Can urban forests provide acoustic refuges for birds?Investigating the influence of vegetation structure and anthropogenic noise on bird sound diversity

As a crucial component of terrestrial ecosystems,urban forests play a pivotal role in protecting urban biodiversity by providing suitable habitats for acoustic spaces.Previous studies note that vegetation structure is a key factor influencing bird sounds in urban forests;hence,adjusting the frequency composition may be a strategy for birds to avoid anthropogenic noise to mask their songs.However,it is unknown whether the response mechanisms of bird vocalizations to vegetation structure remain consistent despite being impacted by anthropogenic noise.It was hypothesized that anthropogenic noise in urban forests occupies the low-frequency space of bird songs,leading to a possible reshaping of the acoustic niches of forests,and the vegetation structure of urban forests is the critical factor that shapes the acoustic space for bird vocalization.Passive acoustic monitoring in various urban forests was used to monitor natural and anthropogenic noises,and sounds were classified into three acoustic scenes(bird sounds,human sounds,and bird-human sounds)to determine interconnections between bird sounds,anthropogenic noise,and vegetation structure.Anthropogenic noise altered the acoustic niche of urban forests by intruding into the low-frequency space used by birds,and vegetation structures related to volume(trunk volume and branch volume)and density(number of branches and leaf area index)significantly impact the diversity of bird sounds.Our findings indicate that the response to low and high frequency signals to vegetation structure is distinct.By clarifying this relationship,our results contribute to understanding of how vegetation structure influences bird sounds in urban forests impacted by anthropogenic noise.

3D S-wave velocity structure of the Ningdu basin in Jiangxi province inferred from ambient noise tomography with dense array

The Ningdu basin,located in southern Jiangxi province of southwest China,is one of the Mesozoic basin groups which has exploration prospects for geothermal energy.A study on the detailed velocity structure of the Ningdu basin can provide important information for geothermal resource exploration.In this study,we deployed a dense seismic array in the Ningdu basin to investigate the 3D velocity structure and discuss implications for geothermal exploration and geological evolution.Based on the dense seismic array including 35 short-period(5 s-100 Hz)seismometers with an average interstation distance of~5 km,Rayleigh surface wave dispersion curves were extracted from the continuous ambient noise data for surface wave tomographic inversion.Group velocity tomography was conducted and the 3D S-wave velocity structure was inverted by the neighborhood algorithm.The results revealed obvious low-velocity anomalies in the center of the basin,consistent with the low-velocity Cretaceous sedimentary rocks.The basement and basin-controlling fault can also be depicted by the S-wave velocity anomalies.The obvious seismic interface is about 2 km depth in the basin center and decreases to 700 m depth near the basin boundary,suggesting spatial thickness variations of the Cretaceous sediment.The fault features of the S-wave velocity profile coincide with the geological cognition of the western boundary basincontrolling fault,which may provide possible upwelling channels for geothermal fluid.This study suggests that seismic tomography with a dense array is an effective method and can play an important role in the detailed investigations of sedimentary basins.

Dietary polyphenols reduced the allergenicity ofβ-lactoglobulin via non-covalent interactions:a study on the structure-allergenicity relationship

Studies showed that complexation of polyphenols with milk allergens reduced their immunogenic potential.However,the relationship between structures of polyphenols and their hypoallergenic effects on milk allergens in association with physiological and conformational changes of the complexes remain unclear.In this study,polyphenols from eight botanical sources were extracted to prepare non-covalent complexes withβ-lactoglobulin(β-LG),a major allergen in milk.The dominant phenolic compounds bound toβ-LG with a diminished allergenicity were identified to investigate their respective role on the structural and allergenic properties ofβ-LG.Extracts from Vaccinium fruits and black soybeans were found to have great inhibitory effects on the IgE-and IgG-binding abilities ofβ-LG.Among the fourteen structure-related phenolic compounds,flavonoids and tannins with larger MWs and multi-hydroxyl substituents,notably rutin,EGCG,and ellagitannins were more potent to elicit changes on the conformational structures ofβ-LG to decrease the allergenicity of complexedβ-LG.Correlation analysis further demonstrated that a destabilized secondary structure and protein depolymerization caused by polyphenol-binding were closely related to the allergenicity property of formed complexes.This study provides insights into the understanding of structure-allergenicity relationship ofβ-LG-polyphenol interactions and would benefit the development of polyphenol-fortified matrices with hypoallergenic potential.

Emerging structures and dynamic mechanisms ofγ-secretase for Alzheimer’s disease

γ-Secretase,called“the proteasome of the membrane,”is a membrane-embedded protease complex that cleaves 150+peptide substrates with central roles in biology and medicine,including amyloid precursor protein and the Notch family of cell-surface receptors.Mutations inγ-secretase and amyloid precursor protein lead to early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease.γ-Secretase has thus served as a critical drug target for treating familial Alzheimer’s disease and the more common late-onset Alzheimer’s disease as well.However,critical gaps remain in understanding the mechanisms of processive proteolysis of substrates,the effects of familial Alzheimer’s disease mutations,and allosteric modulation of substrate cleavage byγ-secretase.In this review,we focus on recent studies of structural dynamic mechanisms ofγ-secretase.Different mechanisms,including the“Fit-Stay-Trim,”“Sliding-Unwinding,”and“Tilting-Unwinding,”have been proposed for substrate proteolysis of amyloid precursor protein byγ-secretase based on all-atom molecular dynamics simulations.While an incorrect registry of the Notch1 substrate was identified in the cryo-electron microscopy structure of Notch1-boundγ-secretase,molecular dynamics simulations on a resolved model of Notch1-boundγ-secretase that was reconstructed using the amyloid precursor protein-boundγ-secretase as a template successfully capturedγ-secretase activation for proper cleavages of both wildtype and mutant Notch,being consistent with biochemical experimental findings.The approach could be potentially applied to decipher the processing mechanisms of various substrates byγ-secretase.In addition,controversy over the effects of familial Alzheimer’s disease mutations,particularly the issue of whether they stabilize or destabilizeγ-secretase-substrate complexes,is discussed.Finally,an outlook is provided for future studies ofγ-secretase,including pathways of substrate binding and product release,effects of modulators on familial Alzheimer’s disease mutations of theγ-secretase-substrate complexes.Comprehensive understanding of the functional mechanisms ofγ-secretase will greatly facilitate the rational design of effective drug molecules for treating familial Alzheimer’s disease and perhaps Alzheimer’s disease in general.

The Tension Cosmology, Largest Cosmic Structures and Explosions of Supernovae from SST

Here, using the Scale-Symmetric Theory (SST) we explain the cosmological tension and the origin of the largest cosmic structures. We show that a change in value of strong coupling constant for cold baryonic matter leads to the disagreement in the galaxy clustering amplitude, quantified by the parameter S8. Within the same model we described the Hubble tension. We described also the mechanism that transforms the gravitational collapse into an explosion—it concerns the dynamics of virtual fields that lead to dark energy. Our calculations concern the Type Ia supernovae and the core-collapse supernovae. We calculated the quantized masses of the progenitors of supernovae, emitted total energy during explosion, and we calculated how much of the released energy was transferred to neutrinos. Value of the speed of sound in the strongly interacting matter measured at the LHC confirms that presented here model is correct. Our calculations show that the Universe is cyclic.

SMART STRUCTURES USING PIEZOELEMENTS FOR ACTIVE VIBRATION AND NOISE SUPPRESSION IN AVIATION AND AEROSPACE

Smart material and structure (SMS) is a challenging novel technique for the 21 century especially in fields of aviation and aerospace. Vibration and noise suppression smart structure is an important branch of SMS. There are several typical structures such as the cabin of an airplane, space station, the solar board of satellite and the rotor blade of a helicopter, of which the vibrations and radiation noises have bad influences on precise equipments and aiming systems. In order to suppress vibrations and noises of these structures, several algorithms are applied to the models which simulate the structures. Experiments are performed to suppress vibrations and noises by bonding sensors and actuators to the structures at the optimized locations and using computer based measurement and control systems. For the blade vibration control of a helicopter, a non contact method of signal transmission by magneto electric coupling is discussed. The experimental results demonstrate that the methods used for active control are effective.

Prediction and Reduction of StructureBorne Noise in Vehicle

The structure and the acoustic medium of a passenger vehicle are modeled using the finite element method(FEM), and the interior noise is studied the help of the modal synthesis method (MSM). Sound pressure level (Lp) of the noise is calculated in several conditions of the models, and has good agreements with its test results. The MSM am be consequently used for predicting the vehicle interior noise in dssign stage so that the structure may be optimized for the Purpose of the most reduction of noise.

Crustal structure of the northeastern Tibetan plateau,the Ordos block and the Sichuan basin from ambient noise tomography

We apply ambient noise tomography to significant seismic data resources in a region including the northeastern Tibetan plateau, the Ordos block and the Sichuan basin. The seismic data come from about 160 stations of the provincial broadband digital seismograph networks of China. Ambient noise cross-correlations are performed on the data recorded between 2007 and 2009 and high quality inter-station Rayleigh phase velocity dispersion curves are obtained between periods of 6 s to 35 s. Resulting Rayleigh wave phase velocity maps possess a lateral resolution between 100 km and 200 kin. The phase velocities at short periods （〈20 s） are lower in the Sichuan basin, the northwest segment of the Ordos block and the Weihe graben, and outline sedimentary deposits. At intermediate and long periods （〉25 s）, strong high velocity anomalies are observed within the Ordos block and the Sichuan basin and low phase velocities are imaged in the northeastern Tibetan plateau, reflecting the variation of crustal thickness from the Tibetan plateau to the neighboring regions in the east. Crustal and uppermost mantle shear wave velocities vary strongly between the Tibetan plateau, the Sichuan basin and the Ordos block. The Ordos block and the Sichuan basin are dominated by high shear wave velocities in the crust and uppermost mantle. There is a triangle-shaped low velocity zone located in the northeastern Tibetan plateau, whose width narrows towards the eastern margin of the plateau. No low velocity zone is apparent beneath the Qinling orogen, suggesting that mass may not be able to flow eastward through the boundary between the Ordos block and the Sichuan basin in the crust and uppermost mantle.

Lithospheric structure and deformation in SE Tibet revealed by ambient noise and earthquake surface wave tomography: Recent advances and perspectives

High-resolution lithospheric structure is essential for understanding the tectonic evolution and deformation patterns of the southeastern Tibetan plateau. This is now possible due to recent advances in ambient noise and earthquake surface wave tomography, and great improvements in data coverage from dense portable array stations deployed in SE Tibet. In this review paper, I first give a brief overview of the tomographic methods from ambient noise and earthquake surface waves, and then summarize the major findings about the lithospheric structure and deformation in SE Tibet revealed by ambient noise and earthquake surface wave tomography as well as by other seismic and geophysical observations. These findings mainly include the 3-D distribution of mechanically weak zones in the mid-lower crust, lateral and vertical variations in radial and azimuthal anisotropy, possible interplay of some fault zones with crustal weak zones, and importance of strike-slip faulting on upper crustal deformation. These results suggest that integration of block extrusion in the more rigid upper-middle crust and channel flow in the more ductile mid-lower crust will be more compatible with the current geophysical observations. Finally I discuss some future perspective researches in SE Tibet, including array-based tomography, joint inversion using multiple seismic data, and integration of geodynamic modeling and seismic observations.

Crustal velocity structures beneath North China revealed by ambient noise tomography

We collected continuous noise waveform data from January 2007 to February 2008 recorded by 190 broadband and 10 very broadband stations of the North China Seismic Array. The study region is divided into grid with interval 0.25°×0.25°, and group velocity distribution maps between 4 s and 30 s are obtained using ambient noise tomography method. The lateral resolution is estimated to be 20-50 km for most of the study area. We construct a 3-D S wave velocity model by inverting the pure path dispersion curve at each grid using a genetic algorithm with smoothing constraint. The crustal structure observed in the model includes sedimentary basins such as North China basin, Yanqing-Huailai basin and Datong basin. A well-defined low velocity zone is observed in the Beijing-Tianjin-Tangshan region in 22-30 km depth range, which may be related to the upwelling of hot mantle material. The high velocity zone near Datong, Shuozhou and Qingshuihe within the depth range of 1-23 km reveals stable characteristics of Ordos block. The Taihangshan front fault extends to 12 km depth at least.

Shallow velocity structure of the Luoyang basin derived from dense array observations of urban ambient noise

Determining the shallow structure of a sediment basin is important when evaluating potential seismic hazards given that such basins can significantly amplify seismic energy. The Luoyang basin is located in the western He’nan uplift and is a Meso-Cenozoic depression basin. To characterize the shallow structure of the basin, we develop a model of the shallow high-resolution three-dimensional(3D)shear-wave velocity structure of the basin by applying ambient noise tomography to a dense array of 107 portable digital seismometers deployed over the basin. More than 1,400 Rayleigh-wave dispersion curves for periods in the range 0.5–5 s are extracted. The 3D variations of shear-wave velocity in the shallow crust are inverted using a direct surface-wave tomographic method with period-dependent ray tracing, with all the surface-wave group-velocity dispersion data being inverted simultaneously. The results show that in the shallow crust of the study area, the velocity distribution corresponds to surface geology and geological features. The Luoyang basin exhibits a low shear-wave velocity feature that is consistent with the distribution of sediment in the region,while the Xiongershan and Songshan uplifts exhibit higher shear-wave velocity structures. The results provide a shallow high-resolution 3D velocity model that can be used as a basis for simulation of strong ground motion and evaluation of potential seismic hazards.

LINEAR FILTERING FOR VASICEK TERM STRUCTURE MODEL WITH SEQUENTIALLY CORRELATED NOISE

When Kalman filter is used in the estimation of Vasicek term structure of interest rates,it is usual to assume that the measurement noise is uncorrelated.Study results are more favorable to the assumption of correlated measurement noise.An augmented state Kalman filter form for Vasicek model is proposed to optimally estimate the unobservable state variable with the assumption of correlated measurement noise.Empirical results indicate that the model with sequentially correlated measurement noise can more accurately describe the dynamics of the term structure of interest rates.

The shallow Longmenshan crustal S-velocity structure of the fault zone using ambient noise tomography of a seismic dense array

The Longmenshan fault zone(LMSF),characterized by complex structures and strong seismicity,is located at the junction between the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau and the north-western Sichuan basin.Since the Wenchuan earthquake on May 12,2008,abundant studies of the formation mechanism of earthquakes along the LMSF were performed.In this study,a short-period dense seismic array deployed across the LMSF was applied by ambient noise tomography.Fifty-two 3-D seismic instruments were used for data acquisition for 26 days.We calculated the empirical Green's functions(EGFs)between different station-pairs and extracted 776 Rayleigh-wave dispersion curves between 2 and 7 s.And then,we used the direct-inversion method to obtain the fine shallow crustal S-wave velocity structure within 6 km depth in the middle section of the Longmenshan fault zone and nearby areas.Our results show that the sedimentary layer(>5 km)exists in the northwest margin of Sichuan Basin with a low S-wave velocity(~1.5-2.5 km/s)which is much thicker than that beneath the Longmenshan fault zone and the Songpan-Garze block.The high-velocity structures with clear boundaries below the middle of Longmenshan fault zone(~2-4 km)and the Songpan-Garze block(~4.5-6 km)probably reveal the NW-SE distribution patterns of both the Pengguan complex and the high-density belt hidden in the northwest of the Pengguan complex.And the obviously high-velocity anomalies observed at the depth of^1-2 km in the southeastern margin of the Songpan-Garze block can be considered as the Laojungou granites.Our results provide a high-resolution shallow velocity structure for detailed studies of the Longmenshan fault zone.

Crustal structure beneath Liaoning province and the Bohai Sea and its adjacent region in China based on ambient noise tomography

The velocity structure of the crust beneath Liaoning province and the Bohai sea in China was imaged using ambient seismic noise recorded by 73 regional broadband stations. All available three-component time series from the 12-month span between January and December 2013 were cross-correlated to yield empirical Green＇s functions for Rayleigh and Love waves. Phase- velocity dispersion curves for the Rayleigh waves and the Love waves were measured by applying the frequency- time analysis method. Dispersion measurements of the Rayleigh wave and the Love wave were then utilized to construct 2D phase-velocity maps for the Rayleigh wave at 8-35 s periods and the Love wave at 9-32 s periods, respectively. Both Rayleigh and Love phase-velocity maps show significant lateral variations that are correlated well with known geological features and tectonics units in the study region. Next, phase dispersion curves of the Rayleigh wave and the Love wave extracted from each cell of the 2D Rayleigh wave and Love wave phase-velocity maps, respectively, were inverted simultaneously to determine the 3D shear wave velocity structures. The horizontal shear wave velocity images clearly and intuitively exhibit that the earthquake swarms in the Haicheng region and the Tangshan region are mainly clustered in the transition zone between the low- and high-velocity zones in the upper crust, coinciding with fault zones, and their distribution is very closely associated with these faults. The vertical shear wave velocity image reveals that the lower crust downward to the uppermost mantle is featured by distinctly high velocities, with even a high-velocity thinner layer existing at the bottom of the lower crust near Moho in central and northern the Bohai sea along the Tanlu fault, and these phenomena could be caused by the intrusion of mantle material, indicating the Tanlu fault could be just as the uprising channel of deep materials.

A Method for Reducing Noise Radiated from Structures with Vibration Absorbers by Using an Accelerated Neural Network

A method for reducing noise radiated from structures by vibration absorbers is presented. Since usual design method for the absorbers is invalid for noise reduction, the peaks of noise power in the frequency domain as cost functions are applied. Hence, the equations for obtaining optimal parameters of the absorbers become nonlinear expressions. To have the parameters, an accelerated neural network procedure has been presented. Numerical calculations have been carried out for a plate type cantilever beam with a large width, and experimental tests have been also performed for the same beam. It is clarified that the present method is valid for reducing noise radiated from structures. As for the usual design method for the absorbers, model analysis has been given, so the number of absorbers should be the same as that of the considered modes. While the nonlinear problem can be dealt with by the present method, there is no restriction on the number of absorbers or the model number.

Finite element analysis of dynamic response and structure borne noise of gearbox

A dynamic finite element method combined with finite element mixed formula for contact problem is used to analyze the dynamic characteristics of gear system. Considering the stiffness excitation, error excitation and meshing shock excitation, the dynamic finite element model is established for the entire gear system which includes gears, shafts, bearings and gearbox housing. By the software of I-DEAS, the natural frequency, normal mode, dynamic time-domain response, frequency-domain response and one-third octave velocity grade structure borne noise of gear system are studied by the method of theoretical modal analysis and dynamic response analysis. The maximum values of vibration and structure borne noise are occurred at the mesh frequency of output grade gearing.

In-situ monitoring of nickel electrodeposit structure using electrochemical noise technique

The nickel electroplating process was investigated by means of electrochemical noise(EN), cyclic voltammetry in conjunction with the scanning electron microscopy(SEM) technique. The results show that, in the experimental conditions and with the increase of current density, the growth mechanism of nickel crystallites changes from 2-D to 3-D with the potential turning point of about -1.15 V, and the potential for the onset of diffusion control of the ensemble nickel electroplating process was about -1.4 V. In the case of activation-control, the two-dimensional (2-D) nucleation / growth process of nickel often results in the electrocrystallization EN features of only slowly small positive potential drift and the corresponding compact layer-by-layer deposit structure, and the maximum relative energy of the RP-EDP (re-plotted relative energy distribution plot), which is obtained from wavelet analysis, defined in the region with smaller scales. While under the diffusion-control, the three-dimensional (3-D) nucleation / growth process of nickel, often results in the electrocrystallization EN features of both the fast positive potential drift and subsequent remarkable negative potential drift and the corresponding dentritic/large conglomerate structure of nickel deposit, and the maximum relative energy of the RP-EDP defined in the region with larger scales. The electroplating time affects the nickel deposit structure mainly through its influence on the growth rate of crystallites and the Ni2+ ions diffusion process around each crystallite.

Ambient noise surface wave tomography of the Makran subduction zone,south-east Iran:Implications for crustal and uppermost mantle structures

Seismic ambient noise of surface wave tomography was applied to estimate Rayleigh wave empirical Green＇s functions （EGFs） and then to study crust and uppermost mantle structure beneath the Makran region in south-east 1mn. 12 months of continuous data from January 2009 through January 2010, recorded at broadband seismic stations, were analyzed. Group velocities of the fundamental mode Rayleigh wave dispersion curves were obtained from the empirical Green＇s functions. Multiple- filter analysis was used to plot group velocity variations at periods from 10 to 50 s. Using group velocity dispersion curves, 1-D Vs velocity models were calculated between several station pairs. The final results demonstrate signifi- cant agreement to known geological and tectonic features. Our tomography maps display low-velocity anomaly with SW-NE trend, comparable with volcanic arc settings of the Makran region which may be attributable to the geometry of Arabian Plate subducting beneath the overriding the Lut block. The northward subducting Arabian Plate is deter- mined by high-velocity anomaly along the Straits of Hor- muz. At short periods （〈20 s）, there is a sharp transition boundary between low- and high-velocity transition zone with the NW trending at the western edge of Makran which is attributable to the Minab fault system.

The Body Wave Velocity Structure in the Upper Crust of Fujian Estimated by Noise Records

In this paper,the dispersion curves of the Rayleigh wave and Love wave were extracted from the seismic noise records of 25 broadband stations of the Fujian Seismic Network, and inverted for the lithosphere velocity structure. Furthermore,the velocity model was verified by the seismic explosion observations. Our results indicate that the resolution of the lithosphere velocity structure obtained by this method is good in the shallow part,but in the deep part,inversion accuracy for the wave velocity structure is low,which is caused mainly by the small inter-station distance chosen in the paper. Thus the wave dispersion curves have high accuracy in the short-period part,but the warp of the wave dispersion curve in long-period part is large. Considering the results from both the noise inversion and the traditional inversion,we finally present a new velocity model,and the theoretical travel time calculated with the new model matches the explosion travel time very well.

On the Impact of Manufacturing Uncertainty in Structural Health Monitoring of Composite Structures: A Signal to Noise Weighted Neural Network Process

This article investigates the potential impact of manufacturing uncertainty in composite structures here in the form of thickness variation in laminate plies, on the robustness of commonly used Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). Namely, the robustness of an ANN SHM system is assessed through an airfoil case study based on the sensitivity of delamination location and size predictions, when the ANN is imposed to noisy input. In light of the observed poor performance of the original network, even when its architecture was carefully optimized, it had been proposed to weigh the input layer of the ANN by a set of signal-to-noise (SN) ratios and then trained the network. Both damage location and size predictions of the latter SHM approach were increased to above 90%. Practical aspects of the proposed robust SN-ANN SHM have also been discussed.