A method of immersion of panels for ecological studies on marine fouling and boring organisms

The importance of studies on the biology of marine foulers and borers needs no emphasis since they cause damage to submerged wooden structures resulting in considerable economic loss. In order to study their occurrence, settlement and to assess the rate of destruction to timber, several immersion techniques using iron racks, cages and rafts have been adopted. On the east and west coasts of India, at the Marine Centres of Forest Research Institute (Waltair, Madras, Cohin and Bombay) investigations have so far been carried out employing the first two methods.

Immersed Boundary Method for generalised finite volume and finite difference Navier-Stokes solvers

In Immersed Boundary Methods (IBM) the effect of complex geometries is introduced through the forces added in the Navier-Stokes solver at the grid points in the vicinity of the immersed boundaries. Most of the methods in the literature have been used with Cartesian grids. Moreover many of the methods developed in the literature do not satisfy some basic conservation properties (the conservation of torque, for instance) on non-uniform meshes. In this paper we will follow the RKPM method originated by Liu et al. [1] to build locally regularized functions that verify a number of integral conditions. These local approximants will be used both for interpolating the velocity field and for spreading the singular force field in the framework of a pressure correction scheme for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. We will also demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of the scheme through various examples. Copyright © 2010 by ASME.

Unified modelling in support of organization design and change

The aim of this research is to provide a unified modelling-based method to help with the evaluation of organization design and change decisions. Relevant literature regarding model-driven organization design and change is described. This helps identify the requirements for a new modelling methodology. Such a methodology is developed and described. The three phases of the developed method include the following. First, the use of CIMOSA-based multi-perspective enterprise modelling to understand and capture the most enduring characteristics of process-oriented organizations and externalize various types of requirement knowledge about any target organization. Second, the use of causal loop diagrams to identify dynamic causal impacts and effects related to the issues and constraints on the organization under study. Third, the use of simulation modelling to quantify the effects of each issue in terms of organizational performance. The design and case study application of a unified modelling method based on CIMOSA (computer integrated manufacturing open systems architecture) enterprise modelling, causal loop diagrams, and simulation modelling, is explored to illustrate its potential to support systematic organization design and change. Further application of the proposed methodology in various company and industry sectors, especially in manufacturing sectors, would be helpful to illustrate complementary uses and relative benefits and drawbacks of the methodology in different types of organization. The proposed unified modelling-based method provides a systematic way of enabling key aspects of organization design and change. The case company, its relevant data, and developed models help to explore and validate the proposed method. The application of CIMOSA-based unified modelling method and integrated application of these three modelling techniques within a single solution space constitutes an advance on previous best practice. Also, the purpose and application domain of the proposed method offers an addition to knowledge. © IMechE 2009.

Recoil distance method lifetime measurements in 107Cd and 103Pd

Preliminary lifetime values have been measured for a number of near-yrast states in the odd-A transitional nuclei 107Cd and 103Pd. The reaction used to populate the nuclei of interest was 98Mo( 12C,3nxα)107Cd, 103Pd, with the beam delivered by the tandem accelerator of the Wright Nuclear Structure Laboratory at an incident beam energy of 60 MeV. Our experiment was aimed at the investigation of collective excitations built on the unnatural parity, ν h11/2 orbital, specifically by measuring the B(E2) values of decays from the excited levels built on this intrinsic structure, using the Doppler Recoil Distance Method. We report lifetimes and associated transition probabilities for decays from the 15/2- and the 19/2- states in 107Cd and the first measurement of the 15/2- state in 103Pd. These results suggest that neither a simple rotational or vibrational interpretation is sufficient to explain the observed structures. © 2006 American Institute of Physics.

Multi-walled carbon nanotube conductivity enhancement and band gap widening via rapid pulsed thermal annealing

Herein we report on the transport characteristics of rapid pulsed vacuum-arc thermally annealed, individual and network multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Substantially reduced defect densities (by at least an order of magnitude), measured by micro-Raman spectroscopy, and were achieved by partial reconstruction of the bamboo-type defects during thermal pulsing compared with more traditional single-pulse thermal annealing. Rapid pulsed annealed processed networks and individual multi-walled nanotubes showed a consistent increase in conductivity (of over a factor of five at room temperature), attributed to the reduced number density of resistive axial interfaces and, in the case of network samples, the possible formation of structural bonds between crossed nanotubes. Compared to the highly defective as-grown nanotubes, the pulsed annealed samples exhibited reduced temperature sensitivity in their transport characteristics signifying the dominance of scattering events from structural defects. Transport measurements in the annealed multi-walled nanotubes deviated from linear Ohmic, typically metallic, behavior to an increasingly semiconducting-like behavior attributed to thermally induced axial strains. Rapid pulsed annealed networks had an estimated band gap of 11.26 meV (as-grown; 6.17 meV), and this observed band gap enhancement was inherently more pronounced for individual nanotubes compared with the networks most likely attributed to mechanical pinning effect of the probing electrodes which possibly amplifies the strain induced band gap. In all instances the estimated room temperature band gaps increased by a factor of two. The gating performance of back-gated thin-film transistor structures verified that the observed weak semiconductivity (p-type) inferred from the transport characteristic at room temperature. © 2014 Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Origin of the double- and multi-pulse structure of echolocation signals in Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientialis)

The signals of dolphins and porpoises often exhibit a multi-pulse structure. Here, echolocation signal recordings were made from four geometrically distinct positions of seven Yangtze finless porpoises temporarily housed in a relatively small, enclosed area. Some clicks demonstrated double-pulse, and others multi-pulse, structure. The interpulse intervals between the first and second pulse of the double- and multi-pulse clicks were significantly different among data from the four different positions (p < 0.01, one-way ANOVA). These results indicate that the interpulse interval and structure of the double- and multi-pulse echolocation signals depend on the hydrophone geometry of the animal, and that the double- and multi-pulse structure of echolocation signals in Yangtze finless porpoise is not caused by the phonating porpoise itself, but by the multipath propagation of the signal. Time delays in the 180 degrees phase-shifted surface reflection pulse and the nonphase-shifted bottom reflection pulse of the multi-pulse structures, relative to the direct signal, can be used to calculate the distance to a phonating animal. (c) 2005 Acoustical Society of America.

Mass chains with passive interconnection: Complex iterative maps and scalability

This paper introduces the problem of passive control of a chain of N identical masses in which there is an identical passive connection between neighbouring masses and a similar connection to a movable point. The problem arises in the design of multi-storey buildings which are subjected to earthquake disturbances, but applies in other situations, for example vehicle platoons. The paper will study the scalar transfer functions from the disturbance to a given intermass displacement. It will be shown that these transfer functions can be conveniently represented in the form of complex iterative maps and that these maps provide a method to establish boundedness in N of the H ∞-norm of these transfer functions for certain choices of interconnection impedance. © 2013 IEEE.

Study on the forecast effects of PI method to the north and southwest China

In this paper, the codes of Pattern Informatics (PI) method put forward by Rundle et al. have been worked out according to their algorithm published, and the retrospective forecast of PI method to North China (28.0 degrees-42.0 degrees N, 108.0 degrees-125.0 degrees E) and to Southwest China (22.0 degrees-28.3 degrees N, 98.0 degrees-106.0 degrees E) has been tested. The results show that the hit rates in different regions show a great difference. In Southwest China, 32 earthquakes with M(L)5.0 or larger have occurred during the predicted time period 2000-2007, and 26 out of the 32 earthquakes occurred in or near the hot spots. In North China, the total number of M(L)5.0 or larger was 12 during the predicted time period 2000-2007, and only 3 out of the 12 earthquakes occurred in or near the hot spots. From our results, we hold that if the PI method could be applied to all kinds of regions, the parameters associated with time points and time windows should be chosen carefully to obtain the higher hit rate. We also found that the aftershocks in a strong earthquake sequence affect the PI results obviously. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Study on the forecast effects of PI method to the north and southwest China

In this paper, the codes of Pattern Informatics (PI) method put forward by Rundle et al. have been worked out according to their algorithm published, and the retrospective forecast of PI method to North China (28.0 degrees-42.0 degrees N, 108.0 degrees-125.0 degrees E) and to Southwest China (22.0 degrees-28.3 degrees N, 98.0 degrees-106.0 degrees E) has been tested. The results show that the hit rates in different regions show a great difference. In Southwest China, 32 earthquakes with M(L)5.0 or larger have occurred during the predicted time period 2000-2007, and 26 out of the 32 earthquakes occurred in or near the hot spots. In North China, the total number of M(L)5.0 or larger was 12 during the predicted time period 2000-2007, and only 3 out of the 12 earthquakes occurred in or near the hot spots. From our results, we hold that if the PI method could be applied to all kinds of regions, the parameters associated with time points and time windows should be chosen carefully to obtain the higher hit rate. We also found that the aftershocks in a strong earthquake sequence affect the PI results obviously. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Photoionization of 1s electron and corresponding shake-up process in ground and excited lithium atoms

The cross sections of the 18 electron photoionization and corresponding shake-up processes for Li atoms in the ground state 1s(2)2s and excited states 1s(2)2p, 1s(2)3p, 1s(2)3p and 1s(2)3d are calculated using the multi-configuration Dirac-Fock method. The latest experimental photoelectron spectrum at hv = 100 eV [Cubaynes D et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 99 (2007) 213004] has been reproduced by the present theoretical investigation excellently. The relative intensity of the shake-up satellites shows that the effects of correlation and relaxation become more important for the higher excited states of the lithium atom, which are explained very well by the spatial overlap of the initial and final state wavefunctions. In addition, strong dependence of the cross section on the atomic orbitals of the valence electrons are found, especially near the threshold.

Studies on the method of leaps and bounds regression

In this paper, we introduce the method of leaps and bounds regression which can be used to select variables quickly and obtain the best regression models. These models contain one variable, two variables, three variables and so on. The results obtained by using leaps and bounds regression were compared with those achieved by using stepwise regression to lead to the conclusion that leaps and bounds regression is an effective method.

Simultaneous enumeration of diatom, protozoa and meiobenthos from marine sediments using Ludox-QPS method

The Ludox-QPS method is a newly developed technique, which combines the Ludox HS 40 density centrifugation and quantitative protargol stain, to enumerate marine ciliates with good taxonomic resolution. We tested the method for simultaneous enumeration of diatoms, protozoa and meiobenthos and compared its extraction efficiency for meiobenthos with that of the routine Ludox-TM centrifugation and a modified protocol using Ludox HS 40. We conducted the evaluation with a sample size of 8.3 ml each from sandy, muddy-sand and muddy sediments collected from the intertidal area of the Yellow Sea in summer 2006 and spring 2007. The Ludox-QPS method not only produced high extraction efficiencies of 97 +/- 1.3% for diatoms and 97.6 +/- 0.8% for ciliates, indicating a reliable enumeration for eukaryotic microbenthos, but also produced excellent extraction efficiencies of on average 97.3% for total meiobenthos, 97.9% for nematodes and 97.8% for copepods from sands, muddy sands and mud. By contrast, the routine Ludox-TM centrifugation obtained only about 74% of total meiobenthos abundance with one extraction cycle, and the modified Ludox HS 40 centrifugation yielded on average 93% of total meiobenthos: 89.4 +/- 2.0% from sands, 93 +/- 4.1% from muddy sands and 97.1 +/- 3.0% from mud. Apart from the sediment type, sample volume was another important factor affecting the extraction efficiency for meiobenthos. The extraction rate was increased to about 96.4% when using the same modified Ludox centrifugation for a 4 ml sediment sample. Besides the excellent extraction efficiency, the Ludox-QPS method obtained higher abundances of meiobenthos, in particular nematodes, than the routine Ludox centrifugation, which frequently resulted in an uncertain loss of small meiobenthos during the sieving process. Statistical analyses demonstrated that there were no significant differences between the meiobenthos communities revealed by the Ludox-QPS method and the modified Ludox HS 40 centrifugation, showing the high efficiency of the Ludox-QPS method for simultaneous enumeration of diatom, protozoa and meiobenthos. Moreover, the comparatively high taxonomic resolution of the method, especially for diatoms and ciliates, makes it feasible to investigate microbial ecology at community level.

Rapid detection method for microbial spoilage using FT-IR and machine learning

Ellis, D.I., Broadhurst, D., Rowland, J.J. and Goodacre, R. (2005) Rapid detection method for microbial spoilage using FT-IR and machine learning. In: Rapid Methods for Food and Feed Quality Determination, (Eds) van Amerongen, A., Barug, D and Lauwaars, M., Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen, Netherlands, in press.