bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Appraise the Economic Values of Logistic Handling System under Mixed Information
Authors: Sahu Anoop Kumar , Sahu Nitin Kumar , Sahu Atul Kumar
Published: January 2017

Logistics activities are globally recognized as a core heart of each industry, as major content of productivity of industries exclusively depend on this. The system being used to manage logistic activities of firms is called as logistic system i.e. JCBs, robots, mono-trucks, trolleys conveyors etc. In recent years, assessments of logistic activities of firms are found as historic topic in the realm of industrial management. Each parameter leads the trait role in relation to materialize the economic values of material handling system. It is observed that in the context of decision making, MCDM problems under concerns of observed data rather than verbal data is resolved with short computation task by exploration of algorithmic techniques. It became indeed imperative to aid the managers from soft computing algorithmic technique for making decision under subjective or objective or subjective cum objective information. The present chapter flaunted an application of Multi Level Multi Criterion Decision Making (MLMCDM) algorithmic technique for appraising the economic values of MHS candidate choices under subjective (linguistic information provided by personnel) or objective or subjective cum objective information. A hypothetical research work is conveyed to end for aiding the firms from a DSS, in order that they could manage the logistic systems of their firms.
Technological Advancements in Payments
Authors: Dhamija Ankit , Dhamija Deepika
Published: January 2017

Mobile banking in India has witnessed a lot of changes with respect to technological and architectural changes. The continuous rise in the number of mobile banking users is due to this fact that the technological advancements that has restored the faith and boosted the trust of users towards mobile banking and payments. However, in a developing economy like India, where this number of mobile users is expected to grow exponentially, the complexity will also grow as the mobile users expect the mobile banking services to be fast, convenient and most importantly, more secure. There is a scope of improvement with the already existing thing and mobile banking is no different In this direction, the National Payments Corporation of India has initiated a system called Unified Payments Interface (UPI) that further eases the process of money transfer through smart phones and feature phones, thereby bringing this technology within everybody's reach. This chapter further puts insights into the implementation and feasibility aspects of UPI and how it is better than the systems prevailing today.
Performing Academics
Authors: Magala Slawek , Zawadzki Michal
Published: January 2017

There is a growing number of critics who claim that modern changes of the university, based on the market fundamentalism and performance management paradigm, undermine the academic culture, ethos and trust and weaken the cultural mission of the university. The chapter focuses on a critique of the ongoing erosion of an important cultural function performed until very recently by the Western universities, which is democratization of social life through development of critical thinking, imagination, and through cultivation of social and humanistic sensibility. The main aim of this chapter is to analyze the current state of the corporate university and to reflect on the bureaucracy as a potential solution for the neoliberal limitations.
Fundamentals of Data Mining and Data Warehousing
Authors: V Sathiyamoorthi
Published: January 2017

It is generally observed throughout the world that in the last two decades, while the average speed of computers has almost doubled in a span of around eighteen months, the average speed of the network has doubled merely in a span of just eight months! In order to improve the performance, more and more researchers are focusing their research in the field of computers and its related technologies. Data mining is one such area that extracts useful information from the huge amount of data present in the dataset. The discovered knowledge can be applied in various application areas such as marketing, fraud detection and customer retention in product based companies and so on. It discovers implicit, previously unknown and potentially useful information out of dataset. Recent trends in data mining include web mining where it discovers knowledge from web based information to improve the page layout, structure and its contents.
Resource Management in Sensor Cloud
Authors: Sangulagi Prashant , Sutagundar Ashok V.
Published: January 2017

Sensor Cloud is one of the attractive trend in present world. Sensor cloud is a combination of wireless sensor network and cloud computing. Due to the lack of battery energy and bandwidth the sensor nodes are incapable to store and process large data. Hence storing raw data is a challenging task. The sensor cloud comes into existence to accomplish multiple tasks that are not possible with existing sensor network. In sensor cloud the sensed data are processed and stored in the clouds and data can be accessed anywhere and anytime. Maintaining the resources and providing the resources to end users is a challenging task in sensor cloud. This chapter will brief the architecture of sensor cloud, application of sensor cloud in various sector, advantages of using sensor cloud compared to existing networks and management of resources in sensor cloud.
Security Aspects in Cloud Computing
Authors: Mujawar Tabassum N. , Sutagundar Ashok V. , Ragha Lata L.
Published: January 2017

Cloud computing is recently emerging technology, which provides a way to access computing resources over Internet on demand and pay per use basis. Cloud computing is a paradigm that enable access to shared pool of resources efficiently, which are managed by third party cloud service providers. Despite of various advantages of cloud computing security is the biggest threat. This chapter describes various security concerns in cloud computing. The clouds are subject to traditional data confidentiality, integrity, availability and various privacy issues. This chapter comprises various security issues at different levels in environment that includes infrastructure level security, data level and storage security. It also deals with the concept of Identity and Access Control mechanism.
Session Hijacking over Cloud Environment
Authors: M. Thangavel , K Pandiselvi , R Sindhuja
Published: January 2017

Cloud computing is a technology that offers an enterprise model to provide resources made available to the client and network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources and pay-for-peruse basis. Generally, a session is said to be the collective information of an ongoing transaction. This package is typically stored on the server as a temporary file and labeled with an ID, usually consisting of a random number, time and date the session was initiated. That session ID is sent to the client with the first response, and then presented back to the server with each subsequent request. This permits the server to access the stored data appropriate to that session. That, in turn allows each transaction to be logically related to the previous one. Session hijacking is the common problem that is experienced in the cloud environment in which the session id is gained and information is gathered using the session ID compromising its security. This chapter covers session hijacking and the countermeasures to prevent session hijacking.
“With Tension Comes a Little Work”
Authors: Chappel Jacquelyn
Published: January 2017

“‘With Tension Comes a Little Work': Motivation and Safety in Online Peer Review” investigates whether the infringement of privacy inherent in using semi-public Web 2.0 platforms disrupts students' sense of safety. Grounded in the work of composition theorist Peter Elbow, this study offers a qualitative study using a questionnaire and focus group interviews to report on the experiences of 33 students using Google Drive in a freshman writing class. Contrary to the conventional wisdom that students need to feel safe in order to learn, the study finds that some discomfort contributed to student motivation and that too much comfort actually decreased motivation.
On the (Virtual) Road
Authors: Poole Robert Matthew
Published: January 2017

In the US, travel writing and the travel novel have historically held important positions in the literary landscape –not only as self-help guides and conveyances for empirical information but also as vehicles for satire, social commentary and analyses of the human condition. John Steinbeck, Jack Kerouac and William Least Heat-Moon are just a few of the important 20th century authors who have made insightful use of this genre. Today, increasingly realistic virtual reality environments have been sculpted, imbued with creative content and populated with both artificial agents and real avatars on a scale that can be measured in hundreds of virtual square miles. In some cases, the content is thematic and designed; in others it has grown up spontaneously through the individual contributions and creativity of users and small groups. It is this spontaneous blossoming of art, culture and ideas sprawling across increasingly spacious and interconnected virtual landscapes that presents us with the opportunity to continue the tradition of the epic travel story across new virtual territory.
Cognitive Apprenticeship and Computer Science Education in Cyberspace
Authors: Calongne Cynthia M. , Stricker Andrew Gerald , Truman Barbara , Arenas Fil J.
Published: January 2017

The lens of appreciative inquiry, as seen through the eyes of educators, examines ten years of virtual learning at several institutions. The study reflects on the impact of presence, and explores how learning communities develop as students assume roles and learn using cognitive apprenticeship. The examples reinforce the value of deep immersion and identity in situated learning, even as the software design activities illustrate the benefits experienced when students assume ownership and structure their activities. Encouraged by self-reflection, the learners explore their shared values, form into groups, and make personal discoveries. The examples illustrate the power of design thinking during individual and group work. From early work with 400 8th graders through 50 higher education classes taught at two institutions, techniques emerged for applying cognitive apprenticeship and deep immersion that strengthened the experiences and provided insights for developing a sustainable educational program.
Advancing Personal Learning Using the Internet of Things
Authors: Truman Barbara , Truman Jaclyn M.
Published: January 2017

Personal learning is a unique ability and requires self-determination to master. Personal learning also involves constructing representational learning artifacts that are used across life into work and society. Using avatars to foster identity within collaborative virtual environments (CVEs) can represent expressions of selfhood useful for participating in diverse communities. The Internet of Things (IoT) provides a spectrum of emerging technologies that can connect physical and virtual world activities resulting in new realms of human-computer abilities. Interconnected smart devices automate services and provide timely information resulting in safety, security, and efficiencies, especially for vulnerable populations such as persons with disabilities. The relationship is explored when IoT applications are combined with use of CVEs, avatars, and a discipline of presencing. Inclusivity becomes probable. Future research is described how individuals, organizations, and communities can be impacted by personal learning influenced by the inevitable growth of IoT and virtual learning.
The Productive Leadership Game
Authors: Kesti Marko Olavi , Leinonen Jaana , Kesti Terhi
Published: January 2017

The aim of the article is to illustrate how new digital leadership simulation game, Productive Leadership Game, can foster the leadership competencies and actions to improve team based and organizational productivity. Game's theoretical roots are based on the human capital production function for public organizations, which is also described in this article. Human capital production function illustrates the significance of the human resource management actions for the organizational performance and the quality of working life connection to team performance. A case study in municipal business is performed using a Finnish mid-sized case organisation. In terms of evidence-based theory of productivity, this article describes methodology of how complex and multitude cause-relationship can be gamified to serious game for learning purposes. The article makes a significant contribution to public sector research and management, as it explains the ontology of the performance and productivity of public organisation and illustrate method to multiply essential learning to practice.
CD8+ T Cells That Coexpress RORγt and T-bet Are Functionally Impaired and Expand in Patients with Distal Bile Duct Cancer
Authors: Chellappa Stalin , Hugenschmidt Harald , Hagness Morten , Subramani Saranya , Melum Espen , Line Pål Dag , Labori Knut-Jørgen , Wiedswang Gro , Taskén Kjetil , Aandahl Einar Martin
Published: January 2017

CD8+ T cells that express retinoic acid–related orphan receptor (ROR)γt (TC17 cells) have been shown to promote procarcinogenic inflammation and contribute to a tolerogenic microenvironment in tumors. We investigated their phenotype and functional properties in relationship to the pathogenesis of human distal bile duct cancer (DBDC). DBDC patients had an elevated level of type 17 immune responses and the frequency of CD8+RORγt+ T cells (TC17 cells) was increased in peripheral blood. The CD8+RORγt+ T cells represented a highly activated subset and produced IL-17A in equal amount as CD4+RORγt+ T cells (TH17 cells). Most CD8+RORγt+ T cells coexpressed T-bet, a lineage transcription factor for TH1 and TC1 development, suggesting that CD8+RORγt+ T cells undergo plasticity toward a TC17/1-like phenotype with coproduction of IL-17A and INF-γ. In comparison with CD8+RORγt− T cells, the CD8+RORγt+ T cells had a higher level of TCR signaling and were terminally differentiated and exhausted. These cells also had impaired ability to re-express perforin after degranulation and reduced cytotoxic immune function. A subset of CD8+RORγt+ T cells expressing a low level of programmed cell death protein 1 and a high level of OX40 were associated with reduced patient survival. In conclusion, CD8+RORγt+ T cells are proinflammatory and functionally impaired and may contribute to the pathogenesis of DBDC.
Long term subfossil Cladocera record from the partly varved sediment of Lake Tiefer See (NE Germany)
Authors: Szeroczyńska Krystyna
Published: January 2017

The partly varved and well-dated sediment record of Lake Tiefer See (NE Germany) allowed the high resolution paleolimnological reconstruction of the lake evolution during the whole Holocene. This paper presents results of subfossil Cladocera analysis. During the Holocene, the fauna of subfossil cladoceran was represented by 36 species belonging to 6 families. Cladocera were dominated by typical open-water species, belonging especially of the Bosminidae family. The sediment record of Lake Tiefer See exhibited distinct decadal- to centennial-scale alternations of well- and non-varved intervals, which were related to changes in the thermal circulation of the lake water column. In general, well varved sediments were deposited during periods of reduced lake circulation, and were characterised by maximum abundance of Cladocera, whereas non-varved sedimentation phases occurred during periods of increased lake circulation and showed a lower number of Cladocera specimens. The most suitable conditions for the development of cladoceran fauna occurred during the early Holocene and from ~ 2055 – 725 yr cal BP. On the basis of the increasing number of species associated with high lake productivity, eight stages of increasing trophy were inferred. The first two were attributed to climate warming, while the next six to human impact. Higher human driven trophic conditions of Lake Tiefer See occurred in the periods 5750-5500 and 4500-4100 yr cal BP, and four times from 1000 to50 yr cal BP. During the last 750 years and in the period from 6000 to 2500 yr cal BP, the species of Eubosmina produced extreme morphs. The cyclomorphosis of Eubosmina was likely connected to more pronounced changes in the lake environmental conditions.
First record of Sinoxylon anale and S. unidentatum in Greece, with an updated account on their global distribution and host plants (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)
Authors: Lykidis Charalampos T. , Nardi Gianluca , Petrakis Panos V.
Published: January 2017

Sinoxylon anale Lesne, 1897 and S. unidentatum (Fabricius, 1801) (Coleoptera, Bostrichidae), two almost cosmopolitan species most likely native of the Oriental Region, are recorded for the first time from Greece on the basis of several specimens intercepted in a consignment at the Piraeus harbor (Attica, Athens) in wood packaging material originating from China. The establishment of these species in Greece is briefly discussed, moreover, an updated list of their interceptions, countries of establishment and host plants, is provided.
Common carotid artery occlusion presenting with recurrent syncopal episodes
Authors: Kader Imran , Jones Steven M. , Harrison Catherine , Miteff Ferdinand , Kumar Senthil
Published: January 2017

Symptomatic common carotid artery (CCA) occlusion is an uncommon occurrence that may require surgical intervention. We aim to describe a case of CCA occlusion that presented with the unusual symptom of recurrent syncope. A 69-year-old lady presented with a history of recurrent syncopal episodes and amaurosis fugax associated with left leg weakness. She was found to have a right CCA occlusion on duplex ultrasound and angiography. She underwent a right common carotid endarterectomy and intraoperative findings revealed a heavily calcified plaque in the CCA just proximal to the bifurcation with organised thrombus filling the CCA proximally. CCA occlusion can rarely present with recurrent syncopal episodes. Surgery may be curative.
Neurological assessment and nerve conduction study findings in 22 patients with alkaptonuria from Jordan
Authors: Alrawashdeh Omar , Alsbou Mohammad , Alzoubi Hamed , Al-shagahin Hani
Published: January 2017

Alkaptonuria is a rare metabolic disease characterised by accumulative deposition of homogentisic acid in the connective tissue of the body. This results in early degeneration of tendons, cartilages, heart valves, and other tissues. The main objective of the study is to examine the possibility of the nervous system involvement in patients with alkaptonuria The sample consists of two groups; 22 patients with AKU and 20 controls. A neurological assessment has been carried out including detailed medical history, neurological examination, and a nerve conduction study of the nerves of the dominant hand. The prevalence of any abnormality was compared between the two groups using chi square test. The mean values of the nerve conduction study were compared between the two groups using student t-test. There was a higher prevalence of low back pain, hearing problems and tinnitus, numbness and neuropathic pain in alkaptonuria patients. There was no significant difference between the two groups in other conditions such as seizures, headache, and syncope. The values of the nerve conduction study did not show significant difference between the two groups. Neurologically related symptoms in alkaptonuria mostly represent complications of the connective tissue degeneration rather than direct involvement of the nervous system. This has been supported further by the normal findings of the neurophysiology study in patients with alkaptonuria.
Leiomyosarcoma of tongue: A case report and review of literature
Authors: Verma Mranalini , Lal Punita
Published: January 2017

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the tongue is an extremely rare mesenchymal tumor. Till now, we came across about 24 cases of tongue LMS reported in the literature. Here, we are presenting the case of a 50-year-old female with 4 months history of ulcerative growth on the tongue along with difficulty in swallowing and tongue movement who was diagnosed with LMS of the tongue on histopathology. He was managed with surgical excision followed by radiotherapy without any recurrence or metastasis after 6 months of follow-up.
Air Stagnations for China (1985–2014): Climatological Mean
Features and Trends
Authors: Huang Qianqian , Cai Xuhui , Song Yu , Zhu Tong
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Air stagnation is an important meteorological measurement for unfavourable air pollution conditions, but little is known about it in China. We conducted a comprehensive investigation of air stagnation in China, based on sounding and surface observations of 81 stations, from January 1985 to December 2014. The stagnation criteria were revised to be topographically dependent for the great physical diversity in this country. It is found that the annual mean air stagnation occurrences are closely related to general topography and climate features. Two basins in the northwest and southwest of China—Tarim and Sichuan Basins—exhibit the most frequent stagnation occurrence (50 % days per year), whereas two plateaus (Tibet-Qinghai and Inner Mongolia Plateau) and the east coastal areas experience the least (20 % days per year). Over the whole country, air stagnations achieve maxima in summer and minima in winter, except for Urumqi, a major city in the northwest of China, where stagnations keep a rather constant value yearly around with a minimum in spring. There is a nationwide positive trend in stagnation occurrence during 1985–2014, with the strongest increasing centres over Shandong Peninsula in eastern China and the south of Shaanxi in central China. Dependence degrees of air stagnations on three components (upper- and lower-air winds, precipitation-free days) are examined. It shows that the spatial distribution and trend of air stagnations are mainly driven by the behaviours of upper-air wind speeds.
Photochemical aging of organic and inorganic ambient aerosol from the
Potential Aerosol Mass (PAM) reactor experiment in East Asia
Authors: Kang Eunha , Lee Meehye , Brune William H. , Lee Taehyung , Ahn Joonyoung
Published: January 2017

Abstract. We investigated the photochemical aging of ambient aerosols using a potential aerosol mass (PAM) reactor at Baegryeong Island in the Yellow Sea during August 4–12, 2011. The size distributions and chemical compositions of the ambient and aged PAM aerosols were measured alternately every 6 min by Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and High Resolution-Time of Flight-Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS), respectively. Inside the PAM reactor, the O3 and OH levels were equivalent to approximately 5 days of integrated OH exposure at typical atmospheric conditions. Two types of air masses were distinguished on the basis of the chemical composition and the degree of aging: Sulfate was predominant with higher O : C ratio for the air transported from China and organic concentration was higher than that of sulfate with lower O : C ratio when the air came through the Korean Peninsula. In PAM reactor, sulfate was constantly formed, resulting in the increase of particle mass at 200–400 nm size range. Organics were responsible for an overall loss of mass in 100–200 nm particles. This loss was especially evident for the m/z 43 component representing semi-volatile organics. Conversely, the m/z 44 component corresponding to low-volatile organics increased with a shift toward larger sizes during the organics-dominated episode. Therefore, we hypothesize that the oxidation of semi-volatile organics was facilitated by gas-phase oxidation and partitioning for re-equilibrium between the gas and particle phases. Nitrate evaporated in the PAM reactor upon the addition of sulfate to the particles. These results suggest that the chemical composition of aerosols and their degree of photochemical aging particularly for organics are also crucial in determining aerosol mass concentrations. Because sulfate in the atmosphere was stable for about a week of the nominal lifetime of aerosols, SO2 is a unquestionably primary precursor of secondary aerosol in northeast Asia. In comparison, the contribution of organics to secondary aerosols is more variable during transport in the atmosphere. Notably, an increase in low-volatility organics was associated with sulfate and evident at 200–400 nm, highlighting the role of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) formation.
Simultaneous measurements of new particle formation in 1-second
time resolution at a street site and a rooftop site
Authors: Zhu Yujiao , Yan Caiqing , Zhang Renyi , Wang Zifa , Zheng Mei , Gao Huiwang , Gao Yang , Yao Xiaohong
Published: January 2017

Abstract. This study is the first time to use two identical Fast Mobility Particle Sizers for simultaneously measuring particle number size distributions (PNSD) at a street site and a rooftop site within 500 m distance in winter and spring times in Beijing. The obtained datasets in 1-second time resolution allow reasonably deducting the freshly emitted traffic particle signal from the measurements at the street site and thereby pave the way to study reduced or enhanced effects on new particle formation (NPF) in urban atmospheres through the site-by-site comparison. The number concentration of newly formed particles, i.e., smaller than 20 nm, and the NPF rate in the springtime were smaller at the street site than at the rooftop site. In contrast, NPF was enhanced in the wintertime at the street site with NPF rates increased by 3–5 times, characterized by a shorter NPF time and higher new particle yields than those at the rooftop site. Our results imply that the street canyon likely exerts distinct seasonal effects on NPF because of on-road vehicle emissions, i.e., stronger condensation sinks that may be responsible for reduced NPF in the springtime but efficient nucleation and partitioning of gaseous species that contribute to the enhanced NPF in the wintertime. We also analyzed the occurrence or absence of apparent growth for > 10 nm new particles. The oxidization of biogenic organics in the presence of strong photochemical reactions was argued to play an important role in growing > 10 nm new particles, but sulfuric acid was unlikely the crucial specie for the apparent growth.
Regional effects of atmospheric aerosols on temperature: an evaluation of an ensemble of on-line coupled models
Authors: Baró Rocío , Palacios-Peña Laura , Baklanov Alexander , Balzarini Alessandra , Brunner Dominik , Forkel Renate , Hirtl Marcus , Honzak Luka , Pérez Juan Luis , Pirovano Guido , San José Roberto , Schröder Wolfram , Werhahn Johannes , Wolke Ralf , Zabkar Rahela , Jiménez-Guerrero Pedro
Published: January 2017

Abstract. The climate effect of atmospheric aerosols is associated to their influence on the radiative budget of the Earth due to direct aerosol-radiation interactions (ARI) and indirect effects, resulting from aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI). On-line coupled meteorology-chemistry models permit the description of these effects on the basis of simulated atmospheric aerosol concentrations, although there is still some uncertainty associated to the use of these models. In this sense, the objective of this work is to assess whether the inclusion of atmospheric aerosol radiative feedbacks of an ensemble of on-line coupled models improves the simulation results for maximum, mean and minimum temperature over Europe. The evaluated model outputs originate from EuMetChem COST Action ES1004 simulations for Europe, differing in the inclusion (or omission) of ARI and ACI in the various models. The case studies cover two important atmospheric aerosol episodes over Europe in the year 2010, a heat wave and forest fires episode (July–August 2010) and a more humid episode including a Saharan desert dust outbreak in October 2010. The simulation results are evaluated against observational data from E-OBS gridded database. The results indicate that, although there is only a slight improvement in the bias of the simulation results when including the radiative feedbacks, the spatio-temporal variability and correlation coefficients are improved for the cases under study when atmospheric aerosol radiative effects are included, especially for those areas closest to emissions sources of atmospheric aerosols.
Ocean acidification impacts bacteria–phytoplankton coupling at low-nutrient conditions
Authors: Hornick Thomas , Bach Lennart T. , Crawfurd Katharine J. , Spilling Kristian , Achterberg Eric P. , Woodhouse Jason N. , Schulz Kai G. , Brussaard Corina P. D. , Riebesell Ulf , Grossart Hans-Peter
Published: January 2017

Abstract. The oceans absorb about a quarter of the annually produced anthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), resulting in a decrease in surface water pH, a process termed ocean acidification (OA). Surprisingly little is known about how OA affects the physiology of heterotrophic bacteria or the coupling of heterotrophic bacteria to phytoplankton when nutrients are limited. Previous experiments were, for the most part, undertaken during productive phases or following nutrient additions designed to stimulate algal blooms. Therefore, we performed an in situ large-volume mesocosm ( ∼  55 m3) experiment in the Baltic Sea by simulating different fugacities of CO2 (fCO2) extending from present to future conditions. The study was conducted in July–August after the nominal spring bloom, in order to maintain low-nutrient conditions throughout the experiment. This resulted in phytoplankton communities dominated by small-sized functional groups (picophytoplankton). There was no consistent fCO2-induced effect on bacterial protein production (BPP), cell-specific BPP (csBPP) or biovolumes (BVs) of either free-living (FL) or particle-associated (PA) heterotrophic bacteria, when considered as individual components (univariate analyses). Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA) revealed a significant effect of the fCO2 treatment on entire assemblages of dissolved and particulate nutrients, metabolic parameters and the bacteria–phytoplankton community. However, distance-based linear modelling only identified fCO2 as a factor explaining the variability observed amongst the microbial community composition, but not for explaining variability within the metabolic parameters. This suggests that fCO2 impacts on microbial metabolic parameters occurred indirectly through varying physicochemical parameters and microbial species composition. Cluster analyses examining the co-occurrence of different functional groups of bacteria and phytoplankton further revealed a separation of the four fCO2-treated mesocosms from both control mesocosms, indicating that complex trophic interactions might be altered in a future acidified ocean. Possible consequences for nutrient cycling and carbon export are still largely unknown, in particular in a nutrient-limited ocean.
The importance of radiation for semi-empirical water-use efficiency models
Authors: Boese Sven , Jung Martin , Carvalhais Nuno , Reichstein Markus
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Water-use efficiency (WUE) is a fundamental property for the coupling of carbon and water cycles in plants and ecosystems. Existing model formulations predicting this variable differ in the type of response of WUE to the atmospheric vapor pressure deficit of water (VPD). We tested a representative WUE model on ecosystem scale at 110 eddy-covariance sites of the FLUXNET initiative by predicting evapotranspiration (ET) based on gross primary productivity (GPP) and VPD. We found that introducing an intercept term in the formulation increases model performance considerably, indicating that an additional factor needs to be considered. We demonstrate that this intercept term varies seasonally and we subsequently associate it with radiation. Replacing the constant intercept term with a linear function of global radiation was found to further improve model predictions of ET. Our new semi-empirical ecosystem WUE formulation indicates that, averaged over all sites, this radiation term accounts for up to half (40–49 %) of transpiration. These empirical findings challenge the current understanding of water-use efficiency on ecosystem-scale.
Evaluation and uncertainty analysis of regional scale CLM4.5 net carbon flux estimates
Authors: Post Hanna , Hendricks Franssen Harrie-Jan , Han Xujun , Baatz Roland , Montzka Carsten , Schmidt Marius , Vereecken Harry
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Obtaining reliable estimates of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) for particular regions is essential for the estimation of regional carbon balances. The Community Land Model (CLM4.5-BGC) was applied to the Rur catchment in western Germany to foster the understanding of spatial carbon flux patterns and the predictability of climate-ecosystem feedbacks. We evaluated the effect estimated values of ecological key parameters had on modelled carbon fluxes and LAI compared to global default values. For three of the four most widespread PFTs in the catchment (C3-grass, coniferous forest, deciduous forest), successfully estimated and validated parameter values were adopted from a previous study. Only for C3-crop, new parameter values were estimated herein. The Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach DREAM(zs) was used to constrain the CLM parameters with eddy covariance (EC) NEE data. We evaluated the model performance with estimated parameter values using (i) measured NEE from four EC crop sites located inside the catchment, and (ii) LAI data from the RapidEye satellite of about 18 days. The difference between the measured and simulated NEE sum for the evaluation period was reduced ~ 40 % on average, if estimated parameters instead of default parameters were used as input. For all PFTs, estimated parameter values had a strong effect on the predicted NEE sum. This would notably alter regional carbon balance estimates, since the catchment scale NEE sum was strongly positive with default parameter values and strongly negative with the estimated values. To obtain a more comprehensive picture of model uncertainty, additional CLM ensembles were setup where perturbed meteorological input data and uncertain initial states were applied in addition to the uncertain parameters. We found that C3-grass and C3-crop were particularly sensitive to the perturbed meteorological input data, which resulted in a strong increase of the standard deviation of the NEE sum (σ∑NEE) for the different ensemble members by a factor of ~ 14 and 28. Thus, model uncertainty for these PFTs is clearly underestimated if uncertain forcings and initial states are not taken into account. The increase of σ∑NEE for needleleaf evergreen temperate tree and broadleaf deciduous temperate tree was below factor 3.5. We conclude that that the uncertainty of regional CLM NEE predictions was considerably reduced via parameter estimation. However, in order to further enhance the reliability of regional scale NEE predictions, it is considered essential to treat different crop types separately. Thus, more EC tower stations and data are needed.
The importance of terrestrial weathering changes in
multimillennial recovery of the global carbon cycle: a two-dimensional perspective
Authors: Brault Marc-Olivier , Matthews H. Damon , Mysak Lawrence A.
Published: January 2017

Abstract. In this paper, we describe the development and application of a new spatially-explicit weathering scheme within the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model (UVic ESCM). We integrated a dataset of modern-day lithology with a number of previously devised parameterizations for weathering dependency on temperature, primary productivity, and runoff. We tested the model with simulations of future carbon cycle perturbations, comparing a number of emission scenarios and model versions with each other and with zero-dimensional equivalents of each experiment. Overall, we found that our two-dimensional weathering model versions were more efficient in restoring the carbon cycle to its pre-industrial state following the pulse emissions than their zero-dimensional counterparts; however, in either case the effect of this weathering negative feedback on the global carbon cycle was small on timescales of less than 1000 years. According to model results, the largest contribution to future changes in weathering rates came from the expansion of tropical and mid-latitude vegetation in grid cells dominated by weathering-vulnerable rock types, whereas changes in temperature and river runoff had a more modest direct effect. Our results also confirmed that silicate weathering is the only mechanism that can lead to a full recovery of the carbon cycle to pre-industrial levels on multi-millennial timescales.
Return Levels of Temperature Extremes in Southern Pakistan
Authors: Zahid Maida , Blender Richard , Lucarini Valerio , Bramati Maria Caterina
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Southern Pakistan (Sindh) is one of the hottest regions in the world and is highly vulnerable to temperature extremes. In order to improve rural and urban planning, information about the recurrence of temperature extremes is required. In this work, return levels of the daily maximum temperature Tmax are estimated, as well as the daily maximum wet-bulb temperature TWmax extremes. The method used is the Peak Over Threshold (POT) and it represents a novelty among the approaches previously used for similar studies in this region. Two main datasets are analyzed: temperatures observed in nine meteorological stations in southern Pakistan from 1980 to 2013, and the ERA Interim data for the nearest corresponding locations. The analysis provides the 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100-year Return Levels (RLs) of temperature extremes. The 90 % quantile is found to be a suitable threshold for all stations. We find that the RLs of the observed Tmax are above 50 °C in northern stations, and above 45 °C in the southern stations. The RLs of the observed TWmax exceed 35 °C in the region, which is considered as a limit of survivability. The RLs estimated from the ERA Interim data are lower by 3 °C to 5 °C than the RLs assessed for the nine meteorological stations. A simple bias correction applied to ERA Interim data improves the RLs remarkably, yet discrepancies are still present. The results have potential implications for the risk assessment of extreme temperatures in Sindh.
High-resolution elevation mapping of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
and surrounding regions
Authors: Fountain Andrew G. , Fernandez-Diaz Juan C. , Levy Joseph , Gooseff Michael , Van Horn David J. , Morin Paul , Shrestha Ramesh
Published: January 2017

Abstract. We present detailed surface elevation measurements for the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica derived from aerial lidar surveys flown in the austral summer of 2014–2015 as part of an effort to understand geomorphic changes over the past decade. Lidar return density varied from 2 to > 10 returns m−2 with an average of about 5 returns m−2. vertical and horizontal accuracies are estimated to be 7 cm and 3 cm, respectively. In addition to our intended targets, other ad hoc regions were also surveyed including the Pegasus flight facility and two regions on Ross Island, McMurdo Station, Scott Base (and surroundings), and the coastal margin between Cape Royds and Cape Evans. These data are included in this report and data release. The combined data is freely available at doi:10.5069/G9D50JX3.
X-Band Radar for the Monitoring of Sea Waves and Currents: A Comparison between Medium and Short Radar Pulses
Authors: Ludeno Giovanni , Raffa Francesco , Soldovieri Francesco , Serafino Francesco
Published: January 2017

Abstract. This letter presents the monitoring results of the sea waves and the surface currents obtained by analyzing data acquired by a X-band marine radar in two different operative conditions, namely the short and medium pulse modes. In particular, we investigated the feasibility to use a medium radar pulse for sea state monitoring by comparing the performance in both the radar modes. The comparison was carried out by means of an experimental campaign and we observed a good agreement for surface current and sea state parameters estimation.
Review article: Wave analysis methods for space plasma experiment
Authors: Narita Yasuhito
Published: January 2017

Abstract. A review of analysis methods is given on quasi-monochromatic waves, turbulent fluctuations, wave-wave and wave-particle interactions for single-spacecraft data in situ in near-Earth space and interplanetary space, in particular using magnetic field and electric field data. Energy spectra for different components of the fluctuating fields, minimum variance analysis, propagation and polarization properties of electromagnetic waves, wave distribution function, helicity quantities, higher-order statistics, and detection methods for wave-particle interactions are explained.
Assessment and Monitoring of Land Degradation Using Geospatial Technology in Bathinda District, Punjab, India
Authors: Ahmad Naseer , Pandey Puneeta
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Land degradation leads to alteration in ecological and economic functions due to decrease in productivity and quality of the land. The aim of the present study was to assess land degradation with the help of geospatial technology – Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS)) in Bathinda district, Punjab. The severity of land degradation was estimated by analysing the physico-chemical parameters in the laboratory and correlating them with satellite based studies.The results revealed that the soils in the study area were exposed to the salt intrusion which could be mainly attributed to irrigation practices in the state of Punjab. Most of the soil samples of the study area were largely found slightly or moderately saline with a few salt-free sites. Further, majority of the soil samples were calcareous and a few samples were alkaline or sodic in nature. A comparative analysis of temporal satellite datasets of Landsat-7 ETM+ and Landsat-8 OLI_TIRS of the year 2000 and 2014 respectively, revealed that the water body showed a slight decreasing trend from 2.46 km2 in 2000 to 1.87 km2 in 2014; while, the human settlements and other built-up areas expanded from 586.25 km2 to 891.09 km2 in a span of 14 years. The results also showed a decrease in area under barren land from 68.9847 km2 in 2000 to 15.2602 km2 in the year 2014. Significant correlation was observed between the Digital Number (DN) of near Infrared band and pH and EC. Therefore, it is suggested that the present study can be applied to projects with special relevance to soil scientists, environmental scientists and planning agencies that can use the present study as a baseline data to combat land degradation and conserve land resources in an efficient manner.
Strong degradation of palsas and peat plateaus in northern Norway during the last 60 years
Authors: Borge Amund F. , Westermann Sebastian , Solheim Ingvild , Etzelmüller Bernd
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Palsas and peat plateaus are permafrost landforms occurring in subarctic mires which constitute sensitive ecosystems with strong significance for vegetation, wildlife, hydrology and carbon cycle. Firstly, we have systematically mapped the occurrence of palsas and peat plateaus in the northernmost county of Norway (Finnmark, ∼ 50 000 km2) by manual interpretation of aerial images from 2005 to 2014 at a spatial resolution of 250 m. At this resolution, mires and wetlands with palsas or peat plateaus occur in about 850 km2 of Finnmark, with the actual palsas and peat plateaus underlain by permafrost covering a surface area of approximately 110 km2. Secondly, we have quantified the lateral changes of the extent of palsas and peat plateaus for four study areas located along a NW–SE transect through Finnmark by utilizing repeat aerial imagery from the 1950s to the 2010s. The results of the lateral changes reveal a total decrease of 33–71 % in the areal extent of palsas and peat plateaus during the study period, with the largest lateral change rates observed in the last decade. However, the results indicate that degradation of palsas and peat plateaus in northern Norway has been a consistent process during the second half of the 20th century and possibly even earlier. Significant rates of areal change are observed in all investigated time periods since the 1950s, and thermokarst landforms observed on aerial images from the 1950s suggest that lateral degradation was already an ongoing process at this time. The results of this study show that lateral erosion of palsas and peat plateaus is an important pathway for permafrost degradation in the sporadic permafrost zone in northern Scandinavia. While the environmental factors governing the rate of erosion are not yet fully understood, we note a moderate increase in air temperature, precipitation and snow depth during the last few decades in the region.
Vortex Particle-Mesh simulations of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine flows: from the blade aerodynamics to the very far wake
Authors: Chatelain Philippe , Duponcheel Matthieu , Caprace Denis-Gabriel , Marichal Yves , Winckelmans Grégoire
Published: January 2017

Abstract. A Vortex Particle-Mesh (VPM) method with immersed lifting lines has been developed and validated. Based on the vorticity-velocity formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations, it combines the advantages of a particle method and of a mesh-based approach. The immersed lifting lines handle the creation of vorticity from the blade elements and its early development. LES of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) flows are performed. The complex wake development is captured in details and over very long distances: from the blades to the near wake coherent vortices, then through the transitional ones to the fully developed turbulent far wake (beyond 10 rotor diameters). The statistics and topology of the mean flow are studied. The computational sizes also allow insights into the detailed unsteady vortex dynamics, including some unexpected topological flow features.
Work schedule flexibility and parking preferences
Authors: Ng Wei-Shiuen
Published: January 2017

The flexibility of work schedule affects the number of commute trips made per week and the number of hours spent at work, which can influence congestion and transportation emission levels. Understanding the linkages between the flexibility of work schedule and travel behavior will provide insights for policies targeted at transportation and parking demand management. This study uses the University of California (UC) Berkeley campus as a study site. UC Berkeley is one of the largest employers in the San Francisco Bay Area with over 11,000 employees, leading to a wide range of employment type, job characteristics, and varying levels of work schedule flexibility. A total of 86 one-on-one interviews were conducted with UC Berkeley employees. This study explores common factors that contribute to UC Berkeley employees’ parking preferences and considers how academic discipline or employment type could affect work schedule, which in turn influences travel behavior. Driving is the most popular choice across employment type and job categories. However, not all employees who drive alone have the same parking location preferences. The flexibility of work schedule is one of the key factors that influences parking preferences at the workplace, especially when there are alternative parking locations.