Global slowing of network oscillations in mouse neocortex by diazepam

SCHEFFZUK, C. , KUKUSHKA, V. , VYSSOTSKI, A. L. , DRAGUHN, A. , TORT, A. B. L. , BRANKACK, J. . Global slowing of network oscillations in mouse neocortex by diazepam. Neuropharmacology , v. 65, p. 123-133, 2013.

Small strain elastic behaviour of unsaturated soil investigated by bender/extender element testing

The aim of this project was to investigate very small strain elastic behaviour of soils under unsaturated conditions, using bender/extender element (BEE) testing. The behaviour of soils at very small strains has been widely studied under saturated conditions, whereas much less work has been performed on very small strain behaviour under unsaturated conditions. A suction-controlled double wall triaxial apparatus for unsaturated soil testing was modified to incorporate three pairs of BEEs transmitting both shear and compression waves with vertical and horizontal directions of wave transmission and wave polarisation. Various different techniques for measuring wave travel time were investigated in both the time domain and the frequency domain and it was concluded that, at least for the current experimental testing programme, peak-to-first-peak in the time domain was the most reliable technique for determining wave travel time. An experimental test programme was performed on samples of compacted speswhite kaolin clay. Two different forms of compaction were employed (i.e. isotropic and anisotropic). Compacted kaolin soil samples were subjected to constant suction loading and unloading stages at three different values of suction, covering both unsaturated conditions (s= 50kPa and s= 300kPa) and saturated conditions (s=0). Loading and unloading stages were performed at three different values of stress ratio (η=0, η=1 and η=-1 ). In some tests a wetting-drying cycle was performed before or within the loading stage, with the wetting-drying cycles including both wetting-induced swelling and wetting-induced collapse compression. BEE tests were performed at regular intervals throughout all test stages, to measure shear wave velocity Vs and compression wave velocity Vp and hence to determine values of shear modulus G and constrained modulus M. The experimental test programme was designed to investigate how very small strain shear modulus G and constrained modulus M varied with unsaturated state variables, including how anisotropy of these parameters developed either with stress state (stress-induced anisotropy) or with previous straining (strain-induced anisotropy). A new expression has been proposed for the very small strain shear modulus G of an isotropic soil under saturated and unsaturated conditions. This expression relates the variation of G to only mean Bishop’s stress p* and specific volume v, and it converges to a well-established expression for saturated soils as degree of saturation approaches 1. The proposed expression for G is able to predict the variation of G under saturated and unsaturated conditions at least as well as existing expressions from the literature and it is considerably simpler (employing fewer state variables and fewer soil constants). In addition, unlike existing expressions from the literature, the values of soil constants in the proposed new expression can be determined from a saturated test. It appeared that, in the current project at least, any strain-induced anisotropy of very small strain elastic behaviour was relatively modest, with the possible exception of loading in triaxial extension. It was therefore difficult to draw any firm conclusion about evolution of strain-induced anisotropy and whether it depended upon the same aspects of soil fabric as evolution of anisotropy of large strain plastic behaviour. Stress-induced anisotropy of very small strain elastic behaviour was apparent in the experimental test programme. An attempt was made to extend the proposed expression for G to include the effect of stress-induced anisotropy. Interpretation of the experimental results indicated that the value of shear modulus was affected by the values of all three principal Bishop’s stresses (in the direction of wave transmission, the direction of wave polarisation and the third mutually perpendicular direction). However, prediction of stress-induced anisotropy was only partially successful, and it was concluded that the effect of Lode angle was also significant.

Simulación de un enlace óptico WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) utilizando POFs (Polymer Optical Fiber) en el espectro de luz visible

En este proyecto se analizaron las características y el modo de operación de las fibras ópticas plásticas en un enlace óptico WDM (Wavelenght Division Multiplexing) operando en el espectro visible. Se estudiaron los componentes activos y pasivos necesarios para el enlace, como son las fuentes LED, multiplexores, filtros y acopladores. Se analizaron los efectos no lineales que se pueden presentar en la fibra óptica, y que son importantes de considerar al transmitir señales WDM. Para respaldar el análisis se simuló en MATLAB un enlace óptico en el dominio de la frecuencia utilizando fuentes LED que emiten en el espectro visible, junto con multiplexores WDM, filtros de absorción, acopladores y como medio de transmisión la Fibra Óptica Plástica (POF -Plastic Optical Fiber).

Ray-theoretical modeling of secondary microseism P-waves

Secondary microseism sources are pressure fluctuations close to the ocean surface. They generate acoustic P-waves that propagate in water down to the ocean bottom where they are partly reflected, and partly transmitted into the crust to continue their propagation through the Earth. We present the theory for computing the displacement power spectral density of secondary microseism P-waves recorded by receivers in the far field. In the frequency domain, the P-wave displacement can be modeled as the product of (1) the pressure source, (2) the source site effect that accounts for the constructive interference of multiply reflected P-waves in the ocean, (3) the propagation from the ocean bottom to the stations, (4) the receiver site effect. Secondary microseism P-waves have weak amplitudes, but they can be investigated by beamforming analysis. We validate our approach by analyzing the seismic signals generated by Typhoon Ioke (2006) and recorded by the Southern California Seismic Network. Back projecting the beam onto the ocean surface enables to follow the source motion. The observed beam centroid is in the vicinity of the pressure source derived from the ocean wave model WAVEWATCH IIIR. The pressure source is then used for modeling the beam and a good agreement is obtained between measured and modeled beam amplitude variation over time. This modeling approach can be used to invert P-wave noise data and retrieve the source intensity and lateral extent.

Modelagem da propagação sonora em dutos : abordagem matemática no domínio da frequência e do tempo utilizando transformada de laplace

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade UnB Gama, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Integridade de Materiais da Engenharia, 2016.

Reducing Uncertainties in Estimation of Wind Effects on Tall Buildings Using Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel Tests

Tall buildings are wind-sensitive structures and could experience high wind-induced effects. Aerodynamic boundary layer wind tunnel testing has been the most commonly used method for estimating wind effects on tall buildings. Design wind effects on tall buildings are estimated through analytical processing of the data obtained from aerodynamic wind tunnel tests. Even though it is widely agreed that the data obtained from wind tunnel testing is fairly reliable the post-test analytical procedures are still argued to have remarkable uncertainties. This research work attempted to assess the uncertainties occurring at different stages of the post-test analytical procedures in detail and suggest improved techniques for reducing the uncertainties. Results of the study showed that traditionally used simplifying approximations, particularly in the frequency domain approach, could cause significant uncertainties in estimating aerodynamic wind-induced responses. Based on identified shortcomings, a more accurate dual aerodynamic data analysis framework which works in the frequency and time domains was developed. The comprehensive analysis framework allows estimating modal, resultant and peak values of various wind-induced responses of a tall building more accurately. Estimating design wind effects on tall buildings also requires synthesizing the wind tunnel data with local climatological data of the study site. A novel copula based approach was developed for accurately synthesizing aerodynamic and climatological data up on investigating the causes of significant uncertainties in currently used synthesizing techniques. Improvement of the new approach over the existing techniques was also illustrated with a case study on a 50 story building. At last, a practical dynamic optimization approach was suggested for tuning structural properties of tall buildings towards attaining optimum performance against wind loads with less number of design iterations.

A principal component approach to space-based gravitational wave astronomy

The current approach to data analysis for the Laser Interferometry Space Antenna (LISA) depends on the time delay interferometry observables (TDI) which have to be generated before any weak signal detection can be performed. These are linear combinations of the raw data with appropriate time shifts that lead to the cancellation of the laser frequency noises. This is possible because of the multiple occurrences of the same noises in the different raw data. Originally, these observables were manually generated starting with LISA as a simple stationary array and then adjusted to incorporate the antenna's motions. However, none of the observables survived the flexing of the arms in that they did not lead to cancellation with the same structure. The principal component approach is another way of handling these noises that was presented by Romano and Woan which simplified the data analysis by removing the need to create them before the analysis. This method also depends on the multiple occurrences of the same noises but, instead of using them for cancellation, it takes advantage of the correlations that they produce between the different readings. These correlations can be expressed in a noise (data) covariance matrix which occurs in the Bayesian likelihood function when the noises are assumed be Gaussian. Romano and Woan showed that performing an eigendecomposition of this matrix produced two distinct sets of eigenvalues that can be distinguished by the absence of laser frequency noise from one set. The transformation of the raw data using the corresponding eigenvectors also produced data that was free from the laser frequency noises. This result led to the idea that the principal components may actually be time delay interferometry observables since they produced the same outcome, that is, data that are free from laser frequency noise. The aims here were (i) to investigate the connection between the principal components and these observables, (ii) to prove that the data analysis using them is equivalent to that using the traditional observables and (ii) to determine how this method adapts to real LISA especially the flexing of the antenna. For testing the connection between the principal components and the TDI observables a 10x 10 covariance matrix containing integer values was used in order to obtain an algebraic solution for the eigendecomposition. The matrix was generated using fixed unequal arm lengths and stationary noises with equal variances for each noise type. Results confirm that all four Sagnac observables can be generated from the eigenvectors of the principal components. The observables obtained from this method however, are tied to the length of the data and are not general expressions like the traditional observables, for example, the Sagnac observables for two different time stamps were generated from different sets of eigenvectors. It was also possible to generate the frequency domain optimal AET observables from the principal components obtained from the power spectral density matrix. These results indicate that this method is another way of producing the observables therefore analysis using principal components should give the same results as that using the traditional observables. This was proven by fact that the same relative likelihoods (within 0.3%) were obtained from the Bayesian estimates of the signal amplitude of a simple sinusoidal gravitational wave using the principal components and the optimal AET observables. This method fails if the eigenvalues that are free from laser frequency noises are not generated. These are obtained from the covariance matrix and the properties of LISA that are required for its computation are the phase-locking, arm lengths and noise variances. Preliminary results of the effects of these properties on the principal components indicate that only the absence of phase-locking prevented their production. The flexing of the antenna results in time varying arm lengths which will appear in the covariance matrix and, from our toy model investigations, this did not prevent the occurrence of the principal components. The difficulty with flexing, and also non-stationary noises, is that the Toeplitz structure of the matrix will be destroyed which will affect any computation methods that take advantage of this structure. In terms of separating the two sets of data for the analysis, this was not necessary because the laser frequency noises are very large compared to the photodetector noises which resulted in a significant reduction in the data containing them after the matrix inversion. In the frequency domain the power spectral density matrices were block diagonals which simplified the computation of the eigenvalues by allowing them to be done separately for each block. The results in general showed a lack of principal components in the absence of phase-locking except for the zero bin. The major difference with the power spectral density matrix is that the time varying arm lengths and non-stationarity do not show up because of the summation in the Fourier transform.

Detection of Brillouin scattering temperature signal in Brillouin optical time-domain reflectometer sensing system based on instantaneous frequency measurement technology

We present a simple and practical method for the single-ended distributed fiber temperature measurements using microwave (11-GHz) coherent detection and the instantaneous frequency measurement (IFM) technique to detect spontaneous Brillouin backscattered signal in which a specially designed rf bandpass filter at 11 GHz is used as a frequency discriminator to transform frequency shift to intensity fluctuation. A Brillouin temperature signal can be obtained at 11 GHz over a sensing length of 10 km. The power sensitivity dependence on temperature induced by frequency shift is measured as 2.66%/K. (c) 2007 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Detection of Brillouin scattering temperature signal in Brillouin optical time-domain reflectometer sensing system based on instantaneous frequency measurement technology

abstract {We present a simple and practical method for the single-ended distributed fiber temperature measurements using microwave (11-GHz) coherent detection and the instantaneous frequency measurement (IFM) technique to detect spontaneous Brillouin backscattered signal in which a specially designed rf bandpass filter at 11 GHz is used as a frequency discriminator to transform frequency shift to intensity fluctuation. A Brillouin temperature signal can be obtained at 11 GHz over a sensing length of 10 km. The power sensitivity dependence on temperature induced by frequency shift is measured as 2.66%/K. © 2007 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.}

Symposium on Biological Effects and Measurement of Radio Frequency/Microwaves : proceedings of a conference held in Rockville, Maryland, February 16-18, 1977/

Includes bibliographical references.

The national measurement system for time and frequency /

"CODEN: XNBSAV."

Analysis of phasor measurement method in tracking the power frequency of distorted signals

This paper presents an analysis of phasor measurement method for tracking the fundamental power frequency to show if it has the performance necessary to cope with the requirements of power system protection and control. In this regard, several computer simulations presenting the conditions of a typical power system signal especially those highly distorted by harmonics, noise and offset, are provided to evaluate the response of the Phasor Measurement (PM) technique. A new method, which can shorten the delay of estimation, has also been proposed for the PM method to work for signals free of even-order harmonics.