Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
U‐Pb Age Determination for Seven Standard Zircons using Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Frequency Quintupled Nd‐YAG (λ = 213 nm) Laser Ablation System: Comparison with LA‐ICP‐MS Zircon Analyses with a NIST Glass Reference Material

This paper evaluates the analytical precision, accuracy and long‐term reliability of the U‐Pb age data obtained using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) with a frequency quintupled Nd‐YAG (λ = 213nm) laser ablation system. The U‐Pb age data for seven standard zircons of various ages, from 28 Ma to 2400 Ma (FCT, SL13, 91500, AS3, FC1, QGNG and PMA7) were obtained with an ablation pit size of 30 μm diameter. For 207Pb/206Pb ratio measurement, the mean isotopic ratio obtained on National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) SRM610 over 4 months was 0.9105 ± 0.0014 (n = 280, 95% confidence), which agrees well with the published value of 0.9096. The time‐profile of Pb/U ratios during single spot ablation showed no significant difference in shape from NIST SRM610 and 91500 zircon standards. These results encouraged the use of the glass standard as a calibration standard for the Pb/U ratio determination for zircons with shorter wavelength (λ = 213 nm) laser ablation. But 206Pb/238U and 207Pb/235U ages obtained by this method for seven zircon standards are systematically younger than the published U‐Pb ages obtained by both isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID‐TIMS) and sensitive high‐resolution ion‐microprobe (SHRIMP). Greater discrepancies (3–4% younger ages) were found for the 206Pb/238U ages for SL13, AS3 and 91500 zircons. The origin of the differences could be heterogeneity in Pb/U ratio on SRM610 between the different disks, but a matrix effect accuracy either in the ICP ion source or in the ablation‐transport processes of the sample aerosols cannot be neglected. When the 206Pb/238U (= 0.2302) newly defined in the present study is used, the measured 206Pb/238U and 207Pb/235U ages for the seven zircon standards are in good agreement with those from ID‐TIMS and SHRIMP within ±2%. This suggests that SRM610 glass standard is suitable for ICP‐MS with laser ablation sampling (LA‐ICP‐MS) zircon analysis, but it is necessary to determine the correction factor for 206Pb/238U by measuring several zircon standards in individual laboratories.
Sea fog characteristics based on MODIS data and streamer model

To achieve sea fog detection in China Sea with EOS MODIS data, the reflectance between band 1-7 of sea fog and other cloud regions is the pre-work. Base on satellite observations sampling from known sea fog and cloud regions, the spectral characteristics of sea fog and other clouds are analyzed. It shows that the visible reflectance (band 1-4) is generally from 0.2 to 0.4 in sea fog, while the reflectance of cloud regions is higher than 0.4. The near-infrared reflectance over different fog/cloud regions expresses some especial characteristics. At band 7, the reflectance varies observably relative to band 1-4 over sea fog/cloud regions and it is smallest. And the reflectance of band 5 and 6 may be higher than other bands in sea fog regions. Those results deduced from some instances with statistical method maybe present individual property. Therefore, with the Streamer radiative transfer model, the reflectance at the satellite altitude of the sea fog, low-cloud, mid-cloud and high-cloud with different cloud microphysical and observational conditions is simulated and re-analyzed. The simulations also show those results in extent and are consistent with the satellite observations. It shows that the near-infrared wavelength band 6 is useful to detect sea fog by MODIS. The reflectance of sea fog satisfies band3>band6>band2 while the general cloud is band3>band2>band6. Those properties are also simply explained by Mie scattering theory. It is the different scattering efficiency of sea fog and clouds at different wavelength that make some results. Those properties at sea fog in seven bands that is different from other clouds is nice for fog autodetection from EOS MODIS.
Aerosol time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry during the Atlanta Supersite Experiment: 2. Scaling procedures

[1] Aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ATOFMS) was used for characterizing the aerodynamic size and chemical composition of individual particles during the Atlanta Supersite Experiment in 1999. During certain time periods, increased numbers of particles scattered light but did not produce mass spectra. Upon comparison of the size-resolved unscaled particle counts from an aerosol time-of-flight mass spectrometer with those from a laser particle counter, the presence of a chemical bias became apparent in the single particle mass spectral measurements. Upon further analysis, it was determined that these events occurred during time periods of elevated ammonium and sulfate mass concentrations measured with semicontinuous particulate analysis instruments. The missed particle type occurred mostly in the smallest size range (0.35–0.54 μm) and correlated well with optical scattering measurements. As described herein, a scaling procedure is developed that allows one to account for the ATOFMS chemical bias. This procedure is tested by comparing the scaled ATOFMS data with multiple measurements from other techniques made during the 1999 Atlanta Supersite study. This is the second paper in a two-part series focusing on ATOFMS data collected during the Atlanta Supersite experiment in 1999 [Prather et al., 2002].
Analysis of NOAA‐AVHRR NDVI inter‐annual variability for forest fire risk estimation

The values of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) extracted from satellite sensor data acquired by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration – Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (NOAA‐AVHRR) have often been used for estimating forest fire risk. These estimates were mainly based on the decrease in the NDVI values during the summer period. However, this decrease may be a normal phenological response of the vegetation to the summer drought in Mediterranean regions. The present work, instead, considers the inter‐annual variability of the vegetation status to determine vegetation water stress. The water stress is determined by comparing the actual vegetation status, as derived from the NDVI, with its normal evolution. Thus, a novel methodology for the assessment of fire risk based on this inter‐annual comparison is presented. The level of fire risk is derived from a new index referred to as the dynamic relative greenness index (DRGI). It was computed over the European Union countries and tested in Spain, France and Italy. DRGI values and the number of fires were fitted using an exponential model. The testing of the DRGI over a 13‐year period showed very high correlation (R 2 = 0.94) between the number of fire outbreaks and the level of fire risk determined by the index.
Digital Information Literacy: Challenges and Opportunities for 21st Century Education

An increasing number of everyday activities require the use of electronic information devices such as desktop computers, tablets or smartphones. However, early access and exposure to these devices is far from enough to shape a generation of "digital natives". Instead, there is mounting evidence that in order to effectively participate in digital communities, people must acquire a range of advanced literacy skills. These new demands and new skills question traditional views of reading and reading education. In this paper, I introduce a theoretical framework that describes the core skills involved in accessing, evaluating and integrating digital information. I present a series of recent observational and intervention studies that point out some of the difficulties faced by children and teenagers when purposefully using online information systems. I suggest some possible strategies for education systems to implement effective digital literacy training programs at the level of primary, secondary and post-secondary education.
Hydrological responses to conservation practices in a catchment of the Loess Plateau, China

Since the late 1950s a series of soil conservation practices have been implemented in the Loess Plateau. It is important to assess the impact of these practices on hydrology at the catchment scale. The Jialuhe River catchment, a tributary of the Yellow River, with a drainage area of 1117 km2 in the Loess Plateau, was chosen to investigate the hydrological responses to conservation practices. Parametric and non‐parametric Mann–Kendall tests were utilized to detect trends in hydrological variables or their residuals. Relationships between precipitation and hydrological variables were developed to remove the impact of precipitation variability. Significant linear decreasing trends in annual surface runoff and baseflow were identified during the treated period from 1967 to 1989, and the rate of reduction was 1·30 and 0·48 mm/year, respectively. As result, mean annual surface runoff and baseflow decreased by 32% over the period of 1967 to 1989. Seasonal runoff also decreased during the treated period with the greatest reduction occurring in summer and the smallest reduction in winter. The response of high and low daily flow to conservation practices was greater than average flows. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION AND VERIFICATION SYSTEM FOR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES

Biometric authentication is a security process that relies on the unique biological characteristics of an individual to verify that he is who is says he is. Biometric authentication systems compare a biometric data capture to stored, confirmed authentic data in a database. This study aims to design and development of a biometric authentication and verification system for students of universities and colleges. The methodology used in designing and analyzing the system is Object Oriented Analysis and Design Methodology (OOADM). The new system utilizes a portable fingerprint scanner as the input to acquire fingerprint images and notebook personal computer as the mobile terminal for the processing of the images and records attendance. It also includes a database to store student's information and attendance records. Visual Basic.net was used as the programming language to develop this system and Microsoft Access was used as the database management system for the new system. The attendance monitoring system will be used to monitor attendance of the student and eliminate ghost students from the institution. It will eliminate the problems of manual method and help in detecting fraudulent students in the school system. The system was tested and found working correctly.
VISION-BASED 3D RECONSTRUCTION FOR NAVIGATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF UNKNOWN, SPACE-BORNE TARGETS

Vision-based 3D reconstruction (V3DR) is a low-power, low-cost, and readily available alternative to stereophotoclinometry and LiDAR for 3D shape recovery of an arbitrary target. In the context of this work, V3DR comprises stereovision (SV) and structure from motion (SfM) using sequential or synchronized images from any number of views. It can be utilized in a variety of space rendezvous objectives from target pose estimation to full simultaneous navigation and characterization. However, it is rarely employed in practice because implementation can be complicated due to interdependencies between 3D reconstruction and various mission design parameters. The complexity is compounded by three gaps in literature. 1) V3DR’s sensitivity to state estimation, number of observers, target motion, and clock synchronization. 2) The nuance of V3DR using sequential images versus synchronized images from multiple agents. 3) How such sensitivities and the techniques used for V3DR generalize to targets of any size and composition. To overcome these three gaps and increase V3DR usability, this paper performs a comprehensive assessment of the sensitivity of V3DR with respect to several design parameters and two vastly different targets: a large asteroid and a small spacecraft. The results show that absolute position error has the greatest influence on SV performance, increasing the number of observers does not necessarily reduce SfM error, and multi-agent SV is robust to image desynchronization. The lessons learned from these results are showcased in a demonstration of characterization and pose estimation of a non-cooperative spacecraft as well as simultaneous navigation and characterization of an asteroid. These two case studies show a median SfM error of 19.07mm and a median SV error of 103.793m for the spacecraft and asteroid case studies, respectively.
Studies on Twin Micro-Watersheds, Melekote and Rajagatta Dodballapur Taluk, Bangalore Rural District, Karnataka State through Morphometry, Land Formation and Water Quality

The paper discusses assessment of various chemical constituents present in groundwater besides morphology, and land form characteristics of twin micro-watersheds (viz., Melekote and Rajaghatta) Dodballapur Taluk, (Karnataka) coming under semi-arid climatic zone. Farmers who are mainly depending on agricultural yields for their living are disappointed due to vagaries of monsoons and undependable rainfall. This is particularly so in arid and semi-arid regions. These regions suffer from water scarcity, soil degradation, low crop yield, high soil erosion and gradual depletion of soil fertility. All these factors culminate in planning for conservation and storage of water in small watersheds for future needs, i.e., during drought conditions. In many areas, it is observed that the water table levels are declining resulting in problems of increased concentration of solutes and deterioration of groundwater quality. All aspects of hydrological studies are covered in relation to watershed management in order to formulate strategies for sustainable agricultural development. Morphometry, landform and topography play an important role in understanding the hydrological response of any watershed. Quantitative morphometric analysis has been carried out on the watershed along with landform and topographical study.
Organic Substances in Cave Drip Waters: Studies from Marengo Cave, Indiana

This paper focuses on the flux and characterization of organic substances in cave drip waters for a continental climate. At Marengo Cave in southern Indiana, there is seasonal variations in organic matter concentration in the cave drip water. High levels are introduced during the spring thaw, and lower levels occur during the rest of the year. The fluorescence spectra and ultrafiltration analysis suggest the majority of the organics contained in percolating waters were fulvic acids, with most being less than 1 kDa in size. The seasonal flush of organics from the soil could produce two different types of calcite in the speleothem deposited from these drip waters, a stronger fluorescing calcite during the spring and the less fluorescent calcite during the rest of the year. This is the first study of its type for this particular climatic region.
University of Birmingham Sensing and signaling of oxidative stress in chloroplasts by inactivation of the SAL1 phosphoadenosine phosphatase

Citation for published version (Harvard): Chan, KX, Mabbitt, P, Phua, SY, Mueller, JW, Nisar, N, Gigolashvilli, T, Stroeher, E, Grassl, J, Arlt, W, Estavillo, G, Jackson, C & Pogson, B 2016, 'Sensing and signaling of oxidative stress in chloroplasts by inactivation of the SAL1 phosphoadenosine phosphatase', National Academy of Sciences. Proceedings, vol. 113, no. 31, pp. E4567-E4576. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1604936113
Design of a novel micro-detection system based on image dynamic range enhancement

In the microscopic image detection, the image quality is the key factors for accuracy of measurement. Owing to the different material and uneven surface of work pieces, different regions of the work piece have a different response to light intensity in imaging. In order to obtain complete information of detection of objects, it is necessary to expand the dynamic range of microscopic images. A new design of micro-detection system based on high dynamic range imaging technology is proposed. The hardware of our system mainly includes computer system, light intensity control system and micro-imaging system equipped with a digital CCD image sensor. The effective synthesis algorithm for high dynamic range image based the quantity of information of image is also proposed. In our algorithm, the images are divided into to many layers levels by the laplacian pyramid algorithm and the weight of each layer is determined according to the grads and entropy of image, then the laplacian pyramid inverse algorithm is applied to obtain a high dynamic range image. The detail features in both areas with high and low illumination of the view can be increased. The experiments have shown that the entropy and definition of composite image is better than each images of different exposure. Therefore, the method we propose can effectively improve the resolution of the microscopic images and the accuracy of detection.
The methanolic extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa downregulates the relative expression of Kiss1 gene in the hypothalamus of Wistar rats: A preliminary report

Objective: Kiss1 gene expression in the rat hypothalamus was investigated following administration of methanolic extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa (MEHS) to provide mechanistic evidence for the reproductive effect of the MEHS as a potential regulator of Kiss1 gene (which directly controls the hypogonadal axis). Materials and Methods: This experiment was done using fifteen (15) male rats with average weight of 148 g, randomly grouped into three (3) groups (A-C). Group A was the control group and received no treatment. Group B and C were orally administered with 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg of MEHS, respectively. The animals received the extract once a day for twenty-one (21) days. The hypothalamus was harvested on the last day of administration to investigate antioxidant levels, histopathology, and Kiss1 gene expression. Results: The relative expression of Kiss1 gene in the group C was downregulated compared to the control group (p=0.023). No significant changes were seen in the antioxidant levels of the groups treated with MEHS when compared to the control. MEHS had no histopathological effects in the hypothalamus at both low (200 mg/kg) and high (400 mg/kg) doses. Conclusion: High-dose MEHS lowers the expression of the Kiss1 gene in the hypothalamus. However, this effect could not be explained by the oxidative profile or histology of the hypothalamus.
The Prudent Investor Rule and Market Risk: An Empirical Analysis

The prudent investor rule, enacted in every state over the last 30 years, is the centerpiece of trust investment law. Repudiating the prior law’s emphasis on avoiding risk, the rule reorients trust investment toward risk management in accordance with modern portfolio theory. The rule directs a trustee to implement an overall investment strategy having risk and return objectives reasonably suited to the trust. Using data from reports of bank trust holdings and fiduciary income tax returns, we examine asset allocation and management of market risk before and after the reform. First, we find that the reform increased stockholdings, but not among banks with average trust account sizes below the 25th percentile. This result is consistent with sensitivity in asset allocation to trust risk tolerance. Second, we present evidence consistent with increased portfolio rebalancing after the reform. We conclude that the move toward additional stockholdings was correlated with trust risk tolerance, and that the increased market risk exposure from additional stockholdings was more actively managed.
Determination of optimal unit hydrographs and green-ampt parameters for watersheds

AbstractDetermination of unit hydrographs using observed rainfall-runoff events can be accomplished by minimizing the deviations between the derived and the observed direct runoff hydrograph ordinates, and accurate estimation of loss rate parameters. Linear programming is an optimization tool that can be used to determine the optimal composite unit hydrograph for a watershed from observed multiple rainfall-runoff data, but requires infiltration losses prior to using the model. Nonlinear programming models overcome this problem and can be used to simultaneously determine the unit hydrograph and loss rate parameters. In fact, several known rainfall-runoff events can be used simultaneously to develop a composite unit hydrograph based upon all those events. Such a model has been developed and applied to multiple storms for watersheds near Buckeye, Arizona; Fort Worth, Texas; and San Antonio, Texas. The nonlinear optimization procedures used for this investigation are the general algebraic modeling system (GAM.
Multi-Agent Task Allocation for Temporally Located Tasks in a Dynamic, Distributed Environment

The long-term maintenance of deep-space habitats requires the ability to dynamically allocate spatio-temporal tasks and robustly handle their execution. A centralized framework becomes infeasible in this setting, as the planning space can become intractable over long-term horizons, as well as the fact that single-point failures may be common and hard to recover from. Thus we utilize a decentralized, market-based approach to solve the multi-agent task allocation problem. To respect temporal constraints, we utilize STNs as a core component of each agent’s execution monitoring and scheduling mechanism. We then conduct a comparison of single-agent versus multi-agent re-planning mechanisms, and identify the contexts in which each may outperform the other. We also introduce a novel positive re-planning technique that utilizes a reverse-allocation auction mechanism to match tasks to slots. Ultimately, we find that when optimizing for makespan, the multi-agent approach consistently beats the single-agent one. However, when optimizing for certain metrics such as travel time, the single-agent can fare better in specific environments. Therefore, we conclude that the multi-agent approach is better suited for the deep-space domain, suggesting that more work could be done by considering alternate objective functions.
Bacteria-Infected Artificial Urine Characterization Based on a Combined Approach Using an Electronic Tongue Complemented with 1H-NMR and Flow Cytometry

The prevailing form of bacterial infection is within the urinary tract, encompassing a wide array of bacteria that harness the urinary metabolome for their growth. Through their metabolic actions, the chemical composition of the growth medium undergoes modifications as the bacteria metabolize urine compounds, leading to the subsequent release of metabolites. These changes can indirectly indicate the existence and proliferation of bacterial organisms. Here, we investigate the use of an electronic tongue, a powerful analytical instrument based on a combination of non-selective chemical sensors with a partial specificity for data gathering combined with principal component analysis, to distinguish between infected and non-infected artificial urine samples. Three prevalent bacteria found in urinary tract infections were investigated, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis. Furthermore, the electronic tongue analysis was supplemented with 1H NMR spectroscopy and flow cytometry. Bacteria-specific changes in compound consumption allowed for a qualitative differentiation between artificial urine medium and bacterial growth.