Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dynamic soil property measurements during triaxial testing

Offshore site investigations are discussed, and a description is given of a method of measuring the compression wave velocity, the shear wave velocity, and hence G sub max (initial tangential shear modulus of a soil), simultaneously with the routine investigation of soil properties using the triaxial cell. The apparatus and procedures are an easily adopted practice for most well-equipped geotechnical laboratories. The extra information gained in the form of G sub max is a valuable asset to the modern geotechnical engineer who has become concerned with the dynamic response of the soil. With this method, the need to carry out additional tests to determine G sub max, for example using a resonant column, is eliminated, and therefore a large saving in both time and material is effected.
Medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances observed with the SuperDARN Hokkaido radar, all-sky imager, and GPS network and their relation to concurrent sporadic E irregularities

[1] We present midlatitude medium-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) observed with a Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) HF radar at around 10 MHz in Hokkaido, Japan, in combination with a 630-nm all-sky imager and a GPS network (GEONET) that provides total electron content (TEC) data. MSTIDs propagating southward from high latitudes are detected at first with the HF radar and then with the imager and GEONET. We analyze two MSTID events, one in winter (event 1) and the other in summer (event 2), to find that MSTIDs appear simultaneously, at least, at 55°–25°N. It is shown that nighttime MSTIDs propagate toward the southwest over a horizontal distance of about 4000 km, and daytime MSTIDs do so toward the southeast. Daytime radar echoes are due to ground/sea surface (GS) scatter, while nighttime echoes in event 1 return from 15-m-scale F region field-aligned irregularities (FAIs) and those in event 2 are due to GS scatter. Doppler velocities of the nighttime F region FAI echoes in event 1 are negative (motion away from the radar) within strong echo regions and are positive (motion toward the radar) within weak echo regions. This fact suggests that the strong (weak) echoes return from suppressed (enhanced) airglow/TEC areas, in line with previous observations over central Japan. The nighttime MSTIDs in events 1 and 2 are often accompanied by concurrent coherent echoes from FAIs in sporadic E (Es) layers. The Es echo areas in event 2 rather coincide with suppressed airglow/TEC areas in the F region that are connected with the echo areas along the geomagnetic field, indicating the existence of E and F region coupling at night.
Functional defecation disorders in children Associated comorbidity and advances in management

Objectives to assess the treatment e ﬀ icacy of transanal irrigation and parental satisfaction in children with intractable functional constipation (FC) treated with Peri-steen®. Methods Cross-sectional survey study among parents of children (age 0-18 years) treated with Peristeen® for FC (based on the Rome III criteria). Anonymous questionnaires were sent out to parents via mail, these consisted of 25 self-developed, multiple-choice questions regarding the use of Peristeen®, current gastrointestinal symptoms, adverse e ﬀ ects of Peristeen®, concomitant medication use and parental satisfaction. Results
The Brewer reference triad

It has been more than 20 years since the Brewer reference triad was established by Environment Canada at Toronto. The triad serves as a reference for traveling standard instruments that are used to calibrate Brewer spectrophotometers around the world. The members of the triad are calibrated on a regular basis at Mauna Loa, Hawaii. Regular tests made with an internal quartz halogen lamp make it possible to track the instrument response between the calibrations. A new analysis of available column ozone data records indicates that the uncertainty in the daily values derived from each instrument is approximately 0.6%. The random errors of individual observations are within ±1% for 90% of all measurements. Sources of potential errors in the individual Brewer measurements as well as quality control tools are also discussed.
Thermoelastic attenuation of elastic waves by cracks

Zener's theory of thermoelastic attenuation by inhomogeneities has been applied to a medium containing cracks. The cracks have been approximated by elliptic cylinders, and energy losses per wave cycle have been calculated for both two-dimensional hydrostatic pressure and shear. Absorption spectrums vary less than an order of magnitude over a frequency range greater than 104 hz. The values of Q for both longitudinal waves (Qα) and transverse waves (Qβ) for a distribution of such cracks have been derived in terms of parameters measured in static testing. For granite the theoretical values (Qα = 200, Qβ = 350) are about twice the experimental values; however, the difference is not significant in view of the rather large uncertainties in some of the parameters. The theory also predicts that Qα/Qβ should be near ½ for most rocks; laboratory observations yield about the same value. Finally, the theory predicts a temperature dependence for Q which has not been observed.
Multiple faces of Fusarium oxysporum effector protein Avr2

Phytohormones such as salicylic acid (SA), ethylene (ET) and jasmonic acid (JA) play key roles in plant defense following pathogen attack. Involvement of these hormones in plant susceptibility following Fusarium oxysporum ( Fo ) infection has mostly been studied in Arabidopsis thaliana . However, Fo causes vascular wilt disease in a broad range of crops, including tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ). Surprisingly little is known about the involvement of these phytohormones in tomato toward Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici ( Fol ) susceptibility. Here we investigate their involvement by analyzing the expression of ET and SA marker genes, following Fol infection and using bioassays on tomato mutants affected in either hormone production or -perception. Fol inoculation triggered expression of SA and ET marker genes showing activation of these pathways. NahG tomato in which SA is degraded, was hyper-susceptible to Fol infection and exerted stronger disease symptoms than wild-type. In contrast ACD and Never ripe ( Nr ) mutants in which respectively ET biosynthesis or -perception is impaired, showed decreased disease symptom development and a reduced fungal colonization upon infection. Susceptibility of the def1 tomato mutant, which is deficient in JA biosynthesis, was unaltered, while a prosystemin over-expressing line, showed slightly more disease symptoms concomitantly with increased fungal colonization. The latter is surprising as prosystemin indirectly regulates JA biosynthesis. Our results show that SA is a negative and ET a positive regulator of susceptibility. The SA and ET signaling pathways appear to act synergistically as an intact ET pathway is required for induction of the SA reporter gene and vice versa .
Outdoor Recreation Constraints: An Examination of Race, Gender, and Rural Dwelling

We assess whether traditionally marginalized groups in American society (African-Americans, women, rural dwellers) perceive more constraints to outdoor recreation participation than other groups. A series of logistic regressions are applied to a national recreation survey and used to model the probability that individuals perceive certain constraints to participating in outdoor recreation activities. Twelve constraints related to health, facilities, socioeconomic standing, and other personal factors are examined for both participants and nonparticipants of outdoor recreation. We model the probability that individuals report being constrained in participating in their favorite activities as a function ofrace, gender, and rural residence. In addition, we control for income, age, regional differences, and activity groupings. Of the three groups examined, women are most likely to feel constrained--for instance, by personal safety concerns, inadequate facilities and information, insufficient funds, and outdoor pests. Race is not a significant predictor of constraints for participants, but nonparticipating African-Americans are more likely than whites to feel personal safety concerns inhibit their outdoor recreation opportunities. Rural residence does not appear to be an important factor among either participants or nonparticipants in explaining the probability that an individual feels constrained in outdoor recreation participation.
A model for studies of tropospheric ozone and nonmethane hydrocarbons: Model description and ozone results

[1] We have developed a global three-dimensional chemistry-meteorology model for studies of ozone and hydrocarbons in the troposphere, called Model of Atmospheric Transport and Chemistry-Max-Planck-Institute for Chemistry Version (MATCH-MPIC). The model currently calculates the distributions of 54 species and 141 reactions using a new flexible chemical integration method in connection with a fast general Rosenbrock solver. The reactions can be easily expanded for future studies with the model. The model includes updated emission inventories, an explicit dry deposition scheme, online photolysis rates, extensive budgeting capabilities and a correction for the so-called “mass-wind inconsistency” problem. One-year simulations at two different horizontal resolutions, approximately 1.9° × 1.9° (T63) and 5.6° × 5.6° (T21), both with 28 vertical levels, are extensively evaluated with available observations from surface stations, ozonesondes, and field campaigns. The model is generally able to reproduce the observations of ozone to within 10 nmol/mol, but it overestimates upper tropospheric ozone at northern high-latitude stations in winter and spring and tends to underestimate the summer maximum in the free troposphere. In the tropics the chemical tropopause is sometimes too low. Generally, the low-resolution run yields only slightly worse agreement with observations compared to the higher-resolution run, thus making it suitable for further sensitivity studies. In a simulation using different meteorological data, O3 agrees much better with observations in the upper troposphere, possibly because of the higher resolution near the tropopause. The net ozone production integrated over all tropospheric regions with a net production and loss separately reveals that the calculated chemically induced redistribution of ozone in the troposphere is 2–3 times larger than the net stratospheric influx. Even in the upper troposphere, photochemical production is of similar magnitude to the stratospheric influence.
New Insights into the Ocean Heat Budget Closure Problem from Analysis of the SOC Air–Sea Flux Climatology

Abstract Results from an analysis of the Southampton Oceanography Centre (SOC) global air–sea heat flux climatology, which has been calculated using in situ weather reports from voluntary observing ships covering the period 1980–93, are presented. Systematic errors in the fluxes arising from differences in observing procedure have been quantified and corrected; the magnitude of these errors is up to 15 W m−2 with strong seasonal and regional variations. Despite these corrections, closure of the ocean heat budget is not obtained as the global mean net heat flux is an oceanic gain of 30 W m−2. The validity of closing the heat budget by global scaling of the flux components is assessed by comparison of the SOC flux fields with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute research buoy measurements. The level of agreement between the two is found to vary from one site to another. Thus, closure of the ocean heat budget requires regional adjustments to the flux components in order to avoid significant biases in the adjus.
Chronologic and isotopic framework for Early Proterozoic crustal evolution in the eastern Mojave Desert region, SE California

The Early Proterozoic geologic evolution of the eastern Mojave Desert region, as defined by characteristics of its supracrustal rocks, granitoids, metamorphism, structural history, and Pb and Nd isotopic signature, contrasts sharply with other Proterozoic provinces of the southwestern United States. The oldest supracrustal rocks of the Mojave Desert region contain zircons over 2.0 Ga, corroborating Nd isotopic evidence for a much older crust here than elsewhere in the southwestern United States. Granitoids widely emplaced within these supracrustal rocks range from 1.76 to 1.64 Ga. The earlier plutons and surrounding supracrustal rocks were metamorphosed to granulite and high amphibolite facies throughout the province at about 1705 Ma in a migmatite-producing event that we term (informally) the Ivanpah orogeny. Subsequent granitoids, emplaced from 1.69 to 1.67 Ga, were voluminous along a north trending belt in the middle of the Mojave province. Younger plutons were emplaced at about 1.66 Ga in several places and at about 1.64 Ga along the extreme southern part of the province. Commonalities between the Proterozoic evolutions of the Mojave and Arizona crustal provinces do not conclusively establish the time that the provinces were juxtaposed; the data only suggest that the juxtaposition occurred between about 1.76 and 1.64 Ga.
U-Series Dating by the TIMS Technique of Land Snails from Paleosols in the Canary Islands

Abstract A sequence of seven superimposed paleosols developed on eolian calcarenites and alluvium was sampled on the island of Lanzarote in order to examine the possibility of dating land snail shells by the U-series method, using a TIMS technique allowing measurement of U and Th isotopes in very small samples. In the lower six units, the fossil shells yielded D-allo/L-isoleucine (A/I) ratios of about 0.5 and apparent AMS 14C ages ranging from 41,000 to 34,000 yr B.P., indicating that most paleosols formed during a relatively short mid-Würm humid episode. The upper unit (paleosol 7) yielded more variable A/I ratios (ranging from 0.6 to 0.2) and a younger 14C age ∼27,000 yr B.P. Most samples contained enough U to allow the calculation of U-series ages, after correction for the presence of a detrital component. In samples containing a few tens of ppb of U (paleosols 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7), the ages are strongly dependent upon the model used for the correction. In samples containing more than 300 ppb of U (paleosols 4 and 5), concordant ages of ∼31,000 ± 1000 yr were obtained regardless of the correction model used. U uptake in these shells occurred during one single early diagenetic phase, soon after burial, since shells of modern snails do not contain any significant amount of U. The arid conditions subsequent to the mid-Würm humid episode have likely ensured since then a fair closure of the radioactive system.
SAR processing of partially coherent phenomena

Abstract The general problem of a partially coherent synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging a scene that is subjected to random fade is considered. The impulse response, frequency response and response to extended random fields are formally derived. Explicit results are obtained using gaussian functions to describe the SAR, its coherence and the scene coherence. Results converge appropriately on known results for cases treated previously. New results are presented concerning all three classes of fading input scenes. The results are applied to the problem of SAR imagery of oceanic waves, with comments on certain aspects of Seasat-A SAR data as appropriate.
NO y lifetimes and O3 production efficiencies in urban and power plant plumes: Analysis of field data

In an effort to describe and characterize power plant plumes in the Nashville region, emissions from a small power plant (Gallatin) and a large power plant (Paradise) were examined using data obtained on the Department of Energy G-1 airborne sampling platform. Observations made on July 3, 7, 15, 17, and 18, 1995, were compiled, and a kinetic analysis of the chemical evolution of the power plant plumes was performed. Analysis of the power plant plume data revealed a very active photochemistry, as had been determined previously for the urban plume. Ozone production efficiencies (OPE), defined as the number of molecules of O3 formed per NOx molecule consumed, were found to be 3 for Gallatin and 2 for Paradise. Lifetimes for NOx (2.8 and 4.2 hours) and NOy (7.0 and 7.7 hours) were determined for Gallatin and Paradise, respectively. These NOx and NOy lifetimes imply rapid loss of NOz (NOz is assumed to be primarily HNO3). Lifetimes for NOz are calculated to be 3 and 2.5 hours for Gallatin and Paradise, respectively. A sensitivity analysis indicates that the Gallatin NOz lifetime could be as long as 5 hours, bringing it into agreement with the value determined for the Nashville urban plume. It is unlikely that the Paradise NOz lifetime is as long as 4 hours. If NOz loss is attributed to dry deposition, a 3 hour lifetime implies a deposition velocity greater than 10 cm s−1, which is much faster than expected based on accepted theory. Possible reasons for this discrepancy are discussed.
Interactive Tremor Monitoring

The purpose of this article is to explore new Web-based resources for disseminating data in an interactive and intuitive way that is accessible and engaging to the public without sacrificing scientific utility. This article highlights these new opportunities and describes their synthesis with recently developed automated tremor monitoring methodologies. The resulting product is a website that the reader may find useful to explore in tandem with this article, http://www.pnsn. org/tremor. In this article, the data dissemination example is specifically applied to Cascadia tremor, but the utilization of freely accessible Web applications to provide an interactive Web experience for the public and scientific community alike could easily be applied to many different aspects of seismology. Since their discovery nearly a decade ago, advances in both instrumentation and methodology in subduction zones around the world have brought the causal connection between seismically observed tectonic tremor (Obara 2002) and geodetically observed slow slip (Dragert et al. 2001) into sharper focus. In addition to the strong spatio-temporal correlation between the separately observed phenomena (Wech et al. 2009), mounting evidence indicates that deep, non-volcanic tremor represents slow shear (Ide et al. 2007; Wech and Creager 2007) occurring at the interface (Shelly et al. 2006, 2007) between the subducting oceanic and overriding continental plates, suggesting the two phenomena are different manifestations of the same process. Of course, there is still ongoing debate over the depth and mechanism of tectonic tremor (Kao et al. 2005; McCausland et al. 2005), but what is clear is that tremor serves as a proxy for slow slip. Considering geodesy's lower limits in spatial resolution and slow slip detection together with the abundance of low-level, ageodetic tremor, this connection makes tremor a key component for monitoring when, where, and how much slip is occurring. Because slow slip transfers stress …
Petrogenesis of the Lower Zone Olivine-Rich Cumulates Beneath the Platreef and Their Correlation with Recognized Occurrences in the Bushveld Complex

Previously unknown Lower zone ultramafic sequences are described beneath the Platreef in the northern limb of the Bushveld Complex (South Africa). The Lower zone is separated from the overlying mineralized Platreef sequence by intervals of country rocks, which are represented by granofels (agmatites) and shales and include thin sills of fine-grained Marginal zone norite and pyroxenite. The chemical compositions of olivine and orthopyroxene in the Lower zone of the northern limb are more primitive than those established for the western and eastern limb and indicate that the Bushveld parental magma should be more Mg rich than previously suggested and therefore may have been able to dissolve more Cr than indicated by known Marginal chilled rock compositions. Olivine and orthopyroxene compositions show multiple reversals within the Lower zone sections which are accompanied by coherent reversals in the Cu/Pd ratio. The style of reversals is consistent with a gradual mixing of fresh magma with more evolved resident liquid in the chamber. Olivine and orthopyroxene contain higher Ni in sulfide-poor Lower zone sequences and are Ni depleted in mineralized rocks, whereas the degree of sulfide mineralization correlates with the S content in the country rock. Assimilation of sedimentary sulfur resulted in sulfide saturation and formation of Ni-depleted silicates in ultramafic rocks. The extremely high Ni content in olivine (up to 0.66 wt % NiO at Mg # = 88) from S-poor ultramafic rocks is attributed to Ni enrichment in residual melt after massive crystallization of Ni-poor orthopyroxene adcumulates. Trace element compositions of the most primitive cumulates and minerals confirm that the enrichment of primary melt of the Bushveld Complex in some incompatible elements is an initial feature of its anomalous mantle source.
Molecular detection of genes encoding resistance to tetracycline and quinolones among Shigella strains isolated from children with acute diarrhea in southwest Iran

Background and Objectives: An increase in the antibiotic resistance of Shigella isolates has caused major global challenges in antimicrobial therapy. Knowledge of local antibiotic resistance trends is essential for selecting appropriate antibiotic treatment regimens. This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of efflux-mediated tetracycline resistance (tet) and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (qnr) genes among Shigella isolates. Materials and Methods: This survey investigated 91 Shigella isolates, obtained from children with acute diarrhea. The isolates were identified using standard biochemical tests and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Besides, the susceptibility of isolates to six selected antibiotics was assessed by the disk diffusion method. All tetracycline-resistant and nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin resistant strains were screened for tet and qnr genes by a multiplex PCR assay. Results: According to the results of antibiotic susceptibility tests, the highest level of antibiotic resistance was related to tetracycline (80.2%) and doxycycline (78.1%), respectively. All isolates were sensitive to tigecycline. The PCR results showed that 40.6%, 3.1%, 21.8%, 61.6% and 28.7% of the isolates carried qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, tetA, and tetB genes, respectively. None of the isolates contained tetC and tetD genes. Conclusion: The current findings revealed that tetA and qnrA genes might play a key role in conferring tetracycline and quinolone resistance.
Equatorial Pacific deep-sea benthic foraminifera: Faunal changes before the middle Miocene polar cooling

Data on the composition of benthic foraminiferal faunas at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 575 in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean were combined with benthic and planktonic carbon- and oxygen-isotope records and CaCO 3 data. Changes in the composition of the benthic foraminiferal faunas at Site 575 predated the middle Miocene period of growth of the Antarctic ice cap and cooling of the deep ocean waters by about 2 m.y. , and thus were not caused by this cooling (as has been proposed). The benthic faunal changes may have been caused by increased variability in corrosivity of the bottom waters, possibly resulting from enhanced productivity in the surface waters.