Effective use of ERTS multisensor data in the Northern Great Plains

The author has identified the following significant results. ERTS imagery was used as a tool in the identification and refinement of soil association areas; to classify land use patterns between crop and fallow fields; to identify corn, soybeans, and oats; and to identify broad generalized range ecosystems. Various data handling techniques were developed and applied to accomplish these tasks. A map outlining soil associations and relative land values was completed on a base mosaic of ERTS imagery and is included as an appendix to the report

Use of remote sensing techniques for inventorying and planning utilization of land resources in South Dakota

The basic procedures for interpreting remote sensing imagery to rapidly develop general soils and land use inventories were developed and utilized in Pennington County, South Dakota. These procedures and remote sensing data products were illustrated and explained to many user groups, some of whom are interested in obtaining similar data. The general soils data were integrated with land soils data supplied by the county director of equalization to prepare a land value map. A computer print-out of this map indicating a land value for each quarter section is being used in tax reappraisal of Pennington County. The land use data provided the land use planners with the present use of land in Pennington County. Additional uses of remote sensing applications are also discussed including tornado damage assessment, hail damage evaluation, and presentation of soil and land value information on base maps assembled from ERTS-1 imagery

Progress in Agricultural Research at the North Central Substation

Thousands of acres of farm land in the north central part of South Dakota have their productive future tied up with the 240 acres used for experimental research at the Substation at Eureka. Established nearly 50 years ago by the state legislature, which set aside state school lands for agricultural research, the North Central Substation is the proving ground for new agricultural methods and a living record of the accumulative effects of the old. As early as 1908, rotation experiments were started which became the first historical record in the northern plains area of the effects of cropping practices on the soil. At that time, the entire surrounding country was in wheat. There were no crop rotations, since the organic matter of the soil was good and the fertility level high. Also, there was no weed problem then. Later, the Experiment Station was to be accused of scattering weeds in one of the most interesting stories to be uncovered in the development of experimental research in this area. Foreseeing the time when the fertility of the land might become dangerously lowered by the practice of continuous cropping which was being carried on at that time, the Substation set up experimental plots. These included the basic crops of rotation-cultivated crops, small grain and legumes. In this case, the legume was sweet clover. (See more in Text

The Homogeneity of Interstellar Oxygen in the Galactic Disk

We present an analysis of high resolution HST Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) observations of O I 1356 and H I Lyman-alpha absorption in 36 sight lines that probe a variety of Galactic disk environments and include paths that range over nearly 4 orders of magnitude in f(H_2), over 2 orders of magnitude in mean sight line density, and that extend up to 6.5 kpc in length. Consequently, we have undertaken the study of gas-phase O/H abundance ratio homogeneity using the current sample and previously published Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) results. Two distinct trends are identified in the 56 sight line sample: an apparent decrease in gas-phase oxygen abundance with increasing mean sight line density and a gap between the mean O/H ratio for sight lines shorter and longer than about 800 pc. The first effect is a smooth transition between two depletion levels associated with large mean density intervals; it is centered near a density of 1.5 cm^-3 and is similar to trends evident in gas-phase abundances of other elements. Paths less dense than the central value exhibit a mean O/H ratio of log_10 (O/H) = -3.41+/-0.01 (or 390+/-10 ppm), which is consistent with averages determined for several long, low-density paths observed by STIS (Andre et al. 2003) and short low-density paths observed by FUSE (Moos et al. 2002). Sight lines of higher mean density exhibit an average O/H value of log_10 (O/H) = -3.55+/-0.02 (284+/-12 ppm). The datapoints for low-density paths are scattered more widely than those for denser sight lines, due to O/H ratios for paths shorter than 800 pc that are generally about 0.10 dex lower than the values for longer ones.Comment: 33 pages, including 8 figures and 4 tables; accepted for publication in ApJ, tentatively in Oct 200

Abundances of Cu and Zn in metal-poor stars: clues for Galaxy evolution

We present new observations of copper and zinc abundances in 90 metal-poor stars, belonging to the metallicity range -3< [Fe/H] < -0.5. The present study is based on high resolution spectroscopic measurements collected at the Haute Provence Observatoire (R= 42000, S/N > 100). The trend of Cu and Zn abundances as a function of the metallicity [Fe/H] is discussed and compared to that of other heavy elements beyond iron. We also estimate spatial velocities and galactic orbital parameters for our target stars in order to disentangle the population of disk stars from that of halo stars using kinematic criteria. In the absence of a firm a priori knowledge of the nucleosynthesis mechanisms controlling Cu and Zn production, and of the relative stellar sites, we derive constraints on these last from the trend of the observed ratios [Cu/Fe] and [Zn/Fe] throughout the history of the Galaxy, as well as from a few well established properties of basic nucleosynthesis processes in stars. We thus confirm that the production of Cu and Zn requires a number of different sources (neutron captures in massive stars, s-processing in low and intermediate mass stars, explosive nucleosynthesis in various supernova types). We also attempt a ranking of the relative roles played by different production mechanisms, and verify these hints through a simple estimate of the galactic enrichment in Cu and Zn. In agreement with suggestions presented earlier, we find evidence that Type Ia Supernovae must play a relevant role, especially for the production of Cu.Comment: Accepted for A&A, 27 pages, 14 figure

Spectroscopy of high proper motion stars in the ground--based UV

Based on high quality spectral data (spectral resolution R>60000) within the wavelength range of 3550-5000 AA we determined main parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, microturbulent velocity, and chemical element abundances including heavy metals from Sr to Dy) for 14 metal-deficient G-K stars with large proper motions. The stars we studied have a wide range of metallicity: [Fe/H]=-0.3 \div -2.9. Abundances of Mg, Al, Sr and Ba were calculated with non-LTE line-formation effects accounted for. Abundances both of the radioactive element Th and r-process element Eu were determined using synthetic spectrum calculations. We selected stars that belong to different galactic populations according to the kinematical criterion and parameters determined by us. We found that the studied stars with large proper motions refer to different components of the Galaxy: thin, thick disks and halo. The chemical composition of the star BD+80 245 located far from the galactic plane agrees with its belonging to the accreted halo. For the giant HD115444 we obtained [Fe/H]=-2.91, underabundance of Mn, overabundance of heavy metals from Ba to Dy, and, especially high excess of the r-process element Europium: [Eu/Fe]=+1.26. Contrary to its chemical composition typical for halo stars, HD115444 belongs to the disc population according to its kinematic parameters.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, 5 tables, "UV Universe-2010 (2nd NUVA Symposium) conference

Adiabatic decaying vacuum model for the universe

We study a model that the entropy per particle in the universe is constant. The sources for the entropy are the particle creation and a lambda decaying term. We find exact solutions for the Einstein field equations and show the compatibilty of the model with respect to the age and the acceleration of the universe.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

Welding fume nanoparticles from solid and flux-cored wires: Solubility, toxicity, and role of fluorides

Welding fume particles are hazardous. Their toxicity likely depends on their composition and reactivity. This study aimed at exploring the role of sodium or other fluorides (NaF), which are intentionally added to flux-cored wire electrodes for stainless steel welding, on the solubility (in phosphate buffered saline) and toxicity of the generated welding fume particles. A multi-analytical particle characterization approach along with in-vitro cell assays was undertaken. The release of Cr(VI) and Mn from the particles was tested as a function of fluoride solution concentration. The welding fume particles containing NaF released significantly higher amounts of Cr(VI) compared with solid wire reference fumes, which was associated with increased cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in-vitro. No crystalline Na or potassium (K) containing chromates were observed. Cr(VI) was incorporated in an amorphous mixed oxide. Solution-added fluorides did not increase the solubility of Cr(VI), but contributed to a reduced Mn release from both solid and flux-cored wire fume particles and the reduction of Cr(VI) release from solid wire fume particles. Chemical speciation modeling suggested that metal fluoride complexes were not formed. The presence of NaF in the welding electrodes did not have any direct, but possibly an indirect, role in the Cr(VI) solubility of welding fumes

"The dearest of our possessions": applying Floridi's information privacy concept in models of information behavior and information literacy

This conceptual paper argues for the value of an approach to privacy in the digital information environment informed by Luciano Floridi's philosophy of information and information ethics. This approach involves achieving informational privacy, through the features of anonymity and obscurity, through an optimal balance of ontological frictions. This approach may be used to modify models for information behavior and for information literacy, giving them a fuller and more effective coverage of privacy issues in the infosphere. For information behavior, the Information Seeking and Communication Model, and the Information Grounds conception, are most appropriate for this purpose. For information literacy, the metaliteracy model, using a modification a privacy literacy framework, is most suitable