Effects of Topography on Seismic-Wave Propagation: An Example from Northern Taiwan

Topography influences ground motion and, in general, increases the amplitude of shaking at mountain tops and ridges, whereas valleys have reduced ground motions, as is observed from data recorded during and after real earthquakes and from numerical simulations. However, recent publications have focused mainly on the implications for ground motion in the mountainous regions themselves, whereas the impact on surrounding low-lying areas has received less attention. Here, we develop a new spectral-element mesh implementation to accommodate realistic topography as well as the complex shape of the Taipei sedimentary basin, which is located close to the Central Mountain Range in northern Taiwan. Spectral-element numerical simulations indicate that high-resolution topography can change peak ground velocity (PGV) values in mountainous areas by ±50% compared to a half-space response. We further demonstrate that large-scale topography can affect the propagation of seismic waves in nearby areas. For example, if a shallow earthquake occurs in the I-Lan region of Taiwan, the Central Mountain Range will significantly scatter the surface waves and will in turn reduce the amplitude of ground motion in the Taipei basin. However, as the hypocenter moves deeper, topography scatters body waves, which subsequently propagate as surface waves into the basin. These waves continue to interact with the basin and the surrounding mountains, finally resulting in complex amplification patterns in Taipei City, with an overall PGV increase of more than 50%. For realistic subduction zone earthquake scenarios off the northeast coast of Taiwan, the effects of topography on ground motion in both the mountains and the Taipei basin vary and depend on the rupture process. The complex interactions that can occur between mountains and surrounding areas, especially sedimentary basins, illustrate the fact that topography should be taken into account when assessing seismic hazard

Field notes on findings of threatened amphibian species in the central mountain range of western Panama

During field work along a transect in the Cordillera Central of western Panama between 2008 and 2010, we detected several populations of amphibian species which are considered as “Endangered” or “Critically Endangered” by the IUCN. Some of these species had suffered from serious population declines, probably due to chytridiomycosis, but all are generally threatened by habitat loss. We detected 53% of the Endangered and 56% of the Critically Endangered amphibian species that have previously been reported from within the investigated area. We report on findings of species that have not been found in Panama for many years, and provide locality data of newly discovered populations. There is a need to create a new protected area in the Cerro Colorado area of the Serranía de Tabasará, where we found 15% of the Endangered and Critically Endangered amphibian species known to Panama.Durante trabajo de campo en un transecto a lo largo de la Cordillera Central en el oeste de Panamá entre 2008 y 2010, encontramos varias poblaciones de anfibios que son considerados “En Peligro” o “En Peligro Crítico” por la UICN. Algunas de estas especies habían sufrido serias disminuciones de sus poblaciones, probablemente causadas por la quitridiomicosis, pero todas se encuentran amenazadas por pérdida de hábitat. Detectamos el 53% de las especies En Peligro y el 56% de las especies En Peligro Crítico que se habían reportado previamente en el área de estudio. Reportamos hallazgos de especies que no se habían avistado en Panamá por muchos años, así como localidades de poblaciones descubiertas por primera vez. Se requiere crear una nueva área de protección en los alrededores del Cerro Colorado en la Serranía de Tabasará, donde se han encontrado 15% de los anfibios En Peligro y En Peligro Crítico de todo Panamá

Del diezmo islámico al diezmo real. La renta agraria en Toledo (ss. XI-XV)

This paper is based on the hypothesis that lands conquered by Christians in the southern area of the central mountain system were incorporated into the Castilian Crown as legally and fiscally independent spaces. Christian kings, the new monarchs of these states, began to take advantage of the old Islamic taxes, but now as feudal lords. Therefore, these taxes turned into royal income, as it was the case of the Islamic tithe, considered an agrarian income by Christians. This new income received different names like aloxor, decima, or royal tithe

Extreme Rainfall Mechanisms Exhibited by Typhoon Morakot (2009)

Moderate Typhoon Morakot (2009) became the most catastrophic typhoon in Taiwan on record. The MM5 numerical experiments with and without bogus data assimilation (BDA) were used to investigate the extreme rainfall mechanisms in Taiwan associated with the westbound typhoon. The BDA, based on 4DVAR, helps MM5 to maintain a more consolidated typhoon vortex and better predict the observed track after landfall, thus producing realistic extreme rainfall (about 2400 mm) at the southern and Central Mountain Range (CMR) of Taiwan. Severe rainfall in Taiwan is dominated by the CMR that hence modulates rainfall predictability

Geographic Differences in the Relative Price of Healthy Foods

Although healthy foods can be affordable, if less healthy foods are cheaper, individuals may have an economic incentive to consume a less healthful diet. Using the Quarterly Food-at-Home Price Database, we explore whether a select set of healthy foods (whole grains, dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, whole fruit, skim and 1% milk, fruit juice, and bottled water) are more expensive than less healthy alternatives. We find that not all healthy foods are more expensive than less healthy alternatives; skim and 1% milk are less expensive than whole and 2% milk and bottled water is generally less expensive than carbonated nonalcoholic drinks. We also find considerable geographic variation in the relative price of healthy foods. This price variation may contribute to geographic variation in diet and health outcomes.Quarterly Food-at-Home Price Database (QFAHPD), healthy food, price, geographic variation, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Health Economics and Policy, Public Economics,

Historical fire records at the two ends of Iberian Central Mountain system: Estrela massif and Ayllon massif

The Iberian Peninsula has a long history of fire, as the Central Mountain System, from the Estrela massif in Portugal to the Ayllón massif in Spain, is a major fire-prone area. Despite being part of the same natural region, there are different environmental, political and socio-economic contexts at either end, which might have led to distinct human causes of wildfires and associated fire regimes. The hypothesis for this research lies in the historical long-term relationship between wildfire risks and fire use practices within a context of landscape dynamics. In addition to conducting an analysis of the statistical period, a spatial and temporal multiscale approach was taken by reconstructing the historical record of prestatistical fires and land management history at both ends of the Central Mountain System. The main result is the different structural causes of wildland fires at either end of the Central Mountain System, with human factors being more important than environmental factors in determining the fire regimes in both contexts. The study shows that the development of the fire regime was non-linear in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, due to broader local human context factors which led to a shift in fire-use practicesLa Península Ibérica cuenta con una larga historia de incendios forestales. Es el caso del Sistema Central, desde la Sierra de Estrela en Portugal a la Sierra de Ayllón en España, aunque las causas humanas y el régimen de incendios difieren en función del contexto ambiental, político y socioeconómico en uno y otro extremo de la cordillera. La validación de la hipótesis de trabajo, sobre la relación histórica entre el riesgo de incendios y el uso del fuego en las actividades humanas, se ha llevado a partir de la reconstrucción del registro histórico de incendios forestales y de la gestión del territorio, y mediante el análisis multiescalar espacio- temporal de los incendios históricos y estadísticos. Como principal resultado se han identificado las causas estructurales de incendios en las sierras de Estrela y Ayllón. Además, se ha demostrado la influencia mayor de los aspectos humanos que de los físicos en la evolución del régimen de fuego. En conclusión, este trabajo evidencia la evolución discontinua de los incendios forestales a lo largo de los siglos XIX y XX debido a los factores contextuales humanos que influyen en el manejo tradicional del fuego a escala localinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Antenatal Care Practice and the Chance of Having Nurse/midwife Birth Attendant: a Study in Central Mountain of Papua

Background: Papua has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in Indonesia. Nurse/midwife birth attendants and regular antenatal care (ANC) are important factors in decreasing maternal mortality rate. This study aimed to identify the association of ANC to nurse/midwife-assisted birth in Papua.Methods: The subjects of this cross-sectional study and purposive sampling consisted of females with toddlers in the family visiting the integrated community center on 15-30 January 2014 in 24 villages in Central Mountain of Jayawijaya, Papua. Several demographic characteristics, ANC practices, and labor practices were collected by interview. Analysis was carried out by Cox regression with constant time.Results: There were 469 subjects, but only 391 subjects were available for analysis which consisted of 280 subjects with self/family-assisted births and 111 with nurse/midwife-assistedbirths. There were only 3 subjects that gave birth in the forest or stable (“kandang hina”). Compared with those who never had ANC, those who had ANC in the integrated community center had 5.6-fold possibility to have a nurse/ midwife-assisted birth [adjusted relative risk (RRa) = 5.60; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.99-10.47]. In addition, compared with those who never had ANC, those who had ANC by midwife and 4 ANC visits had higher possibility to have nurse/midwife-assisted birth, 4.9-fold (RRa = 4.89; 95% CI = 2.70-8.86) and 6.9-fold (RRa = 6.90; 95% CI = 3.59-13.27) respectively.Conclusion: Antenatal care service is a possible way to increase the proportion of deliveries by nurse/midwife in Central Mountain of Jayawijaya, Papua. (Health Science Indones 2014;2:60-6

Frequency Distributions of Median Nutrient and Chlorophyll Concentrations across the Red River Basin, 1996-2006

Acquisition and compilation of water quality data for a ten year time period (1996 – 2006) from 589 stream and river stations was conducted to support nutrient criteria development for the multi–state Red River Basin shared by Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, USA. Twenty–three water quality parameters were collected from five data sources (USGS, ADEQ, LDEQ, OCC, OWRB, and TCEQ) and an additional 13 parameters were acquired from at least one source. Data for the primary biological parameter of interest, chlorophyll a, was sparse and available from only two sources. Following compilation of data, medians were calculated for the ten year period and median distributions (min, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th percentiles and max) were presented for several different spatial scales including state specific data, HUC8 designated watersheds, and various ecoregions. Across this basin, median values for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and sestonic chlorophyll–a (chl–a) ranged from \u3c0.02 to 20.2 mg L⁻¹, \u3c0.01 to 6.66 mg L⁻¹, and 0.10 to 26 µg L⁻¹, respectively. Overall, the 25th percentiles of median TN data specific to the Red River Basin were generally similar to the USEPA recommended eco–region nutrient criteria. Whereas, median TP and chl–a data specific to the Red River Basin showed 25th percentiles greater than the USEPA recommended criteria. The unique location of the Red River Basin in the south–central USA places it near the boundaries of several aggregate eco–regions; therefore, the development of eco–region nutrient criteria likely requires using data specific to the Red River Basin, as shown in these analyses. This study provided basin–specific distribution of medians as the first step supporting states in developing nutrient criteria to protect designated uses in the multi–jurisdictional Red River Basin and in potentially reducing nutrient export from the Red River Basin to the Gulf of Mexico

α_S1-casein genetic variants in Sarda goat breed

Sardinia plays an important role in Italian goat breeding; this is due not only to the high extent of its patrimony and production, but also to the fact that the main breed, the Sarda goat, represents an interesting biodiversity source. As regards the morphologic variability, marked differences between subjects reared in the coast and mountain areas were found (Macciotta et al., 2002). These differences are due to the genetic selection on the autochthonous patrimony, set up by breeders and based on coat colour, horn presence and/or on functional criteria (udder shape). The need to improve milk yields also induced various breeders, mainly in those areas with better pasture conditions, to crossbreed the Sarda goats with more productive breeds. The present situation (Pazzola et al., 2002) shows how in the East coastal region (Sarrabus, Ogliastra and Baronia) and in the central mountain areas of Sardinia (Barbagia), subjects with more rural traits are reared (smaller size, small ears, presence of horns, etc.); while in the South and West areas (Sulcis and Guspinese) the influence of the Maltese breed is more evident. Both the productive traits variability (Brandano et al., 1978), and the morphologic aspect, is of great interest. Genetic variability can influence the survival of a sector hindered by the opening of the markets and by the strong competitiveness of zootechnical areas technologically more advanced. According to this point of view, considering that casein fractions are closely related to milk technological characteristics (Grosclaude et al., 1994), and to its possible productive differentiation (Remeuf, 1993), a study on αS1-casein allelic frequency was carried out, related also to the breeding region. The aim of the study is to acquire useful information in order to suggest an appropriate utilization of milk, to detect possible new alleles and to test the correlation between casein phenotype and morphology of the animals

New England Has the Highest Increase in Income Disparity in the Nation

New England is a generally prosperous region and its residents are doing relatively well economically (see Table 1). Yet, between 1989 and 2004, the region experienced the largest increase in income inequality in the country. Much of this widening gap between rich and poor was driven by growth among the top earners, but the changes are not simply the "rich getting richer." Rather, they reflect the hollowing out of the middle caused by significant changes in the nation's economy. The loss of manufacturing employment for low-skilled workers has been coupled with increased demand, and rewards, for high-skilled and high tech employment. These shifts were more pronounced in New England because of the region's highly educated population, strong research and development base, and relatively high cost of business operations, which pushes low-skilled jobs elsewhere