Sample records for time migration rtm

  1. Microseismic reverse time migration with a multi-cross-correlation staining algorithm for fracture imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuan, Congcong; Jia, Xiaofeng; Liu, Shishuo; Zhang, Jie

    2018-02-01

    Accurate characterization of hydraulic fracturing zones is currently becoming increasingly important in production optimization, since hydraulic fracturing may increase the porosity and permeability of the reservoir significantly. Recently, the feasibility of the reverse time migration (RTM) method has been studied for the application in imaging fractures during borehole microseismic monitoring. However, strong low-frequency migration noise, poorly illuminated areas, and the low signal to noise ratio (SNR) data can degrade the imaging results. To improve the quality of the images, we propose a multi-cross-correlation staining algorithm to incorporate into the microseismic reverse time migration for imaging fractures using scattered data. Under the modified RTM method, our results are revealed in two images: one is the improved RTM image using the multi-cross-correlation condition, and the other is an image of the target region using the generalized staining algorithm. The numerical examples show that, compared with the conventional RTM, our method can significantly improve the spatial resolution of images, especially for the image of target region.

  2. Acoustic Reverse Time Migration of the Cascadia Subduction Zone Dataset

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, L.; Mallick, S.

    2017-12-01

    Reverse time migration (RTM) is a wave-equation based migration method, which provides more accurate images than ray-based migration methods, especially for the structures in deep areas, making it an effective tool for imaging the subduction plate boundary. In this work, we extend the work of Fortin (2015) and applied acoustic finite-element RTM on the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) dataset. The dataset was acquired by Cascadia Open-Access Seismic Transects (COAST) program, targeting the megathrust in the central Cascadia subduction zone (Figure 1). The data on a 2D seismic reflection line that crosses the Juan de Fuca/North American subduction boundary off Washington (Line 5) were pre-processed and worked through Kirchhoff prestack depth migration (PSDM). Figure 2 compares the depth image of Line 5 of the CSZ data using Kirchhoff PSDM (top) and RTM (bottom). In both images, the subducting plate is indicated with yellow arrows. Notice that the RTM image is much superior to the PSDM image by several aspects. First, the plate boundary appears to be much more continuous in the RTM image than the PSDM image. Second, the RTM image indicates the subducting plate is relatively smooth on the seaward (west) side between 0-50 km. Within the deformation front of the accretionary prism (50-80 km), the RTM image shows substantial roughness in the subducting plate. These features are not clear in the PSDM image. Third, the RTM image shows a lot of fine structures below the subducting plate which are almost absent in the PSDM image. Finally, the RTM image indicates that the plate is gently dipping within the undeformed sediment (0-50 km) and becomes steeply dipping beyond 50 km as it enters the deformation front of the accretionary prism. Although the same conclusion could be drawn from the discontinuous plate boundary imaged by PSDM, RTM results are far more convincing than the PSDM.

  3. Elastic Reverse Time Migration (RTM) From Surface Topography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Akram, Naveed; Chen, Xiaofei

    2017-04-01

    Seismic Migration is a promising data processing technique to construct subsurface images by projecting the recorded seismic data at surface back to their origins. There are numerous Migration methods. Among them, Reverse Time Migration (RTM) is considered a robust and standard imaging technology in present day exploration industry as well as in academic research field because of its superior performance compared to traditional migration methods. Although RTM is extensive computing and time consuming but it can efficiently handle the complex geology, highly dipping reflectors and strong lateral velocity variation all together. RTM takes data recorded at the surface as a boundary condition and propagates the data backwards in time until the imaging condition is met. It can use the same modeling algorithm that we use for forward modeling. The classical seismic exploration theory assumes flat surface which is almost impossible in practice for land data. So irregular surface topography has to be considered in simulation of seismic wave propagation, which is not always a straightforward undertaking. In this study, Curved grid finite difference method (CG-FDM) is adapted to model elastic seismic wave propagation to investigate the effect of surface topography on RTM results and explore its advantages and limitations with synthetic data experiments by using Foothill model with topography as the true model. We focus on elastic wave propagation rather than acoustic wave because earth actually behaves as an elastic body. Our results strongly emphasize on the fact that irregular surface topography must be considered for modeling of seismic wave propagation to get better subsurface images specially in mountainous scenario and suggest practitioners to properly handled the geometry of data acquired on irregular topographic surface in their imaging algorithms.

  4. Elastic Reverse Time Migration (RTM) From Surface Topography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Naveed, A.; Chen, X.

    2016-12-01

    Seismic Migration is a promising data processing technique to construct subsurface images by projecting the recorded seismic data at surface back to their origins. There are numerous Migration methods. Among them, Reverse Time Migration (RTM) is considered a robust and standard imaging technology in present day exploration industry as well as in academic research field because of its superior performance compared to traditional migration methods. Although RTM is extensive computing and time consuming but it can efficiently handle the complex geology, highly dipping reflectors and strong lateral velocity variation all together. RTM takes data recorded at the surface as a boundary condition and propagates the data backwards in time until the imaging condition is met. It can use the same modeling algorithm that we use for forward modeling. The classical seismic exploration theory assumes flat surface which is almost impossible in practice for land data. So irregular surface topography has to be considered in simulation of seismic wave propagation, which is not always a straightforward undertaking. In this study, Curved grid finite difference method (CG-FDM) is adapted to model elastic seismic wave propagation to investigate the effect of surface topography on RTM results and explore its advantages and limitations with synthetic data experiments by using Foothill model with topography as the true model. We focus on elastic wave propagation rather than acoustic wave because earth actually behaves as an elastic body. Our results strongly emphasize on the fact that irregular surface topography must be considered for modeling of seismic wave propagation to get better subsurface images specially in mountainous scenario and suggest practitioners to properly handled the geometry of data acquired on irregular topographic surface in their imaging algorithms.

  5. Multipathing Via Three Parameter Common Image Gathers (CIGs) From Reverse Time Migration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ostadhassan, M.; Zhang, X.

    2015-12-01

    A noteworthy problem for seismic exploration is effects of multipathing (both wanted or unwanted) caused by subsurface complex structures. We show that reverse time migration (RTM) combined with a unified, systematic three parameter framework that flexibly handles multipathing can be accomplished by adding one more dimension (image time) to the angle domain common image gather (ADCIG) data. RTM is widely used to generate prestack depth migration images. When using the cross-correlation image condition in 2D prestack migration in RTM, the usual practice is to sum over all the migration time steps. Thus all possible wave types and paths automatically contribute to the resulting image, including destructive wave interferences, phase shifts, and other distortions. One reason is that multipath (prismatic wave) contributions are not properly sorted and mapped in the ADCIGs. Also, multipath arrivals usually have different instantaneous attributes (amplitude, phase and frequency), and if not separated, the amplitudes and phases in the final prestack image will not stack coherently across sources. A prismatic path satisfies an image time for it's unique path; Cavalca and Lailly (2005) show that RTM images with multipaths can provide more complete target information in complex geology, as multipaths usually have different incident angles and amplitudes compared to primary reflections. If the image time slices within a cross-correlation common-source migration are saved for each image time, this three-parameter (incident angle, depth, image time) volume can be post-processed to generate separate, or composite, images of any desired subset of the migrated data. Images can by displayed for primary contributions, any combination of primary and multipath contributions (with or without artifacts), or various projections, including the conventional ADCIG (angle vs depth) plane. Examples show that signal from the true structure can be separated from artifacts caused by multiple arrivals when they have different image times. This improves the quality of images and benefits migration velocity analysis (MVA) and amplitude variation with angle (AVA) inversion.

  6. Least-squares reverse time migration in elastic media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Zhiming; Liu, Yang; Sen, Mrinal K.

    2017-02-01

    Elastic reverse time migration (RTM) can yield accurate subsurface information (e.g. PP and PS reflectivity) by imaging the multicomponent seismic data. However, the existing RTM methods are still insufficient to provide satisfactory results because of the finite recording aperture, limited bandwidth and imperfect illumination. Besides, the P- and S-wave separation and the polarity reversal correction are indispensable in conventional elastic RTM. Here, we propose an iterative elastic least-squares RTM (LSRTM) method, in which the imaging accuracy is improved gradually with iteration. We first use the Born approximation to formulate the elastic de-migration operator, and employ the Lagrange multiplier method to derive the adjoint equations and gradients with respect to reflectivity. Then, an efficient inversion workflow (only four forward computations needed in each iteration) is introduced to update the reflectivity. Synthetic and field data examples reveal that the proposed LSRTM method can obtain higher-quality images than the conventional elastic RTM. We also analyse the influence of model parametrizations and misfit functions in elastic LSRTM. We observe that Lamé parameters, velocity and impedance parametrizations have similar and plausible migration results when the structures of different models are correlated. For an uncorrelated subsurface model, velocity and impedance parametrizations produce fewer artefacts caused by parameter crosstalk than the Lamé coefficient parametrization. Correlation- and convolution-type misfit functions are effective when amplitude errors are involved and the source wavelet is unknown, respectively. Finally, we discuss the dependence of elastic LSRTM on migration velocities and its antinoise ability. Imaging results determine that the new elastic LSRTM method performs well as long as the low-frequency components of migration velocities are correct. The quality of images of elastic LSRTM degrades with increasing noise.

  7. Reverse time migration in tilted transversely isotropic media

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

    Zhang, Linbing; Rector III, James W.; Hoversten, G. Michael

    2004-07-01

    This paper presents a reverse time migration (RTM) method for the migration of shot records in tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) media. It is based on the tilted TI acoustic wave equation that was derived from the dispersion relation. The RTM is a full depth migration allowing for velocity to vary laterally as well as vertically and has no dip limitations. The wave equation is solved by a tenth-order finite difference scheme. Using 2D numerical models, we demonstrate that ignoring the tilt angle will introduce both lateral and vertical shifts in imaging. The shifts can be larger than 0.5 wavelength inmore » the vertical direction and 1.5 wavelength in the lateral direction.« less

  8. Acceleration of stable TTI P-wave reverse-time migration with GPUs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Youngseo; Cho, Yongchae; Jang, Ugeun; Shin, Changsoo

    2013-03-01

    When a pseudo-acoustic TTI (tilted transversely isotropic) coupled wave equation is used to implement reverse-time migration (RTM), shear wave energy is significantly included in the migration image. Because anisotropy has intrinsic elastic characteristics, coupling P-wave and S-wave modes in the pseudo-acoustic wave equation is inevitable. In RTM with only primary energy or the P-wave mode in seismic data, the S-wave energy is regarded as noise for the migration image. To solve this problem, we derive a pure P-wave equation for TTI media that excludes the S-wave energy. Additionally, we apply the rapid expansion method (REM) based on a Chebyshev expansion and a pseudo-spectral method (PSM) to calculate spatial derivatives in the wave equation. When REM is incorporated with the PSM for the spatial derivatives, wavefields with high numerical accuracy can be obtained without grid dispersion when performing numerical wave modeling. Another problem in the implementation of TTI RTM is that wavefields in an area with high gradients of dip or azimuth angles can be blown up in the progression of the forward and backward algorithms of the RTM. We stabilize the wavefields by applying a spatial-frequency domain high-cut filter when calculating the spatial derivatives using the PSM. In addition, to increase performance speed, the graphic processing unit (GPU) architecture is used instead of traditional CPU architecture. To confirm the degree of acceleration compared to the CPU version on our RTM, we then analyze the performance measurements according to the number of GPUs employed.

  9. Analytical reverse time migration: An innovation in imaging of infrastructures using ultrasonic shear waves.

    PubMed

    Asadollahi, Aziz; Khazanovich, Lev

    2018-04-11

    The emergence of ultrasonic dry point contact (DPC) transducers that emit horizontal shear waves has enabled efficient collection of high-quality data in the context of a nondestructive evaluation of concrete structures. This offers an opportunity to improve the quality of evaluation by adapting advanced imaging techniques. Reverse time migration (RTM) is a simulation-based reconstruction technique that offers advantages over conventional methods, such as the synthetic aperture focusing technique. RTM is capable of imaging boundaries and interfaces with steep slopes and the bottom boundaries of inclusions and defects. However, this imaging technique requires a massive amount of memory and its computation cost is high. In this study, both bottlenecks of the RTM are resolved when shear transducers are used for data acquisition. An analytical approach was developed to obtain the source and receiver wavefields needed for imaging using reverse time migration. It is shown that the proposed analytical approach not only eliminates the high memory demand, but also drastically reduces the computation time from days to minutes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Microseismic imaging using Geometric-mean Reverse-Time Migration in Hydraulic Fracturing Monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, J.; Ng, R.; Nakata, N.

    2017-12-01

    Unconventional oil and gas exploration techniques such as hydraulic fracturing are associated with microseismic events related to the generation and development of fractures. For example, hydraulic fracturing, which is popular in Southern Oklahoma, produces earthquakes that are greater than magnitude 2.0. Finding the accurate locations, and mechanisms, of these events provides important information of local stress conditions, fracture distribution, hazard assessment, and economical impact. The accurate source location is also important to separate fracking-induced and wastewater disposal induced seismicity. Here, we implement a wavefield-based imaging method called Geometric-mean Reverse-Time Migration (GmRTM), which takes the advantage of accurate microseismic location based on wavefield back projection. We apply GmRTM to microseismic data collected during hydraulic fracturing for imaging microseismic source locations, and potentially, fractures. Assuming an accurate velocity model, GmRTM can improve the spatial resolution of source locations compared to HypoDD or P/S travel-time based methods. We will discuss the results from GmRTM and HypoDD using this field dataset and synthetic data.

  11. Acoustic reverse-time migration using GPU card and POSIX thread based on the adaptive optimal finite-difference scheme and the hybrid absorbing boundary condition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Xiaohui; Liu, Yang; Ren, Zhiming

    2018-06-01

    Reverse-time migration (RTM) is a powerful tool for imaging geologically complex structures such as steep-dip and subsalt. However, its implementation is quite computationally expensive. Recently, as a low-cost solution, the graphic processing unit (GPU) was introduced to improve the efficiency of RTM. In the paper, we develop three ameliorative strategies to implement RTM on GPU card. First, given the high accuracy and efficiency of the adaptive optimal finite-difference (FD) method based on least squares (LS) on central processing unit (CPU), we study the optimal LS-based FD method on GPU. Second, we develop the CPU-based hybrid absorbing boundary condition (ABC) to the GPU-based one by addressing two issues of the former when introduced to GPU card: time-consuming and chaotic threads. Third, for large-scale data, the combinatorial strategy for optimal checkpointing and efficient boundary storage is introduced for the trade-off between memory and recomputation. To save the time of communication between host and disk, the portable operating system interface (POSIX) thread is utilized to create the other CPU core at the checkpoints. Applications of the three strategies on GPU with the compute unified device architecture (CUDA) programming language in RTM demonstrate their efficiency and validity.

  12. Extending RTM Imaging With a Focus on Head Waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holicki, Max; Drijkoningen, Guy

    2016-04-01

    Conventional industry seismic imaging predominantly focuses on pre-critical reflections, muting post-critical arrivals in the process. This standard approach neglects a lot of information present in the recorded wave field. This negligence has been partially remedied with the inclusion of head waves in more advanced imaging techniques, like Full Waveform Inversion (FWI). We would like to see post-critical information leave the realm of labour-intensive travel-time picking and tomographic inversion towards full migration to improve subsurface imaging and parameter estimation. We present a novel seismic imaging approach aimed at exploiting post-critical information, using the constant travel path for head-waves between shots. To this end, we propose to generalize conventional Reverse Time Migration (RTM) to scenarios where the sources for the forward and backward propagated wave-fields are not coinciding. RTM functions on the principle that backward propagated receiver data, due to a source at some locations, must overlap with the forward propagated source wave field, from the same source location, at subsurface scatterers. Where the wave-fields overlap in the subsurface there is a peak at the zero-lag cross-correlation, and this peak is used for the imaging. For the inclusion of head waves, we propose to relax the condition of coincident sources. This means that wave-fields, from non-coincident-sources, will not overlap properly in the subsurface anymore. We can make the wave-fields overlap in the subsurface again, by time shifting either the forward or backward propagated wave-fields until the wave-fields overlap. This is the same as imaging at non-zero cross-correlation lags, where the lag is the travel time difference between the two wave-fields for a given event. This allows us to steer which arrivals we would like to use for imaging. In the simplest case we could use Eikonal travel-times to generate our migration image, or we exclusively image the subsurface with the head wave from the nth-layer. To illustrate the method we apply it to a layered Earth model with five layers and compare it to conventional RTM. We will show that conventional RTM highlights interfaces, while our head-wave based images highlight layers, producing fundamentally different images. We also demonstrate that our proposed imaging scheme is more sensitive to the velocity model than conventional RTM, which is important for improved velocity model building in the future.

  13. Defect detection around rebars in concrete using focused ultrasound and reverse time migration.

    PubMed

    Beniwal, Surendra; Ganguli, Abhijit

    2015-09-01

    Experimental and numerical investigations have been performed to assess the feasibility of damage detection around rebars in concrete using focused ultrasound and a Reverse Time Migration (RTM) based subsurface imaging algorithm. Since concrete is heterogeneous, an unfocused ultrasonic field will be randomly scattered by the aggregates, thereby masking information about damage(s). A focused ultrasonic field, on the other hand, increases the possibility of detection of an anomaly due to enhanced amplitude of the incident field in the focal region. Further, the RTM based reconstruction using scattered focused field data is capable of creating clear images of the inspected region of interest. Since scattering of a focused field by a damaged rebar differs qualitatively from that of an undamaged rebar, distinct images of damaged and undamaged situations are obtained in the RTM generated images. This is demonstrated with both numerical and experimental investigations. The total scattered field, acquired on the surface of the concrete medium, is used as input for the RTM algorithm to generate the subsurface image that helps to identify the damage. The proposed technique, therefore, has some advantage since knowledge about the undamaged scenario for the concrete medium is not necessary to assess its integrity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Three-Dimensional Passive-Source Reverse-Time Migration of Converted Waves: The Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jiahang; Shen, Yang; Zhang, Wei

    2018-02-01

    At seismic discontinuities in the crust and mantle, part of the compressional wave energy converts to shear wave, and vice versa. These converted waves have been widely used in receiver function (RF) studies to image discontinuity structures in the Earth. While generally successful, the conventional RF method has its limitations and is suited mostly to flat or gently dipping structures. Among the efforts to overcome the limitations of the conventional RF method is the development of the wave-theory-based, passive-source reverse-time migration (PS-RTM) for imaging complex seismic discontinuities and scatters. To date, PS-RTM has been implemented only in 2D in the Cartesian coordinate for local problems and thus has limited applicability. In this paper, we introduce a 3D PS-RTM approach in the spherical coordinate, which is better suited for regional and global problems. New computational procedures are developed to reduce artifacts and enhance migrated images, including back-propagating the main arrival and the coda containing the converted waves separately, using a modified Helmholtz decomposition operator to separate the P and S modes in the back-propagated wavefields, and applying an imaging condition that maintains a consistent polarity for a given velocity contrast. Our new approach allows us to use migration velocity models with realistic velocity discontinuities, improving accuracy of the migrated images. We present several synthetic experiments to demonstrate the method, using regional and teleseismic sources. The results show that both regional and teleseismic sources can illuminate complex structures and this method is well suited for imaging dipping interfaces and sharp lateral changes in discontinuity structures.

  15. Prestack reverse time migration for tilted transversely isotropic media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jang, Seonghyung; Hien, Doan Huy

    2013-04-01

    According to having interest in unconventional resource plays, anisotropy problem is naturally considered as an important step for improving the seismic image quality. Although it is well known prestack depth migration for the seismic reflection data is currently one of the powerful tools for imaging complex geological structures, it may lead to migration error without considering anisotropy. Asymptotic analysis of wave propagation in transversely isotropic (TI) media yields a dispersion relation of couple P- and SV wave modes that can be converted to a fourth order scalar partial differential equation (PDE). By setting the shear wave velocity equal zero, the fourth order PDE, called an acoustic wave equation for TI media, can be reduced to couple of second order PDE systems and we try to solve the second order PDE by the finite difference method (FDM). The result of this P wavefield simulation is kinematically similar to elastic and anisotropic wavefield simulation. We develop prestack depth migration algorithm for tilted transversely isotropic media using reverse time migration method (RTM). RTM is a method for imaging the subsurface using inner product of source wavefield extrapolation in forward and receiver wavefield extrapolation in backward. We show the subsurface image in TTI media using the inner product of partial derivative wavefield with respect to physical parameters and observation data. Since the partial derivative wavefields with respect to the physical parameters require extremely huge computing time, so we implemented the imaging condition by zero lag crosscorrelation of virtual source and back propagating wavefield instead of partial derivative wavefields. The virtual source is calculated directly by solving anisotropic acoustic wave equation, the back propagating wavefield on the other hand is calculated by the shot gather used as the source function in the anisotropic acoustic wave equation. According to the numerical model test for a simple geological model including syncline and anticline, the prestack depth migration using TTI-RTM in weak anisotropic media shows the subsurface image is similar to the true geological model used to generate the shot gathers.

  16. Seismic migration in generalized coordinates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arias, C.; Duque, L. F.

    2017-06-01

    Reverse time migration (RTM) is a technique widely used nowadays to obtain images of the earth’s sub-surface, using artificially produced seismic waves. This technique has been developed for zones with flat surface and when applied to zones with rugged topography some corrections must be introduced in order to adapt it. This can produce defects in the final image called artifacts. We introduce a simple mathematical map that transforms a scenario with rugged topography into a flat one. The three steps of the RTM can be applied in a way similar to the conventional ones just by changing the Laplacian in the acoustic wave equation for a generalized one. We present a test of this technique using the Canadian foothills SEG velocity model.

  17. A practical implementation of 3D TTI reverse time migration with multi-GPUs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Chun; Liu, Guofeng; Li, Yihang

    2017-05-01

    Tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) media are typical earth anisotropy media from practical observational studies. Accurate anisotropic imaging is recognized as a breakthrough in areas with complex anisotropic structures. TTI reverse time migration (RTM) is an important method for these areas. However, P and SV waves are coupled together in the pseudo-acoustic wave equation. The SV wave is regarded as an artifact for RTM of the P wave. We adopt matching of the anisotropy parameters to suppress the SV artifacts. Another problem in the implementation of TTI RTM is instability of the numerical solution for a variably oriented axis of symmetry. We adopt Fletcher's equation by setting a small amount of SV velocity without an acoustic approximation to stabilize the wavefield propagation. To improve calculation efficiency, we use NVIDIA graphic processing unit (GPU) with compute unified device architecture instead of traditional CPU architecture. To accomplish this, we introduced a random velocity boundary and an extended homogeneous anisotropic boundary for the remaining four anisotropic parameters in the source propagation. This process avoids large storage memory and IO requirements, which is important when using a GPU with limited bandwidth of PCI-E. Furthermore, we extend the single GPU code to multi-GPUs and present a corresponding high concurrent strategy with multiple asynchronous streams, which closely achieved an ideal speedup ratio of 2:1 when compared with a single GPU. Synthetic tests validate the correctness and effectiveness of our multi-GPUs-based TTI RTM method.

  18. Imaging strategies using focusing functions with applications to a North Sea field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    da Costa Filho, C. A.; Meles, G. A.; Curtis, A.; Ravasi, M.; Kritski, A.

    2018-04-01

    Seismic methods are used in a wide variety of contexts to investigate subsurface Earth structures, and to explore and monitor resources and waste-storage reservoirs in the upper ˜100 km of the Earth's subsurface. Reverse-time migration (RTM) is one widely used seismic method which constructs high-frequency images of subsurface structures. Unfortunately, RTM has certain disadvantages shared with other conventional single-scattering-based methods, such as not being able to correctly migrate multiply scattered arrivals. In principle, the recently developed Marchenko methods can be used to migrate all orders of multiples correctly. In practice however, using Marchenko methods are costlier to compute than RTM—for a single imaging location, the cost of performing the Marchenko method is several times that of standard RTM, and performing RTM itself requires dedicated use of some of the largest computers in the world for individual data sets. A different imaging strategy is therefore required. We propose a new set of imaging methods which use so-called focusing functions to obtain images with few artifacts from multiply scattered waves, while greatly reducing the number of points across the image at which the Marchenko method need be applied. Focusing functions are outputs of the Marchenko scheme: they are solutions of wave equations that focus in time and space at particular surface or subsurface locations. However, they are mathematical rather than physical entities, being defined only in reference media that equal to the true Earth above their focusing depths but are homogeneous below. Here, we use these focusing functions as virtual source/receiver surface seismic surveys, the upgoing focusing function being the virtual received wavefield that is created when the downgoing focusing function acts as a spatially distributed source. These source/receiver wavefields are used in three imaging schemes: one allows specific individual reflectors to be selected and imaged. The other two schemes provide either targeted or complete images with distinct advantages over current RTM methods, such as fewer artifacts and artifacts that occur in different locations. The latter property allows the recently published `combined imaging' method to remove almost all artifacts. We show several examples to demonstrate the methods: acoustic 1-D and 2-D synthetic examples, and a 2-D line from an ocean bottom cable field data set. We discuss an extension to elastic media, which is illustrated by a 1.5-D elastic synthetic example.

  19. Next Generation Seismic Imaging; High Fidelity Algorithms and High-End Computing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bevc, D.; Ortigosa, F.; Guitton, A.; Kaelin, B.

    2007-05-01

    The rich oil reserves of the Gulf of Mexico are buried in deep and ultra-deep waters up to 30,000 feet from the surface. Minerals Management Service (MMS), the federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the nation's oil, natural gas and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf in federal offshore waters, estimates that the Gulf of Mexico holds 37 billion barrels of "undiscovered, conventionally recoverable" oil, which, at 50/barrel, would be worth approximately 1.85 trillion. These reserves are very difficult to find and reach due to the extreme depths. Technological advances in seismic imaging represent an opportunity to overcome this obstacle by providing more accurate models of the subsurface. Among these technological advances, Reverse Time Migration (RTM) yields the best possible images. RTM is based on the solution of the two-way acoustic wave-equation. This technique relies on the velocity model to image turning waves. These turning waves are particularly important to unravel subsalt reservoirs and delineate salt-flanks, a natural trap for oil and gas. Because it relies on an accurate velocity model, RTM opens new frontier in designing better velocity estimation algorithms. RTM has been widely recognized as the next chapter in seismic exploration, as it can overcome the limitations of current migration methods in imaging complex geologic structures that exist in the Gulf of Mexico. The chief impediment to the large-scale, routine deployment of RTM has been a lack of sufficient computer power. RTM needs thirty times the computing power used in exploration today to be commercially viable and widely usable. Therefore, advancing seismic imaging to the next level of precision poses a multi-disciplinary challenge. To overcome these challenges, the Kaleidoscope project, a partnership between Repsol YPF, Barcelona Supercomputing Center, 3DGeo Inc., and IBM brings together the necessary components of modeling, algorithms and the uniquely powerful computing power of the MareNostrum supercomputer in Barcelona to realize the promise of RTM, incorporate it into daily processing flows, and to help solve exploration problems in a highly cost-effective way. Uniquely, the Kaleidoscope Project is simultaneously integrating software (algorithms) and hardware (Cell BE), steps that are traditionally taken sequentially. This unique integration of software and hardware will accelerate seismic imaging by several orders of magnitude compared to conventional solutions running on standard Linux Clusters.

  20. Reverse time migration by Krylov subspace reduced order modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Basir, Hadi Mahdavi; Javaherian, Abdolrahim; Shomali, Zaher Hossein; Firouz-Abadi, Roohollah Dehghani; Gholamy, Shaban Ali

    2018-04-01

    Imaging is a key step in seismic data processing. To date, a myriad of advanced pre-stack depth migration approaches have been developed; however, reverse time migration (RTM) is still considered as the high-end imaging algorithm. The main limitations associated with the performance cost of reverse time migration are the intensive computation of the forward and backward simulations, time consumption, and memory allocation related to imaging condition. Based on the reduced order modeling, we proposed an algorithm, which can be adapted to all the aforementioned factors. Our proposed method benefit from Krylov subspaces method to compute certain mode shapes of the velocity model computed by as an orthogonal base of reduced order modeling. Reverse time migration by reduced order modeling is helpful concerning the highly parallel computation and strongly reduces the memory requirement of reverse time migration. The synthetic model results showed that suggested method can decrease the computational costs of reverse time migration by several orders of magnitudes, compared with reverse time migration by finite element method.

  1. Algorithms and Architectures for Elastic-Wave Inversion Final Report CRADA No. TC02144.0

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

    Larsen, S.; Lindtjorn, O.

    2017-08-15

    This was a collaborative effort between Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC as manager and operator of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Schlumberger Technology Corporation (STC), to perform a computational feasibility study that investigates hardware platforms and software algorithms applicable to STC for Reverse Time Migration (RTM) / Reverse Time Inversion (RTI) of 3-D seismic data.

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

    Krueger, Jens; Micikevicius, Paulius; Williams, Samuel

    Reverse Time Migration (RTM) is one of the main approaches in the seismic processing industry for imaging the subsurface structure of the Earth. While RTM provides qualitative advantages over its predecessors, it has a high computational cost warranting implementation on HPC architectures. We focus on three progressively more complex kernels extracted from RTM: for isotropic (ISO), vertical transverse isotropic (VTI) and tilted transverse isotropic (TTI) media. In this work, we examine performance optimization of forward wave modeling, which describes the computational kernels used in RTM, on emerging multi- and manycore processors and introduce a novel common subexpression elimination optimization formore » TTI kernels. We compare attained performance and energy efficiency in both the single-node and distributed memory environments in order to satisfy industry’s demands for fidelity, performance, and energy efficiency. Moreover, we discuss the interplay between architecture (chip and system) and optimizations (both on-node computation) highlighting the importance of NUMA-aware approaches to MPI communication. Ultimately, our results show we can improve CPU energy efficiency by more than 10× on Magny Cours nodes while acceleration via multiple GPUs can surpass the energy-efficient Intel Sandy Bridge by as much as 3.6×.« less

  3. Velocity models and images using full waveform inversion and reverse time migration for the offshore permafrost in the Canadian shelf of Beaufort Sea, Arctic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, S. G.; Hong, J. K.; Jin, Y. K.; Kim, S.; Kim, Y. G.; Dallimore, S.; Riedel, M.; Shin, C.

    2015-12-01

    During Expedition ARA05C (from Aug 26 to Sep 19, 2014) on the Korean icebreaker RV ARAON, the multi-channel seismic (MCS) data were acquired on the outer shelf and slope of the Canadian Beaufort Sea to investigate distribution and internal geological structures of the offshore ice-bonded permafrost and gas hydrates, totaling 998 km L-km with 19,962 shots. The MCS data were recorded using a 1500 m long solid-type streamer with 120 channels. Shot and group spacing were 50 m and 12.5 m, respectively. Most MCS survey lines were designed perpendicular and parallel to the strike of the shelf break. Ice-bonded permafrost or ice-bearing sediments are widely distributed under the Beaufort Sea shelf, which have formed during periods of lower sea level when portions of the shelf less than ~100m water depth were an emergent coastal plain exposed to very cold surface. The seismic P-wave velocity is an important geophysical parameter for identifying the distribution of ice-bonded permafrost with high velocity in this area. Recently, full waveform inversion (FWI) and reverse time migration (RTM) are commonly used to delineate detailed seismic velocity information and seismic image of geological structures. FWI is a data fitting procedure based on wave field modeling and numerical analysis to extract quantitative geophysical parameters such as P-, S-wave velocities and density from seismic data. RTM based on 2-way wave equation is a useful technique to construct accurate seismic image with amplitude preserving of field data. In this study, we suggest two-dimensional P-wave velocity model (Figure.1) using the FWI algorithm to delineate the top and bottom boundaries of ice-bonded permafrost in the Canadian shelf of Beaufort Sea. In addition, we construct amplitude preserving migrated seismic image using RTM to interpret the geological history involved with the evolution of permafrost.

  4. GPU-accelerated element-free reverse-time migration with Gauss points partition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Zhen; Jia, Xiaofeng; Qiang, Xiaodong

    2018-06-01

    An element-free method (EFM) has been demonstrated successfully in elasticity, heat conduction and fatigue crack growth problems. We present the theory of EFM and its numerical applications in seismic modelling and reverse time migration (RTM). Compared with the finite difference method and the finite element method, the EFM has unique advantages: (1) independence of grids in computation and (2) lower expense and more flexibility (because only the information of the nodes and the boundary of the concerned area is required). However, in EFM, due to improper computation and storage of some large sparse matrices, such as the mass matrix and the stiffness matrix, the method is difficult to apply to seismic modelling and RTM for a large velocity model. To solve the problem of storage and computation efficiency, we propose a concept of Gauss points partition and utilise the graphics processing unit to improve the computational efficiency. We employ the compressed sparse row format to compress the intermediate large sparse matrices and attempt to simplify the operations by solving the linear equations with CULA solver. To improve the computation efficiency further, we introduce the concept of the lumped mass matrix. Numerical experiments indicate that the proposed method is accurate and more efficient than the regular EFM.

  5. An efficient hybrid pseudospectral/finite-difference scheme for solving the TTI pure P-wave equation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhan, Ge; Pestana, Reynam C.; Stoffa, Paul L.

    2013-04-01

    The pure P-wave equation for modelling and migration in tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) media has attracted more and more attention in imaging seismic data with anisotropy. The desirable feature is that it is absolutely free of shear-wave artefacts and the consequent alleviation of numerical instabilities generally suffered by some systems of coupled equations. However, due to several forward-backward Fourier transforms in wavefield updating at each time step, the computational cost is significant, and thereby hampers its prevalence. We propose to use a hybrid pseudospectral (PS) and finite-difference (FD) scheme to solve the pure P-wave equation. In the hybrid solution, most of the cost-consuming wavenumber terms in the equation are replaced by inexpensive FD operators, which in turn accelerates the computation and reduces the computational cost. To demonstrate the benefit in cost saving of the new scheme, 2D and 3D reverse-time migration (RTM) examples using the hybrid solution to the pure P-wave equation are carried out, and respective runtimes are listed and compared. Numerical results show that the hybrid strategy demands less computation time and is faster than using the PS method alone. Furthermore, this new TTI RTM algorithm with the hybrid method is computationally less expensive than that with the FD solution to conventional TTI coupled equations.

  6. Seismic Full Waveform Modeling & Imaging in Attenuating Media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, Peng

    Seismic attenuation strongly affects seismic waveforms by amplitude loss and velocity dispersion. Without proper inclusion of Q parameters, errors can be introduced for seismic full waveform modeling and imaging. Three different (Carcione's, Robertsson's, and the generalized Robertsson's) isotropic viscoelastic wave equations based on the generalized standard linear solid (GSLS) are evaluated. The second-order displacement equations are derived, and used to demonstrate that, with the same stress relaxation times, these viscoelastic formulations are equivalent. By introducing separate memory variables for P and S relaxation functions, Robertsson's formulation is generalized to allow different P and S wave stress relaxation times, which improves the physical consistency of the Qp and Qs modelled in the seismograms.The three formulations have comparable computational cost. 3D seismic finite-difference forward modeling is applied to anisotropic viscoelastic media. The viscoelastic T-matrix (a dynamic effective medium theory) relates frequency-dependent anisotropic attenuation and velocity to reservoir properties in fractured HTI media, based on the meso-scale fluid flow attenuation mechanism. The seismic signatures resulting from changing viscoelastic reservoir properties are easily visible. Analysis of 3D viscoelastic seismograms suggests that anisotropic attenuation is a potential tool for reservoir characterization. To compensate the Q effects during reverse-time migration (RTM) in viscoacoustic and viscoelastic media, amplitudes need to be compensated during wave propagation; the propagation velocity of the Q-compensated wavefield needs to be the same as in the attenuating wavefield, to restore the phase information. Both amplitude and phase can be compensated when the velocity dispersion and the amplitude loss are decoupled. For wave equations based on the GSLS, because Q effects are coupled in the memory variables, Q-compensated wavefield propagates faster than the attenuating wavefield, and introduce unwanted phase shift. Numerical examples show that there are phase (depth) shifts in the Q-compensated RTM images from the GSLS equation. An adjoint-based least-squares reverse-time migration is proposed for viscoelastic media (Q-LSRTM), to compensate the attenuation losses in P and S images. The viscoelastic adjoint operator, and the P and S modulus perturbation imaging conditions are derived using the adjoint-state method and an augmented Lagrangian functional. Q-LSRTM solves the viscoelastic linearized modeling operator for synthetic data, and the adjoint operator is used for back propagating the data residual. Q-LSRTM is capable of iteratively updating the P and S modulus perturbations,in the direction of minimizing data residuals, and attenuation loss is iteratively compensated. A novel Q compensation approach is developed for adjoint seismic imaging by pseudodifferential scaling. With a correct Q model included in the migration algorithm, propagation effects, including the Q effects, can be compensated with the application of the inverse Hessian to the RTM image. Pseudodifferential scaling is used to efficiently approximate the action of the inverse Hessian. Numerical examples indicate that the adjoint RTM images with pseudodifferential scaling approximate the true model perturbation, and can be used as well-conditioned gradients for least-squares imaging.

  7. Capillary electrophoresis for rapid identification of monoclonal antibodies for routine application in hospital.

    PubMed

    Jaccoulet, Emmanuel; Smadja, Claire; Prognon, Patrice; Taverna, Myriam

    2015-09-01

    mAbs are widely used in cancer therapy. Their compounding, performed just before their administration to patients, is executed in a production unit of the hospital. Identification of these drugs, individually prepared in bags for infusion before patient administration, is of paramount importance to detect potential mistakes during compounding stage. A fast and reliable analytical method based on CZE combined to a cationic capillary coating (hexadimethrine bromide) was developed for identification of the most widely used compounded therapeutic for cancer therapy (bevacizumab, cetuximab, rituximab, and trastuzumab). Considering the high structural and physico-chemical similarities of these mAbs, an extensive optimization of the BGE composition has been performed. The addition of perchlorate ions and polysorbate in the BGE greatly increased the resolution. To validate the method, an internal standard was used and the relative migration times (RTm) were estimated. Very satisfactory RSDs of the RTm for rituximab (0.76%), cetuximab (0.46%), bevacizumab (0.31%), and trastuzumab (0.60%) were obtained. The intraday and interday RSD of the method were less than 0.32 and 1.3%, respectively for RTm. Significant differences between theses RTms have been demonstrated allowing mAbs identification. Finally, accurate mAbs identification has been demonstrated by a blind test. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Baseline seismic survey for the 2nd offshore methane hydrate production test in the Eastern Nankai Trough

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teranishi, Y.; Inamori, T.; Kobayashi, T.; Fujii, T.; Saeki, T.; Takahashi, H.; Kobayashi, F.

    2017-12-01

    JOGMEC carries out seismic monitoring surveys before and after the 2nd offshore methane hydrate (MH) production test in the Eastern Nankai Trough and evaluates MH dissociation behavior from the time-lapse seismic response. In 2016, JOGMEC deployed Ocean Bottom Cable (OBC) system provided by OCC in the Daini Atsumi Knoll with water depths of 900-1100 m. The main challenge of the seismic survey was to optimize the cable layout for ensuring an effective time-lapse seismic detectability while overcoming the following two issues: 1. OBC receiver lines were limited to only two lines. It was predicted that the imaging of shallow reflectors would suffer from lack of continuity and resolution due to this limitation of receiver lines. 2. The seafloor and shallow sedimentary layers including monitoring target are dipping to the Northwest direction. It was predicted that the refection points would laterally shift to up-dip direction (Southeast direction). In order to understand the impact of the issues above, the seismic survey was designed with elastic wave field simulation. The reflection seismic survey for baseline data was conducted in August 2016. A total of 70 receiver stations distributed along one cable were deployed successfully and a total of 9952 shots were fired. After the baseline seismic survey, the hydrophone and geophone vertical component datasets were processed as outlined below: designaturing, denoising, surface consistent deconvolution and surface consistent amplitude correction. High-frequency imaging with Reverse Time Migration (RTM) was introduced to these data sets. Improvements in imaging from the RTM are remarkable compared to the Kirchhoff migration and the existing Pre-stack time migration with 3D marine surface seismic data obtained and processed in 2002, especially in the following parts. The MH concentrated zone which has complex structures. Below the Bottom Simulating Reflector (BSR) which is present as a impedance-contrast boundary

  9. Effective modeling and reverse-time migration for novel pure acoustic wave in arbitrary orthorhombic anisotropic media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Shigang; Liu, Yang

    2018-03-01

    The conventional pseudo-acoustic wave equations (PWEs) in arbitrary orthorhombic anisotropic (OA) media usually have coupled P- and SV-wave modes. These coupled equations may introduce strong SV-wave artifacts and numerical instabilities in P-wave simulation results and reverse-time migration (RTM) profiles. However, pure acoustic wave equations (PAWEs) completely decouple the P-wave component from the full elastic wavefield and naturally solve all the aforementioned problems. In this article, we present a novel PAWE in arbitrary OA media and compare it with the conventional coupled PWEs. Through decomposing the solution of the corresponding eigenvalue equation for the original PWE into an ellipsoidal differential operator (EDO) and an ellipsoidal scalar operator (ESO), the new PAWE in time-space domain is constructed by applying the combination of these two solvable operators and can effectively describe P-wave features in arbitrary OA media. Furthermore, we adopt the optimal finite-difference method (FDM) to solve the newly derived PAWE. In addition, the three-dimensional (3D) hybrid absorbing boundary condition (HABC) with some reasonable modifications is developed for reducing artificial edge reflections in anisotropic media. To improve computational efficiency in 3D case, we adopt graphic processing unit (GPU) with Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) instead of traditional central processing unit (CPU) architecture. Several numerical experiments for arbitrary OA models confirm that the proposed schemes can produce pure, stable and accurate P-wave modeling results and RTM images with higher computational efficiency. Moreover, the 3D numerical simulations can provide us with a comprehensive and real description of wave propagation.

  10. Conjugate gradient and cross-correlation based least-square reverse time migration and its application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Xiao-Dong; Ge, Zhong-Hui; Li, Zhen-Chun

    2017-09-01

    Although conventional reverse time migration can be perfectly applied to structural imaging it lacks the capability of enabling detailed delineation of a lithological reservoir due to irregular illumination. To obtain reliable reflectivity of the subsurface it is necessary to solve the imaging problem using inversion. The least-square reverse time migration (LSRTM) (also known as linearized reflectivity inversion) aims to obtain relatively high-resolution amplitude preserving imaging by including the inverse of the Hessian matrix. In practice, the conjugate gradient algorithm is proven to be an efficient iterative method for enabling use of LSRTM. The velocity gradient can be derived from a cross-correlation between observed data and simulated data, making LSRTM independent of wavelet signature and thus more robust in practice. Tests on synthetic and marine data show that LSRTM has good potential for use in reservoir description and four-dimensional (4D) seismic images compared to traditional RTM and Fourier finite difference (FFD) migration. This paper investigates the first order approximation of LSRTM, which is also known as the linear Born approximation. However, for more complex geological structures a higher order approximation should be considered to improve imaging quality.

  11. Explosion localization and characterization via infrasound using numerical modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fee, D.; Kim, K.; Iezzi, A. M.; Matoza, R. S.; Jolly, A. D.; De Angelis, S.; Diaz Moreno, A.; Szuberla, C.

    2017-12-01

    Numerous methods have been applied to locate, detect, and characterize volcanic and anthropogenic explosions using infrasound. Far-field localization techniques typically use back-azimuths from multiple arrays (triangulation) or Reverse Time Migration (RTM, or back-projection). At closer ranges, networks surrounding a source may use Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA), semblance, station-pair double difference, etc. However, at volcanoes and regions with topography or obstructions that block the direct path of sound, recent studies have shown that numerical modeling is necessary to provide an accurate source location. A heterogeneous and moving atmosphere (winds) may also affect the location. The time reversal mirror (TRM) application of Kim et al. (2015) back-propagates the wavefield using a Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) algorithm, with the source corresponding to the location of peak convergence. Although it provides high-resolution source localization and can account for complex wave propagation, TRM is computationally expensive and limited to individual events. Here we present a new technique, termed RTM-FDTD, which integrates TRM and FDTD. Travel time and transmission loss information is computed from each station to the entire potential source grid from 3-D Green's functions derived via FDTD. The wave energy is then back-projected and stacked at each grid point, with the maximum corresponding to the likely source. We apply our method to detect and characterize thousands of explosions from Yasur Volcano, Vanuatu and Etna Volcano, Italy, which both provide complex wave propagation and multiple source locations. We compare our results with those from more traditional methods (e.g. semblance), and suggest our method is preferred as it is computationally less expensive than TRM but still integrates numerical modeling. RTM-FDTD could be applied to volcanic other anthropogenic sources at a wide variety of ranges and scenarios. Kim, K., Lees, J.M., 2015. Imaging volcanic infrasound sources using time reversal mirror algorithm. Geophysical Journal International 202, 1663-1676.

  12. The Reverse Time Migration technique coupled with Interior Penalty Discontinuous Galerkin method.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baldassari, C.; Barucq, H.; Calandra, H.; Denel, B.; Diaz, J.

    2009-04-01

    Seismic imaging is based on the seismic reflection method which produces an image of the subsurface from reflected waves recordings by using a tomography process and seismic migration is the industrial standard to improve the quality of the images. The migration process consists in replacing the recorded wavefields at their actual place by using various mathematical and numerical methods but each of them follows the same schedule, according to the pioneering idea of Claerbout: numerical propagation of the source function (propagation) and of the recorded wavefields (retropropagation) and next, construction of the image by applying an imaging condition. The retropropagation step can be realized accouting for the time reversibility of the wave equation and the resulting algorithm is currently called Reverse Time Migration (RTM). To be efficient, especially in three dimensional domain, the RTM requires the solution of the full wave equation by fast numerical methods. Finite element methods are considered as the best discretization method for solving the wave equation, even if they lead to the solution of huge systems with several millions of degrees of freedom, since they use meshes adapted to the domain topography and the boundary conditions are naturally taken into account in the variational formulation. Among the different finite element families, the spectral element one (SEM) is very interesting because it leads to a diagonal mass matrix which dramatically reduces the cost of the numerical computation. Moreover this method is very accurate since it allows the use of high order finite elements. However, SEM uses meshes of the domain made of quadrangles in 2D or hexaedra in 3D which are difficult to compute and not always suitable for complex topographies. Recently, Grote et al. applied the IPDG (Interior Penalty Discontinuous Galerkin) method to the wave equation. This approach is very interesting since it relies on meshes with triangles in 2D or tetrahedra in 3D, which allows to handle the topography of the domain very accurately. Moreover, the fact that the resulting mass matrix is block-diagonal and that IPDG is compatible with the use of high-order finite element may let us suppose that its performances are similar to the ones of the SEM. In this presentation, we study the performances of IDPG through numerical comparisons with the SEM in 1D and 2D. We compare in particular the accuracy of the solutions obtained by the two methods with various order of approximation and the computational burden of the algorithms. The conclusion is IPDG and SEM perform similarly when considering low order finite elements while IPDG outperforms SEM in case of high order finite elements. Next we illustrate the impact of IPDG on the RTM, first through a simple configuration test (two-layered medium), then through realistic industrial applications in 2D.

  13. Low glucose level and low pH alter the electrochemical function of human parietal pleura.

    PubMed

    Kouritas, V K; Hatzoglou, C; Foroulis, C N; Hevas, A; Gourgoulianis, K I; Molyvdas, P A

    2007-08-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate whether low glucose and pH level, which are usually measured in complicated pleural effusions, alter the electrochemical function of healthy human parietal pleura. Parietal pleural pieces were stripped from 66 patients during thoracic surgery and were mounted in Ussing chambers. Krebs' solutions containing different glucose levels (0, 40 and 100 mg) and balanced at different pH levels (7.4, 7.3 and 7.2) were added to the pleural cavity surface of the pieces. Transmesothelial potential difference was measured at various time-points as an electrophysiological variable and transmesothelial resistance (R(TM)) was calculated using Ohm's law. When normal-glucose Krebs at pH 7.45 was used, R(TM) remained unchanged over time, but when low-glucose Krebs was used, R(TM) decreased. Krebs without glucose caused the greatest decrease in R(TM). Use of low-pH Krebs decreased R(TM). The lower the pH of the Krebs, the faster the decrease in R(TM) and the greater the effect. The decrease in R(TM) was greater with low-pH than with low-glucose Krebs. Low glucose and low pH caused an additive decrease in R(TM). Low glucose concentration and low pH cause alteration of the electrochemical function of human parietal pleura and could act as agents that lead to further exudate progression.

  14. Polymer blends of polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene succinate-adipate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Wenguang

    A series of blends consisting of polylactic acid (PLA) and aliphatic succinate polyester (BionolleRTM #3000) had been prepared and investigated. The results of mechanical property investigations showed that using 20 wt% Bionolle#3000 can significantly increase the toughness of PLA. BionolleRTM #3000 also reduces the physical aging rate of PLA so blends remain tough longer. Conversely, the stiffness of BionolleRTM #3000 can be significantly increased by blending in PLA. DMA and DSC results show that PLA/BionolleRTM 3000 blends are not thermodynamically miscible, but are compatible blends. Studies have also been performed to determine the amount and rate of aerobic biodegradation of PLA/aliphatic succinate polyester blends in biologically active composting, enzymatic, and soil environments. The changes in molecular weight, molecular structure and thermal properties in the composting environment were also studied by GPC, NMR and DSC analyses. The research results showed BionolleRTM #3000 had a high degradation rate, while PLA had a low degradation rate. PLA/BionolleRTM #3000 blends had moderate degradation rates that increased with BionolleRTM #3000 content. The melt flow behavior of PLA/BionolleRTM #3000 blends has been studied by capillary rheometry. The relationship of the blends' viscosity with their composition, shear stress, shear rate, and temperature has been investigated. Power law index and activation energy of PLA, BionolleRTM #3000 and their blends have been calculated. The experimental and theoretical data can let us understand the processability of PLA/BionolleRTM #3000 blends. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to investigate the morphological structure of the PLA/BionolleRTM #3000 blends. Micrographs of the samples made from different methods (blown film, extrudate and compression molding sheet) were taken; their differences in morphology were compared. For comparison, the micrographs of blend PLA/BionolleRTM #6000 was also studied. The results show that BionolleRTM #3000 has a very strong ability to form the continuous phase in the blends and in films made from the blends. A partial continuous net structure with very thin wall thickness (0.1˜0.2 mum) can form in blends with 20 part of BionolleRTM #3000. The reason why PLA/BionolleRTM #6000 blends do not have good mechanical properties is that the size of the phase domain is too big (five times that of PLA/BionolleRTM #3000 blends).

  15. Real Time Monitor of Grid job executions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Colling, D. J.; Martyniak, J.; McGough, A. S.; Křenek, A.; Sitera, J.; Mulač, M.; Dvořák, F.

    2010-04-01

    In this paper we describe the architecture and operation of the Real Time Monitor (RTM), developed by the Grid team in the HEP group at Imperial College London. This is arguably the most popular dissemination tool within the EGEE [1] Grid. Having been used, on many occasions including GridFest and LHC inauguration events held at CERN in October 2008. The RTM gathers information from EGEE sites hosting Logging and Bookkeeping (LB) services. Information is cached locally at a dedicated server at Imperial College London and made available for clients to use in near real time. The system consists of three main components: the RTM server, enquirer and an apache Web Server which is queried by clients. The RTM server queries the LB servers at fixed time intervals, collecting job related information and storing this in a local database. Job related data includes not only job state (i.e. Scheduled, Waiting, Running or Done) along with timing information but also other attributes such as Virtual Organization and Computing Element (CE) queue - if known. The job data stored in the RTM database is read by the enquirer every minute and converted to an XML format which is stored on a Web Server. This decouples the RTM server database from the client removing the bottleneck problem caused by many clients simultaneously accessing the database. This information can be visualized through either a 2D or 3D Java based client with live job data either being overlaid on to a 2 dimensional map of the world or rendered in 3 dimensions over a globe map using OpenGL.

  16. Sensor-model prediction, monitoring and in-situ control of liquid RTM advanced fiber architecture composite processing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kranbuehl, D.; Kingsley, P.; Hart, S.; Loos, A.; Hasko, G.; Dexter, B.

    1992-01-01

    In-situ frequency dependent electromagnetic sensors (FDEMS) and the Loos resin transfer model have been used to select and control the processing properties of an epoxy resin during liquid pressure RTM impregnation and cure. Once correlated with viscosity and degree of cure the FDEMS sensor monitors and the RTM processing model predicts the reaction advancement of the resin, viscosity and the impregnation of the fabric. This provides a direct means for predicting, monitoring, and controlling the liquid RTM process in-situ in the mold throughout the fabrication process and the effects of time, temperature, vacuum and pressure. Most importantly, the FDEMS-sensor model system has been developed to make intelligent decisions, thereby automating the liquid RTM process and removing the need for operator direction.

  17. A New Finite Difference Q-compensated RTM Algorithm in Tilted Transverse Isotropic (TTI) Media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, T.; Hu, W.; Ning, J.

    2017-12-01

    Attenuating anisotropic geological body is difficult to image with conventional migration methods. In such kind of scenarios, recorded seismic data suffer greatly from both amplitude decay and phase distortion, resulting in degraded resolution, poor illumination and incorrect migration depth in imaging results. To efficiently obtain high quality images, we propose a novel TTI QRTM algorithm based on Generalized Standard Linear Solid model combined with a unique multi-stage optimization technique to simultaneously correct the decayed amplitude and the distorted phase velocity. Numerical tests (shown in the figure) demonstrate that our TTI QRTM algorithm effectively corrects migration depth, significantly improves illumination, and enhances resolution within and below the low Q regions. The result of our new method is very close to the reference RTM image, while QRTM without TTI cannot get a correct image. Compared to the conventional QRTM method based on a pseudo-spectral operator for fractional Laplacian evaluation, our method is more computationally efficient for large scale applications and more suitable for GPU acceleration. With the current multi-stage dispersion optimization scheme, this TTI QRTM method best performs in the frequency range 10-70 Hz, and could be used in a wider frequency range. Furthermore, as this method can also handle frequency dependent Q, it has potential to be applied in imaging deep structures where low Q exists, such as subduction zones, volcanic zones or fault zones with passive source observations.

  18. A memory-efficient staining algorithm in 3D seismic modelling and imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, Xiaofeng; Yang, Lu

    2017-08-01

    The staining algorithm has been proven to generate high signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) images in poorly illuminated areas in two-dimensional cases. In the staining algorithm, the stained wavefield relevant to the target area and the regular source wavefield forward propagate synchronously. Cross-correlating these two wavefields with the backward propagated receiver wavefield separately, we obtain two images: the local image of the target area and the conventional reverse time migration (RTM) image. This imaging process costs massive computer memory for wavefield storage, especially in large scale three-dimensional cases. To make the staining algorithm applicable to three-dimensional RTM, we develop a method to implement the staining algorithm in three-dimensional acoustic modelling in a standard staggered grid finite difference (FD) scheme. The implementation is adaptive to the order of spatial accuracy of the FD operator. The method can be applied to elastic, electromagnetic, and other wave equations. Taking the memory requirement into account, we adopt a random boundary condition (RBC) to backward extrapolate the receiver wavefield and reconstruct it by reverse propagation using the final wavefield snapshot only. Meanwhile, we forward simulate the stained wavefield and source wavefield simultaneously using the nearly perfectly matched layer (NPML) boundary condition. Experiments on a complex geologic model indicate that the RBC-NPML collaborative strategy not only minimizes the memory consumption but also guarantees high quality imaging results. We apply the staining algorithm to three-dimensional RTM via the proposed strategy. Numerical results show that our staining algorithm can produce high S/N images in the target areas with other structures effectively muted.

  19. Advanced Technology Composite Fuselage - Materials and Processes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scholz, D. B.; Dost, E. F.; Flynn, B. W.; Ilcewicz, L. B.; Nelson, K. M.; Sawicki, A. J.; Walker, T. H.; Lakes, R. S.

    1997-01-01

    The goal of Boeing's Advanced Technology Composite Aircraft Structures (ATCAS) program was to develop the technology required for cost and weight efficient use of composite materials in transport fuselage structure. This contractor report describes results of material and process selection, development, and characterization activities. Carbon fiber reinforced epoxy was chosen for fuselage skins and stiffening elements and for passenger and cargo floor structures. The automated fiber placement (AFP) process was selected for fabrication of monolithic and sandwich skin panels. Circumferential frames and window frames were braided and resin transfer molded (RTM'd). Pultrusion was selected for fabrication of floor beams and constant section stiffening elements. Drape forming was chosen for stringers and other stiffening elements. Significant development efforts were expended on the AFP, braiding, and RTM processes. Sandwich core materials and core edge close-out design concepts were evaluated. Autoclave cure processes were developed for stiffened skin and sandwich structures. The stiffness, strength, notch sensitivity, and bearing/bypass properties of fiber-placed skin materials and braided/RTM'd circumferential frame materials were characterized. The strength and durability of cocured and cobonded joints were evaluated. Impact damage resistance of stiffened skin and sandwich structures typical of fuselage panels was investigated. Fluid penetration and migration mechanisms for sandwich panels were studied.

  20. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and motor timing in adolescents and their parents: familial characteristics of reaction time variability vary with age.

    PubMed

    Thissen, Andrieke J A M; Luman, Marjolein; Hartman, Catharina; Hoekstra, Pieter; van Lieshout, Marloes; Franke, Barbara; Oosterlaan, Jaap; Rommelse, Nanda N J; Buitelaar, Jan K

    2014-09-01

    There is consistent evidence that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is strongly related to impaired motor timing as reflected in decreased accuracy and increased reaction time variability (RTV). It is not known whether motor timing impairments are present in adolescents and adults with ADHD and their unaffected relatives to the same extent as has been reported in children, and whether ADHD and motor timing share familial underpinnings, as reflected in parent-offspring co-segregation and sibling cross-correlations. A total of 589 parents and 808 children/adolescents from families with ADHD and control families (parent/offspring average age: 48.6/17.3 years) were included. All participants were thoroughly assessed for ADHD and performed a 40-trial motor timing task (1-second interval production). Dependent neurocognitive measures included RT median (RTM: representing accuracy), RTV and ex-Gaussian component τ (τ: representing infrequent long response times). Generalized estimating equations were used for analyses. Unaffected children from families with ADHD had RTV (but not RTM or τ) scores in between those of affected and control children. However, during middle-to-late adolescence, unaffected offspring were not impaired compared to control offspring and differed from ADHD probands, whereas during late adolescence/early adulthood, all offspring groups performed equally. Affected and unaffected parents of families with ADHD showed increased RTV compared to controls, regardless of age (not significant after adjusting for IQ). There were indications for shared familiality between RTV and ADHD as reflected by sibling cross-correlations and between RTM and ADHD as reflected by sibling cross-correlations and a maternal parent-offspring relation (parent-of-origin effect). RTV and its familial characteristics are influenced by development during adolescence. Increased RTV in children with ADHD appears to reflect immaturities in their neurocognitive functioning. Maternal ADHD effects might be involved in transmission of RTM (not RTV), but overall RTM showed less compelling (familial) relationships with ADHD than RTV. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  1. Polyimide Composites Properties of RTM370 Fabricated by Vacuum Assisted Resins Transfer Molding (VARTM)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chuang, Kathy C.; Criss, Jim M.; Mintz, Eric A.

    2011-01-01

    RTM370 imide resin based on 2,3,3 ,4 -biphenyl dianhydride ( a-BPDA), 3,4 -oxydianinline (3,4 -ODA) with 4-phenylethynylphthalic (PEPA) endcap has shown to exhibit high Tg (370 C) and low melt viscosity (10-30 poise) at 280 C with a pot-life of 1-2 h. Previously, RTM370 resin has been fabricated into composites with T650-35 carbon fabrics by resin transfer molding (RTM) successfully. RTM370 composites exhibit excellent mechanical properties up to 327 C (620 F), and outstanding property retention after aging at 288 C (550 F) for 1000 hrs. In this presentation, RTM 370 composites will be fabricated by vacuum assisted resins transfer molding (VARTM), using vacuum bags without mold. The mechanical properties of RTM370 composites fabricated by VARTM will be compared to those of RTM370 made by RTM.

  2. A member of a new plant gene family encoding a meprin and TRAF homology (MATH) domain-containing protein is involved in restriction of long distance movement of plant viruses

    PubMed Central

    Cosson, Patrick; Sofer, Luc; Schurdi-Levraud, Valérie

    2010-01-01

    Restriction of long distance movement of several potyviruses in Arabidopsis thaliana is controlled by at least three dominant restricted TEV movement (RTM) genes, named RTM1, RTM2 and RTM3 and acts as a non-conventional resistance. RTM1 encodes a protein belonging to the jacalin family and RTM2 encodes a protein which has similarities to small heat shock proteins. The recent cloning of RTM3 which encodes a protein belonging to an unknown protein family of 29 members that has a meprin and TRAF homology (MATH) domain in its N-terminal region and a coiled-coil (CC) domain at its C-terminal end is an important breakthrough for a better understanding of this resistance process. Not only the third gene involved in this resistance has been identified and has allowed revealing a new gene family in plant but the discovery that the RTM3 protein interacts directly with RTM1 strongly suggests that the RTM proteins form a multimeric complex. However, these data also highlight striking similarities of the RTM resistance with the well known R-gene mediated resistance. PMID:20930558

  3. Real-time simulation of a Doubly-Fed Induction Generator based wind power system on eMEGASimRTM Real-Time Digital Simulator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boakye-Boateng, Nasir Abdulai

    The growing demand for wind power integration into the generation mix prompts the need to subject these systems to stringent performance requirements. This study sought to identify the required tools and procedures needed to perform real-time simulation studies of Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) based wind generation systems as basis for performing more practical tests of reliability and performance for both grid-connected and islanded wind generation systems. The author focused on developing a platform for wind generation studies and in addition, the author tested the performance of two DFIG models on the platform real-time simulation model; an average SimpowerSystemsRTM DFIG wind turbine, and a detailed DFIG based wind turbine using ARTEMiSRTM components. The platform model implemented here consists of a high voltage transmission system with four integrated wind farm models consisting in total of 65 DFIG based wind turbines and it was developed and tested on OPAL-RT's eMEGASimRTM Real-Time Digital Simulator.

  4. 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.

  5. Composite Properties of RTM370 Polyimide Fabricated by Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chuang, Kathy C.; Criss, James M.; Mintz, Eric A.; Shonkwiler, Brian; McCorkle, Linda S.

    2011-01-01

    RTM370 imide resin based on 2,3,3?,4?-biphenyl dianhydride (a-BPDA), 3,4'-oxydianinline (3,4'-ODA) with the 4-phenylethynylphthalic (PEPA) endcap has been shown to exhibit a high cured T(sub g) (370 C) and low melt viscosity (10-30 poise) at 280 C with a pot-life of 1-2 h. Previously, RTM370 resin has been successfully fabricated into composites reinforced with T650-35 carbon fabrics by resin transfer molding (RTM). RTM370 composites exhibit excellent mechanical properties up to 327?C (620?F), and outstanding property retention after aging at 288?C (550?F) for 1000 h. In this work, RTM370 composites were fabricated by vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM), using vacuum bags on a steel plate. The mechanical properties of RTM370 composites fabricated by VARTM are compared to those prepared by RTM.

  6. Fiber Laser Weldability of Austenitic Nickel Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Watson, Jonathan

    Recent developments of fiber lasers allow for easier beam delivery facilitating greater applications for laser welding in industry. Welding with high energy density heat sources allows for faster travel speeds, faster cooling rates, and smaller heat affected zones. However, there is a still a lack of knowledge base on how laser welding process parameters affect the weldability of austenitic nickel alloys. In this work, laser welds were made on several austenitic nickel alloys from different alloy families: HAYNESRTM 214RTM alloy, HAYNESRTM 282RTM alloy, HAYNESRTM 230RTM alloy, HAYNESRTM HR-120RTM alloy, HAYNESRTM HR-160 RTM alloy, HAYNESRTM 188 alloy, HAYNESRTM 718 alloy. Welds were made at 25 mm/s at laser powers ranging from 400 to 600 Watts. Solidification cracking was observed in cross-sections of the fusion zone of HR-160RTM alloy and HR-120RTM alloy. Dendritic solidification was found in all alloys, and partitioning within the dendritic structure compared well with Scheil calculations performed using ThermoCalc software. A eutectic liquid rich in carbide forming elements was found at the interdendritic regions in 188, 230RTM, 282 RTM, and 718 alloys and was quantified by processing backscatter electron images of the fusion zone. This interdendritic liquid was found to back fill solidification cracks that formed in the fusion zone during weldability testing. Transverse Varestraint and Sigma-Jig testing were performed to rank the weldability of alloys. During Transvarestraint testing, the ram drop timing was recorded in relation to the laser output, and a type R thermocouple was also placed in the laser path, and the approximate cooling rate of the fusion zone was recorded and used to calculate the solidification cracking temperature range. Rankings of the weldability compared well between Sigma-Jig and Transvarestraint testing, with the exception of 214 alloy and HR-120 alloy, which ranked much better and worse, respectively in Sigma-Jig tests. A possible explanation for this difference is the higher thermal conductivity and lower yields strength of 214 alloy and high temperatures, allowing it to accommodate more stress in the Sigma-Jig test. The final ranking of alloys from more weldable to less weldable by Sigma-Jig testing is 188, 214, 282, 718, 230, HR-120, and HR-160. The final ranking by maximum crack length in Transvarestraint specimens listed from more weldable to less weldable is: 188, 282, HR-120, 718, 230, 214, and HR-160.

  7. Experiments Related to the Fabrication of Carbon Fiber/AMB-21 Polyimide Composite Tubes Using the RTM Process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Exum, Daniel

    1996-01-01

    AMB-21 is a new polymer developed by Mr. Ray Vannucci, NASA, LeRC as a noncarcinogenic polyimide matrix which may be suitable for fabricating composite parts by the Resin Transfer Modeling (RTM) process. The polyimide for this project was prepared at the Center of Composite Materials Research at N.C. A&T State University because it is not currently an item of commerce. The RTM process is especially suitable for producing geometrically complex composite parts at a low cost. Because of the high melting point and very high viscosity at the time of processing, polyimides have not been extensively used in the RTM process. The process for preparing AMB-21 as well as the process for fabricating composite plates will be described. The basic fabrication process consists of injecting a solvent solution of AMP-21 into a carbon fiber preform, evaporating the solvent, imidizing the polyimide, and vacuum/compression modeling the impregnated preform. All the above molding steps are preformed in a specially designed RTM mold which will be described. The results of this process have been inconsistent. Where as some experiments have resulted in a reasonably sound panels, others have not. Further refinements of the process are required to establish a reliable process.

  8. Regression to the Mean in SYMPLICITY HTN-3: Implications for Design and Reporting of Future Trials.

    PubMed

    Pocock, Stuart J; Bakris, George; Bhatt, Deepak L; Brar, Sandeep; Fahy, Martin; Gersh, Bernard J

    2016-11-01

    Regression to the mean (RTM) describes the tendency for an extreme measurement on 1 occasion to become less extreme when measured again. RTM may affect clinical trial data interpretation when the outcome measure has high variability. We investigated RTM in the SYMPLICITY HTN-3 (Renal Denervation in Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension) trial of renal denervation versus a sham procedure. Analysis of covariance was performed on the 6-month change in systolic blood pressure, estimating a mean treatment difference of -4.11 mm Hg (95% confidence interval: -8.44 to 0.22 mm Hg; p = 0.064), which was similar to the unadjusted difference but with a smaller confidence interval. RTM occurred in both arms, but it had a negligible effect on the observed treatment difference. A second example concerns changes in hemoglobin A1c in a nonrandomized study. These findings emphasize the importance of incorporating RTM and analysis of covariance into the design and reporting of clinical studies of how treatments affect time changes in quantitative outcomes. (Renal Denervation in Patients With Uncontrolled Hypertension [SYMPLICITY HTN-3]; NCT01418261). Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Informing the Design and Evaluation of Superuser Care Management Initiatives: Accounting for Regression-to-the-Mean.

    PubMed

    Chakravarty, Sujoy; Cantor, Joel C

    2016-09-01

    Health care spending is concentrated among a small number of high-cost patients, and the popularity of initiatives to improve care and reduce cost among such "superusers" (SUs) is growing. However, SU costs decline naturally over time, even without intervention, a statistical phenomenon known as regression-to-the-mean (RTM). We assess the magnitude of RTM in hospital costs for cohorts of hospital SUs identified on the basis of high inpatient (IP) or emergency department (ED) utilization. We further examine how cost and RTM are associated with patient characteristics including behavioral health (BH) problems, multiple chronic conditions, and indicators of vulnerability. Using longitudinally linked all-payer hospital billing data, we selected patient cohorts with ≥2 IP stays (IP SUs) or ≥6 ED visits (ED SUs) during a 6-month baseline period, and additional subgroups defined by combinations of IP and ED superuse. A total of 289,060 NJ hospital IP and treat-and-release ED patients over 2009-2011. Hospital costs among IP and ED SUs declined 70% and 38%, respectively, over 8 quarters following the baseline period. The decrease occurs more quickly for IP SUs compared with ED SUs. Presence of BH problems was positively associated with costs among patients overall, but the relationship varied by SU cohort. Understanding patterns of RTM among SU populations is important for designing intervention strategies, as there is greater potential for savings among patients with more persistent costs (less RTM). Further, as many SU initiatives lack resources for rigorous evaluation, quantifying the extent of RTM is vital for interpreting program outcomes.

  10. PETI-298 Prepared by Microwave Synthesis: Neat Resin and Composite Properties

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Joseph G.; Connell, John W.; Li, Chao-Jun; Wu, Wei; Criss, Jim M., Jr.

    2004-01-01

    PETI-298 is a high temperature/high performance matrix resin that is processable into composites by resin transfer molding (RTM), resin infusion and vacuum assisted RTM techniques. It is typically synthesized in a polar aprotic solvent from the reaction of an aromatic anhydride and a combination of diamines and endcapped with phenylethynylphthalic anhydride. Microwave synthesis of PETI-298 was investigated as a means to eliminate solvent and decrease reaction time. The monomers were manually mixed and placed in a microwave oven for various times to determine optimum reaction conditions. The synthetic process was subsequently scaled-up to 330g. Three batches were synthesized and combined to give 1 kg of material that was characterized for thermal and rheological properties and compared to PETI-298 prepared by the classic solution based synthetic method. The microwave synthesized PETI-298 was subsequently used to fabricate flat laminates on T650 carbon fabric by RTM. The composite panels were analyzed and mechanical properties determined and compared with those fabricated from PETI-298 prepared by the classic solution method. The microwave synthesis process and characterization of neat resin and carbon fiber reinforced composites fabricated by RTM will be presented. KEY WORDS: Resin Transfer Molding, High Temperature Polymers, Phenylethynyl Terminated Imides, Microwave Synthesis

  11. Identification of host factors potentially involved in RTM-mediated resistance during potyvirus long distance movement.

    PubMed

    Sofer, Luc; Cabanillas, Daniel Garcia; Gayral, Mathieu; Téplier, Rachèle; Pouzoulet, Jérôme; Ducousso, Marie; Dufin, Laurène; Bréhélin, Claire; Ziegler-Graff, Véronique; Brault, Véronique; Revers, Frédéric

    2017-07-01

    The long distance movement of potyviruses is a poorly understood step of the viral cycle. Only factors inhibiting this process, referred to as "Restricted TEV Movement" (RTM), have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana. On the virus side, the potyvirus coat protein (CP) displays determinants required for long-distance movement and for RTM-based resistance breaking. However, the potyvirus CP was previously shown not to interact with the RTM proteins. We undertook the identification of Arabidopsis factors which directly interact with either the RTM proteins or the CP of lettuce mosaic virus (LMV). An Arabidopsis cDNA library generated from companion cells was screened with LMV CP and RTM proteins using the yeast two-hybrid system. Fourteen interacting proteins were identified. Two of them were shown to interact with CP and the RTM proteins suggesting that a multiprotein complex could be formed between the RTM proteins and virions or viral ribonucleoprotein complexes. Co-localization experiments in Nicotiana benthamiana showed that most of the viral and cellular protein pairs co-localized at the periphery of chloroplasts which suggests a putative role for plastids in this process.

  12. Novel Low-Melt Viscosity Polyimides for Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-08-29

    used no solvent in the process and the only volatile generated is water tbrmed during the imidization process. Resins were prepared as outlined below...without the use of a solvent. Due to the commercial availabilit \\ of 3,4’ -ODA, RTM370 is cheaper to manufacture than RTM 350 or RTM330. All these rcsins

  13. 3D Tensorial Elastodynamics for Isotropic Media on Vertically Deformed Meshes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shragge, J. C.

    2017-12-01

    Solutions of the 3D elastodynamic wave equation are sometimes required in industrial and academic applications of elastic reverse-time migration (E-RTM) and full waveform inversion (E-FWI) that involve vertically deformed meshes. Examples include incorporating irregular free-surface topography and handling internal boundaries (e.g., water bottom) directly into the computational meshes. In 3D E-RTM and E-FWI applications, the number of forward modeling simulations can number in the tens of thousands (per iteration), which necessitates the development of stable, accurate and efficient 3D elastodynamics solvers. For topographic scenarios, most finite-difference solution approaches use a change-of-variable strategy that has a number of associated computational challenges, including difficulties in handling of the free-surface boundary condition. In this study, I follow a tensorial approach and use a generalized family of analytic transforms to develop a set of analytic equations for 3D elastodynamics that directly incorporates vertical grid deformations. Importantly, this analytic approach allows for the specification of an analytic free-surface boundary condition appropriate for vertically deformed meshes. These equations are both straightforward and efficient to solve using a velocity-stress formulation with finite-difference (MFD) operators implemented on a fully staggered grid. Moreover, I demonstrate that the use of mimetic finite difference (MFD) methods allows stable, accurate, and efficient numerical solutions to be simulated for typical topographic scenarios. Examples demonstrate that high-quality elastic wavefields can be generated for topographic surfaces exhibiting significant topographic relief.

  14. A novel strategy for hemolytic uremic syndrome: successful treatment with thrombomodulin α.

    PubMed

    Honda, Takashi; Ogata, Shohei; Mineo, Eri; Nagamori, Yukako; Nakamura, Shinya; Bando, Yuki; Ishii, Masahiro

    2013-03-01

    Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a life-threatening infectious disease in childhood for which there is no confirmed therapeutic strategy. Endothelial inflammation leading to microthrombosis formation via complement activation is the main pathology of HUS. Thrombomodulin is an endothelial membrane protein that has anticoagulation and anti-inflammatory effects, including the suppression of complement activity. Recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rTM) is a novel therapeutic medicine for disseminated intravascular coagulation. We administered rTM to 3 patients with HUS for 7 days and investigated the outcomes in view of the patients' prognoses, changes in biochemical markers, complications, and adverse effects of rTM. Symptoms and laboratory data improved after initiation of rTM in all 3 patients. Abnormal activation of complements was also dramatically suppressed in 1 patient. The patients recovered without any complications or adverse effects of rTM. They were discharged having normal neurologic status and with no renal dysfunction. To our knowledge, this is the first report of rTM being used to treat HUS. These case reports show the positive effect of rTM in patients with HUS. Randomized controlled studies should be performed to assess the efficacy and safety of rTM for children with HUS.

  15. Cavernomas de la región temporal mesial: Anatomía microquirúrgica y abordajes

    PubMed Central

    Campero, Alvaro

    2015-01-01

    Objetivo: Describir la anatomía microquirúrgica y los abordajes a la región temporal mesial (RTM), en relación a cavernomas de dicho sector. Materiales y Método: Cinco cabezas de cadáveres adultos, fijadas en formol e inyectadas con silicona coloreada, fueron estudiadas. Además, desde enero de 2007 a junio de 2014, 7 pacientes con cavernomas localizados en la RTM fueron operados por el autor. Resultados: Anatomia: La RTM fue dividida en 3 sectores: Anterior, medio y posterior. Pacientes: 7 enfermos con cavernomas de la RTM fueron operados por el autor. De acuerdo a la ubicacion en la RTM, 4 cavernomas se ubicaron en el sector anterior, 2 cavernomas se localizaron en el sector medio y 1 cavernoma se ubico en el sector posterior. Para el sector anterior de la RTM se utilizo un abordaje transsilviano-transinsular; para el sector medio de la RTM se utilizo un abordaje transtemporal (lobectomia temporal anterior); y para el sector posterior de la RTM se utilizo un abordaje supracerebeloso-transtentorial. Conclusión: Dividir la RTM en 3 sectores nos permite adecuar el abordaje en función a la localización de la lesión. Así, el sector anterior es bien abordable a través de la fisura silviana; el sector medio a través de una vía transtemporal; y el sector posterior por un abordaje supracerebeloso. PMID:26600986

  16. Concept of a Fast and Simple Atmospheric Radiative Transfer Model for Aerosol Retrieval

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seidel, Felix; Kokhanovsky, Alexander A.

    2010-05-01

    Radiative transfer modelling (RTM) is an indispensable tool for a number of applications, including astrophysics, climate studies and quantitative remote sensing. It simulates the attenuation of light through a translucent medium. Here, we look at the scattering and absorption of solar light on its way to the Earth's surface and back to space or back into a remote sensing instrument. RTM is regularly used in the framework of the so-called atmospheric correction to find properties of the surface. Further, RTM can be inverted to retrieve features of the atmosphere, such as the aerosol optical depth (AOD), for instance. Present-day RTM, such as 6S, MODTRAN, SHARM, RT3, SCIATRAN or RTMOM have errors of only a few percent, however they are rather slow and often not easy to use. We present here a concept for a fast and simple RTM model in the visible spectral range. It is using a blend of different existing RTM approaches with a special emphasis on fast approximative analytical equations and parametrizations. This concept may be helpful for efficient retrieval algorithms, which do not have to rely on the classic look-up-tables (LUT) approach. For example, it can be used to retrieve AOD without complex inversion procedures including multiple iterations. Naturally, there is always a trade-off between speed and modelling accuracy. The code can be run therefore in two different modes. The regular mode provides a reasonable ratio between speed and accuracy, while the optional mode is very fast but less accurate. The normal mode approximates the diffuse scattered light by calculating the first (single scattering) and second order of scattering according to the classical method of successive orders of scattering. The very fast mode calculates only the single scattering approximation, which does not need any slow numerical integration procedure, and uses a simple correction factor to account for multiple scattering. This factor is a parametrization of MODTRAN results, which provide a typical ratio between single and multiple scattered light. A comparison of the presented RTM concept to the widely accepted 6S RTM reveals errors of up to 10% in standard mode. This is acceptable for certain applications. The very fast mode may lead to errors of up to 30%, but it is still able to reproduce qualitatively the results of 6S. An experimental implementation of this RTM concept is written in the common IDL language. It is therefore very flexible and straightforward to be implemented into custom retrieval algorithms of the remote sensing community. The code might also be used to add an atmosphere on top of an existing vegetation-canopy or water RTM. Due to the ease of use of the RTM code and the comprehensibility of the internal equations, the concept might be useful for educational purposes as well. The very fast mode could be of interest for a real-time applications, such as an in-flight instrument performance check for airborne optical sensors. In the future, the concept can be extended to account for scattering according to Mie theory, polarization and gaseous absorption. It is expected that this would reduce the model error to 5% or less.

  17. RTM370 Polyimide Braided Composites: Characterization and Impact Testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chuang, Kathy C.; Revilock, Duane M.; Ruggeri, Charles R.; Criss, Jim M., Jr.; Mintz, Eric A.

    2013-01-01

    RTM370 imide oligomer based on 2,3,3',4'-biphenyl dianhydride (a-BPDA), 3,4'-oxydianiline (3,4'-ODA) and terminated with the 4-phenylethynylphthalic (PEPA) endcap has been shown to exhibit a low melt viscosity (10-30 poise) at 280 C with a pot-life of 1-2 h and a high cured glass transition temperature (Tg) of 370 C. RTM370 resin has been successfully fabricated into composites reinforced with T650-35 carbon fabrics by resin transfer molding (RTM). RTM370 composites display excellent mechanical properties up to 327 C (620 F), and outstanding property retention after aging at 288degC (550 F) for 1000 h, and under hot-wet conditions. In ballistic impact testing, RTM370 triaxial braided T650-35 carbon fiber composites exhibited enhanced energy absorption at 288 C (550 F) compared to ambient temperature.

  18. RTM simulations and experiments for fiber-reinforced turbine blades forming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, Tuan Linh; Marchand, Christophe

    2018-05-01

    The one-shot (full part) forming of tidal turbine blades by RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) process is a complex process due to the complexity of reinforcements and geometry of blades. In this work, beside the experimental tests which have been realized using IRT JV high capacity machines, the RTM simulations using Moldex3D RTM software have been carried out. First of all, simulations have been done on a 1/7th scale part in order to determine the best injection strategy. Different tested strategies vary by the disposition of injection points (Inlet)/vacuum points (Outlet). Then, the chosen strategy has been applied on the full scale part (˜ 7m length) of high thickness with more complex reinforcement draping. In both cases, the stage of meshing is important to take into account the draping plan with different fiber orientation and fiber types. Attention should be paid on the neck of the blade as the structure of reinforcement changes. A sensitivity study of different parameters (permeability, pressure, temperature) has been then done to understand their influence on the injection time. The permeability which lies to the choice of reinforcement type and fiber volume fraction plays an important role. As the thickness of the part is high, an experimental campaign for measuring the 3D permeability is required. Among the process controllable parameters, the pressure seems the fastest way to reduce the injection time. However, increasing the injection pressure (or the vacuum) could deform the reinforcement. Moreover, the maximal pressure depends on the machine capacity. The influence of temperature shows the thermo-dependence of resin viscosity, the injection time thus decreases as the temperature increases. Nevertheless, the gel time is more limited for injection stage if the resin is heated too much.

  19. Conditional random slope: A new approach for estimating individual child growth velocity in epidemiological research.

    PubMed

    Leung, Michael; Bassani, Diego G; Racine-Poon, Amy; Goldenberg, Anna; Ali, Syed Asad; Kang, Gagandeep; Premkumar, Prasanna S; Roth, Daniel E

    2017-09-10

    Conditioning child growth measures on baseline accounts for regression to the mean (RTM). Here, we present the "conditional random slope" (CRS) model, based on a linear-mixed effects model that incorporates a baseline-time interaction term that can accommodate multiple data points for a child while also directly accounting for RTM. In two birth cohorts, we applied five approaches to estimate child growth velocities from 0 to 12 months to assess the effect of increasing data density (number of measures per child) on the magnitude of RTM of unconditional estimates, and the correlation and concordance between the CRS and four alternative metrics. Further, we demonstrated the differential effect of the choice of velocity metric on the magnitude of the association between infant growth and stunting at 2 years. RTM was minimally attenuated by increasing data density for unconditional growth modeling approaches. CRS and classical conditional models gave nearly identical estimates with two measures per child. Compared to the CRS estimates, unconditional metrics had moderate correlation (r = 0.65-0.91), but poor agreement in the classification of infants with relatively slow growth (kappa = 0.38-0.78). Estimates of the velocity-stunting association were the same for CRS and classical conditional models but differed substantially between conditional versus unconditional metrics. The CRS can leverage the flexibility of linear mixed models while addressing RTM in longitudinal analyses. © 2017 The Authors American Journal of Human Biology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Simulation and Validation of Injection-Compression Filling Stage of Liquid Moulding with Fast Curing Resins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, Ffion A.; Warrior, Nicholas A.; Simacek, Pavel; Advani, Suresh; Hughes, Adrian; Darlington, Roger; Senan, Eissa

    2018-03-01

    Very short manufacture cycle times are required if continuous carbon fibre and epoxy composite components are to be economically viable solutions for high volume composite production for the automotive industry. Here, a manufacturing process variant of resin transfer moulding (RTM), targets a reduction of in-mould manufacture time by reducing the time to inject and cure components. The process involves two stages; resin injection followed by compression. A flow simulation methodology using an RTM solver for the process has been developed. This paper compares the simulation prediction to experiments performed using industrial equipment. The issues encountered during the manufacturing are included in the simulation and their sensitivity to the process is explored.

  1. Repetitive thinking about the mother during distress moderates the link between children's attentional breadth around the mother and depressive symptoms in middle childhood.

    PubMed

    Van de Walle, Magali; Bijttebier, Patricia; De Raedt, Rudi; Bosmans, Guy

    2017-03-01

    It has been suggested that an increased attentional focus on the mother should be maladaptive in middle childhood. However, the effect of a more narrow attentional field around the mother may depend on the mother-child relationship. The current study tested whether a more narrow attentional field around the mother is mainly maladaptive for children who tend to think repetitively about their mother (RTm) during distress. More specifically, it investigates whether RTm during distress provides the context in which an increased attentional focus on the mother is linked to depressive symptoms in middle childhood. RTm was measured using a self-report questionnaire. The breadth of children's attentional field around the mother was measured with the Attentional Breadth Task. This computer task assesses the extent to which children have a more narrow attentional field around the mother compared to unfamiliar women. Results of the current study (N = 157) support the hypothesis that 9-12 year old children who have a more narrow attentional field around the mother and who at the same time report more RTm during distress, have more depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Evaluating the Impact of a Patient-centered Remote Monitoring Program on Adherence to Negative Pressure Wound Therapy.

    PubMed

    Griffin, Leah; Casillas, Laura Leyva

    2018-03-01

    A remote therapy monitoring (RTM) system has been developed for use with a negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) unit for patients in the home care setting. In conjunction with RTM, a network of trained professionals call patients when their NPWT usage is low and provide education to assist with therapy adherence. The objective of this evaluation is to examine the relationship between the RTM system and patient adherence. One hundred ninety-eight home care patients receiving NPWT with RTM between December 2016 and April 2017 were included. A total of 979 calls were made, with an average of 4.9 calls per patient. Among 198 patients, 195 received a welcome call, 157 received a call due to low adherence, and 35 had an escalation call made to their treating nurse. Of the 157 patients who required at least 1 call due to low adherence, 153 were successfully contacted at least once. The day following the patient call, adherence increased 73% of the time by an average of 8.5 hours. This evaluation suggests there is an ability to influence patient adherence through active engagement, potentially improving outcomes and reducing wound costs.

  3. Progress in manufacturing large primary aircraft structures using the stitching/RTM process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Markus, Alan; Thrash, Patrick; Rohwer, Kim

    1993-01-01

    The Douglas Aircraft/NASA Act contract has been focused over the past three years at developing a materials, manufacturing, and cost base for stitched/Resin Transfer Molded (RTM) composites. The goal of the program is to develop RTM and stitching technology to provide enabling technology for application of these materials in primary aircraft structure with a high degree of confidence. Presented in this paper will be the progress to date in the area of manufacturing and associated cost values of stitched/RTM composites.

  4. Estimating regression to the mean and true effects of an intervention in a four-wave panel study.

    PubMed

    Gmel, Gerhard; Wicki, Matthias; Rehm, Jürgen; Heeb, Jean-Luc

    2008-01-01

    First, to analyse whether a taxation-related decrease in spirit prices had a similar effect on spirit consumption for low-, medium- and high-level drinkers. Secondly, as the relationship between baseline values and post-intervention changes is confounded with regression to the mean (RTM) effects, to apply different approaches for estimating the RTM effect and true change. Consumption of spirits and total alcohol consumption were analysed in a four-wave panel study (one pre-intervention and three post-intervention measurements) of 889 alcohol consumers sampled from the general population of Switzerland. Two correlational methods, one method quantitatively estimating the RTM effect and one growth curve approach based on hierarchical linear models (HLM), were used to estimate RTM effects among low-, medium- and high-level drinkers. Adjusted for RTM effects, high-level drinkers increased consumption more than lighter drinkers in the short term, but this was not a persisting effect. Changes in taxation affected mainly light and moderate drinkers in the long term. All methods concurred that RTM effects were present to a considerable degree, and methods quantifying the RTM effect or adjusting for it yielded similar estimates. Intervention studies have to consider RTM effects both in the study design and in the evaluation methods. Observed changes can be adjusted for RTM effects and true change can be estimated. The recommended method, particularly if the aim is to estimate change not only for the sample as a whole, but for groups of drinkers with different baseline consumption levels, is growth curve modelling. If reliability of measurement instruments cannot be increased, the incorporation of more than one pre-intervention measurement point may be a valuable adjustment of the study design.

  5. Development of a Water Recovery System Resource Tracking Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chambliss, Joe; Stambaugh, Imelda; Sargusingh, Miriam; Shull, Sarah; Moore, Michael

    2015-01-01

    A simulation model has been developed to track water resources in an exploration vehicle using Regenerative Life Support (RLS) systems. The Resource Tracking Model (RTM) integrates the functions of all the vehicle components that affect the processing and recovery of water during simulated missions. The approach used in developing the RTM enables its use as part of a complete vehicle simulation for real time mission studies. Performance data for the components in the RTM is focused on water processing. The data provided to the model has been based on the most recent information available regarding the technology of the component. This paper will describe the process of defining the RLS system to be modeled, the way the modeling environment was selected, and how the model has been implemented. Results showing how the RLS components exchange water are provided in a set of test cases.

  6. Global Soil Moisture Estimation through a Coupled CLM4-RTM-DART Land Data Assimilation System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, L.; Yang, Z. L.; Hoar, T. J.

    2016-12-01

    Very few frameworks exist that estimate global-scale soil moisture through microwave land data assimilation (DA). Toward this goal, we have developed such a framework by linking the Community Land Model version 4 (CLM4) and a microwave radiative transfer model (RTM) with the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART). The deterministic Ensemble Adjustment Kalman Filter (EAKF) within the DART is utilized to estimate global multi-layer soil moisture by assimilating brightness temperature observations from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for Earth Observing System (AMSR-E). A 40-member of Community Atmosphere Model version 4 (CAM4) reanalysis is adopted to drive CLM4 simulations. Spatial-specific time-invariant microwave parameters are pre-calibrated to minimize uncertainties in RTM. Besides, various methods are designed in consideration of computational efficiency. A series of experiments are conducted to quantify the DA sensitivity to microwave parameters, choice of assimilated observations, and different CLM4 updating schemes. Evaluation results indicate that the newly established CLM4-RTM-DART framework improves the open-loop CLM4 simulated soil moisture. Pre-calibrated microwave parameters, rather than their default values, can ensure a more robust global-scale performance. In addition, updating near-surface soil moisture is capable of improving soil moisture in deeper layers, while simultaneously updating multi-layer soil moisture fails to obtain intended improvements. We will show in this presentation the architecture of the CLM4-RTM-DART system and the evaluations on AMSR-E DA. Preliminary results on multi-sensor DA that integrates various satellite observations including GRACE, MODIS, and AMSR-E will also be presented. ReferenceZhao, L., Z.-L. Yang, and T. J. Hoar, 2016. Global Soil Moisture Estimation by Assimilating AMSR-E Brightness Temperatures in a Coupled CLM4-RTM-DART System. Journal of Hydrometeorology, DOI: 10.1175/JHM-D-15-0218.1.

  7. Solution to the spectral filter problem of residual terrain modelling (RTM)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rexer, Moritz; Hirt, Christian; Bucha, Blažej; Holmes, Simon

    2018-06-01

    In physical geodesy, the residual terrain modelling (RTM) technique is frequently used for high-frequency gravity forward modelling. In the RTM technique, a detailed elevation model is high-pass-filtered in the topography domain, which is not equivalent to filtering in the gravity domain. This in-equivalence, denoted as spectral filter problem of the RTM technique, gives rise to two imperfections (errors). The first imperfection is unwanted low-frequency (LF) gravity signals, and the second imperfection is missing high-frequency (HF) signals in the forward-modelled RTM gravity signal. This paper presents new solutions to the RTM spectral filter problem. Our solutions are based on explicit modelling of the two imperfections via corrections. The HF correction is computed using spectral domain gravity forward modelling that delivers the HF gravity signal generated by the long-wavelength RTM reference topography. The LF correction is obtained from pre-computed global RTM gravity grids that are low-pass-filtered using surface or solid spherical harmonics. A numerical case study reveals maximum absolute signal strengths of ˜ 44 mGal (0.5 mGal RMS) for the HF correction and ˜ 33 mGal (0.6 mGal RMS) for the LF correction w.r.t. a degree-2160 reference topography within the data coverage of the SRTM topography model (56°S ≤ φ ≤ 60°N). Application of the LF and HF corrections to pre-computed global gravity models (here the GGMplus gravity maps) demonstrates the efficiency of the new corrections over topographically rugged terrain. Over Switzerland, consideration of the HF and LF corrections reduced the RMS of the residuals between GGMplus and ground-truth gravity from 4.41 to 3.27 mGal, which translates into ˜ 26% improvement. Over a second test area (Canada), our corrections reduced the RMS of the residuals between GGMplus and ground-truth gravity from 5.65 to 5.30 mGal (˜ 6% improvement). Particularly over Switzerland, geophysical signals (associated, e.g. with valley fillings) were found to stand out more clearly in the RTM-reduced gravity measurements when the HF and LF correction are taken into account. In summary, the new RTM filter corrections can be easily computed and applied to improve the spectral filter characteristics of the popular RTM approach. Benefits are expected, e.g. in the context of the development of future ultra-high-resolution global gravity models, smoothing of observed gravity data in mountainous terrain and geophysical interpretations of RTM-reduced gravity measurements.

  8. Seismic imaging in hardrock environments: The role of heterogeneity?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bongajum, Emmanuel; Milkereit, Bernd; Adam, Erick; Meng, Yijian

    2012-10-01

    We investigate the effect of petrophysical scale parameters and structural dips on wave propagation and imaging in heterogeneous media. Seismic wave propagation effects within the heterogeneous media are studied for different velocity models with scale lengths determined via stochastic analysis of petrophysical logs from the Matagami mine, Quebec, Canada. The elastic modeling study reveals that provided certain conditions of the velocity fluctuations are met, strong local distortions of amplitude and arrival times of propagating waves are observed as the degree of scale length anisotropy in the P-wave velocity increases. The location of these local amplitude anomalies is related to the dips characterizing the fabric of the host rocks. This result is different from the elliptical shape of direct waves often defined by effective anisotropic parameters used for layered media. Although estimates of anisotropic parameters suggest weak anisotropy in the investigated models, these effective anisotropic parameters often used in VTI/TTI do not sufficiently describe the effects of scale length anisotropy in heterogeneous media that show such local amplitude, travel time, and phase distortions in the wavefields. Numerical investigations on the implications for reverse time migration (RTM) routines corroborate that mean P-wave velocity of the host rocks produces reliable imaging results. Based on the RTM results, we postulate the following: weak anisotropy in hardrock environments is a sufficient assumption for processing seismic data; and seismic scattering effects due to velocity heterogeneity with a dip component is not sufficient to cause mislocation errors of target structures as observed in the discrepancy between the location of the strong seismic reflections associated to the Matagami sulfide orebody and its true location. Future work will investigate other factors that may provide plausible explanations for these mislocation problems, with the objective of providing a mitigation strategy for incorporation into the seismic data processing sequence when imaging in hardrock settings.

  9. Evaluation of Hand Lay-Up and Resin Transfer Molding in Composite Wind Turbine Blade Manufacturing

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

    CAIRNS,DOUGLAS S.; SHRAMSTAD,JON D.

    2000-06-01

    The majority of the wind turbine blade industry currently uses low cost hand lay-up manufacturing techniques to process composite blades. While there are benefits to the hand lay-up process, drawbacks inherent to this process along with advantages of other techniques suggest that better manufacturing alternatives may be available. Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) was identified as a processing alternative and shows promise in addressing the shortcomings of hand lay-up. This report details a comparison of the RTM process to hand lay-up of composite wind turbine blade structures. Several lay-up schedules and critical turbine blade structures were chosen for comparison of theirmore » properties resulting from RTM and hand lay-up processing. The geometries investigated were flat plate, thin and thick flanged T-stiffener, I-beam, and root connection joint. It was found that the manufacturing process played an important role in laminate thickness, fiber volume, and weight for the geometries investigated. RTM was found to reduce thickness and weight and increase fiber volumes for all substructures. RTM resulted in tighter material transition radii and eliminated the need for most secondary bonding operations. These results would significantly reduce the weight of wind turbine blades. Hand lay-up was consistently slower in fabrication times for the structures investigated. A comparison of mechanical properties showed no significant differences after employing fiber volume normalization techniques to account for geometry differences resulting from varying fiber volumes. The current root specimen design does not show significant mechanical property differences according to process and exceeds all static and fatigue requirements.« less

  10. Development of RTM and powder prepreg resins for subsonic aircraft primary structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woo, Edmund P.; Groleau, Michael R.; Bertram, James L.; Puckett, Paul M.; Maynard, Shawn J.

    1993-01-01

    Dow developed a thermoset resin which could be used to produce composites via the RTM process. The composites formed are useful at 200 F service temperatures after moisture saturation, and are tough systems that are suitable for subsonic aircraft primary structure. At NASA's request, Dow also developed a modified version of the RTM resin system which was suitable for use in producing powder prepreg. In the course of developing the RTM and powder versions of these resins, over 50 different new materials were produced and evaluated.

  11. Barriers to telemedicine: survey of current users in acute care units.

    PubMed

    Rogove, Herbert J; McArthur, David; Demaerschalk, Bart M; Vespa, Paul M

    2012-01-01

    The present study of current telemedicine users is a unique attempt to understand the barriers and motivational factors related to the utilization of telemedicine. A survey of emergency and critical care remote presence telemedicine users was conducted to determine the factors that motivate and the barriers that impede the acceptance and maintenance of a robotic telemedicine (RTM) program. The majority of the survey users were in the Emergency Department or in the Intensive Care Unit. E-mail invitations were sent to 483 individuals representing 63 healthcare institutions and groups in North America and Europe. Respondents were directed to a Web-based survey. The survey consisted of 96 separate questions, addressing user familiarity and 5-point Likert scales, addressing issues spanning the conceptual and practical issues surrounding adoption of telemedicine. A total of 106 surveys were completed, representing an individual response rate of 21.9% but an institutional response rate of 60.3%. More than two-thirds of the respondents were physicians who participated in active RTM programs. Across seven different topics related to barriers to implementing RTM, the majority of all respondents indicated that cultural issues did not constitute meaningful hurdles, technological matters were generally favorable, and that most personnel were agreeable to both achieving the buy-in to start an RTM program and to maintaining RTM once started. However, respondents proclaimed that RTM's success was still hampered by licensing, credentialing, and malpractice protection, as well as costs, billing, and reimbursement issues. Achieving immediate patient access, overcoming service gaps, improving quality, providing clinical support, maintaining patient satisfaction, and adhering to practice guidelines were viewed as significant motives for RTM implementation. The leading applications of RTM included emergency response and consultation. The patients, physicians, nurses, nor hospital executives served as barriers to implementation. However, licensing, costs for technology, and reimbursement for RTM continue to impede progress.

  12. REDUCING UNCERTAINTIES IN MODEL PREDICTIONS VIA HISTORY MATCHING OF CO2 MIGRATION AND REACTIVE TRANSPORT MODELING OF CO2 FATE AT THE SLEIPNER PROJECT

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

    Zhu, Chen

    2015-03-31

    An important question for the Carbon Capture, Storage, and Utility program is “can we adequately predict the CO2 plume migration?” For tracking CO2 plume development, the Sleipner project in the Norwegian North Sea provides more time-lapse seismic monitoring data than any other sites, but significant uncertainties still exist for some of the reservoir parameters. In Part I, we assessed model uncertainties by applying two multi-phase compositional simulators to the Sleipner Benchmark model for the uppermost layer (Layer 9) of the Utsira Sand and calibrated our model against the time-lapsed seismic monitoring data for the site from 1999 to 2010. Approximatemore » match with the observed plume was achieved by introducing lateral permeability anisotropy, adding CH4 into the CO2 stream, and adjusting the reservoir temperatures. Model-predicted gas saturation, CO2 accumulation thickness, and CO2 solubility in brine—none were used as calibration metrics—were all comparable with the interpretations of the seismic data in the literature. In Part II & III, we evaluated the uncertainties of predicted long-term CO2 fate up to 10,000 years, due to uncertain reaction kinetics. Under four scenarios of the kinetic rate laws, the temporal and spatial evolution of CO2 partitioning into the four trapping mechanisms (hydrodynamic/structural, solubility, residual/capillary, and mineral) was simulated with ToughReact, taking into account the CO2-brine-rock reactions and the multi-phase reactive flow and mass transport. Modeling results show that different rate laws for mineral dissolution and precipitation reactions resulted in different predicted amounts of trapped CO2 by carbonate minerals, with scenarios of the conventional linear rate law for feldspar dissolution having twice as much mineral trapping (21% of the injected CO2) as scenarios with a Burch-type or Alekseyev et al.–type rate law for feldspar dissolution (11%). So far, most reactive transport modeling (RTM) studies for CCUS have used the conventional rate law and therefore simulated the upper bound of mineral trapping. However, neglecting the regional flow after injection, as most previous RTM studies have done, artificially limits the extent of geochemical reactions as if it were in a batch system. By replenishing undersaturated groundwater from upstream, the Utsira Sand is reactive over a time scale of 10,000 years. The results from this project have been communicated via five peer-reviewed journal articles, four conference proceeding papers, and 19 invited and contributed presentations at conferences and seminars.« less

  13. A study of infrasonic anisotropy and multipathing in the atmosphere using seismic networks.

    PubMed

    Hedlin, Michael A H; Walker, Kristoffer T

    2013-02-13

    We discuss the use of reverse time migration (RTM) with dense seismic networks for the detection and location of sources of atmospheric infrasound. Seismometers measure the response of the Earth's surface to infrasound through acoustic-to-seismic coupling. RTM has recently been applied to data from the USArray network to create a catalogue of infrasonic sources in the western US. Specifically, several hundred sources were detected in 2007-2008, many of which were not observed by regional infrasonic arrays. The influence of the east-west stratospheric zonal winds is clearly seen in the seismic data with most detections made downwind of the source. We study this large-scale anisotropy of infrasonic propagation, using a winter and summer source in Idaho. The bandpass-filtered (1-5 Hz) seismic waveforms reveal in detail the two-dimensional spread of the infrasonic wavefield across the Earth's surface within approximately 800 km of the source. Using three-dimensional ray tracing, we find that the stratospheric winds above 30 km altitude in the ground-to-space (G2S) atmospheric model explain well the observed anisotropy pattern. We also analyse infrasound from well-constrained explosions in northern Utah with a denser IRIS PASSCAL seismic network. The standard G2S model correctly predicts the anisotropy of the stratospheric duct, but it incorrectly predicts the dimensions of the shadow zones in the downwind direction. We show that the inclusion of finer-scale structure owing to internal gravity waves infills the shadow zones and predicts the observed time durations of the signals. From the success of this method in predicting the observations, we propose that multipathing owing to fine scale, layer-cake structure is the primary mechanism governing propagation for frequencies above approximately 1 Hz and infer that stochastic approaches incorporating internal gravity waves are a useful improvement to the standard G2S model for infrasonic propagation modelling.

  14. Reverse-Time Imaging Based on Full-Waveform Inverted Velocity Model for Nondestructive Testing of Heterogeneous Engineered Structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, L. T.; Modrak, R. T.; Saenger, E. H.; Tromp, J.

    2017-12-01

    Reverse-time migration (RTM) can reconstruct reflectors and scatterers by cross-correlating the source wavefield and the receiver wavefield given a known velocity model of the background. In nondestructive testing, however, the engineered structure under inspection is often composed of layers of various materials and the background material has been degraded non-uniformly because of environmental or operational effects. On the other hand, ultrasonic waveform tomography based on the principles of full-waveform inversion (FWI) has succeeded in detecting anomalous features in engineered structures. But the building of the wave velocity model of the comprehensive small-size and high-contrast defect(s) is difficult because it requires computationally expensive high-frequency numerical wave simulations and an accurate understanding of large-scale background variations of the engineered structure.To reduce computational cost and improve detection of small defects, a useful approach is to divide the waveform tomography procedure into two steps: first, a low-frequency model-building step aimed at recovering background structure using FWI, and second, a high-frequency imaging step targeting defects using RTM. Through synthetic test cases, we show that the two-step procedure appears more promising in most cases than a single-step inversion. In particular, we find that the new workflow succeeds in the challenging scenario where the defect lies along preexisting layer interface in a composite bridge deck and in related experiments involving noisy data or inaccurate source parameters. The results reveal the potential of the new wavefield imaging method and encourage further developments in data processing, enhancing computation power, and optimizing the imaging workflow itself so that the procedure can efficiently be applied to geometrically complex 3D solids and waveguides. Lastly, owing to the scale invariance of the elastic wave equation, this imaging procedure can be transferred to applications in regional scales as well.

  15. How to show that unicorn milk is a chronobiotic: the regression-to-the-mean statistical artifact.

    PubMed

    Atkinson, G; Waterhouse, J; Reilly, T; Edwards, B

    2001-11-01

    Few chronobiologists may be aware of the regression-to-the-mean (RTM) statistical artifact, even though it may have far-reaching influences on chronobiological data. With the aid of simulated measurements of the circadian rhythm phase of body temperature and a completely bogus stimulus (unicorn milk), we explain what RTM is and provide examples relevant to chronobiology. We show how RTM may lead to erroneous conclusions regarding individual differences in phase responses to rhythm disturbances and how it may appear as though unicorn milk has phase-shifting effects and can successfully treat some circadian rhythm disorders. Guidelines are provided to ensure RTM effects are minimized in chronobiological investigations.

  16. Cluster synthesis and direct ordering of rare-earth transition-metal nanomagnets.

    PubMed

    Balasubramanian, Balamurugan; Skomski, Ralph; Li, Xingzhong; Valloppilly, Shah R; Shield, Jeffrey E; Hadjipanayis, George C; Sellmyer, David J

    2011-04-13

    Rare-earth transition-metal (R-TM) alloys show superior permanent magnetic properties in the bulk, but the synthesis and application of R-TM nanoparticles remains a challenge due to the requirement of high-temperature annealing above about 800 °C for alloy formation and subsequent crystalline ordering. Here we report a single-step method to produce highly ordered R-TM nanoparticles such as YCo(5) and Y(2)Co(17), without high-temperature thermal annealing by employing a cluster-deposition system and investigate their structural and magnetic properties. The direct ordering is highly desirable to create and assemble R-TM nanoparticle building blocks for future permanent-magnet and other significant applications.

  17. Study and development of sulfated zirconia based proton exchange fuel cell membranes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kemp, Brittany Wilson

    With the increasing consumption of energy, fuel cells are among the most promising alternatives to fossil fuels, provided some technical challenges are overcome. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have been investigated and improvements have been made, but the problem with NafionRTM, the main membrane for PEMFCs, has not been solved. NafionRTM restricts the membranes from operating at higher temperatures, thus preventing them from working in small electronics. The problem is to develop a novel fuel cell membrane that performs comparably to NafionRTM in PEMFCs. The membranes were fabricated by applying sulfated zirconia, via template wetting, to porous alumina membranes. The fabricated membranes showed a proton conductivity of 0.016 S/cm in comparison to the proton conductivity of Nafion RTM (0.05 S/cm). Both formic acid and methanol had a lower crossover flux through the sulfated zirconia membranes (formic acid- 2.89x10 -7 mols/cm2s and methanol-1.78x10-9 mols/cm2s) than through NafionRTM (formic acid-2.03x10 -8 mols/cm2s methanol-2.42x10-6 mols/cm 2s), indicating that a sulfated zirconia PEMFC may serve as a replacement for NafionRTM.

  18. The effects of aircraft fuel and fluids on the strength properties of Resin Transfer Molded (RTM) composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Falcone, Anthony; Dow, Marvin B.

    1993-01-01

    The resin transfer molding (RTM) process offers important advantages for cost-effective composites manufacturing, and consequently has become the subject of intense research and development efforts. Several new matrix resins have been formulated specifically for RTM applications in aircraft and aerospace vehicles. For successful use on aircraft, composite materials must withstand exposure to the fluids in common use. The present study was conducted to obtain comparative screening data on several state-ofthe-art RTM resins after environmental exposures were performed on RTM composite specimens. Four graphite/epoxy composites and one graphite/bismaleimide composite were tested; testing of two additional graphite epoxy composites is in progress. Zero-deg tension tests were conducted on specimens machined from eight-ply (+45-deg, -45-deg) laminates, and interlaminar shear tests were conducted on 32-ply 0-deg laminate specimens. In these tests, the various RTM resins demonstrated widely different strengths, with 3501-6 epoxy being the strongest. As expected, all of the matrix resins suffered severe strength degradation from exposure to methylene chloride (paint stripper). The 3501-6 epoxy composites exhibited about a 30 percent drop in tensile strength in hot, wet tests. The E905-L epoxy exhibited little loss of tensile strength (less than 8 percent) after exposure to water. The CET-2 and 862 epoxies as well as the bismaleimide exhibited reduced strengths at elevated temperature after exposure to oils and fuel. In terms of the percentage strength reductions, all of the RTM matrix resins compared favorably with 3501-6 epoxy.

  19. Polyimide Composites Based on Asymmetric Dianhydrides (a-ODPA vs a-BPDA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chuang, Kathy C.; Criss, James M.; Mintz, Eric A.

    2009-01-01

    RTM Resins based on a-ODPA and a-BPDA with kinked diamines exhibit low-melt viscosity (approximately 10 poise). Composites made from a-ODPA resins (T(sub g) = 265-330 C) by RTM display good mechanical properties at 288 C (550 F), but soften at 315 C (600 F). Composites of RTM370 based on a-BPDA retain excellent mechanical properties at 315 C, exceeding BMI-5270-1 capability.

  20. Resource Tracking Model Updates and Trade Studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chambliss, Joe; Stambaugh, Imelda; Moore, Michael

    2016-01-01

    The Resource Tracking Model has been updated to capture system manager and project manager inputs. Both the Trick/General Use Nodal Network Solver Resource Tracking Model (RTM) simulator and the RTM mass balance spreadsheet have been revised to address inputs from system managers and to refine the way mass balance is illustrated. The revisions to the RTM included the addition of a Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) to recover hydrogen from Sabatier Reactor methane, which was vented in the prior version of the RTM. The effect of the PPA on the overall balance of resources in an exploration vehicle is illustrated in the increased recycle of vehicle oxygen. Case studies have been run to show the relative effect of performance changes on vehicle resources.

  1. Influence of electrostatic interactions on the morphology and properties of blends containing perfluorinated ionomers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taylor, Eric Paul

    2002-01-01

    The first goal of this research project was to investigate the influence of the electrostatic interactions within the ion-containing domains of Nafion RTM perfluorosulfonate ionomer (PFSI) on the morphology and resultant properties of blend systems with poly(propylene imine) dendrimers of a variety of generational sizes and poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). Perfluorosulfonate ionomers (PFSIs) are a commercially successful class of semi-crystalline, ion-containing polymers whose most extensive application is in use as a polymer electrolytic membrane in fuel cell applications. NafionRTM was blended and high temperature solution processed with poly(propylene imine) dendrimer as the minor component in order to increase the efficiency of direct methanol fuel cells by decreasing methanol crossover without significant loss of protonic conductivity. The preferential insertion of the dendrimer into the ionic cluster due to proton transfer reactions and the creation of ammonium-sulfonate ion pairs served to alter the transport properties through the ionic network of the membrane. In the second major system investigated, blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) with NafionRTM, a perfluorosulfonate ionomer, have been prepared and examined in terms of the crystallization kinetics and crystal morphology of the PVDF component in the blend. DSC analysis showed faster rates of bulk crystallization when PVDF was crystallized in the presence of Na+-form NafionRTM suggesting a high degree of phaseseparation in this blend system and an increase in the nucleation density. NafionRTM neutralized with alkylammonium-form counterions display an increase in blend compatibility with PVDF with an increase in the alkylammonium counterion size. As the alkylammonium counterion size increases, the strength of the electrostatic network within the ionic domains of Nafion RTM decrease resulting in a reduction in the driving force for ionic aggregation. Thus, a decrease is observed in the crystal growth rate and nucleation density of the PVDF component of the blend as the size of the alkylammonium-form counterion increases. This study demonstrates that the type of neutralizing counterion of the NafionRTM component has a dramatic impact on blend compatibility and the crystallization kinetics of the PVDF component within NafionRTM/PVDF blends. In addition, higher phase mixing with the alkylammonium-form NafionRTM component leads to an increase in the PVDF polar polymorphs.

  2. American Society of Composites, 32nd Technical Conference

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

    Aitharaju, Venkat; Yu, Hang; Zhao, Selina

    Resin transfer molding (RTM) has become increasingly popular for the manufacturing of composite parts. To enable high volume manufacturing and obtain good quality parts at an acceptable cost to automotive industry, accurate process simulation tools are necessary to optimize the process conditions. Towards that goal, General Motors and the ESI-group are involved in developing a state of the art process simulation tool for composite manufacturing in a project supported by the Department of Energy. This paper describes the modeling of various stages in resin transfer molding such as resin injection, resin curing, and part distortion. An instrumented RTM system locatedmore » at the General Motors Research and Development center was used to perform flat plaque molding experiments. The experimental measurements of fill time, in-mold pressure versus time, cure variation with time, and part deformation were compared with the model predictions and very good correlations were observed.« less

  3. Polyimides Based on Asymmetric Dianhydrides (II) (a-BPDA vs a-BTDA) for Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chuang, Kathy C.; Criss, Jim M.; Mintz, Eric A.

    2010-01-01

    A new series of low-melt viscosity imide resins (10-20 poise at 280 C) were formulated from asymmetric 2,3,3',4' -benzophenone dianhydride (a-BTDA) and 4-phenylethynylphthalic endcaps, along with 3,4' -oxydianiline, 3,3' -methylenedianiline and 3,3'- diaminobenzophenone, using a solvent-free melt process. a-BTDA RTM resins exhibited higher glass transition temperatures (Tg's = 330-400 C) compared to those prepared by asymmetric 2,3,3',4' -biphenyl dianhydride, (a-BPDA, Tg's = 320-370 C). These low-melt viscosity imide resins were fabricated into polyimide/T650-35 carbon fiber composites by a RTM process. Composites properties of a-BTDA resins, such as open-hole compression and short-beam shear strength, are compared to those of composites made from a-BPDA based resin at room temperature, 288 C and 315 C. These novel, high temperature RTM imide resins exhibit outstanding properties beyond the performance of conventional RTM resins, such as epoxy and BMI resins which have use-temperatures around 177 C and 232 C for aerospace applications.

  4. Flow field topology of transient mixing driven by buoyancy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duval, Walter M B.

    2004-01-01

    Transient mixing driven by buoyancy occurs through the birth of a symmetric Rayleigh-Taylor morphology (RTM) structure for large length scales. Beyond its critical bifurcation the RTM structure exhibits self-similarity and occurs on smaller and smaller length scales. The dynamics of the RTM structure, its nonlinear growth and internal collision, show that its genesis occurs from an explosive bifurcation which leads to the overlap of resonance regions in phase space. This event shows the coexistence of regular and chaotic regions in phase space which is corroborated with the existence of horseshoe maps. A measure of local chaos given by the topological entropy indicates that as the system evolves there is growth of uncertainty. Breakdown of the dissipative RTM structure occurs during the transition from explosive to catastrophic bifurcation; this event gives rise to annihilation of the separatrices which drives overlap of resonance regions. The global bifurcation of explosive and catastrophic events in phase space for the large length scale of the RTM structure serves as a template for which mixing occurs on smaller and smaller length scales. Copyright 2004 American Institute of Physics.

  5. Evaluation of RTM370 Polyimide Composites by Resin Film Infusion (RFI)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chuang, Kathy C.; Yip, Thomas A.; Kollmansberger, Ronald B.; Tsotsis, Thomas K.

    2014-01-01

    RTM370 imide oligomer based on 2,3,3',4'-biphenyl dianhydride (a-BPDA), 3,4'-oxydianiline (3,4'-ODA) and terminated with the 4-phenylethynylphthalic (PEPA) endcap has been shown to exhibit a low melt viscosity (10-30 poise) at 280 C with a pot-life of 1-2 h and a high cured glass-transition temperature (Tg) of 370 C. RTM370 resin has been successfully infused into fiberglass-stitched T650-35 carbon-fabric preforms (ranged from 3- to 6-mm thick) by resin film infusion (RFI). The resulting composite panels were inspected by ultrasonic C-scan and by photomicrographs before and after post-curing as a quality control. Mechanical tests such as unnotched compression (UNC), open-hole compression (OHC), and short-beam shear strength (SBS) at ambient and elevated temperatures were performed before and after isothermal aging at 288 C for 1000 h to assess high-temperature performance. Thermal cycling of RTM370 stitched composites was also conducted from -54 C to 288 C for up to 1600 cycles to evaluate the microcrack resistance of RTM370 polyimide composites fabricated by RFI.

  6. The Impact of Regression to the Mean on Economic Evaluation in Quasi-Experimental Pre-Post Studies: The Example of Total Knee Replacement Using Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.

    PubMed

    Schilling, Chris; Petrie, Dennis; Dowsey, Michelle M; Choong, Peter F; Clarke, Philip

    2017-12-01

    Many treatments are evaluated using quasi-experimental pre-post studies susceptible to regression to the mean (RTM). Ignoring RTM could bias the economic evaluation. We investigated this issue using the contemporary example of total knee replacement (TKR), a common treatment for end-stage osteoarthritis of the knee. Data (n = 4796) were obtained from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database, a longitudinal observational study of osteoarthritis. TKR patients (n = 184) were matched to non-TKR patients, using propensity score matching on the predicted hazard of TKR and exact matching on osteoarthritis severity and health-related quality of life (HrQoL). The economic evaluation using the matched control group was compared to the standard method of using the pre-surgery score as the control. Matched controls were identified for 56% of the primary TKRs. The matched control HrQoL trajectory showed evidence of RTM accounting for a third of the estimated QALY gains from surgery using the pre-surgery HrQoL as the control. Incorporating RTM into the economic evaluation significantly reduced the estimated cost effectiveness of TKR and increased the uncertainty. A generalized ICER bias correction factor was derived to account for RTM in cost-effectiveness analysis. RTM should be considered in economic evaluations based on quasi-experimental pre-post studies. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  7. The need to control for regression to the mean in social psychology studies.

    PubMed

    Yu, Rongjun; Chen, Li

    2014-01-01

    It is common in repeated measurements for extreme values at the first measurement to approach the mean at the subsequent measurement, a phenomenon called regression to the mean (RTM). If RTM is not fully controlled, it will lead to erroneous conclusions. The wide use of repeated measurements in social psychology creates a risk that an RTM effect will influence results. However, insufficient attention is paid to RTM in most social psychological research. Notable cases include studies on the phenomena of social conformity and unrealistic optimism (Klucharev et al., 2009, 2011; Sharot et al., 2011, 2012b; Campbell-Meiklejohn et al., 2012; Kim et al., 2012; Garrett and Sharot, 2014). In Study 1, 13 university students rated and re-rated the facial attractiveness of a series of female faces as a test of the social conformity effect (Klucharev et al., 2009). In Study 2, 15 university students estimated and re-estimated their risk of experiencing a series of adverse life events as a test of the unrealistic optimism effect (Sharot et al., 2011). Although these studies used methodologies similar to those used in earlier research, the social conformity and unrealistic optimism effects were no longer evident after controlling for RTM. Based on these findings we suggest several ways to control for the RTM effect in social psychology studies, such as adding the initial rating as a covariate in regression analysis, selecting a subset of stimuli for which the participant' initial ratings were matched across experimental conditions, and using a control group.

  8. Development of stitched/RTM primary structures for transport aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hawley, Arthur V.

    1993-01-01

    This report covers work accomplished in the Innovative Composite Aircraft Primary Structure (ICAPS) program. An account is given of the design criteria and philosophy that guides the development. Wing and fuselage components used as a baseline for development are described. The major thrust of the program is to achieve a major cost breakthrough through development of stitched dry preforms and resin transfer molding (RTM), and progress on these processes is reported. A full description is provided on the fabrication of the stitched RTM wing panels. Test data are presented.

  9. The marriage of surgical simulation and telementoring for damage-control surgical training of operational first responders: A pilot study

    PubMed Central

    Kirkpatrick, Andrew W.; Tien, Homer; LaPorta, Anthony T.; Lavell, Kit; Keillor, Jocelyn; Wright Beatty, Heather E.; McKee, Jessica Lynn; Brien, Susan; Roberts, Derek J.; Wong, Jonathan; Ball, Chad G.; Beckett, Andrew

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND Hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable posttraumatic death. Many such deaths may be potentially salvageable with remote damage-control surgical interventions. As recent innovations in information technology enable remote specialist support to point-of-care providers, advanced interventions, such as remote damage-control surgery, may be possible in remote settings. METHODS An anatomically realistic perfused surgical training mannequin with intrinsic fluid loss measurements (the “Cut Suit”) was used to study perihepatic packing with massive liver hemorrhage. The primary outcome was loss of simulated blood (water) during six stages, namely, incision, retraction, direction, identification, packing, and postpacking. Six fully credentialed surgeons performed the same task as 12 military medical technicians who were randomized to remotely telementored (RTM) (n = 7) or unmentored (UTM) (n=5) real-time guidance by a trauma surgeon. RESULTS There were no significant differences in fluid loss between the surgeons and the UTM group or between the UTM and RTM groups. However, when comparing the RTM group with the surgeons, there was significantly more total fluid loss (p = 0.001) and greater loss during the identification (p = 0.002), retraction (p = 0.035), direction (p = 0.014), and packing(p = 0.022) stages. There were no significant differences in fluid loss after packing between the groups despite differences in the number of sponges used; RTM group used more sponges than the surgeons and significantly more than the UTM group (p = 0.048). However, mentoring significantly increased self-assessed nonsurgeon procedural confidence (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION Perihepatic packing of an exsanguinating liver hemorrhage model was readily performed by military medical technicians after a focused briefing. While real-time telementoring did not improve fluid loss, it significantly increased nonsurgeon procedural confidence, which may augment the feasibility of the concept by allowing them to undertake psychologically daunting procedures. PMID:26422331

  10. Calculating clear-sky radiative heating rates using the Fu-Liou RTM with inputs from observed and reanalyzed profiles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dolinar, E. K.; Dong, X.; Xi, B.

    2015-12-01

    One-dimensional radiative transfer models (RTM) are a common tool used for calculating atmospheric heating rates and radiative fluxes. In the forward sense, RTMs use known (or observed) quantities of the atmospheric state and surface characteristics to determine the appropriate surface and top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiative fluxes. The NASA CERES science team uses the modified Fu-Liou RTM to calculate atmospheric heating rates and surface and TOA fluxes using the CERES observed TOA shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) fluxes as constraints to derive global surface and TOA radiation budgets using a reanalyzed atmospheric state (e.g. temperature and various greenhouse gases) from the newly developed MERRA-2. However, closure studies have shown that using the reanalyzed state as input to the RTM introduces some disparity between the RTM calculated fluxes and surface observed ones. The purpose of this study is to generate a database of observed atmospheric state profiles, from satellite and ground-based sources, at several permanent Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Program sites, including the Southern Great Plains (SGP), Northern Slope of Alaska (NSA) and Tropical Western Pacific Nauru (TWP-C2), and Eastern North Atlantic (ENA) permanent facilities. Since clouds are a major modulator of radiative transfer within the Earth's atmosphere, we will focus on the clear-sky conditions in this study, which will set up the baseline for our cloudy studies in the future. Clear-sky flux profiles are calculated using the Edition 4 NASA LaRC modified Fu-Liou RTM. The aforementioned atmospheric profiles generated in-house are used as input into the RTM, as well as from reanalyses. The calculated surface and TOA fluxes are compared with ARM surface measured and CERES satellite observed SW and LW fluxes, respectively. Clear-sky cases are identified by the ARM radar-lidar observations, as well as satellite observations, at the select ARM sites.

  11. Active control of residual tool marks for freeform optics functionalization by novel biaxial servo assisted fly cutting.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Zhiwei; To, Suet; Zhang, Shaojian

    2015-09-01

    The inherent residual tool marks (RTM) with particular patterns highly affect optical functions of the generated freeform optics in fast tool servo or slow tool servo (FTS/STS) diamond turning. In the present study, a novel biaxial servo assisted fly cutting (BSFC) method is developed for flexible control of the RTM to be a functional micro/nanotexture in freeform optics generation, which is generally hard to achieve in FTS/STS diamond turning. In the BSFC system, biaxial servo motions along the z-axis and side-feeding directions are mainly adopted for primary surface generation and RTM control, respectively. Active control of the RTM from the two aspects, namely, undesired effect elimination or effective functionalization, are experimentally demonstrated by fabricating a typical F-theta freeform surface with scattering homogenization and two functional microstructures with imposition of secondary phase gratings integrating both reflective and diffractive functions.

  12. Resource Tracking Model Updates and Trade Studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chambliss, Joe; Stambaugh, Imelda; Moore, Michael

    2016-01-01

    The Resource tracking model has been updated to capture system manager and project manager inputs. Both the Trick/GUNNS RTM simulator and the RTM mass balance spreadsheet have been revised to address inputs from system managers and to refine the way mass balance is illustrated. The revisions to the RTM included addition of a Plasma Pyrolysis Assembly (PPA) to recover hydrogen from Sabatier reactor methane which was vented in the prior version of the RTM. The effect of the PPA on the overall balance of resources in an exploration vehicle is illustrated in the increased recycle of vehicle oxygen. Additionally simulation of EVAs conducted from the exploration module was added. Since the focus of the exploration module is to provide a habitat during deep space operations the EVA simulation approach to EVA is based on ISS EVA protocol and processes. Case studies have been run to show the relative effect of performance changes on vehicle resources.

  13. Recyclable epoxy resins: An example of green approach for advanced composite applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cicala, Gianluca; Rosa, Daniela La; Musarra, Marco; Saccullo, Giuseppe; Banatao, Rey; Pastine, Stefan

    2016-05-01

    Automotive composite applications are increasingly growing due to demand for lightweight structures to comply to the requirements for fuel reduction. HP-RTM is gaining relevance as one of the preferred production technologies for high volume applications. The BMW i3 life module being a notable example of HP-RTM application. The key aspects of HP-RTM are the short injection times (i.e. less than 1min) and the fast curing of the thermoset resins (i.e. less than 10min). The choice of using thermosets poses relevant issues for their limited recycling options. The standard recycling solution is the incineration but, this solution poses some concerns in terms of global environmental impact. Novel solutions are presented in this work based on the use of recyclable epoxy systems. In our work the results of experimentation carried out by our group with cleavable ammines by Connora Technologies and bioepoxy resins by Entropy Resins will be discussed. The multiple uses of recycled matrices obtained treating the recyclable epoxy resins are discussed in the framework of a "cradle" to "crave" approach. Finally, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is used to evaluate the environmental benefits of the proposed approach.

  14. The need to control for regression to the mean in social psychology studies

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Rongjun; Chen, Li

    2014-01-01

    It is common in repeated measurements for extreme values at the first measurement to approach the mean at the subsequent measurement, a phenomenon called regression to the mean (RTM). If RTM is not fully controlled, it will lead to erroneous conclusions. The wide use of repeated measurements in social psychology creates a risk that an RTM effect will influence results. However, insufficient attention is paid to RTM in most social psychological research. Notable cases include studies on the phenomena of social conformity and unrealistic optimism (Klucharev et al., 2009, 2011; Sharot et al., 2011, 2012b; Campbell-Meiklejohn et al., 2012; Kim et al., 2012; Garrett and Sharot, 2014). In Study 1, 13 university students rated and re-rated the facial attractiveness of a series of female faces as a test of the social conformity effect (Klucharev et al., 2009). In Study 2, 15 university students estimated and re-estimated their risk of experiencing a series of adverse life events as a test of the unrealistic optimism effect (Sharot et al., 2011). Although these studies used methodologies similar to those used in earlier research, the social conformity and unrealistic optimism effects were no longer evident after controlling for RTM. Based on these findings we suggest several ways to control for the RTM effect in social psychology studies, such as adding the initial rating as a covariate in regression analysis, selecting a subset of stimuli for which the participant' initial ratings were matched across experimental conditions, and using a control group. PMID:25620951

  15. Design for Run-Time Monitor on Cloud Computing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kang, Mikyung; Kang, Dong-In; Yun, Mira; Park, Gyung-Leen; Lee, Junghoon

    Cloud computing is a new information technology trend that moves computing and data away from desktops and portable PCs into large data centers. The basic principle of cloud computing is to deliver applications as services over the Internet as well as infrastructure. A cloud is the type of a parallel and distributed system consisting of a collection of inter-connected and virtualized computers that are dynamically provisioned and presented as one or more unified computing resources. The large-scale distributed applications on a cloud require adaptive service-based software, which has the capability of monitoring the system status change, analyzing the monitored information, and adapting its service configuration while considering tradeoffs among multiple QoS features simultaneously. In this paper, we design Run-Time Monitor (RTM) which is a system software to monitor the application behavior at run-time, analyze the collected information, and optimize resources on cloud computing. RTM monitors application software through library instrumentation as well as underlying hardware through performance counter optimizing its computing configuration based on the analyzed data.

  16. Optimization of a Radiative Transfer Forward Operator for Simulating SMOS Brightness Temperatures over the Upper Mississippi Basin, USA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lievens, H.; Verhoest, N. E. C.; Martens, B.; VanDenBerg, M. J.; Bitar, A. Al; Tomer, S. Kumar; Merlin, O.; Cabot, F.; Kerr, Y.; DeLannoy, G. J. M.; hide

    2014-01-01

    The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite mission is routinely providing global multi-angular observations of brightness temperature (TB) at both horizontal and vertical polarization with a 3-day repeat period. The assimilation of such data into a land surface model (LSM) may improve the skill of operational flood forecasts through an improved estimation of soil moisture (SM). To accommodate for the direct assimilation of the SMOS TB data, the LSM needs to be coupled with a radiative transfer model (RTM), serving as a forward operator for the simulation of multi-angular and multi-polarization top of atmosphere TBs. This study investigates the use of the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) LSM coupled with the Community Microwave Emission Modelling platform (CMEM) for simulating SMOS TB observations over the Upper Mississippi basin, USA. For a period of 2 years (2010-2011), a comparison between SMOS TBs and simulations with literature-based RTM parameters reveals a basin averaged bias of 30K. Therefore, time series of SMOS TB observations are used to investigate ways for mitigating these large biases. Specifically, the study demonstrates the impact of the LSM soil moisture climatology in the magnitude of TB biases. After CDF matching the SM climatology of the LSM to SMOS retrievals, the average bias decreases from 30K to less than 5K. Further improvements can be made through calibration of RTM parameters related to the modeling of surface roughness and vegetation. Consequently, it can be concluded that SM rescaling and RTM optimization are efficient means for mitigating biases and form a necessary preparatory step for data assimilation.

  17. Impact of remote telemedical management on mortality and hospitalizations in ambulatory patients with chronic heart failure: the telemedical interventional monitoring in heart failure study.

    PubMed

    Koehler, Friedrich; Winkler, Sebastian; Schieber, Michael; Sechtem, Udo; Stangl, Karl; Böhm, Michael; Boll, Herbert; Baumann, Gert; Honold, Marcus; Koehler, Kerstin; Gelbrich, Goetz; Kirwan, Bridget-Anne; Anker, Stefan D

    2011-05-03

    This study was designed to determine whether physician-led remote telemedical management (RTM) compared with usual care would result in reduced mortality in ambulatory patients with chronic heart failure (HF). We enrolled 710 stable chronic HF patients in New York Heart Association functional class II or III with a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35% and a history of HF decompensation within the previous 2 years or with a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤25%. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to RTM or usual care. Remote telemedical management used portable devices for ECG, blood pressure, and body weight measurements connected to a personal digital assistant that sent automated encrypted transmission via cell phones to the telemedical centers. The primary end point was death from any cause. The first secondary end point was a composite of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for HF. Baseline characteristics were similar between the RTM (n=354) and control (n=356) groups. Of the patients assigned to RTM, 287 (81%) were at least 70% compliant with daily data transfers and no break for >30 days (except during hospitalizations). The median follow-up was 26 months (minimum 12), and was 99.9% complete. Compared with usual care, RTM had no significant effect on all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.97; 95% confidence interval, 0.67 to 1.41; P=0.87) or on cardiovascular death or HF hospitalization (hazard ratio, 0.89; 95% confidence interval, 0.67 to 1.19; P=0.44). In ambulatory patients with chronic HF, RTM compared with usual care was not associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality. URL: http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00543881.

  18. High-resolution regional gravity field modelling in a mountainous area from terrestrial gravity data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bucha, Blažej; Janák, Juraj; Papčo, Juraj; Bezděk, Aleš

    2016-11-01

    We develop a high-resolution regional gravity field model by a combination of spherical harmonics, band-limited spherical radial basis functions (SRBFs) and the residual terrain model (RTM) technique. As the main input data set, we employ a dense terrestrial gravity database (3-6 stations km-2), which enables gravity field modelling up to very short spatial scales. The approach is based on the remove-compute-restore methodology in which all the parts of the signal that can be modelled are removed prior to the least-squares adjustment in order to smooth the input gravity data. To this end, we utilize degree-2159 spherical harmonic models and the RTM technique using topographic models at 2 arcsec resolution. The residual short-scale gravity signal is modelled via the band-limited Shannon SRBF expanded up to degree 21 600, which corresponds to a spatial resolution of 30 arcsec. The combined model is validated against GNSS/levelling-based height anomalies, independent surface gravity data, deflections of the vertical and terrestrial vertical gravity gradients achieving an accuracy of 2.7 cm, 0.53 mGal, 0.39 arcsec and 279 E in terms of the RMS error, respectively. A key aspect of the combined approach, especially in mountainous areas, is the quality of the RTM. We therefore compare the performance of two RTM techniques within the innermost zone, the tesseroids and the polyhedron. It is shown that the polyhedron-based approach should be preferred in rugged terrain if a high-quality RTM is required. In addition, we deal with the RTM computations at points located below the reference surface of the residual terrain which is known to be a rather delicate issue.

  19. Using radiative transfer models to study the atmospheric water vapor content and to eliminate telluric lines from high-resolution optical spectra

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gardini, A.; Maíz Apellániz, J.; Pérez, E.; Quesada, J. A.; Funke, B.

    2013-05-01

    The Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) and the retrieval algorithm, incorporated in the SCIATRAN 2.2 software package developed at the Institute of Remote Sensing/Institute of Enviromental Physics of Bremen University (Germany), allows to simulate, among other things, radiance/irradiance spectra in the 2400--24 000 Å range. In this work we present applications of RTM to two case studies. In the first case the RTM was used to simulate direct solar irradiance spectra, with different water vapor amounts, for the study of the water vapor content in the atmosphere above Sierra Nevada Observatory. Simulated spectra were compared with those measured with a spectrometer operating in the 8000--10 000 Å range. In the second case the RTM was used to generate telluric model spectra to subtract the atmospheric contribution and correct high-resolution stellar spectra from atmospheric water vapor and oxygen lines. The results of both studies are discussed.

  20. RTM: Cost-effective processing of composite structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hasko, Greg; Dexter, H. Benson

    1991-01-01

    Resin transfer molding (RTM) is a promising method for cost effective fabrication of high strength, low weight composite structures from textile preforms. In this process, dry fibers are placed in a mold, resin is introduced either by vacuum infusion or pressure, and the part is cured. RTM has been used in many industries, including automotive, recreation, and aerospace. Each of the industries has different requirements of material strength, weight, reliability, environmental resistance, cost, and production rate. These requirements drive the selection of fibers and resins, fiber volume fractions, fiber orientations, mold design, and processing equipment. Research is made into applying RTM to primary aircraft structures which require high strength and stiffness at low density. The material requirements are discussed of various industries, along with methods of orienting and distributing fibers, mold configurations, and processing parameters. Processing and material parameters such as resin viscosity, perform compaction and permeability, and tool design concepts are discussed. Experimental methods to measure preform compaction and permeability are presented.

  1. Seismic Imaging of VTI, HTI and TTI based on Adjoint Methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rusmanugroho, H.; Tromp, J.

    2014-12-01

    Recent studies show that isotropic seismic imaging based on adjoint method reduces low-frequency artifact caused by diving waves, which commonly occur in two-wave wave-equation migration, such as Reverse Time Migration (RTM). Here, we derive new expressions of sensitivity kernels for Vertical Transverse Isotropy (VTI) using the Thomsen parameters (ɛ, δ, γ) plus the P-, and S-wave speeds (α, β) as well as via the Chen & Tromp (GJI 2005) parameters (A, C, N, L, F). For Horizontal Transverse Isotropy (HTI), these parameters depend on an azimuthal angle φ, where the tilt angle θ is equivalent to 90°, and for Tilted Transverse Isotropy (TTI), these parameters depend on both the azimuth and tilt angles. We calculate sensitivity kernels for each of these two approaches. Individual kernels ("images") are numerically constructed based on the interaction between the regular and adjoint wavefields in smoothed models which are in practice estimated through Full-Waveform Inversion (FWI). The final image is obtained as a result of summing all shots, which are well distributed to sample the target model properly. The impedance kernel, which is a sum of sensitivity kernels of density and the Thomsen or Chen & Tromp parameters, looks crisp and promising for seismic imaging. The other kernels suffer from low-frequency artifacts, similar to traditional seismic imaging conditions. However, all sensitivity kernels are important for estimating the gradient of the misfit function, which, in combination with a standard gradient-based inversion algorithm, is used to minimize the objective function in FWI.

  2. Evaluating and addressing the effects of regression to the mean phenomenon in estimating collision frequencies on urban high collision concentration locations.

    PubMed

    Lee, Jinwoo; Chung, Koohong; Kang, Seungmo

    2016-12-01

    Two different methods for addressing the regression to the mean phenomenon (RTM) were evaluated using empirical data: Data from 110 miles of freeway located in California were used to evaluate the performance of the EB and CRP methods in addressing RTM. CRP outperformed the EB method in estimating collision frequencies in selected high collision concentration locations (HCCLs). Findings indicate that the performance of the EB method can be markedly affected when SPF is biased, while the performance of CRP remains much less affected. The CRP method was more effective in addressing RTM. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  3. Test and analysis results for composite transport fuselage and wing structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deaton, Jerry W.; Kullerd, Susan M.; Madan, Ram C.; Chen, Victor L.

    1992-01-01

    Automated tow placement (ATP) and stitching of dry textile composite preforms followed by resin transfer molding (RTM) are being studied as cost effective manufacturing processes for obtaining damage tolerant fuselage and wing structures for transport aircraft. Data are presented to assess the damage tolerance of ATP and RTM fuselage elements with stitched-on stiffeners from compression tests of impacted three J-stiffened panels and from stiffener pull-off tests. Data are also presented to assess the damage tolerance of RTM wing elements which had stitched skin and stiffeners from impacted single stiffener and three blade stiffened compression tests and stiffener pull-off tests.

  4. Particle sizer and DNA sequencer

    DOEpatents

    Olivares, Jose A.; Stark, Peter C.

    2005-09-13

    An electrophoretic device separates and detects particles such as DNA fragments, proteins, and the like. The device has a capillary which is coated with a coating with a low refractive index such as Teflon.RTM. AF. A sample of particles is fluorescently labeled and injected into the capillary. The capillary is filled with an electrolyte buffer solution. An electrical field is applied across the capillary causing the particles to migrate from a first end of the capillary to a second end of the capillary. A detector light beam is then scanned along the length of the capillary to detect the location of the separated particles. The device is amenable to a high throughput system by providing additional capillaries. The device can also be used to determine the actual size of the particles and for DNA sequencing.

  5. Construction and validation of an RNA trans-splicing molecule suitable to repair a large number of COL7A1 mutations.

    PubMed

    Tockner, B; Kocher, T; Hainzl, S; Reichelt, J; Bauer, J W; Koller, U; Murauer, E M

    2016-11-01

    RNA trans-splicing has become a versatile tool in the gene therapy of monogenetic diseases. This technique is especially valuable for the correction of mutations in large genes such as COL7A1, which underlie the dystrophic subtype of the skin blistering disease epidermolysis bullosa. Over 800 mutations spanning the entire length of the COL7A1 gene have been associated with defects in type VII collagen, leading to excessive fragility of epithelial tissues, the hallmark of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB). In the present study, we designed an RNA trans-splicing molecule (RTM) that is capable of repairing any given mutation within a 4200 nucleotide region spanning the 3' half of COL7A1. The selected RTM, RTM28, was able to induce accurate trans-splicing into endogenous COL7A1 pre-mRNA transcripts in a type VII collagen-deficient DEB patient-derived cell line. Correct trans-splicing was detected at the RNA level by semiquantitative RT-PCR and correction of full-length type VII collagen was confirmed at the protein level by immunofluorescence and western blot analyses. Our results demonstrate that RTM28, which covers >60% of all mutations reported in DEB and is thus the longest RTM described so far for the repair of COL7A1, represents a promising candidate for therapeutic applications.

  6. Development of Polypeptide-based Nanoparticles for Non-viral Delivery of CD22 RNA Trans-splicing Molecule as a New Precision Medicine Candidate Against B-lineage ALL

    PubMed Central

    Uckun, Fatih M.; Mitchell, Lloyd G.; Qazi, Sanjive; Liu, Yang; Zheng, Nan; Myers, Dorothea E.; Song, Ziyuan; Ma, Hong; Cheng, Jianjun

    2015-01-01

    CD22ΔE12 has emerged as a driver lesion in the pathogenesis of pediatric B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and a new molecular target for RNA therapeutics. Here we report a 43-gene CD22ΔE12 signature transcriptome that shows a striking representation in primary human leukemia cells from patients with relapsed BPL. Our data uniquely indicate that CD22ΔE12 is a candidate driver lesion responsible for the activation of MAPK and PI3-K pathways in aggressive forms of B-lineage ALL. We also show that the forced expression of a CD22 RNA trans-splicing molecule (RTM) markedly reduces the capacity of the leukemic stem cell fraction of CD22ΔE12+ B-lineage ALL cells to engraft and cause overt leukemia in NOD/SCID mice. We have successfully complexed our rationally designed lead CD22-RTM with PVBLG-8 to prepare a non-viral nanoscale formulation of CD22ΔE12-RTM with potent anti-cancer activity against CD22ΔE12+ B-lineage leukemia and lymphoma cells. CD22-RTM nanoparticles effectively delivered the CD22-RTM cargo into B-lineage ALL cells and exhibited significant anti-leukemic activity in vitro. PMID:26288837

  7. Development of Polypeptide-based Nanoparticles for Non-viral Delivery of CD22 RNA Trans-splicing Molecule as a New Precision Medicine Candidate Against B-lineage ALL.

    PubMed

    Uckun, Fatih M; Mitchell, Lloyd G; Qazi, Sanjive; Liu, Yang; Zheng, Nan; Myers, Dorothea E; Song, Ziyuan; Ma, Hong; Cheng, Jianjun

    2015-07-01

    CD22ΔE12 has emerged as a driver lesion in the pathogenesis of pediatric B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and a new molecular target for RNA therapeutics. Here we report a 43-gene CD22ΔE12 signature transcriptome that shows a striking representation in primary human leukemia cells from patients with relapsed BPL. Our data uniquely indicate that CD22ΔE12 is a candidate driver lesion responsible for the activation of MAPK and PI3-K pathways in aggressive forms of B-lineage ALL. We also show that the forced expression of a CD22 RNA trans-splicing molecule (RTM) markedly reduces the capacity of the leukemic stem cell fraction of CD22ΔE12(+) B-lineage ALL cells to engraft and cause overt leukemia in NOD/SCID mice. We have successfully complexed our rationally designed lead CD22-RTM with PVBLG-8 to prepare a non-viral nanoscale formulation of CD22ΔE12-RTM with potent anti-cancer activity against CD22ΔE12(+) B-lineage leukemia and lymphoma cells. CD22-RTM nanoparticles effectively delivered the CD22-RTM cargo into B-lineage ALL cells and exhibited significant anti-leukemic activity in vitro.

  8. Dopamine Receptor D4 Gene Variation Predicts Preschoolers' Developing Theory of Mind

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lackner, Christine; Sabbagh, Mark A.; Hallinan, Elizabeth; Liu, Xudong; Holden, Jeanette J. A.

    2012-01-01

    Individual differences in preschoolers' understanding that human action is caused by internal mental states, or representational theory of mind (RTM), are heritable, as are developmental disorders such as autism in which RTM is particularly impaired. We investigated whether polymorphisms of genes affecting dopamine (DA) utilization and metabolism…

  9. Rabbit tissue model (RTM) harvesting technique.

    PubMed

    Medina, Marelyn

    2002-01-01

    A method for creating a tissue model using a female rabbit for laparoscopic simulation exercises is described. The specimen is called a Rabbit Tissue Model (RTM). Dissection techniques are described for transforming the rabbit carcass into a small, compact unit that can be used for multiple training sessions. Preservation is accomplished by using saline and refrigeration. Only the animal trunk is used, with the rest of the animal carcass being discarded. Practice exercises are provided for using the preserved organs. Basic surgical skills, such as dissection, suturing, and knot tying, can be practiced on this model. In addition, the RTM can be used with any pelvic trainer that permits placement of larger practice specimens within its confines.

  10. Design and Development of a Run-Time Monitor for Multi-Core Architectures in Cloud Computing

    PubMed Central

    Kang, Mikyung; Kang, Dong-In; Crago, Stephen P.; Park, Gyung-Leen; Lee, Junghoon

    2011-01-01

    Cloud computing is a new information technology trend that moves computing and data away from desktops and portable PCs into large data centers. The basic principle of cloud computing is to deliver applications as services over the Internet as well as infrastructure. A cloud is a type of parallel and distributed system consisting of a collection of inter-connected and virtualized computers that are dynamically provisioned and presented as one or more unified computing resources. The large-scale distributed applications on a cloud require adaptive service-based software, which has the capability of monitoring system status changes, analyzing the monitored information, and adapting its service configuration while considering tradeoffs among multiple QoS features simultaneously. In this paper, we design and develop a Run-Time Monitor (RTM) which is a system software to monitor the application behavior at run-time, analyze the collected information, and optimize cloud computing resources for multi-core architectures. RTM monitors application software through library instrumentation as well as underlying hardware through a performance counter optimizing its computing configuration based on the analyzed data. PMID:22163811

  11. Design and development of a run-time monitor for multi-core architectures in cloud computing.

    PubMed

    Kang, Mikyung; Kang, Dong-In; Crago, Stephen P; Park, Gyung-Leen; Lee, Junghoon

    2011-01-01

    Cloud computing is a new information technology trend that moves computing and data away from desktops and portable PCs into large data centers. The basic principle of cloud computing is to deliver applications as services over the Internet as well as infrastructure. A cloud is a type of parallel and distributed system consisting of a collection of inter-connected and virtualized computers that are dynamically provisioned and presented as one or more unified computing resources. The large-scale distributed applications on a cloud require adaptive service-based software, which has the capability of monitoring system status changes, analyzing the monitored information, and adapting its service configuration while considering tradeoffs among multiple QoS features simultaneously. In this paper, we design and develop a Run-Time Monitor (RTM) which is a system software to monitor the application behavior at run-time, analyze the collected information, and optimize cloud computing resources for multi-core architectures. RTM monitors application software through library instrumentation as well as underlying hardware through a performance counter optimizing its computing configuration based on the analyzed data.

  12. Aviation Electrician's Mate 3 & 2. Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coyle, John A., Jr.

    This Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course (RTM/NRCC) form a self-study package that will enable Aviation Electrician's (AE) Mates to help themselves fulfill the requirements of their rating. Designed for individual study and not formal classroom instruction, the RTM provides subject matter that relates directly to the occupational…

  13. Development of stitched/RTM composite primary structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kullerd, Susan M.; Dow, Marvin B.

    1992-01-01

    The goal of the NASA Advanced Composites Technology (ACT) Program is to provide the technology required to gain the full benefit of weight savings and performance offered by composite primary structures. Achieving the goal is dependent on developing composite materials and structures which are damage tolerant and economical to manufacture. Researchers at NASA LaRC and Douglas Aircraft Company are investigating stitching reinforcement combined with resin transfer molding (RTM) to create structures meeting the ACT program goals. The Douglas work is being performed under a NASA contract entitled Innovative Composites Aircraft Primary Structures (ICAPS). The research is aimed at materials, processes and structural concepts for application in both transport wings and fuselages. Empirical guidelines are being established for stitching reinforcement in primary structures. New data are presented in this paper for evaluation tests of thick (90-ply) and thin (16-ply) stitched laminates, and from selection tests of RTM composite resins. Tension strength, compression strength and post-impact compression strength data are reported. Elements of a NASA LaRC program to expand the science base for stitched/RTM composites are discussed.

  14. An Hybrid Glass/hemp Fibers Solution Frp Pipes: Technical and Economic Advantages of Hand Lay up VS Light Rtm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cicala, G.; Cristaldi, G.; Recca, G.; Ziegmann, G.; ElSabbagh, A.; Dickert, M.

    2008-08-01

    The aim of the present research was to investigate the replacement of glass fibers with hemp fibers for applications in the piping industry. The choice of hemp fibers was mainly related to the needs, expressed by some companies operating in this sector, for cost reduction without adversely reducing the performances of the pipes. Two processing techniques, namely hand lay up and light RTM, were evaluated. The pipe selected for the study was a curved fitting (90°) flanged at both ends. The fitting must withstand an internal pressure of 10 bar and the presence of acid aqueous solutions. The original lay-up used to build the pipe is a sequence of C-glass, glass mats and glass fabric. Commercial epoxy vinyl ester resin was used as thermoset matrix. Hemp fibers mats were selected as potential substitute of glass fibers mats because of their low cost and ready availability from different commercial sources. The data obtained from the mechanical characterization were used to define a favorable design of the pipe using hemp mats as internal layer. The proposed design for the fittings allowed for a cost reduction of about 24% and a weight saving of about 23% without any drawback in terms of the final performances. The light RTM techniques was developed on purpose for the manufacturing of the curved pipe. The comparison between hand lay up and light RTM evidenced a substantial cost reduction when light RTM was used.

  15. AN HYBRID GLASS/HEMP FIBERS SOLUTION FRP PIPES: TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES OF HAND LAY UP VS LIGHT RTM

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

    Cicala, G.; Cristaldi, G.; Recca, G.

    2008-08-28

    The aim of the present research was to investigate the replacement of glass fibers with hemp fibers for applications in the piping industry. The choice of hemp fibers was mainly related to the needs, expressed by some companies operating in this sector, for cost reduction without adversely reducing the performances of the pipes. Two processing techniques, namely hand lay up and light RTM, were evaluated. The pipe selected for the study was a curved fitting (90 deg.) flanged at both ends. The fitting must withstand an internal pressure of 10 bar and the presence of acid aqueous solutions. The originalmore » lay-up used to build the pipe is a sequence of C-glass, glass mats and glass fabric. Commercial epoxy vinyl ester resin was used as thermoset matrix.Hemp fibers mats were selected as potential substitute of glass fibers mats because of their low cost and ready availability from different commercial sources. The data obtained from the mechanical characterization were used to define a favorable design of the pipe using hemp mats as internal layer. The proposed design for the fittings allowed for a cost reduction of about 24% and a weight saving of about 23% without any drawback in terms of the final performances.The light RTM techniques was developed on purpose for the manufacturing of the curved pipe. The comparison between hand lay up and light RTM evidenced a substantial cost reduction when light RTM was used.« less

  16. Complete genomic sequence of an infectious pancreatic necrosis virus isolated from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in China.

    PubMed

    Ji, Feng; Zhao, Jing-Zhuang; Liu, Miao; Lu, Tong-Yan; Liu, Hong-Bai; Yin, Jiasheng; Xu, Li-Ming

    2017-04-01

    Infectious pancreatic necrosis (IPN) is a significant disease of farmed salmonids resulting in direct economic losses due to high mortality in China. However, no gene sequence of any Chinese infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) isolates was available. In the study, moribund rainbow trout fry samples were collected during an outbreak of IPN in Yunnan province of southwest China in 2013. An IPNV was isolated and tentatively named ChRtm213. We determined the full genome sequence of the IPNV ChRtm213 and compared it with previously identified IPNV sequences worldwide. The sequences of different structural and non-structural protein genes were compared to those of other aquatic birnaviruses sequenced to date. The results indicated that the complete genome sequence of ChRtm213 strain contains a segment A (3099 nucleotides) coding a polyprotein VP2-VP4-VP3, and a segment B (2789 nucleotides) coding a RNA-dependent RNA polymerase VP1. The phylogenetic analyses showed that ChRtm213 strain fell within genogroup 1, serotype A9 (Jasper), having similarities of 96.3% (segment A) and 97.3% (segment B) with the IPNV strain AM98 from Japan. The results suggest that the Chinese IPNV isolate has relative closer relationship with Japanese IPNV strains. The sequence of ChRtm213 was the first gene sequence of IPNV isolates in China. This study provided a robust reference for diagnosis and/or control of IPNV prevalent in China.

  17. Infusion Processing of Phenylethynyl Terminated Imides by High Temperature RTM and VARTM

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ghose, Sayata; Lewis, Todd M.; Cano, Roberto J.; Watson, Kent A.; Isayev, Avraam I.

    2011-01-01

    Fabrication of composite structures using infusion processes such as resin transfer molding (RTM) and vacuum assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) is generally more affordable than conventional autoclave techniques. Recent efforts have focused on adapting both technologies for the fabrication of high temperature (HT) resistant composites. Due to their low melt viscosity and long melt stability, certain phenylethynyl terminated imides (PETI) can be processed into composites using these high temperature out-of-autoclave processes. In the current study, two PETI resins, LARC(TradeMark) PETI-330 and LARC(TradeMark) PETI-8 have been used to make test specimens using both RTM and VARTM. For aerospace applications, a void fraction of less than 2% is desired. Traditionally, RTM has had the advantage over VARTM for generating composites with low void content. However, the process is limited in terms of size. Work at NASA LaRC has incorporated modifications to the thermal cycle used in laminate fabrication that have reduced the void content significantly (typically 1-3%) using the current HT-VARTM process. For composite fabrication by both RTM and VARTM, the resins were infused into three carbon fiber preforms (T650-35-3k 5HS, IM7-6k 5HS, and IM7-6k Uniweave) at 316 C and 260 C respectively and cured up to 371 C. The details of the RTM processing carried out at the University of Akron are discussed in this work along with a brief description of the HT-VARTM processing carried out at NASA-LaRC. Photomicrographs of the panels were taken and void contents were determined by acid digestion. Mechanical properties (short beam shear, SBS) of the panels fabricated by both infusion processes were determined at room temperature as well as at various elevated temperatures. The results of this work are presented herein.

  18. Aviation Boatswain's Mate F3 and 2: Naval Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naval Education and Training Command, Pensacola, FL.

    The Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course (RTM/NRCC) form a self-study package that will enable Aviation Boatswain's Mates F (Fuels) to help themselves fulfill the requirements of their rating. Designed for individual study and not formal classroom instruction, the RTM provides subject matter that relates directly to the occupational…

  19. Resin transfer molding speeds composite making

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Valenti, Michael

    1992-11-01

    Fabrication resin transfer molding (RTM) composite parts for different industrial applications is discussed. These applications include composite aerospace parts, sports car components, and high performance sporting equipment. It is pointed out that RTM parts are lighter than metals and can be formulated to have superior durability. But like all composite parts, they are expensive and are made in limited runs.

  20. RELAP-7 Software Verification and Validation Plan: Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) Part 1 – Physics and numerical methods

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

    Choi, Yong Joon; Yoo, Jun Soo; Smith, Curtis Lee

    2015-09-01

    This INL plan comprehensively describes the Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) on main physics and numerical method of the RELAP-7. The plan also describes the testing-based software verification and validation (SV&V) process—a set of specially designed software models used to test RELAP-7.

  1. Academic College Readiness Indicators of Seniors Enrolled in University-Model Schools® and Traditional, Comprehensive Christian Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brobst, Sharon Christian

    2013-01-01

    This correlational study examined the relationship between type of high school a senior attends (University-Model SchoolRTM (UMS RTM) or traditional, comprehensive Christian) and academic college readiness, when controlling for prior academic achievement and gender. The study compared archival data from Christian school graduates from six schools…

  2. Effect of ACL graft material on joint forces during a simulated in vivo motion in the porcine knee: examining force during the initial cycles.

    PubMed

    Boguszewski, Daniel V; Wagner, Christopher T; Butler, David L; Shearn, Jason T

    2014-11-01

    This study compared three-dimensional forces in knees containing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) graft materials versus the native porcine ACL. A six-degree-of-freedom (DOF) robot simulated gait while recording the joint forces and moments. Knees were subjected to 10 cycles of simulated gait in intact, ACL-deficient, and ACL-reconstructed knee states to examine time zero biomechanical performance. Reconstruction was performed using bone-patellar tendon-bone allograft (BPTB), reconstructive porcine tissue matrix (RTM), and an RTM-polymer hybrid (Hybrid). Forces and moments were examined about anatomic DOFs throughout the gait cycle and at three key points during gait: heel strike (HS), mid stance (MS), toe off (TO). Compared to native ACL, each graft restored antero-posterior (A-P) forces throughout gait. However, all failed to mimic normal joint forces in other DOFs. For example, each reconstructed knee showed greater compressive forces at HS and TO compared to the native ACL knee. Overall, the Hybrid graft restored more of the native ACL forces following reconstruction than did BPTB, while RTM grafts were the least successful. If early onset osteoarthritis is in part caused by altered knee kinematics, then understanding how reconstruction materials restore critical force generation during gait is an essential step in improving a patient's long-term prognosis. © 2014 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Resin transfer molding for advanced composite primary aircraft structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Markus, Alan; Palmer, Ray

    1991-01-01

    Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) has been identified by Douglas Aircraft Company (DAC) and industry to be one of the promising processes being developed today which can break the cost barrier of implementing composite primary structures into a commercial aircraft production environment. The RTM process developments and scale-up plans Douglas Aircrart will be conducting under the NASA ACT contract are discussed.

  4. Resin transfer molding for advanced composite primary wing and fuselage structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Markus, Alan

    1992-01-01

    The stitching and resin transfer molding (RTM) processes developed at Douglas Aircraft Co. are successfully demonstrating significant cost reductions with good damage tolerance properties. These attributes were identified as critical to application of advanced composite materials to commercial aircraft primary structures. The RTM/stitching developments, cost analyses, and test results are discussed of the NASA Advanced Composites Technology program.

  5. Aviation Support Equipment Technician (ASE 3 & 2 and ASM 3 & 2). Volume 1, Basics. Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grant, Jesse R.; And Others

    This Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course (RTM/NRCC) form a self-study package that will enable aviation support equipment personnel to help themselves fulfill the requirements for advancement. Designed for individual study and not formal classroom instruction, the RTM provides subject matter that relates directly to the occupational…

  6. Fiber optic strain monitoring of textile GFRP during RTM molding and fatigue tests by using embedded FBG sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kosaka, Tatsuro; Osaka, Katsuhiko; Nakakita, Satoru; Fukuda, Takehito

    2003-08-01

    This paper describes cure and health monitoring of glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) textile composites both during a resin transfer molding (RTM) process and in loading tests. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) textile composites also were used for a comparative study. Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) fiber optic sensors were embedded in FRP to monitor internal strain. From the results of cure monitoring, it was found that the embedded FBG sensors were useful to know when cured resin constrained fibers. It also appeared that specimens were subjected to friction stress resulted from difference of coefficient of thermal expansion between FRP and a stainless steel mold in cooling process of RTM molding. After the molding, tensile and fatigue tests were conducted. The results of tensile tests showed that output of the embedded FBG sensors agreed well that of surface-bonded strain gauges despite deterioration of reflected spectra form the sensors. From the results of fatigue tests, the FBG sensors showed good status until 100,000 cycles when specimens had no damage. From these results, it can be concluded that embedded FBG sensors have good capability of monitoring internal strain in textile FRP both during RTM process and in service.

  7. Development of a Water Recovery System Resource Tracking Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chambliss, Joe; Stambaugh, Imelda; Sarguishm, Miriam; Shull, Sarah; Moore, Michael

    2014-01-01

    A simulation model has been developed to track water resources in an exploration vehicle using regenerative life support (RLS) systems. The model integrates the functions of all the vehicle components that affect the processing and recovery of water during simulated missions. The approach used in developing the model results in the RTM being a part of of a complete vehicle simulation that can be used in real time mission studies. Performance data for the variety of components in the RTM is focused on water processing and has been defined based on the most recent information available for the technology of the component. This paper will describe the process of defining the RLS system to be modeled and then the way the modeling environment was selected and how the model has been implemented. Results showing how the variety of RLS components exchange water are provided in a set of test cases.

  8. GPU-accelerated iterative reconstruction from Compton scattered data using a matched pair of conic projector and backprojector.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Van-Giang; Lee, Soo-Jin

    2016-07-01

    Iterative reconstruction from Compton scattered data is known to be computationally more challenging than that from conventional line-projection based emission data in that the gamma rays that undergo Compton scattering are modeled as conic projections rather than line projections. In conventional tomographic reconstruction, to parallelize the projection and backprojection operations using the graphics processing unit (GPU), approximated methods that use an unmatched pair of ray-tracing forward projector and voxel-driven backprojector have been widely used. In this work, we propose a new GPU-accelerated method for Compton camera reconstruction which is more accurate by using exactly matched pair of projector and backprojector. To calculate conic forward projection, we first sample the cone surface into conic rays and accumulate the intersecting chord lengths of the conic rays passing through voxels using a fast ray-tracing method (RTM). For conic backprojection, to obtain the true adjoint of the conic forward projection, while retaining the computational efficiency of the GPU, we use a voxel-driven RTM which is essentially the same as the standard RTM used for the conic forward projector. Our simulation results show that, while the new method is about 3 times slower than the approximated method, it is still about 16 times faster than the CPU-based method without any loss of accuracy. The net conclusion is that our proposed method is guaranteed to retain the reconstruction accuracy regardless of the number of iterations by providing a perfectly matched projector-backprojector pair, which makes iterative reconstruction methods for Compton imaging faster and more accurate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Efficacy of Radiative Transfer Model Across Space, Time and Hydro-climates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohanty, B.; Neelam, M.

    2017-12-01

    The efficiency of radiative transfer model for better soil moisture retrievals is not yet clearly understood over natural systems with great variability and heterogeneity with respect to soil, land cover, topography, precipitation etc. However, this knowledge is important to direct and strategize future research direction and field campaigns. In this work, we present global sensitivity analysis (GSA) technique to study the influence of heterogeneity and uncertainties on radiative transfer model (RTM) and to quantify climate-soil-vegetation interactions. A framework is proposed to understand soil moisture mechanisms underlying these interactions, and influence of these interactions on soil moisture retrieval accuracy. Soil moisture dynamics is observed to play a key role in variability of these interactions, i.e., it enhances both mean and variance of soil-vegetation coupling. The analysis is conducted for different support scales (Point Scale, 800 m, 1.6 km, 3.2 km, 6.4 km, 12.8 km, and 36 km), seasonality (time), hydro-climates, aggregation (scaling) methods and across Level I and Level II ecoregions of contiguous USA (CONUS). For undisturbed natural environments such as SGP'97 (Oklahoma, USA) and SMEX04 (Arizona, USA), the sensitivity of TB to land surface variables remain nearly uniform and are not influenced by extent, support scales or averaging method. On the contrary, for anthropogenically-manipulated environments such as SMEX02 (Iowa, USA) and SMAPVEX12 (Winnipeg, Canada), the sensitivity to variables are highly influenced by the distribution of land surface heterogeneity and upscaling methods. The climate-soil-vegetation interactions analyzed across all ecoregions are presented through a probability distribution function (PDF). The intensity of these interactions are categorized accordingly to yield "hotspots", where the RTM model fails to retrieve soil moisture. A ecoregion specific scaling function is proposed for these hotspots to rectify RTM for retrieving soil moisture.

  10. An infiltration/cure model for manufacture of fabric composites by the resin infusion process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weideman, Mark H.; Loos, Alfred C.; Dexter, H. Benson; Hasko, Gregory H.

    1992-01-01

    A 1-D infiltration/cure model was developed to simulate fabrication of advanced textile composites by the resin film infusion process. The simulation model relates the applied temperature and pressure processing cycles, along with the experimentally measured compaction and permeability characteristics of the fabric preforms, to the temperature distribution, the resin degree of cure and viscosity, and the infiltration flow front position as a function of time. The model also predicts the final panel thickness, fiber volume fraction, and resin mass for full saturation as a function of compaction pressure. Composite panels were fabricated using the RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) film infusion technique from knitted, knitted/stitched, and 2-D woven carbon preforms and Hercules 3501-6 resin. Fabric composites were fabricated at different compaction pressures and temperature cycles to determine the effects of the processing on the properties. The composites were C-scanned and micrographed to determine the quality of each panel. Advanced cure cycles, developed from the RTM simulation model, were used to reduce the total cure cycle times by a factor of 3 and the total infiltration times by a factor of 2.

  11. Textile composite processing science

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Loos, Alfred C.; Hammond, Vincent H.; Kranbuehl, David E.; Hasko, Gregory H.

    1993-01-01

    A multi-dimensional model of the Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process was developed for the prediction of the infiltration behavior of a resin into an anisotropic fiber preform. Frequency dependent electromagnetic sensing (FDEMS) was developed for in-situ monitoring of the RTM process. Flow visualization and mold filling experiments were conducted to verify sensor measurements and model predictions. Test results indicated good agreement between model predictions, sensor readings, and experimental data.

  12. Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories for PTSD: A randomized controlled trial of 74 male veterans.

    PubMed

    Gray, Richard; Budden-Potts, Denise; Bourke, Frank

    2017-12-14

    A randomized waitlist-controlled design (n = 74) examined the efficacy of Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM) among male veterans with current-month flashbacks and nightmares. Volunteers were randomly assigned to immediate treatment (three 120-minute sessions of RTM), or to a 3-week waiting condition before receiving the RTM treatment. Blinded psychometricians evaluated the symptoms at intake, 2 weeks, and 6 weeks post. Wait-listed participants were re-evaluated and then treated. Sixty-five volunteers completed the treatment. Of those treated, 46 (71%) lost DSM diagnosis for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by one of the following definitions: 42 persons (65%) were in complete remission (PTSD Symptom Scale Interview (PSS-I) ≤ 20 and DSM criteria not met). Four others (6%) lost the DSM diagnosis or were otherwise sub-clinical by dichotomous criteria (PSS-I < 20 and absence of flashbacks and nightmares) but non-ambiguous on the PTSD Checklist Military Version measures. Within-group RTM effect sizes (Hedges' g) for PSS-I score changes ranged from 1.5 to 2.2. The between-group comparison between the treatment group and the untreated controls was significant (p < .001) with an effect size equivalent to two standard deviations (g = -2.121; 95% CI [-4.693-0.453]). Patient satisfaction with the intervention was high. RTM shows promise as a brief, cost-effective intervention for PTSD characterized primarily by intrusive symptoms. Clinical or methodological significance of this article: The article provides evidence to support a fast (5 hours or fewer) robust intervention for PTSD characterized by intrusive symptoms including current-month flashbacks, nightmares, and accompanied by sympathetic arousal in response to trauma narratives. The intervention is well tolerated and has demonstrated efficacy up to one year.

  13. A fast radiative transfer model for visible through shortwave infrared spectral reflectances in clear and cloudy atmospheres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Chenxi; Yang, Ping; Nasiri, Shaima L.; Platnick, Steven; Baum, Bryan A.; Heidinger, Andrew K.; Liu, Xu

    2013-02-01

    A computationally efficient radiative transfer model (RTM) for calculating visible (VIS) through shortwave infrared (SWIR) reflectances is developed for use in satellite and airborne cloud property retrievals. The full radiative transfer equation (RTE) for combinations of cloud, aerosol, and molecular layers is solved approximately by using six independent RTEs that assume the plane-parallel approximation along with a single-scattering approximation for Rayleigh scattering. Each of the six RTEs can be solved analytically if the bidirectional reflectance/transmittance distribution functions (BRDF/BTDF) of the cloud/aerosol layers are known. The adding/doubling (AD) algorithm is employed to account for overlapped cloud/aerosol layers and non-Lambertian surfaces. Two approaches are used to mitigate the significant computational burden of the AD algorithm. First, the BRDF and BTDF of single cloud/aerosol layers are pre-computed using the discrete ordinates radiative transfer program (DISORT) implemented with 128 streams, and second, the required integral in the AD algorithm is numerically implemented on a twisted icosahedral mesh. A concise surface BRDF simulator associated with the MODIS land surface product (MCD43) is merged into a fast RTM to accurately account for non-isotropic surface reflectance. The resulting fast RTM is evaluated with respect to its computational accuracy and efficiency. The simulation bias between DISORT and the fast RTM is large (e.g., relative error >5%) only when both the solar zenith angle (SZA) and the viewing zenith angle (VZA) are large (i.e., SZA>45° and VZA>70°). For general situations, i.e., cloud/aerosol layers above a non-Lambertian surface, the fast RTM calculation rate is faster than that of the 128-stream DISORT by approximately two orders of magnitude.

  14. Regression to the mean and alcohol consumption: a cohort study exploring implications for the interpretation of change in control groups in brief intervention trials.

    PubMed

    McCambridge, Jim; Kypri, Kypros; McElduff, Patrick

    2014-02-01

    Reductions in drinking among individuals randomised to control groups in brief alcohol intervention trials are common and suggest that asking study participants about their drinking may itself cause them to reduce their consumption. We sought to test the hypothesis that the statistical artefact regression to the mean (RTM) explains part of the reduction in such studies. 967 participants in a cohort study of alcohol consumption in New Zealand provided data at baseline and again six months later. We use graphical methods and apply thresholds of 8, 12, 16 and 20 in AUDIT scores to explore RTM. There was a negative association between baseline AUDIT scores and change in AUDIT scores from baseline to six months, which in the absence of bias and confounding, is RTM. Students with lower baseline scores tended to have higher follow-up scores and conversely, those with higher baseline scores tended to have lower follow-up scores. When a threshold score of 8 was used to select a subgroup, the observed mean change was approximately half of that observed without a threshold. The application of higher thresholds produced greater apparent reductions in alcohol consumption. Part of the reduction seen in the control groups of brief alcohol intervention trials is likely to be due to RTM and the amount of change is likely to be greater as the threshold for entry to the trial increases. Quantification of RTM warrants further study and should assist understanding assessment and other research participation effects. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  15. Low Melt Viscosity Resins for Resin Transfer Molding

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harris, Frank W.

    2002-01-01

    In recent years, resin transfer molding (RTM) has become one of the methods of choice for high performance composites. Its cost effectiveness and ease of fabrication are major advantages of RTM. RTM process usually requires resins with very low melt viscosity (less than 10 Poise). The optimum RTM resins also need to display high thennal-oxidative stability, high glass transition temperature (T(sub g)), and good toughness. The traditional PMR-type polyimides (e.g. PMR-15) do not fit this requirement, because the viscosities are too high and the nadic endcap cures too fast. High T(sub g), low-melt viscosity resins are highly desirable for aerospace applications and NASA s Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) program. The objective of this work is to prepare low-melt viscosity polyimide resins for RTM or resin film infusion (RFI) processes. The approach involves the synthesis of phenylethynyl-terminated imide oligomers. These materials have been designed to minimize their melt viscosity so that they can be readily processed. During the cure, the oligomers undergo both chain extension and crosslinking via the thermal polymerization of the phenylethynyl groups. The Phenylethynyl endcap is preferred over the nadic group due to its high curing temperature, which provides broader processing windows. This work involved the synthesis and polymerization of oligomers containing zig-zag backbones and twisted biphenyl structures. Some A-B type precursors which possessed both nitro and anhydride functionality, or both nitro and amine functionality, were also synthesized in order to obtain the well defined oligomers. The resulting zig-zag structured oligomers were then end-capped with 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride (PEPA) for further cure. The properties of these novel imide oligomers are evaluated.

  16. Filling Terrorism Gaps: VEOs, Evaluating Databases, and Applying Risk Terrain Modeling to Terrorism

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

    Hagan, Ross F.

    2016-08-29

    This paper aims to address three issues: the lack of literature differentiating terrorism and violent extremist organizations (VEOs), terrorism incident databases, and the applicability of Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM) to terrorism. Current open source literature and publicly available government sources do not differentiate between terrorism and VEOs; furthermore, they fail to define them. Addressing the lack of a comprehensive comparison of existing terrorism data sources, a matrix comparing a dozen terrorism databases is constructed, providing insight toward the array of data available. RTM, a method for spatial risk analysis at a micro level, has some applicability to terrorism research, particularlymore » for studies looking at risk indicators of terrorism. Leveraging attack data from multiple databases, combined with RTM, offers one avenue for closing existing research gaps in terrorism literature.« less

  17. Test and analysis results for composite transport fuselage and wing structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deaton, Jerry W.; Kullerd, Susan M.; Madan, Ram C.; Chen, Victor L.

    1992-01-01

    Automated tow placement (ATP) and stitching of dry textile composite preforms followed by resin transfer molding (RTM) are being investigated by researchers at NASA LaRC and Douglas Aircraft Company as cost-effective manufacturing processes for obtaining damage tolerant fuselage and wing structures for transport aircraft. The Douglas work is being performed under a NASA contract entitled 'Innovative Composites Aircraft Primary Structures (ICAPS)'. Data are presented in this paper to assess the damage tolerance of ATP and RTM fuselage elements with stitched-on stiffeners from compression tests of impacted three-J-stiffened panels and from stiffener pull-off tests. Data are also presented to assess the damage tolerance of RTM wing elements which had stitched skin and stiffeners from impacted single stiffener and three blade-stiffened compression tests and stiffener pull-off tests.

  18. High-quality beam generation using an RF gun and a 150 MeV microtron

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuroda, R.; Washio, M.; Kashiwagi, S.; Kobuki, T.; Ben-Zvi, I.; Wang, X. J.; Hori, T.; Sakai, F.; Tsunemi, A.; Urakawa, J.; Hirose, T.

    2000-11-01

    Low-emittance sub-picosecond electron pulses are expected to be used in a wide field, such as free electron laser, laser acceleration, femtosecond X-ray generation by Inverse Compton scattering, pulse radiolysis, etc. In order to produce the low-emittance sub-picosecond electron pulse, we are developing a compact Racetrack Microtron (RTM) with a new 5 MeV injection system adopting a laser photo cathode RF gun (Washio et al., Seventh China-Japan Bilateral Symposium on Radiation Chemistry, October 28, Cengdu, China, 1996). The operation of RTM has been kept under a steady state of beam loading for long pulse mode so far (Washio et al., J. Surf. Sci. Soc. Jpn. 19 (2) (1998) 23). In earlier work (Washio et al., PAC99, March 31, New York, USA, 1999), we have succeeded in the numerical simulation for the case of single short pulse acceleration. Finally, the modified RTM was demonstrated as a useful accelerator for a picosecond electron pulse generation under a transient state of beam loading. In the simulation, a picosecond electron pulse was accelerated to 149.6 MeV in RTM for the injection of 5 MeV electron bunch with a pulse length of 10 ps (FWHM), a charge of 1 nC per pulse, and an emittance of 3 πmm mrad.

  19. Assessing conceptual models for subsurface reactive transport of inorganic contaminants

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Davis, James A.; Yabusaki, Steven B.; Steefel, Carl; Zachara, John M.; Curtis, Gary P.; Redden, George D.; Criscenti, Louise J.; Honeyman, Bruce D.

    2004-01-01

    In many subsurface situations where human health and environmental quality are at risk (e.g., contaminant hydrogeology petroleum extraction, carbon sequestration, etc.),scientists and engineers are being asked by federal agency decision-makers to predict the fate of chemical species under conditions where both reactions and transport are processes of first-order importance.In 2002, a working group (WG) was formed by representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Agriculture, and Army Engineer Research and Development Center to assess the role of reactive transport modeling (RTM) in addressing these situations. Specifically the goals of the WG are to (1) evaluate the state of the art in conceptual model development and parameterization for RTM, as applied to soil,vadose zone, and groundwater systems, and (2) prioritize research directions that would enhance the practical utility of RTM.

  20. Hyperspectrally-Resolved Surface Emissivity Derived Under Optically Thin Clouds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Smith, William L.; Strow, L. Larrabee; Yang, Ping

    2010-01-01

    Surface spectral emissivity derived from current and future satellites can and will reveal critical information about the Earth s ecosystem and land surface type properties, which can be utilized as a means of long-term monitoring of global environment and climate change. Hyperspectrally-resolved surface emissivities are derived with an algorithm utilizes a combined fast radiative transfer model (RTM) with a molecular RTM and a cloud RTM accounting for both atmospheric absorption and cloud absorption/scattering. Clouds are automatically detected and cloud microphysical parameters are retrieved; and emissivity is retrieved under clear and optically thin cloud conditions. This technique separates surface emissivity from skin temperature by representing the emissivity spectrum with eigenvectors derived from a laboratory measured emissivity database; in other words, using the constraint as a means for the emissivity to vary smoothly across atmospheric absorption lines. Here we present the emissivity derived under optically thin clouds in comparison with that under clear conditions.

  1. Armored garment for protecting

    DOEpatents

    Purvis, James W [Albuquerque, NM; Jones, II, Jack F.; Whinery, Larry D [Albuquerque, NM; Brazfield, Richard [Albuquerque, NM; Lawrie, Catherine [Tijeras, NM; Lawrie, David [Tijeras, NM; Preece, Dale S [Watkins, CO

    2009-08-11

    A lightweight, armored protective garment for protecting an arm or leg from blast superheated gases, blast overpressure shock, shrapnel, and spall from a explosive device, such as a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) or a roadside Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The garment has a ballistic sleeve made of a ballistic fabric, such as an aramid fiber (e.g., KEVLAR.RTM.) cloth, that prevents thermal burns from the blast superheated gases, while providing some protection from fragments. Additionally, the garment has two or more rigid armor inserts that cover the upper and lower arm and protect against high-velocity projectiles, shrapnel and spall. The rigid inserts can be made of multiple plies of a carbon/epoxy composite laminate. The combination of 6 layers of KEVLAR.RTM. fabric and 28 plies of carbon/epoxy laminate inserts (with the inserts being sandwiched in-between the KEVLAR.RTM. layers), can meet the level IIIA fragmentation minimum V.sub.50 requirements for the US Interceptor Outer Tactical Vest.

  2. High Temperature Transfer Molding Resins Based on 2,3,3',4'-Biphenyltetracarboxylic Dianhydride

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, J. G., Jr.; Connell, J. W.; Hergenrother, P. M.; Yokota, R.; Criss, J. M.

    2002-01-01

    As part of an ongoing effort to develop materials for resin transfer molding (RTM) processes to fabricate high performance/high temperature composite structures, phenylethynyl containing imides have been under investigation. New phenylethynyl containing imide compositions were prepared using 2,3,3',4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (a-BPDA) and evaluated for cured glass transition temperature (Tg), melt flow behavior, and for processability into flat composite panels via RTM. The a-BPDA imparts a unique combination of properties that are desirable for high temperature transfer molding resins. In comparison to its symmetrical counterpart (i.e. 3,3',4,4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride), a-BPDA affords oligomers with lower melt viscosities and when cured, higher Tgs. Several candidates exhibited the appropriate combination of properties such as a low and stable melt viscosity required for RTM processes, high cured Tg, and moderate toughness. The chemistry, physical, and composite properties of select resins will be discussed.

  3. Elastic and acoustic wavefield decompositions and application to reverse time migrations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Wenlong

    P- and S-waves coexist in elastic wavefields, and separation between them is an essential step in elastic reverse-time migrations (RTMs). Unlike the traditional separation methods that use curl and divergence operators, which do not preserve the wavefield vector component information, we propose and compare two vector decomposition methods, which preserve the same vector components that exist in the input elastic wavefield. The amplitude and phase information is automatically preserved, so no amplitude or phase corrections are required. The decoupled propagation method is extended from elastic to viscoelastic wavefields. To use the decomposed P and S vector wavefields and generate PP and PS images, we create a new 2D migration context for isotropic, elastic RTM which includes PS vector decomposition; the propagation directions of both incident and reflected P- and S-waves are calculated directly from the stress and particle velocity definitions of the decomposed P- and S-wave Poynting vectors. Then an excitation-amplitude image condition that scales the receiver wavelet by the source vector magnitude produces angle-dependent images of PP and PS reflection coefficients with the correct polarities, polarization, and amplitudes. It thus simplifies the process of obtaining PP and PS angle-domain common-image gathers (ADCIGs); it is less effort to generate ADCIGs from vector data than from scalar data. Besides P- and S-waves decomposition, separations of up- and down-going waves are also a part of processing of multi-component recorded data and propagating wavefields. A complex trace based up/down separation approach is extended from acoustic to elastic, and combined with P- and S-wave decomposition by decoupled propagation. This eliminates the need for a Fourier transform over time, thereby significantly reducing the storage cost and improving computational efficiency. Wavefield decomposition is applied to both synthetic elastic VSP data and propagating wavefield snapshots. Poynting vectors obtained from the particle-velocity and stress fields after P/S and up/down decompositions are much more accurate than those without. The up/down separation algorithm is also applicable in acoustic RTMs, where both (forward-time extrapolated) source and (reverse-time extrapolated) receiver wavefields are decomposed into up-going and down-going parts. Together with the crosscorrelation imaging condition, four images (down-up, up-down, up-up and down-down) are generated, which facilitate the analysis of artifacts and the imaging ability of the four images. Artifacts may exist in all the decomposed images, but their positions and types are different. The causes of artifacts in different images are explained and illustrated with sketches and numerical tests.

  4. High Kinetic Energy Penetrator Shielding and High Wear Resistance Materials Fabricated with Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNTS) and BNNT Polymer Composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kang, Jin Ho (Inventor); Sauti, Godfrey (Inventor); Smith, Michael W. (Inventor); Jordan, Kevin C. (Inventor); Park, Cheol (Inventor); Bryant, Robert George (Inventor); Lowther, Sharon E. (Inventor)

    2015-01-01

    Boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs), boron nitride nanoparticles (BNNPs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphites, or combinations, are incorporated into matrices of polymer, ceramic or metals. Fibers, yarns, and woven or nonwoven mats of BNNTs are used as toughening layers in penetration resistant materials to maximize energy absorption and/or high hardness layers to rebound or deform penetrators. They can be also used as reinforcing inclusions combining with other polymer matrices to create composite layers like typical reinforcing fibers such as Kevlar.RTM., Spectra.RTM., ceramics and metals. Enhanced wear resistance and usage time are achieved by adding boron nitride nanomaterials, increasing hardness and toughness. Such materials can be used in high temperature environments since the oxidation temperature of BNNTs exceeds 800.degree. C. in air. Boron nitride based composites are useful as strong structural materials for anti-micrometeorite layers for spacecraft and space suits, ultra strong tethers, protective gear, vehicles, helmets, shields and safety suits/helmets for industry.

  5. A time-space domain stereo finite difference method for 3D scalar wave propagation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Yushu; Yang, Guangwen; Ma, Xiao; He, Conghui; Song, Guojie

    2016-11-01

    The time-space domain finite difference methods reduce numerical dispersion effectively by minimizing the error in the joint time-space domain. However, their interpolating coefficients are related with the Courant numbers, leading to significantly extra time costs for loading the coefficients consecutively according to velocity in heterogeneous models. In the present study, we develop a time-space domain stereo finite difference (TSSFD) method for 3D scalar wave equation. The method propagates both the displacements and their gradients simultaneously to keep more information of the wavefields, and minimizes the maximum phase velocity error directly using constant interpolation coefficients for different Courant numbers. We obtain the optimal constant coefficients by combining the truncated Taylor series approximation and the time-space domain optimization, and adjust the coefficients to improve the stability condition. Subsequent investigation shows that the TSSFD can suppress numerical dispersion effectively with high computational efficiency. The maximum phase velocity error of the TSSFD is just 3.09% even with only 2 sampling points per minimum wavelength when the Courant number is 0.4. Numerical experiments show that to generate wavefields with no visible numerical dispersion, the computational efficiency of the TSSFD is 576.9%, 193.5%, 699.0%, and 191.6% of those of the 4th-order and 8th-order Lax-Wendroff correction (LWC) method, the 4th-order staggered grid method (SG), and the 8th-order optimal finite difference method (OFD), respectively. Meanwhile, the TSSFD is compatible to the unsplit convolutional perfectly matched layer (CPML) boundary condition for absorbing artificial boundaries. The efficiency and capability to handle complex velocity models make it an attractive tool in imaging methods such as acoustic reverse time migration (RTM).

  6. Combined therapy with gas gangrene antitoxin and recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin for Clostridium perfringens sepsis in a rat model.

    PubMed

    Hifumi, Toru; Nakano, Daisuke; Chiba, Joe; Takahashi, Motohide; Yamamoto, Akihiko; Fujisawa, Yoshihide; Kawakita, Kenya; Kuroda, Yasuhiro; Nishiyama, Akira

    2018-01-01

    Cases of Clostridium perfringens septicemia, such as liver abscess, often develop a rapidly progressive intravascular hemolysis and coagulation; the mortality rate with current standard care including antibiotics and surgery is high. Herein, we firstly investigated the effects of gas gangrene antitoxin (GGA) (antitoxin against C. perfringens) and recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rTM) on the hemolysis, coagulation status, inflammatory process, and mortality in α-toxin-treated rats. Male 11-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: control group, α-toxin group, GGA group, rTM group, and combined GGA and rTM (combination group). After α-toxin injection, mortality and platelet counts, and hemolysis were observed for 6 h. The fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDP), and plasma high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) were also measured at 6 h. The combination group demonstrated 100% survival compared with 50% survival in the α-toxin group and demonstrated significantly improved hemolysis, platelet counts, and lactate levels compared with those in the α-toxin group (p < .01). The FDP and HMGB1 levels in the combination therapy group were significantly lower than those in the α-toxin group (p < .05). Combination therapy with GGA and rTM administration is applicable as adjunct therapy for fatal C. perfringens sepsis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Assessment of EGM2008 in Europe using accurate astrogeodetic vertical deflections and omission error estimates from SRTM/DTM2006.0 residual terrain model data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirt, C.; Marti, U.; Bürki, B.; Featherstone, W. E.

    2010-10-01

    We assess the new EGM2008 Earth gravitational model using a set of 1056 astrogeodetic vertical deflections over parts of continental Europe. Our astrogeodetic vertical deflection data set originates from zenith camera observations performed during 1983-2008. This set, which is completely independent from EGM2008, covers, e.g., Switzerland, Germany, Portugal and Greece, and samples a variety of topography - level terrain, medium elevated and rugged Alpine areas. We describe how EGM2008 is used to compute vertical deflections according to Helmert's (surface) definition. Particular attention is paid to estimating the EGM2008 signal omission error from residual terrain model (RTM) data. The RTM data is obtained from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) elevation model and the DTM2006.0 high degree spherical harmonic reference surface. The comparisons between the astrogeodetic and EGM2008 vertical deflections show an agreement of about 3 arc seconds (root mean square, RMS). Adding omission error estimates from RTM to EGM2008 significantly reduces the discrepancies from the complete European set of astrogeodetic deflections to 1 arc second (RMS). Depending on the region, the RMS errors vary between 0.4 and 1.5 arc seconds. These values not only reflect EGM2008 commission errors, but also short-scale mass-density anomalies not modelled from the RTM data. Given (1) formally stated EGM2008 commission error estimates of about 0.6-0.8 arc seconds for vertical deflections, and (2) that short-scale mass-density anomalies may affect vertical deflections by about 1 arc second, the agreement between EGM2008 and our astrogeodetic deflection data set is very good. Further focus is placed on the investigation of the high-degree spectral bands of EGM2008. As a general conclusion, EGM2008 - enhanced by RTM data - is capable of predicting Helmert vertical deflections at the 1 arc second accuracy level over Europe.

  8. Multi-RTM-based Radiance Assimilation to Improve Snow Estimates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kwon, Y.; Zhao, L.; Hoar, T. J.; Yang, Z. L.; Toure, A. M.

    2015-12-01

    Data assimilation of microwave brightness temperature (TB) observations (i.e., radiance assimilation (RA)) has been proven to improve snowpack characterization at relatively small scales. However, large-scale applications of RA require a considerable amount of further efforts. Our objective in this study is to explore global-scale snow RA. In a RA scheme, a radiative transfer model (RTM) is an observational operator predicting TB; therefore, the quality of the assimilation results may strongly depend upon the RTM used as well as the land surface model (LSM). Several existing RTMs show different sensitivities to snowpack properties and thus they simulate significantly different TB. At the global scale, snow physical properties vary widely with local climate conditions. No single RTM has been shown to be able to accurately reproduce the observed TB for such a wide range of snow conditions. In this study, therefore, we hypothesize that snow estimates using a microwave RA scheme can be improved through the use of multiple RTMs (i.e., multi-RTM-based approaches). As a first step, here we use two snowpack RTMs, i.e., the Dense Media Radiative Transfer-Multi Layers model (DMRT-ML) and the Microwave Emission Model for Layered Snowpacks (MEMLS). The Community Land Model version 4 (CLM4) is used to simulate snow dynamics. The assimilation process is conducted by the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART), which is a community facility developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) for ensemble-based data assimilation studies. In the RA experiments, the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) TB at 18.7 and 36.5 GHz vertical polarization channels are assimilated into the RA system using the ensemble adjustment Kalman filter. The results are evaluated using the Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC) daily snow depth, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow cover fraction, and in-situ snowpack and river discharge observations.

  9. Low cost damage tolerant composite fabrication

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Palmer, R. J.; Freeman, W. T.

    1988-01-01

    The resin transfer molding (RTM) process applied to composite aircraft parts offers the potential for using low cost resin systems with dry graphite fabrics that can be significantly less expensive than prepreg tape fabricated components. Stitched graphite fabric composites have demonstrated compression after impact failure performance that equals or exceeds that of thermoplastic or tough thermoset matrix composites. This paper reviews methods developed to fabricate complex shape composite parts using stitched graphite fabrics to increase damage tolerance with RTM processes to reduce fabrication cost.

  10. Investigations of the structure and "interfacial" surface chemistry of Bioglass (RTM) materials by solid-state multinuclear NMR spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarkar, Gautam

    Bioactive materials such as BioglassRTM 45S5 (45% SiO 2, 24.5% CaO, 24.5% Na2O, and 6% P2O5 by weight) are sodium-phosphosilicate glasses containing independent three-dimensional silicate and phosphate networks and Na+ and Ca2+ ions as modifying cations. Due to their bioactivity, these materials are currently used as implants and for other surgical and clinical applications. The bioactivity of BioglassesRTM is due to their unique capability to form chemical bonds to tissues through an octacalciumphosphate (OCP)- and/or hydroxyapatite-like (HA) "interfacial" matrix. The formation of OCP and/or HA is preceded by the formation of a silica-rich surface layer and the subsequent growth of an amorphous calcium phosphate (a-CP) layer. Structural characterization of a series of commercial and synthesized Bioglass materials 45S5 52S, 55S, 60S, and synthesized 17O-labelled "Bioglass materials 45S, 52S, 55S and 60S" have been obtained using solid-state single-pulse magic-angle spinning (SP/MAS) 17O, 23Na, 29Si and 31P NMR. The 17O NMR isotropic chemical shifts and estimates of the quadrupole coupling constants (Cq) [at fixed asymmetry parameter ( hQ ) values of zero] have been obtained from solid-state spin-echo 17O SP/MAS NMR spectra of 17O-labelled "Bioglasses". The simulation results of these spectra reveal the presence of both bridging-oxygens (BO, i.e. ≡ Si-17OSi ≡ ) and non-bridging oxygens (NBO, i.e. ≡ Si-17O-Na+/Ca2+ ) in the silicate networks in these materials. 17O NMR spectra of these Bioglass materials do not show any direct evidence for the presence of BO and NBO atoms in the phosphate units; however, they are expected to be present in small amounts. In vitro reactions of BioglassRTM 45S5, 60S and 77S powders have been used to study the "interfacial" surface chemistry of these materials in simulated body-fluid (SBF, Kyoto or K9 solution) and/or 17O-enriched tris-buffer solution. 29Si and 31P SP/MAS NMR have been used to identify and quantify the extent of formation of surface silica species and follow the formation of phosphate species, respectively, while cross-polarization magic-angle spinning (CP/MAS) 29Si and 31P NMR have provided information about low intensity NMR peaks due to various silicon- and phosphorus-species present in the vicinity of associated protons on the surface of in vitro reacted BioglassRTM materials. The solid-state NMR investigations of the "interfacial" surface reactions of BioglassRTM materials are discussed in the context of the structure of these materials and the influence of this structure on the kinetics and the mechanism of their "interfacial" surface chemistry. (Abstract shortened by UMI.) BioglassRTM, trademark, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611.

  11. Absorption media for irreversibly gettering thionyl chloride

    DOEpatents

    Buffleben, George; Goods, Steven H.; Shepodd, Timothy; Wheeler, David R.; Whinnery, Jr., LeRoy

    2002-01-01

    Thionyl chloride is a hazardous and reactive chemical used as the liquid cathode in commercial primary batteries. Contrary to previous thinking, ASZM-TEDA.RTM. carbon (Calgon Corporation) reversibly absorbs thionyl chloride. Thus, several candidate materials were examined as irreversible getters for thionyl chloride. The capacity, rate and effect of temperature were also explored. A wide variety of likely materials were investigated through screening experiments focusing on the degree of heat generated by the reaction as well as the material absorption capacity and irreversibility, in order to help narrow the group of possible getter choices. More thorough, quantitative measurements were performed on promising materials. The best performing getter was a mixture of ZnO and ASZM-TEDA.RTM. carbon. In this example, the ZnO reacts with thionyl chloride to form ZnCl.sub.2 and SO.sub.2. The SO.sub.2 is then irreversibly gettered by ASZM-TEDA.RTM. carbon. This combination of ZnO and carbon has a high capacity, is irreversible and functions effectively above -20.degree. C.

  12. Etude de l'effet du vieillissement sur les proprietes d'un tissu en melange KevlarRTM-PBI utilise dans le revetement exterieur des habits de protection contre le feu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arrieta, Carlos

    The aim of this work is to study and model the effect of three aging factors, temperature, humidity and light radiation, on the properties of a fabric made of a blend of KevlarRTM and PBI fibers frequently used to manufacture fire-protective garments. Accelarated-aging treatments carried out at carefully chosen conditions for the three factors resulted in a sizeable loss of mechanical performance. The breaking force of both the fabric and the yarns extracted from it decreases to less than 50% after one month of continuous exposure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests performed on thermally-aged samples indicated an increase of the crystallinity of the fabric, whereas the disappearance of Raman spectral lines suggested instead a reduction of the crystallinity following thermal aging. To explain these seemingly contradictory results, a hypothesis was introduced, stating that two different processes occurred simultaneously during thermal aging. The first one, an increase of size of the crystallites in the direction of the fibers' axis, accounted for the increase in crystallinity observed in XRD tests. The second one, an increase in the gap separating lamellar crystallites that causes a non-measurable reduction of the crystallinity of the sample, was highlighted by the Raman analyses. The results of the dielectric spectroscopy analyses carried out on thermally-aged samples confirmed the XRD results showing a significant change in the Kevlar's morphology during thermal aging. Despite the important decrease of the breaking force that ensued thermal aging, no evidence of a chemical structure modification of KevlarRTM was found. On the other hand, differential thermal analyses conducted on thermally aged fabric samples indicated a reduction of the glass transition temperature of the other component of the blend, namely the PBI, a fact that suggests a decrease of molecular weight after thermal aging. Infrared spectroscopy analyses performed on samples exposed to high humidity levels showed the development of a new absorbing band in the spectrum of aged KevlarRTM yarns. This band was ascribed to the formation of carboxylic acid groups. Based on these results, the humidity aging mechanism was inferred. This mechanism corresponds to the hydrolysis of the amide bond of KevlarRTM catalyzed by an acid. The progress of the hydrolysis reaction was modeled mathematically using the evolution of the concentration of carboxylic acid groups. The mechanism of light radiation aging was also determined from infrared spectroscopy analyses as the absorbing band attributed to the carboxylic acid groups was once again observed. In the case of light radiation, the degradation mechanism corresponds to a photo-oxidation reaction initiated by the photolysis of the amide bond of KevlarRTM. The accumulation of Photo-Fries products on the surface of yarns is believed to slow down of the oxidation reaction, as indicated by the overlapping of breaking force vs. aging time curves for the light-radiation aged samples. Expressions based on the Arrhenius law were used to characterize both the thermal and hydrolytic aging, whereas an expression taking into account the irradiance as well as the temperature was used to model the light radiation aging. The global damage produced by the joint action of the three aging factors was modeled after Palmgren-Miner's linear cumulative damage theory.

  13. Adaptation of an aerosol retrieval algorithm using multi-wavelength and multi-pixel information of satellites (MWPM) to GOSAT/TANSO-CAI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hashimoto, M.; Takenaka, H.; Higurashi, A.; Nakajima, T.

    2017-12-01

    Aerosol in the atmosphere is an important constituent for determining the earth's radiation budget, so the accurate aerosol retrievals from satellite is useful. We have developed a satellite remote sensing algorithm to retrieve the aerosol optical properties using multi-wavelength and multi-pixel information of satellite imagers (MWPM). The method simultaneously derives aerosol optical properties, such as aerosol optical thickness (AOT), single scattering albedo (SSA) and aerosol size information, by using spatial difference of wavelegths (multi-wavelength) and surface reflectances (multi-pixel). The method is useful for aerosol retrieval over spatially heterogeneous surface like an urban region. In this algorithm, the inversion method is a combination of an optimal method and smoothing constraint for the state vector. Furthermore, this method has been combined with the direct radiation transfer calculation (RTM) numerically solved by each iteration step of the non-linear inverse problem, without using look up table (LUT) with several constraints. However, it takes too much computation time. To accelerate the calculation time, we replaced the RTM with an accelerated RTM solver learned by neural network-based method, EXAM (Takenaka et al., 2011), using Rster code. And then, the calculation time was shorternd to about one thouthandth. We applyed MWPM combined with EXAM to GOSAT/TANSO-CAI (Cloud and Aerosol Imager). CAI is a supplement sensor of TANSO-FTS, dedicated to measure cloud and aerosol properties. CAI has four bands, 380, 674, 870 and 1600 nm, and observes in 500 meters resolution for band1, band2 and band3, and 1.5 km for band4. Retrieved parameters are aerosol optical properties, such as aerosol optical thickness (AOT) of fine and coarse mode particles at a wavelenth of 500nm, a volume soot fraction in fine mode particles, and ground surface albedo of each observed wavelength by combining a minimum reflectance method and Fukuda et al. (2013). We will show the results and discuss the accuracy of the algorithm for various surface types. Our future work is to extend the algorithm for analysis of GOSAT-2/TANSO-CAI-2 and GCOM/C-SGLI data.

  14. Resin transfer molding of textile preforms for aircraft structural applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hasko, Gregory H.; Dexter, H. Benson; Weideman, Mark H.

    1992-01-01

    The NASA LaRC is conducting and supporting research to develop cost-effective fabrication methods that are applicable to primary composite aircraft structures. One of the most promising fabrication methods that has evolved is resin transfer molding (RTM) of dry textile material forms. RTM has been used for many years for secondary structures, but has received increased emphasis because it is an excellent method for applying resin to damage-tolerant textile preforms at low cost. Textile preforms based on processes such as weaving, braiding, knitting, stitching, and combinations of these have been shown to offer significant improvements in damage tolerance compared to laminated tape composites. The use of low-cost resins combined with textile preforms could provide a major breakthrough in achieving cost-effective composite aircraft structures. RTM uses resin in its lowest cost form, and storage and spoilage costs are minimal. Near net shape textile preforms are expected to be cost-effective because automated machines can be used to produce the preforms, post-cure operations such as machining and fastening are minimized, and material scrap rate may be reduced in comparison with traditional prepreg molding. The purpose of this paper is to discuss experimental and analytical techniques that are under development at NASA Langley to aid the engineer in developing RTM processes for airframe structural elements. Included are experimental techniques to characterize preform and resin behavior and analytical methods that were developed to predict resin flow and cure kinetics.

  15. Acute toxicity and hazard assessment of Rodeo®, X-77 Spreader®, and Chem-Trol® to aquatic invertebrates

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Henry, C. J.; Higgins, K. F.; Buhl, K.J.

    1994-01-01

    The herbicide Rodeo® provides waterfowl managers with an effective chemical tool for creating open water habitats in wetlands if its use does not adversely affect native invertebrate communities. The survival of caged Chironomus spp. (midge), Hyalella azteca (amphipod),Stagnicola elodes (pond snail), and Nephelopsis obscura (leech) was assessed in prairie pothole wetlands treated by air with a tank mixture of Rodeo®, the surfactant X-77 Spreader®, and the drift retardant Chem-Trol® at a rate recommended for controlling cattails. Laboratory studies were then conducted to determine the acute toxicities of Rodeo®, X-77 Spreader®, and Chem-Trol®, individually and in simulated tank mixtures, to the same invertebrates and to Daphnia magna in reconstituted water representative of these wetlands. There was no difference in the survival of caged invertebrates between treated and reference wetlands after 21 days. Based on nominal concentrations of the formulations, X-77 Spreader® (LC50s=2.0–14.1 mg/L) was about 83–136 times more toxic than Rodeo® (LC50s=218–1216 mg/L) to aquatic invertebrates. Chem-Trol® killed ≤10% of the animals at 10,000 mg/L and ≤50% of the animals at 28,000 mg/L. Daphnia magna were more sensitive than the other species to X-77 Spreader®, Rodeo®, and the simulated Rodeo® tank mixture (RTM). The joint toxic action of the RTM was additive for amphipods and midges, greater than additive for leeches, and was less than additive for daphnids. X-77 Spreader® was the major toxic component in the RTM. Binary mixtures of X-77 Spreader®, Rodeo®, and Chem-Trol® at tank mixture and equitoxic ratios also showed additive toxicity to amphipods. The use of Rodeo® (applied as a tank mixture with X-77 Spreader® and Chem-Trol®) as a management tool in wetlands does not pose an acute hazard to native aquatic invertebrates because the concentrations of Rodeo®, X-77 Spreader®, and Chem-Trol® found to be acutely toxic to these invertebrates were much higher than their expected or measured concentrations in water from wetlands treated with the RTM.

  16. Monitoring gross alpha and beta activity in liquids by using ZnS(Ag) scintillation detectors

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

    Stevanato, L.; Cester, D.; Filippi, D.

    In this work the possibility of monitoring gross alpha and beta activity in liquids using EJ-444 was investigated. Specific tests were carried out to determine the change of the detector properties in water tests. Possible protecting coating is also proposed and tested. Alpha/beta real-time monitoring in liquids is a goal of the EU project TAWARA{sub R}TM. (authors)

  17. Hydrogen Induced Stress Cracking of Materials Under Cathodic Protection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    LaCoursiere, Marissa P.

    Hydrogen embrittlement of AISI 4340, InconelRTM 718, Alloy 686 and Alloy 59 was studied using slow strain rate tests of both smooth and notched cylindrical specimens. Two heat treatments of the AISI 4340 material were used as a standard for two levels of yield strength: 1479 MPa, and 1140 MPa. A subset of the 1140 MPa AISI 4340 material also underwent plasma nitriding. The InconelRTM 718 material was hardened following AMS 5663M to obtain a yield strength of 1091 MPa. The Alloy 686 material was obtained in the Grade 3 condition with a minimum yield strength of 1034 MPa. The Alloy 59 material was obtained with a cold worked condition similar to the Alloy 686 and with a minimum yield strength of 1034 MPa. Ninety-nine specimens were tested, including smooth cylindrical tensile test specimens and smooth and notched cylindrical slow strain rate tensile tests specimens. Testing included specimens that had been precharged with hydrogen in 3.5% NaCl at 50°C for 2 weeks (AISI 4340), 4 weeks (InconelRTM 718, Alloy 686, Alloy 59) and 16 weeks (InconelRTM 718, Alloy 686, Alloy 59) using a potentiostat to deliver a cathodic potential of -1100 mV vs. SCE. The strain rate over the gauge section for the smooth specimens and in the notch root for the notched specimens was 1 x 10-6 /s. It was found that the AISI 4340 was highly embrittled in simulated ocean water when compared to the nickel based superalloys. The higher strength AISI 4340 showed much more embrittlement, as expected. Testing of the AISI 4340 at both 20°C and 4°C showed that the temperature had no effect on the hydrogen embrittlement response. The InconelRTM 718 was highly embrittled when precharged, although it only showed low levels of embrittlement when unprecharged. Both the Alloy 686 and Alloy 59 showed minimal embrittlement in all conditions. Therefore, for the materials examined, the use of Alloy 686 and Alloy 59 for components in salt water environments when under a cathodic potential of -1100 mV vs. SCE is recommended.

  18. The design, characteristics, and application of polyurethane dressings using the electrospinning process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kampeerapappun, Piyaporn

    In general, a dressing is used to protect and help heal wounds. There are several types of dressings on the market such as hydrocolloid, hydrogel, and medicated dressings. One technique for making a dressing is electrospinning, which is a very simple procedure used to produce fibers. Due to much smaller fiber-diameters than produced with the conventional technique, the fibers from electrospinning have unique properties: high porosity and high surface areas, which are advantageous for wound healing. In this research, the fibers were electrospun using polyurethane, TecophilicRTM or TecoflexRTM, with various additives. First, multilayer transdermal electrospun dressings, four and five-layers, were developed that allowed for the controlled release of nitric oxide (NO) from a NO2 -/ascorbic acid system encapsulated in polymer nanofibers. The amount of NO released from each wound dressing was investigated. Both the four and five-layer dressings were tested for morphology of fibers, water absorption, nitrite distribution, NO release profile after sterilization by gamma radiation, and stability. In the case of the four-layer transdermal dressing, the dressing was tested in diabetic, periodontal, and cutaneous leishmaniasis patients. Furthermore, the color change of dressing was investigated. TecophilicRTM was also spun with an antimicrobial agent, which was added to the TecophilicRTM solution to electrospin an antimicrobial dressing. The morphology of fibers was tested using an optical microscope and the water absorption, uniformity, and percent extraction of dressing were also determined. In addition, the efficiency of the antimicrobial agent in the dressing was determined according to SN 195920-1994 and ASTM 2149-01. Another NO-releasing dressing was developed employing the NO donor molecules, sodium salt of linear polyethylenimine NONOates (LPEINO-Na) and calcium salt of linear polyethylenimine NONOates (LPEINO-Ca), which were electrospun with TecophilicRTM. The NO release profiles for the LPEINO fibers were generated using a nitric oxide analyzer (NOA) and distribution of the particles in the dressing was examined. Moreover, the amount of NO released after patch storage for 1 and 2 months was determined.

  19. Evaluation of RRTMG and Fu-Liou RTM Performance against LBLRTM-DISORT Simulations and CERES Data in terms of Ice Clouds Radiative Effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gu, B.; Yang, P.; Kuo, C. P.; Mlawer, E. J.

    2017-12-01

    Evaluation of RRTMG and Fu-Liou RTM Performance against LBLRTM-DISORT Simulations and CERES Data in terms of Ice Clouds Radiative Effects Boyan Gu1, Ping Yang1, Chia-Pang Kuo1, Eli J. Mlawer2 Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER), Lexington, MA 02421, USA Ice clouds play an important role in climate system, especially in the Earth's radiation balance and hydrological cycle. However, the representation of ice cloud radiative effects (CRE) remains significant uncertainty, because scattering properties of ice clouds are not well considered in general circulation models (GCM). We analyze the strengths and weakness of the Rapid Radiative Transfer Model for GCM Applications (RRTMG) and Fu-Liou Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) against rigorous LBLRTM-DISORT (a combination of Line-By-Line Radiative Transfer Model and Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer Model) calculations and CERES (Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System) flux observations. In total, 6 US standard atmospheric profiles and 42 atmospheric profiles from Atmospheric and Environmental Research (AER) Company are used to evaluate the RRTMG and Fu-Liou RTM by LBLRTM-DISORT calculations from 0 to 3250 cm-1. Ice cloud radiative effect simulations with RRTMG and Fu-Liou RTM are initialized using the ice cloud properties from MODIS collection-6 products. Simulations of single layer ice cloud CRE by RRTMG and LBLRTM-DISORT show that RRTMG, neglecting scattering, overestimates the TOA flux by about 0-15 W/m2 depending on the cloud particle size and optical depth, and the most significant overestimation occurs when the particle effective radius is small (around 10 μm) and the cloud optical depth is intermediate (about 1-10). The overestimation reduces significantly when the similarity rule is applied to RRTMG. We combine ice cloud properties from MODIS Collection-6 and atmospheric profiles from the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications-2 (MERRA2) reanalysis to simulate ice cloud CRE, which is compared with CERES observations.

  20. Standardized Solution for Management Controller for MTCA.4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Makowski, D.; Fenner, M.; Ludwig, F.; Mavrič, U.; Mielczarek, A.; Napieralski, A.; Perek, P.; Schlarb, H.

    2015-06-01

    The Micro Telecommunications Computing Architecture (MTCA) standard is a modern platform that is gaining popularity in the area of High Energy Physics (HEP) experiments. The standard provides extensive management, monitoring and diagnostics functionalities. The hardware control and monitoring is based on the Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI), that was initially developed for supervision of complex computers operation. The original IPMI specification was extended to support functions required by the MTCA specification. The Module Management Controller (MMC) is required on each Advanced Mezzanine Card (AMC) installed in MTCA chassis. The Rear Transition Modules (RTMs) have to be equipped with RTM Management Controllers (RMCs) which is required by the MTCA.4 subsidiary specification. The commercially available implementations of MMC and RMC are expensive and do not provide the complete functionality that is required by specific HEP applications. Therefore, many research centers and commercial companies work on their own implementation of AMC and RTM controllers. The available implementations suffer because of lack of common approach and interoperability problems. Since both Lodz University of Technology (TUL) and Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) have long-term experience in developing ATCA and MTCA hardware, the authors decided to develop a unified solution of management controller fully compliant with AMC and MTCA.4 standards. The MMC v1.00 solution is dedicated for management of AMC and RTM modules. The MMC v1.00 is based on Atmel ATxmega MCUs and can be fully customized by the user or used as a drop-in-module without any modifications. The paper discusses the functionality of the MMC v1.00 solution. The implementation was verified with developed evaluation kits for AMC and RTM cards.

  1. Mixing driven by transient buoyancy flows. I. Kinematics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duval, W. M. B.; Zhong, H.; Batur, C.

    2018-05-01

    Mixing of two miscible liquids juxtaposed inside a cavity initially separated by a divider, whose buoyancy-driven motion is initiated via impulsive perturbation of divider motion that can generate the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability, is investigated experimentally. The measured Lagrangian history of interface motion that contains the continuum mechanics of mixing shows self-similar nearly Gaussian length stretch distribution for a wide range of control parameters encompassing an approximate Hele-Shaw cell to a three-dimensional cavity. Because of the initial configuration of the interface which is parallel to the gravitational field, we show that at critical initial potential energy mixing occurs through the stretching of the interface, which shows frontogenesis, and folding, owing to an overturning motion that results in unstable density stratification and produces an ideal condition for the growth of the single wavelength Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The initial perturbation of the interface and flow field generates the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability and causes kinks at the interface, which grow into deep fingers during overturning motion and unfold into local whorl structures that merge and self-organize into the Rayleigh-Taylor morphology (RTM) structure. For a range of parametric space that yields two-dimensional flows, the unfolding of the instability through a supercritical bifurcation yields an asymmetric pairwise structure exhibiting smooth RTM that transitions to RTM fronts with fractal structures that contain small length scales for increasing Peclet numbers. The late stage of the RTM structure unfolds into an internal breakwave that breaks down through wall and internal collision and sets up the condition for self-induced sloshing that decays exponentially as the two fluids become stably stratified with a diffusive region indicating local molecular diffusion.

  2. GPU-accelerated Modeling and Element-free Reverse-time Migration with Gauss Points Partition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhen, Z.; Jia, X.

    2014-12-01

    Element-free method (EFM) has been applied to seismic modeling and migration. Compared with finite element method (FEM) and finite difference method (FDM), it is much cheaper and more flexible because only the information of the nodes and the boundary of the study area are required in computation. In the EFM, the number of Gauss points should be consistent with the number of model nodes; otherwise the accuracy of the intermediate coefficient matrices would be harmed. Thus when we increase the nodes of velocity model in order to obtain higher resolution, we find that the size of the computer's memory will be a bottleneck. The original EFM can deal with at most 81×81 nodes in the case of 2G memory, as tested by Jia and Hu (2006). In order to solve the problem of storage and computation efficiency, we propose a concept of Gauss points partition (GPP), and utilize the GPUs to improve the computation efficiency. Considering the characteristics of the Gaussian points, the GPP method doesn't influence the propagation of seismic wave in the velocity model. To overcome the time-consuming computation of the stiffness matrix (K) and the mass matrix (M), we also use the GPUs in our computation program. We employ the compressed sparse row (CSR) format to compress the intermediate sparse matrices and try to simplify the operations by solving the linear equations with the CULA Sparse's Conjugate Gradient (CG) solver instead of the linear sparse solver 'PARDISO'. It is observed that our strategy can significantly reduce the computational time of K and Mcompared with the algorithm based on CPU. The model tested is Marmousi model. The length of the model is 7425m and the depth is 2990m. We discretize the model with 595x298 nodes, 300x300 Gauss cells and 3x3 Gauss points in each cell. In contrast to the computational time of the conventional EFM, the GPUs-GPP approach can substantially improve the efficiency. The speedup ratio of time consumption of computing K, M is 120 and the speedup ratio time consumption of RTM is 11.5. At the same time, the accuracy of imaging is not harmed. Another advantage of the GPUs-GPP method is its easy applications in other numerical methods such as the FEM. Finally, in the GPUs-GPP method, the arrays require quite limited memory storage, which makes the method promising in dealing with large-scale 3D problems.

  3. Analytical modeling and sensor monitoring for optimal processing of advanced textile structural composites by resin transfer molding

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Loos, Alfred C.; Macrae, John D.; Hammond, Vincent H.; Kranbuehl, David E.; Hart, Sean M.; Hasko, Gregory H.; Markus, Alan M.

    1993-01-01

    A two-dimensional model of the resin transfer molding (RTM) process was developed which can be used to simulate the infiltration of resin into an anisotropic fibrous preform. Frequency dependent electromagnetic sensing (FDEMS) has been developed for in situ monitoring of the RTM process. Flow visualization tests were performed to obtain data which can be used to verify the sensor measurements and the model predictions. Results of the tests showed that FDEMS can accurately detect the position of the resin flow-front during mold filling, and that the model predicted flow-front patterns agreed well with the measured flow-front patterns.

  4. Ray tracing matrix approach for refractive index mismatch aberrations in confocal microscopy.

    PubMed

    Nastyshyn, S Yu; Bolesta, I M; Lychkovskyy, E; Vankevych, P I; Yakovlev, M Yu; Pansu, B; Nastishin, Yu A

    2017-03-20

    The 2×2 ray tracing matrix (RTM) method is employed for the description of optical aberrations caused by the refractive index mismatch (RIM) in fluorescent confocal polarization microscopy. We predict and experimentally confirm that due to the RIM a liquid crystal layer with highly non-uniform director distribution appears to be imaged as a layer with non-uniform thickness, which shows up in the roughness of the rear surface. For the off-axial focusing of the probing beam in a droplet dispersed in an immiscible liquid, we have developed an extended method still keeping the 2×2 dimensionality of the RTM.

  5. Study of the daily and seasonal atmospheric CH4 mixing ratio variability in a rural Spanish region using 222Rn tracer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grossi, Claudia; Vogel, Felix R.; Curcoll, Roger; Àgueda, Alba; Vargas, Arturo; Rodó, Xavier; Morguí, Josep-Anton

    2018-04-01

    The ClimaDat station at Gredos (GIC3) has been continuously measuring atmospheric (dry air) mixing ratios of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4), as well as meteorological parameters, since November 2012. In this study we investigate the atmospheric variability of CH4 mixing ratios between 2013 and 2015 at GIC3 with the help of co-located observations of 222Rn concentrations, modelled 222Rn fluxes and modelled planetary boundary layer heights (PBLHs). Both daily and seasonal changes in atmospheric CH4 can be better understood with the help of atmospheric concentrations of 222Rn (and the corresponding fluxes). On a daily timescale, the variation in the PBLH is the main driver for 222Rn and CH4 variability while, on monthly timescales, their atmospheric variability seems to depend on emission changes. To understand (changing) CH4 emissions, nocturnal fluxes of CH4 were estimated using two methods: the radon tracer method (RTM) and a method based on the EDGARv4.2 bottom-up emission inventory, both using FLEXPARTv9.0.2 footprints. The mean value of RTM-based methane fluxes (FR_CH4) is 0.11 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 with a standard deviation of 0.09 or 0.29 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 with a standard deviation of 0.23 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 when using a rescaled 222Rn map (FR_CH4_rescale). For our observational period, the mean value of methane fluxes based on the bottom-up inventory (FE_CH4) is 0.33 mg CH4 m-2 h-1 with a standard deviation of 0.08 mg CH4 m-2 h-1. Monthly CH4 fluxes based on RTM (both FR_CH4 and FR_CH4_rescale) show a seasonality which is not observed for monthly FE_CH4 fluxes. During January-May, RTM-based CH4 fluxes present mean values 25 % lower than during June-December. This seasonal increase in methane fluxes calculated by RTM for the GIC3 area appears to coincide with the arrival of transhumant livestock at GIC3 in the second half of the year.

  6. A simulated RTM process for fabricating polyimide (AMB-21) carbon fiber composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Avva, V. Sarma; Sadler, Robert L.; Thomas, Shanon

    1995-01-01

    An experimental polyimide matrix, AMB-21 - supplied by NASA/LeRC, was especially formulated to be non-carcinogenic. It was also expected to be amenable to a Resin Transfer Molding Process (RTM). AMB-21 is a solid at room temperature and must be heated to a very high temperature to obtain a fluid state. However, even after heating it to a realistic high temperature, it was found to be too viscous for use in a RTM process. As a result, a promising approach was experimented leading to the introduction of the resin into a solvent solution in order to obtain a viscosity suitable for RTM. A mixture of methanol and tetrahydroferone was found to be a suitable solvent mixture. The matrix solution was introduced into carbon-fiber preform using two techniques: (1) injection of matrix into a Resin Transfer Mold after positioning the preform into the 'mold cavity', and (2) infiltration of matrix into the preform using the 'autoclave through-the-thickness transfer process'. After completing the resin transfer (infiltration) process, the 'filled' preform was heated to 300 F for one hour to reduce the solvent content. The temperature was then increased to 400 F under a vacuum to complete the solvent evaporation and to remove volatile products of the polyimide imidization. The impregnated preform was removed from the mold and press-cured at 200 psi and 600 FF for two hours. The resulting panel was found to be of reasonably good quality. This observation was based on the results obtained from short beam shear strength (700-8000 psi) tests and microscopic examination of the cross-section indicating a very low level of porosity. Further, the flash around the molded panels from the compression molding was free of porosity indicating the removal of volatiles, solvents, and other imidization products. Based on these studies, a new RTM mold containing a diaphragm capable of applying 200 psi at 600 F has been designed and constructed with the expectation that it will allow the incorporation of all of the above processing steps, including the consolidation with the preform in the mold cavity. Moreover, the new diaphragm design will enable to process larger preform panels. Processing studies with the diaphragm mold are being initiated.

  7. UV-cured adhesives for carbon fiber composite applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Hsiao-Chun

    Carbon fiber composite materials are increasingly used in automobile, marine, and aerospace industries due to their unique properties, including high strength, high stiffness and low weight. However, due to their brittle characteristic, these structures are prone to physical damage, such as a bird strike or impact damage. Once the structure is damaged, it is important to have fast and reliable temporary repair until the permanent repair or replacement can take place. In this dissertation, UV-based adhesives were used to provide a bonding strength for temporary repair. Adhesively bonded patch repair is an efficient and effective method for temporary repair. In this study, precured patches (hard patches) and dry fabric patches with laminating resins (soft patches) were performed. UV-based epoxy adhesives were applied to both patch repair systems. For precured patch repair, the bonding strengths were investigated under different surface treatments for bonding area and different adhesives thicknesses. The shear stresses of different UV exposure times and curing times were tested. Besides, the large patch repair was investigated as well. For soft patch repair, the hand wet lay-up was applied due to high viscosity of UV resins. A modified single lap shear testing (ASTM D5868) was applied to determine the shear stress. The large patches used fiber glass instead of carbon fiber to prove the possibility of repair with UV epoxy resin by hand wet lay-up process. The hand lay-up procedure was applied and assisted by vacuum pressure to eliminate the air bubbles and consolidate the patches. To enhance the bonding strength and effective soft patch repair, vacuum assisted resin transferring molding (VaRTM) is the better option. However, only low viscosity resins can be operated by VaRTM. Hence, new UV-based adhesives were formulated. The new UV-based adhesives included photoinitiator (PI), epoxy and different solvents. Solvents were used to compound the photoinitiator into epoxy monomer. Acetone, tetrahydrofuran (THF) and chloroform were used as well as their anhydrous solvents. The UV exposure times and curing times of new UV-based resins were tested. FT-IR, DSC and DMA were used to investigate structure, glass transition temperatures(Tg) and properties of polymer. In summary, the UV-based adhesive was applied to adhesively bonded hard patch and soft patch repair. In addition, new UV-based resins were formulated for the VaRTM process. The in-field repair can be effective and efficient by using UV adhesives.

  8. J-2X Turbopump Cavitation Diagnostics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Santi, I. Michael; Butas, John P.; Tyler, Thomas R., Jr.; Aguilar, Robert; Sowers, T. Shane

    2010-01-01

    The J-2X is the upper stage engine currently being designed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) for the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV). Propellant supply requirements for the J-2X are defined by the Ares Upper Stage to J-2X Interface Control Document (ICD). Supply conditions outside ICD defined start or run boxes can induce turbopump cavitation leading to interruption of J-2X propellant flow during hot fire operation. In severe cases, cavitation can lead to uncontained engine failure with the potential to cause a vehicle catastrophic event. Turbopump and engine system performance models supported by system design information and test data are required to predict existence, severity, and consequences of a cavitation event. A cavitation model for each of the J-2X fuel and oxidizer turbopumps was developed using data from pump water flow test facilities at Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) together with data from Powerpack 1A testing at Stennis Space Center (SSC) and from heritage systems. These component models were implemented within the PWR J-2X Real Time Model (RTM) to provide a foundation for predicting system level effects following turbopump cavitation. The RTM serves as a general failure simulation platform supporting estimation of J-2X redline system effectiveness. A study to compare cavitation induced conditions with component level structural limit thresholds throughout the engine was performed using the RTM. Results provided insight into system level turbopump cavitation effects and redline system effectiveness in preventing structural limit violations. A need to better understand structural limits and redline system failure mitigation potential in the event of fuel side cavitation was indicated. This paper examines study results, efforts to mature J-2X turbopump cavitation models and structural limits, and issues with engine redline detection of cavitation and the use of vehicle-side abort triggers to augment the engine redline system.

  9. Improving UV Resistance of High Performance Fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hassanin, Ahmed

    High performance fibers are characterized by their superior properties compared to the traditional textile fibers. High strength fibers have high modules, high strength to weight ratio, high chemical resistance, and usually high temperature resistance. It is used in application where superior properties are needed such as bulletproof vests, ropes and cables, cut resistant products, load tendons for giant scientific balloons, fishing rods, tennis racket strings, parachute cords, adhesives and sealants, protective apparel and tire cords. Unfortunately, Ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes serious degradation to the most of high performance fibers. UV lights, either natural or artificial, cause organic compounds to decompose and degrade, because the energy of the photons of UV light is high enough to break chemical bonds causing chain scission. This work is aiming at achieving maximum protection of high performance fibers using sheathing approaches. The sheaths proposed are of lightweight to maintain the advantage of the high performance fiber that is the high strength to weight ratio. This study involves developing three different types of sheathing. The product of interest that need be protected from UV is braid from PBO. First approach is extruding a sheath from Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) loaded with different rutile TiO2 % nanoparticles around the braid from the PBO. The results of this approach showed that LDPE sheath loaded with 10% TiO2 by weight achieved the highest protection compare to 0% and 5% TiO2. The protection here is judged by strength loss of PBO. This trend noticed in different weathering environments, where the sheathed samples were exposed to UV-VIS radiations in different weatheromter equipments as well as exposure to high altitude environment using NASA BRDL balloon. The second approach is focusing in developing a protective porous membrane from polyurethane loaded with rutile TiO2 nanoparticles. Membrane from polyurethane loaded with 4% rutile TiO2 nanoparticles showed excellent protection of braid from PBO. Only 7.5% strength loss was observed. To optimize the degree of protection of the sheath loaded with UV blocker particles, computational models were developed to optimize the protective layer thickness/weight and the amount of UV particles that provide the maximum protection with lightest weight of the protective layer and minimum amount of UV particles. The simulated results were found to be higher that the experimental results due to the tendency of nanoparticles to be agglomerated in real experiments. The third approach to achieve a maximum protection with the minimum weight added is constructing a sleeve from SpectraRTM (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) high performance fiber), which is known to resist UV, woven fabric. Covering the braid from PBO fiber with Spectra RTM woven fabric provide hybrid structure with two compatible components that can share the load and thus maintain the high strength to weight ratio. Although the SpectraRTM fabric had maximum cover factor, 20 % of visible light and about 15 % of UV were able to penetrate the fabric. This transmittance of UV-VIS light negatively affected the protection performance of the SpectraRTM woven fabric layer. It is thought that SpectraRTM fabric be coated with a thin layer (mentioned earlier) containing UV blocker for additional protection while maintain strength contribution to the hybrid structure. To maximize the strength to weight ratio of the hybrid structure (with core from PBO braid and sheath from SpectraRTM woven fabric) an established finite element model was utilized. The theoretical results using the finite element theory indicated that by controlling the bending rigidity of the filling yarn of the SpectraRTM fabric, the extension at peak load of woven fabric in warp direction (loading direction) could be controlled to match the braid extension at peak load. The match in the extension at peak load of the two components of the hybrid structure allowed the maximum strength to weight ratio. Thus, the SpectraRTM woven layer could achieve both the protection from UV and the load share in the hybrid structure.

  10. RTM user's guide

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Claus, Steven J.; Loos, Alfred C.

    1989-01-01

    RTM is a FORTRAN '77 computer code which simulates the infiltration of textile reinforcements and the kinetics of thermosetting polymer resin systems. The computer code is based on the process simulation model developed by the author. The compaction of dry, woven textile composites is simulated to describe the increase in fiber volume fraction with increasing compaction pressure. Infiltration is assumed to follow D'Arcy's law for Newtonian viscous fluids. The chemical changes which occur in the resin during processing are simulated with a thermo-kinetics model. The computer code is discussed on the basis of the required input data, output files and some comments on how to interpret the results. An example problem is solved and a complete listing is included.

  11. RELAP-7 Software Verification and Validation Plan - Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) Part 2: Code Assessment Strategy, Procedure, and RTM Update

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

    Yoo, Jun Soo; Choi, Yong Joon; Smith, Curtis Lee

    2016-09-01

    This document addresses two subjects involved with the RELAP-7 Software Verification and Validation Plan (SVVP): (i) the principles and plan to assure the independence of RELAP-7 assessment through the code development process, and (ii) the work performed to establish the RELAP-7 assessment plan, i.e., the assessment strategy, literature review, and identification of RELAP-7 requirements. Then, the Requirements Traceability Matrices (RTMs) proposed in previous document (INL-EXT-15-36684) are updated. These RTMs provide an efficient way to evaluate the RELAP-7 development status as well as the maturity of RELAP-7 assessment through the development process.

  12. Microbially Mediated Kinetic Sulfur Isotope Fractionation: Reactive Transport Modeling Benchmark

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wanner, C.; Druhan, J. L.; Cheng, Y.; Amos, R. T.; Steefel, C. I.; Ajo Franklin, J. B.

    2014-12-01

    Microbially mediated sulfate reduction is a ubiquitous process in many subsurface systems. Isotopic fractionation is characteristic of this anaerobic process, since sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) favor the reduction of the lighter sulfate isotopologue (S32O42-) over the heavier isotopologue (S34O42-). Detection of isotopic shifts have been utilized as a proxy for the onset of sulfate reduction in subsurface systems such as oil reservoirs and aquifers undergoing uranium bioremediation. Reactive transport modeling (RTM) of kinetic sulfur isotope fractionation has been applied to field and laboratory studies. These RTM approaches employ different mathematical formulations in the representation of kinetic sulfur isotope fractionation. In order to test the various formulations, we propose a benchmark problem set for the simulation of kinetic sulfur isotope fractionation during microbially mediated sulfate reduction. The benchmark problem set is comprised of four problem levels and is based on a recent laboratory column experimental study of sulfur isotope fractionation. Pertinent processes impacting sulfur isotopic composition such as microbial sulfate reduction and dispersion are included in the problem set. To date, participating RTM codes are: CRUNCHTOPE, TOUGHREACT, MIN3P and THE GEOCHEMIST'S WORKBENCH. Preliminary results from various codes show reasonable agreement for the problem levels simulating sulfur isotope fractionation in 1D.

  13. Radiation closure under broken cloud conditions at the BSRN site Payerne: A case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aebi, Christine; Gröbner, Julian; Kämpfer, Niklaus; Vuilleumier, Laurent

    2017-04-01

    Clouds have a substantial influence on the surface radiation budget and on the climate system. There are several studies showing the opposing effect of clouds on shortwave and longwave radiation and thus on the global energy budget. Wacker et al., 2013 show an agreement between radiation flux measurements and radiative transfer models (RTM) under clear sky conditions which is within the measurement uncertainty. Our current study combines radiation fluxes from surface-based observations with RTM under cloudy conditions. It is a case study with data from the BSRN (Baseline Surface Radiation Network) site Payerne (46.49˚ N, 6.56˚ E, 490 m asl). Observation data are retrieved from pyranometers and pyrgeometers and additional atmospheric parameters from radiosondes and a ceilometer. The cloud information is taken from visible all-sky cameras. In a first step observations and RTM are compared for cases with stratiform overcast cloud conditions. In a next step radiation fluxes are compared under broken cloud conditions. These analyses are performed for different cloud types. Wacker, S., J. Gröbner, and L. Vuilleumier (2014) A method to calculate cloud-free long-wave irradiance at the surface based on radiative transfer modeling and temperature lapse rate estimates, Theor. Appl. Climatol., 115, 551-561.

  14. [Identification of hepatitis B virus YMDD point mutation using peptide nucleic acid clamping PCR].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yingying; He, Haitang; Yang, Jie; Hou, Jinlin

    2013-06-01

    To establish a peptide nucleic acid clamping PCR assay for detecting hepatitis B virus (HBV) drug resistance mutation. RtM204I (ATT) mutant, rtM204V (GTG) mutant and rtM204 (ATG) wild-type plasmids mixed at different ratios were detected for mutations by PNA clamping PCR assay and direct sequencing, and the sensitivity and specificity of the two methods were compared. Serum samples from 85 patients with chronic HBV infection were detected for drug resistance using the two methods. The sensitivity of PNA-PCR assay was 0.001% in a 10(5)-fold excess of wild-type HBV DNA with a detection limit of 10(1) copies. The sensitivity of direct sequencing was 10% with a detection limit of 10(4) copies. Mutants were detected in 73 of the 85 serum samples (85.9%), including YIDD in 40 samples, YVDD in 23 samples, and YIDD+YVDD in 10 samples. The agreement of PNA-PCR assay with direct sequencing was only 40% (34/85, YIDD in 21 samples, YVDD in 11 samples, and YIDD+YVDD in 2 samples). Neither of the two methods yielded positive results for the negative control samples, suggesting their good specificity. PNA-PCR assay appears to be a more sensitive and rapid assay for detection of HBV genotypic resistance.

  15. Infrared Retrievals of Ice Cloud Properties and Uncertainties with an Optimal Estimation Retrieval Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, C.; Platnick, S. E.; Meyer, K.; Zhang, Z.

    2014-12-01

    We developed an optimal estimation (OE)-based method using infrared (IR) observations to retrieve ice cloud optical thickness (COT), cloud effective radius (CER), and cloud top height (CTH) simultaneously. The OE-based retrieval is coupled with a fast IR radiative transfer model (RTM) that simulates observations of different sensors, and corresponding Jacobians in cloudy atmospheres. Ice cloud optical properties are calculated using the MODIS Collection 6 (C6) ice crystal habit (severely roughened hexagonal column aggregates). The OE-based method can be applied to various IR space-borne and airborne sensors, such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the enhanced MODIS Airborne Simulator (eMAS), by optimally selecting IR bands with high information content. Four major error sources (i.e., the measurement error, fast RTM error, model input error, and pre-assumed ice crystal habit error) are taken into account in our OE retrieval method. We show that measurement error and fast RTM error have little impact on cloud retrievals, whereas errors from the model input and pre-assumed ice crystal habit significantly increase retrieval uncertainties when the cloud is optically thin. Comparisons between the OE-retrieved ice cloud properties and other operational cloud products (e.g., the MODIS C6 and CALIOP cloud products) are shown.

  16. Effects of alloying and processing modifications on precipitation and strength in 9%Cr ferritic/martensitic steels for fast reactor cladding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tippey, Kristin E.

    P92 was modified with respect to alloying and processing in the attempt to enhance high-temperature microstructural stability and mechanical properties. Alloying effects were modeled in ThermoCalcRTM and analyzed with reference to literature. ThermoCalcRTM modeling was conducted to design two low-carbon P92-like low-carbon alloys with austenite stabilized by alternative alloying; full conversion to austenite allows for a fully martensitic structure. Goals included avoidance of Z-phase, decrease of M23C6 phase fraction and maintained or increased MX phase fraction. Fine carbonitride precipitation was optimized by selecting alloying compositions such that all V and Nb could be solutionized at temperatures outside the delta-ferrite phase field. A low-carbon alloy (LC) and a low-carbon-zero-niobium alloy (0Nb) were identified and fabricated. This low-carbon approach stems from the increased creep resistance reported in several low-carbon alloys, presumably from reduced M23C6 precipitation and maintained MX precipitation [1], although these low-carbon alloys also contained additional tungsten (W) and cobalt (Co) compared to the base P92 alloy. The synergistic effect of Co and W on the microstructure and mechanical properties are difficult to deconvolute. Higher solutionizing temperatures allow more V and Nb into solution and increase prior austenite grain size; however, at sufficiently high temperatures delta-ferrite forms. Optimal solutionizing temperatures to maximize V and Nb in solution, while avoiding the onset of the delta ferrite phase field, were analyzed in ThermoCalcRTM. Optical microscopy showed ThermoCalc RTM predicted higher delta-ferrite onset temperatures of 20 °C in P92 alloys to nearly 50 °C in the designed alloys of the critical temperature. Identifying the balance where maximum fine precipitation is achieved and delta-ferrite avoided is a key factor in the design of an acceptable P92-like alloy for Generation IV reactor cladding. Processing was further modified utilizing thermomechanical processing (TMP) simulations with the GleebleRTM 3500. Hardness increased substantially in thermomechanically processed alloys, with increased hardness strongly correlating to decreased TMP temperature. The most significant difference between low- and high-temperature thermomechanically processed specimens was an increase in crystallite size at the higher temperature. The fundamental reason for higher strength in the TMP conditions is higher dislocation density, as precipitate volume fraction was not specifically improved in TMP conditions. Thermal stability of the base P92 and of the experimental alloys was analyzed by aging the alloys for times ranging from 500 to 10,000 h at 550, 600, 650, and 700 °C. Results suggest the hardness and thermal stability of LC is greater than that of 0Nb at lower aging temperatures and shorter times, with 0Nb surpassing LC microhardness at 10,000 h at 650 °C and for most conditions aged at 700 °C. Small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS/WAXS) was conducted at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). Atom probe tomography (APT) and scanning transmission electron microscopy high-angle annular dark field (STEM-HAADF) in conjunction with EDS were used to elucidate x-ray findings. These microstructural characteristics were then correlated with mechanical properties, including Vickers microhardness testing, elevated-temperature tensile testing, and creep rupture testing. The designed alloys exhibited less stable microstructures leading to less favorable mechanical potencies, as compared to the base P92 alloy. It is posited that factors other than inclination towards MX over M23C6 precipitation are important in generating thermal stability and high-temperature strength, i.e. perhaps the solid solution or diffusion controlling effects of Co in the low-carbon variation of Taneike's alloys [1] delay martensite recovery. The refined thermal profiles, however, put both P92 and LC creep strengths beyond those found in literature.

  17. Inferring Land Surface Model Parameters for the Assimilation of Satellite-Based L-Band Brightness Temperature Observations into a Soil Moisture Analysis System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reichle, Rolf H.; De Lannoy, Gabrielle J. M.

    2012-01-01

    The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) satellite mission provides global measurements of L-band brightness temperatures at horizontal and vertical polarization and a variety of incidence angles that are sensitive to moisture and temperature conditions in the top few centimeters of the soil. These L-band observations can therefore be assimilated into a land surface model to obtain surface and root zone soil moisture estimates. As part of the observation operator, such an assimilation system requires a radiative transfer model (RTM) that converts geophysical fields (including soil moisture and soil temperature) into modeled L-band brightness temperatures. At the global scale, the RTM parameters and the climatological soil moisture conditions are still poorly known. Using look-up tables from the literature to estimate the RTM parameters usually results in modeled L-band brightness temperatures that are strongly biased against the SMOS observations, with biases varying regionally and seasonally. Such biases must be addressed within the land data assimilation system. In this presentation, the estimation of the RTM parameters is discussed for the NASA GEOS-5 land data assimilation system, which is based on the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and the Catchment land surface model. In the GEOS-5 land data assimilation system, soil moisture and brightness temperature biases are addressed in three stages. First, the global soil properties and soil hydraulic parameters that are used in the Catchment model were revised to minimize the bias in the modeled soil moisture, as verified against available in situ soil moisture measurements. Second, key parameters of the "tau-omega" RTM were calibrated prior to data assimilation using an objective function that minimizes the climatological differences between the modeled L-band brightness temperatures and the corresponding SMOS observations. Calibrated parameters include soil roughness parameters, vegetation structure parameters, and the single scattering albedo. After this climatological calibration, the modeling system can provide L-band brightness temperatures with a global mean absolute bias of less than 10K against SMOS observations, across multiple incidence angles and for horizontal and vertical polarization. Third, seasonal and regional variations in the residual biases are addressed by estimating the vegetation optical depth through state augmentation during the assimilation of the L-band brightness temperatures. This strategy, tested here with SMOS data, is part of the baseline approach for the Level 4 Surface and Root Zone Soil Moisture data product from the planned Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite mission.

  18. Compressive Acceleration of Solar Energetic Particles within Coronal Mass Ejections: Observations and Theory Relevant to the Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter Missions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roelof, E. C.

    2015-12-01

    Observations of solar energetic particles (SEPs) over Solar Cycles 22-24 included the measurement of their pitch-angle distributions (PADs). When only magnetically "well-connected" SEP events were selected, i.e., with the spacecraft on interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) lines whose coronal foot-points were within about 30 deg of the associated flare site, the PADs were usually "beam-like" during the rise-to-maximum phase (RTM) of the events. This nearly "scatter-free" propagation (due to magnetic focusing of the IMF) revealed that the injection times of the SEPs were delayed up to 10s of minutes after the onset of electromagnetic emissions from the flare. Direct comparison with the flare-associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the western hemisphere indicated that the SEP acceleration/injection was occurring at least 1 Rs into the corona (and often continuing well above that radial distance). Moreover, the RTM profiles exhibited a continuum of shapes, from "spikes" to "pulses" to "ramps", and these shape characterizations ordered the properties of the associated CMEs. Most importantly, when compared at nearly the same near-relativistic velocities, electrons and protons exhibited similar PADs and RTM profiles. Clearly, such orderly patterns in the data call for a single dominant acceleration process that treats all particles of similar velocities the same, regardless of mass and charge. A simple theory that meets all of these requirements, based on nearly scatter-free propagation and energy change within particle "reservoirs" (such as the closed magnetic structure of a CME), has recently been proposed [Roelof, Proc. 14th Ann. Int'l. Astrophys. Conf., IOP, in press, 2015]. The acceleration results from compression (-divV) of the driver plasma, well sunward of the CME shock. Acceleration (e-folding) times of only a few minutes can be obtained from representative parameters of 1000 km/s CMEs. A companion paper [Roelof and Vourlidas, op. cit.], proposed a new observational technique by which (divV) may be extracted directly from coronograph white-light movies of out-going CMEs, thus offering observational closure of the new theory for SEP acceleration/injection that should be relevant to the Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter missions.

  19. Uncertainty Assessment of Space-Borne Passive Soil Moisture Retrievals

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Quets, Jan; De Lannoy, Gabrielle; Reichle, Rolf; Cosh, Michael; van der Schalie, Robin; Wigneron, Jean-Pierre

    2017-01-01

    The uncertainty associated with passive soil moisture retrieval is hard to quantify, and known to be underlain by various, diverse, and complex causes. Factors affecting space-borne retrieved soil moisture estimation include: (i) the optimization or inversion method applied to the radiative transfer model (RTM), such as e.g. the Single Channel Algorithm (SCA), or the Land Parameter Retrieval Model (LPRM), (ii) the selection of the observed brightness temperatures (Tbs), e.g. polarization and incidence angle, (iii) the definition of the cost function and the impact of prior information in it, and (iv) the RTM parameterization (e.g. parameterizations officially used by the SMOS L2 and SMAP L2 retrieval products, ECMWF-based SMOS assimilation product, SMAP L4 assimilation product, and perturbations from those configurations). This study aims at disentangling the relative importance of the above-mentioned sources of uncertainty, by carrying out soil moisture retrieval experiments, using SMOS Tb observations in different settings, of which some are mentioned above. The ensemble uncertainties are evaluated at 11 reference CalVal sites, over a time period of more than 5 years. These experimental retrievals were inter-compared, and further confronted with in situ soil moisture measurements and operational SMOS L2 retrievals, using commonly used skill metrics to quantify the temporal uncertainty in the retrievals.

  20. Improved OSIRIS NO2 retrieval algorithm: description and validation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sioris, Christopher E.; Rieger, Landon A.; Lloyd, Nicholas D.; Bourassa, Adam E.; Roth, Chris Z.; Degenstein, Douglas A.; Camy-Peyret, Claude; Pfeilsticker, Klaus; Berthet, Gwenaël; Catoire, Valéry; Goutail, Florence; Pommereau, Jean-Pierre; McLinden, Chris A.

    2017-03-01

    A new retrieval algorithm for OSIRIS (Optical Spectrograph and Infrared Imager System) nitrogen dioxide (NO2) profiles is described and validated. The algorithm relies on spectral fitting to obtain slant column densities of NO2, followed by inversion using an algebraic reconstruction technique and the SaskTran spherical radiative transfer model (RTM) to obtain vertical profiles of local number density. The validation covers different latitudes (tropical to polar), years (2002-2012), all seasons (winter, spring, summer, and autumn), different concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (from denoxified polar vortex to polar summer), a range of solar zenith angles (68.6-90.5°), and altitudes between 10.5 and 39 km, thereby covering the full retrieval range of a typical OSIRIS NO2 profile. The use of a larger spectral fitting window than used in previous retrievals reduces retrieval uncertainties and the scatter in the retrieved profiles due to noisy radiances. Improvements are also demonstrated through the validation in terms of bias reduction at 15-17 km relative to the OSIRIS operational v3.0 algorithm. The diurnal variation of NO2 along the line of sight is included in a fully spherical multiple scattering RTM for the first time. Using this forward model with built-in photochemistry, the scatter of the differences relative to the correlative balloon NO2 profile data is reduced.

  1. A Distributed Data Acquisition System for the Sensor Network of the TAWARA_RTM Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fontana, Cristiano Lino; Donati, Massimiliano; Cester, Davide; Fanucci, Luca; Iovene, Alessandro; Swiderski, Lukasz; Moretto, Sandra; Moszynski, Marek; Olejnik, Anna; Ruiu, Alessio; Stevanato, Luca; Batsch, Tadeusz; Tintori, Carlo; Lunardon, Marcello

    This paper describes a distributed Data Acquisition System (DAQ) developed for the TAWARA_RTM project (TAp WAter RAdioactivity Real Time Monitor). The aim is detecting the presence of radioactive contaminants in drinking water; in order to prevent deliberate or accidental threats. Employing a set of detectors, it is possible to detect alpha, beta and gamma radiations, from emitters dissolved in water. The Sensor Network (SN) consists of several heterogeneous nodes controlled by a centralized server. The SN cyber-security is guaranteed in order to protect it from external intrusions and malicious acts. The nodes were installed in different locations, along the water treatment processes, in the waterworks plant supplying the aqueduct of Warsaw, Poland. Embedded computers control the simpler nodes, and are directly connected to the SN. Local-PCs (LPCs) control the more complex nodes that consist signal digitizers acquiring data from several detectors. The DAQ in the LPC is split in several processes communicating with sockets in a local sub-network. Each process is dedicated to a very simple task (e.g. data acquisition, data analysis, hydraulics management) in order to have a flexible and fault-tolerant system. The main SN and the local DAQ networks are separated by data routers to ensure the cyber-security.

  2. Global Soil Moisture Estimation from L-Band Satellite Data: The Impact of Radiative Transfer Modeling in Assimilation and Retrieval Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    De Lannoy, Gabrielle; Reichle, Rolf; Gruber, Alexander; Bechtold, Michel; Quets, Jan; Vrugt, Jasper; Wigneron, Jean-Pierre

    2018-01-01

    The SMOS and SMAP missions have collected a wealth of global L-band Brightness temperature (Tb) observations. The retrieval of surface Soil moisture estimates, and the estimation of other geophysical Variables, such as root-zone soil moisture and temperature, via data Assimilation into land surface models largely depends on accurate Radiative transfer modeling (RTM). This presentation will focus on various configuration aspects of the RTM (i) for the inversion of SMOS Tb to surface soil moisture, and (ii) for the forward modeling as part of a SMOS Tb data assimilation System to estimate a consistent set of geophysical land surface Variables, using the GEOS-5 Catchment Land Surface Model.

  3. Immune mechanisms regulating pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of PEGylated liposomal anticancer agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Gina

    Nanotechnology has made significant advances in drug delivery system for the treatment of cancer. Among various nanoparticle (NP) platforms, liposomes have been most widely used as a NP drug carrier for cancer therapy. High variation in pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of liposome-based therapeutics has been reported. However, the interaction of liposome-based therapeutics with the immune system, specifically the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS), and underlying molecular mechanisms for variable responses to liposomal drugs remain poorly understood. The objective of this dissertation was to elucidate immune mechanisms for the variable responses to PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD; DoxilRTM), a clinically relevant NP, in animal models and in patients. In vitro, in vivo and clinical systems were investigated to evaluate the effects of chemokines (CCL2 and CCL5), heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment, and genetic variations on PK and PD of PLD. Results showed that there was a significantly positive linear relationship between PLD exposure (AUC) and total amount of CCL2 and CCL5, most prevalent chemokines in plasma, in patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. Consistent with these findings, preclinical studies using mice bearing SKOV3 orthotopic ovarian cancer xenografts demonstrated that PLD induced the production and secretion of chemokines into plasma. In addition, in vitro studies using human monocytic THP-1 cells demonstrated that PLD altered monocyte migration towards CCL2 and CCL5. The PK and efficacy studies of PLD in murine models of breast cancer showed that heterogeneous tumor microenvironment was associated with significantly different tumor delivery and efficacy of PLD, but not small molecule doxorubicin between two breast tumor models. A candidate genetic locus that was associated with clearance of PLD in 23 inbred mouse strains contains a gene that encodes for engulfment adapter PTB domain containing 1 (Gulp1). By using integrated approaches, we were able to identify the immunological mechanisms at the molecular, tissue, and clinical levels that may contribute to inter-individual variability in PK and PD of PLD. This dissertation research has a potential to make an impact on development of future NP-based anticancer therapeutics as well as on clinical use of PLD (DoxilRTM) and other PEGylated liposomal anticancer agents.

  4. Low cost composite manufacturing utilizing intelligent pultrusion and resin transfer molding (IPRTM)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bradley, James E.; Wysocki, Tadeusz S., Jr.

    1993-02-01

    This article describes an innovative method for the economical manufacturing of large, intricately-shaped tubular composite parts. Proprietary intelligent process control techniques are combined with standard pultrusion and RTM methodologies to provide high part throughput, performance, and quality while substantially reducing scrap, rework costs, and labor requirements. On-line process monitoring and control is achieved through a smart tooling interface consisting of modular zone tiles installed on part-specific die assemblies. Real-time archiving of process run parameters provides enhanced SPC and SQC capabilities.

  5. Advanced Machine Learning Emulators of Radiative Transfer Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Camps-Valls, G.; Verrelst, J.; Martino, L.; Vicent, J.

    2017-12-01

    Physically-based model inversion methodologies are based on physical laws and established cause-effect relationships. A plethora of remote sensing applications rely on the physical inversion of a Radiative Transfer Model (RTM), which lead to physically meaningful bio-geo-physical parameter estimates. The process is however computationally expensive, needs expert knowledge for both the selection of the RTM, its parametrization and the the look-up table generation, as well as its inversion. Mimicking complex codes with statistical nonlinear machine learning algorithms has become the natural alternative very recently. Emulators are statistical constructs able to approximate the RTM, although at a fraction of the computational cost, providing an estimation of uncertainty, and estimations of the gradient or finite integral forms. We review the field and recent advances of emulation of RTMs with machine learning models. We posit Gaussian processes (GPs) as the proper framework to tackle the problem. Furthermore, we introduce an automatic methodology to construct emulators for costly RTMs. The Automatic Gaussian Process Emulator (AGAPE) methodology combines the interpolation capabilities of GPs with the accurate design of an acquisition function that favours sampling in low density regions and flatness of the interpolation function. We illustrate the good capabilities of our emulators in toy examples, leaf and canopy levels PROSPECT and PROSAIL RTMs, and for the construction of an optimal look-up-table for atmospheric correction based on MODTRAN5.

  6. Effect of ACL graft material on anterior knee force during simulated in vivo ovine motion applied to the porcine knee: An in vitro examination of force during 2000 cycles.

    PubMed

    Boguszewski, Daniel V; Wagner, Christopher T; Butler, David L; Shearn, Jason T

    2015-12-01

    This study determined how anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction affected the magnitude and temporal patterns of anterior knee force and internal knee moment during 2000 cycles of simulated gait. Porcine knees were tested using a six degree-of-freedom robot, examining three porcine allograft materials compared with the native ACL. Reconstructions were performed using: (1) bone-patellar tendon-bone allograft (BPTB), (2) reconstructive porcine tissue matrix (RTM), or (3) an RTM-polymer hybrid construct (Hybrid). Forces and moments were measured over the entire gait cycle and contrasted at heel strike, mid stance, toe off, and peak flexion. The Hybrid construct performed the best, as magnitude and temporal changes in both anterior knee force and internal knee moment were not different from the native ACL knee. Conversely, the RTM knees showed greater loss in anterior knee force during 2000 cycles than the native ACL knee at heel strike and toe off, with an average force loss of 46%. BPTB knees performed the least favorably, with significant loss in anterior knee force at all key points and an average force loss of 61%. This is clinically relevant, as increases in post-operative knee laxity are believed to play a role in graft failure and early onset osteoarthritis. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Retrieval of Winter Wheat Leaf Area Index from Chinese GF-1 Satellite Data Using the PROSAIL Model.

    PubMed

    Li, He; Liu, Gaohuan; Liu, Qingsheng; Chen, Zhongxin; Huang, Chong

    2018-04-06

    Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the key biophysical parameters in crop structure. The accurate quantitative estimation of crop LAI is essential to verify crop growth and health. The PROSAIL radiative transfer model (RTM) is one of the most established methods for estimating crop LAI. In this study, a look-up table (LUT) based on the PROSAIL RTM was first used to estimate winter wheat LAI from GF-1 data, which accounted for some available prior knowledge relating to the distribution of winter wheat characteristics. Next, the effects of 15 LAI-LUT strategies with reflectance bands and 10 LAI-LUT strategies with vegetation indexes on the accuracy of the winter wheat LAI retrieval with different phenological stages were evaluated against in situ LAI measurements. The results showed that the LUT strategies of LAI-GNDVI were optimal and had the highest accuracy with a root mean squared error (RMSE) value of 0.34, and a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.61 during the elongation stages, and the LUT strategies of LAI-Green were optimal with a RMSE of 0.74, and R² of 0.20 during the grain-filling stages. The results demonstrated that the PROSAIL RTM had great potential in winter wheat LAI inversion with GF-1 satellite data and the performance could be improved by selecting the appropriate LUT inversion strategies in different growth periods.

  8. Family-based linkage and association mapping reveals novel genes affecting Plum pox virus infection in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    PubMed

    Pagny, Gaëlle; Paulstephenraj, Pauline S; Poque, Sylvain; Sicard, Ophélie; Cosson, Patrick; Eyquard, Jean-Philippe; Caballero, Mélodie; Chague, Aurélie; Gourdon, Germain; Negrel, Lise; Candresse, Thierry; Mariette, Stéphanie; Decroocq, Véronique

    2012-11-01

    Sharka is a devastating viral disease caused by the Plum pox virus (PPV) in stone fruit trees and few sources of resistance are known in its natural hosts. Since any knowledge gained from Arabidopsis on plant virus susceptibility factors is likely to be transferable to crop species, Arabidopsis's natural variation was searched for host factors essential for PPV infection. To locate regions of the genome associated with susceptibility to PPV, linkage analysis was performed on six biparental populations as well as on multiparental lines. To refine quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, a genome-wide association analysis was carried out using 147 Arabidopsis accessions. Evidence was found for linkage on chromosomes 1, 3 and 5 with restriction of PPV long-distance movement. The most relevant signals occurred within a region at the bottom of chromosome 3, which comprises seven RTM3-like TRAF domain-containing genes. Since the resistance mechanism analyzed here is recessive and the rtm3 knockout mutant is susceptible to PPV infection, it suggests that other gene(s) present in the small identified region encompassing RTM3 are necessary for PPV long-distance movement. In consequence, we report here the occurrence of host factor(s) that are indispensable for virus long-distance movement. © 2012 INRA. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

  9. Simulation of the brightness temperatures observed by the visible infrared imaging radiometer suite instrument

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evrard, Rebecca L.; Ding, Yifeng

    2018-01-01

    Clouds play a large role in the Earth's global energy budget, but the impact of cirrus clouds is still widely questioned and researched. Cirrus clouds reside high in the atmosphere and due to cold temperatures are comprised of ice crystals. Gaining a better understanding of ice cloud optical properties and the distribution of cirrus clouds provides an explanation for the contribution of cirrus clouds to the global energy budget. Using radiative transfer models (RTMs), accurate simulations of cirrus clouds can enhance the understanding of the global energy budget as well as improve the use of global climate models. A newer, faster RTM such as the visible infrared imaging radiometer suite (VIIRS) fast radiative transfer model (VFRTM) is compared to a rigorous RTM such as the line-by-line radiative transfer model plus the discrete ordinates radiative transfer program. By comparing brightness temperature (BT) simulations from both models, the accuracy of the VFRTM can be obtained. This study shows root-mean-square error <0.2 K for BT difference using reanalysis data for atmospheric profiles and updated ice particle habit information from the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer collection 6. At a higher resolution, the simulated results of the VFRTM are compared to the observations of VIIRS resulting in a <1.5 % error from the VFRTM for all cases. The VFRTM is validated and is an appropriate RTM to use for global cloud retrievals.

  10. Monte Carlo modeling of the MammoSite(Reg) treatments: Dose effects of air pockets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Yu-Huei Jessica

    In the treatment of early-stage breast cancer, MammoSiteRTM has been used as one of the partial breast irradiation techniques after breast-conserving surgery. The MammoSiteRTM applicator is a single catheter with an inflatable balloon at its distal end that can be placed in the resected cavity (tumor bed). The treatment is performed by delivering the Ir-192 high-dose-rate source through the center lumen of the catheter by a remote afterloader while the balloon is inflated in the tumor bed cavity. In the MammoSiteRTM treatment, it has been found that air pockets occasionally exist and can be seen and measured in CT images. Experiences have shown that about 90% of the patients have air pockets when imaged two days after the balloon placement. The criterion for the air pocket volume is less than or equal to 10% of the planning target volume in volume. The purpose of this study is to quantify dose errors occurring at the interface of the air pocket in MammoSiteRTM treatments with Monte Carlo calculations, so that the dosimetric effects from the air pocket can be fully understood. Modern brachytherapy treatment planning systems typically consider patient anatomy as a homogeneous water medium, and incorrectly model lateral and backscatter radiation during treatment delivery. Heterogeneities complicate the problem and may result in overdosage to the tissue located near the medium interface. This becomes a problem in MammoSiteRTM brachytherapy when air pocket appears during the treatment. The resulting percentage dose difference near the air-tissue interface is hypothesized to be greater than 10% when comparing Monte Carlo N-Particle (version 5) with current treatment planning systems. The specific aims for this study are: (1) Validate Monte Carlo N-Particle (Version 5) source modeling. (2) Develop phantom. (3) Calculate phantom doses with Monte Carlo N-Particle (Version 5) and investigate doses difference between thermoluminescent dosimeter measurement, treatment planning system, and Monte Carlo results. (4) Calculate dose differences for various treatment parameters. The results from thermoliminescent dosimeter phantom measurements proves that with correct geometric and source models, Monte Carlo method can be used to estimate homogeneity and heterogeneity doses in MammoSiteRTM treatment. The resulting dose differences at various points of interests in Monte Carlo calculations were presented and compared between different calculation methods. The air pocket doses were found to be underestimated by the treatment planning system. It was concluded that after correcting for inverse square law, the underestimation error from the treatment planning system will be less than +/- 2.0%, and +/- 3.5%, at the air pocket surface and air pocket planning target volume, respectively, when comparing Monte Carlo N-Particle (version 5) results. If the skin surface is located close to the air pocket, the underestimation effect at the air pocket surface and air pocket planning target volume doses becomes less because the air outside of the skin surface reduces the air pocket inhomogeneity effect. In order to maintain appropriate skin dose within tolerance, the skin surface criterion should be considered as the smallest thickness of the breast tissue located between the air pocket and the skin surface. The thickness should be at least 5 mm. In conclusion, the air pocket outside the balloon had less than 10% inhomogeneity effect based on the situations studied. It is recommended that at least an inverse square correction should be taken into consideration in order to relate clinical outcomes to actual delivered doses to the air pocket and surrounding tissues.

  11. Quantifying the influences of spectral resolution on uncertainty in leaf trait estimates through a Bayesian approach to RTM inversion

    DOE PAGES

    Shiklomanov, Alexey N.; Dietze, Michael C.; Viskari, Toni; ...

    2016-06-09

    The remote monitoring of plant canopies is critically needed for understanding of terrestrial ecosystem mechanics and biodiversity as well as capturing the short- to long-term responses of vegetation to disturbance and climate change. A variety of orbital, sub-orbital, and field instruments have been used to retrieve optical spectral signals and to study different vegetation properties such as plant biochemistry, nutrient cycling, physiology, water status, and stress. Radiative transfer models (RTMs) provide a mechanistic link between vegetation properties and observed spectral features, and RTM spectral inversion is a useful framework for estimating these properties from spectral data. However, existing approaches tomore » RTM spectral inversion are typically limited by the inability to characterize uncertainty in parameter estimates. Here, we introduce a Bayesian algorithm for the spectral inversion of the PROSPECT 5 leaf RTM that is distinct from past approaches in two important ways: First, the algorithm only uses reflectance and does not require transmittance observations, which have been plagued by a variety of measurement and equipment challenges. Second, the output is not a point estimate for each parameter but rather the joint probability distribution that includes estimates of parameter uncertainties and covariance structure. We validated our inversion approach using a database of leaf spectra together with measurements of equivalent water thickness (EWT) and leaf dry mass per unit area (LMA). The parameters estimated by our inversion were able to accurately reproduce the observed reflectance (RMSE VIS = 0.0063, RMSE NIR-SWIR = 0.0098) and transmittance (RMSE VIS = 0.0404, RMSE NIR-SWIR = 0.0551) for both broadleaved and conifer species. Inversion estimates of EWT and LMA for broadleaved species agreed well with direct measurements (CV EWT = 18.8%, CV LMA = 24.5%), while estimates for conifer species were less accurate (CV EWT = 53.2%, CV LMA = 63.3%). To examine the influence of spectral resolution on parameter uncertainty, we simulated leaf reflectance as observed by ten common remote sensing platforms with varying spectral configurations and performed a Bayesian inversion on the resulting spectra. We found that full-range hyperspectral platforms were able to retrieve all parameters accurately and precisely, while the parameter estimates of multispectral platforms were much less precise and prone to bias at high and low values. We also observed that variations in the width and location of spectral bands influenced the shape of the covariance structure of parameter estimates. Lastly, our Bayesian spectral inversion provides a powerful and versatile framework for future RTM development and single- and multi-instrumental remote sensing of vegetation.« less

  12. Quantifying the influences of spectral resolution on uncertainty in leaf trait estimates through a Bayesian approach to RTM inversion

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

    Shiklomanov, Alexey N.; Dietze, Michael C.; Viskari, Toni

    The remote monitoring of plant canopies is critically needed for understanding of terrestrial ecosystem mechanics and biodiversity as well as capturing the short- to long-term responses of vegetation to disturbance and climate change. A variety of orbital, sub-orbital, and field instruments have been used to retrieve optical spectral signals and to study different vegetation properties such as plant biochemistry, nutrient cycling, physiology, water status, and stress. Radiative transfer models (RTMs) provide a mechanistic link between vegetation properties and observed spectral features, and RTM spectral inversion is a useful framework for estimating these properties from spectral data. However, existing approaches tomore » RTM spectral inversion are typically limited by the inability to characterize uncertainty in parameter estimates. Here, we introduce a Bayesian algorithm for the spectral inversion of the PROSPECT 5 leaf RTM that is distinct from past approaches in two important ways: First, the algorithm only uses reflectance and does not require transmittance observations, which have been plagued by a variety of measurement and equipment challenges. Second, the output is not a point estimate for each parameter but rather the joint probability distribution that includes estimates of parameter uncertainties and covariance structure. We validated our inversion approach using a database of leaf spectra together with measurements of equivalent water thickness (EWT) and leaf dry mass per unit area (LMA). The parameters estimated by our inversion were able to accurately reproduce the observed reflectance (RMSE VIS = 0.0063, RMSE NIR-SWIR = 0.0098) and transmittance (RMSE VIS = 0.0404, RMSE NIR-SWIR = 0.0551) for both broadleaved and conifer species. Inversion estimates of EWT and LMA for broadleaved species agreed well with direct measurements (CV EWT = 18.8%, CV LMA = 24.5%), while estimates for conifer species were less accurate (CV EWT = 53.2%, CV LMA = 63.3%). To examine the influence of spectral resolution on parameter uncertainty, we simulated leaf reflectance as observed by ten common remote sensing platforms with varying spectral configurations and performed a Bayesian inversion on the resulting spectra. We found that full-range hyperspectral platforms were able to retrieve all parameters accurately and precisely, while the parameter estimates of multispectral platforms were much less precise and prone to bias at high and low values. We also observed that variations in the width and location of spectral bands influenced the shape of the covariance structure of parameter estimates. Lastly, our Bayesian spectral inversion provides a powerful and versatile framework for future RTM development and single- and multi-instrumental remote sensing of vegetation.« less

  13. Risk watershed analysis: a new approach to manage torrent control structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quefféléan, Yann; Carladous, Simon; Deymier, Christian; Marco, Olivier

    2017-04-01

    Torrential check dams have been built in French public forests since the 19th century, applying the Restoration and conservation of Mountainous Areas (RTM) laws (1860, 1864, 1882). The RTM department of the National Forestry Office (ONF) helps the government to decide on protective actions to implement within these areas. While more than 100 000 structures were registered in 1964, more than 14 000 check dams are currently registered and maintained within approximatively 380 000 ha of RTM public forests. The RTM department officers thus have a long experience in using check dams for soil restoration, but also in implementing other kinds of torrential protective structures such as sediment traps, embankments, bank protection, and so forth. As a part of the ONF, they are also experienced in forestry engineering. Nevertheless, some limits in torrent control management have been highlighted: - as existing protective structures are ageing, their effectiveness to protect elements at risk must be assessed but it is a difficult task ; - as available budget for maintenance is continuously decreasing, priorities have to be made but decisions are difficult : what are the existing check dams functions? what is their expected effect on torrential hazard? is maintenance cost too important given this expected effect to protect elements at risk? Given these questions, a new policy has been engaged by the RTM department since 2012. A technical overview at the torrential watershed scale is now needed to help better maintenance decisions: it has been called a Risk Watershed Analysis (Etude de Bassin de Risque in French, EBR) and is funded by the government. Its objectives are to: - recall initial objectives of protective structures : therefore, a detailed archive analysis is made ; - describe current elements at risk to protect ; - describe natural hazards at the torrential watershed scale and their evolution since protective structures implementation ; - describe civil engineering and forestry works that have been implemented within the watershed, including their cost ; - decide on current protective works to implement (maintenance and new investment). For each EBR, a multidisciplinary team is involved with specialists in geomorphology, hydrology, hydraulics, geology, civil engineering and forestry. Approximatively 1 100 EBRs should be implemented at the national scale, including other natural phenomena such as snow avalanches and rock falls. Since 2012, approximatively 10 % have been realized in areas with the most significant elements at risk. From a practical point of view, these studies have helped a better understanding of torrential watershed conditions and of torrent control expected effect over years. An analysis of these studies will be performed soon to have a first overview of torrent control effect. We claim that these EBRs could be a significant source of information to help a comprehensive evaluation of long-term effectiveness of torrent control.

  14. Water surface temperature estimation from Landsat 7 ETM+ thermal infrared data using the generalized single-channel method: Case study of Embalse del Río Tercero (Córdoba, Argentina)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lamaro, Anabel Alejandra; Mariñelarena, Alejandro; Torrusio, Sandra Edith; Sala, Silvia Estela

    2013-02-01

    Monitoring of warm distribution in water is fundamental to understand the performance and functioning of reservoirs and lakes. Surface water temperature is a key parameter in the physics of aquatic systems processes since it is closely related to the energy fluxes through the water-atmosphere interface. Remote sensing applied to water quality studies in inland waterbodies is a powerful tool that can provide additional information difficult to achieve by other means. The combination of good real-time coverage, spatial resolution and free availability of data makes Landsat system a proper alternative. Many papers have developed algorithms to retrieve surface temperature (principally, land surface temperature) from at-sensor and surface emissivity data. The aim of this study is to apply the single-channel generalized method (SCGM) developed by Jiménez-Muñoz and Sobrino (2003) for the estimation of water surface temperature from Landsat 7 ETM+ thermal bands. We consider a constant water emissivity value (0.9885) and we compare the results with radiative transfer classic method (RTM). We choose Embalse del Río Tercero (Córdoba, Argentina) as case study because it is a reservoir affected by the outlet of the cooling system of a nuclear power plant, whose thermal plume could influence the biota's distribution and biodiversity. These characteristics and the existence of long term studies make it an adequate place to test the methodology. Values of estimated and observed water surface temperatures obtained by the two compared methods were correlated applying a simple regression model. Correlation coefficients were significant (R2: 0.9498 for SCGM method and R2: 0.9584 for RTM method) while their standard errors were acceptable in both cases (SCGM method: RMS = 1.2250 and RTM method: RMS = 1.0426). Nevertheless, SCGM could estimate rather small differences in temperature between sites consistently with the results obtained in field measurements. Besides, it has the advantage that it only uses values of atmospheric water vapor and it can be applied to different thermal sensors using the same equation and coefficients.

  15. RFI and SCRIMP Model Development and Verification

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Loos, Alfred C.; Sayre, Jay

    2000-01-01

    Vacuum-Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) processes are becoming promising technologies in the manufacturing of primary composite structures in the aircraft industry as well as infrastructure. A great deal of work still needs to be done on efforts to reduce the costly trial-and-error methods of VARTM processing that are currently in practice today. A computer simulation model of the VARTM process would provide a cost-effective tool in the manufacturing of composites utilizing this technique. Therefore, the objective of this research was to modify an existing three-dimensional, Resin Film Infusion (RFI)/Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) model to include VARTM simulation capabilities and to verify this model with the fabrication of aircraft structural composites. An additional objective was to use the VARTM model as a process analysis tool, where this tool would enable the user to configure the best process for manufacturing quality composites. Experimental verification of the model was performed by processing several flat composite panels. The parameters verified included flow front patterns and infiltration times. The flow front patterns were determined to be qualitatively accurate, while the simulated infiltration times over predicted experimental times by 8 to 10%. Capillary and gravitational forces were incorporated into the existing RFI/RTM model in order to simulate VARTM processing physics more accurately. The theoretical capillary pressure showed the capability to reduce the simulated infiltration times by as great as 6%. The gravity, on the other hand, was found to be negligible for all cases. Finally, the VARTM model was used as a process analysis tool. This enabled the user to determine such important process constraints as the location and type of injection ports and the permeability and location of the high-permeable media. A process for a three-stiffener composite panel was proposed. This configuration evolved from the variation of the process constraints in the modeling of several different composite panels. The configuration was proposed by considering such factors as: infiltration time, the number of vacuum ports, and possible areas of void entrapment.

  16. Accelerating 3D Elastic Wave Equations on Knights Landing based Intel Xeon Phi processors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sourouri, Mohammed; Birger Raknes, Espen

    2017-04-01

    In advanced imaging methods like reverse-time migration (RTM) and full waveform inversion (FWI) the elastic wave equation (EWE) is numerically solved many times to create the seismic image or the elastic parameter model update. Thus, it is essential to optimize the solution time for solving the EWE as this will have a major impact on the total computational cost in running RTM or FWI. From a computational point of view applications implementing EWEs are associated with two major challenges. The first challenge is the amount of memory-bound computations involved, while the second challenge is the execution of such computations over very large datasets. So far, multi-core processors have not been able to tackle these two challenges, which eventually led to the adoption of accelerators such as Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). Compared to conventional CPUs, GPUs are densely populated with many floating-point units and fast memory, a type of architecture that has proven to map well to many scientific computations. Despite its architectural advantages, full-scale adoption of accelerators has yet to materialize. First, accelerators require a significant programming effort imposed by programming models such as CUDA or OpenCL. Second, accelerators come with a limited amount of memory, which also require explicit data transfers between the CPU and the accelerator over the slow PCI bus. The second generation of the Xeon Phi processor based on the Knights Landing (KNL) architecture, promises the computational capabilities of an accelerator but require the same programming effort as traditional multi-core processors. The high computational performance is realized through many integrated cores (number of cores and tiles and memory varies with the model) organized in tiles that are connected via a 2D mesh based interconnect. In contrary to accelerators, KNL is a self-hosted system, meaning explicit data transfers over the PCI bus are no longer required. However, like most accelerators, KNL sports a memory subsystem consisting of low-level caches and 16GB of high-bandwidth MCDRAM memory. For capacity computing, up to 400GB of conventional DDR4 memory is provided. Such a strict hierarchical memory layout means that data locality is imperative if the true potential of this product is to be harnessed. In this work, we study a series of optimizations specifically targeting KNL for our EWE based application to reduce the time-to-solution time for the following 3D model sizes in grid points: 1283, 2563 and 5123. We compare the results with an optimized version for multi-core CPUs running on a dual-socket Xeon E5 2680v3 system using OpenMP. Our initial naive implementation on the KNL is roughly 20% faster than the multi-core version, but by using only one thread per core and careful memory placement using the memkind library, we could achieve higher speedups. Additionally, by using the MCDRAM as cache for problem sizes that are smaller than 16 GB further performance improvements were unlocked. Depending on the problem size, our overall results indicate that the KNL based system is approximately 2.2x faster than the 24-core Xeon E5 2680v3 system, with only modest changes to the code.

  17. A 2D modeling approach for fluid propagation during FE-forming simulation of continuously reinforced composites in wet compression moulding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poppe, Christian; Dörr, Dominik; Henning, Frank; Kärger, Luise

    2018-05-01

    Wet compression moulding (WCM) provides large-scale production potential for continuously fiber reinforced components as a promising alternative to resin transfer moulding (RTM). Lower cycle times are possible due to parallelization of the process steps draping, infiltration and curing during moulding (viscous draping). Experimental and theoretical investigations indicate a strong mutual dependency between the physical mechanisms, which occur during draping and mould filling (fluid-structure-interaction). Thus, key process parameters, like fiber orientation, fiber volume fraction, cavity pressure and the amount and viscosity of the resin are physically coupled. To enable time and cost efficient product and process development throughout all design stages, accurate process simulation tools are desirable. Separated draping and mould filling simulation models, as appropriate for the sequential RTM-process, cannot be applied for the WCM process due to the above outlined physical couplings. Within this study, a two-dimensional Darcy-Propagation-Element (DPE-2D) based on a finite element formulation with additional control volumes (FE/CV) is presented, verified and applied to forming simulation of a generic geometry, as a first step towards a fluid-structure-interaction model taking into account simultaneous resin infiltration and draping. The model is implemented in the commercial FE-Solver Abaqus by means of several user subroutines considering simultaneous draping and 2D-infiltration mechanisms. Darcy's equation is solved with respect to a local fiber orientation. Furthermore, the material model can access the local fluid domain properties to update the mechanical forming material parameter, which enables further investigations on the coupled physical mechanisms.

  18. Sulfonated polyphenylene polymers

    DOEpatents

    Cornelius, Christopher J.; Fujimoto, Cy H.; Hickner, Michael A.

    2007-11-27

    Improved sulfonated polyphenylene compositions, improved polymer electrolyte membranes and nanocomposites formed there from for use in fuel cells are described herein. The improved compositions, membranes and nanocomposites formed there from overcome limitations of Nafion.RTM. membranes.

  19. Novel cost controlled materials and processing for primary structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dastin, S. J.

    1993-01-01

    Textile laminates, developed a number of years ago, have recently been shown to be applicable to primary aircraft structures for both small and large components. Such structures have the potential to reduce acquisition costs but require advanced automated processing to keep costs controlled while verifying product reliability and assuring structural integrity, durability and affordable life-cycle costs. Recently, resin systems and graphite-reinforced woven shapes have been developed that have the potential for improved RTM processes for aircraft structures. Ciba-Geigy, Brochier Division has registered an RTM prepreg reinforcement called 'Injectex' that has shown effectivity for aircraft components. Other novel approaches discussed are thermotropic resins producing components by injection molding and ceramic polymers for long-duration hot structures. The potential of such materials and processing will be reviewed along with initial information/data available to date.

  20. High Temperature Transfer Molding Resins: Status of PETI-298 and PETI-330

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Connell, John W.; Smith, Joseph G., Jr.; Hergenrother, Paul M.; Criss, Jim M.

    2003-01-01

    Two phenylethynyl terminated oligomers designated PETI-298 and PETI-330 were developed at the NASA Langley Research Center and have emerged as leading candidates for composite applications requiring high temperature performance (i.e. greater than or equal to 288 C for 1000 hours) combined with the ability to be readily processed into composites without the use of an autoclave or complex/lengthy cure or post-cure cycle. These high performance/high temperature composites are potentially useful on advanced aerospace vehicles in structural applications and as aircraft engine components such as inlet frames and compressor vanes. The number designation (i.e. 298, 330) refers to the glass transition temperature in degrees Celsius as determined on neat resin cured for 1 hour at 371 C. The resins are processable by non-autoclave techniques such as resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum assisted RTM (VARTM) and resin infusion (RI). Both resins exhibit low complex melt viscosities (0.1-10 poise) at 280 C and are stable for greater than or equal to 2 hours at this temperature. Typically, the resins are melted, de-gassed and infused or injected at 280 C and subsequently cured at 371 C for 1-2 hours. Virtually no volatiles are evolved during the cure process. The resin synthesis is straightforward and has been scaled-up to 25 kg batches. The chemistry of PETI-298 and PETI-330 and the RTM AS-4 and T-650 carbon fabric laminate properties, and those of BMI-5270 for comparison, are presented.

  1. Mechanical properties of 2D and 3D braided textile composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Norman, Timothy L.

    1991-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to determine the mechanical properties of 2D and 3D braided textile composite materials. Specifically, those designed for tension or shear loading were tested under static loading to failure to investigate the effects of braiding. The overall goal of the work was to provide a structural designer with an idea of how textile composites perform under typical loading conditions. From test results for unnotched tension, it was determined that the 2D is stronger, stiffer, and has higher elongation to failure than the 3D. It was also found that the polyetherether ketone (PEEK) resin system was stronger, stiffer, and had higher elongation at failure than the resin transfer molding (RTM) epoxy. Open hole tension tests showed that PEEK resin is more notch sensitive than RTM epoxy. Of greater significance, it was found that the 3D is less notch sensitive than the 2D. Unnotched compression tests indicated, as did the tension tests, that the 2D is stronger, stiffer, and has higher elongation at failure than the RTM epoxy. The most encouraging results were from compression after impact. The 3D braided composite showed a compression after impact failure stress equal to 92 percent of the unimpacted specimen. The 2D braided composite failed at about 67 percent of the unimpacted specimen. Higher damage tolerance is observed in textiles over conventional composite materials. This is observed in the results, especially in the 3D braided materials.

  2. Uncertainty Quantification of GEOS-5 L-band Radiative Transfer Model Parameters Using Bayesian Inference and SMOS Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    DeLannoy, Gabrielle J. M.; Reichle, Rolf H.; Vrugt, Jasper A.

    2013-01-01

    Uncertainties in L-band (1.4 GHz) radiative transfer modeling (RTM) affect the simulation of brightness temperatures (Tb) over land and the inversion of satellite-observed Tb into soil moisture retrievals. In particular, accurate estimates of the microwave soil roughness, vegetation opacity and scattering albedo for large-scale applications are difficult to obtain from field studies and often lack an uncertainty estimate. Here, a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulation method is used to determine satellite-scale estimates of RTM parameters and their posterior uncertainty by minimizing the misfit between long-term averages and standard deviations of simulated and observed Tb at a range of incidence angles, at horizontal and vertical polarization, and for morning and evening overpasses. Tb simulations are generated with the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS-5) and confronted with Tb observations from the Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. The MCMC algorithm suggests that the relative uncertainty of the RTM parameter estimates is typically less than 25 of the maximum a posteriori density (MAP) parameter value. Furthermore, the actual root-mean-square-differences in long-term Tb averages and standard deviations are found consistent with the respective estimated total simulation and observation error standard deviations of m3.1K and s2.4K. It is also shown that the MAP parameter values estimated through MCMC simulation are in close agreement with those obtained with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO).

  3. Evaluation of 5536 patients treated in an integrative outpatient tinnitus treatment center-immediate effects and a modeling approach for sustainability.

    PubMed

    Ostermann, Thomas; Boehm, Katja; Kusatz, Martin

    2016-08-11

    Tinnitus is an increasingly serious problem for health care systems. According to epidemiological data, 7-14 % of outpatients have asked their physician about tinnitus and management strategies. Integrative outpatient treatments are currently regarded as promising therapeutic approaches for managing tinnitus. In this article we report on the treatment success of an outpatient tinnitus treatment center in Germany. This cohort study included pre-post data of 5536 outpatients which were treated between 2003 and 2010 in the tinnitus-therapy center, Krefeld-Düsseldorf (TTZ). The intervention consisted of psychological immunization training as well as an auditory stimulation therapy component. The main outcome parameter was the score of the Tinnitus Questionnaire (TQ) which was assessed before and after a 9 days treatment and (in a small subsample) at a 6 months follow-up. Missing data were multiply imputed. Pre-post effect sizes were calculated and adjusted for regression to the mean (RTM). RTM-adjusted treatment effects at the end of treatment were estimated as -18.6 (CI: -18.9 to 18.2, p < 0.001) score points which corresponds to a standardized effect of d = -1.03 (CI: -1.05 to -1.01). These effects can be corroborated in various subgroups and all subscales of the TQ (d ranging from -0.31 to -0.97). The study suggests the effectiveness of this outpatient tinnitus therapy concept. Multiple imputations techniques and RTM analysis were helpful in carving out true treatment effects.

  4. Retrieval of Winter Wheat Leaf Area Index from Chinese GF-1 Satellite Data Using the PROSAIL Model

    PubMed Central

    Li, He; Liu, Gaohuan; Liu, Qingsheng; Chen, Zhongxin; Huang, Chong

    2018-01-01

    Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the key biophysical parameters in crop structure. The accurate quantitative estimation of crop LAI is essential to verify crop growth and health. The PROSAIL radiative transfer model (RTM) is one of the most established methods for estimating crop LAI. In this study, a look-up table (LUT) based on the PROSAIL RTM was first used to estimate winter wheat LAI from GF-1 data, which accounted for some available prior knowledge relating to the distribution of winter wheat characteristics. Next, the effects of 15 LAI-LUT strategies with reflectance bands and 10 LAI-LUT strategies with vegetation indexes on the accuracy of the winter wheat LAI retrieval with different phenological stages were evaluated against in situ LAI measurements. The results showed that the LUT strategies of LAI-GNDVI were optimal and had the highest accuracy with a root mean squared error (RMSE) value of 0.34, and a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.61 during the elongation stages, and the LUT strategies of LAI-Green were optimal with a RMSE of 0.74, and R2 of 0.20 during the grain-filling stages. The results demonstrated that the PROSAIL RTM had great potential in winter wheat LAI inversion with GF-1 satellite data and the performance could be improved by selecting the appropriate LUT inversion strategies in different growth periods. PMID:29642395

  5. Acid and alkali doped PBI electrolyte in electrochemical system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xing, Baozhong

    In this work the conductivity of blank PBI membrane, acid doped PBI and alkaline doped PBI was systematically studied. A new methodology for sorption kinetics study in electrolyte solution has been established by monitoring the conductivity change during the sorption process. The model of the doping process and mechanism of conductivity are proposed. The performance of PBI (doped under optimum conditions) in fuel cell as PEM was evaluated. The experimental results show that the blank PBI in acid solution is an ionic insulator. It clarified the long time confusion in this area. The acid doped PBI membrane is an ionic conductor. The conductivity increases with the concentration of the acid solution. In high concentration acid solution, the conductivity increases with the type of acid in the order: H2SO 4 > H3PO4 > HClO4 > HNO3 > HCl. The kinetics of the doping process was studied, by a continuous method. The ionic conductivity mechanism was established. The PBI membranes doped with H2SO4 and H3PO4 exhibit better performance than NafionRTM. The doped FBI has more resistance to CO poison. 3% CO in H2 has little effect on the H3PO 4 doped PBI membrane at 185°C. The conductivity of the alkali doped PBI membrane changes with the concentration of the alkaline solution and the type of the alkalis. The conductivity has a maximum in KOH and NaOH solution. The maximum conductivity in KOH is higher than in NaOH and LiOH. It is about 5 times of that of NafionRTM in alkaline solution. The two-step sorption process in alkaline solution was observed. The first step is the permeation process of the alkalis in the PBI membrane. The permeation is the results of diffusion and interaction. It is concluded that the permeation process is controlled by the rate of interaction between the alkali and PBI molecule. The second step is the relaxation process in the membrane. This step contributes more to the conductivity for the membrane than the first step. The ionic conductivity mechanism was established. In solution the cations and OH- all participate in the transport of current. It is the OH- that breaks the bonds between PBI molecules and enables the cations pass through the membrane. The performance of alkali doped PBI (doped under optimum conditions) in fuel cell as PEM is as good as NafionRTM.

  6. Avoiding pitfalls in estimating heritability with the common options approach

    PubMed Central

    Danchin, Etienne; Wajnberg, Eric; Wagner, Richard H.

    2014-01-01

    In many circumstances, heritability estimates are subject to two potentially interacting pitfalls: the spatial and the regression to the mean (RTM) fallacies. The spatial fallacy occurs when the set of potential movement options differs among individuals according to where individuals depart. The RTM fallacy occurs when extreme measurements are followed by measurements that are closer to the mean. We simulated data from the largest published heritability study of a behavioural trait, colony size choice, to examine the operation of the two fallacies. We found that spurious heritabilities are generated under a wide range of conditions both in experimental and correlative estimates of heritability. Classically designed cross-foster experiments can actually increase the frequency of spurious heritabilities. Simulations showed that experiments providing all individuals with the identical set of options, such as by fostering all offspring in the same breeding location, are immune to the two pitfalls. PMID:24865284

  7. Challenges in Laser Sintering of Melt-Processable Thermoset Imide Resin

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chuang, Kathy C.; Gornet, Timothy; Koerner, Hilmar

    2016-01-01

    Polymer Laser Sintering (LS) is an additive manufacturing technique that builds 3D models layer by layer using a laser to selectively melt cross sections in powdered polymeric materials, following sequential slices of the CAD model. LS generally uses thermoplastic polymeric powders, such as polyamides (i.e. Nylon), and the resultant 3D objects are often weaker in their strength compared to traditionally processed materials, due to the lack of polymer inter-chain connection in the z-direction. The objective of this project is to investigate the possibility of printing a melt-processable RTM370 imide resin powder terminated with reactive phenylethynyl groups by LS, followed by a postcure in order to promote additional crosslinking to achieve higher temperature (250-300 C) capability. A preliminary study to build tensile specimens by LS and the corresponding DSC and rheology study of RTM370 during LS process is presented.

  8. Challenges in Laser Sintering of Thermoset Imide Resin

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chuang, Kathy C.; Gornet, Timothy; Koerner, Hilmar

    2016-01-01

    Polymer Laser Sintering (LS) is an additive manufacturing technique that builds 3D models layer by layer using a laser to selectively melt cross sections in powdered polymeric materials, following sequential slices of the CAD model. LS generally uses thermoplastic polymeric powders, such as polyamides (i.e. Nylon), and the resultant 3D objects are often weaker in their strength compared to traditionally processed materials, due to the lack of polymer inter-chain connection in the z-direction. The objective of this project is to investigate the possibility of printing a melt-processable RTM370 imide resin powder terminated with reactive phenylethynyl groups by LS, followed by a postcure in order to promote additional crosslinking to achieve higher temperature (250-300 C) capability. A preliminary study to build tensile specimens by LS and the corresponding DSC and rheology study of RTM370 during LS process is presented.

  9. Nanoparticle Filtration in a RTM Processed Epoxy/Carbon Fiber Composite

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, Sandi G.; Micham, Logan; Copa, Christine C.; Criss, James M., Jr.; Mintz, Eric A.

    2011-01-01

    Several epoxy matrix composite panels were fabricated by resin transfer molding (RTM) E862/W resin onto a triaxially braided carbon fiber pre-form. Nanoparticles including carbon nanofiber, synthetic clay, and functionalized graphite were dispersed in the E862 matrix, and the extent of particle filtration during processing was characterized. Nanoparticle dispersion in the resin flashing on both the inlet and outlet edges of the panel was compared by TEM. Variation in physical properties such as Tg and moisture absorption throughout the panel were also characterized. All nanoparticle filled panels showed a decrease in Tg along the resin flow path across the panel, indicating nanoparticle filtration, however there was little change in moisture absorption. This works illustrates the need to obtain good nano-particle dispersion in the matrix resin to prevent particle agglomeration and hence particle filtration in the resultant polymer matrix composites (PMC).

  10. Regression away from the mean: Theory and examples.

    PubMed

    Schwarz, Wolf; Reike, Dennis

    2018-02-01

    Using a standard repeated measures model with arbitrary true score distribution and normal error variables, we present some fundamental closed-form results which explicitly indicate the conditions under which regression effects towards (RTM) and away from the mean are expected. Specifically, we show that for skewed and bimodal distributions many or even most cases will show a regression effect that is in expectation away from the mean, or that is not just towards but actually beyond the mean. We illustrate our results in quantitative detail with typical examples from experimental and biometric applications, which exhibit a clear regression away from the mean ('egression from the mean') signature. We aim not to repeal cautionary advice against potential RTM effects, but to present a balanced view of regression effects, based on a clear identification of the conditions governing the form that regression effects take in repeated measures designs. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

  11. Novel matrix resins for composites for aircraft primary structures, phase 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woo, Edmund P.; Puckett, P. M.; Maynard, S.; Bishop, M. T.; Bruza, K. J.; Godschalx, J. P.; Mullins, M. J.

    1992-01-01

    The objective of the contract is the development of matrix resins with improved processability and properties for composites for primarily aircraft structures. To this end, several resins/systems were identified for subsonic and supersonic applications. For subsonic aircraft, a series of epoxy resins suitable for RTM and powder prepreg was shown to give composites with about 40 ksi compressive strength after impact (CAI) and 200 F/wet mechanical performance. For supersonic applications, a thermoplastic toughened cyanate prepreg system has demonstrated excellent resistance to heat aging at 360 F for 4000 hours, 40 ksi CAI and useful mechanical properties at greater than or equal to 310 F. An AB-BCB-maleimide resin was identified as a leading candidate for the HSCT. Composite panels fabricated by RTM show CAI of approximately 50 ksi, 350 F/wet performance and excellent retention of mechanical properties after aging at 400 F for 4000 hours.

  12. High Temperature Transfer Molding Resins: Preliminary Composite Properties of PETI-375

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Connell, J. W.; Smith, J. G., Jr.; Hergenrother, P. M.; Criss, J. M., Jr.

    2004-01-01

    As part of an ongoing effort to develop materials for resin transfer molding (RTM) of high performance/high temperature composites, a new phenylethynyl containing imide designated as PETI-375 has been under evaluation. PETI-375 was prepared using 2,3,3 ,4 - biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (a-BPDA), 1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene and 2,2 - bis(trifluoromethyl)benzidine and endcapped with 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride. This material exhibited a stable melt viscosity of 0.1-0.4 Pa sec at 280 C. High quality, void-free laminates were fabricated by high temperature RTM using unsized T-650 carbon fabric and evaluated. After curing for 1 hour at 371 C, the laminates exhibited a glass transition temperature of approx. 375 C by thermomechanical analysis. The laminates were essentially void and microcrack free as evidenced by optical microscopic examination. The chemistry, physical, and composite properties of PETI-375 will be discussed.

  13. Artificial bias typically neglected in comparisons of uncertain atmospheric data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pitkänen, Mikko R. A.; Mikkonen, Santtu; Lehtinen, Kari E. J.; Lipponen, Antti; Arola, Antti

    2016-09-01

    Publications in atmospheric sciences typically neglect biases caused by regression dilution (bias of the ordinary least squares line fitting) and regression to the mean (RTM) in comparisons of uncertain data. We use synthetic observations mimicking real atmospheric data to demonstrate how the biases arise from random data uncertainties of measurements, model output, or satellite retrieval products. Further, we provide examples of typical methods of data comparisons that have a tendency to pronounce the biases. The results show, that data uncertainties can significantly bias data comparisons due to regression dilution and RTM, a fact that is known in statistics but disregarded in atmospheric sciences. Thus, we argue that often these biases are widely regarded as measurement or modeling errors, for instance, while they in fact are artificial. It is essential that atmospheric and geoscience communities become aware of and consider these features in research.

  14. The Lhc Cryomagnet Supports in Glass-Fiber Reinforced Epoxy: a Large Scale Industrial Production with High Reproducibility in Performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poncet, A.; Struik, M.; Trigo, J.; Parma, V.

    2008-03-01

    The about 1700 LHC main ring super-conducting magnets are supported within their cryostats on 4700 low heat in leak column-type supports. The supports were designed to ensure a precise and stable positioning of the heavy dipole and quadrupole magnets while keeping thermal conduction heat loads within budget. A trade-off between mechanical and thermal properties, as well as cost considerations, led to the choice of glass fibre reinforced epoxy (GFRE). Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM), featuring a high level of automation and control, was the manufacturing process retained to ensure the reproducibility of the performance of the supports throughout the large production. The Spanish aerospace company EADS-CASA Espacio developed the specific RTM process, and produced the total quantity of supports between 2001 and 2004. This paper describes the development and the production of the supports, and presents the production experience and the achieved performance.

  15. PECVD de composes de silicium sur polymeres: Etude de la premiere phase du depot

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dennler, Gilles

    Since their first introduction in the early 90's, transparent barriers against oxygen and/or water vapor permeation through polymers, such as SiO 2, are the object of increasing interest in the food and pharmaceutical packaging industries, and more recently for the encapsulation of organic-based displays. It is now well known that these thin layers possess barrier properties only if they are thicker than a certain critical thickness, dc. For example, dc is around 12 nm in the case of SiO2 on KaptonRTM PI; below this value, the measured "Oxygen Transmission Rate" (OTR, in standard cm3/m2/day/bar) is roughly the same as that of the uncoated polymer. Until now, no detailed research has been carried out to explain this observation, but a hypothesis was proposed in the literature, based on island-like growth structure of the coating for d ≤ dc. According to this hypothesis, the surface energy of the polymeric substrates is so low that the Volmer-Weber (island-coalescence) growth mode occurs. We have aimed to verify this explanation, that is, to study the initial phase of silicon-compound (SiO2 and SiN) growth on four different polymeric substrates, namely polyimide (KaptonRTM PI), polycarbonate (LexanRTM PC), polypropylene (PP), and polyethyleneterephthalate (MylarRTM PET). Three different deposition methods were used, namely reactive evaporation of SiO, radio-frequency (RF) Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (RF PECVD), and Distributed Electron Cyclotron Resonance (DECR) PECVD. In this latter case, the substrates were placed in three different positions: (i) in the active glow zone, (ii) downstream, and (iii) downstream, but shielded from photon emission (e.g. VUV) from the plasma. Angle-Resolved X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (ARXPS), Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), the latter performed after Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) by oxygen plasma, revealed that growth indeed occurs in a Volmer-Weber mode in the case of evaporated films. The island coalescence was observed to occur at d = 1.2 nm, at which point the sticking coefficient of precursor species changes drastically. Finally, we have investigated the presence of an "interphase" between deposited coatings and the polymeric substrate. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

  16. Variability in Global Top-of-Atmosphere Shortwave Radiation Between 2000 and 2005

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Loebe, Norman G.; Wielicki, Bruce A.; Rose, Fred G.; Doelling, David R.

    2007-01-01

    Measurements from various instruments and analysis techniques are used to directly compare changes in Earth-atmosphere shortwave (SW) top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiation between 2000 and 2005. Included in the comparison are estimates of TOA reflectance variability from published ground-based Earthshine observations and from new satellite-based CERES, MODIS and ISCCP results. The ground-based Earthshine data show an order-of-magnitude more variability in annual mean SW TOA flux than either CERES or ISCCP, while ISCCP and CERES SW TOA flux variability is consistent to 40%. Most of the variability in CERES TOA flux is shown to be dominated by variations global cloud fraction, as observed using coincident CERES and MODIS data. Idealized Earthshine simulations of TOA SW radiation variability for a lunar-based observer show far less variability than the ground-based Earthshine observations, but are still a factor of 4-5 times more variable than global CERES SW TOA flux results. Furthermore, while CERES global albedos exhibit a well-defined seasonal cycle each year, the seasonal cycle in the lunar Earthshine reflectance simulations is highly variable and out-of-phase from one year to the next. Radiative transfer model (RTM) approaches that use imager cloud and aerosol retrievals reproduce most of the change in SW TOA radiation observed in broadband CERES data. However, assumptions used to represent the spectral properties of the atmosphere, clouds, aerosols and surface in the RTM calculations can introduce significant uncertainties in annual mean changes in regional and global SW TOA flux.

  17. Variability in global top-of-atmosphere shortwave radiation between 2000 and 2005

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loeb, Norman G.; Wielicki, Bruce A.; Rose, Fred G.; Doelling, David R.

    2007-02-01

    Measurements from various instruments and analysis techniques are used to directly compare changes in Earth-atmosphere shortwave (SW) top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiation between 2000 and 2005. Included in the comparison are estimates of TOA reflectance variability from published ground-based Earthshine observations and from new satellite-based CERES, MODIS and ISCCP results. The ground-based Earthshine data show an order-of-magnitude more variability in annual mean SW TOA flux than either CERES or ISCCP, while ISCCP and CERES SW TOA flux variability is consistent to 40%. Most of the variability in CERES TOA flux is shown to be dominated by variations global cloud fraction, as observed using coincident CERES and MODIS data. Idealized Earthshine simulations of TOA SW radiation variability for a lunar-based observer show far less variability than the ground-based Earthshine observations, but are still a factor of 4-5 times more variable than global CERES SW TOA flux results. Furthermore, while CERES global albedos exhibit a well-defined seasonal cycle each year, the seasonal cycle in the lunar Earthshine reflectance simulations is highly variable and out-of-phase from one year to the next. Radiative transfer model (RTM) approaches that use imager cloud and aerosol retrievals reproduce most of the change in SW TOA radiation observed in broadband CERES data. However, assumptions used to represent the spectral properties of the atmosphere, clouds, aerosols and surface in the RTM calculations can introduce significant uncertainties in annual mean changes in regional and global SW TOA flux.

  18. Magnetic, specific heat and electrical transport properties of Frank-Kasper cage compounds RTM2Al20 [R  =  Eu, Gd and La; TM  =  V, Ti

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kumar, K. Ramesh; Nair, Harikrishnan S.; Christian, Reinke; Thamizhavel, A.; Strydom, André M.

    2016-11-01

    Single crystals of Frank-Kasper compounds RTM2Al20 (R  =  Eu, Gd and La; TM  =  V and Ti) were grown by self-flux method and their physical properties were investigated through magnetization (M), magnetic susceptibility (χ), specific heat (C P) and electrical resistivity (ρ) measurements. Powder x-ray diffraction studies and structural analysis showed that these compounds crystallize in the cubic crystal structure with the space group Fd\\bar{3}m . The magnetic susceptibility for the compounds EuTi2Al20 and GdTi2Al20 showed a sudden jump below the Néel temperature T N indicative of plausible double magnetic transition. Specific heat (C P) and electrical resistivity (ρ) measurements also confirm the first-order magnetic transition (FOMT) and possible double magnetic transitions. Temperature variation of heat capacity showed a sharp phase transition and huge C P value for the (Eu/Gd)Ti2Al20 compounds’ full width at half-maximum (FWHM) (<0.2 K) which is reminiscent of a first-order phase transition and a unique attribute among RTM2Al20 compounds. In contrast, linear variation of C P is observed in the ordered state for (Eu/Gd)V2Al20 compounds suggesting a λ-type transition. We observed clear anomaly between heating and cooling cycle in temperature-time relaxation curve for the compounds GdTi2Al20 (2.38 K) and EuTi2Al20 (3.2 K) which is indicating a thermal arrest due to the latent heat. The temperature variation of S mag for GdTi2Al20 saturates to a value 0.95R\\ln 8 while the other magnetic systems exhibited still lower entropy saturation values in the high temperature limit. ≤ft({{C}\\text{P}}-γ T\\right)/{{T}3} versus T plot showed a maximum near 27 K for all the compounds indicating the presence of low frequency Einstein modes of vibrations. Resistivity measurements showed that all the samples behave as normal Fermi liquid type compounds and ρ (T) due to electron-phonon scattering follows Bloch-Grüneisen-Mott relation in the paramagnetic region.

  19. 14 CFR 330.31 - What data must air carriers submit concerning ASMs or RTMs?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... combination passenger/cargo carrier, you must have submitted your August 2001 total completed ASM report to... correct an error that you document to the Department, you must not alter the ASM or RTM reports you...

  20. High-Resolution Imaging of Axial Volcano, Juan de Fuca ridge.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnulf, A. F.; Harding, A. J.; Kent, G. M.

    2014-12-01

    To date, seismic experiments have been key in our understanding of the internal structure of volcanic systems. However, most experiments, especially subaerial-based, are often restricted to refraction geometries with limited numbers of sources and receivers, and employ smoothing constraints required by tomographic inversions that produce smoothed and blurry images with spatial resolutions well below the length scale of important features that define these magmatic systems. Taking advantage of the high density of sources and receivers from multichannel seismic (MCS) data should, in principle, allow detailed images of velocity and reflectivity to be recovered. Unfortunately, the depth of mid-ocean ridges has the detrimental effect of concealing critical velocity information behind the seafloor reflection, preventing first arrival travel-time tomographic approaches from imaging the shallowest and most heterogeneous part of the crust. To overcome the limitations of the acquisition geometry, here we are using an innovative multistep approach. We combine a synthetic ocean bottom experiment (SOBE), 3-D traveltime tomography, 2D elastic full waveform and a reverse time migration (RTM) formalism, and present one of the most detailed imagery to date of a massive and complex magmatic system beneath Axial seamount, an active submarine volcano that lies at the intersection of the Juan de Fuca ridge and the Cobb-Eickelberg seamount chain. We present high-resolution images along 12 seismic lines that span the volcano. We refine the extent/volume of the main crustal magma reservoir that lies beneath the central caldera. We investigate the extent, volume and physical state of a secondary magma body present to the southwest and study its connections with the main magma reservoir. Additionally, we present a 3D tomographic model of the entire volcano that reveals a subsiding caldera floor that provides a near perfect trap for the ponding of lava flows, supporting a "trapdoor" mechanism for caldera formation. Finally, we show that crustal aging (increase in layer 2A velocity with age) is controlled by pipe-like pattern of focused hydrothermal mineralization.

  1. Bluetooth telemetry system for a wearable electrocardiogram

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Green, Ryan B.

    The rise of wireless networks has led to a new market in medicine: remote patient monitoring. Practitioners now desire to monitor the health conditions of their patients after hospital release. With the large number of cardiac related deaths and this new demand in medicine being the motivation, this study developed a BluetoothRTM telemetry system for a wearable Electrocardiogram. This study also developed a compression t-shirt to hold the ECG and telemetry system. This device communicates the ECG signal of a patient to an Android device within the ISM frequency bands (2.4-2.48 GHz) where the data is displayed and stored in real time. This study is a stepping stone toward more portable heart monitoring that can communicate with the doctor in real time from remote locations.

  2. Lightweight Metal/Polymer/Metal Sandwich Composites for Automotive Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferrari, Federico

    Sandwich composites are becoming increasingly popular in the automotive sector as they are lightweight and facilitate noise attenuation. However, given that sandwich composites are relatively new in the sector, there are questions as to whether they can effectively replace monolithic metals and damping patches without compromising mechanical performance. Quiet Aluminum RTM, a sandwich composite produced by Material Sciences Corporation (MSC), employs as skins two aluminum alloys that are common in automotive manufacturing: 5754-O and 6061-T4. The current study examines and compares the mechanical properties of Quiet AluminumRTM with the main Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) requirements for laminates with non-structural loads. The adhesion mechanism between the layers of the sandwich composites received was examined through: T-Peel test, roughness measurements and metallographic cross sectioning technique. The current study then employed tensile tests with different treatments applied to the sandwich materials, a Self-Piercing Riveting (SPR) joining evaluation, and hardness tests on the core section of the aluminum skins. The samples, which presented rolling mill-finish surface roughness Ra range of 0.46-0.56 micro m, met the FCA adhesion requirements with adhesive failure mode even after the paint bake-cycle simulation (20 min at 185 °C) and the hardening treatment applied on the sandwich with AA6061-T4 skin (1 h at 200 °C). The tensile properties, computed simulating stamping process (2% pre-applied strain), the paint-bake cycle and the hardening treatment were comparable to the monolithic ones. Finally, SPR technique, evaluated through lap shear test and macro-graphic measurements, successfully joined Quiet AluminumRTM samples (1.06 mm thickness) with structural High Strength Low Alloy steel (HSLA,1.8 mm thickness and 340 MPa minimum yield strength).

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

    Mouton, S.; Ledoux, Y.; Teissandier, D.

    A key challenge for the future is to reduce drastically the human impact on the environment. In the aeronautic field, this challenge aims at optimizing the design of the aircraft to decrease the global mass. This reduction leads to the optimization of every part constitutive of the plane. This operation is even more delicate when the used material is composite material. In this case, it is necessary to find a compromise between the strength, the mass and the manufacturing cost of the component. Due to these different kinds of design constraints it is necessary to assist engineer with decision supportmore » system to determine feasible solutions. In this paper, an approach is proposed based on the coupling of the different key characteristics of the design process and on the consideration of the failure risk of the component. The originality of this work is that the manufacturing deviations due to the RTM process are integrated in the simulation of the assembly process. Two kinds of deviations are identified: volume impregnation (injection phase of RTM process) and geometrical deviations (curing and cooling phases). The quantification of these deviations and the related failure risk calculation is based on finite element simulations (Pam RTM registered and Samcef registered softwares). The use of genetic algorithm allows to estimate the impact of the design choices and their consequences on the failure risk of the component. The main focus of the paper is the optimization of tool design. In the framework of decision support systems, the failure risk calculation is used for making the comparison of possible industrialization alternatives. It is proposed to apply this method on a particular part of the airplane structure: a spar unit made of carbon fiber/epoxy composite.« less

  4. Live imaging of companion cells and sieve elements in Arabidopsis leaves.

    PubMed

    Cayla, Thibaud; Batailler, Brigitte; Le Hir, Rozenn; Revers, Frédéric; Anstead, James A; Thompson, Gary A; Grandjean, Olivier; Dinant, Sylvie

    2015-01-01

    The phloem is a complex tissue composed of highly specialized cells with unique subcellular structures and a compact organization that is challenging to study in vivo at cellular resolution. We used confocal scanning laser microscopy and subcellular fluorescent markers in companion cells and sieve elements, for live imaging of the phloem in Arabidopsis leaves. This approach provided a simple framework for identifying phloem cell types unambiguously. It highlighted the compactness of the meshed network of organelles within companion cells. By contrast, within the sieve elements, unknown bodies were observed in association with the PP2-A1:GFP, GFP:RTM1 and RTM2:GFP markers at the cell periphery. The phloem lectin PP2-A1:GFP marker was found in the parietal ground matrix. Its location differed from that of the P-protein filaments, which were visualized with SEOR1:GFP and SEOR2:GFP. PP2-A1:GFP surrounded two types of bodies, one of which was identified as mitochondria. This location suggested that it was embedded within the sieve element clamps, specific structures that may fix the organelles to each another or to the plasma membrane in the sieve tubes. GFP:RTM1 was associated with a class of larger bodies, potentially corresponding to plastids. PP2-A1:GFP was soluble in the cytosol of immature sieve elements. The changes in its subcellular localization during differentiation provide an in vivo blueprint for monitoring this process. The subcellular features obtained with these companion cell and sieve element markers can be used as landmarks for exploring the organization and dynamics of phloem cells in vivo.

  5. Unconventional Coal in Wyoming: IGCC and Gasification of Direct Coal Liquefaction Residue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schaffers, William Clemens

    Two unconventional uses for Wyoming Powder River Basin coal were investigated in this study. The first was the use of coal fired integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plants to generate electricity. Twenty-eight different scenarios were modeled using AspenPlusRTM software. These included slurry, mechanical and dried fed gasifiers; Wyodak and Green River coals, 0%, 70%, and 90% CO2 capture; and conventional evaporative vs air cooling. All of the models were constructed on a feed basis of 6,900 tons of coal per day on an "as received basis". The AspenPlus RTM results were then used to create economic models using Microsoft RTM Excel for each configuration. These models assumed a 3 year construction period and a 30 year plant life. Results for capital and operating costs, yearly income, and internal rates of return (IRR) were compared. In addition, the scenarios were evaluated to compare electricity sales prices required to obtain a 12% IRR and to determine the effects of a carbon emissions tax on the sales price. The second part of the study investigated the gasification potential of residue remaining from solvent extraction or liquefaction of Powder River Basin Coal. Coal samples from the Decker mine on the Wyoming-Montana border were extracted with tetralin at a temperature of 360°C and pressure of 250 psi. Residue from the extraction was gasified with CO2 or steam at 833°C, 900°C and 975°C at pressures of 0.1 and 0.4 MPa. Product gases were analyzed with a mass spectrometer. Results were used to determine activation energies, reaction order, reaction rates and diffusion effects. Surface area and electron microscopic analyses were also performed on char produced from the solvent extraction residue.

  6. Measurement and analysis of flow in 3D preforms for aerospace composites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stewart, Andrew Lawrence

    Composite materials have become viable alternatives to traditional engineering materials for many different product categories. Liquid transfer moulding (LTM) processes, specifically resin transfer moulding (RTM), is a cost-effective manufacturing technique for creating high performance composite parts. These parts can be tailor-made to their specific application by optimizing the properties of the textile preform. Preforms which require little or no further assembly work and are close to the shape of the final part are critical to obtaining high quality parts while simultaneously reducing labour and costs associated with other composite manufacturing techniques. One type of fabric which is well suited for near-net- shape preforms is stitched non-crimp fabrics. These fabrics offer very high in-plane strength and stiffness while also having increased resistance to delamination. Manufacturing parts from these dry preforms typically involves long-scale fluid flow through both open channels and porous fibre bundles. This thesis documents and analyzes the flow of fluid through preforms manufactured from non-crimp fabrics featuring through-thickness stitches. The objective of this research is to determine the effect of this type of stitch on the RTM injection process. All of the tests used preforms with fibre volume fractions representative of primary and secondary structural parts. A series of trials was conducted using different fibre materials, flow rates, fibre volumes fractions, and degrees of fibre consolidation. All of the trials were conducted for cases similar to RTM. Consolidation of the fibres showed improvements to both the thoroughness of the filling and to the fibre volume fraction. Experimentally determined permeability data was shown to trend well with simple models and precision of the permeability data was comparable to values presented by other authors who studied fabrics which did not feature the through-thickness stitches.

  7. Expanding the role of reactive transport models in critical zone processes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Li, Li; Maher, Kate; Navarre-Sitchler, Alexis; Druhan, Jennifer; Meile, Christof; Lawrence, Corey; Moore, Joel; Perdrial, Julia; Sullivan, Pamela; Thompson, Aaron; Jin, Lixin; Bolton, Edward W.; Brantley, Susan L.; Dietrich, William E.; Mayer, K. Ulrich; Steefel, Carl; Valocchi, Albert J.; Zachara, John M.; Kocar, Benjamin D.; McIntosh, Jennifer; Tutolo, Benjamin M.; Kumar, Mukesh; Sonnenthal, Eric; Bao, Chen; Beisman, Joe

    2017-01-01

    Models test our understanding of processes and can reach beyond the spatial and temporal scales of measurements. Multi-component Reactive Transport Models (RTMs), initially developed more than three decades ago, have been used extensively to explore the interactions of geothermal, hydrologic, geochemical, and geobiological processes in subsurface systems. Driven by extensive data sets now available from intensive measurement efforts, there is a pressing need to couple RTMs with other community models to explore non-linear interactions among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere. Here we briefly review the history of RTM development, summarize the current state of RTM approaches, and identify new research directions, opportunities, and infrastructure needs to broaden the use of RTMs. In particular, we envision the expanded use of RTMs in advancing process understanding in the Critical Zone, the veneer of the Earth that extends from the top of vegetation to the bottom of groundwater. We argue that, although parsimonious models are essential at larger scales, process-based models offer tools to explore the highly nonlinear coupling that characterizes natural systems. We present seven testable hypotheses that emphasize the unique capabilities of process-based RTMs for (1) elucidating chemical weathering and its physical and biogeochemical drivers; (2) understanding the interactions among roots, micro-organisms, carbon, water, and minerals in the rhizosphere; (3) assessing the effects of heterogeneity across spatial and temporal scales; and (4) integrating the vast quantity of novel data, including “omics” data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics), elemental concentration and speciation data, and isotope data into our understanding of complex earth surface systems. With strong support from data-driven sciences, we are now in an exciting era where integration of RTM framework into other community models will facilitate process understanding across disciplines and across scales.

  8. CD22ΔE12 as a molecular target for corrective repair using a RNA trans-splicing strategy: Anti-leukemic activity of a rationally designed RNA trans-splicing molecule

    PubMed Central

    Uckun, Fatih M.; Qazi, Sanjive; Ma, Hong; Reaman, Gregory H.; Mitchell, Lloyd G.

    2015-01-01

    Our recent studies have demonstrated that the CD22 exon 12 deletion (CD22ΔE12) is a characteristic genetic defect of therapy-refractory clones in pediatric B-precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BPL) and implicated the CD22ΔE12 genetic defect in the aggressive biology of relapsed or therapy-refractory pediatric BPL. The purpose of the present study was to further evaluate the biologic significance of the CD22ΔE12 molecular lesion and determine if it could serve as a molecular target for corrective repair using RNA trans-splicing therapy. We show that both pediatric and adult B-lineage lymphoid malignancies are characterized by a very high incidence of the CD22ΔE12 genetic defect. We provide experimental evidence that the correction of the CD22ΔE12 genetic defect in human CD22ΔE12+ BPL cells using a rationally designed CD22 RNA trans-splicing molecule (RTM) caused a pronounced reduction of their clonogenicity. The RTM-mediated correction replaced the downstream mutation-rich segment of Intron 12 and remaining segments of the mutant CD22 pre-mRNA with wildtype CD22 Exons 10-14, thereby preventing the generation of the cis-spliced aberrant CD22ΔE12 product. The anti-leukemic activity of this RTM against BPL xenograft clones derived from CD22ΔE12+ leukemia patients provides the preclinical proof-of-concept that correcting the CD22ΔE12 defect with rationally designed CD22 RTMs may provide the foundation for therapeutic innovations that are needed for successful treatment of high-risk and relapsed BPL patients. PMID:25567759

  9. Live Imaging of Companion Cells and Sieve Elements in Arabidopsis Leaves

    PubMed Central

    Cayla, Thibaud; Batailler, Brigitte; Le Hir, Rozenn; Revers, Frédéric; Anstead, James A.; Thompson, Gary A.; Grandjean, Olivier; Dinant, Sylvie

    2015-01-01

    The phloem is a complex tissue composed of highly specialized cells with unique subcellular structures and a compact organization that is challenging to study in vivo at cellular resolution. We used confocal scanning laser microscopy and subcellular fluorescent markers in companion cells and sieve elements, for live imaging of the phloem in Arabidopsis leaves. This approach provided a simple framework for identifying phloem cell types unambiguously. It highlighted the compactness of the meshed network of organelles within companion cells. By contrast, within the sieve elements, unknown bodies were observed in association with the PP2-A1:GFP, GFP:RTM1 and RTM2:GFP markers at the cell periphery. The phloem lectin PP2-A1:GFP marker was found in the parietal ground matrix. Its location differed from that of the P-protein filaments, which were visualized with SEOR1:GFP and SEOR2:GFP. PP2-A1:GFP surrounded two types of bodies, one of which was identified as mitochondria. This location suggested that it was embedded within the sieve element clamps, specific structures that may fix the organelles to each another or to the plasma membrane in the sieve tubes. GFP:RTM1 was associated with a class of larger bodies, potentially corresponding to plastids. PP2-A1:GFP was soluble in the cytosol of immature sieve elements. The changes in its subcellular localization during differentiation provide an in vivo blueprint for monitoring this process. The subcellular features obtained with these companion cell and sieve element markers can be used as landmarks for exploring the organization and dynamics of phloem cells in vivo. PMID:25714357

  10. Ultraspectral sounding retrieval error budget and estimation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Smith, William L.; Strow, Larrabee L.; Yang, Ping

    2011-11-01

    The ultraspectral infrared radiances obtained from satellite observations provide atmospheric, surface, and/or cloud information. The intent of the measurement of the thermodynamic state is the initialization of weather and climate models. Great effort has been given to retrieving and validating these atmospheric, surface, and/or cloud properties. Error Consistency Analysis Scheme (ECAS), through fast radiative transfer model (RTM) forward and inverse calculations, has been developed to estimate the error budget in terms of absolute and standard deviation of differences in both spectral radiance and retrieved geophysical parameter domains. The retrieval error is assessed through ECAS without assistance of other independent measurements such as radiosonde data. ECAS re-evaluates instrument random noise, and establishes the link between radiometric accuracy and retrieved geophysical parameter accuracy. ECAS can be applied to measurements of any ultraspectral instrument and any retrieval scheme with associated RTM. In this paper, ECAS is described and demonstration is made with the measurements of the METOP-A satellite Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI).

  11. Ultraspectral Sounding Retrieval Error Budget and Estimation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Smith, William L.; Strow, L. Larrabee; Yang, Ping

    2011-01-01

    The ultraspectral infrared radiances obtained from satellite observations provide atmospheric, surface, and/or cloud information. The intent of the measurement of the thermodynamic state is the initialization of weather and climate models. Great effort has been given to retrieving and validating these atmospheric, surface, and/or cloud properties. Error Consistency Analysis Scheme (ECAS), through fast radiative transfer model (RTM) forward and inverse calculations, has been developed to estimate the error budget in terms of absolute and standard deviation of differences in both spectral radiance and retrieved geophysical parameter domains. The retrieval error is assessed through ECAS without assistance of other independent measurements such as radiosonde data. ECAS re-evaluates instrument random noise, and establishes the link between radiometric accuracy and retrieved geophysical parameter accuracy. ECAS can be applied to measurements of any ultraspectral instrument and any retrieval scheme with associated RTM. In this paper, ECAS is described and demonstration is made with the measurements of the METOP-A satellite Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI)..

  12. Posterior uncertainty of GEOS-5 L-band radiative transfer model parameters and brightness temperatures after calibration with SMOS observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    De Lannoy, G. J.; Reichle, R. H.; Vrugt, J. A.

    2012-12-01

    Simulated L-band (1.4 GHz) brightness temperatures are very sensitive to the values of the parameters in the radiative transfer model (RTM). We assess the optimum RTM parameter values and their (posterior) uncertainty in the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS-5) land surface model using observations of multi-angular brightness temperature over North America from the Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission. Two different parameter estimation methods are being compared: (i) a particle swarm optimization (PSO) approach, and (ii) an MCMC simulation procedure using the differential evolution adaptive Metropolis (DREAM) algorithm. Our results demonstrate that both methods provide similar "optimal" parameter values. Yet, DREAM exhibits better convergence properties, resulting in a reduced spread of the posterior ensemble. The posterior parameter distributions derived with both methods are used for predictive uncertainty estimation of brightness temperature. This presentation will highlight our model-data synthesis framework and summarize our initial findings.

  13. Mechanical characterization and modeling of the deformation and failure of the highly crosslinked RTM6 epoxy resin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morelle, X. P.; Chevalier, J.; Bailly, C.; Pardoen, T.; Lani, F.

    2017-08-01

    The nonlinear deformation and fracture of RTM6 epoxy resin is characterized as a function of strain rate and temperature under various loading conditions involving uniaxial tension, notched tension, uniaxial compression, torsion, and shear. The parameters of the hardening law depend on the strain-rate and temperature. The pressure-dependency and hardening law, as well as four different phenomenological failure criteria, are identified using a subset of the experimental results. Detailed fractography analysis provides insight into the competition between shear yielding and maximum principal stress driven brittle failure. The constitutive model and a stress-triaxiality dependent effective plastic strain based failure criterion are readily introduced in the standard version of Abaqus, without the need for coding user subroutines, and can thus be directly used as an input in multi-scale modeling of fibre-reinforced composite material. The model is successfully validated against data not used for the identification and through the full simulation of the crack propagation process in the V-notched beam shear test.

  14. Polyimide Composites Based on Asymmetric Dianhydrides (a-ODPA vs a-BPDA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chuang, Kathy C.; Criss, Jim M., Jr.; Mintz, Eric A.

    2009-01-01

    Two series of low-melt viscosity imide resins (2-15 poise at 260-280 C) were formulated from either asymmetric oxydiphthalic anhydride (a-ODPA) or asymmetric biphenyl dianhydride (a- BPDA) with 4-phenylethynyl endcap (PEPA), along with 3,4'-oxydianiline, 3,4 - methylenedianiline, 3,3 -methylenedianiline or 3,3 -diaminobenzophenone, using a solvent-free melt process. These low-melt viscosity imide resins were fabricated into polyimide/T650-35 carbon fabric composites by resin transfer molding (RTM). Composites from a-ODPA based resins display better open-hole compression strength and short beam shear strength from room temperature to 288 C than that of the corresponding a-BPDA based resins. However, due to the lower Tg s of a-ODPA based resins (265-330 C), their corresponding composites do not possess 315 C use capability while the a-BPDA based composites do. In essence, RTM 370 (T g = 370 C), derived from a-BPDA and 3,4 -ODA and PEPA, exhibits the best overall property performance at 315 C (600 F).

  15. Proton exchange membrane materials for the advancement of direct methanol fuel-cell technology

    DOEpatents

    Cornelius, Christopher J [Albuquerque, NM

    2006-04-04

    A new class of hybrid organic-inorganic materials, and methods of synthesis, that can be used as a proton exchange membrane in a direct methanol fuel cell. In contrast with Nafion.RTM. PEM materials, which have random sulfonation, the new class of materials have ordered sulfonation achieved through self-assembly of alternating polyimide segments of different molecular weights comprising, for example, highly sulfonated hydrophilic PDA-DASA polyimide segment alternating with an unsulfonated hydrophobic 6FDA-DAS polyimide segment. An inorganic phase, e.g., 0.5 5 wt % TEOS, can be incorporated in the sulfonated polyimide copolymer to further improve its properties. The new materials exhibit reduced swelling when exposed to water, increased thermal stability, and decreased O.sub.2 and H.sub.2 gas permeability, while retaining proton conductivities similar to Nafion.RTM.. These improved properties may allow direct methanol fuel cells to operate at higher temperatures and with higher efficiencies due to reduced methanol crossover.

  16. Temporal patterns in adult salmon migration timing across southeast Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kovach, Ryan P.; Ellison, Stephen; Pyare, Sanjay; Tallmon, David

    2015-01-01

    Pacific salmon migration timing can drive population productivity, ecosystem dynamics, and human harvest. Nevertheless, little is known about long-term variation in salmon migration timing for multiple species across broad regions. We used long-term data for five Pacific salmon species throughout rapidly warming southeast Alaska to describe long-term changes in salmon migration timing, interannual phenological synchrony, relationships between climatic variation and migratory timing, and to test whether long-term changes in migration timing are related to glaciation in headwater streams. Temporal changes in the median date of salmon migration timing varied widely across species. Most sockeye populations are migrating later over time (11 of 14), but pink, chum, and especially coho populations are migrating earlier than they did historically (16 of 19 combined). Temporal trends in duration and interannual variation in migration timing were highly variable across species and populations. The greatest temporal shifts in the median date of migration timing were correlated with decreases in the duration of migration timing, suggestive of a loss of phenotypic variation due to natural selection. Pairwise interannual correlations in migration timing varied widely but were generally positive, providing evidence for weak region-wide phenological synchrony. This synchrony is likely a function of climatic variation, as interannual variation in migration timing was related to climatic phenomenon operating at large- (Pacific decadal oscillation), moderate- (sea surface temperature), and local-scales (precipitation). Surprisingly, the presence or the absence of glaciers within a watershed was unrelated to long-term shifts in phenology. Overall, there was extensive heterogeneity in long-term patterns of migration timing throughout this climatically and geographically complex region, highlighting that future climatic change will likely have widely divergent impacts on salmon migration timing. Although salmon phenological diversity will complicate future predictions of migration timing, this variation likely acts as a major contributor to population and ecosystem resiliency in southeast Alaska.

  17. Flow cytometric detection method for DNA samples

    DOEpatents

    Nasarabadi, Shanavaz [Livermore, CA; Langlois, Richard G [Livermore, CA; Venkateswaran, Kodumudi S [Round Rock, TX

    2011-07-05

    Disclosed herein are two methods for rapid multiplex analysis to determine the presence and identity of target DNA sequences within a DNA sample. Both methods use reporting DNA sequences, e.g., modified conventional Taqman.RTM. probes, to combine multiplex PCR amplification with microsphere-based hybridization using flow cytometry means of detection. Real-time PCR detection can also be incorporated. The first method uses a cyanine dye, such as, Cy3.TM., as the reporter linked to the 5' end of a reporting DNA sequence. The second method positions a reporter dye, e.g., FAM.TM. on the 3' end of the reporting DNA sequence and a quencher dye, e.g., TAMRA.TM., on the 5' end.

  18. Flow cytometric detection method for DNA samples

    DOEpatents

    Nasarabadi, Shanavaz [Livermore, CA; Langlois, Richard G [Livermore, CA; Venkateswaran, Kodumudi S [Livermore, CA

    2006-08-01

    Disclosed herein are two methods for rapid multiplex analysis to determine the presence and identity of target DNA sequences within a DNA sample. Both methods use reporting DNA sequences, e.g., modified conventional Taqman.RTM. probes, to combine multiplex PCR amplification with microsphere-based hybridization using flow cytometry means of detection. Real-time PCR detection can also be incorporated. The first method uses a cyanine dye, such as, Cy3.TM., as the reporter linked to the 5' end of a reporting DNA sequence. The second method positions a reporter dye, e.g., FAM, on the 3' end of the reporting DNA sequence and a quencher dye, e.g., TAMRA, on the 5' end.

  19. Construction Mechanic 1 & C.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seitz, Thomas E.

    This Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course (RTM/NRCC) form a self-study package that will enable Naval Construction Mechanics First and Chief to fulfill the requirements of their rating. (Persons holding these ratings direct and coordinate efforts of individuals and crews in maintaining, repairing, and overhauling automotive,…

  20. Equipment Operator 1 & C.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naval Education and Training Program Development Center, Pensacola, FL.

    The Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course (RTM/NRCC) form a self-study package to assist Navy Equipment Operators First and Chief in fulfilling the requirements of their rating. (Navy Equipment Operators First and Chief direct and coordinate efforts of individuals and crews in construction, earthmoving, roadbuilding, quarrying, and…

  1. A comparative study on visual choice reaction time for different colors in females.

    PubMed

    Balakrishnan, Grrishma; Uppinakudru, Gurunandan; Girwar Singh, Gaur; Bangera, Shobith; Dutt Raghavendra, Aswini; Thangavel, Dinesh

    2014-01-01

    Reaction time is one of the important methods to study a person's central information processing speed and coordinated peripheral movement response. Visual choice reaction time is a type of reaction time and is very important for drivers, pilots, security guards, and so forth. Previous studies were mainly on simple reaction time and there are very few studies on visual choice reaction time. The aim of our study was to compare the visual choice reaction time for red, green, and yellow colors of 60 healthy undergraduate female volunteers. After giving adequate practice, visual choice reaction time was recorded for red, green, and yellow colors using reaction time machine (RTM 608, Medicaid, Chandigarh). Repeated measures of ANOVA and Bonferroni multiple comparison were used for analysis and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results showed that both red and green had significantly less choice visual choice reaction (P values <0.0001 and 0.0002) when compared with yellow. This could be because individual color mental processing time for yellow color is more than red and green.

  2. Radioman 3&2. (Revised).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naval Education and Training Program Development Center, Pensacola, FL.

    This Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course (RTM/NRCC) form a self-study package that will enable Navy radiomen to help themselves to fulfill the requirements of their rating. Of the seventeen chapters in the manual, the first is nontechnical, providing information concerning the radioman rating and the Navy advancement system and…

  3. Dopaminergic Functioning and Preschoolers' Theory of Mind

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lackner, Christine L.; Bowman, Lindsay C.; Sabbagh, Mark A.

    2010-01-01

    Representational theory of mind (RTM) development follows a universal developmental timetable whereby major advances in reasoning about mental representations occur between the ages of 3 and 5 years old. This progression appears to be only absent in the case of specific neurodevelopmental impairments, such as autism. Taken together, this suggests…

  4. Embedded fiber optic sensors for monitoring processing, quality and structural health of resin transfer molded components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keulen, C.; Rocha, B.; Yildiz, M.; Suleman, A.

    2011-07-01

    Due to their small size and flexibility fiber optics can be embedded into composite materials with little negative effect on strength and reliability of the host material. Fiber optic sensors such as Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) or Etched Fiber Sensors (EFS) can be used to detect a number of relevant parameters such as flow, degree of cure, quality and structural health throughout the life of a composite component. With a detection algorithm these embedded sensors can be used to detect damage in real time while the component remains in service. This paper presents the research being conducted on the use of fiber optic sensors for process and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of Resin Transfer Molded (RTM) composite structures. Fiber optic sensors are used at all life stages of an RTM composite panel. A laboratory scale RTM apparatus was developed with the capability of visually monitoring the resin filling process. A technique for embedding fiber optic sensors with this apparatus has also been developed. Both FBGs and EFSs have been embedded in composite panels using the apparatus. EFSs to monitor the fabrication process, specifically resin flow have been embedded and shown to be capable of detecting the presence of resin at various locations as it is injected into the mold. Simultaneously these sensors were multiplexed on the same fiber with FBGs, which have the ability to measure strain. Since multiple sensors can be multiplexed on a single fiber the number of ingress/egress locations required per sensor can be significantly reduced. To characterize the FBGs for strain detection tensile test specimens with embedded FBG sensors have been produced. These specimens have been instrumented with a resistive strain gauge for benchmarking. Both specimens and embedded sensors were characterized through tensile testing. Furthermore FBGs have been embedded into composite panels in a manner that is conducive to detection of Lamb waves generated with a centrally located PZT. To sense Lamb waves a high speed, high precision sensing technique is required to acquire data from embedded FBGs due to the high velocities and small strain amplitudes of these guided waves. A technique based on a filter consisting of a tunable FBG was developed. Since this filter is not dependant on moving parts, tests executed with this filter concluded with the detection of Lamb waves, removing the influence of temperature and operational strains. A damage detection algorithm was developed to detect and localize cracks and delaminations.

  5. Rotordynamic analysis using the Complex Transfer Matrix: An application to elastomer supports using the viscoelastic correspondence principle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Varney, Philip; Green, Itzhak

    2014-11-01

    Numerous methods are available to calculate rotordynamic whirl frequencies, including analytic methods, finite element analysis, and the transfer matrix method. The typical real-valued transfer matrix (RTM) suffers from several deficiencies, including lengthy computation times and the inability to distinguish forward and backward whirl. Though application of complex coordinates in rotordynamic analysis is not novel per se, specific advantages gained from using such coordinates in a transfer matrix analysis have yet to be elucidated. The present work employs a complex coordinate redefinition of the transfer matrix to obtain reduced forms of the elemental transfer matrices in inertial and rotating reference frames, including external stiffness and damping. Application of the complex-valued state variable redefinition results in a reduction of the 8×8 RTM to the 4×4 Complex Transfer Matrix (CTM). The CTM is advantageous in that it intrinsically separates forward and backward whirl, eases symbolic manipulation by halving the transfer matrices’ dimension, and provides significant improvement in computation time. A symbolic analysis is performed on a simple overhung rotor to demonstrate the mathematical motivation for whirl frequency separation. The CTM's utility is further shown by analyzing a rotordynamic system supported by viscoelastic elastomer rings. Viscoelastic elastomer ring supports can provide significant damping while reducing the cost and complexity associated with conventional components such as squeeze film dampers. The stiffness and damping of a viscoelastic damper ring are determined herein as a function of whirl frequency using the viscoelastic correspondence principle and a constitutive fractional calculus viscoelasticity model. The CTM is then employed to obtain the characteristic equation, where the whirl frequency dependent stiffness and damping of the elastomer supports are included. The Campbell diagram is shown, demonstrating the CTM's ability to intrinsically separate synchronous whirl direction for a non-trivial rotordynamic system. Good agreement is found between the CTM results and previously obtained analytic and experimental results for the elastomer ring supported rotordynamic system.

  6. Time versus energy minimization migration strategy varies with body size and season in long-distance migratory shorebirds.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Meijuan; Christie, Maureen; Coleman, Jonathan; Hassell, Chris; Gosbell, Ken; Lisovski, Simeon; Minton, Clive; Klaassen, Marcel

    2017-01-01

    Migrants have been hypothesised to use different migration strategies between seasons: a time-minimization strategy during their pre-breeding migration towards the breeding grounds and an energy-minimization strategy during their post-breeding migration towards the wintering grounds. Besides season, we propose body size as a key factor in shaping migratory behaviour. Specifically, given that body size is expected to correlate negatively with maximum migration speed and that large birds tend to use more time to complete their annual life-history events (such as moult, breeding and migration), we hypothesise that large-sized species are time stressed all year round. Consequently, large birds are not only likely to adopt a time-minimization strategy during pre-breeding migration, but also during post-breeding migration, to guarantee a timely arrival at both the non-breeding (i.e. wintering) and breeding grounds. We tested this idea using individual tracks across six long-distance migratory shorebird species (family Scolopacidae) along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway varying in size from 50 g to 750 g lean body mass. Migration performance was compared between pre- and post-breeding migration using four quantifiable migratory behaviours that serve to distinguish between a time- and energy-minimization strategy, including migration speed, number of staging sites, total migration distance and step length from one site to the next. During pre- and post-breeding migration, the shorebirds generally covered similar distances, but they tended to migrate faster, used fewer staging sites, and tended to use longer step lengths during pre-breeding migration. These seasonal differences are consistent with the prediction that a time-minimization strategy is used during pre-breeding migration, whereas an energy-minimization strategy is used during post-breeding migration. However, there was also a tendency for the seasonal difference in migration speed to progressively disappear with an increase in body size, supporting our hypothesis that larger species tend to use time-minimization strategies during both pre- and post-breeding migration. Our study highlights that body size plays an important role in shaping migratory behaviour. Larger migratory bird species are potentially time constrained during not only the pre- but also the post-breeding migration. Conservation of their habitats during both seasons may thus be crucial for averting further population declines.

  7. [Improvement of reproducibility in capillary electrophoretic characterization of rhubarb by normalization of migration time].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Hongyi; Ge, Lijuan; Chen, Hui; Jing, Cong; Shi, Zhihong

    2009-07-01

    The principle of the normalization of migration time and its application on the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) analysis by capillary electrophoresis (CE) are presented. It is the core of the normalization of migration time that the fluctuation of apparent migration velocity for each component at different runs is attributed to the difference of electroosmotic flow velocity. To transform migration time (t) to normalized migration time, one peak or two peaks in the original electropherogram are selected as internal peak. The normalization of migration time is therefore classified into two types based on the number of selected internal peaks, one-peak and two-peak approaches. The migration times processed by one-peak normalization and by two-peak normalization are conducted by the following equations, respectively: (t'(i))(j) = 1/ [1/(t(i))(j) - [1/(t(istd))(j) - 1/(t(istd))1

  8. A Software Defined Radio Based Architecture for the Reagan Test Site Telemetry Modernization (RTM) Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-10-26

    platforms and are quickly using up available spectrum. The national need in the commercial sector with emerging technologies such as 5G is pushing for...recovered and post processed later. The Front End Server also sends selected data stream across a high speed network link to the centralized

  9. Steelworker 1 & C. Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course. Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Essinger, Patrick J.

    This Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course (RTM/NRCC) form a self-study package that will enable Steelworkers First and Chief to help themselves fulfill the requirements of their rating. (These positions direct and coordinate efforts of individuals and crews in cutting, welding, placing and erecting rigid frame and other…

  10. Neurodevelopmental Correlates of Theory of Mind in Preschool Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sabbagh, Mark A.; Bowman, Lindsay C.; Evraire, Lyndsay E.; Ito, Jennie M. B.

    2009-01-01

    Baseline electroencephalogram (EEG) data were collected from twenty-nine 4-year-old children who also completed batteries of representational theory-of-mind (RTM) tasks and executive functioning (EF) tasks. Neural sources of children's EEG alpha (6-9 Hz) were estimated and analyzed to determine whether individual differences in regional EEG alpha…

  11. The effects of energy beverages in counteracting the symptoms of mild hypoxia at legal general aviation altitudes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bull, Daniel Mark

    The purpose of this thesis was to conduct preliminary research, in the form of a pilot study, concerning the natural effects of hypoxia compared to the effects of hypoxia experienced after the consumption of an energy beverage. The study evaluated the effects of hypoxia on FAA certificated pilots at a simulated legal general aviation altitude, utilizing the normobaric High Altitude Lab (HAL) located at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida. The researcher tested 11 subjects, who completed three simulated flight tasks within the HAL using the Frasca International Mentor Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD). The flight tasks were completed after consuming Red BullRTM, MonsterRTM , or a placebo beverage. The researcher derived three test variables from core outputs of the AATD: lateral deviations from the glide slope, vertical deviations from the localizer, and airspeed deviations from the target speed of 100 knots. A repeated-measures ANOVA was carried out to determine effects of the beverages on the test variables. While results were non-significant, the researcher concluded that further research should be conducted with a larger sample.

  12. An interface for simulating radiative transfer in and around volcanic plumes with the Monte Carlo radiative transfer model McArtim

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kern, Christoph

    2016-03-23

    This report describes two software tools that, when used as front ends for the three-dimensional backward Monte Carlo atmospheric-radiative-transfer model (RTM) McArtim, facilitate the generation of lookup tables of volcanic-plume optical-transmittance characteristics in the ultraviolet/visible-spectral region. In particular, the differential optical depth and derivatives thereof (that is, weighting functions), with regard to a change in SO2 column density or aerosol optical thickness, can be simulated for a specific measurement geometry and a representative range of plume conditions. These tables are required for the retrieval of SO2 column density in volcanic plumes, using the simulated radiative-transfer/differential optical-absorption spectroscopic (SRT-DOAS) approach outlined by Kern and others (2012). This report, together with the software tools published online, is intended to make this sophisticated SRT-DOAS technique available to volcanologists and gas geochemists in an operational environment, without the need for an indepth treatment of the underlying principles or the low-level interface of the RTM McArtim.

  13. Error Consistency Analysis Scheme for Infrared Ultraspectral Sounding Retrieval Error Budget Estimation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Liu, Xu; Smith, William L.; Strow, Larry, L.

    2013-01-01

    Great effort has been devoted towards validating geophysical parameters retrieved from ultraspectral infrared radiances obtained from satellite remote sensors. An error consistency analysis scheme (ECAS), utilizing fast radiative transfer model (RTM) forward and inverse calculations, has been developed to estimate the error budget in terms of mean difference and standard deviation of error in both spectral radiance and retrieval domains. The retrieval error is assessed through ECAS without relying on other independent measurements such as radiosonde data. ECAS establishes a link between the accuracies of radiances and retrieved geophysical parameters. ECAS can be applied to measurements from any ultraspectral instrument and any retrieval scheme with its associated RTM. In this manuscript, ECAS is described and demonstrated with measurements from the MetOp-A satellite Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). This scheme can be used together with other validation methodologies to give a more definitive characterization of the error and/or uncertainty of geophysical parameters retrieved from ultraspectral radiances observed from current and future satellite remote sensors such as IASI, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), and the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS).

  14. Using Neural Networks to Improve the Performance of Radiative Transfer Modeling Used for Geometry Dependent LER Calculations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fasnacht, Z.; Qin, W.; Haffner, D. P.; Loyola, D. G.; Joiner, J.; Krotkov, N. A.; Vasilkov, A. P.; Spurr, R. J. D.

    2017-12-01

    In order to estimate surface reflectance used in trace gas retrieval algorithms, radiative transfer models (RTM) such as the Vector Linearized Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer Model (VLIDORT) can be used to simulate the top of the atmosphere (TOA) radiances with advanced models of surface properties. With large volumes of satellite data, these model simulations can become computationally expensive. Look up table interpolation can improve the computational cost of the calculations, but the non-linear nature of the radiances requires a dense node structure if interpolation errors are to be minimized. In order to reduce our computational effort and improve the performance of look-up tables, neural networks can be trained to predict these radiances. We investigate the impact of using look-up table interpolation versus a neural network trained using the smart sampling technique, and show that neural networks can speed up calculations and reduce errors while using significantly less memory and RTM calls. In future work we will implement a neural network in operational processing to meet growing demands for reflectance modeling in support of high spatial resolution satellite missions.

  15. Synthesis and evaluation of bioceramics for orthopedics and tissue culture applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Demirkiran, Hande

    Hydroxyapatite is the most well known phosphate in the biologically active phosphate ceramic family by virtue of its similarity to natural bone mineral. Among all bioglass compositions BioglassRTM45S5 is one of the most bioactive glasses. This study initially started by adding different amounts (1, 2.5, 5, 10, and 25 wt.%) of BioglassRTM45S5 to synthetic hydroxyapatite in order to improve the bioactivity of these bioceramics. The chemistries formed by sintering and their effect on different material properties including bioactivity were identified by using various techniques, such as powder and thin film x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy, compression test, and nano indentation. All the results demonstrated that 10 and 25 wt.% BioglassRTM45S5 addition to hydroxyapatite and sintering at 1200°C for 4 hours yield new compositions with main Ca 5(PO4)2SiO4 and Na3Ca 6(PO4)5 crystalline phases dispersed in silicate glassy matrices, respectively. In addition, in vitro bioactivity tests such as bone like apatite formation in simulated body fluid and bone marrow stromal cell culture have shown that the crystalline and amorphous phases have an important role on improving bioactivity of these bioceramic compositions. Besides, compression test and nano indentation has given important information on compression strength and nano structure properties of these newly composed bioceramic materials and the bone like apatite layers formed on them, respectively. Finally, the effect of silicate addition on both formation and bioactivity of Na3Ca6(PO4)5 bioceramics were shown. These findings and different techniques used assisted to develop a phenomenological approach to demonstrate how the novel bioceramic compositions were composed and aid improving bioactivity of known bioceramic materials.

  16. Performance of resin transfer molded multiaxial warp knit composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dexter, H. Benson; Hasko, Gregory H.

    1993-01-01

    Composite materials that are subjected to complex loads have traditionally been fabricated with multidirectionally oriented prepreg tape materials. Some of the problems associated with this type of construction include low delamination resistance, poor out-of-plane strength, and labor intensive fabrication processes. Textile reinforced composites with through-the-thickness reinforcement have the potential to solve some of these problems. Recently, a relatively new class of noncrimp fabrics designated as multiaxial warp knits have been developed to minimize some of the high cost and damage tolerance concerns. Multiple stacks of warp knit fabrics can be knitted or stitched together to reduce layup labor cost. The through-the-thickness reinforcement can provide significant improvements in damage tolerance and out-of-plane strength. Multilayer knitted/stitched preforms, in conjunction with resin transfer molding (RTM), offer potential for significant cost savings in fabrication of primary aircraft structures. The objectives of this investigation were to conduct RTM processing studies and to characterize the mechanical behavior of composites reinforced with three multiaxial warp knit fabrics. The three fabrics investigated were produced by Hexcel and Milliken in the United States, and Saerbeck in Germany. Two resin systems, British Petroleum E9O5L and 3M PR 500, were characterized for RTM processing. The performance of Hexcel and Milliken quasi-isotropic knitted fabrics are compared to conventional prepreg tape laminates. The performance of the Saerbeck fabric is compared to uniweave wing skin layups being investigated by Douglas Aircraft Company in the NASA Advanced Composites Technology (ACT) program. Tests conducted include tension, open hole tension, compression, open hole compression, and compression after impact. The effects of fabric defects, such as misaligned fibers and gaps between tows, on material performance are also discussed. Estimated material and labor cost savings are projected for the Saerbeck fabric as compared to uniweave fabric currently being used by Douglas in the NASA ACT wing development program.

  17. Inverse scattering pre-stack depth imaging and it's comparison to some depth migration methods for imaging rich fault complex structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nurhandoko, Bagus Endar B.; Sukmana, Indriani; Mubarok, Syahrul; Deny, Agus; Widowati, Sri; Kurniadi, Rizal

    2012-06-01

    Migration is important issue for seismic imaging in complex structure. In this decade, depth imaging becomes important tools for producing accurate image in depth imaging instead of time domain imaging. The challenge of depth migration method, however, is in revealing the complex structure of subsurface. There are many methods of depth migration with their advantages and weaknesses. In this paper, we show our propose method of pre-stack depth migration based on time domain inverse scattering wave equation. Hopefully this method can be as solution for imaging complex structure in Indonesia, especially in rich thrusting fault zones. In this research, we develop a recent advance wave equation migration based on time domain inverse scattering wave which use more natural wave propagation using scattering wave. This wave equation pre-stack depth migration use time domain inverse scattering wave equation based on Helmholtz equation. To provide true amplitude recovery, an inverse of divergence procedure and recovering transmission loss are considered of pre-stack migration. Benchmarking the propose inverse scattering pre-stack depth migration with the other migration methods are also presented, i.e.: wave equation pre-stack depth migration, waveequation depth migration, and pre-stack time migration method. This inverse scattering pre-stack depth migration could image successfully the rich fault zone which consist extremely dip and resulting superior quality of seismic image. The image quality of inverse scattering migration is much better than the others migration methods.

  18. Family migration and employment: the importance of migration history and gender.

    PubMed

    Bailey, A J; Cooke, T J

    1998-01-01

    "This article uses event history data to specify a model of employment returns to initial migration, onward migration, and return migration among newly married persons in the U.S. Husbands are more likely to be full-time employed than wives, and being a parent reduces the employment odds among married women. Employment returns to repeated migration differ by gender, with more husbands full-time employed after onward migration and more wives full-time employed after return migration events. We interpret these empirical findings in the context of family migration theory, segmented labor market theory, and gender-based responsibilities." Data are from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth from 1979 to 1991. excerpt

  19. Bacterial migration along solid surfaces.

    PubMed Central

    Harkes, G; Dankert, J; Feijen, J

    1992-01-01

    An in vitro system was developed to study the migration of uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains. In this system an aqueous agar gel is placed against a solid surface, allowing the bacteria to migrate along the gel/solid surface interface. Bacterial strains as well as solid surfaces were characterized by means of water contact angle and zeta potential measurements. When glass was used as the solid surface, significantly different migration times for the strains investigated were observed. Relationships among the observed migration times of six strains, their contact angles, and their zeta potentials were found. Relatively hydrophobic strains exhibited migration times shorter than those of hydrophilic strains. For highly negatively charged strains shorter migration times were found than were found for less negatively charged strains. When the fastest-migrating strain with respect to glass was allowed to migrate along solid surfaces differing in hydrophobicity and charge, no differences in migration times were found. Our findings indicate that strategies to prevent catheter-associated bacteriuria should be based on inhibition of bacterial growth rather than on modifying the physicochemical character of the catheter surface. PMID:1622217

  20. Single Group, Pre- and Post-Test Research Designs: Some Methodological Concerns

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marsden, Emma; Torgerson, Carole J.

    2012-01-01

    This article provides two illustrations of some of the factors that can influence findings from pre- and post-test research designs in evaluation studies, including regression to the mean (RTM), maturation, history and test effects. The first illustration involves a re-analysis of data from a study by Marsden (2004), in which pre-test scores are…

  1. Introduction to Sonar, Naval Education and Training Command. Revised Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naval Education and Training Command, Pensacola, FL.

    This Rate Training Manual (RTM) and Nonresident Career Course form a self-study package for those U.S. Navy personnel who are seeking advancement in the Sonar Technician Rating. Among the requirements of the rating are the abilities to obtain and interpret underwater data, operate and maintain upkeep of sonar equipment, and interpret target and…

  2. Admission Criteria, Program Outcomes, and NCLEX-RN(RTM) Success in Second Degree Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rowland, Janet Wedge

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this retrospective study was to examine the outcome performance of second degree students in an Accelerated BSN (ABSN) and an Entry Level MSN (ELMSN) program. In addition to student demographics (ethnicity/race, age, and gender), study variables included admission and end-of-program indicators. Admission criteria included the…

  3. Hospital Corpsman 1 & C. Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Frederick R.

    This Rate Training Manual (RTM) and Nonresident Career Course (NRCC) form a self-study package that will enable Navy senior hospital corps personnel to fulfill the requirements of their rating. While primarily developed around the requirements for personnel serving on independent duty, the information contained within it is applicable to all HM 1…

  4. Fireman: Naval Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naval Education and Training Command, Pensacola, FL.

    The Rate Training Manual and the Nonresident Career Course (RTM/NRCC) was prepared to assist the fireman apprentice to qualify and to advance to fireman in the Navy. The manual is designed for individual study and provides subject matter that relates directly to the occupational qualifications of the fireman rating. Fireman is one of the lower…

  5. Hospital Corpsman 3 & 2. Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Frederick R.

    This Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course (RTM/NRCC) form a self-study package that will enable Hospital Corps personnel to help themselves fulfill the requirements of their rating. Among these requirements are the abilities to perform duties as assistants in the prevention, recognition, and treatment of disease and injuries, and in…

  6. Lithographer 3 and 2: Naval Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naval Education and Training Command, Pensacola, FL.

    The rate training manual and nonresident career course (RTM/NRCC) form is a self-study package that will enable third class and second class lithographers to fulfill the requirements for that rating. Chapter one provides a brief history of printing and discusses the duties and qualifications of the Navy lithographer. Chapters two through eighteen…

  7. A cyber physical system approach for composite part: From smart manufacturing to predictive maintenance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quaranta, Giacomo; Abisset-Chavanne, Emmanuelle; Chinesta, Francisco; Duval, Jean-Louis

    2018-05-01

    In this work, a Cyber Physical System called Hybrid Twin is proposed for composite parts manufactured from RTM. This allows to introduce in the virtual twin of the parts the defect and the final properties induced by the real manufacturing process and to use on line data collection for predictive maintenance.

  8. Boatswain's Mate F1 and C: Naval Rate Training Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naval Education and Training Command, Pensacola, FL.

    The Rate Training Manual and Nonresident Career Course (RTM/NRCC) form a self-study package that enables Aviation Boatswain's Mate F to fulfill the requirements for advancement to ABF1 and the ABF1 for advancement to the rank of ABFC. In preparing for advancement examinations, the manual should be studied in conjunction with Military Requirements…

  9. Imaging hydrothermal roots along the Endeavour segment of the Juan de Fuca ridge using elastic full waveform inversion.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arnulf, A. F.; Harding, A. J.; Kent, G. M.

    2016-12-01

    The Endeavour segment is a 90 km-long, medium-spreading-rate, oceanic spreading center located on the northern Juan de Fuca ridge (JDFR). The central part of this segment forms a 25-km-long volcanic high that hosts five of the most hydrothermally active vent fields on the MOR system, namely (from north to south): Sasquatch, Salty Dawg, High Rise, Main Endeavour and Mothra. Mass, heat and chemical fluxes associated to vigorous hydrothermal venting are large, however the geometry of the fluid circulation system through the oceanic crust remains almost completely undefined. To produce high-resolution velocity/reflectivity structures along the axis of the Endeavour segment, here, we combined a synthetic ocean bottom experiment (SOBE), 2-D traveltime tomography, 2D elastic full waveform and reverse time migration (RTM). We present velocity and reflectivity sections along Endeavour segment at unprecedented spatial resolutions. We clearly image a set of independent, geometrically complex, elongated low-velocity regions linking the top of the magma chamber at depth to the hydrothermal vent fields on the seafloor. We interpret these narrow pipe-like units as focused regions of hydrothermal fluid up-flow, where acidic and corrosive fluids form pipe-like alteration zones as previously observed in Cyprus ophiolites. Furthermore, the amplitude of these low-velocity channels is shown to be highly variable, with the strongest velocity drops observed at Main Endeavour, Mothra and Salty Dawg hydrothermal vent fields, possibly suggesting more mature hydrothermal cells. Interestingly, the near-seafloor structure beneath those three sites is very similar and highlights a sharp lateral transition in velocity (north to south). On the other hand, the High-Rise hydrothermal vent field is characterized by several lower amplitudes up-flow zones and relatively slow near-surface velocities. Last, Sasquatch vent field is located in an area of high near-surface velocities and is not characterized by an obvious low-velocity up-flow region, in good agreement with an extinct vent field.

  10. Decadal shifts in autumn migration timing by Pacific Arctic beluga whales are related to delayed annual sea ice formation.

    PubMed

    Hauser, Donna D W; Laidre, Kristin L; Stafford, Kathleen M; Stern, Harry L; Suydam, Robert S; Richard, Pierre R

    2017-06-01

    Migrations are often influenced by seasonal environmental gradients that are increasingly being altered by climate change. The consequences of rapid changes in Arctic sea ice have the potential to affect migrations of a number of marine species whose timing is temporally matched to seasonal sea ice cover. This topic has not been investigated for Pacific Arctic beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas) that follow matrilineally maintained autumn migrations in the waters around Alaska and Russia. For the sympatric Eastern Chukchi Sea ('Chukchi') and Eastern Beaufort Sea ('Beaufort') beluga populations, we examined changes in autumn migration timing as related to delayed regional sea ice freeze-up since the 1990s, using two independent data sources (satellite telemetry data and passive acoustics) for both populations. We compared dates of migration between 'early' (1993-2002) and 'late' (2004-2012) tagging periods. During the late tagging period, Chukchi belugas had significantly delayed migrations (by 2 to >4 weeks, depending on location) from the Beaufort and Chukchi seas. Spatial analyses also revealed that departure from Beaufort Sea foraging regions by Chukchi whales was postponed in the late period. Chukchi beluga autumn migration timing occurred significantly later as regional sea ice freeze-up timing became later in the Beaufort, Chukchi, and Bering seas. In contrast, Beaufort belugas did not shift migration timing between periods, nor was migration timing related to freeze-up timing, other than for southward migration at the Bering Strait. Passive acoustic data from 2008 to 2014 provided independent and supplementary support for delayed migration from the Beaufort Sea (4 day yr -1 ) by Chukchi belugas. Here, we report the first phenological study examining beluga whale migrations within the context of their rapidly transforming Pacific Arctic ecosystem, suggesting flexible responses that may enable their persistence yet also complicate predictions of how belugas may fare in the future. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. The Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic MedicineRTM Program for Women: An Explanatory Study Regarding Its Development and Persistence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mensel, Ruth

    2010-01-01

    This study was designed to determine which factors contributed to the development and persistence of a women's leadership development program in higher education. The "Hedwig van Ameringen" Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine[R] "Program for Women" was the basis for this single-case study. To speculate about ELAM's development and…

  12. Restoration of Aspen-Dominated Ecosystem in the Lake States

    Treesearch

    Douglas M. Stone; John D. Elioff; Donald V. Potter; Donald B. Peterson; Robert Wagner

    2001-01-01

    A reserve tree method(RTM)of harvesting was installed in six 70-to75-year-old aspen-dominated stands to determine if retaining 10 to 15 dominant aspen per acre would decrease sucker density to facilitate restoration of a conifer component. A reserve shelterwood cut was applied to three additional stands to evaluate performance of white pine planted under 50% crown...

  13. Restoration of aspen-dominated ecosystems in the Lake States

    Treesearch

    Douglas M. Stone; John D. Elioff; Donald V. Potter; Donald B. Peterson; Robert Wagner

    2000-01-01

    A reserve tree method (RTM) of harvesting was installed in six 70-to75-year old aspen-dominated stands to determine if retaining 10 to 15 dominant aspen per acre would decrease sucker density to facilitate restoration of a conifer component. A reserve shelterwood cut was applied to three additional stands to evaluate performance of white pine planted under 50% crown...

  14. Restoration of aspen-dominated ecosystems in the Lake States

    Treesearch

    Douglas M. Stone; John D. Elioff; Donald V. Potter; Donald B. Peterson; Robert Wagner

    2001-01-01

    A reserve tree method (RTM) of harvesting was installed in six 70- to 75-yearold aspen-dominated stands to determine if retaining 10 to 15 dominant aspen per acre would decrease sucker density to facilitate restoration of a conifer component. A reserve shelterwood cut was applied to three additional stands to evaluate performance of white pine planted under 50% crown...

  15. VERA-CS User Support Activities for PoR 14

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

    Kochunas, Brendan

    2017-11-01

    The purpose of this milestone is to document the user support activities that took place between 10/1/2016 and 3/31/2017 (PoR 14). In the normal PHI workflow, that also extends to several activities within RTM, a Kanban process is followed. This involves creating tickets for specific work items and track the progress to complete these specific work items.

  16. An Investigation of Basic and Borderline Proficient Students' Comprehension Reading Achievement Using the Read 180 Computerized Instructional Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Piper, Deborah L.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to see if students made gains in reading achievement in the area of reading comprehension by having used a computerized reading instructional program entitled "READ 180RTM." The researcher included a qualitative component to gather teacher and parent perceptions of the use of this program. The theoretical…

  17. An Exploratory Study of Neuro Linguistic Programming and Communication Anxiety

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-12-01

    Discover The Learning Advantage. The first seven chapters were written as a trade book with the appendix as a research companion document. The purpose of...and Frank Pucelik, Magic Demystified, Metamorphous Press, 1982. Lofland, Donald John, Powerlearning(RTM): Discover the Learning Advantage, PhD...50 B. ANALYSIS OF QUESTIONNAIRE DATA ................... 54 C. FOLLOW UP INTERVIEWS ........................... 58 V. SUMMARY, LESSONS LEARNED

  18. The Lived Experiences of GED (RTM) Students: What Do Their Experiences Tell Us?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snider, Susan Lynn

    2010-01-01

    The General Educational Development (GED[R]) Tests, established in 1945, helped determine soldiers' high school qualifications for the workforce, as they returned home from WWII. Because many soldiers dropped out of school to join the military, achieving a certain score on the test was a way for them to demonstrate that they had attained high…

  19. Nanofibre distribution in composites manufactured with epoxy reinforced with nanofibrillated cellulose: model prediction and verification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aitomäki, Yvonne; Westin, Mikael; Korpimäki, Jani; Oksman, Kristiina

    2016-07-01

    In this study a model based on simple scattering is developed and used to predict the distribution of nanofibrillated cellulose in composites manufactured by resin transfer moulding (RTM) where the resin contains nanofibres. The model is a Monte Carlo based simulation where nanofibres are randomly chosen from probability density functions for length, diameter and orientation. Their movements are then tracked as they advance through a random arrangement of fibres in defined fibre bundles. The results of the model show that the fabric filters the nanofibres within the first 20 µm unless clear inter-bundle channels are available. The volume fraction of the fabric fibres, flow velocity and size of nanofibre influence this to some extent. To verify the model, an epoxy with 0.5 wt.% Kraft Birch nanofibres was made through a solvent exchange route and stained with a colouring agent. This was infused into a glass fibre fabric using an RTM process. The experimental results confirmed the filtering of the nanofibres by the fibre bundles and their penetration in the fabric via the inter-bundle channels. Hence, the model is a useful tool for visualising the distribution of the nanofibres in composites in this manufacturing process.

  20. Comparison of resin film infusion, resin transfer molding, and consolidation of textile preforms for primary aircraft structure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Suarez, J.; Dastin, S.

    1992-01-01

    Innovative design concepts and cost effective fabrication processes were developed for damage tolerant primary structures that can perform at a design ultimate strain level of 6000 micro inch/inch. Attention focused on the use of textile high performance fiber reinforcement concepts that provide improved damage tolerance and out-of-plane load capability, low cost resin film infusion (RFI) and resin transfer molding (RTM) processes, and thermoplastic forming concepts. The fabrication of wing 'Y' spars by four different materials and/or processes methods is described: fabricated using IM7 angle interlock 0 to 90 deg woven preforms with + or - 45 deg plies stitched with Toray high strength graphite thread and processed using RFI and 3501-6 epoxy; fabricated using G40-800 knitted/stitched preforms and processed using RFI and 3501-6 epoxy; fabricated using G40-800 knitted/stitched preforms using RTM and Tactix 123/H41 epoxy; and fabricated preforms using AS4(6K)/PEEK 150 g commingled angle interlock 0 to 90 deg woven preforms with + or - 45 deg commingled plies stitched using high strength graphite thread and processed by consolidation. Structural efficiency, processability, and acquisition cost are compared.

  1. Pyrosequencing for detection of lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus.

    PubMed

    Lindström, Anna; Odeberg, Jacob; Albert, Jan

    2004-10-01

    Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can cause severe liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Lamivudine is a relatively recent alternative to alpha interferon for the treatment of HBV infection, but unfortunately, resistance to lamivudine commonly develops during monotherapy. Lamivudine-resistant HBV mutants display specific mutations in the YMDD (tyrosine, methionine, aspartate, aspartate) motif of the viral polymerase (reverse transcriptase [rt]), which is the catalytic site of the enzyme, i.e., methionine 204 to isoleucine (rtM204I) or valine (rtM204V). The latter mutation is often accompanied by a compensatory leucine-to-methionine change at codon 180 (rtL180M). In the present study, a novel sequencing method, pyrosequencing, was applied to the detection of lamivudine resistance mutations and was compared with direct Sanger sequencing. The new pyrosequencing method had advantages in terms of throughput. Experiments with mixtures of wild-type and resistant viruses indicated that pyrosequencing can detect minor sequence variants in heterogeneous virus populations. The new pyrosequencing method was evaluated with a small number of patient samples, and the results showed that the method could be a useful tool for the detection of lamivudine resistance in the clinical setting.

  2. Software Quality Assurance and Verification for the MPACT Library Generation Process

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

    Liu, Yuxuan; Williams, Mark L.; Wiarda, Dorothea

    This report fulfills the requirements for the Consortium for the Advanced Simulation of Light-Water Reactors (CASL) milestone L2:RTM.P14.02, “SQA and Verification for MPACT Library Generation,” by documenting the current status of the software quality, verification, and acceptance testing of nuclear data libraries for MPACT. It provides a brief overview of the library generation process, from general-purpose evaluated nuclear data files (ENDF/B) to a problem-dependent cross section library for modeling of light-water reactors (LWRs). The software quality assurance (SQA) programs associated with each of the software used to generate the nuclear data libraries are discussed; specific tests within the SCALE/AMPX andmore » VERA/XSTools repositories are described. The methods and associated tests to verify the quality of the library during the generation process are described in detail. The library generation process has been automated to a degree to (1) ensure that it can be run without user intervention and (2) to ensure that the library can be reproduced. Finally, the acceptance testing process that will be performed by representatives from the Radiation Transport Methods (RTM) Focus Area prior to the production library’s release is described in detail.« less

  3. Geostatistical regularization of inverse models for the retrieval of vegetation biophysical variables

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Atzberger, C.; Richter, K.

    2009-09-01

    The robust and accurate retrieval of vegetation biophysical variables using radiative transfer models (RTM) is seriously hampered by the ill-posedness of the inverse problem. With this research we further develop our previously published (object-based) inversion approach [Atzberger (2004)]. The object-based RTM inversion takes advantage of the geostatistical fact that the biophysical characteristics of nearby pixel are generally more similar than those at a larger distance. A two-step inversion based on PROSPECT+SAIL generated look-up-tables is presented that can be easily implemented and adapted to other radiative transfer models. The approach takes into account the spectral signatures of neighboring pixel and optimizes a common value of the average leaf angle (ALA) for all pixel of a given image object, such as an agricultural field. Using a large set of leaf area index (LAI) measurements (n = 58) acquired over six different crops of the Barrax test site, Spain), we demonstrate that the proposed geostatistical regularization yields in most cases more accurate and spatially consistent results compared to the traditional (pixel-based) inversion. Pros and cons of the approach are discussed and possible future extensions presented.

  4. Proximate cues for a short-distance migratory species: An application of survival analysis

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Meunier, J.; Song, R.; Lutz, R.S.; Andersen, D.E.; Doherty, K.E.; Bruggink, J.G.; Oppelt, E.

    2008-01-01

    Investigation of bird migration has often highlighted the importance of external factors in determining timing of migration However, little distinction has been made between short- and long-distance migrants and between local and flight birds (passage migrants) in describing migration chronology. In addition, measures of food abundance as a proximate factor influencing timing of migration are lacking in studies of migration chronology. To address the relationship between environmental variables and timing of migration we quantified the relative importance of proximate external factors on migration chronology of local American woodcock (Scolopax minor), a short distance migrant, using event-time analysis methods (survival analysis). We captured 1,094 woodcock local to our study sites in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin (USA) during autumn 2002-2004 and documented 786 departure dates for these birds. Photoperiod appeared to provide an initial proximate cue for timing of departure. Moon phase was important in modifying timing of departure, which may serve as a navigational aid in piloting and possibly orientation. Local synoptic weather variables also contributed to timing of departure by changing the rate of departure from our study sites. We found no evidence that food availability influenced timing of woodcock departure. Our results suggest that woodcock use a conservative photoperiod-controlled strategy with proximate modifiers for timing of migration rather than relying on abundance of their primary food, earthworms. Managing harvest pressure on local birds by adjusting season lengths may be an effective management tool with consistent migration patterns from year to year based on photoperiod.

  5. Synthetic seismic monitoring using reverse-time migration and Kirchhoff migration for CO2 sequestration in Korea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, W.; Kim, Y.; Min, D.; Oh, J.; Huh, C.; Kang, S.

    2012-12-01

    During last two decades, CO2 sequestration in the subsurface has been extensively studied and progressed as a direct tool to reduce CO2 emission. Commercial projects such as Sleipner, In Salah and Weyburn that inject more than one million tons of CO2 per year are operated actively as well as test projects such as Ketzin to study the behavior of CO2 and the monitoring techniques. Korea also began the CCS (CO2 capture and storage) project. One of the prospects for CO2 sequestration in Korea is the southwestern continental margin of Ulleung basin. To monitor the behavior of CO2 underground for the evaluation of stability and safety, several geophysical monitoring techniques should be applied. Among various geophysical monitoring techniques, seismic survey is considered as the most effective tool. To verify CO2 migration in the subsurface more effectively, seismic numerical simulation is an essential process. Furthermore, the efficiency of the seismic migration techniques should be investigated for various cases because numerical seismic simulation and migration test help us accurately interpret CO2 migration. In this study, we apply the reverse-time migration and Kirchhoff migration to synthetic seismic monitoring data generated for the simplified model based on the geological structures of Ulleung basin in Korea. Synthetic seismic monitoring data are generated for various cases of CO2 migration in the subsurface. From the seismic migration images, we can investigate CO2 diffusion patterns indirectly. From seismic monitoring simulation, it is noted that while the reverse-time migration generates clear subsurface images when subsurface structures are steeply dipping, Kirchhoff migration has an advantage in imaging horizontal-layered structures such as depositional sediments appearing in the continental shelf. The reverse-time migration and Kirchhoff migration present reliable subsurface images for the potential site characterized by stratigraphical traps. In case of vertical CO2 migration at injection point, the reverse time migration yields better images than Kirchhoff migration does. On the other hand, Kirchhoff migration images horizontal CO2 migration clearer than the reverse time migration does. From these results, we can conclude that the reverse-time migration and Kirchhoff migration can complement with each other to describe the behavior of CO2 in the subsurface. Acknowledgement This work was financially supported by the Brain Korea 21 project of Energy Systems Engineering, the "Development of Technology for CO2 Marine Geological Storage" program funded by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) of Korea and the Korea CCS R&D Center (KCRC) grant funded by the Korea government (Ministry of Education, Science and Technology) (No. 2012-0008926).

  6. Long-term changes in migration timing of Song Thrush Turdus philomelos at the southern Baltic coast in response to temperatures on route and at breeding grounds.

    PubMed

    Redlisiak, Michał; Remisiewicz, Magdalena; Nowakowski, Jarosław K

    2018-05-26

    Climate warming causes the advancement of spring arrival of many migrant birds breeding in Europe, but the effects on their autumn migration are less known. We aimed to determine any changes in the timing of Song Thrush captured during spring and autumn migrations at the Polish Baltic coast from 1975 to 2014, and if these were related to long-term changes of temperature at their breeding grounds and migration routes. The timing of spring migration at Hel ringing station in 1975-2014 did not show long-term advance, but they had responded to environmental conditions on the year-to-year basis. The warmer the temperatures were in April on their migration route, the earlier were the dates of the median and the end of spring migration at Hel. The beginning of autumn migration at the Mierzeja Wiślana ringing station advanced by 5 days between 1975 and 2014. The warmer the April on route, and the July at the Song Thrushes' breeding grounds, the earlier young birds began autumn migration across the Baltic coast. We suggest this was a combined effect of adults' migration and breeding early during warm springs and young birds getting ready faster for autumn migration during warm summers. The average time span of 90% of the autumn migration was extended by 5 days, probably because of early migration of young birds from first broods and late of those from second broods enabled by warm springs and summers. The response of Song Thrushes' migration timing to temperatures on route and at the breeding grounds indicated high plasticity in the species and suggested it might adapt well to climate changes.

  7. Cellulose-reinforced composites and SRIM and RTM modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fahrurrozi, Mohammad

    Structural reaction injection molding (SRIM) cellulosic/polyurethane composites were prepared from various forms of cellulosic mats, and elastomeric polyurea-urethane (PUU) and rigid polyurethane (PU) formulations. Mats (woven and non-woven) prepared from different sources of fibers with lignin content ranging from zero (cotton) to at least 10% (sugar cane and kenaf fibers) performed comparably in PUU/cellulosic composites. Young's modulus and tensile strength of PUU/cellulosic composites were doubled with 5% and 7% fiber loading respectively. Young's modulus and tensile strength of PU/cellulosic composites were improved by 300% and 30%, respectively, with 7% fiber loading, whereas their bending moduli and strengths were improved up to 100% and 50%, respectively, with 18% fiber loading. However, the mechanical properties of PU composites were more sensitive to the fiber properties and fiber macroscopic arrangements. The study with chemical ratio variations indicates that as the fiber loading increases, the cellulose hydroxyl presence starts shifting the chemical balance and thus should be accounted for. Mats prepared from sugar cane fibers extracted from rind with low alkali concentration (0.2 N) followed by steam explosion require lower injection pressures compared to the ones prepared from fiber obtained from higher alkali treatment (above 0.5 N) without steam explosion. Hence, the steam exploded mats are more suitable for SRIM purposes. The PU kinetics was studied using an adiabatic temperature rise method. An Arrhenius type empirical equation was used to fit the data. The fitted equation was second order to the partial conversion, and the gelling time at adiabatic condition is less than 5 seconds (much quicker than the 10 to 12 seconds in mold gel time quoted by the manufacturer). FORTRAN programs were written to solve the SRIM model based on Darcy's equation. The model incorporated heat transfer and chemical reaction. The modeling was intended to aid in interpreting in-mold pressure data obtained from mat permeability characterization. The model also has other wider applications such as mold design and SRIM and resin transfer molding (RTM) simulation. The model predicts some experimental data from this work and the literature satisfactorily.

  8. The extra mile: Ungulate migration distance alters the use of seasonal range and exposure to anthropogenic risk

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sawyer, Hall; Middleton, Arthur D.; Hayes, Matthew M.; Kauffman, Matthew J.; Monteith, Kevin L.

    2016-01-01

    Partial migration occurs across a variety of taxa and has important ecological and evolutionary consequences. Among ungulates, studies of partially migratory populations have allowed researchers to compare and contrast performance metrics of migrants versus residents and examine how environmental factors influence the relative abundance of each. Such studies tend to characterize animals discretely as either migratory or resident, but we suggest that variable migration distances within migratory herds are an important and overlooked form of population structure, with potential consequences for animal fitness. We examined whether the variation in individual migration distances (20–264 km) within a single wintering population of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) was associated with several critical behavioral attributes of migration, including timing of migration, time allocation to seasonal ranges, and exposure to anthropogenic mortality risks. Both the timing of migration and the amount of time animals allocated to seasonal ranges varied with migration distance. Animals migrating long distances (150–250 km) initiated spring migration more than three weeks before than those migrating moderate (50–150 km) or short distances (<50 km). Across an entire year, long-distance migrants spent approximately 100 more days migrating compared to moderate- and short-distance migrants. Relatedly, winter residency of long-distance migrants was 71 d fewer than for animals migrating shorter distances. Exposure to anthropogenic mortality factors, including highways and fences, was high for long-distance migrants, whereas vulnerability to harvest was high for short- and moderate-distance migrants. By reducing the amount of time that animals spend on winter range, long-distance migration may alleviate intraspecific competition for limited forage and effectively increase carrying capacity. Clear differences in winter residency, migration duration, and risk of anthropogenic mortality among short-, moderate-, and long-distance migrants suggest fitness trade-offs may exist among migratory segments of the population. Future studies of partial migration may benefit from expanding comparisons of residents and migrants, to consider how variable migration distances of migrants may influence the costs and benefits of migration.

  9. The Psychosocial Development and Increased Fluency of Users of the SpeechEasyRTM Device: A Multiple Unit Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horgan, David James

    2010-01-01

    This dissertation study explored the efficacy of the SpeechEasy[R] device for individuals who are gainfully employed stutterers and who participated in workplace education learning activities. This study attempted to fill a gap in the literature regarding efficacy of the SpeechEasy[R] device. It employed a qualitative multiple unit case study…

  10. ITRB Spar Domestic Source

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-12-14

    Each pair of rollers is designed to capture the shafts mounted to both ends of the tool lid. Additionally, a safety pin can be put in place to...ITRB for the AH-64D. The scope of the program included structural design , materials selection, manufacturing producibility analysis, tooling design ...responsible for tooling design and fabrication, fabrication process development and fabrication of spars and test samples; G3 who designed the RTM

  11. The Use of Three Dimensional Printed Interactive Models and a Digital Anatomy Case Study to Improve Medical Student Understanding of Pelvic and Perineal Anatomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Solis, Laura de Jesus

    The anatomy of the pelvis and perineum is especially complex for novice students. In the Language of Medicine Module (Gross Anatomy and Embryology), medical students are expected to learn a high volume of material in a short time. The study of these regions is especially challenging due to the limited visibility of structures and difficulty of dissection. Understanding of the spatial relationships of the pelvic and perineal structures is important to acquire the foundational knowledge for future clinical application. Traditional methods such as dissection, prosected specimens, peer teaching, and radiological images are used at UT Health San Antonio to teach these regions. Emerging three dimensional technologies applied in computer based models and printed physical models serve as alternative ways to teach Anatomy. This study examines the effectiveness of adding two active learning methods that use these technologies to teach the anatomy of the pelvis and perineum in the Language of Medicine module, as assessed by exam performance and a satisfaction survey. The learning methods included female pelvic and perineal printed models with simulated anatomical contents made with arts and crafts material, and a digital anatomy case study using BodyVizRTM. In 2016, 220 medical students in four groups (A-D) rotated between demonstrations on prosected cadavers and interactive sessions with each 3D learning tool. Student exam performance was assessed as the percentage of points obtained on select written and practical exam questions relevant to the anatomy of the pelvis and perineum. Across four years, practical exam performance for all relevant pelvic and perineal tags (structures tagged with a string or pin) shows a consistent decline of averages from 2013 (83%) to 2015 (75.7%). This decline was slightly reversed in 2016 (76.6%) following the integration of the 3D learning tools. The analysis of the obturator internus muscle tag, a tag included in the practical exams across all four years, shows the highest average in 2016 and a significantly higher percentage of students that correctly identified it (p<0.0001). Student performance on the written exam varied depending on the topic of the question. The question topic related to the anatomy of the pelvic wall was correctly answered by most students in all four years, as compared to other three relevant topics examined (p = 0.0027). In 2016, students were more competent on the topics of the anatomy of the pelvic wall (90%) and on the injury to the pudendal nerve (71.1%) as compared to other questions. The impact of the order of rotation through the interactive sessions reveals that students, who explored the model before the case study with BodyViz RTM, but after having attended the lab demonstrations obtained the highest average of 77.1% in pelvic and perineal tags. No significant difference in average score is observed among four groups with different rotation sequences (p = 0.8606). Additionally, student competence as assessed by perfect scores (100%) or passing grades (≥ 70) on pelvic and perineal tags shows that 81% of these students correctly identified more than 70% of tags, the highest percentage across the four groups. Students completed a survey after the active learning lesson, and their responses show positive feedback for the printed model, the BodyViz RTM case study, and their overall experience. The use of three dimensional technologies in interactive models of the pelvis and the perineum, and a digital case study with BodyVizRTM provided a novel way to combine high tech and low tech learning tools. This study suggests that use of these tools can enhance students' learning of specific pelvic and perineal structures, and results serve as pilot data for future assessments in long term retention of information and its application in clinical practice.

  12. The relationship between annual survival rate and migration distance in mallards: an examination of the time-allocation hypothesis for the evolution of migration

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hestbeck, J.B.; Nichols, J.D.; Hines, J.E.

    1992-01-01

    Predictions of the time-allocation hypothesis were tested with several a posteriori analyses of banding data for the mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). The time-allocation hypothesis states that the critical difference between resident and migrant birds is their allocation of time to reproduction on the breeding grounds and survival on the nonbreeding grounds. Residents have higher reproduction and migrants have higher survival. Survival and recovery rates were estimated by standard band-recovery methods for banding reference areas in the central United States and central Canada. A production-rate index was computed for each reference area with data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service May Breeding Population Survey and July Production Survey. An analysis of covariance was used to test for the effects of migration distance and time period (decade) on survival, recovery, and production rates. Differences in migration chronology were tested by comparing direct-recovery distributions for different populations during the fall migration. Differences in winter locations were tested by comparing distributions of direct recoveries reported during December and January. A strong positive relationship was found between survival rate, and migration distance for 3 of the 4 age and sex classes. A weak negative relationship was found between recovery rate and migration distance. No relationship was found between production rate and migration distance. During the fall migration, birds from the northern breeding populations were located north of birds from the southern breeding populations. No pattern could be found in the relative locations of breeding and wintering areas. Although our finding that survival rate increased with migration distance was consistent with the time-allocation hypothesis, our results on migration chronology and location of wintering areas were not consistent with the mechanism underlying the time-allocation hypothesis. Neither this analysis nor other recent studies of life-history characteristics of migratory and resident birds supported the timeallocation hypothesis.

  13. The spring migration of adult North American Ospreys

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Martell, Mark S.; Bierregaard, Richard O.; Washburn, Brian E.; Elliott, John E.; Henny, Charles J.; Kennedy, Robert S.; MacLeod, Iain

    2014-01-01

    Most North American Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) are migratory, breeding in northern latitudes and migrating long distances to and from their wintering grounds in the tropics. Although fall migration patterns of North American Ospreys have been described and studied, very little has been published about the spring migration of these birds. We used satellite telemetry to: (1) determine the characteristics (timing, duration, migratory routes) of spring migrations of Ospreys; (2) determine if differences in spring migration patterns existed between sexes and among three breeding populations (east coast, midwestern, and western); and (3) compare consecutive fall and spring migrations of individual Ospreys. The median dates for departure from the wintering grounds and arrival on the breeding grounds did not differ significantly between adult male and female Ospreys. Compared to their fall migrations, all male and all east coast Ospreys spent fewer days on migration, fewer days in stopover periods along the migration route, traveled shorter distances overall, and traveled farther (on average) each day during spring. In contrast, fall and spring migration characteristics of all female and western Ospreys were similar. Our findings suggest that, although sex and breeding location might influence the spring migration strategy used by individual Ospreys, both males and females minimize the time spent on migration to ensure a timely arrival on the breeding grounds to establish or defend a nesting territory.

  14. Improved airfield damage assessment System (IADAS) capstone

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-09-01

    96  Figure C-1.  Russian RBK-500 BetAB Cluster Bomb . Sources: Jane’s Air Launched Weapons (2007) and Flankers Site (2017...127  Figure C-2.  Russian RBK-500RTM AO Cluster Bomb . Sources: International Campaign to Ban Landmines (2012) and The Fighter...AFCEC Air Force Civil Engineer Center AoA analysis of alternatives CBU cluster bomb unit CCDR combatant commanders COCOMO II Constructive Cost Model

  15. The Incidental Leader: The Role of Reading Recovery (RTM) Training in the Professional Lives of Teachers in a Rural Alabama School System. A Multiple Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bounds, Sharon L.

    2013-01-01

    This qualitative multiple case study was undertaken to answer the following question: How did Reading® (RR) teachers and former Reading Recovery teachers in a mid-sized rural school system in the southeastern United States describe the influences of their Reading Recovery training as it related to their current professional lives? Additional…

  16. Animal Assisted Therapy and the Reading Education Assistance Dogs[RTM] (R.E.A.D.) Program as Perceived by Volunteer R.E.A.D. Facilitators: A National Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Swift, Catherine Hayes

    2009-01-01

    This study investigated the demographics and perceptions of participants who utilize animals in academic programs, specifically the volunteers who use dogs to work with at-risk children in reading programs. It presented an argument for incorporating research-supported elements of reading tutor skills into the volunteer tutor training for the…

  17. A context based approach using Green Chemistry/Bio-remediation principles to enhance interest and learning of organic chemistry in a high school AP chemistry classroom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, Tricia

    The ability of our planet to sustain life and heal itself is not as predictable as it used to be. Our need for educated future scientists who know what our planet needs, and can passionately apply that knowledge to find solutions should be at the heart of science education today. This study of learning organic chemistry through the lens of the environmental problem "What should be done with our food scraps?" explores student interest, and mastery of certain concepts in organic chemistry. This Green Chemistry/ Bio-remediation context-based teaching approach utilizes the Nature MillRTM, which is an indoor food waste composting machine, to learn about organic chemistry, and how this relates to landfill reduction possibilities, and resource production. During this unit students collected food waste from their cafeteria, and used the Nature MillRTM to convert food waste into compost. The use of these hands on activities, and group discussions in a context-based environment enhanced their interest in organic chemistry, and paper chromatography. According to a one-tailed paired T-test, the result show that this context-based approach is a significant way to increase both student interest and mastery of the content.

  18. Mechanical characterization of 2D, 2D stitched, and 3D braided/RTM materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deaton, Jerry W.; Kullerd, Susan M.; Portanova, Marc A.

    1993-01-01

    Braided composite materials have potential for application in aircraft structures. Fuselage frames, floor beams, wing spars, and stiffeners are examples where braided composites could find application if cost effective processing and damage tolerance requirements are met. Another important consideration for braided composites relates to their mechanical properties and how they compare to the properties of composites produced by other textile composite processes being proposed for these applications. Unfortunately, mechanical property data for braided composites do not appear extensively in the literature. Data are presented in this paper on the mechanical characterization of 2D triaxial braid, 2D triaxial braid plus stitching, and 3D (through-the-thickness) braid composite materials. The braided preforms all had the same graphite tow size and the same nominal braid architectures, (+/- 30 deg/0 deg), and were resin transfer molded (RTM) using the same mold for each of two different resin systems. Static data are presented for notched and unnotched tension, notched and unnotched compression, and compression after impact strengths at room temperature. In addition, some static results, after environmental conditioning, are included. Baseline tension and compression fatigue results are also presented, but only for the 3D braided composite material with one of the resin systems.

  19. Delmopinol-induced matrix removal facilitates photodynamic therapy and chlorhexidine methods for disinfecting mixed oral biofilms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rogers, Stephen Christopher

    It is often observed that the slimy matrixes of various bacterial-formed biofilms can limit their disinfection. This investigation demonstrated that disinfection effectiveness by either photodynamic therapy (PDT) or chlorhexidine irrigation is significantly improved by collapse of that matrix using the non-bactericidal reagent delmopinol as part of the treatment sequence. Cyclic shear-producing conditions were used to grow 4-day, whole salivary and growth media biofilms on glow-discharge-treated polystyrene (N=46) and mini-germanium internal reflection prisms to serve in a periodontal crypt model of disinfection by either methylene-blue-mediated PDT or by chlorhexidine irrigation. Assays for bacterial viability, with and without treatments, were performed by alamarBlueRTM fluorescent methods, statistically applied (ANOVA, Tukey's HSD). Multiple Attenuated Internal Reflection Infrared (MAIR-IR) assays confirmed selective removal of the predominantly polysaccharide matrix materials by the delmopinol treatment, but not by equivalent water or chlorhexidine methods. Confocal-IR microscopy showed that the delmopinol reagent, alone, caused about one-third of each wet biofilm to be removed, while bacterial re-growth was confirmed by alamarBlueRTM assay. Chlorhexidine and PDT suppression of bacterial activity without regrowth was significantly improved with the added delmopinol treatment, and is likely to provide similarly beneficial results in the effective disinfection of diverse biofilms in many settings.

  20. Timing of autumn migration of Sora (Porzana carolina) in Missouri

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fournier, Auriel M. V.; Mengel, Doreen C.; Gbur, Edward E.; Krementz, David G.

    2017-01-01

    Monitoring and conserving waterbirds, including Sora (Porzana carolina), in Missouri, is constrained by the lack of information on migration phenology. We performed nocturnal distance sampling surveys by ATV across 11 state and federal managed wetlands in Missouri, USA from 2012–2015 to compare the timing of Sora' autumn migration among years. Migration of Sora in Missouri began in the first week of August, on average it peaked on 25 September, and continued through the last week of October. We detected migration of Sora earlier in autumn than did previous work. We found the start and end of migration did not vary annually in 3 of 4 years. With our results, wetland managers should be able to better time their management for rails in Missouri.

  1. Consequences of tidal interaction between disks and orbiting protoplanets for the evolution of multi-planet systems with architecture resembling that of Kepler 444

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papaloizou, J. C. B.

    2016-11-01

    We study orbital evolution of multi-planet systems with masses in the terrestrial planet regime induced through tidal interaction with a protoplanetary disk assuming that this is the dominant mechanism for producing orbital migration and circularization. We develop a simple analytic model for a system that maintains consecutive pairs in resonance while undergoing orbital circularization and migration. This model enables migration times for each planet to be estimated once planet masses, circularization times and the migration time for the innermost planet are specified. We applied it to a system with the current architecture of Kepler 444 adopting a simple protoplanetary disk model and planet masses that yield migration times inversely proportional to the planet mass, as expected if they result from torques due to tidal interaction with the protoplanetary disk. Furthermore the evolution time for the system as a whole is comparable to current protoplanetary disk lifetimes. In addition we have performed a number of numerical simulations with input data obtained from this model. These indicate that although the analytic model is inexact, relatively small corrections to the estimated migration rates yield systems for which period ratios vary by a minimal extent. Because of relatively large deviations from exact resonance in the observed system of up to 2 %, the migration times obtained in this way indicate only weak convergent migration such that a system for which the planets did not interact would contract by only {˜ }1 % although undergoing significant inward migration as a whole. We have also performed additional simulations to investigate conditions under which the system could undergo significant convergent migration before reaching its final state. These indicate that migration times have to be significantly shorter and resonances between planet pairs significantly closer during such an evolutionary phase. Relative migration rates would then have to decrease allowing period ratios to increase to become more distant from resonances as the system approached its final state in the inner regions of the protoplanetary disk.

  2. Morphological constraints on changing avian migration phenology.

    PubMed

    Møller, A P; Rubolini, D; Saino, N

    2017-06-01

    Many organisms at northern latitudes have responded to climate warming by advancing their spring phenology. Birds are known to show earlier timing of spring migration and reproduction in response to warmer springs. However, species show heterogeneous phenological responses to climate warming, with those that have not advanced or have delayed migration phenology experiencing population declines. Although some traits (such as migration distance) partly explain heterogeneity in phenological responses, the factors affecting interspecies differences in the responsiveness to climate warming have yet to be fully explored. In this comparative study, we investigate whether variation in wing aspect ratio (reflecting relative wing narrowness), an ecomorphological trait that is strongly associated with flight efficiency and migratory behaviour, affects the ability to advance timing of spring migration during 1960-2006 in a set of 80 European migratory bird species. Species with larger aspect ratio (longer and narrower wings) showed smaller advancement of timing of spring migration compared to species with smaller aspect ratio (shorter and wider wings) while controlling for phylogeny, migration distance and other life-history traits. In turn, migration distance positively predicted aspect ratio across species. Hence, species that are better adapted to migration appear to be more constrained in responding phenologically to rapid climate warming by advancing timing of spring migration. Our findings corroborate the idea that aspect ratio is a major evolutionary correlate of migration, and suggest that selection for energetically efficient flights, as reflected by high aspect ratio, may hinder phenotypically plastic/microevolutionary adjustments of migration phenology to ongoing climatic changes. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

  3. Art in a new light: Design and assessment of illuminants to reduce photochemical degradation of works of art

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Delgado Ramos, Monica Fabiola

    The purpose of this research is to design the best lighting that will minimize long term photochemical degradation of Old Master Drawings and/or other works of art, while maintaining the patron's appreciation of the object's color and detail. The present approach is a technological refinement to the basic underlying earlier work on fluorescent lighting by W. A. Thornton, W.A. at General Electric1. Thin-film dielectric, multi-coating technology is used to create filters that eliminate ultraviolet light, near infrared light and significant unnecessary parts from the visible spectrum, thus maximizing the reduction in photochemical degradation, while maintaining optimal color rendering. Three interference filters, were designed and manufactured successfully. The filters are designated Mark 1, Mark 2, & Mark 3. In this dissertation, the filters are analyzed with regard to their performance parameters. This includes color rendering, retardation in fading or color change, beam angle effects, filter stability, perceived brightness, and visual appreciation parameters. To a high confidence level, all three filters are perceived as being indistinguishable from Unfiltered light with regard to the color confusion index parameter (CCI). Subjective assessments by tests subjects suggest the Mark 3 filter may display some distinguishability with a confidence level for distinguishability of 35% for the overall satisfaction parameter. The Mark 3 filter is the most complex three-color type spectral profile and this might be expected due to beam angle effects or departures in accuracy of color theory. Beam angle affects suggest that the Mark 1 and Mark 2 filters do not display significant color rendering aberrations due to Newton's colors interference effects, except possibly at the periphery of the broadest (55-60+°) beam angle lamps. Filtered and Unfiltered light are effectively of the same perceived brightness, though to a low confidence level, Unfiltered light might be perceived brighter. Accelerated aging studies of the filters indicate useful mean time before failures of >20 years. In fact, no failure was observed in any of the accelerated studies, The Mark 2 and Mark 3 filters were evaluated in equal-luminosity studies with regard to their effect on limiting fading of both standard fading samples such as the ISO Blue Wool series, and also other commercial pigments or stains. Within experimental error, the Mark 2 filter either slowed fading or had no effect on fading for all pigments relative to Unfiltered light and OptivexRTM filtered light, OptivexRTM being a common commercial filter used to protect works of art. Mark 3 protected in many cases, but for some pigments it was less protective than OptivexRTM filtered light. This failure is interpreted in terms of the wavelength dependence of the excess light in certain wavelength regions on an equal luminosity condition, and suggests that more subtle wavelength dependent optimizations have to be undertaken for filters which possess significant band separation.

  4. Time-dependent photon migration imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sevick, Eva M.; Wang, NaiGuang; Chance, Britton

    1992-02-01

    Recently, the application of both time- and frequency-resolved fluorescence techniques for the determination of photon migration characteristics in strongly scattering media has been used to characterize the optical properties in strongly scattering media. Specifically, Chance and coworkers have utilized measurement of photon migration characteristics to determine tissue hemoglobin absorbance and ultimately oxygenation status in homogeneous tissues. In this study, we present simulation results and experimental measurements for both techniques to show the capacity of time-dependent photon migration characteristics to image optically obscure absorbers located in strongly scattering media. The applications of time-dependent photon imaging in the biomedical community include imaging of light absorbing hematomas, tumors, hypoxic tissue volumes, and other tissue abnormalities. Herein, we show that the time-resolved parameter of mean photon path length, , and the frequency- resolved parameter of phase-shift, (theta) , can be used similarly to obtain three dimensional information of absorber position from two-dimensional measurements. Finally, we show that unlike imaging techniques that monitor the intensity of light without regard to the migration characteristics, the resolution of time-dependent photon migration measurements is enhanced by tissue scattering, further potentiating their use for biomedical imaging.

  5. Advances and Environmental Conditions of Spring Migration Phenology of American White Pelicans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    King, D. Tommy; Wang, Guiming; Yang, Zhiqiang; Fischer, Justin W.

    2017-01-01

    Spring migration phenology of birds has advanced under warming climate. Migration timing of short-distance migrants is believed to be responsive to environmental changes primarily under exogenous control. However, understanding the ecological causes of the advancement in avian spring migration phenology is still a challenge due to the lack of long-term precise location data. We used 11 years of Global Positioning System relocation data to determine four different migration dates of the annual migration cycle of the American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), a short-distance migrant. We also tested the hypothesis that increases in winter temperature and precipitation on the wintering grounds would advance pelican spring migration. Pelican spring departures and arrivals advanced steadily from 2002 to 2011. Spring departure timing exhibited high repeatability at the upper end of migration timing repeatability reported in literature. However, individual spring departure and arrival dates were not related to winter daily temperature, total winter precipitation, and detrended vegetation green-up dates indexed by the normalized difference vegetation index. Despite high repeatability, the observed between-year variation of spring departure dates was still sufficient for the advancement of spring departure timing.

  6. Advances and Environmental Conditions of Spring Migration Phenology of American White Pelicans.

    PubMed

    King, D Tommy; Wang, Guiming; Yang, Zhiqiang; Fischer, Justin W

    2017-01-16

    Spring migration phenology of birds has advanced under warming climate. Migration timing of short-distance migrants is believed to be responsive to environmental changes primarily under exogenous control. However, understanding the ecological causes of the advancement in avian spring migration phenology is still a challenge due to the lack of long-term precise location data. We used 11 years of Global Positioning System relocation data to determine four different migration dates of the annual migration cycle of the American white pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos), a short-distance migrant. We also tested the hypothesis that increases in winter temperature and precipitation on the wintering grounds would advance pelican spring migration. Pelican spring departures and arrivals advanced steadily from 2002 to 2011. Spring departure timing exhibited high repeatability at the upper end of migration timing repeatability reported in literature. However, individual spring departure and arrival dates were not related to winter daily temperature, total winter precipitation, and detrended vegetation green-up dates indexed by the normalized difference vegetation index. Despite high repeatability, the observed between-year variation of spring departure dates was still sufficient for the advancement of spring departure timing.

  7. Quantitative analysis of random migration of cells using time-lapse video microscopy.

    PubMed

    Jain, Prachi; Worthylake, Rebecca A; Alahari, Suresh K

    2012-05-13

    Cell migration is a dynamic process, which is important for embryonic development, tissue repair, immune system function, and tumor invasion (1, 2). During directional migration, cells move rapidly in response to an extracellular chemotactic signal, or in response to intrinsic cues (3) provided by the basic motility machinery. Random migration occurs when a cell possesses low intrinsic directionality, allowing the cells to explore their local environment. Cell migration is a complex process, in the initial response cell undergoes polarization and extends protrusions in the direction of migration (2). Traditional methods to measure migration such as the Boyden chamber migration assay is an easy method to measure chemotaxis in vitro, which allows measuring migration as an end point result. However, this approach neither allows measurement of individual migration parameters, nor does it allow to visualization of morphological changes that cell undergoes during migration. Here, we present a method that allows us to monitor migrating cells in real time using video - time lapse microscopy. Since cell migration and invasion are hallmarks of cancer, this method will be applicable in studying cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro. Random migration of platelets has been considered as one of the parameters of platelet function (4), hence this method could also be helpful in studying platelet functions. This assay has the advantage of being rapid, reliable, reproducible, and does not require optimization of cell numbers. In order to maintain physiologically suitable conditions for cells, the microscope is equipped with CO(2) supply and temperature thermostat. Cell movement is monitored by taking pictures using a camera fitted to the microscope at regular intervals. Cell migration can be calculated by measuring average speed and average displacement, which is calculated by Slidebook software.

  8. Fluorescein thiocarbamyl amino acids as internal standards for migration time correction in capillary sieving electrophoresis

    PubMed Central

    Pugsley, Haley R.; Swearingen, Kristian E.; Dovichi, Norman J.

    2009-01-01

    A number of algorithms have been developed to correct for migration time drift in capillary electrophoresis. Those algorithms require identification of common components in each run. However, not all components may be present or resolved in separations of complex samples, which can confound attempts for alignment. This paper reports the use of fluorescein thiocarbamyl derivatives of amino acids as internal standards for alignment of 3-(2-furoyl)quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde (FQ)-labeled proteins in capillary sieving electrophoresis. The fluorescein thiocarbamyl derivative of aspartic acid migrates before FQ-labeled proteins and the fluorescein thiocarbamyl derivative of arginine migrates after the FQ-labeled proteins. These compounds were used as internal standards to correct for variations in migration time over a two-week period in the separation of a cellular homogenate. The experimental conditions were deliberately manipulated by varying electric field and sample preparation conditions. Three components of the homogenate were used to evaluate the alignment efficiency. Before alignment, the average relative standard deviation in migration time for these components was 13.3%. After alignment, the average relative standard deviation in migration time for these components was reduced to 0.5%. PMID:19249052

  9. Migration delays caused by anthropogenic barriers: modeling dams, temperature, and success on migrating salmon smolts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marschall, Elizabeth A.; Mather, Martha E.; Parrish, Donna; Allison, Gary W.; McMenemy, James R.

    2011-01-01

    Disruption to migration is a growing problem for conservation and restoration of animal populations. Anthropogenic barriers along migration paths can delay or prolong migrations, which may result in a mismatch with migration-timing adaptations. To understand the interaction of dams (as barriers along a migration path), seasonally changing environmental conditions, timing of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) downstream migration, and ultimate migration success, we used 10 years of river temperature and discharge data as a template upon which we simulated downstream movement of salmon. Atlantic salmon is a cool-water species whose downstream migrating smolts must complete migration before river temperatures become too warm. We found that dams had a local effect on survival as well as a survival effect that was spatially and temporally removed from the encounter with the dam. While smolts are delayed by dams, temperatures downstream can reach lethal or near-lethal temperatures; as a result, the match between completion of migration and the window of appropriate migration conditions can be disrupted. The strength of this spatially and temporally removed effect is at least comparable to the local effects of dams in determining smolt migration success in the presence of dams. We also considered smolts from different tributaries, varying in distance from the river mouth, to assess the potential importance of locally adapted migration timing on the effect of barriers. Migration-initiation temperature affected modeled smolt survival differentially across tributaries, with the success of smolts from upstream tributaries being much more variable across years than that of smolts with a shorter distance to travel. As a whole, these results point to the importance of broadening our spatial and temporal view when managing migrating populations. We must consider not only how many individuals never make it across migration barriers, but also the spatially and temporally removed consequences of delays at the barriers for those individuals that successfully navigate them.

  10. Migration delays caused by anthropogenic barriers: Modeling dams, temperature, and success of migrating salmon smolts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Marschall, E.A.; Mather, M. E.; Parrish, D.L.; Allison, G.W.; McMenemy, J.R.

    2011-01-01

    Disruption to migration is a growing problem for conservation and restoration of animal populations. Anthropogenic barriers along migration paths can delay or prolong migrations, which may result in a mismatch with migration-timing adaptations. To understand the interaction of dams (as barriers along a migration path), seasonally changing environmental conditions, timing of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) downstream migration, and ultimate migration success, we used 10 years of river temperature and discharge data as a template upon which we simulated downstream movement of salmon. Atlantic salmon is a cool-water species whose downstream migrating smolts must complete migration before river temperatures become too warm. We found that dams had a local effect on survival as well as a survival effect that was spatially and temporally removed from the encounter with the dam. While smolts are delayed by dams, temperatures downstream can reach lethal or near-lethal temperatures;as a result, the match between completion of migration and the window of appropriate migration conditions can be disrupted. The strength of this spatially and temporally removed effect is at least comparable to the local effects of dams in determining smolt migration success in the presence of dams. We also considered smolts from different tributaries, varying in distance from the river mouth, to assess the potential importance of locally adapted migration timing on the effect of barriers. Migration-initiation temperature affected modeled smolt survival differentially across tributaries, with the success of smolts from upstream tributaries being much more variable across years than that of smolts with a shorter distance to travel. As a whole, these results point to the importance of broadening our spatial and temporal view when managing migrating populations. We must consider not only how many individuals never make it across migration barriers, but also the spatially and temporally removed consequences of delays at the barriers for those individuals that successfully navigate them. ??2011 by the Ecological Society of America.

  11. Plug Repairs of Marine Glass Fiber / Vinyl Ester Laminates Subjected to Uniaxial Tension

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-06-01

    Material characteristics of glass fiber / vinyl ester composites used in naval surface ships 1.1.1.2 Construction of surface ship hulls with FRP...Piping - Ventilation ducts - Deck gratings 1.1.1.1 Material characteristics of glass fiber / vinyl ester composites used in naval surface ships The...that polysester-based composites do [15, 24]. Typical processing methods for vinyl ester composites are hand lay-up, Resin Transfer Molding (RTM

  12. Developments in Signature Process Control

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Keller, L. B.; Dominski, Marty

    1993-01-01

    Developments in the adaptive process control technique known as Signature Process Control for Advanced Composites (SPCC) are described. This computer control method for autoclave processing of composites was used to develop an optimum cure cycle for AFR 700B polyamide and for an experimental poly-isoimide. An improved process cycle was developed for Avimid N polyamide. The potential for extending the SPCC technique to pre-preg quality control, press modeling, pultrusion and RTM is briefly discussed.

  13. Least squares reverse time migration of controlled order multiples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Y.

    2016-12-01

    Imaging using the reverse time migration of multiples generates inherent crosstalk artifacts due to the interference among different order multiples. Traditionally, least-square fitting has been used to address this issue by seeking the best objective function to measure the amplitude differences between the predicted and observed data. We have developed an alternative objective function by decomposing multiples into different orders to minimize the difference between Born modeling predicted multiples and specific-order multiples from observational data in order to attenuate the crosstalk. This method is denoted as the least-squares reverse time migration of controlled order multiples (LSRTM-CM). Our numerical examples demonstrated that the LSRTM-CM can significantly improve image quality compared with reverse time migration of multiples and least-square reverse time migration of multiples. Acknowledgments This research was funded by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41430321 and 41374138).

  14. Were Rivers Flowing across the Sahara During the Last Interglacial? Implications for Human Migration through Africa

    PubMed Central

    Coulthard, Tom J.; Ramirez, Jorge A.; Barton, Nick; Rogerson, Mike; Brücher, Tim

    2013-01-01

    Human migration north through Africa is contentious. This paper uses a novel palaeohydrological and hydraulic modelling approach to test the hypothesis that under wetter climates c.100,000 years ago major river systems ran north across the Sahara to the Mediterranean, creating viable migration routes. We confirm that three of these now buried palaeo river systems could have been active at the key time of human migration across the Sahara. Unexpectedly, it is the most western of these three rivers, the Irharhar river, that represents the most likely route for human migration. The Irharhar river flows directly south to north, uniquely linking the mountain areas experiencing monsoon climates at these times to temperate Mediterranean environments where food and resources would have been abundant. The findings have major implications for our understanding of how humans migrated north through Africa, for the first time providing a quantitative perspective on the probabilities that these routes were viable for human habitation at these times. PMID:24040347

  15. Individual migration timing of common nightingales is tuned with vegetation and prey phenology at breeding sites.

    PubMed

    Emmenegger, Tamara; Hahn, Steffen; Bauer, Silke

    2014-03-21

    The timing of migration substantially influences individual fitness. To match peak requirements with peak resource availability, we hypothesized that individual migrants schedule spring migration in close relation to seasonal changes in environmental conditions along the route and particularly, at the breeding destination.To test this hypothesis, we investigated the timing of spring migration in male common nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos, a small Palearctic-African long-distance migrant, by linking spring migration timing to the phenology of local environmental conditions at non-breeding migratory stopover and breeding sites. In particular, we related individual migration decisions (i.e. departure and arrival) of nine males to site-specific vegetation phenology (based on remotely sensed vegetation index) and a proxy of food availability (based on insects' thermal requirements). We found weak relation of departures from non-breeding and no relation of stopover timing with local phenology. However, our results showed that individuals, which departed early from their non-breeding sites and arrived early at the breeding site closely matched spring green-up there. Early arrival at the breeding site meant also a close match with peak food availability for adults and in a time-lagged manner, for offspring. Our findings suggest that male nightingale used cues other than local phenology for their departure decisions from non-breeding grounds and that there is some evidence for equalizing late departures during the course of migration.

  16. Traffic-Sensitive Live Migration of Virtual Machines

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

    Deshpande, Umesh; Keahey, Kate

    2015-01-01

    In this paper we address the problem of network contention between the migration traffic and the VM application traffic for the live migration of co-located Virtual Machines (VMs). When VMs are migrated with pre-copy, they run at the source host during the migration. Therefore the VM applications with predominantly outbound traffic contend with the outgoing migration traffic at the source host. Similarly, during post-copy migration, the VMs run at the destination host. Therefore the VM applications with predominantly inbound traffic contend with the incoming migration traffic at the destination host. Such a contention increases the total migration time of themore » VMs and degrades the performance of VM application. Here, we propose traffic-sensitive live VM migration technique to reduce the contention of migration traffic with the VM application traffic. It uses a combination of pre-copy and post-copy techniques for the migration of the co-located VMs, instead of relying upon any single pre-determined technique for the migration of all the VMs. We base the selection of migration techniques on VMs' network traffic profiles so that the direction of migration traffic complements the direction of the most VM application traffic. We have implemented a prototype of traffic-sensitive migration on the KVM/QEMU platform. In the evaluation, we compare traffic-sensitive migration against the approaches that use only pre-copy or only post-copy for VM migration. We show that our approach minimizes the network contention for migration, thus reducing the total migration time and the application degradation.« less

  17. The Effect of Annealing on the Elastic Modulus of Orthodontic Wires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Higginbottom, Kyle

    Introduction: Nickel Titanium orthodontic wires are currently used in orthodontic treatment due to their heat activated properties and their delivery of constant force. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of annealing on the elastic modulus of Nickel Titanium, Stainless Steel and Beta-titanium (TMA) wires. Different points along the wire were tested in order to determine how far from the annealed ends the elastic modulus of the wires was affected. Methods: Eighty (80) orthodontic wires consisting of 4 equal groups (SS/TMA/Classic NitinolRTM/Super Elastic NitinolRTM) were used as the specimens for this study. All wires were measured and marked at 5mm measurements, and cut into 33.00mm sections. The wires were heated with a butane torch until the first 13.00mm of the wires were red hot. Load deflection tests using an InstronRTM universal testing machine were run at 5mm distances from the end of the wire that had been annealed. The change in elastic modulus was then determined. Results: There was a significant difference (F = 533.001, p = 0.0005) in the change in elastic modulus for the four distances. There was also a significant difference (F = 57.571, p = 0.0005) in the change in elastic modulus for the four wire types. There was a significant interaction (F = 19.601, p = 0.005) between wire type and distance, however this interaction negated the differences between the wires. Conclusion: 1) There are significant differences in the changes in elastic modulus between the areas of the wires within the annealed section and those areas 5mm and 10mm away from the annealed section. The change in elastic modulus within the annealed section was significantly greater at 8 mm than it was at 13mm, and this was significantly greater than 18mm and 23mm (5mm and 10mm beyond the annealed section). However, there was no statistical difference in the change in elastic modulus between 5mm and 10mm away from the annealed section (18mm and 23mm respectively). 2) Regardless of the wire type, no clinically important effects were seen 5mm and 10mm beyond the annealed portion.

  18. Conception d'un outil d'aide a la decision de technologies de fabrication additive en milieu aeronautique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buvat, Gael

    La fabrication additive offre une opportunite d'amelioration des methodes de productions de pieces. Cependant, les technologies de fabrication additive sont diverses, les fournisseurs de services sont multiples et peu de personnel est forme pour operer sur ces technologies. L'objectif de cette etude est d'emettre une suggestion de concepts d'outils d'aide a la decision de technologies, de materiaux et de post-traitements de fabrication additive en milieu aeronautique. Trois sous-objectifs sont employes. Premierement, la definition des criteres de decision de technologies, de materiaux et de post-traitements de fabrication additive. Ensuite, l'elaboration d'un cahier des charges de l'outil d'aide a la decision en accord avec les besoins industriels du secteur aeronautique. Et enfin, la suggestion de trois concepts d'outils d'aide a la decision et leur evaluation par comparaison au cahier des charges etabli. Les criteres captures aupres de 11 industriels concernent des criteres de couts, de qualite, de conception et de delai d'obtention. Ensuite, nous avons elabore un cahier des charges permettant de reunir les besoins des industriels du secteur aeronautique selon trois axes qui constituent la colonne vertebrale des outils d'aide a la decision : une suggestion d'interface utilisateur, une suggestion de bases de donnees et un moteur de selection des technologies, des materiaux et des post-traitements de fabrication additive. La convivialite de l'interface utilisateur, l'evaluation de la qualite souhaitee par l'utilisateur et la prise en compte des etudes de cas realisees par le moteur de selection sont exemples de besoins que nous avons identifie au sein de cette etude. Nous avons ensuite transcrit ces besoins en specifications techniques pour permettre une evaluation du niveau de satisfaction des industriels au travers d'un pointage des trois concepts suggeres. Ces trois concepts d'outils d'aide a la decision ont ete realises respectivement grâce a Microsoft ExcelRTM, Microsoft AccessRTM ainsi qu'une plateforme en ligne associee a l'outil d'apprentissage statistique RapidMinerRTM. Ce dernier outil en ligne a retenu l'attention des ingenieurs qui l'ont evalue principalement du fait de la prise en compte des etudes de cas dans la suggestion preferentielle de technologies, de materiaux et de post-traitements.

  19. Estimating tectonic history through basin simulation-enhanced seismic inversion: Geoinformatics for sedimentary basins

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Tandon, K.; Tuncay, K.; Hubbard, K.; Comer, J.; Ortoleva, P.

    2004-01-01

    A data assimilation approach is demonstrated whereby seismic inversion is both automated and enhanced using a comprehensive numerical sedimentary basin simulator to study the physics and chemistry of sedimentary basin processes in response to geothermal gradient in much greater detail than previously attempted. The approach not only reduces costs by integrating the basin analysis and seismic inversion activities to understand the sedimentary basin evolution with respect to geodynamic parameters-but the technique also has the potential for serving as a geoinfomatics platform for understanding various physical and chemical processes operating at different scales within a sedimentary basin. Tectonic history has a first-order effect on the physical and chemical processes that govern the evolution of sedimentary basins. We demonstrate how such tectonic parameters may be estimated by minimizing the difference between observed seismic reflection data and synthetic ones constructed from the output of a reaction, transport, mechanical (RTM) basin model. We demonstrate the method by reconstructing the geothermal gradient. As thermal history strongly affects the rate of RTM processes operating in a sedimentary basin, variations in geothermal gradient history alter the present-day fluid pressure, effective stress, porosity, fracture statistics and hydrocarbon distribution. All these properties, in turn, affect the mechanical wave velocity and sediment density profiles for a sedimentary basin. The present-day state of the sedimentary basin is imaged by reflection seismology data to a high degree of resolution, but it does not give any indication of the processes that contributed to the evolution of the basin or causes for heterogeneities within the basin that are being imaged. Using texture and fluid properties predicted by our Basin RTM simulator, we generate synthetic seismograms. Linear correlation using power spectra as an error measure and an efficient quadratic optimization technique are found to be most effective in determining the optimal value of the tectonic parameters. Preliminary 1-D studies indicate that one can determine the geothermal gradient even in the presence of observation and numerical uncertainties. The algorithm succeeds even when the synthetic data has detailed information only in a limited depth interval and has a different dominant frequency in the synthetic and observed seismograms. The methodology presented here even works when the basin input data contains only 75 per cent of the stratigraphic layering information compared with the actual basin in a limited depth interval.

  20. Time-lapse cinematography of the capillary tube cell migration inhibition test.

    PubMed

    Bray, M A

    1980-01-01

    The kinetics of human and guinea pig cell migration inhibition have been studied using time-lapse cinematography of cells migrating from capillary tubes. Guinea pig and human cells exhibit markedly different kinetics in the absence of inhibitors. Specific antigen causes a dose-related inhibition of migration for up to 60 h using guinea pig cells and a peak of inhibition after 18 h using the human leucocyte system. The timing of measurement of maximum activity more critical for the latter test. The kinetics of lymphokine generation have been examined and the migration inhibitory activity of the plant mitogen (PHA), a Kurloff cell product and a continuous cell line supernatant have been compared with the inhibitory profiles of lymphokine preparations and specific antigen.

  1. The linkage of life course, migration, health, and aging: health in adults and elderly Mexican migrants.

    PubMed

    de Oca, Verónica Montes; García, Telésforo Ramírez; Sáenz, Rogelio; Guillén, Jennifer

    2011-10-01

    Migration is a phenomenon that impacts individuals throughout the life course. Particularly, Mexican elderly migrants show evidence of lifetime accumulations of the effects of migration on health conditions. Examine how the relationship between historical time and individual time explains different factors impacting the health of Mexican adult and elderly migrants in Mexico and the United States. Data from in-depth interviews with Mexican migrants living in selected locations in Mexico and the United States were used to illustrate the links between life course conditions, aging, migration, and health outcomes. According to this theoretical perspective and the data, historical time, age at migration, and the conditions under which the migration trajectory developed, show different impacts on the health and quality of life of the elderly, as revealed through analysis of labor experience, disease and accidents, medical service, health treatment, transnational networks, and family formation.

  2. Optimal chemotaxis in intermittent migration of animal cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Romanczuk, P.; Salbreux, G.

    2015-04-01

    Animal cells can sense chemical gradients without moving and are faced with the challenge of migrating towards a target despite noisy information on the target position. Here we discuss optimal search strategies for a chaser that moves by switching between two phases of motion ("run" and "tumble"), reorienting itself towards the target during tumble phases, and performing persistent migration during run phases. We show that the chaser average run time can be adjusted to minimize the target catching time or the spatial dispersion of the chasers. We obtain analytical results for the catching time and for the spatial dispersion in the limits of small and large ratios of run time to tumble time and scaling laws for the optimal run times. Our findings have implications for optimal chemotactic strategies in animal cell migration.

  3. Endogenous timing factors in bird migration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gwinner, E. G.

    1972-01-01

    Several species of warbler birds were observed in an effort to determine what initiates and terminates migration. Environmental and endogenous timing mechanisms were analyzed. The results indicate that endogenous stimuli are dominant factors for bird migration especially for long distances. It was concluded that environmental factors act as an assist mechanism.

  4. Childbearing in crisis: war, migration and fertility in Angola.

    PubMed

    Avogo, Winfred; Agadjanian, Victor

    2008-09-01

    This study examines the short- and long-term effects of war-induced and war-unrelated migration on fertility outcomes using data from two peri-urban municipalities of Greater Luanda in Angola. In the short term, results from multi-level discrete-time logistic regression models indicate that net of other factors, war-unrelated migration is associated with a lower probability of birth than war-induced migration in a given year. Similar results are obtained when the effects of migration are lagged by a year. At the same time, the effects of war-triggered migration do not differ significantly from those of not migrating in a given year but are statistically significant when the effects of migration are lagged by a year. In the long term, the effects of migration experience on cumulative fertility are negligible and not statistically significant net of demographic and socioeconomic variables. Interpretations of the results are offered in the context of Angola and their broader implications are reflected on.

  5. Timing of seasonal migration in mule deer: effects of climate, plant phenology, and life-history characteristics

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Monteith, Kevin L.; Bleich, Vernon C.; Stephenson, Thomas R.; Pierce, Beck M.; Conner, Mary M.; Klaver, Robert W.; Bowyer, R. Terry

    2011-01-01

    Phenological events of plants and animals are sensitive to climatic processes. Migration is a life-history event exhibited by most large herbivores living in seasonal environments, and is thought to occur in response to dynamics of forage and weather. Decisions regarding when to migrate, however, may be affected by differences in life-history characteristics of individuals. Long-term and intensive study of a population of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in the Sierra Nevada, California, USA, allowed us to document patterns of migration during 11 years that encompassed a wide array of environmental conditions. We used two new techniques to properly account for interval-censored data and disentangle effects of broad-scale climate, local weather patterns, and plant phenology on seasonal patterns of migration, while incorporating effects of individual life-history characteristics. Timing of autumn migration varied substantially among individual deer, but was associated with the severity of winter weather, and in particular, snow depth and cold temperatures. Migratory responses to winter weather, however, were affected by age, nutritional condition, and summer residency of individual females. Old females and those in good nutritional condition risked encountering severe weather by delaying autumn migration, and were thus risk-prone with respect to the potential loss of foraging opportunities in deep snow compared with young females and those in poor nutritional condition. Females that summered on the west side of the crest of the Sierra Nevada delayed autumn migration relative to east-side females, which supports the influence of the local environment on timing of migration. In contrast, timing of spring migration was unrelated to individual life-history characteristics, was nearly twice as synchronous as autumn migration, differed among years, was related to the southern oscillation index, and was influenced by absolute snow depth and advancing phenology of plants. Plasticity in timing of migration in response to climatic conditions and plant phenology may be an adaptive behavioral strategy, which should reduce the detrimental effects of trophic mismatches between resources and other life-history events of large herbivores. Failure to consider effects of nutrition and other life-history traits may cloud interpretation of phenological patterns of mammals and conceal relationships associated with climate change.

  6. If and when: intrinsic differences and environmental stressors influence migration in brown trout (Salmo trutta).

    PubMed

    Peiman, Kathryn S; Birnie-Gauvin, Kim; Midwood, Jonathan D; Larsen, Martin H; Wilson, Alexander D M; Aarestrup, Kim; Cooke, Steven J

    2017-06-01

    Partial migration is a common phenomenon, yet the causes of individual differences in migratory propensity are not well understood. We examined factors that potentially influence timing of migration and migratory propensity in a wild population of juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta) by combining experimental manipulations with passive integrated transponder telemetry. Individuals were subjected to one of six manipulations: three designed to mimic natural stressors (temperature increase, food deprivation, and chase by a simulated predator), an injection of exogenous cortisol designed to mimic an extreme physiological challenge, a sham injection, and a control group. By measuring length and mass of 923 individuals prior to manipulation and by monitoring tagged individuals as they left the stream months later, we assessed whether pre-existing differences influenced migratory tendency and timing of migration, and whether our manipulations affected growth, condition, and timing of migration. We found that pre-existing differences predicted migration, with smaller individuals and individuals in poor condition having a higher propensity to migrate. Exogenous cortisol manipulation had the largest negative effect on growth and condition, and resulted in an earlier migration date. Additionally, low-growth individuals within the temperature and food deprivation treatments migrated earlier. By demonstrating that both pre-existing differences in organism state and additional stressors can affect whether and when individuals migrate, we highlight the importance of understanding individual differences in partial migration. These effects may carry over to influence migration success and affect the evolutionary dynamics of sub-populations experiencing different levels of stress, which is particularly relevant in a changing world.

  7. Dynamic Trust Management (DTM)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-11-04

    as the DoD/IC GIG, Navy FORCEnet and Clouds – The ability to define policies for scalable decentralized defense against emergent cyber-threats by... the service you wanted 6. (B) uses (S) Reputation DB 2. How has (B) behaved in the past? (S->B) - Pos: 9 Neg: 1 (S->A) - Pos: 5 Neg: 0 (A->B) - Pos...to create a novel method for trust evaluation The QuanTM Architecture Trust Dependency Graph (TDG), encoding PTM relationships useful for RTM

  8. Computer Assisted Design, Prediction, and Execution of Economical Organic Syntheses

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gothard, Nosheen Akber

    The synthesis of useful organic molecules via simple and cost-effective routes is a core challenge in organic chemistry. In industry or academia, organic chemists use their chemical intuition, technical expertise and published procedures to determine an optimal pathway. This approach, not only takes time and effort, but also is cost prohibitive. Many potential optimal routes scratched on paper fail to get experimentally tested. In addition, with new methods being discovered daily are often overlooked by established techniques. This thesis reports a computational technique that assist the discovery of economical synthetic routes to useful organic targets. Organic chemistry exists as a network where chemicals are connected by reactions, analogous to citied connected by roads in a geographic map. This network topology of organic reactions in the network of organic chemistry (NOC) allows the application of graph-theory to devise algorithms for synthetic optimization of organic targets. A computational approach comprised of customizable algorithms, pre-screening filters, and existing chemoinformatic techniques is capable of answering complex questions and perform mechanistic tasks desired by chemists such as optimization of organic syntheses. One-pot reactions are central to modern synthesis since they save resources and time by avoiding isolation, purification, characterization, and production of chemical waste after each synthetic step. Sometimes, such reactions are identified by chance or, more often, by careful inspection of individual steps that are to be wired together. Algorithms are used to discover one-pot reactions and validated experimentally. Which demonstrate that the computationally predicted sequences can indeed by carried out experimentally in good overall yields. The experimental examples are chosen to from small networks of reactions around useful chemicals such as quinoline scaffolds, quinoline-based inhibitors of phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta (PI3Kdelta) enzyme, and thiophene derivatives. In this way, we replace individual synthetic connections with two-, three-, or even four-step one-pot sequences. Lastly, the computational method is utilized to devise hypothetical synthetic route to popular pharmaceutical drugs like NaproxenRTM and TaxolRTM. The algorithmically generated optimal pathways are evaluated with chemistry logic. By applying labor/cost factor It was revealed that not all shorter synthesis routes are economical, sometimes "Longest way round is the shortest way home" lengthier routes are found to be more economical and environmentally friendly.

  9. Comparison of resin film infusion, resin transfer molding, and consolidation of textile preforms for primary aircraft structure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Suarez, J.; Dastin, S.

    1992-01-01

    Under NASA's Novel Composites for Wing and Fuselage Applications (NCWFA) Program, Grumman is developing innovative design concepts and cost-effective fabrication processes for damage-tolerant primary structures that can perform at a design ultimate strain level of 6000 micro-inch/inch. Attention has focused on the use of textile high-performance fiber-reinforcement concepts that provide improved damage tolerance and out-of-plane load capability, low-cost resin film infusion (RFI) and resin transfer molding (RTM) processes, and thermoplastic forming concepts. The fabrication of wing 'Y' spars by four different materials/processes methods is described: 'Y' spars fabricated using IM7 angle interlock 0/90 deg woven preforms with +/- 45 deg plies stitched with Toray high-strength graphite thread and processed using RFI and 3501-6 epoxy; 'Y' spars fabricated using G40-800 knitted/stitched preforms and processed using RFI and 3501-6 epoxy; 'Y' spars fabricated using G40-800 knitted/stitched preforms and processed using RTM and Tactix 123/H41 epoxy; and 'Y' spars fabricated using AS4(6k)/PEEK 150-g commingled angle interlock 0/90 deg woven preforms with +/- 45 deg commingled plies stitched using high-strength graphite thread and processed by consolidation. A comparison of the structural efficiency, processability, and projected acquisition cost of these representative spars is presented.

  10. An Innovative Manufacturing of CCC Ion Thruster Grids by North Carolina A&T's RTM Carbon/Carbon Process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haag, Thomas W. (Technical Monitor); Shivakumar, Kunigal N.

    2003-01-01

    Electric ion thrusters are the preferred engines for deep space missions, because of very high specific impulse. The ion engine consists of screen and accelerator grids containing thousands of concentric very small holes. The xenon gas accelerates between the two grids, thus developing the impulse force. The dominant life-limiting mechanism in the state-of-the-art molybdenum thrusters is the xenon ion sputter erosion of the accelerator grid. Carbon/carbon composites (CCC) have shown to be have less than 1/7 the erosion rates than the molybdenum, thus for interplanetary missions CCC engines are inevitable. Early effort to develop CCC composite thrusters had a limited success because of limitations of the drilling technology and the damage caused by drilling. The proposed is an in-situ manufacturing of holes while the CCC is made. Special low CTE molds will be used along with the NC A&T s patented resin transfer molding (RTM) technology to manufacture the CCC grids. First, a manufacture process for 10-cm diameter thruster grids will be developed and verified. Quality of holes, density, CTE, tension, flexure, transverse fatigue and sputter yield properties will be measured. After establishing the acceptable quality and properties, the process will be scaled to manufacture 30-cm diameter grids. The properties of the two grid sizes are compared with each other.

  11. Individual versus Household Migration Decision Rules: Gender and Marital Status Differences in Intentions to Migrate in South Africa.

    PubMed

    Gubhaju, Bina; De Jong, Gordon F

    2009-03-01

    This research tests the thesis that the neoclassical micro-economic and the new household economic theoretical assumptions on migration decision-making rules are segmented by gender, marital status, and time frame of intention to migrate. Comparative tests of both theories within the same study design are relatively rare. Utilizing data from the Causes of Migration in South Africa national migration survey, we analyze how individually held "own-future" versus alternative "household well-being" migration decision rules effect the intentions to migrate of male and female adults in South Africa. Results from the gender and marital status specific logistic regressions models show consistent support for the different gender-marital status decision rule thesis. Specifically, the "maximizing one's own future" neoclassical microeconomic theory proposition is more applicable for never married men and women, the "maximizing household income" proposition for married men with short-term migration intentions, and the "reduce household risk" proposition for longer time horizon migration intentions of married men and women. Results provide new evidence on the way household strategies and individual goals jointly affect intentions to move or stay.

  12. Visualizing Human Migration Trhough Space and Time

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zambotti, G.; Guan, W.; Gest, J.

    2015-07-01

    Human migration has been an important activity in human societies since antiquity. Since 1890, approximately three percent of the world's population has lived outside of their country of origin. As globalization intensifies in the modern era, human migration persists even as governments seek to more stringently regulate flows. Understanding this phenomenon, its causes, processes and impacts often starts from measuring and visualizing its spatiotemporal patterns. This study builds a generic online platform for users to interactively visualize human migration through space and time. This entails quickly ingesting human migration data in plain text or tabular format; matching the records with pre-established geographic features such as administrative polygons; symbolizing the migration flow by circular arcs of varying color and weight based on the flow attributes; connecting the centroids of the origin and destination polygons; and allowing the user to select either an origin or a destination feature to display all flows in or out of that feature through time. The method was first developed using ArcGIS Server for world-wide cross-country migration, and later applied to visualizing domestic migration patterns within China between provinces, and between states in the United States, all through multiple years. The technical challenges of this study include simplifying the shapes of features to enhance user interaction, rendering performance and application scalability; enabling the temporal renderers to provide time-based rendering of features and the flow among them; and developing a responsive web design (RWD) application to provide an optimal viewing experience. The platform is available online for the public to use, and the methodology is easily adoptable to visualizing any flow, not only human migration but also the flow of goods, capital, disease, ideology, etc., between multiple origins and destinations across space and time.

  13. Bats on a Budget: Torpor-Assisted Migration Saves Time and Energy

    PubMed Central

    McGuire, Liam P.; Jonasson, Kristin A.; Guglielmo, Christopher G.

    2014-01-01

    Bats and birds must balance time and energy budgets during migration. Migrating bats face similar physiological challenges to birds, but nocturnality creates special challenges for bats, such as a conflict between travelling and refueling, which many birds avoid by feeding in daylight and flying at night. As endothermic animals, bats and birds alike must expend substantial amounts of energy to maintain high body temperatures. For migratory birds refueling at stopovers, remaining euthermic during inactive periods reduces the net refuelling rate, thereby prolonging stopover duration and delaying subsequent movement. We hypothesized that bats could mitigate similar ambient-temperature dependent costs by using a torpor-assisted migration strategy. We studied silver-haired bats Lasionycteris noctivagans during autumn migration using a combination of respirometry and temperature-sensitive radiotelemetry to estimate energy costs incurred under ambient temperature conditions, and the energy that bats saved by using torpor during daytime roosting periods. All bats, regardless of sex, age, or body condition used torpor at stopover and saved up to 91% of the energy they would have expended to remain euthermic. Furthermore, bats modulated use of torpor depending on ambient temperature. By adjusting the time spent torpid, bats achieved a rate of energy expenditure independent of the ambient temperature encountered at stopover. By lowering body temperature during inactive periods, fuel stores are spared, reducing the need for refuelling. Optimal migration models consider trade-offs between time and energy. Heterothermy provides a physiological strategy that allows bats to conserve energy without paying a time penalty as they migrate. Although uncommon, some avian lineages are known to use heterothermy, and current theoretical models of migration may not be appropriate for these groups. We propose that thermoregulatory strategies should be an important consideration of future migration studies of both bats and birds. PMID:25551615

  14. Tracking from the tropics reveals behaviour of juvenile songbirds on their first spring migration.

    PubMed

    McKinnon, Emily A; Fraser, Kevin C; Stanley, Calandra Q; Stutchbury, Bridget J M

    2014-01-01

    Juvenile songbirds on spring migration travel from tropical wintering sites to temperate breeding destinations thousands of kilometres away with no prior experience to guide them. We provide a first glimpse at the migration timing, routes, and stopover behaviour of juvenile wood thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) on their inaugural spring migration by using miniaturized archival geolocators to track them from Central America to the U.S. and Canada. We found significant differences between the timing of juvenile migration and that of more experienced adults: juveniles not only departed later from tropical wintering sites relative to adults, they also became progressively later as they moved northward. The increasing delay was driven by more frequent short stops by juveniles along their migration route, particularly in the U.S. as they got closer to breeding sites. Surprisingly, juveniles were just as likely as adults to cross the Gulf of Mexico, an open-water crossing of 800-1000 km, and migration route at the Gulf was not significantly different for juveniles relative to adults. To determine if the later departure of juveniles was related to poor body condition in winter relative to adults, we examined percent lean body mass, fat scores, and pectoral muscle scores of juvenile versus adult birds at a wintering site in Belize. We found no age-related differences in body condition. Later migration timing of juveniles relative to adults could be an adaptive strategy (as opposed to condition-dependent) to avoid the high costs of fast migration and competition for breeding territories with experienced and larger adults. We did find significant differences in wing size between adults and juveniles, which could contribute to lower flight efficiency of juveniles and thus slower overall migration speed. We provide the first step toward understanding the "black box" of juvenile songbird migration by documenting their migration timing and en route performance.

  15. Tracking from the Tropics Reveals Behaviour of Juvenile Songbirds on Their First Spring Migration

    PubMed Central

    McKinnon, Emily A.; Fraser, Kevin C.; Stanley, Calandra Q.; Stutchbury, Bridget J. M.

    2014-01-01

    Juvenile songbirds on spring migration travel from tropical wintering sites to temperate breeding destinations thousands of kilometres away with no prior experience to guide them. We provide a first glimpse at the migration timing, routes, and stopover behaviour of juvenile wood thrushes (Hylocichla mustelina) on their inaugural spring migration by using miniaturized archival geolocators to track them from Central America to the U.S. and Canada. We found significant differences between the timing of juvenile migration and that of more experienced adults: juveniles not only departed later from tropical wintering sites relative to adults, they also became progressively later as they moved northward. The increasing delay was driven by more frequent short stops by juveniles along their migration route, particularly in the U.S. as they got closer to breeding sites. Surprisingly, juveniles were just as likely as adults to cross the Gulf of Mexico, an open-water crossing of 800–1000 km, and migration route at the Gulf was not significantly different for juveniles relative to adults. To determine if the later departure of juveniles was related to poor body condition in winter relative to adults, we examined percent lean body mass, fat scores, and pectoral muscle scores of juvenile versus adult birds at a wintering site in Belize. We found no age-related differences in body condition. Later migration timing of juveniles relative to adults could be an adaptive strategy (as opposed to condition-dependent) to avoid the high costs of fast migration and competition for breeding territories with experienced and larger adults. We did find significant differences in wing size between adults and juveniles, which could contribute to lower flight efficiency of juveniles and thus slower overall migration speed. We provide the first step toward understanding the “black box” of juvenile songbird migration by documenting their migration timing and en route performance. PMID:25141193

  16. Migration timing of female kokanee salmon Oncorhynchus nerka: diel patterns and effects of maturation state.

    PubMed

    Warren, M A; Morbey, Y E

    2012-09-01

    Diel patterns of migration and migration speed were compared between reproductive timing phenotypes in female kokanee salmon Oncorhynchus nerka. Females of varying degrees of reproductive maturation were captured on their migration route to the Meadow Creek Spawning Channel (British Columbia, Canada), were tagged with passive-integrated transponders (PIT tags) and were subsequently monitored with stationary receivers. Females showed crepuscular migration timing, with approximately equal detections at dawn and dusk. In particular, peaks of movement were associated with the appearance of the sun over the mountains in the east and the disappearance of the sun over the mountains in the west. Over 25 m, migration speed was 1·0 body lengths (measured as fork length; L(F)) s(-1) and did not depend on maturation state. Over 3 km, migration speed was much slower (0·2-0·3 L(F) s(-1)) than over the short distance, with less mature females migrating more slowly than more mature females. Less mature females appeared to be in less of a hurry to reach breeding areas compared with more mature females. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2012 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

  17. Development of Matched (migratory Analytical Time Change Easy Detection) Method for Satellite-Tracked Migratory Birds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Doko, Tomoko; Chen, Wenbo; Higuchi, Hiroyoshi

    2016-06-01

    Satellite tracking technology has been used to reveal the migration patterns and flyways of migratory birds. In general, bird migration can be classified according to migration status. These statuses include the wintering period, spring migration, breeding period, and autumn migration. To determine the migration status, periods of these statuses should be individually determined, but there is no objective method to define 'a threshold date' for when an individual bird changes its status. The research objective is to develop an effective and objective method to determine threshold dates of migration status based on satellite-tracked data. The developed method was named the "MATCHED (Migratory Analytical Time Change Easy Detection) method". In order to demonstrate the method, data acquired from satellite-tracked Tundra Swans were used. MATCHED method is composed by six steps: 1) dataset preparation, 2) time frame creation, 3) automatic identification, 4) visualization of change points, 5) interpretation, and 6) manual correction. Accuracy was tested. In general, MATCHED method was proved powerful to identify the change points between migration status as well as stopovers. Nevertheless, identifying "exact" threshold dates is still challenging. Limitation and application of this method was discussed.

  18. Gender and migration from Albania.

    PubMed

    Stecklov, Guy; Carletto, Calogero; Azzarri, Carlo; Davis, Benjamin

    2010-11-01

    This article examines the dynamics and causes of the shift in the gender composition of migration, and more particularly, in women's access to migration opportunities and decision-making. Our analysis focuses on Albania, a natural laboratory for studying international migration where out-migration was essentially nonexistent from the end of World War II to the end of the 1980s. Interest in the Albanian case is heightened because of the complex layers of inequality existing at the time when migration began: relatively low levels of inequality within the labor market and educational system-a product of the Communist era-while household relations remained heavily steeped in tradition and patriarchy. We use micro-level data from the Albania 2005 Living Standards Measurement Study, including migration histories for family members since migration began. Based on discrete-time hazard models, the analysis shows a dramatic increase in male migration and a gradual and uneven expansion of the female proportion of this international migration. Female migration, which is shown to be strongly associated with education, wealth, and social capital, appears responsive to economic incentives and constraints. Using information on the dependency of female migration to the household demographic structure as well as the sensitivity of female migration to household-level shocks, we show how household-level constraints and incentives affect male and female migration differently. Throughout this period, however, women's migration behavior appears more directly aligned with household-level factors, and there is little evidence to suggest that increased female migration signals rising behavioral independence among Albanian women.

  19. Gender and Migration from Albania

    PubMed Central

    STECKLOV, GUY; CARLETTO, CALOGERO; AZZARRI, CARLO; DAVIS, BENJAMIN

    2010-01-01

    This article examines the dynamics and causes of the shift in the gender composition of migration, and more particularly, in women’s access to migration opportunities and decision-making. Our analysis focuses on Albania, a natural laboratory for studying international migration where out-migration was essentially nonexistent from the end of World War II to the end of the 1980s. Interest in the Albanian case is heightened because of the complex layers of inequality existing at the time when migration began: relatively low levels of inequality within the labor market and educational system—a product of the Communist era—while household relations remained heavily steeped in tradition and patriarchy. We use micro-level data from the Albania 2005 Living Standards Measurement Study, including migration histories for family members since migration began. Based on discrete-time hazard models, the analysis shows a dramatic increase in male migration and a gradual and uneven expansion of the female proportion of this international migration. Female migration, which is shown to be strongly associated with education, wealth, and social capital, appears responsive to economic incentives and constraints. Using information on the dependency of female migration to the household demographic structure as well as the sensitivity of female migration to household-level shocks, we show how household-level constraints and incentives affect male and female migration differently. Throughout this period, however, women’s migration behavior appears more directly aligned with household-level factors, and there is little evidence to suggest that increased female migration signals rising behavioral independence among Albanian women. PMID:21308565

  20. Reverse time migration: A seismic processing application on the connection machine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fiebrich, Rolf-Dieter

    1987-01-01

    The implementation of a reverse time migration algorithm on the Connection Machine, a massively parallel computer is described. Essential architectural features of this machine as well as programming concepts are presented. The data structures and parallel operations for the implementation of the reverse time migration algorithm are described. The algorithm matches the Connection Machine architecture closely and executes almost at the peak performance of this machine.

  1. Timescale bias in measuring river migration rate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Donovan, M.; Belmont, P.; Notebaert, B.

    2016-12-01

    River channel migration plays an important role in sediment routing, water quality, riverine ecology, and infrastructure risk assessment. Migration rates may change in time and space due to systematic changes in hydrology, sediment supply, vegetation, and/or human land and water management actions. The ability to make detailed measurements of lateral migration over a wide range of temporal and spatial scales has been enhanced from increased availability of historical landscape-scale aerial photography and high-resolution topography (HRT). Despite a surge in the use of historical and contemporary aerial photograph sequences in conjunction with evolving methods to analyze such data for channel change, we found no research considering the biases that may be introduced as a function of the temporal scales of measurement. Unsteady processes (e.g.; sedimentation, channel migration, width changes) exhibit extreme discontinuities over time and space, resulting in distortion when measurements are averaged over longer temporal scales, referred to as `Sadler effects' (Sadler, 1981; Gardner et al., 1987). Using 12 sets of aerial photographs for the Root River (Minnesota), we measure lateral migration over space (110 km) and time (1937-2013) assess whether bias arises from different measurement scales and whether rates shift systematically with increased discharge over time. Results indicate that measurement-scale biases indeed arise from the time elapsed between measurements. We parsed the study reach into three distinct reaches and examine if/how recent increases in river discharge translate into changes in migration rate.

  2. Space-time migration patterns and risk of HIV acquisition in rural South Africa

    PubMed Central

    Dobra, Adrian; Bärnighausen, Till; Vandormael, Alain; Tanser, Frank

    2017-01-01

    Objective: To quantify the space-time dimensions of human mobility in relationship to the risk of HIV acquisition. Methods: We used data from the population cohort located in a high HIV prevalence, rural population in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa (2000–2014). We geolocated 8006 migration events (representing 1 028 782 km traveled) for 17 743 individuals (≥15 years of age) who were HIV negative at baseline and followed up these individuals for HIV acquisition (70 395 person-years). Based on the complete geolocated residential history of every individual in this cohort, we constructed two detailed time-varying migration indices. We then used interval-censored Cox proportional hazards models to quantify the relationship between the migration indices and the risk of HIV acquisition. Results: In total, 17.4% of participants migrated at least once outside the rural study community during the period of observation (median migration distance = 107.1 km, interquartile range 18.9–387.5). The two migration indices were highly predictive of hazard of HIV acquisition (P < 0.01) in both men and women. Holding other factors equal, the risk of acquiring HIV infection increased by 50% for migration distances of 40 km (men) and 109 km (women). HIV acquisition risk also increased by 50% when participants spent 44% (men) and 90% (women) of their respective time outside the rural study community. Conclusion: This in-depth analysis of a population cohort in a rural sub-Saharan African population has revealed a clear nonlinear relationship between distance migrated and HIV acquisition. Our findings show that even relatively short-distance migration events confer substantial additional risk of acquisition. PMID:27755099

  3. Optimization and design of ibuprofen-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers using a hybrid-design approach for ocular drug delivery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rathod, Vishal

    The objective of the present project was to develop the Ibuprofen-loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carrier (IBU-NLCs) for topical ocular delivery based on substantial pre-formulation screening of the components and understanding the interplay between the formulation and process variables. The BCS Class II drug: Ibuprofen was selected as the model drug for the current study. IBU-NLCs were prepared by melt emulsification and ultrasonication technique. Extensive pre-formulation studies were performed to screen the lipid components (solid and liquid) based on drug's solubility and affinity as well as components compatibility. The results from DSC & XRD assisted in selecting the most suitable ratio to be utilized for future studies. DynasanRTM 114 was selected as the solid lipid & MiglyolRTM 840 was selected as the liquid lipid based on preliminary lipid screening. The ratio of 6:4 was predicted to be the best based on its crystallinity index and the thermal events. As there are many variables involved for further optimization of the formulation, a single design approach is not always adequate. A hybrid-design approach was applied by employing the Plackett Burman design (PBD) for preliminary screening of 7 critical variables, followed by Box-Behnken design (BBD), a sub-type of response surface methodology (RSM) design using 2 relatively significant variables from the former design and incorporating Surfactant/Co-surfactant ratio as the third variable. Comparatively, KolliphorRTM HS15 demonstrated lower Mean Particle Size (PS) & Polydispersity Index (PDI) and KolliphorRTM P188 resulted in Zeta Potential (ZP) < -20 mV during the surfactant screening & stability studies. Hence, Surfactant/Cosurfactant ratio was employed as the third variable to understand its synergistic effect on the response variables. We selected PS, PDI, and ZP as critical response variables in the PBD since they significantly influence the stability & performance of NLCs. Formulations prepared using BBD were further characterized and evaluated concerning PS, PDI, ZP and Entrapment Efficiency (EE) to identify the multi-factor interactions between selected formulation variables. In vitro release studies were performed using Spectra/por dialysis membrane on Franz diffusion cell and Phosphate Saline buffer (7.4 pH) as the medium. Samples for assay, EE, Loading Capacity (LC), Solubility studies & in-vitro release were filtered using Amicon 50K and analyzed via UPLC system (Waters) at a detection wavelength of 220 nm. Significant variables were selected through PBD, and the third variable was incorporated based on surfactant screening & stability studies for the next design. Assay of the BBD based formulations was found to be within 95-104% of the theoretically calculated values. Further studies were investigated for PS, PDI, ZP & EE. PS was found to be in the range of 103-194 nm with PDI ranging from 0.118 to 0.265. The ZP and EE were observed to be in the range of -22.2 to -11 mV & 90 to 98.7 % respectively. Drug release of 30% was observed from the optimized formulation in the first 6 hr of in-vitro studies, and the drug release showed a sustained release of ibuprofen thereafter over several hours. These values also confirm that the production method, and all other selected variables, effectively promoted the incorporation of ibuprofen in NLC. Quality by Design (QbD) approach was successfully implemented in developing a robust ophthalmic formulation with superior physicochemical and morphometric properties. NLCs as the nanocarrier demonstrated promising perspective for topical delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs.

  4. Testosterone, migration distance, and migratory timing in song sparrows Melospiza melodia.

    PubMed

    Lymburner, Alannah H; Kelly, Tosha R; Hobson, Keith A; MacDougall-Shackleton, Elizabeth A; MacDougall-Shackleton, Scott A

    2016-09-01

    In seasonally migratory animals, migration distance often varies substantially within populations such that individuals breeding at the same site may overwinter different distances from the breeding grounds. Shorter migration may allow earlier return to the breeding grounds, which may be particularly advantageous to males competing to acquire a breeding territory. However, little is known about potential mechanisms that may mediate migration distance. We investigated naturally-occurring variation in androgen levels at the time of arrival to the breeding site and its relationship to overwintering latitude in male and female song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). We used stable isotope analysis of hydrogen (δ(2)H) in winter-grown claw tissue to infer relative overwintering latitude (migration distance), combined with 14years of capture records from a long-term study population to infer the arrival timing of males versus females. Relative to females, males had higher circulating androgen levels, migrated shorter distances, and were more likely to be caught early in the breeding season. Males that migrate short distances may benefit from early arrival at the breeding grounds, allowing them to establish a breeding territory. Even after controlling for sex and date, androgen levels were highest in individuals that migrated shorter distances. Our findings indicate that androgens and migration distance are correlated traits within and between sexes that may reflect individual variation within an integrated phenotype in which testosterone has correlated effects on behavioral traits such as migration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Can lagrangian models reproduce the migration time of European eel obtained from otolith analysis?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodríguez-Díaz, L.; Gómez-Gesteira, M.

    2017-12-01

    European eel can be found at the Bay of Biscay after a long migration across the Atlantic. The duration of migration, which takes place at larval stage, is of primary importance to understand eel ecology and, hence, its survival. This duration is still a controversial matter since it can range from 7 months to > 4 years depending on the method to estimate duration. The minimum migration duration estimated from our lagrangian model is similar to the duration obtained from the microstructure of eel otoliths, which is typically on the order of 7-9 months. The lagrangian model showed to be sensitive to different conditions like spatial and time resolution, release depth, release area and initial distribution. In general, migration showed to be faster when decreasing the depth and increasing the resolution of the model. In average, the fastest migration was obtained when only advective horizontal movement was considered. However, faster migration was even obtained in some cases when locally oriented random migration was taken into account.

  6. Pioneers and Followers: Migrant Selectivity and the Development of U.S. Migration Streams in Latin America

    PubMed Central

    Lindstrom, David P.; Ramírez, Adriana López

    2013-01-01

    We present a method for dividing the historical development of community migration streams into an initial period and a subsequent takeoff stage with the purpose of systemically differentiating pioneer migrants from follower migrants. The analysis is organized around five basic research questions. First, can we empirically identify a juncture in the historical development of community-based migration that marks the transition from an initial stage of low levels of migration and gradual growth into a takeoff stage in which the prevalence of migration grows at a more accelerated rate? Second, does this juncture point exist at roughly similar migration prevalence levels across communities? Third, are first-time migrants in the initial stage (pioneers) different from first-time migrants in the takeoff stage (followers)? Fourth, what is the nature of this migrant selectivity? Finally, does the nature and degree of pioneer selectivity vary across country migration streams? PMID:24489382

  7. On the occurrence of false positives in tests of migration under an isolation with migration model

    PubMed Central

    Hey, Jody; Chung, Yujin; Sethuraman, Arun

    2015-01-01

    The population genetic study of divergence is often done using a Bayesian genealogy sampler, like those implemented in IMa2 and related programs, and these analyses frequently include a likelihood-ratio test of the null hypothesis of no migration between populations. Cruickshank and Hahn (2014, Molecular Ecology, 23, 3133–3157) recently reported a high rate of false positive test results with IMa2 for data simulated with small numbers of loci under models with no migration and recent splitting times. We confirm these findings and discover that they are caused by a failure of the assumptions underlying likelihood ratio tests that arises when using marginal likelihoods for a subset of model parameters. We also show that for small data sets, with little divergence between samples from two populations, an excellent fit can often be found by a model with a low migration rate and recent splitting time and a model with a high migration rate and a deep splitting time. PMID:26456794

  8. Application of Carbonate Reservoir using waveform inversion and reverse-time migration methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, W.; Kim, H.; Min, D.; Keehm, Y.

    2011-12-01

    Recent exploration targets of oil and gas resources are deeper and more complicated subsurface structures, and carbonate reservoirs have become one of the attractive and challenging targets in seismic exploration. To increase the rate of success in oil and gas exploration, it is required to delineate detailed subsurface structures. Accordingly, migration method is more important factor in seismic data processing for the delineation. Seismic migration method has a long history, and there have been developed lots of migration techniques. Among them, reverse-time migration is promising, because it can provide reliable images for the complicated model even in the case of significant velocity contrasts in the model. The reliability of seismic migration images is dependent on the subsurface velocity models, which can be extracted in several ways. These days, geophysicists try to obtain velocity models through seismic full waveform inversion. Since Lailly (1983) and Tarantola (1984) proposed that the adjoint state of wave equations can be used in waveform inversion, the back-propagation techniques used in reverse-time migration have been used in waveform inversion, which accelerated the development of waveform inversion. In this study, we applied acoustic waveform inversion and reverse-time migration methods to carbonate reservoir models with various reservoir thicknesses to examine the feasibility of the methods in delineating carbonate reservoir models. We first extracted subsurface material properties from acoustic waveform inversion, and then applied reverse-time migration using the inverted velocities as a background model. The waveform inversion in this study used back-propagation technique, and conjugate gradient method was used in optimization. The inversion was performed using the frequency-selection strategy. Finally waveform inversion results showed that carbonate reservoir models are clearly inverted by waveform inversion and migration images based on the inversion results are quite reliable. Different thicknesses of reservoir models were also described and the results revealed that the lower boundary of the reservoir was not delineated because of energy loss. From these results, it was noted that carbonate reservoirs can be properly imaged and interpreted by waveform inversion and reverse-time migration methods. This work was supported by the Energy Resources R&D program of the Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning (KETEP) grant funded by the Korea government Ministry of Knowledge Economy (No. 2009201030001A, No. 2010T100200133) and the Brain Korea 21 project of Energy System Engineering.

  9. An ADPE Protest Primer: Lessons Learned from GSBCA Protest Decisions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-06-01

    reverse if necessary and identify, by block number) The General services Administration’s Board of Contract Appeals (GSBCA) is a significant venue for...David R. Whipple,i D ep a rtm en t of A d i i t a i eS ci ce iim ABSTRACT The General Services Administration’s Board of Contract Appeals (GSBCA) is a...Administration Board of Contract Appeals (GSBCA) ADPE protest decisions. In effect this study will serve as a primer to familiarize new Federal ADPE

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

    Yoo, Jun Soo; Choi, Yong Joon

    The RELAP-7 code verification and validation activities are ongoing under the code assessment plan proposed in the previous document (INL-EXT-16-40015). Among the list of V&V test problems in the ‘RELAP-7 code V&V RTM (Requirements Traceability Matrix)’, the RELAP-7 7-equation model has been tested with additional demonstration problems and the results of these tests are reported in this document. In this report, we describe the testing process, the test cases that were conducted, and the results of the evaluation.

  11. Injectible bodily prosthetics employing methacrylic copolymer gels

    DOEpatents

    Mallapragada, Surya K.; Anderson, Brian C.

    2007-02-27

    The present invention provides novel block copolymers as structural supplements for injectible bodily prosthetics employed in medical or cosmetic procedures. The invention also includes the use of such block copolymers as nucleus pulposus replacement materials for the treatment of degenerative disc disorders and spinal injuries. The copolymers are constructed by polymerization of a tertiary amine methacrylate with either a (poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) polymer, such as the commercially available Pluronic.RTM. polymers, or a poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether polymer.

  12. pH-sensitive methacrylic copolymer gels and the production thereof

    DOEpatents

    Mallapragada, Surya K [Ames, IA; Anderson, Brian C [Lake Bluff, IA

    2007-05-15

    The present invention provides novel gel forming methacrylic blocking copolymers that exhibit cationic pH-sensitive behavior as well as good water solubility. The copolymers are constructed by polymerization of a tertiary amine methacrylate with either a (poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) polymer, such as the commercially available Pluronic.RTM. polymers, or a poly(ethylene glycol)methyl ether polymer. The polymers may be used for drug and gene delivery, protein separation, as structural supplements, and more.

  13. Individual versus Household Migration Decision Rules: Gender and Marital Status Differences in Intentions to Migrate in South Africa

    PubMed Central

    Gubhaju, Bina; De Jong, Gordon F.

    2009-01-01

    This research tests the thesis that the neoclassical micro-economic and the new household economic theoretical assumptions on migration decision-making rules are segmented by gender, marital status, and time frame of intention to migrate. Comparative tests of both theories within the same study design are relatively rare. Utilizing data from the Causes of Migration in South Africa national migration survey, we analyze how individually held “own-future” versus alternative “household well-being” migration decision rules effect the intentions to migrate of male and female adults in South Africa. Results from the gender and marital status specific logistic regressions models show consistent support for the different gender-marital status decision rule thesis. Specifically, the “maximizing one’s own future” neoclassical microeconomic theory proposition is more applicable for never married men and women, the “maximizing household income” proposition for married men with short-term migration intentions, and the “reduce household risk” proposition for longer time horizon migration intentions of married men and women. Results provide new evidence on the way household strategies and individual goals jointly affect intentions to move or stay. PMID:20161187

  14. Migration of Florida sub-adult Bald Eagles

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mojica, E.K.; Meyers, J.M.; Millsap, B.A.; Haley, K.L.

    2008-01-01

    We used satellite telemetry locations accurate within 1 km to identify migration routes and stopover sites of 54 migratory sub-adult Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) hatched in Florida from 1997 to 2001. We measured number of days traveled during migration, path of migration, stopover time and locations, and distance traveled to and from winter and summer areas for each eagle (1?5 years old). Eagles used both Coastal Plain (n = 24) and Appalachian Mountain (n = 26) routes on their first migration north. Mountain migrants traveled farther (X = 2,112 km; 95% CI: 1,815-2,410) than coastal migrants (X = 1,397 km; 95% CI: 1,087?1,706). Eagles changed between migration routes less often on northbound and southbound movements as they matured (X2 = 13.22, df = 2, P < 0.001). One-year-old eagles changed routes between yearly spring and fall migrations 57% of the time, 2-year-olds 30%, and 3-5-year-olds changed only 17% of the time. About half (n = 25, 46%) used stopovers during migration and stayed 6-31 days (X = 14.8 days; 95% CI: 12.8-16.8). We recommend that migratory stopover site locations be added to GIS data bases for improving conservation of Bald Eagles in the eastern United States.

  15. Evaluation of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds Migration in Household Food Containers under Domestic Use Conditions.

    PubMed

    Sáiz, Jorge; Gómara, Belén

    2017-08-09

    Plasticizers and plastic monomers are commonly used in packaging. Most of them act as endocrine disrupters and are susceptible to migrate from the packaging to the food. We evaluated the migration of endocrine disrupting compounds from three different household food containers to four food simulants under different domestic treatments and for different periods of time, with the aim of reproducing real domestic conditions. The results showed that the migration to the simulants increased with the storage time, up to more than 50 times in certain cases. The heating power seemed to increase the migration processes (up to more than 30 times), and reusing containers produced an increase or decrease of the concentrations depending on the container type and the simulant. The concentrations found were lower than other concentrations reported (always less than 4000 pg/mL, down to less than 20 pg/mL), which might be a consequence of the domestic conditions used.

  16. Temporal patterns of migration and spawning of river herring in coastal Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rosset, Julianne; Roy, Allison; Gahagan, Benjamin I.; Whiteley, Andrew R.; Armstrong, Michael P.; Sheppard, John J.; Jordaan, Adrian

    2017-01-01

    Migrations of springtime Alewife Alosa pseudoharengus and Blueback Herring A. aestivalis, collectively referred to as river herring, are monitored in many rivers along the Atlantic coast to estimate population sizes. While these estimates give an indication of annual differences in the number of returning adults, links to the subsequent timing and duration of spawning and freshwater juvenile productivity remain equivocal. In this study, we captured juvenile river herring at night in 20 coastal Massachusetts lakes using a purse seine and extracted otoliths to derive daily fish ages and back-calculate spawn dates. Estimates of spawning dates were compared with fishway counts of migrating adults to assess differences in migration timing and the timing and duration of spawning. We observed a distinct delay between the beginning of the adult migration run and the start of spawning, ranging from 7 to 28 d across the 20 lakes. Spawning continued 13–48 d after adults stopped migrating into freshwater, further demonstrating a pronounced delay in spawning following migration. Across the study sites the duration of spawning (43–76 d) was longer but not related to the duration of migration (29–66 d). The extended spawning period is consistent with recent studies suggesting that Alewives are indeterminate spawners. The long duration in freshwater provides the opportunity for top-down (i.e., predation on zooplankton) and bottom-up (i.e., food for avian, fish, and other predators) effects, with implications for freshwater food webs and nutrient cycling. General patterns of spawn timing and duration can be incorporated into population models and used to estimate temporal changes in productivity associated with variable timing and density of spawning river herring in lakes.

  17. Quantitative analysis of eosinophil chemotaxis tracked using a novel optical device -- TAXIScan.

    PubMed

    Nitta, Nao; Tsuchiya, Tomoko; Yamauchi, Akira; Tamatani, Takuya; Kanegasaki, Shiro

    2007-03-30

    We have reported previously the development of an optically accessible, horizontal chemotaxis apparatus, in which migration of cells in the channel from a start line can be traced with time-lapse intervals using a CCD camera (JIM 282, 1-11, 2003). To obtain statistical data of migrating cells, we have developed quantitative methods to calculate various parameters in the process of chemotaxis, employing human eosinophil and CXCL12 as a model cell and a model chemoattractant, respectively. Median values of velocity and directionality of each cell within an experimental period could be calculated from the migratory pathway data obtained from time-lapse images and the data were expressed as Velocity-Directionality (VD) plot. This plot is useful for quantitatively analyzing multiple migrating cells exposed to a certain chemoattractant, and can distinguish chemotaxis from random migration. Moreover precise observation of cell migration revealed that each cell had a different lag period before starting chemotaxis, indicating variation in cell sensitivity to the chemoattractant. Thus lag time of each cell before migration, and time course of increment of the migrating cell ratio at the early stages could be calculated. We also graphed decrement of still moving cell ratio at the later stages by calculating the duration time of cell migration of each cell. These graphs could distinguish different motion patterns of chemotaxis of eosinophils, in response to a range of chemoattractants; PGD(2), fMLP, CCL3, CCL5 and CXCL12. Finally, we compared parameters of eosinophils from normal volunteers, allergy patients and asthma patients and found significant difference in response to PGD(2). The quantitative methods described here could be applicable to image data obtained with any combination of cells and chemoattractants and useful not only for basic studies of chemotaxis but also for diagnosis and for drug screening.

  18. Implications of different shorebird migration strategies for habitat conservation

    Treesearch

    Susan K. Skagen; Stephen Brown; Rex Johnson

    2005-01-01

    Shorebird migration strategies vary by species, migration distance and route, time of year, and resources at staging and stopover sites. The Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network has been highly successful in the identification, designation, and protection of important migration habitats for many species that stage in traditional areas. Recently, conservation...

  19. Niche dynamics of shorebirds in Delaware Bay: Foraging behavior, habitat choice and migration timing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Novcic, Ivana

    2016-08-01

    Niche differentiation through resource partitioning is seen as one of the most important mechanisms of diversity maintenance contributing to stable coexistence of different species within communities. In this study, I examined whether four species of migrating shorebirds, dunlins (Calidris alpina), semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla), least sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) and short-billed dowitchers (Limnodromus griseus), segregate by time of passage, habitat use and foraging behavior at their major stopover in Delaware Bay during spring migration. I tested the prediction that most of the separation between morphologically similar species will be achieved by differential migration timing. Despite the high level of overlap along observed niche dimensions, this study demonstrates a certain level of ecological separation between migrating shorebirds. The results of analyses suggest that differential timing of spring migration might be the most important dimension along which shorebird species segregate while at stopover in Delaware Bay. Besides differences in time of passage, species exhibited differences in habitat use, particularly least sandpipers that foraged in vegetated areas of tidal marshes more frequently than other species, as well as short-billed dowitchers that foraged in deeper water more often than small sandpipers did. Partitioning along foraging techniques was less prominent than segregation along temporal or microhabitat dimensions. Such ranking of niche dimensions emphasizes significance of temporal segregation of migratory species - separation of species by time of passage may reduce the opportunity for interspecific aggressive encounters, which in turn can have positive effects on birds' time and energy budget during stopover period.

  20. Cross-correlation least-squares reverse time migration in the pseudo-time domain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Qingyang; Huang, Jianping; Li, Zhenchun

    2017-08-01

    The least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) method with higher image resolution and amplitude is becoming increasingly popular. However, the LSRTM is not widely used in field land data processing because of its sensitivity to the initial migration velocity model, large computational cost and mismatch of amplitudes between the synthetic and observed data. To overcome the shortcomings of the conventional LSRTM, we propose a cross-correlation least-squares reverse time migration algorithm in pseudo-time domain (PTCLSRTM). Our algorithm not only reduces the depth/velocity ambiguities, but also reduces the effect of velocity error on the imaging results. It relieves the accuracy requirements on the migration velocity model of least-squares migration (LSM). The pseudo-time domain algorithm eliminates the irregular wavelength sampling in the vertical direction, thus it can reduce the vertical grid points and memory requirements used during computation, which makes our method more computationally efficient than the standard implementation. Besides, for field data applications, matching the recorded amplitudes is a very difficult task because of the viscoelastic nature of the Earth and inaccuracies in the estimation of the source wavelet. To relax the requirement for strong amplitude matching of LSM, we extend the normalized cross-correlation objective function to the pseudo-time domain. Our method is only sensitive to the similarity between the predicted and the observed data. Numerical tests on synthetic and land field data confirm the effectiveness of our method and its adaptability for complex models.

  1. Exploring Child Mortality Risks Associated with Diverse Patterns of Maternal Migration in Haiti

    PubMed Central

    Smith-Greenaway, Emily; Thomas, Kevin

    2014-01-01

    Internal migration is a salient dimension of adulthood in Haiti, particularly among women. Despite the prevalence of migration in Haiti, it remains unknown whether Haitian women’s diverse patterns of migration influence their children’s health and survival. In this paper, we introduce the concept of lateral (i.e., rural-to-rural, urban-to-urban) versus nonlateral (i.e., rural-to-urban, urban-to-rural) migration to describe how some patterns of mothers’ internal migration may be associated with particularly high mortality among children. We use the 2006 Haitian Demographic and Health Survey to estimate a series of discrete-time hazard models among 7,409 rural children and 3,864 urban children. We find that, compared with their peers with nonmigrant mothers, children born to lateral migrants generally experience lower mortality whereas those born to nonlateral migrants generally experience higher mortality. Although there are important distinctions across Haiti’s rural and urban contexts, these associations remain net of socioeconomic factors, suggesting they are not entirely attributable to migrant selection. Considering the timing of maternal migration uncovers even more variation in the child health implications of maternal migration; however, the results counter the standard disruption and adaptation perspective. Although future work is needed to identify the processes underlying the differential risk of child mortality across lateral versus nonlateral migrants, the study demonstrates that looking beyond rural-to-urban migration and considering the timing of maternal migration can provide a fuller, more complex understanding of migration’s association with child health. PMID:25506111

  2. Comparison of Detection Rate and Mutational Pattern of Drug-Resistant Mutations Between a Large Cohort of Genotype B and Genotype C Hepatitis B Virus-Infected Patients in North China.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiaodong; Liu, Yan; Xin, Shaojie; Ji, Dong; You, Shaoli; Hu, Jinhua; Zhao, Jun; Wu, Jingjing; Liao, Hao; Zhang, Xin-Xin; Xu, Dongping

    2017-06-01

    The study aimed to investigate the association of prevalent genotypes in China (HBV/C and HBV/B) with HBV drug-resistant mutations. A total of 13,847 nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA)-treated patients with chronic HBV infection from North China were enrolled. HBV genotypes and resistant mutations were determined by direct sequencing and confirmed by clonal sequencing if necessary. HBV/B, HBV/C, and HBV/D occupied 14.3%, 84.9%, and 0.8% across the study population, respectively. NA usage had no significant difference between HBV/B- and HBV/C-infected patients. Lamivudine-resistant mutations were more frequently detected in HBV/C-infected patients, compared with HBV/B-infected patients (31.67% vs. 25.26%, p < 0.01). Adefovir- and entecavir-resistant mutation detection rates were similar, but the mutational pattern was different between the two genotypes. For adefovir-resistant mutations, HBV/C-infected patients had a higher detection rate of rtA181 V (HBV/C 5.29% vs. HBV/B 1.36%, p < 0.01) and a lower detection rate of rtN236T (2.70% vs. 6.54%, p < 0.01). For entecavir-resistant mutations, HBV/C-infected patients had a higher detection rate of rtM204 V/I+T184 substitution or S202G/C (3.66% vs. 2.16%, p < 0.01) and a lower detection rate of rtM204 V/I+M250 V/I/L substitution (0.67% vs. 1.46%, p < 0.01). Multidrug-resistant mutations (defined as coexistence of mutation to nucleoside and nucleotide analogues) were detected in 104 patients. HBV/C-infected patients had a higher detection rate of multidrug-resistant mutation than HBV/B-infected patients (0.83% vs. 0.35%, p < 0.05). The study for the first time clarified that HBV/C-infected patients had a higher risk to develop multidrug-resistant mutations, compared with HBV/B-infected patients; and HBV/C- and HBV/B-infected patients had different inclinations in the ETV-resistant mutational pattern.

  3. Enhanced Soil Moisture Initialization Using Blended Soil Moisture Product and Regional Optimization of LSM-RTM Coupled Land Data Assimilation System.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nair, A. S.; Indu, J.

    2017-12-01

    Prediction of soil moisture dynamics is high priority research challenge because of the complex land-atmosphere interaction processes. Soil moisture (SM) plays a decisive role in governing water and energy balance of the terrestrial system. An accurate SM estimate is imperative for hydrological and weather prediction models. Though SM estimates are available from microwave remote sensing and land surface model (LSM) simulations, it is affected by uncertainties from several sources during estimation. Past studies have generally focused on land data assimilation (DA) for improving LSM predictions by assimilating soil moisture from single satellite sensor. This approach is limited by the large time gap between two consequent soil moisture observations due to satellite repeat cycle of more than three days at the equator. To overcome this, in the present study, we have performed DA using ensemble products from the soil moisture operational product system (SMOPS) blended soil moisture retrievals from different satellite sensors into Noah LSM. Before the assimilation period, the Noah LSM is initialized by cycling through seven multiple loops from 2008 to 2010 forcing with Global data assimilation system (GDAS) data over the Indian subcontinent. We assimilated SMOPS into Noah LSM for a period of two years from 2010 to 2011 using Ensemble Kalman Filter within NASA's land information system (LIS) framework. Results show that DA has improved Noah LSM prediction with a high correlation of 0.96 and low root mean square difference of 0.0303 m3/m3 (figure 1a). Further, this study has also investigated the notion of assimilating microwave brightness temperature (Tb) as a proxy for SM estimates owing to the close proximity of Tb and SM. Preliminary sensitivity analysis show a strong need for regional parameterization of radiative transfer models (RTMs) to improve Tb simulation. Towards this goal, we have optimized the forward RTM using swarm optimization technique for direct Tb assimilation. The results indicate an improvement in Tb simulations based on the multi polarization difference index approach with a correlation of 0.81 (figure 1b (e)) and bias of < 5 K with respect to the SMOS Tb.

  4. Understanding the roles of ligand promoted dissolution, water column saturation and hydrological properties on intense basalt weathering using reactive transport and watershed-scale hydrologic modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perez Fodich, A.; Walter, M. T.; Derry, L. A.

    2016-12-01

    The interaction of rocks with rainwater generates physical and chemical changes, which ultimately culminates in soil development. The addition of catalyzers such as plants, atmospheric gases and hydrological properties will result in more intense and/or faster weathering transformations. The intensity of weathering across the Island of Hawaii is strongly correlated with exposure age and time-integrated precipitation. Intense weathering has resulted from interaction between a thermodynamically unstable lithology, high water/rock ratios, atmospheric gases (O2, CO2) and biota as an organic acid and CO2 producer. To further investigate the role of different weathering agents we have developed 1-D reactive transport models (RTM) to understand mineralogical and fluid chemistry changes in the initially basaltic porous media. The initial meso-scale heterogeneity of porosity makes it difficult for RTMs to capture changes in runoff/groundwater partitioning. Therefore, hydraulic properties (hydraulic conductivity and aquifer depth) are modeled as a watershed parameter appropriate for this system where sub-surface hydraulic data is scarce(1). Initial results agree with field data in a broad sense: different rainfall regimes and timescales show depletion of mobile cations, increasingly low pH, congruent dissolution of olivine and pyroxene, incongruent dissolution of plagioclase and basaltic glass, precipitation of non-crystalline allophane and ferrihydrite, and porosity changes due to dissolution and precipitation of minerals; ultimately Al and Fe are also exported from the system. RTM is used to examine the roles of unsaturation in the soil profile, ligand promoted dissolution of Al- and Fe-bearing phases, and Fe-oxide precipitation at the outcrop scale. Also, we aim to test the use of recession flow analysis to model watershed-scale hydrological properties to extrapolate changes in the runoff/groundwater partitioning. The coupling between weathering processes and hydrologic properties is a fundamental driver of the evolution of volcanic landscapes and weathering fluxes. 1. G. F. Mendoza, T. S. Steenhuis, M. T. Walter, J. Y. Parlange, Estimating basin-wide hydraulic parameters of a semi-arid mountainous watershed by recession-flow analysis. Journal of Hydrology 279, 57-69 (2003).

  5. Time fractional capital-induced labor migration model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali Balcı, Mehmet

    2017-07-01

    In this study we present a new model of neoclassical economic growth by considering that workers move from regions with lower density of capital to regions with higher density of capital. Since the labor migration and capital flow involves self-similarities in long range time, we use the fractional order derivatives for the time variable. To solve this model we proposed Variational Iteration Method, and studied numerically labor migration flow data from Turkey along with other countries throughout the period of 1966-2014.

  6. Net migration estimation in an extended, multiregional gravity model.

    PubMed

    Foot, D K; Milne, W J

    1984-02-01

    A multi-regional framework is developed in order to analyze net migration over time to all 10 Canadian provinces within an integrated system of equations. "An extended gravity model is the basis for the equation specification and the use of constrained econometric estimation techniques allows for the provincial interdependence of the migration decision while at the same time ensuring that an important system-wide requirement is respected." The model is estimated using official Canadian data for the 1960s and 1970s. "The results suggest the predominance of the push factor for interprovincial migration for most provinces, although net migration to the Atlantic provinces is also shown to be subject to pull forces from the rest of the country." The effects of wage rate variables, unemployment, and political disturbances in Quebec on inter-provincial migration are noted. excerpt

  7. Feasibility study on the use of probabilistic migration modeling in support of exposure assessment from food contact materials.

    PubMed

    Poças, Maria F; Oliveira, Jorge C; Brandsch, Rainer; Hogg, Timothy

    2010-07-01

    The use of probabilistic approaches in exposure assessments of contaminants migrating from food packages is of increasing interest but the lack of concentration or migration data is often referred as a limitation. Data accounting for the variability and uncertainty that can be expected in migration, for example, due to heterogeneity in the packaging system, variation of the temperature along the distribution chain, and different time of consumption of each individual package, are required for probabilistic analysis. The objective of this work was to characterize quantitatively the uncertainty and variability in estimates of migration. A Monte Carlo simulation was applied to a typical solution of the Fick's law with given variability in the input parameters. The analysis was performed based on experimental data of a model system (migration of Irgafos 168 from polyethylene into isooctane) and illustrates how important sources of variability and uncertainty can be identified in order to refine analyses. For long migration times and controlled conditions of temperature the affinity of the migrant to the food can be the major factor determining the variability in the migration values (more than 70% of variance). In situations where both the time of consumption and temperature can vary, these factors can be responsible, respectively, for more than 60% and 20% of the variance in the migration estimates. The approach presented can be used with databases from consumption surveys to yield a true probabilistic estimate of exposure.

  8. The Development of a Novel High Throughput Computational Tool for Studying Individual and Collective Cellular Migration

    PubMed Central

    Chapnick, Douglas A.; Jacobsen, Jeremy; Liu, Xuedong

    2013-01-01

    Understanding how cells migrate individually and collectively during development and cancer metastasis can be significantly aided by a computation tool to accurately measure not only cellular migration speed, but also migration direction and changes in migration direction in a temporal and spatial manner. We have developed such a tool for cell migration researchers, named Pathfinder, which is capable of simultaneously measuring the migration speed, migration direction, and changes in migration directions of thousands of cells both instantaneously and over long periods of time from fluorescence microscopy data. Additionally, we demonstrate how the Pathfinder software can be used to quantify collective cell migration. The novel capability of the Pathfinder software to measure the changes in migration direction of large populations of cells in a spatiotemporal manner will aid cellular migration research by providing a robust method for determining the mechanisms of cellular guidance during individual and collective cell migration. PMID:24386097

  9. Environmental factors influence lesser scaup migration chronology and population monitoring

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Finger, Taylor A.; Afton, Alan D.; Schummer, Michael L.; Petrie, Scott A.; Badzinski, Shannon S.; Johnson, Michael A.; Szymanski, Michael L.; Jacobs, Kevin J.; Olsen, Glenn H.; Mitchell, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Identifying environmental metrics specific to lesser scaup (Aythya affinis; scaup) spring migration chronology may help inform development of conservation, management and population monitoring. Our objective was to determine how environmental conditions influence spring migration of lesser scaup to assess the effectiveness of the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey in accurately estimating scaup populations. We first compared peak timing of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and scaup migration from weekly ground surveys in North Dakota, USA because the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey is designed to capture annual mallard migration. As predicted, we detected that peak timing of scaup and mallard migrations differed in 25 of 36 years investigated (1980–2010). We marked scaup with satellite transmitters (n = 78; 7,403 locations) at Long Point, Lake Erie, Ontario, Canada; Pool 19 of the Mississippi River, Iowa and Illinois, USA; and Presque Isle Bay, Lake Erie, Pennsylvania, USA. We tested the assumption that our marked scaup were representative of the continental population using the traditional survey area by comparing timing of migration of marked birds and scaup counted in the North Dakota Game and Fish Department survey. We detected a strong positive correlation between marked scaup and the survey data, which indicated that marked scaup were representative of the population. We subsequently used our validated sample of marked scaup to investigate the effects of annual variation in temperature, precipitation, and ice cover on spring migration chronology in the traditional and eastern survey areas of the Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, 2005–2010. We evaluated competing environmental models to explain variation in timing and rate of scaup migration at large-scale and local levels. Spring migration of scaup occurred earlier and faster during springs with warmer temperatures and greater precipitation, variables known to influence energy budgets and wetland availability. Our results suggest that surveys designed to index abundance of breeding mallards is imprecise for estimating scaup abundance, and inaccurate at estimating breeding population size by survey stratum.

  10. Learning from HIV: exploring migration and health in South Africa.

    PubMed

    Vearey, Joanna

    2012-01-01

    Southern Africa is associated with high HIV prevalence and diverse population movements, including temporary, circular movements between rural and urban areas within countries (internal migration), and movements across borders (international migration). Whilst most migration in southern Africa is associated with the search for improved livelihood opportunities in urban areas a small--but significant--number of people are forced to migrate to escape persecution or civil war. This paper utilises recent empirical studies conducted in South Africa to explore linkages between migration into urban areas and health, focusing on HIV. It is shown that the relationship between migration and HIV is complex; that both internal and international migrants move to urban areas for reasons other than healthcare seeking; and that most migratory movements into urban areas involve the positive selection of healthy individuals. Whilst healthy migration has economic benefits for rural sending households, the data uncovers an important process of return migration (internally or across borders) in times of sickness, with the burden of care placed on the rural, sending household. There is an urgent need for a comprehensive response that maintains the health of migrants in urban areas, and provides support to rural areas in times of sickness.

  11. Short-term seaward fish migration in the Messolonghi Etoliko lagoons (Western Greek coast) in relation to climatic variables and the lunar cycle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Katselis, George; Koukou, Katerina; Dimitriou, Evagelos; Koutsikopoulos, Constantin

    2007-07-01

    In the present study we analysed the daily seaward migratory behaviour of four dominant euryhaline fish species (Mugilidae: Liza saliens, Liza aurata, Mugil cephalus and Sparidae: Sparus aurata) in the Messolonghi Etoliko lagoon system (Western Greek coast) based on the daily landings' time series of barrier traps and assessed the relationship between their migratory behaviour and various climatic variables (air temperature and atmospheric pressure) and the lunar cycle. A 2-year time series of daily fish landings (1993 and 1994), a long time series of daily air temperature and daily temperature range (1991 1998) as well as a 4-year time series of the daily atmospheric pressure (1994 1997) and daily pressure range were used. Harmonic models (HM) consisting of annual and lunar cycle harmonic components explained most (R2 > 0.80) of the mean daily species landings and temperature variations, while a rather low part of the variation (0.18 < R2 < 0.27) was explained for pressure, daily pressure range and daily temperature range. In all the time series sets the amplitude of the annual component was highest. The model values of all species revealed two important migration periods (summer and winter) corresponding to the spawning and refuge migrations. The lunar cycle effect on species' daily migration rates and the short-term fluctuation of daily migration rates were rather low. However, the short-term fluctuation of some species' daily migration rates during winter was greater than during summer. In all species, the main migration was the spawning migration. The model lunar components of the species landings showed a monthly oscillation synchronous to the full moon (S. aurata and M. cephalus) or a semi-monthly oscillation synchronous to the new and full moon (L. aurata and L. saliens). Bispectral analysis of the model values and the model residuals' time series revealed that the species daily migration were correlated (coherencies > 0.6) to the daily fluctuations of the climatic variables at seasonal, mid and short-term scales.

  12. Simultaneous Assimilation of AMSR-E Brightness Temperature and MODIS LST to Improve Soil Moisture with Dual Ensemble Kalman Smoother

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Chunlin; Chen, Weijin; Wang, Weizhen; Gu, Juan

    2017-04-01

    Uncertainties in model parameters can easily cause systematic differences between model states and observations from ground or satellites, which significantly affect the accuracy of soil moisture estimation in data assimilation systems. In this paper, a novel soil moisture assimilation scheme is developed to simultaneously assimilate AMSR-E brightness temperature (TB) and MODIS Land Surface Temperature (LST), which can correct model bias by simultaneously updating model states and parameters with dual ensemble Kalman filter (DEnKS). The Common Land Model (CoLM) and a Q-h Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) are adopted as model operator and observation operator, respectively. The assimilation experiment is conducted in Naqu, Tibet Plateau, from May 31 to September 27, 2011. Compared with in-situ measurements, the accuracy of soil moisture estimation is tremendously improved in terms of a variety of scales. The updated soil temperature by assimilating MODIS LST as input of RTM can reduce the differences between the simulated and observed brightness temperatures to a certain degree, which helps to improve the estimation of soil moisture and model parameters. The updated parameters show large discrepancy with the default ones and the former effectively reduces the states bias of CoLM. Results demonstrate the potential of assimilating both microwave TB and MODIS LST to improve the estimation of soil moisture and related parameters. Furthermore, this study also indicates that the developed scheme is an effective soil moisture downscaling approach for coarse-scale microwave TB.

  13. Stop codons in the hepatitis B surface proteins are enriched during antiviral therapy and are associated with host cell apoptosis

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

    Colledge, Danielle; Soppe, Sally; Yuen, Lilly

    Premature stop codons in the hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface protein can be associated with nucleos(t)ide analogue resistance due to overlap of the HBV surface and polymerase genes. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the replication of three common surface stop codon variants on the hepatocyte. Cell lines were transfected with infectious HBV clones encoding surface stop codons rtM204I/sW196*, rtA181T/sW172*, rtV191I/sW182*, and a panel of substitutions in the surface proteins. HBsAg was measured by Western blotting. Proliferation and apoptosis were measured using flow cytometry. All three surface stop codon variants were defective in HBsAg secretion.more » Cells transfected with these variants were less proliferative and had higher levels of apoptosis than those transfected with variants that did not encode surface stop codons. The most cytopathic variant was rtM204I/sW196*. Replication of HBV encoding surface stop codons was toxic to the cell and promoted apoptosis, exacerbating disease progression. - Highlights: •Under normal circumstances, HBV replication is not cytopathic. •Premature stop codons in the HBV surface protein can be selected and enriched during nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy. •Replication of these variants can be cytopathic to the cell and promote apoptosis. •Inadequate antiviral therapy may actually promote disease progression.« less

  14. Multiscale Characterization and Quantification of Arsenic Mobilization and Attenuation During Injection of Treated Coal Seam Gas Coproduced Water into Deep Aquifers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rathi, Bhasker; Siade, Adam J.; Donn, Michael J.; Helm, Lauren; Morris, Ryan; Davis, James A.; Berg, Michael; Prommer, Henning

    2017-12-01

    Coal seam gas production involves generation and management of large amounts of co-produced water. One of the most suitable methods of management is injection into deep aquifers. Field injection trials may be used to support the predictions of anticipated hydrological and geochemical impacts of injection. The present work employs reactive transport modeling (RTM) for a comprehensive analysis of data collected from a trial where arsenic mobilization was observed. Arsenic sorption behavior was studied through laboratory experiments, accompanied by the development of a surface complexation model (SCM). A field-scale RTM that incorporated the laboratory-derived SCM was used to simulate the data collected during the field injection trial and then to predict the long-term fate of arsenic. We propose a new practical procedure which integrates laboratory and field-scale models using a Monte Carlo type uncertainty analysis and alleviates a significant proportion of the computational effort required for predictive uncertainty quantification. The results illustrate that both arsenic desorption under alkaline conditions and pyrite oxidation have likely contributed to the arsenic mobilization that was observed during the field trial. The predictive simulations show that arsenic concentrations would likely remain very low if the potential for pyrite oxidation is minimized through complete deoxygenation of the injectant. The proposed modeling and predictive uncertainty quantification method can be implemented for a wide range of groundwater studies that investigate the risks of metal(loid) or radionuclide contamination.

  15. Examination system utilizing ionizing radiation and a flexible, miniature radiation detector probe

    DOEpatents

    Majewski, Stanislaw; Kross, Brian J.; Zorn, Carl J.; Majewski, Lukasz A.

    1996-01-01

    An optimized examination system and method based on the Reverse Geometry X-Ray.RTM. (RGX.RTM.) radiography technique are presented. The examination system comprises a radiation source, at least one flexible, miniature radiation detector probe positioned in appropriate proximity to the object to be examined and to the radiation source with the object located between the source and the probe, a photodetector device attachable to an end of the miniature radiation probe, and a control unit integrated with a display device connected to the photodetector device. The miniature radiation detector probe comprises a scintillation element, a flexible light guide having a first end optically coupled to the scintillation element and having a second end attachable to the photodetector device, and an opaque, environmentally-resistant sheath surrounding the flexible light guide. The probe may be portable and insertable, or may be fixed in place within the object to be examined. An enclosed, flexible, liquid light guide is also presented, which comprises a thin-walled flexible tube, a liquid, preferably mineral oil, contained within the tube, a scintillation element located at a first end of the tube, closures located at both ends of the tube, and an opaque, environmentally-resistant sheath surrounding the flexible tube. The examination system and method have applications in non-destructive material testing for voids, cracks, and corrosion, and may be used in areas containing hazardous materials. In addition, the system and method have applications for medical and dental imaging.

  16. Demographic outcomes of diverse migration strategies assessed in a metapopulation of tundra swans.

    PubMed

    Ely, Craig R; Meixell, Brandt W

    2016-01-01

    Migration is a prominent aspect of the life history of many avian species, but the demographic consequences of variable migration strategies have only infrequently been investigated, and rarely when using modern technological and analytical methods for assessing survival, movement patterns, and long-term productivity in the context of life history theory. We monitored the fates of 50 satellite-implanted tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) over 4 years from five disparate breeding areas in Alaska, and used known-fate analyses to estimate monthly survival probability relative to migration distance, breeding area, migratory flyway, breeding status, and age. We specifically tested whether migratory birds face a trade-off, whereby long-distance migrants realize higher survival rates at the cost of lower productivity because of reduced time on breeding areas relative to birds that migrate shorter distances and spend more time on breeding areas. Annual migration distances varied significantly among breeding areas (1020 to 12720 km), and were strongly negatively correlated with time spent on breeding areas (r = -0.986). Estimates of annual survival probability varied by wintering area (Pacific coast, Alaska Peninsula, and Eastern seaboard) and ranged from 0.79 (95%CI: 0.70-0.88) to 1.0, depending on criteria used to discern mortalities from radio failures. We did not find evidence for a linear relationship between migration distance and survival as swans from the breeding areas with the shortest and longest migration distances had the highest survival probabilities. Survival was lower in the first year post-marking than in subsequent years, but there was not support for seasonal differences in survival. Productivity varied among breeding populations and was generally inversely correlated to survival, but not migration distance or time spent on breeding areas. Tundra swans conformed to a major tenet of life history theory, as populations with the highest survival generally had the lowest productivity. The lack of a uniform relationship between time spent on breeding areas and productivity, or time spent on wintering areas and survival, indicates that factors other than temporal investment dictate demographic outcomes in this species. The tremendous diversity of migration strategies we identify in Alaskan tundra swans, without clear impacts on survival, underscores the ability of this species to adapt to different environments and climatic regimes.

  17. Mobility among youth in Rakai, Uganda: Trends, characteristics, and associations with behavioural risk factors for HIV

    PubMed Central

    Schuyler, Ashley C.; Edelstein, Zoe R.; Mathur, Sanyukta; Sekasanvu, Joseph; Nalugoda, Fred; Gray, Ronald; Wawer, Maria J.; Serwadda, David M.; Santelli, John S.

    2015-01-01

    Mobility, including migration and travel, influences risk of HIV. This study examined time trends and characteristics among mobile youth (15-24 years) in rural Uganda, and the relationship between mobility and risk factors for HIV. We used data from an annual household census and population-based cohort study in the Rakai district, Uganda. Data on in-migration and out-migration were collected among youth (15-24 years) from 43 communities from 1999-2011 (N=112,117 observations) and travel among youth residents from 2003-2008 (N=18,318 observations). Migration and travel were more common among young women than young men. One in five youth reported out-migration. Over time, out-migration increased among youth and in-migration remained largely stable. Primary reasons for migration included work, living with friends or family, and marriage. Recent travel within Uganda was common and increased slightly over time in teen women (15-19 years old), and young adult men and women (20-24 years old). Mobile youth were more likely to report HIV risk behaviours including: alcohol use, sexual experience, multiple partners, and inconsistent condom use. Our findings suggest that among rural Ugandan youth, mobility is increasingly common and associated with HIV risk factors. Knowledge of patterns and characteristics of a young, high-risk mobile population has important implications for HIV interventions. PMID:26313708

  18. Comparative study on the migration of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and tri-2-ethylhexyl trimellitate (TOTM) into blood from PVC tubing material of a heart-lung machine.

    PubMed

    Eckert, Elisabeth; Münch, Frank; Göen, Thomas; Purbojo, Ariawan; Müller, Johannes; Cesnjevar, Robert

    2016-02-01

    Medical devices like blood tubing often consist of PVC material that requires the addition of plasticizers. These plasticizers may migrate into the blood leading to an exposure of the patients. In this study the migration behavior of three different blood tubing sets (PVC material with two different plasticizers and silicone as control material) applied on a heart-lung machine standardly used for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in children was studied. We analyzed the total plasticizer migration by analysis of both, the parent compounds as well as their primary degradation products in blood. Additionally, the total mass loss of the tubing over perfusion time was examined. The PVC tubing plasticized with DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) was found to have the highest mass loss over time and showed a high plasticizer migration rate. In comparison, the migration of TOTM (tri-2-ethylhexyl trimellitate) and its primary degradation products was found to be distinctly lower (by a factor of approx. 350). Moreover, it was observed that the storage time of the tubing affects the plasticizer migration rates. In conclusion, the DEHP substitute TOTM promises to be an effective alternative plasticizer for PVC medical devices particularly regarding the decreased migration rate during medical procedures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Time-domain least-squares migration using the Gaussian beam summation method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jidong; Zhu, Hejun; McMechan, George; Yue, Yubo

    2018-04-01

    With a finite recording aperture, a limited source spectrum and unbalanced illumination, traditional imaging methods are insufficient to generate satisfactory depth profiles with high resolution and high amplitude fidelity. This is because traditional migration uses the adjoint operator of the forward modeling rather than the inverse operator. We propose a least-squares migration approach based on the time-domain Gaussian beam summation, which helps to balance subsurface illumination and improve image resolution. Based on the Born approximation for the isotropic acoustic wave equation, we derive a linear time-domain Gaussian beam modeling operator, which significantly reduces computational costs in comparison with the spectral method. Then, we formulate the corresponding adjoint Gaussian beam migration, as the gradient of an L2-norm waveform misfit function. An L1-norm regularization is introduced to the inversion to enhance the robustness of least-squares migration, and an approximated diagonal Hessian is used as a preconditioner to speed convergence. Synthetic and field data examples demonstrate that the proposed approach improves imaging resolution and amplitude fidelity in comparison with traditional Gaussian beam migration.

  20. Time-domain least-squares migration using the Gaussian beam summation method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jidong; Zhu, Hejun; McMechan, George; Yue, Yubo

    2018-07-01

    With a finite recording aperture, a limited source spectrum and unbalanced illumination, traditional imaging methods are insufficient to generate satisfactory depth profiles with high resolution and high amplitude fidelity. This is because traditional migration uses the adjoint operator of the forward modelling rather than the inverse operator. We propose a least-squares migration approach based on the time-domain Gaussian beam summation, which helps to balance subsurface illumination and improve image resolution. Based on the Born approximation for the isotropic acoustic wave equation, we derive a linear time-domain Gaussian beam modelling operator, which significantly reduces computational costs in comparison with the spectral method. Then, we formulate the corresponding adjoint Gaussian beam migration, as the gradient of an L2-norm waveform misfit function. An L1-norm regularization is introduced to the inversion to enhance the robustness of least-squares migration, and an approximated diagonal Hessian is used as a pre-conditioner to speed convergence. Synthetic and field data examples demonstrate that the proposed approach improves imaging resolution and amplitude fidelity in comparison with traditional Gaussian beam migration.

  1. Short-term organic carbon migration from polymeric materials in contact with chlorinated drinking water.

    PubMed

    Mao, Guannan; Wang, Yingying; Hammes, Frederik

    2018-02-01

    Polymeric materials are widely used in drinking water distribution systems. These materials could release organic carbon that supports bacterial growth. To date, the available migration assays for polymeric materials have not included the potential influence of chlorination on organic carbon migration behavior. Hence, we established a migration and growth potential protocol specifically for analysis of carbon migration from materials in contact with chlorinated drinking water. Four different materials were tested, including ethylene propylene dienemethylene (EPDM), poly-ethylene (PEX b and PEX c) and poly-butylene (PB). Chlorine consumption rates decreased gradually over time for EPDM, PEXc and PB. In contrast, no free chlorine was detected for PEXb at any time during the 7 migration cycles. Total organic carbon (TOC) and assimilable organic carbon (AOC) was evaluated in both chlorinated and non-chlorinated migrations. TOC concentrations for EPDM and PEXb in chlorinated migrations were significantly higher than non-chlorinated migrations. The AOC results showed pronounced differences among tested materials. AOC concentrations from chlorinated migration waters of EPDM and PB were higher compared to non-chlorinated migrations, whereas the opposite trend was observed for PEXb and PEXc. There was also a considerable difference between tested materials with regards to bacterial growth potential. The results revealed that the materials exposed to chlorine-influenced migration still exhibited a strong biofilm formation potential. The overall results suggested that the choice in material would make a considerable difference in chlorine consumption and carbon migration behavior in drinking water distribution systems. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Why fly the extra mile? Latitudinal trend in migratory fuel deposition rate as driver of trans-equatorial long-distance migration.

    PubMed

    Aharon-Rotman, Yaara; Gosbell, Ken; Minton, Clive; Klaassen, Marcel

    2016-09-01

    Trans-equatorial long-distance migrations of high-latitude breeding animals have been attributed to narrow ecological niche widths. We suggest an alternative hypothesis postulating that trans-equatorial migrations result from a possible increase in the rate at which body stores to fuel migration are deposited with absolute latitude; that is, longer, migrations away from the breeding grounds surpassing the equator may actually enhance fueling rates on the nonbreeding grounds and therewith the chance of a successful, speedy and timely migration back to the breeding grounds. To this end, we first sought to confirm the existence of a latitudinal trend in fuel deposition rate in a global data set of free-living migratory shorebirds and investigated the potential factors causing this trend. We next tested two predictions on how this trend is expected to impact the migratory itineraries on northward migration under the time-minimization hypothesis, using 56 tracks of high-latitude breeding shorebirds migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. We found a strong positive effect of latitude on fuel deposition rate, which most likely relates to latitudinal variations in primary productivity and available daily foraging time. We next confirmed the resulting predictions that (1) when flying from a stopover site toward the equator, migrants use long jumps that will take them to an equivalent or higher latitude at the opposite hemisphere; and (2) that from here onward, migrants will use small steps, basically fueling only enough to make it to the next suitable staging site. These findings may explain why migrants migrate "the extra mile" across the equator during the nonbreeding season in search of better fueling conditions, ultimately providing secure and fast return migrations to the breeding grounds in the opposite hemisphere.

  3. Phase-field study on geometry-dependent migration behavior of voids under temperature gradient in UO2 crystal matrix

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Weijin; Peng, Yuyi; Li, Xu'an; Chen, Kelang; Ma, Jun; Wei, Lingfeng; Wang, Biao; Zheng, Yue

    2017-10-01

    In this work, a phase-field model is established to capture the void migration behavior under a temperature gradient within a crystal matrix, with an appropriate consideration of the surface diffusion mechanism and the vapor transport mechanism. The interfacial energy and the coupling between the vacancy concentration field and the crystal order parameter field are carefully modeled. Simulations are performed on UO2. The result shows that for small voids (with an area ≤ πμm2), the well-known characteristics of void migration, in consistence with the analytical model, can be recovered. The migration is manifested by a constant velocity and a minor change of the void shape. In contrast, for large voids (with an area of ˜10 μm2) initially in circular shapes, significant deformation of the void from a circular to cashew-like shape is observed. After long-time migration, the deformed void would split into smaller voids. The size-dependent behavior of void migration is due to the combined effect of the interfacial energy (which tends to keep the void in circular shape) and the surface diffusion flow (which tends to deform the void due to the nonuniform diffusion along the surface). Moreover, the initial shape of the void modifies the migration velocity and the time point when splitting occurs (for large voids) at the beginning of migration due to the shape relaxation of the void. However, it has a minor effect on the long-time migration. Our work reveals novel void migration behaviors in conditions where the surface-diffusion mechanism is dominant over the vapor transport mechanism; meanwhile, the size of the void lies at a mediate size range.

  4. Longitudinal recording on FePt and FePtX (X = B, Ni) intermetallic compounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Ning

    1999-11-01

    Near field recording on high coercivity FePt intermetallic compound media using a high Bsat write element was investigated. Untextured FePt media were prepared by magnetron sputtering on ZrO2 disks at a substrate temperature of 450°C, with post annealing at 450°C for 8 hrs. Both multilayer and cosputtered precursors produced the ordered tetragonal L10 phase with high coercivity between 5kOe and 12kOe. To improve readback noise decrease magnetic domain size, FePtB media were subsequently prepared by cosputtering. Over-write, roll-off, signal to noise ratio and non-linear transition shift (NLTS) ere measured by both metal in gap (MIG) and merged MR heads. FePtB media showed similar NLTS to commercial CoCrPtTa longitudinal media, but 5dB lower signal to noise ratio. By operating recording transducers in near contact, reasonable values of (>30dB) could be obtained. VSM Rotational Transverse Magnetization has been used for measuring the anisotropy field of magnetic thin films. Magnetization reversal during rotation of a 2D isotropic an applied field is discussed. The relationship between the transverse magnetization My and the applied field H was numerically solved. An excellent approximation for the transverse magnetization is found to be: My/Ms=A(1- H/Hk) 2.5, where A = 1.1434, and Hk is the anisotropy field. For curve fitting to experimental data, both A and Hk were used as fitting parameters. Comparison between a constructed torque hysteresis method and this VSM RTM method have been made theoretically and experimentally. Both results showed that VSM RTM will give better extrapolation of the anisotropy field. The torque measurement will slightly overestimate the anisotropy field. The anisotropy fields of FePt and FePtX (X = B, Ni) films were characterized using this VSM RTM technique with comparison to a CoCrTaPt disk. Anisotropy energy was derived. Hc/Hk was used as an indicator for coherent rotation of a single domain. Interactions between magnetic domains were characterized by Kelly-Henkel plot and interactive field factor (IFF). Correlation between coercive force and magnetic anisotropy of grains and the degree of magnetic isolation among grains were discussed. B and Ni were used as diluting agents to the FePt system to decrease saturation magnetization, coercivity, anisotropy field and anisotropy energy. They also decrease the magnetic coupling between neighboring domains, and promote coherent rotation inside each domain.

  5. An Inter-calibrated Passive Microwave Brightness Temperature Data Record and Ocean Products

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hilburn, K. A.; Wentz, F. J.

    2014-12-01

    Inter-calibration of passive microwave sensors has been the subject of on-going activity at Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) since 1974. RSS has produced a brightness temperature TB data record that spans the last 28 years (1987-2014) from inter-calibrated passive microwave sensors on 14 satellites: AMSR-E, AMSR2, GMI, SSMI F08-F15, SSMIS F16-F18, TMI, WindSat. Accompanying the TB record are a suite of ocean products derived from the TBs that provide a 28-year record of wind speed, water vapor, cloud liquid, and rain rate; and 18 years (1997-2014) of sea surface temperatures, corresponding to the period for which 6 and/or 10 GHz measurements are available. Crucial to the inter-calibration and ocean product retrieval are a highly accurate radiative transfer model RTM. The RSS RTM has been continually refined for over 30 years and is arguably the most accurate model in the 1-100 GHz spectrum. The current generation of TB and ocean products, produced using the latest version of the RTM, is called Version-7. The accuracy of the Version-7 inter-calibration is estimated to be 0.1 K, based on inter-satellite comparisons and validation of the ocean products against in situ measurements. The data record produced by RSS has had a significant scientific impact. Over just the last 14 years (2000-2013) RSS data have been used in 743 peer-reviewed journal articles. This is an average of 4.5 peer-reviewed papers published every month made possible with RSS data. Some of the most important scientific contributions made by RSS data have been to the study of the climate. The AR5 Report "Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis" by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the internationally accepted authority on climate change, references 20 peer-reviewed journal papers from RSS scientists. The report makes direct use of RSS water vapor data, RSS atmospheric temperatures from MSU/AMSU, and 9 other datasets that are derived from RSS data. The RSS TB data record is used to produce the NSIDC Sea Ice, NASA Sea Ice, and NASA GPCP Rain Rate datasets. The RSS ocean products are used to produce the NCDC ERSST, CCMP Winds, NOAA Sea Winds, WHOI OA Flux, OSU Wind Stress, and UWISC Cloud Water datasets. The large number of scientific articles and significant impact on the IPCC report demonstrate the success of RSS inter-calibration methodology.

  6. Comparison of migration rate and survival between radio-tagged and PIT-tagged migrant yearling chinook salmon in the Snake and Columbia rivers

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hockersmith, E.E.; Muir, W.D.; Smith, S.G.; Sandford, B.P.; Perry, R.W.; Adams, N.S.; Rondorf, D.W.

    2003-01-01

    A study was conducted to compare the travel times, detection probabilities, and survival of migrant hatchery-reared yearling chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha tagged with either gastrically or surgically implanted sham radio tags (with an imbedded passive integrated transponder [PIT] tag) with those of their cohorts tagged only with PIT tags in the Snake and Columbia rivers. Juvenile chinook salmon with gastrically implanted radio tags migrated significantly faster than either surgically radio-tagged or PIT-tagged fish, while migration rates were similar among surgically radio-tagged and PIT-tagged fish. The probabilities of PIT tag detection at downstream dams varied by less than 5% and were not significantly different among the three groups. Survival was similar among treatments for median travel times of less than approximately 6 d (migration distance of 106 km). However, for both gastrically and surgically radio-tagged fish, survival was significantly less than for PIT-tagged fish, for which median travel times exceeded approximately 10 d (migration distance of 225 km). The results of this study support the use of radio tags to estimate the survival of juvenile chinook salmon having a median fork length of approximately 150 mm (range, 127-285 mm) and a median travel time of migration of less than approximately 6 d.

  7. High-resolution GPS tracking reveals sex differences in migratory behaviour and stopover habitat use in the Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus.

    PubMed

    Baert, Jan M; Stienen, Eric W M; Heylen, Brigitte C; Kavelaars, Marwa M; Buijs, Roland-Jan; Shamoun-Baranes, Judy; Lens, Luc; Müller, Wendt

    2018-03-29

    Sex-, size- or age-dependent variation in migration strategies in birds is generally expected to reflect differences in competitive abilities. Theoretical and empirical studies thereby focus on differences in wintering areas, by which individuals may benefit from avoiding food competition during winter or ensuring an early return and access to prime nesting sites in spring. Here, we use GPS tracking to assess sex- and size-related variation in the spatial behaviour of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (Larus fuscus) throughout their annual cycle. We did not find sex- or size-dependent differences in wintering area or the timing of spring migration. Instead, sexual differences occurred prior to, and during, autumn migration, when females strongly focussed on agricultural areas. Females exhibited a more protracted autumn migration strategy, hence spent more time on stopover sites and arrived 15 days later at their wintering areas, than males. This shift in habitat use and protracted autumn migration coincided with the timing of moult, which overlaps with chick rearing and migration. Our results suggest that this overlap between energy-demanding activities may lead females to perform a more prolonged autumn migration, which results in spatiotemporal differences in foraging habitat use between the sexes.

  8. Eccentricity Evolution of Migrating Planets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Murray, N.; Paskowitz, M.; Holman, M.

    2002-01-01

    We examine the eccentricity evolution of a system of two planets locked in a mean motion resonance, in which either the outer or both planets lose energy and angular momentum. The sink of energy and angular momentum could be a gas or planetesimal disk. We analytically calculate the eccentricity damping rate in the case of a single planet migrating through a planetesimal disk. When the planetesimal disk is cold (the average eccentricity is much less than 1), the circularization time is comparable to the inward migration time, as previous calculations have found for the case of a gas disk. If the planetesimal disk is hot, the migration time can be an order of magnitude shorter. We show that the eccentricity of both planetary bodies can grow to large values, particularly if the inner body does not directly exchange energy or angular momentum with the disk. We present the results of numerical integrations of two migrating resonant planets showing rapid growth of eccentricity. We also present integrations in which a Jupiter-mass planet is forced to migrate inward through a system of 5-10 roughly Earth-mass planets. The migrating planets can eject or accrete the smaller bodies; roughly 5% of the mass (averaged over all the integrations) accretes onto the central star. The results are discussed in the context of the currently known extrasolar planetary systems.

  9. Diurnal variations of radon and thoron activity concentrations and effective doses in dwellings in Niška Banja, Serbia.

    PubMed

    Vaupotič, J; Streil, T; Tokonami, S; Žunic, Z S

    2013-12-01

    In Niška Banja, a spa town in a radon-prone area in southern Serbia, radon ((222)Rn) and thoron ((220)Rn) activity concentrations were measured continuously for one day in indoor air of 10 dwellings with a SARAD RTM 2010-2 Radon/Thoron Monitor, and equilibrium factor between radon and its decay products and the fraction of unattached radon decay products with a SARAD EQF 3020-2 Equilibrium Factor Monitor. Radon concentration in winter time ranged from 26 to 73 100 Bq m(-3) and that of thoron, from 10 to 8650 Bq m(-3). In the same period, equilibrium factor and the unattached fraction varied in the range of 0.08 to 0.90 and 0.01 to 0.27, respectively. One-day effective doses were calculated and were in winter conditions from 4 to 2599 μSv d(-1) for radon and from 0.2 to 73 μSv d(-1) for thoron.

  10. Father's Labour Migration and Children's School Discontinuation in Rural Mozambique.

    PubMed

    Yabiku, Scott T; Agadjanian, Victor

    2017-08-01

    We examine how the discontinuation of schooling among left-behind children is related to multiple dimensions of male labor migration: the accumulation of migration experience, the timing of these migration experiences in the child's life course, and the economic success of the migration. Our setting is rural southern Mozambique, an impoverished area with massive male labor out-migration. Results show that fathers' economically successful labor migration is more beneficial for children's schooling than unsuccessful migration or non-migration. There are large differences, however, by gender: compared to sons of non-migrants, sons of migrant fathers (regardless of migration success) have lower rates of school discontinuation, while daughters of migrant fathers have rates of school discontinuation no different than daughters of non-migrants. Furthermore, accumulated labor migration across the child's life course is beneficial for boys' schooling, but not girls'. Remittances sent in the past year reduce the rate of discontinuation for sons, but not daughters.

  11. Stock-specific migration timing of adult spring-summer Chinook salmon in the Columbia River basin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Keefer, M.L.; Peery, C.A.; Jepson, M.A.; Tolotti, K.R.; Bjornn, T.C.; Stuehrenberg, L.C.

    2004-01-01

    An understanding of the migration timing patterns of Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. and steelhead O. mykiss is important for managing complex mixed-stock fisheries and preserving genetic and life history diversity. We examined adult return timing for 3,317 radio-tagged fish from 38 stocks of Columbia River basin spring-summer Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha over 5 years. Stock composition varied widely within and between years depending on the strength of influential populations. Most individual stocks migrated at similar times each year relative to overall runs, supporting the hypotheses that run timing is predictable, is at least partially due to genetic adaptation, and can be used to differentiate between some conspecific populations. Arrival timing of both aggregated radio-tagged stocks and annual runs was strongly correlated with river discharge; stocks arrived earlier at Bonneville Dam and at upstream dams in years with low discharge. Migration timing analyses identified many between-stock and between-year differences in anadromous salmonid return behavior and should and managers interested in protection and recovery of evolutionary significant populations.

  12. Supplemental feeding alters migration of a temperate ungulate.

    PubMed

    Jones, Jennifer D; Kauffman, Matthew J; Monteith, Kevin L; Scurlock, Brandon M; Albeke, Shannon E; Cross, Paul C

    Conservation of migration requires information on behavior and environmental determinants. The spatial distribution of forage resources, which migration exploits, often are altered and may have subtle, unintended consequences. Supplemental feeding is a common management practice, particularly for ungulates in North America and Europe, and carryover effects on behavior of this anthropogenic manipulation of forage are expected in theory, but have received limited empirical evaluation, particularly regarding effects on migration. We used global positioning system (GPS) data to evaluate the influence of winter feeding on migration behavior of 219 adult female elk (Cervus elaphus) from 18 fed ranges and 4 unfed ranges in western Wyoming. Principal component analysis revealed that the migratory behavior of fed and unfed elk differed in distance migrated, and the timing of arrival to, duration on, and departure from summer range. Fed elk migrated 19.2 km less, spent 11 more days on stopover sites, arrived to summer range 5 days later, resided on summer range 26 fewer days, and departed in the autumn 10 days earlier than unfed elk. Time-to-event models indicated that differences in migratory behavior between fed and unfed elk were caused by altered sensitivity to the environmental drivers of migration. In spring, unfed elk migrated following plant green-up closely, whereas fed elk departed the feedground but lingered on transitional range, thereby delaying their arrival to summer range. In autumn, fed elk were more responsive to low temperatures and precipitation events, causing earlier departure from summer range than unfed elk. Overall, supplemental feeding disconnected migration by fed elk from spring green-up and decreased time spent on summer range, thereby reducing access to quality forage. Our findings suggest that ungulate migration can be substantially altered by changes to the spatial distribution of resources, including those of anthropogenic origin, and that management practices applied in one season may have unintended behavioral consequences in subsequent seasons.

  13. Supplemental feeding alters migration of a temperate ungulate

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jones, Jennifer D; Kauffman, Matthew J.; Monteith, Kevin L.; Scurlock, Brandon M.; Albeke, Shannon E.; Cross, Paul C.

    2014-01-01

    Conservation of migration requires information on behavior and environmental determinants. The spatial distribution of forage resources, which migration exploits, often are altered and may have subtle, unintended consequences. Supplemental feeding is a common management practice, particularly for ungulates in North America and Europe, and carryover effects on behavior of this anthropogenic manipulation of forage are expected in theory, but have received limited empirical evaluation, particularly regarding effects on migration. We used global positioning system (GPS) data to evaluate the influence of winter feeding on migration behavior of 219 adult female elk (Cervus elaphus) from 18 fed ranges and 4 unfed ranges in western Wyoming. Principal component analysis revealed that the migratory behavior of fed and unfed elk differed in distance migrated, and the timing of arrival to, duration on, and departure from summer range. Fed elk migrated 19.2 km less, spent 11 more days on stopover sites, arrived to summer range 5 days later, resided on summer range 26 fewer days, and departed in the autumn 10 days earlier than unfed elk. Time-to-event models indicated that differences in migratory behavior between fed and unfed elk were caused by altered sensitivity to the environmental drivers of migration. In spring, unfed elk migrated following plant green-up closely, whereas fed elk departed the feedground but lingered on transitional range, thereby delaying their arrival to summer range. In autumn, fed elk were more responsive to low temperatures and precipitation events, causing earlier departure from summer range than unfed elk. Overall, supplemental feeding disconnected migration by fed elk from spring green-up and decreased time spent on summer range, thereby reducing access to quality forage. Our findings suggest that ungulate migration can be substantially altered by changes to the spatial distribution of resources, including those of anthropogenic origin, and that management practices applied in one season may have unintended behavioral consequences in subsequent seasons.

  14. Sensory basis of lepidopteran migration: Focus on the monarch butterfly

    PubMed Central

    Guerra, Patrick A.; Reppert, Steven M.

    2015-01-01

    In response to seasonal habitats, migratory lepidopterans, exemplified by the monarch butterfly, have evolved migration to deal with dynamic conditions. During migration, monarchs use orientation mechanisms, exploiting a time-compensated sun compasses and a light-sensitive inclination magnetic compass to facilitate fall migration south. The sun compass is bidirectional with overwintering coldness triggering the change in orientation direction for remigration northward in the spring. The timing of the remigration and milkweed emergence in the southern US have co-evolved for propagation of the migration. Current research is uncovering the anatomical and molecular substrates that underlie migratory-relevant sensory mechanisms with the antennae being critical components. Orientation mechanisms may be detrimentally affected by environmental factors such as climate change and sensory interference from human-generated sources. PMID:25625216

  15. Sensory basis of lepidopteran migration: focus on the monarch butterfly.

    PubMed

    Guerra, Patrick A; Reppert, Steven M

    2015-10-01

    In response to seasonal habitats, migratory lepidopterans, exemplified by the monarch butterfly, have evolved migration to deal with dynamic conditions. During migration, monarchs use orientation mechanisms, exploiting a time-compensated sun compass and a light-sensitive inclination magnetic compass to facilitate fall migration south. The sun compass is bidirectional with overwintering coldness triggering the change in orientation direction for remigration northward in the spring. The timing of the remigration and milkweed emergence in the southern US have co-evolved for propagation of the migration. Current research is uncovering the anatomical and molecular substrates that underlie migratory-relevant sensory mechanisms with the antennae being critical components. Orientation mechanisms may be detrimentally affected by environmental factors such as climate change and sensory interference from human-generated sources. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Migration of Salmonella serotypes Heidelberg and Enteritidis in previously frozen chicken breast meat.

    PubMed

    Tozzo, Kamila; Neto, Américo F G; Spercoski, Katherinne M; Ronnau, Milton; Soares, Vanessa M; Bersot, Luciano S

    2018-02-01

    Salmonella spp. have been shown to migrate to the internal regions of meat cuts. Storage conditions and the presence of proteolytic microbiota can influence this process. Our study assessed the impact of storage time, temperature, and the presence of proteolytic psychrotrophic bacteria on migration. Samples of previously frozen chicken breast with skin and bone were then sterilized using gamma ray irradiation and a cobalt-60 source (11 KGy) and them were inoculated with cultures of S. Enteritidis, S. Enteritidis and psychrotrophs, S. Heidelberg, or S. Heidelberg and psychrotrophs. Inoculated samples were stored for 6, 12, 24, 48, or 168 h at 2, 7, or -30 °C. After treatment, samples were divided into similar-sized segments and bacterial counts were determined in different regions (A - superface, B - intermediate region, and C - internal region). S. Heidelberg and S. Enteritidis both demonstrated successful internal migration for each time, temperature, and bacterial combination (p < 0.05). Our data revealed that Salmonella migration proceeded for 24 h, but slowed at 48 h (p < 0.05). S. Enteritidis with psychrotrophs showed a low amount of internal migration (p < 0.05). We therefore conclude that Salmonella spp. are able to migrate into the internal regions of meat cuts in a short period of time, even at low temperatures. The presence of proteolytic psychrotrophs inhibits the migration of S. Enteritidis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Age at migration and future risk of psychotic disorders among immigrants in the Netherlands: a 7-year incidence study.

    PubMed

    Veling, Wim; Hoek, Hans W; Selten, Jean-Paul; Susser, Ezra

    2011-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine whether the increased risk for developing a psychotic disorder among immigrants is related to their age at the time of migration. In a 7-year first-contact incidence study, immigrants to the Netherlands and Dutch citizens, ages 15-54 years, who made a first contact with a physician for a suspected psychotic disorder were identified. Diagnostic interviews were administered, and DSM-IV diagnoses were determined by consensus between two psychiatrists. A comprehensive municipal registration system provided the denominator, including information on ethnicity and age at the time of migration. Lower age at the time of migration was associated with a higher incidence of psychotic disorders among immigrants. People who migrated between the ages of 0 and 4 years had the most elevated risk for psychotic disorders compared with the risk among Dutch citizens (age- and sex-adjusted incidence rate ratio=2.96, 95% confidence interval [CI]=2.10-4.17), and the risk gradually decreased with older age at migration (adjusted incidence rate ratio for migration at 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and >29 years, respectively: 2.31 [CI=1.61-3.29], 1.51 [CI=1.02-2.25], and 1.00 [CI=0.58-1.72]). The adverse influence of migration on the risk for psychotic disorders is most prominent in early life, suggesting that this is an important period in the etiology of the illness.

  18. Describing Directional Cell Migration with a Characteristic Directionality Time

    PubMed Central

    Loosley, Alex J.; O’Brien, Xian M.; Reichner, Jonathan S.; Tang, Jay X.

    2015-01-01

    Many cell types can bias their direction of locomotion by coupling to external cues. Characteristics such as how fast a cell migrates and the directedness of its migration path can be quantified to provide metrics that determine which biochemical and biomechanical factors affect directional cell migration, and by how much. To be useful, these metrics must be reproducible from one experimental setting to another. However, most are not reproducible because their numerical values depend on technical parameters like sampling interval and measurement error. To address the need for a reproducible metric, we analytically derive a metric called directionality time, the minimum observation time required to identify motion as directionally biased. We show that the corresponding fit function is applicable to a variety of ergodic, directionally biased motions. A motion is ergodic when the underlying dynamical properties such as speed or directional bias do not change over time. Measuring the directionality of nonergodic motion is less straightforward but we also show how this class of motion can be analyzed. Simulations are used to show the robustness of directionality time measurements and its decoupling from measurement errors. As a practical example, we demonstrate the measurement of directionality time, step-by-step, on noisy, nonergodic trajectories of chemotactic neutrophils. Because of its inherent generality, directionality time ought to be useful for characterizing a broad range of motions including intracellular transport, cell motility, and animal migration. PMID:25992908

  19. Empirical observations of the spawning migration of European eels: The long and dangerous road to the Sargasso Sea.

    PubMed

    Righton, David; Westerberg, Håkan; Feunteun, Eric; Økland, Finn; Gargan, Patrick; Amilhat, Elsa; Metcalfe, Julian; Lobon-Cervia, Javier; Sjöberg, Niklas; Simon, Janek; Acou, Anthony; Vedor, Marisa; Walker, Alan; Trancart, Thomas; Brämick, Uwe; Aarestrup, Kim

    2016-10-01

    The spawning migration of the European eel ( Anguilla anguilla L.) to the Sargasso Sea is one of the greatest animal migrations. However, the duration and route of the migration remain uncertain. Using fishery data from 20 rivers across Europe, we show that most eels begin their oceanic migration between August and December. We used electronic tagging techniques to map the oceanic migration from eels released from four regions in Europe. Of 707 eels tagged, we received 206 data sets. Many migrations ended soon after release because of predation events, but we were able to reconstruct in detail the migration routes of >80 eels. The route extended from western mainland Europe to the Azores region, more than 5000 km toward the Sargasso Sea. All eels exhibited diel vertical migrations, moving from deeper water during the day into shallower water at night. The range of migration speeds was 3 to 47 km day -1 . Using data from larval surveys in the Sargasso Sea, we show that spawning likely begins in December and peaks in February. Synthesizing these results, we show that the timing of autumn escapement and the rate of migration are inconsistent with the century-long held assumption that eels spawn as a single reproductive cohort in the springtime following their escapement. Instead, we suggest that European eels adopt a mixed migratory strategy, with some individuals able to achieve a rapid migration, whereas others arrive only in time for the following spawning season. Our results have consequences for eel management.

  20. On the Reality of Illusory Conjunctions.

    PubMed

    Botella, Juan; Suero, Manuel; Durán, Juan I

    2017-01-01

    The reality of illusory conjunctions in perception has been sometimes questioned, arguing that they can be explained by other mechanisms. Most relevant experiments are based on migrations along the space dimension. But the low rate of illusory conjunctions along space can easily hide them among other types of errors. As migrations over time are a more frequent phenomenon, illusory conjunctions can be disentangled from other errors. We report an experiment in which series of colored letters were presented in several spatial locations, allowing for migrations over both space and time. The distribution of frequencies were fit by several multinomial tree models based on alternative hypothesis about illusory conjunctions and the potential sources of free-floating features. The best-fit model acknowledges that most illusory conjunctions are migrations in the time domain. Migrations in space are probably present, but the rate is very low. Other conjunction errors, as those produced by guessing or miscategorizations of the to-be-reported feature, are also present in the experiment. The main conclusion is that illusory conjunctions do exist.

  1. Climate-induced trends in predator–prey synchrony differ across life-history stages of an anadromous salmonid

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bell, Donovan A.; Kovach, Ryan; Vulstek, Scott C.; Joyce, John E.; Tallmon, David A.

    2017-01-01

    Differential climate-induced shifts in phenology can create mismatches between predators and prey, but few studies have examined predator–prey mismatch across multiple life-history stages. We used long-term data from a warming stream with shifting salmonid migration timings to quantify intra-annual migration synchrony between predatory Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) and Pacific salmon prey and examined how predator–prey synchrony has been influenced by climate change. We demonstrate that Dolly Varden have become increasingly mismatched with spring downstream migrations of abundant pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) juveniles. However, Dolly Varden have remained matched with fall upstream migrations of spawning Pacific salmon, including coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch), sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka), and pink salmon. Downstream predator–prey migration synchrony decreased over time and with higher temperatures, particularly with pink salmon. In contrast, upstream migration synchrony was temporally stable and increased with rising temperatures. Differing trends in Dolly Varden predator–prey synchrony may be explained by the direct use of salmon to cue upstream migration, but not downstream migration. Overall, we show that climate change can have differing impacts on predator–prey synchrony across life-history stages.

  2. Cargo Movement Operations System (CMOS) Requirements Traceability Matrix, ECP. Version 2

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-06-07

    NO [ ] COMMENT DISPOSITION: COMMENT STATUS: OPEN ( ] CLOSED [ ] ORIGINATOR CONTROL NUMBER: RTM2-0003 PROGRAM OFFICE CONTROL NUMBER: DATA ITEM DISCREPANCY WORKSHEET CDRL NUMBER: A018-02A DATE: 06/07/90 ORIGINATOR NAME: Patrick L. Combs OFFICE SYMBOL: SAIC TELEPHONE NUMBER: 272-2999 SUBSTANTIVE: X EDITORIAL: PAGE NUMBER: E-25 PARA NUMBER: SC122 COMMENT OR RECOMMENDED CHANGE: Delete SS0850 and SS0851 from SC122. RATIONALE: These requirements are not present in all the subordinate system capabilities and, therefore, should not be allocated to

  3. Textile technology development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shah, Bharat M.

    1995-01-01

    The objectives of this report were to evaluate and select resin systems for Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) and Powder Towpreg Material, to develop and evaluate advanced textile processes by comparing 2-D and 3-D braiding for fuselage frame applications and develop window belt and side panel structural design concepts, to evaluate textile material properties, and to develop low cost manufacturing and tooling processes for the automated manufacturing of fuselage primary structures. This research was in support of the NASA and Langley Research Center (LaRc) Advanced Composite Structural Concepts and Materials Technologies for Primary Aircraft Structures program.

  4. Color camera computed tomography imaging spectrometer for improved spatial-spectral image accuracy

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilson, Daniel W. (Inventor); Bearman, Gregory H. (Inventor); Johnson, William R. (Inventor)

    2011-01-01

    Computed tomography imaging spectrometers ("CTIS"s) having color focal plane array detectors are provided. The color FPA detector may comprise a digital color camera including a digital image sensor, such as a Foveon X3.RTM. digital image sensor or a Bayer color filter mosaic. In another embodiment, the CTIS includes a pattern imposed either directly on the object scene being imaged or at the field stop aperture. The use of a color FPA detector and the pattern improves the accuracy of the captured spatial and spectral information.

  5. Species-specific patterns of diel migration into the Oxygen Minimum Zone by euphausiids in the Humboldt Current Ecosystem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Antezana, Tarsicio

    2009-12-01

    A series of stratified bongo net samples taken over a 2 day period at ca. 18°S, about 20 nm off the coast of Peru, South America, suggest species-specific patterns of diel vertical migration into the Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ) of the Humboldt Current Ecosystem (HCE). The OMZ was the most dramatic feature of the water column and seemed to determine the extent of migration: Stylocheiron affine migrated only to the shallow oxycline; whereas Euphausia mucronata, Euphausia eximia, Euphausia distinguenda and Euphausia tenera migrated to the core of the OMZ; and Nematoscelis gracilis to beneath the core of the OMZ. Some differences were also found in the timing and duration of the ascent and descent, and residence times in shallow and deep layers. E. mucronata, N. gracilis and E. distinguenda displayed a normal descent during sunrise, and ascent during sunset. E. eximia and E. tenera also descended during sunrise but seemed to begin their ascent earlier in the afternoon and consequently shortened their deep residence times. S. affine showed the most extended residence times at the shallow layer and the shortest vertical displacement. Day and night vertical stratification and differences in the timing of migration into and out of the OMZ of the HCE suggest a community structure based on habitat partitioning whereby species avoided co-occurrence in time and space. Species-specific patterns of vertical stratification and migratory chronology are examined with regard to body and gill sizes, feeding adaptations of euphausiids, and potential food resources at the OMZ.

  6. Singing behavior of fin whales in the Davis Strait with implications for mating, migration and foraging.

    PubMed

    Simon, Malene; Stafford, Kathleen M; Beedholm, Kristian; Lee, Craig M; Madsen, Peter T

    2010-11-01

    Most baleen whales undertake migrations between low-latitude breeding grounds and high-latitude feeding grounds. Though little is known about the timing of their migration from the Arctic, fin whales are assumed to undertake a similar migratory pattern. To address questions about habitat use and migrations, the acoustic activity of fin whales in Davis Strait, between Greenland and Canada, was monitored continuously for two years using three bottom-moored acoustic recorders. The acoustic power in the fin whale call frequencies peaked in November-December, showing that fin whales are present in Davis Strait much later in the year than previously expected. The closely timed peaks in song activity and conception time imply that not all fin whales migrate south to mate, but rather start mating at high latitudes rather than or before migrating. Singing activity was strongly linked to daylight hours, suggesting that fin whales might feed during the few daylight hours of the late fall and early Arctic winter. A negative correlation between the advancing sea ice front and power in fin whale frequencies indicates that future changes in sea ice conditions from global warming might change the distribution and migratory patterns of fin whales near the poles.

  7. Hybrid RTM process: Monitoring and processing of composites based on reactive thermoplastic systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dkier, Mohamed; Lamnawar, Khalid; Maazouz, Abderrahim

    2017-10-01

    In this work, hybrid process coupling "Reactive Extrusion" and "Resin Transfer Molding" machine (T-ERTM) equipped with an instrumented mold was designed and developed. Polyamides model matrix according to two kinds of polymerizations were studied as well anionic and chain extension reactions. For the former, different ratios of catalyst and activator were investigated. For the latter, various formulations of prepolymer with chain extender (CA) were studied at different stoichiometry ratios and temperatures. Since that both reaction kinetics are very fast to be monitored at short times by usual technics, the chemo-rheological evolutions were firstly studied ex-situ by coupling rheology with FTIR and dielectric spectroscopy (DRS). Secondly, the T-ERTM process with an "instrumented mold" was developed with specific dielectric sensors in order to in-situ track viscosity and reaction evolution. The in-situ results corroborate the ex-situ ones aforementioned. Overall, a processing window was obtained for each reactive system to ensure a good preform impregnation for the manufacturing of complex and continuous glass fiber-reinforced parts. Herein, the Time-Temperature-Transformation-equivalent diagrams were established to obtain Thermoplastic composites with tailored mechanical and physical properties.

  8. The C. elegans tailless/Tlx homolog nhr-67 regulates a stage-specific program of linker cell migration in male gonadogenesis.

    PubMed

    Kato, Mihoko; Sternberg, Paul W

    2009-12-01

    Cell migration is a common event during organogenesis, yet little is known about how migration is temporally coordinated with organ development. We are investigating stage-specific programs of cell migration using the linker cell (LC), a migratory cell crucial for male gonadogenesis of C. elegans. During the L3 and L4 larval stages of wild-type males, the LC undergoes changes in its position along the migratory route, in transcriptional regulation of the unc-5 netrin receptor and zmp-1 zinc matrix metalloprotease, and in cell morphology. We have identified the tailless homolog nhr-67 as a cell-autonomous, stage-specific regulator of timing in LC migration programs. In nhr-67-deficient animals, each of the L3 and L4 stage changes is either severely delayed or never occurs, yet LC development before the early L3 stage or after the mid-L4 stage occurs with normal timing. We propose that there is a basal migration program utilized throughout LC migration that is modified by stage-specific regulators such as nhr-67.

  9. Migration of lymphocytes on fibronectin-coated surfaces: temporal evolution of migratory parameters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bergman, A. J.; Zygourakis, K.; McIntire, L. V. (Principal Investigator)

    1999-01-01

    Lymphocytes typically interact with implanted biomaterials through adsorbed exogenous proteins. To provide a more complete characterization of these interactions, analysis of lymphocyte migration on adsorbed extracellular matrix proteins must accompany the commonly performed adhesion studies. We report here a comparison of the migratory and adhesion behavior of Jurkat cells (a T lymphoblastoid cell line) on tissue culture treated and untreated polystyrene surfaces coated with various concentrations of fibronectin. The average speed of cell locomotion showed a biphasic response to substrate adhesiveness for cells migrating on untreated polystyrene and a monotonic decrease for cells migrating on tissue culture-treated polystyrene. A modified approach to the persistent random walk model was implemented to determine the time dependence of cell migration parameters. The random motility coefficient showed significant increases with time when cells migrated on tissue culture-treated polystyrene surfaces, while it remained relatively constant for experiments with untreated polystyrene plates. Finally, a cell migration computer model was developed to verify our modified persistent random walk analysis. Simulation results suggest that our experimental data were consistent with temporally increasing random motility coefficients.

  10. First-Time Migration in Juvenile Common Cuckoos Documented by Satellite Tracking

    PubMed Central

    Willemoes, Mikkel; Thomson, Robert L.; Tolvanen, Jere; Rutila, Jarkko; Samaš, Peter; Strandberg, Roine; Grim, Tomáš; Fossøy, Frode; Stokke, Bård Gunnar; Thorup, Kasper

    2016-01-01

    Being an obligate parasite, juvenile common cuckoos Cuculus canorus are thought to reach their African wintering grounds from Palearctic breeding grounds without guidance from experienced conspecifics but this has not been documented. We used satellite tracking to study naïve migrating common cuckoos. Juvenile cuckoos left breeding sites in Finland moving slowly and less consistently directed than adult cuckoos. Migration of the juveniles (N = 5) was initiated later than adults (N = 20), was directed toward the southwest–significantly different from the initial southeast direction of adults–and included strikingly long Baltic Sea crossings (N = 3). After initial migration of juvenile cuckoos toward Poland, the migration direction changed and proceeded due south, directly toward the winter grounds, as revealed by a single tag transmitting until arrival in Northwest Angola where northern adult cuckoos regularly winter. Compared to adults, the juvenile travelled straighter and faster, potentially correcting for wind drift along the route. That both migration route and timing differed from adults indicates that juvenile cuckoos are able to reach proper wintering grounds independently, guided only by their innate migration programme. PMID:28005960

  11. Rural-urban migration in a developing country: Botswana, Africa.

    PubMed

    Tarver, J D; Miller, H M

    1987-01-01

    Trends in internal migration in Botswana are analyzed, with a focus on rural-urban migration. Data are from the 1981 census and from a survey carried out in 1979. The authors note that even though the predominance of subsistence agriculture acts as a deterrent to rural-urban migration, it is probable that the total and percentage of people living in urban areas will increase. However, the magnitude and pattern of future migration will fluctuate over time as social and economic conditions change.

  12. Human Migration Patterns in Yemen and Implications for Reconstructing Prehistoric Population Movements

    PubMed Central

    Miró-Herrans, Aida T.; Al-Meeri, Ali; Mulligan, Connie J.

    2014-01-01

    Population migration has played an important role in human evolutionary history and in the patterning of human genetic variation. A deeper and empirically-based understanding of human migration dynamics is needed in order to interpret genetic and archaeological evidence and to accurately reconstruct the prehistoric processes that comprise human evolutionary history. Current empirical estimates of migration include either short time frames (i.e. within one generation) or partial knowledge about migration, such as proportion of migrants or distance of migration. An analysis of migration that includes both proportion of migrants and distance, and direction over multiple generations would better inform prehistoric reconstructions. To evaluate human migration, we use GPS coordinates from the place of residence of the Yemeni individuals sampled in our study, their birthplaces and their parents' and grandparents' birthplaces to calculate the proportion of migrants, as well as the distance and direction of migration events between each generation. We test for differences in these values between the generations and identify factors that influence the probability of migration. Our results show that the proportion and distance of migration between females and males is similar within generations. In contrast, the proportion and distance of migration is significantly lower in the grandparents' generation, most likely reflecting the decreasing effect of technology. Based on our results, we calculate the proportion of migration events (0.102) and mean and median distances of migration (96 km and 26 km) for the grandparent's generation to represent early times in human evolution. These estimates can serve to set parameter values of demographic models in model-based methods of prehistoric reconstruction, such as approximate Bayesian computation. Our study provides the first empirically-based estimates of human migration over multiple generations in a developing country and these estimates are intended to enable more precise reconstruction of the demographic processes that characterized human evolution. PMID:24759992

  13. Investigation of organic matter migrating from polymeric pipes into drinking water under different flow manners.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ling; Liu, Shuming; Liu, Wenjun

    2014-02-01

    Polymeric pipes, such as unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) pipes, polypropylene random (PPR) pipes and polyethylene (PE) pipes are increasingly used for drinking water distribution lines. Plastic pipes may include some additives like metallic stabilizers and other antioxidants for the protection of the material during its production and use. Thus, some compounds can be released from those plastic pipes and cast a shadow on drinking water quality. This work develops a new procedure to investigate three types of polymer pipes (uPVC, PE and PPR) with respect to the migration of total organic carbon (TOC) into drinking water. The migration test was carried out in stagnant conditions with two types of migration processes, a continuous migration process and a successive migration process. These two types of migration processes are specially designed to mimic the conditions of different flow manners in drinking water pipelines, i.e., the situation of continuous stagnation with long hydraulic retention times and normal flow status with regular water renewing in drinking water networks. The experimental results showed that TOC release differed significantly with different plastic materials and under different flow manners. The order of materials with respect to the total amount of TOC migrating into drinking water was observed as PE > PPR > uPVC under both successive and continuous migration conditions. A higher amount of organic migration from PE and PPR pipes was likely to occur due to more organic antioxidants being used in pipe production. The results from the successive migration tests indicated the trend of the migration intensity of different pipe materials over time, while the results obtained from the continuous migration tests implied that under long stagnant conditions, the drinking water quality could deteriorate quickly with the consistent migration of organic compounds and the dramatic consumption of chlorine to a very low level. Higher amounts of TOC were released under the continuous migration tests.

  14. Comparison of the migration of melamine from melamine-formaldehyde plastics ('melaware') into various food simulants and foods themselves.

    PubMed

    Bradley, E L; Castle, L; Day, J S; Ebner, I; Ehlert, K; Helling, R; Koster, S; Leak, J; Pfaff, K

    2010-12-01

    A variety of melaware articles were tested for the migration of melamine into the food simulant 3% w/v acetic acid as a benchmark, and into other food simulants, beverages and foods for comparison. The results indicate that the acidity of the food simulant plays a role in promoting migration, but not by as much as might have been anticipated, since 3% acetic acid gave migration values about double those obtained using water under the same time and temperature test conditions. In contrast, migration into the fatty food simulant olive oil was not detectable and at least 20-fold lower than with the aqueous food simulants. This was expected given the solubility properties of melamine and the characteristics of the melaware plastic. Migration levels into hot acidic beverages (apple juice, tomato juice, red-fruit tea and black coffee) were rather similar to the acetic acid simulant when the same time and temperature test conditions are used, e.g. 2 h at 70°C. However, migration levels into foods that were placed hot into melaware articles and then allowed to cool on standing were much lower (6-14 times lower) than if pre-heated food was placed into the articles and then maintained (artificially) at that high temperature in the same way that a controlled time-temperature test using simulants would be conducted. This very strong influence of time and especially temperature was manifest in the effects seen of microwave heating of food or beverage in the melaware articles. Here, despite the short duration of hot contact, migration levels were similar to simulants used for longer periods, e.g. 70°C for 2 h. This is rationalized in terms of the peak temperature achieved on microwave heating, which may exceed 70°C, counterbalancing the shorter time period held hot. There was also evidence that when using melaware utensils in boiling liquids, as for stovetop use of spatulas, the boiling action of circulating food/simulant can have an additional effect in promoting surface erosion, increasing the plastic decomposition and so elevating the melamine release.

  15. A three phase optimization method for precopy based VM live migration.

    PubMed

    Sharma, Sangeeta; Chawla, Meenu

    2016-01-01

    Virtual machine live migration is a method of moving virtual machine across hosts within a virtualized datacenter. It provides significant benefits for administrator to manage datacenter efficiently. It reduces service interruption by transferring the virtual machine without stopping at source. Transfer of large number of virtual machine memory pages results in long migration time as well as downtime, which also affects the overall system performance. This situation becomes unbearable when migration takes place over slower network or a long distance migration within a cloud. In this paper, precopy based virtual machine live migration method is thoroughly analyzed to trace out the issues responsible for its performance drops. In order to address these issues, this paper proposes three phase optimization (TPO) method. It works in three phases as follows: (i) reduce the transfer of memory pages in first phase, (ii) reduce the transfer of duplicate pages by classifying frequently and non-frequently updated pages, and (iii) reduce the data sent in last iteration of migration by applying the simple RLE compression technique. As a result, each phase significantly reduces total pages transferred, total migration time and downtime respectively. The proposed TPO method is evaluated using different representative workloads on a Xen virtualized environment. Experimental results show that TPO method reduces total pages transferred by 71 %, total migration time by 70 %, downtime by 3 % for higher workload, and it does not impose significant overhead as compared to traditional precopy method. Comparison of TPO method with other methods is also done for supporting and showing its effectiveness. TPO method and precopy methods are also tested at different number of iterations. The TPO method gives better performance even with less number of iterations.

  16. Modeling of thin-film GaAs growth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Heinbockel, J. H.

    1981-01-01

    A solid Monte Carlo model is constructed for the simulation of crystal growth. The model assumes thermally accommodated adatoms impinge upon the surface during a delta time interval. The surface adatoms are assigned a random energy from a Boltzmann distribution, and this energy determines whether the adatoms evaporate, migrate, or remain stationary during the delta time interval. For each addition or migration of an adatom, potential wells are adjusted to reflect the absorption, migration, or desorption potential changes.

  17. Migration and common mental disorder: an improvement in mental health over time?

    PubMed

    Butler, Margaret; Warfa, Nasir; Khatib, Yasmin; Bhui, Kamaldeep

    2015-02-01

    Global migration is reaching record high levels and UK migrant groups comprise an increasing proportion of the total population. The migratory process causes stress that can affect mental health. There is limited consistent empirical evidence of a longitudinal nature to explain the association between migration and mental health. This review aims to examine the evidence of a relationship between migration and common mental disorder (CMD) amongst migrants over time. A comprehensive search of medical and psychiatric databases for global quantitative empirical studies investigating incidence of CMD amongst adult migrants from 1975 to July 2012 was conducted. Declines in rates of CMD amongst migrants over time were reported by two thirds of the 18 studies reviewed, less than one third of which were statistically significant. On the contrary, three studies showed an increased rate of CMD, one statistically significant. Individual psychological resources, social support, the acculturation process, cultural variations and time since relocation are identified as statistically significant protective factors against the development of CMD amongst migrants. New enlightening points include the significant impact of varying patterns of psychological distress, of which negative is the most adverse for CMD. Migration is an extremely complex process. Further clarification is needed to gain deeper understanding of the relationship between migration and CMD to address contradictions in the literature and health inequalities amongst migrants.

  18. Imaging Shallow Salt With 3D Refraction Migration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vanschuyver, C. J.; Hilterman, F. J.

    2005-05-01

    In offshore West Africa, numerous salt walls are within 200 m of sea level. Because of the shallowness of these salt walls, reflections from the salt top can be difficult to map, making it impossible to build an accurate velocity model for subsequent pre-stack depth migration. An accurate definition of salt boundaries is critical to any depth model where salt is present. Unfortunately, when a salt body is very shallow, the reflection from the upper interface can be obscured due to large offsets between the source and near receivers and also due to the interference from multiples and other near-surface noise events. A new method is described using 3D migration of the refraction waveforms which is simplified because of several constraints in the model definition. The azimuth and dip of the refractor is found by imaging with Kirchhoff theory. A Kirchhoff migration is performed where the traveltime values are adjusted to use the CMP refraction traveltime equation. I assume the sediment and salt velocities to be known such that once the image time is specified, then the dip and azimuth of the refraction path can be found. The resulting 3D refraction migrations are in excellent depth agreement with available well control. In addition, the refraction migration time picks of deeper salt events are in agreement with time picks of the same events on the reflection migration.

  19. Quantifying Migration Behaviour Using Net Squared Displacement Approach: Clarifications and Caveats.

    PubMed

    Singh, Navinder J; Allen, Andrew M; Ericsson, Göran

    2016-01-01

    Estimating migration parameters of individuals and populations is vital for their conservation and management. Studies on animal movements and migration often depend upon location data from tracked animals and it is important that such data are appropriately analyzed for reliable estimates of migration and effective management of moving animals. The Net Squared Displacement (NSD) approach for modelling animal movement is being increasingly used as it can objectively quantify migration characteristics and separate different types of movements from migration. However, the ability of NSD to properly classify the movement patterns of individuals has been criticized and issues related to study design arise with respect to starting locations of the data/animals, data sampling regime and extent of movement of species. We address the issues raised over NSD using tracking data from 319 moose (Alces alces) in Sweden. Moose is an ideal species to test this approach, as it can be sedentary, nomadic, dispersing or migratory and individuals vary in their extent, timing and duration of migration. We propose a two-step process of using the NSD approach by first classifying movement modes using mean squared displacement (MSD) instead of NSD and then estimating the extent, duration and timing of migration using NSD. We show that the NSD approach is robust to the choice of starting dates except when the start date occurs during the migratory phase. We also show that the starting location of the animal has a marginal influence on the correct quantification of migration characteristics. The number of locations per day (1-48) did not significantly affect the performance of non-linear mixed effects models, which correctly distinguished migration from other movement types, however, high-resolution data had a significant negative influence on estimates for the timing of migrations. The extent of movement, however, had an effect on the classification of movements, and individuals undertaking short- distance migrations can be misclassified as other movements such as sedentary or nomadic. Our study raises important considerations for designing, analysing and interpreting movement ecology studies, and how these should be determined by the biology of the species and the ecological and conservation questions in focus.

  20. Periodic Colony Formation by Bacterial Species Bacillus subtilis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wakita, Jun-ichi; Shimada, Hirotoshi; Itoh, Hiroto; Matsuyama, Tohey; Matsushita, Mitsugu

    2001-03-01

    We have investigated the periodic colony growth of bacterial species Bacillus subtilis. A colony grows cyclically with the interface repeating an advance (migration phase) and a rest (consolidation phase) alternately on a surface of semi-solid agar plate under appropriate environmental conditions, resulting in a concentric ring-like colony. It was found from macroscopic observations that the characteristic quantities for the periodic growth such as the migration time, the consolidation time and the terrace spacing do not depend so much on nutrient concentration Cn, but do on agar concentration Ca. The consolidation time was a weakly increasing function of Ca, while the migration time and the terrace spacing were, respectively, weakly and strongly decreasing function of Ca. Overall, the cycle (migration-plus-consolidation) time seems to be constant, and does not depend so much on both Cn and Ca. Microscopically, bacterial cells inside the growing front of a colony keep increasing their population during both migration and consolidation phases. It was also confirmed that their secreting surfactant called surfactin does not affect their periodic growth qualitatively, i.e., mutant cells which cannot secrete surfactin produce a concentric ring-like colony. All these results suggest that the diffusion of the nutrient and the surfactin are irrelevant to their periodic growth.

  1. Crystalline, Glassy and Polymeric Electrolytes:. Similarities and Differences in Ionic Transport Mechanisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Souquet, Jean Louis

    2006-06-01

    Ionocovalent crystals or glasses as well as molten salts or salt polymer complexes are currently studied as electrolytes for high energy density batteries. Their large Red/Ox stability range results from their thermodynamic or kinetic characteristics. For all these electrolytes, charge carriers are the consequence of local deviations from electroneutrality, identified as point defects for ionic crystals or partial dissociation in disordered structures. The charge carriers formation derives from a similar activated process. The main difference comes from the migration process, which depends on the dynamic properties of the surrounding medium. When the structural relaxation time is large, an activated process, mainly enthalpic, prevails for charge carriers migration. It is the usual case for ionic crystals or glasses. In the liquid or overcooled liquid states, the structural relaxation time of the medium is shorter that the time required for the activated migration process to occur and a local reorganization of the medium vanishes the energy barrier and provides the free volume necessary to ionic migration. In that case, the migration is mainly an entropic process. The configurational entropy necessary to this process decreases with temperature and vanishes at the so called ideal glass transition temperature which can be estimated by extrapolation of the transport properties or of the thermodynamic characteristics of the medium. However, at the experiment time scale, this configurational entropy disappears at a somewhat higher temperature, the glass transition temperature at which the structural relaxation time corresponds to the measurement time. Some glass forming ionic melts studied in a large temperature scale, over and below the glass transition temperature, evidence the two, enthalpic and entropic, migration mechanisms, allowing the determination of the thermodynamic characteristics of the charge carriers formation and migration. Some recent results indicate that entropic process, associated to long scale deformations, may also exist in crystalline structures.

  2. Tracking the autumn migration of the bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) with satellite telemetry and relationship to environmental conditions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zhang, Yaonan; Hao, Meiyu; Takekawa, John Y.; Lei, Fumin; Yan, Baoping; Prosser, Diann J.; Douglas, David C.; Xing, Zhi; Newman, Scott H.

    2011-01-01

    The autumn migration routes of bar-headed geese captured before the 2008 breeding season at Qinghai Lake, China, were documented using satellite tracking data. To assess how the migration strategies of bar-headed geese are influenced by environmental conditions, the relationship between migratory routes, temperatures, and vegetation coverage at stopovers sites estimated with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) were analyzed. Our results showed that there were four typical migration routes in autumn with variation in timing among individuals in start and end times and in total migration and stopover duration. The observed variation may be related to habitat type and other environmental conditions along the routes. On average, these birds traveled about 1300 to 1500 km, refueled at three to six stopover sites and migrated for 73 to 83 days. The majority of the habitat types at stopover sites were lake, marsh, and shoal wetlands, with use of some mountainous regions, and farmland areas.

  3. Target-oriented imaging of hydraulic fractures by applying the staining algorithm for downhole microseismic migration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Ye; Zhang, Haijiang; Jia, Xiaofeng

    2018-03-01

    For microseismic monitoring of hydraulic fracturing, microseismic migration can be used to image the fracture network with scattered microseismic waves. Compared with conventional microseismic location-based fracture characterization methods, microseismic migration can better constrain the stimulated reservoir volume regardless of the completeness of detected and located microseismic sources. However, the imaging results from microseismic migration may suffer from the contamination of other structures and thus the target fracture zones may not be illuminated properly. To solve this issue, in this study we propose a target-oriented staining algorithm for microseismic reverse-time migration. In the staining algorithm, the target area is first stained by constructing an imaginary velocity field and then a synchronized source wavefield only concerning the target structure is produced. As a result, a synchronized image from imaging with the synchronized source wavefield mainly contains the target structures. Synthetic tests based on a downhole microseismic monitoring system show that the target-oriented microseismic reverse-time migration method improves the illumination of target areas.

  4. Elastic least-squares reverse time migration with velocities and density perturbation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qu, Yingming; Li, Jinli; Huang, Jianping; Li, Zhenchun

    2018-02-01

    Elastic least-squares reverse time migration (LSRTM) based on the non-density-perturbation assumption can generate false-migrated interfaces caused by density variations. We perform an elastic LSRTM scheme with density variations for multicomponent seismic data to produce high-quality images in Vp, Vs and ρ components. However, the migrated images may suffer from crosstalk artefacts caused by P- and S-waves coupling in elastic LSRTM no matter what model parametrizations used. We have proposed an elastic LSRTM with density variations method based on wave modes separation to reduce these crosstalk artefacts by using P- and S-wave decoupled elastic velocity-stress equations to derive demigration equations and gradient formulae with respect to Vp, Vs and ρ. Numerical experiments with synthetic data demonstrate the capability and superiority of the proposed method. The imaging results suggest that our method promises imaging results with higher quality and has a faster residual convergence rate. Sensitivity analysis of migration velocity, migration density and stochastic noise verifies the robustness of the proposed method for field data.

  5. Corresponding long-term shifts in stream temperature and invasive fish migration

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McCann, Erin L.; Johnson, Nicholas; Pangle, Kevin

    2018-01-01

    By investigating historic trapping records of invasive sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) throughout tributaries to the Laurentian Great Lakes, we found that upstream spawning migration timing was highly correlated with stream temperatures over large spatial and temporal scales. Furthermore, several streams in our study exceeded a critical spring thermal threshold (i.e., 15°C) and experienced peak spawning migration up to 30 days earlier since the 1980s, whereas others were relatively unchanged. Streams exhibiting warming trends and earlier migration were spatially clustered and generally found on the leeward side of the Great Lakes where the lakes most affect local climate. These findings highlight that all streams are not equally impacted by climate change and represent, to our knowledge, the first observation linking long-term changes in stream temperatures to shifts in migration timing of an invasive fish. Earlier sea lamprey migration in Great Lakes tributaries may improve young of the year growth and survival, but not limit their spatial distribution, making sea lamprey control more challenging.

  6. February precipitation in the wintering grounds of the lesser whitethroat, Sylvia curruca: is it a cue for migration onset?

    PubMed

    Aloni, Irith; Markman, Shai; Ziv, Yaron

    2017-02-01

    Numerous studies report shifts in bird migration phenology, presumably owing to global warming. However, most studies focus on migration patterns in the Northern Hemisphere. In this study, we investigated associations between weather conditions in African wintering grounds of the lesser whitethroat, Sylvia curruca, and spring arrival time in Eilat, Israel. Using multivariate regression models, we analysed a 30-year dataset in order to examine correlations between median springtime arrival and 46 climate variables of the wintering quarters. The model obtained exhibited a highly statistical fit, involving mean precipitation in February and March with negative effects and number of wet days during November-February. February precipitation levels were also the major factor associated with the interquartile range of arrival time. Interestingly and contrary to published results, annual or seasonal precipitation showed no correlation with spring arrival time, nor did temperature. Moreover, winter in this region falls into dry season with negligible rainfall quantities. Hence, it is unlikely that precipitation effect on habitat productivity is a driving force of migration, as suggested by other studies. Instead, we propose that precipitation in February acts as a cue for the birds, indicating the approach of spring and migration time.

  7. Differential autumn migration of the aquatic warbler Acrocephalus paludicola

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Katarzyna; Jakubas, Dariusz; Foucher, Julien; Dziarska-Pałac, Joanna; Dugué, Hubert

    2013-11-01

    Relatively little attention has been paid to sex differences in the migration of birds in autumn. We studied the autumn migration strategy of molecularly sexed males and females in the globally threatened aquatic warbler Acrocephalus paludicola. We captured 176 birds at a stopover site in the Loire estuary at Donges, France. The median date for the passage of adults was 8 days earlier in males than females, although the timing of migration in first-year males and females was similar. This indicates that males, who are without parental duties, can start their migration earlier than females and first-year birds. Adults were significantly heavier than immature birds but did not have higher fat scores. In both age categories, more males (two to three times more) were captured. However, various factors (including tape-luring) can affect observed sex ratio.

  8. Migration trends of Sockeye Salmon at the northern edge of their distribution

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carey, Michael P.; Zimmerman, Christian E.; Keith, Kevin D.; Schelske, Merlyn; Lean, Charles; Douglas, David C.

    2017-01-01

    Climate change is affecting arctic and subarctic ecosystems, and anadromous fish such as Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. are particularly susceptible due to the physiological challenge of spawning migrations. Predicting how migratory timing will change under Arctic warming scenarios requires an understanding of how environmental factors drive salmon migrations. Multiple mechanisms exist by which environmental conditions may influence migrating salmon, including altered migration cues from the ocean and natal river. We explored relationships between interannual variability and annual migration timing (2003–2014) of Sockeye Salmon O. nerka in a subarctic watershed with environmental conditions at broad, intermediate, and local spatial scales. Low numbers of Sockeye Salmon have returned to this high-latitude watershed in recent years, and run size has been a dominant influence on the migration duration and the midpoint date of the run. The duration of the migration upriver varied by as much as 25 d across years, and shorter run durations were associated with smaller run sizes. The duration of the migration was also extended with warmer sea surface temperatures in the staging area and lower values of the North Pacific Index. The midpoint date of the total run was earlier when the run size was larger, whereas the midpoint date was delayed during years in which river temperatures warmed earlier in the season. Documenting factors related to the migration of Sockeye Salmon near the northern limit of their range provides insights into the determinants of salmon migrations and suggests processes that could be important for determining future changes in arctic and subarctic ecosystems.

  9. The Effect on Final Bond Strength of Bracket Manipulation Subsequent To Initial Positioning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beebe, David A.

    The shear bond strength of light activated orthodontic adhesives varies according to the composition of the material, placement protocol, and time prior to light curing. Manipulating brackets after their initial placement on a tooth can disrupt the adhesive's polymerization and compromise final bond strength. No previous research has investigated how a specific degree of manipulation, and the amount of time elapsed prior to curing, under specific lighting conditions, affects the orthodontic adhesives shear bond strength. Victory SeriesRTM, MBT prescription, premolar (3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA) orthodontic brackets were bonded using three different adhesives to sixty (60) bicuspids and varying the time after bracket manipulation before curing. The shear bond strength was calculated for each specimen. The brackets were debonded and the same teeth were rebonded with new, identical brackets, using the same protocol and under the same conditions. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the shear bond strength of Transbond XT and Grengloo, with Transbond XT having the highest strength. There was also a statistically significance difference in bond strength between the group cured 30 seconds after manipulation and the groups manipulated at different intervals prior to curing, with the 30 second group having the highest bond strength. This study confirms that various orthodontic adhesives have different bond strengths depending on manipulation and varying times prior to curing each adhesive.

  10. Serial migration and its implications for the parent-child relationship: a retrospective analysis of the experiences of the children of Caribbean immigrants.

    PubMed

    Smith, Andrea; Lalonde, Richard N; Johnson, Simone

    2004-05-01

    This study addressed the potential impact of serial migration for parent-children relationships and for children's psychological well-being. The experience of being separated from their parents during childhood and reunited with them at a later time was retrospectively examined for 48 individuals. A series of measures (e.g., self-esteem, parental identification) associated with appraisals at critical time periods during serial migration (separation, reunion, current) revealed that serial migration can potentially disrupt parent-child bonding and unfavorably affect children's self-esteem and behavior. Time did not appear to be wholly effective in repairing rifts in the parent-child relationship. Risk factors for less successful reunions included lengthy separations and the addition of new members to the family unit in the child's absence. (c) 2004 APA

  11. Temporal migration patterns between natal locations of ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) and their Gulf Coast stopover site.

    PubMed

    Zenzal, Theodore J; Contina, Andrea J; Kelly, Jeffrey F; Moore, Frank R

    2018-01-01

    Autumn latitudinal migrations generally exhibit one of two different temporal migration patterns: type 1 where southern populations migrate south before northern populations, or type 2 where northern populations overtake southern populations en route . The ruby-throated hummingbird ( Archilochus colubris ) is a species with an expansive breeding range, which allows opportunities to examine variation in the timing of migration. Our objective was to determine a relationship between natal origin of ruby-throated hummingbirds and arrival at a Gulf coast stopover site; and if so, what factors, such as differences in body size across the range as well as the cost of migration, might drive such a pattern. To carry out our objectives, we captured hummingbirds at a coastal stopover site during autumn migration, at which time we collected feathers from juveniles for analysis of hydrogen stable isotopes. Using the hydrogen stable isotope gradient of precipitation across North America and published hydrogen isotope values of feathers from populations of breeding ruby-throated hummingbirds, we assigned migrants to probable natal latitudes. Our results confirm that individuals from across the range (30-50° N) stopover along the Gulf of Mexico and there is a positive relationship between arrival day and latitude, suggesting a type 1 migration pattern. We also found no relationship between fuel load (proxy for migration cost) or fat-free body mass (proxy for body size) and natal latitude. Our results, coupled with previous work on the spatial migration patterns of hummingbirds, show a type 1 chain migration pattern. While the mechanisms we tested do not seem to influence the evolution of migratory patterns, other factors such as resource availability may play a prominent role in the evolution of this migration system.

  12. Sexual Migration and HIV Risk in a Sample of Brazilian, Colombian and Dominican Immigrant MSM Living in New York City.

    PubMed

    Nieves-Lugo, Karen; Barnett, Andrew; Pinho, Veronica; Reisen, Carol; Poppen, Paul; Zea, Maria Cecilia

    2018-03-01

    We examined motivations for migration to the United States (US) among 482 Brazilian, Colombian, and Dominican men who have sex with men (MSM). Participants' most common reason for migration was to improve their financial situation (49%), followed by sexual migration in order to affirm their sexual orientation (40%). Fewer endorsed sexual migration motivated by avoiding persecution due to being gay (13%). We conducted further analyses among 276 participants who migrated after age 15 and were HIV-negative at the time of migration. We hypothesized that sexual migration would be associated with greater likelihood of HIV acquisition post-migration. Hierarchical logistic regression analysis indicated that sexual migration motivated by avoiding persecution due to being gay was associated with increased odds of contracting HIV after arrival in the US whereas sexual migration to lead a gay life was not. Our findings highlight the importance of addressing the negative impact of anti-gay discrimination in countries of origin.

  13. Untangling cell tracks: Quantifying cell migration by time lapse image data analysis.

    PubMed

    Svensson, Carl-Magnus; Medyukhina, Anna; Belyaev, Ivan; Al-Zaben, Naim; Figge, Marc Thilo

    2018-03-01

    Automated microscopy has given researchers access to great amounts of live cell imaging data from in vitro and in vivo experiments. Much focus has been put on extracting cell tracks from such data using a plethora of segmentation and tracking algorithms, but further analysis is normally required to draw biologically relevant conclusions. Such relevant conclusions may be whether the migration is directed or not, whether the population has homogeneous or heterogeneous migration patterns. This review focuses on the analysis of cell migration data that are extracted from time lapse images. We discuss a range of measures and models used to analyze cell tracks independent of the biological system or the way the tracks were obtained. For single-cell migration, we focus on measures and models giving examples of biological systems where they have been applied, for example, migration of bacteria, fibroblasts, and immune cells. For collective migration, we describe the model systems wound healing, neural crest migration, and Drosophila gastrulation and discuss methods for cell migration within these systems. We also discuss the role of the extracellular matrix and subsequent differences between track analysis in vitro and in vivo. Besides methods and measures, we are putting special focus on the need for openly available data and code, as well as a lack of common vocabulary in cell track analysis. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

  14. Migration of melamine and formaldehyde from tableware made of melamine resin.

    PubMed

    Ishiwata, H; Inoue, T; Tanimura, A

    1986-01-01

    Migration of melamine and formaldehyde into food-simulating solvents from cups made of melamine resin was studied under various conditions. Little migration of melamine was observed in any unused cups kept at 60 degrees C for 30 min, room temperature (26 degrees C) for 1 h or cooled at -20 degrees C for several days. Migration of both compounds was strongly affected by heating and acidity. The highest migration of melamine into 4% acetic acid used as a food-simulating solvent was 42.9 +/- 7.2 ppm when the migration test was repeated seven times at 95 degrees C for 30 min. In this time, the migration of formaldehyde was 14.2 +/- 0.6 ppm into the solvent. The molecular ratio of the migration amount of formaldehyde to melamine decreased according to the formula Y = 9.15X-0.813 over seven repetitions of the test, and was maintained at about 1.6 between the 10th and 20th repetitions. The inner surface of the cups became tarnished during the repetition of the test and their roughness increased from 1 micron before the test to 2.5-5 microns after 20 repetitions of the test. Migration of melamine from the cups being used at a cafeteria was 0.4 +/- 0.5 ppm, but that of formaldehyde was undetectable when the cups were kept at 60 degrees C for 30 min with 4% acetic acid.

  15. Steering cell migration by alternating blebs and actin-rich protrusions.

    PubMed

    Diz-Muñoz, Alba; Romanczuk, Pawel; Yu, Weimiao; Bergert, Martin; Ivanovitch, Kenzo; Salbreux, Guillaume; Heisenberg, Carl-Philipp; Paluch, Ewa K

    2016-09-02

    High directional persistence is often assumed to enhance the efficiency of chemotactic migration. Yet, cells in vivo usually display meandering trajectories with relatively low directional persistence, and the control and function of directional persistence during cell migration in three-dimensional environments are poorly understood. Here, we use mesendoderm progenitors migrating during zebrafish gastrulation as a model system to investigate the control of directional persistence during migration in vivo. We show that progenitor cells alternate persistent run phases with tumble phases that result in cell reorientation. Runs are characterized by the formation of directed actin-rich protrusions and tumbles by enhanced blebbing. Increasing the proportion of actin-rich protrusions or blebs leads to longer or shorter run phases, respectively. Importantly, both reducing and increasing run phases result in larger spatial dispersion of the cells, indicative of reduced migration precision. A physical model quantitatively recapitulating the migratory behavior of mesendoderm progenitors indicates that the ratio of tumbling to run times, and thus the specific degree of directional persistence of migration, are critical for optimizing migration precision. Together, our experiments and model provide mechanistic insight into the control of migration directionality for cells moving in three-dimensional environments that combine different protrusion types, whereby the proportion of blebs to actin-rich protrusions determines the directional persistence and precision of movement by regulating the ratio of tumbling to run times.

  16. Migration of epoxidised soybean oil from PVC gaskets of commercial lids: simulation of migration under various conditions and screening of food products from Czech markets.

    PubMed

    Hanušová, Kristýna; Vrbík, Karel; Rajchl, Aleš; Dobiáš, Jaroslav; Sosnovcová, Jitka

    2015-01-01

    Previous studies have shown that a large number of polyvinylchloride (PVC) lid gaskets exceed the existing migration limits for epoxidised soybean oil (ESBO) and correct prediction of ESBO release into food therefore appears to be a difficult issue. ESBO migration from PVC gaskets of metal closures into food simulants and food products from the Czech market is evaluated during a survey in 2009 and subsequently one in 2012 to assess progress in lid manufacturing and official testing conditions. ESBO migration from lids into various food simulants was studied at various temperatures (25, 40 and 60°C) during storage times up to 12 months. ESBO released into food simulants or food products was transmethylated, derivatised and analysed by GC-MS. The levels of ESBO migration in foodstuffs in 2012 exceeded the specific migration limit (SML) in fewer products in comparison with the previous survey. However, most of the products were analysed at a time far from the expiry date and exceedance of the SML at the end of the product shelf life is not therefore excluded. More severe test conditions (60°C for 10 days) for specific migration given by the current European Union legislation (Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011) still seem to be insufficient for the simulation of ESBO migration during long-term storage.

  17. Time-lapse imaging of neuroblast migration in acute slices of the adult mouse forebrain.

    PubMed

    Khlghatyan, Jivan; Saghatelyan, Armen

    2012-09-12

    There is a substantial body of evidence indicating that new functional neurons are constitutively generated from an endogenous pool of neural stem cells in restricted areas of the adult mammalian brain. Newborn neuroblasts from the subventricular zone (SVZ) migrate along the rostral migratory stream (RMS) to their final destination in the olfactory bulb (OB). In the RMS, neuroblasts migrate tangentially in chains ensheathed by astrocytic processes using blood vessels as a structural support and a source of molecular factors required for migration. In the OB, neuroblasts detach from the chains and migrate radially into the different bulbar layers where they differentiate into interneurons and integrate into the existing network. In this manuscript we describe the procedure for monitoring cell migration in acute slices of the rodent brain. The use of acute slices allows the assessment of cell migration in the microenvironment that closely resembling to in vivo conditions and in brain regions that are difficult to access for in vivo imaging. In addition, it avoids long culturing condition as in the case of organotypic and cell cultures that may eventually alter the migration properties of the cells. Neuronal precursors in acute slices can be visualized using DIC optics or fluorescent proteins. Viral labeling of neuronal precursors in the SVZ, grafting neuroblasts from reporter mice into the SVZ of wild-type mice, and using transgenic mice that express fluorescent protein in neuroblasts are all suitable methods for visualizing neuroblasts and following their migration. The later method, however, does not allow individual cells to be tracked for long periods of time because of the high density of labeled cells. We used a wide-field fluorescent upright microscope equipped with a CCD camera to achieve a relatively rapid acquisition interval (one image every 15 or 30 sec) to reliably identify the stationary and migratory phases. A precise identification of the duration of the stationary and migratory phases is crucial for the unambiguous interpretation of results. We also performed multiple z-step acquisitions to monitor neuroblasts migration in 3D. Wide-field fluorescent imaging has been used extensively to visualize neuronal migration. Here, we describe detailed protocol for labeling neuroblasts, performing real-time video-imaging of neuroblast migration in acute slices of the adult mouse forebrain, and analyzing cell migration. While the described protocol exemplified the migration of neuroblasts in the adult RMS, it can also be used to follow cell migration in embryonic and early postnatal brains.

  18. Migration of northern yellowstone elk: Implications of spatial structuring

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    White, P.J.; Proffitt, K.M.; Mech, L.D.; Evans, S.B.; Cunningham, J.A.; Hamlin, K.L.

    2010-01-01

    Migration can enhance survival and recruitment of mammals by increasing access to higher-quality forage or reducing predation risk, or both. We used telemetry locations collected from 140 adult female elk during 20002003 and 20072008 to identify factors influencing the migration of northern Yellowstone elk. Elk wintered in 2 semidistinct herd segments and migrated 10140 km to at least 12 summer areas in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and nearby areas of Montana. Spring migrations were delayed after winters with increased snow pack, with earlier migration in years with earlier vegetation green-up. Elk wintering at lower elevations outside YNP migrated an average of 13 days earlier than elk at higher elevations. The timing of autumn migrations varied annually, but elk left their summer ranges at about the same time regardless of elevation, wolf numbers, or distance to their wintering areas. Elk monitored for multiple years typically returned to the same summer (96 fidelity, n 52) and winter (61 fidelity, n 41) ranges. Elk that wintered at lower elevations in or near the northwestern portion of the park tended to summer in the western part of YNP (56), and elk that wintered at higher elevations spent summer primarily in the eastern and northern parts of the park (82). Elk did not grossly modify their migration timing, routes, or use areas after wolf restoration. Elk mortality was low during summer and migration (8 of 225 elk-summers). However, spatial segregation and differential mortality and recruitment between herd segments on the northern winter range apparently contributed to a higher proportion of the elk population wintering outside the northwestern portion of YNP and summering in the western portion of the park. This change could shift wolf spatial dynamics more outside YNP and increase the risk of transmission of brucellosis from elk to cattle north of the park. ?? 2010 American Society of Mammalogists.

  19. Fine Scale Baleen Whale Behavior Observed via Tagging Over Daily Time Scales

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-30

    sei whales) and the diel vertical migration behavior of their copepod prey. I hypothesize that (1) right whales track the diel vertical migration of... copepods by feeding near the bottom during the day and at the surface at night, and (2) sei whales are unable to feed on copepods at depth during the...day, and are therefore restricted to feeding on copepods at the surface only. Because copepod diel vertical migration is variable over time (days to

  20. Characterization and manufacture of braided composites for large commercial aircraft structures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fedro, Mark J.; Willden, Kurtis

    1992-01-01

    Braided composite materials, one of the advanced material forms which is under investigation in Boeing's ATCAS program, have been recognized as a potential cost-effective material form for fuselage structural elements. Consequently, there is a strong need for more knowledge in the design, manufacture, test, and analysis of textile structural composites. The overall objective of this work is to advance braided composite technology towards applications to a large commercial transport fuselage. This paper summarizes the mechanics of materials and manufacturing demonstration results which have been obtained in order to acquire an understanding of how braided composites can be applied to a commercial fuselage. Textile composites consisting of 1D, 2D triaxial, and 3D braid patterns with thermoplastic and two RTM resin systems were investigated. The structural performance of braided composites was evaluated through an extensive mechanical test program. Analytical methods were also developed and applied to predict the following: internal fiber architectures, stiffnesses, fiber stresses, failure mechanisms, notch effects, and the entire history of failure of the braided composites specimens. The applicability of braided composites to a commercial transport fuselage was further assessed through a manufacturing demonstration. Three foot fuselage circumferential hoop frames were manufactured to demonstrate the feasibility of consistently producing high quality braided/RTM composite primary structures. The manufacturing issues (tooling requirements, processing requirements, and process/quality control) addressed during the demonstration are summarized. The manufacturing demonstration in conjunction with the mechanical test results and developed analytical methods increased the confidence in the ATCAS approach to the design, manufacture, test, and analysis of braided composites.

  1. Validation of a weather forecast model at radiance level against satellite observations allowing quantification of temperature, humidity, and cloud-related biases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bani Shahabadi, Maziar; Huang, Yi; Garand, Louis; Heilliette, Sylvain; Yang, Ping

    2016-09-01

    An established radiative transfer model (RTM) is adapted for simulating all-sky infrared radiance spectra from the Canadian Global Environmental Multiscale (GEM) model in order to validate its forecasts at the radiance level against Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) observations. Synthetic spectra are generated for 2 months from short-term (3-9 h) GEM forecasts. The RTM uses a monthly climatological land surface emissivity/reflectivity atlas. An updated ice particle optical property library was introduced for cloudy radiance calculations. Forward model brightness temperature (BT) biases are assessed to be of the order of ˜1 K for both clear-sky and overcast conditions. To quantify GEM forecast meteorological variables biases, spectral sensitivity kernels are generated and used to attribute radiance biases to surface and atmospheric temperatures, atmospheric humidity, and clouds biases. The kernel method, supplemented with retrieved profiles based on AIRS observations in collocation with a microwave sounder, achieves good closure in explaining clear-sky radiance biases, which are attributed mostly to surface temperature and upper tropospheric water vapor biases. Cloudy-sky radiance biases are dominated by cloud-induced radiance biases. Prominent GEM biases are identified as: (1) too low surface temperature over land, causing about -5 K bias in the atmospheric window region; (2) too high upper tropospheric water vapor, inducing about -3 K bias in the water vapor absorption band; (3) too few high clouds in the convective regions, generating about +10 K bias in window band and about +6 K bias in the water vapor band.

  2. New study on the correlation between carbon dioxide concentration in the environment and radon monitor devices.

    PubMed

    Shahrokhi, A; Burghele, B D; Fábián, F; Kovács, T

    2015-12-01

    The influence of high geogenic carbon dioxide concentrations on monitoring devices might present a significant challenge to the measurement of radon concentrations in environments with a high level of carbon dioxide concentration such as volcano sites, mofettes, caves, etc. In this study, the influence of carbon dioxide concentration on several different types of radon monitor devices - including Alpha Spectrometry (Sarad RTM 2200, EQF 3220, RAD7), Ionizing Chamber (AlphaGUARD PQ2000 PRO) and Active Cell (Active scintillation cell, Pylon 300A) - was examined to represent new aspects of radon measuring in environments with carbon dioxide. In light of the results, all measuring devices were exposed to variable conditions affected by carbon dioxide concentration, except for the AlphaGUARD, which was kept in a steady state throughout the experiment. It was observed that alpha spectroscopy devices were affected by carbon dioxide, since measured radon concentrations decreased in the presence of 70% and 90% carbon dioxide concentrations by 26.5 ± 2% and 14.5 ± 2.5% for EQF 3220, and 32 ± 2% and 35.5 ± 2% for RTM 2200. However, the ionizing chamber instrument was unaffected by changes in carbon dioxide concentration. It was determined that the RAD7 performed relatively inefficiently in the presence of carbon dioxide concentrations higher than 67% by an overall efficiency factor of approximately 0.52, confirming that it is not an admissible radon monitor instrument in environments with high carbon dioxide concentrations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Phenylethynyl Terminated Imide (PETI) Composites Made by High Temperature Vartm

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ghose, Sayata; Watson, Kent A.; Cano, Roberto J.; Britton, Sean M.; Jensen, Brian J.; Connell, John W.; Herring, Helen M.; Lineberry, Quentin J.

    2010-01-01

    The use of composites as primary structures on aerospace vehicles has increased dramatically over the past decade. As these advanced structures increase in size and complexity, their production costs have grown significantly. A major contributor to these manufacturing costs is the requirement of elevated pressures, during high temperature processing, to create fully consolidated composite parts. Recently, NASA Langley has licensed a series of low viscosity Phenyl Ethynyl Terminated Imide, PETI, oligomers that possess a wide processing window to allow for Resin Transfer Molding, RTM, processing. These resins, PETI-8 and PETI-330, demonstrate void fractions of approx.1% under elevated pressure consolidation. However, when used with a standardized thermal curing cycle in a High Temperature Vacuum Assisted RTM (HT-VARTM) process, they display undesirable void contents in excess of 7%. It was determined previously that under the thermal cycles used for laminate fabrication, the phenylethynyl endcap underwent degradation leading to volatile evolution. Modifications to the processing cycle used in the laminate fabrication have reduced the void content significantly (typically less than 3%) for carbon fiber biaxially woven fabric. For carbon fiber uniaxial fabric, void contents of less than 2% have been obtained using both PETI-8 and PETI-330. The resins were infused into carbon fiber preforms at 260 C and cured between 316 C and 371 C. Photomicrographs of the panels were taken and void contents were determined by acid digestion. Mechanical properties of the panels were determined at both room and elevated temperatures. These include short beam shear and flexure tests. The results of this work are presented herein.

  4. Validation of the Spatial Accuracy of the ExacTracRTM Adaptive Gating System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Twork, Gregory

    Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a method of treatment that is used in extracranial locations, including the abdominal and thoracic cavities, as well as spinal and paraspinal locations. At the McGill University Health Centre, liver SBRT treatments include gating, which places the treatment beam on a duty cycle controlled by tracking of fiducial markers moving with the patient's breathing cycle. Respiratory gated treatments aim to spare normal tissue, while delivering a dose properly to a moving target. The ExacTracRTM system (BrainLAB AG Germany) is an image-guided radiotherapy system consisting of a combination of infra-red (IR) cameras and dual kilovoltage (kV) X-ray tubes. The IR system is used to track patient positioning and respiratory motion, while the kV X-rays are used to determine a positional shift based on internal anatomy or fiducial markers. In order to validate the system's ability to treat under gating conditions, each step of the SBRT process was evaluated quantitatively. Initially the system was tested under ideal static conditions, followed by a study including gated parameters. The uncertainties of the isocenters, positioning algorithm, planning computed tomography (CT) and four dimensional CT (4DCT) scans, gating window size and tumor motion were evaluated for their contributions to the total uncertainty in treatment. The mechanical isocenter and 4DCT were found to be the largest sources of uncertainty. However, for tumors with large internal amplitudes (>2.25 cm) that are treated with large gating windows (>30%) the gating parameters can contribute more than 1.1 +/- 1.8 mm.

  5. Migration phenology and seasonal fidelity of an Arctic marine predator in relation to sea ice dynamics.

    PubMed

    Cherry, Seth G; Derocher, Andrew E; Thiemann, Gregory W; Lunn, Nicholas J

    2013-07-01

    Understanding how seasonal environmental conditions affect the timing and distribution of synchronized animal movement patterns is a central issue in animal ecology. Migration, a behavioural adaptation to seasonal environmental fluctuations, is a fundamental part of the life history of numerous species. However, global climate change can alter the spatiotemporal distribution of resources and thus affect the seasonal movement patterns of migratory animals. We examined sea ice dynamics relative to migration patterns and seasonal geographical fidelity of an Arctic marine predator, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Polar bear movement patterns were quantified using satellite-linked telemetry data collected from collars deployed between 1991-1997 and 2004-2009. We showed that specific sea ice characteristics can predict the timing of seasonal polar bear migration on and off terrestrial refugia. In addition, fidelity to specific onshore regions during the ice-free period was predicted by the spatial pattern of sea ice break-up but not by the timing of break-up. The timing of migration showed a trend towards earlier arrival of polar bears on shore and later departure from land, which has been driven by climate-induced declines in the availability of sea ice. Changes to the timing of migration have resulted in polar bears spending progressively longer periods of time on land without access to sea ice and their marine mammal prey. The links between increased atmospheric temperatures, sea ice dynamics, and the migratory behaviour of an ice-dependent species emphasizes the importance of quantifying and monitoring relationships between migratory wildlife and environmental cues that may be altered by climate change. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.

  6. Corridor- and stopover-use of the Hawaiian goose (Branta sandvicensis), an intratropical altitudinal migrant

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leopold, Christina R.; Hess, Steven C.

    2014-01-01

    We outfitted six male Hawaiian geese, or nene (Branta sandvicensis), with 45-g solar-powered satellite transmitters and collected four location coordinates d−1 from 2010 to 2012. We used 6193 coordinates to characterize migration corridors, habitat preferences and temporal patterns of displacement for 16 migration events with Brownian bridge utilization distributions (BBUD). We used 1552 coordinates to characterize stopovers from 37 shorter-distance movement events with 25% BBUDs. Two subpopulations used a well-defined common migration corridor spanning a broad gradient of elevation. Use of native-dominated subalpine shrubland was 2.81 times more likely than the availability of this land-cover type. The nene differed from other tropical and temperate-zone migrant birds in that: (1) migration distance and the number of stopovers were unrelated (Mann–Whitney test W = 241, P < 0.006), and; (2) individual movements were not unidirectional suggesting that social interactions may be more important than refuelling en route; but like other species, nene made more direct migrations with fewer stopovers in return to breeding areas (0.58 ± 0.50) than in migration away from breeding areas (1.64 ± 0.48). Our findings, combined with the direction and timing of migration, which is opposite that of most other intratropical migrants, suggest fundamentally different drivers of altitudinal migration.

  7. Domestic and International Climate Migration from Rural Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Nawrotzki, Raphael J.; Runfola, Daniel M.; Hunter, Lori M.; Riosmena, Fernando

    2016-01-01

    Evidence is increasing that climate change and variability may influence human migration patterns. However, there is less agreement regarding the type of migration streams most strongly impacted. This study tests whether climate change more strongly impacted international compared to domestic migration from rural Mexico during 1986-99. We employ eight temperature and precipitation-based climate change indices linked to detailed migration histories obtained from the Mexican Migration Project. Results from multilevel discrete-time event-history models challenge the assumption that climate-related migration will be predominantly short distance and domestic, but instead show that climate change more strongly impacted international moves from rural Mexico. The stronger climate impact on international migration may be explained by the self-insurance function of international migration, the presence of strong migrant networks, and climate-related changes in wage difference. While a warming in temperature increased international outmigration, higher levels of precipitation declined the odds of an international move. PMID:28439146

  8. Climate Shocks and the Timing of Migration from Mexico

    PubMed Central

    Nawrotzki, Raphael J.; DeWaard, Jack

    2016-01-01

    Although evidence is increasing that climate shocks influence human migration, it is unclear exactly when people migrate after a climate shock. A climate shock might be followed by an immediate migration response. Alternatively, migration, as an adaptive strategy of last resort, might be delayed and employed only after available in-situ (in-place) adaptive strategies are exhausted. In this paper, we explore the temporally lagged association between a climate shock and future migration. Using multilevel event-history models, we analyze the risk of Mexico-U.S. migration over a seven-year period after a climate shock. Consistent with a delayed response pattern, we find that the risk of migration is low immediately after a climate shock and increases as households pursue and cycle through in-situ adaptive strategies available to them. However, about three years after the climate shock, the risk of migration decreases, suggesting that households are eventually successful in adapting in-situ. PMID:27795604

  9. Domestic and International Climate Migration from Rural Mexico.

    PubMed

    Nawrotzki, Raphael J; Runfola, Daniel M; Hunter, Lori M; Riosmena, Fernando

    2016-12-01

    Evidence is increasing that climate change and variability may influence human migration patterns. However, there is less agreement regarding the type of migration streams most strongly impacted. This study tests whether climate change more strongly impacted international compared to domestic migration from rural Mexico during 1986-99. We employ eight temperature and precipitation-based climate change indices linked to detailed migration histories obtained from the Mexican Migration Project. Results from multilevel discrete-time event-history models challenge the assumption that climate-related migration will be predominantly short distance and domestic, but instead show that climate change more strongly impacted international moves from rural Mexico. The stronger climate impact on international migration may be explained by the self-insurance function of international migration, the presence of strong migrant networks, and climate-related changes in wage difference. While a warming in temperature increased international outmigration, higher levels of precipitation declined the odds of an international move.

  10. Counterintuitive migration patterns by Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts in a large lake.

    PubMed

    Honkanen, H M; Rodger, J R; Stephen, A; Adams, K; Freeman, J; Adams, C E

    2018-06-21

    What little is known about the seaward migration of Salmo salar smolt migration through standing waters indicates that it is both slow and results in high mortality rates, compared with riverine migration. This may be partly because smolts in lakes need to swim more actively and require more complex directional cues than they do in rivers. In this telemetry study of smolt migration through Loch Lomond, S. salar smolts made repeated movements in directions away from the outflowing river, which considerably increased migration time. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  11. Examining Pre-migration Health Among Filipino Nurses

    PubMed Central

    de Castro, A. B.; Gee, Gilbert; Fujishiro, Kaori; Rue, Tessa

    2014-01-01

    The healthy immigrant hypothesis asserts that immigrants arrive in the receiving country healthier than same race/ethnic counterparts born there. Contemporary research, however, has not evaluated pre-migration health among migrants, nor has explicitly considered comparisons with non-migrants in the country of origin. Pre-migration health was examined among 621 Filipino nurses, including self-reported physical health, mental health, health behaviors, and social stress. Measures were compared by intention to migrate and also tested as predictors of actual migration using time-to-event analysis. Nurses intending to migrate had higher proportion of depression and reported higher general perceived stress compared to those not. Predictors of actual migration included age, mentally unhealthy days, social strain, and social support. Physical health and health behavior measures had no association with migration intention or actual migration. Findings suggest that, relative to those not intending to migrate, nurses intending to migrate have worse mental health status and social stress; and, do not have a physical health advantage. Future research must span the pre- to post-migration continuum to better understand the impact of moving from one country to another on health and well-being. PMID:25385090

  12. Examining Pre-migration Health Among Filipino Nurses.

    PubMed

    de Castro, A B; Gee, Gilbert; Fujishiro, Kaori; Rue, Tessa

    2015-12-01

    The healthy immigrant hypothesis asserts that immigrants arrive in the receiving country healthier than same race/ethnic counterparts born there. Contemporary research, however, has not evaluated pre-migration health among migrants, nor has explicitly considered comparisons with non-migrants in the country of origin. Pre-migration health was examined among 621 Filipino nurses, including self-reported physical health, mental health, health behaviors, and social stress. Measures were compared by intention to migrate and also tested as predictors of actual migration using time-to-event analysis. Nurses intending to migrate had higher proportion of depression and reported higher general perceived stress compared to those not. Predictors of actual migration included age, mentally unhealthy days, social strain, and social support. Physical health and health behavior measures had no association with migration intention or actual migration. Findings suggest that, relative to those not intending to migrate, nurses intending to migrate have worse mental health status and social stress; and, do not have a physical health advantage. Future research must span the pre- to post-migration continuum to better understand the impact of moving from one country to another on health and well-being.

  13. The timing of normal puberty and the age limits of sexual precocity: variations around the world, secular trends, and changes after migration.

    PubMed

    Parent, Anne-Simone; Teilmann, Grete; Juul, Anders; Skakkebaek, Niels E; Toppari, Jorma; Bourguignon, Jean-Pierre

    2003-10-01

    During the past decade, possible advancement in timing of puberty has been reported in the United States. In addition, early pubertal development and an increased incidence of sexual precocity have been noticed in children, primarily girls, migrating for foreign adoption in several Western European countries. These observations are raising the issues of current differences and secular trends in timing of puberty in relation to ethnic, geographical, and socioeconomic background. None of these factors provide an unequivocal explanation for the earlier onset of puberty seen in the United States. In the formerly deprived migrating children, refeeding and catch-up growth may prime maturation. However, precocious puberty is seen also in some nondeprived migrating children. Attention has been paid to the changing milieu after migration, and recently, the possible role of endocrine- disrupting chemicals from the environment has been considered. These observations urge further study of the onset of puberty as a possible sensitive and early marker of the interactions between environmental conditions and genetic susceptibility that can influence physiological and pathological processes.

  14. Migration to Windows NT.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doles, Daniel T.

    In the constantly changing world of technology, migration is not only inevitable but many times necessary for survival, especially when the end result is simplicity for both users and IT support staff. This paper describes the migration at Franklin College (Indiana). It discusses the reasons for selecting Windows NT, the steps taken to complete…

  15. Ring-Shaped Microlanes and Chemical Barriers as a Platform for Probing Single-Cell Migration.

    PubMed

    Schreiber, Christoph; Segerer, Felix J; Wagner, Ernst; Roidl, Andreas; Rädler, Joachim O

    2016-05-31

    Quantification and discrimination of pharmaceutical and disease-related effects on cell migration requires detailed characterization of single-cell motility. In this context, micropatterned substrates that constrain cells within defined geometries facilitate quantitative readout of locomotion. Here, we study quasi-one-dimensional cell migration in ring-shaped microlanes. We observe bimodal behavior in form of alternating states of directional migration (run state) and reorientation (rest state). Both states show exponential lifetime distributions with characteristic persistence times, which, together with the cell velocity in the run state, provide a set of parameters that succinctly describe cell motion. By introducing PEGylated barriers of different widths into the lane, we extend this description by quantifying the effects of abrupt changes in substrate chemistry on migrating cells. The transit probability decreases exponentially as a function of barrier width, thus specifying a characteristic penetration depth of the leading lamellipodia. Applying this fingerprint-like characterization of cell motion, we compare different cell lines, and demonstrate that the cancer drug candidate salinomycin affects transit probability and resting time, but not run time or run velocity. Hence, the presented assay allows to assess multiple migration-related parameters, permits detailed characterization of cell motility, and has potential applications in cell biology and advanced drug screening.

  16. A Kirchhoff approach to seismic modeling and prestack depth migration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Zhen-Yue

    1993-05-01

    The Kirchhoff integral provides a robust method for implementing seismic modeling and prestack depth migration, which can handle lateral velocity variation and turning waves. With a little extra computation cost, the Kirchoff-type migration can obtain multiple outputs that have the same phase but different amplitudes, compared with that of other migration methods. The ratio of these amplitudes is helpful in computing some quantities such as reflection angle. I develop a seismic modeling and prestack depth migration method based on the Kirchhoff integral, that handles both laterally variant velocity and a dip beyond 90 degrees. The method uses a finite-difference algorithm to calculate travel times and WKBJ amplitudes for the Kirchhoff integral. Compared to ray-tracing algorithms, the finite-difference algorithm gives an efficient implementation and single-valued quantities (first arrivals) on output. In my finite difference algorithm, the upwind scheme is used to calculate travel times, and the Crank-Nicolson scheme is used to calculate amplitudes. Moreover, interpolation is applied to save computation cost. The modeling and migration algorithms require a smooth velocity function. I develop a velocity-smoothing technique based on damped least-squares to aid in obtaining a successful migration.

  17. Energy Reserves, Information Need and a Pinch of Personality Determine Decision-Making on Route in Partially Migratory Blue Tits.

    PubMed

    Nilsson, Anna L K; Nilsson, Jan-Åke; Mettke-Hofmann, Claudia

    2016-01-01

    In facultative partial migrants some individuals in a population are migratory and others are resident and individuals decide each year anew which strategy to choose. While the proportion of birds migrating is in part determined by environmental conditions and competitive abilities, the timing of individual departure and behaviours on route are little understood. Individuals encounter different environmental conditions when migrating earlier or later. Based on cost/ benefit considerations we tested whether behaviours on route were affected by time constraints, personality and/or age in a partially migrating population of Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). We captured female Blue tits on migration at the Southern tip of Sweden during early, peak and late migration and measured latency to feed in an unfamiliar environment, exploration of a novel object and hesitation to feed beside a novel object (neophobia). Lean birds and birds with long wings started feeding earlier when released into the cage indicating that foraging decisions were mainly determined by energetic needs (lean and large birds). However, juveniles commenced feeding later with progression of the migratory season in concordance with predictions about personality effects. Furthermore, lean birds started to explore earlier than birds with larger fat reserves again indicating an effect of maintaining threshold energy reserves. Moreover, late migrating juveniles, started to explore earlier than early migrating juveniles possibly due to time constraints to find high-quality foraging patches or a suitable winter home. Finally, neophobia did not change over the migratory season indicating that this behaviour is not compromised by time constraints. The results overall indicate that decisions on route are mainly governed by energetic requirements and current needs to learn about the environment and only to a small extent by differences in personality.

  18. Energy Reserves, Information Need and a Pinch of Personality Determine Decision-Making on Route in Partially Migratory Blue Tits

    PubMed Central

    Nilsson, Jan-Åke; Mettke-Hofmann, Claudia

    2016-01-01

    In facultative partial migrants some individuals in a population are migratory and others are resident and individuals decide each year anew which strategy to choose. While the proportion of birds migrating is in part determined by environmental conditions and competitive abilities, the timing of individual departure and behaviours on route are little understood. Individuals encounter different environmental conditions when migrating earlier or later. Based on cost/ benefit considerations we tested whether behaviours on route were affected by time constraints, personality and/or age in a partially migrating population of Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). We captured female Blue tits on migration at the Southern tip of Sweden during early, peak and late migration and measured latency to feed in an unfamiliar environment, exploration of a novel object and hesitation to feed beside a novel object (neophobia). Lean birds and birds with long wings started feeding earlier when released into the cage indicating that foraging decisions were mainly determined by energetic needs (lean and large birds). However, juveniles commenced feeding later with progression of the migratory season in concordance with predictions about personality effects. Furthermore, lean birds started to explore earlier than birds with larger fat reserves again indicating an effect of maintaining threshold energy reserves. Moreover, late migrating juveniles, started to explore earlier than early migrating juveniles possibly due to time constraints to find high-quality foraging patches or a suitable winter home. Finally, neophobia did not change over the migratory season indicating that this behaviour is not compromised by time constraints. The results overall indicate that decisions on route are mainly governed by energetic requirements and current needs to learn about the environment and only to a small extent by differences in personality. PMID:27732602

  19. In vivo Postnatal Electroporation and Time-lapse Imaging of Neuroblast Migration in Mouse Acute Brain Slices

    PubMed Central

    Oudin, Madeleine Julie; Doherty, Patrick; Lalli, Giovanna

    2013-01-01

    The subventricular zone (SVZ) is one of the main neurogenic niches in the postnatal brain. Here, neural progenitors proliferate and give rise to neuroblasts able to move along the rostral migratory stream (RMS) towards the olfactory bulb (OB). This long-distance migration is required for the subsequent maturation of newborn neurons in the OB, but the molecular mechanisms regulating this process are still unclear. Investigating the signaling pathways controlling neuroblast motility may not only help understand a fundamental step in neurogenesis, but also have therapeutic regenerative potential, given the ability of these neuroblasts to target brain sites affected by injury, stroke, or degeneration. In this manuscript we describe a detailed protocol for in vivo postnatal electroporation and subsequent time-lapse imaging of neuroblast migration in the mouse RMS. Postnatal electroporation can efficiently transfect SVZ progenitor cells, which in turn generate neuroblasts migrating along the RMS. Using confocal spinning disk time-lapse microscopy on acute brain slice cultures, neuroblast migration can be monitored in an environment closely resembling the in vivo condition. Moreover, neuroblast motility can be tracked and quantitatively analyzed. As an example, we describe how to use in vivo postnatal electroporation of a GFP-expressing plasmid to label and visualize neuroblasts migrating along the RMS. Electroporation of shRNA or CRE recombinase-expressing plasmids in conditional knockout mice employing the LoxP system can also be used to target genes of interest. Pharmacological manipulation of acute brain slice cultures can be performed to investigate the role of different signaling molecules in neuroblast migration. By coupling in vivo electroporation with time-lapse imaging, we hope to understand the molecular mechanisms controlling neuroblast motility and contribute to the development of novel approaches to promote brain repair. PMID:24326479

  20. Migratory behavior of eastern North Pacific gray whales tracked using a hydrophone array

    PubMed Central

    Helble, Tyler A.; D’Spain, Gerald L.; Weller, David W.; Wiggins, Sean M.; Hildebrand, John A.

    2017-01-01

    Eastern North Pacific gray whales make one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal, traveling from their summer feeding areas in the Bering and Chukchi Seas to their wintering areas in the lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. Although a significant body of knowledge on gray whale biology and behavior exists, little is known about their vocal behavior while migrating. In this study, we used a sparse hydrophone array deployed offshore of central California to investigate how gray whales behave and use sound while migrating. We detected, localized, and tracked whales for one full migration season, a first for gray whales. We verified and localized 10,644 gray whale M3 calls and grouped them into 280 tracks. Results confirm that gray whales are acoustically active while migrating and their swimming and acoustic behavior changes on daily and seasonal time scales. The seasonal timing of the calls verifies the gray whale migration timing determined using other methods such as counts conducted by visual observers. The total number of calls and the percentage of calls that were part of a track changed significantly over both seasonal and daily time scales. An average calling rate of 5.7 calls/whale/day was observed, which is significantly greater than previously reported migration calling rates. We measured a mean speed of 1.6 m/s and quantified heading, direction, and water depth where tracks were located. Mean speed and water depth remained constant between night and day, but these quantities had greater variation at night. Gray whales produce M3 calls with a root mean square source level of 156.9 dB re 1 μPa at 1 m. Quantities describing call characteristics were variable and dependent on site-specific propagation characteristics. PMID:29084266

  1. Out of Africa: the importance of rivers as human migration corridors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramirez, J. A.; Coulthard, T. J.; Rogerson, M.; Barton, N.; Bruecher, T.

    2013-12-01

    The route and timing of Homo sapiens exiting Africa remains uncertain. Corridors leading out of Africa through the Sahara, the Nile Valley, and the Red Sea coast have been proposed as migration routes for anatomically modern humans 80,000-130,000 years ago. During this time climate conditions in the Sahara were wetter than present day, and monsoon rainfall fed rivers that flowed across the desert landscape. The location and timing of these rivers may have supported human migration northward from central Africa to the Mediterranean coast, and onwards to Europe or Asia. Here, we use palaeoclimate rainfall and a hydrological model to spatially simulate and quantitatively test the existence of three major rivers crossing the Sahara from south to north during the time of human migration. We provide evidence that, given realistic underlying climatology, the well-known Sahabi and Kufrah rivers very likely flowed across modern day Libya and reached the coast. More unexpectedly an additional river crossed the core of the Sahara through Algeria (Irharhar river) and flowed into the Chotts basin. The Irharhar river is unique, because it links locations in central Africa experiencing monsoon climates with temperate coastal Mediterranean environments where food and resources were likely abundant. From an ecological perspective, this little-known corridor may prove to be the most parsimonious migration route. Support for the Irharar as a viable migration corridor is provided by its geographic proximity to middle Stone Age archaeological artefacts found in North Africa. Our new, highly novel approach provides the first quantitative analysis of the likelihood that rivers occurred during the critical period of human migration out of Africa. Simulated probability of surface water in North Africa during the last interglacial and the location of tools and ornaments from the Middle Stone Age.

  2. Migratory behavior of eastern North Pacific gray whales tracked using a hydrophone array.

    PubMed

    Guazzo, Regina A; Helble, Tyler A; D'Spain, Gerald L; Weller, David W; Wiggins, Sean M; Hildebrand, John A

    2017-01-01

    Eastern North Pacific gray whales make one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal, traveling from their summer feeding areas in the Bering and Chukchi Seas to their wintering areas in the lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. Although a significant body of knowledge on gray whale biology and behavior exists, little is known about their vocal behavior while migrating. In this study, we used a sparse hydrophone array deployed offshore of central California to investigate how gray whales behave and use sound while migrating. We detected, localized, and tracked whales for one full migration season, a first for gray whales. We verified and localized 10,644 gray whale M3 calls and grouped them into 280 tracks. Results confirm that gray whales are acoustically active while migrating and their swimming and acoustic behavior changes on daily and seasonal time scales. The seasonal timing of the calls verifies the gray whale migration timing determined using other methods such as counts conducted by visual observers. The total number of calls and the percentage of calls that were part of a track changed significantly over both seasonal and daily time scales. An average calling rate of 5.7 calls/whale/day was observed, which is significantly greater than previously reported migration calling rates. We measured a mean speed of 1.6 m/s and quantified heading, direction, and water depth where tracks were located. Mean speed and water depth remained constant between night and day, but these quantities had greater variation at night. Gray whales produce M3 calls with a root mean square source level of 156.9 dB re 1 μPa at 1 m. Quantities describing call characteristics were variable and dependent on site-specific propagation characteristics.

  3. Challenging a 15-year-old claim: The North Atlantic Oscillation index as a predictor of spring migration phenology of birds.

    PubMed

    Haest, Birgen; Hüppop, Ommo; Bairlein, Franz

    2018-04-01

    Many migrant bird species that breed in the Northern Hemisphere show advancement in spring arrival dates. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index is one of the climatic variables that have been most often investigated and shown to be correlated with these changes in spring arrival. Although the NAO is often claimed to be a good predictor or even to have a marked effect on interannual changes in spring migration phenology of Northern Hemisphere breeding birds, the results on relations between spring migration phenology and NAO show a large variety, ranging from no, over weak, to a strong association. Several factors, such as geographic location, migration phase, and the NAO index time window, have been suggested to partly explain these observed differences in association. A combination of a literature meta-analysis, and a meta-analysis and sliding time window analysis of a dataset of 23 short- and long-distance migrants from the constant-effort trapping garden at Helgoland, Germany, however, paints a completely different picture. We found a statistically significant overall effect size of the NAO on spring migration phenology (coefficient = -0.14, SE = 0.054), but this on average only explains 0%-6% of the variance in spring migration phenology across all species. As such, the value and biological meaning of the NAO as a general predictor or explanatory variable for climate change effects on migration phenology of birds, seems highly questionable. We found little to no definite support for previously suggested factors, such as geographic location, migration phenology phase, or the NAO time window, to explain the heterogeneity in correlation differences. We, however, did find compelling evidence that the lack of accounting for trends in both time series has led to strongly inflated (spurious) correlations in many studies (coefficient = -0.13, SE = 0.019). © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Short-term international migration trends in England and Wales from 2004 to 2009.

    PubMed

    Whitworth, Simon; Loukas, Konstantinos; McGregor, Ian

    2011-01-01

    Short-term migration estimates for England and Wales are the latest addition to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) migration statistics. This article discusses definitions of short-term migration and the methodology that is used to produce the estimates. Some of the estimates and the changes in the estimates over time are then discussed. The article includes previously unpublished short-term migration statistics and therefore helps to give a more complete picture of the size and characteristics of short-term international migration for England and Wales than has previously been possible. ONS have identified a clear user requirement for short-term migration estimates at local authority (LA) level. Consequently, attention is also paid to the progress that has been made and future work that is planned to distribute England and Wales short-term migration estimates to LA level.

  5. African departure rather than migration speed determines variation in spring arrival in pied flycatchers.

    PubMed

    Ouwehand, Janne; Both, Christiaan

    2017-01-01

    Properly timed spring migration enhances reproduction and survival. Climate change requires organisms to respond to changes such as advanced spring phenology. Pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca have become a model species to study such phenological adaptations of long-distance migratory songbirds to climate change, but data on individuals' time schedules outside the breeding season are still lacking. Using light-level geolocators, we studied variation in migration schedules across the year in a pied flycatcher population in the Netherlands, which sheds light on the ability for individual adjustments in spring arrival timing to track environmental changes at their breeding grounds. We show that variation in arrival dates to breeding sites in 2014 was caused by variation in departure date from sub-Saharan Africa and not by environmental conditions encountered en route. Spring migration duration was short for all individuals, on average 2 weeks. Males migrated ahead of females in spring, while migration schedules in autumn were flexibly adjusted according to breeding duties. Individuals were therefore not consistently early or late throughout the year. In fast migrants like our Dutch pied flycatchers, advancement of arrival to climate change likely requires changes in spring departure dates. Adaptation for earlier arrival may be slowed down by harsh circumstances in winter, or years with high costs associated with early migration. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.

  6. Body size and condition influence migration timing of juvenile Arctic grayling

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Heim, Kurt C.; Wipfli, Mark S.; Whitman, Matthew S.; Seitz, Andrew C.

    2016-01-01

    Freshwater fishes utilising seasonally available habitats within annual migratory circuits time movements out of such habitats with changing hydrology, although individual attributes of fish may also mediate the behavioural response to environmental conditions. We tagged juvenile Arctic grayling in a seasonally flowing stream on the Arctic Coastal Plain in Alaska and recorded migration timing towards overwintering habitat. We examined the relationship between individual migration date, and fork length (FL) and body condition index (BCI) for fish tagged in June, July and August in three separate models. Larger fish migrated earlier; however, only the August model suggested a significant relationship with BCI. In this model, 42% of variability in migration timing was explained by FL and BCI, and fish in better condition were predicted to migrate earlier than those in poor condition. Here, the majority (33%) of variability was captured by FL with an additional 9% attributable to BCI. We also noted strong seasonal trends in BCI reflecting overwinter mass loss and subsequent growth within the study area. These results are interpreted in the context of size and energetic state-specific risks of overwinter starvation and mortality (which can be very high in the Arctic), which may influence individuals at greater risk to extend summer foraging in a risky, yet prey rich, habitat. Our research provides further evidence that heterogeneity among individuals within a population can influence migratory behaviour and identifies potential risks to late season migrants in Arctic beaded stream habitats influenced by climate change and petroleum development.

  7. Timing of the formation and migration of giant planets as constrained by CB chondrites

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Brandon C.; Walsh, Kevin J.; Minton, David A.; Krot, Alexander N.; Levison, Harold F.

    2016-01-01

    The presence, formation, and migration of giant planets fundamentally shape planetary systems. However, the timing of the formation and migration of giant planets in our solar system remains largely unconstrained. Simulating planetary accretion, we find that giant planet migration produces a relatively short-lived spike in impact velocities lasting ~0.5 My. These high-impact velocities are required to vaporize a significant fraction of Fe,Ni metal and silicates and produce the CB (Bencubbin-like) metal-rich carbonaceous chondrites, a unique class of meteorites that were created in an impact vapor-melt plume ~5 My after the first solar system solids. This indicates that the region where the CB chondrites formed was dynamically excited at this early time by the direct interference of the giant planets. Furthermore, this suggests that the formation of the giant planet cores was protracted and the solar nebula persisted until ~5 My. PMID:27957541

  8. Timing of the formation and migration of giant planets as constrained by CB chondrites.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Brandon C; Walsh, Kevin J; Minton, David A; Krot, Alexander N; Levison, Harold F

    2016-12-01

    The presence, formation, and migration of giant planets fundamentally shape planetary systems. However, the timing of the formation and migration of giant planets in our solar system remains largely unconstrained. Simulating planetary accretion, we find that giant planet migration produces a relatively short-lived spike in impact velocities lasting ~0.5 My. These high-impact velocities are required to vaporize a significant fraction of Fe,Ni metal and silicates and produce the CB (Bencubbin-like) metal-rich carbonaceous chondrites, a unique class of meteorites that were created in an impact vapor-melt plume ~5 My after the first solar system solids. This indicates that the region where the CB chondrites formed was dynamically excited at this early time by the direct interference of the giant planets. Furthermore, this suggests that the formation of the giant planet cores was protracted and the solar nebula persisted until ~5 My.

  9. It Takes Time to Be Cool: On the Relationship between Hyperthermia and Body Cooling in a Migrating Seaduck

    PubMed Central

    Guillemette, Magella; Polymeropoulos, Elias T.; Portugal, Steven J.; Pelletier, David

    2017-01-01

    The large amount of energy expended during flapping flight is associated with heat generated through the increased work of the flight muscles. This increased muscle work rate can manifest itself in core body temperature (Tb) increase of 1–2°C in birds during flight. Therefore, episodic body cooling may be mandatory in migratory birds. To elucidate the thermoregulatory strategy of a short-distance migrant, common eiders (Somateria mollissima), we implanted data loggers in the body cavity of wild birds for 1 year, and report information on Tb during their entire migration for 19 individuals. We show that the mean body temperature during flight (TbMean) in the eiders was associated with rises in Tb ranging from 0.2 to 1.5°C, largely depending on flight duration. To understand how eiders are dealing with hyperthermia during migration, we first compare, at a daily scale, how Tb differs during migration using a before-after approach. Only a slight difference was found (0.05°C) between the after (40.30°C), the before (40.41°C) and the migration (40.36°C) periods, indicating that hyperthermia during flight had minimal impact at this time scale. Analyses at the scale of a flight cycle (flight plus stops on the water), however, clearly shows that eiders were closely regulating Tb during migration, as the relationship between the storage of heat during flight was highly correlated (slope = 1) with the level of heat dumping during stops, at both inter-individual and intra-individual levels. Because Tb at the start of a flight (TbStart) was significantly and positively related to Tb at the end of a flight (TbEnd), and the maximal attained Tb during a flight (TbMax), we conclude that in absence of sufficient body cooling during stopovers, eiders are likely to become increasingly hyperthermic during migration. Finally, we quantified the time spent cooling down during migration to be 36% of their daily (24 h) time budget, and conclude that behavioral body cooling in relation to hyperthermia represents an important time cost. PMID:28790930

  10. China’s Internal Migration, Public Policies, and Economic Growth

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-12-01

    Studying the internal migration of China since 1949, the overall effect of migration on economic performance has had a discernible impact both...positive and negative at different times. There are two distinct aspects: the actual migration patterns and their relative effects on the economy; and the ...domestic policies enacted by the PRC that directly prompted movements whether intentional or not. This thesis has led to the conclusion that it was the

  11. Neuronal migration on laminin in vitro.

    PubMed

    Liang, S; Crutcher, K A

    1992-03-20

    Chick sympathetic (E-9) or telencephalic (E-7) neurons were cultured at low density on poly-DL-ornithine (PORN), poly-L-lysine (POLS), laminin or laminin-covered PORN or POLS and monitored with time-lapse videomicroscopy. Neurons migrated on laminin, or laminin-covered PORN or POLS, but not on PORN or POLS alone. Neuronal migration did not involve interactions with other cells indicating that neurons are capable of independent migration when exposed to a laminin substrate.

  12. The migration policy of developed Socialist society: problems of improvement.

    PubMed

    Khomra, A

    1982-10-01

    In the USSR the need for migration policy stems from objective processes in the development of socialist production and from its constant structural and territorial modifications, which are particularly palpable under current conditions, at a time when vast new regions are undergoing intensive development. Migration policy, to play the part of an effective instrument for exerting a purposeful influence on migration processes, must be stable in its basic directions and relatively flexible when it is necessary to react quickly to changes in various relatively local circumstances. The determination of criteria of optimization of migration processes is of paramount significance for the solution of problems of migration policy. The improvement of migration policy under the conditions of developed socialism must be based on the known patterns of reproduction of the population. At the same time it is necessary to consider the fact that the migration of the population proper can be considered as the source of regional differences in this reproduction and simultaneously is their consequence to a considerable degree. Consequently, 1 of the approaches to the elaboration of migration policy measures is oriented toward the equalization of conditions of population reproduction at the settlement and regional level. Many investigators of the problem of retaining youth in the countryside and of attracting skilled persons to rural areas believe the optimization of the productive and nonproductive spheres of activity to be the solution. Migration policy is implemented at 3 levels: the population as a whole; the collective; and the individual. Migration policy measures are divided according to the nature of their impact on the population into economic, moral, and administrative categories with the leading role assigned to economic measures. Among the economic measures that stimulate migration, a leading role is played by cash payments in the form of wage increases and one time grants. Recognizing the role of distribution on the basis of labor in the regulation of the migratory mobility of the population, the general direction of improvement of migration policy consists in the further raising of the role of consumption funds and particularly the fund for the joint satisfaction of requirements. The superiority of social consumption funds over wages in attracting and retaining the population stems particularly from the fact that the consumption of goods and services available free of charge or for a reduced charge occurs only at the place where they are offered. Ecomonic measures of migration policy must consider the fact that work incentives have recently included creative stimuli associated with the character, content, and conditions of work.

  13. Spring resource phenology and timing of songbird migration across the Gulf of Mexico

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Paxton, Eben H.; Cohen, Emily B.; Németh, Zoltan; Zenzal, Theodore J.; Paxton, Kristina L.; Diehl, Robert H.; Moore, Frank R.

    2015-01-01

    Migratory songbirds are advancing their arrival to breeding areas in response to climatic warming at temperate latitudes. Less is understood about the impacts of climate changes outside the breeding period. Every spring, millions of migrating songbirds that overwinter in the Caribbean and Central and South America stop to rest and refuel in the first available habitats after crossing the Gulf of Mexico. We used capture data from a long-term banding station (20 years: 1993 to 2012) located on the northern coast of the Gulf to assess the passage timing of 17 species making northward migrations into eastern North America. We further assessed spring resource phenology as measured by normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on nonbreeding ranges and en route. We tested the hypotheses that spring passage timing has advanced during the past two decades and that annual variability in passage timing into eastern North America is related to spring resource phenology on stationary nonbreeding ranges and during passage south of the Gulf. Further, we assessed whether annual variability in resource phenology south of the Gulf was a good indicator of the conditions that migrants encountered upon first landfall in eastern North America. We found no trend in migration timing for species that migrate from South America and annual variability in their passage timing was unrelated to environmental conditions in nonbreeding ranges or en route. Species that migrate from Central America and the Caribbean delayed arrival by 2 to 3 days over the 20-year period and arrived later during years when conditions were dryer in nonbreeding ranges and passage areas south of the Gulf. Further, year to year variability in spring resource phenology in nonbreeding ranges and passage areas south of the Gulf were not good indicators of resource phenology upon arrival in eastern North America. Therefore, despite the fact that many migrant species have been arriving increasingly earlier to breeding grounds, the passage timing of 17 species into eastern North America has either not changed or is slightly later, due to drying spring conditions in Central America and the Caribbean. Our results suggest that Nearctic–Neotropical migratory birds adjust the rate of migration primarily within eastern North America and, in light of warmer temperatures in the temperate zone and earlier arrival timing to breeding ranges, species that overwinter in Central America and the Caribbean may be increasing the speed of migration within eastern North America.

  14. Quantitative Analysis of Complex Glioma Cell Migration on Electrospun Polycaprolactone Using Time-Lapse Microscopy

    PubMed Central

    Johnson, Jed; Nowicki, M. Oskar; Lee, Carol H.; Chiocca, E. Antonio; Viapiano, Mariano S.; Lawler, Sean E.

    2009-01-01

    Malignant gliomas are the most common tumors originating within the central nervous system and account for over 15,000 deaths annually in the United States. The median survival for glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive of these tumors, is only 14 months. Therapeutic strategies targeting glioma cells migrating away from the tumor core are currently hampered by the difficulty of reproducing migration in the neural parenchyma in vitro. We utilized a tissue engineering approach to develop a physiologically relevant model of glioma cell migration. This revealed that glioma cells display dramatic differences in migration when challenged by random versus aligned electrospun poly-ɛ-caprolactone nanofibers. Cells on aligned fibers migrated at an effective velocity of 4.2 ± 0.39 μm/h compared to 0.8 ± 0.08 μm/h on random fibers, closely matching in vivo models and prior observations of glioma spread in white versus gray matter. Cells on random fibers exhibited extension along multiple fiber axes that prevented net motion; aligned fibers promoted a fusiform morphology better suited to infiltration. Time-lapse microscopy revealed that the motion of individual cells was complex and was influenced by cell cycle and local topography. Glioma stem cell–containing neurospheres seeded on random fibers did not show cell detachment and retained their original shape; on aligned fibers, cells detached and migrated in the fiber direction over a distance sixfold greater than the perpendicular direction. This chemically and physically flexible model allows time-lapse analysis of glioma cell migration while recapitulating in vivo cell morphology, potentially allowing identification of physiological mediators and pharmacological inhibitors of invasion. PMID:19199562

  15. Migration Systems in Europe: Evidence From Harmonized Flow Data

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Keuntae; Raymer, James

    2014-01-01

    Empirical tests of migration systems theory require consistent and complete data on international migration flows. Publicly available data, however, represent an inconsistent and incomplete set of measurements obtained from a variety of national data collection systems. We overcome these obstacles by standardizing the available migration reports of sending and receiving countries in the European Union and Norway each year from 2003–2007 and by estimating the remaining missing flows. The resulting harmonized estimates are then used to test migration systems theory. First, locating thresholds in the size of flows over time, we identify three migration systems within the European Union and Norway. Second, examining the key determinants of flows with respect to the predictions of migration systems theory, our results highlight the importance of shared experiences of nation-state formation, geography, and accession status in the European Union. Our findings lend support to migration systems theory and demonstrate that knowledge of migration systems may improve the accuracy of migration forecasts toward managing the impacts of migration as a source of social change in Europe. PMID:22791267

  16. Cues, corticosterone and departure decisions in a partial migrant.

    PubMed

    Eikenaar, Cas; Ballstaedt, Elmar; Hessler, Sven; Klinner, Thomas; Müller, Florian; Schmaljohann, Heiko

    2018-05-15

    Most migrating birds make multiple stopovers to fuel and/or rest. The decision to resume migration from stopover is based on various cues, such as time within the season and wind conditions. There are hints that the strength of these departure cues shapes corticosterone level, which in its turn appears to regulate the timing of departure. We here provide results that very strongly indicate that indeed departure cues jointly shape corticosterone level of migrants at stopover. We compared corticosterone level between migrating and sedentary common blackbirds (Turdus merula) sampled simultaneously at the same location during autumn migration. As expected, in migrating individuals corticosterone level was positively associated with time within the season and with current wind conditions. The latter was only apparent in adult birds and not in 1st year migrants, thus matching the observation that 1st year autumnal migrants are less wind selective than adults. In contrast to the migrants, in sedentary blackbirds these "cues" did not explain variation in corticosterone level. Furthermore, stopover departure seemed more likely and to occur earlier in the night in migrants with high corticosterone level. Our unique comparative study thus supports the newly developed concept that corticosterone mediates between departure cues and stopover departure timing in avian migrants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Temperature affects the timing of spawning and migration of North Sea mackerel

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jansen, Teunis; Gislason, Henrik

    2011-01-01

    Climate change accentuates the need for knowing how temperature impacts the life history and productivity of economically and ecologically important species of fish. We examine the influence of temperature on the timing of the spawning and migrations of North Sea Mackerel using data from larvae CPR surveys, egg surveys and commercial landings from Danish coastal fisheries in the North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat and inner Danish waters. The three independent sources of data all show that there is a significant relationship between the timing of spawning and sea surface temperature. Large mackerel are shown to arrive at the feeding areas before and leave later than small mackerel and the sequential appearance of mackerel in each of the feeding areas studied supports the anecdotal evidence for an eastward post-spawning migration. Occasional commercial catches taken in winter in the Sound N, Kattegat and Skagerrak together with catches in the first quarter IBTS survey furthermore indicate some overwintering here. Significant relationships between temperature and North Sea mackerel spawning and migration have not been documented before. The results have implications for mackerel resource management and monitoring. An increase in temperature is likely to affect the timing and magnitude of the growth, recruitment and migration of North Sea mackerel with subsequent impacts on its sustainable exploitation.

  18. Adult Pacific Lamprey Migration in the Lower Columbia River: 2007 Radiotelemetry and Half-duplex Pit Tag Studies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-01-01

    L. C. Stuehrenberg, and C. A. Peery. 2005. Late-season mortality during migration of radio-tagged sockeye salmon ( Oncorhynchus nerka ) in the...were 3-5 times longer than those recorded for radio-tagged summer Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) and sockeye salmon (O. nerka ) migrating during the

  19. The Psychology of Puerto Rican Migration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prewitt Diaz, Joseph O.

    The psychology of the Puerto Rican migrant to the United States mainland is explored. Puerto Ricans have been migrating to the U.S. mainland and returning to Puerto Rico for more than 125 years, and, in fact, approximately 57% of all Puerto Ricans have migrated at one time or another. The migrant experience, including the circular migration…

  20. College Student Migration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenske, R. H.; And Others

    This study examines the background characteristics of two large national samples of first-time enrolled freshmen who (a) attended college within their state of residence but away from their home community, (b) migrated to a college in an adjacent state, (c) migrated to a college in a distant state, and (d) attended college in their home community.…

  1. Migration and Recognition of Diplomas in Sweden

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dingu-Kyrklund, Elena

    2005-01-01

    Trans-national migration is now a global phenomenon, affecting an increasing amount of persons, many of whom have already completed a form of higher education in their country of origin or earlier residence at the time of migration. There is consequently a need to evaluate foreign degrees and assess migrants' professional competence beyond their…

  2. Runaway gas accretion and gap opening versus type I migration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Crida, A.; Bitsch, B.

    2017-03-01

    Growing planets interact with their natal protoplanetary disc, which exerts a torque onto them allowing them to migrate in the disc. Small mass planets do not affect the gas profile and migrate in the fast type-I migration. Although type-I migration can be directed outwards for planets smaller than 20 - 30M⊕ in some regions of the disc, planets above this mass should be lost into the central star long before the disc disperses. Massive planets push away material from their orbit and open a gap. They subsequently migrate in the slower, type II migration, which could save them from migrating all the way to the star. Hence, growing giant planets can be saved if and only if they can reach the gap opening mass, because this extends their migration timescale, allowing them to eventually survive at large orbits until the disc itself disperses. However, most of the previous studies only measured the torques on planets with fixed masses and orbits to determine the migration rate. Additionally, the transition between type-I and type-II migration itself is not well studied, especially when taking the growth mechanism of rapid gas accretion from the surrounding disc into account. Here we use isothermal 2D disc simulations with FARGO-2D1D to study the migration behaviour of gas accreting protoplanets in discs. We find that migrating giant planets always open gaps in the disc. We further show analytically and numerically that in the runaway gas accretion regime, the growth time-scale is comparable to the type-I migration time-scale, indicating that growing planets will reach gap opening masses before migrating all the way to the central star in type-I migration if the disc is not extremely viscous and/or thick. An accretion rate limited to the radial gas flow in the disc, in contrast, is not fast enough. When gas accretion by the planet is taken into account, the gap opening process is accelerated because the planet accretes material originating from its horseshoe region. This allows an accreting planet to transition to type-II migration before being lost even if gas fails to be provided for a rapid enough growth and the classical gap opening mass is not reached.

  3. The evolution of immunity in relation to colonization and migration.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Emily A; Cornwallis, Charlie K; Hasselquist, Dennis; Nilsson, Jan-Åke; Westerdahl, Helena

    2018-05-01

    Colonization and migration have a crucial effect on patterns of biodiversity, with disease predicted to play an important role in these processes. However, evidence of the effect of pathogens on broad patterns of colonization and migration is limited. Here, using phylogenetic analyses of 1,311 species of Afro-Palaearctic songbirds, we show that colonization events from regions of high (sub-Saharan Africa) to low (the Palaearctic) pathogen diversity were up to 20 times more frequent than the reverse, and that migration has evolved 3 times more frequently from African- as opposed to Palaearctic-resident species. We also found that resident species that colonized the Palaearctic from Africa, as well as African species that evolved long-distance migration to breed in the Palaearctic, have reduced diversity of key immune genes associated with pathogen recognition (major histocompatibility complex class I). These results suggest that changes in the pathogen community that occur during colonization and migration shape the evolution of the immune system, potentially by adjusting the trade-off between the benefits of extensive pathogen recognition and the costs of immunopathology that result from high major histocompatibility complex class I diversity.

  4. Migration and Extension of Solar Active Longitudinal Zones

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gyenge, N.; Baranyi, T.; Ludmány, A.

    2014-02-01

    Solar active longitudes show a characteristic migration pattern in the Carrington coordinate system if they can be identified at all. By following this migration, the longitudinal activity distribution around the center of the band can be determined. The half-width of the distribution is found to be varying in Cycles 21 - 23, and in some time intervals it was as narrow as 20 - 30 degrees. It was more extended around a maximum but it was also narrow when the activity jumped to the opposite longitude. Flux emergence exhibited a quasi-periodic variation within the active zone with a period of about 1.3 years. The path of the active-longitude migration does not support the view that it might be associated with the 11-year solar cycle. These results were obtained for a limited time interval of a few solar cycles and, bearing in mind uncertainties of the migration-path definition, are only indicative. For the major fraction of the dataset no systematic active longitudes were found. Sporadic migration of active longitudes was identified only for Cycles 21 - 22 in the northern hemisphere and Cycle 23 in the southern hemisphere.

  5. Time- and temperature-dependent migration studies of Irganox 1076 from plastics into foods and food simulants.

    PubMed

    Beldì, G; Pastorelli, S; Franchini, F; Simoneau, C

    2012-01-01

    The study provides an exhaustive set of migration data for octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate (Irganox 1076) from low-density polyethylene (LDPE) in several food matrices. Irganox 1076 was used as a model migrant because it represents one of the typical substances used as an antioxidant in food packaging polymers. Kinetic (time-dependent) migration studies of Irganox 1076 were performed for selected foodstuffs chosen with different physical-chemical properties and in relation to the actual European food consumption market. The effect of fat content and of the temperature of storage on the migration from plastic packaging was evaluated. The results show that migration increased with fat content and storage temperature. All data obtained from real foods were also compared with data obtained from simulants tested in the same conditions. In all studied cases, the kinetics in simulants were higher than those in foodstuffs. The work provides data valuable for the extension of the validation of migration model developed on simulants to foodstuffs themselves.

  6. Effects of dynamic matrix remodelling on en masse migration of fibroblasts on collagen matrices.

    PubMed

    Ozcelikkale, Altug; Dutton, J Craig; Grinnell, Frederick; Han, Bumsoo

    2017-10-01

    Fibroblast migration plays a key role during various physiological and pathological processes. Although migration of individual fibroblasts has been well studied, migration in vivo often involves simultaneous locomotion of fibroblasts sited in close proximity, so-called ' en masse migration', during which intensive cell-cell interactions occur. This study aims to understand the effects of matrix mechanical environments on the cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions during en masse migration of fibroblasts on collagen matrices. Specifically, we hypothesized that a group of migrating cells can significantly deform the matrix, whose mechanical microenvironment dramatically changes compared with the undeformed state, and the alteration of the matrix microenvironment reciprocally affects cell migration. This hypothesis was tested by time-resolved measurements of cell and extracellular matrix movement during en masse migration on collagen hydrogels with varying concentrations. The results illustrated that a group of cells generates significant spatio-temporal deformation of the matrix before and during the migration. Cells on soft collagen hydrogels migrate along tortuous paths, but, as the matrix stiffness increases, cell migration patterns become aligned with each other and show coordinated migration paths. As cells migrate, the matrix is locally compressed, resulting in a locally stiffened and dense matrix across the collagen concentration range studied. © 2017 The Author(s).

  7. Textile composite fuselage structures development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jackson, Anthony C.; Barrie, Ronald E.; Chu, Robert L.

    1993-01-01

    Phase 2 of the NASA ACT Contract (NAS1-18888), Advanced Composite Structural Concepts and Materials Technology for Transport Aircraft Structures, focuses on textile technology, with resin transfer molding or powder coated tows. The use of textiles has the potential for improving damage tolerance, reducing cost and saving weight. This program investigates resin transfer molding (RTM), as a maturing technology for high fiber volume primary structures and powder coated tows as an emerging technology with a high potential for significant cost savings and superior structural properties. Powder coated tow technology has promise for significantly improving the processibility of high temperature resins such as polyimides.

  8. Immune-escape mutations and stop-codons in HBsAg develop in a large proportion of patients with chronic HBV infection exposed to anti-HBV drugs in Europe.

    PubMed

    Colagrossi, Luna; Hermans, Lucas E; Salpini, Romina; Di Carlo, Domenico; Pas, Suzan D; Alvarez, Marta; Ben-Ari, Ziv; Boland, Greet; Bruzzone, Bianca; Coppola, Nicola; Seguin-Devaux, Carole; Dyda, Tomasz; Garcia, Federico; Kaiser, Rolf; Köse, Sukran; Krarup, Henrik; Lazarevic, Ivana; Lunar, Maja M; Maylin, Sarah; Micheli, Valeria; Mor, Orna; Paraschiv, Simona; Paraskevis, Dimitros; Poljak, Mario; Puchhammer-Stöckl, Elisabeth; Simon, François; Stanojevic, Maja; Stene-Johansen, Kathrine; Tihic, Nijaz; Trimoulet, Pascale; Verheyen, Jens; Vince, Adriana; Lepej, Snjezana Zidovec; Weis, Nina; Yalcinkaya, Tülay; Boucher, Charles A B; Wensing, Annemarie M J; Perno, Carlo F; Svicher, Valentina

    2018-06-01

    HBsAg immune-escape mutations can favor HBV-transmission also in vaccinated individuals, promote immunosuppression-driven HBV-reactivation, and increase fitness of drug-resistant strains. Stop-codons can enhance HBV oncogenic-properties. Furthermore, as a consequence of the overlapping structure of HBV genome, some immune-escape mutations or stop-codons in HBsAg can derive from drug-resistance mutations in RT. This study is aimed at gaining insight in prevalence and characteristics of immune-associated escape mutations, and stop-codons in HBsAg in chronically HBV-infected patients experiencing nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) in Europe. This study analyzed 828 chronically HBV-infected European patients exposed to ≥ 1 NA, with detectable HBV-DNA and with an available HBsAg-sequence. The immune-associated escape mutations and the NA-induced immune-escape mutations sI195M, sI196S, and sE164D (resulting from drug-resistance mutation rtM204 V, rtM204I, and rtV173L) were retrieved from literature and examined. Mutations were defined as an aminoacid substitution with respect to a genotype A or D reference sequence. At least one immune-associated escape mutation was detected in 22.1% of patients with rising temporal-trend. By multivariable-analysis, genotype-D correlated with higher selection of ≥ 1 immune-associated escape mutation (OR[95%CI]:2.20[1.32-3.67], P = 0.002). In genotype-D, the presence of ≥ 1 immune-associated escape mutations was significantly higher in drug-exposed patients with drug-resistant strains than with wild-type virus (29.5% vs 20.3% P = 0.012). Result confirmed by analysing drug-naïve patients (29.5% vs 21.2%, P = 0.032). Strong correlation was observed between sP120T and rtM204I/V (P < 0.001), and their co-presence determined an increased HBV-DNA. At least one NA-induced immune-escape mutation occurred in 28.6% of patients, and their selection correlated with genotype-A (OR[95%CI]:2.03[1.32-3.10],P = 0.001). Finally, stop-codons are present in 8.4% of patients also at HBsAg-positions 172 and 182, described to enhance viral oncogenic-properties. Immune-escape mutations and stop-codons develop in a large fraction of NA-exposed patients from Europe. This may represent a potential threat for horizontal and vertical HBV transmission also to vaccinated persons, and fuel drug-resistance emergence.

  9. Preparation of new crosslinking agents and additives for use in polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) for fuel cell applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Yangliu

    The most commonly used proton conductive membrane in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) studies to date is DuPont's NafionRTM, which is a perfluorinated copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and perfluorovinyl ether with a pendant sulfonic acid group. A focus of this work is to find ways to improve the performance of NafionRTM membranes. Crosslinking the TFE chains of fluorinated ionomeric copolymers to improve their thermal and mechanical stability is a proven route to this goal. A straightforward synthetic route to perfluorinated divinyl ethers of the formula CF2=CFO(CF 2)3[OCF(CF3)CF2]mOCF=CF 2 (m = 0-1) has been demonstrated. The compounds CF2=CFO(CF 2)3OCF=CF2 and CF2=CFO(CF2) 3OCF(CF3)CF2OCF=CF2 were prepared and characterized by GC-MS, 13C and 19F NMR, and gas-IR spectroscopy. Synthetic routes to fluorosulfato-tetrafluoropropionyl fluoride [FSO3CF2CF2C(O)F] and difluoromalonyl difluoride [F(O)CCF2C(O)F] with improved yields were found. The second focus of the dissertation was the development of fluorous triarylphosphines for use as new doping materials for the modification of NafionRTM membranes and for use as ligands in catalysts for biphasic catalysis. The synthesis and characterization of a series of new polyhexafluoropropylene oxide derivatives for preparation of fluorous triarylphosphines and phosphonium salts was studied, such as F[CF(CF3)CF2O] 4CF(CF3)CH2CH2I, F[CF(CF3)CF 2O]4CF(CF3)CH=CH2, F[CF(CF3)CF 2O]4CF(CF3) CH2CH2C6H5, and F[CF(CF 3)CF2O]4CF(CF3)CH2CH 2C6H4Br. In a separate study, the photochlorination of 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoro-1-propanol (HCF2CF2CH2OH) and 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropyl 2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropionate [HCF2CF2C(O)OCH2 CF2CF2H] with super diazo blue light (lambda max = 420 nm) were investigated. The photochemical products are different from those obtained under mercury light (lambda = 253.7nm). A new compound ClCF2CF2C(O)OC(H)ClCF2CF2Cl was prepared and characterized by GC-MS, elemental analysis, 1H, 13C and 19F NMR, and gas-IR spectroscopy.

  10. Understanding of ammonia transport in PEM fuel cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jung, Myunghee

    This dissertation investigates ammonia (NH3) as a fuel contaminant to the anode in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs). Since NH 3 is fed to the anode in a gas phase and transferred to the cathode, the effect of a contaminant is distributed through MEA and quite complicated. This study is focused on the investigation of mechanism of NH3 transport and the isolation of multiple effects to degrade the performance of fuel cell. An External Reference Electrode (ERE) was employed to decouple the effect of individual electrode and explain the mechanism of NH3 contamination. A mechanism of NH3 transport is proposed and supported by data for various inlet conditions in a N2/N2 laboratory-scale fuel cell at Open Circuit Conditions (OCC). With a commercialized GORE(TM) PRIMEA RTM 5631 MEAs at 70°C, data were obtained utilizing a material balance technique, which uses an ion selective electrode (ISE) to determine the concentration of ammonium ion in the process streams. The results indicate that ammonia is not transported across the membrane when the feeds to both electrodes are dry. However, with humidified feeds ammonia was transported from the anode to the cathode. The data also indicate the water content of in the MEA is the critical factor that causes NH3 crossover in the MEA. Diffusion coefficients of NH3 in MEA are also calculated at different relative humilities. An ERE was developed for PEM fuel cell by using a NafionRTM strip which was used to understand contamination mechanism. The voltage of anode electrode relative to ERE was measured during a polarization curve. The data showed the measurement of individual electrode potential was extremely affected by the misalignment between two electrodes. We compare the overpotential measured from the reference electrode and the calculated overpotential from subtracting the cell voltages between neat hydrogen and a 25 ppm CO in H 2 stream at same current. The studies indicated that the overpotentials obtained from two different methods were same and the location of a Nafion RTM strip on MEA did not affect the measured overpotentials. When NH3 was introduced as a contaminant to the cell at OCC, the thermodynamic potential of the anode electrode was measured for GORETM PRIMEARTM 57 series MEA at 80°C. High Frequency Resistance (HFR) and material balance were also analyzed during the change of thermodynamic potential. The results show that the injected NH3 was absorbed in the MEA until the ion exchange capacity was fully saturated and then NH 3 reaction occurred on the electrode. Finally, we studied how NH 3 contamination process occurs from transient voltage changes of the cell and an individual electrode.

  11. A landscape scale decision support tool for monitoring bird and bat migration across Wisconsin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Suarez, Manuel J.; Heglund, Patricia J.; Kratt, Robert; Kirsch, Eileen

    2008-01-01

    This project was initiated to begin addressing the question, “Are there patterns in timing, location, and direction among migrating landbirds?” that have been at the forefront of discussion with our Federal, State, and County partners with regard to siting wind energy projects. Our goal was to explore the use of Nexrad weather data to see if examining 5 or more years’ worth of data would provide us with a sense of the general timing, movement patterns and habitat use by migrating landbirds.

  12. Continuous Time Random Walk and Migration-Proliferation Dichotomy of Brain Cancer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Iomin, A.

    A theory of fractional kinetics of glial cancer cells is presented. A role of the migration-proliferation dichotomy in the fractional cancer cell dynamics in the outer-invasive zone is discussed and explained in the framework of a continuous time random walk. The main suggested model is based on a construction of a 3D comb model, where the migration-proliferation dichotomy becomes naturally apparent and the outer-invasive zone of glioma cancer is considered as a fractal composite with a fractal dimension Dfr < 3.

  13. Determination of sound types and source levels of airborne vocalizations by California sea lions, Zalophus californianus, in rehabilitation at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwalm, Afton Leigh

    California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) are a highly popular and easily recognized marine mammal in zoos, aquariums, circuses, and often seen by ocean visitors. They are highly vocal and gregarious on land. Surprisingly, little research has been performed on the vocalization types, source levels, acoustic properties, and functions of airborne sounds used by California sea lions. This research on airborne vocalizations of California sea lions will advance the understanding of this aspect of California sea lions communication, as well as examine the relationship between health condition and acoustic behavior. Using a PhillipsRTM digital recorder with attached microphone and a calibrated RadioShackRTM sound pressure level meter, acoustical data were recorded opportunistically on California sea lions during rehabilitation at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA. Vocalizations were analyzed using frequency, time, and amplitude variables with Raven Pro: Interactive Sound Analysis Software Version 1.4 (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY). Five frequency, three time, and four amplitude variables were analyzed for each vocalization. Differences in frequency, time, and amplitude variables were not significant by sex. The older California sea lion group produced vocalizations that were significantly lower in four frequency variables, significantly longer in two time variables, significantly higher in calibrated maximum and minimum amplitude variables, and significantly lower in frequency at maximum and minimum amplitude compared with pups. Six call types were identified: bark, goat, growl/grumble, bark/grumble, bark/growl, and grumble/moan. The growl/grumble call was higher in dominant beginning, ending, and minimum frequency, as well as in the frequency at maximum amplitude compared with the bark, goat, bark/grumble calls in the first versus last vocalization sample. The goat call was significantly higher in first harmonic interval than any other call type in the all vocalizations sample. The "fate" of a sea lion was categorized as: released, placed at another facility, remained at TMMC, euthanized, or died. To determine if acoustic features could be used to assess the recovery of a pup, the acoustic features of a pup's first recorded vocalization were compared with the frequency, time, and amplitude of the last vocalization recorded (i.e., before it was released or placed at another facility). In addition, all first vocalizations were pooled and all last vocalizations were pooled for acoustic analysis, regardless of their fate. Released pups had shorter duration calls, a greater first harmonic interval, and a higher dominant maximum frequency than either pups that died or pups remaining at TMMC. Released pups had a higher frequency at maximum and minimum amplitude compared to dead and remaining pups. Pups that died had significantly lower dominant ending frequency and a lower dominant minimum frequency than released or remaining pups. These results were supported by other studies on different species of otariids, phocids, and cetaceans. The preliminary analyses presented in this thesis holds promise that with additional data acoustic features of California sea lion airborne vocalizations could indicate sex, age, and possibly health condition or the potential for release.

  14. Analysis of Histone Deacetylase-Dependent Effects on Cell Migration Using the Stripe Assay.

    PubMed

    Mertsch, Sonja; Thanos, Solon

    2017-01-01

    For normal embryonic development/morphogenesis, cell migration and homing are well-orchestrated and important events requiring specific cellular mechanisms. In diseases such as cancer deregulated cell migration represents a major problem. Therefore, numerous efforts are under way to understand the molecular mechanisms of tumor cell migration and to generate more efficient tumor therapies. Cell migration assays are one of the most commonly used functional assays. The wound-healing assay or the Boyden chamber assay are variations of these assays. Nearly all of them are two-dimensional assays and the cells can only migrate on one substrate at a time. This is in contrast to the in vivo situation where the cells are faced simultaneously with different surfaces and interact with different cell types. To approach this in vivo situation we used a modified version of the stripe assay designed by Bonhoeffer and colleagues to examine mechanisms of axonal guidance. The design of this assay allows cells to decide between two different substrates offered at the same time. Utilizing alternating neuronal substrates for migration analyses we can partially mimic the complex in vivo situation for brain tumor cells. Here we describe the detailed protocol to perform a modified version of the stripe assay in order to observe substrate-dependent migration effects in vitro, to analyze the effect of Rho-dependent kinases (ROCKS), of histone deacetylases (HDACs) and of other molecules on glioma cells.

  15. Migration of planets into and out of mean motion resonances in protoplanetary discs: analytical theory of second-order resonances

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Wenrui; Lai, Dong

    2017-07-01

    Recent observations of Kepler multiplanet systems have revealed a number of systems with planets very close to second-order mean motion resonances (MMRs, with period ratio 1 : 3, 3 : 5, etc.). We present an analytic study of resonance capture and its stability for planets migrating in gaseous discs. Resonance capture requires slow convergent migration of the planets, with sufficiently large eccentricity damping time-scale Te and small pre-resonance eccentricities. We quantify these requirements and find that they can be satisfied for super-Earths under protoplanetary disc conditions. For planets captured into resonance, an equilibrium state can be reached, in which eccentricity excitation due to resonant planet-planet interaction balances eccentricity damping due to planet-disc interaction. This 'captured' equilibrium can be overstable, leading to partial or permanent escape of the planets from the resonance. In general, the stability of the captured state depends on the inner to outer planet mass ratio q = m1/m2 and the ratio of the eccentricity damping times. The overstability growth time is of the order of Te, but can be much larger for systems close to the stability threshold. For low-mass planets undergoing type I (non-gap opening) migration, convergent migration requires q ≲ 1, while the stability of the capture requires q ≳ 1. These results suggest that planet pairs stably captured into second-order MMRs have comparable masses. This is in contrast to first-order MMRs, where a larger parameter space exists for stable resonance capture. We confirm and extend our analytical results with N-body simulations, and show that for overstable capture, the escape time from the MMR can be comparable to the time the planets spend migrating between resonances.

  16. Resolving ultrafast exciton migration in organic solids at the nanoscale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Penwell, Samuel B.; Ginsberg, Lucas D. S.; Noriega, Rodrigo; Ginsberg, Naomi S.

    2017-11-01

    Effectiveness of molecular-based light harvesting relies on transport of excitons to charge-transfer sites. Measuring exciton migration, however, has been challenging because of the mismatch between nanoscale migration lengths and the diffraction limit. Instead of using bulk substrate quenching methods, here we define quenching boundaries all-optically with sub-diffraction resolution, thus characterizing spatiotemporal exciton migration on its native nanometre and picosecond scales. By transforming stimulated emission depletion microscopy into a time-resolved ultrafast approach, we measure a 16-nm migration length in poly(2,5-di(hexyloxy)cyanoterephthalylidene) conjugated polymer films. Combined with Monte Carlo exciton hopping simulations, we show that migration in these films is essentially diffusive because intrinsic chromophore energetic disorder is comparable to chromophore inhomogeneous broadening. Our approach will enable previously unattainable correlation of local material structure to exciton migration character, applicable not only to photovoltaic or display-destined organic semiconductors but also to explaining the quintessential exciton migration exhibited in photosynthesis.

  17. Levels and patterns of internal migration in Europe: A cohort perspective.

    PubMed

    Bernard, Aude

    2017-11-01

    Europe displays important variations in the level of internal migration, with a clear spatial gradient of high mobility in northern and western Europe but lower mobility in the south and east. However, cross-national variation in levels of internal migration remains poorly understood, because it is analysed almost exclusively using cross-sectional data and period measures. This paper seeks to advance understanding of cross-national variation in migration levels in 14 European countries by drawing on a recently proposed suite of migration cohort measures, coupled with internationally comparable retrospective residential histories. It shows that differences in migration levels are mainly attributable to variation in the extent of repeat movement, which is underpinned by the differences in mean ages at first and last move that together delineate the average length of migration careers. Cohort analysis provides a robust foundation for exploring the demographic mechanisms underpinning variation in migration levels across countries and over time.

  18. Differential timing and latitudinal variation in sex ratio of Aquatic Warblers during the autumn migration.

    PubMed

    Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Katarzyna; Chrostek, Małgorzata E; Jiguet, Frédéric; Martínez, Carlos Zumalacárregui; Miguélez, David; Neto, Júlio M

    2017-11-14

    Differential migration has been extensively reported in spring, but less so in autumn, particularly in relation to sex in monomorphic bird species. Here, we analysed the autumn passage of a monomorphic, globally threatened passerine, the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola throughout Western Europe, with regard to age and sex. We showed that, overall, adults migrated earlier than first-year birds, and males migrated earlier than females during the autumn migration. This may be caused by an overall social dominance of adults over immatures, and differentiated migration strategy of males and females. In addition, we found male-skewed sex proportions, with a tendency to an equalised ratio in more southern stopover sites. This may indicate a male bias in the global population or different migration strategies of the sexes. Differential migration may cause the age and sex classes to be exposed differently to various threats affecting demographic structure of the species.

  19. Differential timing and latitudinal variation in sex ratio of Aquatic Warblers during the autumn migration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wojczulanis-Jakubas, Katarzyna; Chrostek, Małgorzata E.; Jiguet, Frédéric; Martínez, Carlos Zumalacárregui; Miguélez, David; Neto, Júlio M.

    2017-12-01

    Differential migration has been extensively reported in spring, but less so in autumn, particularly in relation to sex in monomorphic bird species. Here, we analysed the autumn passage of a monomorphic, globally threatened passerine, the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola throughout Western Europe, with regard to age and sex. We showed that, overall, adults migrated earlier than first-year birds, and males migrated earlier than females during the autumn migration. This may be caused by an overall social dominance of adults over immatures, and differentiated migration strategy of males and females. In addition, we found male-skewed sex proportions, with a tendency to an equalised ratio in more southern stopover sites. This may indicate a male bias in the global population or different migration strategies of the sexes. Differential migration may cause the age and sex classes to be exposed differently to various threats affecting demographic structure of the species.

  20. Migration patterns among Floridians with AIDS, 1993-2007: implications for HIV prevention and care.

    PubMed

    Trepka, Mary Jo; Fennie, Kristopher P; Pelletier, Valerie; Lutfi, Khaleeq; Lieb, Spencer; Maddox, Lorene M

    2014-09-01

    To characterize migration patterns among people diagnosed as having and who died of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) from 1993 to 2007 because migrating to a new community can disrupt human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS care delivery and patients' adherence to care and affect migrants' social services and healthcare needs. Florida AIDS surveillance data were used to describe patterns of migration among people diagnosed as having and who died of AIDS from 1993 to 2007. Individual and community characteristics were compared between residence at the time of AIDS diagnosis and residence at the time of death by type of migration. Of 31,816 people in the cohort, 2510 (7.9%) migrated to another county in Florida and 1306 (4.1%) migrated to another state. Interstate migrants were more likely to be men, 20 to 39 years old, non-Hispanic white, and born in the United States, to have had a transmission mode of injection drug use (IDU) or men who have sex with men with IDU (MSM&IDU), and to have been diagnosed before 1999. Intercounty migrants were more likely to be non-Hispanic white, younger than 60 years, have had a transmission mode of MSM, IDU, or MSM&IDU, have higher CD4 counts/percentages, and to have lived in areas with low levels of poverty or low physician density. There was a small net movement from urban to rural areas within the state. A sizable percentage of people, particularly younger people and people with a transmission mode of IDU and IDU&MSM, migrated at least once between the time of their AIDS diagnosis and death. This has important implications for care and treatment, as well as efforts to prevent the disease. Further research is needed to explore barriers and facilitators to access to care upon migration and to assess the need for programs to help people transfer their human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS care, ensuring continuity of care and adherence.

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