Axial growth of hexactinellid spicules: Formation of cone-like structural units in the giant basal spicules of the hexactinellid Monorhaphis

The glass sponge Monorhaphis chuni (Porifera: Hexactinellida) forms the largest bio-silica structures on Earth; their giant basal spicules reach sizes of up to 3 m and diameters of 8.5 mm. Previously, it had been shown that the thickness growth proceeds by appositional layering of individual lamellae; however, the mechanism for the longitudinal growth remained unstudied. Now we show, that the surface of the spicules have towards the tip serrated relief structures that are consistent in size and form with the protrusions on the surface of the spicules. These protrusions fit into the collagen net that surrounds the spicules. The widths of the individual lamellae do not show a pronounced size tendency. The apical elongation of the spicule proceeds by piling up cone-like structural units formed from silica. As a support of the assumption that in the extracellular space silicatein(-like) molecules exist that associate with the external surface of the respective spicule immunogold electron microscopic analyses were performed. With the primmorph system from Suberites domuncula we show that silicatein(-like) molecules assemble as string- and net-like arrangements around the spicules. At their tips the silicatein(-like) molecules are initially stacked and at a later stay also organized into net-like structures. Silicatein(-like) molecules have been extracted from the giant basal spicule of Monorhaphis. Applying the SDS-PAGE technique it could be shown that silicatein molecules associate to dimers and trimers. Higher complexes (filaments) are formed from silicatein(-like) molecules, as can be visualized by electron microscopy (SEM). In the presence of ortho-silicate these filaments become covered with 30-60 nm long small rod-like/cuboid particles of silica. From these data we conclude that the apical elongation of the spicules of Monorhaphis proceeds by piling up cone-like silica structural units, whose synthesis is mediated by silicatein(-like) molecules. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

渤海湾地区前第三系构造特征及其演化研究

Based on fine structural interpretation on seismic profiles of buried-hills in Huanghua depression, structural interpretation and balanced cross-section restoration of regional seismic profiles, drawing structural maps of main seismic interfaces, residual strata distribution of different ages in the Bohai Bay region and structural survey in the western Shandong uplifted area and the intracontinental orogeny of Yanshan mountain, the paper has studied pre-tertiary structural styles and tectonic evolution of the Bohai Bay region. There mainly develop 5 types of pre-tertiary structural style that are extension structure, compression structure, strike-slip structure, negative inversion structure and sliding structure in the Bohai Bay region. Among these 5 types of structural style, extension structure develops detachment fault and its controlling fault terrain structure and fault break slop; compression structure develops reverted fold, fault propagation fold, fault bent fold, imbricate thrust structure and triangle zone; strike-slip structure develops positive flower structure, negative flower structure, en-echelon structure and brush structure; negative reversion structure develops Indosinian compression and Yanshanian extension negative reversion structure, late Yanshanian compression and Cenozoic extension negative reversion structure; sliding structure develops interlayer sliding structure and detachment structure. According to Cangdong fault of SN direction, Zhangjiakou – Penglai fault and Qihe – Guangrao fault of NWW direction, the Bohai Bay region can be divided into 6 sub-regions in which structural direction and style is different from each other. Structural maps of bottom boundary of Cenozoic and upper Paleozoic manifest that main NNE structural direction is formed from late Yanshanian to Himalayan movement and minor NWW structural direction and a string of area more than 8000m are mainly suggest that Indosinian tectonic pattern strongly influence on Yanshanian and Himalayan movement. Residual strata distribution characteristics of middle to upper Neoproterozoic in the Bohai Bay region manifest that middle- to neo- aulacogen position may be corresponding to late Mesozoic uplifted zone. Residual Paleozoic distribution characteristics of main ENN suggest that structural alteration should be resulted from late Yanshanian to Himalayan movement while which of minor NWW structures suggest that deeper structure should restrict shallower structure. Structural patterns of main EW fold direction in the Bohai Bay region and thrust structure in eastern part are formed late Triassic in studied area. Granite magma intrusion of early to middle Jurassic mainly develops Yanshan mountain zone. Late Mesozoic rifting basins of NEE direction are widely distributed in the Bohai Bay region and granite magma intrusions are mainly distributed in Tancheng – Rongcheng zone. Mesozoic structural evolution in the Bohai Bay region is related to scissor convergent from east to west between North China plate and Yangtze plate and gradually reinforcing of the west circum-pacific tectonic tract while basin and range province of late Jurassic and early Cretaceous may be mainly related to lithospheric thinning of North China craton in late Mesozoic.

随钻地震技术的研究及应用

Seismic While Drilling (SWD) is a new wellbore seismic technique. It uses the vibrations produced by a drill-bit while drilling as a downhole seismic energy source. The continuous signals generated by the drill bit are recorded by a pilot sensor attached to the top of the drill-string. Seismic wave receivers positioned in the earth near its surface receive the seismic waves both directly and reflection from the geologic formations. The pilot signal is cross-correlated with the receiver signals to compute travel-times of the arrivals (direct arrival and reflected arrival) and attenuate incoherent noise. No downhole intrusmentation is required to obtain the data and the data recording does not interfere with the drilling process. These characteristics offer a method by which borehole seismic data can be acquired, processed, and interpreted while drilling. As a Measure-While-Drill technique. SWD provides real-time seismic data for use at the well site . This can aid the engineer or driller by indicating the position of the drill-bit and providing a look at reflecting horizons yet to be encountered by the drill-bit. Furthermore, the ease with which surface receivers can be deployed makes multi-offset VSP economically feasible. First, this paper is theoretically studying drill-bit wavefield， interaction mode between drill-bit and formation below drill-bit , the new technique of modern signal process was applied to seismic data, the seismic body wave radiation pattern of a working roller-cone drill-bit can be characterized by theoretical modeling. Then , a systematical analysis about the drill-bit wave was done, time-distance equation of seismic wave traveling was established, the process of seismic while drilling was simulated using the computer software adaptive modeling of SWD was done . In order to spread this technique, I have made trial SWD modeling during drilling. the paper sketches out the procedure for trial SWD modeling during drilling , the involved instruments and their functions, and the trial effect. Subsurface condition ahead of the drill-bit can be predicted drillstring velocity was obtained by polit sensor autocorrelation. Reference decovolution, the drillstring multiples in the polit signal are removed by reference deconvolution, the crosscorrelation process enhance the signal-to-noise power ratio, lithologies. Final, SWD provides real-time seismic data for use at the well site well trajectory control exploratory well find out and preserve reservoirs. intervel velocity was computed by the traveltime The results of the interval velocity determination reflects the pore-pressure present in the subsurface units ahead of the drill-bit. the presences of fractures in subsurface formation was detected by shear wave. et al.

南堡油田测试资料综合评价及试油配套工艺技术研究与应用

A series of significant oil-gas exploration progresses have been achieved in Nanpu depression with 1.02 billion ton oil-gas reserves have been proven. It has been confirmed that Nanpu beach has a geologic condition to be a major field based on exhaustive research. This finding, which is integrated reservoir，great reserves, thick oil layer and high productivity in Nanpu depression, is the most excited success in Chinese oil-gas exploration in recent years. This abundant oilfield found is significant to the strategy of oil production stability in the east of China. Nanpu depression exploration is also a crucial exploration project for Petrochina. Based on the comprehensive research on Nanpu formation testing data, we reevaluate and analyze the reservoir property and the structure characteristics, and propose a series of testing technique that are suitable for Jidong oil field development. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The reservoir parameters and characters are defined by formation test data interpretation and systemic dynamic-static data comparison. 2. Based on sources analysis and statistical research related to formation contaminants, some technique measures, which can not only prevent or reduce invasion damage for different formations but also can effectively improve completion efficiency, are proposed. 3. By selecting the testing pressure drawdown, optimum working regulation and flow /shut-in duration, and adopting dynamic-static flow parameters correlation analysis to predict production, an optimum research on working regulation and flow /shut-in duration was accomplished. Optimization formation test principles suitable for any kinds of Nanpu oilfield are established, which can improve test quality, construction efficiency and data recording quality. 4. By reasonable selection of perforating gun and penetrating charge, the perforation penetration has been improved effectively and the flow channel of the oil gas have been expanded, so that the communication between formations and the wellbore is improved better. 5. One joint working procedure which combining formation test, perforation, unloading and stimulation treatment has become the dominant testing technology in the Nanpu offshore Oilfield. This combination technique can implement several procedures using one pipe string, and achieve rapid testing purpose.

南襄盆地泌阳凹陷断裂斜坡带构造特征与油气成藏

The faulted slope zone of Biyang depression, a multiple hydrocarbon accumulation zone lying in a rich oil depression of Nanxiang basin, is a structural-sedimentary compounded slope, which is developed in Yanshanian period and has an area of 500 km2. From the ‘bottom up’, the developed strata may be divided into Yuhuangding formation in Neogene, Dacang Fang, Hetao-yuan plus Liaozhuang formations and Fenghuangzheng plus Pingyuan formation in Neogene, while Hetao-yuan formation is the main hydrocarbon-bearing target. Because of transtensional stress fields formed by persistent action of large-scale faulting in the south of the depression, sedimentary differential compaction in different stages, and tectonic inversion in later developing stage of the depression, a series of nose structure zones cut by different strike faults are developed. Therefore, the reservoir migration and accumulation are controlled by the complex faulted-nose structural zone, reservoir types are dominated by faulted-noses, faulted-blocks and fault-lithology, while lithology and stratigraphic unconformable reservoirs are locally developed. In combination with demands of practical production, applying with a new research approach of systematology and a combination with dynamic and static modes, guided by modern petroleum geologic theory, and based on previous data and studies, new techniques, methods of geophysical exploration, various computer simulation and forecasting techniques are applied in the new research of this paper. Starting from the structural features and formation mechanism, the forming mechanism of faulted structure, conditions and controlling factors of hydrocarbon accumulation, as well as various space-time allocation relationships in the process of accumulation are analyzed in the research. Besides that, the hydrocarbon migration, accumulation mechanism and dynamic evolution process are also discussed in the paper. Through the research, the accumulation rule of the faulted slope zone in faulted lake basin, the distribution and enrichment regularity of different reservoir controlling factors are systematically summarized. The summarizations indicate that the faulted slope is a favorable orientational zone, hydrocarbon is accumulated in nose structures and enriched in the main body of nose structures, faulted transformation zone and the ascent direction of laddering faulted blocks, the faults are the controlling factors, hydrocarbon accumulation zones controlled by fault-lithology are distributed along the faulting direcion. In the end, hydrocarbon migration and accumulation models of complex faulted-nose blocks are established. 1) Down cut model—‘flank-sheet’: the hydrocarbon is migrated like ‘sheet’ along a series of faults with parallel distribution and accumulated in the flank of nose structures; 2）Cross cut --‘axis-string’ model: the hydrocarbon cutting across the faults is migrated like ‘string’ and accumulated in the axis of nose structures. In view of different distribution models, reservoir forming combination patterns are divided and hydrocarbon reservoir evaluation exploration is carried out, which achieves good results in application. Key words: faulted slope zone; migration and accumulation model; reservoir controlling mechanism; reservoir-forming combination

非自喷层测试及评价解释技术研究与应用

Now low porosity and low permeability reservoir is one of the main targets of exploration for the onshore oilfields of China. Most of the reservoirs are none flowing because of bad formation percolation condition, poor gas oil ratio , low formation pressure coefficient and other factors. In the recent years, a number of domestic oilfields have carried out some research work and achieved some success on oil testing and production technology in such formation. But by now, there is still no systematic and mature technology, particularly testing technology in none flowing formation is still needed further study. Based on study the key problem of well testing and interpretation technology in none flowing formation, solve the important problems in well testing technology, continuously improve and innovate geological information acquisition technology for none flowing reservoir, accurately acquire boundary information and evaluate reservoir flow characteristics. Its wide application remarkable result has shown. The main results and cognitions obtained from research are as follows: 1. This new technology research results help solve the occurrent problems in well testing process for none flowing formations, such as small investigation radius, poor representative of interpretation results from the poor data, low level application of interpretation results. This new technology helps create favorable conditions for early precise reservoir evaluation and reduction of the risk of exploration. 2. The technological difficulties for none flowing well testing are successfully solved by using none flowing formation combined mechanical tool string .This method has been proved by its applications to be able to improve the efficiency of the testing and the quantity of the acquired test data ,and so as to enhance the application of the interpretation results of the test in development of oil fields. 3. The application of the rotary formation tester, selective test valve, well testing string and their allier tools help to resolve problems such as the operation of opening and shutting-in the well under different well conditions, to broaden the scope of well test technology for none flowing formations. 4. Refined Testing Technique for production Wells has greatly shortened the testing dwration and improved the efficiency and accuracy of operation, enriched test results, and at the same time created conditions for conducting multi-well interference well testing.

大别山硬玉石英岩带中的水

The Dabie Mountains is a collisional orogenic belt between the North China and Yantze Continental plates. It is the eastern elongation of the Tongbai and Qingling orogen, and is truncated at its east end by the Tan-Lu fault. Jadeite-quartzite belt occurs in the eastern margin of UHPMB from the Dabie Mountains. Geochemical features indicate that the protoliths of the jadeite-quartzite and associated eclogite to be supracrustal rocks. The occurrence of micro-inclusions of coesite in jadeite and garnet confirmed that the continental crust can be subducted to great depth (8 0-100km) and then exhumed rapidly with its UHP mineral signature fairly preserved. Therefore, study of UHP jadeite-quartzite provides important information on subduction of continental crustal rocks and their exhumation histories, as well as the dynamics of plate tectonic processes at convergent margins. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the presence of hydrous component in the jadeite-quartzite belt, significant natural variations in the hydrous component content of UHP minerals and to discuss the role of water in petrology, geochemistry and micro-tectonic. On the basis of our previous studies, some new geological evidences have been found in the jadeite-quartzite belt by researches on petrography, mineralogy, micro-tectonic, hydrous component content of UHP minerals and combined with the study on rheology of materials using microprob, ER, TEM. By research and analysis of these phenomenona, the results obtained are as follows: 1. The existence of fluid during ultra-high pressure metamorphic process. Jadeites, omphacite, garnet, rutile, coesite and quartz from the jadeite-quartzite belt have been investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and TEM. Results show that all of these minerals contain trace amount of water which occur as hydroxyl and free-water in these minerals. The two-type hydrous components in UHP minerals are indicated stable in the mantle-depth. The results demonstrated that these ultra-high pressure metamorphic minerals, which were derived from continental crust protoliths, they could bring water into the mantle depth during the ultra-high pressure metamorphism. The clusters of water molecules within garnet are very important evidence of the existence of fluid during ultra-high pressure metamorphic process. It indicated that the metamorphic system was not "dry"during the ultra-high pressure stage. 2.The distribution of hydrous component in UHP minerals of jadeite-quartzite. The systematic distribution of hydrous components in UHP minerals are a strong indication that water in these minerals, are controlled by some factors and that the observed variations are not of a random nature. The distribution and concentration of hydrous component is not only correlated with composition of minerals, but also a function of geological environment. Therefore, the hydrous component in the minerals can not only take important part in the UHP metamorphic fluid during subduction of continental crustal rocks, but also their hydroxyl transported water molecules with decreasing pressure during their exhumation. And these water molecules can not only promote the deformation of jadeite through hydrolytic weakening, but also may be the part of the retrograde metamorphic fluid. 3.The role of water in the deformed UHP minerals. The jadeite, omphacite, garnet are strong elongated deformation in the jadeite-quartzite from the Dabie Mountains. They are (1) they are developed strong plastic deformation; (2) developed dislocation loop, dislocation wall; (3) the existence of clusters of water molecular in the garnet; and (4) the evolution of micero-tectonic from clusters of water molecular-dislocation loop in omphacite. That indicated that the water weakening controlled the mechanism of deformed minerals. Because the data presented here are not only the existence of clusters of water molecular in the garnet, but also developed strong elongation, high density of dislocation and high aspect ratios, adding microprobe data demonstrate the studied garnet crystals no compositional zoning. Therefore, this indicates that the diffusion process of the grain boundary mobility did not take place in these garnets. On the basis of above features, we consider that it can only be explained by plastic deformation of the garnets. The clusters of water molecules present in garnet was directly associated with mechanical weakening and inducing in plastic deformation of garnet by glissile dislocations. Investigate of LPO, strain analysis, TEM indicated that these clinopyroxenes developed strong elongation, high aspect ratios, and developed dislocation loop, dislocation wall and free dislocations. These indicated that the deformation mechanism of the clinopyroxenes plastically from the Dabie Mountains is dominant dislocation creep under the condition of the UHP metamorphic conditions. There are some bubbles with dislocation loops attached to them in the omphacite crystal. The bubbles attached to the dislocation loops sometimes form a string of bubble beads and some loops are often connected to one another via a common bubble. The water present in omphacite was directly associated with hydrolitic weakening and inducing in plastic deformation of omphacite by dislocations. The role of water in brittle deformation. Using microscopy, deformation has been identified as plastic deformation and brittle deformation in UHP minerals from the Dabie Mountains. The study of micro-tectonic on these minerals shows that the brittle deformation within UHP minerals was related to local stresses. The brittle deformation is interpreted as being caused by an interaction of high fluid pressure, volume changes. The hydroxyl within UHP minerals transported water molecules with decreasing pressure due to their exhumation. However, under eclogite facies conditions, the litho-static pressure is extreme, but a high fluid pressure will reduce the effective stress and make brittle deformation possible. The role of water in prograde metamorphism. Geochemical research on jadeite-quartzite and associated eclogite show that the protoliths of these rocks are supracrustal rocks. With increasing of temperature and pressure, the chlorite, biotite, muscovite was dehydrous reaction and released hydrous component during the subduction of continental lithosphere. The supracrustal rocks were transformed UHP rocks and formed UHP facies assemblage promotely by water introduction, and was retained in UHP minerals as hydrous component. The water within UHP minerals may be one of the retrograde metamorphic fluids. Petrological research on UHP rocks of jadeite-quartzite belt shows that there was existence of local fluids during early retrograde metamorphism. That are: (1) coronal textures and symplectite around relict UHP minerls crystals formed from UHP minerls by hydration reactions; (2) coronal textures of albite around ruitle; and (3) micro-fractures in jadeite or garnet were filled symplectite of Amp + PI + Mt. That indicated that the reactions of early retrograde metamorphism dependent on fluid introduction. These fluids not only promoted retrograde reaction of UHP minerals, but also were facilitate to diffuse intergranular and promote growth in minerals. Therefore, the hydrous component in the UHP minerals can not only take important part in the UHP metamorphic fluid during subduction of continental crustal rocks, but also their hydroxyl transport water molecules with decreasing pressure and may take part in the retrograde metamorphic fluid during their exhumation. 7. The role of water in geochemistry of UHP jadeite-quartzite. Geochemical research show that there are major, trace and rare earth element geochemical variations in the jadeite-quartzite from the Changpu district of Dabie Mountains, during retrograde metamorphic processes from the jadeite-quartzite--gneiss. The elements such as SiO_2、FeO、Ba、Zr、Ga、La、Ce、PTN Nd% Sm and Eu increase gradually from the jadeite-quartzite to retrograded jadeite-quartzite and to gneiss, whilst TiO_2. Na_2CK Fe2O_3、Rb、Y、Nb、Gd、Tb、Dy、Ho、Er、Tm、Yb decrease gradually. And its fO_2 keep nearly unchanged during early retrograde metamorphism, but decreased obviously during later retrograde metamorphism. These indicate that such changes are not only controlled by element transformation between mineralogical phases, but also closely relative to fluid-rock interaction in the decompression retrograde metamorphic processes.

获取无意识结构知识的机制:主观熟悉感与刺激重复结构在人工语法学习中的作用

The nature of the distinction between conscious and unconscious knowledge is a core issue in the implicit learning field. Furthermore, the phenomenological experience associated with having knowledge is central to the conscious or unconscious status of that knowledge. Consistently, Dienes and Scott (2005) measured the conscious or unconscious status of structure knowledge using subjective measures. Believing that one is purely guessing when in fact one knows indicates unconscious knowledge. But unconscious structural knowledge can also be associated with feelings of intuition or familiarity. In this thesis, we explored whether phenomenological feelings, like familiarity, associated with unconscious structural knowledge could be used, paradoxically, to exert conscious control over the use of the knowledge, and whether people could obtain repetition structure knowledge. We also investigated the neural correlates of awareness of knowing, as measured phenomenologically. In study one, subjects were trained on two grammars and then asked to endorse strings from only one of the grammars. Subjects also rated how familiar each string they felt and reported whether or not they used familiarity to make their grammaticality judgment. We found subjects could endorse the strings of just one grammar and ignore the strings from the other. Importantly, when subjects said they were using familiarity, the rated familiarity for test strings consistent with their chosen grammar was greater than that for strings from the other grammar. Familiarity, subjectively defined, is sensitive to intentions and can play a key role in strategic control. In study two, we manipulated the structural characteristic of stings and explored whether participants could learn repetition structures in the grammatical strings. We measured phenomenology again and also ERPs. Deviant letters of ungrammatical strings violating the repetition structure elicited the N2 component; we took this to be an indication of knowledge, whether conscious or not. Strings which were attributed to conscious categories (rules and recollection) rather than phenomenology associated with unconscious structural knowledge (guessing, intuition and familiarity) elicited the P300 component. Different waveforms provided evidence for the neural correlates of different phenomenologies associated with knowledge of an artificial grammar.

An Algorithm for Parsing Flow Graphs

This report describes research about flow graphs - labeled, directed, acyclic graphs which abstract representations used in a variety of Artificial Intelligence applications. Flow graphs may be derived from flow grammars much as strings may be derived from string grammars; this derivation process forms a useful model for the stepwise refinement processes used in programming and other engineering domains. The central result of this report is a parsing algorithm for flow graphs. Given a flow grammar and a flow graph, the algorithm determines whether the grammar generates the graph and, if so, finds all possible derivations for it. The author has implemented the algorithm in LISP. The intent of this report is to make flow-graph parsing available as an analytic tool for researchers in Artificial Intelligence. The report explores the intuitions behind the parsing algorithm, contains numerous, extensive examples of its behavior, and provides some guidance for those who wish to customize the algorithm to their own uses.

Qualitative Process Theory

Objects move, collide, flow, bend, heat up, cool down, stretch, compress and boil. These and other things that cause changes in objects over time are intuitively characterized as processes. To understand common sense physical reasoning and make programs that interact with the physical world as well as people do we must understand qualitative reasoning about processes, when they will occur, their effects, and when they will stop. Qualitative Process theory defines a simple notion of physical process that appears useful as a language in which to write dynamical theories. Reasoning about processes also motivates a new qualitative representation for quantity in terms of inequalities, called quantity space. This report describes the basic concepts of Qualitative Process theory, several different kinds of reasoning that can be performed with them, and discusses its impact on other issues in common sense reasoning about the physical world, such as causal reasoning and measurement interpretation. Several extended examples illustrate the utility of the theory, including figuring out that a boiler can blow up, that an oscillator with friction will eventually stop, and how to say that you can pull with a string but not push with it. This report also describes GIZMO, an implemented computer program which uses Qualitative Process theory to make predictions and interpret simple measurements. The represnetations and algorithms used in GIZMO are described in detail, and illustrated using several examples.

Syntax-Based Analytic Reading of Musical Scores

As part of a larger research project in musical structure, a program has been written which "reads" scores encoded in an input language isomorphic to music notation. The program is believed to be the first of its kind. From a small number of parsing rules the program derives complex configurations, each of which is associated with a set of reference points in a numerical representation of a time-continuum. The logical structure of the program is such that all and only the defined classes of events are represented in the output. Because the basis of the program is syntactic (in the sense that parsing operations are performed on formal structures in the input string), many extensions and refinements can be made without excessive difficulty. The program can be applied to any music which can be represented in the input language. At present, however, it constitutes the first stage in the development of a set of analytic tools for the study of so-called atonal music, the revolutionary and little understood music which has exerted a decisive influence upon contemporary practice of the art. The program and the approach to automatic data-structuring may be of interest to linguists and scholars in other fields concerned with basic studies of complex structures produced by human beings.

Representations and evolutionary operators for the scheduling of pump operations in water distribution networks.

Reducing the energy consumption of water distribution networks has never had more significance. The greatest energy savings can be obtained by carefully scheduling the operations of pumps. Schedules can be defined either implicitly, in terms of other elements of the network such as tank levels, or explicitly by specifying the time during which each pump is on/off. The traditional representation of explicit schedules is a string of binary values with each bit representing pump on/off status during a particular time interval. In this paper, we formally define and analyze two new explicit representations based on time-controlled triggers, where the maximum number of pump switches is established beforehand and the schedule may contain less switches than the maximum. In these representations, a pump schedule is divided into a series of integers with each integer representing the number of hours for which a pump is active/inactive. This reduces the number of potential schedules compared to the binary representation, and allows the algorithm to operate on the feasible region of the search space. We propose evolutionary operators for these two new representations. The new representations and their corresponding operations are compared with the two most-used representations in pump scheduling, namely, binary representation and level-controlled triggers. A detailed statistical analysis of the results indicates which parameters have the greatest effect on the performance of evolutionary algorithms. The empirical results show that an evolutionary algorithm using the proposed representations improves over the results obtained by a recent state-of-the-art Hybrid Genetic Algorithm for pump scheduling using level-controlled triggers.

74 Front Street (for solo cello)

74 Front Street is intended as a musical response to the work of American sculptor Fred Sandback (1943-2003), in particular his string sculptures which are intentionally uncomplicated, minimal and strikingly beautiful. The relationship between these string works and music is rather distinct; indeed, before formally studying sculpture Sandback made a number of string instruments. He has said that his string works evolved from a desire to rid art of excessive decoration and, while there are instances of activity in 74 Front Street, much of the piece aims to reflect the simplicity of Sandback’s work.

from Webern to dance to Burton.

Commissioned by the Concorde Ensemble. Paul Roe gave the premiere performance at the RHA Gallery, Dublin, 23rd February 2014. The piece is informed by the choreography of Jiri Kylian, in particular two three minute sections of his work No More Play initially choreographed to a score by Webern (his Five Movements for String Quartet) hence the title.

Homology Induction: the use of machine learning to improve sequence similarity searches

Karwath, A. King, R. Homology induction: the use of machine learning to improve sequence similarity searches. BMC Bioinformatics. 23rd April 2002. 3:11 Additional File Describes the title organims species declaration in one string [http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/supplementary/1471- 2105-3-11-S1.doc] Sponsorship: Andreas Karwath and Ross D. King were supported by the EPSRC grant GR/L62849.