Reconnaissance on Liquefaction-induced Flow Failure Caused by the 2018 Mw 7.5 Sulawesi Earthquake, Palu, Indonesia

The Mw 7.5 Sulawesi Earthquake 2018 was a catastrophic disaster that resulted in large numbers of casualties. This study aimed to investigate the damages of liquefaction-induced-flow failure in three areas in Palu city, i.e. Petobo, Balaroa, and Jono Oge. It was found that this flow failure occurred on a large scale at a very gentle ground inclination, ranging from 1 to 3%. In order to gain an understanding of the soil conditions in these specific locations, Portable Dynamic Cone Penetration Tests were conducted in Petobo. The results showed that the soil layers in the affected area were in a loose state compared to the non-affected areas. Furthermore, some spots of freshwater inundation were recognized in Petobo and Balaroa, even two weeks after the disaster. Based on this evidence, a mechanism of liquefaction-induced-flow failure caused by a confined aquifer is proposed

Effects of Olibanum and Tea-tree, used in Aromatherapy today, on the Body and Mind

Olibanum (frankincense), used as a religious offering, has been one of the most valuable and respected substances since ancient times. Tea-tree, with a long history as a folk medicine for Australian aborigines, has been used in modern aromatherapy since the late 1970’s. In this paper, comparisons of olibanum and tea-tree in aromatherapy and their effects on the body and mind are discussed

Vegetation in Sakai City, Osaka, as a Sink of Air Pollutants

Plants absorb gaseous air pollutants from the atmosphere through stomata. In this study, the absorption of CO_2, SO_2 and NO_2 by the vegetation classified into 11 categories based on land use was evaluated from the net and gross production, and the area of each vegetation in Sakai city divided into 48 sections. As a result, the distribution of the gas absorption rate per unit area showed the gradient from the south mountainous area to the northwest commercial and industrial area. The total annual absorption of CO_2, SO_2 and NO_2 by the vegetation in Sakai was estimated to be 87kt, 66t and 77t, respectively. The absorption of SO_2 and NO_2 was equivalent to 9.9 and 2.0% of the exhaustion from the major stationary sources in Sakai, respectively. Moreover the NO_2 absorption was equivalent to 0.8% of the total NO_2 exhaustion in Sakai. The vegetation in the tumuli in Sakai was the efficient sink of the gases, particularly NO_2

The 2015 Gorkha Nepal Earthquake: Insights from Earthquake Damage Survey

The 2015 Gorkha Nepal earthquake caused tremendous damage and loss. To gain valuable lessons from this tragic event, an earthquake damage investigation team was dispatched to Nepal from 1 May 2015 to 7 May 2015. A unique aspect of the earthquake damage investigation is that first-hand earthquake damage data were obtained 6–11 days after the mainshock. To gain deeper understanding of the observed earthquake damage in Nepal, the paper reviews the seismotectonic setting and regional seismicity in Nepal and analyzes available aftershock data and ground motion data. The earthquake damage observations indicate that the majority of the damaged buildings were stone/brick masonry structures with no seismic detailing, whereas the most of RC buildings were undamaged. This indicates that adequate structural design is the key to reduce the earthquake risk in Nepal. To share the gathered damage data widely, the collected damage data (geo-tagged photos and observation comments) are organized using Google Earth and the kmz file is made publicly available

Extremely large post-liquefaction deformations of saturated sand under cyclic torsional shear loading

The effect of static shear stress on the undrained cyclic behavior of saturated Toyoura sand was studied by conducting a series of torsional shear tests up to double amplitude shear strain of about 100%. After being isotropically consolidated, the specimens were subjected to drained monotonic torsional shear loading, and then, cyclic torsional shear stress was applied under undrained condition. The amplitude of combined static and cyclic shear stress was kept constant by correcting the measured value for the effect of membrane force. Based on these test results, it was found that the effective stress path and the stress-strain curve were affected by the initial static shear stress. Accumulation of shear strain was clearly noticed in the same direction where the static shear stress was applied. Localization of specimen deformation, which increases with the shear strain level, was observed

Stability of existing bridges improved by structural integration and nailing

AbstractTo examine whether and how the seismic stability of existing bridges can be substantially improved by integrating the girder, the abutments and the backfill, a series of shaking table tests were performed in 1 g. The tested small bridge models are (1) a conventional-type comprising a girder, supported by a pair of gravity-type abutments (without pile foundation) via bearings (fixed and movable), and unreinforced backfill, (2) the girder and the abutments of the above are integrated (without using bearings), (3) the backfill of the above is reinforced with two layers of large-diameter nails connected to the abutment top and the toe or the heel of the abutment footing and (4) the bottom nails of the above are replaced with longer ones connected to the toe of the abutment footing. Their dynamic behavior was analyzed as a damped single-degree-of-freedom system. The dynamic stability of the bridge was found to increase with an increase in (i) the dynamic strength against the response acceleration, (ii) the initial stiffness, (iii) the dynamic ductility (i.e., a smaller decreasing rate of stiffness during dynamic loading) and (iv) the damping ratio. When factors (ii) and (iii) are high enough, the natural frequency of a bridge can be kept much higher than the input frequency, and thus, the response acceleration can be kept low. All these factors can be improved by integrating the girder, the abutments and the backfill together with part of the supporting ground. In a series of static model tests, lateral cyclic displacements, caused by the seasonal thermal deformation of the girders with prototypes, were applied to the top of a small abutment model. The active failure in the backfill and the detrimental effects of large passive pressure, both developing due to the dual ratchet mechanism, can be effectively restrained by reinforcing the backfill and supporting the ground with nails connected to the top and the bottom of the abutments

Optical and Near-Infrared Photometry of Nova V2362 Cyg : Rebrightening Event and Dust Formation

We present optical and near-infrared (NIR) photometry of a classical nova, V2362 Cyg (= Nova Cygni 2006). V2362 Cyg experienced a peculiar rebrightening with a long duration from 100 to 240 d after the maximum of the nova. Our multicolor observation indicates an emergence of a pseudophotosphere with an effective temperature of 9000 K at the rebrightening maximum. After the rebrightening maximum, the object showed a slow fading homogeneously in all of the used bands for one week. This implies that the fading just after the rebrightening maximum ( less or equal 1 week ) was caused by a slowly shrinking pseudophotosphere. Then, the NIR flux drastically increased, while the optical flux steeply declined. The optical and NIR flux was consistent with blackbody radiation with a temperature of 1500 K during this NIR rising phase. These facts are likely to be explained by dust formation in the nova ejecta. Assuming an optically thin case, we estimate the dust mass of 10^(-8) -- 10^(-10) M_solar, which is less than those in typical dust-forming novae. These results support the senario that a second, long-lasting outflow, which caused the rebrightening, interacted with a fraction of the initial outflow and formed dust grains.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 2010, PASJ, 62, 1103--1108, in pres

The 2006 November outburst of EG Aquarii: the SU UMa nature revealed

We report time-resolved CCD photometry of the cataclysmic variable EG Aquarii during the 2006 November outburst During the outburst, superhumps were unambiguously detected with a mean period of 0.078828(6) days, firstly classifying the object as an SU UMa-type dwarf nova. It also turned out that the outburst contained a precursor. At the end of the precursor, immature profiles of humps were observed. By a phase analysis of these humps, we interpreted the features as superhumps. This is the second example that the superhumps were shown during a precursor. Near the maximum stage of the outburst, we discovered an abrupt shift of the superhump period by ${\sim}$ 0.002 days. After the supermaximum, the superhump period decreased at the rate of $\dot{P}/P$=$-8.2{\times}10^{-5}$, which is typical for SU UMa-type dwarf novae. Although the outburst light curve was characteristic of SU UMa-type dwarf novae, long-term monitoring of the variable shows no outbursts over the past decade. We note on the basic properties of long period and inactive SU UMa-type dwarf novae.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for PAS

Feasibility study of immediate pharyngeal cooling initiation in cardiac arrest patients after arrival at the emergency room

AIM: Cooling the pharynx and upper oesophagus would be more advantageous for rapid induction of therapeutic hypothermia since the carotid arteries run in their vicinity. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of pharyngeal cooling on brain temperature and the safety and feasibility for patients under resuscitation. METHODS: Witnessed non-traumatic cardiac arrest patients (n=108) were randomized to receive standard care with (n=53) or without pharyngeal cooling (n=55). In the emergency room, pharyngeal cooling was initiated before or shortly after return of spontaneous circulation by perfusing physiological saline (5 °C) into a pharyngeal cuff for 120 min. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in tympanic temperature at 40 min after arrival (P=0.02) with a maximum difference between the groups at 120 min (32.9 ± 1.2°C, pharyngeal cooling group vs. 34.1 ± 1.3°C, control group; P<0.001). The return of spontaneous circulation (70% vs. 65%, P=0.63) and rearrest (38% vs. 47%, P=0.45) rates were not significantly different based on the initiation of pharyngeal cooling. No post-treatment mechanical or cold-related injury was observed on the pharyngeal epithelium by macroscopic observation. The thrombocytopaenia incidence was lower in the pharyngeal cooling group (P=0.001) during the 3-day period after arrival. The cumulative survival rate at 1 month was not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Initiation of pharyngeal cooling before or immediately after the return of spontaneous circulation is safe and feasible. Pharyngeal cooling can rapidly decrease tympanic temperature without adverse effects on circulation or the pharyngeal epithelium