bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surfaces of forced vergence disparity
Authors: Rubin A.
Published: October 2016

Purpose: To introduce the concept of surfaces offorced vergence disparity using measurementsof fixation disparity from three young, healthy individuals.Method: Fixation disparities were measured in three individuals in relation to variation in stimulus distance and vergence demand.  All measurementswere obtained by means of the Sheedy disparometerwhich can be used to measure not only fixation disparity but also associated phorias.  For each individual, consecutive measurements of fixation disparity only were determined over a short time period at four stimulus distances (0.25 m, 0.4 m, 1 m and 2 m) and under five different vergence demands as produced with the application of different amounts of prism (either base in or base out) and also without any prism.  Parametric and non-parametric statistical methods are used to understand short-term variation of fixation disparity and pseudo-3D and stereo-pairs represent thesurfaces of forced vergence disparity with which this paper is mainly concerned.Results:  Surfaces of forced vergence disparity are very useful to study variation of fixation disparity inrelation to change in stimulus distance and vergence demand.  They are effectively 3-dimensional equivalents of 2-dimensional Ogle curves of forcedvergence disparity.Conclusion: Surfaces of forced vergence disparity may be useful in many contexts - both in relation to normal or unusual binocular behaviour.  This paper introduces such surfaces in relation to three individuals who were considered as having satisfactory binocular and accommodative-vergence function.  The surfaces assist one in understanding complicated three-dimensional or trivariate data that involves fixation disparities, different stimulus locations and different accommodative-vergence demands upon the oculo-motor system.  (S Afr Optom 2013 72(1) 25-33)
Tear osmolarity and OSDI symptoms: is there a relationship?
Authors: Gillan W. D. H.
Published: October 2016

No abstract available
Post-destructive eye surgery, associated depression at Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital Eye Unit, Zimbabwe: Pilot Study
Authors: Kawome M. M. , Masanganise R.
Published: October 2016

Destructive eye surgery is associated with more complications than just loss of visual functions of the eye and aesthetics. Currently there is very little published literature on post-destructive eye surgery associated depression. Zimbabwe has been experiencing a surge in the rate of destructive eye surgery done at the National Tertiary Eye Unit. This situation could be churning out lots of unrecognized depressed clients into the community who require assistance in one form or another.Objectives: To determine the prevalence of post-destructive eye surgery associated depression among patients attending Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital Eye Unit and assess if the current management protocol of patients undergoing destructive eye surgery at the Eye Unit addresses the problem adequately.Methods: A cross-sectional study of 28 randomly selected patients who had destructive eye surgeries at Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital was conducted over five months from 1st March 2012 to end of July 2012. A structured questionnaire containing 15 questions on the following items: gender, age, diagnosis, surgical procedure done, expectations before and after surgery, adequacy of counseling given and involvement of family was used to collect data. Nine questions to assess depression were adapted from the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).Setting:  The study was conducted at SekuruKaguvi Hospital Eye Unit, Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare.Results:  Twenty-eight patients who underwent destructive eye surgery during the study period were selected using systematic random sampling. The gender ratio was 1:1 and the mean age was 38.7 years with a range from 24 to 65 years. Fifty percent of the patients in the study had orbital exenteration while the rest had enucleation (14%) and evisceration (36%). Twenty-eight percent of the study population had depression.Conclusion: Destructive eye surgery is frequently associated with depression and our current management protocol of patients undergoing destructive eye surgery does not address this problem.
A population-based study of visual impairment in the Lower Tugela health district in KZN, SA
Authors: Naidoo K.S. , Sweeney D , Jaggernath J , Holden B.
Published: October 2016

A cross-sectional, population-based, epidemiological study of blindness and visual impairment was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of vision loss and various sight-threatening conditions in the Lower Tugela health district of the KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. This study was conducted on a randomly selected sample of 3444 individuals from the district. This number represented 84% of those who were visited and 80.1% of the total sample selected. The participants ranged in age from 5 to 93 years (mean of 29.2 years and a median of 20.0 years). The proportion of men to women differed between participants aged <30 years and those aged >30 years. In both age groups, women represented the majority of participants (66.5%), but the number of women to men in the older age group was approximately twice that found in the group aged less than 30 years. The difference in age between the men and women in the study was not statistically significant (p >0.5). The study revealed that 6.4% of the population studied were visually impaired. The distribution of uncorrected visual acuity was better for women than for men for both OD and OS (p = 0.000 for OD and OS). The main causes of visual impairment were refractive error (44.5%), cataract (31.2%), glaucoma (6.0%), hypertensive retinopathy (4.1%) and diabetic retinopathy (4.1%). Unilateral blindness (OD) was present in 0.78% (95% Confidence interval (CI): 0.42%-1.14%) of participants and unilateral blindness (OS) was present in 1.1% (95% CI: 0.70%-1.50%). Thirty-one participants (0.9%) were bilaterally blind with the main causes being cataracts (54.8%) and refractive error (12.9%). Glaucoma and hypertensive retinopathy were responsible for 6.4% of ..bilateral blindness. Diabetic retinopathy, other retinal conditions (coloboma) and corneal scarring were each responsible for 3.2% of bilateral blindness. Albinism, coloboma and age-related macular degeneration accounted for 9.7% of bilateral blindness. The data provides much needed information to support the planning of eye care programs in KwaZulu-Natal.  (S Afr Optom 2013 72(3) 110-118)
Characteristics of eye injuries in urban KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa: 2005-2008
Authors: Sukati V.N. , Hansraj R.
Published: October 2016

Purpose:   To provide epidemiological data on ocular injuries among patients utilising the provincial hospitals eye care clinics in urban KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.  This data can be used in the future planning and intervention for ocular injuries at provincial hospitals.Methods:  Record cards of 220 ocular injury patients seen at two selected urban provincial hospitals over a period of four years were reviewed.Results:   Male presentation was higher (79.1%) compared to females (20.9%). The  Black  population (85.9%) experienced more ocular injuries than other race groups.  The 21 to 30 age group incurred more injuries (32.3%) than other age groups.  Open globe injuries occurred more frequent (56.4%) than closed globe injuries (43.6%).  The frequent type of injury was blunt trauma/contusion (32.7%).  More than half of the injuries were from solid objects (56.4%) followed by assaults (16.4%).  The home was the common place to incur an injury (72.2%).  Twenty four patients (10.9%) required surgical intervention at initial presentation.  One hundred and fifty eight (71.8%) patients returned for follow up examination.  Twenty five percent of the patients remained with poor vision following treatment.  Conclusion:   Ocular trauma due to burns is usually bilateral while that due to blunt trauma and intra ocular foreign bodies are generally unilateral.  Solid objects were the most frequent cause of ocular injury and injuries due to this cause were most often incurred in the home. (S Afr Optom 2013 72(3) 119-126)
Screening for Ocular Surface Squamous Neoplasia (OSSN) by Slit-lamp Assisted Visual Inspection (SAVI) following a short course of mild topical steroid-test qualities
Authors: Katsekera E. , Tanyanyiwa L. , Chikwasha V. , Masanganise R.
Published: October 2016

Introduction: Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) is currently the commonest ocular malignancy affecting people of child bearing age and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates in Zimbabwe. Early surgical intervention has been shown to mitigate the effects of OSSN amongst its victims, however this is hampered by limited histopathological services which should guide the extent of surgical excisions of these tumours.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of Slit-lamp Assisted Visual Inspection (SAVI) in diagnosing ocular surface squamous neoplasia with the hope of recommending a fall back tool that ophthalmologists / medical practitioners / ophthalmic nurses or optometrists can use in resource limited situations without readily accessible histopathological services when surgical intervention is contemplated.Method: This was part of a study which screened one hundred and nineteen (119) patients with conjunctival growths and recruited sixty seven (67) patients with ocular surface squamous neoplasia by visual inspection over a period of six months. All patients received a week’s course of topical fluorometholone 0.1% and had the lesions excised either completely or partially depending on size of tumour and histology performed on the tissues. The histology results were compared with the results by visual inspection to determine diagnostic accuracy. Outcome measures were specificity, sensitivity and predictive values.Results: Total number of patients with conjunctival growths screened by visual inspection was 119, with median age of 42 years and a range of 18 to 90 years and gender ratio of 1:1.9 in favour of females. There was no significant age difference between confirmed OSSN patients and non-OSSN (pterygia) and the p-value was 0.617. Sensitivity and specificity of visual inspection in diagnosing OSSN when compared to histology were 94.3% and 74.2% respectively, with a positive predictive value of 74.6%. Histology reports indicated that 24.5% of OSSN specimens seen actually arose from pterygia. Conclusions: Slit lamp assisted visual inspection (SAVI) is an accurate method of clinically diagnosing OSSN and can be recommended for use in resource limited settings with hard to access histopathological services.
The Influence of Prenatal Exercise on Offspring Health: A Review
Authors: Moyer Carmen , Reoyo Olga Roldan , May Linda
Published: October 2016

Research has continued to demonstrate that exercise during pregnancy is safe. Growing evidence supports that exercise during pregnancy is beneficial for mother and fetus during gestation, with benefits persisting for the child into adulthood. Regardless of income or socioeconomic status, exercise during pregnancy is associated with increased incidence of full-term delivery. Additionally, normalization of birth measures, such as birth weight, occurs when women perform regular exercise throughout gestation. Measures of growth and development further indicate that exercise during pregnancy does not harm and may stimulate healthy growth throughout childhood. Measures of cognition and intelligence demonstrate that exercise during pregnancy causes no harm and may be beneficial. Overall, the benefits of exercise during pregnancy decrease the risk of chronic disease for both mother and child.
The Person-Environment Profile: Preliminary Development of a Clinical Tool for Enhancing Goal-Based Rehabilitation Programs
Authors: Amsters Delena I. , Kendall Melissa B. , Kuipers Pim , Schuurs Sarita B.
Published: October 2016

The World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health identifies environmental and personal factors as contextually relevant to functioning following disability. Goal setting is also central to rehabilitation practice and enhances functioning. No current assessment exists that recognizes the interaction of environmental factors as they relate to goal setting in rehabilitation. The person-environment profile (PEP) was developed to explore an individual's subjective view of personal and environmental factors on the achievement of rehabilitation goals. A draft PEP underwent initial face validity testing, and the resulting version was then piloted with 13 participants across 34 rehabilitation goals within a goal-based community rehabilitation setting. Results of this pilot suggest that PEP may have the ability to detect differences in perceived barriers and facilitators across personal and environmental factors for different rehabilitation goals. While showing promise as a clinical tool, the pilot identified feasibility concerns over implementation as a standardized assessment. Substantial additional psychometric evaluation and testing needs to be undertaken before the tool can be recommended for clinical use.
The Order of Knowledge and Robust Action. How to Deal with Economic Uncertainty?
Authors: Falkinger Josef
Published: October 2016

Uncertainty in economics is generated by “nature” but also by the model we use to “produce the future”. The production of the future comprises besides the allocation of resources on different instruments (technologies, financial products) also the design of the instruments. Specialization and diversification considerations point to the advantages of targeting instruments to a rich set of possible future states. But, if a rich state space comes with unreliable probability measures, the actions based on such a set will be unreliable, too. The proliferation of financial products is a salient example. This paper argues that an appropriate model for dealing with uncertainty keeps the knowledge required by the model from its user in line with the available knowledge. In particular, it proposes to order state spaces by their “granularity” and “coverage”. Appropriate upper bounds are derived for these characteristics. A practical implication of the presented approach would be to limit financial product innovation.
Microphysical sensitivity of coupled springtime Arctic stratocumulus to modelled primary ice over the ice pack, marginal ice, and ocean
Authors: Young Gillian , Connolly Paul J. , Jones Hazel M. , Choularton Thomas W.
Published: October 2016

Abstract. This study uses large eddy simulations to test the sensitivity of single-layer mixed-phase stratocumulus to primary ice number concentrations in the European Arctic. Observations from the Aerosol-Cloud Coupling and Climate Interactions in the Arctic (ACCACIA) campaign are considered for comparison with cloud microphysics modelled using the Large Eddy Model (LEM, UK Met. Office). We find that cloud structure is very sensitive to ice number concentrations, N_ice , and small increases can cause persisting mixed-phase clouds to glaciate and break up. Three key sensitivities are identified with comparison to in situ cloud observations over the sea ice pack, marginal ice zone (MIZ), and ocean. Over sea ice, we find deposition-condensation ice formation rates are overestimated, leading to cloud glaciation. When ice formation is limited to water-saturated conditions, we find microphysics comparable to the aircraft observations over all surfaces considered. We show that warm supercooled (−13 °C) mixed-phase clouds over the MIZ are simulated to reasonable accuracy when using both the DeMott et al. (2010) and Cooper (1986) parameterisations. Over the ocean, we find a strong sensitivity of Arctic stratus to ice number concentrations. Cooper (1986) performs poorly at the lower ambient temperatures, leading to comparatively higher ice number concentrations (2.43 L−1 at the cloud top temperature, approximately −20 °C) and cloud glaciation. A small decrease in the predicted Nice (2.07 L−1 at −20 °C), using the DeMott et al. (2010) parameterisation, causes mixed-phase conditions to persist for 24 h over the ocean. However, this representation leads to the formation of convective structures which reduce the cloud liquid water through snow precipitation, promoting cloud break up. Decreasing the ice crystal number concentration further (0.54 L−1, using a relationship derived from ACCACIA observations) allows mixed-phase conditions to be maintained for at least 24 h with more stability in the liquid and ice water paths. Sensitivity to Nice is also evident at low number concentrations, where 0.1×Nice predicted by the DeMott et al. (2010) parameterisation results in the formation of rainbands within the model; rainbands which also act to deplete the liquid water in the cloud and promote break up.
Merged ozone profiles from four MIPAS Processors
Authors: Laeng Alexandra , von Clarmann Thomas , Stiller Gabriele , Dinelli Bianca Maria , Dudhia Anu , Raspollini Piera , Glatthor Norbert , Grabowski Udo , Sofieva Viktoria , Froidevaux Lucien , Walker Kaley , Zehner Claus
Published: October 2016

Abstract. The Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) was an infrared limb emission spectrometer on the Envisat platform. Currently, there are four MIPAS ozone data products, including operational Level-2 ozone product processed at ESA with the scientific prototype processor being operated at IFAC Florence and three independent research products: ISACCNR/University of Bologna, Oxford University and KIT-IMK/IAA. Here we present a dataset of ozone vertical profiles obtained by merging ozone retrievals from four independent Level 2 MIPAS Processors. We also discuss the advantages and the shortcomings of this merged product. As the four processors retrieve ozone in different parts of the spectra (microwindows), source measurements can be considered as nearly independent. The information content of the merged product is hence more important. The precision of the merged product is better than that of any parent dataset. The merging is performed on profile per profile base. Parent ozone profiles are weighted based on the corresponding covariance matrices, the correlations between different profile levels are taken into account. The intercorrelations between the processors’ errors are evaluated statistically and are used in the merging. The height range of the merged product is 20–55 km, and statistical covariance matrices are provided as diagnostics. Validation of the merged dataset is performed by comparing it with ozone profiles from ACE-FTS and MLS. Even though the merging is not supposed to remove the bias, around the ozone volume mixing ratio peak the merged product has a smaller (up to 0.1 ppmv) bias with respect to ACE-FTS than any of the parent datasets. The bias with respect to MLS is of the order of 0.15 ppmv at 20–30 km height, and up to 0.45 ppmv at larger altitudes. Comparison with ACE-FTS looks better than with MLS, however this is the case for all parent processors as well.
Examining the provenance of branched GDGTs in the Tagus River drainage basin
and its outflow into the Atlantic Ocean over the Holocene to determine their
usefulness for paleoclimate applications
Authors: Warden Lisa , Kim Jung-Hyun , Zell Claudia , Vis Geert-Jan , de Stigter Henko , Bonnin Jérôme , Sinninghe Damsté Jaap S.
Published: October 2016

Abstract. The distributions of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs), which are transported from the soils where they are predominantly produced to marine sediments via rivers, have been applied in reconstructing mean annual air temperature (MAT) and pH of soils. However, paleoclimate reconstructions using sedimentary brGDGTs have proven difficult in arid regions, including the Iberian Peninsula. Recently, six novel 6-methyl brGDGTs have been described using new analytical methods (in addition to the nine 5-methyl brGDGTs previously used for climate reconstructions), and so new pH and MAT calibrations have been developed that were shown to improve the accuracy of reconstructions in a set of global soil samples, especially in arid regions. Because of this we decided to apply the new method to separate the 5- and 6-methyl isomers along with the novel calibrations to a sample set from the Iberian Peninsula to determine whether it improves paleoclimate reconstructions in this area. This set includes samples that run in a transect from source to sink along the Tagus River and out to the deep ocean off the Portuguese margin spanning the last 6000 years. We found that although pH reconstructions in the soils were improved using the new calibration, MAT reconstructions were not much better even with the separation of the 5- and 6-methyl brGDGTs. This confirmed the conclusion of previous studies that the amount of aquatically produced brGDGTs is overwhelming the soil-derived ones in marine sediments and complicating MAT reconstructions in the region. Additionally, the new separation revealed a strong and until now unseen relationship between the new degree of cyclization (DC') of the brGDGTs and MAT that could be making temperature reconstructions in this and other arid regions difficult.
Biochar-carrying hydrocarbon decomposers promote degradation during the
early stage of bioremediation
Authors: Galitskaya Polina , Akhmetzyanova Leisan , Selivanovskaya Svetlana
Published: October 2016

Abstract. Oil pollution is one of the most serious current environmental problems. In this study, four strategies of bioremediation of oil-polluted soil were tested in the laboratory over a period of 84 days: (A) aeration and moistening; (B) amendment with 1 % biochar (w ⁄ w) in combination with A; amendment with 1 % biochar with immobilized Pseudomonas aeruginosa (C) or Acinetobacter radioresistens (D) in combination with A. All strategies used resulted in a decrease of the hydrocarbon content, while biochar addition (B, C, D strategies) led to acceleration of decomposition in the beginning. Microbial biomass and respiration rate increased significantly at the start of bioremediation. It was demonstrated that moistening and aeration were the main factors influencing microbial biomass, while implementation of biochar and introduction of microbes were the main factors influencing microbial respiration. All four remediation strategies altered bacterial community structure and phytotoxicity. The Illumina MiSeq method revealed 391 unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 40 bacterial phyla and a domination of Proteobacteria in all investigated soil samples. The lowest alpha diversity was observed in the samples with introduced bacteria on the first day of remediation. Metric multidimensional scaling demonstrated that in the beginning and at the end, microbial community structures were more similar than those on the 28th day of remediation. Strategies A and B decreased phytotoxicity of remediated soil between 2.5 and 3.1 times as compared with untreated soil. C and D strategies led to additional decrease of phytotoxicity between 2.1 and 3.2 times.
Seasonal effects of irrigation on land–atmosphere latent heat, sensible heat and carbon fluxes in semi-arid basin
Authors: Zeng Yujin , Xie Zhenghui , Liu Shuang
Published: October 2016

Abstract. Irrigation, which constitutes ~ 70 % of the total amount of fresh water consumed by the human population, is significantly impacting the land–atmosphere fluxes. In this study, using the improved Community Land Model version 4.5 (CLM 4.5) with an active crop model, two high resolution (~ 1 km) simulations investigating the effects of irrigation on Latent Heat (LH), Sensible Heat (SH) and Carbon Fluxes (or net ecosystem exchange, NEE) from land to atmosphere on the Heihe River Basin in northwestern China were conducted using a high-quality irrigation dataset compiled from 1981 to 2013. The model output and measurements from remote sensing demonstrated the capacity and viability of the developed models to reproduce ecological and hydrological processes. The results revealed the effects of irrigation on LH and SH are strongest during summer with a LH increase of ~ 100 W m−2 and a SH decrease of ~ 60 W m−2 over intensely irrigated areas. However, the reactions are much weaker during spring and autumn when there is much less irrigation. When the irrigation rate below 5 mm day−1, the LH generally increases, whereas the SH decreases with growing irrigation rates. However, when the irrigation threshold is in excess of 5 mm day−1, there is no accrued effect of irrigation on the LH and SH. Irrigation produces opposite effects to the NEE during spring and summer. During the spring, irrigation yields more discharged carbon from the land to the atmosphere, increasing the NEE value by 0.4–0.8 gC m−2 day−1, while the summer irrigation favors crop fixing of carbon from atmospheric CO2, decreasing the NEE value by ~ 0.8 gC m−2 day−1. The repercussions of irrigation on land–atmosphere fluxes are not solely linked to the irrigation amount, and other parameters (especially the temperature) also control the effects of irrigation on LH, SH and NEE. The study indicates that how a land surface model with high spatial resolution can represent crop growing and its effects over basin scale.
Combining satellite observations to develop a global soil moisture product for near-real-time applications
Authors: Enenkel Markus , Reimer Christoph , Dorigo Wouter , Wagner Wolfgang , Pfeil Isabella , Parinussa Robert , De Jeu Richard
Published: October 2016

Abstract. The soil moisture dataset that is generated via the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) of the European Space Agency (ESA) (ESA CCI SM) is a popular research product. It is composed of observations from 10 different satellites and aims to exploit the individual strengths of active (radar) and passive (radiometer) sensors, thereby providing surface soil moisture estimates at a spatial resolution of 0.25°. However, the annual updating cycle limits the use of the ESA CCI SM dataset for operational applications. Therefore, this study proposes an adaptation of the ESA CCI product for daily global updates via satellite-derived near-real-time (NRT) soil moisture observations. In order to extend the ESA CCI SM dataset from 1978 to present we use NRT observations from the Advanced Scatterometer on-board the two MetOp satellites and the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 on-board GCOM-W. Since these NRT observations do not incorporate the latest algorithmic updates, parameter databases and intercalibration efforts, by nature they offer a lower quality than reprocessed offline datasets. In addition to adaptations of the ESA CCI SM processing chain for NRT datasets, the quality of the NRT datasets is a main source of uncertainty. Our findings indicate that, despite issues in arid regions, the new CCI NRT dataset shows a good correlation with ESA CCI SM. The average global correlation coefficient between CCI NRT and ESA CCI SM (Pearson's R) is 0.80. An initial validation with 40 in situ observations in France, Spain, Senegal and Kenya yields an average R of 0.58 and 0.49 for ESA CCI SM and CCI NRT, respectively. In summary, the CCI NRT product is nearly as accurate as the existing ESA CCI SM product and, therefore, of significant value for operational applications such as drought and flood forecasting, agricultural index insurance or weather forecasting.
Regionalizing non-parametric precipitation amount models on different temporal scales
Authors: Mosthaf Tobias , Bárdossy András
Published: October 2016

Abstract. Parametric distribution functions are commonly used to model precipitation amounts. Precipitation amounts themselves are crucial for stochastic rainfall generators or weather generators. Non-parametric kernel density estimates (KDEs) offer a more flexible way to model precipitation amounts. As it is already stated in their name, these models do not exhibit a parameter which can easily be regionalized to run rainfall generators at ungauged locations as well as at gauged locations. To overcome this deficiency we present a new interpolation scheme for non-parametric models and evaluate it for different temporal resolutions ranging from hourly to monthly. During the evaluation the non-parametric methods are compared to commonly used parametric models like the two parameter gamma and the mixed exponential distribution. As water volume is considered to be an essential parameter for applications like flood modeling, a Lorenz-curve based criterion is also introduced. To add value to the estimation of data at sub-daily resolutions, we incorporated the plentiful daily measurements in the interpolation scheme and this idea was evaluated. The study region is the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in the southwest of Germany with more than 500 rain gauges. The validation results show that the newly proposed non-parametric interpolation scheme works, and additionally seems to be more robust compared to parametric interpolation schemes, and that the incorporation of daily values in the regionalization of sub-daily models is very beneficial.
Construction and evaluation of a Toolbox for the formulation of the Hydrologic component of the Basin Management Plans in Colombia
Authors: Garzón Victor H. , Garzón Ricardo , Avellaneda Pedro M. , Rodríguez Erasmo A. , Alfonso Leonardo
Published: October 2016

Abstract. The Colombian Ministry of Environment, Housing and Territorial Development issued the Policy for Integrated Water Resources Management in 2010, with the formulation of Basin Management Plans (POMCA) as a key component. The main purpose of these plans is to support land use planning and sustainable management of renewable natural resources. Since the announcement of the policy; however, advances in the formulation of POMCAs have been limited, due to the need of generating knowledge and the necessary information to formulate such plans. To contribute to the generation of such knowledge, we developed HidroCHEP: a Toolbox to support the formulation and hydrologic characterization of Colombian basins. In this paper, we report the design, architecture, implementation and use of the toolbox, to understand the climatic variability of the country and to improve predictions in ungauged basins. The use of the toolbox is illustrated and evaluated through its application in three pilot river basins (Pamplonita, Gualí and Ceibas) each with different level of available hydrologic and climatic data. This paper focuses on the use of the toolbox for the development of one of the products required by the technical guide for the formulation of POMCA, in the Pamplonita river basin. Main advantages and disadvantages of its application are evaluated. It is demonstrated that the toolbox has the potential to support the formulation of POMCAs in the country and to contribute to integrated national water resources management.
Development of seasonal flow outlook model for Ganges-Brahmaputra Basins in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Sazzad , Haque Khan Raihanul , Kumar Gautum Dilip , Karmaker Ripon , Hossain Amirul
Published: October 2016

Abstract. Bangladesh is crisscrossed by the branches and tributaries of three main river systems, the Ganges, Bramaputra and Meghna (GBM). The temporal variation of water availability of those rivers has an impact on the different water usages such as irrigation, urban water supply, hydropower generation, navigation etc. Thus, seasonal flow outlook can play important role in various aspects of water management. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) in Bangladesh provides short term and medium term flood forecast, and there is a wide demand from end-users about seasonal flow outlook for agricultural purposes. The objective of this study is to develop a seasonal flow outlook model in Bangladesh based on rainfall forecast. It uses European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) seasonal precipitation, temperature forecast to simulate HYDROMAD hydrological model. Present study is limited for Ganges and Brahmaputra River Basins. ARIMA correction is applied to correct the model error. The performance of the model is evaluated using coefficient of determination (R2) and Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE). The model result shows good performance with R2 value of 0.78 and NSE of 0.61 for the Brahmaputra River Basin, and R2 value of 0.72 and NSE of 0.59 for the Ganges River Basin for the period of May to July 2015. The result of the study indicates strong potential to make seasonal outlook to be operationalized.
A snow and ice melt seasonal prediction modelling system for Alpine reservoirs
Authors: Förster Kristian , Oesterle Felix , Hanzer Florian , Schöber Johannes , Huttenlau Matthias , Strasser Ulrich
Published: October 2016

Abstract. The timing and the volume of snow and ice melt in Alpine catchments are crucial for management operations of reservoirs and hydropower generation. Moreover, a sustainable reservoir operation through reservoir storage and flow control as part of flood risk management is important for downstream communities. Forecast systems typically provide predictions for a few days in advance. Reservoir operators would benefit if lead times could be extended in order to optimise the reservoir management. Current seasonal prediction products such as the NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction) Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2) enable seasonal forecasts up to nine months in advance, with of course decreasing accuracy as lead-time increases. We present a coupled seasonal prediction modelling system that runs at monthly time steps for a small catchment in the Austrian Alps (Gepatschalm). Meteorological forecasts are obtained from the CFSv2 model. Subsequently, these data are downscaled to the Alpine Water balance And Runoff Estimation model AWARE running at monthly time step. Initial conditions are obtained using the physically based, hydro-climatological snow model AMUNDSEN that predicts hourly fields of snow water equivalent and snowmelt at a regular grid with 50 m spacing. Reservoir inflow is calculated taking into account various runs of the CFSv2 model. These simulations are compared with observed inflow volumes for the melting and accumulation period 2015.
Assessment of water resources and seasonal prediction of rainfall in India
Authors: Rakhecha P. R.
Published: October 2016

Abstract. From the analysis of rainfall data available at about 5000 stations, this paper is prepared to provide comprehensive assessment of water availability in different states of India as well as for the country as a whole. Changes in water availability per person are occurring mainly as a consequence of changes in population. The water availability per capita in India was over 6000 m3 per annum in 1951, it now stands at about 1900 m3 per capita. Nevertheless, this amount is nearly twice the water need by the people of developed countries. The developed countries require about 1000 m3 of freshwater per capita per year. The increasing demand for water is in the 4 states of Haryana, UP, Bihar and West Bengal in the face of increasing population and possible changes in climate, the water available in these states is to be used most economically and judiciously so that the vagaries of nature do not put any severe strain.
Comparison of cross-validation and bootstrap aggregating for building a seasonal streamflow forecast model
Authors: Schick Simon , Rössler Ole , Weingartner Rolf
Published: October 2016

Abstract. Based on a hindcast experiment for the period 1982–2013 in 66 sub-catchments of the Swiss Rhine, the present study compares two approaches of building a regression model for seasonal streamflow forecasting. The first approach selects a single "best guess" model, which is tested by leave-one-out cross-validation. The second approach implements the idea of bootstrap aggregating, where bootstrap replicates are employed to select several models, and out-of-bag predictions provide model testing. The target value is mean streamflow for durations of 30, 60 and 90 days, starting with the 1st and 16th day of every month. Compared to the best guess model, bootstrap aggregating reduces the mean squared error of the streamflow forecast by seven percent on average. Thus, if resampling is anyway part of the model building procedure, bootstrap aggregating seems to be a useful strategy in statistical seasonal streamflow forecasting. Since the improved accuracy comes at the cost of a less interpretable model, the approach might be best suited for pure prediction tasks, e.g. as in operational applications.
Development of an integrated method for long-term water quality prediction
using seasonal climate forecast
Authors: Cho Jaepil , Shin Chang-Min , Choi Hwan-Kyu , Kim Kyong-Hyeon , Choi Ji-Yong
Published: October 2016

Abstract. The APEC Climate Center (APCC) produces climate prediction information utilizing a multi-climate model ensemble (MME) technique. In this study, four different downscaling methods, in accordance with the degree of utilizing the seasonal climate prediction information, were developed in order to improve predictability and to refine the spatial scale. These methods include: (1) the Simple Bias Correction (SBC) method, which directly uses APCC's dynamic prediction data with a 3 to 6 month lead time; (2) the Moving Window Regression (MWR) method, which indirectly utilizes dynamic prediction data; (3) the Climate Index Regression (CIR) method, which predominantly uses observation-based climate indices; and (4) the Integrated Time Regression (ITR) method, which uses predictors selected from both CIR and MWR. Then, a sampling-based temporal downscaling was conducted using the Mahalanobis distance method in order to create daily weather inputs to the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model. Long-term predictability of water quality within the Wecheon watershed of the Nakdong River Basin was evaluated. According to the Korean Ministry of Environment's Provisions of Water Quality Prediction and Response Measures, modeling-based predictability was evaluated by using 3-month lead prediction data issued in February, May, August, and November as model input of SWAT. Finally, an integrated approach, which takes into account various climate information and downscaling methods for water quality prediction, was presented. This integrated approach can be used to prevent potential problems caused by extreme climate in advance.
A tentative discussion on the monitoring of water resources in China
Authors: Jianqing Yang , Ning Dai , Mengying Wu , Guangsheng Wang
Published: October 2016

Abstract. With the rapid economy development and social civilization progress, the Chinese Government also is improving ecological environmental conditions. More efforts have been made to solve water problems through the implementation of stringent water resources management, as a key government policy on water. Thus, monitoring of water resources has been strengthened, being a main component of the hydrological work in recent years. Compared with routine hydrological monitoring, water resources monitoring pays more attention to the quantity and quality variations of regional waters, to reflect the status of water in river basins and administrative regions. In this paper, the overall layout of the hydrometric network in China is presented, monitoring efforts of the natural water cycle and water consumptions are analyzed, methodologies of water resources monitoring, which are commonly applied in the country, are summed up. Taking the hydrometric network planning on interprovincial boundary waterbodies as example, a summary of the planning at interprovincial boundary river sections is presented. The planning can meet the need of water resources management of administrative divisions. It can also improve the overall water resources monitoring for the country.
Public Space Update. Report from the United States
Authors: Crawford Margaret
Published: October 2016

Like everything else in this large and disparate country, public space, as a movement and as a collection of physical places is highly varied and unequally distributed. Even so, over the last decade public space in both senses has moved to the forefront of American urbanism. In terms of academic debates, the narratives of decline that dominated discussions of public space since the 1990s have been replaced with expanded definitions of public space. The number of actual new public spaces, public events and support for them has grown exponentially over the last decade.  These spaces continue to attract large numbers of people. For design professionals, this has meant new opportunities to connect their practices with the larger public realm.  At the same time, however, critics have raised important questions about their inclusivity and ability to promote genuine social interaction.
ADHESION FAILURE OF RUBBER/METAL COMPOSITES UNDERGOING CORROSION
Authors: Ismail I. , Harun M. K.
Published: October 2016

Rubber/metal composites are known to be highly durable in a normal atmospheric condition. However, when they are exposed to an aggressive environment such as the marine environment, they tend to fail prematurely. The failure is usually caused by the loss of adhesion of the rubber to metal substrate. The aim of this work is to elucidate the adhesion failure mechanism by using a commercial bonding system for bonded rubber/metal exposed in a marine environment. A simulation study that was carried out through a salt spray test indicated that corrosion of the exposed metal substrates induced the loss of adhesion through cathodic disbonding. Laboratory exposure in alkaline medium, cathodic disbonding, and anodic undermining tests suggested that the hydroxyl ions generated from corrosion reactions contributed to the adhesion failure.
Discrete asymptotic homomorphisms in E-theory and KK-theory
Authors: Thomsen Klaus
Published: October 2016

We obtain six-term exact sequences for E-theory and KK-theory which involve discrete asymptotic homomorphisms and generalize the extension of groups from the UCT theorem.
Proregular sequences, local cohomology, and completion
Authors: Schenzel Peter
Published: October 2016

As a certain generalization of regular sequences there is an investigation of weakly proregular sequences. Let $M$ denote an arbitrary $R$-module. As the main result it is shown that a system of elements $\underline x$ with bounded torsion is a weakly proregular sequence if and only if the cohomology of the Čech complex $\check C_{\underline x} \otimes M$ is naturally isomorphic to the local cohomology modules $H_{\mathfrak a}^i(M)$ and if and only if the homology of the co-Čech complex $\mathrm{RHom} (\check C_{\underline x}, M)$ is naturally isomorphic to $\mathrm{L}_i \Lambda^{\mathfrak a}(M),$ the left derived functors of the $\mathfrak a$-adic completion, where $\mathfrak a$ denotes the ideal generated by the elements $\underline x$. This extends results known in the case of $R$ a Noetherian ring, where any system of elements forms a weakly proregular sequence of bounded torsion. Moreover, these statements correct results previously known in the literature for proregular sequences.
Characteristic numbers of rational curves with cusp or prescribed triple contact
Authors: Kock Joachim
Published: October 2016

This note pursues the techniques of [Graber-Kock-Pandharipande] to give concise solutions to the characteristic number problem of rational curves in $\boldsymbol P^2$ or $\boldsymbol P^1\times\boldsymbol P^1$ with a cusp or a prescribed triple contact. The classes of such loci are computed in terms of modified psi classes, diagonal classes, and certain codimension-2 boundary classes. Via topological recursions the generating functions for the numbers can then be expressed in terms of the usual characteristic number potentials.
Harmonic morphisms from even-dimensional hyperbolic spaces
Authors: Svensson Martin
Published: October 2016

In this paper we give a method for constructing complex valued harmonic morphisms in some pseudo-Riemannian manifolds using a parametrization of isotropic subbundles of the complexified tangent bundle. As a result we construct the first known examples of complex valued harmonic morphisms in real hyperbolic spaces of even dimension not equal to 4 which do not have totally geodesic fibres.
Local $L^2$ results for $\overline{\partial}$ on a singular surface
Authors: Diederich Klas , Fornæss John Erik , Vassiliadou Sophia
Published: October 2016

The Cauchy-Riemann equations are fundamental in complex analysis. This paper contributes to the understanding of these equations on singular spaces. Various methods have been used to overcome the problem of defining forms near singularities. One can blow up the singularity, restrict forms from smooth ambient spaces or work on the regular points. In this paper we use the latter approach to obtain square integrable solutions on singular surfaces. This can be briefly called the Kohn solution up to the singularity to contrast with results in terms of curvature, weights or different function spaces.
K-groups with finite coefficients and arithmetic
Authors: Østvær Paul Arne
Published: October 2016

In this paper we prove rank formulas for the even K-groups of number rings and relate Leopoldt's conjecture to K-theory. These results follow from a computation of the higher K-groups with finite coefficients.
Weyl structures for parabolic geometries
Authors: Čap Andreas , Slovák Jan
Published: October 2016

Motivated by the rich geometry of conformal Riemannian manifolds and by the recent development of geometries modeled on homogeneous spaces $G/P$ with $G$ semisimple and $P$ parabolic, Weyl structures and preferred connections are introduced in this general framework. In particular, we extend the notions of scales, closed and exact Weyl connections, and Rho-tensors, we characterize the classes of such objects, and we use the results to give a new description of the Cartan bundles and connections for all parabolic geometries.
A note on the local injectivity of weakly differentiable mappings having constant Jacobian sign
Authors: Cristea Mihai
Published: October 2016

We give topological and analytical conditions in order that some weakly differentiable mappings with constant Jacobian sign to be locally injective, generalizing results from [10], [2], established for Sobolov mappings.
On non-holomorphic functional calculus for commuting operators
Authors: Sandberg Sebastian
Published: October 2016

We provide a general scheme to extend Taylor's holomorphic functional calculus for several commuting operators to classes of non-holomorphic functions. These classes of functions will depend on the growth of the operator valued forms that define the resolvent cohomology class. The proofs are based on a generalization of the so-called resolvent identity to several commuting operators.
On the Borel cohomology of free loop spaces
Authors: Ottesen Iver
Published: October 2016

Let $X$ be a space and let $K = H^*(X; \boldsymbol F_p)$ where $p$ is an odd prime. We construct functors $\overline \Omega$ and $\ell$ which approximate cohomology of the free loop space $\Lambda X$ as follows: There are homomorphisms $\overline \Omega(K) \to H^*(\Lambda X; \boldsymbol F_p)$ and $\ell(K)\to H^*(E\boldsymbol T\times_T\Lambda X;\boldsymbol F_p)$. These are isomorphisms when $X$ is a product of Eilenberg-MacLane spaces of type $K(\boldsymbol F_p,n)$ for $n \geq 1$.
Conformal subfoliations of prescribed geodesic curvature
Authors: Baird Paul , Burel Jean-Marie
Published: October 2016

Given a $2$-dimensional conformal foliation $\mathcal F$ of a Riemannian manifold $M$, the problem of finding a $1$-dimensional subfoliation $\mathcal G$, conformal in $M$, whose leaves have prescribed geodesic curvature in the leaves of $\mathcal F$ is equivalent to a Pfaff differential system on a circle bundle over $M$. We study such pairs of foliations on a $3$- and $4$-manifold.
Examples of self-dual, Einstein metrics of $(2,2)$-signature
Authors: Blažić Novica , Vukmirović Srdjan
Published: October 2016

In this paper we use para-quaternionic reduction to construct a family of examples of self-dual Einstain metrics of neutral signature, which are not Ricci flat, nor locally homogenous. The curvature of these manifolds is studied in detail and these examples are compared with the orbifolds $\mathcal O_{p,q}(1)$ given by Galicki and Lawson. Particular attention is given to the sign and to the pinching of the sectional curvatures.