Flat Floor Research Articles

Paleohydrologic history of pluvial lake San Agustin, New Mexico: Tracking changing effective moisture in southwest North America through the last glacial transition

Paleoclimate records across the Intermountain West region of North America show significant regional variation in timing and magnitude of wet conditions that accompanied the last glacial-interglacial transition. To understand the climate controls on paleohydrologic change, well-dated records are needed across the region. The Plains of San Agustin (New Mexico, USA) is a closed-basin watershed of the American Southwest influenced by both winter westerly and summer North American Monsoon precipitation. The flat valley floors of the Plains contain lake and groundwater discharge deposits that record multiple periods of past wet climate. We present a record of hydroclimate for the past 26,000 years based on radiocarbon, U–Th series, and OSL dating of these deposits and stratigraphic correlation across the three sub-basins of the lake system. We find that two major lake oscillations occurred, coincident with the global Last Glacial Maximum (∼23–18 ka) and with Heinrich Stadial 1 (∼17–14 ka). The LGM lake cycle created a deep lake in the lowermost sub-basin, fed by marsh/lake overflow in the upper sub-basins. The Heinrich Stadial 1 wet interval attained the highest recorded lake level between ∼17.0 and 15.3 ka, merging the lower two sub-basins into one lake. Both lake cycles agree well in timing and magnitude with other lake-based records from the southwestern U.S., supporting previous interpretations that a south-shifted cool season storm track brought a dipole-like pattern of enhanced moisture to the southwest at the expense of drier conditions in the northwest during the LGM and deglaciation. A transition from lake to groundwater discharge conditions followed during the Bølling-Allerød (14.7–12.9 ka) across the study area. Wet meadows prevailed in the lower sub-basin during the Younger Dryas (12.9–11.7 ka), with marsh and open lake conditions in the upper and middle sub-basins, respectively. During the early Holocene, discrete wet intervals are recorded by ages for wet meadow deposits in all sub-basins with centennial-millennial frequency at 9.9, 8.8, 8.2 ka. These events agree well with other Intermountain West records showing wetter-than-present conditions prior to 8 ka. Two additional wet periods, centered at 6.8 and 5.4 ka, occurred during the driest known interval of the middle Holocene, and likely were partly supported in the Plains of San Agustin by summer moisture associated with the peak strength of the North American Monsoon. Our record highlights that both winter and summer moisture support water resources in New Mexico watersheds.

Emplacement of monogenetic lava flows on eroded terrain, Part II: The case of the Artière valley (Grave Noire, France)

At the Grave Noire on the eastern edge of the Chaîne des Puys (Central France) we have a well-exposed case of lava erupted directly onto steep slopes to pass, over an abrupt break-in-slope, onto into a flat-floored basin. Erupted 60 ka ago at the head of a fault scarp, flows descended the 25° slopes of the scarp to spread into the basin at its foot. We carried out mapping and facies analysis down the main (Artière-Cézeaux) lava flow, collecting 29 samples down its 6-km length and on which we completed textural, geochemical, and Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) analyses. Results reveal four lava flow facies:i)a near-vent zone of thin (≤ 0.6 m) ʻaʻā sheet flow on the steep (25°) slopes of the fault scarp;ii)a > 26 m thick lobate body of outgassed lava at the foot of the fault scarp;iii)a zone of lava-scoria breccia and marl intruded by dense, outgassed lava; and,iv)a 20–30 m thick distal flow of outgassed lava on slopes of 0.5–0.8°.Down flow trends in vesicularity and crystal content, as well as the AMS data, mass balance calculations and analogy with systems displaying similar facies, reveal high effusion rate (40–60 m3/s) fountain-fed flows fed an outlet channel on the steep slopes of the fault scarp. At the break-in-slope at the foot of the scarp, flows stalled, spread and dug into the country rock (marl) to become ponded behind a self-constructed barrier of lava breccia and cone material. Lava resident in this perched pond outgassed, intruded the base of the barrier and surrounding marl, and fed seeps in the breccia barrier. Seeps fed a slow moving (0.001 m/s) plug-dominated flow of dense lava that moved a further 3.6 km, digging down into the marl substrate by at-least 15 m and carrying a mixture of lava breccia, air fall scoria, debris flow material and cone rafts all the way to the flow front. As at the Tiretaine lava flow (Part 1, Latutrie et al., 2023) we find that breaks-in-slope aid in creating a system of reservoirs and transfers. For Grave Noire, rapidly emplaced flows on steep slopes fed a zone of storage (a perched pond) at the break-in-slope at the base of a fault scarp. The pond, in turn, fed slow moving flow across the flat floor of a basin. Interaction with an easily eroded substrate led to mechanical erosion, as well as 30–40 m of inversion of topography in the 60 ky since the emplacement of the flow system. Thus, the slope and type basement on which a monogenetic lava flow field is emplaced plays a fundamental role in lava flow dynamics, emplacement style and system architecture, as well as subsequent evolution of the topography.

Modeling of steady-state heat transfer through various photovoltaic floor laminates

The purpose of this study is to model steady-state heat transfer through the layers of five different photovoltaic laminates using the finite element method, assuming that those laminates are installed on a flat floor surface. The following photovoltaic technologies are considered: silicon-based, chalcogenide-based, organic, III-V dual-junction, and perovskite-based. The novelties included in the proposed model are as follows. First, the model is developed to be applicable to all existing photovoltaic technologies. Second, solar heating of photovoltaic laminates is modeled by an equivalent solar irradiance. Third, a new iterative procedure for calculating the maximum operating cell temperature at specified service conditions is proposed. The finite element method-based thermal model created is validated and calibrated by existing data on performance and actual service conditions gathered from six independent experiments. Performance parameters of the considered photovoltaic laminates are obtained for standard test conditions and four different sets of specific service conditions. The results show that the differences between the simulated and measured temperatures are lower than 10 %, and that the maximum operating cell temperature fits into a corresponding range of measured values. Finally, the proposed iterative procedure is found to yield each solution in two iterations with a difference of less than 0.25 °C.

Challenging rules of thumb to redefine flexibility

The recently completed Lindemann Performing Arts Center on the Brown University campus is an exploration in all things flexible. To satisfy the programmatic needs of Brown Arts Initiative, the primary user of this new building, who needed five rooms but only got one, the Main Hall redefined the concept of multiuse hall. All sixsurfaces that define the major acoustically supportive surfaces (ceiling elements, walls, and floors) move to manipulate the otherwise beautifully simple architectural concept into five room configurations—Orchestra, Recital, End Stage Theatre, Experimental Media, and large Flat Floor. A mix of manual and motorized curtains and banners adds still more flexibility. As the paint still dries on the building, this paper will investigate the acoustic challenges, happy accidents, and areas where we might have done with less (or more) in a building that is sometimes heavy handed and sometimes a light touch. The paper will cover topics such as glass as a major reflecting surface, wall buildups that break rules of thumb to produce warm acoustic responses, use of variable acoustic solutions, and ensemble to audience size ratios that challenge conventional wisdom.

Simulation of mooring Lines in complex bathymetries using a finite element method

This paper presents a novel method for the modeling of the seabed interaction of mooring lines in complex bathymetries, known as “continuous projection method”. This method is able to calculate ground normal and friction forces for any seafloor surface. This provides an improvement in the mooring systems simulation, as it captures additional non-linearities on the mooring line performance due to seabed interaction.The method is based on constructing a triangulation for the seabed and projecting mooring line nodes by using the vertex normal vectors of each triangle, ensuring the continuity of the projection. For the sake of the computational cost reduction, the line nodes are first projected into the closest triangles. Also, whenever the floor is flat, inclined or horizontal, a point-to-plane projection expression is used instead. The projection method described has been implemented to a finite element model. The initial condition problem was solved with a static approach, based on finding the static equilibrium with Newton–Armijo algorithm. This improves other static approaches which use the catenary equation, and that are only valid for a flat seabed.The model was successfully verified against the analytical solution of an inextensible catenary line in a slope. Furthermore, the simulation results were validated against experimental scale tests on a single chain mooring line with three different seafloor structures: one flat floor and two different sloped steps. For each of them, static and dynamic regular tests were performed. Moreover, high and low frequency fairlead movements were imposed in the dynamic tests, aiming to validate the model both in cases with and without snapping loads. Overall, the obtained results were coherent and allow to validate the accuracy of the proposed model. Finally, a mooring line over an irregular seabed surface was studied, comparing the results obtained by directly applying the developed method for complex bathymetries, by interpolating the surface by an inclined plane and using the constructed projection algorithm for that case or, by last, approximating by a flat seafloor. The comparison of the results among the different approaches illustrates the importance of considering the seabed slope and irregularities for the fairlead tension prediction. Also, this flat seafloor was evaluated with two different projection methods: the one specific for horizontal seafloors and the one developed for general seabed surfaces. This allows to compare the computational time required in both of them.

Daytime along-valley winds in the Himalayas as simulated by the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model

Abstract. Local along-valley winds in four major valleys on the southern slope of the Nepal Himalayas are studied by means of high-resolution meteorological modelling. The Weather Research and Forecasting model is run with a 1 km horizontal grid spacing covering a 4 d period in December 2014. Model evaluation against meteorological observations from three automatic weather stations in the Khumbu Valley (one of the four valleys) shows a good agreement between the modelled and observed daily cycle of the near-surface wind speed and direction. Well-defined daytime up-valley winds are found in all of the four valleys during this 4 d period. The night-time along-valley winds are weak in magnitude and flow mostly in the up-valley direction. Differences in the daytime up-valley winds are found between the valleys and their parts. As the valleys are under similar large-scale forcing, the differences are assumed to be due to differences in the valley topographies. Parts of the valleys with a steep valley floor inclination (2–5∘) are associated with weaker and shallower daytime up-valley winds compared with the parts that have nearly flat valley floors (<1∘). In the four valleys, the ridge heights also increase along the valley, meaning that the valley floor inclination does not necessarily lead to a reduction in the volume of the valley atmosphere. This way, the dominant driving mechanism of the along-valley winds, within the valleys, could shift from the valley volume effect to buoyant forcing due to the inclination. Two of the valleys have a 1 km high barrier in their entrances between the valley and the plain. Winds at the valley entrances of these two valleys are weaker compared with the open valley entrances. Strong and shallow winds, resembling down-slope winds, are found on the leeward slope of the barrier followed by weaker and deeper winds at the valley entrance, 20 km towards the valley from the barrier. Although the large-scale flow during the 4 d period was similar to the long-term climatology, the impact of different large-scale flows on the thermally driven winds was not considered. This topic could be addressed in the future by performing a longer simulation.

Converging orifice used to control the discharge rate of spherical particles from a flat floor silo

The effect of the converging orifice geometry in a model silo on the discharge rate of monosized spherical particles was studied experimentally and numerically. The cylindrical container was equipped with interchangeable inserts with converging discharge orifices of various upper diameters in the upper base and a constant lower diameter in the lower base. Plastic PLA beads and agricultural granular materials: wheat, rapeseeds, and linseeds were tested. A series of discrete element method simulations corresponding to the performed experiments was conducted with a largely extended set of experimental discharge conditions. In the case of the constant thickness of the insert, the discharge rate initially increased with an increase in the half cone angle of the converging orifice and then the tendency reversed. In the majority of cases, the discharge rate through the converging orifice was higher than through the hopper with the same orifice diameter.

A Chopper-Stabilized Amplifier With a Relaxed Fill-In Technique and 22.6-pA Input Current

In chopper amplifiers, the interaction between the input signal and the chopper clock can cause intermodulation distortion (IMD). This is mainly due to finite amplifier bandwidth, which causes signal-dependent output spikes at the chopping transitions. Such chopper-induced IMD can be mitigated by the fill-in technique, which involves ping-ponging between the outputs of two identical OTAs chopped in quadrature, thus generating a spike-free output. In this work, a relaxed implementation is proposed in which the output of a fill-in OTA is only briefly used to avoid the spikes of a chopped main OTA. As a result, the fill-in OTA does not need to be chopped, and so it can be duty-cycled to save power. Furthermore, the chopper ripple caused by the main OTA can now be suppressed by a single low-noise ripple-reduction loop, rather than the two AZ loops required in a previous ping-pong implementation of the fill-in technique. Compared to the latter, the proposed amplifier achieves similar IMD performance (-125.7dB), a 25× lower input current (22.6pA) and a flat noise floor (12 nV/Hz).

Adaptive estimation of UAV altitude in complex indoor environments using degraded and time-delayed measurements with time-varying uncertainties

A novel approach for robust Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) altitude estimation relying on laser measurements that is designed for use in complex indoor environments is proposed in this paper. Specifically, we aim to design a system with general usability inside multi-floor buildings. The multi-floor buildings are characterized by areas lacking distinct vertical geometric features to be used as reference by 3D Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) localization algorithms, and by areas with either flat floors or limited areas with inconsistent ground elevation. The proposed approach solves the problem of adaptive fusion of data from multiple sources with apriori-unknown confidence dependent on the current environmental properties. Whenever the environment contains enough geometric structure, altitude data from a 3D LiDAR-based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) algorithm are utilized. In environments that are too symmetrical for reliable SLAM operation, the approach relies mostly on measurements from a downward-facing 1D laser rangefinder, while simultaneously detecting inconsistent ground elevation areas. These measurements are fused with barometer data, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data, and information from the UAV position controllers. Furthermore, our approach correctly handles the measurement delay caused by 3D LiDAR data processing that significantly differs from other sensor delays. The performance of the proposed approach has been validated in complex simulations and real-world experiments with the produced altitude estimate utilized in the control loop of the UAV. The proposed approach is released as open-source as part of the MRS UAV System.

Voice Command Recognition for Movement Control of a 4-DoF Robot Arm

Robots are widely used in industry. Robots generally have a control system or intelligence embedded in the processor. The robots consist of mobile mode, manipulator, and their combination. Mobile robots usually use wheels, and manipulator robots have limited degrees of freedom. Both have their respective advantages. Mobile robots are widely applied to environments with flat floor surfaces. The manipulator robots are applied to a static environment to produce, print, and cut material. In this study, the robot arm 4 Degree of Freedom (DoF) is integrated with a computer. The computer controls the whole system, where the operator can control the Robot based on voice commands. The operator's voice is one person only with different intonations. Voice command recognition uses the Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) methods. The MFCC and ANN programs are processed in the computer, and the program output is sent to the Robot via serial communication. There are nine types of voice commands with different MFCC patterns. ANN training data for each command is 10 data, so the total becomes 90. In this experiment, the Robot can move according to voice commands given by the operator. Tests for each voice command are ten experiments, so the total experiment is 90 times with a success rate of 94%. There is only one operator, and experiments have not yet been carried out with the voices of several operators. The error occurred because there were several similar patterns during system testing.

Evaluation and Improvement of Reverberation Time in the Current Enclosed Spaces with Speech Action

There are subjective and objective acoustic parameters in the creation of acoustic performance for speech action in room acoustics. Control of reverberation time affecting subjective and objective acoustic parameters is a main parameter in room acoustics. In this study, the acoustic performance assessment of the TOBB Twins Headquarters Reception Hall, which is current enclosed space with square plan and flat floor, has been performed as a case study. The evaluation focused on the relationship between reverberation time and interior surface absorption. Primarily, the reverberation time was determined according to the international standard with in-situ measurements in the current enclosed space. The reverberation time of the space was found over the reference value range. Models have been developed with the use of materials to reduce the reverberation time. In the assessment of room acoustics parameters, reverberation times of the models developed using Ecotect v.5.20 and Odeon 14.00 simulation programs have been determined. The model in which the optimum reverberation time for the speech action was obtained was constructed. After the construction, reverberation time measurements have been made again. As a result of the study, the effect of surface absorptions on the improvement of reverberation time in the enclosed spaces with square plan and flat floor for speech action has been evaluated. Suggestions have been developed to control the reflective and absorption properties of all surfaces in accordance with the evaluation and improvement of reverberation time.

Sulfuric acid speleogenesis and surface landform evolution along the Vienna Basin Transfer Fault: Plavecký Karst, Slovakia

Hypogene caves in the Plavecký hradný vrch Hill (Western Slovakia, Central Europe) were formed by waters ascending along faults in fractured Triassic carbonates related to the horst-graben structure at the contact of the Malé Karpaty Mountains and the NE part of the Vienna Basin. The Plavecká jaskyňa and Pec caves mostly contain horizontal passages and chambers with flat corrosion bedrock floors, fissure discharge feeders, wall water-table notches, replacement pockets, as well as a few other speleogens associated with sulfuric acid speleogenesis. The low-temperature sulfuric acid development phases of the Plavecká Jaskyňa are also indicated by the presence of sulfate minerals (i.e., gypsum and jarosite).Subaerial calcite popcorn rims were precipitated from water condensation at the edges of feeding fissures that were still active as thermal vents when the water table dropped. Hydrogen sulfide involved in the sulfuric acid speleogenesis was likely derived from anhydrites and/or hydrocarbon reservoirs with sulfate-saline connate waters in the fill of the adjacent Vienna Basin. It ascended to the surface along deep-rooted sub-vertical fault zones at the contact of the Vienna Basin with neighboring mountains. Three cave levels at 295 to 283 m asl in the Pec Cave, and five levels at 225 to 214 m asl in the Plavecká jaskyňa corresponded to phases of stable local erosional base levels in the bordering part of the Vienna Basin, most likely during periods of strongly decelerated and/or interrupted subsidence. Cave levels separated by vertical differences of only a few meters may also be related to the Pleistocene climatic cycles. The subhorizontal parts of the Pec Cave are probably of late Early Pleistocene age (˃0.99–1.07 Ma?). The two highest levels of the Plavecká jaskyňa developed during the early Middle Pleistocene (˃600 ka). Fine-grained sediments in the passage at 225 m asl with normal magnetic polarity contain jarosite. The middle level of the Plavecká jaskyňa at 220 m asl was formed in the mid-Middle Pleistocene, while the lower and lowermost levels formed in the late Middle Pleistocene (˃270 ka). The water table in the lowermost cave level probably dropped after the tectonic reactivation of the Podmalokarpatská zníženina Depression just in the front of a marginal horst structure of the Malé Karpaty Mountains.

Constraints on cosmic-ray boosted dark matter in CDEX-10 * *Supported in part by Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2019A1515012216), National Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program (20201023) and the CAS Center for Excellence in Particle Physics (CCEPP)

Dark matter (DM) direct detection experiments have been setting strong limits on the DM–nucleon scattering cross section at the DM mass above a few GeV, but leave large parameter spaces unexplored in the low mass region. DM is likely to be scattered and boosted by relativistic cosmic rays in the expanding universe if it can generate nuclear recoils in direct detection experiments to offer observable signals. Since low energy threshold detectors using Germanium have provided good constraints on ordinary halo GeV-scale DM, it is necessary to re-analyze 102.8 kg day data in the CDEX-10 experiment assuming that DM is boosted by cosmic rays. For the DM mass range 1 keV 1 MeV and the effective distance within 1 kpc, we reach an almost flat floor limit at cm2 for the spin-independent DM–nucleon scattering cross section, at a 90% confidence level. The CDEX-10 result is able to close the gap unambiguously in the parameter space between the MiniBooNE and XENON1T constraints, which were partially hindered by the Earth attenuation effect. We also quantitatively calculate the expected neutrino floor on searching for CRBDM in future direct detection experiments using Germanium.

Development of Multi-Articulated Tracked Vehicle with a Sensorless Salvaging Bucket for Decommissioning

In this paper, we describe a prototypical crawler vehicle developed for “Hairo Sozo Robocon,” i.e., the 4th creative robot contest for decommissioning conducted in 2019. The rules of this robot contest required a high turning ability on a flat floor and high mobility through the inner space of a pipe. In addition, the robot needed to salvage objects from a floor placed 3.2 meters underneath itself. We developed a multi-articulated tracked vehicle to provide high mobility in both contexts. The vehicle was equipped with a sensorless salvaging bucket inspired by a traditional sampler sounding weight.

The effects of target density, porosity, and friction on impact crater morphometry: Exploratory experimentation using various granular materials

AbstractThe dimensions of relatively small‐scale impact craters are undoubtedly sensitive to the physical properties of the target. Studying gravity‐controlled crater formation at the laboratory scale often relies on cohesionless, granular materials, which, by their nature, make it difficult to separate the individual contributions to this process from all of the relevant target properties. Here, we conduct a suite of impact experiments to isolate and evaluate the effects of density, porosity, and internal friction on impact crater morphometry. Each made from one of four different granular materials, targets were impacted vertically with 4.76 mm aluminum projectiles at an average speed of ~1.55 km s−1. Two different methods were used to load these materials into the target bucket (pouring and sieving), resulting in targets that varied in bulk density and internal friction. The experimental results indicate that depth–diameter ratios of the craters are largely influenced by the loading method of the target material and are sensitive to the friction and porosity of the targets. Sieved targets (relatively higher density, lower porosity, and higher friction angle) produce craters that are markedly shallower, have notably smaller volumes, and exhibit a flat‐floored morphology, with some possessing small central mounds. Flat‐floored craters are typically attributed to a strength‐layered target; in these experiments, however, they were produced in cohesionless targets. This study demonstrates that a flat floor is not necessarily diagnostic of strength layering in a target and, in some instances, might be the consequence of greater shear strengths in granular materials with high coefficients of static friction.

DIPG-33. Treating Pediatric Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma with Brain Radiation and Temozolomide: A Case Report

Abstract Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPG) is a rare and highly aggressive central nervous system tumour arising from glial cells which occur mostly in children. It remains a potentially deadly cancer despite treatment, with the highest mortality rate, in which most children die within 1-year of diagnosis. Radiation therapy might improve the clinical symptoms, but the results are temporary, with tumor progression typically occurring months post radiation, whereas chemotherapy remains controversial. Here we present a case report of a patient with DIPG Indonesia and how we diagnose and currently treat it. An eight years-old boy presented with decrease level of consciousness with headache, limb weakness, slurred speech, double vision, hemifacial weakness, paraplegia, and disequilibrium which worsened two weeks prior to admission. He was initially noted to have a medially inverted left eye two months prior to admission. On physical examination, there was a N.VI and N.VII palsy, hyperreflexia, paraplegia, and nystagmus. Head MRI demonstrated a solid with minimal enhancement after contrast administration in the left pons region extending into mesencephalon with cystic component and flat floor of fourth ventricle sign, causing hydrocephalus, suggestive diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. He was given fractionated focal intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to the tumor along with 5 mm margins with a total dose of 54 Gy. 1.8 Gy fractions, given once daily for 5 days per week over a period of 6 weeks. Supportive care in the form of corticosteroids is used to treat the peri-tumoral edema. There was a short period of motoric improvement. But then the disease progressed with the latest head CT showed hydrocephalus formation with increased size of mass. He is treated with chemotherapy using Temozolomide, and currently alive after 3 months post diagnosis. Keywords: childhood brain tumour, Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, radiation therapy

Continuous measurements of valley floor width in mountainous landscapes

Abstract. Mountainous landscapes often feature alluviated valleys that control both ecosystem diversity and the distribution of human populations. Alluviated, flat valley floors also play a key role in determining flood hazard in these landscapes. Various mechanisms have been proposed to control the spatial distribution and width of valley floors, including climatic, tectonic, and lithologic drivers. Attributing one of these drivers to observed valley floor widths has been hindered by a lack of reproducible, automated valley extraction methods that allow continuous measurements of valley floor width at regional scales. Here, we present a new method for measuring valley floor width in mountain landscapes from digital elevation models (DEMs). This method first identifies valley floors based on thresholds of slope and elevation compared to the modern channel and uses these valley floors to extract valley centrelines. It then measures valley floor width orthogonal to the centreline at each pixel along the channel. The result is a continuous measurement of valley floor width at every pixel along the valley, allowing us to constrain how valley floor width changes downstream. We demonstrate the ability of our method to accurately extract valley floor widths by comparing with independent Quaternary fluvial deposit maps from sites in the UK and the US. We find that our method extracts similar downstream patterns of valley floor width to the independent datasets in each site, with a mean width difference of 17–69 m. The method works best in confined valley settings and will not work in unconfined valleys where the valley walls are not easily distinguished from the valley floor. We then test current models of lateral erosion by exploring the relationship between valley floor width and drainage area in the Appalachian Plateau, USA, selected because of its tectonic quiescence and relatively homogeneous lithology. We find that an exponent relating width and drainage area (cv=0.3±0.06) is remarkably similar across the region and across spatial scales, suggesting that valley floor width evolution is driven by a combination of both valley wall undercutting and wall erosion in the Appalachian Plateau. Finally, we suggest that, similar to common metrics used to explore vertical incision, our method provides the potential to act as a network-scale metric of lateral fluvial response to external forcing.

Behavioral changes of sows with changes in flattening rate.

In this study, considering the difficulties for all farms to convert farm styles to animal welfare-based housing, an experiment was performed to observe the changes in the behavior and welfare of sows when the slat floor was changed to a collective breeding ground. Twenty-eight sows used in this study were between the second and fifth parities to minimize the influence of parity. Using a flats floor cover, the flattening rates were treated as 0%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%. Data collection was the behavior of sows visually observed using a camera (e.g., standing, lying, fighting and excessive biting behaviors, and abnormal behaviors) and the animal welfare level measured through field visits. Lying behavior was found to be higher (p < 0.01) as the flattening rate increased, and sows lying on the slatted cover also increased as the flattening rate increased (p < 0.01). Fighting behavior wasincreased when the flattening rate was increased to 20%, and chewing behavior was increased (p < 0.05) as the flattening rate increased. The animal welfare level of sows, ‘good feeding’, it was found that all treatment groups for body condition score and water were good at 100 (p < 0.05). ‘Good housing’ was the maximum value (100) in each treatment group. As the percentage of floor increased, the minimum good housing was increased from 78 in 0% flattening rate to 96 in 50% flattening rate. The maximum (100) ‘good health’ was achieved in the 0% and 20% flattening rates, and it was 98, 98, and 99 in the 30%, 50%, and 40% flattening rate, respectively. ‘Appropriate behavior’ score was significantly lower than that of other paremeters, but when the flattening ratio was 0% and 20%, the maximum and minimum values were 10. At 40% and 50%, the maximum values were 39 and 49, respectively, and the minimum values were analyzed as 19 for both 40% and 50%. These results will be used as basic data about sow welfare for farmers to successfully transition to group housing and flat floors.

Sensation of Anteroposterior and Lateral Body Tilt Induced by Electrical Stimulation of Ankle Tendons

While virtual reality technology enables users to walk on surfaces of various shapes in virtual environments, these experiences are often on a flat floor, and any discordance between visual and somatosensory information hampers the immersive experience. To resolve this issue, we have focused on the ankle joint angle as an essential cue in detecting the surface shape of the ground. To modulate the sensation of the ankle joint angle, we propose novel percutaneous electrical stimulation methods that stimulate four targeted ankle tendons: the tibialis anterior muscle tendon, the Achilles tendon, the peroneus longus muscle tendon, and the flexor digitorum longus tendon. Since electrically stimulating the elbow tendon is known to evoke reflexive hand movement, electrically stimulating the ankle tendon is expected to evoke a body tilt due to illusory changes in the ankle joint angle. In this study, we designed electrode configurations to stimulate the above four ankle tendons using a finite element analysis and investigated the effect of electrically stimulating the ankle tendons on the subjective sensation of body tilt and actual body sway through psychophysical experiments. The results revealed that applying this stimulation with our novel electrode configurations can induce a subjective sensation of body tilt and actual body sway in a direction opposite to the stimulated part.

Effects of C-factor on dentin bonding using various adhesive systems.

This study evaluated the effect of C-factor on the bond strength of a resin composite to floor and wall dentin using various adhesive systems. Four dentin substrates (flat wall, flat floor, cavity wall, or cavity floor) were prepared on human molars. Each specimen was restored with one of three adhesives; Clearfil SE Bond, Single Bond, or Clearfil tri-S Bond followed by buildup or filling using Z100 resin composite. The specimen was cut perpendicular to the bonded surface parallel to the floor or wall to obtain beams after light curing at 24,000 mJ/cm2. The microtensile bond strength to wall specimens or the cavity floor was determined. Data were analyzed. All adhesive systems exhibited the highest bond strength to flat wall group (p < 0.05). The bond strength to the cavity group was significantly lower than that to the respective flat group regardless of the bonding system (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in bond strength with Clearfil SE Bond and Clearfil tri-S Bond between the cavity wall and cavity floor (p > 0.05). The findings suggested that the strength of bonding to the cavity floor and cavity wall was affected by C-factor regardless of the adhesive system. Bonding to flat wall was higher than flat floor regardless of the adhesive system. Self-etching system provided uniform bond to the cavity wall and cavity floor dentin. However, total etching system reduced bond to the cavity floor than to the cavity wall.