SLIP4EX- a program for routine slope stability analysis to include the effects of vegetation, reinforcement and hydrological changes

SLIP4EX is a straightforward computer program developed in connection with the EU funded ECOSLOPES project for routine stability analysis and the assessment of the contribution of vegetation to slope stability. The slope section is drawn up and dimensions and parameters are fed in to the Microsoft Excel based program for stability calculations and comparisons of Factors of Safety using different methods of analysis (Bishop, Janbu, Fellenius, Simple, Greenwood). The background and assumptions involved in the derivation of each of the methods is briefly described. The simplicity of the program enables the user to understand the nature of the analysis, explore the parameter assumptions made and compare the different methods of analysis. Soil reinforcement by geosynthetic layers or anchors, and vegetation effects of enhanced cohesion, changed water pressures, mass of vegetation, wind forces and root reinforcement forces are readily included in the analysis. The program is freely available on request from the author

Measurement of the B0-anti-B0-Oscillation Frequency with Inclusive Dilepton Events

The $B^0$-$\bar B^0$ oscillation frequency has been measured with a sample of 23 million \B\bar B pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric B Factory at SLAC. In this sample, we select events in which both B mesons decay semileptonically and use the charge of the leptons to identify the flavor of each B meson. A simultaneous fit to the decay time difference distributions for opposite- and same-sign dilepton events gives $\Delta m_d = 0.493 \pm 0.012{(stat)}\pm 0.009{(syst)}$ ps$^{-1}$.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, submitted to Physical Review Letter

Measurement of the CP-Violating Asymmetry Amplitude sin2β\beta

We present results on time-dependent CP-violating asymmetries in neutral B decays to several CP eigenstates. The measurements use a data sample of about 88 million Y(4S) --> B Bbar decays collected between 1999 and 2002 with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric-energy B Factory at SLAC. We study events in which one neutral B meson is fully reconstructed in a final state containing a charmonium meson and the other B meson is determined to be either a B0 or B0bar from its decay products. The amplitude of the CP-violating asymmetry, which in the Standard Model is proportional to sin2beta, is derived from the decay-time distributions in such events. We measure sin2beta = 0.741 +/- 0.067 (stat) +/- 0.033 (syst) and |lambda| = 0.948 +/- 0.051 (stat) +/- 0.017 (syst). The magnitude of lambda is consistent with unity, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation of no direct CP violation in these modes

Track E Implementation Science, Health Systems and Economics

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138412/1/jia218443.pd

Plutonic rocks of the Median Batholith in southwest Fiordland, New Zealand: field relations, geochemistry, and correlation

This paper provides a first description of all major plutonic rock units between Resolution Island and Lake Poteriteri in southwest Fiordland. Plutonic rocks, of which c. 95% are granitoids, comprise c. 60% of the basement in southwest Fiordland. Approximately 50% of the plutonic rocks were emplaced between c. 355 and 348 Ma, 5% at c. 164 Ma, 25% between c. 140 and 125 Ma, and 20% between c. 125 and 110 Ma. These episodes of plutonism occurred in response to terrane amalgamation, continental thickening, and subduction along the convergent margin of Gondwana. Correlatives of Devonian plutonic rocks which occur in Nelson are absent from the area described here.\ud \ud A wide variety of plutonic rocks were emplaced at c. 355–348 Ma. These include relatively small plutons of K- and Rb-rich gabbro-diorite and members of at least three distinct suites of granitoids. Plutons of two-mica ± garnet granodiorite, granite, and minor tonalite share affinities with the S-type Ridge Suite and are the most widespread c. 355–348 Ma old granitoids in southern Fiordland. Plutons rich in Ca, Fe and Zr, depleted in K and Na, and containing quartz diorite, tonalite, and minor granodiorite with the unusual assemblage red-brown biotite, garnet ± hornblende ± clinopyroxene also occur widely in southern Fiordland. These plutons are similar to peraluminous A-type granitoids, indicating A as well as I and S-type plutonism occurred in the Western Province at this time. The Newton River and Mt Evans Plutons have no correlatives amongst c. 355–348 Ma granitoids in southern Fiordland, but their chemistry is similar to that of the older Karamea Suite.\ud \ud Three regional-scale metasedimentary units—locally fossiliferous Fanny Bay Group Buller Terrane rocks in southern Fiordland, Edgecumbe and Cameron Group Takaka Terrane rocks in south-central Fiordland, and undifferentiated Deep Cove Gneiss high-grade metasedimentary rocks of western Fiordland—are all stitched by c. 355–348 Ma old plutons, indicating they have been in close proximity since at least c. 355–348 Ma. In south-central Fiordland, c. 355–348 Ma old plutons cut across fabrics defined by upper amphibolite facies mineral assemblages, indicating low pressure/high temperature metamorphism in this area before this time.\ud \ud The c. 164 Ma old leucocratic Lake Mike Granite is a unique pluton in southwest Fiordland with no obvious correlatives. Plutons emplaced between c. 140 and 125 Ma are similar to the Rahu Suite, although isotopic data are required to confirm this correlation. Rahu Suite plutonism may therefore have begun by c. 140 Ma, rather than c. 120 Ma as previously suggested. Plutons emplaced between c. 125 and 110 Ma have high Sr/Y ratios comparable with the Separation Point Suite. They occur in both an outboard location around Lake Poteriteri and an inboard location around the western end of Dusky Sound. The c. 115 Ma two-mica garnet granites of the Anchor Island Intrusives #2 probably formed by partial melting of adjacent ortho- and paragneisses, indicating that upper amphibolite facies metamorphism in western Dusky Sound occurred during the Early Cretaceous.\ud \ud The Dusky Fault does not pass directly out to the coast through outer Dusky Sound as previously mapped. Instead it merges with the major northeast-striking Lake Fraser Fault at Cascade Cove, which crosses the outer coast near West Cape. The Last Cove Fault is a minor structure which cannot be traced beyond Last Cove rather than a major fault of regional extent as has been previously suggested

Loch Burn Formation, Fiordland, New Zealand: SHRIMP U-Pb ages, geochemistry and provenance

New SHRIMP U-Pb ages and geochemical data have been obtained for the volcano-sedimentary Loch Burn Formation (LBF). A rhyolitic; clast from the tops of the Stuart Mountains gave a SHRIMP age of 150.3 ± 1.9 Ma, and a very fine sandstone from the same are

Cross-correlative single-cell analysis reveals biological mechanisms of nanoparticle radiosensitization

Nanoparticle radiosensitization has been demonstrated well to enhance the effects of radiotherapy, motivate the improvement of therapeutic ratios, and decrease morbidity in cancer treatment. A significant challenge exists in optimizing formulations and translation due to insufficient knowledge of the associated mechanisms, which have historically been limited to physical concepts. Here, we investigated a concept for the role of biological mechanisms. The mere presence of gold nanoparticles led to a down-regulation of thymidylate synthase, important for DNA damage repair in the radioresistant S-phase cells. By developing a cross-correlative methodology to reveal probabilistic gold nanoparticle uptake by cell sub-populations and the associated sensitization as a function of the uptake, a number of revealing observations have been achieved. Surprisingly, for low numbers of nanoparticles, a desensitization action was observed. Sensitization was discovered to preferentially impact S-phase cells, in which impairment of the DNA damage response by the homologous recombination pathway dominates. This small but radioresistant cell population correlates with much greater proliferative ability. Thus, a paradigm is presented whereby enhanced DNA damage is not necessarily due to an increase in the number of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) created but can be from a nanoparticle-induced impairment of the damage response by down-regulating repair proteins such as thymidylate synthase.Tyron Turnbull, Michael Douglass, Nathan H. Williamson, Douglas Howard, Richa Bhardwaj, Mark Lawrence, David J. Paterson, Eva Bezak, Benjamin Thierry, Ivan M. Kempso