Small Outliers Research Articles

Features of Bearing on Underwater Object Using Phase Information of a Differential Stereo Sensor

Introduction. Safety of navigation and development of underwater mineral deposits require the accurate detection of various underwater objects. The literature discusses the issues of tracking their motion and trajectory. Sonar methods are proposed to maintain high accuracy of underwater object positioning. High accuracy of the bearing of stereo sensors with an ultrashort base is noted. However, this equipment is sensitive to the sampling rate of the signals, which causes “sampling noise”. There are no publicly available publications dedicated to the solution to this problem. The presented study is designed to fill this gap. This work is aimed to study the possibility of obtaining data clarifying information about the bearing of underwater objects through using the phase information about echoed probing signals and an additional procedure for resampling the source data.Materials and Methods. The location of the object was determined using the experimental complex for studying hydroacoustic sensors created by V.A. Shirokov and V.N. Milich at the Udmurt Federal Research Center, the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. A stereo sensor with a small base (30 mm) was used compared to the distance to the object (≈800–900 mm). Digital filtering methods and mathematical apparatus of correlation analysis of return hydroacoustic signals obtained by the phase method were used for data processing.Results. The results of comparing two methods for determining the bearing on an object are presented: by the difference in the time of arrival of the pulse-leading edges and by the maximum of the cross-correlation function (CCF). The change in bearing as the object moves, is graphically shown. The use of the leading edge of the signal caused small outliers of values along the entire bearing curve (less than 0.12 rad). At the maximum CCF, emissions were recorded only in some areas, but they were quite significant (about 0.17 rad). It showed how to select points corresponding to a smoother and more valid object trajectory, and how to work with erroneous points. The presented method of error correction can be implemented programmatically. With a quasi-harmonious signal, rare measurements of the original signal are interpolated by frequent calculated values. Thanks to this virtual increase in the sampling rate (oversampling), intermediate indicators can be recorded in the digitized source data. Interpolation of the signal values by a cubic spline allowed us to obtain 20 points for 1 period of the signal instead of 5 points in the original version. In this case, the trajectory formed with the maximum CCF is more correct.Discussion and Conclusion. The direction-finding problem can be solved with the accuracy required for practical application. Taking into account the factor of smoothness and continuity of the object's trajectory makes it possible to qualitatively correct the selection of the maximum of the cross-correlation function of the stereo sensor signals. The proposed methods have great potential for the development of underwater vision systems.

Perilunate Dislocations: Cadaveric Model K-Wire Versus Compression Staple Fixation

Repair of perilunate dislocations requires stabilization of the carpal bones, although there is limited research on the preferred method(s) of stabilization. We compared the biomechanical characteristics of K-wire versus staple fixation of scapholunate (SL) and lunotriquetral (LT) intervals in the wrist. After creating a grade IV instability model, 20 cadaver wrists were randomized into 2 stabilization model groups using K-wires or surgical staples across the SL and LT intervals. For each ligament, two K-wires or one surgical staple was used to stabilize the proximal carpal row. Each wrist was loaded with 15 N of force and cycled 5,000 times at an angular velocity of 10 rpm. Displacement between bones was measured at different cycles (10, 100, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, and 5,000). A t test was used for comparisons. For the LT K-wire group, the average displacement at 10 cycles was 0.08 mm, and at 5,000 cycles, 0.163 mm. For the SL K-wire group, the average displacement at 10 cycles was 0.025 mm, and at 5,000 cycles, 0.129 mm. For the LT and SL staple fixation models, the average shifts at 10 cycles were 0.029 and 0.063 mm, and at 5,000 cycles, 0.098 and 0.176 mm, respectively. No significant difference between the fixation models was found at any interval. Notably, in each group, a similar number of small outliers with higher amounts of displacement was observed. Either K-wire or surgical staple stabilization is suitable for perilunate dislocations. The surgical method should be selected based on patient-specific circumstances and the provider's judgment. Therapeutic III.

Comprehensive assessment of the risks of sedentary work

Recent research shows that musculoskeletal disorders remain a major health and cost problem and their importance is growing. This is reflected in the fact that musculoskeletal disorders are one of the top three concerns for European companies. The Community strategy on health and safety at work highlights the importance of better adapting the workplace to individual needs and the effective application of key ergonomic principles in workplace design and work organisation. Despite continuous efforts, musculoskeletal disorders - back, neck and upper limb - remain a major health and cost burden. The work-body position has a similar perception, with relatively small outliers, but the proportion of working time spent on manual handling or repetitive hand or arm movements is steadily increasing. Recent European research also demonstrates that musculoskeletal disorders - back, neck and upper limb - remain a major health and cost problem and their importance is increasing. This is also indicated by the fact that musculoskeletal disorders are among the top three causes of concern for occupational health and safety in European companies. This is why we chose to focus our research on a comprehensive assessment of the potential risks associated with sedentary work and to investigate the risk analysis methods that can be applied, using a laboratory work example.

New exposure of the Cretaceous–Paleogene unconformity and Paleocene–Eocene pebble bed in the Paleogene outlier at Collier's End, Hertfordshire, UK

The Paleogene outlier at Collier's End, Hertfordshire lies on the northern rim of the London Basin. This small outlier has archaeological and geological significance. Silica-cemented concretions of Hertfordshire Puddingstone lie within a regionally mappable pebble bed. The first discovery of a Roman quarry to recover puddingstone for manufacture of querns was made in the outlier. A rare complete section from the Chalk Group up through the Paleogene was temporarily exposed in 2021 and is recorded here. The Paleogene shows features that may be associated with the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). The chalk in the new exposure is Late Coniacian. This age provides further evidence of relatively deep erosion of the chalk in this area, as erosion of chalk at the crest of a regional dome preceded advances and retreats of the western shore of the Paleogene North Sea. These events may be linked to the early development of the Icelandic mantle plume.

Reliability of the ERA5 in Replicating Mean and Extreme Temperatures across Europe

ERA5 is widely considered as a valid proxy of observation at region scales. Surface air temperature from the E-OBS database and 196 meteorological stations across Europe are being applied for evaluation of the fifth-generation ECMWF reanalysis ERA5 temperature data in the period of 1981–2010. In general, ERA5 captures the mean and extreme temperatures very well and ERA5 is reliable for climate investigation over Europe. High correlations ranging from 0.995 to 1.000 indicate that ERA5 could capture the annual cycle very well. However, the high mean biases and high Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) for some European sub-regions (e.g., the Alps, the Mediterranean) reveal that ERA5 underestimates temperatures. The biases can be mainly attributed to the altitude differences between ERA5 grid points and stations. Comparing ERA5 with the other two datasets, ERA5 temperature presents more extreme temperature and small outliers for regions southern of 40° latitude and less extreme temperatures in areas over the Black Sea. In Scandinavia, ERA5 temperatures are more frequently extreme than the observational ones.

The Duration and Geodynamics of Formation of the Angara–Vitim Batholith: Results of U–Pb Isotope (LA-ICP-MS) Dating of Magmatic and Detrital Zircons

Abstract —We present results of U–Pb (LA-ICP-MS) dating of detrital zircons from the alluvial deposits of the Angarakan River (North Muya Ridge, northern Baikal region), whose drainage basin is composed mainly of granitoids of the Barguzin Complex, typomorphic for the late Paleozoic Angara–Vitim batholith (AVB). Three age clusters with peaks at 728, 423, and 314 Ma have been identified in the studied population of detrital zircons. It is shown that small outliers of igneous and metamorphic rocks, probably similar to the large AVB roof pendants mapped beyond the drainage basin, are the source of Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic zircons. The late Paleozoic cluster comprises two close peaks at 314 and 28 Ma, which totally “overlap” with the time of the AVB formation and mark a granitoid source of the zircons. The results of detrital-zircon geochronology, together with the data on bedrocks, point to the prolonged (~40 Myr) formation of the AVB, but the intensity of magmatism during this period calls for additional study. Based on the analysis of published geological, geochemical, and geochronological data, we assume that the AVB resulted from the plume–lithosphere interaction that began in the compression setting and gave way to extension 305–300 Ma (the Carboniferous–Permian boundary), which caused replacement of “crustal” granitoids by granitoids formed from a mixed mantle–crustal source.

Upper Ordovician (Sandbian–Katian) carbonate outliers in the northern Ottawa–Bonnechere graben (central Canada): records of transgressions and sedimentation patterns in the Laurentian platform interior

Small Ordovician sedimentary outliers, including Brent Crater, within the northern Ottawa–Bonnechere graben are remnants of a once expansive Upper Ordovician sedimentary cover extending across the southern Canadian Shield. Facies successions along with updated macrofossil and conodont biostratigraphy, and isotope (C, O, Sr) chemostratigraphy provide additional insights into the terrestrial-to-marine transformation, carbonate-platform development, and oceanographic communication across the southern Laurentian platform. Four of the outliers document Sandbian shoreline-to-nearshore deposition: near Deux Rivières, Manitou Islands, the upper part of the Brent Crater sedimentary fill, and at nearby Cedar Lake. Marine transgression initially reworked local fine-grained to boulder-rich regolith within high-energy shoreface siliciclastic environments that gave way to low- to high-energy inner carbonate-ramp setting. Continued transgression resulted in more offshore rhythmic and diverse lithofacies successions defining mixed heterozoan, photozoan, and microbial productivity and marine isotope (C, Sr) signatures, but δ13C excursions suggest periods of greater mixing of terrestrial and marine carbon reservoirs. Lower Katian strata are preserved near Lake Nipissing and characterize deepening from high-energy ooid-heterozoan skeletal shoals to deeper water mid-ramp siliciclastics and skeletal carbonates, host to a Cruziana ichnofacies. An upsection decline in δ13C values through this succession may identify deposition during the post-peak decline of the global Guttenberg δ13C excursion. This lithic succession fits well with contemporary expansion of heterozoan skeletal lithofacies across the Laurentian platform, yet the presence of ooids identifies prevailing warm waters within the platform interior during early stages of transgression.

Chapter 13 Siliciclastic sedimentation in a foreland basin to the Sveconorwegian orogen and dolerites (0.98–0.95 Ga) related to intracratonic rifting

Abstract Sub-ophitic, equigranular or plagioclase-phyric dolerite dykes, referred to as the Blekinge–Dalarna dolerite (BDD) swarm, were emplaced during the time span 0.98–0.95 Ga and trend NNE–NNW in an arcuate fashion, parallel to and east of the Sveconorwegian orogen. Dolerite sills are locally present. These rocks are subalkaline to alkaline with a monzogabbroic or gabbroic composition and show a predominantly within-plate tectonic affinity. ɛ Nd and ɛ Hf values fall in the range −2 to +4 and +1 to +5, respectively. Siliciclastic sedimentary rocks (Almesåkra Group) in a small outlier in southern Sweden were deposited in an aeolian to fluviatile or lacustrine environment and an arid or semi-arid warm palaeoclimate, coevally with the dolerite sills. Smaller occurrences of sandstone with peperitic field relationships to the BDD dykes are known from other localities. The spatial distribution, orientation and age of the BDD magmatic suite suggest roughly east–west extension in the eastern, cratonic foreland to the Sveconorwegian orogen during the latest phase of this mountain-building event, the age data tentatively suggesting a younging to the east. The siliciclastic sedimentary rocks represent an erosional relict of a larger and spatially much more extensive early Tonian foreland basin to this orogen, as proposed earlier on the basis of fission-track thermochronology.

Post-Paleozoic evolution of the northern Ardenne Massif constrained by apatite fission-track thermochronology and geological data

The exhumation history of basement areas is poorly constrained because of large gaps in the sedimentary record. Indirect methods including low temperature thermochronology may be used to estimate exhumation but these require an inverse modeling procedure to interpret the data. Solutions from such modeling are not always satisfactory as they may be too broad or may conflict with independent geological data. This study shows that the input of geological constraints is necessary to obtain a valuable and refined exhumation history and to identify the presence of a former sedimentary cover presently completely eroded. Apatite fission-track (AFT) data have been acquired on the northern part of the Ardenne Massif close to the Variscan front and in the southern Brabant, in particular for the Visean ash-beds. Apatite fission-track ages for surface samples range between 140 ± 13 and 261 ± 33 Ma and confined tracks lengths are ranging between 12.6 ± 0.2 and 13.8 ± 0.2 μm. Thermal inversion has been realized assuming that (1) samples were close to the surface (20–40 °C) during Triassic times, this is supported by remnants of detrital Upper Permian–Triassic sediments preserved in the south of the Ardenne and in the east (border of the Roer Graben and Malmédy Graben), and (2) terrestrial conditions prevailed during the Early Cretaceous for the Ardenne Massif, as indicated by radiometric ages on paleoweathering products. Inversion of the AFT data characterizes higher temperatures than surface temperatures during most of the Jurassic. Temperature range is wide but is compatible with the deposition on the northern Ardenne of a significant sedimentary cover, which has been later eroded during the Late Jurassic and/or the Early Cretaceous. Despite the presence of small outliers of Late Cretaceous (Hautes Fagnes area), no evidence is recorded by the fission-track data for the deposition of a significant chalk cover as highlighted in different parts of western Europe. These results question the existence of the London-Brabant Massif as a permanent positive structure during the Mesozoic.

Trend-Residual Dual Modeling for Detection of Outliers in Low-Cost GPS Trajectories.

Low-cost GPS (receiver) has become a ubiquitous and integral part of our daily life. Despite noticeable advantages such as being cheap, small, light, and easy to use, its limited positioning accuracy devalues and hampers its wide applications for reliable mapping and analysis. Two conventional techniques to remove outliers in a GPS trajectory are thresholding and Kalman-based methods, which are difficult in selecting appropriate thresholds and modeling the trajectories. Moreover, they are insensitive to medium and small outliers, especially for low-sample-rate trajectories. This paper proposes a model-based GPS trajectory cleaner. Rather than examining speed and acceleration or assuming a pre-determined trajectory model, we first use cubic smooth spline to adaptively model the trend of the trajectory. The residuals, i.e., the differences between the trend and GPS measurements, are then further modeled by time series method. Outliers are detected by scoring the residuals at every GPS trajectory point. Comparing to the conventional procedures, the trend-residual dual modeling approach has the following features: (a) it is able to model trajectories and detect outliers adaptively; (b) only one critical value for outlier scores needs to be set; (c) it is able to robustly detect unapparent outliers; and (d) it is effective in cleaning outliers for GPS trajectories with low sample rates. Tests are carried out on three real-world GPS trajectories datasets. The evaluation demonstrates an average of 9.27 times better performance in outlier detection for GPS trajectories than thresholding and Kalman-based techniques.

History study of steppe vegetation in the Middle-Volga Complex Biosphere Reserve

Middle-Volga complex biosphere reserve is a specially-protected natural area in Samara region. The reserve was established in 2006 on the basis of Zhiguli reserve named after I. Sprygina and National Park Samarskaya Luka and became the first integrated biosphere reserve in Russia. The main purpose of the reserve is to ensure the conservation of Zhiguli landscapes and forest-steppe complexes of Middle Volga region, the organization of environmental monitoring and the development of careful environmental management system. The most valuable for research are fragments preserved in the reserve steppe areas, found only in small outlier unplowed areas in the southern and south-western part of Samarskaya Luka, in the Zhiguli and Sengileevskaya mountains. These are the remains of the steppe vegetation that once covered much of the plateau reserve. Although currently they are only small areas they cover all types of steppes in Samara region: meadow (north) steppe, present or feather-fescue (south), as well as special versions of steppe shrubs, rocky and sandy. The uniqueness of the reserve nature, biodiversity, a large number of rare, endemic and relict species and communities could not but attract the attention of botanists from various periods. We consider the most important works from the point of view of studying the steppe vegetation.

Photometric redshifts and model spectral energy distributions of galaxies from the SDSS-III BOSS DR10 data

We construct a set of model spectra specifically designed to match the colours of the Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey CMASS galaxies and to be used with photometric redshift template fitting techniques. As a basis, we use a set of spectral energy distributions(SEDs) of single and composite stellar population models. These models cannot describe well the whole colour range populated by the CMASS galaxies at all redshifts, wherefore we modify them by multiplying the SEDs with λ −β for λ > λ i for different values of λ i and β. When fitting these SEDs to the colours of the CMASS sample, with a burst and dust components in superposition, we can recreate the location in colour spaces inhabited by the CMASS galaxies. From the best-fitting models, we select a small subset in a two-dimensional plane, whereto the galaxies were mapped by a self-organizing map. These models are used for the estimation of photometric redshifts with a Bayesian template fitting code. The photometric redshifts with the novel templates have a very small outlier rate of 0.22 per cent, a low bias 〈Δz/(1 + z)〉 = 2.0 × 10 −3 , and scatter of σ 68 = 0.026 in the rest frame. Using our models, the galaxy colours are reproduced to a better extent with the photometric redshifts of this work than with photometric redshifts of Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

Robust cubature Kalman filter target tracking algorithm based on genernalized M-estiamtion

Target tracking has been introduced as a key point in the physical applications, such as passive sonar and chaotic communication etc. It is typically a nonlinear filtering problem to estimate the position and the velocity of a target from noise-corrupted measurements. Some approaches have been proposed for the problem, such as the extended Kalman filter, the unscented Kalman filter, and the cubature Kalman filter (CKF). However, they are effective only in the Gaussian and white assumption for the measurements. Actually, the measurements are easily polluted by the measurement outliers in practice. The measurement outliers may lead to inaccurate performance due to non-symmetrical or non-Gaussian property. In order to cope with the measurement outliers in nonlinear target tracking system, a robust filtering algorithm called the M-estimation based robust cubature Kalman filter (MR-CKF) is proposed for the target tracking problem. Firstly, the nonlinear measurement equation is transformed into an equivalently linear form according to the orthogonal vector, and then the Gaussian extremal function of the target tracking can be obtained by the constrained total least square (CTLS) criterion. By employing the Huber's robust score function, the Gaussian extremal function is further rendered into a robust extremal function, thus the generalized M-estimation can be introduced to the CKF without linearization approximation. The only difference between the Gaussian extremal function and the robust extremal function is the weight matrix, implying that the CKF solution framework does not change and the virtues of both the CKF and M-estimation can be fully utilized such as derivative-free, high accuracy and robust performance. Furthermore, an improved Huber equivalent weight function is designed for the MR-CKF based on the Mahalanobis distance. The outliers' judge threshold is determined according to the confidence level of Chi-square distribution and improper empirical value of the Huber's method can be avoided. In addition, the improved Huber weight function reduces weights of small outliers and removes large outliers, and this is more robust and reasonable than the Huber's method. Moreover, the statistical information of outliers is also not required. Theoretical analysis and numerical results show that the proposed filtering algorithm can improve the accuracy and robustness than the conventional robust algorithms.

Tree Migration-Rates: Narrowing the Gap between Inferred Post-Glacial Rates and Projected Rates

Faster-than-expected post-glacial migration rates of trees have puzzled ecologists for a long time. In Europe, post-glacial migration is assumed to have started from the three southern European peninsulas (southern refugia), where large areas remained free of permafrost and ice at the peak of the last glaciation. However, increasing palaeobotanical evidence for the presence of isolated tree populations in more northerly microrefugia has started to change this perception. Here we use the Northern Eurasian Plant Macrofossil Database and palaeoecological literature to show that post-glacial migration rates for trees may have been substantially lower (60–260 m yr–1) than those estimated by assuming migration from southern refugia only (115–550 m yr–1), and that early-successional trees migrated faster than mid- and late-successional trees. Post-glacial migration rates are in good agreement with those recently projected for the future with a population dynamical forest succession and dispersal model, mainly for early-successional trees and under optimal conditions. Although migration estimates presented here may be conservative because of our assumption of uniform dispersal, tree migration-rates clearly need reconsideration. We suggest that small outlier populations may be a key factor in understanding past migration rates and in predicting potential future range-shifts. The importance of outlier populations in the past may have an analogy in the future, as many tree species have been planted beyond their natural ranges, with a more beneficial microclimate than their regional surroundings. Therefore, climate-change-induced range-shifts in the future might well be influenced by such microrefugia.

Quetiapine versus typical antipsychotic medications for schizophrenia

Quetiapine is a widely used atypical antipsychotic drug for schizophrenia that has been on the market for over a decade. However, It is not clear how the effects of quetiapine differ from typical antipsychotics. To review the effects of quetiapine in comparison with typical antipsychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like psychosis. We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group Trials Register (March 2010), and inspected references of all identified studies. We included all randomised control trials comparing oral quetiapine with typical antipsychotic drugs in people with schizophrenia or schizophrenia-like psychosis. We extracted data independently. For dichotomous data, we calculated risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) using a random-effects model. We presented chosen outcomes in a 'Summary of findings' table and comparative risks where appropriate. For continuous data, we calculated mean differences (MD) based on a random-effects model. We assessed risk of bias for included studies. The review includes 43 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with 7217 participants. Most studies were from China. The percentages of participants leaving the studies early were similar (36.5% in quetiapine group and 36.9% in typical antipsychotics group) and no significant difference between groups was apparent for leaving early due to any reason (23 RCTs n = 3576 RR 0.91 CI 0.81 to 1.01, moderate quality evidence), however, fewer participants in the quetiapine group left the studies early due to adverse events (15 RCTs, n = 3010, RR 0.48 CI 0.30 to 0.77).Overall global state was similar between groups (no clinically significant response; 16 RCTs, n = 1607, RR 0.96 CI 0.75 to 1.23, moderate quality evidence) and there was no significant difference in positive symptoms (PANSS positive subscore: 22 RCTs, n = 1934, MD 0.02 CI -0.39 to 0.43, moderate quality evidence). General psychopathology was equivocal (PANSS general psychopathology subscore: 18 RCTs, n = 1569, MD -0.20 CI -0.83 to 0.42) between those allocated to quetiapine and typical antipsychotics. However, quetiapine was statistically significantly more efficacious for negative symptoms (PANSS negative subscore: 22 RCTs, n = 1934, MD -0.82 CI -1.59 to -0.04, moderate quality evidence), however, this result was highly heterogeneous and driven by two small outlier studies with high effect sizes. Without these two studies, there was no heterogeneity and no statistically significant difference between quetiapine and typical antipsychotics.Compared with typical antipsychotics, quetiapine might cause fewer adverse effects (9 RCTs, n = 1985, RR 0.76 CI 0.64 to 0.90 number needed to treat to induce harm (NNTH) 10, CI 8 to 17), less abnormal ECG (2 RCTs, n = 165, RR 0.38 CI 0.16 to 0.92, NNTH 8, CI 4 to 55), fewer overall extrapyramidal effects (8 RCTs, n = 1,095, RR 0.17 CI 0.09 to 0.32, NNTH 3, CI 3 to 3, moderate quality evidence) and fewer specific extrapyramidal effects including akathisia, parkinsonism, dystonia and tremor. Moreover, it might cause lower prolactin level (4 RCTs, n = 1034, MD -16.20 CI -23.34 to -9.07, moderate quality evidence) and less weight gain compared with some typical antipsychotics in the short term (9 RCTs, n = 866, RR 0.52 CI 0.34 to 0.80, NNTH 8, CI 6 to 15).However, there was no significant difference between the two groups in suicide attempt, suicide, death, QTc prolongation, low blood pressure, tachycardia, sedation, gynaecomastia, galactorrhoea, menstrual irregularity and white blood cell count. Quetiapine may not differ from typical antipsychotics in the treatment of positive symptoms and general psychopathology. There are no clear differences in terms of the treatment of negative symptoms. However, it causes fewer adverse effects in terms of abnormal ECG, extrapyramidal effects, abnormal prolactin levels and weight gain.

Integrated interpretation of satellite imagery, aeromagnetic, aeroradiometric and ground exploration data-sets to delineate favorable target zones for unconformity related uranium mineralization, Khariar basin, Central India

The Mesoproterozoic Khariar basin, to the SE of Chhattisgarh basin, comprises 1000 m thick arenaceous-argillaceous sediments. For the first time, a multidisciplinary approach has been made to the integrate interpreted satellite imagery, aero-magnetic and aero-radiometric data with available ground exploration data sets with an objective to understand structural fabric and to establish various parameters for unconformity related uranium mineralization in the environs of Khariar basin. Total Magnetic Intensity (TMI) anomaly image has been useful to mark major faults (ENE-WSW), magnetic bodies and overall basement characteristics. Combination of first vertical derivative (1VD) and tilt derivative magnetic images brought out presence of NW-SE magnetic linear (dominant) with minor ENE-WSW and NNE-SSW trends. Basic dykes and quartz veins are the surface manifestations of NW-SE trend in basement. Radially averaged power spectrum indicates the approximate basement configuration. Enhanced Thematic Mapper satellite imagery (Landsat ETM+) interpretation has shown lineaments along NW-SE, NNE-SSW, ENE-WSW and ENW-WSE directions. These observations are corroborated by interpreted results of magnetic data. Analysis of both results indicate NW-SE and ENE-WSW trends as post depositional. Aero-radiometric images (U, Th, K and ternary U-Th-K) show overall radio-elemental distribution for various litho-units. Besides, Th and K images along with interpreted ETM+ satellite imagery (RGB: 432/752/751) are useful to map small outliers and to modify basement-sediment contact. Geochemical data from basement rocks around Khariar basin suggests the younger Bundeli granitoids and its equivalents are good source of uranium in the western margin. Presence of labile uranium is inferred from higher concentration of uranium in water samples. The Airborne gamma-ray spectrometry (AGRS) and hydro-geochemical anomalies fall along fault zones and intersection of fault zones. The western and southern margin of Khariar basin are also characterized by presence of paleosol at unconformity, which are favorable factors for unconformity type uranium mineralization. Based on the present study, part of western and southern margin emerge as potential target areas for further exploration of uranium.

Classification of patients based on their evaluation of hospital outcomes: cluster analysis following a national survey in Norway

BackgroundA general trend towards positive patient-reported evaluations of hospitals could be taken as a sign that most patients form a homogeneous, reasonably pleased group, and consequently that there is little need for quality improvement. The objective of this study was to explore this assumption by identifying and statistically validating clusters of patients based on their evaluation of outcomes related to overall satisfaction, malpractice and benefit of treatment.MethodsData were collected using a national patient-experience survey of 61 hospitals in the 4 health regions in Norway during spring 2011. Postal questionnaires were mailed to 23,420 patients after their discharge from hospital. Cluster analysis was performed to identify response clusters of patients, based on their responses to single items about overall patient satisfaction, benefit of treatment and perception of malpractice.ResultsCluster analysis identified six response groups, including one cluster with systematically poorer evaluation across outcomes (18.5% of patients) and one small outlier group (5.3%) with very poor scores across all outcomes. One-Way ANOVA with post-hoc tests showed that most differences between the six response groups on the three outcome items were significant. The response groups were significantly associated with nine patient-experience indicators (p < 0.001), and all groups were significantly different from each of the other groups on a majority of the patient-experience indicators. Clusters were significantly associated with age, education, self-perceived health, gender, and the degree to write open comments in the questionnaire.ConclusionsThe study identified five response clusters with distinct patient-reported outcome scores, in addition to a heterogeneous outlier group with very poor scores across all outcomes. The outlier group and the cluster with systematically poorer evaluation across outcomes comprised almost one-quarter of all patients, clearly demonstrating the need to tailor quality initiatives and improve patient-perceived quality in hospitals. More research on patient clustering in patient evaluation is needed, as well as standardization of methodology to increase comparability across studies.

Bamboo-Dominated Forests of the Southwest Amazon: Detection, Spatial Extent, Life Cycle Length and Flowering Waves

We map the extent, infer the life-cycle length and describe spatial and temporal patterns of flowering of sarmentose bamboos (Guadua spp) in upland forests of the southwest Amazon. We first examine the spectra and the spectral separation of forests with different bamboo life stages. False-color composites from orbital sensors going back to 1975 are capable of distinguishing life stages. These woody bamboos flower produce massive quantities of seeds and then die. Life stage is synchronized, forming a single cohort within each population. Bamboo dominates at least 161,500 km2 of forest, coincident with an area of recent or ongoing tectonic uplift, rapid mechanical erosion and poorly drained soils rich in exchangeable cations. Each bamboo population is confined to a single spatially continuous patch or to a core patch with small outliers. Using spatial congruence between pairs of mature-stage maps from different years, we estimate an average life cycle of 27–28 y. It is now possible to predict exactly where and approximately when new bamboo mortality events will occur. We also map 74 bamboo populations that flowered between 2001 and 2008 over the entire domain of bamboo-dominated forest. Population size averaged 330 km2. Flowering events of these populations are temporally and/or spatially separated, restricting or preventing gene exchange. Nonetheless, adjacent populations flower closer in time than expected by chance, forming flowering waves. This may be a consequence of allochronic divergence from fewer ancestral populations and suggests a long history of widespread bamboo in the southwest Amazon.

Pennsylvanian Subsystem in the Illinois Basin

Pennsylvanian rocks are at the bedrock surface in the Illinois Basin, which covers most of central and southern Illinois, southwestern Indiana, and part of western Kentucky. The lower contact is a regional unconformity, incised into rocks ranging in age from Ordovician to Late Mississippian. Morrowan rocks are confined to the southeastern part of the basin, the bottoms of deep paleovalleys, and a small outlier at the northwest corner. Characteristic rocks are clean quartz sandstone (quartz arenite), siltstone, shale, lenticular coal, and rare limestone. Atokan rocks show a transition from quartz arenite to lithic arenite, and progressively wider depositional extent as valleys on the sub-Pennsylvanian surface were filled. Cyclic sedimentation became prominent during the Desmoinesian, with regionally extensive mineable coal seams and layers of marine limestone and black phosphatic shale. Similar patterns prevailed through Missourian and Virgilian time, except that coal beds are generally thinner and limestone beds thicker. Lower Permian rocks are confined to a small down-faulted outlier in Kentucky.

Monthly gravity field solutions based on GRACE observations generated with the Celestial Mechanics Approach

The main objective of the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission consists of determining the temporal variations of the Earth's gravity field. These variations are captured by time series of gravity field models of limited resolution at, e.g., monthly intervals. We present a new time series of monthly models, which was computed with the so-called Celestial Mechanics Approach (CMA), developed at the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AIUB).The secular and seasonal variations in the monthly models are tested for statistical significance. Calibrated errors are derived from inter-annual variations. The time-variable signal can be extracted at least up to degree 60, but the gravity field coefficients of orders above 45 are heavily contaminated by noise. This is why a series of monthly models is computed up to a maximum degree of 60, but only a maximum order of 45. Spectral analysis of the residual time-variable signal shows a distinctive peak at a period of 160 days, which shows up in particular in the C20 spherical harmonic coefficient.Basic filter- and scaling-techniques are introduced to evaluate the monthly models. For this purpose, the variability over the oceans is investigated, which serves as a measure for the noisiness of the models. The models in selected regions show the expected seasonal and secular variations, which are in good agreement with the monthly models of the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ). The results also reveal a few small outliers, illustrating the necessity for improved data screening. Our monthly models are available at the web page of the International Centre for Global Earth Models (ICGEM).