bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Two Simulation Methods of the Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) for Drought Monitoring in Semi-Arid Regions of China
Authors: Du Lingtong , Song Naiping , Liu Ke , Hou Jing , Hu Yue , Zhu Yuguo , Wang Xinyun , Wang Lei , Guo Yige
Published: February 2017

The Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI), a drought monitoring index based on an empirical parameterization of the Land Surface Temperature (LST)–Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) space, has been widely implemented in a variety of ecosystems worldwide because it does not depend on ancillary data. However, the simulation of dry/wet edges in the TVDI model can be problematic because remote sensing images do not have sufficient pixels to identify the wetness and dryness extremes of different vegetation coverages. In this study, an improvement in dry/wet edge simulation was proposed, and a comparison of the original TVDI and the modified Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDIm) was performed for drought monitoring in Ningxia Province, which is a typical semi-arid region in China. First, the difference between the land surface temperatures in day and night (∆LST) was used as an alternative to LST when building the TVDIm model. In addition, the wet edges were improved by removing outliers using a statistical method, and the dry edges were optimized by removing the “tail down” points in the NDVI range of 0.0–0.1. Here, the modeling process of TVDIm in 2005, one of recent extreme drought year is illustrated. The results show that both the TVDI and TVDIm can be used to monitor the temporal and spatial variations of drought, and the onset, duration, extent, and severity of drought can be reflected by TVDI and TVDIm maps. However, the magnitude of TVDI is higher than that of TVDIm, which could cause the TVDI-simulated drought condition to be elevated in normal years and underestimated in dry years. The TVDIm has higher coefficients of correlation with in situ meteorological drought index and agricultural drought statistical data than does the original TVDI, and it exhibits better performance in drought monitoring compared to that of the original TVDI in semi-arid regions of China.
Compliment Graphene Oxide Coating on Silk Fiber Surface via Electrostatic Force for Capacitive Humidity Sensor Applications
Authors: Han Kook , Kim Seungdu , Lee In , Kim Jong , Kim Jung-Ha , Hong Suck , Cho Byung , Hwang Wan
Published: February 2017

Cylindrical silk fiber (SF) was coated with Graphene oxide (GO) for capacitive humidity sensor applications. Negatively charged GO in the solution was attracted to the positively charged SF surface via electrostatic force without any help from adhesive intermediates. The magnitude of the positively charged SF surface was controlled through the static electricity charges created on the SF surface. The GO coating ability on the SF improved as the SF’s positive charge increased. The GO-coated SFs at various conditions were characterized using an optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Raman spectroscopy, and LCR meter. Unlike the intact SF, the GO-coated SF showed clear response-recovery behavior and well-behaved repeatability when it was exposed to 20% relative humidity (RH) and 90% RH alternatively in a capacitive mode. This approach allows humidity sensors to take advantage of GO’s excellent sensing properties and SF’s flexibility, expediting the production of flexible, low power consumption devices at relatively low costs.
Formal Uncertainty and Dispersion of Single and Double Difference Models for GNSS-Based Attitude Determination
Authors: Chen Wen , Yu Chao , Dong Danan , Cai Miaomiao , Zhou Feng , Wang Zhiren , Zhang Lei , Zheng Zhengqi
Published: February 2017

With multi-antenna synchronized global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers, the single difference (SD) between two antennas is able to eliminate both satellite and receiver clock error, thus it becomes necessary to reconsider the equivalency problem between the SD and double difference (DD) models. In this paper, we quantitatively compared the formal uncertainties and dispersions between multiple SD models and the DD model, and also carried out static and kinematic short baseline experiments. The theoretical and experimental results show that under a non-common clock scheme the SD and DD model are equivalent. Under a common clock scheme, if we estimate stochastic uncalibrated phase delay (UPD) parameters every epoch, this SD model is still equivalent to the DD model, but if we estimate only one UPD parameter for all epochs or take it as a known constant, the SD (here called SD2) and DD models are no longer equivalent. For the vertical component of baseline solutions, the formal uncertainties of the SD2 model are two times smaller than those of the DD model, and the dispersions of the SD2 model are even more than twice smaller than those of the DD model. In addition, to obtain baseline solutions, the SD2 model requires a minimum of three satellites, while the DD model requires a minimum of four satellites, which makes the SD2 more advantageous in attitude determination under sheltered environments.
Agricultural Irrigation Water Use in a Closed Basin and the Impacts on Water Productivity: The Case of the Guadalquivir River Basin (Southern Spain)
Authors: Expósito Alfonso , Berbel Julio
Published: February 2017

This paper analyses the agricultural irrigation water use in a closed basin and the impacts on water productivity, and examines how they have affected the ‘closure’ process of the Guadalquivir river basin observed in recent decades. Following a period of expansion in irrigation, an administrative moratorium was declared on new irrigated areas in 2005. Since then, the main policy measure has been aimed at the modernisation of irrigated agriculture and the implementation of water conservation technologies. The analysis carried out in this paper shows a significant increase in mean irrigation water productivity in the pre‐moratorium period (1989–2005), driven by the creation of new irrigated areas devoted to high value crops and with a dominant use of deficit irrigation strategies, while a second phase (2005–2012) is characterised by slower growth in terms of the mean productivity of irrigation water, primarily as a result of a significant reduction in water use per area. Findings show that productivity gains seem to have reached a ceiling in this river basin, since technological innovations (such as new crops, deficit irrigation, and water‐saving and conservation technologies) have reached the limits of their capacity to create new value.
Soil Moisture for Hydrological Applications: Open Questions and New Opportunities
Authors: Brocca Luca , Ciabatta Luca , Massari Christian , Camici Stefania , Tarpanelli Angelica
Published: February 2017

Soil moisture is widely recognized as a key parameter in the mass and energy balance between the land surface and the atmosphere and, hence, the potential societal benefits of an accurate estimation of soil moisture are immense. Recently, scientific community is making great effort for addressing the estimation of soil moisture over large areas through in situ sensors, remote sensing and modelling approaches. The different techniques used for addressing the monitoring of soil moisture for hydrological applications are briefly reviewed here. Moreover, some examples in which in situ and satellite soil moisture data are successfully employed for improving hydrological monitoring and predictions (e.g., floods, landslides, precipitation and irrigation) are presented. Finally, the emerging applications, the open issues and the future opportunities given by the increased availability of soil moisture measurements are outlined.
Fiber optic sensors based on hybrid phenyl-silica xerogel films to detect n-hexane: determination of the isosteric enthalpy of adsorption
Authors: Echeverría Jesús C , Calleja Ignacio , Moriones Paula , Garrido Julián J
Published: February 2017

We investigated the response of three fiber optic sensing elements prepared at pH 10 from phenyltriethoxysilane (PhTEOS) and tetraethylsilane (TEOS) mixtures with 30, 40, and 50% PhTEOS in the silicon precursor mixture. The sensing elements are referred to as Ph30, Ph40 and Ph50, respectively. The films were synthesized by the sol–gel method and affixed to the end of optical fibers by the dip-coating technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, N2 adsorption–desorption at 77 K and X-ray diffraction analysis were used to characterize the xerogels. At a given pressure of n-hexane, the response of each sensing element decreased with temperature, indicating an exothermic process that confirmed the role of adsorption in the overall performance of the sensing elements. The isosteric adsorption enthalpies were obtained from the calibration curves at different temperatures. The magnitude of the isosteric enthalpy of n-hexane increased with the relative response and reached a plateau that stabilized at approximately −31 kJ mol−1 for Ph40 and Ph50 and at approximately −37 kJ mol−1 for Ph30. This indicates that the adsorbate–adsorbent interaction was dominant at lower relative pressure and condensation of the adsorbate on the mesopores was dominant at higher relative pressure.
Nursing Assistance At The Puerperium: Integrative Review
Authors: Moreira Menezes de Lima Gabryella , De Lima Teles Hallana , Pereira Tavares Alcântara Patrícia , Lopes Moreira Maria Regilânia , Germane Alves Pinto Antonio , De Sá Barreto Marinho Mirna Neyara Alexandre , Feitosa de Araújo Aretha , Da Costa Facundo Maria Andreia , Silva de Melo Maria Elaine , Alves Bezerra Ana Adilia , Gonçalves de Oliveira Leilane , Grangeiro Nascimento Anna Caroline , Macêdo Góis Swyanne , Leite Dantas Maria Natália , Lobo Gurgel Evelyne
Published: February 2017

INTRODUCTION: The Puerperium is a critical time for the woman, her baby and her family, due to psychological and physiological changes. At that moment, the woman experiences significant changes and needs qualified attention in health.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to describe the scientific production on nursing care in the postpartum period, justifying that the woman, at the moment, undergoes many changes requiring a qualified attention.

METHOD: The methodology used was the integrative review of the literature on nursing care in the puerperal period, in the databases of articles and scientific publications, present in the Virtual Health Library, from 2008 to 2014.

RESULTS: The results highlight the importance of Nursing during puerperal care to resolve and improve the quality of life of puerperal patients.
Exclusive Breastfeeding: Guidance In The Process Of Communication Between Nursing Staff And Recent Mothers
Authors: Câmara Campos Fernanda , Morais Soares Francisco Mayron , Araújo Bezerra Raylla , Feitosa de Melo Freitas Susy Maria , Monteiro Holanda Sâmia , Souza de Oliveira Amanda , Rocha Teles Liana Mara , Vieira Freitas dos Santos Lydia , De Castro Damasceno Ana Kelve
Published: February 2017

Objective: To identify the guidelines offered and the respective communication techniques used by Nursing staff for the practice of exclusive breastfeeding, during the establishment of the communication with recent mothers.

Method: Descriptive study with a qualitative approach, between March and December 2012, in a reference Hospital of Fortaleza, with eleven Nursing professionals.

Results: Most Nursing professionals of the study focused their guidelines on the importance of maintaining the practice of exclusive breastfeeding up to the first six months of the child's life, highlighting the benefits for the baby, mom and the family, and in the clinical management of breastfeeding.

Conclusions: By using the techniques of communication, Nursing professionals have demonstrated to be in tune with recent mothers when promoting their participation in the breastfeeding process, instructing them and offering encouragement. However, the social and emotional aspects that permeate the practice of breastfeeding were not mentioned by the Nursing staff.
Evaluation Of Pain In Newborn In Intensive Therapy In The Vision Of Health Professionals
Authors: Teles dos Santos Motta Bruna , Pereira Costa Aleksandra , Caxias de Souza Maurício , Tavares da Fonsêca Leila De Cássia , Silva Holmes Ericka , Ferreira de Souza Luciana , Alves de Carvalho Michelle , Pinheiro Cabral Ijaly Patrícia , Barbosa Medeiros Juliana , Batista Olegário Walnizia Kessia , Kafran França de Vasconcelos Kamilla , Da Silva Rocha Santos Jeane , Beserra da Costa Santos Iolanda , De Melo Buriti Vasconcelos Josilene , Lopes de Oliveira Sousa Marcos Antonio , Freire Siza Maria Auxiliadora
Published: February 2017

Objective: Evaluate how health professionals perceive the pain in the NBs hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Method: This is a descriptive, exploratory research with a qualitative approach, developed in the maternity hospital Instituto de Saúde Elpídio de Almeida (ISEA), in the period from February to March 2016, after approval by the Research Ethics Committee (CESED), where the technique of data collection was through an interview with a prior script divided into two parts: the first part deals with socio-demographic issues, while the second part deals with issues related to pain in the NB, where they were recorded and transcribed in their entirety, using the content treatment through content analysis of the thematic type proposed by Laurence Bardin.

Results: The results show that all health professionals perceive the pain in the neonate, where three categories emerged: "relates the evaluation of pain with physiological and behavioral measurements"; "know, but do not evaluate with pain score", "do not evaluate with pain score". Regarding the use of some method for pain relief, two categories emerged: "use of non-pharmacological methods for pain relief"; "Use of simultaneous pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods".

Conclusion: All the professionals contributed to the growth of this research, being necessary more studies about the pain, mainly with regard to the use of multidimensional scales, since there is a lack of knowledge on the part of the professionals and teams that work in the NICU.
DEVELOPMENT OF A DYNAMIC INCENTIVE AND PENALTY PROGRAM FOR IMPROVING THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF EXISTING BUILDINGS
Authors: KOO Choongwan , HONG Taehoon
Published: February 2017

The positive effectiveness of energy policy instruments such as national carbon emissions reduction target (CERT) and energy performance certificates can be achieved by encouraging the voluntary participation of the public in the energy-saving campaign. Towards this end, this study aimed to develop a dynamic incentive and penalty program for improving the energy performance of existing buildings. Four types of incentive programs and four types of penalty programs were established based on three comparison criteria. As a building-level, the first comparison criterion is the averaging approach based on similar cases that can be retrieved using a simplified case-based reasoning model. As a community-level, the second comparison criterion is one-step higher operational and letter rating than the grade of a given building. As a national-level, the third comparison criterion is the operational and letter rating as the minimum criteria for achieving the national CERT. In this study, an elementary school facility located in Seoul, South Korea was selected to validate the applicability of the developed program. As a result, besides the category benchmark, the various comparison criteria should be provided to the public to encourage the voluntary participation of the public in the energy-saving campaign.
A Double-line M-dwarf Eclipsing Binary from CSS × SDSS
Authors: Lee (李見修) Chien-Hsiu
Published: February 2017

Eclipsing binaries offer a unique opportunity to determine basic stellar properties. With the advent of wide-field camera and all-sky time-domain surveys, thousands of eclipsing binaries have been charted via light curve classification, yet their fundamental properties remain unexplored mainly due to the extensive efforts needed for spectroscopic follow-ups. In this paper, we present the discovery of a short-period (P = 0.313 day), double-lined M-dwarf eclipsing binary, CSSJ114804.3+255132/SDSSJ114804.35+255132.6, by cross-matching binary light curves from the Catalina Sky Survey and spectroscopically classified M dwarfs from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We obtain follow-up spectra using the Gemini telescope, enabling us to determine the mass, radius, and temperature of the primary and secondary component to be M
1 = 0.47 ± 0.03(statistic) ± 0.03(systematic) M
⊙, M
2 = 0.46 ± 0.03(statistic) ± 0.03(systematic) M
⊙, R
1 = 0.52 ± 0.08(statistic) ± 0.07(systematic) R
⊙, R
2 =0.60 ± 0.08(statistic) ± 0.08(systematic) R
⊙, T
1 = 3560 ± 100 K, and T
2 = 3040 ± 100 K, respectively. The systematic error was estimated using the difference between eccentric and non-eccentric fits. Our analysis also indicates that there is definitively third-light contamination (66%) in the CSS photometry. The secondary star seems inflated, probably due to tidal locking of the close secondary companion, which is common for very short-period binary systems. Future spectroscopic observations with high resolution will narrow down the uncertainties of stellar parameters for both components, rendering this system as a benchmark for studying fundamental properties of M dwarfs.
The Radio Spectral Energy Distribution and Star-formation Rate Calibration in Galaxies
Authors: Tabatabaei F. S. , Schinnerer E. , Krause M. , Dumas G. , Meidt S. , Damas-Segovia A. , Beck R. , Murphy E. J. , Mulcahy D. D. , Groves B. , Bolatto A. , Dale D. , Galametz M. , Sandstrom K. , Boquien M. , Calzetti D. , Kennicutt R. C. , Hunt L. K. , Looze I. De , Pellegrini E. W.
Published: February 2017

We study the spectral energy distribution (SED) of the radio continuum (RC) emission from the Key Insight in Nearby Galaxies Emitting in Radio (KINGFISHER) sample of nearby galaxies to understand the energetics and origin of this emission. Effelsberg multi-wavelength observations at 1.4, 4.8, 8.4, and 10.5 GHz combined with archive data allow us, for the first time, to determine the mid-RC (1–10 GHz, MRC) bolometric luminosities and further present calibration relations versus the monochromatic radio luminosities. The 1–10 GHz radio SED is fitted using a Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique leading to measurements for the nonthermal spectral index (

) and the thermal fraction (

) with mean values of

for the total spectral index) and

 = (10 ± 9)% at 1.4 GHz. The MRC luminosity changes over ∼3 orders of magnitude in the sample,

MRC

. The thermal emission is responsible for ∼23% of the MRC on average. We also compare the extinction-corrected diagnostics of the star-formation rate (SFR) with the thermal and nonthermal radio tracers and derive the first star-formation calibration relations using the MRC radio luminosity. The nonthermal spectral index flattens with increasing SFR surface density, indicating the effect of the star-formation feedback on the cosmic-ray electron population in galaxies. Comparing the radio and IR SEDs, we find that the FIR-to-MRC ratio could decrease with SFR, due to the amplification of the magnetic fields in star-forming regions. This particularly implies a decrease in the ratio at high redshifts, where mostly luminous/star-forming galaxies are detected.
A Multi-epoch Kinematic Study of the Remote Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy Leo II∗
Authors: Spencer Meghin E. , Mateo Mario , Walker Matthew G. , Olszewski Edward W.
Published: February 2017

We conducted a large spectroscopic survey of 336 red giants in the direction of the Leo II dwarf galaxy using Hectochelle on the Multiple Mirror Telescope, and we conclude that 175 of them are members based on their radial velocities and surface gravities. Of this set, 40 stars have never before been observed spectroscopically. The systemic velocity of the dwarf is 78.3 ± 0.6 km s−1 with a velocity dispersion of 7.4 ± 0.4 km s−1. We identify one star beyond the tidal radius of Leo II but find no signatures of uniform rotation, kinematic asymmetries, or streams. The stars show a strong metallicity gradient of −1.53 ± 0.10 dex kpc−1 and have a mean metallicity of −1.70 ± 0.02 dex. There is also evidence of two different chemodynamic populations, but the signal is weak. A larger sample of stars would be necessary to verify this feature.
Multi-fluid Modeling of Magnetosonic Wave Propagation in the Solar Chromosphere: Effects of Impact Ionization and Radiative Recombination
Authors: Maneva Yana G. , Laguna Alejandro Alvarez , Lani Andrea , Poedts Stefaan
Published: February 2017

In order to study chromospheric magnetosonic wave propagation including, for the first time, the effects of ion–neutral interactions in the partially ionized solar chromosphere, we have developed a new multi-fluid computational model accounting for ionization and recombination reactions in gravitationally stratified magnetized collisional media. The two-fluid model used in our 2D numerical simulations treats neutrals as a separate fluid and considers charged species (electrons and ions) within the resistive MHD approach with Coulomb collisions and anisotropic heat flux determined by Braginskiis transport coefficients. The electromagnetic fields are evolved according to the full Maxwell equations and the solenoidality of the magnetic field is enforced with a hyperbolic divergence-cleaning scheme. The initial density and temperature profiles are similar to VAL III chromospheric model in which dynamical, thermal, and chemical equilibrium are considered to ensure comparison to existing MHD models and avoid artificial numerical heating. In this initial setup we include simple homogeneous flux tube magnetic field configuration and an external photospheric velocity driver to simulate the propagation of MHD waves in the partially ionized reactive chromosphere. In particular, we investigate the loss of chemical equilibrium and the plasma heating related to the steepening of fast magnetosonic wave fronts in the gravitationally stratified medium.
Activismo medioambiental en la época tardofranquista. El caso de El Saler
Authors: Hamilton Sarah
Published: February 2017

Este artículo traza la evolución de las ideas y el discurso ambientalista durante las últimas décadas del régimen de Franco, entre 1950 y 1975. A lo largo de este período, un grupo de naturalistas y científicos naturales colaboraron con oficiales del régimen y una red conservacionista internacional para proteger espacios concretos de especial valor ecológico. A fines de la década de 1960, a medida que el régimen se debilitaba y el descontento social crecía, apareció un nuevo grupo de activistas que veían la protección ambiental como inseparable de los problemas de justicia social. A través del análisis de la campaña antidesarrollista a propósito de los alrededores de la Albufera en Valencia, este artículo estudia las tensiones entre estas corrientes que convivieron en los orígenes del movimiento medioambiental en España así como el papel del activismo medioambiental en la erosión de la legitimidad política del régimen.
Existe-t-il une inadéquation entre l'offre de savoir et les entreprises dans l’agglomération de Bruxelles ? La diffusion des connaissances dans les PME innovantes dans les services aux entreprises intensifs en connaissance (SEIC)
Authors: Teirlinck Peter
Published: February 2017

Cet article fournit un aperçu de la diffusion des connaissances dans les entreprises de l’agglomération Bruxelles, à travers l’examen des différentes sources d’informations qu’elles utilisent à des fins d’innovation, des collaborations mises en place en la matière et du degré d’ouverture de leur stratégie d’innovation. L’étude se concentre sur les PME innovantes actives dans le domaine des services aux entreprises intensifs en connaissance (SEIC) à Bruxelles, au regard de celles des autres grandes agglomérations de Belgique. D’après les données issues de l’Enquête communautaire sur l’innovation (volets 2008-2010 et 2010-2012), il s’avère qu’à Bruxelles, les universités et organismes de recherche publics (ORP) jouent un rôle assez limité dans l’approvisionnement de ces entreprises en idées favorisant l’innovation, la sphère scientifique étant en outre significativement moins sollicitée à des fins de collaboration avec l’industrie.Ces constatations, qui contrastent avec la stratégie plus ouverte de développement des innovations adoptée par les PME du secteur des SEIC de l’agglomération de Bruxelles ainsi qu’avec l’abondance de connaissances propres aux universités et ORP, amènent à s’interroger sur l’existence d’une inadéquation entre l’industrie et le milieu scientifique.
Desigualdade em documentos curriculares locais (2007-2008): por uma escrita da justiça curricular
Authors: Dos Anjos Dourado Machado Wilcelene Pessoa , Tavares Silva Fabiany De Cássia
Published: February 2017

Este texto apresenta parte de pesquisa concluída em 2014, que tomou documentos curriculares como objetos e, ao mesmo tempo, como fontes para análises sobre a justiça curricular, delineada na relação entre o currículo, a educação, a justiça e a desigualdade. O desenho metodológico desta investigação ancorou-se nas técnicas do estudo comparado documental, para o qual foram eleitos documentos curriculares locais produzidos por duas redes de ensino, uma estadual, a de Mato Grosso do Sul, e uma municipal, a de Campo Grande, MS. Os documentos curriculares locais, analisados em comparação, destacam a ‛desigualdade’ e o papel da escola na sociedade, esclarecendo que a escola é o lócus privilegiado, com condições de efetuar possíveis transformações na relação entre escola e sociedade.
On the influence of the alternation of two different cooling systems on dairy cow daily activities
Authors: Porto Simona M.C. , D'Emilio Alessandro , Cascone Giovanni
Published: February 2017

Among the causes that influence cow welfare, heat stress induced by microclimatic conditions is one of the most relevant and many studies have investigated the efficacy of different cooling systems on animal health status. Nevertheless, the direct influence of the cooling systems on possible modifications of dairy cow behaviour has been addressed in a few studies and the related results were affected by the presence of a paddock, which gave a refuge from hot temperature. Since an alteration of the daily time budget spent by dairy cows in their usual activities can be associated with changes in their health status, this study investigated the effects of the alternation of two different cooling systems on lying, standing, and feeding behaviour of a group of dairy cows bred in a free-stall dairy house where animals had no access to a paddock. The barn was equipped with a fogging system associated with forced ventilation installed in the resting area and a sprinkler system associated with forced ventilation installed in the feeding area. The two systems were activated alternately. The results demonstrated that the management of the two cooling systems affected the analysed behaviours. Though the activation of the cooling system installed in the resting area encouraged the decubitus of animals in the stalls, the activation of that one of the feeding alley could not be able to influence the standing behaviour and had only a moderate positive influence on the feeding activity.
Towards a smart automated surface irrigation management in rice-growing areas in Italy
Authors: Masseroni Daniele , Uddin Jasim , Tyrrell Reece , Mareels Iven , Gandolfi Claudio , Facchi Arianna
Published: February 2017

Italy is the leading rice producer in Europe, accounting for more than half of the total high-quality production of this crop. Rice is traditionally grown in fields that remain flooded starting with crop establishment until close to harvest, and this traditional irrigation technique (i.e., continuous submergence) is recognised as an important water resource sink (almost 40% of the irrigation water available worldwide is used for paddy areas). Meanwhile, the water management in rice areas requires a high level of labour because it is based on maintaining a predetermined water height in paddy fields and because the regulation of input and output flow is typically operated manually by the farmer. This study reveals the hardware and software characteristics of an automated and remote controlled technology tested for the first time in a rice farm near Pavia (Italy), during the 2016 growing season, aiming at a more efficient and less burdensome irrigation management system for rice fields. A water level sensor in the field provides the data required to govern the inflow regulation gate in real-time, according to the precise time to cut off the flow rate. Using a dedicated web page, the farmer can control flows, volumes and water levels in the fields by operating directly on the gate if necessary or setting the irrigation program according to his agronomic practices.
β-thalassemia distribution in the old world: a historical standpoint of an ancient disease
Authors: De Sanctis Vincenzo
Published: February 2017

Abstract Background: Haemoglobinopathies constitute the commonest recessive monogenic disorders worldwide, and the treatment of affected individuals presents a substantial global disease burden. β -thalassaemia is characterised by the reduced synthesis (β +) or absence (β o) of the β-globin chains in the HbA molecule, resulting in accumulation of  excess unbound α-globin chains that precipitate in erythroid precursors in the bone marrow and in the mature erythrocytes, leading to ineffective erythropoiesis and peripheral haemolysis. Approximately 1.5% of the global population are heterozygotes (carriers) of the β-thalassemias: there is a high incidence in populations extending from the Mediterranean basin throughout the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Melanesia and into the Pacific IslandsAim: The principal aim of this paper is to review, from a historical standpoint, our knowledge about an ancient disease, the β-thalassemias, and  in particular, when, how and in what way β-thalassemia spread worldwide to reach such high incidences in certain populations.  Results: Mutations involving the ß-globin gene are the most common cause of genetic disorders  in humans. To date, more than 350 β -thalassaemia mutations have been reported. Considering the current distribution of β- thalassemia, the wide diversity of mutations and the small number of individual population’s specific mutations, it seems unlikely that β-thalassemia originated in a single place and time. Conclusions: Various processes are known to determine the frequency of genetic disease in human populations. However, it is almost impossible to decide to what extent each process is responsible for the presence of a particular genetic disease. The wide spectrum of β-thalassemia mutations could well be explained by looking at its geographical distribution, the history of malaria, wars, invasions, mass migrations, consanguinity and settlements. The analysis of the molecular spectrum and distribution of haemoglobinopathies allows for the development and improvement of diagnostic tests and management for these disorders.
Lewensbeskoulike aspekte in die openbare standpunte van twee presidente
Authors: Strauss Piet
Published: February 2017

The last two presidents of the Zuid-Afrikaansche (South African) Republic (1852–1902) and the Republic of the Orange Free State (1852–1902), S.J.P. Kruger and M.T. Steyn, both stood in the tradition of the Christian Afrikaner. Kruger as the symbol of Afrikaner republicanism in the 19th century and Steyn as a younger and more modern Afrikaner, tried to base their policies openly and clearly on Biblical and Christian principles. Kruger as a member and recognised minister of the Reformed Churches in South Africa formulated his views in a typical Dutch neo-Calvinistic way, while Steyn used Reformed concepts combined with his academic background in jurisprudence and the law of nations to foster the same ideas. Kruger and Steyn trusted one another, agreed on core issues and worked together rather well. Each strived to maintain the independence of his republic.
Reisverslag in twee stemme en agt gedigte
Authors: Van der Walt Carina , Crebolder Emma
Published: February 2017

No abstract available.
Word length statistics for Teichmüller geodesics and singularity of harmonic measure
Authors: Gadre Vaibhav , Maher Joseph , Tiozzo Giulio
Published: February 2017

Given a measure on the Thurston boundary of Teichmüller space, one can pick a geodesic ray joining some basepoint to a randomly chosen point on the boundary. Different choices of measures may yield typical geodesics with different geometric properties. In particular, we consider two families of measures: the ones which belong to the Lebesgue or visual measure class, and harmonic measures for random walks on the mapping class group generated by a distribution with finite first moment in the word metric.

We consider the word length of approximating mapping class group elements along a geodesic ray, and prove that this quantity grows superlinearly in time along almost all geodesics with respect to Lebesgue measure, while along almost all geodesics with respect to harmonic measure the growth is linear. As a corollary, the harmonic and Lebesgue measures are mutually singular. We also prove a similar result for the ratio between the word metric and the relative metric (i.e. the induced metric on the curve complex).
Differentiability of integrable measurable cocycles between nilpotent groups
Authors: Cantrell Michael
Published: February 2017

We prove an analog for integrable measurable cocycles of Pansu’s differentiation theorem for Lipschitz maps between Carnot–Carathéodory spaces. This yields an alternative, ergodic theoretic proof of Pansu’s quasi-isometric rigidity theorem for nilpotent groups, answers a question of Tim Austin regarding integrable measure equivalence between nilpotent groups, and gives an independent proof and strengthening of Austin’s result that integrable measure equivalent nilpotent groups have bi-Lipschitz asymptotic cones. Our main tools are a nilpotent-valued cocycle ergodic theorem and a Poincaré recurrence lemma for nilpotent groups.
Finite $W$-Superalgebras and Dimensional Lower Bounds for the Representations of Basic Lie Superalgebras
Authors: Zeng Yang , Shu Bin
Published: February 2017

In this paper we show that the lower bounds of dimensions in the modular representations of basic Lie superalgebras are attainable, under an assumption on the minimal dimensions of representations of the finite

W

-superalgebra

U(\mathfrak{g}_\mathbb C,e)

over the field of complex numbers. The afore-mentioned lower bounds for modular representations, as a super-version of the Kac-Weisfeiler conjecture [26], were formulated and proved by Wang-Zhao in [35] for basic Lie superalgebras over an algebraically closed field

\mathbb k

of positive characteristic

p

. We further conjecture that the assumption is actually satisfied (see Conjecture 1.2). This is to say, the complex finite

W

-superalgebra

U(\mathfrak g_\mathbb C,e)

affords either one-dimensional or two-dimensional representations, according to the parity of the discriminant number (the difference of dimensions between the odd part of

\mathfrak g_\mathbb C

and its subspace centralized by

e

). We demonstrate the positivity of the conjecture with examples including all the cases of type

A

, and finally reduce the investigation of the conjecture to the case of rigid nilpotent elements as the situation happens for the ordinary finite

W

-algebras (cf. [29]).
Yano's Conjecture for Two-Puiseux-Pair Irreducible Plane Curve Singularities
Authors: Artal Bartolo Enrique , Cassou-Noguès Pierrette , Luengo Ignacio , Melle-Hernández Alejandro
Published: February 2017

In 1982, Tamaki Yano proposed a conjecture predicting the

b

-exponents of an irreducible plane curve singularity germ that is generic in its equisingularity class. In this article, we prove the conjecture for the case in which the irreducible germ has two Puiseux pairs and its algebraic monodromy has distinct eigenvalues. This hypothesis on the monodromy implies that the

b

-exponents coincide with the opposite of the roots of the Bernstein polynomial, and we compute the roots of the Bernstein polynomial.
Lacunary Interpolation by Fractal Splines with Variable Scaling Parameters
Authors: Viswanathan P. , Chand A.K.B. , Tyada K.R.
Published: February 2017

For a prescribed set of lacunary data with equally spaced knot sequence in the unit interval, we show the existence of a family of fractal splines satisfying for v = 0, 1, … ,N and suitable boundary conditions. To this end, the unique quintic spline introduced by A. Meir and A. Sharma [SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 10(3) 1973, pp. 433-442] is generalized by using fractal functions with variable scaling parameters. The presence of scaling parameters that add extra “degrees of freedom”, self-referentiality of the interpolant, and “fractality” of the third derivative of the interpolant are additional features in the fractal version, which may be advantageous in applications. If the lacunary data is generated from a function Φ satisfying certain smoothness condition, then for suitable choices of scaling factors, the corresponding fractal spline satisfies , as the number of partition points increases.
The Disc Theorem for the Schur Complement of Two Class Submatrices with γ-Diagonally Dominant Properties
Authors: Li Guangqi , Liu Jianzhou , Zhang Juan
Published: February 2017

The distribution for eigenvalues of Schur complement of matrices plays an important role in many mathematical problems. In this paper, we firstly present some criteria for H-matrix. Then as application, for two class matrices whose submatrices are γ-diagonally dominant and product γ-diagonally dominant, we show that the eigenvalues of the Schur complement are located in the Geršgorin discs and the Ostrowski discs of the original matrices under certain conditions.
An Outbreak of Pellagra in the Kasese Catchment Area, Dowa, Malawi
Authors: Matapandeu George , Dunn Samuel H. , Pagels Patti
Published: February 2017

Pellagra is a deficiency of niacin or its amino acid precursor, tryptophan, which presents with the classic four Ds: the characteristic dermatitis, diarrhea, dementia, and eventually death if left untreated. The incidence of pellagra is quite rare presently because of increased awareness and strategies such as vitamin fortification. However, the deficiency is still present in cultures that rely on maize as their primary source of sustenance. We report a recent outbreak in a catchment area in Kasese, Malawi, of 691 cases of pellagra which were successfully treated with niacin supplementation. We present this short report to highlight the importance of educating providers of at-risk populations about this diagnosis and to consider solutions for these populations to prevent further deficiencies.
Measurement of Radiated Emissions from Integrated Circuits—TEM/Wideband TEM (GTEM) Cell Method; TEM Cell (150 kHz to 1 GHz), Wideband TEM Cell (150 kHz to 8 GHz)
Authors:   Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Standards
Published: February 2017

This measurement procedure defines a method for measuring the electromagnetic radiation from an integrated circuit (IC). The IC being evaluated is mounted on an IC test printed circuit board (PCB) that is clamped to a mating port (referred to as a wall port) cut in the top or bottom of a TEM or wideband TEM (GTEM) cell. The test board is not in the cell as in the conventional usage but becomes a part of the cell wall. This method is applicable to any TEM or GTEM cell modified to incorporate the wall port; however, the measured RF voltage is affected by the septum to test board (wall) spacing. This procedure was developed using a 1 GHz TEM cell with a septum to wall spacing of 45 mm and a GTEM cell with average septum to wall spacing of 45 mm over the port area. Other cells may not produce identical spectral output but may be used for comparative measurements, subject to their frequency and sensitivity limitations. A conversion factor may allow comparisons between data measured on TEM or GTEM cells with different septum to wall spacing. The IC test board controls the geometry and orientation of the operating IC relative to the cell and eliminates any connecting leads within the cell (these are on the backside of the board, which is outside the cell). For the TEM cell, one of the 50 Ω ports is terminated with a 50 Ω load. The other 50 Ω port for a TEM cell, or the single 50 Ω port for a GTEM cell, is connected to the input of a spectrum analyzer or receiver that measures the RF emissions emanating from the IC and coupled onto the septum of the TEM cell.
FMVSS 105 Inertia Brake Dynamometer Test Procedure for vehicles above 4 540 kg GVWR
Authors:   Truck and Bus Hydraulic Brake Committee
Published: February 2017

This Recommended Practice is derived from the FMVSS 105 vehicle test and applies to two-axle multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks and buses with a GVWR above 4 540 kg (10 000 lbs) equipped with hydraulic service brakes. There are two main test sequences: Development Test Sequence for generic test conditions when not all information is available or when an assessment of brake output at different inputs are required, and FMVSS Test Sequence when vehicle parameters for brake pressure as a function of brake pedal input force and vehicle-specific loading and brake distribution are available. The test sequences are derived from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 105 (and 121 for optional sections) as single-ended inertia-dynamometer test procedures when using the appropriate brake hardware and test parameters. This recommended practice provides Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), brake and component manufacturers, as well as aftermarket suppliers, results related to brake output, friction material effectiveness, and corner performance in a laboratory-controlled test environment.

The test sequences include different dynamic conditions (braking speeds, temperature, and braking history as outlined in the FMVSS 105); inertia loads equivalent to the vehicle’s LLVW and GVWR; fully operational, partial failure, and failed system conditions. All applicable sections of the FMVSS 105 are included. Optional sections include: parking brake output, water recovery, TP-121D dynamometer retardation, and 32 km/h (20 mph) stops to simulate Federal Motor Carrier Safety (FMCS) requirements.

This Recommended Practice does not evaluate or quantify other brake system characteristics such as wear, noise, judder, ABS performance, or braking under extreme temperatures or speeds. Minimum performance requirements are not part of this recommended practice. Consistency and margin of pass/fail of the minimum requirements related to stopping distance or equivalent deceleration levels of the FMVSS 105 vehicle test can be assessed as part of the project in coordination with the test requestor when using the appropriate vehicle information and vehicle dynamics modeling. Nevertheless, this procedure and its results do not replace the vehicle-level test to demonstrate compliance to FMVSS (105 for hydraulic brake systems or 121 for air-over-hydraulic brake systems), or other mandatory regulations (like ECE R13 or equivalents).
Standard for Refrigerant Risk Analysis for Mobile Air Conditioning Systems
Authors:   Interior Climate Control Vehicle OEM Committee
Published: February 2017

This Standard describes methods to understand the risks associated with vehicle mobile air conditioning [MAC] systems in all aspects of a vehicle’s lifecycle including design, production, assembly, operation and end of life. Information for input to the risk assessment is provided in the Appendices of this document. This information should not be considered to be complete, but only a reference of some of the data needed for a complete analysis of the risk associated with the use of refrigerants in MAC systems.
Influence of biomass burning from Southeast Asia at a high-altitude mountain receptor site in China
Authors: Zheng Jing , Hu Min , Du Zhuofei , Shang Dongjie , Gong Zhaoheng , Qin Yanhong , Fang Jingyao , Gu Fangting , Li Mengren , Peng Jianfei , Li Jie , Zhang Yuqia , Huang Xiaofeng , He Lingyan , Wu Yusheng , Guo Song
Published: February 2017

Abstract. Highly time-resolved in-situ measurements of airborne particles were made at Mt. Yulong (3410 m above sea level) on the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau in China from 20 March to 14 April in 2015. Detailed chemical composition was measured by a high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer together with other online instruments. Average mass concentration of the submicron particles (PM1) was 5.7 ± 5.4 μg m−3 during the field campaign, ranging from 0.1 μg m−3 up to 33.3 μg m−3. Organic aerosol (OA) was the dominant component in PM1, with a fraction of 68 %. Three OA factors, i.e., biomass-burning organic aerosol (BBOA), biomass-burning-influenced oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA-BB) and oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA), were resolved using positive matrix factorization analysis. The two oxygenated OA factors accounted for 87 % of the total OA mass. Three biomass burning events were identified by examining the enhancement of black carbon concentrations and the f60 (the ratio of the signal at m/z 60 from the mass spectrum to the total signal of OA). Back trajectories of air masses and satellite fire map data were integrated to identify the biomass burning locations and pollutants transport. The western air mass from Southeast Asia with active biomass burning activities transported large amount of air pollutants, resulting in elevated organic concentrations up to 4-fold higher than that of the background condition. This study at Mt. Yulong characterizes the tropospheric background aerosols of the Tibetan Plateau during pre-monsoon season, and provides clear evidence that the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau is affected by transport of anthropogenic aerosols from Southeast Asia.
Sources and characteristics of terrestrial carbon in Holocene-scale sediments of the East Siberian Sea
Authors: Keskitalo Kirsi , Tesi Tommaso , Bröder Lisa , Andersson August , Pearce Christof , Sköld Martin , Semiletov Igor P. , Dudarev Oleg V. , Gustafsson Örjan
Published: February 2017

Abstract. Thawing of permafrost carbon (PF-C) due to climate warming can remobilise considerable amounts of terrestrial carbon from its long term storage to the marine environment. PF-C can be then buried in sediments or remineralised to CO2 with implications for the carbon-climate feedback. Studying historical sediment records during past natural climate changes can help to understand the response of permafrost to current climate warming. In this study two sediment cores collected from the East Siberian Sea were used to study terrestrial organic carbon sources, composition and degradation during the past ~ 9500 cal yrs BP. The CuO-derived lignin and cutin products combined with δ13C suggest that there was a higher input of terrestrial organic carbon to the East Siberian Sea between ~ 9500 and 8200 cal yrs BP than in all later periods. This high input was likely caused by marine transgression and permafrost destabilisation in the early Holocene climatic optimum. Based on source apportionment modelling using dual-carbon isotope (∆14C, δ13C) data, coastal erosion releasing old Pleistocene permafrost carbon was identified as a significant source of organic matter translocated to the East Siberian Sea during the Holocene.