bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of structured wheelchair services on satisfaction and function of wheelchair users in Zimbabwe
Authors: Visagie Surona , Mlambo Tecla , Van der Veen Judith , Nhunzv Clement , Tigere Deborah , Scheffler Elsje
Published: June 2016

Background: Providing wheelchairs without comprehensive support services might be detrimental to user satisfaction and function.Objectives: This paper compares wheelchair user satisfaction and function before and after implementation of comprehensive wheelchair services, based on the World Health Organization guidelines on wheelchair service provision in less resourced settings, in Zimbabwe.Method: A pre- and post-test study with a qualitative component was done. Quantitative data were collected with the Quebec User Evaluation of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology for adults and children and the ‘Functioning Every day with a Wheelchair Questionnaire’. Data were collected from 55 consecutively sampled wheelchair users, who received a new wheelchair in the study period. Qualitative data were collected through two audio recorded focus groups and two case studies and are presented through narrative examples.Results: The proportion of adult users who were satisfied significantly increased for all wheelchair and service delivery aspects (p = 0.001 - 0.008), except follow-up (p = 0.128). The same was true for children’s post-test ratings on all variables assessed (p = 0.001 - 0.04), except training in the use of the device (p = 0.052). The biggest improvement in satisfaction figures were for comfort needs (44.3%), indoor mobility (43.2%), outdoor mobility (37.2%), safe and efficient, independent operation (33.5%) and transport (31.4%). The qualitative data illustrated user satisfaction with wheelchair features and services.Conclusion: The wheelchair service programme resulted in significant positive changes in user satisfaction with the wheelchair, wheelchair services and function. It is recommended that the Zimbabwean government and partner organisations continue to support and develop wheelchair services along these guidelines.Keywords: Wheelchair; service delivery; function; satisfaction
Effective educator–student relationships in nursing education to strengthen nursing students’ resilience
Authors: Froneman Kathleen , Du Plessis Emmerentia , Koen Magdelene P.
Published: June 2016

Background: Little research has been conducted in private nursing schools with regard to the educator–student relationship to strengthen the resilience of nursing students and to improve the educator–student relationship. An effective educator–student relationship is a key factor to ensure a positive learning climate where learning can take place and resilience can be strengthened.Purpose: The purpose was to explore and describe nursing students’ view on the basic elements required for an effective educator–student relationship to strengthen their resilience and the educator–student relationship.Method: This study followed an explorative, descriptive and contextual qualitative design in a private nursing education institution in the North West Province. Purposive sampling was used. The sample consisted of 40 enrolled nursing auxiliary students. The World Café Method was used to collect data, which were analysed by means of content analysis.Results: The following five main themes were identified and included: (1) teaching–learning environment, (2) educator–student interaction, (3) educator qualities, (4) staying resilient and (5) strategies to strengthen resilience.Conclusion: Students need a caring and supportive environment; interaction that is constructive, acknowledges human rights and makes use of appropriate non-verbal communication. The educator must display qualities such as love and care, respect, responsibility, morality, patience, being open to new ideas, motivation, willingness to ‘go the extra mile’ and punctuality. Students reported on various ways how they manage to stay resilient. It thus seems that basic elements required in an effective educator–student relationship to strengthen the resilience of students include the environment, interaction, educator and student’s qualities and resilience.Keywords: Educator-student relationship, nursing education, nursing education institution (NEI), nursing student, learning environment, resilience
Pleural fluid metastases of myoepithelial carcinoma: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Bhambra Alicia Calderon , Zhang Yanhong , Huang Eric C. , Bishop John , Matin Mahan , Afify Alaa
Published: June 2016

Myoepithelial carcinoma (MECA) is one of the rarest salivary gland neoplasms, which may either arisede novoor develop within a preexisting pleomorphic adenoma or benign myoepithelioma. The tumor occurs mainly in the parotid gland followed by minor salivary glands and other body sites. As a result of their morphologic heterogeneity, they can be confused easily with many tumors. Awareness of their unique cytoarchitectural patterns and immunohistochemical profile is crucial for accurate identification. Herein, we report a rare case of a 51-year-old female patient with MECA of the maxillary sinus that metastasized to the pleural fluid. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of pleural fluid involvement by MECA reported in the literature.
Investigation of Ball Size Effect on Microstructure and Thermoelectric Properties of p-type BiSbTe by Mechanical Alloying
Authors: Lwin May Likha , Yoon Sang-min , Madavali Babu , Lee Chul-Hee , Hong Soon-Jik
Published: June 2016

P-type ternary Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 alloys are fabricated via mechanical alloying (MA) and spark plasma sintering (SPS). Different ball sizes are used in the MA process, and their effect on the microstructure; hardness, and thermoelectric properties of the p-type BiSbTe alloys are investigated. The phases of milled powders and bulks are identified using an X-ray diffraction technique. The morphology of milled powders and fracture surface of compacted samples are examined using scanning electron microscopy. The morphology, phase, and grain structures of the samples are not altered by the use of different ball sizes in the MA process. Measurements of the thermoelectric (TE) transport properties including the electrical conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and power factor are measured at temperatures of 300- 400 K for samples treated by SPS. The TE properties do not depend on the ball size used in the MA process.
Influence of Sintering Temperature on Magnetic Properties of Ni-Zn-Cu Ferrites Used for Mangetic Shielding in NFC
Authors: Ryu Yo-Han , Kim Sung-Soo
Published: June 2016

This study investigates the influence of sintering temperature on the magnetic properties and frequency dispersion of the complex permeability of Ni–Zn–Cu ferrites used for magnetic shielding in near-field communication (NFC) systems. Sintered specimens of (Ni0.7Zn0.3)0.96Cu0.04Fe2O4 are prepared by conventional ceramic processing. The complex permeability is measured by an RF impedance analyzer in the range of 1 MHz to 1.8 GHz. The real and imaginary parts of the complex permeability depend sensitively on the sintering temperature, which is closely related to the microstructure, including grain size and pore distribution. In particular, internal pores within grains produced by rapid grain growth decrease the permeability and increase the magnetic loss at the operating frequency of NFC (13.56 MHz). At the optimized sintering temperature (1225-1250°C), the highest permeability and lowest magnetic loss can be obtained.
Characteristics of Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3(OH)2 Powders Prepared by Co-Precipitation in Air and Nitrogen Atmospheres
Authors: Choi Woonghee , Park Se-Ryen , Kang Chan Hyoung
Published: June 2016

As precursors of cathode materials for lithium ion batteries, Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3(OH)2 powders are prepared in a continuously stirred tank reactor via a co-precipitation reaction between aqueous metal sulfates and NaOH in the presence of NH4OH in air or nitrogen ambient. Calcination of the precursors with Li2CO3 for 8 h at 1,000°C in air produces dense spherical cathode materials. The precursors and final powders are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, particle size analysis, tap density measurement, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The precursor powders obtained in air or nitrogen ambient show XRD patterns identified as Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3(OH)2. Regardless of the atmosphere, the final powders exhibit the XRD patterns of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NCM). The precursor powders obtained in air have larger particle size and lower tap density than those obtained in nitrogen ambient. NCM powders show similar tendencies in terms of particle size and tap density. Electrochemical characterization is performed after fabricating a coin cell using NCM as the cathode and Li metal as the anode. The NCM powders from the precursors obtained in air and those from the precursors obtained in nitrogen have similar initial charge/discharge capacities and cycle life. In conclusion, the powders co-precipitated in air can be utilized as precursor materials, replacing those synthesized in the presence of nitrogen injection, which is the usual industrial practice.
Recent Progress on the Application of Atomic Layer Deposition for Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Kim Dong Ha , Choi Byung Joon
Published: June 2016

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are rapidly improving in capacity and life cycle characteristics to meet the requirements of a wide range of applications, such as portable electronics, electric vehicles, and micro- or nanoelectromechanical systems. Recently, atomic layer deposition (ALD), one of the vapor deposition methods, has been explored to expand the capability of LIBs by producing near-atomically flat and uniform coatings on the shell of nanostructured electrodes and membranes for conventional LIBs. In this paper, we introduce various ALD coatings on the anode, cathode, and separator materials to protect them and improve their electrochemical and thermomechanical stability. In addition, we discuss the effects of ALD coatings on the three-dimensional structuring and conduction layer through activation of electrochemical reactions and facilitation of fluent charge collection.
Characterization of polar organosulfates in secondary organic aerosol from the unsaturated aldehydes 2-E-pentenal, 2-E-hexenal, and 3-Z-hexenal
Authors: Shalamzari Mohammad Safi , Vermeylen Reinhilde , Blockhuys Frank , Kleindienst Tadeusz E. , Lewandowski Michael , Szmigielski Rafal , Rudzinski Krzysztof J. , Spólnik Grzegorz , Danikiewicz Witold , Maenhaut Willy , Claeys Magda
Published: June 2016

Abstract. We show in the present study that the unsaturated aldehydes 2-E-pentenal, 2-E-hexenal, and 3-Z-hexenal are biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) precursors for polar organosulfates with molecular weights (MWs) 230 and 214, which are also present in ambient fine aerosol from a forested site, i.e., K-puszta, Hungary. These results complement those obtained in a previous study showing that the green leaf aldehyde 3-Z-hexenal serves as a precursor for MW 226 organosulfates. Thus, in addition to isoprene, the green leaf volatiles (GLVs) 2-E-hexenal and 3-Z-hexenal, emitted due to plant stress (mechanical wounding or insect attack), and 2-E-pentenal, a photolysis product of 3-Z-hexenal, should be taken into account for secondary organic aerosol and organosulfate formation. Polar organosulfates are of climatic relevance because of their hydrophilic properties and cloud effects. Extensive use was made of organic mass spectrometry (MS) and detailed interpretation of MS data (i.e., ion trap MS and accurate mass measurements) to elucidate the chemical structures of the MW 230, 214 and 170 organosulfates formed from 2-E-pentenal and indirectly from 2-E-hexenal and 3-Z-hexenal. In addition, quantum chemical calculations were performed to explain the different mass spectral behavior of 2,3-dihydroxypentanoic acid sulfate derivatives, where only the isomer with the sulfate group at C-3 results in the loss of SO3. The MW 214 organosulfates formed from 2-E-pentenal are explained by epoxidation of the double bond in the gas phase and sulfation of the epoxy group with sulfuric acid in the particle phase through the same pathway as that proposed for 3-sulfooxy-2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanoic acid from the isoprene-related α,β-unsaturated aldehyde methacrolein in previous work (Lin et al., 2013). The MW 230 organosulfates formed from 2-E-pentenal are tentatively explained by a novel pathway, which bears features of the latter pathway but introduces an additional hydroxyl group at the C-4 position. Evidence is also presented that the MW 214 positional isomer, 2-sulfooxy-3-hydroxypentanoic acid, is unstable and decarboxylates, giving rise to 1-sulfooxy-2-hydroxybutane, a MW 170 organosulfate. Furthermore, evidence is obtained that lactic acid sulfate is generated from 2-E-pentenal. This chemistry could be important on a regional and local scale where GLV emissions such as from grasses and cereal crops are substantial.
Canopy-scale flux measurements and bottom-up emission estimates of volatile organic compounds from a mixed oak and hornbeam forest in northern Italy
Authors: Acton W. Joe F. , Schallhart Simon , Langford Ben , Valach Amy , Rantala Pekka , Fares Silvano , Carriero Giulia , Tillmann Ralf , Tomlinson Sam J. , Dragosits Ulrike , Gianelle Damiano , Hewitt C. Nicholas , Nemitz Eiko
Published: June 2016

Abstract. This paper reports the fluxes and mixing ratios of biogenically emitted volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) 4 m above a mixed oak and hornbeam forest in northern Italy. Fluxes of methanol, acetaldehyde, isoprene, methyl vinyl ketone + methacrolein, methyl ethyl ketone and monoterpenes were obtained using both a proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) and a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS) together with the methods of virtual disjunct eddy covariance (using PTR-MS) and eddy covariance (using PTR-ToF-MS). Isoprene was the dominant emitted compound with a mean daytime flux of 1.9 mg m−2 h−1. Mixing ratios, recorded 4 m above the canopy, were dominated by methanol with a mean value of 6.2 ppbv over the 28-day measurement period. Comparison of isoprene fluxes calculated using the PTR-MS and PTR-ToF-MS showed very good agreement while comparison of the monoterpene fluxes suggested a slight over estimation of the flux by the PTR-MS. A basal isoprene emission rate for the forest of 1.7 mg m−2 h−1 was calculated using the Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (MEGAN) isoprene emission algorithms (Guenther et al., 2006). A detailed tree-species distribution map for the site enabled the leaf-level emission of isoprene and monoterpenes recorded using gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to be scaled up to produce a bottom-up canopy-scale flux. This was compared with the top-down canopy-scale flux obtained by measurements. For monoterpenes, the two estimates were closely correlated and this correlation improved when the plant-species composition in the individual flux footprint was taken into account. However, the bottom-up approach significantly underestimated the isoprene flux, compared with the top-down measurements, suggesting that the leaf-level measurements were not representative of actual emission rates.
Aerosol water parameterisation: a single parameter framework
Authors: Metzger Swen , Steil Benedikt , Abdelkader Mohamed , Klingmüller Klaus , Xu Li , Penner Joyce E. , Fountoukis Christos , Nenes Athanasios , Lelieveld Jos
Published: June 2016

Abstract. We introduce a framework to efficiently parameterise the aerosol water uptake for mixtures of semi-volatile and non-volatile compounds, based on the coefficient, νi. This solute-specific coefficient was introduced in Metzger et al. (2012) to accurately parameterise the single solution hygroscopic growth, considering the Kelvin effect – accounting for the water uptake of concentrated nanometer-sized particles up to dilute solutions, i.e. from the compounds relative humidity of deliquescence (RHD) up to supersaturation (Köhler theory). Here we extend the νi parameterisation from single to mixed solutions. We evaluate our framework at various levels of complexity, by considering the full gas–liquid–solid partitioning for a comprehensive comparison with reference calculations using the E-AIM, EQUISOLV II and ISORROPIA II models as well as textbook examples. We apply our parameterisation in the EQuilibrium Simplified Aerosol Model V4 (EQSAM4clim) for climate simulations, implemented in a box model and in the global chemistry–climate model EMAC. Our results show (i) that the νi approach enables one to analytically solve the entire gas–liquid–solid partitioning and the mixed solution water uptake with sufficient accuracy, (ii) that ammonium sulfate mixtures can be solved with a simple method, e.g. pure ammonium nitrate and mixed ammonium nitrate and (iii) that the aerosol optical depth (AOD) simulations are in close agreement with remote sensing observations for the year 2005. Long-term evaluation of the EMAC results based on EQSAM4clim and ISORROPIA II will be presented separately.
Exploring an approximation for the homogeneous freezing temperature of water droplets
Authors: O Kuan-Ting , Wood Robert
Published: June 2016

Abstract. In this work, based on the well-known formulae of classical nucleation theory (CNT), the temperature TNc = 1 at which the mean number of critical embryos inside a droplet is unity is derived from the Boltzmann distribution function and explored as an approximation for homogeneous freezing temperature of water droplets. Without including the information of the applied cooling rate γcooling and the number of observed droplets Ntotal_droplets in the calculation, the approximation TNc = 1 is able to reproduce the dependence of homogeneous freezing temperature on drop size V and water activity aw of aqueous drops observed in a wide range of experimental studies for droplet diameter > 10 µm and aw > 0.85, suggesting the effect of γcooling and Ntotal_droplets may be secondary compared to the effect of V and aw on homogeneous freezing temperatures in these size and water activity ranges under realistic atmospheric conditions. We use the TNc = 1 approximation to argue that the distribution of homogeneous freezing temperatures observed in the experiments may be partly explained by the spread in the size distribution of droplets used in the particular experiment. It thus appears that the simplicity of this approximation makes it potentially useful for predicting homogeneous freezing temperatures of water droplets in the atmosphere.
Revisiting the Steering Principal of Tropical Cyclone Motion
Authors: Wu Liguang , Chen Xiaoyu
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The steering principle of tropical cyclone motion has been applied to tropical cyclone forecast and research for nearly 100 years. Two fundamental questions remain unanswered. One is why the effect of steering plays a dominant role in tropical cyclone motion and the other is when tropical cyclone motion deviates considerably from the steering. A high-resolution numerical experiment was conducted with the tropical cyclone in a typical large-scale monsoon trough over the western North Pacific. The simulated tropical cyclone experiences two eyewall replacement processes. Based on the potential vorticity tendency (PVT) paradigm for tropical cyclone motion, this study demonstrates that the conventional steering, which is calculated over a certain radius from the tropical cyclone center in the horizontal and a deep pressure layer in the vertical, is not literally the steering or the advection of the symmetric potential vorticity component associated with a tropical cyclone by the asymmetric flow. The conventional steering also contains the contribution from the advection of the wavenumber-one potential vorticity component by the symmetric flow. The contributions from other processes are largely cancelled due to the coherent structure of tropical cyclone circulation and thus the conventional steering plays a dominant role. The trochoidal motion around the mean tropical cyclone track with amplitudes smaller than the eye radius and periods of several hours cannot be accounted for by the effect of the conventional steering and thus the instantaneous tropical cyclone motion can considerably derivate from the conventional steering.
High-resolution tropospheric carbon monoxide profiles retrieved from CrIS and TROPOMI
Authors: Fu Dejian , Bowman Kevin W. , Worden Helen M. , Natraj Vijay , Worden John R. , Yu Shanshan , Veefkind Pepijn , Aben Ilse , Landgraf Jochen , Strow Larrabee , Han Yong
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument is the only satellite-borne sensor in operation that uses both thermal (TIR) and near-infrared (NIR) channels to estimate CO profiles. With more than 15 years (2000 to present) of validated multispectral observations, MOPITT provides the unique capability to separate CO in the lowermost troposphere (LMT, surface to 3 km (∼ 700 hPa)) from the free-tropospheric abundance. To extend this record, a new, hyper-spectral approach is presented here that will provide CO data products exceeding the capabilities of MOPITT by combining the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR, equivalent to the MOPITT NIR) channels from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) to be launched aboard the European Sentinel 5 Precursor (S5p) satellite in 2016 and the TIR channels from the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite. We apply the MUlti-SpEctra, MUlti-SpEcies, Multi-SEnsors (MUSES) retrieval algorithm to quantify the potential of this joint CO product. CO profiles are retrieved from a single-footprint, full-spectral-resolution CrIS transect over Africa on 27–28 August 2013 coincident with significant biomass burning. Comparisons of collocated CrIS and MOPITT CO observations for the LMT show a mean difference of 2.8 ± 24.9 ppb, which is well within the estimated measurement uncertainty of both sensors. The estimated degrees of freedom (DOF) for CO signals from synergistic CrIS–TROPOMI retrievals are approximately 0.9 in the LMT and 1.3 above the LMT, which indicates that the LMT CO can be distinguished from the free troposphere, similar to MOPITT multispectral observations (0.8 in the LMT, and 1.1 above the LMT). In addition to increased sensitivity, the combined retrievals reduce measurement uncertainty, with ∼ 15 % error reduction in the LMT. With a daily global coverage and a combined spatial footprint of 14 km, the joint CrIS–TROPOMI measurements have the potential to extend and improve upon the MOPITT multispectral CO data records for the coming decade.
Response of water use efficiency to summer drought in boreal Scots pine forests in Finland
Authors: Gao Yao , Markkanen Tiina , Aurela Mika , Mammarella Ivan , Thum Tea , Tsuruta Aki , Yang Huiyi , Aalto Tuula
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The influence of drought on plant functioning has received considerable attention in recent years, although our understanding of the response of carbon and water coupling in terrestrial ecosystems remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the response of water use efficiency to summer drought in boreal forests at daily time scales mainly using eddy covariance flux data. In addition, simulation results from the JSBACH land surface model were evaluated against the observed results. Two Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) sites at Hyytiälä (southern Finland) and Sodankylä (northern Finland) were used in the study. Based on observed data, the ecosystem level water use efficiency (EWUE) showed a decrease only during a severe soil moisture drought at Hyytiälä, whereas the inherent water use efficiency (IWUE) increased when there was a severe soil moisture drought at Hyytiälä and a moderate soil moisture drought at Sodankylä. This indicates a decrease in surface conductance at the ecosystem level, but the decrease in evapotranspiration (ET) was alleviated because of the increased vapor pressure deficit (VPD) during drought. Moreover, the changes in IWUE implied that Scots pine has weaker response to drought in the southern site than in the northern site. Thus, IWUE is a more appropriate metric than EWUE for capturing the impact of soil moisture drought on plant functioning at daily time scales. In general, the results from transpiration based ecosystem level water use efficiency (EWUEt) and IWUE, and the transpiration based inherent water use efficiency (IWUEt) from JSBACH simulations were similar to the observed results. The deviated groups of gross primary production (GPP) and evapotranspiration (ET) under severe soil moisture drought in observed data at Hyytiälä were also successfully captured in the simulated results. However, deficiencies in the model were clearly seen by the limitation effect of air humidity on stomatal conductance in observed data. Our study provides a deeper understanding of carbon and water dynamics in the major boreal ecosystem. These findings highlight the importance of choosing a suitable plant functioning indicator when investigating the effects of drought, and suggest possible improvements to land surface models, which play an important role in the prediction of biosphere-atmosphere feedbacks in the climate system.
MAHLI on Mars: lessons learned operating a geoscience camera on a landed payload robotic arm
Authors: Yingst R. Aileen , Edgett Kenneth S. , Kennedy Megan R. , Krezoski Gillian M. , McBride Marie J. , Minitti Michelle  E. , Ravine Michael A. , Williams Rebecca M. E.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) is a 2-megapixel, color camera with resolution as high as 13.9 µm pixel−1. MAHLI has operated successfully on the Martian surface for over 1150 Martian days (sols) aboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, Curiosity. During that time MAHLI acquired images to support science and science-enabling activities, including rock and outcrop textural analysis; sand characterization to further the understanding of global sand properties and processes; support of other instrument observations; sample extraction site documentation; range-finding for arm and instrument placement; rover hardware and instrument monitoring and safety; terrain assessment; landscape geomorphology; and support of rover robotic arm commissioning. Operation of the instrument has demonstrated that imaging fully illuminated, dust-free targets yields the best results, with complementary information obtained from shadowed images. The light-emitting diodes (LEDs) allow satisfactory night imaging but do not improve daytime shadowed imaging. MAHLI's combination of fine-scale, science-driven resolution, RGB color, the ability to focus over a large range of distances, and relatively large field of view (FOV), have maximized the return of science and science-enabling observations given the MSL mission architecture and constraints.
Generalization and application of the flux-conservative thermodynamic equations in the AROME model of the ALADIN system
Authors: Degrauwe Daan , Seity Yann , Bouyssel François , Termonia Piet
Published: June 2016

Abstract. General yet compact equations are presented to express the thermodynamic impact of physical parameterizations in a NWP or climate model. By expressing the equations in a flux-conservative formulation, the conservation of mass and energy by the physics parameterizations is a built-in feature of the system. Moreover, the centralization of all thermodynamic calculations guarantees a consistent thermodynamical treatment of the different processes. The generality of this physics–dynamics interface is illustrated by applying it in the AROME NWP model. The physics–dynamics interface of this model currently makes some approximations, which typically consist of neglecting some terms in the total energy budget, such as the transport of heat by falling precipitation, or the effect of diffusive moisture transport. Although these terms are usually quite small, omitting them from the energy budget breaks the constraint of energy conservation. The presented set of equations provides the opportunity to get rid of these approximations, in order to arrive at a consistent and energy-conservative model. A verification in an operational setting shows that the impact on monthly-averaged, domain-wide meteorological scores is quite neutral. However, under specific circumstances, the supposedly small terms may turn out not to be entirely negligible. A detailed study of a case with heavy precipitation shows that the heat transport by precipitation contributes to the formation of a region of relatively cold air near the surface, the so-called cold pool. Given the importance of this cold pool mechanism in the life cycle of convective events, it is advisable not to neglect phenomena that may enhance it.
Development of aroCACM/MPMPO 1.0: a model to simulate secondary organic aerosol from aromatic precursors in regional models
Authors: Dawson Matthew L. , Xu Jialu , Griffin Robert J. , Dabdub Donald
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The atmospheric oxidation of aromatic compounds is an important source of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in urban areas. The oxidation of aromatics depends strongly on the levels of nitrogen oxides (NOx). However, details of the mechanisms by which oxidation occurs have only recently been elucidated. Xu et al. (2015) developed an updated version of the gas-phase Caltech Atmospheric Chemistry Mechanism (CACM) designed to simulate toluene and m-xylene oxidation in chamber experiments over a range of NOx conditions. The output from such a mechanism can be used in thermodynamic predictions of gas–particle partitioning leading to SOA. The current work reports the development of a model for SOA formation that combines the gas-phase mechanism of Xu et al. (2015) with an updated lumped SOA-partitioning scheme (Model to Predict the Multi-phase Partitioning of Organics, MPMPO) that allows partitioning to multiple aerosol phases and that is designed for use in larger-scale three-dimensional models. The resulting model is termed aroCACM/MPMPO 1.0. The model is integrated into the University of California, Irvine – California Institute of Technology (UCI-CIT) Airshed Model, which simulates the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) of California. Simulations using 2012 emissions indicate that “low-NOx” pathways to SOA formation from aromatic oxidation play an important role, even in regions that typically exhibit high-NOx concentrations.
Modeling 25 years of spatio-temporal surface water and inundation dynamics on large river basin scale using time series of Earth observation data
Authors: Heimhuber Valentin , Tulbure Mirela G. , Broich Mark
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The usage of time series of Earth observation (EO) data for analyzing and modeling surface water extent (SWE) dynamics across broad geographic regions provides important information for sustainable management and restoration of terrestrial surface water resources, which suffered alarming declines and deterioration globally. The main objective of this research was to model SWE dynamics from a unique, statistically validated Landsat-based time series (1986–2011) continuously through cycles of flooding and drying across a large and heterogeneous river basin, the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB) in Australia. We used dynamic linear regression to model remotely sensed SWE as a function of river flow and spatially explicit time series of soil moisture (SM), evapotranspiration (ET), and rainfall (P). To enable a consistent modeling approach across space, we modeled SWE dynamics separately for hydrologically distinct floodplain, floodplain-lake, and non-floodplain areas within eco-hydrological zones and 10km × 10km grid cells. We applied this spatial modeling framework to three sub-regions of the MDB, for which we quantified independently validated lag times between river gauges and each individual grid cell and identified the local combinations of variables that drive SWE dynamics. Based on these automatically quantified flow lag times and variable combinations, SWE dynamics on 233 (64 %) out of 363 floodplain grid cells were modeled with a coefficient of determination (r2) greater than 0.6. The contribution of P, ET, and SM to the predictive performance of models differed among the three sub-regions, with the highest contributions in the least regulated and most arid sub-region. The spatial modeling framework presented here is suitable for modeling SWE dynamics on finer spatial entities compared to most existing studies and applicable to other large and heterogeneous river basins across the world.
Understanding groundwater – students' pre-conceptions and conceptual change by means of a theory-guided multimedia learning program
Authors: Unterbruner Ulrike , Hilberg Sylke , Schiffl Iris
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Education on the subject of groundwater is crucial for sustainability. Nevertheless, international studies with students across different age groups have shown that the basic hydrogeological concept of groundwater defined as water within porous and permeable rocks is not an established everyday notion. Drawing from international research, a multimedia learning program Zwischen Regenwolke und Wasserhahn (between the rain cloud and the tap) was developed, which incorporates specific insights from the fields of conceptual change research, multimedia research, and the model of educational reconstruction. The effectiveness of the learning program was ascertained by means of two studies with Austrian seventh grade pupils as well as teacher-training students from the fields of biology and geography in order to ascertain the effectiveness of the learning program. Using a quasi-experimental research design, the participants' conceptions and knowledge of groundwater were determined in a pre- and post-test. The pupils and students greatly benefitted from working through the learning software independently. Their knowledge of groundwater increased significantly compared to the control group and there was a highly significant increase in the number of scientifically correct notions of groundwater. The acceptance of the program was also generally very high. The results indicate that theory-guided multimedia learning programs can play an important role in the transfer of research results to classroom settings, especially in science education.
EVALUATION OF SIFT AND SURF FOR VISION BASED LOCALIZATION
Authors: Qu Xiaozhi , Soheilian Bahman , Habets Emmanuel , Paparoditis Nicolas
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Vision based localization is widely investigated for the autonomous navigation and robotics. One of the basic steps of vision based localization is the extraction of interest points in images that are captured by the embedded camera. In this paper, SIFT and SURF extractors were chosen to evaluate their performance in localization. Four street view image sequences captured by a mobile mapping system, were used for the evaluation and both SIFT and SURF were tested on different image scales. Besides, the impact of the interest point distribution was also studied. We evaluated the performances from for aspects: repeatability, precision, accuracy and runtime. The local bundle adjustment method was applied to refine the pose parameters and the 3D coordinates of tie points. According to the results of our experiments, SIFT was more reliable than SURF. Apart from this, both the accuracy and the efficiency of localization can be improved if the distribution of feature points are well constrained for SIFT.
FAST AND ROBUST SEGMENTATION AND CLASSIFICATION FOR CHANGE DETECTION IN URBAN POINT CLOUDS
Authors: Roynard X. , Deschaud J.-E. , Goulette F.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Change detection is an important issue in city monitoring to analyse street furniture, road works, car parking, etc. For example, parking surveys are needed but are currently a laborious task involving sending operators in the streets to identify the changes in car locations. In this paper, we propose a method that performs a fast and robust segmentation and classification of urban point clouds, that can be used for change detection. We apply this method to detect the cars, as a particular object class, in order to perform parking surveys automatically. A recently proposed method already addresses the need for fast segmentation and classification of urban point clouds, using elevation images. The interest to work on images is that processing is much faster, proven and robust. However there may be a loss of information in complex 3D cases: for example when objects are one above the other, typically a car under a tree or a pedestrian under a balcony. In this paper we propose a method that retain the three-dimensional information while preserving fast computation times and improving segmentation and classification accuracy. It is based on fast region-growing using an octree, for the segmentation, and specific descriptors with Random-Forest for the classification. Experiments have been performed on large urban point clouds acquired by Mobile Laser Scanning. They show that the method is as fast as the state of the art, and that it gives more robust results in the complex 3D cases.
POOR TEXTURAL IMAGE MATCHING BASED ON GRAPH THEORY
Authors: Chen Shiyu , Yuan Xiuxiao , Yuan Wei , Cai Yang
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Image matching lies at the heart of photogrammetry and computer vision. For poor textural images, the matching result is affected by low contrast, repetitive patterns, discontinuity or occlusion, few or homogeneous textures. Recently, graph matching became popular for its integration of geometric and radiometric information. Focused on poor textural image matching problem, it is proposed an edge-weight strategy to improve graph matching algorithm. A series of experiments have been conducted including 4 typical landscapes: Forest, desert, farmland, and urban areas. And it is experimentally found that our new algorithm achieves better performance. Compared to SIFT, doubled corresponding points were acquired, and the overall recall rate reached up to 68%, which verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the algorithm.
A FAST APPROACH FOR STITCHING OF AERIAL IMAGES
Authors: Moussa A. , El-Sheimy N.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The last few years have witnessed an increasing volume of aerial image data because of the extensive improvements of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). These newly developed UAVs have led to a wide variety of applications. A fast assessment of the achieved coverage and overlap of the acquired images of a UAV flight mission is of great help to save the time and cost of the further steps. A fast automatic stitching of the acquired images can help to visually assess the achieved coverage and overlap during the flight mission. This paper proposes an automatic image stitching approach that creates a single overview stitched image using the acquired images during a UAV flight mission along with a coverage image that represents the count of overlaps between the acquired images. The main challenge of such task is the huge number of images that are typically involved in such scenarios. A short flight mission with image acquisition frequency of one second can capture hundreds to thousands of images. The main focus of the proposed approach is to reduce the processing time of the image stitching procedure by exploiting the initial knowledge about the images positions provided by the navigation sensors. The proposed approach also avoids solving for all the transformation parameters of all the photos together to save the expected long computation time if all the parameters were considered simultaneously. After extracting the points of interest of all the involved images using Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) algorithm, the proposed approach uses the initial image’s coordinates to build an incremental constrained Delaunay triangulation that represents the neighborhood of each image. This triangulation helps to match only the neighbor images and therefore reduces the time-consuming features matching step. The estimated relative orientation between the matched images is used to find a candidate seed image for the stitching process. The pre-estimated transformation parameters of the images are employed successively in a growing fashion to create the stitched image and the coverage image. The proposed approach is implemented and tested using the images acquired through a UAV flight mission and the achieved results are presented and discussed.
CENTIMETER-LEVEL, ROBUST GNSS-AIDED INERTIAL POST-PROCESSING FOR MOBILE MAPPING WITHOUT LOCAL REFERENCE STATIONS
Authors: Hutton J. J. , Gopaul N. , Zhang X. , Wang J. , Menon V. , Rieck D. , Kipka A. , Pastor F.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. For almost two decades mobile mapping systems have done their georeferencing using Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) to measure position and inertial sensors to measure orientation. In order to achieve cm level position accuracy, a technique referred to as post-processed carrier phase differential GNSS (DGNSS) is used. For this technique to be effective the maximum distance to a single Reference Station should be no more than 20 km, and when using a network of Reference Stations the distance to the nearest station should no more than about 70 km. This need to set up local Reference Stations limits productivity and increases costs, especially when mapping large areas or long linear features such as roads or pipelines. An alternative technique to DGNSS for high-accuracy positioning from GNSS is the so-called Precise Point Positioning or PPP method. In this case instead of differencing the rover observables with the Reference Station observables to cancel out common errors, an advanced model for every aspect of the GNSS error chain is developed and parameterized to within an accuracy of a few cm. The Trimble Centerpoint RTX positioning solution combines the methodology of PPP with advanced ambiguity resolution technology to produce cm level accuracies without the need for local reference stations. It achieves this through a global deployment of highly redundant monitoring stations that are connected through the internet and are used to determine the precise satellite data with maximum accuracy, robustness, continuity and reliability, along with advance algorithms and receiver and antenna calibrations. This paper presents a new post-processed realization of the Trimble Centerpoint RTX technology integrated into the Applanix POSPac MMS GNSS-Aided Inertial software for mobile mapping. Real-world results from over 100 airborne flights evaluated against a DGNSS network reference are presented which show that the post-processed Centerpoint RTX solution agrees with the DGNSS solution to better than 2.9 cm RMSE Horizontal and 5.5 cm RMSE Vertical. Such accuracies are sufficient to meet the requirements for a majority of airborne mapping applications.
THE LAND SURFACE TEMPERATURE IMPACT TO LAND COVER TYPES
Authors: Ibrahim I. , Abu Samah A. , Fauzi R. , Noor N. M.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Land cover type is an important signature that is usually used to understand the interaction between the ground surfaces with the local temperature. Various land cover types such as high density built up areas, vegetation, bare land and water bodies are areas where heat signature are measured using remote sensing image. The aim of this study is to analyse the impact of land surface temperature on land cover types. The objectives are 1) to analyse the mean temperature for each land cover types and 2) to analyse the relationship of temperature variation within land cover types: built up area, green area, forest, water bodies and bare land. The method used in this research was supervised classification for land cover map and mono window algorithm for land surface temperature (LST) extraction. The statistical analysis of post hoc Tukey test was used on an image captured on five available images. A pixel-based change detection was applied to the temperature and land cover images. The result of post hoc Tukey test for the images showed that these land cover types: built up-green, built up-forest, built up-water bodies have caused significant difference in the temperature variation. However, built up-bare land did not show significant impact at p<0.05. These findings show that green areas appears to have a lower temperature difference, which is between 2° to 3° Celsius compared to urban areas. The findings also show that the average temperature and the built up percentage has a moderate correlation with R2 = 0.53. The environmental implications of these interactions can provide some insights for future land use planning in the region.
SINGLE-IMAGE SUPER RESOLUTION FOR MULTISPECTRAL REMOTE SENSING DATA USING CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORKS
Authors: Liebel L. , Körner M.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. In optical remote sensing, spatial resolution of images is crucial for numerous applications. Space-borne systems are most likely to be affected by a lack of spatial resolution, due to their natural disadvantage of a large distance between the sensor and the sensed object. Thus, methods for single-image super resolution are desirable to exceed the limits of the sensor. Apart from assisting visual inspection of datasets, post-processing operations—e.g., segmentation or feature extraction—can benefit from detailed and distinguishable structures. In this paper, we show that recently introduced state-of-the-art approaches for single-image super resolution of conventional photographs, making use of deep learning techniques, such as convolutional neural networks (CNN), can successfully be applied to remote sensing data. With a huge amount of training data available, end-to-end learning is reasonably easy to apply and can achieve results unattainable using conventional handcrafted algorithms. We trained our CNN on a specifically designed, domain-specific dataset, in order to take into account the special characteristics of multispectral remote sensing data. This dataset consists of publicly available SENTINEL-2 images featuring 13 spectral bands, a ground resolution of up to 10m, and a high radiometric resolution and thus satisfying our requirements in terms of quality and quantity. In experiments, we obtained results superior compared to competing approaches trained on generic image sets, which failed to reasonably scale satellite images with a high radiometric resolution, as well as conventional interpolation methods.
Bias Corrections of Precipitation Measurements across Experimental Sites in Different Ecoclimatic Regions of Western Canada
Authors: Pan Xicai , Yang Daqing , Li Yanping , Barr Alan , Helgason Warren , Hayashi Masaki , Marsh Philip , Pomeroy John , Janowicz Richard J.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. This study assesses a filtering procedure on accumulating precipitation gauge measurements, and quantifies the effects of bias corrections for wind-induced undercatch across four ecoclimatic regions in western Canada, including the permafrost regions of the Sub-arctic, the Western Cordillera, the Boreal Forest, and the Prairies. The bias corrections increased monthly precipitation by up to 163 % at windy sites with short vegetation, and sometimes modified the seasonal precipitation regime, whereas the increases were less than 13 % at sites shielded by forest. On a yearly basis, the increase of total precipitation ranged from 8 to 20 mm (3–4 %) at sites shielded by vegetation, and 60 to 384 mm (about 15–34 %) at open sites. In addition, the bias corrections altered the seasonal precipitation patterns at some windy sites with high snow percentage (> 50 %). This study highlights the need and importance of precipitation bias corrections at both research sites and operational networks for water balance assessment and the validation of global/regional climate/hydrology models.