bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Place-Based Rural Development and Resilience: A Lesson from a Small Community
Authors: Salvia Rosanna , Quaranta Giovanni
Published: May 2017

Community resilience is central to reshaping the role and functions of rural areas; and development has increasingly come about via the capacity of communities to be resilient in the face of challenges. When policies designed and adopted in rural areas are place-based; these policies should rely on resilient actors; belonging to resilient communities. The aim of this article is to focus on factors that can trigger or re-activate mechanisms that help to actively build resilience in areas that are heavily economically and socially impoverished using as a case study a very active and dynamic rural community. From the case study; three aspects emerge; all of which are closely interrelated; as having been particularly significant for building community resilience. The first was the rebuilding of previously frayed social ties within the community (growth of social capital and increased trust). The second was the ‘cascade effect’ of the first project started in the community; which led to the creation of many other initiatives. The third was the adoption of a systemic approach; able to bring together areas and sectors that had previously been disconnected (breaking down technical-legislative barriers).
Public Participatory Mapping of Cultural Ecosystem Services: Citizen Perception and Park Management in the Parco Nord of Milan (Italy)
Authors: Canedoli Claudia , Bullock Craig , Collier Marcus J. , Joyce Deirdre , Padoa-Schioppa Emilio
Published: May 2017

Ecosystem services may be underestimated, and consequently threatened, when land-use planning and management decisions are based on inadequate information. Unfortunately, most of the studies aimed to evaluate and map cultural ecosystem services (CES) are not used for actual decision support therefore there is a gap in the literature about its use in practice. This study aimed to reduce this gap by: (i) mapping CES perceived by city park users through participatory mapping (PPGIS); (ii) mapping CES arising from park management (management perception); (iii) comparing citizens and park management perception to identify matches or mismatches; and (iv) discussing the utility of the data acquired and the methodology proposed to inform urban planning. The methodology presented in this study resulted in data directly informative for urban planning. It provided spatially explicit data about perceived cultural services of the park as well as information about the matching or mismatching patterns about cultural services provision comparing the users’ view with the management dimension. This research demonstrated a way to use the potential of ES mapping to inform urban planning and explored the local management demand for CES mapping, showing this to be a valuable tool for effective integration into actual decision making.
Modified Gravity with Vector Distortion and Cosmological Applications
Authors: Beltrán Jiménez Jose , Koivisto Tomi
Published: May 2017

We briefly review the basics of Weyl geometry and its natural extension by a general linear ”distortion” of the metric connection by a vector field. A special class of the connections has torsion but retains the Weyl’s semi-metricity condition. We present ghost-free gravitational theories in this geometrical setup and highlight their possible cosmological applications, such as new self-tuning solutions and new bouncing solutions found in the quadratic-curvature theories. The vector distortion can mimic the cosmological effects of dark matter.
Application of GIS-Interval Rough AHP Methodology for Flood Hazard Mapping in Urban Areas
Authors: Gigović Ljubomir , Pamučar Dragan , Bajić Zoran , Drobnjak Siniša
Published: May 2017

Floods are natural disasters with significant socio-economic consequences. Urban areas with uncontrolled urban development, rapid population growth, an unregulated municipal system and an unplanned change of land use belong to the highly sensitive areas where floods cause devastating economic and social losses. The aim of this paper is to present a reliable GIS multi-criteria methodology for hazard zones’ mapping of flood-prone areas in urban areas. The proposed methodology is based on the combined application of geographical information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). The methodology considers six factors that are relevant to the hazard of flooding in urban areas: the height, slope, distance to the sewage network, the distance from the water surface, the water table and land use. The expert evaluation takes into account the nature and severity of observed criteria, and it is tested using three scenarios: the modalities of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The first of them uses a new approach to the exploitation of uncertainty in the application of the AHP technique, the interval rough numbers (IR’AHP). The second one uses the fuzzy technique for the exploitation of uncertainty with the AHP method (F’AHP), and the third scenario contemplates the use of the traditional (crisp) AHP method. The proposed methodology is demonstrated in Palilula Municipality, Belgrade, Serbia. In the last few decades, Palilula Municipality has been repeatedly devastated by extreme flood events. These floods severely affected the transportation networks and other infrastructure. Historical flood inundation data have been used in the validation process. The final urban flood hazard map proves a satisfactory agreement between the flood hazard zones and the spatial distribution of historical floods that happened in the last 58 years. The results indicate that the scenario in which the IR’AHP methodology is used provides the highest level of compatibility with historical data on floods. The produced map showed that the areas of very high flood hazard are located on the left Danube River bank. These areas are characterized by lowland morphology, gentle slope, sewage network, expansion of impermeable locations and intense urbanization. The proposed GIS-IR’AHP methodology and the results of this study provide a good basis for developing a system of flood hazard management in urban areas and can be successfully used for spatial city development policy.
Modeling the Multi-Seasonal Link between the Hydrodynamics of a Reservoir and Its Hydropower Plant Operation
Authors: Carpentier Diego , Haas Jannik , Olivares Marcelo , De la Fuente Alberto
Published: May 2017

The hydrodynamics of many hydropower reservoirs are controlled by the operation of their power plant, but the associated water quality impact is often poorly understood. In particular, significant hydropeaking operations by hydropower plants affect not only the downstream ecosystem but also the reservoir water temperature. This paper contributes to understanding that link. For this, we coupled a hydrodynamic model (Estuary, Lake and Coastal Ocean Model, ELCOM) to a grid-wide power system scheduling model. In a case study (Rapel, Chile), we observe the behavior of variables related to the flow regime and water quality (including sub-daily hydrologic alteration, seasonal and sub-daily thermal pollution of the downstream river, and vertical mixing in the reservoir). Additionally, we evaluate how environmental constraints (ECs) can improve the conditions for a wet, normal and dry water-type year. We found that the unconstrained operation produces a strong sub-daily hydrologic alteration as well as an intense thermal pollution of the outflow. We show that these effects can clearly be avoided when implementing ECs. The current (unconstrained) vertical mixing makes the reservoir susceptible to algae blooms. Implementing ECs may intensify the stratification in the reservoir near the dam in some scenarios. The grid-wide economic cost of Rapel’s ECs is a modest 0.3%.
Audiology Assistants: Results of a Multicenter Survey
Authors: Karzon Roanne , Hunter Lisa , Steuerwald Wendy
Published: May 2017

Background:Although audiologists have been using support personnel for over 45 yr, controversy and variability continue with respect to the entry-level education, training methods, and scope of practice.Purpose:As part of a larger clinical practices survey, this report
focuses on use of audiology assistants (AAs) for pediatric settings and “life-span” facilities that had a significant population of pediatric patients.Research Design:A questionnaire was sent to 116 facilities in geographically diverse locations. Of the 25 surveys returned,
22 had sufficient data to be included for analysis purposes.Results:The majority of respondents assigned duties to AAs as follows: assisting with conditioned play audiometry and visual reinforcement audiometry, infection control, mail management, disposing of protected health information,
ordering supplies, calling families, fielding family phone calls, and stocking supplies. In addition, of the nine pediatric facilities that used AAs and reported job duties, the majority assigned troubleshooting equipment and auditory brainstem response (ABR) screening. Two of the five life-span
facilities that reported job duties assigned several duties not assigned by any of the pediatric facilities: pure-tone screening, earmold impressions, assisting with videonystagmography and ABR, and in-house hearing aid repairs. Of facilities that use AAs and reported staffing, the ratio of
AAs to audiologists ranged from 0.03:1 to 1:0.37, with an average of 0.15 for life-span facilities and 0.17 for the pediatric facilities. Minimum educational levels required were reported as follows: high school (n = 8), college (n = 3), certificate (n = 1), and no requirement (n = 1).Conclusions:Within
a small sample size of pediatric and life-span facilities, 14 of 22 centers used AAs to perform a variety of direct patient care, indirect patient care, and clerical duties. Based on the duties recommended within the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association guidelines and by many states,
expanded employment of AAs, as well as expansion of assigned duties should be considered. Data are needed to determine the appropriate ratio of AAs to audiologists within different settings and to determine the impact of AAs for accessibility, productivity, and profitability.
Anomalous Transport of Cosmic Rays in a Nonlinear Diffusion Model
Authors: Litvinenko Yuri E. , Fichtner Horst , Walter Dominik
Published: May 2017

We investigate analytically and numerically the transport of cosmic rays following their escape from a shock or another localized acceleration site. Observed cosmic-ray distributions in the vicinity of heliospheric and astrophysical shocks imply that anomalous, superdiffusive transport plays a role in the evolution of the energetic particles. Several authors have quantitatively described the anomalous diffusion scalings, implied by the data, by solutions of a formal transport equation with fractional derivatives. Yet the physical basis of the fractional diffusion model remains uncertain. We explore an alternative model of the cosmic-ray transport: a nonlinear diffusion equation that follows from a self-consistent treatment of the resonantly interacting cosmic-ray particles and their self-generated turbulence. The nonlinear model naturally leads to superdiffusive scalings. In the presence of convection, the model yields a power-law dependence of the particle density on the distance upstream of the shock. Although the results do not refute the use of a fractional advection–diffusion equation, they indicate a viable alternative to explain the anomalous diffusion scalings of cosmic-ray particles.
Use of peanut meal as a model matrix to study the effect of composting on aflatoxin decontamination
Authors: Akoto E.Y. , Klu Y.A.K. , Lamptey M. , Asibuo J.Y. , Davis J. , Phillips R. , Jordan D. , Rhoads J. , Hoistington D. , Chen J.
Published: May 2017

In developing countries, aflatoxin-contaminated peanut wastes are often used as mulching materials or soil amendments, which introduce aflatoxins and aflatoxin-producing mould into subsequent farming seasons. This research evaluated the effectiveness of composting as a means of aflatoxin decontamination using highly-contaminated peanut meal as a model matrix at 40 °C for 6 w. The composting methods caused 72.2-154.9 (41.9-75.1%), 7.4-17.6 (37.9-72.0%), 1.2-6.9 (77.1-100.0%), or 0.0-2.1 (0.0-100.0%) μg/kg reduction in the levels of aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2 in peanut meal, respectively.Aspergillus flavus andAspergillus parasiticus counts and total mould counts decreased from 103-105 to <10 colony forming units/g. Composting time and the type of starters used significantly influenced aflatoxin content, while the presence of accelerator did not affect aflatoxin levels. The highest level of toxin decontamination occurred in the first week when compost temperature and ammonia concentration were high. Micronutrient contents of resulting composts were within the accepted range for fertilisers, except for calcium. Heavy metal content was below the maximum allowable levels except nickel in one of the samples. Aflatoxin reduction was also observed in an up-scale experiment using contaminated agriculture waste as raw materials. Results suggest that composting could be employed to decontaminate aflatoxin-containing agricultural waste in developing countries.
Early Chinese Presence in Malaysia as Reflected by three Cemeteries (17th-19th c.)
Authors: Wong Tze Ken Danny
Published: May 2017

Chinese cemeteries, found in various locations in Malaysia, are like historical landmarks. The oldest graves when traced may be used to gauge the association between the Chinese with a particular locality. Such a consideration is important as the community was constantly required to justify and defend its long-standing presence in the country especially in the face of challenges from certain quarters of indigenous political groups which questioned the long term position of the Chinese in the country. Given its importance, this paper sets out to examine the three earliest cemeteries, namely, Bukit China in Malacca, the Chinese cemeteries in Terengganu and Mount Erskine in Penang; with the aim of tracing the earlier graves and to raise questions pertaining to their existence.
Étude préliminaire des tessons de céramique de style chinois trouvés à Kota Cina
Authors: Zhao Bing
Published: May 2017

Cet article présente les résultats de la première mission d’étude consacrée à la céramique chinoise et de l’Asie du Sud-Est provenant du site de Kota Cina. Elle porte sur un corpus de 9218 fragments (soit 2231 NMI) collectés lors des campagnes de fouilles franco-indonésiennes réalisées entre 2011 et 2014. Son objectif principal a été d’identifier un maximum de types existants afin de préparer le travail de typologie. Nous avons privilégié la description par grandes catégories (12) et les comparaisons avec des données provenant de sites de production en Chine. Nous avons tenté également d’y exposer nos méthodes de travail en étant cependant consciente de leurs limites du fait que seule une partie du corpus a pu être étudiée. À ce stade, les tessons datables de la période XIIe-XIIIe siècles prédominent.
“The Voice of a Child”: Constructing a Moral Community through Retteng Poetic Argumentation in Toraja
Authors: Sandarupa Stanislaus
Published: May 2017

The topic of this article is a genre of ritual poetry, retteng, or poetic argumentation, performed by the Toraja of Sulawesi (Indonesia) as part of their elaborate funerals. It is interesting to ethnographers and linguistic anthropologists because it is a highly interactive type of verbal contestation. By means of quoted speech and elaborate metaphors, it allows participants to comment on, evaluate, and shape the performance of the ritual as it is unfolding, and thus to (re)affirm the moral values of society. I first describe this genre and the settings in which it occurs, then analyze one particular example from my fieldwork in the southern part of Tana Toraja, and finally discuss some of the broader implications of these findings. The approach I take draws from linguistic anthropology, especially functional semiotics, and treats these data as denotational texts (what is being said), interactional texts (what is happening socially), and mediational texts (how the two are indexically linked). Such an approach enables us to better appreciate how what participants say (i.e., through metaphors and allusions) is best understood by also attending to what they do communicatively and socially (i.e., challenge the authority of a speaker, argue over what is the truth, mediate conflict before it becomes violent). I show how speakers use various strategic cultural linguistic devices (for example, quoted speech, contextualization and entextualization, phonological play and metaphors) to advance their poetic argumentation and indicate the topic under discussion. A thorough analysis of the retteng performance shows that the main topic being debated is “the voice of a child,” which is a way of talking about what constitutes verbal expertise and leadership. Ultimately, “the voice of a child” refers to several things: to “honesty” and the “ability to connect what is in someone’s heart with what he says,” “the capacity to express his extensive knowledge with expertise in speaking,” and a good moral society which enables community members to effectively address social problems by means of the performance of ritual speech.
Jokowi, un trublion dans la Reformasi des oligarques
Authors: Madinier Rémy
Published: May 2017

Aux yeux de la plupart des observateurs – qu’ils soient indonésiens ou étrangers, journalistes ou universitaires – les élections présidentielles de 2014 en Indonésie, donnèrent lieu à un affrontement homérique opposant des candidats représentant deux versions radicalement différentes d’une même critique de l’évolution politique de l’Archipel. Parvenue au bout de ses contradictions – une démocratie institutionnellement irréprochable mais largement confisquée par un népotisme tout empreint de la culture politique du régime Suharto – la Reformasi semblait prête, en 2014, à s’abandonner aux vertiges du populisme rétrograde qu’incarnait Prabowo Subianto. Cependant, la croissance économique, les acquis de la liberté d’expression et surtout l’émergence, dans le cadre de la décentralisation, d’une génération capable de construire un nouveau lien avec le peuple offrirent, à point nommé, une alternative progressiste à cette désillusion. Joko Widodo dit Jokowi, gouverneur de Jakarta ancien maire de Solo et issu d’un milieu très populaire fut élu, en juillet 2014, septième président de la République d’Indonésie. L’immense espoir soulevé par cette élection a cependant été en partie déçu. Bousculant les habitudes d’une étroite élite politique, Jokowi a du affronter, jusqu’au sein de son propre parti, de puissantes résistances qui l’ont contraint à établir une hiérarchie délicate et contestée dans la mise en œuvre de son programme.
Pneumonia and hospitalizations in the elderly
Authors: Cacciatore Francesco , Gaudiosi Carlo , Mazzella Francesca , Scognamiglio Anna , Mattucci Irene , Carone Mauro , Ferrara Nicola , Abete Pasquale
Published: May 2017

Pneumonia in the elderly is a common and severe problem. In this review we analyze the state of the art for pneumonia in the elderly. Several aspects are discussed: i) how common is the disease; signs and symptoms in the elderly; ii) the elderly must always be hospitalized and which is the best place - Intensive Care Unit or medical ward?; iii) the role of comorbidities; iv) etiology and pathogenesis; medical treatment - when and how to start; v) antibiotic resistance; vi) antibiotics in hospital acquired and ventilator related pneumonia; vii) assisted non-invasive ventilation; viii) the treatment in the terminally ill elderly patient.
The impact of changes in labour broking on an integrated petroleum and chemical company
Authors: Joubert Yvonne T. , Loggenberg Bennie
Published: May 2017

Orientation: This article focuses on the changes to section 198 of the Labour Relations Act (LRA).Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of employees regarding the changes to section 198 and the potential implications of these changes for the company and its employees.Motivation for the study: The changes to section 198 of the LRA are new and the impact of the changes to a company and its employees is still unclear.Research design, approach and method: The qualitative exploratory study was conducted with six employees of a large integrated petroleum and chemical company making use of labour brokers, until data saturation was reached. The data were collected by means of individual interviews and telephonic interviews.Main findings: The results indicated that the changes to section 198 have positive and negative implications for the organisation as well as its employees. The negative implications for the organisation are higher costs, new policies and guidelines, and less employment flexibility. The negative implications for the employees are unemployment, negative attitudes, poor employability, and a situation where the permanent employees have to do all the work.Practical / managerial implications: The outcome of the study can be used to develop an employment policy and dispute resolution to minimise the negative implications for the organisation and its employees.Contribution / value-add: The study represents original research, extending the current body of knowledge on the perceptions of employees in the human resources department regarding the changes to section 198 of the LRA.
Social impacts of corruption upon community resilience and poverty
Authors: Lewis James
Published: May 2017

Corruption at all levels of all societies is a behavioural consequence of power and greed. With no rulebook, corruption is covert, opportunistic, repetitive and powerful, reliant upon dominance, fear and unspoken codes: a significant component of the ‘quiet violence’. Descriptions of financial corruption in China, Italy and Africa lead into a discussion of ‘grand’, ‘political’ and ‘petty’ corruption. Social consequences are given emphasis but elude analysis; those in Bangladesh and the Philippines are considered against prerequisites for resilience. People most dependent upon self-reliance are most prone to its erosion by exploitation, ubiquitous impediments to prerequisites of resilience – latent abilities to ‘accommodate and recover’ and to ‘change in order to survive’. Rarely spoken of to those it does not dominate, for long-term effectiveness, sustainability and reliability, eradication of corrupt practices should be prerequisite to initiatives for climate change, poverty reduction, disaster risk reduction and resilience.
‘Taming untamed pests’: Representing female sexualities in Tiyambe Zeleza’s Smouldering Charcoal and James Ng’ombe’s Sugarcane with Salt
Authors: Mtenje Asante L.
Published: May 2017

In this article, I explore a range of intersections between the ideological-material legacies of a dictatorial regime and representations of female sexuality in Malawian fiction. I am particularly interested in using literary narratives to examine how fiction writers explore the congruencies and disjunctures amongst outright political dictatorship and the impact on bodies and behaviours of state-inflected institutions such as ‘the family’, along with discourses such as gender, culture and religion that are commonly mobilised in the service of national identity. Focusing on Tiyambe Zeleza’s Smouldering Charcoal and James Ng’ombe’s Sugarcane with Salt, I investigate how the authors’ portrayal of female sexuality contest at the same time as they reproduce received, normative ‘truths’ about female sexualities. By focusing on female sexual agency, desire and pleasure, this article also examines class-inflected intergenerational differences between women’s conceptualisations of female sexualities as a construct that can be negotiated.
The role of psychological contract on employee commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour: A study of Indonesian young entrepreneurs in management action
Authors: Anggraeni Ade I. , Dwiatmadja Christantius , Yuniawan Ahyar
Published: May 2017

Orientation: This study aims to analyse the entrepreneurship-driven reasons and characteristics of employee management of the young generation, by analysing the role of psychological contract on employee commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour in the light of the characteristics of the millennial generation as the owners of small and medium-sized enterprises.Research purpose: The main objective of this study was to empirically analyse the effect of the psychological contract and organisational support on the organisational commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour of the employees of small-scale enterprises run by young entrepreneurs, especially in the cohort generation.Motivation for the study: This study attempts to analyse the characteristics of the millennial generation as the owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in running the business by examining their managerial characteristics in managing workplace relationship that aims to achieve the stakeholder expectations and improve both commitment and organisational citizenship behaviour of employees.Research design, approach and method: Data were collected in the SMEs owned by young entrepreneurs in a city in Indonesia involving 150 respondents. The research model was tested using Structural Equation Modelling with analysis of moment structure (AMOS).Main findings: The results showed that the employee citizenship behaviour is influenced by the organisational commitment. The commitment of employees was formed by the ability of business owners to understand the needs and expectations of employees regarding opportunities of self-development, pleasant working environment, the benefit as the workload and the work challenge.Practical and managerial implications: This study implies the need for academic institutions and policy makers to get involved in addressing the rising phenomenon of entrepreneurship among the young generation.Contribution and added-value: This study mainly considered the characteristics of young entrepreneurs as the main factor in explaining the success of employee management relationship of SMEs.
Is Dhul Qarnayn, Alexander the Great? Reflecting on Muhammad Rāghib al–Ṭabbākh�s contribution on a translated manuscript discovered in Timbuktu on Dul Qarnayn
Authors: Sukdaven Maniraj , Ahmed Shoayb
Published: May 2017

This article emanates from a manuscript found in Timbuktu and digitised. The digitised version was subsequently translated by a team of translators and published as a book: Qissat Dhul Qarnayn [Tale of the two-horned one]. The most important question raised in reading this manuscript was the identity of Dhul Qarnayn. Subsequently to this manuscript being published as a book, a book written by Muḥammad Rāghib al-Ṭabbākh in 1949 in Arabic was examined, and it detailed a comprehensive scholarly study of the different views among scholars at that time about Dhul Qarnayn and Alexander the Great. This article reflects on the views of Muḥammad Rāghib al-Ṭabbākh in his book together with the manuscript found in Timbuktu and brings together views that attempt to establish and understand who Dhul Qarnayn is or was and his adventures.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article elaborates on a topic that has been discussed by historians and theologians of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths. It forms part of the discussion on apocalyptic literature. Within the Islamic context, it is often discussed among scholars dealing with the exegesis of the Qur�an and the Hadith. Some Sufi scholars tend to discuss it as well. It has intrigued some archaeologists. It highlights some civilisational issues at the time.
A New Approach of Stochastic Dominance for Ranking Transformations on the Discrete Random Variable
Authors: Gao Jianwei , Zhao Feng
Published: May 2017

This paper presents some new stochastic dominance (SD) criteria for ranking transformations on a random variable, which is the first time that this is done for transformations under the discrete framework. By using the expected utility theory, the authors first propose a sufficient condition for general transformations by first degree SD (FSD), and further develop it into the necessary and sufficient condition for monotonic transformations. For the second degree SD (SSD) case, they divide the monotonic transformations into increasing and decreasing categories, and further derive their necessary and sufficient conditions, respectively. For two different discrete random variables with the same possible states, the authors obtain the sufficient and necessary conditions for FSD and SSD, respectively. The new SD criteria have the following features: each FSD condition is represented by the transformation functions and each SSD condition is characterized by the transformation functions and the probability distributions of the random variable. This is different from the classical SD approach where FSD and SSD conditions are described by cumulative distribution functions. Finally, a numerical example is provided to show the effectiveness of the new SD criteria.
Spatial variability in tropospheric peroxyacetyl nitrate in the tropics from infrared satellite observations in 2005 and 2006
Authors: Payne Vivienne H. , Fischer Emily V. , Worden John R. , Jiang Zhe , Zhu Liye , Kurosu Thomas P. , Kulawik Susan S.
Published: May 2017

Abstract. Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) plays a fundamental role in the global ozone budget and is the primary reservoir of tropospheric reactive nitrogen over much of the globe. However, large uncertainties exist in how surface emissions, transport and lightning affect the global distribution, particularly in the tropics. We present new satellite observations of free-tropospheric PAN in the tropics from the Aura Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer. This dataset allows us to test expected spatiotemporal distributions that have been predicted by models but previously not well observed. We compare here with the GEOS-Chem model with updates specifically for PAN. We observe an austral springtime maximum over the tropical Atlantic, a feature that model predictions attribute primarily to lightning. Over northern central Africa in December, observations show strong interannual variability, despite low variation in fire emissions, that we attribute to the combined effects of changes in biogenic emissions and lightning. We observe small enhancements in free-tropospheric PAN corresponding to the extreme burning event over Indonesia associated with the 2006 El Niño.
Detection of deterministic and probabilistic convection initiation using Himawari-8 Advanced Himawari Imager data
Authors: Lee Sanggyun , Han Hyangsun , Im Jungho , Jang Eunna , Lee Myong-In
Published: May 2017

Abstract. The detection of convective initiation (CI) is very important because convective clouds bring heavy rainfall and thunderstorms that typically cause severe socio-economic damage. In this study, deterministic and probabilistic CI detection models based on decision trees (DT), random forest (RF), and logistic regression (LR) were developed using Himawari-8 Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI) data obtained from June to August 2016 over the Korean Peninsula. A total of 12 interest fields that contain brightness temperature, spectral differences of the brightness temperatures, and their time trends were used to develop CI detection models. While, in our study, the interest field of 11.2 µm Tb was considered the most crucial for detecting CI in the deterministic models and the probabilistic RF model, the trispectral difference, i.e. (8.6–11.2 µm)–(11.2–12.4 µm), was determined to be the most important one in the LR model. The performance of the four models varied by CI case and validation data. Nonetheless, the DT model typically showed higher probability of detection (POD), while the RF model produced higher overall accuracy (OA) and critical success index (CSI) and lower false alarm rate (FAR) than the other models. The CI detection of the mean lead times by the four models were in the range of 20–40 min, which implies that convective clouds can be detected 30 min in advance, before precipitation intensity exceeds 35 dBZ over the Korean Peninsula in summer using the Himawari-8 AHI data.
Causal kinetic equation of non-equilibrium plasmas
Authors: Treumann Rudolf A. , Baumjohann Wolfgang
Published: May 2017

Abstract. Statistical plasma theory far from thermal equilibrium is subject to Liouville's equation, which is at the base of the BBGKY hierarchical approach to plasma kinetic theory, from which, in the absence of collisions, Vlasov's equation follows. It is also at the base of Klimontovich's approach which includes single-particle effects like spontaneous emission. All these theories have been applied to plasmas with admirable success even though they suffer from a fundamental omission in their use of the electrodynamic equations in the description of the highly dynamic interactions in many-particle conglomerations. In the following we extend this theory to taking into account that the interaction between particles separated from each other at a distance requires the transport of information. Action needs to be transported and thus, in the spirit of the direct-interaction theory as developed by Wheeler and Feynman (1945), requires time. This is done by reference to the retarded potentials. We derive the fundamental causal Liouville equation for the phase space density of a system composed of a very large number of charged particles. Applying the approach of Klimontovich (1967), we obtain the retarded time evolution equation of the one-particle distribution function in plasmas, which replaces Klimontovich's equation in cases when the direct-interaction effects have to be taken into account. This becomes important in all systems where the distance between two points |Δq| ∼ ct is comparable to the product of observation time and light velocity, a situation which is typical in cosmic physics and astrophysics.
Limited protection of macro-aggregate-occluded organic carbon in Siberian steppe soils
Authors: Bischoff Norbert , Mikutta Robert , Shibistova Olga , Puzanov Alexander , Silanteva Marina , Grebennikova Anna , Fuß Roland , Guggenberger Georg
Published: May 2017

Abstract. Macro-aggregates especially in agricultural steppe soils are supposed to play a vital role for soil organic carbon (OC) stabilization at a decadal timescale. While most research on soil OC stabilization in steppes focused on North American prairie soils of the Great Plains with information mainly provided by short-term incubation experiments, little is known about the agricultural steppes in southwestern Siberia, though they belong to the greatest conversion areas in the world and occupy an area larger than that in the Great Plains. To quantify the proportion of macro-aggregate-protected OC under different land use as function of land use intensity and time since land use change (LUC) from pasture to arable land in Siberian steppe soils, we determined OC mineralization rates of intact (250–2000 µm) and crushed (< 250 µm) macro-aggregates in long-term incubations over 401 days (20 °C; 60 % water holding capacity) along two agricultural chronosequences in the Siberian Kulunda steppe. Additionally, we incubated bulk soil (< 2000 µm) to determine the effect of LUC and subsequent agricultural use on a fast and a slow soil OC pool (labile vs. more stable OC), as derived from fitting exponential-decay models to incubation data. We hypothesized that (i) macro-aggregate crushing leads to increased OC mineralization due to an increasing microbial accessibility of a previously occluded labile macro-aggregate OC fraction, and (ii) bulk soil OC mineralization rates and the size of the fast OC pool are higher in pasture than in arable soils with decreasing bulk soil OC mineralization rates and size of the fast OC pool as land use intensity and time since LUC increase. Against our hypothesis, OC mineralization rates of crushed macro-aggregates were similar to those of intact macro-aggregates under all land use regimes. Macro-aggregate-protected OC was almost absent and accounted for < 1 % of the total macro-aggregate OC content and to a maximum of 8 ± 4 % of mineralized OC. In accordance to our second hypothesis, highest bulk soil OC mineralization rates and sizes of the fast OC pool were determined under pasture, but mineralization rates and pool sizes were unaffected by land use intensity and time since LUC. However, at one chronosequence mean residence times of the fast and slow OC pool tended to decrease with increasing time since establishment of arable use. We conclude that the tillage-induced breakdown of macro-aggregates has not reduced the OC contents in the soils under study. The decline of OC after LUC is probably attributed to the faster soil OC turnover under arable land as compared to pasture at a reduced plant residue input.
20th century changes in carbon isotopes and water-use efficiency: tree-ring-based evaluation of the CLM4.5 and LPX-Bern models
Authors: Keller Kathrin M. , Lienert Sebastian , Bozbiyik Anil , Stocker Thomas F. , Churakova (Sidorova) Olga V. , Frank David C. , Klesse Stefan , Koven Charles D. , Leuenberger Markus , Riley William J. , Saurer Matthias , Siegwolf Rolf , Weigt Rosemarie B. , Joos Fortunat
Published: May 2017

Abstract. Measurements of the stable carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) on annual tree rings offer new opportunities to evaluate mechanisms of variations in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance under changing CO2 and climate conditions, especially in conjunction with process-based biogeochemical model simulations. The isotopic discrimination is indicative of the ratio between the CO2 partial pressure in the intercellular cavities and the atmosphere (ci∕ca) and of the ratio of assimilation to stomatal conductance, termed intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE). We performed isotope-enabled simulations over the industrial period with the land biosphere module (CLM4.5) of the Community Earth System Model and the Land Surface Processes and Exchanges (LPX-Bern) dynamic global vegetation model. Results for C3 tree species show good agreement with a global compilation of δ13C measurements on leaves, though modeled 13C discrimination by C3 trees is smaller in arid regions than measured. A compilation of 76 tree-ring records, mainly from Europe, boreal Asia, and western North America, suggests on average small 20th century changes in isotopic discrimination and in ci∕ca and an increase in iWUE of about 27 % since 1900. LPX-Bern results match these century-scale reconstructions, supporting the idea that the physiology of stomata has evolved to optimize trade-offs between carbon gain by assimilation and water loss by transpiration. In contrast, CLM4.5 simulates an increase in discrimination and in turn a change in iWUE that is almost twice as large as that revealed by the tree-ring data. Factorial simulations show that these changes are mainly in response to rising atmospheric CO2. The results suggest that the downregulation of ci∕ca and of photosynthesis by nitrogen limitation is possibly too strong in the standard setup of CLM4.5 or that there may be problems associated with the implementation of conductance, assimilation, and related adjustment processes on long-term environmental changes.
Irreversible ocean thermal expansion under negative CO2 emissions
Authors: Ehlert Dana , Zickfeld Kirsten
Published: May 2017

Abstract. In the Paris Agreement in 2015 countries agreed on holding global mean surface air warming well below 2 °C but the emission reduction pledges under that agreement are not ambitious enough to meet this target. Therefore, the question arises whether restoring temperature to this target after exceeding it by artificially removing CO2 from the atmosphere is possible. One important aspect regards the reversibility of ocean heat uptake and the associated sea level rise, which have very long (centennial to millennial) response time scales. In this study the response of sea level rise due to thermal expansion (TSLR) to a 1 % yearly increase of atmospheric CO2 up to a quadrupling of the pre-industrial concentration followed by a 1 % yearly decline back to the pre-industrial CO2 concentration is examined using the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model (UVic ESCM). We find that TSLR continues for several decades after atmospheric CO2 starts to decline and that sea level does not return to pre-industrial levels for over thousand years after atmospheric CO2 is restored to pre-industrial concentrations. This finding is independent of the strength of vertical sub-grid scale ocean mixing implemented in the model. Furthermore, TSLR rises faster than it declines in response to a symmetric rise and decline in atmospheric CO2 concentration partly because the deep ocean continues to warm for centuries after atmospheric CO2 returns to the pre-industrial concentration. Both TSLR rise and decline rate increase with increasing vertical ocean mixing. Exceptions from this behaviour arise if the overturning circulations in the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean intensify beyond pre-industrial levels in model versions with lower vertical mixing, which leads to rapid cooling of the deep ocean.
Influence of finite-time Lyapunov exponents on winter precipitation over the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Garaboa-Paz Daniel , Lorenzo Nieves , Pérez-Muñuzuri Vicente
Published: May 2017

Abstract. Seasonal forecasts have improved during the last decades, mostly due to an increase in understanding of the coupled ocean–atmosphere dynamics, and the development of models able to predict the atmosphere variability. Correlations between different teleconnection patterns and severe weather in different parts of the world are constantly evolving and changing. This paper evaluates the connection between winter precipitation over the Iberian Peninsula and the large-scale tropospheric mixing over the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Finite-time Lyapunov exponents (FTLEs) have been calculated from 1979 to 2008 to evaluate this mixing. Our study suggests that significant negative correlations exist between summer FTLE anomalies and winter precipitation over Portugal and Spain. To understand the mechanisms behind this correlation, summer anomalies of the FTLE have also been correlated with other climatic variables such as the sea surface temperature (SST), the sea level pressure (SLP) or the geopotential. The East Atlantic (EA) teleconnection index correlates with the summer FTLE anomalies, confirming their role as a seasonal predictor for winter precipitation over the Iberian Peninsula.
Surface drifters in the German Bight: Model validation considering
windage and Stokes drift
Authors: Callies Ulrich , Groll Nikolaus , Horstmann Jochen , Kapitza Hartmut , Klein Holger , Maßmann Silvia , Schwichtenberg Fabian
Published: May 2017

Abstract. Six surface drifters (drogued at about 1 m depth) deployed in the inner German Bight (North Sea) were tracked for between 14 and 54 days. Corresponding simulations were conducted offline based on surface currents from two independent models (BSHcmod and TRIM). Inclusion of a direct wind drag (0.6 % of 10 m wind) was needed for successful simulations based on BSHcmod currents archived for a 5 m depth surface layer. Adding 50 % of surface Stokes drift simulated with the third generation wave model WAM was tested as an alternative approach. Results resembled each other during most of the time. Successful simulations based on TRIM surface currents (1 m depth) suggest that both approaches were mainly needed to compensate insufficient vertical resolution of hydrodynamic currents. The study suggests that main sources of simulation errors were inaccurate Eulerian currents and lacking representation of sub-grid scale processes. Substantial model errors often occurred under low wind conditions. A lower limit of predictability (about 3–5 km per day) was estimated from two drifters that were initially spaced 20 km apart but converged quickly and diverged again after having stayed at a distance of 2 km and less for about 10 days. In most cases, errors in simulated 25 h drifter displacements were of similar order of magnitude.
Self-affine subglacial roughness: consequences for radar scattering and basal water discrimination in northern Greenland
Authors: Jordan Thomas M. , Cooper Michael A. , Schroeder Dustin M. , Williams Christopher N. , Paden John D. , Siegert Martin J. , Bamber Jonathan L.
Published: May 2017

Abstract. Subglacial roughness can be determined at a variety of length scales from radio-echo sounding (RES) data either via statistical analysis of topography or inferred from basal radar scattering. Past studies have demonstrated that subglacial terrain exhibits self-affine (power law) roughness scaling behaviour, but existing radar scattering models do not take this into account. Here, using RES data from northern Greenland, we introduce a self-affine statistical framework that enables a consistent integration of topographic-scale roughness with the electromagnetic theory of radar scattering. We demonstrate that the degree of radar scattering, quantified using the waveform abruptness (pulse peakiness), is topographically controlled by the Hurst (roughness power law) exponent. Notably, specular bed reflections are associated with a lower Hurst exponent, with diffuse scattering associated with a higher Hurst exponent. Abrupt waveforms (specular reflections) have previously been used as a RES diagnostic for basal water, and to test this assumption we compare our radar scattering map with a recent prediction for the basal thermal state. We demonstrate that the majority of thawed regions (above pressure melting point) exhibit a diffuse scattering signature, which is in contradiction to the prior approach. Self-affine statistics provide a generalised model for subglacial terrain and can improve our understanding of the relationship between basal properties and ice-sheet dynamics.
Las cooperativas de crédito andaluzas en el siglo XX: origen y consolidación del sector
Authors: Vargas-Machuca Salido María José
Published: May 2017

El principal objetivo de este artículo es analizar la evolución de las cooperativas de crédito andaluzas durante el siglo XX, estudiando el desarrollo dese su origen hasta la consolidación del sector en la década de los noventa. Las primeras entidades de este tipo en Andalucía surgen en los primeros años de esa centuria, con algo de retraso respecto a otros países europeos y con menos impulso que en otras zonas de España. A partir de entonces, se crean numerosas entidades de pequeña dimensión vinculadas, en su mayoría a Sindicatos Agrarios o como secciones de crédito de cooperativas agrícolas que no llegarían a adquirir la condición de entidad de crédito. Desde mediados de siglo, comienza a configurarse el sector andaluz de cajas rurales con instituciones que, en su mayoría, se mantienen operativas hasta finales de la centuria. El estudio de los primeros años de vida de estas sociedades no es fácil por la falta de documentación. Sin embargo, para el último cuarto del siglo la información es algo más completa gracias a la publicación, desde 1971 y bajo diversas denominaciones, del Anuario Estadístico de las Cooperativas de Crédito y Cajas Rurales y a la inclusión por parte del Banco de España del desglose provincial de actividad de estas entidades en su Boletín Estadístico. Tomando como base estas fuentes, además de otras informaciones, se realiza un estudio más detenido de la actividad de las cajas rurales andaluzas entre 1975 y 2000. Se diferencian dos áreas en la región (oriental y occidental) tratando de identificar rasgos distintivos en ambas.