1,197 research outputs found
Failures of harbour walls at Malaga and Barcelona
The paper describes the failure of harbour walls which occurred at Malaga on 4th July 2004 and at Barcelona on 1st January 2007, associated with an inadequate consideration of the ground conditions in the light of the marine environment. At Malaga, there was an existing breakwater hence the new harbour was protected from the effect of the waves while at Barcelona, the construction of the quay wall proceeded at a faster rate than the breakwater. In both cases the wharf backfill was placed rapidly on the soft muds, progressing from the inland side. The paper discusses the importance of an overview including the ground investigation, engineering design, construction method and speed of construction
Konstitucinė justicija ir baudžiamojo proceso teisės mokslas
Straipsnyje analizuojama konstitucinė jurisprudencija baudžiamojo proceso teisės klausimais, aptariama konstitucinės justicijos bylų įtaka baudžiamojo proceso mokslui ir baudžiamojo proceso teisės raidai, apibūdinamos problemos, kurias Lietuvos Respublikos Konstitucinis Teismas turės spręsti nagrinėdamas Konstituciniame Teisme savo eilės laukiančią bylą dėl Baudžiamojo proceso kodekso nuostatų, nustatančių kaltinimo keitimo taisykles, konstitucingumo. Straipsnyje išsakoma mintis, kad Konstitucinio Teismo išaiškinimai dėl baudžiamojo proceso nuostatų atitikties Konstitucijai yra labiau įtikinami tais atvejais, kai konstitucinėje byloje remiamasi ir baudžiamojo proceso mokslo žiniomis.
Im Aufsatz wird die strafprozessrelevante Rechtsprechung des litauischen Verfassungsgerichtes analysiert. Der Aufsatz erörtert die Bedeutung der Rechtsprechung des litauischen Verfassungsgerichtes für die Strafprozesslehre und Entwicklung des Strafprozessrechts. Der Autor versucht die Problematik der neuesten Verfassungsbeschwerde zu Verfassungsmäßigkeit der Regelungen über die Änderung der Klage während der Hauptverhandlung zu beschreiben. Im Aufsatz wird auch Aufsicht vertreten dass die Ausführungen des Verfassungsgerichtes mehr verständlich sind wenn Verfassungsgericht die Bedeutung der Strafprozesslehre schenkt
Numerical Assessment of Infragravity Swash Response to Offshore Wave Frequency Spread Variability
We use a numerical model, already validated for this purpose, to simulate the effect of wave frequency spread on wave transformation and swash amplitudes. Simulations are performed for planar beach slope cases and for offshore wave spectra whose frequency spread changes over realistic values. Results indicate that frequency spread, under normally approaching waves, affects swash amplitudes. For moderately dissipative conditions, the significant infragravity swash increases for increasing values of the offshore frequency spread. The opposite occurs under extremely dissipative conditions. The numerical analysis suggests that this inverted pattern is driven by the effect that different distributions of incoming long?wave energy have on low?frequency wave propagation and dissipation. In fact, with large frequency spreads, wave groups force relatively short subharmonic waves that are strongly enhanced in the shoaling zone. This process leads to an infragravity swash increase for increasing frequency spread under moderately dissipative conditions in which low?frequency energy dissipation in shallow water is negligible or small. However, under extremely dissipative conditions, the significant low?frequency energy dissipation associated with large frequency spreads overturns the strong energy growth in the shoaling zone eventually yielding an infragravity swash decrease for increasing frequency spread.This work has been funded under (1) the RETOS INVESTIGACION 2014 (Grant BIA2014-59718-R) program of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and (2) the NEPTUNE 2 project, L. R. 7/2007 by Regione Autonoma della Sardegna
Quantum Noise Locking
Quantum optical states which have no coherent amplitude, such as squeezed
vacuum states, can not rely on standard readout techniques to generate error
signals for control of the quadrature phase. Here we investigate the use of
asymmetry in the quadrature variances to obtain a phase-sensitive readout and
to lock the phase of a squeezed vacuum state, a technique which we call noise
locking (NL). We carry out a theoretical derivation of the NL error signal and
the associated stability of the squeezed and anti-squeezed lock points.
Experimental data for the NL technique both in the presence and absence of
coherent fields are shown, including a comparison with coherent locking
techniques. Finally, we use NL to enable a stable readout of the squeezed
vacuum state on a homodyne detector.Comment: Accepted for publication in Journal of Optics:B special issue on
Quantum Contro
Loss of AP-3 function affects spontaneous and evoked release at hippocampal mossy fiber synapses
Synaptic vesicle (SV) exocytosis mediating neurotransmitter release occurs
spontaneously at low intraterminal calcium concentrations and is stimulated by
a rise in intracellular calcium. Exocytosis is compensated for by the
reformation of vesicles at plasma membrane and endosomes. Although the adaptor
complex AP-3 was proposed to be involved in the formation of SVs from
endosomes, whether its function has an indirect effect on exocytosis remains
unknown. Using mocha mice, which are deficient in functional AP-3, we identify
an AP-3-dependent tetanus neurotoxin-resistant asynchronous release that can be
evoked at hippocampal mossy fiber (MF) synapses. Presynaptic targeting of the
tetanus neurotoxin-resistant vesicle soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor
attachment protein receptor (SNARE) tetanus neurotoxin-insensitive
vesicle-associated membrane protein (TI-VAMP) is lost in mocha hippocampal MF
terminals, whereas the localization of synaptobrevin 2 is unaffected. In
addition, quantal release in mocha cultures is more frequent and more sensitive
to sucrose. We conclude that lack of AP-3 results in more constitutive
secretion and loss of an asynchronous evoked release component, suggesting an
important function of AP-3 in regulating SV exocytosis at MF terminals
Quiescience as a mechanism for cyclical hypoxia and acidosis
Tumour tissue characteristically experiences fluctuations in substrate supply. This unstable microenvironment drives constitutive metabolic changes within cellular populations and, ultimately, leads to a more aggressive phenotype. Previously, variations in substrate levels were assumed to occur through oscillations in the hæmodynamics of nearby and distant blood vessels. In this paper we examine an alternative hypothesis, that cycles of metabolite concentrations are also driven by cycles of cellular quiescence and proliferation. Using a mathematical modelling approach, we show that the interdependence between cell cycle and the microenvironment will induce typical cycles with the period of order hours in tumour acidity and oxygenation. As a corollary, this means that the standard assumption of metabolites entering diffusive equilibrium around the tumour is not valid; instead temporal dynamics must be considered
Radiosurgery and fractionated stereotactic body radiotherapy for patients with lung oligometastases
Background: Patients with oligometastatic disease can potentially be cured by using an ablative therapy for all active lesions. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a non-invasive treatment option that lately proved to be as effective and safe as surgery in treating lung metastases (LM). However, it is not clear which patients benefit most and what are the most suitable fractionation regimens. The aim of this study was to analyze treatment outcomes after single fraction radiosurgery (SFRS) and fractionated SBRT (fSBRT) in patients with lung oligometastases and identify prognostic clinical features for better survival outcomes.
Methods: Fifty-two patients with 94 LM treated with SFRS or fSBRT between 2010 and 2016 were analyzed. The characteristics of primary tumor, LM, treatment, toxicity profiles and outcomes were assessed. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used for estimation of local control (LC), overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival.
Results: Ninety-four LM in 52 patients were treated using SFRS/fSBRT with a median of 2 lesions per patient (range: 1-5). The median planning target volume (PTV)-encompassing dose for SFRS was 24 Gy (range: 17-26) compared to 45 Gy (range: 20-60) in 2-12 fractions with fSBRT. The median follow-up time was 21 months (range: 3-68). LC rates at 1 and 2 years for SFSR vs. fSBRT were 89 and 83% vs. 75 and 59%, respectively (p = 0.026). LM treated with SFSR were significantly smaller (p = 0.001). The 1 and 2-year OS rates for all patients were 84 and 71%, respectively. In univariate analysis treatment with SFRS, an interval of ≥12 months between diagnosis of LM and treatment, non-colorectal cancer histology and BED 70% and time to first metastasis ≥12 months. There was no grade 3 acute or late toxicity.
Conclusions: Longer time to first metastasis, good KPS and N0 predicted better OS. Good LC and low toxicity rates were achieved after short SBRT schedules
Hot new directions for quasi-Monte Carlo research in step with applications
This article provides an overview of some interfaces between the theory of
quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) methods and applications. We summarize three QMC
theoretical settings: first order QMC methods in the unit cube and in
, and higher order QMC methods in the unit cube. One important
feature is that their error bounds can be independent of the dimension
under appropriate conditions on the function spaces. Another important feature
is that good parameters for these QMC methods can be obtained by fast efficient
algorithms even when is large. We outline three different applications and
explain how they can tap into the different QMC theory. We also discuss three
cost saving strategies that can be combined with QMC in these applications.
Many of these recent QMC theory and methods are developed not in isolation, but
in close connection with applications
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