5,415 research outputs found
Reformulating the rj-McMC Algorithm for 3D Inversion of Passive Seismic Data for Near-Surface Characterization
No full textGeophysical subsurface characterization techniques could, due to their non-invasive nature, play a crucial role in the design and subsequent construction of infrastructure in urban & industrial environ- ments. Geo-data specialist company Fugro sees potential in upgrading their current ambient-seismic- noise-tomography workflow, to make use of state-of-the-art inversion schemes with the main goal of increasing the quality and accuracy of the initial-site characterization delivered to clients. In this thesis I explore the feasibility of utilizing the reverse-jump Markov chain Monte Carlo (rj-McMC) algorithm for the inversion of ambient seismic noise for characterization in urban & industrial environments. Specif- ically, testing the potential of scaling down this inversion algorithm to fit in a small scale, near-surface framework. To achieve this, I first carried out analyses to evaluate the appropriate Rayleigh wave frequency range, after which realistic noise hyperparameters, suited for this reduced scale problem, were obtained. Because of the potential exploitation of in-situ borehole measurements, I reformulated the Bayesian prior within the rj-McMC algorithm to implement these constraining shear wave velocity values appropriately. I conducted extensive synthetic experiments to gain insight into the behavior of this adapted algorithm, from which it was concluded that the inherent dynamic discretization partially prevents these constraints from being implemented to their full extent. Nevertheless, promising results lead me to conclude that the use of the rj-McMC algorithm for application in near-surface urban & industrial environments is feasible.Applied Geophysics | IDEA Leagu
Recommended from our members
IMPLEMENTATION AND USAGE OF THE RJ PROGRAM DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEM GROUND STATION
No full textInternational Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 29-November 02, 1990 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, NevadaThe Data Acquisition System Ground Station (DASGS) is a system developed by Loral Data Systems (Loral) for CANADAIR Aerospace Group. The system implements the latest technologies in telemetry front-end equipment, host computers, networking, and graphic workstations. The goal of the DASGS is to supply Canadair with a telemetry acquisition and processing system that can satisfy the Regional Jet (RJ) program requirements and provide future expandability to service their needs throughout the 1990’s. This paper will address three aspects of this telemetry system. First, the telemetry data processing requirements of the RJ program will be described. Second, the system architecture, both hardware and software, will be discussed and the basis for the architecture. The third topic of this paper will cover how the system processing capability can be increased to satisfy Canadair’s future requirements.International Foundation for TelemeteringProceedings from the International Telemetering Conference are made available by the International Foundation for Telemetering and the University of Arizona Libraries. Visit http://www.telemetry.org/index.php/contact-us if you have questions about items in this collection
Clowns, Fools, and Killers: An Exploration of Horror, Comedy, and Madness Through the Roles of Murderer 2 and Sir Richard Ratcliffe in William Shakespeare\u27s Richard III
No full textThis document is a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Arts with a Concentration in Musical Theatre. It is a detailed account of author RJ Magee’s artistic and scholarly process in creating the roles of Murderer 2 and Sir Richard Ratcliffe in William Shakespeare’s Richard III. The production was performed as part of Minnesota State University, Mankato’s mainstage season in October of 2022. In five chapters, this thesis chronicles the actor’s process: a preproduction analysis, a historical and critical perspective, a rehearsal and performance journal, a post-production analysis, and a process development analysis. Appendices and works cited are included
Are there gender differences in the geography of alcohol-related mortality in Scotland? An ecological study
No full text<b>Background</b>
There is growing concern about alcohol-related harm, particularly within Scotland which has some of the highest rates of alcohol-related death in western Europe. There are large gender differences in alcohol-related mortality rates in Scotland and in other countries, but the reasons for these differences are not clearly understood. In this paper, we aimed to address calls in the literature for further research on gender differences in the causes, contexts and consequences of alcohol-related harm. Our primary research question was whether the kind of social environment which tends to produce higher or lower rates of alcohol-related mortality is the same for both men and women across Scotland.
<b>Methods</b>
Cross-sectional, ecological design. A comparison was made between spatial variation in men's and women's age-standardised alcohol-related mortality rates in Scotland using maps, Moran's Index, linear regression and spatial analyses of residuals. Directly standardised mortality rates were derived from individual level records of death registration, 2000–2005 (n = 8685).
<b>Results</b>
As expected, men's alcohol-related mortality rate substantially exceeded women's and there was substantial spatial variation in these rates for both men and women within Scotland. However, there was little spatial variation in the relationship between men's and women's alcohol-mortality rates (r2 = 0.73); areas with relatively high rates of alcohol-related mortality for men tended also to have relatively high rates for women. In a small number of areas (8 out of 144) the relationship between men's and women's alcohol-related mortality rates was significantly different.
<b>Conclusion</b>
In as far as geographic location captures exposure to social and economic environment, our results suggest that the relationship between social and economic environment and alcohol-related harm is very similar for men and women. The existence of a small number of areas in which men's and women's alcohol-related mortality had an different relationship suggests that some places may have unusual drinking cultures. These might prove useful for further investigations into the factors which influence drinking behaviour in men and women
Identifying infants at high risk of peanut allergy: the Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) screening study
No full textBackground:Peanut allergy (PA) is rare in countries in which peanuts are introduced early into infants' diets. Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) is an interventional study aiming to assess whether PA can be prevented by oral tolerance induction.Objective:We sought to characterize a population screened for the risk of PA.Methods:Subjects screened for the LEAP interventional trial comprise the LEAP screening study cohort. Infants were aged 4 to 10 months and passed a prescreening questionnaire.Results:This analysis includes 834 infants (mean age, 7.8 months). They were split into the following: group I, patients with mild eczema and no egg allergy (n = 118); group II, patients with severe eczema, egg allergy, or both but 0-mm peanut skin prick test (SPT) wheal responses (n = 542); group III, patients with severe eczema, egg allergy, or both and 1- to 4-mm peanut wheal responses (n = 98); and group IV, patients with greater than 4-mm peanut wheal responses (n = 76). Unexpectedly, many (17%) in group II had peanut-specific IgE sensitization (? 0.35 kU/L); 56% of group III were similarly sensitized. In contrast, none of the patients in group I and 91% of those in group IV had peanut-specific IgE sensitization. Sensitization on skin testing to peanut (SPT response of 1-4 mm vs 0 mm) was associated with egg allergy and severe eczema (odds ratio [OR], 2.31 [95% CI, 1.39-3.86] and 2.47 [95% CI, 1.14-5.34], respectively). Similar associations were observed with specific IgE sensitization. Black race was associated with a significantly higher risk of peanut-specific IgE sensitization (OR, 5.30 [95% CI, 2.85-9.86]). Paradoxically, for a given specific IgE level, black race was protective against cutaneous sensitization (OR, 0.15 [95% CI, 0.04-0.61]).Conclusion:Egg allergy, severe eczema, or both appear to be useful criteria for identifying high-risk infants with an intermediate level of peanut sensitization for entry into a PA prevention study. The relationship between specific IgE level and SPT sensitization needs to be considered within the context of race
Excess Mortality Among Adults Hospitalized With Traumatic Brain Injury in Australia: A Population-Based Matched Cohort Study
No full textObjective: To quantify and describe excess mortality attributable to traumatic brain injury (TBI) during the 12 months after hospitalization.
Design: Population-based matched cohort study using linked hospital and mortality data.
Setting: Australia.
Participants: Individuals 18 years and older who were hospitalized with a principal diagnosis of TBI in 2009 (n = 6929) and matched noninjured individuals randomly selected from the electoral roll (n = 6929).
Main Measures: Survival distributions were compared using a Kaplan-Meier plot with a log-rank test. Mortality rate ratios (MRRs) were computed using Cox proportional hazard regression with and without controlling for demographic characteristics and preexisting health status.
Results: Individuals with TBI experienced significantly worse survival during the 12 months after hospitalization (χ2 = 640.9, df = 1, P < .001), and were more than 7.5 times more likely to die compared with their noninjured counterparts (adjusted MRR, 7.76; 95% confidence interval, 6.07–9.93). TBI was likely to be a contributory factor in 87% of deaths in the TBI cohort. Excess mortality was higher among males, younger age groups, and those with more severe TBI.
Conclusion: Excess mortality is high among individuals hospitalized with TBI and most deaths are attributable to the TBI. Increased primary and secondary preventive efforts are warranted to reduce the mortality burden of TBI.No Full Tex
Radiation-induced root surface caries restored with glass-ionomer cement placed in conventional and ART cavity preparations: Results at two years
No full textThe document attached has been archived with permission from the Australian Dental Association (8th Jan 2008). An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Background: There are no published studies comparing the clinical performances of more-viscous glass-ionomer cement (GIC) restorations when placed using conventional and atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) cavity preparation methods to restore root surface caries. Methods: One dentist used encapsulated Fuji IX GP and Ketac-Molar to restore 72 conventional and 74 ART cavity preparations for 15 patients who had received cervicofacial radiation therapy. Two assessors evaluated the restorations at six, 12, and 24 months for retention, marginal defects and surface wear, and recurrent caries. Results: After two years, the cumulative restoration successes were 65.2 per cent for the conventional and 66.2 per cent for the ART cavity preparations, without statistical or clinical significance (P>0.50). Restoration dislodgement accounted for 82.8 per cent and marginal defects for 17.2 per cent of all failures. There were no instances of unsatisfactory restoration wear or recurrent caries observed. Teeth with three or more restored cervical surfaces accounted for 79.3 per cent of all failures (P<0.0001). Conclusions: For root surface caries restored with GIC, the use of hand instruments only with the ART method was an equally effective alternative to conventional rotary instrumentation for cavity preparation. Larger restorations had higher failures, usually from dislodgement.JY Hu, XC Chen, YQ Li, RJ Smales and KH Yi
Architectural authorship in generative design
No full textThe emergence of evolutionary digital design methods, relying on the creative generation of novel forms, has transformed the design process altogether and consequently the role of the architect. These methods are more than the means to aid and enhance the design process or to perfect the representation of finite architectural projects. The architectural design philosophy is gradually transcending to a hybrid of art, engineering, computer programming and biology. Within this framework, the emergence of designs relies on the architect- machine interaction and the authorship that each of the two shares.
This work aims to explore the changes within the
design process and to define the authorial control of a
new breed of architects- programmers and architects-users on architecture and its design representation. For the investigation of these problems, this thesis is to be based on an experiment conducted by the author in order to test the interaction of architects with different digital design methods and their authorial control over the final product. Eventually, the results will be compared and evaluated in relation to the theoretic views. Ultimately, the architect will establish his authorial role
- …
