A probability-based approach to setting annual catch levels.

The requirement of setting annual catch limits to prevent overfishing has been added to the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (MSRA). Because this requirement is new, a body of applied scientific practice for deriving annual catch limits and accompanying targets does not yet exist. This article demonstrates an approach to setting levels of catch that is intended to keep the probability of future overfishing at a preset low level. The proposed framework is based on stochastic projection with uncertainty in population dynamics. The framework extends common projection methodology by including uncertainty in the limit reference point and in management implementation, and by making explicit the risk of overfishing that managers consider acceptable. The approach is illustrated with application to gag (Mycteroperca microlepis), a grouper that inhabits the waters off the southeastern United States. Although devised to satisfy new legislation of the MSRA, the framework has potential application to any fishery where the management goal is to limit the risk of overfishing by controlling catch

On the interpretation of combined torsion and tension tests of thin-wall tubes

General ways of testing thin-wall tubes under combined tension and torsion as a means of checking the various theories of plasticity are discussed. Suggestions also are given for the interpretation of the tests

Minimum Variance Approaches to Ultrasound Pixel-Based Beamforming.

We analyze the principles underlying minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamforming in order to integrate it into a pixel-based algorithm. There is a challenge posed by the low echo signal-to-noise ratio (eSNR) when calculating beamformer contributions at pixels far away from the beam centreline. Together with the well-known scarcity of samples for covariance matrix estimation, this reduces the beamformer performance and degrades the image quality. To address this challenge, we implement the MVDR algorithm in two different ways. First, we develop the conventional minimum variance pixel-based (MVPB) beamformer that performs the MVDR after the pixel-based superposition step. This involves a combination of methods in the literature, extended over multiple transmits to increase the eSNR. Then we propose the coherent MVPB beamformer, where the MVDR is applied to data within individual transmits. Based on pressure field analysis, we develop new algorithms to improve the data alignment and matrix estimation, and hence overcome the low-eSNR issue. The methods are demonstrated on data acquired with an ultrasound open platform. The results show the coherent MVPB beamformer substantially outperforms the conventional MVPB in a series of experiments, including phantom and in vivo studies. Compared to the unified pixel-based beamformer, the newest delay-and-sum algorithm in [1], the coherent MVPB performs well on regions that conform to the diffuse scattering assumptions on which the minimum variance principles are based. It produces less good results for parts of the image that are dominated by specular reflections

A Spatial Coherence Approach to Minimum Variance Beamforming for Plane-Wave Compounding.

A new approach to implement minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamforming is introduced for coherent plane-wave compounding (CPWC). MVDR requires the covariance matrix of the incoming signal to be estimated and a spatial smoothing approximation is usually adopted to prevent this calculation from being underconstrained. In the new approach, we analyze MVDR as a spatial filter that decorrelates signals received at individual channels before summation. Based on the analysis, we develop two MVDR beamformers without using any spatial smoothing. First, MVDR weights are applied to the received signals after accumulating the data over transmits at different angles, while the second involves weighting the data collected in individual transmits and compounding over the transducer elements. In both cases, the covariance matrix is estimated using a set of slightly different combinations of the echo data. We show the sufficient statistic for this estimation that can be described by approximating the correlation among the backscattered ultrasound signals to their spatial coherence. Using the van Cittert-Zernike theorem, their statistical similarity is assessed by relating the spatial coherence to the profile of the source intensity. Both spatial-coherence-based MVDR beamformers are evaluated on data sets acquired from simulation, phantom, and in vivo studies. Imaging results show that they offer improvements over simple coherent compounding in terms of spatial and contrast resolutions. They also outperform other existing MVDR-based methods in the literature that are applied to CPWC

Plastic buckling of a rectangular plate under edge thrusts

The fundamental equations for the plastic buckling of a rectangular plate under edge thrusts are developed on the basis of a new set of stress-strain relations for the behavior of a metal in the plastic range. These relations are derived for buckling from a state of uniform compression. The fundamental equation for the buckling of a simply compressed plate together with typical boundary conditions is then developed and the results are applied to calculating the buckling loads of a thin strip, a simply supported plate, and a cruciform section. Comparisons with the theories of Timoshenko and Ilyushin are made. Finally, an energy method is given which can be used for finding approximate values of the critical load

A task-based analytical framework for ultrasonic beamformer comparison.

A task-based approach is employed to develop an analytical framework for ultrasound beamformer design and evaluation. In this approach, a Bayesian ideal-observer provides an idealized starting point and a way to measure information loss in practical beamformer designs. Different approximations of this ideal strategy are shown to lead to popular beamformers in the literature, including the matched filter, minimum variance (MV), and Wiener filter (WF) beamformers. Analysis of the approximations indicates that the WF beamformer should outperform the MV approach, especially in low echo signal-to-noise conditions. The beamformers are applied to five typical tasks from the BIRADS lexicon. Their performance is evaluated based on ability to discriminate idealized malignant and benign features. The numerical results show the advantages of the WF over the MV technique in general; although performance varies predictably in some contrast-limited tasks because of the model modifications required for the MV algorithm to avoid ill-conditioning.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from American Institute of Physics Publishing via http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.496060

Population characteristics of gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus

The status of the Gulf menhaden, Brevoortia patronus, fishery was assessed with purse-seine landings data from 1946 to 1997 and port sampling data from 1964 to 1997. These data were analyzed to determine growth rates, biological reference points for fi shing mortality from yield per recruit and maximum spawning potential analyses, spawner-recruit relationships, and maximum sustainable yield (MSY). The separable virtual population approach was used for the period 1976–97 (augmented by earlier analyses for 1964–75) to obtain point estimates of stock size, recruits to age 1, spawning stock size, and fishing mortality rates. Exploitation rates for age-1 fi sh ranged between 11% and 45%, for age-2 fi sh between 32% and 72%, and for age-3 fi sh between 32% and 76%. Biological reference points from yield per recruit (F0.1: 1.5–2.5/yr) and spawning potential ratio (F20: 1.3–1.9/yr and F30: 0.8–1.2/yr) were obtained for comparison with recent estimates of F (0.6–0.8/yr). Recent spawning stock estimates (as biomass or eggs) are above the long-term average, while recent recruits to age 1 are comparable to the long-term average. Parameters from Ricker-type spawner-recruit relations were estimated, although considerable unexplained variability remained. Recent survival to age-1 recruitment has generally been below that expected based on the Ricker spawner-recruit relation. Estimates of long-term MSY from PRODFIT and ASPIC estimation of production model ranged between 717,000 t and 753,000 t, respectively. Declines in landings between 1988 and 1992 raised concerns about the status of the Gulf menhaden stock. Landings have fl uctuated without trend since 1992, averaging about 571,000 t. However, Gulf menhaden are short lived and highly fecund. Thus, variation in recruitment to age 1, largely mediated by environmental conditions, infl uences fi shing success over the next two years (as age-1 and age-2 fi sh). Comparisons of recent estimates of fi shing mortality to biological reference points do not suggest overfishing. (PDF file contains 22 pages.

2D and 3D Dense-Fluid Shear Flows via Nonequilibrium Molecular Dynamics. Comparison of Time-and-Space-Averaged Tensor Temperature and Normal Stresses from Doll's, Sllod, and Boundary-Driven Shear Algorithms

Homogeneous shear flows (with constant strainrate du/dy) are generated with the Doll's and Sllod algorithms and compared to corresponding inhomogeneous boundary-driven flows. We use one-, two-, and three-dimensional smooth-particle weight functions for computing instantaneous spatial averages. The nonlinear stress differences are small, but significant, in both two and three space dimensions. In homogeneous systems the sign and magnitude of the shearplane stress difference, P(xx) - P(yy), depend on both the thermostat type and the chosen shearflow algorithm. The Doll's and Sllod algorithms predict opposite signs for this stress difference, with the Sllod approach definitely wrong, but somewhat closer to the (boundary-driven) truth. Neither of the homogeneous shear algorithms predicts the correct ordering of the kinetic temperatures, T(xx) > T(zz) > T(yy).Comment: 34 pages with 12 figures, under consideration by Physical Review

Single cell mechanics: stress stiffening and kinematic hardening

Cell mechanical properties are fundamental to the organism but remain poorly understood. We report a comprehensive phenomenological framework for the nonlinear rheology of single fibroblast cells: a superposition of elastic stiffening and viscoplastic kinematic hardening. Our results show, that in spite of cell complexity its mechanical properties can be cast into simple, well-defined rules, which provide mechanical cell strength and robustness via control of crosslink slippage.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Beobachtungen des Kometen 1908 c (Morehouse)

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