Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Regolith production and transport in the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory, Part 1: Insights from U‐series isotopes

To investigate the timescales of regolith formation on hillslopes with contrasting topographic aspect, we measured U‐series isotopes in regolith profiles from two hillslopes (north facing versus south facing) within the east‐west trending Shale Hills catchment in Pennsylvania. This catchment is developed entirely on the Fe‐rich, Silurian Rose Hill gray shale. Hillslopes exhibit a topographic asymmetry: The north‐facing hillslope has an average slope gradient of ~20°, slightly steeper than the south‐facing hillslope (~15°). The regolith samples display significant U‐series disequilibrium resulting from shale weathering. Based on the U‐series data, the rates of regolith production on the two ridgetops are indistinguishable (40 ± 22 versus 45 ± 12 m/Ma). However, when downslope positions are compared, the regolith profiles on the south‐facing hillslope are characterized by faster regolith production rates (50 ± 15 to 52 ± 15 m/Ma) and shorter durations of chemical weathering (12 ± 3 to 16 ± 5 ka) than those on the north‐facing hillslope (17 ± 14 to 18 ± 13 m/Ma and 39 ± 20 to 43 ± 20 ka). The south‐facing hillslope is also characterized by faster chemical weathering rates inferred from major element chemistry, despite lower extents of chemical depletion. These results are consistent with the influence of aspect on regolith formation at Shale Hills; we hypothesize that aspect affects such variables as temperature, moisture content, and evapotranspiration in the regolith zone, causing faster chemical weathering and regolith formation rates on the south‐facing side of the catchment. The difference in microclimate between these two hillslopes is inferred to have been especially significant during the periglacial period that occurred at Shale Hills at least ~15 ka before present. At that time, the erosion rates may also have been different from those observed today, perhaps denuding the south‐facing hillslope of regolith but not quite stripping the north‐facing hillslope. An analysis of hillslope evolution and response timescales with a linear mass transport model shows that the current landscape at Shale Hills is not in geomorphologic steady state (i.e., so‐called dynamic equilibrium) but rather is likely still responding to the climate shift from the Holocene periglacial to the modern, temperate conditions.
Back‐projection stacking of P‐ and S‐waves to determine location and focal mechanism of microseismic events recorded by a surface array

We present an automatic method of processing microseismic data acquired at the surface by a star‐like array. The back‐projection approach allows successive determination of the hypocenter position of each event and of its focal mechanisms. One‐component vertical geophone groups and three‐component accelerometers are employed to monitor both P‐ and S‐waves. Hypocenter coordinates are determined in a grid by back‐projection stacking of the short‐time‐average‐to‐long‐time‐average ratio of absolute amplitudes at vertical components and polarization norm derived from horizontal components of the P‐ and S‐waves, respectively. To make the location process more efficient, calculation is started with a coarse grid and zoomed to the optimum hypocenter using an oct‐tree algorithm. The focal mechanism is then determined by stacking the vertical component seismograms corrected for the theoretical P‐wave polarity of the focal mechanism. The mechanism is resolved in the coordinate space of strike, dip, and rake angles. The method is tested on 34 selected events of a dataset of hydraulic fracture monitoring of a shale gas play in North America. It was found that, by including S‐waves, the vertical accuracy of locations improved by a factor of two and is equal to approximately the horizontal location error. A twofold enhancement of horizontal location accuracy is achieved if a denser array of geophone groups is used instead of the sparse array of three‐component seismometers. The determined focal mechanisms are similar to those obtained by other methods applied to the same dataset.
Evolution of OH groups in diopside and feldspars with temperature

Using in situ FTIR and heating/cooling stage, we have investigated the temperature evolutions of OH bands in natural diopside, plagioclase and anorthoclase. The frequencies of three main resolved OH bands (3645, 3464 and 3361 cm −1 called band 1, 2 and 3, respectively) in diopside shift linearly with temperature. With increasing temperature, band 1 shifts to lower wavenumbers, band 2 exhibits almost no shift while band 3 shifts to higher wavenumbers. The integral absorbance of band 1, 2 and 3 decreases by 18.8, 10.1 and 31.4 %, respectively, from −50 to 400°C. No simultaneous growth and decline of OH bands is observed during the whole process, excluding H proton transfer. In contrast to OH defects in diopside, the bands at lower frequencies in feldspars weaken while their bands at higher frequencies strengthen with increasing temperature, indicating H protons change positions in the crystal structure from one site with stronger H bond to another site with weaker H bond. These results reflect different local environments of OH defects and temperature dependent OH absorption coefficients in diopside, and change of H sites in feldspar structure with temperature. It provides important constraints on the microscopic mechanisms of hydrogen incorporation in these minerals.
THINKING OF THE ENVIRONMENT

A trial of Ford's Th! nk City electrically powered lightweight vehicle was launched in September 2001 in London, UK. Fifteen companies and organisations have each been loaned a Th! nk car on discounted rental terms from Hertz. The car is a small, two-seater vehicle with a shell made from recyclable polyethylene supported on a steel and aluminium frame with a safety cage and side impact bars. The emission-free car is powered by 19 nickel-cadmium batteries recharged from a standard mains connection. Electric charging points are available in two Westminster car parks, four supermarket car parks and Kwik Fit facilities. The Th! nk range also includes electric bicycles.
Measuring the Effectiveness of R&D Tax Credits in the Netherlands

This paper examines the impact of the Dutch R&D fiscal incentive program, known as WBSO, on R&D capital formation. Taking a factor-demand approach we measure the elasticity of firm R&D capital accumulation to its user cost. An econometric model is estimated using a rich unbalanced panel covering the period 1996-2004 with firm-specific R&D user costs varying with tax incentives. Using the estimated user cost elasticity, we examine the impact of the R&D incentive program. We find evidence that the program of R&D incentives in the Netherlands has been effective in reducing the user cost of R&D and in stimulating firms' investment in R&D.
Persistence of Business Cycles in Multisector RBC Models

In this paper we explore whether the changing composition of output in response to technology shocks can play a significant role in the propagation of shocks over time. For this purpose we study two multisector RBC models, with two and a three sectors. We find that, whereas the two sectors model requires a high intertemporal elasticity of substitution fo consumption to match the dynamic properties of the US data, the three sector model has a strong propagation mechanism under conventional parameterizations, as long as the factor intensities in the three sectors are different enough.
Design and testing of a real-time flood forecasting system for urban catchments

Abstract In the late afternoon on Friday 9 March 2001, a severe storm occurred on the south side of Brisbane. Peak intensity reached more than 210 mm/h, and total rainfall up to 200 mm occurred over a period of 3 hours. Extensive flooding was recorded at a number of locations in the Norman Creek catchment. This and other localised storm events have highlighted the need for real-time flood forecasting to increase the awareness of and preparedness for flash floods in urbanised areas, and to minimise the damage and disruption as a result of flash floods in the tropical and sub-tropical environments. A real-time forecasting system is developed using ensemble probability-based rainfall forecasts coupled with an efficient raster-based hydrologic model to forecast water levels at critical locations for dissemination on the internet. Forecasting of flash flood involves interrogating ALERT/telemetry data on gauge rainfall and water levels in the catchment, processing and interpreting radar scans to determine the storm’s spatial structure and movement, numerical weather prediction up to 30–90 min into the future, generating multiple realisations of likely rain fields, predicting multiple hydrographs from forecast rain fields, and converting hydrographs into probability-based water level forecasts at critical locations in the catchment. The design is critically constrained by the requirement to update the forecast on the internet every 15 minutes. The paper reports a retrospective test using the gauge and radar data for the March 2001 event in the 28 km2 Norman Creek catchment.
Theoretical and Applied Veterinary Medicine

The main aim of our research was to determine the effect of origin and generation on the fractal dimension values of the milk production peculiarities in dairy cows. This study analyses data from cattle milk production at the LLC “Promin”, Mykolaiv region. We formed four experimental groups of first-calf Holstein heifers of different origins and generations. The animals of the first group were imported from Germany; the second group was their offspring; the third group was Ukrainian breed cows, and the fourth group was their offspring. We assessed 305-day milk yield, total milk yield, milk fat percentage, milk fat yield, milk protein percentage, milk protein yield and lactation length for each cow. The information fractal dimension ( FD 1 ) values were calculated for each trait within each group. The fractal dimension values in all groups for 305-days milk yield, milk fat and milk protein yields were close to 1 (excluding the fourth group); thus, it can be argued that the random mechanism of their regulation and, accordingly, the lack of fractal properties. The estimated FD 1 values for total milk yield were slightly lower; they fluctuated within very narrow limits in all groups and did not depend on either origin or generation. In addition, the calculated FD 1 values for total milk yield were significantly lower than the corresponding estimates for 305-day milk yield in all cow groups. The use of fractal analysis revealed significant differences, which are based on different regulation mechanisms of the milk fat percentage in cows of the daughter generations. On the other hand, the fractal dimension values FD 1 for milk protein percentage did not differ significantly between mothers and daughters, regardless of their origin. It was also found that the control for lactation length in the daughter generation was lower than the maternal one. Thus, using fractal analysis to study the regulatory mechanisms of milk production traits in dairy cows allowed us to determine the influence of the origin and generation (mother or daughter).
Forensic Entomology in Nigeria: The Journey so Far

This paper examines forensic entomology as a sub-discipline of Entomology with three areas of focus namely urban, stored product, and medico-legal. The insects as object of forensic expression are veritable tools of evidence in civil and criminal investigations in law courts. In retrospect some of the early efforts of forensic entomologists and researchers in the field have currently allowed the use of sophisticated techniques of forensic entomology in the application of insects and arthropodic evidence in legal issues in countries like United States of America, Canada, Russia, France, Germany and Japan, England and India. The advances made by Nigerian researchers in carrion studies so far were discussed. Some important arthropods of forensic importance were discussed. The role of ants not necessarily as forensic indicators but as ecosystem engineers in carrion/corpse decomposition was also highlighted.
Proposal in Mathematical Statistics Using Emulators to Assess the Climate Sensitivity of a Vegetation Model

Vegetation models can be used to assess the impacts of climate change on future food production (i.e. farming). However, vegetation models are computationally expensive to run and to account for the uncertainty in future climate scenarios the models should, ideally, be run using as many different scenarios as possible. One way of reducing the computational cost of this procedure is to fit a statistical model to a suitable subset of vegetation model runs and then use the statistical model to cheaply obtain estimates of the vegetation model.
Upper Miocene Ostracoda from the Tubara Formation (northern Colombia)

Twenty-seven species of ostracodes are listed from the Tubara formation, south of the village of Tubara, near Barranquilla, Colombia. Twenty-one of the species have been described before from the Caribbean Miocene. Two new species are described, Cytherelloidea impages and Isocythereis? redmondi. The distribution of ostracodes suggests correlation with the upper Miocene of Trinidad and northeastern Venezuela.
The Fate of Phosphorus Along Estuarine Salinity Gradients

THE FATE OF PHOSPHORUS ALONG ESTUARINE SALINITY GRADIENTS Jeanne L. Hartzell, Ph.D. George Mason University, 2009 Dissertation Co-Directors: Drs. Thomas E. Jordan and Donald P. Kelso Determining the fate of particulate phosphorus (PP) in estuaries is essential for addressing the widespread problem of estuarine eutrophication, and is key for developing accurate global P budgets. We used a sequential extraction technique and 210 Pb dating to determine the form and amount of P that is retained with burial in 1-meter long sediment cores collected along the salinity gradients of four Chesapeake Bay subestuaries with contrasting physiographic provinces: the Patuxent River, the Potomac River, the Choptank River, and Bush River. We found that citrate-dithionite-bicarbonate (CDB) extractable P was the most important fraction of PP in regulating P bioavailability in the sediments. We refer to this fraction as Fe-P because the CDB extraction targets P bound to iron oxyhydroxides, but CDB may dissolve other P compounds as well. In all four subestuaries, changes in Fe-P controlled down-core profiles of total PP. Declines in Fe-P also accounted for 90% of observed declines in total PP with increased salinity. In the freshwater sediments of all four subestuaries Fe-P persisted with depth allowing for efficient sequestration of PP. In the Fe-rich Patuxent subestuary, Fe-P was the dominant sink for PP even in the most saline and deepest sediments, in spite of the fact that the Fe was in the form of Fe(II). Solubility calculations indicate that CDB-extractable ferrous phosphate minerals, such as vivianite, may be sequestering P in the Patuxent. In contrast to the Patuxent, Fe-P concentrations declined to near zero with depth in the sediments of the most saline cores in the Potomac and Choptank, indicating that Fe-P is not a long-term sink for P in the saline portions of those subestuaries. Fe dynamics also controlled an increase in pore water PO4 3concentrations along the salinity gradient of each subestuary affecting a shift in pore water N:P ratios from greater than 16 (the Redfield ratio) in the freshwater sites to less than 16 in the saline sites. The shift in the Redfield ratio occurred at remarkably similar salinities of 1 – 4 in each subestuary. Our findings indicate that Fe regulation of P can contribute to the generally observed switch from P limitation of primary production in freshwater to N limitation in mesohaline waters, and can control the long-term burial of PP in estuaries. Thus the amount and form of particulate Fe in estuarine sediments may be a key factor in controlling P bioavailability.
AIR QUALITY PATTERN ASSESSMENT IN MALAYSIA USING MULTIVARIATE TECHNIQUES ( Penilaian Corak Kualiti Udara di Malaysia Menggunakan Teknik Multivariat )

This study aims to investigate the spatial characteristics in the pattern of air quality monitoring sites, identify the most discriminating parameters contributing to air pollution, and predict the level of air pollution index (API) in Malaysia using multivariate techniques. Five parameters observed for five years (2000-2004) were used. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis classified the five air quality monitoring sites into two independent groups based on the characteristics of activities in the monitoring stations. Discriminate analysis for standard, backward stepwise and forward stepwise mode gave a correct assignation of more than 87% in the confusion matrix. This result indicates that only three parameters (PM10, SO2 and NO2) with a p<0.0001 discriminate best in polluting the air. The major possible sources of air pollution were identified using principal component analysis that account for more than 58% and 60% in the total variance. Based on the findings, anthropogenic activities (vehicular emission, industrial activities, construction sites, bush burning) have a strong influence in the source of air pollution. Furthermore, artificial neural network (ANN) was used to predict the level of air pollution index at R = 0.8493 and RMSE = 5.9184. This indicates that ANN can predict more than 84% of the API.
Optical properties of sea water in Hiroshima Bay, Japan

The optical properties of sea water in Hiroshima Bay were investigated. Observed attenuation coefficient in water column ranged between from 0.11 m<-1> to 0.46 m<-1>, and were larger than the values estimated from in situ chlorophyll a concentration using reported equations. The factor in the Poole and Atkins equation for estimating the attenuation coefficient form Secchi disk depth was estimated to be 1.6. The ratio of the euphotic depth to Secchi disk depth was calculated to be 2.8 for Hiroshima Bay water.
Vulnerability of the Northern Adriatic Sea Fishery toClimate Change

Within the context of marine environments, nekton assemblages are recognised to provide several kinds of ecosystem services, both fundamental and demand–derived. They contribute, indeed, to enhance the biodiversity, the ecological processes and finally the system resilience. They also directly support the production of goods, such as in the case of renewable resources exploited by commercial fisheries. The problem of the impacts of climate change on this component of marine ecosystems, with the related consequences on ecosystem services, becomes therefore an interesting issue. In this context, the northern Adriatic Sea, hosting several species adapted to boreal climatic conditions, can be considered a good case study. By analysing the composition of landings from fisheries in terms of thermal affinity groups, we highlighted the potential vulnerability of these activities. Catches, indeed, were shown to be mainly composed of cold and temperate affinity species, whereas the contribution of warm ones resulted very low. Given the significant negative relationships between the cold and temperate groups with the recorded variations of the thermal regime and the latest projections by the IPCC in terms of ocean temperature raise, fishing activities, both professional and recreational, can be expected to experience severe consequences.
Century-scale Records of Coral Growth and Water Quality from the Mesoamerican Reef Reveal Increasing Anthropogenic Stress and Decreasing Coral Resilience

Coral reefs provide extensive ecosystem goods and services to the communities that depend upon them including food, shoreline protection, and tourism income. Unfortunately, reefs worldwide are being devastated by a range of factors including overexploitation, pollution, and ocean warming and acidification. This study was undertaken with a conservation-minded focus: I wanted to investigate why reefs in Mesoamerica were dying, in order to inform management decisions regarding resource allocation for reef protection. I suspected that runoff was a major impact in the region that was not being taken into account. While the establishment of marine protected areas is important, these boundaries do not prevent polluted runoff from reaching the reefs. In order to investigate whether runoff was negatively impacting the reef, I collected numerous core samples from large Montastraea faveolata coral heads. I measured coral growth rates, metal content, and stable carbon and oxygen isotopes in order to reconstruct changes in coral health and water quality, respectively. I found that the site with the highest levels of runoff had a decreasing trend in extension rates beginning in the 1970’s, indicating that as runoff has increased, coral growth has begun a slow decline. There was no long-term decline at other sites, but all sites were severely impacted by bleaching in 1998. Bleaching (the loss of the coral’s symbiotic algae) on this large of a scale is caused by thermal stress. I investigated long-term records of heat stress, and found that 1998 was not an exceptional year: 1958 was even warmer in this region, yet no bleaching had occurred, as indicated by a lack of skeletal growth anomalies. This might be explained by a reduction in the coral’s thermal tolerance threshold in recent years, and I hypothesize that local anthropogenic stress is the culprit. I also found that coral growth rates did not recover, even 8 years after the bleaching event, at sites that experience higher local stress, quantified here using a combination of local human population, fish abundance, sedimentation, and nutrient runoff. These findings indicate that coral resistance to bleaching and resilience after bleaching (as quantified by growth rates) are both reduced with local stress is high.
PP Azimuthal-amplitudes And -acoustic Impedance For Fractured Carbonate Reservoir Characterization

Four azimuth-sectored 3D P-P volumes were pre-stack time migrated (PSTM) using the same velocity field. These high-fold full-azimuth full-offset data (4,000-5,000 traces were summed in each bin in each azimuth sector) of high S/N enable azimuthal analysis of amplitudes, and acoustic impedance, at the top of the reservoir unit of interest (14,000 ft depth). Each azimuthal cube was inverted for acoustic impedance after prestack time migration. These high-fold azimuth-sectored PSTM 3D data enable us to determine the azimuthal variation of amplitudes, and acoustic impedance, assuming orthorhombic symmetry (flat layers and one set of vertical aligned frctures), and so map relative fracture density and fracture azimuth of the open fractures that flow hydrocarbons in the reservoir unit. The N-S natural fracture strike seen at Well A in the reservoir unit are parallel to the local max hor stress, as interpreted through borehole breakout and the induced fractures. The N-S trending fractures at Well B cause the fracture-parallel amplitude to be the azimuthal minimum, for the top of this low-impedance reservoir. The acoustic impedance inversions showed max acoustic impedance N-S, parallel the fractures and max hor stress, corroborating the interpretation of the azimuthal amplitudes, and tieing the well data. The spatial heterogeneity of the fractures in the upper part of the reservoir unit is mapped using the azimuthal variation of PP amplitudes, and acoustic impedance, after fitting to the cosine 2theta curve.
A Review on Object Detection and Tracking Methods

Tracking and detecting of object is most popular now days and is use for motion detection of various objects on a given video or an image. The applications of object detection and tracking is farming , military, transportation, civil, security and for commercial use. Some methods commonly use in it are background subtraction, Frame difference, template matching and shape bas ed methods. We are going to discuss issu es about detection and tracking .