bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison between five acellular oxidative potential measurement assays performed with detailed chemistry on PM10 samples from the city of Chamonix (France)
Authors: Calas Aude , Uzu Gaëlle , Kelly Frank J. , Houdier Stephan , Martins Jean M. F. , Thomas Fabrice , Molton Florian , Charron Aurélie , Dunster Christina , Oliete Ana , Jacob Véronique , Besombes Jean-Luc , Chevrier Florie , Jaffrezo Jean-Luc
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Many studies have demonstrated associations between exposure to ambient
particulate matter (PM) and adverse health outcomes in humans that can be
explained by PM capacity to induce oxidative stress in vivo. Thus, assays
have been developed to quantify the oxidative potential (OP) of PM as a more
refined exposure metric than PM mass alone. Only a small number of studies
have compared different acellular OP measurements for a given set of ambient
PM samples. Yet, fewer studies have compared different assays over a year-long period and
with detailed chemical characterization of ambient PM. In
this study, we report on seasonal variations of the dithiothreitol (DTT),
ascorbic acid (AA), electron spin resonance (ESR) and the
respiratory tract
lining fluid (RTLF, composed of the reduced glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic
acid (ASC)) assays over a 1-year period in which 100 samples were analyzed.
A detailed PM10 characterization allowed univariate and
multivariate regression analyses in order to obtain further insight into
groups of chemical species that drive OP measurements. Our results show that
most of the OP assays were strongly intercorrelated over the sampling year
but also these correlations differed when considering specific sampling
periods (cold vs. warm). All acellular assays are correlated with a
significant number of chemical species when considering univariate
correlations, especially for the DTT assay. Evidence is also presented of a
seasonal contrast over the sampling period with significantly higher OP
values during winter for the DTT, AA, GSH and ASC assays, which were assigned
to biomass burning species by the multiple linear regression models. The ESR
assay clearly differs from the other tests as it did not show seasonal
dynamics and presented weaker correlations with other assays and chemical
species.
Application of a Hygroscopicity Tandem Differential Mobility
Analyzer for characterizing PM Emissions in exhaust plumes from an
Aircraft Engine burning Conventional and Alternative fuels
Authors: Trueblood Max B. , Lobo Prem , Hagen Donald E. , Achterberg Steven C. , Liu Wenyan , Whitefield Philip D.
Published: June 2018

Abstract. In the last several decades, significant efforts have been directed toward better understanding the gaseous and Particulate Matter (PM) emissions from aircraft gas turbine engines. However, limited information is available on the hygroscopic properties of aircraft engine soot particles, in particular their soluble mass fraction (SMF). This parameter plays an important role in the water absorption, airborne lifetime, obscuring effect, and detrimental health effects of these particles. This study reports the description, detailed lab-based performance evaluation of a robust Hygroscopic-Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer (H-TDMA) and subsequent field deployment to measure the SMF of aircraft engine soot particles in the exhaust from CFM56-2C1 engines burning several fuels during the Alternative Aviation Fuel EXperiment (AAFEX) II campaign. The fuels used were a conventional JP-8, tallow-based hydro-processed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), Fischer-Tropsch, a blend of HEFA and JP-8, and Fischer-Tropsch doped with Tetrahydrothiophene (an organosulfur compound). In all cases the SMF was observed to increase with fuel sulfur content and engine power condition. SMF decreseased with increasing particle size. The highest SMFs (~ 80 %) were found in the smallest particles, typically those with diameters of 10 nm.
Polar mesospheric clouds observed by Himawari-8
Authors: Tsuda Takuo T. , Hozumi Yuta , Kawaura Kento , Hosokawa Keisuke , Suzuki Hidehiko , Nakamura Takuji
Published: June 2018

Abstract. We make an initial report on polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) observed by Himawari-8, the Japanese Geostationary-Earth-Orbit (GEO) meteorological satellite. Heights of the observed PMCs were estimated to be 80–82 km. The PMCs were active only during summertime in both the northern and southern polar regions. These results are concrete evidences of PMCs. PMC observations by Himawari-8 can provide continuous PMC monitoring at every 10 minutes with 3 visible bands from its almost fixed location relative to the Earth, and it would enhance PMC research in the near future.
CO2 flux over young and snow-covered Arctic pack ice in winter and spring
Authors: Nomura Daiki , Granskog Mats A. , Fransson Agneta , Chierici Melissa , Silyakova Anna , Ohshima Kay I. , Cohen Lana , Delille Bruno , Hudson Stephen R. , Dieckmann Gerhard S.
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Rare CO2 flux measurements from Arctic pack ice show that two types of ice contribute to the release of CO2 from the ice to the atmosphere during winter and spring: young, thin ice with a thin layer of snow and older (several weeks), thicker ice with thick snow cover. Young, thin sea ice is characterized by high salinity and high porosity, and snow-covered thick ice remains relatively warm ( >  −7.5 °C) due to the insulating snow cover despite air temperatures as low as −40 °C. Therefore, brine volume fractions of these two ice types are high enough to provide favorable conditions for gas exchange between sea ice and the atmosphere even in mid-winter. Although the potential CO2 flux from sea ice decreased due to the presence of the snow, the snow surface is still a CO2 source to the atmosphere for low snow density and thin snow conditions. We found that young sea ice that is formed in leads without snow cover produces CO2 fluxes an order of magnitude higher than those in snow-covered older ice (+1.0 ± 0.6 mmol C m−2 day−1 for young ice and +0.2 ± 0.2 mmol C m−2 day−1 for older ice).
Euro-Atlantic winter storminess and precipitation extremes under 1.5 °C vs. 2 °C warming scenarios
Authors: Barcikowska Monika J. , Weaver Scott J. , Feser Frauke , Russo Simone , Schenk Frederik , Stone Dáithí A. , Wehner Michael F. , Zahn Matthias
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Severe winter storms in combination with precipitation extremes pose a
serious threat to Europe. Located at the southeastern exit of the North
Atlantic's storm track, European coastlines are directly exposed to impacts
by high wind speeds, storm floods and coastal erosion. In this study we
analyze potential changes in simulated winter storminess and extreme
precipitation, which may occur under 1.5 or 2 ∘C warming scenarios.
Here we focus on a first simulation suite of the atmospheric model CAM5
performed within the HAPPI project and evaluate how changes of the horizontal
model resolution impact the results regarding atmospheric pressure, storm
tracks, wind speed and precipitation extremes. The comparison of CAM5 simulations with different resolutions indicates that
an increased horizontal resolution to 0.25∘ not only refines
regional-scale information but also improves large-scale atmospheric
circulation features over the Euro-Atlantic region. The zonal bias in monthly pressure at mean sea level
and wind fields, which is typically found in low-resolution models, is
considerably reduced. This allows us to analyze potential changes in
regional- to local-scale extreme wind speeds and precipitation in a more
realistic way. Our analysis of the future response for the 2 ∘C warming scenario
generally confirms previous model simulations suggesting a poleward shift
and intensification of the meridional circulation in the Euro-Atlantic
region. Additional analysis suggests that this shift occurs mainly after
exceeding the 1.5 ∘C global warming level, when the midlatitude
jet stream manifests a strengthening northeastward. At the same time, this
northeastern shift of the storm tracks allows an intensification and
northeastern expansion of the Azores high, leading to a tendency of less
precipitation across the Bay of Biscay and North Sea. Regions impacted by the strengthening of the midlatitude jet, such as the
northwestern coasts of the British Isles, Scandinavia and the Norwegian Sea,
and over the North Atlantic east of Newfoundland, experience an increase in
the mean as well as daily and sub-daily precipitation, wind extremes and
storminess, suggesting an important influence of increasing storm activity in
these regions in response to global warming.
Rain Attenuation Prediction Model for Satellite Communications
Based on The Météo-France Ensemble Prediction System PEARP
Authors: Dahman Isabelle , Arbogast Philippe , Jeannin Nicolas , Benammar Bouchra
Published: June 2018

Abstract. This paper presents an example of usage of Ensemble Weather Forecast for the control of Satellite-based Communication Systems. Satellite communication systems become increasingly sensitive to weather conditions as their operating frequency is increasing to avoid electromagnetic spectrum congestion and enhance their capacity. In the microwave domain, electromagnetic waves that are conveying information are attenuated between the satellite and Earth terminals in presence of hydrometeors (mostly rain drops and more marginally cloud droplets). To maintain a reasonable level of service availability, even with adverse weather conditions considering the scarcity of amplification power in spacecraft, fade mitigation techniques have been developed. The general idea behind those fade mitigation techniques is to re-route, change the characteristics, or re-schedule the transmission in case of too significant propagation impairments. For some systems, a scheduling on how to use those mechanisms some hours in advance is required, making assumptions on the future weather conditions affecting the link. To this aim the use of weather forecast data to control the attenuation compensation mechanisms seems of particular interest to maximize the performances of the communication links and hence of the associated economic value. A model to forecast the attenuation on the link based on forecasted rainfall amounts from deterministic or ensemble weather forecasting is presented and validated. In a second phase, the model's application to a simplified telecommunication system allows demonstrating the valuable contribution of weather forecasting in the system's availability optimization or in the system's throughput optimization. The benefit of using ensemble weather forecasting rather than deterministic ones is demonstrated as well.
Analysis of vegetation condition and its relationship with meteorological variables in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin of China
Authors: Han Xianming , Zuo Depeng , Xu Zongxue , Cai Siyang , Gao Xiaoxi
Published: June 2018

Abstract. The Yarlung Zangbo River Basin is located in the southwest border of China,
which is of great significance to the socioeconomic development and
ecological environment of Southwest China. Normalized Difference Vegetation
Index (NDVI) is an important index for investigating the change of vegetation
cover, which is widely used as the representation value of vegetation cover.
In this study, the NDVI is adopted to explore the vegetation condition in the
Yarlung Zangbo River Basin during the recent 17 years, and the relationship
between NDVI and meteorological variables has also been discussed. The
results show that the annual maximum value of NDVI usually appears from July
to September, in which August occupies a large proportion. The minimum value
of NDVI appears from January to March, in which February takes up most of the
percentage. The higher values of NDVI are generally located in the lower
elevation area. When the altitude is higher than 3250 m, NDVI began to
decline gradually, and the NDVI became gradual stabilization as the elevation
is up to 6000 m. The correlation coefficient between NDVI and
precipitation in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin is greater than that with
temperature. The Hurst index of the whole basin is 0.51, indicating that the
NDVI of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin shows a weak sustainability.
Detecting trend on ecological river status – how to deal with short incomplete bioindicator time series? Methodological and operational issues
Authors: Cernesson Flavie , Tournoud Marie-George , Lalande Nathalie
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Among the various parameters monitored in river monitoring networks,
bioindicators provide very informative data. Analysing time variations in
bioindicator data is tricky for water managers because the data sets are
often short, irregular, and non-normally distributed. It is then a
challenging methodological issue for scientists, as it is in Saône basin
(30 000 km2, France) where, between 1998 and 2010, among 812 IBGN
(French macroinvertebrate bioindicator) monitoring stations, only 71 time
series have got more than 10 data values and were studied here. Combining
various analytical tools (three parametric and non-parametric statistical
tests plus a graphical analysis), 45 IBGN time series were classified as
stationary and 26 as non-stationary (only one of which showing a
degradation). Series from sampling stations located within the same
hydroecoregion showed similar trends, while river size classes seemed to be
non-significant to explain temporal trends. So, from a methodological point
of view, combining statistical tests and graphical analysis is a relevant
option when striving to improve trend detection. Moreover, it was possible to
propose a way to summarise series in order to analyse links between
ecological river quality indicators and land use stressors.
Horizontal insulating barriers as a way to protect groundwater
Authors: Cicha-Szot Renata , Labus Krzysztof , Falkowicz Sławomir , Madetko Norbert
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Trenchless Technology of Forming Horizontal Insulating Barriers
(TFHB) can be considered a method of groundwater protection against inflow of
pollutants. In TFHB technology, the working fluid (sodium silicate solution)
and the gelling agent (CO2) are injected separately, using one tool, to
different zones of the aquifer profile. Carbon dioxide injected into the
saturation zone rises due to buoyancy forces and reaches the silicate which
was injected at the water table level. This initiates the process of silicate
gelation, resulting in the formation of an insulating barrier. For
technological purposes, the gelation time must be controlled, and the
resulting gel must have certain mechanical properties. In order to apply THFB
in real conditions it was necessary to identify important technological and
technical parameters, as well as to define interactions between the injected
fluid and the aquifer rocks. Geochemical modelling (equilibrium, reaction
path and reactive transport) was used to identify potential geochemical
effects of the application of TFHB in sandy aquifers. Certain petrophysical
parameters and mineralogical assemblages of aquifers were addressed, taking
into account both low and strongly mineralized groundwater. The simulations
revealed that TFHB does not have a negative impact on the chemistry of
rock-water systems described in this work.
Mid and long-term optimize scheduling of cascade hydro-power stations based on modified GA-POA method
Authors: Li Jiqing , Yang Xiong
Published: June 2018

Abstract. In this paper, to explore the efficiency and rationality of the
cascade combined generation, a cascade combined optimal model with the
maximum generating capacity is established, and solving the model by the
modified GA-POA method. It provides a useful reference for the joint
development of cascade hydro-power stations in large river basins. The
typical annual runoff data are selected to calculate the difference between
the calculated results under different representative years. The results
show that the cascade operation of cascaded hydro-power stations can
significantly increase the overall power generation of cascade and ease the
flood risk caused by concentration of flood season.
Effect of reservoir zones and hedging factor dynamism on reservoir adaptive capacity for climate change impacts
Authors: Adeloye Adebayo J. , Soundharajan Bankaru-Swamy
Published: June 2018

Abstract. When based on the zones of available water in storage, hedging has
traditionally used a single hedged zone and a constant rationing ratio for
constraining supply during droughts. Given the usual seasonality of
reservoir inflows, it is also possible that hedging could feature multiple
hedged zones and temporally varying rationing ratios but very few studies
addressing this have been reported especially in relation to adaptation to
projected climate change. This study developed and tested Genetic Algorithms
(GA) optimised zone-based operating policies of various configurations using
data for the Pong reservoir, Himachal Pradesh, India. The results show that
hedging does lessen vulnerability, which dropped from ≥ 60 % without
hedging to below 25 % with the single stage hedging. More complex hedging
policies, e.g. two stage and/or temporally varying rationing ratios only
produced marginal improvements in performance. All this shows that water
hedging policies do not have to be overly complex to effectively offset
reservoir vulnerability caused by water shortage resulting from e.g.
projected climate change.
Impacts of the thawing-freezing process on runoff generation in the Sources Area of the Yellow River on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Wu Xiaoling , Xiang Xiaohua , Qiu Chao , Li Li
Published: June 2018

Abstract. In cold regions, precipitation, air temperature and snow cover significantly
influence soil water, heat transfer, the freezing-thawing processes of the
active soil layer, and runoff generation. Hydrological regimes of the world's
major rivers in cold regions have changed remarkably since the 1960s, but the
mechanisms underlying the changes have not yet been fully understood. Using
the basic physical processes for water and heat balances and transfers in
snow covered soil, a water-heat coupling model for snow cover and its
underlying soil layers was established. We found that freezing-thawing
processes can affect the thickness of the active layer, storage capacity for
liquid water, and subsequent surface runoffs. Based on calculations of
thawing-freezing processes, we investigated hydrological processes at
Qumalai. The results show that the water-heat coupling model can be used in
this region to provide an understanding of the local movement of hydrological
regimes.
Response of streamflow to climate change in a sub-basin of the source region of the Yellow River based on a tank model
Authors: Wu Pan , Wang Xu-Sheng , Liang Sihai
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Though extensive researches were conducted in the source region of the Yellow
River (SRYR) to analyse climate change influence on streamflow, however, few
researches concentrate on streamflow of the sub-basin above the Huangheyan
station in the SRYR (HSRYR) where a water retaining dam was built in the
outlet in 1999. To improve the reservoir regulation strategies, this study
analysed streamflow change of the HSRYR in a mesoscale. A tank model (TM) was
proposed and calibrated with monthly observation streamflow from 1991 to
1998. In the validation period, though there is a simulation deviation during
the water storage and power generation period, simulated streamflow agrees
favourably with observation data from 2008 to 2013. The model was further
validated by two inside lakes area obtained from Landsat 5, 7, 8 datasets
from 2000 to 2014, and significant correlations were found between the
simulated lake outlet runoff and respective lake area. Then 21 Global Climate
Models (GCM) ensembled data of three emission scenarios (SRA2, SRA1B and
SRB1) were downscaled and used as input to the TM to simulate the runoff
change of three benchmark periods 2011–2030 (2020s), 2046–2065 (2050s),
2080–2099 (2090s), respectively. Though temperature increase dramatically,
these projected results similarly indicated that streamflow shows an increase
trend in the long term. Runoff increase is mainly caused by increasing
precipitation and decreasing evaporation. Water resources distribution is
projected to change from summer-autumn dominant to autumn winter dominant.
Annual lowest runoff will occur in May caused by earlier snow melting and
increasing evaporation in March. According to the obtained results, winter
runoff should be artificially stored by reservoir regulation in the future to
prevent zero-flow occurrent in May. This research is helpful for water
resources management and provides a better understand of streamflow change
caused by climate change in the future.
Preliminary research on quantitative methods of water resources carrying capacity based on water resources balance sheet
Authors: Wang Yanqiu , Huang Xiaorong , Gao Linyun , Guo Biying , Ma Kai
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Water resources are not only basic natural resources, but also strategic economic resources and ecological control factors. Water resources carrying capacity constrains the sustainable development of regional economy and society. Studies of water resources carrying capacity can provide helpful information about how the socioeconomic system is both supported and restrained by the water resources system. Based on the research of different scholars, major problems in the study of water resources carrying capacity were summarized as follows: the definition of water resources carrying capacity is not yet unified; the methods of carrying capacity quantification based on the definition of inconsistency are poor in operability; the current quantitative research methods of water resources carrying capacity did not fully reflect the principles of sustainable development; it is difficult to quantify the relationship among the water resources, economic society and ecological environment. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a better quantitative evaluation method to determine the regional water resources carrying capacity. This paper proposes a new approach to quantifying water resources carrying capacity (that is, through the compilation of the water resources balance sheet) to get a grasp of the regional water resources depletion and water environmental degradation (as well as regional water resources stock assets and liabilities), figure out the squeeze of socioeconomic activities on the environment, and discuss the quantitative calculation methods and technical route of water resources carrying capacity which are able to embody the substance of sustainable development.
Analysis of the spatial-temporal change of the vegetation index in the upper reach of Han River Basin in 2000–2016
Authors: Luan Jinkai , Liu Dengfeng , Zhang Lianpeng , Huang Qiang , Feng Jiuliang , Lin Mu , Li Guobao
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Han River is the water source region of the middle route of South-to-North Water Diversion in China and the ecological projects were implemented since many years ago. In order to monitor the change of vegetation in Han River and evaluate the effect of ecological projects, it is needed to reveal the spatial-temporal change of the vegetation in the upper reach of Han River quantitatively. The study is based on MODIS/Terra NDVI remote sensing data, and analyzes the spatial-temporal changes of the NDVI in August from 2000 to 2016 at pixel scale in the upper reach of Han River Basin. The results show that, the area with increasing NDVI between 0 and 0.005 per year accounts for 62.07 % of the area of upper reach of Han River Basin, and the area with changing rate between −0.005 and 0 per year accounts for 26.65 % of the research area. The area with significant decreasing trend only accounts for 2.76 %, while area significant increasing trend accounts for 13.47 %, and the area with increasing NDVI is much larger than the area with reducing NDVI. The vegetation index of each county is evaluated and found that, the areal proportion with significant decreasing trend in Hantai is the biggest, reaching 35.57 %. The areal proportion with significant increasing trend in Zhenba County, Ziyang County, Xunyang County, Zhashui County, Shangzhou District, Shanyang County and Yun County is larger than the others, and the areal proportions are more than 20 %. The largest areal proportion with significant increasing trend is in Shangzhou District and it reaches 31.11 %. On the whole, the area ratio in all districts and counties with increasing NDVI is much larger than the area ratio with decreasing NDVI.
Impact of possible climate changes on river runoff under different natural conditions
Authors: Gusev Yeugeniy M. , Nasonova Olga N. , Kovalev Evgeny E. , Ayzel Georgy V.
Published: June 2018

Abstract. The present study was carried out within the framework of the International
Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI-MIP) for 11 large
river basins located in different continents of the globe under a wide
variety of natural conditions. The aim of the study was to investigate
possible changes in various characteristics of annual river runoff (mean
values, standard deviations, frequency of extreme annual runoff) up to 2100
on the basis of application of the land surface model SWAP and meteorological
projections simulated by five General Circulation Models (GCMs) according to
four RCP scenarios. Analysis of the obtained results has shown that changes
in climatic runoff are different (both in magnitude and sign) for the river
basins located in different regions of the planet due to differences in
natural (primarily climatic) conditions. The climatic elasticities of river
runoff to changes in air temperature and precipitation were estimated that
makes it possible, as the first approximation, to project changes in climatic
values of annual runoff, using the projected changes in mean annual air
temperature and annual precipitation for the river basins. It was found that
for most rivers under study, the frequency of occurrence of extreme runoff
values increases. This is true both for extremely high runoff (when the
projected climatic runoff increases) and for extremely low values (when the
projected climatic runoff decreases).
Stability and tilting of regional water cycle over Tarim Basin
Authors: Zhang Hongquan , Ma Zhuguo
Published: June 2018

Abstract. The Tarim Basin is located upwind of the Gobi Desert where individual deserts
have expanded significantly during the last 50 years. In recent history,
stable runoff in the Tarim Basin has been observed despite the Lop Nur dry up
and dramatic water consumption shift from east to west. This regional water
cycle stability is conceptually explained based on the relationship between
precipitation and evapotranspiration. The water consumption imbalance is
caused by human activities near the river sources, which tilts the humidity
profile over the basin. As a result, more water vapour spills from the
western part of the basin and causes precipitation to increase in adjacent
areas. At the same time, the Westerlies carry the low humidity air mass out
of the eastern part of the basin to make the downwind Gobi Desert and
surrounding areas drier. Therefore, the observed wetting on the west and
drying on the east of northwest China are coupled.
Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change in the Tana River Basin, Kenya
Authors: Muthuwatta Lal , Sood Aditya , McCartney Matthew , Silva Nishchitha Sandeepana , Opere Alfred
Published: June 2018

Abstract. In the Tana River Basin in Kenya, six Regional Circulation Models
(RCMs) simulating two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) (i.e., 4.5
and 8.5) were used as input to the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)
model to determine the possible implications for the hydrology and water
resources of the basin. Four hydrological characteristics – water yield,
groundwater recharge, base flow and flow regulation – were determined and
mapped throughout the basin for three 30-year time periods: 2020–2049,
2040–2069 and 2070–2099. Results were compared with a baseline period,
1983–2011. All four hydrological characteristics show steady increases under
both RCPs for the entire basin but with considerable spatial heterogeneity
and greater increases under RCP 8.5 than RCP 4.5. The results have important
implications for the way water resources in the basin are managed. It is
imperative that water managers and policy makers take into account the
additional challenges imposed by climate change in operating built
infrastructure.
Continental and marine surficial water – groundwater interactions: the case of the southern coastland of Venice (Italy)
Authors: Tosi Luigi , Da Lio Cristina , Teatini Pietro , Menghini Antonio , Viezzoli Andrea
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Understanding the continental-marine surficial water–groundwater exchanges
in transitional coastal environments is really challenging at large scale. It
requires an image of the saltwater–freshwater relationship which is
difficult to be obtained especially in wetlands, lagoons, and marine areas.
This study is focused on the coastland of the southern Venice lagoon –
northern Po river delta (Italy), a precarious environment subject to both
natural changes and anthropogenic pressures. Here, saltwater severely affects
farmlands and aquifers. We used an airborne electromagnetics (AEM) survey
with the goal of characterizing the continental and marine surficial
water–groundwater interactions in such coastal region. The AEM survey
allowed depicting a clear image of the fresh water–saltwater occurrence in
shallow aquifers along mainland-lagoon – littoral-sea profiles, up to 20 km
long. The results reveal that continental groundwater is located in the
lagoon subsoil below a 10–20 m thick saline aquifer and extends down to
70 m depth. The whole low-lying farmland located south of the lagoon margin
is seriously affected by saltwater contamination, which occurs from a few to
about 50 m depth. The integrated analysis of AEM, seismic and borehole data
shows that buried morpho-geological structures, such as paleo-channels and
over-consolidated clay units control the saline contamination from the lagoon
and the sea into the coastal aquifer system.
Connections between meteorological and hydrological droughts in a semi-arid basin of the middle Yellow River
Authors: Li Binquan , Zhu Changchang , Liang Zhongmin , Wang Guoqing , Zhang Yu
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Differences between meteorological and hydrological
droughts could reflect the regional water consumption by both natural
elements and human water-use. The connections between these two drought
types were analyzed using the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration
Index (SPEI) and Standardized Streamflow Index (SSI), respectively. In a
typical semi-arid basin of the middle Yellow River (Qingjianhe River basin),
annual precipitation and air temperature showed significantly downward and
upward trends, respectively, with the rates of −2.37 mm yr−1 and
0.03 ∘C yr−1 (1961–2007). Under their synthetic effects, water balance
variable (represented by SPEI) showed obviously downward (drying) trend at
both upstream and whole basin areas. For the spatial variability of
precipitation, air temperature and the calculated SPEI, both upstream and
downstream areas experienced very similar change characteristics. Results
also suggested that the Qingjianhe River basin experienced near normal
condition during the study period. As a whole, this semi-arid basin mainly
had the meteorological drought episodes in the mid-1960s, late-1990s and the
2000s depicted by 12-month SPEI. The drying trend could also be depicted by
the hydrological drought index (12-month SSI) at both upstream and
downstream stations (Zichang and Yanchuan), but the decreasing trends were
not significant. A correlation analysis showed that hydrological system
responds rapidly to the change of meteorological conditions in this
semi-arid region. This finding could be an useful implication to drought
research for those semi-arid basins with intensive human activities.
Country-level assessment of future risk of water scarcity in Europe
Authors: Garrote Luis , Iglesias Ana , Granados Alfredo
Published: June 2018

Abstract. A methodology for regional assessment of current and future water
availability in Europe is presented in this study. The methodology is based
on a proposed indicator of risk of water scarcity based on the projections of
runoff and water availability for European countries. The risk of water
scarcity is the combined result of hydrological processes, which determine
streamflow in natural conditions, and human intervention, which determines
water management using the available hydraulic infrastructure and establishes
water supply conditions through operating rules. Model results show that
changes in runoff and availability obtained for individual GCM projections
can be large and even contradictory. These heterogeneous results are
summarized in the water scarcity risk index, a global value that accounts for
the results obtained with the ensemble of model results and emission
scenarios. The countries at larger risk are (in this order) Spain, Portugal,
Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, France and Italy. They are mostly
Mediterranean countries already exposed to significant water scarcity
problems. There are countries, like Slovakia, Ireland, Belgium, Luxembourg,
Croatia and Romania, with mild risk. Northern Arctic countries, like Sweden,
Finland, Norway and Russia, show a robust however mild increase in water
availability.
Impact of urbanization on flood of Shigu creek in Dongguan city
Authors: Pan Luying , Chen Yangbo , Zhang Tao
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Shigu creek is a highly urbanized small watershed in Dongguan City. Due to rapid urbanization, quick flood response has been observed, which posted great threat to the flood security of Dongguan City. To evaluate the impact of urbanization on the flood changes of Shigu creek is very important for the flood mitigation of Shigu creek, which will provide insight for flood planners and managers for if to build a larger flood mitigation system. In this paper, the Land cover/use changes of Shigu creek from 1987–2015 induced by urbanization was first extracted from a local database, then, the Liuxihe model, a physically based distributed hydrological model, is employed to simulate the flood processes impacted by urbanization. Precipitation of 3 storms was used for flood processes simulation. The results show that the runoff coefficient and peak flow have increased sharply.
Methodology to explore emergent behaviours of the interactions between water resources and ecosystem under a pluralistic approach
Authors: García-Santos Glenda , de Brito Mariana Madruga , Höllermann Britta , Taft Linda , Almoradie Adrian , Evers Mariele
Published: June 2018

Abstract. Understanding the interactions between water resources
and its social dimensions is crucial for an effective and sustainable water
management. The identification of sensitive control variables and feedback
loops of a specific human-hydro-scape can enhance the knowledge about the
potential factors and/or agents leading to the current water resources and
ecosystems situation, which in turn supports the decision-making process of
desirable futures. Our study presents the utility of a system dynamics
modeling approach for water management and decision-making for the case of a
forest ecosystem under risk of wildfires. We use the pluralistic water
research concept to explore different scenarios and simulate the emergent
behaviour of water interception and net precipitation after a wildfire in a
forest ecosystem. Through a case study, we illustrate the applicability of
this new methodology.
Linking Alpine deformation in the Aar Massif basement and its cover units – the case of the Jungfrau-Eiger Mountains (Central Alps, Switzerland)
Authors: Mair David , Lechmann Alessandro , Herwegh Marco , Nibourel Lukas , Schlunegger Fritz
Published: June 2018

Abstract. The NW rim of the external Aar Massif was exhumed from ~ 10 km depth to its present position at 4 km elevation above sea level during several Alpine deformation stages. Different models have been proposed for the timing and nature of these stages. Recently proposed exhumation models for the central, internal Aar Massif differ from the ones established in the covering Helvetic sedimentary units. By updating pre-existing maps and collecting structural data, a structural map and tectonic section was reconstructed. Those were interpreted together with micro-structural data and peak metamorphic temperature estimates from collected samples to establish a framework suitable for both basement and cover. Temperatures at deformation ranged from 250 °C to 330 °C allowing for semi-brittle deformation in the basement rocks, while the calcite dominated sediments deform ductile at these conditions. Although field data allows to distinguish multiple deformation stages before and during the Aar Massifs rise, all related structures formed under similar P, T conditions at the investigated NW rim. We find that the exhumation occurred during 2 stages of shearing in the Aar Massif basement, which induced in the sediments first a phase of folding and then a period of thrusting, accompanied by the formation of a new foliation. We can link this uplift and exhumation history to recently published large-scale block extrusion models.
Boninite and boninite-series volcanics in northern Zambales ophiolite: doubly vergent subduction initiation along Philippine Sea plate margins
Authors: Perez Americus , Umino Susumu , Yumul Jr. Graciano P. , Ishizuka Osamu
Published: June 2018

Abstract. A key component of subduction initiation rock suites is boninite, a high-magnesium andesite that is uniquely predominant in western Pacific forearc terranes and in select Tethyan ophiolites such as Oman and Troodos. We report, for the first time, the discovery of low-calcium, high-silica boninite in the middle Eocene Zambales ophiolite (Luzon Island, Philippines). Olivine–orthopyroxene microphyric high-silica boninite, olivine–clinopyroxene–phyric low-silica boninite and boninitic basalt occur as lapilli fall deposits and pillow lava flows in the upper volcanic unit of the juvenile arc section (Barlo locality, Acoje Block) of the Zambales ophiolite. This upper volcanic unit overlies a lower volcanic unit consisting of basaltic andesite, andesite to dacitic lavas and explosive eruptive material (subaqueous pahoehoe and lobate sheet flows, agglutinate and spatter deposits) forming a low-silica boninite series. The overall volcanic stratigraphy of the extrusive sequence at Barlo resembles holes U1439 and U1442 drilled by IODP Expedition 352 in the Izu–Ogasawara (Bonin) trench slope. The presence of depleted proto-arc basalts in the Coto Block (45 Ma) (Geary et al., 1989), boninite and boninite series volcanics in Barlo (Acoje Block (44 Ma)) and simultaneous and post-boninite moderate-Fe arc tholeiites in Sual and Subic areas of the Acoje Block (44–43 Ma) indicate that the observed subduction initiation stratigraphy in the Izu–Ogasawara–Mariana forearc is also present in the Zambales ophiolite. Paleolatitudes derived from tilt-corrected sites in the Acoje Block place the juvenile arc of northern Zambales ophiolite in the western margin of the Philippine Sea plate. In this scenario, the origin of Philippine Sea plate boninites (IBM and Zambales) would be in a doubly vergent subduction initiation setting.
Casting Aspersions in Patent Trials
Authors: Brean Daniel Harris , Clark Bryan P.
Published: June 2018

Bad actors in patent litigation can face serious consequences.  Infringers who are found to “willfully” infringe may be subject to trebled damages. Patentees who assert weak claims in bad faith can be ordered to pay the defendant’s attorneys’ fees.  These remedies are of such importance to the patent system today that the Supreme Court reinvigorated both of the respective doctrines in back-to-back landmark decisions in 2014 (Octane Fitness) and 2016 (Halo Electronics).  Those decisions have helped district courts more effectively punish and deter misconduct. But the Supreme Court neglected to address a critical part of these remedies—whether and to what extent they should be tried to a jury.  Under current law, willfulness can be tried to a jury but bad-faith enforcement cannot.  This means that plaintiffs alone can legitimately cast aspersions at defendants that profoundly color the case and the jury’s views of it.It has long been held that willfulness is an issue triable by jury, but courts have reached that conclusion without conducting the proper analysis, which requires delving into the historical treatment of the issue.  This article performs that analysis, finding that the Seventh Amendment does not guarantee a right to try willfulness to a jury.  Nor does the Seventh Amendment require that questions of bad-faith enforcement be tried to juries.  Both issues lack clear historical antecedents or analogues that would suggest juries decided the issues when the Seventh Amendment was ratified. Whether such issues should be tried to juries likely comes out in the negative as well.  Juries are ill-equipped to appreciate the proper significance and context of evidence touching on willfulness and bad-faith enforcement, which typically includes matters of claim construction, discovery, legal interpretation, or settlement discussions.  And evidence about a party’s culpability can easily bleed into the threshold liability and damages determinations, resulting in unsupportable compromise verdicts on those issues.The best practice would be to try neither issue, but as it is, with willfulness being submitted to juries, a separate question is whether that alone justifies trying bad-faith enforcement to juries as well.  This article demonstrates that basic fairness, as well as evidentiary practicalities for how such issues are proven, compels that both issues be tried together, and to the same jury, to ensure that juries hear both sides of the story before they assign moral blame.
Pulling Our Hair Out and Glossing Over the Problem: A Call to Strengthen the FDA's Power to Regulate Cosmetics Through an Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
Authors: Mueller Julie
Published: June 2018

Pulling Our Hair Out and Glossing Over the Problem: A Call to Strengthen the FDA’s Power to Regulate Cosmetics Through an Amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
Diseño y validación de un test de evaluación del potencial en emprendimiento social
Authors: Portuguez Castro May , Valenzuela González Jaime Ricardo , Navarro Corona Claudia
Published: June 2018

El emprendedor social se reconoce como una persona que es capaz de determinar oportunidades de negocio, a la vez que soluciona un problema que afecta a otras personas. En la literatura se encuentran pocos estudios que estén enfocados hacia este tipo de emprendedor, ya que generalmente se realizan investigaciones sobre los emprendedores en general, sin reconocer las características de los emprendedores sociales. Este estudio valida un instrumento diseñado para medir el potencial en emprendimiento social que tiene una persona. La finalidad del instrumento es que funcione como una herramienta para quienes realizan labores de incubación de empresas, así como de capacitación para los emprendedores sociales; también puede ser utilizado dentro de organizaciones que manejen programas de responsabilidad social, como las cooperativas, con el fin de que tomen en cuenta las necesidades del emprendedor a la hora de diseñar estrategias de desarrollo para estas personas y sus emprendimientos. Además, para que los mismos emprendedores puedan determinar su potencial en el desarrollo de estas empresas.
Determinants of Corporate Environmental and Social Disclosures in China: A Comparative Study within High-profile Industries
Authors: Zhang Junru , Djajadikerta Hadrian Geri , Trireksani Terri
Published: June 2018

This study examines the extent of environmental and social disclosures in annual reports made by Chinese mining, utility and chemical industries. It also investigates the key drivers of the companies’ environmental and social disclosures (CESD), thereby determining the motivations of the sample organisations towards corporate environmental and social responsibility. The study adopted dichotomous index to measure the extent of CESD among the three industries in their annual reports. Additionally, Ordinary Least Square was adopted to examine the determinants of CESD. By drawing on legitimacy theory, the results depict positive associations between the extent of CESD and firm size, profitability, and firm age. Engagement from industry association showed strong significance in environmental disclosure, whereas leverage was significant in social disclosures. Government ownership was found insignificant in the analysis. The study contributes with direct evidence to the extent of environmental disclosure and social disclosure made by three high-profile industries based on G3. The results showed that overall there is no significant difference between the extents of CESD of the three industries, indicating that high-profile industries behave similarly in terms of the content of information in disclosure. This study has also practical implications particularly for the regulatory body and the industry association when developing regulations and guidelines on environmental and social reports.
n. 6 - ESTUDO SOBRE O PROGRAMA DINHEIRO DIRETO NA ESCOLA EM REALIDADES DIVERSAS NO CONTEXTO BRASILEIRO
Authors: Santos Inalda Maria dos , Da Silva Giovana Tenório , Silva Jésica Do Carmo
Published: June 2018

Este estudo tem como finalidade analisar as repercussões do PDDE em contextos distintos no âmbito brasileiro, no sentido de verificar os impactos decorrentes de seu estabelecimento no cotidiano escolar, os quais notadamente abrangem aspectos relacionados a graus de autonomia, descentralização, participação, processos decisórios, entre outros. Com a intenção de aprofundar o debate acerca do PDDE e de suas implicações para a escola, propõe-se uma pesquisa bibliográfica concernente à literatura já produzida sobre a temática em questão. Os resultados observados assinalam que apesar das limitações apresentadas como critérios a serem cumpridos no curso da realização do Programa, como a autonomia limitada concedida na gestão dos recursos financeiros, prevalecem aspectos positivos resultantes de sua implementação no âmbito das situações estudadas.
Ownership Structure and Efficiency of Banking Industry in China and Vietnam - A Political View
Authors: Phung Manh-Trung , Cheng Cheng-Ping , Kao Chen-Yu
Published: June 2018

Ownership structure and the performance of banking industry have been long considered as a matter of debate. Despite of differences in perspective, both “development view” and “politics view” approve the desire of governments to control financial institutions through their ownership structure. This paper adopts the two-stage stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) to examine the relation between ownership structure and bank’s efficiency in two long historic communism countries – China and Vietnam with the consideration of some political factors. Our result consistently indicates that banks with foreign-controlled shareholders in both countries can increase their efficiency significantly. Additionally, we uncover an interesting phenomenon that is during the election years, state-owned banks in China and Vietnam outperform the others. These banks are also the most beneficiaries from the economic expansion. Finally, meta-frontier is utilized to compare the relative performance of banking industry in these two countries.