bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corrosion Behavior of Carbon Steel Piping in Flowing Diluted Seawater
Authors: Fujiwara Kazutoshi , Tani Junichi , Ohta Joji , Fukaya Yuichi , Hirasaki Toshifumi
Published: November 2020

Countermeasures against the corrosion problems caused by seawater should be sufficiently considered at the spent fuel pool of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. In this study, the corrosion behaviors of carbon steel in diluted synthetic seawater and the effect of a corrosion inhibition treatment were evaluated. Although the corrosion rate of the carbon steel in diluted synthetic seawater was high at the beginning of the test, it decreased to below 0.5 mm/y after 500 h. A clear effect of sodium nitrite (NaNO2) on corrosion inhibition was confirmed at a low flowrate, and the corrosion rate decreased to 0.004 mm/y at a flowrate of 3.2 m/s or less. The corrosion inhibition effect of sodium pentaborate (Na2B10O16) was confirmed at velocities ranging from 0.6 m/s to 5.3 m/s. The injection of Na2B10O16 is also effective for preventing the criticality of fuel. The corrosion rate of the carbon steel decreased gradually when the electrical conductivity of the electrolyte was progressively decreased. It was less than 0.1 mm/y when the electrical conductivity was less than 1.0 mS/m. When the electrical conductivity was progressively increased and exceeded 0.4 mS/m, the corrosion rate increased and shallow corrosion spots were produced.
Environmentally Assisted Cracking Behavior of 18Ni 250 Maraging Steel Welds Obtained with and Without Flux in Chloride Media
Authors: Gupta Renu N. , Agrawal Rahul K. , Gore Poorwa , Parmar Uday , Raja V.S.
Published: November 2020

Gas tungsten arc welding is extensively used in the fabrication of 18Ni 250 maraging steel motor casings. In this work, the role of flux addition on the environmentally assisted cracking (EAC) and electrochemical corrosion behaviors of these welds in their peak-aged condition is presented. Studies were performed in order to bring out the potential influence of long-term exposure of maraging steel welds to neutral 0.1 M NaCl (mildly corrosive) and acidified 0.1 M NaCl (a relatively more corrosive) environments to understand the EAC behavior of the welds. The study showed that both the fluxed and unfluxed weld metals suffered 21% to 23% loss in ductility in neutral 0.1 M NaCl solution from that of obtained in air. The EAC of the welds in the neutral chloride solution was due to anodic dissolution, while in the acidified chloride solution it was found to be predominantly due to hydrogen embrittlement. The effect of flux in refining the weld microstructure was reflected in: (a) preventing intergranular mode of hydrogen embrittlement of the unfluxed welds and transforming the mode to transgranular cracking, (b) lowering a wide scatter in electrochemical corrosion rate, and (c) reducing the selective attack in the interdendritic regions of the unfluxed welds. Such a transition from intergranular to transgranular cracking might affect long-term service behavior of the welds to corrosion and EAC, though it is not reflected in the short-term tests.
Quantitative Analysis Methods of Chloride Deposition on Silver for Atmospheric Corrosion Monitoring in South Korea
Authors: Choi Wonjun , Lee Dooyoul , Bahn Chi Bum
Published: November 2020

The chloride deposition rate is one of critical factors affecting the atmospheric corrosion of metals, which can be monitored by exposing Ag specimens and analyzing their surfaces using various ways. Although a coulometric reduction method can provide an absolute chloride deposition rate, new and alternative methods can be pursued, i.e., methods using typical surface analysis tools (scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy [SEM-EDS], x-ray diffraction [XRD], and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy [XPS]). As the surface analysis tools can only provide relative values, a correlation between the coulometric reduction and surface analyses should be developed. To develop the correlation between them, Ag specimens were prepared by exposing them to the atmosphere at 12 locations in South Korea for one year. Surface analysis of retrieved Ag specimens yielded correlations for the chloride deposition rates between the coulometric reduction method and typical surface analysis tools. Each correlation showed a fairly linear relationship, especially ones obtained from SEM-EDS and XPS. The developed correlations can be used when estimating the chloride deposition rate by using surface analysis tools as an alternative to the coulometric reduction method.
Electrochemical Characterization of an Oil/Water Alternately Wetted Rotating Cylinder Electrode
Authors: Zheng Linxiao , Wang Zi Ming , Song Guang-Ling
Published: November 2020

To characterize the corrosion at oil/water interfaces, a vertically adjustable rotating cylinder electrode (VA-RCE) was developed based on the concept of an “alternate wetting cell,” in which the electrochemical current reflecting the wet state of the RCE surface can be continuously monitored. Under a sinusoidal moving mode, the current waveform varied with the rotation rate and the longitudinal displacement speed or amplitude of the VA-RCE, implying that the dynamic wetting behavior of the VA-RCE surface in the oil/water interface region was influenced by the flow conditions; the replacement of oil phase by water phase became easier with increasing flow rate and alternating frequency of change between water wet and oil wet. The results also indicated that the wettability of the VA-RCE surface could be modified by the formation of corrosion products. All of the results suggested that the VA-RCE could be used to quantitatively characterize the dynamic water/oil wetting state and the corrosion at an oil/water interface in a multiphase flow.
GLACIER RETREAT DIFFERENCES IN CHILEAN CENTRAL ANDES AND THEIR RELATION WITH ANTHROPOGENIC BLACK CARBON POLLUTION
Authors: Cereceda-Balic F. , Ruggeri M. F. , Vidal V.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Black Carbon (BC) is indicated as the main atmospheric pollutant that obscures snow surfaces and absorbs solar energy, which accelerates the melting of ice/snow and produces glacier retreat. The case of Chile is of particular interest because it has most part of the Andean cryosphere, which has responded strongly to climate change through a retreat of their glaciers, having implications in the availability of freshwater for the inhabitants and economic activities. In this work, the aim was to investigate and quantify for the first time the impact that BC could have on the differences observed in the glacial retreat in the study area, decoupling this impact of the climatic and glaciological factors, through which it has not been possible to explain the difference in glacier behavior in the zone. In this case, two glaciers with comparable characteristics from the Central Andes of Chile were studied: Olivares Alpha Glacier (OAG) and Bello Glacier (BG). The spatio-temporal evolution (2004-2014) was studied using remote sensing images (Landsat). This information was analyzed together with measured data of BC concentrations in air and snow for the year 2014. Results showed important differences in glacier retreat, −27.6% for OAG vs. −5.1% for BG (2004–2014), together with a significantly higher impact of BC in OAG than BG. Regarding the sources of the measured BC, considering that both glaciers are at a similar distance from Santiago, it can be considered that there is another source influencing OAG, which could be the mountain mining activities, considering the small distance existing between this glacier and the mines.
SNOW ALBEDO REDUCTION IN CENTRAL ANDES BY ATMOSPHERIC AEROSOLS: CASE STUDY ON THE TUNUYÁN BASIN (ARGENTINA)
Authors: Puliafito S. E. , Bolaño Ortiz T. , Pascual R. , Lopez-Noreña A. , Berná L.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Changes in snow albedo (SA) on several basins of the central Andes of Argentina are associated with the possible deposition of light-absorbing particles (LAP) in the austral spring. To demonstrate this possibility, we correlate SA with daily data of snow cover (SC), aerosol optical depth (AOD) and land surface temperature (LST) available from the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA Terra satellite during 2000–2016, and other derived parameters such as days after albedo (DAS) and snow precipitation (SP) from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM). We used satellite pixels with 100% snow cover to obtain monthly average value of SA, LST, AOD, DAS and SP performing multiple regression analysis. Further, we analysed biomass burning emissions in northern Argentina using MODIS products MCD64 collection C6 as possible source for snow pollution. Aerosol deposition and trajectories were analysed using WRF-Chem atmospheric numerical prediction model, with inventories of regional anthropogenic emissions of own elaboration (lat. 0.025° × long. 0.025°) and the estimation of open burning emissions from the FINN global inventory (Fire INventory from NCAR).
AEROSOL INFLUENCE ON PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR ENERGY GENERATION FOR THE STATE OF GOIÁS (BRAZIL)
Authors: Silveira Júnior C. R. , Luiz G. C. , Barbosa G. A. S. , Sousa L. G. C.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. The presence of aerosols in atmosphere has the potential to decrease the efficiency of solar photovoltaic energy generation. The central region of Brazil presents a remarkable growth of these aerosols between March and October, when the region undergoes a period of intensive slash and burn agriculture. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of this anthropogenic aerosol on electric power generation by comparing data from geostationary satellites with photovoltaic power generation data.
EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF HIGH-RESOLUTION PLANETSCOPE IMAGERY FOR PASTURE BIOMASS ESTIMATION IN AN INTEGRATED CROP–LIVESTOCK SYSTEM
Authors: Dos Reis A. A. , Silva B. C. , Werner J. P. S. , Silva Y. F. , Rocha J. V. , Figueiredo G. K. D. A. , Antunes J. F. G. , Esquerdo J. C. D. M. , Coutinho A. C. , Lamparelli R. A. C. , Magalhães P. S. G.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Pasture biomass information is essential to monitor forage resources in grazed areas, as well as to support grazing management decisions. The increasing temporal and spatial resolutions offered by the new generation of orbital platforms, such as Planet CubeSat satellites, have improved the capability of monitoring pasture biomass using remotely-sensed data. In a preliminary study, we investigated the potential of spectral variables derived from PlanetScope imagery to predict pasture biomass in an area of Integrated Crop-Livestock System (ICLS) in Brazil. Satellite and field data were collected during the same period (May–August 2019) for calibration and validation of the relation between predictor variables and pasture biomass using the Random Forest (RF) regression algorithm. We used as predictor variables 24 vegetation indices derived from PlanetScope imagery, as well as the four PlanetScope bands, and field management information. Pasture biomass ranged from approximately 24 to 656 g m−2, with a coefficient of variation of 54.96%. Near Infrared Green Simple Ratio (NIR/Green), Green Leaf Algorithm (GLA) vegetation indices and days after sowing (DAS) are among the most important variables as measured by the RF Variable Importance metric in the best RF model predicting pasture biomass, which resulted in Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 52.04 g m−2 (32.75%). Accurate estimates of pasture biomass using spectral variables derived from PlanetScope imagery are promising, providing new insights into the opportunities and limitations related to the use of PlanetScope imagery for pasture monitoring.
MULTI-SCALE TIME SERIES ANALYSIS OF EVAPOTRANSPIRATION FOR HIGH-THROUGHPUT PHENOTYPING FREQUENCY OPTIMIZATION
Authors: Kar S. , Tanaka R. , Iwata H. , Kholova J. , Durbha S. S. , Adinarayana J. , Vadez V.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. This work is undertaken considering the significance of functional phenotyping (primarily measured from continuous profiles of plant-water relations) for crop selection purposes. High-Throughput Plant Phenotyping (HTPP) platforms which largely employ state-of-the-art sensor technologies for acquisition of vast amount of field data, often fail to efficiently translate sensor information into knowledge due to the major challenges of data handling and processing. Hence, it is imperative to concurrently find a way for dissociating noise from useful data. Additionally, another important aspect is understanding how frequent should be the data collection, so that information is maximized. This paper presents a novel approach for identifying the optimal frequency for phenotyping evapotranspiration (ET) by assimilating results from both time series forecast as well as classification models. Thus, at the optimal frequency, plant-water relations can not only be desirably predicted but genotypes can also be classified based on the characteristics of their ET profiles. Consequently, this will aid better crop selection, besides minimizing noise, redundancy, cost and effort in HTPP data collection. High frequency (15 min) ET time series data of 48 chickpea varieties (with considerable genotypic diversity) collected at the LeasyScan HTPP platform, ICRISAT is used for this study. Time series forecast and classification is performed by varying frequency up to 180 min. Multiple performance measures of time series forecast and classification are combined, followed by implementation of entropy theory for sampling frequency optimization. The results demonstrate that ET time series with a frequency of 60 min per day potentially yield the optimum information.
NET PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY AND DRY MATTER IN SOYBEAN CULTIVATION UTILIZING DATAS OF NDVI MULTI-SENSORS
Authors: Rodigheri G. , Fontana D. C. , Schaparini L. P. , Dalmago G. A. , Schirmbeck J.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Net Primary Productivity (NPP) is an important indicator of vegetation growth status and ecosystems health. NPP can be estimated through remote sensing data, using vegetation indices such as NDVI. However, this index may show systematic differences when using several orbital sensors. Therefore, the objective of this paper was to compare the NDVI data obtained from different sensors and evaluate the impact over the soybean biomass and NPP estimates. NDVI data were recorded from 4 sensors, one on the field and others 3 orbitals sensors (Landsat 8/OLI, Sentinel 2/MSI and Terra/MODIS). Measured data on the field, Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) and Dry Matter (DM), were used to modeling the total DM and also NPP. The NDVI data from different sensors showed differences throughout the cycle, but compared to the reference data there was a correlation greater than 0.84. The DM presented a correlation of 0.91 with the field measured MS data while the NPP presented differences of up to 240 gC/m2/month from in relation to the reference data. Therefore, NDVI obtained from multiple sensors can be used to estimate NPP for surface analysis. However, for more consistent evaluations, a function of adjustment between the NDVI sensor data and NDVI reference data is required, so that the NPP estimation be better correlated to the actual data.
A USER-FRIENDLY REMOTE-SENSING WEB-PLATFORM FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT IN PROTECTED AREAS
Authors: Chávez R. O. , Lastra J. A. , Valencia D. , Díaz-Hormazábal I.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. The Chilean SNASPE is a complex network of 104 protected areas covering 18.5 million hectares of continental and insular Chile in South America. The geographical complexity and high biodiversity of the SNASPE make difficult to develop a unified monitoring system for conservation and management. In this contribution, we introduce a novel and remote-sensing web-platform for monitoring SNASPE units based completely in open acces data and software. The platform was designed in close cooperation with the Chilean forest service CONAF in order to make it applicable to the whole SNASPE. Following the framework of the Group on Earth Observation - Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO-BON), we used the Essential Biodiversity Variable (EBV) Phenology and MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) data to detect in near-real-time anomalies from the normal annual phenological cycle of vegetation. The platform is based on a flexible non-parametric probabilistic algorithm (the “npphen” R package) capable to reconstruct any type of leaf phenology and to quantify its inter-annual variation by means of confidence intervals around the most probable annual curve. Phenological anomalies are then calculated as a deviation from the expected annual cycle and judged based on their location within the confidence intervals. Anomalies located above 95% confidence interval trigger a “red alert” which is displayed on the web application as soon as the MODIS data become available. This user-friendly platform was implemented in the La Campana National Park giving early alerts of a severe drought in 2019, warning Conaf to implement actions to protect the park from potential wild fires.
CELLULAR AUTOMATA MODEL – LANDSCAPE DYNAMICS SIMULATION TOOL IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGE IN LAND USE AND COVER IN THE CITY OF GAÚCHA DO NORTE – MT
Authors: Pinheiro E. A. L. , Camini N. A. , Soares M. R. S. , Sumida S. S.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. The factors that contribute to land use change in the municipality of Gaúcha do Norte - MT, are entirely linked to the economic process and agricultural production. This process has left Brazil in a state of alert due to the process of deforestation and loss of tropical forests. From 2000 to 2010, the forest areas converted into agriculture accounted for 13.3%, the main factor that directly potentiated with deforestation was the cultivation of soybeans, which in turn was occupying places previously occupied by livestock and pushing the livestock forest inside. The phenomena of land use change and land cover start from multidimensional issues in the environmental and economic context. The use of environmental modeling through cellular automata to analyze land use change phenomena and reproduce the trajectory through future land use simulations and evolution establishes an integration associated by mathematical models and flow integration systems. That predict the trajectory of land use change, thus generating a dynamic model capable of predicting future land use changes by replicating possible patterns of landscape evolution and enabling assessments of future ecological implications for the environment.
RECENT DYNAMICAL FEATURES OF TYNDALL AND GREY GLACIERS, FROM SOUTHERN PATAGONIAN ICEFIELD, BY USING SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING TECHNIQUES
Authors: Luzardi A. C. M. , Cárdenas C.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Most glaciers in Patagonia have been rapidly shrinking during the past decades in response to ongoing global warming. To extend techniques to monitor their dynamics is crucial to understand individual glacier response to climate change and its consequences. In that context, our study aims to investigate recent dynamic behaviour of two near-site outlet glaciers placed at the Southern Patagonian Icefield (Tyndall and Grey glaciers) with the usage of simple and cheap remote sensing techniques. Sentinel-1 images were used to estimate surface velocity by using the Offset-tracking algorithm, while Sentinel-2 images were used to estimate area change in the ice front. Moreover, climatic variables (e.g., accumulated precipitation and air temperature) were analysed in order to assess its influence on glacier dynamics. Our results indicates that precipitation rather then temperature changes has been playing a major role in both glaciers retreat. While Tyndall tends to stabilize its retreat, Grey exponentially enhances retreat by its east tongue. Additionally, mean ice speed was of 0.448 ± 0.242 m.day−1 for Grey and 0.439 ± 0.245 m.day−1 for Tyndall, which agrees with literature. However, high ice speeds near the ice front indicated by previous work could not be captured here. Our results also suggests that ice flow is a delayed response of precipitation in the accumulation zone, and that may be the cause of decrease in Tyndall’s retreat. Overall, Offset-tracking is an useful tool for studying time series of Patagonian glaciers dynamics. It should be used carefully, however, around high dynamical regions such as the glacier terminus.
ANALYSIS OF THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ADAPTIVE CANNY METHOD FOR THE DETECTION OF ICEBERGS AT OPEN SEA
Authors: Nemer Pelliza K. A. , Pucheta M. A.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. The detection of icebergs in the open sea, as well as its evolution in displacement and shrinking, is vital for navigation, the study of the evolution of Polar regions, and the Earth climate change, among others. In order to carry out these studies, it is necessary to delimit accurately the icebergs in satellite images, mainly of the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) type. The Adaptive Canny method has shown to be efficient for the detection of edges of objects in SAR images, according to recent publications and conferences. These studies were only carried out for images that had approximately half of each backscatter, without considering that the dimension of the objects can affect the edge detection process. Here, we present the results of the efficiency of the Adaptive Canny method as the size of the object, from which it is intended to extract the contour, decreases. A systematic analysis of the behavior of the method has been performed with objects of variated dimensions, through a Monte Carlo type experiment with synthetic images, where the contours of the figures were extracted with the Adaptive Canny method and compared with the Ground Truth (GT). Then, the method was tested on real images of the Antarctic Ocean, with blocks of ice of different sizes to contrast the results with those obtained with synthetic images.
IDENTIFYING CARBON SINKS WITH THE USE OF HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGES: A POTENTIAL TOOL FOR LANDSCAPE PLANNING
Authors: Amaral R. , Baptista G. M. M. , Bezerra M. C. L.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. There is a lack of assertive carbon sink identification techniques and guidelines to underpin landscape planning based on the promotion and protection of support ecosystem services, as well as other categories, needed for human well-being (regulation, provision and culture). Considering this, the present article aims to identify carbon sinks in stretches of the territorial landscape of Distrito Federal, by the use of remote sensing tools. To this end, it was applied the hyperspectral index ICO2 in a stretch of Distrito Federal’s landscape, seeking variations of CO2 in the atmospheric air column of areas with carbon sink action. Then, it was applied an index – CO2flux – in the same stretch, in a different approach: variations in carbon sequestration in vegetation performance (photosynthetic efficacy) in areas with carbon sink behavior. In sequence, the correlation between the indexes above was verified for the validation of the carbon sinks that have been found by both methods.
SEASONAL ASSESSMENT OF SURFACE TEMPERATURE WITH NORMALIZED VEGETATION INDEX AND SURFACE ALBEDO OVER PAMPA BIOME
Authors: Käfer P. S. , Rocha N. S. , Diaz L. R. , Kaiser E. A. , Costa S. T. L. , Hallal G. , Veeck G. , Roberti D. , Rolim S. B. A.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Land surface temperature (LST) governs many biophysical processes at the land-atmosphere interface and the relationship vegetation-LST has been the premise of many studies. This paper purposed to correlate LST with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and surface albedo in the grasslands of Pampa biome during winter and summer seasons. Four Landsat 8 scenes with clear-sky conditions were acquired from the US Geological Survey website and NDVI and surface albedo were calculated. Afterwards, LST was obtained using Split-window (SW) algorithm. Results showed that LST in winter season exhibited less variations between pixels in comparison to summer, where the heterogeneity of the environment is significantly more detectable. LST retrieved from Landsat 8 data was consistent with the actual temperature measured in the field, with differences varying between 1–1.6 K. The LST-Vegetation relationship in the Pampa grasslands varies with the season so that caution must be taken in assuming a regular behaviour between LST and remote sensing vegetation variables, such as empirical relationships that are widely used in many scientific fields.
PAMPA BIOME ENVIRONMENTAL PARTICULARITIES REGARDING TO ENERGY BALANCE
Authors: Rocha N. S. , Käfer P. S. , Skokovic D. , Veeck G. , Diaz L. R. , Kaiser E. , Carvalho C. M. , Veettil B. K. , Costa S. T. L. , Cruz R. C. , Robérti D. , Rolim S. B. A.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) has been quantified around the world by different methodologies to understand the energy balance, especially to control the evolution of climate change. It is known that the vegetation of the pampa biome is natural grasslands, it has a large variety of species (flora and fauna), however is it different in the environmental aspects related to the energy balance when compared to the grassland cultivated? In this study the objective was to analyze the environmental differences of the Pampa Biome related to the energy balance in comparison with the pastures cultivated in Barrax, Spain. In the first one the minimum daily ET is 0.99 mm/day, while in the second is 1.57 mm/day. However, the highest differences between the sites occur during the summer period, in the maximum daily ET, the maximum is 16.25 mm/day in Pampa and in Barrax is 7.31 mm/day. The results of this study have indicated that the characteristics of the Pampa biome, both in terms of soil and climatic issues and land use, generate differences in the energy balance when compared to similar vegetation in other regions of the world.
RATIO-BASED SIMILARITY CRITERIA FOR POLARIMETRIC SAR IMAGE
Authors: Aghababaei H. , Ferraioli G. , Pascazio V.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Dealing with multi-look polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) images requires averaging several independent looks to generate a sample covariance matrix of similar target scattering vectors. Along this, estimation of optimal similarity between target scattering vectors is still an open issue. In the literature, this intrinsic task has been mainly addressed in the information-based, geometric-based and detection-based frameworks. However, the derived measures mainly rely on the model assumption such as fully developed speckle and circular complex Gaussian distribution of the scattering vectors, which may not be held in high-resolution images of urban environments. To cope with this possible issue a discriminative model-free measure is proposed, where the similarity of target scattering is computed in the framework of non-local or patch based algorithm. In particular, the discriminative measure is constructed using the ratio between two pre-estimated covariance matrices of the scattering vectors. Experimental validation of the proposed measure is provided using ALOS-PALSAR image and compared with existing criterions in the literature.
CHARACTERIZATION OF SAR IMAGES WITH WEIGHTED AMPLITUDE TRANSITION GRAPHS
Authors: Chagas E. T. C. , Frery A. C. , Rosso O. A. , Ramos H. S.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. We propose a new technique for SAR image texture characterization based on ordinal pattern transition graphs. The proposal consists in (i) transforming a 2-D patch of data into a time series using a Hilbert Space Filling Curve, (ii) building an Ordinal Pattern Transition Graph with weighted edges; (iii) obtaining a probability distribution function from this graph; (iv) computing the Entropy and Statistical Complexity of this distribution. The weight of the edges is related to the absolute difference of observations. This modification takes into account the scattering properties of the target, and leads to a good characterization of several types of textures. Experiments with data from Munich urban areas, Guatemala forest regions, and Cape Canaveral ocean samples demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique, which achieves satisfactory levels of separability.
ASSESSMENT OF RAINFALL INFLUENCE ON SENTINEL-1 TIME SERIES ON AMAZONIAN TROPICAL FORESTS AIMING DEFORESTATION DETECTION IMPROVEMENT
Authors: Doblas J. , Carneiro A. , Shimabukuro Y. , Sant’Anna S. , Aragão L.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. This work aims to determinate the relationship between C-band SAR backscattering measurements over Amazonian tropical forests and hourly precipitation rates, and to study the feasibility of a SAR-anomaly masking method based on orbital rain measurements. To do so, a comprehensive dataset of ESA’s Sentinel-1 backscattering data and the concomitant GPM-IMERG precipitation data was collected and analysed. Backscattering anomalies were characterized in a statistically meaningful way. GAM models were then adjusted to the backscatter-rain data pairs. The computed models show a positive correlation between non-anomalous backscattering values and accumulated rain, of approximately 0,2 dB/mm·h−1 and 0,4 dB/mm·h−1 for VV and VH polarizations. Negative anomalies, which can easily mislead deforestation algorithms, have a strong negative correlation with rain rate observed at the time of the SAR acquisition. This is especially true for VV measurements. The subsequent anomaly masking procedure, based on computed accumulated and hourly rain thresholding, yielded unsatisfactory results. These poor results are probably due to the coarse resolution of the 0.1° GPM-IMERG data, which is insufficient to track anomaly-generating atmospheric events such as storm rain cells. Rain-related changes in SAR backscattering can compromise deforestation detection algorithms, and further research and sensor developing is needed to increase spatial resolution of precipitation measures, to reach an optimal backscattering anomaly screening.
A FAST APPROACH FOR THE LOG-CUMULANTS METHOD APPLIED TO INTENSITY SAR IMAGE PROCESSING
Authors: Rodrigues F. A. A. , Nobre J. S. , Vigélis R. , Liesenberg V. , Marques R. C. P. , Medeiros F. N. S.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image processing and analysis rely on statistical modeling and parameter estimation of the probability density functions that characterize data. The method of log-cumulants (MoLC) is a reliable alternative for parameter estimation of SAR data models and image processing. However, numerical methods are usually applied to estimate parameters using MoLC, and it may lead to a high computational cost. Thus, MoLC may be unsuitable for real-time SAR imagery applications such as change detection and marine search and rescue, for example. Our paper introduces a fast approach to overcome this limitation of MoLC, focusing on parameter estimation of single-channel SAR data modeled by the G0I distribution. Experiments with simulated and real SAR data demonstrate that our approach performs faster than MoLC, while the precision of the estimation is comparable with that of the original MoLC. We tested the fast approach with multitemporal data and applied the arithmetic-geometric distance to real SAR images for change detection on the ocean. The experiments showed that the fast MoLC outperformed the original estimation method with regard to the computational time.
COMPARISON BETWEEN AIRBORNE LIDAR DATA AND DIGITAL IMAGE MATCHING FOR SURFACE RECONSTRUCTION
Authors: Carrilho A. C. , dos Santos R. C. , Pessoa G. G. , Galo M.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Nowadays some aerial surveying projects (both manned or not) might integrate imagery and ranging sensor technology, thus allowing both the reconstruction of the surface from airborne laser scanning (ALS) and from the Photogrammetric pipeline through digital image matching (DIM). DIM algorithms have been continuously improved, therefore comparisons to other techniques such as ALS must be conducted. Despite the scientific community efforts, there are few evaluations regarding the extraction of building roofs using point clouds derived from both ALS and imagery. In this sense, this study provides a brief comparison between ALS and DIM point clouds and the accuracy that can be achieved in surface reconstruction and building roofs extraction. The experiments indicated that in some situations such as the building roof shape extraction, the accuracy is similar between these techniques, however, this is not valid for vertical accuracy, where larger differences were observed.
ON THE INTERFEROMETRIC AND POLARIMETRIC CAPABILITIES OF THE ARGENTINIAN L-BAND SARAT SYSTEM
Authors: Roa Y. , Azcueta M. , Berardino P. , Esposito C. , Euillades L. , Euillades P. , Natale A. , Perna S.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. In this paper, some results obtained through the processing of data acquired from the Argentinian L-band SARAT system are presented. SARAT is an airborne system that was developed as a first conceptual step toward the design of the Argentinian L-Band satellite mission SAOCOM-1. In particular, some studies relevant to the data focusing, and also regarding the interferometric and polarimetric capabilities of the SARAT system are hereby shown. The considered dataset, relevant to an area located in the Cordoba province, Argentina, has been provided by the National Commission of Space Activities of Argentina (CONAE). This work has been developed in the framework of a collaboration between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and CONAE.
ANALYSIS OF POSSIBLE AREAS FOR RAIN GARDENS IMPLEMENTATION IN PLANO PILOTO, BRASÍLIA - DF
Authors: Duarte J. V. B , Orengo V. H. S. , Segedi G. C. , Cicerelli R. E.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. The rainwater is a crucial element in the hydrologic cycle, however, due to human impacts in the environment, this cycle does not work as it should. Roads, highways, buildings, and other kinds of constructions are necessary in a community. These paved areas rely on build drainage systems to function properly, otherwise, the areas impact the waterway and consequently cause serious flooding, such as the ones near to Banco do Brasil, that is a recurring case of flooding’ over the last few years. In large cities, the lack of sustainable and green stormwater infrastructure is marked; That is why this study applies to the area of Plano Piloto - Brasília DF. The identification of these possible flooding areas was performed by analyzing the density and drainage order of the region, along with the calculation of the topographic factor (LS), belonging to the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). Thus, this research aimed to locate the ideal areas for the implantation of rain gardens; A shallow depression to capture, temporarily pond, and absorb run-off water from impervious surfaces, for instance roofs and pavement, as Cityofames has shown (2016).
METHODOLOGY FOR ESTIMATING LANDSLIDES SUSCEPTIBILITY USING ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: Muñoz E. N. , Sánchez O. D. , Hernandez F. L.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. In this study, the susceptibility to landslides at Sevilla township, Valle del Cauca, located at southwest of Colombia was evaluated. The conditioning factors that involve the generation of landslides were evaluated using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS) techniques. For the estimating susceptibility, an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was implemented by applying the “Backpropagation” method to extract the synoptic weights of the conditioning variables (slopes, flow length, curvature, geology, fracture density, and land cover) on an automatic way with a data training module. The data for the analysis of the conditioning factors were carried out through a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) obtained through Radar Interferometry techniques, with Sentinel-1B satellite images for the year 2018. The results showed that Sevilla’s township has areas with high susceptibility, high slopes, and that it’s crossed by an active geological fault which implies that the earth's dynamics will condition the terrain stability.
LAND USE DATA IN THE MIDDLE MAULE RIVER SUB-BASIN: CLASSIFICATION AND COMPARISON BETWEEN 1999 AND 2019
Authors: Tapia M. N. , Morais M. V. B.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. The use of satellite images is a modern strategy for the evaluation and prediction of various weather scenarios. In addition, this is a key tool for the development of environmental sciences. Since the end of the last decade, Chile has been suffering from a megadrought associated with climate change. In this context, this study proposes to evaluate the role of land use change in the Middle Maule River sub-basin, located in the Maule Region, Chile. This is an important sector characterized by a significant agricultural and hydroelectric contribution. To do so, this study performs a supervised classification of land cover through the usage of QGIS software and Landsat images for the years 1999 and 2019. The results show the growth of areas without vegetation due to a great drought facing the Central Zone of the country. Additionally, there is a decrease in available bodies of water. This article leaves open future research on the impact of the main economic activities of the region.
DEEP CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORKS FOR WEED DETECTION IN AGRICULTURAL CROPS USING OPTICAL AERIAL IMAGES
Authors: Ramirez W. , Achanccaray P. , Mendoza L. F. , Pacheco M. A. C.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. The presence of weeds in agricultural crops has been one of the problems of greatest interest in recent years as they consume natural resources and negatively affect the agricultural process. For this purpose, a model has been implemented to segment weed in aerial images. The proposed model relies on DeepLabv3 architecture trained upon patches extracted from high-resolution aerial imagery. The dataset employed consisted in 5 high-resolution images that describes a sugar beet agricultural field in Germany. SegNet and U-Net architectures were selected for comparison purposes. Our results demonstrate that balancing of data, together with a greater spatial context leads better results with DeepLabv3 achieving up to 0.89 and 0.81 in terms of AUC and F1-score, respectively.
REMOTE SENSING IMAGE TIME SERIES METRICS FOR DISTINCTION BETWEEN PASTURE AND CROPLANDS USING THE RANDOM FOREST CLASSIFIER
Authors: Rodrigues M. A. A. , Bendini H. N. , Soares A. R. , Körting T. S. , Fonseca L. M. G.
Published: November 2020

Abstract. Pasture and croplands play an important role in Brazil’s economic and political scenarios, once its PIB (Raw Internal Product) is mainly based on what is exported from the rural production, such as meat and soybean, and government, with its regulations, is part-responsible for the establishment and maintaining of the conditions so that the trades can go well. In addition, these two types of land use correspond together to aprox. one third of the country extension. Moreover, frequently lands occupation is subject of discussion concerning its potential use for the reason of conflicts including Brazilian traditional communities, landless people and big farmers. Considering it, mapping pasture and croplands accurately is crucial for the country administration, in both economic and political spheres. Certainly, remote sensing is the very manner to tackle this issue, although this may not be an easy task due to the spectral similarity between these patterns. This work, hence, aims to distinct pasture from croplands in an experimental subset area of Brazilian Cerrado biome, using remote sensing metric images derived from one-year time series of the Landsat 8 products. In order to achieve this goal, we utilized six bands of the OLI sensor and calculated seven metrics, attaining a compiled dataset with 42 layers. We performed an object-based supervised classification with the Random Forest algorithm, considering both spectral and geometrical attributes. Results showed global accuracy of 80%, with Kappa index of 0.6, and the potential time series have in separating targets spectrally similar.
Union house
Authors: Boardman P. R. , Wood B. J. , Carr A. J.
Published: November 2020

This paper describes the design and construction of a twelve storey office building which has base isolators (i.e. energy dissipators) and external cross bracing to resist lateral loads. The computer analysis techniques used are described and some comparisons are made with non-base isolated structures. The system shows a practical method of using base isolation and energy dissipation techniques in a multi-storey structure. The construction of the building has proved the system to be advantageous in terms of both cost and construction time.
Interactie tussen EU-instellingen: het Europees Parlement, de Raad en het wetgevingsbeleid van de Europese Commissie
Authors: van Golen T.J.A.
Published: November 2020

Interactie tussen EU-instellingen: het Europees Parlement, de Raad en het wetgevingsbeleid van de Europese Commissie

Met het verschijnen van de Better Regulation Agenda in 2015 presenteert de Europese Commissie één samenhangend wetgevingsbeleid, dat voorheen versnipperd was over verschillende domeinen en documenten. In het nieuwe beleidsdocument wordt bovendien de nadruk gelegd op het feit dat wetgevingstrajecten niet lineair zijn, maar juist cyclisch verlopen. Hierdoor is de koppeling tussen impact assessments vooraf en wetsevaluaties achteraf nog belangrijker geworden. In dit artikel wordt bezien wat de stand van zaken is van dit wetgevingsbeleid, met de nadruk op de koppeling van de beleidsinstrumenten. Specifieke aandacht is er voor de samenwerking tussen de drie EU-instellingen op dit gebied.
Leren van evaluaties
Authors: van Schagen E.A.G.
Published: November 2020

Leren van evaluaties: de fitness check van het Europees consumentenrecht

De ervaringen met de fitness check van het Europees consumentenrecht laten zien hoe de richtlijnen voor fitness checks in de Richtsnoeren voor Betere Regelgeving in de praktijk worden gebracht. Een fitness check beoogt, onder meer, om consistentie en coherentie te verbeteren, en zou informatie moeten verzamelen over de gezamenlijke impact van maatregelen. Hoewel de Nederlandse wetgever niet heeft aangegeven fitness checks te willen invoeren, zijn de ervaringen met de fitness check van het consumentenrecht toch interessant voor de Nederlandse wetgever. In dit artikel wordt ingegaan op wat kan worden geleerd van de ervaringen met de fitness check van het Europees consumentenrecht.
Inclusief inhoud?
Authors: van den Brink A.
Published: November 2020

Inclusief inhoud? ‘Beter Wetgeven’ in de EU voorbij het wetgevingsproces: is er ook aandacht voor inhoudelijke kwaliteit?

Centraal in het Beter Wetgeven-beleid van de EU staat de verbetering van de kwaliteit van wetgevingsprocessen. Is er daarnaast aanleiding om de kwaliteit van de inhoud van Europese wetgeving te verbeteren? Beter Wetgeven omvat ook nu al inhoudelijke elementen. Via het evenredigheidsbeginsel worden bijvoorbeeld lidstatelijke belangen beschermd. Andere elementen, zoals de keuze voor de rechtshandeling en de keuze om regelgevende bevoegdheden aan de Commissie of de Raad te delegeren, zijn veel minder systematisch uitgewerkt. Dat geldt ook voor de wijze waarop grondrechten in de EU-wetgeving tot uitdrukking komen.
Innovatie en betere regelgeving
Authors: Ranchordas S.H.
Published: November 2020

Innovatie en betere regelgeving

Het innovatiebeginsel is tegenwoordig onderdeel van de geïntegreerde aanpak van de Europese Commissie voor betere regelgeving. Het innovatiebeginsel waarborgt dat bij de ontwikkeling van beleid en wetgeving de gevolgen voor innovatie volledig worden beoordeeld. De impact van nieuwe regels op innovatie wordt ook in Nederland geanalyseerd in het IAK en in het kader van de mkb-toets. Toch blijft de betekenis van het innovatiebeginsel ondoorgrondelijk. De literatuur is tevens terughoudend ten opzichte van de invoering van innovatie als een rechtsbeginsel. Dit artikel geeft aan de hand van interdisciplinaire literatuur een genuanceerd beeld van innovatievriendelijke regelgeving en het innovatiebeginsel. Het gaat in op de juiste interpretatie van het innovatiebeginsel en hoe dit principe kan bijdragen aan het realiseren van betere regelgeving.
Delegatie onder het vereiste van goedkeuring bij wet
Authors: Borman T.C.
Published: November 2020

Delegatie onder het vereiste van goedkeuring bij wet

Delegatie onder het vereiste van goedkeuring bij wet betekent dat de formele wetgever regelgevende bevoegdheid delegeert (aan de regering of een minister), maar dat er vervolgens een wetsvoorstel moet komen om de algemene maatregel van bestuur of ministeriële regeling ‘goed te keuren’. In deze bijdrage wordt de historie van deze figuur belicht en wordt aan de hand van casuïstiek ingegaan op de bedoeling en de toepassing ervan. Het is een zeldzame figuur, waar de wetgevingspraktijk niet altijd goed raad mee weet. De modelbepaling in de Aanwijzingen voor de regelgeving roept enkele vragen op. Een conclusie is verder dat de goedkeuring maar beter niet kan worden gecombineerd met andere onderwerpen.
Effect of Aerobic Training and Vitamin D Consumption on NFATc1 Gene Expression in Bone Tissue of Rats Exposed to H2O2
Authors: Hajavifard Nasrin , Matinhomaee Hasan , Hosseini Seyed Ali
Published: November 2020

Background: Increased reactive oxygen species disrupt the balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Although the role of training (T) and vitamin D (VD) consumption in bone health has been shown, there is no accurate information on the role of these two interventions on the nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1), as an osteoclast marker. Objectives: Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of T and VD on NFATc1 gene expression in bone tissue of rats exposed to H2O2. Methods: Fifty adult male Wistar rats aged 8 - 10 weeks and weighing 180 to 220 g were randomly assigned to 10 groups including (1) control (C), (2) dimethyl sulfoxide + normal saline (sham; Sh), (3) 1 mmol/kg H2O2 (1H), (4) 1H+VD, (5) 1H+T, (6) 1H+VD+T, (7) 2 mmol/kg H2O2 (2H), (8) 2H+VD, (9) 2H+T, and (10) 2H+VD+T. The research protocol lasted eight weeks to implement. The levels of NFATc1 gene expression were measured by qRT-PCR. Results: Based on the results, 1H and 2H significantly increased NFATc1 gene expression levels (P = 0.001). However, T (P = 0.001), VD (P = 0.001), and VD+T (P = 0.001) reduced NFATc1 gene expression in the bone tissue of rats exposed to 1 and 2 mmol H2O2. Also, NFATc1 gene expression was significantly lower in the 1H+VD+T group than in the 2H + VD group (P = 0.03). Conclusions: It seems that T and VD consumption both alone and synergistically have a reducing effect on NFATc1 as an osteoclast index in rats exposed to 1 and 2 mmol/kg H2O2.