bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Accessibility of Online University Education
Authors: Pendergast Mark O.
Published: September 2016

The rights of disabled students are protected law in nearly every country. However, the lack of awareness of the laws and the need to make web pages accessible has created barriers to fully implementing the intent of these laws. These laws typically go beyond web pages to include all instructional devices including e-readers, social networking sites, and smart phone apps. This paper takes a look at the requirements of accessibility laws, the formation of the accessibility initiative, and the resulting WCAG 2.0 standard. Accessibility testing tools for websites and web content are discussed and then used to measure the level of compliance for a number of universities. It was found that almost all university sites checked had multiple accessibility errors. Finally, a number of recommendations are made based on the compliance issues found and on the terms of several U.S. Department of Justice consent decrees.
Model Driven Engineering Applied in E-Learning Development Process
Authors: Dehbi Rachid
Published: September 2016

The e-Learning solution is one of the most discussed priorities of modern universities. The whole problem lies in the global approach of which strategy must use to create e-Learning system. This paper describes an evaluation model for some of the existent methodologies based on model driven engineering used to create e-Learning system. The evaluation model is based on a comparative study and multi-criteria analysis: adaptability, transformation process, Bases and standards, Open Distance Learning cycle, model reuse, component reuse, Model Driven Architecture use. The proposed comparative is realized by using the Multi-criteria analysis method: Rank Order Centroid, where we join some of the used characteristics by these methodologies to compare.
Designing Counter-Narratives
Authors: Woodley Xeturah M. , Mucundanyi Gaspard , Lockard Megan
Published: September 2016

The growing field of online education has developed inside a cultural context rooted in racism, classism, sexism, and other forms of inherent bias. Likewise, the design and development of online curriculum is not excluded from the biases that have historically plagued face-to-face curriculum. In this article, the authors call online teachers into action by encouraging them to adopt an engaged instructional design praxis that builds learning environments inclusive of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity. Through the use of culturally responsive teaching, online teachers can create spaces of counter narrative that address curricular blindnesses and promote social justice.
The Influence of Leadership and Strategic Emphasis on Social Media Use of Regional Nonprofit Organizations
Authors: Sihi Debika
Published: September 2016

Prior work has established the prevalence of social media as an information dissemination tool for large, national nonprofit organizations. This project adds to that literature by examining the impact of an organization's leadership (executive director background and board influence) and strategic emphasis (customer orientation and financial allocations to social media) on the use of social media for information transmission by regional nonprofit organizations. Insights are gained from leadership at 121 nonprofits and through analysis of 377 days of Facebook data for seven nonprofit organizations. The results suggest that organizations with executive directors who have more experience in the corporate sector and board members who exert greater influence are more likely to utilize social media for information transmission. Greater financial investments in social media actually result in less strategic use of social media, suggesting more investment does not always equate to more effective strategy.
Civic Engagement through Social Media
Authors: Maxwell Sarah P. , Carboni Julia L.
Published: September 2016

Civic engagement through social media is a strategy employed by nonprofits typically using one-way targeted information dissemination to stakeholder groups. Improving the quality of communities and ameliorating social problems sustain nonprofit foundation missions, suggesting that two-way dialogic communication inspiring action is preferable for effective civic engagement over one-way communication. Using Facebook content analyses for three types of foundations—community, corporate, and independent grant making foundations—the authors employ a Relationship Management Theory (RMT) approach to assess effective civic engagement. RMT emphasizes the organization's dynamic interactions with stakeholder publics (Ledingham, 2003). The authors code posts according to whether they ask stakeholders to act (e.g. - asking users to respond to a question or share information). Using a quantitative modeling approach, they determine whether posts requesting stakeholder action are more likely to result in stakeholder engagement with posts. They examine type of post- status updates, external links, and multimedia- to determine whether type of post is also related to civic engagement. Facebook data for 300 randomly sampled high asset-foundations were accessed using a social media analytics program. Overall, the authors find that private and corporate foundations are more likely to use social media on average. However, community foundations are more likely to use social media as a call to action. This study informs foundations and the larger nonprofit community on how to apply such techniques to their own organizations for continuous improvement in supporting their missions and civic engagement goals. This study is also germane to other types of nonprofit and public organizations seeking to increase stakeholder engagement with social media platforms.
Effectiveness of Social Media in Disaster Fundraising
Authors: Okada Aya , Ishida Yu , Yamauchi Naoto
Published: September 2016

When a disaster strikes, nonprofit organizations face the need to mobilize resources as quickly as possible in a limited time frame. Given its characteristics to instantly spread information to masses of people, social media is considered one of the most effective ways for nonprofits to publicize opportunities to take voluntary actions. Despite the envisioned use, however, little has been examined about the effectiveness of social media in encouraging people to give. This paper takes the case of earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear threat that struck Japan in 2011 to examine whether the use of social media was effective in nonprofit fundraising. Analyzing data collected in an original online survey, the authors find that the use of social media both before and after the disaster has a positive impact on the amount of donations that nonprofits raise.
Standards Management in the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Spring Michael B.
Published: September 2016

The history of modern standards development provides support for the argument that the process of standardization has evolved in response to crises and opportunities. In the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector, many new groups have become involved in standards setting. In a period of rapid change, standards development in these areas has focused primarily on the provision of functionality. That is, there are few overarching roadmaps for development and issues such as security and interoperability are of less concern for many of the new standards developers. In addition, new oversight structures have emerged that appear to be more responsive to the particular needs of developers in the ICT arena. It may be important for nation states to consider assisting in roadmap development in the ICT arena to insure security and privacy issues are addressed such that these increasingly essential systems are less vulnerable.
Towards a Normal Form and a Query Language for Extended Relations Defined by Regular Expressions
Authors: Benczúr András , Szabó Gyula I.
Published: September 2016

This paper introduces a generalized data base concept that unites relational and semi structured data models. As an important theoretical result we could find a quadratic decision algorithm for the implication problem of functional and join dependencies defined on the united data model. As practical contribution we presented a normal form for the new data model as a tool for data base design. With our novel representations of regular expressions, a more effective searching method could be developed. XML elements are described by XML schema languages such as a DTD or an XML Schema definition. The instances of these elements are semi-structured tuples. A semi-structured tuple is an ordered list of (attribute: value) pairs. We may think of a semi-structured tuple as a sentence of a formal language, where the values are the terminal symbols and the attribute names are the non-terminal symbols. In the authors' former work (Szabó and Benczúr, 2015) they introduced the notion of the extended tuple as a sentence from a regular language generated by a grammar where the non-terminal symbols of the grammar are the attribute names of the tuple. Sets of extended tuples are the extended relations. The authors then introduced the dual language, which generates the tuple types allowed to occur in extended relations. They defined functional dependencies (regular FD - RFD) over extended relations. In this paper they rephrase the RFD concept by directly using regular expressions over attribute names to define extended tuples. By the help of a special vertex labeled graph associated to regular expressions the specification of substring selection for the projection operation can be defined. The normalization for regular schemas is more complex than it is in the relational model, because the schema of an extended relation can contain an infinite number of tuple types. However, the authors can define selection, projection and join operations on extended relations too, so a lossless-join decomposition can be performed. They extended their previous model to deal with XML schema indicators too, e.g., with numerical constraints. They added line and set constructors too, in order to extend their model with more general projection and selection operators. This model establishes a query language with table join functionality for collected XML element data.
Nature and Characteristics of the Sport Industry and its Current Trends Impacting the Industry
Authors: Ditizio Amber A.
Published: September 2016

Global competition for fans and other stakeholders have caused increased pressures to maintain sport organizations' power and influence through e-commerce and social media. The ever evolving nature of sport managing research demands a reexamination of some of the major trends in the discipline that are impacted directly/indirectly by electronic mediation and its technology, especially social media. Although there are numerous trends that are occurring in sport management as a discipline, but this study concentrates on the role of ecommerce within organizations. The major trends examined are commercialization of sport, the role of mass communication to appeal to the needs of users, the need of engagement by fans, and the social needs for sports to deal with the epidemic of physical inactivity of the populace.
Predictability of stock returns using financial ratios: empirical evidence from Colombo stock exchange
Authors: Wijesundera A. A. V. I. , Weerasinghe D. A. S. , Krishna T. P. C. R. , Gunawardena M. M. D. , Peiris H. R. I.
Published: September 2016

The purpose of this research is to examine the ability of the historical financial information in constructing a resilient value portfolio for investors by predicting stock returns in the Sri Lankan context. One of the most imperative and interesting phenomena for the investors and the analysts would be the stock returns from the financial markets. The present study will aim at mainly to assess correlation between financial ratios and the predictability of stock returns for companies listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange. This study applies ordinary least squares (OLS) techniques to estimate the predictive regressions in form of simple and multiple models of panel data sets. For the current study, 60 listed companies were selected and 10 years of data has been analyzed from 2004 to 2013. The results highlighted that ROE, EPS and MV/BV have a significant positive relationship with the stock return which is followed by a simple equation to predict the future stock returns. Hence the investors should consider these ratios of the companies and movement in these ratios in selecting a resilient portfolio to invest.
A radiological evaluation of alveolar bone regeneration between the left and right mandibles and maxillae of the Chacma baboon
Authors: Kotze Marthinus J. , Bütow Kurt-W. , Olorunju Steve A. , Kotze Harry F.
Published: September 2016

There is a lack of information in comparing the healing rate between the left and right sides of the maxilla and mandible. Osteogenesis of alveolar bone was evaluated with digital radiology by comparing differences in bone density (BD) at different time points within the left and right maxilla and mandible. Alveolar bone defects were created in five healthy Chacma baboons. Standardised x-ray images were acquired over time and the densities of the selected trauma areas were measured pre-operatively, post-operatively and at 3 and 6 weeks post-operatively. Differences in densities were statistically tested. There was no significant difference when the grey scale averages of the combined first and fourth quadrants (right side) and combined second and third quadrants (left side) were compared pre-operatively (t = 0.70), immediately post-operatively (t = 0.34), 3 weeks post-operatively (t = 0.40) and 6 weeks post-operatively (t = 0.66). There was also no significant difference between the values for the first and second quadrants (maxilla) pre-operatively (t = 0.37), immediately post-operatively (t = 0.30), 3 weeks post-operatively (t = 0.30) and 6 weeks post-operatively (t = 0.38); the third and fourth quadrants (mandible) were also not significantly different pre-operatively (t = 0.29), immediately post-operatively (t = 0.69), 3 weeks post-operatively (t = 0.07) and 6 weeks postoperatively (t = 0.06). However, the results showed an increased predisposition of the right side to regenerate faster than the left side and indicated sufficient information to investigate the effect of laterality and preferred side of mastication on the rate of healing and alveolar BD in the maxilla and mandible.
Stability-Indicating High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Assay for the Determination of Sulthiame in Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms
Authors: Haidar Ammar , Kabiche Sofiane , Majoul Elyes , Balde Issa-Bella , Fontan Jean-Eudes , Cisternino Salvatore , Schlatter Joël
Published: September 2016

A stability-indicating assay by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography method was developed and validated for the determination of sulthiame (STM). The chromatographic separation was achieved on a reversed-phase NovaPack C18 column and an isocratic mobile phase consisting of deionized watenmethanol (70:30, v/v). The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min (ultraviolet detection at 210 nm). The STM was separated within 2.83 min. The linearity of the method was demonstrated in the range of 20.0-200.0 μg/mL and a coefficient of determination of r 2 = 0.9999. The limits of detection and quantification were 4.2 and 9.5 μg/mL, respectively. The intraday and interday precisions were less than 1%. Accuracy of the method ranged from 98.3% to 101.7%, with a relative standard deviation of <1%. STM was degraded by accelerated breakdown in alkaline, acidic, or oxidative stress conditions. This method allows accurate and reliable determination of STM for drug stability assay in pharmaceutical studies.
Disappearance of the Hyperdense Mca Sign after Stroke Thrombolysis: Implications for Prognosis and Early Patient Selection for Clot Retrieval
Authors: Elofuke P , Reid JM , Rana A , Macleod M-J
Published: September 2016

Disappearance of the hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign (HMCAS) following intravenous thrombolysis for ischaemic stroke is associated with improved outcome. Debate exists over which radiological thrombus characteristics can predict disappearance of the HMCAS after thrombolysis such as vessel attenuation or extent of thrombus length.

Methods

Ischaemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis from our hospital were entered into a European registry. Patient demographics, stroke severity pre- and 24 hours post-thrombolysis were recorded. Patients with HMCAS were identified from the registry using records from 2010–2013. Images from the pre and post-thrombolysis computed tomography scan were measured. Thrombus characteristics (length and attenuation), extent of ischaemic change and clinical outcome (stroke severity and 3 month survival) were compared between patients with and without HMCAS disappearance. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of HMCAS disappearance.

Results

HMCAS was present in 88/315 (28%) of thrombolysed ischaemic stroke patients. 36/88 (41%) of patients had thrombus disappearance 24 hours after thrombolysis. HMCAS disappearance was associated with reduced stroke severity, less radiological ischaemic change, and higher 3 month survival (87% vs 56%). Median thrombus length was shorter in the HMCAS disappearance group (11 vs 17 mm, p = 0.0004), but no significant difference in vessel attenuation was observed (48 vs 51 Hounsfield Units, p = 0.25). HMCAS disappearance occurred in 73% of cases where HMCAS length was < 10 mm, 38% when length was 10–20 mm, and 21% if > 20 mm. Thrombus length was the only independent predictor of HMCAS disappearance (odds ratio 0.90 per mm; 95% CI 0.84-0.96, p = 0.01).

Conclusion

Disappearance of HMCAS is associated with better clinical and radiological outcomes. A shorter thrombus is more likely to disappear post-thrombolysis. The data highlight the limitation of intravenous thrombolysis in patients with longer hyperattenuated vessels, and the potential role for clot retrieval in such patients.
Short Runs of Atrial Arrhythmia and Stroke Risk: A European-Wide Online Survey among Stroke Physicians and Cardiologists
Authors: Tran RT , Rankin AJ , Abdul-Rahim AH , Lip GYH , Rankin AC , Lees KR
Published: September 2016

ABSTRACT A recording of ≥ 30 seconds is required to diagnose paroxysmal atrial fibrillation when using ambulatory ECG monitoring. It is unclear if shorter runs are relevant with regards to stroke risk.

Methods An online survey of cardiologists and stroke physicians was carried out to assess current management of patients with short runs of atrial arrhythmia within Europe.

Results Respondents included 311 clinicians from 32 countries. To diagnose atrial fibrillation, 80% accepted a single 12-lead ECG and 36% accepted a single run of < 30 seconds on ambulatory monitoring. Stroke physicians were twice as likely to accept < 30 seconds of arrhythmia as being diagnostic of atrial fibrillation (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.19–4.98). They were also more likely to advocate anticoagulation for hypothetical patients with lower risk; OR 1.9 (95% CI 1.0–3.5) for a patient with CHA2DS2-VASc = 2.

Conclusion Short runs of atrial fibrillation create a dilemma for physicians across Europe. Stroke physicians and cardiologists differ in their diagnosis and management of these patients.
Empathy – Can it be Taught?
Authors: Jeffrey D , Downie R
Published: September 2016

There is now a societal and cultural expectation that doctors and nurses should feel, and display, empathy for their patients. Many commentators argue that medical and nursing students should be taught empathy. Empathy, however, is difficult to define: it is not the same as kindness, as it implies a degree of psychological insight into what the patient is thinking or feeling. Empathy is seen by some as a form of emotional intelligence that can be systematically developed through teaching and positive role models. Here we debate the meaning of empathy, and whether it is truly a quality, or attribute, that can be taught.
‘Any Style But Gothic': Building a Home for the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland
Authors: Wheelock H
Published: September 2016

On 15 July 1864 the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland held its first business meeting in its newly built home at 6 Kildare Street, Dublin. Although the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland had been in existence for over 200 years this was the first occasion that a College meeting had been held in a building owned by the College.

This paper looks at the history behind the construction of a home for the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. It will examine why it took over 200 years for the Physicians to find a permanent home, how they ended up with the building they did, and what they borrowed from the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh in the process.
‘…To Whom It Will Be Extremly Usefull.' Dr William Cullen'S Adoption of James Watt'S Copying Machine
Authors: Shuttleton DE
Published: September 2016

Dr William Cullen (1710–1790) was a leading physician of the Enlightenment era. As professor in Edinburgh he became the most influential teacher of theoretical and practical medicine in 18th century Britain. A renowned private practitioner, Cullen systematically archived his postal ‘consultations', now held by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Initially Cullen preserved his replies as transcriptions, but from April 1781 he began using a mechanical copier, newly devised by the Scottish engineer James Watt. This paper describes the development, promotion and functioning of Watt's copier and considers Cullen's own adoption of the machine. It is suggested that with Cullen's adoption of Watt's copier, medical record keeping entered a new historical phase comparable with the recent digital revolution.
Atmospheric mixing ratios of methyl ethyl ketone (2-butanone) in tropical,
boreal, temperate and marine environments
Authors: Yáñez-Serrano A. M. , Nölscher A. C. , Bourtsoukidis E. , Derstroff B. , Zannoni N. , Gros V. , Lanza M. , Brito J. , Noe S. M. , House E. , Hewitt C. N. , Langford B. , Nemitz E. , Behrendt T. , Williams J. , Artaxo P. , Andreae M. O. , Kesselmeier J.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) enters the atmosphere following direct emission from vegetation and anthropogenic activities, as well as being produced by the gas-phase oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as n-butane. This study presents the first overview of ambient MEK measurements at six different locations, characteristic of forested, urban and marine environments. In order to understand better the occurrence and behaviour of MEK in the atmosphere, we analyse diel cycles of MEK mixing ratios, vertical profiles, ecosystem flux data, and HYSPLIT back trajectories, and compare with co-measured VOCs. MEK measurements were primarily conducted with proton-transfer-reaction mass spectrometer (PTR-MS) instruments. Results from the sites under biogenic influence demonstrate that vegetation is an important source of MEK. The diel cycle of MEK follows that of ambient temperature and the forest structure plays an important role in air mixing. At such sites, a high correlation of MEK with acetone was observed (e.g. r2 = 0.96 for the SMEAR Estonia site in a remote hemiboreal forest in Tartumaa, Estonia, and r2 = 0.89 at the ATTO pristine tropical rainforest site in central Amazonia). Under polluted conditions, we observed strongly enhanced MEK mixing ratios. Overall, the MEK mixing ratios and flux data presented here indicate that both biogenic and anthropogenic sources contribute to its occurrence in the global atmosphere.
An automated method for the evaluation of the pointing accuracy of
sun-tracking devices
Authors: Baumgartner Dietmar J. , Pötzi Werner , Freislich Heinrich , Strutzmann Heinz , Veronig Astrid M. , Rieder Harald E.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. The accuracy of solar radiation measurements (for direct and diffuse radiation) depends significantly on the precision of the operational sun-tracking device. Thus rigid targets for instrument performance and operation have been specified for international monitoring networks, such as e.g., the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) operating under the auspices of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP). Sun-tracking devices fulfilling these accuracy requirements are available from various instrument manufacturers, however none of the commercially available systems comprises an automatic accuracy control system, allowing platform operators to independently validate the pointing accuracy of sun-tracking sensors during operation. Here we present KSO-STREAMS (KSO-SunTRackEr Accuracy Monitoring System), a fully automated, system independent and cost-effective method for evaluating the pointing accuracy of sun-tracking devices. We detail the monitoring system setup, its design and specifications and results from its application to the sun-tracking system operated at the Austrian RADiation network (ARAD) site Kanzelhöhe Observatory (KSO). Results from an evaluation campaign from March to June 2015 show that the tracking accuracy of the device operated at KSO lies for the vast majority of observations (99.8 %) within BSRN specifications (i.e., 0.1° tracking accuracy). Evaluation of manufacturer specified active tracking accuracies (0.02°), during periods with direct solar radiation exceeding 300 W m−2, shows that these are satisfied for 72.9 % of observations. Tracking accuracies are highest during clear-sky conditions and on days where prevailing clear-sky conditions are interrupted by frontal movement: in these cases we obtain complete fulfillment of BSRN requirements and 76.4 % of observations within manufacturer specified active tracking accuracies. Limitations to tracking surveillance arise during overcast conditions and periods of partial solar limb coverage by clouds. On days with variable cloud-cover 78.1 % (99.9 %) of observations meet active tracking (BSRN) accuracy requirements while for days with prevailing overcast conditions these numbers reduce to 64.3 % (99.5 %), respectively.
Turbulence fluxes and variances measured with a sonic anemometer mounted on a tethered balloon
Authors: Canut Guylaine , Couvreux Fleur , Lothon Marie , Legain Dominique , Piguet Bruno , Lampert Astrid , Maurel William , Moulin Eric
Published: September 2016

Abstract. This study presents the first deployment in field campaigns of a balloon-borne turbulence probe, developed with a sonic anemometer and an inertial motion sensor suspended below a tethered balloon. This system measures temperature and horizontal and vertical wind at high frequency and allows the estimation of heat and momentum fluxes as well as turbulent kinetic energy in the lower part of the boundary layer. The system was validated during three field experiments with different convective boundary-layer conditions, based on turbulent measurements from instrumented towers and aircraft.
Re-evaluating the 1940s CO2 plateau
Authors: Bastos Ana , Ciais Philippe , Barichivich Jonathan , Bopp Laurent , Brovkin Victor , Gasser Thomas , Peng Shushi , Pongratz Julia , Viovy Nicolas , Trudinger Cathy M.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. The high-resolution CO2 record from Law Dome ice core reveals that atmospheric CO2 concentration stalled during the 1940s (so-called CO2 plateau). Since the fossil-fuel emissions did not decrease during the period, this stalling implies the persistence of a strong sink, perhaps sustained for as long as a decade or more. Double-deconvolution analyses have attributed this sink to the ocean, conceivably as a response to the very strong El Niño event in 1940–1942. However, this explanation is questionable, as recent ocean CO2 data indicate that the range of variability in the ocean sink has been rather modest in recent decades, and El Niño events have generally led to higher growth rates of atmospheric CO2 due to the offsetting terrestrial response. Here, we use the most up-to-date information on the different terms of the carbon budget: fossil-fuel emissions, four estimates of land-use change (LUC) emissions, ocean uptake from two different reconstructions, and the terrestrial sink modelled by the TRENDY project to identify the most likely causes of the 1940s plateau. We find that they greatly overestimate atmospheric CO2 growth rate during the plateau period, as well as in the 1960s, in spite of giving a plausible explanation for most of the 20th century carbon budget, especially from 1970 onwards. The mismatch between reconstructions and observations during the CO2 plateau epoch of 1940–1950 ranges between 0.9 and 2.0 Pg C yr−1, depending on the LUC dataset considered. This mismatch may be explained by (i) decadal variability in the ocean carbon sink not accounted for in the reconstructions we used, (ii) a further terrestrial sink currently missing in the estimates by land-surface models, or (iii) LUC processes not included in the current datasets. Ocean carbon models from CMIP5 indicate that natural variability in the ocean carbon sink could explain an additional 0.5 Pg C yr−1 uptake, but it is unlikely to be higher. The impact of the 1940–1942 El Niño on the observed stabilization of atmospheric CO2 cannot be confirmed nor discarded, as TRENDY models do not reproduce the expected concurrent strong decrease in terrestrial uptake. Nevertheless, this would further increase the mismatch between observed and modelled CO2 growth rate during the CO2 plateau epoch. Tests performed using the OSCAR (v2.2) model indicate that changes in land use not correctly accounted for during the period (coinciding with drastic socioeconomic changes during the Second World War) could contribute to the additional sink required. Thus, the previously proposed ocean hypothesis for the 1940s plateau cannot be confirmed by independent data. Further efforts are required to reduce uncertainty in the different terms of the carbon budget during the first half of the 20th century and to better understand the long-term variability of the ocean and terrestrial CO2 sinks.
Carbon stocks and dynamics at different successional stages in an Afromontane tropical forest
Authors: Nyirambangutse Brigitte , Zibera Etienne , K. Uwizeye Félicien , Nsabimana Donat , Bizuru Elias , Pleijel Håkan , Uddling Johan , Wallin Göran
Published: September 2016

Abstract. As a result of different types of disturbance, forests are a mixture of stands at different stages of ecological succession. Successional stage is likely to influence forest productivity and carbon storage, linking the degree of forest disturbance to the global carbon cycle and climate. Although tropical montane forests are an important part of tropical forest ecosystems (c. 8 %, elevation > 1000 m a.s.l.), there are still significant knowledge gaps regarding the carbon dynamics and stocks of these forests, and how these differ between early (ES) and late successional (LS) stages. This study examines the carbon (C) stock, relative growth rate (RGR), and net primary production (NPP) of ES and LS forest stands in an Afromontane tropical rainforest using data from inventories of quantitatively important ecosystem compartments in fifteen 0.5 ha plots in Nyungwe National Park in Rwanda. The total C stock was 35 % larger in LS compared to ES plots due to significantly larger above ground biomass (AGB; 185 and 76 Mg C ha−1 in LS and ES plots, respectively), while the soil and root C stock (down to 45 cm depth in the mineral soil) did not significantly differ between the two successional stages (178 and 204 Mg C ha−1 in LS and ES plots, respectively). The main reasons for the difference in AGB were that ES trees had significantly lower stature and wood density compared to LS trees. However, ES and LS stands had similar total NPP (canopy, wood and roots of all plots ~ 9.4 Mg C ha−1) due to counterbalancing effects of differences in AGB (higher in LS stands) and RGR (higher in ES stands). The AGB in the LS plots was considerably higher than the average value reported for old-growth tropical montane forest of Southeast Asia and central and South America at similar elevations and temperatures, and of the same magnitude as in tropical lowland forest of different regions. The results of this study highlight the importance of accounting for disturbance regimes and differences in wood density and allometry of tree species dominating at different successional stages in attempts to quantify the C stock and sink strength of tropical montane forests and how it may differ among continents.
Influence of probe geometry on measurement results of non-ideal thermal conductivity sensors
Authors: Tiefenbacher Patrick , Kömle Norbert I. , Macher Wolfgang , Kargl Günter
Published: September 2016

Abstract. The thermal properties of the surface and subsurface layers of planets and planetary objects yield important information that allows us to better understand the thermal evolution of the body itself and its interactions with the environment. Various planetary bodies of our Solar System are covered by so-called regolith, a granular and porous material. On such planetary bodies the dominant heat transfer mechanism is heat conduction via IR radiation and contact points between particles. In this case the energy balance is mainly controlled by the effective thermal conductivity of the top surface layers, which can be directly measured by thermal conductivity probes. A traditionally used method for measuring the thermal conductivity of solid materials is the needle-probe method. Such probes consist of thin steel needles with an embedded heating wire and temperature sensors. For the evaluation of the thermal conductivity of a specific material the temperature change with time is determined by heating a resistance wire with a well-defined electrical current flowing through it and simultaneously measuring the temperature increase inside the probe over a certain time. For thin needle probes with a large length-to-diameter ratio it is mathematically easy to derive the thermal conductivity, while this is not so straightforward for more rugged probes with a larger diameter and thus a smaller length-to-diameter ratio. Due to the geometry of the standard thin needle probes they are mechanically weak and subject to bending when driven into a soil. Therefore, using them for planetary missions can be problematic. In this paper the thermal conductivity values determined by measurements with two non-ideal, ruggedized thermal conductivity sensors, which only differ in length, are compared to each other. Since the theory describing the temperature response of non-ideal sensors is highly complicated, those sensors were calibrated with an ideal reference sensor in various solid and granular materials. The calibration procedure and the results are described in this work.
C-IFS-CB05-BASCOE: stratospheric chemistry in the Integrated Forecasting
System of ECMWF
Authors: Huijnen Vincent , Flemming Johannes , Chabrillat Simon , Errera Quentin , Christophe Yves , Blechschmidt Anne-Marlene , Richter Andreas , Eskes Henk
Published: September 2016

Abstract. We present a model description and benchmark evaluation of an extension of the tropospheric chemistry module in the Integrated Forecasting System (IFS) of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) with stratospheric chemistry, referred to as C-IFS-CB05-BASCOE (for brevity here referred to as C-IFS-TS). The stratospheric chemistry originates from the one used in the Belgian Assimilation System for Chemical ObsErvations (BASCOE), and is here combined with the modified CB05 chemistry module for the troposphere as currently used operationally in the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). In our approach either the tropospheric or stratospheric chemistry module is applied, depending on the altitude of each individual grid box with respect to the tropopause. An evaluation of a 2.5-year long C-IFS-TS simulation with respect to various satellite retrieval products and in situ observations indicates good performance of the system in terms of stratospheric ozone, and a general improvement in terms of stratospheric composition compared to the C-IFS predecessor model version. Possible issues with transport processes in the stratosphere are identified. This marks a key step towards a chemistry module within IFS that encompasses both tropospheric and stratospheric composition, and could expand the CAMS analysis and forecast capabilities in the near future.
Error reduction and representation in stages (ERRIS) in hydrological
modelling for ensemble streamflow forecasting
Authors: Li Ming , Wang Q. J. , Bennett James C. , Robertson David E.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. This study develops a new error modelling method for ensemble short-term and real-time streamflow forecasting, called error reduction and representation in stages (ERRIS). The novelty of ERRIS is that it does not rely on a single complex error model but runs a sequence of simple error models through four stages. At each stage, an error model attempts to incrementally improve over the previous stage. Stage 1 establishes parameters of a hydrological model and parameters of a transformation function for data normalization, Stage 2 applies a bias correction, Stage 3 applies autoregressive (AR) updating, and Stage 4 applies a Gaussian mixture distribution to represent model residuals. In a case study, we apply ERRIS for one-step-ahead forecasting at a range of catchments. The forecasts at the end of Stage 4 are shown to be much more accurate than at Stage 1 and to be highly reliable in representing forecast uncertainty. Specifically, the forecasts become more accurate by applying the AR updating at Stage 3, and more reliable in uncertainty spread by using a mixture of two Gaussian distributions to represent the residuals at Stage 4. ERRIS can be applied to any existing calibrated hydrological models, including those calibrated to deterministic (e.g. least-squares) objectives.
Bias correcting precipitation forecasts to improve the skill of seasonal streamflow forecasts
Authors: Crochemore Louise , Ramos Maria-Helena , Pappenberger Florian
Published: September 2016

Abstract. Meteorological centres make sustained efforts to provide seasonal forecasts that are increasingly skilful, which has the potential to benefit streamflow forecasting. Seasonal streamflow forecasts can help to take anticipatory measures for a range of applications, such as water supply or hydropower reservoir operation and drought risk management. This study assesses the skill of seasonal precipitation and streamflow forecasts in France to provide insights into the way bias correcting precipitation forecasts can improve the skill of streamflow forecasts at extended lead times. We apply eight variants of bias correction approaches to the precipitation forecasts prior to generating the streamflow forecasts. The approaches are based on the linear scaling and the distribution mapping methods. A daily hydrological model is applied at the catchment scale to transform precipitation into streamflow. We then evaluate the skill of raw (without bias correction) and bias-corrected precipitation and streamflow ensemble forecasts in 16 catchments in France. The skill of the ensemble forecasts is assessed in reliability, sharpness, accuracy and overall performance. A reference prediction system, based on historical observed precipitation and catchment initial conditions at the time of forecast (i.e. ESP method) is used as benchmark in the computation of the skill. The results show that, in most catchments, raw seasonal precipitation and streamflow forecasts are often more skilful than the conventional ESP method in terms of sharpness. However, they are not significantly better in terms of reliability. Forecast skill is generally improved when applying bias correction. Two bias correction methods show the best performance for the studied catchments, each method being more successful in improving specific attributes of the forecasts: the simple linear scaling of monthly values contributes mainly to increasing forecast sharpness and accuracy, while the empirical distribution mapping of daily values is successful in improving forecast reliability.
REAL TIME LOCALIZATION OF ASSETS IN HOSPITALS USING QUUPPA INDOOR POSITIONING TECHNOLOGY
Authors: van der Ham M. F. S. , Zlatanova S. , Verbree E. , Voûte R.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. At the most fundamental level, smart buildings deliver useful building services that make occupants productive. Smart asset management in hostipals starts with knowing the whereabouts of medical equipment. This paper investigates the subject of indoor localization of medical equipment in hospitals by defining functional spaces. In order to localize the assets indoors, a localization method is developed that takes into account several factors such as geometrical influences, characteristics of the Quuppa positioning system and obstructions in the indoor environment. For matching the position data to a real world location, several location types are developed by subdividing the floor plan into location clusters. The research has shown that a high-performance level can be achieved for locations that are within the high-resolution range of the receiver. The performance at the smallest subspaces can only be achieved when having a dense distribution of receivers. Test cases that were defined for specific situations in the test-area show successful localization in these subspaces for the majority of the test data.
KNOWLEDGE FOR INTELLIGENCE: DISCUSSING THE STATE AND THE ROLE OF BUILDING DATA IN ITALY
Authors: Pasquinelli A. , Guzzetti F.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. The availability of integrated information on buildings is the premise for an effective assets management and the provision of innovative services to buildings users: such form of knowledge relies on the efficient exploitation of existing data, providing a complete overview on the state of buildings, and on the acquisition of real-time data flows, coming from sensor and mobile devices, reporting users behaviours. If, on the one hand, technology is progressively enabling the management of new huge streams of data, on the other hand the interconnection among traditional and well rooted datasets, the majority of which in charge of public administrations, is not always guaranteed. While, at European level, interoperability issues among public archives concerning buildings were properly addressed, and the relevance of geo-information is widely recognized, in Italy this process is still taking time to be undertaken. This paper discuss the current state of Building Information in Italy, outlining a possible path for the creation of a georeferenced Building Information System at municipal level, starting from the informative heritage available in existing databases, generated with different purposes and maintained by independent authorities: the idea is to solicit that digitalization process, started a decade ago with the “Digital Administration Code”, through the proposition of real use cases that might be implemented once that public data on buildings are profitably combined together.
DECENTRALIZED ORCHESTRATION OF COMPOSITE OGC WEB PROCESSING SERVICES IN THE CLOUD
Authors: Xiao F. , Shea G. Y. K. , Cao J.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. Current web-based GIS or RS applications generally rely on centralized structure, which has inherent drawbacks such as single points of failure, network congestion, and data inconsistency, etc. The inherent disadvantages of traditional GISs need to be solved for new applications on Internet or Web. Decentralized orchestration offers performance improvements in terms of increased throughput and scalability and lower response time. This paper investigates build time and runtime issues related to decentralized orchestration of composite geospatial processing services based on OGC WPS standard specification. A case study of dust storm detection was demonstrated to evaluate the proposed method and the experimental results indicate that the method proposed in this study is effective for its ability to produce the high quality solution at a low cost of communications for geospatial processing service composition problem.
VOLUNTARY NOISE MAPPING FOR SMART CITY
Authors: Poslončec-Petrić V. , Vuković V. , Frangeš S. , Bačić Ž.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. One of the main concept objectives of smart cities is to create a quality living environment that is long-term sustainable and economically justified. In that context, modern cities are aware of the exposure to various forms of physical and non-physical pollution that needs to be remediated, eliminated or reduced. To achieve that it is necessary to quality determine the sources and reasons of each pollution. The most prominent examples of physical pollution that affects the quality of life of citizens in cities are light and noise pollution. Noise pollution or noise, is mostly the consequence of road and rail traffic in cities and it directly affects the health of citizens. Traffic control, reduction of peak congestion, dispersion and traffic redirection or building protective barriers, are ways that cities use to reduce the amount of noise or its effects. To make these measures efficient it is necessary to obtain the information related to the level of noise in certain areas, streets, cities. To achieve this, smart cities use noise mapping. The city of Zagreb since 2012, participates in the i-SCOPE project (interoperable Smart City services trough Open Platform for urban Ecosystems). i-SCOPE delivers an open platform on top of which it develops, three "smart city" services: optimization of energy consumption through a service for accurate assessment of solar energy potential and energy loss at building level, environmental monitoring through a real-time environmental noise mapping service leveraging citizen's involvement will who act as distributed sensors city-wide measuring noise levels through an application on their mobile phones and improved inclusion and personal mobility of aging and diversely able citizens through an accurate personal routing service. The students of Faculty of Geodesy University of Zagreb, who enrolled in the course Thematic Cartography, were actively involved in the voluntary data acquisition in order to monitor the noise in real time. In this paper are presented the voluntary acquisitioned data of noise level measurement in Zagreb through a mobile application named Noise Tube, which were used as the basis for creating the dynamic noise map. The paper describes how citizens through voluntarily collected geoinformation can directly influence decision-making in their community, which certainly affects the quality of life.
ACCESS TIME OF EMERGENCY VEHICLES UNDER THE CONDITION OF STREET BLOCKAGES AFTER A LARGE EARTHQUAKE
Authors: Hirokawa N. , Osaragi T.
Published: September 2016

Abstract. The previous studies have been carried out on accessibility in daily life. However it is an important issue to improve the accessibility of emergency vehicles after a large earthquake. In this paper, we analyzed the accessibility of firefighters by using a microscopic simulation model immediately after a large earthquake. More specifically, we constructed the simulation model, which describes the property damage, such as collapsed buildings, street blockages, outbreaks of fires, and fire spreading, and the movement of firefighters from fire stations to the locations of fires in a large-scale earthquake. Using this model, we analyzed the influence of the street-blockage on the access time of firefighters. In case streets are blocked according to property damage simulation, the result showed the average access time is more than 10 minutes in the outskirts of the 23 wards of Tokyo, and there are some firefighters arrive over 20 minutes at most. Additionally, we focused on the alternative routes and proposed that volunteers collect information on street blockages to improve the accessibility of firefighters. Finally we demonstrated that access time of firefighters can be reduced to the same level as the case no streets were blocked if 0.3% of residents collected information in 10 minutes.