What Is the Impact of Tectonic Plate Movement on Country Size? A Long-Term Forecast

The Earth’s surface is under permanent alteration with the area of some nations growing or shrinking due to natural or man-made processes, for example sea level change. Here, based on the NUVEL 1A model, we forecast (in 10, 25, and 50 years) the changes in area for countries that are located on the border of the major tectonic plates. In the analysis we identify countries that are projected to gain or lose land due to the tectonic plate movement only. Over the next 50 years, the global balance of area gains (0.4 km2) and losses (12.7 km2) is negative. Thus, due to the movements of lithospheric plates, the land surface of the Earth will decrease by 12 km2 in 50 years. Overall, the changes are not that spectacular, as in the case of changes in sea/water levels, but in some smaller countries, projected losses exceed a few thousand square metres a year, e.g., in Nepal the losses exceed 10,000 m2 year−1. Methodologically, this paper finds itself between metric analysis and essay, trying to provoke useful academic discussion and incite educators’ interests to illustrate to students the tectonic movement and its force. Limitations of the used model have been discussed in the methodology section.

NOŻE WOLUTOWE – O FUNKCJI I POCHODZENIU ZAGADKOWYCH PRZEDMIOTÓW W KULTURZE SŁOWIAŃSKIEJ

The text presents spiral knives, objects of clearly exceptional nature. The data, the map and table included here are meant to update information on the subject after 32 years. Identification of the specific regional groups and a metric analysis of the historical objects highlight the differences between the groups. The text also touches upon objects which are morphologically close to the spiral knives used by nomadic communities. A critical look at the theories in literature on the subject allowed to limit the functions to two, possibly mutually complementary.

A New Hand-Movement-Based Authentication Method Using Feature Importance Selection with the Hotelling’s Statistic

The growing amount of collected and processed data means that there is a need to control access to these resources. Very often, this type of control is carried out on the basis of bio-metric analysis. The article proposes a new user authentication method based on a spatial analysis of the movement of the finger’s position. This movement creates a sequence of data that is registered by a motion recording device. The presented approach combines spatial analysis of the position of all fingers at the time. The proposed method is able to use the specific, often different movements of fingers of each user. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the method in biometric applications. In this paper, we also introduce an effective method of feature selection, based on the Hotelling T2 statistic. This approach allows selecting the best distinctive features of each object from a set of all objects in the database. It is possible thanks to the appropriate preparation of the input data.

SEX DETERMINATION FROM HIP BONE FRAGMENT IN DHANBAD, JHARKHAND

The current study used discriminant function analysis to derive a model for determining sex from an adult hip bone fragment (distal ischio-pubic portion). The discriminant function obtained was DF = .76*SYL +1.60*SYW + 4.36. *DOF – 24.88. The three predictors [maximum vertical length of symphyseal surface (SYL), maximum width of symphyseal surface of pubis (SYW), and maximum diameter of the obturator foramen (DOF)] accurately categorised 90.0 % of the cases. Cross-validated ndings revealed 86.7% accurate categorization. This preliminary research's ndings indicate that these three factors lead to gender discrimination in the study participants. Again, discriminant functions are population specic. Using the discriminant function on a sample from the population of Dhanbad, Jharkhand, the hipbone may be sexed quite accurately. This metric analysis may be utilised for the population's hipbone fragments.

Understanding the emergence of drawing behaviour with age: a multi-metric analysis

We need specific and objective methods to analyse the temporal changes of drawing in children, especially those too young to communicate via verbalisations. We asked 134 children, ranging from three to ten years old, and 38 adults to draw on a tablet under two conditions: free drawing and self-portrait. We then used seven metrics from three categories (spatial, temporal, and colorimetric) in a principal component analysis (PCA). Three dimensions of the PCA explained 77% of the variance in the drawings. We named these dimensions as diversity, sequentiality, and efficiency, which provided a mechanism for better understanding the intentionality and representativeness behind drawing. Gender had no effect, but age influenced all three dimensions differently. This multi-metric approach is a powerful tool for investigating the ontogenetic development of drawing, and could be used to understand the evolution of this behaviour by applying it to the study of primates, or to reveal drawing characteristics in people with autism and depression or those from different cultures.

WA-GPSR: Weight-Aware GPSR-Based Routing Protocol for VANET

The extremely fast topology has created new requirements for the geographic routing protocol, which has been the most efficient solution for Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs). The frequent disconnection of links makes the choice of the next routing node extremely difficult. Hence, an efficient routing algorithm needs to deliver the appropriate path to transfer the data packets with the most relevant quality of service (QoS). In this work, the weight-aware greedy perimeter stateless (WA-GPSR) routing protocol is presented. The enhanced GPSR protocol computes the reliable communication area and selects the next forwarding vehicle based on several routing criteria. The proposal has been evaluated and compared to Maxduration-Minangle GPSR (MM-GPSR) and traditional GPSR using strict metric analysis. Our experimental results using NS-2 and VanetMobiSim, have demonstrated that WA-GPSR has the ability to enhance network performance.

How to Quantify the Dynamics of Single (Straight or Sinuous) and Multiple (Anabranching) Channels from Imagery for River Restoration

Since the 2000s, European rivers have undergone restoration works to give them back a little more ‘freedom space’ and consolidate the hydro-sedimentary continuum and biological continuity as required by the Water Framework Directive (WFD). In high-energy rivers, suppression of lateral constraints (embankment removal) leads to geomorphological readjustments in the modification of both the active-channel length and active-channel width. The article provides a new methodological development to overcome the shortcomings of traditional methods (based on diachronic cross-section analysis) unable to simultaneously take into account these geometric adjustments after active-channel restoration. It allows us to follow and precisely quantify the geomorphological changes of the active channel faced to the stakes (i.e., structures or urbanized, recreation or agricultural areas) in the floodplain. The methodology proposes three new indicators (distance from active channel to stakes or floodplain margins as indicator 1; distance from stakes to active channel as indicator 2; diachronic distance as indicator 3) and a metric analysis grid in the 2D Euclidean space. It is applied to the Clamoux River (order 4, Strahler; bankfull, specific stream power: 280 W/m2) in the Aude watershed (Mediterranean France). The paper shows the full potential of this methodological protocol to be able to meet managers’ expectations as closely as possible within the framework of the multi-annual active-channel monitoring.