Hydrologic Data for Urban Studies in the Austin, Texas Metropolitan Area, 1980

This report includes drainage basin maps and information from a specific storm (May 12, 1980) for the 23rd and 38th street Waller Creek locations.Waller Creek Working Grou

Chemical characterisation of metakaolin and fly ash based geopolymers during exposure to solvents used in carbon capture

This paper presents an investigation into the chemical resistance of blended alkali activated aluminosilicate materials, specifically under exposure to two solvents used in post-combustion carbon capture, monoethanolamine (MEA) and potassium carbonate, as well as during immersion in distilled water. Geopolymers are formulated based on metakaolin and aon fly ash as aluminosilicate precursors, with the addition of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) as a source of Ca. The samples are subjected to mineralogical and chemical characterisation in this paper, with data obtained through leaching analysis and X-ray diffraction, supported by compressive strength data. Exposure to solvents generally results in significant alteration of the geopolymer microstructure. The zeolitic phases formed in undamaged metakaolin-based binders are reduced to undetectable levels after 28 days of solvent exposure, although the hydrosodalite formed in the fly ash binders does persist. Leaching analysis indicates that resistance to structural damage in MEA is quite high, due to the low solubility of Na and hydroxides upon immersion. KCO solutions are aggressive towards geopolymers via alteration of the binder structure and dissolution of network-forming species (Si and Al), leading to the loss of binder strength. This is most marked in the fly ash/GGBFS formulations. Despite the low to intermediate level of Ca present in these geopolymer binders, significant formation of Ca-containing carbonate phases occurs upon exposure to KCO. The limited curing duration of the specimens tested here is certainly contributing to the degradation taking place under KCO exposure, whereas the low water activity in the MEA solutions used means that bond hydrolysis in the aluminosilicate geopolymer framework is restricted, and the materials perform much better than in a more water-rich environment. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: review and new classification criteria for reporting in clinical trials

STUDY QUESTION What is an objective approach that employs measurable and reproducible physiologic changes as the basis for the classification of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) in order to facilitate more accurate reporting of incidence rates within and across clinical trials? SUMMARY ANSWER The OHSS flow diagram is an objective approach that will facilitate consistent capture, classification and reporting of OHSS within and across clinical trials. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY OHSS is a potentially life-threatening iatrogenic complication of the early luteal phase and/or early pregnancy after ovulation induction (OI) or ovarian stimulation (OS). The clinical picture of OHSS (the constellation of symptoms associated with each stage of the disease) is highly variable, hampering its appropriate classification in clinical trials. Although some degree of ovarian hyperstimulation is normal after stimulation, the point at which symptoms transition from those anticipated to those of a disease state is nebulous. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION An OHSS working group, comprised of subject matter experts and clinical researchers who have significantly contributed to the field of fertility, was convened in April and November 2014. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS The OHSS working group was tasked with reaching a consensus on the definition and the classification of OHSS for reporting in clinical trials. The group engaged in targeted discussion regarding the scientific background of OHSS, the criteria proposed for the definition and the rationale for universal adoption. An agreement was reached after discussion with all members. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE One of the following conditions must be met prior to making the diagnosis of OHSS in the context of a clinical trial: (i) the subject has undergone OS (either controlled OS or OI) AND has received a trigger shot for final oocyte maturation (e.g. hCG, GnRH agonist [GnRHa] or kisspeptin) followed by either fresh transfer or segmentation (cryopreservation of embryos) or (ii) the subject has undergone OS or OI AND has a positive pregnancy test. All study patients who develop symptoms of OHSS should undergo a thorough examination. An OHSS flow diagram was designed to be implemented for all subjects with pelvic or abdominal complaints, such as lower abdominal discomfort or distention, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and/or for subjects suspected of having OHSS. The diagnosis of OHSS should be based on the flow diagram. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION This classification system is primarily intended to address the needs of the clinical investigator undertaking clinical trials in the field of OS and may not be applicable for the use in clinical practice or with OHSS occurring under natural circumstances. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS The proposed OHSS classification system will enable an accurate estimate of the incidence and severity of OHSS within and across clinical trials performed in women with infertility. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS Financial support for the advisory group meetings was provided by Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA. P.H. reports unrestricted research grants from MSD, Merck and Ferring, and honoraria for lectures from MSD, Merck and IBSA. S.M.N. reports that he has received fees and grant support from the following companies (in alphabetic order): Beckman Coulter, Besins, EMD Serono, Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Finox, MSD and Roche Diagnostics over the previous 5 years. P.D., C.C.C., J.L.F., H.M.F., and P.L. report no relationships that present a potential conflict of interest. B.C.T. reports: grants and honorarium from Merck Serono; unrestricted research grants, travel grants and honorarium, and participation in a company-sponsored speaker's bureau from Merck Sharp & Dohme; grants, travel grants, honoraria and advisory board membership from IBSA; travel grants from Ferring; and advisory board membership from Ovascience. L.B.S. reports current employment with Merck & Co, Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, and owns stock in the company. K.G. and B.J.S. report prior employment with Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA, and own stock in the company. All reported that competing interests are outside the submitted work. No other relationships or activities exist that could appear to have influenced the submitted work

First evidence of cryptotephra in palaeoenvironmental records associated with Norse occupation sites in Greenland

The Norse/Viking occupation of Greenland is part of a dispersal of communities across the North Atlantic coincident with the supposed Medieval Warm Period of the late 1st millennium AD. The abandonment of the Greenland settlements has been linked to climatic deterioration in the Little Ice Age as well as other possible explanations. There are significant dating uncertainties over the time of European abandonment of Greenland and the potential influence of climatic deterioration. Dating issues largely revolve around radiocarbon chronologies for Norse settlements and associated mire sequences close to settlement sites. Here we show the potential for moving this situation forward by a combination of palynological, radiocarbon and cryptotephra analyses of environmental records close to three ‘iconic’ Norse sites in the former Eastern Settlement of Greenland – Herjolfsnes, Hvalsey and Garðar (the modern Igaliku). While much work remains to be undertaken, our results show that palynological evidence can provide a useful marker for both the onset and end of Norse occupation in the region, while the radiocarbon chronologies for these sequences remain difficult. Significantly, we here demonstrate the potential for cryptotephra to become a useful tool in resolving the chronology of Norse occupation, when coupled with palynology. For the first time, we show that cryptotephra are present within palaeoenvironmental sequences located within or close to Norse settlement ruin-groups, with tephra horizons detected at all three sites. While shard concentrations were small at Herjolfsnes, concentrations sufficient for geochemical analyses were detected at Igaliku and Hvalsey. WDS-EPMA analyses of these tephra indicate that, unlike the predominantly Icelandic tephra sources reported in the Greenland ice core records, the tephra associated with the Norse sites correlate more closely with volcanic centres in the Aleutians and Cascades. Recent investigations of cryptotephra dispersal from North American centres, along with our new findings, point to the potential for cryptotephra to facilitate hypothesis testing, providing a key chronological tool for refining the timing of Norse activities in Greenland (e.g. abandonment) and of environmental contexts and drivers (e.g. climate forcing)

A Collapse Surface for Perforated Plates with Triangular Patterns for Ligament Efficiencies Between 0.05 and 0.50

Collapse surfaces are developed for thick perforated plates containing a triangular penetration pattern with ligament efficiencies of 0.05, 0.10, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5 using elastic-perfectly plastic FEA analysis. The FEA data was fit to a fourth-order collapse function which is appropriate for the development of an equivalent solid elastic-perfectly plastic plasticity model for perforated plates with triangular penetration patterns. This type of model can be conveniently used to develop a limit load capability for perforated plate analysis. It was shown that the fourth-order function is reasonable for ligament efficiencies between 0.15 to 0.5. Comparing the fourth-order collapse function to FEA data suggests that an alternate collapse function is needed for ligament efficiencies less than 0.15. A linear interpolation method was shown to be appropriate for ligament efficiencies between 0.15 and 0.5

Thickness effects on the plastic collapse of perforated plates with triangular penetration patterns

This paper investigates the effects of plate thickness on the accuracy of limit load solutions obtained using an elastic-perfectly plastic [EPP] equivalent solid [EQS] procedure for flat perforated plates with a triangular array of penetrations. The EQS approach for limit loads is based on an EQS collapse surface that is valid for generalized plane strain. This assumption is applicable for very thick plates but is known to be less reasonable for very thin plates where plane stress may be a better assumption. The limits of applicability of the generalized plane strain assumption are investigated by obtaining limit load solutions for perforated plates of various thicknesses that are subjected to in-plane and bending loads. Plastic limit load solutions obtained using three-dimensional EPP finite element analysis [FEA] of models which include each penetration explicitly are compared with solutions obtained using the EQS approximation. The penetration pattern chosen for this study has a ligament efficiency (ligament width-to-pitch ratio, h/P) of 0.32. For plates thicker than the pitch, the limit load calculated using the EQS method for both in-plane and bending loads is shown to be very accurate (within 4%) of the limit load calculated for the explicit model. On the other hand, for thin plates (t/P< 2), the EQS limit load is 5% greater than the explicit limit load for bending and 8% greater than the explicit limit load for in-plane loads. For thinner plates, the collapse surface is tied to the local geometry deformation and, hence, an equivalent solid plate representation of plastic collapse is a function of deformation mode and thickness

Optical metrics and birefringence of anisotropic media

The material tensor of linear response in electrodynamics is constructed out of products of two symmetric second rank tensor fields which in the approximation of geometrical optics and for uniaxial symmetry reduce to "optical" metrics, describing the phenomenon of birefringence. This representation is interpreted in the context of an underlying internal geometrical structure according to which the symmetric tensor fields are vectorial elements of an associated two-dimensional space.Comment: 24 pages, accepted for publication in GR

Density-Matrix approach to a Strongly Coupled Two-Component Bose-Einstein Condensate

The time evolution equations for average values of population and relative phase of a strongly coupled two component BEC is derived analytically. The two components are two hyper-fine states coupled by an external laser that drives fast Rabi oscillations between these states. Specifically, this derivation incorporates the two-mode model proposed in [1] for the strongly coupled hyper-fine states of Rb. The fast Rabi cycle is averaged out and rate equations are derived that represents the slow dynamics of the system. These include the collapse and revival of Rabi oscillations and their subsequent dependence on detuning and trap displacement as reported in experiments of [1]. A proposal to create stable vortices is also given.Comment: 11 Latex pages, 2 figures (Figure 3 was removed and the text chnaged accordingly

Linearized Treatment of Scalar perturbations in the Asymptotic Cosmological Model

In this paper the implications of a recently proposed phenomenological model of cosmology, the Asymptotic Cosmological Model (ACM), on the behavior of scalar perturbations are studied. Firstly we discuss new fits of the ACM at the homogeneous level, including fits to the Type Ia Supernovae UNION dataset, first CMB peak of WMAP5 and BAOs. The linearized equations of scalar perturbations in the FRW metric are derived. A simple model is used to compute the CMB temperature perturbation spectrum. The results are compared with the treatment of perturbations in other approaches to the problem of the accelerated expansion of the universe.Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures. Presentation in sections 2 and 3 clarified, references added. Final version to appear in Astroparticle Physic

Hamiltonian Cycles on Random Eulerian Triangulations

A random Eulerian triangulation is a random triangulation where an even number of triangles meet at any given vertex. We argue that the central charge increases by one if the fully packed O(n) model is defined on a random Eulerian triangulation instead of an ordinary random triangulation. Considering the case n -> 0, this implies that the system of random Eulerian triangulations equipped with Hamiltonian cycles describes a c=-1 matter field coupled to 2D quantum gravity as opposed to the system of usual random triangulations equipped with Hamiltonian cycles which has c=-2. Hence, in this case one should see a change in the entropy exponent from the value gamma=-1 to the irrational value gamma=(-1-\sqrt{13})/6=-0.76759... when going from a usual random triangulation to an Eulerian one. A direct enumeration of configurations confirms this change in gamma.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, references and a comment adde