bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Potential of Satellite Solar-Induced Fluorescence to Constrain Global Transpiration Estimates
Authors: Pagán Brianna , Maes Wouter , Gentine Pierre , Martens Brecht , Miralles Diego
Published: February 2019

The opening and closing of plant stomata regulates the global water, carbon and energy cycles. Biophysical feedbacks on climate are highly dependent on transpiration, which is mediated by vegetation phenology and plant responses to stress conditions. Here, we explore the potential of satellite observations of solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF)—normalized by photosynthetically-active radiation (PAR)—to diagnose the ratio of transpiration to potential evaporation (‘transpiration efficiency’, τ). This potential is validated at 25 eddy-covariance sites from seven biomes worldwide. The skill of the state-of-the-art land surface models (LSMs) from the eartH2Observe project to estimate τ is also contrasted against eddy-covariance data. Despite its relatively coarse (0.5°) resolution, SIF/PAR estimates, based on data from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment 2 (GOME-2) and the Clouds and Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES), correlate to the in situ τ significantly (average inter-site correlation of 0.59), with higher correlations during growing seasons (0.64) compared to decaying periods (0.53). In addition, the skill to diagnose the variability of in situ τ demonstrated by all LSMs is on average lower, indicating the potential of SIF data to constrain the formulations of transpiration in global models via, e.g., data assimilation. Overall, SIF/PAR estimates successfully capture the effect of phenological changes and environmental stress on natural ecosystem transpiration, adequately reflecting the timing of this variability without complex parameterizations.
Co- and post-seismic Deformation Mechanisms of the MW 7.3 Iran Earthquake (2017) Revealed by Sentinel-1 InSAR Observations
Authors: Yang Chengsheng , Han Bingquan , Zhao Chaoying , Du Jiantao , Zhang Dongxiao , Zhu Sainan
Published: February 2019

The extraction of high-accuracy co- and post-seismic deformation fields and inversions of seismic slip distributions is significant in the comprehension of seismogenic mechanisms. On 12 November 2017, a MW 7.3 earthquake occurred on the border between Iran and Iraq. To construct the co-seismic deformation field, Sentinel-1A synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from three tracks were used. Based on a prior knowledge, least-squares iterative approximation was employed to construct the three-dimensional (3D) co-seismic deformation field. to derive a time series of 2D post-seismic deformation, the multidimensional small baseline subset (MSBAS) technique was use. Co-seismic deformation fields were asymmetric; the maximum relative displacement was nearly 90cm in the radar line-of-sight between two centers of co-seismic deformation. The 3D co-seismic deformation field showed southwestward horizontal motion and continuous subsidence-to-uplift variation from northeast to southwest. The two-dimensional (2D) post-seismic deformation time series showed a gradual decaying trend and good correspondence with the aftershock distribution. The main mechanism of post-seismic deformation was an afterslip of the post-seismic faults. We used the elastic half-space model to invert co-seismic deformation fields and obtain source parameters of the slip model. The maximum and average slips were 2.5 and 0.72 m, respectively. The average slip angle was 126.38° and the moment magnitude was MW 7.34. The results of this study will contribute to research on regional tectonic activities.
Ship Classification Based on Multifeature Ensemble with Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Shi Qiaoqiao , Li Wei , Tao Ran , Sun Xu , Gao Lianru
Published: February 2019

As an important part of maritime traffic, ships play an important role in military and civilian applications. However, ships’ appearances are susceptible to some factors such as lighting, occlusion, and sea state, making ship classification more challenging. This is of great importance when exploring global and detailed information for ship classification in optical remote sensing images. In this paper, a novel method to obtain discriminative feature representation of a ship image is proposed. The proposed classification framework consists of a multifeature ensemble based on convolutional neural network (ME-CNN). Specifically, two-dimensional discrete fractional Fourier transform (2D-DFrFT) is employed to extract multi-order amplitude and phase information, which contains such important information as profiles, edges, and corners; completed local binary pattern (CLBP) is used to obtain local information about ship images; Gabor filter is used to gain the global information about ship images. Then, deep convolutional neural network (CNN) is applied to extract more abstract features based on the above information. CNN, extracting high-level features automatically, has performed well for object classification tasks. After high-feature learning, as the one of fusion strategies, decision-level fusion is investigated for the final classification result. The average accuracy of the proposed approach is 98.75% on the BCCT200-resize data, 92.50% on the original BCCT200 data, and 87.33% on the challenging VAIS data, which validates the effectiveness of the proposed method when compared to the existing state-of-art algorithms.
Improving Details of Building Façades in Open LiDAR Data Using Ground Images
Authors: Zhang Shenman , Tao Pengjie , Wang Lei , Hou Yaolin , Hu Zhihua
Published: February 2019

Recent open data initiatives allow free access to a vast amount of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data in many cities. However, most open LiDAR data of cities are acquired by airborne scanning, where points on building façades are sparse or even completely missing due to occlusions in the urban environment, leading to the absence of façade details. This paper presents an approach for improving the LiDAR data coverage on building façades by using point cloud generated from ground images. A coarse-to-fine strategy is proposed to fuse these two-point clouds of different sources with very limited overlaps. First, the façade point cloud generated from ground images is leveled by adjusting the facade normal to perpendicular to the upright direction. Then leveling façade point cloud is geolocated by alignment between images GPS data and their structure from motion (SfM) coordinates. Next, a modified coherent point drift algorithm with (surface) normal consistency is proposed to accurately align the façade point cloud to the LiDAR data. The significance of this work resides in the use of 2D overlapping points on the building outlines instead of the limited 3D overlap between the two-point clouds. This way we can still achieve reliable and precise registration under incomplete coverage and ambiguous correspondence. Experiments show that the proposed approach can significantly improve the façade details in open LiDAR data, and achieve 2 to 10 times higher registration accuracy, when compared to classic registration methods.
Slotted ALOHA on LoRaWAN-Design, Analysis, and Deployment
Authors: Polonelli Tommaso , Brunelli Davide , Marzocchi Achille , Benini Luca
Published: February 2019

LoRaWAN is one of the most promising standards for long-range sensing applications. However, the high number of end devices expected in at-scale deployment, combined with the absence of an effective synchronization scheme, challenge the scalability of this standard. In this paper, we present an approach to increase network throughput through a Slotted-ALOHA overlay on LoRaWAN networks. To increase the single channel capacity, we propose to regulate the communication of LoRaWAN networks using a Slotted-ALOHA variant on the top of the Pure-ALOHA approach used by the standard; thus, no modification in pre-existing libraries is necessary. Our method is based on an innovative synchronization service that is suitable for low-cost wireless sensor nodes. We modelled the LoRaWAN channel with extensive measurement on hardware platforms, and we quantified the impact of tuning parameters on physical and medium access control layers, as well as the packet collision rate. Results show that Slotted-ALOHA supported by our synchronization service significantly improves the performance of traditional LoRaWAN networks regarding packet loss rate and network throughput.
Applications of Non-destructive Technologies for Agricultural and Food Products Quality Inspection
Authors: El-Mesery Hany S. , Mao Hanping , Abomohra Abd El-Fatah
Published: February 2019

The quality and safety of food is an increasing concern for worldwide business. Non-destructive methods (NDM), as a means of assessment and instrumentation have created an esteemed value in sciences, especially in food industries. Currently, NDM are useful because they allow the simultaneous measurement of chemical and physical data from food without destruction of the substance. Additionally, NDM can obtain both quantitative and qualitative data at the same time without separate analyses. Recently, many studies on non-destructive detection measurements of agro-food products and final quality assessment of foods were reported. As a general statement, the future of using NDM for assessing the quality of food and agricultural products is bright; and it is possible to come up with interesting findings through development of more efficient and precise imaging systems like the machine vision technique. The present review aims to discuss the application of different non-destructive methods (NDM) for food quality and safety evaluation.
Come Together—The Development of Swedish Energy Communities
Authors: Magnusson Dick , Palm Jenny
Published: February 2019

Community energy (CE) and grassroots innovations have been widely studied in recent years, especially in the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, but very little focus has been placed on Sweden. This paper describes and analyses the development and present state of several types of community energy initiatives in Sweden. The methodology uses interviews, document studies, analysis of previous studies, and website analysis. The results show that fewer initiatives have been taken in Sweden than in other countries, but that even with a rather ‘hostile’ institutional setting CE has emerged as a phenomenon. Wind cooperatives are the most common form of initiative, with solar photovoltaics cooperatives and eco-villages also prominent. The various types of initiatives differ considerably, from well-organized wind cooperatives that have grown into professional organizations to small-scale hydroelectric power plants owned by a rural community. The initiatives may have modest impact on the energy transition in quantitative terms, but they are crucial in knowledge sharing and as inspirations for future initiatives.
Contingent Factors and Sustainable Performance Measurement (SPM) Practices of Malaysian Electronics and Electrical Companies
Authors: Ong Tze San , Teh Boon Heng , Lee Ah Suat
Published: February 2019

In the present world, there is a rapidly growing level of awareness of social and environmental activities. Consequently, a company’s profile is not substantiated purely in relation to financial issues, rather, a need for the inclusion of environmental and social perspectives arises. This is known as sustainable performance. Hence, there is a persistent need for the practice of sustainable performance measurements (SPMs). However, despite the implementation of sustainable performance in developed climes like Europe, the US and the UK, the relevance of sustainable performance is still at a low in developing societies such as Malaysia. The main purpose of this paper is to determine the critical success factors that are attributable to sustainable performance measurement practices for Malaysian electronics and electrical (E and E) companies, as their success is subject to intense scrutiny from their developed competitors, with respect to compliance with social and environmental regulations. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on 217 E and E companies. The path analysis and test of the hypotheses were carried out through structural equation modelling. This study has successfully unveiled a comprehensive SPM model with unprecedented scope, stretching from factors to indicators of a SPM model for Malaysian E and E companies. The findings indicate that pressure from stakeholders and globalization are the driving forces for E and E companies to be more proactive in sustainable practices. In this context, stakeholders, especially policy makers, should play the leading political and social roles in encouraging the adoption of SPMs in developing nations. It must be noted that E and E companies are likely to transform their learning culture and technology in terms of working towards sustainable practices once they have realized the financial benefits of adopting SPMs. With these benefits, a compounding effect due to SPMs will be created among E and E companies, where excellent performance can be achieved continuously. A major limitation of this study is the adoption of the contingency theory, which is yet to have a wide application in this area of study. Meanwhile, future research can be longitudinal in nature in addition to focusing on non-profit organizations.
On the Role of External Walls in the Reduction of Energy Demand and the Mitigation of Human Thermal Discomfort
Authors: Kisilewicz Tomasz
Published: February 2019

The structure and thermal properties of external walls affect both the thermal conditions inside the building and the energy demand. This applies to the energy requirement for heating as well as cooling. While the relationship between thermal insulation and heating is well-known, the effect of thermal insulation on overheating is not evident. One can find opinions that thick thermal insulation creates a “thermos effect” and significantly deteriorates the comfort conditions during the summer. In order to prove these statements, an office room with south-oriented glazing and a high thermal load from equipment was simulated by means of the Energy Plus program. The reference variant was a two-layer wall made from ceramic blocks and a 10 cm layer of thermal insulation. The duration of overheating in the investigated intensively used office space without window shading was approximately 26 to 29 days per year, depending on the expected comfort acceptance range, while in the case of the not insulated wall, it would be shorter by over 3 days. Increasing the thickness of the thermal insulation layer by up to 30 cm extended the overheating period by 4% to 9%. In relation to the whole simulation period, covering four summer months, this means approximately two extra days of discomfort. The effects of various passive methods of protecting buildings against overheating were also investigated. The use of night ventilation in this facility enables reducing the unfavorable conditions by as much as 31%, or up to 46% of the initial period of overheating. The change of the thermal inertia of a building by replacing the ceramic layer with heavy structural concrete allows a further reduction of the overheating duration by 8% to 9%. When the most effective ways of overheating protection are applied, such as night cooling, even a significant thickening of insulation no longer has any impact on its duration. The results shown above are obviously related to the adopted assumptions. However, on the basis of the conducted analyses, it is possible to reduce concerns relating to excessive insulating the building with respect to overheating. Having an optimal window area with nighttime cooling of buildings, window shading, and the inertial benefits associated with a massive construction are the most important and effective measures of protection against overheating. Efficient thermal insulation of the walls does not conflict with the thermal comfort conditions.
Enhanced Phosphorus Release from Phosphate Rock Activated with Lignite by Mechanical Microcrystallization: Effects of Several Typical Grinding Parameters
Authors: Zhang Xian-mei , Li Yi , Hu Cheng , He Zhen-quan , Wen Ming-xing , Gai Guo-sheng , Huang Zhao-hui , Yang Yu-fen , Hao Xiang-Yang , Li Xiao-yan
Published: February 2019

Recently, microcrystallization technology has gained much interest because of the enhanced dissolution of the target sample and promotion of the sustainable development of agriculture. Phosphorus (P) is one of the most important nutrients for increasing crop yield; the increase in effective P ratio directly from raw phosphate rock (PR) powder by mechanical grinding to increase its microcrystallinity is believed to be the best choice for this purpose. This study reports the improvement in the activation property of PR powder with different lignite ratios (1%, 2%, 3%, and 5%), particularly the relationship between particle-size distribution, specific surface area, granule morphology, and the citric acid-soluble P. It was found that a 3% lignite addition was the optimal treatment for increasing the release of citric acid-soluble P. The maximum total amount of dry matter from rapeseed cultivation and the available P after the test increased by 56.1% and 89.6%, respectively, with direct use of PR and microcrystallized PR powder (PR2), compared with the control test without any addition of phosphate minerals.
Existence of Positive Solutions of Nonlocal p(x)-Kirchhoff Evolutionary Systems via Sub-Super Solutions Concept
Authors: Boulaaras Salah , Allahem Ali
Published: February 2019

Motivated by the idea which has been introduced by Boulaaras and Guefaifia (Math. Meth. Appl. Sci. 41 (2018), 5203–5210 and, by Afrouzi and Shakeri (Afr. Mat. (2015) 26:159–168) combined with some properties of Kirchhoff type operators, we prove the existence of positive solutions for a class of nonlocal p x -Kirchhoff evolutionary systems by using the sub and super solutions concept.
Hyperbolic Function Embedding: Learning Hierarchical Representation for Functions of Source Code in Hyperbolic Space
Authors: Lu Mingming , Liu Yan , Li Haifeng , Tan Dingwu , He Xiaoxian , Bi Wenjie , Li Wendbo
Published: February 2019

Recently, source code mining has received increasing attention due to the rapid increase of open-sourced code repositories and the tremendous values implied in this large dataset, which can help us understand the organization of functions or classes in different software and analyze the impact of these organized patterns on the software behaviors. Hence, learning an effective representation model for the functions of source code, from a modern view, is a crucial problem. Considering the inherent hierarchy of functions, we propose a novel hyperbolic function embedding (HFE) method, which can learn a distributed and hierarchical representation for each function via the Poincaré ball model. To achieve this, a function call graph (FCG) is first constructed to model the call relationship among functions. To verify the underlying geometry of FCG, the Ricci curvature model is used. Finally, an HFE model is built to learn the representations that can capture the latent hierarchy of functions in the hyperbolic space, instead of the Euclidean space, which are usually used in those state-of-the-art methods. Moreover, HFE is more compact in terms of lower dimensionality than the existing graph embedding methods. Thus, HFE is more effective in terms of computation and storage. To experimentally evaluate the performance of HFE, two application scenarios, namely, function classification and link prediction, have been applied. HFE achieves up to 7.6% performance improvement compared to the chosen state-of-the-art methods, namely, Node2vec and Struc2vec.
Comprehensive Performance Evaluation System Based on Environmental and Economic Benefits for Optimal Allocation of LID Facilities
Authors: Bai Yiran , Li Yuhong , Zhang Ruoyu , Zhao Na , Zeng Xiaofan
Published: February 2019

In recent years, urban flooding occurred frequently because of extreme rainstorms. Sponge city construction can effectively mitigate urban flooding and improve urban rainwater utilization. Low-impact development (LID) is regarded as a sustainable solution for urban stormwater management. In this project, a comprehensive evaluation system was developed based on environmental and economic benefits using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) of the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The performance of four LID scenarios with the same locations but different sizes of green roof, permeable pavement, concave greenbelt, and rain garden were analyzed in the Sucheng district of Jiangsu province in China. Results illustrate that the green roof performed best in reducing runoff, while the rain garden performed worst. The LID combination scenario (1) that contained more green roof, permeable pavement, and concave greenbelt facilities, but fewer rain gardens had the better comprehensive performance on the basis of environmental and economic benefits. The combined scenario (2) (LID proportion of maximum construction area was 40%) could also be an alternative. This study provides a guide to optimize LID layouts for sponge city construction, which can also provide optimal selection for other sponge city constructions.
Estimating the Wind-Generated Wave Erosivity Potential: The Case of the Itumbiara Dam Reservoir
Authors: Vilhena Ricardo Moreira , Mascarenha Márcia Maria dos Anjos , Sales Maurício Martines , Romão Patrícia de Araújo , Luz Marta Pereira da
Published: February 2019

The impact of wind waves is a process that affect reservoir shorelines, causing economic and environmental damage. The objective of this paper is to analyze the erosive potential of waves generated by winds at the shoreline of a large tropical reservoir of the Itumbiara Dam that stands along the Paranaiba River in the Midwest of Brazil. A GIS-based analysis was carried out using a wave fetch model tool (WAVE) developed by the US Geological Survey with wind data from a Doppler sensor (SODAR—SOnic Detection and Ranging) and an ultrasonic anemometer. A wave erosivity potential map was generated combining 16 fetch rasters from every 22.5° wind directions and was weighted according to its corresponding wind frequency over the rainy season. This result showed the critical areas which may have a high wave potential to increase sediment detachment along the reservoir shoreline. Finally, some of these high erosivity potential areas coincide with large erosions sites, which are detected by satellite imagery. This technique was capable of identifying the wave potential which can cause shoreline erosions and also contribute to reservoir management and support future works, including field experimental programs and shoreline erosion treatments.
Water Supply-Water Environmental Capacity Nexus in a Saltwater Intrusion Area under Nonstationary Conditions
Authors: Liu Dedi , Zeng Yujie , Qin Yue , Shen Youjiang , Zhang Jiayu
Published: February 2019

Due to water supply increase and water quality deterioration, water resources are a critical problem in saltwater intrusion areas. In order to balance the relationship between water supply and water environment requirements, the nexus of water supply-water environment capacity should be well understood. Based on the Saint–Venant system of equations and the convection diffusion equation, the water supply-water environment capacity nexus physical equation is determined. Equivalent reliability is employed to estimate the boundary design water flow, which will then lead to a dynamic nexus. The framework for determining the nexus was then applied to a case study for the Pearl River Delta in China. The results indicate that the water supply-water environment capacity nexus is a declining linear relationship, which is different from the non-salt intrusion and tide-impacted areas. Water supply mainly relies on freshwater flow from upstream, while water environmental capacity is affected by both the design freshwater flow and the water levels at the downstream boundary. Our methods provide a useful framework for the quantification of the physical nexus according to the water quantity and water quality mechanisms, which are useful for freshwater allocation and management in a saltwater intrusion area or the tail area of cascade reservoirs.
Using Tabu Search Adjusted with Urban Sewer Flood Simulation to Improve Pluvial Flood Warning via Rainfall Thresholds
Authors: Liao Hao-Yu , Pan Tsung-Yi , Chang Hsiang-Kuan , Hsieh Chi-Tai , Lai Jihn-Sung , Tan Yih-Chi , Su Ming-Daw
Published: February 2019

Pluvial floods are the most frequent natural hazard impacting urban cities because of extreme rainfall intensity within short duration. Owing to the complex interaction between rainfall, drainage systems and overland flow, pluvial flood warning poses a challenge for many metropolises. Although physical-based flood inundation models could identify inundated locations, hydrodynamic modeling is limited in terms of computational costs and sophisticated calibration. Thus, herein, a quick pluvial flood warning system using rainfall thresholds for central Taipei is developed. A tabu search algorithm is implemented with hydrological-analysis-based initial boundary conditions to optimize rainfall thresholds. Furthermore, a cross test is adopted to evaluate the effect of each rainfall event on rainfall threshold optimization. Urban sewer flood is simulated via hydrodynamic modeling with calibration using crowdsourced data. The locations and time of occurrence of pluvial floods can be obtained to increase the quality of observed data that dominate the accuracy of pluvial flood warning when using rainfall thresholds. The optimization process is a tabu search based on flood reports and observed data for six flood-prone districts in central Taipei. The results show that optimum rainfall thresholds can be efficiently determined through tabu search and the accuracy of the issued flood warnings can be significantly improved.
STUDY OF SORPTIVITY OF SELF‐COMPACTING CONCRETE WITH MINERAL ADDITIVES
Authors: Oliveira Luiz Antonio Pereira de , Gomes João Paulo de Castro , Pereira Cristiana Nadir Gonilho
Published: February 2019

This work presents the results of a comparative study of the sorptivity, accomplished in mixtures of selfcompacting concrete with different types of additives and a normal concrete compacted by vibration. The self‐compacting concrete mixtures present slump‐flow of 650 ± 50 mm and have the same cement contents. In the self‐compacting mixtures, were used as additives, fly ash, silica fume, hydraulic lime and a mixture of fly ash and hydraulic lime. A modified carboxylates superplasticiser was used to obtain a specific workability. The capillary absorption was carried out at 7, 14 and 28 days of age, through a methodology described in the work. The results permit to conclude that the used additives propitiate the self‐compacting concrete. In terms of capillary absorption, the mixtures with fly ash have a better performance.
THE HEATING RATE IMPACT ON PARAMETERS CHARACTERISTIC OF STEEL BEHAVIOUR UNDER FIRE CONDITIONS
Authors: Bednarek Zoja , Kamocka Renata
Published: February 2019

The behaviour of steel structure components within a high temperature field depends not only on the absolute temperature, but also on the temperature vs time function and on the heating rate, dT/dτ. The research objective is the determination of the heating rate impact on selected strength parameters of structural steels. Tests were performed under conditions of a linear temperature increase with different heating rates and with a constant stress value, σ/fy . After strength tests, the samples were subjected to metallography. Test results proved that the heating rate makes a significant impact on parameters that determine the steel structure bearing capacity at higher temperatures and that the heating rate should be accounted for in the strength analysis of steel structures exposed to high temperatures.
A GIS-BASED MODELLING OF VEHICLES RATIONAL ROUTES
Authors: Jakimavičius Marius , Mačerinskienė Aida
Published: February 2019

Methods of searching the rational route are dealt with in the presented article, where the main optimality parameters of the route are chosen: the shortest travelling route (1), the fastest travelling route (2) and the alternatively selected route (3), where the optimality criteria are calculated for one‐side traffic swath. Based on analysed aspects, GIS tools for transport flow modelling are picked and route search algorithm resulting in evaluation of the road permeability depending on the time of the day designed. Such methodology is based on real adaptability example in one transport area of Vilnius city.
CREATIVITY TRILATERAL DYNAMICS: PLAYFULNESS, MINDFULNESS, AND IMPROVISATION
Authors: Hassan Doaa Kamaleldin
Published: February 2019

As recent studies proved; creativity is no longer an option, it is really essential for our everyday life. In fact, creativity is a unified whole composed of four interweaved strands; creative person, creative press, creative process, and creative product. Nevertheless, creative person could be considered the motor of these unified gearwheels. Creative person should be open for novelty, tolerant for complexity and ambiguity as discussed through literature; however, the question here is how to acquire these characteristics. In this sense, issues of playfulness, mindfulness and improvisa-tion could be much related and might answer such question. In fact, these topics were approached in many researches in relation to creativity, but there are scarce studies that might relate them to each other, i.e., playfulness with mindfulness, mindfulness with improvisation, or improvisation with playfulness. Thus, this research, as a contribution to the field of the psychology of creativity, proposes that there is a correlation among these three experiences or forces of a creative person. Then, the aim of this research is to explore these interrelations that, if boosted, might leverage creative person’s characteristics. The methodology is based on inductive reasoning via two phases; first, analyzing literature on playfulness, mindfulness and improvisation and their relations to creativity studies. The second phase is traversing these three corpuses, sewing them together in order to create a braid of these forces to act as dynamics boosting for higher levels of creative mindset.
RETHINKING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSING PRICES AND INFLATION: NEW EVIDENCE FROM 29 LARGE CITIES IN CHINA
Authors: Tang Jianli , Ye Kunhui , Qian Yan
Published: February 2019

This paper presents a longitudinal analysis of the relationship between housing prices and inflation by employing new housing price indices from 29 large Chinese cities over the 2003–2013 period. Based on the Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) model and bounds test, we find no long-run co-integration relationship between housing prices and inflation. This result is robust for different types of inflation (actual, expected, unexpected inflation). Furthermore, it is found that the housing prices in China grow spectacularly in the sample period owing to the dramatic development of the Chinese economy, while inflation grows in a more modest way. Although the study is conducted in the context of China, the results can provide useful evidence to the debate on the relationship between housing prices and inflation.
EFFICIENCY AND DETERMINANTS ANALYSIS OF CHINESE INFRASTRUCTURE PPP PROJECTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION STAGES
Authors: Xu LiPing , Liu Ning , Zhang ShuXia , Qiu HuangJing , Chen Li , Wang Zeyu
Published: February 2019

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) are used for infrastructure projects, but they usually involve risk because of their complexity. The construction and operation stages are the core of successful infrastructure PPP projects. This study analysed the efficiency and determinants of the construction and operation stages of Chinese infrastructure PPP projects conducted by thirty provinces from 2008–2013. During the five years examined, the efficiency of infrastructure PPP projects in the construction stage exhibited a downward spiral, but showed a gradual upward trend in the operation stage. The results showed that government supervision was one of the most significant positive influences on construction efficiency, while risk allocation had a greater positive impact on efficiency during the operation stage. The evidence in this study is impactful because it provides insights for practitioners regarding key determinants for improving efficiency in the construction and operation stages of infrastructure PPP projects.
ADJUSTMENT OF CORPORATE REAL ESTATE DURING A PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANT BUSINESS CHANGE
Authors: Cooke Howard , Appel-Meulenbroek Rianne , Arentze Theo
Published: February 2019

This paper seeks to understand whether the alignment process between business strategy and Corporate Real Estate (CRE) between 2007 and 2014 was dynamic. It investigated the financial data of 230 UK companies by means of a distributed time lag auto-regression model. The results show an increased commitment to CRE suggesting a reduced ability to dynamically align the portfolio. Evidence is found that CRE adjusts as turnover, profitability and employment numbers alter. However, measures of efficiency, effectiveness and productivity are not improving. The new business strategies of transient competitive advantage and blue oceans strategy require flexible resources, which require CRE to be capable of dynamic alignment. This study shows such flexibility does not yet exist in practice. Current theories of alignment should be reconsidered in light of the changing business environment. Without a dynamic alignment capability of CRE a company’s financial performance will be impaired.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CONSOLIDATION THEORY OF VERTICAL DRAIN BASED ON CONTINUOUS DRAINAGE BOUNDARY
Authors: Zhang Yi , Wu Wenbing , Mei Guoxiong , Duan Longchen
Published: February 2019

To remedy the limitation that the conventional drainage boundary only considers two extreme cases of pervious and impervious boundaries, the consolidation theory of vertical drain is derived by applying the continuous drainage boundary, and its validity is also proven. Based on the obtained solutions, the excess pore water pressure and the average degree of consolidation under the continuous drainage boundary condition are analyzed, and the effect of the drainage capacity of the top surface, the smear effect and the well resistance on consolidation are explored. Furthermore, the practicality of this theory is also validated by the comparison with experimental data. Results confirm that the complete and continuous process of the ground top surface can be changed from no drainage to a complete drainage by adjusting the value of the interface parameter b. Higher value of the interface parameter b means a stronger water permeability of the foundation, resulting in a faster dissipation of excess pore water pressure and a faster consolidation. Meanwhile, the vertical drainage of the vertical drain cannot be neglected in calculation even though vertical drains are based on a horizontal seepage. Moreover, the smear effect and the well resistance play an important role on consolidation.
Properties of Extremely Asymmetric Magnetic Reconnection
Authors: Nitta 新 S. 田伸也 , Kondoh 近 K. 藤光志
Published: February 2019

The behavior of extremely asymmetric magnetic reconnections is numerically investigated. The asymmetry is defined as the ratio k of the magnetic fields on both sides of the isothermal initial current sheet. This work is an extension of our previous research for 1 < k ≤ 2 to further asymmetry 2 < k ≤ 20. In our previous work, Nitta et al., we clarified that even for a slight asymmetry k ≤ 2, the reconnection structure drastically changes from symmetric standard models like the Petschek model. The properties of the asymmetric system are a (1) two-layered non-uniform reconnection jet, (2) contact discontinuity (CD) in the lower beta side (LBS) plasmoid between the plasmas coming from both sides of the current sheet, and (3) forward fast shock (FFS) in front of the higher beta side (HBS) plasmoid. We aim to clarify, in this paper, how these properties change and whether new aspects appear for further asymmetric cases. We have confirmed that, even under strongly asymmetric circumstances, the CD in the LBS plasmoid and the two-layered jet structure hold; however, the FFS disappears for extremely asymmetric cases. The fraction of the HBS plasma component increases in the reconnection outflow as k increases. The reconnection rate decreases as a power-law function of k.
Correlation between SFR Surface Density and Thermal Pressure of Ionized Gas in Local Analogs of High-redshift Galaxies
Authors: Jiang Tianxing , Malhotra Sangeeta , Yang Huan , Rhoads James E.
Published: February 2019

We explore the relation between the star formation rate surface density (ΣSFR) and the interstellar gas pressure for nearby compact starburst galaxies. The sample consists of 17 green peas and 19 Lyman break analogs (LBAs). Green peas are nearby analogs of Lyα emitters at high redshift and LBAs are nearby analogs of Lyman break galaxies at high redshift. We measure the sizes of green peas using Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph near-UV images with a spatial resolution of ∼0.″05. We estimate the gas thermal pressure in H ii regions by P = N

total

Tk

B
 ≃ 2n

e

Tk

B
. The electron density is derived using the [S ii] doublet at 6716,6731 Å and the temperature is calculated from the [O iii] lines. The correlation is characterized by ΣSFR =

. Green peas and LBAs have high ΣSFR up to 1.2 M
⊙ yr−1 kpc−2 and high thermal pressure in the H ii region up to P/k

B
 ∼ 107.2 K cm−3. These values are at the highest end of the range seen in nearby starburst galaxies. The high gas pressure and the correlation are in agreement with those found in star-forming galaxies at z ∼ 2.5. These extreme pressures are shown to be responsible for driving galactic winds in nearby starbursts. These outflows may be crucial in enabling Lyα and Lyman-continuum to escape.
Direct Te Metallicity Calibration of R23 in Strong Line Emitters
Authors: Jiang Tianxing , Malhotra Sangeeta , Rhoads James E. , Yang Huan
Published: February 2019

The gas metallicity of galaxies is often estimated using strong emission lines such as the optical lines of [O iii] and [O ii]. The most common measure is “R23,” defined as ([O ii]λλ3726, 3729 + [O iii]λλ4959,5007)/Hβ. Most calibrations for these strong-line metallicity indicators are for continuum selected galaxies. We report a new empirical calibration of R23 for extreme emission-line galaxies using a large sample of about 800 star-forming green pea galaxies with reliable T

e
-based gas-phase metallicity measurements. This sample is assembled from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 13 with the equivalent width of the line [O iii]λ5007 > 300 Å or the equivalent width of the line Hβ > 100 Å in the redshift range 0.011 < z < 0.411. For galaxies with strong emission lines and large ionization parameter (which manifests as log [O iii]λλ4959,5007/[O ii]λλ3726,3729 ≥0.6), R23 monotonically increases with log(O/H) and the double-value degeneracy is broken. Our calibration provides metallicity estimates that are accurate to within ∼0.14 dex in this regime. Many previous R23 calibrations are found to have bias and large scatter for extreme emission-line galaxies. We give formulae and plots to directly convert R23 and [O iii]λλ4959,5007/[O ii]λλ3726,3729 to log(O/H). Since green peas are best nearby analogs of high-redshift Lyα emitting galaxies, the new calibration offers a good way to estimate the metallicities of both extreme emission-line galaxies and high-redshift Lyα emitting galaxies. We also report on 15 galaxies with metallicities less than 1/12 solar, with the lowest metallicities being 12+log(O/H) = 7.25 and 7.26.
Expanding Global Features in the Outer Heliosphere
Authors: McComas D. J. , Dayeh M. A. , Funsten H. O. , Janzen P. H. , Schwadron N. A. , Szalay J. R. , Zirnstein E. J.
Published: February 2019

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer continues to observe the outer heliosphere’s response to the large (∼50%) increase in solar wind dynamic pressure at 1 au that began in late 2014 and continues today. The response of the outer heliosphere to this pressure increase resulted in enhanced energetic neutral atom (ENA) emission late in 2016 and much more enhanced emission in early 2017. The time evolution of enhanced emissions provides a measure of the distance to the termination shock and heliosheath over the sky, and the emission intensity provides unique insight into the plasma properties within the heliosheath. The initial ENA brightening was centered on the closest and thinnest region of the inner heliosheath, ∼20° south of the upwind direction. From early 2017 to early 2018, ENA emissions rapidly expanded northward to cover nearly the entire upwind direction, as the pressure increase encompassed heliosheath regions located progressively farther from the Sun. This preferential expansion shows that the next closest regions span the upwind side from the north-port to the south-starboard directions. These are consistent with the heliosphere being shaped by the combined flow and magnetic pressures of the local interstellar medium. The observations fit the expectations of the geometry shown by McComas & Schwadron and are inconsistent with recent suggestions of a roughly spherical heliosphere. The next few years will see the Sun’s enduring 2014 pressure enhancement propagate farther out in the heliosphere, generating increasingly broad regions of enhanced ENA emissions and exposing the directional-dependent distances to the termination shock and heliopause and underlying physics of the global heliospheric interaction.
The Implications of Simple Estimates of the 2D Outerscale Based on Measurements of Magnetic Islands for the Modulation of Galactic Cosmic-Ray Electrons
Authors: Engelbrecht N. E.
Published: February 2019

The behavior of the 2D turbulence power spectrum at the lowest wavenumbers has a significant effect on the perpendicular diffusion coefficients of charged particles in the heliosphere derived from various scattering theories, and subsequently used to model the transport of cosmic rays (CRs) and solar energetic particles. In this regard, the lengthscale at which the energy-containing range begins, as opposed to that at which the inertial range commences, is of particular interest. This 2D outerscale has, however, never before been directly observed. Recently, direct measurements of magnetic islands in the solar wind have been reported by various authors. Assuming that these may provide an estimate of the 2D ultrascale, the direct calculation of the 2D outerscale becomes possible, should an observationally motivated form for the 2D turbulence power spectrum be employed. This study presents the results of such a calculation and provides comparisons of these with previous estimates of the 2D outerscale. Furthermore, the sensitivity of galactic CR electron intensities, calculated using a 3D ab initio CR modulation model, is demonstrated, and conclusions are drawn therefrom.
Supernova PTF 12glz: A Possible Shock Breakout Driven through an Aspherical Wind
Authors: Soumagnac Maayane T. , Ofek Eran O. , Gal-yam Avishay , Waxman Eli , Ginzburg Sivan , Strotjohann Nora Linn , Schulze Steve , Barlow Tom A. , Behar Ehud , Chelouche Doron , Fremling Christoffer , Ganot Noam , Gezari Suvi , Kasliwal Mansi M. , Kaspi Shai , Kulkarni Shrinivas R. , Laher Russ R. , Maoz Dan , Martin Christopher D. , Nakar Ehud , Neill James D. , Nugent Peter E. , Poznanski Dovi , Yaron Ofer
Published: February 2019

We present visible-light and ultraviolet (UV) observations of the supernova PTF 12glz. The SN was discovered and monitored in the near-UV and R bands as part of a joint GALEX and Palomar Transient Factory campaign. It is among the most energetic SNe IIn observed to date (≈1051 erg). If the radiated energy mainly came from the thermalization of the shock kinetic energy, we show that PTF 12glz was surrounded by ∼1 M
⊙ of circumstellar material (CSM) prior to its explosive death. PTF 12glz shows a puzzling peculiarity: at early times, while the freely expanding ejecta are presumably masked by the optically thick CSM, the radius of the blackbody that best fits the observations grows at ≈7000 km s−1. Such a velocity is characteristic of fast moving ejecta rather than optically thick CSM. This phase of radial expansion takes place before any spectroscopic signature of expanding ejecta appears in the spectrum and while both the spectroscopic data and the bolometric luminosity seem to indicate that the CSM is optically thick. We propose a geometrical solution to this puzzle, involving an aspherical structure of the CSM around PTF 12glz. By modeling radiative diffusion through a slab of CSM, we show that an aspherical geometry of the CSM can result in a growing effective radius. This simple model also allows us to recover the decreasing blackbody temperature of PTF 12glz. SLAB-Diffusion, the code we wrote to model the radiative diffusion of photons through a slab of CSM and evaluate the observed radius and temperature, is made available online.
The Imprint of Element Abundance Patterns on Quiescent Galaxy Spectral Energy Distributions
Authors: Choi Jieun , Conroy Charlie , Johnson Benjamin D.
Published: February 2019

Stellar population synthesis models have long struggled to reproduce observed optical through near-IR (NIR) spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of massive quiescent galaxies. We revisit this issue using a novel approach that combines the diagnostic power of full-spectrum fitting with recently updated stellar spectral libraries. First, we perform full-spectrum fitting of continuum-normalized, stacked SDSS spectra in bins of velocity dispersion to infer their stellar population properties, such as the elemental abundances and age. Next, we use the resulting best-fit parameters to compute ugriz colors, which are then compared to observed colors of the same galaxies. With this approach we are able to predict the ugriz SEDs of low- and high-mass galaxies at the ≲0.03 mag level in nearly all cases. We find that the full optical through NIR SEDs of quiescent galaxies can be reproduced only when the spectrum is fit with a flexibility that is able to capture the behavior of the entire optical absorption line spectrum. The models include variation in individual elemental abundances, nebular emission lines, and the presence of young stellar components. The successful prediction of the SED shape from continuum-normalized spectra implies that the continuum information is largely contained in the narrow absorption features. These results also imply that attempts to model broadband photometry of quiescent systems will suffer from potentially significant biases if the detailed abundance patterns are not taken into account.