Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Extreme Rainfall on Cut Slope Stability

This paper addresses the effects of extreme rainfall on the stability of cut slopes in Yen Bai city, Northern Viet Nam. In this area, natural slopes are excavated to create places for infrastructures and buildings. Cut slopes are usually made without proper site investigations; the design is mostly based on experience. In recent years, many slope failures have occurred along these cuts especially in rainy seasons, resulting in properties damaged and loss of lives. To explain the reason that slope failure often happens during rainy seasons, this research analyzed the influence of extreme rainfalls, initial ground conditions, and soil permeability on the changes of pore water pressure within the typical slope, thereafter determining the impact of these changes on the slope stability factor of safety. The extreme rainfalls were selected based on all of the rainfalls triggering landslide events that have occurred over the period from 1960 to 2009. The factor of safety (FS) was calculated using Bishop’s simplified method. The results show that when the maximum infiltration capacity of the slope top soil is less than the rainfall intensity, slope failures may occur 14 hours after the rain starts. And when this happens, the rainfall duration is the deciding factor that affects the slope FS values. In short, cut slopes in Yen Bai may be stable in normal conditions after the excavation, but under the influence of tropical rain storms, their stability is always questionable.
Carbon and Nitrogen Mineralization of Lead Treated Soils in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Turkey

The aim of this study was to determine the first effect of lead on microbial activity in soil. The study was carried out in the soil samples from four different radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. radicula, Brassicaceae) fields along the highway in a district (Kadirli, Osmaniye) of the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Turkey. After the calculation of Pb contents, the Pb amounts of the soil samples were brought up to 50 and 100 mg Pb kg−1 by treatment with Pb(NO 3 ) 2 , and the samples for the carbon and the nitrogen mineralization were incubated under controlled conditions (28°C, constant moist). The carbon mineralization was determined by a CO 2 respiration method for 30 days. The nitrogen mineralization was observed in vitro for 6 weeks. The untreated group was statistically different from the 50 and 100 mg Pb kg−1 treatments in the aspect of the C(CO 2 ) outlet during mineralization (P ≤ 0.05), but difference between the 50 and 100 mg Pb kg−1 treatments was not significant. NH 4 -N and NO 3 -N contents of each soil were shown differences between across treatments. Based on these results, it is possible to conclude that the addition of 50 and 100 mg Pb kg−1 provided a toxic effect threshold for the microbial activity into 30 days.
Local oxidation and reduction of graphene

Micrometer sized oxidation patterns were created in chemical vapor deposition grown graphene through scanning probe lithography (SPL) and then subsequently reduced by irradiation using a focused x-ray beam. Throughout the process, the films were characterized by lateral force microscopy, micro-Raman and micro-x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Firstly, the density of grain boundaries was found to be crucial in determining the maximum possible oxygen coverage with SPL. Secondly, the dominant factor in SPL oxidation was found to be the bias voltage. At low voltages, only structural defects are formed on grain boundaries. Above a distinct threshold voltage, oxygen coverage increased rapidly, with the duration of applied voltage affecting the final oxygen coverage. Finally, we found that, independent of initial conditions, types of defects or the amount of SPL oxidation, the same set of coupled rate equations describes the reduction dynamics with the limiting reduction step being C–C → C=C.
Age, composition, and areal distribution of the Pliocene Lawlor Tuff, and three younger Pliocene tuffs, California and Nevada

The Lawlor Tuff is a widespread dacitic tephra layer produced by Plinian eruptions and ash flows derived from the Sonoma Volcanics, a volcanic area north of San Francisco Bay in the central Coast Ranges of California, USA. The younger, chemically similar Huichica tuff, the tuff of Napa, and the tuff of Monticello Road sequentially overlie the Lawlor Tuff, and were erupted from the same volcanic field. We obtain new laser-fusion and incremental-heating 40 Ar/ 39 Ar isochron and plateau ages of 4.834 ± 0.011, 4.76 ± 0.03, ≤4.70 ± 0.03, and 4.50 ± 0.02 Ma (1 sigma), respectively, for these layers. The ages are concordant with their stratigraphic positions and are significantly older than those determined previously by the K-Ar method on the same tuffs in previous studies. Based on offsets of the ash-flow phase of the Lawlor Tuff by strands of the eastern San Andreas fault system within the northeastern San Francisco Bay area, total offset east of the Rodgers Creek–Healdsburg fault is estimated to be in the range of 36 to 56 km, with corresponding displacement rates between 8.4 and 11.6 mm/yr over the past ∼4.83 Ma. We identify these tuffs by their chemical, petrographic, and magnetic characteristics over a large area in California and western Nevada, and at a number of new localities. They are thus unique chronostratigraphic markers that allow correlation of marine and terrestrial sedimentary and volcanic strata of early Pliocene age for their region of fallout. The tuff of Monticello Road is identified only near its eruptive source.
Relevance Feedback using Support Vector Machines

We show that support vectors machines (SVM’s) are much better than conventional algorithms in a relevancy feedback (RF) environment in information retrieval (IR) of text documents. We track performance as a function of feedback iteration and show that while the conventional algorithms do very well in the initial feedback iteration if the topic searched for has high visibility in the data base, they do very poorly if the relevant documents are a small percentage of the data base. SVM’s however do very well when the number of documents returned in the preliminary search is low and the number of relevant documents is small. The competitive algorithms examined are Rocchio, Ide regular, and Ide dec-hi.
Efficient Algorithm for Mining Frequent Subgraphs (Static and Dynamic) based on gSpan

sub graph mining is another active research topic in data mining. A graph is a general model to represent data and has been used in many domains like chemo informatics and bioinformatics. Mining patterns from graph databases is challenging since graph related operations, such as sub graph testing, generally have higher time complexity than the corresponding operations on item sets, sequences, and trees. We investigated new approaches for frequent graph-based pattern mining in graph datasets and found that a novel algorithm called span (graph-based Substructure pattern mining), has been used as the standard for comparing performance of new algorithms. It is based on the pattern growth approach of frequent sub graph mining and hence discovers frequent substructures without candidate generation. span is based on a lexicographic order, and maps each graph to a unique minimum DFS code as its canonical label. Based on this lexicographic order, gSpan adopts the depth-first search strategy to mine frequent connected sub graphs efficiently. Based on the literature survey done, algorithms based on pattern growth approach and DFS strategy are found to be better in performance than algorithms based on Apriori approach and BFS strategy. In this paper we propose a new algorithm based on gSpan, for a special class of graphs characterised by the existence of unique node lablels.
Stratigraphy and mineralogy of Candor Mensa, West Candor Chasma, Mars: Insights into the geologic history of Valles Marineris

Candor Mensa, an interior layered deposit (ILD) in Valles Marineris, Mars, consists of two stratigraphically distinct units, the lower of which comprises the bulk of the mensa. This lower unit is approximately 5 km thick and composed of parallel layers, 4 to 14 m in thickness and associated with monohydrated sulfates. The lower unit is disconformably overlain by an upper unit composed of thinner (< 3 m) layers with diagnostic polyhydrated sulfate signatures. The original extent of proto‐Candor Mensa and its lower unit included neighboring Baetis Mensa. We suggest that the source material for both units is airborne dust or ash but that the depositional environment for the units differs. First, the lower unit was deposited during the subsidence of an enclosed water‐filled basin. This basin/lake could have been frozen periodically, with freeze‐thaw episodes possibly linked to Martian obliquity cycles. Erosion, including the potential action of glaciers, was able to remove large volumes of material out of the basin during the tectonism that produced the current geometry of Valles Marineris. Deposition of the upper unit postdates this event and took place in the absence of standing water at high elevation. Groundwater or snowmelt may have provided the water required for sulfate formation and deposit induration. We conclude that the major break in sedimentation recorded by this ILD deposit coincides with linking of ancestral basins into the current geometry of Valles Marineris chasmata and that it was possible to form hydrated minerals after this event.
Impact of polyacrylamide delivery method with lime or gypsum for soil and nutrient stabilization

Applying lime or gypsum as soil conditioners in concert with polyacrylamide (PAM) can reduce soil erosion more than applying the conditioner or the PAM alone, but little is known about the relative impact of different combined application methods. Laboratory rainfall simulations were conducted for 1 hour with runoff collected in 20-minute intervals to compare runoff sediment, sediment-bound P and NH4-N, and dissolved Ca and S loads. Treatments were bare soil, lime, gypsum, PAM-coated lime or gypsum prills, and lime or gypsum prills applied with separate PAM-coated paper mulch granules. All treatments, except gypsum, reduced sediment and sediment-bound P loads compared to bare soil (p < 0.01), and all PAM-conditioner treatments were more effective than the respective conditioner alone. Load reductions compared to bare soil were greatest for PAM-coated lime and PAM-coated gypsum, with sediment reductions of 83% and 69%, respectively (p < 0.01). Sediment P loads followed trends in sediment loads, while sediment NH4-N load reductions were, in general, slightly smaller and statistically less significant. Sediment load reductions were 16% greater for PAM-coated lime than lime applied with separate PAM granules and were 11% greater for the PAM-coated gypsum than gypsum applied with separate PAM granules. However, these differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Runoff dissolved Ca loads (for lime and gypsum) and S loads (for gypsum) were significantly reduced by the PAM-coated conditioner treatments compared to the conditioner applied with separate PAM granules. Dissolution tests indicated that the PAM coating reduces the dissolution rate of the lime and gypsum, suggesting a possible mechanism accounting for differences between the two PAM treatments. This work suggests that the use of PAM in conjunction with lime or gypsum can be an effective erosion control tool, reducing sediment and nutrient losses and that coating lime or gypsum with PAM may have added benefit.
Bmc Clinical Pharmacology Evaluation of Safe and Effective Administration of Nitrous Oxide after a Postgraduate Training Course

Background: Conscious sedation is used in dentistry to improve access and quality of care in patients who have difficulty coping with treatment. The aim of this prospective study was to describe a postgraduate training course in conscious sedation for dentists, with specific evaluation of the safe and effective administration of a 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen premix.
Anisotropic structure beneath central Java from local earthquake tomography

In this study we present the new tomographic code ANITA which provides 3‐D anisotropic P and isotropic S velocity distribution based on P and S traveltimes from local seismicity. For the P anisotropic model, we determine four parameters for each parameterization cell. This represents an orthorhombic anisotropy with one predefined direction oriented vertically. Three of the parameters describe slowness variations along three horizontal orientations with azimuths of 0°, 60°, and 120°, and one is a perturbation along the vertical axis. The nonlinear iterative inversion procedure is similar to that used in the LOTOS code. We have implemented this algorithm for the updated data set of central Java, part of which was previously used for the isotropic inversion. It was obtained that the crustal and uppermost mantle velocity structure beneath central Java is strongly anisotropic with 7–10% of maximal difference between slow and fast velocity in different directions. In the forearc (area between southern coast and volcanoes), the structure of both isotropic and anisotropic structure is strongly heterogeneous. Variety of anisotropy orientations and highly contrasted velocity patterns can be explained by a complex block structure of the crust. Beneath volcanoes we observe faster velocities in vertical direction, which is probably an indicator for vertically oriented structures (channels, dykes). In the crust beneath the middle part of central Java, north to Merapi and Lawu volcanoes, we observe a large and very intense anomaly with a velocity decrease of up to 30% and 35% for P and S models, respectively. Inside this anomaly E‐W orientation of fast velocity takes place, probably caused by regional extension stress regime. In a vertical section we observe faster horizontal velocities inside this anomaly that might be explained by layering of sediments and/or penetration of quasi‐horizontal lenses with molten magma. In the mantle, trench parallel anisotropy is observed throughout the study area. Such anisotropy in the slab entrained corner flow may be due to presence of B‐type olivine having predominant axis parallel to the shear direction, which appears in conditions of high water or/and melting content.
Controller design Interactions of controlling limbs, time-lags and gains in positional and velocity systems

The effectiveness of the thumb, hand and forearm were compared in operating joystick controls of both a positional servo-mechanism and a velocity system. The angular displacement sensitivity (gain) and exponential time constant (lag) of the systems were systematically varied. The operator's task was to manipulate a joystick in order to move a display marker a constant distance to a specified degree of accuracy. The times taken to do this were used to compare performances in the different control conditions. Two experiments were conducted. In the first, in which a positional system was used, optimal angular gain changed through a range- from 0-15 to 0 50 as lags increased from 0 to 2 sec. Curve-fitting to the results enabled formulae to be derived to estimate the times required to complete accurate movements if control gain and lag arc known, and to determine the optimum control gain if the lag is known. In the second experiment, in which a velocity system was used, optimal angular gain was about 1-3 radia.
Labile forms of iron in coastal seawater: Otago Harbour, New Zealand

The horizontal distribution and speciation of iron in the Otago Harbour, New Zealand, a shallow, vertically well mixed estuary, was investigated on six occasions from April to November 1993. Iron speciation was determined by a suite of analytical methods focussing on the chemical reactivity of iron. The dominant source of iron into the water column in these waters was resuspension of bottom sediments, particularly under windy conditions. The only important freshwater source of iron to the harbour, the Water of Leith, appeared to be a major source of iron to Otago Harbour only under conditions of high stream flow. However, the influence of the Water of Leith was often detectable down harbour by the presence of more reactive/labile iron phases. Prolonged periods of strong winds also appeared to supply large concentrations of reactive iron to the water column, possibly by mixing and resuspension of sediment material from below the redox boundary. Experiments on natural samples from Otago Harbour revealed that at pH 4.0 ascorbic acid was able to reduce Fe(III) oxyhydroxides more effectively than was hydroxylamine hydrochloride. This difference may reflect either different mechanisms for the reduction of iron oxyhydroxides or differences in the crystallinity of these oxyhydroxides.
Fine mode aerosol composition at three long-term atmospheric monitoring sites in the Amazon Basin

The Amazon Basin tropical rain forest is a key region to study processes that are changing the composition of the global atmosphere, including the large amount of fine mode aerosol particles emitted during biomass burning that might influence the global atmosphere. Three background monitoring stations, Alta Floresta, Cuiaba, and Serra do Navio, are operating continuously measuring aerosol composition. Fine (dp < 2.0 μm) and coarse (2.0 < dp < 10 μm) mode aerosol particles were collected using stacked filter units. Particle-induced X-ray emission was used to measure concentrations of up to 20 elements in the fine mode: Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, and Pb. Soot carbon and gravimetric mass analysis were also performed. Absolute Principal Factor Analysis (APFA) has derived absolute elemental source profiles. APFA showed four aerosol particle components: soil dust (Al, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe), biomass burning (soot, fine mode mass concentration, K, Cl), natural primary biogenic particles with gas-to-particle component (K, S, Ca, Mn, Zn), and marine aerosol (Cl). Biogenic and biomass burning aerosol particles dominate the fine mode mass concentration, with the presence of K, P, S, Cl, Zn, Br, and fine mode mass concentration (FPM). At the Alta Floresta and Cuiaba sites, during the dry season, a strong component of biomass burning is observed. Inhalable particulate matter (dp < 10 μm) mass concentration up to 700 μg/m3 was measured. Fine particle mass concentration alone can go as high as 400 μg/m3 for large regions. The fine mode biogenic and biomass burning components show remarkable similarities in the elemental composition, even though the sampling sites are more than 3000 km apart. Fine mode sulfur concentration is entirely associated with the primary biogenic aerosol particles, with gas-to-particle conversion and the biomass burning component. Large amounts of essential plant nutrients like P are mobilized into the atmosphere and possibly lost from the Amazon Basin ecosystem by long-range transport.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service

By this letter the National Marine Fisheries Service registers its protest to the application for appropriative water right 29449 filed by Doug Cole, et al. to divert water from· Stanshaw Creek, which is tributary to the Klamath River. The Project proposes to divert 3 cfs for the purpose of hydroelectric generation. Stanshaw Creek, which lies within the Klamath River watershed , may support or contribute to sustaining populations of the Central California Coast Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU) of coho salmon.
Predicting Water Table Fluctuations Using Artificial Neural Network

Two types of water table prediction models based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technology were developed to simulate the water table fluctuations at two well sites in Maryland. One was based on the relationship between the variations of brightness temperature and water table depth. The other one was based on the relationship between the changes of soil moisture and water table depth. Water table depths recorded at these two wells, brightness temperature retrieved from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer – Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), and soil moisture data produced by the Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) were used to train and validate the models. Three models were constructed and they all performed well in predicting water table fluctuations. The root mean square errors of the water table depth forecasts for 12 months were between 0.043m and 0.047m for these three models. The results of sensitivity test showed that the models were more sensitive to the uncertainty in water table depth than to that in brightness temperature or in soil moisture content. This suggests that for situations where high resolution remotely sensed data is not available, an ANN water table prediction model still can be built if the trend of the time series of the data such as brightness temperature or soil moisture over the study site correlates well with that at the study site.
Navarretia furnissii (Polemoniaceae), a new diploid species from the intermountain western United States distinguished from tetraploid Navarretia saximontana

Morphological and DNA-based characters distinguish a new diploid species centered in the Intermountain Region of the western United States, Navarretia furnissii , from N. saximontana , which is tetraploid. The two species are reciprocally monophyletic in analyses of chloroplast DNA sequences and nrDNA ITS sequences. Navarretia furnissii , presently known from Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado, is distinguished morphologically from N. saximontana by a smaller corolla, greater frequency of pronged calyx lobes, and fewer seeds. A key to Navarretia of the Intermountain Region is presented.
Experience and the Improvement of Cartographic Communication

AbstractBoth reader training and improved map design can be used to increase the communicative effectiveness of maps. Tests with dot densities and circles indicate that either rescaling of symbols (design) or the allowance of some feedback (reader training) will result in more accurate median estimates. The feedback approach, however, is associated with a greater dispersion in estimates, i.e. estimates are less clustered about the median. When both the rescaling and feedback approaches are used, both the medians and dispersion are improved. A different experiment, involving map comparisons, shows that a small amount of reader training can clarify the concept involved in that task and such clarification increases accuracy. While both design modification and reader training induce improvements in map communication, these improvements are different in nature; the two approaches are not substitutes for one another but are complementary.
Long-term variations in orographic rainfall: analysis and implications for upland catchments

Abstract Climatic changes could alter the frequency and magnitude of rainfall events and the distribution of rainfall with altitude, with important consequences for management of aquatic ecosystems, water resources and flood risk. This study investigates changes in observed rainfall amounts across a range of altitudes in the Lake District region, northwest England, and spatial and temporal changes to the orographic “rainshadow” effect. Between the 1970s and 1990s there have been marked changes to the seasonality of precipitation, such that winters have become wetter, and increasingly dominated by heavy precipitation events. The intensity of these events has increased most markedly at higherelevation sites. Such changes could hinder recovery of sensitive upland sites from acidification and increase the risk of downstream flooding. An inter-decadal weakening of the region's rainshadow suggests a greater proportion of winter precipitation crosses the high-elevation Lake District dome. This is linked to changes in the frequency and character of wet weather patterns.