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Sample records for materials-unified soil classification

  1. Correlation of the Rock Mass Rating (RMR) System with the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS): Introduction of the Weak Rock Mass Rating System (W-RMR)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warren, Sean N.; Kallu, Raj R.; Barnard, Chase K.

    2016-11-01

    Underground gold mines in Nevada are exploiting increasingly deeper ore bodies comprised of weak to very weak rock masses. The Rock Mass Rating (RMR) classification system is widely used at underground gold mines in Nevada and is applicable in fair to good-quality rock masses, but is difficult to apply and loses reliability in very weak rock mass to soil-like material. Because very weak rock masses are transition materials that border engineering rock mass and soil classification systems, soil classification may sometimes be easier and more appropriate to provide insight into material behavior and properties. The Unified Soil Classification System (USCS) is the most likely choice for the classification of very weak rock mass to soil-like material because of its accepted use in tunnel engineering projects and its ability to predict soil-like material behavior underground. A correlation between the RMR and USCS systems was developed by comparing underground geotechnical RMR mapping to laboratory testing of bulk samples from the same locations, thereby assigning a numeric RMR value to the USCS classification that can be used in spreadsheet calculations and geostatistical analyses. The geotechnical classification system presented in this paper including a USCS-RMR correlation, RMR rating equations, and the Geo-Pick Strike Index is collectively introduced as the Weak Rock Mass Rating System (W-RMR). It is the authors' hope that this system will aid in the classification of weak rock masses and more usable design tools based on the RMR system. More broadly, the RMR-USCS correlation and the W-RMR system help define the transition between engineering soil and rock mass classification systems and may provide insight for geotechnical design in very weak rock masses.

  2. Revised Soil Classification System for Coarse-Fine Mixtures

    KAUST Repository

    Park, Junghee; Santamarina, Carlos

    2017-01-01

    Soil classification systems worldwide capture great physical insight and enable geotechnical engineers to anticipate the properties and behavior of soils by grouping them into similar response categories based on their index properties. Yet gravimetric analysis and data trends summarized from published papers reveal critical limitations in soil group boundaries adopted in current systems. In particular, current classification systems fail to capture the dominant role of fines on the mechanical and hydraulic properties of soils. A revised soil classification system (RSCS) for coarse-fine mixtures is proposed herein. Definitions of classification boundaries use low and high void ratios that gravel, sand, and fines may attain. This research adopts emax and emin for gravels and sands, and three distinctive void ratio values for fines: soft eF|10  kPa and stiff eF|1  MPa for mechanical response (at effective stress 10 kPa and 1 MPa, respectively), and viscous λ⋅eF|LL for fluid flow control, where λ=2log(LL−25) and eF|LL is the void ratio at the liquid limit. For classification purposes, these void ratios can be estimated from index properties such as particle shape, the coefficient of uniformity, and the liquid limit. Analytically computed and data-adjusted boundaries are soil-specific, in contrast with the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). Threshold fractions for mechanical control and for flow control are quite distinct in the proposed system. Therefore, the RSCS uses a two-name nomenclature whereby the first letters identify the component(s) that controls mechanical properties, followed by a letter (shown in parenthesis) that identifies the component that controls fluid flow. Sample charts in this paper and a Microsoft Excel facilitate the implementation of this revised classification system.

  3. Revised Soil Classification System for Coarse-Fine Mixtures

    KAUST Repository

    Park, Junghee

    2017-04-17

    Soil classification systems worldwide capture great physical insight and enable geotechnical engineers to anticipate the properties and behavior of soils by grouping them into similar response categories based on their index properties. Yet gravimetric analysis and data trends summarized from published papers reveal critical limitations in soil group boundaries adopted in current systems. In particular, current classification systems fail to capture the dominant role of fines on the mechanical and hydraulic properties of soils. A revised soil classification system (RSCS) for coarse-fine mixtures is proposed herein. Definitions of classification boundaries use low and high void ratios that gravel, sand, and fines may attain. This research adopts emax and emin for gravels and sands, and three distinctive void ratio values for fines: soft eF|10  kPa and stiff eF|1  MPa for mechanical response (at effective stress 10 kPa and 1 MPa, respectively), and viscous λ⋅eF|LL for fluid flow control, where λ=2log(LL−25) and eF|LL is the void ratio at the liquid limit. For classification purposes, these void ratios can be estimated from index properties such as particle shape, the coefficient of uniformity, and the liquid limit. Analytically computed and data-adjusted boundaries are soil-specific, in contrast with the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). Threshold fractions for mechanical control and for flow control are quite distinct in the proposed system. Therefore, the RSCS uses a two-name nomenclature whereby the first letters identify the component(s) that controls mechanical properties, followed by a letter (shown in parenthesis) that identifies the component that controls fluid flow. Sample charts in this paper and a Microsoft Excel facilitate the implementation of this revised classification system.

  4. Hygrothermal Material Properties for Soils in Building Science

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kehrer, Manfred [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Pallin, Simon B. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2017-01-01

    Hygrothermal performance of soils coupled to buildings is complicated because of the dearth of information on soil properties. However they are important when numerical simulation of coupled heat and moisture transport for below-grade building components are performed as their temperature and moisture content has an influence on the durability of the below-grade building component. Soils can be classified by soil texture. According to the Unified Soil Classification System (USCA), 12 different soils can be defined on the basis of three soil components: clay, sand, and silt. This study shows how existing material properties for typical American soils can be transferred and used for the calculation of the coupled heat and moisture transport of building components in contact with soil. Furthermore a thermal validation with field measurements under known boundary conditions is part of this study, too. Field measurements for soil temperature and moisture content for two specified soils are carried out right now under known boundary conditions. As these field measurements are not finished yet, the full hygrothermal validation is still missing

  5. morphological characteristics and classification of soils derived

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Prof. Ekwueme

    MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND CLASSIFICATION OF. SOILS DERIVED FROM DIVERSE PARENT MATERIALS IN CENTRAL. CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA. 271. M. E. NSOR and I. J. IBANGA. (Received 5 October 2007; Revision Accepted 5 December 2007). ABSTRACT. Variation in soil characteristics ...

  6. Soil classification using CPTu in Fort McMurray

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Elbanna, M. [AMEC Earth and Environmental, Nanaimo, BC (Canada); El Sabbagh, M. [AMEC Earth and Environmental, Burnaby, BC (Canada); Sharp, J. [ConeTec Investigations Ltd., Richmond, BC (Canada)

    2009-07-01

    This paper evaluated 4 piezocone penetration testing (CPTu) classification methods using data from 3 different sites near Fort McMurray in northern Alberta. For comparative purposes, other in-situ tests, field observations, and laboratory tests were performed at all sites in close proximity to the CPTu soundings. The study evaluated pleistocene sand and sand till deposits with low fines content. Profiling these deposits is necessary because they are often used as filler material for earth retaining structures in many oilsands projects. The study also evaluated pleistocene clay and clay tills that are often used as low permeability material for seepage control. In thick layers, pleistocene clay is known to cause foundation problems. CPTu with dissipation data was shown to be a useful tool in geotechnical engineering practice to provide near continuous soil profiling and material properties. CPTu tip resistance and sleeve friction combined with pore pressure measurement provided useful evaluation of subsurface soil types. It was concluded that although all of the CPTu classification charts provided reasonable soil classification in typical soil conditions, local experience and understanding of soil behaviour is needed to make an appropriate selection of the most applicable charts in a given geological condition. 7 refs., 11 figs.

  7. Clay-illuvial soils in the Polish and international soil classifications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kabała Cezary

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Soil with a clay-illuvial subsurface horizon are the most widespread soil type in Poland and significantly differ in morphology and properties developed under variable environmental conditions. Despite the long history of investigations, the rules of classification and cartography of clay-illuvial soils have been permanently discussed and modified. The distinction of clay-illuvial soils into three soil types, introduced to the Polish soil classification in 2011, has been criticized as excessively extended, non-coherent with the other parts and rules of the classification, hard to introduce in soil cartography and poorly correlated with the international soil classifications. One type of clay-illuvial soils (“gleby płowe” was justified and recommended to reintroduce in soil classification in Poland, as well as 10 soil subtypes listed in a hierarchical order. The subtypes may be combined if the soil has diagnostic features of more than one soil subtypes. Clear rules of soil name generalization (reduction of subtype number for one soil were suggested for soil cartography on various scales. One of the most important among the distinguished soil sub-types are the “eroded” or “truncated” clay-illuvial soils.

  8. EPR-based material modelling of soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faramarzi, Asaad; Alani, Amir M.

    2013-04-01

    In the past few decades, as a result of the rapid developments in computational software and hardware, alternative computer aided pattern recognition approaches have been introduced to modelling many engineering problems, including constitutive modelling of materials. The main idea behind pattern recognition systems is that they learn adaptively from experience and extract various discriminants, each appropriate for its purpose. In this work an approach is presented for developing material models for soils based on evolutionary polynomial regression (EPR). EPR is a recently developed hybrid data mining technique that searches for structured mathematical equations (representing the behaviour of a system) using genetic algorithm and the least squares method. Stress-strain data from triaxial tests are used to train and develop EPR-based material models for soil. The developed models are compared with some of the well-known conventional material models and it is shown that EPR-based models can provide a better prediction for the behaviour of soils. The main benefits of using EPR-based material models are that it provides a unified approach to constitutive modelling of all materials (i.e., all aspects of material behaviour can be implemented within a unified environment of an EPR model); it does not require any arbitrary choice of constitutive (mathematical) models. In EPR-based material models there are no material parameters to be identified. As the model is trained directly from experimental data therefore, EPR-based material models are the shortest route from experimental research (data) to numerical modelling. Another advantage of EPR-based constitutive model is that as more experimental data become available, the quality of the EPR prediction can be improved by learning from the additional data, and therefore, the EPR model can become more effective and robust. The developed EPR-based material models can be incorporated in finite element (FE) analysis.

  9. Development of soil taxation and soil classification as furthered by the Austrian Soil Science Society

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumgarten, Andreas

    2013-04-01

    Soil taxation and soil classification are important drivers of soil science in Austria. However, the tasks are quite different: whereas soil taxation aims at the evaluation of the productivity potential of the soil, soil classification focusses on the natural development and - especially nowadays - on functionality of the soil. Since the foundation of the Austrian Soil Science Society (ASSS), representatives both directions of the description of the soil have been involved in the common actions of the society. In the first years it was a main target to improve and standardize field descriptions of the soil. Although both systems differ in the general layout, the experts should comply with identical approaches. According to this work, a lot of effort has been put into the standardization of the soil classification system, thus ensuring a common basis. The development, state of the art and further development of both classification and taxation systems initiated and carried out by the ASSS will be shown.

  10. Learning soil classification with the Kayapó indians

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cooper Miguel

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The Kayapó Xicrin do Cateté (Xicrin indigenous reserve is located within the Amazon forest in Pará (Brazil. The Xicrins have developed a soil classification system that is incorporated in their language and culture. The etymology of their classification system and its logical structure makes it similar and comparable with modern soil classification. The etymology of the Xicrin's language is based on the junction of radicals to form words for different soil names. The name of the soil is formed by the main noun radical "puka", to which adjectives referring to soil morphological attributes are added. Modern classification systems are also based on similar morphological variables, and analytical support for defining boundaries of chemical or physical soil attributes are important only in lower hierarchical levels. Soil scientists have developed a soil classification system that is sensitive for the restrictions and potentialities the soil will show for modern agriculture. The Xicrins classify soils for what is important for their life style, i.e. a harmonic and friendly life with the resources they gain from the forest.

  11. New developments in soil classification World Reference Base for Soil Resources

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nachtergaele, F.O.; Spaargaren, O.; Deckers, J.A.; Ahrens, B.

    2000-01-01

    It has been a matter of great concern that after hundred years of modern soil science a generally accepted system of soil classification has not yet been universally adopted [Dudal, R., 1990. Progress in IRB preparation. In: Rozanov, B.G. (Ed.), Soil Classification. Reports of the International

  12. Project implementation : classification of organic soils and classification of marls - training of INDOT personnel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-01

    This is an implementation project for the research completed as part of the following projects: SPR3005 Classification of Organic Soils : and SPR3227 Classification of Marl Soils. The methods developed for the classification of both soi...

  13. Learning soil classification with the Kayapó indians

    OpenAIRE

    Cooper,Miguel; Teramoto,Edson Roberto; Vidal-Torrado,Pablo; Sparovek,Gerd

    2005-01-01

    The Kayapó Xicrin do Cateté (Xicrin) indigenous reserve is located within the Amazon forest in Pará (Brazil). The Xicrins have developed a soil classification system that is incorporated in their language and culture. The etymology of their classification system and its logical structure makes it similar and comparable with modern soil classification. The etymology of the Xicrin's language is based on the junction of radicals to form words for different soil names. The name of the soil is for...

  14. Unify a hazardous materials/waste program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carson, H.T.

    1988-01-01

    Efficiently managing a hazardous materials/waste program in a multi-facility, multi-product corporation is a major challenge. This paper describes several methods to help unify a program and gain maximum efficiency of manpower and to minimize risk

  15. Combination of soil classification and some selected soil properties ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The advantage in the combined use of soil classification and top soil analysis for explaining crop yield variation was examined. Soil properties and yields of maize (Zea mays L) on different soil types were measured on farmers' fields for 2 years. Yield prediction improved from 2 per cent at the Order and Association levels to ...

  16. Predictive mapping of soil organic carbon in wet cultivated lands using classification-tree based models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kheir, Rania Bou; Greve, Mogens Humlekrog; Bøcher, Peder Klith

    2010-01-01

    the geographic distribution of SOC across Denmark using remote sensing (RS), geographic information systems (GISs) and decision-tree modeling (un-pruned and pruned classification trees). Seventeen parameters, i.e. parent material, soil type, landscape type, elevation, slope gradient, slope aspect, mean curvature...... field measurements in the area of interest (Denmark). A large number of tree-based classification models (588) were developed using (i) all of the parameters, (ii) all Digital Elevation Model (DEM) parameters only, (iii) the primary DEM parameters only, (iv), the remote sensing (RS) indices only, (v......) selected pairs of parameters, (vi) soil type, parent material and landscape type only, and (vii) the parameters having a high impact on SOC distribution in built pruned trees. The best constructed classification tree models (in the number of three) with the lowest misclassification error (ME...

  17. A unified material decomposition framework for quantitative dual- and triple-energy CT imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Wei; Vernekohl, Don; Han, Fei; Han, Bin; Peng, Hao; Yang, Yong; Xing, Lei; Min, James K

    2018-04-21

    Many clinical applications depend critically on the accurate differentiation and classi-fication of different types of materials in patient anatomy. This work introduces a unified framework for accurate nonlinear material decomposition and applies it, for the first time, in the concept of triple-energy CT (TECT) for enhanced material differentiation and classification as well as dual-energy CT METHODS: We express polychromatic projection into a linear combination of line integrals of material-selective images. The material decomposition is then turned into a problem of minimizing the least-squares difference between measured and estimated CT projections. The optimization problem is solved iteratively by updating the line integrals. The proposed technique is evaluated by using several numerical phantom measurements under different scanning protocols The triple-energy data acquisition is implemented at the scales of micro-CT and clinical CT imaging with commercial "TwinBeam" dual-source DECT configuration and a fast kV switching DECT configu-ration. Material decomposition and quantitative comparison with a photon counting detector and with the presence of a bow-tie filter are also performed. The proposed method provides quantitative material- and energy-selective images exam-ining realistic configurations for both dual- and triple-energy CT measurements. Compared to the polychromatic kV CT images, virtual monochromatic images show superior image quality. For the mouse phantom, quantitative measurements show that the differences between gadodiamide and iodine concentrations obtained using TECT and idealized photon counting CT (PCCT) are smaller than 8 mg/mL and 1 mg/mL, respectively. TECT outperforms DECT for multi-contrast CT imag-ing and is robust with respect to spectrum estimation. For the thorax phantom, the differences between the concentrations of the contrast map and the corresponding true reference values are smaller than 7 mg/mL for all of the realistic

  18. Estonian soil classification as a tool for recording information on soil cover and its matching with local site types, plant covers and humus forms classifications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kõlli, Raimo; Tõnutare, Tõnu; Rannik, Kaire; Krebstein, Kadri

    2015-04-01

    Estonian soil classification (ESC) has been used successfully during more than half of century in soil survey, teaching of soil science, generalization of soil databases, arrangement of soils sustainable management and others. The Estonian normally developed (postlithogenic) mineral soils (form 72.4% from total area) are characterized by mean of genetic-functional schema, where the pedo-ecological position of soils (ie. location among other soils) is given by means of three scalars: (i) 8 stage lithic-genetic scalar (from rendzina to podzols) separates soils each from other by parent material, lithic properties, calcareousness, character of soil processes and others, (ii) 6 stage moisture and aeration conditions scalar (from aridic or well aerated to permanently wet or reductic conditions), and (iii) 2-3 stage soil development scalar, which characterizes the intensity of soil forming processes (accumulation of humus, podzolization). The organic soils pedo-ecological schema, which links with histic postlithogenic soils, is elaborated for characterizing of peatlands superficial mantle (form 23.7% from whole soil cover). The position each peat soil species among others on this organic (peat) soil matrix schema is determined by mean of 3 scalars: (i) peat thickness, (ii) type of paludification or peat forming peculiarities, and (iii) stage of peat decomposition or peat type. On the matrix of abnormally developed (synlithogenic) soils (all together 3.9%) the soil species are positioned (i) by proceeding in actual time geological processes as erosion, fluvial processes (at vicinity of rivers, lakes or sea) or transforming by anthropogenic and technological processes, and (ii) by 7 stage moisture conditions (from aridic to subaqual) of soils. The most important functions of soil cover are: (i) being a suitable environment for plant productivity; (ii) forming adequate conditions for decomposition, transformation and conversion of falling litter (characterized by humus

  19. Unified strength theory and its applications

    CERN Document Server

    Yu, Mao-Hong

    2004-01-01

    This is a completely new theory dealing with the yield and failure of materials under multi-axial stresses. It provides a system of yield and failure criteria adopted for most materials, from metallic materials to rocks, concretes, soils, polymers etc. The Unified Strength Theory has been applied successfully to analyse the elastic limit, plastic limit capacities, the dynamic response behavior for some structures under static and moderate impulsive load, and may be implemented in some elasto-plastic finite element computer codes. The Unified Strength Theory is described in detail and by using this theory a series of results can be obtained. The Unified Strength Theory can improve the conservative Mohr-Coulomb Theory, and since intermediate principal stress is not taken into account in the Mohr-Coulomb theory and most experimental data is not pertainable to the Mohr-Coulomb Theory, a considerable economic benefit may be obtained. The book can also increase the effect of most commercial finite element computer ...

  20. Hydrologic-Process-Based Soil Texture Classifications for Improved Visualization of Landscape Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groenendyk, Derek G.; Ferré, Ty P.A.; Thorp, Kelly R.; Rice, Amy K.

    2015-01-01

    Soils lie at the interface between the atmosphere and the subsurface and are a key component that control ecosystem services, food production, and many other processes at the Earth’s surface. There is a long-established convention for identifying and mapping soils by texture. These readily available, georeferenced soil maps and databases are used widely in environmental sciences. Here, we show that these traditional soil classifications can be inappropriate, contributing to bias and uncertainty in applications from slope stability to water resource management. We suggest a new approach to soil classification, with a detailed example from the science of hydrology. Hydrologic simulations based on common meteorological conditions were performed using HYDRUS-1D, spanning textures identified by the United States Department of Agriculture soil texture triangle. We consider these common conditions to be: drainage from saturation, infiltration onto a drained soil, and combined infiltration and drainage events. Using a k-means clustering algorithm, we created soil classifications based on the modeled hydrologic responses of these soils. The hydrologic-process-based classifications were compared to those based on soil texture and a single hydraulic property, Ks. Differences in classifications based on hydrologic response versus soil texture demonstrate that traditional soil texture classification is a poor predictor of hydrologic response. We then developed a QGIS plugin to construct soil maps combining a classification with georeferenced soil data from the Natural Resource Conservation Service. The spatial patterns of hydrologic response were more immediately informative, much simpler, and less ambiguous, for use in applications ranging from trafficability to irrigation management to flood control. The ease with which hydrologic-process-based classifications can be made, along with the improved quantitative predictions of soil responses and visualization of landscape

  1. Final hazard classification for the 116-F-4 (Terra Stor) soil retrieval activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adam, W.J.

    1996-07-01

    The purpose of this document is to provide the final hazard classification for the remediation activities described in the Work Plan for the Retrieval of Contaminated Soil from the 116-F-4 Storage Unit. Based upon total inventories calculated from the characterization data, a preliminary hazard categorization of less than Hazard Category 3 was assigned. Based upon the material-at-risk, a final hazard classification of radiological was assigned

  2. Semi-automated landform classification for hazard mapping of soil liquefaction by earthquake

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakano, Takayuki

    2018-05-01

    Soil liquefaction damages were caused by huge earthquake in Japan, and the similar damages are concerned in near future huge earthquake. On the other hand, a preparation of soil liquefaction risk map (soil liquefaction hazard map) is impeded by the difficulty of evaluation of soil liquefaction risk. Generally, relative soil liquefaction risk should be able to be evaluated from landform classification data by using experimental rule based on the relationship between extent of soil liquefaction damage and landform classification items associated with past earthquake. Therefore, I rearranged the relationship between landform classification items and soil liquefaction risk intelligibly in order to enable the evaluation of soil liquefaction risk based on landform classification data appropriately and efficiently. And I developed a new method of generating landform classification data of 50-m grid size from existing landform classification data of 250-m grid size by using digital elevation model (DEM) data and multi-band satellite image data in order to evaluate soil liquefaction risk in detail spatially. It is expected that the products of this study contribute to efficient producing of soil liquefaction hazard map by local government.

  3. Soil classification basing on the spectral characteristics of topsoil samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Huanjun; Zhang, Xiaokang; Zhang, Xinle

    2016-04-01

    Soil taxonomy plays an important role in soil utility and management, but China has only course soil map created based on 1980s data. New technology, e.g. spectroscopy, could simplify soil classification. The study try to classify soils basing on the spectral characteristics of topsoil samples. 148 topsoil samples of typical soils, including Black soil, Chernozem, Blown soil and Meadow soil, were collected from Songnen plain, Northeast China, and the room spectral reflectance in the visible and near infrared region (400-2500 nm) were processed with weighted moving average, resampling technique, and continuum removal. Spectral indices were extracted from soil spectral characteristics, including the second absorption positions of spectral curve, the first absorption vale's area, and slope of spectral curve at 500-600 nm and 1340-1360 nm. Then K-means clustering and decision tree were used respectively to build soil classification model. The results indicated that 1) the second absorption positions of Black soil and Chernozem were located at 610 nm and 650 nm respectively; 2) the spectral curve of the meadow is similar to its adjacent soil, which could be due to soil erosion; 3) decision tree model showed higher classification accuracy, and accuracy of Black soil, Chernozem, Blown soil and Meadow are 100%, 88%, 97%, 50% respectively, and the accuracy of Blown soil could be increased to 100% by adding one more spectral index (the first two vole's area) to the model, which showed that the model could be used for soil classification and soil map in near future.

  4. Characterization and Classification of Soils along the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In developing countries, where research funds are limited, the availability of pedogenic information and proper classification of soils will be of great importance. The soils of Kindo Koye watershed were fully characterized along east and west facing toposequences that formed a catena and classified according to the Soil ...

  5. Territorial pattern and classification of soils of Kryvyi Rih Iron-Ore Basin

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    О. О. Dolina

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available The authors developed the classification of soils and adapted it to the conditions of Krivyi Rih industrial region. It became the basis for determining the degree of soil cover transformation in the iron-ore basin under technogenesis. The classification represents the system of hierarchical objects of different taxonomic levels. It allows determination of relationships between objects and their properties. Researched patterns of soil cover structures’ distribution were the basis for the relevant mapping and classification of soils. The classification is adapted to highly-influential industrial conditions of soils formation in the region. The adaptation measures were specific classification levels and units, which provided more detailed differentiation of soils. The authors proposed to separate the soils by the degree of soil formation potential realization for super-divisions. The potential determination allowed predicting the outcome of soil formation and identification of transformation degree of soil cover structures in the region. The results indicated that the main type of soil structures in the industrial region was represented by primitive soils (indicated as a separate type. These soils were determined as dynamic elements in the structure of industrial region soil cover. The article indicated that presence of soil cover structures with the domination of technogenic soils, particularly post-technogenic soils, was the marker of the soil cover in Krivyi Rih Iron-Ore Basin

  6. Effect of Metakaolin on the geotechnical properties of Expansive Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahmoud D. Ahmed

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Expansive soil spreads in Iraq and some countries of the world. But there are many problems can be occurred to the structures that built on, so we must study the characteristics of these soils due to the problems that may be caused to these structures which built on these kinds of soil and then study the methods of treatment. The present study focuses on improving the geotechnical properties of expansive soils by treating it Metakaolin(M. Metakaolin (M has never been used before as an improvement material for stabilizing the expansive soil . Metakaolin is a pozzolanic material. It’s obtained by calcination of kaolinite clay at temperatures from 700°C to 800°C. Kaolin chemical composition is basically aluminous silicates hydrates associated with Mn, Fe, Ca, K, Na. Its crystal has a lattice structure of tetrahedral and octahedral layers with interplanar distance of 7.2 Å. The soil used in the present study can be classified according to the Unified Soil Classification System as clay with high plasticity (CH .

  7. ERC hazard classification matrices for above ground structures and groundwater and soil remediation activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Curry, L.R.

    1997-01-01

    This document provides the status of the preliminary hazard classification (PHC) process for the Environmental Restoration Contractor (ERC) above ground structures and groundwater and soil remediation activities currently underway for planned for fiscal year (FY) 1997. This classification process is based on current US Department of Energy (DOE), Richland Operations Office (RL) guidance for the classification of facilities and activities containing radionuclide and nonradiological hazardous material inventories. The above ground structures presented in the matrices were drawn from the Bechtel Hanford, Inc. (BHI) Decontamination and Decommissioning (D and D) Project Facility List (DOE 1996), which identifies the facilities in the RL-Environmental Restoration baseline contract in 1997. This document contains the following two appendices: (1) Appendix A, which consists of a matrix identifying PHC documents that have been issued for BHI's above ground structures and groundwater and soil remediation activities underway or planned for FY 1997, and (2) Appendix B, which consists of a matrix showing anticipated PHCs for above ground structures, and groundwater and soil remediation activities underway or planned for FY 1997. Appendix B also shows the schedule for finalization of PHCs for above ground structures with an anticipated classification of Nuclear

  8. Computer Aided Design for Soil Classification Relational Database ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The paper focuses on the problems associated with classification, storage and retrieval of information on soil data, such as the incompatibility of soil data semantics; inadequate documentation, and lack of indexing; hence it is pretty difficult to efficiently access large database. Consequently, information on soil is very difficult ...

  9. Soil classification based on cone penetration test (CPT) data in Western Central Java

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apriyono, Arwan; Yanto, Santoso, Purwanto Bekti; Sumiyanto

    2018-03-01

    This study presents a modified friction ratio range for soil classification i.e. gravel, sand, silt & clay and peat, using CPT data in Western Central Java. The CPT data was obtained solely from Soil Mechanic Laboratory of Jenderal Soedirman University that covers more than 300 sites within the study area. About 197 data were produced from data filtering process. IDW method was employed to interpolated friction ratio values in a regular grid point for soil classification map generation. Soil classification map was generated and presented using QGIS software. In addition, soil classification map with respect to modified friction ratio range was validated using 10% of total measurements. The result shows that silt and clay dominate soil type in the study area, which is in agreement with two popular methods namely Begemann and Vos. However, the modified friction ratio range produces 85% similarity with laboratory measurements whereby Begemann and Vos method yields 70% similarity. In addition, modified friction ratio range can effectively distinguish fine and coarse grains, thus useful for soil classification and subsequently for landslide analysis. Therefore, modified friction ratio range proposed in this study can be used to identify soil type for mountainous tropical region.

  10. Recognition of the Slovenian soil classification types

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blaž Repe

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Slovenia does not rank among the important agricultural countries. But recently, we hear more and more about self-supply and self-sufficiency, particularly in relation to all the negative trends from climate changes, fossil fuel prices rising and urban sprawl. All, including geographers, have often problems with soil identification in the field. In this article we will show a simple method of soil type determination according to Slovene soil classification, highlight issues which and where are those natural soils, the most important for food production and local self-sufficiency, and require the highest level of protection, where are restrictions on other natural soil types and how can indicator plants help in soil characteristics determination.

  11. Reflecting on the structure of soil classification systems: insights from a proposal for integrating subsoil data into soil information systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dondeyne, Stefaan; Juilleret, Jérôme; Vancampenhout, Karen; Deckers, Jozef; Hissler, Christophe

    2017-04-01

    Classification of soils in both World Reference Base for soil resources (WRB) and Soil Taxonomy hinges on the identification of diagnostic horizons and characteristics. However as these features often occur within the first 100 cm, these classification systems convey little information on subsoil characteristics. An integrated knowledge of the soil, soil-to-substratum and deeper substratum continuum is required when dealing with environmental issues such as vegetation ecology, water quality or the Critical Zone in general. Therefore, we recently proposed a classification system of the subsolum complementing current soil classification systems. By reflecting on the structure of the subsoil classification system which is inspired by WRB, we aim at fostering a discussion on some potential future developments of WRB. For classifying the subsolum we define Regolite, Saprolite, Saprock and Bedrock as four Subsolum Reference Groups each corresponding to different weathering stages of the subsoil. Principal qualifiers can be used to categorize intergrades of these Subsoil Reference Groups while morphologic and lithologic characteristics can be presented with supplementary qualifiers. We argue that adopting a low hierarchical structure - akin to WRB and in contrast to a strong hierarchical structure as in Soil Taxonomy - offers the advantage of having an open classification system avoiding the need for a priori knowledge of all possible combinations which may be encountered in the field. Just as in WRB we also propose to use principal and supplementary qualifiers as a second level of classification. However, in contrast to WRB we propose to reserve the principal qualifiers for intergrades and to regroup the supplementary qualifiers into thematic categories (morphologic or lithologic). Structuring the qualifiers in this manner should facilitate the integration and handling of both soil and subsoil classification units into soil information systems and calls for paying

  12. Spectral Classification of Similar Materials using the Tetracorder Algorithm: The Calcite-Epidote-Chlorite Problem

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalton, J. Brad; Bove, Dana; Mladinich, Carol; Clark, Roger; Rockwell, Barnaby; Swayze, Gregg; King, Trude; Church, Stanley

    2001-01-01

    Recent work on automated spectral classification algorithms has sought to distinguish ever-more similar materials. From modest beginnings separating shade, soil, rock and vegetation to ambitious attempts to discriminate mineral types and specific plant species, the trend seems to be toward using increasingly subtle spectral differences to perform the classification. Rule-based expert systems exploiting the underlying physics of spectroscopy such as the US Geological Society Tetracorder system are now taking advantage of the high spectral resolution and dimensionality of current imaging spectrometer designs to discriminate spectrally similar materials. The current paper details recent efforts to discriminate three minerals having absorptions centered at the same wavelength, with encouraging results.

  13. Issues relating to classification of colluvial soils in young morainic areas (Chełmno and Brodnica Lake District, northern Poland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Świtoniak Marcin

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Colluvial soils (in Polish: gleby deluwialne are an important part of the soil cover in young morainic landscapes of northern Poland. They evolved as a result of the accumulation of eroded material at the foot of the slopes and bottoms of closed depressions. The aim of this study was to determine the systematic position of colluvial soils commonly found in the Chełmno and Brodnica Lake District, northern Poland. Ten soil pits located in different types of landscapes were selected for testing soil properties. The colluvial material is characterized by diversified properties: thickness, particle-size distribution, organic carbon content, color, pH, and base saturation. As a result, the investigated soils represent broad spectrum of typological units according to Polish Soil Classification (2011. Some of them contain epipedons mollic and meet the criteria of colluvial chernozemic soils. They were found mainly on buried black earths in areas with small slope inclinations. Many pedons contain pale colored acidic colluvial material with low base saturation and low organic carbon content and must be classified as other types: arenosols (in Polish: arenosole or rusty soils (in Polish: gleby rdzawe. These soils occur mostly in areas with intensive relief and overlay the different soil types, including rusty soil and organic soils. They are formed as a result of soils lessivés and rusty soils truncation. An introduction of the additional units of “proper colluvial soils” which have epipedon ochric, and “rusty-colluvial soils” with endopedon sideric to the next edition of Polish Soil Classification would enable a more precise expression of the genesis of these soils in the type rank. Moreover, the definition of chernozemic colluvial soils could be extended to colluvial soils with umbric horizon. Classifying soils derived from colluvial material as soils of other types leads to the disappearance of this units on maps and underestimation of the

  14. Spectral band selection for classification of soil organic matter content

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, Tracey L.; Szilagyi, Andrea; Baumgardner, Marion F.; Chen, Chih-Chien Thomas; Landgrebe, David A.

    1989-01-01

    This paper describes the spectral-band-selection (SBS) algorithm of Chen and Landgrebe (1987, 1988, and 1989) and uses the algorithm to classify the organic matter content in the earth's surface soil. The effectiveness of the algorithm was evaluated comparing the results of classification of the soil organic matter using SBS bands with those obtained using Landsat MSS bands and TM bands, showing that the algorithm was successful in finding important spectral bands for classification of organic matter content. Using the calculated bands, the probabilities of correct classification for climate-stratified data were found to range from 0.910 to 0.980.

  15. Estimation of Compaction Parameters Based on Soil Classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lubis, A. S.; Muis, Z. A.; Hastuty, I. P.; Siregar, I. M.

    2018-02-01

    Factors that must be considered in compaction of the soil works were the type of soil material, field control, maintenance and availability of funds. Those problems then raised the idea of how to estimate the density of the soil with a proper implementation system, fast, and economical. This study aims to estimate the compaction parameter i.e. the maximum dry unit weight (γ dmax) and optimum water content (Wopt) based on soil classification. Each of 30 samples were being tested for its properties index and compaction test. All of the data’s from the laboratory test results, were used to estimate the compaction parameter values by using linear regression and Goswami Model. From the research result, the soil types were A4, A-6, and A-7 according to AASHTO and SC, SC-SM, and CL based on USCS. By linear regression, the equation for estimation of the maximum dry unit weight (γdmax *)=1,862-0,005*FINES- 0,003*LL and estimation of the optimum water content (wopt *)=- 0,607+0,362*FINES+0,161*LL. By Goswami Model (with equation Y=mLogG+k), for estimation of the maximum dry unit weight (γdmax *) with m=-0,376 and k=2,482, for estimation of the optimum water content (wopt *) with m=21,265 and k=-32,421. For both of these equations a 95% confidence interval was obtained.

  16. Soil Characterization Database for the Area 3 Radioactive Waste Management Site, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Remortel, R. D. Van; Lee, Y. J.; Snyder, K. E.

    2005-01-01

    Soils were characterized in an investigation at the Area 3 Radioactive Waste Management Site at the U.S. Department of Energy Nevada Test Site in Nye County, Nevada. Data from the investigation are presented in four parameter groups: sample and site characteristics, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) particle size fractions, chemical parameters, and American Society for Testing Materials-Unified Soil Classification System (ASTM-USCS) particle size fractions. Spread-sheet workbooks based on these parameter groups are presented to evaluate data quality, conduct database updates, and set data structures and formats for later extraction and analysis. This document does not include analysis or interpretation of presented data

  17. Soil Characterization Database for the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Y. J.; Remortel, R. D. Van; Snyder, K. E.

    2005-01-01

    Soils were characterized in an investigation at the Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site at the U.S. Department of Energy Nevada Test Site in Nye County, Nevada. Data from the investigation are presented in four parameter groups: sample and site characteristics, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) particle size fractions, chemical parameters, and American Society for Testing Materials-Unified Soil Classification System (ASTM-USCS) particle size fractions. Spread-sheet workbooks based on these parameter groups are presented to evaluate data quality, conduct database updates,and set data structures and formats for later extraction and analysis. This document does not include analysis or interpretation of presented data

  18. Territorial pattern and classification of soils of Kryvyi Rih Iron-Ore Basin

    OpenAIRE

    О. О. Dolina; О. М. Smetana

    2014-01-01

    The authors developed the classification of soils and adapted it to the conditions of Krivyi Rih industrial region. It became the basis for determining the degree of soil cover transformation in the iron-ore basin under technogenesis. The classification represents the system of hierarchical objects of different taxonomic levels. It allows determination of relationships between objects and their properties. Researched patterns of soil cover structures’ distribution were the basis for the relev...

  19. An indigenous soil classification system for Bellona Island - a raised atoll in the Solomon Islands

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Elberling, Bo; Breuning-Madsen, Henrik; Bruun, Thilde Bech

    2010-01-01

    One of the challenges of evaluating existing traditional farming systems is to combine local knowledge and modern scientific methods and terminology. This requires an evaluation of indigenous soil classification in modern terms. This paper focuses on an indigenous soil classification system...... perceive the same four out of seven soil types as highly useful for cultivation and rank these soil types similarly according to their suitability for different crops such as yam, watermelon, cassava and sweet potato. It is concluded that the indigenous soil classification is in line with the soil...... production potential and useful for land evaluation on Bellona....

  20. Neonatal Brain Tissue Classification with Morphological Adaptation and Unified Segmentation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard eBeare

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Measuring the distribution of brain tissue types (tissue classification in neonates is necessary for studying typical and atypical brain development, such as that associated with preterm birth, and may provide biomarkers for neurodevelopmental outcomes. Compared with magnetic resonance images of adults, neonatal images present specific challenges that require the development of specialized, population-specific methods. This paper introduces MANTiS (Morphologically Adaptive Neonatal Tissue Segmentation, which extends the unified segmentation approach to tissue classification implemented in Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM software to neonates. MANTiS utilizes a combination of unified segmentation, template adaptation via morphological segmentation tools and topological filtering, to segment the neonatal brain into eight tissue classes: cortical gray matter, white matter, deep nuclear gray matter, cerebellum, brainstem, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, hippocampus and amygdala. We evaluated the performance of MANTiS using two independent datasets. The first dataset, provided by the NeoBrainS12 challenge, consisted of coronal T2-weighted images of preterm infants (born ≤30 weeks’ gestation acquired at 30 weeks’ corrected gestational age (n= 5, coronal T2-weighted images of preterm infants acquired at 40 weeks’ corrected gestational age (n= 5 and axial T2-weighted images of preterm infants acquired at 40 weeks’ corrected gestational age (n= 5. The second dataset, provided by the Washington University NeuroDevelopmental Research (WUNDeR group, consisted of T2-weighted images of preterm infants (born <30 weeks’ gestation acquired shortly after birth (n= 12, preterm infants acquired at term-equivalent age (n= 12, and healthy term-born infants (born ≥38 weeks’ gestation acquired within the first nine days of life (n= 12. For the NeoBrainS12 dataset, mean Dice scores comparing MANTiS with manual segmentations were all above 0.7, except for

  1. CLASSIFICATION OF ANTHROPOGENIC TRANSFORMATIONS SOILS URBOECOSYSTEMS OF DNEPROPETROVSK

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    YAKOVYSHYNA T.F.

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Raising of problem. The functioning of the city, as artificially created system of the result of the anthropogenic activity, promotes degradation and, sometimes, destruction of the environment, with change it to the technogenic replacement. First of all suffers the soil, as a basic component of any ecosystem, where the circulation of materials close, because it is a powerful biogeochemical barrier to their migration, able to deposit toxicants a long time through its protective functions. The leading role of the formation of the urban soil plays an anthropogenic factor, which is able to influence directly – the destruction of the soil profile due to construction activity and indirectly – with aerogenic or hydrogenous pollution xenobiotics contained in the emissions and discharges of the industrial enterprises; and it is determined by the type of economic use and history of area developing. The variability of using the urban soil is reflected in the soil profile and contributed to the creation of the organic-mineral layer by the mixing, mound, burial and (or contamination of the different substances on the surface. Therefore, classification of the urban soils by the anthropogenic destruction degree of the soil profile is very important scientific and practical task for the urban ecology to the achievement standards of the ecological safety of the modern city, because the restoring of their protective functions is impossible without knowledge of the morphological structure. Purpose. Classify the anthropogenical soils of city Dnipropetrovsk disturbed by the construction activities by the determining of the morphological characteristics of the soil profile structure with separation of the anthropogenic and technogenic surface formations compared to the zonal soil – ordinery chernozem. Conclusion. Within urboecosystem city Dnipropetrovsk long-term human impact to the zonal soil – chernozem led to its transformation into urbanozem witch

  2. Local soil classification and crop suitability: Implications for the historical land use and soil management in Monti di Trapani (Sicily)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia-Vila, Margarita; Corselli, Rocco; Bonet, María Teresa; Lopapa, Giuseppe; Pillitteri, Valentina; Fereres, Elias

    2017-04-01

    In the past, the lack of technologies (e.g. synthetic fertilizers) to overcome biophysical limitations has played a central role in land use planning. Thus, landscape management and agronomic practices are reactions to local knowledge and perceptions on natural resources, particularly soil. In the framework of the European research project MEMOLA (FP7), the role of local farmers knowledge and perceptions on soil for the historical land use through the spatial distribution of crops and the various management practices have been assessed in three different areas of Monti di Trapani region (Sicily). The identification of the soil classification systems of farmers and the criteria on which it is based, linked to the evaluation of the farmers' ability to identify and map the different soil types, was a key step. Nevertheless, beyond the comparison of the ethnopedological classification approach versus standard soil classification systems, the study also aims at understanding local soil management and land use decisions. The applied methodology was based on an interdisciplinary approach, combining soil science methods and participatory appraisal tools, particularly: i) semi-structured interviews; ii) soil sampling and analysis; iii) discussion groups; and iv) a workshop with local edafologists and agronomists. A rich local glossary of terms associated with the soil conditions and an own soil classification system have been identified in the region. Also, a detailed soil map, including process of soil degradation and soil capability, has been generated. This traditional soil knowledge has conditioned the management and the spatial distribution of the crops, and therefore the configuration of the landscape, until the 1990s. Acknowledgements This work has been funded by the European Union project MEMOLA (Grant agreement no: 613265).

  3. Construction of an Yucatec Maya soil classification and comparison with the WRB framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bautista, Francisco; Zinck, J Alfred

    2010-02-13

    Mayas living in southeast Mexico have used soils for millennia and provide thus a good example for understanding soil-culture relationships and for exploring the ways indigenous people name and classify the soils of their territory. This paper shows an attempt to organize the Maya soil knowledge into a soil classification scheme and compares the latter with the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). Several participative soil surveys were carried out in the period 2000-2009 with the help of bilingual Maya-Spanish-speaking farmers. A multilingual soil database was built with 315 soil profile descriptions. On the basis of the diagnostic soil properties and the soil nomenclature used by Maya farmers, a soil classification scheme with a hierarchic, dichotomous and open structure was constructed, organized in groups and qualifiers in a fashion similar to that of the WRB system. Maya soil properties were used at the same categorical levels as similar diagnostic properties are used in the WRB system. The Maya soil classification (MSC) is a natural system based on key properties, such as relief position, rock types, size and quantity of stones, color of topsoil and subsoil, depth, water dynamics, and plant-supporting processes. The MSC addresses the soil properties of surficial and subsurficial horizons, and uses plant communities as qualifier in some cases. The MSC is more accurate than the WRB for classifying Leptosols.

  4. Quality-Oriented Classification of Aircraft Material Based on SVM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hongxia Cai

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The existing material classification is proposed to improve the inventory management. However, different materials have the different quality-related attributes, especially in the aircraft industry. In order to reduce the cost without sacrificing the quality, we propose a quality-oriented material classification system considering the material quality character, Quality cost, and Quality influence. Analytic Hierarchy Process helps to make feature selection and classification decision. We use the improved Kraljic Portfolio Matrix to establish the three-dimensional classification model. The aircraft materials can be divided into eight types, including general type, key type, risk type, and leveraged type. Aiming to improve the classification accuracy of various materials, the algorithm of Support Vector Machine is introduced. Finally, we compare the SVM and BP neural network in the application. The results prove that the SVM algorithm is more efficient and accurate and the quality-oriented material classification is valuable.

  5. A Brief History of Soil Mapping and Classification in the USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brevik, Eric C.; Hartemink, Alfred E.

    2014-05-01

    Soil maps show the distribution of soils across an area but also depict soil science theory and ideas on soil formation and classification at the time the maps were created. The national soil mapping program in the USA was established in 1899. The first nation-wide soil map was published by M. Whitney in 1909 and showed soil provinces that were largely based on geology. In 1912, G.N. Coffey published the first country-wide map based on soil properties. The map showed 5 broad soil units that used parent material, color and drainage as diagnostic criteria. The 1913 national map was produced by C.F. Marbut, H.H. Bennett, J.E. Lapham, and M.H. Lapham and showed broad physiographic units that were further subdivided into soil series, soil classes and soil types. In 1935, Marbut drafted a series of maps based on soil properties, but these maps were replaced as official U.S. soil maps in 1938 with the work of M. Baldwin, C.E. Kellogg, and J. Thorp. A series of soil maps similar to modern USA maps appeared in the 1960s with the 7th Approximation followed by revisions with the 1975 and 1999 editions of Soil Taxonomy. This review has shown that soil maps in the United States produced since the early 1900s moved initially from a geologic-based concept to a pedologic concept of soils. Later changes were from property-based systems to process-based, and then back to property-based. The information in this presentation is based on Brevik and Hartemink (2013). Brevik, E.C., and A.E. Hartemink. 2013. Soil Maps of the United States of America. Soil Science Society of America Journal 77:1117-1132. doi:10.2136/sssaj2012.0390.

  6. Morphological Interpretation of Reflectance Spectrum (MIRS using libraries looking towards soil classification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Alexandre Melo Demattê

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The search for tools to perform soil surveying faster and cheaper has led to the development of technological innovations such as remote sensing (RS and the so-called spectral libraries in recent years. However, there are no studies which collate all the RS background to demonstrate how to use this technology for soil classification. The present study aims to describe a simple method of how to classify soils by the morphology of spectra associated with a quantitative view (400-2,500 nm. For this, we constructed three spectral libraries: (i one for quantitative model performance; (ii a second to function as the spectral patterns; and (iii a third to serve as a validation stage. All samples had their chemical and granulometric attributes determined by laboratory analysis and prediction models were created based on soil spectra. The system is based on seven steps summarized as follows: i interpretation of the spectral curve intensity; ii observation of the general shape of curves; iii evaluation of absorption features; iv comparison of spectral curves between the same profile horizons; v quantification of soil attributes by spectral library models; vi comparison of a pre-existent spectral library with unknown profile spectra; vii most probable soil classification. A soil cannot be classified from one spectral curve alone. The behavior between the horizons of a profile, however, was correlated with its classification. In fact, the validation showed 85 % accuracy between the Morphological Interpretation of Reflectance Spectrum (MIRS method and the traditional classification, showing the importance and potential of a combination of descriptive and quantitative evaluations.

  7. Construction of an Yucatec Maya soil classification and comparison with the WRB framework

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zinck J Alfred

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mayas living in southeast Mexico have used soils for millennia and provide thus a good example for understanding soil-culture relationships and for exploring the ways indigenous people name and classify the soils of their territory. This paper shows an attempt to organize the Maya soil knowledge into a soil classification scheme and compares the latter with the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB. Methods Several participative soil surveys were carried out in the period 2000-2009 with the help of bilingual Maya-Spanish-speaking farmers. A multilingual soil database was built with 315 soil profile descriptions. Results On the basis of the diagnostic soil properties and the soil nomenclature used by Maya farmers, a soil classification scheme with a hierarchic, dichotomous and open structure was constructed, organized in groups and qualifiers in a fashion similar to that of the WRB system. Maya soil properties were used at the same categorical levels as similar diagnostic properties are used in the WRB system. Conclusions The Maya soil classification (MSC is a natural system based on key properties, such as relief position, rock types, size and quantity of stones, color of topsoil and subsoil, depth, water dynamics, and plant-supporting processes. The MSC addresses the soil properties of surficial and subsurficial horizons, and uses plant communities as qualifier in some cases. The MSC is more accurate than the WRB for classifying Leptosols.

  8. Removal of transuranics from Johnston Island soil by fractional classification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sunderland, N.R.

    1987-01-01

    The following conclusions were reached as a result of the research conducted with the TRUclean process on Johnston Island: Processed materials will have a total TRU activity of less than 500 Bq/Kg. Approximately 90% of the TRU activity in coral/soil is removed by a single pass through the fractional classification process. A volume reduction of greater than 90% of the original contaminated volume can be achieved with the returned ''clean'' volume less than or equal to the cleanup criteria. Reprocessing or multiple staging of the process units will yield overall efficiencies of greater than 90%. Continued testing at Nevada Test Site confirmed these conclusions

  9. The Unified North American Soil Map and Its Implication on the Soil Organic Carbon Stock in North America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Y.; Liu, S.; Huntzinger, D. N.; Michalak, A. M.; Post, W. M.; Cook, R. B.; Schaefer, K. M.; Thornton, M.

    2014-12-01

    The Unified North American Soil Map (UNASM) was developed by Multi-scale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project (MsTMIP) to provide more accurate regional soil information for terrestrial biosphere modeling. The UNASM combines information from state-of-the-art US STATSGO2 and Soil Landscape of Canada (SLCs) databases. The area not covered by these datasets is filled by using the Harmonized World Soil Database version 1.21 (HWSD1.21). The UNASM contains maximum soil depth derived from the data source as well as seven soil attributes (including sand, silt, and clay content, gravel content, organic carbon content, pH, and bulk density) for the topsoil layer (0-30 cm) and the subsoil layer (30-100 cm), respectively, of the spatial resolution of 0.25 degrees in latitude and longitude. There are pronounced differences in the spatial distributions of soil properties and soil organic carbon between UNASM and HWSD, but the UNASM overall provides more detailed and higher-quality information particularly in Alaska and central Canada. To provide more accurate and up-to-date estimate of soil organic carbon stock in North America, we incorporated Northern Circumpolar Soil Carbon Database (NCSCD) into the UNASM. The estimate of total soil organic carbon mass in the upper 100 cm soil profile based on the improved UNASM is 365.96 Pg, of which 23.1% is under trees, 14.1% is in shrubland, and 4.6% is in grassland and cropland. This UNASM data has been provided as a resource for use in terrestrial ecosystem modeling of MsTMIP both for input of soil characteristics and for benchmarking model output.

  10. Evaluation of Different Methods for Soil Classifications by Using Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. H Sanaeinejad

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Soil salinity is an important factor that affects plant growth and reduces production of plantat different growth stages Remote sensing technology and GIS have a great potential for monitoring dynamic soil processes such as salinity. In the present study the efficiency of remote sensing technology and its integration with GIS was examined to estimate soil salinity for Neyshabour basin. Different classification methods for soil salinity were also investigated. We used 6 bands of LandSat ETM+ for this study. Classification results obtained from applying mathematical models for the images were compared with different band combinations results. The area of saline and non saline soil classes were identified in the study area based on the both methods and also based on the combination of the two methods. The results showed that the best method for soil classification was using of the two methods in the first stage to separate two classes of saline and non saline soils and then classifying the non saline soils in the second stage. As the variation in the numerical values of the image for different soil salinity in the study area was small, it was concluded that there is a limit potential of LandSat ETM+ images for identifying and classification of soil salinity in such an area.

  11. Computer Aided Design for Soil Classification Relational Database ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    unique firstlady

    engineering, several developers were asked what rules they applied to identify ... classification is actually a part of all good science. As Michalski ... by a large number of soil scientists. .... and use. The calculus relational database processing is.

  12. Unified framework for triaxial accelerometer-based fall event detection and classification using cumulants and hierarchical decision tree classifier.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kambhampati, Satya Samyukta; Singh, Vishal; Manikandan, M Sabarimalai; Ramkumar, Barathram

    2015-08-01

    In this Letter, the authors present a unified framework for fall event detection and classification using the cumulants extracted from the acceleration (ACC) signals acquired using a single waist-mounted triaxial accelerometer. The main objective of this Letter is to find suitable representative cumulants and classifiers in effectively detecting and classifying different types of fall and non-fall events. It was discovered that the first level of the proposed hierarchical decision tree algorithm implements fall detection using fifth-order cumulants and support vector machine (SVM) classifier. In the second level, the fall event classification algorithm uses the fifth-order cumulants and SVM. Finally, human activity classification is performed using the second-order cumulants and SVM. The detection and classification results are compared with those of the decision tree, naive Bayes, multilayer perceptron and SVM classifiers with different types of time-domain features including the second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-order cumulants and the signal magnitude vector and signal magnitude area. The experimental results demonstrate that the second- and fifth-order cumulant features and SVM classifier can achieve optimal detection and classification rates of above 95%, as well as the lowest false alarm rate of 1.03%.

  13. Comparison of Capability of Digitizing Methods to Predict Soil classification According to the Soil Taxonomy and World Reference Base for Soil Resources

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    zohreh mosleh

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Soil classification generally aims to establish a taxonomy based on breaking the soil continuum into homogeneous groups that can highlight the essential differences in soil properties and functions between classes.The two most widely used modern soil classification schemes are Soil Taxonomy (ST and World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB.With the development of computers and technology, digital and quantitative approaches have been developed. These new techniques that include the spatial prediction of soil properties or classes, relies on finding the relationships between soil and the auxiliary information that explain the soil forming factors or processes and finally predict soil patterns on the landscape. These approaches are commonly referred to as digital soil mapping (DSM (14. A key component of any DSM mapping activity is the method used to define the relationship between soil observation and auxiliary information (4. Several types of machine learning approaches have been applied for digital soil mapping of soil classes, such as logistic and multinomial logistic regressions (10,12, random forests (15, neural networks (3,13 and classification trees (22,4. Many decisions about the soil use and management are based on the soil differences that cannot be captured by higher taxonomic levels (i.e., order, suborder and great group (4. In low relief areas such as plains, it is expected that the soil forming factors are more homogenous and auxiliary information explaining soil forming factors may have low variation and cannot show the soil variability. Materials and Methods: The study area is located in the Shahrekord plain of Chaharmahal-Va-Bakhtiari province. According tothe semi-detailed soil survey (16, 120 pedons with approximate distance of 750 m were excavated and described according to the “field book for describing and sampling soils” (19. Soil samples were taken from different genetic horizons, air dried and

  14. Polarization ratio property and material classification method in passive millimeter wave polarimetric imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Yayun; Qi, Bo; Liu, Siyuan; Hu, Fei; Gui, Liangqi; Peng, Xiaohui

    2016-10-01

    Polarimetric measurements can provide additional information as compared to unpolarized ones. In this paper, linear polarization ratio (LPR) is created to be a feature discriminator. The LPR properties of several materials are investigated using Fresnel theory. The theoretical results show that LPR is sensitive to the material type (metal or dielectric). Then a linear polarization ratio-based (LPR-based) method is presented to distinguish between metal and dielectric materials. In order to apply this method to practical applications, the optimal range of incident angle have been discussed. The typical outdoor experiments including various objects such as aluminum plate, grass, concrete, soil and wood, have been conducted to validate the presented classification method.

  15. Single and Multi-Date Landsat Classifications of Basalt to Support Soil Survey Efforts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica J. Mitchell

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Basalt outcrops are significant features in the Western United States and consistently present challenges to Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS soil mapping efforts. Current soil survey methods to estimate basalt outcrops involve field transects and are impractical for mapping regionally extensive areas. The purpose of this research was to investigate remote sensing methods to effectively determine the presence of basalt rock outcrops. Five Landsat 5 TM scenes (path 39, row 29 over the year 2007 growing season were processed and analyzed to detect and quantify basalt outcrops across the Clark Area Soil Survey, ID, USA (4,570 km2. The Robust Classification Method (RCM using the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM method and Random Forest (RF classifications was applied to individual scenes and to a multitemporal stack of the five images. The highest performing RCM basalt classification was obtained using the 18 July scene, which yielded an overall accuracy of 60.45%. The RF classifications applied to the same datasets yielded slightly better overall classification rates when using the multitemporal stack (72.35% than when using the 18 July scene (71.13% and the same rate of successfully predicting basalt (61.76% using out-of-bag sampling. For optimal RCM and RF classifications, uncertainty tended to be lowest in irrigated areas; however, the RCM uncertainty map included more extensive areas of low uncertainty that also encompassed forested hillslopes and riparian areas. RCM uncertainty was sensitive to the influence of bright soil reflectance, while RF uncertainty was sensitive to the influence of shadows. Quantification of basalt requires continued investigation to reduce the influence of vegetation, lichen and loess on basalt detection. With further development, remote sensing tools have the potential to support soil survey mapping of lava fields covering expansive areas in the Western United States and other regions of the world with similar

  16. Unified Description of the Mechanical Properties of Typical Marine Soil and Its Application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yongqiang Li

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study employed a modified elastoplastic constitutive model that can systematically describe the monotonic and cyclic mechanical behaviors of typical marine soils combining the subloading, normal, and superloading yield surfaces, in the seismic response analysis of three-dimensional (3D marine site. New evolution equations for stress-induced anisotropy development and the change in the overconsolidation of soils were proposed. This model can describe the unified behaviour of unsaturated soil and saturated soil using independent state variables and can uniquely describe the multiple mechanical properties of soils under general stress states, without changing the parameter values using the transform stress method. An effective stress-based, fully coupled, explicit finite element–finite difference method was established based on this model and three-phase field theory. A finite deformation analysis was presented by introducing the Green-Naghdi rate tensor. The simulation and analysis indicated that the proposed method was sufficient for simulating the seismic disaster process of 3D marine sites. The results suggested that the ground motion intensity would increase due to the local uneven complex topography and site effect and also provided the temporal and spatial distribution of landslide and collapse at the specific location of the marine site.

  17. Classification of soil samples according to their geographic origin using gamma-ray spectrometry and principal component analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dragovic, Snezana; Onjia, Antonije

    2006-01-01

    A principal component analysis (PCA) was used for classification of soil samples from different locations in Serbia and Montenegro. Based on activities of radionuclides ( 226 Ra, 238 U, 235 U, 4 K, 134 Cs, 137 Cs, 232 Th and 7 Be) detected by gamma-ray spectrometry, the classification of soils according to their geographical origin was performed. Application of PCA to our experimental data resulted in satisfactory classification rate (86.0% correctly classified samples). The obtained results indicate that gamma-ray spectrometry in conjunction with PCA is a viable tool for soil classification

  18. USDA soil classification system dictates site surface management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bowmer, W.J.

    1985-01-01

    Success or failure of site surface management practices greatly affects long-term site stability. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) soil classification system best documents those parameters which control the success of installed practices for managing both erosion and surface drainage. The USDA system concentrates on soil characteristics in the upper three meters of the surface that support the associated flora both physically and physiologically. The USDA soil survey first identifies soil series based on detailed characteristics that are related to production potential. Using the production potential, land use capability classes are developed. Capability classes reveal the highest and best agronomic use for the site. Lower number classes are considered arable while higher number classes are best suited for grazing agriculture. Application of ecological principles based on the USDA soil survey reveals the current state of the site relative to its ecological potential. To assure success, site management practices must be chosen that are compatible with both production capability and current state of the site

  19. A unified statistical framework for material decomposition using multienergy photon counting x-ray detectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Jiyoung; Kang, Dong-Goo; Kang, Sunghoon; Sung, Younghun; Ye, Jong Chul

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: Material decomposition using multienergy photon counting x-ray detectors (PCXD) has been an active research area over the past few years. Even with some success, the problem of optimal energy selection and three material decomposition including malignant tissue is still on going research topic, and more systematic studies are required. This paper aims to address this in a unified statistical framework in a mammographic environment.Methods: A unified statistical framework for energy level optimization and decomposition of three materials is proposed. In particular, an energy level optimization algorithm is derived using the theory of the minimum variance unbiased estimator, and an iterative algorithm is proposed for material composition as well as system parameter estimation under the unified statistical estimation framework. To verify the performance of the proposed algorithm, the authors performed simulation studies as well as real experiments using physical breast phantom and ex vivo breast specimen. Quantitative comparisons using various performance measures were conducted, and qualitative performance evaluations for ex vivo breast specimen were also performed by comparing the ground-truth malignant tissue areas identified by radiologists.Results: Both simulation and real experiments confirmed that the optimized energy bins by the proposed method allow better material decomposition quality. Moreover, for the specimen thickness estimation errors up to 2 mm, the proposed method provides good reconstruction results in both simulation and real ex vivo breast phantom experiments compared to existing methods.Conclusions: The proposed statistical framework of PCXD has been successfully applied for the energy optimization and decomposition of three material in a mammographic environment. Experimental results using the physical breast phantom and ex vivo specimen support the practicality of the proposed algorithm

  20. Soil classification and carbon storage in cacao agroforestry farming systems of Bahia, Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Information concerning the classification of soils and their properties under cacao agroforestry systems of the Atlantic rain forest biome region in the Southeast of Bahia Brazil is largely unknown. Soil and climatic conditions in this region are favorable for high soil carbon storage. This study is...

  1. Classification of soil respiration in areas of sugarcane renewal using decision tree

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Camila Viana Vieira Farhate

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The use of data mining is a promising alternative to predict soil respiration from correlated variables. Our objective was to build a model using variable selection and decision tree induction to predict different levels of soil respiration, taking into account physical, chemical and microbiological variables of soil as well as precipitation in renewal of sugarcane areas. The original dataset was composed of 19 variables (18 independent variables and one dependent (or response variable. The variable-target refers to soil respiration as the target classification. Due to a large number of variables, a procedure for variable selection was conducted to remove those with low correlation with the variable-target. For that purpose, four approaches of variable selection were evaluated: no variable selection, correlation-based feature selection (CFS, chisquare method (χ2 and Wrapper. To classify soil respiration, we used the decision tree induction technique available in the Weka software package. Our results showed that data mining techniques allow the development of a model for soil respiration classification with accuracy of 81 %, resulting in a knowledge base composed of 27 rules for prediction of soil respiration. In particular, the wrapper method for variable selection identified a subset of only five variables out of 18 available in the original dataset, and they had the following order of influence in determining soil respiration: soil temperature > precipitation > macroporosity > soil moisture > potential acidity.

  2. Construction of an Yucatec Maya soil classification and comparison with the WRB framework

    OpenAIRE

    Zinck J Alfred; Bautista Francisco

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Background Mayas living in southeast Mexico have used soils for millennia and provide thus a good example for understanding soil-culture relationships and for exploring the ways indigenous people name and classify the soils of their territory. This paper shows an attempt to organize the Maya soil knowledge into a soil classification scheme and compares the latter with the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). Methods Several participative soil surveys were carried out in the...

  3. Using proximal soil sensors and fuzzy classification for mapping Amazonian Dark Earths

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mats Söderström

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available We tested if hand-carried field proximal soil sensing (PSS can be used to map the distribution of anthropogenic Amazonian Dark Earths (ADE. ADE soils are rich in archaeological artefacts, nutrients, organic matter and carbon in the very stable form of pyrogenic carbon, also referred to as black carbon or biochar. To test the capacity of PSS to detect signature ADE properties we measured electrical conductivity (ECa, magnetic susceptibility (MSa and gamma ray data by transect sampling and compared these readings, using fuzzy classification, with datasets on chemical soil properties from a 28 ha large study area located on the Belterra Plateau of the Lower Amazon in northern Brazil. Results indicate that ECa and MSa measurements were good indicators of ADE signatures, but that the gamma radiation sensor was less useful in the deeply weathered soils. PSS and fuzzy classification can be used for rapid field mapping of ADE for both agricultural and archaeological purposes.

  4. Analysis of SURRGO Data and Obtaining Soil Texture Classifications for Simulating Hydrologic Processes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-07-01

    the general texture classifications. 2. Another source for soil information, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO...is to use another soils dataset that contains soil properties for the areas of interest, such as the Digital Soil Map of the World provided by the...www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/soils/survey/ NOTE: The contents of this technical note are not to be used for advertising

  5. Study on a pattern classification method of soil quality based on simplified learning sample dataset

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jiahua; Liu, S.; Hu, Y.; Tian, Y.

    2011-01-01

    Based on the massive soil information in current soil quality grade evaluation, this paper constructed an intelligent classification approach of soil quality grade depending on classical sampling techniques and disordered multiclassification Logistic regression model. As a case study to determine the learning sample capacity under certain confidence level and estimation accuracy, and use c-means algorithm to automatically extract the simplified learning sample dataset from the cultivated soil quality grade evaluation database for the study area, Long chuan county in Guangdong province, a disordered Logistic classifier model was then built and the calculation analysis steps of soil quality grade intelligent classification were given. The result indicated that the soil quality grade can be effectively learned and predicted by the extracted simplified dataset through this method, which changed the traditional method for soil quality grade evaluation. ?? 2011 IEEE.

  6. Optimal sample size of signs for classification of radiational and oily soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Babayev, M.P.; Iskenderov, S.M.; Aghayev, R.A.

    2012-01-01

    Full text : This article tells about classification of radiational and oily soils that should be in essence a compact intelligence system which contains maximum information on classes of soil objects in the accepted feature space. The stored experience shows that the volume of the most informative soil signs can make up maximum 7-8 indexes. More correct approach to our opinion for a sample of the most informative (most important) indexes is the method of testing and mistakes, that is the experimental method, allowing to make use a wide experience and intuition of the researcher, or group of the researchers, engaged for many years in the field of soil science. At this operational stage of the formal device of soils classification, to say more concrete, the assessment section of selfdescriptiveness of soil signs of this formal device, in our opinion, is purely mathematized and in some cases even not reflect the true picture. In this case it will be calculated 21 pair of correlative elements between the selected soil signs as a measure of the linear communication. The volume of the correlative row will be equal to 6, as the increase in volume of the correlative row can sharply increase the volume calculation. Pertinently to note that, it is the first time an attempt is made to create correlative matrixes of the most important signs of radiation and oily soils

  7. 24 CFR 3285.202 - Soil classifications and bearing capacity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Soil classifications and bearing capacity. 3285.202 Section 3285.202 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing and Urban Development (Continued) OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR HOUSING-FEDERAL HOUSING COMMISSIONER, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT...

  8. The History of Soil Mapping and Classification in Europe: The role of the European Commission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montanarella, Luca

    2014-05-01

    Early systematic soil mapping in Europe dates back to the early times of soil science in the 19th Century and was developed at National scales mostly for taxation purposes. National soil classification systems emerged out of the various scientific communities active at that time in leading countries like Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, United Kingdom and many others. Different scientific communities were leading in the various countries, in some cases stemming from geological sciences, in others as a branch of agricultural sciences. Soil classification for the purpose of ranking soils for their capacity to be agriculturally productive emerged as the main priority, allowing in some countries for very detailed and accurate soil maps at 1:5,000 scale and larger. Detailed mapping was mainly driven by taxation purposes in the early times but evolved in several countries also as a planning and management tool for farms and local administrations. The need for pan-European soil mapping and classification efforts emerged only after World War II in the early 1950's under the auspices of FAO with the aim to compile a common European soil map as a contribution to the global soil mapping efforts of FAO at that time. These efforts evolved over the next decades, with the support of the European Commission, towards the establishment of a permanent network of National soil survey institutions (the European Soil Bureau Network). With the introduction of digital soil mapping technologies, the new European Soil Information System (EUSIS) was established, incorporating data at multiple scales for the EU member states and bordering countries. In more recent years, the formal establishment of the European Soil Data Centre (ESDAC) hosted by the European Commission, together with a formal legal framework for soil mapping and soil classification provided by the INSPIRE directive and the related standardization and harmonization efforts, has led to the operational development of advanced

  9. Sistemas de classificações geotécnicas de solos: estudo de caso aplicado à rodovia não pavimentada vcs 346, Viçosa, MG Geotechnical soil classification systems: case study applied to the vcs 346 unpaved road, Viçosa, MG

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Taciano Oliveira da Silva

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo aborda uma contribuição às classificações geotécnicas tradicionais de solos Unified Soil Classification System (USC, Transportation Research Board System (TRB e a Metodologia Miniatura, Compactado, Tropical (MCT para um caso aplicado à rodovia municipal não pavimentada VCS 346, no Município de Viçosa, MG, considerando-se várias amostras deformadas de solos coletadas no subleito da referida via. Os principais objetivos deste estudo residem na contribuição de um banco de dados geotécnicos sobre classificações de solos tropicais, bem como na verificação de possíveis agrupamentos entre os sistemas geotécnicos tradicionais de classificação e a metodologia MCT. O programa de laboratório envolveu a realização dos seguintes ensaios: (i granulometria conjunta; (ii limites de Atterberg (LL e LP; (iii massa específica dos grãos do solo; (iv compactação Mini-MCV; e (v perda de massa do corpo-de-prova por imersão em água. Os resultados possibilitaram verificar que, após a classificação das amostras, vários agrupamentos entre os sistemas de classificações geotécnicas tradicionais coincidiram com aqueles já apresentados na metodologia MCT e, considerando a pedogênese da região de Viçosa, MG, para o grupo NG', houve a contribuição dos grupos SC, SM e CL do Sistema USC e do grupo A-4 do Sistema TRB.This paper addresses a contribution to the traditional geotechnical soil classifications systems USC (Unified Soil Classification and TRB (Transportation Research Board, and the MCT methodology (Miniature, Compacted, Tropical applied to a case study involving the laboratory geotechnical characterization of disturbed samples from the subgrade of the VCS 346 municipal unpaved road, located in Viçosa - MG. The main goals of this study are to contribute to the formation of a database directed to the geotechnical classification of tropical soils as well as to verify possible groupings among the traditional

  10. Special nuclear material information, security classification guidance. Instruction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flickinger, A.

    1982-01-01

    The Instruction reissues DoD Instruction 5210.67, July 5, 1979, and provides security classification guidance for information concerning significant quantities of special nuclear material, other than that contained in nuclear weapons and that used in the production of energy in the reactor plant of nuclear-powered ships. Security classification guidance for these data in the latter two applications is contained in Joint DoE/DoD Nuclear Weapons Classification Guide and Joint DoE/DoD Classification Guide for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

  11. Occurrence of shale soils along the Calabar-Itu highway, Southeastern Nigeria and their implication for the subgrade construction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilori, Abidemi Olujide

    2016-01-01

    This study concerned a stretch of 17 km of a 94-km highway alignment in Southeastern Nigeria that has a high incidence of pavement failure arising from subgrade failure. The subgrade of this section of the roadway is composed of Ekenkpon shale, New Netim marl, and Nkporo shale. Under the Unified Soil Classification System, the shales classify as OH (organic clay) and the marl classifies as MH (inorganic silt). Under the American Association of State and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) M 145 soil classification, all these soils classify as A-7-5 soil. Using the AASHTO M 145 group index, none of these soils was considered suitable as subgrade in its native form. Therefore, cement was investigated as a stabilizing agent. Testing demonstrated that 7, 3 and 12 % by weight were the optimum cement contents to reinforce the Ekenkpon shale, New Netim marl, and Nkporo shale, respectively.

  12. Image Analysis and Classification Based on Soil Strength

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-08-01

    Impact Hammer, which is light, easy to operate, and cost effective . The Clegg Impact Hammer measures stiffness of the soil surface by drop- ping a... effect on out-of-scene classifications. More statistical analy- sis should, however, be done to compare the measured field spectra, the WV2 training...DISCLAIMER: The contents of this report are not to be used for advertising , publication, or promotional purposes. Ci- tation of trade names does not

  13. Stimulation of soil microorganisms in pesticide-contaminated soil using organic materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ima Yudha Perwira

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Agrochemicals such as pesticides have contributed to significant increases in crop yields; however, they can also be linked to adverse effects on human health and soil microorganisms. For efficient bioremediation of pesticides accumulated in agricultural fields, stimulation of microorganisms is necessary. In this study, we investigated the relationships between bacterial biomass and total carbon (TC and total nitrogen (TN in 427 agricultural soils. The soil bacterial biomass was generally positively correlated with TC and TN contents in the soil, but some soils had a low bacterial biomass despite containing high amounts of TC and TN. Soils of two fields (fields A and B with low bacterial biomass but high TC and TN contents were investigated. Long-term pesticide use (dichloropropane-dichloropropene and fosthiazate in field A and chloropicrin in field B appeared to have contributed to the low bacterial biomass observed in these soils. Soil from field A was treated with different organic materials and incubated for 1 month under laboratory conditions. The bacterial biomass in field A soil was enhanced in treatments containing organic materials rich in TN. Application of organic materials stimulated the growth of microorganisms with the potential to bioremediate pesticide-polluted soils.

  14. Updating Classifications of Ceramic Dental Materials: A Guide to Material Selection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLaren, Edward A; Figueira, Johan

    2015-06-01

    The indications for and composition of today's dental ceramic materials serve as the basis for determining the appropriate class of ceramics to use for a given case. By understanding the classifications, composition, and characteristics of the latest all-ceramic materials, which are presented in this article in order of most to least conservative, dentists and laboratory technicians can best determine the ideal material for a particular treatment.

  15. Material Classification Using Raw Time-of-Flight Measurements

    KAUST Repository

    Su, Shuochen; Heide, Felix; Swanson, Robin J.; Klein, Jonathan; Callenberg, Clara; Hullin, Matthias; Heidrich, Wolfgang

    2016-01-01

    We propose a material classification method using raw time-of-flight (ToF) measurements. ToF cameras capture the correlation between a reference signal and the temporal response of material to incident illumination. Such measurements encode unique

  16. Full-Scale Accelerated Testing of Multi-axial Geogrid Stabilized Flexible Pavements

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-01

    a plastic limit (PL) of 27%, and a plasticity index (PI) of 37%, as determined by ASTM D4318. According to the Unified Soil Classification System...USCS), the soil was classified as a high- plasticity clay (CH) and an A-7-6 according to the American Association of State and Highway...Testing and Materials (ASTM). 2010. Standard test methods for liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of soils . Designation: D 4318-10e1

  17. Coastal acid sulphate soils in Poland: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hulisz Piotr

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the state of knowledge on coastal acid sulphate soils in Poland. The properties of these soils are closely related to the influence of brackish water from the Baltic Sea, high accumulation of organic matter and human activity. The obtained results demonstrate that the sulphide accumulation in soils refers to a relatively small areas of the Polish coastal zone with the unique and very valuable habitats. They require an adequate regulation of the water relations to avoid the risk of strong soil acidification and environmental pollution by heavy metals. Currently, there are no relevant criteria for classification of acid sulphate soil materials in the Polish Soil Classification (2011. Therefore, based on the presented data, the authors proposed to identify these features at the lower classification level (for different soil types. The criteria for the Thionic and Sulfidic qualifiers used in the WRB classification (IUSS Working Group WRB 2015 could be accepted for this purpose.

  18. Use of additive material to stabilize the soil swelling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parsaee, B.; Estabragh, A. R.; Bordbar, A. T.; Eskandari, G. H.

    2009-04-01

    Change volume increasing of soil, because of increase in its humidity content causes appearing of swelling phenomenon in the soil. This phenomenon has created a lot of damages in the building which is constructed on this kind of soils. Usage the additive materials which stabilize the swelling, has been the subject of many researches. In this research the Potential expansibility of the expansive soils, which were stabilized by additive materials such as Lime, cement and coal ash, was investigated. To get this purpose, by preparing soil samples mixed with upper additive material, changes of potential swelling of stabilized soils were compared. The results revealed that usage of these stabilizing materials caused the decrease in destructive effects due to swelling of soils to some extent. Keywords: swelling, soil stabilizing, additive material, coal ash

  19. Classification and Reevaluation on Radionuclide and Activity of Contaminated Soil(I)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kang, Il Sik; Shon, J. S.; Kim, K. J.; Kim, T. K.; Hong, D. S.; Lee, B. C.; Cho, H. S.; Je, W. G

    2006-03-15

    Radioactive wastes generated during the decommissioning process and contaminated soils were transported and have been stored at the waste storage facility. The radioactivity in the wastes has been decayed a lot. The radionuclide and the activity concentration of stored soil wastes were reevaluated. And using the reevaluation results, the soil wastes were classified as either a regulatory clearance wastes or a radioactive waste. The storage space can be secured by storing regulatory clearance wastes in the extra storage facility and self disposing them. Also, the objective is to protect the environment from contamination by observing the related nuclear regulation and managing the radioactive wastes. Through the reevaluation of radioactivity and classification of contaminated soils, the unnecessary decontamination of uncontaminated soil was prevented. It allowed us to save the cost for decontamination and disposal, also we could secure the pretreatment process techniques such as how to sample and analyze the nuclide.

  20. Unifying the functional diversity in natural and cultivated soils using the overall body-mass distribution of nematodes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mulder, Christian; Maas, Rob

    2017-11-28

    Sustainable use of our soils is a key goal for environmental protection. As many ecosystem services are supported belowground at different trophic levels by nematodes, soil nematodes are expected to provide objective metrics for biological quality to integrate physical and chemical soil variables. Trait measurements of body mass carried out at the individual level can in this way be correlated with environmental properties that influence the performance of soil biota. Soil samples were collected across 200 sites (4 soil types and 5 land-use types resulting in 9 combinations) during a long-term monitoring programme in the Netherlands and the functional diversity of nematode communities was investigated. Using three commonly used functional diversity indices applicable to single traits (Divergence, Evenness and Richness), a unified index of overall body-mass distribution is proposed to better illustrate the application of functional metrics as a descriptor of land use. Effects of land use and soil chemistry on the functional diversity of nematodes were demonstrated and a combination of environmental factors accounts for the low functional value of Scots Pine forest soils in comparison to the high functional value of heathland soils, whereas human factors account for the low functional and chemical values of arable fields. These findings show an unexpected high functional vulnerability of nematodes inhabiting clay-rich soils in comparison to sandy soils and support the notion that soil C:N ratio is a major driver of biodiversity. The higher the C:N ratio, the higher the overall diversity, as soil nematodes cope better with nutrient-poor agroecosystems under less intense fertilization. A trait-based way focusing on size distribution of nematodes is proposed to maintain environmental health by monitoring the overall diversity in soil biota, keeping agriculture and forestry sustainable.

  1. Volume reduction system by soil classifying. Soil-washing system and problems to be solved

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oshino, Yoshio

    2016-01-01

    Radioactive contamination of ground surfaces, buildings and forests in a broad area was caused by the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. The national government and municipalities have still been carrying out the decontamination works for livelihood areas after five years from the accident. The government estimated that the amounts of soils and wastes removed by the decontamination works would be about 28,000,000 cubic meters maximum including 20,000,000 cubic meters maximum of soils. The removed soils will be stored in “Interim Storage Facility” then will be finally disposed outside of Fukushima prefecture within 30 years. On the other hand, shortage of the soils as materials needed for the revitalization in Fukushima prefecture is expected. Technical Advisory Council on Remediation and Waste Management, which consists of about 90 companies, started a working group to investigate solutions to these problems. The working group focused on the investigation of the possibility to recycle the soils by washing and classification to use them as the materials for civil engineering works, and to reduce the volume of the interim storage. In the first part of this report, we have evaluated the applicability of various technologies for purification and volume reduction of the removed soils, and have researched usages, required quantities and specifications of the recycled soils. In the second part, we have made trial calculations of the volume reduction effects and costs using the washing and classification system. The calculated results showed the possibilities of reducing the storage capacity of the interim storage facility, as well as the construction and the operation costs by recycling the removed soils with the washing and classification system inside the interim storage facility. At the end of this report, we proposed problems to be solved in order to adopt the washing and classification system. (author)

  2. A unified CPT–SPT correlation for non-crushable and crushable cohesionless soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sayed M. Ahmed

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Despite the continuous developments in the Cone Penetration Test (CPT, the Standard Penetration Test (SPT is still used extensively in site investigations. Hence, there is a constant need to update the CPT–SPT correlations to make use of the growing experience with the CPT. Many CPT–SPT correlations have been proposed based on case histories of predominantly quartzitic/non-crushable sands; yet, more efforts are needed to enhance their reliability. Additionally, recent studies were carried out on calcareous/crushable sands have shown that the common CPT–SPT correlations for these sands are even less reliable than they are for quartzitic sands. In this study, a proposed approach is presented to define the related soil compressibility parameters of the CPT–SPT correlations. The presented methodology enhances the reliability of the CPT–SPT correlations and provides a unified approach encompassing both crushable and non-crushable sands.

  3. Correction of inaccuracies to article of Stanisław Brożek, „Does Polish soil classification, V edition, refer to all soils in our country“ published in the Soil Science Annual, vol. 63 no. 3/2012: 49–56

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcinek Jerzy

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents correction of inaccuracies to the article entitled .Does Polish soil classification, V edition, refer to all soils in our country. by Stanisław Brożek published in Soil Science Annual, vol. 63, No. 3/2012: 49.56. The article of Stanisław Brożek is not a discussion paper but only a collection of numerous remarks, mostly non-professional, on .Polish soil classification. ed. 5, 2011 (SgP5. Since the article of Stanisław Brożek contains a lot of mistakes and inaccuracies arising from misunderstanding merits of a soil classification, as well as SgP5‘s text assessed, therefore in our paper wider merits discussion has not been taken. Correction of the erroneous statements of Author which relate to SgP5 were shown instead. Moreover, this paper is necessary as the Author is not a specialist in the field of soil classification, and his article was published in a pedological scientific journal.

  4. Kinetics of heavy metal adsorption and desorption in soil: Developing a unified model based on chemical speciation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Lanfang; Liu, Paiyu; Feng, Xionghan; Wang, Zimeng; Cheng, Tao; Liang, Yuzhen; Lin, Zhang; Shi, Zhenqing

    2018-03-01

    Predicting the kinetics of heavy metal adsorption and desorption in soil requires consideration of multiple heterogeneous soil binding sites and variations of reaction chemistry conditions. Although chemical speciation models have been developed for predicting the equilibrium of metal adsorption on soil organic matter (SOM) and important mineral phases (e.g. Fe and Al (hydr)oxides), there is still a lack of modeling tools for predicting the kinetics of metal adsorption and desorption reactions in soil. In this study, we developed a unified model for the kinetics of heavy metal adsorption and desorption in soil based on the equilibrium models WHAM 7 and CD-MUSIC, which specifically consider metal kinetic reactions with multiple binding sites of SOM and soil minerals simultaneously. For each specific binding site, metal adsorption and desorption rate coefficients were constrained by the local equilibrium partition coefficients predicted by WHAM 7 or CD-MUSIC, and, for each metal, the desorption rate coefficients of various binding sites were constrained by their metal binding constants with those sites. The model had only one fitting parameter for each soil binding phase, and all other parameters were derived from WHAM 7 and CD-MUSIC. A stirred-flow method was used to study the kinetics of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn adsorption and desorption in multiple soils under various pH and metal concentrations, and the model successfully reproduced most of the kinetic data. We quantitatively elucidated the significance of different soil components and important soil binding sites during the adsorption and desorption kinetic processes. Our model has provided a theoretical framework to predict metal adsorption and desorption kinetics, which can be further used to predict the dynamic behavior of heavy metals in soil under various natural conditions by coupling other important soil processes.

  5. Energetic Materials Effects on Essential Soil Processes: Decomposition of Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata) Litter in Soil Contaminated with Energetic Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-02-01

    availabilities of their respective food sources (bacteria and fungi ), were also unaffected-or-increasing in soil with CL-20 treatments. This is...ENERGETIC MATERIALS EFFECTS ON ESSENTIAL SOIL PROCESSES: DECOMPOSITION OF ORCHARD...GRASS (DACTYLIS GLOMERATA) LITTER IN SOIL CONTAMINATED WITH ENERGETIC MATERIALS ECBC-TR-1199 Roman G. Kuperman Ronald T. Checkai Michael Simini

  6. Hydropedological insights when considering catchment classification

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bouma, J.; Droogers, P.; Sonneveld, M.P.W.; Ritsema, C.J.; Hunink, J.E.; Immerzeel, W.W.; Kauffman, S.

    2011-01-01

    Soil classification systems are analysed to explore the potential of developing classification systems for catchments. Soil classifications are useful to create systematic order in the overwhelming quantity of different soils in the world and to extrapolate data available for a given soil type to

  7. Classification of Effective Soil Depth by Using Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, C. H.; Chan, H. C.; Chen, B. A.

    2016-12-01

    Classification of effective soil depth is a task of determining the slopeland utilizable limitation in Taiwan. The "Slopeland Conservation and Utilization Act" categorizes the slopeland into agriculture and husbandry land, land suitable for forestry and land for enhanced conservation according to the factors including average slope, effective soil depth, soil erosion and parental rock. However, sit investigation of the effective soil depth requires a cost-effective field work. This research aimed to classify the effective soil depth by using multinomial logistic regression with the environmental factors. The Wen-Shui Watershed located at the central Taiwan was selected as the study areas. The analysis of multinomial logistic regression is performed by the assistance of a Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The effective soil depth was categorized into four levels including deeper, deep, shallow and shallower. The environmental factors of slope, aspect, digital elevation model (DEM), curvature and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were selected for classifying the soil depth. An Error Matrix was then used to assess the model accuracy. The results showed an overall accuracy of 75%. At the end, a map of effective soil depth was produced to help planners and decision makers in determining the slopeland utilizable limitation in the study areas.

  8. Search techniques in intelligent classification systems

    CERN Document Server

    Savchenko, Andrey V

    2016-01-01

    A unified methodology for categorizing various complex objects is presented in this book. Through probability theory, novel asymptotically minimax criteria suitable for practical applications in imaging and data analysis are examined including the special cases such as the Jensen-Shannon divergence and the probabilistic neural network. An optimal approximate nearest neighbor search algorithm, which allows faster classification of databases is featured. Rough set theory, sequential analysis and granular computing are used to improve performance of the hierarchical classifiers. Practical examples in face identification (including deep neural networks), isolated commands recognition in voice control system and classification of visemes captured by the Kinect depth camera are included. This approach creates fast and accurate search procedures by using exact probability densities of applied dissimilarity measures. This book can be used as a guide for independent study and as supplementary material for a technicall...

  9. Raw materials resources classification and characterisation for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Raw materials resources classification and characterisation for ceramic tableware production in Nigeria. PSA Irabor. Abstract. No Abstract. Journal of Applied Science, Engineering and Technology Vol. 2(1) 2002: 48-52. Full Text: EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT · DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT DOWNLOAD FULL TEXT.

  10. Soil washing treatability testing for rad-waste material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leis, K.S.; Lear, P.R.

    1997-01-01

    Soil washing treatability testing was successfully completed on soil contaminated with Ra-226 and Th-232. The objective of the soil washing study was to determine if the radiologically contaminated fraction of the soil could be separated from the bulk of the soil material. The cleanup criteria was 38 microm) fraction was allowed to settle and was washed to separate it from the highly contaminated fine (< 38 microm) fraction. The clean coarse fraction comprised 85.7% of the total solids and had less than 15 pCi/g of Ra-226 and Th-232. This material was to be disposed at a RCRA Subtitle D disposal facility. The suspended fines were flocculated and dewatered to minimize the amount of highly contaminated material produced by the soil washing. The dewatered fines would require disposal at a low-level radiological disposal facility. Mass balance calculations were made to determine production rates and chemical and equipment requirements for the full-scale soil washing treatment

  11. A new classification system for all-ceramic and ceramic-like restorative materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gracis, Stefano; Thompson, Van P; Ferencz, Jonathan L; Silva, Nelson R F A; Bonfante, Estevam A

    2015-01-01

    Classification systems for all-ceramic materials are useful for communication and educational purposes and warrant continuous revisions and updates to incorporate new materials. This article proposes a classification system for ceramic and ceramic-like restorative materials in an attempt to systematize and include a new class of materials. This new classification system categorizes ceramic restorative materials into three families: (1) glass-matrix ceramics, (2) polycrystalline ceramics, and (3) resin-matrix ceramics. Subfamilies are described in each group along with their composition, allowing for newly developed materials to be placed into the already existing main families. The criteria used to differentiate ceramic materials are based on the phase or phases present in their chemical composition. Thus, an all-ceramic material is classified according to whether a glass-matrix phase is present (glass-matrix ceramics) or absent (polycrystalline ceramics) or whether the material contains an organic matrix highly filled with ceramic particles (resin-matrix ceramics). Also presented are the manufacturers' clinical indications for the different materials and an overview of the different fabrication methods and whether they are used as framework materials or monolithic solutions. Current developments in ceramic materials not yet available to the dental market are discussed.

  12. Unified treatment of coupled optical and acoustic phonons in piezoelectric cubic materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Willatzen, Morten; Wang, Zhong Lin

    2015-01-01

    A unified treatment of coupled optical and acoustic phonons in piezoelectric cubic materials is presented whereby the lattice displacement vector and the internal ionic displacement vector are found simultaneously. It is shown that phonon couplings exist in pairs only; either between the electric...... piezoelectricity in a cubic structured material slab. First, it is shown that isolated optical phonon modes generally cannot exist in piezoelectric cubic slabs. Second, we prove that confined acousto-optical phonon modes only exist for a discrete set of in-plane wave numbers in piezoelectric cubic slabs. Third...... potential and the lattice displacement coordinate perpendicular to the phonon wave vector or between the two other lattice displacement components. The former leads to coupled acousto-optical phonons by virtue of the piezoelectric effect. We then establish three new conjectures that entirely stem from...

  13. Material Classification Using Raw Time-of-Flight Measurements

    KAUST Repository

    Su, Shuochen

    2016-12-13

    We propose a material classification method using raw time-of-flight (ToF) measurements. ToF cameras capture the correlation between a reference signal and the temporal response of material to incident illumination. Such measurements encode unique signatures of the material, i.e. the degree of subsurface scattering inside a volume. Subsequently, it offers an orthogonal domain of feature representation compared to conventional spatial and angular reflectance-based approaches. We demonstrate the effectiveness, robustness, and efficiency of our method through experiments and comparisons of real-world materials.

  14. Effects of soil stripping and dressing for decontamination of radioactive materials on soil fertility of agricultural land

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yoshino, Namiko; Takahashi, Yoshihiko; Kobayashi, Hiroyuki; Saitou, Kunihito

    2015-01-01

    Farms that were highly contaminated with radioactive materials following the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident were decontaminated by removing topsoil and subsequently dressing with fresh soil. We investigated the chemical properties of soils following such decontamination on farms in Iitate village, Fukushima. The nitrogen content of dressed soil was considerably lower than that of the subsoil that was not stripped for decontamination, as a result of which the amount of dressed soil greatly affected the soil fertility of decontaminated farms. The potassium (K) content of soil differs markedly depending on the type of soil dressing material used; accordingly, the type of soil dressing material affected the soil K content on decontaminated farms. On most of the decontaminated farms where sandy soils were used as the soil dressing material, soil exchangeable K contents were less than 25 mg K_2O/100 g, which is the criterion value for inhibiting cesium absorption in rice and soybean cultivation. However, even in the soil dressing material from agricultural land, soil K content after soil dressing was generally lower than that before soil dressing. During fallow management and at the restart of cultivation on decontaminated farms, it is important to know in advance the chemical properties of soil and take the necessary measures based on this information. (author)

  15. CONSIDERATIONS ON URBAN SOILS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radu Lacatusu

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available Urban soil is an material that has been manipulated, disturbed or transported by man’s activities in the urban environment and is used as a medium for plant growth and for constructions. The physical, chemical, and biological properties are generally less favorable as a rooting medium than soil found on the natural landscape. The main characteristics of urban soils are: great vertical and spatial variability; modified soil structure leading to compaction; presence of a surface crust; modified soil reaction, usually elevated; restricted aeration and water drainage; modified abundance of chemical elements, interrupted nutrient cycling and soil organism activity; presence of anthropic materials contaminants and pollutants; modified soil temperature regime. The urbic horizon is designated as U (always capital letter and for indication of processes are used different small letters. It is necessary elaboration a new classification of urban soils for our country.

  16. Improving geotechnical properties of clayey soil using polymer material

    OpenAIRE

    Karim Hussein; Al-Soudany Kawther

    2018-01-01

    This study illustrates the application of polymer material for clayey soil stabilization. The article will focus on studying the strength behavior of the clayey soils reinforced with homogenously polymer fiber. In the current research, “polypropylene” was selected as polymer material to reinforce the natural clay soil. This polymer fiber was added to the clayey soil with four different percentages of (0, 1.5, 3, and 5%) by weight of soil. Various tests with different polymer contents were per...

  17. The nature and classification of Australian soils affected by sodium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Brian; Greene, Richard; Harms, Ben

    2017-04-01

    Large areas of Australia are affected by the processes of salinity and sodicity and they are important processes to understand as they can result in the degradation of agricultural lands used for both intensive cropping and extensive grazing practices. Sodic soils are defined as those having ESP of at least 6% in Australia. Northcote and Skene (1972) estimated that of Australia's total area of 770 M ha, 39 M ha was affected by salinity and 193-257 M ha by sodicity. However, in a more recent publication, Rengasamy (2006), quoted the areas of saline and sodic soils as 66 M ha and 340 M ha respectively. The soils affected by sodium in Australia include a large group of contrasting soils (Northcote and Skene 1972). Based on the Australian soil classification, included are: • Alkaline strongly sodic to sodic clay soils with uniform texture profiles - largely Vertosols 666 400 km2 • Alkaline strongly sodic to sodic coarse and medium textured soils with uniform and gradational texture profiles - largely Calcarosols 600 700 km2 • Alkaline strongly sodic to sodic texture contrast soils - largely Sodosols 454 400 km2 • Non-alkaline sodic and strongly sodic neutral texture contrast soils - largely Sodosols 134 700 km2 • Non-alkaline sodic acid texture contrast soils - Sodosols and Kurosols 140 700 km2 Many Australian sodic soils have not developed by the traditional solonetz process of leaching of a solonchak, but rather have developed by the accumulation of sodium on the cation exchange complex in preference to the other exchangeable cations without any recognisable intermediate saline phase occurring. This is especially the case for the sodic, non-alkaline texture contrast soils or Sodosols. The major sodic soil group in WRB is the Solonetz soils. These require the presence of a Natric horizon which has to contain illuviated clay and at least 15% ESP. However, there is provision for Sodic qualifiers with at least 6% ESP for many other reference Soil Groups

  18. Parental material and cultivation determine soil bacterial community structure and fertility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Li; Gao, Jusheng; Huang, Ting; Kendall, Joshua R A; Shen, Qirong; Zhang, Ruifu

    2015-01-01

    Microbes are the key components of the soil environment, playing important roles during soil development. Soil parent material provides the foundation elements that comprise the basic nutritional environment for the development of microbial community. After 30 years artificial maturation of cultivation, the soil developments of three different parental materials were evaluated and bacterial community compositions were investigated using the high-throughput sequencing approach. Thirty years of cultivation increased the soil fertility and soil microbial biomass, richness and diversity, greatly changed the soil bacterial communities, the proportion of phylum Actinobacteria decreased significantly, while the relative abundances of the phyla Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Armatimonadetes and Nitrospira were significantly increased. Soil bacterial communities of parental materials were separated with the cultivated ones, and comparisons of different soil types, granite soil and quaternary red clay soil were similar and different with purple sandy shale soil in both parental materials and cultivated treatments. Bacterial community variations in the three soil types were affected by different factors, and their alteration patterns in the soil development also varied with soil type. Soil properties (except total potassium) had a significant effect on the soil bacterial communities in all three soil types and a close relationship with abundant bacterial phyla. The amounts of nitrogen-fixing bacteria as well as the abundances of the nifH gene in all cultivated soils were higher than those in the parental materials; Burkholderia and Rhizobacte were enriched significantly with long-term cultivation. The results suggested that crop system would not deplete the nutrients of soil parental materials in early stage of soil maturation, instead it increased soil fertility and changed bacterial community, specially enriched the nitrogen-fixing bacteria to accumulate

  19. 78 FR 19637 - National Organic Program: Notice of Draft Guidance on Classification of Materials and Materials...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-02

    ... which are specifically allowed in section 205.601 of the USDA organic regulations, as well as materials..., filing of petitions and applications and agency #0;statements of organization and functions are examples... Classification of Materials and Materials for Organic Crop Production AGENCY: Agricultural Marketing Service...

  20. Soil of the lower valley of the Dragonja river (Slovenia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomaž PRUS

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Soil of the lower valley of the river Dragonja developed under specific soil-forming factors. Soil development in the area was influenced by alluvial sediments originating from surrounding hills, mostly of flysch sequence rocks, as a parent material, Sub-Mediterranean climate and the vicinity of the sea. Different soil classification units (Gleysol and Fluvisol were proposed for that soil in previous researches. The aim of our study was the evaluation of morphological, chemical and mineralogical characteristics of soil, based on detailed soil description and analyses, and to define the appropriate soil classification units. Field examinations revealed that the soil had a stable blocky or subangular structure and did not express substantial hydromorphic forms. Soil pH value was ranging from 6.9 to 7.5. In most locations electroconductivity (ECe did not exceed 2 ds/m. Base saturation was high (up to 99 %, with a majority of Ca2+ ions. Exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP was ranging from 0.2 to 3.8 %, which is higher compared to other Slovenian soils but does not pose a risk to soil structure. Soil has silty clay loam texture with up to 66 % of silt. Prevailing minerals were quartz, calcite and muscovite/illite. No presence of swelling clay mineral montmorillonite was detected. According to Slovenian soil classification, we classified the examined soil as alluvial soil. According to WRB soil classification, the soil was classified as Cambisol.

  1. Early differential processing of material images: Evidence from ERP classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiebel, Christiane B; Valsecchi, Matteo; Gegenfurtner, Karl R

    2014-06-24

    Investigating the temporal dynamics of natural image processing using event-related potentials (ERPs) has a long tradition in object recognition research. In a classical Go-NoGo task two characteristic effects have been emphasized: an early task independent category effect and a later task-dependent target effect. Here, we set out to use this well-established Go-NoGo paradigm to study the time course of material categorization. Material perception has gained more and more interest over the years as its importance in natural viewing conditions has been ignored for a long time. In addition to analyzing standard ERPs, we conducted a single trial ERP pattern analysis. To validate this procedure, we also measured ERPs in two object categories (people and animals). Our linear classification procedure was able to largely capture the overall pattern of results from the canonical analysis of the ERPs and even extend it. We replicate the known target effect (differential Go-NoGo potential at frontal sites) for the material images. Furthermore, we observe task-independent differential activity between the two material categories as early as 140 ms after stimulus onset. Using our linear classification approach, we show that material categories can be differentiated consistently based on the ERP pattern in single trials around 100 ms after stimulus onset, independent of the target-related status. This strengthens the idea of early differential visual processing of material categories independent of the task, probably due to differences in low-level image properties and suggests pattern classification of ERP topographies as a strong instrument for investigating electrophysiological brain activity. © 2014 ARVO.

  2. Formalized classification of European fen vegetation at the alliance level

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Peterka, Tomáš; Hájek, Michal; Jiroušek, Martin

    2017-01-01

    Aims Phytosociological classification of fen vegetation (Scheuchzerio palustris-Caricetea fuscae class) differs among European countries. Here we propose a unified vegetation classification of European fens at the alliance level, provide unequivocal assignment rules for individual vegetation plot...

  3. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: a unifying model for the conceptual description of physical and rehabilitation medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stucki, Gerold; Melvin, John

    2007-05-01

    There is a need to develop a contemporary and internationally accepted conceptual description of physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM). The process of evolving such a definition can now rely on the unifying conceptual model and taxonomy of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and an ICF-based conceptual description of rehabilitation understood as a health strategy. The PRM section of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) has endorsed the application of the ICF as a unifying conceptual model for PRM and supports the process of moving towards an "ICF-based conceptual description and according definitions of PRM". With this goal in mind, the authors have developed a first tentative conceptual description in co-operation with the professional practice committee of the UEMS-PRM-section. A respective brief definition describes PRM as the medical specialty that, based on the assessment of functioning and including the diagnosis and treatment of health conditions, performs, applies and co-ordinates biomedical and engineering and a wide range of other interventions with the goal of optimizing functioning of people experiencing or likely to experience disability. Readers of the Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine are invited to contribute to the process of achieving an internationally accepted ICF-based conceptual description of PRM by submitting commentaries to the Editor of this journal.

  4. Radon-technical design methods based on radon classification of the soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kettunen, A.V.

    1993-01-01

    Radon-technical classification of the foundation soil divides the foundation soil into four classes: negligible, normal, high and very high. Separate radon-technical designing methods and radon-technical solutions have been developed for each class. On regions of negligible class, no specific radon-technical designing methods are needed. On regions of normal radon class, there is no need for actual radon-technical designing based on calculations, whereas existing radon-technical solutions can be used. On regions of high and very high radon class, a separate radon-technical designing should be performed in each case, where radon-technical solutions are designed so that expected value for indoor radon content is lower than the maximum allowable radon content. (orig.). (3 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.)

  5. Classification of andisol soil on robusta coffee plantation in Silima Pungga - Pungga District

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marbun, P.; Nasution, Z.; Hanum, H.; Karim, A.

    2018-02-01

    The survey study aims to classify the Inceptisol soil on Robusta coffee plantation in Silima Pugga-Pungga District, from Order level to Sub Group level. The study was conducted on location of sample soil profiles which were determined based on Soil Map Unit (SMU) with the main Andisol Order, i.e. SMU 12, SMU 15 and SMU 17 of 18 existing SMU. The soil profiles were described to determine the morphological characteristics of the soil, while the physical and chemical properties were done by laboratory analysis. The soil samples were taken from each horizon in each profile and analyzed in the laboratory in the form of soil texture, bulk density, pH H2O, pH KCl, pH NaF, C-organic, exchangeable bases (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+), ZPC (zero point charge), base saturation, cation exchange capasity (CEC), P-retention, Al-Oxalate (Al-O) and Si-Oxalate (Si-O). The results showed that the classification of Andisol soil based on Soil Taxonomy only has one Sub Group namely Typic Hapludand. It is expected that the results of this study can provide information for more appropriate land management in order to increase the production of Robusta coffee plant in Silima Pungga-Pungga Sub district.

  6. Soils in urban and industrial environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burghardt, W.

    1994-01-01

    Urban areas are expanding rapidly. Therefore the interest in soil science activities on urban and industrial sites grows. The paper gives an overview of the research and mapping activities in Germany. A model of soils in urban ecosystems shows the relationships of development of soils and soil quality to land use. The water regime of soils is influenced by the characteristics of urban landscape and sealing. Of special interest are the typical substrates. Some properties of soils which develop on tipped substrates of natural material are discussed. Of importance are technological substrates as rubble, ash, slag, waste material and sludges in urban environments. Proposals of classification of urban and industrial soils are presented. For proper use by the municipal authorities availability and application of information on urban soils must be a part of research. (orig.) [de

  7. An inter-laboratory trial of the unified BARGE bioaccessibility method for arsenic, cadmium and lead in soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wragg, Joanna; Cave, Mark; Basta, Nick; Brandon, Esther; Casteel, Stan; Denys, Sebastien; Gron, Christian; Oomen, Agnes; Reimer, Kenneth; Tack, Karine; Van de Wiele, Tom

    2011-01-01

    The Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe (BARGE) has carried out an inter-laboratory trial of a proposed harmonised in vitro physiologically based ingestion bioaccessibility procedure for soils, called the Unified BARGE Method (UBM). The UBM includes an initial saliva phase and simulated stomach and intestine compartments. The trial involved the participation of seven laboratories (five European and two North American) providing bioaccessibility data for As (11 samples), Cd (9 samples) and Pb (13 samples) using soils with in vivo relative bioavailability data measured using a swine model. The results of the study were compared with benchmark criteria for assessing the suitability of the UBM to provide data for human health risk assessments. Mine waste and slag soils containing high concentrations of As caused problems of poor repeatability and reproducibility which were alleviated when the samples were run at lower soil to solution ratios. The study showed that the UBM met the benchmark criteria for both the stomach and stomach and intestine phase for As. For Cd, three out of four criteria were met for the stomach phase but only one for the stomach and intestine phase. For Pb two, out of four criteria were met for the stomach phase and none for the stomach and intestine phase. However, the study recommends tighter control of pH in the stomach phase extraction to improve between-laboratory variability, more reproducible in vivo validation data and that a follow up inter-laboratory trial should be carried out.

  8. An inter-laboratory trial of the unified BARGE bioaccessibility method for arsenic, cadmium and lead in soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wragg, Joanna [British Geological Survey, Nottingham (United Kingdom); Cave, Mark, E-mail: mrca@bgs.ac.uk [British Geological Survey, Nottingham (United Kingdom); Basta, Nick [School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210-1085 (United States); Brandon, Esther [National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Casteel, Stan [College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, 65205 (United States); Denys, Sebastien [INERIS, Parc Technologique Alata, Verneuil-en-Halatte (France); Gron, Christian [DHI Water Environment Health, Horsholm (Denmark); Oomen, Agnes [National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Bilthoven (Netherlands); Reimer, Kenneth [Environmental Sciences Group, Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario (Canada); Tack, Karine [INERIS, Parc Technologique Alata, Verneuil-en-Halatte (France); Van de Wiele, Tom [Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Technology, University of Ghent, Ghent (Belgium)

    2011-09-01

    The Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe (BARGE) has carried out an inter-laboratory trial of a proposed harmonised in vitro physiologically based ingestion bioaccessibility procedure for soils, called the Unified BARGE Method (UBM). The UBM includes an initial saliva phase and simulated stomach and intestine compartments. The trial involved the participation of seven laboratories (five European and two North American) providing bioaccessibility data for As (11 samples), Cd (9 samples) and Pb (13 samples) using soils with in vivo relative bioavailability data measured using a swine model. The results of the study were compared with benchmark criteria for assessing the suitability of the UBM to provide data for human health risk assessments. Mine waste and slag soils containing high concentrations of As caused problems of poor repeatability and reproducibility which were alleviated when the samples were run at lower soil to solution ratios. The study showed that the UBM met the benchmark criteria for both the stomach and stomach and intestine phase for As. For Cd, three out of four criteria were met for the stomach phase but only one for the stomach and intestine phase. For Pb two, out of four criteria were met for the stomach phase and none for the stomach and intestine phase. However, the study recommends tighter control of pH in the stomach phase extraction to improve between-laboratory variability, more reproducible in vivo validation data and that a follow up inter-laboratory trial should be carried out.

  9. Essential restriction on the symmetry of a unified theory for the case of massive gluons

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohapatra, N.; Pati, C.

    1976-01-01

    In unified gauge theories with massive 'color' gluons, the physical requirement of maintaining 'color' SU(3) as a global classification symmetry is shown to lead to the following restrictions: (i) the local unifying symmetry group must be of the form Gsub(flavor)xGsub(color); (ii) quarks are to be integer charged; (iii) the number of flavors is an integral multiple of the number of 'colors'. (Auth.)

  10. [Current aspects of harmonization of classification of occupational hearing loss].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pankova, V B; Sinëva, E L; Tavartkiladze, G A; Fedina, I N; Preobrazhenskaia, E A; Mukhamedova, G R

    2013-01-01

    The objective of the present work was to develop unified criteria for the evaluation of the severity of noise-induced hearing loss. Current approaches to taking expert decisions based on the results of medical examination of the patients with impaired hearing are substantially different due to the considerable difference between the criteria for the estimation of hearing envisaged by the international classification, occupational pathology classification, and the national system of medico-social expertise. We undertook an attempt to correct and harmonize the existing criteria for the estimation of severity of occupational hearing loss based on the integration of all the three classification in order to "reduce them to a common denominator" and thereby to ensure the basis for the unified diagnostic and expert decisions for the cases of hearing impairment of any etiology. The project proposed in this paper makes it possible to use unified criteria for the assessment of the degree of hearing loss caused by occupational noises for diagnostic purposes and expertise compatible with the internationally accepted approaches.

  11. Assessment of Index Properties and Bearing Capacities of Soils for ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mrs Owoyemi

    on the physical properties and foundation bearing capacity of the soil in this area. This research aimed ... While many new structures are springing up daily in the .... plasticity soil. Most soil samples from both locations classify as A-2 -4 under the AASHTO classification system, rating as good subgrade materials. Bulk density ...

  12. Global Stress Classification System for Materials Used in Solar Energy Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Slamova, Karolina; Schill, Christian; Herrmann, Jan; Datta, Pawan; Chih Wang, Chien

    2016-08-01

    Depending on the geographical location, the individual or combined impact of environmental stress factors and corresponding performance losses for solar applications varies significantly. Therefore, as a strategy to reduce investment risks and operating and maintenance costs, it is necessary to adapt the materials and components of solar energy systems specifically to regional environmental conditions. The project «GloBe Solar» supports this strategy by focusing on the development of a global stress classification system for materials in solar energy applications. The aim of this classification system is to assist in the identification of the individual stress conditions for every location on the earth's surface. The stress classification system could serve as a decision support tool for the industry (manufacturers, investors, lenders and project developers) and help to improve knowledge and services that can provide higher confidence to solar power systems.

  13. Screening tests for hazard classification of complex waste materials – Selection of methods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weltens, R.; Vanermen, G.; Tirez, K.; Robbens, J.; Deprez, K.; Michiels, L.

    2012-01-01

    In this study we describe the development of an alternative methodology for hazard characterization of waste materials. Such an alternative methodology for hazard assessment of complex waste materials is urgently needed, because the lack of a validated instrument leads to arbitrary hazard classification of such complex waste materials. False classification can lead to human and environmental health risks and also has important financial consequences for the waste owner. The Hazardous Waste Directive (HWD) describes the methodology for hazard classification of waste materials. For mirror entries the HWD classification is based upon the hazardous properties (H1–15) of the waste which can be assessed from the hazardous properties of individual identified waste compounds or – if not all compounds are identified – from test results of hazard assessment tests performed on the waste material itself. For the latter the HWD recommends toxicity tests that were initially designed for risk assessment of chemicals in consumer products (pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biocides, food, etc.). These tests (often using mammals) are not designed nor suitable for the hazard characterization of waste materials. With the present study we want to contribute to the development of an alternative and transparent test strategy for hazard assessment of complex wastes that is in line with the HWD principles for waste classification. It is necessary to cope with this important shortcoming in hazardous waste classification and to demonstrate that alternative methods are available that can be used for hazard assessment of waste materials. Next, by describing the pros and cons of the available methods, and by identifying the needs for additional or further development of test methods, we hope to stimulate research efforts and development in this direction. In this paper we describe promising techniques and argument on the test selection for the pilot study that we have performed on different

  14. Unified communications

    OpenAIRE

    Kravos, Urban

    2011-01-01

    In the modern business world, communication are becoming more and more complex. As a solution to this problem unified communications occurred. Using a single communication approach unified communications are the integration of various communication technologies (eg, telephony, unified messaging, audio, video and web conferencing and collaboration tools). Unified Messaging, which represents only part of the unified communications means the integration of different non real time communication t...

  15. A Classification Scheme for Career Education Resource Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koontz, Ronald G.

    The introductory section of the paper expresses its purpose: to devise a classification scheme for career education resource material, which will be used to develop the USOE Office of Career Education Resource Library and will be disseminated to interested State departments of education and local school districts to assist them in classifying…

  16. Beyond the Unified Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frauendorf, S.

    2018-04-01

    The key elements of the Unified Model are reviewed. The microscopic derivation of the Bohr Hamiltonian by means of adiabatic time-dependent mean field theory is presented. By checking against experimental data the limitations of the Unified Model are delineated. The description of the strong coupling between the rotational and intrinsic degrees of freedom in framework of the rotating mean field is presented from a conceptual point of view. The classification of rotational bands as configurations of rotating quasiparticles is introduced. The occurrence of uniform rotation about an axis that differs from the principle axes of the nuclear density distribution is discussed. The physics behind this tilted-axis rotation, unknown in molecular physics, is explained on a basic level. The new symmetries of the rotating mean field that arise from the various orientations of the angular momentum vector with respect to the triaxial nuclear density distribution and their manifestation by the level sequence of rotational bands are discussed. Resulting phenomena, as transverse wobbling, rotational chirality, magnetic rotation and band termination are discussed. Using the concept of spontaneous symmetry breaking the microscopic underpinning of the rotational degrees is refined.

  17. Comparative Response of Four Pedogenic Soil Materials to Cement ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A comparative response of four Pedogenic soil materials to cement stabilization was investigated. The studies focused on the compaction characteristics, the unconfined sompressive strength and the California bearing ratio of the samples. The results obtained show that soil materials from Maiduguri responded favorably to ...

  18. Comparative analysis of tree classification models for detecting fusarium oxysporum f. sp cubense (TR4) based on multi soil sensor parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Estuar, Maria Regina Justina; Victorino, John Noel; Coronel, Andrei; Co, Jerelyn; Tiausas, Francis; Señires, Chiara Veronica

    2017-09-01

    Use of wireless sensor networks and smartphone integration design to monitor environmental parameters surrounding plantations is made possible because of readily available and affordable sensors. Providing low cost monitoring devices would be beneficial, especially to small farm owners, in a developing country like the Philippines, where agriculture covers a significant amount of the labor market. This study discusses the integration of wireless soil sensor devices and smartphones to create an application that will use multidimensional analysis to detect the presence or absence of plant disease. Specifically, soil sensors are designed to collect soil quality parameters in a sink node from which the smartphone collects data from via Bluetooth. Given these, there is a need to develop a classification model on the mobile phone that will report infection status of a soil. Though tree classification is the most appropriate approach for continuous parameter-based datasets, there is a need to determine whether tree models will result to coherent results or not. Soil sensor data that resides on the phone is modeled using several variations of decision tree, namely: decision tree (DT), best-fit (BF) decision tree, functional tree (FT), Naive Bayes (NB) decision tree, J48, J48graft and LAD tree, where decision tree approaches the problem by considering all sensor nodes as one. Results show that there are significant differences among soil sensor parameters indicating that there are variances in scores between the infected and uninfected sites. Furthermore, analysis of variance in accuracy, recall, precision and F1 measure scores from tree classification models homogeneity among NBTree, J48graft and J48 tree classification models.

  19. Radon classification of building ground

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slunga, E.

    1988-01-01

    The Laboratories of Building Technology and Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering at the Helsinki University of Technology in cooperation with The Ministry of the Environment have proposed a radon classification for building ground. The proposed classification is based on the radon concentration in soil pores and on the permeability of the foundation soil. The classification includes four radon classes: negligible, normal, high and very high. Depending on the radon class the radon-technical solution for structures is chosen. It is proposed that the classification be done in general terms in connection with the site investigations for the planning of land use and in more detail in connection with the site investigations for an individual house. (author)

  20. Real forms of non-linear superconformal and quasi-superconformal algebras and their unified realization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bina, B.; Guenaydin, M.

    1997-01-01

    We give a complete classification of the real forms of simple non-linear superconformal algebras (SCA) and quasi-superconformal algebras (QSCA) and present a unified realization of these algebras with simple symmetry groups. This classification is achieved by establishing a correspondence between simple non-linear QSCA's and SCA's and quaternionic and super-quaternionic symmetric spaces of simple Lie groups and Lie supergroups, respectively. The unified realization we present involves a dimension zero scalar field (dilaton), dimension-1 symmetry currents, and dimension-1/2 free bosons for QSCA's and dimension-1/2 free fermions for SCA's. The free bosons and fermions are associated with the quaternionic and super-quaternionic symmetric spaces of corresponding Lie groups and Lie supergroups, respectively. We conclude with a discussion of possible applications of our results. (orig.)

  1. Immobilization of pentachlorophenol in soil using carbonaceous material amendments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wen Bei [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085 (China)], E-mail: bwen@rcees.ac.cn; Li Ruijuan; Zhang Shuzhen [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085 (China); Shan Xiaoquan [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085 (China)], E-mail: xiaoquan@rcees.ac.cn; Fang Jing; Xiao Ke [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100085 (China); Khan, Shahamat U. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, MSN 3E2, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444 (United States)

    2009-03-15

    In this study, three pentachlorophenol (PCP) laboratory-spiked and one field-contaminated soil were amended with 2.0% char, humic acid (HA) and peat, respectively. The amended soils were aged for either 7 or 250 days. After amendment, CaCl{sub 2} extractability of PCP was significantly decreased. Desorption kinetics indicated that the proposed amendment could lead to a strong binding and slow desorption of PCP in soils. Amendment with char reduced the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) of PCP most significantly for earthworms (Eisenia fetida) in all soils studied. The results of both physicochemical and biological tests suggested that amendment reduced PCP bioavailability quickly and enduringly, implying that carbonaceous material amendment, especially char amendment, was a potentially attractive in situ remediation method for sequestration of PCP in contaminated soil. - Carbonaceous material amendment was a potential in situ remediation method for pentachlorophenol contaminated soil.

  2. Soil of the lower valley of the Dragonja river (Slovenia)

    OpenAIRE

    Tomaž PRUS; Nina ZUPANČIČ; Helena GRČMAN

    2015-01-01

    Soil of the lower valley of the river Dragonja developed under specific soil-forming factors. Soil development in the area was influenced by alluvial sediments originating from surrounding hills, mostly of flysch sequence rocks, as a parent material, Sub-Mediterranean climate and the vicinity of the sea. Different soil classification units (Gleysol and Fluvisol) were proposed for that soil in previous researches. The aim of our study was the evaluation of morphological, chemical and mineralog...

  3. Material dynamics in polluted soils with different structures - comparative investigations of general soil and aggregates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taubner, H.

    1992-01-01

    In structured soils, a small-scale heterogeneity of physical and chemical properties will develop which results in a reduced availability of the reaction sites of the soil matrix. In view of the lack of knowledge on the conditions within the individual aggregates were carried out for characterizing the aggregates and comparing them with the soil in, general soil samples were taken from natural structure of a podzolic soil and a podazolic brown earth from two sites in the Fichtelgebirge mountains as well as a parabraun earth from East Holstein. The horizons differed with regard to their texture and structure; silty material tends to have a subpolyhedral structure and calyey material a polyhedral structure. The general soil samples and aggregate samples from the three B horizons were subjected, with comparable experimental conditions, to percolation experiments inducing a multiple acid load. The soil solution from the secondary pore system and aggregate pore system is more heterogeneus for the higher-structured subpolyhedral texture of the perdzolic soil than for the less strongly aggregated subpolyhedral structured of the podzolic brown earth. (orig.) [de

  4. Group theoretical classification of chemical elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Byakov, V.M.; Kulakov, V.I.; Rumer, Y.B.; Fet, A.L.

    1977-01-01

    The method of classification of chemical elements, based on group symmetry principles, is compared with element properties. Elements are considered to be states of a single quantum system, the atomic structure being ignored. Elements treated as states of the system, break down into successively diminishing subsystems, big and small multiplets. The theory, being a group classification, does not describe in detail any of element properties, but leads to a unified qualitative description of all of them simultaneously

  5. Towards a unified classification of the ectodermal dysplasias: opportunities outweigh challenges.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Irvine, Alan D

    2012-02-01

    The ectodermal dysplasias include a complex and highly diverse group of heritable disorders that share in common developmental abnormalities of ectodermal derivatives. The broader definition of ectodermal dysplasias (as heritable disorders involving at least two of the ectodermal derivatives nails, teeth, hair, and eccrine sweat glands) encompasses 170-200 conditions. Some conditions included by this definition are relatively common; others are rare and, in some cases, family-specific. Classification of the ectodermal dysplasias has largely been approached by categorizing patterns of clinical findings (phenotypic grouping). In the last 2 decades great progress has been made in understanding the molecular pathogenesis and inter-relatedness of some of these conditions and a new consensus approach to classification that incorporates this new information is needed. A comprehensive and definitive classification of these disorders would be highly valuable for the many stakeholders in ED. As disease-specific molecular treatments are developed, accurate classification will assume greater importance in designing registries to enable rapid identification of those with rare disorders who may wish to participate in clinical trials. Ideally a working classification of such a disparate collection of conditions would have a design and architecture that would facilitate easy accessibility by each of the key stakeholder groups and would encourage enhanced interaction between these parties. Attaining this objective is a major challenge but is achievable. This article reviews the historical-clinical perspective and the impact of recent developments in molecular biology in the field. Reflections are offered as to the future direction of classification systems in these disorders.

  6. Thermal Properties of Soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-12-01

    plagio - clase feldspar and pyroxene. The tine fraction may Surface area and its effects contain the clay "sheet" minerals (i.e. kaolinite. illite...Pyroxene, Kaoliniwe Unified By By Ortho. Plagio . amphibole, Basic clay min. Hematite Soil Soil soil petrogr. X.ray clase clase and Igneous and clay and no

  7. Dryland soil microbial communities display spatial biogeographic patterns associated with soil depth and soil parent material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steven, Blaire; Gallegos-Graves, La Verne; Belnap, Jayne; Kuske, Cheryl R.

    2013-01-01

    Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are common to drylands worldwide. We employed replicated, spatially nested sampling and 16S rRNA gene sequencing to describe the soil microbial communities in three soils derived from different parent material (sandstone, shale, and gypsum). For each soil type, two depths (biocrusts, 0–1 cm; below-crust soils, 2–5 cm) and two horizontal spatial scales (15 cm and 5 m) were sampled. In all three soils, Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria demonstrated significantly higher relative abundance in the biocrusts, while Chloroflexi and Archaea were significantly enriched in the below-crust soils. Biomass and diversity of the communities in biocrusts or below-crust soils did not differ with soil type. However, biocrusts on gypsum soil harbored significantly larger populations of Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria and lower populations of Cyanobacteria. Numerically dominant operational taxonomic units (OTU; 97% sequence identity) in the biocrusts were conserved across the soil types, whereas two dominant OTUs in the below-crust sand and shale soils were not identified in the gypsum soil. The uniformity with which small-scale vertical community differences are maintained across larger horizontal spatial scales and soil types is a feature of dryland ecosystems that should be considered when designing management plans and determining the response of biocrusts to environmental disturbances.

  8. Classification and Use of Natural and Anthropogenic Soils by Indigenous Communities of the Upper Amazon Region of Colombia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peña-Venegas, C P; Stomph, T J; Verschoor, G; Echeverri, J A; Struik, P C

    Outsiders often oversimplify Amazon soil use by assuming that abundantly available natural soils are poorly suited to agriculture and that sporadic anthropogenic soils are agriculturally productive. Local perceptions about the potentials and limitations of soils probably differ, but information on these perceptions is scarce. We therefore examined how four indigenous communities in the Middle Caquetá River region in the Colombian Amazon classify and use natural and anthropogenic soils. The study was framed in ethnopedology: local classifications, preferences, rankings, and soil uses were recorded through interviews and field observations. These communities recognized nine soils varying in suitability for agriculture. They identified anthropogenic soils as most suitable for agriculture, but only one group used them predominantly for their swiddens. As these communities did not perceive soil nutrient status as limiting, they did not base crop-site selection on soil fertility or on the interplay between soil quality and performance of manioc genetic resources.

  9. Impact of carbonaceous materials in soil on the transport of soil-bound PAHs during rainfall-runoff events

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, Xiaolin; Zheng, Yi; Wu, Bin; Lin, Zhongrong; Han, Feng; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Xuejun

    2013-01-01

    Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) transported from contaminated soils by surface runoff pose significant risk for aquatic ecosystems. Based on a rainfall-runoff simulation experiment, this study investigated the impact of carbonaceous materials (CMs) in soil, identified by organic petrology analysis, on the transport of soil-bound PAHs under rainfall conditions. The hypothesis that composition of soil organic matter significantly impacts the enrichment and transport of PAHs was proved. CMs in soil, varying significantly in content, mobility and adsorption capacity, act differently on the transport of PAHs. Anthropogenic CMs like black carbon (BC) largely control the transport, as PAHs may be preferentially attached to them. Eventually, this study led to a rethink of the traditional enrichment theory. An important implication is that CMs in soil have to be explicitly considered to appropriately model the nonpoint source pollution of PAHs (possibly other hydrophobic chemicals as well) and assess its environmental risk. -- Highlights: •Composition of SOM significantly impacts the enrichment and transport of PAHs. •Anthropogenic carbonaceous materials in soil largely control the transport of PAHs. •The classic enrichment theory is invalid if anthropogenic CMs are abundant in the soil. •Organic petrology analysis introduced to study the fate and transport of PAHs. -- Anthropogenic carbonaceous materials in soil, especially black carbon, largely control the transport of soil-bound PAHs during rainfall-runoff events

  10. Embeddings of SU/sup c/3 in unifying gauge groups

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slansky, R.

    1978-01-01

    Hypothetical models that attempt to unify electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions into a simple, compact gauge group G are discussed. The problem of embedding the strong group SU 3 /sup c/ in any larger simple group is solved, and a complete classification of theories where the color in some representation is restricted to 1/sup c/, 3/sup c/, and anti 3/sup c/ is given

  11. Genesis and classification of soils developed on gabbro in the high reliefs of Maroua region, North Cameroon

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Désiré Tsozué

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this work was to examine the genesis, properties and classification of soils resulting from the weathering of gabbro rock in the high reliefs of Maroua in the Far North Region of Cameroon. The studied soils were ~ 2 m thick, made of four horizons which consisted of coarse saprolite, fine saprolite, loose loamy clayey horizon and humiferous horizon. From petrographical view point, at the bottom of the soil profile, the preservation of the bedrock structure was marked by numerous remnants of altered plagioclases shapes. The groundmass was characterized by a double spaced fine, ranging to equal, enaulic c/f related distribution pattern. It was yellowish, characterized by weakly separated granular microstructure in the fine saprolite and had a speckled and cloudy limpidity in the loose loamy clayey horizon. Secondary minerals consisted of montmorilonite, kaolinite, goethite, quartz, gibbsite, lepidocrocite, sepiolite, feldspar and calcite. Globally, Si/Al ratio ranged between 2.85 and 3.24. The chemical index of alteration ranged from 50.95 to 55.27 % while the mineralogical index of alteration values were between 1.90 and 10.54 %. Physicochemically, soil pH varied from slightly acidic to slightly above neutral. Soil organic carbon contents were low to very low. Exchangeable bases contents were high, mostly represented by Ca2+ and Mg2+. The CEC of soils and the CEC of clay were also high, ranging respectively between 53.68 and 82.88 cmol(+.kg-1, and 116.80 and 181.38 cmol(+.kg-1. The studied soils were classified as dystric haplustepts clayey isohyperthermic. They were developed in situ by the collapse of primary mineral structures from the bottom of the coarse saprolite, due to leaching as a result of bisiallitisation and monosiallitisation. This is accompanied by a progressive ferruginization of materials, confirmed by the densification under the microscope of goethitic brown veil from the base to the loamy clay horizon and the

  12. Development of soil-cement blocks with three interventions: natural soil, soil corrected with sand and soil more phase change materials (PCMs)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dantas, Valter Bezerra; Gomes, Uilame Umbelino; Reis, Edmilson Pedreira; Valcacer, Samara Melo; Silva, A.S.

    2014-01-01

    In this work, the results of characterization tests of soil samples collected in Mossoro-RN, UFERSA-RN Campus, located approximately 20 meters high, and "5 ° 12'34.68 south latitude and 37 ° 19'5.74 "west longitude, with the purpose of producing soil-cement for the manufacture of pressed blocks with good resistance to compression and thermal stability. The following tests were performed: granulometry, plasticity limit, liquidity limit, particle size correction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence. In this soil, based on the results of the granulometric analysis, 10% of medium sand with 3% and 5% of eicosane paraffin and 10% of medium sand with 3% and 5% of paraffin 120 / 125F were added, forming analysis compositions, standard soil-cement block and natural soil-cement block with addition of 10% medium sand and 0% paraffin. Paraffins are referred to as PCMs (Phase Change Material). The contrasting effect between the different dosages on the compressive strength values of the soil-cement blocks was observed. The objective is to create new materials that give the block quality equal to or higher than the recommendations of ABNT norms, and that offer greater thermal comfort in the constructions. Soil particles of different sizes were added to 8% (by weight) of cement, and about 9.20% of water added to the mixture

  13. Lime-Stabilized Black Cotton Soil and Brick Powder Mixture as Subbase Material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Srikanth Reddy

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Various researchers, for the past few decades, had tried to stabilize black cotton soil using lime for improving its shrinkage and swelling characteristics. But these days, the cost of lime has increased resulting in increase in need for alternative and cost effective waste materials such as fly ash and rice husk ash. Brick powder, one among the alternative materials, is a fine powdered waste that contains higher proportions of silica and is found near brick kilns in rural areas. The objective of the study is to investigate the use of lime-stabilized black cotton soil and brick powder mixture as subbase material in flexible pavements. Black cotton soil procured from the local area, tested for suitability as subbase material, turned out to be unsuitable as it resulted in very less CBR value. Even lime stabilization of black cotton soil under study has not showed up the required CBR value specified for the subbase material of flexible pavement by MORTH. Hence the lime-stabilized black cotton soil is proportioned with brick powder to obtain optimum mixture that yields a better CBR value. The mixture of 20% brick powder and 80% lime-stabilized black cotton soil under study resulted in increase in the CBR value by about 135% in comparison with lime-stabilized black cotton soil. Thus it is promising to use the mixture of brick powder and lime-stabilized black cotton soil as subbase material in flexible pavements.

  14. Discriminative illumination: per-pixel classification of raw materials based on optimal projections of spectral BRDF.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chao; Gu, Jinwei

    2014-01-01

    Classifying raw, unpainted materials--metal, plastic, ceramic, fabric, and so on--is an important yet challenging task for computer vision. Previous works measure subsets of surface spectral reflectance as features for classification. However, acquiring the full spectral reflectance is time consuming and error-prone. In this paper, we propose to use coded illumination to directly measure discriminative features for material classification. Optimal illumination patterns--which we call "discriminative illumination"--are learned from training samples, after projecting to which the spectral reflectance of different materials are maximally separated. This projection is automatically realized by the integration of incident light for surface reflection. While a single discriminative illumination is capable of linear, two-class classification, we show that multiple discriminative illuminations can be used for nonlinear and multiclass classification. We also show theoretically that the proposed method has higher signal-to-noise ratio than previous methods due to light multiplexing. Finally, we construct an LED-based multispectral dome and use the discriminative illumination method for classifying a variety of raw materials, including metal (aluminum, alloy, steel, stainless steel, brass, and copper), plastic, ceramic, fabric, and wood. Experimental results demonstrate its effectiveness.

  15. Towards a Unified Sentiment Lexicon Based on Graphics Processing Units

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liliana Ibeth Barbosa-Santillán

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents an approach to create what we have called a Unified Sentiment Lexicon (USL. This approach aims at aligning, unifying, and expanding the set of sentiment lexicons which are available on the web in order to increase their robustness of coverage. One problem related to the task of the automatic unification of different scores of sentiment lexicons is that there are multiple lexical entries for which the classification of positive, negative, or neutral {P,N,Z} depends on the unit of measurement used in the annotation methodology of the source sentiment lexicon. Our USL approach computes the unified strength of polarity of each lexical entry based on the Pearson correlation coefficient which measures how correlated lexical entries are with a value between 1 and −1, where 1 indicates that the lexical entries are perfectly correlated, 0 indicates no correlation, and −1 means they are perfectly inversely correlated and so is the UnifiedMetrics procedure for CPU and GPU, respectively. Another problem is the high processing time required for computing all the lexical entries in the unification task. Thus, the USL approach computes a subset of lexical entries in each of the 1344 GPU cores and uses parallel processing in order to unify 155802 lexical entries. The results of the analysis conducted using the USL approach show that the USL has 95.430 lexical entries, out of which there are 35.201 considered to be positive, 22.029 negative, and 38.200 neutral. Finally, the runtime was 10 minutes for 95.430 lexical entries; this allows a reduction of the time computing for the UnifiedMetrics by 3 times.

  16. Evaluation of coal combustion byproducts as soil liming materials - their influence on soil pH and enzyme activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McCarty, G W; Siddaramappa, R; Wright, R J; Codling, E E; Gao, G

    1994-03-01

    To evaluate coal combustion byproducts as liming materials and address issues related to soil quality, the authors compared the influence of different amounts of four combustion byproducts (fly ash and bed ash from a fluidized bed combustion furnace, lime-injected multistage burner residue, and spray dryer residue) and CaCO[sub 3] on soil pH and activities of urease, phosphatase, arylsulfatase, and dehydrogenase in an acidic soil. Studies comparing the influence of the combustion byproducts and CaCO[sub 3] on soil pH showed that on weight basis of application, substantial differences were observed in the ability of these materials to influence soil pH but that such differences decreased markedly after the data were transformed to a CaCO[sub 3] equivalent basis of application. Analysis of covariance for these transformed data indicated that whereas the liming abilities of fly ash and CaCO[sub 3] were not significantly different when compared on the CaCO[sub 3] equivalent basis, those of bed ash, multistage burner residue, and spray dryer residue were less than that of CaCO[sub 3]. Studies comparing the influence of the byproducts and CaCO[sub 3] on soil enzyme activities showed that the effect of these liming materials on the enzyme activities studied was largely due to their influence on soil pH. These studies showed that the combustion byproducts tested functioned as soil liming materials in a manner similar to that of CaCO[sub 3] and seemed to have little adverse effect on soil quality.

  17. Improving geotechnical properties of clayey soil using polymer material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karim Hussein

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This study illustrates the application of polymer material for clayey soil stabilization. The article will focus on studying the strength behavior of the clayey soils reinforced with homogenously polymer fiber. In the current research, “polypropylene” was selected as polymer material to reinforce the natural clay soil. This polymer fiber was added to the clayey soil with four different percentages of (0, 1.5, 3, and 5% by weight of soil. Various tests with different polymer contents were performed to study the effect of using such a polymer as a stabilizing agent on geotechnical properties of clay. As the fiber content increases, the optimum moisture content (OMC is increased while the specific gravity decreases. For Atterberg’s limits, the results indicated increasing liquid limit and plasticity index while decreasing plastic limit with increase in polymer content. The outcomes of the tests also reflected a considerable improvement in the unconfined compressive strength with noticeable improvement in the shear strength parameter (undrained shear strength, cu of the treated soils. The undrained shear strength obtained from treated soil with 5% polymer addition is more than three times that of the untreated soil. With an increase in polymer content, the consolidation parameters (Compression index Cc and recompression index Cr decreases. Finally, the benefit of the reinforcement is increased with increasing polymer fiber content.

  18. Nanoenhanced Materials for Reclamation of Mine Lands and Other Degraded Soils: A Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ruiqiang Liu

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Successful mine soil reclamation facilitates ecosystem recovery, minimizes adverse environmental impacts, creates additional lands for agricultural or forestry uses, and enhances the carbon (C sequestration. Nanoparticles with extremely high reactivity and deliverability can be applied as amendments to improve soil quality, mitigate soil contaminations, ensure safe land–application of the conventional amendment materials (e.g., manures and biosolids, and enhance soil erosion control. However, there is no report on using nanoenhanced materials for mine soil reclamation. Through reviewing the up-to-date research results on using environment-friendly nanoparticles for agricultural soil quality improvement and for contaminated soil remediation, this paper synthesizes that these nanomaterials with high potentials for mine soil reclamation include zeolites, zero-valent iron nanoparticles, iron oxide nanoparticles, phosphate-based nanoparticles, iron sulfide nanoparticles and C nanotubes. Transport of these particles in the environment and their possible ecotoxicological effects are also discussed. Additionally, this article proposes a practical and economical approach to applying nanotechnology for mine soil reclamation: adding small amounts of nanoparticles to the conventional soil amendment materials and then applying the mixtures for soil quality improvements. Hence the cost of using nanoparticles is reduced and the benefits of both nanoparticles and the conventional amendment materials are harnessed.

  19. Effects of Fuel Oil on the Geotechnical Properties of Clay Soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahdi Obaid Karkush

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The present study highlights the effects of medium fuel oil (MFO on the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of clay soil samples (disturbed and undisturbed obtained from the site of the electrical power plant in the campus of the University of Baghdad at Al-Jadriah district in Baghdad/Iraq. The soil sample was classified according to the unified soil classification system (USCS as CL and described as lean clay of low plasticity. The medium fuel oil is an industrial wastewater disposed as a byproduct from the fuel used in the electricity power plant. The soil samples are artificially contaminated with two percentages of medium fuel oil, 10 and 20 % related to the dry weight of soil. The soil samples were mixed with the contaminant (MFO by hand and then left for 4 days for homogeneity. A series of laboratory tests are conducted on both natural and artificially contaminated soil samples to measure the effects of medium fuel oil on the chemical, physical and mechanical properties of soil samples. The results of tests showed that the medium fuel oil has significant impacts on some properties of soil and slight effects on the others. Increasing the percentage of contaminant causes a slight decrease in the liquid limit and particle size distribution; on the other hand, it causes a considerable increase in the consolidation parameters and decrease in shear strength parameters. Also, there is a slight change in the chemical composition of soil samples.

  20. Influence of Fines Content on Consolidation and Compressibility Characteristics of Granular Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipiński, Mirosław J.; Wdowska, Małgorzata K.; Jaroń, Łukasz

    2017-10-01

    Various behaviour of soil under loading results to large extent from kind of soil considered. There is a lot of literature concerning pure sand or plastic clays, while little is known about materials, which are from classification point of view, between those soils. These materials can be considered as cohesionless soils with various fines content. The paper present results of tests carried out in large consolidometer on three kinds of soil, containing 10, 36 and 97% of fines content. Consolidation, permeability and compressibility characteristics were determined. Analysis of the test results allowed to formulate conclusion concerning change in soil behaviour resulting from fines content.

  1. Relationship of soil potassium forms with maize potassium contents in soils derived from different parent materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rashid Mehmood Butt

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Understanding of soil potassium (K dynamics is essential for sustainable crop production. Bioavailability of K depends on forms and distribution within the soil profile. The objectives of this research were to determine which soil K forms control the maize (Zea mays K contents and compare the extracting capability of sodium tetraphenylborate (NaTPB with ammonium acetate (NH4OAc method. Nine soils representing three different parent materials, i.e. loess, sandstone and shale were sampled at three surface genetic horizons. Within each parent material, three soils at varying level of development were selected. Besides basic soil parameters, K was fractioned into water soluble K, exchangeable K, non-exchangeable K, and NaTPB-extracted K. The maize was sown in pots having 2 kg soil from each genetic horizon. Crop was harvested at seven weeks and plant was analysed for K contents. Results show that NaTPB-extracted K gave best correlation as compared to NH4OAc method. This conveys that a non-exchangeable K portion that becomes available to plants can be better estimated by NaTPB method than NH4OAc extraction.

  2. A Unified Field Theory of Gravity, Electromagnetism, and theA Unified Field Theory of Gravity, Electromagnetism, and the Yang-Mills Gauge Field

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suhendro I.

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work, we attempt at constructing a comprehensive four-dimensional unified field theory of gravity, electromagnetism, and the non-Abelian Yang-Mills gauge field in which the gravitational, electromagnetic, and material spin fields are unified as intrinsic geometric objects of the space-time manifold $S_4$ via the connection, with the generalized non-Abelian Yang-Mills gauge field appearing in particular as a sub-field of the geometrized electromagnetic interaction.

  3. Classification of Franchise Networks in the Retail Trade

    OpenAIRE

    Grygorenko Tetyana M.

    2016-01-01

    The article clarifies the definitions of the concepts of «franchise network», «franchise trade network», «franchise retail network», which is substantiated by the lack of a unified approach to interpretation of these concepts. The classification of franchise networks in the retail trade taking into account peculiarities in the operation of this sub-sector of the market economy is developed; classification attributes are identified and types of franchise retail chains are cha...

  4. Classification of Surface and Deep Soil Samples Using Linear Discriminant Analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wasim, M.; Ali, M.; Daud, M.

    2015-01-01

    A statistical analysis was made of the activity concentrations measured in surface and deep soil samples for natural and anthropogenic gamma-emitting radionuclides. Soil samples were obtained from 48 different locations in Gilgit, Pakistan covering about 50 km/sup 2/ areas at an average altitude of 1550 m above sea level. From each location two samples were collected: one from the top soil (2-6 cm) and another from a depth of 6-10 cm. Four radionuclides including /sup 226/Ra, /sup 232/Th, /sup 40/K and /sup 137/Cs were quantified. The data was analyzed using t-test to find out activity concentration difference between the surface and depth samples. At the surface, the median activity concentrations were 23.7, 29.1, 4.6 and 115 Bq kg/sup -1/ for 226Ra, 232Th, 137Cs and 40K respectively. For the same radionuclides, the activity concentrations were respectively 25.5, 26.2, 2.9 and 191 Bq kg/sup -1/ for the depth samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to explore patterns within the data. A positive significant correlation was observed between the radionuclides /sup 226/Ra and /sup 232/Th. The data from PCA was further utilized in linear discriminant analysis (LDA) for the classification of surface and depth samples. LDA classified surface and depth samples with good predictability. (author)

  5. Unified Internet Messaging

    OpenAIRE

    Healy, Paul; Barber, Declan

    2015-01-01

    As telephony services, mobile services and internet services continue to converge, the prospect of providing Unified Messaging and even Unified Communications becomes increasingly achievable. This paper discusses the growing importance of IP-based networks to Unified Messaging developments and examines some of the key services and protocols that are likely to make Unified Messaging more widely available. In this initial paper, we limit ourselves initially to the unification of text-based mess...

  6. Exploring the complementarity of THz pulse imaging and DCE-MRIs: Toward a unified multi-channel classification and a deep learning framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yin, X-X; Zhang, Y; Cao, J; Wu, J-L; Hadjiloucas, S

    2016-12-01

    We provide a comprehensive account of recent advances in biomedical image analysis and classification from two complementary imaging modalities: terahertz (THz) pulse imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). The work aims to highlight underlining commonalities in both data structures so that a common multi-channel data fusion framework can be developed. Signal pre-processing in both datasets is discussed briefly taking into consideration advances in multi-resolution analysis and model based fractional order calculus system identification. Developments in statistical signal processing using principal component and independent component analysis are also considered. These algorithms have been developed independently by the THz-pulse imaging and DCE-MRI communities, and there is scope to place them in a common multi-channel framework to provide better software standardization at the pre-processing de-noising stage. A comprehensive discussion of feature selection strategies is also provided and the importance of preserving textural information is highlighted. Feature extraction and classification methods taking into consideration recent advances in support vector machine (SVM) and extreme learning machine (ELM) classifiers and their complex extensions are presented. An outlook on Clifford algebra classifiers and deep learning techniques suitable to both types of datasets is also provided. The work points toward the direction of developing a new unified multi-channel signal processing framework for biomedical image analysis that will explore synergies from both sensing modalities for inferring disease proliferation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Soil classification in 15 accelerographic stations, using methods based on ambient vibrations and VS30

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidt, Victor

    2014-01-01

    The techniques H/V, FK and SPAC were applied, all based on the measurement of surface waves main generated by ambient vibrations, for the soil characterization of 15 selected sites. 12 of them corresponding to accelerographic stations of the Laboratorio de Ingenieria Sismica of the Universidad de Costa Rica. 8 sensors (triaxial geophones) were placed for that purpose in circular arrayz, and spectral ratios (from H/V) dispersion curves (from FK) and autocorrelation curves (from SPAC) were obtained for each site considered. The soil type was determined, based on above, according to the site characteristic period (T 0 ) read from H/V. Each site was also classified according to the Seismic Code of Costa Rica (2010) and the parameter Vs30 calculated from the inversion of dispersion curves and autocorrelation. The values of T 0 vary between 0,3 s to 1,5 s and the Vs30 between 244 m/s to 379 m/s have indicated that soils correspond to S 3 (soft soil, 67% of all cases). The discovery of sites whose classification corresponds to S 1 (rock) or S 4 (very soft soil) was discarded. (author) [es

  8. Liquid scintillation counting of calcium-45 in plant and soil material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Waller, S.S.; Dodd, J.D.

    1977-01-01

    The recovery efficiencies of 45 Ca, for plant material using dry ashing with HCL as the extractant, and for soils using column extraction with MgCl 2 as the extractant, have been determined. The extraction and detection procedures, using available scintillation solvent systems, are given and show a combination of a high counting efficiency with high recovery efficiencies. The extraction procedures are simple, involving minimal operator time, and allow simultaneous 45 Ca determination in both plant and soil material. Both extraction procedures exhibit good reproducibility over a wide range of specific activities while being relatively insensitive to quenching and carrier calcium normally encountered in plant and soil material. These procedures are particularly useful in ecological studies requiring the examination of a large number of plant and/or soil samples over a wide range of radioactive concentrations. (U.K.)

  9. Resolving Radiological Classification and Release Issues for Many DOE Solid Wastes and Salvageable Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hochel, R.C.

    1999-01-01

    The cost effective radiological classification and disposal of solid materials with potential volume contamination, in accordance with applicable U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Orders, suffers from an inability to unambiguously distinguish among transuranic waste, low-level waste, and unconditional-release materials. Depending on the classification, disposal costs can vary by a hundred-fold. But in many cases, the issues can be easily resolved by a combination of process information, some simple measurements, and calculational predictions from a computer model for radiation shielding.The proper classification and disposal of many solid wastes requires a measurement regime that is able to show compliance with a variety of institutional and regulatory contamination limits. Although this is not possible for all solid wastes, there are many that do lend themselves to such measures. Several examples are discussed which demonstrate the possibilities, including one which was successfully applied to bulk contamination.The only barriers to such broader uses are the slow-to-change institutional perceptions and procedures. For many issues and materials, the measurement tools are available; they need only be applied

  10. Resolving Radiological Classification and Release Issues for Many DOE Solid Wastes and Salvageable Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hochel, R.C.

    1999-06-14

    The cost effective radiological classification and disposal of solid materials with potential volume contamination, in accordance with applicable U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Orders, suffers from an inability to unambiguously distinguish among transuranic waste, low-level waste, and unconditional-release materials. Depending on the classification, disposal costs can vary by a hundred-fold. But in many cases, the issues can be easily resolved by a combination of process information, some simple measurements, and calculational predictions from a computer model for radiation shielding.The proper classification and disposal of many solid wastes requires a measurement regime that is able to show compliance with a variety of institutional and regulatory contamination limits. Although this is not possible for all solid wastes, there are many that do lend themselves to such measures. Several examples are discussed which demonstrate the possibilities, including one which was successfully applied to bulk contamination.The only barriers to such broader uses are the slow-to-change institutional perceptions and procedures. For many issues and materials, the measurement tools are available; they need only be applied.

  11. Influence of nano-material on the expansive and shrinkage soil behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taha, Mohd Raihan; Taha, Omer Muhie Eldeen

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents an experimental study performed on four types of soils mixed with three types of nano-material of different percentages. The expansion and shrinkage tests were conducted to investigate the effect of three type of nano-materials (nano-clay, nano-alumina, and nano-copper) additive on repressing strains in compacted residual soil mixed with different ratios of bentonite (S1 = 0 % bentonite, S2 = 5 % bentonite, S3 = 10 % bentonite, and S4 = 20 % bentonite). The soil specimens were compacted under the condition of maximum dry unit weight and optimum water content (w opt ) using standard compaction test. The physical and mechanical results of the treated samples were determined. The untreated soil values were used as control points for comparison purposes. It was found that with the addition of optimum percentage of nano-material, both the swell strain and shrinkage strain reduced. The results show that nano-material decreases the development of desiccation cracks on the surface of compacted samples without decrease in the hydraulic conductivity.

  12. Cincinnati's Bold New Venture: A Unified K-12 Reading/Communication Arts Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Green, Reginald Leon

    1989-01-01

    Describes a unified reading/communication arts program in the Cincinnati Public School System which uses new basal texts, support materials, and a customized instructional system for each grade level, integrating listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking skills into a unified language approach. Discusses intervention strategies,…

  13. Characterization and classification of two soils derived from basic rocks in Pernambuco State Coast, Northeast Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oliveira Lindomário Barros de

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available Geomorphic surfaces that present soils derived from basic rocks under warm and humid climate are unique scenarios for studying tropical soils. This paper aimed to characterize and classify two pedons derived from basalt at the Atlantic Forest Zone, Pernambuco State, Northeastern coast of Brazil. Two representative pedons (P1 and P2 were selected on a hillslope at the Cabo de Santo Agostinho municipality. Field macromorphological descriptions were carried out and soil horizon were sampled for physical, chemical, mineralogical and micromorphological characterization. The soils were classified, according to the Brazilian System of Soil Classification (and US Soil Taxonomy as: "Latossolo Vermelho-Amarelo distroférrico argissólico" (Typic Hapludox (P1 and "Nitossolo Vermelho distroférrico típico" (Rhodic Paleudult (P2. Pedon 1 differs from Pedon 2 in some aspects. For instance, P1 presents more yellowish colors, absence of clay illuviation, more friable consistence and the prismatic structure undergoes transformation to angular and subangular blocks. Pedon 2 presents ferri-argilans and leptocutans which indicate that vertical and lateral illuviation of clay is an active process in their formation. These chemically poor and mineralogically uniform soils are a result of the high temperature and rainfall of the studied area.

  14. Development of the PARA-ID Program to Simulate a Unified Viscoplasticity Behaviour

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koo, Gyeong Hoi

    2009-01-01

    The PARA-ID code is a general purpose computer simulation program for a nonlinear cyclic material behavior with and without viscous effects, which can simulate various constitutive models such as - Prager Model - Armstrong and Frederick Model - Chaboche 3-decomposed rule Model - Chaboche 4-decomposed rule Model - Ohno and Wang Model - Unified Chaboche Viscoplastic Model In this paper, the unified Chaboche viscoplasticity model is investigated with some examples of application for a cyclic hardening material of 316L

  15. Adsorption and desorption of Am(III) on calcareous soil and its parent material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Weijuan; Zhang Fuming; Tao Zuyi

    2005-01-01

    The adsorption and desorption of Am(III) on a calcareous soil (sierozem) and its parent material (loess) were studied by batch technique. The molarities of the Am(III) aqueous solutions were less than 5 x 10 -9 mol/l. High adsorbability was found of Am(III) on the calcareous soil and its parent material. In order to decrease the adsorption and, hence, to investigate the adsorption characteristics properly, stable Eu 3+ as hold back carrier and analogue was added to the aqueous solution. The relative contributions of CaCO 3 , organic matter (OM) to the Am(III) adsorption on calcareous soil and its parent material were investigated. The adsorption and desorption isotherms of Am(III) on untreated soil and loess and the three kinds of treated soils and three kinds of treated loesses to remove CaCO 3 , OM and both CaCO 3 and OM were determined, respectively. It was found that all isotherms were linear, the average distribution coefficients (K d ) for the untreated soil and for the untreated loess were almost equal, while there was an obvious difference between the values of the average distribution coefficients (K d ) for the treated soil and the treated loess to remove CaCO 3 or OM. The adsorption-desorption hysteresis on the untreated and treated soils and loesses actually occurred and there was an obvious difference between the hysteresis coefficients on both the corresponding treated soil and loess. It can be concluded that the adsorbability of Am(III) on calcareous soil is similar to that on its parent material, and that the contributions of CaCO 3 and OM to the Am(III) adsorption by the untreated soil are different from those by the untreated parent material. (author)

  16. Soils [Chapter 4.2

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniel G. Neary; Johannes W. A. Langeveld

    2015-01-01

    Soils are crucial for profitable and sustainable biomass feedstock production. They provide nutrients and water, give support for plants, and provide habitat for enormous numbers of biota. There are several systems for soil classification. FAO has provided a generic classification system that was used for a global soil map (Bot et al., 2000). The USDA Natural Resources...

  17. A unified model for context-based behavioural modelling and classification.

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Dabrowski, JJ

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available the continuous dynamics of a entity and incorporating various contextual elements that influence behaviour. The entity is classified according to its behaviour. Classification is expressed as a conditional probability of the entity class given its tracked...

  18. Representative Vector Machines: A Unified Framework for Classical Classifiers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gui, Jie; Liu, Tongliang; Tao, Dacheng; Sun, Zhenan; Tan, Tieniu

    2016-08-01

    Classifier design is a fundamental problem in pattern recognition. A variety of pattern classification methods such as the nearest neighbor (NN) classifier, support vector machine (SVM), and sparse representation-based classification (SRC) have been proposed in the literature. These typical and widely used classifiers were originally developed from different theory or application motivations and they are conventionally treated as independent and specific solutions for pattern classification. This paper proposes a novel pattern classification framework, namely, representative vector machines (or RVMs for short). The basic idea of RVMs is to assign the class label of a test example according to its nearest representative vector. The contributions of RVMs are twofold. On one hand, the proposed RVMs establish a unified framework of classical classifiers because NN, SVM, and SRC can be interpreted as the special cases of RVMs with different definitions of representative vectors. Thus, the underlying relationship among a number of classical classifiers is revealed for better understanding of pattern classification. On the other hand, novel and advanced classifiers are inspired in the framework of RVMs. For example, a robust pattern classification method called discriminant vector machine (DVM) is motivated from RVMs. Given a test example, DVM first finds its k -NNs and then performs classification based on the robust M-estimator and manifold regularization. Extensive experimental evaluations on a variety of visual recognition tasks such as face recognition (Yale and face recognition grand challenge databases), object categorization (Caltech-101 dataset), and action recognition (Action Similarity LAbeliNg) demonstrate the advantages of DVM over other classifiers.

  19. A GIS-based fuzzy classification for mapping the agricultural soils for N-fertilizers use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Assimakopoulos, J H; Kalivas, D P; Kollias, V J

    2003-06-20

    Special attention should be paid to the choice of the proper N-fertilizer, in order to avoid a further acidification and degradation of acid soils and at the same time to improve nitrogen use efficiency and to limit the nitrate pollution of the ground waters. Therefore, the risk of leaching of the fertilizer and of the acidification of the soils must be considered prior to any N-fertilizer application. The application of N-fertilizers to the soil requires a good knowledge of the soil-fertilizer relationship, which those who are planning the fertilization policy and/or applying it might not have. In this study, a fuzzy classification methodology is presented for mapping the agricultural soils according to the kind and the rate of application of N-fertilizer that should be used. The values of pH, clay, sand and carbonates soil variables are estimated at each point of an area by applying geostatistical techniques. Using the pH values three fuzzy sets: "no-risk-acidification"; "low-risk-acidification"; and "high-risk-acidification" are produced and the memberships of each point to the three sets are estimated. Additionally, from the clay and sand values the membership grade to the fuzzy set "risk-of-leaching" is calculated. The parameters and their values, which are used for the construction of the fuzzy sets, are based on the literature, the existing knowledge and the experimentation, of the soil-fertilizer relationships and provide a consistent mechanism for mapping the soils according to the type of N-fertilizers that should be applied and the rate of applications. The maps produced can easily be interpreted and used by non-experts in the application of the fertilization policy at national, local and farm level. The methodology is presented through a case study using data from the Amfilochia area, west Greece.

  20. Characteristics of biomass ashes from different materials and their ameliorative effects on acid soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Renyong; Li, Jiuyu; Jiang, Jun; Mehmood, Khalid; Liu, Yuan; Xu, Renkou; Qian, Wei

    2017-05-01

    The chemical characteristics, element contents, mineral compositions, and the ameliorative effects on acid soils of five biomass ashes from different materials were analyzed. The chemical properties of the ashes varied depending on the source biomass material. An increase in the concrete shuttering contents in the biomass materials led to higher alkalinity, and higher Ca and Mg levels in biomass ashes, which made them particularly good at ameliorating effects on soil acidity. However, heavy metal contents, such as Cr, Cu, and Zn in the ashes, were relatively high. The incorporation of all ashes increased soil pH, exchangeable base cations, and available phosphorus, but decreased soil exchangeable acidity. The application of the ashes from biomass materials with a high concrete shuttering content increased the soil available heavy metal contents. Therefore, the biomass ashes from wood and crop residues with low concrete contents were the better acid soil amendments. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  1. Key parameters in testing biodegradation of bio-based materials in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Briassoulis, D; Mistriotis, A

    2018-05-05

    Biodegradation of plastics in soil is currently tested by international standard testing methods (e.g. ISO 17556-12 or ASTM D5988-12). Although these testing methods have been developed for plastics, it has been shown in project KBBPPS that they can be extended also to lubricants with small modifications. Reproducibility is a critical issue regarding biodegradation tests in the laboratory. Among the main testing variables are the soil types and nutrients available (mainly nitrogen). For this reason, the effect of the soil type on the biodegradation rates of various bio-based materials (cellulose and lubricants) was tested for five different natural soil types (loam, loamy sand, clay, clay-loam, and silt-loam organic). It was shown that use of samples containing 1 g of C in a substrate of 300 g of soil with the addition of 0.1 g of N as nutrient strongly improves the reproducibility of the test making the results practically independent of the soil type with the exception of the organic soil. The sandy soil was found to need addition of higher amount of nutrients to exhibit similar biodegradation rates as those achieved with the other soil types. Therefore, natural soils can be used for Standard biodegradation tests of bio-based materials yielding reproducible results with the addition of appropriate nutrients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Cement conditioning of waste materials and polluted soil using the GEODUR process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brocdersen, K.; Hjelmar, O.; Mortonsen, S.

    1991-01-01

    In this paper two areas of application of the GEODUR additive in cement stabilization of waste materials have been investigated: stabilization of radioactive contaminated soil and stabilization of municipal solid waste incinerator ash. Preliminary experimental work on a clayey soil contaminated with radioactive cesium and strontium has indicated that the GEODUR process is a technically feasible method for soil solidification. The retarding effects of humic materials in the soil are eliminated by the additive even at low cement contents. The solidified soil is not particularly strong, but that satisfactory water permeability. Retention of cesium is reasonably good, but not as good as for the untreated soil. Retention of strontium is not good but is considerably improved by carbonation. The volume stability during permanent immersion of the solidified products in water is satisfactory, but crack formation during dryout cannot be excluded

  3. Colombia: Territorial classification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mendoza Morales, Alberto

    1998-01-01

    The article is about the approaches of territorial classification, thematic axes, handling principles and territorial occupation, politician and administrative units and administration regions among other topics. Understanding as Territorial Classification the space distribution on the territory of the country, of the geographical configurations, the human communities, the political-administrative units and the uses of the soil, urban and rural, existent and proposed

  4. Study on reinforcement of soil for suppressing fugitive dust by bio-cementitious material

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhan, Qiwei; Qian, Chunxiang

    2017-06-01

    Microbial-induced reinforcement of soil, as a new green and environmental-friendly method, is being paid extensive attention to in that it has low cost, simple operation and rapid effects. In this research, reinforcement of soil for suppressing fugitive dust by bio-cementitious material was investigated. Soil cemented by bio-cementitious material had superior mechanical properties, such as hardness, compressive strength, microstructure, wind-erosion resistance, rainfall-erosion resistance and freeze-thaw resistance. The average hardness of sandy soil, floury soil and clay soil is 18.9 º, 25.2 º and 26.1 º, while average compressive strength of samples is 0.43 MPa, 0.54 MPa and 0.69 MPa, respectively; meanwhile, the average calcite content of samples is 6.85 %, 6.09 %, and 5.96 %, respectively. Compared with the original sandy soil, floury soil and clay soil, the porosity decreases by 38.5 %, 33.7 % and 29.2 %. When wind speed is 12 m/s, the mass loss of sandy soil, floury soil and clay soil cemented by bio-cementitious material are all less than 30 g/(m2·h). After three cycles of rainfall erosion of 2.5 mm/h, the mass loss are less than 25 g/(m2·h) and the compressive strength residual ratio are more than 98.0 %. Under 25 cycles of freeze-thaw, the mass loss ratio are less than 3.0 %.

  5. Pedological characteristics, general fertility and classification of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Pedological characteristics, general fertility and classification of some benchmark ... on existing soils information coupled with reconnaissance field soil survey. ... systems i.e. the United States Department of Agriculture Soil Taxonomy and the ...

  6. World Reference Base | FAO SOILS PORTAL | Food and Agriculture

    Science.gov (United States)

    > Soil classification > World Reference Base FAO SOILS PORTAL Survey Assessment Biodiversity Management Degradation/Restoration Policies/Governance Publications Soil properties Soil classification World Soil Maps and Databases World Reference Base Dominant soils of the world The World Reference Base (WRB

  7. Soil texture classification algorithm using RGB characteristics of soil images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soil texture has an important influence on agriculture, affecting crop selection, movement of nutrients and water, soil electrical conductivity, and crop growth. Soil texture has traditionally been determined in the laboratory using pipette and hydrometer methods that require a considerable amount o...

  8. Resilient modulus for unbound granular materials and subgrade soils in Egypt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mousa Rabah

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Mechanistic Empirical (ME pavement design methods started to gain attention especially the last couple of years in Egypt and the Middle East. One of the challenges facing the spread of these methods in Egypt is lack of advanced properties of local soil and asphalt, which are needed as input data in ME design. Resilient modulus (Mr for example is an important engineering property that expresses the elastic behavior of soil/unbound granular materials (UGMs under cyclic traffic loading for ME design. In order to overcome the scarcity of the resilient modulus data for soil/UGMs in Egypt, a comprehensive laboratory testing program was conducted to measure resilient modulus of typical UGMs and subgrade soils typically used in pavement construction in Egypt. The factors that affect the resilient modulus of soil/UGMs were reviewed, studied and discussed. Finally, the prediction accuracy of the most well-known Mr Prediction models for the locally investigated materials was investigated.

  9. Influence of Parent Material and Topography on some Soil ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Selected physical and chemical properties and nutrient ratios on three landscape positions (interfluve crest, middle slope and foot slope) were examined on soils formed on banded gneiss and quartzite schist parent materials. Parent material significantly (p<0.05) influenced gravel, coarse sand and copper contents in the ...

  10. Wind erosion control of soils using polymeric materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Movahedan

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Wind erosion of soils is one of the most important problems in environment and agriculture which could affects several fields. Agricultural lands, water reservoires, irrigation canals, drains and etc. may be affected by wind erosion and suspended particles. As a result wind erosion control needs attention in arid and semi-arid regions. In recent years, some polymeric materials have been used for improvement of structural stability, increasing aggregate stability and soil stabilization, though kind of polymer, quantity of polymer, field efficiency and durability and environmental impacts are some important parameters which should be taken into consideration. In this study, a Polyvinil Acetate-based polymer was used to treat different soils. Then polymer-added soil samples were investigated experimentally in a wind tunnel to verify the effecte of polymer on wind erosion control of the soils and the results were compared with water treated soil samples. The results of wind tunnel experiments with a maximum 26 m/s wind velocity showed that there was a significat difference between the erosion of polymer treated and water treated soil samples. Application of 25g/m2 polymer to Aeolian sands reduced the erosion of Aeolian sands samples to zero related to water treated samples. For silty and calyey soils treated by polymer, the wind erosion reduced minimum 90% in relation to water treated samples.

  11. A Linkage Between Parent Materials of Soil and Potential Risk of Heavy Metals in Yunnan province, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, X.

    2015-12-01

    A large area exceeding soil quality standards for heavy metals in South western China has been identified previously reported on a nationwide survey of soil pollution, yet the ecological risk of heavy metal in soil is unknown or uncertainty.To assess thoroughly the ecological risk in this region, seven soil profiles with a depth of 2m on the different parent materials of soil were conducted in Yunnan province, China, and the level of total concentrations and the fraction of water soluble, ion exchangeable, carbonates, humic acid, iron and manganese oxides and organic matter of As, Cd, Hg and Pb was investigated in soil profiles. The results indicate that parent materials of soil critically influenced the ecological risk of heavy metal.The fraction of water soluble and ion exchangeable of Cd and Hg in alluvial material and in terrigenous clastic rocks showed 2-6 times higher than those in carbonate rock; As and Pb has almost same fraction of water soluble and ion exchangeable in three parent materials of soil.The findings suggest that parent materials of soil play a critical role in ecological risk of heavy metal.Thus, more studies are needed to better understand a linkage between the parent materials of soil, different soil-forming processes and the potential risk of heavy metals under various geographic conditions, which is the key for the evaluating soil quality and food safety. Those soils with high concentration of Cd and Hg originated alluvial material and terrigenous clastic rocks need to be continuously monitored before determining a cost-effective remediation technology. Keywords: Heavy metals; Ecological risk;Parent materials of soil;China

  12. Effects of wood saw dust ash admixed with treated sisal fibre on the geotechnical properties of lateritic soil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John Engbonye SANI

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The preliminary investigation conducted on the lateritic soil collected at Shika, Zaria shows that it falls under A-7-6 (10 classification for AASHTO (1986 and CL according to unified soil classification system USCS (ASTM 1992. The soil was treated with both wood saw dust ash (WSDA and treated sisal fiber, in stepped concentration of 0,2,4,6, and 8% for WSDA and 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1% treated sisal fibre by dry weight of soil using Standard proctor. The Sisal Fibre was treated with Sodium Borohydride (NaBH4 (1% wt/vol for 60 minutes at room temperature to remove the cellulose content present in the Fibre. Statistical analysis was carried out on the obtained results using XLSTART 2017 software and analysis of variance with the Microsoft Excel Analysis Tool Pak Software Package. The liquid limit (LL of the soil was found to be 48% while the plastic limit(PL is 21.27%. The maximum dry density(MDDhowever, decreases generally from a value of 1.85 Mg/m3 to 1.68Mg/m3 at 0.25% sisal fiber content/0% WSDA. It has its least value of 1.57Mg/m3 at 1% sisal fiber and 8% WSDA. The OMC increased from 18 % of the natural soil to 23.7% at 0.75% sisal fiber / 6% WSDA content. There was a general increase in the value of UCS of the soil-sisal fibre mixture with WSDA content from 100 kN/m2 of the natural soil to 696 kN/m2 at 0.75 % sisal fibre content / 6% WSDA. The UCS value met the standard of 687-1373 kN/m2 requirements of sub base for adequate lime and cement stabilization, respectively (Ingas and Metcalf 1972.

  13. Impact of Waste Materials and Organic Amendments on Soil Properties and Vegetative Performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steven L. McGeehan

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Waste materials, and materials derived from wastes, possess many characteristics that can improve soil fertility and enhance crop performance. These materials can be particularly useful as amendments to severely degraded soils associated with mining activities. This study evaluated biosolids, composts, log yard wastes, and two organic soil treatments for improved soil fertility and vegetative performance using side-by-side comparisons. Each plot was seeded with a standardized seed mix and evaluated for a series of soil chemical and physical parameters, total vegetation response, species diversity, ecological plant response, and invasion indices. All treatments were successful at improving soil fertility and promoting a self-sustaining vegetative cover. The level of available nitrogen had a strong impact on vegetative coverage, species distribution, and extent of unseeded vegetation. For example, high nitrogen treatments promoted a grass-dominated (low forb plant community with a low content of unseeded vegetation. In contrast, low nitrogen treatments promoted a more balanced plant community with a mixture of grass and forb species and greater susceptibility to unseeded vegetation establishment.

  14. ACHP | Unified Federal Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Search skip specific nav links Home arrow Unified Federal Review Three logos: 1) Executive Office of the Homeland Security. Unified Federal Environmental and Historic Preservation Review Process Please visit the new location for the Unified Federal Review located here: http://www.fema.gov/environmental-historic

  15. Experimental study of polyurethane foam reinforced soil used as a rock-like material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eren Komurlu

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available In this study, polyurethane foam type thermoset polymerizing, due to chemical reaction between its liquid ingredients, was tested as binder after solidifying and then a rock-like material mixing with a sandy silt type soil was prepared. The uniaxial compressive strengths (UCSs of polyurethane foam reinforced soil specimens were determined for different polyurethane ratios in the mixture. Additionally, a series of tests on slake durability, impact value, freezing–thawing resistance, and abrasion resistance of polyurethane reinforced soil (PRS mixture was conducted. The UCS values over 3 MPa were measured from the PRS specimens. The testing results showed that treated soil can economically become a desirable rock-like material in terms of slake durability and resistances against freezing–thawing, impact effect and abrasion. As another characteristic of the rock-like material made with polyurethane foam, unit volume weight was found to be quite lower than those of natural rock materials.

  16. assessment of assessment of bagasse ash bagasse ash bagasse

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    eobe

    medium plasticity CL according to Unified Soil Classification System (USCS). The specific .... construction of roads, highways, aircraft runways ... experiencing an unending problem of environmental ..... “Title 25 Health: Environmental Control.

  17. On the classification and prediction of characteristics of heat resisting materials durability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krivenyuk, V.V.

    1976-01-01

    The proposed methods - one of which is based on the direct or indirect use of comparable temperature and load conditions, while the other takes into account in addition structural features of the material that are governed by the short-term ductility characteristics - are practically equivalent to the Larson and Miller method as regards accuracy and reliability of prediction. The classification of materials employed in the theory of high-temperature strength may promote the development of rapid methods of predicting the long-term strength and deformation properties by also taking into consideration the state of the material characterized by the short-term mechanical properties

  18. Nature and Properties of Lateritic Soils Derived from Different Parent Materials in Taiwan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tzu-Hsing Ko

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to investigate the physical, chemical, and mineralogical composition of lateritic soils in order to use these soils as potential commercial products for industrial application in the future. Five lateritic soils derived from various parent materials in Taiwan, including andesite, diluvium, shale stone, basalt, and Pleistocene deposit, were collected from the Bt1 level of soil samples. Based on the analyses, the Tungwei soil is an alfisol, whereas other lateritic soils are ultisol. Higher pH value of Tungwei is attributed to the large amounts of Ca2+ and Mg2+. Loupi and Pingchen soils would be the older lateritic soils because of the lower active iron ratio. For the iron minerals, the magnetic iron oxides such as major amounts of magnetite and maghemite were found for Tamshui and Tungwei lateritic soils, respectively. Lepidocrocite was only found in Soka soil and intermediate amounts of goethite were detected for Loupi and Pingchen soils. After Mg-saturated and K-saturated processes, major amounts of mixed layer were observed in Loupi and Soka soils, whereas the montmorillonite was only detected in Tungwei soil. The investigation results revealed that the parent materials would play an important role during soil weathering process and physical, chemical, and mineralogy compositions strongly affect the formation of lateritic soils.

  19. Nature and Properties of Lateritic Soils Derived from Different Parent Materials in Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate the physical, chemical, and mineralogical composition of lateritic soils in order to use these soils as potential commercial products for industrial application in the future. Five lateritic soils derived from various parent materials in Taiwan, including andesite, diluvium, shale stone, basalt, and Pleistocene deposit, were collected from the Bt1 level of soil samples. Based on the analyses, the Tungwei soil is an alfisol, whereas other lateritic soils are ultisol. Higher pH value of Tungwei is attributed to the large amounts of Ca2+ and Mg2+. Loupi and Pingchen soils would be the older lateritic soils because of the lower active iron ratio. For the iron minerals, the magnetic iron oxides such as major amounts of magnetite and maghemite were found for Tamshui and Tungwei lateritic soils, respectively. Lepidocrocite was only found in Soka soil and intermediate amounts of goethite were detected for Loupi and Pingchen soils. After Mg-saturated and K-saturated processes, major amounts of mixed layer were observed in Loupi and Soka soils, whereas the montmorillonite was only detected in Tungwei soil. The investigation results revealed that the parent materials would play an important role during soil weathering process and physical, chemical, and mineralogy compositions strongly affect the formation of lateritic soils. PMID:24883366

  20. Methods to ensure the quality of excavated soil material from geogenically metalliferous sites

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liebhard, Peter; Sager, Manfred

    2017-04-01

    Soils at geogenically metalliferous sites might exceed heavy metal threshold levels with respect to agricultural use, apart from anthropogenic contamination sources. As a fundamental substrate for green plants and green plant production, soil is not easily renewable, its formation needs long time (e.g. 500 years for 20 mm). In Austria, about 10ha of soil get sealed every day, resulting in complete loss of its biological functions. Excavated soil material has been classified as waste from a legal point of view, which made 33 mill. tons resp. 48% of total waste in Austria in 2010. Recycling of excavated soil material for agricultural use will be an important task to reduce future waste and to enlarge agricultural substrate volumes, but methods to ensure proper qualities are needed to improve regulations. Within this investigation, the transfer of various metals from geogenically metalliferous soils to various crop plants will be investigated, and correlated with various simple soil test methods. Four excavated soil materials from the metalliferous schist zone within the Austrian province of Styria (Kraubath/Mur, Übelbach) and a low-metal reference sample have been taken as substrates to grow raygrass (lolium multiflorum) as a green cover, salad (Lactuca sativa) as a vegetable food item, oats (Avena sativa), maize (Zea mais) and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) as a hyperaccumulating species. Results and recommendations will be presented.

  1. Soil classification for seismic site effect using MASW and ReMi methods: A case study from western Anatolia (Dikili -İzmir)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karabulut, Savaş

    2018-03-01

    The study area is located in the northern part of Izmir, Western Turkey, prone to an active tectonic extensional regime and includes typical features of sedimentary basins, horst-grabens surrounded by a series of normal and strike-slip faults. In September 1939 the Dikili (Kabakum) earthquake with a magnitude of Mw: 6.6 occurred and after this phenomenon, residents moved from the west of Dikili to the east (i.d. soft sediments to relative to rock area). A proper estimate of the earthquake-related hazard for the area is the main objective of this study. The site effect and soil engineering problems for estimating hazard parameters at the soil surface need to be carefully analyzed for seismic site classification and geo-engineering problems like soil liquefaction, soil settlement, soil bearing capacity and soil amplification. To solve the soil static and dynamic problems, shear-wave velocities have been used in a joint interpretation process; Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) and Refraction Microtremor (ReMi) analyses were conducted on 121 sites with 300 × 300 m grid size in an area of 60 km2. It has been proposed that the probability of an earthquake with a magnitude of Mw: 6 occurring within 10 years is 64%, when considering the Gutenberg-Richter model. This puts the region under an important earthquake risk. The estimated Vs30 values are ≤180 m/s in the central and the northernmost part of the study area are showing an E type soil after the classification of NEHRP, where alluvial deposits are dominant. Vs30 values in the north and central part are between 180 ≤ Vs ≤ 360 m/s suggesting a D type soil. In the southernmost part of the study area where volcanic rocks are widely distributed, Vs30 values range between 360 and 908 m/s, corresponding to a C type and B type soil. The results show that soil liquefaction induced settlement and soil amplification are the most important problems in the south and the northernmost part of the study area, which

  2. Decoding implicit information from the soil map of Belgium and implications for spatial modelling and soil classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dondeyne, Stefaan; Legrain, Xavier; Colinet, Gilles; Van Ranst, Eric; Deckers, Jozef

    2014-05-01

    A systematic soil survey of Belgium was conducted from 1948 to 1991. Field surveys were done at the detailed scale of 1:5000 with the final maps published at a 1:20,000 scale. Soil surveyors were classifying soils in the field according to physical and morphogenetic characteristics such as texture, drainage class and profile development. Mapping units are defined as a combination of these characteristics but to which modifiers can be added such as parent material, stoniness or depth to substrata. Interpretation of the map towards predicting soil properties seems straight forward. Consequently, since the soil map has been digitized, it has been used for e.g. hydrological modelling or for estimating soil organic carbon content at sub-national and national level. Besides the explicit information provided by the legend, a wealth of implicit information is embedded in the map. Based on three cases, we illustrate that by decoding this information, properties pertaining to soil drainage or soil organic carbon content can be assessed more accurately. First, the presence/absence of fragipans affects the soil hydraulic conductivity. Although a dedicated symbol exits for fragipans (suffix "...m"), it is only used explicitly in areas where fragipans are not all that common. In the Belgian Ardennes, where fragipans are common, their occurrence is implicitly implied for various soil types mentioned in explanatory booklets. Second, whenever seasonal or permanent perched water tables were observed, these were indicated by drainage class ".h." or ".i.", respectively. Stagnic properties have been under reported as typical stagnic mottling - i.e. when the surface of soil peds are lighter and/or paler than the more reddish interior - were not distinguished from mottling due to groundwater gley. Still, by combining information on topography and the occurrence of substratum layers, stagnic properties can be inferred. Thirdly, soils with deep anthropogenic enriched organic matter

  3. Sensitivity analysis of the GEMS soil organic carbon model to land cover land use classification uncertainties under different climate scenarios in Senegal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dieye, A.M.; Roy, David P.; Hanan, N.P.; Liu, S.; Hansen, M.; Toure, A.

    2012-01-01

    Spatially explicit land cover land use (LCLU) change information is needed to drive biogeochemical models that simulate soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics. Such information is increasingly being mapped using remotely sensed satellite data with classification schemes and uncertainties constrained by the sensing system, classification algorithms and land cover schemes. In this study, automated LCLU classification of multi-temporal Landsat satellite data were used to assess the sensitivity of SOC modeled by the Global Ensemble Biogeochemical Modeling System (GEMS). The GEMS was run for an area of 1560 km2 in Senegal under three climate change scenarios with LCLU maps generated using different Landsat classification approaches. This research provides a method to estimate the variability of SOC, specifically the SOC uncertainty due to satellite classification errors, which we show is dependent not only on the LCLU classification errors but also on where the LCLU classes occur relative to the other GEMS model inputs.

  4. Comparative evaluation of clays from Abakaliki Formation with ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Okeey Aghamelu

    Department of Geology, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria. ... classified as inorganic clays of high plasticity (CH) according to Unified Soil Classification System .... movement through the outcrop locations and sample.

  5. Effect of Palmyra Palm Leaf Ash on Cement Stabilization of Makurdi Shale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amos Yala IORLIAM

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Makurdi Shale was treated with palmyra palm leaf ash (PPLA and cement to assess its suitability as a material in construction of flexible pavement. Classification, Compaction, Consistency, California bearing ratio (CBR and Unconfined compressive strength (UCS tests, were conducted on the shale specimen treated with, cement and PPLA in a combined incremental order of 2% up to 10% of cement and 2% up to 14% of PPLA of dry weight of soil sample respectively. Results of tests showed that Makurdi shale is an A-7-6, high plasticity (CH and high swell potential soil by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO, Unified Soil Classification System (USCS and Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI classification systems respectively. The plasticity index (PI reduced from 30.5% for untreated Makurdi shale to 4% at 10% cement +14% PPLA contents. The maximum soaked CBR and 7 day UCS values of 92% and 1041 kN/m2 were obtained at 10% cement+14 % PPLA contents respectively. From the results, Makurdi shale treated with a combination of 10%cement+14% PPFA with a soaked CBR value of 92 %, 7 day UCS value of 1041 kN/m2 and 82 % value of resistance to loss in strength, satisfied the requirement for sub-base specification. It is therefore recommended for use as sub-base materials in flexible pavement.

  6. Suitability of technical materials for machinery subsoilers for soil tillage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Radek Bednář

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Agricultural soil processing belongs to the basic elements in the process of crop production. Currently classic tillage method is decreasing and the only trend has stated as a shallow plowing. Suitable post harvest soil tillage greatly affects yields in the next cycle. The aim of the study is the analysis of abrasive wear of selected construction materials and their subsequent use for DXRV-HD cultivator. The performed tests are focused on monitoring the mechanical properties of the materials and their use for variable cutting tip of cultivator body. Tested materials are divided into four categories. These materials include tool steel (19436, carbon steel (12050, cast iron with globular graphite and welding material supplied as a functional complex on low carbon steel by the Abraweld company. These materials are tested together with the original part of share cultivator. The present experiment is focused on metallorgraphic, mechanical and abrasive analysis. Structural component of the material is identified by metallographic photos and then compared with the impact strength tested on Charpy hammer. Followed the abrasion resistance according to CSN 01 5084 and the total evaluation of the tested samples are done.

  7. Hygrothermal Simulation of Foundations: Part 1 - Soil Material Properties

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kehrer, Manfred [ORNL; Pallin, Simon B [ORNL

    2012-10-01

    The hygrothermal performance of soils coupled to buildings is a complicated process. A computational approach for heat transfer through the ground has been well defined (EN ISO 13370:2007, 2007), and simplified methods have been developed (Staszczuk, Radon, and Holm 2010). However, these approaches generally ignore the transfer of soil moisture, which is not negligible (Janssen, Carmeliet, and Hens 2004). This study is divided into several parts. The intention of the first part is to gather, comprehend and adapt soil properties from Soil Science. The obtained information must be applicable to related tasks in Building Science and validated with hygrothermal calculation tools. Future parts of this study will focus on the validation aspect of the soil properties to be implemented. Basic changes in the software code may be requested at this time. Different types of basement construction will be created with a hygrothermal calculation tool, WUFI. Simulations from WUFI will be compared with existing or ongoing measurements. The intentions of the first part of this study have been fulfilled. The soil properties of interest in Building Science have been defined for 12 different soil textures. These properties will serve as input parameters when performing hygrothermal calculations of building constructions coupled to soil materials. The reliability of the soil parameters will be further evaluated with measurements in Part 2.

  8. Refining soil survey information for a Dutch soil series using land use history

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sonneveld, M.P.W.; Bouma, J.; Veldkamp, A.

    2002-01-01

    Differences in land-use history within soil series, although not influencing soil classification, lead to variability of non-diagnostic soil properties in soil databases. Regional studies that use soil databases are confronted with this considerable variability. This has, for example, been reported

  9. Resolving Radiological Classification and Release Issues for Many DOE Solid Wastes and Salvageable Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hochel, R.C.

    1999-01-01

    The cost effective radiological classification and disposal of solid materials with potential volume contamination, in accordance with applicable U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Orders, suffers from an inability to unambiguously distinguish among transuranic waste, low-level waste, and unconditional-release materials in a generic way allowing in-situ measurement and verification. Depending on a material''s classification, disposal costs can vary by a hundred-fold. With these large costs at risk, the issues involved in making defensible decisions are ripe for closer scrutiny. In many cases, key issues can be easily resolved by a combination of process information, some simple measurements, and calculational predictions from a computer model for radiation shielding. The proper classification and disposal of many solid wastes requires a measurement regime that is able to show compliance with a variety of institutional and regulatory contamination limits. Ultimate responsibility for this, of course, rests with radiological control or health physics organization of the individual site, but there are many measurements which can be performed by operations and generation organizations to simplify the process and virtually guarantee acceptance. Although this is not possible for all potential solid wastes, there are many that do lend themselves to such measures, particularly some of large volumes and realizable cost savings. Mostly what is needed for this to happen are a few guiding rules, measurement procedures, and cross checks for potential pitfalls. Several examples are presented here and discussed that demonstrate the possibilities, including one which was successfully applied to bulk contamination

  10. Multi-material classification of dry recyclables from municipal solid waste based on thermal imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gundupalli, Sathish Paulraj; Hait, Subrata; Thakur, Atul

    2017-12-01

    There has been a significant rise in municipal solid waste (MSW) generation in the last few decades due to rapid urbanization and industrialization. Due to the lack of source segregation practice, a need for automated segregation of recyclables from MSW exists in the developing countries. This paper reports a thermal imaging based system for classifying useful recyclables from simulated MSW sample. Experimental results have demonstrated the possibility to use thermal imaging technique for classification and a robotic system for sorting of recyclables in a single process step. The reported classification system yields an accuracy in the range of 85-96% and is comparable with the existing single-material recyclable classification techniques. We believe that the reported thermal imaging based system can emerge as a viable and inexpensive large-scale classification-cum-sorting technology in recycling plants for processing MSW in developing countries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Moessbauer and magnetic studies of parent material from argentine pampas soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bidegain, J. C.; Bartel, A. A.; Sives, F. R.; Mercader, R. C.

    2007-01-01

    In order to establish a correlation between the different types of soils using hyperfine and magnetic parameters as climatic and environmental proxies, we have studied the differentiation of soil developed around 38.5 o south latitude, in the central Pampas of Argentina, by means of Moessbauer spectroscopy and environmental magnetism. The soils transect (climosequence) investigated stretches from the drier west (around 64 o W) to the more humid east (at around 59 o W) in the Buenos Aires Province, covering a distance of 600 km. The soils studied developed during recent Holocene geologic times in a landscape characterized by small relict plateaus, slopes and depressions, dunes and prairies. The parent material consists of eolian sandy silts overlying calcrete layers. The low mean annual precipitation in the western parts of the region gives rise to soils without B-horizons, which limits the agricultural use of land. The preliminary results show an increase of the paramagnetic Fe 3+ relative concentration from west to east in the soils investigated. Magnetite is probably mainly responsible for the observed enhancement in the susceptibility values. The magnetic response of the parent material is similar to that of the loess part of the previously investigated loess-paleosol sequences of the Argentine loess plateau.

  12. GIS/RS-based Rapid Reassessment for Slope Land Capability Classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, T. Y.; Chompuchan, C.

    2014-12-01

    Farmland resources in Taiwan are limited because about 73% is mountainous and slope land. Moreover, the rapid urbanization and dense population resulted in the highly developed flat area. Therefore, the utilization of slope land for agriculture is more needed. In 1976, "Slope Land Conservation and Utilization Act" was promulgated to regulate the slope land utilization. Consequently, slope land capability was categorized into Class I-IV according to 4 criteria, i.e., average land slope, effective soil depth, degree of soil erosion, and parent rock. The slope land capability Class I-VI are suitable for cultivation and pasture. Whereas, Class V should be used for forestry purpose and Class VI should be the conservation land which requires intensive conservation practices. The field survey was conducted to categorize each land unit as the classification scheme. The landowners may not allow to overuse land capability limitation. In the last decade, typhoons and landslides frequently devastated in Taiwan. The rapid post-disaster reassessment of the slope land capability classification is necessary. However, the large-scale disaster on slope land is the constraint of field investigation. This study focused on using satellite remote sensing and GIS as the rapid re-evaluation method. Chenyulan watershed in Nantou County, Taiwan was selected to be a case study area. Grid-based slope derivation, topographic wetness index (TWI) and USLE soil loss calculation were used to classify slope land capability. The results showed that GIS-based classification give an overall accuracy of 68.32%. In addition, the post-disaster areas of Typhoon Morakot in 2009, which interpreted by SPOT satellite imageries, were suggested to classify as the conservation lands. These tools perform better in the large coverage post-disaster update for slope land capability classification and reduce time-consuming, manpower and material resources to the field investigation.

  13. Short-term stability test for thorium soil candidate a reference material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clain, Almir F.; Fonseca, Adelaide M.G.; Dantas, Vanessa V.D.B.; Braganca, Maura J.C.; Souza, Poliana S., E-mail: almir@ird.gov.br, E-mail: adelaide@ird.gov.br, E-mail: vanessa@ird.gov.br, E-mail: maura@ird.gov.br, E-mail: poliana@bolsista.ird.gov.br [Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    2015-07-01

    This work describes a methodology to determine the soil short-term stability after the steps of production in laboratory. The short-term stability of the soil is an essential property to be determined in order to producing a reference material. The soil is a candidate of reference material for chemical analysis of thorium with metrological traceability to be used in environmental analysis, equipment calibration, validation methods, and quality control. A material is considered stable in a certain temperature if the property of interest does not change with time, considering the analytical random fluctuations. Due to this, the angular coefficient from the graphic of Th concentration versus elapsed time must be near to zero. The analytical determinations of thorium concentration were performed by Instrumental Neutron activation Analysis. The slopes and their uncertainties were obtained from the regression lines at temperatures of 20 deg C and 60 deg C, with control temperature of -20 deg C. From the obtained data a t-test was applied. In both temperatures the calculated t-value was lower than the critical value, so we can conclude with 95% confidence level that no significant changes happened during the period studied concerning thorium concentration in soil at temperatures of 20 deg C and 60 deg C, showing stability at these temperatures. (author)

  14. Short-term stability test for thorium soil candidate a reference material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clain, Almir F.; Fonseca, Adelaide M.G.; Dantas, Vanessa V.D.B.; Braganca, Maura J.C.; Souza, Poliana S.

    2015-01-01

    This work describes a methodology to determine the soil short-term stability after the steps of production in laboratory. The short-term stability of the soil is an essential property to be determined in order to producing a reference material. The soil is a candidate of reference material for chemical analysis of thorium with metrological traceability to be used in environmental analysis, equipment calibration, validation methods, and quality control. A material is considered stable in a certain temperature if the property of interest does not change with time, considering the analytical random fluctuations. Due to this, the angular coefficient from the graphic of Th concentration versus elapsed time must be near to zero. The analytical determinations of thorium concentration were performed by Instrumental Neutron activation Analysis. The slopes and their uncertainties were obtained from the regression lines at temperatures of 20 deg C and 60 deg C, with control temperature of -20 deg C. From the obtained data a t-test was applied. In both temperatures the calculated t-value was lower than the critical value, so we can conclude with 95% confidence level that no significant changes happened during the period studied concerning thorium concentration in soil at temperatures of 20 deg C and 60 deg C, showing stability at these temperatures. (author)

  15. Structure of diagnostics horizons and humus classification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zanella A

    2008-03-01

    Full Text Available The classification of the main humus forms is generally based on the morpho-genetic characters of the A and OH diagnostic horizons. This is the case in the new European key of classification presented in Freiburg on September 2004 (Eurosoil Congress. Among the morpho-genetic characters, the soil structure covers a very important role. In this work, the structure of the diagnostic A and OH horizons has been analysed in terms of aggregation force, diameter and composition of the soil lumps (peds. In order to study the aggregation force, two disaggregating tools have been conceived and used. The diameter of the lumps has been measured by sieving the soil samples with standardised webs. Observing the samples thanks to a binocular magnifying 10X and 50X, the organic or/and mineral composition of the soil aggregates has been determined, data being investigated with ANOVA and Factorial Analysis. The article examines the argument from two points of view: crashing tools for estimating the soil structure (part 1 and the dimensions of the peds given in European key of humus forms classification (part 2. The categories of soil peds diameter and composition seem to be linked to the main humus forms. For instance, aggregates having a diamater larger than 1 mm and well amalgamate organo-mineral composition are more present in the A horizons of the Mull forms than in which of the other forms; contrary to the OH horizon of the Moder or Mor, the OH horizon of the Amphi forms shows an important percent of small organic lumps. Some propositions have been given in order to improve the European key of humus forms classification.

  16. Dissipation of fragrance materials in sludge-amended soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    DiFrancesco, Angela M; Chiu, Pei C; Standley, Laurel J; Allen, Herbert E; Salvito, Daniel T

    2004-01-01

    A possible removal mechanism for fragrance materials (FMs) in wastewater is adsorption to sludge, and sludge application to land may be a route through which FMs are released to the soil environment. However, little is known about the concentrations and fate of FMs in soil receiving sludge application. This study was conducted to better understand the dissipation of FMs in sludge-amended soils. We first determined the spiking and extraction efficiencies for 22 FMs in soil and leachate samples. Nine FMs were detected in digested sludges from two wastewater treatment plants in Delaware using these methods. We conducted a 1-year die-away experiment which involved four different soils amended with sludge, with and without spiking of the 22 FMs. The initial dissipation of FMs in all spiked trays was rapid, and only seven FMs remained at concentrations above the quantification limits after 3 months: AHTN, HHCB, musk ketone, musk xylene, acetyl cedrene, OTNE, and DPMI. After 1 year, the only FMs remaining in all spiked trays were musk ketone and AHTN. DPMI was the only FM that leached significantly from the spiked trays, and no FMs were detected in leachate from any unspiked tray. While soil organic matter content affected the dissipation rate in general, different mechanisms (volatilization, transformation, leaching) appeared to be important for different FMs.

  17. Urogenital tuberculosis: definition and classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulchavenya, Ekaterina

    2014-10-01

    To improve the approach to the diagnosis and management of urogenital tuberculosis (UGTB), we need clear and unique classification. UGTB remains an important problem, especially in developing countries, but it is often an overlooked disease. As with any other infection, UGTB should be cured by antibacterial therapy, but because of late diagnosis it may often require surgery. Scientific literature dedicated to this problem was critically analyzed and juxtaposed with the author's own more than 30 years' experience in tuberculosis urology. The conception, terms and definition were consolidated into one system; classification stage by stage as well as complications are presented. Classification of any disease includes dispersion on forms and stages and exact definitions for each stage. Clinical features and symptoms significantly vary between different forms and stages of UGTB. A simple diagnostic algorithm was constructed. UGTB is multivariant disease and a standard unified approach to it is impossible. Clear definition as well as unique classification are necessary for real estimation of epidemiology and the optimization of therapy. The term 'UGTB' has insufficient information in order to estimate therapy, surgery and prognosis, or to evaluate the epidemiology.

  18. Assessment of Soil Degradation by Erosion Based on Analysis of Soil Properties Using Aerial Hyperspectral Images and Ancillary Data, Czech Republic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Žížala

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The assessment of the soil redistribution and real long-term soil degradation due to erosion on agriculture land is still insufficient in spite of being essential for soil conservation policy. Imaging spectroscopy has been recognized as a suitable tool for soil erosion assessment in recent years. In our study, we bring an approach for assessment of soil degradation by erosion by means of determining soil erosion classes representing soils differently influenced by erosion impact. The adopted methods include extensive field sampling, laboratory analysis, predictive modelling of selected soil surface properties using aerial hyperspectral data and the digital elevation model and fuzzy classification. Different multivariate regression techniques (Partial Least Square, Support Vector Machine, Random forest and Artificial neural network were applied in the predictive modelling of soil properties. The properties with satisfying performance (R2 > 0.5 were used as input data in erosion classes determination by fuzzy C-means classification method. The study was performed at four study sites about 1 km2 large representing the most extensive soil units of the agricultural land in the Czech Republic (Chernozems and Luvisols on loess and Cambisols and Stagnosols on crystalline rocks. The influence of site-specific conditions on prediction of soil properties and classification of erosion classes was assessed. The prediction accuracy (R2 of the best performing models predicting the soil properties varies in range 0.8–0.91 for soil organic carbon content, 0.21–0.67 for sand content, 0.4–0.92 for silt content, 0.38–0.89 for clay content, 0.73–089 for Feox, 0.59–0.78 for Fed and 0.82 for CaCO3. The performance and suitability of different properties for erosion classes’ classification are highly variable at the study sites. Soil organic carbon was the most frequently used as the erosion classes’ predictor, while the textural classes showed lower

  19. Multi-phase physicochemical modeling of soil-cementitious material interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakarai, Kenichiro; Ishida, Tetsuya; Maekawa, Koichi

    2005-01-01

    Multi-phase physicochemical modeling based on thermodynamic approach is studied on gel and capillary pores of nano-micrometers and large voids of micro-millimeters among soil foundation. A computational method about transportation of moisture and ions in pore structure for simulating concrete performance was extended for predicting time-dependent material properties of cemented soil. The proposed model was verified with experimental results of cement hydration, change of relative humidity and leaching of calcium ion from cement hydrate to underground water. (author)

  20. Soil hydraulic material properties and layered architecture from time-lapse GPR

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaumann, Stefan; Roth, Kurt

    2018-04-01

    Quantitative knowledge of the subsurface material distribution and its effective soil hydraulic material properties is essential to predict soil water movement. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a noninvasive and nondestructive geophysical measurement method that is suitable to monitor hydraulic processes. Previous studies showed that the GPR signal from a fluctuating groundwater table is sensitive to the soil water characteristic and the hydraulic conductivity function. In this work, we show that the GPR signal originating from both the subsurface architecture and the fluctuating groundwater table is suitable to estimate the position of layers within the subsurface architecture together with the associated effective soil hydraulic material properties with inversion methods. To that end, we parameterize the subsurface architecture, solve the Richards equation, convert the resulting water content to relative permittivity with the complex refractive index model (CRIM), and solve Maxwell's equations numerically. In order to analyze the GPR signal, we implemented a new heuristic algorithm that detects relevant signals in the radargram (events) and extracts the corresponding signal travel time and amplitude. This algorithm is applied to simulated as well as measured radargrams and the detected events are associated automatically. Using events instead of the full wave regularizes the inversion focussing on the relevant measurement signal. For optimization, we use a global-local approach with preconditioning. Starting from an ensemble of initial parameter sets drawn with a Latin hypercube algorithm, we sequentially couple a simulated annealing algorithm with a Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. The method is applied to synthetic as well as measured data from the ASSESS test site. We show that the method yields reasonable estimates for the position of the layers as well as for the soil hydraulic material properties by comparing the results to references derived from ground

  1. NACP MsTMIP: Unified North American Soil Map

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: This data set provides soil maps for the United States (US) (including Alaska), Canada, Mexico, and a part of Guatemala. The map information content...

  2. Radial and Regge excitations in unified, grand unified and subconstituent models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schnitzer, H.J.

    1981-01-01

    Necessary group theoretic conditions for all elementary gauge bosons and fermions of an arbitrary renormalizable gauge theory to lie on Regge trajectories are reviewed. It is then argued that in properly unified gauge theories all particles of a given spin lie on Regge trajectories. This then implies that a properly unified gauge theory has no local U(1) factor groups, and no massive fermion singlets. A consideration of the general pattern of Regge and radial recurrences to be expected in quantum field theories suggests that the presence or absence of spin 3/2 quarks and/or leptons in the TeV region will provide crucial clues to enable one to distinguish between various classes of unified, grand unified, and subconstituent models. The correct interpretation of such excited fermions will require correlation with the higgs boson mass and possible radial and Regge excitations of the weak vector bosons. (orig.)

  3. NACP MsTMIP: Unified North American Soil Map

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data set provides soil maps for the United States (US) (including Alaska), Canada, Mexico, and a part of Guatemala. The map information content includes maximum...

  4. Impacts of soil moisture content on visual soil evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emmet-Booth, Jeremy; Forristal, Dermot; Fenton, Owen; Bondi, Giulia; Creamer, Rachel; Holden, Nick

    2017-04-01

    Visual Soil Examination and Evaluation (VSE) techniques offer tools for soil quality assessment. They involve the visual and tactile assessment of soil properties such as aggregate size and shape, porosity, redox morphology, soil colour and smell. An increasing body of research has demonstrated the reliability and utility of VSE techniques. However a number of limitations have been identified, including the potential impact of soil moisture variation during sampling. As part of a national survey of grassland soil quality in Ireland, an evaluation of the impact of soil moisture on two widely used VSE techniques was conducted. The techniques were Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure (VESS) (Guimarães et al., 2011) and Visual Soil Assessment (VSA) (Shepherd, 2009). Both generate summarising numeric scores that indicate soil structural quality, though employ different scoring mechanisms. The former requires the assessment of properties concurrently and the latter separately. Both methods were deployed on 20 sites across Ireland representing a range of soils. Additional samples were taken for soil volumetric water (θ) determination at 5-10 and 10-20 cm depth. No significant correlation was observed between θ 5-10 cm and either VSE technique. However, VESS scores were significantly related to θ 10-20 cm (rs = 0.40, sig = 0.02) while VSA scores were not (rs = -0.33, sig = 0.06). VESS and VSA scores can be grouped into quality classifications (good, moderate and poor). No significant mean difference was observed between θ 5-10 cm or θ 10-20 cm according to quality classification by either method. It was concluded that VESS scores may be affected by soil moisture variation while VSA appear unaffected. The different scoring mechanisms, where the separate assessment and scoring of individual properties employed by VSA, may limit soil moisture effects. However, moisture content appears not to affect overall structural quality classification by either method. References

  5. The Unified Theory of Physics

    OpenAIRE

    Chung, Ding-Yu

    2002-01-01

    The unified theory of physics unifies various phenomena in our observable universe and other universes. The unified theory is based on the zero-energy universe and the space-object structures. Different universes in different developmental stages are the different expressions of the space-object structures. The unified theory is divided into five parts: the space-object structures, cosmology, the periodic table of elementary particles, the galaxy formation, and the extreme force field. The sp...

  6. Paradoxical differences in N-dynamics between Luxembourg soils: litter quality or parent material?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kooijman, A.M.; Smit, A.

    2009-01-01

    To explore whether litter quality could alter differences in N-dynamics between soil types, we compared spruce and beech growing on soils with parent material sandstone and limestone, and beech and hornbeam on acid marl and limestone. We measured pH, organic matter content, C:N ratio, soil

  7. Paradoxical differences in N-dynamics between Luxembourg soils: Litter quality or parent material?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kooijman, A.M.; Smit, A.

    2009-01-01

    To explore whether litter quality could alter differences in N-dynamics between soil types, we compared spruce and beech growing on soils with parent material sandstone and limestone, and beech and hornbeam on acid marl and limestone. We measured pH, organic matter content, C:N ratio, soil

  8. Assessment on urban soil pollution by biocides from building materials

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bollmann, Ulla E.; Vollertsen, Jes; Bester, Kai

    2015-01-01

    . Based on a monitoring study of stormwater runoff from a residential catchment as well as direct façade runoff analysis, the present study was assessing the pollution of urban soil to biocides from building material. The stormwater runoff of a residential catchment in Silkeborg (Denmark) was monitored...... from a freshly painted or rendered house, it is obvious that a huge part is actually draining directly to the soil and not to the sewer system. Consequently, the soil in urban areas is exposed to stormwater highly polluted by biocides which might affect the microbial community there....

  9. An Ontology to Support the Classification of Learning Material in an Organizational Learning Environment: An Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valaski, Joselaine; Reinehr, Sheila; Malucelli, Andreia

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this research was to evaluate whether ontology integrated in an organizational learning environment may support the automatic learning material classification in a specific knowledge area. Design/methodology/approach: An ontology for recommending learning material was integrated in the organizational learning environment…

  10. Obtaining Material Data for Heat Treatment Simulation of Casr Alloy Parts with Unified Models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bellini, Anna; Thorborg, Jesper; Hattel, Jesper

    2004-01-01

    subjected to high temperature. In this paper a two-state variables unified model is applied in order to simulate creep behavior and time-dependent metallurgical changes. The fundamental assumption of the unified theory is that creep and viscoplasticity, which are both irreversible strains developed because...... study. The results obtained for the simulation of tensile tests and of creep tests are compared with experimental curves, showing a good agreement.......The objective of this work, which is part of the IDEAL (Integrated Development Routes for Optimized Cast Aluminium Components) project, financed by the EU in frame work 6 and born in collaboration with the automobile and foundry industries, is to simulate creep behavior of aluminum cast samples...

  11. Effect of different materials in soil on the neutron moisture gauge readings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abdul-Majid, S.

    1991-01-01

    Neutron moisture gauges that depend on scattering and thermalization of neutrons have been in use for a long time. The hydrogen in water is the effective element in thermalizing the neutrons coming from a neutron source, where they are detected by neutron detector such as B F 3 counter or boron lined counter. The high cross-section of boron for thermal neutrons makes detectors containing boron ideal for this application. There are always some possibility that some materials exist in soil other than water which can moderate and hence introduce false results in moisture contents measurements. For example, materials such as hydrocarbons, asphalt, wood, etc., contain both hydrogen and carbon. These elements are good neutron moderators. The effects of the existence of such materials in the soil on the gauge readings were examined. Elements of high neutron cross-section such as boron can be a source of large error as well, since they absorb thermal neutrons giving low moisture content value. The effect of such materials as part of the soil constituent on the gauge reading was also examined.3 fig

  12. Land-cover classification with an expert classification algorithm using digital aerial photographs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José L. de la Cruz

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the spectral information of digital aerial sensors in determining land-cover classification using new digital techniques. The land covers that have been evaluated are the following, (1 bare soil, (2 cereals, including maize (Zea mays L., oats (Avena sativa L., rye (Secale cereale L., wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and barley (Hordeun vulgare L., (3 high protein crops, such as peas (Pisum sativum L. and beans (Vicia faba L., (4 alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., (5 woodlands and scrublands, including holly oak (Quercus ilex L. and common retama (Retama sphaerocarpa L., (6 urban soil, (7 olive groves (Olea europaea L. and (8 burnt crop stubble. The best result was obtained using an expert classification algorithm, achieving a reliability rate of 95%. This result showed that the images of digital airborne sensors hold considerable promise for the future in the field of digital classifications because these images contain valuable information that takes advantage of the geometric viewpoint. Moreover, new classification techniques reduce problems encountered using high-resolution images; while reliabilities are achieved that are better than those achieved with traditional methods.

  13. Radiological classification of mandibular fractures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mihailova, H.

    2009-01-01

    Mandibular fractures present the biggest part (up to 97%) of the facial bone fractures. Method of choice for diagnosing of mandibular fractures is conventional radiography. The aim of the issue is to present an unified radiological classification of mandibular fractures for the clinical practice. This classification includes only those clinical symptoms of mandibular fracture which could be radiologically objectified: exact anatomical localization (F1-F6), teeth in fracture line (Ta,Tb), grade of dislocation (D I, D II), occlusal disturbances (O(+), O(-)). Radiological symptoms expressed by letter and number symbols are systematized in a formula - FTDO of mandibular fractures similar to TNM formula for tumours. FTDO formula expresses radiological diagnose of each mandibular fracture but it doesn't include neither the site (left or right) of the fracture, nor the kind and number of fractures. In order to express topography and number of fractures the radiological formula is transformed into a decimal fraction. The symbols (FTD) of right mandible fracture are written in the numerator and those of the left site - in the denominator. For double and multiple fractures between the symbols for each fracture we put '+'. Symbols for occlusal disturbances are put down opposite, the fractional line. So topographo-anatomical formula (FTD/FTD)xO is formed. In this way the whole radiological information for unilateral, bilateral, single or multiple fractures of the mandible is expressed. The information in the radiological topography anatomic formula, resp. from the unified topography-anatomic classification ensures a quick and exact X-ray diagnose of mandibular fracture. In this way contributes to get better, make easier and faster X-ray diagnostic process concerning mandibular fractures. And all these is a precondition for prevention of retardation of the diagnosis mandibular fracture. (author)

  14. Computerized crystal-chemical classification of silicates and related materials with CRYSTANA and formula notation for classified structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klein, Hans-Joachim; Liebau, Friedrich

    2008-01-01

    The computer program CRYSTANA is described which implements a method for the crystal-chemical classification of silicates and related materials. This method is mainly based upon the topological structure of the connected units of a compound and can be applied when the units are built from tetrahedra as coordination polyhedra. The classification parameters and the rules which have to be applied for their determination are summarized and a formalization of the method is provided based upon a finite graph representation of the units. A description of how CRYSTANA can be used and which kind of output it produces is included. From this output crystal-chemical formulas can be derived, which differ slightly from an existing notation in order to meet recommendations of the International Union of Crystallography. - The computer program CRYSTANA is described which implements a method for the crystal-chemical classification of silicates and related materials. The implementation is based upon a graph-theoretical formalization of the classification method. An extended notation of crystal-chemical formulas is introduced. The formulas can be derived from the output of the program

  15. An overview of some historical knowledge organisation systems and classifications with a special emphasy on monastery libraries’ classification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonja Svoljšak

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The article gives an overview of some most prominent historical turning – points in the field of knowledge organization an2d western European sistematization of science, based on Greek and christian philosophy. Some examples of earlier attempts to unify the systems of knowledge organization and science systematization are presented. Some specific systems of the most prominent European christian religious orders’ library contents arrangement and classification are described in this context.

  16. Application of machine learning to agricultural soil data

    OpenAIRE

    Sanjay Sirsat, Manisha

    2017-01-01

    Agriculture is a major sector in the Indian economy. One key advantage of classification and prediction of soil parameters is to save time of specialized technicians developing expensive chemical analysis. In this context, this PhD thesis has been developed in three stages: 1. Classification for soil data: we used chemical soil measurements to classify many relevant soil parameters: village-wise fertility indices; soil pH and type; soil nutrients, in order to recommend suitable amounts of ...

  17. Estimating persistence of brominated and chlorinated organic pollutants in air, water, soil, and sediments with the QSPR-based classification scheme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puzyn, T; Haranczyk, M; Suzuki, N; Sakurai, T

    2011-02-01

    We have estimated degradation half-lives of both brominated and chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PBDDs and PCDDs), furans (PBDFs and PCDFs), biphenyls (PBBs and PCBs), naphthalenes (PBNs and PCNs), diphenyl ethers (PBDEs and PCDEs) as well as selected unsubstituted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in air, surface water, surface soil, and sediments (in total of 1,431 compounds in four compartments). Next, we compared the persistence between chloro- (relatively well-studied) and bromo- (less studied) analogs. The predictions have been performed based on the quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) scheme with use of k-nearest neighbors (kNN) classifier and the semi-quantitative system of persistence classes. The classification models utilized principal components derived from the principal component analysis of a set of 24 constitutional and quantum mechanical descriptors as input variables. Accuracies of classification (based on an external validation) were 86, 85, 87, and 75% for air, surface water, surface soil, and sediments, respectively. The persistence of all chlorinated species increased with increasing halogenation degree. In the case of brominated organic pollutants (Br-OPs), the trend was the same for air and sediments. However, we noticed that the opposite trend for persistence in surface water and soil. The results suggest that, due to high photoreactivity of C-Br chemical bonds, photolytic processes occurring in surface water and soil are able to play significant role in transforming and removing Br-OPs from these compartments. This contribution is the first attempt of classifying together Br-OPs and Cl-OPs according to their persistence, in particular, environmental compartments.

  18. Mechanical systems a unified approach to vibrations and controls

    CERN Document Server

    Gans, Roger F

    2015-01-01

    This essential textbook covers analysis and control of engineering mechanisms, which include almost any apparatus with moving parts used in daily life, from musical instruments to robots. The text  presents both vibrations and controls with considerable breadth and depth using a unified notation. It strikes a nice balance between the analytical and the practical.  This text contains enough material for a two semester sequence, but it can also be used in a single semester course combining the two topics. Mechanical Systems: A Unified Approach to Vibrations and Controls presents a common notation and approach to these closely related areas. Examples from the both vibrations and controls components are integrated throughout this text. This book also: ·         Presents a unified approach to vibrations and controls, including an excellent diagram that simultaneously discusses embedding classical vibrations (mechanical systems) in a discussion of models, inverse models, and open and closed loop control ...

  19. Constructing criticality by classification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Machacek, Erika

    2017-01-01

    " in the bureaucratic practice of classification: Experts construct material criticality in assessments as they allot information on the materials to the parameters of the assessment framework. In so doing, they ascribe a new set of connotations to the materials, namely supply risk, and their importance to clean energy......, legitimizing a criticality discourse.Specifically, the paper introduces a typology delineating the inferences made by the experts from their produced recommendations in the classification of rare earth element criticality. The paper argues that the classification is a specific process of constructing risk....... It proposes that the expert bureaucratic practice of classification legitimizes (i) the valorisation that was made in the drafting of the assessment framework for the classification, and (ii) political operationalization when enacted that might have (non-)distributive implications for the allocation of public...

  20. SOIL Geo-Wiki: A tool for improving soil information

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skalský, Rastislav; Balkovic, Juraj; Fritz, Steffen; See, Linda; van der Velde, Marijn; Obersteiner, Michael

    2014-05-01

    Crowdsourcing is increasingly being used as a way of collecting data for scientific research, e.g. species identification, classification of galaxies and unravelling of protein structures. The WorldSoilProfiles.org database at ISRIC is a global collection of soil profiles, which have been 'crowdsourced' from experts. This system, however, requires contributors to have a priori knowledge about soils. Yet many soil parameters can be observed in the field without specific knowledge or equipment such as stone content, soil depth or color. By crowdsourcing this information over thousands of locations, the uncertainty in current soil datasets could be radically reduced, particularly in areas currently without information or where multiple interpretations are possible from different existing soil maps. Improved information on soils could benefit many research fields and applications. Better soil data could enhance assessments of soil ecosystem services (e.g. soil carbon storage) and facilitate improved process-based ecosystem modeling from local to global scales. Geo-Wiki is a crowdsourcing tool that was developed at IIASA for land cover validation using satellite imagery. Several branches are now available focused on specific aspects of land cover validation, e.g. validating cropland extent or urbanized areas. Geo-Wiki Pictures is a smart phone application for collecting land cover related information on the ground. The extension of Geo-Wiki to a mobile environment provides a tool for experts in land cover validation but is also a way of reaching the general public in the validation of land cover. Here we propose a Soil Geo-Wiki tool that builds on the existing functionality of the Geo-Wiki application, which will be largely designed for the collection and sharing of soil information. Two distinct applications are envisaged: an expert-oriented application mainly for scientific purposes, which will use soil science related language (e.g. WRB or any other global reference

  1. Different Modeling Aspects and Energy Systems of Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC): An Overview

    OpenAIRE

    Deshpande, Payal; Shrivastava, Amit; Khare, Anula

    2016-01-01

    Abstract: This paper highlights the classification of Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC) to enhance the electric power quality at distribution levels. It aims to present a broad overview on the different possible UPQC system configurations for single-phase (two-wire) and three-phase (three-wire and four-wire) networks, different modeling approaches and backup energy storages, and recent developments in the field. It is noticed that several researchers have used different names for the U...

  2. Review of behavior of plutonium in soils and other geologic materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishita, H.

    1979-10-01

    Available information on the physical and chemical reactions of Pu in soils and other geologic materials is reviewed. The primary intent of this review was to bring together information that may be helpful in assessing the movement and biological availability of Pu in terrestrial environment. The review is divided into two general categories, e.g., studies of chemical reactions of Pu in aqueous solutions and studies of Pu reactions in the more complex systems of soils and other geologic materials. The latter category is further divided into studies of Pu in materials that were freshly contaminated in the laboratory and of Pu in materials that had been contaminated in natural environments and had resided there for varying numbers of years. After the discussion of physical and chemical reactions of Pu, several reported examples of the actual movement of Pu in terrestrial environments are given

  3. Impact of carbonaceous materials in soil on the transport of soil-bound PAHs during rainfall-runoff events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, Xiaolin; Zheng, Yi; Wu, Bin; Lin, Zhongrong; Han, Feng; Zhang, Wei; Wang, Xuejun

    2013-11-01

    Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) transported from contaminated soils by surface runoff pose significant risk for aquatic ecosystems. Based on a rainfall-runoff simulation experiment, this study investigated the impact of carbonaceous materials (CMs) in soil, identified by organic petrology analysis, on the transport of soil-bound PAHs under rainfall conditions. The hypothesis that composition of soil organic matter significantly impacts the enrichment and transport of PAHs was proved. CMs in soil, varying significantly in content, mobility and adsorption capacity, act differently on the transport of PAHs. Anthropogenic CMs like black carbon (BC) largely control the transport, as PAHs may be preferentially attached to them. Eventually, this study led to a rethink of the traditional enrichment theory. An important implication is that CMs in soil have to be explicitly considered to appropriately model the nonpoint source pollution of PAHs (possibly other hydrophobic chemicals as well) and assess its environmental risk. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Landsliding in partially saturated materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godt, J.W.; Baum, R.L.; Lu, N.

    2009-01-01

    [1] Rainfall-induced landslides are pervasive in hillslope environments around the world and among the most costly and deadly natural hazards. However, capturing their occurrence with scientific instrumentation in a natural setting is extremely rare. The prevailing thinking on landslide initiation, particularly for those landslides that occur under intense precipitation, is that the failure surface is saturated and has positive pore-water pressures acting on it. Most analytic methods used for landslide hazard assessment are based on the above perception and assume that the failure surface is located beneath a water table. By monitoring the pore water and soil suction response to rainfall, we observed shallow landslide occurrence under partially saturated conditions for the first time in a natural setting. We show that the partially saturated shallow landslide at this site is predictable using measured soil suction and water content and a novel unified effective stress concept for partially saturated earth materials. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

  5. Accounting for taxonomic distance in accuracy assessment of soil class predictions

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rossiter, David G.; Zeng, Rong; Zhang, Gan Lin

    2017-01-01

    Evaluating the accuracy of allocation to classes in monothetic hierarchical soil classification systems, including the World Reference Base for Soil Classification, US Soil Taxonomy, and Chinese Soil Taxonomy, is poorly-served by binomial methods (correct/incorrect allocation per evaluation

  6. Taxonomic classification of world map units in crop producing areas of Argentina and Brazil with representative US soil series and major land resource areas in which they occur

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huckle, H. F. (Principal Investigator)

    1980-01-01

    The most probable current U.S. taxonomic classification of the soils estimated to dominate world soil map units (WSM)) in selected crop producing states of Argentina and Brazil are presented. Representative U.S. soil series the units are given. The map units occurring in each state are listed with areal extent and major U.S. land resource areas in which similar soils most probably occur. Soil series sampled in LARS Technical Report 111579 and major land resource areas in which they occur with corresponding similar WSM units at the taxonomic subgroup levels are given.

  7. Effect of selenium-enriched organic material amendment on selenium fraction transformation and bioavailability in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dan; Dinh, Quang Toan; Anh Thu, Tran Thi; Zhou, Fei; Yang, Wenxiao; Wang, Mengke; Song, Weiwei; Liang, Dongli

    2018-05-01

    To exploit the plant byproducts from selenium (Se) biofortification and reduce environmental risk of inorganic Se fertilizer, pot experiment was conducted in this study. The effects of Se-enriched wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) straw (WS + Se) and pak choi (Brassica chinensis L.) (P + Se) amendment on organo-selenium speciation transformation in soil and its bioavailability was evaluated by pak choi uptake. The Se contents of the cultivated pak choi in treatments amended with the same amount of Se-enriched wheat straw and pak choi were 1.7 and 9.7 times in the shoots and 2.3 and 6.3 times in the roots compared with control treatment. Soil respiration rate was significantly increased after all organic material amendment in soil (p organic materials and thus resulted in soluble Se (SOL-Se), exchangeable Se (EX-Se), and fulvic acid-bound Se (FA-Se) fraction increasing by 25.2-29.2%, 9-13.8%, and 4.92-8.28%, respectively. In addition, both Pearson correlation and cluster analysis showed that EX-Se and FA-Se were better indicators for soil Se availability in organic material amendment soils. The Marquardt-Levenberg Model well described the dynamic kinetics of FA-Se content after Se-enriched organic material amendment in soil mainly because of the mineralization of organic carbon and organo-selenium. The utilization of Se in P + Se treatment was significantly higher than those in WS + Se treatment because of the different mineralization rates and the amount of FA-Se in soil. Se-enriched organic materials amendment can not only increase the availability of selenium in soil but also avoid the waste of valuable Se source. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Resolving Radiological Classification and Release Issues for Many DOE Solid Wastes and Salvageable Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hochel, R.C.

    1999-11-19

    The cost effective radiological classification and disposal of solid materials with potential volume contamination, in accordance with applicable U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Orders, suffers from an inability to unambiguously distinguish among transuranic waste, low-level waste, and unconditional-release materials in a generic way allowing in-situ measurement and verification. Depending on a material''s classification, disposal costs can vary by a hundred-fold. With these large costs at risk, the issues involved in making defensible decisions are ripe for closer scrutiny. In many cases, key issues can be easily resolved by a combination of process information, some simple measurements, and calculational predictions from a computer model for radiation shielding. The proper classification and disposal of many solid wastes requires a measurement regime that is able to show compliance with a variety of institutional and regulatory contamination limits. Ultimate responsibility for this, of course, rests with radiological control or health physics organization of the individual site, but there are many measurements which can be performed by operations and generation organizations to simplify the process and virtually guarantee acceptance. Although this is not possible for all potential solid wastes, there are many that do lend themselves to such measures, particularly some of large volumes and realizable cost savings. Mostly what is needed for this to happen are a few guiding rules, measurement procedures, and cross checks for potential pitfalls. Several examples are presented here and discussed that demonstrate the possibilities, including one which was successfully applied to bulk contamination.

  9. Toward a unified nomenclature for mammalian ADP-ribosyltransferases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hottiger, Michael O; Hassa, Paul O; Lüscher, Bernhard; Schüler, Herwig; Koch-Nolte, Friedrich

    2010-04-01

    ADP-ribosylation is a post-translational modification of proteins catalyzed by ADP-ribosyltransferases. It comprises the transfer of the ADP-ribose moiety from NAD+ to specific amino acid residues on substrate proteins or to ADP-ribose itself. Currently, 22 human genes encoding proteins that possess an ADP-ribosyltransferase catalytic domain are known. Recent structural and enzymological evidence of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) family members demonstrate that earlier proposed names and classifications of these proteins are no longer accurate. Here we summarize these new findings and propose a new consensus nomenclature for all ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs) based on the catalyzed reaction and on structural features. A unified nomenclature would facilitate communication between researchers both inside and outside the ADP-ribosylation field. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Classification systems in nursing : Formalizing nursing knowledge and implications for nursing information systems

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Goossen, WTF; Epping, PJMM; Abraham, IL

    The development of nursing information systems (NIS) is often hampered by the fact that nursing lacks a unified nursing terminology and classification system. Currently there exist various initiatives in this area. We address the question as to how current initiatives in the development of nursing

  11. Forming artificial soils from waste materials for mine site rehabilitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yellishetty, Mohan; Wong, Vanessa; Taylor, Michael; Li, Johnson

    2014-05-01

    Surface mining activities often produce large volumes of solid wastes which invariably requires the removal of significant quantities of waste rock (overburden). As mines expand, larger volumes of waste rock need to be moved which also require extensive areas for their safe disposal and containment. The erosion of these dumps may result in landform instability, which in turn may result in exposure of contaminants such as trace metals, elevated sediment delivery in adjacent waterways, and the subsequent degradation of downstream water quality. The management of solid waste materials from industrial operations is also a key component for a sustainable economy. For example, in addition to overburden, coal mines produce large amounts of waste in the form of fly ash while sewage treatment plants require disposal of large amounts of compost. Similarly, paper mills produce large volumes of alkaline rejected wood chip waste which is usually disposed of in landfill. These materials, therefore, presents a challenge in their use, and re-use in the rehabilitation of mine sites and provides a number of opportunities for innovative waste disposal. The combination of solid wastes sourced from mines, which are frequently nutrient poor and acidic, with nutrient-rich composted material produced from sewage treatment and alkaline wood chip waste has the potential to lead to a soil suitable for mine rehabilitation and successful seed germination and plant growth. This paper presents findings from two pilot projects which investigated the potential of artificial soils to support plant growth for mine site rehabilitation. We found that pH increased in all the artificial soil mixtures and were able to support plant establishment. Plant growth was greatest in those soils with the greatest proportion of compost due to the higher nutrient content. These pot trials suggest that the use of different waste streams to form an artificial soil can potentially be used in mine site rehabilitation

  12. A Unified Field Theory of Gravity, Electromagnetism, and the Yang-Mills Gauge Field

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suhendro I.

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available In this work, we attempt at constructing a comprehensive four-dimensional unified field theory of gravity, electromagnetism, and the non-Abelian Yang-Mills gauge field in which the gravitational, electromagnetic, and material spin fields are unified as intrinsic geometric objects of the space-time manifold S4 via the connection, with the general- ized non-Abelian Yang-Mills gauge field appearing in particular as a sub-field of the geometrized electromagnetic interaction.

  13. Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Web Academy Webinar: Compost from Food Waste: Understanding Soil Chemistry and Soil Biology on a College/University Campus

    Science.gov (United States)

    This page contains information about the Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Web Academy Webinar Series titled Compost from Food Waste:Understanding Soil Chemistry and Soil Biology on a College/University Campus

  14. Airborne radionuclides in the proglacial environment as indicators of sources and transfers of soil material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Łokas, Edyta; Wachniew, Przemysław; Jodłowski, Paweł; Gąsiorek, Michał

    2017-11-01

    A survey of artificial ( 137 Cs, 238 Pu, 239+240 Pu, 241 Am) and natural ( 226 Ra, 232 Th, 40 K, 210 Pb) radioactive isotopes in proglacial soils of an Arctic glacier have revealed high spatial variability of activity concentrations and inventories of the airborne radionuclides. Soil column 137 Cs inventories range from below the detection limit to nearly 120 kBq m -2 , this value significantly exceeding direct atmospheric deposition. This variability may result from the mixing of materials characterised by different contents of airborne radionuclides. The highest activity concentrations observed in the proglacial soils may result from the deposition of cryoconites, which have been shown to accumulate airborne radionuclides on the surface of glaciers. The role of cryoconites in radionuclide accumulation is supported by the concordant enrichment of the naturally occurring airborne 210 Pb in proglacial soil cores showing elevated levels of artificial radionuclides. The lithogenic radionuclides show less variability than the airborne radionuclides because their activity concentrations are controlled only by the mixing of material derived from the weathering of different parent rocks. Soil properties vary little within and between the profiles and there is no unequivocal relationship between them and the radionuclide contents. The inventories reflect the pathways and time variable inputs of soil material to particular sites of the proglacial zone. Lack of the airborne radionuclides reflects no deposition of material exposed to the atmosphere after the 1950s or its removal by erosion. Inventories above the direct atmospheric deposition indicate secondary deposition of radionuclide-bearing material. Very high inventories indicate sites where transport pathways of cryoconite material terminated. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Classification of Near-Horizon Geometries of Extremal Black Holes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hari K. Kunduri

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Any spacetime containing a degenerate Killing horizon, such as an extremal black hole, possesses a well-defined notion of a near-horizon geometry. We review such near-horizon geometry solutions in a variety of dimensions and theories in a unified manner. We discuss various general results including horizon topology and near-horizon symmetry enhancement. We also discuss the status of the classification of near-horizon geometries in theories ranging from vacuum gravity to Einstein–Maxwell theory and supergravity theories. Finally, we discuss applications to the classification of extremal black holes and various related topics. Several new results are presented and open problems are highlighted throughout.

  16. Classification of Near-Horizon Geometries of Extremal Black Holes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kunduri, Hari K; Lucietti, James

    2013-01-01

    Any spacetime containing a degenerate Killing horizon, such as an extremal black hole, possesses a well-defined notion of a near-horizon geometry. We review such near-horizon geometry solutions in a variety of dimensions and theories in a unified manner. We discuss various general results including horizon topology and near-horizon symmetry enhancement. We also discuss the status of the classification of near-horizon geometries in theories ranging from vacuum gravity to Einstein-Maxwell theory and supergravity theories. Finally, we discuss applications to the classification of extremal black holes and various related topics. Several new results are presented and open problems are highlighted throughout.

  17. Digital Mapping of Soil Drainage Classes Using Multitemporal RADARSAT-1 and ASTER Images and Soil Survey Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Abou Niang

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Discriminant analysis classification (DAC and decision tree classifiers (DTC were used for digital mapping of soil drainage in the Bras-d’Henri watershed (QC, Canada using earth observation data (RADARSAT-1 and ASTER and soil survey dataset. Firstly, a forward stepwise selection was applied to each land use type identified by ASTER image in order to derive an optimal subset of soil drainage class predictors. The classification models were then applied to these subsets for each land use and merged to obtain a digital soil drainage map for the whole watershed. The DTC method provided better classification accuracies (29 to 92% than the DAC method (33 to 79% according to the land use type. A similarity measure (S was used to compare the best digital soil drainage map (DTC to the conventional soil drainage map. Medium to high similarities (0.6≤S<0.9 were observed for 83% (187 km2 of the study area while 3% of the study area showed very good agreement (S≥0.9. Few soil polygons showed very weak similarities (S<0.3. This study demonstrates the efficiency of combining radar and optical remote sensing data with a representative soil dataset for producing digital maps of soil drainage.

  18. Measurement of radon exhalation rate in various building materials and soil samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bala, Pankaj; Kumar, Vinod; Mehra, Rohit

    2017-03-01

    Indoor radon is considered as one of the potential dangerous radioactive elements. Common building materials and soil are the major source of this radon gas in the indoor environment. In the present study, the measurement of radon exhalation rate in the soil and building material samples of Una and Hamirpur districts of Himachal Pradesh has been done with solid state alpha track detectors, LR-115 type-II plastic track detectors. The radon exhalation rate for the soil samples varies from 39.1 to 91.2 mBq kg-1 h-1 with a mean value 59.7 mBq kg-1 h-1. Also the radium concentration of the studied area is found and it varies from 30.6 to 51.9 Bq kg-1 with a mean value 41.6 Bq kg-1. The exhalation rate for the building material samples varies from 40.72 (sandstone) to 81.40 mBq kg-1 h-1 (granite) with a mean value of 59.94 mBq kg-1 h-1.

  19. Tropical Soil Chemistry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borggaard, Ole K.

    and environmental protection. Tropical Soil Chemistry by Ole K. Borggaard provides an overview of the composition, occurrence, properties, processes, formation, and environmental vulnerability of various tropical soil types (using American Soil Taxonomy for classification). The processes and the external factors...... soil chemical issues are also presented to assess when, why, and how tropical soils differ from soils in other regions. This knowledge can help agricultural specialists in the tropics establish sustainable crop production. Readers are assumed to be familiar with basic chemistry, physics...

  20. THE STUDY OF DEFORMATION CHARACTERISTICS OF SOIL MATERIALS WITH THE USAGE OF WASTES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. V. Trykoz

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. More often the qualified building materials are replaced by the industrial wastes for environmental improvement. This refers to both metallurgical slags and biological solids of water treatment plants. In order to understand the possibilities of their usage it needs studying deformation properties of composite soil materials with industrial wastes addition. Methodology. The soil of real buildings and structures foundation is in the complicated conditions and the stress-strained state. While studying this state the total deformation modulus Е0 is used as the deformation characteristic. This one is determined according to the results of sample soil testing in the compression instrument (odometer. This instrument prevents the possibility of lateral expansion of sample soil under the vertical load. Findings. As a result of the testing the compression curves are plotted as the dependence of the porosity coefficient on pressure. These data allow determining the compressibility coefficient and the strain modulus. It is found that a biological solids addition increases the compressibility coefficient four times compared to the clay. The two types of samples are compared. The first type contains 50% of biological solids. The second type contains 50% of biological solids and 50% of slag. The comparison shows that the second type is compressed twelve times less. An addition into the clay of biological solids increases the strain modulus from 7.8 to 20.3 MPa. The slag increases the strain modulus to 52.7 MPa. Originality. While making the composition based clay materials the functional groups of biological solids interact with hydroxyl groups which are placed on the surface of clay particles and form a spatial structure. Besides an addition of biological solids contributes to peptization, soil aggregates destroy themselves, and form contacts between separate particles. It causes the decrease of soil compressibility due to the total porosity

  1. CHARACTERISTICS AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE SOILS OF ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Preferred Customer

    Detailed soil survey (scale 1:25 000) was conducted to classify, characterise and determine status of the soils of ... and fauna and geological resources (Nievergelt et al., 1998). ...... suggesting a presence of downward movements of solutes.

  2. A discrimlnant function approach to ecological site classification in northern New England

    Science.gov (United States)

    James M. Fincher; Marie-Louise Smith

    1994-01-01

    Describes one approach to ecologically based classification of upland forest community types of the White and Green Mountain physiographic regions. The classification approach is based on an intensive statistical analysis of the relationship between the communities and soil-site factors. Discriminant functions useful in distinguishing between types based on soil-site...

  3. Unified Symmetry of Hamilton Systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Xuejun; Qin Maochang; Mei Fengxiang

    2005-01-01

    The definition and the criterion of a unified symmetry for a Hamilton system are presented. The sufficient condition under which the Noether symmetry is a unified symmetry for the system is given. A new conserved quantity, as well as the Noether conserved quantity and the Hojman conserved quantity, deduced from the unified symmetry, is obtained. An example is finally given to illustrate the application of the results.

  4. Classification of Franchise Networks in the Retail Trade

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grygorenko Tetyana M.

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The article clarifies the definitions of the concepts of «franchise network», «franchise trade network», «franchise retail network», which is substantiated by the lack of a unified approach to interpretation of these concepts. The classification of franchise networks in the retail trade taking into account peculiarities in the operation of this sub-sector of the market economy is developed; classification attributes are identified and types of franchise retail chains are characterized. The proposed classification of franchise retail networks is adapted to the economic situation in Ukraine and specifics of the national franchise relations. It will facilitate a deeper understanding of the essence of the formation and operation of franchise retail chains and also help Ukrainian entrepreneurs to justify choosing the most suitable for them franchising model and allow to establish such a network with regard to various attributes using a complex approach.

  5. Physio-climatic classification of South Africa's woodland biome

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Fairbanks, DHK

    2000-07-01

    Full Text Available monthly temperature, total plant-available water balance of soil, elevation, landscape topographic position, and landscape soil fertility were used as input classification variables. The map data were submitted to a factor analysis and varimax axis...

  6. A soil map of a large watershed in China: applying digital soil mapping in a data sparse region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barthold, F.; Blank, B.; Wiesmeier, M.; Breuer, L.; Frede, H.-G.

    2009-04-01

    Prediction of soil classes in data sparse regions is a major research challenge. With the advent of machine learning the possibilities to spatially predict soil classes have increased tremendously and given birth to new possibilities in soil mapping. Digital soil mapping is a research field that has been established during the last decades and has been accepted widely. We now need to develop tools to reduce the uncertainty in soil predictions. This is especially challenging in data sparse regions. One approach to do this is to implement soil taxonomic distance as a classification error criterion in classification and regression trees (CART) as suggested by Minasny et al. (Geoderma 142 (2007) 285-293). This approach assumes that the classification error should be larger between soils that are more dissimilar, i.e. differ in a larger number of soil properties, and smaller between more similar soils. Our study area is the Xilin River Basin, which is located in central Inner Mongolia in China. It is characterized by semi arid climate conditions and is representative for the natural occurring steppe ecosystem. The study area comprises 3600 km2. We applied a random, stratified sampling design after McKenzie and Ryan (Geoderma 89 (1999) 67-94) with landuse and topography as stratifying variables. We defined 10 sampling classes, from each class 14 replicates were randomly drawn and sampled. The dataset was split into 100 soil profiles for training and 40 soil profiles for validation. We then applied classification and regression trees (CART) to quantify the relationships between soil classes and environmental covariates. The classification tree explained 75.5% of the variance with land use and geology as most important predictor variables. Among the 8 soil classes that we predicted, the Kastanozems cover most of the area. They are predominantly found in steppe areas. However, even some of the soils at sand dune sites, which were thought to show only little soil formation

  7. Characterization and Classification of Soils along the ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Muler

    along east and west facing toposequences that formed a catena and classified according to the Soil Taxonomy and the. WRB Legend ..... Morphological features and physical properties of the soils along the toposequences at Kindo Koye watershed. Horizon. Depth. (cm). Color (moist). Field texture. Structure*. Consistence.

  8. Comparison of Principal Component Analysis and Linear Discriminant Analysis applied to classification of excitation-emission matrices of the selected biological material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maciej Leśkiewicz

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Quality of two linear methods (PCA and LDA applied to reduce dimensionality of feature analysis is compared and efficiency of their algorithms in classification of the selected biological materials according to their excitation-emission fluorescence matrices is examined. It has been found that LDA method reduces the dimensions (or a number of significant variables more effectively than PCA method. A relatively good discrimination within the examined biological material has been obtained with the use of LDA algorithm.[b]Keywords[/b]: Feature Analysis, Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Biological Material Classification

  9. Assessment of the Use of Natural Materials for the Remediation of Cadmium Soil Contamination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de O Pinto, Tatiana; García, Andrés C; Guedes, Jair do N; do A Sobrinho, Nelson M B; Tavares, Orlando C H; Berbara, Ricardo L L

    2016-01-01

    Rice plants accumulate cadmium (Cd2+) within the grain, increasing the danger of human exposure. Natural materials have been used in soil remediation, but few studies have examined the risks (based on the bioavailability of these metals to plants) of using these materials, so the practice remains controversial. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of biochar produced from sugarcane bagasse, vermicompost (VC), vermicompost solid residue (VCR) and humin for remediation of Cd2+-contaminated soils. We characterized the interactions between these materials and Cd2+ and evaluated their capacity to alter Cd2+ availability to rice plants. Our results show that under the conditions in this study, biochar and humin were not effective for soil remediation. Although biochar had high Cd2+ retention, it was associated with high Cd2+ bioavailability and increased Cd2+ accumulation in rice plants. VC and VCR had high Cd2+ retention capacity as well as low Cd2+ availability to plants. These characteristics were especially notable for VCR, which was most effective for soil remediation. The results of our study demonstrate that in the tested materials, the bioavailability of Cd2+ to plants is related to their structural characteristics, which in turn determine their retention of Cd2+.

  10. Assessment of the Use of Natural Materials for the Remediation of Cadmium Soil Contamination.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana de O Pinto

    Full Text Available Rice plants accumulate cadmium (Cd2+ within the grain, increasing the danger of human exposure. Natural materials have been used in soil remediation, but few studies have examined the risks (based on the bioavailability of these metals to plants of using these materials, so the practice remains controversial. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of biochar produced from sugarcane bagasse, vermicompost (VC, vermicompost solid residue (VCR and humin for remediation of Cd2+-contaminated soils. We characterized the interactions between these materials and Cd2+ and evaluated their capacity to alter Cd2+ availability to rice plants. Our results show that under the conditions in this study, biochar and humin were not effective for soil remediation. Although biochar had high Cd2+ retention, it was associated with high Cd2+ bioavailability and increased Cd2+ accumulation in rice plants. VC and VCR had high Cd2+ retention capacity as well as low Cd2+ availability to plants. These characteristics were especially notable for VCR, which was most effective for soil remediation. The results of our study demonstrate that in the tested materials, the bioavailability of Cd2+ to plants is related to their structural characteristics, which in turn determine their retention of Cd2+.

  11. Unifying framework for multimodal brain MRI segmentation based on Hidden Markov Chains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bricq, S; Collet, Ch; Armspach, J P

    2008-12-01

    In the frame of 3D medical imaging, accurate segmentation of multimodal brain MR images is of interest for many brain disorders. However, due to several factors such as noise, imaging artifacts, intrinsic tissue variation and partial volume effects, tissue classification remains a challenging task. In this paper, we present a unifying framework for unsupervised segmentation of multimodal brain MR images including partial volume effect, bias field correction, and information given by a probabilistic atlas. Here-proposed method takes into account neighborhood information using a Hidden Markov Chain (HMC) model. Due to the limited resolution of imaging devices, voxels may be composed of a mixture of different tissue types, this partial volume effect is included to achieve an accurate segmentation of brain tissues. Instead of assigning each voxel to a single tissue class (i.e., hard classification), we compute the relative amount of each pure tissue class in each voxel (mixture estimation). Further, a bias field estimation step is added to the proposed algorithm to correct intensity inhomogeneities. Furthermore, atlas priors were incorporated using probabilistic brain atlas containing prior expectations about the spatial localization of different tissue classes. This atlas is considered as a complementary sensor and the proposed method is extended to multimodal brain MRI without any user-tunable parameter (unsupervised algorithm). To validate this new unifying framework, we present experimental results on both synthetic and real brain images, for which the ground truth is available. Comparison with other often used techniques demonstrates the accuracy and the robustness of this new Markovian segmentation scheme.

  12. Soil stabilization with recycled materials improves subgrade performance : research spotlight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-02-29

    The use of recycled materials for subgrade stabilization can provide the support needed for construction vehicle loading and more typical long-term traffic loading. This is a particular need in Michigan due to the prevalence of weak subgrade soils. U...

  13. Chernozem. From concept to classification: a review

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Vysloužilová, Barbora; Ertlen, D.; Schwartz, D.; Šefrna, L.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 51, č. 1 (2016), s. 85-95 ISSN 0300-5402 Institutional support: RVO:67985912 Keywords : chernozem * history of research * soil classification * Central Europe * literature review Subject RIV: DF - Soil Science http://web.natur.cuni.cz/gis/aucg2/index.php/AUC_Geographica/article/download/44/pdf_103

  14. Concept of Draft International Standard for a Unified Approach to Space Program Quality Assurance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stryzhak, Y.; Vasilina, V.; Kurbatov, V.

    2002-01-01

    For want of the unified approach to guaranteed space project and product quality assurance, implementation of many international space programs has become a challenge. Globalization of aerospace industry and participation of various international ventures with diverse quality assurance requirements in big international space programs requires for urgent generation of unified international standards related to this field. To ensure successful fulfillment of space missions, aerospace companies should design and process reliable and safe products with properties complying or bettering User's (or Customer's) requirements. Quality of the products designed or processed by subcontractors (or other suppliers) should also be in compliance with the main user (customer)'s requirements. Implementation of this involved set of unified requirements will be made possible by creating and approving a system (series) of international standards under a generic title Space Product Quality Assurance based on a system consensus principle. Conceptual features of the baseline standard in this system (series) should comprise: - Procedures for ISO 9000, CEN and ECSS requirements adaptation and introduction into space product creation, design, manufacture, testing and operation; - Procedures for quality assurance at initial (design) phases of space programs, with a decision on the end product made based on the principle of independence; - Procedures to arrange incoming inspection of products delivered by subcontractors (including testing, audit of supplier's procedures, review of supplier's documentation), and space product certification; - Procedures to identify materials and primary products applied; - Procedures for quality system audit at the component part, primary product and materials supplier facilities; - Unified procedures to form a list of basic performances to be under configuration management; - Unified procedures to form a list of critical space product components, and unified

  15. Vulnerable land ecosystems classification using spatial context and spectral indices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ibarrola-Ulzurrun, Edurne; Gonzalo-Martín, Consuelo; Marcello, Javier

    2017-10-01

    Natural habitats are exposed to growing pressure due to intensification of land use and tourism development. Thus, obtaining information on the vegetation is necessary for conservation and management projects. In this context, remote sensing is an important tool for monitoring and managing habitats, being classification a crucial stage. The majority of image classifications techniques are based upon the pixel-based approach. An alternative is the object-based (OBIA) approach, in which a previous segmentation step merges image pixels to create objects that are then classified. Besides, improved results may be gained by incorporating additional spatial information and specific spectral indices into the classification process. The main goal of this work was to implement and assess object-based classification techniques on very-high resolution imagery incorporating spectral indices and contextual spatial information in the classification models. The study area was Teide National Park in Canary Islands (Spain) using Worldview-2 orthoready imagery. In the classification model, two common indices were selected Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Optimized Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (OSAVI), as well as two specific Worldview-2 sensor indices, Worldview Vegetation Index and Worldview Soil Index. To include the contextual information, Grey Level Co-occurrence Matrices (GLCM) were used. The classification was performed training a Support Vector Machine with sufficient and representative number of vegetation samples (Spartocytisus supranubius, Pterocephalus lasiospermus, Descurainia bourgaeana and Pinus canariensis) as well as urban, road and bare soil classes. Confusion Matrices were computed to evaluate the results from each classification model obtaining the highest overall accuracy (90.07%) combining both Worldview indices with the GLCM-dissimilarity.

  16. Degradation of sustainable mulch materials in two types of soil under laboratory conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villena, Jaime; González, Sara; Moreno, Carmen; Aceituno, Patricia; Campos, Juan; Meco, Ramón; María Moreno, Marta

    2017-04-01

    Mulching is a technique used in cultivation worldwide, especially for vegetable crops, for reducing weed growth, minimising or eliminating soil erosion, and often for enhancing total yields. Manufactured plastic films, mainly polyethylene (PE), have been widely used for this purpose due to their excellent mechanical properties, light weight and relatively low prices in recent years. However, the use of PE is associated with serious environmental problems related to its petrochemical origin and its long shelf-life, which causes a waste problem in our crop fields. For this reason, the use of biodegradable mulch materials (biopolymers and papers) as alternative to PE is increasing nowadays, especially in organic farming. However, these materials can suffer an undesirable early degradation (and therefore not fulfilling their function successfully), greatly resulting from the type of soil. For this reason, this study aimed to analyse the degradation pattern of different mulch materials buried in two types of soils, clay and sand, under laboratory conditions (25°C, dark surroundings, constant humidity). The mulch materials used were: 1) black polyethylene (15 µm); black biopolymers (15 µm): 2) maize starch-based, 3) potato starch-based, 4) polylactic acid-based, 5) black paper, 85 g/m2. Periodically (every 15-20 days), the weight and surface loss of the different materials were recorded. The results indicate that mulch degradation was earlier and higher in the clay soil, especially in the paper and in the potato starch-based materials, followed by the maize starch-based mulch, while polylactic acid-based suffered the least and the latest degradation. Keywords: mulch, biodegradable, biopolymer, paper, degradation. Acknowledgements: the research was funded by Project RTA2011-00104-C04-03 from the INIA (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness).

  17. Decaying organic materials and soil quality in the Inland Northwest: A management opportunity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alan E. Harvey; Martin F. Jurgensen; Michael J. Larsen; Russell T. Graham

    1987-01-01

    Organic debris, including wood residue, is important to the development and function of. forest soil. Organic matter stores nutrients and moisture plus it provides important habitats for microbes beneficial to tree growth. To protect long-term forest soil productivity, organic horizons and their parent materials should be maintained.

  18. Porters versus rowers: a unified stochastic model of motor proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leibler, S; Huse, D A

    1993-06-01

    We present a general phenomenological theory for chemical to mechanical energy transduction by motor enzymes which is based on the classical "tight-coupling" mechanism. The associated minimal stochastic model takes explicitly into account both ATP hydrolysis and thermal noise effects. It provides expressions for the hydrolysis rate and the sliding velocity, as functions of the ATP concentration and the number of motor enzymes. It explains in a unified way many results of recent in vitro motility assays. More importantly, the theory provides a natural classification scheme for the motors: it correlates the biochemical and mechanical differences between "porters" such as cellular kinesins or dyneins, and "rowers" such as muscular myosins or flagellar dyneins.

  19. 22 CFR 9a.4 - Classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Classification. 9a.4 Section 9a.4 Foreign... ENERGY PROGRAMS; RELATED MATERIAL § 9a.4 Classification. (a) Section 1 of E.O. 11932, August 4, 1976.... If the officer determines that the information or material warrants classification, he shall assign...

  20. Fractographic classification in metallic materials by using 3D processing and computer vision techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Ximena Bastidas-Rodríguez

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Failure analysis aims at collecting information about how and why a failure is produced. The first step in this process is a visual inspection on the flaw surface that will reveal the features, marks, and texture, which characterize each type of fracture. This is generally carried out by personnel with no experience that usually lack the knowledge to do it. This paper proposes a classification method for three kinds of fractures in crystalline materials: brittle, fatigue, and ductile. The method uses 3D vision, and it is expected to support failure analysis. The features used in this work were: i Haralick’s features and ii the fractal dimension. These features were applied to 3D images obtained from a confocal laser scanning microscopy Zeiss LSM 700. For the classification, we evaluated two classifiers: Artificial Neural Networks and Support Vector Machine. The performance evaluation was made by extracting four marginal relations from the confusion matrix: accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and precision, plus three evaluation methods: Receiver Operating Characteristic space, the Individual Classification Success Index, and the Jaccard’s coefficient. Despite the classification percentage obtained by an expert is better than the one obtained with the algorithm, the algorithm achieves a classification percentage near or exceeding the 60 % accuracy for the analyzed failure modes. The results presented here provide a good approach to address future research on texture analysis using 3D data.

  1. Effects of corn cob ash on lime stabilized lateritic soil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nnochiri, Emeka Segun

    2018-03-01

    This study assesses the effects of Corn Cob Ash (CCA) on lime-stabilized lateritic soil. Preliminary tests were carried out on the natural soil sample for purpose of identification and classification. Lime being the main stabilizing material was thoroughly mixed with the soil sample to determine the optimum lime requirement of the sample as a basis for evaluating the effects of the CCA. The optimum lime requirement was 10%. The CCA was thereafter added to the lime stabilized soil in varying proportions of 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10%. Unsoaked CBR increased from 83% at 0% CCA to highest value of 94% at 4% CCA. Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) values increased from 1123kN/m2 at 0% CCA to highest value of 1180kN/m2 at 4% CCA. It was therefore concluded that CCA can serve as a good complement for lime stabilization in lateritic soil.

  2. Paradoxical differences in N-dynamics between Luxembourg soils: litter quality or parent material?

    OpenAIRE

    Kooijman, A.M.; Smit, A.

    2009-01-01

    To explore whether litter quality could alter differences in N-dynamics between soil types, we compared spruce and beech growing on soils with parent material sandstone and limestone, and beech and hornbeam on acid marl and limestone. We measured pH, organic matter content, C:N ratio, soil respiration and net N-mineralization of the organic layer and the mineral topsoil in a laboratory incubation experiment and estimated gross N-mineralization and immobilization with a simulation model. Speci...

  3. Reducing the leachability of nitrate, phosphorus and heavy metals from soil using waste material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Faridullah

    Full Text Available Abstract Contaminants like nitrate (NO3, phosphorus (P and heavy metals in water are often associated with agricultural activities. Various soil and water remediation techniques have been employed to reduce the risk associated with these contaminants. A study was conducted to examine the extent of leaching of heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Pb and Cr, NO3 and P. For this purpose sandy and silt loam soils were amended with different waste materials, namely wood ash, solid waste ash, vegetable waste, charcoal, and sawdust. The soils were saturated with wastewater. Irrespective of the waste applied, the pH and EC of the amended soils were found to be greater than the control. Charcoal, sawdust and wood ash significantly decreased heavy metals, nitrate and phosphorus concentrations in the leachate. Treatments were more efficient for reducing Ni than other heavy metals concentrations. Waste amendments differed for heavy metals during the process of leaching. Heavy metals in the soil were progressively depleted due to the successive leaching stages. This research suggests that waste material may act as an adsorbent for the above contaminants and can reduce their leachability in soils.

  4. A Biogeotechnical approach to Stabilize Soft Marine Soil with a Microbial Organic Material called Biopolymer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, I.; Cho, G. C.; Kwon, Y. M.; Im, J.

    2017-12-01

    The importance and demands of offshore and coastal area development are increasing due to shortage of usable land and to have access to valuable marine resources. However, most coastal soils are soft sediments, mainly composed with fines (silt and clay) and having high water and organic contents, which induce complicated mechanical- and geochemical- behaviors and even be insufficient in Geotechnical engineering aspects. At least, soil stabilization procedures are required for those soft sediments, regardless of the purpose of usage on the site. One of the most common soft soil stabilization method is using ordinary cement as a soil strengthening binder. However, the use of cement in marine environments is reported to occur environmental concerns such as pH increase and accompanying marine ecosystem disturbance. Therefore, a new environmentally-friendly treatment material for coastal and offshore soils. In this study, a biopolymer material produced by microbes is introduced to enhance the physical behavior of a soft tidal flat sediment by considering the biopolymer rheology, soil mineralogy, and chemical properties of marine water. Biopolymer material used in this study forms inter-particle bonds between particles which is promoted through cation-bridges where the cations are provided from marine water. Moreover, biopolymer treatment renders unique stress-strain relationship of soft soils. The mechanical stiffness (M) instantly increase with the presence of biopolymer, while time-dependent settlement behavior (consolidation) shows a big delay due to the viscous biopolymer hydrogels in pore spaces.

  5. Response of Slope Made Up of Soil and Other Waste Materials under Sinusoidal Motion

    OpenAIRE

    Chanda, Nipa; Ghosh, Sima; Pal, Manish

    2017-01-01

    Performance of small scale embankment slopes under dynamic loading is experimentally evaluated in the present work conducting shake table test. Model slopes are made up of soil and soil dust mixtures at various water level conditions. Material dust types as taken in the experiment are saw dust, stone dust, brick dust, and building demolish dust. Shear strength of soil such as cohesion and internal friction angle increases on an average 25% and 23%, respectively, when soil is mixed with 30% bu...

  6. Considerations on the parent material in the soil developed on the evaporite deposits from Stana (Cluj district

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Horea Bedelean

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available This research concerned three profiles developed on Eocene (Priabonian gypsum parent material from Stana (Cluj district in order to investigate their properties. The soil and parent material samples were collected from individual horizons in each profile. Both the mineralogical and structural-textural features of the parent material (evaporitic deposits reflect the depositional context. From a mineralogical point of view, the deposits are represented by gypsum, and anhydrite. Typical sulfate facies are present: laminitic, nodular, gypscretic, and entherolitic. Physical and mineralogical properties of the soil layers were determined in the laboratory. The field observations and the results of the analyses allowed us to classify the soil as a rendzinic regosol, according to the Romanian System of Soil Taxonomy (S.R.T.S. 2000.

  7. Allegheny County Soil Type Areas

    Data.gov (United States)

    Allegheny County / City of Pittsburgh / Western PA Regional Data Center — This dataset contains soil type and soil classification, by area. Additional info at: http://mcdc.cas.psu.edu/datawiz.htm;...

  8. Simulation of consolidation in partially saturated soil materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Narasimhan, T.N.

    1982-03-01

    Partially saturated soil materials undergo consolidation, heave, collapse and failure due to changes in pore fluid pressure. The precise nature of the mechanics of such deformations is only poorly understood at present. Experimental evidence has shown that the volume change behavior of unsaturated soils cannot be adequately explained through changes in effective stress, even when a saturation dependent parameter is incorporated into the definition of effective stress. Two independent stress-state variables, involving combinations of total stress, pore air pressure and pore water pressure, are required to characterize volume changes and saturation changes in the partially saturated state. In general, two coupled conservation equations, one for the water-phase and the other for the air-phase need to be solved in order to predict the deformation behavior of unsaturated soils. If directional displacements and changes in the stress-field are required, then the conservation equations are to be integrated with an additional set of multi-dimensional force balance equations. For lack of a sufficient understanding of elastic constants such as Poisson's Ratio and Lame's constants as applied to unsaturated soils, little has been achieved so far in integrating the conservation equations and the force balance equations. For the long-term modeling of consolidation with respect to uranium mill tailings, it may be acceptable and economical to solve a single conservation equation for water, assuming that the air-phase is continuous and is at atmospheric pressure everywhere in the soil. The greatest challenge to modeling consolidation in the unsaturated zone at the presnt time is to develop enough experimental data defining the variation of void ratio and saturation with reference to the two chosen stress-state variables

  9. Concentration of radionuclides in building materials and soils in The Netherlands

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ackers, J.G.

    1985-11-01

    About 150 samples of building materials used in the Netherlands have been analysed by gamma spectrometry for their Ra-226, Th-232 and K-40 concentrations. From 26 samples of soils the radioactivity concentration was measured. Calibration was performed by the use of a large volume standard source made as a mixture of monazite, pitchblende and silica. The results are reported in Bq.kg -1 ; the statistical error is within 5% (standard deviation) and for most of the results the systematic error is smaller than 15%. Most of the building materials and all soil samples revealed activity concentrations smaller than 100 Bq.kg -1 for Ra-226 and Th-232 and smaller than 1000 Bq.kg -1 for K-40. Part of the results is compared with data published elsewhere. (Auth.)

  10. Certified reference materials for the determination of mineral oil hydrocarbons in water, soil and waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koch, M.; Liebich, A.; Win, T.; Nehls, I.

    2005-07-01

    The international research project HYCREF, funded by the European Commission in the 5{sup th} Framework programme, aimed to develop methods to prepare homogeneous and stable water-, soil- and waste reference materials contaminated with mineral oil hydrocarbons and to test certify the mineral oil content by gas chromatographic methods. As mineral oil products are important sources for environmental contaminations a high need exists for certified reference materials for their determination using the new gas chromatographic methods (soil: ISO/FDIS 16703, waste: ENpr 14039, water: ISO 9377-2). The experimental conditions and results for preparation and characterisation of a total of nine reference materials (3 water, 3 soil- and 3 waste materials) are described and discussed. Target values for the reference materials were defined at the beginning of the project in order to have clear quality criteria, which could be compared with the achieved results at the end of the project. These target specifications were related to the maximum uncertainty from test certification exercises (<5% for soil/waste and <10% for water), the maximum inhomogeneity between bottles (<3%) and minimum requirements for stability (>5 years for soil/waste and >2 years for water). The feasibility studies showed that solid materials (soil, waste) could be prepared sufficiently homogeneous and stable. The test certified values of the 6 solid materials comprise a wide range of mineral oil content from about 200-9000 mg/kg with expanded uncertainties between 5.7-13.1% using a coverage factor k (k=2). The development of new water reference materials - the so-called ''spiking pills'' for an offshore- and a land-based discharge water represents one of the most innovative aspects of the project. The spiking pill technology facilitates the application and storage and improves the material stability compared with aqueous materials. Additional to the preparation and test certification of

  11. Stiffness and Mass Matrices of FEM-Applicable Dynamic Infinite Element with Unified Shape Basis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kazakov, Konstantin

    2009-01-01

    This paper is devoted to the construction and evaluation of mass and stiffness matrices of elastodynamic four and five node infinite elements with unified shape functions (EIEUSF), recently proposed by the author. Such elements can be treated as a family of elastodynamic infinite elements appropriate for multi-wave soil-structure interaction problems. The common characteristic of the proposed infinite elements is the so-called unified shape function, based on finite number of wave shape functions. The idea and the construction of the unified shape basis are described in brief. This element belongs to the decay class of infinite elements. It is shown that by appropriate mapping functions the formulation of such an element can be easily transformed to a mapped form. The results obtained using the proposed infinite elements are in a good agreement with the superposed results obtained by a series of standard computational models. The continuity along the finite/infinite element line (artificial boundary) in two-dimensional substructure models is also discussed in brief. In this type of computational models such a line marks the artificial boundary between the near and the far field of the model.

  12. Why unify

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Georgi, H.

    1980-01-01

    Unified gauge theories such as SU(5) of particle interactions are built on the colour SU(3) and SU(2) x U(1) gauge theories which apparently describe strong and weak and electromagnetic interactions at distances as small as 10 -16 cm. In this article the classical reasons for going beyond SU(3)xSU(2)xU(1) to a fully unified theory such as SU(5) are reviewed, and a new reason formulated. A class of imaginary worlds similar to our own is considered and it is shown that unification is possible only in ours. This suggests that the low-energy interactions are unique in that they are constructed to make unification possible. (author)

  13. Variability of the soil-to-plant radiocaesium transfer factor for Japanese soils predicted with soil and plant properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uematsu, Shinichiro; Vandenhove, Hildegarde; Sweeck, Lieve; Van Hees, May; Wannijn, Jean; Smolders, Erik

    2016-03-01

    Food chain contamination with radiocaesium (RCs) in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident calls for an analysis of the specific factors that control the RCs transfer. Here, soil-to-plant transfer factors (TF) of RCs for grass were predicted from the potassium concentration in soil solution (mK) and the Radiocaesium Interception Potential (RIP) of the soil using existing mechanistic models. The mK and RIP were (a) either measured for 37 topsoils collected from the Fukushima accident affected area or (b) predicted from the soil clay content and the soil exchangeable potassium content using the models that had been calibrated for European soils. An average ammonium concentration was used throughout in the prediction. The measured RIP ranged 14-fold and measured mK varied 37-fold among the soils. The measured RIP was lower than the RIP predicted from the soil clay content likely due to the lower content of weathered micas in the clay fraction of Japanese soils. Also the measured mK was lower than that predicted. As a result, the predicted TFs relying on the measured RIP and mK were, on average, about 22-fold larger than the TFs predicted using the European calibrated models. The geometric mean of the measured TFs for grass in the affected area (N = 82) was in the middle of both. The TFs were poorly related to soil classification classes, likely because soil fertility (mK) was obscuring the effects of the soil classification related to the soil mineralogy (RIP). This study suggests that, on average, Japanese soils are more vulnerable than European soils at equal soil clay and exchangeable K content. The affected regions will be targeted for refined model validation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Pedotransfer functions for isoproturon sorption on soils and vadose zone materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moeys, Julien; Bergheaud, Valérie; Coquet, Yves

    2011-10-01

    Sorption coefficients (the linear K(D) or the non-linear K(F) and N(F)) are critical parameters in models of pesticide transport to groundwater or surface water. In this work, a dataset of isoproturon sorption coefficients and corresponding soil properties (264 K(D) and 55 K(F)) was compiled, and pedotransfer functions were built for predicting isoproturon sorption in soils and vadose zone materials. These were benchmarked against various other prediction methods. The results show that the organic carbon content (OC) and pH are the two main soil properties influencing isoproturon K(D) . The pedotransfer function is K(D) = 1.7822 + 0.0162 OC(1.5) - 0.1958 pH (K(D) in L kg(-1) and OC in g kg(-1)). For low-OC soils (OC isoproturon sorption in soils in unsampled locations should rely, whenever possible, and by order of preference, on (a) site- or soil-specific pedotransfer functions, (b) pedotransfer functions calibrated on a large dataset, (c) K(OC) values calculated on a large dataset or (d) K(OC) values taken from existing pesticide properties databases. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

  15. Seven Deadliest Unified Communications Attacks

    CERN Document Server

    York, Dan

    2010-01-01

    Do you need to keep up with the latest hacks, attacks, and exploits effecting Unified Communications technology? Then you need Seven Deadliest Unified Communication Attacks. This book pinpoints the most dangerous hacks and exploits specific to Unified Communications, laying out the anatomy of these attacks including how to make your system more secure. You will discover the best ways to defend against these vicious hacks with step-by-step instruction and learn techniques to make your computer and network impenetrable. Attacks featured in this book include: UC Ecosystem Attacks Insecure Endpo

  16. [Effects of Different Kinds of Organic Materials on Soil Heavy Metal Phytoremediation Efficiency by Sedum alfredii Hance].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Gui-hua; Xu, Hai-zhou; Zhu, Lin-gang; Ma, Jia-wei; Liu, Dan; Ye, Zheng-qian

    2015-11-01

    In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of clean organic materials i. e., biogas residue (BR), mushroom residue (MR), and bamboo shell (BS) on phytoextraction remediation of two heavy metal contaminated soils (collected from Wenzhou and Fuyang, which referred to "Wenzhou soil" and "Fuyang soil", respectively.) using a cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii Hance. The results indicated that the effects of organic materials on availabilities of soil heavy metals were different due to different kinds of heavy metals, organic materials, and the application rates of the organic materials. Addition with 5% BR showed the greatest activation to copper (Cu), Zn in Wenzhou soil, and in Fuyang soil 1% BS had the highest activation for Cu, Zn, lead ( Ph) and Cd. Growth of shoot biomass of Sedum alfredii Hance increased with the addition rate of organic materials, and the plant dry weights were increased by 23.7%-93.0%. In Wenzhou soil, only 1% BS treatment had the best effect on Cd uptake and accumulation in shoots of Sedum alfredii Hance, increased by 22.6%, while other treatments were inferior to the control. For Zn, MR treatments were inferior to the control, while other treafments were superior to the control, of which 5% BR, 1% BS and 5% BS exceeded the control by 39. 6%, 32.6% and 23.8%, respectively. In Fuyang soil, for Cd, the treatment effects of 5% BS, 1% BR and 5% BR were the greatest, of which Cd accumulation in shoots exceeded the control by 12.9%, 12.8% and 6.2%, respectively, while Cd accumulations in shoots in all other treatments were less than that of control. For Zn, the treatments of adding organic materials promoted Zn accumulation in shoots of Sedum alfredii Hance, and the best treatments were as follows: 5% BS. 5% BR and 5% MR, exceeded the control by 38.4%, 25.7% and 22.4%, respectively.

  17. New Experiences in Dike Construction with Soil-Ash Composites and Fine-Grained Dredged Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duszyński Remigiusz

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The supporting structure inside a coastal dike is often made of dredged non-uniform sand with good compaction properties. Due to the shortage of natural construction material for both coastal and river dikes and the surplus of different processed materials, new experiments were made with sand-ash mixtures and fine-grained dredged materials to replace both dike core and dike cover materials resulting in economical, environmentally friendly and sustainable dikes. Ash from EC Gdańsk and dredged sand from the Vistula river were mixed to form an engineering material used for dike construction. The optimum sand-ash composites were applied at a field test site to build a large-scale research dike. Fine-grained dredged materials from Germany were chosen to be applied in a second full-scale research dike in Rostock. All materials were investigated according to the standards for soil mechanical analysis. This includes basic soil properties, mechanical characteristics, such as grain-size distribution, compaction parameters, compressibility, shear strength, and water permeability. In the field, the infiltration of water into the dike body as well as the erosion resistance of the cover material against overflowing water was determined. Results of both laboratory and field testing are discussed in this paper. In conclusion, the mixing of bottom ash with mineral soil, such as relatively uniform dredged sand, fairly improves the geotechnical parameters of the composite, compared to the constituents. Depending on the composite, the materials may be suitable to build a dike core or an erosion-resistant dike cover.

  18. New Experiences in Dike Construction with Soil-Ash Composites and Fine-Grained Dredged Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duszyński, Remigiusz; Duszyńska, Angelika; Cantré, Stefan

    2017-12-01

    The supporting structure inside a coastal dike is often made of dredged non-uniform sand with good compaction properties. Due to the shortage of natural construction material for both coastal and river dikes and the surplus of different processed materials, new experiments were made with sand-ash mixtures and fine-grained dredged materials to replace both dike core and dike cover materials resulting in economical, environmentally friendly and sustainable dikes. Ash from EC Gdańsk and dredged sand from the Vistula river were mixed to form an engineering material used for dike construction. The optimum sand-ash composites were applied at a field test site to build a large-scale research dike. Fine-grained dredged materials from Germany were chosen to be applied in a second full-scale research dike in Rostock. All materials were investigated according to the standards for soil mechanical analysis. This includes basic soil properties, mechanical characteristics, such as grain-size distribution, compaction parameters, compressibility, shear strength, and water permeability. In the field, the infiltration of water into the dike body as well as the erosion resistance of the cover material against overflowing water was determined. Results of both laboratory and field testing are discussed in this paper. In conclusion, the mixing of bottom ash with mineral soil, such as relatively uniform dredged sand, fairly improves the geotechnical parameters of the composite, compared to the constituents. Depending on the composite, the materials may be suitable to build a dike core or an erosion-resistant dike cover.

  19. The Effect of Binder and Waste Granular Materials (WGM on the Shear Strength and Shear Resistance of Dredged Marine Soils (DMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rosman Mohammad Zawawi

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Dredged marine soil (DMS is considered as weak and soft problematic soil. It is possible to give this type of soil a second life if only its geotechnical properties are improved. Infusing soil with solidification agent is the common practice of soil improvement. This study uses binder and waste granular material (WGM such as cement, bottom ash (BA and palm oil clinker (POC. The aforementioned materials are capable to fortify the poor features of the soil. Series numbers of soil bed samples were tested for its shear strength and shear resistance. Test results show that the mentioned soil parameters were corresponded with each other. In short, geo-waste and biomass materials are possible to be reused instead of being discarded.

  20. New unified fracture toughness estimation scheme for structural integrity assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wallin, K; Nevasmaa, P [VTT, Espoo (Finland); Bannister, A [Research and Development, British Steel plc., Swinden Technology Centre Rotherham (United Kingdom)

    1999-12-31

    At present, treatment of fracture toughness data varies depending on the type of data (K{sub IC}, J, CTOD) that are available for fracture mechanics analysis. This complicates structural integrity assessment and makes it difficult to apply any single, unified procedure. Within the Brite-Euram project `SINTAP` a fracture toughness estimation scheme has been developed for the unified treatment of data for use in structural integrity assessment. As a procedure, it can be applied to Charpy data, as well as to fracture toughness data, and is suitable for the treatment of data at both single and different temperatures. The data sets may contain results from both homogeneous and inhomogeneous material, making the procedure applicable also to welded joints. The procedure allows fracture toughness assessment with quantified probability and confidence levels. Irrespective of the type of the original data, one material-specific K{sub mat} value representing a conservative estimate of the mean fracture toughness is obtained (with its probability distribution). This information can then be applied to structural integrity assessment. (orig.) 4 refs.

  1. New unified fracture toughness estimation scheme for structural integrity assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wallin, K.; Nevasmaa, P. [VTT, Espoo (Finland); Bannister, A. [Research and Development, British Steel plc., Swinden Technology Centre Rotherham (United Kingdom)

    1998-12-31

    At present, treatment of fracture toughness data varies depending on the type of data (K{sub IC}, J, CTOD) that are available for fracture mechanics analysis. This complicates structural integrity assessment and makes it difficult to apply any single, unified procedure. Within the Brite-Euram project `SINTAP` a fracture toughness estimation scheme has been developed for the unified treatment of data for use in structural integrity assessment. As a procedure, it can be applied to Charpy data, as well as to fracture toughness data, and is suitable for the treatment of data at both single and different temperatures. The data sets may contain results from both homogeneous and inhomogeneous material, making the procedure applicable also to welded joints. The procedure allows fracture toughness assessment with quantified probability and confidence levels. Irrespective of the type of the original data, one material-specific K{sub mat} value representing a conservative estimate of the mean fracture toughness is obtained (with its probability distribution). This information can then be applied to structural integrity assessment. (orig.) 4 refs.

  2. Unifying Abstractions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Torgersen, Mads

    This thesis presents the RUNE language, a semantic construction of related and tightly coupled programming constructs presented in the shape of a programming language. The major contribution is the succesfull design of a highly unified and general programming model, capable of expressing some of ...... a unified name declaration mechanism. The resulting expressiveness allows for argument covariance, dependent types and module types, plus a solution to the so-called expression problem of two way extensibility in object-oriented languages....... of the most complex type relations put forth in type systems research, without compromising such fundamental qualities as conceptuality, modularity and static typing. While many new constructs and unifications are put forth  to substantiate their conceptual validity, type rules are given to support...

  3. Reliable classification of moving waste materials with LIBS in concrete recycling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xia, Han; Bakker, M C M

    2014-03-01

    Effective discrimination between different waste materials is of paramount importance for inline quality inspection of recycle concrete aggregates from demolished buildings. The moving targeted materials in the concrete waste stream are wood, PVC, gypsum block, glass, brick, steel rebar, aggregate and cement paste. For each material, up to three different types were considered, while thirty particles of each material were selected. Proposed is a reliable classification methodology based on integration of the LIBS spectral emissions in a fixed time window, starting from the deployment of the laser shot. PLS-DA (multi class) and the hybrid combination PCA-Adaboost (binary class) were investigated as efficient classifiers. In addition, mean centre and auto scaling approaches were compared for both classifiers. Using 72 training spectra and 18 test spectra per material, each averaged by ten shots, only PLS-DA achieved full discrimination, and the mean centre approach made it slightly more robust. Continuing with PLS-DA, the relation between data averaging and convergence to 0.3% average error was investigated using 9-fold cross-validations. Single-shot PLS-DA presented the highest challenge and most desirable methodology, which converged with 59 PC. The degree of success in practical testing will depend on the quality of the training set and the implications of the possibly remaining false positives. © 2013 Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. Classification and learning using genetic algorithms applications in Bioinformatics and Web Intelligence

    CERN Document Server

    Bandyopadhyay, Sanghamitra

    2007-01-01

    This book provides a unified framework that describes how genetic learning can be used to design pattern recognition and learning systems. It examines how a search technique, the genetic algorithm, can be used for pattern classification mainly through approximating decision boundaries. Coverage also demonstrates the effectiveness of the genetic classifiers vis-à-vis several widely used classifiers, including neural networks.

  5. Unified semiclassical theory for the two-state system: an analytical solution for general nonadiabatic tunneling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Chaoyuan; Lin, Sheng Hsien

    2006-07-28

    Unified semiclasical solution for general nonadiabatic tunneling between two adiabatic potential energy surfaces is established by employing unified semiclassical solution for pure nonadiabatic transition [C. Zhu, J. Chem. Phys. 105, 4159 (1996)] with the certain symmetry transformation. This symmetry comes from a detailed analysis of the reduced scattering matrix for Landau-Zener type of crossing as a special case of nonadiabatic transition and nonadiabatic tunneling. Traditional classification of crossing and noncrossing types of nonadiabatic transition can be quantitatively defined by the rotation angle of adiabatic-to-diabatic transformation, and this rotational angle enters the analytical solution for general nonadiabatic tunneling. The certain two-state exponential potential models are employed for numerical tests, and the calculations from the present general nonadiabatic tunneling formula are demonstrated in very good agreement with the results from exact quantum mechanical calculations. The present general nonadiabatic tunneling formula can be incorporated with various mixed quantum-classical methods for modeling electronically nonadiabatic processes in photochemistry.

  6. Study on the unified constraint parameter for characterizing in-plane and out-of-plane constraint based on the equivalent plastic strain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Jie; Wang Guozhen; Xuan Fuzhen; Tu Shandong

    2013-01-01

    Background: Constraint can significantly alter the material's fracture toughness. Purpose: In order to increase accuracy of the structural integrity assessment. It needs to consider the effect of constraint on the fracture toughness of nuclear power materials and structures. A unified measure which can reflect both in-plane and out-of-plane constraint is needed. Methods: In this paper, the finite element numerical simulation method was used, a unified measure and characterization parameter of in-plane and out-of-plane constraint based on crack-tip equivalent plastic strain have been investigated. Results: The results show that the area surrounded by ε p isoline has a good relevance with the material's fracture toughness on different constraint conditions, so it may be a suitable parameter. Based on the area A PEEQ , a unified constraint characterization parameter √A p is defined. It was found that there exists a sole linear relation between the normalized fracture toughness J IC /J re f and √A p regardless of the in-plane, out-of-plane constraint and the selection of the p isolines. The sole J IC /J re f-√A p line exists for a certain material. For different materials, the slope of J IC /J re f-√A p reference line is different. The material whose slope is larger has a higher J IC /J re f and is more sensitive to constraint at the same magnitude of normalized unified parameter. Conclusions: The unified J IC /J re f -√A p reference line may be used to assess the safety of a cracked component with any constraint levels regardless of in-plane or out-of-plane constraint or both. (authors)

  7. Building a Unified Computational Model for the Resonant X-Ray Scattering of Strongly Correlated Materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bansil, Arun

    2016-01-01

    Basic-Energy Sciences of the Department of Energy (BES/DOE) has made large investments in x-ray sources in the U.S. (NSLS-II, LCLS, NGLS, ALS, APS) as powerful enabling tools for opening up unprecedented new opportunities for exploring properties of matter at various length and time scales. The coming online of the pulsed photon source literally allows us to see and follow the dynamics of processes in materials at their natural timescales. There is an urgent need therefore to develop theoretical methodologies and computational models for understanding how x-rays interact with matter and the related spectroscopies of materials. The present project addressed aspects of this grand challenge of X-ray science. In particular, our Collaborative Research Team (CRT) focused on understanding and modeling of elastic and inelastic resonant X-ray scattering processes. We worked to unify the three different computational approaches currently used for modeling X-ray scattering-density functional theory, dynamical mean-field theory, and small-cluster exact diagonalization-to achieve a more realistic material-specific picture of the interaction between X-rays and complex matter. To achieve a convergence in the interpretation and to maximize complementary aspects of different theoretical methods, we concentrated on the cuprates, where most experiments have been performed. Our team included both US and international researchers, and it fostered new collaborations between researchers currently working with different approaches. In addition, we developed close relationships with experimental groups working in the area at various synchrotron facilities in the US. Our CRT thus helped toward enabling the US to assume a leadership role in the theoretical development of the field, and to create a global network and community of scholars dedicated to X-ray scattering research.

  8. Building a Unified Computational Model for the Resonant X-Ray Scattering of Strongly Correlated Materials

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bansil, Arun [Northeastern Univ., Boston, MA (United States)

    2016-12-01

    Basic-Energy Sciences of the Department of Energy (BES/DOE) has made large investments in x-ray sources in the U.S. (NSLS-II, LCLS, NGLS, ALS, APS) as powerful enabling tools for opening up unprecedented new opportunities for exploring properties of matter at various length and time scales. The coming online of the pulsed photon source literally allows us to see and follow the dynamics of processes in materials at their natural timescales. There is an urgent need therefore to develop theoretical methodologies and computational models for understanding how x-rays interact with matter and the related spectroscopies of materials. The present project addressed aspects of this grand challenge of X-ray science. In particular, our Collaborative Research Team (CRT) focused on understanding and modeling of elastic and inelastic resonant X-ray scattering processes. We worked to unify the three different computational approaches currently used for modeling X-ray scattering—density functional theory, dynamical mean-field theory, and small-cluster exact diagonalization—to achieve a more realistic material-specific picture of the interaction between X-rays and complex matter. To achieve a convergence in the interpretation and to maximize complementary aspects of different theoretical methods, we concentrated on the cuprates, where most experiments have been performed. Our team included both US and international researchers, and it fostered new collaborations between researchers currently working with different approaches. In addition, we developed close relationships with experimental groups working in the area at various synchrotron facilities in the US. Our CRT thus helped toward enabling the US to assume a leadership role in the theoretical development of the field, and to create a global network and community of scholars dedicated to X-ray scattering research.

  9. Effect of cement on the stability and the wearrance of soils in earthworks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karam Feth-Allah Bendimerad

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The technique of soil treatment is known for a long time, currently, during the big motorway programs this technique is experiencing important to reach zero imprints and zero deposit in a context of sustainable development or the socio-economic and environmental challenges incite during the work of earthworks. Our work puts highlights the treatment of fine soils in westerns region of Algeria (wilaya of Tlemcen, a project to construct a payment station for the entry of the wilaya (sample n°1, electrical post 400/200 KVA in the locality Ain Fetah (sample n°2, belonging to the class A3h (very plastic clay according to the Technical Guide for Earthworks (GTR, whose use in the raw state would involve great risks of stability because of their plasticity (Ip > 20% and their low capacity (CBR < 25 according to the Specification of the Algerian Loads, Technical Clauses (CSDCA-CT by the incorporation of the stabilizing agents, for example the variant of locally manufactured CEM II / A42.5N composite cement, in order to define their behaviours by examining the variation of their characteristics determined according to the Algerian standards and at a ambient temperature according to the additive dosage and to contribute to the deduction of the interest of the method demonstrated previously. The results obtained clearly show a tendency the rearrange classification of the soils studied according to the unified system en proportion whit to the additive dosage (0 to 14% in view of the appreciable change in the plasticity behaviour, which results in a decrease in the plasticity index, going up to 37.7% and the 11% of the maximum dry density accompanied by a satisfactory increase in the suitability of the materials to be supported a load with different moisture content and changes in water regime exceeds 100%. Given the unavailability of other exploitable deposits near the site and the experimental results obtained, the variant of the treatment seems feasible.

  10. Search for Extralunar Materials in Apollo Soil Samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucey, P. G.; Honniball, C.; Crites, S.; Taylor, G. J.; Martel, L.

    2017-12-01

    It has long been proposed that the lunar surface is a pristine collector of material from across the solar system. The Moon is exposed to the same meteorite flux as the Earth, but because its surface is unaltered by processes such as plate tectonics, aqueous alteration, or recent volcanism, the Moon may have recorded a much longer meteoritic history than the chemically and physically active Earth. By studying lunar soils at the individual grain level, we have the potential to identify and study material from across the inner solar system. We have developed three hyperspectral imaging microscopes to search a large quantity of lunar soil grains for rare lunar, and extra-lunar minerals. We are using lunar-exotic mineralogy as a tracer to detect extralunar candidates. One hyperspectral microscope covers the 1-2.5 micron region for detection of water and hydroxyl overtones in alteration minerals such as phyllosilicates. The second instrument covers the 2.5 to 5 micron region to characterize the 3 micron water region, and for detection of organics and carbonates. The third covers the thermal infrared for detection of phosphates and zeolites as well as the major lunar silicates. We are examining 1 million grains of varying sizes from Apollo 11 ,12, 14 and 16 landing sites. Using the USGS spectral library and the Tetracorder mineral mapping algorithm, we are matching library mineral spectra with the grain spectra we acquire. To validate our ability to detect and match mineral spectra, we are conducting scans of relevent mineral seperates and mixtures at the individual grain level. Results of this mineral inventory will provide contraints on various models and estimates for material transfer between the terrestrial planets.

  11. Classification of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowardin, L.M.; Carter, V.; Golet, F.C.; LaRoe, E.T.

    1985-01-01

    This classification, to be used in a new inventory of wetlands and deepwater habitats of the United States, is intended to describe ecological taxa, arrange them in a system useful to resource managers, furnish units for mapping, and provide uniformity of concepts and terms. Wetlands are defined by plants (hydrophytes), soils (hydric soils), and frequency of flooding. Ecologically related areas of deep water, traditionally not considered wetlands, are included in the classification as deepwater habitats.Systems form the highest level of the classification hierarchy; five are defined-Marine, Estuarine, Riverine, Lacustrine, and Palustrine. Marine and Estuarine Systems each have two Subsystems, Subtidal and Intertidal; the Riverine System has four Subsystems, Tidal, Lower Perennial, Upper Perennial, and Intermittent; the Lacustrine has two, Littoral and Limnetic; and the Palustrine has no Subsystems.Within the Subsystems, Classes are based on substrate material and flooding regime, or on vegetative life form. The same Classes may appear under one or more of the Systems or Subsystems. Six Classes are based on substrate and flooding regime: (1) Rock Bottom with a substrate of bedrock, boulders, or stones; (2) Unconsolidated Bottom with a substrate of cobbles, gravel, sand, mud, or organic material; (3) Rocky Shore with the same substrates as Rock Bottom; (4) Unconsolidated Shore with the same substrates as Unconsolidated Bottom; (5) Streambed with any of the substrates; and (6) Reef with a substrate composed of the living and dead remains of invertebrates (corals, mollusks, or worms). The bottom Classes, (1) and (2) above, are flooded all or most of the time and the shore Classes, (3) and (4), are exposed most of the time. The Class Streambed is restricted to channels of intermittent streams and tidal channels that are dewatered at low tide. The life form of the dominant vegetation defines the five Classes based on vegetative form: (1) Aquatic Bed, dominated by plants

  12. Nanomaterials for environmental studies: Classification, reference material issues, and strategies for physico-chemical characterisation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stone, Vicki; Nowack, Bernd; Baun, Anders; Brink, Nico van den; Kammer, Frank von der; Dusinska, Maria; Handy, Richard; Hankin, Steven; Hasselloev, Martin; Joner, Erik; Fernandes, Teresa F.

    2010-01-01

    NanoImpactNet is a European Commission Framework Programme 7 (FP7) funded project that provides a forum for the discussion of current opinions on nanomaterials in relation to human and environmental issues. In September 2008, in Zurich, a NanoImpactNet environmental workshop focused on three key questions: 1.What properties should be characterised for nanomaterials used in environmental and ecotoxicology studies? 2.What reference materials should be developed for use in environmental and ecotoxicological studies? 3.Is it possible to group different nanomaterials into categories for consideration in environmental studies? Such questions have been, at least partially, addressed by other projects/workshops especially in relation to human health effects. Such projects provide a useful basis on which this workshop was based, but in this particular case these questions were reformulated in order to focus specifically on environmental studies. The workshop participants, through a series of discussion and reflection sessions, generated the conclusions listed below. The physicochemical characterisation information identified as important for environmental studies included measures of aggregation/agglomeration/dispersability, size, dissolution (solubility), surface area, surface charge, surface chemistry/composition, with the assumption that chemical composition would already be known. There is a need to have test materials for ecotoxicology, and several substances are potentially useful, including TiO 2 nanoparticles, polystyrene beads labelled with fluorescent dyes, and silver nanoparticles. Some of these test materials could then be developed into certified reference materials over time. No clear consensus was reached regarding the classification of nanomaterials into categories to aid environmental studies, except that a chemistry-based classification system was a reasonable starting point, with some modifications. It was suggested, that additional work may be required

  13. Nanomaterials for environmental studies: Classification, reference material issues, and strategies for physico-chemical characterisation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stone, Vicki, E-mail: v.stone@napier.ac.uk [School of Life Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, 10 Colinton Road, Edinburgh EH10 5DT (United Kingdom); Nowack, Bernd [Materials, Products and the Environment Group, Empa - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5 CH - 9014 St. Gallen (Switzerland); Baun, Anders [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, NanoDTU, Building 113, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Brink, Nico van den [Alterra, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen (Netherlands); Kammer, Frank von der [Department of Environmental Geosciences, Vienna University, Althanstrasse 14, Wien 1090 (Austria); Dusinska, Maria [Health Effects Laboratory, Centre for Ecological Economics, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU), Instituttveien, 18, 2027 Kjeller (Norway); Handy, Richard [University of Plymouth, Davy Building, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom); Hankin, Steven [Institute of Occupational Medicine, Research Avenue North, Riccarton, Edinburgh EH14 4AP (United Kingdom); Hasselloev, Martin [Department of Chemistry, Environmental Nanoparticle Research Group, Goeteborg University, SE-412 96 Goeteborg (Sweden); Joner, Erik [Bioforsk Soil and Environment, Fredrik A Dahls vei 20, N-1432 Aas (Norway); Fernandes, Teresa F. [School of Life Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, 10 Colinton Road, Edinburgh EH10 5DT (United Kingdom)

    2010-03-01

    NanoImpactNet is a European Commission Framework Programme 7 (FP7) funded project that provides a forum for the discussion of current opinions on nanomaterials in relation to human and environmental issues. In September 2008, in Zurich, a NanoImpactNet environmental workshop focused on three key questions: 1.What properties should be characterised for nanomaterials used in environmental and ecotoxicology studies? 2.What reference materials should be developed for use in environmental and ecotoxicological studies? 3.Is it possible to group different nanomaterials into categories for consideration in environmental studies? Such questions have been, at least partially, addressed by other projects/workshops especially in relation to human health effects. Such projects provide a useful basis on which this workshop was based, but in this particular case these questions were reformulated in order to focus specifically on environmental studies. The workshop participants, through a series of discussion and reflection sessions, generated the conclusions listed below. The physicochemical characterisation information identified as important for environmental studies included measures of aggregation/agglomeration/dispersability, size, dissolution (solubility), surface area, surface charge, surface chemistry/composition, with the assumption that chemical composition would already be known. There is a need to have test materials for ecotoxicology, and several substances are potentially useful, including TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles, polystyrene beads labelled with fluorescent dyes, and silver nanoparticles. Some of these test materials could then be developed into certified reference materials over time. No clear consensus was reached regarding the classification of nanomaterials into categories to aid environmental studies, except that a chemistry-based classification system was a reasonable starting point, with some modifications. It was suggested, that additional work may be

  14. CLAY SOIL STABILISATION USING POWDERED GLASS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. OLUFOWOBI

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper assesses the stabilizing effect of powdered glass on clay soil. Broken waste glass was collected and ground into powder form suitable for addition to the clay soil in varying proportions namely 1%, 2%, 5%, 10% and 15% along with 15% cement (base by weight of the soil sample throughout. Consequently, the moisture content, specific gravity, particle size distribution and Atterberg limits tests were carried out to classify the soil using the ASSHTO classification system. Based on the results, the soil sample obtained corresponded to Group A-6 soils identified as ‘fair to poor’ soil type in terms of use as drainage and subgrade material. This justified stabilisation of the soil. Thereafter, compaction, California bearing ratio (CBR and direct shear tests were carried out on the soil with and without the addition of the powdered glass. The results showed improvement in the maximum dry density values on addition of the powdered glass and with corresponding gradual increase up to 5% glass powder content after which it started to decrease at 10% and 15% powdered glass content. The highest CBR values of 14.90% and 112.91% were obtained at 5% glass powder content and 5mm penetration for both the unsoaked and soaked treated samples respectively. The maximum cohesion and angle of internal friction values of 17.0 and 15.0 respectively were obtained at 10% glass powder content.

  15. Sampling and analysis of alien materials in soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liphard, K G

    1987-02-01

    For the determination of alien materials in soil, sampling is the decisive step. After minute planning, samples can be obtained by probing, boring or abrasion. Some types of substances can be verified by advance sampling, partly already in the field. Inorganic substances present as anions or cations are eluted and determined with water, heavy metals are determined after preparing a number of solutions by spectroscopic methods. Organic alien substances are extracted with solvents and, as a rule, analysed by chromatography.

  16. Grand unified theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rosner, J.L.

    1987-01-01

    This paper reports on a pedagogical introduction that attempts to unify the strong and electroweak interactions. Unifying groups discussed include SU(5), SO(10), and E 6 . Particular attention is paid to the questions of whether the low-energy gauge group (that accessible at accelerator experiments in the foreseeable future) extends beyond SU(3) x SU(2) L x U(1). Low-energy studies of neutral-current effects, direct production of gauge bosons, and new fermions all can shed light on this question. Brief remarks are made concerning the role of monopoles, cosmic strings, baryogenesis, supersymmetry, and higher dimensions in this program

  17. Developments and departures in the philosophy of soil science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Traditional soil science curriculums provide comprehensive instruction on soil properties, soil classification, and the physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur in soils. This reductionist perspective is sometimes balanced with a more holistic perspective that focuses on soils as natu...

  18. Stabilization of metal(loid)s in two contaminated agricultural soils: Comparing biochar to its non-pyrolysed source material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trakal, Lukáš; Raya-Moreno, Irene; Mitchell, Kerry; Beesley, Luke

    2017-08-01

    Two metal(loid) contaminated agricultural soils were amended with grape stalk (wine production by-product)-derived biochar as well as its pre-pyrolysed origin material, to investigate their geochemical impacts on As, Cr, Cu and Zn. Detailed physico-chemical evaluation combined with a column leaching test determined the retention of metal(loid)s from soil solution by each amendments. A pot experiment measured metal(loid)s in soil pore water and their uptake to ryegrass when the amendments were mixed into soils at 1 and 5% (w/w). Total Cr and Zn concentrations were reduced furthest in column leachates by the addition of raw material and biochar respectively, compared to the untreated soil; Cr(III) was the predominant specie initially due to rapid acidification of leachates and organic complexation resulting from raw material addition. Loadings of metal(loid)s to the amendments recovered from the post-leached columns were in the order Cu » Zn > Cr ≈ As. In the pot test ryegrass Cr uptake was initiated by the addition of both amendments, compared to the untreated soil, whereas only biochar addition resulted in significant increases in Zn uptake, explained by its significant enhancement of ryegrass biomass yield, especially at 5% dosage; raw material addition significantly decreased biomass yields. Inconsistent relationships between pore water parameters and ryegrass uptake were common to both soils investigated. Therefore, whilst both amendments modified soil metal(loid) geochemistry, their effects differed fundamentally; in environmental risk management terms these results highlight the need to investigate the detailed geochemical response of contaminated soils to diverse organic amendment additions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Data Field Modeling and Spectral-Spatial Feature Fusion for Hyperspectral Data Classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Da; Li, Jianxun

    2016-12-16

    Classification is a significant subject in hyperspectral remote sensing image processing. This study proposes a spectral-spatial feature fusion algorithm for the classification of hyperspectral images (HSI). Unlike existing spectral-spatial classification methods, the influences and interactions of the surroundings on each measured pixel were taken into consideration in this paper. Data field theory was employed as the mathematical realization of the field theory concept in physics, and both the spectral and spatial domains of HSI were considered as data fields. Therefore, the inherent dependency of interacting pixels was modeled. Using data field modeling, spatial and spectral features were transformed into a unified radiation form and further fused into a new feature by using a linear model. In contrast to the current spectral-spatial classification methods, which usually simply stack spectral and spatial features together, the proposed method builds the inner connection between the spectral and spatial features, and explores the hidden information that contributed to classification. Therefore, new information is included for classification. The final classification result was obtained using a random forest (RF) classifier. The proposed method was tested with the University of Pavia and Indian Pines, two well-known standard hyperspectral datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method has higher classification accuracies than those obtained by the traditional approaches.

  20. Characterization and Classification of Soils on an Agricultural ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    subangular blocky in the surface and changes to angular blocky in .... have angular blocky structure at the surface and changes to ... The soils in TUP 3 were brown in colour (2.5YR 4/6) in ..... erosion and enhance and maintain soil quality and.

  1. Scientific support, soil information and education provided by the Austrian Soil Science Society

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, Sigbert; Baumgarten, Andreas; Birli, Barbara; Englisch, Michael; Tulipan, Monika; Zechmeister-Boltenstern, Sophie

    2015-04-01

    The Austrian Soil Science Society (ASSS), founded in 1954, is a non-profit organisation aiming at furthering all branches of soil science in Austria. The ASSS provides information on the current state of soil research in Austria and abroad. It organizes annual conferences for scientists from soil and related sciences to exchange their recent studies and offers a journal for scientific publications. Annually, ASSS awards the Kubiena Research Prize for excellent scientific studies provided by young scientists. In order to conserve and improve soil science in the field, excursions are organized, also in cooperation with other scientific organisations. Due to well-established contacts with soil scientists and soil science societies in many countries, the ASSS is able to provide its members with information about the most recent developments in the field of soil science. This contributes to a broadening of the current scientific knowledge on soils. The ASSS also co-operates in the organisation of excursions and meetings with neighbouring countries. Several members of the ASSS teach soil science at various Austrian universities. More detail on said conferences, excursions, publications and awards will be given in the presentation. Beside its own scientific journal, published once or twice a year, and special editions such as guidebooks for soil classification, the ASSS runs a website providing information on the Society, its activities, meetings, publications, awards and projects. Together with the Environment Agency Austria the ASSS runs a soil platform on the internet. It is accessible for the public and thus informs society about soil issues. This platform offers a calendar with national and international soil events, contacts of soil related organisations and networks, information on national projects and publications. The society has access to products, information material and information on educational courses. Last but not least information on specific soil

  2. Clay Stabilization Using the Ash of Mount Sinabung in Terms of the Value of California Bearing Ratio (CBR)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hastuty, I. P.; Roesyanto, R.; Napitupulu, S. M. A.

    2018-02-01

    Most areas in Indonesia consist of clay soils with high plasticity so that to meet technical requirements the soil needs improvement, which is known as soil stabilization.There are three ways of soil stabilization process, i.e. mechanical, physical and chemical. In this study, chemical stabilization was performed, that was by adding stabilizing agents to the soil. The stabilizing agent used was the ash of Mount Sinabung. Since 2010 until now, Sinabung Mountain is still experiencing eruption that produces a lot of volcanic ash and it inconveniences the environment. So, it is expected that this research will be able to optimize the utilization of Sinabung ash. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the addition of Mount Sinabung ash to CBR (California Bearing Ratio) value, to determine the effect of the curing time of one day and fourteen days mixture on the CBR value, and to find the mixed content with effective curing time to produce the largest CBR value. Based on this study, the soil type CL (Clay - Low Plasticity) was obtained, based on the classification of USCS (Unified Soil Classification System) and categorized as A-6 (6) based on the classification of AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation officials) with the most effective mixed stabilizer material which was the variation of 10% Mount Sinabung ash with fourteen days of curing time. The CBR value resulted from the mixture of 10% Sinabung ash that was cured within fourteen days was 8.95%. By the increase of the content of the Sinabung ash, the CBR value always improved to the level of 10%, Sinabung ash then decreased and became constant at the mixture of higher volcanic ash mixture but remained above the CBR value of the original soil.

  3. 46 CFR 164.018-3 - Classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Classification. 164.018-3 Section 164.018-3 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) EQUIPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS... Classification. The following types of retroreflective material are approved under this specification: (a) Type I...

  4. Model of unified gauge fields; Le modele des champs de jauge unifies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leite Lopes, J. [Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Fisicas (CBPF), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

    1998-04-01

    In this work, we discuss the physical ideas which represents the basis for the unified gauge field model. Despite of the difficulties that we presently have for embodying in a natural manner muons and hadrons in that model, we have the feeling that we are on the way which seems to lead to the construction of a theory in which the Maxwell electromagnetic field and the Fermi weak interaction field are manifestations of a unique subjacent physical entity - the unified gauge fields. (author) 22 refs., 6 figs.

  5. The unified theory of nuclear reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tobocman, W.

    A unified nuclear reaction theory is a formalism for the scattering reactions of many-body nuclear systems which is capable of describing both direct interaction and compound nucleus formation processes. The Feshbach projection operator formalism is the original unified nuclear reaction theory. An alternative unified nuclear reaction theory called the X-matrix formalism is described. The X-matrix formalism is a generalization of the Brown-de Dominicis formalism. It does not require projection operators and is readly applied to rearrangement collisions

  6. Unified data model for biological data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Idrees, M.

    2014-01-01

    A data model empowers us to store, retrieve and manipulate data in a unified way. We consider the biological data consists of DNA (De-Oxyribonucleic Acid), RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) and protein structures. In our Bioinformatics Lab (Bioinformatics Lab, Alkhawarizmi Institute of Computer Science, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan), we have already proposed two data models for DNA and protein structures individually. In this paper, we propose a unified data model by using the data models of TOS (Temporal Object Oriented System) after making some necessary modifications to this data model and our already proposed the two data models. This proposed unified data model can be used for the modeling and maintaining the biological data (i.e. DNA, RNA and protein structures), in a single unified way. (author)

  7. Subsurface event detection and classification using Wireless Signal Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoon, Suk-Un; Ghazanfari, Ehsan; Cheng, Liang; Pamukcu, Sibel; Suleiman, Muhannad T

    2012-11-05

    Subsurface environment sensing and monitoring applications such as detection of water intrusion or a landslide, which could significantly change the physical properties of the host soil, can be accomplished using a novel concept, Wireless Signal Networks (WSiNs). The wireless signal networks take advantage of the variations of radio signal strength on the distributed underground sensor nodes of WSiNs to monitor and characterize the sensed area. To characterize subsurface environments for event detection and classification, this paper provides a detailed list and experimental data of soil properties on how radio propagation is affected by soil properties in subsurface communication environments. Experiments demonstrated that calibrated wireless signal strength variations can be used as indicators to sense changes in the subsurface environment. The concept of WSiNs for the subsurface event detection is evaluated with applications such as detection of water intrusion, relative density change, and relative motion using actual underground sensor nodes. To classify geo-events using the measured signal strength as a main indicator of geo-events, we propose a window-based minimum distance classifier based on Bayesian decision theory. The window-based classifier for wireless signal networks has two steps: event detection and event classification. With the event detection, the window-based classifier classifies geo-events on the event occurring regions that are called a classification window. The proposed window-based classification method is evaluated with a water leakage experiment in which the data has been measured in laboratory experiments. In these experiments, the proposed detection and classification method based on wireless signal network can detect and classify subsurface events.

  8. A Unified Lorenz-Like System and Its Tracking Control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Chun-Lai; Zhao Yi-Bo

    2015-01-01

    This paper introduces the finding of a unified Lorenz-like system. By gradually tuning the only parameter d, the reported system belongs to Lorenz-type system in the sense defined by Člikovský. Meanwhile, this system belongs to Lorenz-type system, Lü-type system, Chen-type system with d less than, equivalent to and greater than 1.5, respectively, according to the classification defined by Yang. However, this system can only generate a succession of Lorenz-like attractors. Some basic dynamical properties of the system are investigated theoretically and numerically. Moreover, the tracking control of the system with exponential convergence rate is studied. Theoretical analysis and computer simulation show that the proposed scheme can allow us to drive the output variable x 1 to arbitrary reference signals exponentially, and the guaranteed exponential convergence rate can be estimated accurately. (paper)

  9. Primary disorders of the lymphatic vessels--a unified concept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levine, C

    1989-03-01

    Congenital defects of lymphatics constitute a spectrum of disorders that may manifest with a variety of clinical presentations including lymphedema, chylous effusions, lymphangiomatous malformations with cystic masses and localized gigantism, and intestinal lymphangiectasia with malabsorption. These entities constitute a relatively rare group of disorders, the origin of which remains somewhat controversial, but in some it appears to be due to early lymphatic obstruction. Five cases are described, which demonstrate the anatomical pathology of these entities. A classification and description of the defects is also presented. An attempt is made to present a unified theory of origin for this seemingly diverse group of diseases. While these entities may be challenging from a diagnostic and therapeutic standpoint, a wide variety of imaging modalities, which includes lymphography, computed tomography scanning, and ultrasound, may be used to diagnose the extent and internal structural characteristics of the abnormalities.

  10. Grand unified theories. Pt. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ellis, J.

    1982-01-01

    The author gives an introduction to the construction of grand unified theories on the base of the SU(3)xSU(2)xU(1) model of the strong, weak, and electromagnetic interactions. Especially he discusses the proton decay, neutrino masses and oscillations, and cosmological implications in connection with grand unified theories. (orig./HSI)

  11. Microbiological destruction of composite polymeric materials in soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Legonkova, O. A.; Selitskaya, O. V.

    2009-01-01

    Representatives of the same species of microscopic fungi developed on composite materials with similar polymeric matrices independently from the type of soils, in which the incubation was performed. Trichoderma harzianum, Penicillium auranthiogriseum, and Clonostachys solani were isolated from the samples of polyurethane. Fusarium solani, Clonostachys rosea, and Trichoderma harzianum predominated on the surface of ultrathene samples. Ulocladium botrytis, Penicillium auranthiogriseum, and Fusarium solani predominated in the variants with polyamide. Trichoderma harzianum, Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus ochraceus, and Acremonium strictum were isolated from Lentex-based composite materials. Mucor circinelloides, Trichoderma harzianum, and Penicillium auranthiogriseum were isolated from composite materials based on polyvinyl alcohol. Electron microscopy demonstrated changes in the structure of polymer surface (loosening and an increase in porosity) under the impact of fungi. The physicochemical properties of polymers, including their strength, also changed. The following substances were identified as primary products of the destruction of composite materials: stearic acid for polyurethane-based materials; imide of dithiocarbonic acid and 1-nonadecen in variants with ultrathene; and tetraaminopyrimidine and isocyanatodecan in variants with polyamide. N,N-dimethyldodecan amide, 2-methyloximundecanon and 2-nonacosane were identified for composites on the base of Lentex A4-1. Allyl methyl sulfide and imide of dithiocarbonic acid were found in variants with the samples of composites based on polyvinyl alcohol. The identified primary products of the destruction of composite materials belong to nontoxic compounds.

  12. Interaction of Peat Soil and Sulphidic Material Substratum: Role of Peat Layer and Groundwater Level Fluctuations on Phosphorus Concentration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benito Heru Purwanto

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Phosphorus (P often becomes limiting factor for plants growth. Phosphorus geochemistry in peatland soil is associated with the presence of peat layer and groundwater level fluctuations. The research was conducted to study the role of peat layer and groundwater level fluctuations on P concentration in peatland. The research was conducted on deep, moderate and shallow peat with sulphidic material as substratum, peaty acid sulphate soil, and potential acid sulphate soil. While P concentration was observed in wet season, in transition from wet to dry season, and in dry season. Soil samples were collected by using peat borer according to interlayer and soil horizon. The results showed that peat layer might act as the main source of P in peatland with sulphidic material substratum. The upper peat layer on sulphidic material caused by groundwater level fluctuations had no directly effect on P concentration in the peat layers. Increased of P concentration in the lowest sulphidic layer might relate to redox reaction of iron in the sulphidic layer and precipitation process. Phosphorus concentration in peatland with sulphidic material as substratum was not influenced by peat thickness. However, depletion or disappearance of peat layer decreased P concentration in soil solution. Disappearance of peat layer means loss of a natural source of P for peatland with sulphidic material as substratum, therefore peat layer must be kept in order to maintain of peatlands.

  13. Soil Taxonomy and land evaluation for forest establishment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haruyoshi Ikawa

    1992-01-01

    Soil Taxonomy, the United States system of soil classification, can be used for land evaluation for selected purposes. One use is forest establishment in the tropics, and the soil family category is especially functional for this purpose. The soil family is a bionomial name with descriptions usually of soil texture, mineralogy, and soil temperature classes. If the...

  14. Direction: unified theory of interactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valko, P.

    1987-01-01

    Briefly characterized are the individual theories, namely, the general relativity theory, the Kaluza-Klein theory, the Weyl theory, the unified theory of electromagnetic and weak interactions, the supergravity theory, and the superstring theory. The history is recalled of efforts aimed at creating a unified theory of interactions, and future prospects are outlined. (M.D.). 2 figs

  15. GPGPU Accelerated Deep Object Classification on a Heterogeneous Mobile Platform

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Syed Tahir Hussain Rizvi

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Deep convolutional neural networks achieve state-of-the-art performance in image classification. The computational and memory requirements of such networks are however huge, and that is an issue on embedded devices due to their constraints. Most of this complexity derives from the convolutional layers and in particular from the matrix multiplications they entail. This paper proposes a complete approach to image classification providing common layers used in neural networks. Namely, the proposed approach relies on a heterogeneous CPU-GPU scheme for performing convolutions in the transform domain. The Compute Unified Device Architecture(CUDA-based implementation of the proposed approach is evaluated over three different image classification networks on a Tegra K1 CPU-GPU mobile processor. Experiments show that the presented heterogeneous scheme boasts a 50× speedup over the CPU-only reference and outperforms a GPU-based reference by 2×, while slashing the power consumption by nearly 30%.

  16. Comparing the performance of various digital soil mapping approaches to map physical soil properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laborczi, Annamária; Takács, Katalin; Pásztor, László

    2015-04-01

    Spatial information on physical soil properties is intensely expected, in order to support environmental related and land use management decisions. One of the most widely used properties to characterize soils physically is particle size distribution (PSD), which determines soil water management and cultivability. According to their size, different particles can be categorized as clay, silt, or sand. The size intervals are defined by national or international textural classification systems. The relative percentage of sand, silt, and clay in the soil constitutes textural classes, which are also specified miscellaneously in various national and/or specialty systems. The most commonly used is the classification system of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Soil texture information is essential input data in meteorological, hydrological and agricultural prediction modelling. Although Hungary has a great deal of legacy soil maps and other relevant soil information, it often occurs, that maps do not exist on a certain characteristic with the required thematic and/or spatial representation. The recent developments in digital soil mapping (DSM), however, provide wide opportunities for the elaboration of object specific soil maps (OSSM) with predefined parameters (resolution, accuracy, reliability etc.). Due to the simultaneous richness of available Hungarian legacy soil data, spatial inference methods and auxiliary environmental information, there is a high versatility of possible approaches for the compilation of a given soil map. This suggests the opportunity of optimization. For the creation of an OSSM one might intend to identify the optimum set of soil data, method and auxiliary co-variables optimized for the resources (data costs, computation requirements etc.). We started comprehensive analysis of the effects of the various DSM components on the accuracy of the output maps on pilot areas. The aim of this study is to compare and evaluate different

  17. Hyperspectral Image Classification With Markov Random Fields and a Convolutional Neural Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Xiangyong; Zhou, Feng; Xu, Lin; Meng, Deyu; Xu, Zongben; Paisley, John

    2018-05-01

    This paper presents a new supervised classification algorithm for remotely sensed hyperspectral image (HSI) which integrates spectral and spatial information in a unified Bayesian framework. First, we formulate the HSI classification problem from a Bayesian perspective. Then, we adopt a convolutional neural network (CNN) to learn the posterior class distributions using a patch-wise training strategy to better use the spatial information. Next, spatial information is further considered by placing a spatial smoothness prior on the labels. Finally, we iteratively update the CNN parameters using stochastic gradient decent (SGD) and update the class labels of all pixel vectors using an alpha-expansion min-cut-based algorithm. Compared with other state-of-the-art methods, the proposed classification method achieves better performance on one synthetic dataset and two benchmark HSI datasets in a number of experimental settings.

  18. Characteristics and Classification of Soils Developed Over Coastal ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    A semi-detailed soil survey of the land of Ikwuano Local Government Area Abia State South East Nigeria was made with the aid of the digitized map. Pedons in the identified mapping units were sampled and studied for their morphology, physical and chemical properties (e.g. soil colour, texture, pH, CEC, %OC, base ...

  19. State-of-the-Art-Review of Collapsible Soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. AL-Rawas

    2000-12-01

    Full Text Available Collapsible soils are encountered in arid and semi-arid regions. Such soils cause potential construction problems due to their collapse upon wetting. The collapse phenomenon is primarily related to the open structure of the soil. Several soil collapse classifications based on parameters such as moisture content, dry density, Atterberg limits and clay content have been proposed in the literature as indicators of the soil collapse potential. Direct measurement of the magnitude of collapse, using laboratory and/or field tests, is essential once a soil showed indications of collapse potential. Treatment methods such as soil replacement, compaction control and chemical stabilization showed significant reduction in the settlement of collapsible soils. The design of foundations on collapsible soils depends on the depth of the soil, magnitude of collapse and economics of the design. Strip foundations are commonly used when collapsing soil extends to a shallow depth while piles and drilled piers are recommended in cases where the soil extends to several meters. This paper provides a comprehensive review of collapsible soils. These include the different types of collapsible soils, mechanisms of collapse, identification and classification methods, laboratory and field testing, treatment methods and guidelines for foundation design.

  20. Assessment of the methane oxidation capacity of compacted soils intended for use as landfill cover materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rachor, Ingke; Gebert, Julia; Groengroeft, Alexander; Pfeiffer, Eva-Maria

    2011-01-01

    The microbial oxidation of methane in engineered cover soils is considered a potent option for the mitigation of emissions from old landfills or sites containing wastes of low methane generation rates. A laboratory column study was conducted in order to derive design criteria that enable construction of an effective methane oxidising cover from the range of soils that are available to the landfill operator. Therefore, the methane oxidation capacity of different soils was assessed under simulated landfill conditions. Five sandy potential landfill top cover materials with varying contents of silt and clay were investigated with respect to methane oxidation and corresponding soil gas composition over a period of four months. The soils were compacted to 95% of their specific proctor density, resulting in bulk densities of 1.4-1.7 g cm -3 , reflecting considerably unfavourable conditions for methane oxidation due to reduced air-filled porosity. The soil water content was adjusted to field capacity, resulting in water contents ranging from 16.2 to 48.5 vol.%. The investigated inlet fluxes ranged from 25 to about 100 g CH 4 m -2 d -1 , covering the methane load proposed to allow for complete oxidation in landfill covers under Western European climate conditions and hence being suggested as a criterion for release from aftercare. The vertical distribution of gas concentrations, methane flux balances as well as stable carbon isotope studies allowed for clear process identifications. Higher inlet fluxes led to a reduction of the aerated zone, an increase in the absolute methane oxidation rate and a decline of the relative proportion of oxidized methane. For each material, a specific maximum oxidation rate was determined, which varied between 20 and 95 g CH 4 m -2 d -1 and which was positively correlated to the air-filled porosity of the soil. Methane oxidation efficiencies and gas profile data imply a strong link between oxidation capacity and diffusive ingress of

  1. Sorption and migration of 137Cs attached to organic materials of tea in silty clay soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuecel, H.; Oezmen, A.

    1996-01-01

    The effect of the organic material of tea on the adsorption behavior of 137 Cs on the silty clay soil has been examined by batch experiments, using 137 Cs extracted tea contaminated by the Chernobyl accident, with water. The variation of K d values was studied as a function of contact time and a volume-solid ratio (V/m). The equilibrium time of 137 Cs extracted from the tea is slower by 9 times than that of 137 Cs + ions for the silty clay soil. The V/m ratio did not affect the 137 Cs adsorption strongly. The sorption of 137 Cs extracted form the tea in terms of the distribution coefficient K d is higher (a factor of 2.5) than that of 137 Cs + ions. This result indicates that 137 Cs-complexes with organic materials of tea are much sorbed than 137 C + ions on the silty clay soil. The migration of 137 Cs extracted from the tea in the silty clay soil has been studied under a steady flow of tea-extract by using a soil zone apparatus. The 137 Cs concentrations contained in both effluent fractions and in soil samples were measured using a HPGe detector. The distribution patterns of 137 Cs in the layers of the soil zone were obtained as one- and two-dimensional. The migration of 137 Cs extracted from the tea in soil is mainly influenced by flow. The results indicate that the migration of 137 Cs-complexes with organic materials and 137 Cs adsorbed fine silts cannot be described by such a K d based on ion-exchange reactions, but it is important to consider the moving mechanism of particulates besides ion-exchange reactions. (Author)

  2. A Product Line Enhanced Unified Process

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Weishan; Kunz, Thomas

    2006-01-01

    The Unified Process facilitates reuse for a single system, but falls short handling multiple similar products. In this paper we present an enhanced Unified Process, called UPEPL, integrating the product line technology in order to alleviate this problem. In UPEPL, the product line related activit...... activities are added and could be conducted side by side with other classical UP activities. In this way both the advantages of Unified Process and software product lines could co-exist in UPEPL. We show how to use UPEPL with an industrial mobile device product line in our case study....

  3. Classification of archaeological pieces into their respective stratum by a chemometric model based on the soil concentration of 25 selected elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carrero, J.A.; Goienaga, N.; Fdez-Ortiz de Vallejuelo, S.; Arana, G.; Madariaga, J.M.

    2010-01-01

    The aim of this work was to demonstrate that an archaeological ceramic piece has remained buried underground in the same stratum for centuries without being removed. For this purpose, a chemometric model based on Principal Component Analysis, Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogy and Linear Discriminant Analysis classification techniques was created with the concentration of some selected elements of both soil of the stratum and soil adhered to the ceramic piece. Some ceramic pieces from four different stratigraphic units, coming from a roman archaeological site in Alava (North of Spain), and its respective stratum soils were collected. The soil adhered to the ceramic pieces was removed and treated in the same way as the soil from its respective stratum. The digestion was carried out following the US Environmental Pollution Agency EPA 3051A method. A total of 54 elements were determined in the extracts by a rapid screening inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method. After rejecting the major elements and those which could have changed from the original composition of the soils (migration or retention from/to the buried objects), the following elements (25) were finally taken into account to construct the model: Li, V, Co, As, Y, Nb, Sn, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Au, Th and U. A total of 33 subsamples were treated from 10 soils belonging to 4 different stratigraphic units. The final model groups and discriminate them in four groups, according to the stratigraphic unit, having both the stratum and soils adhered to the pieces falling down in the same group.

  4. Restoration of contaminated soils in abandoned mine areas (Tuscany, Italy)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bini, Claudio; Wahsha, Mohammad

    2016-04-01

    In Italy ore research and exploitation have been nearly exhausted since the end of the last century, and have left on the land a huge amount of mine waste, therefore provoking evident environmental damage including surface and groundwater, soils, vegetation and the food chain, and a potential threat to human health. The main processes occurring at these sites are: rock disgregation, fragments migration, dust dispersion, oxidation (Eh>250mV), acidification (pHhazard. The increasing environmental consciousness of general population compelled Public Administrators to set down effective legislation acts on this subject (e.g. D.L. 152/2006), and more generally on environmental contamination. In this work we present the results of a survey carried out at several mixed sulphides mine sites in Tuscany, exploited for at least a millennium, and closed in the last century. Biogeochemical analyses carried out on representative soil profiles (Spolic Technosols) and vegetation in the proximal and distal areas of ore exploitation show heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn) overcoming legislation limits on average. Ni, Cr and Mn concentrations, instead, are generally below the reference levels. The results obtained suggest that the abandoned mine sites represent actual natural laboratories where to experiment new opportunities for restoration of anthropogenically contaminated areas, and to study new pedogenetic trends from these peculiar parent materials. Moreover, plants growing on these substrates are genetically adapted to metal-enriched soils, and therefore may be utilized in phytoremediation of contaminated sites. Furthermore, the institution of natural parks in these areas could enhance their educational and scientific value, contributing in the meantime to general population amusement and recreation. Finally, it is the occasion for soil scientists to submit to the scientific community new classification proposals of this new kind of soils. Key-words: mine waste

  5. Cor do solo: uma abordagem da forma convencional de obtenção em oposição à automatização do método para fins de classificação de solos Soil color: approach to a conventional assessment method in comparison to an automatization process for soil classification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. C. Campos

    2004-10-01

    recognized as a primary property of soil identification. Soil physical, mineralogical, and chemical properties can be derived from assessing soil color. The current framework of soil classification, at the second hierarquical level of the Brazilian System of Classification, requires that the soil colour of the diagnostic B horizon be determined by comparison with the Munsell color charts, or equivalent. This process of classification is extremely subjective and time-consuming, limiting the accuracy, transferability, and usefulness of the procedure. This paper aims at a comparison of the conventional soil color determination with the colormeter method to evaluate possible implications in soil classification. Five soil scientists were invited to determine the hue of 80 soil samples by comparison with the Munsell color chart. The hue of the samples was obtained with a colormeter as well, also according to Munsell's notes. The statistical analyses determined correlation coefficients, precision index, clustering forms, and mean tendencies of hue determinations. Correlation coefficients varying from 0.68 to 0.94 showed that soil scientists produced precise data, fundamental for the validity of the study. However, the measurements realized by soil scientists were not coincident, and were quite different from the colormeter measures. The values of Precision Index indicated an agreement of only 8.75 % in moist samples and 17.5 % in dry ones. The divergences in hue determination would lead to mistakes in soil classification. The evaluation of average tendencies indicated that the pedologists overestimated color values in relation to colorimeter, resulting in alterations in soil classification.

  6. Hierarchy concepts: classification and preparation strategies for zeolite containing materials with hierarchical porosity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwieger, Wilhelm; Machoke, Albert Gonche; Weissenberger, Tobias; Inayat, Amer; Selvam, Thangaraj; Klumpp, Michael; Inayat, Alexandra

    2016-06-13

    'Hierarchy' is a property which can be attributed to a manifold of different immaterial systems, such as ideas, items and organisations or material ones like biological systems within living organisms or artificial, man-made constructions. The property 'hierarchy' is mainly characterised by a certain ordering of individual elements relative to each other, often in combination with a certain degree of branching. Especially mass-flow related systems in the natural environment feature special hierarchically branched patterns. This review is a survey into the world of hierarchical systems with special focus on hierarchically porous zeolite materials. A classification of hierarchical porosity is proposed based on the flow distribution pattern within the respective pore systems. In addition, this review might serve as a toolbox providing several synthetic and post-synthetic strategies to prepare zeolitic or zeolite containing material with tailored hierarchical porosity. Very often, such strategies with their underlying principles were developed for improving the performance of the final materials in different technical applications like adsorptive or catalytic processes. In the present review, besides on the hierarchically porous all-zeolite material, special focus is laid on the preparation of zeolitic composite materials with hierarchical porosity capable to face the demands of industrial application.

  7. Cromatografia unificada Unified chromatography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carin von Mühlen

    2004-10-01

    Full Text Available The scope of this study encompasses an overview of the principles of unified chromatography as well as the principles of chromatographic techniques as applied to unified systems, which include gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, supercritical fluid chromatography, high temperature and high pressure liquid chromatography, micro-liquid chromatography, enhanced fluidity chromatography, and solvating gas chromatography. Theoretical considerations and individual instrumental parameters such as mobile phase, sample introduction system, columns, and detection system are also discussed. Future applications of this separation approach are discussed.

  8. Classification of materials of rotation in nuclear power plants for optimization of the procurement process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canto Polo, R.; Valle Arribas, M. M.; Lopez Hernandez, A.; Arguello Tara, A.; Benito Rubio, A.; Sanjuan Cuesta, A.

    2014-01-01

    The Central nuclear de Almaraz and Trillo have decided to make a classification at the level of sub components of the installed equipment to facilitate and improve the management of the purchase of spare parts. Thus the correct purchase will be simpler or dedication materials (the latter is gaining more and more relevance) which, by its function, so require. Given the large volume of work is has established a specific methodology and, whenever possible, we will work analyzing spares generically. A few documents or tabs of sorting criteria, associated with different types of materials (nuts, bolts, flanges, stems, etc.), which will gather the rankings that emerged from the analysis of the materials included within the scope will be created. (Author)

  9. Dirac materials

    OpenAIRE

    Wehling, T. O.; Black-Schaffer, A. M.; Balatsky, A. V.

    2014-01-01

    A wide range of materials, like d-wave superconductors, graphene, and topological insulators, share a fundamental similarity: their low-energy fermionic excitations behave as massless Dirac particles rather than fermions obeying the usual Schrodinger Hamiltonian. This emergent behavior of Dirac fermions in condensed matter systems defines the unifying framework for a class of materials we call "Dirac materials''. In order to establish this class of materials, we illustrate how Dirac fermions ...

  10. Toxicity Determinations for Five Energetic Materials, Weathered and Aged in Soil, to the Collembolan Folsomia Candida

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-03-01

    obtained from the Soil Fauna and Ecotoxicology Research Unit, Department of Terrestrial Ecology, National Environmental Research Institute (Silkeborg...AND AGED IN SOIL , TO THE COLLEMBOLAN FOLSOMIA CANDIDA ECBC-TR-1273 Carlton T. Phillips Ronald T. Checkai Roman G. Kuperman Michael Simini...for Five Energetic Materials, Weathered and Aged in Soil , to the Collembolan Folsomia candida 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c

  11. Case studies: Soil mapping using multiple methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petersen, Hauke; Wunderlich, Tina; Hagrey, Said A. Al; Rabbel, Wolfgang; Stümpel, Harald

    2010-05-01

    Soil is a non-renewable resource with fundamental functions like filtering (e.g. water), storing (e.g. carbon), transforming (e.g. nutrients) and buffering (e.g. contamination). Degradation of soils is meanwhile not only to scientists a well known fact, also decision makers in politics have accepted this as a serious problem for several environmental aspects. National and international authorities have already worked out preservation and restoration strategies for soil degradation, though it is still work of active research how to put these strategies into real practice. But common to all strategies the description of soil state and dynamics is required as a base step. This includes collecting information from soils with methods ranging from direct soil sampling to remote applications. In an intermediate scale mobile geophysical methods are applied with the advantage of fast working progress but disadvantage of site specific calibration and interpretation issues. In the framework of the iSOIL project we present here some case studies for soil mapping performed using multiple geophysical methods. We will present examples of combined field measurements with EMI-, GPR-, magnetic and gammaspectrometric techniques carried out with the mobile multi-sensor-system of Kiel University (GER). Depending on soil type and actual environmental conditions, different methods show a different quality of information. With application of diverse methods we want to figure out, which methods or combination of methods will give the most reliable information concerning soil state and properties. To investigate the influence of varying material we performed mapping campaigns on field sites with sandy, loamy and loessy soils. Classification of measured or derived attributes show not only the lateral variability but also gives hints to a variation in the vertical distribution of soil material. For all soils of course soil water content can be a critical factor concerning a succesful

  12. A unified classification of alien species based on the magnitude of their environmental impacts.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tim M Blackburn

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Species moved by human activities beyond the limits of their native geographic ranges into areas in which they do not naturally occur (termed aliens can cause a broad range of significant changes to recipient ecosystems; however, their impacts vary greatly across species and the ecosystems into which they are introduced. There is therefore a critical need for a standardised method to evaluate, compare, and eventually predict the magnitudes of these different impacts. Here, we propose a straightforward system for classifying alien species according to the magnitude of their environmental impacts, based on the mechanisms of impact used to code species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Global Invasive Species Database, which are presented here for the first time. The classification system uses five semi-quantitative scenarios describing impacts under each mechanism to assign species to different levels of impact-ranging from Minimal to Massive-with assignment corresponding to the highest level of deleterious impact associated with any of the mechanisms. The scheme also includes categories for species that are Not Evaluated, have No Alien Population, or are Data Deficient, and a method for assigning uncertainty to all the classifications. We show how this classification system is applicable at different levels of ecological complexity and different spatial and temporal scales, and embraces existing impact metrics. In fact, the scheme is analogous to the already widely adopted and accepted Red List approach to categorising extinction risk, and so could conceivably be readily integrated with existing practices and policies in many regions.

  13. Unified communications forensics anatomy of common UC attacks

    CERN Document Server

    Grant, Nicholas Mr

    2013-01-01

    Unified Communications Forensics: Anatomy of Common UC Attacks is the first book to explain the issues and vulnerabilities and demonstrate the attacks, forensic artifacts, and countermeasures required to establish a secure (UC) environment. This book is written by leading UC experts Nicholas Grant and Joseph W. Shaw II and provides material never before found on the market, including: analysis of forensic artifacts in common UC attacks an in-depth look at established UC technologies and attack exploits hands-on understanding of UC attack vectors and associated countermeasures

  14. Subsurface Event Detection and Classification Using Wireless Signal Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhannad T. Suleiman

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Subsurface environment sensing and monitoring applications such as detection of water intrusion or a landslide, which could significantly change the physical properties of the host soil, can be accomplished using a novel concept, Wireless Signal Networks (WSiNs. The wireless signal networks take advantage of the variations of radio signal strength on the distributed underground sensor nodes of WSiNs to monitor and characterize the sensed area. To characterize subsurface environments for event detection and classification, this paper provides a detailed list and experimental data of soil properties on how radio propagation is affected by soil properties in subsurface communication environments. Experiments demonstrated that calibrated wireless signal strength variations can be used as indicators to sense changes in the subsurface environment. The concept of WSiNs for the subsurface event detection is evaluated with applications such as detection of water intrusion, relative density change, and relative motion using actual underground sensor nodes. To classify geo-events using the measured signal strength as a main indicator of geo-events, we propose a window-based minimum distance classifier based on Bayesian decision theory. The window-based classifier for wireless signal networks has two steps: event detection and event classification. With the event detection, the window-based classifier classifies geo-events on the event occurring regions that are called a classification window. The proposed window-based classification method is evaluated with a water leakage experiment in which the data has been measured in laboratory experiments. In these experiments, the proposed detection and classification method based on wireless signal network can detect and classify subsurface events.

  15. Environmental materials for remediation of soils contaminated with lead and cadmium using maize (Zea mays L.) growth as a bioindicator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Yu; Huang, Zhanbin; Liu, Xiujie; Imran, Suheryani; Peng, Licheng; Dai, Rongji; Deng, Yulin

    2016-04-01

    Heavy metal pollution is a severe environmental problem. Remediation of contaminated soils can be accomplished using environmental materials that are low cost and environmentally friendly. We evaluated the individual and combination effects of humic acid (HA), super absorbent polymer (SAP), zeolite (ZE), and fly ash composites (FC) on immobilization of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) in contaminated soils. We also investigated long-term practical approaches for remediation of heavy metal pollution in soil. The biochemical and morphological properties of maize (Zea mays L.) were selected as biomarkers to assess the effects of environmental materials on heavy metal immobilization. The results showed that addition of test materials to soil effectively reduced heavy metal accumulation in maize foliage, improving chlorophyll levels, plant growth, and antioxidant enzyme activity. The test materials reduced heavy metal injury to maize throughout the growth period. A synergistic effect from combinations of different materials on immobilization of Pb and Cd was determined based on the reduction of morphological and biochemical injuries to maize. The combination of zeolite and humic acid was especially effective. Treatment with a combination of HA + SAP + ZE + FC was superior for remediation of soils contaminated with high levels of Pb and Cd.

  16. Influence of Long-term Application of Feedlot Manure Amendments on Water Repellency of a Clay Loam Soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Jim J; Beasley, Bruce W; Hazendonk, Paul; Drury, Craig F; Chanasyk, David S

    2017-05-01

    Long-term application of feedlot manure to cropland may increase the quantity of soil organic carbon (C) and change its quality, which may influence soil water repellency. The objective was to determine the influence of feedlot manure type (stockpiled vs. composted), bedding material (straw [ST] vs. woodchips [WD]), and application rate (13, 39, or 77 Mg ha) on repellency of a clay loam soil after 17 annual applications. The repellency was determined on all 14 treatments using the water repellency index ( index), the water drop penetration time (WDPT) method, and molarity of ethanol (MED) test. The C composition of particulate organic matter in soil of five selected treatments after 16 annual applications was also determined using C nuclear magnetic resonance-direct polarization with magic-angle spinning (NMR-DPMAS). Manure type had no significant ( > 0.05) effect on index and WDPT, and MED classification was similar. Mean index and WDPT values were significantly greater and MED classification more hydrophobic for WD than ST. Application rate had no effect on the index, but WDPT was significantly greater and MED classification more hydrophobic with increasing application rate. Strong ( > 0.7) but nonsignificant positive correlations were found between index and WDPT versus hydrophobic (alkyl + aromatic) C, lignin at 74 ppm (O-alkyl), and unspecified aromatic compounds at 144 ppm. Specific aromatic compounds also contributed more to repellency than alkyl, O-alkyl, and carbonyl compounds. Overall, all three methods consistently showed that repellency was greater for WD- than ST-amended clay loam soil, but manure type had no effect. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

  17. Mapping Agricultural Frozen Soil on the Watershed Scale Using Remote Sensing Data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Khaldoune, J; Bernier, M; Van Bochove, E; Nolin, M.C

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents an empirical model for classifying frozen/unfrozen soils in the entire Bras d Henri River watershed (167 km 2 ) near Quebec City (Quebec, Canada). It was developed to produce frozen soil maps under snow cover using RADARSAT-1 fine mode images and in situ data during three winters. Twelve RADARSAT-1 images were analyzed from fall 2003 to spring 2006 to discern the intra- and inter annual variability of frozen soil characteristics. Regression models were developed for each soil group (parent material-drainage-soil type) and land cover to establish a threshold for frozen soil from the backscattering coefficients (HH polarization). Tilled fields showed higher backscattering signal (+3 db) than the untilled fields. The overall classification accuracy was 87% for frozen soils and 94% for unfrozen soils. With respect to land use, that is, tilled versus untilled fields, an overall accuracy of 89% was obtained for the tilled fields and 92% for the untilled fields. Results show that this new mapping approach using RADARSAT-1 images can provide estimates of surface soil status (frozen/unfrozen) at the watershed scale in agricultural areas.

  18. Effects of Different Organic Materials and Exogenous Zn on Zn Distribution in Soil

    OpenAIRE

    HAO Jia-li; BU Yu-shan; JIA Zheng-rong; XI Ji-long; YAO Jing-zhen; DUAN Chao

    2015-01-01

    A pot experiment with a complete combinatorial design of two factors was conducted to study the effects of different organic materials and different concentrations of exogenous zinc on the soil total zinc, available zinc, zinc forms and zinc content distribution of pak-choi. The results showed that the total zinc, available zinc, and different forms of zinc contents in soil all increased as the concentration of exogenous zinc increased. Both lawn grass and maize straw decreased the total zinc...

  19. SB certification handout material requirements, test methods, responsibilities, and minimum classification levels for mixture-based specification for flexible base.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-01

    A handout with tables representing the material requirements, test methods, responsibilities, and minimum classification levels mixture-based specification for flexible base and details on aggregate and test methods employed, along with agency and co...

  20. Principles of soil mapping of a megalopolis with St. Petersburg as an example

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aparin, B. F.; Sukhacheva, E. Yu.

    2014-07-01

    For the first time, a soil map of St. Petersburg has been developed on a scale of 1 : 50000 using MicroStation V8i software. The legend to this map contains more than 60 mapping units. The classification of urban soils and information on the soil cover patterns are principally new elements of this legend. New concepts of the urbanized soil space and urbopedocombinations have been suggested for soil mapping of urban territories. The typification of urbopedocombinations in St. Petersburg has been performed on the basis of data on the geometry and composition of the polygons of soils and nonsoil formations. The ratio between the areas of soils and nonsoil formations and their spatial distribution patterns have been used to distinguish between six types of the urbanized soil space. The principles of classification of the soils of urban territories have been specified, and a separate order of pedo-allochthonous soils has been suggested for inclusion into the Classification and Diagnostic System of Russian Soils (2004). Six types of pedo-allochthonous soils have been distinguished on the basis of data on their humus and organic horizons and the character of the underlying mineral substrate.

  1. Laboratory-scale bioremediation of oil-contaminated soil of Kuwait with soil amendment materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, B H; Chino, H; Tsuji, H; Kunito, T; Nagaoka, K; Otsuka, S; Yamashita, K; Matsumoto, S; Oyaizu, H

    1997-10-01

    A huge amount of oil-contaminated soil remains unremediated in the Kuwait desert. The contaminated oil has the potentiality to cause pollution of underground water and to effect the health of people in the neighborhood. In this study, laboratory scale bioremediation experiments were carried out. Hyponex (Hyponex, Inc.) and bark manure were added as basic nutrients for microorganisms, and twelve kinds of materials (baked diatomite, microporous glass, coconut charcoal, an oil-decomposing bacterial mixture (Formula X from Oppenheimer, Inc.), and eight kinds of surfactants) were applied to accelerate the biodegradation of oil hydrocarbons. 15% to 33% of the contaminated oil was decomposed during 43 weeks' incubation. Among the materials tested, coconut charcoal enhanced the biodegradation. On the contrary, the addition of an oil-decomposing bacterial mixture impeded the biodegradation. The effects of the other materials were very slight. The toxicity of the biodegraded compounds was estimated by the Ames test and the tea pollen tube growth test. Both of the hydrophobic (dichloromethane extracts) and hydrophilic (methanol extracts) fractions showed a very slight toxicity in the Ames test. In the tea pollen tube growth test, the hydrophobic fraction was not toxic and enhanced the growth of pollen tubes.

  2. Unified universal quantum cloning machine and fidelities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wang Yinan; Shi Handuo; Xiong Zhaoxi; Jing Li; Mu Liangzhu [School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Ren Xijun [School of Physics and Electronics, Henan University, Kaifeng 4750011 (China); Fan Heng [Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China)

    2011-09-15

    We present a unified universal quantum cloning machine, which combines several different existing universal cloning machines together, including the asymmetric case. In this unified framework, the identical pure states are projected equally into each copy initially constituted by input and one half of the maximally entangled states. We show explicitly that the output states of those universal cloning machines are the same. One importance of this unified cloning machine is that the cloning procession is always the symmetric projection, which reduces dramatically the difficulties for implementation. Also, it is found that this unified cloning machine can be directly modified to the general asymmetric case. Besides the global fidelity and the single-copy fidelity, we also present all possible arbitrary-copy fidelities.

  3. Grand unified theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langacker, P.

    1981-01-01

    In this talk I discuss the present status of these theories and of their observational and experimental implications. In section II, I briefly review the standard SU 3 sup(c) x SU 2 x U 1 model of the strong and electroweak interactions. Although phenomenologically successful, the standard model leaves many questions unanswered. Some of these questions are addressed by grand unified theories, which are defined and discussed in Section III. The Georgi-Glashow SU 5 model is described, as are theories based on larger groups such as SO 10 , E 6 , or SO 16 . It is emphasized that there are many possible grand unified theories and that it is an experimental problem not only to test the basic ideas but to discriminate between models. (orig./HSI)

  4. Soil - water relationships in the Weatherley catchment, South Africa

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2009-04-24

    Apr 24, 2009 ... Soil water content is influenced by soil and terrain factors, but studies on the predictive value of diagnostic .... Results for particle size analyses (Soil Classification ...... negating the importance of the negative intercept value in.

  5. Estimation of Soil Water Retention Curve Using Fractal Dimension ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ADOWIE PERE

    2017-12-01

    Dec 1, 2017 ... ABSTRACT: The soil water retention curve (SWRC) is a fundamental hydraulic property majorly used to study flow transport in soils and calculate ... suitable to model the heterogeneous soil structure with tortuous pore space (Rieu ... so, soil texture determined according to the USDA texture classification.

  6. Soil evaluation for land use optimizing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marinina, O. A.

    2018-01-01

    The article presents the method of soil classification proposed in the course of the study in which the list of indicators proposed by the existing recommendations is optimized. On the example of one of the river basins within the boundaries of the Belgorod region zoning of the territory was carried out. With this approach, the boundaries of the territorial zones are projected along the natural boundaries of natural objects and the productivity of soils is determined as the main criterion for zoning. To assess the territory by soil properties, the features of the soil cover of the river basin were studied and vectorization of the soil variety boundaries was carried out. In the land evaluation essential and useful for the growth of crops macro- and minor-nutrient elements necessary for the growth of crops were included. To compare the soils each of the indicators was translated into relative units. The final score of soil quality is calculated as the mean geometric value of scores from 0 to 100 points for the selected diagnostic features. Through the imposition of results of soil classification and proposed by the concept of basin nature management - land management activities, five zones were identified according to the degree of suitability for use in agriculture.

  7. Spatial encoding of visual words for image classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dong; Wang, Shengsheng; Porikli, Fatih

    2016-05-01

    Appearance-based bag-of-visual words (BoVW) models are employed to represent the frequency of a vocabulary of local features in an image. Due to their versatility, they are widely popular, although they ignore the underlying spatial context and relationships among the features. Here, we present a unified representation that enhances BoVWs with explicit local and global structure models. Three aspects of our method should be noted in comparison to the previous approaches. First, we use a local structure feature that encodes the spatial attributes between a pair of points in a discriminative fashion using class-label information. We introduce a bag-of-structural words (BoSW) model for the given image set and describe each image with this model on its coarsely sampled relevant keypoints. We then combine the codebook histograms of BoVW and BoSW to train a classifier. Rigorous experimental evaluations on four benchmark data sets demonstrate that the unified representation outperforms the conventional models and compares favorably to more sophisticated scene classification techniques.

  8. Field, laboratory and estimated soil-water content limits

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2005-01-21

    Jan 21, 2005 ... silt (0.002 to 0.05 mm) percentage to estimate the soil-water content at a given soil-water .... ar and br are the intercept and slope values of the regres- .... tions use the particle size classification of the South African Soil.

  9. Integrating indigenous and scientific knowledge on soils: recent ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Mo

    interpretations of indigenous soil classification systems. ... approach that is consistent with decentralised decision making. Understanding the soil resource is central to sound ..... methods recognise seasonal surface water stagnation in these.

  10. Relative Density of Backfilled Soil Material around Monopiles for Offshore Wind Turbines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Søren Peder Hyldal; Ibsen, Lars Bo; Frigaard, Peter

    2012-01-01

    The relative density of backfilled soil material around offshore monopiles is assessed through experimental testing in the Large Wave Channel (GWK) of the Coastal Research Centre (FZK) in Hannover. The relative density of the backfill material was found to vary between 65 and 80 %. The dependency...... of the relative density of backfill on the maximum pile bending moment is assessed through three-dimensional numerical modeling of a monopile foundation located at the offshore wind farm at Horns Reef, Denmark....

  11. Engineering system dynamics a unified graph-centered approach

    CERN Document Server

    Brown, Forbes T

    2006-01-01

    For today's students, learning to model the dynamics of complex systems is increasingly important across nearly all engineering disciplines. First published in 2001, Forbes T. Brown's Engineering System Dynamics: A Unified Graph-Centered Approach introduced students to a unique and highly successful approach to modeling system dynamics using bond graphs. Updated with nearly one-third new material, this second edition expands this approach to an even broader range of topics. What's New in the Second Edition? In addition to new material, this edition was restructured to build students' competence in traditional linear mathematical methods before they have gone too far into the modeling that still plays a pivotal role. New topics include magnetic circuits and motors including simulation with magnetic hysteresis; extensive new material on the modeling, analysis, and simulation of distributed-parameter systems; kinetic energy in thermodynamic systems; and Lagrangian and Hamiltonian methods. MATLAB(R) figures promi...

  12. Clinical use of dental classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Gordon

    2008-01-01

    The Dental Classification system used by the uniformed services is supposed to predict the incidence of dental emergencies in the operational setting, at least on the unit level. Since most Sailors and Marines are deployed without close dental support, the sea services have adopted a policy of early treatment of class 3 dental conditions during recruit training. The other services are beginning to do the same. Recently, two factors have emerged that are affecting this early dental class 3 treatment. These factors must be considered when planning to provide early dental treatment. First, changing population and dentist provider demographics in the civilian sector are beginning to affect the class 3 treatment needs of incoming military recruits. Second, attrition from recruit training results in treatment provided to recruits who leave military service before finishing their training. Some view this as a waste of resources, others as a cost of doing business. As operational jointness increases, the three services must develop and use a single dental classification terminology, as well as unified standards and guidelines, both for better research in this area and for the readiness and well-being of our patients.

  13. Diagnosing autoimmune pancreatitis with the Unifying-Autoimmune-Pancreatitis-Criteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Alexander; Michaely, Henrik; Rückert, Felix; Weiss, Christel; Ströbel, Philipp; Belle, Sebastian; Hirth, Michael; Wilhelm, Torsten J; Haas, Stephan L; Jesenofsky, Ralf; Schönberg, Stefan; Marx, Alexander; Singer, Manfred V; Ebert, Matthias P; Pfützer, Roland H; Löhr, J Matthias

    We had developed the Unifying-Autoimmune-Pancreatitis-Criteria (U-AIP) to diagnose autoimmune pancreatitis (AiP) within the M-ANNHEIM classification of chronic pancreatitis. In 2011, International-Consensus-Diagnostic-Criteria (ICDC) to diagnose AiP have been published. We had applied the U-AIP long before the ICDC were available. The aims of the study were, first, to describe patients with AiP diagnosed by the U-AIP; second, to compare diagnostic accuracies of the U-AIP and other diagnostic systems; third, to evaluate the clinical applicability of the U-AIP. From 1998 until 2008, we identified patients with AiP using U-AIP, Japanese-, Korean-, Asian-, Mayo-HISORt-, Revised-Mayo-HISORt- and Italian-criteria. We retrospectively verified the diagnosis by ICDC and Revised-Japanese-2011-criteria, compared diagnostic accuracies of all systems and evaluated all criteria in consecutive patients with pancreatitis (2009 until 2010, Pancreas-Outpatient-Clinic-Cohort, n = 84). We retrospectively validated our diagnostic approach in consecutive patients with a pancreatic lesion requiring surgery (Surgical-Cohort, n = 98). Overall, we identified 21 patients with AiP. Unifying-Autoimmune-Pancreatitis-Criteria and ICDC presented the highest diagnostic accuracies (each 98.8%), highest Youden indices (each 0.95238), and highest proportions of diagnosed patients (each n = 20/21, U-AIP/ICDC vs. other diagnostic systems, p Pancreatitis-Criteria revealed a satisfactory clinical applicability and offered an additional approach to diagnose AiP. Copyright © 2017 IAP and EPC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. 1rst Congress of the Cuban Society of Soil Sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    Abstracts from different works presented at the 1st Congress of the Cuban Society of Soil Sciences (Havana, December 1988) are contained in this book. Works have been performed on soil genesis, classification and cartography; soil erosion, conservation and improvement; agrochemicstry; soil physics and technology, and biology of soils

  15. The Medical Geochemistry of Dusts, Soils, and Other Earth Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Plumlee, G. S.; Ziegler, T. L.

    2003-12-01

    "Town clenched in suffocating grip of asbestos"USA Today, article on Libby,Montana, February, 2000"Researchers find volcanoes are bad for your health… long after they finish erupting"University of WarwickPress Release, 1999"Toxic soils plague city - arsenic, lead in 5 neighborhoods could imperil 17,000 residents"Denver Post, 2002"Ill winds - dust storms ferry toxic agents between countries and even continents"Science News, 2002A quick scan of newspapers, television, science magazines, or the internet on any given day has a fairly high likelihood of encountering a story (usually accompanied by a creative headline such as those above) regarding human health concerns linked to dusts, soils, or other earth materials. Many such concerns have been recognized and studied for decades, but new concerns arise regularly.Earth scientists have played significant roles in helping the medical community understand some important links between earth materials and human health, such as the role of asbestos mineralogy in disease (Skinner et al., 1988; Ross, 1999; Holland and Smith, 2001), and the role of dusts generated by the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake in an outbreak of Valley Fever ( Jibson et al., 1998; Schneider et al., 1997).Earth science activities tied to health issues are growing (Skinner and Berger, 2003), and are commonly classified under the emerging discipline of medical geology (Finkelman et al., 2001; Selinus and Frank, 2000; Selinus, in press).Medical geochemistry (also referred to as environmental geochemistry and health: Smith and Huyck (1999), Appleton et al. (1996)) can be considered as a diverse subdiscipline of medical geology that deals with human and animal health in the context of the Earth's geochemical cycle ( Figure 1). Many medical geochemistry studies have focused on how chemical elements in rocks, soils, and sediments are transmitted via water or vegetation into the food chain, and how regional geochemical variations can result in disease

  16. Unified Approach in the DSS Development Process

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available The structure of today's decision support environment become very complex due to new generation of Business Intelligence applications and technologies like Data Warehouse, OLAP (On Line Analytical Processing and Data Mining. In this respect DSS development process are not simple and needs an adequate methodology or framework able to manage different tools and platforms to achieve manager's requirements. The DSS development process must be view like a unified and iterative set of activities and operations. The new techniques based on Unified Process (UP methodology and UML (Unified Modeling Language it seems to be appropriate for DSS development using prototyping and RAD (Rapid Application Development techniques. In this paper we present a conceptual framework for development and integrate Decision Support Systems using Unified Process Methodology and UML.

  17. A unified classification of alien species based on the magnitude of their environmental impacts

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Blackburn, T. M.; Essl, F.; Evans, T.; Hulme, P. E.; Jeschke, J.M.; Kühn, I.; Kumschick, S.; Marková, Zuzana; Mrugala, A.; Nentwig, W.; Pergl, Jan; Pyšek, Petr; Rabitsch, W.; Ricciardi, A.; Richardson, D. M.; Sendek, A.; Vila, M.; Wilson, J. R. U.; Winter, M.; Genovesi, P.; Bacher, S.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 12, č. 5 (2014), s. 1-11, e1001850 E-ISSN 1545-7885 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GAP504/11/1028; GA ČR GB14-36079G Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : biological invasions * classification * environmental impact Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 9.343, year: 2014

  18. Development of Tier 1 screening tool for soil and groundwater vulnerability assessment in Korea using classification algorithm in a neural network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, K. H.; Kim, K. H.; Ki, S. J.; Lee, H. G.

    2017-12-01

    The vulnerability assessment tool at a Tier 1 level, although not often used for regulatory purposes, helps establish pollution prevention and management strategies in the areas of potential environmental concern such as soil and ground water. In this study, the Neural Network Pattern Recognition Tool embedded in MATLAB was used to allow the initial screening of soil and groundwater pollution based on data compiled across about 1000 previously contaminated sites in Korea. The input variables included a series of parameters which were tightly related to downward movement of water and contaminants through soil and ground water, whereas multiple classes were assigned to the sum of concentrations of major pollutants detected. Results showed that in accordance with diverse pollution indices for soil and ground water, pollution levels in both media were strongly modulated by site-specific characteristics such as intrinsic soil and other geologic properties, in addition to pollution sources and rainfall. However, classification accuracy was very sensitive to the number of classes defined as well as the types of the variables incorporated, requiring careful selection of input variables and output categories. Therefore, we believe that the proposed methodology is used not only to modify existing pollution indices so that they are more suitable for addressing local vulnerability, but also to develop a unique assessment tool to support decision making based on locally or nationally available data. This study was funded by a grant from the GAIA project(2016000560002), Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, Republic of Korea.

  19. Discriminative clustering on manifold for adaptive transductive classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhao; Jia, Lei; Zhang, Min; Li, Bing; Zhang, Li; Li, Fanzhang

    2017-10-01

    In this paper, we mainly propose a novel adaptive transductive label propagation approach by joint discriminative clustering on manifolds for representing and classifying high-dimensional data. Our framework seamlessly combines the unsupervised manifold learning, discriminative clustering and adaptive classification into a unified model. Also, our method incorporates the adaptive graph weight construction with label propagation. Specifically, our method is capable of propagating label information using adaptive weights over low-dimensional manifold features, which is different from most existing studies that usually predict the labels and construct the weights in the original Euclidean space. For transductive classification by our formulation, we first perform the joint discriminative K-means clustering and manifold learning to capture the low-dimensional nonlinear manifolds. Then, we construct the adaptive weights over the learnt manifold features, where the adaptive weights are calculated through performing the joint minimization of the reconstruction errors over features and soft labels so that the graph weights can be joint-optimal for data representation and classification. Using the adaptive weights, we can easily estimate the unknown labels of samples. After that, our method returns the updated weights for further updating the manifold features. Extensive simulations on image classification and segmentation show that our proposed algorithm can deliver the state-of-the-art performance on several public datasets. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) - Magnesic Soils

    Data.gov (United States)

    California Natural Resource Agency — Magnesic soils is a subset of the SSURGO dataset containing soil family selected based on the magnesic content and serpentinite parent material. The following soil...

  1. Soil Loss Prediction on Mobile Platform Using Universal Soil-Loss Equation (USLE Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Effendi Rahim Supli

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Indirect method for soil loss predictions are plentiful, one of which is Universal soil-loss equation (USLE model. Available technology in mobile applications prompted the authors to develop a tool for calculating soil loss for many land types by transforming the USLE model into smart mobile application. The application is designed by using simple language for calculating each and every factor and lastly summing up the results. Factors that are involved in the calculation of soil loss are namely erosivity, erodibility, slope steepness, length of slope, land cover and conservation measures. The program will also be able to give its judgment for each of the prediction of soil loss rates for each and every possible land uses ranging from very light to very heavy. The application is believed to be useful for land users, students, farmers, planners, companies and government officers. It is shown by conducting usability testing using usability model, which is designed for mobile application. The results showed from 120 respondents that the usability of the system in this study was in “very good” classification, for three characteristics (ease of use, user satisfaction, and learnability. Only attractiveness characteristic that falls into “good” classification.

  2. Land cover's refined classification based on multi source of remote sensing information fusion: a case study of national geographic conditions census in China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Tao; Zhang, Jialong; Zheng, Xinyan; Yuan, Rujin

    2018-03-01

    The project of The First National Geographic Conditions Census developed by Chinese government has designed the data acquisition content and indexes, and has built corresponding classification system mainly based on the natural property of material. However, the unified standard for land cover classification system has not been formed; the production always needs converting to meet the actual needs. Therefore, it proposed a refined classification method based on multi source of remote sensing information fusion. It takes the third-level classes of forest land and grassland for example, and has collected the thematic data of Vegetation Map of China (1:1,000,000), attempts to develop refined classification utilizing raster spatial analysis model. Study area is selected, and refined classification is achieved by using the proposed method. The results show that land cover within study area is divided principally among 20 classes, from subtropical broad-leaved forest (31131) to grass-forb community type of low coverage grassland (41192); what's more, after 30 years in the study area, climatic factors, developmental rhythm characteristics and vegetation ecological geographical characteristics have not changed fundamentally, only part of the original vegetation types have changed in spatial distribution range or land cover types. Research shows that refined classification for the third-level classes of forest land and grassland could make the results take on both the natural attributes of the original and plant community ecology characteristics, which could meet the needs of some industry application, and has certain practical significance for promoting the product of The First National Geographic Conditions Census.

  3. A Unified Grand Tour of Theoretical Physics

    CERN Document Server

    Lawrie, Ian D

    2002-01-01

    A unified account of the principles of theoretical physics, A Unified Grand Tour of Theoretical Physics, Second Edition stresses the inter-relationships between areas that are usually treated as independent. The profound unifying influence of geometrical ideas, the powerful formal similarities between statistical mechanics and quantum field theory, and the ubiquitous role of symmetries in determining the essential structure of physical theories are emphasized throughout.This second edition conducts a grand tour of the fundamental theories that shape our modern understanding of the physical wor

  4. Effect of different mulch materials on the soil dehydrogenase activity (DHA) in an organic pepper crop

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno, Marta M.; Peco, Jesús; Campos, Juan; Villena, Jaime; González, Sara; Moreno, Carmen

    2016-04-01

    The use biodegradable materials (biopolymers of different composition and papers) as an alternative to conventional mulches has increased considerably during the last years mainly for environmental reason. In order to assess the effect of these materials on the soil microbial activity during the season of a pepper crop organically grown in Central Spain, the soil dehydrogenase activity (DHA) was measured in laboratory. The mulch materials tested were: 1) black polyethylene (PE, 15 μm); black biopolymers (15 μm): 2) Mater-Bi® (corn starch based), 3) Sphere 4® (potato starch based), 4) Sphere 6® (potato starch based), 5) Bioflex® (polylactic acid based), 6) Ecovio® (polylactic acid based), 7) Mimgreen® (black paper, 85 g/m2). A randomized complete block design with four replications was adopted. The crop was drip irrigated following the water demand of each treatment. Soil samples (5-10 cm depth) under the different mulches were taken at different dates (at the beginning of the crop cycle and at different dates throughout the crop season). Additionally, samples of bare soil in a manual weeding and in an untreated control were taken. The results obtained show the negative effect of black PE on the DHA activity, mainly as result of the higher temperature reached under the mulch and the reduction in the gas interchange between the soil and the atmosphere. The values corresponding to the biodegradable materials were variable, although highlighting the low DHA activity observed under Bioflex®. In general, the uncovered treatments showed higher values than those reached under mulches, especially in the untreated control. Keywords: mulch, biodegradable, biopolymer, paper, dehydrogenase activity (DHA). Acknowledgements: the research was funded by Project RTA2011-00104-C04-03 from the INIA (Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness).

  5. Soil organic matter degradation and enzymatic profiles of intertidal and subaqueous soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferronato, Chiara; Marinari, Sara; Bello, Diana; Vianello, Gilmo; Trasar-Cepeda, Carmen; Vittori Antisari, Livia

    2017-04-01

    The interest on intertidal and subaqueous soils has recently arisen because of the climate changes forecasts. The preservation of these habitats represents an important challenge for the future of humanity, because these systems represent an important global C sink since soil organic matter (SOM) on intertidal and subaqueous soils undergoes very slow degradation rates due to oxygen limitation. Publications on SOM cycle in saltmarshes are very scarce because of the difficulties involved on those studies i.e. the interaction of many abiotic and biotic factors (e.g., redox changes, water and bio-turbation processes, etc) and stressors (e.g., salinity and anoxia). However, saltmarshes constitute an unique natural system to observe the influence of anoxic conditions on SOM degradation, because the tide fluctuations on the soil surface allow the formation of provisionally or permanently submerged soils. With the aim to investigate the quality of SOM in subaqueous soils, triplicates of subaqueous soils (SASs), intertidal soils (ITSs) and terrestrial soils (TESs) were collected in the saltmarshes of the Baiona Lagoon (Northern Italy) and classified according to their pedogenetic horizons. The SOM quality on each soil horizon was investigated by quantifying SOM, total and water-soluble organic carbon (TOC, WSC) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC). Given the contribution of soil enzymes to the degradation of SOM, some enzymatic assays were also performed. Thereafter, soil classification and humus morpho-functional classification were used to join together similar soil profiles to facilitate the description and discussion of results. Soils were ranked as Aquent or Wassent Entisols, with an A/AC/C pedosequence. SOM, TOC and MBC were statistically higher in A than in AC and C horizons. Among the A horizons, ITSs were those showing the highest values for these parameters (11% TOC, 1.6 mg kg-1 MBC, 0.9 mg kg-1 WSC). These results, combined with the morpho-functional classification

  6. The use of earthworms in ecological soil classification and assessment concepts

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rombke, J.; Jansch, S.; Didden, W.A.M.

    2005-01-01

    Without doubt, earthworms are the most important soil invertebrates in most soils worldwide, in terms of both biomass and activity. Several species are even considered to be ecosystem engineers. Earthworms are also known to influence soil structure, soil chemistry, and, in particular, processes like

  7. Evolution and classification of the CRISPR-Cas systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    S. Makarova, Kira; H. Haft, Daniel; Barrangou, Rodolphe; J. J. Brouns, Stan; Charpentier, Emmanuelle; Horvath, Philippe; Moineau, Sylvain; J. M. Mojica, Francisco; I. Wolf, Yuri; Yakunin, Alexander F.; van der Oost, John; V. Koonin, Eugene

    2012-01-01

    The CRISPR–Cas (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats–CRISPR-associated proteins) modules are adaptive immunity systems that are present in many archaea and bacteria. These defence systems are encoded by operons that have an extraordinarily diverse architecture and a high rate of evolution for both the cas genes and the unique spacer content. Here, we provide an updated analysis of the evolutionary relationships between CRISPR–Cas systems and Cas proteins. Three major types of CRISPR–Cas system are delineated, with a further division into several subtypes and a few chimeric variants. Given the complexity of the genomic architectures and the extremely dynamic evolution of the CRISPR–Cas systems, a unified classification of these systems should be based on multiple criteria. Accordingly, we propose a `polythetic' classification that integrates the phylogenies of the most common cas genes, the sequence and organization of the CRISPR repeats and the architecture of the CRISPR–cas loci. PMID:21552286

  8. A novel way to rapidly monitor microplastics in soil by hyperspectral imaging technology and chemometrics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shan, Jiajia; Zhao, Junbo; Liu, Lifen; Zhang, Yituo; Wang, Xue; Wu, Fengchang

    2018-07-01

    Hyperspectral imaging technology has been investigated as a possible way to detect microplastics contamination in soil directly and efficiently in this study. Hyperspectral images with wavelength range between 400 and 1000 nm were obtained from soil samples containing different materials including microplastics, fresh leaves, wilted leaves, rocks and dry branches. Supervised classification algorithms such as support vector machine (SVM), mahalanobis distance (MD) and maximum likelihood (ML) algorithms were used to identify microplastics from the other materials in hyperspectral images. To investigate the effect of particle size and color, white polyethylene (PE) and black PE particles extracted from soil with two different particle size ranges (1-5 mm and 0.5-1 mm) were studied in this work. The results showed that SVM was the most applicable method for detecting white PE in soil, with the precision of 84% and 77% for PE particles in size ranges of 1-5 mm and 0.5-1 mm respectively. The precision of black PE detection achieved by SVM were 58% and 76% for particles of 1-5 mm and 0.5-1 mm respectively. Six kinds of household polymers including drink bottle, bottle cap, rubber, packing bag, clothes hanger and plastic clip were used to validate the developed method, and the classification precision of polymers were obtained from 79% to 100% and 86%-99% for microplastics particle 1-5 mm and 0.5-1 mm respectively. The results indicate that hyperspectral imaging technology is a potential technique to determine and visualize the microplastics with particle size from 0.5 to 5 mm on soil surface directly. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Soil classes and acceleration response

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalyoncuoglu, U.Y.

    2007-01-01

    It could not enough for determination of only geotechnical properties (soil classification, soil type, bearing capacity etc.) in order to define assessment of areas being settle in terms of suitability of settlement or how settled area is affected from natural disaster and to get necessary precautions. Damages on the engineering structure in the region posses an earthquake hazard are affected one or more site condition from source point to soil of engineering structure

  10. Evaluation of Changes in Index Properties of Lateritic Soil Stabilized with Fly Ash

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agapitus AMADI

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available For soils to be suitable in civil engineering projects, they must meet existing local requirements for index properties in addition to certain strength criteria. Typically, specifications limit these properties to some threshold values which in most cases are project specific. Some lateritic soils in their natural state need some treatment/modification to meet these specification requirements. The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in the index properties (i.e., particle size distribution, Atterberg limits and compaction characteristics of a residually derived lateritic soil following fly ash application. Lateritic soil – fly ash mixtures with up to 20% fly ash by dry weight of soil were tested and specimens for compaction characteristics were prepared at different compaction states (optimum, dry and wet of optimum moisture content and compacted using British Standard Light (BSL compactive effort. While soil – fly ash mixtures containing up to 15% fly ash classify as CL according to USCS classification system and plotted above A-line in the plasticity chart, it was observed that changes in the gradation characteristics of soil sample treated with 20% fly ash resulted in the alteration of its classification to ML as well as the crossing of the A- line to the silty region. The liquid limit (LL varied from 42.2 to 29.53% representing 70% reduction while the plasticity index (PI of specimen treated with 20% fly ash was 16% lower than that of natural soil. The optimum moisture content (OMC ranged from 17.36% for the natural soil to 18.34% for soil mixtures containing 20% fly ash which yielded dry unit weight of 17.2kN/m3 for the natural soil and 16.1kN/m3 for samples treated with 20% fly ash. From the study, useful data were obtained showing substantial and desirable changes in the properties of lateritic soil as a civil engineering material on application of fly ash.

  11. Impact of Waste Materials Resulting from the Refining of Crude Oil on Some Soil Physico-Chemical Properties

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    pari asadi alasvand

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Soil and ground water pollution with organic matter and toxic materials is an ordinary environmental problem. In this case, oil compounds are among the most important environmental pollutants. Tehran oil refinery is one of the largest and oldest refineries in Iran located south of Tehran city. Since the beginning of its activity in 1968, its waste materials (solid, semisolid and liquid have been disposed in large lagoons next to the refinery site. During this long period, considerable changes in soil properties have occurred, which are of great research interests for soil and environmental scientists. Materials and Methods: The studied area (about 60 ha was located in the south of Tehran (latitude: 35°30.299' to 35°30.814' N and longitude: 51°25.682' to 51°26.296' E. Six pedons, including four Technosols developed on the oil refinery waste materials (pedons no. 1, 3, 4 and 6 and two reference pedons (pedons no. 2 and 5 were fully described and sampled. Particle size distribution (PSD of gypsiferous samples was determined by the specific method for gypsiferous soils (Hesse, 1976. PSD of non-gypsiferous samples were determined according to the standard hydrometer method (Gee and Bauder, 1986, but the oil-polluted samples were analyzed according to the standard ultrasound method (Sawhny, 1996. Organic carbon content was determined by Walkley and Black (1934. pH and EC were measured in soil saturation extracts using EC and pH meter (Jenway. Gypsum and CaCO3 contents were determined using acetone (Sparks, 1996, and calcimetery methods, respectively. Mineralogical analysis was done by Decarreau (1990. Micromorphological descriptions were carried out using the terminology of Stoops (2003. Diagnostic horizons were identified and finally the studied pedons were classified according to the Keys to Soil Taxonomy (Soil Survey Staff, 2014 and the World Reference Base (FAO, 2014. Results and Discussion: Horizons of both polluted and

  12. On unified-entropy characterization of quantum channels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rastegin, A E

    2012-01-01

    We consider properties of quantum channels with the use of unified entropies. Extremal unravelings of quantum channel with respect to these entropies are examined. The concept of map entropy is extended in terms of the unified entropies. The map (q, s)-entropy is naturally defined as the unified (q, s)-entropy of a rescaled dynamical matrix of given quantum channel. Inequalities of Fannes type are obtained for introduced entropies in terms of both the trace and Frobenius norms of difference between corresponding dynamical matrices. Additivity properties of introduced map entropies are discussed. The known inequality of Lindblad with the entropy exchange is generalized to many of the unified entropies. For the tensor product of a pair of quantum channels, we derive a two-sided estimate on the output entropy of a maximally entangled input state. (paper)

  13. Environmental behavior of soils and mixtures of soil-whitewash mud

    OpenAIRE

    Machado,Carlos Cardoso; Pires,José Maurício Machado; Fontes,Maurício Paulo F.; Pereira,Reginaldo Sérgio; Portugal,Carla Ribeiro Machado e

    2004-01-01

    The present study sought to observe the behavior of soils in natural state and in mixtures, in different ratios, with the industrial solid residue called whitewash mud. The work was conducted with samples of typical soils from the region of Alagoinhas, Bahia-Brazil. Wet chemical analysis and atomic absorption spectrophotometry were used in order to obtain the classification of the industrial solid residue. Solubilization and leaching tests were performed and X-ray diffraction and electron mic...

  14. Preliminary Development of a Unified Viscoplastic Constitutive Model for Alloy 617 with Special Reference to Long Term Creep Behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sham, Sam; Walker, Kevin P.

    2008-01-01

    The expected service life of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant is 60 years. Structural analyses of the Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX) will require the development of unified viscoplastic constitutive models that address the material behavior of Alloy 617, a construction material of choice, over a wide range of strain rates. Many unified constitutive models employ a yield stress state variable which is used to account for cyclic hardening and softening of the material. For low stress values below the yield stress state variable these constitutive models predict that no inelastic deformation takes place which is contrary to experimental results. The ability to model creep deformation at low stresses for the IHX application is very important as the IHX operational stresses are restricted to very small values due to the low creep strengths at elevated temperatures and long design lifetime. This paper presents some preliminary work in modeling the unified viscoplastic constitutive behavior of Alloy 617 which accounts for the long term, low stress, creep behavior and the hysteretic behavior of the material at elevated temperatures. The preliminary model is presented in one-dimensional form for ease of understanding, but the intent of the present work is to produce a three-dimensional model suitable for inclusion in the user subroutines UMAT and USERPL of the ABAQUS and ANSYS nonlinear finite element codes. Further experiments and constitutive modeling efforts are planned to model the material behavior of Alloy 617 in more detail

  15. A proposed descriptive methodology for environmental geologic (envirogeologic) site characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwarz, D.L.; Snyder, W.S.

    1994-01-01

    We propose a descriptive methodology for use in environmental geologic (envirogeologic) site characterization. The method uses traditional sedimentologic descriptions augmented by environmental data needs, and facies analysis. Most other environmental methodologies for soil and sediment characterization use soil engineering and engineering geology techniques that classify by texture and engineering properties. This technique is inadequate for envirogeologic characterization of sediments. In part, this inadequacy is due to differences in the grain-size between the Unified soil Classification and the Udden-Wentworth scales. Use of the soil grain-size classification could easily cause confusion when attempting to relate descriptions based on this classification to our basic understanding of sedimentary depositional systems. The proposed envirogeologic method uses descriptive parameters to characterize a sediment sample, suggests specific tests on samples for adequate characterization, and provides a guidelines for subsurface facies analysis, based on data retrieved from shallow boreholes, that will allow better predictive models to be developed. This methodology should allow for both a more complete site assessment, and provide sufficient data for selection of the appropriate remediation technology, including bioremediation. 50 refs

  16. Application of the Fourier descriptors method to the morphological classification of particles in geological materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manzanas Lopez, J.; Santiago Buey, C.

    2010-01-01

    This study focuses on the use of Fourier descriptors to quantitatively describe the morphology of particles aggregates or pores in geological materials. Firstly, the mathematical fundaments of the method are explained. Then, the Fourier descriptors method is applied to the Krumbein Scale, a system of measuring roundness and sphericity of particles. the analysis of the comparison shows that there is good correlation between the Sphericity parameter at the Krumbein classifications and the value of the modulus of the Fourier descriptor No-1. This good correlation, along with the mathematical precision which allows to prevent subjective valorisations in the morphological description, corroborates the validity of the method to quantify the sphericity elongation of particles in geological materials. (Author) 12 refs.

  17. An improved SOIL*EX trademark process for the removal of hazardous and radioactive contaminants from soils, sludges and other materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bloom, R.R.; Bonnema, B.E.; Navratil, J.D.; Falconer, K.L.; Van Vliet, J.A.; Diel, B.N.

    1995-01-01

    Rust's patented SOIL*EX process is designed to remove hazardous and radioactive contaminants from soils, sludges and a matrix of other materials while destroying volatile organic compounds often associated with contaminated soil and debris. The process is comprised of three major process operations. The first operation involves the dissolution of contaminants that are chemically or mechanically bonded to the solid phase. The second process operation involves separation of the solid phase from the dissolution solution (mother liquor), which contains the dissolved contaminants. The final operation concentrates and removes the contaminants from the mother liquor. A pilot-scale SOIL*EX system was constructed at Rust's Clemson Technical Center for a Proof-of-Process demonstration. The demonstration program included the design, fabrication, and operation of pilot scale and demonstration equipment and systems. The pilot plant, an accurate scaled-down version of a proposed full-scale treatment system, was operated for five months to demonstrate the efficiency of the overall process. The pilot plant test program focused on demonstrating that the SOIL*EX process would remove and concentrate the contaminants and destroy volatile organic compounds. The pilot plant processed nearly 20 tons of soils and sludges, and test results indicated that all contaminants of concern were removed. Additionally, Rust completed numerous bench scale tests to optimize the chemistry. This paper discusses the pilot plant test criteria and results along with the salient design features of the SOIL*EX system and planned improvements

  18. Development of construction materials like concrete from lunar soils without water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desai, Chandra S.; Saadatmanesh, H.; Frantziskonis, G.

    1989-01-01

    The development of construction materials such as concrete from lunar soils without the use of water requires a different methodology than that used for conventional terrestrial concrete. A unique approach is attempted that utilizes factors such as initial vacuum and then cyclic loading to enhance the mechanical properties of dry materials similar to those available on the moon. The application of such factors is expected to allow reorientation, and coming together, of particles of the materials toward the maximum theoretical density. If such a density can provide deformation and strength properties for even a limited type of construction, the approach can have significant application potential, although other factors such as heat and chemicals may be needed for specific construction objectives.

  19. Soil Monitor: an open source web application for real-time soil sealing monitoring and assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langella, Giuliano; Basile, Angelo; Giannecchini, Simone; Iamarino, Michela; Munafò, Michele; Terribile, Fabio

    2016-04-01

    Soil sealing is one of the most important causes of land degradation and desertification. In Europe, soil covered by impermeable materials has increased by about 80% from the Second World War till nowadays, while population has only grown by one third. There is an increasing concern at the high political levels about the need to attenuate imperviousness itself and its effects on soil functions. European Commission promulgated a roadmap (COM(2011) 571) by which the net land take would be zero by 2050. Furthermore, European Commission also published a report in 2011 providing best practices and guidelines for limiting soil sealing and imperviousness. In this scenario, we developed an open source and an open source based Soil Sealing Geospatial Cyber Infrastructure (SS-GCI) named as "Soil Monitor". This tool merges a webGIS with parallel geospatial computation in a fast and dynamic fashion in order to provide real-time assessments of soil sealing at high spatial resolution (20 meters and below) over the whole Italy. Common open source webGIS packages are used to implement both the data management and visualization infrastructures, such as GeoServer and MapStore. The high-speed geospatial computation is ensured by a GPU parallelism using the CUDA (Computing Unified Device Architecture) framework by NVIDIA®. This kind of parallelism required the writing - from scratch - all codes needed to fulfil the geospatial computation built behind the soil sealing toolbox. The combination of GPU computing with webGIS infrastructures is relatively novel and required particular attention at the Java-CUDA programming interface. As a result, Soil Monitor is smart because it can perform very high time-consuming calculations (querying for instance an Italian administrative region as area of interest) in less than one minute. The web application is embedded in a web browser and nothing must be installed before using it. Potentially everybody can use it, but the main targets are the

  20. Topographic soil wetness index derived from combined Alaska-British Columbia datasets for the Gulf of Alaska region

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Amore, D. V.; Biles, F. E.

    2016-12-01

    The flow of water is often highlighted as a priority in land management planning and assessments related to climate change. Improved measurement and modeling of soil moisture is required to develop predictive estimates for plant distributions, soil moisture, and snowpack, which all play important roles in ecosystem planning in the face of climate change. Drainage indexes are commonly derived from GIS tools with digital elevation models. Soil moisture classes derived from these tools are useful digital proxies for ecosystem functions associated with the concentration of water on the landscape. We developed a spatially explicit topographically derived soil wetness index (TWI) across the perhumid coastal temperate rainforest (PCTR) of Alaska and British Columbia. Developing applicable drainage indexes in complex terrain and across broad areas required careful application of the appropriate DEM, caution with artifacts in GIS covers and mapping realistic zones of wetlands with the indicator. The large spatial extent of the model has facilitated the mapping of forest habitat and the development of water table depth mapping in the region. A key element of the TWI is the merging of elevation datasets across the US-Canada border where major rivers transect the international boundary. The unified TWI allows for seemless mapping across the international border and unified ecological applications. A python program combined with the unified DEM allows end users to quickly apply the TWI to all areas of the PCTR. This common platform can facilitate model comparison and improvements to local soil moisture conditions, generation of streamflow, and ecological site conditions. In this presentation we highlight the application of the TWI for mapping risk factors related to forest decline and the development of a regional water table depth map. Improved soil moisture maps are critical for deriving spatial models of changes in soil moisture for both plant growth and streamflow across

  1. Model of unified gauge fields

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leite Lopes, J.

    1998-04-01

    In this work, we discuss the physical ideas which represents the basis for the unified gauge field model. Despite of the difficulties that we presently have for embodying in a natural manner muons and hadrons in that model, we have the feeling that we are on the way which seems to lead to the construction of a theory in which the Maxwell electromagnetic field and the Fermi weak interaction field are manifestations of a unique subjacent physical entity - the unified gauge fields. (author)

  2. Dual-energy cone-beam CT with a flat-panel detector: Effect of reconstruction algorithm on material classification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zbijewski, W.; Gang, G. J.; Xu, J.; Wang, A. S.; Stayman, J. W.; Taguchi, K.; Carrino, J. A.; Siewerdsen, J. H.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Cone-beam CT (CBCT) with a flat-panel detector (FPD) is finding application in areas such as breast and musculoskeletal imaging, where dual-energy (DE) capabilities offer potential benefit. The authors investigate the accuracy of material classification in DE CBCT using filtered backprojection (FBP) and penalized likelihood (PL) reconstruction and optimize contrast-enhanced DE CBCT of the joints as a function of dose, material concentration, and detail size. Methods: Phantoms consisting of a 15 cm diameter water cylinder with solid calcium inserts (50–200 mg/ml, 3–28.4 mm diameter) and solid iodine inserts (2–10 mg/ml, 3–28.4 mm diameter), as well as a cadaveric knee with intra-articular injection of iodine were imaged on a CBCT bench with a Varian 4343 FPD. The low energy (LE) beam was 70 kVp (+0.2 mm Cu), and the high energy (HE) beam was 120 kVp (+0.2 mm Cu, +0.5 mm Ag). Total dose (LE+HE) was varied from 3.1 to 15.6 mGy with equal dose allocation. Image-based DE classification involved a nearest distance classifier in the space of LE versus HE attenuation values. Recognizing the differences in noise between LE and HE beams, the LE and HE data were differentially filtered (in FBP) or regularized (in PL). Both a quadratic (PLQ) and a total-variation penalty (PLTV) were investigated for PL. The performance of DE CBCT material discrimination was quantified in terms of voxelwise specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy. Results: Noise in the HE image was primarily responsible for classification errors within the contrast inserts, whereas noise in the LE image mainly influenced classification in the surrounding water. For inserts of diameter 28.4 mm, DE CBCT reconstructions were optimized to maximize the total combined accuracy across the range of calcium and iodine concentrations, yielding values of ∼88% for FBP and PLQ, and ∼95% for PLTV at 3.1 mGy total dose, increasing to ∼95% for FBP and PLQ, and ∼98% for PLTV at 15.6 mGy total dose. For a

  3. Guidance For The Proper Characterization And Classification Of Low Specific Activity Materials And Surface Contaminated Objects For Disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Portsmouth, J.H.; Blackford, L.T.

    2012-01-01

    Regulatory concerns over the proper characterization of certain waste streams led CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CHPRC) to develop written guidance for personnel involved in Decontamination and Decommissioning (D and D) activities, facility management and Waste Management Representatives (WMRs) involved in the designation of wastes for disposal on and off the Hanford Site. It is essential that these waste streams regularly encountered in D and D operations are properly designated, characterized and classified prior to shipment to a Treatment, Storage or Disposal Facility (TSDF). Shipments of waste determined by the classification process as Low Specific Activity (LSA) or Surface Contaminated Objects (SCO) must also be compliant with all applicable U.S. Department of Transportation (DOE) regulations as well as Department of Energy (DOE) orders. The compliant shipment of these waste commodities is critical to the Hanford Central Plateau cleanup mission. Due to previous problems and concerns from DOE assessments, CHPRC internal critiques as well as DOT, a management decision was made to develop written guidance and procedures to assist CHPRC shippers and facility personnel in the proper classification of D and D waste materials as either LSA or SCO. The guidance provides a uniform methodology for the collection and documentation required to effectively characterize, classify and identify candidate materials for shipping operations. A primary focus is to ensure that waste materials generated from D and D and facility operations are compliant with the DOT regulations when packaged for shipment. At times this can be difficult as the current DOT regulations relative to the shipment of LSA and SCO materials are often not clear to waste generators. Guidance is often sought from NUREG 1608/RAMREG-003 (3): a guidance document that was jointly developed by the DOT and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and published in 1998. However, NUREG 1608 (3) is now thirteen

  4. Radon survey related to construction materials and soils in Zacatecas, Mexico using LR-115

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mireles, F.; Garcia, M.L.; Quirino, L.L.; Davila, J.I.; Pinedo, J.L.; Rios, C.; Montero, M.E.; Colmenero, L.; Villalba, L.

    2007-01-01

    Indoor radon gas ( 222 Rn), present in the air inside buildings, is one of the most important sources of radiation exposure to the population. This gas originates in the 238 U radioactive decay chain, which is contained in rock and solid soil particles. Radon accumulation in confined spaces, inside buildings, depends on several factors such as the type of soils, type of constructions, building materials, and ventilation. The aim of this work is to present indoor and outdoor radon concentrations for 202 dwellings and indoor concentrations for 148 public clinics; and the radon concentrations relate to the type of predominant soils, the construction years; and building materials used in the ceilings, walls and floors, for cities and towns of the 57 municipalities in the State of Zacatecas, Mexico. The 222 Rn concentrations were measured with a passive-type radon monitor, with LR-115 as detector material; and the radon survey was made during four stages of three months each throughout Zacatecas from 2001 to 2002. The indoor and outdoor radon concentration averages in dwellings were 55.6±4.9Bqm -3 and 46.5±5.3Bqm -3 , respectively. The indoor radon concentration average in public clinics was 57.8±5.4Bqm -3 . These values were lower than the US EPA action limit of 148Bqm -3

  5. Soil Suitability Classification of Tomas Irrigation Scheme for Irrigated ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The need for sustainable rice production in Nigeria cannot be over-emphasized. Since rice can be grown both under rain-fed and irrigated conditions, the need for soil suitability evaluation becomes very necessary in order for supply to meet up with demand. Six land qualities viz; climate, soil physical properties, drainage, ...

  6. Impact of Beads and Drops on a Repellent Solid Surface: A Unified Description

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arora, S.; Fromental, J.-M.; Mora, S.; Phou, Ty; Ramos, L.; Ligoure, C.

    2018-04-01

    We investigate freely expanding sheets formed by ultrasoft gel beads, and liquid and viscoelastic drops, produced by the impact of the bead or drop on a silicon wafer covered with a thin layer of liquid nitrogen that suppresses viscous dissipation thanks to an inverse Leidenfrost effect. Our experiments show a unified behavior for the impact dynamics that holds for solids, liquids, and viscoelastic fluids and that we rationalize by properly taking into account elastocapillary effects. In this framework, the classical impact dynamics of solids and liquids, as far as viscous dissipation is negligible, appears as the asymptotic limits of a universal theoretical description. A novel material-dependent characteristic velocity that includes both capillary and bulk elasticity emerges from this unified description of the physics of impact.

  7. Stabilization of expansive soil using bagasse ash & lime | Wubshet ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    7-5 soil on the AASHTO classification was stabilized using 3% lime, 15% bagasse ash and 15% bagasse ash in combination with 3% lime by dry weight of the soil. The effect of the additives on the soil was investigated with respect to plastcity, ...

  8. Unified gauge theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    MacDowell, S.W.

    1975-01-01

    Unified gauge theories with spontaneous symmetry breaking are studied with a view to renormalize quantum field theory. Georgi-Glashow and Weinberg-Salam models to unify weak and electromagnetic interactions are discussed in detail. Gauge theories of strong interactions are also considered [pt

  9. Data collection handbook to support modeling the impacts of radioactive material in soil

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, C.; Cheng, J.J.; Jones, L.G.; Wang, Y.Y.; Faillace, E.; Loureiro, C.; Chia, Y.P.

    1993-04-01

    A pathway analysis computer code called RESRAD has been developed for implementing US Department of Energy Residual Radioactive Material Guidelines. Hydrogeological, meteorological, geochemical, geometrical (size, area, depth), and material-related (soil, concrete) parameters are used in the RESRAD code. This handbook discusses parameter definitions, typical ranges, variations, measurement methodologies, and input screen locations. Although this handbook was developed primarily to support the application of RESRAD, the discussions and values are valid for other model applications

  10. Data collection handbook to support modeling the impacts of radioactive material in soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yu, C.; Cheng, J.J.; Jones, L.G.; Wang, Y.Y.; Faillace, E. [Argonne National Lab., IL (United States). Environmental Assessment and Information Sciences Div.; Loureiro, C. [Minas Gerais Univ., Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Escola de Engenharia; Chia, Y.P. [National Taiwan Univ., Taipei (Taiwan, Province of China). Dept. of Geology

    1993-04-01

    A pathway analysis computer code called RESRAD has been developed for implementing US Department of Energy Residual Radioactive Material Guidelines. Hydrogeological, meteorological, geochemical, geometrical (size, area, depth), and material-related (soil, concrete) parameters are used in the RESRAD code. This handbook discusses parameter definitions, typical ranges, variations, measurement methodologies, and input screen locations. Although this handbook was developed primarily to support the application of RESRAD, the discussions and values are valid for other model applications.

  11. METHOD OF ESTIMATING THE TRAVEL TIME OF NONINTERACTING SOLUTES THROUGH COMPACTED SOIL MATERIAL

    Science.gov (United States)

    The pollutant travel time through compacted soil material (i.e., when a pollutant introduced at the top first appears at the bottom) cannot be accurately predicted from the permeability (saturated hydraulic conductivity) alone. The travel time is also dependent on the effective p...

  12. Description and classification of nonallophanic Andosols in south Ecuadorian alpine grasslands (páramo)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buytaert, Wouter; Deckers, Jozef; Wyseure, Guido

    2006-02-01

    The páramo is a neotropical alpine ecosystem that covers more than 75,000 km 2 of the northern Andes of Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Peru. It provides important environmental services: more than 10 million people in the Andean highlands benefit from the water supply and regulation function, which is attributed to the volcanic soils that underlie the ecosystem. The soils are also major carbon sinks of global significance. Severe land use changes and soil degradation threaten both the hydrology and carbon sink function. Nevertheless, soil genesis and properties in the páramo is rather poorly understood, nor are their ecological functions well documented. The impact of the geomorphology of the páramo on soil genesis was studied in the rio Paute basin, south Ecuador. Two toposequences were described and analysed. In each toposequence, four pedons were selected representing summit, backslope, undrained plain situation, and valley bottom positions in the landscape. The soils are classified as Hydric Andosols in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources and Epiaquands or Hydrudands in Soil Taxonomy. They are very acidic and have a high organic matter content, high P deficiency, and Al toxicity. Their water content ranges from 2.64 g g - 1 at saturation, down to 1.24 g g - 1 at wilting point, resulting in a large water storage capacity. Two major soil forming processes are identified: (1) volcanic ash deposition and (2) accumulation of organic carbon. Volcanic ash deposits may vary in depth as a result of regional geomorphological factors such as parent material, orientation, slope, and altitude. Organic carbon accumulation is an interaction of both waterlogging, which depends on the position in the landscape, and the formation of organometallic complexes with Al and Fe released during volcanic ash breakdown. Despite the high variability in parent material and topography, the soil is characterised by a notable homogeneity in physico-chemical properties

  13. Stimulation of soil microorganisms in pesticide-contaminated soil using organic materials

    OpenAIRE

    Ima Yudha Perwira; Kiwako S. Araki; Motoki Kubo; Dinesh Adhikari

    2016-01-01

    Agrochemicals such as pesticides have contributed to significant increases in crop yields; however, they can also be linked to adverse effects on human health and soil microorganisms. For efficient bioremediation of pesticides accumulated in agricultural fields, stimulation of microorganisms is necessary. In this study, we investigated the relationships between bacterial biomass and total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) in 427 agricultural soils. The soil bacterial biomass was generally p...

  14. Simultaneous Force Regression and Movement Classification of Fingers via Surface EMG within a Unified Bayesian Framework.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldacchino, Tara; Jacobs, William R; Anderson, Sean R; Worden, Keith; Rowson, Jennifer

    2018-01-01

    This contribution presents a novel methodology for myolectric-based control using surface electromyographic (sEMG) signals recorded during finger movements. A multivariate Bayesian mixture of experts (MoE) model is introduced which provides a powerful method for modeling force regression at the fingertips, while also performing finger movement classification as a by-product of the modeling algorithm. Bayesian inference of the model allows uncertainties to be naturally incorporated into the model structure. This method is tested using data from the publicly released NinaPro database which consists of sEMG recordings for 6 degree-of-freedom force activations for 40 intact subjects. The results demonstrate that the MoE model achieves similar performance compared to the benchmark set by the authors of NinaPro for finger force regression. Additionally, inherent to the Bayesian framework is the inclusion of uncertainty in the model parameters, naturally providing confidence bounds on the force regression predictions. Furthermore, the integrated clustering step allows a detailed investigation into classification of the finger movements, without incurring any extra computational effort. Subsequently, a systematic approach to assessing the importance of the number of electrodes needed for accurate control is performed via sensitivity analysis techniques. A slight degradation in regression performance is observed for a reduced number of electrodes, while classification performance is unaffected.

  15. Interactive Classification of Construction Materials: Feedback Driven Framework for Annotation and Analysis of 3d Point Clouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hess, M. R.; Petrovic, V.; Kuester, F.

    2017-08-01

    Digital documentation of cultural heritage structures is increasingly more common through the application of different imaging techniques. Many works have focused on the application of laser scanning and photogrammetry techniques for the acquisition of threedimensional (3D) geometry detailing cultural heritage sites and structures. With an abundance of these 3D data assets, there must be a digital environment where these data can be visualized and analyzed. Presented here is a feedback driven visualization framework that seamlessly enables interactive exploration and manipulation of massive point cloud data. The focus of this work is on the classification of different building materials with the goal of building more accurate as-built information models of historical structures. User defined functions have been tested within the interactive point cloud visualization framework to evaluate automated and semi-automated classification of 3D point data. These functions include decisions based on observed color, laser intensity, normal vector or local surface geometry. Multiple case studies are presented here to demonstrate the flexibility and utility of the presented point cloud visualization framework to achieve classification objectives.

  16. Finite unified models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kapetanakis, D. (Technische Univ. Muenchen, Garching (Germany). Physik Dept.); Mondragon, M. (Technische Univ. Muenchen, Garching (Germany). Physik Dept.); Zoupanos, G. (National Technical Univ., Athens (Greece). Physics Dept.)

    1993-09-01

    We present phenomenologically viable SU(5) unified models which are finite to all orders before the spontaneous symmetry breaking. In the case of two models with three families the top quark mass is predicted to be 178.8 GeV. (orig.)

  17. Finite unified models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kapetanakis, D.; Mondragon, M.; Zoupanos, G.

    1993-01-01

    We present phenomenologically viable SU(5) unified models which are finite to all orders before the spontaneous symmetry breaking. In the case of two models with three families the top quark mass is predicted to be 178.8 GeV. (orig.)

  18. Characterization of PCC Cement by Addition of Napa Soil from Subdistrict Sarilamak 50 Kota District as Alternative Additional Material for Semen Padang

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mawardi, M.; Deyundha, D.; Zainul, R.; Zalmi P, R.

    2018-04-01

    The study has been conducted to determine characteristics of the portland composite cement by the addition of napa soil from Sarilamak subdistrict, 50 Kota District as an alternative additional material at PT. Semen Padang. Napa soil is a natural material highly containing silica and alumina minerals so that it can be one of material in producing cement. This study aims to determine the effect of napa soil on the quality of portland composite cement. Napa soil used in the variation compositions 0%, 4%, 8%, 12% and 16%, for control of cement used 8 % of pozzolan and 0 % of napa soil. Determination of cement quality by testing cement characteristics include blaine test, sieving, lost of ignition or LOI, insoluble residue, normal consistency, setting time and compressive strength. Cement was characterized using XRF. Fineness of cement decreases with the addition of napa soil. Lost of Ignition of cement decreased, while the insoluble residue increased with the addition of napa soil. Normal consistency of cement increasing, so does initial setting time and final setting time of cement. While the resultant compressive strength decreases with the addition of napa soil on 28 days, 342, 325, 307, 306, and 300 kg / cm2.

  19. Impact of Soil Texture on Soil Ciliate Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chau, J. F.; Brown, S.; Habtom, E.; Brinson, F.; Epps, M.; Scott, R.

    2014-12-01

    Soil water content and connectivity strongly influence microbial activities in soil, controlling access to nutrients and electron acceptors, and mediating interactions between microbes within and between trophic levels. These interactions occur at or below the pore scale, and are influenced by soil texture and structure, which determine the microscale architecture of soil pores. Soil protozoa are relatively understudied, especially given the strong control they exert on bacterial communities through predation. Here, ciliate communities in soils of contrasting textures were investigated. Two ciliate-specific primer sets targeting the 18S rRNA gene were used to amplify DNA extracted from eight soil samples collected from Sumter National Forest in western South Carolina. Primer sets 121F-384F-1147R (semi-nested) and 315F-959R were used to amplify soil ciliate DNA via polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the resulting PCR products were analyzed by gel electrophoresis to obtain quantity and band size. Approximately two hundred ciliate 18S rRNA sequences were obtained were obtained from each of two contrasting soils. Sequences were aligned against the NCBI GenBank database for identification, and the taxonomic classification of best-matched sequences was determined. The ultimate goal of the work is to quantify changes in the ciliate community under short-timescale changes in hydrologic conditions for varying soil textures, elucidating dynamic responses to desiccation stress in major soil ciliate taxa.

  20. A unified framework for risk and vulnerability analysis covering both safety and security

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aven, Terje

    2007-01-01

    Recently, we have seen several attempts to establish adequate risk and vulnerability analyses tools and related management frameworks dealing not only with accidental events but also security problems. These attempts have been based on different analysis approaches and using alternative building blocks. In this paper, we discuss some of these and show how a unified framework for such analyses and management tasks can be developed. The framework is based on the use of probability as a measure of uncertainty, as seen through the eyes of the assessor, and define risk as the combination of possible consequences and related uncertainties. Risk and vulnerability characterizations are introduced incorporating ideas both from vulnerability analyses literature as well as from the risk classification scheme introduced by Renn and Klinke

  1. Semantic aspects of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: towards sharing knowledge and unifying information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andronache, Adrian Stefan; Simoncello, Andrea; Della Mea, Vincenzo; Daffara, Carlo; Francescutti, Carlo

    2012-02-01

    During the last decade, under the World Health Organization's direction, the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) has become a reference tool for monitoring and developing various policies addressing people with disability. This article presents three steps to increase the semantic interoperability of ICF: first, the representation of ICF using ontology tools; second, the alignment to upper-level ontologies; and third, the use of these tools to implement semantic mappings between ICF and other tools, such as disability assessment instruments, health classifications, and at least partially formalized terminologies.

  2. NEW CLASSIFICATION OF ECOPOLICES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    VOROBYOV V. V.

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Problem statement. Ecopolices are the newest stage of the urban planning. They have to be consideredsuchas material and energy informational structures, included to the dynamic-evolutionary matrix netsofex change processes in the ecosystems. However, there are not made the ecopolice classifications, developing on suchapproaches basis. And this determined the topicality of the article. Analysis of publications on theoretical and applied aspects of the ecopolices formation showed, that the work on them is managed mainly in the context of the latest scientific and technological achievements in the various knowledge fields. These settlements are technocratic. They are connected with the morphology of space, network structures of regional and local natural ecosystems, without independent stability, can not exist without continuous man support. Another words, they do not work in with an ecopolices idea. It is come to a head for objective, symbiotic searching of ecopolices concept with the development of their classifications. Purpose statement is to develop the objective evidence for ecopolices and to propose their new classification. Conclusion. On the base of the ecopolices classification have to lie an elements correlation idea of their general plans and men activity type according with natural mechanism of accepting, reworking and transmission of material, energy and information between geo-ecosystems, planet, man, ecopolices material part and Cosmos. New ecopolices classification should be based on the principles of multi-dimensional, time-spaced symbiotic clarity with exchange ecosystem networks. The ecopolice function with this approach comes not from the subjective anthropocentric economy but from the holistic objective of Genesis paradigm. Or, otherwise - not from the Consequence, but from the Cause.

  3. The assignment of occupation densities and the rural soil classification in the territorial classification plans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Velez R, Luis Anibal; Largacha R, Antonio

    2003-01-01

    Regulations concerning land use density controls in non-urban areas are often ineffective in protecting the rural character of such areas, within the context of Colombia's territorial organization plans What they tend to do is indirectly promote urban expansion through the fixing of minimum plot sizes Rather than question the methods employed in land use classification, the present study uses the case of the rural area of Santa Elena on the outskirts of Medellin and the existing zoning controls as established in the territorial organization plan, and focuses on the regulations established for each land use category as they effect occupation densities and patterns of plot fragmentation. On the one hand a simulation is undertaken of the trends which would result from land occupation in accordance with existing regulations concerning land use classification and plot size This indicates that the overall effect would be to disperse settlement patterns and fragment the landscape Secondly, an alternative scenario is developed based on the modification of minimum plot sizes for each of the three land use classifications established in the existing plan (protection, rural and suburban) In this way, and through the perspective of landscape ecology, It Is shown that in certain cases less dispersion and greater concentration of settlements can be achieved, and in other cases dispersion is minimized The use of GIS is fundamental in the development of such simulation techniques

  4. Soil radiological characterisation and remediation at CIEMAT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Correa, Cristina; Garcia Tapias, Esther; Leganes, Jose

    2012-01-01

    Located in Madrid, CIEMAT is the Spanish Centre for Energy-Related, Environmental and Technological Research. It used to have more than 60 facilities in operation that allowed a wide range of activities in the nuclear field and in the application of ionising radiations. At present, the centre includes several facilities; some of them are now obsolete, shut down and in dismantling phases. In 2000 CIEMAT started the 'Integrated plan for the improvement of CIEMAT facilities (PIMIC)', which includes activities for the decontamination, dismantling, rehabilitation of obsolete installations and soil remediation activities. A small contaminated area named with the Spanish word 'Lenteja' (Lentil), has had to be remediate and restored. In the 70's, an incidental leakage of radioactive liquid occurred during a transference operation from the Reprocessing Plant to the Liquid Treatment Installation, and contaminated about 1000 m 3 of soil. Remediation activities in this area started with an exhaustive radiological characterisation of the soil, including surface samples and up to 16 meters boreholes, and the development of a comprehensive radiological characterization methodology for pre-classification of materials. Once the framework was defined the following tasks were being carried out: preparation of the area, soil extraction activities and final radiological characterisation for release purposes. Next step will be the refilling of the resulting hole from the removal soil activities. This paper will describe the soil radiological characterization and remediation activities at the Lentil Zone in Ciemat Research Centre. (authors)

  5. Seagrass from Unified Florida Reef Tract Map (NODC Accession 0123059)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset is a subset of the Unified Map representing Seagrass areas. Version 1.1 - December 2013. The Unified Florida Reef Tract Map (Unified Reef Map) provides...

  6. Soil map disaggregation improved by soil-landscape relationships, area-proportional sampling and random forest implementation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Anders Bjørn; Malone, Brendan P.; Odgers, Nathan

    implementation generally improved the algorithm’s ability to predict the correct soil class. The implementation of soil-landscape relationships and area-proportional sampling generally increased the calculation time, while the random forest implementation reduced the calculation time. In the most successful......Detailed soil information is often needed to support agricultural practices, environmental protection and policy decisions. Several digital approaches can be used to map soil properties based on field observations. When soil observations are sparse or missing, an alternative approach...... is to disaggregate existing conventional soil maps. At present, the DSMART algorithm represents the most sophisticated approach for disaggregating conventional soil maps (Odgers et al., 2014). The algorithm relies on classification trees trained from resampled points, which are assigned classes according...

  7. A unified universe

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Codello, Alessandro; Jain, Rajeev Kumar

    2018-01-01

    We present a unified evolution of the universe from very early times until the present epoch by including both the leading local correction R2 and the leading non-local term R1□2R to the classical gravitational action. We find that the inflationary phase driven by R2 term gracefully exits...... in a transitory regime characterized by coherent oscillations of the Hubble parameter. The universe then naturally enters into a radiation dominated epoch followed by a matter dominated era. At sufficiently late times after radiation–matter equality, the non-local term starts to dominate inducing an accelerated...... expansion of the universe at the present epoch. We further exhibit the fact that both the leading local and non-local terms can be obtained within the covariant effective field theory of gravity. This scenario thus provides a unified picture of inflation and dark energy in a single framework by means...

  8. The Simplest Unified Growth Theory

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Strulik, Holger; Weisdorf, Jacob Louis

    This paper provides a unified growth theory, i.e. a model that explains the very long-run economic and demographic development path of industrialized economies, stretching from the pre-industrial era to present-day and beyond. Making strict use of Malthus' (1798) so-called preventive check...... hypothesis - that fertility rates vary inversely with the price of food - the current study offers a new and straightforward explanation for the demographic transition and the break with the Malthusian era. The current framework lends support to existing unified growth theories and is well in tune...

  9. Strontium-doped hematite as a possible humidity sensing material for soil water content determination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tulliani, Jean-Marc; Baroni, Chiara; Zavattaro, Laura; Grignani, Carlo

    2013-09-10

    The aim of this work is to study the sensing behavior of Sr-doped hematite for soil water content measurement. The material was prepared by solid state reaction from commercial hematite and strontium carbonate heat treated at 900 °C. X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry were used for microstructural characterization of the synthesized powder. Sensors were then prepared by uniaxially pressing and by screen-printing, on an alumina substrate, the prepared powder and subsequent firing in the 800-1,000 °C range. These sensors were first tested in a laboratory apparatus under humid air and then in an homogenized soil and finally in field. The results evidenced that the screen printed film was able to give a response for a soil matric potential from about 570 kPa, that is to say well below the wilting point in the used soil.

  10. Strontium-Doped Hematite as a Possible Humidity Sensing Material for Soil Water Content Determination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlo Grignani

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work is to study the sensing behavior of Sr-doped hematite for soil water content measurement. The material was prepared by solid state reaction from commercial hematite and strontium carbonate heat treated at 900 °C. X-Ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry were used for microstructural characterization of the synthesized powder. Sensors were then prepared by uniaxially pressing and by screen-printing, on an alumina substrate, the prepared powder and subsequent firing in the 800–1,000 °C range. These sensors were first tested in a laboratory apparatus under humid air and then in an homogenized soil and finally in field. The results evidenced that the screen printed film was able to give a response for a soil matric potential from about 570 kPa, that is to say well below the wilting point in the used soil.

  11. In quest of a systematic framework for unifying and defining nanoscience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tomalia, Donald A.

    2009-01-01

    This article proposes a systematic framework for unifying and defining nanoscience based on historic first principles and step logic that led to a 'central paradigm' (i.e., unifying framework) for traditional elemental/small-molecule chemistry. As such, a Nanomaterials classification roadmap is proposed, which divides all nanomatter into Category I: discrete, well-defined and Category II: statistical, undefined nanoparticles. We consider only Category I, well-defined nanoparticles which are >90% monodisperse as a function of Critical Nanoscale Design Parameters (CNDPs) defined according to: (a) size, (b) shape, (c) surface chemistry, (d) flexibility, and (e) elemental composition. Classified as either hard (H) (i.e., inorganic-based) or soft (S) (i.e., organic-based) categories, these nanoparticles were found to manifest pervasive atom mimicry features that included: (1) a dominance of zero-dimensional (0D) core-shell nanoarchitectures, (2) the ability to self-assemble or chemically bond as discrete, quantized nanounits, and (3) exhibited well-defined nanoscale valencies and stoichiometries reminiscent of atom-based elements. These discrete nanoparticle categories are referred to as hard or soft particle nanoelements. Many examples describing chemical bonding/assembly of these nanoelements have been reported in the literature. We refer to these hard:hard (H-n:H-n), soft:soft (S-n:S-n), or hard:soft (H-n:S-n) nanoelement combinations as nanocompounds. Due to their quantized features, many nanoelement and nanocompound categories are reported to exhibit well-defined nanoperiodic property patterns. These periodic property patterns are dependent on their quantized nanofeatures (CNDPs) and dramatically influence intrinsic physicochemical properties (i.e., melting points, reactivity/self-assembly, sterics, and nanoencapsulation), as well as important functional/performance properties (i.e., magnetic, photonic, electronic, and toxicologic properties). We propose this

  12. Soil functional types: surveying the biophysical dimensions of soil security

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cécillon, Lauric; Barré, Pierre

    2015-04-01

    Soil is a natural capital that can deliver key ecosystem services (ES) to humans through the realization of a series of soil processes controlling ecosystem functioning. Soil is also a diverse and endangered natural resource. A huge pedodiversity has been described at all scales, which is strongly altered by global change. The multidimensional concept soil security, encompassing biophysical, economic, social, policy and legal frameworks of soils has recently been proposed, recognizing the role of soils in global environmental sustainability challenges. The biophysical dimensions of soil security focus on the functionality of a given soil that can be viewed as the combination of its capability and its condition [1]. Indeed, all soils are not equal in term of functionality. They show different processes, provide different ES to humans and respond specifically to global change. Knowledge of soil functionality in space and time is thus a crucial step towards the achievement soil security. All soil classification systems incorporate some functional information, but soil taxonomy alone cannot fully describe the functioning, limitations, resistance and resilience of soils. Droogers and Bouma [2] introduced functional variants (phenoforms) for each soil type (genoform) so as to fit more closely to soil functionality. However, different genoforms can have the same functionality. As stated by McBratney and colleagues [1], there is a great need of an agreed methodology for defining the reference state of soil functionality. Here, we propose soil functional types (SFT) as a relevant classification system for the biophysical dimensions of soil security. Following the definition of plant functional types widely used in ecology, we define a soil functional type as "a set of soil taxons or phenoforms sharing similar processes (e.g. soil respiration), similar effects on ecosystem functioning (e.g. primary productivity) and similar responses to global change (land-use, management or

  13. Using greenhouse gas fluxes to define soil functional types

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Petrakis, Sandra; Barba, Josep; Bond-Lamberty, Ben; Vargas, Rodrigo

    2017-12-04

    Soils provide key ecosystem services and directly control ecosystem functions; thus, there is a need to define the reference state of soil functionality. Most common functional classifications of ecosystems are vegetation-centered and neglect soil characteristics and processes. We propose Soil Functional Types (SFTs) as a conceptual approach to represent and describe the functionality of soils based on characteristics of their greenhouse gas (GHG) flux dynamics. We used automated measurements of CO2, CH4 and N2O in a forested area to define SFTs following a simple statistical framework. This study supports the hypothesis that SFTs provide additional insights on the spatial variability of soil functionality beyond information represented by commonly measured soil parameters (e.g., soil moisture, soil temperature, litter biomass). We discuss the implications of this framework at the plot-scale and the potential of this approach at larger scales. This approach is a first step to provide a framework to define SFTs, but a community effort is necessary to harmonize any global classification for soil functionality. A global application of the proposed SFT framework will only be possible if there is a community-wide effort to share data and create a global database of GHG emissions from soils.

  14. Geotechnical Classification of Søvind Marl

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grønbech, Gitte Lyng; Nielsen, Benjaminn Nordahl; Ibsen, Lars Bo

    2012-01-01

    This article deals with the geotechnical classification properties of a Danish Eocene clay known as Søvind Marl. A large development is happening on locations where the soil consists of different varieties Danish Eocene clays. This gives a need for a better understanding of the properties...... and behavior of the clay. The geotechnical properties of the clay are very unique, due to the very high plasticity index of the soil, which is significantly higher than any other known clay. The Søvind Marl is a Tertiary deposit from the Eocene period, deposited under environmental circumstances very similar...

  15. Teachers' opinion about learning continuum based on student's level of competence and specific pedagogical material in classification topics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andriani, Aldina Eka; Subali, Bambang

    2017-08-01

    This research discusses learning continuum development for designing a curriculum. The objective of this study is to gather the opinion of public junior and senior high school teachers about learning continuum based on student's level of competence and specific pedagogical material in classification topics. This research was conducted in Yogyakarta province from October 2016 to January 2017. This research utilizes a descriptive survey method. Respondents in this study consist of 281 science teachers at junior and senior high school in Yogyakarta city and 4 regencies namely Sleman, Bantul, Kulonprogo, and Gunung Kidul. The sample were taken using a census. The collection of data used questionnaire that had been validated from the aspects of construct validity and experts judgements. Data were analyzed using a descriptive analysis technique. The results of the analysis show that the opinions of teachers regarding specific pedagogical material in classification topics of living things at the junior high school taught in grade VII to the ability level of C2 (Understanding). At senior high school level, it is taught in grade X with the ability level C2 (Understanding). Based on these results, it can be concluded that the opinions of teachers still refer to the current syllabus and curriculum so that the teachers do not have pure opinions about the student's competence level in classification topics that should be taught at the level of the grade in accordance with the level of corresponding competency.

  16. Site Classification using Multichannel Channel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW) method on Soft and Hard Ground

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashraf, M. A. M.; Kumar, N. S.; Yusoh, R.; Hazreek, Z. A. M.; Aziman, M.

    2018-04-01

    Site classification utilizing average shear wave velocity (Vs(30) up to 30 meters depth is a typical parameter. Numerous geophysical methods have been proposed for estimation of shear wave velocity by utilizing assortment of testing configuration, processing method, and inversion algorithm. Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave (MASW) method is been rehearsed by numerous specialist and professional to geotechnical engineering for local site characterization and classification. This study aims to determine the site classification on soft and hard ground using MASW method. The subsurface classification was made utilizing National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NERHP) and international Building Code (IBC) classification. Two sites are chosen to acquire the shear wave velocity which is in the state of Pulau Pinang for soft soil and Perlis for hard rock. Results recommend that MASW technique can be utilized to spatially calculate the distribution of shear wave velocity (Vs(30)) in soil and rock to characterize areas.

  17. Tumor taxonomy for the developmental lineage classification of neoplasms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berman, Jules J

    2004-01-01

    The new 'Developmental lineage classification of neoplasms' was described in a prior publication. The classification is simple (the entire hierarchy is described with just 39 classifiers), comprehensive (providing a place for every tumor of man), and consistent with recent attempts to characterize tumors by cytogenetic and molecular features. A taxonomy is a list of the instances that populate a classification. The taxonomy of neoplasia attempts to list every known term for every known tumor of man. The taxonomy provides each concept with a unique code and groups synonymous terms under the same concept. A Perl script validated successive drafts of the taxonomy ensuring that: 1) each term occurs only once in the taxonomy; 2) each term occurs in only one tumor class; 3) each concept code occurs in one and only one hierarchical position in the classification; and 4) the file containing the classification and taxonomy is a well-formed XML (eXtensible Markup Language) document. The taxonomy currently contains 122,632 different terms encompassing 5,376 neoplasm concepts. Each concept has, on average, 23 synonyms. The taxonomy populates 'The developmental lineage classification of neoplasms,' and is available as an XML file, currently 9+ Megabytes in length. A representation of the classification/taxonomy listing each term followed by its code, followed by its full ancestry, is available as a flat-file, 19+ Megabytes in length. The taxonomy is the largest nomenclature of neoplasms, with more than twice the number of neoplasm names found in other medical nomenclatures, including the 2004 version of the Unified Medical Language System, the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terminology, the National Cancer Institute's Thesaurus, and the International Classification of Diseases Oncolology version. This manuscript describes a comprehensive taxonomy of neoplasia that collects synonymous terms under a unique code number and assigns each

  18. Model-based object classification using unification grammars and abstract representations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liburdy, Kathleen A.; Schalkoff, Robert J.

    1993-04-01

    The design and implementation of a high level computer vision system which performs object classification is described. General object labelling and functional analysis require models of classes which display a wide range of geometric variations. A large representational gap exists between abstract criteria such as `graspable' and current geometric image descriptions. The vision system developed and described in this work addresses this problem and implements solutions based on a fusion of semantics, unification, and formal language theory. Object models are represented using unification grammars, which provide a framework for the integration of structure and semantics. A methodology for the derivation of symbolic image descriptions capable of interacting with the grammar-based models is described and implemented. A unification-based parser developed for this system achieves object classification by determining if the symbolic image description can be unified with the abstract criteria of an object model. Future research directions are indicated.

  19. On the corrosion and soiling effects on materials by air pollution in Athens, Greece

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Tzanis

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available In the frame of the European project, entitled MULTI-ASSESS, specimens of structural metals, glass, stone and concrete materials were exposed to air pollution at a station, which was installed for this purpose on a building, located in the centre of Athens. The main purpose of this project was to determine the corrosion and soiling effects of air pollution on materials. A set of the specimens was exposed in a position that was sheltered from rain and partly from wind, and another set was exposed in unsheltered positions on the roof of the above said building. In addition, other specimens were exposed at different heights on the same building, in order to investigate for the first time the corrosion and soiling effects on various materials as a function of height. For the determination of these effects, chemical analysis of the specimens was performed and basic parameters as the weight change, the layer thickness and the optical properties were calculated. Finally, the results obtained are discussed and their plausible interpretation is attempted.

  20. An ecological classification system for the central hardwoods region: The Hoosier National Forest

    Science.gov (United States)

    James E. Van Kley; George R. Parker

    1993-01-01

    This study, a multifactor ecological classification system, using vegetation, soil characteristics, and physiography, was developed for the landscape of the Hoosier National Forest in Southern Indiana. Measurements of ground flora, saplings, and canopy trees from selected stands older than 80 years were subjected to TWINSPAN classification and DECORANA ordination....

  1. Fire severity classification: Uses and abuses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Theresa B. Jain; Russell T. Graham

    2003-01-01

    Burn severity (also referred to as fire severity) is not a single definition, but rather a concept and its classification is a function of the measured units unique to the system of interest. The systems include: flora and fauna, soil microbiology and hydrologic processes, atmospheric inputs, fire management, and society. Depending on the particular system of interest...

  2. Immobilisation of Cu, Pb and Zn in Scrap Metal Yard Soil Using Selected Waste Materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamari, A; Putra, W P; Yusoff, S N M; Ishak, C F; Hashim, N; Mohamed, A; Isa, I M; Bakar, S A

    2015-12-01

    Immobilisation of heavy metals in a 30-year old active scrap metal yard soil using three waste materials, namely coconut tree sawdust (CTS), sugarcane bagasse (SB) and eggshell (ES) was investigated. The contaminated soil was amended with amendments at application rates of 0 %, 1 % and 3 % (w/w). The effects of amendments on metal accumulation in water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) and soil metal bioavailability were studied in a pot experiment. All amendments increased biomass yield and reduced metal accumulation in the plant shoots. The bioconcentration factor and translocation factor values of the metals were in the order of Zn > Cu > Pb. The addition of ES, an alternative source of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), has significantly increased soil pH and resulted in marked reduction in soil metal bioavailability. Therefore, CTS, SB and ES are promising low-cost immobilising agents to restore metal contaminated land.

  3. Soil microbial biomass under pine forests in the north-western Spain: influence of stand age, site index and parent material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mahia, J.; Perez-Ventura, L.; Cabaneiro, A.; Diaz-Ravina, M.

    2006-07-01

    The effects of stand age, site index and parent material on soil biochemical properties related to biomass (extractable C, microbial C and metabolic quotient) were examined in the 0-15 cm mineral soil layers of Pinus pinaster and Pinus sylvestris stand from NW Spain. Two productivity levels (low and high site index), two ages (young and old) and two parent soil materials (granite and acid schists) were considered. The data indicated that there were differences in microbial parameters in soils under different species. In general in P. pinaster forest higher values of biochemical parameters expressed on organic C basis, were observed in the stands of high site index as compared with the low ones; in contrast, in P. sylvestris no differences among stand site index were detected. In both species different results were also observed depending on parent material and a significant effect of stand age was detected for extractable C and microbial C in P. pinaster forest developed over granite. The data seem to indicate that measured parameters may have the potential to be used as indicators of the effect of forest management on soil organic matter quality. (Author) 25 refs.

  4. Development of soil-cement blocks with three interventions: natural soil, soil corrected with sand and soil more phase change materials (PCMs); Desenvolvimento de blocos solo-cimento com tres intervencoes: solo natural, solo corrigido com areia e solo mais materiais de mudanca de fase (MMFs)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dantas, Valter Bezerra; Gomes, Uilame Umbelino; Reis, Edmilson Pedreira; Valcacer, Samara Melo; Silva, A.S., E-mail: valter.fisic@hotmail.com, E-mail: umbelino@dfte.ufrn.br, E-mail: pedreira.reis@ig.com.br, E-mail: gmarinho@ct.ufrn.br, E-mail: samaravalcacer@hotamil.com, E-mail: ariadness2@yahoo.com.br [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (PPGCEM/UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil). Departamento de Fisica Teorica e Experimental. Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencia e Engenharia de Materiais

    2014-07-01

    In this work, the results of characterization tests of soil samples collected in Mossoro-RN, UFERSA-RN Campus, located approximately 20 meters high, and {sup 5} ° 12'34.68 south latitude and 37 ° 19'5.74 {sup w}est longitude, with the purpose of producing soil-cement for the manufacture of pressed blocks with good resistance to compression and thermal stability. The following tests were performed: granulometry, plasticity limit, liquidity limit, particle size correction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence. In this soil, based on the results of the granulometric analysis, 10% of medium sand with 3% and 5% of eicosane paraffin and 10% of medium sand with 3% and 5% of paraffin 120 / 125F were added, forming analysis compositions, standard soil-cement block and natural soil-cement block with addition of 10% medium sand and 0% paraffin. Paraffins are referred to as PCMs (Phase Change Material). The contrasting effect between the different dosages on the compressive strength values of the soil-cement blocks was observed. The objective is to create new materials that give the block quality equal to or higher than the recommendations of ABNT norms, and that offer greater thermal comfort in the constructions. Soil particles of different sizes were added to 8% (by weight) of cement, and about 9.20% of water added to the mixture.

  5. Feasibility of soil-EFB mixtures as a filled barrier material for waste disposal site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kamarudin Samuding; Ismail Abustan; Mohd Tadza Abdul Rahman; Mohamed Hasnain Isa

    2010-01-01

    This paper present the results of laboratory experiment that is involved the characterization and removal efficiency test of soil-EFB (Empty Fruit Bunch) of oil palm mixture. In this study, soil samples were mixed with EFB at 10 % (EFB10), 30 % (EFB30), and 50 % (EFB50). The characterization included the physical and chemical properties of the soil-EFB mixture such as compaction behaviour, cation exchange capacity, permeability and its surface physical morphology. Batch Equilibrium Test was performed in order to determine the adsorption capability of the soil-EFB mixture with the heavy metals solution. Five solutions with different concentrations (2.5 mg/l, 5.0 mg/l, 7.5 mg/l, 10.0 mg/l and 12.5 mg/l) were used in this experiment. Base on the compaction test, the value of optimum water content was influence by the EFB introduced into the soil. This is due to the presence of hydroxyl group, which was probably attributed to absorb water. The permeability of the soil-EFB mixtures ranges from 2.4 x 10 -7 to 6.5 x 10 -7 cm/s meanwhile the Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) result ranges from 11.6 to 31.9 meq/ 100 g. The study has revealed that different percentages of soil-EFB mixture possess different capabilities to remove heavy metals. From the removal efficiency test, it is shown that the removal percentages of heavy metals for soil-EFB mixtures were relatively high as compared to soil alone. Based on the characterization and removal data, the soil-EFB mixture has a good potential to be used as filled barrier material. (author)

  6. A WFS-SVM Model for Soil Salinity Mapping in Keriya Oasis, Northwestern China Using Polarimetric Decomposition and Fully PolSAR Data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilyas Nurmemet

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Timely monitoring and mapping of salt-affected areas are essential for the prevention of land degradation and sustainable soil management in arid and semi-arid regions. The main objective of this study was to develop Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR polarimetry techniques for improved soil salinity mapping in the Keriya Oasis in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang, China, where salinized soil appears to be a major threat to local agricultural productivity. Multiple polarimetric target decomposition, optimal feature subset selection (wrapper feature selector, WFS, and support vector machine (SVM algorithms were used for optimal soil salinization classification using quad-polarized PALSAR-2 data. A threefold exercise was conducted. First, 16 polarimetric decomposition methods were implemented and a wide range of polarimetric parameters and SAR discriminators were derived in order to mine hidden information in PolSAR data. Second, the optimal polarimetric feature subset that constitutes 19 polarimetric elements was selected adopting the WFS approach; optimum classification parameters were identified, and the optimal SVM classification model was obtained by employing a cross-validation method. Third, the WFS-SVM classification model was constructed, optimized, and implemented based on the optimal match of polarimetric features and optimum classification parameters. Soils with different salinization degrees (i.e., highly, moderately and slightly salinized soils were extracted. Finally, classification results were compared with the Wishart supervised classification and conventional SVM classification to examine the performance of the proposed method for salinity mapping. Detailed field investigations and ground data were used for the validation of the adopted methods. The overall accuracy and kappa coefficient of the proposed WFS-SVM model were 87.57% and 0.85, respectively that were much higher than those obtained by the Wishart supervised

  7. Over de bodemgesteldheid rondom Wageningen = Soil conditions in the environments of Wageningen

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Buringh, P.

    1951-01-01

    Because of the growing need for more experimental ground for the Agricultural University and the Agricultural Institutes, this study was made to indicate soil qualities around Wageningen and the possibilities of soil improvement (water control). Soil classification was based on the concepts of soil

  8. Soil Quality Indicator: a new concept

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barão, Lúcia; Basch, Gottlieb

    2017-04-01

    During the last century, cultivated soils have been intensively exploited for food and feed production. This exploitation has compromised the soils' natural functions and many of the soil-mediated ecosystems services, including its production potential for agriculture. Also, soils became increasingly vulnerable and less resilient to a wide range of threats. To overcome this situation, new and better management practices are needed to prevent soil from degradation. However, to adopt the best management practices in a specific location, it is necessary to evaluate the soil quality status first. Different soil quality indicators have been suggested over the last decades in order to evaluate the soil status, and those are often based on the performance of soil chemical, physical and biological properties. However, the direct link between these properties and the associated soil functions or soil vulnerability to threats appears more difficult to be established. This present work is part of the iSQAPER project- Interactive Soil Quality Assessment in Europe and China for Agricultural Productivity and Environmental Resilience, where new soil quality concepts are explored to provide better information regarding the effects of the most promising agricultural management practices on soil quality. We have developed a new conceptual soil quality indicator which determines the soil quality status, regarding its vulnerability towards different threats. First, different indicators were specifically developed for each of the eight threats considered - Erosion, SOM decline, Poor Structure, Poor water holding capacity, Compaction, N-Leaching, Soil-borne pests and diseases and Salinization. As an example for the case of Erosion, the RUSLE equation for the estimate of the soil annual loss was used. Secondly, a reference classification was established for each indicator to integrate all possible results into a Good, Intermediate or Bad classification. Finally, all indicators were

  9. Experimental status of unified theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bilen'kij, S.M.

    1979-01-01

    A standard SU(2)xU(1) theory is discussed. It is based on an assumption that the left components of fields form doublets, and the rignt ones - singlets. From the weak interaction lagrangian an expression is obtained for the effective hamiltonian describing neutrino-lepton processes. The results of discussing the experimental status of the unified theories of weak and electromagnetic interactions are in agreement with the simplest version of the unified theories - the Weinberg-Salam theory. It has been noted that the accuracy of the experiments (not exceeding 20%) is insufficient and no information is available on diagonal terms of the hamiltonian

  10. Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of the Assayed Quality Control Material for Clinical Microbiology Assays. Final order.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-07-27

    The Food and Drug Administration (FDA, Agency, or we) is classifying the assayed quality control material for clinical microbiology assays into class II (special controls). The special controls that will apply to the device are identified in this order and will be part of the codified language for the assayed quality control material for clinical microbiology assays' classification. The Agency is classifying the device into class II (special controls) to provide a reasonable assurance of safety and effectiveness of the device.

  11. Rehabilitating acid soils for increasing crop productivity through low-cost liming material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhat, Javid Ahmad; Kundu, Manik Chandra; Hazra, Gora Chand; Santra, Gour Hari; Mandal, Biswapati

    2010-09-15

    Productivity of red and lateritic soils is low because of their acidity and deficiencies in few essential nutrients viz., nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, boron, molybdenum etc. We compared the effectiveness of basic slag, a low-cost liming material, with that of calcite as an ameliorant for these soils using mustard followed by rice as test crops. Experiments were conducted with three levels of each of basic slag and calcite along with a control on farmers' fields at 14 different locations. Influence of farmyard manure (FYM) and poultry manure (PM) on the effectiveness of the slag was also tested. On an average, basic slag performed better than calcite in increasing yields of both mustard and rice and left over higher amounts of available Ca, Si and Zn in residual soils. The slag also improved N, P, K and Ca nutrition of mustard and Si and Zn nutrition of rice with a favorable benefit:cost (B:C) ratio over the calcite (4.82 vs. 1.44). Effectiveness of the basic slag improved when it was applied in combination with FYM or PM (B:C, 5.83 and 6.27). Basic slag can, therefore, be advocated for use in the acidic red and lateritic soils for economically improving their productivity. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Rehabilitating acid soils for increasing crop productivity through low-cost liming material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bhat, Javid Ahmad; Kundu, Manik Chandra; Hazra, Gora Chand; Santra, Gour Hari; Mandal, Biswapati

    2010-01-01

    Productivity of red and lateritic soils is low because of their acidity and deficiencies in few essential nutrients viz., nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, boron, molybdenum etc. We compared the effectiveness of basic slag, a low-cost liming material, with that of calcite as an ameliorant for these soils using mustard followed by rice as test crops. Experiments were conducted with three levels of each of basic slag and calcite along with a control on farmers' fields at 14 different locations. Influence of farmyard manure (FYM) and poultry manure (PM) on the effectiveness of the slag was also tested. On an average, basic slag performed better than calcite in increasing yields of both mustard and rice and left over higher amounts of available Ca, Si and Zn in residual soils. The slag also improved N, P, K and Ca nutrition of mustard and Si and Zn nutrition of rice with a favorable benefit:cost (B:C) ratio over the calcite (4.82 vs. 1.44). Effectiveness of the basic slag improved when it was applied in combination with FYM or PM (B:C, 5.83 and 6.27). Basic slag can, therefore, be advocated for use in the acidic red and lateritic soils for economically improving their productivity.

  13. Rehabilitating acid soils for increasing crop productivity through low-cost liming material

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhat, Javid Ahmad [Directorate of Research, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani - 741 235, West Bengal (India); Kundu, Manik Chandra, E-mail: mckundu@rediffmail.com [Directorate of Research, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani - 741 235, West Bengal (India); Hazra, Gora Chand [Directorate of Research, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani - 741 235, West Bengal (India); Santra, Gour Hari [Department of Soil Science and Agril. Chemistry, Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar - 751003, Orissa (India); Mandal, Biswapati [Directorate of Research, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Kalyani - 741 235, West Bengal (India)

    2010-09-15

    Productivity of red and lateritic soils is low because of their acidity and deficiencies in few essential nutrients viz., nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, zinc, boron, molybdenum etc. We compared the effectiveness of basic slag, a low-cost liming material, with that of calcite as an ameliorant for these soils using mustard followed by rice as test crops. Experiments were conducted with three levels of each of basic slag and calcite along with a control on farmers' fields at 14 different locations. Influence of farmyard manure (FYM) and poultry manure (PM) on the effectiveness of the slag was also tested. On an average, basic slag performed better than calcite in increasing yields of both mustard and rice and left over higher amounts of available Ca, Si and Zn in residual soils. The slag also improved N, P, K and Ca nutrition of mustard and Si and Zn nutrition of rice with a favorable benefit:cost (B:C) ratio over the calcite (4.82 vs. 1.44). Effectiveness of the basic slag improved when it was applied in combination with FYM or PM (B:C, 5.83 and 6.27). Basic slag can, therefore, be advocated for use in the acidic red and lateritic soils for economically improving their productivity.

  14. Unified treatment of the classical and quantum mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shirokov, Yu.M.

    1979-01-01

    Classical and Quantum Mechanics are unified in the sense that almost all axioms of both mechanics are identical. The only distinction is the explicit form of one algebraic identity. The unified theory is applied to scattering problem. (Z.M.)

  15. A Route to Dirac Liquid Theory: A Fermi Liquid Description for Dirac Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gochan, Matthew; Bedell, Kevin

    Since the pioneering work developed by L.V. Landau sixty years ago, Fermi Liquid Theory has seen great success in describing interacting Fermi systems. While much interest has been generated over the study of non-Fermi Liquid systems, Fermi Liquid theory serves as a formidable model for many systems and offers a rich amount of of results and insight. The recent classification of Dirac Materials, and the lack of a unifying theoretical framework for them, has motivated our study. Dirac materials are a versatile class of materials in which an abundance of unique physical phenomena can be observed. Such materials are found in all dimensions, with the shared property that their low-energy fermionic excitations behave as massless Dirac fermions and are therefore governed by the Dirac equation. The most popular Dirac material, graphene, is the focus of this work. We present our Fermi Liquid description of Graphene. We find many interesting results, specifically in the transport and dynamics of the system. Additionally, we expand on previous work regarding the Virial Theorem and its impact on the Fermi Liquid parameters in graphene. Finally, we remark on viscoelasticity of Dirac Materials and other unusual results that are consequences of AdS-CFT.

  16. The resource soil in Colombia - Inventory and problematic

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malagon Castro; Dimas

    1998-01-01

    Soil survey studies as performed in Colombia, sintethize geographical knowledge both of the natural resource and the land as such. This holistic approach integrals geomorphology, climate, petrography-sediment logy, soils, land cover and land use. The Colombian geographic institute has performed these studies for the last five decades. This article initially summarizes the historical development of Colombian soil survey, continues with the Colombian soil resource knowledge and its application through land interpretative classifications, land use conflicts, soil degradation aspects and Colombian land zonifications. The final discussion emphasizes soil survey issues and perspective

  17. Rate of Decomposition of Organic Matter in Soil as Influenced by Repeated Air Drying-Rewetting and Repeated Additions of Organic Material

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørensen, Lasse Holst

    1974-01-01

    Repeated air drying and rewetting of three soils followed by incubation at 20°C resulted in an increase in the rate of decomposition of a fraction of 14C labeled organic matter in the soils. The labeled organic matter originated from labeled glucose, cellulose and straw, respectively, metabolized...... of the treatment was least in the soil which had been incubated with the labeled material for the longest time. Additions of unlabeled, decomposable organic material also increased the rate of decomposition of the labeled organic matter. The evolution of labeled CO2 during the 1st month of incubation after...... addition was in some cases 4–10 times larger than the evolution from the controls. During the continued incubation the evolution decreased almost to the level of the controls, indicating that the effect was related to the increased biological activity in the soils during decomposition of the added material...

  18. An insect-inspired bionic sensor for tactile localisation and material classification with state-dependent modulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luca ePatanè

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Insects carry a pair of antennae on their head: multimodal sensory organs that serve a wide range of sensory-guided behaviours. During locomotion, antennae are involved in near-range orientation, for example in detecting, localising, probing and negotiating obstacles.Here we present a bionic, active tactile sensing system inspired by insect antennae. It comprises an actuated elastic rod equipped with a terminal acceleration sensor. The measurement principle is based on the analysis of damped harmonic oscillations registered upon contact with an object. The dominant frequency of the oscillation is extracted to determine the distance of the contact point along the probe, and basal angular encoders allow tactile localisation in a polar coordinate system. Finally, the damping behaviour of the registered signal is exploited to determine the most likely material.The tactile sensor is tested in four approaches with increasing neural plausibility: First, we show that peak extraction from the Fourier spectrum is sufficient for tactile localisation with position errors below 1%. Also, the damping property of the extracted frequency is used for material classification. Second, we show that the Fourier spectrum can be analysed by an Artificial Neural Network which can be trained to decode contact distance and to classify contact materials. Thirdly, we show how efficiency can be improved by band-pass filtering the Fourier spectrum by application of non-negative matrix factorisation. This reduces the input dimension by 95% while reducing classification performance by 8% only. Finally, we replace the FFT by an array of spiking neurons with gradually differing resonance properties, such that their spike rate is a function of the input frequency. We show that this network can be applied to detect tactile contact events of a wheeled robot, and how detrimental effects of robot velocity on antennal dynamics can be suppressed by state-dependent modulation of the

  19. Morphology and Classification of the Southern Sombreiro -Warri ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The soils of the Southern Sombreiro-Warri Deltaic plain surrounded by mangrove forest in Kalabari Kingdom, Eastern Niger Delta were studied to assess their morphological characteristics and classification. Four profile pits were sunk, one in each of the following towns: Degema, Abonnema, Buguma and Tombia.

  20. Materials testing for in situ stabilization treatability study of INEEL mixed wastes soils

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heiser, J.; Fuhrmann, M.

    1997-09-01

    This report describes the contaminant-specific materials testing phase of the In Situ Stabilization Comprehensive Environment Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Treatability Study (TS). The purpose of materials testing is to measure the effectiveness of grouting agents to stabilize Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) Acid Pit soils and select a grout material for use in the Cold Test Demonstration and Acid Pit Stabilization Treatability Study within the Subsurface Disposal Area (SDA) at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC). Test results will assist the selecting a grout material for the follow-on demonstrations described in Test Plan for the Cold Test Demonstration and Acid Pit Stabilization Phases of the In Situ Stabilization Treatability Study at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex

  1. A classification model of Hyperion image base on SAM combined decision tree

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhenghai; Hu, Guangdao; Zhou, YongZhang; Liu, Xin

    2009-10-01

    Monitoring the Earth using imaging spectrometers has necessitated more accurate analyses and new applications to remote sensing. A very high dimensional input space requires an exponentially large amount of data to adequately and reliably represent the classes in that space. On the other hand, with increase in the input dimensionality the hypothesis space grows exponentially, which makes the classification performance highly unreliable. Traditional classification algorithms Classification of hyperspectral images is challenging. New algorithms have to be developed for hyperspectral data classification. The Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) is a physically-based spectral classification that uses an ndimensional angle to match pixels to reference spectra. The algorithm determines the spectral similarity between two spectra by calculating the angle between the spectra, treating them as vectors in a space with dimensionality equal to the number of bands. The key and difficulty is that we should artificial defining the threshold of SAM. The classification precision depends on the rationality of the threshold of SAM. In order to resolve this problem, this paper proposes a new automatic classification model of remote sensing image using SAM combined with decision tree. It can automatic choose the appropriate threshold of SAM and improve the classify precision of SAM base on the analyze of field spectrum. The test area located in Heqing Yunnan was imaged by EO_1 Hyperion imaging spectrometer using 224 bands in visual and near infrared. The area included limestone areas, rock fields, soil and forests. The area was classified into four different vegetation and soil types. The results show that this method choose the appropriate threshold of SAM and eliminates the disturbance and influence of unwanted objects effectively, so as to improve the classification precision. Compared with the likelihood classification by field survey data, the classification precision of this model

  2. Analysis of soil reference materials for vanadium(+5) species by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandiwana, Khakhathi L.; Panichev, Nikolay

    2010-01-01

    Solid Certified Reference Materials (CRMs) with known vanadium(+5) content are currently not commercially available. Because of this, vanadium species have been determined in solid CRMs of soil, viz. CRM023-50, CRM024-50, CRM049-50, SQC001 and SQC0012. These CRMs are certified with only total vanadium content. Vanadium(+5) was extracted from soil reference materials with 0.1 M Na 2 CO 3 . The quantification of V(+5) was carried out by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ET-AAS). The concentration of V(+5) in the analyzed CRMs was found to be ranging between 3.60 and 86.0 μg g -1 . It was also found that SQC001 contains approximately 88% of vanadium as V(+5) species. Statistical evaluation of the results of the two methods by paired t-test was in good agreement at 95% level of confidence.

  3. Analysis of the Length of Braille Texts in English Braille American Edition, the Nemeth Code, and Computer Braille Code versus the Unified English Braille Code

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knowlton, Marie; Wetzel, Robin

    2006-01-01

    This study compared the length of text in English Braille American Edition, the Nemeth code, and the computer braille code with the Unified English Braille Code (UEBC)--also known as Unified English Braille (UEB). The findings indicate that differences in the length of text are dependent on the type of material that is transcribed and the grade…

  4. 46 CFR 162.039-2 - Classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Classification. 162.039-2 Section 162.039-2 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) EQUIPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS... Classification. (a) Every semiportable fire extinguisher shall be classified as to type and size as specified in...

  5. 17 CFR 200.505 - Original classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Original classification. 200... Information and Material § 200.505 Original classification. (a) No Commission Member or employee has the authority to classify any information on an original basis. (b) If a Commission employee originates...

  6. Coastal plain soils and geomorphology: a key to understanding forest hydrology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas M. Williams; Devendra M. Amatya

    2016-01-01

    In the 1950s, Coile published a simple classification of southeastern coastal soils using three characteristics: drainage class, sub-soil depth, and sub-soil texture. These ideas were used by Warren Stuck and Bill Smith to produce a matrix of soils with drainage class as one ordinate and subsoil texture as the second for the South Carolina coastal plain. Soils...

  7. Utilization of microwave energy for decontamination of oil polluted soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iordache, Daniela; Niculae, Dumitru; Francisc, Ioan Hathazi

    2010-01-01

    Soil oil (petroleum) product pollution represents a great environmental threat as it may contaminate the neighboring soils and surface and underground water. Liquid fuel contamination may occur anywhere during oil (petroleum) product transportation, storing, handling and utilization. The polluted soil recovery represents a complex process due to the wide range of physical, chemical and biological properties of soils which should be analyzed in connection with the study of the contaminated soil behavior under the microwave field action. The soil, like any other non-metallic material, can be heated through microwave energy absorption due to the dielectric losses, expressed by its dielectric complex constant. Oil polluted soil behaves differently in a microwave field depending on the nature, structure and amount of the polluting fuel. Decontamination is performed through volatilization and retrieval of organic contaminant volatile components. After decontamination only a soil fixed residue remains, which cannot penetrate the underground anymore. In carrying out the soil recovery process by means of this technology we should also consider the soil characteristics such as: the soil type, temperature, moisture.The first part of the paper presents the theoretical aspects relating to the behavior of the polluted soil samples in the microwave field, as well as their relating experimental data. The experimental data resulting from the analysis of soils with a different level of pollution point out that the degree of pollutant recovery is high, contributing to changing the initial classification of soils from the point of view of pollution. The paper graphically presents the levels of microwave generated and absorbed power in soil samples, soil temperature during experimentations, specific processing parameters in a microwave field. It also presents the constructive solution of the microwave equipment designed for the contaminated soil in situ treatment.

  8. On the classification of elliptic foliations induced by real quadratic fields with center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puchuri, Liliana; Bueno, Orestes

    2016-12-01

    Related to the study of Hilbert's infinitesimal problem, is the problem of determining the existence and estimating the number of limit cycles of the linear perturbation of Hamiltonian fields. A classification of the elliptic foliations in the projective plane induced by the fields obtained by quadratic fields with center was already studied by several authors. In this work, we devise a unified proof of the classification of elliptic foliations induced by quadratic fields with center. This technique involves using a formula due to Cerveau & Lins Neto to calculate the genus of the generic fiber of a first integral of foliations of these kinds. Furthermore, we show that these foliations induce several examples of linear families of foliations which are not bimeromorphically equivalent to certain remarkable examples given by Lins Neto.

  9. Dialogic and integrated approach to promote soils at different school levels: a Brazilian experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muggler, Cristine Carole

    2017-04-01

    From ancient civilizations to present technological societies, soil is the material and immaterial ground of our existence. Soil is essential to life as are water, air and sun light. Nevertheless, it is overlooked and has its functions and importance not known and recognized by people. In formal education and in most school curricula, soil contents are not approached in the same way and intensity other environmental components are. In its essence, soils are an interdisciplinary subject, crossing over different disciplines. It has a great potential as unifying theme that links and synthesizes different contents and areas of knowledge, especially hard sciences as physics, chemistry and biology. Furthermore, soils are familiar and tangible to everyone, making them a meaningful subject that helps to build an efficient learning process. The challenge remains on how to bring such teaching-learning possibilities to formal education at all levels. Soil education deals with the significance of soil to people. What makes soil meaningful? What are the bases for effective learning about soil? The answers are very much related with subjective perceptions and life experiences carried by each individual. Those dimensions have been considered by the pedagogical approach based on Paulo Freire's socio constructivism which considers social inclusion, knowledge building, horizontal learning and collective action. This approach has been applied within the soil (science) education spaces of the Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, both with university students and basic education pupils. At the university an average of 200 students per semester follow a 60 hours Soil Genesis course. With primary and secondary schools the activities are developed through the Soil Education Programme (PES) of the Earth Sciences Museum. In the classes and activities, materials, methods and learning strategies are developed to stimulate involvement, dialogues and exchange of experiences and

  10. New phosphorus biofertilizers from renewable raw materials in the aspect of cadmium and lead contents in soil and plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jastrzębska Magdalena

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Recycling phosphorus from waste for fertilization purposes appears to be an alternative for non-renewable sources and a solution for managing harmful products of civilisation. Fertilizers from secondary raw materials are considered to be safe to the environment. This study presents an assessment of the effects of five new biofertilizers made from sewage sludge ash and/or animal bones on the content of cadmium and lead in the soil, in wheat grains and straw (test plant, in the mass of the the accompanying weeds and in the post-harvest residues. Biofertilizers were produced in the form of suspension or granules and activated using Bacillus megaterium or Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans bacteria. They were tested in four field experiments. The Cd and Pb contents of the soil and plant material were determined using the ICP-MS technique. Similar to superphosphate, new biofertilizers showed no change in the Cd and Pb contents of the soil and plants biomass when applied at amounts up to 80 kg; P2O5 ha−1. Both Cd and Pb in the soil and plants occurred naturally, and the amounts were within the acceptable standards. Biofertilizers from renewable raw materials, with low toxic element contents, are not thought to pose a hazard to the soil and plants when applied in reasonable amounts. They can be a substitute for conventional phosphorus fertilizers.

  11. 29 CFR Appendix A to Subpart P of... - Soil Classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... the particles are held together by a chemical agent, such as calcium carbonate, such that a hand-size sample cannot be crushed into powder or individual soil particles by finger pressure. Cohesive soil means... quantitative and qualitative information as may be necessary to identify properly the properties, factors, and...

  12. Use of INAA in the preparation of a set soil Reference Materials with certified values of total element contents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kucera, J.; Horakova, J.; Soukal, L.

    1997-01-01

    A set of certified Reference Materials was prepared consisting of four natural agricultural soils with normal (n) and elevated (e) levels of element contents: CRM 7001 Light Sandy Soil (n), CRM 7002 Light Sandy Soil (e), CRM 7003 Silty Clay Loam (n), and CRM 7004 Loam (e). In these materials, certified and/or information values of the total contents of the elements As, Ba, Be, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, V and Zn, and their fractions extractable by aqua regia, boiling and cold 2M nitric acid were derived from an interlaboratory comparison in which 28 laboratories participated. Highly precise and accurate procedures of instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) were employed for homogeneity testing and also for certification of the total element contents. For comparation purposes, NIST SRM-2704 Buffalo River Sediment was analyzed by INAA, as well. The INAA results obtained compared very well with the certified and/or information values for four soil CRMs and also with NIST values for SRM-2704. From this agreement, a very high reliability of the new soil CRMs can be inferred. (author)

  13. Virtual Soil Monoliths: Blending Traditional and Web-Based Educational Approaches

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krzic, Maja; Strivelli, Rachel A.; Holmes, Emma; Grand, Stephanie; Dyanatkar, Saeed; Lavkulich, Les M.; Crowley, Chris

    2013-01-01

    Since soil plays a crucial role in all aspects of global environmental change, it is essential that post-secondary institutions provide students with a strong foundation in soil science concepts including soil classification. The onset of information technology (IT) and web-based multimedia have opened new avenues to better incorporate…

  14. Fixation of Soil Using PEC and Separation of Fixed Soil

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Yong Suk; Yang, Hee-Man; Lee, Kune Woo; Seo, Bum-Kyoung; Moon, Jei Kwon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-15

    Radioactive cesium (Cs-137) is the most apprehensive element due to its long half-lives, high solubility in water, and strong radiation emission in the form of gamma rays. Because the radioactivity is localized within topsoil, soil surface on topsoil should be fixed to prevent the spreading of the contaminated soils by wind and water erosion. Many methods have been developing for soil fixation to remove radioactive contaminants in soil and prevent to diffuse radioactive materials. Various materials have been used as fixatives such as clays, molecular sieves, polymer, and petroleum based products. One of the methods is a soil fixation or solidification using polyelectrolyte. Polyelectrolytes have many ionic groups and form the polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) due to electrostatic interaction of anion and cation in an aqueous solution. polyelectrolyte complex can fix soil particles by flocculation and formation of crust between soil. The method can prevent a spread of radioactive material by floating on a soil surface. The decontamination efficiency of the surface soils reached about 90%, and dust release was effectively suppressed during the removal of surface soils. However it has a problem that the removed soil must separate soil and polymer to treat as the waste. In this study, the fixation of soil by polyelectrolyte complex to suppress the spread of contaminant and the separation method of soil and polymer was investigated. The properties of polyelectrolyte complex solution and the stability of fixed soil by polyelectrolyte complex were investigated. The concentration of salt in the polyelectrolyte complex solution is a very important parameter for the soil fixation.

  15. 46 CFR 162.028-2 - Classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Classification. 162.028-2 Section 162.028-2 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) EQUIPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, AND MATERIALS... Classification. (a) Every portable fire extinguisher shall be classified as to type and size as specified in § 76...

  16. Classification of time-series images using deep convolutional neural networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatami, Nima; Gavet, Yann; Debayle, Johan

    2018-04-01

    Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) has achieved a great success in image recognition task by automatically learning a hierarchical feature representation from raw data. While the majority of Time-Series Classification (TSC) literature is focused on 1D signals, this paper uses Recurrence Plots (RP) to transform time-series into 2D texture images and then take advantage of the deep CNN classifier. Image representation of time-series introduces different feature types that are not available for 1D signals, and therefore TSC can be treated as texture image recognition task. CNN model also allows learning different levels of representations together with a classifier, jointly and automatically. Therefore, using RP and CNN in a unified framework is expected to boost the recognition rate of TSC. Experimental results on the UCR time-series classification archive demonstrate competitive accuracy of the proposed approach, compared not only to the existing deep architectures, but also to the state-of-the art TSC algorithms.

  17. A New Unified Intrusion Anomaly Detection in Identifying Unseen Web Attacks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Hilmi Kamarudin

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The global usage of more sophisticated web-based application systems is obviously growing very rapidly. Major usage includes the storing and transporting of sensitive data over the Internet. The growth has consequently opened up a serious need for more secured network and application security protection devices. Security experts normally equip their databases with a large number of signatures to help in the detection of known web-based threats. In reality, it is almost impossible to keep updating the database with the newly identified web vulnerabilities. As such, new attacks are invisible. This research presents a novel approach of Intrusion Detection System (IDS in detecting unknown attacks on web servers using the Unified Intrusion Anomaly Detection (UIAD approach. The unified approach consists of three components (preprocessing, statistical analysis, and classification. Initially, the process starts with the removal of irrelevant and redundant features using a novel hybrid feature selection method. Thereafter, the process continues with the application of a statistical approach to identifying traffic abnormality. We performed Relative Percentage Ratio (RPR coupled with Euclidean Distance Analysis (EDA and the Chebyshev Inequality Theorem (CIT to calculate the normality score and generate a finest threshold. Finally, Logitboost (LB is employed alongside Random Forest (RF as a weak classifier, with the aim of minimising the final false alarm rate. The experiment has demonstrated that our approach has successfully identified unknown attacks with greater than a 95% detection rate and less than a 1% false alarm rate for both the DARPA 1999 and the ISCX 2012 datasets.

  18. Maxillectomy defects: a suggested classification scheme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akinmoladun, V I; Dosumu, O O; Olusanya, A A; Ikusika, O F

    2013-06-01

    The term "maxillectomy" has been used to describe a variety of surgical procedures for a spectrum of diseases involving a diverse anatomical site. Hence, classifications of maxillectomy defects have often made communication difficult. This article highlights this problem, emphasises the need for a uniform system of classification and suggests a classification system which is simple and comprehensive. Articles related to this subject, especially those with specified classifications of maxillary surgical defects were sourced from the internet through Google, Scopus and PubMed using the search terms maxillectomy defects classification. A manual search through available literature was also done. The review of the materials revealed many classifications and modifications of classifications from the descriptive, reconstructive and prosthodontic perspectives. No globally acceptable classification exists among practitioners involved in the management of diseases in the mid-facial region. There were over 14 classifications of maxillary defects found in the English literature. Attempts made to address the inadequacies of previous classifications have tended to result in cumbersome and relatively complex classifications. A single classification that is based on both surgical and prosthetic considerations is most desirable and is hereby proposed.

  19. Proceedings of the 25. Brazilian congress on soil science: the soil on the great morpho climatic dominion in Brazil and the sustained development. v. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    This congress discussed soil's science with emphasis in the Brazilian morphoclimatics dominion and the sustained development. Topics related to soil's physics, chemical, biology, fertility, classification, nutrition, mineralogy, soil's and water conservation,fertilizers, pollution and environmental quality were discussed. In the first volume of the abstracts are presented papers related to soil's physics and biology where nuclear methods of analysis were utilized

  20. Selected Aspects of Soil Science History in the USA - Prehistory to the 1970s

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brevik, Eric C.; Fenton, Thomas E.; Homburg, Jeffrey A.

    2017-04-01

    Interest in understanding America's soils originated in prehistory with Native Americans. Following European settlement, notable individuals such as Thomas Jefferson and Lewis and Clark made observations of soil resources. Moving into the 1800s, state geological surveys became involved in soil work and E.W. Hilgard started to formulate ideas similar to those that would eventually lead to V.V. Dokuchaev being recognized as the father of modern soil science. However, Hilgard's advanced ideas on soil genesis were not accepted by the wider American soil science community at the time. Moving into the 1900s, the National Cooperative Soil Survey, the first nationally organized detailed soil survey in the world, was founded under the direction of M. Whitney. Initial soil classification ideas were heavily based in geology, but over time Russian ideas of soil genesis and classification moved into the American soil science community, mainly due to the influence of C.F. Marbut. Early American efforts in scientific study of soil erosion and soil fertility were also initiated in the 1910s and university programs to educate soil scientists started. Soil erosion studies took on high priority in the 1930s as the USA was impacted by the Dust Bowl. Soil Taxonomy, one of the most widely utilized soil classification systems in the world, was developed from the 1950s through the 1970s under the guidance of G.D. Smith and with administrative support from C.E. Kellogg. American soil scientists, such as H. Jenny, R.W. Simonson, D.L. Johnson, and D. Watson-Stegner, developed influential models of soil genesis during the 20th Century, and the use of soil information expanded beyond agriculture to include issues such as land-use planning, soil geomorphology, and interactions between soils and human health.

  1. Inelastic behavior of modified 9Cr-1 Mo steel under basic loading conditions at elevated temperature and evaluation of two unified constitutive models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, Eiichi; Mizuno, Mamoru.

    1993-01-01

    The purposes of this paper are to elucidate fundamental material properties of modified 9Cr-1 Mo steel as a candidate material for next-generation fast breeder reactors and to obtain information for the formulation of a practical unified constitutive model. For these purposes, monotonous tension, uniaxial symmetric cycles, uniaxial symmetric cycles with hold time, creep, stress control uniaxial symmetric cycles, cyclic relaxation and circular cyclic loading tests are performed. Then these results are simulated by two unified constitutive models, i.e. the Chaboche model and Bodner-Partom model. The results of simulation show that the Chaboche model can describe all the experimental results with relatively high accuracy, and that the identification of material constants of the model is easy. The Bodner-Partom model can similarly describe the results, but the determination of material constants is difficult. (author)

  2. Unified theory in the worldline approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    James P. Edwards

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available We explore unified field theories based on the gauge groups SU(5 and SO(10 using the worldline approach for chiral fermions with a Wilson loop coupling to a background gauge field. Representing path ordering and chiral projection operators with functional integrals has previously reproduced the sum over the chiralities and representations of standard model particles in a compact way. This paper shows that for SU(5 the 5¯ and 10 representations – into which the Georgi–Glashow model places the left-handed fermionic content of the standard model – appear naturally and with the familiar chirality. We carry out the same analysis for flipped SU(5 and uncover a link to SO(10 unified theory. We pursue this by exploring the SO(10 theory in the same framework, the less established unified theory based on SU(6 and briefly consider the Pati–Salam model using SU(4×SU(2×SU(2.

  3. Cosmic strings in unified gauge theories

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Everett, A.E.

    1981-01-01

    Some spontaneously broken gauge theories can give rise to stringlike vacuum structures (vortices). It has been pointed out by Vilenkin that in grand unified theories these can be sufficiently massive to have cosmological implications, e.g., in explaining the formation of galaxies. The circumstances in which such structures occur are examined. They do not occur in the simplest grand unified theories, but can occur in some more elaborate models which have been proposed. The cross section for the scattering of elementary particles by strings is estimated. This is used to evaluate the effect of collisions on the dynamics of a collapsing circular string, with particular attention to the question of whether energy dissipation by collision can reduce the rate of formation of black holes by collapsed strings, which may be unacceptably large in models where strings occur. It is found that the effect of collisions is not important in the case of grand unified strings, although it can be important for lighter strings

  4. Electrochemical characterization of corrosion in materials of grounding systems, simulating conditions of synthetic soils with characteristics of local soils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salas, Y.; Guerrero, L.; Vera-Monroy, S. P.; Blanco, J.; Jimenez, C.

    2017-12-01

    The integrity of structures buried in earthing becomes relevant when analysing maintenance and replacement costs of these systems, as the deterioration is mainly due to two factors, namely: the failures caused in the electrical systems, which are due to the system. Failure in earthing due to corrosion at the interface cause an alteration in the structure of the component material and generates an undesirable resistivity that cause malfunction in this type of protection systems. Two local soils were chosen that were categorized as sandy loam and clay loam type, whose chemical characteristics were simulated by means of an electrolyte corresponding to the amount of ions present determined by a soil characterization based on the CICE (effective cation exchange coefficient), which allows us to deduce the percentage of chloride and sulphate ions present for the different levels established in the experimental matrix. The interaction of these soils with grounding electrodes is a complex problem involving many factors to consider. In this study, the rates and corrosion currents of the different soils on two types of electrodes, one copper and the other AISI 304 stainless steel, were approximated by electrochemical techniques such as potentiodynamic curves and electrochemical impedance spectra. Considerably higher speeds were determined for copper-type electrodes when compared to those based on steel. However, from the Nyquist diagrams, it was noted that copper electrodes have better electrical performance than steel ones. The soil with the highest ionic activity turned out to be the sandy loam. The clay loam soil presents a tendency to water retention and this may be the reason for the different behaviour with respect to ionic mobility. The diffusion control in the steel seems to alter the ionic mobility because its corrosion rates proved to be very similar regardless of the type of soil chemistry. In general, corrosion rates fell since tenths of a millimetre every year to

  5. Assessment of the Use of Natural Materials for the Remediation of Cadmium Soil Contamination

    OpenAIRE

    de O. Pinto, Tatiana; Garc?a, Andr?s C.; Guedes, Jair do N.; do A. Sobrinho, Nelson M. B.; Tavares, Orlando C. H.; Berbara, Ricardo L. L.

    2016-01-01

    Rice plants accumulate cadmium (Cd2+) within the grain, increasing the danger of human exposure. Natural materials have been used in soil remediation, but few studies have examined the risks (based on the bioavailability of these metals to plants) of using these materials, so the practice remains controversial. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of biochar produced from sugarcane bagasse, vermicompost (VC), vermicompost solid residue (VCR) and humin for remediation of Cd2+-c...

  6. SWeRF--A method for estimating the relevant fine particle fraction in bulk materials for classification and labelling purposes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pensis, Ingeborg; Luetzenkirchen, Frank; Friede, Bernd

    2014-05-01

    In accordance with the European regulation for classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP) as well as the criteria as set out in the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), fine fraction of crystalline silica (CS) has been classified as a specific target organ toxicity, the specific organ in this case being the lung. Generic cut-off values for products containing a fine fraction of CS trigger the need for a method for the quantification of the fine fraction of CS in bulk materials. This article describes the so-called SWeRF method, the size-weighted relevant fine fraction. The SWeRF method combines the particle size distribution of a powder with probability factors from the EN 481 standard and allows the relevant fine fraction of a material to be calculated. The SWeRF method has been validated with a number of industrial minerals. This will enable manufacturers and blenders to apply the CLP and GHS criteria for the classification of mineral products containing RCS a fine fraction of CS.

  7. Assessing the dynamics of the upper soil layer relative to soil management practices

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatfield, J.; Wacha, K.; Dold, C.

    2017-12-01

    The upper layer of the soil is the critical interface between the soil and the atmosphere and is the most dynamic in response to management practices. One of the soil properties most reflective to changes in management is the stability of the aggregates because this property controls infiltration of water and exchange of gases. An aggregation model has been developed based on the factors that control how aggregates form and the forces which degrade aggregates. One of the major factors for this model is the storage of carbon into the soil and the interaction with the soil biological component. To increase soil biology requires a stable microclimate that provides food, water, shelter, and oxygen which in turn facilitates the incorporation of organic material into forms that can be combined with soil particles to create stable aggregates. The processes that increase aggregate size and stability are directly linked the continual functioning of the biological component which in turn changes the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Soil aggregates begin to degrade as soon as there is no longer a supply of organic material into the soil. These processes can range from removal of organic material and excessive tillage. To increase aggregation of the upper soil layer requires a continual supply of organic material and the biological activity that incorporates organic material into substances that create a stable aggregate. Soils that exhibit stable soil aggregates at the surface have a prolonged infiltration rate with less runoff and a gas exchange that ensures adequate oxygen for maximum biological activity. Quantifying the dynamics of the soil surface layer provides a quantitative understanding of how management practices affect aggregate stability.

  8. influence of soil type differences on the distribution of dtpa

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Preferred Customer

    Fluvisol at Akaki in Ethiopia, classified according to the FAO-UNESCO Soil Classification System. The. Fluvisol is ... risk anticipated from the movement of metals through the soil ..... The Geology Department of the University of. Saskatchewan ...

  9. Performance Analysis of FSO Links over Unified Gamma-Gamma Turbulence Channels

    KAUST Repository

    Ansari, Imran Shafique; Yilmaz, Ferkan; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

    2015-01-01

    , then, present unified exact closed-form expressions for various statistical characteristics of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a single link FSO transmission system. We capitalize on these unified results to offer unified exact closed

  10. Teaching Soil Science in Primary and Secondary Schools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levine, Elissa R.

    1998-01-01

    Earth's thin layer of soil is a fragile resource, made up of minerals, organic materials, air, water, and billions of living organisms. Soils plays a variety of critical roles that sustain life on Earth. If we think about soil, we tend to see it first as the source of most of the food we eat and the fibers we use, such as wood and cotton. Few students realize that soils also provide the key ingredients to many of the medicines (including antibiotics), cosmetics, and dyes that we use. Fewer still understand the importance of soils in integrating, controlling, and regulating the movement of air, water, materials, and energy between the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Because soil sustains life, it offers both a context and a natural laboratory for investigating these interactions. The enclosed poster, which integrates soil profiles with typical landscapes in which soils form, can also help students explore the interrelationships of Earth systems and gain an understanding of our soil resources. The poster, produced jointly by the American Geological Institute and the Soil Science Society of America, aims to increase awareness of the importance of soil, as does the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations To Benefit the Environment) Program. Vice President Al Gore instituted the GLOBE Program on Earth Day of 1993 to increase environmental awareness of individuals throughout the world, contribute to a better scientific understanding of the Earth, and help all students reach higher levels of achievement in science and mathematics. GLOBE functions as a partnership between scientists, students, and teachers in which scientists design protocols for specific measurements they need for their research that can be performed by K-12 students. Teachers are trained in the GLOBE protocols and teach them to their students. Students make the measurements, enter data via the Internet to a central data archive, and the data becomes available to scientists and the

  11. Stabilisation of Clay Soil with Lime and Melon Husk Ash for use in Farm Structures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. S. Mohammed

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available The rising cost of traditional stabilising agents and the need for economical utilisation of industrial and agricultural waste for beneficial engineering purposes has encouraged an investigation into the stabilization of clay soil with lime and melon husk ash. The chemical composition of the melon husk ash that was used in stabilising clay soil was determined. The clay soil was divided into two parts, one part was used to determine the index properties while the other part was treated at British Standard Light (BSL compaction energy with 0 %, 2 %, 4 %, 6 % and 8 % melon husk ash by dry weight of the soil and each was admixed with 2 %, 4 %, 6 % and 8 % lime. The stabilised clay soil was cured for 7, 14 and 28 days before the unconfined compressive strength were determined while the coefficients of permeability of the stabilised clay soil were also determined at 28 days of curing. The data obtained from the experiment was subjected to analysis of variance to examine the significance at 5% level. Results showed that the natural clay soil belong to A-7-6 or CH (clay of high plasticity in the American Association of State Highway Transportation Official (AASHTO and Unified Soil Classification System (1986. The chemical composition of the ash had aluminum oxide, iron oxide and silicon dioxide values of 18.5%, 2.82% and 51.24% respectively. The unconfined compressive strength and coefficient of permeability of the natural clay soil was determined to be 285 kN/m2 and 1.45 x 10-5 cm/s, respectively. Increase in melon husk ash and lime percent increases the unconfined compressive strength (UCS of the stabilised clay soil significantly (p < 0.05 and decrease the coefficient of permeability when compared with the natural clay soil. The peak values of unconfined compressive strength for 7, 14 and 28 days of curing are 1200 kN/m2, 1598 kN/m2 and 1695 kN/m2 respectively at 6% MHA and 8% lime content while the lowest value for coefficient of permeability was 0

  12. Development of an intelligent system for ultrasonic flaw classification in weldments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Song, Sung-Jin; Kim, Hak-Joon; Cho, Hyeon

    2002-01-01

    Even though ultrasonic pattern recognition is considered as the most effective and promising approach to flaw classification in weldments, its application to the realistic field inspection is still very limited due to the crucial barriers in cost, time and reliability. To reduce such barriers, previously we have proposed an intelligent system approach that consisted of the following four ingredients: (1) a PC-based ultrasonic testing (PC-UT) system; (2) an effective invariant ultrasonic flaw classification algorithm; (3) an intelligent flaw classification software; and (4) a database with abundant experimental flaw signals. In the present work, for performing the ultrasonic flaw classification in weldments in a real-time fashion in many real word situations, we develop an intelligent system, which is called the 'Intelligent Ultrasonic Evaluation System (IUES)' by the integration of the above four ingredients into a single, unified system. In addition, for the improvement of classification accuracy of flaws, especially slag inclusions, we expand the feature set by adding new informative features, and demonstrate the enhanced performance of the IUES with flaw signals in the database constructed previously. And then, to take care of the increased redundancy in the feature set due to the addition of features, we also propose two efficient schemes for feature selection: the forward selection with trial and error, and the forward selection with criteria of the error probability and the linear correlation coefficients of individual features

  13. Teaching About the Links Between Soils and Climate: An International Year of Soil Outreach by the Soil Science Society of America

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brevik, Eric C.

    2015-04-01

    Soil scientists are well aware of the intimate links that exist between soils and climate, but the same is not always true of the broader population. In an attempt to help address this, the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) has designated the theme "Soils and Climate" for the month of November, 2015 as part of the SSSA International Year of Soil (IYS) celebration. The topic has been further subdivided into three subthemes: 1) carbon sequestration and greenhouse gases, 2) Soils and past environments, and 3) Desertification and drought. Each subtheme outreach has two parts 1) lesson plans that K-12 educators can use in their classrooms, and 2) materials that a trained soil scientist can present to the general public. Activities developed for the theme include classroom activities to accompany an online game that students can play to see how farm management choices influence greenhouse gas emissions, questions to go with a vermicomposting activity, and discussion session questions to go with a movie on the USA Dust Bowl. All materials are available online free of charge. The Soils and Climate materials can be found at https://www.soils.org/iys/12-month-resources/november; all of the SSSA IYS materials can be found at https://www.soils.org/iys.

  14. Unified electricity market

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anon

    2011-01-01

    A unified European electricity market means a unification and harmonisation of functioning of the national electricity market into one European Market or into one entity. It gives an opportunity to Slovenske elektrarne to open room for their wider activity within Europe where common rules for cross-boarder trade and markets functioning will apply. (author)

  15. Universal Spatial Correlation Functions for Describing and Reconstructing Soil Microstructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skvortsova, Elena B.; Mallants, Dirk

    2015-01-01

    Structural features of porous materials such as soil define the majority of its physical properties, including water infiltration and redistribution, multi-phase flow (e.g. simultaneous water/air flow, or gas exchange between biologically active soil root zone and atmosphere) and solute transport. To characterize soil microstructure, conventional soil science uses such metrics as pore size and pore-size distributions and thin section-derived morphological indicators. However, these descriptors provide only limited amount of information about the complex arrangement of soil structure and have limited capability to reconstruct structural features or predict physical properties. We introduce three different spatial correlation functions as a comprehensive tool to characterize soil microstructure: 1) two-point probability functions, 2) linear functions, and 3) two-point cluster functions. This novel approach was tested on thin-sections (2.21×2.21 cm2) representing eight soils with different pore space configurations. The two-point probability and linear correlation functions were subsequently used as a part of simulated annealing optimization procedures to reconstruct soil structure. Comparison of original and reconstructed images was based on morphological characteristics, cluster correlation functions, total number of pores and pore-size distribution. Results showed excellent agreement for soils with isolated pores, but relatively poor correspondence for soils exhibiting dual-porosity features (i.e. superposition of pores and micro-cracks). Insufficient information content in the correlation function sets used for reconstruction may have contributed to the observed discrepancies. Improved reconstructions may be obtained by adding cluster and other correlation functions into reconstruction sets. Correlation functions and the associated stochastic reconstruction algorithms introduced here are universally applicable in soil science, such as for soil classification

  16. Technical writing practically unified through industry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Houston, L. S.

    1981-01-01

    General background details in the development of a university level technical writing program, based upon the writing tasks of the student's occupations, are summarized. Objectives and methods for unifying the courses of study with the needs of industry are discussed. Four academic course divisions, Industries Technologies, in which preparation and training are offered are: Animal, Horticulture, Agriculture, and Agricultural Business. Occupational competence is cited as the main goal for these programs in which technical writing is to be practically unified through industry. Course descriptions are also provided.

  17. Prospects of a Unified Management System

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jørgensen, Tine Herreborg; Simonsen, Gorm

    2002-01-01

    In this article, the trend among management systems towards a common structure and the inclusion of additional areas of corporate concern (quality, environment, occupational health and safety and social responsibility) is outlined. The article suggests that a large part of the work associated...... with implementing and maintaining standardised management systems can be rationalised by developing a ?unified system?. The unified system is proposed to consist of a common basic standard of general managerial methodology expandable with supplements, which are related to the specific areas of concern...

  18. Bosniak Classification system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graumann, Ole; Osther, Susanne Sloth; Karstoft, Jens

    2014-01-01

    Background: The Bosniak classification is a diagnostic tool for the differentiation of cystic changes in the kidney. The process of categorizing renal cysts may be challenging, involving a series of decisions that may affect the final diagnosis and clinical outcome such as surgical management....... Purpose: To investigate the inter- and intra-observer agreement among experienced uroradiologists when categorizing complex renal cysts according to the Bosniak classification. Material and Methods: The original categories of 100 cystic renal masses were chosen as “Gold Standard” (GS), established...... to the calculated weighted κ all readers performed “very good” for both inter-observer and intra-observer variation. Most variation was seen in cysts catagorized as Bosniak II, IIF, and III. These results show that radiologists who evaluate complex renal cysts routinely may apply the Bosniak classification...

  19. Predicting and mapping soil available water capacity in Korea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Suk Young; Minasny, Budiman; Han, Kyung Hwa; Kim, Yihyun; Lee, Kyungdo

    2013-01-01

    The knowledge on the spatial distribution of soil available water capacity at a regional or national extent is essential, as soil water capacity is a component of the water and energy balances in the terrestrial ecosystem. It controls the evapotranspiration rate, and has a major impact on climate. This paper demonstrates a protocol for mapping soil available water capacity in South Korea at a fine scale using data available from surveys. The procedures combined digital soil mapping technology with the available soil map of 1:25,000. We used the modal profile data from the Taxonomical Classification of Korean Soils. The data consist of profile description along with physical and chemical analysis for the modal profiles of the 380 soil series. However not all soil samples have measured bulk density and water content at -10 and -1500 kPa. Thus they need to be predicted using pedotransfer functions. Furthermore, water content at -10 kPa was measured using ground samples. Thus a correction factor is derived to take into account the effect of bulk density. Results showed that Andisols has the highest mean water storage capacity, followed by Entisols and Inceptisols which have loamy texture. The lowest water retention is Entisols which are dominated by sandy materials. Profile available water capacity to a depth of 1 m was calculated and mapped for Korea. The western part of the country shows higher available water capacity than the eastern part which is mountainous and has shallower soils. The highest water storage capacity soils are the Ultisols and Alfisols (mean of 206 and 205 mm, respectively). Validation of the maps showed promising results. The map produced can be used as an indication of soil physical quality of Korean soils.

  20. Predicting and mapping soil available water capacity in Korea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Suk Young Hong

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The knowledge on the spatial distribution of soil available water capacity at a regional or national extent is essential, as soil water capacity is a component of the water and energy balances in the terrestrial ecosystem. It controls the evapotranspiration rate, and has a major impact on climate. This paper demonstrates a protocol for mapping soil available water capacity in South Korea at a fine scale using data available from surveys. The procedures combined digital soil mapping technology with the available soil map of 1:25,000. We used the modal profile data from the Taxonomical Classification of Korean Soils. The data consist of profile description along with physical and chemical analysis for the modal profiles of the 380 soil series. However not all soil samples have measured bulk density and water content at −10 and −1500 kPa. Thus they need to be predicted using pedotransfer functions. Furthermore, water content at −10 kPa was measured using ground samples. Thus a correction factor is derived to take into account the effect of bulk density. Results showed that Andisols has the highest mean water storage capacity, followed by Entisols and Inceptisols which have loamy texture. The lowest water retention is Entisols which are dominated by sandy materials. Profile available water capacity to a depth of 1 m was calculated and mapped for Korea. The western part of the country shows higher available water capacity than the eastern part which is mountainous and has shallower soils. The highest water storage capacity soils are the Ultisols and Alfisols (mean of 206 and 205 mm, respectively. Validation of the maps showed promising results. The map produced can be used as an indication of soil physical quality of Korean soils.

  1. Unified Bohm criterion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kos, L. [LECAD Laboratory, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Tskhakaya, D. D.; Jelić, N. [Institute for Theoretical Physics, Fusion@ÖAW, University of Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria)

    2015-09-15

    Recent decades have seen research into the conditions necessary for the formation of the monotonic potential shape in the sheath, appearing at the plasma boundaries like walls, in fluid, and kinetic approximations separately. Although either of these approaches yields a formulation commonly known as the much-acclaimed Bohm criterion (BC), the respective results involve essentially different physical quantities that describe the ion gas behavior. In the fluid approach, such a quantity is clearly identified as the ion directional velocity. In the kinetic approach, the ion behavior is formulated via a quantity (the squared inverse velocity averaged by the ion distribution function) without any clear physical significance, which is, moreover, impractical. In the present paper, we try to explain this difference by deriving a condition called here the Unified Bohm Criterion, which combines an advanced fluid model with an upgraded explicit kinetic formula in a new form of the BC. By introducing a generalized polytropic coefficient function, the unified BC can be interpreted in a form that holds, irrespective of whether the ions are described kinetically or in the fluid approximation.

  2. Spatial Prediction of Soil Classes by Using Soil Weathering Parameters Derived from vis-NIR Spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramirez-Lopez, Leonardo; Alexandre Dematte, Jose

    2010-05-01

    There is consensus in the scientific community about the great need of spatial soil information. Conventional mapping methods are time consuming and involve high costs. Digital soil mapping has emerged as an area in which the soil mapping is optimized by the application of mathematical and statistical approaches, as well as the application of expert knowledge in pedology. In this sense, the objective of the study was to develop a methodology for the spatial prediction of soil classes by using soil spectroscopy methodologies related with fieldwork, spectral data from satellite image and terrain attributes in simultaneous. The studied area is located in São Paulo State, and comprised an area of 473 ha, which was covered by a regular grid (100 x 100 m). In each grid node was collected soil samples at two depths (layers A and B). There were extracted 206 samples from transect sections and submitted to soil analysis (clay, Al2O3, Fe2O3, SiO2 TiO2, and weathering index). The first analog soil class map (ASC-N) contains only soil information regarding from orders to subgroups of the USDA Soil Taxonomy System. The second (ASC-H) map contains some additional information related to some soil attributes like color, ferric levels and base sum. For the elaboration of the digital soil maps the data was divided into three groups: i) Predicted soil attributes of the layer B (related to the soil weathering) which were obtained by using a local soil spectral library; ii) Spectral bands data extracted from a Landsat image; and iii) Terrain parameters. This information was summarized by a principal component analysis (PCA) in each group. Digital soil maps were generated by supervised classification using a maximum likelihood method. The trainee information for this classification was extracted from five toposequences based on the analog soil class maps. The spectral models of weathering soil attributes shown a high predictive performance with low error (R2 0.71 to 0.90). The spatial

  3. Ethnopedology and soil quality of bamboo (Bambusa sp.) based agroforestry system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arun Jyoti, Nath; Lal, Rattan; Das, Ashesh Kumar

    2015-07-15

    It is widely recognized that farmers' hold important knowledge of folk soil classification for agricultural land for its uses, yet little has been studied for traditional agroforestry systems. This article explores the ethnopedology of bamboo (Bambusa sp.) based agroforestry system in North East India, and establishes the relationship of soil quality index (SQI) with bamboo productivity. The study revealed four basic folk soil (mati) types: kalo (black soil), lal (red soil), pathal (stony soil) and balu (sandy soil). Of these, lal mati soil was the most predominant soil type (~ 40%) in bamboo-based agroforestry system. Soil physio-chemical parameters were studied to validate the farmers' soil hierarchal classification and also to correlate with productivity of the bamboo stand. Farmers' hierarchal folk soil classification was consistent with the laboratory scientific analysis. Culm production (i.e. measure of productivity of bamboo) was the highest (27culmsclump(-1)) in kalo mati (black soil) and the lowest (19culmsclump(-1)) in balu mati (sandy soil). Linear correlation of individual soil quality parameter with bamboo productivity explained 16 to 49% of the variability. A multiple correlation of the best fitted linear soil quality parameter (soil organic carbon or SOC, water holding capacity or WHC, total nitrogen) with productivity improved explanatory power to 53%. Development of SQI from ten relevant soil quality parameters and its correlation with bamboo productivity explained the 64% of the variation and therefore, suggest SQI as the best determinant of bamboo yield. Data presented indicate that the kalo mati (black soil) is sustainable or sustainable with high input. However, the other three folk soil types (red, stony and sandy soil) are also sustainable but for other land uses. Therefore, ethnopedological studies may move beyond routine laboratory analysis and incorporate SQI for assessing the sustainability of land uses managed by the farmers'. Additional

  4. Micromechanics of heterogeneous materials

    CERN Document Server

    Buryachenko, Valeriy

    2007-01-01

    Here is an accurate and timely account of micromechanics, which spans materials science, mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, technical physics, geophysics, and biology. The book features rigorous and unified theoretical methods of applied mathematics and statistical physics in the material science of microheterogeneous media. Uniquely, it offers a useful demonstration of the systematic and fundamental research of the microstructure of the wide class of heterogeneous materials of natural and synthetic nature.

  5. Microbial mineralization processes in Antarctic soils and on plant material

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boelter, M.

    1991-01-01

    Soil samples and different plant material from the maritime and continental Antarctic were analyzed for their actual and potential respiration by different methods: total CO 2 -evolution, biological oxygen demand and use of 14C-labeled glucose which may serve as a model for dissolved organic carbohydrates. Since these methods are argued to indicate the mineralization of different fractions of the total organic material by different actual populations, a comparison between the data from these techniques is carried out with regard to their contributions of the total organic matter debris in these environments. The part of respired material calculated from 14C-studies may contribute to nearly 90% of the metabolized material. Results show that the individual fractions differ significantly with respect to the parent material. There are several aspects which have to be taken into account when looking at these data: the original content of water; the contents of dissolved and particulate carbohydrates; and, other edaphic factors. Of special interest is the overall respiration of plant material (mainly lichens) which is strongly influenced by the bacterial respiration of dissolved carbohydrates, probably by ongrowing organisms due to their efficiency in using dissolved organic matter. In terms of respiratory activity, the (bacterial) respiration of glucose may contribute to more than 50% of the total CO 2 -evolution. This influences considerably the modeling of overall respiration of plant material in those environments where close interactions between different parts of the system are very important for their life strategy. Further, the bacterial part may be an overlooked part of metabolic rates in Antarctic lichens

  6. Determination of soil mechanics of salt rock as a potential backfilling material in an underground repository

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kappei, G.

    1987-09-01

    Within the framework of the research and development project 'Backfilling and sealing of boreholes, chambers and roadways in a final dump', the Institute for Underground Dumping chose - from the broad range of possible stowing materials - the material 'salt spoil' and investigated its soil-mechanical properties in detail. Besides the implementation of soil-mechanical standard analyses (determination of the grain size distribution, bulk density, limits of storage density, proctor density, permeabilities, and shear strength) of two selected salt spoils (heap salt and rock salt spoil), the studies concentrated on the determination of the compression behaviour of salt spoil. In order to obtain data on the compaction behaviour of this material in the case of increasing stress, compression tests with obstructed lateral expansion were carried out on a series of spoil samples differing mainly in the composition of grain sizes. In addition to this, for a small number of samples of rock salt spoil, the creep behaviour at constant stress was determined after the compaction phase. (orig./RB) [de

  7. Operation Unified Protector

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Buhl, Kenneth Øhlenschlæger

    2012-01-01

    Formålet med denne artikel er at se nærmere på erfaringerne fra den maritime kampagne under den militære indsats i konflikten i Libyen i 2011, som i NATO regi blev kendt som Operation Unified Protector (OUP). Dækningen i de danske medier fokuserede primært på luftkampagnen, hvilket må tilskrives,...

  8. GUDM: Automatic Generation of Unified Datasets for Learning and Reasoning in Healthcare.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Rahman; Siddiqi, Muhammad Hameed; Idris, Muhammad; Ali, Taqdir; Hussain, Shujaat; Huh, Eui-Nam; Kang, Byeong Ho; Lee, Sungyoung

    2015-07-02

    A wide array of biomedical data are generated and made available to healthcare experts. However, due to the diverse nature of data, it is difficult to predict outcomes from it. It is therefore necessary to combine these diverse data sources into a single unified dataset. This paper proposes a global unified data model (GUDM) to provide a global unified data structure for all data sources and generate a unified dataset by a "data modeler" tool. The proposed tool implements user-centric priority based approach which can easily resolve the problems of unified data modeling and overlapping attributes across multiple datasets. The tool is illustrated using sample diabetes mellitus data. The diverse data sources to generate the unified dataset for diabetes mellitus include clinical trial information, a social media interaction dataset and physical activity data collected using different sensors. To realize the significance of the unified dataset, we adopted a well-known rough set theory based rules creation process to create rules from the unified dataset. The evaluation of the tool on six different sets of locally created diverse datasets shows that the tool, on average, reduces 94.1% time efforts of the experts and knowledge engineer while creating unified datasets.

  9. Aboveground Deadwood Deposition Supports Development of Soil Yeasts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thorsten Wehde

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Unicellular saprobic fungi (yeasts inhabit soils worldwide. Although yeast species typically occupy defined areas on the biome scale, their distribution patterns within a single type of vegetation, such as forests, are more complex. In order to understand factors that shape soil yeast communities, soils collected underneath decaying wood logs and under forest litter were analyzed. We isolated and identified molecularly a total of 25 yeast species, including three new species. Occurrence and distribution of yeasts isolated from these soils provide new insights into ecology and niche specialization of several soil-borne species. Although abundance of typical soil yeast species varied among experimental plots, the analysis of species abundance and community composition revealed a strong influence of wood log deposition and leakage of organic carbon. Unlike soils underneath logs, yeast communities in adjacent areas harbored a considerable number of transient (phylloplane-related yeasts reaching 30% of the total yeast quantity. We showed that distinguishing autochthonous community members and species transient in soils is essential to estimate appropriate effects of environmental factors on soil fungi. Furthermore, a better understanding of species niches is crucial for analyses of culture-independent data, and may hint to the discovery of unifying patterns of microbial species distribution.

  10. Proceedings of the 25. Brazilian congress on soil science: the soil on the great morpho climatic dominion in Brazil and the sustained development. v. 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    This congress discussed soil's science with emphasis in the Brazilian morphoclimatics dominion and the sustained development. Topics related to soil's physics, chemical, biology, fertility, classification, nutrition, mineralogy, soil's and water conservation, fertilizers, pollution and environmental quality were discussed. In the second volume of the abstracts are presented papers related to soil's fertility and plants nutrition are discussed where nuclear methods of analysis are presented

  11. Application of fuzzy logic to Boolean models for digital soil assessment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gruijter, de J.J.; Walvoort, D.J.J.; Bragato, G.

    2011-01-01

    Boolean models based on expert knowledge are often used to classify soils into a limited number of classes of a difficult-to-measure soil attribute. Although the primary data used for these classifications contain information on whether the soil is a typical class member or a boundary case between

  12. designing a framework for a unified electronic identity system

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DJFLEX

    In this paper, a Unified Identity System is proposed where single electronic identity (eID) is issued that can be used ... online commerce and public sector organizations. Because ..... SearchUnifiedCommunications.com Definitions, Access date.

  13. Soiled-based uranium disequilibrium and mixed uranium-thorium series radionuclide reference materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Donivan, S.; Chessmore, R.

    1988-12-01

    The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Remedial Action and Waste Technology has assigned the Technical Measurements Center (TMC), located at the DOE Grand Junction Colorado, Projects Office and operated by UNC Geotech (UNC), the task of supporting ongoing remedial action programs by providing both technical guidance and assistance in making the various measurements required in all phases of remedial action work. Pursuant to this task, the Technical Measurements Center prepared two sets of radionuclide reference materials for use by remedial action contractors and cognizant federal and state agencies. A total of six reference materials, two sets comprising three reference materials each, were prepared with varying concentrations of radionuclides using mill tailings materials, ores, and a river-bottom soil diluent. One set (disequilibrium set) contains varying amounts of uranium with nominal amounts of radium-226. The other set (mixed-nuclide set) contains varying amounts of uranium-238 and thorium-232 decay series nuclides. 14 refs., 10 tabs

  14. Shape Modification and Size Classification of Microcrystalline Graphite Powder as Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Cong; Gai, Guosheng; Yang, Yufen

    2018-03-01

    Natural microcrystalline graphite (MCG) composed of many crystallites is a promising new anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) and has received considerable attention from researchers. MCG with narrow particle size distribution and high sphericity exhibits excellent electrochemical performance. A nonaddition process to prepare natural MCG as a high-performance LiB anode material is described. First, raw MCG was broken into smaller particles using a pulverization system. Then, the particles were modified into near-spherical shape using a particle shape modification system. Finally, the particle size distribution was narrowed using a centrifugal rotor classification system. The products with uniform hemispherical shape and narrow size distribution had mean particle size of approximately 9 μm, 10 μm, 15 μm, and 20 μm. Additionally, the innovative pilot experimental process increased the product yield of the raw material. Finally, the electrochemical performance of the prepared MCG was tested, revealing high reversible capacity and good cyclability.

  15. Joint learning and weighting of visual vocabulary for bag-of-feature based tissue classification

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Jim Jing-Yan

    2013-12-01

    Automated classification of tissue types of Region of Interest (ROI) in medical images has been an important application in Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD). Recently, bag-of-feature methods which treat each ROI as a set of local features have shown their power in this field. Two important issues of bag-of-feature strategy for tissue classification are investigated in this paper: the visual vocabulary learning and weighting, which are always considered independently in traditional methods by neglecting the inner relationship between the visual words and their weights. To overcome this problem, we develop a novel algorithm, Joint-ViVo, which learns the vocabulary and visual word weights jointly. A unified objective function based on large margin is defined for learning of both visual vocabulary and visual word weights, and optimized alternately in the iterative algorithm. We test our algorithm on three tissue classification tasks: classifying breast tissue density in mammograms, classifying lung tissue in High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) images, and identifying brain tissue type in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The results show that Joint-ViVo outperforms the state-of-art methods on tissue classification problems. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

  16. Unified theory of effective interaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takayanagi, Kazuo, E-mail: k-takaya@sophia.ac.jp

    2016-09-15

    We present a unified description of effective interaction theories in both algebraic and graphic representations. In our previous work, we have presented the Rayleigh–Schrödinger and Bloch perturbation theories in a unified fashion by introducing the main frame expansion of the effective interaction. In this work, we start also from the main frame expansion, and present various nonperturbative theories in a coherent manner, which include generalizations of the Brandow, Brillouin–Wigner, and Bloch–Horowitz theories on the formal side, and the extended Krenciglowa–Kuo and the extended Lee–Suzuki methods on the practical side. We thus establish a coherent and comprehensive description of both perturbative and nonperturbative theories on the basis of the main frame expansion.

  17. A landscape-scale study of land use and parent material effects on soil organic carbon and total nitrogen in the Konya Basin, Turkey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayes, M. T.; Marin-Spiotta, E.; Ozdogan, M.; Erdogan, M. A.

    2011-12-01

    In ecosystems where intensive farming and grazing have been occurring for millennia, there is poor understanding of how present-day soil biogeochemical properties relate to factors associated with soil parent materials (e.g. texture, mineralogy), and the net effects of long-term land use practices. Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (TN) are important for their roles in maintaining soil structure, moisture, fertility and contributing to carbon sequestration. Our research used a state factor approach (Jenny 1981) to study effects of soil parent materials and land use practices on SOC, TN, and other properties across thirty-five sites in the Konya Basin, an arid region in south-central Turkey farmed and grazed for over 8,000 years. This project is one of the first to study land use impacts on soils at a landscape scale (500 km2) in south-central Turkey, and incorporate geospatial data (e.g. a satellite imagery-derived land cover map we developed) to aid selection of field sites. Focusing on the plough layer (0-25cm) in two depth intervals, we compared effects of agriculture, orchard cultivation and grazing land use practices and clay-loam alluvial, sandy-loam volcanic and lacustrine clay soils on soil properties using standard least squares regression analyses. SOC and TN depended strongly on parent materials, but not on land use. Averaged across both depth intervals, alluvial soil SOC and TN concentrations (19.4 ± 1.32 Mg/ha SOC, 2.86 ± 1.23 Mg/ha TN) were higher and significantly different than lacustrine (9.72 ± 3.01 Mg/ha SOC, 1.57 ± 0.69 Mg/ha TN) and volcanic soil concentrations (7.40 ± 1.72 Mg/ha SOC, 1.02 ± 0.35 Mg/ha TN). Land use significantly affected SOC and TN on alluvial soils, but not on volcanic or lacustrine soils. Our results demonstrate the potential for land use to have different effects on different soils in this region. Our data on SOC, TN and other soil properties illustrate patterns in regional SOC and TN variability not

  18. UniFIeD Univariate Frequency-based Imputation for Time Series Data

    OpenAIRE

    Friese, Martina; Stork, Jörg; Ramos Guerra, Ricardo; Bartz-Beielstein, Thomas; Thaker, Soham; Flasch, Oliver; Zaefferer, Martin

    2013-01-01

    This paper introduces UniFIeD, a new data preprocessing method for time series. UniFIeD can cope with large intervals of missing data. A scalable test function generator, which allows the simulation of time series with different gap sizes, is presented additionally. An experimental study demonstrates that (i) UniFIeD shows a significant better performance than simple imputation methods and (ii) UniFIeD is able to handle situations, where advanced imputation methods fail. The results are indep...

  19. Proceedings of the 25. Brazilian congress on soil science: the soil on the great morpho climatic dominion in Brazil and the sustained development. v. 4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-01-01

    This congress discussed soils science with emphasis in the Brazilian morpho climatic dominion and the sustained development. Topics related to soils physics, chemical, biology, fertility, classification, nutrition, mineralogy, soils and water conservation, fertilizers, pollution and environmental quality. In the fourth volume of the abstracts were presented papers related to use of fertilizers and herbicides

  20. PARALLEL IMPLEMENTATION OF MORPHOLOGICAL PROFILE BASED SPECTRAL-SPATIAL CLASSIFICATION SCHEME FOR HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGERY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Kumar

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Extended morphological profile (EMP is a good technique for extracting spectral-spatial information from the images but large size of hyperspectral images is an important concern for creating EMPs. However, with the availability of modern multi-core processors and commodity parallel processing systems like graphics processing units (GPUs at desktop level, parallel computing provides a viable option to significantly accelerate execution of such computations. In this paper, parallel implementation of an EMP based spectralspatial classification method for hyperspectral imagery is presented. The parallel implementation is done both on multi-core CPU and GPU. The impact of parallelization on speed up and classification accuracy is analyzed. For GPU, the implementation is done in compute unified device architecture (CUDA C. The experiments are carried out on two well-known hyperspectral images. It is observed from the experimental results that GPU implementation provides a speed up of about 7 times, while parallel implementation on multi-core CPU resulted in speed up of about 3 times. It is also observed that parallel implementation has no adverse impact on the classification accuracy.