Upper Zone Research Articles

Optical Character Recognition of Indian Language Manuscripts using Convolutional Neural Networks

India's constitution has 22 languages written in 17 different scripts. These materials have a limited lifespan, and as generations pass, these materials deteriorate, and the vital knowledge is lost. This work uses digital texts to convey information to future generations. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) helps extract information from scanned manuscripts (printed text). This paper proposes a simple and effective solution of optical character recognition (OCR) Sanskrit Character from text document images using long short-term memory (LSTM) and neural networks of Sanskrit Characters. Existing methods focuses only upon the single touching characters. But our main focus is to design a robust method using Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BLSTM) architecture for overlapping lines, touching characters in middle and upper zone and half character which would increase the accuracy of the present OCR system for recognition of poorly maintained Sanskrit literature.

Study of the Effect of a Plug with Torsion Channels on the Mixing Time in a Continuous Casting Ladle Water Model

The use of porous plugs in injecting gas through the bottom of a ladle forms vertical plumes in a very similar way to a truncated cone. The gas plume when exiting the plug has a smaller diameter compared to that formed in the upper zone of the ladle because inertial forces predominate over buoyancy forces in this zone. In addition, the magnitude of the plume velocity is concentrated in an upward direction, which increases the likelihood of low velocity zones forming near the bottom of the ladle, especially in lower corners. In this work, a plug with spiral-shaped channels with different torsion angles is proposed, with the objective that the gas, when passing through them, has a tangential velocity gain or that the velocity magnitude is distributed in the three axes and does not just focus on the upward direction, helping to decrease low velocity zones near the bottom of the ladle for better mixing times. For the experimentation, we worked in a continuous casting ladle water model with two configuration injections, which in previous works were reported as the most efficient in mixing the steel in this ladle. The results obtained using the PIV technique (particle image velocimetry) and conductimetry technique indicate that the plugs with the torsion channels at angles of 60° and 120° improve the mixing times for the two injection configurations.

Land use change in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: New evidence from remote sensing

This paper presents the first attempt to capture a comprehensive spatial view of land use change in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD) for a long period, i.e., from 2000 to 2020. It is aimed at monitoring holistically the land use change and flooding situation in the region, addressing the reasons for land use change, and assessing the impacts of land use change on hydraulic aspects and farmer livelihoods during the last 21 years. MODIS products, in particular, are used to study the dynamics of land use and floods after demonstrating high validation with statistical data and radar satellites, with R2 = 0.96 and R2 ≥ 0.97 for land use and flood maps, respectively. The results show that rice cultivation is the most dominant land use type, accounting for 40% to 46% of the delta area, while aquaculture accounts for 10% to 22%, respectively. The total rice cultivation area increased from 3764 thousand hectares (thous. ha) in 2001 to 4343 thous. ha in 2015 based on the intensive development of triple rice cropping in the upper zone, then decreased to 3963 thous. ha in 2020. In contrast, aquaculture areas are farmed mainly in the coastal area and remained relatively steady, increasing slightly from 619 thous. ha in 2001 to 856 thous. ha in 2020. The massive construction of dikes for triple rice cropping in the upper zone appears to cause a significant impact on the annual flooding regime. Land use policies have influenced the changes in land use patterns, flooding situations, and the livelihoods of local farmers.

Deep Drilling for Groundwater in Bengaluru, India: A Case Study on the City’s Over-Exploited Hard-Rock Aquifer System

Over-exploitation of groundwater in India’s fastest-growing metropolis, Bengaluru, has resulted in wells being bored to unprecedented depths in a crystalline-rock aquifer. However, key questions about sustainability of this extraction process remain unaddressed due to the complexity of monitoring. Using primary surveys, this study looks at the spatio-temporal evolution of the wells on a city scale, finding that catchments with deficient water infrastructure have deeper wells. To maintain yields, well with depths >400 m are drilled, especially since 2000, leading to unsustainable groundwater extraction. Camera inspections in 54 wells at Electronic City in 2016 and 2017 revealed that water levels in the majority of the wells remained lower at depths <100 m, although some wells had deeper water levels at depths >250 m. Analysis of δ18O and δ2H signatures of groundwater samples at all depths followed the local meteoric water line indicating recent recharge, implying that drilling deeper only increases the borehole volume and does not tap into newer water sources. Water levels in deeper wells may stabilize at lower depths, are subject to high spatial variability, density of drilling, and high connectivity in upper zones. Given the interconnectedness between shallow and deeper aquifers, our research shows that increasing borewell depths could be a good indicator for falling aquifer water levels. This study fills an important gap in peri-urban, intermediate-scale aquifer conceptualizations across different land uses and provides further evidence for the difficulties of reliable groundwater monitoring in the over-exploited hard-rock aquifers of Bengaluru city.

Subchondral Bone Microarchitectural and Mineral Properties and Expression of Key Degradative Proteinases by Chondrocytes in Human Hip Osteoarthritis.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of key degradative enzymes by chondrocytes and the microarchitectural and mineral properties of subchondral bone across different stages of cartilage degradation in human hip osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: Osteochondral samples at different stages of cartilage degradation were collected from 16 femoral heads with OA. Osteochondral samples with normal cartilage were collected from seven femoral heads with osteoporosis. Microcomputed tomography was used for the investigation of subchondral bone microarchitecture and mineral densities. Immunohistochemistry was used to study the expression and distribution of MMP13 and ADAMTS4 in cartilage. Results: The microarchitecture and mineral properties of the subchondral plate and trabecular bone in OA varied with the severity of the degradation of the overlying cartilage. Chondrocytes expressing MMP13 and ADAMTS4 are mainly located in the upper zone(s) of cartilage regardless of the histopathological grades. The zonal expression of these enzymes in OA (i.e., the percentage of positive cells in the superficial, middle, and deep zones), rather than their overall expression (the percentage of positive cells in the full thickness of the cartilage), exhibited significant variation in relation to the severity of cartilage degradation. The associations between the subchondral bone properties and zonal and overall expression of these enzymes in the cartilage were generally weak or nonsignificant. Conclusions: Phenotypic changes in chondrocytes and remodelling of subchondral bone proceed at different rates throughout the process of cartilage degradation. Biological influences are more important for cartilage degradation at early stages, while biomechanical damage to the compromised tissue may outrun the phenotypic change of chondrocytes and is critical in the advanced stages.

Relationships among the Geordie Lake Cu-Pd deposit, alkaline basalt, and syenites in the Coldwell Complex, Midcontinent Rift, Canada

ABSTRACT The Geordie Lake Cu-Pd deposit is associated with troctolite at the base of the Geordie Lake intrusion, located near the center of the Coldwell Complex (1106.5 + 1.2 Ma). It is the only platinum group element deposit in the Midcontinent Rift associated with alkaline rocks. This study focuses on the long-standing questions regarding genetic relationships among the Geordie Lake gabbros, the Wolfcamp basalt, and the various syenites that make up the east-central portion of the Coldwell Complex. Primitive mantle-normalized trace-element patterns for the Geordie Lake intrusion are nearly flat from Th to Ce and show negative Sr, Eu, and Zr anomalies. Characteristic ratios for the Geordie Lake gabbro and troctolite include Th/Nb (0.12), La/Nb (1.1), La/Lu (150), La/Sm (6.9), Zr/Sm (18), and Gd/Yb (2.8). Trace-element patterns that are useful for determining petrogenesis for gabbros are similar to the Wolfcamp basalt and augite syenite with some key exceptions, notably the middle rare earth element and Zr abundances. Affects due to metasomatism or crustal contamination in Wolfcamp basalt and Geordie Lake gabbros and syenites are negligible. Results of Rayleigh fractionation modeling show (1) the Geordie Lake intrusion and Wolfcamp basalt are very similar but not directly related by crystallization, (2) the gabbros and basalt are not related to the syenites, (3) the lower augite syenite can be related to the upper augite syenite and amphibole quartz syenite by fractionation of a hypothetical crystal cumulate composed of orthoclase (78%), clinopyroxene (15%), olivine (1%), and titanomagnetite (6%). We conclude that the Geordie Lake intrusion, Wolfcamp basalt, and saturated syenites in the Coldwell were derived by separate partial melting events in a common mantle source. The origin of the sulfide mineralization is enigmatic because it exhibits characteristics of both magmatic and hydrothermal processes. The sulfide assemblage changes from disseminated bornite and chalcopyrite in the basal zone to pyrrhotite plus chalcopyrite in the upper zones. Sulfides occur as coarse blebs interstitial to fresh or partly altered silicates, or as very fine grains intergrown with clusters of biotite and actinolite. Primitive mantle-normalized platinum group element patterns exhibit a W-shape for Pd-Pt-Rh-Ir-Ni, indicating a relative depletion of Pt and Ir. The Cu/Pd ratios in the mineralized zones are within the range of mantle values (1000–10,000), Pd/Pt is 14–19, Pd/Rh is 91 + 37, and Pd/Ir >16,000. The Pd/Pt, Pd/Rh, and Pd/Ir are considerably higher than in the Wolfcamp basalt (<1, 17, and 75, respectively). If the sulfides are magmatic in origin, then either the Geordie Lake magma was, unlike the Wolfcamp basalt magma, depleted in Pt, Rh, and Ir, or these elements were selectively removed from the sulfide assemblage. Alternatively, Pd was enriched by late-stage hydrothermal processes. Additional work is recommended to constrain petrogenesis of the sulfides by detailed base-metal and TABS (Te, As, Bi, Sb, and Sn) element analysis.

Aerodynamic Characteristics of the Combustion Process of Sawdust in a Vortex Furnace with Counter-Swirling Flows

The aim of this work is to study the working processes of burning the low-quality fuels, namely, the saw dust in the swirling-type furnaces with an opposite twisted motion of the air. The goal was achieved using the physical and mathematical modeling of the flows interaction. The article presented the results of numerical study of aerodynamic characteristics of burning the saw dust in the swirling-type furnace with the opposite twisted air flows. For the research, the facility was used for the saw dust burning with the air supply into the lower and upper zones of burning. The most essential result of the work was modeling of the working process at the ratio of the flows of the primary air and secondary air without the fuel admixture, equal to 0.2. The tangential rate of the flow changed according to the horizontal sections from 3-5 m/s to 40-42 m/s and with respect to the furnace height from 51 m/s to 30 m/s. The average angular rate of the mixture changed relatively the furnace height in the ranges of 171-500 l/s to 100—300 l/s. The significance of the results obtained consists in determination of the possibility of increasing the efficiency of the work of the furnace facilities at the expense of the introduction of the primary and secondary air flows. In this situation, the optimal ratio of consumptions of primary and secondary air was 0.2. Thus, in this work the consumption of primary air was 1.285 kg/s, the consumption of the secondary air was 0.255 kg/s.

Capua, Italien. Das Amphitheater von Capua in Kampanien. Die Arbeiten des Jahres 2019

The Gladiators’ Chamber’s walls and vault in Capua’s amphitheater still retain portions of their painted decoration. The same decorative pattern on the walls, interrupted by pillars, was repeated for each bay. The decoration is articulated into a dark red plinth, a middle zone divided into three white panels by red pillars, and an upper zone, separated by a stucco frame, within the space of the lunette. The panels in the middle zone are further framed by polychrome »embroidery borders«. The ones on the side contain small squares with a blue background; the central ones preserve no trace of decorative elements. The upper field is framed by a red band, the centre of which is occupied by a dark red square. The decorative scheme and the chromatic range suggest a chronology included within the first half of the second century – more likely around the first quarter of it, because of the consistent classical reminiscences. The embroidery borders for example, which were very popular in Pompeii, have been reworked according to a new decorative taste. Other elements, such as pillars and bands marking the panels and some details of the lunette, evoke paintings belonging to the full second century, such as some walls of the domus in Piazza dei Cinquecento in Rome and some mausoleums of the Vatican Necropolis.

Cross‐well pressure test analysis for CO2 plume characterization based on arrival time and peak pressure change observations

AbstractCO2 migration from the injection zone into an upper zone is possible through potential migration paths such as improperly abandoned wells or other weaknesses in the caprock overlying the injection zone. Various monitoring technologies may be used to obtain information on the resulting CO2 plume in an overlying zone. Cross‐well pressure testing—where water is to be injected/produced at a well and the pressure response to be observed at monitoring well(s)—has been previously investigated to characterize the CO2 plume. However, the methods proposed in the literature are not simple and may be computationally expensive either in forward modeling, inverse modeling, or both. For the cross‐well test analysis proposed herein, both the forward solution—a closed‐form analytical model—and the inverse model—a well‐posed overdetermined system of nonlinear equations—are simple. Consequently, a simple analysis methodology is presented to invert the cross‐well test data to obtain important information on the plume. To achieve this simplified approach, the migrated CO2 plume is assumed circular in shape with constant gaseous CO2 fraction over the plume area. The analysis methodology is first validated using a single‐phase model with a circular heterogeneity. Next, the methodology is applied to synthetic cross‐well pressure test data for a two‐phase system with CO2 plume. The arrival times and peak pressure change values from multiple monitoring wells are used to estimate the location and size of the plume. The estimated values are in good agreement with the actual plume size and locations used in generating the synthetic data. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AGRO ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF DARK GREY SOIL IN IMERETI REGION

Georgia, in particular, the dark grey soils of the middle belt of the Imereti mountain-forest zone are widespread. This soil is of bioclimatic type which analogues are found in many regions of the world forest zone and are formed in geographical and landscape conditions similar to Georgia. According to the vertical zoning, forest dark grey soils are spread from 600-900 meters above sea level to 2000-2100 meters. In Imereti, in the lower zone of the distribution of these soils, they border the yellow and red soils, and in the upper zone, the subalpine soils of the mountain-meadow.They, like the relief of the territory of all mountainous countries, the relief strip of forest dark grey soils in Imereti is very difficult in relief. It is fragmented, which in turn is related to the geological structure, lithological composition of rocks, tectonic processes, erosion-denudation occurrences and more.The thickness of the soil changes with the inclination of the slope, gravel, properties, the greater the slope, the less soil moisture, the slower the soil is washed away, and the dryness of the soil is known to be unfavorable for the plant. Under these conditions, a very small amount of humus-accumulation horizon is formed, which is unsatisfactory in terms of soil protection importance and fertility. At the same time it is noteworthy that the soils of the southern exposure are hotter than those of the north.Dark grey soils are developed on the Tertiary and post-Tertiary sandstones, clays and their overcrop products in the southern Imereti region, which includes the northern slopes of the Meskheti Range, within the Zestafoni, Bagdati, Samtredia, Vani districts. Soil-forming rocks are Lower and Middle Eocene sandstones, marls, clay-shales, erupted (andesites, tuffs) rocks.These soils are developed under broadleaf (hornbeam, chestnut, oak) and deciduous-coniferous forest cover.Sandy soils are spread in Khoni, Baghdati, Vani, Tkibuli, Chiatura, Kharagauli, Imereti region.

Profile of Laterite Nickel Deposits, at Tinanggea District, South Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province

The research area is located in Tinanggea District, South Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province. This study aims to determine the profile of laterite nickel deposits in the study area. The research method used consists of literature study, field sampling and laboratory analysis and data interpretation. The results showed that the profiles of laterite nickel deposits in the study area consisted of top soil, limonite zone, saprolite zone and bedrock with different thicknesses. Top soil at Station 1 is very thin in the form of clay and plant remains, while at Station 2 it is a layer of sediment (limestone) with a thickness of 0-5 meters. Based on geochemical data, it shows that Ni, SiO and MgO elements /oxides show enrichment in the saprolite zone because have mobile so its dissolve easily during the laterization process and are transported the subsurface and experience leaching so that its are concentrated in the saprolite zone. The Fe element shows enrichment in the limonite zone because the Fe element has immobile so that it is not easily transported downward and is concentrated in the upper zone, namely the limonite zone.

Geometric Evolution of the Chongce Glacier during 1970–2020, Detected by Multi-Source Satellite Observations

Glacier surge, which causes a quick movement of ice mass from high to low elevation, is closely associated to the glacial hazards of debris flows and glacial lake outburst floods. Over the West Kunlun Shan, surge events have been detected for some glaciers, however, the characteristics (e.g., the active phase) of the identified surge-type glaciers are not fully understood due to the paucity of long-term observations of glacier changes. In this study, we investigated the geometric evolution of the Chongce Glacier (a surge-type glacier) over the past five decades. Glacier elevation changes were observed by comparing topographic data from different times. Surface velocity and terminus position were derived using a cross-correlation algorithm and band ratio method, respectively. A decreasing rate of glacier surface thinning was found for the Chongce Glacier during the studied period. Glacier elevation changes of −0.46 ± 0.12, −0.12 ± 0.05, and 0.27 ± 0.11 m yr−1 were estimated for the periods of 1970–2000, 2000–2012, and 2012–2018, respectively. Moreover, this glacier experienced obvious surface lowering over the terminus zone and clear surface thickening over the upper zone during 1970–2000, and the opposite during 2000–2018. Surface velocity of the Chongce Glacier was less than 300 m yr−1 in 1990–1993, and then quickly increased to more than 1000 m yr−1 between 1994 and 1998, and dropped to less than 50 m yr−1 in 1999–2020. Over the past five decades, the Chongce Glacier generally experienced a slight retreat, except for a terminus advance from 1995 to 1999. According to the spatial pattern of glacier elevation changes in 1970–2000 and the long-term changes of glacier velocity and terminus position, the recent surge event at the Chongce Glacier likely initiated in winter 1993 and terminated in winter 1998. Furthermore, the start date, end date, and duration of the active phase indicate that the detected surge event was likely triggered by a thermal mechanism.

Amphibole geochemistry of the Baima layered intrusion, SW China: Implications for the evolution of interstitial liquid and the origin of Fe-Ti oxide ores

The Baima layered intrusion hosting a giant Fe-Ti oxide ore deposit in the Panxi region (SW China) is mainly composed of troctolite and olivine gabbro in the lower zone (LZ) and isotropic gabbro, olivine gabbro and apatite olivine gabbro in the upper zone (UZ). Amphibole, as a late-stage crystalized phase, occur throughout the Baima intrusion in several forms and can be used to trace the evolution of interstitial melt. The brown amphibole commonly occurs as rims on Fe-Ti oxides, interstitial granular grains, and inclusions in olivine and clinopyroxene. They are abundant in the Fe-Ti oxide ore layers. The different occurrences have similar major and trace element compositions (1.60–4.71 wt% TiO2, 68–160 ppm REE; 2.35–5.25 wt% TiO2, 55–159 ppm REE; and 5.24–5.33 wt% TiO2, 158–177 ppm REE, respectively). They crystallized in the magmatic stage (948–1033 °C, 954–1041 °C, and 983–1015 °C, respectively). The olive amphibole commonly occurs as granular grains at the base of the UZ. These crystals have 0.04–1.17 wt% TiO2 and 24–80 ppm REE, which are lower than those of the brown amphibole, and they crystallized at 634–755 °C. The green amphibole commonly occurs as granular grains, with <1.59 wt% TiO2, 5–144 ppm REE, and a formation temperature of 649–814 °C.The higher REE contents of the brown amphibole compared to the olive amphibole suggest that immiscibility occurred in the interstitial melt at the late magmatic stage of the Baima intrusion. The absence of negative Ti anomalies in the brown amphibole and their textural relationship indicate that the Fe-Ti oxides crystallized at almost the same time as the brown amphibole. Both the brown amphibole and the Fe-Ti oxides crystallized from an interstitial, immiscible Fe-rich liquid and then formed the Fe-Ti oxide ores. The evolved Si-rich melt migrated upward and mixed with the upper melts, which ended the olivine crystallization at the base of the UZ. The olive amphibole crystallized from the mixed melts. The green amphibole exhibits various REE patterns, suggesting secondary alteration.

Comparison between robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for mediastinal and hilar lymph node dissection in lung cancer surgery.

Lymph node dissection (LND) with robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) in lung cancer surgery has not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study was to compare LND surgical results between video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and RATS. We retrospectively compared perioperative parameters, including the incidence of LND-associated complications (chylothorax, recurrent and/or phrenic nerve paralysis and bronchopleural fistula), lymph node (LN) counts and postoperative locoregional recurrence, among 390 patients with primary lung cancer who underwent lobectomy and mediastinal LND by RATS (n = 104) or VATS (n = 286) at our institution. The median total dissected LN numbers significantly differed between the RATS and the VATS groups (RATS: 18, VATS: 15; P < 0.001). They also significantly differed in right upper zone and hilar (#2R + #4R + #10L) (RATS: 12, VATS: 10; P = 0.002), left lower paratracheal and hilar (#4L + #10L) (RATS: 4, VATS: 3; P = 0.019), aortopulmonary zone (#5 + #6) (RATS: 3, VATS: 2; P = 0.001) and interlobar and lobar (#11 + #12) LNs (RATS: 7, VATS: 6; P = 0.041). The groups did not significantly differ in overall nodal upstaging (P = 0.64), total blood loss (P = 0.69) or incidence of LND-associated complications (P = 0.77). In this comparison, it was suggested that more LNs could be dissected using RATS than VATS, especially in bilateral superior mediastinum and hilar regions. Accumulation of more cases and longer observation periods are needed to verify whether RATS can provide the acceptable quality of LND and local control of lung cancer.

The sign and magnitude of the effects of thermal extremes on an intertidal kelp depend on environmental and biological context

Predicted shifts in mean and extreme temperatures associated with climate change can have variable impacts on organisms, and the sign and magnitude of these impacts may depend upon local context. For Hedophyllum sessile, a habitat-forming intertidal kelp, the impacts of warming may vary with local density and position in the intertidal zone. To assess the potential context-dependence of warming, we manipulated H. sessile densities across an intertidal gradient and experimentally imposed periodic thermal stress in the field. The recruitment of H. sessile juveniles was unimodally related to shore level, peaking near the center of the species’ vertical distribution and falling off at the upper and lower distributional limits. Experimental warming tended to have mildly positive effects on recruitment lower on the shore regardless of adult density, and in upper zone, high density plots. However, warming had strongly negative effects on recruitment in upper zone, low density plots. Temperature manipulations also had context-specific effects on adult plant growth; seasonal increases in blade number and canopy cover were slightly enhanced by warming in high-density plots but greatly reduced by warming in low-density plots. Finally, experimental heating had context-dependent effects on an understory herbivore, the chiton Katharina tunicata, which increased in abundance following heating in high density plots but decreased in low density plots. Our results demonstrate that extreme temperature events can affect multiple species and multiple life history stages, and that the impacts of such events can depend upon both environmental (e.g. intertidal height) and biological (e.g. adult density) context.

Baseline chest radiographic findings among HIV positive adults in a poor resource economy

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection has been known to pose one of the most formidable challenges to progress and development. It is a public health burden associated with high morbidity. Chest radiograph is an important tool in manifesting some of the findings associated with HIV.&#x0D; Aims and Objectives: To determine the baseline chest radiographic findings among HIV positive adults in a poor resource economy.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: 140 Newly diagnosed adult HIV positive, HAART naïve, participants were recruited in the Radiology Department of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH) Sokoto and had their chest radiograph done using Silhoutte VR System GE diagnostic x-ray equipment. The processed radiographs were viewed using an illuminated viewing box and then reported by the investigator and cross-checked by another consultant Radiologist. Data collated was analysed using SPSS version 23.&#x0D; Results: The study showed female to male ratio of 2.2: 1. Normal chest radiographic finding was found in 67(47.9%) participants. Pulmonary consolidation 32 (22.9%) constituted the highest abnormal chest finding. The least of the abnormal radiographic findings were emphysematous bullae 1(0.7%) and plate atelectasis 1(0.7%). Majority of the lesions were in the upper zone, 43(30.7%) and on the right side.&#x0D; Conclusion: The study provides baseline data on the chest radiographic patterns among the HAART naïve HIV positive adult patients in a poor resource economy.

Origins and implications of magnesium isotopic heterogeneity in Fe–Ti oxides in layered mafic intrusions

To constrain the mechanisms governing the extremely large variations of Mg and Fe isotopes in magmatic Fe–Ti oxides in layered mafic intrusions, we investigate Mg isotopic compositions of magnetite, coupled with its chemical data and whole-rock major element and Sr-Nd isotope compositions from the Baima layered mafic intrusion in the Emeishan large igneous province, SW China. The Baima intrusion is mainly composed of magnetite-wehrlite and magnetite-troctolite (i.e., oxide-rich rocks) in the Lower Zone, and troctolite and gabbro (i.e., oxide-barren rocks) in the Middle and Upper Zones. Magnetite separates display large Mg isotopic variation, with δ26Mg ranging from −0.17 ± 0.06 to +0.58 ± 0.04‰ in the oxide-rich rocks and from −0.18 ± 0.06 to +0.98 ± 0.04‰ in the oxide-barren ones. The lack of correlation of δ26Mg with trace elements in magnetite and whole-rock Sr-Nd isotopic compositions indicates that the large Mg isotopic variation in magnetite was not produced by fractional crystallization, magma mixing, crustal contamination, and/or trapped liquid shift. Instead, equilibrium isotope fractionation induced by Mg–Fe re-equilibration between magnetite and ilmenite at different subsolidus temperatures controlled the Mg isotopic variation in the oxide-rich rocks; and kinetic isotope fractionation driven by Mg–Fe inter-diffusion between magnetite and olivine and/or clinopyroxene dominated the oxide-barren rocks. Both processes were primarily controlled by the assemblage and modal abundance of coexisting minerals to which magnetite adjoins. Overall, fractional crystallization and subsequent subsolidus diffusion played crucial roles in the genesis of the Fe–Ti oxides in the Baima intrusion. Our results also reveal widespread isotope disequilibrium between coexisting minerals in mafic magma chambers and suggest that Mg isotope geochemistry has a great potential to characterize the formation of Fe–Ti oxides in layered mafic intrusions.

Оценка структурно-фазового и напряженного состояния диффузионных боридных слоев, полученных химико-термической обработкой на поверхности штамповой стали 3Х2В8Ф

Introduction. Control and management of technological residual stresses (TRS) are among the most critical mechanical engineering technology tasks. Boriding can provide high physical and mechanical properties of machine parts and tools with minimal impact on the stress state in the surface layers. The purpose of this work is to determine the temperature modes of diffusion boriding, contributing to a favorable distribution of TRS in the surface layer of die steel 3Kh2V8F. The paper considers the results of studies on the TRS determination by the experimental method on the UDION-2 installation in diffusion layers on the studied steel surface. Boriding was carried out in containers with a powder mixture of boron carbide and sodium fluoride as an activator at a temperature of 950 °C and 1050 °C for 2 hours. The obtained samples of steels with a diffusion layer were examined using an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM); determined the layers' microhardness, elemental, and phase composition. The experiments resulted in the following findings: as the boriding temperature rose from 950 °C to 1050 °C, the diffusion layer's thickness increased from 20 to 105 μm. The low-temperature mode of thermal-chemical treatment (TCT) led to the formation of iron boride Fe2B with a maximum boron content of 6 % and a microhardness up to 1250 HV. A high-temperature mode resulted in FeB formation with a top boron content of 11 % and a microhardness up to 1880 HV. Results and Discussions. It is found that boriding at 950 °C led to a more favorable distribution of compression TRS in the diffusion layer. However, significant TRS fluctuations in the diffusion layer and the adjacent (transitional) zone could affect the operational properties after TCT at a given temperature. An increase in the TCT temperature led to tensile TRS's appearance in the layer's upper zone at a depth of up to 50 μm from the surface. Despite tensile stresses on the diffusion layer surface after high-temperature TCT, the distribution of TCT is smoother than low-temperature boriding.

Kearifan Ekosistem Budaya pada Tata Ruang Lanskap Budaya Jawa Kuno di DAS Kali Brantas

The protections for culture, natural environment and aesthetic are widely recognised as a part of sustainability. The cultural landscape were characterised by the traditional norms of the society and physical civilisation manifested in local wisdoms creating the traditional landscape and architecture. This study aimed to reconstruct the use of landscape as part of local culture representing the ancient Javanese civilization (9th to 15th century) in the Brantas River Basin. This study found how the Javanese cosmology was applied on a regional scale of space. According to the character of spatial use as well as its physical and social materials, the space of the ancient Javanese region consisted of three zones, namely: the Lower, Central and the Upper Zones. This findings was a model of local wisdom in the regional scale, as a counterpart of the contemporary notion of urban development that conceives the lanscape as a capital asset.

Proposed Environmental Risk Management Elements in a Carpathian Valley Basin, within the Roşia Montană European Historical Mining Area.

Non-ferrous metals mining activities have long accompanied people, and began in the study area of South East Europe over 2000 years ago. The environment quality is significantly affected by both historic mining activities and contemporary impacts. All these problems, inducing synergic negative effects on local organism communities, have created a chronic state of pollution. The Corna Valley has one of the oldest historical human impacts in Romania due to the influence of mining. Fish and benthic macroinvertebrates have exhibited significant responses to long term mining effects on lotic systems. The analysis of macroinvertebrate communities, correlated with the lack of fish and some biotope characteristics, indicates that the Corna River presents a variety of categories of ecological status between sectors. The lack of fish reveals the poor ecological conditions. Technical and management solutions are proposed here to diminish the historical environmental problems and to avoid future ecological accidents, especially in an attempt to improve any construction plan concerning a possible new de-cyanidation dam and lake. Fish and benthic macroinvertebrates have exhibited significant responses to long term mining effects on lotic systems. Two management zones were identified, an upper zone which can be used as a reference area and a lower zone, where pollution remedial activities are proposed.