bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
AN ENTROPY-KL STRATEGY FOR ESTIMATING NUMBER OF CLASSES IN IMAGE SEGMENTATION ISSUES
Authors: Zhao Xuemei , Li Yu , Zhao Quanhua , Wang Chunyan
Published: June 2016

Abstract. different classes, to estimate the number of classes in image segmentation issues. In this strategy, the information of a homogeneous region is measured by entropy. Then a region is considered to be disordered and should be split if its entropy is more than a given threshold. On the contrary, when the KL information of two homogeneous regions is less than a threshold, it is believed that they are similar and should be merged. The entropy-KL strategy can be combined with any kind of segmentation algorithm since it uses the information and distance as a general way to decide the number of classes. In this paper, the HMRF-FCM algorithm is employed as the segmentation process and combined with the entropy-KL strategy to induce a segmentation algorithm which can fix the number of classes automatically. The proposed algorithm is performed on synthetic image, real panchromatic images and SAR images to demonstrate the effectiveness.
A DIVERSIFIED DEEP BELIEF NETWORK FOR HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGE CLASSIFICATION
Authors: Zhong P. , Gong Z. Q. , Schönlieb C.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. In recent years, researches in remote sensing demonstrated that deep architectures with multiple layers can potentially extract abstract and invariant features for better hyperspectral image classification. Since the usual real-world hyperspectral image classification task cannot provide enough training samples for a supervised deep model, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), this work turns to investigate the deep belief networks (DBNs), which allow unsupervised training. The DBN trained over limited training samples usually has many “dead” (never responding) or “potential over-tolerant” (always responding) latent factors (neurons), which decrease the DBN’s description ability and thus finally decrease the hyperspectral image classification performance. This work proposes a new diversified DBN through introducing a diversity promoting prior over the latent factors during the DBN pre-training and fine-tuning procedures. The diversity promoting prior in the training procedures will encourage the latent factors to be uncorrelated, such that each latent factor focuses on modelling unique information, and all factors will be summed up to capture a large proportion of information and thus increase description ability and classification performance of the diversified DBNs. The proposed method was evaluated over the well-known real-world hyperspectral image dataset. The experiments demonstrate that the diversified DBNs can obtain much better results than original DBNs and comparable or even better performances compared with other recent hyperspectral image classification methods.
SCENE CLASSFICATION BASED ON THE SEMANTIC-FEATURE FUSION FULLY SPARSE TOPIC MODEL FOR HIGH SPATIAL RESOLUTION REMOTE SENSING IMAGERY
Authors: Zhu Qiqi , Zhong Yanfei , Zhang Liangpei
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Topic modeling has been an increasingly mature method to bridge the semantic gap between the low-level features and high-level semantic information. However, with more and more high spatial resolution (HSR) images to deal with, conventional probabilistic topic model (PTM) usually presents the images with a dense semantic representation. This consumes more time and requires more storage space. In addition, due to the complex spectral and spatial information, a combination of multiple complementary features is proved to be an effective strategy to improve the performance for HSR image scene classification. But it should be noticed that how the distinct features are fused to fully describe the challenging HSR images, which is a critical factor for scene classification. In this paper, a semantic-feature fusion fully sparse topic model (SFF-FSTM) is proposed for HSR imagery scene classification. In SFF-FSTM, three heterogeneous features – the mean and standard deviation based spectral feature, wavelet based texture feature, and dense scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) based structural feature are effectively fused at the latent semantic level. The combination of multiple semantic-feature fusion strategy and sparse based FSTM is able to provide adequate feature representations, and can achieve comparable performance with limited training samples. Experimental results on the UC Merced dataset and Google dataset of SIRI-WHU demonstrate that the proposed method can improve the performance of scene classification compared with other scene classification methods for HSR imagery.
AN APPROACH TO ALLEVIATE THE FALSE ALARM IN BUILDING CHANGE DETECTION FROM URBAN VHR IMAGE
Authors: Chen J. , Hou J. L. , Deng M.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Building change detection from very-high-resolution (VHR) urban remote sensing image frequently encounter the challenge of serious false alarm caused by different illumination or viewing angles in bi-temporal images. An approach to alleviate the false alarm in urban building change detection is proposed in this paper. Firstly, as shadows casted by urban buildings are of distinct spectral and shape feature, it adopts a supervised object-based classification technique to extract them in this paper. Secondly, on the opposite direction of sunlight illumination, a straight line is drawn along the principal orientation of building in every extracted shadow region. Starting from the straight line and moving toward the sunlight direction, a rectangular area is constructed to cover partial shadow and rooftop of each building. Thirdly, an algebra and geometry invariant based method is used to abstract the spatial topological relationship of the potential unchanged buildings from all central points of the rectangular area. Finally, based on an oriented texture curvature descriptor, an index is established to determine the actual false alarm in building change detection result. The experiment results validate that the proposed method can be used as an effective framework to alleviate the false alarm in building change detection from urban VHR image.
USING REMOTE SENSING AND GIS TECHNIQUES TO DETECT CHANGES TO THE PRINCE ALFRED HAMLET CONSERVATION AREA IN THE WESTERN CAPE, SOUTH AFRICA
Authors: Duncan P. , Lewarne M.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Understanding and identifying the spatial-temporal changes in the natural environment is crucial for monitoring and evaluating conservation efforts, as well as understanding the impact of human activities on natural resources, informing responsible land management, and promoting better decision-making. Conservation areas are often under pressure from expanding farming and related industry, invasive alien vegetation, and an ever-increasing human settlement footprint. This study focuses on detecting changes to the Prince Alfred Hamlet commonage, near Ceres in the Cape Floral Kingdom. It was chosen for its high conservation value and significance as a critical water source area. The study area includes a fast-growing human settlement footprint in a highly productive farming landscape. There are conflicting development needs as well as risks to agricultural production, and both of these threaten the integrity of the ecosystems which supply underlying services to both demands on the land. Using a multi-disciplinary approach and high-resolution satellite imagery, land use and land cover changes can be detected and classified, and the results used to support the conservation of biodiversity and wildlife, and protect our natural resources. The aim of this research is to study the efficacy of using remote sensing and GIS techniques to detect changes to critical conservation areas where disturbances can be understood, and therefore better managed and mitigated before these areas are degraded beyond repair.
NATIONWIDE HYBRID CHANGE DETECTION OF BUILDINGS
Authors: Hron V. , Halounova L.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The Fundamental Base of Geographic Data of the Czech Republic (hereinafter FBGD) is a national 2D geodatabase at a 1:10,000 scale with more than 100 geographic objects. This paper describes the design of the permanent updating mechanism of buildings in FBGD. The proposed procedure belongs to the category of hybrid change detection (HCD) techniques which combine pixel-based and object-based evaluation. The main sources of information for HCD are cadastral information and bi-temporal vertical digital aerial photographs. These photographs have great information potential because they contain multispectral, position and also elevation information. Elevation information represents a digital surface model (DSM) which can be obtained using the image matching technique. Pixel-based evaluation of bi-temporal DSMs enables fast localization of places with potential building changes. These coarse results are subsequently classified through the object-based image analysis (OBIA) using spectral, textural and contextual features and GIS tools. The advantage of the two-stage evaluation is the pre-selection of locations where image segmentation (a computationally demanding part of OBIA) is performed. It is not necessary to apply image segmentation to the entire scene, but only to the surroundings of detected changes, which contributes to significantly faster processing and lower hardware requirements. The created technology is based on open-source software solutions that allow easy portability on multiple computers and parallelization of processing. This leads to significant savings of financial resources which can be expended on the further development of FBGD.
GROUND DEFORMATION EXTRACTION USING VISIBLE IMAGES AND LIDAR DATA IN MINING AREA
Authors: Hu Wenmin , Wu Lixin
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Recognition and extraction of mining ground deformation can help us understand the deformation process and space distribution, and estimate the deformation laws and trends. This study focuses on the application of ground deformation detection and extraction combining with high resolution visible stereo imagery, LiDAR observation point cloud data and historical data. The DEM in large mining area is generated using high-resolution satellite stereo images, and ground deformation is obtained through time series analysis combined with historical DEM data. Ground deformation caused by mining activities are detected and analyzed to explain the link between the regional ground deformation and local deformation. A district of covering 200 km2 around the West Open Pit Mine in Fushun of Liaoning province, a city located in the Northeast China is chosen as the test area for example. Regional and local ground deformation from 2010 to 2015 time series are detected and extracted with DEMs derived from ZY-3 images and LiDAR point DEMs in the case study. Results show that the mean regional deformation is 7.1 m of rising elevation with RMS 9.6 m. Deformation of rising elevation and deformation of declining elevation couple together in local area. The area of higher elevation variation is 16.3 km2 and the mean rising value is 35.8 m with RMS 15.7 m, while the deformation area of lower elevation variation is 6.8 km2 and the mean declining value is 17.6 m with RMS 9.3 m. Moreover, local large deformation and regional slow deformation couple together, the deformation in local mining activities has expanded to the surrounding area, a large ground fracture with declining elevation has been detected and extracted in the south of West Open Pit Mine, the mean declining elevation of which is 23.1 m and covering about 2.3 km2 till 2015. The results in this paper are preliminary currently; we are making efforts to improve more precision results with invariant ground control data for validation.
MONITORING TREE POPULATION DYNAMICS IN ARID ZONE THROUGH MULTIPLE TEMPORAL SCALES: INTEGRATION OF SPATIAL ANALYSIS, CHANGE DETECTION AND FIELD LONG TERM MONITORING
Authors: Isaacson S. , Rachmilevitch S. , Ephrath J. E. , Maman S. , Blumberg D. G.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. High mortality rates and lack of recruitment in the acacia populations throughout the Negev Desert and the Arava rift valley of Israel have been reported in previous studies. However, it is difficult to determine whether these reports can be evidence to a significant decline trend of the trees populations. This is because of the slow dynamic processes of acaia tree populations and the lack of long term continuous monitoring data. We suggest a new data analysis technique that expands the time scope of the field long term monitoring of trees in arid environments. This will enables us to improve our understanding of the spatial and temporal changes of these populations. We implemented two different approaches in order to expand the time scope of the acacia population field survey: (1) individual based tree change detection using Corona satellite images and (2) spatial analysis of trees population, converting spatial data into temporal data. The next step was to integrate the results of the two analysis techniques (change detection and spatial analysis) with field monitoring. This technique can be implemented to other tree populations in arid environments to help assess the vegetation conditions and dynamics of those ecosystems.
MONITORING OF FLUVIAL TRANSPORT IN THE MOUNTAIN RIVER BED USING TERRESTRIAL LASER SCANNING
Authors: Jozkow G. , Borkowski A. , Kasprzak M.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The fluvial transport is the surface process that has a strong impact on the topography changes, especially in mountain areas. Traditional hydrological measurements usually give a good understanding of the river flow, however, the information of the bedload movement in the rivers is still insufficient. In particular, there is limited knowledge about the movement of the largest clasts, i.e. boulders. This investigation addresses mentioned issues by employing Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) to monitor annual changes of the mountain river bed. The vertical changes were estimated based on the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of difference (DoD) while transported boulders were identified based on the distances between point clouds and RGB-coloured points. Combined RGB point clouds allowed also to measure 3D displacements of boulders. The results showed that the highest dynamic of the fluvial process occurred between years 2012-2013. Obtained DoD clearly indicated alternating zones of erosion and deposition of the sediment finer fractions in the local sedimentary traps. The horizontal displacement of the rock material in the river bed showed high complexity resulting in the displacement of large boulders (major axis about 0.8 m) for the distance up to 2.3 m.
UPDATING NATIONAL TOPOGRAPHIC DATA BASE USING CHANGE DETECTION METHODS
Authors: Keinan E. , Felus Y. A. , Tal Y. , Zilberstien O. , Elihai Y.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The traditional method for updating a topographic database on a national scale is a complex process that requires human resources, time and the development of specialized procedures. In many National Mapping and Cadaster Agencies (NMCA), the updating cycle takes a few years. Today, the reality is dynamic and the changes occur every day, therefore, the users expect that the existing database will portray the current reality. Global mapping projects which are based on community volunteers, such as OSM, update their database every day based on crowdsourcing. In order to fulfil user's requirements for rapid updating, a new methodology that maps major interest areas while preserving associated decoding information, should be developed. Until recently, automated processes did not yield satisfactory results, and a typically process included comparing images from different periods. The success rates in identifying the objects were low, and most were accompanied by a high percentage of false alarms. As a result, the automatic process required significant editorial work that made it uneconomical. In the recent years, the development of technologies in mapping, advancement in image processing algorithms and computer vision, together with the development of digital aerial cameras with NIR band and Very High Resolution satellites, allow the implementation of a cost effective automated process. The automatic process is based on high-resolution Digital Surface Model analysis, Multi Spectral (MS) classification, MS segmentation, object analysis and shape forming algorithms. This article reviews the results of a novel change detection methodology as a first step for updating NTDB in the Survey of Israel.
MONITORING SOIL MOISTURE IN A COAL MINING AREA WITH MULTI-PHASE LANDSAT IMAGES
Authors: Kong J. L. , Xian T. , Yang J. , Chen L. , Yang X. T.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The coal development zone of Northern Shaanxi, China is one of the eight largest coal mines in the world, also the national energy and chemical bases. However, the coal mining leads to ground surface deformation and previous studies show that in collapse fissure zone soil water losses almost 50% compared with non-fissure zone. The main objective of this study is to develop a retrieval model that is reliable and sensitive to soil moisture in the whole coal mining zone of Northern Shaanxi based upon the soil sample parameters collected from in situ site investigation, spectral data gathered simultaneously and the images of Landsat7 ETM. The model uses different phases of Landsat data to retrieve soil moisture and analyze the patterns of spatial and temporal variations of soil moisture caused by ground deformation in the coal mining areas. The study indicated that band4 of Landsat7 ETM is the most sensitive band for soil moisture retrieval using the spectrum method. The quadratic model developed by remote sensing reflectance (Rrs4) (corresponding to the band4) is the best pattern with the correlation coefficient of 0.858 between the observed and the estimated soil moisture. Two-phase Landsat7 ETM data of 2002 and 2009 and one phase Landsat8 OLI data of 2015 for the study area were selected to retrieve soil moisture information. The result showed that the mean relative error was 35.16% and the root-mean-squared error (RMSE) was 0.58%. The changes of the spatial distribution of inversed soil moisture revealed that the trend of soil moisture contents of the study area was in general being gradually reduced from 2002 to 2015. The study results can serve as the baseline for monitoring environmental impacts on soil moisture in the regions due to coal mining.
COMPARISON OF C-BAND AND X-BAND POLARIMETRIC SAR DATA FOR RIVER ICE CLASSIFICATION ON THE PEACE RIVER
Authors: Łoś H. , Osińska-Skotak K. , Pluto-Kossakowska J. , Bernier M. , Gauthier Y. , Jasek M. , Roth A.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. In this study, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data from TerraSAR-X were compared with RADARSAT-2 data to evaluate their effectiveness for river ice monitoring on the Peace River. For several years RADARSAT-2 data have been successfully used for river ice observation. However, it is important to take into account data from other satellites as they may provide solutions when it is not possible to obtain images from the preferred system (e.g., in the case of acquisition priority conflicts). In this study we compared three TerraSAR-X (X-band) and three RADARSAT-2 (C-band) datasets acquired in December 2013 on a section of the Peace River, Canada. For selected classes (open water, skim ice, juxtaposed skim ice, agglomerated skim ice, frazil run and consolidated ice) we compared backscattering values in HH and VV polarisation and performed Wishart supervised classification. Covariance matrices that were previously filtered using a refined Lee filter were used as input data for classification. For all data sets the overall accuracy was higher than 80%. Similar errors associated with classification output were observed for data from both satellite systems.
LANDSAT-BASED WOODY VEGETATION COVER MONITORING IN SOUTHERN AFRICAN SAVANNAHS
Authors: Symeonakis E. , Petroulaki K. , Higginbottom T.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Mapping woody cover over large areas can only be effectively achieved using remote sensing data and techniques. The longest continuously operating Earth-observation program, the Landsat series, is now freely-available as an atmospherically corrected, cloud masked surface reflectance product. The availability and length of the Landsat archive is thus an unparalleled Earth-observation resource, particularly for long-term change detection and monitoring. Here, we map and monitor woody vegetation cover in the Northwest Province of South Africa, an area of more than 100,000 km2 covered by 11 Landsat scenes. We employ a multi-temporal approach with dry-season data from 7 epochs between 1990 to 2015. We use 0.5 m-pixel colour aerial photography to collect > 15,000 point samples for training and validating Random Forest classifications of (i) woody vegetation cover, (ii) other vegetation types (including grasses and agricultural land), and (iii) non-vegetated areas (i.e. urban areas and bare land). Overall accuracies for all years are around 80 % and overall kappa between 0.45 and 0.66. Woody vegetation covers a quarter of the Province and is the most accurately mapped class (balanced accuracies between 0.74-0.84 for the 7 epochs). There is a steady increase in woody vegetation cover over the 25-year-long period of study in the expense of the other vegetation types. We identify potential woody vegetation encroachment 'hot-spots' where mitigation measures might be required and thus provide a management tool for the prioritisation of such measures in degraded and food-insecure areas.
Global distribution of winter lightning: a threat to wind turbines and aircraft
Authors: Montanyà Joan , Fabró Ferran , van der Velde Oscar , March Víctor , Williams Earle Rolfe , Pineda Nicolau , Romero David , Solà Glòria , Freijo Modesto
Published: June 2016

Abstract. Lightning is one of the major threats to multi-megawatt wind turbines and a concern for modern aircraft due to the use of lightweight composite materials. Both wind turbines and aircraft can initiate lightning, and very favorable conditions for lightning initiation occur in winter thunderstorms. Moreover, winter thunderstorms are characterized by a relatively high production of very energetic lightning. This paper reviews the different types of lightning interactions and summarizes the well-known winter thunderstorm areas. Until now comprehensive maps of global distribution of winter lightning prevalence to be used for risk assessment have been unavailable. In this paper we present the global winter lightning activity for a period of 5 years. Using lightning location data and meteorological re-analysis data, six maps are created: annual winter lightning stroke density, seasonal variation of the winter lightning and the annual number of winter thunderstorm days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the maps confirmed Japan to be one of the most active regions but other areas such as the Mediterranean and the USA are active as well. In the Southern Hemisphere, Uruguay and surrounding area, the southwestern Indian Ocean and the Tasman Sea experience the highest activity. The maps provided here can be used in the development of a risk assessment.
Stand-Alone Tsunami Alarm Equipment
Authors: Katsumata Akio , Hayashi Yutaka , Miyaoka Kazuki , Tsushima Hiroaki , Baba Toshitaka , Catalán Patricio A. , Zelaya Cecilia , Riquelme Vasquez Felipe , Sanchez-Olavarria Rodrigo , Barrientos Sergio
Published: June 2016

Abstract. One of the quickest means of tsunami evacuation is transfer to higher ground soon after strong and long ground-shaking. Strong ground motion means that the source area of the event is close to the current location, and long ground-shaking or large displacement means that the magnitude is large. We investigated the possibility to apply this to tsunami hazard alarm using single-site ground motion observation. Information from the mass media may not be available sometimes due to power failure. Thus, a device that indicates risk of a tsunami without referring to data elsewhere would be helpful to those should evacuate. Since the sensitivity of a low-cost MEMS accelerometer is sufficient for this purpose, tsunami alarms equipment for home use may be easily realized. Several observation values (e.g., strong-motion duration, peak ground displacement) were investigated as candidates. It was found that a suitable value for a single-site tsunami alarm is long-period peak displacement or the product of strong-motion duration and peak displacement. It was possible to detect an earthquake with a magnitude greater than 7.8 with a 0.8 threat score. Application of this method to recent major earthquakes indicated that such equipment could effectively alert people to the possibility of tsunami.
SeaConditions: a web and mobile service for safer professional and recreational activities in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Coppini G. , Marra P. , Lecci R. , Pinardi N. , Cretì S. , Scalas M. , Tedesco L. , D'Anca A. , Fazioli L. , Olita A. , Turrisi G. , Palazzo C. , Aloisio G. , Fiore S. , Bonaduce A. , Kumkar Y. , Ciliberti S. A. , Federico I. , Mannarini G. , Agostini P. , Bonarelli R. , Martinelli S. , Verri G. , Lusito L. , Rollo D. , Cavallo A. , Tumolo A. , Monacizzo T. , Spagnulo M. , Sorgente R. , Cucco A. , Quattrocchi G. , Tonani M. , Drudi M. , Panzera L. , Navarra A. , Negro G.
Published: June 2016

Abstract. The provision of reliable and timely information on the environmental conditions at sea to professional and recreational users is of strategic importance for their safety and for the optimal execution of their duties and activities. The capacity of the users of having the environmental information in due time and with the adequate accuracy in the marine and coastal environment can be defined as Sea Situational Awareness (SSA). Many activities are nowadays performed at sea also in absence of an adequate information related to the environmental meteorological and oceanographic conditions, in this situations the users will have a reduced capability in response, and this could lead to major emergencies including loss of lives and, large environmental disaster with consequent enormous damages on economy, society and ecosystems. In the framework of the TESSA project, new SSA services for the Mediterranean Sea were developed and in this paper we present one of them named SeaConditions a web and mobile application for the provision of meteorological and oceanographic observation and forecasting products. Model forecasts and satellite products from operational services, such as ECMWF and CMEMS are visualized on SeaConditions. In addition, layers relative to bathymetry, sea level, ocean colour data (chl-a and water transparency) can be displayed. Since CMCC and CNR make available ocean forecasts at high spatial resolutions these are included in the version of SeaConditions presented. SeaConditions aims to provide a user friendly experience with a fluid zoom capability, facilitating the proper display of data with different levels of details. SeaConditions consists of "one stop shop" being a single point of access to interactive maps of quite different geophysical fields, delivering high quality information based on advanced oceanographic models. The SeaConditions services are available through both web and mobile applications. The web application is available at the address http://www.sea-conditions.com and is accessible to and compatible with present day browsers. Interoperability with GIS software is implemented. Users' feedback has been collected and considered for improving the service. The SeaConditions iOS and Android apps were downloaded so far (May 2016) by more than 105 000 users and more than 100 000 users have visited the web version.
La evolución de un paratexto singular: las subscriptiones latinas
Authors: González Marín Susana
Published: June 2016

La historia de las subscriptiones latinas revela alteraciones tanto en su frecuencia como en el tipo de información que transmiten, y en consecuencia también en su función. En un primer momento proporcionan datos escuetos con una finalidad práctica: la identificación del contenido de un libro concreto. En la Antigüedad tardía su número aumenta y transmiten mayor volumen de información, pero sobre todo adquieren relevancia los individuos que las firman, convirtiéndose en un instrumento de autorrepresentación social. Sin embargo, en época posterior estas subscriptiones tardoantiguas se siguen copiando en nuevos manuscritos y pierden su relación inicial con un ejemplar concreto; se transforman en paratextos que contribuyen a dar prestigio, ya no a un libro singular, sino a un autor o una obra.
Ausonius’ Caesares
Authors: Pappas Vasileios
Published: June 2016

Ausonio de Burdigala (Burdeos) escribe entre los años 379-383 su obra poética titulada Caesares. Esta colección es una biografía de la vida de los emperadores en verso (hexámetro y dístico elegíaco). Caesares no está completa; la obra acaba de repente en el cuarteto dedicado a Heliogábalo. En este trabajo abordamos el género de la colección, examinamos el estilo de Ausonio en varias partes (monósticos y tetrásticos) y destacamos las fuentes (Suetonio, Tácito, Kaisergeschichte, Mario Máximo). Asimismo valoramos las diferentes opiniones que los estudiosos de Ausonio han expresado sobre la parte perdida de esta colección.
Los Flores philosophorum del manuscrito 2629 de la Biblioteca Histórica de la Universidad de Salamanca
Authors: Etayo Martín Irene
Published: June 2016

El manuscrito 2629 de la Biblioteca Histórica de la Universidad de Salamanca contiene un florilegio temático compuesto por dos secciones con títulos particulares: la primera, con el título de Flores philosophorum, ofrece extractos en prosa y la segunda, con el título de Flores auctorum, extractos en verso. En este trabajo, tras ofrecer la descripción codicológica del manuscrito completo, se analiza el contenido, la estructura, la tipología y las fuentes de los Flores philosophorum.
¿Alessandro Geraldini antiquitatum indagator? Su papel en los estudios epigráficos de inicios del s. XVI
Authors: González Germain Gerard
Published: June 2016

El interés del humanista italiano Alessandro Geraldini (1455-1524) por los monumenta antiquitatis (y especialmente por las inscripciones romanas) se pone de manifiesto en su Itinerarium ad regiones sub aequinoctiali plaga constitutas, compuesto al final de su vida. Analizamos aquí la información anticuaria contenida en su obra; señalamos por primera vez las fuentes epigráficas utilizadas como hipotexto en su Itinerarium, identificamos la síloge epigráfica de donde conoció dichos textos y, finalmente, valoramos su participación efectiva en los estudios epigráficos llevados a cabo durante su larga permanencia en España (ante 1475-1519).
El tema de la estatua silenciosa: imitación compleja y poesía neolatina
Authors: Ruiz Sánchez María
Published: June 2016

Este trabajo estudia el tratamiento del tópico de la estatua silenciosa en la literatura neolatina. El tema proviene de los epigramas sobre Pitágoras de la Antología Palatina. Las imitaciones neolatinas de este tópico son numerosas y complejas al utilizar varias fuentes al mismo tiempo. Los autores han realizado una lectura activa de los epigramas de sus predecesores, aplicando el motivo tradicional a temas nuevos y adaptándolo a la temática religiosa.
Terencio en el siglo XVIII español: La Andria de Manuel Dequeisne
Authors: López Fonseca Antonio
Published: June 2016

Tras una aproximación a la traducción en la España del siglo XVIII, el propósito de este trabajo es presentar la versión, prácticamente desconocida, que M. Dequeisne hizo de la Andria de Terencio (1786) con la intención de sustituir a la de Simón Abril. Para ello, se estudia el planteamiento teórico del prólogo y se plantea la cuestión de la retraducción, antes de atender a las principales características de la traducción, incluida una comparación con la versión de Simón Abril.
Un error prosódico en el latín del Diccionario de la Lengua Española: Astur, -uris
Authors: Ramia Javier
Published: June 2016

En este artículo señalamos un error prosódico en la etimología latina Astur, -uris que hallamos en las dos últimas ediciones del Diccionario de la Lengua Española (vigésima segunda y vigesimotercera – Edición del Tricentenario) y proponemos su enmienda. Analizamos también la entrada astur en las ediciones anteriores del Diccionario con el propósito de conocer los cambios que ha experimentado el étimo latino.
Perceptual Exploration of Factors and Issues Affecting Adoption of E-Insurance
Authors: Pahuja Anurag , Chitkara Saloni
Published: June 2016

In this ever evolving competitive environment, technology is making its foray into lives of individuals by helping them get the work done at the click of a mouse only. And the financial services industry is no exception. E-banking has already been accepted and adopted by the younger generation and those having access to internet. Another application of E-Commerce in Insurance sector i.e., E-insurance involves keeping all or any of the insurance policies in electronic mode by the policy holders, where in everything including the request, proposal, contract and negotiation is performed on-line. Despite its proclaimed benefits, there are very few users availing this service. The present study is an attempt to explore the users’ perception towards E-insurance and their awareness of the concept. Using a sample size of 189 respondents based on convenience sampling, it further tries to investigate the factors affecting the adoption of E-insurance in India. Also, the study aims at finding out the potential issues and challenges associated with the usage of e-insurance.
Haemodialysis and Haemodiafiltration Lead to Similar Changes in Vascular Stiffness during Treatment
Authors: Power Albert , Charitaki Evangelia , Davenport Andrew
Published: June 2016

Background

Haemodiafiltration (HDF) has been reported to cause less hypotension than haemodialysis (HD). We hypothesized that HDF causes less change in vascular tone, thereby reducing hypotension.

Methods

Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWVao) was measured in 284 patients, during a single dialysis session using cooled dialysate (117 HD, 177 HDF). Patient groups were matched for age, sex and cardiovascular comorbidity.

Results

Systolic blood pressure (SBP) declined from 144 ± 26 to 133 ± 26 after 20 minutes, and to 131 ± 26 mmHg post HD, and for HDF from 152 ± 26 to 143 ± 27 after 20 minutes, then to 138 ± 27 mmHg post HDF. Net Ultrafiltration rates to achieve weight loss were similar; HD 0.13 ± 0.06 vs HDF 0.12 ± 0.05 mL/kg/min. PWVao did not change after 20 minutes HD 0.42(-0.7 to 1.3), HDF 0.5 (-0.6 to 1.8) or at the end of the session: HD -0.39 (1.5 to 1.2), HDF-0.41(-2.0 to 1.3) m/s. Aortic augmentation index (AiAxo), assessment of vascular tone fell significantly with both HD; 20 minutes by 6.2 (-2.5 to 14), end 5.6 (-6.7 to 13.9), and HDF 20 min by 4.2 (-2.5 to 10), end 7.8 (-0.8 to 19.3), with no difference between HD and HDF. The ultrafiltration rate correlated with % change in aortic SBP (r = 0.28 p = 0.004), but not with changes in PWVao or augmentation indices.

Conclusions

Blood pressure declined during both HD and HDF treatments, as did augmentation indices, unrelated to weight loss, suggesting a reduction in vascular stiffness occurs independently of treatment modality. We did not observe an advantage for HDF.
The Peripheral Cannulation Technique in Minimally Invasive Congenital Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Vida Vladimiro L. , Tessari Chiara , Putzu Alessandro , Tiberio Ivo , Guariento Alvise , Gallo Michele , Stellin Giovanni
Published: June 2016

Congenital minimally invasive cardiac surgery has gained wide acceptance thanks to its favorable outcomes. The introduction of peripheral cannulation for cardiopulmonary bypass further reduces surgical trauma by decreasing surgical access and allowing the spectrum of surgical access for the correction of simple congenital heart defects to be widened. Right internal jugular vein percutaneous cannulation, together with the direct surgical cannulation of femoral vessels, proves to be a safe and effective tool in patients with body weight above 15 kg.
Medicinal and wild food plants of Marmara Island (Balikesir – Turkey)
Authors: Bulut Gizem
Published: June 2016

Medicinal and wild food plants have always played an important role in people’s lives especially in rural areas. Similar situation can be said for islands due to the reason of them being isolated from mainland. This paper reports an ethnobotanical investigations performed in 2009 and 2014 to determine medicinal and wild food plants of Marmara Island. A total of 30 individuals were interviewed (19 men, 11 women). Totally, 22 plants are recorded as used as traditional folk medicine for the region, and nine of these are also used as a source of wild food. Furthermore, 18 taxa are wild sources of nutrition for the area. The plants most commonly used in the region as medicinal remedies were Salvia fruticosa, Hypericum perforatum, Ficus carica, and Mentha spicata. Plants are mostly used for the treatment of abdominal pain, the common cold, and haemorrhoids. The species most commonly used for food are: Salvia fruticosa, Arbutus unedo, Rhus coriaria, and Rubus sanctus. This ethnobotanical study conducted in this island will enable the traditional use of wild plants both as food sources and herbal remedies to be passed on to future generations.
A King's Apotheosis: Iconography, Text, and Politics from a Classic Maya Temple at Holmul
Authors: Estrada-Belli Francisco , Tokovinine Alexandre
Published: June 2016

Excavations at the ancient Maya city of Holmul, Petén, have led to the discovery of a building decorated with an intricately carved and painted plaster frieze. The iconography of the frieze portrays seated lords, mountain spirits, feathered serpents, and gods of the underworld engaged in the apparent rebirth of rulers as sun gods. Large emblems carved on the side of the building identify the structure as a shrine for ancestor veneration. A dedicatory text carved along the bottom of the frieze contains a king list and references to the political and familial ties of the ruler who commissioned the temple. Together, the iconography and text of this structure provide evidence of function and meaning. They also shed new light on a century during Classic Maya history known as the Tikal “Hiatus,” for which a limited number of texts are available. The information derived from this monument also broadens our understanding of the nature of hegemonic relationships among Classic Maya states.
Reconsidering Precolumbian Human Colonization in the Galápagos Islands, Republic of Ecuador
Authors: Anderson Atholl , Stothert Karen , Martinsson-Wallin Helene , Wallin Paul , Flett Iona , Haberle Simon , Heijnis Henk , Rhodes Edward
Published: June 2016

Fifty years ago, Heyerdahl and Skjølsvold (1956, 1990) collected material from five archaeological sites in the Galápagos Islands. They retained earthenwares of possible precolumbian origin and discarded ceramic, metal, and glass artifacts postdating the arrival of the Spanish in A.D. 1535. Consequently, they argued that each site was formed as the results of a series of discard events from unrelated short-term occupations extending from the precolumbian to the historical era, and that the earthenwares represented occasional visits by fishermen from precolumbian Peru and Ecuador. In 2005, we re-excavated the sites and collected all the excavated materials. Our results show that each class of material, irrespective of age or origin, was distributed spatially and stratigraphically in the same pattern, contradicting the former assumption of multiple, unrelated occupations. We reject the palimpsest model in favor of the null hypothesis of single-phase site occupation. Analysis of putatively precolumbian pottery using optically-stimulated luminescence dating indicates that it is mostly of historical age. Radiocarbon dating confirms that the archaeological sites are younger than the sixteenth century. Research on sedimentary cores shows probable anthropogenic impacts as restricted to the last 500 years. We conclude that there was no human occupation in the Galápagos Islands until the historical era.
Nuevos Conocimientos Sobre La Metalurgia Antigua del Occidente de México: Filiación Cultural y Cronología en la Cuenca de Sayula, Jalisco
Authors: Zaldúa Johan Sebastián García
Published: June 2016

Los recientes datos metalúrgicos y culturales provenientes de cuatro sitios en La Cuenca de Sayula, Jalisco, han permitido ampliar y plantear nuevos conocimientos acerca de la metalurgia prehispánica del Occidente de México. Por primera vez un conjunto amplio de datos contextualizados permite relacionar distintos complejos técnicos con tradiciones culturales específicas. En el conjunto de objetos se identificaron los dos complejos técnicos característicos de la metalurgia del Occidente de México (período 1 y 2). Estos complejos están asociados con cuatro tradiciones culturales diferentes (Aztatlán, Sur de Jalisco, Amacueca y Tarasca) en el marco de una secuencia que abarca unos siete siglos (800–1532 d.C.). Los nuevos datos aquí presentados muestran que ambos complejos fueron contemporáneos durante unos 200 años, en los sitios de La Peña y Caseta, evidenciando desarrollos tecnológicos paralelos. Además, el sitio de Caseta presenta una de las fechas más tempranas asociadas con aleaciones metálicas registradas hasta el momento en Mesoamérica (cal. 1040–1290 d.C.). Asimismo, el asentamiento evidencia un desarrollo pre-tarasco del complejo tecnológico del período 2, cuyas raíces podrían estar en el Sur de Jalisco y Colima, de acuerdo a la evidencia arqueológica.
Las Quemas Rockshelter: Understanding Human Occupations of Andean Forests of Central Patagonia (Aisén, Chile), Southern South America
Authors: Méndez César , Reyes Omar , Delaunay Amalia Nuevo , Velásquez Héctor , Trejo Valentina , Hormazábal Natalie , Solari Marcelo , Stern Charles R.
Published: June 2016

Hunter-gatherer occupations of the forests of Patagonia are still not well understood compared to those of the open steppe and the coasts. The paucity of forest sites with a thorough chronological framework and the incomplete picture of climate-human dynamics in such environments pose a challenge to understanding the occupations of such habitats. This paper presents recent work at the Las Quemas rockshelter, an archaeological site located in the Andean forests of the Aisén region (44°38’ S) dating between 6100 and 2400 cal B.P. We examine the context of the site, its rock art, and the technological and functional dimensions of its lithic assemblage. By comparing these records with local environmental reconstructions that report forest area fluctuations after the Post-Glacial period, this study provides novel data for a comprehensive regional-scale model of human occupations in central Patagonian forests. Following an initial mid-Holocene occupation, recurring occupational events at the site coincide with a significant contraction of forested area in the region during the late Holocene. The results are discussed in regard to regional archaeological data and current models of forest occupation in Patagonia.
Bats and theCamazotz: Correcting a Century of Mistaken Identity
Authors: Brady James E. , Coltman Jeremy D.
Published: June 2016

At the end of the nineteenth century, Eduard Seler identified the bats depicted on a ceramic vessel excavated by Erwin Dieseldorff at the site of Chama, Guatemala, as the camazotz, or death bat, from the K’iche’ Maya myth, the Popol Vuh. The attribution was never critically reviewed. Nevertheless, it became so deeply entrenched that virtually every image of a Maya bat is identified as a camazotz. We have located no ancient depictions of the Hero Twins in the chamber of the camazotz, which calls into question the salience of this scene for the ancient Maya. In iconography and ethnohistory, multiple figures with bat-like characteristics exist, both bats and anthropomorphic bat-men. Clearly, the situation is complex. We argue that bats appear principally in four roles. The first is as an emblematic symbol representing some group. The bat played a second role as a messenger, often paired on vessels with a bird. A third category relates to pollination, vegetation, and fertility, and here the bat may be paired with the hummingbird. The last and largest category is wahy beings, which most epigraphers now think were bestial forms of personified diseases. Included here are the many vessels depicting the fire-breathing bat, including Dieseldorff's Chama vessel. We argue that the identification with the camazotz should be dropped altogether and that the associations proposed by Seler need to be rethought.
Imperial Needs, Imperial Methods: Chimú Ceramic Manufacturing Process Through CT Scan Analysis of Stirrup-Spout Bottles
Authors: Wauters Valentine
Published: June 2016

The stirrup-spout bottle is one of the most representative forms in the Chimú (A.D. 900-1470) ceramic repertoire. I discuss the ceramic assemblage of this coastal culture and describes more precisely the various manufacturing processes of the stirrup-spout bottle. Although molds used to produce these complex vessels are known today, only little information has been published on the various stages involved in their manufacture. My purpose is to contribute to this research using medical imaging computed tomography (CT) scans of intact stirrup-spout vessels. Based on my findings, I propose that changes in the construction of these vessels correlated with a transition in ceramic production to a semi-industrial level during the time of the Chimú Empire.
Architect genes of the brain: A look at brain evolution through genoarchitecture
Authors: Ferran Jose Luis
Published: June 2016

The brain of modern humans is the result of the evolution of a building plan (Bauplan) that began its design 500 hundred millions years ago. The process began in basal chordates (sea animals that were living immersed in the sand) and gave rise to the first building plan of the central nervous system; this was progressively modified and shared by all vertebrates. Behind the story are gene networks, key actors in the process to give identity to the different brain regions. This evolutionary scenario provides the basis for studies that seek to understand what is «conserved» and what is «new» between different vertebrates, as well as the underlying mechanisms involved in this process. This article explores the role of genoarchitectonic studies in this human scientific endeavor.
Next stop: Language. The ‘FOXP2’ gene’s journey through time
Authors: Schatton Adriana , Scharff Constance
Published: June 2016

How did humans evolve language? The fossil record does not yield enough evidence to reconstruct its evolution and animals do not talk. But as the neural and molecular substrates of language are uncovered, their genesis and function can be addressed comparatively in other species. FOXP2 is such a case – a gene with a strong link to language that is also essential for learning in mice, birds and even flies. Comparing the role FOXP2 plays in humans and other animals is starting to reveal common principles that may have provided building blocks for language evolution.
From metaphor to action: Embodied language cognition
Authors: Casado Pilar
Published: June 2016

Las teorías que tradicionalmente han tratado de explicar cómo la actividad cerebral da lugar a la cognición se han servido de la metáfora del ordenador para describir que el modo en  que el cerebro procesa información es transformándola en un código de símbolos que pueden combinarse entre sí siguiendo un conjunto finito de reglas. Sin embargo, recientes estudios, con paradigmas actualizados y ayudándose de las técnicas de neuroimagen, nos muestran que las actividades cerebrales que registramos cuando observamos un cerebro implicado en alguna tarea cognitiva son las mismas que observaríamos si ese cerebro se encontrase inmerso en el procesamiento perceptivo, motor o emocional de la información que está manejando para esa tarea. En  este artículo, revisamos las últimas aportaciones de las teorías de la Cognición Corporizada que nos acercan a una nueva visión de la cognición humana.