Heterogeneous forest classification by creating mixed vegetation classes using EO-1 Hyperion

Hyperspectral satellite data is an efficient tool in vegetation mapping; however, previous studies indicate that classifying heterogeneous forests might be difficult. In this study, we propose a mapping method for a heterogeneous forest using the data of the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) Hyperion supplemented by field survey. We introduced a band reduction method to raise classification accuracy of the Support Vector Machine classification algorithm and compared the results to the one reduced by principal component analysis (PCA), stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA), and the original data set. We also used a modified version of the Vegetation–Impervious–Soil model to create mixed vegetation classes consisting of the commonly mixing species in the area and classified them using Decision Tree classification method. We managed to achieve 84.28% approximately using our band reduction method which is 2.36% increase compared to PCA (81.92%), 1.43% compared to the SDA (82.85%), and 7.61% compared to the original data set (76.67%). Introducing the mixed vegetation classes raised the overall accuracy even higher (85.79%).     

Stoichiometric photocatalytic decomposition of pure water in Pt/TiO2 aqueous suspension system

The influence of the direction of ultraviolet irradiation upon the yields of the photocatalytic decomposition of pure water has been investigated in Pt/TiO₂ aqueous suspension system. The yields of the photocatalytic decomposition irradiated from the top of the reaction cell are about 10³ times higher than those irradiated from the bottom. The difference seems due to the reverse reaction of the formed H₂ and O₂ in the suspension.     

Theoretical study of NO decomposition on Cu-ZSM-5 catalyst models

The decomposition mechanism of NO on Cu-ZSM-5 catalyst models was investigated using ab initio molecular orbital calculations with Huzinaga's MIDI-P basis set [see S. Huzinaga, Gaussian Basic Sets for Molecular Calculations, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1984]. Two reaction routes were assumed for each model and the geometry of all molecules was optimized.     

Software objects in distributed flow measurements

Increasing complexity of the contemporary industrial measurement systems is a common characteristic. Partitioning of the measurement process into software components that can be realized as separate objects facilitates the development of the measurement system. Using a client/server approach, the measurement system components become shareable and accessible across the network. The components can be deployed anywhere on the network and shared by a considerable number of applications. The paper describes a realization of the flow measurement system with distributed software components, i.e., measurement procedures, which include the concurrent calculation of the measurement results and the corresponding uncertainties.     

Gross and microscopic observations on the lingual structure of the Franciscana (Pontoporia blainvillei--Gervais and d'Orbigny, 1844)

In most anatomical studies developed with mammals, the tongue is described as highly differentiated among different species. However, studies on the tongue of aquatic mammals are still limited as compared to those on terrestrial mammals. The aim of this study was to describe the tongue morphology of the Franciscana dolphin (Pontoporia blainvillei) using macroscopic observations, light, and scanning electron microscopy. Microscopically, the dorsal surface was covered by a keratinized stratified epithelium. Salivary gland acini were found on the middle and caudal third of the tongue. The dorsal surface was totally covered by filiform papillae with a connective tissue core and a connective tissue structure round in shape in the middle and caudal regions.     

Development and Impact Behaviors of FRP Guarder Belt for Side Collision of Automobiles

In automobiles, the CFRP （carbon fiber reinforced plastics） has a possibility of weight reduction in automotive structures which can contribute to improve mileage and then reduce carbon dioxide. On the other hand, the safety of collision should be also made clear in the case of employing the CFRP to automotive structures. In this paper, the CFRP guarder belt equipped in the automotive door is developed and examined by an experiment and a numerical analysis for replacing the conventional steel door guarder beam. As the experimental relation of impact load to displacement for CFRP guarder belt agreed well with that of numerical result, the numerical method developed here is quite useful for estimating impact behaviors of CFRP guarder belt.     

Preparation of ion exchange membranes by preirradiation induced grafting of styrene/divinylbenzene into crosslinked PTFE films and successive sulfonation

Ion exchange membranes (IEMs) were prepared by preirradiation induced grafting of styrene with or without divinylbenzene (DVB) into crosslinked polytetrafluoroethylene (RX‐PTFE) films and successively sulfonated by chlorosulfonic acid. The effects of the DVB concentration and solvent on the kinetic of the graft polymerization were studied. The ion exchange capacity (IEC) values of the prepared membranes ranging from 1.5 to 2.8 mequiv/g were obtained. The degree of swelling increased with the increase in the degree of grafting, while higher crosslinking density of both the RX‐PTFE matrices and the grafts suppressed the degree of swelling. The chemical stabilities of the IEMs were tested by recording the weight of the membranes being soaked in hot H₂O₂ solutions. The weight‐time curves of the prepared membranes showed one‐step quick decrease due to the decomposition of the poly(styrene‐sulfonic acid) (PSSA) grafts. Higher crosslinking density in both the RX‐PTFE matrices and the grafts improved the chemical stability of the IEMs. The ionic conductivity of the IEMs increases with the increase in the IEC values. The IEMs with IEC values higher than 2.2 mequiv/g hold the higher ionic conductivity than that of Nafion® 112 membrane. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 101: 3587–3599, 2006     

Piezoelectric K0.5Na0.5NbO3 Ceramics Textured Using Needlelike K0.5Na0.5NbO3 Templates

Improved performance by texturing has become attractive in the field of lead‐free ferroelectrics, but the effect depends heavily on the degree of texture, type of preferred orientation, and whether the material is a rotator or extender ferroelectric. Here, we report on successful texturing of K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ (KNN) ceramics by alignment of needlelike KNN templates in a matrix of KNN powder using tape casting. Homotemplated grain growth of the needles was confirmed during sintering, resulting in a high degree of texture parallel to the tape casting direction (TCD) and the aligned needles. The texture significantly improved the piezoelectric response parallel to the tape cast direction, corresponding to the direction of the strongest <001>_pc orientation, while the response normal to the tape cast plane was lower than for a nontextured KNN. In situ X‐ray diffraction during electric field application revealed that non‐180° domain reorientation was enhanced by an order of magnitude in the TCD, compared to the direction normal to the tape cast plane and in the nontextured ceramic. The effect of texture in KNN is discussed with respect to possible rotator ferroelectric properties of KNN.     

Model-based testing of stochastically timed systems

Innovations in Systems and Software Engineering - Many systems are inherently stochastic: they interact with unpredictable environments or use randomised algorithms. Classical model-based testing...     

Metaphors in managerial and employee sensemaking in an information systems project

This longitudinal study looks at the metaphors used in a public sector information systems development project from the perspective of cognitive metaphor theory (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980 ). We examine the use of metaphors by project team members, including representatives of the users, software developers and the managers guiding the project work. The findings indicate that project team members and managers use a rich set of metaphors to make sense of the project and the records management system they are working on. Notably, distinct sets of metaphors are used in different project phases and among the project personnel and management. As the differences in the metaphors also coincide with key events in the trajectory of the project, we contend that metaphors have significant power in sensemaking, influencing action and project outcomes. In particular, we find that in highly ambiguous, knowledge‐intensive situations, metaphor use with unclear intentions and purpose hinders learning and creates more chaos than order. From a practical perspective, our study highlights the relevance of metaphor use for project management. We suggest that intentional selection of metaphors by management could be beneficial for many complex information systems projects. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd