Structural Controls Analysis and Its Correlation with Geothermal Occurrence at Barrier Volcanic Complex (BVC), Turkana, Kenya

Geothermal is a clean energy source that is freely available in the subsurface. The exploitation of this vital resource needs intensive exploration in order to identify and quantify its occurrence. The three parameters considered when assessing the viability of a geothermal system include;heat source, fractures and fluids. Geological structures are important in transportation of fluids to and from the heat source aiding in recharge of the geothermal system and enhancing productivity. Remote sensing method was applied in mapping the structures at Barrier Volcanic Complex (BVC) by using hill shading technique which utilized four illumination angles of the sun (azimuth) i.e. 45°, 90°, 150°, and 315°, constant elevation of 45° and exaggeration of 10. The data used was Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) Satellite Imagery. ArcGIS Software was used for lineaments delineation and density mapping, PCI Geomatica was used to generate major faults, while Georose and Rockworks 17 were used to generate the rose diagrams. Geological structural analysis was done by delineating lineaments, determining the density distribution of lineaments and finally determining the structural trends of lineaments. The generated major faults in the area and the location of the occurrence of surface manifestations were compared with the generated lineaments. A total of 260 lineaments were generated whereby at 45° there was a total of 60 lineaments, at 90° 95 lineaments, at 150° 61 lineaments, and at 315° 44 lineaments. The results of structural analysis in the area as shown by the rose diagrams indicate an NNE-SSW and N-S trending of structures. In conclusion, the study area is highly fractured as indicated by the presence of numerous lineaments. These lineaments provide good recharge to the geothermal system and enhance the geothermal reservoir in the area.

Effects of dust controls on respirable coal mine dust composition and particle sizes:case studies on auxiliary scrubbers and canopy air curtain

Control of dust in underground coal mines is critical for mitigating both safety and health hazards.For decades,the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH)has led research to evaluate the effectiveness of various dust control technologies in coal mines.Recent studies have included the evaluation of auxiliary scrubbers to reduce respirable dust downstream of active mining and the use of canopy air curtains(CACs)to reduce respirable dust in key operator positions.While detailed dust characterization was not a focus of such studies,this is a growing area of interest.Using preserved filter samples from three previous NIOSH studies,the current work aims to explore the effect of two different scrubbers(one wet and one dry)and a roof bolter CAC on respirable dust composition and particle size distribution.For this,the preserved filter samples were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis and/or scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray.Results indicate that dust composition was not appreciably affected by either scrubber or the CAC.However,the wet scrubber and CAC appeared to decrease the overall particle size distribution.Such an effect of the dry scrubber was not consistently observed,but this is probably related to the particular sampling location downstream of the scrubber which allowed for significant mixing of the scrubber exhaust and other return air.Aside from the insights gained with respect to the three specific dust control case studies revisited here,this work demonstrates the value of preserved dust samples for follow-up investigation more broadly.

A matrix metalloproteinase-responsive hydrogel system controls angiogenic peptide release for repair of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Vascular endothelial growth factor and its mimic peptide KLTWQELYQLKYKGI(QK)are widely used as the most potent angiogenic factors for the treatment of multiple ischemic diseases.However,conventional topical drug delivery often results in a burst release of the drug,leading to transient retention(inefficacy)and undesirable diffusion(toxicity)in vivo.Therefore,a drug delivery system that responds to changes in the microenvironment of tissue regeneration and controls vascular endothelial growth factor release is crucial to improve the treatment of ischemic stroke.Matrix metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2)is gradually upregulated after cerebral ischemia.Herein,vascular endothelial growth factor mimic peptide QK was self-assembled with MMP-2-cleaved peptide PLGLAG(TIMP)and customizable peptide amphiphilic(PA)molecules to construct nanofiber hydrogel PA-TIMP-QK.PA-TIMP-QK was found to control the delivery of QK by MMP-2 upregulation after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and had a similar biological activity with vascular endothelial growth factor in vitro.The results indicated that PA-TIMP-QK promoted neuronal survival,restored local blood circulation,reduced blood-brain barrier permeability,and restored motor function.These findings suggest that the self-assembling nanofiber hydrogel PA-TIMP-QK may provide an intelligent drug delivery system that responds to the microenvironment and promotes regeneration and repair after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Regional unconformities and their controls on hydrocarbon accumulation in Sichuan Basin, sW China

Based on outcrop,seismic and drilling data,the main regional unconformities in the Sichuan Basin and their controls on hydrocarbon accumulation were systematically studied.Three findings are obtained.First,six regional stratigraphic unconformities are mainly developed in the Sichuan Basin,from the bottom up which are between pre-Sinian and Sinian,between Sinian and Cambrian,between pre-Permian and Permian,between middle and upper Permian,between middle and upper Triassic,and between Triassic and Jurassic.Especially,16 of 21l conventional(and tight)gas fields discovered are believed to have formed in relation to regional unconformities.Second,regional unconformity mainly controls hydrocarbon accumulation from five aspects:(1)The porosity and permeability of reservoirs under the unconformity are improved through weathering crust karstification to form large-scale karst reservoirs;(2)Good source-reservoir-caprock assemblage can form near the unconformity,which provides a basis for forming large gas field;(3)Regional unconformity may lead to stratigraphic pinch-out and rugged ancient landform,giving rise to a large area of stratigraphic and lithologic trap groups;(4)Regional unconformity provides a dominant channel for lateral migration of oil and gas;and(5)Regional unconformity is conducive to large-scale accumulation of oil and gas.Third,the areas related to regional unconformities are the exploration focus of large gas fields in the Sichuan Basin.The pre-Sinian is found with source rocks,reservoir rocks and other favorable conditions for the formation of large gas fields,and presents a large exploration potential.Thus,it is expected to be an important strategic replacement.

Target Seeker Gyro and Controls

A composite target seeker gyro with dual spectral range infrared rays and millimeter waves, and the associated control methodology are developed. The static pressure air floated ball bearing is used to sustain the outer frame, the optical fiber and wave guide are used to transmit these two kinds of signals to the rear part of the gyro, and the stator coils are used to get non contact angular measurement. Composite guiding, scanning, tracing and controlling can be achieved, the maximum tracing angular velocity can be as high as 16(°)/s.

Notch signaling controls chondrocyte hypertrophy via indirect regulation of Sox9

RBPjk-dependent Notch signaling regulates both the onset of chondrocyte hypertrophy and the progression to terminal chondrocyte maturation during endochondral ossification. It has been suggested that Notch signaling can regulate Sox9 transcription, although how this occurs at the molecular level in chondrocytes and whether this transcriptional regulation mediates Notch control of chondrocyte hypertrophy and cartilage development is unknown or controversial. Here we have provided conclusive genetic evidence linking RBPjk-dependent Notch signaling to the regulation of Sox9 expression and chondrocyte hypertrophy by examining tissuespecific Rbpjk mutant（Prx1Cre;Rbpjkf/f）, Rbpjk mutant/Sox9 haploinsufficient（Prx1Cre;Rbpjkf/f;Sox9f/1）,and control embryos for alterations in SOX9 expression and chondrocyte hypertrophy during cartilage development. These studies demonstrate that Notch signaling regulates the onset of chondrocyte maturation in a SOX9-dependent manner, while Notch-mediated regulation of terminal chondrocyte maturation likely functions independently of SOX9. Furthermore, our in vitro molecular analyses of the Sox9 promoter and Notch-mediated regulation of Sox9 gene expression in chondrogenic cells identified the ability of Notch to induce Sox9 expression directly in the acute setting, but suppresses Sox9 transcription with prolonged Notch signaling that requires protein synthesis of secondary effectors.

Source Rock and Cap Rock Controls on the Upper Ordovician Wufeng Formation–Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation Shale Gas Accumulation in the Sichuan Basin and its Peripheral Areas

Objective The Upper Ordovician Wufeng Formation-Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation is one of the priority interval for shale gas exploration in the Sichuan Basin and its peripheral areas, and commercial shale gas has been discovered from this interval in Jiaoshiba, Changning and Weiyuan shale gas fields in Sichuan Province. However, there is no significant discovery in other parts of the basin due to the different quality of black shale and the differences of tectonic evolution. Based on the progress of shale gas geological theory and exploration discoveries, as well as the theory of ＂source rock and cap rock controls on hydrocarbon accumulation＂, of the Upper Ordovician the main controlling factors Wufeng Formation-Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation shale gas enrichment in the Sichuan Basin and its peripheral areas were analyzed, and the source rock and cap rock controls on the shale gas were also discussed. The results can provide new insights for the next shale gas exploration in this area.

Gα_s signaling controls intramembranous ossification during cranial bone development by regulating both Hedgehog and Wnt/β-catenin signaling

How osteoblast cells are induced is a central question for understanding skeletal formation. Abnormal osteoblast differentiation leads to a broad range of devastating craniofacial diseases. Here we have investigated intramembranous ossification during cranial bone development in mouse models of skeletal genetic diseases that exhibit craniofacial bone defects. The GNAS gene encodes Gαs that transduces GPCR signaling. GNAS activation or loss-of-function mutations in humans cause fibrous dysplasia(FD) or progressive osseous heteroplasia(POH) that shows craniofacial hyperostosis or craniosynostosis, respectively. We find here that, while Hh ligand-dependent Hh signaling is essential for endochondral ossification, it is dispensable for intramembranous ossification, where Gαsregulates Hh signaling in a ligand-independent manner. We further show that Gαscontrols intramembranous ossification by regulating both Hh and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In addition, Gαsactivation in the developing cranial bone leads to reduced ossification but increased cartilage presence due to reduced cartilage dissolution, not cell fate switch. Small molecule inhibitors of Hh and Wnt signaling can effectively ameliorate cranial bone phenotypes in mice caused by loss or gain of Gnas function mutations, respectively. Our work shows that studies of genetic diseases provide invaluable insights in both pathological bone defects and normal bone development, understanding both leads to better diagnosis and therapeutic treatment of bone diseases.

Main Controls on Hydrocarbon Accumulation in the Paleozoic in Central Saudi Arabia

Sandi Arabia is renown for its rich oil and gas Mesozoic. However, the discovery of Paleozoic fields in resources with the bulk of the reserves reservo/red in the the late 1980s has encouraged further exploration in the Paleozoic. This paper reviews the salient features of the Paleozoic petroleum geology in central Saudi Arabia and discusses the main factors controlling hydrocarbon accumulation in the Paleozoic. The Lower Silurian Qusaiba hot shale is the principal source rock for the hydrocarbons discovered in the Ordovician to Permian reservoirs. Of them, the Permo- Carboniferous Unayzah and Upper Ordovician Sarah Formations have the best exploration potential. The key factors controlling hydrocarbon accumulation in the Unayzah Formation are migration pathways and reservoir petrophysics. The key factors controlling hydrocarbon accumulation in the Sarah Formation are reservoir petrophysics and the development of structural traps.

Hydrogen sulfide controls peripheral nerve degeneration and regeneration:a novel therapeutic strategy for peripheral demyelinating disorders or nerve degenerative diseases

After peripheral nerve injury, the process of Wallerian degeneration is initiated in the distal stump of injured nerves. Wallerian degeneration in peripheral nerves involves axonal degeneration and degradation of the myelin sheath in Schwann cells. This provides the necessary conditions for axonal regeneration and remyelination. After nerve injury, macrophages are also recruited to the distal nerve stump and, together with Schwann cells, play a role in the clearance of myelin debris.

Tectonic-Thermal Evolution History and Its Controls on Petroleum Geology of Weibei Uplift

1 Introduction The Weibei Uplift is located in the southwest of the North China Plate,where is the stable block(the Ordos Block)in the north and the active belt(the QinlingOrogenic Belt)in the south(Ren et al,2014,2015).And the belt is separated from the Weihe basin.The Weibei uplift has a uniform crystalline basement with the North

Serotonin controls axon and neuronal regeneration in the nervous system:lessons from regenerating animal models

Traumatic brain injury （TBI） is a mechanical injury to brain tissue that leads to an impairment of function and a broad spectrum of symptoms and disabilities; often, it is followed by diffuse axonal injury, which causes denaturation of the white matter and axon retraction, leaving patients with severe brain damage or even in a persistent vegetative state.

A Quantitative Security Metric Model for Security Controls:Secure Virtual Machine Migration Protocol as Target of Assessment

Quantitative security metrics are desirable for measuring the performance of information security controls. Security metrics help to make functional and business decisions for improving the performance and cost of the security controls. However, defining enterprise-level security metrics has already been listed as one of the hard problems in the Info Sec Research Council's hard problems list. Almost all the efforts in defining absolute security metrics for the enterprise security have not been proved fruitful. At the same time, with the maturity of the security industry, there has been a continuous emphasis from the regulatory bodies on establishing measurable security metrics. This paper addresses this need and proposes a relative security metric model that derives three quantitative security metrics named Attack Resiliency Measure(ARM), Performance Improvement Factor(PIF), and Cost/Benefit Measure(CBM) for measuring the performance of the security controls. For the effectiveness evaluation of the proposed security metrics, we took the secure virtual machine(VM) migration protocol as the target of assessment. The virtual-ization technologies are rapidly changing the landscape of the computing world. Devising security metrics for virtualized environment is even more challenging. As secure virtual machine migration is an evolving area and no standard protocol is available specifically for secure VM migration. This paper took the secure virtual machine migration protocol as the target of assessment and applied the proposed relative security metric model for measuring the Attack Resiliency Measure, Performance Improvement Factor, and Cost/Benefit Measure of the secure VM migration protocol.

Double-Moduli Gaussian Encryption/Decryption with Primary Residues and Secret Controls

In this paper an encryption-decryption algorithm based on two moduli is described: one in the real field of integers and another in the field of complex integers. Also the proper selection of cryptographic system parameters is described. Several numeric illustrations explain step-by-step how to precondition a plaintext, how to select secret control parameters, how to ensure feasibility of all private keys and how to avoid ambiguity in the process of information recovery. The proposed cryptographic system is faster than most of known public key cryptosystems, since it requires a small number of multiplications and additions, and does not require exponentiations for its implementation.

On China's Capital Controls

Ⅰ. Introduction In the wake of the Debt Crisis of the early 1980s, the World Bank pub-lished a report to summarize developing countries’ experience in utilizingforeign capital. According to the report, "Foreign finance can promotegrowth through higher investment and technology transfers. It can allowcountries to adjust gradually to new circumstances in the world economy.

Guest Editorial for Special Issue on Fractional Order Systems and Controls

I.INTRODUCTION FRACTIONAL calculus has been applied in all MAD(modeling,analysis and design)aspects of control systems engineering since Shunji Manabe’s pioneering work in early 1960s.The 2016 International Conference on Fractional Differentiation and Its Applications(ICFDA)was held in Novi Sad,Serbia,July 18-20.Quoting from the

Matrix Stiffness Controls Cardiac Fibroblast Differentiation Through Regulating YAP via AT1R

Cardiac fibrosis is a common pathway to heart injury and failure,where continued activation of cardiac fibroblasts(CFs)during myocardium damage causes excessive deposition of the extracellular matrix and thus increases matrix stiffness.Increasing evidence has shown that stiff matrix plays an important positive role in promoting CF differentiation and cardiac fibrosis,with several signaling factors medicating CF mechanotransduction already identified.However,key moleculesthat perceive matrix stiffness to regulate CF differentiation remain to be fully defined.Recently,Hippo pathway transcriptional coactivators,i.e.,Yes-associated protein(YAP)and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif(TAZ),have been found to work as mechanical signal transductors.Importantly,it has shown that YAP plays important roles in various types of fibrosis.Despite these findings,the role of YAP in CF mechanotransduction and cardiac fibrosis still remains elusive.Moreover,several several types of GPCRs have also been found to enable cells to sense mechanical cues,however,the relationship between these GPCRs and YAP in cell mechanotransduction is still not clear.Our recent work demonstrated that blocking of angiotensin II type 1 receptor(AT1R,the first GPCRs found to be mechanosensors)with losartan significantly inhibited the differentiation of CFs to myofibroblasts induced by stiff substrate.Taken these findings into account,we speculate that YAP may work as an important downstream signaling molecule of AT1R in mediating matrix stiffness-induced CF differentiation.In this work,we first characterized the expression of YAP in normal control(NC)and myocardial infarct(Ml)tissues of rats by using immunohistochemistry,immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis.We then investigated the role of YAP in matrix stiffness-induced CF differentiation in vitro by culturing CFs on mechanically tunable gelatin hydrogels.Finally,we explored the relationship between YAP and AT1R in CF mechanotransduction by selective transfection and inhibition experiments.The expression of YAP andα-SMA in cultured CFs were evaluated with immunofluorescence staining,Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR analysis.Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that both YAP andα-SMA significantly increased in Ml tissue compared with NC tissue.The expression and nuclear localization of YAP increased in CFs cultured on stiff matrix.YAP-deficient CFs cultured on soft and stiff matrix both showed decreased expression ofα-SMA.Meanwhile,YAP-overexpressing CFs cultured on soft and stiff matrix both showed increased expression ofα-SMA.Blocking of AT1R decreased the expression levels ofα-SMA and YAP and thus affected the responses of CFs to matrix stiffness.To sum up,our results identified an important role of YAP in mediating matrix stiffness-induced CF differentiation and also established the YAP pathway as an important signaling branch downstream of AT1R in CF mechanotransduction.This study may help to better understand the mechanism of fibrotic mechanotransduction and inspire the development of new approaches for treating cardiac fibrosis.

Regional- to local-scale controls on waterfalls in Rocky Mountain National Park,Colorado

Previous work on the eastern side of Rocky Mountain National Park(RMNP),Colorado indicated correlations among waterfall location,waterfall morphology,and the characteristics of bedrock joints.Characteristics of waterfalls on the western side of the national park do not correlate as strongly with joint geometry.Longitudinal river profiles on the western side are less concave and waterfalls account for a greater proportion of the total elevation loss.We interpret these differences to result from more widely spaced joints,lithological differences,and complex glacial history.These results demonstrate that waterfall shape and typology may change due to both local and regional controls operating in a mountain region.Both regions had alpine valley glaciers,but continued landscape evolution via fluvial erosion has developed waterfalls with diverse locations and morphologies that reflect the influences of glacial deposits,bedrock erosional resistance,and joint geometry.

Assessing the Effect of Natural Controls and Land Use Change on Sediment Yield in a Major Andean River:The Magdalena Drainage Basin,Colombia

马格达莱纳河是哥伦比亚安第斯山区的一个世界级的河流网络，该河流年产沙量约为150Mt，是全世界10大主要产沙河流之一。在本研究中，我们探讨主要自然因子和人类活动对马格达莱纳河流域产沙模式的影响，重建该区森林砍伐和农业活动时空模式，探讨土地利用变化与产沙趋势的关系。我们的研究结果表明，整个马格达莱纳河流域的产沙量可以用自然变量（包括径流量和最大河水流量）来解释。这两个因子解释了产沙量58％的变化。含沙率和土地利用的时间分析表明，在过去10～20年里流域侵蚀呈现增加的趋势。许多人类活动的影响，包括森林覆被在20年里减小了近40％．农业和牧场增加了65％、土壤保持差、开矿活动，以及城市化的加速，都促进了该地区域尺度上产沙量的增加。

Effects of "Three Controls" Nutrient Management on Population Quality and Yield Components of Rice

[Objectives]This study was conducted to explore the control mechanism of agricultural non-point source pollution,and investigate the feasibility of promoting rice"three controls"nutrient management in Enping City.[Methods]With high-quality conventional rice as a material,such three treatments as three controls fertilization A(ZHY)and B(ZHY)and farmers conventional fertilization method FFP(ZXL)were set up,and the whole process of the late-season plot experiment was recorded.The agronomic characteristics of rice population quality and yield components during rice growth and development under the"three controls"fertilization technology were analyzed.[Results]Compared with the conventional fertilization method,the three controls A(ZHY)fertilization method improved rice yield by 27.13%,seed setting rate by 2.11%and 1 000-grain weight by 3.30%when reducing N,P and K by 27.13%,10.89%and 27.31%,respectively.In the case of three controls B(ZHY)omitting the last fertilization in the three controls fertilization method(4∶2∶3∶1),which saved the formula fertilizer by 11.25%,no difference was caused in yield,but the seed setting rate and 1 000-grain weight were still improved by 3.47%and 2.79%,respectively.Compared with the conventional fertilization method,the top first,second and third basal nodes of the three controls A(ZHY)fertilization method were shortened by 18.82%,17.06%and 20.52%,respectively,which plays an important role in combating typhoon and resisting lodging.[Conclusions]Compared with the conventional fertilization method,rice"three controls"nutrient management can improve yield and lodging resistance of rice,reduce fertilizer loss and agricultural non-point source pollution,and protect ecological environment.