Seismic site effects in a deep alluvial basin: numerical analysis by the boundary element method

The main purpose of the paper is the numerical analysis of seismic site effects in Caracas (Venezuela). The analysis is performed considering the boundary element method in the frequency domain. A numerical model including a part of the local topography is considered, it involves a deep alluvial deposit on an elastic bedrock. The amplification of seismic motion (SH-waves, weak motion) is analyzed in terms of level, occurring frequency and location. In this specific site of Caracas, the amplification factor is found to reach a maximum value of 25. Site effects occur in the thickest part of the basin for low frequencies (below 1.0 Hz) and in two intermediate thinner areas for frequencies above 1.0 Hz. The influence of both incidence and shear wave velocities is also investigated. A comparison with microtremor recordings is presented afterwards. The results of both numerical and experimental approaches are in good agreement in terms of fundamental frequencies in the deepest part of the basin. The boundary element method appears to be a reliable and efficient approach for the analysis of seismic site effects

Numerical analysis of seismic wave amplification in Nice (France) and comparisons with experiments

The analysis of site effects is very important since the amplification of seismic motion in some specific areas can be very strong. In this paper, the site considered is located in the centre of Nice on the French Riviera. Site effects are investigated considering a numerical approach (Boundary Element Method) and are compared to experimental results (weak motion and microtremors). The investigation of seismic site effects through numerical approaches is interesting because it shows the dependency of the amplification level on such parameters as wave velocity in surface soil layers, velocity contrast with deep layers, seismic wave type, incidence and damping. In this specific area of Nice, a one-dimensional (1D) analytical analysis of amplification does not give a satisfactory estimation of the maximum reached levels. A boundary element model is then proposed considering different wave types (SH, P, SV) as the seismic loading. The alluvial basin is successively assumed as an isotropic linear elastic medium and an isotropic linear viscoelastic solid (standard solid). The thickness of the surface layer, its mechanical properties, its general shape as well as the seismic wave type involved have a great influence on the maximum amplification and the frequency for which it occurs. For real earthquakes, the numerical results are in very good agreement with experimental measurements for each motion component. Two-dimensional basin effects are found to be very strong and are well reproduced numerically

Multi-level fast multipole BEM for 3-D elastodynamics

To reduce computational complexity and memory requirement for 3-D elastodynamics using the boundary element method (BEM), a multi-level fast multipole BEM (FM-BEM) based on the diagonal form for the expansion of the elastodynamic fundamental solution is proposed and demonstrated on numerical examples involving single-region and multi-region configurations where the scattering of seismic waves by a topographical irregularity or a sediment-filled basin is examined

Clusterin Is Required for β-Amyloid Toxicity in Human iPSC-Derived Neurons

Our understanding of the molecular processes underlying Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is still limited, hindering the development of effective treatments, and highlighting the need for human-specific models. Advances in identifying components of the amyloid cascade are progressing, including the role of the protein clusterin in mediating β-amyloid (Aβ) toxicity. Mutations in the clusterin gene (CLU), a major genetic AD risk factor, are known to have important roles in Aβ processing. Here we investigate how CLU mediates Aβ-driven neurodegeneration in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons. We generated a novel CLU-knockout iPSC line by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing to investigate Aβ-mediated neurodegeneration in cortical neurons differentiated from wild type and CLU knockout iPSCs. We measured response to Aβ using an imaging assay and measured changes in gene expression using qPCR and RNA sequencing. In wild type neurons imaging indicated that neuronal processes degenerate following treatment with Aβ25-35 peptides and Aβ1-42 oligomers, in a dose dependent manner, and that intracellular levels of clusterin are increased following Aβ treatment. However, in CLU knockout neurons Aβ exposure did not affect neurite length, suggesting that clusterin is an important component of the amyloid cascade. Transcriptomic data were analyzed to elucidate the pathways responsible for the altered response to Aβ in neurons with the CLU deletion. Four of the five genes previously identified as downstream to Aβ and Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) proteins in an Aβ-driven neurotoxic pathway in rodent cells were also dysregulated in human neurons with the CLU deletion. AD and lysosome pathways were the most significantly dysregulated pathways in the CLU knockout neurons, and pathways relating to cytoskeletal processes were most dysregulated in Aβ treated neurons. The absence of neurodegeneration in the CLU knockout neurons in response to Aβ compared to the wild type neurons supports the role of clusterin in Aβ-mediated AD pathogenesis

On-chip pressure measurements and channel deformation after oil absorption

Microfluidic channels moulded from the soft polymer poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) are widely used as a platform for mimicking biological environments, and can be used for the simulation of fluid filled structures such as blood and lung vessels. The control of pressure and flow rate within these structures is vital to mimic physiological conditions. The flexibility of PDMS leads to pressure-induced deformation under flow, leading to variable flow profiles along a device. Here, we investigate the change in Young’s modulus of microfluidic channels due to infiltration of mineral oil, a PDMS permeable fluid, and how this affects the resulting pressure profile using a novel pressure measurement method. We found a 53% decrease in Young’s modulus of PDMS due to mineral oil absorption over the course of 3 h accounted for lower internal pressure and larger channel deformation compared to fresh PDMS at a given flow rate. Confocal fluorescence microscopy used to image channel profiles before and after the introduction of mineral oil showed a change in pressure-induced deformation after infiltration of the oil. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) nanoindentation was used to measure Young’s modulus of PDMS before (2.80±0.032.80±0.03 MPa) and after (1.32±0.041.32±0.04 MPa) mineral oil absorption. Raman spectroscopy showed the infiltration of mineral oil into PDMS from channel walls and revealed the diffusion coefficient of mineral oil in PDMS

Compact ECL gate design for double mesa HBT process

Emitter Coupled Logic (ECL) gate is a good candidate for gigabit logic when one uses GaAs/GaAlAs Heterojunction Bipolar Transistor (HBT). With the double mesa process, intercon­nections between the 5 transistors of the elemental gate have to climb the emitter and base mesas, leading to lack of density. A more compact design of the ECL gate has been achieved, in which the transistors are directly connected on the top of the base mesa. The DC characteristics of this gate are similar to these obtained with conventional gate design and the surface is reduced by a factor 1.6

A Poromechanical Model for Coal Seams Injected with Carbon Dioxide: From an Isotherm of Adsorption to a Swelling of the Reservoir Un modéle poromécanique pour l’injection de dioxyde de carbone dans des veines de charbon : d’une isotherme d’adsorption à un gonflement du réservoir

Injecting carbon dioxide into deep unminable coal seams can enhance the amount of methane recovered from the seam. This process is known as CO2-Enhanced Coal Bed Methane production (CO2-ECBM). The seam is a porous medium whose porous system is made of cleats (small natural fractures) and of coal pores (whose radius can be as small as a few angström). During the injection process, the molecules of CO2 get adsorbed in the coal pores. Such an adsorption makes the coal swell, which, in the confined conditions that prevail underground, induces a closure of the cleat system of the coal bed reservoir and a loss of injectivity. In this work, we develop a poromechanical model which, starting from the knowledge of an adsorption isotherm and combined with reservoir simulations, enables to estimate the variations of injectivity of the coal bed reservoir over time during the process of injection. The model for the coal bed reservoir is based on poromechanical equations that explicitly take into account the effect of adsorption on the mechanical behavior of a microporous medium. We consider the coal bed reservoir as a dual porosity (cleats and coal porosity) medium, for which we derive a set of linear constitutive equations. The model requires as an input the adsorption isotherm on coal of the fluid considered. Reversely, the model provides a way to upscale an adsorption isotherm into a meaningful swelling of the coal bed reservoir at the macroscopic scale. The parameters of the model are calibrated on data on coal samples available in the literature. Reservoir simulations of an injection of carbon dioxide in a coal seam are performed with an in-house finite volume and element code. The variations of injection rate over time during the process of injection are obtained from the simulations. The effect of the compressibility of the coal matrix on those variations is discussed. L’injection de dioxyde de carbone dans des veines de charbon profondes peut augmenter la quantité de méthane récupérée de ces veines. Ce processus de production de méthane est appelé CO2-ECBM (Enhanced Coal Bed Methane). La veine est un milieu poreux dont le réseau poreux est constitué de fissures et des pores de la matrice de charbon (ces pores pouvant être aussi petits que quelques Angströms). Pendant le processus d’injection, les molécules de CO2 sont adsorbées dans les pores de la matrice de charbon, ce qui la fait gonfler. Un tel gonflement conduit, dans les conditions de confinement qui prévalent sous terre, à une fermeture du système de fissures de la veine réservoir et par conséquent à une baisse de l’injectivité. Dans ce travail, nous développons un modèle poromécanique qui, à partir d’une utilisation d’isothermes d’adsorption dans des simulations à l’échelle du réservoir, permet d’estimer les variations d’injectivité de la veine réservoir au cours du temps pendant le processus d’injection. Le modèle pour la veine réservoir est basé sur des équations poromécaniques qui prennent explicitement en compte l’effet de l’adsorption sur le comportement mécanique d’un milieu microporeux. Nous considérons la veine réservoir comme un système à double porosité (fissures et porosité du charbon), pour lequel nous dérivons un ensemble d’équations constitutives linéaires. Le modèle nécessite en entrée l’isotherme d’adsorption sur le charbon du fluide considéré. Inversement, le modèle permet de transformer une isotherme d’adsorption en un gonflement ayant un sens à l’échelle macroscopique de la veine réservoir. Les paramètres du modèle sont calibrés sur des données expérimentales d’adsorption sur des charbons. Des simulations d’injection de dioxyde de carbone dans une veine de charbon sont exécutées avec un logiciel aux éléments et volumes finis développé en interne. Ainsi, les variations de taux d’injection pendant le processus d’injection sont obtenues. L’influence de la compressibilité de la matrice de charbon sur ces variations est discutée