bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using SAR-Derived Vegetation Descriptors in a Water Cloud Model to Improve Soil Moisture Retrieval
Authors: Li Junhua , Wang Shusen
Published: August 2018

The water cloud model (WCM) is a widely used radar backscatter model applied to SAR images to retrieve soil moisture over vegetated areas. The WCM needs vegetation descriptors to account for the impact of vegetation on SAR backscatter. The commonly used vegetation descriptors in WCM, such as Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), are sometimes difficult to obtain due to the constraints in data availability in in-situ measurements or weather dependency in optical remote sensing. To improve soil moisture retrieval, this study investigates the feasibility of using all-weather SAR derived vegetation descriptors in WCM. The in-situ data observed at an agricultural crop region south of Winnipeg in Canada, RapidEye optical images and dual-polarized Radarsat-2 SAR images acquired in growing season were used for WCM model calibration and test. Vegetation descriptors studied include HV polarization backscattering coefficient ( σ H V ° ) and Radar Vegetation Index (RVI) derived from SAR imagery, and NDVI derived from optical imagery. The results show that σ H V ° achieved similar results as NDVI but slightly better than RVI, with a root mean square error of 0.069 m3/m3 and a correlation coefficient of 0.59 between the retrieved and observed soil moisture. The use of σ H V ° can overcome the constraints of the commonly used vegetation descriptors and reduce additional data requirements (e.g., NDVI from optical sensors) in WCM, thus improving soil moisture retrieval and making WCM feasible for operational use.
Impact of Radiance Data Assimilation on the Prediction of Heavy Rainfall in RMAPS: A Case Study
Authors: Xie Yanhui , Shi Jiancheng , Fan Shuiyong , Chen Min , Dou Youjun , Ji Dabin
Published: August 2018

Herein, a case study on the impact of assimilating satellite radiance observation data into the rapid-refresh multi-scale analysis and prediction system (RMAPS) is presented. This case study targeted the 48 h period from 19–20 July 2016, which was characterized by the passage of a low pressure system that produced heavy rainfall over North China. Two experiments were performed and 24 h forecasts were produced every 3 h. The results indicated that the forecast prior to the satellite radiance data assimilation could not accurately predict heavy rainfall events over Beijing and the surrounding area. The assimilation of satellite radiance data from the advanced microwave sounding unit-A (AMSU-A) and microwave humidity sounding (MHS) improved the skills of the quantitative precipitation forecast to a certain extent. In comparison with the control experiment that only assimilated conventional observations, the experiment with the integrated satellite radiance data improved the rainfall forecast accuracy for 6 h accumulated precipitation after about 6 h, especially for rainfall amounts that were greater than 25 mm. The average rainfall score was improved by 14.2% for the 25 mm threshold and by 35.8% for 50 mm of rainfall. The results also indicated a positive impact of assimilating satellite radiances, which was primarily reflected by the improved performance of quantitative precipitation forecasting and higher spatial correlation in the forecast range of 6–12 h. Satellite radiance observations provided certain valuable information that was related to the temperature profile, which increased the scope of the prediction of heavy rainfall and led to an improvement in the rainfall scoring in the RMAPS. The inclusion of satellite radiance observations was found to have a small but beneficial impact on the prediction of heavy rainfall events as it relates to our case study conditions. These findings suggest that the assimilation of satellite radiance data in the RMAPS can provide an overall improvement in heavy rainfall forecasting.
“Regression-then-Fusion” or “Fusion-then-Regression”? A Theoretical Analysis for Generating High Spatiotemporal Resolution Land Surface Temperatures
Authors: Xia Haiping , Chen Yunhao , Zhao Yutong , Chen Zixuan
Published: August 2018

The trade-off between spatial and temporal resolutions in satellite sensors has inspired the development of numerous thermal sharpening methods. Specifically, regression and spatiotemporal fusion are the two main strategies used to generate high-resolution land surface temperatures (LSTs). The regression method statically downscales coarse-resolution LSTs, whereas the spatiotemporal fusion method can dynamically downscale LSTs; however, the resolution of downscaled LSTs is limited by the availability of the fine-resolution LSTs. Few studies have combined these two methods to generate high spatiotemporal resolution LSTs. This study proposes two strategies for combining regression and fusion methods to generate high spatiotemporal resolution LSTs, namely, the “regression-then-fusion” (R-F) and “fusion-then-regression” (F-R) methods, and discusses the criteria used to determine which strategy is better. The R-F and F-R have several advantages: (1) they fully exploit the information in the available data on the visible and near infrared (VNIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) bands; (2) they downscale the LST time series to a finer resolution corresponding to that of VNIR data; and (3) they inherit high spatial reconstructions from the regression method and dynamic temporal reconveyance from the fusion method. The R-F and F-R were tested with different start times and target times using Landsat 8 and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer data. The results showed that the R-F performed better than the F-R when the regression error at the start time was smaller than that at the target time, and vice versa.
Orbit Determination of Korean GEO Satellite Using Single SLR Sensor
Authors: Oh Hyungjik , Park Eunseo , Lim Hyung-Chul , Park Chandeok
Published: August 2018

Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO)-Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite (KOMPSAT)-2B (GK-2B) is a Korean geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite that is scheduled to be launched in 2020 for meteorological and ocean monitoring. While the primary orbit determination (OD) for GK-2B is by ground-based radar observations and the expected orbit precision is less than 1 km, a satellite laser ranging (SLR) technique has been selected as a subsidiary OD method to verify/complement/enhance primary OD results. In general, the available time and equipment for observing GEO satellites with SLR are limited. Furthermore, because the optical sensors mounted on GK-2B may be defected by laser, only a domestic single SLR station would obtain the tracking data. This research presents the mitigation of these drawbacks to improve orbit precision. Observation data generation and the associated OD of GK-2B are performed by considering numerical SLR data analysis on Compass-G1, a Chinese GEO navigation satellite, and Chinese SLR station at Changchun. With the OD performed for two scenarios with the varying number of observations, the 3D position error is 24.01 m when 13 observations per day are obtained, while the error becomes 43.46 m when 9 observations per day are obtained. To verify these results, the OD of Compass-G1 using actual SLR data from Changchun station is performed to yield 31.89 m for 3D error, which is favorable compared with the external precise ephemeris by GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) analysis center. Therefore, the OD based on single SLR station is applicable to estimating the orbit within less than 100 m.
Classifier Level Fusion of Accelerometer and sEMG Signals for Automatic Fitness Activity Diarization
Authors: Biagetti Giorgio , Crippa Paolo , Falaschetti Laura , Turchetti Claudio
Published: August 2018

The human activity diarization using wearable technologies is one of the most important supporting techniques for ambient assisted living, sport and fitness activities, healthcare of elderly people. The activity diarization is performed in two steps: the acquisition of body signals and the classification of activities being performed. This paper presents a technique for data fusion at classifier level of accelerometer and sEMG signals acquired by using a low-cost wearable wireless system for monitoring the human activity when performing sport and fitness activities, as well as in healthcare applications. To demonstrate the capability of the system of diarizing the user’s activities, data recorded from a few subjects were used to train and test the automatic classifier for recognizing the type of exercise being performed.
AFRP Influence on Parallel Bamboo Strand Lumber Beams
Authors: Zhang Huizhong , Li Haitao , Corbi Ileana , Corbi Ottavia , Wu Gang , Zhao Chengjie , Cao Tongwei
Published: August 2018

The mechanical properties of parallel bamboo strand lumber beams could be improved by aramid fiber reinforced polymer (AFRP). So far, no investigation has been conducted on the strengthening of engineering bamboo beams using AFRP. In order to study the efficiency of AFRP reinforcement on parallel bamboo strand lumber beams, 13 beams had been tested and analyzed. Strain gauges and Laser Displacement Sensors were used for the tests. By sensing the strain and deformation data for the specimens under the applied loads, the results showed that AFRP can effectively improve the flexural mechanical properties of parallel bamboo strand lumber beams. However, this reinforcement cannot increase the deflection of bamboo beams indefinitely. When the cloth ratio was 0.48, the deflection of the specimens reached its maximum. With the increase of cloth ratio, the stiffness of parallel bamboo strand lumber beams was increasing. When the cloth ratio reached 0.72%, compared with the un-reinforced specimen, the stiffness increased by 15%. Therefore, it can be inferred that bonding AFRP on the considered specimens can increase the stiffness of parallel bamboo strand lumber beams. The ductility of the specimen can be effectively enhanced by adopting the AFRP provision.
Towards an Efficient One-Class Classifier for Mobile Devices and Wearable Sensors on the Context of Personal Risk Detection
Authors: Trejo Luis , Barrera-Animas Ari
Published: August 2018

In this work, we present a first step towards an efficient one-class classifier well suited for mobile devices to be implemented as part of a user application coupled with wearable sensors in the context of personal risk detection. We compared one-class Support Vector Machine (ocSVM) and OCKRA (One-Class K-means with Randomly-projected features Algorithm). Both classifiers were tested using four versions of the publicly available PRIDE (Personal RIsk DEtection) dataset. The first version is the original PRIDE dataset, which is based only on time-domain features. We created a second version that is simply an extension of the original dataset with new attributes in the frequency domain. The other two datasets are a subset of these two versions, after a feature selection procedure based on a correlation matrix analysis followed by a Principal Component Analysis. All experiments were focused on the performance of the classifiers as well as on the execution time during the training and classification processes. Therefore, our goal in this work is twofold: we aim at reducing execution time but at the same time maintaining a good classification performance. Our results show that OCKRA achieved on average, 89.1% of Area Under the Curve (AUC) using the full set of features and 83.7% when trained using a subset of them. Furthermore, regarding execution time, OCKRA reports in the best case a 33.1% gain when using a subset of the feature vector, instead of the full set of features. These results are better than those reported by ocSVM, in which case, even though the AUCs are very close to each other, execution times are significantly higher in all cases, for example, more than 20 h versus less than an hour in the worst-case scenario. Having in mind the trade-off between classification performance and efficiency, our results support the choice of OCKRA as our best candidate so far for a mobile implementation where less processing and memory resources are at hand. OCKRA reports a very encouraging speed-up without sacrificing the classifier performance when using the PRIDE dataset based only on time-domain attributes after a feature selection procedure.
Joint Source and Channel Rate Allocation over Noisy Channels in a Vehicle Tracking Multimedia Internet of Things System
Authors: Mei Yixin , Li Fan , He Lijun , Wang Liejun
Published: August 2018

As an emerging type of Internet of Things (IoT), multimedia IoT (MIoT) has been widely used in the domains of healthcare, smart buildings/homes, transportation and surveillance. In the mobile surveillance system for vehicle tracking, multiple mobile camera nodes capture and upload videos to a cloud server to track the target. Due to the random distribution and mobility of camera nodes, wireless networks are chosen for video transmission. However, the tracking precision can be decreased because of degradation of video quality caused by limited wireless transmission resources and transmission errors. In this paper, we propose a joint source and channel rate allocation scheme to optimize the performance of vehicle tracking in cloud servers. The proposed scheme considers the video content features that impact tracking precision for optimal rate allocation. To improve the reliability of data transmission and the real-time video communication, forward error correction is adopted in the application layer. Extensive experiments are conducted on videos from the Object Tracking Benchmark using the H.264/AVC standard and a kernelized correlation filter tracking scheme. The results show that the proposed scheme can allocate rates efficiently and provide high quality tracking service under the total transmission rate constraints.
Development of Model Predictive Controller for a Tail-Sitter VTOL UAV in Hover Flight
Authors: Li Boyang , Zhou Weifeng , Sun Jingxuan , Wen Chih-Yung , Chen Chih-Keng
Published: August 2018

This paper presents a model predictive controller (MPC) for position control of a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) tail-sitter unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in hover flight. A ‘cross’ configuration quad-rotor tail-sitter UAV is designed with the capabilities for both hover and high efficiency level flight. The six-degree-of-freedom (DOF) nonlinear dynamic model of the UAV is built based on aerodynamic data obtained from wind tunnel experiments. The model predictive position controller is then developed with the augmented linearized state-space model. Measured and unmeasured disturbance model are introduced into the modeling and optimization process to improve disturbance rejection ability. The MPC controller is first verified and tuned in the hardware-in-loop (HIL) simulation environment and then implemented in an on-board flight computer for real-time indoor experiments. The simulation and experimental results show that the proposed MPC position controller has good trajectory tracking performance and robust position holding capability under the conditions of prevailing and gusty winds.
Preparation of Quasi-Three-Dimensional Porous Ag and Ag-NiO Nanofibrous Mats for SERS Application
Authors: Wu Huixiang , Sun Xiangcheng , Hou Changjun , Hou Jingzhou , Lei Yu
Published: August 2018

In this study, two new quasi-three-dimensional Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) substrates, namely porous Ag and Ag-NiO nanofibrous mats, were prepared using a simple, electrospinning-calcination, two-step synthetic process. AgNO3/polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and AgNO3/Ni(NO3)2/PVP composites serving as precursors were electrospun to form corresponding precursory nanofibers. Porous Ag and Ag-NiO nanofibers were successfully obtained after a 3-h calcination at 500 °C under air atmosphere, and analyzed using various material characterization techniques. Synthesized, quasi-three-dimensional porous Ag and Ag-NiO nanofibrous mats were applied as SERS substrates, to measure the model compound Rhodamine 6G (R6G), and investigate the corresponding signal enhancement. Furthermore, porous Ag and Ag-NiO nanofibrous mats were employed as SERS substrates for melamine and methyl parathion respectively. Sensitive detection of melamine and methyl parathion was achieved, indicating their feasibility as an active SERS sensing platform, and potential for food safety and environmental monitoring. All the results suggest that the electrospinning-calcination, two-step method offers a new, low cost, high performance solution in the preparation of SERS substrates.
Brillouin Dynamic Gratings—A Practical Form of Brillouin Enhanced Four Wave Mixing in Waveguides: The First Decade and Beyond
Authors: Bergman Arik , Tur Moshe
Published: August 2018

Brillouin-Enhanced Four-Wave-Mixing techniques, which couple four optical beams through Brillouin nonlinearity, have gained popularity in the 1980’s largely owing to their phase conjugation properties. Experiments were mainly conducted in liquid cells. The interest in Brillouin-Enhanced Four-Wave-Mixing has reawakened in the 2000’s, following the quest for dynamically reconfigurable gratings in optical fibers. Termed Brillouin Dynamic Grating this time around, it is, in fact, an acoustic wave, optically generated by stimulated Brillouin scattering process between two pump waves. The acoustic wave either carries the coherent information encoded by the pump beams, or in the case of sensing applications, its properties are determined by the environmental parameters. This information, in turn, is imparted to the third phase-matched optical probe wave through the elasto-optic effect. Over the last decade, this mechanism allowed for the realization of many all-optical signal processing functions and has proven instrumental in distributed sensing applications. This paper describes the basics, as well as the state of the art, of BDG-based applications in optical fibers. It also surveys the efforts being done to carry over these concepts to the photonic chip level.
Specification Testing of Production in a Stochastic Frontier Model
Authors: Guo Xu , Li Gao-Rong , McAleer Michael , Wong Wing-Keung
Published: August 2018

Parametric production frontier functions are frequently used in stochastic frontier models, but there do not seem to be any empirical test statistics for the plausibility of this application. In this paper, we develop procedures to test whether or not the parametric production frontier functions are suitable. Toward this aim, we developed two test statistics based on local smoothing and an empirical process, respectively. Residual-based wild bootstrap versions of these two test statistics are also suggested. The distributions of technical inefficiency and the noise term are not specified, which allows specification testing of the production frontier function even under heteroscedasticity. Simulation studies and a real data example are presented to examine the finite sample sizes and powers of the test statistics. The theory developed in this paper is useful for production managers in their decisions on production.
Resampling Techniques for Real Estate Appraisals: Testing the Bootstrap Approach
Authors: Del Giudice Vincenzo , Salvo Francesca , De Paola Pierfrancesco
Published: August 2018

Applied to real estate markets analysis, the resampling methods aim to contribute to the knowledge growth of real estate market dynamics, overcoming the issues related to the data scarcity and operational limits of traditional statistical theory. Among resampling methods, the Bootstrap technique appears to be the most suitable for the interpretation of real estate phenomena. In this study, for residential properties located in Cosenza (Calabria Region, Italy), a Bootstrap approach has been used in order to determine the marginal prices of the real estate characteristics detected, comparing the results with those obtainable with a traditional Multiple Regression Analysis.
Adaptive Thermal Comfort Potential in Mediterranean Office Buildings: A Case Study of Torre Sevilla
Authors: Castaño-Rosa Raúl , Rodríguez-Jiménez Carlos E. , Rubio-Bellido Carlos
Published: August 2018

The design and construction of buildings is currently subject to a growing set of requirements concerning sustainability and energy efficiency. This paper shows a case study of the Torre Sevilla skyscraper, located in the city of Seville (in the south of Spain), which has high-tech energy-efficient features and which uses air-conditioning systems during most of its operating hours. The analysis carried out starts from a simulation in which occupants’ thermal comfort are obtained, based on the adaptive comfort model defined in the standard EN 15251:2007. With this approach, it is possible to determine the number of hours during operation in which the building has adequate comfort conditions only with the help of the envelope and natural ventilation. Consequently, the remaining useful hours require the use of air-conditioning systems. The results show that it is possible to improve the thermal performance of the building due to its location in the Mediterranean climate. To do this, advanced mixed mode (through manual-opening or mechanically-controlled opening windows) and active air-conditioning are suggested. This experimental proposal provides a reduction of the occupation hours which require the use of air-conditioning equipment by 28.57%, reducing the air-conditioning demand and, consequently, the energy consumption of the building.
An Empirical Study on the Design of Digital Content Products from a Big Data Perspective
Authors: Feng Lin , Sun Baoping , Wang Kai , Tsai Sang-Bing
Published: August 2018

The competition within the digital content market has become extremely fierce recently in China. With increasingly diversified product choices offered to customers, the focus on customer experience has been elevated to the highest level ever. It has become key to winning customers from within the intense competition and for companies to obtain differentiation advantages to create optimized customer experience from the customers’ viewpoint. The article analyzes the relationship between customer experience and the business model of digital content companies. Later, it comes up with an innovated business model based on the big data of customer experience to restructure the business process of digital content companies and to illustrate the designing process of new models in the product application design and customer care stages based on the model proposed, which can be used as references for the transformation and innovation of digital content companies.
Theoretical Guidance on Evacuation Decisions after a Big Nuclear Accident under the Assumption That Evacuation Is Desirable
Authors: Deng Yaling , Zou Shuliang , You Daming
Published: August 2018

The development of nuclear power is a major measure for implementing energy-saving and emission reduction strategies all over the world. For a long time, the hazards of nuclear accidents have been obstacles to the development of nuclear power. Temporary evacuation is the fastest and most effective emergency measure to ensure the safety of residents in a short period of time after a nuclear accident. Numerous nuclear accident emergency management personnel make judgments based on personal work experience and subjective awareness when formulating a nuclear accident emergency evacuation plan. How to make a scientific and reasonable decision on the emergency evacuation of nuclear accidents in the shortest time is a common problem faced by many emergency departments when a nuclear accident occurs. In a complex and ever-changing radiation environment, how to maximize the use of limited information and make decisions quickly in an uncertain environment is a core issue that effectively reduces the risk of nuclear accidents. This paper constructs a set of assessment system of nuclear accident emergency evacuation plan selection based on the characteristics of nuclear accident emergencies under uncertain environmental conditions. It uses triangular fuzzy language to describe nuclear accident emergency evacuation decision plans and the weighting of relevant factors. Additionally, the K-means clustering method is used to calculate the weight of experts, which reduces the influence of subjective factors considered by decision makers. Finally, a decision model for emergency evacuation of nuclear accidents is constructed based on the TOPSIS decision model.
Multicriteria Evaluation of Tourism Potential in the Central Highlands of Vietnam: Combining Geographic Information System (GIS), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
Authors: Hoang Huong T.T. , Truong Quang Hai , Nguyen An Thinh , Hens Luc
Published: August 2018

Tourism potential provides an indication for the tourism development opportunities of regions and sites. This paper deals with a multicriteria evaluation of the tourism potential in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. The study area is located in the Southeast Asian monsoon tropical climatic zone, and offers both natural and cultural tourism resources. GIS-based cost distance analysis was used to calculate the travel time along the road and using other transportation networks. Then an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to determine a weighting coefficient for each criterion in multicriteria evaluation. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was processed next to AHP, allowing combination of the internal and external tourism potentials of the considered sites. Both AHP and PCA approaches were based on a certain number of alternatives, and take multiple criteria and conflicting objectives into consideration. The results show that the Central Highlands have considerable potential for tourism development at 99 potential eco-tourism sites and 45 potential cultural tourism sites. However, the region is now faced with poor tourism infrastructure with low external potential. An improvement of tourism infrastructure, service quality, and strengthened linkages with other tourist sites is indicated to diversify the tourism products and increase the attractiveness of regional destinations.
Who Is At Risk of Migrating? Developing Synthetic Populations to Produce Efficient Domestic Migration Rates Using the American Community Survey
Authors: Granberry Phillip , Kim Christina , Resseger Matthew , Lee Jonathan , Lima Alvaro , Kang Kevin
Published: August 2018

Success in producing a population projection predominately depends on the accuracy of its migration rates. In developing an interregional, cohort-component projection methodology for the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, we created an innovative approach for producing domestic migration rates with synthetic populations using 1-year, American Community Survey (ACS), and Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS). Domestic in- and out-migration rates for Boston used 2007–2014 ACS data and developed synthetic Boston and United States populations to serve as denominators for calculating these rates. To assess the reliability of these rates, we compared the means and standard deviations of eight years of these rates (2007–2014) with synthetic populations by single-year ages for females and males to rates produced from two ACS samples using the same migration data in the numerator but the prior year’s age data in the denominator. We also compared results of population projections for 2015 using these different migration rates to several 2015 U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for Boston. Results suggested our preferred rates with synthetic populations using one ACS sample for each year’s migration rates were more efficient than alternative rates using two ACS samples. Projections using these rates with synthetic populations more accurately projected Boston’s 2015 population than an alternative model with rates using the prior year’s age data.
Artificial Neural Network and Multiple Linear Regression for Flood Prediction in Mohawk River, New York
Authors: Tsakiri Katerina , Marsellos Antonios , Kapetanakis Stelios
Published: August 2018

This research introduces a hybrid model for forecasting river flood events with an example of the Mohawk River in New York. Time series analysis and artificial neural networks are combined for the explanation and forecasting of the daily water discharge using hydrogeological and climatic variables. A low pass filter (Kolmogorov–Zurbenko filter) is applied for the decomposition of the time series into different components (long, seasonal, and short-term components). For the prediction of the water discharge time series, each component has been described by applying the multiple linear regression models (MLR), and the artificial neural network (ANN) model. The MLR retains the advantage of the physical interpretation of the water discharge time series. We prove that time series decomposition is essential before the application of any model. Also, decomposition shows that the Mohawk River is affected by multiple time scale components that contribute to the hydrologic cycle of the included watersheds. Comparison of the models proves that the application of the ANN on the decomposed time series improves the accuracy of forecasting flood events. The hybrid model which consists of time series decomposition and artificial neural network leads to a forecasting up to 96% of the explanation for the water discharge time series.
Advances in the Economic Analysis of Residential Water Use: An Introduction
Authors: Reynaud Arnaud , Romano Giulia
Published: August 2018

The aim of this Special Issue is to gather evidence on the impact of price policies (PP) and non-price policies (NPP) in shaping residential water use in a context of increased water scarcity. Indeed, a large body of the empirical economic literature on residential water demand has been devoted to measuring the impact of PP (water price increases, use of block rate pricing or peak pricing, etc.). The consensus is that the residential water demand is inelastic with respect to water price, but not perfectly. Given the low water price elasticity, pricing schemes may not always be effective tools for modifying household water behaviors. This is puzzling since increasing the water price is still viewed by public authorities as the most direct economic tool for inducing water conservation behaviors. Additional evidence regarding the use of PP in shaping residential water use is then required. More recently, it has been argued that residential consumers may react to NPP, such as water conservation programs, education campaigns, or smart metering. NPP are based on the idea that residential water users can implement strategies that will result in water savings via changing their individual behaviors. Feedback information based on smart water metering is an example of approach used by some water utilities. There are still large gaps in the knowledge on the residential water demand, and in particular on the impact of PP and NPP on residential water use, household water affordability and water service performance. These topics are addressed in this Special Issue “Advances in the Economic Analysis of Residential Water Use”.
Experimental Investigations of Interactions between Sand Wave Movements, Flow Structure, and Individual Aquatic Plants in Natural Rivers: A Case Study of Potamogeton Pectinatus L.
Authors: Przyborowski Łukasz , Łoboda Anna Maria , Bialik Robert Józef
Published: August 2018

Long-duration measurements were performed in two sandy bed rivers, and three-dimensional (3D) flow velocity and bottom elevation changes were measured in a vegetated area and in a clear region of a river. Detailed flow velocity profiles downstream and upstream of a single specimen of Potamogeton pectinatus L. were obtained and the bed morphology was assessed. Potamogeton plants gathered from each river were subjected to tensile and bending tests. The results show that the existence of the plants was influenced by both bottom and flow conditions, as the plants were located where water velocity was lower by 12% to 16% in comparison to clear region. The characteristics of the flow and sand forms depended on the cross-sectional arrangement of the river, e.g., dunes were approximately four times higher in the middle of the river than in vegetated regions near the bank. Furthermore, the studied hydrophytes were too sparse to affect water flow and had no discernible impact on the sand forms’ movements. The turbulent kinetic energy downstream of a single plant was reduced by approximately 25%. Additionally, the plants’ biomechanical characteristics and morphology were found to have adjusted to match the river conditions.
Écologie et pensée chrétienne
Authors: Revol Fabien
Published: August 2018

Depuis la définition de l’écologie par Ernst Haeckel en 1866, l’écologie a progressivement opéré un glissement de la science vers l’engagement politique. L’écologie est perçue par de nombreux chrétiens comme le lieu d’idéologies parfois hostiles à l’enseignement chrétien sur l’être humain, et sur sa place dans la création. Même si le rapport homme-nature est déjà présent dans la doctrine sociale de l’Église, ce n’est que vers 1970 que les préoccupations proprement écologiques rejoignent les prises de parole pontificales, et c’est avec l’encyclique Laudato si’ que l’écologie est vraiment prise à bras-le-corps par l’Église catholique. Se borner à ce constat serait réducteur face aux études et aux recherches qui existent depuis des décennies et dont les fruits sont d’ailleurs bien présents dans Laudato si’ .
L’écologie intégrale dans Laudato si ’
Authors: Pian Christian
Published: August 2018

Partant du constat que l’écologie intégrale est sans conteste la réponse centrale que le pape François veut apporter dans Laudato si’ au diagnostic d’une crise dans laquelle « tout est lié », l’ambition de cet article est d’abord de chercher à cerner au mieux la signification de cette notion dans l’encyclique. Au-delà du texte même, on propose de vérifier comment cette notion s’inscrit dans une histoire du magistère social catholique des dernières décennies qu’il convient d’avoir à l’esprit pour bien situer l’originalité de l’usage qu’en fait le pape actuel. Sur cette base, on présente une réflexion sur la réception en cours autour de cette notion-clé de Laudato si’, l’histoire de l’écologie intégrale continuant de s’écrire sous nos yeux singulièrement en France, où elle est en vogue, et traduit une réception différenciée de l’encyclique qu’il faut confronter aux enjeux de « la sauvegarde de la maison commune » telle que l’entend le pape.
Intravitreal Methotrexate for Iris and Ciliary Body Relapse in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Mello Luiz Guilherme M. , de Paula Effgen Patrícia , Kiefer Kélcia
Published: August 2018

The authors report a rare unilateral iris and ciliary body relapse in acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Ophthalmologic examination showed reduced visual acuity, pseudohypopyon, and iris irregularity. Ultrasound biomicroscopy and aqueous humor cytology confirmed leukemic infiltration. Lesions were treated with intravitreal methotrexate, which has not been described previously for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2018;55:e16–e19.]
The Value of Fusional Convergence Amplitudes in Esodeviation Surgery Without Adjustable Sutures
Authors: Maudgil Anu , Raoof Naz , Burke John
Published: August 2018

Purpose:

To explore the application of preoperative fusional convergence amplitudes in the selection of a target angle for non-adjustable suture strabismus surgery with deteriorated intermittent esotropia and diplopia.

Methods:

Thirty-one consecutive cases of presumed acquired non-accommodative, deteriorated intermittent esotropia managed surgically between 2005 and 2016 were reviewed retrospectively. For each individual, a target angle (deviation angle for which surgery was based) was selected preoperatively after analysis of fusional convergence amplitudes. Outcomes in patients selected for overcorrection at 6 meters (target angle > angle in primary position at 6 meters) were compared to those who had planned surgery based on a target angle that did not exceed their measured angle (target angle ≤ angle in primary position) at 6 meters.

Results:

All 31 patients achieved binocular single vision in primary position at both near and 6 meters without prisms, orthoptic therapy, or additional surgery at 4 to 6 months postoperatively. Greater mean correction in the target angle > angle in primary position group compared to the target angle ≤ angle in primary position group was observed, but this difference was not statistically significant (
P
= .57).

Conclusions:

Among this diagnostically specific cohort with intermittent esotropia with symptomatic diplopia and measurable binocular single vision preoperatively, targeted surgery based on an analysis of preexisting fusional convergence amplitudes had an outcome that compared favorably to that of documented adjustable suture strabismus surgery.

[
J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus
. 2018;55(6):375–381.]
Teaching Mode of Dance Appreciation Micro-course Based on Primary Teaching Theory
Authors: Yang Sanxia
Published: August 2018

A dance appreciation course is set up in colleges to cultivate the aesthetic judgment of students and enhance their comprehensive accomplishment. However, in the traditional teaching mode, teachers are given insufficient time to deliver the contents of dance appreciation courses, thereby leading to some problems such as the fragmented knowledge structure of students and an ineffective course delivery. To address these problems, a new teaching mode called “micro-course” was designed in this paper based on primary teaching theory. By placing dance appreciation at its core, the micro-course teaching mode is divided into four stages, namely, activate old knowledge, demonstrate new knowledge, apply new knowledge, and digest. A “four-in-one” (creation–teaching–performance–appreciation) dance micro-course was then designed followed by the construction of an online learning mode that is suitable for dance majors. Multiple experiments were also conducted to verify the effect and universality of this teaching mode and to provide a valuable reference for future studies on teaching public art courses.
Construction of a Multiple English Teaching Mode Based on Cloud Technology
Authors: Xu Ying
Published: August 2018

In order to explore the construction of multiple English teaching ("learner-centered and teacher-led" classroom teaching + autonomous learning + interactive learning + multiple evaluation) mode based on cloud technology, a teaching system and operation procedures of new English teaching model are designed based on cloud technology. The design is completed through the analysis of the construction of mul-tiple teaching mode under cloud technology and the introduction to multiple English language teaching steps. In addition, the English teaching modes under the traditional English teaching are compared with those based on cloud technology. Finally, the application of multiple teaching mode under cloud technology is analyzed. The results showed that multiple English teaching mode under cloud technology perfectly complied with the English teaching under modern conditions. To sum up, the proposed method plays a significant role in promoting the English teaching mode, which is worthy of further study and utilization.
The Graduate Helper: Using a Mobile Application as a Feasible Resource for Job Hunting Across Saudi Arabia
Authors: Meccawy Maram , Alalasi Amani , Alsaud Deemah , Almoudi Maha , Alessa Mashael , Alyami Muneera , Alsheikh Nuha
Published: August 2018

Graduates and senior university students are filled with ambitions; they are very close to fulfilling their dreams by joining the workforce. However, finding their targeted job is a cumbersome and often tedious task. Moreover, some of those graduates lack certain necessary skills that qualify them for the labor market. Hence, they might want to overcome this problem by taking some training courses to increase their chances in securing that sought after job. Graduate Helper, is a mobile application for seeking employment opportunities in Saudi Arabia. It focuses on recent graduates in the Kingdom. The successful implementation of Graduate Helper received an appreciation from graduates, who used it for their job hunts.
Development of Smartphone Application Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour to Enhance Self-Efficacy for Online Learning
Authors: Peechapol Chattavut , Na-Songkhla Jaitip , Sujiva Siridej , Luangsodsai Arthorn
Published: August 2018

This study was conducted to develop a smartphone application to enhance self-efficacy for online learning. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was used as a framework for developing the smartphone app. The study used research and design (R&D) through three phases: 1) examining relevant literature and interviewing recognized experts in the field, 2) developing the smartphone app, and 3) studying the effect of the smartphone app on the self-efficacy of online learners. The results demonstrated that the framework of the smartphone application based on the TPB comprised six components. They were 1) the TPB’s concept for online learning, 2) instructional process, 3) instructional support tools, 4) application features, 5) instructor’s role, and 6) learner’s role. For technical aspects, the smartphone app was developed and deployed by using Amazon Web Service (AWS) cloud computing platform and infrastructure. Studying the effect of the application on self-efficacy was performed for four weeks using two groups in a pre-test/post-test design. The research method involved purposive sampling of 180 undergraduate students, consisting of a 90-student experimental group and a 90-student control group. The application based on the TPB and the application without the TPB were implemented in the experimental group and the control group, respectively. The results demonstrated that the post-test score of self-efficacy in online learning for the experimental group was statistically significantly higher than the control group at 0.05 level. This result showed that the smartphone app based on the TPB could significantly affect self-efficacy for online learners; it has the potential to be an effective tool for teaching an online course.
Smartphones in Order to Measure the Correlation between Speed of Reading and Logical Reasoning of Future Preschool Teachers
Authors: Mendez David , Rodriguez Antonio , Sanchez Huete Juan Carlos , Perez Gregorio
Published: August 2018

Teacher training is an important key of education, although some authors consider the training is not helpful in order to improve learning science of the future teachers. Understanding scientific and mathematics concepts is necessary to develop the logical or abstract reasoning. Most commonly used, the PISA test is a basis in the scientific and mathematics education. In this research, it measures the logical reasoning with the test of logical reasoning and the reading speed and comprehension have been measured by a science PISA test. The students are 109 years old studying to be kindergarten teachers. They use Socrative and their smartphones in order to answer the questions. The results show that the logical reasoning is in the lowest level, the concrete level. The older students have better results than the younger students and there is a correlation between the reading speed and logical reasoning.
An Industrial Automation Course: Common Infrastructure for Physical, Virtual and Remote Laboratories for PLC Programming
Authors: Vazquez Gonzalez Jose Luis , Barrios Aviles Juan , Rosado Muñoz Alfredo , Alejos Palomares Ruben
Published: August 2018

This work describes the development of a teaching strategy to leverage current simulation tools and promote learning of industrial automation systems. Specifically, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) programming in an industrial automation course. We propose an infrastructure where it is possible to work with physical, virtual and mixed laboratories
Fermentation characteristics and nutritive values of sorghum silages
Authors: Veriato Florence Taciana , Pires Daniel Ananias De Assis , Tolentino Daniela Cangussú , Alves Dorismar David , Jayme Diogo Conzaga , Moura Marielly Maria Almeida
Published: August 2018

The objective of this study was to select sorghum genotypes for silage production. The study was carried out at Embrapa Maize & Sorghum’s experimental field. Planting was performed in randomized blocks, with three replicates and the Scott-Knott test at a 5% probability level. The material was ensilaged in laboratory silos opened after 56 days for analysis concerning fermentation and bromatological composition. Only crude protein showed no significant difference (p > 0.05), with an overall mean of 8.88%. The other variables presented significant differences (p < 0.05): pH (3.34 to 3.94); Aw (0.93 to 0.98); N-NH 3/TN (1.61 to 6.56%); green matter yield (12.05 to 34.14 t ha-1); dry matter yield (6.19 to 11.42 t ha-1); dry matter (26.89 to 49.95%); ashes (4.08 to 6.88%); neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (47.67 to 65.79%); acid detergent fiber (16.62 to 35.89%); hemicellulose:cellulose (1.07 to 2.71%); lignin (2.03 to 6.52%), digestible dry matter yield (3.70 to 7.41 t ha-1) and dry matter digestibility (56.36 to 72.67%). Based on digestible dry matter yield, the genotypes: male 201191 and hybrids 2012F47484, 2012F47515 and 2012F47525 stood out in relation to the others for showing good yielding, adequate nutritional value, with low dry matter and NDF levels coupled with high digestibility values and good fermentation patterns of the silages.
Germination and growth of Albizia niopoides (Bentham) Burkart (Fabaceae)
Authors: Barbeiro Caroline , Firmino Taysi Pereira , Novais André Henrique Oler de , Romagnolo Mariza Barion , Pastorini Lindamir Hernandez
Published: August 2018

Albizia niopoides (Bentham) Burkart, known as farinha seca, is an arboreal, deciduous and pioneer plant that can be found in the semi-deciduous forest in the Paraná basin. The study on the germination and growth of the plant is fundamental for better knowledge about the establishment and regeneration of the species. Aiming to verify the germination of A. niopoides and subsequent growth, green seeds and brown seeds were germinated in a germination chamber and growth parameters were evaluated at 60, 90, and 180 days after transplanting (DAT) in a greenhouse. There was no significant difference in germination percentage between green and brown seeds. However, lower levels of mean germination times and higher levels of germination speed index were observed for brown seeds. At 180 DAT, plants showed higher shoot dry mass, root dry mass, total dry mass, number leaves and height, with no significant difference between 60 and 90 DAT for total dry mass, root dry mass and root length. The values of stem height/diameter and Dickson quality index, associated to the other growth parameters, indicate quality of the seedlings for field planting at 180 DAT.