Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Snow physical parameters estimation using space-based Synthetic Aperture Radar

This study has been done using Polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data to estimate the snow physical properties (snow wetness and snow density), inManali sub-basin of Himachal Pradesh, India. The SAR data used are of Radarsat-2 (RS2) and Environmental Satellite, Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR). SAR-based inversion models were implemented in Mathematica and MATLAB, and have been used for finding out wet and dry snow dielectric constant, snow wetness and snow density. The SAR-based inversion models were implemented separately for fully polarimetric RS2 and dual polarimetric ASAR Alternate Polarization System datasets. Masks for forest, built area, layover and shadow were considered in estimating snow parameters. The overall accuracy in terms of R 2 value comes out to be 0.86 for snow wetness and 0.84–0.72 for snow density based on the ground truth data for subset area of Manali sub-basin of Beas river up to Manali.
Sustainable management of household solid waste.

In most countries, the majority of household solid waste is landfilled because of associated low capital, operation and maintenance costs. However, many existing landfills have exhausted their handling capacities and new facilities are faced with the problem of siting. Alternatives to traditional landfill practice are required to achieve sustainability in managing solid waste. This manuscript discusses an advanced landfill concept, referred to as a biocell, which involves sequential application of anaerobic degradation, aerobic decomposition and waste mining in a single waste cell. Biodegradation of waste in the biocell is enhanced through leachate re-circulation coupled with landfill gas collection in the anaerobic phase and air injection in the aerobic phase. The biocell is expected to realise sustainability by reusing the location where solid waste is treated, thereby eliminating the need of new land for waste disposal. Environmental controls also eliminate ground/surface water contamination and harmful landfill gas emissions.
Space-time series forecasting by artificial neural networks

Spatio-Temporal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (STAIRMA) model family is a very useful tool in modeling space-time series data. It assumes that space-time series data is correlated linearly in space and time. However, in reality most space-time series contains nonlinear space-time autocorrelation structure, which can't be modeled by STARIMA. Artificial neural networks (ANN) have shown great flexibility in modeling and forecasting nonlinear dynamic process. In the paper, we developed an architecture approach to model space-time series data using artificial neural network (ANN). The model is tested with forest fire prediction in Canada. The experimental result demonstrates that STANN achieves much better prediction accuracy than STARIMA model.
The test of functional health literacy in adults: a new instrument for measuring patients' literacy skills.

OBJECTIVE To develop a valid, reliable instrument to measure the functional health literacy of patients. DESIGN The Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) was developed using actual hospital materials. The TOFHLA consists of a 50-item reading comprehension and 17-item numerical ability test, taking up to 22 minutes to administer. The TOFHLA, the Wide Range Achievement Test--Revised (WRAT-R), and the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) were administered for comparison. A Spanish version was also developed (TOFHLA-S). SETTING Outpatient settings in two public teaching hospitals. PATIENTS 256 English- and 249 Spanish-speaking patients were approached. 78% of the English- and 82% of the Spanish-speaking patients gave informed consent, completed a demographic survey, and took the TOFHLA or TOFHLA-S. RESULTS The TOFHLA showed good correlation with the WRAT-R and the REALM (correlation coefficients 0.74 and 0.84, respectively). Only 52% of the English speakers completed more than 80% of the questions correctly. 15% of the patients could not read and interpret a prescription bottle with instructions to take one pill by mouth four times daily, 37% did not understand instructions to take a medication on an empty stomach, and 48% could not determine whether they were eligible for free care. CONCLUSIONS The TOFHLA is a valid, reliable indicator of patient ability to read health-related materials. Data suggest that a high proportion of patients cannot perform basic reading tasks. Additional work is needed to determine the prevalence of functional health illiteracy and its effect on the health care experience.
A high-resolution data set of surface climate over global land areas

We describe the construction of a 10' latitude/longitude data set of mean monthly sur- face climate over global land areas, excluding Antarctica. The climatology includes 8 climate ele- ments —precipitation, wet-day frequency, temperature, diurnal temperature range, relative humid- ity, sunshine duration, ground frost frequency and windspeed—and was interpolated from a data set of station means for the period centred on 1961 to 1990. Precipitation was first defined in terms of the parameters of the Gamma distribution, enabling the calculation of monthly precipitation at any given return period. The data are compared to an earlier data set at 0.5o latitude/longitude resolution and show added value over most regions. The data will have many applications in applied climatology, biogeochemical modelling, hydrology and agricultural meteorology and are available through the International Water Management Institute World Water and Climate Atlas (http://www.iwmi.org) and the Climatic Research Unit (http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk).
WEIGHTED VERTICAL STACKING IN CRUSTAL SEISMIC REFLECTION STUDIES ON THE CANADIAN SHIELD

Seismic reflection methods are being developed at the University of Manitoba to aid in determining fine crustal structures in the Precambrian of Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. Present-day environmental concern as well as mineshaft conditions necessitate the detonation of several smaller charges repeated, say, I times and followed by ''vertical'' stacking. To obtain the familiar . sqrt.I improvement in signal-to-noise (S : N) amplitude ratio applying the straight-sum (SS) method, one assumes, among other things, that both S : N ratio and signal variance are the same on all traces. Dropping these assumptions, as we must for our data, it becomes necessary to apply weighting coefficients to optimize the S : N ratio of the stacked trace. We still assume the signal shapes to be the same for repeated shots, so for the jth trace on the record of the ith shot we model the time series as: t/sub ij/ = a/sub i/(s/sub j/ + n/sub ij/); where a/sub i/ is a scaling factor. The proper weights w/sub i/ are then shown to be proportional to sigma/sub si//sigma/sup 2//sub ni/ where sigma/sup 2/ is variance, or to . gamma. /sub i//a/sub i/ where . gamma. /sub i/ is S : N power ratio. Applying the weighted-stackmore » (WS) method gives S : N amplitude ratios which are, on average, 55% of the optimal ratios expected from WS theory compared with only 24% for the SS method. The 45% shortfall in WS performance is ascribed mainly to trace-alignment (or time-delay) errors. Varying noise levels on individual traces, slight dissimilarity of signal shape, and correlated noise may also contribute to a lesser extent (in decreasing order of significance). This WS method appears to strike a good practical balance between S : N improvement and processing efficiency. « less
The effect of temperature on the developmental duration of Cryptolaemus rnon-

The effect of temperature on the developmental duration of Cryptolaemus rnontrouzieri Mulsant was quantified by deriving a regression equation for each developmental stage as well as the total life cycle. While the duration of life stages was shorter during summer and longer during winter, the optimum constant temperature for maximal development was found to be 30~ The adult longevity was extended when reared at 20~ than at 30~ and ambient temperature. The longevity of adults was longer when maintained on grape mealybug Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) than on honey and when maintained at 20~ The fecundity of the predator was higher at 30~ than at 20~ Eventhough the adults could survive at 10~ the productive capacity was impaired.
Topographic Effects on the Eastward Propagation and Initiation of the Madden–Julian Oscillation

Abstract This study investigates the relationship between deep convection (and heating anomaly) in the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and the tropical topography. The eastward propagation of the deep heating anomalies is confined to two regions: the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific warm pool. Superimposed on the eastward propagation is a series of quasi-stationary deep heating anomalies that occur sequentially and discretely downstream in a leapfrog manner in the central Indian Ocean, the Maritime Continent, tropical South America, and tropical Africa. The deep heating anomaly, usually preceded by near-surface moisture convergence and shallow heating anomalies, tends to occur on the windward side of the tropical topography in these regions (except the central Indian Ocean) under the prevailing surface easterly anomaly of the MJO. It is suggested that the lifting and frictional effects of the tropical topography and landmass induce the near-surface moisture convergence anomaly, which in turn triggers .
The Challenge of Defining Upper Bounds on Earthquake Ground Motions

Recent studies to assess very long-term seismic hazard in the United States and in Europe have brought the issue of upper limits on earthquake ground motions into the arena of problems requiring attention from the engineering seismological community. Few engineering projects are considered sufficiently critical to warrant the use of annual frequencies of exceedance so low that ground-motion estimates may become unphysical if limiting factors are not considered, but for nuclear waste repositories, for example, the issue is of great importance. The definition of upper bounds on earthquake ground motions also presents an exciting challenge for researchers in the area of seismic hazard assessment. This paper looks briefly at historical work on maximum values of ground-motion amplitudes before illustrating why this is an important issue for hazard assessments at very long return periods. The paper then discusses the factors that control the extreme values of motion, both in terms of generating higher-amplitude bedrock motions and of limiting the values of motion at the ground surface. Possible channels of research that could be explored in the quest to define maximum possible ground motions are also discussed. In the period between the recording of the first strong-motion accelerograms in the Long Beach earthquake of March 1933 and the end of the 1960's, a number of studies were published proposing possible upper limits on earthquake ground-motion amplitudes. Some studies were purely empirical and influenced to a large extent by the El Centro recording of the 1940 Imperial Valley earthquake: Housner (1965) proposed that peak ground acceleration (PGA) would not exceed 0.5 g; Newmark (1965) proposed a limit in the range 0.5-0.6 g on PGA and between 76 and 91 cm/s on peak ground velocity (PGV), and Newmark and Hall (1969) proposed a limit of 0.75 g on PGA and agreed with 91 cm/s …
Heat Flow, Heat Generation, and the Thermal State of the Lithosphere

The thermal structure of the lithosphere controls many properties and processes of Earth's crust. The total ∼47-TW heat loss of Earth is key to understanding and modeling this thermal structure, as is partitioning the various sources of that heat into heat entering the base of the lithosphere, heat generated within the lithosphere by radioactive decay (primarily within the continental crust), and secular cooling of the mantle lithosphere (primarily in oceanic lithosphere). A set of framework geotherms for the continental lithosphere explains deep crustal melting in high heat flow regions, metamorphic pressure-temperature (P-T) space in the crust, partial melting at the base of the lithosphere to produce an S-wave low-velocity zone in Phanerozoic and younger terranes, and the P-T fields inferred from mantle xenoliths. Important perturbations to a standard thermal state are produced by orogenic overprints, transient thermal regimes, and exhumation.
Characterization of Seismic Levee Fragility Using Field Performance Data

We characterize the seismic fragility of levees along the Shinano River system in Japan using field performance data from two M 6.6 shallow crustal earthquakes. Levee damage is quantified based on crack depth, crack width, and crest subsidence for 3,318 levee segments each 50 m long. Variables considered for possible correlation to damage include peak ground velocity (PGV), geomorphology, groundwater elevation, and levee geometry. Seismic levee fragility is expressed as the probability of exceeding a damage level conditioned on PGV alone and PGV in combination with other predictive variables. The probability of damage (at any level) monotonically increases from effectively zero for PGV < 14 cm/s to approximately 0.5 for PGV ≈ 80 cm/s. Of the additional parameters considered, groundwater elevation relative to the levee base most significantly affects fragility functions, increasing and decreasing failure probabilities (relative to the PGV-only function) for shallow and deep groundwater conditions, respectively.
The relationship between Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) /derived/ from SCIAMACHY.ENVISAT-1, meteorological parameters, and vegetation indices - case study of Poland

The requirement for information concerning air quality with special attention to CO 2 concentration is increasing in different fields of research. Satellite observations could provide information on gases which for special areas could be provided with high temporal resolution. One of the sources of measurements of CO 2 was the SCIAMACHY.ENVISAT-1 (the SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHar- tographY) sensor. The study that has been introduced as part of the National Project (1600/B/T02/2011/40) of the Institute of Geodesy and Cartography: "Application of new generation satellite data for the assessment of the impact of soil moisture and biomass on carbon balance" relates to the application of CO 2 measure- ments by the SCIAMACHY sensor for the environment. The main objective of the Project was to use the satellite data as an input to the model of assessing carbon balance. Unfortunately it was not possible to ob- tain the data from the satellite at the time of carbon in-situ measurements. The paper presents the relation- ships performed between CO 2 values derived from SCIAMACHY data and meteorological parameters measured at ground stations throughout Poland. Also presented is the relationship between CO 2 and the vegetation index (NDVI) calculated from NOAA satellites, and between CO 2 concentration and the percentage of forest cover in NUTS2 regions in Poland. The correlation between CO 2 and air temperature T has been found to be significant, as well as that between CO 2 and net radiation R n . In the regional scale it was also concluded that the percentage of forest areas determines the concentration of CO 2 in the air. In addition the seasonal correlation of CO 2 and NDVI was determined. This research might be a contribution for the further analysis of air quality using the Sentinel - 4 and 5 of the COPERNICUS Programme.
Determinants of farm mechanization among arable crop farmers in Ibarapa zone, Oyo State, Nigeria.

This study assessed the determinants of machinery use among farmers in Ibarapa zone of Oyo State, with special focus on its determinants and the differential farm productivity of users and non-users of farm machinery in the zone. One hundred and twenty five (125) arable crop farmers were interviewed using two stage stratified simple random sampling technique while information from sixty (60) users and forty (40) non-users of farm machinery was used for analysis. Data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, Logit regression analysis, budgetary analysis and test of difference of mean. The study revealed that, relative to non-users of farm machinery; majority of the farmers using machinery were relatively younger, more educated, cultivated larger area of farmland and have more exposure to extension agents. The logit regression results revealed that farm size (p ≤ 0.10), farm income(p ≤ 0.10) and farming experience ( p ≤ 0.10) significantly affected the use of farm machinery in the study area. The test of hypotheses revealed that users of mechanisation significantly made more profit (N73, 299.69) than non-users (N23, 153.87) (p ≤ 0.10). The study recommended that farmers should be encouraged to cultivate large farm holdings through collective or cooperative effort and that majority of the farmers should be more enlightened to use farm machinery as an avenue for improved farm productivity and profitability. Keywords : Farm Mechanisation; Determinants; Profitability; Arable-crop Farmers; Oyo state Moor Journal of Agricultural Research Vol. 7 (1&2) 2006 pp. 49-55
Evaluating a high‐resolution climate model: Simulated hydrothermal regimes in frozen ground regions and their change under the global warming scenario

[1] An atmosphere-ocean-land coupled global climate model at high horizontal resolution (∼0.5° land mesh) with a five-layer, 4.0 m deep soil was evaluated as a tool to simulate changes in the distribution of frozen ground and subsurface hydrothermal regimes under the global warming scenario. The land scheme explicitly treats soil freezing/thawing processes, surface energy exchange, and water fluxes, including snow cover effects. Modeled soil temperature showed large cold biases in the cold seasons, especially in high latitudes, which likely resulted from shallow and simplified soil column with zero heat flux condition at the bottom and insufficient snow representation. Two types of frozen ground were classified according to monthly soil temperatures: “permafrost” for regions with the maximum active layer thickness less than 4 m and “seasonally frozen ground. ” Simulated present-day (1980–1999) distribution is in good agreement with observational estimates for both. Under climatic warming forcing, projected change in land and subterranean hydrothermal regimes shows amplification in higher latitudes. Approximately 60% of the present-day permafrost regions would degrade into seasonally frozen ground by 2100. In the circum-Arctic basins, increased precipitation would lead to a 13.7% increase in freshwater discharge into the Arctic Ocean. The limitations of the current model configuration and the implied reliability of the results are discussed, and the future improvements and potentials of such modeling approach are also presented. A medium-resolution (∼2.8° mesh) ensemble produces qualitatively similar results for the hydrothermal regimes in the cold regions, although some local features were inevitably smoothed out, giving different quantitative estimates.
Large Eddy Simulation of a 3-Bladed Horizontal Axis Tidal Stream Turbine: Comparisons to RANS and Experiments

This paper presents results from numerical simulations of a 3-bladed horizontal axis tidal stream turbine (TST). A two-equation transient Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) k-! Shear Stress Transport (SST)model was used for code validation and testing of a newly implemented sliding mesh technique for Code Saturne. Wall- and blade-resolved large-eddy simulations (LES) were then performed to study the complete geometry at various tip speed ratios (TSR). Thrust and power coefficients were compared to experimental measurements in a towing tank for a range of TSR (4, 5, 6, 7 & 8) at a fixed hub pitch angle. A strong flow meandering was observed with the wake recovery and velocity deficit showing a high sensitivity to upstream turbulence intensities. The mean thrust and power coefficients by RANS k-! SST model were found to be more sensitive to the upstream turbulence than the LES. A comparison of all models are also presented for the mean sectional blade pressures and mean wake velocity profiles. The paper also presents an overview of modelling and numerical issues relating to fine LES for such rotating geometries
Measuring Cropland Change: A Cautionary Tale

Remotely sensed imagery has been used for decades to quantify the area, rates, and types of land use and land cover change (LULCC) from local to global scales. Common platforms used to capture data include satellite- and aerial-based sensors and cameras. Inseparable from those data are errors—misclassified pixels in sensor-based data or incorrect observations in aerial photographs—created by spectral confusion on the part of the sensor or by misclassifying the raw data during interpretation. Such errors, if not sufficiently explained or taken into consideration when reporting LULCC results, could lead to dubious conclusions. For this article, four commonly used and readily available data sets were analyzed to determine the amount of cropland change in South Dakota from circa 2006 to 2012. Two of the four data sets (the National Land Cover Dataset and the Cropland Data Layer) were created from satellite-based sensors, one was created from photographic data (from the National Agricultural Imaging Program), and the fourth was a survey-based assessment of agricultural land use (Census of Agriculture). Depending on which classes were used or how the data were manipulated prior to calculating areal totals, South Dakota had between 13 million and 19 million acres of cropland in 2012—a difference the size of the state of New Jersey—with rates of change from 2006 to 2012 ranging from 0.28 percent to 22.65 percent.
Nested-hierarchical scene models and image segmentation

Abstract The objective of image segmentation in remote sensing is to define regions in an image that correspond to objects in the ground scene. Traditional scene models underlying image segmentation procedures have assumed that objects as manifest in images have internal variances that are both low and equal. This scene model is unrealistically simple. An alternative scene model recognizes different scales of objects in scenes. Each level in the hierarchy is nested, or composed of objects or categories of objects from the preceding level. Different objects may have distinct attributes, allowing for relaxation of assumptions like equal variance. A multiple-pass, region-based segmentation algorithm improves the segmentation of images from scenes better modelled as a nested hierarchy. A multiple-pass approach allows slow and careful growth of regions while inter-region distances are below a global threshold. Past the global threshold, a minimum region size parameter forces development of regions in areas of .