bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of virtual water content of rice and spatial characteristics analysis in China
Authors: Zhang L. J. , Yin X. A. , Zhi Y. , Yang Z. F.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. China is a water-stressed country, and agriculture consumes the bulk of its water resources. Assessing the virtual water content (VWC) of crops is one important way to develop efficient water management measures to alleviate water resource conflicts among different sectors. In this research, the VWC of rice, a major crop in China, is taken as the research object. China covers a vast land area, and the VWC of rice varies widely between different regions. The VWC of rice in China is assessed and the spatial characteristics are also analysed. The total VWC is the total volume of freshwater both consumed and affected by pollution during the crop production process, including both direct and indirect water use. Prior calculation frameworks of the VWC of crops did not contain all of the virtual water content of crops. In addition to the calculation of green, blue and grey water – the direct water in VWC – the indirect water use of rice was also calculated, using an input–output model. The percentages of direct green, blue, grey and indirect water in the total VWC of rice in China were found to be 43.8, 28.2, 27.6, and 0.4%. The total VWC of rice generally showed a roughly three-tiered distribution, and decreased from southeast to northwest. The higher values of direct green water usage were mainly concentrated in Southeast and Southwest China, while the values were relatively low in Northwest China and Inner Mongolia. The higher direct blue water values were mainly concentrated in the eastern and southern coastal regions and Northwest China, and low values were mainly concentrated in Southwest China. Grey water values were relatively high in Shanxi and Guangxi provinces and low in Northeast and Northwest China. The regions with high values for indirect water were randomly distributed but the regions with low values were mainly concentrated in Northwest and Southwest China. For the regions with relatively high total VWC the high values of blue water made the largest contribution, although for the country as a whole the direct green water is the most important contributor.
Using 14C and 3H to understand groundwater flow and recharge in an aquifer window
Authors: Atkinson A. P. , Cartwright I. , Gilfedder B. S. , Cendón D. I. , Unland N. P. , Hofmann H.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Knowledge of groundwater residence times and recharge locations are vital to the sustainable management of groundwater resources. Here we investigate groundwater residence times and patterns of recharge in the Gellibrand Valley, southeast Australia, where outcropping aquifer sediments of the Eastern View Formation form an "aquifer window" that may receive diffuse recharge and recharge from the Gellibrand River. To determine recharge patterns and groundwater flowpaths, environmental isotopes (3H, 14C, δ13C, δ18O, δ2H) are used in conjunction with groundwater geochemistry and continuous monitoring of groundwater elevation and electrical conductivity. Despite the water table fluctuating by 0.9–3.7 m annually producing estimated recharge rates of 90 and 372 mm yr-1, residence times of shallow (11–29 m) groundwater determined by 14C ages are between 100 and 10 000 years. 3H activities are negligible in most of the groundwater and groundwater electrical conductivity in individual areas remains constant over the period of study. Although diffuse local recharge is evident, the depth to which it penetrates is limited to the upper 10 m of the aquifer. Rather, groundwater in the Gellibrand Valley predominantly originates from the regional recharge zone, the Barongarook High, and acts as a regional discharge zone where upward head gradients are maintained annually, limiting local recharge. Additionally, the Gellibrand River does not recharge the surrounding groundwater and has limited bank storage. 14C ages and Cl concentrations are well correlated and Cl concentrations may be used to provide a first-order estimate of groundwater residence times. Progressively lower chloride concentrations from 10 000 years BP to the present day are interpreted to indicate an increase in recharge rates on the Barongarook High.
On the sensitivity of urban hydrodynamic modelling to rainfall spatial and temporal resolution
Authors: Bruni G. , Reinoso R. , van de Giesen N. C. , Clemens F. H. L. R. , ten Veldhuis J. A. E.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Cities are increasingly vulnerable to floods generated by intense rainfall, because of their high degree of imperviousness, implementation of infrastructures, and changes in precipitation patterns due to climate change. Accurate information of convective storm characteristics at high spatial and temporal resolution is a crucial input for urban hydrological models to be able to simulate fast runoff processes and enhance flood prediction. In this paper, a detailed study of the sensitivity of urban hydrological response to high resolution radar rainfall was conducted. Rainfall rates derived from X-band dual polarimetric weather radar for four rainstorms were used as input into a detailed hydrodynamic sewer model for an urban catchment in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Dimensionless parameters were derived to compare results between different storm conditions and to describe the effect of rainfall spatial resolution in relation to storm and hydrodynamic model properties: rainfall sampling number (rainfall resolution vs. storm size), catchment sampling number (rainfall resolution vs. catchment size), runoff and sewer sampling number (rainfall resolution vs. runoff and sewer model resolution respectively). Results show catchment smearing effect for rainfall resolution approaching half the catchment size, i.e. for catchments sampling numbers greater than 0.5 averaged rainfall volumes decrease about 20%. Moreover, deviations in maximum water depths, form 10 to 30% depending on the storm, occur for rainfall resolution close to storm size, describing storm smearing effect due to rainfall coarsening. Model results also show the sensitivity of modelled runoff peaks and maximum water depths to the resolution of the runoff areas and sewer density respectively. Sensitivity to temporal resolution of rainfall input seems low compared to spatial resolution, for the storms analysed in this study. Findings are in agreement with previous studies on natural catchments, thus the sampling numbers seem to be promising as an approach to describe sensitivity of hydrological response to rainfall variability for intra-urban catchments and local convective storms. More storms and different urban catchments of varying characteristics need to be analysed in order to validate these findings.
3D painting documentation: evaluation of conservation conditions with 3D imaging and ranging techniques
Authors: Abate D. , Menna F. , Remondino F. , Gattari M.G.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. The monitoring of paintings, both on canvas and wooden support, is a crucial issue for the preservation and conservation of this kind of artworks. Many environmental factors (e.g. humidity, temperature, illumination, etc.), as well as bad conservation practices (e.g. wrong restorations, inappropriate locations, etc.), can compromise the material conditions over time and deteriorate an artwork. The article presents an on-going project realized by a multidisciplinary team composed by the ENEA UTICT 3D GraphLab, the 3D Optical Metrology Unit of the Bruno Kessler Foundation and the Soprintendenza per i Beni Storico Artistici ed Etnoantropologici of Bologna (Italy). The goal of the project is the multi-temporal 3D documentation and monitoring of paintings – at the moment in bad conservation’s situation - and the provision of some metrics to quantify the deformations and damages.
A comparison of semiglobal and local dense matching algorithms for surface reconstruction
Authors: Dall'Asta E. , Roncella R.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Encouraged by the growing interest in automatic 3D image-based reconstruction, the development and improvement of robust stereo matching techniques is one of the most investigated research topic of the last years in photogrammetry and computer vision. The paper is focused on the comparison of some stereo matching algorithms (local and global) which are very popular both in photogrammetry and computer vision. In particular, the Semi-Global Matching (SGM), which realizes a pixel-wise matching and relies on the application of consistency constraints during the matching cost aggregation, will be discussed. The results of some tests performed on real and simulated stereo image datasets, evaluating in particular the accuracy of the obtained digital surface models, will be presented. Several algorithms and different implementation are considered in the comparison, using freeware software codes like MICMAC and OpenCV, commercial software (e.g. Agisoft PhotoScan) and proprietary codes implementing Least Square e Semi-Global Matching algorithms. The comparisons will also consider the completeness and the level of detail within fine structures, and the reliability and repeatability of the obtainable data.
Door recognition in cluttered building interiors using imagery and lidar data
Authors: Díaz-Vilariño L. , Martínez-Sánchez J. , Lagüela S. , Armesto J. , Khoshelham K.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Building indoors reconstruction is an active research topic due to the importance of the wide range of applications to which they can be subjected, from architecture and furniture design, to movies and video games editing, or even crime scene investigation. Among the constructive elements defining the inside of a building, doors are important entities in applications like routing and navigation, and their automated recognition is advantageous e.g. in case of large multi-storey buildings with many office rooms. The inherent complexity of the automation of the recognition process is increased by the presence of clutter and occlusions, difficult to avoid in indoor scenes. In this work, we present a pipeline of techniques used for the reconstruction and interpretation of building interiors using information acquired in the form of point clouds and images. The methodology goes in depth with door detection and labelling as either opened, closed or furniture (false positive)
Application of SFM and laser scanning technology to the description of mosaics piece by piece
Authors: Ajioka O. , Hori Y.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Mosaic floors of surviving buildings in Ostia have been mainly recorded in photographs. From 2008, Japanese research group carries out a project of 3d measuring of the whole structure of ancient Roman city Ostia using laser scanners, including its landscape, city blocks, streets, buildings, wall paintings and mosaics. The laser scanner allows for a more detailed analysis and a greater potential for recording mosaics. We can record the data of mosaics, which are described piece by piece. However it is hard to acquire enough high dense point cloud and the internal camera of the laser scanner produce low quality images. We introduce a possible technology of 3D recording of mosaics with high-quality colour information; SFM. The use of this technique permits us to create 3D models from images provided from a CCD camera without heavy and large laser scanners. We applied SFM system to different three types of the mosaics laid down on the floors of "the House of the Dioscuroi", "the Insula of the Muse" and "the House of Jove and Ganymede", and created high resolution orthographic images. Then we examined to compare these orthographic images with that are created from the point cloud data. As a result, we confirmed that SFM system has sufficient practical utility for the mosaic research. And we present how much of density of point cloud or ground resolution are required for the documentation of mosaics accurately.
3D Modelling of Interior Spaces: Learning the Language of Indoor Architecture
Authors: Khoshelham K. , Díaz-Vilariño L.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. 3D models of indoor environments are important in many applications, but they usually exist only for newly constructed buildings. Automated approaches to modelling indoor environments from imagery and/or point clouds can make the process easier, faster and cheaper. We present an approach to 3D indoor modelling based on a shape grammar. We demonstrate that interior spaces can be modelled by iteratively placing, connecting and merging cuboid shapes. We also show that the parameters and sequence of grammar rules can be learned automatically from a point cloud. Experiments with simulated and real point clouds show promising results, and indicate the potential of the method in 3D modelling of large indoor environments.
Pile volume measurement by range imaging camera in indoor environment
Authors: Altuntas C.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Range imaging (RIM) camera is recent technology in 3D location measurement. The new study areas have been emerged in measurement and data processing together with RIM camera. It has low-cost and fast measurement technique compared to the current measurement techniques. However its measurement accuracy varies according to effects resulting from the device and the environment. The direct sunlight is affect measurement accuracy of the camera. Thus, RIM camera should be used for indoor measurement. In this study gravel pile volume was measured by SwissRanger SR4000 camera. The measured volume is acquired as different 8.13% from the known.
An Integrated Flexible Self-calibration Approach for 2D Laser Scanning Range Finders Applied to the Hokuyo UTM-30LX-EW
Authors: Mader D. , Westfeld P. , Maas H.-G.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. The paper presents a flexible approach for the geometric calibration of a 2D infrared laser scanning range finder. It does not require spatial object data, thus avoiding the time-consuming determination of reference distances or coordinates with superior accuracy. The core contribution is the development of an integrated bundle adjustment, based on the flexible principle of a self-calibration. This method facilitates the precise definition of the geometry of the scanning device, including the estimation of range-measurement-specific correction parameters. The integrated calibration routine jointly adjusts distance and angular data from the laser scanning range finder as well as image data from a supporting DSLR camera, and automatically estimates optimum observation weights. The validation process carried out using a Hokuyo UTM-30LX-EW confirms the correctness of the proposed functional and stochastic contexts and allows detailed accuracy analyses. The level of accuracy of the observations is computed by variance component estimation. For the Hokuyo scanner, we obtained 0.2% of the measured distance in range measurement and 0.2 deg for the angle precision. The RMS error of a 3D coordinate after the calibration becomes 5 mm in lateral and 9 mm in depth direction. Particular challenges have arisen due to a very large elliptical laser beam cross-section of the scanning device used.
3D Case Studies of Monitoring Dynamic Structural Tests using Long Exposure Imagery
Authors: McCarthy D. M. J. , Chandler J. H. , Palmeri A.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Structural health monitoring uses non-destructive testing programmes to detect long-term degradation phenomena in civil engineering structures. Structural testing may also be carried out to assess a structure's integrity following a potentially damaging event. Such investigations are increasingly carried out with vibration techniques, in which the structural response to artificial or natural excitations is recorded and analysed from a number of monitoring locations. Photogrammetry is of particular interest here since a very high number of monitoring locations can be measured using just a few images. To achieve the necessary imaging frequency to capture the vibration, it has been necessary to reduce the image resolution at the cost of spatial measurement accuracy. Even specialist sensors are limited by a compromise between sensor resolution and imaging frequency. To alleviate this compromise, a different approach has been developed and is described in this paper. Instead of using high-speed imaging to capture the instantaneous position at each epoch, long-exposure images are instead used, in which the localised image of the object becomes blurred. The approach has been extended to create 3D displacement vectors for each target point via multiple camera locations, which allows the simultaneous detection of transverse and torsional mode shapes. The proposed approach is frequency invariant allowing monitoring of higher modal frequencies irrespective of a sampling frequency. Since there is no requirement for imaging frequency, a higher image resolution is possible for the most accurate spatial measurement. The results of a small scale laboratory test using off-the-shelf consumer cameras are demonstrated. A larger experiment also demonstrates the scalability of the approach.
Localization using RGB-D cameras orthoimages
Authors: Mittet M.-A. , Landes T. , Grussenmeyer P.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. 3D cameras are a new generation of sensors more and more used in geomatics. The main advantages of 3D cameras are their handiness, their price, and the ability to produce range images or point clouds in real-time. They are used in many areas and the use of this kind of sensors has grown especially as the Kinect (Microsoft) arrived on the market. This paper presents a new localization system based exclusively on the combination of several 3D cameras on a mobile platform. It is planed that the platform moves on sidewalks, acquires the environment and enables the determination of most appropriate routes for disabled persons. The paper will present the key features of our approach as well as promising solutions for the challenging task of localization based on 3D-cameras. We give examples of mobile trajectory estimated exclusively from 3D cameras acquisitions. We evaluate the accuracy of the calculated trajectory, thanks to a reference trajectory obtained by a total station.
Scan registration using planar features
Authors: Previtali M. , Barazzetti L. , Brumana R. , Scaioni M.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Point cloud acquisition by using laser scanners provides an efficient way for 3D as-built modelling of indoor/outdoor urban environments. In the case of large structures, multiple scans may be required to cover the entire scene and registration is needed to merge them together. In general, the identification of corresponding geometric features among a series of scans can be used to compute the 3D rigid-body transformation useful for the registration of each scan into the reference system of the final point cloud. Different automatic or semi-automatic methods have been developed to this purpose. Several solutions based on artificial targets are available, which however may not be suitable in any situations. Methods based on surface matching (like ICP and LS3D) can be applied if the scans to align have a proper geometry and surface texture. In the case of urban and architectural scenes that present the prevalence of a few basic geometric shapes ("Legoland" scenes) the availability of many planar features is exploited here for registration. The presented technique does not require artificial targets to be added to the scanned scene. In addition, unlike other surface-based techniques (like ICP) the planar feature-based registration technique is not limited to work in a pairwise manner but it can handle the simultaneous alignment of multiple scans. Finally, some applications are presented and discussed to show how this technique can achieve accuracy comparable to a consolidated registration method.
Method for Measuring Lens Distortion by Using Pinhole Lens
Authors: Reznicek J.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. In photogrammetric applications, the measurements are conducted on images given by optical imaging systems (cameras). In order to ensure the demanded accuracy, those cameras have to be well calibrated geometrically. A new method for measuring glass lens distortion based on using distortion-free pinhole lens is proposed, where the measure of the distortion progress is derived by comparing two images of the calibration field, given by pinhole lens and glass lens. Presented approach to measuring the lens distortion provides directly the deviations of corresponding target images given by the pinhole lens and the glass lens, therefore the method is not limited by pre-defined functional model describing the distortion progress. The modelling of the distortion can be done a posteriori, by using tabulated distortion values. The proposed method for measuring lens distortion is applied in an experimental investigation leading to the confirmation of the validity of the theoretical development. The result of the investigation derives a promising new possibility for accurate lens calibration.
UAV Data Processing for Large Scale Topographical Mapping
Authors: Tampubolon W. , Reinhardt W.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Large scale topographical mapping in the third world countries is really a prominent challenge in geospatial industries nowadays. On one side the demand is significantly increasing while on the other hand it is constrained by limited budgets available for mapping projects. Since the advent of Act Nr.4/yr.2011 about Geospatial Information in Indonesia, large scale topographical mapping has been on high priority for supporting the nationwide development e.g. detail spatial planning. Usually large scale topographical mapping relies on conventional aerial survey campaigns in order to provide high resolution 3D geospatial data sources. Widely growing on a leisure hobby, aero models in form of the so-called Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) bring up alternative semi photogrammetric aerial data acquisition possibilities suitable for relatively small Area of Interest (AOI) i.e. <5,000 hectares. For detail spatial planning purposes in Indonesia this area size can be used as a mapping unit since it usually concentrates on the basis of sub district area (kecamatan) level. In this paper different camera and processing software systems will be further analyzed for identifying the best optimum UAV data acquisition campaign components in combination with the data processing scheme. The selected AOI is covering the cultural heritage of Borobudur Temple as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. A detailed accuracy assessment will be concentrated within the object feature of the temple at the first place. Feature compilation involving planimetric objects (2D) and digital terrain models (3D) will be integrated in order to provide Digital Elevation Models (DEM) as the main interest of the topographic mapping activity. By doing this research, incorporating the optimum amount of GCPs in the UAV photo data processing will increase the accuracy along with its high resolution in 5 cm Ground Sampling Distance (GSD). Finally this result will be used as the benchmark for alternative geospatial data acquisition in the future in which it can support national large scale topographical mapping program up to the 1:1.000 map scale.
Filtering of Point Clouds from Photogrammetric Surface Reconstruction
Authors: Wenzel K. , Rothermel M. , Fritsch D. , Haala N.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. The density and data volumes for recorded 3D surfaces increase steadily. In particular during photogrammetric surface reconstruction and laser scanning applications these volumes often exceed the limits of the available hardware and software. The large point clouds and meshes acquired during the projects contain billions of vertices and require scalable data handling frameworks for further processing. Beside the scalability to big data, these methods also should adapt to non-uniform data density and precision resulting from varying acquisition distances, as required for data from Photogrammetry and Laser Scanning. For this purpose, we present a framework called Pine Tree, which is based on an out-of-core octree. It enables fast local data queries, such as nearest neighbor queries for filtering, while dynamically storing and loading data from the hard disk. This way, large amounts of data can be processed on limited main memory. Within this paper, we describe the Pine Tree approach as well as its underlying methods. Furthermore, examples for a filtering task are shown, where overlapping point clouds are thinned out by preserving the locally densest point cloud only. By adding an optional redundancy constraint, point validation and outlier rejection can be applied.
Automated Extraction of 3D Trees from Mobile LiDAR Point Clouds
Authors: Yu Y. , Li J. , Guan H. , Zai D. , Wang C.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. This paper presents an automated algorithm for extracting 3D trees directly from 3D mobile light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. To reduce both computational and spatial complexities, ground points are first filtered out from a raw 3D point cloud via blockbased elevation filtering. Off-ground points are then grouped into clusters representing individual objects through Euclidean distance clustering and voxel-based normalized cut segmentation. Finally, a model-driven method is proposed to achieve the extraction of 3D trees based on a pairwise 3D shape descriptor. The proposed algorithm is tested using a set of mobile LiDAR point clouds acquired by a RIEGL VMX-450 system. The results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Assessment of the effectiveness of flood adaptation strategies for HCMC
Authors: Lasage R. , Veldkamp T. I. E. , de Moel H. , Van T. C. , Phi H. L. , Vellinga P. , Aerts J. C. J. H.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Coastal cities are vulnerable to flooding, and flood risk to coastal cities will increase due to sea-level rise. Moreover, Asian cities in particular are subject to considerable population growth and associated urban developments, increasing this risk even more. Empirical data on vulnerability and the cost and benefits of flood risk reduction measures are therefore paramount for sustainable development of these cities. This paper presents an approach to explore the impacts of sea-level rise and socio-economic developments on flood risk for the flood-prone District 4 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and to develop and evaluate the effects of different adaptation strategies (new levees, dry- and wet proofing of buildings and elevating roads and buildings). A flood damage model was developed to simulate current and future flood risk using the results from a household survey to establish stage–damage curves for residential buildings. The model has been used to assess the effects of several participatory developed adaptation strategies to reduce flood risk, expressed in expected annual damage (EAD). Adaptation strategies were evaluated assuming combinations of both sea-level scenarios and land-use scenarios. Together with information on costs of these strategies, we calculated the benefit–cost ratio and net present value for the adaptation strategies until 2100, taking into account depreciation rates of 2.5% and 5%. The results of this modelling study indicate that the current flood risk in District 4 is USD 0.31 million per year, increasing up to USD 0.78 million per year in 2100. The net present value and benefit–cost ratios using a discount rate of 5 % range from USD −107 to −1.5 million, and from 0.086 to 0.796 for the different strategies. Using a discount rate of 2.5% leads to an increase in both net present value and benefit–cost ratio. The adaptation strategies wet-proofing and dry-proofing generate the best results using these economic indicators. The information on different strategies will be used by the government of Ho Chi Minh City to determine a new flood protection strategy. Future research should focus on gathering empirical data right after a flood on the occurring damage, as this appears to be the most uncertain factor in the risk assessment.
Characterising the relationship between weather extremes in Europe and synoptic circulation features
Authors: Pfahl S.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Extreme weather events in Europe are closely linked to anomalies of the atmospheric circulation and in particular to circulation features like cyclones and atmospheric blocking. In this study, this linkage is systematically characterised with the help of conditional cyclone and blocking frequencies during precipitation, wind gust and temperature extremes at various locations in Europe. Such conditional frequency fields can serve as a dynamical fingerprint of the extreme events and yield insights into their most important physical driving mechanisms. Precipitation extremes over the ocean and over flat terrain are shown to be closely related to cyclones in the vicinity and the associated dynamical lifting. For extreme precipitation over complex terrain, cyclone anomalies are found at more remote locations, favouring the flow of moist air towards the topography. Wind gust extremes are associated with cyclone and blocking anomalies in opposite directions, with the cyclones occurring mostly over the North and Baltic seas for extreme events in central Europe. This setting is associated with pronounced surface pressure gradients and thus high near-surface wind velocities. Hot temperature extremes in northern and central Europe typically occur in the vicinity of a blocking anticyclone, where subsidence and radiative forcing are strong. Over southern Europe, blocking anomalies are shifted more to the north or northeast, indicating a more important role of warm air advection. Large-scale flow conditions for cold extremes are similar at many locations in Europe, with blocking anomalies over the North Atlantic and northern Europe and cyclone anomalies southeast of the cold extreme, both contributing to the advection of cold air masses. This characterisation of synoptic-scale forcing mechanisms can be helpful for better understanding and anticipating weather extremes and their long-term changes.
Estimation of successive co-seismic vertical offsets using coeval sedimentary events – application to the Sea of Marmara's Central Basin (North Anatolian Fault)
Authors: Beck C. , Campos C. , Eriş K. , Çağatay N. , Mercier de Lepinay B. , Jouanne F.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. In the deep part of the Sea of Marmara (Turkey), the sedimentation developing upon the North Anatolian Fault is strongly influenced by the associated seismic activity. Specific layers (homogenites-turbidites), representing individual sedimentary events, have been characterized along three giant piston cores retrieved from Çinarcik and Central (or Orta) basins. Analyzed sediments represent the last 12 to 17 kyr BP. For a 2 kyr-lasting interval, 11 events could be precisely correlated on both sides of the Central Basin's southern scarp. For each of them, based on the specific depositional process, the thickness difference between the two sites was considered as a direct estimation of the vertical component of a coeval co-seismic offset. The homogenite (upper) term accounts for the major part of the thickness difference. The 6 most significant values range from 36 cm to 144 cm and are likely representing dominantly normal throws, with estimated paleomagnitudes (Mw) ranging from 5.9 to 6.6.
A satellite-based analysis of the Val d'Agri (South of Italy) Oil Center gas flaring emissions
Authors: Faruolo M. , Coviello I. , Filizzola C. , Lacava T. , Pergola N. , Tramutoli V.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. In this paper the Robust Satellite Techniques (RST), a multi-temporal scheme of satellite data analysis, was implemented to analyze the flaring activity of the largest Italian gas and oil pre-treatment plant (i.e. the Ente Nazionale Idrocarburi – ENI – Val d'Agri Oil Center – COVA). For this site, located in an anthropized area characterized by a~large environmental complexity, flaring emissions are mainly related to emergency conditions (i.e. waste flaring), being the industrial process regulated by strict regional laws. With reference to the peculiar characteristics of COVA flaring, the main aim of this work was to assess the performances of RST in terms of sensitivity and reliability in providing independent estimations of gas flaring volumes in such conditions. In detail, RST was implemented on thirteen years of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) medium and thermal infrared data in order to identify the highly radiant records associated to the COVA flare emergency discharges. Then, exploiting data provided by ENI about gas flaring volumes in the period 2003–2009, a MODIS-based regression model was developed and tested. Achieved results indicate that such a model is able to estimate, with a good level of accuracy (R2 of 0.83), emitted gas flaring volumes at COVA.
Brief Communication: Trends in sea ice extent north of Svalbard and its impact on cold air outbreaks as observed in spring 2013
Authors: Tetzlaff A. , Lüpkes C. , Birnbaum G. , Hartmann J. , Nygård T. , Vihma T.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. An analysis of SSM/I satellite data reveals that the Whaler's Bay Polynya north of Svalbard was considerably larger in the last three winters from 2012 to 2014 compared to the previous 20 years. This increased polynya size leads to strong atmospheric convection during cold air outbreaks in a region north of Svalbard that typically was ice covered in the last decades. The change in ice cover can strongly influence local temperature conditions. Dropsonde measurements from March 2013 show that the unusual ice conditions generate extreme convective boundary layer heights that are larger than the regional values reported in previous studies.
Diagnose angeborener Störungen der Thrombozytenfunktion
Authors: Knöfler R. , Eberl W. , Schulze H. , Bakchoul T. , Bergmann F. , Gehrisch S. , Geisen C. , Gottstein S. , Halimeh S. , Harbrecht U. , Kappert G. , Kirchmaier C. , Kehrel B. , Lösche W. , Krause M. , Mahnel R. , Meyer O. , Pilgrimm A. K. , Pillitteri D. , Rott H. , Santoso S. , Siegemund A. , Schambeck C. , Scheer M. , Schmugge M. , Scholl T. , Strauss G. , Zieger B. , Zotz R. , Hermann M. , Streif W.
Published: June 2014

Angeborene Störungen der Thrombozytenfunktion sind eine heterogene Gruppe von Erkrankungen, die oft erst bei Auftreten von Blutungen erkannt werden. Im klinischen Bereich haben sich nur wenige Methoden zur Diagnose und Klassifizierung von angeborenen Thrombozytenfunktionsstörungen bewährt. Für eine rationelle Diagnostik ist ein stufenweises Vorgehen empfehlenswert. Anamnese und klinische Untersuchung sind Grundvoraussetzungen. Das von-Willebrand-Syndrom und andere plasmatische Gerinnungsstörungen sollten vor einer spezifischen Thrombozytenfunktionsdiagnostik immer ausgeschlossen werden. Die Bestimmung von Zahl, Größe, Volumen (MPV) und Morphologie der Thrombozyten erlauben Rückschlüsse auf die zu Grunde liegende Störung.

Die PFA-100®-Verschlusszeit eignet sich als Screening zum Ausschluss schwerer Thrombozytenfunktionsstörungen. Die Aggrego metrie ermöglicht die Untersuchung zahlreicher Aspekte der Thrombozytenfunktion. Die Durchflusszytometrie ist zur Diagnose von Thrombasthenie Glanzmann, Bernard-Soulier- Syndrom und Freisetzungsstörungen geeignet. Molekulargenetische Untersuchungen können die Verdachtsdiagnose bestätigen oder zum Nachweis nicht beschriebener Defekte verwendet werden. Hier wird die ungekürzte Version der inter -disziplinären Leitlinie* präsentiert.
Improved ß-Carotene and Lycopene Production by Blakeslea trispora with Ultrasonic Treatment in Submerged Fermentation
Authors: Wang Hong-Bo , Xu Rong-Gang , Yu Long-Jiang , Luo Jun , Zhang Li-Wei , Huang Xiao-Yan , Zou Wen-An , Zhao Qian , Lu Ming-Bo
Published: June 2014

Response surface methodology (RSM) based on Box-Behnken design (BBD) was employed to investigate the effect of ultrasonic treatment on b-carotene production by Blakeslea trispora. The optimized strategy involved exposing three-day-old mycelial cultures to ultrasonic treatment at a fixed frequency of 20 kHz, power of 491 W, treatment time of 3 min, working time of 3 s, and rest time of 5:8 s, repeated four times at a 24-h interval. Mycelium growth was not significantly promoted under ultrasonic stimulation; however, the glucose metabolism increased by about 10%, the average size of the aggregates significantly decreased, and the uptake rate of imidazole into cells was increased about 2.5-fold. After a 6-d culture, the technique produced 173 mg=L of b-carotene and 82 mg=L of lycopene, which represented an increase of nearly 40:7% and 52:7%, respectively, over the yields obtained in cultures without ultrasonic treatment
cDNA Cloning and Expression Analysis of Farnesyl Pyrophosphate Synthase from Ornithogalum saundersiae
Authors: Guo Lei , Kong Jian-Qiang
Published: June 2014

Farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS, EC 2.5.1.10) catalyzes the consecutive head-to-tail condensations of isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) with dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) to form farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), a key precursor of sesquiterpenoids, triterpenoids, sterols, and farnesylated proteins. Here we report the molecular cloning and functional identification of a new full-length cDNA encoding FPPS from Ornithogalum saundersiae, a potential medicinal plant that produces a promising antitumour sterol glycoside, OSW-1. An 1327 bp long unigene with an open reading frame of 1044 bp was retrieved from the transcriptome sequencing of O. saundersiae. The full-length FPPS cDNA, designated OsaFPPS, was isolated from O. saundersiae with gene-specific primers. The resultant OsaFPPS encodes a 347-amino acids protein with a calculated molecular mass of 40;085:6 Da, and a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.01. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that OsaFPPS belongs to the plant FPPS super-family. Expression of soluble OsaFPPS in E. coli was verified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot analysis. Functional analysis of the purified OsaFPPS protein was carried out using IPP and DMAPP as substrates, and the product was unambiguously determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses
Chemical Constituents of Croton oligandrum (Euphorbiaceae)
Authors: Abega Destaing F. , Kapche Deccaux W. F. G. , Ango Patrick Y. , Mapitse Renameditswe , Yeboah Samuel O. , Ngadjui Bonaventure T.
Published: June 2014

A new clerodane diterpene derivative named crotonoligaketone was obtained from the stem bark of Croton oligandrum along with eight known compounds including crotonadiol, imbricatadiol, crotonzambefuran B, 7-acetoxytrachiloban-18-oic acid, 3-O-acetylaleuritolic acid, lupeol, b-sitosterol, and stigmasterol. The structures of the isolated compounds were established on the basis of their spectral data and by comparison with those reported in the literature
Autonomous Navigation with Constrained Consistency for C-Ranger
Authors: Zhang Shujing , He Bo , Ying Lulu , Li Minghui , Yuan Guang
Published: June 2014

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) have become the most widely used tools for undertaking complex exploration tasks in marine environments. Their synthetic ability to carry out localization autonomously and build an environmental map concurrently, in other words, simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), are considered to be pivotal requirements for AUVs to have truly autonomous navigation. However, the consistency problem of the SLAM system has been greatly ignored during the past decades. In this paper, a consistency constrained extended Kalman filter (EKF) SLAM algorithm, applying the idea of local consistency, is proposed and applied to the autonomous navigation of the C-Ranger AUV, which is developed as our experimental platform. The concept of local consistency (LC) is introduced after an explicit theoretical derivation of the EKF-SLAM system. Then, we present a locally consistency-constrained EKF-SLAM design, LC-EKF, in which the landmark estimates used for linearization are fixed at the beginning of each local time period, rather than evaluated at the latest landmark estimates. Finally, our proposed LC-EKF algorithm is experimentally verified, both in simulations and sea trials. The experimental results show that the LC-EKF performs well with regard to consistency, accuracy and computational efficiency.
Process Performance Management in Higher Education
Authors: Vukšić Vesna Bosilj , Bach Mirjana Pejić , Tomičić-Pupek Katarina
Published: June 2014

Process performance management (PPM) has become one of the most important management tools in profit organizations. However, non-profit organizations also started to benefit from PPM aimed at the efficiency improvement. The goal of the paper is to investigate usefulness of embedding the simulation modelling approach for process performance management based on the case study of collaboration improvement in higher education. The case study methodology has been used in the study and the paper presents simulation modelling for PPM with the purpose of collaboration improvement at the University of Zagreb, Croatia.
Concise Review: Breast Cancer Stem Cells: Regulatory Networks, Stem Cell Niches, and Disease Relevance
Authors: Guo Wenjun
Published: June 2014

Accumulating evidence has shown that cancer stem cells (CSCs), the cancer cells that have long-term proliferative potential and the ability to regenerate tumors with phenotypically heterogeneous cell types, are important mediators of tumor metastasis and cancer relapse. In breast cancer, these cells often possess attributes of cells that have undergone an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Signaling networks mediated by microRNAs and EMT-inducing transcription factors connect the EMT program with the core stem cell regulatory machineries. These signaling networks are also regulated by extrinsic niche signals that induce and maintain CSCs, contributing to metastatic colonization and promoting the reactivation of dormant tumor cells. Targeting these CSC pathways is likely to improve the efficacy of conventional chemo- and radiotherapies.
Electrodialytic Removal of Cadmium from Brackish Water: Effects of Operating Parameters
Authors: Ali Mourad Sik , Hafiane Amor , Dhahbi Mahmoud , Hamrouni Béchir
Published: June 2014

The continuous increase of environmental regulations make interesting to find effective and efficient methods for processing effluents containing metal ions. This research focuses on cadmium removal from brackish water by an electro-membrane process: The electrodialysis. Experiments were carried out on synthetic brackish water solutions and using a laboratory scale electrodialysis system. The influence of several parameters on process efficiency was investigated. The efficiency of this process was assessed by the determination of five parameters: The demineralization rate, the removal rate and the transport flux of cadmium, the current efficiency and the specific power consumption. The applied voltage, the feed flow rate, the pH and cadmium initial concentration of the feed solution have a significant effect on the process efficiency and mainly on the cadmium transfer from dilute to concentrate compartment. In contrast, feed ionic strength seems to affect only the SPC and not the R(Cd).
Field line resonances as a trigger and a tracer for substorm onset
Authors: Rae I. Jonathan , Murphy K. R. , Watt C. E. J. , Rostoker G. , Rankin R. , Mann I. R. , Hodgson C. R. , Frey H. U. , Degeling A. W. , Forsyth C.
Published: June 2014

In this paper, we show that periodic auroral arc structures are seen at the location of one particular auroral substorm onset for the 15 min preceding onset, suggesting that field line resonances should be considered a strong candidate for triggering substorm onset. Irrespective of whether this field line resonance is coincidentally or causally linked to this substorm onset, the characteristics of the field line resonance can be used to remote sense the characteristics of the geomagnetic field line that supports substorm onset. In this instance, the eigenfrequency of this resonance is around 12 mHz. Interestingly, however, there is no evidence of this field line resonance in a seven satellite major Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS)‐GOES conjunction, ranging from geosynchronous orbit to ~30 RE. However, using space‐based cross‐phase measurements of the local field line eigenfrequency at the inner THEMIS locations, we find that the local field line eigenfrequency is 6–10 mHz. Hence, we can reliably say that this 12 mHz Field Line Resonance (FLR) must lie inside of THEMIS locations. Our conclusion is that a high‐m field line resonance can both represent a strong candidate for a trigger for substorm onset, as first proposed by Samson et al. (1992), and that its characteristics can provide invaluable information as to where substorm onset occurs in the magnetosphere.
Statistical analysis of geosynchronous magnetic field perturbations near midnight during sudden commencements
Authors: Park J.‐S. , Kim K.‐H. , Kwon H.‐J. , Lee E. , Lee D.‐H. , Jin H. , Hwang J.
Published: June 2014

When an interplanetary (IP) shock passes over the Earth's magnetosphere, the geosynchronous magnetic field strength near noon is always enhanced except for the magnetopause crossing events. Near midnight, however, it increases or decreases. This indicates that the nightside magnetosphere is not always compressed by a sudden increase in the solar wind dynamic pressure. To understand midnight geosynchronous magnetic field responses to IP shocks, we statistically examined geosynchronous magnetic field perturbations, corresponding to 120 sudden commencements (SCs), observed when geosynchronous spacecraft were near midnight between 2200 and 0200 magnetic local times. Out of the 120 SCs, 107 SCs were identified by one geosynchronous spacecraft, and 13 SCs were identified by two geosynchronous spacecraft. Thus, 133 events were used in our statistical study. We observed 23 events in spring, 40 events in summer, 32 events in fall, and 38 events in winter, respectively. A statistical study of the midnight geosynchronous SC perturbations reveals the following characteristics. (1) In summer, all events show a positive enhancement (+ΔBT) in the magnetic field strength. (2) In winter, however, ΔBT exhibits a positive (+ΔBT) or negative (–ΔBT) enhancement. (3) In summer, the midnight geosynchronous SC perturbations in the BH component (positive northward) in VDH coordinates are mostly (∼88%, 35 out of 40 events) positive (+ΔBH), while the occurrence rate of the positive perturbation (∼43%) in the Bz component (positive northward) in GSM coordinates is lower than that of the negative perturbation (∼57%). (4) In winter, the negative perturbations in ΔBH (∼61%) and ΔBz (∼74%) are dominant. (5) Both the north‐south components (BH and Bz) in spring and fall are scattered around zero. To explain the observations, we suggest that SC‐associated cross‐tail current (JSC) has a peak intensity around geosynchronous orbit and thus is a main controlling factor of midnight geosynchronous magnetic field perturbations during SCs. Specifically, we suggest that the seasonal variation of the sign of ΔBH, ΔBz, and ΔBT is due to the seasonal variation of the spacecraft position relative to JSC.