bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Improved Single-Channel Method to Retrieve Land Surface Temperature from the Landsat-8 Thermal Band
Authors: Cristóbal Jordi , Jiménez-Muñoz Juan , Prakash Anupma , Mattar Cristian , Skoković Dražen , Sobrino José
Published: March 2018

Land surface temperature (LST) is one of the sources of input data for modeling land surface processes. The Landsat satellite series is the only operational mission with more than 30 years of archived thermal infrared imagery from which we can retrieve LST. Unfortunately, stray light artifacts were observed in Landsat-8 TIRS data, mostly affecting Band 11, currently making the split-window technique impractical for retrieving surface temperature without requiring atmospheric data. In this study, a single-channel methodology to retrieve surface temperature from Landsat TM and ETM+ was improved to retrieve LST from Landsat-8 TIRS Band 10 using near-surface air temperature (Ta) and integrated atmospheric column water vapor (w) as input data. This improved methodology was parameterized and successfully evaluated with simulated data from a global and robust radiosonde database and validated with in situ data from four flux tower sites under different types of vegetation and snow cover in 44 Landsat-8 scenes. Evaluation results using simulated data showed that the inclusion of Ta together with w within a single-channel scheme improves LST retrieval, yielding lower errors and less bias than models based only on w. The new proposed LST retrieval model, developed with both w and Ta, yielded overall errors on the order of 1 K and a bias of −0.5 K validated against in situ data, providing a better performance than other models parameterized using w and Ta or only w models that yielded higher error and bias.
kCCA Transformation-Based Radiometric Normalization of Multi-Temporal Satellite Images
Authors: Bai Yang , Tang Ping , Hu Changmiao
Published: March 2018

Radiation normalization is an essential pre-processing step for generating high-quality satellite sequence images. However, most radiometric normalization methods are linear, and they cannot eliminate the regular nonlinear spectral differences. Here we introduce the well-established kernel canonical correlation analysis (kCCA) into radiometric normalization for the first time to overcome this problem, which leads to a new kernel method. It can maximally reduce the image differences among multi-temporal images regardless of the imaging conditions and the reflectivity difference. It also perfectly eliminates the impact of nonlinear changes caused by seasonal variation of natural objects. Comparisons with the multivariate alteration detection (CCA-based) normalization and the histogram matching, on Gaofen-1 (GF-1) data, indicate that the kCCA-based normalization can preserve more similarity and better correlation between an image-pair and effectively avoid the color error propagation. The proposed method not only builds the common scale or reference to make the radiometric consistency among GF-1 image sequences, but also highlights the interesting spectral changes while eliminates less interesting spectral changes. Our method enables the application of GF-1 data for change detection, land-use, land-cover change detection etc.
Fast Automatic Airport Detection in Remote Sensing Images Using Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Chen Fen , Ren Ruilong , Van de Voorde Tim , Xu Wenbo , Zhou Guiyun , Zhou Yan
Published: March 2018

Fast and automatic detection of airports from remote sensing images is useful for many military and civilian applications. In this paper, a fast automatic detection method is proposed to detect airports from remote sensing images based on convolutional neural networks using the Faster R-CNN algorithm. This method first applies a convolutional neural network to generate candidate airport regions. Based on the features extracted from these proposals, it then uses another convolutional neural network to perform airport detection. By taking the typical elongated linear geometric shape of airports into consideration, some specific improvements to the method are proposed. These approaches successfully improve the quality of positive samples and achieve a better accuracy in the final detection results. Experimental results on an airport dataset, Landsat 8 images, and a Gaofen-1 satellite scene demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.
Experimental Robot Model Adjustments Based on Force–Torque Sensor Information
Authors: Martinez Santiago , Garcia-Haro Juan , Victores Juan , Jardon Alberto , Balaguer Carlos
Published: March 2018

The computational complexity of humanoid robot balance control is reduced through the application of simplified kinematics and dynamics models. However, these simplifications lead to the introduction of errors that add to other inherent electro-mechanic inaccuracies and affect the robotic system. Linear control systems deal with these inaccuracies if they operate around a specific working point but are less precise if they do not. This work presents a model improvement based on the Linear Inverted Pendulum Model (LIPM) to be applied in a non-linear control system. The aim is to minimize the control error and reduce robot oscillations for multiple working points. The new model, named the Dynamic LIPM (DLIPM), is used to plan the robot behavior with respect to changes in the balance status denoted by the zero moment point (ZMP). Thanks to the use of information from force–torque sensors, an experimental procedure has been applied to characterize the inaccuracies and introduce them into the new model. The experiments consist of balance perturbations similar to those of push-recovery trials, in which step-shaped ZMP variations are produced. The results show that the responses of the robot with respect to balance perturbations are more precise and the mechanical oscillations are reduced without comprising robot dynamics.
Integrated Optical Mach-Zehnder Interferometer Based on Organic-Inorganic Hybrids for Photonics-on-a-Chip Biosensing Applications
Authors: Bastos Ana , Vicente Carlos , Oliveira-Silva Rui , Silva Nuno , Tacão Marta , Costa João , Lima Mário , André Paulo , Ferreira Rute
Published: March 2018

The development of portable low-cost integrated optics-based biosensors for photonics-on-a-chip devices for real-time diagnosis are of great interest, offering significant advantages over current analytical methods. We report the fabrication and characterization of an optical sensor based on a Mach-Zehnder interferometer to monitor the growing concentration of bacteria in a liquid medium. The device pattern was imprinted on transparent self-patternable organic-inorganic di-ureasil hybrid films by direct UV-laser, reducing the complexity and cost production compared with lithographic techniques or three-dimensional (3D) patterning using femtosecond lasers. The sensor performance was evaluated using, as an illustrative example, E. coli cell growth in an aqueous medium. The measured sensitivity (2 × 10−4 RIU) and limit of detection (LOD = 2 × 10−4) are among the best values known for low-refractive index contrast sensors. Furthermore, the di-ureasil hybrid used to produce this biosensor has additional advantages, such as mechanical flexibility, thermal stability, and low insertion losses due to fiber-device refractive index mismatch (~1.49). Therefore, the proposed sensor constitutes a direct, compact, fast, and cost-effective solution for monitoring the concentration of lived-cells.
Investigating Patterns for Self-Induced Emotion Recognition from EEG Signals
Authors: Zhuang Ning , Zeng Ying , Yang Kai , Zhang Chi , Tong Li , Yan Bin
Published: March 2018

Most current approaches to emotion recognition are based on neural signals elicited by affective materials such as images, sounds and videos. However, the application of neural patterns in the recognition of self-induced emotions remains uninvestigated. In this study we inferred the patterns and neural signatures of self-induced emotions from electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The EEG signals of 30 participants were recorded while they watched 18 Chinese movie clips which were intended to elicit six discrete emotions, including joy, neutrality, sadness, disgust, anger and fear. After watching each movie clip the participants were asked to self-induce emotions by recalling a specific scene from each movie. We analyzed the important features, electrode distribution and average neural patterns of different self-induced emotions. Results demonstrated that features related to high-frequency rhythm of EEG signals from electrodes distributed in the bilateral temporal, prefrontal and occipital lobes have outstanding performance in the discrimination of emotions. Moreover, the six discrete categories of self-induced emotion exhibit specific neural patterns and brain topography distributions. We achieved an average accuracy of 87.36% in the discrimination of positive from negative self-induced emotions and 54.52% in the classification of emotions into six discrete categories. Our research will help promote the development of comprehensive endogenous emotion recognition methods.
Raw Data-Based Motion Compensation for High-Resolution Sliding Spotlight Synthetic Aperture Radar
Authors: Li Ning , Niu Shilin , Guo Zhengwei , Liu Yabo , Chen Jiaqi
Published: March 2018

For accurate motion compensation (MOCO) in airborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, a high-precision inertial navigation system (INS) is required. However, an INS is not always precise enough or is sometimes not even included in airborne SAR systems. In this paper, a new, raw, data-based range-invariant motion compensation approach, which can effectively extract the displacements in the line-of-sight (LOS) direction, is proposed for high-resolution sliding spotlight SAR mode. In this approach, the sub-aperture radial accelerations of the airborne platform are estimated via a well-developed weighted total least square (WTLS) method considering the time-varying beam direction. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated by two airborne sliding spotlight C band SAR raw datasets containing different types of terrain, with a high spatial resolution of about 0.15 m in azimuth.
Comparison of Flood Vulnerability Assessments to Climate Change by Construction Frameworks for a Composite Indicator
Authors: Lee Jong , Choi Hyun
Published: March 2018

As extreme weather conditions due to climate change can cause deadly flood damages all around the world, a role of the flood vulnerability assessment has become recognized as one of the preemptive measures in nonstructural flood mitigation strategies. Although the flood vulnerability is most commonly assessed by a composite indicator compiled from multidimensional phenomena and multiple conflicting criteria associated with floods, directly or indirectly, it has been often overlooked that the construction frameworks and processes can have a significant influence on the flood vulnerability indicator outcomes. This study has, therefore, compared the flood vulnerability ranking orders for the 54 administrative districts in the Nakdong River Watershed of the Korean Peninsula, ranked from composite indicators by different frameworks and multi-attribute utility functions for combining the three assessment components, such as exposure, sensitivity, and coping, presented in the IPCC Third Assessment Report. The results show that the different aggregation components and utility functions under the same proxy variable system can lead to larger volatility of flood vulnerability rankings than expected. It is concluded that the vulnerability indicator needs to be derived from all three assessment components by a multiplicative utility function for a desirable flood vulnerability assessment to climate change.
Exploratory Research of ISO 14001:2015 Transition among Portuguese Organizations
Authors: Fonseca Luis , Domingues José
Published: March 2018

The purpose of this paper is the assessment of the ISO 14001:2015 transition process among Portuguese ISO 14001 certified organizations, including those that successfully have already achieved ISO 14001:2015 certification. A considerable number of the surveyed companies proceeded with the transition to the ISO 14001:2015 by introducing slight adjustments and were supported by external consultants. Nearly all of the respondent companies (97%) intend to transition until 15th September 2018. The highest ranked reported benefit is the “integrated approach with other management sub-systems” with a well-consolidated perception from the surveyed companies. This is aligned with the ISO 14001:2015 goal of improving the compatibility of management standards supported on the Annex SL. “Alignment with business strategy”, “improved top management commitment” and “improved internal and external communication” are also perceived to obtain significant benefits from ISO 14001:2015. The statistical tests carried out (Kruskal–Wallis) confirmed that the perception of some achieved ISO 14001:2015 certification benefits is dependent on the size of the organization. Concerning the motivations to proceed with certification, results suggest that there is not a particular company profile that is compelled to certify their EMS based on a specific type of motivation (Internal or External). Due to ISO 14001:2015 novelty, these exploratory results should be subjected to additional research confirmation.
Technology-Supported Group Activity to Promote Communication in Dementia: A Protocol for a Within-Participants Study
Authors: Smith Sarah , Astell Arlene J.
Published: March 2018

Computer Interactive Reminiscence and Conversation Aid (CIRCA)is an interactive conversation support for people living with dementia. CIRCA facilitates one-to-one conversations and caregiving relationships in formal care environments. Originally developed as a standalone device, a new web-based version of CIRCA has been created to increase availability. The potential of CIRCA to support group activities and conversation between people living with dementia and a facilitator has not previously been explored. The two objectives of this study are (i) to validate the new web-based version of CIRCA against the original standalone device, and (ii) to explore the efficacy of CIRCA in supporting group activity for people with dementia in a formal care setting. This mixed-methods study comprises two parts: (i) an eight-session group activity using the CIRCA stand-alone device, and (ii) an eight-session group activity using the web-based CIRCA. One hundred and eighty people with dementia will be recruited: 90 for part (i) and 90 for part (ii). Measures of cognition and quality of life will be taken at the baseline, post-CIRCA intervention, and three months later, plus video recordings of the group sessions. Both parts of the study will be completed by June 2018. The study will provide evidence on two issues: (i) a validation of the new web-based version of CIRCA, and (ii) the suitability of CIRCA to support group activities in formal care settings for people living with dementia. This protocol is an extended version of the short paper presented at the AAATE 2017 conference and published in Studies in Health Technology & Informatics.
EU Regulatory Risk Management of Marine Biotoxins in the Marine Bivalve Mollusc Food-Chain
Authors: O’Mahony Micheál
Published: March 2018

Food safety risk assessment in the European Union (EU) recognises consumer illness that arises from marine biotoxins as a risk associated with bivalve mollusc consumption. EU food regulations contain various general food safety obligations, which should contribute significantly to managing this risk. EU food regulations additionally impose various specific obligations on both Food Business Operators and Competent Authorities in order to manage the marine biotoxin food safety risk in the bivalve mollusc food-chain. These have a particular focus on the pre-harvest component of the food-chain. A central component of these specific systems is the requirement for ongoing monitoring of phytoplankton and biotoxin concentrations in water and molluscs, respectively. This monitoring explicitly brings a potential outcome of closing production areas delineated by classification to prohibit the harvest of bivalve molluscs as food from those areas when acceptable biotoxin concentrations are exceeded. This review considers the utility of these systems, at conceptual and practical levels, and explores their contribution to an effective regulatory risk management approach.
Study on the Influence of Clogging on the Cooling Performance of Permeable Pavement
Authors: Xie Jianguang , Jia Sicheng , Li Hua , Gao Lei
Published: March 2018

Permeable pavement is often known as “cool road”. However, the cooling performance will be weakened due to clogging. In this paper, the temperature field distribution model of asphalt pavement was obtained by Green’s function. Gradations of porous asphalt mixture were designed to obtain different porosities, and the thermal properties of specimens with different porosities were tested and calculated. The simulation test was carried out to obtain the heating curves, which were used to verify the accuracy of the temperature model by comparing the results of the theoretical calculation to results of the test. The daily solar radiation intensity and air temperature changing functions were plugged into the model to calculate the temperature at the bottom of the middle surface. In this way, the simplified model of void fraction and cooling performance of the porous asphalt pavement was obtained. The results showed that the temperature at the bottom of the middle surface for permeable pavement was lower than that for traditional asphalt pavements. The gap was between 0.29 to 2.75 °C and it increased as the porosity of permeable pavement increased.
Dip Phenomenon in High-Curved Turbulent Flows and Application of Entropy Theory
Authors: Termini Donatella , Moramarco Tommaso
Published: March 2018

The estimation of velocity profile in turbulent open channels is a difficult task due to the significant effects of the secondary flow. The present paper investigates the mechanism of the velocity-dip phenomenon, whereby the location of the maximum velocity appears to be below the free surface. Previous studies conducted in straight channels relate the mechanism of the velocity-dip phenomenon to secondary flow induced by anisotropy of turbulence. This work focuses on high-curved channels where the secondary motion, which is also induced by the channel’s curvature, evolves along the bend. The width-to-depth ratio, B/h, is one of the most important parameters that are affecting the secondary motion entity. In particular, the present study aims to investigate the evolution of the velocity-dip along the bend for two values of the width-to-depth ratio and the applicability of the entropic model for the dip-phenomenon estimation. The results show that the velocity-dip is more accentuated for low values of the width-to-depth ratio, where the secondary motion plays a fundamental role in the distribution of the downstream flow velocity, although the velocity-dip is also present when the aspect ratio is higher than 10. Furthermore, the velocity profiles that were estimated by applying the entropic model are in good agreement with the measured ones, especially for B/h < 10.
Evidence for Cocoon Emission from the Early Light Curve of SSS17a
Authors: Piro Anthony L. , Kollmeier Juna A.
Published: March 2018

Swope Supernova Survey 2017a (SSS17a) was discovered as the first optical counterpart to the gravitational wave event GW170817. Although its light curve on the timescale of weeks roughly matches the expected luminosity and red color of an r-process powered transient, the explanation for the blue emission from high velocity material over the first few days is not as clear. Here we show that the power-law evolution of the luminosity, temperature, and photospheric radius during these early times can be explained by cooling of shock-heated material around the neutron star merger. This heating is likely from the interaction of the gamma-ray burst jet with merger debris, the so-called cocoon emission. We summarize the properties of this emission and provide formulae that can be used to study future detections of shock cooling from merging neutron stars. This argues that optical transient surveys should search for such early, blue light if they wish to find off-axis gamma-ray bursts and double neutron star gravitational wave events as soon as possible after the merger.
X-Ray and GeV Gamma-Ray Variability of the Radio Galaxy NGC 1275
Authors: Fukazawa Yasushi , Shiki Kensei , Tanaka Yasuyuki , Itoh Ryosuke , Takahashi Hiromitsu , Imazato Fumiya , D’Ammando Filippo , Ojha Roopesh , Nagai and Hiroshi
Published: March 2018

We analyzed Suzaku/XIS data (2006–2015) and Fermi/LAT data (2008–2015) of the gamma-ray emitting radio galaxy NGC 1275. Correlated brightening of the nucleus in both the X-ray and GeV gamma-ray energy bands was found for the period 2013–2015. This is the first evidence of correlated variability between these two energy bands for NGC 1275. We also analyzed Swift/XRT data and found that the X-ray flux increased over several days in 2010, coincidentally with the GeV gamma-ray flare. During the flare, the X-ray spectra were softer, with a photon index of ∼2 compared with 1.5–2.1 of the other periods, suggesting the brightening of a synchrotron component. The GeV gamma-ray band also showed a higher flux with a harder spectrum during the 2010 flare. Simultaneous X-ray and GeV gamma-ray flux increase in the flare could be explained by the shock-in-jet scenario. On the other hand, a long-term gradual brightening of radio, X-ray, and GeV gamma-ray flux with a larger gamma-ray amplitude could have an origin other than internal shocks, and some of these possibilities are discussed.
Testing Viable f(T) Models with Current Observations
Authors: Xu Bing , Yu Hongwei , Wu Puxun
Published: March 2018

We perform observational tests on the f(T) gravity with the BAO data (including the BOSS DR 12 galaxy sample, the DR12 Lyα-Forests measurement, the new eBOSS DR14 quasar sample, the 6dFGS, and the SDSS), the CMB distance priors from the Planck 2015, the SNIa data from the joint light-curve analysis, the latest H(z) data, and the local value of the Hubble constant. Six different f(T) models are investigated. Furthermore, the ΛCDM is also considered. All models are compared by using the Akaike information criteria (AIC) and the Bayesian information criteria (BIC). Our results show that the ΛCDM remains to be the most favored model by current observations. However, there are also the Hubble constant tension between the Planck measurements and the local Universe observations and the tension between the CMB data and the H(z) data in the ΛCDM. For f(T) models considered in this paper, half, which can reduce to the ΛCDM, have values of

smaller than that of the ΛCDM and can relieve the tensions existing in the ΛCDM. However, they are punished slightly by the BIC due to one extra parameter. Two of six f(T) models, in which the crossing of the phantom divide line can be realized for the equation of state of the effective dark energy and this crossing is shown in this paper to be favored by current observations, are punished by the information criteria. In addition, we find that the logarithmic f(T) model is excluded by cosmological observations.
The working classes are also leaving Brussels. An analysis of the suburbanisation of low-income populations
Authors: De Laet Sarah
Published: March 2018

Residential movements from the territory of the Brussels-Capital Region to suburban municipalities in Flanders and Wallonia have usually been studied from the angle of the middle classes. However, today, 30 % of people who leave the Region to live elsewhere in Belgium are part of the working classes. The urban working classes are subject to dual pressure: social, on the one hand, with the destructuring of the salary model, the shortage of jobs and economic insecurity; and spatial, on the other hand, in particular due to the increase in the cost of housing in the city. Faced with this pressure, certain working-class households have chosen to move outside the Brussels-Capital Region. Following the works which drew attention to these processes of “modest suburbanisation” in particular in France, this article focuses on the significance of this phenomenon in the case of Brussels. It also highlights the places of destination of the working-class households which leave the central working-class neighbourhoods of Brussels. From the point of view of the latter, the movements towards the municipalities on the nearby outskirts or other cities result in a sort of social and spatial selection with significant implications for the places they are leaving.
Changing perspectives on the Crusades
Authors: Theron Jacques , Oliver Erna
Published: March 2018

The notion and consequences of the Crusades are still influencing the modern Christian (and Muslim) pattern of thinking. These ‘holy wars’, fought by members of the Roman Catholic Church, mostly against infidels (‘unbelievers’), including the Muslims of the time, lasted for several centuries and had varied levels of success. These wars were both lauded and criticised and currently these two opposite perceptions still persist. After the background to the historical setting of the Crusades, this article provides an overview of the changing viewpoints on this movement by describing the perspectives of the most prominent authors (exponents) who aired their views on the Crusades between the 16th century and the first part of the 21st century, finding that the negative perception runs like a thread through the last five centuries.
Control of field insect pests of mung bean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) using some plant extracts in Umudike, Nigeria
Authors: Asawalam Elechi F. , Constance Ekemezie
Published: March 2018

Field trials were conducted at Umudike, Nigeria, during the 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons to determine the efficacy of plant extracts from seven plant species against field insect pests of mung bean, Vigna radiata L. Wilczek. The extracts tested were obtained from scent leaf (Ocimum gratissimum), neem leaf (Azadirachta indica), bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), garlic (Allium sativum), turmeric (Curcuma longa), plantain (Musa paradisiaca) peel and Negro pepper (Xylopia aethiopica). Karate (Lambda-cyhalothrin EC) at 50 mL was introduced as a check in the trials. The experimental design was a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. Data were collected weekly on the insect population densities, yield and yield components. The results indicated that all the treatments were effective against mung bean insect pests (Aphis craccivora [aphid], Bemisia tabaci [whitefly], Amrasca biguttula biguttula [jassid] and Zonocerus variegatus[grasshopper]). There was a significant (p ≤ 0.05) reduction in the population of insects on the plots treated with plant extracts and karate in 2015 and 2016 cropping seasons. The population densities of grasshoppers in 2015 and whitefly in 2016 were significantly lower in the treated plots compared with the control plots. Azadirachta indica and C. longa extracts recorded the highest seed yield of 50.00 kg/ha and 42.33 kg/ha in 2015 and 2016, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the plant extracts and karate, which recorded significantly higher yields when compared with the control (23.30 kg/ha). All the plant extracts used exhibited insecticidal activity against the insect pests of mung bean. It is, therefore, recommended that these plant extracts can be used for the control of mung bean insect pests to achieve sustainable production, food security and quality.
Cyber Security Governance and Management for Smart Grids in Brazilian Energy Utilities
Authors: Jardim Pardini Daniel , Carneiro Heinisch Astrid Maria , Silva Parreiras Fernando
Published: March 2018

The event of cyber security in critical infrastructures has aroused the interest and the worry of energy utilities, government, regulatory agencies, and consumers as well as of the academic and research institutions. If on one hand it is prominent the vulnerability of the cyberspace, which augments the risk of attacks in the organizational environment, on the other hand, the research leading to alternatives for the governance and management of these critical structures are still too incipient. This study aims at building a theoretical-empirical model of cyber security governance and management and testing it along with academic experts and professionals from the energy sector. By using the Delphi method and statistics techniques for validation, an assessment instrument was developed based on both the constructs: governance and management; and nine dimensions with their respective variables that allowed for an analysis of the situation of the Brazilian energy utilities regarding the protection of their cyberspaces. The contribution of the article reaches two fronts: a conceptual and empirical one as it expands and systematizes the knowledge about aspects of the governance and management of cyberspaces; and a methodological one as it proposes measuring those dimensions in energy utilities.
Absolute poverty and the desire to emancipate communities driving Mobile communication for Development (M4D) in developing countries
Authors: Amuomo Nixon
Published: March 2018

In its opening remarks, The Economist declares emphatically that “Paying for a taxi ride using your mobile phone is easier in Nairobi than it is in New York” (Economist, 2015). There is no denying that Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) and its subset, Mobile Communication for Development (M4D) have contributed to developments in many societies. This is particularly more dominant and prevalent in developing countries than in the developed nations. This literature review reviews reasons why ICT4D/M4D is viewed as more suitable for developing nations than for developed countries despite their technological advancements and higher mobile technology penetration. The conclusion from this review suggests that, absolute poverty and the desire to emancipate communities in developing countries is the driving force for innovation in ICT4D/M4D.
What do aggregate saving rates (not) show?
Authors: Ponomarenko Alexey A. , Ponomarenko Alexey N.
Published: March 2018

The aggregate saving indicator does not directly reflect changes in individuals’ microeconomic behavior. From the official statistics’ point of view, households choose between spending, which generates additional income and consumption in the economy, and setting money aside, which does not. Formally, households may not (if the authors disregard housing investment) choose to save, because the aggregate saving statistical indicator is a residual concept defined as the ensuing difference between aggregate disposable income and consumption. It measures the change in net worth, which, in a closed economy, may only be generated by the production of capital goods and an increase in inventories. Using an agent-based model, the authors show that shocks unrelated to structural changes in households’ behavior may generate positively correlated fluctuations in the aggregate saving rate, productivity growth and lending. Meanwhile, a genuine increase in the average individual propensity to save is not necessarily associated with a higher aggregate saving rate.
Ice-nucleating particle concentrations unaffected by urban air pollution in Beijing, China
Authors: Chen Jie , Wu Zhijun , Augustin-Bauditz Stefanie , Grawe Sarah , Hartmann Markus , Pei Xiangyu , Liu Zirui , Ji Dongsheng , Wex Heike
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Exceedingly high levels of PM2.5 with complex chemical composition occur frequently in China. It has been speculated
whether anthropogenic PM2.5 may significantly contribute to ice-nucleating particles (INP). However, few studies have focused on the
ice-nucleating properties of urban particles. In this work, two ice-nucleating droplet arrays have been used to determine the
atmospheric number concentration of INP (NINP) in the range from −6 to −25 ∘C in Beijing. No
correlations between NINP and either PM2.5 or black carbon mass concentrations were found, although both
varied by more than a factor of 30 during the sampling period. Similarly, there were no correlations between NINP and
either total particle number concentration or number concentrations for particles with diameters >500 nm. Furthermore,
there was no clear difference between day and night samples. All these results indicate that Beijing air pollution did not increase or
decrease INP concentrations in the examined temperature range above values observed in nonurban areas; hence, the background INP
concentrations might not be anthropogenically influenced as far as urban air pollution is concerned, at least in the examined
temperature range.
Impacts of bromine and iodine chemistry on tropospheric OH and HO2: comparing observations with box and global model perspectives
Authors: Stone Daniel , Sherwen Tomás , Evans Mathew J. , Vaughan Stewart , Ingham Trevor , Whalley Lisa K. , Edwards Peter M. , Read Katie A. , Lee James D. , Moller Sarah J. , Carpenter Lucy J. , Lewis Alastair C. , Heard Dwayne E.
Published: March 2018

Abstract. The chemistry of the halogen species bromine and iodine has a range of impacts on tropospheric composition, and can affect oxidising capacity in a number of ways. However, recent studies disagree on the overall sign of the impacts of halogens on the oxidising capacity of the troposphere. We present simulations of OH and HO2 radicals for comparison with observations made in the remote tropical ocean boundary layer during the Seasonal Oxidant Study at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory in 2009. We use both a constrained box model, using detailed chemistry derived from the Master Chemical Mechanism (v3.2), and the three-dimensional global chemistry transport model GEOS-Chem. Both model approaches reproduce the diurnal trends in OH and HO2. Absolute observed concentrations are well reproduced by the box model but are overpredicted by the global model, potentially owing to incomplete consideration of oceanic sourced radical sinks. The two models, however, differ in the impacts of halogen chemistry. In the box model, halogen chemistry acts to increase OH concentrations (by 9.8 % at midday at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory), while the global model exhibits a small increase in OH at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory (by 0.6 % at midday) but overall shows a decrease in the global annual mass-weighted mean OH of 4.5 %. These differences reflect the variety of timescales through which the halogens impact the chemical system. On short timescales, photolysis of HOBr and HOI, produced by reactions of HO2 with BrO and IO, respectively, increases the OH concentration. On longer timescales, halogen-catalysed ozone destruction cycles lead to lower primary production of OH radicals through ozone photolysis, and thus to lower OH concentrations. The global model includes more of the longer timescale responses than the constrained box model, and overall the global impact of the longer timescale response (reduced primary production due to lower O3 concentrations) overwhelms the shorter timescale response (enhanced cycling from HO2 to OH), and thus the global OH concentration decreases. The Earth system contains many such responses on a large range of timescales. This work highlights the care that needs to be taken to understand the full impact of any one process on the system as a whole.
Evaluating two methods of estimating error variances from multiple data sets using an error model
Authors: Rieckh Therese , Anthes Richard
Published: March 2018

Abstract. In this paper we compare two different methods of estimating the error variances of two or more independent data sets. One method, called the three-cornered hat (3CH) or triple co-location method, requires three data sets. Another method, which we call the two-cornered hat (2CH) method, requires only two data sets. Both methods assume that the errors of the data sets are not correlated and are unbiased. The 3CH method has been used in previous studies to estimate the error variances associated with a number of physical and geophysical data sets. Braun et al. (2001) used the two-cornered hat (2CH) method to estimate the error variances associated with two observational data sets of total atmospheric water vapor. In this paper we compare the 3CH and 2CH methods using a simple error model to simulate three and two data sets with various error correlations and biases. With this error model, we know the exact error variances and covariances, which we use to assess the accuracy of the 3CH and 2CH estimates. We examine the sensitivity of the estimated error variances to the degree of error correlation between two of the data sets as well as the sample size. We find that the 3CH method is less sensitive to these factors than the 2CH method and hence is more accurate. We also find that biases in one of the data sets has a minimal effect on the 3CH method, but can produce large errors in the 2CH method.
Geostatistical assessment of summertime rainfall observations in Korea based on composite precipitation and satellite water vapor data
Authors: Park Sojung , Park Seon Ki , Lee Jeung Whan , Park Yunho
Published: March 2018

Abstract. Among the meteorological disasters, heavy rainfalls cause the second largest damage in Korea, following typhoons. To confront with the potential disasters due to heavy rainfalls, understanding the observational characteristics of precipitation is of utmost importance. In this study, we investigate the spatial and temporal characteristics of summertime precipitation in Korea, according to the precipitation types, by conducting the geostatistical analyses such as autocorrelogram, Moran's I and general G, on the composite (radar + station) precipitation data. The e-folding distance of precipitation ranges from 15 to 35 km, depending on the spatial distribution, rather than intensity, of precipitation, whereas the e-folding time ranges from 1 to 2 h. The directional analyses revealed that the summertime precipitation in Korea has high spatial correlations in the southwest–northeast and west–east directions, mainly due to frontal rainfalls during the monsoon season. Furthermore, the cluster versus dispersion patterns and the hot versus cold spots are analyzed through Moran's I and general G, respectively. Water vapor, represented by the brightness temperature, from three Himawari-8 water vapor bands also show similar characteristics with precipitation but with strong spatial correlation over much longer distance (~ 100 km), possibly due to the continuity of water vapor. We found that, under the e-folding-based standard, the current observation network of Korea is sufficient to capture the characteristics of most precipitation systems; however, under a strict standard (e.g., autocorrelation of 0.6), a higher-resolution observation network is essentially required – especially in local areas with frequent heavy rainfalls – depending on the directional features of precipitation systems. Establishing such an observation network based on the characteristics of precipitation enables us to improve monitoring/tracking/prediction skills of high-impact weather phenomena as well as to enhance the utilization of numerical weather prediction.
CONTRIBUIÇÕES DA PSICOLOGIA DA EDUCAÇÃO NA FORMAÇÃO DOCENTE (S) EM FRONTEIRA
Authors: Santana Maria Luzia Da Silva
Published: March 2018

Trata-se de um relato de experiência, cujo objetivo é descrever uma prática pedagógica realizada na disciplina Psicologia, do curso de formação inicial para professores da área de Matemática que é ofertado numa região de fronteira. Procurou-se sensibilizar os futuros educadores quanto a essa problemática no contexto escolar brasileiro e sistematizar uma prática educativa com vistas ao respeito à diversidade, à diferença e voltada à inclusão, sobretudo dos brasiguaios. A partir dessa experiência foi possível instigar o reconhecimento e o empoderamento da diferença, o olhar crítico e respeitoso para com a diversidade que permeia as escolas na região de fronteira, ratificando também a responsabilidade e o papel do professor como mediador na interação e relação positiva entre estudantes brasileiros e brasiguaios.
REFLEXÕES SOBRE OS PRINCÍPIOS EDUCATIVOS DOS MOVIMENTOS SOCIAIS E A EDUCAÇÃO DO CAMPO
Authors: Faleiro Wender , Farias Magno Nunes
Published: March 2018

A Educação do Campo nasce a partir dos Movimentos Sociais do Campo. Partindo disso, esse trabalho busca trazer reflexões acerca dos Princípios Educativos dos Movimentos Sociais do Campo, afim de expor a importância desses princípios nos processos de institucionalização da Educação do Campo enquanto política pública. Nota-se assim, que materializar esses princípios é um processo fundamental para que a Educação do Campo como política contribua para a transformação e justiça social no campo brasileiro.
DESAFIOS DO PROFESSOR HOMEM NA EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL: UM DEBATE A PARTIR DO ESTÁGIO EM PEDAGOGIA
Authors: Silva Claudionor Renato da , Veloso Luana Alves Porto
Published: March 2018

A presente pesquisa identificou alguns desafiosaos professores homens em estágio, em um curso de Pedagogia do norte brasileiro, aotrabalharem com as crianças pequenas na educação infantil, bem como, a partir das falas de professoras mulheres que já atuam nesta faixa de escolarização. Utilizou-se de questionário e entrevista para coleta de dados e a Análise de Conteúdo como tratamento destes dados. Os desafios da formação e da carreira foram organizados em três dimensões: a primeira dimensão é a tentativa de maior impacto das pesquisas sobre o tema na mudança cultural e organizacional da escola e seus atores a partir do Projeto Político Pedagógico; a segunda é a continuação do investimento intelectual e de produção de conhecimento relativo à identidade profissional do professor homem na educação infantil, o que leva a discussões sobre as masculinidades e a educação; a última dimensão destaca o papel contínuo da universidade com pesquisa e extensão que culmine em diálogos com as políticas públicas locais que levem em consideração as dimensões anteriormente identificadas.
Force, Nonviolence, and Communication in the Pragmatism of Bhimrao Ambedkar
Authors: Stroud Scott R.
Published: March 2018

This article argues that we should take the philosophical thought of Bhimrao Ambedkar, the Indian politician and advocate for “untouchable” rights, seriously as part of the pragmatist tradition. Doing so will reveal the international impact of pragmatist thought and will contribute to current concerns over how citizens should communicate and pursue advocacy in pluralistic societies. As a student of Dewey's, Ambedkar took pragmatist ideas of democracy and integrated them into his reading of Buddhism. His reconstruction of nonviolence (ahimsa) as love of one's friends and enemies leaves him open to criticisms from those favoring revolutionary means to achieve social justice. The final section considers criticisms stemming from insurrectionist ethics and argues that Ambedkar operates as an important emancipatory counter to this position. Ambedkar's pragmatism holds back from violent means, as they tend to destroy too many people and valued ends that one needs for an ideal democratic community.
Africana Philosophy as Prolegomenon to Any Future American Philosophy
Authors: Jaima Amir R.
Published: March 2018

The whiteness of American philosophy must be appreciated as an epistemological and ontological achievement. Thus, I contend that the only way forward for American philosophy entails an Africana philosophical critique, which consists of two methodological ventures—one deconstructive and the other radical. I will briefly present six voices that exemplify this Africana philosophical critique. The deconstructive voices include (1) Sylvia Wynter's genealogy of “MAN,” (2) Leonard Harris's insurrectionist challenge to Pragmatism, and (3) Charles Mills's and Chandra Mohanty's rejection of Ideal Theory. The radical voices include (1) Lewis Gordon's Africana-existential-phenomenology as a decolonial “antidote” to Eurocentrism, (2) Tommy Curry's culturalogical solution to the “derelictical” and “methodological” crises of African American philosophy, and (3) Africana literature as “new” philosophy.
New Descriptions, New Possibilities
Authors: McBride Lee A.
Published: March 2018

In “Race, Multiculturalism, and Democracy,” Robert Gooding-Williams offers an insight. He writes: “Our sense of ourselves and of the possibilities existing for us is, to a significant degree, a function of the descriptions we have available to us to conceptualize our intended actions and prospective lives…. ‘Hence if new modes of description come into being, new possibilities of action come into being in consequence.’” In this article, I discuss the philosopher's role in the articulation of new descriptions and thus new possibilities. I argue that potential modes of bold and assertive comportment are conjured when new insurrectionist descriptions are articulated within oppressed populations. To bring this to a higher resolution, I discuss the pervasiveness of dialectical conflict, the need to creatively reorient the descriptions of oppressed groups toward liberation, and the need for more than one prescriptive mode of social amelioration.
From Displaced Persons to Secular Saints: Holocaust Survivors, Jewish Identity, and Gender in the Writings of Zelda Popkin
Authors: Popkin Jeremy D.
Published: March 2018

In 1945, the American Jewish author Zelda Popkin visited displaced persons camps in Europe and encountered Jewish survivors. For the rest of her life, in letters, novels, articles, and her autobiography, she repeatedly recast these encounters in ways that both reflect the changing American view of the Holocaust and the unique perspective of an American Jewish woman on the subject.
Uso y manejo de plaguicidas en diferentes sistemas de producción de fresa en México
Authors: Salazar Magallón Jesús Antonio , Somoza Vargas Carlos Eduardo , Pérez Armendáriz Beatriz , Velásquez Soriano Mauricio , Torres García Gerardo , Huerta de la Peña Arturo , Ortega Martínez Luis Daniel
Published: March 2018

Se evaluó el uso y manejo de plaguicidas de distintos sistemas de producción en los Estados de Puebla y Tlaxcala, México. La metodología utilizada fue descriptiva, cualitativa y cuantitativa. Se entrevistó a informantes clave, los cuales representaron una superficie de cultivo promedio de 2000 m2. Se carac­terizaron cinco sistemas de producción diferenciados por las tecnologías empleadas como riego loca­lizado, sistema hidropónico y suelo con acolchado plástico, así como por el cultivo bajo condiciones de invernadero y libre exposición.  Los resultados muestran que el 100% de los productores y jornaleros utilizan plaguicidas; los em­pleados con mayor frecuencia son clasificados como poco probable de presentar riesgo agudo en uso normal. Los años de escolaridad presentaron una correlación altamente significativa (p≤00.1) con el empleo de plaguicidas de origen natural. Todos los entrevistados no utilizan equipo completo de protección personal y solo el 20% manifestó síntomas de intoxicación.Producción Agropecuaria y Desarrollo Sostenible, Vol. 6, 2017: 27-42