wang, Feng; Xiong, Aisheng

2016-09-01

Jasmonates (JAs) are recognized as essential regulators in response to environmental stimuli and plant development. Carrot is an Apiaceae vegetable with great value and undergoes significant size changes over the course of plant growth. However, JA accumulation and its potential roles in carrot growth remain unclear. Here, methyl JA (MeJA) levels and expression profiles of JA-related genes were analyzed in carrot roots and leaves at five developmental stages. MeJA levels in the roots and leaves were the highest at the first stage and decreased as carrot growth proceeded. Transcript levels of several JA-related genes (Dc13-LOX1, Dc13-LOX2, DcAOS, DcAOC, DcOPR2, DcOPR3, DcOPCL1, DcJAR1, DcJMT, DcCOI1, DcJAZ1, DcJAZ2, DcMYC2, DcCHIB/PR3, DcLEC, and DcVSP2) were not well correlated with MeJA accumulation during carrot root and leaf development. In addition, some JA-related genes (DcJAR1, DcJMT, DcCOI1, DcMYC2, and DcVSP2) showed differential expression between roots and leaves. These results suggest that JAs may regulate carrot plant growth in stage-dependent and organ-specific manners. Our work provides novel insights into JA accumulation and its potential roles during carrot growth and development. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Expression, purification, and reconstitution of the voltage-sensing domain from Ci-VSP.

PubMed

Li, Qufei; Jogini, Vishwanath; Wanderling, Sherry; Cortes, D Marien; Perozo, Eduardo

2012-10-16

The voltage-sensing domain (VSD) is the common scaffold responsible for the functional behavior of voltage-gated ion channels, voltage sensitive enzymes, and proton channels. Because of the position of the voltage dependence of the available VSD structures, at present, they all represent the activated state of the sensor. Yet in the absence of a consensus resting state structure, the mechanistic details of voltage sensing remain controversial. The voltage dependence of the VSD from Ci-VSP (Ci-VSD) is dramatically right shifted, so that at 0 mV it presumably populates the putative resting state. Appropriate biochemical methods are an essential prerequisite for generating sufficient amounts of Ci-VSD protein for high-resolution structural studies. Here, we present a simple and robust protocol for the expression of eukaryotic Ci-VSD in Escherichia coli at milligram levels. The protein is pure, homogeneous, monodisperse, and well-folded after solubilization in Anzergent 3-14 at the analyzed concentration (~0.3 mg/mL). Ci-VSD can be reconstituted into liposomes of various compositions, and initial site-directed spin labeling and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic measurements indicate its first transmembrane segment folds into an α-helix, in agreement with the homologous region of other VSDs. On the basis of our results and enhanced relaxation EPR spectroscopy measurement, Ci-VSD reconstitutes essentially randomly in proteoliposomes, precluding straightforward application of transmembrane voltages in combination with spectroscopic methods. Nevertheless, these results represent an initial step that makes the resting state of a VSD accessible to a variety of biophysical and structural approaches, including X-ray crystallography, spectroscopic methods, and electrophysiology in lipid bilayers.

Expression, Purification and Reconstitution of the Voltage Sensing Domain from Ci-VSP

PubMed Central

Li, Qufei; Jogini, Vishwanath; Wanderling, Sherry; Cortes, D. Marien; Perozo, Eduardo

2013-01-01

The voltage-sensing domain (VSD) is the common scaffold responsible for the functional behavior of voltage gated ion channels, voltage sensitive enzymes and proton channels. Because of the position of the voltage dependence of the available VSD structures, at present, they all represent the activated state of the sensor. Yet, in the absence of a consensus resting state structure, the mechanistic details of voltage sensing remain controversial. The voltage dependence of the VSD from Ci-VSP (Ci-VSD) is dramatically right shifted, so that at 0 mV It presumably populates the putative resting state. Appropriate biochemical methods are an essential prerequisite to generate sufficient amounts of Ci-VSD protein for high-resolution structural studies. Here, we present a simple and robust protocol for the Escherichia coli expression of eukaryotic Ci-VSD at milligram levels. The protein is pure, homogeneous, mono-disperse and well folded after solubilization in Anzergent 3-14 at the analyzed concentration (~ 0.3 mg/mL). Ci-VSD can be reconstituted into liposomes of various compositions and initial site-directed spin labeling and EPR spectroscopic measurements indicate its first transmembrane segment folds into an α-helix, in agreement to the homologous region of other VSDs. Based on current results and enhanced relaxation EPR spectroscopy measurement, Ci-VSD reconstitutes essentially randomly in proteo-liposomes, precluding straightforward application of transmembrane voltages in combination with spectroscopic methods. Nevertheless, the present results represent an initial step that makes the resting state of a VSD accessible to a variety of biophysical and structural approaches, including X-ray crystallography, spectroscopic methods and electrophysiology in lipid bilayers. PMID:22989304

Interferometric imaging of the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield Using a Massive VSP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavarria, J.; Goertz, A.; Karrenbach, M.; Paulsson, B.

2006-12-01

The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) has the goal of investigating the physical processes controlling earthquakes in central California at Parkfield. The observatory consists of a deep well, that intersected the San Andreas Fault at seismogenic depths of ~3.2 km, where recurring microearthquake activity takes place. Previous to the drilling of Phase II, that intersected the fault at the end of Summer 2005, a long array of seismometers was deployed in the deeper part of the well to characterize the fault structure and to aid the monitoring activities of the natural seismicity. The Massive VSP array consisted of 80 three component seismometers that were deployed during April and May 2005. During this period of time we recorded active data from 13 explosions used to refine the velocity models that improved the locations of target events. In addition to this, we continuously monitored passive data from the natural earthquake activity in the area that was dominated by the Parkfield 2004 event aftershock sequence. During the recording time of this project we were able to record one of the target earthquakes of the SAFOD project as well as recently discovered non-volcanic tremor. The data recorded by this deep array of seismometers has provided important information to characterize the structure of the fault at scale that is comparable to the scale of the geologic observations. These observations, derived during drilling of the well, consist of cores and cuttings as well as geophysical logs. With the use of the borehole array of seismometers we have been able to directly correlate this lithologic information with seismic phases observed in the VSP data. This has lead to better understanding the nature of the scattering that takes place in this complex fault zone. Seismic reflections in the dataset were analyzed with Kirchhoff imaging methods to determine a partial image of the San Andreas Fault at depth. Due to the low density distribution of sources in the study area the illumination volume is limited but still shows clear signals originating from sub-vertical structures associated to the strands of the San Andreas fault inferred from high resolution earthquake location. The existing Kirchhoff imaging methods have been complemented with the use of interferometric imaging by which we extract the Green's function of the data recorded by the array. This takes place with the use of correlation analysis of both active and passive data resulting in a dataset where each downhole receiver acts as a virtual source. This analysis has provided a refined image of the structure of the San Andreas Fault at seismogenic depths with which a better understanding of the system can be achieved.

Comparison of real-world and certification emission rates for light duty gasoline vehicles.

PubMed

Khan, Tanzila; Frey, H Christopher

2018-05-01

U.S. light duty vehicles are subject to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emission standards. Emission compliance is determined by certification testing of selected emissions from representative vehicles on standard driving cycles using chassis dynamometers. Test results are also used in many emission inventories. The dynamometer based emission rates are adjusted to provide the certification levels (CL), which must be lower than the standards for compliance. Although standard driving cycles are based on specific observations of real-world driving, they are not necessarily real-world representative. A systematic comparison of the real-world emission rates of U.S. light duty gasoline vehicles (LDGVs) versus CL, and emission standards has not been previously reported. The purpose of this work is to compare regulatory limits (both CLs and emission standards) and the real-world emissions of LDGVs. The sensitivity of the comparisons to cold start emission was assessed. Portable Emission Measurement Systems (PEMS) were used to measure hot stabilized exhaust emissions of 122 LDGVs on a specified 110 mile test route. Cold start emissions were measured with PEMS for a selected vehicle sample of 32 vehicles. Emissions were measured for carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NO x ). For each vehicle, a Vehicle Specific Power (VSP) modal emission rate model was developed. The VSP modal rates were weighted by the standard driving cycles and real-world driving cycles to estimate the respective cycle average emission rates (CAERs). Measured vehicles were matched with certification test vehicles for comparison. For systematic trends in comparison, vehicles were classified into four groups based on the Tier 1 and Tier 2 emission regulation, and the vehicle type such as passenger car and passenger truck. Depending on the cycle-pollutant and the vehicle groups, hot stabilized CAERs are on average either statistically significantly higher than or significantly not different from the CLs, with the exception of CO on the US06 cycle, for which real-world rates are lower than CLs. Compared to the emission standards, hot stabilized CAERs are on average significantly lower. However, comparisons of CAERs and standards are sensitive to cold start emissions. For some combinations of pollutants and vehicle groups, cold start inclusive CAERs are higher than the corresponding CLs and as high as the standards. The CLs, which are based on standard driving cycles, tend to underestimate real-world emission rates. Therefore, emission inventory estimates using certification test results are potentially underestimated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integration of DAS (distributed acoustic sensing) vertical seismic profile and geostatistically modeled lithology data to characterize an enhanced geothermal system.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cronin, S. P.; Trainor Guitton, W.; Team, P.; Pare, A.; Jreij, S.; Powers, H.

2017-12-01

In March 2016, a 4-week field data acquisition took place at Brady's Natural Lab (BNL), an enhanced geothermal system (EGS) in Fallan, NV. During these 4 weeks, a vibe truck executed 6,633 sweeps, recorded by nodal seismometers, horizontal distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) cable, and 400 meters of vertical DAS cable. DAS provides lower signal to noise ratio than traditional geophones but better spatial resolution. The analysis of DAS VSP included Fourier transform, and filtering to remove all up-going energy. Thus, allowing for accurate first arrival picking. We present an example of the Gradual Deformation Method (GDM) using DAS VSP and lithological data to produce a distribution of valid velocity models of BNL. GDM generates continuous perturbations of prior model realizations seeking the best match to the data (i.e. minimize the misfit). Prior model realizations honoring the lithological data were created using sequential Gaussian simulation, a commonly used noniterative geostatistical method. Unlike least-squares-based methods of inversion, GDM readily incorporates a priori information, such as a variogram calculated from well-based lithology information. Additionally, by producing a distribution of models, as opposed to one optimal model, GDM allows for uncertainty quantification. This project aims at assessing the integrated technologies ability to monitor changes in the water table (possibly to one meter resolution) by exploiting the dependence of seismic wave velocities on water saturation of the subsurface. This project, which was funded in part by the National Science Foundation, is a part of the PoroTomo project, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Putative bacterial volatile-mediated growth in soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) and expression of induced proteins under salt stress.

PubMed

Vaishnav, A; Kumari, S; Jain, S; Varma, A; Choudhary, D K

2015-08-01

Plant root-associated rhizobacteria elicit plant immunity referred to as induced systemic tolerance (IST) against multiple abiotic stresses. Among multibacterial determinants involved in IST, the induction of IST and promotion of growth by putative bacterial volatile compounds (VOCs) is reported in the present study. To characterize plant proteins induced by putative bacterial VOCs, proteomic analysis was performed by MALDI-MS/MS after exposure of soybean seedlings to a new strain of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) Pseudomonas simiae strain AU. Furthermore, expression analysis by Western blotting confirmed that the vegetative storage protein (VSP), gamma-glutamyl hydrolase (GGH) and RuBisCo large chain proteins were significantly up-regulated by the exposure to AU strain and played a major role in IST. VSP has preponderant roles in N accumulation and mobilization, acid phosphatase activity and Na(+) homeostasis to sustain plant growth under stress condition. More interestingly, plant exposure to the bacterial strain significantly reduced Na(+) and enhanced K(+) and P content in root of soybean seedlings under salt stress. In addition, high accumulation of proline and chlorophyll content also provided evidence of protection against osmotic stress during the elicitation of IST by bacterial exposure. The present study reported for the first time that Ps. simiae produces a putative volatile blend that can enhance soybean seedling growth and elicit IST against 100 mmol l(-1) NaCl stress condition. The identification of such differentially expressed proteins provide new targets for future studies that will allow assessment of their physiological roles and significance in the response of glycophytes to stresses. Further work should uncover more about the chemical side of VOC compounds and a detailed study about their molecular mechanism responsible for plant growth. © 2015 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Phylogenetic Diversity of Vibrio cholerae Associated with Endemic Cholera in Mexico from 1991 to 2008

PubMed Central

Choi, Seon Young; Rashed, Shah M.; Hasan, Nur A.; Alam, Munirul; Islam, Tarequl; Sadique, Abdus; Johura, Fatema-Tuz; Eppinger, Mark; Huq, Anwar; Cravioto, Alejandro

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT An outbreak of cholera occurred in 1991 in Mexico, where it had not been reported for more than a century and is now endemic. Vibrio cholerae O1 prototype El Tor and classical strains coexist with altered El Tor strains (1991 to 1997). Nontoxigenic (CTX−) V. cholerae El Tor dominated toxigenic (CTX+) strains (2001 to 2003), but V. cholerae CTX+ variant El Tor was isolated during 2004 to 2008, outcompeting CTX− V. cholerae. Genomes of six Mexican V. cholerae O1 strains isolated during 1991 to 2008 were sequenced and compared with both contemporary and archived strains of V. cholerae. Three were CTX+ El Tor, two were CTX− El Tor, and the remaining strain was a CTX+ classical isolate. Whole-genome sequence analysis showed the six isolates belonged to five distinct phylogenetic clades. One CTX− isolate is ancestral to the 6th and 7th pandemic CTX+ V. cholerae isolates. The other CTX− isolate joined with CTX− non-O1/O139 isolates from Haiti and seroconverted O1 isolates from Brazil and Amazonia. One CTX+ isolate was phylogenetically placed with the sixth pandemic classical clade and the V. cholerae O395 classical reference strain. Two CTX+ El Tor isolates possessing intact Vibrio seventh pandemic island II (VSP-II) are related to hybrid El Tor isolates from Mozambique and Bangladesh. The third CTX+ El Tor isolate contained West African-South American (WASA) recombination in VSP-II and showed relatedness to isolates from Peru and Brazil. Except for one isolate, all Mexican isolates lack SXT/R391 integrative conjugative elements (ICEs) and sensitivity to selected antibiotics, with one isolate resistant to streptomycin. No isolates were related to contemporary isolates from Asia, Africa, or Haiti, indicating phylogenetic diversity. PMID:26980836

A FORTRAN source library for quaternion algebra. Application to multicomponent seismic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benaïssa, A.; Benaïssa, Z.; Ouadfeul, S.

2012-04-01

The quaternions, named also hypercomplex numbers, constituted of a real part and three imaginary parts, allow a representation of multi-component physical signals in geophysics. In FORTRAN, the need for programming new applications and extend programs to quaternions requires to enhance capabilities of this language. In this study, we develop, in FORTRAN 95, a source library which provides functions and subroutines making development and maintenance of programs devoted to quaternions, equivalent to those developed for the complex plane. The systematic use of generic functions and generic operators: 1/ allows using FORTRAN statements and operators extended to quaternions without renaming them and 2/ makes use of this statements transparent to the specificity of quaternions. The portability of this library is insured by the standard FORTRAN 95 strict norm which is independent of operating systems (OS). The execution time of quaternion applications, sometimes crucial for huge data sets, depends, generally, of compilers optimizations by the use of in lining and parallelisation. To show the use of the library, Fourier transform of a real one dimensional quaternionic seismic signal is presented. Furthermore, a FORTRAN code, which computes the quaternionic singular values decomposition (QSVD), is developed using the proposed library and applied to wave separation in multicomponent vertical seismic profile (VSP) synthetic and real data. The extracted wavefields have been highly enhanced, compared to those obtained with median filter, due to QSVD which takes into account the correlation between the different components of the seismic signal. Taken in total, these results demonstrate that use of quaternions can bring a significant improvement for some processing on three or four components seismic data. Keywords: Quaternion - FORTRAN - Vectorial processing - Multicomponent signal - VSP - Fourier transform.

PHOTOMETRIC STUDY OF THE VERY SHORT PERIOD SHALLOW CONTACT BINARY DD COMAE BERENICES

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

Zhu, L.; Qian, S.-B.; Mikulasek, Z.

2010-07-15

The first photometric solutions of the very short period (VSP) close binary DD Comae Berenices (P = 0fd26920811) based on our new complete (IR){sub C} light curves are derived by the 2003 version Wilson-Van Hamme code. They show that the system belongs to shallow contact W-type W UMa systems with a degree of overcontact of 8.7%. The observed light curve distortions are explained by employing the spots model due to the late-type nature of both components. We have collected all available photometric data about the system with emphasis on the individual observational data, which we treated simultaneously using our ownmore » method based on the usage of computed model light curves as templates. We recalculated published times of light minimum and added new ones of our own to construct an O - C diagram that spans over 70 years. Using a least squares method orthogonal quadratic model function, we found that the orbital period of DD Com is continuously increasing with P-dot =0.00401(22) s yr{sup -1}. The period increase may be caused by the mass transfer from the less-massive component to the more-massive one. With the period increase, the binary is evolving from the present shallow contact phase to the broken stage predicted by the thermal relaxation oscillation (TRO) theory. Compared with other VSP systems, DD Com is a rare system that lies on the expanding phase of the TRO cycle. Until now, only four such systems including DD Com are found in this stage. Thus, this target is another good observational proof of the TRO theory in a very short period region.« less

Vaccination of domestic animals with a novel oral vaccine prevents Giardia infections, alleviates signs of giardiasis and reduces transmission to humans

PubMed Central

Serradell, Marianela C; Saura, Alicia; Rupil, Lucia L; Gargantini, Pablo R; Faya, Marcela I; Furlan, Paulina J; Lujan, Hugo D

2016-01-01

Giardia lamblia is a human intestinal parasite and one of the most frequent enteric pathogen of companion animals. Clinical manifestations of giardiasis, such as diarrhoea, anorexia, weight loss and lethargy, have been associated with Giardia infections in both domestic and farm animals. A few anti-parasitic drugs are routinely used to treat giardiasis, but re-infections are common and drug-resistant strains have already been reported. Unfortunately, efficient vaccines against Giardia are not available. Giardia undergoes antigenic variation; through this mechanism, parasites can avoid the host’s immune defenses, causing chronic infections and/or re-infections. Antigenic variation is characterised by a continuous switch in the expression of members of a homologous family of genes encoding surface antigens. In a previous report, we indicated that in Giardia, the mechanism responsible for the exchange of variant-specific surface proteins (VSPs) involves the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway. From a repertoire of ~200 VSP genes, only one is expressed on the surface of single trophozoites; however, RNAi machinery disruption generates trophozoites that express the complete VSP repertoire. We also demonstrated that gerbils orally immunised with VSPs isolated from these altered parasites showed high levels of protection. Here we tested this vaccine in cats and dogs, and found that it is highly efficient in preventing new infections and reducing chronic giardiasis in domestic animals both in experimental and natural infections. Remarkably, immunisation of dogs in a highly endemic area strongly decreased the percentage of infected children in the community, suggesting that this vaccine would block the zoonotic transmission of the disease. PMID:29263857

[Cleft lip and palate: Health-related quality of life (French VSP-A scale) for patients and their family. About 51 families].

PubMed

François-Fiquet, C; Dupouy, M; Daoud, S; Poli-Merol, M-L

2015-06-01

The aim of our study was to investigate the quality of life of patients undergoing cleft lip or cleft lip and palate as well as the perception of quality of life of patients perceived by their parents slot. Fifty-one adolescents and young adults (29 boys and 22 girls) who underwent cleft lip (FL 22) or lip and palate (CLP 29) and their parents have received psychological and surgical joint consultation. The minimum age for inclusion was 10 years (mean age 15.5 years). A quality of life questionnaire (VSP-A) "children" was given between 10 and 11 years and a questionnaire "adolescents" beyond. Parents have them answered a questionnaire of perceived quality of life of their children. The results were analyzed and compared to a control population (Statistics Student test). Perceived parents lived in relation to their children was obtained through the study of linear regression curves. The response rate to the questionnaires was 66.7% for parents, 85.7% for children and 63.6% for teenagers. The quality of life of the patients was assessed by the patients to 65.1/100 on average. The index of overall quality of life was superimposed on the control population (p=0.66). Perceived quality of life of patients by their parents was fairly close to the quality of life described by patients (66.5). On the areas of family, education, recreation, quality index was proportionately less than for other areas. For each of these areas, parents overestimated the quality of life of their child. Compared to the control group the fields of education, leisure, vitality quality index were significantly lower in the/FL population P. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Modeling of time-lapse multi-scale seismic monitoring of CO2 injected into a fault zone to enhance the characterization of permeability in enhanced geothermal systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, R.; Borgia, A.; Daley, T. M.; Oldenburg, C. M.; Jung, Y.; Lee, K. J.; Doughty, C.; Altundas, B.; Chugunov, N.; Ramakrishnan, T. S.

2017-12-01

Subsurface permeable faults and fracture networks play a critical role for enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) by providing conduits for fluid flow. Characterization of the permeable flow paths before and after stimulation is necessary to evaluate and optimize energy extraction. To provide insight into the feasibility of using CO2 as a contrast agent to enhance fault characterization by seismic methods, we model seismic monitoring of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) injected into a fault. During the CO2 injection, the original brine is replaced by scCO2, which leads to variations in geophysical properties of the formation. To explore the technical feasibility of the approach, we present modeling results for different time-lapse seismic methods including surface seismic, vertical seismic profiling (VSP), and a cross-well survey. We simulate the injection and production of CO2 into a normal fault in a system based on the Brady's geothermal field and model pressure and saturation variations in the fault zone using TOUGH2-ECO2N. The simulation results provide changing fluid properties during the injection, such as saturation and salinity changes, which allow us to estimate corresponding changes in seismic properties of the fault and the formation. We model the response of the system to active seismic monitoring in time-lapse mode using an anisotropic finite difference method with modifications for fracture compliance. Results to date show that even narrow fault and fracture zones filled with CO2 can be better detected using the VSP and cross-well survey geometry, while it would be difficult to image the CO2 plume by using surface seismic methods.

Early-onset epileptic encephalopathy caused by a reduced sensitivity of Kv7.2 potassium channels to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate

PubMed Central

Soldovieri, Maria Virginia; Ambrosino, Paolo; Mosca, Ilaria; De Maria, Michela; Moretto, Edoardo; Miceli, Francesco; Alaimo, Alessandro; Iraci, Nunzio; Manocchio, Laura; Medoro, Alessandro; Passafaro, Maria; Taglialatela, Maurizio

2016-01-01

Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 subunits underlie the M-current, a neuronal K+ current characterized by an absolute functional requirement for phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2). Kv7.2 gene mutations cause early-onset neonatal seizures with heterogeneous clinical outcomes, ranging from self-limiting benign familial neonatal seizures to severe early-onset epileptic encephalopathy (Kv7.2-EE). In this study, the biochemical and functional consequences prompted by a recurrent variant (R325G) found independently in four individuals with severe forms of neonatal-onset EE have been investigated. Upon heterologous expression, homomeric Kv7.2 R325G channels were non-functional, despite biotin-capture in Western blots revealed normal plasma membrane subunit expression. Mutant subunits exerted dominant-negative effects when incorporated into heteromeric channels with Kv7.2 and/or Kv7.3 subunits. Increasing cellular PIP2 levels by co-expression of type 1γ PI(4)P5-kinase (PIP5K) partially recovered homomeric Kv7.2 R325G channel function. Currents carried by heteromeric channels incorporating Kv7.2 R325G subunits were more readily inhibited than wild-type channels upon activation of a voltage-sensitive phosphatase (VSP), and recovered more slowly upon VSP switch-off. These results reveal for the first time that a mutation-induced decrease in current sensitivity to PIP2 is the primary molecular defect responsible for Kv7.2-EE in individuals carrying the R325G variant, further expanding the range of pathogenetic mechanisms exploitable for personalized treatment of Kv7.2-related epilepsies. PMID:27905566

Early-onset epileptic encephalopathy caused by a reduced sensitivity of Kv7.2 potassium channels to phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate.

PubMed

Soldovieri, Maria Virginia; Ambrosino, Paolo; Mosca, Ilaria; De Maria, Michela; Moretto, Edoardo; Miceli, Francesco; Alaimo, Alessandro; Iraci, Nunzio; Manocchio, Laura; Medoro, Alessandro; Passafaro, Maria; Taglialatela, Maurizio

2016-12-01

Kv7.2 and Kv7.3 subunits underlie the M-current, a neuronal K + current characterized by an absolute functional requirement for phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP 2 ). Kv7.2 gene mutations cause early-onset neonatal seizures with heterogeneous clinical outcomes, ranging from self-limiting benign familial neonatal seizures to severe early-onset epileptic encephalopathy (Kv7.2-EE). In this study, the biochemical and functional consequences prompted by a recurrent variant (R325G) found independently in four individuals with severe forms of neonatal-onset EE have been investigated. Upon heterologous expression, homomeric Kv7.2 R325G channels were non-functional, despite biotin-capture in Western blots revealed normal plasma membrane subunit expression. Mutant subunits exerted dominant-negative effects when incorporated into heteromeric channels with Kv7.2 and/or Kv7.3 subunits. Increasing cellular PIP 2 levels by co-expression of type 1γ PI(4)P5-kinase (PIP5K) partially recovered homomeric Kv7.2 R325G channel function. Currents carried by heteromeric channels incorporating Kv7.2 R325G subunits were more readily inhibited than wild-type channels upon activation of a voltage-sensitive phosphatase (VSP), and recovered more slowly upon VSP switch-off. These results reveal for the first time that a mutation-induced decrease in current sensitivity to PIP 2 is the primary molecular defect responsible for Kv7.2-EE in individuals carrying the R325G variant, further expanding the range of pathogenetic mechanisms exploitable for personalized treatment of Kv7.2-related epilepsies.

Request for Observations of V405 Peg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Templeton, Matthew R.

2009-12-01

Dr. Axel Schwope (Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam) requests time-series monitoring of the magnetic cataclysmic variable V405 Pegasi from 2009 December 28 through 2009 December 30. These observations are requested in support of a planned XMM-Newton observation of V405 Peg on 2009 December 29 beginning at 18:51 UT (JD 2455195.2854) and continuing for 12.5 hours. Observers are asked to provide intensive coverage during the three day window centered on the XMM-Newton observation to provide information on the activity state of V405 Peg, to improve the orbital ephemeris, and to provide optical data that will help constrain the spectral energy distribution of this poorly understood cataclysmic variable. The primary filters for this observation are Johnson B and Cousins I, but all observations will be useful for determining the orbital ephemeris. V405 Peg may show both orbital modulation as well as changes in its activity level. The orbital period is approximately four hours, and observers are asked to obtain at least ten and preferably more data points per cycle in each filter. Please use exposure times that provide S/N of at least 20 in both the comparison and target stars but short exposure times are preferred to detect flickering and other short-timescale variations. Finder charts with sequence may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (http://www.aavso.org/vsp). Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. See full Alert Notice for more details.

7 CFR 43.104 - Master table of single and double sampling plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Master table of single and double sampling plans. 43... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR SAMPLING PLANS Sampling Plans § 43.104 Master table of single and double sampling plans. (a) In the master table, a sampling plan is selected by first determining...

7 CFR 43.104 - Master table of single and double sampling plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Master table of single and double sampling plans. 43... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR SAMPLING PLANS Sampling Plans § 43.104 Master table of single and double sampling plans. (a) In the master table, a sampling plan is selected by first determining...

7 CFR 43.104 - Master table of single and double sampling plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Master table of single and double sampling plans. 43... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR SAMPLING PLANS Sampling Plans § 43.104 Master table of single and double sampling plans. (a) In the master table, a sampling plan is selected by first determining...

7 CFR 43.104 - Master table of single and double sampling plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Master table of single and double sampling plans. 43... STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR SAMPLING PLANS Sampling Plans § 43.104 Master table of single and double sampling plans. (a) In the master table, a sampling plan is selected by first determining...

SH-wave reflection seismic and VSP as tools for the investigation of sinkhole areas in Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadas, Sonja; Tschache, Saskia; Polom, Ulrich; Buness, Hermann; Krawczyk, Charlotte M.

2017-04-01

Sinkholes can lead to damage of buildings and infrastructure and they can cause life-threatening situations, if they occur in urban areas. The process behind this phenomenon is called subrosion. Subrosion is the underground leaching of soluble rocks, e.g. anhydrite and gypsum, due to the contact with ground- and meteoric water. Depending on the leached material, and especially the dissolution rate, different kinds of subrosion structures evolve in the subsurface. The two end members are collapse and depression structures. For a better understanding of the subrosion processes a detailed characterization of the resulting structures is necessary. In Germany sinkholes are a problem in many areas. In northern Germany salt and in central and southern Germany sulfate and carbonate deposits are affected by subrosion. The study areas described here are located in Thuringia in central Germany and the underground is characterized by soluble Permian deposits. The occurrence of 20 to 50 sinkholes is reported per year. Two regions, Bad Frankenhausen and Schmalkalden, are investigated, showing a leaning church tower and a sinkhole of 30 m diameter and 20 m depth, respectively. In Bad Frankenhausen four P-wave and 16 SH-wave reflection seismic profiles were carried out, supplemented by three zero-offset VSPs. In Schmalkalden five SH-wave reflection seismic profiles and one zero-offset VSP were acquired. The 2-D seismic sections, in particular the SH-wave profiles, showed known and unknown near-surface faults in the vicinity of sinkholes and depressions. For imaging the near-surface (< 100 m depth) high-resolution SH-waves are advantageous in order to detect subrosion structures at different stages. The reflection patterns of the 2-D seismic sections indicate a heterogeneous underground with lateral and vertical variations in forms of discontinuous reflectors, depressions, small-scale fractures and near-surface faults. Probably the faults and fractures serve as pathways for groundwater, forming cavities due to the increase in rock permeability. Besides these structures, anomalies of the seismic velocities and the attenuation of seismic waves are visible, especially in the SH-wave profiles. Low velocities < 200 m/s and high attenuation may indicate areas affected by subrosion. Other parameters characterizing the underground stability are the shear modulus, derived from shear-wave interval velocities and density, and the Vp-Vs ratio. The 1-D and the 2-D data revealed zones of low shear modulus < 100 MPa and high Vp-Vs ratios > 2,5, probably indicating unstable areas due to subrosion. We conclude, that SH-wave reflection seismic offer an important tool for the imaging and characterization of near-surface subrosion structures and the identification of unstable zones, especially in combination with P-wave reflection seismic and zero-offset VSP with P- and S-waves. Presumably there is a connection between the presence of large fluid pathways, like faults, and the occurrence of widespread subrosion.

Comparison of tensile bond strengths of four one-bottle self-etching adhesive systems with Er:YAG laser-irradiated dentin.

PubMed

Jiang, Qianzhou; Chen, Minle; Ding, Jiangfeng

2013-12-01

This study aimed to investigate the interaction of current one-bottle self-etching adhesives and Er:YAG laser with dentin using a tensile bond strength (TBS) test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in vitro. Two hundred and thirteen dentin discs were randomly distributed to the Control Group using bur cutting and to the Laser Group using an Er:YAG laser (200 mJ, VSP, 20 Hz). The following adhesives were investigated: one two-step total-etch adhesive [Prime & Bond NT (Dentsply)] and four one-step self-etch adhesives [G-Bond plus (GC), XENO V (Dentsply), iBond Self Etch (Heraeus) and Adper Easy One (3 M ESPE)]. Samples were restored with composite resin, and after 24-hour storage in distilled water, subjected to the TBS test. For morphological analysis, 12 dentin specimens were prepared for SEM. No significant differences were found between the control group and laser group (p = 0.899); dentin subjected to Prime & Bond NT, XENOV and Adper Easy One produced higher TBS. In conclusion, this study indicates that Er:YAG laser-prepared dentin can perform as well as bur on TBS, and some of the one-step one-bottle adhesives are comparable to the total-etch adhesives in TBS on dentin.

Alternative sample sizes for verification dose experiments and dose audits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, W. A.; Hansen, J. M.

1999-01-01

ISO 11137 (1995), "Sterilization of Health Care Products—Requirements for Validation and Routine Control—Radiation Sterilization", provides sampling plans for performing initial verification dose experiments and quarterly dose audits. Alternative sampling plans are presented which provide equivalent protection. These sampling plans can significantly reduce the cost of testing. These alternative sampling plans have been included in a draft ISO Technical Report (type 2). This paper examines the rational behind the proposed alternative sampling plans. The protection provided by the current verification and audit sampling plans is first examined. Then methods for identifying equivalent plans are highlighted. Finally, methods for comparing the cost associated with the different plans are provided. This paper includes additional guidance for selecting between the original and alternative sampling plans not included in the technical report.

Comparison of chain sampling plans with single and double sampling plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, K. S.; Dodge, H. F.

1976-01-01

The efficiency of chain sampling is examined through matching of operating characteristics (OC) curves of chain sampling plans (ChSP) with single and double sampling plans. In particular, the operating characteristics of some ChSP-0, 3 and 1, 3 as well as ChSP-0, 4 and 1, 4 are presented, where the number pairs represent the first and the second cumulative acceptance numbers. The fact that the ChSP procedure uses cumulative results from two or more samples and that the parameters can be varied to produce a wide variety of operating characteristics raises the question whether it may be possible for such plans to provide a given protection with less inspection than with single or double sampling plans. The operating ratio values reported illustrate the possibilities of matching single and double sampling plans with ChSP. It is shown that chain sampling plans provide improved efficiency over single and double sampling plans having substantially the same operating characteristics.

Nova Centauri 2013 = PNV J13544700-5909080

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waagen, Elizabeth O.

2013-12-01

Announces the discovery of V1369 Cen = Nova Cen 2013 = PNV J13544700-5909080 by John Seach (Chatsworth Island, NSW, Australia) at unfiltered magnitude 5.5 on 2013 December 02.692 UT. Low-resolution spectra obtained by Locke on Dec. 03.3776 UT and by Kaufman on Dec. 03.621 UT show strong Ha and Hb emission lines, indicating the object is a nova. Announced on IAU CBAT Central Bureau Electronic Telegram 3732 (Daniel W. E. Green, ed.). Finder charts with sequences may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (http://www.aavso.org/vsp). Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. See full Alert Notice for more details and observations.

40 CFR 141.802 - Coliform sampling plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Coliform sampling plan. 141.802... sampling plan. (a) Each air carrier under this subpart must develop a coliform sampling plan covering each... required actions, including repeat and follow-up sampling, corrective action, and notification of...

40 CFR 141.802 - Coliform sampling plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coliform sampling plan. 141.802... sampling plan. (a) Each air carrier under this subpart must develop a coliform sampling plan covering each... required actions, including repeat and follow-up sampling, corrective action, and notification of...

The Mediator Complex Subunits MED14, MED15, and MED16 Are Involved in Defense Signaling Crosstalk in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Wang, Chenggang; Du, Xuezhu; Mou, Zhonglin

2016-01-01

Mediator is a highly conserved protein complex that functions as a transcriptional coactivator in RNA polymerase II (RNAPII)-mediated transcription. The Arabidopsis Mediator complex has recently been implicated in plant immune responses. Here, we compared salicylic acid (SA)-, methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-, and the ethylene (ET) precursor 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC)-induced defense and/or wound-responsive gene expression in 14 Arabidopsis Mediator subunit mutants. Our results show that MED14, MED15, and MED16 are required for SA-activated expression of the defense marker gene PATHOEGNESIS-RELATED GENE1 , MED25 is required for MeJA-induced expression of the wound-responsive marker gene VEGATATIVE STORAGE PROTEIN1 ( VSP1 ), MED8, MED14, MED15, MED16, MED18, MED20a, MED25, MED31, and MED33A/B (MED33a and MED33B) are required for MeJA-induced expression of the defense maker gene PLANT DEFENSIN1.2 ( PDF1.2 ), and MED8, MED14, MED15, MED16, MED25, and MED33A/B are also required for ACC-triggered expression of PDF1.2 . Furthermore, we investigated the involvement of MED14, MED15, and MED16 in plant defense signaling crosstalk and found that MED14, MED15, and MED16 are required for SA- and ET-mediated suppression of MeJA-induced VSP1 expression. This result suggests that MED14, MED15, and MED16 not only relay defense signaling from the SA and JA/ET defense pathways to the RNAPII transcription machinery, but also fine-tune defense signaling crosstalk. Finally, we show that MED33A/B contributes to the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea- induced expression of the defense genes PDF1.2, HEVEIN-LIKE , and BASIC CHITINASE and is required for full-scale basal resistance to B. cinerea , demonstrating a positive role for MED33 in plant immunity against necrotrophic fungal pathogens.

Padrões de refluxo nas veias safenas em homens com insuficiência venosa crônica

PubMed Central

Engelhorn, Carlos Alberto; Coral, Francisco Eduardo; Soares, Isabela Chaves Monteiro; Corrêa, Gabriel Fernando de Araújo; Ogeda, Jaqueline Pozzolo; Hara, Larissa Yuri; Murasse, Luisa Saemi

2016-01-01

Resumo Contexto A insuficiência venosa crônica (IVCr) é frequente e predomina nas mulheres, mas ainda há poucas informações sobre o refluxo nas veias safenas na população masculina. Objetivos Identificar os diferentes padrões de refluxo nas veias safenas magnas (VSMs) e parvas (VSPs) em homens, correlacionando esses dados com a apresentação clínica conforme a classificação Clínica, Etiológica, Anatômica e Fisiopatológica (CEAP). Métodos Foram avaliados 369 membros inferiores de 207 homens pela ultrassonografia vascular (UV) com diagnóstico clínico de IVCr primária. As variáveis analisadas foram a classificação CEAP, o padrão de refluxo nas VSMs e VSPs e a correlação entre os dois. Resultados Nos 369 membros avaliados, 72,9% das VSMs apresentaram refluxo com predominância do padrão segmentar (33,8%). Nas VSPs, 16% dos membros inferiores analisados apresentaram refluxo, sendo o mais frequente o padrão distal (33,9%). Dos membros classificados como C4, C5 e C6, 100% apresentaram refluxo na VSM com predominância do refluxo proximal (25,64%), e 38,46% apresentaram refluxo na VSP com equivalência entre os padrões distal e proximal (33,3%). Refluxo na junção safeno-femoral (JSF) foi detectado em 7,1% dos membros nas classes C0 e C1, 35,6% nas classes C2 e C3, e 64,1% nas classes C4 a C6. Conclusões O padrão de refluxo segmentar é predominante na VSM, e o padrão de refluxo distal é predominante na VSP. A ocorrência de refluxo na JSF é maior em pacientes com IVCr mais avançada. PMID:29930603

A self-limiting regulation of vasoconstrictor-activated TRPC3/C6/C7 channels coupled to PI(4,5)P2-diacylglycerol signalling

PubMed Central

Imai, Yuko; Itsuki, Kyohei; Okamura, Yasushi; Inoue, Ryuji; Mori, Masayuki X

2012-01-01

Activation of transient receptor potential (TRP) canonical TRPC3/C6/C7 channels by diacylglycerol (DAG) upon stimulation of phospholipase C (PLC)-coupled receptors results in the breakdown of phosphoinositides (PIPs). The critical importance of PIPs to various ion-transporting molecules is well documented, but their function in relation to TRPC3/C6/C7 channels remains controversial. By using an ectopic voltage-sensing PIP phosphatase (DrVSP), we found that dephosphorylation of PIPs robustly inhibits currents induced by carbachol (CCh), 1-oleolyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycerol (OAG) or RHC80267 in TRPC3, TRPC6 and TRPC7 channels, though the strength of the DrVSP-mediated inhibition (VMI) varied among the channels with a rank order of C7 > C6 > C3. Pharmacological and molecular interventions suggest that depletion of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PI(4,5)P2) is most likely the critical event for VMI in all three channels. When the PLC catalytic signal was vigorously activated through overexpression of the muscarinic type-I receptor (M1R), the inactivation of macroscopic TRPC currents was greatly accelerated in the same rank order as the VMI, and VMI of these currents was attenuated or lost. VMI was also rarely detected in vasopressin-induced TRPC6-like currents in A7r5 vascular smooth muscle cells, indicating that the inactivation by PI(4,5)P2 depletion underlies the physiological condition. Simultaneous fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based measurement of PI(4,5)P2 levels and TRPC6 currents confirmed that VMI magnitude reflects the degree of PI(4,5)P2 depletion. These results demonstrate that TRPC3/C6/C7 channels are differentially regulated by depletion of PI(4,5)P2, and that the bimodal signal produced by PLC activation controls these channels in a self-limiting manner. PMID:22183723

Broadband Seismic Studies at the Mallik Gas Hydrate Research Well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, L. F.; Huang, J.; Lyons-Thomas, P.; Qian, W.; Milkereit, B.; Schmitt, D. R.

2005-12-01

The JAPEX/JNOC/GSC et al. Mallik 3L-38, 4L-38 and 5L-38 scientific wells were drilled in the MacKenzie Delta, NWT, Canada in early 2002 primarily for carrying out initial tests of the feasibility of producing methane gas from the large gas hydrate deposits there [1]. As part of this study, high resolution seismic profiles, a pseudo-3D single fold seismic volume and broadband (8~180Hz) multi-offset vertical seismic profiles (VSP) were acquired at the Mallik site. Here, we provide details on the acquisition program, present the results of the 2D field profile, and discuss the potential implications of these observations for the structure of the permafrost and gas hydrate zones. These zones have long been problematic in seismic imaging due to the lateral heterogeneities. Conventional seismic data processing usually assume a stratified, weak-contrast elastic earth model. However, in permafrost and gas hydrate zones this approximation often becomes invalid. This leads to seismic wave scattering caused by multi-scale perturbation of elastic properties. A 3D viscoelastic finite difference modeling algorithm was employed to simulate wave propagation in a medium with strong contrast. Parameters in this modeling analysis are based on the borehole geophysical log data. In addition, an uncorrelated Vibroseis VSP data set was studied to investigate frequency-dependent absorption and velocity dispersion. Our results indicate that scattering and velocity dispersion are important for a better understanding of attenuation mechanisms in heterogeneous permafrost and gas hydrate zones. [1] Dallimore, S.R., Collett, T.S., Uchida, T., and Weber, M., 2005, Overview of the science program for the Mallik 2002 Gas Hydrate Production Research Well Program; in Scientific Results from Mallik 2002 Gas Hydrate production Research Well Program, MacKenzie Delta, Northwest Territories, Canada, (ed.) S.R. Dallimore and T.S. Collett; Geological Survey of Canada, Bulletin 585, in press.

Seismic Characterization and Continuity Analysis of Gas Hydrate Horizons Near the Mallik Research Wells, Mackenzie Delta, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellefleur, G.; Riedel, M.; Brent, T.

2005-12-01

Gas hydrate deposits in arctic environment generally lack the BSR signature diagnostic of their presence in marine seismic data. The absence of the BSR signature complicates the estimation of the resources within or below the permafrost and the determination of their potential impact on future energy supplies, geohazard and climate change. We present results from a detailed seismic characterization of three gas hydrate horizons (A, B and C) intersected below the permafrost in five wells of the Mallik gas hydrate field located in the Mackenzie delta (Northwest Territories, Canada). The detailed seismic characterization included attribute analyses, synthetic modeling and acoustic impedance inversion and allowed estimation of the lateral continuity of the three horizons in the vicinity of the wells. Vertical Seismic Profiling (VSP) data, 3D and 2D industry seismic data and the 5L/2L-38 geophysical logs (density, P-wave sonic velocity) were used for this study. Synthetic modeling using the sonic and density logs reveals that the base of the lower gas hydrate horizons B and C can be identified on the industry 3D and 2D seismic sections as prominent isolated reflections. The uppermost gas hydrate occurrence (horizon A) and potentially other additional smaller-scale layers are identified only on the higher-resolution VSP data. The 3D industry seismic data set processed to preserve the relative true-amplitudes was used for attribute calculations and acoustic impedance inversion. The attribute maps defined areas of continuous reflectivity for horizons B and C and structural features disrupting them. Results from impedance inversion indicate that such continuous reflectivity around the wells is most likely attributable to gas hydrates. The middle gas hydrate occurrence (horizon B) covers an area of approximately 25 000m2. Horizon C, which marks the base of gas hydrate occurrence zone, extends over a larger area of approximately 120 000m2.

The Investigation of a Sinkhole Area in Germany by Near-Surface Active Seismic Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tschache, S.; Becker, D.; Wadas, S. H.; Polom, U.; Krawczyk, C. M.

2017-12-01

In November 2010, a 30 m wide and 17 m deep sinkhole occurred in a residential area of Schmalkalden, Germany, which fortunately did not harm humans, but led to damage of buildings and property. Subsequent geoscientific investigations showed that the collapse was naturally caused by the subrosion of sulfates in a depth of about 80 m. In 2012, an early warning system was established including 3C borehole geophones deployed in 50 m depth around the backfilled sinkhole. During the acquisition of two shallow 2D shear wave seismic profiles, the signals generated by a micro-vibrator at the surface were additionally recorded by the four borehole geophones of the early warning system and a VSP probe in a fifth borehole. The travel time analysis of the direct arrivals enhanced the understanding of wave propagation in the area. Seismic velocity anomalies were detected and related to structural seismic images of the 2D profiles. Due to the promising first results, the experiment was further extended by distributing vibration points throughout the whole area around the sinkhole. This time, micro-vibrators for P- and S-wave generation were used. The signals were recorded by the borehole geophones and temporary installed seismometers at surface positions close to the boreholes. The travel times and signal attenuations are evaluated to detect potential instable zones. Furthermore, array analyses are performed. The first results reveal features in the active tomography datasets consistent with structures observed in the 2D seismic images. The advantages of the presented method are the low effort and good repeatability due to the permanently installed borehole geophones. It has the potential to determine P-wave and S-wave velocities in 3D. It supports the interpretation of established investigation methods as 2D surface seismics and VSP. In our further research we propose to evaluate the suitability of the method for the time lapse monitoring of changes in the seismic wave propagation, which could be related to subrosion processes.

Designing a multiple dependent state sampling plan based on the coefficient of variation.

PubMed

Yan, Aijun; Liu, Sanyang; Dong, Xiaojuan

2016-01-01

A multiple dependent state (MDS) sampling plan is developed based on the coefficient of variation of the quality characteristic which follows a normal distribution with unknown mean and variance. The optimal plan parameters of the proposed plan are solved by a nonlinear optimization model, which satisfies the given producer's risk and consumer's risk at the same time and minimizes the sample size required for inspection. The advantages of the proposed MDS sampling plan over the existing single sampling plan are discussed. Finally an example is given to illustrate the proposed plan.

7 CFR 42.104 - Sampling plans and defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sampling plans and defects. 42.104 Section 42.104... REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR CONDITION OF FOOD CONTAINERS Procedures for Stationary Lot Sampling and Inspection § 42.104 Sampling plans and defects. (a) Sampling plans. Sections 42.109 through 42.111 show the number...

7 CFR 42.104 - Sampling plans and defects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Sampling plans and defects. 42.104 Section 42.104... REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR CONDITION OF FOOD CONTAINERS Procedures for Stationary Lot Sampling and Inspection § 42.104 Sampling plans and defects. (a) Sampling plans. Sections 42.109 through 42.111 show the number...

Monitoring of V380 Oph requested in support of HST observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waagen, Elizabeth O.

2012-08-01

On behalf of a large Hubble Space Telescope consortium of which they are members, Dr. Joseph Patterson (Columbia University, Center for Backyard Astrophysics) and Dr. Arne Henden (AAVSO) requested observations from the amateur astronomer community in support of upcoming HST observations of the novalike VY Scl-type cataclysmic variable V380 Oph. The HST observations will likely take place in September but nightly visual observations are needed beginning immediately and continuing through at least October 2012. The astronomers plan to observe V380 Oph while it is in its current low state. Observations beginning now are needed to determine the behavior of this system at minimum and to ensure that the system is not in its high state at the time of the HST observations. V380 Oph is very faint in its low state: magnitude 17 to 19 and perhaps even fainter. Nightly snapshot observations, not time series, are requested, as is whatever technique - adding frames, lengthening exposur! es, etc. - necessary to measure the magnitude. It is not known whether V380 Oph is relatively inactive at minimum or has flares of one to two magnitudes; it is this behavior that is essential to learn in order to safely execute the HST observations. Finder charts with sequence may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (http://www.aavso.org/vsp). Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. See full Alert Notice for more details. NOTE: This campaign was subsequently cancelled when it was learned V830 Oph was not truly in its low state. See AAVSO Alert Notice 468 for details.

7 CFR 275.11 - Sampling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sampling. 275.11 Section 275.11 Agriculture... § 275.11 Sampling. (a) Sampling plan. Each State agency shall develop a quality control sampling plan which demonstrates the integrity of its sampling procedures. (1) Content. The sampling plan shall...

7 CFR 275.11 - Sampling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Sampling. 275.11 Section 275.11 Agriculture... § 275.11 Sampling. (a) Sampling plan. Each State agency shall develop a quality control sampling plan which demonstrates the integrity of its sampling procedures. (1) Content. The sampling plan shall...

FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) and FTNMR (Fourier Transform Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) Study of Organophosphorus Surface Reactions

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-09-01

broad band centered about 1140 cm - , (assigned to v(A1-F), 3 (b) no observable v(P=O), 0 (c) a new band at 1082 cm-f (assigned to J P "’i, and also O O...the growth of hydrolysis product can be followed by using either v((P)-G-C) at 999 cm -’ or vs(P0 2 ) at 1082 cm - , but the v(P-F) at about 870 cm-1 is...1180(m)1139(w) v(AI-F) -iI40(br) l!43(vw) 1109(vw) va(P 0 2 ) 1082 (m) 1103(w) 1026 v((P)-O-C) 1011 950(sh) 917 due to subtraction of silica band 900

Observations of V694 Mon (MWC 560) requested for Chandra campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waagen, Elizabeth O.

2016-02-01

Dr. Jeno Sokoloski (Columbia University) and Mr. Adrian Lucy (graduate student, Columbia University) have requested AAVSO observations of the jet-driving symbiotic star V694 Mon (MWC 560), which is in outburst, in support of upcoming Chandra observations to investigate the state of the inner accretion disk during this outburst. Beginning now and continuing through April 2016, Sokoloski writes, "multi-band photometry (UBVRI, but especially UBV), spectroscopy, and minute-time-resolution light curves of the optical flickering are requested. Series of exposures in B or V will be very interesting." Finder charts with sequence may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (https://www.aavso.org/vsp). Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. See full Alert Notice for more details.

An original traffic additional emission model and numerical simulation on a signalized road

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Wen-Xing; Zhang, Jing-Yu

2017-02-01

Based on VSP (Vehicle Specific Power) model traffic real emissions were theoretically classified into two parts: basic emission and additional emission. An original additional emission model was presented to calculate the vehicle's emission due to the signal control effects. Car-following model was developed and used to describe the traffic behavior including cruising, accelerating, decelerating and idling at a signalized intersection. Simulations were conducted under two situations: single intersection and two adjacent intersections with their respective control policy. Results are in good agreement with the theoretical analysis. It is also proved that additional emission model may be used to design the signal control policy in our modern traffic system to solve the serious environmental problems.

Analysis of view synthesis prediction architectures in modern coding standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Dong; Zou, Feng; Lee, Chris; Vetro, Anthony; Sun, Huifang

2013-09-01

Depth-based 3D formats are currently being developed as extensions to both AVC and HEVC standards. The availability of depth information facilitates the generation of intermediate views for advanced 3D applications and displays, and also enables more efficient coding of the multiview input data through view synthesis prediction techniques. This paper outlines several approaches that have been explored to realize view synthesis prediction in modern video coding standards such as AVC and HEVC. The benefits and drawbacks of various architectures are analyzed in terms of performance, complexity, and other design considerations. It is hence concluded that block-based VSP prediction for multiview video signals provides attractive coding gains with comparable complexity as traditional motion/disparity compensation.

Finite Element Based HWB Centerbody Structural Optimization and Weight Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gern, Frank H.

2012-01-01

This paper describes a scalable structural model suitable for Hybrid Wing Body (HWB) centerbody analysis and optimization. The geometry of the centerbody and primary wing structure is based on a Vehicle Sketch Pad (VSP) surface model of the aircraft and a FLOPS compatible parameterization of the centerbody. Structural analysis, optimization, and weight calculation are based on a Nastran finite element model of the primary HWB structural components, featuring centerbody, mid section, and outboard wing. Different centerbody designs like single bay or multi-bay options are analyzed and weight calculations are compared to current FLOPS results. For proper structural sizing and weight estimation, internal pressure and maneuver flight loads are applied. Results are presented for aerodynamic loads, deformations, and centerbody weight.

Fixed-Precision Sequential Sampling Plans for Estimating Alfalfa Caterpillar, Colias lesbia, Egg Density in Alfalfa, Medicago sativa, Fields in Córdoba, Argentina

PubMed Central

Serra, Gerardo V.; Porta, Norma C. La; Avalos, Susana; Mazzuferi, Vilma

2013-01-01

The alfalfa caterpillar, Colias lesbia (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae), is a major pest of alfalfa, Medicago sativa L. (Fabales: Fabaceae), crops in Argentina. Its management is based mainly on chemical control of larvae whenever the larvae exceed the action threshold. To develop and validate fixed-precision sequential sampling plans, an intensive sampling programme for C. lesbia eggs was carried out in two alfalfa plots located in the Province of Córdoba, Argentina, from 1999 to 2002. Using Resampling for Validation of Sampling Plans software, 12 additional independent data sets were used to validate the sequential sampling plan with precision levels of 0.10 and 0.25 (SE/mean), respectively. For a range of mean densities of 0.10 to 8.35 eggs/sample, an average sample size of only 27 and 26 sample units was required to achieve a desired precision level of 0.25 for the sampling plans of Green and Kuno, respectively. As the precision level was increased to 0.10, average sample size increased to 161 and 157 sample units for the sampling plans of Green and Kuno, respectively. We recommend using Green's sequential sampling plan because it is less sensitive to changes in egg density. These sampling plans are a valuable tool for researchers to study population dynamics and to evaluate integrated pest management strategies. PMID:23909840

Emperical Tests of Acceptance Sampling Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

White, K. Preston, Jr.; Johnson, Kenneth L.

2012-01-01

Acceptance sampling is a quality control procedure applied as an alternative to 100% inspection. A random sample of items is drawn from a lot to determine the fraction of items which have a required quality characteristic. Both the number of items to be inspected and the criterion for determining conformance of the lot to the requirement are given by an appropriate sampling plan with specified risks of Type I and Type II sampling errors. In this paper, we present the results of empirical tests of the accuracy of selected sampling plans reported in the literature. These plans are for measureable quality characteristics which are known have either binomial, exponential, normal, gamma, Weibull, inverse Gaussian, or Poisson distributions. In the main, results support the accepted wisdom that variables acceptance plans are superior to attributes (binomial) acceptance plans, in the sense that these provide comparable protection against risks at reduced sampling cost. For the Gaussian and Weibull plans, however, there are ranges of the shape parameters for which the required sample sizes are in fact larger than the corresponding attributes plans, dramatically so for instances of large skew. Tests further confirm that the published inverse-Gaussian (IG) plan is flawed, as reported by White and Johnson (2011).

Multichannel analysis of surface-waves and integration of downhole acoustic televiewer imaging, ultrasonic Vs and Vp, and vertical seismic profiling in an NEHRP-standard classification, South of Concordia, Kansas, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raef, Abdelmoneam; Gad, Sabreen; Tucker-Kulesza, Stacey

2015-10-01

Seismic site characteristics, as pertaining to earthquake hazard reduction, are a function of the subsurface elastic moduli and the geologic structures. This study explores how multiscale (surface, downhole, and laboratory) datasets can be utilized to improve "constrained" average Vs30 (shear-wave velocity to a 30-meter depth). We integrate borehole, surface and laboratory measurements for a seismic site classification based on the standards of the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP). The seismic shear-wave velocity (Vs30) was derived from a geophysical inversion workflow that utilized multichannel analysis of surface-waves (MASW) and downhole acoustic televiewer imaging (DATI). P-wave and S-wave velocities, based on laboratory measurements of arrival times of ultrasonic-frequency signals, supported the workflow by enabling us to calculate Poisson's ratio, which was incorporated in building an initial model for the geophysical inversion of MASW. Extraction of core samples from two boreholes provided lithology and thickness calibration of the amplitudes of the acoustic televiewer imaging for each layer. The MASW inversion, for calculating Vs sections, was constrained with both ultrasonic laboratory measurements (from first arrivals of Vs and Vp waveforms at simulated in situ overburden stress conditions) and the downhole acoustic televiewer (DATV) amplitude logs. The Vs30 calculations enabled categorizing the studied site as NEHRP-class "C" - very dense soil and soft rock. Unlike shallow fractured carbonates in the studied area, S-wave and P-wave velocities at ultrasonic frequency for the deeper intact shale core-samples from two boreholes were in better agreement with the corresponding velocities from both a zero-offset vertical seismic profiling (VSP) and inversion of Rayleigh-wave velocity dispersion curves.

Scientific results of the Second Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition in the Ulleung Basin (UBGH2)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ryu, Byong-Jae; Collett, Timothy S.; Riedel, Michael; Kim, Gil-Young; Chun, Jong-Hwa; Bahk, Jang-Jun; Lee, Joo Yong; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Yoo, Dong-Geun

2013-01-01

As a part of Korean National Gas Hydrate Program, the Second Ulleung Basin Gas Hydrate Drilling Expedition (UBGH2) was conducted from 9 July to 30 September, 2010 in the Ulleung Basin, East Sea, offshore Korea using the D/V Fugro Synergy. The UBGH2 was performed to understand the distribution of gas hydrates as required for a resource assessment and to find potential candidate sites suitable for a future offshore production test, especially targeting gas hydrate-bearing sand bodies in the basin. The UBGH2 sites were distributed across most of the basin and were selected to target mainly sand-rich turbidite deposits. The 84-day long expedition consisted of two phases. The first phase included logging-while-drilling/measurements-while-drilling (LWD/MWD) operations at 13 sites. During the second phase, sediment cores were collected from 18 holes at 10 of the 13 LWD/MWD sites. Wireline logging (WL) and vertical seismic profile (VSP) data were also acquired after coring operations at two of these 10 sites. In addition, seafloor visual observation, methane sensing, as well as push-coring and sampling using a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) were conducted during both phases of the expedition. Recovered gas hydrates occurred either as pore-filling medium associated with discrete turbidite sand layers, or as fracture-filling veins and nodules in muddy sediments. Gas analyses indicated that the methane within the sampled gas hydrates is primarily of biogenic origin. This paper provides a summary of the operational and scientific results of the UBGH2 expedition as described in 24 papers that make up this special issue of the Journal of Marine and Petroleum Geology.

Long-Term Ecological Monitoring Field Sampling Plan for 2007

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

T. Haney

2007-07-31

This field sampling plan describes the field investigations planned for the Long-Term Ecological Monitoring Project at the Idaho National Laboratory Site in 2007. This plan and the Quality Assurance Project Plan for Waste Area Groups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, and Removal Actions constitute the sampling and analysis plan supporting long-term ecological monitoring sampling in 2007. The data collected under this plan will become part of the long-term ecological monitoring data set that is being collected annually. The data will be used t determine the requirements for the subsequent long-term ecological monitoring. This plan guides the 2007more » investigations, including sampling, quality assurance, quality control, analytical procedures, and data management. As such, this plan will help to ensure that the resulting monitoring data will be scientifically valid, defensible, and of known and acceptable quality.« less

Comparison of the efficiency between two sampling plans for aflatoxins analysis in maize

PubMed Central

Mallmann, Adriano Olnei; Marchioro, Alexandro; Oliveira, Maurício Schneider; Rauber, Ricardo Hummes; Dilkin, Paulo; Mallmann, Carlos Augusto

2014-01-01

Variance and performance of two sampling plans for aflatoxins quantification in maize were evaluated. Eight lots of maize were sampled using two plans: manual, using sampling spear for kernels; and automatic, using a continuous flow to collect milled maize. Total variance and sampling, preparation, and analysis variance were determined and compared between plans through multifactor analysis of variance. Four theoretical distribution models were used to compare aflatoxins quantification distributions in eight maize lots. The acceptance and rejection probabilities for a lot under certain aflatoxin concentration were determined using variance and the information on the selected distribution model to build the operational characteristic curves (OC). Sampling and total variance were lower at the automatic plan. The OC curve from the automatic plan reduced both consumer and producer risks in comparison to the manual plan. The automatic plan is more efficient than the manual one because it expresses more accurately the real aflatoxin contamination in maize. PMID:24948911

7 CFR 43.103 - Purpose and scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing... SAMPLING PLANS Sampling Plans § 43.103 Purpose and scope. (a) This subpart contains selected single and double sampling plans for inspection by attributes. They are to serve as a source of plans for developing...

Seismic fiber optic multiplexed sensors for exploration and reservoir management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houston, Mark H.

2000-12-01

Reliable downhole communications, control and sensor networks will dramatically improve oil reservoir management practices and will enable the construction of intelligent or smart-well completions. Fiber optic technology will play a key role in the implementation of these communication, control and sensing systems because of inherent advantages of power, weight and reliability over more conventional electronic-based systems. Field test data, acquired using an array of fiber optic seismic hydrophones within a steam-flood, heavy oil- production filed, showed a significant improvement (10X in this specific case) in subsurface resolution as compared to conventional surface seismic acquisition. These results demonstrate the viability of using multiplexed fiber optic sensors for exploration and reservoir management in 3D vertical seismic profiling (VSP) surveys and in permanent sensor arrays for 4D surveys.

Vadose zone studies at an industrial contaminated site: the vadose zone monitoring system and cross-hole geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernandez de Vera, Natalia; Beaujean, Jean; Jamin, Pierre; Nguyen, Frédéric; Dahan, Ofer; Vanclooster, Marnik; Brouyère, Serge

2014-05-01

In order to improve risk characterization and remediation measures for soil and groundwater contamination, there is a need to improve in situ vadose zone characterization. However, most available technologies have been developed in the context of agricultural soils. Such methodologies are not applicable at industrial sites, where soils and contamination differ in origin and composition. In addition, most technologies are applicable only in the first meters of soils, leaving deeper vadose zones with lack of information, in particular on field scale heterogeneity. In order to overcome such difficulties, a vadose zone experiment has been setup at a former industrial site in Belgium. Industrial activities carried out on site left a legacy of soil and groundwater contamination in BTEX, PAH, cyanide and heavy metals. The experiment comprises the combination of two techniques: the Vadose Zone Monitoring System (VMS) and cross-hole geophysics. The VMS allows continuous measurements of water content and temperature at different depths of the vadose zone. In addition, it provides the possibility of pore water sampling at different depths. The system is formed by a flexible sleeve containing monitoring units along its depth which is installed in a slanted borehole. The flexible sleeve contains three types of monitoring units in the vadose zone: Time Domain Transmissometry (TDT), which allows water content measurements; Vadose Sampling Ports (VSP), used for collecting water samples coming from the matrix; the Fracture Samplers (FS), which are used for retrieving water samples from the fractures. Cross-hole geophysics techniques consist in the injection of an electrical current using electrodes installed in vertical boreholes. From measured potential differences, detailed spatial patterns about electrical properties of the subsurface can be inferred. Such spatial patterns are related with subsurface heterogeneities, water content and solute concentrations. Two VMS were installed in two slanted boreholes on site, together with four vertical boreholes containing electrodes for geophysical measurements. Currently the site is being monitored under natural recharge conditions. Initial results show the reaction of the vadose zone to rainfall events, as well as chemical evolution of soil water with depth.

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

Marutzky, Sam; Farnham, Irene

The purpose of the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) Integrated Sampling Plan (referred to herein as the Plan) is to provide a comprehensive, integrated approach for collecting and analyzing groundwater samples to meet the needs and objectives of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO) Underground Test Area (UGTA) Activity. Implementation of this Plan will provide high-quality data required by the UGTA Activity for ensuring public protection in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The Plan is designed to ensure compliance with the UGTA Quality Assurance Plan (QAP). The Plan’s scope comprises sample collectionmore » and analysis requirements relevant to assessing the extent of groundwater contamination from underground nuclear testing. This Plan identifies locations to be sampled by corrective action unit (CAU) and location type, sampling frequencies, sample collection methodologies, and the constituents to be analyzed. In addition, the Plan defines data collection criteria such as well-purging requirements, detection levels, and accuracy requirements; identifies reporting and data management requirements; and provides a process to ensure coordination between NNSS groundwater sampling programs for sampling of interest to UGTA. This Plan does not address compliance with requirements for wells that supply the NNSS public water system or wells involved in a permitted activity.« less

Chain sampling plan (ChSP-1) for desired acceptable quality level (AQL) and limiting quality level (LQL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raju, C.; Vidya, R.

2017-11-01

Chain Sampling Plan is widely used whenever a small sample attributes plan is required to be used for situations involving destructive products coming out of continuous production process [1, 2]. This paper presents a procedure for the construction and selection of a ChSP-1 by attributes inspection based on membership functions [3]. A procedure using search technique is developed for obtaining the parameters of single sampling plan for a given set of AQL and LQL values. A sample of tables providing ChSP-1 plans for various combinations of AQL and LQL values are presented [4].

Spatial distribution and sequential sampling plans for Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in greenhouse tomato crops.

PubMed

Cocco, Arturo; Serra, Giuseppe; Lentini, Andrea; Deliperi, Salvatore; Delrio, Gavino

2015-09-01

The within- and between-plant distribution of the tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), was investigated in order to define action thresholds based on leaf infestation and to propose enumerative and binomial sequential sampling plans for pest management applications in protected crops. The pest spatial distribution was aggregated between plants, and median leaves were the most suitable sample to evaluate the pest density. Action thresholds of 36 and 48%, 43 and 56% and 60 and 73% infested leaves, corresponding to economic thresholds of 1 and 3% damaged fruits, were defined for tomato cultivars with big, medium and small fruits respectively. Green's method was a more suitable enumerative sampling plan as it required a lower sampling effort. Binomial sampling plans needed lower average sample sizes than enumerative plans to make a treatment decision, with probabilities of error of <0.10. The enumerative sampling plan required 87 or 343 leaves to estimate the population density in extensive or intensive ecological studies respectively. Binomial plans would be more practical and efficient for control purposes, needing average sample sizes of 17, 20 and 14 leaves to take a pest management decision in order to avoid fruit damage higher than 1% in cultivars with big, medium and small fruits respectively. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Sampling and Analysis Plan for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites

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

None

2012-10-24

This plan incorporates U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) standard operating procedures (SOPs) into environmental monitoring activities and will be implemented at all sites managed by LM. This document provides detailed procedures for the field sampling teams so that samples are collected in a consistent and technically defensible manner. Site-specific plans (e.g., long-term surveillance and maintenance plans, environmental monitoring plans) document background information and establish the basis for sampling and monitoring activities. Information will be included in site-specific tabbed sections to this plan, which identify sample locations, sample frequencies, types of samples, field measurements, and associatedmore » analytes for each site. Additionally, within each tabbed section, program directives will be included, when developed, to establish additional site-specific requirements to modify or clarify requirements in this plan as they apply to the corresponding site. A flowchart detailing project tasks required to accomplish routine sampling is displayed in Figure 1. LM environmental procedures are contained in the Environmental Procedures Catalog (LMS/PRO/S04325), which incorporates American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), DOE, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance. Specific procedures used for groundwater and surface water monitoring are included in Appendix A. If other environmental media are monitored, SOPs used for air, soil/sediment, and biota monitoring can be found in the site-specific tabbed sections in Appendix D or in site-specific documents. The procedures in the Environmental Procedures Catalog are intended as general guidance and require additional detail from planning documents in order to be complete; the following sections fulfill that function and specify additional procedural requirements to form SOPs. Routine revision of this Sampling and Analysis Plan will be conducted annually at the beginning of each fiscal year when attachments in Appendix D, including program directives and sampling location/analytical tables, will be reviewed by project personnel and updated. The sampling location/analytical tables in Appendix D, however, may have interim updates according to project direction that are not reflected in this plan. Deviations from location/analytical tables in Appendix D prior to sampling will be documented in project correspondence (e.g., startup letters). If significant changes to other aspects of this plan are required before the annual update, then the plan will be revised as needed.« less

40 CFR 265.92 - Sampling and analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sampling and analysis. 265.92 Section... FACILITIES Ground-Water Monitoring § 265.92 Sampling and analysis. (a) The owner or operator must obtain and... follow a ground-water sampling and analysis plan. He must keep this plan at the facility. The plan must...

40 CFR 265.92 - Sampling and analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sampling and analysis. 265.92 Section... FACILITIES Ground-Water Monitoring § 265.92 Sampling and analysis. (a) The owner or operator must obtain and... follow a ground-water sampling and analysis plan. He must keep this plan at the facility. The plan must...

Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial effects of Er:YAG, diode, and CO₂ lasers on titanium discs: an experimental study.

PubMed

Tosun, Emre; Tasar, Ferda; Strauss, Robert; Kıvanc, Dolunay Gulmez; Ungor, Cem

2012-05-01

This study examined carbon dioxide (CO(2); 10,600 nm), diode (808 nm), and erbium (Er):yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG; 2,940 nm) laser applications on Staphylococcus aureus contaminated, sandblasted, large-grit, acid-etched surface titanium discs and performed a comparative evaluation of the obtained bactericidal effects and the applicability of these effects in clinical practice. This study was carried out in 5 main groups: Er:YAG laser in very short pulse (VSP) emission mode, Er:YAG laser in short pulse (SP) emission mode, diode laser with a 320-nm fiber optic diode laser with an R24-B handpiece, and CO(2) laser. After laser irradiation, dilutions were spread on sheep blood agar plates and, after an incubation period of 24 hours, colony-forming units were counted and compared with the control group, and the bactericidal activity was assessed in relation to the colony counts. The CO(2) laser eliminated 100% of the bacteria at 6 W, 20 Hz, and a 10-ms exposure time/pulse with a 10-second application period (0.8-mm spot size). The continuous-wave diode laser eliminated 97% of the bacteria at 1 W using a 10-second application with a 320-μm optic fiber, 100% of the bacteria were killed with a 1-W, 10-second continuous-wave application with an R14-B handpiece. The Er:YAG laser eliminated 100% of the bacteria at 90 mJ and 10 Hz using a 10-second application in a superpulse mode (300-ms exposure time/pulse). The Er:YAG laser also eliminated 99% to 100% of the bacteria in VSP mode at 90 mJ and 10 Hz with a 10-second application. The results of this study show that a complete, or near complete, elimination of surface bacteria on titanium surfaces can be accomplished in vitro using a CO(2), diode, or Er:YAG laser as long as appropriate parameters are used. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. All rights reserved.

Contrasting effects of phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate on cloned TMEM16A and TMEM16B channels

PubMed Central

Ta, Chau M; Acheson, Kathryn E; Rorsman, Nils J G; Jongkind, Remco C

2017-01-01

Background and Purpose Ca2+‐activated Cl− channels (CaCCs) are gated open by a rise in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), typically provoked by activation of Gq‐protein coupled receptors (GqPCR). GqPCR activation initiates depletion of plasmalemmal phosphatidylinositol 4,5‐bisphosphate (PIP2). Here, we determined whether PIP2 acts as a signalling lipid for CaCCs coded by the TMEM16A and TMEM16B genes. Experimental Approach Patch‐clamp electrophysiology, in conjunction with genetically encoded systems to control cellular PIP2 content, was used to define the mechanism of action of PIP2 on TMEM16A and TMEM16B channels. Key Results A water‐soluble PIP2 analogue (diC8‐PIP2) activated TMEM16A channels by up to fivefold and inhibited TMEM16B by ~0.2‐fold. The effects of diC8‐PIP2 on TMEM16A currents were especially pronounced at low [Ca2+]i. In contrast, diC8‐PIP2 modulation of TMEM16B channels did not vary over a broad [Ca2+]i range but was only detectable at highly depolarized membrane potentials. Modulation of TMEM16A and TMEM16B currents was due to changes in channel gating, while single channel conductance was unaltered. Co‐expression of TMEM16A or TMEM16B with a Danio rerio voltage‐sensitive phosphatase (DrVSP), which degrades PIP2, led to reduction and enhancement of TMEM16A and TMEM16B currents respectively. These effects were abolished by an inactivating mutation in DrVSP and antagonized by simultaneous co‐expression of a phosphatidylinositol‐4‐phosphate 5‐kinase that catalyses PIP2 formation. Conclusions and Implications PIP2 acts as a modifier of TMEM16A and TMEM16B channel gating. Drugs interacting with PIP2 signalling may affect TMEM16A and TMEM16B channel gating and have potential uses in basic science and implications for therapy. PMID:28616863

Comparison of flexible fuel vehicle and life-cycle fuel consumption and emissions of selected pollutants and greenhouse gases for ethanol 85 versus gasoline.

PubMed

Zhai, Haibo; Frey, H Christopher; Rouphail, Nagui M; Gonçalves, Gonçalo A; Farias, Tiago L

2009-08-01

The objective of this research is to evaluate differences in fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions of flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) operated on ethanol 85 (E85) versus gasoline. Theoretical ratios of fuel consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions for both fuels are estimated based on the same amount of energy released. Second-by-second fuel consumption and emissions from one FFV Ford Focus fueled with E85 and gasoline were measured under real-world traffic conditions in Lisbon, Portugal, using a portable emissions measurement system (PEMS). Cycle average dynamometer fuel consumption and emission test results for FFVs are available from the U.S. Department of Energy, and emissions certification test results for ethanol-fueled vehicles are available from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. On the basis of the PEMS data, vehicle-specific power (VSP)-based modal average fuel and emission rates for both fuels are estimated. For E85 versus gasoline, empirical ratios of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions agree within a margin of error to the theoretical expectations. Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions were found to be typically lower. From the PEMS data, nitric oxide (NO) emissions associated with some higher VSP modes are higher for E85. From the dynamometer and certification data, average hydrocarbon (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emission differences vary depending on the vehicle. The differences of average E85 versus gasoline emission rates for all vehicle models are -22% for CO, 12% for HC, and -8% for NOx emissions, which imply that replacing gasoline with E85 reduces CO emissions, may moderately decrease NOx tailpipe emissions, and may increase HC tailpipe emissions. On a fuel life cycle basis for corn-based ethanol versus gasoline, CO emissions are estimated to decrease by 18%. Life-cycle total and fossil CO2 emissions are estimated to decrease by 25 and 50%, respectively; however, life-cycle HC and NOx emissions are estimated to increase by 18 and 82%, respectively.

Health-related quality of life in children with dysphonia and validation of the French Pediatric Voice Handicap Index.

PubMed

Oddon, P A; Boucekine, M; Boyer, L; Triglia, J M; Nicollas, R

2018-01-01

voice disorders are common in the pediatric population and can negatively affect children's quality of life. The pediatric voice handicap Index (pVHI) is a valid instrument to assess parental perception of their children voice but it is not translated into French language. The aim of the present study was to adapt a French version of the pVHI and to evaluate its psychometric properties including construct validity, reliability, and some aspects of external validity. we performed a cross sectional study including 32 dysphonic children and 60 children with no history of voice problems between 3 and 12 years of age. The original pVHI was translated into French language according to forward-backward rules and then administered to parents or caregivers. Construct validity and internal consistency were explored using confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha. The questionnaire was filled twice to assess test-retest reliability using the intra-class correlation coefficient. The external validity was explored by comparing the French pVHI total and subscales scores between dysphonic and asymptomatic children. Correlations between the French pVHI and both the perceptual GRBAS scale and the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) survey "Vécu et Santé Perçu de l'Adolescent et de l'Enfant" (VSP-Ap) were also performed. the structure of the French pVHI showed a good fit with excellent reliability (α = 0.929) and high test-retest reliability. Significant differences were found between the group of dysphonic children and the control group (p < 0.001). The French pVHI scores were positively correlated to all parameters of the GRBAS scale (p < 0.05). Significant negative correlations were found between the Functional domain of the pVHI and various domains of the VSP-Ap as Leisure Activities, Schooling and Sentimental Relationship (p < 0.05). the French pVHI is considered to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess voice-related quality of life in children with voice disorder. We recommend its use in the multidimensional protocols for assessing voice disorder in the pediatric population. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Attenuation and velocity dispersion in the exploration seismic frequency band

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Langqiu

In an anelastic medium, seismic waves are distorted by attenuation and velocity dispersion, which depend on petrophysical properties of reservoir rocks. The effective attenuation and velocity dispersion is a combination of intrinsic attenuation and apparent attenuation due to scattering, transmission response, and data acquisition system. Velocity dispersion is usually neglected in seismic data processing partly because of insufficient observations in the exploration seismic frequency band. This thesis investigates the methods of measuring velocity dispersion in the exploration seismic frequency band and interprets the velocity dispersion data in terms of petrophysical properties. Broadband, uncorrelated vibrator data are suitable for measuring velocity dispersion in the exploration seismic frequency band, and a broad bandwidth optimizes the observability of velocity dispersion. Four methods of measuring velocity dispersion in uncorrelated vibrator VSP data are investigated, which are the sliding window crosscorrelation (SWCC) method, the instantaneous phase method, the spectral decomposition method, and the cross spectrum method. Among them, the SWCC method is a new method and has satisfactory robustness, accuracy, and efficiency. Using the SWCC method, velocity dispersion is measured in the uncorrelated vibrator VSP data from three areas with different geological settings, i.e., Mallik gas hydrate zone, McArthur River uranium mines, and Outokumpu crystalline rocks. The observed velocity dispersion is fitted to a straight line with respect to log frequency for a constant (frequency-independent) Q value. This provides an alternative method for calculating Q. A constant Q value does not directly link to petrophysical properties. A modeling study is implemented for the Mallik and McArthur River data to interpret the velocity dispersion observations in terms of petrophysical properties. The detailed multi-parameter petrophysical reservoir models are built according to the well logs; the models' parameters are adjusted by fitting the synthetic data to the observed data. In this way, seismic attenuation and velocity dispersion provide new insight into petrophysics properties at the Mallik and McArthur River sites. Potentially, observations of attenuation and velocity dispersion in the exploration seismic frequency band can improve the deconvolution process for vibrator data, Q-compensation, near-surface analysis, and first break picking for seismic data.

Imaging Fracking Zones by Microseismic Reverse Time Migration for Downhole Microseismic Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Y.; Zhang, H.

2015-12-01

Hydraulic fracturing is an engineering tool to create fractures in order to better recover oil and gas from low permeability reservoirs. Because microseismic events are generally associated with fracturing development, microseismic monitoring has been used to evaluate the fracking process. Microseismic monitoring generally relies on locating microseismic events to understand the spatial distribution of fractures. For the multi-stage fracturing treatment, fractures created in former stages are strong scatterers in the medium and can induce strong scattering waves on the waveforms for microseismic events induced during later stages. In this study, we propose to take advantage of microseismic scattering waves to image fracking zones by using seismic reverse time migration method. For downhole microseismic monitoring that involves installing a string of seismic sensors in a borehole near the injection well, the observation geometry is actually similar to the VSP (vertical seismic profile) system. For this reason, we adapt the VSP migration method for the common shot gather to the common event gather. Microseismic reverse-time migration method involves solving wave equation both forward and backward in time for each microseismic event. At current stage, the microseismic RTM is based on 2D acoustic wave equation (Zhang and Sun, 2008), solved by the finite-difference method with PML absorbing boundary condition applied to suppress the reflections of artificial boundaries. Additionally, we use local wavefield decomposition instead of cross-correlation imaging condition to suppress the imaging noise. For testing the method, we create a synthetic dataset for a downhole microseismic monitoring system with multiple fracking stages. It shows that microseismic migration using individual event is able to clearly reveal the fracture zone. The shorter distance between fractures and the microseismic event the clearer the migration image is. By summing migration images for many events, it can better reveal the fracture development during the hydraulic fracturing treatment. The synthetic test shows that microseismic migration is able to characterize the fracturing zone along with microseismic events. We will extend the method from 2D to 3D as well as from acoustic to elastic and apply it to real microseismic data.

ICP Corporate Customer Assessment - Sampling Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-07-01

CORPORATE CUSTOMER ASSESSMENT - SAMPLING PLAN JULY 1995 Lead Analyst: Lieutenant Commander William J. Wilkinson, USN Associate Analyst: Mr. Henry J...project developed a plan for conducting recurring surveys of Defense Logistics Agency customers , in support of the DLA Corporate Customer Assessment...Team. The primary product was a sampling plan, including stratification of customers by Military Service or Federal Agency and by commodity purchased

Fixed precision sampling plans for white apple leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) on apple.

PubMed

Beers, Elizabeth H; Jones, Vincent P

2004-10-01

Constant precision sampling plans for the white apple leafhopper, Typhlocyba pomaria McAtee, were developed so that it could be used as an indicator species for system stability as new integrated pest management programs without broad-spectrum pesticides are developed. Taylor's power law was used to model the relationship between the mean and the variance, and Green's constant precision sequential sample equation was used to develop sampling plans. Bootstrap simulations of the sampling plans showed greater precision (D = 0.25) than the desired precision (Do = 0.3), particularly at low mean population densities. We found that by adjusting the Do value in Green's equation to 0.4, we were able to reduce the average sample number by 25% and provided an average D = 0.31. The sampling plan described allows T. pomaria to be used as reasonable indicator species of agroecosystem stability in Washington apple orchards.

Addendum to Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) for Assessment of LANL-Derived Residual Radionuclides in Soils within Tract A-16-d for Land Conveyance and Transfer for Sewage Treatment Facility Area

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

Whicker, Jeffrey Jay; Gillis, Jessica Mcdonnel; Ruedig, Elizabeth

This report summarizes the sampling design used, associated statistical assumptions, as well as general guidelines for conducting post-sampling data analysis. Sampling plan components presented here include how many sampling locations to choose and where within the sampling area to collect those samples. The type of medium to sample (i.e., soil, groundwater, etc.) and how to analyze the samples (in-situ, fixed laboratory, etc.) are addressed in other sections of the sampling plan.

Spatial Distribution and Sampling Plans for Grapevine Plant Canopy-Inhabiting Scaphoideus titanus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) Nymphs.

PubMed

Rigamonti, Ivo E; Brambilla, Carla; Colleoni, Emanuele; Jermini, Mauro; Trivellone, Valeria; Baumgärtner, Johann

2016-04-01

The paper deals with the study of the spatial distribution and the design of sampling plans for estimating nymph densities of the grape leafhopper Scaphoideus titanus Ball in vine plant canopies. In a reference vineyard sampled for model parameterization, leaf samples were repeatedly taken according to a multistage, stratified, random sampling procedure, and data were subjected to an ANOVA. There were no significant differences in density neither among the strata within the vineyard nor between the two strata with basal and apical leaves. The significant differences between densities on trunk and productive shoots led to the adoption of two-stage (leaves and plants) and three-stage (leaves, shoots, and plants) sampling plans for trunk shoots- and productive shoots-inhabiting individuals, respectively. The mean crowding to mean relationship used to analyze the nymphs spatial distribution revealed aggregated distributions. In both the enumerative and the sequential enumerative sampling plans, the number of leaves of trunk shoots, and of leaves and shoots of productive shoots, was kept constant while the number of plants varied. In additional vineyards data were collected and used to test the applicability of the distribution model and the sampling plans. The tests confirmed the applicability 1) of the mean crowding to mean regression model on the plant and leaf stages for representing trunk shoot-inhabiting distributions, and on the plant, shoot, and leaf stages for productive shoot-inhabiting nymphs, 2) of the enumerative sampling plan, and 3) of the sequential enumerative sampling plan. In general, sequential enumerative sampling was more cost efficient than enumerative sampling.

Designing a two-rank acceptance sampling plan for quality inspection of geospatial data products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tong, Xiaohua; Wang, Zhenhua; Xie, Huan; Liang, Dan; Jiang, Zuoqin; Li, Jinchao; Li, Jun

2011-10-01

To address the disadvantages of classical sampling plans designed for traditional industrial products, we originally propose a two-rank acceptance sampling plan (TRASP) for the inspection of geospatial data outputs based on the acceptance quality level (AQL). The first rank sampling plan is to inspect the lot consisting of map sheets, and the second is to inspect the lot consisting of features in an individual map sheet. The TRASP design is formulated as an optimization problem with respect to sample size and acceptance number, which covers two lot size cases. The first case is for a small lot size with nonconformities being modeled by a hypergeometric distribution function, and the second is for a larger lot size with nonconformities being modeled by a Poisson distribution function. The proposed TRASP is illustrated through two empirical case studies. Our analysis demonstrates that: (1) the proposed TRASP provides a general approach for quality inspection of geospatial data outputs consisting of non-uniform items and (2) the proposed acceptance sampling plan based on TRASP performs better than other classical sampling plans. It overcomes the drawbacks of percent sampling, i.e., "strictness for large lot size, toleration for small lot size," and those of a national standard used specifically for industrial outputs, i.e., "lots with different sizes corresponding to the same sampling plan."

Using known populations of pronghorn to evaluate sampling plans and estimators

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kraft, K.M.; Johnson, D.H.; Samuelson, J.M.; Allen, S.H.

1995-01-01

Although sampling plans and estimators of abundance have good theoretical properties, their performance in real situations is rarely assessed because true population sizes are unknown. We evaluated widely used sampling plans and estimators of population size on 3 known clustered distributions of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana). Our criteria were accuracy of the estimate, coverage of 95% confidence intervals, and cost. Sampling plans were combinations of sampling intensities (16, 33, and 50%), sample selection (simple random sampling without replacement, systematic sampling, and probability proportional to size sampling with replacement), and stratification. We paired sampling plans with suitable estimators (simple, ratio, and probability proportional to size). We used area of the sampling unit as the auxiliary variable for the ratio and probability proportional to size estimators. All estimators were nearly unbiased, but precision was generally low (overall mean coefficient of variation [CV] = 29). Coverage of 95% confidence intervals was only 89% because of the highly skewed distribution of the pronghorn counts and small sample sizes, especially with stratification. Stratification combined with accurate estimates of optimal stratum sample sizes increased precision, reducing the mean CV from 33 without stratification to 25 with stratification; costs increased 23%. Precise results (mean CV = 13) but poor confidence interval coverage (83%) were obtained with simple and ratio estimators when the allocation scheme included all sampling units in the stratum containing most pronghorn. Although areas of the sampling units varied, ratio estimators and probability proportional to size sampling did not increase precision, possibly because of the clumped distribution of pronghorn. Managers should be cautious in using sampling plans and estimators to estimate abundance of aggregated populations.

Effect of Sampling Plans on the Risk of Escherichia coli O157 Illness.

PubMed

Kiermeier, Andreas; Sumner, John; Jenson, Ian

2015-07-01

Australia exports about 150,000 to 200,000 tons of manufacturing beef to the United States annually. Each lot is tested for Escherichia coli O157 using the N-60 sampling protocol, where 60 small pieces of surface meat from each lot of production are tested. A risk assessment of E. coli O157 illness from the consumption of hamburgers made from Australian manufacturing meat formed the basis to evaluate the effect of sample size and amount on the number of illnesses predicted. The sampling plans evaluated included no sampling (resulting in an estimated 55.2 illnesses per annum), the current N-60 plan (50.2 illnesses), N-90 (49.6 illnesses), N-120 (48.4 illnesses), and a more stringent N-60 sampling plan taking five 25-g samples from each of 12 cartons (47.4 illnesses per annum). While sampling may detect some highly contaminated lots, it does not guarantee that all such lots are removed from commerce. It is concluded that increasing the sample size or sample amount from the current N-60 plan would have a very small public health effect.

Enumerative and binomial sequential sampling plans for the multicolored Asian lady beetle (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in wine grapes.

PubMed

Galvan, T L; Burkness, E C; Hutchison, W D

2007-06-01

To develop a practical integrated pest management (IPM) system for the multicolored Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), in wine grapes, we assessed the spatial distribution of H. axyridis and developed eight sampling plans to estimate adult density or infestation level in grape clusters. We used 49 data sets collected from commercial vineyards in 2004 and 2005, in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Enumerative plans were developed using two precision levels (0.10 and 0.25); the six binomial plans reflected six unique action thresholds (3, 7, 12, 18, 22, and 31% of cluster samples infested with at least one H. axyridis). The spatial distribution of H. axyridis in wine grapes was aggregated, independent of cultivar and year, but it was more randomly distributed as mean density declined. The average sample number (ASN) for each sampling plan was determined using resampling software. For research purposes, an enumerative plan with a precision level of 0.10 (SE/X) resulted in a mean ASN of 546 clusters. For IPM applications, the enumerative plan with a precision level of 0.25 resulted in a mean ASN of 180 clusters. In contrast, the binomial plans resulted in much lower ASNs and provided high probabilities of arriving at correct "treat or no-treat" decisions, making these plans more efficient for IPM applications. For a tally threshold of one adult per cluster, the operating characteristic curves for the six action thresholds provided binomial sequential sampling plans with mean ASNs of only 19-26 clusters, and probabilities of making correct decisions between 83 and 96%. The benefits of the binomial sampling plans are discussed within the context of improving IPM programs for wine grapes.

Final report : sampling plan for pavement condition ratings of secondary roads.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-01-01

The purpose of this project was to develop a random sampling plan for use in selecting segments of the secondary highway system for evaluation under the Department's PMS. The plan developed is described here. It is a simple, workable, random sampling...

Nevada National Security Site Integrated Groundwater Sampling Plan, Revision 1

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

Wilborn, Bill R.; Boehlecke, Robert F.

The purpose is to provide a comprehensive, integrated approach for collecting and analyzing groundwater samples to meet the needs and objectives of the DOE/EM Nevada Program’s UGTA Activity. Implementation of this Plan will provide high-quality data required by the UGTA Activity for ensuring public protection in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The Plan is designed to ensure compliance with the UGTA Quality Assurance Plan (QAP) (NNSA/NFO, 2015); Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) (1996, as amended); and DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment (DOE, 2013). The Plan’s scope comprises sample collection and analysis requirementsmore » relevant to assessing both the extent of groundwater contamination from underground nuclear testing and impact of testing on water quality in downgradient communities. This Plan identifies locations to be sampled by CAU and location type, sampling frequencies, sample collection methodologies, and the constituents to be analyzed. In addition, the Plan defines data collection criteria such as well purging, detection levels, and accuracy requirements/recommendations; identifies reporting and data management requirements; and provides a process to ensure coordination between NNSS groundwater sampling programs for sampling analytes of interest to UGTA. Information used in the Plan development—including the rationale for selection of wells, sampling frequency, and the analytical suite—is discussed under separate cover (N-I, 2014) and is not reproduced herein. This Plan does not address compliance for those wells involved in a permitted activity. Sampling and analysis requirements associated with these wells are described in their respective permits and are discussed in NNSS environmental reports (see Section 5.2). In addition, sampling for UGTA CAUs that are in the Closure Report (CR) stage are not included in this Plan. Sampling requirements for these CAUs are described in the CR. Frenchman Flat is currently the only UGTA CAU in the CR stage. Sampling requirements for this CAU are described in Underground Test Area (UGTA) Closure Report for Corrective Action Unit 98: Frenchman Flat Nevada National Security Site, Nevada (NNSA/NFO, 2016).« less

Aft Skirt Electrical Umbilical (ASEU) and Vehicle Support Post (

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-09

A flatbed truck carries a vertical support post (VSP) for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to the Mobile Launcher Yard at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The two aft skirt electrical umbilicals (ASEUs) and the first of the vehicle support posts underwent a series of tests to confirm they are functioning properly and ready to support the SLS for launch. The ASEUs will connect to the SLS rocket at the bottom outer edge of each booster and provide electrical power and data connections to the rocket until it lifts off from the launch pad. The eight VSPs will support the load of the solid rocket boosters, with four posts for each of the boosters. The center’s Engineering Directorate and the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program are overseeing processing and testing of the umbilicals.

Nova Sco 2016 No. 2 = PNV J17225112-3158349 = ASASSN-16kd

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waagen, Elizabeth O.

2016-09-01

AAVSO Alert Notice 550 announces the independent discovery of Nova Sco 2016 No. 2 = ASASSN-16kd = PNV J17225112-3158349 = V1656 Sco by Shigehisa Fujikawa (Kan'onji, Kagawa, Japan) at unfiltered CCD magnitude 11.6 on 2016 September 06.481 UT; and by ASAS-SN (Stanek et al., ATel #9469) at 12.13 V on 2016 September 06.00 UT. Spectroscopy indicating that Nova Sco 2016 No. 2 is a highly reddened classical Fe II-type nova was obtained by Arai and Honda (CBET 4320); by Bohlsen (ATel #9477); by Bersier et al. (ATel #9478); and by Prieto et al. (ATel #9479). Finder charts with sequence may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (https://www.aavso.org/vsp). Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. See full Alert Notice for more details.

Ada Compiler Validation Summary Report: Certificate Number: 890409W1. 10063, TeleSoft, TeleGen2 Ada Development System for VAX to E68K, Version 3.23, VAXserver 3602 Host and Motorola MVME117 (MC68010) Target

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-04-09

01hc ’i.’ f’Pf a- ebc 2i1o.-fer-er~hfom Repo.) tUEFCTE $UP1 * ta ~ (Con’rj 01’?Cre V Pot s’o fneccksa’) ortoiorM’f, by blDc n fumYber) Ada Prcr-7n...CLA53SIF1CA1,O0s or IMIS PA ,j (AhnDetsinfree1 AVF Control Number: AVF-VSP-267.0539 69-01-25-TEL Ada COMPILER VALIDATION SUMMARY REPORT: Certificate Number...pragma images controls the creation and allocation of the image table for a specified enumeration type. The default is Deferred, which saves space in the

Nova Lupi 2011

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waagen, Elizabeth O.

2011-08-01

Announcement of discovery of Nova Lupi 2011 = PNV J14542000-5505030. Discovered by Nicholas Brown (Quinns Rocks, Western Australia) on 2011 Aug. 4.73 UT at unfiltered mag=10.2 (tmax 400 film). Posted on the IAU Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Transient Object Confirmation Page (TOCP) as PNV J14542000-5505030. Spectra obtained by Fred Walter (SUNY Stony Brook) 2011 August 9.0132 UT with the SMARTS 1.5m RC spectrograph at Cerro Tololo and reported in ATEL #3536 confirms that the object is an Fe II nova near maximum. Initially announced in [vsnet-alert 13560] (Nicholas Brown) and in AAVSO Special Notice #247 (Arne Henden). Finder charts with sequence may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (http://www.aavso.org/vsp). Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. See full Alert Notice for more details and observations.

Surveillance plan for the early detection of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in migratory birds in the United States: surveillance year 2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brand, Christopher J.

2009-01-01

Executive Summary: This Surveillance Plan (Plan) describes plans for conducting surveillance of wild birds in the United States and its Territories and Freely-Associated States to provide for early detection of the introduction of the H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) subtype of the influenza A virus by migratory birds during the 2009 surveillance year, spanning the period of April 1, 2009 - March 31, 2010. The Plan represents a continuation of surveillance efforts begun in 2006 under the Interagency Strategic Plan for the Early Detection of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Wild Migratory Birds (U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of the Interior, 2006). The Plan sets forth sampling plans by: region, target species or species groups to be sampled, locations of sampling, sample sizes, and sampling approaches and methods. This Plan will be reviewed annually and modified as appropriate for subsequent surveillance years based on evaluation of information from previous years of surveillance, changing patterns and threats of H5N1 HPAI, and changes in funding availability for avian influenza surveillance. Specific sampling strategies will be developed accordingly within each of six regions, defined here as Alaska, Hawaiian/Pacific Islands, Lower Pacific Flyway (Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, Arizona), Central Flyway, Mississippi Flyway, and Atlantic Flyway.

7 CFR 43.106 - Choosing AQL's and sampling plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Choosing AQL's and sampling plans. 43.106 Section 43.106 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COMMODITY STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR SAMPLING PLANS...

PCB Analysis Plan for Tank Archive Samples

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

NGUYEN, D.M.

2001-03-22

This analysis plan specifies laboratory analysis, quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC), and data reporting requirements for analyzing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) concentrations in archive samples. Tank waste archive samples that are planned for PCB analysis are identified in Nguyen 2001. The tanks and samples are summarized in Table 1-1. The analytical data will be used to establish a PCB baseline inventory in Hanford tanks.

Coosa River Storage Annex, Talladega, Alabama Environmental Investigation, Final Management and Resources Utilization Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-01

to adequately assess the health and environmental risks associated with the closure and transfer of the Annex forI other use; and 3) identification of...1990); Draft Final Technical Plan, Draft Final Sampling Design Plan and Draft Final Health and Safety Plan, USATHAMA, June 1990. 2.1.2 Draft Final...Final Technical Plan, Sampling Design Plan and Health and Safety Plan) supplied by USATHAMA. The estimate may be revised, with USATHAMA approval, as

Sampling Plans for the Thrips Frankliniella schultzei (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Three Lettuce Varieties.

PubMed

Silva, Alisson R; Rodrigues-Silva, Nilson; Pereira, Poliana S; Sarmento, Renato A; Costa, Thiago L; Galdino, Tarcísio V S; Picanço, Marcelo C

2017-12-05

The common blossom thrips, Frankliniella schultzei Trybom (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is an important lettuce pest worldwide. Conventional sampling plans are the first step in implementing decision-making systems into integrated pest management programs. However, this tool is not available for F. schultzei infesting lettuce crops. Thus, the objective of this work was to develop a conventional sampling plan for F. schultzei in lettuce crops. Two sampling techniques (direct counting and leaf beating on a white plastic tray) were compared in crisphead, looseleaf, and Boston lettuce varieties before and during head formation. The frequency distributions of F. schultzei densities in lettuce crops were assessed, and the number of samples required to compose the sampling plan was determined. Leaf beating on a white plastic tray was the best sampling technique. F. schultzei densities obtained with this technique were fitted to the negative binomial distribution with a common aggregation parameter (common K = 0.3143). The developed sampling plan is composed of 91 samples per field and presents low errors in its estimates (up to 20%), fast execution time (up to 47 min), and low cost (up to US $1.67 per sampling area). This sampling plan can be used as a tool for integrated pest management in lettuce crops, assisting with reliable decision making in different lettuce varieties before and during head formation. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Appendix E - Sample Production Facility Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This sample Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan in Appendix E is intended to provide examples and illustrations of how a production facility could address a variety of scenarios in its SPCC Plan.

Transportation Demand Management Planning At Multi-Tenant Buildings, An Example Of Tdm Planning During Project

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1988-09-01

THIS GUIDE FOR DEVELOPERS, BUILDING OWNERS AND BUILDING MANAGERS IS ONE IN A SERIES OF SAMPLES OF TDM PLANS THAT ILLUSTRATE THE DESIGN AND PROPOSED APPLICATION OF TDM STRATEGIES. THIS SAMPLE PLAN WAS PREPARED FOR A FICTITIOUS BUILDING MANAGER NEAR DO...

Development of sampling plans for cotton bolls injured by stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

PubMed

Reay-Jones, F P F; Toews, M D; Greene, J K; Reeves, R B

2010-04-01

Cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., bolls were sampled in commercial fields for stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) injury during 2007 and 2008 in South Carolina and Georgia. Across both years of this study, boll-injury percentages averaged 14.8 +/- 0.3 (SEM). At average boll injury treatment levels of 10, 20, 30, and 50%, the percentage of samples with at least one injured boll was 82, 97, 100, and 100%, respectively. Percentage of field-sampling date combinations with average injury < 10, 20, 30, and 50% was 35, 80, 95, and 99%, respectively. At the average of 14.8% boll injury or 2.9 injured bolls per 20-boll sample, 112 samples at Dx = 0.1 (within 10% of the mean) were required for population estimation, compared with only 15 samples at Dx = 0.3. Using a sample size of 20 bolls, our study indicated that, at the 10% threshold and alpha = beta = 0.2 (with 80% confidence), control was not needed when <1.03 bolls were injured. The sampling plan required continued sampling for a range of 1.03-3.8 injured bolls per 20-boll sample. Only when injury was > 3.8 injured bolls per 20-boll sample was a control measure needed. Sequential sampling plans were also determined for thresholds of 20, 30, and 50% injured bolls. Sample sizes for sequential sampling plans were significantly reduced when compared with a fixed sampling plan (n=10) for all thresholds and error rates.

Appendix F - Sample Contingency Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This sample Contingency Plan in Appendix F is intended to provide examples of contingency planning as a reference when a facility determines that the required secondary containment is impracticable, pursuant to 40 CFR §112.7(d).

Appendix D - Sample Bulk Storage Facility Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This sample Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plan in Appendix D is intended to provide examples and illustrations of how a bulk storage facility could address a variety of scenarios in its SPCC Plan.

34 CFR Appendix A to Subpart N of... - Sample Default Prevention Plan

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sample Default Prevention Plan A Appendix A to Subpart N of Part 668 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE... Default Rates Appendix A to Subpart N of Part 668—Sample Default Prevention Plan This appendix is provided...

40 CFR Appendix Xi to Part 86 - Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Light-Duty Vehicles

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 19 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Light-Duty Vehicles XI Appendix XI to Part 86 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL... Enforcement Auditing of Light-Duty Vehicles 40% AQL Table 1—Sampling Plan Code Letter Annual sales of...

Microbiological sampling plan based on risk classification to verify supplier selection and production of served meals in food service operation.

PubMed

Lahou, Evy; Jacxsens, Liesbeth; Van Landeghem, Filip; Uyttendaele, Mieke

2014-08-01

Food service operations are confronted with a diverse range of raw materials and served meals. The implementation of a microbial sampling plan in the framework of verification of suppliers and their own production process (functionality of their prerequisite and HACCP program), demands selection of food products and sampling frequencies. However, these are often selected without a well described scientifically underpinned sampling plan. Therefore, an approach on how to set-up a focused sampling plan, enabled by a microbial risk categorization of food products, for both incoming raw materials and meals served to the consumers is presented. The sampling plan was implemented as a case study during a one-year period in an institutional food service operation to test the feasibility of the chosen approach. This resulted in 123 samples of raw materials and 87 samples of meal servings (focused on high risk categorized food products) which were analyzed for spoilage bacteria, hygiene indicators and food borne pathogens. Although sampling plans are intrinsically limited in assessing the quality and safety of sampled foods, it was shown to be useful to reveal major non-compliances and opportunities to improve the food safety management system in place. Points of attention deduced in the case study were control of Listeria monocytogenes in raw meat spread and raw fish as well as overall microbial quality of served sandwiches and salads. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Data Validation Package August 2015 Groundwater Sampling at the Grand Junction, Colorado, Disposal Site October 2015

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

Frazier, William; Baur, Gary

2015-11-03

The 1998 Interim Long-Term Surveillance Plan for the Cheney Disposal Site Near Grand Junction, Colorado, requires annual monitoring to assess the performance of the disposal cell. Monitoring wells 0731, 0732 and 0733 were sampled as specified in the plan. Sampling and analyses were conducted in accordance with Sampling and Analysis Plan for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites.

Underground Test Area Calendar Year 2014 Annual Sampling Analysis Report Nevada National Security Site, Nevada, Revision 0

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

Farnham, Irene

2016-12-01

This report presents the analytical data for the 2014 fiscal year (FY) and calendar year (CY) (October 1, 2013, through December 31, 2014), and an evaluation of the data to ensure that the Sampling Plan’s objectives are met. In addition to samples collected and analyzed for the Sampling Plan, some NNSS wells are monitored by NNSA/NFO to demonstrate compliance with State-issued water discharge permits; with protection of groundwater from ongoing radiological waste disposal activities (compliance wells); and to demonstrate that the onsite drinking water supply is below SDWA maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) (public water system [PWS] wells). While not allmore » sampled locations are required by the Sampling Plan, these samples are relevant to its objectives and are therefore presented herein for completeness purposes. Special investigations that took place in 2014 that are relevant to the Sampling Plan are also presented. This is the first annual report released to support Sampling Plan implementation.« less

SAMPLING OF CONTAMINATED SITES

EPA Science Inventory

A critical aspect of characterization of the amount and species of contamination of a hazardous waste site is the sampling plan developed for that site. f the sampling plan is not thoroughly conceptualized before sampling takes place, then certain critical aspects of the limits o...

DYZ1 arrays show sequence variation between the monozygotic males

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Monozygotic twins (MZT) are an important resource for genetical studies in the context of normal and diseased genomes. In the present study we used DYZ1, a satellite fraction present in the form of tandem arrays on the long arm of the human Y chromosome, as a tool to uncover sequence variations between the monozygotic males. Results We detected copy number variation, frequent insertions and deletions within the sequences of DYZ1 arrays amongst all the three sets of twins used in the present study. MZT1b showed loss of 35 bp compared to that in 1a, whereas 2a showed loss of 31 bp compared to that in 2b. Similarly, 3b showed 10 bp insertion compared to that in 3a. MZT1a germline DNA showed loss of 5 bp and 1b blood DNA showed loss of 26 bp compared to that of 1a blood and 1b germline DNA, respectively. Of the 69 restriction sites detected in DYZ1 arrays, MboII, BsrI, TspEI and TaqI enzymes showed frequent loss and or gain amongst all the 3 pairs studied. MZT1 pair showed loss/gain of VspI, BsrDI, AgsI, PleI, TspDTI, TspEI, TfiI and TaqI restriction sites in both blood and germline DNA. All the three sets of MZT showed differences in the number of DYZ1 copies. FISH signals reflected somatic mosaicism of the DYZ1 copies across the cells. Conclusions DYZ1 showed both sequence and copy number variation between the MZT males. Sequence variation was also noticed between germline and blood DNA samples of the same individual as we observed at least in one set of sample. The result suggests that DYZ1 faithfully records all the genetical changes occurring after the twining which may be ascribed to the environmental factors. PMID:24495361

Aft Skirt Electrical Umbilical (ASEU) and Vehicle Support Post (

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-09

A construction worker is in view as a flatbed truck passes by carrying a vertical support post (VSP) for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to the Mobile Launcher Yard at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The two aft skirt electrical umbilicals (ASEUs) and the first of the vehicle support posts underwent a series of tests to confirm they are functioning properly and ready to support the SLS for launch. The ASEUs will connect to the SLS rocket at the bottom outer edge of each booster and provide electrical power and data connections to the rocket until it lifts off from the launch pad. The eight VSPs will support the load of the solid rocket boosters, with four posts for each of the boosters. The center’s Engineering Directorate and the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program are overseeing processing and testing of the umbilicals.

Aft Skirt Electrical Umbilical (ASEU) and Vehicle Support Post (

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-09

A flatbed truck carries a vertical support post (VSP) for NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket to the Mobile Launcher Yard at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In view is the mobile launcher. The two aft skirt electrical umbilicals (ASEUs) and the first of the vehicle support posts underwent a series of tests to confirm they are functioning properly and ready to support the SLS for launch. The ASEUs will connect to the SLS rocket at the bottom outer edge of each booster and provide electrical power and data connections to the rocket until it lifts off from the launch pad. The eight VSPs will support the load of the solid rocket boosters, with four posts for each of the boosters. The center’s Engineering Directorate and the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program are overseeing processing and testing of the umbilicals.

Aft Skirt Electrical Umbilical (ASEU) and Vehicle Support Post (

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-09

A view from underneath one of the vertical support posts for NASA's Space Launch System rocket. Two after skirt electrical umbilicals (ASEUs) and the first of the vertical support post were transported by flatbed truck from the Launch Equipment Test Facility to the Mobile Launcher Yard as NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The ASEUs and the VSP underwent a series of tests to confirm they are functioning properly and ready to support the SLS for launch. The ASEUs will connect to the SLS rocket at the bottom outer edge of each booster and provide electrical power and data connections to the rocket until it lifts off from the launch pad. The eight VSPs will support the load of the solid rocket boosters, with four posts for each of the boosters. The center’s Engineering Directorate and the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program are overseeing processing and testing of the umbilicals.

Limitations on near-surface correction for multicomponent offset VSP

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

Macbeth, C.; Li, X.Y.; Horne, S.

1994-12-31

Multicomponent data are degraded due to near-surface scattering and non-ideal or unexpected source behavior. These effects cannot be neglected when interpreting relative wavefield attributes derived from compressional and shear waves. They confuse analyses based on standard scalar procedures and a prima facia interpretation of the vector wavefield properties. Here, the authors highlight two unique polar matrix decompositions for near-surface correction in offset VSPs, consider their inherent mathematical constraints and how they impact on subsurface interpretation. The first method is applied to a four component subset of a six component field data from a configuration of three concentric rings and walkawaymore » source positions forming offset VSPs in the Cymric field, California. The correction appears successful in automatically converting the wavefield into its ideal form, and the qSl polarizations scatter around N15{degree}E in agreement with the layer stripping of Winterstein and Meadows (1991).« less

Low Emissions and Delay Optimization for an Isolated Signalized Intersection Based on Vehicular Trajectories

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

A traditional traffic signal control system is established based on vehicular delay, queue length, saturation and other indicators. However, due to the increasing severity of urban environmental pollution issues and the development of a resource-saving and environmentally friendly social philosophy, the development of low-carbon and energy-efficient urban transport is required. This paper first defines vehicular trajectories and the calculation of vehicular emissions based on VSP. Next, a regression analysis method is used to quantify the relationship between vehicular emissions and delay, and a traffic signal control model is established to reduce emissions and delay using the enumeration method combined with saturation constraints. Finally, one typical intersection of Changchun is selected to verify the model proposed in this paper; its performance efficiency is also compared using simulations in VISSIM. The results of this study show that the proposed model can significantly reduce vehicle delay and traffic emissions simultaneously. PMID:26720095

Low Emissions and Delay Optimization for an Isolated Signalized Intersection Based on Vehicular Trajectories.

PubMed

Lin, Ciyun; Gong, Bowen; Qu, Xin

2015-01-01

A traditional traffic signal control system is established based on vehicular delay, queue length, saturation and other indicators. However, due to the increasing severity of urban environmental pollution issues and the development of a resource-saving and environmentally friendly social philosophy, the development of low-carbon and energy-efficient urban transport is required. This paper first defines vehicular trajectories and the calculation of vehicular emissions based on VSP. Next, a regression analysis method is used to quantify the relationship between vehicular emissions and delay, and a traffic signal control model is established to reduce emissions and delay using the enumeration method combined with saturation constraints. Finally, one typical intersection of Changchun is selected to verify the model proposed in this paper; its performance efficiency is also compared using simulations in VISSIM. The results of this study show that the proposed model can significantly reduce vehicle delay and traffic emissions simultaneously.

Open Vehicle Sketch Pad Aircraft Modeling Strategies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hahn, Andrew S.

2013-01-01

Geometric modeling of aircraft during the Conceptual design phase is very different from that needed for the Preliminary or Detailed design phases. The Conceptual design phase is characterized by the rapid, multi-disciplinary analysis of many design variables by a small engineering team. The designer must walk a line between fidelity and productivity, picking tools and methods with the appropriate balance of characteristics to achieve the goals of the study, while staying within the available resources. Identifying geometric details that are important, and those that are not, is critical to making modeling and methodology choices. This is true for both the low-order analysis methods traditionally used in Conceptual design as well as the highest-order analyses available. This paper will highlight some of Conceptual design's characteristics that drive the designer s choices as well as modeling examples for several aircraft configurations using the open source version of the Vehicle Sketch Pad (Open VSP) aircraft Conceptual design geometry modeler.

The Arabidopsis mutant cev1 links cell wall signaling to jasmonate and ethylene responses.

PubMed

Ellis, Christine; Karafyllidis, Ioannis; Wasternack, Claus; Turner, John G

2002-07-01

Biotic and abiotic stresses stimulate the synthesis of jasmonates and ethylene, which, in turn, induce the expression of genes involved in stress response and enhance defense responses. The cev1 mutant has constitutive expression of stress response genes and has enhanced resistance to fungal pathogens. Here, we show that cev1 plants have increased production of jasmonate and ethylene and that its phenotype is suppressed by mutations that interrupt jasmonate and ethylene signaling. Genetic mapping, complementation analysis, and sequence analysis revealed that CEV1 is the cellulose synthase CeSA3. CEV1 was expressed predominantly in root tissues, and cev1 roots contained less cellulose than wild-type roots. Significantly, the cev1 mutant phenotype could be reproduced by treating wild-type plants with cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors, and the cellulose synthase mutant rsw1 also had constitutive expression of VSP. We propose that the cell wall can signal stress responses in plants.

Supernova 2011by in NGC 3972 = Psn J11554556+5519338

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waagen, Elizabeth O.

2011-04-01

Announces discovery of SN 2011by = PSN J11554556+5519338 by Zhangwei Jin (Ningbo, Zhejiang, China) and Xing Gao (Urumqi, Xinjiang, China) on 2011 Apr. 26.8234 UT at magnitude ~14.2 (unfiltered CCD). Spectra obtained on 2011 Apr. 27.5 UT by T. Zhang and Z. Zhou (National Astronomical Observatories of China) and X. Wang (Tsinghua Center for Astrophysics, Tsinghua University) show SN 2011by to be a type-Ia supernova about 10 days before maximum. Initially announced in IAU CBAT Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams 2708 (Daniel W. E. Green, ed.). The object was designated PSN J11554556+5519338 when posted on the Central Bureau's Transient Objects Confirmation Page (TOCP) webpage. Finder charts with sequence may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (http://www.aavso.org/vsp). Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. See full Alert Notice for more details, observations, and links to images.

R Aqr observing campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waagen, Elizabeth O.

2016-01-01

Dr. George Wallerstein (University of Washington) has requested AAVSO coverage of the long period/symbiotic variable R Aquarii beginning immediately in support of high resolution spectroscopic observations planned for 2016 January 19 and 21. Several other astronomers, including Drs. Lee Anne Willson (Iowa State University), Ulisse Munari (INAF, Astronomical Observatory of Padua, Italy), and Fred Walter (Stony Brook University) are studying R Aqr closely and additional spectroscopic and other observations are planned for the near future. R Aqr is both a Mira (M) and a symbiotic (ZAND) - it is a close binary system consisting of a hot star and a late-type star (the Mira), both enveloped in nebulosity. As a result, the very interesting light curve shows not only the Mira pulsation but also complex eclipse behavior as the two stars interact. The period of Mira variation is 387.0 days; the eclipse period is 43.6-44 years. The cause of the eclipse is unknown; several theories h! ave been proposed, including a focused accretion stream, a disk or cloud around the secondary, and a triggered mass loss that produces an opaque cloud. Careful investigation of this upcoming event should help to resolve this question. The last eclipse of R Aqr was in 1978. The next eclipse is predicted for 2022, but may be early. The current behavior of R Aqr suggests that the eclipse, which lasts for several years, may either be beginning or its beginning may be imminent. R Aqr was at minimum in early December 2015 at magnitude V=11.4, and is currently at visual magnitude 11.0. During this phase of the approximately 44-year eclipse cycle, at maximum it may be as bright as V 6.0-6.5 but is not expected to become brighter. Beginning immediately, nightly BVRI CCD and DSLR photometry and visual observations are requested. As R Aqr brightens towards maximum and is in range, PEP observations are also requested. Ongoing spectroscopy over the next several years will be interesting to see as the system evolves throughout the eclipse. Finder charts with sequence may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (https://www.aavso.org/vsp). Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. See full Alert Notice for more details.

Improving our understanding of the evolution of mountain belts via the Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides (COSC) project: Results from seismic investigations and plans for the 2.5 km deep COSC-2 borehole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juhlin, C.; Almqvist, B. S. G.; Buske, S.; Giese, R.; Hedin, P.; Lorenz, H.

2017-12-01

Mountain belts (orogens) have influenced, and do influence, geological processes and climatic conditions considerably, perhaps more than any other natural phenomenon. The Alpine-Himalayan mountain belt is the prime example of a collisional orogen today. However, research in an active orogen is mostly constrained to observe and interpret the expression of processes at the surface, while the driving processes act at depth, often at mid-crustal levels (20 km) and deeper. About 440 million years ago, an orogen comparable in dimension and tectonic setting to today's Alpine-Himalayan orogen was developing in what is western Scandinavia today. Since then, erosion has removed much of the overburden and exposed the deep interior of the orogen, facilitating direct observation of rocks that are deep in the crust in modern orogens. In the COSC project we study how large rock volumes (allochthons) were transported during the collision of two continents and the associated deformation. The emplacement of high-grade metamorphic allochthons during orogeny has been the focus of COSC-1 research, centered on a 2.5 km deep fully cored borehole drilled in the summer of 2014 through the lower part of the high-grade Seve Nappe Complex near the town of Åre in western Sweden. The planned COSC-2 borehole (also fully cored to 2.5 km) will complement the COSC-1 borehole and allow a 5 km deep tectonostratigraphic column of the Caledonides to be constructed. The rock volume in the proximity of the COSC-2 borehole will be imaged with a combination of very-high and high-resolution geophysical experiments, such as a combination of high frequency seismics; zero offset and walk-away vertical seismic profiling (VSP); and a sparse 3D coverage around the drill site combined with 2D seismic profiles of several kilometers length in different directions. Downhole geophysical logging will provide additional information on the in-situ rock physical properties. Data from surface surveys will be calibrated against and integrated with the borehole data and the geological interpretation of the drill core. The COSC-1 and COSC-2 boreholes will provide a field laboratory for investigating mountain building processes, how plates and rock units deform, what structures and units are formed and their physical properties.

Stratification of American hearing aid users by age and audiometric characteristics: a method for representative sampling.

PubMed

Aronoff, Justin M; Yoon, Yang-soo; Soli, Sigfrid D

2010-06-01

Stratified sampling plans can increase the accuracy and facilitate the interpretation of a dataset characterizing a large population. However, such sampling plans have found minimal use in hearing aid (HA) research, in part because of a paucity of quantitative data on the characteristics of HA users. The goal of this study was to devise a quantitatively derived stratified sampling plan for HA research, so that such studies will be more representative and generalizable, and the results obtained using this method are more easily reinterpreted as the population changes. Pure-tone average (PTA) and age information were collected for 84,200 HAs acquired in 2006 and 2007. The distribution of PTA and age was quantified for each HA type and for a composite of all HA users. Based on their respective distributions, PTA and age were each divided into three groups, the combination of which defined the stratification plan. The most populous PTA and age group was also subdivided, allowing greater homogeneity within strata. Finally, the percentage of users in each stratum was calculated. This article provides a stratified sampling plan for HA research, based on a quantitative analysis of the distribution of PTA and age for HA users. Adopting such a sampling plan will make HA research results more representative and generalizable. In addition, data acquired using such plans can be reinterpreted as the HA population changes.

Science: Curriculum Guide for Teaching Gifted Children Science in Grades One Through Three: A Sample Ecology Unit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Dept. of Education, Sacramento. Office of Curriculum Services.

The natural science curriculum guide for gifted primary students includes a sample teaching-learning plan for an ecology unit and eight sample lesson plans. Chapter One provides an overview of the unit, a review of behavioral objectives, and a list of concepts and generalizations. The second chapter cites a teaching-learning plan dealing with such…

40 CFR Appendix X to Part 86 - Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Heavy-Duty Engines and Light-Duty Trucks

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 19 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Heavy-Duty Engines and Light-Duty Trucks X Appendix X to Part 86 Protection of... AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES Pt. 86, App. X Appendix X to Part 86—Sampling Plans for...

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

Tyrrell, Evan; Denny, Angelita

Fifty-two groundwater samples and one surface water sample were collected at the Monument Valley, Arizona, Processing Site to monitor groundwater contaminants for evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed compliance strategy as specified in the 1999 Final Site Observational Work Plan for the UMTRA Project Site at Monument Valley, Arizona. Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in the Sampling and Analysis Plan for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated, http://energy.gov/lm/downloads/sampling-and-analysis-plan-us-department- energy-office-legacy-management-sites). Samples were collected for metals, anions, nitrate + nitrite as N, and ammonia as N analyses at all locations.

Customized sampling plans : a guide to alternative sampling techniques for National Transit Database reporting

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-05-01

For estimating the system total unlinked passenger trips and passenger miles of a fixed-route bus system for the National Transit Database (NTD), the FTA approved sampling plans may either over-sample or do not yield FTAs required confidence and p...

IAEA Sampling Plan

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

Geist, William H.

2017-09-15

The objectives for this presentation are to describe the method that the IAEA uses to determine a sampling plan for nuclear material measurements; describe the terms detection probability and significant quantity; list the three nuclear materials measurement types; describe the sampling method applied to an item facility; and describe multiple method sampling.

Statistical Methods in Assembly Quality Management of Multi-Element Products on Automatic Rotor Lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pries, V. V.; Proskuriakov, N. E.

2018-04-01

To control the assembly quality of multi-element mass-produced products on automatic rotor lines, control methods with operational feedback are required. However, due to possible failures in the operation of the devices and systems of automatic rotor line, there is always a real probability of getting defective (incomplete) products into the output process stream. Therefore, a continuous sampling control of the products completeness, based on the use of statistical methods, remains an important element in managing the quality of assembly of multi-element mass products on automatic rotor lines. The feature of continuous sampling control of the multi-element products completeness in the assembly process is its breaking sort, which excludes the possibility of returning component parts after sampling control to the process stream and leads to a decrease in the actual productivity of the assembly equipment. Therefore, the use of statistical procedures for continuous sampling control of the multi-element products completeness when assembled on automatic rotor lines requires the use of such sampling plans that ensure a minimum size of control samples. Comparison of the values of the limit of the average output defect level for the continuous sampling plan (CSP) and for the automated continuous sampling plan (ACSP) shows the possibility of providing lower limit values for the average output defects level using the ACSP-1. Also, the average sample size when using the ACSP-1 plan is less than when using the CSP-1 plan. Thus, the application of statistical methods in the assembly quality management of multi-element products on automatic rotor lines, involving the use of proposed plans and methods for continuous selective control, will allow to automating sampling control procedures and the required level of quality of assembled products while minimizing sample size.

Data Validation Package, June 2016 Groundwater Sampling at the Hallam, Nebraska, Decommissioned Reactor Site, August 2016

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

Surovchak, Scott; Miller, Michele

The 2008 Long-Term Surveillance Plan [LTSP] for the Decommissioned Hallam Nuclear Power Facility, Hallam, Nebraska (http://www.lm.doe.gov/Hallam/Documents.aspx) requires groundwater monitoring once every 2 years. Seventeen monitoring wells at the Hallam site were sampled during this event as specified in the plan. Planned monitoring locations are shown in Attachment 1, Sampling and Analysis Work Order. Water levels were measured at all sampled wells and at two additional wells (6A and 6B) prior to the start of sampling. Additionally, water levels of each sampled well were measured at the beginning of sampling. See Attachment 2, Trip Report, for additional details. Sampling and analysismore » were conducted as specified in Sampling and Analysis Plan for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated, http://energy.gov/lm/downloads/sampling-and-analysis-plan-us-department- energy-office-legacy-management-sites). Gross alpha and gross beta are the only parameters that were detected at statistically significant concentrations. Time/concentration graphs of the gross alpha and gross beta data are included in Attachment 3, Data Presentation. The gross alpha and gross beta activity concentrations observed are consistent with values previously observed and are attributed to naturally occurring radionuclides (e.g., uranium and uranium decay chain products) in the groundwater.« less

UMTRA Project water sampling and analysis plan, Durango, Colorado. Revision 1

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

NONE

1995-09-01

Planned, routine ground water sampling activities at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project site in Durango, Colorado, are described in this water sampling and analysis plan. The plan identifies and justifies the sampling locations, analytical parameters, detection limits, and sampling frequency for the routine monitoring stations at the site. The ground water data are used to characterize the site ground water compliance strategies and to monitor contaminants of potential concern identified in the baseline risk assessment (DOE, 1995a). Regulatory basis for routine ground water monitoring at UMTRA Project sites is derived from themore » US EPA regulations in 40 CFR Part 192 (1994) and EPA standards of 1995 (60 FR 2854). Sampling procedures are guided by the UMTRA Project standard operating procedures (SOP) (JEG, n.d.), the Technical Approach Document (TAD) (DOE, 1989), and the most effective technical approach for the site.« less

Data Validation Package - July 2016 Groundwater Sampling at the Gunnison, Colorado, Disposal Site

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

Linard, Joshua; Campbell, Sam

Groundwater sampling at the Gunnison, Colorado, Disposal Site is conducted every 5 years to monitor disposal cell performance. During this event, samples were collected from eight monitoring wells as specified in the 1997 Long-Term Surveillance Plan for the Gunnison, Colorado, Disposal Site. Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in the Sampling and Analysis Plan for US Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated, http://energy.gov/lm/downloads/sampling-and­ analysis-plan-us-department-energy-office-legacy-management-sites). Planned monitoring locations are shown in Attachment 1, Sampling and Analysis Work Order. A duplicate sample was collected from location 0723. Water levels were measured at all monitoring wells thatmore » were sampled and seven additional wells. The analytical data and associated qualifiers can be viewed in environmental database reports and are also available for viewing with dynamic mapping via the GEMS (Geospatial Environmental Mapping System) website at http://gems.lm.doe.gov/#. No issues were identified during the data validation process that require additional action or follow-up.« less

Development of binomial sequential sampling plans for forecasting Listronotus maculicollis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae based on the relationship to adult counts and turfgrass damage.

PubMed

McGraw, Benjamin A; Koppenhöfer, Albrecht M

2009-06-01

Binomial sequential sampling plans were developed to forecast weevil Listronotus maculicollis Kirby (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), larval damage to golf course turfgrass and aid in the development of integrated pest management programs for the weevil. Populations of emerging overwintered adults were sampled over a 2-yr period to determine the relationship between adult counts, larval density, and turfgrass damage. Larval density and composition of preferred host plants (Poa annua L.) significantly affected the expression of turfgrass damage. Multiple regression indicates that damage may occur in moderately mixed P. annua stands with as few as 10 larvae per 0.09 m2. However, > 150 larvae were required before damage became apparent in pure Agrostis stolonifera L. plots. Adult counts during peaks in emergence as well as cumulative counts across the emergence period were significantly correlated to future densities of larvae. Eight binomial sequential sampling plans based on two tally thresholds for classifying infestation (T = 1 and two adults) and four adult density thresholds (0.5, 0.85, 1.15, and 1.35 per 3.34 m2) were developed to forecast the likelihood of turfgrass damage by using adult counts during peak emergence. Resampling for validation of sample plans software was used to validate sampling plans with field-collected data sets. All sampling plans were found to deliver accurate classifications (correct decisions were made between 84.4 and 96.8%) in a practical timeframe (average sampling cost < 22.7 min).

[Sequential sampling plans to Orthezia praelonga Douglas (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha, Ortheziidae) in citrus].

PubMed

Costa, Marilia G; Barbosa, José C; Yamamoto, Pedro T

2007-01-01

The sequential sampling is characterized by using samples of variable sizes, and has the advantage of reducing sampling time and costs if compared to fixed-size sampling. To introduce an adequate management for orthezia, sequential sampling plans were developed for orchards under low and high infestation. Data were collected in Matão, SP, in commercial stands of the orange variety 'Pêra Rio', at five, nine and 15 years of age. Twenty samplings were performed in the whole area of each stand by observing the presence or absence of scales on plants, being plots comprised of ten plants. After observing that in all of the three stands the scale population was distributed according to the contagious model, fitting the Negative Binomial Distribution in most samplings, two sequential sampling plans were constructed according to the Sequential Likelihood Ratio Test (SLRT). To construct these plans an economic threshold of 2% was adopted and the type I and II error probabilities were fixed in alpha = beta = 0.10. Results showed that the maximum numbers of samples expected to determine control need were 172 and 76 samples for stands with low and high infestation, respectively.

Development of an automated pre-sampling plan for construction projects : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-03-01

The development of an automated pre-sampling plan was undertaken to free the district construction personnel from the cumbersome and time-consuming task of preparing such plans manually. A computer program was written and linked to a data file which ...

A borehole-to-surface electromagnetic survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tseng, H.-W.; Becker, A.; Wilt, M.J.; Deszcz-Pan, M.

1998-01-01

The results of a limited field trial confirm the usefulness of borehole-to-surface electromagnetic (EM) measurements for monitoring fluid extraction. A vertical EM profiling experiment was done at the University of California Richmond Field Station, where we simulated a brine spill plume by creating a saline water injection zone at a depth of 30 m. The data acquisition mode was analogous to the reverse vertical seismic profiling (VSP) configuration used for seismic measurements in that the EM transmitter traversed the PVC-cased borehole used for fluid injection and extraction while the receivers were deployed on the surface. The EM measurements were made at 9.6 kHz with an accuracy of 1% in signal amplitude and 1??in signal phase. Observations were taken at 5-m intervals along two intersecting profiles that were centered on the injection well and extended for 60 m on either side of it. The presence of the injected salt water, at the expected 30 m depth, was indicated clearly by differences between the pre-extraction and postextraction data. A limited amount of numerical modeling showed that the experimental data were consistent with the presence of two superposed saline plumes. The uppermost of these, located at 26 m depth, was 2 m thick and had an area of 30 m2. The lower plume, located at 30 m, is the major cause of the observed anomally, as it has an areal extent of 120 m2 and a thickness of 3 m. Surprisingly, the measurements were very sensitive to the presence of cultural surficial conductivity anomalies. These spurious effect were reduced by spatial filtering of the data prior to interpretation.The results of a limited field trial confirm the usefulness of borehole-to-surface electromagnetic (EM) measurements for monitoring fluid extraction. A brine spill plume is simulated by creating a saline water injection zone at a depth of 30 m. The data acquisition mode was analogous to the reverse vertical seismic profiling (VSP) configuration used for seismic measurements in that the EM transmitter traversed the polyvinyl chloride-cased borehole used for fluid injection and extraction while the receivers were deployed on the surface. Observations were taken at 5-m intervals along two intersecting profiles that were centered on the injection well and extended for 60 m on either side of it.

Cholera outbreaks (2012) in three districts of Nepal reveal clonal transmission of multi-drug resistant Vibrio cholerae O1

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Although endemic cholera causes significant morbidity and mortality each year in Nepal, lack of information about the causal bacterium often hinders cholera intervention and prevention. In 2012, diarrheal outbreaks affected three districts of Nepal with confirmed cases of mortality. This study was designed to understand the drug response patterns, source, and transmission of Vibrio cholerae associated with 2012 cholera outbreaks in Nepal. Methods V. cholerae (n = 28) isolated from 2012 diarrhea outbreaks {n = 22; Kathmandu (n = 12), Doti (n = 9), Bajhang (n = 1)}, and surface water (n = 6; Kathmandu) were tested for antimicrobial response. Virulence properties and DNA fingerprinting of the strains were determined by multi-locus genetic screening employing polymerase chain reaction, DNA sequencing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Results All V. cholerae strains isolated from patients and surface water were confirmed to be toxigenic, belonging to serogroup O1, Ogawa serotype, biotype El Tor, and possessed classical biotype cholera toxin (CTX). Double-mismatch amplification mutation assay (DMAMA)-PCR revealed the V. cholerae strains to possess the B-7 allele of ctx subunit B. DNA sequencing of tcpA revealed a point mutation at amino acid position 64 (N → S) while the ctxAB promoter revealed four copies of the tandem heptamer repeat sequence 5'-TTTTGAT-3'. V. cholerae possessed all the ORFs of the Vibrio seventh pandemic island (VSP)-I but lacked the ORFs 498–511 of VSP-II. All strains were multidrug resistant with resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT), nalidixic acid (NA), and streptomycin (S); all carried the SXT genetic element. DNA sequencing and deduced amino acid sequence of gyrA and parC of the NAR strains (n = 4) revealed point mutations at amino acid positions 83 (S → I), and 85 (S → L), respectively. Similar PFGE (NotI) pattern revealed the Nepalese V. cholerae to be clonal, and related closely with V. cholerae associated with cholera in Bangladesh and Haiti. Conclusions In 2012, diarrhea outbreaks in three districts of Nepal were due to transmission of multidrug resistant V. cholerae El Tor possessing cholera toxin (ctx) B-7 allele, which is clonal and related closely with V. cholerae associated with cholera in Bangladesh and Haiti. PMID:25022982

Gravity Survey of the Rye Patch KGRA, Rye Patch, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mcdonald, M. R.; Gosnold, W. D.

2011-12-01

The Rye Patch Known Geothermal Resource Area (KGRA) is located in Pershing County Nevada on the west side of the Humboldt Range and east of the Rye Patch Reservoir approximately 200 km northeast of Reno, Nevada. Previous studies include an earlier gravity survey, 3-D seismic reflection, vertical seismic profiling (VSP) on a single well, 3-D seismic imaging, and a report of the integrated seismic studies. Recently, Presco Energy conducted an aeromagnetic survey and is currently in the process of applying 2-D VSP methods to target exploration and production wells at the site. These studies have indicated that geothermal fluid flow primarily occurs along faults and fractures and that two potential aquifers include a sandstone/siltstone member of the Triassic Natchez Pass Formation and a karst zone that occurs at the interface between Mesozoic limestone and Tertiary volcanics. We hypothesized that addition of a high-resolution gravity survey would better define the locations, trends, lengths, and dip angles of faults and possible solution cavity features. The gravity survey encompassed an area of approximately 78 km2 (30 mi2) within the boundary of the KGRA along with portions of 8 sections directly to the west and 8 sections directly to the east. The survey included 203 stations that were spaced at 400 m intervals. The simple Bouguer anomaly patterns were coincident with elevation, and those patterns remained after terrain corrections were performed. To remove this signal, the data were further processed using wave-length (bandpass) filtering techniques. The results of the filtering and comparison with the recent aeromagnetic survey indicate that the location and trend of major fault systems can be identified using this technique. Dip angles can be inferred by the anomaly contour gradients. By further reductions in the bandpass window, other features such as possible karst solution channels may also be recognizable. Drilling or other geophysical methods such as a magnetotelluric survey may assist in confirming the results. However, lengths of the features were difficult to interpret as the wavelength filtering tends to truncate features in accordance with the bandpass window. Additional gravity measurements would aid in providing higher resolution for the identification and interpretation of features, particularly in the vicinity of the Humboldt House to the north and in an area located to the south of the study area where a large feature was identified in both the aeromagnetic and gravity surveys.

High Resolution Near Surface 3D Seismic Experiments: A Carbonate Platform vs. a Siliciclastic Sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filippidou, N.; Drijkoningen, G.; Braaksma, H.; Verwer, K.; Kenter, J.

2005-05-01

Interest in high-resolution 3D seismic experiments for imaging shallow targets has increased over the past years. Many case studies presented, show that producing clear seismic images with this non-evasive method, is still a challenge. We use two test-sites where nearby outcrops are present so that an accurate geological model can be built and the seismic result validated. The first so-called natural field laboratory is located in Boulonnais (N. France). It is an upper Jurassic siliciclastic sequence; age equivalent of the source rock of N. Sea. The second one is located in Cap Blanc,to the southwest of the Mallorca island(Spain); depicting an excellent example of Miocene prograding reef platform (Llucmajor Platform); it is a textbook analog for carbonate reservoirs. In both cases, the multidisciplinary experiment included the use of multicomponent and quasi- or 3D seismic recordings. The target depth does not exceed 120m. Vertical and shear portable vibrators were used as source. In the center of the setups, boreholes were drilled and Vertical Seismic Profiles were shot, along with core and borehole measurements both in situ and in the laboratory. These two geologically different sites, with different seismic stratigraphy have provided us with exceptionally high resolution seismic images. In general seismic data was processed more or less following standard procedures, a few innovative techniques on the Mallorca data, as rotation of horizontal components, 3D F-K filter and addition of parallel profiles, have improved the seismic image. In this paper we discuss the basic differences as seen on the seismic sections. The Boulonnais data present highly continuous reflection patterns of extremenly high resolution. This facilitated a high resolution stratigraphic description. Results from the VSP showed substantial wave energy attenuation. However, the high-fold (330 traces ) Mallorca seismic experiment returned a rather discontinuous pattern of possible reflectors, opposing to the predicted seismic stratigraphy/geology of the area. The Llumajor Platform has been buried only a few meters at most, therefore primary and secondary porocity remains intact, creating a fractal like environment of scatterers and diffractors. We have interpreted two possible reflections, the top of the reef and the water table; the former is nicely coupled with the VSP. The seismic wave attenuation observed is believed to be predominantly due to the scattering effects.

Validation of fixed sample size plans for monitoring lepidopteran pests of Brassica oleracea crops in North Korea.

PubMed

Hamilton, A J; Waters, E K; Kim, H J; Pak, W S; Furlong, M J

2009-06-01

The combined action of two lepidoteran pests, Plutella xylostella L. (Plutellidae) and Pieris rapae L. (Pieridae),causes significant yield losses in cabbage (Brassica oleracea variety capitata) crops in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for these cropping systems are in their infancy, and sampling plans have not yet been developed. We used statistical resampling to assess the performance of fixed sample size plans (ranging from 10 to 50 plants). First, the precision (D = SE/mean) of the plans in estimating the population mean was assessed. There was substantial variation in achieved D for all sample sizes, and sample sizes of at least 20 and 45 plants were required to achieve the acceptable precision level of D < or = 0.3 at least 50 and 75% of the time, respectively. Second, the performance of the plans in classifying the population density relative to an economic threshold (ET) was assessed. To account for the different damage potentials of the two species the ETs were defined in terms of standard insects (SIs), where 1 SI = 1 P. rapae = 5 P. xylostella larvae. The plans were implemented using different economic thresholds (ETs) for the three growth stages of the crop: precupping (1 SI/plant), cupping (0.5 SI/plant), and heading (4 SI/plant). Improvement in the classification certainty with increasing sample sizes could be seen through the increasing steepness of operating characteristic curves. Rather than prescribe a particular plan, we suggest that the results of these analyses be used to inform practitioners of the relative merits of the different sample sizes.

Enumerative and binomial sampling plans for citrus mealybug (Homoptera: pseudococcidae) in citrus groves.

PubMed

Martínez-Ferrer, María Teresa; Ripollés, José Luís; Garcia-Marí, Ferran

2006-06-01

The spatial distribution of the citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), was studied in citrus groves in northeastern Spain. Constant precision sampling plans were designed for all developmental stages of citrus mealybug under the fruit calyx, for late stages on fruit, and for females on trunks and main branches; more than 66, 286, and 101 data sets, respectively, were collected from nine commercial fields during 1992-1998. Dispersion parameters were determined using Taylor's power law, giving aggregated spatial patterns for citrus mealybug populations in three locations of the tree sampled. A significant relationship between the number of insects per organ and the percentage of occupied organs was established using either Wilson and Room's binomial model or Kono and Sugino's empirical formula. Constant precision (E = 0.25) sampling plans (i.e., enumerative plans) for estimating mean densities were developed using Green's equation and the two binomial models. For making management decisions, enumerative counts may be less labor-intensive than binomial sampling. Therefore, we recommend enumerative sampling plans for the use in an integrated pest management program in citrus. Required sample sizes for the range of population densities near current management thresholds, in the three plant locations calyx, fruit, and trunk were 50, 110-330, and 30, respectively. Binomial sampling, especially the empirical model, required a higher sample size to achieve equivalent levels of precision.

Initial results from seismic monitoring at the Aquistore CO 2 storage site, Saskatchewan, Canada

DOE PAGES

White, D. J.; Roach, L. A.N.; Roberts, B.; ...

2014-12-31

The Aquistore Project, located near Estevan, Saskatchewan, is one of the first integrated commercial-scale CO 2 storage projects in the world that is designed to demonstrate CO 2 storage in a deep saline aquifer. Starting in 2014, CO 2 captured from the nearby Boundary Dam coal-fired power plant will be transported via pipeline to the storage site and to nearby oil fields for enhanced oil recovery. At the Aquistore site, the CO 2 will be injected into a brine-filled sandstone formation at ~3200 m depth using the deepest well in Saskatchewan. The suitability of the geological formations that will hostmore » the injected CO 2 has been predetermined through 3D characterization using high-resolution 3D seismic images and deep well information. These data show that 1) there are no significant faults in the immediate area of the storage site, 2) the regional sealing formation is continuous in the area, and 3) the reservoir is not adversely affected by knolls on the surface of the underlying Precambrian basement. Furthermore, the Aquistore site is located within an intracratonic region characterized by extremely low levels of seismicity. This is in spite of oil-field related water injection in the nearby Weyburn-Midale field where a total of 656 million m 3 of water have been injected since the 1960`s with no demonstrable related induced seismicity. A key element of the Aquistore research program is the further development of methods to monitor the security and subsurface distribution of the injected CO 2. Toward this end, a permanent areal seismic monitoring array was deployed in 2012, comprising 630 vertical-component geophones installed at 20 m depth on a 2.5x2.5 km regular grid. This permanent array is designed to provide improved 3D time-lapse seismic imaging for monitoring subsurface CO 2. Prior to the onset of CO 2 injection, calibration 3D surveys were acquired in May and November of 2013. Comparison of the data from these surveys relative to the baseline 3D survey data from 2012 shows excellent repeatability (NRMS less than 10%) which will provide enhanced monitoring sensitivity to smaller amounts of CO 2. The permanent array also provides continuous passive monitoring for injection-related microseismicity. Passive monitoring has been ongoing since the summer of 2012 in order to establish levels of background seismicity before CO 2 injection starts in 2014. Microseismic monitoring was augmented in 2013 by the installation of 3 broadband seismograph stations surrounding the Aquistore site. These surface installations should provide a detection capability of seismic events with magnitudes as low as ~0. Downhole seismic methods are also being utilized for CO 2 monitoring at the Aquistore site. Baseline crosswell tomographic images depict details (meters-scale) of the reservoir in the 150-m interval between the observation and injection wells. This level of resolution is designed to track the CO 2 migration between the wells during the initial injection period. A baseline 3D vertical seismic profile (VSP) was acquired in the fall of 2013 to provide seismic images with resolution on a scale between that provided by the surface seismic array and the downhole tomography. The 3D VSP was recorded simultaneously using both a conventional array of downhole geophones (60-levels) and an optical fibre system. The latter utilized an optical fiber cable deployed on the outside of the monitor well casing and cemented in place. A direct comparison of these two methodologies will determine the suitability of using the fiber cable for ongoing time-lapse VSP monitoring.« less

A consolidated environmental monitoring plan for Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

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

Ebinger, M.H.; Hansen, W.R.

1997-04-01

The US Army operates facilities in Edgewood and Aberdeen under several licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Compliance with each license is time consuming and could potentially result in duplicated efforts to demonstrate compliance with existing environmental regulations. The goal of the ERM plan is to provide the sampling necessary to ensure that operations at Edgewood and Aberdeen are within applicable regulatory guidelines and to provide a means of ensuring that adverse effects to the environment are minimized. Existing sampling plans and environmental data generated from those plans are briefly reviewed as part of the development of the presentmore » ERM plan. The new ERM plan was designed to provide data that can be used for assessing risks to the environment and to humans using Aberdeen and Edgewood areas. Existing sampling is modified and new sampling is proposed based on the results of the long-term DU fate study. In that study, different environmental pathways were identified that would show transport of DU at Aberdeen. Those pathways would also be impacted by other radioactive constituents from Aberdeen and Edgewood areas. The ERM plan presented in this document includes sampling from Edgewood and Aberdeen facilities. The main radioactive constituents of concern at Edgewood are C, P, N, S, H, I, Co, Cs, Ca, Sr and U that are used in radiolabeling different compounds and tracers for different reactions and syntheses. Air and water sampling are the thrust of efforts at the Edgewood area.« less

The Evaluation of Carpet Steam/Heat Cleaners as Biological Sampling Device

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-08

Vacuum Cleaner Evaluation as sampling Device Test Plan DHS Page 16 of 16 Fumigants , and Issues Related to Laboratory-scale Studies. Appl. Environ...ECBC Wet/dry Vacuum Cleaner Evaluation as sampling Device Test Plan DHS Page 1 of 16 Test Plan for The Evaluation of Carpet Steam...b. ABSTRACT unclassified c. THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 ECBC Wet/dry Vacuum Cleaner

Igniting Creativity and Planning for Your Gifted Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Don W., Ed.

The collection of instructional plans is designed to offer samples of strategies and ideas to teachers involved with gifted students. Approximately 30 plans are presented for the following areas (sample subtopics in science (atomic fusion), social studies (mores and folkways), mathematics (spatial relations), health and physiology, philosophy, and…

Data Validation Package June 2016 Groundwater and Surface Water Sampling at the Old and New Rifle, Colorado, Processing Sites September 2016

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

Bush, Richard; Lemke, Peter

Sampling Period: June 14–17 and July 7, 2016. Water samples were collected from 36 locations at New Rifle and Old Rifle, Colorado, Disposal/Processing Sites. Planned monitoring locations are shown in Attachment 1, Sampling and Analysis Work Order. Duplicate samples were collected from New Rifle locations 0216 and 0855, and Old Rifle location 0655. One equipment blank was collected after decontamination of non-dedicated equipment used to collect one surface water sample. See Attachment 2, Trip Report for additional details. Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in the Sampling and Analysis Plan for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Managementmore » Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated, http://energy.gov/lm/downloads/sampling-and- analysis-plan-us-department-energy-office-legacy-management-sites). New Rifle Site Samples were collected at the New Rifle site from 16 monitoring wells and 7 surface locations in compliance with the December 2008 Groundwater Compliance Action Plan [GCAP] for the New Rifle, Colorado, Processing Site (LMS/RFN/S01920). Monitoring well 0216 could not be sampled in June because it was surrounded by standing water due to the high river stage from spring runoff, it was later sampled in July. Monitoring well 0635 and surface location 0322 could not be sampled because access through the elk fence along Interstate 70 has not been completed at this time. Old Rifle Site Samples were collected at the Old Rifle site from eight monitoring wells and five surface locations in compliance with the December 2001 Ground Water Compliance Action Plan for the Old Rifle, Colorado, UMTRA Project Site (GJ0-2000-177-TAR).« less

Cost-effective binomial sequential sampling of western bean cutworm, Striacosta albicosta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), egg masses in corn.

PubMed

Paula-Moraes, S; Burkness, E C; Hunt, T E; Wright, R J; Hein, G L; Hutchison, W D

2011-12-01

Striacosta albicosta (Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a native pest of dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and corn (Zea mays L.). As a result of larval feeding damage on corn ears, S. albicosta has a narrow treatment window; thus, early detection of the pest in the field is essential, and egg mass sampling has become a popular monitoring tool. Three action thresholds for field and sweet corn currently are used by crop consultants, including 4% of plants infested with egg masses on sweet corn in the silking-tasseling stage, 8% of plants infested with egg masses on field corn with approximately 95% tasseled, and 20% of plants infested with egg masses on field corn during mid-milk-stage corn. The current monitoring recommendation is to sample 20 plants at each of five locations per field (100 plants total). In an effort to develop a more cost-effective sampling plan for S. albicosta egg masses, several alternative binomial sampling plans were developed using Wald's sequential probability ratio test, and validated using Resampling for Validation of Sampling Plans (RVSP) software. The benefit-cost ratio also was calculated and used to determine the final selection of sampling plans. Based on final sampling plans selected for each action threshold, the average sample number required to reach a treat or no-treat decision ranged from 38 to 41 plants per field. This represents a significant savings in sampling cost over the current recommendation of 100 plants.

National Sample Assessment Protocols

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (NJ1), 2012

2012-01-01

These protocols represent a working guide for planning and implementing national sample assessments in connection with the national Key Performance Measures (KPMs). The protocols are intended for agencies involved in planning or conducting national sample assessments and personnel responsible for administering associated tenders or contracts,…

Decision Models for Determining the Optimal Life Test Sampling Plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nechval, Nicholas A.; Nechval, Konstantin N.; Purgailis, Maris; Berzins, Gundars; Strelchonok, Vladimir F.

2010-11-01

Life test sampling plan is a technique, which consists of sampling, inspection, and decision making in determining the acceptance or rejection of a batch of products by experiments for examining the continuous usage time of the products. In life testing studies, the lifetime is usually assumed to be distributed as either a one-parameter exponential distribution, or a two-parameter Weibull distribution with the assumption that the shape parameter is known. Such oversimplified assumptions can facilitate the follow-up analyses, but may overlook the fact that the lifetime distribution can significantly affect the estimation of the failure rate of a product. Moreover, sampling costs, inspection costs, warranty costs, and rejection costs are all essential, and ought to be considered in choosing an appropriate sampling plan. The choice of an appropriate life test sampling plan is a crucial decision problem because a good plan not only can help producers save testing time, and reduce testing cost; but it also can positively affect the image of the product, and thus attract more consumers to buy it. This paper develops the frequentist (non-Bayesian) decision models for determining the optimal life test sampling plans with an aim of cost minimization by identifying the appropriate number of product failures in a sample that should be used as a threshold in judging the rejection of a batch. The two-parameter exponential and Weibull distributions with two unknown parameters are assumed to be appropriate for modelling the lifetime of a product. A practical numerical application is employed to demonstrate the proposed approach.

Validation of a sampling plan to generate food composition data.

PubMed

Sammán, N C; Gimenez, M A; Bassett, N; Lobo, M O; Marcoleri, M E

2016-02-15

A methodology to develop systematic plans for food sampling was proposed. Long life whole and skimmed milk, and sunflower oil were selected to validate the methodology in Argentina. Fatty acid profile in all foods, proximal composition, and calcium's content in milk were determined with AOAC methods. The number of samples (n) was calculated applying Cochran's formula with variation coefficients ⩽12% and an estimate error (r) maximum permissible ⩽5% for calcium content in milks and unsaturated fatty acids in oil. n were 9, 11 and 21 for long life whole and skimmed milk, and sunflower oil respectively. Sample units were randomly collected from production sites and sent to labs. Calculated r with experimental data was ⩽10%, indicating high accuracy in the determination of analyte content of greater variability and reliability of the proposed sampling plan. The methodology is an adequate and useful tool to develop sampling plans for food composition analysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrating internet GPS vehicle tracking data into a bottom-up vehicular emissions inventory and atmospheric simulation in South-East, Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ibarra Espinosa, S.; Ynoue, R.; Giannotti, M., , Dr

2017-12-01

It has been shown the importance of emissions inventories for air quality studies and environmental planning at local, regional (REAS), hemispheric (CLRTAP) and global (IPCC) scales. It has been shown also that vehicules are becoming the most important sources in urban centers. Several efforts has been made in order to model vehicular emissions to obtain more accurate emission factors based on Vehicular Specific Power (VPS) with IVE and MOVES based on VSP, MOBILE, VERSIT and COPERT based on average speed, or ARTEMIS and HBEFA based on traffic situations. However, little effort has been made to improve traffic activity data. In this study we are proposing using a novel approach to develop vehicular emissions inventory including point data from MAPLINK a company that feeds with traffic data to Google. This includes working and transforming massive amount of data to generate traffic flow and speeds. The region of study is the south east of Brazil including São Paulo metropolitan areas. To estimate vehicular emissions we are using the open source model VEIN available at https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=vein. We generated hourly traffic between 2010-04-21 and 2010-10-22, totalizing 145 hours. This data consists GPS readings from vehicles with assurance policy, applications and other sources. This type data presents spacial bias meaning that only a part of the vehicles are tracked. We corrected this bias using the calculated speed as proxy of traffic flow using measurements of traffic flow and speed per lane made in São Paulo. Then we calibrated the total traffic estimating Fuel Consumption with VEIN and comparing Fuel Sales for the region. We estimated the hourly vehicular emissions and produced emission maps and data-bases. In addition, we simulated atmospheric simulations using WRF-Chem to identify which inventory produces better agreement with air pollutant observations. New technologies and big data provides opportunities to improve vehicular emissions inventories.

300 Area process trench sediment analysis report

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

Zimmerman, M.G.; Kossik, C.D.

1987-12-01

This report describes the results of a sampling program for the sediments underlying the Process Trenches serving the 300 Area on the Hanford reservation. These Process Trenches were the subject of a Closure Plan submitted to the Washington State Department of Ecology and to the US Environmental Protection Agency in lieu of a Part B permit application on November 8, 1985. The closure plan described a proposed sampling plan for the underlying sediments and potential remedial actions to be determined by the sample analyses results. The results and proposed remedial action plan are presented and discussed in this report. 50more » refs., 6 figs., 8 tabs.« less

Curating NASA's Astromaterials Collections: Past, Present, and Future

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeigler, Ryan

2015-01-01

Planning for the curation of samples from future sample return missions must begin during the initial planning stages of a mission. Waiting until the samples have been returned to Earth, or even when you begin to physically build the spacecraft is too late. A lack of proper planning could lead to irreversible contamination of the samples, which in turn would compromise the scientific integrity of the mission. For example, even though the Apollo missions first returned samples in 1969, planning for the curation facility began in the early 1960s, and construction of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory was completed in 1967. In addition to designing the receiving facility and laboratory that the samples will be characterized and stored in, there are many aspects of contamination that must be addressed during the planning and building of the spacecraft: planetary protection (both outbound and inbound); cataloging, documenting, and preserving the materials used to build spacecraft (also known as coupons); near real-time monitoring of the environment in which the spacecraft is being built using witness plates for critical aspects of contamination (known as contamination control); and long term monitoring and preservation of the environment in which the spacecraft is being built for most aspects of potential contamination through the use of witness plates (known as contamination knowledge). The OSIRIS REx asteroid sample return mission, currently being built, is dealing with all of these aspects of contamination in order to ensure they return the best preserved sample possible. Coupons and witness plates from OSIRIS REx are currently being studied and stored (for future studies) at the Johnson Space Center. Similarly, planning for the clean room facility at Johnson Space Center to house the OSIRIS-REx samples is well advanced, and construction of the facility should begin in early 2017 (despite a nominal 2023 return date for OSIRIS-REx samples). Similar development is being done, in concert with JAXA, for the return of Hayabusa 2 samples (nominally in 2020). We are also actively developing advanced techniques like cold curation and organically clean curation in anticipation of future sample return missions such as comet nucleus sample return and Mars sample return.

Remedial Investigation Work Plan for Upper East Fork Poplar Creek Operable Unit 3 at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Environmental Restoration Program

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

Not Available

1993-08-01

Upper East Fork Popular Creek Operable Unit 3 (UEFPC OU 3) is a source term OU composed of seven sites, and is located in the western portion of the Y-12 Plant. For the most part, the UEFPC OU 3 sites served unrelated purposes and are geographically removed from one another. The seven sites include the following: Building 81-10, the S-2 Site, Salvage Yard oil storage tanks, the Salvage Yard oil/solvent drum storage area, Tank Site 2063-U, the Salvage Yard drum deheader, and the Salvage Yard scrap metal storage area. All of these sites are contaminated with at least one ormore » more hazardous and/or radioactive chemicals. All sites have had some previous investigation under the Y-12 Plant RCRA Program. The work plan contains summaries of geographical, historical, operational, geological, and hydrological information specific to each OU 3 site. The potential for release of contaminants to receptors through various media is addressed, and a sampling and analysis plan is presented to obtain objectives for the remedial investigation. Proposed sampling activities are contingent upon the screening level risk assessment, which includes shallow soil sampling, soil borings, monitoring well installation, groundwater sampling, and surface water sampling. Data from the site characterization activities will be used to meet the above objectives. A Field Sampling Investigation Plan, Health and Safety Plan, and Waste Management Plan are also included in this work plan.« less

Planning Resource Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

RP Group of California Community Colleges, Santa Ana.

The Planning Resource Guide by the RP Group of California Community Colleges was created to provide practical planning assistance. It contains four sections, including: (1) a basic conceptual framework for planning; (2) common planning definitions for colleges; (3) planning steps and samples of planning structures; and (4) suggestions for linking…

Data Validation Package - June 2016 Groundwater and Surface Water Sampling at the Green River, Utah, Disposal Site

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

Linard, Joshua; Price, Jeffrey

This event included annual sampling of groundwater and surface water locations at the Green River, Utah, Disposal Site. Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in Sampling and Analysis Plan for US. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated, http://energy.gov/lrnldownloads/sampling-and- analysis-plan-us-department-energy-office-legacy-management-sites). Samples were collected from 15 monitoring wells and two surface locations at the disposal site as specified in the draft 2011 Ground Water Compliance Action Plan for the Green River, Utah, Disposal Site. Planned monitoring locations are shown in Attachment 1, Sampling and Analysis Work Order. A duplicate sample was collected from location 0179. Onemore » equipment blank was collected during this sampling event. Water levels were measured at all monitoring wells that were sampled. See Attachment 2, Trip Reports for additional details. The analytical data and associated qualifiers can be viewed in environmental database reports and are also available for viewing with dynamic mapping via the GEMS (Geospatial Environmental Mapping System) website at http://gems.lm.doe.gov/#. No issues were identified during the data validation process that requires additional action or follow-up.« less

2018 Annual Terrestrial Sampling Plan for Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico on Kirtland Air Force Base.

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

Griffith, Stacy R.

The 2018 Annual Terrestrial Sampling Plan for Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico on Kirtland Air Force Base has been prepared in accordance with the “Letter of Agreement Between Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Sandia Field Office (DOE/NNSA/SFO) and 377th Air Base Wing (ABW), Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) for Terrestrial Sampling” (signed January 2017), Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM). The Letter of Agreement requires submittal of an annual terrestrial sampling plan.

2017 Annual Terrestrial Sampling Plan for Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico on Kirtland Air Force Base

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

Griffith, Stacy R.

The 2017 Annual Terrestrial Sampling Plan for Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico on Kirtland Air Force Base has been prepared in accordance with the “Letter of Agreement Between Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Sandia Field Office (DOE/NNSA/SFO) and 377th Air Base Wing (ABW), Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) for Terrestrial Sampling” (signed January 2017), Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico (SNL/NM). The Letter of Agreement requires submittal of an annual terrestrial sampling plan.

ANALYSIS RESULTS FOR BUILDING 241 702-AZ A TRAIN

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

DUNCAN JB; FRYE JM; COOKE CA

2006-12-13

This report presents the analyses results for three samples obtained under RPP-PLAN-28509, Sampling and Analysis Plan for Building 241 702-AZ A Train. The sampling and analysis was done in response to problem evaluation request number PER-2004-6139, 702-AZ Filter Rooms Need Radiological Cleanup Efforts.

Black Family Planning: Attitudes of Leaders and a General Sample.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, William G.; And Others

Attitudes of black leaders and a general black population sample toward birth control and family planning issues were "Pro Birth Control" and "Genocide Fears." The leaders questioned held positions in twenty national black organizations, while the general population samples were taken from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Charlotte, North Carolina.…

Master plans for pedestrian and bicycle transportation: community characteristics.

PubMed

Steinman, Lesley; Doescher, Mark; Levinger, David; Perry, Cynthia; Carter, Louise; Eyler, Amy; Aytur, Semra; Cradock, Angie L I; Evenson, Kelly R; Heinrich, Katie; Kerr, Jacqueline; Litt, Jill; Severcan, Yucel; Voorhees, Carolyn

2010-03-01

Recent research demonstrates the importance of targeting the built environment to support individual physical activity, particularly for people experiencing health disparities. Master plans to promote biking and/or pedestrians (BPMPs) are a potential method for environmental change. This descriptive study aims to provide a snapshot of plan attributes and better understand demographic, social and transportation characteristics of communities with BPMPs. We collected a census sample of BPMPs from 4 states. Population and commuting data were obtained from national statistics. 294 master plans were included, with most plans representing municipalities. 62% of plans targeted biking only, one-fifth targeted biking and walking, and 15% targeted walking only. The sampled locations have a similar demographic profile as the overall U.S. for median age and household income, people of color, high school education, and income inequality. The degree of racial diversity of sampled communities is slightly less than the U.S. average and the percentage of people who walk to work were slightly higher. Given that communities with master plans have a similar profile as the overall U.S., BPMPs could feasibly be spread to communities throughout the country. Further research is planned to describe BPMPs in detail toward informing future plan development.

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

NONE

In the Bear Creek Valley Watershed Remedial Investigation, the Boneyard/Burnyard was identified as the source of the largest releases of uranium into groundwater and surface water in Bear Creek Valley. The proposed action for remediation of this site is selective excavation and removal of source material and capping of the remainder of the site. The schedule for this action has been accelerated so that this is the first remedial action planned to be implemented in the Bear Creek Valley Record of Decision. Additional data needs to support design of the remedial action were identified at a data quality objectives meetingmore » held for this project. Sampling at the Boneyard/Burnyard will be conducted through the use of a phased approach. Initial or primary samples will be used to make in-the-field decisions about where to locate follow-up or secondary samples. On the basis of the results of surface water, soil, and groundwater analysis, up to six test pits will be dug. The test pits will be used to provide detailed descriptions of source materials and bulk samples. This document sets forth the requirements and procedures to protect the personnel involved in this project. This document also contains the health and safety plan, quality assurance project plan, waste management plan, data management plan, implementation plan, and best management practices plan for this project as appendices.« less

Field Sampling Plan/Quality Assurance Project Plan Volume I of III

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document contains procedures related to the collection and analysis of soil, sediment, groundwater, surface water, air and biota samples at GE’s Pittsfield, Massachusetts facility and at other areas.

Asteroid Redirect Mission: EVA and Sample Collection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abell, Paul; Stich, Steve

2015-01-01

Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) Overview (1) Notional Development Schedule, (2) ARV Crewed Mission Accommodations; Asteroid Redirect Crewed Mission (ARCM) Mission Summary; ARCM Accomplishments; Sample collection/curation plan (1) CAPTEM Requirements; SBAG Engagement Plan

Sample transportation management plans and templates.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-08-01

This Guide consisting of samples, templates, and tips is designed to help transportation agencies with the : development and implementation of their own Transportation Management Plans (TMPs). Understanding : the work zone impacts is critical to deve...

Implementing reduced-risk integrated pest management in fresh-market cabbage: influence of sampling parameters, and validation of binomial sequential sampling plans for the cabbage looper (Lepidoptera Noctuidae).

PubMed

Burkness, Eric C; Hutchison, W D

2009-10-01

Populations of cabbage looper, Trichoplusiani (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), were sampled in experimental plots and commercial fields of cabbage (Brasicca spp.) in Minnesota during 1998-1999 as part of a larger effort to implement an integrated pest management program. Using a resampling approach and the Wald's sequential probability ratio test, sampling plans with different sampling parameters were evaluated using independent presence/absence and enumerative data. Evaluations and comparisons of the different sampling plans were made based on the operating characteristic and average sample number functions generated for each plan and through the use of a decision probability matrix. Values for upper and lower decision boundaries, sequential error rates (alpha, beta), and tally threshold were modified to determine parameter influence on the operating characteristic and average sample number functions. The following parameters resulted in the most desirable operating characteristic and average sample number functions; action threshold of 0.1 proportion of plants infested, tally threshold of 1, alpha = beta = 0.1, upper boundary of 0.15, lower boundary of 0.05, and resampling with replacement. We found that sampling parameters can be modified and evaluated using resampling software to achieve desirable operating characteristic and average sample number functions. Moreover, management of T. ni by using binomial sequential sampling should provide a good balance between cost and reliability by minimizing sample size and maintaining a high level of correct decisions (>95%) to treat or not treat.

HYPERSAMP - HYPERGEOMETRIC ATTRIBUTE SAMPLING SYSTEM BASED ON RISK AND FRACTION DEFECTIVE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

De, Salvo L. J.

1994-01-01

HYPERSAMP is a demonstration of an attribute sampling system developed to determine the minimum sample size required for any preselected value for consumer's risk and fraction of nonconforming. This statistical method can be used in place of MIL-STD-105E sampling plans when a minimum sample size is desirable, such as when tests are destructive or expensive. HYPERSAMP utilizes the Hypergeometric Distribution and can be used for any fraction nonconforming. The program employs an iterative technique that circumvents the obstacle presented by the factorial of a non-whole number. HYPERSAMP provides the required Hypergeometric sample size for any equivalent real number of nonconformances in the lot or batch under evaluation. Many currently used sampling systems, such as the MIL-STD-105E, utilize the Binomial or the Poisson equations as an estimate of the Hypergeometric when performing inspection by attributes. However, this is primarily because of the difficulty in calculation of the factorials required by the Hypergeometric. Sampling plans based on the Binomial or Poisson equations will result in the maximum sample size possible with the Hypergeometric. The difference in the sample sizes between the Poisson or Binomial and the Hypergeometric can be significant. For example, a lot size of 400 devices with an error rate of 1.0% and a confidence of 99% would require a sample size of 400 (all units would need to be inspected) for the Binomial sampling plan and only 273 for a Hypergeometric sampling plan. The Hypergeometric results in a savings of 127 units, a significant reduction in the required sample size. HYPERSAMP is a demonstration program and is limited to sampling plans with zero defectives in the sample (acceptance number of zero). Since it is only a demonstration program, the sample size determination is limited to sample sizes of 1500 or less. The Hypergeometric Attribute Sampling System demonstration code is a spreadsheet program written for IBM PC compatible computers running DOS and Lotus 1-2-3 or Quattro Pro. This program is distributed on a 5.25 inch 360K MS-DOS format diskette, and the program price includes documentation. This statistical method was developed in 1992.

75 FR 43989 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Sample Collection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-27

... for Dogs Treated With SLENTROL AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The... on the sample collection plan for dogs treated with the drug SLENTROL. DATES: Submit either... technology. Sample Collection Plan for Dogs Treated With SLENTROL--21 CFR 514.80 (OMB Control Number 0910-NEW...

Inspection error and its adverse effects - A model with implications for practitioners

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, R. D., Jr.; Case, K. E.; Bennett, G. K.

1978-01-01

Inspection error has clearly been shown to have adverse effects upon the results desired from a quality assurance sampling plan. These effects upon performance measures have been well documented from a statistical point of view. However, little work has been presented to convince the QC manager of the unfavorable cost consequences resulting from inspection error. This paper develops a very general, yet easily used, mathematical cost model. The basic format of the well-known Guthrie-Johns model is used. However, it is modified as required to assess the effects of attributes sampling errors of the first and second kind. The economic results, under different yet realistic conditions, will no doubt be of interest to QC practitioners who face similar problems daily. Sampling inspection plans are optimized to minimize economic losses due to inspection error. Unfortunately, any error at all results in some economic loss which cannot be compensated for by sampling plan design; however, improvements over plans which neglect the presence of inspection error are possible. Implications for human performance betterment programs are apparent, as are trade-offs between sampling plan modification and inspection and training improvements economics.

Quality-assurance plan for the analysis of suspended sediment by the U.S. Geological Survey in Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dodge, Kent A.; Lambing, John H.

2006-01-01

A quality-assurance plan has been developed for use by the sediment laboratory of the U.S. Geological Survey Montana Water Science Center in conducting activities related to the analysis of suspended sediment. The plan documents quality-assurance policies for sediment-laboratory certification, personnel responsibilities and training, documentation requirements, and laboratory safety. The plan also documents quality-assurance procedures related to laboratory equipment and supplies, sample management, sample analysis, analytical quality control, and data management.

Planning Considerations Related to Collecting and Analyzing Samples of the Martian Soils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Yang; Mellon, Mike T.; Ming, Douglas W.; Morris, Richard V.; Noble, Sarah K.; Sullivan, Robert J.; Taylor, Lawrence A.; Beaty, David W.

2014-01-01

The Mars Sample Return (MSR) End-to-End International Science Analysis Group (E2E-iSAG [1]) established scientific objectives associ-ated with Mars returned-sample science that require the return and investigation of one or more soil samples. Soil is defined here as loose, unconsolidated materials with no implication for the presence or absence of or-ganic components. The proposed Mars 2020 (M-2020) rover is likely to collect and cache soil in addition to rock samples [2], which could be followed by future sample retrieval and return missions. Here we discuss key scientific consid-erations for sampling and caching soil samples on the proposed M-2020 rover, as well as the state in which samples would need to be preserved when received by analysts on Earth. We are seeking feedback on these draft plans as input to mission requirement formulation. A related planning exercise on rocks is reported in an accompanying abstract [3].

IP Sample Plan #5 | NCI Technology Transfer Center | TTC

Cancer.gov

A sample Intellectual Property Management Plan in the form of a legal agreement between a University and its collaborators which addresses data sharing, sharing of research tools and resources and intellectual property management.

Assumptions of acceptance sampling and the implications for lot contamination: Escherichia coli O157 in lots of Australian manufacturing beef.

PubMed

Kiermeier, Andreas; Mellor, Glen; Barlow, Robert; Jenson, Ian

2011-04-01

The aims of this work were to determine the distribution and concentration of Escherichia coli O157 in lots of beef destined for grinding (manufacturing beef) that failed to meet Australian requirements for export, to use these data to better understand the performance of sampling plans based on the binomial distribution, and to consider alternative approaches for evaluating sampling plans. For each of five lots from which E. coli O157 had been detected, 900 samples from the external carcass surface were tested. E. coli O157 was not detected in three lots, whereas in two lots E. coli O157 was detected in 2 and 74 samples. For lots in which E. coli O157 was not detected in the present study, the E. coli O157 level was estimated to be <12 cells per 27.2-kg carton. For the most contaminated carton, the total number of E. coli O157 cells was estimated to be 813. In the two lots in which E. coli O157 was detected, the pathogen was detected in 1 of 12 and 2 of 12 cartons. The use of acceptance sampling plans based on a binomial distribution can provide a falsely optimistic view of the value of sampling as a control measure when applied to assessment of E. coli O157 contamination in manufacturing beef. Alternative approaches to understanding sampling plans, which do not assume homogeneous contamination throughout the lot, appear more realistic. These results indicate that despite the application of stringent sampling plans, sampling and testing approaches are inefficient for controlling microbiological quality.

Characteristics of sperm motility in boar semen diluted in different extenders and stored for seven days at 18 degrees C.

PubMed

Estienne, Mark J; Harper, Allen F; Day, Jennifer L

2007-11-01

Although numerous extenders exist for diluting boar semen, little research has been conducted comparing commercial extenders with regard to maintaining sperm motility during storage. The objective was to use a computer- assisted sperm analysis system to assess motility of boar spermatozoa diluted in Beltsville Thawing Solution, Merck-III, Androhep-lite, Sperm Aid, MR-A, Modena, X-Cell, VSP, and Vital. Ejaculates from boars (n=10) were collected and sub-samples were diluted (35x10(6) spermatozoa/ml) in the different extenders and stored for seven days at 18 degrees. Extender by day interactions were detected (p<0.01) and on each day post collection, there were numerically small, but statistically significant differences in characteristics of sperm motility among extenders. For example, on day 7, the percentages of motile and progressively motile spermatozoa were highest (p<0.05) in X-Cell (90.7%) and Modena (63.9%), respectively. The average velocity measured over the actual point-to-point track followed by the sperm cell (VCL; 198.2 microm/s) and path velocity of the smoothed cell path (VAP; 106.4 microm/s) were highest (p<0.05) in Vital and Modena, respectively. Average velocity measured in a straight line from the beginning to the end of the track (VSL; 78.3 microm/s), average value of the ratio VSL/VAP (straightness; 73.2) and average value of the ratio VSL/VCL (linearity; 44.1) on day 7 were highest in Androhep-lite. In summary, changes in sperm motility during storage were affected by the extender utilized, but with the exception of Sperm Aid, all extenders maintained a high degree of sperm motility through 7 days of storage.

Site characterization summary report for dry weather surface water sampling upper East Fork Poplar Creek characterization area Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

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

NONE

This report describes activities associated with conducting dry weather surface water sampling of Upper East Fork Poplar Creek (UEFPC) at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This activity is a portion of the work to be performed at UEFPC Operable Unit (OU) 1 [now known as the UEFPC Characterization Area (CA)], as described in the RCRA Facility Investigation Plan for Group 4 at the Oak- Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee and in the Response to Comments and Recommendations on RCRA Facility Investigation Plan for Group 4 at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Volume 1,more » Operable Unit 1. Because these documents contained sensitive information, they were labeled as unclassified controlled nuclear information and as such are not readily available for public review. To address this issue the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published an unclassified, nonsensitive version of the initial plan, text and appendixes, of this Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation (RFI) Plan in early 1994. These documents describe a program for collecting four rounds of wet weather and dry weather surface water samples and one round of sediment samples from UEFPC. They provide the strategy for the overall sample collection program including dry weather sampling, wet weather sampling, and sediment sampling. Figure 1.1 is a schematic flowchart of the overall sampling strategy and other associated activities. A Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPJP) was prepared to specifically address four rounds of dry weather surface water sampling and one round of sediment sampling. For a variety of reasons, sediment sampling has not been conducted and has been deferred to the UEFPC CA Remedial Investigation (RI), as has wet weather sampling.« less

It's Time to Develop a New "Draft Test Protocol" for a Mars Sample Return Mission (or Two…).

PubMed

Rummel, John D; Kminek, Gerhard

2018-04-01

The last time NASA envisioned a sample return mission from Mars, the development of a protocol to support the analysis of the samples in a containment facility resulted in a "Draft Test Protocol" that outlined required preparations "for the safe receiving, handling, testing, distributing, and archiving of martian materials here on Earth" (Rummel et al., 2002 ). This document comprised a specific protocol to be used to conduct a biohazard test for a returned martian sample, following the recommendations of the Space Studies Board of the US National Academy of Sciences. Given the planned launch of a sample-collecting and sample-caching rover (Mars 2020) in 2 years' time, and with a sample return planned for the end of the next decade, it is time to revisit the Draft Test Protocol to develop a sample analysis and biohazard test plan to meet the needs of these future missions. Key Words: Biohazard detection-Mars sample analysis-Sample receiving facility-Protocol-New analytical techniques-Robotic sample handling. Astrobiology 18, 377-380.

Determination of the influence of dispersion pattern of pesticide-resistant individuals on the reliability of resistance estimates using different sampling plans.

PubMed

Shah, R; Worner, S P; Chapman, R B

2012-10-01

Pesticide resistance monitoring includes resistance detection and subsequent documentation/ measurement. Resistance detection would require at least one (≥1) resistant individual(s) to be present in a sample to initiate management strategies. Resistance documentation, on the other hand, would attempt to get an estimate of the entire population (≥90%) of the resistant individuals. A computer simulation model was used to compare the efficiency of simple random and systematic sampling plans to detect resistant individuals and to document their frequencies when the resistant individuals were randomly or patchily distributed. A patchy dispersion pattern of resistant individuals influenced the sampling efficiency of systematic sampling plans while the efficiency of random sampling was independent of such patchiness. When resistant individuals were randomly distributed, sample sizes required to detect at least one resistant individual (resistance detection) with a probability of 0.95 were 300 (1%) and 50 (10% and 20%); whereas, when resistant individuals were patchily distributed, using systematic sampling, sample sizes required for such detection were 6000 (1%), 600 (10%) and 300 (20%). Sample sizes of 900 and 400 would be required to detect ≥90% of resistant individuals (resistance documentation) with a probability of 0.95 when resistant individuals were randomly dispersed and present at a frequency of 10% and 20%, respectively; whereas, when resistant individuals were patchily distributed, using systematic sampling, a sample size of 3000 and 1500, respectively, was necessary. Small sample sizes either underestimated or overestimated the resistance frequency. A simple random sampling plan is, therefore, recommended for insecticide resistance detection and subsequent documentation.

7 CFR 43.105 - Operating characteristics (OC) curves.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 43.105 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COMMODITY STANDARDS AND STANDARD CONTAINER REGULATIONS STANDARDS FOR SAMPLING PLANS Sampling Plans § 43.105 Operating characteristics (OC...

Nitrate Waste Treatment Sampling and Analysis Plan

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

Vigil-Holterman, Luciana R.; Martinez, Patrick Thomas; Garcia, Terrence Kerwin

2017-07-05

This plan is designed to outline the collection and analysis of nitrate salt-bearing waste samples required by the New Mexico Environment Department- Hazardous Waste Bureau in the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Hazardous Waste Facility Permit (Permit).

Elastic-wave velocity in marine sediments with gas hydrates: Effective medium modeling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Helgerud, M.B.; Dvorkin, J.; Nur, A.; Sakai, A.; Collett, T.

1999-01-01

We offer a first-principle-based effective medium model for elastic-wave velocity in unconsolidated, high porosity, ocean bottom sediments containing gas hydrate. The dry sediment frame elastic constants depend on porosity, elastic moduli of the solid phase, and effective pressure. Elastic moduli of saturated sediment are calculated from those of the dry frame using Gassmann's equation. To model the effect of gas hydrate on sediment elastic moduli we use two separate assumptions: (a) hydrate modifies the pore fluid elastic properties without affecting the frame; (b) hydrate becomes a component of the solid phase, modifying the elasticity of the frame. The goal of the modeling is to predict the amount of hydrate in sediments from sonic or seismic velocity data. We apply the model to sonic and VSP data from ODP Hole 995 and obtain hydrate concentration estimates from assumption (b) consistent with estimates obtained from resistivity, chlorinity and evolved gas data. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union.

Effect of Vertical Shoot-Positioned, Scott-Henry, Geneva Double-Curtain, Arch-Cane, and Parral Training Systems on the Volatile Composition of Albariño Wines.

PubMed

Vilanova, Mar; Genisheva, Zlatina; Tubio, Miguel; Álvarez, Katia; Lissarrague, Jose Ramón; Oliveira, José Maria

2017-09-08

Viticultural practices influence both grape and wine quality. The influence of training systems on volatile composition was investigated for Albariño wine from Rías Baixas AOC in Northwest Spain. The odoriferous contribution of the compounds to the wine aroma was also studied. Volatile compounds belonging to ten groups (alcohols, C₆-compounds, ethyl esters, acetates, terpenols, C 13 -norisoprenoids, volatile phenols, volatile fatty acids, lactones and carbonyl compounds) were determined in Albariño wines from different training systems, Vertical Shoot-Positioned (VSP), Scott-Henry (SH), Geneva Double-Curtain (GDC), Arch-Cane (AC), and Parral (P) during 2010 and 2011 vintages. Wines from GDC showed the highest total volatile composition with the highest concentrations of alcohols, ethyl esters, fatty acids, and lactones families. However, the highest levels of terpenes and C 13 -norisoprenoids were quantified in the SH system. A fruitier aroma was observed in Albariño wines from GDC when odor activity values were calculated.

Observation of increases in emission from modern vehicles over time in Hong Kong using remote sensing.

PubMed

Lau, Jason; Hung, W T; Cheung, C S

2012-04-01

In this study on-road gaseous emissions of vehicles are investigated using remote sensing measurements collected over three different periods. The results show that a high percentage of gaseous pollutants were emitted from a small percentage of vehicles. Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) vehicles generally have higher gaseous emissions compared to other vehicles, particularly among higher-emitting vehicles. Vehicles with high vehicle specific power (VSP) tend to have lower CO and HC emissions while petrol and LPG vehicles tend to have higher NO emissions when engine load is high. It can be observed that gaseous emission factors of petrol and LPG vehicles increase greatly within 2 years of being introduced to the vehicle fleet, suggesting that engine and catalyst performance deteriorate rapidly. It can be observed that LPG vehicles have higher levels of gaseous emissions than petrol vehicles, suggesting that proper maintenance of LPG vehicles is essential in reducing gaseous emissions from vehicles. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Arabidopsis Mutant cev1 Links Cell Wall Signaling to Jasmonate and Ethylene Responses

PubMed Central

Ellis, Christine; Karafyllidis, Ioannis; Wasternack, Claus; Turner, John G.

2002-01-01

Biotic and abiotic stresses stimulate the synthesis of jasmonates and ethylene, which, in turn, induce the expression of genes involved in stress response and enhance defense responses. The cev1 mutant has constitutive expression of stress response genes and has enhanced resistance to fungal pathogens. Here, we show that cev1 plants have increased production of jasmonate and ethylene and that its phenotype is suppressed by mutations that interrupt jasmonate and ethylene signaling. Genetic mapping, complementation analysis, and sequence analysis revealed that CEV1 is the cellulose synthase CeSA3. CEV1 was expressed predominantly in root tissues, and cev1 roots contained less cellulose than wild-type roots. Significantly, the cev1 mutant phenotype could be reproduced by treating wild-type plants with cellulose biosynthesis inhibitors, and the cellulose synthase mutant rsw1 also had constitutive expression of VSP. We propose that the cell wall can signal stress responses in plants. PMID:12119374

Hydraulic Properties of Closely Spaced Dipping Open Fractures Intersecting a Fluid-Filled Borehole Derived From Tube Wave Generation and Scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Minato, Shohei; Ghose, Ranajit; Tsuji, Takeshi; Ikeda, Michiharu; Onishi, Kozo

2017-10-01

Fluid-filled fractures and fissures often determine the pathways and volume of fluid movement. They are critically important in crustal seismology and in the exploration of geothermal and hydrocarbon reservoirs. We introduce a model for tube wave scattering and generation at dipping, parallel-wall fractures intersecting a fluid-filled borehole. A new equation reveals the interaction of tube wavefield with multiple, closely spaced fractures, showing that the fracture dip significantly affects the tube waves. Numerical modeling demonstrates the possibility of imaging these fractures using a focusing analysis. The focused traces correspond well with the known fracture density, aperture, and dip angles. Testing the method on a VSP data set obtained at a fault-damaged zone in the Median Tectonic Line, Japan, presents evidences of tube waves being generated and scattered at open fractures and thin cataclasite layers. This finding leads to a new possibility for imaging, characterizing, and monitoring in situ hydraulic properties of dipping fractures using the tube wavefield.

Development of a model to predict the adsorption of lead from solution on a natural streambed sediment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, David Wayne; Hem, John David

1984-01-01

Adsorption of solutes by solid mineral surfaces commonly influences the dissolved ionic composition of natural waters. A model based on electrical double-layer theory has been developed which appears to be capable of characterizing the surface chemical behavior of a natural fine-grained sediment containing mostly quartz and feldspar. This variable surface charge-variable surface potential (VSC-VSP) model differs from others in being capable of evaluating more closely the effect of total metal ion activity on the pH-dependent change in electrical potential at the solid surface. The model was tested using 10-4 molar solutions of lead and a silt-size fraction of sediment from the bed of Colma Creek, a small stream in urban northern San Mateo County, California. The average deviation of measured percent adsorption and values calculated from the model was 6.6 adsorption percent from pH 2.0 to pH 7.0.

Structural Mechanism of Voltage-Dependent Gating in an Isolated Voltage-Sensing Domain

PubMed Central

Li, Qufei; Wanderling, Sherry; Paduch, Marcin; Medovoy, David; Singharoy, Abhishek; McGreevy, Ryan; Villalba-Galea, Carlos; Hulse, Raymond E.; Roux, Benoit; Schulten, Klaus; Kossiakoff, Anthony; Perozo, Eduardo

2014-01-01

SUMMARY The transduction of transmembrane electric fields into protein motion plays an essential role in the generation and propagation of cellular signals. Voltage-sensing domains (VSD) carry out these functions through reorientations of S4 helix with discrete gating charges. Here, crystal structures of the VSD from Ci-VSP were determined in both, active (Up) and resting (Down) conformations. The S4 undergoes a ~5 Å displacement along its main axis accompanied by a ~60o rotation, consistent with the helix-screw gating mechanism. This movement is stabilized by a change in countercharge partners in helices S1 and S3, generating an estimated net charge transfer of ~1 eo. Gating charges move relative to a “hydrophobic gasket” that electrically divides intra and extracellular compartments. EPR spectroscopy confirms the limited nature of S4 movement in a membrane environment. These results provide an explicit mechanism for voltage sensing and set the basis for electromechanical coupling in voltage-dependent cellular activities. PMID:24487958

Sink limitation induces the expression of multiple soybean vegetative lipoxygenase mRNAs while the endogenous jasmonic acid level remains low.

PubMed Central

Bunker, T W; Koetje, D S; Stephenson, L C; Creelman, R A; Mullet, J E; Grimes, H D

1995-01-01

The response of individual members of the lipoxygenase multigene family in soybeans to sink deprivation was analyzed. RNase protection assays indicated that a novel vegetative lipoxygenase gene, vlxC, and three other vegetative lipoxygenase mRNAs accumulated in mature leaves in response to a variety of sink limitations. These data suggest that several members of the lipoxygenase multigene family are involved in assimilate partitioning. The possible involvement of jasmonic acid as a signaling molecule regulating assimilate partitioning into the vegetative storage proteins and lipoxygenases was directly assessed by determining the endogenous level of jasmonic acid in leaves from plants with their pods removed. There was no rise in the level of endogenous jasmonic acid coincident with the strong increase in both vlxC and vegetative storage protein VspB transcripts in response to sink limitation. Thus, expression of the vegetative lipoxygenases and vegetative storage proteins is not regulated by jasmonic acid in sink-limited leaves. PMID:7549487

Sink limitation induces the expression of multiple soybean vegetative lipoxygenase mRNAs while the endogenous jasmonic acid level remains low.

PubMed

Bunker, T W; Koetje, D S; Stephenson, L C; Creelman, R A; Mullet, J E; Grimes, H D

1995-08-01

The response of individual members of the lipoxygenase multigene family in soybeans to sink deprivation was analyzed. RNase protection assays indicated that a novel vegetative lipoxygenase gene, vlxC, and three other vegetative lipoxygenase mRNAs accumulated in mature leaves in response to a variety of sink limitations. These data suggest that several members of the lipoxygenase multigene family are involved in assimilate partitioning. The possible involvement of jasmonic acid as a signaling molecule regulating assimilate partitioning into the vegetative storage proteins and lipoxygenases was directly assessed by determining the endogenous level of jasmonic acid in leaves from plants with their pods removed. There was no rise in the level of endogenous jasmonic acid coincident with the strong increase in both vlxC and vegetative storage protein VspB transcripts in response to sink limitation. Thus, expression of the vegetative lipoxygenases and vegetative storage proteins is not regulated by jasmonic acid in sink-limited leaves.

Nova Scorpii 2011 = PNV J16551100-3838120

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Waagen, Elizabeth O.

2011-06-01

Announces the discovery of Nova Scorpii 2011 = PNV J16551100-3838120 by John Seach (Chatsworth Island, NSW, Australia) on 2011 June 1.40 UT at magnitude 9.5 (DSLR + orange filter). Spectra by Bernard Heathcote (South Yarra, Vic, Australia) on Jun 2.4896 UT, A. Arai, T. Kajikawa, and M. Nagashima (Kyoto Sangyo University, Japan) on 2011 June 2.68 UT, and Masayuki Yamanaka and Ryosuke Itoh (Hiroshima University, Japan) on Jun 2 UT indicate a highly-reddened classical nova. Initially reported to the AAVSO by Seach and announced in AAVSO Special Notice #240 (Arne Henden) and IAU CBET 2735 (Daniel W. E. Green, ed.). The object was designated PNV J18102135-2305306 when posted on the Central Bureau's Transient Objects Confirmation Page (TOCP) webpage. Finder charts with sequence may be created using the AAVSO Variable Star Plotter (http://www.aavso.org/vsp). Observations should be submitted to the AAVSO International Database. See full Alert Notice for more details, observations, and links to images. [Nova Sco 2011 subsequently assigned the name V1312 Sco

DSISoft—a MATLAB VSP data processing package

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaty, K. S.; Perron, G.; Kay, I.; Adam, E.

2002-05-01

DSISoft is a public domain vertical seismic profile processing software package developed at the Geological Survey of Canada. DSISoft runs under MATLAB version 5.0 and above and hence is portable between computer operating systems supported by MATLAB (i.e. Unix, Windows, Macintosh, Linux). The package includes processing modules for reading and writing various standard seismic data formats, performing data editing, sorting, filtering, and other basic processing modules. The processing sequence can be scripted allowing batch processing and easy documentation. A structured format has been developed to ensure future additions to the package are compatible with existing modules. Interactive modules have been created using MATLAB's graphical user interface builder for displaying seismic data, picking first break times, examining frequency spectra, doing f- k filtering, and plotting the trace header information. DSISoft modular design facilitates the incorporation of new processing algorithms as they are developed. This paper gives an overview of the scope of the software and serves as a guide for the addition of new modules.

Feeding by whiteflies suppresses downstream jasmonic acid signaling by eliciting salicylic acid signaling.

PubMed

Zhang, Peng-Jun; Li, Wei-Di; Huang, Fang; Zhang, Jin-Ming; Xu, Fang-Cheng; Lu, Yao-Bin

2013-05-01

Phloem-feeding whiteflies in the species complex Bemisia tabaci cause extensive crop damage worldwide. One of the reasons for their "success" is their ability to suppress the effectual jasmonic acid (JA) defenses of the host plant. However, little is understood about the mechanisms underlying whitefly suppression of JA-regulated defenses. Here, we showed that the expression of salicylic acid (SA)-responsive genes (EDS1 and PR1) in Arabidopsis thaliana was significantly enhanced during feeding by whitefly nymphs. Whereas upstream JA-responsive genes (LOX2 and OPR3) also were induced, the downstream JA-responsive gene (VSP1) was repressed, i.e., whiteflies only suppressed downstream JA signaling. Gene-expression analyses with various Arabidopsis mutants, including NahG, npr-1, ein2-1, and dde2-2, revealed that SA signaling plays a key role in the suppression of downstream JA defenses by whitefly feeding. Assays confirmed that SA activation enhanced whitefly performance by suppressing downstream JA defenses.

A Rapid Decision Sampling Plan for Implementing Area—Wide Management of the Red Palm Weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, in Coconut Plantations of India

PubMed Central

Faleiro, J. R.; Ashok Kumar, J.

2008-01-01

The red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Curculionidae/Rhynchophoridae/Dryophthoridae) is a lethal pest of young coconut palms, Cocos nucifera L. (Arecales: Arecaceae), with a highly aggregated population distribution pattern. R. ferrugineus is managed in several coconut growing countries using area-wide pheromone based programmes that need a substantial commitment of funds over a period of time. Often, decisions to implement area-wide management of R. ferrugineus are based on pheromone trap captures in surveillance traps and or infestation reports. Implementing area-wide management of this pest on the basis of such data can be inaccurate, as it may either under or over estimate the pest intensity in the field. This study presents sampling plans for rapid and accurate classification of R. ferrugineus infestation in coconut plantations of India by inspecting palms to detect infestation in a sequence until a decision to either implement or not to initiate area-wide management of R. ferrugineus can be made. The sampling plans are based on a common aggregation index of 3.45, assumed action threshold values of either 1.0 (plan A) or 0.5 (plan B) per cent infested palms and a risk factor of making the wrong decision set at 0.05. Using plans A and B, if the cummulative number of infested palms in a young 1 hectare coconut plantation is zero out of 150 palms for both plans, then area-wide management is not required, while on the other hand, if the cummulative number of infested palms for the same area is 6 (plan A), or 5 (plan B), then area-wide management of R. ferrugineus is essential. The proposed sampling plans are efficient tools in decision making, particularly at very low and high levels of infestation and can also be used to assess the performance of R. ferrugineus IPM programmes that are in progress. These plans not only save time and money as only a small area needs to be sampled to arrive at a correct decision, but are also efficient in rating the infestation level accurately. PMID:20337561

A rapid decision sampling plan for implementing area-wide management of the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, in coconut plantations of India.

PubMed

Faleiro, J R; Ashok Kumar, J

2008-01-01

The red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Curculionidae/Rhynchophoridae/Dryophthoridae) is a lethal pest of young coconut palms, Cocos nucifera L. (Arecales: Arecaceae), with a highly aggregated population distribution pattern. R. ferrugineus is managed in several coconut growing countries using area-wide pheromone based programmes that need a substantial commitment of funds over a period of time. Often, decisions to implement area-wide management of R. ferrugineus are based on pheromone trap captures in surveillance traps and or infestation reports. Implementing area-wide management of this pest on the basis of such data can be inaccurate, as it may either under or over estimate the pest intensity in the field. This study presents sampling plans for rapid and accurate classification of R. ferrugineus infestation in coconut plantations of India by inspecting palms to detect infestation in a sequence until a decision to either implement or not to initiate area-wide management of R. ferrugineus can be made. The sampling plans are based on a common aggregation index of 3.45, assumed action threshold values of either 1.0 (plan A) or 0.5 (plan B) per cent infested palms and a risk factor of making the wrong decision set at 0.05. Using plans A and B, if the cumulative number of infested palms in a young 1 hectare coconut plantation is zero out of 150 palms for both plans, then area-wide management is not required, while on the other hand, if the cumulative number of infested palms for the same area is 6 (plan A), or 5 (plan B), then area-wide management of R. ferrugineus is essential. The proposed sampling plans are efficient tools in decision making, particularly at very low and high levels of infestation and can also be used to assess the performance of R. ferrugineus IPM programmes that are in progress. These plans not only save time and money as only a small area needs to be sampled to arrive at a correct decision, but are also efficient in rating the infestation level accurately.

Final report: survey and removal of radioactive surface contamination at environmental restoration sites, Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico. Volume 2

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

Lambert, K.A.; Mitchell, M.M.; Jean, D.

1997-09-01

This report contains the Appendices A-L including Voluntary Corrective Measure Plans, Waste Management Plans, Task-Specific Health and Safety Plan, Analytical Laboratory Procedures, Soil Sample Results, In-Situ Gamma Spectroscopy Results, Radionuclide Activity Summary, TCLP Soil Sample Results, Waste Characterization Memoranda, Waste Drum Inventory Data, Radiological Risk Assessment, and Summary of Site-Specific Recommendations.

Remote Sensing for Inland Water Quality Monitoring: A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

outlined in Water Quality Management Plans , including traditional field sampling (water, sediment, and biological) and measure- ment of physical...at one time, a more comprehen- sive historical record or trend analysis, a planning tool for prioritizing field surveying and sampling, and accurate...estimations of optically active constituents used to characterize water quality. Furthermore, when utilized in water quality management planning

Cache-Aware Asymptotically-Optimal Sampling-Based Motion Planning

PubMed Central

Ichnowski, Jeffrey; Prins, Jan F.; Alterovitz, Ron

2014-01-01

We present CARRT* (Cache-Aware Rapidly Exploring Random Tree*), an asymptotically optimal sampling-based motion planner that significantly reduces motion planning computation time by effectively utilizing the cache memory hierarchy of modern central processing units (CPUs). CARRT* can account for the CPU’s cache size in a manner that keeps its working dataset in the cache. The motion planner progressively subdivides the robot’s configuration space into smaller regions as the number of configuration samples rises. By focusing configuration exploration in a region for periods of time, nearest neighbor searching is accelerated since the working dataset is small enough to fit in the cache. CARRT* also rewires the motion planning graph in a manner that complements the cache-aware subdivision strategy to more quickly refine the motion planning graph toward optimality. We demonstrate the performance benefit of our cache-aware motion planning approach for scenarios involving a point robot as well as the Rethink Robotics Baxter robot. PMID:25419474

Cache-Aware Asymptotically-Optimal Sampling-Based Motion Planning.

PubMed

Ichnowski, Jeffrey; Prins, Jan F; Alterovitz, Ron

2014-05-01

We present CARRT* (Cache-Aware Rapidly Exploring Random Tree*), an asymptotically optimal sampling-based motion planner that significantly reduces motion planning computation time by effectively utilizing the cache memory hierarchy of modern central processing units (CPUs). CARRT* can account for the CPU's cache size in a manner that keeps its working dataset in the cache. The motion planner progressively subdivides the robot's configuration space into smaller regions as the number of configuration samples rises. By focusing configuration exploration in a region for periods of time, nearest neighbor searching is accelerated since the working dataset is small enough to fit in the cache. CARRT* also rewires the motion planning graph in a manner that complements the cache-aware subdivision strategy to more quickly refine the motion planning graph toward optimality. We demonstrate the performance benefit of our cache-aware motion planning approach for scenarios involving a point robot as well as the Rethink Robotics Baxter robot.

2D seismic interpretation and characterization of the Hauterivian-Early Barremian source rock in Al Baraka oil field, Komombo Basin, Upper Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Moamen; Darwish, M.; Essa, Mahmoud A.; Abdelhady, A.

2018-03-01

Komombo Basin is located in Upper Egypt about 570 km southeast of Cairo; it is an asymmetrical half graben and the first oil producing basin in Upper Egypt. The Six Hills Formation is of Early Cretaceous age and subdivided into seven members from base to top (A-G); meanwhile the B member is of Hauterivian-Early Barremian and it is the only source rock of Komombo Basin. Therefore, a detailed study of the SR should be carried out, which includes the determination of the main structural elements, thickness, facies distribution and characterization of the B member SR which has not been conducted previously in the study area. Twenty 2D seismic lines were interpreted with three vertical seismic profiles (VSP) to construct the depth structure-tectonic map on the top of the B member and to highlight the major structural elements. The interpretation of depth structure contour map shows two main fault trends directed towards the NW-SE and NE to ENE directions. The NW-SE trend is the dominant one, creating a major half-graben system. Also the depth values range from -8400 ft at the depocenter in the eastern part to -4800 ft at the shoulder of the basin in the northwestern part of the study area. Meanwhile the Isopach contour map of the B member shows a variable thickness ranging between 300 ft to 750 ft. The facies model shows that the B member SR is composed mainly of shale with some sandstone streaks. The B member rock samples were collected from Al Baraka-1 and Al Baraka SE-1 in the eastern part of Komombo Basin. The results indicate that the organic matter content (TOC) has mainly good to very good (1-3.36 wt %), The B member samples have HI values in the range 157-365 (mg HC/g TOC) and dominated by Type II/III kerogen, and is thus considered to be oil-gas prone based on Rock-Eval pyrolysis, Tmax values between 442° and 456° C therefore interpreted to be mature for hydrocarbon generation. Based on the measured vitrinite equivalent reflectance values, the B member SR samples have a range 0.7-1.14%Ro, in the oil generation window.

Sample-Based Motion Planning in High-Dimensional and Differentially-Constrained Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

Reachable Set . . . 88 6-1 LittleDog Robot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 6-2 Dog bounding up stairs ...planning algorithm implemented on LittleDog, a quadruped robot . The motion planning algorithm successfully planned bounding trajectories over extremely...a motion planning algorithm implemented on LittleDog, a quadruped robot . The motion planning algorithm successfully planned bounding trajectories

Machine learning from computer simulations with applications in rail vehicle dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taheri, Mehdi; Ahmadian, Mehdi

2016-05-01

The application of stochastic modelling for learning the behaviour of a multibody dynamics (MBD) models is investigated. Post-processing data from a simulation run are used to train the stochastic model that estimates the relationship between model inputs (suspension relative displacement and velocity) and the output (sum of suspension forces). The stochastic model can be used to reduce the computational burden of the MBD model by replacing a computationally expensive subsystem in the model (suspension subsystem). With minor changes, the stochastic modelling technique is able to learn the behaviour of a physical system and integrate its behaviour within MBD models. The technique is highly advantageous for MBD models where real-time simulations are necessary, or with models that have a large number of repeated substructures, e.g. modelling a train with a large number of railcars. The fact that the training data are acquired prior to the development of the stochastic model discards the conventional sampling plan strategies like Latin Hypercube sampling plans where simulations are performed using the inputs dictated by the sampling plan. Since the sampling plan greatly influences the overall accuracy and efficiency of the stochastic predictions, a sampling plan suitable for the process is developed where the most space-filling subset of the acquired data with ? number of sample points that best describes the dynamic behaviour of the system under study is selected as the training data.

Developing optimum sample size and multistage sampling plans for Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) larval infestation and injury in northern Greece.

PubMed

Ifoulis, A A; Savopoulou-Soultani, M

2006-10-01

The purpose of this research was to quantify the spatial pattern and develop a sampling program for larvae of Lobesia botrana Denis and Schiffermüller (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), an important vineyard pest in northern Greece. Taylor's power law and Iwao's patchiness regression were used to model the relationship between the mean and the variance of larval counts. Analysis of covariance was carried out, separately for infestation and injury, with combined second and third generation data, for vine and half-vine sample units. Common regression coefficients were estimated to permit use of the sampling plan over a wide range of conditions. Optimum sample sizes for infestation and injury, at three levels of precision, were developed. An investigation of a multistage sampling plan with a nested analysis of variance showed that if the goal of sampling is focusing on larval infestation, three grape clusters should be sampled in a half-vine; if the goal of sampling is focusing on injury, then two grape clusters per half-vine are recommended.

Spatial distribution of nymphs of Scaphoideus titanus (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) in grapes, and evaluation of sequential sampling plans.

PubMed

Lessio, Federico; Alma, Alberto

2006-04-01

The spatial distribution of the nymphs of Scaphoideus titanus Ball (Homoptera Cicadellidae), the vector of grapevine flavescence dorée (Candidatus Phytoplasma vitis, 16Sr-V), was studied by applying Taylor's power law. Studies were conducted from 2002 to 2005, in organic and conventional vineyards of Piedmont, northern Italy. Minimum sample size and fixed precision level stop lines were calculated to develop appropriate sampling plans. Model validation was performed, using independent field data, by means of Resampling Validation of Sample Plans (RVSP) resampling software. The nymphal distribution, analyzed via Taylor's power law, was aggregated, with b = 1.49. A sample of 32 plants was adequate at low pest densities with a precision level of D0 = 0.30; but for a more accurate estimate (D0 = 0.10), the required sample size needs to be 292 plants. Green's fixed precision level stop lines seem to be more suitable for field sampling: RVSP simulations of this sampling plan showed precision levels very close to the desired levels. However, at a prefixed precision level of 0.10, sampling would become too time-consuming, whereas a precision level of 0.25 is easily achievable. How these results could influence the correct application of the compulsory control of S. titanus and Flavescence dorée in Italy is discussed.

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

Johnson, Dick; Tsosie, Bernadette

Groundwater samples were collected from monitoring wells at the Bluewater, New Mexico, Disposal Site to monitor groundwater contaminants as specified in the 1997 Long-Term Surveillance Plan for the DOE Bluewater (UMTRCA Title II) Disposal Site Near Grants, New Mexico (LTSP). Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in the Sampling and Analysis Plan for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated). A duplicate sample was collected from location 16(SG).

Planning Related to the Curation and Processing of Returned Martian Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCubbin, F. M.; Harrington, A. D.

2018-04-01

Many of the planning activities in the NASA Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at JSC are centered around Mars Sample Return. The importance of contamination knowledge and the benefits of a mobile/modular receiving facility are discussed.

Sci-Fri PM: Radiation Therapy, Planning, Imaging, and Special Techniques - 05: A novel respiratory motion simulation program for VMAT treatment plans: a phantom validation study

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

Hubley, Emily; Pierce, Greg; Ploquin, Nicolas

Purpose: To develop and validate a computational method to simulate craniocaudal respiratory motion in a VMAT treatment plan. Methods: Three 4DCTs of the QUASAR respiratory motion phantom were acquired with a 2cm water-density spherical tumour embedded in cedar to simulate lung. The phantom was oscillating sinusoidally with an amplitude of 2cm and periods of 3, 4, and 5 seconds. An ITV was contoured and 5mm PTV margin was added. High and a low modulation factor VMAT plans were created for each scan. An in-house program was developed to simulate respiratory motion in the treatment plans by shifting the MLC leafmore » positions relative to the phantom. Each plan was delivered to the phantom and the dose was measured using Gafchromic film. The measured and calculated plans were compared using an absolute dose gamma analysis (3%/3mm). Results: The average gamma pass rate for the low modulation plan and high modulation plans were 91.1% and 51.4% respectively. The difference between the high and low modulation plans gamma pass rates is likely related to the different sampling frequency of the respiratory curve and the higher MLC leaf speeds in the high modulation plan. A high modulation plan has a slower gantry speed and therefore samples the breathing cycle at a coarser frequency leading to inaccuracies between the measured and planned doses. Conclusion: A simple program, including a novel method for increasing sampling frequency beyond the control point frequency, has been developed to simulate respiratory motion in VMAT plans by shifting the MLC leaf positions.« less

An Internationally Coordinated Science Management Plan for Samples Returned from Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haltigin, T.; Smith, C. L.

2015-12-01

Mars Sample Return (MSR) remains a high priority of the planetary exploration community. Such an effort will undoubtedly be too large for any individual agency to conduct itself, and thus will require extensive global cooperation. To help prepare for an eventual MSR campaign, the International Mars Exploration Working Group (IMEWG) chartered the international Mars Architecture for the Return of Samples (iMARS) Phase II working group in 2014, consisting of representatives from 17 countries and agencies. The overarching task of the team was to provide recommendations for progressing towards campaign implementation, including a proposed science management plan. Building upon the iMARS Phase I (2008) outcomes, the Phase II team proposed the development of an International MSR Science Institute as part of the campaign governance, centering its deliberations around four themes: Organization: including an organizational structure for the Institute that outlines roles and responsibilities of key members and describes sample return facility requirements; Management: presenting issues surrounding scientific leadership, defining guidelines and assumptions for Institute membership, and proposing a possible funding model; Operations & Data: outlining a science implementation plan that details the preliminary sample examination flow, sample allocation process, and data policies; and Curation: introducing a sample curation plan that comprises sample tracking and routing procedures, sample sterilization considerations, and long-term archiving recommendations. This work presents a summary of the group's activities, findings, and recommendations, highlighting the role of international coordination in managing the returned samples.

Retirement Planning and Counseling: Issues and Challenges for Teachers in Public Schools in the Sekondi Circuit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Kwesi Nkum; Aggrey, Ellen Aba Munkua

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study was to explore retirement planning, challenges, and counseling among teachers of public schools in the Sekondi Circuit in the Western Region, Ghana. A sample of 50 teachers was selected through convenience sampling. Only teachers who expressed interest in participating in the study were sampled. The main instrument for…

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart G of... - Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Marine Engines

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Enforcement Auditing of Marine Engines A Appendix A to Subpart G of Part 91 Protection of Environment...-IGNITION ENGINES Selective Enforcement Auditing Regulations Pt. 91, Subpt. G, App. A Appendix A to Subpart G of Part 91—Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Marine Engines Table 1—Sampling...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart F of... - Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Nonroad Engines

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Enforcement Auditing of Nonroad Engines A Appendix A to Subpart F of Part 89 Protection of Environment... NONROAD COMPRESSION-IGNITION ENGINES Selective Enforcement Auditing Pt. 89, Subpt. F, App. A Appendix A to Subpart F of Part 89—Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Nonroad Engines Table 1—Sampling...

40 CFR Appendix A to Subpart G of... - Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Marine Engines

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Enforcement Auditing of Marine Engines A Appendix A to Subpart G of Part 91 Protection of Environment...-IGNITION ENGINES Selective Enforcement Auditing Regulations Pt. 91, Subpt. G, App. A Appendix A to Subpart G of Part 91—Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Marine Engines Table 1—Sampling...

Resurfacing of Facial Acne Scars With a New Variable-Pulsed Er:YAG Laser in Fitzpatrick Skin Types IV and V

PubMed Central

Chathra, Namitha; Mysore, Venkataram

2018-01-01

Introduction: The Er:YAG laser, considered to be less effective than CO2 laser in its traditional form, in its new modulated version has variable pulse technology that is claimed to be superior to the earlier versions of the laser. Aim: The aim of the study was to check efficacy and safety of the new variable square pulse (VSP) Er:YAG laser in the management of acne scar in patients with Fitzpatrick skin types IV and V. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study consisted of 80 patients (Fitzpatrick skin types IV and V) with atrophic and hypertrophic facial acne scars. Records of the patients who had undergone four treatment sessions with VSP technology equipped with Er:YAG laser were extracted. Each patient had undergone a minimum of four sessions. Fractional mode at medium laser pulse (SP) and long pulse (LP) was employed for the depressed center of the scars to stimulate neocollagenogenesis. Short laser pulse (MSP) in nonfractionated mode was used for ablating the raised scar border and hypertrophic scars. Goodman and Baron global scarring grading system was used for qualitative and quantitative assessments. Patient’s satisfaction to the treatment and observer’s assessment of improvement (based on photographs) was graded as poor (<25% improvement), fair (25–50% improvement), good (51–75% improvement), and excellent (>75% improvement). Results: At the end of the four sessions, the number of patients in grade IV postacne scarring reduced from 16 to 2 and that in grade III from 47 to 29. The mean score significantly dropped from 36.94 to 27.5. Subjective assessment revealed that 78 of 80 patients had noticed more than 25% improvement, with 50 of them showing more than 50% improvement at the end of four sessions. Eight patients perceived an excellent response and 42 reported a good response. This is notably higher than the observer’s grading, which showed an excellent response in only 2 patients and a good response in 35. Adverse effects were limited to prolonged erythema (two patients), prolonged crusting (one patient), and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (one patient). Conclusion: Ninety-seven percent of the subjects in our study perceived at least a fair improvement. We also saw a significant change in the objective score with a fall of the mean quantitative score from 36.94 to 27.15. This underscores the new variable-pulsed Er:YAG laser’s effectiveness in the treatment of acne scars. It also has the added advantage of lesser adverse events and faster healing. PMID:29731588

Resurfacing of Facial Acne Scars With a New Variable-Pulsed Er:YAG Laser in Fitzpatrick Skin Types IV and V.

PubMed

Chathra, Namitha; Mysore, Venkataram

2018-01-01

The Er:YAG laser, considered to be less effective than CO 2 laser in its traditional form, in its new modulated version has variable pulse technology that is claimed to be superior to the earlier versions of the laser. The aim of the study was to check efficacy and safety of the new variable square pulse (VSP) Er:YAG laser in the management of acne scar in patients with Fitzpatrick skin types IV and V. This retrospective study consisted of 80 patients (Fitzpatrick skin types IV and V) with atrophic and hypertrophic facial acne scars. Records of the patients who had undergone four treatment sessions with VSP technology equipped with Er:YAG laser were extracted. Each patient had undergone a minimum of four sessions. Fractional mode at medium laser pulse (SP) and long pulse (LP) was employed for the depressed center of the scars to stimulate neocollagenogenesis. Short laser pulse (MSP) in nonfractionated mode was used for ablating the raised scar border and hypertrophic scars. Goodman and Baron global scarring grading system was used for qualitative and quantitative assessments. Patient's satisfaction to the treatment and observer's assessment of improvement (based on photographs) was graded as poor (<25% improvement), fair (25-50% improvement), good (51-75% improvement), and excellent (>75% improvement). At the end of the four sessions, the number of patients in grade IV postacne scarring reduced from 16 to 2 and that in grade III from 47 to 29. The mean score significantly dropped from 36.94 to 27.5. Subjective assessment revealed that 78 of 80 patients had noticed more than 25% improvement, with 50 of them showing more than 50% improvement at the end of four sessions. Eight patients perceived an excellent response and 42 reported a good response. This is notably higher than the observer's grading, which showed an excellent response in only 2 patients and a good response in 35. Adverse effects were limited to prolonged erythema (two patients), prolonged crusting (one patient), and postinflammatory hyperpigmentation (one patient). Ninety-seven percent of the subjects in our study perceived at least a fair improvement. We also saw a significant change in the objective score with a fall of the mean quantitative score from 36.94 to 27.15. This underscores the new variable-pulsed Er:YAG laser's effectiveness in the treatment of acne scars. It also has the added advantage of lesser adverse events and faster healing.

Distribution of bacterial biomass and activity in the marginal ice zone of the central Barents Sea during summer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howard-Jones, M. H.; Ballard, V. D.; Allen, A. E.; Frischer, M. E.; Verity, P. G.

2002-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine bacterioplankton abundance and activity in the Barents Sea using the novel modified vital stain and probe (mVSP) method. The mVSP is a protocol that combines DAPI and propidium iodide staining with 16S rRNA eubacterial-specific oligonucleotide probes to determine the physiological status of individual microbial cells. Bacterial abundance and metabolic activity were measured in near-surface waters and with depth at stations in the central Barents Sea during a cruise in June/July 1999. Viral abundance was also determined for 19 transect stations and at depth (2-200 m) for five intensive 24-h stations. In general, bacterial and viral abundances varied across the transect, but showed peaks of abundance (6×10 9 cells l -1, 9×10 9 viruses l -1) in Polar Front water masses. Viruses were abundant in seawater and exceeded bacterial abundance. Metabolic activity was determined for individual cells using 16S rRNA eubacterial-specific oligonucleotide probes, and for the total community with 3H-leucine incorporation. Activity measured by oligonucleotide probes increased from south to north. The fraction of cells that were active was lowest in the southern Barents Sea (20%) and highest in the Polar Front (53%). The proportion of cells at the 24-h stations that were determined to be active decreased with depth, but not with distance from ice cover. Leucine incorporation rates varied significantly and did not always correlate with probe measurements. The proportion of total cells that had compromised membranes and were therefore considered dead remained relatively constant (<10%) across the transect. The percent of dead cells in the near surface waters and at depth were statistically similar. The percent dead cells made up only a small fraction of the total population at the 24-h stations. The largest and most variable fraction of cells were those classified as low activity (25-80%), which supports the hypothesis that a significant fraction of cells in aquatic ecosystems are inactive. Bacterioplankton production rates ranged from <0.05 to 2.8 mg C m -3 day -1. Growth rates ranged from <0.05 to 0.25 day -1, implying turnover rates of 2.5 to >200 days. Our results demonstrate that bacterioplankton and viruses are dynamic but ubiquitous features of Arctic microbial communities. The contribution of bacteria and viruses to Arctic food webs is discussed.

Field sampling and analysis plan for the remedial investigation of Waste Area Grouping 2 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Environmental Restoration Program

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

Boston, H.L.; Ashwood, T.L.; Borders, D.M.

1992-02-01

This field sampling and analysis (S & A) plan has been developed as part of the Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) remedial investigation (RI) of Waste Area Grouping (WAG) 2 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The S & A plan has been written in support of the remedial investigation (RI) plan for WAG 2 (ORNL 1990). WAG 2 consists of White Oak Creek (WOC) and its tributaries downstream of the ORNL main plant area, White Oak Lake (WOL), White Oak Creek embayment (WOCE) on the Clinch River, and the associated floodplain and subsurface environment (Fig.more » 1.1). The WOC system is the surface drainage for the major ORNL WAGs and has been exposed to a diversity of contaminants from operations and waste disposal activities in the WOC watershed. WAG 2 acts as a conduit through which hydrologic fluxes carry contaminants from upgradient areas to the Clinch River. Water, sediment, soil, and biota in WAG 2 are contaminated and continue to receive contaminants from upgradient WAGs. This document describes the following: an overview of the RI plan, background information for the WAG 2 system, and objectives of the S & A plan; the scope and implementation of the first 2 years of effort of the S & A plan and includes recent information about contaminants of concern, organization of S & A activities, interactions with other programs, and quality assurance specific to the S & A activities; provides details of the field sampling plans for sediment, surface water, groundwater, and biota, respectively; and describes the sample tracking and records management plan.« less

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

Gillespie, B.M.; Stromatt, R.W.; Ross, G.A.

This data package contains the results obtained by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) staff in the characterization of samples for the 101-SY Hydrogen Safety Project. The samples were submitted for analysis by Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) under the Technical Project Plan (TPP) 17667 and the Quality Assurance Plan MCS-027. They came from a core taken during Window C'' after the May 1991 gas release event. The analytical procedures required for analysis were defined in the Test Instructions (TI) prepared by the PNL 101-SY Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (ACL) Project Management Office in accordance with the TPP and the QA Plan. The requestedmore » analysis for these samples was volatile organic analysis. The quality control (QC) requirements for each sample are defined in the Test Instructions for each sample. The QC requirements outlined in the procedures and requested in the WHC statement of work were followed.« less

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

Gillespie, B.M.; Stromatt, R.W.; Ross, G.A.

This data package contains the results obtained by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) staff in the characterization of samples for the 101-SY Hydrogen Safety Project. The samples were submitted for analysis by Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) under the Technical Project Plan (TPP) 17667 and the Quality Assurance Plan MCS-027. They came from a core taken during Window ``C`` after the May 1991 gas release event. The analytical procedures required for analysis were defined in the Test Instructions (TI) prepared by the PNL 101-SY Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (ACL) Project Management Office in accordance with the TPP and the QA Plan. The requestedmore » analysis for these samples was volatile organic analysis. The quality control (QC) requirements for each sample are defined in the Test Instructions for each sample. The QC requirements outlined in the procedures and requested in the WHC statement of work were followed.« less

IP Sample Plan #1 | NCI Technology Transfer Center | TTC

Cancer.gov

Sample letter that shows how Universities including co-investigators, consultants, and collaborators can describe a data and research tool sharing plan and procedures for exercising intellectual property rights. The letter is to be used as part of the University's application. 

Lead and Copper Tap Sample Site Plan Instructions

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be used by public water systems in Wyoming and on EPA R8 Tribal Lands as a guide for how to properly complete their lead and copper tap sample site plans to comply with the Lead and Copper Rule.

Sampling and Analysis Plan - Guidance and Template v.4 - General Projects - 04/2014

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) guidance and template is intended to assist organizations in documenting the procedural and analytical requirements for one-time, or time-limited, projects involving the collection of water, soil, sediment, or other

300 Area TEDF NPDES Permit Compliance Monitoring Plan

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

Loll, C.M.

1994-10-13

This monitoring plan describes the activities and methods that will be employed at the 300 Area Treated Effluent Disposal Facility (TEDF) in order to ensure compliance with the National Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Included in this document are a brief description of the project, the specifics of the sampling effort, including the physical location and frequency of sampling, the support required for sampling, and the Quality Assurance (QA) protocols to be followed in the sampling procedures.

Spatial Patterns and Sequential Sampling Plans for Predators of Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in Minnesota Soybean.

PubMed

Tran, Anh K; Koch, Robert L

2017-06-01

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines Matsumura, is an economically important soybean pest. Many studies have demonstrated that predatory insects are important in suppressing A. glycines population growth. However, to improve the utilization of predators in A. glycines management, sampling plans need to be developed and validated for predators. Aphid predators were sampled in soybean fields near Rosemount, Minnesota, from 2006-2007 and 2013-2015 with sample sizes of 20-80 plants. Sampling plans were developed for Orius insidiosus (Say), Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), and all aphidophagous Coccinellidae species combined. Taylor's power law parameters from the regression of log variance versus log mean suggested aggregated spatial patterns for immature and adult stages combined for O. insidiosus, H. axyridis, and Coccinellidae in soybean fields. Using the parameters from Taylor's power law and Green's method, sequential fixed-precision sampling plans were developed to estimate the density for each predator taxon at desired precision levels of 0.10 and 0.25. To achieve a desired precision of 0.10 and 0.25, the average sample number (ASN) ranged from 398-713 and 64-108 soybean plants, respectively, for all species. Resulting ASNs were relatively large and assumed impractical for most purposes; therefore, the desired precision levels were adjusted to determine the level of precision associated with a more practical ASN. Final analysis indicated an ASN of 38 soybean plants provided precision of 0.32-0.40 for the predators. Development of sampling plans should provide guidance for improved estimation of predator densities for A. glycines pest management programs and for research purposes. © The Authors 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Recruiting and enrolling pregnant adolescents for research.

PubMed

Kaiser, Margaret M; Hays, Bevely J

2006-01-01

Difficulty obtaining a sample is not justification for failure to study a hard-to-enroll population, particularly a vulnerable population such as pregnant adolescents. Recruitment of a representative, adequate sample of pregnant adolescents for a recent instrument development study provided multiple challenges. Although carefully developed, the sampling plan required several modifications to achieve the sample (n=145). Those challenges and the ensuing modifications to the sampling plan are discussed in relation to (a) access/institutional concerns, (b) the human subject's protection considerations, and (c) developmental/personal concerns of the pregnant adolescents. Recommendations for sampling strategies for future research are offered.

A fast optimization approach for treatment planning of volumetric modulated arc therapy.

PubMed

Yan, Hui; Dai, Jian-Rong; Li, Ye-Xiong

2018-05-30

Volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is widely used in clinical practice. It not only significantly reduces treatment time, but also produces high-quality treatment plans. Current optimization approaches heavily rely on stochastic algorithms which are time-consuming and less repeatable. In this study, a novel approach is proposed to provide a high-efficient optimization algorithm for VMAT treatment planning. A progressive sampling strategy is employed for beam arrangement of VMAT planning. The initial beams with equal-space are added to the plan in a coarse sampling resolution. Fluence-map optimization and leaf-sequencing are performed for these beams. Then, the coefficients of fluence-maps optimization algorithm are adjusted according to the known fluence maps of these beams. In the next round the sampling resolution is doubled and more beams are added. This process continues until the total number of beams arrived. The performance of VMAT optimization algorithm was evaluated using three clinical cases and compared to those of a commercial planning system. The dosimetric quality of VMAT plans is equal to or better than the corresponding IMRT plans for three clinical cases. The maximum dose to critical organs is reduced considerably for VMAT plans comparing to those of IMRT plans, especially in the head and neck case. The total number of segments and monitor units are reduced for VMAT plans. For three clinical cases, VMAT optimization takes < 5 min accomplished using proposed approach and is 3-4 times less than that of the commercial system. The proposed VMAT optimization algorithm is able to produce high-quality VMAT plans efficiently and consistently. It presents a new way to accelerate current optimization process of VMAT planning.

Handbook: Collecting Groundwater Samples from Monitoring Wells in Frenchman Flat, CAU 98

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

Chapman, Jenny; Lyles, Brad; Cooper, Clay

Frenchman Flat basin on the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) contains Corrective Action Unit (CAU) 98, which is comprised of ten underground nuclear test locations. Environmental management of these test locations is part of the Underground Test Area (UGTA) Activity conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) (1996, as amended) with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the State of Nevada. A Corrective Action Decision Document (CADD)/Corrective Action Plan (CAP) has been approved for CAU 98 (DOE, 2011). The CADD/CAP reports on the Corrective Action Investigation that was conductedmore » for the CAU, which included characterization and modeling. It also presents the recommended corrective actions to address the objective of protecting human health and the environment. The recommended corrective action alternative is “Closure in Place with Modeling, Monitoring, and Institutional Controls.” The role of monitoring is to verify that Contaminants of Concern (COCs) have not exceeded the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) limits (Code of Federal Regulations, 2014) at the regulatory boundary, to ensure that institutional controls are adequate, and to monitor for changed conditions that could affect the closure conditions. The long-term closure monitoring program will be planned and implemented as part of the Closure Report stage after activities specified in the CADD/CAP are complete. Groundwater at the NNSS has been monitored for decades through a variety of programs. Current activities were recently consolidated in an NNSS Integrated Sampling Plan (DOE, 2014). Although monitoring directed by the plan is not intended to meet the FFACO long-term monitoring requirements for a CAU (which will be defined in the Closure Report), the objective to ensure public health protection is similar. It is expected that data collected in accordance with the plan will support the transition to long-term monitoring at each CAU. The sampling plan is designed to ensure that monitoring activities occur in compliance with the UGTA Quality Assurance Plan (DOE, 2012). The sampling plan should be referenced for Quality Assurance (QA) elements and procedures governing sampling activities. The NNSS Integrated Sampling Plan specifies the groundwater monitoring that will occur in CAU 98 until the long-term monitoring program is approved in the Closure Report. The plan specifies the wells that must be monitored and categorizes them by their sampling objective with the associated analytical requirements and frequency. Possible sample collection methods and required standard operating procedures are also presented. The intent of this handbook is to augment the NNSS Integrated Sampling Plan by providing well-specific details for the sampling professional implementing the Sampling Plan in CAU 98, Frenchman Flat. This handbook includes each CAU 98 well designated for sampling in the NNSS Integrated Sampling Plan. The following information is provided in the individual well sections: 1. The purpose of sampling. 2. A physical description of the well. 3. The chemical characteristics of the formation water. 4. Recommended protocols for purging and sampling. The well-specific information has been gathered from numerous historical and current sources cited in each section, but two particularly valuable resources merit special mention. These are the USGS NNSS website (http://nevada.usgs.gov/doe_nv/ntsarea5.cfm) and the UGTA Field Operations website (https://ugta.nv.doe.gov/sites/Field%20Operations/default.aspx). 2 Land surface elevation and measuring point for water level measurements in Frenchman Flat were a focus during CAU investigations (see Appendix B, Attachment 1 in Navarro-Intera, 2014). Both websites listed above provide information on the accepted datum for each well. A summary is found on the home page for the well on the USGS website. Additional information is available through a link in the “Available Data” section to an “MP diagram” with a photo annotated with the datum information. On the UGTA Field Operations well page, the same information is in the “Wellhead Diagram” link. Well RNM-2s does not have an annotated photo at this time. All of the CAU 98 monitoring wells are located within Area 5 of Frenchman Flat, with the exception of ER-11-2 in Area 11 (Figure 1). The wells are clustered in two areas: the northern area (Figure 2) and the central area (Figure 3). Each well is discussed below in geographic order from north to south as follows: ER-11-2, ER-5-3 shallow piezometer, ER-5-3-2, ER-5-5, RNM-1, RNM-2s, and UE-5n.« less

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

Johnson, Dick; Tsosie, Bernadette

Groundwater samples were collected from monitoring wells at the Bluewater, New Mexico, Disposal Site to monitor groundwater contaminants as specified in the 1997 Long-Term Surveillance Plan for the DOE Bluewater (UMTRCA Title II) Disposal Site Near Grants, New Mexico (LTSP). Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in the Sampling and Analysis Plan for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated). Duplicate samples were collected from locations 14(SG) and 21(M). Sampling originally scheduled for the week of May 11, 2015 was interrupted by heavy rainfall and later completed in June.

Tank 241-AP-103 08/1999 Compatibility Grab Samples and Analytical Results for the Final Report

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

BELL, K.E.

1999-12-09

This document is the format IV, final report for the tank 241-AP-103 (AP-103) grab samples taken in August 1999 to address waste compatibility concerns. Chemical, radiochemical, and physical analyses on the tank AP-103 samples were performed as directed in ''Compatibility Grub Sampling and Analysis Plan for Fiscal Year 1999'' (Sasaki 1999a). Any deviations from the instructions provided in the tank sampling and analysis plan (TSAP) were discussed in this narrative. No notification limits were exceeded.

Groundwater Monitoring Plan. Volume 2. Final Quality Assurance Project Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-10-01

5 Table 4-2. US EPA Drinking Water MCLs ........................................ 4-6 Table 5-1. Sample Bottle Requirements, Preservation, and Holding... drinking water . " The types of quality control samples that will be collected during the Canal Creek groundwater monitoring program. ]- Jacobs...Revision No.: 0 Date: 10/27/93 Page: 6 of 9 Canal Creek Area, APG-EA, Maryland Groundwater Monitoring Plan, VOLUME I1 Table 4-2. US EPA Drinking Water

40 CFR Appendix X to Part 86 - Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Heavy-Duty Engines and Light-Duty Trucks

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Heavy-Duty Engines and Light-Duty Trucks X Appendix X to Part 86 Protection of... AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES (CONTINUED) Pt. 86, App. X Appendix X to Part 86—Sampling...

40 CFR Appendix X to Part 86 - Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Heavy-Duty Engines and Light-Duty Trucks

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 19 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Heavy-Duty Engines and Light-Duty Trucks X Appendix X to Part 86 Protection of... AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES (CONTINUED) Pt. 86, App. X Appendix X to Part 86—Sampling...

40 CFR Appendix X to Part 86 - Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Heavy-Duty Engines and Light-Duty Trucks

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 19 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Heavy-Duty Engines and Light-Duty Trucks X Appendix X to Part 86 Protection of... AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES (CONTINUED) Pt. 86, App. X Appendix X to Part 86—Sampling...

40 CFR Appendix X to Part 86 - Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Heavy-Duty Engines and Light-Duty Trucks

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Sampling Plans for Selective Enforcement Auditing of Heavy-Duty Engines and Light-Duty Trucks X Appendix X to Part 86 Protection of... AND IN-USE HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES (CONTINUED) Pt. 86, App. X Appendix X to Part 86—Sampling...

IP Sample Plan #3 | NCI Technology Transfer Center | TTC

Cancer.gov

Sample Research Resources and Intellectual Property Plan for use by an Institution and its Collaborators for intellectual property protection strategies covering pre-existing intellectual property, agreements with commercial sources, privacy, and licensing.  | [google6f4cd5334ac394ab.html

Work Plan for Comprehensive Groundwater Sampling (Operable Unit 2) April 2012

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

April 27, 2012 cover letter from Kirk Kessler, EPS, to Galo Jackson, EPA Region 4 and two OU2-related work plans for sampling at the LCP Chemicals Superfund Site, GA. Region ID: 04 DocID: 10922560, DocDate: 04-27-2012

Strategic planning processes and hospital financial performance.

PubMed

Kaissi, Amer A; Begun, James W

2008-01-01

Many common management practices in healthcare organizations, including the practice of strategic planning, have not been subject to widespread assessment through empirical research. If management practice is to be evidence-based, evaluations of such common practices need to be undertaken. The purpose of this research is to provide evidence on the extent of strategic planning practices and the association between hospital strategic planning processes and financial performance. In 2006, we surveyed a sample of 138 chief executive officers (CEOs) of hospitals in the state of Texas about strategic planning in their organizations and collected financial information on the hospitals for 2003. Among the sample hospitals, 87 percent reported having a strategic plan, and most reported that they followed a variety of common practices recommended for strategic planning-having a comprehensive plan, involving physicians, involving the board, and implementing the plan. About one-half of the hospitals assigned responsibility for the plan to the CEO. We tested the association between these planning characteristics in 2006 and two measures of financial performance for 2003. Three dimensions of the strategic planning process--having a strategic plan, assigning the CEO responsibility for the plan, and involving the board--are positively associated with earlier financial performance. Further longitudinal studies are needed to evaluate the cause-and-effect relationship between planning and performance.

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

LaFreniere, Lorraine M.

In March 2009, the CCC/USDA developed a plan for annual monitoring of the groundwater and surface water (Argonne 2009). Under this plan, approved by the KDHE (2009), monitoring wells are sampled by using the low-flow procedure (Puls and Barcelona 1996; Yeskis and Zavala 2002), and surface water samples are collected at five locations along the intermittent creek. Vegetation sampling is conducted as a secondary indicator of plume migration. As of 2015, the frequency of surface water sampling has been decreased to once yearly, per the approval of the KDHE (2015).

Manual for Preparing Individualized Education Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baylor, Terrill D.

Presented are guidelines for developing an individualized program and services plan, an individual implementation plan, and daily activity and strategy plans for handicapped students. Instructions are outlined for utilizing forms related to planning and implementation of individualized education programs. Appended are sample forms. (SBH)

242-A Evaporator quality assurance plan. Revision 2

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

Basra, T.S.

1995-05-04

The purpose of this quality assurance project plan (Plan) is to provide requirements for activities pertaining to sampling, shipping, and analyses associated with candidate feed tank samples for the 242-A Evaporator project. The purpose of the 242-A Evaporator project is to reduce the volume of aqueous waste in the Double Shell Tank (DST) System and will result in considerable savings to the disposal of mixed waste. The 242-A Evaporator feed stream originates from DSTs identified as candidate feed tanks. The 242-A Evaporator reduces the volume of aqueous waste contained in DSTs by boiling off water and sending the condensate (calledmore » process condensate) to the Liquid Effluent Retention Facility (LEPF) storage basin where it is stored prior to treatment in the Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF). The objective of this quality assurance project plan is to provide the planning, implementation, and assessment of sample collection and analysis, data issuance, and validation activities for the candidate feed tanks.« less

A Fixed-Precision Sequential Sampling Plan for the Potato Tuberworm Moth, Phthorimaea operculella Zeller (Lepidoptera: Gelechidae), on Potato Cultivars.

PubMed

Shahbi, M; Rajabpour, A

2017-08-01

Phthorimaea operculella Zeller is an important pest of potato in Iran. Spatial distribution and fixed-precision sequential sampling for population estimation of the pest on two potato cultivars, Arinda ® and Sante ® , were studied in two separate potato fields during two growing seasons (2013-2014 and 2014-2015). Spatial distribution was investigated by Taylor's power law and Iwao's patchiness. Results showed that the spatial distribution of eggs and larvae was random. In contrast to Iwao's patchiness, Taylor's power law provided a highly significant relationship between variance and mean density. Therefore, fixed-precision sequential sampling plan was developed by Green's model at two precision levels of 0.25 and 0.1. The optimum sample size on Arinda ® and Sante ® cultivars at precision level of 0.25 ranged from 151 to 813 and 149 to 802 leaves, respectively. At 0.1 precision level, the sample sizes varied from 5083 to 1054 and 5100 to 1050 leaves for Arinda ® and Sante ® cultivars, respectively. Therefore, the optimum sample sizes for the cultivars, with different resistance levels, were not significantly different. According to the calculated stop lines, the sampling must be continued until cumulative number of eggs + larvae reached to 15-16 or 96-101 individuals at precision levels of 0.25 or 0.1, respectively. The performance of the sampling plan was validated by resampling analysis using resampling for validation of sampling plans software. The sampling plant provided in this study can be used to obtain a rapid estimate of the pest density with minimal effort.

Data Validation Package October 2015 Groundwater and Surface Water Sampling at the Monticello, Utah, Processing Site January 2016

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

Nguyen, Jason; Smith, Fred

Sampling Period: October 12–14, 2015. This semiannual event includes sampling groundwater and surface water at the Monticello Mill Tailings Site. Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in the 2004 Monticello Mill Tailings Site Operable Unit III Post-Record of Decision Monitoring Plan, Draft Final and Sampling and Analysis Plan for U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated). Samples were collected from 52 of 61 planned locations (15 of 17 former mill site wells, 17 of 18 downgradient wells, 9 of 9 downgradient permeable reactive barrier wells, 2 of 7 seeps and wetlands, and 9 ofmore » 10 surface water locations). Locations MW00-07, Seep 1, Seep 2, Seep 3, Seep 5, Seep 6, SW00-01, T01-13, and T01-19 were not sampled because of insufficient water availability. All samples were filtered as specified in the monitoring plan. Duplicate samples were collected from surface water location W3-04 and from monitoring wells 82-08, 92-09, and 92-10. Water levels were measured at all but one sampled well and an additional set of wells. The contaminants of concern (COCs) for the Monticello Mill Tailings Site are arsenic, manganese, molybdenum, nitrate + nitrite as nitrogen (nitrate + nitrite as N), selenium, uranium, and vanadium. Time-concentration graphs of the COCs for all groundwater and surface water locations are included in this report. Locations with COCs that exceeded remediation goals are listed.« less

IP Sample Plan #4 | NCI Technology Transfer Center | TTC

Cancer.gov

Sample letter from Research Institutes and their principal investigator and consultants, describing a data and research tool sharing plan and procedures for sharing data, research materials, and patent and licensing of intellectual property. This letter is designed to be included as part of an application.

7 CFR 43.104 - Master table of single and double sampling plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Master table of single and double sampling plans. 43.104 Section 43.104 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE (Standards, Inspections, Marketing Practices), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COMMODITY STANDARDS AND...

Work Plan for Comprehensive Groundwater Sampling - 2012 (Operable Unit 2), LCP Chemicals Site, Brunswick, GA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

April 2012 plan to conduct a comprehensive sampling of groundwater from all wells in the site-wide monitoring well network, at the LCP Chemicals Site in Brunswick, GA. Region ID: 04 DocID: 10843427, DocDate: 04-01-2012

Curation, Spacecraft Recovery and Preliminary Examination for the Stardust Mission: A Perspective from the Curatorial Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael; Nakamura-Messenger, Keiko; Fletcher, Lisa; See, Thomas

2008-01-01

We briefly describe some of the challenges to the Stardust mission, curation and sample preliminary analysis, from the perspective of the Curation Office at the Johnson Space Center. Our goal is to inform persons planning future sample returns, so that they may learn from both our successes and challenges (and avoid some of our mistakes). The Curation office played a role in the mission from its inception, most critically assisting in the design and implementation of the spacecraft contamination control plan, and in planning and documenting the recovery of the spacecraft reentry capsule in Utah. A unique class 100 cleanroom was built to maintain the returned comet and interstellar samples in clean comfort, and to permit dissection and allocation of samples for analysis.

Practical sampling plans for Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies and apiaries.

PubMed

Lee, K V; Moon, R D; Burkness, E C; Hutchison, W D; Spivak, M

2010-08-01

The parasitic mite Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Acari: Varroidae) is arguably the most detrimental pest of the European-derived honey bee, Apis mellifera L. Unfortunately, beekeepers lack a standardized sampling plan to make informed treatment decisions. Based on data from 31 commercial apiaries, we developed sampling plans for use by beekeepers and researchers to estimate the density of mites in individual colonies or whole apiaries. Beekeepers can estimate a colony's mite density with chosen level of precision by dislodging mites from approximately to 300 adult bees taken from one brood box frame in the colony, and they can extrapolate to mite density on a colony's adults and pupae combined by doubling the number of mites on adults. For sampling whole apiaries, beekeepers can repeat the process in each of n = 8 colonies, regardless of apiary size. Researchers desiring greater precision can estimate mite density in an individual colony by examining three, 300-bee sample units. Extrapolation to density on adults and pupae may require independent estimates of numbers of adults, of pupae, and of their respective mite densities. Researchers can estimate apiary-level mite density by taking one 300-bee sample unit per colony, but should do so from a variable number of colonies, depending on apiary size. These practical sampling plans will allow beekeepers and researchers to quantify mite infestation levels and enhance understanding and management of V. destructor.

Lesson Planning the Kodaly Way.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boshkoff, Ruth

1991-01-01

Discusses the contribution of Zoltan Kodaly to music lesson planning. Emphasizes preparation, presentation, and practice as the three important strategies in teaching concepts and skills to be included in a lesson plan. Includes a sample lesson plan covering a semester and advice on choosing song material. (DK)

A binary logistic regression model with complex sampling design of unmet need for family planning among all women aged (15-49) in Ethiopia.

PubMed

Workie, Demeke Lakew; Zike, Dereje Tesfaye; Fenta, Haile Mekonnen; Mekonnen, Mulusew Admasu

2017-09-01

Unintended pregnancy related to unmet need is a worldwide problem that affects societies. The main objective of this study was to identify the prevalence and determinants of unmet need for family planning among women aged (15-49) in Ethiopia. The Performance Monitoring and Accountability2020/Ethiopia was conducted in April 2016 at round-4 from 7494 women with two-stage-stratified sampling. Bi-variable and multi-variable binary logistic regression model with complex sampling design was fitted. The prevalence of unmet-need for family planning was 16.2% in Ethiopia. Women between the age range of 15-24 years were 2.266 times more likely to have unmet need family planning compared to above 35 years. Women who were currently married were about 8 times more likely to have unmet need family planning compared to never married women. Women who had no under-five child were 0.125 times less likely to have unmet need family planning compared to those who had more than two-under-5. The key determinants of unmet need family planning in Ethiopia were residence, age, marital-status, education, household members, birth-events and number of under-5 children. Thus the Government of Ethiopia would take immediate steps to address the causes of high unmet need for family planning among women.

42 CFR 431.814 - Sampling plan and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Sampling plan and procedures. 431.814 Section 431.814 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... annual expenditures for services for active cases, and on the total number of negative case actions in...

42 CFR 431.814 - Sampling plan and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Sampling plan and procedures. 431.814 Section 431.814 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... annual expenditures for services for active cases, and on the total number of negative case actions in...

42 CFR 431.814 - Sampling plan and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Sampling plan and procedures. 431.814 Section 431.814 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... annual expenditures for services for active cases, and on the total number of negative case actions in...

42 CFR 431.814 - Sampling plan and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Sampling plan and procedures. 431.814 Section 431.814 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... annual expenditures for services for active cases, and on the total number of negative case actions in...

42 CFR 431.814 - Sampling plan and procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Sampling plan and procedures. 431.814 Section 431.814 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... annual expenditures for services for active cases, and on the total number of negative case actions in...

Bioassessment Tools for Stony Corals: Monitoring Approaches and Proposed Sampling Plan for the U.S. Virgin Islands

EPA Science Inventory

This document describes three general approaches to the design of a sampling plan for biological monitoring of coral reefs. Status assessment, trend detection and targeted monitoring each require a different approach to site selection and statistical analysis. For status assessm...

PLAN SECTIONS AND ELEVATIONS OF VESSEL SAMPLING STATIONS "P", "Q", ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

PLAN SECTIONS AND ELEVATIONS OF VESSEL SAMPLING STATIONS "P", "Q", "S" CELLS MAIN PROCESSING BUILDING (CPP-601). INL DRAWING NUMBER 200-0601-00-291-053694. ALTERNATE ID NUMBER CPP-E-1394. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, Fuel Reprocessing Complex, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Process test plan, phase II: waste retrieval sluicing system emissions collection

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

POWERS, R.L.

1999-06-01

This Process Test Plan is prepared to continue from HNF-3733 which was Phase I of the test. Supplemental operational controls and sampling requirements are defined to safely obtain gas samples from the 296-C-006 ventilation system stack during active operation of the sluicing equipment.

Data Validation Package, April and June 2016 Groundwater and Surface Water Sampling at the Gunnison, Colorado, Processing Site, October 2016

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

Linard, Joshua; Campbell, Sam

This event included annual sampling of groundwater and surface water locations at the Gunnison, Colorado, Processing Site. Sampling and analyses were conducted as specified in Sampling and Analysis Plan for US Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management Sites (LMS/PRO/S04351, continually updated, http://energy.gov/lm/downloads/sampling-and­ analysis-plan-us-department-energy-office-legacy-management-sites). Samples were collected from 28 monitoring wells, three domestic wells, and six surface locations in April at the processing site as specified in the draft 2010 Ground Water Compliance Action Plan for the Gunnison, Colorado, Processing Site. Planned monitoring locations are shown in Attachment 1, Sampling and Analysis Work Order. Domestic wells 0476 and 0477 weremore » sampled in June because the homes were unoccupied in April, and the wells were not in use. Duplicate samples were collected from locations 0126, 0477, and 0780. One equipment blank was collected during this sampling event. Water levels were measured at all monitoring wells that were sampled. See Attachment 2, Trip Reports for additional details. The analytical data and associated qualifiers can be viewed in environmental database reports and are also available for viewing with dynamic mapping via the GEMS (Geospatial Environmental Mapping System) website at http://gems.lm.doe.gov/#. No issues were identified during the data validation process that requires additional action or follow-up. An assessment of anomalous data is included in Attachment 3. Interpretation and presentation of results, including an assessment ofthe natural flushing compliance strategy, will be reported in the upcoming 2016 Verification Monitoring Report. U.S.« less

Design of a sampling plan to detect ochratoxin A in green coffee.

PubMed

Vargas, E A; Whitaker, T B; Dos Santos, E A; Slate, A B; Lima, F B; Franca, R C A

2006-01-01

The establishment of maximum limits for ochratoxin A (OTA) in coffee by importing countries requires that coffee-producing countries develop scientifically based sampling plans to assess OTA contents in lots of green coffee before coffee enters the market thus reducing consumer exposure to OTA, minimizing the number of lots rejected, and reducing financial loss for producing countries. A study was carried out to design an official sampling plan to determine OTA in green coffee produced in Brazil. Twenty-five lots of green coffee (type 7 - approximately 160 defects) were sampled according to an experimental protocol where 16 test samples were taken from each lot (total of 16 kg) resulting in a total of 800 OTA analyses. The total, sampling, sample preparation, and analytical variances were 10.75 (CV = 65.6%), 7.80 (CV = 55.8%), 2.84 (CV = 33.7%), and 0.11 (CV = 6.6%), respectively, assuming a regulatory limit of 5 microg kg(-1) OTA and using a 1 kg sample, Romer RAS mill, 25 g sub-samples, and high performance liquid chromatography. The observed OTA distribution among the 16 OTA sample results was compared to several theoretical distributions. The 2 parameter-log normal distribution was selected to model OTA test results for green coffee as it gave the best fit across all 25 lot distributions. Specific computer software was developed using the variance and distribution information to predict the probability of accepting or rejecting coffee lots at specific OTA concentrations. The acceptation probability was used to compute an operating characteristic (OC) curve specific to a sampling plan design. The OC curve was used to predict the rejection of good lots (sellers' or exporters' risk) and the acceptance of bad lots (buyers' or importers' risk).

Tank 241-AY-101 Privatization Push Mode Core Sampling and Analysis Plan

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

TEMPLETON, A.M.

2000-05-19

This sampling and analysis plan (SAP) identifies characterization objectives pertaining to sample collection, laboratory analytical evaluation, and reporting requirements for samples obtained from tank 241-AY-101. The purpose of this sampling event is to obtain information about the characteristics of the contents of 241-AY-101 required to satisfy ''Data Quality Objectives For RPP Privatization Phase I: Confirm Tank T Is An Appropriate Feed Source For High-Level Waste Feed Batch X(HLW DQO)' (Nguyen 1999a), ''Data Quality Objectives For TWRS Privatization Phase I: Confirm Tank T Is An Appropriate Feed Source For Low-Activity Waste Feed Butch X (LAW DQO) (Nguyen 1999b)'', ''Low Activity Wastemore » and High-Level Waste Feed Data Quality Objectives (L&H DQO)'' (Patello et al. 1999), and ''Characterization Data Needs for Development, Design, and Operation of Retrieval Equipment Developed through the Data Quality Objective Process (Equipment DQO)'' (Bloom 1996). Special instructions regarding support to the LAW and HLW DQOs are provided by Baldwin (1999). Push mode core samples will be obtained from risers 15G and 150 to provide sufficient material for the chemical analyses and tests required to satisfy these data quality objectives. The 222-S Laboratory will extrude core samples; composite the liquids and solids; perform chemical analyses on composite and segment samples; archive half-segment samples; and provide sub-samples to the Process Chemistry Laboratory. The Process Chemistry Laboratory will prepare test plans and perform process tests to evaluate the behavior of the 241-AY-101 waste undergoing the retrieval and treatment scenarios defined in the applicable DQOs. Requirements for analyses of samples originating in the process tests will be documented in the corresponding test plans and are not within the scope of this SAP.« less

Use of phages to control Vibrio splendidus infection in the juvenile sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus.

PubMed

Li, Zhen; Li, Xiaoyu; Zhang, Jiancheng; Wang, Xitao; Wang, Lili; Cao, Zhenhui; Xu, Yongping

2016-07-01

In the present study, we isolated 3 bacteriophages with the ability to control Vibrio splendidus, a bacterium known to cause disease in the juvenile sea cucumber. These bacteriophages were designated as vB_VspS_VS-ABTNL-1 (PVS-1), vB_VspS_VS-ABTNL-2 (PVS-2) and vB_VspS_VS-ABTNL-3 (PVS-3). The ability of the 3 phages to inhibit the growth of V. splendidus VS-ABTNL was tested in vitro using each of the 3 phages individually or in the form of a cocktail of all 3 phages in the proportion of 1:1:1. All treated cultures produced a significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of growth of V. splendidus VS-ABTNL compared with untreated V. splendidus VS-ABTNL with the cocktail being superior to any of the 3 phages used individually. The lytic capability of the 3 phages was subsequently determined with a Spot Assay Technique performed with 4 isolates of V. splendidus, 3 other Vibrio species and 2 environmental isolates. Both PVS-1 and PVS-2 were lytic to all 4 isolates of V. splendidus while PVS-3 only inhibited the growth of 3 of them. V. splendidus VS-ABTNL was more susceptible to phage PVS-2 than the other 2 phages. In an in vivo performance trial, 360 sea cucumbers (23 ± 2 g) were randomly assigned to 1 of 6 treatments. Each treatment was housed in 3 PVC tanks (38 cm × 54 cm × 80 cm) with 20 sea cucumbers per tank. Six diets were prepared including an unsupplemented control diet, antibiotic treatment diet, 3 diets containing 1 of the 3 phages individually and a diet containing a cocktail of all 3 phages. After 60 days of feeding, all sea cucumber were challenged with V. splendidus VS-ABTNL by immersion in sea water containing a bacterial concentration of 6 × 10(6) CFU/mL for 2 days. The survival rate of sea cucumbers during the next 10 days was 18% for the unsupplemented diet, 82% for the antibiotic treatment, 82% for the phage cocktail, 65% for phage PVS-1, 58% for phage PVS-2 and 50% for phage PVS-3. There were no significant differences in weight gain, ingestion rate or feed conversion among sea cucumber fed the 4 phage treatments compared with those fed the unsupplemented diet (P > 0.05). The levels of nitric oxide synthase and acid phosphatase of sea cucumbers fed phage-containing diets were significantly (P < 0.05) increased compared with those fed the control diet. However, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were detected among the 4 phage-fed treatments. An additional study was conducted in which 60 healthy sea cucumbers (23 ± 2 g) were randomly assigned to a control, an untreated group and a test group to investigate the effects of injecting phages by coelomic injection on the survival rate and enzyme activities in the coelomic fluid of the sea cucumbers. The control was injected with 1 ml of sterilized seawater while the untreated group and the test group were injected with the same volume of V. splendidus-ABTNL culture (3 × 10(5) CFU/mL). Then, the test group was injected with 1 ml of the 3 phage cocktail (MOI = 10). After 48 h, the activities of lysozyme, acid phosphatase and superoxide dismutase were elevated in the untreated group while the levels of these enzymes in the test group were similar to the blank control. After 10-day observation, the survival rate of the sea cucumber was 100% for the blank control, 80% for the test group and 20% for the negative control. The overall results of this experiment indicate that phage therapy increased the survival of sea cucumber infected with V. splendidus VS-ABTNL. The above results demonstrate that using phages, especially a combination of different phages, may be a feasible way to control Vibrio infection in the sea cucumber industry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring CO 2 Storage at Cranfield, Mississippi with Time-Lapse Offset VSP – Using Integration and Modeling to Reduce Uncertainty

DOE PAGES

Daley, Thomas M.; Hendrickson, Joel; Queen, John H.

2014-12-31

A time-lapse Offset Vertical Seismic Profile (OVSP) data set was acquired as part of a subsurface monitoring program for geologic sequestration of CO 2. The storage site at Cranfield, near Natchez, Mississippi, is part of a detailed area study (DAS) site for geologic carbon sequestration operated by the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Southeast Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (SECARB). The DAS site includes three boreholes, an injection well and two monitoring wells. The project team selected the DAS site to examine CO 2 sequestration multiphase fluid flow and pressure at the interwell scale in a brine reservoir. The time-lapse (TL) OVSPmore » was part of an integrated monitoring program that included well logs, crosswell seismic, electrical resistance tomography and 4D surface seismic. The goals of the OVSP were to detect the CO 2 induced change in seismic response, give information about the spatial distribution of CO 2 near the injection well and to help tie the high-resolution borehole monitoring to the 4D surface data. The VSP data were acquired in well CFU 31-F1, which is the ~3200 m deep CO 2 injection well at the DAS site. A preinjection survey was recorded in late 2009 with injection beginning in December 2009, and a post injection survey was conducted in Nov 2010 following injection of about 250 kT of CO 2. The sensor array for both surveys was a 50-level, 3-component, Sercel MaxiWave system with 15 m (49 ft) spacing between levels. The source for both surveys was an accelerated weight drop, with different source trucks used for the two surveys. Consistent time-lapse processing was applied to both data sets. Time-lapse processing generated difference corridor stacks to investigate CO 2 induced reflection amplitude changes from each source point. Corridor stacks were used for amplitude analysis to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) for each shot point. Spatial variation in reflectivity (used to ‘map’ the plume) was similar in magnitude to the corridor stacks but, due to relatively lower S/N, the results were less consistent and more sensitive to processing and therefore are not presented. We examined the overall time-lapse repeatability of the OVSP data using three methods, the NRMS and Predictability (Pred) measures of Kragh and Christie (2002) and the signal-to-distortion ratio (SDR) method of Cantillo (2011). Because time-lapse noise was comparable to the observed change, multiple methods were used to analyze data reliability. The reflections from the top and base reservoir were identified on the corridor stacks by correlation with a synthetic response generated from the well logs. A consistent change in the corridor stack amplitudes from pre- to post-CO 2 injection was found for both the top and base reservoir reflections on all ten shot locations analyzed. In addition to the well-log synthetic response, a finite-difference elastic wave propagation model was built based on rock/fluid properties obtained from well logs, with CO 2 induced changes guided by time-lapse crosswell seismic tomography (Ajo-Franklin, et al., 2013) acquired at the DAS site. Time-lapse seismic tomography indicated that two reservoir zones were affected by the flood. The modeling established that interpretation of the VSP trough and peak event amplitudes as reflectivity from the top and bottom of reservoir is appropriate even with possible tuning effects. Importantly, this top/base change gives confidence in an interpretation that these changes arise from within the reservoir, not from bounding lithology. The modeled time-lapse change and the observed field data change from 10 shotpoints are in agreement for both magnitude and polarity of amplitude change for top and base of reservoir. Therefore, we conclude the stored CO 2 has been successfully detected and, furthermore, the observed seismic reflection change can be applied to Cranfield’s 4D surface seismic for spatially delineating the CO 2/brine interface.« less

An Exploration of Strategic Planning Perspectives and Processes within Community Colleges Identified as Being Distinctive in Their Strategic Planning Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Augustyniak, Lisa J.

2015-01-01

Community college leaders face unprecedented change, and some have begun reexamining their institutional strategic planning processes. Yet, studies in higher education strategic planning spend little time examining how community colleges formulate their strategic plans. This mixed-method qualitative study used an expert sampling method to identify…

Using Monte Carlo Simulations to Determine Power and Sample Size for Planned Missing Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoemann, Alexander M.; Miller, Patrick; Pornprasertmanit, Sunthud; Wu, Wei

2014-01-01

Planned missing data designs allow researchers to increase the amount and quality of data collected in a single study. Unfortunately, the effect of planned missing data designs on power is not straightforward. Under certain conditions using a planned missing design will increase power, whereas in other situations using a planned missing design…

A Planning Guide for Instructional Networks, Part I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daly, Kevin F.

1994-01-01

Discusses three phases in implementing a master plan for a school-based local area network (LAN): (1) network software selection; (2) hardware selection, network topology, and site preparation; and (3) implementation time table. Sample planning and specification worksheets and a list of planning guides are included. (Contains six references.) (KRN)

Tank 241-AY-101 Privatization Push Mode Core Sampling and Analysis Plan

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

TEMPLETON, A.M.

2000-01-12

This sampling and analysis plan (SAP) identifies characterization objectives pertaining to sample collection, laboratory analytical evaluation, and reporting requirements for samples obtained from tank 241-AY-101. The purpose of this sampling event is to obtain information about the characteristics of the contents of 241-AY-101 required to satisfy Data Quality Objectives For RPP Privatization Phase I: Confirm Tank T Is An Appropriate Feed Source For High-Level Waste Feed Batch X(HLW DQO) (Nguyen 1999a), Data Quality Objectives For TWRS Privatization Phase I : Confirm Tank T Is An Appropriate Feed Source For Low-Activity Waste Feed Batch X (LAW DQO) (Nguyen 1999b), Low Activitymore » Waste and High-Level Waste Feed Data Quality Objectives (L and H DQO) (Patello et al. 1999), and Characterization Data Needs for Development, Design, and Operation of Retrieval Equipment Developed through the Data Quality Objective Process (Equipment DQO) (Bloom 1996). Special instructions regarding support to the LAW and HLW DQOs are provided by Baldwin (1999). Push mode core samples will be obtained from risers 15G and 150 to provide sufficient material for the chemical analyses and tests required to satisfy these data quality objectives. The 222-S Laboratory will extrude core samples; composite the liquids and solids; perform chemical analyses on composite and segment samples; archive half-segment samples; and provide subsamples to the Process Chemistry Laboratory. The Process Chemistry Laboratory will prepare test plans and perform process tests to evaluate the behavior of the 241-AY-101 waste undergoing the retrieval and treatment scenarios defined in the applicable DQOs. Requirements for analyses of samples originating in the process tests will be documented in the corresponding test plans and are not within the scope of this SAP.« less

Sampling plans for pest mites on physic nut.

PubMed

Rosado, Jander F; Sarmento, Renato A; Pedro-Neto, Marçal; Galdino, Tarcísio V S; Marques, Renata V; Erasmo, Eduardo A L; Picanço, Marcelo C

2014-08-01

The starting point for generating a pest control decision-making system is a conventional sampling plan. Because the mites Polyphagotarsonemus latus and Tetranychus bastosi are among the most important pests of the physic nut (Jatropha curcas), in the present study, we aimed to establish sampling plans for these mite species on physic nut. Mite densities were monitored in 12 physic nut crops. Based on the obtained results, sampling of P. latus and T. bastosi should be performed by assessing the number of mites per cm(2) in 160 samples using a handheld 20× magnifying glass. The optimal sampling region for T. bastosi is the abaxial surface of the 4th most apical leaf on the branch of the middle third of the canopy. On the abaxial surface, T. bastosi should then be observed on the side parts of the middle portion of the leaf, near its edge. As for P. latus, the optimal sampling region is the abaxial surface of the 4th most apical leaf on the branch of the apical third of the canopy on the abaxial surface. Polyphagotarsonemus latus should then be assessed on the side parts of the leaf's petiole insertion. Each sampling procedure requires 4 h and costs US$ 7.31.

Scheduling Algorithm for Mission Planning and Logistics Evaluation (SAMPLE). Volume 2: Mission payloads subsystem description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dupnick, E.; Wiggins, D.

1980-01-01

The scheduling algorithm for mission planning and logistics evaluation (SAMPLE) is presented. Two major subsystems are included: The mission payloads program; and the set covering program. Formats and parameter definitions for the payload data set (payload model), feasible combination file, and traffic model are documented.

7 CFR 800.86 - Inspection of shiplot, unit train, and lash barge grain in single lots.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... prescribed in the instructions. (b) Application procedure. Applications for the official inspection of... statistical acceptance sampling and inspection plan according to the provisions of this section and procedures... inspection as part of a single lot and accepted by a statistical acceptance sampling and inspection plan...

QUALITY SYSTEMS AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR A PILOT STUDY OF CHILDREN'S TOTAL EXPOSURE TO PERSISTENT PESTICIDES AND OTHER PERSISTENT ORGANIC PESTICIDES (CTEPP)

EPA Science Inventory

The Quality System Implementation Plan (QSIP) describes the quality assurance and quality control procedures developed for the CTEPP study. It provides the QA/QC procedures used in recruitment of subjects, sample field collection, sample extraction and analysis, data storage, and...

10 CFR Appendix C to Subpart C of... - Sampling Plan for Enforcement Testing of Distribution Transformers

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Sampling Plan for Enforcement Testing of Distribution Transformers C Appendix C to Subpart C of Part 429 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION... Testing of Distribution Transformers (a) When testing distribution transformers, the number of units in...

10 CFR Appendix C to Subpart C of... - Sampling Plan for Enforcement Testing of Distribution Transformers

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Sampling Plan for Enforcement Testing of Distribution Transformers C Appendix C to Subpart C of Part 429 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION... Testing of Distribution Transformers (a) When testing distribution transformers, the number of units in...

10 CFR Appendix B to Subpart K of... - Sampling Plan for Enforcement Testing

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sampling Plan for Enforcement Testing B Appendix B to Subpart K of Part 431 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT Distribution Transformers Pt. 431, Subpt. K, App. B Appendix B...

10 CFR Appendix C to Subpart C of... - Sampling Plan for Enforcement Testing of Distribution Transformers

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Sampling Plan for Enforcement Testing of Distribution Transformers C Appendix C to Subpart C of Part 429 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION... Testing of Distribution Transformers (a) When testing distribution transformers, the number of units in...