Estimation of scour for bridges in Illinois

Scour development around bridge piers is one of the main reasons for bridge failure. This paper presents the comparison of ultimate pier and contraction scour depth for cohesive soils at nine bridge sites in Illinois. Results obtained from common prediction methods such as SRICOS, Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 18 (HEC 18), Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and reduction factor method were compared. All bridge piers have round nose shape except one. SRICOS and FDOT method predicted the lowest and highest ultimate depths of scour, respectively. Measured scour depth for real time obtained from the field was also compared with the ones predicted by SRICOS and modified HEC – 18 methods. In this case, SRICOS method and modified HEC – 18 predictions were in reasonable agreement with each other, however, they both were conservative

Prediction of scour in overtopped floodwalls using JET and EFA

Erosion due to water overtopping of floodwalls is one of the main causes of levee failures during storms events. Prediction of scour rate and depth in fine grained material has always been a critical issue for engineers. Performing full scale erosion tests on geo-structures like levees can be difficult and expensive. However, JET and EFA test are alternative tests to determine the scour potential of a soil. JET can be conducted both in the lab and in-situ, while EFA is conducted in the laboratory. In this study, a series of laboratory JET, EFA, and lab-scaled levee-floodwall erosion tests have been conducted on material retrieved from Mississippi River bank. The results of erosion rate on these soils have been compared. In addition, a correlation is proposed to estimate the erosion rate that occurs during floodwall overtopping in crest of levees based on JET and EFA results for soils with various compactions and plasticity indices

Induced shear stress measurement in overtopped floodwalls

The scour generated by water overtopping floodwalls results in tilting and sometimes failure of floodwalls. The water free fall induces shear stress, which is difficult to measure, at the levee surface and if it exceeds the critical shear stress, scouring initiates. It is perceived that once a pool of water is generated at the levee crest due to scour, the induced stresses on soil surface at the pool bottom will decrease. The scour progress is stopped once the induced shear stresses at the pool bottom are less than critical shear stress; however, due to the low values of critical shear stress, the scour most likely continues for a long time. A methodology was developed in this study to measure the induced shear stresses. Based on the tests conducted in this study, the generated pool will decrease the induced shear stress until constant erosion rate is achieved. This shear stress is defined as ‘equilibrium’ shear stress herein

The correlation of RNase A enzymatic activity with the changes in the distance between Nepsilon2-His12 and N delta1-His119 upon addition of stabilizing and destabilizing salts.

The effect of stabilizing and destabilizing salts on the catalytic behavior of ribonuclease A (RNase A) was investigated at pH 7.5 and 25 degrees C, using spectrophotometric, viscometric and molecular dynamic methods. The changes in the distance between N(epsilon2) of His(12) and N(delta1) of His(119) at the catalytic center of RNase A upon the addition of sodium sulfate, sodium hydrogen sulfate and sodium thiocyanate were evaluated by molecular dynamic methods. The compactness and expansion in terms of Stokes radius of RNase A upon the addition of sulfate ions as kosmotropic salts, and thiocyanate ion as a chaotropic salt, were estimated by viscometric measurements. Enzyme activity was measured using cytidine 2', 3'-cyclic monophosphate as a substrate. The results from the measurements of distances between N(epsilon2) of His(12) and N(delta1) of His(119) and Stokes radius suggest (i) that the presence of sulfate ions decreases the distance between the catalytic His residues and increases the globular compactness, and (ii) that there is an expansion of the enzyme surface as well as elongation of the catalytic center in the presence of thiocyanate ion. These findings are in agreement with activity measurements

Особенности использования статистического метода стабилизации частоты генераторов в распределенных информационно-измерительных системах

The article deals with the problems of frequency stabilization of generators in distributed information-measuring systems on the basis of the static frequency stabilization method. The examples of similar systems are given. The necessity to ensure high stability of signal frequency generated by subscribers to improve the efficiency of the stated systems is noted. Two main features of applying the static frequency stabilization method are stated. The first one is determined with a delay in signal input into the device for estimating the frequency-time signal parameters in relation to the signal phase measurement interval. The second feature involves the entry delay of the formed control signal of generator frequency correction. It is shown that the mentioned features lead to divergence of the current variation of generator frequency and the value under correction, obtained considering the delay. The description of information signals enabling to specify a mathematical model of the process of assessment forming of the information signal frequency variation, taking into account the mentioned factors, is offered. It is shown that the possibility of using a statistical method to stabilize the frequency of generators in distributed informationmeasuring systems is determined not only with the values of nominal frequencies and relative instabilities of generators included into the information-measuring system, but also by the autocorrelation function of a random process describing the change of information signal frequency. In case of small time delays between the evaluation of information signal frequency and frequency stabilization, the use of the method to be considered allows to reduce the relative instability of information signal frequency. When time delays are greater than the correlation interval, the use of the statistical method does not lead to the change of relative instability of information signal frequency. Within the correlation interval, the use of the statistical method of frequency stabilization can cause depending on the autocorrelation function values both decrease and increase of the relative information signal frequency instability.В статье рассмотрены вопросы стабилизации частоты генераторов в распределенных информационно-измерительных системах на основе использования метода статической стабилизации частоты. Приведены примеры таких систем и отмечена необходимость обеспечения высокой стабильности частоты формируемых абонентами сигналов для повышения эффективности функционирования указанных систем. Отмечены две основные особенности применения метода статистической стабилизации частоты. Первая определяется задержкой поступления сигнала в устройство оценивания частотно-временных параметров сигнала по отношению к интервалу измерения фазы сигнала. Вторая особенность связана с задержкой прихода сформированного управляющего сигнала коррекции частоты генератора. Показано, что отмеченные особенности приводят к несовпадению текущего отклонения частоты генератора и корректируемого значения, полученного с учетом задержки. Предложено описание информационных сигналов, позволяющих уточнить математическую модель процесса формирования оценки отклонения частоты информационного сигнала с учетом указанных факторов. Показано, что возможность использования статистического метода стабилизации частоты генераторов в распределенных информационно-измерительных системах определяется не только значениями номинальных частот и относительных нестабильностей генераторов, входящих в состав информационно-измерительной системы, но и автокорреляционной функцией случайного процесса, описывающего изменение частоты информационного сигнала. При малых временных задержках между оцениванием частоты информационного сигнала и стабилизацией частоты использование рассматриваемого метода позволяет уменьшить относительную нестабильность частоты информационного сигнала. При временных задержках больше интервала корреляции использование статистического метода не приводит к изменению относительной нестабильности частоты информационного сигнала. В пределах интервала корреляции использование статистического метода стабилизации частоты может приводить в зависимости от значений автокорреляционной функции как к уменьшению, так и увеличению относительной нестабильности частоты информационного сигнала

Azokh caves excavations 2002-2006: Middle-Upper palaeolithic transition in Nagorno-Karabagh

Depto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

An electrogenic redox loop in sulfate reduction reveals a likely widespread mechanism of energy conservation

The bioenergetics of anaerobic metabolism frequently relies on redox loops performed by membrane complexes with substrate- and quinone-binding sites on opposite sides of the membrane. However, in sulfate respiration (a key process in the biogeochemical sulfur cycle), the substrate- and quinone-binding sites of the QrcABCD complex are periplasmic, and their role in energy conservation has not been elucidated. Here we show that the QrcABCD complex of Desulfovibrio vulgaris is electrogenic, as protons and electrons required for quinone reduction are extracted from opposite sides of the membrane, with a H+/e− ratio of 1. Although the complex does not act as a H+-pump, QrcD may include a conserved proton channel leading from the N-side to the P-side menaquinone pocket. Our work provides evidence of how energy is conserved during dissimilatory sulfate reduction, and suggests mechanisms behind the functions of related bacterial respiratory complexes in other bioenergetic contexts

Horizontal pressures in cylindrical metal silos and comparison with different international standards

The focus of this research was to evaluate the horizontal pressures on a cylindrical metal silo of corrugated walls and flat bottom with 1.82m diameter and 5.4m high, and to compare the values with those obtained theoretically by the ISO 11697, EP 433 and AS 3774 standards. The silo was symmetrically filled and constant speed with wheat cv. soft red for two different height/diameter ratios (H/D) and was unloaded through three orifices with a diameter of 71.6mm, one concentric and two eccentrics. Horizontal pressures were measured on the walls of the silo at three positions using hydraulic type pressure cells. The results showed that shortly after the start of the unloading, there was a mass flow above the quota of H/D = 1.2, whereas below this quota funnel flow occurred. It can be said that the EP 433 standard was more appropriate to predict horizontal pressures in silos in H/D ratio = 1.0, with eccentric unloading. For the H/D ratio = 1.5, AS 3774 standard was the one that produced values closer to the experimental

Sphingomimetic multiple sclerosis drug FTY720 activates vesicular synaptobrevin and augments neuroendocrine secretion

Neurotransmission and secretion of hormones involve a sequence of protein/lipid interactions with lipid turnover impacting on vesicle trafficking and ultimately fusion of secretory vesicles with the plasma membrane. We previously demonstrated that sphingosine, a sphingolipid metabolite, promotes formation of the SNARE complex required for membrane fusion and also increases the rate of exocytosis in isolated nerve terminals, neuromuscular junctions, neuroendocrine cells and in hippocampal neurons. Recently a fungi-derived sphingosine homologue, FTY720, has been approved for treatment of multiple sclerosis. In its non-phosphorylated form FTY720 accumulates in the central nervous system, reaching high levels which could affect neuronal function. Considering close structural similarity of sphingosine and FTY720 we investigated whether FTY720 has an effect on regulated exocytosis. Our data demonstrate that FTY720 can activate vesicular synaptobrevin for SNARE complex formation and enhance exocytosis in neuroendocrine cells and neurons

Elite Suppressor–Derived HIV-1 Envelope Glycoproteins Exhibit Reduced Entry Efficiency and Kinetics

Elite suppressors (ES) are a rare subset of HIV-1–infected individuals who are able to maintain HIV-1 viral loads below the limit of detection by ultra-sensitive clinical assays in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. Mechanism(s) responsible for this elite control are poorly understood but likely involve both host and viral factors. This study assesses ES plasma-derived envelope glycoprotein (env) fitness as a function of entry efficiency as a possible contributor to viral suppression. Fitness of virus entry was first evaluated using a novel inducible cell line with controlled surface expression levels of CD4 (receptor) and CCR5 (co-receptor). In the context of physiologic CCR5 and CD4 surface densities, ES envs exhibited significantly decreased entry efficiency relative to chronically infected viremic progressors. ES envs also demonstrated slow entry kinetics indicating the presence of virus with reduced entry fitness. Overall, ES env clones were less efficient at mediating entry than chronic progressor envs. Interestingly, acute infection envs exhibited an intermediate phenotypic pattern not distinctly different from ES or chronic progressor envs. These results imply that lower env fitness may be established early and may directly contribute to viral suppression in ES individuals