bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Linguistic Meaning, Rigid Designators, and Legal Philosophy
Authors: McManus Matthew
Published: April 2019

This essay is intended to engage some of the controversies that have emerged in legal philosophy concerning the theory of linguistic meaning we should adopt with reference to the law. In particular, I will focus on two theories of linguistic meaning that have opposing positions both on the nature of meaning, and the consequences this might have for law and legal objectivity. The first can be called plain meaning view. The plain meaning theory claims that the meaning of legal terms is a settled thing, and it is the duty of legal officials, especially judges, to simply apply that meaning to a given case in hand. In modern American jurisprudence, the plain meaning theory is often associated with various originalist figures, most notably the late Antonin Scalia who called his iteration of the plain meaning theory “textualism.” For this reason, I will largely be focusing on Justice Scalia’s account. The second theory of linguistic meaning I will be examining can be called the indeterminate theory. The indeterminate theory holds that there is no set or foundational meaning to any semantic term in the law which can be objectively applied by legal practitioners.
Light-Induced Vitamin C Accumulation in Tomato Fruits is Independent of Carbohydrate Availability
Authors: Ntagkas Nikolaos , Woltering Ernst , Bouras Sofoklis , de Vos Ric C. H. , Dieleman J Anja , Nicole Celine C. S. , Labrie Caroline , Marcelis Leo F. M.
Published: April 2019

L-ascorbate (ASC) is essential for human health. Therefore, there is interest in increasing the ASC content of crops like tomato. High irradiance induces accumulation of ASC in green tomato fruits. The D-mannose/L-galactose biosynthetic pathway accounts for the most ASC in plants. The myo-inositol and galacturonate pathways have been proposed to exist but never identified in plants. The D-mannose/L-galactose starts from D-glucose. In a series of experiments, we tested the hypothesis that ASC levels depend on soluble carbohydrate content when tomato fruits ripen under irradiances that stimulate ASC biosynthesis. We show that ASC levels considerably increased when fruits ripened under light, but carbohydrate levels did not show a parallel increase. When carbohydrate levels in fruits were altered by flower pruning, no effects on ASC levels were observed at harvest or after ripening under irradiances that induce ASC accumulation. Artificial feeding of trusses with sucrose increased carbohydrate levels, but did not affect the light-induced ASC levels. We conclude that light-induced accumulation of ASC is independent of the carbohydrate content in tomato fruits. In tomato fruit treated with light, the increase in ASC was preceded by a concomitant increase in myo-inositol.
Flowering and Morphogenesis of Kalanchoe in Response to Quality and Intensity of Night Interruption Light
Authors: Kang Dong Il , Jeong Hai Kyoung , Park Yoo Gyeong , Jeong Byoung Ryong
Published: April 2019

The effects of the quality and intensity of night interruption light (NIL) on the flowering and morphogenesis of kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana) ‘Lipstick’ and ‘Spain’ were investigated. Plants were raised in a closed-type plant factory under 250 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD white light emitting diodes (LEDs) with additional light treatments. These treatments were designated long day (LD, 16 h light, 8 h dark), short day (SD, 8 h light, 16 h dark), and SD with a 4 h night interruption (NI). The NIL was constructed from 10 μmol·m−2·s−1 or 20 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD blue (NI-B), red (NI-R), white (NI-W), or blue and white (NI-BW) LEDs. In ‘Spain’, the SPAD value, area and thickness of leaves and plant height increased in the NI treatment as compared to the SD treatment. In ‘Lipstick’, most morphogenetic characteristics in the NI treatment showed no significant difference to those in the SD treatment. For both cultivars, plants in SD were significantly shorter than those in other treatments. The flowering of Kalanchoe ‘Lipstick’ was not affected by the NIL quality, while Kalanchoe ‘Spain’ flowered when grown in SD and 10 μmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD NI-B. These results suggest that the NIL quality and intensity affect the morphogenesis and flowering of kalanchoe, and that different cultivars are affected differently. There is a need to further assess the effects of the NIL quality and intensity on the morphogenesis and flowering of short-day plants for practical NIL applications.
Analysis of Tribo-Charging during Powder Spreading in Selective Laser Sintering: Assessment of Polyamide 12 Powder Ageing Effects on Charging Behavior
Authors: Hesse Nicolas , Dechet Maximilian , Bonilla Juan , Lübbert Christian , Roth Stephan , Bück Andreas , Schmidt Jochen , Peukert Wolfgang
Published: April 2019

Powder flowability is key to achieving high process stability and part quality by application of smooth and dense layers in selective laser sintering (SLS). This study sheds light on the rarely investigated effect of tribo-electric charge build-up during powder delivery in the SLS process. This is achieved by a novel approach to quantify electrostatic potentials during doctor blading. The presented model setup is used in combination with charge spectrometry and impedance spectroscopy to investigate the alterations in tribo-electric charging behavior for the most commonly used laser sintering material polyamide 12 in its virgin and aged, c.f. reused, states. We show that the electrostatic charge build-up is significantly enhanced for aged polymer powder material, likely contributing to altered performance in SLS processing.
Synthesis and Characterization of Phosphorus- and Carborane-Containing Polyoxanorbornene Block Copolymers
Authors: Kahraman Gizem , Wang De-Yi , von Irmer Jonas , Gallei Markus , Hey-Hawkins Evamarie , Eren Tarik
Published: April 2019

Grubbs-catalyzed ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of carborane- and phosphonate-containing monomers has been used for the generation of hybrid block copolymers. Molecular weights with Mn of 50,000 g/mol were readily obtained with polydispersity index values, Đ, between 1.03–1.08. Reaction of the phospha ester and carborane substituted oxanorbornene block copolymer with trimethylsilyl bromide led to a new polymer with phosphonic acid functionalities. In application studies, the phospha-carborane functionalized block polymer was tested as heat resistance material. Thermal stability was investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) analysis. Thermal treatment and ceramic yield under air were directly correlated to the carborane content of the block copolymer. However, phosphorus content in the polymer was more crucial for the char residues when heated under nitrogen atmosphere. The peak heat release rate (PHRR) increased as the number of phosphonate functionalities increased. However, corresponding phosphonic acid derivatives featured a lower heat release rate and total heat release. Moreover, the phosphonic acid functionalities of the block copolymer offer efficient chelating capabilities for iron nanoparticles, which is of interest for applications in biomedicine in the future. The complexation with iron oxide nanoparticles was studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS).
Synthesis of Resorcinol-Based Phosphazene-Containing Epoxy Oligomers
Authors: Sarychev Igor A. , Sirotin Igor S. , Borisov Roman S. , Mu Jianxin , Sokolskaya Irina B. , Bilichenko Julya V. , Filatov Sergey N. , Kireev Vyacheslav V.
Published: April 2019

Phosphazene-containing epoxy-resorcinol oligomers (PERO) are synthesized in one stage with the direct interaction of hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCP), resorcinol, and epichlorohydrin in the presence of solid NaOH. Depending on the initial ratio of HCP:resorcinol, PERO contains from 20 to 50 wt.% phosphazene component (2.0–4.8% of phosphorus) and have an epoxy group content up to 30 %. Products are characterized using 1H and 31P NMR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. According to mass spectrometry, the phosphazene fractions of PERO include up to 30 individual compounds with a predominance of cyclotriphosphazenes with one unsubstituted chlorine atom and four or five glycidyl groups. PERO has a lower viscosity in comparison with similar resins based on bisphenol A, which can simplify their use as a binder for polymer composites, adhesives, and paints.
Effects of Solid-State Stretching on Microstructure Evolution and Physical Properties of Isotactic Polypropylene Sheets
Authors: Ji Huajian , Zhou Xulin , Chen Xin , Zhao Haili , Wang Yu , Zhu Huihao , Shan Xiliang , Sha Jin , Ma Yulu , Xie Linsheng
Published: April 2019

The microstructure evolution of an isotactic polypropylene (iPP) sheet during solid-state stretching was studied. The transition of the spherulites—cylindrites was evaluated using in-situ two-dimensional wide-angle and small-angle X-ray scattering methods. The crystallinity of stretched iPP sheets was characterized by differential scanning calorimetry. The crystal morphology was observed by means of scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the differences of crystal microstructure of the iPP sheet depended on the stretching strain, which promoted the orientation of molecular chains. Amorphous molecular chains in the spherulites oriented and formed into a mesophase near the yield point, and the partially ordered mesophase was further stretched to form an oriented cylindrite structure after the yield point. The highest relative content of cylindrites appeared at 15% strain. Notably, as the amorphous phase embedded into the lamellae layer, the crystal size decreased with the increase of strain, which indicated that the crystallinity of the stretched iPP sheet was much higher than that of unstretched iPP sheet. The induced cylindrites structure played a more important role in improving the mechanical properties and heat resistance of iPP sheets. Compared with the unstretched iPP sheets, the tensile strength increased by 28%, the notch impact toughness significantly increased by 78%, and the vicat softening point increased from 104 to 112 °C.
Flexible Random Laser Using Silver Nanoflowers
Authors: Tong Junhua , Li Songtao , Chen Chao , Fu Yulan , Cao Fengzhao , Niu Lianze , Zhai Tianrui , Zhang Xinping
Published: April 2019

A random laser was achieved in a polymer membrane with silver nanoflowers on a flexible substrate. The strong confinement of the polymer waveguide and the localized field enhancement of silver nanoflowers were essential for the low-threshold random lasing action. The lasing wavelength can be tuned by bending the flexible substrate. The solution phase synthesis of the silver nanoflowers enables easy realization of this type of random lasers. The flexible and high-efficiency random lasers provide favorable factors for the development of imaging and sensing devices.
Adsorption and Electrochemical Detection of Bovine Serum Albumin Imprinted Calcium Alginate Hydrogel Membrane
Authors: Qi Meng , Zhao Kongyin , Bao Qiwen , Pan Peng , Zhao Yuwei , Yang Zhengchun , Wang Huiquan , Wei Junfu
Published: April 2019

In this paper, bovine serum albumin (BSA)-imprinted calcium alginate (CaAlg) hydrogel membrane was prepared using BSA as a template, sodium alginate (NaAlg) as a functional monomer, and CaCl2 as a cross-linker. The thickness of the CaAlg membrane was controlled by a glass rod enlaced with brass wires (the diameter was 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 mm). The swelling properties of the CaAlg membranes prepared with different contents of NaAlg were researched. Circular dichroism indicated that the conformation of BSA did not change during the preparing and eluting process. The thinner the CaAlg hydrogel membrane was, the larger the adsorption capacity and the higher the imprinting efficiency of the CaAlg. The maximum adsorption capacity of molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) and non-imprinted CaAlg hydrogel membrane (NIP) was 38.6 mg·g−1 and 9.2 mg·g−1, respectively, with an imprinting efficiency of 4.2. The MIP was loaded on the electrode to monitor the selective adsorption of BSA by voltammetry curve.
Efficient Conversion of Lignin Waste to High Value Bio-Graphene Oxide Nanomaterials
Authors: Li Jinghao , Yan Qiangu , Zhang Xuefeng , Zhang Jilei , Cai Zhiyong
Published: April 2019

Lignin graphene oxide was oxidized after Kraft lignin was graphitized by thermal catalytic conversion. The reduced lignin graphene oxide was derived from lignin graphene oxide through thermal reduction treatment. These Kraft lignin, lignin graphite, lignin graphene oxide, and reduced lignin graphene oxide were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, raman microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed lignin graphite converted from Kraft lignin had fewer layers with smaller lateral size than natural graphite. Moreover, lignin graphene oxide was successfully produced from lignin graphite by an oxidation reaction with an hour-long reaction time, which has remarkably shorter reaction time than that of graphene oxide made from natural graphite. Meanwhile, this lignin-derived graphene oxide had the same XRD, FTIR and Raman peaks as graphene oxide oxidized from natural graphite. The SEM, TEM, and AFM images showed that this lignin graphene oxide with 1–3 average layers has a smaller lateral size than that of graphene oxide made from natural graphite. Moreover, the lignin graphene oxide can be reduced to reduced lignin graphene oxide to fabricate graphene-based aerogel, wire, and film for some potential applications.
The Effect of Polydopamine on an Ag-Coated Polypropylene Nonwoven Fabric
Authors: Liu Chuanmei , Liu Jie , Ning Xin , Chen Shaojuan , Liu Zhengqin , Jiang Shouxiang , Miao Dagang
Published: April 2019

A practical method for preparing multifunctional polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabrics with excellent stability and durability was explored. First, the PP nonwoven fabric was sputtered by a magnetron sputtering system to form an Ag film on the surface of the fabric. Subsequently, the coated fabric was treated with dopamine. The fabrics were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), electrical conductivity, electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness (EMI SE), antibacterial activity, stability, and laundering durability. The results of the study revealed that the fabric was coated with Ag, and after the treatment with dopamine, the surfaces of Ag-coated fibers were coated with polydopamine (PDA). The fabrics still had a sheet resistance below ~15 Ω/sq and exhibited excellent EMI SE above ~25 dB, though few differences existed from the single Ag-coated sample. After the treatment with dopamine, the antibacterial activity of the fabric was enhanced. Meanwhile, the treated samples exhibited excellent resistance against sodium sulfide corrosion, which could enhance the stability of the Ag-coated fabric. Moreover, the laundering durability of the treated fabric was improved in the same process, whose lowest sheet resistance was ~18 Ω/sq and the EMI SE was ~8 dB more than single Ag-coated PP nonwoven fabrics. In conclusion, this method was considered to be effective in fabricating multifunctional, stable, and durable fabrics.
Functional Nanostructured Oligochitosan–Silica/Carboxymethyl Cellulose Hybrid Materials: Synthesis and Investigation of Their Antifungal Abilities
Authors: Nguyen Thuy N , Huynh Thu NM , Hoang DongQuy , Nguyen Dai Hai , Nguyen Quoc Hien , Tran Thai Hoa
Published: April 2019

Functional hybrid materials were successfully synthesized from low-cost waste products, such as oligochitosan (OCS) obtained from chitosan (one of the main components in crab shells) and nanosilica (nSiO2) obtained from rice husk, in a 1:1 ratio (w/w), and their dispersion in the presence of carboxymethyl cellulose at pH 7 was stable for over one month without aggregation. The molecular weights, chemical structures, morphologies, and crystallinities of the obtained materials were characterized by GPC, FTIR, TEM, and XRD, respectively. The antifungal effects of OCS, nSiO2, and the OCS/nSiO2 hybrid materials were investigated via a disk-diffusion method. The results showed that the nanohybrid materials had better resistance to Phytophthora infestans fungus than the individual components, and a concentration of the OCS2/nSiO2 hybrid material of 800 mg L−1 was the lowest concentration where the material completely inhibited Phytophthora infestans growth, as measured via an agar dilution method. This study not only creates a novel environmentally friendly material with unique synergistic effects that can replace current toxic agrochemicals but also can be considered a new platform for further research in green agricultural applications.
The Management of Resistant Hypercalcaemia Secondary to Cancer of Unknown Primary and Presenting with Pancreatitis
Authors: George Jayan , Reed Emily , Patel Kuunal , Gardner-Thorpe James
Published: April 2019

We present a 31-year-old female who presented to the general surgical take with epigastric pain associated with a raised amylase and corrected calcium on admission. Computed tomography confirmed acute pancreatitis and also demonstrated a 15 cm liver tumour. She was subsequently diagnosed with cancer of unknown primary with liver metastases. The patient’s pancreatitis symptoms improved with conservative management, but her calcium proved quite resistant to basic measures. Further input was sought from the medical on-call endocrinology and oncology teams to help manage this patient’s hypercalcaemia, which included pamidronate, zolendronate, and denusomab, but ultimately it only improved significantly following chemotherapy. This case to our knowledge is the only one of its kind and highlights the importance of early multidisciplinary team involvement across specialties to help manage complex patients.
Estimating the Volume of Oil Tanks Based on High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Wang Tong , Li Ying , Yu Shengtao , Liu Yu
Published: April 2019

The purpose of this study is to obtain oil tank volumes from high-resolution satellite imagery to meet the need to measure oil tank volume globally. A preprocessed remote sensing HSV image is used to extract the shadow of the oil tank by Otsu thresholding, shadow area thresholding, and morphological closing. The oil tank shadow is crescent-shaped. Hence, a median method based on sub-pixel subdivision positioning is used to calculate the shadow length of the oil tank and then determine its height with high precision. The top of the tank and its radius in the image are identified using the Hough transform. The final tank volume is calculated using its height and radius. A high-resolution Gaofen 2 optical remote sensing image is used to evaluate the proposed method. The actual height and volume of the tank we tested were 21.8 m and 109,532 m3. The experimental results show that the mean absolute error of the height of the tank calculated by the median method is 0.238 m, the relative error is within 1.15%, and the RMES is 0.23. The result is better than the previous work. The absolute error between the calculated and the actual tank volumes ranges between 416 and 3050 m3, and the relative error ranges between 0.38% and 2.78%. These results indicate that the proposed method can calculate the volume of oil tanks with high precision and sufficient accuracy for practical applications.
Integrating Remote Sensing, Machine Learning, and Citizen Science in Dutch Archaeological Prospection
Authors: Lambers Karsten , Verschoof-van der Vaart Wouter , Bourgeois Quentin
Published: April 2019

Although the history of automated archaeological object detection in remotely sensed data is short, progress and emerging trends are evident. Among them, the shift from rule-based approaches towards machine learning methods is, at the moment, the cause for high expectations, even though basic problems, such as the lack of suitable archaeological training data are only beginning to be addressed. In a case study in the central Netherlands, we are currently developing novel methods for multi-class archaeological object detection in LiDAR data based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). This research is embedded in a long-term investigation of the prehistoric landscape of our study region. We here present an innovative integrated workflow that combines machine learning approaches to automated object detection in remotely sensed data with a two-tier citizen science project that allows us to generate and validate detections of hitherto unknown archaeological objects, thereby contributing to the creation of reliable, labeled archaeological training datasets. We motivate our methodological choices in the light of current trends in archaeological prospection, remote sensing, machine learning, and citizen science, and present the first results of the implementation of the workflow in our research area.
Spatio-Temporal Variability in Remotely Sensed Vegetation Greenness Across Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Notaro Michael , Emmett Kristen , O’Leary Donal
Published: April 2019

The study’s objective was to quantify the responses of vegetation greenness and productivity to climate variability and change across complex topographic, climatic, and ecological gradients in Yellowstone National Park through the use of remotely sensed data. The climate change signal in Yellowstone was pronounced, including substantial warming, an abrupt decline in snowpack, and more frequent droughts. While phenological studies are increasing in Yellowstone, the near absence of long-term and continuous ground-based phenological measurements motivated the study’s application of remotely sensed data to aid in identifying ecological vulnerabilities and guide resource management in light of on ongoing environmental change. Correlation, time-series, and empirical orthogonal function analyses for 1982–2015 focused on Daymet data and vegetation indices (VIs) from the Advanced Very High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The study’s key questions address unique time scales. First, what are the dominant meteorological drivers of variability in vegetation greenness on seasonal to interannual time scales? Key results include: (1) Green-up is the most elevation- and climate-sensitive phenological stage, with La Niña-induced cool, wet conditions or an anomalously deep snowpack delaying the green-up wave. (2) Drought measures were the dominant contributors towards phenological variability, as winter–spring drought corresponded to enhanced April–June greening and spring–summer drought corresponded to reduced August–September greening. Second, how have patterns of productivity changed in response to climate change and disturbances? Key results include: (1) The park predominantly exhibited positive productivity trends, associated with lodgepole pine re-establishment and growth following the 1988 fires. (2) Landscapes which were undisturbed by the 1988 fires showed no apparent sign of warming-induced greening. This study motivates a systematic investigation of remote-sensing data across western parks to identify ecological vulnerabilities and support the development of climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation strategies.
Automatic Detection of Small Icebergs in Fast Ice Using Satellite Wide-Swath SAR Images
Authors: Soldal Ingri Halland , Dierking Wolfgang , Korosov Anton , Marino Armando
Published: April 2019

Automatic detection of icebergs in satellite images is regarded a useful tool to provide information necessary for safety in Arctic shipping or operations over large ocean areas in near-real time. In this work, we investigated the feasibility of automatic iceberg detection in Sentinel-1 Extra Wide Swath (EWS) SAR images which follow the preferred image mode in operational ice charting. As test region, we selected the Barents Sea where the size of many icebergs is on the order of the spatial resolution of the EWS-mode. We tested a new approach for a detection scheme. It is based on a combination of a filter for enhancing the contrast between icebergs and background, subsequent blob detection, and final application of a Constant False Alarm Rate (CFAR) algorithm. The filter relies mainly on the HV-polarized intensity which often reveals a larger difference between icebergs and sea ice or open water. The blob detector identifies locations of potential icebergs and thus shortens computation time. The final detection is performed on the identified blobs using the CFAR algorithm. About 2000 icebergs captured in fast ice were visually identified in Sentinel-2 Multi Spectral Imager (MSI) data and exploited for an assessment of the detection scheme performance using confusion matrices. For our performance tests, we used four Sentinel-1 EWS images. For judging the effect of spatial resolution, we carried out an additional test with one Sentinel-1 Interferometric Wide Swath (IWS) mode image. Our results show that only 8–22 percent of the icebergs could be detected in the EWS images, and over 90 percent of all detections were false alarms. In IWS mode, the number of correctly identified icebergs increased to 38 percent. However, we obtained a larger number of false alarms in the IWS image than in the corresponding EWS image. We identified two problems for iceberg detection: 1) with the given frequency–polarization combination, not all icebergs are strong scatterers at HV-polarization, and (2) icebergs and deformation structures present on fast ice can often not be distinguished since both may reveal equally strong responses at HV-polarization.
An Automated Rectification Method for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle LiDAR Point Cloud Data Based on Laser Intensity
Authors: Zhang Xianfeng , Gao Renqiang , Sun Quan , Cheng Junyi
Published: April 2019

Point cloud rectification is an efficient approach to improve the quality of laser point cloud data. Conventional rectification methods mostly relied on ground control points (GCPs), typical artificial ground objects, and raw measurements of the laser scanner which impede automation and adaptability in practice. This paper proposed an automated rectification method for the point cloud data that are acquired by an unmanned aerial vehicle LiDAR system based on laser intensity, with the goal to reduce the dependency of ancillary data and improve the automated level of the rectification process. First, laser intensity images were produced by interpolating the intensity data of all the LiDAR scanning strips. Second, a scale-invariant feature transform algorithm was conducted to extract two dimensional (2D) tie points from the intensity images; the pseudo tie points were removed by using a random sample consensus algorithm. Next, all the 2D tie points were transformed to three dimensional (3D) point cloud to derive 3D tie point sets. After that, the observation error equations were created with the condition of coplanar constraints. Finally, a nonlinear least square algorithm was applied to solve the boresight angular error parameters, which were subsequently used to correct the laser point cloud data. A case study in Shehezi, Xinjiang, China was implemented with our proposed method and the results indicate that our method is efficient to estimate the boresight angular error between the laser scanner and inertial measurement unit. After applying the results of the boresight angular error solution to rectify the laser point cloud, the planar root mean square error (RMSE) is 5.7 cm and decreased by 1.1 cm in average; the elevation RMSE is 1.4 cm and decreased by 0.8 cm in average. Comparing with the stepwise geometric method, our proposed method achieved similar horizontal accuracy and outperformed it in vertical accuracy of registration.
Retrieval of Oil–Water Mixture Ratio at Ocean Surface Using Compact Polarimetry Synthetic Aperture Radar
Authors: Li Haiyan , Perrie William , Wu Jin
Published: April 2019

The oil–water mixture ratio for oil spills on the ocean surface is an important parameter for volume estimation of oil spills, response strategy for the oil spills, cleanup operations, and remediation planning for the impacts on wildlife. Hybrid-polarized (HP) mode compact polarization (CP) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery will soon be available with the launch of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission. The advantage of the proposed new SAR system is that CP images will have wider swath and shorter revisit time compared to quad-polarization (QP) images, which are presently available from space-borne and air-borne SAR. We present a methodology to retrieve the oil–water mixture ratio at the ocean surface using CP SAR imagery. We emulated the HP mode of CP SAR image using Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle SAR (UAVSAR) L band observations collected on 23 June 2010 over the site of the Deep Water Horizon drilling rig. The gap between elements ratio of CP SAR covariance matrix and that of QP SAR Sinclair matrix is bridged. Numerical optimization and look up table methods are used to relate the oil–water mixture ratio to elements of the covariance matrix for the HP data backscatter. The mixture ratio estimates determined from the ratio of diagonal elements of the covariance matrix for HP mode CP data are compared with results retrieved from the co-polarization ratio from the original QP SAR observations. Results from the proposed methodology for SAR images captured in the HP mode of CP data are shown to compare favourably to observed in situ data of the mixture ratios.
Quantifying Canopy Tree Loss and Gap Recovery in Tropical Forests under Low-Intensity Logging Using VHR Satellite Imagery and Airborne LiDAR
Authors: Dalagnol Ricardo , Phillips Oliver L. , Gloor Emanuel , Galvão Lênio S. , Wagner Fabien H. , Locks Charton J. , Aragão Luiz E. O. C.
Published: April 2019

Logging, including selective and illegal activities, is widespread, affecting the carbon cycle and the biodiversity of tropical forests. However, automated approaches using very high resolution (VHR) satellite data (≤1 m spatial resolution) to accurately track these small-scale human disturbances over large and remote areas are not readily available. The main constraint for performing this type of analysis is the lack of spatially accurate tree-scale validation data. In this study, we assessed the potential of VHR satellite imagery to detect canopy tree loss related to selective logging in closed-canopy tropical forests. To do this, we compared the tree loss detection capability of WorldView-2 and GeoEye-1 satellites with airborne LiDAR, which acquired pre- and post-logging data at the Jamari National Forest in the Brazilian Amazon. We found that logging drove changes in canopy height ranging from −5.6 to −42.2 m, with a mean reduction of −23.5 m. A simple LiDAR height difference threshold of −10 m was enough to map 97% of the logged trees. Compared to LiDAR, tree losses can be detected using VHR satellite imagery and a random forest (RF) model with an average precision of 64%, while mapping 60% of the total tree loss. Tree losses associated with large gap openings or tall trees were more successfully detected. In general, the most important remote sensing metrics for the RF model were standard deviation statistics, especially those extracted from the reflectance of the visible bands (R, G, B), and the shadow fraction. While most small canopy gaps closed within ~2 years, larger gaps could still be observed over a longer time. Nevertheless, the use of annual imagery is advised to reach acceptable detectability. Our study shows that VHR satellite imagery has the potential for monitoring the logging in tropical forests and detecting hotspots of natural disturbance with a low cost at the regional scale.
Spatiotemporal Image Fusion in Remote Sensing
Authors: Belgiu Mariana , Stein Alfred
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we discuss spatiotemporal data fusion methods in remote sensing. These methods fuse temporally sparse fine-resolution images with temporally dense coarse-resolution images. This review reveals that existing spatiotemporal data fusion methods are mainly dedicated to blending optical images. There is a limited number of studies focusing on fusing microwave data, or on fusing microwave and optical images in order to address the problem of gaps in the optical data caused by the presence of clouds. Therefore, future efforts are required to develop spatiotemporal data fusion methods flexible enough to accomplish different data fusion tasks under different environmental conditions and using different sensors data as input. The review shows that additional investigations are required to account for temporal changes occurring during the observation period when predicting spectral reflectance values at a fine scale in space and time. More sophisticated machine learning methods such as convolutional neural network (CNN) represent a promising solution for spatiotemporal fusion, especially due to their capability to fuse images with different spectral values.
Work–Life Balance Measures of Working Carers and Well-Being Satisfaction within Couple Relationships: The Result of an Italian Policy Looking through the Gender Lens
Authors: Macchioni Elena , Prandini Riccardo
Published: April 2019

Working carers deserve to receive more and more attention from welfare regimes and workplaces. Using the work–family interface approach, we analyzed the effects of the Family Audit workplace measures—an Italian work–life balance policy—on couple well-being. The research was carried out through a Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing survey which was addressed to the employees of the organizations that participated in the policy program in 2015. The results showed that the measures implemented by the companies were able to improve the perception of couple well-being of working carers, but they did not trigger a cultural change that would permit the elimination of differences due to gender in work–family balance. The most effective measures were characterized by high levels of flexibility. These features allow the reduction of the negative effects produced by some socio-biographic variables, some work-related aspects, and aspects related to the Mediterranean welfare regime.
An Acquaintance with An Aging Society
Authors: Yamada Kazumasa
Published: April 2019

Low birth rates and higher life expectancy have been ravaging Japanese society. This article summarizes some of the latest medical knowledge and assistive activities, with a nod toward one nonprofit organization’s efforts to deliver better home healthcare to the elderly through housing and technologies, in the world’s first super-aging society. The response to the transforming society requires a combination of familiar customs and new technologies that create a favorable environment for mobility and continuous learning that are key to elderly health. As other countries will face similar issues, further international interdisciplinary knowledge-building will be necessary to face the challenges of super-aging societies.
Variation in Feedstock Wood Chemistry Strongly Influences Biochar Liming Potential
Authors: Gezahegn Sossina , Sain Mohini , Thomas Sean C.
Published: April 2019

Chars intended for use as soil amendment (“biochars”) vary greatly in their chemical and physical properties. In the present study, 19 Canadian temperate wood feedstocks were charred across a range of pyrolysis temperatures from 300–700 °C. The resulting 95 biochars were tested for their physio-chemical properties and liming capacity. Data indicated increasing base cation concentrations including Ca, Mg, and K (elements that characteristically form liming compounds, i.e., carbonates) as pyrolysis temperature increased. Acidic surface functional groups were analyzed with modified Boehm titration: Carboxylic and lactonic functional group concentrations decreased and phenolic group concentration increased with pyrolysis temperature. Functional group composition also varied greatly with feedstock: In particular, conifer-derived biochars produced at pyrolysis temperatures <500 °C showed much higher carboxylic and lactonic functional group concentrations than did angiosperm-derived biochars. Liming capacity was assessed using soil incubation experiments and was positively related to biochar pH. Both acidic surface functional group concentration and nutrient element concentration influenced biochar pH: we developed a non-linear functional relationship that predicts biochar pH from the ratio of carboxylic to phenolic moieties, and concentrations of Ca and K. Biochar’s liming components that are inherited from feedstock and predictably modified by pyrolysis temperature provide a basis for optimizing the production of biochar with desired pH and liming characteristics.
Optimal Photovoltaic/Battery Energy Storage/Electric Vehicle Charging Station Design Based on Multi-Agent Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Dai Qiongjie , Liu Jicheng , Wei Qiushuang
Published: April 2019

In order to effectively improve the utilization rate of solar energy resources and to develop sustainable urban efficiency, an integrated system of electric vehicle charging station (EVCS), small-scale photovoltaic (PV) system, and battery energy storage system (BESS) has been proposed and implemented in many cities around the world. This paper proposes an optimization model for grid-connected photovoltaic/battery energy storage/electric vehicle charging station (PBES) to size PV, BESS, and determine the charging/discharging pattern of BESS. The multi-agent particle swarm optimization (MAPSO) algorithm solves this model is solved, which combines multi-agent system (MAS) and the mechanism of particle swarm optimization (PSO). In this model, a load simulation model is presented to simulate EV charging patterns and to calculate the EV charging demand at each time interval. Finally, a case in Shanghai, China is conducted and three scenarios are analyzed to prove the effectiveness of the proposed model. A comparative analysis is also performed to show the superiority of MAPSO algorithm.
A Projection of Extreme Precipitation Based on a Selection of CMIP5 GCMs over North Korea
Authors: Sung Jang Hyun , Kwon Minsung , Jeon Jong-June , Seo Seung Beom
Published: April 2019

The numerous choices between climate change scenarios makes decision-making difficult for the assessment of climate change impacts. Previous studies have used climate models to compare performance in terms of simulating observed climates or preserving model variability among scenarios. In this study, the Katsavounidis-Kuo-Zhang algorithm was applied to select representative climate change scenarios (RCCS) that preserve the variability among all climate change scenarios (CCS). The performance of multi-model ensemble of RCCS was evaluated for reference and future climates. It was found that RCCS was well suited for observations and multi model ensemble of all CCS. Using the RCCS under RCP (Representative Concentration Pathway) 8.5, the future extreme precipitation was projected. As a result, the magnitude and frequency of extreme precipitation increased towards the farther future. Especially, extreme precipitation (daily maximum precipitation of 20-year return-period) during 2070-2099, was projected to occur once every 8.3-year. The RCCS employed in this study is able to successfully represent the performance of all CCS, therefore, this approach can give opportunities managing water resources efficiently for assessment of climate change impacts.
Application of Game Theory to Conflict Management in a Construction Contract
Authors: Grzyl Beata , Apollo Magdalena , Kristowski Adam
Published: April 2019

Interest has recently grown in the application of game theory (GT) to solve a number of diverse problems in the field of construction. The use of GT by a general contractor (GC) of construction works to indicate the best strategy leading to winning court proceedings in a situation of conflict with investor (IN), has not been investigated until now. Thus the aim of this paper is to indicate the optimal strategy from the GC viewpoint in a conflict situation with the IN. The article presents a list of the most common causes of conflict between parties of a construction work contract, defines the background of the problem and the cause of the dispute, and subsequently the authors generate a theoretical model of the game. Based on the analyzed game model, the expected payoffs for players were calculated and the probability boundary value determined in making the GC apply the indicated strategy. The study results show that while the probability of issuing a judgment favorable for the GC is at least equal to 0.69 it is justified to use an aggressive strategy. The analysis also confirms that from the financial perspective, litigation in most cases of conflicts in the area of construction should be the ultimate choice.
Nutrient Pollutants in Surface Water—Assessing Trends in Drinking Water Resource Quality for a Regional City in Central Europe
Authors: Kanownik Włodzimierz , Policht-Latawiec Agnieszka , Fudała Wioletta
Published: April 2019

This paper presents the changes in concentration of seven biogenic indices in the Wisłok River water and determines the water treatment processes required in order to obtain water fit for consumption. The investigations were conducted during 2004–2013, and water samples were collected at a measuring-control point was situated at 67.9 km on the river at the surface water intake for the water supply to the Rzeszów city dwellers. Analysis of the research results allows for the forecasting of technological and organizational changes in the treatment processes of the abstracted water. It was found that only the mean concentration of Kjeldahl nitrogen exceeded the value admissible for class I, which allowed the Wisłok River water to be classified as class II with good potential and determined the water quality category as A2, which indicates the necessity for typical performance physical and chemical treatment. Downward trends in the contents of the tested nutrients occurred during the period of investigation, except for nitrite nitrogen. Statistically significant downward trends were registered for ammonium nitrogen, Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen and phosphates. The decline in nutrient concentrations in the water of Wisłok is a tangible result of the introduction of new standards of water resource management in the catchment, compliant with the European Union legislation.
The Gender Effect on a Firm’s Innovative Activities in the Emerging Economies
Authors: Na Kyunga , Shin Kwangsoo
Published: April 2019

This study examines the impact of gender at three different positions in a firm’s hierarchy on innovative activities, looking at over 6474 firms in 30 emerging countries. We create a dummy variable for each of the six survey questions on product innovation, process innovation, organizational innovation, marketing innovation, and R&D (Research & Development) spending. Each dummy acts as a dependent variable in a separate logit regression, and the sum of the dummies acts as the dependent variable in another ordered logit regression. We use the female ownership percentage, female top management, and female majority in the workforce as test variables. We use the Heckman two-stage model to address endogeneity concerns with gender. We find that the female ownership percentage is generally positively related to individual innovation measures as well as the composite measure, while female top management is positively associated with marketing innovation only, and a female majority in the workforce is not significantly related to any measure. The results suggest that promoting innovation in emerging countries would involve governments encouraging further market participation by women and supporting female CEOs (Chief Executive Officers) to innovate, and firms fostering innovation among female workers.
Prepared to Teach for Sustainable Development? Student Teachers’ Beliefs in Their Ability to Teach for Sustainable Development
Authors: Dahl Thomas
Published: April 2019

The importance of embedding education for sustainable development has been emphasised over many years. At the same time, there has been a massive call for initial teacher education to provide all student teachers with the core of professional competences. What is the status of teacher education today in embedding education for sustainable development and how does it relate to the focus on professional competencies in teacher education? A total of 578 student teachers in seven different teacher education programmes in Europe were surveyed, measuring the students’ beliefs in their ability to work as teachers, as well as their ability to teach in ways that value sustainability and promote environmentally sound ways of living. The results of the survey show that student teachers feel well prepared to handle many aspects of teacher professionalism, but less prepared to educate for sustainability. The survey also indicates that student teacher training in educating for sustainability is not integrated in their other training and is generally just added on.
Roots, Riots, and Radical Change—A Road Less Travelled for Ecological Economics
Authors: Pirgmaier Elke , Steinberger Julia K.
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we put forward a new research agenda for ecological economics, based on three realisations. We then show how these can be connected through research and used to generate insights with the potential for application in broader, systemic change. The first realisation is that the core ambition of ecological economics, that of addressing the scale of human environmental resource use and associated impacts, often remains an aspirational goal, rather than being applied within research. In understanding intertwined environmental and social challenges, systemic approaches (including system dynamics) should be revitalised to address the full scope of what is possible or desirable. The second realisation is that the focus on biophysical and economic quantification and methods has been at the expense of a comprehensive social understanding of environmental impacts and barriers to change—including the role of power, social class, geographical location, historical change, and achieving human well-being. For instance, by fetishising growth as the core problem, attention is diverted away from underlying social drivers—monetary gains as profits, rent, or interest fuelled by capitalist competition and, ultimately, unequal power relations. The third realisation is that ecological economics situates itself with respect to mainstream (neoclassical) economics, but simultaneously adopts some of its mandate and blind spots, even in its more progressive camps. Pragmatic attempts to adopt mainstream concepts and tools often comfort, rather than challenge, the reproduction of the very power relations that stand in the way of sustainability transitions. We consider these three realisations as impediments for developing ecological economics as an emancipatory critical research paradigm and political project. We will not focus on or detail the failings of ecological economics, but state what we believe they are and reformulate them as research priorities. By describing and bringing these three elements together, we are able to outline an ambitious research agenda for ecological economics, one capable of catalysing real social change.