4,648 research outputs found
Applying mesh conformation on shape analysis with missing data
A mesh conformation approach that makes use of deformable generic meshes has been applied to establishing correspondences between 3D shapes with missing data. Given a group of shapes with correspondences, we can build up a statistical shape model by applying principal component analysis (PCA). The conformation at first globally maps the generic mesh to the 3D shape based on manually located corresponding landmarks, and then locally deforms the generic mesh to clone the 3D shape. The local deformation is constrained by minimizing the energy of an elastic model. An algorithm was also embedded in the conformation process to fill missing surface data of the shapes. Using synthetic data, we demonstrate that the conformation preserves the configuration of the generic mesh and hence it helps to establish good correspondences for shape analysis. Case studies of the principal component analysis of shapes were presented to illustrate the successes and advantages of our approach
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Assessing the potential economic benefits to farmers from various GM crops becoming available in the European Union by 2025: results from an expert survey
This paper reports on a study that identified a range of crop-trait combinations that are: agronomically suited to the EU; provide advantages to arable farmers and consumers; and are either already available in international markets, or advancing along the development pipeline and likely to become available by 2025. An expert stakeholder panel was recruited and asked for their views, using the Delphi approach, on the impact of these crop-traits on enterprise competitiveness, through changes to yields, production costs and product prices. In terms of input traits, there was consensus that traits such as herbicide tolerant/insect resistant (HT/IR) maize, HT sugar beet and HT soya bean would provide positive benefits for farmers. Output-side traits such as winter-sown rape with reduced saturated fats, were seen as offering benefits to consumers, but were either likely to be restricted to niche markets, or offer relatively modest price premia to farmers growing them. Our analysis of the financial impact of the adoption of GM crops more widely in the EU, showed that the competitiveness of the agricultural sector could well be improved by this. However, such improvements would be relatively small-scale in that large-scale national natural advantages from either economic or environmental conditions is unlikely to be overturned
Estimation of runoff volumes for ungauged catchments in the agricultural areas of Western Australia
Describes an analysis of flood runoff volumes from 16 small, gauged catchments in the agricultural areas of south western Australia. It also describes methods for estimating flood runoff volumes from ungauged catchments. The independent variables found to be statistically significant in explaining the variability in flood runoff volumes from the gauged catchments were catchment area, mean annual rainfall and the percentage of the catchment that was cleared. No soil factor was found to be significant
Soil factors affecting flood runoff on agricultural catchments in Western Australia
Reviews methods of including soil properties in flood runoff-predicting equations. Concentrates on practical methods that can be routinely used by soil conservation technicians for flood prediction rather than complex research models. A case is made for collecting soil data from the gauged catchments which are relevant to a perceived runoff mechanism and are capable of being routinely applied in simple flood prediction methodologies
A description of the soils and geology of the Berkshire Valley experimental catchment
Basic land resource data are provided in this report to assist an investigation of the effect of contour banking on surface runoff in the Berkshire Valley experimental catchement. Brief descriptions of the catchment\u27s geology, soils and their inferred hydrological significance are provided and a 1:2000 scale map produced. Of major significance to the hydrologic study is the fact that soil depth and internal drainage conditions were found to be not related to landscape positions
Coulomb interactions in single, charged self-assembled quantum dots: radiative lifetime and recombination energy
We present results on the charge dependence of the radiative recombination
lifetime, Tau, and the emission energy of excitons confined to single
self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots. There are significant dot-to-dot
fluctuations in the lifetimes for a particular emission energy. To reach
general conclusions, we present the statistical behavior by analyzing data
recorded on a large number of individual quantum dots. Exciton charge is
controlled with extremely high fidelity through an n-type field effect
structure, providing access to the neutral exciton (X0), the biexciton (2X0)
and the positively (X1+) and negatively (X1-) charged excitons. We find
significant differences in the recombination lifetime of each exciton such
that, on average, Tau(X1-) / Tau(X0) = 1.25, Tau(X1+) / Tau(X0) = 1.58 and
Tau(2X0) / Tau(X0) = 0.65. We attribute the change in lifetime to significant
changes in the single particle hole wave function on charging the dot, an
effect more pronounced on charging X0 with a single hole than with a single
electron. We verify this interpretation by recasting the experimental data on
exciton energies in terms of Coulomb energies. We show directly that the
electron-hole Coulomb energy is charge dependent, reducing in value by 5-10% in
the presence of an additional electron, and that the electron-electron and
hole-hole Coulomb energies are almost equal.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Drainage to control waterlogging
Drains can be classified in several ways. Drains on flat land have similar drainage effects on either side of the drain and are called relief drains. Drains on sloping land intercept seepage water moving down hillsides and therefore have most effect on the downslope side. They are called interceptor drains.
Drains can also be classified as being open drains (that is, open at the ground surface) or buried drains (for example, tube drains)
Long-term carbon and nitrogen dynamics at SPRUCE revealed through stable isotopes in peat profiles
Peatlands encode information about past vegetation dynamics, climate, and microbial processes. Here, we used δ15N and δ13C patterns from 16 peat profiles to deduce how the biogeochemistry of the Marcell S1 forested bog in northern Minnesota responded to environmental and vegetation change over the past  ∼ 10000 years. In multiple regression analyses, δ15N and δ13C correlated strongly with depth, plot location, C∕N, %N, and each other. Correlations with %N, %C, C∕N, and the other isotope accounted for 80% of variance for δ15N and 38% of variance for δ13C, reflecting N and C losses. In contrast, correlations with depth and topography (hummock or hollow) reflected peatland successional history and climate. Higher δ15N in plots closer to uplands may reflect upland-derived DON inputs and accompanying shifts in N dynamics in the lagg drainage area surrounding the bog. The Suess effect (declining δ13CO2 since the Industrial Revolution) lowered δ13C in recent surficial samples. High δ15N from −35 to −55cm probably indicated the depth of ectomycorrhizal activity after tree colonization of the peatland over the last 400 years, as confirmed by the occasional presence of wood down to −35cm depth. High δ13C at  ∼ 4000 years BP (−65 to −105cm) could reflect a transition at that time to slower rates of peat accumulation, when 13C discrimination during peat decomposition may increase in importance. Low δ13C and high δ15N at −213 and −225cm ( ∼ 8500 years BP) corresponded to a warm period during a sedge-dominated rich fen stage. The above processes appear to be the primary drivers of the observed isotopic patterns, whereas there was no clear evidence for methane dynamics influencing δ13C patterns
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