bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Euphorbia plant latex is inhabited by diverse microbial communities
Authors: Gunawardana Manjula , Hyde Embriette R. , Lahmeyer Sean , Dorsey Brian L. , La Val Taylor P. , Mullen Madeline , Yoo Jennifer , Knight Rob , Baum Marc M.
Published: December 2015

PREMISE OF THE STUDY:

The antimicrobial properties and toxicity of Euphorbia plant latex should make it a hostile environment to microbes. However, when specimens from Euphorbia spp. were propagated in tissue culture, microbial growth was observed routinely, raising the question whether the latex of this diverse plant genus can be a niche for polymicrobial communities.

METHODS:

Latex from a phylogenetically diverse set of Euphorbia species was collected and genomic microbial DNA extracted. Deep sequencing of bar‐coded amplicons from taxonomically informative gene fragments was used to measure bacterial and fungal species richness, evenness, and composition.

KEY RESULTS:

Euphorbia latex was found to contain unexpectedly complex bacterial (mean: 44.0 species per sample; 9 plants analyzed) and fungal (mean: 20.9 species per sample; 22 plants analyzed) communities using culture‐independent methods. Many of the identified taxa are known plant endophytes, but have not been previously found in latex.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results suggest that Euphorbia plant latex, a putatively hostile antimicrobial environment, unexpectedly supports diverse bacterial and fungal communities. The ecological roles of these microorganisms and potential interactions with their host plants are unknown and warrant further research.
Patterns of seed bank and vegetation diversity along a tidal freshwater river
Authors: Elsey‐Quirk Tracy , Leck Mary Allessio
Published: December 2015

PREMISE OF THE STUDY:

Species richness and diversity may increase with spatial scale related to increased area and heterogeneity of habitat. Yet, in bidirectional hydrologically connected tidal ecosystems, secondary dispersal via hydrochory has the potential to homogenize seed banks, and both life history characteristics and tolerances to environmental conditions influence the composition of plant communities. How species richness, diversity, and composition of seed banks and vegetation change along environmental gradients and at different spatial scales is not well understood.

METHODS:

We explored the relationships of seed bank and vegetation diversity across 135 plots along a tidal freshwater river in the Delaware Estuary, USA. Species richness and diversity were partitioned across three hierarchical spatial scales: individual plots, transects perpendicular to the tidal channel, and river kilometers. Community structure was also examined as it related to distance from the tidal channel and location along the tidal river.

KEY RESULTS:

Species richness was 89 in the seed bank and 54 in the vegetation. Species‐area relationships revealed that species richness reached a near maximum asymptote inland (20 m from channel) for the seed bank and at the edge (0 m) for the vegetation. Rare occurrences of species in the seed bank and vegetation were greatest 5 m from the channel edge. As spatial scale increased, seed bank richness increased, associated with the progressive accumulation of species. Seed bank diversity, however, was maximized within small plot areas and along the river. Diversity of the vegetation was maximized locally due to the abundance of a few common species.

CONCLUSIONS:

These findings suggest that suites of common species contributed to high localized vegetation diversity, yet large spatial scales maximized the number and diversity of species in the seed bank and vegetation through rare encounters, as well as the complexity of the landscape.
A MORPHOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF URBAN TISSUES OF TRANI AND GALATA
Authors: Agirbas Asli , Ardaman Emel
Published: December 2015

The morphological tissues of two Mediterranean coastal colonies; Galata and Trani have been examined in macro-scale, together with the variations, linked to the distinct phases of economic and socio-cultural change in different time cycles, which is one of the bases of the Conzen approach. The effects of road-system changes, city walls, urban regulations and socio-cultural tissues on the urban morphologies of the cities throughout the history were investigated during the comparison of these two cities. Common features were found in both regions with respect to the urban morphology of newly developing and re-structured areas. According to the old map analysis, the urban growth inside the walls, the growth after the destruction of the walls, the developments of the minority regions and its effects on the urban texture, and the gridal growth of newly developing and destroyed regions are similar in Trani and Galata. Moreover, it was attempted to apply urban regulations which would largely demolish the region, in these two Mediterranean colonies with the effect of Hausmannization. In addition, during the urban regulatory initiatives in Galata, though it was not appropriate to the region, an attempt was made to apply a radial urban square, which is a western urban strategy. Galata, although it is a part of Istanbul, in contrast with the urban growth of Istanbul, shows a western type growth, very similar to that for Trani, which has been a most important buffer point of the trade in Adriatic Sea. This study demonstrates that there is an intermingling between urban form and culture, in addition to the contextualisation of ‘global’ cultural influences on local regulations and urban development practices, and has further investigated their effects at a particular time and, in that in another period such urban coexistence has been lost.
BEYOND BULLDOZING HABITS OF MIND
Authors: Samalavičius Almantas
Published: December 2015

"Beyond Bulldozing Habits of Mind." Journal of Architecture and Urbanism, 39(4), p. 219
ON THE CONCEPTION OF THE CREATIVE IN NATURAL SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHICAL REFLECTIONS THEREOF
Authors: Stasiulis Nerijus
Published: December 2015

The article discusses creativity as an ontological principle as it is presented in scientific-philosophical attitudes of a Nobel Prize winner for chemistry Ilya Prigogine and Werner Heisenberg’s pupil and a former director of the Max Planck Institute for Physics Hans-Peter Dürr. These attitudes are assessed in the light of Heideggerian notions of Being, subiectum, ousia and time and thus they themselves shed light on the potentiality of Heideggerian mode of thinking on the conception of the creative in the postmodern society and science. Bergsonian notion of creativity is also invoked. It is presented as a philosophical basis of the postmodern techno-scientific creativity and is discussed in terms of Heideggerian ecstatic temporality. The juxtaposition of the notions presented by Henri Bergson and Martin Heidegger provides the clue to compare and assess the science-based attitudes of Prigogine and Dürr.
NATO Common Funding as a Tool for Cohesion Enhancement and Ability to Act
Authors: Procházka Josef
Published: December 2015

In the past, the Common Funding played only marginal role in the NATO strategic decision-making. However, this situation changed significantly when the global economic crisis challenged the national public expenditures and NATO defence policy became a matter of serious reflections. NATO should balance its requirements with limited resources and adjust its future activities within shrinking budgets. NATO must make hard decisions and implement reforms in order to ensure its ability to fulfil its mission and priority tasks in the long run. The reconfiguration of Common Funding is an inherent part of this process. The aim of this article is to introduce Common Funding as a management-supporting tool of the international organisation under currently mounting resource constrains.
Le Capital : une analytique des formes
Authors: Bensussan Gérard
Published: December 2015

L’œuvre de Marx, et singulièrement l’œuvre de la maturité, Le Capital en particulier, déploie une analytique des formes . Un rapport social n’est rien d’autre que sa manifestation concrète, soit sa « forme » ; les formes économiques matérialisent des rapports sociaux. Marx pense formes , donc, et tout autant forces et tendances . C’est autour de cette pensée-formes/forces/tendances que s’inaugure quelque chose de très radicalement étranger à tout idéalisme spéculatif. Mais il est incontestable que Marx s’empresse trop simplement de rapporter son analytique des formes (c’est-à-dire son « matérialisme », fût-il « historique ») à une détermination des contradictions (c’est-à-dire à une « dialectique », fût-elle « matérialiste »), ce qui ne va pas sans soulever de très considérables difficultés de lecture que ce texte s’efforce de repérer.
L’économie artisanale au prisme des actes de la pratique : le cas des gantiers-parfumeurs parisiens au XVIIIème siècle
Authors: Lanoë Catherine
Published: December 2015

Les communautés de métiers qui, dans la France moderne, organisent partiellement le travail artisanal en milieu urbain, ont longtemps été considérées comme des institutions repliées sur leurs statuts et leurs règlements, jalouses de leurs monopoles, routinières et rétives à l’innovation. Cette image sombre de l’artisanat sous l’Ancien Régime est aujourd’hui remise en cause par de nombreux travaux. En se fondant sur l’exploitation d’un vaste corpus de sources manuscrites qui permettent d’accéder aux actes de la pratique des gantiers-parfumeurs parisiens du XVIIIème siècle, tels que les inventaires après décès, les registres de compte ou encore les dossiers de faillite, cet article entend mettre en lumière le travail de ces artisans, et en particulier les multiples capacités d’adaptation et d’invention dont ils font preuve, aussi bien dans la sélection et les jeux de matières premières qu’ils mettent en œuvre que dans les gestes de la fabrication et les aménagements de l’espace de production.
Des souffrances multiples à la souffrance paroxystique
Authors: Karavdic Senad , Bucki Barbara , Baumann Michèle
Published: December 2015

Notre propos s’inscrit dans une compréhension des mécanismes présents dans la déconstruction des souffrances psychiques. Avec l’appui du RE.SO.NORD (REseau du centre SOcial de la région du NORD) du Luxembourg, un diagnostic sur les souffrances des personnes habitant les communes rurales a été réalisé auprès des professionnels de première ligne des domaines de la santé et du social qui les côtoient au quotidien. Vingt-six professionnels ont participé à des entretiens au cours desquels ils ont décrit les souffrances multiples de leurs clients. Elles sont apparues comme les effets d’une dérive et montrent comment les processus d’amplification des souffrances psychiques (anxiété permanente, dépression, etc.) et d’accumulation des facteurs sociaux et familiaux (perte d’emploi, séparation familiale, etc.) peuvent aboutir à l’émergence d’états de santé mentale critiques. Dans cette logique de gradation paroxystique, les problèmes de santé mentale viennent s’agréger à un ensemble de comportements délétères. Cette gradation illustre un état que les clients atteignent lorsque les sphères intime et sociale se dégradent de concert. La souffrance paroxystique représente alors cet état au cours duquel les personnes semblent avoir comme perdu face à leurs souffrances et ne parviennent plus à s’en relever. Les professionnels reconnaissent un manque d’information et d’incitation à la consultation médicale que leurs clients redoutent par crainte d’une stigmatisation. Ils admettent l’existence d’un manque de coordination et d’accès aux soins de santé primaires et manquer d’aides pour ceux qui souffrant et leurs aidants familiaux afin de les préparer à devenir des acteurs capables de mobiliser leur « capabilité de santé ».
Le genre de la souffrance amoureuse
Authors: Garcia Marie-Carmen
Published: December 2015

Cet article est issu d’une recherche portant sur les relations extraconjugales durables. Il propose une analyse des discours de maîtresses d’hommes mariés (qu’elles soient elles-mêmes mariées ou non). Il s’agit, de manière centrale, de montrer que le système social de genre est au principe d’attendus féminins envers les hommes et l’amour d’une part et d’un clivage entre des figures féminines positives et négatives d’autre part qui sont au principe de souffrances morales spécifiquement féminines dans les situations d’amours clandestines.
Risques et sécurité : la banque de données Inform@zione et la promotion de la santé dans les lieux de travail
Authors: Lalli Pina , Capelli Claudia
Published: December 2015

Cet article présente les premiers résultats d’une recherche sur la sécurité et la santé sur les lieux de travail. Dans une perspective socio-culturelle, cette recherche analyse les processus de communication mis en œuvre dans les actions de prévention, au sein du contexte spécifique de la santé publique. L’analyse se centre sur un cas d’étude : le projet Inform@zione , initiative nationale réalisée par trois organismes publics italiens, pour constituer des archives numériques utilisables dans la formation et la promotion de la sécurité au travail.
Le projet de vie, une trajectoire éprouvée
Authors: Deulceux Sandrine
Published: December 2015

La construction identitaire, bien qu’elle vise un idéal, est un processus essentiel pour l’individu du XXI e  siècle. Tel l’ homme total , il se lance dans la quête de son individualité qui devient l’un des facteurs de son émancipation et de son épanouissement. L’éducation et la formation tout au long de la vie lui donnent alors la possibilité de se réaliser pleinement et de découvrir « d’autres terres, d’autres horizons pour assouvir » (Lefebvre, 1980) à la fois ses désirs propres mais aussi pour répondre à l’injonction sociale d’être créatif.
De l’épreuve de la critique à la critique de l’épreuve au travail et en formation
Authors: Bertrand Eric
Published: December 2015

Quelle place occupe la notion d’épreuve dans le processus de formation expérientielle des adultes ? C’est ce à quoi répond cette contribution, en mobilisant le champ de la sociologie critique française, le courant nord-américain du transformative learning et ce qu’il est convenu d’appeler l’École vincennoise (Lourau, Ardoino). L’article montre notamment les enjeux épistémologique, méthodologique et pédagogique d’un modèle d’analyse et de pratiques d’accompagnement qui consacre le concept de réflexivité dans une acception multiréférentielle.
Les épreuves imposées à l’école par l’éducation à la citoyenneté dans un pays multicommunautaire : le cas du Liban
Authors: Ouba Charbel
Published: December 2015

Le Liban, pays de dix-huit communautés religieuses officiellement reconnues par l’État, a subi, à partir de 1975, une terrible et sanglante guerre civile qui a duré une quinzaine d’années. Ces communautés religieuses s’entre-déchirent jusqu’à présent pour créer un Liban à leur image. La liberté de l’enseignement approuvée par la constitution permet à chaque communauté religieuse d’avoir ses propres institutions scolaires et son propre projet d’éducation. De ce fait, l’éducation à la citoyenneté impose des épreuves à tous les Libanais ainsi qu’aux différentes écoles. En effet, le Libanais appartient d’abord à sa communauté religieuse, puis à sa famille politique et enfin au Liban. Comment peut-on donc arrêter un programme pour éduquer les nouvelles générations à une citoyenneté nationale et non communautaire ?
Quelques propos sur le football
Authors: Michéa Jean-Claude
Published: December 2015

Le développement de l’économie mondiale de marché la conduit à dissoudre en permanence toutes les cultures et traditions populaires encore existantes, quitte à en récupérer certains aspects lorsqu’ils sont source de profit. C’est ainsi que le football, naguère « religion laïque du prolétariat » (Éric Hobsbawm), est devenu l’un des rouages privilégiés de la marchandisation du monde et de son soft power. C’est le grand mérite des critiques de l’« idéologie sportive » que d’avoir su mettre ce point essentiel en évidence. Celles-ci restent toutefois partielles et ambiguës dans la mesure où elles ne conduisent jamais à s’interroger – du fait de ses présupposés élitistes et puritains – sur les transformations que cette appropriation marchande du sport induit logiquement sur la nature du jeu : à savoir la disparition progressive du jeu collectif, « artiste » et tourné vers l’offensive, au profit du seul culte utilitariste du résultat à tout prix. Pour comprendre à quel point la logique capitaliste contribue ainsi à dénaturer en profondeur l’essence même de ce sport, encore faudrait-il rompre avec ce mépris libéral des passions populaires qui conduit inévitablement à confondre l’« esprit sportif », fondé sur les valeurs privilégiées du don, de la gratuité et du « beau jeu », avec cette seule « idéologie sportive » qui en est la négation.
Retour au jeu ? Réappropriations du volley-ball par les Bunun de Taïwan
Authors: Soldani Jérôme
Published: December 2015

Au lendemain de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, les missionnaires presbytériens introduisent la pratique du volley-ball auprès des Bunun, une population austronésienne des montagnes taïwanaises. Depuis, les Bunun ont transformé le volley en un jeu à deux ballons qui rassemble la communauté après les offices dominicaux. Les règles conventionnelles continuent cependant dʼêtre observées en dʼautres occasions. Cet article questionne les conséquences de la transformation radicale des règles du jeu d’une pratique sportive et le rôle joué par cette réappropriation dans la reproduction dʼun groupe social. Créé dans le cadre du mouvement prosélyte protestant, le volley-ball est en lui-même porteur de valeurs. Son adoption et ses transformations posent les termes de lʼadhésion du groupe à ces valeurs et de lʼajustement de la pratique pour en faire un marqueur identitaire. Si la version à deux ballons, dont la dimension ludique est essentielle, marque une rupture avec le système sportif, le maintien de la pratique conventionnelle manifeste le souci de prolonger lʼinscription du groupe au sein du monde globalisé.
« Le sport est un milieu pauvre où l’on rencontre les gens les plus riches »
Authors: Sallem Ryadh
Published: December 2015

Entretien avec le recordman du monde du relais quatre nages, joueur international de basket et de rugby fauteuil, qui a participé à quatre Jeux paralympiques. Le sport de haut niveau comme don « extrême » de soi.
Le sens du don : les offres sportives au travail
Authors: Pierre Julien
Published: December 2015

À partir de l’analyse de l’« offre » sportive proposée aux salariés du secteur privé, cet article entend interroger la résonance de la théorie maussienne du don – du donner-recevoir-rendre – dans les grandes entreprises. Il s’agit de comprendre pourquoi et comment le sport, qui symbolise l’opposition coopération/compétition tout en permettant a priori de concilier performance et santé au travail, est perçu par nombre de salariés comme un don de l’entreprise. Dans quelle mesure les offres sportives internes agissent-elles sur ces derniers ? Quels contre-dons appellent l’avènement de ces services intégrés au cœur des établissements de travail ? Nous verrons notamment comment une offre sportive encourage les salariés à s’investir corps et âme au travail, modifiant leur perception de l’entreprise et réintroduisant par là même une forme de socialité primaire dans un milieu plutôt marqué par une logique impersonnelle du marché (Caillé).
Le mouvement « Fais-nous rêver »
Authors: Acensi Jean-Philippe , Coignet Benjamin
Published: December 2015

Entretien avec le cofondateur de l’association Fais-nous rêver, une initiative d’éducation par le sport au cœur des territoires français, au service des jeunes sportifs et des éducateurs.
College Counselors’ Performance Measure System and Fuzzy Measure Analysis Model
Authors: Xia Xin , Zhang Guolei
Published: December 2015

We evaluate the performance of college counselors so as to find ways to promote competence of college counselors as well as teaching quality and core competence of the colleges. The issue of performance measure analysis is discussed and a performance measure system is devised. The indicators are selected based on the multi-perspective and multi-level principle, thus enhancing the reasonability, validity and operability of the measure system. A modified fuzzy measure analysis model is established, and a qualitative approach is combined with a quantitative approach for the fuzzy analysis of various indicators. The membership model is built for fuzzy measure of the performance of college counselors, and the best counselors are found out based on fuzzy membership. Finally, the propose model is verified through a specific case.
Philosophy of Information Technology
Authors: Yulianto Budi , Shidarta
Published: December 2015

Technology moves from the sex toy to the sex robot, a sex doll with artificial intelligence (AI) implemented. It is not a surprise idea to move robot as a servant to a sexual partner. As AI becomes more advanced and interaction between human and robot becomes more personal, sex and marriage with robot could result in the future. The authors conducted survey to discuss current and future trend of sex robot, its advantages and disadvantages. This paper also presents falsification theorems and implications to business, human social, moral, and psychological life caused by sex robot. This paper closes the discussion with further works of important ethical issues to be considered with deontology or consequentialism, and suggests to concern of sex robot regulations rather than banning it.
IL-12–Dependent Cytomegalovirus-Specific CD4+ T Cell Proliferation, T-bet Induction, and Effector Multifunction during Primary Infection Are Key Determinants for Early Immune Control
Authors: Popescu Iulia , Pipeling Matthew R. , Mannem Hannah , Shah Pali D. , Orens Jonathan B. , Connors Mark , Migueles Stephen A. , McDyer John F.
Published: December 2015

CMV remains an important opportunistic pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic cell transplantation, particularly in lung transplant recipients (LTRs). LTRs mismatched for CMV (donor+/recipient−; D+R−) are at high risk for active CMV infection and increased mortality; however, the immune correlates of viral control remain incompletely understood. We prospectively studied 27 D+R− LTRs during primary CMV infection to determine whether acute CD4+ T cell parameters differentiated the capacity for viral control during early chronic infection. Unexpectedly, the T-box transcription factor, T-bet, was expressed at low levels in CD4+ compared with CD8+ T cells during acute primary infection. However, the capacity for in vitro CMV phosphoprotein 65–specific proliferation and CD4+T-bet+ induction differentiated LTR controllers from early viremic relapsers, correlating with granzyme B loading and effector multifunction. Furthermore, impaired CMV-specific proliferative responses from relapsers, along with T-bet, and effector function could be significantly rescued, most effectively with phosphoprotein 65 Ag and combined exogenous IL-2 and IL-12. Acute CD4+ T cell CMV–specific proliferative and effector responses were highly IL-12–dependent in blocking studies. In addition, we generated monocyte-derived dendritic cells using PBMC obtained during primary infection from relapsers and observed impaired monocyte-derived dendritic cell differentiation, a reduced capacity for IL-12 production, but increased IL-10 production compared with controls, suggesting an APC defect during acute CMV viremia. Taken together, these data show an important role for CMV-specific CD4+ effector responses in differentiating the capacity of high-risk LTRs to establish durable immune control during early chronic infection and provide evidence for IL-12 as a key factor driving these responses.
Estimating Calorie Expenditure from Output Voltage of Piezoelectric Energy Harvester - an Experimental Feasibility Study
Authors: Lan Guohao , Khalifa Sara , Hassan Mahbub , Hu Wen
Published: December 2015

There is a growing interest in developing energy harvesting solutions for wearable devices so they can self-power themselves without relying on batteries. Piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs) can convert kinetic energy released from human activities into usable electrical energy for powering various electronic circuits inside the wearable device. Intuitively, the kinetic energy is produced because the user expends some calories during the physical activities. We therefore postulate that the voltage output of a PEH in a wearable device should contain information that can be used to estimate the amount of calorie expended. If this is true, then the PEH can be used as a new source for calorie estimation. Unlike conventional sensors, such as accelerometers, a PEH does not consume any power, which would make this new source very attractive. In this paper, using real PEH hardware and the data collected from ten real subjects, we conduct an experimental study to assess the suitability of PEH voltage in estimating calorie expenditure for two different activities, walking and running. We find that, for most subjects, the calorie estimations obtained from the output voltage of PEH is very close to those obtained from a 3-axial accelerometer.
Toward Detection and Monitoring of Gait Pathology using Inertial Sensors under Rotation, Scale, and Offset Invariant Dynamic Time Warping
Authors: Engelhard Matthew , Dandu Sriram Raju , Lach John , Goldman Myla , Patek Stephen
Published: December 2015

Walking ability can be degraded by a number of pathologies, including movement disorders, stroke, and injury. Personal activity tracking devices gather inertial data needed to measure walking quality, but the required algorithmic methods are an active area of study. To detect changes in walking ability, the similarity between a person’s current gait cycles and their known baseline gait cycles may be measured on an ongoing basis. This strategy requires a similarity measure robust to variability encountered in an outpatient scenario, including changes in walking surface, walking speed, and sensor orientation. Here we propose rotation, scale, and offset invariant dynamic time warping (RSOI-DTW), a variant of the well-known dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithm, as a generalization of DTW appropriate for three-dimensional inertial data. RSOI-DTW is invariant under rotation, scaling, and offset, yet it preserves the salient features of gait cycles required for gait monitoring. To support this claim, gait cycles from 21 subjects walking with four different styles were compared using both DTW and RSOI-DTW. The data show that RSOI-DTW converges quickly and achieves rotation, scale, and offset invariance. Both algorithms distinguish persons and detect abnormal walking, but only RSOI-DTW does so in the presence of sensor rotation. Variations in walking speed pose a challenge for both algorithms, but performance is improved by collecting baseline information at a variety of speeds.
Improving classification of posture based attributed attention assessed by ranked crowd-raters
Authors: Heyer Patrick , Rivas Jesus , Sucar Luis , Orihuela-Espina Felipe
Published: December 2015

Attribution of attention from observable body posture is plausible, providing additional information for affective computing applications. We previously reported a promissory $69.72\pm10.50$ ($\mu\pm \sigma$) of F-measure to use posture as a proxy for attributed attentional state with implications for affective computing applications. Here, we aim at improving that classification rate by reweighting votes of raters giving higher confidence to those raters that are representative of the raters population. An increase to $75.35\pm11.66$ in F-measure was achieved. The improvement in predictive power by the classifier is welcomed and its impact is still being assessed.
A Comparative Study between SVM and Fuzzy Inference System for the Automatic Prediction of Sleep Stages and the Assessment of Sleep Quality
Authors: Gialelis John , Panagiotou Chris , Samaras Ioakeim , Chondros Petros , Karadimas Dimitris
Published: December 2015

This paper compares two supervised learning algorithms for predicting the sleep stages based on the human brain activity. The first step of the presented work regards feature extraction from real human electroencephalography (EEG) data together with its corresponding sleep stages that are utilized for training a support vector machine (SVM), and a fuzzy inference system (FIS) algorithm. Then, the trained algorithms are used to predict the sleep stages of real human patients. Extended comparison results are demonstrated which indicate that both classifiers could be utilized as a basis for an unobtrusive sleep quality assessment.
Perspectives on contextual vulnerability in discourses of climate conflict
Authors: Okpara U. T. , Stringer L. C. , Dougill A. J.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The science of climate security and conflict is replete with controversies. Yet the increasing vulnerability of politically fragile countries to the security consequences of climate change is widely acknowledged. Although climate conflict reflects a continuum of conditional forces that coalesce around the notion of vulnerability, how different portrayals of vulnerability influence the discursive formation of climate conflict relations remains an exceptional but under-researched issue. This paper combines a systematic discourse analysis with a vulnerability interpretation diagnostic tool to explore: (i) how discourses of climate conflict are constructed and represented, (ii) how vulnerability is communicated across discourse lines, and (iii) the strength of contextual vulnerability against a deterministic narrative of scarcity-induced conflict, such as that pertaining to land. Systematically characterising climate conflict discourses based on the central issues constructed, assumptions about mechanistic relationships, implicit normative judgements and vulnerability portrayals, provides a useful way of understanding where discourses differ. While discourses show a wide range of opinions "for" and "against" climate conflict relations, engagement with vulnerability has been less pronounced – except for the dominant context centrism discourse concerned about human security (particularly in Africa). In exploring this discourse, we observe an increasing sense of contextual vulnerability that is oriented towards a concern for complexity rather than predictability. The article concludes by illustrating that a turn towards contextual vulnerability thinking will help advance a constructivist theory-informed climate conflict scholarship that recognises historicity, specificity and variability as crucial elements of contextual totalities of any area affected by climate conflict.
Overview of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) experimental design and organisation
Authors: Eyring V. , Bony S. , Meehl G. A. , Senior C. , Stevens B. , Stouffer R. J. , Taylor K. E.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. By coordinating the design and distribution of global climate model simulations of the past, current and future climate, the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) has become one of the foundational elements of climate science. However, the need to address an ever-expanding range of scientific questions arising from more and more research communities has made it necessary to revise the organization of CMIP. After a long and wide community consultation, a new and more federated structure has been put in place. It consists of three major elements: (1) a handful of common experiments, the DECK (Diagnostic, Evaluation and Characterization of Klima experiments) and the CMIP Historical Simulation (1850–near-present) that will maintain continuity and help document basic characteristics of models across different phases of CMIP, (2) common standards, coordination, infrastructure and documentation that will facilitate the distribution of model outputs and the characterization of the model ensemble, and (3) an ensemble of CMIP-Endorsed Model Intercomparison Projects (MIPs) that will be specific to a particular phase of CMIP (now CMIP6) and that will build on the DECK and the CMIP Historical Simulation to address a large range of specific questions and fill the scientific gaps of the previous CMIP phases. The DECK and CMIP Historical Simulation, together with the use of CMIP data standards, will be the entry cards for models participating in CMIP. The participation in the CMIP6-Endorsed MIPs will be at the discretion of the modelling groups, and will depend on scientific interests and priorities. With the Grand Science Challenges of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) as its scientific backdrop, CMIP6 will address three broad questions: (i) how does the Earth system respond to forcing?, (ii) what are the origins and consequences of systematic model biases?, and (iii) how can we assess future climate changes given climate variability, predictability and uncertainties in scenarios? This CMIP6 overview paper presents the background and rationale for the new structure of CMIP, provides a detailed description of the DECK and the CMIP6 Historical Simulation, and includes a brief introduction to the 21 CMIP6-Endorsed MIPs.
MULTI BAND INSAR ANALYSIS OF SUBSIDENCE DEVELOPMENT BASED ON THE LONG PERIOD TIME SERIES
Authors: Çomut F. C. , Ustun A. , Lazecky M. , Aref M. M.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. The SAR Interferometry (InSAR) application has shown great potential in monitoring of land terrain changes and in detection of land deformations such as subsidence. Longer time analysis can lead to understand longer trends and changes. Using different bands of SAR satellite (C- from ERS 1-2 and Envisat, L- from ALOS) over the study area, we achieve knowledge of movements in long-term and evaluation of its dynamic changes within observed period of time. Results from InSAR processing fit with the position changes in vertical direction based on GPS network established over the basin as an effective geodetic network. Time series (StaMPS PS+SB) of several points over Çumra County in eastern part of Konya City show a general trend of the deformation that is expected to be approximately between -13 to -17 mm/year. Northern part of Karaman is affected by faster subsidence, borders of the subsidence trough were identified from Envisat. Presenting InSAR results together with GIS information about locations and time of occurrence of sudden subsidence, urban/industrial growth in time and climate changes helps in better understanding of the situation. This way, the impact of natural and man-made changes will be shown for urban planning thanks to InSAR and GIS comparisons with hydrogeological modeling. In this study we present results of differential and multitemporal InSAR series using different bands and GIS conjunction associated with seasonal and temporal groundwater level changes in Konya Closed Basin.
MODELLING OF CARBON MONOXIDE AIR POLLUTION IN LARG CITIES BY EVALUETION OF SPECTRAL LANDSAT8 IMAGES
Authors: Hamzelo M. , Gharagozlou A. , Sadeghian S. , Baikpour S. H. , Rajabi A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Air pollution in large cities is one of the major problems that resolve and reduce it need multiple applications and environmental management. Of The main sources of this pollution is industrial activities, urban and transport that enter large amounts of contaminants into the air and reduces its quality. With Variety of pollutants and high volume manufacturing, local distribution of manufacturing centers, Testing and measuring emissions is difficult. Substances such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and unburned hydrocarbons and lead compounds are substances that cause air pollution and carbon monoxide is most important. Today, data exchange systems, processing, analysis and modeling is of important pillars of management system and air quality control. In this study, using the spectral signature of carbon monoxide gas as the most efficient gas pollution LANDSAT8 images in order that have better spatial resolution than appropriate spectral bands and weather meters،SAM classification algorithm and Geographic Information System (GIS ), spatial distribution of carbon monoxide gas in Tehran over a period of one year from the beginning of 2014 until the beginning of 2015 at 11 map have modeled and then to the model valuation ،created maps were compared with the map provided by the Tehran quality comparison air company. Compare involved plans did with the error matrix and results in 4 types of care; overall, producer, user and kappa coefficient was investigated. Results of average accuracy were about than 80%, which indicates the fit method and data used for modeling.
BUILDING DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AFTER EARTHQUAKE USING POST-EVENT LiDAR DATA
Authors: Rastiveis H. , Eslamizade F. , Hosseini-Zirdoo E.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. After an earthquake, damage assessment plays an important role in leading rescue team to help people and decrease the number of mortality. Damage map is a map that demonstrates collapsed buildings with their degree of damage. With this map, finding destructive buildings can be quickly possible. In this paper, we propose an algorithm for automatic damage map generation after an earthquake using post-event LiDAR Data and pre-event vector map. The framework of the proposed approach has four main steps. To find the location of all buildings on LiDAR data, in the first step, LiDAR data and vector map are registered by using a few number of ground control points. Then, building layer, selected from vector map, are mapped on the LiDAR data and all pixels which belong to the buildings are extracted. After that, through a powerful classifier all the extracted pixels are classified into three classes of “debris”, “intact building” and “unclassified”. Since textural information make better difference between “debris” and “intact building” classes, different textural features are applied during the classification. After that, damage degree for each candidate building is estimated based on the relation between the numbers of pixels labelled as “debris” class to the whole building area. Calculating the damage degree for each candidate building, finally, building damage map is generated. To evaluate the ability proposed method in generating damage map, a data set from Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital after the 2010 Haiti earthquake was used. In this case, after calculating of all buildings in the test area using the proposed method, the results were compared to the damage degree which estimated through visual interpretation of post-event satellite image. Obtained results were proved the reliability of the proposed method in damage map generation using LiDAR data.
DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF UBIQUITOUS HEALTH SYSTEM (U-HEALTH) USING SMART-WATCHES SENSORS
Authors: Razavi Termeh V. , Sadeghi Niaraki A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Today as diseases grow rapidly, the responsibilities of the health clinics in giving services to patients increase and patients have to be more monitored and controlled. Remote systems of monitoring patients result in reducing cost, ease of movement, and also persistent control of patients by their doctors, so that patient can be monitored without need to go to the clinic. Recent advances in the field of ubiquitous sciences as well as using smartphones have resulted in increasingly use of this devices in remote monitoring of patients. The aim of this paper is to design and implement a ubiquitous health system using smartphones and sensors of smart-watches. This is accomplished through the information sent to the smartphone from the sensors of the watch, e.g. heart beat measurement sensor and ultraviolet ray. Then, this information is analyzed in the smartphone and some information based on the position of the patient and the path of him/her using GIS analyses as well as the information about the health level of the patient is sent to the doctor via SMS or phone call. Unnatural heart beats can be resulted in diseases such as Heart Failure and Arterial Fibrillation. With the approach adopted in this study, the patient or the doctor could be aware of these diseases at any time. The proposed approach is a low cost, without need to complex and resilient equipment, system in ubiquitous health that does not limit the movement of the patient.
QUASI-EPIPOLAR RESAMPLING OF HIGH RESOLUTION SATELLITE STEREO IMAGERY FOR SEMI GLOBAL MATCHING
Authors: Tatar N. , Saadatseresht M. , Arefi H. , Hadavand A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Semi-global matching is a well-known stereo matching algorithm in photogrammetric and computer vision society. Epipolar images are supposed as input of this algorithm. Epipolar geometry of linear array scanners is not a straight line as in case of frame camera. Traditional epipolar resampling algorithms demands for rational polynomial coefficients (RPCs), physical sensor model or ground control points. In this paper we propose a new solution for epipolar resampling method which works without the need for these information. In proposed method, automatic feature extraction algorithms are employed to generate corresponding features for registering stereo pairs. Also original images are divided into small tiles. In this way by omitting the need for extra information, the speed of matching algorithm increased and the need for high temporal memory decreased. Our experiments on GeoEye-1 stereo pair captured over Qom city in Iran demonstrates that the epipolar images are generated with sub-pixel accuracy.
COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT VEGETATION INDICES FOR VERY HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGES, SPECIFIC CASE ULTRACAM-D IMAGERY
Authors: Barzegar M. , Ebadi H. , Kiani A.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. Today digital aerial images acquired with UltraCam sensor are known to be a valuable resource for producing high resolution information of land covers. In this research, different methods for extracting vegetation from semi-urban and agricultural regions were studied and their results were compared in terms of overall accuracy and Kappa statistic. To do this, several vegetation indices were first tested on three image datasets with different object-based classifications in terms of presence or absence of sample data, defining other features and also more classes. The effects of all these cases were evaluated on final results. After it, pixel-based classification was performed on each dataset and their accuracies were compared to optimum object-based classification. The importance of this research is to test different indices in several cases (about 75 cases) and to find the quantitative and qualitative effects of increasing or decreasing auxiliary data. This way, researchers who intent to work with such high resolution data are given an insight on the whole procedure of detecting vegetation species as one of the outstanding and common features from such images. Results showed that DVI index can better detect vegetation regions in test images. Also, the object-based classification with average 93.6% overall accuracy and 86.5% Kappa was more suitable for extracting vegetation rather than the pixel-based classification with average 81.2% overall accuracy and 59.7% Kappa.
Greenland annual accumulation along the EGIG line, 1959–2004, from ASIRAS airborne radar and detailed neutron-probe density measurements
Authors: Overly T. B. , Hawley R. L. , Helm V. , Morris E. M. , Chaudhary R. N.
Published: December 2015

Abstract. We report annual snow accumulation rates from 1959 to 2004 along a 250 km segment of the Expéditions Glaciologiques Internationales au Groenland (EGIG) line across central Greenland using Airborne SAR/Interferometric Radar Altimeter System (ASIRAS) radar layers and detailed neutron-probe (NP) density profiles. ASIRAS-NP accumulation rates are not statistically different (C.I. 95 %) from in situ EGIG accumulation measurements from 1985 to 2004. Below 3000 m elevation, ASIRAS-NP increases by 20 % for the period 1995 to 2004 compared to 1985 to 1994. Above 3000 m elevation, accumulation increases by 13 % for 1995–2004 compared to 1985–1994. Model snow accumulation results from the calibrated Fifth Generation Mesoscale Model modified for polar climates (Polar MM5) underestimate mean annual accumulation by 16 % compared to ASIRAS-NP from 1985 to 2004. We test radar-derived accumulation rates sensitivity to density using modelled density profiles in place of detailed NP data. ASIRAS radar layers combined with Herron and Langway (1980) model density profiles (ASIRAS-HL) produce accumulation rates within 3.5 % of ASIRAS-NP estimates. We suggest using Herron and Langway (1980) density profiles to calibrate radar layers detected in dry snow regions of ice sheets lacking detailed in situ density measurements, such as those observed by the IceBridge campaign.
Teaching for Diversity in Teacher Education: Transformative Frameworks
Authors: Ragoonaden Karen O , Sivia Awneet , Baxan Victorina
Published: December 2015

This paper examines the practice and professional development of teacher educators engaged in diversity pedagogy in Canadian teacher education programs. Using a reflective inquiry combined with a self-study of teacher and teacher education practices (S-STEP), three educators discuss the complexity of their research and teaching experiences through the lens of Egbo’s (2009) seminal text, Teaching for Diversity in Canadian Schools. These critical reflections provide the basis to contextualize praxis-oriented teacher education practices in rural and in urban contexts. Specifically, the discussions focus on how diversity pedagogy informed curriculum development and promoted trans-disciplinary educational praxis. These transformative frameworks provided the teacher educators with the necessary knowledge base and knowledge mobilization to introduce marginalization, oppression, and alienation of underrepresented populations to preservice and service teachers.
Cet article examine les pratiques et le développement professionnel des professeurs formateurs d’enseignants qui sont engagés en pédagogie diversifiée dans les programmes canadiens de formation des enseignants. À l’aide d’un examen de réflexion combiné à une auto-évaluation des pratiques d’enseignement et des pratiques de formation des enseignants, trois éducateurs discutent la complexité de leur recherche et de leurs expériences d’enseignement à travers le prisme du texte de référence d’Egbo (2009), Teaching for Diversity in Canadian Schools. Ces réflexions critiques présentent une base pour mettre en contexte les pratiques de formation d’enseignants orientés vers la pratique dans des contextes ruraux et urbains. Plus particulièrement, les discussions se concentrent sur la manière dont la pédagogie diversifiée a informé le développement des programmes d’études et favorisé la pratique éducative transdisciplinaire. Ces cadres transformatifs ont donné aux professeurs formateurs d’enseignants la base de connaissances et la mobilisation des connaissances pour introduire la marginalisation, l’oppression et l’aliénation des populations sous-représentées aux enseignants en formation ainsi qu’à ceux qui ont déjà pris du service.