Archean tectonics and crustal evolution of the Biligiri Rangan Block, southern India

The Southern Granulite Terrain in India is a collage of crustal blocks ranging in age from Archean to Neoproterozoic. This study investigate the tectonic evolution of one of the northernmost block- the Biligiri Block (BRB) through a multidisciplinary approach involving field investigation, petrographic studies, LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb geochronology, Hf isotopic analyses, metamorphic P-T phase diagram computations, and crustal thickness modeling. The garnet bearing quartzofeldspathic gneiss from the central BRB preserve Mesoarchean magmatic zircons with ages between 3207 and 2806 Ma and positive epsilon Hf value (+2.7) which possibly indicates vestiges of a Mesoarchean primitive continental crust. The occurrence of quartzite-iron formation intercalation as well as ultramafic lenses along the western boundary of the BRB is interpreted to indicate that the Kollegal structural lineament is a possible paleo-suture. Phase diagram computation of a metagabbro from the southwestern periphery of the Kollegal suture zone reveals high-pressure (similar to 18.5 kbar) and medium-temperature (similar to 840 degrees C) metamorphism, likely during eastward subduction of the Western Dharwar oceanic crust beneath the Mesoarchean BRB. In the model presented here, slab subduction, melting and underplating processes generated arc magmatism and subsequent charnockitization within the BRB between ca. 2650 Ma and ca. 2498 Ma. These results thus reveal Meso- to Neoarchean tectonic evolution of the BRB. The spatial variation of crustal thickness, derived from flexure inversion technique, provides additional constraints on the tectonic linkage of the BRB with its surrounding terrains. In conjunction with published data, the Moyar and the Kollegal suture zones are considered to mark the trace of ocean closure along which the Nilgiri and Biligiri Rangan Blocks accreted on to the Western Dharwar Craton. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Amino Acid Substitution Matrix for Protein Conformation Identification

Amino acid substitution matrices play an essential role in protein sequence alignment, a fundamental task in bioinformatics. Most widely used matrices, such as PAM matrices derived from homologous sequences and BLOSUM matrices derived from aligned segments of PROSITE, did not integrate conformation information in their construction. There are a few structure-based matrices, which are derived from limited data of structure alignment. Using databases PDB_SELECT and DSSP, we create a database of sequence-conformation blocks which explicitly represent sequence-structure relationship. Members in a block are identical in conformation and are highly similar in sequence. From this block database, we derive a conformation-specific amino acid substitution matrix CBSM60. The matrix shows an improved performance in conformational segment search and homolog detection.

Effect of Rock Mass Structure and Block Size on the Slope Stability-Physical Modeling and Discrete Element Simulation

This paper studies the stability of jointed rock slopes by using our improved three-dimensional discrete element methods (DEM) and physical modeling. Results show that the DEM can simulate all failure modes of rock slopes with different joint configurations. The stress in each rock block is not homogeneous and blocks rotate in failure development. Failure modes depend on the configuration of joints. Toppling failure is observed for the slope with straight joints and sliding failure is observed for the slope with staged joints. The DEM results are also compared with those of limit equilibrium method (LEM). Without considering the joints in rock masses, the LEM predicts much higher factor of safety than physical modeling and DEM. The failure mode and factor of safety predicted by the DEM are in good agreement with laboratory tests for any jointed rock slope.

迎风紧致格式求解Hamilton-Jacobi方程

基于Hamilton-Jaeobi(H-J)方程和双曲型守恒律之间的关系,将三阶和五阶迎风紧致格式推广应用于求解H-J方程,建立了高精度的H-J方程求解方法.给出了一维和二维典型数值算例的计算结果,其中包括一个平面激波作用下的Richtmyer-Meshkov界面不稳定性问题.数值试验表明,在解的光滑区域该方法具有高精度,而在导数不连续的不光滑区域也获得了比较好的分辨效果.相比于同阶精度的WENO格式,本方法具有更小的数值耗散,从而有利于多尺度复杂流动的模拟中H-J方程的求解.

El Liber Sancti Jacobi y la sacralización universal de las reliquias compostelanas

Resumen: La leyenda franca del descubrimiento de los restos de Santiago plantea una serie de problemas que trascienden la historia del Camino en sí mismo. Desde hace más de quince años he trabajado sobre los vínculos culturales entre Hispania y Galia. Coincidí con la tesis de Rucquoi, sobre las rutas del saber y retrotraje su hipótesis de trabajo hasta el siglo VIII. En este artículo intento exponer mi hipótesis sobre la posible relación entre las reliquias compostelanas y la Sacralización del Imperio Alemán durante el reinado de Federico I Barbarroja.