Measurement of local creep properties in stainless steel welds

A high temperature measurement system for creep deformation based on the digital image correlation (DIC) technique is described. The new system is applied to study the behaviour of a multi-pass welded joint in a high temperature tensile test and a load controlled creep test at 545°C. Spatially resolved tensile properties and time dependent creep deformation properties across a thick section type 316 stainless steel multi-pass welded joint are presented and discussed. Significantly lower creep strain rates are observed in the HAZ than in the parent material which is attributed to the introduction of substantial plastic strain in the parent material on initial loading. The weld metal shows the fastest creep rates and a variation that appear to correlate with individual weld passes. The visual information provides not only the local creep strain distribution but also the reduction of area and true stress distribution based on strains measured in the transverse direction. The results demonstrate the capability of the DIC technique for full field measurement of displacement and strain at high temperature long term creep tests

Tempo and mode in the molecular evolution of influenza C

Influenza C contributes to economic damage caused by working days lost through absence or inefficiency and may occasionally cause an acute respiratory illness in a paediatric setting. All Influenza C sequences from the NCBI Influenza Virus Resource were examined to determine the date of the most recent common ancestor (t-MRCA), the average nucleotide substitution rate, and the location of residues under positive selection, for each of the seven genome segments of this virus. The segment with the deepest phylogeny was found to be segment 4, encoding the haemagglutinin-esterase protein (HE) with mean t-MRCA at 1890 of the common era (AD), at a 95% highest posterior density (HPD) of 1857-1924 AD. Other genome segments have slightly more recent common ancestors, ranging from mean t-MRCAs of 1916 AD (HPD 1891-1937) for segment 7, encoding the two non-structural proteins (NS) to 1944 AD (HPD 1940-1948) for segment 2 encoding the type 1 basic polymerase (PB1). On the basis of the Bayesian analysis a reclassification of lineages within genome segments is proposed. Some evidence for positive selection was found in the receptor-binding domain of the haemagglutinin-esterase protein. However, average ω (omega) values ranged from 0.05 for polymerase basic protein 2 (PB2) to 0.38 for non-structural protein 2 (NS2), suggesting that strong to moderate purifying selection is the main trend. Characteristic combinations of segment lineages were identified (genome constellations) and shown to have a relatively short life-span before being broken up by reassortment

Anomalous-hydrodynamic analysis of charge-dependent elliptic flow in heavy-ion collisions

Anomalous hydrodynamics is a low-energy effective theory that captures effects of quantum anomalies. We develop a numerical code of anomalous hydrodynamics and apply it to dynamics of heavy-ion collisions, where anomalous transports are expected to occur. This is the first attempt to perform fully non-linear numerical simulations of anomalous hydrodynamics. We discuss implications of the simulations for possible experimental observations of anomalous transport effects. From analyses of the charge-dependent elliptic flow parameters ($v_2^\pm$) as a function of the net charge asymmetry $A_\pm$, we find that the linear dependence of $\Delta v_2^\pm \equiv v_2^- - v_2^+$ on the net charge asymmetry $A_\pm$ cannot be regarded as a robust signal of anomalous transports, contrary to previous studies. We, however, find that the intercept $\Delta v_2^\pm(A_\pm=0)$ is sensitive to anomalous transport effects.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, v

Ownership-dependent mating tactics of minor males of the beetle Librodor japonicus (Nitidulidae) with intra-sexual dimorphism of mandibles

Intra-sexual dimorphism is found in the weapons of many male beetles. Different behavioral tactics to access females between major and minor males, which adopt fighting and alternative tactics, respectively, are thought to maintain the male dimorphism. In these species major males have enlarged weapons that they use in fights with rival males. Minor males also have small weapons in some of these species, and it is unclear why these males possess weapons. We examined the hypothesis that minor males might adopt a fighting tactic when their status was relatively high in comparison with that of other males (e.g., ownership of a territory). We observed the behavioral tactics of major and minor males of the beetle Librodor japonicus, whose males have a dimorphism of their mandibles. Major males fought for resources, whereas minor males adopted two status-dependent tactics, fighting and sneaking, to access females, depending on their ownership of a sap site. We suggest that ownership status-dependent mating tactics in minor males may maintain the intra-sexual dimorphism in this beetle.</p

Taxonomic revision of the genus Lactarius (Russulales, Basidiomycota) in Korea

The genus Lactarius Pers. (Russulales) is a cosmopolitan group of Basidiomycota that forms ectomycorrhizal relationships primarily with both deciduous and coniferous trees. Although the genus has been well-studied in Europe and North America, only fragmentary researches have been carried out on Asian species. In particular, the distribution of Lactarius species in South Korea is poorly understood due to insufficient morphological descriptions and a lack of DNA sequence data. In addition, the misuse of European and North American names has added to confusion regarding the taxonomy of Asian Lactarius species. In this study, the diversity of Lactarius in South Korea was evaluated by employing both morphological and phylogenetic approaches. A multi-locus phylogenetic analysis of 729 Lactarius specimens collected between 1960 and 2017 was performed using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, partial nuclear ribosomal large subunit (nrLSU), partial second largest subunit of RNA polymerase II (rpb2), and minichromosome maintenance complex component 7 (mcm7). 49 Lactarius species were identified in three Lactarius subgenera: L. subg. Russularia (17 spp.), L. subg. Lactarius (22 spp.), and L. subg. Plinthogalus (10 spp.). Among them, 28 Lactarius species were identified as new to science, while just 17 were previously described Lactarius species. Four of the taxa remain un-named due to paucity of materials. A key to Korean Lactarius species, molecular phylogenies, a summary of diversity, and detailed description are provided

Historical seismograms for unravelling a mysterious earthquake: The 1907 Sumatra Earthquake

History of instrumental seismology is short. Seismograms are available only for a little more than 100 years; high-quality seismograms are available only for the last 50 years and the seismological database is very limited in time. To extend the database, seismograms of old events are of vital importance. Many unusual earthquakes are known to have occurred, but their seismological characteristics are poorly known. The 1907 Sumatra earthquake is one of them (1907 January 4, M= 7.6). Gutenberg and Richter located this event in the outer-rise area of the Sunda arc. This earthquake is known to be anomalous because of its extensive tsunami, which is disproportionate of its magnitude. The tsunami affected the coastal areas over 950 km along the Sumatran coast. We investigated this earthquake using the historical seismograms we could collect from several seismological observatories. We examined the P-wave arrival times listed in the Strassburg Bulletin (1912) and other station bulletins. The scatter of the Observed−Computed traveltime residuals ranges from –30 to 30 s, too large to locate the event accurately. The uncertainty of the epicentre estimated from an S-P grid-search relocation study is at least 1° (~110 km). We interpreted the Omori seismograms from Osaka, Mizusawa and Tokyo, and the Wiechert seismograms from Göttingen and Uppsala by comparing them with the seismograms simulated from modern broad-band seismograms of the 2002, 2008 and two 2010 Sumatra earthquakes which occurred near the 1907 earthquake. From the amplitude of Rayleigh waves recorded on the Omori seismograms we conclude that the magnitude of the 1907 earthquake at about 30 to 40 s is about 7.8 (i.e. 7.5 to 8.0). The SH waveforms recorded on the Göttingen and Uppsala seismograms suggest that the 1907 earthquake is a thrust earthquake at a shallow depth around 30 km. The most likely scenario is that the 1907 earthquake initiated on the subduction interface, and slowly ruptured up-dip into the shallow sediments and caused the extensive tsunami. Although their quantity and quality are limited, historical seismograms provide key quantitative information about old events that cannot be obtained otherwise. This underscores the importance of preserving historical seismograms

Genetic Evolution and Molecular Selection of the HE Gene of Influenza C Virus

Influenza C virus (ICV) was first identified in humans and swine, but recently also in cattle, indicating a wider host range and potential threat to both the livestock industry and public health than was originally anticipated. The ICV hemagglutinin-esterase (HE) glycoprotein has multiple functions in the viral replication cycle and is the major determinant of antigenicity. Here, we developed a comparative approach integrating genetics, molecular selection analysis, and structural biology to identify the codon usage and adaptive evolution of ICV. We show that ICV can be classified into six lineages, consistent with previous studies. The HE gene has a low codon usage bias, which may facilitate ICV replication by reducing competition during evolution. Natural selection, dinucleotide composition, and mutation pressure shape the codon usage patterns of the ICV HE gene, with natural selection being the most important factor. Codon adaptation index (CAI) and relative codon deoptimization index (RCDI) analysis revealed that the greatest adaption of ICV was to humans, followed by cattle and swine. Additionally, similarity index (SiD) analysis revealed that swine exerted a stronger evolutionary pressure on ICV than humans, which is considered the primary reservoir. Furthermore, a similar tendency was also observed in the M gene. Of note, we found HE residues 176, 194, and 198 to be under positive selection, which may be the result of escape from antibody responses. Our study provides useful information on the genetic evolution of ICV from a new perspective that can help devise prevention and control strategies

The Tokyo Axion Helioscope Experiment

A preliminary result of the solar axion search experiment at the University of Tokyo is presented. We searched for axions which could be produced in the solar core by exploiting the axion helioscope. The helioscope consists of a superconducting magnet with field strength of 4 Tesla over 2.3 meters. From the absence of the axion signal we set a 95 % confidence level upper limit on the axion coupling to two photons $g_{a\gamma\gamma} < 6.0 \times 10^{-10} GeV^{-1}$ for the axion mass $m_a < 0.03$ eV. This is the first solar axion search experiment whose sensitivity to $g_{a\gamma\gamma}$ exceeds the limit inferred from the solar age consideration.Comment: 5 pages, 5 eps files included, uses espcrc2.sty, to be published in Proc. AXION WORKSHOP, Gainesville, Florida, 13-15 March 1998, ed. by P.Sikivi