Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spectral indices for lithologic discrimination and mapping by using the ASTER SWIR bands

The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) is a research facility instrument launched on NASA's Terra spacecraft in December 1999. Spectral indices, a kind of orthogonal transformation in the five-dimensional space formed by the five ASTER short-wave-infrared (SWIR) bands, were proposed for discrimination and mapping of surface rock types. These include Alunite Index, Kaolinite Index, Calcite Index, and Montmorillonite Index, and can be calculated by linear combination of reflectance values of the five SWIR bands. The transform coefficients were determined so as to direct transform axes to the average spectral pattern of the typical minerals. The spectral indices were applied to the simulated ASTER dataset of Cuprite, Nevada, USA after converting its digital numbers to surface reflectance. The resultant spectral index images were useful for lithologic mapping and were easy to interpret geologically. An advantage of this method is that we can use the pre-determined transform coefficients, as long as image data are converted to surface reflectance.
Comparative study of the tropospheric ozone derived from satellite data using different interpolation techniques

Tropospheric ozone (TO) has been derived from the Aura/Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and the Aura/Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) over the Indian sub-continent region using a tropospheric ozone residual (TOR) technique. The TO was initially retrieved at a horizontal spatial resolution following that of the Aura/MLS (300 km), which has a lower horizontal spatial resolution than that of the Aura/OMI (25 km). To overcome the limitations imposed by data at a lower spatial resolution, we have introduced a 2D rectangular interpolation (RI) algorithm for effective resampling of data to higher horizontal spatial resolutions. The performance of this algorithm has been evaluated by comparison against existing standard techniques such as nearest neighbourhood (NN) and kriging interpolation as well as comparison against in situ ozonesonde observations. Gridded TO estimates were subsequently generated for the region of interest at 25, 50, and 100 km horizontal spatial resolutions for further study.
Impact of Small-Scale Logging in Semi Deciduous Forest of Togo (West Africa)

Impact of Small-Scale Logging in Semi Deciduous Forest of Togo (West Africa) In Togo, small-sale or artisanal logging is undergoing much processing with the use of mobile saws. This study is conducted to provide an overview of the supply chain of timber in Litime (Southwest Togo) and to show the performance of the local enterprise of timber exploitation. In this regard, felling and cut up of forty logs of seventeen species belonging to nine Angiosperm families were followed up in the forest. The influence of the diameters and the heights of the logs are the parameters observed on diverse forms of the products. Results reveal that many species which were not processed before are actively undergoing today. A relationship was established between the low yield, the diameters and the heights of the logs. Results also show that the rate of wastes is important. Consequently, there is a rapid depletion of forest cover and biodiversity, with a considerable negative impact on the Litime environment.
Enhancement of the computer experience in electric power engineering education at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks

The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) has recently acquired a commercial software product to complement power system analysis packages previously utilized in the UAF undergraduate power option, which include Power Technologies, Inc.'s (PTI) PSS/E/sup TM/ and ASPEN One-Liner/sup TM/. The most recent acquisition, also used heavily by Alaska's utilities, is Stoner Associates, Inc.'s Distribution Primary Analysis and Graphics (DPA/G)/sup TM/ software. This paper describes how the DPA/G software has extended the electric power program capabilities at UAF in the power distribution area.
Determination of Burnt Scars Using Logistic Regression and Neural Network Techniques from a Single Post-Fire Landsat-7 ETM+ Image

Using logistic regression (LR) and artificial neural network (NN) algorithms, probabilities of presence/absence (p/a) of burned scars were calculated from post-fire Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) images in mountainous areas of northern California. The discriminating power of six original TM bands (TM bands 1 through 5 and band 7) and five vegetation indices between burned and unburned areas were analyzed. The LR and NN techniques were applied to two study sites with varied topography. We evaluated the performance of both methods in predicting burned scars based on predictive accuracy, uncertainty index, and computation time. The experimental results indicate that (1) the LR is more efficient than the NN in predicting burned scars, but both techniques can produce similar and acceptable prediction accuracy (overall average accuracy greater than 97 percent for both methods at the two study sites) of p/a of burned areas; (2) among all six original TM bands and five vegetation indices, original TM4 and TM7 and NDVII (TM4, TM7) and NDVI2 (TM4, TM3) exhibit the highest discrimination between burned scars and unburned vegetation areas; and (3) the predictive accuracy produced with samples from the shaded and shadowed areas is lower than that from the sunlit areas.
Multiple Overlapping Foraminiferal Litho-Biofacies: Applications to Deep-Water Sedimentology and Reservoir Properties of Turbidites

ABSTRACT Foraminiferal assemblages in deep-water sediments contain: (1) indigenous benthic taxa that represent combined bottom-water/bottom-sediment subenvironments; (2) planktonic taxa that settle from near-surface habitats into benthic environments after death; and, (3) allochthonous benthic shelf taxa that are transported downslope into deep-water biotopes as empty tests or as displaced living populations. Developing a better understanding of the succession and dominance of subenvironments within a complex deposystem is the ultimate goal of litho-biofacies analysis. While a robust turbidite litho-biofacies model can easily be constructed for deep-water turbidite sections, in practice, because of the nature of well cuttings its application in detailed reservoir analysis is more complicated. Sample by sample comparison of taxonomic data with a litho-biofacies model requires an understanding of how the mixing of cuttings in the returning stream of drilling mud can cause litho-biofacies that were mutually exclusive in situ to appear to overlap in the biostratigraphic record. Because even the most detailed paleontologic analyses of cuttings record taxa representing several distinct turbidite subenvironments in each sample, in assessing deep-water subenvironments it is necessary to use a qualitative or quantitative strategy to help unscramble the litho-biofacies signal. A graphical partial signal deconvolution approach has been used successfully to distinguish multiple overlapping litho-biofacies in a variety of deep-water environments. It is more important to un-mix turbiditic litho-biofacies than bathy-metric biofacies. Turbidite systems are typically deposited within a single paleobathymetric zone, but contain many depositional subenvironments, which are key to understanding their reservoir potential. End_Page 227------------------------
ROCSAT observations of topside ionospheric undulations and irregularities at low to middle latitudes

[1] Starting from 0415 UT on 8 January 2000, ROCSAT-1 observed intermediate-scale (0.1 to 50 km) ion density irregularities in conjunction with mesoscale (∼50 to 1000 km) density and flow undulations in a total of eight consecutive orbits from low to middle latitudes in the northern hemisphere of nightside topside ionosphere. The mesoscale undulation indicates in-phase variation between the outward as well as westward flow and the density enhancement. The induced electric fields derived from the flow perturbations point along the northeast–southwest direction. The locations of the disturbances mapped from the onset of each mesoscale undulation event observed in eight consecutive ROCSAT orbits form a frontal structure that is aligned from northwest to southeast. These disturbances cover a large geographic area from 120° to 300° in longitude and from latitude 20° up to the ROCSAT turn-around latitude at 35° in the nightside ionosphere. Since the first onset of mesoscale undulations is preceded by a sudden enhancement of the background flow in the southeast direction, which can be induced by a southwest-pointed electric field, the cause of mesoscale undulations is identified as the Perkins instability. On the other hand, it is difficult to explain the occurrence of intermediate-scale irregularities that either appear alone in time and space, or coexist with mesoscale undulations. The signature of intermediate-scale irregularities, in addition to the density fluctuations, is the existence of a dominant zonal flow fluctuation that is completely different from the characteristics of mesoscale undulations. One possible explanation for the existence of intermediate-scale irregularities is from the mapping of irregularity structures from E region or lower F region. However, theoretical model for the production and mapping process of intermediate-scale irregularity is not available at the moment. As the in situ observation of midlatitude irregularities is quite rare, we hope that the unique and distinctive properties of midlatitude irregularities, at mesoscale and intermediate scale, presented here will stimulate future theoretical study of midlatitude irregularities.
Improving Streamflow Forecast Lead Time Using Oceanic-Atmospheric Oscillations for Kaidu River Basin, Xinjiang, China

AbstractIncreasing global warming has led to the incremental retreat of glaciers, which in turn affects the water supply of the rivers dependent on glacier melts. This is further affected by the increases in flooding that is attributable to heavy rains during the snowmelt season. An accurate estimation of streamflow is important for water resources planning and management. Therefore, this paper focuses on improving the streamflow forecast for Kaidu River Basin, situated at the north fringe of Yanqi basin on the south slope of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, China. The interannual and decadal scale oceanic-atmospheric oscillations, i.e., Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), North Atlantic oscillation (NAO), Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), and El Nino–southern oscillation (ENSO), are used to generate streamflow volumes for the peak season (April–October) and the water year, which is from October of the previous year to September of the current year for a period from 1955–2006. A data-driven model.
Delta-Sigma digital-RF modulation for high data rate transmitters

A low power, wideband wireless transmitter utilizing ∆Σ direct digital modulation of an RF carrier is presented. The transmitter architecture replaces high dynamic range analog circuits with high speed digital circuits and a passive LC bandpass filter, saving power and area compared to conventional IQ modulators for wideband systems. A prototype transmitter IC built in 0.13 μm CMOS demonstrates a data rate of 1.2 Gb/s using OFDM modulation in a bandwidth of 200 MHz centered at 5.25 GHz. The modulator consumes 187 mW and occupies a die area of 0.72 mm. A quadrature digital-IF approach eliminates modulator LO feedthrough and image spurs from the output spectrum without requiring analog circuitry or system calibration, simplifying the design of the transmitter. The largest modulator spur is measured to be -47 dBc. Measured SNDR over a 200 MHz bandwidth is 43 dB. Successful implementation of the ∆Σ RF modulator requires the design of a highQ, tunable RF bandpass filter, and a low power, high speed digital ∆Σ modulator. A 4th order passive LC bandpass filter with center frequency of 5.25 GHz is designed and implemented using differential coupled resonators. Variation of the filter response over process and temperature is removed through the design of an automatic self-tuning loop that calibrates the filter center frequency to the system LO. A 2.625 GS/s, 2nd order, 3-bit digital ∆Σ modulator is realized through the use of a pass-gate adder circuit optimized for low power and high speed. The digital modulator is software programmable to support multiple bandwidths, frequency channels, and modulation schemes. It can be used adaptively to transmit in selected channels with variable bit-rates, depending on channel conditions. It is envisioned that the ∆Σ digital-RF modulator can be used as a universal transmitter for wideband systems and applications that require high data rates and low power consumption. Thesis Supervisor: Charles G. Sodini Title: Professor
Efficient Nonlocal Means for Denoising of Textural Patterns

This paper contributes two novel techniques in the context of image restoration by nonlocal filtering. First, we introduce an efficient implementation of the nonlocal means filter based on arranging the data in a cluster tree. The structuring of data allows for a fast and accurate preselection of similar patches. In contrast to previous approaches, the preselection is based on the same distance measure as used by the filter itself. It allows for large speedups, especially when the search for similar patches covers the whole image domain, i.e., when the filter is truly nonlocal. However, also in the windowed version of the filter, the cluster tree approach compares favorably to previous techniques in respect of quality versus computational cost. Second, we suggest an iterative version of the filter that is derived from a variational principle and is designed to yield nontrivial steady states. It reveals to be particularly useful in order to restore regular, textured patterns.
Secondary organic aerosol yields from cloud‐processing of isoprene oxidation products

While there is a growing understanding from laboratory studies of aqueous phase chemical processes that lead to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation in cloud droplets (SOAdrop), the contribution of aqueous phase chemistry to atmospheric SOA burden is yet unknown. Using a parcel model including a multiphase chemical mechanism, we show that SOAdrop carbon yields (Yc) from isoprene (1) depend strongly on the initial volatile organic carbon (VOC)/NOx ratio resulting in 42% > Yc > 0.4% over the atmospherically‐relevant range of 0.25 < VOC/NOx < 100; (2) increase with increasing cloud‐contact time; (3) are less affected by cloud liquid water content, pH, and droplet number. (4) The uncertainty associated with gas/particle‐partitioning of semivolatile organics introduces a relative error of −50% ≤ ΔYc < +100 %. The reported yields can be applied to air quality and climate models as is done with SOA formed on/in concentrated aerosol particles (SOAaer).
Influence of explicit Phaeocystis parameterizations on the global distribution of marine dimethyl sulfide

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) is a biogenic organosulfur compound which contributes strongly to marine aerosol mass and the determination of cloud condensation nuclei over the remote oceans. Since uncertainties in DMS flux to the atmosphere lead to large variations in climate forcing, the global DMS distribution has been the subject of increasingly complex dynamic simulations. DMS concentrations are directly controlled by marine ecosystems. Phaeocystis is a major DMS producer but is often omitted from global reduced sulfur mechanisms. Here we incorporate this phytoplankton group into the marine ecosystem‐biogeochemical module of the Community Earth System Model. To examine its role in the ocean sulfur cycle, an earlier DMS model has been enhanced to include new knowledge gained over the last few years. Results from the baseline run show that simulated Phaeocystis biomass generally agrees with observations, with high concentrations near the Antarctic continent and between 50° and 60° north. Given the new explicit Phaeocystis representation, the DMS distribution shows significant improvements, especially regarding the amplitude and location of high‐latitude peaks. The simulated global mean surface DMS value is 2.26 nM, comparable to an estimate of 2.34 nM from the latest climatology extrapolated based on observations. The total oceanic DMS source to the atmosphere is 20.4 Tg S/yr, on the low side of previous estimates. Comparisons with and without Phaeocystis show that the group dominates DMS distributions in temperate and cold waters, contributing 13% of the global flux. The proportion may increase as sea ice declines and should be considered in climate projections.
A radiative transfer model for sea ice with vertical structure variations

A radiative transfer model designed for application to snow-covered sea ice with vertical layering is presented which removes several of the computational problems associated with media whose optical properties are strong functions of wavelength and depth. With this model it is possible to treat the effects of biological activity in the ice as well as vertical variations in brine volume and bubble density. Transmission spectra can also be calculated as a function of depth in the water column beneath the ice. Accurate results are achieved for both direct and diffuse incident irradiance for single scattering albedos ranging from 0.0 to 0.99999999. Calculated albedos and extinction coefficients for snow and sea ice are consistent with both observations and previous models, and the model results resolve apparent inconsistencies among certain observational data sets. Refraction is included for all layer interfaces and is found to reduce the albedo, while the transmissivity responds to changes in the optical depth in addition to redirection of the radiation. For bare sea ice, ignoring refraction can introduce albedo errors as great as 24% and transmissivity errors of more than 70%. Absorption by algae in the ice is shown to reduce the transmitted radiation by more than a factor of 10 at certain visible wavelengths. The predicted azimuthal dependence of the emergent radiances is very weak even for large solar incidence angles.
Parenthood Mining Using Hashtag Social Network Mining Approach

Low birth phenomenon is a global trend with an important economic and societal consequences that stress global and holistic initiatives in western countries. This paper attempts to contribute to this issue by developing an original approach to mine parenthood patterns from Twitter social media platform. Relevant hashtags are employed to develop a social network-based approach to distinguish relevant communities. The three relevant online communities were identified. We conducted a topical based analysis to comprehend the discussion trend and sentiment analysis to further monitor issues of parenthood concerns. Examples of concerns raised by the community analysis include anxiety in autism parenting, stress in single parenting, college loans, and debts in pandemic time.
Feedback utilization control in distributed real-time systems with end-to-end tasks

An increasing number of distributed real-time systems face the critical challenge of providing quality of service guarantees in open and unpredictable environments. In particular, such systems often need to enforce utilization bounds on multiple processors in order to avoid overload and meet end-to-end deadlines even when task execution times are unpredictable. While recent feedback control real-time scheduling algorithms have shown promise, they cannot handle the common end-to-end task model where each task is comprised of a chain of subtasks distributed on multiple processors. This paper presents the end-to-end utilization control (EUCON) algorithm that adaptively maintains desired CPU utilization through performance feedbacks loops. EUCON is based on a model predictive control approach that models utilization control on a distributed platform as a multivariable constrained optimization problem. A multi-input-multi-output model predictive controller is designed based on a difference equation model that describes the dynamic behavior of distributed real-time systems. Both control theoretic analysis and simulations demonstrate that EUCON can provide robust utilization guarantees when task execution times deviate from estimation or vary significantly at runtime.
Quaternary Climates, Environments and Magnetism: Palaeomonsoons I: the magnetic record of palaeoclimate in the terrestrial loess and palaeosol sequences

Introduction Analysis of terrestrial sedimentary sequences in the Alpine region resulted in the ‘four-glaciation’ model of Penck & Bruckner, a model that was the paradigm for Quaternary science from 1909 until the 1970s. That this model was wrong was demonstrated only when cores of undisturbed and continuously accumulating sediment were retrieved from the deep-sea floor and their multiple oscillations of oxygen isotope ratio revealed. Yet this revolution in our view of the Quaternary might instead have taken place in north-central China rather than at the bottom of the ocean. For here exists the closest land-based analogue of the deep sea, with quasi-continuous accretion of sediment over the entire span of the Quaternary – the interbedded layers of windblown dust (loess) and buried soils (palaeosols) of the Chinese loess plateau (see cover photograph and Fig. 3.1). Safely distal from the erosive glacial processes of the mid-latitudes, these sediments record thirty or more alternations in climate. Transport of dust from source areas and ensuing dust deposition on the loess plateau were at a maximum during cooler, drier climate stages; weathering and soil formation were enhanced during warmer, wetter stages. These soil–loess oscillations were initially investigated as long ago as the 1930s (Thorp, 1936; Teilhard de Chardin & Young, 1930) and field mapping of the units was carried out through the 1950s (Zhu, 1958; Liu, T.S., 1959). Until the 1980s, it was thought that the timespan represented by the sediments was of the order of one million years.
Millimeter-Wave Imaging via Circular-Arc MIMO Arrays

Millimeter-wave (MMW) imaging has a promising prospect in application of concealed weapons detection. To that end, we propose a circular-arc multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) array scheme with uniformly spaced transmit and receive antennas along the horizontal-arc direction while scanning along the vertical direction. The antenna beams of the circular-arc MIMO array can provide more uniform coverage of the imaging scene than those of linear or planar MIMO arrays, which is especially important for the detection of concealed weapons carried by personnel. Furthermore, a near-field 3-D imaging technique, based on spatial frequency-domain processing, is presented together with a detailed analysis of sampling criteria and resolutions. Numerical and experimental results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method in comparison with those of the currently most used array schemes and imaging algorithms.