bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Wireless Mobility Monitoring and Tracking System
Authors: Fernández-Ares Antonio J. , Mora-Garcia Antonio Miguel , García-Arenas María I. , García-Sánchez Pablo , Romero Gustavo , Odeh Suhail M. , Castillo Pedro A.
Published: January 2017

This paper presents a mobility monitoring system, based on the detection of Bluetooth and WiFi signals emitted by personal portable devices. The work also describes its possibilities of tracking in two real scenarios, one inside the Spanish city of Granada, and another one in a highway between Granada and Málaga, both with several detection nodes. They have been deployed trying to solve one of the most difficult issues in the city, namely the automatic and accurate hourly monitoring of traffic, in order to synchronise the traffic lights, for instance. Moreover, their deployment in a highway might be very useful for other traffic issues, such as computing the average speed in a section of the road. Thus, this system could be used as a tool for smart city and smart traffic. In the experiments, the datasets gathered by the system nodes are analysed, yielding useful information for the automatic detection of rush hours, the identification of traffic flows and computing speed rates.
Exploring Digitally Enabled Service Transformation in the Public Sector
Authors: Omar Amizan , El-Haddadeh Ramzi , Weerakkody Vishanth
Published: January 2017

Digitally Enabled Service Transformation (DEST) in the Public Sector (PS) offers a unique opportunity for public administration (PA) and information systems (IS) disciplines to interlace. Albeit complicating the deployment of a coherent analytical lens in its study, such uniqueness has formed a basis to enable a deviance in the theoretical selection. Interestingly, there has been a gradual move from the adoption of native PA/IS theories towards imported social sciences theories including Institutional and Structuration. Institutional Theory provides a way of viewing and explaining why and how institutions emerge in a certain way within a given context. The theory however is being criticized for its structural biasness, as it avoids explanations situated at individual or same level of analysis. Such gap is filled with the adoption of Structuration Theory, which also focuses on how structures - as micro-institutional foundation, arise, or are maintained through co-evolution of actions and institutions. The fusion of concepts from both theories would potentially maximise the debates on DEST in PS across diverse perspectives, and continue to keep the ‘research talking' by revealing novel insights.
Attitudes of University Students Voters Towards Political Messages in Social Media
Authors: Selvi Murat Selim
Published: January 2017

In recent years, social media has become one of the most important political marketing tools. The aim of the research is to determine how university students voting have attitudes towards political messages run across several different social media channels. Undergraduate students in Tekirdag Central Campus of Namik Kemal University are generating the population of the study. In this research, sample was not taken. Questionnaire form was used as data collecting tool. Data obtained through questionnaire forms were presented as descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation). For differences between group means, T-test and One-way ANOVA were implemented. It was concluded that messages with political content in social media had intensifier effects on present preferences of university student voters and had directive effects on indecisive students. Twitter users had more negative attitudes towards messages with political content in social media.
Crowdsourcing and Living Labs in Support of Smart Cities' Development
Authors: Papadopoulou Chrysaida-Aliki , Giaoutzi Maria
Published: January 2017

The concept of ‘smart cities' has quite recently stimulated an alternative way of approaching urban sustainability through the extensive adoption of ICTs, harmoniously combined with human capital and city's potential in order new patterns of urban development to be generated. Crowdsourcing and living labs serve the goal of being ‘smart' by promoting the establishment of broad cooperative schemes for prototypical ideas generation and innovation production. The present paper focuses on exploring the contribution of crowdsourcing and living labs to smart cities' development. In the first part, the backbone of a smart city is presented; in the second part, a methodological approach integrating smart cities' development with crowdsourcing and living labs is elaborated; in the third part, the role of crowdsourcing in generating prototypical ideas is described; in the fourth part, the potential evaluation and implementation of such ideas in a living lab environment is examined; and finally, some conclusions are drawn.
Role of Self-Efficacy and Collective Efficacy as Moderators of Occupational Stress Among Software Development Professionals
Authors: Anantharaman Reddiyoor Narayanaswamy , Rajeswari K. S.  , Angusamy Ajitha , Kuppusamy Jayanty
Published: January 2017

Emergence of new professions and novel approaches to work contribute to newer causes of occupational stress. The current study focuses on one such emergent group namely, the software development professionals. An attempt has been made to examine the role of self-efficacy, collective efficacy and perception of control in the study of occupational stress. The data was collected from 156 software development professionals in India. Variables such as self-efficacy, collective efficacy and perception of control using multiple moderated regression revealed that these variables moderate the negative consequences of stress with respect to work exhaustion, organizational commitment and intent to turnover but not with respect to job satisfaction. The results indicate that self-efficacy and collective efficacy have to be strengthened in order to mitigate the negative consequences of stress. The knowledge pertaining to causes of stress can empower individuals and organizations to plan effective stress management interventions.
An Adaptation Architecture Dedicated to Personalized Management of Multimedia Documents
Authors: Bettou Farida , Boufaida Mahmoud
Published: January 2017

Currently, the democratization of wireless communication means coupled with the advanced technological hardware can offer portable devices that fit in the hand with a very large capacity of computation such as PDAs, mobile phones and even wireless sensors. The users' preferences, in which the document is presented, may need to be considered because the adaption of multimedia content through them is an important aspect of Quality of Service. Our research work focuses on the adaptation of multimedia documents with a strong interest on the interaction based on the user preferences. In this paper, we propose formal definitions of concepts related to the technical adaptation that selects a relevant policy in order to perform an adapted document in the situation where conflicts are detected between the heterogeneity of multimedia document properties and the user needs. We present also an architecture for adapting multimedia contents based on the preferences and we develop a user preference interface. We illustrate the proposed approach with a case study.
QoS Routing for Multimedia Communication over Wireless Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Kanellopoulos Dimitris N.
Published: January 2017

A lot of intensive research has been carried out in the direction of providing multimedia communication over wireless mobile ad hoc network (MANET). In MANET, various QoS problems exist such as inefficient routing, handling node mobility, power conservation, limited processing capabilities of network devices, high error rates. Wireless routing introduces new challenges as applying basic routing algorithms directly on MANET could lead to large power consumption, interference, and load-balancing problems. Many routing algorithms have been proposed as extensions to the basic routing algorithms to enhance their performance in MANETs. This paper summarizes existing solutions on QoS routing and resource reservation mechanisms in order to provide multimedia communication over MANET. It also considers the limitations of existing QoS models with regard to satisfying QoS in serving multimedia over MANET. The newest QoS architectures give much better results in providing QoS support. However, more refinements must be proposed in order to enhance further their performance in MANETs.
Smartwatches vs. Smartphones
Authors: Giang Wayne C.W. , Chen Huei-Yen Winnie , Donmez Birsen
Published: January 2017

This work seeks to understand whether the unique features of a smartwatch, compared to a smartphone, mitigate or exacerbate driver distraction due to notifications, and to provide insights about drivers' perceptions of the risks associated with using smartwatches while driving. As smartwatches are gaining popularity among consumers, there is a need to understand how smartwatch use may influence driving performance. Previous driving research has examined voice calling on smartwatches, but not interactions with notifications, a key marketed feature. Engaging with notifications (e.g., reading and texting) on a handheld device is a known distraction associated with increased crash risks. Two driving simulator studies compared smartwatch to smartphone notifications. Experiment I asked participants to read aloud brief text notifications and Experiment II had participants manually select a response to arithmetic questions presented as notifications. Both experiments investigated the resulting glances to and physical interactions with the devices, as well as self-reported risk perception. Experiment II also investigated driving performance and self-reported knowledge/expectation about legislation surrounding the use of smart devices while driving. Experiment I found that participants were faster to visually engage with the notification on the smartwatch than the smartphone, took longer to finish reading aloud the notifications, and exhibited more glances longer than 1.6 s. Experiment II found that participants took longer to reply to notifications and had longer overall glance durations on the smartwatch than the smartphone, along with longer brake reaction times to lead vehicle braking events. Compared to the no device baseline, both devices increased lane position variability and resulted in higher self-reported perceived risk. Experiment II participants also considered that smartwatch use while driving deserves penalties equal to or less than smartphone use. The findings suggest that smartwatches may have road safety consequences. Given the common view among participants to associate smartwatch use with equal or less traffic penalties than smartphone use, there may be a disconnect between drivers' actual performance and their perceptions about smartwatch use while driving.
Artificial Neural Networks and other AI Applications for Business Management Decision Support
Authors: Walczak Steven
Published: January 2017

Artificial intelligence (AI) in general and artificial neural networks (ANN) in particular provide a tremendous amount of knowledge to improve managerial decision making. Additionally, these same ANN and AI techniques also serve as knowledge repositories and distribution schema for organizations that facilitate managerial leadership responsibilities. This article examines how various ANN and other AI applications may be adapted to facilitate managerial leadership, improve manager performance and in some cases perform management activities. Further research that classifies leadership styles and the desired qualities of leaders is reviewed.
Building Entrepreneurial Networking Quality to Improve the Success of Innovation and Batik SMEs Performance
Authors: Ardyan Elia , Rahmawan Ginanjar , Isstianto Sunarto
Published: January 2017

This study is to analyze the improving of the success of innovation and Batik SMEs performance by entrepreneurial networking quality, the quality of entrepreneurial trusting, co-creation, and entrepreneurial orientation. The respondents in this study were 63 owners or the managers of Batik SMEs in Solo, Indonesia. SEM-PLS was used as analysis equipment and WARLPPls version 5 was used to analyzing the data. The result of the study showed that, first, the improvement of success on innovating was only significantly by the quality of entrepreneurial networking and the quality of entrepreneurial trust, while entrepreneurial orientation and co-creation were not able to improve the innovation successful. Secondly, the performance of Batik SMEs could improve significantly when it was influenced by the quality of entrepreneurial networking, co-creation, and the success of innovation, while the entrepreneurial orientation and the quality of entrepreneurial trust could not improve the performance of Batik SMEs significantly.
CommuniMents
Authors: Jarwar Muhammad Aslam , Abbasi Rabeeh Ayaz , Mushtaq Mubashar , Maqbool Onaiza , Aljohani Naif R. , Daud Ali , Alowibdi Jalal S. , Cano J.R. , García S. , Chong Ilyoung
Published: January 2017

Social media has revolutionized human communication and styles of interaction. Due to its effectiveness and ease, people have started using it increasingly to share and exchange information, carry out discussions on various events, and express their opinions. Various communities may have diverse sentiments about events and it is an interesting research problem to understand the sentiments of a particular community for a specific event. In this article, the authors propose a framework CommuniMents which enables us to identify the members of a community and measure the sentiments of the community for a particular event. CommuniMents uses automated snowball sampling to identify the members of a community, then fetches their published contents (specifically tweets), pre-processes the contents and measures the sentiments of the community. The authors perform qualitative and quantitative evaluation for a variety of real world events to validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.
Expression of CGRP, vasculogenesis and osteogenesis associated mRNAs in the developing mouse mandible and tibia
Authors: Maeda Yuuki , Miwa Yoko , Sato Iwao
Published: January 2017

The neuropeptide Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) is a well-characterized neurotransmitter. However, little is known about the role of CGRP in osteogenesis and vascular genesis during the developmental formation of bone. In the present study, we assessed the abundance of CGRP mRNA and the mRNA of osteogenesis and vascular genesis markers in the foetal mouse mandible and leg bone (tibia). We also analysed the expression and localization of CGRP, osteopontin (OPN) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical localization in the mouse mandible and tibia at embryonic days 12.5 (E12.5), E14.5, E17.5, and postnatal day 1 (P1). CGRP was clearly detected in the mandible relative to the tibia at E14.5. Hybridization using an anti-sense probe for CGRP was not detected in the mandible at P1. Hybridization with an anti-sense probe for OPN was detected at E14.5, later in the mandible and at P1 in Meckelâ€™s cartilage. However, OPN was only detected in the tibia at E17.5 and later. The abundance of CGRP mRNA differed between the mandible and tibia. The level of vasculogenesis markers, such as VEGF-A, was similar to that of CGRP in the mandible. The levels of VEGF-A, cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31) and lymphatic vessel endothelial hyaluronan receptor 1 (LIVE-1) differed from that of OPN in the mandible. In contrast, the levels of VEGF-A, CD31, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), collagen I (Col I), collagen II (Col II) and OPN mRNA differed from E12.5 to P1 (P<0.001) in the tibia. The abundance of mRNA of CGRP and bone matrix markers (Col I, Col II, and OPN) was low at P5 in the tibia. These differences in CGRP and other mRNAs may induce a different manner of ossification between the mandible and tibia. Therefore, a time lag of ossification occurs between the mandible and tibia during foetal development.
Relationships among cyanobacteria, zooplankton and fish in sub-bloom conditions in the Sulejow Reservoir
Authors: Kaczkowski Zbigniew , Wojtal-Frankiewicz Adrianna , Gągała Ilona , Mankiewicz-Boczek Joanna , Jaskulska Aleksandra , Frankiewicz Piotr , Izydorczyk Katarzyna , Jurczak Tomasz , Godlewska Małgorzata
Published: January 2017

The occurrence of cyanobacteria is particularly characteristic of shallow eutrophic waters, and they often form massive ‘blooms’ that can affect aquatic invertebrates and fish. However, even a low abundance of cyanobacteria can be hazardous to aquatic organisms, due to the production of toxic metabolites. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cyanobacteria and their toxicity (biological activity) towards zooplankton and fish communities, when only low concentrations of cyanobacterial chlorophyll a (less than 20 μg L-1) are detected, i.e. in sub-bloom conditions. Measurements were performed in Sulejow Reservoir (Central Poland), a shallow, lowland, eutrophic reservoir, in which cyanobacterial blooms occur regularly. Fish were assessed using echo-sounding (distribution) and by gillnetting (species composition). Simultaneously, zooplankton, cyanobacteria and physico-chemical characteristics were studied at 14 stations situated along hydroacoustic transects. Parameters that characterized the cyanobacteria (cyanobacterial chlorophyll a concentration, the number of 16S rRNA and the mcyA gene copies and microcystin (MC) concentration) were consistently correlated (based on a principal component analysis), and the highest values were found in the downstream region of the study area. This ‘cyano-complex’ was also positively correlated with oxygen concentration, pH and phosphate levels, but was negatively correlated with temperature and the concentrations of nitrates and nitrites. In Sulejow Reservoir in 2013 the biomass of large zooplankton filter feeders decreased along with increasing MC concentration and fish densities, while small filter feeders did not present such relationships with regards to fish densities. Fish abundance tended to decrease at stations with a lower abundance of cyanobacteria and with growing toxic genotype copies and MC concentration.
An account of a lake sediment geochemical survey conducted over certain volcanic belts within the Slave structural province of the Northwest Territories during 1972
Authors: Nickerson D
Published: January 2017

During the 1972 field season, a lake bottom sediment geochemical survey was conducted on behalf of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development over some of the Archaean greenstone belts within the Mackenzie Mining District of the Northwest
Territories. Approximately 1000 sites were sampled in total in the Indin Lake, Yellowknife and Cameron River - Beaulieu River areas at a density of about one site per square mile over those parts underlain by volcanic rocks.
The minus 250 mesh fraction of each sample was spectrographically analysed for the following eight elements: copper, lead, zinc, silver, nickel, cobalt, manganese and iron and it is proposed that analyses of arsenic and antimony will be performed in the near future.
This report is primarily concerned with a description of the techniques and procedures developed for the carrying out of such a survey and the presentation of the data collected. Although certain conclusions are drawn and recommendations made, the main objective here is to allow the reader to make
his own assessment of the raw data.
Fire disaster preparedness and situational analysis in higher learning institutions of Tanzania
Authors: Kihila Jacob M.
Published: January 2017

Fire disasters are accompanied with devastating impact affecting both lives and properties. The magnitude of the impacts has been severe in places with low levels of fire disaster preparedness. A study was conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to investigate the level of fire disaster preparedness considering the availability and condition of firefighting facilities as well as the knowledge on fire management among the selected 10 higher learning institutions. Information for the buildings was obtained from the interviews with the managers of the buildings and field observations; information on the user’s preparedness was obtained from interviews using structured questionnaire conducted with the users of the buildings including the visitors. Results from the studied buildings indicated that 60% of the firefighting facilities were not regularly serviced; 50% stored some hazardous materials; 70% of them had not enough water storage for firefighting purposes; 60% had no identifiable fire assembly points; and 90% of the sessions conducted in the buildings involved more than 100 people in a single venue. Further results indicated that 51% of the respondents were not able to operate the installed firefighting facilities; 80.7% of the respondents had never received any training on firefighting and prevention; 95.6% of the respondents had never participated in any fire drills; and 81.5% of them were not aware of the fire responder’s contacts. General situation indicated that higher learning institutions are not well prepared to manage fire outbreaks suggesting that plans to rectify the situation are imperative.
Patch-occupancy survey of elephant (Loxodonta africana) surrounding Livingstone, Zambia
Authors: Youldon David A. , Abell Jackie , Briffitt Joanne S. , Chama Lackson , Channings Michaela D. , Kilundo Anastasia , Larsen Christine K. , Sakala Dabwiso , Schulte Bruce A.
Published: January 2017

Wild elephants represent the biggest human–wildlife conflict issue in Livingstone, Zambia. However, little is known about their movements. This survey investigated elephants’ habitat use outside a core protected and fenced zone that forms part of Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Zambia. Using ‘patch-occupancy’ methodology, indications of elephant presence (feeding behaviour, dung and tracks) were surveyed. The survey aimed to assist proposed future monitoring exercises by defining the geographical extent that should be considered to improve accuracy in species abundance estimates. Results were supplemented using collected indications of elephant presence from prior monitoring exercises, and during this survey. Elephant presence was confirmed up to 8 km from the boundary of the protected core habitat, focussed in: (1) an unfenced zone of the national park, (2) along a road leading from the national park to the Dambwa Forest to the north and (3) along two rivers located to the west (Sinde River) and east (Maramba River) of the core area. Detection probability of elephant presence was high using these methods, and we recommend regular sampling to determine changes in habitat use by elephants, as humans continue to modify land-use patterns.Conservation implications: Identification of elephant ranging behaviour up to 8 km outside of the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in southern Zambia will assist in managing human– elephant conflict in the area, as well as in assessing this seasonal population’s abundance.
Effect of ethical leadership and climate on effectiveness
Authors: Engelbrecht Amos S. , Wolmarans Janneke , Mahembe Bright
Published: January 2017

Orientation: The increasing prevalence of theft, sabotage and other deviant behaviours in the workplace has disastrous effects for organisations, such as lowered effectiveness, escalated costs and the organisation’s declining reputation.Research purpose: The purpose of the research was to design and investigate the relationships among perceived leader effectiveness, ethical climate and ethical leadership. A further objective of the investigation was to validate a conceptual model clarifying the structural associations among the latent constructs in the South African corporate domain.Motivation for the study: A successful leader is both an ethical and an effective leader. An organisation’s leadership is seen as the most critical element in establishing and maintaining an ethical climate in organisations.Research design, approach and method: A convenient and multi-cultural sample comprised of 224 employees from various organisations in South Africa. The structure and content of the variables were analysed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), beside item analysis.Main findings: Satisfactory reliability was found for all the measurement scales. The results of CFA demonstrated acceptable fit with the data for the refined measurement and structural models. The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) indicated positive relationships among ethical leadership, ethical climate and leader effectiveness.Practical implications: Organisational leaders should take full responsibility for cultivating ethics through ethical leader behaviour and an ethical climate. By reinforcing these aspects, perceived leader effectiveness can be advanced, which will ultimately decrease corruption and other forms of counterproductive behaviour in South African organisations.Contribution: The study provides further theoretical and empirical evidence that leadership effectiveness can be realised through instilling an ethical organisational climate in which ethical leadership is exhibited and encouraged.
Canine extrusion with a vertical tube supported cantilever spring
Authors: Vijayashree U. H. , Pai Vikram
Published: January 2017

Maxillary canine is the most frequently impacted tooth in the dental arch and twice common in females than in males. Treatment of impacted maxillary canine can be difficult and time consuming, depending on its position. Improper direction and magnitude of applied force can lead to increased chances of adjacent tooth resorption. This article describes about a simple cantilever spring that can be fabricated at chair side for extrusion of a bucally impacted canine.
On mother body measures with algebraic Cauchy transform
Authors: Bøgvad Rikard , Shapiro Boris
Published: January 2017

Below we discuss the existence of a mother body measure for the exterior inverse problem in potential theory in the complex plane. More exactly, we study the question of representability almost everywhere (a.e.) in

\mathbb C

of (a branch of) an irreducible algebraic function as the Cauchy transform of a signed measure supported on a finite number of compact semi-analytic curves and a finite number of isolated points. Firstly, we present a large class of algebraic functions for which there (conjecturally) always exists a positive measure with the above properties. This class was discovered in our earlier study of exactly solvable linear differential operators. Secondly, we investigate in detail the representability problem in the case when the Cauchy transform satisfies a quadratic equation with polynomial coefficients a.e. in

\mathbb C

. Several conjectures and open problems are posed.
Keep on walk: the role of migration in Linearbandkeramik life
Authors: Hofmann Daniela
Published: January 2017

Migration played a central role throughout the LBK culture. After summarising the motivations for migration in the earliest LBK, the article outlines how some of these factors remained relevant in later phases. Beyond continued westand eastward expansion, at regional and site levels migration to better one’s social position provided an alternative to patrilineal land inheritance. The main change between the earliest and later phases is the role of material culture after migration events. Initially a means of creating long-distance connections, it later stressed difference from other groups. This process of ethnogenesis is invisible genetically. Overall, migration emerges as a salient behaviour even in ‘sedentary’ Neolithic societies.
Genomic approaches and their contributions to understanding the European Neolithisation
Authors: Gamba Cristina
Published: January 2017

The contribution of ancient DNA to the understanding of past events has been increasing exponentially in recent years. This is mainly due to the synergy of technical advances, such as the molecular technique of high-throughput DNA sequencing, which has allowed for the reconstruction of complete genomes as old as 750 000 years. Another step toward the cost-effective characterisation of ancient genomes is the sampling of petrous bone, which has allowed sequencing of the first ancient African genome. Here I review the significant contribution of ancient genomics to our understanding of the European Neolithisation process.
Marine shell hoard from the Late Neolithic site of Čepin-Ovčara (Slavonia, Croatia)
Authors: Tripković Boban , Dimitrijević Vesna , Rajković Dragana
Published: January 2017

The focus of this paper is the ornament hoard from the Sopot culture site of Čepin-Ovčara in eastern Slavonia (the Republic of Croatia). The hoard contained pendants and beads made of shells of marine clam Spondylus gaederopus and scaphopod Antalis vulgaris. The paper analyses the context and use wear of the objects in the hoard. The results form a basis for: the reconstruction of the role of some of the items and the ways in which they were worn; the premise that the dynamics and mechanisms of acquisition of ornaments made of the two Mediterranean mollusc species could have differed; and the identification of a cross-cultural pattern of deposition of ornament hoards.
Archery by the Apaches – implications of using the bow and arrow in hunter-gatherer communities
Authors: Šmit Žiga
Published: January 2017

This review focuses on the technical and social details of production, training, and use of archery equipment by a Native American tribe, the Apaches. The study aims to understand the use of the bow in the Mesolithic and Early and Middle Neolithic societies of the Old World. The paper further describes arrow ballistics. An arrow and bow with similar dimensions and materials to those used by the Apaches was reconstructed and used in ballistic experiments. Shooting and the subsequent model calculation showed that the effective range of arrows made of reed and projected by a bow of medium strength (16–18kg) was not more than approx. 20m. Due to the initial flat part of the ballistic trajectory, such arrows were quite efficient in close-range contests. Within the model calculation, a regression procedure was introduced to determine the arrow air-drag parameters from an ensemble of shots.
The Cretan Mesolithic in context: new data from Livari Skiadi (SE Crete)
Authors: Carter Tristan , Mihailović Danica D. , Papadatos Yiannis , Sofianou Chrysa
Published: January 2017

Investigations at Livari (south-eastern Crete) produced a small Mesolithic chipped stone assemblage, whose techno-typological characteristics situate it within an ‘early Holocene Aegean island lithic tradition’ (9000–7000 cal BC). The material provides antecedent characteristics for the lithics of Crete’s founder Neolithic population at Knossos (c. 7000–6500/6400 cal BC). The idiosyncrasies of the Knossian material can be viewed as a hybrid lithic tradition that emerged from interaction between migrant Anatolian farmers and indigenous hunter-gatherers. Small quantities of Melian obsidian at Livari attest to early Holocene maritime insular networks, knowledge of which likely enabled the first farmers’ successful voyage to Crete.
Becoming sedentary? The seasonality of food resource exploitation in the Mesolithic-Neolithic Danube Gorges
Authors: Dimitrijević Vesna , Živaljević Ivana , Stefanović Sofija
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we investigate whether the Mesolithic-Neolithic sites in the Danube Gorges were occupied seasonally or all year round by looking at animal skeletal remains. The hunting seasons of most important game animals have been determined on the basis of antler and teeth growth, supplemented by looking into the presence of migratory fish and birds. The patterns of food resource exploitation seem to indicate year-round occupation of the settlements, and suggest that a significant degree of sedentism existed in the Danube Gorges prior to, and independently of, the adoption of animal and plant husbandry.
Full History
Authors: Smith Steven G.
Published: January 2017

How can we take history seriously as real and relevant? Despite the hazards of politically dangerous or misleading accounts of the past, we live our lives in a great network of cooperation with other actors; past, present, and future. We study and reflect on the past as a way of exercising a responsibility for shared action.

In each of the chapters of Full History Smith poses a key question about history as a concern for conscious participants in the sharing of action, starting with “What Is Historical Meaningfulness?” and ending with “How Can History Have an Aim?” Constructing new models of historical meaning while engaging critically with perspectives offered by Ranke, Dilthey, Rickert, Heidegger, Eliade, Sartre, Foucault, and Arendt, Smith develops a philosophical account of thinking about history that moves beyond postmodernist skepticism. Full History seeks to expand the cast of significant actors, establishing an inclusive version of the historical that recognizes large-scale cumulative actions but also encourages critical revision and expansion of any paradigm of shared action.
The Concept of History
Authors: Nikulin Dmitri
Published: January 2017

The Concept of History reflects on the presuppositions behind the contemporary understanding of history that often remain implicit and not spelled out. It is a critique of the modern understanding of history that presents it as universal and teleological, progressively moving forward to an end. Although few contemporary philosophers and historians maintain the view that there is strict universality and teleology in history, the remnants of these positions still affect our understanding of history. But if history is not universal and singular, evolving toward an objective universal end, it should be possible to admit of multiple histories, some of which we appropriate as our own.

An another important aspect of this book is that if provides an account of history that is itself both historical and rooted in attempts to narrate and explain history from its inception in antiquity. The book seeks to establish features or constituents of history that might be found in any historical account and might themselves be considered historical invariants in history.
Influence of enhanced Asian NOx emissions on ozone in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere in chemistry–climate model simulations
Authors: Roy Chaitri , Fadnavis Suvarna , Müller Rolf , Ayantika D. C. , Ploeger Felix , Rap Alexandru
Published: January 2017

Abstract. The Asian summer monsoon (ASM) anticyclone is the most pronounced circulation pattern in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS) during northern hemispheric summer. ASM convection plays an important role in efficient vertical transport from the surface to the upper-level anticyclone. In this paper we investigate the potential impact of enhanced anthropogenic nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions on the distribution of ozone in the UTLS using the fully coupled aerosol–chemistry–climate model, ECHAM5-HAMMOZ. Ozone in the UTLS is influenced both by the convective uplift of ozone precursors and by the uplift of enhanced-NOx-induced tropospheric ozone anomalies. We performed anthropogenic NOx emission sensitivity experiments over India and China. In these simulations, covering the years 2000–2010, anthropogenic NOx emissions have been increased by 38 % over India and by 73 % over China with respect to the emission base year 2000. These emission increases are comparable to the observed linear trends of 3.8 % per year over India and 7.3 % per year over China during the period 2000 to 2010. Enhanced NOx emissions over India by 38 % and China by 73 % increase the ozone radiative forcing in the ASM anticyclone (15–40° N, 60–120° E) by 16.3 and 78.5 mW m−2 respectively. These elevated NOx emissions produce significant warming over the Tibetan Plateau and increase precipitation over India due to a strengthening of the monsoon Hadley circulation. However, increase in NOx emissions over India by 73 % (similar to the observed increase over China) results in large ozone production over the Indo-Gangetic Plain and Tibetan Plateau. The higher ozone concentrations, in turn, induce a reversed monsoon Hadley circulation and negative precipitation anomalies over India. The associated subsidence suppresses vertical transport of NOx and ozone into the ASM anticyclone.
Accounting for the effects of surface BRDF on satellite cloud and trace-gas retrievals: a new approach based on geometry-dependent Lambertian equivalent reflectivity applied to OMI algorithms
Authors: Vasilkov Alexander , Qin Wenhan , Krotkov Nickolay , Lamsal Lok , Spurr Robert , Haffner David , Joiner Joanna , Yang Eun-Su , Marchenko Sergey
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Most satellite nadir ultraviolet and visible cloud, aerosol, and trace-gas algorithms make use of climatological surface reflectivity databases. For example, cloud and NO2 retrievals for the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) use monthly gridded surface reflectivity climatologies that do not depend upon the observation geometry. In reality, reflection of incoming direct and diffuse solar light from land or ocean surfaces is sensitive to the sun–sensor geometry. This dependence is described by the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF). To account for the BRDF, we propose to use a new concept of geometry-dependent Lambertian equivalent reflectivity (LER). Implementation within the existing OMI cloud and NO2 retrieval infrastructure requires changes only to the input surface reflectivity database. The geometry-dependent LER is calculated using a vector radiative transfer model with high spatial resolution BRDF information from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) over land and the Cox–Munk slope distribution over ocean with a contribution from water-leaving radiance. We compare the geometry-dependent and climatological LERs for two wavelengths, 354 and 466 nm, that are used in OMI cloud algorithms to derive cloud fractions. A detailed comparison of the cloud fractions and pressures derived with climatological and geometry-dependent LERs is carried out. Geometry-dependent LER and corresponding retrieved cloud products are then used as inputs to our OMI NO2 algorithm. We find that replacing the climatological OMI-based LERs with geometry-dependent LERs can increase NO2 vertical columns by up to 50 % in highly polluted areas; the differences include both BRDF effects and biases between the MODIS and OMI-based surface reflectance data sets. Only minor changes to NO2 columns (within 5 %) are found over unpolluted and overcast areas.
Automated Terrestrial Laser Scanning with Near Real-Time Change Detection – Monitoring of the Séchilienne Landslide
Authors: Kromer Ryan A. , Abellan Antonio , Hutchinson D. Jean , Lato Matt , Chanut Marie-Aurelie , Dubois Laurent , Jaboyedoff Michel
Published: January 2017

Abstract. We present an Automated Terrestrial Laser Scanning (ATLS) system with automatic near real-time change detection processing. The ATLS system was tested on the Séchilienne Landslide in France for a six-week period with data collected at 30 minute intervals. The purpose of developing the system was to fill the gap of high temporal resolution TLS monitoring studies of earth surface processes and to offer a cost effective, light, portable alternative to GB-InSAR deformation monitoring. During the study, we detected the flux of talus, displacement of the landslide and pre-failure deformation of discrete rockfall events. We also defined a distance spatio-temporal confidence interval and achieved measurement confidence at 95 % that varied between 2 to 10 mm at target scanner distances greater than 1000 m. Additionally, we found the ATLS system is still an effective tool in monitoring landslide and rockfall processes despite missing points due to poor atmospheric conditions or rainfall. Furthermore, such a system has the potential to help us better understand a wide variety of slope processes at high levels of temporal detail.
Method for processing XCP data with improved accuracy
Authors: Zhang Xinyue , Zhang Qisheng , Zhao Xiao , Zhang Qimao , Liu Shenghui , Li Shuhan , Yuan Zhenzhong
Published: January 2017

Abstract. An expendable current profiler (XCP) is a device used for monitoring ocean currents. In this study, we focus on the technology available for processing XCP data and propose a more accurate method for calculating the current velocity from the nanovolt-scale current-induced electric field measured using an XCP. In order to confirm the accuracy of the proposed data processing method, a sea test was performed in the South China Sea region, wherein, for the first time in China, ocean current/electric field data were collected from the sea surface to a depth of 1000 m using an XCP. The current-data processing method described herein was used to determine the eastward and northward relative velocity components of the current from the measured data, which were then compared with the current data obtained using an acoustic Doppler current profiler, in order to verify the accuracy of the measurements as well as that of the data processing method.
Ecohydrological Optimality in Northeast China Transect
Authors: Cong Zhentao , Li Qinshu , Mo Kangle , Zhang Lexin
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Northeast China Transect (NECT) is one of International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP) terrestrial transects., where there is a significant precipitation gradient from east to west, as well as a vegetation transition of forest-grasslands-dessert. It is interesting to understand vegetation distribution and dynamics under water limitation in this transect. We take canopy cover (M), derived from Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), as an index to describe the properties of vegetation distribution and dynamics in NECT. In Eagleson's ecohydrological optimality theory, the optimal canopy cover (M*) is determined by the trade-off of water supply depending on water balance and water demand depending on canopy transpiration. We apply Eagleson’s ecohydrological optimality method in NECT based on data from 2000 to 2013 to get M*, then compare with M from NDVI, furthermore to discuss the sensitivity of M* to vegetation properties and climate factors. The result indicates that the average M* fits the actual M well (for forest, M* = 0.822 while M = 0.826 for grassland, M* = 0.353 while M = 0.352; the correlation coefficient between M and M* is 0.81). The result of water balance also matches the field-measured data in references. The sensitivity analyses show that M* decreases with the increase of LAI, stem fraction, temperature, while increases with the increase of leaf angle and precipitation amount. The Eagleson's ecohydrological optimality method offers a quantitative way to understand the impacts of climate change to canopy cover quantitatively, and provides guidelines for eco-restoration projects.
Quantifying uncertainty on sediment loads using bootstrap confidence intervals
Authors: Slaets Johanna I. F. , Piepho Hans-Peter , Schmitter Petra , Hilger Thomas , Cadisch Georg
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Load estimates are more informative than constituent concentrations alone, as they allow quantification of on- and off-site impacts of environmental processes concerning pollutants, nutrients and sediment, such as soil fertility loss, reservoir sedimentation and irrigation channel siltation. While statistical models used to predict constituent concentrations have been developed considerably over the last few years, measures of uncertainty on constituent loads are rarely reported. Loads are the product of two predictions, constituent concentration and discharge, integrated over a time period, which does not make it straightforward to produce a standard error or a confidence interval. In this paper, a linear mixed model is used to estimate sediment concentrations. A bootstrap method is then developed that accounts for the uncertainty in the concentration and discharge predictions, allowing temporal correlation in the constituent data, and can be used when data transformations are required. The method was tested for a small watershed in Northwest Vietnam for the period 2010–2011. The results showed that confidence intervals were asymmetric, with the highest uncertainty in the upper limit, and that a load of 6262 Mg year−1 had a 95 % confidence interval of (4331, 12 267) in 2010 and a load of 5543 Mg an interval of (3593, 8975) in 2011. Additionally, the approach demonstrated that direct estimates from the data were biased downwards compared to bootstrap median estimates. These results imply that constituent loads predicted from regression-type water quality models could frequently be underestimating sediment yields and their environmental impact.
Estimation of the return period of rockfall blocks according to their size
Authors: De Biagi Valerio , Napoli Maria Lia , Barbero Monica , Peila Daniele
Published: January 2017

Abstract. With reference to the rockfall risk estimation and the planning of rockfall protection devices, one of the most critical and most discussed problems is the correct definition of the design block by taking into account its return period. In this paper, a methodology for the assessment of the design block linked with its return time is proposed and discussed, following a statistical approach. The procedure is based on the survey of the blocks that were already detached from the slope and had accumulated at the foot of the slope in addition to the available historical data.
Statistical characteristics of convective wind gusts in Germany
Authors: Mohr Susanna , Kunz Michael , Richter Alexandra , Ruck Bodo
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Due to the small-scale and non-stationary nature of the convective wind gusts usually associated with thunderstorms, there is a considerable lack of knowledge regarding their characteristics and statistics. In an effort to remedy this situation, we investigated in this study a set of 110 climate stations of the German Weather Service between 1992 and 2014 to analyze the temporal and spatial distribution, intensity, and occurrence probability of convective gusts. Similar to thunderstorm activity, the frequency of convective gusts decreases gradually from South to North Germany. No further spatial structures, such as a relation to orography or climate conditions, can be identified regarding their strength or likelihood. Rather, high wind speeds of above 30 m s−1 can be expected everywhere in Germany with almost similar occurrence probabilities. A comparison of the 20-year return values of convective gusts with those of turbulent gusts demonstrates that the latter have higher frequencies, especially in northern Germany. However, for higher return periods, this effect can be reversed at some stations. The values of the convective gust factors are mainly in a range between 1 and 4 but can even reach values up to 10. Besides the dependency from the averaging time period of the mean wind, the values of the gust factors additionally depend on the event duration and the storm type, respectively.
Micromorphological characteristics of sandy forest soils recently impacted by wildfires in Russia
Authors: Maksimova Ekaterina , Abakumov Evgeny
Published: January 2017

Abstract. Two fire affected soils have been studied using micromorphological methods. The objective of the paper is to assess and compare fire effects on micropedological organization of soils in a forest steppe zone of the Central Russia (Volga Basin, Togljatty city). Samples were collected in the green zone of Togljatti city. The results showed that both soils were rich in quartz, feldspar. Mica was highly present in soils affected by surface fires, while calcium carbonates were identified in the soils affected by crowns. The type of plasma is humus-clay, but the soil assemblage is plasma-silt with the prevalence of the silt. Angular and subangular grains are the most dominant in soil particulates. No evidence of intensive weathering was detected. There was a decreasing of the porosity in soils affected by fires as consequence of soil pores filled with ash and charcoal.