Biomonitoring of Ni and V Contamination Using Oysters (Saccostrea cucullata) at Lengeh Port,Persian Gulf,Iran

Vanadium and nickel are two important indicators of oil pollution. Lengthy exposure to these elements causes serious harmful effects in human health, different harsh allergies being examples. The accumulation of two heavy metals (Ni and V) in sediment and the soft and hard tissues of Saccostrea cucullata were analyzed at three sampling sites along the coast of Lengeh Port, Persian Gulf. Results indicated at all the sampling sites; the Ni levels in soft tissues (STs) were higher than in the shells (SHs) and sediments, whereas the V levels were higher in the sediments. In addition, meaningful relationship (r = 0.65; p < 0.05) was observed across Ni levels in ST of S. cucullata and sediment, while for V concentrations a strong relationship (r = 0.83; p < 0.01) was found in SH of S. cucullata and sediment. This indicates that ST and SH of oyster can be considered as a biomonitoring agent for Ni and V levels, in coastal waters, respectively. The exposure of the consumer is compared directly to minimal risk level and provisional maximum tolerable daily intake. Result indicated that levels of Ni and V were within the safety limits for human consumption.     

Saqez–Sardasht Goldfield,North Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone,Iran:A Tectono-Metallogenic Synthesis

The Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone(SSZ), as the metamorphic-magmatic core of the Zagros Orogen in southwestern Iran, contains several styles of gold deposit of Phanerozoic age. The northern SSZ includes an ENE-trending goldfield belt. This area that encompasses the main orogenic gold deposits, e.g., Qolqoleh, Kervian, Qabaqhlujeh, and the Barika VMS goldfield, was chosen for this research to study the spatial and temporal relationships between gold mineralization and orogenic phases. Regarding the rock un...     

Statistical analysis of lightning electric field measured under Malaysian condition

Lightning is an electrical discharge during thunderstorms that can be either within clouds (Inter-Cloud), or between clouds and ground (Cloud-Ground). The Lightning characteristics and their statistical information are the foundation for the design of lightning protection system as well as for the calculation of lightning radiated fields. Nowadays, there are various techniques to detect lightning signals and to determine various parameters produced by a lightning flash. Each technique provides its own claimed performances. In this paper, the characteristics of captured broadband electric fields generated by cloud-to-ground lightning discharges in South of Malaysia are analyzed. A total of 130 cloud-to-ground lightning flashes from 3 separate thunderstorm events (each event lasts for about 4–5 hours) were examined. Statistical analyses of the following signal parameters were presented: preliminary breakdown pulse train time duration, time interval between preliminary breakdowns and return stroke, multiplicity of stroke, and percentages of single stroke only. The BIL model is also introduced to characterize the lightning signature patterns. Observations on the statistical analyses show that about 79% of lightning signals fit well with the BIL model. The maximum and minimum of preliminary breakdown time duration of the observed lightning signals are 84 ms and 560 us, respectively. The findings of the statistical results show that 7.6% of the flashes were single stroke flashes, and the maximum number of strokes recorded was 14 multiple strokes per flash. A preliminary breakdown signature in more than 95% of the flashes can be identified.     

Performance-based semi-active control algorithm for protecting base isolated buildings from near-fault earthquakes

Base isolated structures have been found to be at risk in near-fault regions as a result of long period pulses that may exist in near-source ground motions.Various control strategies,including passive,active and semi-active control systems,have been investigated to overcome this problem.This study focuses on the development of a semi-active control algorithm based on several performance levels anticipated from an isolated building during different levels of ground shaking corresponding to various earthquake hazard levels.The proposed performance-based algorithm is based on a modified version of the well-known semi-active skyhook control algorithm.The proposed control algorithm changes the control gain depending on the level of shaking imposed on the structure.The proposed control system has been evaluated using a series of analyses performed on a base isolated benchmark building subjected to seven pairs of scaled ground motion records.Simulation results show that the newly proposed algorithm is effective in improving the structural and nonstructural performance of the building for selected earthquakes.     

Compressed History Matching: Exploiting Transform-Domain Sparsity for Regularization of Nonlinear Dynamic Data Integration Problems

In this paper, we present a new approach for estimating spatially-distributed reservoir properties from scattered nonlinear dynamic well measurements by promoting sparsity in an appropriate transform domain where the unknown properties are believed to have a sparse approximation. The method is inspired by recent advances in sparse signal reconstruction that is formalized under the celebrated compressed sensing paradigm. Here, we use a truncated low-frequency discrete cosine transform (DCT) is redundant to approximate the spatial parameters with a sparse set of coefficients that are identified and estimated using available observations while imposing sparsity on the solution. The intrinsic continuity in geological features lends itself to sparse representations using selected low frequency DCT basis elements. By recasting the inversion in the DCT domain, the problem is transformed into identification of significant basis elements and estimation of the values of their corresponding coefficients. To find these significant DCT coefficients, a relatively large number of DCT basis vectors (without any preferred orientation) are initially included in the approximation. Available measurements are combined with a sparsity-promoting penalty on the DCT coefficients to identify coefficients with significant contribution and eliminate the insignificant ones. Specifically, minimization of a least-squares objective function augmented by an l ₁-norm of DCT coefficients is used to implement this scheme. The sparsity regularization approach using the l ₁-norm minimization leads to a better-posed inverse problem that improves the non-uniqueness of the history matching solutions and promotes solutions that are, according to the prior belief, sparse in the transform domain. The approach is related to basis pursuit (BP) and least absolute selection and shrinkage operator (LASSO) methods, and it extends the application of compressed sensing to inverse modeling with nonlinear dynamic observations. While the method appears to be generally applicable for solving dynamic inverse problems involving spatially-distributed parameters with sparse representation in any linear complementary basis, in this paper its suitability is demonstrated using low frequency DCT basis and synthetic waterflooding experiments.     

A critical evaluation of 3D spatial information models for managing legal arrangements of multi-owned developments in Victoria,Australia

Three-dimensional (3D) spatial information models are increasingly being adopted to help communicate the spatial dimensions of complex built environments. Land administration practices in multi-owned developments include the subdivision, registration and management of legal interests associated with private, communal and public properties, which are often located along the vertical dimension. The spatial structure of each legal interest is normally composed of invisible spaces, defined as the inside and outside of multi-owned developments, as well as physically built structures. Additionally, a wide variety of legal boundary types mark out the spatial limits of the individual parts of each legal interest. These legal boundaries are typically delineated by either relying on fixed surveying measurements or referencing physically existent objects. This article provides a critical assessment of 3D spatial information models in terms of their capabilities for modelling legal interests and legal boundaries defined in the Victorian jurisdiction. We classify these models into three categories: purely legal, purely physical and integrated. This assessment provides the basis for developing a new 3D spatial information model, which would subsequently support a pathway towards realising the Victorian land administration system in a 3D digital environment.     

Thermal and mechanical characteristics of recycled concrete aggregates mixed with plastic wastes: experimental investigation and mathematical modeling

Acta Geotechnica - The growing rate of plastic waste generation is becoming a global concern due to the adverse impacts of plastics on the environment. Recycling and reusing plastic waste has been...     

Geochemistry of Rhenium and Other Trace Elements in Molybdenite,Sar Cheshmeh Porphyry Cu-Mo Deposit,Iran

LA-ICP-MS analysis of molybdenite from the Sar Cheshmeh porphyry Cu-Mo deposit(PCD), Iran, shows moderate concentration of Re(average ～207 ppm) and low concentration of chalcogenides(average of Pb + Te + Bi, ～31 ppm) as well as metalloids(average of As + Sb + Ge, ～4.5 ppm). The early-formed quartz–molybdenites associated with potassic alteration are characterized by moderately low concentration of Re(21–215 ppm with an average of 83 ppm), whereas the transitional quartz–molybdenite veins related to the sericitic stage of mineralization contain more Re(62–465 ppm, with an average of 207 ppm). In contrast, the late-formed quartz–molybdenite veins associated with phyllic alteration show the highest concentration of Re(up to 1273 ppm with an average of 395 ppm). Gradual increase in Re content of molybdenites deposited throughout the evolution of the porphyry system is probably related to elevated ?O2 and acidic conditions of the ore fluids governing the transitional and late stage of mineralization, when compared to the moderately low ?O2 and basic conditions of the ore fluids precipitating the low-Re molybdenites associated with potassic alteration. The mixed mantle/crustal source of the ore-related magma and its fractionated composition in Sar Cheshmeh are consistent with magmatic conditions for the formation of Mo-rich and Re-poor PCDs in the world.     

Identification of Subsurface Structures and Dynamic Modulus Determination Based on Downhole Seismic Surveys (Case Study)

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Seismic features of the site are studied in earthquake prone areas. In these studies, the seismic design parameters of the site are determined based on...