AffectRoute – considering people’s affective responses to environments for enhancing route-planning services

Humans perceive and evaluate environments affectively. Some places are experienced as unsafe, while some others as attractive and interesting. These affective responses to environments influence people’s daily behavior and decision-making in space, e.g., choosing which route to take, or which place to visit. In this article, we report on a methodology of using people’s affective responses to environments for enhancing computer-based route planning. More specifically, we explore a crowdsourcing approach to model and collect people’s affective responses to environments; an Affect-Space-Model and a mobile application are developed to facilitate this crowdsourcing approach; a routing algorithm (named AffectRoute) is then proposed to aggregate and integrate the collected data for automatic route planning. Evaluation with human participants shows that the routes generated by considering people’s affective responses to environments are significantly preferred over the conventional shortest ones, which are employed in car navigation systems and many online route planners. In conclusion, considering people’s affective responses to environments contributes to the improvement of automatic route planning. The proposed method can be integrated into existing route-planning services (e.g., location-based services) to provide users with more satisfying routing results.     

Determination of Partition Coefficients of Metals in Natural Tropical Water

The values for the partition coefficient (K_d) were calculated for Ca, Mg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Ni, and Zn at 19 sites in the Capivara hydroelectric reservoir in Brazil. It was found that the relative values of K_d follow the order: Cr > Mn > Fe > Cu > Zn > Ni > Pb > Ca > Cd, differing from the values reported for K_d in aquatic systems in the northern hemisphere. A hierarchical cluster analysis and linear correlations showed that Cr is strongly associated with Fe and Cu, and that Cd is the only metal found in complexation with organic matter, explaining its higher solubility.     

Mesoarchean (3.0 and 2.86 Ga) host rocks of the iron oxide–Cu–Au Bacaba deposit,Carajás Mineral Province: U–Pb geochronology and metallogenetic implications

The Bacaba iron oxide–copper–gold deposit, situated within a WNW–ESE-striking shear zone in the Carajás Domain, Carajás Mineral Province, is hosted by the Serra Dourada Granite, the Bacaba Tonalite, and crosscutting gabbro intrusions, which were intensely affected by sodic (albite–scapolite), potassic, chloritic, and hydrolytic hydrothermal alteration. This deposit is located 7 km northeast of the world-class Sossego iron oxide–copper–gold deposit and might represent a distal and deeper portion of the same or related hydrothermal system. The U–Pb laser ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry data for zircon from a sodically altered sample of the Serra Dourada Granite yielded a 2,860±22 Ma (MSWD=11.5) age. Three samples from the Bacaba Tonalite, including one with potassic alteration and two with Cu–Au mineralization, rendered the 3,001.2±3.6 Ma (MSWD=1.8), 2,990.9±5.8 Ma (MSWD=1.9), and 3,004.6±9 Ma (MSWD=2.2) ages, respectively. The ca. 2.86 and ca. 3.0 Ga ages are interpreted as the timing of the igneous crystallization of the Serra Dourada Granite and the Bacaba Tonalite, respectively, and represent the oldest magmatic events recognized in the Carajás Domain. The Serra Dourada Granite and the Bacaba Tonalite are interpreted to greatly predate the genesis of the Bacaba deposit. A genetic link is improbable in the light of the similarities with the Sossego deposit, which is also hosted by younger ca. 2.76 Ga metavolcano-sedimentary units of the Itacaiúnas Supergroup. In this context, the iron oxide–copper–gold deposits in the southern sector of the Carajás Domain could be mainly controlled by important crustal discontinuities, such as a regional shear zone, rather than be associated with a particular rock type. These results expand the potential for occurrences of iron oxide–copper–gold deposits within the Mesoarchean basement rocks underlying the Carajás Basin, particularly those crosscut by Neoarchean shear zones.     

New Albian macro- and palynoflora from the Negev (Israel) with description of a new gymnosperm morphotaxon

New plant macrofossil localities are found in the middle-upper part of the Albian Upper Hatira Formation of Makhtesh Qatan, an erosion crater in the northern Negev. These are so far the only outcrop localities in the Negev containing plant compressions and well-preserved sporomorphs. Their age assignments are controlled by the ammonite Knemiceras records below and above the plant-bearing sequence in the adjacent Makhtesh Hatira. The macrofossil assemblages are strikingly different in the sandy fluvial and shaly lacustrine facies, the former being dominated by Araucaria, Athrotaxopsis, Brachyphyllum and pinnatifid Sapindopsis, comparable at the plant assemblage and leaf morphological levels to the early to early late Albian assemblage of the North American Potomac flora. The lacustrine shale macrofossil assemblages appear archaic on account of their diverse pteridophyte component and sparse angiosperm remains. A new supposedly gnetophytic genus and species Qataniaria noae Krassilov, gen. et sp. nov. is dominant in the shale horizon. The sporomorph assemblages are strongly dominated by psilate trilete spores (87-93%). In the absence of elaterate forms, the angiosperm pollen Afropollis jardinus, Pennipollis, Tricolpites spp. and Walkeripollis sp. is consistent with the early Albian age. The abundance and diversity of conifers and the prominence of the fern bog assemblage suggest a relatively humid phase of the regional Albian climates.     

A case study on the correlation of micro-contaminants and potassium in the Leine River (Germany)

River monitoring with focus on the correlation of 41 micro-contaminants with K⁺ and its temporal and spatial variation was carried out in the Leine River (Germany). A positive correlation of concentrations of wastewater-related micro-contaminants and K⁺ is to be expected in receiving waters of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent since urine is a significant source of K⁺ in WWTP effluent. This correlation was found for compounds, which meet the following criteria: (1) WWTP effluent is the dominating source of the compound, (2) variability of its mass flux in the WWTP is negligible, and (3) the compound is persistent in WWTPs and in the environment. The excellent positive correlation of carbamazepine with K⁺ resulted in the fitting of a universal linear equation to the summer and winter data. For almost all other correlating compounds (1H-benzotriazole, citalopram, diclofenac, metoprolol, sotalol, sulfamethoxazole and tolyltriazole), slopes of the line fittings were steeper in winter (x-axis: K⁺, y-axis: respective micro-contaminant). This has been attributed to a presumed lower degree of degradation and attenuation within WWTPs and in the environment due to low temperatures as well as an increase in consumption of these compounds in the winter months. As part of this research, a sampling event along the entire flow path of the Leine River (∼280 km) was conducted to identify compounds demonstrating stable ratios of various respective micro-contaminants with K⁺. Among other compounds, carbamazepine, sulfamethoxazole, and tolyltriazole demonstrated the best correlations with R² > 0.89. Potassium-equivalents of the individual micro-contaminants depended on land use and population structure of the investigated river section.     

Experimental Study of the Brittle Behavior of Clay shale in Rapid Unconfined Compression

The mechanical behavior of clay shales is of great interest in many branches of geo-engineering, including nuclear waste disposal, underground excavations, and deep well drilling. Observations from test galleries (Mont Terri, Switzerland and Bure, France) in these materials have shown that the rock mass response near the excavation is associated with brittle failure processes combined with bedding parallel shearing. To investigate the brittle failure characteristics of the Opalinus Clay recovered from the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory, a series of 19 unconfined uniaxial compression tests were performed utilizing servo-controlled testing procedures. All specimens were tested at their natural water content with loading approximately normal to the bedding. Acoustic emission (AE) measurements were utilized to help quantify stress levels associated with crack initiation and propagation. The unconfined compression strength of the tested specimens averaged 6.9 MPa. The crack initiation threshold occurred at approximately 30% of the rupture stress based on analyzing both the acoustic emission measurements and the stress–strain behavior. The crack damage threshold showed large variability and occurred at approximately 70% of the rupture stress.     

The remarkable occurrence of large rainfall-induced debris flows at two different locations on July 12, 2008, Southern Sierra Nevada, CA, USA

On July 12, 2008, two convective cells about 155 km apart produced a brief period of intense rainfall triggering large debris flows in the southern Sierra Nevada. The northernmost cell was centered over Oak Creek Canyon, an east-flowing drainage, and its tributaries near Independence, CA, USA. About 5:00 p.m., debris flows passed down the South Fork and North Fork of Oak Creek to merge into a large single feature whose passage affected the historic Mt. Whitney Fish hatchery and blocked California State Highway 395. At about the same time, the southernmost cell was largely centered over Erskine Creek, a main tributary of the west-flowing Kern River. Debris flows issued from several branches to coalesce into a large debris flow that passed along Erskine Creek, through the town of Lake Isabella, CA, USA and into the Kern River. It was observed reaching Lake Isabella about 6:30 p.m. Both debris flows caused significant disruption and damage to local communities.     

Ontogenetic habitat use by mangrove/seagrass-associated coral reef fishes shows flexibility in time and space

Tropical shallow-water habitats such as mangroves and seagrass beds are widely acknowledged as important juvenile habitats for various coral reef fish species, most of which are commercially important to fisheries. Spatio-temporal variability in ontogenetic habitat use by fish among these tropical coastal ecosystems has rarely been investigated, yet there are sufficient reasons to believe that this plays an important role. In the present study, we test the spatio-temporal variability in patterns of ontogenetic habitat use by some mangrove/seagrass-associated coral reef fishes (Lethrinus harak, Lethrinus lentjan, Lutjanus fulviflamma and Siganus sutor). Abundances of these four species were investigated during two years in Tanzanian coastal waters, using underwater visual census in mangrove, seagrass, shallow and deep mudflat, and shallow and deep coral reef habitats. The study covered four distinct seasons of the year and was done at two spatially separated (>40 km) locations. Averaged across locations, seasons and years, juveniles (≤10 cm length) of the four study species had significantly higher relative densities in shallow-water (mangroves and seagrass beds) than in deep-water habitats (deep mudflats or coral reefs), whereas the opposite pattern was found for the adults (>15 cm). These findings suggest a strong and general pattern of ontogenetic habitat shifts from shallow- to deep-water habitats. However, specific habitat-use patterns of juveniles as well as adults differed significantly in time and space. Various species showed subtle to considerable flexibility in juvenile as well as adult habitat use across seasons, years, or at different locations. Furthermore, for some species the data suggest presence of ontogenetic habitat shifts at one location but lack thereof at the other location. In summary, ontogenetic habitat use needs to be considered at various spatial and temporal scales for the interpretation of habitat utilization by fish during different life stages. This is important for conservation and management of these habitats, as essential habitats or seasons may be ignored or over-emphasized with respect to their importance for fish during different parts of their life cycle.     

High resolution regional climate model simulations for Germany: part I—validation

A five-member ensemble of regional climate model (RCM) simulations for Europe, with a high resolution nest over Germany, is analysed in a two-part paper: Part I (the current paper) presents the performance of the models for the control period, and Part II presents results for near future climate changes. Two different RCMs, CLM and WRF, were used to dynamically downscale simulations with the ECHAM5 and CCCma3 global climate models (GCMs), as well as the ERA40-reanalysis for validation purposes. Three realisations of ECHAM5 and one with CCCma3 were downscaled with CLM, and additionally one realisation of ECHAM5 with WRF. An approach of double nesting was used, first to an approximately 50 km resolution for entire Europe and then to a domain of approximately 7 km covering Germany and its near surroundings. Comparisons of the fine nest simulations are made to earlier high resolution simulations for the region with the RCM REMO for two ECHAM5 realisations. Biases from the GCMs are generally carried over to the RCMs, which can then reduce or worsen the biases. The bias of the coarse nest is carried over to the fine nest but does not change in amplitude, i.e. the fine nest does not add additional mean bias to the simulations. The spatial pattern of the wet bias over central Europe is similar for all CLM simulations, and leads to a stronger bias in the fine nest simulations compared to that of WRF and REMO. The wet bias in the CLM model is found to be due to a too frequent drizzle, but for higher intensities the distributions are well simulated with both CLM and WRF at the 50 and 7 km resolutions. Also the spatial distributions are close to high resolution gridded observations. The REMO model has low biases in the domain averages over Germany and no drizzle problem, but has a shift in the mean precipitation patterns and a strong overestimation of higher intensities. The GCMs perform well in simulating the intensity distribution of precipitation at their own resolution, but the RCMs add value to the distributions when compared to observations at the fine nest resolution.     

MIDI – the 10 μm instrument on the VLTI

After more than five years of preparation, the mid-infrared interferometric instrument MIDI has been transported to Paranal where it will undergo testing and commissioning on theVery Large Telescope Interferometer VLTI from the end of 2002through large part of this year 2003. Thereafter it will be available as a user instrument to perform interferometric observations over the8 μm–13 μm wavelength range, with a spatial resolution of typically 20 milliarcsec, a spectral resolution of up to 250, and an anticipated point source sensitivity of N = 3–4 mag or 1–2.5 Jy for self –fringe tracking, which will be the only observing mode during the first months of operation. We describe the layout of the instrument, laboratory tests, and expected performance, both for broadband and spectrally resolved observing modes. We also briefly outline the planned guaranteed time observations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.