bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Object-oriented change detection based on weighted polarimetric scattering differences on POLSAR images
Authors: Shi X. , Lu L. , Yang S. , Huang G. , Zhao Z.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. For wide application of change detection with SAR imagery, current processing technologies and methods are mostly based on pixels. It is difficult for pixel-based technologies to utilize spatial characteristics of images and topological relations of objects. Object-oriented technology takes objects as processing unit, which takes advantage of the shape and texture information of image. It can greatly improve the efficiency and reliability of change detection. Recently, with the development of polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR), more backscattering features on different polarization state can be available for usage of object-oriented change detection study. In this paper, the object-oriented strategy will be employed. Considering the fact that the different target or target's state behaves different backscattering characteristics dependent on polarization state, an object-oriented change detection method that based on weighted polarimetric scattering difference of PolSAR images is proposed. The method operates on the objects generated by generalized statistical region merging (GSRM) segmentation processing. The merit of GSRM method is that image segmentation is executed on polarimetric coherence matrix, which takes full advantages of polarimetric backscattering features. And then, the measurement of polarimetric scattering difference is constructed by combining the correlation of covariance matrix and the difference of scattering power. Through analysing the effects of the covariance matrix correlation and the scattering echo power difference on the polarimetric scattering difference, the weighted method is used to balance the influences caused by the two parts, so that more reasonable weights can be chosen to decrease the false alarm rate. The effectiveness of the algorithm that proposed in this letter is tested by detection of the growth of crops with two different temporal radarsat-2 fully PolSAR data. First, objects are produced by GSRM algorithm based on the coherent matrix in the pre-processing. Then, the corresponding patches are extracted in two temporal images to measure the differences of objects. To detect changes of patches, a difference map is created by means of weighted polarization scattering difference. Finally, the result of change detection can be obtained by threshold determining. The experiments show that this approach is feasible and effective, and a reasonable choice of weights can improve the detection accuracy significantly.
Analysis on the dynamic changes in a regional ecosystem and evaluation of its service values based on Remote Sensing
Authors: Wang S.-D. , Zhang H.-B. , Wang X.-C.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. The ecosystem service value is an important concept and an index that reflects the quality of the regional ecological environment status and the measurement of the total ecological benefits. In this study, based on the characteristics of land use and the types of ecosystem in the studied area, the ecological indicators including the net primary productivity of the vegetation and the vegetation cover were selected. Landsat TM remote sensing image, ground-based observation, meteorological data and statistical data etc. were applied to establish the remote sensing-based assessment criteria and assessment model for quantitative estimation of the ecosystem service value. The established assessment criteria and model were applied to conduct the quantitative calculation on the value of the single ecosystem service and the ecosystem service value per unit area. The results indicated that during the decade of 2000–2010, with the inter-conversion of different types of land use, the total value of the ecological service in the studied area displayed a gradually decreasing trend. Among which, the values of ecological service of the cultivation land, wetland and the total ecological service were reduced by 11.92, 11.75 and 5.74%, respectively. While the values of ecological services of forest land, waters and intertidal zone were increased to certain extend. However, these increased values did not change the continuously decreasing trend of the total value of ecosystem service in the studied area. Based on these assessments, the spatially- and temporally-changing patterns of the values of ecosystem service in the studied area were analysed to reveal their intrinsic relationship between the land use and the changes in values of ecosystem service.
Estimating the spatial distribution of PM2.5 concentration by integrating geographic data and field measurements
Authors: Zhai L. , Sang H. , Zhang J. , An F.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Air quality directly affects the health and living of human beings, and it receives wide concern of public and attaches great important of governments at all levels. The estimation of the concentration distribution of PM2.5 and the analysis of its impacting factors is significant for understanding the spatial distribution regularity and further for decision supporting of governments. In this study, multiple sources of remote sensing and GIS data are utilized to estimate the spatial distribution of PM2.5 concentration in Shijiazhuang, China, by utilizing multivariate linear regression modelling, and integrating year average values of PM2.5 collected from local environment observing stations. Two major sources of PM2.5 are collected, including dust surfaces and industrial polluting sources. The area attribute of dust surfaces and point attribute of industrial polluting enterprises are extracted from high resolution remote sensing images and GIS data in 2013. 30m land cover products, annual average PM2.5 concentration values from the 8 environment monitoring stations, annual mean MODIS AOD data, traffic and DEM data are utilized in the study for regression modeling analysis. The multivariate regression analysis model is applied to estimate the spatial distribution of PM2.5 concentration. There is an upward trend of the spatial distribution of PM2.5 concentration gradually from west to east, of which the highest concentration appears in the municipal district and its surrounding areas. The spatial distribution pattern relatively fit the reality.
Combined DEM Extration Method from StereoSAR and InSAR
Authors: Zhao Z. , Zhang J. X. , Duan M. Y. , Huang G. M. , Yang S. C.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. A pair of SAR images acquired from different positions can be used to generate digital elevation model (DEM). Two techniques exploiting this characteristic have been introduced: stereo SAR and interferometric SAR. They permit to recover the third dimension (topography) and, at the same time, to identify the absolute position (geolocation) of pixels included in the imaged area, thus allowing the generation of DEMs. In this paper, StereoSAR and InSAR combined adjustment model are constructed, and unify DEM extraction from InSAR and StereoSAR into the same coordinate system, and then improve three dimensional positioning accuracy of the target. We assume that there are four images 1, 2, 3 and 4. One pair of SAR images 1,2 meet the required conditions for InSAR technology, while the other pair of SAR images 3,4 can form stereo image pairs. The phase model is based on InSAR rigorous imaging geometric model. The master image 1 and the slave image 2 will be used in InSAR processing, but the slave image 2 is only used in the course of establishment, and the pixels of the slave image 2 are relevant to the corresponding pixels of the master image 1 through image coregistration coefficient, and it calculates the corresponding phase. It doesn’t require the slave image in the construction of the phase model. In Range-Doppler (RD) model, the range equation and Doppler equation are a function of target geolocation, while in the phase equation, the phase is also a function of target geolocation. We exploit combined adjustment model to deviation of target geolocation, thus the problem of target solution is changed to solve three unkonwns through seven equations. The model was tested for DEM extraction under spaceborne InSAR and StereoSAR data and compared with InSAR and StereoSAR methods respectively. The results showed that the model delivered a better performance on experimental imagery and can be used for DEM extraction applications.
An overview of in-orbit radiometric calibration of typical satellite sensors
Authors: Zhou G. Q. , Li C. Y. , Yue T. , Jiang L. J. , Liu N. , Sun Y. , Li M. Y.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. This paper reviews the development of in-orbit radiometric calibration methods in the past 40 years. It summarizes the development of in-orbit radiometric calibration technology of typical satellite sensors in the visible/near-infrared bands and the thermal infrared band. Focuses on the visible/near-infrared bands radiometric calibration method including: Lamp calibration and solar radiationbased calibration. Summarizes the calibration technology of Landsat series satellite sensors including MSS, TM, ETM+, OLI, TIRS; SPOT series satellite sensors including HRV, HRS. In addition to the above sensors, there are also summarizing ALI which was equipped on EO-1, IRMSS which was equipped on CBERS series satellite. Comparing the in-orbit radiometric calibration technology of different periods but the same type satellite sensors analyzes the similarities and differences of calibration technology. Meanwhile summarizes the in-orbit radiometric calibration technology in the same periods but different country satellite sensors advantages and disadvantages of calibration technology.
Extracting DEM from airborne X-band data based on PolInSAR
Authors: Hou X. X. , Huang G. M. , Zhao Z.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Polarimetric Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PolInSAR) is a new trend of SAR remote sensing technology which combined polarized multichannel information and Interferometric information. It is of great significance for extracting DEM in some regions with low precision of DEM such as vegetation coverage area and building concentrated area. In this paper we describe our experiments with high-resolution X-band full Polarimetric SAR data acquired by a dual-baseline interferometric airborne SAR system over an area of Danling in southern China. Pauli algorithm is used to generate the double polarimetric interferometry data, Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), Numerical Radius (NR) and Phase diversity (PD) methods are used to generate the full polarimetric interferometry data. Then we can make use of the polarimetric interferometric information to extract DEM with processing of pre filtering , image registration, image resampling, coherence optimization, multilook processing, flat-earth removal, interferogram filtering, phase unwrapping, parameter calibration, height derivation and geo-coding. The processing system named SARPlore has been exploited based on VC++ led by Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping. Finally compared optimization results with the single polarimetric interferometry, it has been observed that optimization ways can reduce the interferometric noise and the phase unwrapping residuals, and improve the precision of DEM. The result of full polarimetric interferometry is better than double polarimetric interferometry. Meanwhile, in different terrain, the result of full polarimetric interferometry will have a different degree of increase.
Multi-sensor multi-resolution image fusion for improved vegetation and urban area classification
Authors: Kumar U. , Milesi C. , Nemani R. R. , Basu S.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. In this paper, we perform multi-sensor multi-resolution data fusion of Landsat-5 TM bands (at 30 m spatial resolution) and multispectral bands of World View-2 (WV-2 at 2 m spatial resolution) through linear spectral unmixing model. The advantages of fusing Landsat and WV-2 data are two fold: first, spatial resolution of the Landsat bands increases to WV-2 resolution. Second, integration of data from two sensors allows two additional SWIR bands from Landsat data to the fused product which have advantages such as improved atmospheric transparency and material identification, for example, urban features, construction materials, moisture contents of soil and vegetation, etc. In 150 separate experiments, WV-2 data were clustered in to 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 spectral classes and data fusion were performed with 3x3, 5x5, 7x7, 9x9 and 11x11 kernel sizes for each Landsat band. The optimal fused bands were selected based on Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, RMSE (root mean square error) and ERGAS index and were subsequently used for vegetation, urban area and dark objects (deep water, shadows) classification using Random Forest classifier for a test site near Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California, USA. Accuracy assessment of the classified images through error matrix before and after fusion showed that the overall accuracy and Kappa for fused data classification (93.74%, 0.91) was much higher than Landsat data classification (72.71%, 0.70) and WV-2 data classification (74.99%, 0.71). This approach increased the spatial resolution of Landsat data to WV-2 spatial resolution while retaining the original Landsat spectral bands with significant improvement in classification.
Volcanic Ash Retrieval Using a New Geostationary Satellite
Authors: Lee K. H. , Lee K. T.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. The paper presents currently developing method of volcanic ash detection and retrieval for the Geostationary Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite (GK-2A). With the launch of GK-2A, aerosol remote sensing including dust, smoke, will begin a new era of geostationary remote sensing. The Advanced Meteorological Imager (AMI) onboard GK-2A will offer capabilities for volcanic ash remote sensing similar to those currently provided by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite. Based on the physical principles for the current polar and geostationary imagers are modified in the algorithm. Volcanic ash is estimated in detection processing from visible and infrared channel radiances, and the comparison of satellite-observed radiances with those calculated from radiative transfer model. The retrievals are performed operationally every 15 min for volcanic ash for pixel sizes of 2 km. The algorithm currently under development uses a multichannel approach to estimate the effective radius, aerosol optical depth (AOD) simultaneously, both over water and land. The algorithm has been tested with proxy data generated from existing satellite observations and forward radiative transfer simulations. Operational assessment of the algorithm will be made after the launch of GK-2A scheduled in 2018.
An Analysis of Surface Subsidence in Chiba Using PSInSAR Technique
Authors: Li R. H. , Zhao Z. , Duan M. Y. , Wang Z. Y. , Wang P.
Published: June 2015

Abstract. Currently, surface subsidence has become an important problem what we are facing. Because of complex topography, uneven distribution of rainfall, and the fast development of urbanization, many cities of the world have undergone surface subsidence disaster, such as Chiba, Paris, Tokyo, Beijing. The surface subsidence has occurred in Chiba since the early twenty-first century. The surface subsidence seriously threatens the safety of human life and property. In order to monitor surface subsidence, people have done a lot of research, and time-series InSAR technique with its better coverage, lower cost and high measurement accuracy advantages shows great potentiality for monitoring surface subsidence. Time-series InSAR technique can be applied for analysis of subtle surface subsidence which occurred consistently for a long term period. This paper uses time-series InSAR technique, Permanent Scatterers Interferometric SAR (PSInSAR), to monitor surface subsidence of Chiba. The used dataset consists of thirty-four Envisat ASAR images from September 2006 to August 2010. For the experimental results, this paper uses GPS data to verify the reliability of the results, and the results can provide information for local government to prevent the occurrence of surface subsidence.
Visibilidad y percepción en la construcción de un paisaje Prehistórico. El caso de Calviá (Mallorca, Islas Baleares)
Authors: Galmés Alba Alejandra
Published: June 2015

El presente trabajo se centra en el estudio del papel que juega el control visual del espacio en las prácticas sociales de las comunidades prehistóricas. Este trabajo se articula a partir de un estudio de caso, el término municipal de Calviá, situado en el sureste de la isla de Mallorca, para analizar las diferentes formas de monumentalidad arquitectónica y cómo estas se constituyen cómo un punto de referencia social dentro del paisaje. Partiendo de una amplia horquilla temporal, que abarcaría el Bronce Naviforme (1550-850 AC), el período Talayótico (850-550 AC) y el Postalayótico (550-123 AC), se propone analizar los cambios y pervivencias en la construcción del paisaje, a través de estrategias de visibilidad, percepción y movimiento alrededor de los monumentos arquitectónicos. A través de la perspectiva de la Arqueología del Paisaje y mediante el uso de Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) se propone un análisis de tendencias a largo plazo en la configuración social de un paisaje.
¿Qué hay en un nombre? –Akko-Ptolemais–´Akka-Acre
Authors: Artzy Michal
Published: June 2015

La actual ciudad de Akko in Israel, ha tenido muchos nombres a lo largo de los siglos de su prolongado asentamiento. El nombre de Acre, con el que se le conoce en el mundo Occidental, es el residuo del nombre de San Juan de Acre que le dieron sus habitantes cruzados en el s. XII de la era Cristiana. Sin embargo, el nombre de ‘Akko y sus derivados, tienen una larga historia. Bajo tal nombre, aparece ya en las fuentes escritas de comienzos el II Milenio a.C., cuando e produjo la primera urbanización del lugar. Se mantuvo como ‘Akko, ‘Ake, etc…a lo largo de los siglos posteriors, a pesar de los inentos de varios dirigentes de cambiarelo. El asentamiento se trasladó, a causa de los cambios en la línea de costa y del río Na’aman o Belos, desde el antiguo Tel Akko a la bahía, en la que se estableció un puerto artificial,reconstruido y renovado reiteradamente durante más de 2000 años. El primer nombre conocido del sitio original del asentamiento, el tell, data de época de los cruzados. Este sufrió una alteración de su nombre, reflejo de la transformación de la historia de Akko, en la que la intervención occidental (europea9, jugó un papel decisivo.
School Size and Incidents of Violence among Texas Middle Schools
Authors: Kohler Elizabeth A. , Onwuegbuzie Anthony J. , Combs Julie P. , Bustamante Rebecca M. , Edmonson Stacey L.
Published: June 2015

Although many studies have been conducted regarding (a) school violence in middle schools and (b) the size of schools, to date, no researcher appears to have examined the role that the size of the middle school plays in determining incidents of violence specifically fighting, assaults, and aggravated assaults. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the incidents of school violence, specifically fighting, assaults, and aggravated assaults, and the size of middle schools in the state of Texas for 3 school years. All 842 middle schools in Texas were included in this study. Compared to small schools, medium schools, and large schools, very small schools had a statistically significantly lower proportion of students involved in assaults, proportion of students involved in aggravated assaults, proportion of incidents of assaults, and proportion of incidents of aggravated assaults. Further, very small schools had a statistically significantly lower proportion of students involved in fights and proportion of incidents of fights than did large schools. A trend emerged across the 4 school sizes for all 6 indicators of school violence, which, in every case, reflected a sharp increase from very small schools to small schools—peaking at small schools. Thus, very small schools appear to be at a greater advantage than are other types of schools with respect to incidents of school violence. Implications of the findings are discussed.
El uso del chat en contextos de aprendizaje de lenguas: Translanguaging practices
Authors: Lemus Lidia , Saura Rami José Antonio
Published: June 2015

Este artículo analiza una interacción telecolaborativa realizada entre dos estudiantes de magisterio de español e inglés como lengua extranjera, respectivamente, durante su formación inicial desarrollada en dos países diferentes. El análisis de los datos se basa en la teoría del Análisis Conversacional (AC) y se apoya teóricamente en una perspectiva socioconstructivista del aprendizaje. El artículo discute las características de la interacción entre las maestras en formación y el impacto que puede tener en su aprendizaje de una segunda lengua y en la consecución del objetivo de la tarea a realizar.
TBLT meets CMC: Using Virtual Worlds (VWs) in the language learning and teaching. An interview with Dr. Randall Sadler
Authors: Kim Ha Ram
Published: June 2015

Dr. Randall Sadler is a Professor in the Department of Linguistics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA). The primary focus of Dr. Sadler’s current research is the role of Computer-Mediated Communication and Virtual Worlds (VWs) in the language learning/teaching process. Virtual Worlds are 3-D online environments inhabited by ‘people’ in the form of avatars. There are a large number of virtual worlds, ranging from true game environments--often referred to as Massively-Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs)--to VWs that exist primarily as social environments. These include Second Life, Active Worlds, Club Penguin, There, and many more. The primary focus of his interest is Second Life (SL) as there are a wide variety of education applications in SL that are constantly evolving.
METHODOLOGY FOR POROSIMETRY IN VIRTUAL CEMENTITIOUS COMPOSITES TO ECONOMICALLY AND RELIABLY ESTIMATE PERMEABILITY
Authors: Li Kai , Stroeven Piet , Le Nghi LB
Published: June 2015

A novel methodology is described for porosimetry as well as for water transport through the pore system in dynamic DEM-based virtual cementitious materials. The pore network topology, the pore size distribution and the pore connectivity are assessed on the basis of a robotics-inspired pore delineation method and star volume measurements. Permeability estimates are based on a tube network model that incorporates these parameters and a shape factor. Since concrete contains in practical situations a variable amount of water, permeability estimation is presented as a function of the state of saturation. Satisfactory agreement is found with experimental data, validating the methodology. Earlier, the various "building blocks" were separately validated.
Additional Yaw Moment Control of a 4WIS and 4WID Agricultural Data Acquisition Vehicle
Authors: Jiang Dawei , Danhua Li , Wang Sanzhou , Tian Lei , Yang Liangcheng
Published: June 2015

A four-wheel independent steering (4WIS) and a four-wheel independent driving (4WID) agricultural data acquisition vehicle (ADAV) system was designed to monitor and manage the growing status of bio-energy crops. To avoid destroying crops, a changeable wheel gauge and high-clearance design was employed, which brought new problems to the ADAV system: reduced path-following precision and driving stability. Given the dynamic characteristics of the ADAV system, an additional yaw moment control (AYC) system was designed to achieve high path-following precision and stability of the ADAV system. Using the input steering wheel angle and driving speed, the desired yaw rate and sideslip angle were calculated. The difference between the desired and actual yaw rate and that between the desired and actual sideslip angle were employed as feedbacks to obtain an additional yaw moment executed on the ADAV system in real time. The effectiveness of the AYC system was verified in field tests. Experimental results show that the actual yaw rate, sideslip angle and path trajectory were close to the desired ones. Therefore, the stability and path-following accuracy of the ADAV system were improved.
Hybrid-Mode Impedance Control for Position/Force Tracking in Motor-System Rehabilitation
Authors: Kim Youngwoo
Published: June 2015

This paper proposes a new robot controller for motor-system rehabilitation. The proposed controller simultaneously realizes rehabilitation motion tracking and force generation, as predefined through a musculoskeletal model-based optimization process. We introduce control parameters of weighted control action priorities for the motion-tracking and force-generation tasks, based on the position-tracking error. With the weighted control action priorities, the robot accords higher priority to motion tracking at the robot end point when the position-tracking error is larger than a threshold value, and to force generation when the position-tracking error is smaller than a threshold value. Smooth motion trajectory has to be designed and applied in robot-based rehabilitation. Through simulations and experimental results, we show the usefulness of the proposed control method.
Development of Recommendations for the Fourth Contaminant Candidate List
Authors: Roberson J. Alan , Adams Craig , Bench Ryan , Rosen Jeffrey S.
Published: June 2015

An independent set of recommendations for the Fourth Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List (CCL4) was developed by prioritizing compounds with weightings based on data quality for occurrence and toxicity. This approach used key information including the number of studies used in the analysis and the associated spread and variability of the particular attributes between data sources, and resulted in four recommendation groups:

• Group 1: Top priority for inclusion on CCL4—seven compounds plus one “super group” of disinfection by‐products

• Group 2: Include on CCL4 but insufficient information for a regulatory determination (need occurrence data)—11 compounds

• Group 3: Could be included on CCL4 only if a future negative regulatory determination will be made—32 compounds

• Group 4: No need to consider further in the CCL4 process—55 compounds

Having too many contaminants on the CCL results in a fragmented research agenda; conversely, some compounds might be missed on a CCL that is too small.
Seal Welding Roof Lap Joints Extends Tank Life
Authors: Baker David
Published: June 2015

Owners of existing potable water storage tanks who face recurring maintenance issues regarding caulked seams have been hiring retrofit specialists to seal roof lap joint welds. Seal welding can lower long‐term maintenance costs and extend the life cycle of the interior linings.
Ensure Cross‐Connection Control and Backflow Prevention with a Multipoint Approach
Authors: Martin Barb , Ries Tom
Published: June 2015

Cross‐connections are significant risks to water quality and public health. Utilities can help prevent distribution system contamination through proactive cross‐connection control measures.
Capacity of Freeway Merge Areas with Different On-Ramp Traffic Flow
Authors: Shen Jinxing , Li Wenquan , Qiu Feng , Zheng Shukang
Published: June 2015

This paper is aimed at investigating the influence of different types of traffic flows on the capacity of freeway merge areas. Based on the classical gap-acceptance model, two calculating models were established specifically considering randomly arriving vehicles and individual difference in driving behaviours. Monte-Carlo simulation was implemented to reproduce the maximum traffic volume on the designed freeway merge area under different situations. The results demonstrated that the proposed calculating models have better performance than the conventional gap-acceptance theory on accurately predicting the capacity of freeway merge areas. The findings of research could be helpful to improve the microscopic traffic flow simulation model from a more practical perspective and support the designing of freeway merge areas as well.
Strategies from UW-Madison for rescuing biomedical research in the US
Authors: Kimble Judith , Bement William M , Chang Qiang , Cox Benjamin L , Drinkwater Norman R , Gourse Richard L , Hoskins Aaron A , Huttenlocher Anna , Kreeger Pamela K , Lambert Paul F , Mailick Marsha R , Miyamoto Shigeki , Moss Richard L , O'Connor-Giles Kate M , Roopra Avtar , Saha Krishanu , Seidel Hannah S
Published: June 2015

A cross-campus, cross-career stage and cross-disciplinary series of discussions at a large public university has produced a series of recommendations for addressing the problems confronting the biomedical research community in the US.
Quantitative characterization of spurious numerical oscillations in 48 CMIP5 models
Authors: Geil Kerrie L. , Zeng Xubin
Published: June 2015

Spurious numerical oscillations (SNOs) (e.g., Gibbs oscillations) can appear as unrealistic spatial waves near discontinuities or sharp gradients in global model fields (e.g., orography) and have been a known problem in global models for decades. Multiple methods of oscillation reduction exist; consequently, the oscillations are presumed small in modern climate models and hence are rarely addressed in recent literature. Here we use two metrics to quantify SNOs in 13 variables from 48 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 models along a Pacific ocean transect near the Andes. Results show that 48% of nonspectral models and 95% of spectral models have at least one variable with SNO amplitude as large as, or greater than, atmospheric interannual variability. The impact of SNOs on climate simulations should be thoroughly evaluated and further efforts to substantially reduce SNOs in climate models are urgently needed.
Prediction of the level of ionospheric scintillation at equatorial latitudes in Brazil using a neural network
Authors: de Lima G. R. T. , Stephany S. , de Paula E. R. , Batista I. S. , Abdu M. A.
Published: June 2015

Electron density irregularity structures, often associated with ionospheric plasma bubbles, drive amplitude and phase fluctuations in radio signals that, in turn, create a phenomenon known as ionospheric scintillation. The phenomenon occurs frequently around the magnetic equator where plasma instability mechanisms generate postsunset plasma bubbles and density depletions. A previous correlation study suggested that scintillation at the magnetic equator may provide a forecast of subsequent scintillation at the equatorial ionization anomaly southern peak. In this work, it is proposed to predict the level of scintillation over São Luís (2.52°S, 44.3°W; dip latitude: ~2.5°S) near the magnetic equator with lead time of hours but without specifying the moment at which the scintillation starts or ends. A collection of extended databases relating scintillation to ionospheric variables for São Luís is employed to perform the training of an artificial neural network with a new architecture. Two classes are considered, not strong (null/weak/moderate) and strong scintillation. An innovative scheme preprocesses the data taking into account similarities of the values of the variables for the same class. A formerly proposed resampling heuristic is employed to provide a balanced number of tuples of each class in the training set. Tests were performed showing that the proposed neural network is able to predict the level of scintillation over the station on the evening ahead of the data sample considered between 17:30 and 19:00 LT.
Hilderic
Authors: Merrills A. H.
Published: June 2015

Hilderic was king of Vandal North Africa from 523–530
ce
. Relatively elderly at the time of his accession, Hilderic was the direct descendant of two of the major political figures of the fifth century – the Hasding king Geiseric (through his father Huneric), and the western emperor Valentinian III (through his mother Eudocia). This mixed heritage was reflected in the cultural activity of Hilderic's court and his diplomatic alliances with Justinianic Constantinople. He seems to have been unsuccessful in a series of frontier wars with Moorish groups and was overthrown in a coup by the usurper Gelimer in 530
ce
.
Advances in Cathode Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Complex Oxides without Alkaline Earth Metal Elements
Authors: Chen Yubo , Zhou Wei , Ding Dong , Liu Meilin , Ciucci Francesco , Tade Moses , Shao Zongping
Published: June 2015

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) represent one of the cleanest and most efficient options for the direct conversion of a wide variety of fuels to electricity. For example, SOFCs powered by natural gas are ideally suited for distributed power generation. However, the commercialization of SOFC technologies hinges on breakthroughs in materials development to dramatically reduce the cost while enhancing performance and durability. One of the critical obstacles to achieving high‐performance SOFC systems is the cathodes for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which perform poorly at low temperatures and degrade over time under operating conditions. Here a comprehensive review of the latest advances in the development of SOFC cathodes is presented: complex oxides without alkaline earth metal elements (because these elements could be vulnerable to phase segregation and contaminant poisoning). Various strategies are discussed for enhancing ORR activity while minimizing the effect of contaminant on electrode durability. Furthermore, some of the critical challenges are briefly highlighted and the prospects for future‐generation SOFC cathodes are discussed. A good understanding of the latest advances and remaining challenges in searching for highly active SOFC cathodes with robust tolerance to contaminants may provide useful guidance for the rational design of new materials and structures for commercially viable SOFC technologies.
The last fossil primate inNorthAmerica, new material of the enigmaticEkgmowechashalafrom theArikareean ofOregon
Authors: Samuels Joshua X. , Albright L. Barry , Fremd Theodore J.
Published: June 2015

Objective

Primates were common in North America through most of the Eocene, but vanished in the Chadronian, about 35 million years ago. In the Arikareean, about 6 million years later, the enigmatic primateEkgmowechashalaappeared in the Great Plains and Oregon. This taxon shows little resemblance to other North American primates and its phylogenetic position has long been debated. New material of this taxon allows a revised assessment of its age and how it is related to other primates.

Methods

Recently collectedEkgmowechashalaspecimens from the Turtle Cove Member of the John Day Formation in Oregon are described. These specimens are compared to previously collected material from South Dakota and Nebraska, as well as other fossil primates from North America and Asia.

Results

Study of the John Day material allows diagnosis of a new, distinct species. Comparison ofEkgmowechashalato a pair of recently described Asian primates,MuangthanhiniusandBugtilemur, suggests that it is a strepsirrhine adapiform, rather than an omomyid. The well‐defined stratigraphy and dated marker beds of the Turtle Cove Member provide a refined age forEkgmowechashalaoccurrences in Oregon, during the Oligocene (early Arikareean).

Conclusions

The age and morphology of these ekgmowechashaline taxa suggest that the group originated in Asia and dispersed to North America in the Oligocene, after the extinction of other primates in North America. Contemporaneous occurrences ofEkgmowechashalain Oregon and the Great Plains indicate the last non‐human primates vanished in North America about 26 million years ago. Am J Phys Anthropol 158:43–54, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The use of non‐adult vertebral dimensions as indicators of growth disruption and non‐specific health stress in skeletal populations
Authors: Newman Sophie L. , Gowland Rebecca L.
Published: June 2015

Objective

Traditional methods of detecting growth disruption have focused on deficiencies in the diaphyseal length of the long bones. This study proposes the implementation of vertebral measurements (body height and transverse diameter of the neural canal) from non‐adults (0–17 years) as a new methodology for the identification of growth disruption.

Methods

Measurements of vertebral body height and transverse diameter were taken from 96 non‐adult skeletons and 40 adult skeletons from two post‐medieval sites in England (Bow Baptist, London and Coronation Street, South Shields). Non‐adult measurements were plotted against dental age to construct vertebral growth profiles through which inter‐population comparisons could be made.

Results

Results demonstrated that both sites experienced some growth retardation in infancy, evident as deficiencies in transverse diameter. However, analysis of vertebral body height revealed different chronologies of growth disruption between the sites, with a later age of attainment of skeletal maturity recorded in the Bow Baptist sample.

Discussion

These vertebral dimensions undergo cessation of growth at different ages, with transverse diameter being “locked‐in” by ∼1–2 years of age, while vertebral body height may continue to grow into early adulthood. These measurements can therefore provide complementary information regarding the timing of growth disruption within archaeological populations. Non‐adult vertebral measurements can increase our osteobiographical understanding of the timings of episodes of health stress, and allow for the analysis of growth when other skeletal elements are fragmentary. Am J Phys Anthropol 158:155–164, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Maximum ingested food size in captive anthropoids
Authors: Perry Jonathan M.G. , Bastian Meredith L. , St Clair Elizabeth , Hartstone‐Rose Adam
Published: June 2015

Objectives

Maximum ingested food size (Vb) is an empirically tested performance variable that can shed light on feeding energetics and adaptation in the masticatory system. Until now, this variable had been tested in strepsirrhines alone among primates. Here, we present the first data on Vb in a broad sample of anthropoid primates and describe scaling patterns.

Materials and Methods

Vb data on anthropoids were collected under captive conditions at the Philadelphia Zoo and compared with published data on strepsirrhines. Data on Vb were scaled against individual body mass and were compared with experimentally determined toughness and stiffness values for the test foods.

Results

Unlike in strepsirrhines, where essentially Vb scales isometrically with body mass, Vb in anthropoids scales with negative allometry. There is a significant effect of food material properties on Vb, although bite size in anthropoids varies less based on food properties than in strepsirrhines. Large folivorous strepsirrhines follow the anthropoid trend in bite size scaling, but large frugivorous ones take especially large bites.

Discussion

Negative scaling of bite size in the anthropoids sampled could be due to reduced adaptation for gape. Some early anthropoids likely evolved adaptations for maximizing mechanical advantage and fatigue resistance in the chewing muscles, resulting in reduced gape. This might have channeled them toward smaller bites of more‐resistant foods and away from taking large bites. This might also be the case for some folivorous strepsirrhines. Am J Phys Anthropol 158:92–104, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Edible films based on chia flour: Development and characterization
Authors: Dick Melina , Henrique Pagno Carlos , Haas Costa Tania Maria , Gomaa Ahmed , Subirade Muriel , de Oliveira Rios Alessandro , Hickmann Flôres Simone
Published: June 2015

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the structural, physicochemical, barrier (water vapor), and mechanical properties of chia flour (CF)‐based films. The films were prepared with the casting method. Three ratios of CF to maize starch (MS), namely, 1:0, 1:1, and 1:2 w/w, were evaluated. A fixed total solid content of 6% w/v and a glycerol concentration of 1% w/v were used for all of the tested proportions. The transparency of the films increased as a function of the addition of MS. Moreover, CF‐based films presented a low solubility and a satisfactory water vapor barrier and showed UV‐radiation‐shielding properties. The presence of MS in the composite film elevated the molecular interactions and led to a more compact structure; this resulted in improved strength, although the elongation still remained low. CF‐based films are a promising material for the formulation of edible films with adequate physicochemical and mechanical properties and high nutritional quality. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2016,133, 42455.
Preparation of modified oligochitosan and evaluation of its scale inhibition and fluorescence properties
Authors: Zhang Huixin , Cai Zhiyue , Jin Xiuhong , Sun Dongxue , Wang Dongdong , Yang Tingru , Zhang Jie , Han Xu
Published: June 2015

To obtain an environmentally friendly and efficient scale inhibitor, carboxymethyl quaternary ammonium oligochitosan (CM‐QAOC) was prepared from chitosan, which was depolymerized by nitrous acid, and then reacted with chloroacetic acid and glycidyl trimethyl ammonium chloride via carboxymethylation and quaternization, respectively. The chitosan derivatives were characterized by Fourier transform infrared and NMR spectroscopy. The inhibition performance for CM‐QAOC was evaluated by a conductivity method and a static antiscaling test. The experiments demonstrated that CM‐QAOC showed an excellent scale‐inhibition performance. With a Ca2+ concentration of 240 mg/L, CM‐QAOC at a concentration of 50 mg/L and pH 8.0 gave an antiscaling ratio of more than 98%. So, CM‐QAOC could be applied as an excellent antiscaling agent. Furthermore, a detectable fluorescence of CM‐QAOC solution was observed. To understand this interesting fluorescence phenomenon and to explore the probability of its being a fluorescent tracer, the relations between the fluorescence intensities and CM‐QAOC concentrations and the pH influence on the fluorescence intensities were investigated. The results show the fluorescence intensities accorded well with the concentrations of CM‐QAOC with a detection limit of 0.6046 mg/L, and the fluorescence intensity was constant within pH 5–9; this indicated that it had the potential of its being a fluorescent tracer. Thus, CM‐QAOC could be applied as an antiscaling water‐treatment chemical and as a fluorescence tracer directly without any further modifications. It could be self‐traced online and in real time with its own fluorescence, although more work should be done to investigate its fluorescent mechanism and its tracing properties in detail. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42518.
Polypropylene nanocomposites produced by in situ grafting of n‐butyl acrylate
Authors: Merchan Sandoval Julie , Quinzani Lidia M. , Failla Marcelo D.
Published: June 2015

Nanocomposites of polypropylene and organophilic clay are produced by in situ functionalization of PP with n‐butyl acrylate (BA) during melt mixing. Three strategies for incorporating materials into the mixer are analyzed and the effect of clay concentration is evaluated. The materials are examined by FTIR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and rotational rheometry. The results show that all composites prepared in the presence of BA have similar intercalated clay structure, and that the largest degree of exfoliation is obtained using the sequential mixing technique. This method, which consists in adding the initiator and functionalizing agent to the molten polypropylene followed by the addition of the clay, also produces the largest reduction in molecular weight of the polymer and the largest increase of the elastic modulus. All polymers show similar crystallization and degradation processes. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42585.
Analysis of the Papal Benediction Sign: The ulnar neuropathy of St. Peter
Authors: Futterman Bennett
Published: June 2015

The origin of the Papal Benediction Sign has been a source of controversy for many generations of medical students. The question has been whether the Papal Benediction Sign posture is the result of an injury to the median nerve or to the ulnar nerve. The increasingly popular use of online “chat rooms” and the vast quantities of information available on the internet has led to an increasing level of confusion. Looking in major anatomy texts, anatomy and board review books as well as numerous internet sites the answer remains unresolved. Through the analysis of functional anatomy of the hand, cultural and religious practices of the early centuries of the Common Era and church art a clear answer emerges. It will become apparent that this hand posture results from an ulnar neuropathy. Clin. Anat. 28:696–701, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Human preservation techniques in anatomy: A 21st century medical education perspective
Authors: BALTA Joy Y. , CRONIN Michael , CRYAN John F. , O'MAHONY Siobhain M.
Published: June 2015

Anatomy is the cornerstone of education for healthcare professionals with the use of human material providing an excellent teaching tool in the modern curricula. The ability and quality of preservation of human remains has enabled such use. The introduction of formaldehyde as a preservative in 1893 was an important step in the history of preservation. With the European Union directive on the use of formaldehyde and its expected banning, anatomists are trying to find a more convenient and safe substitute. In this review, we compare the different techniques used based on the need for embalming, fixative used, period of preservation and the features of the embalmed specimen. The fact that embalming is used in different disciplines, multiple purposes and described in different languages has led to the development of ambiguous interchangeable terminology. Overall, there is a lack of information specifically classifying, listing and comparing different embalming techniques, and this may be due to the fact that no internationally recognized experimental standards are adhered to in this field. Anatomists strive to find an embalming technique that allows the preserved specimen to accurately resemble the living tissue, preserve the body for a long period of time and reduces health risk concerns related to working with cadavers. There is a need for embalming to shift to an independent modern day science with well‐founded research at the heart of it. While this may take time and agreement across nations, we feel that this review adds to the literature to provide a variety of different methods that can be employed for human tissue preservation depending on the desired outcome. Clin. Anat. 28:725–734, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.