bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical characteristics of keratoconus patients at the University of KwaZulu-Natal eye clinic
Authors: Rupnarain Shishka , Madlala Nomvelo , Memela Ntokozo , Ngcobo Simpiwe , Shabalala Nonkazimulo , Simjee Naseera , Gcabashe Nonkululeko , Rampersad Nishanee
Published: February 2020

Background: Patients with keratoconus, which is a common corneal ectasia, often present to specialised clinics for management. Understanding the clinical characteristics of keratoconus patients can help improve knowledge of the presentation and management of this corneal ectasia and predict the needs of the clinic providing care for affected individuals.Aim: To describe the clinical characteristics of keratoconus patients attending the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) eye clinic.Setting: University of KwaZulu-Natal eye clinic.Methods: The study used a retrospective research design by reviewing the clinical record cards of patients attending the UKZN contact lens eye clinic over a 4-year period (January 2014 to December 2017). Data related to age, clinical characteristics and method of management of the keratoconus patients were extracted and analysed using descriptive statistics.Results: Just less than one-quarter of all patients (n = 1210) attending the UKZN contact lens eye clinic had keratoconus that was most often bilateral. The mean age at presentation was 25.2 ± 9.6 years with 74% of the sample being younger than 30 years. More than 90% (n = 419) of the sample reported refractive reasons as the primary reason for presenting to the clinic. The majority of the sample had severe keratoconus (n = 257) and rigid contact lenses were most commonly used for management of keratoconus patients.Conclusion: Keratoconus presents at an early age with a more severe grade and it is most commonly managed using rigid contact lenses. These findings should be considered for keratoconus screening, diagnosis and treatment programmes in KwaZulu-Natal.
Mallines en la Sierra de Comechingones, Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina. Caracterización geológico-geomorfológica y reconstrucción paleoambiental durante el Holoceno
Authors: Andreazzini M. Jimena , Degiovanni Susana B. , Prieto Aldo R. , Tripaldi Alfonsina , Luque M. Elisa
Published: February 2020

Wet-meadows are wetlands of high environmental value and common in the Patagonia, Cordillera de los Andes and Pampean Ranges of Argentina. Particularly, the studies about the functioning and dynamics of wet-meadows are still insufficient and partials in Pampean Ranges. In this paper we analyze the geological-geomorphological factors that influenced the origin, distribution, morphometry and dynamics of wet-meadows in highlands of the southern Comechingones Range (Pampean Ranges of Córdoba, Argentina). A paleoenvironmental reconstruction from sedimentological, palynological, diatomological and chronological records of one of these systems is also proposed. The study area is located at an erosion paleosurface developed previously to the andean orogeny, on an igneous-metamorphic basement rocks. This paleosurface is preserved in the eastern slope of the Comechingones Range and shows different degree of fluvial incision. Most wetmeadows are linked to geomorphological environments with low morphodynamic activity, especially in the granitic rocks and loessic/loessoid deposits preserved in summit plains. The main source of sediments for wet-meadows is the reworking of Quaternary loessic/loessoide sequences. The wetmeadow paleorecords suggests the persistence of wetlands in the Comechingones Range highlands during most of the Holocene, with contractions and expansions in response to environmental variability. The Holocene climate conditions were variable, mainly related to changes in water availability and temperature. A drier period than the current, at least temporarily, took place between ca. 7,000 and 4,700 cal. years BP (6,400 and 4,100 14C years BP). Climatic conditions similar to the current ones were likely established since 4,700 cal. years BP (4,326 14C years BP). During the last centuries, incision and drainage networks integration processes, promote the removal of several wetlands, especially since 1,970s due to precipitation increasing and, subordinately, frequent wildfires.
Primer registro de estromatolitos en el Maastrichtiano tardío del Grupo Chubut, Cuenca del Golfo San Jorge, Patagonia central, Argentina
Authors: Casal Gabriel Andrés , Vallati Patricia , Ibiricu Lucio Manuel , De Sosa Tomas Andrea , Foix Nicolás , Alllard José Óscar , Martínez Rubén Darío
Published: February 2020

The presence of stromatolites from Cretaceous outcrops at the headwaters of the río Chico locality in the Golfo San Jorge Basin is reported for the first time. They are present in the uppermost part of the Lago Colhué Huapi Formation (Coniacian-Maastrichtian) of the Chubut Group. The presence of, up to now, four structures interpreted as stromatolites in this locality are not only important because it is the first record in the basin, but because it contributes to the knowledge of these bioconstructions in continental environments. The stromatolite called E1, which is characterized and discussed in detail, is associated with an abundant and diverse fossil record represented by palynomorphs, fragments of silicified trunks, dinosaur remains and eggshells. The study, integrated mainly with the recorded pollen and spores, is important for paleoenvironmental interpretations of the site and contributes to the paleoecological and paleoclimatic understanding of the most modern stratigraphic interval of the Chubut Group.
Sedimentología e icnología de un delta fluvio-dominado, Formación Lajas (Jurásico Medio), cuenca Neuquina, Argentina
Authors: Canale Nerina , Ponce Juan José , Carmona Noelia B. , Parada Martín N. , Drittanti Daniel I.
Published: February 2020

Sedimentologic and ichnologic analysis of the Middle Jurassic Lajas Formation in Bajada de Los Molles area allow recognizing upper offshore-lower shoreface deposits in transition to prodelta, delta front and interdistributary bay succesions. This system is classified as a river-dominated delta due to the presence of distributary channel deposits with huge amounts of particulate organic matter and low diversity and abundance of trace fossils. Hyperpycnites are common in the basal and upper part of the studied section, and form channel-levee and distributary-channel systems, integrated by massive sandstones and load deformation structures, or transitional and recurrent passages of tractive sedimentary structures with abundant particulate organic matter on the foresets. The greatest diversity and abundance of trace fossils are recognized in the upper offshore-lower shoreface deposits where Skolithos and Cruziana ichnofacies occur. Deltaic deposits show trace fossil associations with lower diversity and abundance than the fully marine ones, whereas the hyperpycnite deposits are either unbioturbated or show the lowest diversity and abundance of trace fossils, reflecting the most stressed conditions within the system.
Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) conodonts and graptolites from the Cerro La Chilca Section, Central Precordillera, Argentina
Authors: Serra Fernanda , Feltes Nicolás A. , Mango Matías , Henderson Miles A. , Albanesi Guillermo L. , Ortega Gladys
Published: February 2020

The Ordovician System is extensively represented in the Precordillera of San Juan Province, Argentina. At the Cerro La Chilca in the Jáchal area, the limestone of the San Juan Formation is paraconformably overlain by interbedded limestone and shale of the Gualcamayo Formation. The present contribution reports new data on the conodont fauna and biostratigraphy of these darriwilian units, revising local and regional chronostratigraphic relationships. New information on the composition of conodont and graptolite associations through the stratigraphic sequence is presented. The presence of Paroistodus horridus horridus, Yangtzeplacognathus crassus, and Histiodella sinuosa constrain the uppermost strata of the San Juan Formation to the lower part of the Y. crassus Zone, according to the Baltoscandian scheme, and to the H. sinuosa Subzone of the Periodon macrodentatus Zone of the North American scheme. In the overlying Gualcamayo Formation the co-occurrence of Y. crassus with Histiodella holodentata enable the recognition of the Y. crassus Zone and the H. holodentata Subzone of the P. macrodentatus Zone. The identification of these zones allows for precise global and regional correlation. A graptolite assemblage that belongs to the epipelagic and deep-water biotopes with some components restricted to low paleolatitudes is recognized. This diverse assemblage is characteristic of the pelagic biofacies. The important diversity of graptolites in this section suggests a favorable environment for their development. Local changes in the taxonomic composition are recognized through the Gualcamayo Formation. When comparing this fauna with that of different study localities from the Central Precordillera (Cerro Potrerillo, Oculta Creek, Cerro Viejo de Huaco and Las Aguaditas Creek) slight differences in the generic composition are observed. Taxonomic differences support the preference of certain associations for particular environments; though, graptolites are more diverse in black shales facies, which represent deeper environments (the Los Azules Formation), in relation to the calcareous-shale facies of the Gualcamayo Formation from Cerro La Chilca and correlative unit at Las Aguaditas Creek.
MAPPING URBAN AREAS USING DENSE TIME SERIES OF LANDSAT IMAGES AND GOOGLE EARTH ENGINE
Authors: Pu D. C. , Sun J. Y. , Ding Q. , Zheng Q. , Li T. T. , Niu X. F.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Urban information extraction from satellite based remote sensing data could provide the basic scientific decision-making data for the construction and management of future cities. In particular, long-term satellite based remote sensing such as Landsat observations provides a rich source of data for urban area mapping. Urban area mapping based on the single-temporal Landsat observations is vulnerable to data quality (such as cloud coverage and stripe), and it is difficult to extract urban areas accurately. The composite of dense time series Landsat observations can significantly reduce the effect of data quality on urban area mapping. Multidimensional array is currently effective theory for geographic big data analysis and management, providing a theoretical basis for the composite of dense time series Landsat observations. Google Earth Engine (GEE) not only provides rich satellite based remote sensing data for the composite of dense time series data, but also has powerful massive data analysis capabilities. In the study, we chose Random Forest (RF) algorithm for the urban area extraction owing to its stable performance, high classification accuracy and feature importance evaluation. In this work, the study area is located in the central part of the city of Beijing, China. Our main data source is all Landsat8 OLI images in Beijing (path/row: 123/32) in 2017.Based on the multidimensional array for geographic big data theory and the GEE cloud computing platform, four commonly used reducer methods are selected to composite the annual dense time series Landsat 8 OLI data. After collecting the training samples, RF algorithm was selected for supervised classification, feature importance evaluation and accuracy verification for urban area mapping. The results showed that 1), compared with the single temporal image of Landsat 8 OLI, the quality of annual composite image was improved obviously, especially for urban extraction in cloudy areas; 2) for the evaluation results of feature importance based on RF algorithm, Coastal, Blue, NIR, SWIR1 and SWIR2 bands were the more important characteristic bands, while the Green and Red bands were comparatively less important; 3) the annual composite images obtained by the ee.Reducer.min, ee.Reducer.max, ee.Reducer.mean and ee.Reducer.median methods were classified and accuracy verification was carried out using the verification points. The overall accuracy of the urban area mapping reached 0.805, 0.820, 0.868 and 0.929, respectively. In summary, the ee.Reducer.median method is a suitable method for annual dense time series Landsat image composite, which could improve the data quality, and ensure the difference of features and the higher accuracy of urban area mapping.
RESEARCH ON SEMANTIC MAP GENERATION AND LOCATION INTELLIGENT RECOGNITION METHOD FOR SCENIC SPOT SPACE PERCEPTION
Authors: Li B. S. , Liu B. , Ni X. S. , Huang P. , Pu L. L.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. In recent years, Tourism has become more and more Chinese leisure travel choice The research on the smart scenic spot is getting deeper and deeper, but the problem of accurate location l in the natural scenic spot still needs to be solved. Semantic maps contain a wealth of environmental information and can be more efficient for location-aware services, and are attracting more and more attention from researchers at home and abroad. In order to better ensure the travel experience of tourists, the range of scenic spots is too large, and the signal interference is high. Complex terrain in the scenic area, Branch and leaf features Visitors cannot rely on traditional positioning systems to get their current accurate location. It is proposed to construct a navigation semantic map for the perception of scenic space. In the construction process, the operation based on the location perception of the tourists and the surrounding environment and the extraction of the feature information is the key to constructing the semantic map. The general image recognition method is used to obtain the environment image information, and the acquired feature image is recognized to obtain the semantic information in the environment; in order to obtain more feature environment information to better complete the location-aware service task, the GBP descriptor is used. The method divides and stores different semantic regions in the environment, and generates a semantic map with rich semantic information and feature information according to the three-dimensional map model.
MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT OF ECOLOGICAL CHANGE IN COASTAL CITIES BASED ON RSEI
Authors: Liu X. Y. , Zhang X. X. , He Y. R. , Luan H. J.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. With the speeding up of urbanization process, ecological problems, such as unsustainable land use and environmental pollution,have emerged one after another in cites. Nowadays, green development and ecological priority are the important concepts and trends of the current new urban planning in China. In this study, Pingtan County, a coastal city in Fujian Province, China, was taken as the research area. Based on two Landsat 8 remote sensing images (2016, 2017), and two Sentinel-2A remote sensing images (2016, 2017), we first adopt the modified normalized water body index (MNDWI) to mask the water body. Four indicators, including greenness, humidity, dryness and heat were extracted to synthesize the remote sensing ecological index (RSEI), which were obtained by principal component analysis method. Based on the RSEI values acquired from Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2A images, the ecological environment change trend in Pingtan County was evaluated .The experimental results show that: 1) The RSEI indicators based on Landsat 8 and sentinel data all show a downward trend, but due to due to the influence of image spatial resolution and PCA weighting coefficient, the RSEI index has different degrees of decline. 2) The main reason for the decline in RSEI is the increase in NDSI indicators. Compared with July 2016, the bare ground increased in April 2017. Although the NDVI has increased, the overall trend is still declining. Therefore, it is necessary to ecologically return farmland and improve vegetation coverage in the future development process. 3) In recent years, the ecological quality of new construction land near drinking water sources has declined, so it is necessary to strengthen monitoring of changes in the region.
IMAGE FAST DEHAZING ALGORITHM BASED ON DARK CHANNEL PRIOR IMPROVEMENT
Authors: Li J. W. , Liu L. , Jiang J. W. , Hu Y. , Han X. Q. , Li F. X.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Aiming at the long-running time and the defogging image darkening problem in the dark channel prior algorithm, a fast deaeration algorithm based on the guided filter and improved two-dimensional gamma function for dark channel prior image is proposed. The algorithm uses the guided filter instead of the soft matting to obtain the image transmittance. The summation operation in the window replaces the quadrature operation in the window to reduce the complexity of the algorithm, and the image is processed by the two-dimensional gamma function. The brightness is adjusted to increase the brightness of the dark areas of the image, improve the contrast of the image, and enhance the image's performance in detail. The experimental results show that compared with the dark channel prior defogging algorithm and other image dehazing algorithms, the image fast dehazing algorithm based on dark channel prior improvement has high effective detail intensity, image information entropy and average gradient. The running time of the dark channel prior defogging algorithm is reduced, which effectively solves the long running time and the defogging image darkness problem of the dark channel prior defogging algorithm and has good robustness, and improves the quality and display effects of defogging image.
COMPARISON OF SEVERAL REMOTE SENSING IMAGE CLASSIFICATION METHODS BASED ON ENVI
Authors: Li X. C. , Liu L. L. , Huang L. K.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. With the development of remote sensing technology and the increasing accuracy of remote sensing images, research on the accuracy of remote sensing classification is becoming more and more important. However, the classification accuracy obtained by different classification algorithms is also different. To this end, this paper selects the maximum likelihood method and the minimum distance method in the traditional supervised classification, the ISODATA method and the k-means algorithm in the unsupervised classification, and uses these four algorithms to classify the Landsat images in the research area of Heze City. The classification results are obtained and the results are evaluated. Then the four algorithms are compared separately, and the advantages and disadvantages of each algorithm are analyzed. The results show that the classification accuracy of the maximum likelihood method in the supervised classification is relatively high, and the classification accuracy is 82.3281%. The ISODATA algorithm in the supervised classification is superior to the K-means algorithm in clustering effect.
RESEARCH ON THE MAPPING OF LARGE-SCALE TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS BASED ON LOW-ALTITUDE DRONE AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY SYSTEM
Authors: Lu R. S.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. The field data collection and in-house data processing of the aerial photography system of the uavouring aircraft are studied, combined with their working examples in this paper. The aerial survey of the Bowen School of Management of Guilin University of Technology is carried out by using the Southern Sky Patrol AS1200 aerial survey system, and the obtained data is processed and studied in the internal and external industry. In order to successfully complete this research, this article (1) first of all to the external industry collected data inspection, that is, the quality of the aircraft film inspection, the main content of the inspection is the detection of the image of the tone, resolution, level, whether the film can clearly identify the main objects, such as houses, roads, etc. can be clearly identified; - Whether the film is ghosting, whether there is misalignment and fuzziness, etc. , if the film has blurred or other quality problems, it is necessary to carry out retest or retest, this step is mainly to ensure the quality of research data, for the industry processing data to do a basic guarantee. (2) For the processing of in-house data, this paper uses a correction model for image data distortion pre-processing, the method of arithmetic and the edge detection operator method of extracting the image feature, and the image matching method Greenfeld-Schenk method based on the feature, Bamard-Thompson method and jump method and other methods to match the image, at the same time, this paper also takes the aerial triangulation method of the processing of internal data, complete the measurement control point encryption work, so as to calculate the spatial coordinates of the encryption control point, reduce the field laying work like control points, and thus reduce the working time of the field. (3) For improving the accuracy of the topographic elevation point in the aviation area, this paper uses polymorphic curve to be legal, using the field elevation measured value of the checkpoint and the three-dimensional measurement value does not match the difference, using the least square-by-multiply method to fit, so that the elevation checkpoint curve fitting value change and the actual difference is the smallest, with the measurement area elevation accuracy.
BLOCK ORTHORECTIFICATION AND MOSAIC OF 1960s DISP IMAGES IN QUJING, YUNNAN
Authors: Peng X. Y. , Zhou G. Q. , Yan H. B. , Yue T. , Liu J. , Mu Y. X.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Remote sensing digital image mosaic refers to the splicing of two or more remote sensing images into a panoramic image to meet the application requirements of wide images. It is becoming more and more important to cover large areas of mosaic images. The data pre-processing and mosaic process are different for different images. In this paper, the declassified intelligence satellite photography (DISP) in the 1960s was used as experimental data, taking Qujing in Yunnan Province as an example, a total of 92 scene images were used for DISP image processing and seamless mosaic. Firstly, In order to make full use of the image, it is necessary to perform orthorectification on the KH-4B images covering Qujing. Considering that the satellite orbit parameters and other parameters are unknown, several models for orthorectification of satellite images are proposed. After experiments and analysis, it is concluded that the third order polynomial is the optimal. Secondly, given the problem of radiation imbalance caused by the difference of time phase, the histogram equalization method is used for color balance, the image of the seam line is eliminated. Finally, the seamless mosaic is achieved. The map of the 1960s DISP in Qujing is obtained. The map can provide material basis for future research and other fields. The processing methods of historical images can be used for reference by others.
A ROAD EXTRACTION METHOD BASED ON HIGH RESOLUTION REMOTE SENSING IMAGE
Authors: Zhang X. , Zhang C. K. , Li H. M. , Luo Z.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Aiming at the road extraction in high-resolution remote sensing images, the stroke width transformation algorithm is greatly affected by surrounding objects, and it is impossible to directly obtain high-precision road information. A new road extraction method combining stroke width transformation and mean drift is proposed. In order to reduce road holes and discontinuities, and preserve better edge information, the algorithm first performs denoising preprocessing by means of median filtering to the pre-processed image. Then, the mean shift algorithm is used for image segmentation. The adjacent parts of the image with similar texture and spectrum are treated as the same class, and then the fine areas less than the maximum stroke width are reduced. On the basis , the road information is extracted by the stroke width transformation algorithm, and the information also contains a small amount of interference information such as spots (non-road). In order to further improve road extraction accuracy and reduce speckle and non-road area interference, the basic operations and combinations in mathematical morphology are used to optimize it. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can accurately extract the roads on high-resolution remote sensing images, and the better the road features, the better the extraction effect. However, the applicability of the algorithm is greatly affected by the surrounding objects.
RESEARCH ON AUTOMATED DATA PROCESSING METHOD OF PCI GEOGRAPHIC IMAGING ACCELERATOR (GXL) SYSTEM FOR BIG DATA OF SUPERVIEW-1 REMOTE SENSING IMAGE
Authors: Bai J. , Gao J. N. , Dang Y. , Luo F. J.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. The Chinese government attaches great importance to the development of remote sensing satellites and has now formed satellite series such as meteorological satellites, ocean satellites, resource satellites and environmental disaster reduction satellites. At the same time, many commercial space programs have been put forward or implemented in China in recent years. As the first commercial-oriented multi-means and high-resolution optical remote sensing satellite constellation in China, "Superview-1" satellite constellation is undoubtedly one of the outstanding representatives. In the implementation of digital orthophoto map project, how to deal with large data of remote sensing image in large area quickly and accurately is a difficult problem we are facing to be solved urgently. PCI geographic imaging accelerator (GXL) system plays an important role in the production of digital orthophoto image by virtue of its advantages in mass image processing. This paper briefly introduces the structure and advantages of "Superview-1" satellite constellation, introduces in detail the production process and the key technologies of "Superview-1" satellite constellation image by GXL system, and carries out research on computational efficiency comparison and production test by GXL system. In this paper, the advantages of this software system in the production of tremendous amount of satellite remote sensing image data are analyzed. At the same time, in the existing engineering practice, due to the limitation of current data scale and production mode, the software system still has some obscure shortcomings. Under the background of natural resources, the amount of remote sensing data will continue to increase substantially in the future. By analyzing these shortcomings, this paper combines the traditional production mode with the background of remote sensing data in the new era, and puts forward some reasonable and useful suggestions.
BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GEOMATICS IN THE ERA OF BIG DATA OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES
Authors: Li M. N. , Liu X. S. , Ao J. F.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Under the background in the era of big data, in order to promote sustainable development of the geomatics for a long time, this paper studies the opportunities and challenges faced by current geographic information science through quantitative analysis, literature research and case analysis, such as favorable growth environment, the growing demand for services, the transformation of traditional management concepts; the ability to manage and control virtualized data, the security protection and proper use of massive data, and the improvement of relevant laws and regulations. Finally, in order to adapt to the development of the era of big data, it puts forward new requirements for the diversification and service mode of geomatics, promotes the all-round development of geomatics, and provides more refined and personalized services for the majority of users.
DATA-DRIVEN REAL-TIME ANALYSIS SERVICE FOR SATELLITE AREA COVERAGE
Authors: Lu W. J. , Xu Q. , Lan C. Z. , Shi S. Q. , Lyu L. , Zhou Y. , Zhao Y. H.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Satellite area coverage analysis is complex, especially when the satellite operating state changes. Traditional algorithms cannot quickly and efficiently obtain the satellite area coverage analysis results, and are incapable of providing efficient online services. To overcome these shortcomings and meet the needs of 21st century geospatial science and applications for real-time response and online services for handling high concurrent requests, a data-driven real-time analysis service for satellite area coverage is proposed. Firstly, to optimize traditional algorithms, an extended bounding rectangle of the ground area is constructed, and the spatial relationship with the central point of satellite ground coverage area is determined to avoid large number of calculations of satellite ground coverage areas, thus, improving efficiency. Secondly, the data-driven real-time analysis model is constructed, and is used to further improve the efficiency of satellite area coverage analysis. Finally, a simulation analysis scenario is developed, the service proposed in this study is verified, and the results are visualized. The experimental results show that the proposed data-driven real-time analysis service can cope well with the requests from users for online service of satellite area coverage, improve the cognitive capability of users and operators, and help in completely utilizing the application performance of observation satellites.
QUANTITATIVE INVERSION OF CHLOROPHYLL A CONCENTRATION AND ANALYSIS OF TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN HONGKONG OFFSHORE WATERS BASED ON TIME-SERIES HJ-1A/B MULTISPECTRAL DATA
Authors: Sun H. L. , He H. C. , Fu B. L. , Wang S. W.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. In order to meet the demand of obtaining chlorophyll a concentration distribution in the offshore waters of Hong Kong on a rapid and large scale, based on the daily measured chlorophyll a concentration data and the HJ-1A/B satellite multispectral data in 2009–2019. Taking Modis-Aqua and Himawari series chlorophyll a concentration of remote sensing products as comparative data. Through per-process to extracted the reflectivity of each band combined and statistical correlation analysis with measured data, select the highest correlation band combination as the characteristic variable to statistical regression analysis with two-thirds of the measured chlorophyll a concentration data, constructing multiple regression algorithms. Determination of the best inversion algorithm by verified accuracy of the remaining one-third of the measured data. Inversion of chlorophyll a concentration in the offshore waters of Hong Kong from 2009 to 2019, the results show: 1). The best inversion algorithm is a univariate cubic regression algorithm, R2 is 0.942, RMSE is 0.285 μg/L, RPD is 33%; 2). The overall trend of remote products is the same as the measured data, but the value is slightly higher than the measured data;3). The distribution characteristics in the offshore waters of Hong Kong in the recent ten years are “high in the east and low in the west”, and the average concentration in the western waters is about 5 μg/L lower than the eastern waters.
DESIGN OF THREE-CHANNEL OPTICAL RECEIVING SYSTEM FOR DUAL-FREQUENCY LASER RADAR
Authors: Wei J. D. , Zhou G. Q. , Zhou X. , Chen J. L. , Tan Y. Z. , Hu H. C.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. There are many intertidal zones and island reefs in the coastal area, the traditional shipborne acoustic measurement method is extremely inefficient, so the coastal area three-dimensional integrated measurement has always been a difficult point in the field of remote sensing. Because the sea blue-green light window has good transparency and the laser point cloud data can quickly and accurately distinguish the characteristics of shallow sea water topography. At present, the most effective detection method for coastal areas in the world is the airborne dual-frequency laser radar detection technology, which has high measurement rate and wide coverage. The laser outputs both 1064nm and 532nm dual-wavelength laser, 1064nm laser forms sea surface echo, and 532nm laser penetrates sea water to form shallow sea and deep sea echo. However, during the propagation of seawater, the number of photon scattering increases with the increase of water depth, which will cause the attenuation of the echo signal. As a result, the detection of weak light in the large dynamic range is not high, which has been a difficult point for near-shore airborne sounding. To solve this problem, we designed a split-field, three-channel optical receiving system. The ZEMAX simulation results show that the dual-channel laser radar three-channel receiving optical system effectively reduces the optical crosstalk between the optical components and the channels, and achieves energy harvesting in different water depth channels. The structure dynamically compresses the photoelectric signal and improves the signal to noise ratio.
RESEARCH ON THE POLICIES AND LAWS OF INTERNATIONAL CIVILIAN REMOTE SENSING SATELLITES AND THEIR PROBLEMS
Authors: Zhang X. P. , Wan W. Y. , Zhou G. Q. , Yue T. , Chen B.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. In the exploration of outer space and international space activities, civilian remote sensing satellites have made rapid development since the 1970s, and countries around the world have accelerated their civilian satellite development and its policy formulation as well. Regarding the regulations on the peaceful use of outer space and related space launches, the United Nations respectively formulated the "Five Treaties on Space" in the 1960s and 1970s to regulate the peaceful uses of outer space. However, in the development of civilian remote sensing satellites, orbital resources and application rules of remote sensing data, the implementation of "first-come, first-occupy" and "non-discriminatory access to remote sensing data" is mainly led by western developed countries, especially the space powers such as the United States and Russia. Based on the outer space policies and regulations, this article will make a comparative study of civilian remote sensing satellite development policies and related laws and regulations in major countries and regions in the world, so as to analyze the policies and legal principles of civilian remote sensing satellites, as well as its corresponding issues and problems.
EXTRACTION OF HOUSES FROM POINT CLOUD LIDAR: PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGE
Authors: Zhou G. Q. , Di W. Q.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Although many efforts have been made on the extraction of houses from LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and/or aerial imagery and/or their fusion, little investigation using co-registration between the orthoimage map and LiDAR on the basis of geodetic coordinates as element for house extraction. For this reason, this paper first overviews the advances of LiDAR and investigates the advantages and disadvantages of LiDAR system vs. traditional photogrammetry, and then indicates that LiDAR technology has not yet resolved all existing problems that traditional photogrammetry remained so far, such as texture information, LiDAR point cloud density. A comprehensive comparison in extraction of houses (feature information) from LiDAR data set and from aerial imagery are also presented. It has been widely accepted and admitted that full automation for extraction of houses (feature information in city area) from LiDAR point cloud has still been difficult. Therefore, this paper proposes a human-computer interaction operation for houses extraction through combination of LiDAR point cloud and the orthorectified high-resolution aerial imagery. The real data is utilized for validation of the proposed method.
STUDY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL STRUCTURAL INTEGRALITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES VALUE IN THE RIPARIAN ZONE
Authors: Fu B. L. , Li Y. , Wang Y. Q. , Gao E. T. , Fan D. L.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Riparian zone is crucial to the health of streams and their surrounding environment. A healthy riparian zone can provide food, habitats, protecting water quality and many other ecological functions and environmental benefits. Evaluating riparian quality is essential to achieve and maintain good stream health, as well as to guarantee the ecological functions that riparian areas provide. In this study, we addressed the consistency of characterizing integrality of ecosystem of a riparian zone in Northeast China with physical structural integrality (PSI) and ecosystem service value (ESV), and explored the relationship between the PSI and ESV. The procedures included (1) evaluation of PSI of the riparian zone based on remote sensing; (2) calculation of the riparian ESV based on basic evaluation units (BEUs); (3) exploration of statistical relationships between the PSI and the ESV by the performance of linear regression. The study concluded that the trend of PSI was the same as the ESV, and they were consistent in describing the quantitative trend of the riparian zone’s ecosystem integrity. There was statistically significant correlation (R = 0.66, P < 0.01 level) between PSI and ESV.
RESEARCH ON HIGH PRECISON DEM OF URBAN AREA BASED ON TERRASAR-X/TANDEM-X
Authors: Gao E. T. , Lan Y. P. , Luo Y. , Ge S. Y. , Yu H. M. , Lai P. D.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Digital elevation model (DEM) is an important geospatial data, which can provide a lot of topographic information. Currently, most commonly DEM data is derived from SAR images acquired before 2011, which has poor timeliness and is difficult to reflect the latest topographic features in many areas, especially in urban areas where the topographic features are rapidly updated. Therefore, it is necessary to explore DEM generation methods in urban areas to provide technical support for further studies on municipal planning and surface deformation in urban areas.This paper used two SAR images with bistatic mode, single-polarization (HH), and single look complex as experimental data from TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X. The imaging time was January 30, 2013. The spatial baseline was 248.467 m. The research obtained good timeliness and high-resolution DEM of Maanshan area based on the iteration and fusion technology using two TerraSAR-X/Tandem-X SAR images and AW3D30 DEM from JAXA/EORC.With a comparison of 90m SRTM and 30 m AW3D30, this paper found that the DEM based on iteration and fusion technology could show more ground details, especially for the large single buildings at the sparse area. However, the extracted DEM at the dense-buildings area had the low reliability and still needed to further explore the solution, due to the obstruct of sensor line of sight and the distribution of shadow.In conclusion, this paper confirmed that it is feasible to obtain high-resolution and high time efficiency DEM using the iteration and fusion technology. It is able to improve the resolution of DEM and update the topographic from the original DEM by iteratively fused with AW3D30 to eliminate overlay and shadow.
The Effect of the Mind Mapping Strategy on the L2 Vocabulary Learning of Saudi Learners
Authors: Alahmadi Nesreen Saud
Published: February 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of using the mind mapping strategy on learning vocabulary for Saudi Learners. Fifty female students from the English Language centre at Taibah University in Saudi Arabia were selected to participate in this study. All students were homogenous in terms of their English language proficiency. The students were performing at the intermediate level of the English language. Their level of English language proficiency was determined by the Oxford Placement Test. Participants were divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group. Twenty-five students in the experimental group were taught vocabulary using the mind mapping strategy for six weeks. The control group was taught using traditional methods of vocabulary teaching, such as memorising. To test the effectiveness of the mind mapping strategy, two types of tests were applied for both groups: a pre-test and a post-test. At the end of the treatment, the results of the post-test showed a significant improvement in Second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition by Saudi learners in the experimental group. The findings of this study indicate some important implications for L2 learning, such as that mind mapping facilitates vocabulary learning by increasing the knowledge and the acquisition of the meanings of the vocabulary words used. It also helped with the vocabulary learning process by increasing the level of the motivation of Saudi students in learning new words.
Research Capacity of the Faculty Members at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City
Authors: Huong Tran Thanh , Loan Thi Thuy
Published: February 2020

This paper described the motivation and research capacity of the faculty members at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities – Viet Nam National University Ho Chi Minh City (HCMUSSH-VNU). A quantitative research technique was employed based on information provided from 169 permanent faculty members, it reflected that the factors of curiosity, personal interests, responsibility, self-assert affect their research competence, and professional development were the main research motivators of the respondents. They also assessed themselves to have the capability to do research and make their inquiry scientific. From the results, implications are drawn to promote the research productivity of the faculty members at the HCMUSSH-VNU.
Challenges to Studying English Literature by the Saudi Undergraduate EFL Students as Perceived by Instructors
Authors: Alshammari Hammad Ali , Ahmed Elsayed Abdalla , Shouk Mukhled Atta Abu
Published: February 2020

Studying English literature is interrelated to studying English as a foreign language (EFL), and thus incorporating literary texts into EFL learning curricula is important for providing EFL learners with the necessary language skills and emotional growth. However, EFL learners prefer to avoid studying English literature due to several challenges that may extend from difficulties inherited in literature itself to the learning and instructional processes. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the reasons that   may discourage EFL learners to study English literature as perceived by their instructors. The sample of this study consisted of 20 English instructors at one of the northern Saudi universities. Two instruments: a survey and a semi-structured interview developed by the researcher were employed to collect the data. Descriptive statistics and qualitative methods were employed to interpret the gathered data. The findings revealed that there were six main different types of challenges that played an important role in the phenomena under investigation, namely: a) literature inherited difficulty, b) learners' cultural misperceptions, c) learners' negative attitudes, d) learners' intrinsic demotivating factors, e) unfamiliarity/ learners' poor prior knowledge, and f) instructional difficulty. Implications for addressing these problems were included.
Technical Efficiency of Moringa Production: A case Study in Wolaita and Gamo Zones, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Tafesse Alula , Goshu Degye , Gelaw Fekadu , Ademe Alelign
Published: February 2020

Moringa has been becoming among vastly growing and trading commodities in different parts of Ethiopia for its multiple benefits. However, empirical researches analyzing its productivity at smallholder farmer level were missing. This study aimed to fill the existing gap with a cross-sectional survey study on sampled 117 Moringa producer farmers from southern Ethiopia. The Stochastic Frontier Model was used to estimate the level and factors determining the technical efficiency of Moringa production. The collected data fitted Cobb-Douglas production function with inputs, labor and the numbers of trees positively and significantly determined the output of Moringa. An estimated level of efficiency shows farmers have the possibility to increase Moringa output by 47.81% with existing inputs and technology. The land, off-farm activities, access to road, credit, and irrigation were significant factors affecting the technical efficiency of Moringa. It requires policies and development actions to perform on mechanisms to advance the production of Moringa. Hence, any development direction to enhance Moringa production should consider households with limited access to land and irrigation. Furthermore, the development of road infrastructure is required to increase agricultural productivity. In sum, modern credit institutions, as well as facilities, found essential to improve the livelihood of Moringa producers in the area.
“Livity” and the Hermeneutics of the Self
Authors: James Leslie R. ,   Caribbean Philosophical Association
Published: February 2020

This paper explores the concept of “livity,” the ground of Rastafari subjectivity. In its multifaceted nuances, “livity” represents the Rastafari invention of a religious tradition and discourse, whose ethos was fundamentally sacred, signified the immanence of the Absolute in dialectic with the Rastafari worldview and life world. Innovatively, the Rastafari coined the term “livity” to a discourse to combat despair, damnation, social death, and the existential chaos-monde they referred to as Babylon. In the process, the Rastafari reclaimed their power to name their world. The Rastafari neologism “livity” articulated a mysticism, alternative spatial visions, and a positive technology of the self that revalorized blackness, explored, and interrogated profound dimensions of the human condition, from within the Jamaican context, that inevitably brought them into conflict with the local colonial authorities and implicitly shifted the model of social relations between the master and slave.
Evaluation of Nutritional and Anti Nutrition Factors of Orange-fleshed Sweet Potato, Yellow Root Cassava and Plantain Flour Blends Fortified with Moringa oleifera Leaves
Authors: Uzoaga L. N. , Mazi E. A. , Kanu A. N.
Published: February 2020

Aim: The aim of this study is to produce flour from different blend ratio of orange fleshed sweet potato, yellow root cassava (YRC) and Plantain fortified with Moringa oleifera leaves powder and to determine the nutritional composition (vitamin and mineral) and phytochemical content of the composite flour.

Introduction: Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is a promising root crop due to its high β-carotene content which could help to reduce vitamin A deficiency (VAD). However, it is a less utilized perishable crop. Therefore, in other to improve it utilization in processing and bakery products the incorporation with other flours should be considered. In order to use OFSP tubers, incorporation with other flours in processing and baked products can be considered.

Study Design: The physicochemical analysis was carried out at the biochemistry laboratory of National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCR1) while part of the analysis was done at International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Ibadan (IITA). Study lasted for 6 months.

Methodology: Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP), yellow roots cassava (YRC) were all sourced from National Root Crops Research Institute Umudike, while the plantain and Moringa oleifera leaves were gotten from Umuahia market and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike (NRCRI) respectively. The samples were processed into flour and used to form a blend.  The flour blend constitute of yellow root cassava, orange fleshed sweet potato and plantain which were fortified with Moringa oleifera leaves at constant portion of 5% while the YRC, OFSP and plantain were varied at different concentration of 65%, 70, 75, 80, 85, 95 and 5, 10, 95 and 5, 10, 15, 25 and 95% I.e. Sample A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H respectively.

Results: The result obtained indicated  among the mineral  content determined that sample G which serves as the control with 95% Plantain and 5% Moringa oleifera leaves powder exhibited highest in calcium  having 13.26 mg/100 g, magnesium 88.06 mg/100 g, potassium 287.70 mg/100 g and iron 2.69 mg/100 g as compared to other composite flour. The phytochemical content of sample F (95% YRC with 5% Moringa oleifera leaves powder) has the highest in alkaloid, tannin and hemagglutinin content as 4.22 mg/100 g 2.26 mg/100 g and 12.43 mg/100 g respectively. The result also indicated that increase in the YRC and decrease in the OFSP caused an appreciable increase in the Vitamin B1, B3 C and D content.

Conclusion: The vitamins, mineral and phytochemical content of the products were enhanced and can be of nutritional benefit to the public.