Fast practical evaluation of soil–structure interaction of embedded structures

A simple and fast evaluation method of soil–structure interaction (SSI) effects of embedded structures is presented via a cone model. The impedances and the effective input motions at the bottom of an embedded foundation are evaluated by means of the cone model. Those quantities are transformed exactly to the corresponding values at the top of the foundation. The evaluated quantities are combined with the super-structure at the top of the foundation. The transfer function amplitude of the interstory drift of a single-degree-of-freedom super-structure is computed for various cases, i.e. no SSI, SSI without embedment, SSI with shallow embedment, SSI with deep embedment. Soil properties are also varied to investigate in more detail the SSI effects of embedded structures. It is found that, while the transfer function amplitude is reduced by the increase of embedment in general, the characteristics of the transfer function amplitude for a very small ground shear wave velocity and large embedment are irregular and complicated.     

Nonlinear surface ground analysis via statistical approach

A statistical approach is proposed for nonlinear surface ground analysis. In contrast to the conventional method which deals with only a single ground motion for equivalent linearization of soil properties, a design response spectrum defined at the upper level (bottom of the surface ground) of an engineering bedrock can be handled as the target design earthquake in the present paper. The effective shear strain in each soil layer is evaluated by means of a statistical procedure in which the mean peak shear strain is computed in terms of its standard deviation and the corresponding peak factor. The stiffness and damping ratio of each soil layer are obtained iteratively from the nonlinear relation of stiffness reduction factors and damping ratios with respect to the strain level. After the evaluation of the equivalent stiffness and damping ratio of every soil layer, the ground surface response spectrum is transformed from the design response spectrum defined at the upper level of the engineering bedrock via the one-dimensional wave propagation theory. The reliability and accuracy of the proposed analysis method is examined through the comparison with the results by the conventional method (represented by the program) for many simulated spectrum-compatible ground motions.     

Effects of alkali and alkaline-earth cations on the high-pressure sound velocities of aluminosilicate glasses

Physics and Chemistry of Minerals - A black tourmaline sample from Seagull batholith (Yukon Territory, Canada) was established to be a schorl with concentrations of Fe2+ among the highest currently...     

Production of the Blood Pressure Lowing Peptides from Brown Alga （ Undaria pinnatifida ）

Brown alga （ Undaria pinnatifida） was treated with alginate lyase and hydrolyzed using 17 kinds of proteases and the inhibitory activity of the hydrolysates for the angiotensin-I-converting enzyme （ACE） was measured. Four hydrolysates with potent ACE-inhibitory activity were administered singly and orally to spontaneously hypertensive rats （SHRs）. The systolic blood pressure of SHRs decreases significantly after single oral administration of the brown alga hydrolysates by pro- tease S ＇ Amano＇ （from Bacillus stearothermophilus） at the concentration of 10 （mg protein） （kg body weight）^ - 1. In the 17 weeks of feeding experiment, 7-week-old SHRs were fed standard diet supplemented with the brown alga hydrolysates for 10 weeks. In SHRs fed 1.0 and 0.1% brown alga hydrolysates, elevating of systolic bloodpressure was significantly suppressed for 7 weeks. To elucidate the active components, the brown alga hydrolysates were fractionated by 1-butanol extraction and HPLC on a reverse-phase column. Seven kinds of ACE-inhibitory peptides were isolated and identified by amino acid composition analysis, sequence analysis, and LC-MS with the results Val-Tyr, Ile-Tyr, Ala-Trp, Phe-Tyr, Val-Trp, Ile-Trp, and Leu-Trp. Each peptide was determined to have an antihypertensive effect after a single oral administration in SHRs. The brown alga hydrolysates were also confirmed to decrease the blood pressure in humans.     

Seasonal barotropic sea surface height fluctuation in relation to regional ocean mass variation

A consistency between seasonal fluctuation of actual sea surface height (SSH) and those caused by mass and density variations in gyre-scale regions is examined. The SSH obtained from satellite altimetry (altimetric SSH) is adopted as the actual SSH. SSH caused by mass variation (mass-related SSH) is simulated using a barotropic global ocean model forced by water flux, wind stress and surface pressure. SSH caused by density variation (steric SSH) is calculated from water density profile, i.e. temperature and salinity profiles. The model SSH well represents mass-related SSH for gyre-scale regional means, and seasonal fluctuation of the altimetric SSH corrected for the model SSH is similar to that of steric SSH above a pressure level larger than 300 dbar. The results indicate that the mass-related SSH does not much respond to the baroclinic adjustment to the seasonally varying wind stress curl. The mass-related SSH forced by wind stress and surface pressure should be accounted for regional evaluation, though it is not necessary for global mean evaluation. Detection of steric SSH from altimetric SSH would be useful for assimilation approaches in which the altimetric SSH is treated as the variable reflecting subsurface temperature and salinity.     

Biotic response of benthic foraminifera in Aso-kai lagoon,central Japan,to changes in terrestrial climate and ocean conditions (~AD 700–1600)

We investigated responses of shallow-water benthic foraminifera to changes in climate and ocean conditions, using sediment core ASC2 from Aso-kai lagoon, central Japan. Six AMS ¹⁴C dates reveal that the studied interval corresponds to sediments deposited from ~AD 700 to 1600. Sulfur content of the bulk sediment and multi-dimensional scaling (MDS) axis 1 of fossil benthic foraminifera indicate that the composition of the benthic foraminifera community was closely related to dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in the hypolimnion. The sulfur content and MDS axis 1 also revealed two shifts over the 900-year interval. In the first phase (~AD 700–1250), the Shannon–Wiener Index (H′), E (S₂₀₀), evenness and rank abundance curve (RAC) kurtosis indicate a gradual deterioration in structure of the benthic foraminifera community. In that period, there are statistically significant correlations between the faunal composition (MDS axis 1) and faunal structure [Shannon–Wiener (H′), E (S₂₀₀), evenness and RAC kurtosis]. In the second phase (~AD 1250–1600), however, faunal composition and structure show no marked correspondence. Instead, abundance of benthic foraminifera fluctuated on a scale of ~200 years. Thus, a shift in the biotic response of benthic foraminifera in Aso-kai lagoon occurred in ca. AD 1250. Gradual deterioration of benthic foraminifera, with taxonomic losses, is consistent with declining DO in the first phase, possibly associated with the increasing influence of the Tsushima Warm Current. The possibility that closure of Aso-kai lagoon and development of the sand bar affected benthic foraminifera cannot, however, be ruled out. No corresponding response was observed in the second phase, during which there was no distinct taxonomic loss. Large variations in abundance, however, were a consequence of strength of the East Asian summer and winter monsoons. The shift in the biotic response of benthic foraminifera in Aso-kai lagoon during the period AD 700–1600 was apparently a result of changes in climate and ocean conditions on the East Asian continental margin.     

Growth and succession patterns of major phylogenetic groups of marine bacteria during a mesocosm diatom bloom

Our objective was to track microbial processes associated with serial degradation of organic matter derived from algal blooms. To do this, we analyzed population fluctuations and growth responses of major phylogenetic groups of free-living marine bacteria. We used bromodeoxyuridine immunocytochemistry–fluorescence in situ hybridization methodology to examine marine bacterial community development during and after a diatom bloom in a mesocosm. We revealed that the Roseobacter/Rhodobacter, SAR11, Alteromonas, and Bacteroidetes groups were clearly major phylotypes responsible for most free-living bacterial biomass and production throughout the experiment. The clearest bacterial response was a proliferation of the Alteromonas group (cells with large volumes) during development of the bloom (up to 30?% of actively growing cells). Populations of these bacteria declined sharply thereafter, likely due to grazing. Alteromonas group responses suggest that these bacteria strongly influenced the flux of organic matter at an early bloom stage. The growth potential of Bacteroidetes was relatively large as the bloom peaked; this early development probably contributed to the initial stage of bloom decomposition. In contrast, the contribution of Roseobacter/Rhodobacter to total bacterial production increased at a late stage of decomposing of the bloom. The contributions of Betaproteobacteria, SAR11, and SAR86 groups to total bacterial abundance and production were relatively minor throughout the experiment. These results imply that the ability to utilize organic matter derived from diatoms varies among bacterial phylotypes, and, frequently, less abundant but ecological specialist taxa such as Alteromonas may play major roles in the flux of organic matter during diatom blooms.     

Distribution of boulders at Miyara Bay of Ishigaki Island,Japan: A flow characteristic indicator of tsunami and storm waves

This study investigates the distribution of boulders at Miyara Bay of Ishigaki Island, Japan. These boulders were deposited on a reef flat extending approximately 400–1300 m in width. Most boulders were rectangular to ellipsoidal, without sharp broken edges. They are reef and coral rock fragments estimated as <335 m³ (<633 t). Locally in the bay, the relationship between the boulder weight and position shows that boulders of a given weight have a clear limit on seaward distribution on the reef flat. For example, more than 1, 10, and 100 tons of boulders were deposited, respectively, more than 500, 300, and 100 m from the reef edge. The line is consistent with the possible landward transport limit by maximum storm waves at the Ryukyu Islands, suggesting that the line was formed by the reworking of some boulders by maximally strong storm waves, although we can not exclude the possibility that the line was formed by tsunamis. Furthermore, 68% of boulders at the bay are deposited beyond this line. Therefore, the presence of these boulders at their present positions is difficult to explain solely by storm waves, implying the possible tsunami origin of these boulders. The boulders are characteristically concentrated along the high‐tide line, suggesting the drastic reduction of the tsunami hydraulic force along the line. Previous studies using radiocarbon age dating, as well as our study, imply that at least 69 boulders at Miyara Bay were probably deposited at their present positions by the 1771 Meiwa tsunami, although some of these boulders might have been emplaced and displaced on the reef flat by prior tsunami or storm surges.     

Rapid decrease of mass balance observed in the Xiao (Lesser) Dongkemadi Glacier,in the central Tibetan Plateau

The mass balance of the Xiao (Lesser) Dongkemadi Glacier located in the Tanggula Mountains, of the central Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau has been monitored since 1989. The results show that the mass balance of the glacier has recently shown a deficit trend, and that the glacial terminus was also retreating. Positive mass balance of the glacier was dominant during the period 1989–1993, and the accumulated mass balance reached 970 mm. However, negative mass balance of the glacier has occurred since 1994, except for the large positive mass balance year 1997. The mass balance was ? 701 mm in 1998, an extremely negative glacier mass balance year. The equilibrium line altitude showed a significant increasing trend. The mass balance of the glacier has changed from a significantly positive mass balance to a strongly negative mass balance since 1994. Meteorological data suggest that the rapid decrease in the mass balance is related to summer season warming. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.