Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Dermaptera of the Caribbean

The most complete survey of the Dermaptera of the Caribbean is that of REHN & HEBARD (1917), which mainly dealt with material collected on behalf of the American Museum of Natural History, but additional records from specimens in other American Institutions were included. This publication did not include all previous records and keys to the species were not given, apart from a short key to some names which were regarded as being forms of Carcinophora americana (Beauvois). A number of subsequent papers on the Dermaptera of these islands have been published, these papers either giving records from a single island or recording species from various islands, but no comprehensive survey of the known Dermaptera has been compiled. The islands of the Caribbean form an interesting area, and a comprehensive survey of the Dermaptera is desirable so that an adequate comparison of this fauna can be made with the fauna of the American mainland. The present author has had the opportunity recently to examine a large collection of Dermaptera collected on the islands of the Caribbean by Dr. P. WAGENAAR HUMMELINCK. This collection is particularly interesting since HUMMELINCK has collected on most of the smaller islands, and it is these islands which are the least known, most available records having been made on the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico. Through the kindness of Pastor ALAYO D, a collection of Dermaptera from Cuba has also been examined, together with photographs of the specimens in the Gundlach collection which were listed by BOLIVAR (1888). These photographs have proved to be useful in checking on the species, and the correlations of the names used by BOLIVAR with modern nomenclature and the synonymy, is based on these photographs.
The importance of wind blown snow redistribution to snow accumulation on and mass balance of Bellingshausen Sea ice

Snow distribution is a dominating factor in sea-ice mass balance in the Bellingshausen Sea, Antarctica, through its roles in insulating the ice and contributing to snow-ice production. The wind has long been qualitatively recognized to influence the distribution of snow accumulation on sea ice, but the relative importance of drifting and blowing snow has not been quantified over Antarctic sea ice prior to this study. The presence and magnitude of drifting snow were monitored continuously along with wind speeds at two sites on an ice floe in the Bellingshausen Sea during the October 2007 Sea Ice Mass Balance in the Antarctic (SIMBA) experiment. Contemporaneous precipitation measurements collected on board the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer and accumulation measurements by automated ice massbalance buoys (IMBs) allow us to document the proportion of snowfall that accumulated on level ice surfaces in the presence of high winds and blowing-snow conditions. Accumulation on the sea ice during the experiment averaged <0.01mw. e. at both IMB sites, during a period when European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts analyses predicted >0.03mw. e. of precipitation on the ice floe. Accumulation changes on the ice floe were clearly associated with drifting snow and high winds. Drifting-snow transport during the SIMBA experiment was supply-limited. Using these results to inform a preliminary study using a blowing-snow model, we show that over the entire Southern Ocean approximately half of the precipitation over sea ice could be lost to leads.
Quantitative indices based on 3D discrete wavelet transform for urban complexity estimation using remotely sensed imagery

Urbanization in most developing countries is gradually increasing. Quantitative estimation of urbanization to a standardized level is crucial for analysing the relation between urbanization and other factors, since urban growth affects diverse and complex natural and socio-economic phenomena. Spatially and spectrally, remotely sensed imageries covering urban areas display different characteristics from those of rural or mountainous areas. A three-dimensional discrete wavelet transform (3D DWT) scheme is regarded as useful for analysing both spatial and spectral information. In addition, the energy parameter of wavelet coefficient by 3D DWT indicates channels regarding dominant spatial and spectral frequency, extracted from the original image sets. Based on these spatial and spectral features and the energy parameter of 3D wavelet coefficients, three kinds of urban complexity index are proposed. Of the three indices, the third index is the most useful to quantitatively interpret urban complexity. These indices can be used for a basis to analyse the relationship between feature groups within urban environments.
A statistical study of large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances using the GPS network in Japan

[1] Large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (LSTIDs) were statistically studied using total electron content (TEC) data from the GPS Earth observation network (GEONET) in Japan during 45 months from April 1999 to December 2002. One hundred fifty-four LSTIDs propagating southward were identified with time sequences of two-dimensional TEC maps. Fifty LSTIDs were observed in 2000, 45 in 2001, and 38 in 2002. Their occurrence rate (occurrence probability of one LSTID per 3 hours) increased as Kp value increased, that is, 1% at Kp = 4 and 75% at Kp = 9. The disturbed-time LSTIDs were frequently observed over Japan in spring and autumn, which is consistent with the seasonal dependence of the geomagnetic disturbances. On the other hand, the number of LSTIDs under quiet conditions, Kp ≤ 3, reached 43, that is, 28% of all the LSTIDs. The wave parameters, such as the damping rate, horizontal velocity and direction, and period of the clear 58 LSTIDs were precisely determined. The amplitude of the quiet-time LSTIDs decreased during their passage over Japan for every event, while that of the disturbed-time LSTIDs not only decreased but also increased. The LSTIDs can be classified from these observational results into the following three types: the disturbed-time damping LSTIDs (DD-LSTIDs), the disturbed-time growing LSTIDs (DG-LSTIDs), and the quiet-time damping LSTIDs (QD-LSTIDs). The occurrence number of DD-LSTIDs, DG-LSTIDs, and QD-LSTIDs was 35 (60%), 11 (19%), and 12 (21%), respectively. The mean horizontal velocity, period, wavelength, and propagation direction of all LSTIDs were 475 ± 171 m/s, 80 ± 29 min, 2131 ± 863 km, and 3 ± 19° east from south, respectively. Both the growth and decrease rates of the LSTIDs were correlated with their propagation velocities. An examination of the relation between the damping rates and the vertical propagation direction, θ, of atmospheric gravity waves (AGWs) which was derived from the horizontal velocity and the period of LSTIDs using the AGWs' dispersion relation, revealed that their damping and growth rates showed a clear correlation with θ. This correlation is due to the ion-drag effect, which is directly dependent on the angle between AGWs' propagation directions and the geomagnetic field. Considering the inclination of the geomagnetic field over Japan, both the damping and growing LSTIDs could be explained by the upward and downward propagating AGWs, respectively. The QD-LSTIDs had smaller θ which resulted from slower velocities and longer periods than those for the disturbed-time LSTIDs. These different characteristics would reflect those of the source mechanisms of the three types of LSTIDs.
Changes in surface reflectance from wildfires on the Australian continent measured by MODIS

Atmospherically corrected Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data have been used to measure the changes in surface reflectance induced by fires. To account for observation geometry effects a kernel driven bi-directional reflectance factor model was applied. Whereas the blue, green, red and shortwave infrared bands show no consistent behaviour, the near-infrared bands almost always show a strong reduction in reflectance. An angular dependence of the change in reflectance was not found in this study. Different bio-geographical regions exhibit different spectral reflectance changes due to the different types of fuel being burnt (green/living versus dry/dead vegetation). This difference is also reflected in the seasonality of the green, red, near-infrared and shortwave infrared bands for the tropics. The conclusion of this study is that the near-infrared bands are the most suitable bands for an automatic burnt area mapping algorithm using optical, reflective remote sensing data. The results also suggest that satellite remote sensing might be able provide additional information about burning conditions which are strongly affecting greenhouse gas emissions.
Tropical Climate Variability From the Last Glacial Maximum to the Present

Abstract : This thesis evaluates the variability of two tropical climate phenomena over the past 20,000 years. The first phenomenon is the migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (lTCZ) within the tropical Atlantic region. Using both a coupled ocean-atmosphere general circulation model and phytoplankton biomarkers contained within Cariaco Basin sediments, we find that the lTCZ migrates southward in response to Northern Hemisphere cooling. The second phenomenon examined is the Indian Monsoon. We find that terrestrial plant waxes within Arabian Sea sediments can be used to reconstruct southwest monsoon winds. In addition, we use planktonic foraminiferal Mg/Ca ratios to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST) patterns associated with monsoon-induced upwelling. We find that summer monsoon upwelling was reduced during the last glacial period and enhanced during the Early Holocene. The SST changes associated with variability in upwelling are, however super-imposed upon larger-scale temperature changes, reflecting the competing effects of global and local climate processes.
Is the monthly temperature climate of the United States becoming more extreme?

A new data set of monthly temperatures, adjusted for detected inhomogeneities, was used to examine whether the monthly temperature climate of the U.S. has become more extreme. During the past two to three decades, there has been a shift toward more frequent very warm months, but less frequent very cold months. Thus, overall the monthly temperature climate has not become more extreme. Midtwentieth century including the 1930s was an earlier period of frequent very warm months, a result of very warm daytime temperatures, while nighttime temperatures were not unusual. Regionally, there is a lack of century‐scale warming in the southeast U.S. annually and in parts of the central U.S. in the summer, characterized by lack of daytime warming while there has been nighttime warming. Compared to the earlier midcentury warm period, recent decades have been more (less) extreme in the summer (winter) in the west while Midwest summers have been less extreme.
Transport of NOx in East Asia identified by satellite and in situ measurements and Lagrangian particle dispersion model simulations

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) columns observed from space have been useful in detecting the increase of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions in East Asia, particularly China, coinciding with rapid economic growth during the past several decades. NO2 columns retrieved above a particular location reflect a combination of local NOx emissions and transported NOx from upwind sources. In this study, we demonstrate the transport of NOx emitted in East Asia using satellite and surface in situ measurements and Lagrangian particle dispersion model simulations. Enhanced satellite NO2 columns in the Yellow Sea (between China and South Korea) and the East Sea (between South Korea and Japan), and different seasonal variations of NO2 in China, North and South Korea, and Japan, suggest the importance of NOx transport in understanding the local NOx budget. Lagrangian transport model simulations with tracers of different chemical lifetimes identify source‐receptor relationships that explain high NO2 over the oceans and springtime peaks in Korea and Japan, with China being the most likely source region. Our results have important implications for studies using satellite NO2 retrievals to derive NOx emissions at local scales in regions adjacent to large sources, such as in East Asia, Europe, and the Eastern U.S.
Testing an ocean carbon model with observed sea surface pCO2 and dissolved inorganic carbon in the tropical Pacific Ocean

[1] A basin-scale carbon model for the tropical Pacific has been tested against in situ observations of CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) and dissolved inorganic carbon. Best agreement between model and observations occurs when gas exchange is enhanced at low wind speeds and when frictional smoothing as a parameterization of mesoscale eddy stirring/mixing is minimal. However, different realizations of the biological pump are not equally sensitive to the friction parameters, and it is not possible to completely isolate the effects of physics and biology. The model ocean shows substantial interannual variability in pCO2 and CO2 flux which is strongly correlated with the Multivariate ENSO Index. Interannual variability is similar to other models and suggests a relatively small role for the ocean in interannual variability of atmospheric CO2 growth. There are significant areas where CO2 remained supersaturated throughout the 1997–1998 El Nino and there was net outgassing from the “Wyrtki Box” at all times, but the net flux from the full model domain was near zero at the peak of the event. Testing the model against ship-based observations produces a credible four-dimensional field of the tropical ocean carbon system. Sampling this field with methods analogous to those used in empirical reconstructions of CO2 flux suggests that those methods can underestimate the interannual variability by up to a factor of ∼2.5 depending on the grid resolution used. Models and observations are not currently adequate to state with confidence that undersampled mesoscale variability does not affect the variability of the regional aggregate flux.
Computer vision for Pedestrian detection using Histograms of Oriented Gradients

Proyecto de vision por computador para la deteccion de peatones, entendidas como personas en posicion vertical, en imagenes estaticas. La deteccion se basa en el descriptor propuesto por Dalal & Triggs; Histograma de gradientes orientados (HOG) mas un clasificador SVM.
Assemblages of vertical migratory mesopelagic fish in the transitional region of the western North Pacific

Assemblages of vertical migratory mesopelagic fish are described for the nighttime upper 20 m layer of the transitional and adjacent waters in the western North Pacific. Twenty-three mesopelagic fish species belonging to six families and 16 genera were collected during June 1996. Family Myctophidae was most speciose, represented by 17 species, followed by Sternoptychidae (two spp.) and Bathylagidae (one spp.). Six assemblages are recognized based on their species composition: Subarctic, Northern Transition, Southern Transition, Subtropical, Slope Water and Seamount Assemblages. These assemblages are also characterized by size composition and biomass of the catches. The distributions of the Subarctic, Northern Transition, Southern Transition and Subtropical Assemblages are approximately defined by the Kuroshio and Oyashio fronts and the Subarctic Boundary. Slope Water and Seamount Assemblages are closely related to the slope water around the shelf edge off Japan and waters around the Shatsky Rise and the Emperor Seamount chain, respectively. The importance of the Southern Transition Assemblage area between the Kuroshio front and Subarctic Boundary as spawning and nursery grounds of many subarctic, transitional and subtropical fishes is elucidated, based on the geographical distribution patterns of their larvae and juveniles.
A Bayesian approach to the detection of changes in the magnitude-frequency relation of earthquakes.

Based on Akaike's Bayesian Information Criterion (ABIC), a new method is proposed for detecting changes in the magnitude-frequency relation. Earthquakes are classified into a few magnitude classes and the ratio between the numbers of shocks in these classes is estimated by using ABIC. The time variation of the magnitude-frequency relation is investigated by this method for the source areas of three events with magnitude 6.0 and above in central Japan; the Southern Ibaraki Earthquake of 1983, the Eastern Yamanashi Earthquake of 1983 and the Western Nagano Earthquake of 1983. In.the southern Ibaraki and the Eastern Yamanashi regions, the frequency of larger shocks in comparison with smaller shocks increased about 1 year preceding the main shocks. In the Western Nagano region, the number of large shocks may have increased 2 years before the main shock. The time variations of the former cases are statistically significant.
Dependence of abrupt Atlantic meridional ocean circulation changes on climate background states

Abrupt decadal climate changes during the last glacial‐interglacial cycle are less pronounced during maximum glacial conditions and absent during the Holocene. To further understand the underlying dynamics, we conduct hosing experiments for three climate states: preindustrial (PI), 32 kiloannum before present (ka B.P.), and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Our simulations show that a stronger temperature inversion between the surface and intermediate layer in the South Labrador Sea induces a faster restart of convective processes (32 ka B.P. > LGM > PI) during the initial resumption of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC). A few decades later, an AMOC overshoot is mainly linked to the advection of warmer and saltier intermediate‐layer water from the tropical Atlantic into the South Labrador Sea, which causes a stronger deep‐water formation than that before the freshwater perturbation. This mechanism is most pronounced during the 32 ka B.P., weaker during the LGM and absent during the PI.
Different Analytical Approaches for the Determination of Presence of Engineered Nanomaterials in Natural Environments

AbstractIndustrial revolution has led to the introduction of innumerable contaminants into the environment via industrial, agricultural, and household applications. In particular, engineered nanoparticles (ENPs), which are emerging in the natural environment and being transported in the environment, may have a significant effect on ecosystems, even though they may only be present at low concentrations. Nanotechnology is going to play a major role which will be responsible for the release of ENPs in the environmental matrices and thus has led to increased focus on environmental research for the betterment of human society. Despite widespread applications of ENPs, in recent years, their hazardous effects on the air, water, soil, and sediments have been studied, which directly impact human health. Hence, to evaluate their persistence and understand the mechanisms that affect their fate, it is necessary to obtain realistic impact due to significant concentration of ENPs. The application of analytical techniqu.
Floristic Structure and Diversity of a Tropical Sub-Montane Evergreen Forest, In the Mbam Minkom Massif (Western Yaoundé)

The aim of this work was to study the floristic structure and diversity of the sub-montane forest of the Mbam minkom massif of Yaounde region, in order to establish its structure and its features in relation to the other submontane forests of Africa and Madagascar, and Neotropical zones. We listed all plant species of evergreen sub-montane forests on the upper summits of 12 hills (1000 to 1295m) of the Mbam minkom massif. An area of0.5 hawas inventoried per hill, using randomly 5 surfaces 25 × 40m (0.1 ha) plots, of a total area of6 ha. Ligneous plants (≤1 cm diameter at breast height) were inventoried: - 324 vascular species, 65 genera and 42 families were recorded; - 150 herbaceous species; - 122 shrubs 1≤ dbh 10 cm. The minimal area was reached at5.5 hainventoried. For the category 10 cm≤ dbh, stem density was 544 stems ha -1 and basal area 52.72 m 2 ha -1 . Species diversity as measured by Shannon diversity index was 4.95. Most species (67, at least 77%) were common (densities > 1 stem ha -1 ), and widely distributed among hill forests (36, at least 41%). Gacinia lucida is the species having the highest IVI value (58.52) and Clusiaceae the family having the highest FIV value (60.01), is mesothermal. The forest is also marked by the abundance of Sterculiaceae, Burseraceae, Myristicaceae, Meliaceae, Oleaceae, Leguminosae, Annonaceae, Apocynaceae and Olacaceae . These are megathermal families (or hydromegathermal) that present their maximum occurrence at the basal and average altitudes. The Mbam minkom submontane forest presents the features of an ecotone. The hydromegathermal families such as Leguminosae present relative density and basal area indices that decrease with altitude. The hydromesothermal families as Clusiaceae find there their ecological preferendum with relative density and basal area indicesthat increase upto 1295m. The hydro-oligothermal families as Rubiaceae show relative density and basal area indices that increase with altitude. This increase goes along with increasing cold weather . The family with 15 species comes behind the Orchidaceae (20 species) when the herbaceous species are taken into consideration in denumbering of the diversity. This unique forest massif is not yet endangered but needs to be conserved as a priority.
Bar evolution and development of stratification in the gravelly, braided, Kicking Horse River, British Columbia

The Kicking Horse River is a gravelly, braided stream characterized by very low winter discharge, a peak spring flood (70 m3s−1 in 1973), and summer diurnal discharge fluctuations (from 18 to 44 m3/s−1 in 1973) related to daily melting on the glaciers that supply the river. The reach studied, near Field, B.C., is characterized by abundant braid bars, and was subdivided into three parts.The upstream reach is characterized by only one major channel, with few unit bars within it. Clast movement takes place at peak flood stages, and the clasts move in 'diffuse gravel sheets' on the channel floor. These sheets are only one to two clast diameters in thickness, and when the clasts stop rolling, the sheet becomes a coarse lag. By contrast, in the midstream and downstream reaches, the channel is more anastomosing, and there are many in-channel bars, mostly transverse and diagonal unit bars. The diagonal bars mostly lack foreset slopes at their downstream margin, and it is suggested that massive to crudely horizont.