Effects of land use and changes in cover on the transformation and transportation of iron:A case study of the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China

Wetland reclamation has been ongoing in the Sanjiang Plain since the mid-1950s,which has resulted in major changes in wetlands and the agriculture ecosystem in the region that have influenced the iron output to the Sea of Okhotsk and limited the primary productivity in the North Pacific Ocean.This study was conducted to investigate the chemical forms of iron in different aquatic environments(agricultural water including groundwater,paddy water,and canal water;wetland water including marsh water,marsh stream...     

Designing a powerful learning environment to promote durable conceptual change

The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term effectiveness of a three-dimensional (3D) computer modeling supported predict–observe–explain (POE) strategy on pre-service science teachers' understanding of lunar concepts. Thirty-three preservice teachers participated in the study. A questionnaire was used to assess participants' understanding of the phases of the Moon and eclipses before, after, and 22 months after the instruction. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six participants before and after the instruction. The results demonstrated that few participants had a scientific understanding about the targeted lunar concepts before the instruction. However, the majority of the participants had a scientific understanding after the instruction indicating that the instructional intervention was quite effective in facilitating conceptual change. The results also demonstrated that twenty-two months after the instruction most participants maintained their scientific conceptual understanding suggesting that the powerful learning environment designed for this study was effective in promoting a durable conceptual change.     

An analysis of specialist and non-specialist user requirements for geographic climate change information

The EU EuroClim project developed a system to monitor and record climate change indicator data based on satellite observations of snow cover, sea ice and glaciers in Northern Europe and the Arctic. It also contained projection data for temperature, rainfall and average wind speed for Europe. These were all stored as data sets in a GIS database for users to download. The process of gathering requirements for a user population including scientists, researchers, policy makers, educationalists and the general public is described. Using an iterative design methodology, a user survey was administered to obtain initial feedback on the system concept followed by panel sessions where users were presented with the system concept and a demonstrator to interact with it. The requirements of both specialist and non-specialist users is summarised together with strategies for the effective communication of geographic climate change information.     

Harnessing social dynamics through persuasive technology to promote healthier lifestyle

In light of current calls by medical professionals to confront the global issue of obesity and related illnesses, we developed a mobile application called STEP UP that monitors physical activity and provides data that can be easily shared within a social network. We then conducted an exploratory, theoretical study based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) followed by an experimental trial and user study. The purpose of the studies was to explore the effect of persuasive technology on physical activity behavior and to investigate its effectiveness in motivating users to use the technology to be more physically active. The application was found to have a positive effect on the participants and their level of physical activity. They enjoyed using the application and were motivated to walk more, especially when enabled to share their step counts with their friends. The social component of the application clearly enhanced users’ walking experience, as the atmosphere of friendly competition motivated them to walk more. Based on user responses, we conclude that a further enhanced application that includes chat functionality may be even more successful in supporting increased physical activity and thus healthier lifestyle.     

Social change,institutional pressures and knowledge creation: A bibliometric analysis

Contemporary academic environment can be characterized by an overwhelming trend toward enhancing research productivity and knowledge creation. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of radical social change and subsequent institutional pressures on internationally relevant knowledge creation. The setting examined is business and economics science in Eastern Europe. Using a case study of Slovenian business schools and deploying a bibliometric analysis we find that research productivity is increasing significantly. We note however dilemmas pertaining to the content and quality of knowledge created. Further, we find that international research cooperation has positive quality effects. From a theoretical perspective, we argue that radical social change was not mirrored by such change in normative institutions, whereas recent changes in regulatory institutions seem to have a substantial positive effect on research performance.     

Measuring the neighbourhood effect to calibrate land use models

Many spatially explicit land use models include the neighbourhood effect as a driver of land use changes. The neighbourhood effect includes the inertia of land uses over time, the conversion from one land use to another, and the attraction or repulsion of surrounding land uses. The neighbourhood effect is expressed in the neighbourhood rules, but calibration of the neighbourhood rules is not straightforward. This paper aims to characterise the neighbourhood effect of observed land use changes and use this information to improve the calibration of land use models. We measured the over- and underrepresentation of land uses in the neighbourhood of observed land use changes using a modified version of the enrichment factor. Enrichment factors of observed land use changes in Germany between 1990 and 2000 indicate that the neighbourhood effect exists. This suggests that it is appropriate to use neighbourhood rules to simulate urban land use changes. Observed enrichment factors were used to calibrate a land use model for Germany from 1990 to 2000 and the obtained neighbourhood rules were validated independently from 2000 to 2006. The results show that both the allocation accuracy and the pattern accuracy of the land use model improved for the calibration period, as well as for the independent validation period. This indicates that enrichment factors can be used to improve the calibration of the neighbourhood rules in land use models.     

流体运动估计光流算法研究综述

对流体图像序列进行运动分析一直是流体力学、医学和计算机视觉等领域的重要研究课题。从图像对中提取的密集精确的速度矢量场能够为许多领域提供有价值的信息,基于光流法的流体运动估计技术因其独特的优势成为一个有前途的方向。光流法可以获得具有较高分辨率的密集速度矢量场,在小尺度精细结构的测量上有所改进,弥补了基于相关分析法的粒子图像测速技术的不足。此外,光流方法还可以方便的引入各种物理约束,获得较为符合流体运动特性的运动估计结果。为了全面反映基于光流法的流体运动估计算法的研究进展,本文在广泛调研相关文献的基础上,对国内外具有代表性的论文进行了系统阐述。首先介绍了光流法的基本原理,然后将现有算法按照要解决的突出问题进行分类：结合流体力学知识的能量最小化函数,提高对光照变化的鲁棒性,大位移估计和消除异常值。对每类方法,从问题解决过程的角度予以介绍,分析了各类突出问题中现有算法的特点和局限性。最后,总结分析了流体运动估计技术当前面临的问题和挑战,并对未来基于光流法的运动估计算法的研究方向和研究重点进行了展望。     

改进新息图法在地区电网AVC系统中的应用

新息图法对于坏数据、拓扑变化的辨识有着显著效果.文中针对地区电网的辐射特性,提出了新息图法的分层辨识,建立了厂站层和联络线层新息图模型.当连支出现坏数据时,采用伪量测对其进行修正,避免了传统方法更换连支后需重新生成树的不足;支路预估值的准确程度将影响新息值的准确性,对此利用自动电压控制(AVC)系统潮流验证模块k时刻的在线潮流计算值与测量值的差值△P,按系数a对k+1时刻支路预估值进行趋近补偿,补偿后的潮流推算曲线更接近真值,提高了拓扑变化辨识的准确性.将以上改进的新息图法应用于四川省多个地区电网AVC系统,运行效果良好,能准确辨识坏数据和拓扑变化.     

Phase change memory alloys: GST cell array characterization using picosecond ultrasonics

Phase change random access memory alloys (PRAM or PCM) are a class of non-volatile memory that is thought as viable alternatives to flash memory technology or to supplement other memory technologies depending on the end applications and its key performance requirements. Ge₂Sb₂Te₅ alloy (GST) is the most widely used chalcogenide material for PCM application, and has many unique properties, including strong temperature-dependent film properties, low thermal conductivity, and high electrical resistivity. Picosecond ultrasonics was used to make non-contact, non-destructive measurements of GST films on blanket wafers and directly on product wafers. On-product wafer measurements were made on various via array (0.5 μm and 1 μm between cell edges with CD size from 250 to 800 nm). Measurements have shown excellent correlation to cross-section SEM and were consistent with CMP polish times for both blanket and pattern wafer measurement. Excellent repeatability based on extensive measurements demonstrates the capability and reliability of picosecond ultrasonic technology. Picosecond ultrasonic measurements also provide rapid characterization across the whole wafer at production-worthy throughputs.