bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The diagnosis and therapeutic protocols of approximal caries by final-year dental students at Al-Quds University, Palestine
Authors: Rabi Tarek H.
Published: August 2015

Introduction: In this study, the major criterion used by 69 final-year dental students of Al-Quds University, Palestine, to ascertain the presence of approximal carious lesions through radiographs, and their subsequent treatment plan is outlined. Methods: This study was designed to be cross-sectional, whereby a questionnaire containing schematic radiographic diagrams of approximal carious lesions in molars of deciduous and permanent dentition were depicted. Th e extent of caries was divided into fi ve groups indicating different levels of enamel and dentin involvement: Caries extending to the external one-third of enamel, external two-thirds of enamel, up to the dentino-enamel junction (DEJ), external one-third of dentin, and two-thirds of dentin. Results: The absolute and relative frequencies of the study group′s responses were recorded. Th e treatment decisions taken for caries in deciduous and permanent dentition were neither affected by age nor gender. Of the 69 subjects, 26.1% (18/69) chose to treat the approximal caries when it had spread to the DEJ in the deciduous dentition and 39.1% (27/69) chose to treat caries at the DEJ in the permanent dentition, showing a significant statistical variation in response. When studying the difference in response to treating deciduous and permanent dentitions, treating a lesion at the DEJ and within the outer third of dentin in deciduous dentition was lower than the latter in permanent dentition, with a treatment response of 26.1% (18/69) for deciduous and 39.1% (27/69) for permanent dentition for a lesion at the DEJ, and 24.3% (17/69) in deciduous and 33.3% (23/69) for permanent dentition for a lesion in the outer third of dentin. Conclusion: These results show a significant difference in the choice to treat approximal caries in deciduous and permanent dentitions, indicating a greater preference for treating caries within dentin in permanent dentition than in deciduous dentition.
Staged ridge-split evaluated using cone beam computed tomography and peri-implant plastic surgery in the mandibular arch
Authors: Jain Nikhil Vasant , Shinde Purva H. , Poplai Gaurav R. , Gharatkar Affaf A.
Published: August 2015

Lack of sufficient bone to place an implant at a functionally and an esthetically appropriate position is a common problem, especially in the mandibular posterior region. Narrow edentulous alveolar ridges <5 mm wide require bone augmentation before implant placement to establish a bony wall of at least 1 mm around the endosseous implant. Various surgical widening techniques are available, including lateral augmentation with or without guided bone regeneration, ridge-split technique and horizontal distraction osteogenesis. The ridge-split technique aims at creating a new implant bed by longitudinal osteotomy of the alveolar bone. The buccal cortex is repositioned laterally by greenstick fracture, and the space between the buccal and lingual cortices is filled with a graft material. Peri-implant plastic surgery focuses on harmonizing peri-implant structures by means of hard- and soft-tissue engineering and includes bone structure enhancement, soft-tissue enhancement, precision in implant placement and improves quality of the prosthetic restoration. The rationale for the peri-implant plastic surgery approach goes well beyond pure esthetics as it creates peri-implant keratinized mucosa and interimplant soft-tissue height in order to avoid food impaction, interimplant airflow, and speech problems. This case report demonstrates a staged ridge-split technique evaluated with cone beam computed tomography using a piezosurgical unit and a surgical technique to restore a papilla-like tissue at the time of the second-stage implant surgery.
Short Communication: The Pre-transport management of antemortem stress in cattle: Impact on carcass yield
Authors: Grumpelt B. , Hoffer W. , Curie O. , Jones O. , Jones K. , Kimmel D. , McDonald B. , Paterson R. , Schaefer A.
Published: August 2015

Grumpelt, B., Hoffer, W., Curie, O., Jones, O., Jones, K., Kimmel, D., McDonald, B., Paterson, R. and Schaefer, A. 2015. Short Communication:The Pre-transport management of antemortem stress in cattle: Impact on carcass yield. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 95: 557–560. Transport and handling of cattle can have a significant impact on carcass weight loss. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of providing pre-transport nutritional therapy containing selective amino acids, electrolytes and an energy source, on carcass weight loss. One hundred and ninety British crossbred steers averaging 611 kg were used in the study. The treatment cattle received 1 kg of a nutritional supplement top dressed onto their normal silage diet 24 h prior to transport. Following a 1-h transport period the cattle were processed at a federally inspected beef plant and both hot and cold carcass yield as well as yield grade and quality grade were assessed. Cattle provided with pre-transport nutritional therapy demonstrated a reduction in percentage live weight loss (P<0.01) as well as 1.2% greater hot carcass yield as a proportion of pre-treatment farm weight (P<0.01). The data suggest the use of nutritional support pre-transport is beneficial to carcass yield.
Optimal behavior of the support of the solutions to a class of degenerate parabolic systems
Authors: Tedeev Anatoli , Vespri Vincenzo
Published: August 2015

In this paper we deal with a class of degenerate/singular quasilinear parabolic systems. We study a Cauchy problem in

\mathbb R^N

with an initial datum in

L^1

. Sharp

L^{\infty}

estimates are proved. In the degenerate case, assuming that the initial datum has compact support, we prove the optimal speed of propagation of the support.
Computational anisotropic Willmore flow
Authors: Pozzi Paola
Published: August 2015

We study a geometrically consistent formulation of anisotropic Willmore flow for parametric hypersurfaces in

\mathbb R^n

. After giving a mixed formulation that is suitable for discretization by piecewise linear finite elements, we provide a stable semi-discrete scheme. An experimentally stable fully discrete semi-implicit scheme is then discussed and several tests for the evolution of curves and surfaces are presented.
The integral of the normal and fluxes over sets of finite perimeter
Authors: Bright Ido , Torres Monica
Published: August 2015

Given two intersecting sets of finite perimeter,

E_{1}

and

E_{2}

, with unit normals

\nu_{1}

and

\nu_{2}

respectively, we obtain a bound on the integral of

\nu_{1}

over the reduced boundary of

E_{1}

inside

E_{2}

. This bound depends only on the perimeter of

E_{2}

. For any vector field

F\colon\mathbb R^{n}\to\mathbb R^{n}

with the property that

F \in L^{\infty}

and div

F

is a (signed) Radon measure, we obtain bounds on the flux of

F

over the portion of the reduced boundary of

E_{1}

inside

E_{2}

. These results are then applied to study the limit of surfaces with perimeter growing to infinity.
Annual variations of carbonaceous PM2.5 in Malaysia: influence by Indonesian peatland fires
Authors: Fujii Y. , Tohno S. , Amil N. , Latif M. T. , Oda M. , Matsumoto J. , Mizohata A.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. In this study, we quantified carbonaceous PM2.5 in Malaysia through annual observations of PM2.5, focusing on organic compounds derived from biomass burning. We determined organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC) and concentrations of solvent-extractable organic compounds (biomarkers derived from biomass burning sources and n-alkanes). We observed seasonal variations in the concentrations of pyrolyzed OC (OP), levoglucosan (LG), mannosan (MN), galactosan, syringaldehyde, vanillic acid (VA) and cholesterol. The average concentrations of OP, LG, MN, galactosan, VA and cholesterol were higher during the southwest monsoon season (June–September) than during the northeast monsoon season (December–March), and these differences were statistically significant. Conversely, the syringaldehyde concentration during the southwest monsoon season was lower. The PM2.5 OP/OC4 mass ratio allowed distinguishing the seven samples, which have been affected by the Indonesian peatland fires (IPFs). In addition, we observed significant differences in the concentrations between the IPF and other samples of many chemical species. Thus, the chemical characteristics of PM2.5 in Malaysia appeared to be significantly influenced by IPFs during the southwest monsoon season. Furthermore, we evaluated two indicators, the vanillic acid/syringic acid (VA/SA) and LG/MN mass ratios, which have been suggested as indicators of IPFs. The LG/MN mass ratio ranged from 14 to 22 in the IPF samples and from 11 to 31 in the other samples. Thus, the respective variation ranges partially overlapped. Consequently, this ratio did not satisfactorily reflect the effects of IPFs in Malaysia. In contrast, the VA/SA mass ratio may serve as a good indicator, since it significantly differed between the IPF and other samples. However, the OP/OC4 mass ratio provided more remarkable differences than the VA/SA mass ratio, offering an even better indicator. Finally, we extracted biomass burning emissions' sources such as IPF, softwood/hardwood burning and meat cooking through varimax-rotated principal component analysis.
Seasonal variation of ozone and black carbon observed at Paknajol, an urban site in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
Authors: Putero D. , Cristofanelli P. , Marinoni A. , Adhikary B. , Duchi R. , Shrestha S. D. , Verza G. P. , Landi T. C. , Calzolari F. , Busetto M. , Agrillo G. , Biancofiore F. , Di Carlo P. , Panday A. K. , Rupakheti M. , Bonasoni P.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. The Kathmandu Valley in South Asia is considered as one of the global "hot spots" in terms of urban air pollution. It is facing severe air quality problems as a result of rapid urbanization and land use change, socioeconomic transformation and high population growth. In this paper, we present the first full year (February 2013–January 2014) analysis of simultaneous measurements of two short-lived climate forcers/pollutants (SLCF/P), i.e. ozone (O3) and equivalent black carbon (hereinafter noted as BC) and aerosol number concentration at Paknajol, in the center of the Kathmandu metropolitan city. The diurnal behavior of equivalent black carbon (BC) and aerosol number concentration indicated that local pollution sources represent the major contributions to air pollution in this city. In addition to photochemistry, the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and wind play important roles in determining O3 variability, as suggested by the analysis of seasonal diurnal cycle and correlation with meteorological parameters and aerosol properties. Especially during pre-monsoon, high values of O3 were found during the afternoon/evening; this could be related to mixing and entrainment processes between upper residual layers and the PBL. The high O3 concentrations, in particular during pre-monsoon, appeared well related to the impact of major open vegetation fires occurring at regional scale. On a synoptic-scale perspective, westerly and regional atmospheric circulations appeared to be especially conducive for the occurrence of the high BC and O3 values. The very high values of SLCF/P, detected during the whole measurement period, indicated persisting adverse air quality conditions, dangerous for the health of over 3 million residents of the Kathmandu Valley, and the environment. Consequently, all of this information may be useful for implementing control measures to mitigate the occurrence of acute pollution levels in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding area.
Assessing the potential of amino acid 13C patterns as a carbon source tracer in marine sediments: effects of algal growth conditions and sedimentary diagenesis
Authors: Larsen T. , Bach L. T. , Salvatteci R. , Wang Y. V. , Andersen N. , Ventura M. , McCarthy M. D.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Burial of organic carbon in marine sediments has a profound influence in marine biogeochemical cycles and provides a sink for greenhouse gases such as CO2 and CH4. However, tracing organic carbon from primary production sources as well as its transformations in the sediment record remains challenging. Here we examine a novel but growing tool for tracing the biosynthetic origin of amino acid carbon skeletons, based on naturally occurring stable carbon isotope patterns in individual amino acids (δ13CAA). We focus on two important aspects for δ13CAA utility in sedimentary paleoarchives: first, the fidelity of source diagnostic of algal δ13CAA patterns across different oceanographic growth conditions, and second, the ability of δ13CAA patterns to record the degree of subsequent microbial amino acid synthesis after sedimentary burial. Using the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii, we tested under controlled conditions how δ13CAA patterns respond to changing environmental conditions, including light, salinity, temperature, and pH. Our findings show that while differing oceanic growth conditions can change macromolecular cellular composition, δ13CAA isotopic patterns remain largely invariant. These results emphasize that δ13CAA patterns should accurately record biosynthetic sources across widely disparate oceanographic conditions. We also explored how δ13CAA patterns change as a function of age, total nitrogen and organic carbon content after burial, in a marine sediment core from a coastal upwelling area off Peru. Based on the four most informative amino acids for distinguishing between diatom and bacterial sources (i.e., isoleucine, lysine, leucine and tyrosine), bacterially derived amino acids ranged from 10 to 15 % in the sediment layers from the last 5000 years, and up to 35 % during the last glacial period. The greater bacterial contributions in older sediments indicate that bacterial activity and amino acid resynthesis progressed, approximately as a function of sediment age, to a substantially larger degree than suggested by changes in total organic nitrogen and carbon content. It is uncertain whether archaea may have contributed to sedimentary δ13CAA patterns we observe, and controlled culturing studies will be needed to investigate whether δ13CAA patterns can differentiate bacterial from archeal sources. Further research efforts are also needed to understand how closely δ13CAA patterns derived from hydrolyzable amino acids represent total sedimentary proteineincous material, and more broadly sedimentary organic nitrogen. Overall, however, both our culturing and sediment studies suggest that δ13CAA patterns in sediments will represent a novel proxy for understanding both primary production sources, and the direct bacterial role in the ultimate preservation of sedimentary organic matter.
Unusual biogenic calcite structures in two shallow lakes, James Ross Island, Antarctica
Authors: Elster J. , Nedbalová L. , Vodrážka R. , Láska K. , Haloda J. , Komárek J.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. The floors of two shallow endorheic lakes, located on volcanic surfaces on James Ross Island, are covered with calcareous organosedimentary structures. Their biological and chemical composition, lake water characteristics, and seasonal variability of the thermal regime are introduced. The lakes are frozen down to the bottom eight-nine months per year and their water chemistry is characterized by low conductivity and neutral to slightly alkaline pH. The photosynthetic microbial mat is composed of filamentous cyanobacteria and microalgae that are considered to be Antarctic endemic species. The mucilaginous black biofilm is covered by green spots formed by a green microalga and the macroscopic structures are packed together with fine material. Thin sections consist of rock substrate, soft biofilm, calcite spicules and mineral grains originating from different sources. The morphology of the spicules is typical of calcium carbonate monocrystals having a layered structure and worn surface, which reflect growth and degradation processes. The spicules chemical composition and structure correspond to pure calcite. Lakes age, altitude, morphometry, geomorphological and hydrological stability, including low sedimentation rates, together with thermal regime predispose the existence of this community. We hypothesize that the precipitation of calcite is connected with the photosynthetic activity of the green microalgae that were not recorded in any other lake in the region. This study has shown that the unique community producing biogenic calcite spicules is quite different to any yet described.
TOWARDS RULE-GUIDED CLASSIFICATION FOR VOLUNTEERED GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Authors: Loai Ali A. , Schmid F. , Falomir Z. , Freksa C.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Crowd-sourcing, especially in form of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) significantly changed the way geographic data is collected and the products that are generated from them. In VGI projects, contributors’ heterogeneity fosters rich data sources, however with problematic quality. In this paper, we tackle data quality from a classification perspective. Particularly in VGI, data classification presents some challenges: In some cases, the classification of entities depends on individual conceptualization about the environment. Whereas in other cases, a geographic feature itself might have ambiguous characteristics. These problems lead to inconsistent and inappropriate classifications. To face these challenges, we propose a guided classification approach. The approach employs data mining algorithms to develop a classifier, through investigating the geographic characteristics of target feature classes. The developed classifier acts to distinguish between related classes like forest, meadow and park. Then, the classifier could be used to guide the contributors during the classification process. The findings of an empirical study illustrate that the developed classifier correctly predict some classes. However, it still has a limited accuracy with other related classes.
COMPARING IMAGE-BASED METHODS FOR ASSESSING VISUAL CLUTTER IN GENERALIZED MAPS
Authors: Touya G. , Decherf B. , Lalanne M. , Dumont M.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Map generalization abstracts and simplifies geographic information to derive maps at smaller scales. The automation of map generalization requires techniques to evaluate the global quality of a generalized map. The quality and legibility of a generalized map is related to the complexity of the map, or the amount of clutter in the map, i.e. the excessive amount of information and its disorganization. Computer vision research is highly interested in measuring clutter in images, and this paper proposes to compare some of the existing techniques from computer vision, applied to generalized maps evaluation. Four techniques from the literature are described and tested on a large set of maps, generalized at different scales: edge density, subband entropy, quad tree complexity, and segmentation clutter. The results are analyzed against several criteria related to generalized maps, the identification of cluttered areas, the preservation of the global amount of information, the handling of occlusions and overlaps, foreground vs background, and blank space reduction.
WEB SERVICE FOR POSITIONAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT: THE WPS TIER
Authors: Xavier E. M. A. , Ariza-López F. J. , Ureña-Cámara M. A.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. In the field of spatial data every day we have more and more information available, but we still have little or very little information about the quality of spatial data. We consider that the automation of the spatial data quality assessment is a true need for the geomatic sector, and that automation is possible by means of web processing services (WPS), and the application of specific assessment procedures. In this paper we propose and develop a WPS tier centered on the automation of the positional quality assessment. An experiment using the NSSDA positional accuracy method is presented. The experiment involves the uploading by the client of two datasets (reference and evaluation data). The processing is to determine homologous pairs of points (by distance) and calculate the value of positional accuracy under the NSSDA standard. The process generates a small report that is sent to the client. From our experiment, we reached some conclusions on the advantages and disadvantages of WPSs when applied to the automation of spatial data accuracy assessments.
PITFALLS AND POTENTIALS OF CROWD SCIENCE: A META-ANALYSIS OF CONTEXTUAL INFLUENCES
Authors: Klippel A. , Sparks K. , Wallgrün J. O.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Crowd science is becoming an integral part of research in many disciplines. The research discussed in this paper lies at the intersection of spatial and behavioral sciences, two of the greatest beneficiaries of crowd science. As a young methodological development, crowd science needs attention from the perspective of a rigorous evaluation of the data collected to explore potentials as well as limitations (pitfalls). Our research has addressed a variety of contextual effects on the validity of crowdsourced data such as cultural, linguistic, regional, as well as methodological differences that we will discuss here in light of semantics.
A GRAPH BASED MODEL FOR THE DETECTION OF TIDAL CHANNELS USING MARKED POINT PROCESSES
Authors: Schmidt A. , Rottensteiner F. , Soergel U. , Heipke C.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. In this paper we propose a new method for the automatic extraction of tidal channels in digital terrain models (DTM) using a sampling approach based on marked point processes. In our model, the tidal channel system is represented by an undirected, acyclic graph. The graph is iteratively generated and fitted to the data using stochastic optimization based on a Reversible Jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo (RJMCMC) sampler and simulated annealing. The nodes of the graph represent junction points of the channel system and the edges straight line segments with a certain width in between. In each sampling step, the current configuration of nodes and edges is modified. The changes are accepted or rejected depending on the probability density function for the configuration which evaluates the conformity of the current status with a pre-defined model for tidal channels. In this model we favour high DTM gradient magnitudes at the edge borders and penalize a graph configuration consisting of non-connected components, overlapping segments and edges with atypical intersection angles. We present the method of our graph based model and show results for lidar data, which serve of a proof of concept of our approach.
SEMANTIC INTERPRETATION OF INSAR ESTIMATES USING OPTICAL IMAGES WITH APPLICATION TO URBAN INFRASTRUCTURE MONITORING
Authors: Wang Y. , Zhu X. X.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) has been an established method for long term large area monitoring. Since the launch of meter-resolution spaceborne SAR sensors, the InSAR community has shown that even individual buildings can be monitored in high level of detail. However, the current deformation analysis still remains at a primitive stage of pixel-wise motion parameter inversion and manual identification of the regions of interest. We are aiming at developing an automatic urban infrastructure monitoring approach by combining InSAR and the semantics derived from optical images, so that the deformation analysis can be done systematically in the semantic/object level. This paper explains how we transfer the semantic meaning derived from optical image to the InSAR point clouds, and hence different semantic classes in the InSAR point cloud can be automatically extracted and monitored. Examples on bridges and railway monitoring are demonstrated.
BENEFITS OF LINKED DATA FOR INTEROPERABILITY DURING CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Authors: Roller R. , Roes J. , Verbree E.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Floodings represent a permanent risk to the Netherlands in general and to her power supply in particular. Data sharing is essential within this crisis scenario as a power cut affects a great variety of interdependant sectors. Currently used data sharing systems have been shown to hamper interoperability between stakeholders since they lack flexibility and there is no consensus in term definitions and interpretations. The study presented in this paper addresses these challenges by proposing a new data sharing solution based on Linked Data, a method of interlinking data points in a structured way on the web. A conceptual model for two data sharing parties in a flood-caused power cut crisis management scenario was developed to which relevant data were linked. The analysis revealed that the presented data sharing solution burderns its user with extra costs in the short run, but saves resources in the long run by overcoming interoperability problems of the legacy systems. The more stakeholders adopt Linked Data the stronger its benefits for data sharing will become.
MANAGEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS IN COASTAL AREAS
Authors: Caprioli M. , Trizzino R. , Pagliarulo R. , Scarano M. , Mazzone F. , Scognamiglio A.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. The present work deals with the assessment and management of environmental risk conditions in a typical costal area of Southern Italy. This area, located in the Salento peninsula, is subject to recurrent widespread instability phenomena due to the presence of steep rocky cliffs. Along the coast there are numerous beach resorts that are very crowded in the summer season. The environmental hazard deriving from the possible rock falls is unacceptably high for the people safety. Moreover, the land-based mapping of the dangerous natural structures is very difficult and time and resources expending. In this context, we carried out an UAV survey along about 1 km of coast, near the towns of San Foca, Torre dell’Orso and Sant’ Andrea ( Lecce, Southern Italy). The UAV platform was equipped with a photogrammetric measurement system that allowed us to obtain a mobile mapping of the fractured fronts of dangerous rocky cliffs. UAV-images data have been processed using dedicated software (Agisoft Photoscan). The total error obtained was of centimeter-order that is a very satisfactory result. The environmental information has been arranged in an ArcGIS platform in order to assess the risk levels. The possibility to repeat the survey at time intervals more or less close together depending on the measured levels of risk and to compare the output allows following the trend of the dangerous phenomena. In conclusion, for inaccessible locations of dangerous rocky bodies the UAV survey coupled with a GIS methodology proved to be a key engineering tool for the management of environmental risks.
UAV-BORNE THERMAL IMAGING FOR FOREST HEALTH MONITORING: DETECTION OF DISEASE-INDUCED CANOPY TEMPERATURE INCREASE
Authors: Smigaj M. , Gaulton R. , Barr S. L. , Suárez J. C.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Climate change has a major influence on forest health and growth, by indirectly affecting the distribution and abundance of forest pathogens, as well as the severity of tree diseases. Temperature rise and changes in precipitation may also allow the ranges of some species to expand, resulting in the introduction of non-native invasive species, which pose a significant risk to forests worldwide. The detection and robust monitoring of affected forest stands is therefore crucial for allowing management interventions to reduce the spread of infections. This paper investigates the use of a low-cost fixed-wing UAV-borne thermal system for monitoring disease-induced canopy temperature rise. Initially, camera calibration was performed revealing a significant overestimation (by over 1 K) of the temperature readings and a non-uniformity (exceeding 1 K) across the imagery. These effects have been minimised with a two-point calibration technique ensuring the offsets of mean image temperature readings from blackbody temperature did not exceed ± 0.23 K, whilst 95.4% of all the image pixels fell within ± 0.14 K (average) of mean temperature reading. The derived calibration parameters were applied to a test data set of UAV-borne imagery acquired over a Scots pine stand, representing a range of Red Band Needle Blight infection levels. At canopy level, the comparison of tree crown temperature recorded by a UAV-borne infrared camera suggests a small temperature increase related to disease progression (R = 0.527, p = 0.001); indicating that UAV-borne cameras might be able to detect sub-degree temperature differences induced by disease onset.
INCLUDING USERS’ SEMANTICS IN EVALUATING THE CREDIBILITY OF CROWDSOURCED LANDSCAPE DESCRIPTIONS
Authors: Forati A. , Soleimani S. , Karimipour F. , Malek M. R.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Landscape refers to the visible features of an area of land often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal. The spatial configurations, composition conditions and perception situations of a landscape may be described by people, which reveal how they see and percept the landscape; thus they are different from person to person depending on the way they think or experience their surroundings. Especially, when the landscape descriptions are acquired through crowdsourcing processes, it is affected by users’ semantics, which results in descriptions with varying credibilities. This paper proposes an approach to consider the user’s semantics in evaluating the creditability of crowdsourced landscape descriptions.
COMPARING ICESAT/GLAS BASED ELEVATION HEIGHTS WITH PHOTOGRAMMETRIC TERRAIN HEIGHTS FROM UAV-IMAGERY ON THE EAST TIBETAN PLATEAU
Authors: Enßle F. , Fritz A. , Koch B.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Digital elevation models (DEMs) and height measurements are broadly used in environmental studies. Two common elevation sources are the Ice Cloud and land elevation Satellite (ICESat), which acquired laser range measurements with the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) across the globe and elevation data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). Current developments of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) provide the opportunity to collect aerial images of remote areas at a high spatial resolution. These can be further processed to digital surface models by stereophotogrammetry and provide a reliable data source to evaluate coarse scale Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). This study compares ICESat/GLAS and SRTM90 elevation data against photogrammetric terrain heights within GLAS footprints on high altitudes on the East Tibetan Plateau. Without vegetation-bias, we were able to examine height differences under different topographic conditions and of different acquisition dates. Several resampling techniques were applied to SRTM90 data and averaged height within each footprint was calculated. ICESat/GLAS heights (n = 148) are most similar to UAV data based elevations with an averaged difference of −0.8m ±3.1m. Results furthermore indicate the validity of ICESat/GLAS heights, which are usually removed from analyses by applying different quality flags. Smallest difference of SRTM90 to UAV based heights could be observed by a natural neighbour resampling technique (averaged 3.6m ±14m), whereat other techniques achieved quite similar results. It can be confirmed that within a range of 3,800–4,200m above mean sea level the ICESat/GLAS heights are a precise source to determine elevation at footprint geolocation.
MORPHO-SPECTRAL RECOGNITION OF DENSE URBAN OBJECTS BY HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGERY
Authors: Gadal S. , Ouerghemmi W.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. This paper presents a methodology for recognizing, identifying and classifying built objects in dense urban areas, using a morphospectral approach applied to VNIR/SWIR hyperspectral image (HySpex). This methodology contains several image processing steps: Principal Components Analysis and Laplacian enhancement, Feature Extraction of segmented build-up objects, and supervised classification from a morpho-spectral database (i.e. spectral and morphometric attributes). The Feature Extraction toolbox automatically generates a vector map of segmented buildings and an urban object-oriented morphometric database which is merged with an independent spectral database of urban objects. Each build-up object is spectrally identified and morphologically characterized thanks to the built-in morpho-spectral database.
ESTIMATION OF THE THICKNESS AND EMULSION RATE OF OIL SPILLED AT SEA USING HYPERSPECTRAL REMOTE SENSING IMAGERY IN THE SWIR DOMAIN
Authors: Sicot G. , Lennon M. , Miegebielle V. , Dubucq D.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. The thickness and the emulsion rate of an oil spill are two key parameters allowing to design a tailored response to an oil discharge. If estimated on per pixel basis at a high spatial resolution, the estimation of the oil thickness allows the volume of pollutant to be estimated, and that volume is needed in order to evaluate the magnitude of the pollution, and to determine the most adapted recovering means to use. The estimation of the spatial distribution of the thicknesses also allows the guidance of the recovering means at sea. The emulsion rate can guide the strategy to adopt in order to deal with an offshore oil spill: efficiency of dispersants is for example not identical on a pure oil or on an emulsion. Moreover, the thickness and emulsion rate allow the amount of the oil that has been discharged to be estimated. It appears that the shape of the reflectance spectrum of oil in the SWIR range (1000–2500nm) varies according to the emulsion rate and to the layer thickness. That shape still varies when the oil layer reaches a few millimetres, which is not the case in the visible range (400–700nm), where the spectral variation saturates around 200 μm (the upper limit of the Bonn agreement oil appearance code). In that context, hyperspectral imagery in the SWIR range shows a high potential to describe and characterize oil spills. Previous methods which intend to estimate those two parameters are based on the use of a spectral library. In that paper, we will present a method based on the inversion of a simple radiative transfer model in the oil layer. We will show that the proposed method is robust against another parameter that affects the reflectance spectrum: the size of water droplets in the emulsion. The method shows relevant results using measurements made in laboratory, equivalent to the ones obtained using methods based on the use of a spectral library. The method has the advantage to release the need of a spectral library, and to provide maps of thickness and emulsion rate values per pixel. The maps obtained are not composed of regions of thickness ranges, such as the ones obtained using discretized levels of measurements in the spectral library, or maps made from visual observations following the Bonn agreement oil appearance code.
VISUALIZATION OF MARINE SAND DUNE DISPLACEMENTS UTILIZING MODERN GPU TECHNIQUES
Authors: Gierlinger T. , Brodtkorb A. R. , Stumpf A. , Weiler M. , Michel F.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Quantifying and visualizing deformation and material fluxes is an indispensable tool for many geoscientific applications at different scales comprising for example global convective models (Burstedde et al., 2013), co-seismic slip (Leprince et al., 2007) or local slope deformation (Stumpf et al., 2014b). Within the European project IQmulus (http://www.iqmulus.eu) a special focus is laid on the efficient detection and visualization of submarine sand dune displacements. In this paper we present our approaches on the visualization of the calculated displacements utilizing modern GPU techniques to enable the user to interactively analyze intermediate and final results within the whole workflow.
FROM OPEN GEOGRAPHICAL DATA TO TANGIBLE MAPS: IMPROVING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF MAPS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE
Authors: Ducasse J. , Macé M. , Jouffrais C.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Visual maps must be transcribed into (interactive) raised-line maps to be accessible for visually impaired people. However, these tactile maps suffer from several shortcomings: they are long and expensive to produce, they cannot display a large amount of information, and they are not dynamically modifiable. A number of methods have been developed to automate the production of raised-line maps, but there is not yet any tactile map editor on the market. Tangible interactions proved to be an efficient way to help a visually impaired user manipulate spatial representations. Contrary to raised-line maps, tangible maps can be autonomously constructed and edited. In this paper, we present the scenarios and the main expected contributions of the AccessiMap project, which is based on the availability of many sources of open spatial data: 1/ facilitating the production of interactive tactile maps with the development of an open-source web-based editor; 2/ investigating the use of tangible interfaces for the autonomous construction and exploration of a map by a visually impaired user.
SPATIAL DATA QUALITY AND A WORKFLOW TOOL
Authors: Meijer M. , Vullings L. A. E. , Bulens J. D. , Rip F. I. , Boss M. , Hazeu G. , Storm M.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Although by many perceived as important, spatial data quality has hardly ever been taken centre stage unless something went wrong due to bad quality. However, we think this is going to change soon. We are more and more relying on data driven processes and due to the increased availability of data, there is a choice in what data to use. How to make that choice? We think spatial data quality has potential as a selection criterion. In this paper we focus on how a workflow tool can help the consumer as well as the producer to get a better understanding about which product characteristics are important. For this purpose, we have developed a framework in which we define different roles (consumer, producer and intermediary) and differentiate between product specifications and quality specifications. A number of requirements is stated that can be translated into quality elements. We used case studies to validate our framework. This framework is designed following the fitness for use principle. Also part of this framework is software that in some cases can help ascertain the quality of datasets.
TOWARDS TIME-SERIES PROCESSING OF VHR SATELLITE IMAGES FOR SURFACE DEFORMATION DETECTON AND MEASUREMENTS
Authors: Stumpf A. , Delacourt C. , Malet J. P.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. The increasing fleet of VHR optical satellites (e.g. Pléiades, Spot 6/7, WorldView-3) offers new opportunities for the monitoring of surface deformation resulting from gravitational (e.g. glaciers, landslides) or tectonic forces (coseismic slip). Image correlation techniques have been developed and successfully employed in many geoscientific studies to quantify horizontal surface deformation at sub-pixel precision. The analysis of time-series, however, has received less attention in this context and there is still a lack of techniques that fully exploit archived image time-series and the increasing flux of incoming data. This study targets the development of an image correlation processing chain that relies on multiple pair-wise matching to exploit the redundancy of deformation measurements recorded at different view angles and over multiple time steps. The proposed processing chain is based on a hierarchical image correlation scheme that readily uses parallel processing. Since pair-wise matching can be performed independently the distribution of individual tasks is straightforward and yields to significant reductions of the overall runtime scaling with the available HPC infrastructure. We find that it is more convenient to implement experimental analytical tasks in a high-level programming language (i.e. R) and explore the use of parallel programming to compensate for performance bottlenecks of the interpreted language. Preliminary comparisons against maps from domain expert suggest that the proposed methodology is suitable to eliminate false detections and, thereby, enhances the reliability of correlation-based detections of surface deformation.
On the rebound: soil organic carbon stocks can bounce back to near forest levels when agroforests replace agriculture in southern India
Authors: Hombegowda H. C. , van Straaten O. , Köhler M. , Hölscher D.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Tropical agroforestry has an enormous potential to sequester carbon while simultaneously producing agricultural yields and tree products. The amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestered is however influenced by the type of the agroforestry system established, the soil and climatic conditions and management. In this regional scale study, we utilized a chronosequence approach to investigate how SOC stocks changed when the original forests are converted to agriculture, and then subsequently to four different agroforestry systems (AFSs): homegarden, coffee, coconut and mango. In total we established 224 plots in 56 plot clusters across four climate zones in southern India. Each plot cluster consisted of four plots: a natural forest reference plot, an agriculture reference and two of the same AFS types of two ages (30–60 years and > 60 years). The conversion of forest to agriculture resulted in a large loss the original SOC stock (50–61 %) in the top meter of soil depending on the climate zone. The establishment of homegarden and coffee AFSs on agriculture land caused SOC stocks to rebound to near forest levels, while in mango and coconut AFSs the SOC stock increased only slightly above the agriculture stock. The most important variable regulating SOC stocks and its changes was tree basal area, possibly indicative of organic matter inputs. Furthermore, climatic variables such as temperature and precipitation, and soil variables such as clay fraction and soil pH were likewise all important regulators of SOC and SOC stock changes. Lastly, we found a strong correlation between tree species diversity in homegarden and coffee AFSs and SOC stocks, highlighting possibilities to increase carbon stocks by proper tree species assemblies.
Navigating VET to university: Students’ perceptions of their transition to university study
Authors: Barber Tracy , Netherton Clare , Bettles Alicia , Moors-Mailei Amanda
Published: August 2015

This paper examines preliminary findings from research into the transition experiences of students entering university through a VET pathway. Participants’ responses obtained in an online survey are analysed to explore their perceptions of how their VET background influenced their transition, including their expectations and adjustment to university. Findings indicate that participants are largely experiencing transition as a positive experience, but in particular those who perceived their VET background as very influential on their transition have significantly higher levels of adjustment and fulfilled expectations. The survey is part of a larger research project including focus groups and interviews that will allow a deeper analysis of students’ experiences. The research also aims to contribute to a deeper conceptual understanding of the transition process.
"Are we there yet?": Making sense of transition in higher education
Authors: Stirling Jeannette , Rossetto Celeste
Published: August 2015

This paper reviews a first year transition program first implemented in 2011 and designed for students commencing higher education at the regional campuses of an Australian university. A significant proportion of students attending these campuses are mature age, the first in family to attempt university study, Indigenous, and/or from low socio-economic backgrounds. Our project aims were to facilitate academic participation and hence retention in a higher education environment that relies on various multimedia technologies and blended learning models. Ongoing evaluations of the project clearly indicate its efficacy. Even so, longitudinal analyses raise questions about how current social inclusion policy shapes praxis; indeed, about how we do social inclusion and transition in higher education. The following discussion grapples with some of the unresolved tensions between transition as institutional policy and the complex, differentiated and sometimes messy transitional experiences of first year regional campus undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds
Volume 6, Issue 2
Authors: Creagh Tracy , Clarke John , Nelson Karen
Published: August 2015

Welcome to the newly titled Student Success:  A journal exploring the experiences of students in tertiary education
Efficiency and Environmental Metrics of Algal Fuel
Authors: Auld Douglas
Published: August 2015

Energy efficiency, greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction effectiveness and cost are the major characteristics that determine the commercial production, consumption and potential subsidization of non-fossil, renewable fuels. This paper sets out a basic model by which the characteristics of algal fuel can be examined and in doing so, conclusions are reached regarding  the likelihood of algal fuel becoming a major biofuel in the immediate and near-term future and the potential subsidy entitlement of the fuel.
Páginas Selectas de Santiago Argüello
Authors: Silva Erwin
Published: August 2015

Reseña de la obra "Páginas Selectas de Santiago Argüello", elaborada por el Profesor Erwin Silva.
Clipped Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) Fodder Management: A Potential for Soil Organic Matter Enrichment in Degraded Savannah Soils of Nigeria
Authors: Sambo Banake E. , Odion Ehiabhi C.
Published: August 2015

Severe nutrient depletion of the soils of the savannah tropics of Africa over the years has made it difficult to improve the productivity of varieties of crops using cultural practices alone. But interestingly, it has been observed that when a cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) crop is cut (clipped) before senescence; it can regenerate after defoliation (provided there is enough soil moisture). And when the clipped organic fodder is added and/or ploughed back into the soil, it enriches the soil organic matter (SOM) content that in turn enhances crop productivity. Thus, this study was carried out with the objective of determining the influence of intra-row spacing, clipping height and time on the productivity of cowpea and SOM; at the Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Samaru, Zaria, Nigeria; during the 2002-2005 wet seasons. The experimental lay out was a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), replicated three times. The collected data was analyzed statistically using the analysis of variance test (ANOVA); and the means separation was done using the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT). Results showed that the textural class of the experimental site soil was loam silt; with a conducive pH of (6.6 in 2002 and 5.5 in 2005), for crop growth. The soil organic carbon content (SOC), nitrogen (N) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were very low (0.30 g kg-1, 0.88 g kg-1 and 4.90 respectively) in 2002. These increased to 10.37 g kg-1, 2.2 g kg-1 and 11.10 respectively in 2005. Total rainfall in 2002 was 1007.9mm and 871.5mm in 2005. Mean air temperature, relative humidity and sunshine hours in 2002 ranged between 21.0-31.5 °C, 16.0-90.6 and 4.5-8.5 respectively; while mean air temperature and relative humidity ranged between 24.7-32.0 °C and 40.5-85.3% respectively in 2005. Total harvested clipped fodder yield was 15t ha-1; and this was added to the soil; and it effectively increased SOM content by about 42%. Consequently, it was concluded that the adoption of this innovative clipping management technology, holds great potential of improving soil pH, increasing soil CEC, SOM and crop productivity generally, for the low technology, resource poor, and subsistence farmers in the region. Without doubt, overcoming SOM decline is a major component in the development of more sustainable agro-systems.