Soil erosion modeling or a microwatershed

The objective of this study was to develop a soil erosion model for a microwatershed.  The selected watershed area was 2.64 hectares under forest area with plantation crops. Soil erosion factors identified were precipitation, stone cover, soil physical properties, height of vegetation, slope steepness and ground cover.  From this mechanism, values of permanent interception, soil cohesion, erosive rainfall intensity, evapotranspiration and infiltration was established. Composition of precipitation, evapotranspiration, infiltration and surface runoff was the water balance basis for the model structure developed.   Soil erosion equation (RMMF) model by Morgan was modified.  Secondary equation, the kinetic energy of leaf drainage (KE(LD)) was replaced with the kinetic energy equation.   Event surface runoff from the original equation of the model was enhanced; it was applied based on the water balance equation (Rs = P – ET – F).  Stone cover factor was added to the equation of energy because it has an effect to the raindrop impact. The new model was calibrated and validated by comparing the observed and adjusted soil erosion values for the selected rainfall-runoff event of May to September, 2012.  Analysis of data sets used in the calibration of the model yielded calibration equation of Adjusted Dt = 0.456*Dt – 0.878.  Data sets during the calibration had correlation coefficient of 90.30%, root mean square error (RMSE) of 27.5 % and coefficient of determination was 81.5%. Calibration equation was included in the model to come up with the final equation that determined total soil erosion rate. In the validation of final model, adjusted detachment rate and the observed value posted 97.9% correlation with root mean square error of 56%. The model could be used as prediction measure in the design and construction of channel structures as well as soil and water conservation practices that may reduce soil erosion

BONNSAI: a Bayesian tool for comparing stars with stellar evolution models

Powerful telescopes equipped with multi-fibre or integral field spectrographs combined with detailed models of stellar atmospheres and automated fitting techniques allow for the analysis of large number of stars. These datasets contain a wealth of information that require new analysis techniques to bridge the gap between observations and stellar evolution models. To that end, we develop BONNSAI (BONN Stellar Astrophysics Interface), a Bayesian statistical method, that is capable of comparing all available observables simultaneously to stellar models while taking observed uncertainties and prior knowledge such as initial mass functions and distributions of stellar rotational velocities into account. BONNSAI can be used to (1) determine probability distributions of fundamental stellar parameters such as initial masses and stellar ages from complex datasets, (2) predict stellar parameters that were not yet observationally determined and (3) test stellar models to further advance our understanding of stellar evolution. An important aspect of BONNSAI is that it singles out stars that cannot be reproduced by stellar models through $\chi^{2}$ hypothesis tests and posterior predictive checks. BONNSAI can be used with any set of stellar models and currently supports massive main-sequence single star models of Milky Way and Large and Small Magellanic Cloud composition. We apply our new method to mock stars to demonstrate its functionality and capabilities. In a first application, we use BONNSAI to test the stellar models of Brott et al. (2011a) by comparing the stellar ages inferred for the primary and secondary stars of eclipsing Milky Way binaries. Ages are determined from dynamical masses and radii that are known to better than 3%. We find that the stellar models reproduce the Milky Way binaries well. BONNSAI is available through a web-interface at http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/stars/bonnsai.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A; 15 pages, 10 figures, 4 tables; BONNSAI is available through a web-interface at http://www.astro.uni-bonn.de/stars/bonnsa

Innovation in the European chemical industry

Firms in the European chemical industry have been among the most successful firms world wide. However, they have had to undertake severe restucturing in order to maintain their market position. These efforts focused in particular on strengthening their innovative capability as product and process innovation have become the most decisive factors in global competition. In order to improve the innovative conditions, the European Commission has supported the Community Innovation Survey (CIS). 1992/1993 was the first time that large-scale harmonised innovation surveys were carried out in all Member States of the European Union. This study uses the CIS micro data from nearly 2000 European chemical firms. This study focuses on the identification of innovative trends within the chemical industry between 1984 and 1993. Using data from annual reports of nine selected European stock companies, the study identifies those areas of the chemical industry currently having the highest innovative potential. Three speciality categories are identified as having the highest number of innovations during this ten year period: chemicals, paints/varnishes, and plastics. -- Obwohl viele europäische Unternehmen der chemischen Industrie in den vergangenen Jahrzehnten zu den erfolgreichsten in der Welt zählten, mußten sie sich Anfang der neunziger Jahre einem gravierenden Strukturwandel unterziehen, um ihre Position behaupten zu können. Die Fähigkeit der Unternehmen, Innovationen hervorzubringen, stand und steht dabei im Mittelpunkt. Mit dem Ziel, die Rahmenbedingungen für Innovationen zu verbessern, führte die EU-Kommission 1993 eine europaweite Innovationserhebung, den Community Innovation Survey (CIS) durch. In dieser Studie wurden die anonymisierten Antworten von nahezu 2000 Unternehmen der chemischen Industrie analysiert. Um Innovationstrends aufzuzeigen zu können, wurden darüber hinaus Geschäftsberichte von neun großen europäischen Chemieunternehmen ausgewertet. So wurden die Sparten Spezialitäten, Farben/Lacke und Kunststoffe als diejenigen Sparten identifiziert, die im Untersuchungszeitraum (1984-1993) die meisten Innovationen aufwiesen.

Soil Erosion Modeling or a Microwatershed

The objective of this study was to develop a soil erosion model for a microwatershed. The selected watershed area was 2.64 hectares under forest area with plantation crops. Soil erosion factors identified were precipitation, stone cover, soil physical properties, height of vegetation, slope steepness and ground cover. From this mechanism, values of permanent interception, soil cohesion, erosive rainfall intensity, evapotranspiration and infiltration was established. Composition of precipitation, evapotranspiration, infiltration and surface runoff was the water balance basis for the model structure developed. Soil erosion equation (RMMF) model by Morgan was modified. Secondary equation, the kinetic energy of leaf drainage (KE(LD)) was replaced with the kinetic energy equation. Event surface runoff from the original equation of the model was enhanced; it was applied based on the water balance equation (Rs = P – ET – F). Stone cover factor was added to the equation of energy because it has an effect to the raindrop impact. The new model was calibrated and validated by comparing the observed and adjusted soil erosion values for the selected rainfall-runoff event of May to September, 2012. Analysis of data sets used in the calibration of the model yielded calibration equation of Adjusted Dt = 0.456*Dt – 0.878. Data sets during the calibration had correlation coefficient of 90.30%, root mean square error (RMSE) of 27.5 % and coefficient of determination was 81.5%. Calibration equation was included in the model to come up with the final equation that determined total soil erosion rate. In the validation of final model, adjusted detachment rate and the observed value posted 97.9% correlation with root mean square error of 56%. The model could be used as prediction measure in the design and construction of channel structures as well as soil and water conservation practices that may reduce soil erosion

Towards a conflict account of déjà vu : the role of memory errors and memory expectation conflict in the experience of déjà vu

This work was supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) [grant number BB/M010996/1].Déjà vu can be defined as conflict between a subjective evaluation of familiarity and a concurrent evaluation of novelty. Accounts of the déjà vu experience have not explicitly referred to a “conflict account of déjà vu” despite the acceptance of conflict-based definitions of déjà vu and relatively recent neuroimaging work that has implicated brain areas associated with conflict as underpinning the experience. Conflict monitoring functioning follows a similar age-related trajectory to déjà vu with a peak in young adulthood and a subsequent age-related decline. In this narrative review of the literature to date, we consider how déjà vu is defined and how this has influenced the understanding of déjà vu. We also review how déjà vu can be understood within theories of recognition memory and cognitive control. Finally, we summarise the conflict account of déjà vu and propose that this account of the experience may provide a coherent explanation as to why déjà vu experiences tend to decrease with age in the non-clinical population.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Casimir interaction between plane and spherical metallic surfaces

We give an exact series expansion of the Casimir force between plane and spherical metallic surfaces in the non trivial situation where the sphere radius $R$, the plane-sphere distance $L$ and the plasma wavelength $\lambda_\P$ have arbitrary relative values. We then present numerical evaluation of this expansion for not too small values of $L/R$. For metallic nanospheres where $R, L$ and $\lambda_\P$ have comparable values, we interpret our results in terms of a correlation between the effects of geometry beyond the proximity force approximation (PFA) and of finite reflectivity due to material properties. We also discuss the interest of our results for the current Casimir experiments performed with spheres of large radius $R\gg L$.Comment: 4 pages, new presentation (highlighting the novelty of the results) and added references. To appear in Physical Review Letter

Délire dermatozoïque: À propos d’un cas

Le délire dermatozoïque est un délire particulier survenant chez les personnes âgées et caractérisé par la présence d'un délire hallucinatoireessentiellement cénesthésique, avec la conviction d'être infesté par des petites bêtes. Ce délire aboutit à des lésions de grattage pouvant êtregraves, mais sans aucune étiologie organique, et leurrant souvent le dermatologue. Notre observation est originale, par le fait que le patient a été adressé par un ophtalmologue, et faisant étendre le champ du diagnostic à plusieurs spécialités, s'occupant des patients âgés. il s'agit d'un patient âgé de 67 ans, ayant présenté da façon concomitante à une intervention chirurgicale et au mariage de son dernier fils, un délire hallucinatoire avec une conviction d'être attaqué par des moustiques lui suçant le sang. Des lésions d'excoriation cutanée ont été secondaires à ce délire, et ont été à l'origine d'une consultation psychiatrique. L'évolution après six mois de traitement a été marquée par l'enkystement du délire et l'amélioration des lésions cutanées. Réputé rare, le délire  dermatozoïque pourrait être déroutant si on ne fait pas le diagnostic positif. Tout clinicien peut être confronté dans sa pratique à ce type de syndrome. Sa compréhension facilite une prise en charge adéquate, basée essentiellement sur un soutien psychologique et un traitement  neuroleptique