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Few Percent (few + percent)
Selected AbstractsHPCTOOLKIT: tools for performance analysis of optimized parallel programs,CONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 6 2010L. Adhianto Abstract HPCTOOLKIT is an integrated suite of tools that supports measurement, analysis, attribution, and presentation of application performance for both sequential and parallel programs. HPCTOOLKIT can pinpoint and quantify scalability bottlenecks in fully optimized parallel programs with a measurement overhead of only a few percent. Recently, new capabilities were added to HPCTOOLKIT for collecting call path profiles for fully optimized codes without any compiler support, pinpointing and quantifying bottlenecks in multithreaded programs, exploring performance information and source code using a new user interface, and displaying hierarchical space,time diagrams based on traces of asynchronous call path samples. This paper provides an overview of HPCTOOLKIT and illustrates its utility for performance analysis of parallel applications. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Impact of animal waste lagoon effluents on chlorpyrifos degradation in soilsENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2000Xinjiang Huang Abstract Animal-derived lagoon effluents are a good source of inorganic nutrients and organic matter; however, they may impact the degradation and transport of soil-applied pesticides. The degradation of chlorpyrifos in poultry-, swine-, and cow-derived effluents and effluent-soil matrices were studied using batch and column incubation studies. Chlorpyrifos was degraded by aerobic microbial processes in animal-derived lagoon effluents. Microbial community analysis by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of polymerase chain reaction-amplified 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid genes showed that a single band became dominant in effluent during chlorpyrifos degradation. In soils, both biotic and abiotic degradation contributed significantly to the overall dissipation of chlorpyrifos. Large differences in degradation rates were observed between soils, with the fastest rate observed in soil with higher pH and cation-exchange capacity. Effluents appeared to have only a minor effect on chlorpyrifos degradation in soils, although effluent-induced increases in soil-solution pH over time may enhance hydrolysis by a few percent in low-pH soils. Soil properties, not effluent properties, appear to control chlorpyrifos degradation under laboratory conditions; however, the impact on changes in soil properties and microbial ecology with long-term effluent irrigation warrants further investigation. [source] Using fishers' anecdotes, naturalists' observations and grey literature to reassess marine species at risk: the case of the Gulf grouper in the Gulf of California, MexicoFISH AND FISHERIES, Issue 2 2005Andrea Sáenz, Arroyo Abstract Designing fishing policies without knowledge of past levels of target species abundance is a dangerous omission for fisheries management. However, as fisheries monitoring started long after exploitation of many species began, this is a difficult issue to address. Here we show how the ,shifting baseline' syndrome can affect the stock assessment of a vulnerable species by masking real population trends and thereby put marine animals at serious risk. Current fishery data suggest that landings of the large Gulf grouper (Mycteroperca jordani, Serranidae) are increasing in the Gulf of California. However, reviews of historical evidence, naturalists' observations and a systematic documentation of fishers' perceptions of trends in the abundance of this species indicate that it has dramatically declined. The heyday for the Gulf grouper fishery occurred prior to the 1970s, after which abundance dropped rapidly, probably falling to a few percent of former numbers. This decline happened long before fishery statistics were formally developed. We use the case of the Gulf grouper to illustrate how other vulnerable tropical and semi-tropical fish and shellfish species around the world may be facing the same fate as the Gulf grouper. In accordance with other recent studies, we recommend using historical tools as part of a broad data-gathering approach to assess the conservation status of marine species that are vulnerable to over-exploitation. [source] Magnetic and viscous coupling at the core,mantle boundary: inferences from observations of the Earth's nutationsGEOPHYSICAL JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL, Issue 1 2007B. A. Buffett SUMMARY Dissipative core,mantle coupling is evident in observations of the Earth's nutations, although the source of this coupling is uncertain. Magnetic coupling occurs when conducting materials on either side of the boundary move through a magnetic field. In order to explain the nutation observations with magnetic coupling, we must assume a high (metallic) conductivity on the mantle side of the boundary and a rms radial field of 0.69 mT. Much of this field occurs at short wavelengths, which cannot be observed directly at the surface. High levels of short-wavelength field impose demands on the power needed to regenerate the field through dynamo action in the core. We use a numerical dynamo model from the study of Christensen & Aubert (2006) to assess whether the required short-wavelength field is physically plausible. By scaling the numerical solution to a model with sufficient short-wavelength field, we obtain a total ohmic dissipation of 0.7,1 TW, which is within current uncertainties. Viscous coupling is another possible explanation for the nutation observations, although the effective viscosity required for this is 0.03 m2 s,1 or higher. Such high viscosities are commonly interpreted as an eddy viscosity. However, physical considerations and laboratory experiments limit the eddy viscosity to 10,4 m2 s,1, which suggests that viscous coupling can only explain a few percent of the dissipative torque between the core and the mantle. [source] Introduction to Hydromechanical Well Tests in Fractured Rock AquifersGROUND WATER, Issue 1 2009Todd Schweisinger This article introduces hydromechanical well tests as a viable field method for characterizing fractured rock aquifers. These tests involve measuring and analyzing small displacements along with pressure transients. Recent developments in equipment and analyses have simplified hydromechanical well tests, and this article describes initial field results and interpretations during slug and constant-rate pumping tests conducted at a site underlain by fractured biotite gneiss in South Carolina. The field data are characterized by displacements of 0.3 ,m to more than 10 ,m during head changes up to 10 m. Displacements are a hysteretic function of hydraulic head in the wellbore, with displacements late in a well test always exceeding those at similar wellbore pressures early in the test. Displacement measurements show that hydraulic aperture changes during well tests, and both scaling analyses and field data suggest that T changed by a few percent per meter of drawdown during slug and pumping tests at our field site. Preliminary analyses suggest that displacement data can be used to improve estimates of storativity and to reduce nonuniqueness during hydraulic well tests involving single wells. [source] Mutations in the holocarboxylase synthetase gene HLCS,HUMAN MUTATION, Issue 4 2005Yoichi Suzuki Abstract Holocarboxylase synthetase (HLCS) deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder. HLCS is an enzyme that catalyzes biotin incorporation into carboxylases and histones. Since the first report of the cDNA sequence, 30 mutations in the HLCS gene have been reported. Mutations occur throughout the entire coding region except exons 6 and 10. The types of mutations are one single amino acid deletion, five single nucleotide insertions/deletions, 22 missense mutations, and two nonsense mutations. The only intronic mutation identified thus far is c.1519+5G>A (also designated IVS10+5G>A), which causes a splice error. Several lines of evidence suggest that c.1519+5G>A is a founder mutation in Scandinavian patients. Prevalence of this mutation is about 10 times higher in the Faroe Islands than in the rest of the world. The mutations p.L237P and c.780delG are predominant only in Japanese patients. These are probably founder mutations in this population. Mutations p.R508W and p.V550M are identified in several ethic groups and accompanied with various haplotypes, suggesting that these are recurrent mutations. There is a good relationship between clinical biotin responsiveness and the residual activity of HLCS. A combination of a null mutation and a point mutation that shows less than a few percent of the normal activity results in neonatal onset. Patients who have mutant HLCS with higher residual activity develop symptom after the neonatal period and show a good clinical response to biotin therapy. Hum Mutat 26(4), 285,290, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Assessment of flooding in urbanized ungauged basins: a case study in the Upper Tiber area, ItalyHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 10 2005T. Moramarco Abstract The reliability of a procedure for investigation of flooding into an ungauged river reach close to an urban area is investigated. The approach is based on the application of a semi-distributed rainfall,runoff model for a gauged basin, including the flood-prone area, and that furnishes the inlet flow conditions for a two-dimensional hydraulic model, whose computational domain is the urban area. The flood event, which occurred in October 1998 in the Upper Tiber river basin and caused significant damage in the town of Pieve S. Stefano, was used to test the approach. The built-up area, often inundated, is included in the gauged basin of the Montedoglio dam (275 km2), for which the rainfall,runoff model was adapted and calibrated through three flood events without over-bank flow. With the selected set of parameters, the hydrological model was found reasonably accurate in simulating the discharge hydrograph of the three events, whereas the flood event of October 1998 was simulated poorly, with an error in peak discharge and time to peak of ,58% and 20%, respectively. This discrepancy was ascribed to the combined effect of the rainfall spatial variability and a partial obstruction of the bridge located in Pieve S. Stefano. In fact, taking account of the last hypothesis, the hydraulic model reproduced with a fair accuracy the observed flooded urban area. Moreover, incorporating into the hydrological model the flow resulting from a sudden cleaning of the obstruction, which was simulated by a ,shock-capturing' one-dimensional hydraulic model, the discharge hydrograph at the basin outlet was well represented if the rainfall was supposed to have occurred in the region near the main channel. This was simulated by reducing considerably the dynamic parameter, the lag time, of the instantaneous unit hydrograph for each homogeneous element into which the basin is divided. The error in peak discharge and time to peak decreased by a few percent. A sensitivity analysis of both the flooding volume involved in the shock wave and the lag time showed that this latter parameter requires a careful evaluation. Moreover, the analysis of the hydrograph peak prediction due to error in rainfall input showed that the error in peak discharge was lower than that of the same input error quantity. Therefore, the obtained results allowed us to support the hypothesis on the causes which triggered the complex event occurring in October 1998, and pointed out that the proposed procedure can be conveniently adopted for flood risk evaluation in ungauged river basins where a built-up area is located. The need for a more detailed analysis regarding the processes of runoff generation and flood routing is also highlighted. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Polarization switching in BaTiO3 thin films measured by X-ray diffraction exploiting anomalous dispersionJOURNAL OF APPLIED CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2004S. J. Van Reeuwijk Films of BaTiO3 ranging from 20,nm to 300,nm in thickness were grown with pulsed laser deposition on Nb:SrTiO3. The quality of the layers was investigated using atomic force microscopy, X-ray reflectivity and X-ray diffraction. Both the micrographs and the X-ray reflectivity spectra indicate a smooth surface of the layers. The X-ray diffraction profiles measured using synchrotron radiation show features characteristic for highly crystalline thin films. The application of an external electric field parallel to the c axis changes an hkl reflection of BaTiO3 to an hk reflection. Due to the anomalous dispersion, the intensities of these two reflections are not equal and the atomic displacements can be determined from the intensity differences. The electric field-induced intensity changes can be as large as a few percent, which makes data collection from a 100,nm film using Cu K, radiation from an X-ray tube feasible. The ,I/I values of a number of reflections from the 20 and 50,nm films were measured using synchrotron radiation. The observed ,I/I values were in good agreement with the intensity changes expected for polarization switching in the bulk. [source] Mixing calcium chloride with commercial fungicide formulations results in very slow penetration of calcium into apple fruitsJOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2004Thomas K. Schlegel Abstract Foliar applications of calcium salts are usually combined with fungicides. In the years 2002 and 2003, it was tested if this practice assures high rates of penetration of calcium. Amounts that penetrated in 24 h were measured at 20,°C using 45CaCl2. To ensure maximum penetration rates, humidity was maintained at 100,%. Sample size was 40 to 50 fruits, and data were presented as box plots because distribution of data was not normal. Median rates of penetration of CaCl2, measured with mixtures of fungicides and CaCl2 at 5 or 10 g l,1, respectively, were very slow, and amounted to only a few percent of the dose applied. Rates were a little higher with very young fruits (55 days after full bloom, DAFB). Adding alkyl polyglycoside surfactants at 0.2 g l,1 significantly decreased surface tensions, and increased rates of penetration by up to 15-fold. Still, total penetration of CaCl2 rarely exceeded 20,% of the dose applied (median penetration), even in the presence of an additional surfactant. In all treatments, outliers with 60 to 100,% penetration in 24 h occurred, and this was attributed to penetration into lenticels. This is expected to result in unequal concentrations of calcium in fruits, especially in the sub-epidermal layers. Addition of a suitable surfactant to mixtures of fungicides with CaCl2 is strongly recommended as it enhances wetting and greatly increases penetration rates of CaCl2. Mischen von Calciumchlorid mit Fungiziden resultiert in einer sehr langsamen Penetration von Calcium in Apfelfrüchte Zur Blattdüngung werden Calciumsalze meist mit Fungiziden gemischt. Es wurde untersucht, ob diese Praxis hohe Penetrationsraten für das ausgebrachte Calciumsalz gewährleistet. Die Penetration wurde mit 45CaCl2 bei 20,°C gemessen. Die Luftfeuchte betrug 100,%, so dass maximale Penetrationsraten erzielt wurden. Der Stichprobenumfang betrug 40 bis 50 Früchte. Die Ergebnisse werden als Box-Plots präsentiert, weil die Verteilung der Daten nicht normal war. Bei Mischungen von CaCl2 (5 bis 10 g l,1) mit Fungiziden betrugen die Mediane der Penetrationsraten von CaCl2 nur einige Prozent. Bei sehr jungen Früchten (55 Tage nach Vollblüte, DAFB) waren die Raten etwas höher als bei älteren. Durch Zugabe von Alkyl-Polyglykosiden (0.2 g l,1) wurden die Oberflächenspannungen der Lösungen verringert und die Penetration von Calcium bis zu 15fach erhöht. Trotzdem betrug die Penetration in 24 h nur selten mehr als 20,% der Dosis. In allen Behandlungen wurden Ausreißer beobachtet, bei denen die Penetration in 24 h 60 bis 100,% der Dosis betrug. Das wurde auf Infiltration von Lentizellen zurückgeführt. Dadurch dürfte die Calciumkonzentration in Früchten nach Spritzung mit CaCl2 nicht homogen sein, besonders nicht in den subepidermalen Schichten. Die Zugabe eines geeigneten Netzmittels zu Mischungen von Fungiziden mit CaCl2 wird empfohlen. Dadurch wird die Benetzung der Früchte verbessert, und die Penetrationsraten werden erhöht. [source] CARS thermometry revisited in lightof the intramolecular perturbation,JOURNAL OF RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY, Issue 8 2010Michele Marrocco Abstract The rigid rotor approximation (RRA) is commonly assumed in the Raman cross section used in thermometric analysis based on coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS). In this paper, we discuss instead the role of the coupling between molecular vibrations and rotations in view of the alterations found in the amplitude of CARS signals of basic molecules and, in the end, we demonstrate that the deviation of a few percent from the RRA results in corrections to the measured temperature that are comparable to the thermometric accuracy of very well-known Q-branch CARS measurements on nitrogen, which is unanimously regarded as the fundamental molecule in CARS thermometry. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] An adaptive dynamic programming algorithm for a stochastic multiproduct batch dispatch problemNAVAL RESEARCH LOGISTICS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 7 2003Katerina P. Papadaki We address the problem of dispatching a vehicle with different product classes. There is a common dispatch cost, but holding costs that vary by product class. The problem exhibits multidimensional state, outcome and action spaces, and as a result is computationally intractable using either discrete dynamic programming methods, or even as a deterministic integer program. We prove a key structural property for the decision function, and exploit this property in the development of continuous value function approximations that form the basis of an approximate dispatch rule. Comparisons on single product-class problems, where optimal solutions are available, demonstrate solutions that are within a few percent of optimal. The algorithm is then applied to a problem with 100 product classes, and comparisons against a carefully tuned myopic heuristic demonstrate significant improvements. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 50: 742,769, 2003. [source] Detection of four oxidation sites in viral prolyl-4-hydroxylase by top-down mass spectrometryPROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 10 2003Ying Ge Abstract Oxidative inactivation is a common problem for enzymatic reactions that proceed via iron oxo intermediates. In an investigation of the inactivation of a viral prolyl-4-hydroxylase (26 kD), electrospray mass spectrometry (MS) directly shows the degree of oxidation under varying experimental conditions, but indicates the addition at most of three oxygen atoms per molecule. Thus, molecular ion masses (M + nO) of one sample indicate the oxygen atom adducts n = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 of 35, 41, 19, 5 ± 3, and <2%, respectively; "top-down" MS/MS of these ions show oxidation at the sites R28,V31, E95,F107, and K216 of 22%, 28%, and 34%, respectively, but with a possible (,4%) fourth site at V125,D150. However, for the doubly oxidized molecular ions (increasing the precursor oxygen content from 0.94 to 2), MS/MS showed an easily observable ,13% oxygen at the V125,D150 site. For the "bottom-up" approach, detection of the ,4% oxidation at the V125,D150 site by MS analysis of a proteolysis mixture would have been very difficult. The unmodified peptide containing this site would represent a few percent of the proteolysis mixture; the oxidized peptide not only would be just ,4% of this, but the uniqueness of its mass value (,1,2 kD) would be far less than the 11,933 Dalton value used here. Using different molecular ion precursors for top-down MS/MS also provides kinetic data from a single sample, that is, from molecular ions with 0.94 and 2 oxygens. Little oxidation occurs at V125,D150 until K216 is oxidized, suggesting that these are competitively catalyzed by the iron center; among several prolyl-4-hydroxylases the K216, H137, and D139 are conserved residues. [source] In vivo delivery of fluoresceinated dextrans to the murine growth plate: Imaging of three vascular routes by multiphoton microscopyTHE ANATOMICAL RECORD : ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Cornelia E. Farnum Abstract Bone elongation by endochondral ossification occurs through the differentiation cascade of chondrocytes of cartilaginous growth plates. Molecules from the systemic vasculature reach the growth plate from three different directions: epiphyseal, metaphyseal, and a ring vessel and plexus associated with the perichondrium. This study is an analysis of the real-time dynamics of entrance of fluoresceinated tracers of different molecular weights into the growth plate from the systemic vasculature and tests the hypothesis that molecular weight is a key variable in the determination of both the directionality and the extent of tracer movement into the growth plate. Multiphoton microscopy was used for direct in vivo imaging of the murine proximal tibial growth plate in anesthetized 4- to 5-week-old transgenic mice with green fluorescent protein linked to the collagen II promoter. Mice were given an intracardiac injection of either fluorescein (332.3 Da) or fluoresceinated dextrans of 3, 10, 40, 70 kDa, singly or sequentially. For each tracer, directionality and rate of arrival, together with extent of movement within the growth plate, were imaged in real time. For small molecules (up to 10 kDa), vascular access from all three directions was observed and entrance was equally permissive from the metaphyseal and the epiphyseal sides. Within our detection limit (a few percent of vascular concentration), 40 kDa and larger dextrans did not enter. These results have implications both for understanding systemic and paracrine regulation of growth plate chondrocytic differentiation, as well as variables associated with effective drug delivery to growth plate chondrocytes. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||