bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tensile and Flexural Properties of Bamboo (Gigantochloa apus) Fiber/Epoxy Green Composites
Authors: Sudarisman  , Muhammad Budi Nur Rahman , Aziz Rizkianto Hidayat
Published: April 2015

The current work deals with the tensile and flexural properties of bamboo fiber/epoxy composites. Tensile and flexural property evaluations were carried out in accordance with the ASTM D638 and ASTM D790 standards, respectively. Bamboo fiber was obtained from local bamboo by means of degumming process. The matrix being used is Eposchon general purpose Bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin epoxy resin mixed with Eposchon general purpose Polyaminoamide epoxy hardener supplied by P.T. Justus Kimiaraya. The specimens were cut from five bamboo fiber/epoxy composite panels. Five different fiber volume fractions, Vf, i.e. 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 vol%, have been considered. All mechanical and physical characterization were carried out at the Mechanical Engineering laboratory, Universitas Muhammaiyah Yogyakarta. Photo macrographs of selected samples were analyzed to describe their failure modes. Physical property evaluation revealed that a slight fiber content deviation from their expected results was observed. Whilst tensile strength, modulus and strain to failure, as well as flexural strength and modulus were found to increase with the increase of fiber content up to 29.8%, maximum flexural strain to failure was being at Vf = 21.1%. Tensile specimens were mostly failed by debonding followed by fiber breakage, while flexural specimens were mostly failed by debonding followed by fiber breakage and fiber pull-out at tension sides.
A Comparative Study of the Damping Force and Energy Absorbtion Capacity of Regenerative and Conventional-Viscous Shock Absorber of Vehicle Suspension
Authors: Guntur Harus Laksana , Hendrowati Wiwiek
Published: April 2015

This paper presents a comparative study of the damping force and energy absorbtion capacity of a typical conventional-viscous and a regenerative shock absorber for vehicle suspension. Regenerative shock absorber (RSA) is a shock absorber which can regenerate the dissipated vibration energy from vehicle suspension into electricity. In this research, a prototype of regenerative shock absorber was developed, its damping force and energy absorbtion capacity were tested, and the results were analized and compared with those of a typical conventional-viscous shock absorber. The regenerative and viscous shock absorber were compressed and extended in various excitation frequency using damping force testing equipment to obtain force-velocity and the force-displacement curves. The force-velocity and force-displacement curves indicate the damping force and energy absorbtion capacity of the shock absorber. The results show that the damping force of the typical-viscous shock absorber closed to linear at all exciation frequencies. For regenerative shock absorber, nonlinearity and large hysteresis area of the damping force occur at all excitation frequencies. Further, the energy absorbtion capacity of the typical-viscous shock absorber shows an elliptical area with the compression part bigger than the extension one, while those of the regenerative shock absorber shows an asymmetric square area, which indicates a smaller energy absorbtion capacity. These phenomena indicate the significant effect of implementing dry friction damper and elctrical damper to the characteristics of regenerative shock absorber.
Bicuspid Aortic Valve Associated Aortopathy: A Genetic Disease?
Authors: Bancone Ciro , De Feo Marisa , Della Corte Alessandro
Published: April 2015

The present paper briefly reviews the literature supporting the pathogenetic importance of hemodynamics in the development of bicuspid aortic valve-associated aortopathy. The hypothesis of a genetic basis for this disease, whether it is a common defect for bicuspid malformation and predisposition to aortic aneurysm or not, should not be discarded. However, a more complex, multifactorial pathogenesis model is here proposed, based on the hypotheses raised by recent studies both on clinical and pre-clinical aspects of bicuspid aortopathy, whereby in at least some forms of the disease the biomechanical factors capable to induce aortic wall maladaptive remodeling may be necessary to the development of the aortopathy. The main scope of this review is to underscore the importance of trying to advance the scientific knowledge not only on the genetic bases but also on the peculiar aspects of hemodynamics of bicuspid aortic valve and flow-induced vascular remodeling.
Clinical and Genetic Aspects of Bicuspid Aortic Valve: A Proposed Model for Family Screening Based on a Review of Literature
Authors: Baars Hubert , Overwater Eline , Baars Marieke , Mulder Barbara , Kerstjens-Frederikse Wilhelmina , van Engelen Klaartje , Houweling Arjan
Published: April 2015

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is the most common congenital cardiac defect causing serious morbidity including valvular dysfunction and thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA) in around 30% of BAV patients. Cardiological screening of first-degree relatives is advised in recent guidelines given the observed familial clustering of BAV. However, guidelines regarding screening of family members and DNA testing are not unequivocal. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the literature on echocardiographic screening in first-degree relatives of BAV patients and to propose a model for family screening. In addition, we provide a flowchart for DNA testing. We performed a PubMed search and included studies providing data on echocardiographic screening in asymptomatic relatives of BAV patients. Nine studies were included. In 5.8-47.4% of the families BAV was shown to be familial. Of the screened first-degree relatives 1.8-11% was found to be affected with BAV. Results regarding a potential risk of TAA in first-degree relatives with a tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) were conflicting. The reported familial clustering of BAV underlines the importance of cardiological screening in relatives. After reviewing the available family history, patient characteristics and the results of cardiological screening in relatives, follow-up in relatives with a TAV and/or DNA testing may be advised in a subset of families. In this study we propose a model for the clinical and genetic work-up in BAV families, based on the most extensive literature review on family screening performed until now.
Challenges facing procurement professionals in developing economies: Unlocking value through professional international purchasing
Authors: Tukuta Marian , Saruchera Fanny
Published: April 2015

Background: Until recently, procurement was seen as a necessity only. In fact, in many developing economies the profession is still being treated as a ‘back-office’ function. However, not much has been done to explore and address challenges facing procurement professionals in developing economies.Objectives: The purpose of this article was to examine the critical role played by the procurement function in business and to reveal the challenges faced by procurement professionals in developing economies as well as to suggest solutions to these challenges.Method: A sequential literary analysis was used, complemented by cross-country qualitative data gathered from one hundred diverse procurement practitioners from Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. These were primarily participants in a series of procurement workshops run by the researchers from January to June 2014.Results: Findings suggested that limited recognition, increasing unethical behaviour, poor supplier service delivery, poor regulatory environment, varying supplier standards and poor corporate governance are the main challenges faced by the procurement profession in these countries.Conclusion: The study’s findings imply that there is limited understanding regarding the role procurement plays in both government and non-government institutions in developing economies. The article suggests solutions which procurement professionals and organisations can implement in order to unlock the potential value in the procurement function.
God in het dagelijkse: De bijbelse God en de God van filosofen en kunstenaars
Authors: Stoker Wessel
Published: April 2015

God in the everyday: The biblical God and the God of philosophers and artists. Life in secular Western society is lived and experienced within an immanent framework, with no reference to God. For many there is no longer any self-evident connection between God and ordinary life � ordinary life here broadly conceived as painted or narrated in art and literature. Since the time of the church fathers, the Christian tradition has conceived of God not only as personal but also, with reference to Exodus 3:14, as being or being-itself. Heidegger criticised this as onto-theology. Is it not better to speak about God without being (J-L Marion)? This problem is discussed from the approach of the philosophy of religion and it is argued that it is possible to speak about God in terms of being. This article further explores how Paul Tillich and Richard Kearney connect God with everyday life by speaking of God in terms of being. Tillich�s ontology is a-historical and classical insofar as he uses the concepts of participation and analogia entis. Kearney proposes ontology as onto-eschatological, dynamic, historical, and hermeneutical. This article thus shows that the biblical God is viewed as the God of the philosophers in terms of being-itself (Tillich) and the God who may be (Kearney). The biblical God is also the God of the artists in whose works of art a trace of the religious ultimate is visible in the sacramental power of sensory reality or in secular epiphanies.
Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy in an Adult
Authors: Narra Ramakrishna , Mandapalli Adinarayana , Kamaraju Suseel Kumar
Published: April 2015

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE) is a rapidly progressing neurologic disorder that occurs in children after common viral infections of the respiratory or gastrointestinal systems. This disease is commonly seen in East Asia. Normal healthy infants and children can get affected. The condition carries a poor prognosis with high morbidity and mortality rates. We report here a case of a 23-year-old female with ANE and describe its neuroimaging findings. Magnetic resonance imaging examination performed showed symmetric lesions involving the thalami, brainstem, and cerebellum.
Multi-GPU Based Lattice Boltzmann Method for Hemodynamic Simulation in Patient-Specific Cerebral Aneurysm
Authors: Huang Changsheng , Shi Baochang , Guo Zhaoli , Chai Zhenhua
Published: April 2015

Conducting lattice Boltzmann method on GPU has been proved to be an effective manner to gain a significant performance benefit, thus the GPU or multi-GPU based lattice Boltzmann method is considered as a promising and competent candidate in the study of large-scale complex fluid flows. In this work, a multi-GPU based lattice Boltzmann algorithm coupled with the sparse lattice representation and message passing interface is presented. Some numerical tests are also carried out, and the results show that a parallel efficiency close to 90% can be achieved on a single-node cluster equipped with four GPU cards. Then the proposed algorithm is adopted to study the hemodynamics of patient-specific cerebral aneurysm with stent implanted. It is found that the stent can apparently reduce the aneurysmal inflow and improve the hemodynamic environment. This work also shows that the lattice Boltzmann method running on the GPU platform is a powerful tool to study the fluid mechanism within the aneurysms and enable us to better understand the pathogenesis and treatment of cerebral aneurysms.
Aprendiendo del símbolo: imagen y referencia simbólica en los inicios del discurso arquitectónico posmoderno
Authors: Pérez Rodrigo David
Published: April 2015

El presente artículo efectúa una aproximación a la recuperación simbólica como argumento fundamental utilizado en la edición revisada de Aprendiendo de Las Vegas (Venturi, Scott Brown & Izenour, 1977), texto que asumió una importante repercusión en la teoría arquitectónica contramodernista. Esta recuperación, extremadamente crítica con la imposición vulgarizada del funcionalismo del estilo internacional, resulta coincidente con el rechazo de la neovanguardia norteamericana hacia el academicismo formalista del expresionismo abstracto, así como con la crisis del concepto de modernidad, propiciada por lo que —no sin cierta confusión— se conceptualizó como pensamiento posmoderno.
Buenas Piezas. Arnal Ballester
Authors: Heras David
Published: April 2015

Entrevista. Nuevos medios, nuevas formas.

Arnal Ballester (Barcelona 1955) desarrolla la mayor parte de su trabajo en el campo editorial como ilustrador de libros y portadista.
Seasonal variability of Saharan desert dust and ice nucleating particles over Europe
Authors: Hande L. B. , Engler C. , Hoose C. , Tegen I.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Dust aerosols are thought to be the main contributor to atmospheric ice nucleation. While there are case studies supporting this, a climatological sense of the importance of dust to atmospheric ice nucleating particle (INP) concentrations and its seasonal variability over Europe is lacking. Here, we use a mesoscale model to estimate Saharan dust concentrations over Europe in 2008. There are large differences in median dust concentrations between seasons, with the highest concentrations and highest variability in the lower to mid-troposphere. Laboratory-based ice nucleation parameterisations are applied to these simulated dust number concentrations to calculate the potential INP resulting from immersion freezing and deposition nucleation on these dust particles. The potential INP concentrations increase exponentially with height due to decreasing temperatures in the lower and mid-troposphere. When the ice-activated fraction increases sufficiently, INP concentrations follow the dust particle concentrations. The potential INP profiles exhibit similarly large differences between seasons, with the highest concentrations in spring (median potential immersion INP concentrations nearly 105 m−3, median potential deposition INP concentrations at 120% relative humidity with respect to ice over 105 m−3), about an order of magnitude larger than those in summer. Using these results, a best-fit function is provided to estimate the potential INPs for use in limited-area models, which is representative of the normal background INP concentrations over Europe. A statistical evaluation of the results against field and laboratory measurements indicates that the INP concentrations are in close agreement with observations.
APOLLO_NG – a probabilistic interpretation of the APOLLO legacy for AVHRR heritage channels
Authors: Klüser L. , Killius N. , Gesell G.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. The cloud processing scheme APOLLO (Avhrr Processing scheme Over cLouds, Land and Ocean) has been in use for cloud detection and cloud property retrieval since the late 1980s. The physics of the APOLLO scheme still build the backbone of a range of cloud detection algorithms for AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) heritage instruments. The APOLLO_NG (APOLLO_NextGeneration) cloud processing scheme is a probabilistic interpretation of the original APOLLO method. While building upon the physical principles having served well in the original APOLLO a couple of additional variables have been introduced in APOLLO_NG. Cloud detection is not performed as a binary yes/no decision based on these physical principals but is expressed as cloud probability for each satellite pixel. Consequently the outcome of the algorithm can be tuned from clear confident to cloud confident depending on the purpose. The probabilistic approach allows to retrieving not only the cloud properties (optical depth, effective radius, cloud top temperature and cloud water path) but also their uncertainties. APOLLO_NG is designed as a standalone cloud retrieval method robust enough for operational near-realtime use and for the application with large amounts of historical satellite data. Thus the radiative transfer solution is approximated by the same two stream approach which also had been used for the original APOLLO. This allows the algorithm to be robust enough for being applied to a wide range of sensors without the necessity of sensor-specific tuning. Moreover it allows for online calculation of the radiative transfer (i.e. within the retrieval algorithm) giving rise to a detailed probabilistic treatment of cloud variables. This study presents the algorithm for cloud detection and cloud property retrieval together with the physical principles from the APOLLO legacy it is based on. Furthermore a couple of example results from on NOAA-18 are presented.
Soil moisture and land use are major determinants of soil microbial community composition and biomass at a regional scale in northeastern China
Authors: Ma L. , Guo C. , Lü X. , Yuan S. , Wang R.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Global environmental factors impact soil microbial communities and further affect organic matter decomposition, nutrient cycling and vegetation dynamic. However, little is known about the relative contributions of climate factors, soil properties, vegetation types, land management practices and spatial structure (which serves as a proxy for underlying effects of temperature and precipitation for spatial variation) on soil microbial community composition and biomass at large spatial scales. Here, we compared soil microbial communities using phospholipid fatty acid method across 7 land use types from 23 locations at a regional scale in northeastern China (850 × 50 km). The results showed that soil moisture and land use changes were most closely related to microbial community composition and biomass at the regional scale, while soil total C content and climate effects were weaker but still significant. Factors such as spatial structure, soil texture, nutrient availability and vegetation types were not important. Higher contributions of gram-positive bacteria were found in wetter soils, whereas higher contributions of gram-negative bacteria and fungi were observed in drier soils. The contributions of gram-negative bacteria and fungi were lower in heavily disturbed soils than historically disturbed and undisturbed soils. The lowest microbial biomass appeared in the wettest and driest soils. In conclusion, dominant climate and soil properties were not the most important drivers governing microbial community composition and biomass because of inclusion of irrigated and managed practices, and thus soil moisture and land use appear to be primary determinants of microbial community composition and biomass at the regional scale in northeastern China.
Effects of fluctuating hypoxia on benthic oxygen consumption in the Black Sea (Crimean Shelf)
Authors: Lichtschlag A. , Donis D. , Janssen F. , Jessen G. L. , Holtappels M. , Wenzhöfer F. , Mazulmyan S. , Sergeeva N. , Waldmann C. , Boetius A.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. The outer Western Crimean Shelf of the Black Sea is a natural laboratory to investigate effects of stable oxic vs. varying hypoxic conditions on seafloor biogeochemical processes and benthic community structure. Bottom water oxygen concentrations varied between normoxic (175 μmol O2 L−1) and hypoxic (< 63 μmol O2 L−1) or even anoxic/sulfidic conditions within a few kilometres distance. Variations in oxygen concentrations between 160 and 10 μmol L−1 even occurred within hours close to the chemocline at 134 m water depth. Total oxygen uptake, including diffusive as well as fauna-mediated oxygen consumption, decreased from > 15 mmol m−2 d−1 in the oxic zone to < 9 mmol m−2 d−1 in the hypoxic zone, correlating with changes in macrobenthos composition. Benthic diffusive oxygen uptake rates, comprising microbial respiration plus reoxidation of inorganic products, were around 4.5 mmol m−2 d−1, but declined to 1.3 mmol m−2 d−1 at oxygen concentrations below 20 μmol L−1. Measurements and modelling of pore water profiles indicated that reoxidation of reduced compounds played only a minor role in the diffusive oxygen uptake, leaving the major fraction to aerobic degradation of organic carbon. Remineralization efficiency decreased from 100% in the oxic zone, to 50% in the oxic-hypoxic, to 10% in the hypoxic-anoxic zone. Overall the faunal remineralization rate was more important, but also more influenced by fluctuating oxygen concentrations than microbial and geochemical oxidation processes.
Oxygen minimum zones in the tropical Pacific across CMIP5 models: mean state differences and climate change trends
Authors: Cabré A. , Marinov I. , Bernardello R. , Bianchi D.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. We analyze simulations of the Pacific Ocean oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) from 11 Earth System model contributions to the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5, focusing on the mean state and climate change projections. The simulations tend to overestimate the volume of the OMZs, especially in the tropics and Southern Hemisphere. Compared to observations, five models introduce incorrect meridional asymmetries in the distribution of oxygen including larger southern OMZ and weaker northern OMZ, due to interhemispheric biases in intermediate water mass ventilation. Seven models show too deep an extent of the tropical hypoxia compared to observations, stemming from a deficient equatorial ventilation in the upper ocean combined with a too large biologically-driven downward flux of particulate organic carbon at depth, caused by too high particle export from the euphotic layer and too weak remineralization in the upper ocean. At interannual timescales, the dynamics of oxygen in the eastern tropical Pacific OMZ is dominated by biological consumption and linked to natural variability in the Walker circulation. However, under the climate change scenario RCP8.5, all simulations yield small and discrepant changes in oxygen concentration at mid depths in the tropical Pacific by the end of the 21st century due to an almost perfect compensation between warming-related decrease in oxygen saturation and decrease in biological oxygen utilization. Climate change projections are at odds with recent observations that show decreasing oxygen levels at mid depths in the tropical Pacific. Out of the OMZs, all the CMIP5 models predict a decrease of oxygen over most of the surface, deep and high latitudes ocean due to an overall slow-down of ventilation and increased temperature.
Quantifying energy and water fluxes in dry dune ecosystems of the Netherlands
Authors: Voortman B. R. , Bartholomeus R. P. , van der Zee S. E. A. T. M. , Bierkens M. F. P. , Witte J. P. M.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Coastal and inland dunes provide various ecosystem services that are related to groundwater, such as drinking water production and biodiversity. To manage groundwater in a sustainable manner, knowledge of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) for the various land covers in dunes is essential. Aiming at improving the parameterization of dune vegetation in hydro-meteorological models, this study explores the magnitude of energy and water fluxes in an inland dune ecosystem in the Netherlands. Hydro-meteorological measurements were used to parameterize the Penman–Monteith evapotranspiration model for four different surfaces: bare sand, moss, grass and heather. We found that the net longwave radiation (Rnl) was the largest energy flux for most surfaces during daytime. However, modelling this flux by a calibrated FAO-56 Rnl model for each surface and for hourly time steps was unsuccessful. Our Rnl model, with a novel sub-model using solar elevation angle and air temperature to describe the diurnal pattern in radiative surface temperature, improved Rnl simulations considerably. Model simulations of evaporation from moss surfaces showed that the modulating effect of mosses on the water balance is species dependent. We demonstrate that dense moss carpets (Campylopus introflexus) evaporate more (5%, +14 mm) than bare sand (total of 258 mm in 2013), while more open structured mosses (Hypnum cupressiforme) evaporate less (−30%, −76 mm) than bare sand. Additionally, we found that a drought event in the summer of 2013 showed a pronounced delayed signal on lysimeter measurements of ETa for the grass and heather surfaces respectively. Due to the desiccation of leaves after the drought event, and their feedback on the parameters of the Penman–Monteith equation, the potential evapotranspiration in the year 2013 dropped with 9% (−37mm) and 10% (−61 mm) for the grass and heather surfaces respectively, which subsequently led to lowered ETa of 8% (−29 mm) and 7% (−29 mm). These feedbacks are of importance to water resources, especially during a changing climate with increasing number of drought days. Therefore, such feedbacks need to be integrated into a coupled plant physiological and hydro-meteorological model to accurately simulate ETa. In addition, our study showed that groundwater recharge in dunes can be increased considerably by promoting moss vegetation, especially of open structured moss species.
INLAND-LAKES PROTECTION APPLICATION WITH HIGH RESOLUTION SATELLITE IMAGERY IN WUHAN CITY
Authors: Wen X. , Li Z. , Xiang D. , Shen S. , Hu D. , Xiao X.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. The new data source of China’s civilian high resolution earth observation system ZY-3, GF-1 were applied in the application of the monitoring and protection of the inland-lakes in Wuhan, Hubei Province. After the pre-process of these high resolution satellite images, the object-oriented classification and object-oriented change detection technology were applied in the inland-lakes protection of Wuhan, China. In this paper, the Xiwanhu Lake and Tangxunhu Lake including their surrounding areas were selected as an example, with the experiments the status of these lakes including the lake boundary, lake area and the change of these lakes including the lake water surface increased area, lake water surface decreased area were be obtained. Compared with the pixel-based method, the object-oriented classification and change detection technology shows its intuitive and higher precision in inland-lake protection. Remote sensing technology should be applied in monitoring and protection the inland-lake and other respects of water resource management more widely and deeply in China.
UrtheCast SECOND-GENERATION EARTH OBSERVATION SENSORS
Authors: Beckett K.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. UrtheCast’s Second-Generation state-of-the-art Earth Observation (EO) remote sensing platform will be hosted on the NASA segment of International Space Station (ISS). This platform comprises a high-resolution dual-mode (pushbroom and video) optical camera and a dual-band (X and L) Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) instrument. These new sensors will complement the firstgeneration medium-resolution pushbroom and high-definition video cameras that were mounted on the Russian segment of the ISS in early 2014. The new cameras are expected to be launched to the ISS in late 2017 via the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation Dragon spacecraft. The Canadarm will then be used to install the remote sensing platform onto a CBM (Common Berthing Mechanism) hatch on Node 3, allowing the sensor electronics to be accessible from the inside of the station, thus limiting their exposure to the space environment and allowing for future capability upgrades. The UrtheCast second-generation system will be able to take full advantage of the strengths that each of the individual sensors offers, such that the data exploitation capabilities of the combined sensors is significantly greater than from either sensor alone. This represents a truly novel platform that will lead to significant advances in many other Earth Observation applications such as environmental monitoring, energy and natural resources management, and humanitarian response, with data availability anticipated to begin after commissioning is completed in early 2018.
EARTH OBSERVATION IN SUPPORT OF SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIELD “LAND AND ENVIRONMENT”: SYNTHESIS RESULTS FROM THE ESA-MOST DRAGON COOPERATION PROGRAMME
Authors: Cartalis C. , Asimakopoulos D. N. , Ban Y. , Bao Y. , Bi Y. , Defourny P. , Del Barrio G. , Fan J. , Gao Z. , Gong H. , Gong J. , Gong P. , Li C. , Pignatti S. , Sarris A. , Yang G.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Dragon is a cooperation Programme between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of the P.R. China. The Programme, initiated in 2004, focuses on the exploitation of ESA, Third Party Missions (TPM) and Chinese Earth Observation (EO) data for geo-science and applications development in land, ocean and atmospheric applications. In particular, the Programme brings together joint Sino- European teams to investigate 50 thematic projects. In this paper, the results of the research projects1 in the thematic field “Land and Environment” will be briefly presented, whereas emphasis will be given in the assessment of the usefulness of the results for an integrated assessment of the state of the environment in the respective study areas. Furthermore new knowledge gained in such fields as desertification assessment, drought and epidemics’ monitoring, forest modeling, cropwatch monitoring, climate change vulnerability (including climate change adaptation and mitigation plans), urbanization monitoring and land use/cover change assessment and monitoring, will be presented. Such knowledge will be also linked to the capacities of Earth Observation systems (and of the respective EO data) to support the temporal, spatial and spectral requirements of the research studies. The potential of DRAGON to support such targets as “technology and knowledge transfer at the bilateral level”, “common EO database for exploitation” and “data sharing and open access data policy” will be also presented. Finally special consideration will be given in highlighting the replication potential of the techniques as developed in the course of the projects, as well as on the importance of the scientific results for environmental policy drafting and decision making.
Pull vs. Push: How OmniEarth Delivers Better Earth Observation Information to Subscribers
Authors: Fish C. , Slagowski S. , Dyrud L. , Fentzke J. , Hargis B. , Steerman M.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Until very recently, the commercialization of Earth observation systems has largely occurred in two ways: either through the detuning of government satellites or the repurposing of NASA (or other science) data for commercial use. However, the convergence of cloud computing and low-cost satellites is enabling Earth observation companies to tailor observation data to specific markets. Now, underserved constituencies, such as agriculture and energy, can tap into Earth observation data that is provided at a cadence, resolution and cost that can have a real impact to their bottom line. To connect with these markets, OmniEarth fuses data from a variety of sources, synthesizes it into useful and valuable business information, and delivers it to customers via web or mobile interfaces. The “secret sauce” is no longer about having the highest resolution imagery, but rather it is about using that imagery – in conjunction with a number of other sources – to solve complex problems that require timely and contextual information about our dynamic and changing planet. OmniEarth improves subscribers’ ability to visualize the world around them by enhancing their ability to see, analyze, and react to change in real time through a solutions-as-a-service platform.
CREATION OF A HIGH-RESOLUTION PRODUCT CLC2006_BACKDATING BY A BACKWARD LOOK FROM THE DIGITAL LAND COVER MODEL DLM-DE2009 TO 2006 - A CONTRIBUTION TO THE GERMAN CORINE LAND COVER 2012 PROJECT WITHIN A BOTTOM-UP APPROACH
Authors: Keil M. , Esch T. , Feigenspan S. , Marconcini M. , Metz A. , Ottinger M. , Zeidler J.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. For the update 2012 of CORINE Land Cover, in Germany a new approach has been developed in order to profit from the higher accuracies of the national topographic database. In agreement between the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy (BKG), CLC2012 has been derived from an updated digital landscape model DLM-DE, which is based on the Official Topographical Cartographic Information System ATKIS of the land survey authorities. The DLM-DE 2009 created by the BKG served as the base for the update 2012 in the national and EU context, both under the responsibility of the BKG. In addition to the updated CLC2012, a second product, the layer "CLC_Change" (2006-2012) was also requested by the European Environment Agency. The objective of the project part of DLR-DFD was to contribute the primary change areas from 2006 to 2009 in the phase of method change using the refined 2009 geometry of the DLM-DE 2009 for a retrospective view back to 2006. A semiautomatic approach was developed for this task, with an important role of AWiFS time series data of 2005 / 2006 in the context of separation between grassland – arable land. Other valuable datasets for the project were already available GMES land monitoring products of 2006 like the soil sealing layer 2006. The paper describes the developed method and discusses exemplary results of the CORINE backdating project part.
APPLYING TERRAIN AND HYDROLOGICAL EDITING TO TANDEM-X DATA TO CREATE A CONSUMER-READY WORLDDEM PRODUCT
Authors: Collins J. , Riegler G. , Schrader H. , Tinz M.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. The Geo-intelligence division of Airbus Defence and Space and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) have partnered to produce the first fully global, high-accuracy Digital Surface Model (DSM) using SAR data from the twin satellite constellation: TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X. The DLR is responsible for the processing and distribution of the TanDEM-X elevation model for the world’s scientific community, while Airbus DS is responsible for the commercial production and distribution of the data, under the brand name WorldDEM™. For the provision of a consumer-ready product, Airbus DS undertakes several steps to reduce the effect of radar-specific artifacts in the WorldDEM data. These artifacts can be divided into two categories: terrain and hydrological. Airbus DS has developed proprietary software and processes to detect and correct these artifacts in the most efficient manner. Some processes are fullyautomatic, while others require manual or semi-automatic control by operators.
Evaluations on the potential productivity of winter wheat based on agro-ecological zone in the world
Authors: Wang H. , Li Q. , Du X. , Zhao L. , Lu Y. , Li D. , Liu J.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Wheat is the most widely grown crop globally and an essential source of calories in human diets. Maintaining and increasing global wheat production is therefore strongly linked to food security. In this paper, the evaluation model of winter wheat potential productivity was proposed based on agro-ecological zone and the historical winter wheat yield data in recent 30 years (1983-2011) obtained from FAO. And the potential productions of winter wheat in the world were investigated. The results showed that the realistic potential productivity of winter wheat in Western Europe was highest and it was more than 7500 kg/hm2. The realistic potential productivity of winter wheat in North China Plain were also higher, which was about 6000 kg/hm2. However, the realistic potential productivity of winter wheat in the United States which is the main winter wheat producing country were not high, only about 3000 kg/hm2. In addition to these regions which were the main winter wheat producing areas, the realistic potential productivity in other regions of the world were very low and mainly less than 1500 kg/hm2, like in southwest region of Russia. The gaps between potential productivity and realistic productivity of winter wheat in Kazakhstan and India were biggest, and the percentages of the gap in realistic productivity of winter wheat in Kazakhstan and India were more than 40%. In Russia, the gap between potential productivity and realistic productivity of winter wheat was lowest and the percentage of the gap in realistic productivity of winter wheat in Russia was only 10%.
A HADOOP-BASED ALGORITHM OF GENERATING DEM GRID FROM POINT CLOUD DATA
Authors: Jian X. , Xiao X. , Chengfang H. , Zhizhong Z. , Zhaohui W. , Dengzhong Z.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Airborne LiDAR technology has proven to be the most powerful tools to obtain high-density, high-accuracy and significantly detailed surface information of terrain and surface objects within a short time, and from which the Digital Elevation Model of high quality can be extracted. Point cloud data generated from the pre-processed data should be classified by segmentation algorithms, so as to differ the terrain points from disorganized points, then followed by a procedure of interpolating the selected points to turn points into DEM data. The whole procedure takes a long time and huge computing resource due to high-density, that is concentrated on by a number of researches. Hadoop is a distributed system infrastructure developed by the Apache Foundation, which contains a highly fault-tolerant distributed file system (HDFS) with high transmission rate and a parallel programming model (Map/Reduce). Such a framework is appropriate for DEM generation algorithms to improve efficiency. Point cloud data of Dongting Lake acquired by Riegl LMS-Q680i laser scanner was utilized as the original data to generate DEM by a Hadoop-based algorithms implemented in Linux, then followed by another traditional procedure programmed by C++ as the comparative experiment. Then the algorithm’s efficiency, coding complexity, and performance-cost ratio were discussed for the comparison. The results demonstrate that the algorithm's speed depends on size of point set and density of DEM grid, and the non-Hadoop implementation can achieve a high performance when memory is big enough, but the multiple Hadoop implementation can achieve a higher performance-cost ratio, while point set is of vast quantities on the other hand.
Rice Crop Monitoring and Yield Assessment with MODIS 250m Gridded Vegetation Products: A Case Study of Sa Kaeo Province, Thailand
Authors: Wijesingha J. S. J. , Deshapriya N. L. , Samarakoon L.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Billions of people in the world depend on rice as a staple food and as an income-generating crop. Asia is the leader in rice cultivation and it is necessary to maintain an up-to-date rice-related database to ensure food security as well as economic development. This study investigates general applicability of high temporal resolution Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250m gridded vegetation product for monitoring rice crop growth, mapping rice crop acreage and analyzing crop yield, at the province-level. The MODIS 250m Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) time series data, field data and crop calendar information were utilized in this research in Sa Kaeo Province, Thailand. The following methodology was used: (1) data pre-processing and rice plant growth analysis using Vegetation Indices (VI) (2) extraction of rice acreage and start-of-season dates from VI time series data (3) accuracy assessment, and (4) yield analysis with MODIS VI. The results show a direct relationship between rice plant height and MODIS VI. The crop calendar information and the smoothed NDVI time series with Whittaker Smoother gave high rice acreage estimation (with 86% area accuracy and 75% classification accuracy). Point level yield analysis showed that the MODIS EVI is highly correlated with rice yield and yield prediction using maximum EVI in the rice cycle predicted yield with an average prediction error 4.2%. This study shows the immense potential of MODIS gridded vegetation product for keeping an up-to-date Geographic Information System of rice cultivation.
MULTISENSOR EXPERIMENTS OVER VINEYARD: NEW CHALLENGES FOR THE GNSS-R TECHNIQUE
Authors: Sánchez N. , Alonso-Arroyo A. , Martínez-Fernández J. , Camps A. , González-Zamora A. , Pablos M. , Herrero-Jiménez C. M. , Gumuzzio A.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. An airborne campaign was performed during August, 2014 in an agricultural area in the Duero basin (Spain) in order to appraise the synergy between very different sources of Earth Observation imagery, and very different instruments for soil moisture retrieval. During the flight, an intensive field campaign comprising soil, plant and spectral measurements was carried out. An innovative sensor based on the Global Navigation Satellite Systems Reflectometry (GNSS-R) was on board the manned vehicle, the Light Airborne Reflectometer for GNSS-R Observations (LARGO) engineered by the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. While the synergy between thermal, optical and passive microwave spectra observations is well known for vegetation parameters and soil moisture retrievals, the experiment aimed to evaluate the synergy of GNSS-R reflectivity with a time-collocated Landsat 8 imagery for soil moisture retrieval under semiarid climatic conditions. LARGO estimates, field measurements, and optical, NIR, SWIR and thermal bands from Landsat 8 were compared. Results showed that the joint use of GNSS-R reflectivity with vegetation and water indices together with thermal maps from Landsat 8 thoroughly improved the soil moisture estimation.
A BOX-COUNTING METHOD TO CHARACTERIZE DEGREES OF FOLIAGE CLUMPING USING AIRBORNE AND SIMULATED LIDAR DATA
Authors: van Leeuwen M. , van Aardt J. A. N. , Kampe T. , Krause K.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Monitoring forest productivity and health is key to sustainable ecosystem management and informed decision making. A key parameter used in monitoring forest resources is the leaf area index (LAI), which is defined as the one-sided leaf area per unit ground area and is used to describe the canopy radiation regime, among other forest biophysical dynamics. Traditional optics-based methods to estimate LAI rely on the measurement of canopy transmission and foliage clumping. Extending optical methods to LiDAR data has been challenging and studies have reported effective LAI assessments, with no further quantification of foliage clumping. This study investigates the use of the box-counting method to assess the fractal dimension of point cloud data for contrasting forest types and along a gradient of foliage dispersal. We demonstrate the box-counting method on simulated ‘range-to-hit’, as well as acquired airborne discrete LiDAR data. Coherent results obtained from the different test cases hint at the potential of the box-counting fractal dimension to characterize foliage clumping and bode well for the use of clumping assessments in support of airborne, wall-to-wall estimates of LAI.
GYROCOPTER-BASED REMOTE SENSING PLATFORM
Authors: Weber I. , Jenal A. , Kneer C. , Bongartz J.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. In this paper the development of a lightweight and highly modularized airborne sensor platform for remote sensing applications utilizing a gyrocopter as a carrier platform is described. The current sensor configuration consists of a high resolution DSLR camera for VIS-RGB recordings. As a second sensor modality, a snapshot hyperspectral camera was integrated in the aircraft. Moreover a custom-developed thermal imaging system composed of a VIS-PAN camera and a LWIR-camera is used for aerial recordings in the thermal infrared range. Furthermore another custom-developed highly flexible imaging system for high resolution multispectral image acquisition with up to six spectral bands in the VIS-NIR range is presented. The performance of the overall system was tested during several flights with all sensor modalities and the precalculated demands with respect to spatial resolution and reliability were validated. The collected data sets were georeferenced, georectified, orthorectified and then stitched to mosaics.
Study of City Landscape Heritage Using Lidar Data and 3d-City Models
Authors: Rubinowicz P. , Czyńska K.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. In contemporary town planning protection of urban landscape is a significant issue. It regards especially those cities, where urban structures are the result of ages of evolution and layering of historical development process. Specific panoramas and other strategic views with historic city dominants can be an important part of the cultural heritage and genius loci. Other hand, protection of such expositions introduces limitations for future based city development. Digital Earth observation techniques creates new possibilities for more accurate urban studies, monitoring of urbanization processes and measuring of city landscape parameters. The paper examines possibilities of application of Lidar data and digital 3D-city models for: a) evaluation of strategic city views, b) mapping landscape absorption limits, and c) determination protection zones, where the urbanization and buildings height should be limited. In reference to this goal, the paper introduces a method of computational analysis of the city landscape called Visual Protection Surface (VPS). The method allows to emulate a virtual surface above the city including protection of a selected strategic views. The surface defines maximum height of buildings in such a way, that no new facility can be seen in any of selected views. The research includes also analyses of the quality of simulations according the form and precision of the input data: airborne Lidar / DSM model and more advanced 3D-city models (incl. semantic of the geometry, like in CityGML format). The outcome can be a support for professional planning of tall building development. Application of VPS method have been prepared by a computer program developed by the authors (C++). Simulations were carried out on an example of the city of Dresden.
Automated 3D architecture reconstruction from photogrammetric structure-and-motion: A case study of the One Pilla pagoda, Hanoi, Vienam
Authors: To T. , Nguyen D. , Tran G.
Published: April 2015

Abstract. Heritage system of Vietnam has decline because of poor-conventional condition. For sustainable development, it is required a firmly control, space planning organization, and reasonable investment. Moreover, in the field of Cultural Heritage, the use of automated photogrammetric systems, based on Structure from Motion techniques (SfM), is widely used. With the potential of high-resolution, low-cost, large field of view, easiness, rapidity and completeness, the derivation of 3D metric information from Structure-and- Motion images is receiving great attention. In addition, heritage objects in form of 3D physical models are recorded not only for documentation issues, but also for historical interpretation, restoration, cultural and educational purposes. The study suggests the archaeological documentation of the “One Pilla” pagoda placed in Hanoi capital, Vietnam. The data acquired through digital camera Cannon EOS 550D, CMOS APS-C sensor 22.3 × 14.9 mm. Camera calibration and orientation were carried out by VisualSFM, CMPMVS (Multi-View Reconstruction) and SURE (Photogrammetric Surface Reconstruction from Imagery) software. The final result represents a scaled 3D model of the One Pilla Pagoda and displayed different views in MeshLab software.