Methodology investigations for shear wave splitting analysis

Over the past several decades, shear wave splitting analyses have been increasingly utilized to delineate mantle structure and probe mantle dynamics. However, the reported splitting parameters (fast polarization orientations and splitting times) are frequently inconsistent among different studies, partially due to the different techniques used to estimate the splitting parameters. Here the study conduct research on methodology investigations for shear wave splitting analysis, which are composed of two sub-topics, i.e., a systematic comparison of the transverse minimization (TM) and the splitting intensity (SI) techniques and applicability of the multiple-event stacking technique (MES). Numerical experiments are conducted using both synthetic and observed data. In addition, crustal anisotropy beneath 71 broadband seismic stations situated at the eastern Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas is investigated based on the sinusoidal moveout of P-to-S conversions from the Moho and an intra-crustal discontinuity with an average splitting time of 0.39 ± 0.19 s and dominantly fracture-parallel fast orientations. The crustal anisotropy measurements support the existences of mid/lower crustal flow in the southern Songpan-Ganzi Terrane and crustal shortening deformation beneath the Longmenshan fault zone --Abstract, page iv

Mannosylated liposomes for targeted gene delivery

Fansheng Kong1, Fang Zhou1, Linfu Ge1, Ximin Liu1, Yong Wang21Department of Hematology, 2Department of Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, General Hospital of Ji'nan Command, PLA, Ji'nan, People's Republic of ChinaBackground: Liposomes can be modified with different ligands to control their biological properties, such as longevity, targeting ability, and intracellular penetration, in a desired fashion. The aim of this study was to modify liposomes with a novel mannosylated polyethylene glycol-phosphatidylethanolamine (M-PEG-PE) ligand to achieve active targeted gene delivery.Methods: Rat Kupffer cells were isolated and used as model cells for in vitro evaluation of cytotoxicity and transfection efficiency. The modified liposomes were intravenously injected into the rats, and Kupffer cells were isolated and analyzed by flow cytometry for in vivo gene delivery and expression.Results: The M-PEG-PE-modified liposome-enhanced green fluorescence protein plasmid (M-PEG-PE-Lipo-pEGFP) complexes had a particle size of 237 nm and a loading efficiency of 90%. The M-PEG-PE-Lipo-pEGFP complexes displayed remarkably higher transfection efficiency than unmodified Lipo-pEGFP, both in vitro (51%–30%) and in vivo (43%–27%).Conclusion: M-PEG-PE could function as an excellent active targeting ligand, and M-PEG-PE-modified liposomes could be promising active targeted drug delivery vectors.Keywords: gene delivery, active targeting, mannosylated, polyethylene glycol, phosphatidylethanolamine, liposome

A Systematic Comparison of the Transverse Energy Minimization and Splitting Intensity Techniques for Measuring Shear-Wave Splitting Parameters

Over the past several decades, shear-wave splitting (SWS) analyses have been increasingly utilized to delineate mantle structure and probe mantle dynamics. However, the reported splitting parameters (fast polarization orientations and splitting times) are frequently inconsistent among different studies, partially due to the different techniques used to estimate the splitting parameters. Here, we report results from a systematic comparison of the transverse minimization (TM) and the splitting intensity (SI) techniques. The study was motivated by the fact that recent comparative studies led to conflicting conclusions, which include the suggestion that TM, which is arguably the most widely used SWS-measuring technique, performs significantly poorly relative to SI under most circumstances in terms of stability and reliability of the resulting splitting parameters. We use both synthetic and real seismograms to evaluate the performance of the techniques for noise resistance, dominant period dependence, and complex anisotropy recognition. For one-layer anisotropy models with a horizontal axis of symmetry, our results show the two techniques can provide measurements with similar reliability. The testing confirms conclusions from previous studies that, although SI cannot distinguish between simple and complex anisotropy models with a horizontal axis of symmetry, TM can serve as a powerful tool in recognizing the existence of complex anisotropy, which is characterized by a systematic dependence of the splitting parameters on the back azimuth of the events. Therefore, when the existence of complex anisotropy beneath a study area is unknown, TM is a better choice. Ⓔ A FORTRAN program for the calculation of Wiener-filtered wavelet and splitting intensity using SI technique is provided as an electronic supplement to this article

Vibration signal simulation of planetary gearbox based on motion process modeling

In planetary gearbox, multiple gear pair meshing with each other and the vibration transmission paths from gear meshing points to the fixed sensors are time-varying. Therefore, fault diagnosis of the planetary gearbox is more difficult compared to that of fixed-axis gearbox, in which the vibration signal simulation models are very important. This paper constructs vibration signal models based on motion process modeling. This kind of modeling method is easier to understand compare with other methods which mainly based on the theory or physical laws behind the phenomena. The modeling process was presented in a step-by-step procedure according to the motion process of planetary gearbox. Frequency analysis was also implemented and comprehensive diagram was shown to help understand the result

Potassic Volcanism Induced by Mantle Upwelling through a Slab Window: Evidence from Shear Wave Splitting Analyses in Central Java

To delineate the mantle flow fields in the vicinity of a previously proposed slab window and the possible roles that they may play in the formation of potassic volcanism in Central Java, we conduct shear wave splitting analyses using both local S and teleseismic XKS waves (including SKS, SKKS, and PKS) recorded by 121 onshore stations and two ocean bottom seismometers (OBSs). The XKS fast orientations from the OBSs are trench normal and in accord with previous subslab anisotropy measurements. In the eastern part of Central Java, the XKS and local S fast orientations from the onshore stations are mostly trench-parallel; in contrast, in the western part of Central Java, the XKS fast orientations are trench-normal while the local S measurements are spatially varying. The observations can be attributed to four flow systems including (a) subslab trench normal mantle flow in areas away from the trench which is entrained by the Australian Plate, (b) trench normal flow that goes into the mantle wedge from the subslab area through a slab window beneath the western part of the study area, (c) trench-parallel subslab flow near the trench beneath the eastern part of the study area which is driven by slab-rollback, and (d) dominantly trench-parallel flow system in the mantle wedge reflecting the horizontal component of the escaped flow system through the slab window. We propose that the vertical component of the escaped flow is responsible for the formation of the potassic volcanoes in the adjacent oceanic area

Slab Dehydration and Mantle Upwelling in the Vicinity of the Sumatra Subduction Zone: Evidence from Receiver Function Imaging of Mantle Transition Zone Discontinuities

A total of 10,586 P-to-S radial receiver functions recorded by 64 broadband seismic stations were utilized to image the 410 and 660 km discontinuities (d410 and d660, respectively) bordering the mantle transition zone (MTZ) beneath the Sumatra Island, the Malay Peninsula, and the western margin of the South China Sea. The d410 and d660 were imaged by stacking receiver functions in successive circular bins with a radius of 1°, after moveout corrections based on the 1-D IASP91 Earth model. The resulting apparent depths of the discontinuities exhibit significant and spatially systematic variations. The apparent depths of the d410 and d660 range from 382 to 459 km and 637 to 700 km with an average of 406 ± 13 and 670 ± 12 km, respectively, while the corresponding values for the MTZ thickness are 217 to 295 km and 261 ± 13 km. Underneath southern Sumatra and adjacent regions, the MTZ is characterized by an uplifted d410 and a depressed d660. While the former is probably caused by the low temperature anomaly, the latter is most likely related to a combination of the low temperature anomaly and dehydration associated with the subducted Australian Plate that has reached at least the d660. In contrast, an abnormally thin MTZ is imaged to the southwest of the Toba Caldera. This observation, when combined with results from previous seismic tomography studies, can be explained by advective thermal upwelling through a slab window

Novel Mannan-PEG-PE Modified Bioadhesive PLGA Nanoparticles for Targeted Gene Delivery

Purpose. Biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles have been used frequently as gene delivery vehicles. The aim of this study is to modify bioadhesive PLGA nanoparticles with novel synthetic mannan-PEG-PE (MN-PEG-PE) to obtain active targeted gene delivery system. Methods. Mannan-PEG-PE ligands were synthesized and modified onto the NPs/pEGFP complexes. The modification rate was optimized, and the characteristics of the vehicle were evaluated. Then, the modified vectors were intravenous delivered to rats, and in vivo targeting behavior of MN-PEG-PE modified PLGA nanoparticles/pEGFP complexes (MN-PEG-PE-NPs/pEGFP) in liver macrophages was investigated. Results. MN-PEG-PE-NPs/pEGFP displayed remarkably higher transfection efficiencies than nonmodified NPs/pEGFP both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions. Mannan containing targeting ligands could significantly improve the transfection efficiency of the carriers. MN-PEG-PE modified vectors very useful in targeted gene delivery

Metastable Olivine within Oceanic Lithosphere in the Uppermost Lower Mantle Beneath the Eastern United States

Approximately two-thirds of Earth\u27s outermost shell is composed of oceanic plates that form at spreading ridges and recycle back to Earth\u27s interior in subduction zones. A series of physical and chemical changes occur in the subducting lithospheric slab as the temperature and pressure increase with depth. In particular, olivine, the most abundant mineral in the upper mantle, progressively transforms to its high-pressure polymorphs near the mantle transition zone, which is bounded by the 410 km and 660 km discontinuities. However, whether olivine still exists in the core of slabs once they penetrate the 660 km discontinuity remains debated. Based on SKS and SKKS shear-wave differential splitting times, we report new evidence that reveals the presence of metastable olivine in the uppermost lower mantle within the ancient Farallon plate beneath the eastern United States. We estimate that the low-density olivine layer in the subducted Farallon slab may compensate the high density of the rest of the slab associated with the low temperature, leading to neutral buoyancy and preventing further sinking of the slab into the deeper part of the lower mantle

Shear Wave Splitting Analyses in Tian Shan: Geodynamic Implications of Complex Seismic Anisotropy

The Tian Shan is a tectonically complex intracontinental orogenic belt situated between the Tarim Basin and the Kazakh Shield. The vast majority of the previous shear wave splitting (SWS) measurements were presented as station averages, which are only valid when the anisotropy structure can be approximated by a single layer of anisotropy with a horizontal axis of symmetry, i.e., a model of simple anisotropy. A variety of anisotropy-forming hypotheses have been proposed based on the station-averaged measurements. In this study, we measure the splitting parameters at 25 stations that recorded high-quality data from a wide back azimuthal range for the purpose of identifying and characterizing complex anisotropy. Among the 25 stations, 15 of them show systematic azimuthal variations in the observed splitting parameters with a 90° periodicity that is consistent with a model of two-layered anisotropy. The fast orientations of the upper layer range from 50° to 90° measured clockwise from the north, which are subparallel to the strike of the orogenic belt, and the splitting times are between 0.9 and 1.9 s. The corresponding values for the lower layer are -45° to -85° and 1.2-2.2 s, respectively. The remaining 10 stations demonstrate azimuthally invariant splitting parameters with strike-parallel fast orientations, and can be represented by a single layer of anisotropy with a horizontal axis of symmetry. We propose that the strike-parallel anisotropy is caused by lithospheric shortening, and anisotropy in the lower layer is associated with WNW-ward flow of asthenospheric material sandwiched between the subducting Tarim lithosphere and the thick Kazakh lithospheric root