Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evapotranspiration comparisons between eddy covariance measurements and meteorological and remote‐sensing‐based models in disturbed ponderosa pine forests

Evapotranspiration (ET) comprises a major portion of the water budget in forests, yet few studies have measured or estimated ET in semi‐arid, high‐elevation ponderosa pine forests of the south‐western USA or have investigated the capacity of models to predict ET in disturbed forests. We measured actual ET with the eddy covariance (eddy) method over 4 years in three ponderosa pine forests near Flagstaff, Arizona, that differ in disturbance history (undisturbed control, wildfire burned, and restoration thinning) and compared these measurements (415–510 mm year−1 on average) with actual ET estimated from five meteorological models [Penman–Monteith (P‐M), P‐M with dynamic control of stomatal resistance (P‐M‐d), Priestley–Taylor (P‐T), McNaughton–Black (M‐B), and Shuttleworth–Wallace (S‐W)] and from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) ET product. The meteorological models with constant stomatal resistance (P‐M, M‐B, and S‐W) provided the most accurate estimates of annual eddy ET (average percent differences ranged between 11 and −14%), but their accuracy varied across sites. The P‐M‐d consistently underpredicted ET at all sites. The more simplistic P‐T model performed well at the control site (18% overprediction) but strongly overpredicted annual eddy ET at the restoration sites (92%) and underpredicted at the fire site (−26%). The MODIS ET underpredicted annual eddy ET at all sites by at least 51% primarily because of underestimation of leaf area index. Overall, we conclude that with accurate parameterization, micrometeorological models can predict ET within 30% in forests of the south‐western USA and that remote sensing‐based ET estimates need to be improved through use of higher resolution products. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
One-Dimensional Shear Wave Profiling for V30 and Nehrp Soil Classification Using the Refraction Microtremor (Remi) Method

The refraction microtremor (ReMi) method uses standard P-wave, refraction recording equipment to record ambient noise and then uses a wavefield transformation to produce Rayleigh wave dispersion curves from which average one-dimensional shear-wave profile of the subsurface can be derived. The combination of commonly available equipment, simple recording with no source, a wavefield transformation data processing technique, and an interactive Rayleigh-wave dispersion modeling tool exploits the most effective aspects of the microtremor, spectral analysis of surface wave (SASW), and multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) techniques. It overcomes several of the problems afflicting other techniques for estimating shallow shear velocities that make them expensive or difficult to use in urban areas. For example, the refraction microtremor method requires no source, no drilling, and noise helps rather than hinder the data acquisition. It has been very effective for quickly and cheaply determining 30-m average shear wave-velocity (V30) and thus the NEHRP (National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program) soil classification. In addition, it has also been used for liquefaction analysis and finding buried cultural features, such as dumps and piers. In this paper we briefly discuss the method and present case studies showing its use in different geologic settings and engineering applications.
The influence of distributed input data on the hydrological modelling of monthly river flow regimes in West Africa

Abstract An extensive data collection exercise was undertaken for an area mainly covering Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Mali. This exercise led to the development of three gridded monthly rainfall surfaces and three monthly potential evapotranspiration (PET) surfaces. Two semi-distributed hydrological models were used for the analysis. Both models utilize soil data which can be defined as being close to a Soil Water Holding Capacity (SWHC). For this, two gridded data sets were used. When applied to different catchments covering geographically close hydrographical areas, but sometimes with distinct characteristics, the models produced results that varied according to the input data sets, catchment characteristics and model structure. These preliminary results highlight the important influence of the nature and origin of input data for hydrological modelling in Africa.
Effect of Sea Ice on the Salinity of Antarctic Bottom Waters

Abstract Brine rejection during the formation of Antarctic sea ice is known to enhance the salinity of dense shelf waters in the Weddell and Ross Seas. As these shelf waters flow off the shelves and descend to the bottom, they entrain ambient deep water to create new bottom water. It is not uncommon for ocean modelers to modify salinity boundary conditions around Antarctica in an attempt to include a “sea ice effect” in their models. However, the degree to which Antarctic salinities are enhanced is usually not quantified or defended. In this paper, studies of shelf hydrography and δ 18O are reviewed to assess the level of salinity enhancement appropriate for ocean general circulation models. The relevant quantities are 1) the salinity difference between the water masses modified on the shelves and the final offshelf flow and 2) the flux of salt (or freshwater) that gives rise to this salinity difference. Onshelf/offshelf salinity changes in the Weddell and Ross Seas appear to be fairly small, 0.15–0.20 sa.
Journalist and His Working Environment (Case Study of a Czech Publishing House)

The paper focuses on the journalist’s perception of his working environment. The research uses a case study of a publishing house Mafra which is one of the largest media companies in the Czech Republic. Mafra started using integrated newsrooms in 2007 – the first of them connected the newspaper MF DNES and its online version iDNES.cz and an integrated newsroom for Lidové Noviny and Lidovky.cz followed. Since 2004, all Mafra’s newsrooms and also radio stations are based in one large building; the TV station resides in a separate building. My research is based on 40 interviews with journalists from all media divisions.
A nonparametric approach for paleohydrologic reconstruction of annual streamflow ensembles

As multicentury records of natural hydrologic variability, tree ring reconstructions of streamflow have proven valuable in water resources planning and management. All previous reconstructions have used parametric methods, most often regression, to develop a model relating a set of tree ring data to a target hydrology. In this paper, we present the first development and application of a K nearest neighbor (KNN) nonparametric method to reconstruct naturalized annual streamflow ensembles from tree ring chronology data in the Upper Colorado River Basin region. The method is developed using tree ring chronologies from the period 1400–2005 and naturalized streamflow from the period 1906–2005 at the important Lees Ferry, Arizona, gauge on the Colorado River to develop annual streamflow ensembles for this gauge for the 1400–1905 period. The proposed KNN algorithm was developed and tested using cross validation for the overlap period, i.e., the contemporary observed period for which both the tree ring and streamflow data are available (1906–2005). The cross‐validated streamflow reconstructions for the selected contemporary period compare very well with the observed flows and also with published parametric streamflow reconstructions for this gauge. The proposed nonparametric method provides an ensemble of streamflows for each year in the paleohydrologic reconstruction period (1400–1905) and, consequently, a more realistic asymmetric confidence interval than one obtained through most parametric approaches. Also, the K nearest neighbors are obtained only from the tree ring chronology data, and thus, the method can be used to reconstruct structured and even nonnumerical data for use in water resources modeling.
El sistema de educación superior en Chile: un enfoque de economía política comparada

The author shows how, in terms of access, graduation rates and impact upon adult population, the achievements of Chilean of higher education are similar to those of other countries with average access rates, as can be observed in the World Education Indicators Program. Nonetheless, these achievements are very distant from the average achievements of the OCDE countries.
Conséquences des introductions d'espèces animales et végétales sur la biodiversité en Nouvelle-Calédonie

Accompagnant le peuplement melanesien, puis europeen, de la Nouvelle-Caledonie, les introductions volontaires d'especes animales et vegetales ont d'abord ete motivees par des finalites utilitaires et economiques. Au cours des dernieres decennies, la part des introductions motivees par les activites de loisir est preponderante: 83 % des vertebres introduits depuis 1950, et particulierement depuis 1970, l'ont ete pour la satisfaction d'interets lies aux activites de chasse, peche sportive, aquariophilie, oisellerie. Ces introductions volontaires se sont inevitablement accompagnees de nombreuses introductions accidentelles. A ce jour, environ 800 especes exogenes de plantes, au moins 400 d'invertebres et 36 de vertebres sont etablis a l'etat sauvage en Nouvelle-Caledonie. Sous les effets conjugues du feu et des defrichements, des etendues considerables de vegetation naturelle, foret sclerophylle en particulier, sont desormais remplacees par des savanes et fourres secondaires domines par quelques dizaines d'especes animales et vegetales envahissantes. La banalisation croissante de vastes espaces « naturels» devrait inciter a la prevention des introductions sur le Territoire de Nouvelle-Caledonie. L'extinction ou la rarefaction de certaines especes endemiques peuvent etre directement associes a la presence de mammiferes introduits. La rehabilitation de perimetres par eradication des especes exogenes pourrait etre necessaire au maintien in situ de l'exceptionnelle biodiversite de la Nouvelle-Caledonie.
International bilateral water treaty formation

A logistic model is estimated to determine factors that have influenced the formation of bilateral international water treaties over the last 60 years. Results indicate that the larger a water basin is as a percent of a country's size, the more likely the country is to form a treaty regarding its management. On the other hand, the more control over the water basin any given country has, the less likely it will be involved in a treaty. The results also support aspects of two competing theories about the role of country differences, that in some cases they serve as obstacles to treaty formation yet in other cases they encourage treaty formation to formalize management when informal arrangements are not adequate.
An extraction method for interested buildings using lidar point clouds data

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is an active remote sensing technique for acquiring spatial information. It can quickly acquire three-dimensional (3D) geographic coordinate information of ground surface and ground targets, and has typical advantage in such applications as urban planning, 3D modeling, disaster assessment, etc. This paper presents an extraction method for interested buildings using three-dimensional laser point cloud data which are filtered and organized by the kd tree. First, the algorithm determines candidate points of a building from non-ground points and clusters them on the constraints of distance so that single building target can be segmented. Second, for each segmented building target, the algorithm extracts its edge points and regularizes its edge. The extracted building feature information is provided for quickly searching target of interest. At last, the method is proved to be effective based on the analysis of measured data. The method is no point cloud interpolation error, and is not affected by the size or shape of a building.
Influencia del método de siembra sobre la curva de crecimiento del Pennisetum purpureum vc King grass en la Amazonía Ecuatoriana

The work was performed at the Research Station of pasture and forage CIPCA belonging to the Amazon State University. And age (x: regression analysis between the variables height ( dependent variable y): was made independent variable grass Pennisetum purpureum cv King grass and the effect of planting system on site , on two plots of 20 m2 on a floor Inseptisol . land preparation is done manually and consisted only veneered area prior had done a soil test . selected stakes, with four knots were placed at 5 cm deep , 25 cm distance between plants and 70 cm between rows . at 19 days of age germination was measured differences in the% where the sloping method had the highest percentage 100%, I turned both plots reap the inclined seed yields 9.23 t / h were observed dry matter lying against 5.06 for planting. values obtained for a cut without the use of fertilizers or pesticides. Based on weekly measurements of height growth curves rate growths were performed and the linear regression quadratic. Key words: Growth rates, planting system, grass height.
Human neural stem cells: region-specific properties and prospects for cell therapy

Cell replacement by neural transplantation can, in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, reconstruct damaged brain circuitry. In the clinical situation, the graft material used for cell therapy must, most likely, be of human origin. The human fetal brain is one potential source of neural stem cells (NSCs) for cell replacement therapy in neurodegenerative disorders such as stroke. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in adult humans and treatments for beneficial and efficient recovery are today lacking. In the most common form of human stroke, i.e. occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, mainly neurons in the cortex and striatum die. Therefore, we wanted to generate NSCs lines derived from the human fetal cortex and striatum and explore whether they maintain an intrinsic cellular identity in culture, consistent with their region of origin. Moreover, we wanted to investigate their capacity and potential after transplantation into the striatum of intact newborn and stroke-lesioned adult rats. Furthermore, we wanted to determine whether we could drive the NSCs towards neuronal fate by overexpressing the transcription factor Pax6. We found that the cortical and striatal NSCs have similar properties during expansion as neuropsheres. However, upon long-term differentiation in vitro, the cortical and striatal NSCs generated region-specific neuronal subtypes. After transplantation into the neonatal rat striatum, both cortical and striatal NSCs survived well and migrated similar distances, and had the capacity to differentiate into astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and mature neurons. When the NSCs were grafted into the striatum of rats subjected to stroke, both cortical and striatal NSCs survived and migrated to the same extent, and almost exclusively generated neurons outside the graft core. However, the striatal NSCs occupied a larger volume of the striatum and generated a higher proportion of neurons with molecular identity of striatal neurons. Upon overexpression of Pax6, the in vitro generation of neurons increased from the striatal NSCs and with maintained region-specificity. When striatal NSCs overexpressing Pax6 was implanted into the neonatal rat, there was an increased generation of neuroblasts compared to control. Taken together, it is possible to consider cortical and striatal NSCs derived from the human fetus as a safe cell source with a very strong neurogenic capacity as promising candidates for cell replacement therapy. However, before any clinical application of cell replacement therapy can be considered, there are several key points to address; the selection of established and guaranteed safe cell sources with fully controllable differentiation potential, the complete knowledge of disease mechanisms and progression, the optimized number of cells and time for transplantation, and the careful selection of patients with best prognosis to benefit from cell therapy.
Bow shock contributions to region 1 field‐aligned current: A new result from global MHD simulations

We present a new result, based on a global MHD simulation model, that the bow shock contributes significantly to the region 1 field‐aligned current (FAC) under strong southward interplanetary magnetic field conditions. More than 50 percent of the total region 1 FAC may originate from the bow shock in certain circumstances. Stronger southward interplanetary magnetic field, higher solar wind speed, or larger ionospheric Pedersen conductance, leads to greater contribution from the bow shock to the region 1 current. This new result quantifies the interaction between the bow shock and the ionosphere through the region 1 current. The methodology presented in the present paper should be applicable to quantify the bow shock contributions to the substorms through the region 1 current, as well as to the magnetic storms through the ring current and the region 2 current, leading to understanding the space weather as magnetic storms in the solar‐terrestrial environment.
The predictability of autumn soil moisture levels on the Canadian Prairies

This paper examines time and space patterns of autumn soil moisture for the south-eastern Canadian Prairie provinces and looks for potential teleconnections between these patterns and remote forcing. A unique 35-year dataset of annually-measured (in the autumn) soil moisture at 35 sites was subjected to principal component analysis. The dataset comprised gravimetric soil water contents at depths of 15, 30, 46 and 76 cm. For the composite of all soil depths, the first three principal components explained 34, 10 and 8% respectively, of the total variance. The first component, reflecting moisture changes over the entire study area, is the only one likely to be related to large-scale remote forcing and to be potentially predictable. The remaining components, related to moisture gradients within the study area, are probably either random fluctuations or responses to smaller-scale, less-remote forcing, as well as being less amenable to prediction. Analysis of the time-series amplitudes of the first mode showed significant correlations with several teleconnection indices; these were the North Pacific sea surface temperature (NPSST), the East Pacific pattern, and several indices of Arctic temperature anomalies. The highest correlations were found with the NPSST index, with early summer NPSST anomalies appearing mainly to influence autumn soil moisture, particularly the deeper layers. Although the magnitudes of the correlations were low, the results of this study contribute towards a better understanding of soil moisture variations and their potential predictors on the eastern Canadian Prairies. This may be useful for predictions of the succeeding year's crop and forage yields, as well as spring runoff and summer streamflow.
Uncertainty in Model Climate Sensitivity Traced to Representations of Cumulus Precipitation Microphysics

AbstractUncertainty in equilibrium climate sensitivity impedes accurate climate projections. While the intermodel spread is known to arise primarily from differences in cloud feedback, the exact processes responsible for the spread remain unclear. To help identify some key sources of uncertainty, the authors use a developmental version of the next-generation Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory global climate model (GCM) to construct a tightly controlled set of GCMs where only the formulation of convective precipitation is changed. The different models provide simulation of present-day climatology of comparable quality compared to the model ensemble from phase 5 of CMIP (CMIP5). The authors demonstrate that model estimates of climate sensitivity can be strongly affected by the manner through which cumulus cloud condensate is converted into precipitation in a model’s convection parameterization, processes that are only crudely accounted for in GCMs. In particular, two commonly used methods for converting .
The Impact of Poleward Moisture and Sensible Heat Flux on Arctic Winter Sea Ice Variability

AbstractThe surface warming in recent decades has been most rapid in the Arctic, especially during the winter. Here, by utilizing global reanalysis and satellite datasets, it is shown that the northward flux of moisture into the Arctic during the winter strengthens the downward infrared radiation (IR) by 30–40 W m−2 over 1–2 weeks. This is followed by a decline of up to 10% in sea ice concentration over the Greenland, Barents, and Kara Seas. A climate model simulation indicates that the wind-induced sea ice drift leads the decline of sea ice thickness during the early stage of the strong downward IR events, but that within one week the cumulative downward IR effect appears to be dominant. Further analysis indicates that strong downward IR events are preceded several days earlier by enhanced convection over the tropical Indian and western Pacific Oceans. This finding suggests that sea ice predictions can benefit from an improved understanding of tropical convection and ensuing planetary wave dynamics.
Modeling Tropical Pacific Sea Surface Temperature: 1970–87

Abstract An attempt is made to model the sea surface temperature (SST) of the tropical Pacific Ocean between January 1970 and August 1987. The SST is computed using the model and heat flux parameterization discribed in the climatological study of Seager et al. The model is forced with the observed winds as given by the Florida State University analysis. The results indicate that while short period variability in the model and observations is largely uncorrelated, variability with periods greater than about one year is well represented in the model. Each El Nino that occurred in this time period is captured by the model. The main discrepancies in the evolution of the 1982/83 and 1986/87 model El Nino events are the inability of the model equatorial SST anomaly to cool in early 1983 and the disappearance of the 1986/87 anomaly during 1987. The results suggest a number of conclusions. In the east Pacific equatorial Kelvin waves, excited by variations in the trade wind strength in the central and west Pacific.
Golden plumes: Substantial gold enrichment of oceanic crust during ridge-plume interaction

Mantle plume events are increasingly implicated as the source of gold (Au) in regions of the Earth that show a high Au endowment. However, the process of enriching oceanic crust in Au by plume activity is poorly understood and unconstrained. We present the first systematic study of Au concentrations in oceanic basalts as a function of distance from a plume center. We show that the influence of the Iceland plume on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge progressively enriches the oceanic crust in Au along the Reykjanes Ridge by as much as 13 times normal levels, over a distance of ∼600 km, and that the enrichment can be attributed to specific plume components. This Au enrichment by the Iceland plume implies a genetic relationship between deep mantle upwelling and major gold mineralization.