Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Climate, Urbanization, and Conflict:

In this paper, we test the effect of weather shocks and floods on urban social disorder for a panel of large cities in developing countries. We focus on a particular mechanism, namely the displacement of population into (large) cities. We test this hypothesis using a novel dataset on floods—distinguishing those that affected large cities directly from those that occurred outside of our sample of large cities. Floods are found to be associated with faster growth of the population in the city, and in turn with a higher likelihood (and frequency) of urban social disorder events. Our evidence suggests that the effects of floods on urban social disorder occur (mainly) through the displacement of population, and the “push” of people into large cities. Our findings have important implications for evaluating future climate change, as well as for policies regarding adaptation to climate change and disaster resilience.
Impact of Yagya on Particulate Matters

Particulate Matters (PM) is a result of air pollution and associated with health hazards. Studies support mild or strong association of PM with lung diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cognitive diseases, newborn mortality rate, etc. Particles of size < 2.5µM are declared as health hazard as they penetrate deep into lungs and lodge themselves there. Ineffective clearance of this PM results in a chronic, low-grade inflammatory response leading to various disease. Current efforts to control PM are scarce and demanded to find solutions which can prevent or control the increasing PM levels. Ancient texts including Vedas and Upanishads mentioned a technique called Yagya, which has application to purify the environment specifically polluted air. Preliminary evidences suggested that Yagya reduces air pollution generated SO2 and NO2 level along with biological air pollutants such as microorganisms. The present study examined the Yagya's effect on air PM. The present study, conducted two indoor case study experiments to find the effect of Yagya on PM in indoor environment in December 2017. The study showed trend of decrease of PM 2.5, PM 10, and CO2 after performing Yagya inside the residences of 2 case studies. The present study introduced Vedic technique-Yagya as a solution to reduce indoor air pollutants specifically PM and CO2, and laid the foundation for further research.
Topographic change detection at Chalk Cliffs, Colorado, USA, using Airborne LiDAR and UAS-based Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry

The Chalk Cliffs debris-flow site is a small headwater catchment incised into highly fractured and hydrothermally altered quartz monzonite in a semiarid climate. Over half of the extremely steep basin is exposed bedrock. Debris flows occur multiple times per year in response to rainstorm events, typically during the summer monsoon season. The frequency of debris flows, and the uniformity of the underlying rock, make Chalk Cliffs an ideal study catchment for translating mechanistic understanding of natural debris flows to other sites. A 2008 National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping (NCALM) airborne lidar survey provides baseline topography for the site; however, heretofore there has been no systematic effort to collect repeat topography of the entire site. Starting in May 2018, we made repeat surveys of the basin with an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The UAS-based imagery was processed into (x, y, z) point clouds using Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. We georegistered the point clouds using 12 ground control points placed within and around the study basin. In this study we compare the lidar with one SfM point cloud to assess topographic change over a 10-year time period. The difference map provides observational data relevant to understanding sediment provenance and transport at the Chalk Cliffs. The difference image indicates erosion of colluvial surfaces, with limited deposition in the survey area. Some colluvial hillslopes show spatially uniform erosion while others experienced concentrated erosion of up to 3 m depth over a 10-year period.
Evaluation of Human Discomfort from Combined Noise and Whole-Body Vibration in Passenger Vehicle

Exposure to noise and whole-body vibration (WBV) has been a key element in determining comfort levels in transportation systems. In the automotive industry, researchers and engineers continuously work on reducing noise and vibration levels to minimize discomfort. Noise annoyance in vehicles results from structure-borne as well as air-borne noise from vehicle powertrain, tires and aeroacoustics. Whole-body vibration affects vehicle passenger comfort at the seat pan, back rest and feet. The objective of this research is to evaluate the comfort level of seated passengers in a vehicle from noise and whole-body vibration by considering both separate and combined modality. The noise and vibration data were recorded and analysed in two vehicles on the same highway road with four different speeds. The vibration exposure in vehicle were evaluated based on ISO2631-1:1997. Noise exposure was based on A-weighted sound pressure level. The combined discomfort on noise and vibration were quantified. The vibration results identified clear dominant of z-axis vertical vibration on seat pan, backrest and feet in both vehicles. The discomfort of combined noise and vibration showed that vehicle B caused a higher discomfort level at the high vehicle speed of 90 km/h and 110 km/h. The Relative Discomfort Indicator (RDI) were introduced to compare levels of discomfort from noise and vibration in different vehicles with varying speeds. The result suggests that the RDI value for vehicle A relative to vehicle B is negative at higher vehicle speed which further indicates that at higher speed, vehicle B have a higher discomfort level compared to vehicle A. The RDI value is expected to be useful for automotive Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) improvement.
Hydroacoustic, Seismic, and Bathymetric Observations of the 2014 Submarine Eruption at Ahyi Seamount, Mariana Arc

Ahyi seamount, a shallow submarine volcano in the Northern Mariana Islands, began erupting on 23 April 2014. Hydroacoustic eruption signals were observed on the regional Mariana seismic network and on distant hydrophones, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scuba divers working in the area soon after the eruption began heard and felt underwater explosion sounds. The NOAA crew observed yellow‐orange bubble mats along the shore of neighboring Farallon de Pájaros Island, but no other surface manifestations of the eruption were reported by the crew or observed in satellite data. Here, we detail the eruption chronology and its morphologic impacts through analysis of seismic and hydroacoustic recordings and repeat bathymetric mapping. Throughout the 2‐week‐long eruption, Ahyi produced several thousand short, impulsive hydroacoustic signals that we interpret as underwater explosions as well as tremor near the beginning and end of the sequence. The initial tremor, which occurred for 2 hr, is interpreted as small phreatomagmatic explosions. This tremor was followed by a 90‐min pause before the characteristic impulsive signals began. Occasional tremor (lasting up to a few minutes) during the last 1.5 days of the eruption is interpreted as more sustained eruptive activity. Bathymetric changes show that a new crater, about 150 m deep, formed near the former summit and a large landslide chute formed on the southeastern flank. Comparing to other geophysically detected submarine eruptions, we find that the signals from the 2014 Ahyi eruption were more similar to those from other shallow or at‐surface submarine eruptions than those at deep (>500 m) eruptions.
PATTERN-PROCESS LINKAGES IN FORESTED ECOSYSTEMS

Structural complexity in long-lived forests where stand-replacing disturbances are rare is thought to emerge from chronic small scale disturbances and competitive interactions between trees. We analyzed tree size distributions, tree spatial patterns, and canopy gap attributes in ten, 1.42 ha stem mapped plots in old-growth Sitka spruce-western hemlock forests in southeast Alaska. Most plots had rotated sigmoid or reverse J-shaped diameter distributions. Overstory tree patterns were uniform at short distance (<5 m) and random or aggregated at larger distances (>5 m); understory trees were spatially random or aggregated at most scales. Tree patterns were highly variable across plots. Overstory and understory tree populations were spatially independent in most medium canopy cover (40%-70%) plots, but spatially repelled in most high canopy cover (>70%) plots. Canopy gap delineation using a traditional geometric approach identified more gaps and greater forest area in gaps compared to a new method based on canopy tree shadow lengths. We recommend defining the lower limit of canopy gap size using overstory tree crown diameter; gap delineation based on overstory tree shadow length is overly conservative at higher latitude sites. Our analyses show that, despite their low species richness, the temperate rainforests of southeast Alaska are highly structurally diverse.
Perceptions on cultural significance and heritage conservation: A case study of Sussan Wengers building, Osogbo, Nigeria

The built environment is the history of man. The undying stones of monuments are the tables from which this history can be read. Thus, the life of man in the past, its values in the present and directions for the future are embellished on these stones. Historic cultural heritages cannot be expressed in any other better form than in buildings. Sussan Wenger’s building located in Osogbo, Nigeria is one of such buildings. The fabric of the building is synonymous to the history of this Austrian woman who indigenized and became a priestess of the Osun goddess in the course of which she was named “Adunni Olorisa”. The study was carried out to determine people’s perceptions on the cultural significance and heritage conservation of the building because of the present non-identification of the building with Osun Grove World Heritage Site despite their obvious relationships. The building has history, features and associations with the Osun Sacred Grove which has earned recognition as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 203 respondents who are residents of Osogbo were randomly sampled to determine their perceptions on this historic building. The data obtained were subjected to multivariate statistical analysis of means (x) and chi squares (χ2) based on three hypotheses to find a correlation between respondents and sex, place of origin and rate of observation of the building. Result shows that attitudes towards the building favour the option of conversion of the building to a Museum of Art and Culture. Recommendations were made for the heritage promotions of the building through UNESCO. Key words: Conservation, Osun Grove, Sussan Wenger, cultural heritage, Osogbo, building, history.
THE LINEAR SWITCHING STATE SPACE: A NEW MODELING PARADIGM FOR TASK SCHEDULING PROBLEMS

Task Scheduling (TS) poses a challenging problem in distributed systems for multiple realms such as multiprocessor systems, ow-shop scheduling and project man- agement problems in which there are multiple tasks and processors (resources), and the problem is to efficiently assign tasks to processors. The importance of this problem can be considered from multiple perspectives such as heterogeneity of processors, computational complexity of reaching a solution as well as theoretical performance analysis. Also, we propose a new modeling paradigm based on system engineering. The proposed switching state space approach opens a possibility of using the extensive theoretical developments that have taken place in thiseld within the past several decades. In its general form, TS is inherently nonlinear because of its many nonlinear constraints. In this paper, we demonstrate that standard TS can be mapped via nonlinear state space and, through theoretical analysis, show stability of the resulting system for static task scheduling prob- lems. The proposed static scheduling schedules dependent tasks on a heterogeneous multi- processor system. A suitable transformation is then devised to convert this model to linear switching state space with nonlinear constraints. To illustrate the utility of the model, two scheduling approaches are then presented based on Height Sorted (HS) and Ready Tasks (RT). These two methods are examples that show how this model can be used to reach the stability criteria. Finally, the proposed methods are compared against a conven- tionally accepted scheduling scheme on several random experiments showing comparative performance.
Distribution and Impacts of Invasive Bivalve Corbicula fluminea in Tidal Freshwater York River Tributaries

The Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea, is one of the most invasive bivalves in the world but there is limited research on its presence in tidal freshwater systems. Despite its introduction into Chesapeake Bay tributaries in the 1970s, the initial colonization and subsequent development of populations of C. fluminea in the Mattaponi and Pamunkey sub-tributaries of the York River, Virginia, is mostly undocumented. This study assessed the spatial distribution and population structure of C. fluminea in tidal freshwater sections of these rivers (~45km) with benthic surveys during summer 2011 2012. Benthic grabs (2.4L, 0.023m ) taken at 40 sites in each river were analyzed for clam abundance and size. In addition, relationships between abiotic factors and clam distribution within each river were evaluated using Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) to compare a set of generalized linear models. C. fluminea was present at the majority of sites in both rivers during both years, with mean densities (m'2) during 2011 and 2012 of 660 and 410 for Mattaponi River; 1,451 and 834 for Pamunkey River. Populations were dominated by > 90% juvenile clams (< 6mm shell length), which is common for C. fluminea populations during recruitment periods. Both rivers had lower abundance during 2012, suggesting that C. fluminea is actively reproducing but not necessarily accumulating in the system. High juvenile and adult mortality are characteristic of C. fluminea populations. Compared to other invaded systems, C. fluminea in Mattaponi and Pamunkey Rivers is a low-to-moderate level invasion based on clam density. Using AIC analysis, the bestsupported models included factors of distance upriver (km), % sand, depth (m), and year. Distance and % sand showed positive relationships with C. fluminea abundance and had significant parameter estimates in all models (a = 0.05). Spatial analysis in GIS showed
A Deep Learning-Based Approach for Automated Yellow Rust Disease Detection from High-Resolution Hyperspectral UAV Images

Yellow rust in winter wheat is a widespread and serious fungal disease, resulting in significant yield losses globally. Effective monitoring and accurate detection of yellow rust are crucial to ensure stable and reliable wheat production and food security. The existing standard methods often rely on manual inspection of disease symptoms in a small crop area by agronomists or trained surveyors. This is costly, time consuming and prone to error due to the subjectivity of surveyors. Recent advances in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) mounted with hyperspectral image sensors have the potential to address these issues with low cost and high efficiency. This work proposed a new deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) based approach for automated crop disease detection using very high spatial resolution hyperspectral images captured with UAVs. The proposed model introduced multiple Inception-Resnet layers for feature extraction and was optimized to establish the most suitable depth and width of the network. Benefiting from the ability of convolution layers to handle three-dimensional data, the model used both spatial and spectral information for yellow rust detection. The model was calibrated with hyperspectral imagery collected by UAVs in five different dates across a whole crop cycle over a well-controlled field experiment with healthy and rust infected wheat plots. Its performance was compared across sampling dates and with random forest, a representative of traditional classification methods in which only spectral information was used. It was found that the method has high performance across all the growing cycle, particularly at late stages of the disease spread. The overall accuracy of the proposed model (0.85) was higher than that of the random forest classifier (0.77). These results showed that combining both spectral and spatial information is a suitable approach to improving the accuracy of crop disease detection with high resolution UAV hyperspectral images.
Relationship between mineralogy and engineering properties of rock salt

THAI). I ABSTRACT (ENGLISH) . III ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . V TABLE OF CONTENTS . VI LIST OF TABLES . IX LIST OF FIGURES.X LIST OF SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS. XVI CHAPTER
Seasonal Injection Strategies for Stratospheric Aerosol Geoengineering

Simulations of stratospheric aerosol geoengineering have typically considered injections at a constant rate over the entire year. However, the seasonal variability of both sunlight and the stratospheric circulation suggests seasonally dependent injection strategies. We simulated single‐point injections of the same amount of SO2 in each of the four seasons and at five different latitudes (30°S, 15°S, equator, 15°N, and 30°N), 5 km above the tropopause. Our findings suggest that injecting only during one season reduces the amount of SO2 needed to achieve a certain aerosol optical depth, thus potentially reducing some of the side effects of geoengineering. We find, in particular, that injections at 15°N or 15°S in spring of the corresponding hemisphere results in the largest reductions in incoming solar radiation. Compared to annual injections, by injecting in the different seasons we identify additional distinct spatiotemporal aerosol optical depth patterns, thanks to seasonal differences in the stratospheric circulation.
Development of Lectora Inspire as Interactive Multimedia Chemistry Learning in Senior High School

Abstract: Research development of LectoraInspire Interactive Multimediafor Salt Hydrolysisand Rate of Reactiontopics aims to getavalidand practical learning media. The researchmethodwas ResearchandDevelopment withPlompmodel in LectoraInspire Interactive Multimediafor Salt Hydrolysistopic and Four-D model forReaction Ratetopic. Both Media werevalidated bythree validators andthelimitedtrialbypractitioners (users). The results showed an average score of 96.05% validator ratings for Lectora Inspire interactive multimedia on the topic of salt hydrolysis and 95.63% for interactive multimedia on the topic of reaction rate.The data analysis is based on questionnaire responses of teachers and students each earned an average score of 96.67% and 97.3% for Lectora Inspire on the topic reaction rate, 98.3% and 96.5% for Lectora Inspire on the topic Hydrolysis Salt. From the results of the average overall score of validation and testing of media-based learning Lectora Inspire on the topic of reaction rate and hydrolysis Salt were valid and can be used as a learning media. Keywords: interactivemultimedia, lectorainspire, salthydrolysis, rate reaction
Trail races in protected mountain areas and their effects on sustainable development

This article addresses the degree of sustainability generated by trail races in the development of the territory in protected mountain areas, focusing on the extent of the protection of natural areas and on the kinds of entities that organize these events. It is based on the feedback from 95 questionnaires completed by a sample of organizers of trail-race events held within 26 protected mountain areas in Catalonia in 2015. Analysis allowed us to identify those trail races with the most exemplary practices. No differences in the degree of sustainable development were found with regard to the degree of protection of natural areas. Profit-making organizations generate a greater degree of sustainability where development of the territory is concerned than do non-profit entities. The study provides protected mountain area managers and trail-race managers with an instrument with which to diagnose the impact that such races have on the land. Research eco.mont – Volume 11, Number 2, July 2019 ISSN 2073-106X pr int vers ion – ISSN 2073-1558 onl ine vers ion: ht tp://epub.oeaw. ac.at/eco.mont ht tps://dx.doi. org/10.1553/eco.mont-11-2s18 18
Spectral-Spatial Discriminant Feature Learning for Hyperspectral Image Classification

Sparse representation classification (SRC) is being widely applied to target detection in hyperspectral images (HSI). However, due to the problem in HSI that high-dimensional data contain redundant information, SRC methods may fail to achieve high classification performance, even with a large number of spectral bands. Selecting a subset of predictive features in a high-dimensional space is an important and challenging problem for hyperspectral image classification. In this paper, we propose a novel discriminant feature learning (DFL) method, which combines spectral and spatial information into a hypergraph Laplacian. First, a subset of discriminative features is selected, which preserve the spectral structure of data and the inter- and intra-class constraints on labeled training samples. A feature evaluator is obtained by semi-supervised learning with the hypergraph Laplacian. Secondly, the selected features are mapped into a further lower-dimensional eigenspace through a generalized eigendecomposition of the Laplacian matrix. The finally extracted discriminative features are used in a joint sparsity-model algorithm. Experiments conducted with benchmark data sets and different experimental settings show that our proposed method increases classification accuracy and outperforms the state-of-the-art HSI classification methods.
Disruption of reproductive behaviour of black caiman, Melanosuchus niger in the Santo Antônio hydroeletric dam, Madeira River, Brazilian Amazon

A female black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) was monitored by radio transmitter for three years in the area of Santo Antônio hydroelectric dam in Amazonia. Her nest was inundated during the formation of the reservoir and she abandoned the area and moved to a stream. It is recommended that the formation of new reservoirs is avoided in the three months from October to December to allow caimans to hatch from their eggs before inundation.