Ethnic change and diversity in England, 1981–2001

The paper compares ethnic change and diversity across two recent decades using common group and area definitions. Ethnic minority groups are shown to be growing rapidly at 41 per cent between 1981 and 1991 and 39 per cent between 1991 and 2001. Some groups have grown swiftly (Black Africans, Bangladeshis), while others have seen moderate expansion (Indians, Other Asians). The White population has hardly grown and the White British population has probably declined. Black and Ethnic Minority (BEM) populations remain concentrated in metropolitan areas in 2001 as in 1991 and 1981. Whereas between 1981 and 1991, BEM groups were concentrating into metropolitan areas, between 1991 and 2001 deconcentration began for most groups. The London region stands out as highly dominant, housing more than 50 per cent of BEM populations as a whole in 1991 and 2001. However, between 1991 and 2001, BEM groups grew outside their core areas. The consequence of BEM population growth and spread has been a dramatic increase in ethnic diversity in all regions.     

Micro-CT and FIB–SEM imaging and pore structure characterization of dolomite rock at multiple scales

With improvements of imaging techniques and computational power, Digital Rock Physics (DRP) has been increasingly used to determine transport and elastic properties of reservoir core plugs. Since numerical computations highly rely on accurate 3D representations of the porous microstructure of the rocks, the imaging technique and the scale at which the imaging is performed is a critical parameter. In this paper, we introduce a multiscale imaging workflow that uses both micro-X-ray tomography (micro-XCT) and focused ion beam combined with scanning electron microscope (FIB–SEM) to characterize a dolomite rock from the microscale to the nanoscale. This allows for the accurate capture of the different heterogeneities that exist in the carbonate (texture, mineralogy, pore size). The reconstructed microporous structures were then used to successfully predict elastic and permeability properties of selected carbonate.     

Characterization of complex fluvial systems using remote sensing of spatial and temporal water level variations in the Amazon,Congo, and Brahmaputra Rivers

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission will provide global, space‐based estimates of water elevation, its temporal change, and its spatial slope in fluvial environments, as well as across lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, and floodplains. This paper illustrates the utility of existing remote sensing measurements of water temporal changes and spatial slope to characterize two complex fluvial environments. First, repeat‐pass interferometric SAR measurements from the Japanese Earth Resources Satellite are used to compare and contrast floodplain processes in the Amazon and Congo River basins. Measurements of temporal water level changes over the two areas reveal clearly different hydraulic processes at work. The Amazon is highly interconnected by floodplain channels, resulting in complex flow patterns. In contrast, the Congo does not show similar floodplain channels and the flow patterns are not well defined and have diffuse boundaries. During inundation, the Amazon floodplain often shows sharp hydraulic changes across floodplain channels. The Congo, however, does not show similar sharp changes during either infilling or evacuation. Second, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission measurements of water elevation are used to derive water slope over the braided Brahmaputra river system. In combination with in situ bathymetry measurements, water elevation and slope allow one to calculate discharge estimates within 2.3% accuracy. These two studies illustrate the utility of satellite‐based measurements of water elevation for characterizing complex fluvial environments, and highlight the potential of SWOT measurements for fluvial hydrology. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Drainage Network and Lineament Analysis： An Approach for Potwar Plateau （Northern Pakistan）

Drainage responds rapidly to tectonic changes and thus it is a potential parameter for teetonogeomorphological analysis. Drainage network of Potwar is a good geological record of movement, displacements, regional uplifts and erosion of the tectonic units. This study focuses on utilizing drainage network extracted from Shuttle Radar Digital Elevation Data （SRTM-DEM） in order to constrain the structure of the Potwar Plateau. SWAN syncline divides Potwar into northern Potwar deformed zone （NPDZ） and southern Potwar platform zone （SPPZ）. We extracted the drainage network from DEM and analyzed 112 streams using stream power law. Spatial distribution of concavity and steepness indices were used to prepare uplift rate map for the area. DEM was further utilized to extract lineaments to study the mutual relationship between lineaments and drainage patterns. We compared the local correlation between the extracted lineaments and drainage network of the area that gives us quantitative information and shows promising prospects. The streams in the NPDZ indicate high steepness values as compared to the streams in the SPPZ. The spatial distribution of geomorphic parameters distinctive deformation and uplift rates suggest the among eastern, central and western parts. The local correlation between drainage network and lineaments from DEM is strongly positive in the area within I km of radius.     

Toxic hexavalent chromium reduction by Bacillus pumilis,Cellulosimicrobium cellulans and Exiguobacterium

Three bacterial strains B acillus pumilis,Cellulosimicrobium cellulans and Exiguobacterium were investigated when grown in Luria-Bertani(LB) medium at 500 μg/m L Cr(VI). The hexavalent chromium reduction was measured by growing the strains in De Leo and Ehrlich(1994) medium at 200 and 400 μg/m L K 2 Cr O 4. The optimal Cr(VI) reduction by strains B. pumilis,Exigubacterium and C. cellulans was 51%,39%,and 41%,respectively,at an initial K2 Cr O 4 concentration of 200 μg/m L at p H 3 and temperature 37°C. At an initial chromate concentration of 400 μg/m L,the Cr(VI) reduction by strains B. pumilis,Exigubacterium and C. cellulans was 24%,19%,and 18%,respectively at p H 3 at 37°C after 24 h. These strains have ability to reduce toxic hexavalent chromium to the less mobile trivalent chromium at a wide range of different environmental conditions and can be useful for the treatment of contaminated wastewater and soils.     

Diagnostic study of spring dusty days over the southwest region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Arabian Journal of Geosciences - Three classes of dust over the southwest region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were classified based on both the values and distribution of the TOMS Aerosol Index....     

Statistical analysis of signal measurement in time-of-flight cameras

Three-dimensional imaging systems have evolved significantly in the last two decades due to increase in demand for tasks in the field of close range photogrammetry. The fast and growing need of 3D imaging devices has given rise to range image technology, especially time-of-flight (TOF) cameras, that provide direct measurement of distance between the camera and the targeted surface. A significant advantage of TOF devices over traditional range data sensors is their capability to provide frame rate range data over a full image array. In phase shift TOF cameras, phase shift sampling of the received signal is used to measure amplitude, phase and the offset (intensity) of the received signal. As a result, the quality of the measurement of these sensors depends heavily on signal-to-noise (SNR) of the incoming signal and the subsequent processing algorithms. A detailed understanding of the statistical distributions of the measurement parameters is crucial for accurate distance measurement analysis especially in low SNR scenarios. In this paper, we provide explicit noise models for the three parameters of amplitude, phase and intensity. The proposed stochastic model helps in investigating the effect of noise on signal and classifying range data reliability in TOF cameras. The model is used for prediction of errors in a TOF camera under various SNR conditions. Experimental verification confirms the validity of the model using real data for range error classification under different noise conditions.     

Adaptation to climate change in Uganda: Evidence from micro level data

This study employed data from the 2005/06 Uganda national household survey to identify adaptation strategies and factors governing their choice in Uganda's agricultural production. Factors that mediate or hinder adaptation across different shocks and strategies include age of the household head, access to credit and extension facilities and security of land tenure. There are also differences in choice of adaptation strategies by agro-climatic zone. The appropriate policy level responses should complement the autonomous adaptation strategies by facilitating technology adoption and availing information to farmers not only with regard to climate related forecasts but available weather and pest resistant varieties.