bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Significant climate impacts of aerosol changes driven by growth in energy use and advances in emission control technology
Authors: Zhao Alcide , Bollasina Massimo A. , Crippa Monica , Stevenson David S.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Anthropogenic aerosols have increased significantly since the
industrial revolution, driven largely by growth in emissions from energy use
in sectors including power generation, industry, and transport. Advances in
emission control technologies since around 1970, however, have partially
counteracted emissions increases from the above sectors. Using the
fully coupled Community Earth System Model, we quantify the effective
radiative forcing (ERF) and climate response to 1970–2010 aerosol changes
associated with the above two policy-relevant emission drivers. Emissions
from energy-use growth generate a global mean aerosol ERF (mean ± 1
standard deviation) of -0.31±0.22 W m−2 and result in a global mean
cooling (-0.35±0.17 K) and a precipitation reduction (-0.03±0.02 mm d−1). By contrast, the avoided emissions from advances in
emission control technology, which benefit air quality, generate a global
mean ERF of +0.21±0.23 W m−2, a global warming of
+0.10±0.13 K, and global mean precipitation increase of
+0.01±0.02 mm d−1. Despite the relatively small
changes in global mean precipitation, these two emission drivers have
profound impacts at regional scales, in particular over Asia and Europe. The
total net aerosol impacts on climate are dominated by energy-use growth,
from Asia in particular. However, technology advances outweigh energy-use
growth over Europe and North America. Various non-linear processes are
involved along the pathway from aerosol and their precursor emissions to radiative
forcing and ultimately to climate responses, suggesting that the diagnosed
aerosol forcing and effects must be interpreted in the context of experiment
designs. Further, the temperature response per unit aerosol ERF varies
significantly across many factors, including location and magnitude of
emission changes, implying that ERF, and the related metrics, needs to be
used very carefully for aerosols. Future aerosol-related emission pathways
have large temporal and spatial uncertainties; our findings provide useful
information for both assessing and interpreting such uncertainties, and they may
help inform future climate change impact reduction strategies.
Caution with spectroscopic NO2 reference cells (cuvettes)
Authors: Platt Ulrich , Kuhn Jonas
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Spectroscopic measurements of atmospheric trace gases, for example, by
differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS), are frequently supported
by recording the trace-gas column density (CD) in absorption cells
(cuvettes), which are temporarily inserted into the light path. The idea is
to verify the proper functioning of the instruments, to check the spectral
registration (wavelength calibration and spectral resolution), and to
perform some kind of calibration (absolute determination of trace-gas CDs).
In addition, trace-gas absorption cells are a central component in gas
correlation spectroscopy instruments. In principle DOAS applications do not
require absorption-cell calibration; however, in practice, measurements with
absorption cells in the spectrometer's light path are frequently performed. Since NO2 is a particularly popular molecule to be studied by DOAS, and
at the same time it can be unstable in cells, we chose it as an example to
demonstrate that the effective CD seen by the instrument can deviate greatly
(by orders of magnitude) from expected values. Analytical calculations and
kinetic model studies show the dominating influence of photolysis and
dimerization of NO2. In particular, this means that the partial
pressure of NO2 in the cell matters. However, problems can be
particularly severe at high NO2 pressures (around 105 Pa) as well as
low NO2 partial pressures (of the order of a few 100 Pa). Also, it can
be of importance whether the cell contains pure NO2 or is topped up
with air or oxygen (O2). Some suggestions to improve the situation are
discussed.
Magnetic local time asymmetries in precipitating electron and proton populations with and without substorm activity
Authors: Yakovchuk Olesya , Wissing Jan Maik
Published: November 2019

Abstract. The magnetic local time (MLT) dependence of electron (0.15–300 keV) and proton (0.15–6900 keV) precipitation into the atmosphere based on National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration POES and METOP satellite data during 2001–2008 was described. Using modified APEX coordinates the influence of particle energy, substorm activity and geomagnetic disturbance on the MLT flux distribution was statistically analysed. Some of the findings are the following.
a. Substorms mostly increase particle precipitation in the night sector by about factor 2–4, but
can also reduce it in the day sector.b. MLT dependence can be assigned to particles entering the magnetosphere at the cusp
region and magnetospheric particles in combination with energy-specific drifts (in agreement with Newell et al., 2009).c. MLT flux differences of up to 2 orders of magnitude have been identified inside the auroral oval during geomagnetically disturbed conditions. The novelty here is the comprehensive coverage of energy bands and the focus on asymmetry.d. The maximum flux asymmetry ratio depends on particle energy, decreasing with Kp for low energetic particles and increasing with Kp for higher energy electrons, while high energy protons show a more complex dependency. While some aspects may already have been known, the quantification of the flux asymmetry sheds new light on MLT variation.
Large-scale biospheric drought response intensifies linearly with drought duration
Authors: Orth René , Destouni Georgia , Jung Martin , Reichstein Markus
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Soil moisture droughts have comprehensive implications for terrestrial ecosystems. Here we study accumulated impacts of the strongest observed droughts on vegetation. The results show that drought duration, the time during which surface soil moisture is below seasonal average, is a key diagnostic variable for predicting drought-integrated changes in (i) gross primary productivity, (ii) evapotranspiration, (iii) vegetation greenness, and (iv) crop yields. Drought-integrated anomalies in these vegetation-related variables scale linearly with drought duration with a slope depending on climate. In arid regions, the slope is steep such that vegetation drought response intensifies with drought duration, whereas in humid regions, it is small such that drought impacts on vegetation are weak even for long droughts. These emergent large-scale linearities are not well captured by state- of-the-art hydrological, land surface and vegetation models. Overall, the linear relationship of drought duration versus vegetation response and crop yield reductions can serve as model benchmark, and support drought impact interpretation and prediction.
Can we use sea surface temperature and productivity proxy records to reconstruct Ekman upwelling?
Authors: Cheung Anson , Fox-Kemper Baylor , Herbert Timothy
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Marine sediments have greatly improved our understanding of the climate system, but their interpretation often assumes that certain climate mechanisms operate consistently over all timescales of interest and that variability at one or a few sample sites is representative of an oceanographic province. In this study, we test these assumptions using modern observations in an idealized manner mimicking paleo-reconstruction to investigate whether sea surface temperature and productivity proxy records in the Southern California Current System can be used to reconstruct Ekman upwelling. The method uses extended empirical orthogonal function (EEOF) analysis of the covariation of alongshore wind stress, chlorophyll, and sea surface temperature as measured by satellites from 2002 to 2009. We find that EEOF1 does not reflect an Ekman upwelling pattern but instead much broader California Current processes. EEOF2 and 3 reflect upwelling patterns, but these patterns are timescale dependent and regional. Thus, the skill of using one site to reconstruct the large-scale dominant patterns is spatially dependent. Lastly, we show that using multiple sites and/or multiple variables generally improves field reconstruction. These results together suggest that caution is needed when attempting to extrapolate mechanisms that may be important on seasonal timescales (e.g., Ekman upwelling) to deeper time but also the advantage of having multiple proxy records.
Morphological evolution of bifurcations in tide-influenced deltas
Authors: Iwantoro Arya P. , van der Vegt Maarten , Kleinhans Maarten G.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. In river-dominated deltas, bifurcations often develop an asymmetrical morphology, i.e. one of the downstream channels silts up while the other becomes the dominant one. In tide-influenced systems, bifurcations are thought to be less asymmetric and both downstream channels of the bifurcation remain open. The main aim of this study is to understand how tides influence the morphological development of bifurcations. By using a 2DH morphodynamic model (Delft3D), we simulated the morphological development of tide-influenced bifurcations on millennial time scales. The schematized bifurcation consists of an upstream channel forced by river discharge and two downstream channels forced by tides. Two different cases were examined. In the first case, the downstream channels started with unequal depth or length but had equal tidal forcing, while in the second case the morphology was initially symmetric but the downstream channels were forced with unequal tides. Furthermore, we studied the sensitivity of results to the relative role of river flow and tides. We find that with increasing influence of tides over river, the morphology of the downstream channels becomes less asymmetric. Increasing tidal influence can be achieved by either reduced river flow with respect to the tidal flow, or by asymmetrical tidal forcing of the downstream channels. The main reason for this behaviour is that tidal flows tend to be less unequal than river flows when geometry is asymmetric. For increasing tidal influence, this causes less asymmetric sediment mobility and therefore transport in both downstream channels. Furthermore, our results show that bedload tends to divide less asymmetrical compared to suspended load, showing a possible stabilizing effect of lateral bed slopes on morphological evolution. In our simulations, the more tide-dominated systems tend to have a larger ratio of bedload and suspended load transport. Our results explain why distributary channel networks deltas with strong tidal influence are more stable than river-dominated ones.
CLASSIC v1.0: the open-source community successor to the Canadian Land Surface Scheme (CLASS) and the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM) – Part 1: Model framework and site-level performance
Authors: Melton Joe R. , Arora Vivek K. , Wisernig-Cojoc Eduard , Seiler Christian , Fortier Matthew , Chan Ed , Teckentrup Lina
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Recent reports by the Global Carbon Project highlight large uncertainties around land surface processes such as land use change, strength of CO2 fertilization, nutrient limitation and supply, and response to variability in climate. Process-based land surface models are well-suited to address these complex and emerging global change problems, but will require extensive development and evaluation. The coupled Canadian Land Surface Scheme and Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CLASS-CTEM) framework has been under continuous development by Environment and Climate Change Canada since 1987. As the open-source model of code development has revolutionized the software industry, scientific software is experiencing a similar evolution. Given the scale of the challenge facing land surface modellers, and the benefits of open-source, or community model, development, we have transitioned CLASS-CTEM from an internally developed model to an open-source community model, which we call the Canadian Land Surface Scheme including Biogeochemical Cycles (CLASSIC) v. 1.0. CLASSIC contains many technical features specifically designed to encourage community use including software containerization for serial and parallel simulations, extensive benchmarking software and data (Automated Model Benchmarking; AMBER), self-documenting code, community standard formats for model inputs and outputs, amongst others. Here we evaluate and benchmark CLASSIC against 31 FLUXNET sites where the model has been tailored to the site-level conditions and driven with observed meteorology. Future versions of CLASSIC will be developed using AMBER and these initial benchmark results to evaluate model performance over time. CLASSIC remains under active development and the code, site-level benchmarking data, software container and AMBER are freely available for community use.
A systematic assessment of uncertainties in large scale soil loss estimation from different representations of USLE input factors – A case study for Kenya and Uganda
Authors: Schürz Christoph , Mehdi Bano , Kiesel Jens , Schulz Karsten , Herrnegger Mathew
Published: November 2019

Abstract. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is the most commonly used model to assess soil erosion by water. The model equation quantifies long-term average annual soil loss as a product of the rainfall erosivity R, soil erodibility K, slope length and steepness LS, soil cover C and support measures P. A large variety of methods exist to derive these model inputs from readily available data. However, the estimated values of a respective model input can strongly differ when employing different methods and can eventually introduce large uncertainties in the estimated soil loss. The potential to evaluate soil loss estimates at a large scale are very limited, due to scarce in-field observations and their comparability to long-term soil estimates. In this work we addressed (i) the uncertainties in the soil loss estimates that can potentially be introduced by different representations of the USLE input factors and (ii) challanges that can arise in the evaluation of uncertain soil loss estimates with observed data. In a systematic analysis we developed different representations of USLE inputs for the study domain of Kenya and Uganda. All combinations of the generated USLE inputs resulted in 756 USLE model setups. We assessed the resulting distributions in soil loss, both spatially distributed and on district level for Kenya and Uganda. In a sensitivity analysis we analyzed the contributions of the USLE model inputs to the ranges in soil loss and analyzed their spatial patterns. We compared the calculated USLE ensemble soil estimates to available in-field data and other study results and addressed possibilities and limitations of the USLE model evaluation. The USLE model ensemble resulted in wide ranges of estimated soil loss, exceeding the mean soil loss by over an order of magnitude particularly in hilly topographies. The study implies that a soil loss assessment with the USLE is highly uncertain and strongly depends on the realizations of the model input factors. The employed sensitivity analysis enabled us to identify spatial patterns in the importance of the USLE input factors. The C and K factors showed large scale patterns of importance in the densely vegetated part of Uganda and the dry north of Kenya, respectively, while LS was relevant in small scale heterogeneous patterns. Major challenges for the evaluation of the estimated soil losses with in-field data were due to spatial and temporal limitations of the observation data, but also due to measured soil losses describing processes that are different to the ones that are represented by the USLE.
Spatial variability of mean daily estimates of actual evaporation from remotely sensed imagery and surface reference data
Authors: Armstrong Robert N. , Pomeroy John W. , Martz Lawrence W.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Land surface evaporation has considerable spatial variability that
is not captured by point-scale estimates calculated from meteorological data
alone. Knowing how evaporation varies spatially remains an important issue
for improving parameterisations of land surface schemes and hydrological
models and various land management practices. Satellite-based and aerial
remote sensing has been crucial for capturing moderate- to larger-scale
surface variables to indirectly estimate evaporative fluxes. However, more
recent advances for field research via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) now allow
for the acquisition of more highly detailed surface data. Integrating models that can estimate “actual” evaporation from higher-resolution imagery and surface reference data would be valuable to better examine potential impacts of local variations in evaporation on upscaled estimates. This study introduces a novel approach for computing a normalised ratiometric index from surface variables that can be used to obtain more-realistic distributed estimates of actual evaporation. For demonstration purposes the Granger–Gray evaporation model (Granger and Gray, 1989) was applied at a rolling prairie agricultural site in central Saskatchewan, Canada. Visible and thermal images and meteorological reference data required to parameterise the model were obtained at midday. Ratiometric indexes were computed for the key surface variables albedo and
net radiation at midday. This allowed point observations of albedo and mean
daily net radiation to be scaled across high-resolution images over a large
study region. Albedo and net radiation estimates were within 5 %–10 % of measured values. A daily evaporation estimate for a grassed surface was 0.5 mm (23 %) larger than eddy covariance measurements. Spatial variations in key factors driving evaporation and their impacts on upscaled evaporation estimates are also discussed. The methods applied have two key advantages for estimating evaporation over previous remote-sensing approaches: (1) detailed daily estimates of actual evaporation can be directly obtained using a physically based evaporation model, and
(2) analysis of more-detailed and more-reliable evaporation estimates may lead to improved methods for upscaling evaporative fluxes to larger areas.
INTEGRATING A LOW-COST MEMS IMU INTO A LASER-BASED SLAM FOR INDOOR MOBILE MAPPING
Authors: Karam S. , Lehtola V. , Vosselman G.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Indoor mapping techniques are highly important in many applications, such as human navigation and indoor modelling. As satellite positioning systems do not work in indoor applications, several alternative navigational sensors and methods have been used to provide accurate indoor positioning for mapping purposes, such as inertial measurement units (IMUs) and simultaneous localisation and mapping algorithms (SLAM). In this paper, we investigate the benefits that the integration of a low-cost microelectromechanical system (MEMS) IMU can bring to a feature-based SLAM algorithm. Specifically, we utilize IMU data to predict the pose of our backpack indoor mobile mapping system to improve the SLAM algorithm. The experimental results show that using the proposed IMU integration method leads into a more robust data association between the measured points and the model planes. Notably, the number of points that are assigned to the model planes is increased, and the root mean square error (RMSE) of the residuals, i.e. distances between these measured points and the model planes, is decreased significantly from 1.8 cm to 1.3 cm.
INITIAL INVESTIGATION OF A LOW-COST AUTOMOTIVE LIDAR SYSTEM
Authors: Ortiz Arteaga A. , Scott D. , Boehm J.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. This investigation focuses on the performance assessment of a low-cost automotive LIDAR, the Livox Mid-40 series. The work aims to examine the qualities of the sensor in terms of ranging, repeatability and accuracy. Towards these aims a series of experiments were carried out based on previous research of low-cost sensor accuracy, LIDAR accuracy investigation and TLS calibration experiments. The Livox Mid-40 series offers the advantage of a long-range detection beyond 200 m at a remarkably low cost. The preliminary results of the tests for this sensor indicate that it can be used for reality capture purposes such as to obtain coarse as-built plans and volume calculations to mention a few. Close-range experiments were conducted in an indoor laboratory setting. Long-range experiments were performed outdoors towards a building façade. Reference values in both setups were provided with a Leica RTC 360 terrestrial LIDAR system. In the close-range experiments a cross section of the point cloud shows a significant level of noise in the acquired data. At a stand-off distance of 5 m the length measurement tests reveal deviations of up to 11 mm to the reference values. Range measurement was tested up to 130 meters and shows ranging deviations of up to 25 millimetres. The authors recommend further investigation of the issues in radiometric behaviour and material reflectivity. Also, more knowledge about the internal components is needed to understand the causes of the concentric ripple effect observed at close ranges. Another aspect that should be considered is the use of targets and their design as the non-standard scan pattern prevents automated detection with standard commercial software.
EXPEDITIOUS METHODS OF URBAN SURVEY FOR SEISMIC VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS
Authors: Predari G. , Bartolomei C. , Morganti C. , Mochi G. , Gulli R.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. The aim of the proposal is to illustrate how expeditious procedures of urban survey carried out through photomodeling can be the most suitable representation tool in combination with an expeditious procedure for assessing the seismic vulnerability of the historic building heritage in Italian city centres. For some years, in fact, the research group is developing a protocol for the rapid assessment of the seismic vulnerability of masonry aggregate buildings in Italian historic centres.The protocol is based on the determination of synthetic indicators providing a preventive quantification of the possible earthquake damage. This evaluation procedure is oriented to prevent and reduce the current vulnerability, aiming at the conservation and preservation of the historic building heritage. The synthetic indicators are defined by identifying expeditious evaluation procedures based on the typical evolutionary processes suffered by each aggregate in its planimetric and height development, on the construction techniques and on the design concepts used in the local area; these aspects are directly correlated to failure modes.The application of the entire process (starting from the rapid survey phases up to the final restitution of the seismic vulnerability assessment results) is illustrated for the historic centre of Imola. The ancient nucleus of this city constitutes an excellent example, as it is clearly representative of the Emilian historical architecture both for the processes of formation and transformation of the inhabited area, both for what concerns the constructive characterization deriving from the local building traditions.
OPEN-SOURCE IMAGE-BASED 3D RECONSTRUCTION PIPELINES: REVIEW, COMPARISON AND EVALUATION
Authors: Stathopoulou E.-K. , Welponer M. , Remondino F.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. State-of-the-art automated image orientation (Structure from Motion) and dense image matching (Multiple View Stereo) methods commonly used to produce 3D information from 2D images can generate 3D results – such as point cloud or meshes – of varying geometric and visual quality. Pipelines are generally robust and reliable enough, mostly capable to process even large sets of unordered images, yet the final results often lack completeness and accuracy, especially while dealing with real-world cases where objects are typically characterized by complex geometries and textureless surfaces and obstacles or occluded areas may also occur. In this study we investigate three of the available commonly used open-source solutions, namely COLMAP, OpenMVG+OpenMVS and AliceVision, evaluating their results under diverse large scale scenarios. Comparisons and critical evaluation on the image orientation and dense point cloud generation algorithms is performed with respect to the corresponding ground truth data. The presented FBK-3DOM datasets are available for research purposes.
BIM RECONSTRUCTION: AUTOMATED PROCEDURAL MODELING FROM POINT CLOUD DATA
Authors: Bassier M. , Mattheuwsen L. , Vergauwen M.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. The reconstruction of Building Information Modeling objects for as-built modeling is currently the subject of ongoing research. A popular method is to extract structure information from point cloud data to create a set of parametric objects. This requires the interpretation of the point cloud data which currently is a manual and labor intensive procedure. Automated processes have to cope with excessive occlusions and clutter in the data sets. To create an as-built BIM, it is vital to reconstruct the building’s structure i.e. wall geometry prior to the reconstruction of other objects.In this work, a novel method is presented to automatically reconstruct as-built BIM for generic buildings. We presented an unsupervised method that procedurally models the geometry of the walls based on point cloud data. A bottom-up process is defined where consecutively higher level information is extracted from the point cloud data using pre-trained machine learning models. Prior to the reconstruction, the data is segmented, classified and clustered to retrieve all the available observations of the walls. The resulting geometry is processed by the reconstruction algorithm. First, the necessary information is extracted from the observations for the creation of parametric solid objects. Subsequently, the final walls are created by updating their topology. The method is tested on a variety of scenes and shows promising results to reliably and accurately create as-built models. The accuracy of the generated geometry is similar to the precision of expert modelers. A key advantage is that that the algorithm creates Revit and Rhino native objects which makes the geometry directly applicable to a wide range of applications.
Global scale benefit-cost analysis of coastal flood adaptation to different flood risk drivers
Authors: Tiggeloven Timothy , de Moel Hans , Winsemius Hessel C. , Eilander Dirk , Erkens Gilles , Gebremedhin Eskedar , Diaz Loaiza Andres , Kuzma Samantha , Luo Tianyi , Iceland Charles , Bouwman Arno , van Huijstee Jolien , Ligtvoet Willem , Ward Philip J.
Published: November 2019

Abstract. Coastal flood hazard and exposure are expected to increase over the course of the 21st century, leading to increased coastal flood risk. In order to limit the increase in future risk, or even reduce coastal flood risk, adaptation is necessary. Here, we present a framework to evaluate the future benefits and costs of structural protection measures at the global scale, which accounts for the influence of different flood risk drivers (namely: sea-level rise, subsidence, and socioeconomic change). Globally, we find that the estimated expected annual damage (EAD) increases by a factor of 150 between 2010 and 2080, if we assume that no adaptation takes place. We find that 15 countries account for approximately 90 % of this increase. We then explore four different adaptation objectives and find that they all show high potential to cost-effectively reduce (future) coastal flood risk at the global scale. Attributing the total costs for optimal protection standards, we find that sea-level rise contributes the most to the total costs of adaptation. However, the other drivers also play an important role. The results of this study can be used to highlight potential savings through adaptation at the global scale.
Spectrum and contributing factors of renal diseases among Jordanian children
Authors: Alkadomi Sumia Abded Alhafeth , Shawish Najah Sami , Saleh Saiel Hayat , Alqudah Amani Mustafa
Published: November 2019

Renal diseases are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children. They can affect children in various ways: they vary from completely treatable without long-lasting consequences to severe disorders such as chronic kidney disease. The causes of renal disease may differ from one country to another. Understanding the spectrum and identifying the contributing factors of renal diseases in a specific country promote early diagnosis, facilitate treatment, and prevent complications such as renal failure and end-stage kidney disease. This study was conducted to establish the spectrum and contributing factors to renal diseases among Jordanian children receiving health care in a tertiary hospital in Amman, Jordan (Prince Hamza Hospital). A convenience sample of 129 children diagnosed with renal diseases, treated and followed in our nephrology clinic, were interviewed during 2015 to 2017. A kidney-disease patient questionnaire was used to interview the children or their caregivers. The study revealed that the most common renal disease among the participants was urinary tract infection (UTI, 35.7%), followed by congenital diseases (34.1%), then chronic renal failure (CRF, 11.6%). There were several contributing factors of renal disease among the studied children, such as malnutrition, poverty, high rate of consanguinity, delayed diagnosis, and geographical location.
The Application Degree of Participative School Leaderships at Al-Ihsa Governorate and Its Correlation with Teachers’ Professional Development
Authors: Abu Nasser Fathi Mohammed
Published: November 2019

Participative leadership is one of the most important human trends of school leadership and institutions of education. The study aimed to identify the degree of application of participative leadership by school leaders at Ihsa governorate, Saudi Arabia, and its correlation to teacher’s professional development in the light of some variables. The study sample comprised (241) education leaders from both sexes throughout the school year 2018/2019. To collect data, an important three-part instrument developed incorporating participative leadership and its correlation to teacher’s professional development. Cronbach coefficient of instrument validation was (0.97). In analyzing data, arithmetic means, standard deviations, one way ANOVA, and correlation coefficient were calculated. Results of the study showed that the degree of application of the total process was high. They also showed that there was a relation with statistical significance at the level (0.01) between participative leadership with its dimension and professional development. The results also showed that there were no differences with statistical significance in answers of sample members which might be attributed to study variables at the level (α=0.01). The study recommended intensifying training courses for school leaders with regard to participative leadership, in addition to, supporting and widening teachers’ participation in school leadership.
Reviewer Acknowledgements for International Education Studies, Vol. 12, No. 12
Authors: Lee Chris
Published: November 2019

Reviewer acknowledgements for International Education Studies, Vol. 12, No. 12, 2019.
Investigating the Validity of Different Peer Groupings in the Assessment of English Writings
Authors: Bi Zhou , Mengyu Tan , Diying Yuan , Liandi Pan
Published: November 2019

Peer assessment is an indispensable part in classroom assessment and it serves as a very useful way of promoting learning. However, different ways of peer grouping may influence the validity of peer assessment. This study analyzes the quality and quantity of feedback, adoption rate of feedback as well as scores of students’ original drafts and the revised versions. It finds that all ways of grouping can promote learning but the degree of validity varies among groups. Besides, accuracy and adoption rate are high in students’ feedback, which means peer feedback is effective to a great extent. Among all the ways of grouping, homogeneous grouping i.e. pairing students with the same or similar language proficiency level can archive more significant promotion in learning. In general, students hold a positive view towards the validity of peer assessment.
Johan Vilhelm Snellman’s–Finnish Philosopher, Writer, Diplomat–Statement “Science Centers for All”
Authors: Aydın Abdullah
Published: November 2019

“Go to temples of science and ideas of Europe. Imitate the Tugendbund, ‘the Union of Virtue’, of which thousands of German youth are the members. Always keep the rule of ‘Fit soul is in fit body’ in mind” (Petrov, 2013, p. 72). This study aimed to show the similarities, in terms of expression, emphasis, and implication, in the about/mission/vision/goals/objectives of various science centers from around the world and in the basic themes derived from Snellman’s statement above, namely, Science for all, Science Centers for all, and Human welfare that he made as a challenge to not only his people but to everyone. Document and content analyses were applied in the study. Within the scope of these analyses, this study investigated the about/mission/vision/goals/objectives sections of websites of science centers from around the world (Asia, Europe, Global, Latin America/The Caribbean, North America, Africa). From this investigation, similar basic themes, derived from Snellman’s statement challenging his people/everyone to adopt this devotion to science, were found in the areas of i) expression in ASTC, CIMUSET/CSTM, CASC and SAASTEC; ii) emphasis in ECSITE, ASDC, ASCN and NSCF; and iii) implication in ASPAC, ASTEN, NCSM, ABCMC and Red-POP. These basic themes, as found in the about/mission/vision/goals/objectives of science centers, can, in effect, be narrowed down to the one theme of “cultural institutions will be a big part of human life” (Madsen 2017, p. 68) science centers in the global village (Touraine, 2016, p. 121) of the future.
Reviewer Acknowledgements for Journal of Politics and Law, Vol. 12, No. 4
Authors: Tai William
Published: November 2019

Reviewer acknowledgements for Journal of Politics and Law, Vol. 12, No. 4, 2019.
Limits of Criminal Legitimacy in Use of Reproduced Works
Authors: Alazab Saleem Isaaf , Almomani Sabah Mousa , Alawamleh Atef Salem
Published: November 2019

The use of a reproduced work is a criminally legal act if it is used by a reproducer of such work within a specific group of individuals. However, the use of the same reproduction is criminally prohibited if it is used collectively, and if it violates the normal exploitation of the original work or harms authors’ legitimate interest. Thus, the protection of interest of the authors requires that reproduction of some works is prohibited, in whole or in part, for the private use under some certain controls.
Human Rights and Freedoms in the Digital Era: Problems and Perspectives of Their Establishment in the Eurasian Space
Authors: Petrovich Baranov Pavel , Yurievich Mamychev Aleksei , Yurievich Mordovtsev Andrei , Vyacheslavovich Soloviev Oleg , Nikolaevna Gnatovskaya Elena
Published: November 2019

The article touches upon the process of transformation of a socio-political organization in the legal system, caused by integration of digital technologies and autonomous algorithmic systems. It is justified that the development of machine education and artificial intelligence systems can result in human suspension from taking important social and political decisions. Impermeability and fluidity of modern digital technologies provides hidden functioning mode of the latter, whilst their specificity is not included in the formulated agenda, creating and taking managerial decisions or planning everyday life activity. The article proves that the aftereffects of the fourth technological revolution claim for returning of the human rights standards, freedoms and legal interests as the leading form of a reference point in the global digital rivalry and in the development of certain social systems, also the necessity to establish a distinct system of human rights guarantee and human safety in the era of developing principally new digital relations is proved. Meanwhile, digital information legislation needs systematization and a strict consistent state.
Legal Mentality of Diasporas: Experience in Theoretical and Methodological Design
Authors: Apolsky Evgeny A. , Kim Alexander , Yurievich Mamychev Aleksei , Yurievich Mordovtsev Andrei , Borisovna Romanenko Veronika
Published: November 2019

This article presents theoretical and methodical as well as pragmatic basis of the theory of mentality of diasporas and provincial communities which is just taking shape in domestic legal and political knowledge. Great attention is paid, in particular, to legal mentality of diasporas’ representatives manifests itself in a different way in the social space of a multinational state. The authors of this work believe that turning to steady in time mental attitudes common for representatives of different diasporas is necessary first of all for forming an adequate political and legal strategy of the national development, for pursuing relevant legal policies in different Russian regions. The contents and peculiarities of the legal mentality of diasporas and provincial communities should be taken into account in the process of defining priorities of reforming the legal and political system, choosing ways and methods of changes in the legal, political and socioeconomic fields. Besides, thorough research of legal mentality of different diasporas will give a chance to find out the ethnocultural component of dynamics in social processes and to assess them (e. g. in the issues of level of riskogenicity and conflictogenicity), to outline possible results and perspectives. The article considers features of legal mentality of the diasporas of the Far Eastern region of Russia as a specific example.
Assessment of Intervention Strategies for Addressing Agricultural Production Shocks in Tanzania: The Case of Rufiji, Mbarali and Sumbawanga Districts
Authors: Samwel Peter , Niboye Elliott P.
Published: November 2019

This study sought to gain in-depth understanding into smallholder farmers’ perceptions of intervention strategies for addressing agricultural production shocks in Tanzania. It involved identification of local policy and intervention strategies that can be used to address agricultural production shocks and build resilience among smallholder farmers in Tanzania. The study employed mixed research methodology, using primary data collected from six villages in Sumbawanga, Mbarali and Rufiji districts in Tanzania. Overall findings reveal that smallholder farmers have good knowledge of possible strategies for addressing agricultural production shocks. The farmers recommended local policy and intervention strategies for supporting them such as facilitation of access to credit and subsidies, reinforcing and strengthening informal social networks, supporting income diversification activities and introduction of crop insurance system. Other intervention strategies include introduction of participatory village land use plans, promoting information access and training to smallholder farmers and enhancing access to small-scale irrigation technologies. Based on these findings, the study recommends that policy makers and researchers should concentrate on understanding farmers’ perceptions in view of using local knowledge in the design and implementation of intervention strategies. The strength of farmers’ perceptions is that it is the outcome of farmers’ actual experience, and it is based on understanding of the local context. .The paper concludes that unless the strategies are fully implemented, agricultural production shocks will continue to affect smallholder farmers in rural Tanzania.
Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior in Predicting US Residents’ Willingness to Pay to Restore Degraded Tropical Rainforest Watersheds
Authors: Obeng Elizabeth A. , Oduro Kwame A. , Obiri Beatrice D.
Published: November 2019

This study assessed US residents’ willingness to pay (WTP) to restore degraded tropical rainforest watersheds using predictors from the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in an experimental approach. Responses from a random sample of over 1000 US respondents were analyzed using a logistic regression with willingness to pay as the intended behavior predicted by attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and complementary explanatory variables. Subjective norm was the strongest of all the variables and the strongest TPB predictor of WTP. Other statistically significant variables predicting WTP included direct experience with the resource and support for environmental groups. Age, gender and education also significantly predicted WTP. Overall, 22 percent of respondents were willing to make an annual monetary contribution ranging from US$ 30.00 to US$ 150.00 through increase in income tax for five years. The economic value for the restored tropical rainforest watershed was estimated at US$ 146.32 per household per year.
Integrating Dimensions of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Within Umranic Framework
Authors: Dariah Atih R. , Salleh Muhammad S. , Yahaia Mahyudin bin , Mafruhat Ade Y.
Published: November 2019

This paper aims to suggest an integration of dimensions, especially economic, social, environmental, and politics that are embedded in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within a framework called Umran. This Umranic framework hails from the idea of distinguished Muslim philosopher, historian and sociologist Ibn Khaldun, that is based on Islamic doctrines. As the present integration of the dimensions seems to be problematic, an exploration into the integration within Umranic framework is believed to be potentially a contributive endeavor. Based on an overview of literatures and a content analysis, this paper found that integrating dimensions of SDGs within the Umranic framework appears in the triangle of relationship between God, humans, and environment. This triangle exists in the form of an Islamic economic system. In this system, economic activities of natural resource utilization in various types of ownership undertake the sustainability dimension, that is the environmental protection and the promotion of equitable distribution, followed by the implementation of management of ownership and distribution rights according to Islamic rules. The pre-requisite on the part of the players is the high levels of spirituality. The application of this Islamic economic system followed by its political dimension will guarantee the achievement of SDGs even though it needs adjustment to a number of SDGs’ indicators that are not in accordance to Islamic teachings.
4E Analysis of Integrated MHD-Combined Cycle
Authors: Esmaeilzadehazimi M.A. , Khoshgoftar Manesh Mohammad Hasan , Bakhtiari Heleyleh B. , Vaznini Modabbaer H
Published: November 2019

In recent years, there have been increasing studies on topping cycles
of combined cycle power plants with very high working temperature (about 3000
K). One of the thermal cycles, which have the ability to work in this
temperature range, is MHD –Magneto hydrodynamic- cycle. MHD cycle can operate
in two states. One state is the open cycle, and the other one is the close
cycle. In both mentioned states there is a large amount of waste heat that can
be recovered. It seems that the use of recovered heat from MHD cycles as the
heat source for a gas turbine cycle namely Brayton according to their working
temperature is very suitable.

In this research, integration of combined cycle with MHD generator
as the topping cycle has been investigated as a proposed cycle. In this regard,
the thermodynamic simulation of the plant has been performed. To verification
of the thermodynamic simulation, the results have been compared with Thermolfex
software and the data in the literature. In addition, exergetic,
exergoeconomic, and environmental modeling and evaluation have been performed through
computer code. The results show the good accuracy of the thermodynamic
simulation for the integrated system. Also, the proposed cycle has a higher
efficiency with the lower cost of exergy destruction and lower emission
pollution.
Design and CFD analysis of an industrial fan for a concentrating high-temperature solar powerplant
Authors: CUTURİ Nicolò , ARONİCA S. , BELLİNİ L. , SALVATİ A.
Published: November 2019

The increasing request for the use of renewable energy sources leads to the study of different types of new alternative powerplants, one of them being the electricity generation by means of solar concentration powerplants with open volumetric receiver, using non-pressurized air as the heat transfer fluid. Due to the poor heat transfer characteristics of the fluid, a large air mass flowrate is needed in the solar tower to transfer a sufficient amount of heat to a conventional steam cycle. The aim of this study is to design a machine with 5 MW electrical power output and 1.125 compression ratio that is able to work in this severe environment. The compression needed by the forced convection circuit, requires verification of the relevance of the compressibility phenomena. The design start from the machine type selection and the sizing of the compressor, based on the standard mono-dimensional turbomachinery theory, and continue with the verification of the fluid dynamic performance of the fan, based on a commercial CFD code (ANSYS-FLUENT). A first 2D case is evaluated to ensure that the geometry is working correctly, then the full 3D geometry is simulated to quantify the real performance of the compressor. A preliminary structural analysis of the blade is also performed to verify the structural integrity of the chosen configuration.
De stellige ontkenning van een elektronische ondertekening
Authors: van Esch Rob
Published: November 2019

De stellige ontkenning van een elektronische ondertekening. Is art. 159 lid 2 Rv toe aan modernisering?

In dit artikel gaat de auteur in op de toepassing van art. 159 lid 2 Rv en andere juridische aspecten van een stellige ontkenning van een elektronische ondertekening. Hij betoogt dat toepassing van deze bepaling ook bij een stellige ontkenning van een elektronische handtekening tot resultaten kan leiden waarmee de praktijk uit de voeten kan als haar reikwijdte wordt beperkt tot de waarheid van de ondertekende verklaring.