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Fungi in the Canopy: How Soil Fungi and Extracellular Enzymes Differ Between Canopy and Ground Soils
Abstract Tropical montane cloud forests contain a large abundance and diversity of canopy epiphytes, which depend on canopy soil to retain water and nutrients. We lack an in depth understanding of how these soils contribute to ecosystem processes and soil diversity and how sensitive they may be to projected climate change. We compared canopy and ground soils in Monteverde, Costa Rica, to determine how these two soil types differ in their extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) and fungal communities. Samples were also collected along two elevation gradients to reveal if canopy soils differed in how EEA and fungal communities responded to elevation compared to ground soils. We found that canopy soils had higher EEA than ground soils. Fungal communities were less diverse and differed significantly between the two soil types. These differences were associated with higher relative abundances of yeasts and endophytes in canopy soils. The relative abundances of free-living filamentous fungi and yeasts shifted more dramatically with elevation in canopy soils compared to ground soils. Our study suggests that canopy soils may be a reservoir for endophytes. Epiphytes may invest in symbionts that promote stress tolerance over mycorrhizal fungi whose high resource demands are costly and less beneficial. Overall, soils harbor distinct fungal communities that may be altered under projected climate change.
Integration of a satellite ground support system based on analysis of the satellite ground support domain
This analysis defines a complete set of ground support functions based on those practiced in real space flight operations during the on-orbit phase of a mission. These functions are mapped against ground support functions currently in use by NASA and DOD. Software components to provide these functions can be hosted on RISC-based work stations and integrated to provide a modular, integrated ground support system. Such modular systems can be configured to provide as much ground support functionality as desired. This approach to ground systems has been widely proposed and prototyped both by government institutions and commercial vendors. The combined set of ground support functions we describe can be used as a standard to evaluate candidate ground systems. This approach has also been used to develop a prototype of a modular, loosely-integrated ground support system, which is discussed briefly. A crucial benefit to a potential user is that all the components are flight-qualified, thus giving high confidence in their accuracy and reliability.
Exergy analysis and operational efficiency of a horizontal ground-source heat pump system operated in a low-energy test house simulated occupancy conditions
This paper presents detailed analysis of a water to water ground source heat pump (WW-GSHP) to provide all the hot water needs in a 345 m 2 house located in DOE climate zone 4 (mixed-humid). The protocol for hot water use is based on the Building America Research Benchmark Definition (Hendron 2008; Hendron and Engebrecht 2010) which aims to capture the living habits of the average American household and its impact on energy consumption. The entire house was operated under simulated occupancy conditions. Detailed energy and exergy analysis provides a complete set of information on system efficiency and sources of irreversibility, the main cause of wasted energy. The WW-GSHP was sized at 5.275 kW (1.5-ton) for this house and supplied hot water to a 303 L (80 gal) water storage tank. The WW-GSHP shared the same ground loop with a 7.56 kW (2.1-ton) water to air ground source heat pump (WA-GSHP) which provided space conditioning needs to the entire house. Data, analyses, and measures of performance for the WW-GSHP in this paper complements the results of the WA-GSHP published in this journal (Ally, Munk et al. 2012). Understanding the performance of GSHPs is vital if the ground is to be used as a viable renewable energy resource.
Wake Vortex Transport and Decay in Ground Effect: Vortex Linking with the Ground
Numerical simulations are carried out with a three-dimensional Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) model to explore the sensitivity of vortex decay and transport in ground effect (IGE). The vortex decay rates are found to be strongly enhanced following maximum descent into ground effect. The nondimensional decay rate is found to be insensitive to the initial values of circulation, height, and vortex separation. The information gained from these simulations is used to construct a simple decay relationship. This relationship compares well with observed data from an IGE case study. Similarly, a relationship for lateral drift due to ground effect is constructed from the LES data. In the second part of this paper, vortex linking with the ground is investigated. Our numerical simulations of wake vortices for IGE show that a vortex may link with its image beneath the ground, if the intensity of the ambient turbulence is moderate to high. This linking with the ground (which is observed in real cases)gives the appearance of a vortex tube that bends to become vertically oriented and which terminates at the ground. From the simulations conducted, the linking time for vortices in the free atmosphere; i.e., a function of ambient turbulence intensity.
Ground states of nonlinear Schrödinger systems with saturable nonlinearity in R{sup 2} for two counterpropagating beams
Counterpropagating optical beams in nonlinear media give rise to a host of interesting nonlinear phenomena such as the formation of spatial solitons, spatiotemporal instabilities, self-focusing and self-trapping, etc. Here we study the existence of ground state (the energy minimizer under the L{sup 2}-normalization condition) in two-dimensional (2D) nonlinear Schrödinger (NLS) systems with saturable nonlinearity, which describes paraxial counterpropagating beams in isotropic local media. The nonlinear coefficient of saturable nonlinearity exhibits a threshold which is crucial in determining whether the ground state exists. The threshold can be estimated by the Gagliardo-Nirenberg inequality and the ground state existence can be proved by the energy method, but not the concentration-compactness method. Our results also show the essential difference between 2D NLS equations with cubic and saturable nonlinearities.
Ground-motions site and event specificity: Insights from assessing a suite of simulated ground motions in the San Francisco Bay Area
This article presents the results of a research that is part of a larger collaborative effort between the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, funded by the US Department of Energy Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response. The main objective of this study is to assess a suite of near and far-field simulated ground motions obtained from 20 realizations of an M7 Hayward Fault earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area, California USA, and inform the selection of rupture simulation parameters leading to strong motions. To this aim, comparisons are conducted with NGA-W2 and directivity ground-motion models and a selected population of records. An archetypal steel moment-resisting frame is utilized to assess infrastructure response distributions. The analyses carried out for each simulated event and subdomain with consistent properties in terms of shallow shear-wave velocity proved to be instrumental for better interpreting the differences between simulated motions and empirical models. The main reasons identified for variances between simulations and empirical relationships included (1) directivity effects fully captured by the simulations across the full breadth of rupture models; (2) site vicinity to ruptures that incorporate large-slip patches, particularly if these are in the forward-directivity direction; and (3) presence of geologic structures that can “trap” seismic waves and produce ground motions with large amplitude and long signal duration. The analyses carried out in this work provide a path for interpreting ground-motion site and event specificity obtained from a suite of physics-based simulations, differing only in the rupture model characterization, to inform the selection of simulation scenarios for site-specific engineering analyses under strong excitations. Evidence from this work points to the possibility that current hazard models may underestimate ground-motion intensities in areas where the combined effect of directivity and site conditions results in large ground-motion amplitudes.
Ground and excited state charmonium production in p + p collisions at s = 200 GeV
Not Available
Soil microenvironmental variation drives below‐ground trait variation and interacts with macroclimate to structure above‐ground trait variation of arctic shrubs
Abstract Intraspecific trait variation can influence plant performance in different environments and may thereby determine the ability of individual plants to respond to climate change. However, our understanding of its patterns and environmental drivers across different spatial scales is incomplete, especially in understudied regions like the Arctic. To fill this knowledge gap, we examined above‐ground and below‐ground traits from three shrub taxa expanding across the tundra biome and evaluated their relationships with multiple microenvironmental and macroclimatic factors. The traits reflected plant size and structure (plant height, leaf area and root to shoot ratio), leaf economics (specific leaf area, nitrogen content), and root economics and collaboration with mycorrhizal fungi (specific root length, root tissue density, nitrogen content, and ectomycorrhizal colonisation intensity). We also measured leaf and root δ 15 N and leaf δ 13 C to characterise nitrogen source and acquisition pathways and plant water stress. Traits were measured in replicated plots ( N = 135) varying in soil microclimate, thaw depth and organic layer thickness established across five sites spanning a macroclimate gradient in northern Alaska. This hierarchical design allowed us to disentangle the independent and combined effects of fine‐scale and broad‐scale factors on intraspecific trait variation. We found substantial intraspecific variation at fine spatial scales for most traits and less variation along the macroclimate gradient and between shrub taxa. Consistent with these patterns, microenvironmental factors, mainly soil moisture and thaw depth, interacted with macroclimate, mainly climatic water deficit, to structure size‐structural and leaf trait variation. In contrast, most root traits responded additively to thaw depth and macroclimate. Synthesis . Our results demonstrate that above‐ground and below‐ground tundra shrub traits respond differently to microenvironmental and macroclimatic variation. These differing responses contribute to substantial trait variation at fine spatial scales and may decouple above‐ground and below‐ground trait responses to climate change.
Seismic rupture and ground accelerations induced by CO 2 injection in the shallow crust
We present that because of the critically stressed nature of the upper crust, the injection of large volumes of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) into shallow geological reservoirs can trigger seismicity and induce ground deformations when the injection increases the fluid pressure in the vicinity of potentially seismic faults. The increased fluid pressure reduces the strength against fault slip, allowing the stored elastic energy to be released in seismic events that can produce felt ground accelerations. Here, we seek to explore the likelihood ground motions induced by a CO 2 injection using hydromechanical modelling with multiphase fluid flow and dynamic rupture, including fault-frictional weakening. We extend the previous work of Cappa and Rutqvist, in which activation of a normal fault at critical stress may be possible for fast rupture nucleating by localized increase in fluid pressure and large decrease in fault friction. In this paper, we include seismic wave propagation generated by the rupture. For our assumed system and injection rate, simulations show that after a few days of injection, a dynamic fault rupture of few centimetres nucleates at the base of the CO 2 reservoir and grows bilaterally, both toward the top of the reservoir and outside. The rupture is asymmetric and affects a larger zone below the reservoir where the rupture is self-propagating (without any further pressure increase) as a result of fault-strength weakening. The acceleration and deceleration of the rupture generate waves and result in ground accelerations (~0.1–0.6 g) consistent with observed ground motion records. Finally, the maximum ground acceleration is obtained near the fault, and horizontal accelerations are generally markedly higher than vertical accelerations.
Evidence for a gapped spin-liquid ground state in a kagome Heisenberg antiferromagnet
Here, the kagome Heisenberg antiferromagnet is a leading candidate in the search for a spin system with a quantum spin-liquid ground state. The nature of its ground state remains a matter of active debate. We conducted oxygen-17 single-crystal nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements of the spin-1/2 kagome lattice in herbertsmithite [ZnCu 3 (OH) 6 Cl 2 ], which is known to exhibit a spinon continuum in the spin excitation spectrum. We demonstrated that the intrinsic local spin susceptibility χkagome, deduced from the oxygen-17 NMR frequency shift, asymptotes to zero below temperatures of 0.03J, where J ~ 200 kelvin is the copper-copper superexchange interaction. Combined with the magnetic field dependence of χ kagome that we observed at low temperatures, these results imply that the kagome Heisenberg antiferromagnet has a spin-liquid ground state with a finite gap.
Characterization of Finite Ground Coplanar Waveguide with Narrow Ground Planes
Coplanar waveguide with finite width ground planes is characterized through measurements, conformal mapping, and the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) technique for the purpose of determining the optimum ground plane width. The attenuation and effective permittivity of the lines are related to its geometry. It is found that the characteristics of the Finite Ground Coplanar line (FGC) are not dependent on the ground plane width if it is greater than twice the center conductor width, but less than lambda(sub d)/8. In addition, electromagnetic field plots are presented which show for the first time that electric fields in the plane of the substrate terminate on the outer edge of the ground plane, and that the magnitude of these fields is related to the ground plane width.
Is an interacting ground state (pure state) v-representable density also non-interacting ground state v-representable by a Slater determinant? In the absence of degeneracy, yes!
It is shown that in the absence of degeneracy a density,$n,(r)$, describing the probability of finding a particle in a small volume at position, r, that is known to be pure-state v-representable in terms of the ground state of an interacting system of particles evolving under an external potential,$v,(r)$, is also pure state v-representable in terms of a single Slater determinant describing the ground state of a system of non-interacting particles under a potential, $v_s(r)$ . This establishes the validity of the Kohn–Sham formalism of density functional theory. An explicit form of $v_s(r)$ is derived. We also derive the exact form of the correlation functional and the corresponding potential, $\mu_c(r)$, that lead to the exact density and energy of an interacting system's ground state. In addition, we demonstrate the existence of a one-to-one mapping between the ground-state densities of non-degenerate interacting and non-interacting systems. Finally, we show that practical implementations of the Kohn–Sham formalism can generate neither the exact density nor energy of an interacting system's ground state, a feature that is particularly true in the case of the so-called exact exchange, in which the correlation functional and potential are set equal to zero.
Assessment of electronic structure methods for the determination of the ground spin states of Fe( ii ), Fe( iii ) and Fe( iv ) complexes
Our ability to understand and simulate the reactions catalyzed by iron depends strongly on our ability to predict the relative energetics of spin states. In this work, we studied the electronic structures of Fe 2+ ion, gaseous FeO and 14 iron complexes using Kohn–Sham density functional theory with particular focus on determining the ground spin state of these species as well as the magnitudes of relevant spin-state energy splittings. The 14 iron complexes investigated in this work have hexacoordinate geometries of which seven are Fe(II), five are Fe(III) and two are Fe(IV) complexes. These are calculated using 20 exchange–correlation functionals. In particular, we use a local spin density approximation (LSDA) – GVWN5, four generalized gradient approximations (GGAs) – BLYP, PBE, OPBE and OLYP, two non-separable gradient approximations (NGAs) – GAM and N12, two meta-GGAs – M06-L and M11-L, a meta-NGA – MN15-L, five hybrid GGAs – B3LYP, B3LYP*, PBE0, B97-3 and SOGGA11-X, four hybrid meta-GGAs – M06, PW6B95, MPW1B95 and M08-SO and a hybrid meta-NGA – MN15. The density functional results are compared to reference data, which include experimental results as well as the results of diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) calculations and ligand field theory estimates from the literature. For the Fe 2+ ion, all functionals except M11-L correctly predict the ground spin state to be quintet. However, quantitatively, most of the functionals are not close to the experimentally determined spin-state splitting energies. For FeO all functionals predict quintet to be the ground spin state. For the 14 iron complexes, the hybrid functionals B3LYP, MPW1B95 and MN15 correctly predict the ground spin state of 13 out of 14 complexes and PW6B95 gets all the 14 complexes right. Here, the local functionals, OPBE, OLYP and M06-L, predict the correct ground spin state for 12 out of 14 complexes. Two of the tested functionals are not recommended to be used for this type of study, in particular M08-SO and M11-L, because M08-SO systematically overstabilizes the high spin state, and M11-L systematically overstabilizes the low spin state.
Monitoring ground anchor using non-destructive ground anchor integrity test (NDT-GRANIT)
Monitoring at ground anchor commonly uses a pull out test method, therefor we developing a non-destructive ground anchor integrity testing (NDT-GRANIT). NDT-GRANIT using the principle of seismic waves that have been modified into form of sweep signal, the signal will be demodulated, filtered, and Fourier transformation (inverse discrete Fourier transform) so the data can be interpreted reflected wave from the ground anchor. The method was applied to determine whether the ground anchor still gripped in the subsurface by looking the attenuation of the wave generated sources. From the result we can see that ground anchor does not grip. To validate the results of the comparison method of measurement used pile integrity test.
Spin-Orbit Coupling Controlled J = 3 / 2 Electronic Ground State in 5 d 3 Oxides
Spin-orbit entanglement in 5d-based transition metal oxides (TMOs) has been identified as a route to a host of unconventional physical states including quantum spin liquids, Weyl semimetals, and axion insulators. Yet despite intense interest, no clear rules have emerged for the treatment of spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in 5d TMOs outside of idealised LS or jj coupling paradigms. This is exemplified in 5d 3 oxides in which an orbitally-quenched singlet ground state is anticipated, yet SOC is manifest in the observed magnetic properties. Here we solve this long-outstanding puzzle by revealing that the electronic ground state of Os5+ 5d 3 ions is an unquenched J = 3/2 state. Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) in Ca3LiOsO6 and Ba 2 YOsO 6 exposes a SOC-controlled splitting of the t 2g manifold. The results are successfully described using an intermediate-coupling framework in which oxygen hybridisation promotes the breakdown of the orbital singlet. This framework opens the door to realistic treatment of SOC across a range of 5d TMOs beyond the 5d 3 case.
Inverse problems-based maximum likelihood estimation of ground reflectivity for selected regions of interest from stripmap SAR data [Regularized maximum likelihood estimation of ground reflectivity from stripmap SAR data]
In this study, we derive a comprehensive forward model for the data collected by stripmap synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that is linear in the ground reflectivity parameters. It is also shown that if the noise model is additive, then the forward model fits into the linear statistical model framework, and the ground reflectivity parameters can be estimated by statistical methods. We derive the maximum likelihood (ML) estimates for the ground reflectivity parameters in the case of additive white Gaussian noise. Furthermore, we show that obtaining the ML estimates of the ground reflectivity requires two steps. The first step amounts to a cross-correlation of the data with a model of the data acquisition parameters, and it is shown that this step has essentially the same processing as the so-called convolution back-projection algorithm. The second step is a complete system inversion that is capable of mitigating the sidelobes of the spatially variant impulse responses remaining after the correlation processing. We also state the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the ML ground reflectivity estimates.We show that the CRLB is linked to the SAR system parameters, the flight path of the SAR sensor, and the image reconstruction grid.We demonstrate the ML image formation and the CRLB bound for synthetically generated data.
Ground Isolation Circuit for Isolating a Transmission Line from Ground Interference
This invention relates generally to a system for isolating ground interference from a transmission line, e.g., a ground isolation circuit for isolating a wideband transmission signal (such as a video signal) from ground by modulating the base signal on a carrier signal to permit the transmission signal to be isolated. In one embodiment, the circuit includes a pair of matched mixer circuits, each of which receives a carrier signal from the same oscillator circuit. The first mixer circuit also receives the baseband signal input, after appropriate conditioning, and modulates the baseband signal onto the carrier signal. In a preferred embodiment the carrier signal has a predetermined frequency which is at least two times the frequency of the baseband signal. The modulated signal (which can comprise an rf signal) is transmitted via an rf transmission line to the second mixer, which demodulates the rf signal to recover the baseband signal. Each port of the mixer connects to an isolation transformer to ensure isolation from ground interference. The circuit is considered to be of commercial value in that it can provide isolation between transmitting and receiving circuits, e.g., ground isolation for television circuits or high frequency transmitters, without the need for video transformers or optical isolators, thereby reducing the complexity, power consumption, and weight of the system.