A spatial investigation of venture capital investment in the US biotechnology industry, 1995–2008

The objective of this research is to investigate the role of geography in the venture capital investment in the US biotechnology industry. Data include 4,409 quarterly investment deals from the MoneyTree Survey during 1995 and 2008. Strong spatial concentration patterns are identified. Using both ordinary squares regressions and geographically weighted regressions, we find that as the geographic distance between biotechnology firms and their investors decreases, deal size increases. Location in established biotechnology clusters, such as New England and California, helps to bring a larger deal into individual firms as well. Also, the impact of distance decay in these two clusters is more significant than that in other regions. In addition, we find that a global venture capital investing syndication network brings large deals. Furthermore, firms in later stages of development, and/or with few financing rounds, tend to receive more capital per deal.     

Earth system curator: metadata infrastructure for climate modeling

The Earth System Curator is a National Science Foundation sponsored project developing a metadata formalism for describing the digital resources used in climate simulations. The primary motivating observation of the project is that a simulation/model’s source code plus the configuration parameters required for a model run are a compact representation of the dataset generated when the model is executed. The end goal of the project is a convergence of models and data where both resources are accessed uniformly from a single registry. In this paper we review the current metadata landscape of the climate modeling community, present our work on developing a metadata formalism for describing climate models, and reflect on technical challenges we have faced that require new research in the area of Earth Science Informatics.     

Mineralogy,geochemistry and petrogenesis of the Metters Bore No. 1 lamproite pipe,Calwynyardah Field,West Kimberley Province,Western Australia

Summary The Metters Bore No. 1 lamproite (MB1) is a small unexposed pipe located in the Calwynyardah field of the Miocene West Kimberley lamproite province. Microdiamonds have been recovered from bulk sampling of the pipe but no macrodiamonds (>0.8 mm) have been found. The pipe contains both volcaniclastic and magmatic (i.e. non-fragmental, extrusive-to-hypabyssal facies) lamproite. The latter rock is dominantly olivine-leucite-diopside lamproite and comprises phenocrysts and microphenocrysts of diopside, altered olivine ( Fo₉₁), and rare phlogopite, together with phenocrysts and glomeroporphyritic aggregates of altered leucite. These are set in an altered, fine-grained to glassy groundmass including diopside, leucite, priderite, apatite, less abundant chrome-spine', perovskite, interstitial richterite with minor calcic amphibole, ilmenite, sphene and wadeite. Mineral compositions are complex and variable: for example: five compositionally distinct fields can be recognizedamong the diopsides, and three among the phlogopites. The Ti-rich, Al-poor diopsides, Ti-F-rich, Al-poor phlogopites, and potassium titanian richterites all have apparent tetrahedral site deficiencies which can best be explained by tetrahedral substitution of Ti⁴⁺ and/or Mg²⁺; no substitution of Fe³⁺ is indicated. Three major types of spinel are recognized: olivine-included titaniferous magnesiochromite (TMC), xenocrystic aluminous magnesiochromite (AMC) and leucite-included pleonaste. Spinel-olivine-melt oxygen barometry indicates that the TMC spine's crystallized from evolving lamproite magma under low oxygen fugacity conditions (MW to IW). Manganiferous groundmass ilmenite has low calculated Fe₂O₃ (< 1 wt%), also consistent with reduced conditions. The maintenance of a low oxidation state during magmatic crystallization, a feature shared with the Argyle olivine-lamproite, is considered a significant factor in preservation of the MB1 microdiamond population. Xenocrystic minerals encountered in heavy mineral concentrates (HMC) indicate that the MB1 lamproite sampled upper mantle spinel ±garnet lherzolite from >60 km depth and crustal mafic rocks. Geochemically, MB1 is typical of West Kimberley leucite-lamproites, which are characterized by high TiO₂ (> 4 wt%), low CaO (< 5 wt%), MgO < 10wt%, and enrichment in incompatible elements (Rb, Sr, Ba, LREE, etc.). Although MB1 is an olivine-bearing lamproite, it has source-related geochemical features, e.g. mantle-normalized Sc/V and Zr/Nb ratios of < 0.75 and > 0.6, respectively, that are similar to other West Kimberley leucite-lamproites and distinct from olivine-lamproites. Petrogenetically, the bulk composition and low magmatic oxidation state of MB1 supports an origin by melting of phlogopite-bearing harzburgitic source under reduced fO₂ (< MW) conditions.

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Mineralogie, geochemie und petrogenese der lamproit-pipe Metters Bore No. 1, Kalwynyardah Field, West Kimberley Provinz, West-Australien

Zusammenfassung Der Lamproit Metters Bore No. 1 (MB1) ist eine kleine, nicht an der Oberfläche aufgeschlossene Pipe im Kalwynyardah Gebiet der miozänen Lamproit-Provinz von West Kimberley. Mikrodiamanten sind bei der Untersuchung von Proben aus der Pipe gefunden worden, jedoch keine Makrodiamanten (> 0.8 mm). Die Pipe enthält sowohl vulkanoklastischen wie magmatischen Lamproit (nicht-fragmentierte extrusive bis hypabyssische Fazies). Bei dem magmatischen lamproit handeltes sich um einen Olivin-Leuzit-Diopsid-Lamproit mit Kristallen und Mikrokristallen von Diopsid, umgewandeltem Olivin ( Fo₉₁), seltener Phlogopit, zusammen mit Kristallen und glomeroporphyritischen Aggregaten von umgewandeltem Leuzit. Diese sitzen in einer umgewandelten, feinkörnigen bis glasigen Grundmasse mit Diopsid, Leuzit, Priderit, Apatit, seltener Chromspinell, Perovskit, Richterit mit geringen Mengen an Kalziumamphibol, Ilmenit, Titanit und Wadeit. Die Mineralzusammensetzungen sind komplex und variabel: so können z.B. fünf der Zusammensetzung nach eindeutig definierte Felder für die Diopside nachgewiesen werden und drei solche für die Phlogopite. Die Ti-reichen Al-armen Diopside, Ti-F-reiche Al-arme Phlogopite und Kalium-Titan-Richterite haben alle reduzierte Besetzungen von Tetraederstellen, die am besten durch tetraedrische Substitution von Ti⁴⁺ und/oder Mg` erklärt werden können. Es gibt keine Hinweise für Substition von Fe³⁺. Drei Haupttypen von Spinellen kommen vor: Titan-führender Magnesiochromit (TMC) als Einschlüsse in Olivin, aluminiumführender Magnesiochromit (AMC) und Pleonast, der in Leuzit eingeschlossen ist. Sauerstoffbarometrie (Spinell-Olivin-Schmelze) zeigt, daß die TMC Spinelle von einem fraktionierten lamproitischen Magma bei niedriger Sauerstofffugazität (MW bis IW) kristallisiert sind. Manganführender Ilmenit der Grundmasse hat niedrige berechnete Fe₂O₃ Gehalte (< 1 %), und auch das entspricht reduzierenden Bedingungen. Die Erhaltung eines niedrigen Oxydationsstatus während der magmatischen Kristallisation ist eine Eigenschaft, die auch im Olivin-Lamproit der Argyle Pipe zu beobachten ist. Dies wird als ein signifikanter Faktor für den Erhalt der Mikrodiamanten in MBI gesehen. Xenokristalle die in Schwermineral-Konzentraten (HMC) vorkommen, weisen darauf hin, daß der MB1 Lamproit Material des oberen Mantels (Spinell ± Granatlherzolit) aus mehr als 60 km Tiefe, sowie mafische Gesteine der Kruste aufgenommen hat. Geochemisch gesehen ist MB1 typisch für die Leuzit-Lamproite von West Kimberley, welche durch hohe TiO₂ (> 4 wt.%), niedrige CaO (< 5 wt.%), MgO (< 10 wt.%) und Anreicherung von inkompatiblen Elementen (Rb, Sr, Ba, LSEE, etc.) charakterisiert werden. Obwohl MB1 ein Olivin-führender Lamproit ist, zeigt er geochemische Eigenschaften, wie Mantel-normalisierte Sc/V und Zr/Nb Verhältnisse von < 0.75 und > als 0.6, die ähnlich anderen Leuzit-Lamproiten von West Kimberley sind und sich von Olivin-Lamproiten unterscheiden. Petrogenetisch gesehen weisen sowohl die Gesamtzusammensetzung als auch der niedrige magmatische Oxydationsstatus von MBI auf eine genese durch Aufschmelzen von Phlogopit-führendem Harzburgit unter reduzierenden f0₂ (< MW) Bedingungen hin.

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With 12 Figures     

Landslide susceptibility along NH-39 between Karong and Mao,Senapati district,Manipur

National Highway-39 is the only lifeline of the state of Manipur. The sector between Karong and Mao is highly landslide prone and frequently blocked the NH-39. The area is represented by Disang and Barail Groups of rock. Considering the importance of NH-39, landslide susceptibility zonation studies along NH-39 between Karong and Mao were carried out following GSI guideline, a modified form of BIS (1998).     

A Geospatial Approach to Understand the Dynamics of Shifting Cultivation in Champhai District of Mizoram,North-East India

The dynamics of crop-fallow rotation cycles of shifting cultivation has been poorly understood in northeastern part of the country although it is one of the major land use systems in the hilly states of this region. The present study was conducted to understand the dynamics of shifting cultivation through the use of Landsat time-series data from 1999 to 2016 in Champhai district of Mizoram. We mapped the current jhum fields and abandoned areas of each imagery of the study period and performed a post classification comparison to assess the crop-fallow rotation cycle/jhum cycle. The chrono-sequential change of slash and burn area over the past 17 years showed a decreasing trend with the greater part of the shifting cultivation area being occupied by 2nd year crop fields, covering 48.81% of total jhum land. On average, 114.46 km² area were annually slashed for current jhum, out of which 33.41% continued with current jhum 2nd year cropping and only 3.27% of jhumias continued with 3rd year cropping. The shifting cultivation patches were mostly confined to moderately steep slopes (15°–30°). East facing aspect was mostly preferred and North facing aspect was least preferred. During the study period, 10 years jhum cycle covered the maximum area followed by 9 years and 11 years jhum cycle. The end result of this study proved that the prevalent jhum cycle in Champhai district is 8–11 years with a fallow period of 6–9 years.     

Performance evaluation and bias correction of gridded precipitation products over Arun River Basin in Nepal for hydrological applications

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - An accurate estimation of precipitation amount is crucial for various studies and planning related to water resource management, effective flood prediction and...