Geographic influences on sexual and reproductive health service utilization in rural Mozambique

The HIV/AIDS epidemic remains a major public health issue across the globe, and it is of particular concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Utilization of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services can significantly impact HIV prevention, transmission, and treatment. SRH service utilization may be determined by individual characteristics, such as education and economic status, but also by the location and accessibility of health care facilities. Using population-based survey data, this study applies exploratory spatial analysis techniques to examine spatial patterns of SRH service utilization among rural married women in southern Mozambique. Clustering among those using services is found as are spatial associations, indicating significant spatial variability in the utilization of health services. The findings provide valuable insights for current and future health care program planning and configuration.     

羊八井460GHz大气不透明度的测量

为了解羊八井观测站的亚毫米波观测条件,使用移动式亚毫米波望远镜(Portable Submillimeter Telescope,POST)测量了羊八井观测站460 GHz波段天顶方向大气不透明度.观测结果表明,羊八井观测站的460 GHz波段天顶方向大气不透明度的四分位数为1.25、1.42、1.63,观测时间段内大气不透明度τ_0≤1.0的时间比例约占3.4%.将此次观测结果与国际现有优秀亚毫米波台址比较,分析了影响亚毫米波不透明度的可能原因.     

Framework for assessing probability of exceeding a specified liquefaction-induced settlement at a given site in a given exposure time

This paper presents a framework for assessing the probability of exceeding a specified liquefaction-induced settlement at a given site in a given exposure time. This framework deals not only with the effect of liquefaction (in terms of settlement) but also with probabilistic characterization of all possible ground motions at a given site (in terms of a joint distribution of a_max and M_w). Additionally, a new concept, referred to herein as liquefaction-induced settlement hazard curve, is introduced for assessing the annual rate of settlement exceedance at a given site. This settlement hazard curve concept has the potential to be a very useful tool in the field of geotechnical earthquake engineering. Satisfactory results are obtained in the demonstration examples analyzed with the proposed framework. Whereas the proposed framework is simple and effective, further refinements to this framework, especially on the treatment of epistemic uncertainty, are warranted.     

Mauna Kea ground-layer characterization campaign

We present the results of an 18-month study to characterize the optical turbulence in the boundary layer and in the free atmosphere above the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. This survey combined the Slope-Detection and Ranging (SLODAR) and Low-Layer SCIntillation Detection And Ranging (SCIDAR) (LOLAS) instruments into a single manually operated instrument capable of measuring the integrated seeing and the optical turbulence profile within the first kilometre with spatial and temporal resolutions of 40–80 m and 1 min (SLODAR) or 10–20 m and 5 min (LOLAS). The campaign began in the fall of 2006 and observed for roughly 50–60 h per month. The optical turbulence within the boundary layer is found to be confined within an extremely thin layer (≤80 m), and the optical turbulence arising within the region from 80 to 650 m is normally very weak. Exponential fits to the SLODAR profiles give an upper limit on the exponential scaleheight of between 25 and 40 m. The thickness of this layer shows a dependence on the turbulence strength near the ground, and under median conditions the scaleheight is <28 m. The LOLAS profiles show a multiplicity of layers very close to the ground but all within the first 40 m. The free-atmosphere seeing measured by the SLODAR is 0.42 arcsec (median) at 0.5 μm and is, importantly, significantly better than the typical delivered image quality at the larger telescopes on the mountain. This suggests that the current suite of telescopes on Mauna Kea is largely dominated by a very local seeing either from internal seeing, seeing induced by the flow in/around the enclosures, or from an atmospheric layer very close to the ground. The results from our campaign suggest that ground-layer adaptive optics can be very effective in correcting this turbulence and, in principle, can provide very large corrected fields of view on Mauna Kea.     

STATISTICAL INFERENCE IN GEOGRAPHY: MODERN APPROACHES SPELL BETTER TIMES AHEAD*

Concepts relevant to statistical inference testing are discussed within a framework which contrasts conventional methodology with current trends in statistics. The latter are emphasized as having the quality of being less restrictive than the former. To show this quality, randomization testing is described and an example presented. Also described is a nonparametric technique known as QAP, which is particularly versatile. Optimism is expressed about the potentiality of such procedures for geographic research.     

Measurement error in compositional data

Compositional data, consisting of vectors of proportions summing to unity such as the geochemical compositions of rocks, have proved difficult to analyze. Recently, the introduction of logistic and logratio transformations between the d-dimensional simplex and Euclidean space has allowed the use of familiar multivariate methods. The problem of how to model and analyze measurement errors in such data is approached through the concept of a perturbation of a composition. Such modeling allows investigation of the role of rescaling, quantification of measurement error, analysis of observor error, and assessment of the effect of measurement error on inferences.     

卫星云图和云南天文观测台址的筛选

本文通过对ＮＯＡＡ－１０，１１两颗气象卫星１９８９年５月至１９９０年４月的云图资料，在作等经纬度投影处理和定标，定位订正的基础上，利用红外域值方法，对东经９９°—１０４°，北纬２３．５°—２８．５°云南区域内３１个天文台址侯选点的云量进行了统计和计算，得到几个云量最少的候选点。此外，我们还对卫星云图ＣＣ≤３的晴日晴夜和三十年地面气象观测资料中ＣＣ≤２的晴天数作了相关分析，发现它们之间具有很好的相关性。云图和地面资料综合分析表明：（１）永仁的俄尼刀博，姚安的老官山，元谋气象区的白露，祥云的大营后山，宾川的小鸡山，华坪的蘑菇山，宁蒗的他尔布子都是较理想的候选点。（２）俄尼刀博，老官山和白露可用夜（ＣＣ≤３）预计可超过２５０夜。因此应列为下一步选址的重点。     

Moment tensors of acoustic emissions in shear faulting under plane-strain compression

The study of localized failure under controlled conditions can be accomplished within a laboratory setting with the University of Minnesota plane-strain compression apparatus. The device provides an opportunity to observe shear faulting and to compare displacements from acoustic emission (AE) sources with global measurements. A biaxial compression test on a sandstone specimen was performed with monitoring of AE. The plane-strain test showed that the shear fault was not formed until after peak load. Compaction of the shear fault was observed from the axial and lateral measurements of displacement and the orientation of the failure plane. The AE events were modeled as displacement discontinuities. The complicated deconvolution process for the transducer transfer function was eliminated by using a simplified calibration procedure. The sources of the postpeak events were characterized as being caused predominantly by slip in the direction of the global failure plane, although components of displacement associated with closing were identified. To provide an order of magnitude estimate of the slip, the field observation of a 10⁻⁴ strain drop over the seismic area was assumed. The tangential displacement from 110 AE events was estimated to be 0.01 mm. During the same period of time, the displacement along the shear fault from global measurements was 0.03 mm.     

Application of genetic algorithms to constrain shallow elastic parameters using in situ ground inclination measurements

Among the class of global optimization techniques, which includes Monte Carlo and simulated annealing methods, the Genetic Algorithms constitute a new class of methods to solve highly non-linear optimization problems. The issue has generated considerable interest in the field of artificial intelligence, and recently, in some multi-parameter optimization geophysical problems. In this study, we explore the applicability of genetic algorithms to the inversion of high resolution ground inclination measurements produced by known loads placed at known distances. Our objective is to find a model for dynamic properties of the subsoil such as shear and compressional wave velocities and depth distributions of the uppermost strata, which are related to elastic moduli. Three parameters are needed for describing elastic isotropic horizontally homogeneous media: mass density ρ and Lame constants λ and μ or mass density and P-wave and S-wave velocities. In general, the choice of parameters is not always a simple matter. In fact, although theoretically equivalent, if they are not adequately chosen, the numerical algorithms in the inversion can be inefficient.Ground inclination surveys were performed at the virgin Texcoco Lake, near Mexico City, and at the European Synchrotron radiation facility (ESRF) of Grenoble, France. From both sets of data we study the feasibility of applying genetic algorithms to rapidly and effectively explore the model space to find an optimal model for the shallow structure under study. Forward solution of vertical and radial displacements in a layered medium, under static loads, is calculated by means of the stiffness matrix approach (Kausel, E. & Roesett, J. M. Stiffness matrices for layered soil. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 1981, 71(6), 1743–1761.) Comparisons with results from common established techniques such as seismic wave refraction profiles, cone resistance values and inversion of surface wave dispersion curves were used for validation purposes. Our procedure represents a fast and accurate alternative method to infer the shallow elastic parameters in surficial soils.