bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Timing and pacing of middle to late Miocene intensification of the Indian Ocean-Atmospheric circulation system
Authors: Auer Gerald , Christensen Beth , Bialik Or , Ogawa Nanako , Yamaoka Ryo , Antoulas Mary-Elizabeth , De Vleeschouwer David , Kroon Dick , Ohkouchi Naohiko , Piller Werner
Published: March 2020

A recent biostratigraphic re-evaluation of Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 722 (Bialik et al., accepted, Paleoceanogr. and Paleocl.) provides new insights into the history of monsoon driven upwelling in the Arabian Sea between 15 and 8.5 Ma. They suggest the modern monsoon was only established after tectonic preconditioning, linked to the uplift of the Himalayas, closure of the Tethyan Seaway, and the inception of Indonesian Throughflow restriction. But the requisite topography for the Indian monsoon was already in place by at least the late early Miocene which suggests another driver. However, as northern hemisphere latitudinal heat gradients continued to be shallower than modern throughout the Miocene, steepening southern hemisphere gradients during the middle Miocene glaciation of Antarctica ~14.8 Ma (Pound et al., 2012, Earth-Sci. Rev., 112) may have played an important role in pacing the monsoon system during the middle to late Miocene.

Here we further explore these findings by using recently acquired X-ray fluorescence (XRF) core scanning data from two additional ODP sites located in the central (Site 707) and southern (Site 752) Indian Ocean. We trace the timing and pacing of these environmental changes along a cross hemispheric transect within key areas of the larger Indian Ocean-Atmospheric system: (1) the monsoonal upwelling regions along the Oman Margin (Site 722); (2) the Somali/Findlater jets (Site 707); and (3) the high-pressure zone in the southern horse latitudes (Site 752).

Using updated age constraints at all sites, we show that the intensification of upwelling at Site 722 is tightly linked to climatic and oceanographic changes in the southern high latitudes (e.g., Groeneveld et al., 2017; Sci. Adv.). This close co-evolution of southern hemisphere climatic shifts and monsoon dynamics hints at a strong contribution of increasing southern hemisphere thermal gradients on the middle to late Miocene evolution of the Indian Ocean circulation system and Indian monsoon dynamics. Our findings thus re-emphasize the Indian summer monsoon as the result of a complex cross-hemispheric ocean-atmospheric system spanning the Indo-Pacific (e.g., Gadgil, 2018, J. Earth Syst. Sci., 127). We postulate that the Indian Ocean-Atmospheric system experienced a gradual intensification that began after the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum with Antarctic Ice Sheet expansion. These changes then culminated in a synchronous shift ~11 Ma during the Ser4/Tor1 sea level lowstand (Haq et al., 1987; Science, 235). Future chrono-, chemo- and cyclostratigraphic work at ODP Sites 707 and 752 will further help to constrain the timing of these events, and fully place them in the context of the global climatic evolution during the Miocene.
Sorption and degradation of pharmaceuticals in the unsaturated zone
Authors: Koroša Anja , Brenčič Mihael , Mali Nina
Published: March 2020

Determining the transport characteristics of pollutants in a gravel unsaturated zone is particularly difficult, owing to the heterogeneity of the geological media. Understanding the mechanisms and rates of movement of pollutants in the unsaturated zone is an important issue in the process of groundwater protection. One of the most valuable ways of investigating the characteristics, groundwater flow and solute transport in the unsaturated zone is by conducting experimental research, namely tracer experiments. Flow and transport parameters of propyphenazone, caffeine and carbamazepine have been studied with tracer experiments using a lysimeter facility in the Selniška Dobrava (NE Slovenia). The lysimeter site is designed as a field laboratory. The dimensions are 2x2 m, 5 m deep, with 0.2 m thick walls. There are 10 sampling and measuring points at different depths (from JV-1 to JV-10) with approximately equal distances in depth. For the purpose of sampling groundwater in the unsaturated zone, drainage samplers were installed and connected to a water sampling system. The tracer experiment lasted over a time period of approximately two years. The organic pollutants selected to determine the processes of migration and degradation through the aquifer were carbamazepine, propyphenazone and caffeine. Compounds differ in their physical and chemical properties, which results in different transport paths and velocities of individual pollutants through the aquifer. Due to its conservative behaviour, deuterated water was used as the conservative tracer. For the evaluation of flow and transport parameters the HYDRUS 1-D software was used. In the conference contribution, modelling and estimation of hydraulic properties of the soil and selected pharmaceuticals within a coarse gravel unsaturated zone will be presented.
The Brownfield Ground Risk Calculator: A new spatial decision support tool for estimating ground risk and remediation costs for site located in Greater Manchester, UK
Authors: Marchant Andrew P. , Beriro Darren , Nathanail Constantine P. , Cornillon Severine , Freeborough Katy , Smith Douglas G. , Bricker Stephanie H. , Carr Murray , Hoad Mat , Kingdon Andrew
Published: March 2020

The Greater Manchester Brownfield Ground Risk Calculator (BGR_calc) is a Geographical Information System (GIS) spatial decision support tool designed to provide an early indication of potentially abnormal ground conditions and the indicative costs of mitigating them. This is important because abnormal ground conditions can affect the viability of the constructing of new homes on post-industrial brownfield sites. Multi-criteria decision analysis methods were used process and utilise over 30 input dataets. BGR_calc comprises four primary outputs, each represents a different set of ground risk or cost mitigation characteristics that occur within the Greater Manchester area, presented alongside their associated input data. Each output comprises risk scores (scored between 0 to 1) or risk mitigation cost estimates (£) presented as 50 m grid cells and site based summaries for over 2000 individual sites. BGR_calc makes the assumption that all brownfield land evaluated will be used to develop two storey residential housing at a density of 30 houses per hectare. Ground risk scores reflect the nominal risk that soil and groundwater contamination and soil and rock hazards might pose to human health, controlled waters and the structural integrity of new homes. The scores are derived from data on sources of contamination or ground conditions resulting from previous land-uses and/or natural processes, the presence of exposure pathways and sensitive receptors (residents, water resources and homes). For there to be a risk, the source, pathway and receptor components must be linked. Risk mitigation cost estimates represent the amount that might need to be paid to develop a brownfield site over and above ‘normal’ development costs.  No allowance is made in BGR_calc for the financial benefits of pre-existing infrastructure, proximity to services and employment that brownfield land usually have but these ought to be considered within the overall economic evaluation of individual sites.
Measurement of soil-sebum partition coefficients for high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons present at former gasworks, UK
Authors: Beriro Darren J. , Cave Mark R. , Wragg Joanna , Thomas Russell , Taylor Christopher , Craggs Jonathan , Kim Alexander W. , Nathanail Paul , Vane Christopher H.
Published: March 2020

The current research builds on the findings of a systematic literature review by the authors which recommends the need to work towards a standardised method for measuring the in vitro dermal absorption of HMW-PAH in soils. One part of the method is understanding the partitioning of the high molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HMW-PAH) from soil to sebum found in skin. In vitro HMW-PAH soil-sebum partition coefficients (KSS) were measured for twelve soils collected from former UK gasworks.  Concentrations of ∑16 USEPA PAH in the soils ranged from 51 to 1440 mg/kg, benzo[a]pyrene ranged from 3.2 to 132 mg/kg. Time series extractions (0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 24 h) at skin temperature (32°C) of HMW-PAH from sebum to soil for two samples were conducted to determine the maximum release time-step. The maximum HMW-PAH release time-step was determined as 4 h, which was subsequently used as the extraction time for the remaining samples. Evaluation of KSS data for the 4 h extractions showed that soil type and selected HMW-PAH properties (literature based molecular weight and octanol-carbon partition coefficients) affect the amount of HMW-PAH released from soil into sebum. Characterisation of soil properties was limited to total organic carbon, which showed no relationship to KSS. Selected soils showed distinctly higher K¬SS than others. The relationship between MW and KSS was statistically significant while the relationship between KOC and KSS was not statistically significant. Further research effort is required to improve our understanding of which soil and HMW-PAH properties affect the release of HMW-PAH from soil into sebum and the reasons why.
Relating concentrations of indoor volatile organic compounds to occupant use of solvent-containing products
Authors: Heeley-Hill Aiden
Published: March 2020

The air quality of indoor environments has increased in significance over the last few decades, particularly as contemporary estimates suggest that, on average, people spend 90% of their time indoors. This creates a growing requirement to understand the chemical composition of indoor atmospheres, and what factors influence absolute concentrations.  

 

Whole-air canister sampling techniques were used to collect three-day integrated air samples in a cohort of UK homes (n = 60). Each household was sampled three times in winter and three times in summer, plus a further three households were randomly selected each week to also collect an outdoor air sample. Sampling was performed over nine-week periods - between February and April 2019 and July and September 2019. Samples were subject to chemical analysis using a combination of GC-FID and GC-TOF-MS, allowing quantification of VOCs over the range C2 – C12, including nonmethane hydrocarbons, OVOCs, monoterpenes, siloxanes and halocarbons. A digitised survey (completed on iPad) was completed by each household, containing questions regarding property information, residence occupancy and demographics, and a daily log of solvent-containing product usage (including cosmetics and personal care, cleaning, decorative and hobby, smoking, fires, candles, and insecticides). Product usage was determined by how often residents recorded a given product category during the three-day sampling period.

 

Highest concentrations were seen in winter, with n-butane being the most abundant VOC (median value = 61.6 ppb), whilst tetrachloroethylene was the lowest concentration species quantified (median = <0.1 ppb) in this study. In terms of absolute concentration, VOCs derived from aerosol propellants were most significant, plus ethanol and acetone: general purpose solvents from many different product types. Median concentrations for terpenoids ranged from 0.17 ppb p-cymene to 0.65 ppb limonene.  A positive correlation existed internally between different terpenoid species and between alkene species. However, more generally, most individual VOCs did not correlate with each other, highlighting the wide range of uncorrelated sources that contribute to individual concentrations.

 

With the exception of aerosol usage, and n and i butane, indoor ambient VOC concentrations had no statistically significant relationship with product usage frequency, indicating that other factors, such as ventilation rates, VOCs released per dose, variability in product emissions, and other behavioural aspects were potentially more significant influencing factors. This highlights the great challenges in attempting to model indoor exposure to VOCs at a population scale, since it is not readily predictable based on behavioural use of solvents.
Changes in the mechanical properties of snow relevant to crack propagation in the hours and minutes following loading
Authors: Birkland Karl W. , Bergfeld Bastian , van Herwijnen Alec
Published: March 2020

Since most dry slab avalanches occur during or immediately following loading by snowfall or wind deposition, it is important to understand changes in the mechanical properties of the snowpack in the minutes and hours following loading. To investigate these temporal changes we conducted a series of 15 Propagation Saw Test (PST) experiments on a flat, uniform site. The existing snowpack at our site contained a layer of surface hoar buried 2 cm below the snow surface. We used a 5 mm sieve to add 10 cm of snow into a 120 cm by 30 cm cardboard frame and completely isolated our blocks. We then conducted PSTs on the buried surface hoar layer from 4 – 453 minutes after adding the sieved snow. We sprayed dye on the side of our tests and filmed them with a high speed camera at 3000 frames per second. Immediately following our tests we measured the density of the sieved snow, and we collected three SnowMicroPen (SMP) profiles along the length of each PST. In one case we collected SMP data at 10 cm increments along our beam prior to conducing our PST to better assess vertical and lateral variations in slab properties induced by sieving. We utilize Digital Image Correlation analyses of the high speed videos to assess the slab elastic modulus (E), the weak layer specific fracture energy (wf), and the crack propagation speed (c) of each test. All our tests fully propagated to the end of the PST columns. Critical cut lengths (rc) ranged between 1.5 and 9 cm, with rc generally increasing over time, in line with the gradual stiffening of the slab observed in the SMP measurements. Our results provide additional information about the temporal changes of mechanical properties immediately following loading, and will better inform modeling efforts attempting to assess these changes.
Performance analysis of Two-class SVM to detect thin interlayer debondings within pavement structures
Authors: Todkar Shreedhar Savant , Baltazart Vincent , Ihamouten Amine , Dérobert Xavier , Simonin Jean-Michel
Published: March 2020

In the field of pavement monitoring, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) methods are gaining prominence due to their ability to perform non-destructive testing of the subsurface. In this context, the detection and characterization of subsurface debondings at an early stage is recommended to avoid further degradation and to maintain the lifespan of these structures. To mitigate the limited time resolution of the conventional GPR devices, this paper develops the detection of thin debonding (of millimeter-order) by monitoring small changes in the time domain GPR data by specific data processing techniques (with certain automatic capabilities).

In this paper, we propose to use the supervised machine learning method, namely Two-class Support Vector Machines (SVM) to achieve the objectives. In addition, by means of time domain GPR signal features, we aim at reducing the computational burden and also increase the efficiency of SVM. The method is implemented to process independent 1D GPR A-scan data.

Furthermore, the performance assessment of Two-class SVM is carried out on both simulated and field data by means of Sensitivity Analysis to identify the parameters that affect its performance. While simulated data is generated using the analytic Fresnel data model, the field data are UWB Stepped-Frequency GPR (SF-GPR) data which were collected over artificially embedded debondings. The data was acquired during the Accelerated Pavement Tests (APTs) conducted at the IFSTTAR's fatigue carousel to survey debonding growth in the defect-affected zones at various stages of fatigue.

Two-class SVM presented the ability to detect thin millimetric debondings. Whereas, sensitivity analysis demonstrated a quick and efficient way to assess the pavement conditions.
Consistent data compilation and error propagation for stable isotope data to compile meaningful reference values and uncertainties
Authors: Groening Manfred
Published: March 2020

Nowadays stable isotope data need to be accompanied by meaningful uncertainty statements for their full utilisation, whether to evaluate their isotopic composition as evidence for origin of samples, for observation and proper evaluation of small isotopic trends due to transient effects, or to their use as laboratory standards. The Guide of Expression of Uncertainty in Measurements (GUM) provides a general framework to perform the task to calculate data with combined standard uncertainties. However, combining several such measurement data in a proper way is not straightforward without consideration of the correlation matrix and mathematical complicated elaborations. An Excel based tool provides means for any laboratory to calculate individual data with their associated combined standard uncertainties, including all major sources of uncertainty like the repeatability and long-term reproducibility of measurements, the possible bias of quality controls, the assigned uncertainty of used reference materials and their measurement data scatter. The tool further allows to calculate and correct memory effects and drifts as occurring in measurements. Standardised correction means allow the merging of data from different instruments with varying performance. This provides ultimately the means to combine such data without compromising the validity of the calculated combined standard uncertainty of the average value. This constitutes the possibility to produce a meaningful reference value with associated combined standard uncertainty from heterogeneous data, e.g. for the purpose to characterize a laboratory reference material by use of independent methods. The tool (SICalib) is available free of charge, is based on Excel macros as a standalone tool for measured rawdata files without the requirement of any particular database or other tool, and is still under further development. Its intention is complementary to available data management systems with a focus of proper uncertainty propagation.
Sensitivity analyses and uncertainty quantification in THM models: a benchmark study
Authors: Buchwald Jörg , Chaudhry Aqeel , Yoshioka Keita , Kolditz Olaf , Nagel Thomas
Published: March 2020

Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) models are used for the assessment of nuclear waste disposal, reservoir engineering, and other branches of geo-environmental engineering. Model-based decision-making and design optimization in these domains require sensitivity analyses (SA) and uncertainty quantification (UQ) methods that are suitable for coupled THM problems on an engineering scale. Due to different coupling levels, non-linearities, and large spatial and temporal extents, these analyses can often be challenging both conceptually and computationally.

For an initial evaluation in a setting relevant to nuclear waste disposal we start by employing an analytical solution for thermal consolidation around a point heat source which encompasses the most relevant primary couplings and allows us to cover the entire parameter space robustly and efficiently. For uncertainty quantification, we applied an experimental design (DoE-) based history-matching approach. This approach uses DoE methods to construct a proxy model, which is used later for efficient Monte Carlo sampling and subsequent filtering of the uncertainty space of the history-match error. As a result, we obtain a family of curves that is compatible with the prior parameter set and experimental data to match, which then enables further uncertainty quantification. In our work, we demonstrate the applicability of the workflow and discuss its particular suitability to this problem class, including its (in-)sensitivity to prior parameter distribution assumptions.

For SA, we contrast the conclusions drawn via two different approaches: local one variable at a time (OVAT) and global sensitivity analysis (GSA) based on Sobol indices for different spatio-temporal settings to observe near and far-field effects as well as early- and late-stage system response. The conducted studies can serve as a benchmark for UQ and SA software designed around numerical THM simulators.
Is-it worth investing in NBS aiming at mitigating water risks? Insights from the economic assessment of NAIAD case studies
Authors: Le Coent Philippe , Herivaux Cécile , Calatrava Javier , Marchal Roxane , Mouncoulon David , Benitez-Avila Camilo , Altamirano Monica , Gnonlonfin Amandine , Graveline Nina , Piton Guillaume , Daartee Kieran
Published: March 2020

The economic advantage of NBS solutions aiming at mitigating water-risk is widely put forward as an argument for their development. There is nevertheless limited scientific evidence to support this argument. This paper therefore elaborates a methodological framework for the economic assessment of NBS and presents its application to three NAIAD case studies (the Lez catchment, France; Rotterdam, the Netherlands and Brague catchment, France). Robust methods are particularly applied for the estimation of the benefits associated with NBS. Physical models coupled with damage estimation models are developed to estimate the avoided damages generated by NBS. A diversity of ecosystem service valuation methods are also applied to evaluate the monetary value of NBS co-benefits: contingent valuation (Brague), choice experiment (Lez) and direct valuation methods (Rotterdam). We estimate the cost of implementation and maintenance mainly through the transfer of values coming from studies in similar contexts. Proxies are used to estimate the opportunity costs associated with the development of NBS. Finally, these estimations are compiled in a cost-benefit indicator allowing the estimation of the economic efficiency of NBS strategies. The study confirms that the cost of implementation and maintenance of NBS strategies is lower than the cost of grey solutions for the same level of water risk management, emphasizing the better cost-effectiveness of these solutions. Benefits in terms of avoided damages are however not sufficient to cover investment and maintenance costs. The cost–effectiveness of NBS strategies, which are combinations of individual NBS measures, may be improved by combining cost effective individual NBS measures. There is indeed a very large heterogeneity of cost-effectiveness of individual NBS measures (cost/m3 of water retention). Results also reveal that co-benefits represent the largest share of the value generated by NBS strategies. It is therefore of utmost importance that co-benefits are integrated in the economic valuation of NBS for them to be judged economically efficient. This conclusion must be taken into account in the elaboration of NBS funding strategies.There is finally no clear-cut conclusion on the overall economic efficiency of NBS throughout the case studies. Lez reveal a positive cost-benefit analysis, while Rotterdam and Brague cases do not. Results are therefore case-specific and confirm the importance to carry out thorough economic valuations of a diversity of strategies at each sites, including NBS, grey and hybrid solutions, in order to identify the most adequate strategy for water risk management and to address territorial challenges.
Non-linear, long-term evolution of sea surface temperature across the World Ocean
Authors: Martinez-Lopez Benjamin
Published: March 2020

Sea surface temperature (SST) is the only oceanic parameter on which depend heat fluxes between ocean and atmosphere and, therefore, SST is one of the key factors that influence climate and its variability. Over the twentieth century, SSTs have significantly increased around the global ocean, warming that has been attributed to anthropogenic climate change, although it is not yet clear how much of it is related to natural causes and how much is due to human activities. A considerable part of available literature regarding climate change has been built based on the global or hemispheric analysis of surface temperature trends. There are, however, some key open questions that need to be answered and for this task estimates of long-term SST trend patterns represent a source of valuable information. Unfortunately, long-term SST trend patterns have large uncertainties and although SST constitutes one of the most-measured ocean variables of our historic records, their poor spatial and temporal sampling, as well as inhomogeneous measurements technics, hinder an accurate determination of long-term SST trends, which increases their uncertainty and, therefore, limit their physical interpretation as well as their use in the verification of climate simulations.
Most of the long-term SST trend patterns have been built using linear techniques, which are very usefull when they are used to extract information of measurements satisfying two key assumptions: linearity and stationarity. The global warming resulting of our economic activities, however, affect the state of the World Ocean and the atmosphere inducing changes in the climate that may result in oscillatory modes of variability of different frequencies, which may undergo non-stationary and non-linear evolutions. In this work, we construct long-term SST trend patterns by using non-linear techniques to extract non-linear, long-term trends in each grid-point of two available global SST datasets: the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Extended Reconstructed SST (ERSST) and from the Hadley Centre sea ice and SST (HadISST). The used non-linear technique makes a good job even if the SST data are non-linear and non-stationary. Additionally, the nonlinearity of the extracted trends allows the use of the first and second derivative to get more information about the global, long-term evolution of the SST fields, favoring thus a deeper understanding and interpretation of the observed changes in SST. Particularly, our results clearly show, in both ERSST and HadISST datasets, the non-uniform warming observed in the tropical Pacific, which seems to be related to the enhanced vertical heat flux in the eastern equatorial Pacific and the strengthening of the warm pool in the western Pacific. By using the second derivative of the nonlinear SST trends, emerges an interesting pattern delimiting several zones in the Pacific Ocean which have been responded in a different way to the impose warming of the last century.
First Holocene floating varve chronology in Central Asia from the Lake Chatyr Kol sediment record (Kyrgyz Republic)
Authors: Kalanke Julia , Mingram Jens , Lauterbach Stefan , Usubaliev Ryskul , Brauer Achim
Published: March 2020

We present the first floating varve chronology in arid Central Asia of a finely laminated lake sediment record from the high-mountain Lake Chatyr Kol (Kyrgyz Republic). The record was retrieved from the deepest part (~20m) of the lake basin and comprises seasonal laminations (varves) from 11,619 ± 603 years BP to 360 ± 40 BP years. The identification of varves is based on seasonal deposition models established from continuous thin section analyses of the entire sediment profile. The varves comprise a complex pattern of six different micro-facies types throughout the Holocene. All varve types include a pronounced clastic-detrital sublayer, but the composition of their summer sublayers varies between organic, diatom, calcite, and aragonite sublayers. Based on replicate varve counts on overlapping petrographic thin sections an uncertainty of ± 5 % has been calculated for the varve chronology. The chronology is floating because in the uppermost part of the sediment profile varves have been only occasionally formed or preserved which prevented from continuous varve counting in this interval. Instead, the non-varved interval has been dated with 210Pb and 137Cs γ-spectrometry providing an age for anchoring the floating chronology to the absolute time scale. The resulting chronology is supported by two 14C ages obtained from terrestrial plant macrofossils. In contrast, radiocarbon dating of aquatic materials showed significantly older ages and prove reservoir effects. Through comparison with the varve chronology changes in reservoir effects throughout the Holocene have been determined. We find a stepwise decline of reservoir ages from up to ~6150 years in the early Holocene to lowest reservoir ages of less than 1000 years in the late Holocene. In addition to their value as chronological tool, changes in varve thickness and seasonal sublayer composition are used as proxies for hydro-climatological reconstruction of Holocene climate evolution.

This is a contribution to the CAHOL project, part of the BMBF-funded and integrated project CAME II.
Density separation of soils as sample preparation for the determination of plastics
Authors: Bednarz Marius , Obermaier Nathan , Bannick Claus Gerhard
Published: March 2020

Plastics are found ubiquitously in all environmental media. Evidence of microplastic occurrence was also provided for various biota. At the beginning of the scientific debate, the oceans as final plastics sinks were in the foreground, whereas current research work focuses on the sources of input, including
surface waters. The water content of these surface waters are influenced by urban and rural areas, including the adjoining soils.
Like oceans, soils are a final sink for many substances, including plastics. Sources of plastics are diverse and depend on use and management. With respect to analytics, soil material is much more complex than suspended solids in water. Therefore the type of soil, grain size, the organic content as well as containing metal ions are important parameters.
For the detection of plastics, there are different analytical methods. Spectroscopic methods determine the particle numbers, sizes, and shapes. Pyrolytic methods return the total contents of plastics within the sample. These include the Thermo-Extraction-Desorption-Gas-Chromatography-MassSpectrometry (TED-GC-MS).
In many environmental samples, there are substances that interfere with both the sample detection and sample preparation. Thus, mineral components must be removed in order to be able to grind better. For their removal, density separation is suitable. In this article, experiments with density separation will be presented.
There are different options to prepare solid samples with density separation, including major methodological differences in the selection of the separation solution and the phase separation.
Various plastic spiked solid samples (terrestrial and sub hydric soils) were biologized. Subsequently, recovery tests were carried out using a density separation method with different separation solutions.
Ultrasound was used to destroy soil agglomerates and release occluded plastics. The separated floated material was sucked off through a 6 μm stainless steel filter. The plastic content in the rinsed organic material was quantified with a TED-GC-MS analysis.
The presented method shows medium (PE: 47 – 82 %) to high (PS: 89 – 100 %) recovery rates depending on the separation solution used and the environmental sample examined.
A new look at assimilation and boundary-layer modeling effects to improve NOAA ceiling/visibility/convection HRRR forecasts
Authors: Benjamin Stan , James Eric , Olson Joseph , Alexander Curtis , Ladwig Terra
Published: March 2020

An accurate short-range cloud and precipitation forecast is a fundamental component of rapidly updating data assimilation/short-range model forecast systems such as the NOAA 3-km High-Resolution Rapid Refresh or the 13-km Rapid Refresh (RAP). To reduce cloud and precipitation spin-up problems, a cloud/hydrometeor non-variational assimilation technique for stratiform clouds was developed within the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) data assimilation system. The goal of this technique was retention into the subsequent model forecast, as appropriate, of observed stratiform cloud and observed clear 3-d volumes.

New observation impact studies show that the ceiling forecasts are particularly improved by use of this cloud/hydrometeor assimilation in the HRRR/RAP model in both summer and winter season.   Daytime 2m temperature and dewpoint forecasts are also improved in the summer period, important for convective storms.

Improved design of the MYNN boundary-layer turbulence scheme is also shown to benefit HRRR/RAP ceiling prediction and is now also being tested in the FV3 3km stand-along regional model and in the NOAA FV3 Global Forecast System.   Improved boundary-layer prediction, also through other parameterization additions for gravity-wave drag and land/lake modeling, is demonstrated and isolated to these modifications.
gsymblib: Geologic symbols library and development for QGIS
Authors: Frigeri Alessandro
Published: March 2020

The gsymblib brings symbols and patterns useful in the earth and planetary geological mapping into QGIS, the desktop GIS application from the OSGeo geospatial software stack. Styling for points, lines, fill patterns and gradients are included.   Apart from the symbols' library,  gsymblib offers a build mechanism that allows to incrementally add and update symbols of the library.  This way, even small contributions will enhance the size and quality of the library.  The project is currently hosted and developed on Github at https://github.com/afrigeri/geologic-symbols-qgis, where the uses can choose to download only the symbols' library or the entire development environment to implement new symbols and contribute back to the project.  Currently, the library includes more than 100 user-contributed symbols and patterns defined by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) for planetary geologic mapping, but others from different mapping authorities/institutions can be added. 
How does measuring methodology impact N mineralization in controlled conditions and relations to soil biological parameters: air dried versus fresh soil
Authors: Banaty Oka Ardiana , Willekens Koen , De Neve Stefaan
Published: March 2020

Predictions of N mineralization are still difficult but maybe this is due to the methodologies. Many soil tests have been proposed to predict N mineralization between field and laboratory experiment. Incubations of soil in the laboratory under controlled environmental conditions are most commonly used to assess N mineralization rates both from SOM and from added organic materials. However, predicting N mineralization due to the methods (the impact of using air-dried and fresh soil) has never been assessed before. If the results differ between the methods commonly used, there is a serious problem. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of the incubation methods (air-dried vs fresh soil) to predict N mineralization. The N mineralization potential from fifteen agricultural soils in West and East Flanders – Belgium, were determined by aerobic incubation methods used air-dried and fresh soil at (20 – 250C) for 84-days in the laboratory. The results indicated that total mineral nitrogen (NH4+ + NO3-) concentrations and carbon content of microbial biomass (MBC) did not differ significantly between these methods. Nitrogen was mineralized in fresh soil incubations (0.36 mg N. kg-1 soil day -1) while in air-dried soil (0.31 mg N kg-1 soil day -1). Thus, the results generate that it may be conceivable to predict N mineralization by these two methods in controlled conditions.
The future will be both better and worse than we imagine
Authors: Edwards Tamsin
Published: March 2020

There is no longer such a thing as business as usual. We have put some climate policies in place, taking actions, making progress. Research shows the predicted warming in the year 2100 taking into account those policies: around 3.3 degrees of warming. And we also have pledges for what we intend to do, including those for the Paris Agreement. These would take us a little lower, to 3 degrees. You can watch how these predictions change, over the coming months and years.

The future, then, is already better than we imagined it would be, but still worse than we imagine it could be. And each new policy and pledge will bring the future further down the scale, towards the Paris Agreement targets of 2 and 1.5 degrees. There would still be serious consequences at this level of warming. But climate change is not something that is simply won or lost. It is an arc that we can choose to bend toward justice. We will all be both heroes and villains, and wake up the next day and be heroes again. We will create our story, word by word, deed by deed.
"The most important thing to do about climate change is to talk about it." – Katherine Hayhoe
Authors: Hawkins Ed
Published: March 2020

So, how do we start those important conversations, particularly with groups who would not normally have those conversations? Effective and simple visualisations is one possible way, especially when they can be spread widely on social media. This presentation will discuss the ‘warming stripes’ and how they have become a global symbol of climate change. They have been used in so many novel ways by a wide variety of people, from rock bands to weather forecasters to politicians, and been seen painted on walls, cars and trams, made into ties, dresses, logos and glass sculptures, and used in light shows and during climate protests.
Exploring the impact of atmospheric forcing and basal boundary conditions on the simulation of the Antarctic ice sheet at the Last Glacial Maximum
Authors: Blasco Javier , Alvarez-Solas Jorge , Robinson Alexander , Montoya Marisa
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Little is known about the distribution of ice in the Antarctic ice sheet (AIS) during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Whereas marine and terrestrial geological data indicate that the grounded ice advanced to a position close to the continental-shelf break, the total ice volume is unclear. Glacial boundary conditions are potentially important sources of uncertainty, in particular basal friction and climatic boundary conditions. Basal friction exerts a strong control on the large-scale dynamics of the ice sheet and thus affects its size, and is not well constrained. Glacial climatic boundary conditions determine the net accumulation and ice temperature, and are also poorly known. Here we explore the effect of the uncertainty in both features on the total simulated ice storage of the AIS at the LGM. For this purpose we use a hybrid ice-sheet-shelf model that is forced with different basal-drag choices and glacial background climatic conditions obtained from the LGM ensemble climate simulations of the third phase of the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP3). For a wide range of plausible basal friction configurations, the simulated ice dynamics vary widely but all simulations produce fully extended ice sheets towards the continental-shelf break. More dynamically active ice sheets correspond to lower ice volumes, while they remain consistent with the available constraints on ice extent. Thus, this work points to the possibility of an AIS with very active ice streams during the LGM. In addition, we find that the surface boundary temperature field plays a crucial role in determining the ice extent through its effect on viscosity. For ice sheets of a similar extent and comparable dynamics, we find that the precipitation field determines the total AIS volume. However, precipitation is deeply uncertain. Climatic fields simulated by climate models show more precipitation in coastal regions than a spatially uniform anomaly, which can lead to larger ice volumes. We strongly support using these paleoclimatic fields to simulate and study the LGM and potentially other time periods like the Last Interglacial. However, their accuracy must be assessed as well, as differences between climate model forcing lead to a range in the simulated ice volume and extension of about 6 m sea-level equivalent and one million km2.
The role of wave–wave interactions in sudden stratospheric warming formation
Authors: Lindgren Erik A. , Sheshadri Aditi
Published: March 2020

Abstract. The effects of wave–wave interactions on sudden stratospheric warming formation are investigated using an idealized atmospheric general circulation model, in which tropospheric heating perturbations of zonal wave numbers 1 and 2 are used to produce planetary-scale wave activity. Zonal wave–wave interactions are removed at different vertical extents of the atmosphere in order to examine the sensitivity of stratospheric circulation to local changes in wave–wave interactions. We show that the effects of wave–wave interactions on sudden warming formation, including sudden warming frequencies, are strongly dependent on the wave number of the tropospheric forcing and the vertical levels where wave–wave interactions are removed. Significant changes in sudden warming frequencies are evident when wave–wave interactions are removed even when the lower-stratospheric wave forcing does not change, highlighting the fact that the upper stratosphere is not a passive recipient of wave forcing from below. We find that while wave–wave interactions are required in the troposphere and lower stratosphere to produce displacements when wave number 2 heating is used, both splits and displacements can be produced without wave–wave interactions in the troposphere and lower stratosphere when the model is forced by wave number 1 heating. We suggest that the relative strengths of wave number 1 and 2 vertical wave flux entering the stratosphere largely determine the split and displacement ratios when wave number 2 forcing is used but not wave number 1.
Financial Stability of Islamic Finance
Authors: Abidi Ilyes , Nsaibi Mariem , Regaieg Boutheina
Published: March 2020

The aim of this paper is to study the stability of the Islamic financial system. To do this, we are interested in the scoring method and the volatility of stock market indices.The first empirical study includes all the components of the financial system, in particular, banks, insurance companies, leasing, factoring and investments companies.The results of this study suggest that, Islamic finance saw a loss of 0.014% of its stability score, in 2007, against 0.43% and 1.675% for conventional finance, respectively in 2007 and 2008. In contrast, during the period of the Arab revolutions only Islamic finance depreciated.In order to refine our research, we used the autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticit models to study the volatility of the DJ index and the DJIM index. The empirical results reveal that, the DJIM index is less volatile than the DJ index of emerging countries, Europe, Asia and the United States. However, the DJ Global Index is less volatile than the DJIM index, which seems paradoxical compared to previous results. From then on, we studied the volatility of the two indices before, during and after the crisis. The empirical results reveal that, the DJIM index is much more stable than the DJ index during the crisis (2007-2009). On the other hand, before and after the crisis (2002-2006 and 2010-2015), the DJ Global index is more stable but the difference is insignificant.
Phytoremediation Enhancement of Kenaf Plant (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) Grown on Spent Oil Polluted Soil
Authors: Fayinminnu Olajumoke Oke
Published: March 2020

Oil pollution especially Spent Lubricating Oil is a wide environmental problem in Nigeria. It constitutes potential toxic effects on soil, flora, fauna and humans and also making the environment unsightly. This study assessed the potential of kenaf plant as a phytoremediator grown in spent oil polluted soil for a period of 84 days (12 weeks). Pot experiment was conducted in the Nursery site of the Moist Forest Research Station, Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The treatments: amended (with organic manure) and unamended (without organic manure) soils and three pollution levels (0, 3 and 6%) of spent engine oil, each filled in eight-liter plastic pots with 6 kg soil. Growth parameters: plant height, stem diameter and number of leaves were collected and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) in soil was determined. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA. Results at 12 weeks (84 days) showed amended (control 0%) treatment having highest plant height (112.17 cm), stem diameter (8.92 cm) and number of leaves (178.43), while 6% unamended level of pollution had the lowest plant height (26.78 cm), stem height (1.62 cm) and number of leaves (8.06). Amended soil had the highest total percentage reduction of TPH (75.90, 90.05 and 90.30%), when compared with unamended soil with lowest values (76.88, 85.18 and 82.36%) at 0, 3 and 6 pollution levels, respectively. Reduction of TPH in the phytoremediation process was in this order of pollution levels 6%> 3%> 0%. This study revealed effectiveness of kenaf with organic amendment in remediating Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon in oil polluted soil, hence a good potential phytoremediator.
¡La semilla germinó...está comenzado a crecer!
Authors: Rodríguez Zepeda Martín Eugenio
Published: March 2020

La naturaleza, los seres humanos y la sociedad están en cambio constante, parte de éste es   inherente al ciclo biológico y a la evolución natural, pero otra parte del mismo es atribuible a la voluntad humana y tiene mucho que ver con las decisiones que a diario tomamos y que marcan nuestra vida personal, familiar; social, económica y cultural y la de los demás que están a nuestro alrededor. Esta potestad de poder incidir sobre nuestro ambiente y sobre otros seres, convierten nuestras decisiones y acciones en un proceso intencionado hacia el logro de un fin. Por ejemplo, cuando sembramos una semilla, esperamos ver que crezca la planta, se desarrolle, dé sus frutos y se reproduzca, para lo cual debemos proporcionarle el medio y los cuidados adecuados, especialmente en sus primeras etapas de vida; regándola cuando le falta agua, eliminando la maleza, abonándola, protegiéndola de las plagas, limpiándola, quitándole las hojas secas y tratando que se desarrolle en un ambiente apropiado.
Aplicación del Enfoque Constructivista en el Aprendizaje de Estudiantes Universitarios
Authors: Serafín Mariano Marroquín
Published: March 2020

El estudio busca encontrar como los docentes aplican el enfoque constructivista en diferentes niveles del conocimiento, para favorecer el aprendizaje. Se trabajó con una muestra aleatoria estratificada de 266 estudiantes universitarios. Los hallazgos más relevantes fueron que los contenidos factuales o de hechos, en general, se enseñan en un 24% sólo de los contenidos conceptuales y de principios se enseñan sólo recurriendo al aprendizaje memorístico en un 14% y los contenidos procedirnentales, se enseñan también en forma de memoria mecánica, en un 17%. Es decir; que en total el 55% de los aprendizajes se enseña sin trascender el nivel memorístico
Prevalencia de Obesidad y Factores de Riesgo para Desarrollar Patologías Asociadas
Authors: Garcia de Garcia Doris , Alfaro M. Arabel del Carmen , Ortiz Abelardo de Jesus
Published: March 2020

La obesidad es una acumulación excesiva de grasa en los tejidos adiposos del cuerpo, que puede llegar a constituir un serio peligro para la salud; se define además, como una enfermedad crónica de etiología multicausal. El objetivo del estudio fie determinar la prevalencia de obesidad, factores de riesgo para desarrollar patologías, se trabajó con una muestra de 13 hombres y 29 mujeres correspondientes al 79.2% del total de empleados de la Facultad de Medicina. Entre los principales hallazgos se encontró que la prevalencia de obesidad se da más en las mujeres. En general existe prevalencia de hábitos alimentarios inadecuados. Tomando en cuenta el indicador cintura/cadera, el 45% tiene factor de riesgo de padecer enfermedad cardiovascular.