Strong Negative Linear Relationship Research Articles

Statistical analysis of the Hurst index indicating sedimentary processes' evolution trend in the deep lacustrine mudrock sequences: A case study of the Jiyang Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, eastern China

Quantitative identification of sedimentary processes' evolution trend has substantially influenced the exploration of lacustrine mudrocks. To explore the indicative applicability of the Hurst index (HI) for analyzing the sedimentary processes' evolution trend in a deep lacustrine sequence, lacustrine mudrocks from wells L69, FY1, and NY1 in the Jiyang Depression, eastern China are selected. The comparable fourth-order cycle is divided through lithofacies observation, total organic carbon (TOC), and natural gamma ray (GR) logs combined with previous studies. In addition, the variation of accommodation space is selected to represent the sedimentary processes' evolution trend in the lacustrine environment, characterized by the frequency of oscillation (FST) and directionality (D). Further, HI is introduced to identify the long-term persistence of the sedimentary processes' evolution trend in the lacustrine environment. Through the criteria for the series selections, the TOC series and GR logs passed the Hurst phenomenon test, and the computed HI of those two series was selected to evaluate its effectiveness toward the lacustrine sedimentary processes' evolution trend. The HI computed from the TOC series demonstrates strong negative linear relationships with FST and D, with R2 in 0.833 and 0.814, respectively. Besides, the HI from the more accessible GR logs demonstrates robust negative linear relationships with FST and D, with R2 in 0.981 and 0.976, respectively. The statistical analysis indicates that the content of deep lake subfacies, shale, and mudstone could affect the long-term persistence of the lacustrine mudrock sequence. Thus, the HI could be an alternative indicator to identify the imperceptible sedimentary processes' evolution trend in the deep lacustrine environment.

Relationship of selected properties of Cambisols to altitude and forest ecosystems of four vegetation grades

Currently, little is known about the spatial variability of significant soil properties and their relationships to forest ecosystems of different vegetation grades. This work evaluates the variability of the properties of the upper layer of Cambisol taxa and their relationship to altitude and forest ecosystems of 2nd to 5th forest vegetation grades selected in the Western Carpathians using PCA and regression analysis. The content of clay, total carbon and total nitrogen, humus, energy, and ash in the soils varied between 5.43 and 11.53 %, 21–65 mg g−1, 1.9–4.7 mg g−1, 36–112 mg g−1, 438.4–5845.7 J g−1 and 852.9–946.3 mg g−1, and C/N, pHH2O, and pHKCl values ranged between 11.2 and 16.7, 4.0–5.8 and 3.1–4.6. PCA showed that EAC in the 3rd oak-beech vegetation grade had significantly higher pH values and significantly lower energy content, ESC in the 4th beech vegetation grade had a significantly higher ash content and a significantly lower energy content, and DC in the 5th fir-beech vegetation grade had a significantly higher content of Ct, Nt, and humus. Linear regression revealed a strong negative correlation between the energy content and soil reaction (R2 for pHH2O = 0.48; R2 for pHKCl = 0.38) for all Cambisol taxa. Ct content and ash show a strong negative correlation (R2 = 0.78). The positive relationship between altitude and FVGs was found only for the soil Ct (R2 = 0.87), Nt (R2 = 0.81), and humus content (R2 = 0.87). A strong negative linear relationship between altitude and FVGs showed the ash content (R2 = 0.77). In turn, the oscillatory, polynomial course had a relationship between the clay content (R2 = 0.65) and energy (R2 = 0.75) to altitude and FVGs. Recognizing significant soil variables and better understanding their impact on the development of forest ecosystems is a prerequisite for distinguishing areas with the highest risk of their damage under conditions of various anthropogenic interventions and climate change. Therefore, this topic continues to require increased research efforts. For this reason, a better understanding of the relationships between soil properties and ecologically differentiated communities of forest ecosystems will allow us to identify areas with the highest risk of ecological changes that could lead to the degradation of European forests in the future.

Influence of soil moisture conditions on severity of Botryosphaeria branch dieback caused by Lasiodiplodia iraniensis and impact of plant growth in macadamia

Australian macadamias experience outbreaks of Botryosphaeria branch dieback. Extreme environmental conditions are thought to be responsible for the episodic outbreaks of diseases caused by Botryosphaeriaceae species in horticultural ecosystems. However, studies on the interactive effects of biotic and abiotic stresses in macadamia are unknown. Knowledge of management practices that contribute to the severity of the disease would assist in decisions for Botryosphaeria branch dieback control in commercial macadamia orchards. Using an in planta stem wound inoculation assay with Lasiodiplodia iraniensis, we investigated the association of soil moisture conditions as a factor of plant stress with the severity of Botryosphaeriaceae infection in macadamia. Sap flow rate and soil water potential were monitored in 72 macadamia potted cv. HAES 344 plants (18-month-old and 12-month-old grown in pine bark-sand mixture) that were kept under three watering treatments, based on the amount of water used per day (Wd) at the start of the trial, at Wd, ½ of Wd and ¼ of Wd for 14 weeks. A significant differential effect of the watering regimes was observed on disease severity, revealing a strong (R2 > 0.87) negative linear relationship between disease severity and sap flow rates. Necrotic lesions were significantly (P < 0.001) longer in the lowest and highest watering regimes. The average sap flow rate of 0.4 kg h−1 was recorded in the plants under moderately watered conditions, ½Wd regime, whereas 50% and 75% reductions in sap flow rates were recorded at the lowest and highest watering treatments, respectively. Our results indicate that maintaining optimal soil water potential between −50 and −80 kPa through irrigation practices may reduce the risk of Botryosphaeria branch dieback outbreaks in macadamia orchards.

AutoEval: Are Labels Always Necessary for Classifier Accuracy Evaluation?

Understanding model decision under novel test scenarios is central to the community. A common practice is evaluating models on labeled test sets. However, many real-world scenarios see unlabeled test data, rendering the common supervised evaluation protocols infeasible. In this paper, we investigate such an important but under-explored problem, named Automatic model Evaluation (AutoEval). Specifically, given a trained classifier, we aim to estimate its accuracy on various unlabeled test datasets. We construct a meta-dataset: a dataset comprised of datasets (sample sets) created from original images via various transformations such as rotation and background substitution. Correlation studies on the meta-dataset show that classifier accuracy exhibits a strong negative linear relationship with distribution shift (Pearson's Correlation ). This new finding inspires us to formulate AutoEval as a dataset-level regression problem. Specifically, we learn regression models (e.g., a regression neural network) to estimate classifier accuracy from overall feature statistics of a test set. In the experiment, we show that the meta-dataset contains sufficient and diverse sample sets, allowing us to train robust regression models and report reasonable and promising predictions of the classifier accuracy on various test sets. We also provide insights into application scopes, limitations, and potential future directions of AutoEval.

Pathogenicity of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici and quantitative traits on bread wheat landraces in Ethiopia

AbstractBread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is severely affected by stripe rust caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend. f. sp. tritici (Pst). This study was conducted to investigate pathogenicity of Pst isolates to bread wheat landraces grown in Ethiopia, establish stripe rust yield loss models and estimate variability in bread wheat quantitative traits. A greenhouse pot experiment was setup to assess seedling stage responses of landraces to Pst and a field study was conducted for adult plant stage evaluation. Among dominant isolates of Pst, Kubsa was the most virulent. Apart from the detection of resistance at the seedling stage study, a broad range of adult‐stage resistance was also observed which can confer durable resistance. Among single‐point models, the onset of severe infection at the development of heading stage causes significant yield loss by stripe rust. The integral yield loss model predicted a strong negative linear relationship between agronomic traits and stripe rust. Hierarchical analysis revealed the presence of three distinct clusters of bread wheat landraces, each forming different stripe rust resistance groups. With the exception of the harvest index and the growth stage parameter of days to heading, all agronomic traits were significantly different for the various landraces. This suggests the presence of diverse genetic resources, which might have also led to different responses to the stripe rust in these materials. This work clarifies the many ways in which landraces of bread wheat react to Pst infection, revealing a range of resistance mechanisms that can be used for efficient disease management.

Assessing Burned Areas in Sikkim, India through Satellite Mapping

Aim of study: Fire impacts biodiversity and ecosystems, and is crucial for understanding fire causes. This paper aimed to assess burned areas and severity levels in Sikkim's forest fire incidence data from 2004-2019. &#x0D; Area of the study: The study area for the work is the state of Sikkim, situated in the Himalayan Mountain's North-eastern region. &#x0D; Material and methods: Landsat 8 and Landsat 5 satellite image were used for the study and Standard vegetation indices like Delta Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR) and Relativized Burn Ratio (RBR) are computed. Also, a linear regression analysis was performed between weather parameters like temperature (℃), wind (Km/h), rainfall (mm) on burn severity (dNBR classes) of forest fires in Sikkim between the year 2009-2019.&#x0D; Main results: According to the findings, out of 557 numbers forest fire incidents in Sikkim between 2004 and 2019, 250 numbers were classified as Unburned (46.21 %), 199 numbers as Enhanced Regrowth, Low (35.72 %), and 43 numbers as Enhanced Regrowth, High (7.94 %), while 32 numbers were classified as Low Severity (5.92 %), 9 numbers as Moderate-Low Severity (1.66 %), 5 numbers as Moderate-High Severity (0.92 %), and 2 numbers as High Severity (0.36 %). It was found that the wind (r=0.80, Slope=0.57, SD=0.70) and rainfall (r=0.77, Slope=-0.18, SD=7.00) showed a strong positive and strong negative linear relationships respectively in influencing the burn severity (dNBR). While, temperature (r=0.69, Slope=0.74, SD=0.01) plays a moderate positive role in influencing the burn severity (dNBR).&#x0D; Highlights: The study has shown the effectiveness of burn area mapping and remote sensing data products in analyzing forest fire regions with limited resources and diverse landforms and vegetation. Researchers will be able to identify the regions affected by forest fires and those that have not recovered since the fire. Goal of this research is to improve forest fire planning and management by fostering aid to the responsible authorities to evaluate the pattern of vegetation degradation in burn regions and estimate the impact of forest fires

The effect of cement versus screw-retained implant positioning in the esthetic zone on emergence angle: A proof of principle.

Choosing between screw-retained and cement-retained restorations in the esthetic zone may have a significant implication on the restorative contour. This study analyzes the effect of facial-palatal implant positioning on the facial emergence angle of implant restorations in the maxillary anterior region. 133 maxillary anterior implant cases were captured with intraoral scans and used to create digital prosthetic designs. The facial emergence angle of the restoration and the depth of the implant were determined using images at the mid-facial cross-section. Simple logistic and linear regression models were used to analyze the interrelation between the emergence angle, depth, and retention methods. The average facial emergence angle for all restorations in this study was 34.4 degrees. A significant difference was found in emergence angle between screw-retained and cement-retained groups, with an average emergence angle of 37.3 degrees and 27.9 degrees, respectively. There is no difference in the mean depth between those two groups. There is a strong negative linear relationship between depth and emergence angle for the screw-retained group. Overall, implant positioning in the anterior maxilla has a significant influence on emergence angle. Facial emergence angle is significantly greater for implants in screw-retained position. This may be partially alleviated by deeper implant placement.

Modeling Gastrointestinal Tract Wet Pool Size in Small Ruminants.

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) wet pool size (GITwps) refers to the total amount of wet contents in GIT, which in small ruminants can reach up to 19% of their body weight (BW). This study aimed to develop models to comprehensively predict GITwps in small ruminants using a meta-regression approach. A dataset was created based on 21 studies, comprising 750 individual records of sheep and goats. Various predictor variables, including BW, sex, breed, species, intake level, physiological states, stages and types of pregnancy, dry matter intake, and neutral detergent fiber intake (NDFI), were initially analyzed through simple linear regression. Subsequently, the variables were fitted using natural logarithm transformations, considering the random effect of the study and residual error, employing a supervised forward selection procedure. Overall, no significant relationship between GITwps and BW (p = 0.326) was observed for animals fed a milk-based diet. However, a strong negative linear relationship (p < 0.001) was found for animals on a solid diet, with the level of restriction influencing GITwps only at the intercept. Furthermore, the prediction of GITwps was independent of sex and influenced by species in cases where individuals were fed ad libitum. Pregnant females showed a noticeable reduction in GITwps, which was more pronounced in cases of multiple pregnancies, regardless of species (p < 0.01). The composition of the diet was found to be the primary factor affecting the modulation of GITwps, with NDFI able to override the species effect (p < 0.0001). Overall, this study sheds light on the factors influencing GITwps in small ruminants, providing valuable insights into their digestive processes and nutritional requirements.

Speech recognition and quality of life outcomes of adults with cochlear implants following a quarter-century of deafness: what should be the maximum duration?

This study was aimed at examining the pre- and post-cochlear implant (CI) speech recognition and quality of life results of postlingually deaf adult CI users with a duration of deafness (DoD) > 25years and determining the maximum DoD limit. We enrolled 54 postlingually deaf CI users and divided them into ages ≤ 60 and > 60years and DoDs ≤ 25 and > 25years. All participants were evaluated using multisensory measures (auditory and auditory + visual) and open-set Speech Recognition Test (SRT) before CI and 3years postoperatively. They were administered with The Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) to determine the effects of hearing impairment on daily life. DoD and open-set SRT for auditory and auditory + visual stimuli showed a strong negative linear relationship (r = - 0.506, p < 0.01). Open-set SRT scores of patients with DoD aged ≤ 25 and > 25years (p < 0.01) differed significantly. The chronological age and HHIE scores in social and emotional subfactors showed a strong negative linear relationship (r = - 0.519, p < 0.01). The present study showed that the number of years was a major factor determining that postlingual adults with profound hearing loss had hearing loss. The results support CI use as soon as possible in adults to prevent degeneration of the auditory pathways and possible central remodeling. However, auditory rehabilitation outcomes in adults using CI vary widely. Investigating the causes of this variability contributes to audiology.

Assessing factors impacting inter-satellite variability of grassland curing estimates for fire monitoring in Victoria, Australia using remote sensing

ABSTRACT Grassland fires in Victoria, Australia pose significant environmental issues. Monitoring these fires relies on the Grassland Curing Degree (GCD) indicator and the corresponding Grassland Curing Map (GCM) for spatial distribution. Inter-satellite variability (ISV) assesses the variations in Grassland Curing Maps (GCMs) produced from remote sensing data with varying spatial resolutions (SR). Higher SR data improves GCM accuracy but increases processing time. ISV helps identify priority areas that need higher SR imageries. This study analyzes sample sites in Victoria and finds correlations between ISV, seasonality, temperature, precipitation, and distance to residential areas. Results reveal lower ISV during summers and autumns compared to winters and springs. Temperature shows a strong negative linear relationship with ISV, indicating that higher temperatures result in lower ISV. Precipitation exhibits a weak positive correlation with ISV, suggesting heavier precipitation leads to increased ISV. Distance to grasslands negatively correlates with ISV, indicating that greater distances from residential lands result in lower ISV. Based on these findings, it is recommended to use higher SR satellite data for GCM creation during winters and springs when temperatures are low, precipitation is heavy, and areas are closer to residential lands. Implementation suggestions are provided for fire management based on these results.

A Comparison of Different Stomatal Density Phenotypes of Hordeum vulgare under Varied Watering Regimes Reveals Superior Genotypes with Enhanced Drought Tolerance.

Enhancing the water-use efficiency (WUE) of barley cultivars may safeguard yield deficits during periods of low rainfall. Reduced stomatal density is linked to enhanced WUE, leading to improved drought resistance across plant genera. In this study, 10 barley varieties exhibiting a range of stomatal density phenotypes were grown under differing soil water contents to determine whether stomatal density influences the capacity of genotypes to resist low water availability. The low-stomatal-density genotype Hindmarsh showed the least impact on biomass production during early development, with a 37.13% decrease in dry biomass during drought treatment. Low-stomatal-density genotypes additionally outcompeted high-stomatal-density genotypes under water-deprivation conditions during the reproductive phase of development, exhibiting 19.35% greater wilting resistance and generating 54.62% more heads relative to high-stomatal-density genotypes (p < 0.05). Finally, a correlation analysis revealed a strong negative linear relationship between stomatal density and the traits of head number (r = -0.71) and the number of days until wilting symptoms (r = -0.67) (p < 0.05). The combined results indicate that low-stomatal-density genotypes show promising attributes for high WUE, revealing novel barley varieties that may be useful to future breed improvement for drought tolerance.

Evaluation of iron contamination in groundwater with its associated health risk and potentially suitable depth analysis in Kushtia Sadar Upazila of Bangladesh

Iron contamination in groundwater is one of the potential drinking water-related problems that can pose adverse health effects on humans. This study examined iron (Fe) contamination in groundwater and searched for potentially suitable depth in the water table using geostatistical techniques in Kushtia Sadar Upazila. Water samples (n = 100) were collected through systematic sampling and analyzed with a digital Hanna HI-721 Iron Checker Handheld Colorimeter (Range: 0.00–5.00 mg/L) with Hanna HI-721 reagents. Depth information also was collected from the corresponding tube wells. Hotspot analysis, correlation statistics, hazard quotient evaluation, and suitability analysis were used in this study. The results reveal that 77% of the groundwater samples exceeded the WHO standard and 80% exceeded the Bangladesh standard, and only 43% met both standards. About two-thirds of the area studied found moderate (1.01–2 mg/L) to high (2.01–5 mg/L) contamination levels. The hotspot analysis depicts that the majority of the hotspots are in the northern part, and almost all the cold spots are in the southern part. The hazard quotient value shows that the non-carcinogenic health risks due to ingestion of iron in adults were 0.16–0.92 and in children were 0.39–2.13 and thus indicating the high health consequences for the children. The result of the Pearson correlation coefficient, r (98) = -0.570, p = 0.000, stated that there is a strong negative linear relationship between tube well depth and iron concentration level. The suitability analysis found that, the ideal depth for dealing with iron contamination was found to be between 66 and 128 m based on the linear relationship.

Analysis of the literature shows a remarkably consistent relationship between size and abundance of microplastics across different environmental matrices

Microplastics come in a variety of shapes, polymer types and sizes. Due to the lack of a harmonised approach to analyse and quantify microplastics, there are huge disparities in size detection limits and size classifications used in the literature. This has caused large variations in reported microplastic data and has made comparing microplastic abundance between studies extremely challenging. Herein, we applied a simple mathematical approach that allows for a meaningful comparison between size and abundance (number of particles) of microplastics irrespective of the size classifications used. This method was validated using two separate datasets (microplastics in air and sediment) and applied to re-analyse 127 publications reporting microplastics in various environmental matrices. We demonstrate a strong negative linear relationship between microplastic concentrations and their sizes with comparable slopes across all matrices. Using this method, it is possible to compare the concentration of microplastics of various sizes between studies. It also allows estimation of the abundance of microplastics of a specific size where data are not available. This enables researchers to predict environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics (particularly for smaller microplastics) and provide realistic exposure scenarios in future toxicity studies, which will greatly improve our understanding of the risks that microplastics pose to living organisms.

Sample Temperature Affects Measurement of Nitrate with a Rapid Analysis Ion Selective Electrode System Used for N Management of Vegetable Crops

The practical value of portable hand-held ion selective electrode sensors (ISE) for on-farm [NO3−] measurement to assist with crop N management of vegetable crops has been demonstrated in numerous previous studies. They provide rapid, in-situ measurement of the nitrate concentration ([NO3−]) in nutrient and soil solutions, and in petiole sap. Sample temperatures, for on-farm measurements, vary appreciably. This study evaluated the effects of sample temperature on [NO3−] measurement using two different models of a commonly used, commercially available, portable ISE meter. The temperatures (5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 °C) examined were in the range likely to be encountered in practical on-farm work. Aqueous solutions of 6, 12, and 18 mmol NO3− L−1 were prepared from KNO3, Ca(NO3)2 and NaNO3. [NO3−] was measured in three replicate samples of each of the three concentrations, made from each NO3− compound, at each temperature. The results consistently and clearly demonstrated a strong negative linear relationship between temperature-induced errors and sample temperatures. The temperature-induced error was considerable for cooled samples, being +50% at 5 °C and +31% at 10 °C. At sample temperatures of 17–20 °C, the temperature effects were minimal. Above this range, the temperature effect caused underestimation. At 25 °C, the temperature-induced error was −24%. These results show that care must be taken to ensure that sample temperatures do not erroneously affect the measurement of [NO3−] with ISE meters. Particular care needs to be taken with both refrigerated and warmer samples.

Effect of N and CO2 supply on source size per grain at anthesis and its relationship with grain growth in wheat

AbstractRising atmospheric CO2 concentration ([eCO2]) increases the yield of wheat mainly by increasing grain number, but effects on single grain weight are variable. It is discussed whether single grain growth is limited by the sink or the source size under a non‐stress environment. This study explores the effect of e[CO2] combined with varying N supply on the source and sink size during grain filling. Source size was defined as the amount of stem reserves per grain (SRG) and the proportion of incident radiation intercepted by the green canopy per grain (fIRG) at anthesis. Data from a 2‐year free‐air CO2 enrichment experiment with wheat with three N levels (on average 38 [Nd], 190 [Nad] and 320 kg N ha−1 [Nex]) and two CO2 levels (393 and 600 ppm) on SRG, fIRG and grain filling rate (GFR) and duration (GFD) were evaluated. SRG ranged from 2.5 to 12.9 mg and fIRG from 4.0 × 0.001% to 6.8 x 0.001%. Rising N supply or e[CO2] decreased SRG and fIRG via their increases in grain number. Accordingly, there was a negative linear relationship between grain number and SRG (r2 ≥ 0.84) or fIRG (r2 ≥ 0.97). Increasing N supply decreased GFR, but increased GFD, and GFR was increased by e[CO2] under Nad and Nex. For GFR and final grain weight, there was a strong positive (r2 ≥ 0.85), and for GFD, a strong negative linear relationship (r2 ≥ 0.76) with fIRG under Nad and Nex. Under these N levels, fIRG supplied the largest share (&gt;86%) for grain growth and thus single grain growth was possibly source limited under Nad and Nex. Under high grain number such as under Nex and e[CO2], there might be a risk for low final grain weight due to the low SRG that is insufficient for buffering assimilate shortage under unfavourable environmental conditions in early grain filling.

АНАЛИЗ ИННОВАЦИОННОЙ РЕЗУЛЬТАТИВНОСТИ ПРОМЫШЛЕННОГО РАЗВИ-ТИЯ РОССИЙСКОЙ ЭКОНОМИКИ И ОБОСНОВАНИЕ УСЛОВИЙ ЕГО КАЧЕСТВЕННОГО УЛУЧШЕНИЯ

The article summarizes the results of studies emphasizing the importance of industrial development based on the development of innovations. The hypothesis of the study is the assumption that in the context of neo-industrialization, the growth in the contribu-tion of industry to GDP should be accompa-nied by an increase in the share of innova-tive products in industrial output. The paper analyzes the innovative performance of the industrial development of the Russian Fed-eration based on a comparison of the share of industry in GDP and the share of innova-tive products in the output of goods. Correla-tion and regression analysis showed the presence of a strong negative linear rela-tionship between the contribution of industry to GDP and the share of innovative products in the output of goods, which indicates the need to modernize industrial development. The article summarizes the conditions for a qualitative improvement in the functioning of industry.

Influence of Ageing on Abrasion Volume Loss, Density, and Structural Components of Subfossil Oak

Subfossil oak wood has spent centuries or millennia in the aquatic medium (rivers, lakes, bogs, etc.) and, due to water anoxic conditions, its decomposition is very slow. As a result of its long residing in specific conditions, its chemical composition, appearance, as well as mechanical and tribological properties have changed. Because of its aesthetic and mechanical properties, subfossil wood is very attractive and often used to produce valuable objects. The main objective of this study was to test how abrasion wear resistance of subfossil oak is affected by ageing. The effects of ageing on wood density and on the structure of lignin and cellulose were tested, as well as the loss of volume during abrasion in correlation with these changes. A study was conducted on samples of recent (regular) pedunculate oak wood and on six subfossil pedunculate oak samples in the age range of 890 and nearly 6000 years. Abrasion wear resistance was expressed through the loss of volume recorded using the Taber abraser. The smallest abrasion volume loss was measured for the recent oak specimens. Linear regression analyses showed that there was a very strong negative linear relationship between the age of subfossil oak and its abrasion volume loss. There was also a strong, but positive and significant linear correlation between subfossil oak age and density. Ageing also affected the structural composition of wood. Results obtained by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy indicated a reduction of the relative crystalline fraction of subfossil wood in recent oak. The degradation of lignin in subfossil oak samples progressed more slowly over time than cellulose degradation. There was a negative correlation between age and the ratio of cellulose and lignin degradation; however, that relationship was found statistically insignificant. Similar results were obtained for the relationship between abrasion wear resistance and changes in the structural composition of the studied samples of subfossil oak wood.

A spatial land use clustering framework for investigating the role of land use in mediating the effect of meteorology on urban air quality

Air pollution in urban areas is driven by emission sources and modulated by local meteorology, including the effects of urban form on wind speed and ventilation, and thus varies markedly in space and time. Recently, mobile measurement campaigns have been conducted in urban areas to measure the spatial distribution of air pollutant concentrations. While the main focus of these studies has been revealing spatial patterns in mean (or median) concentrations, they have mostly ignored the temporal aspects of air pollution. However, assessing the temporal variability of air pollution is essential in understanding the integrated exposure of individuals to pollutants above critical thresholds. Here, we examine the role of urban land use in mediating the effect of regional meteorology on Nitrogen Dioxide (NO 2 ) concentrations measured in different regions of Oakland, CA. Inspired by Land Use Regression (LUR) models, we cluster 30-m road segments in the urban area based on their land use. The concentration data from the resulting clusters are stratified based on seasonality and conditionally averaged based on concurrent wind speeds. The clustering analysis yielded 7 clusters, with 4 of them chosen for further statistical analysis due to their large sample sizes. Two of the four clusters demonstrated in winter a strong negative linear relationship between NO 2 concentration and wind speed ( R 2 > 0.87) with a slope of approximately 3 ppb/m s -1 . A weaker correlation and flatter slope was found for the cluster representing road segments belonging to interstate highways ( R 2 > 0.73 and slope < 2 ppb/m s -1 ). No significant relationship was found during the summer season. These findings are consistent with the concept of strong vertical mixing due to highway traffic and increased surface heat fluxes during summer weakening the relationship between wind speed and NO 2 concentrations. In summary, the clustering analysis framework presented here provides a novel tool for use with large-scale mobile measurements to reveal the effect of urban land form on the temporal dynamics of pollutant concentrations and ultimately human exposure. • Clustering framework developed for spatio-temporal analysis of mobile measurements. • Domain-related procedure for selecting number of clusters in k-means is presented. • Effect of meteorology on pollutant levels as mediated by land-use is investigated. • Wind speed is only effective in reducing pollutant levels in some urban regions.

Effects of Initial C/N Ratio on Maturity and Stability of Compost Produced from Two-Phase Olive Mill Pomace, Poultry and Dairy Manure and Straw

Composting of two-phase olive mill pomace, poultry and dairy manure, and straw was conducted at five initial carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios (from 20.03 to 39.99) using 15 100-liter reactors. Compost temperature was controlled based on Rutgers aeration strategies. Composting trials lasted 19.35 days. A first-order rate equation was used to obtain the decomposition rate and compost mass ratio (the degree of advancement of the composting process). The compost stability index was calculated considering the decomposition rate and the rate of oxygen uptake per unit of dry matter loss based on biochemical oxygen demand. The nonlinear relationship between the compost stability index and the initial C/N ratio showed that a minimum value of 0.011 kg O2 day−1 kgc −1 existed at the initial C/N ratio of 28.92. The lower compost stability index indicated relatively more stable compost. The relationship between the final ratio and the initial C/N ratios indicated that the lowest final ratio of 0.26 occurred at the initial C/N ratio of 29.66. The germination index as a function of the initial C/N ratio yielded a strong negative linear relationship with R 2 of 0.95. Compost mixes with the high initial C/N ratio resulted in relatively lower germination indexes which are phytotoxic to plant growth. This study showed how the initial C/N ratio is important for compost stability and maturity.

Sustainable Management of Water Resources in Supplementary Irrigation Management

Watermark, Tensiometer and Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) are commonly used soil water sensors in irrigation practice whose performance depends on soil type, depth and growing conditions. Here, the results of sensor performance evaluation in different soil depths as well as the field and laboratory testing in silty clay loamy soil are presented. Gravimetric soil moisture samples were taken from sensor installation depths (10, 20, 30 and 45 cm) and used as reference Soil Water Content (SWC). The measurements varied significantly (p &lt; 0.05) across the monitoring depths. On average across the soil depths, there was a strong negative linear relationship between Watermark (r = −0.91) and TDR (r = 0.94), and a moderate negative (r = −0.75) linear relationship between SWC and Tensiometer. In general, Watermark and Tensiometer measured SWC with great accuracy in the range of readily available water, generated larger Mean Difference (MD) than TDR and overestimated SWC, while TDR underestimated SWC. Overall, laboratory testing reduced the root mean square error (RMSE, Watermark = 1.2, Tensiometer = 2.6, TDR = 1.9) and Mean Average Error (MAE, Watermark = 0.9, Tensiometer = 2.04. TDR = 1.04) for all tested sensors.