Slope Instability of the Earthen Levee in Boston, UK: Numerical Simulation and Sensor Data Analysis

The paper presents a slope stability analysis for a heterogeneous earthen levee in Boston, UK, which is prone to occasional slope failures under tidal loads. Dynamic behavior of the levee under tidal fluctuations was simulated using a finite element model of variably saturated linear elastic perfectly plastic soil. Hydraulic conductivities of the soil strata have been calibrated according to piezometers readings, in order to obtain correct range of hydraulic loads in tidal mode. Finite element simulation was complemented with series of limit equilibrium analyses. Stability analyses have shown that slope failure occurs with the development of a circular slip surface located in the soft clay layer. Both models (FEM and LEM) confirm that the least stable hydraulic condition is the combination of the minimum river levels at low tide with the maximal saturation of soil layers. FEM results indicate that in winter time the levee is almost at its limit state, at the margin of safety (strength reduction factor values are 1.03 and 1.04 for the low-tide and high-tide phases, respectively); these results agree with real-life observations. The stability analyses have been implemented as real-time components integrated into the UrbanFlood early warning system for flood protection

Effect of Intrinsic Disorder and Self-Association on the Translational Diffusion of Proteins: The Case of α-Casein

© 2017 American Chemical Society.Translational diffusion is the major mode of macromolecular transport in leaving organisms, and therefore it is vital to many biological and biotechnological processes. Although translational diffusion of proteins has received considerable theoretical and experimental scrutiny, much of that attention has been directed toward the description of globular proteins. The translational diffusion of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), however, is much less studied. Here, we use a pulsed-gradient nuclear magnetic resonance technique (PFG NMR) to investigate the translational diffusion of a disordered protein in a wide range of concentrations using α-casein that belongs to the class of natively disordered proteins as an example

Spin-orbital Conversion of Bessel Light Beams By Liquid Crystal Elements

For the first time, the spin-orbital conversion of the linearly polarized Bessel beams in the process of their propagation in the electrically-controlled liquid crystal cell has been realized experimentally. Variations in the polarization, phase, and spatial structure of the beam have been analyzed. It has been shown that, when a Bessel beam is propagating along the liquid crystal director, the generated beam is orthogonally polarized, whereas the topological charge is varied by two unities. Keywords: Bessel light beams, spin-orbital conversion; liquid crystal

Short-range order and electronic properties of epitaxial graphene

One of the most rapidly developing areas of modern materials science is the study of graphene and materials on its basis. The experimental investigations have revealed different types of defects on the surface of graphene that form the ordered structures of atomic configurations. In the present work, the value of short-range order parameter for different configurations of foreign atoms in a graphene layer was calculated. The effect of various factors on the density of electronic states and electrical resistance in graphene was also investigated. The type of the ordering of foreign atoms in graphene rather than the concentration of impurities, was shown to be responsible for the change in the conductivity of graphene

ОСОБЕННОСТИ СОВРЕМЕННОГО РАЗВИТИЯ СОЦИАЛЬНОЙ ИНФРАСТРУКТУРЫ В ПРИВОЛЖСКОМ ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОМ ОКРУГЕ

Due to increased social orientation of economic development ofRussiain the beginning of XXI century, acquired even greater urgency the problem of forming social infrastructure of macroregions. In the present work describes the peculiarities of the territorial organization of the social sphere of the Volga Federal District (VFD), which is closely related to urban settlement system. The authors examine the impact of diff erent types of cities in the development of social complex and reveal the modern trends of development of the leading branches of social infrastructure in the national and administrative entities in the VFD, which confirm the reorientation of their capacity for the biggest cities, ambiguous impact on the social-economic development of the peripheral territories of the regions.В связи с усилением социальной направленности экономического развития России к началу XXI в. ещё большую актуальность приобрели проблемы формирования потенциала социальной инфраструктуры макрорегионов. В настоящей работе раскрываются особенности территориальной организации отраслей социальной сферы Приволжского федерального округа (ПФО), тесно связанные с городской системой расселения. Авторы рассматривают воздействие разных типов городов на развитие секторов социального комплекса и выявляют тенденции современного развития ведущих сфер социальной инфраструктуры в национальных и административных образованиях ПФО, которые подтверждают переориентацию их потенциала на крупнейшие города, что неоднозначно влияет на социально-экономическое развитие периферийных территорий регионов