Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Laboratory Study of Blast Densification of Saturated Sand

Laboratory tests have been conducted to investigate the potential of millisecond delays in blast‐densification of saturated cohesionless sand. A large liquefaction tank was used to prepare and contain the sand. Commercially available blasting caps were used as the explosive. Cone penetration tests and sand surface elevation changes were measured. In addition to lowering the peak body wave ground motions, densification with millisecond delays was shown to be comparable to densification by a single large blast with a total charge weight equal to the sum of the delays. Increases in cone penetration resistance were measured 10–40 cm (4–16 in.) from the charges. A gradual increase in point resistance was observed with time after each blast. The increase in penetration resistance may be attributed to gradual improvement of intergranular bonds and dissipation of explosion created gases.
Effect of Sulfentrazone Application Method and Time, on Weed Control and Phytotoxicity in Flue-Cured Tobacco

Over a period of three years sulfentrazone, alone and in combination with other herbicides, was evaluated for weed control efficacy under various methods application. The trials were done in granite sandy soils after three years of Chloris gayana cv Katambora at Kutsaga Research Station, Zimbabwe. The chemicals were sprayed using a knapsack or a tractor mounted boom. Incorporation after ridging was done with a gang tiller set for shallow incorporation while that before ridging was done using a disk also set for shallow incorporation. Comparisons were made between directed and broadcast sprays, incorporation and no incorporation, timing from before planting to 4 weeks after planting (WAP). Application before holing out (BHO) and after holing out (AHO) was also evaluated. In most cases sulfentrazone gave good to excellent control of all weeds and was comparable to Metolachlor in efficacy. In some cases grass control was somewhat variable but acceptable. With regard to time of application, Sulfentrazone gave better control of broadleaf and grass weeds when applied from 1 to 4 WAP. Yellow nutsedge control was excellent and unaffected by time of application. Weed dry matter was reduced significantly relative to the untreated control for the 1 to 4 WAP applications. There was no significant difference between incorporation and surface or between directed and broadcast applications. The over top (OT) and AHO consistently gave better control than BHO application.
Origin of the Palau and Yap trench-arc systems

SUMMARY This paper attempts to account for several unique morphological and geological characteristics of the Palau and Yap trench-arc systems in the northwestern Pacific Ocean using a new hydrodynamic model postulated herein. The model is a simple mathematical treatment of a stationary viscous flow pattern in the asthenosphere that causes an appreciable amount of mechanical resistance against a vertically subducted rigid slab moving horizontally together with the flat plate. A couple of thrusting forces comprising uplifting pressure generated in the frontal edge of the overriding lid and a new type of tectonic erosion along the surface of the vertical slab seem to reasonably explain apparently contradictory features of the Palau and Yap trench arcs. Long-term GPS measurements show that the Palau and Yap trench arcs are moving over the viscous asthenosphere toward the NWW with velocities as great as 10 cm yr −1 . Stresses along the trench arcs predicted by the model would be sufficiently large to maintain their present morphology: (1) water depths greater than 8000 m in spite of the extremely small plate convergence rates and relatively young ages of subducted plate; (2) V-shaped cross-section of the axial bottom of these trenches, implying little cover of slumped deposits in spite of very steep landward slopes; (3) serpentinized peridotites, gabbros, basalts and limestones are exposed on the landward slope with neither sediment cover nor ferromanganese hydro-oxide coatings; (4) abnormally close proximity of the Palau and Yap islands to the trench axis; (5) predominant distribution of barrier reefs in their western periphery apparently opposite to the easterly to northeasterly prevailing wind.
Time-lapse 3D VSP using permanent receivers in a flowing well in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico

The vision of smart wells permanently instrumented with geophones has existed for some time. Such installations would enable opportunities for frequent reservoir monitoring, high-resolution 3D VSP imaging, and illumination of difficult areas. For many subsalt fields, 3D VSPs acquired in such wells may be the best option to illuminate and monitor reservoirs without the need to stop production or enter a well. However, this technology is not yet widely applied, nor perhaps proven.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of low-dose CT-driven biopsy for pulmonary nodules

Introduction The diagnosis of pulmonary nodules (PNs) has traditionally relied on computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy. To reduce radiation exposure, low-dose CT-guided PN biopsy has been employed. Aim This meta-analysis aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of low-dose CT-guided biopsy in the diagnosis of PNs. Material and methods PubMed, Web of Science, and Wanfang were searched for relevant articles until June 2023. Comparing low-dose CT to normal-dose CT, we considered factors such as diagnostic yield, diagnostic accuracy, biopsy process time, dose-length product (DLP) value, the frequency of pneumothorax and pulmonary bleeding, and the frequency with which complications necessitated the placement of a chest tube. Results This meta-analysis included data from a total of 6 investigations. There was a total of 459 patients who had a CT-guided PN biopsy performed at a low dosage, and 384 patients who had a normal-dose CT-guided PN biopsy. There were no statistically significant differences between the low-dose CT and normal-dose CT groups in terms of diagnostic accuracy (p = 0.08), diagnostic yield (p = 0.55), biopsy procedure duration (p = 0.30), pneumothorax (p = 0.61), pulmonary hemorrhage (p = 0.29), or complications requiring a chest tube (p = 0.48). Low-dose CT patients obtained a DLP that was 91% lower than those in the standard-dose CT group (p = 0.01). According to Egger’s test, there is a significant possibility of publication bias in DLP (p = 0.034). Conclusions The diagnostic and safety results of low-dose CT-driven PN biopsy are equivalent to those of the standard one, although patients are much less exposed to radiation.
Relative binding affinity-serum modified access (RBA-SMA) assay predicts the relative in vivo bioactivity of the xenoestrogens bisphenol A and octylphenol.

We have developed a relative binding affinity-serum modified access (RBA-SMA) assay to determine the effect of serum on the access of xenoestrogens to estrogen receptors within intact cultured MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. We used this assay to predict low dose activity of two xenoestrogens in mice. In serum-free medium, bisphenol A, a component of polycarbonates and of resins used to line metal food cans, showed a lower relative binding affinity (RBA; 0.006%) than octylphenol (0.072%) and nonylphenol (0.026%), which are used as surfactants in many commercial products (all RBAs are relative to estradiol, which is equal to 100%). In 100% serum from adult men, bisphenol A showed a higher RBA (0.01%) than in serum-free medium and thus enhanced access to estrogen receptors relative to estradiol. In contrast, octylphenol showed a 22-fold decrease in RBA (0.0029%) and nonylphenol showed a 5-fold decrease in RBA (0.0039%) when measured in adult serum. This indicates that, relative to estradiol, serum had less of an inhibitory effect on the cell uptake and binding in MCF-7 cells of bisphenol A, while serum had a greater inhibitory effect on octylphenol and nonylphenol relative to estradiol. Extrapolation of these relative activities in adult serum predicted that the estrogenic bioactivity of bisphenol A would be over 500-fold greater than that of octylphenol in fetal mouse serum. Bisphenol A and octylphenol were fed to pregnant mice at 2 and 20 micrograms/kg/day. Exposure of male mouse fetuses to either dose of bisphenol A, but to neither dose of octylphenol, significantly increased their adult prostate weight relative to control males, which is consistent with the higher predicted bioactivity of bisphenol A than octylphenol in the RBA-SMA assay. In addition, our findings show for the first time that fetal exposure to environmentally relevant parts-per-billion (ppb) doses of bisphenol A, in the range currently being consumed by people, can alter the adult reproductive system in mice. ImagesFigure 1.Figure 2.
Statistical methods for assembling and incorporating volcanic records in hazard estimation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Statistics at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

The estimation of hazard arising from volcanic eruptions is a research topic of great interest to New Zealand, given the number and location of active and dormant volcanoes. Probabilistic temporal models are required to handle the stochastic nature of observed records. Such models are usually assembled using point process techniques or renewal theory and most are purely temporal in the sense that they only consider the distribution of event or inter-event times as predictors of further volcanic activity. I demonstrate using a high-resolution eruption record from Mt Taranaki (New Zealand) how geochemical data can be incorporated, using a proportional hazards type approach, to improve the performance of current renewal-type models. Probabilistic forecasting relies on the accuracy and completeness of historical eruption records. This poses the question of how to establish a detailed record of past volcanic events. Multiple sites are needed to build a composite tephra record, but correctly merging them by recognizing events in common and site-specific gaps remains complex. I present an automated procedure for matching tephra sequences, using stochastic local optimization techniques. Implausible matches are eliminated through careful reasoning, while heuristically searching over the remaining alternatives. Possible matches are verified using known tephra compositions and stratigraphic constraints. The method is applied to match tephra records from five long sediment cores in Auckland, New Zealand. The correlated record compiled is statistically more likely than previously published arrangements from this area. In addition to the matching of tephras found in the Auckland region, the algorithm is applied to stratigraphic records obtained from Mt Taranaki. With more detailed geochemical information available, matches are constrained further by considering principle component analysis of titanomagnetite compositional data. Finally, after combining the amalgamated record of Mt Taranaki events with point thickness measurements, the eruptive volume of Mt Taranaki events is estimated. Utilizing isopach maps and individual point observations a model is formulated, in a Bayesian framework, for the thicknesses of tephra deposits as a function of the distance and angular direction of each location. The model estimates, in addition to eruptive volume, the wind and site-specific effects on the thickness deposits. The findings lead on to methods of incorporating eruptive volumes in hazard estimation.
Upstream discharge distribution in compound-channel flumes

Common inlet design for compound-channel flumes does not ensure a proper upstream discharge distribution. As the total head in the upstream tank is the same for both main-channel and floodplain subsections, the velocity in the upstream section is also the same in both subsections. The floodplain discharge is therefore too large and a mass transfer towards the main channel occurs along the flume. This Technical Note investigates how long a compound-channel flume must be to ensure that equilibrium between subsection discharges is achieved. The required length is found to be significant compared to the actual length of experimental flumes reported in the literature.
Validation of a deep learning-based software for automated analysis of T2 mapping in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging

Background The reliability and diagnostic performance of deep learning (DL)-based automated T2 measurements on T2 map of 3.0-T cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using multi-institutional datasets have not been investigated. We aimed to evaluate the performance of a DL-based software for measuring automated T2 values from 3.0-T cardiac MRI obtained at two centers. Methods Eighty-three subjects were retrospectively enrolled from two centers (42 healthy subjects and 41 patients with myocarditis) to validate a commercial DL-based software that was trained to segment the left ventricular myocardium and measure T2 values on T2 mapping sequences. Manual reference T2 values by two experienced radiologists and those calculated by the DL-based software were obtained. The segmentation performance of the DL-based software and the non-inferiority of automated T2 values were assessed compared with the manual reference standard per segment level. The software’s performance in detecting elevated T2 values was assessed by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy per segment. Results The average Dice similarity coefficient for segmentation of myocardium on T2 maps was 0.844. The automated T2 values were non-inferior to the manual reference T2 values on a per-segment analysis (45.35 vs. 44.32 ms). The DL-based software exhibited good performance (sensitivity: 83.6–92.8%; specificity: 82.5–92.0%; accuracy: 82.7–92.2%) in detecting elevated T2 values. Conclusions The DL-based software for automated T2 map analysis yields non-inferior measurements at the per-segment level and good performance for detecting myocardial segments with elevated T2 values compared with manual analysis.
The role of the tongue-of-ionization in the formation of the poleward wall of the main trough in the European post-midnight sector

[1] A series of radio tomography reconstructions from the University of Wales Aberystwyth receiver chains in Scandinavia and the UK, imaging the midnight-dawn sector on 13 December 2001, reveal a persistent large-scale electron density enhancement, which forms the poleward wall of the main ionization trough. Measurements by the European Incoherent Scatter radar (EISCAT) rule out in situ soft-particle precipitation as the main source of the higher densities. SuperDARN plasma drift observations and electric potential patterns place the feature in the dawn cell of the high-latitude convection, leading to the conclusion that the higher density is likely to have originated as photoionization and was convected over the polar cap to the nightside and around toward dawn in a tongue-of-ionization (TOI). Suitable runs of the Coupled Thermosphere-Ionosphere-Plasmasphere (CTIP) model support this interpretation and also reveal that the formation of the TOI is heavily UT dependent, which would lead to it being most prominent at nighttime in the European sector.
Spatial variation in transient water table responses: differences between an upper and lower hillslope zone

To better understand storage‐runoff dynamics, transient groundwater responses were examined in one of the steep watersheds in British Columbia's coastal mountains. Streamflow and piezometric data were collected for 1 year to determine the spatial and temporal relations between transient groundwater levels and discharge. Correlations between piezometer responses and lag‐time analysis were used to identify and better understand runoff generation mechanisms in this watershed. Results showed a large spatial and temporal variation in transient water table dynamics and indicated that two distinct zones existed: a lower hillslope zone and an upslope zone. Each zone was characterized by very different water table responses. The upper hillslope was disconnected from the stream for the majority of time, suggesting that during most events, it does not directly contribute to streamflow. Piezometers in the lower hillslope zone showed hydrologically limited responses, suggesting rapid subsurface flow, likely through the many macropores and soil pipes. The lag time between peak streamflow and peak groundwater level decreased with increasing antecedent moisture conditions and was more variable for piezometers further away from the stream than for piezometers close to the stream. The study results indicate that a single storage‐runoff model is not appropriate for this steep watershed and that a two‐ or three‐compartment model would be more suitable. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Arsênio na água subterrânea em Ouro Preto e Mariana, Quadrilátero Ferrífero (MG)

In the Iron Quadrangle region the public supply of water is done mainly by the impound of water of watersheds. However, in some places, the population use spring water or ground water from closed mines for human consumption. The main natural sources of As in the Iron Quadrangle are related to the rocks that contain lode gold deposits. The antropic sources of As are contaminated refuse piles, soil, and sediment. It was found total As concentration varying from 2 to 2,980 µg/L and As3+ from 1 to 86 µg/L in water samples collected in underground gold mines, artesian wells, and springs in Ouro Preto and Mariana counties. Based on geological and hydrogeochemical studies of the occurrence of As in rocks and groundwater, it was found that the highest As concentrations occurred in aquifers hosted in carbonate sulphide rich rocks. The As monitoring in underground water should be done periodically, independent of its absence in a first instance, in wells and other groundwater caption sources that are used nowadays for public or private suppliers.
Source of the Dalradian Supergroup constrained by U–Pb dating of detrital zircon and implications for the East Laurentian margin

Detrital zircons in siliciclastic units of the Dalradian Supergroup yield U–Pb ages ranging from 3.2 to 0.5 Ga. Detrital zircons from the sub-Grampian Group basement and the Grampian Group are predominantly of Palaeoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic ages with Archaean grains absent or rare. In contrast, the overlying Appin, Argyll and Southern Highland groups contain a significant contribution of Archaean detrital zircon grains, some of which locally preserve evidence for late Palaeoproterozoic overgrowths dated at c. 1.8 Ga. In addition, on concordia plots Archaean grains are slightly discordant with a lower intercept at c. 1.8 Ga suggesting they were affected by a tectonothermal event at this time. Late Palaeoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic grains also show evidence for overprinting by a tectonothermal event around 1.0–0.9 Ga. These tectonothermal events occurred in the source region before accumulation of the siliciclastic detritus. The analysed samples contained no definitive evidence for having been affected by a late Neoproterozoic (Knoydartian) event or of containing detritus derived from a source showing evidence for this event. The overall age range of detritus, combined with sparse palaeocurrent data, is consistent with derivation from the Laurentian foreland, especially the Labrador–Greenland region. Archaean detritus overlaps with that of Archaean cratons, notably the Superior, whereas Palaeoproterozoic detritus corresponds to the timing of suturing of Archaean cratons by a series of orogenic belts (Ketilidian–Makkovik, New Quebec, Nagssugtoqidian, Torngat belts). Mesoproterozoic detritus is consistent with derivation from the Grenville Orogen. The presence of a series of detrital age peaks in the late Palaeoproterozoic and early Mesoproterozoic (1.8–1.5 Ga), the paucity of mid-Mesoproterozoic detritus (1.4–1.2 Ga), and evidence for a tectonothermal event between 1.0 and 0.9 Ga is typical of the geological history of the Labrador–Greenland region of Laurentia.
Petrogenesis of Cenozoic Basalts from Vietnam: Implication for Origins of a ‘Diffuse Igneous Province’

after the early Tertiary India‐Asia collision. This activity does not conform to the ‘Large Igneous Province’ model in view of lower eruption and melt production rates, wide dispersal of centres and the apparent absence of deep mantle upwelling. Age data for Vietnamese plateau basalts reflect spatial‐temporal KEY WORDS: Vietnam; basalt; Cenozoic; geochemistry patterns consistent with a rotating stress field rather than suprahotspot lithosphere migration. For most of the volcanic centres there are two eruptive episodes: an early series formed by highSiO2, low-FeO* quartz and olivine tholeiites—large melt fractions of refractory (lithosphere-like) mantle—and a later series made INTRODUCTION up of low-SiO2, high-FeO* olivine tholeiites, alkali basalts and Neogene‐Quaternary intraplate volcanism is widespread basanites—smaller melt fractions of more fertile (asthenosphere- in east and southeast Asia (Fig. 1a) forming basalt plateaux like) mantle. Comparison of Mg-15 normalized basalt com- associated with pull-apart, extensional rifts (Barr & positions with parameterized anhydrous and hydrous experimental McDonald, 1981; Whitford-Stark, 1987). Although melt compositions allowed calculation of melt segregation pressures widely dispersed the activity shares common source isoand temperatures. Computed for anhydrous conditions these range topic and lithosphere structural character with intraplate from <4 GPa and ~1470∞C (for alkali basalts) to <0·5 GPa and back-arc volcanism in the western Pacific and has and ~1400∞C (quartz tholeiites), and for H2O-undersaturated been referred to as a ‘diVuse’ igneous province (Hoang conditions, from <3·5 GPa and ~1450∞C to ~1·5 GPa and et al., 1996). The activity post-dates the early Tertiary 1350‐1400∞C, respectively. Hydrous conditions are more realistic India‐Asia collision and may be related to asthenospheric in view of high measured basalt H2O + contents, pressure and lithospheric tectonic extrusion processes (Tapponnier estimates consistent with melting below a thinned mechanical et al., 1982, 1986). The province is bounded to the east boundary layer (MBL) and interpolated mantle adiabats of and southeast by active subduction at the Izu‐Bonin, 2‐3∞C/km (compared with <1∞C/km for anhydrous conditions), Mariana and Indonesian archipelagos, and to the northconsistent with fluid dynamic constraints and a 1440∞C potential west by the collision-thickened Tibet plateau (Flower et temperature. After collision-induced ‘extrusion’ of east and al., 1998a). The Indochina and China plates appear to southeast Asia, the lithosphere was probably thinned during have been tectonically extruded along regional strike-slip faults, with concomitant opening of the South China