A joint hazard and time scaling model to compare survival curves.

To provide a more general method for comparing survival experience, we propose a model that independently scales both hazard and time dimensions. To test the curve shape similarity of two time-dependent hazards, h1(t) and h2(t), we apply the proposed hazard relationship, h12(tKt)/ h1(t) = Kh, to h1. This relationship doubly scales h1 by the constant hazard and time scale factors, Kh and Kt, producing a transformed hazard, h12, with the same underlying curve shape as h1. We optimize the match of h12 to h2 by adjusting Kh and Kt. The corresponding survival relationship S12(tKt) = [S1(t)]KtKh transforms S1 into a new curve S12 of the same underlying shape that can be matched to the original S2. We apply this model to the curves for regional and local breast cancer contained in the National Cancer Institute's End Results Registry (1950-1973). Scaling the original regional curves, h1 and S1 with Kt = 1.769 and Kh = 0.263 produces transformed curves h12 and S12 that display congruence with the respective local curves, h2 and S2. This similarity of curve shapes suggests the application of the more complete curve shapes for regional disease as templates to predict the long-term survival pattern for local disease. By extension, this similarity raises the possibility of scaling early data for clinical trial curves according to templates of registry or previous trial curves, projecting long-term outcomes and reducing costs. The proposed model includes as special cases the widely used proportional hazards (Kt = 1) and accelerated life (KtKh = 1) models.

Joint interpretation of magnetotelluric, seismic, and well-log data in Hontomín (Spain)

Acknowledgements. This work is dedicated to the memory of Andrés Pérez-Estaún, brilliant scientist, colleague, and friend. The authors sincerely thank Ian Ferguson and an anonymous reviewer for their useful comments on the manuscript. Xènia Ogaya is currently supported in the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies by a Science Foundation Ireland grant IRECCSEM (SFI grant 12/IP/1313). Juan Alcalde is funded by NERC grant NE/M007251/1, on interpretational uncertainty. Juanjo Ledo, Pilar Queralt and Alex Marcuello thank Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad and EU Feder Funds through grant CGL2014- 54118-C2-1-R. Funding for this Project has been partially provided by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade, through the CIUDEN-CSIC-Inst. Jaume Almera agreement (ALM-09-027: Characterization, Development and Validation of Seismic Techniques applied to CO2 Geological Storage Sites), the CIUDEN-Fundació Bosch i Gimpera agreement (ALM-09-009 Development and Adaptation of Electromagnetic techniques: Characterisation of Storage Sites) and the project PIERCO2 (Progress In Electromagnetic Research for CO2 geological reservoirs CGL2009-07604). The CIUDEN project is co-financed by the European Union through the Technological Development Plant of Compostilla OXYCFB300 Project (European Energy Programme for Recovery).

Seismic behavior of a masonry chimney with severe cracking condition: preliminary study

This paper presents a structural analysis of a masonry chimney built in the 1940s, which is currently being cataloged as local interest heritage. This structure has not served any industrial purpose for the last thirty years. The chimney is located in the town of Agost (Alicante - Spain) and directly exposed to the prevailing winds from the sea, as it is approximately 12 km away from the waterfront and there are not any significant barriers, which could protect the structure against the wind. There are longitudinal cracks and fissures all along the shaft because of the chimney’s geometrical characteristics, the effect of the masonry creep and especially the lack of maintenance. Moreover, there is also a permanent bending deformation in the upper 1/3 of the height due to the wind pressure. A numerical analysis for the static behavior against gravity and wind loads was performed using the structure’s current conditions after a detailed report of its geometry, its construction system and the cracking pattern. Afterwards, the dynamic behavior was studied, i.e. a seismic analysis using both response spectra and accelerograms in order to examine the structural stability. This work shows the pre-monitoring analysis before any experimental testing. Using the current results the future test conditions will be determined (e.g. number of sensors and monitoring point location, excitation systems, etc) prior to a possible structural reinforcement by applying composite material (fiber reinforced polymers).

SeismicWaveTool: Continuous and discrete wavelet analysis and filtering for multichannel seismic data

A MATLAB-based computer code has been developed for the simultaneous wavelet analysis and filtering of multichannel seismic data. The considered time–frequency transforms include the continuous wavelet transform, the discrete wavelet transform and the discrete wavelet packet transform. The developed approaches provide a fast and precise time–frequency examination of the seismograms at different frequency bands. Moreover, filtering methods for noise, transients or even baseline removal, are implemented. The primary motivation is to support seismologists with a user-friendly and fast program for the wavelet analysis, providing practical and understandable results.

Development and programming of Geophonino: A low cost Arduino-based seismic recorder for vertical geophones

The commercial data acquisition systems used for seismic exploration are usually expensive equipment. In this work, a low cost data acquisition system (Geophonino) has been developed for recording seismic signals from a vertical geophone. The signal goes first through an instrumentation amplifier, INA155, which is suitable for low amplitude signals like the seismic noise, and an anti-aliasing filter based on the MAX7404 switched-capacitor filter. After that, the amplified and filtered signal is digitized and processed by Arduino Due and registered in an SD memory card. Geophonino is configured for continuous registering, where the sampling frequency, the amplitude gain and the registering time are user-defined. The complete prototype is an open source and open hardware system. It has been tested by comparing the registered signals with the ones obtained through different commercial data recording systems and different kind of geophones. The obtained results show good correlation between the tested measurements, presenting Geophonino as a low-cost alternative system for seismic data recording.

Institutional Moral Hazard in the Multi-tiered Regulation of Unemployment and Social Assistance Benefits. CEPS Special Report No. 137/April 2016 Wednesday, 27 April 2016

This paper studies eight countries in which the regulation of unemployment benefits and related benefits and the concomitant activation of unemployed individuals has a multi-tiered architecture. It assesses their experiences and tries to understand possible problems of ‘institutional moral hazard’ that may emerge in the context of a hypothetical European Unemployment Benefit Scheme.

(Table 1) Age and depth of reflectors of the 3.5-kHz and airgun seismic record and their corresponding depth of ash layers, carbonate peaks, and transition zones from DSDP Hole 83-504B

DSDP cores from areas of low (Site 505) and high heat flow (Site 504 B) near the Costa Rica Rift, together with seismic profiles from the Panama Basin, have been studied to determine the relationship between: (1) carbonate content and physical and acoustic properties; and (2) carbonate content, carbonate diagenesis and acoustic stratigraphy. Except for ash and chert layers, bulk density correlates strongly and linearly with carbonate content. Velocity is uniform downcore and only small variations at a small scale are measured. Thus an abrupt change in carbonate content will cause abrupt changes in acoustic impedance and should cause reflectors that can be detected acoustically. A comparison of seismic profiler reflection records with physical properties, carbonate content and reflection coefficients indicates that the main reflectors can be identified with ash layers, diagenetic boundaries, and carbonate content variations. Diagenesis of carbonate sediments is present at Site 504B in a 260 m-thick ooze-chalk-limestone/chert sequence. These diagenetic sequences occur in areas of higher heat flow (200 mW/m**2). Seismic profiler records can be used to map the extent and depth of these diagenetic boundaries.

Database of GPS data collected by surveys on seismic and volcanic areas of Sicily (Italy) from 1994 to 2013

This is a 20-year long database of GPS data collected by geodetic surveys carried out over the seismically and volcanically active eastern Sicily, for a total of more than 6300 measurements. Data have been convertedi nto the international ASCII compressed RINEX standard in order to be imported and processed by any GPS analysis software. Database is provided with an explorer software for navigating into the dataset by spatial (GIS) and temporal queries.