Sanctions and the Scientific Community of Iran

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-264
Author(s):  
Parviz Tarikhi
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Community ◽  
Scientific Production ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
The Impact

Sanctions on the scientific community of Iran go back to the days following the victory of the 1979 revolution when the severe pressures on the country commenced. Although it is still difficult to estimate quantitatively the impacts of sanctions on the Iranian scientific community, the qualitative estimations and in situ observations bolster the idea that sanctions, particularly those in recent decades, have led to an obvious decrease in the quality of Iranian scientific production. It has led to further cosmopolitanism of the Iranian scientific community in diaspora, and has strengthened extremism and predomination of hardliner attitudes domestically. This paper demonstrates the impact of foreign sanctions on the scientific community of Iran in addition to the already deplorable pressure initiated by the post-revolutionary ruling system and its administration.

scholarly journals Novel Bibliometric Scores for Evaluating Research Quality and Output: A Correlation Study with Established Indexes

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Scotti ◽  
Annalisa De Silvestri ◽  
Luigia Scudeller ◽  
Paola Abele ◽  
Funda Topuz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Research Funding ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Correlation Study ◽  
Scientific Production ◽  
Research Quality ◽  
Alternative Measure ◽  
The Novel ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Quality Of Research

Introduction Novel bibliometric indexes (commonly known as altmetrics) are gaining interest within the scientific community and might represent an important alternative measure of research quality and output. Aims We evaluate how these new metrics correlate with established bibliometric indexes such as the impact factor (IF), currently used as a measure of scientific production as well as a criterion for scientific research funding, and how they might be helpful in assessing the impact of research. Methods We calculated altmetrics scores for all the articles published at our institution during a single year and examined the correlation between altmetrics scores and IFs as a measure of research quality and impact in all departments. Results For all articles from the various departments published in a single year, the altmetrics score and the sum of all IFs showed a strong and significant correlation (Spearman's rho 0.88). The correlation was significant also when the major components of altmetrics, including Facebook, Twitter and Mendeley, were analyzed. The implementation of altmetrics has been found to be easy and effective at both the researcher and librarian levels. Conclusions The novel bibliographic index altmetrics is consistent and reliable and can complement or be considered a valid alternative to standard bibliometric indexes to benchmark output and quality of research for academic and funding purposes.

scholarly journals A comparison between polynya area and associated ice production with mooring-based measurements of temperature, salinity and currents in the southwestern Ross Sea, Antarctica

2011 ◽  
Vol 52 (57) ◽  
pp. 291-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Kern ◽  
Stefano Aliani
Keyword(s):  
Ross Sea ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Ice Formation ◽  
Terra Nova Bay ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Satellite Microwave ◽  
Terra Nova ◽  
Ice Production ◽  
The Impact

AbstractWintertime (April–September) area estimates of the Terra Nova Bay polynya (TNBP), Antarctica, based on satellite microwave radiometry are compared with in situ observations of water salinity, temperature and currents at a mooring in Terra Nova Bay in 1996 and 1997. In 1996, polynya area anomalies and associated anomalies in polynya ice production are significantly correlated with salinity anomalies at the mooring. Salinity anomalies lag area and/or ice production anomalies by about 3 days. Up to 50% of the variability in the salinity at the mooring position can be explained by area and/or ice production anomalies in the TNBP for April–September 1996. This value increases to about 70% when considering shorter periods like April–June or May–July, but reduces to 30% later, for example July–September, together with a slight increase in time lag. In 1997, correlations are smaller, less significant and occur at a different time lag. Analysis of ocean currents at the mooring suggests that in 1996 conditions were more favourable than in 1997 for observing the impact of descending plumes of salt-enriched water formed in the polynya during ice formation on the water masses at the mooring depth.

scholarly journals Stability Assessment of Mining Excavations: the Impact of Large Depths

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 180-187
Author(s):  
Tadeusz Majcherczyk ◽  
Zbigniew Niedbalski ◽  
Łukasz Bednarek
Keyword(s):  
Rock Mass ◽  
In Situ Monitoring ◽  
Stability Assessment ◽  
Underground Excavations ◽  
Deformation Prediction ◽  
Large Depth ◽  
Coal Deposits ◽  
The Impact

AbstractBack in the early 1980s, coal deposits occurring at depths of ~700 m below surface were already regarded as large-depth deposits. Meanwhile, today the borderline depth of large-depth mining has extended to >1,000 m. Design, excavation and maintenance of mining roadways at the depth of >1,000 m have, therefore, become crucial issues in a practical perspective in recent years. Hence, it is now extremely important to intensify research studies on the influence of large depths on the behaviour of rock mass and deformation of support in underground excavations. The paper presents the results of the study carried out in five mining excavations at depths ranging from 950 to 1,290 m, where monitoring stations with measurement equipment were built. The analysis of data from laboratory and coal mine tests, as well as in situ monitoring, helped to formulate a set of criteria for stability assessment of underground excavations situated at large depths. The proposed methodology of load and deformation prediction in support systems of the excavations unaffected by exploitation is based on the criteria referring to the depth of excavation and the quality of rock mass. The depth parameter is determined by checking whether the analysed excavation lies below the critical depth, whereas the rock mass quality is determined on the basis of the roof lithology index (WL) and the crack intensity factor (n)

scholarly journals The extreme runoff index for flood early warning in Europe

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1505-1515 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Alfieri ◽  
F. Pappenberger ◽  
F. Wetterhall
Keyword(s):  
Early Warning ◽  
Input Data ◽  
Weather Forecasting ◽  
Spatial Inhomogeneity ◽  
Optimal Timing ◽  
Numerical Predictions ◽  
In Situ Observations

Abstract. Systems for the early detection of floods over continental and global domains have a key role in providing a quick overview of areas at risk, raise the awareness and prompt higher detail analyses as the events approach. However, the reliability of these systems is prone to spatial inhomogeneity, depending on the quality of the underlying input data and local calibration. This work proposes a simple approach for flood early warning based on ensemble numerical predictions of surface runoff provided by weather forecasting centers. The system is based on a novel indicator, referred to as an extreme runoff index (ERI), which is calculated from the input data through a statistical analysis. It is designed for use in large or poorly gauged domains, as no local knowledge or in situ observations are needed for its setup. Daily runs over 32 months are evaluated against calibrated hydrological simulations for all of Europe. Results show skillful flood early warning capabilities up to a 10-day lead time. A dedicated analysis is performed to investigate the optimal timing of forecasts to maximize the detection of extreme events. A case study for the central European floods of June 2013 is presented and forecasts are compared to the output of a hydro-meteorological ensemble model.

scholarly journals The impact of near-surface soil moisture assimilation at subseasonal, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (12) ◽  
pp. 4831-4844 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Draper ◽  
R. Reichle
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Data Assimilation ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Root Zone ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Surface Soil Moisture ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. A 9 year record of Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer – Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) soil moisture retrievals are assimilated into the Catchment land surface model at four locations in the US. The assimilation is evaluated using the unbiased mean square error (ubMSE) relative to watershed-scale in situ observations, with the ubMSE separated into contributions from the subseasonal (SMshort), mean seasonal (SMseas), and inter-annual (SMlong) soil moisture dynamics. For near-surface soil moisture, the average ubMSE for Catchment without assimilation was (1.8 × 10−3 m3 m−3)2, of which 19 % was in SMlong, 26 % in SMseas, and 55 % in SMshort. The AMSR-E assimilation significantly reduced the total ubMSE at every site, with an average reduction of 33 %. Of this ubMSE reduction, 37 % occurred in SMlong, 24 % in SMseas, and 38 % in SMshort. For root-zone soil moisture, in situ observations were available at one site only, and the near-surface and root-zone results were very similar at this site. These results suggest that, in addition to the well-reported improvements in SMshort, assimilating a sufficiently long soil moisture data record can also improve the model representation of important long-term events, such as droughts. The improved agreement between the modeled and in situ SMseas is harder to interpret, given that mean seasonal cycle errors are systematic, and systematic errors are not typically targeted by (bias-blind) data assimilation. Finally, the use of 1-year subsets of the AMSR-E and Catchment soil moisture for estimating the observation-bias correction (rescaling) parameters is investigated. It is concluded that when only 1 year of data are available, the associated uncertainty in the rescaling parameters should not greatly reduce the average benefit gained from data assimilation, although locally and in extreme years there is a risk of increased errors.

scholarly journals What Is the Impact of Additional Tropical Observations on a Modern Data Assimilation System?

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 (7) ◽  
pp. 2433-2449
Author(s):  
Laura C. Slivinski ◽  
Gilbert P. Compo ◽  
Jeffrey S. Whitaker ◽  
Prashant D. Sardeshmukh ◽  
Jih-Wang A. Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
El Niño ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
El Nino ◽  
Mean Square ◽  
Observational Network ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Assimilation System

Abstract Given the network of satellite and aircraft observations around the globe, do additional in situ observations impact analyses within a global forecast system? Despite the dense observational network at many levels in the tropical troposphere, assimilating additional sounding observations taken in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean during the 2016 El Niño Rapid Response (ENRR) locally improves wind, temperature, and humidity 6-h forecasts using a modern assimilation system. Fields from a 50-km reanalysis that assimilates all available observations, including those taken during the ENRR, are compared with those from an otherwise-identical reanalysis that denies all ENRR observations. These observations reveal a bias in the 200-hPa divergence of the assimilating model during a strong El Niño. While the existing observational network partially corrects this bias, the ENRR observations provide a stronger mean correction in the analysis. Significant improvements in the mean-square fit of the first-guess fields to the assimilated ENRR observations demonstrate that they are valuable within the existing network. The effects of the ENRR observations are pronounced in levels of the troposphere that are sparsely observed, particularly 500–800 hPa. Assimilating ENRR observations has mixed effects on the mean-square difference with nearby non-ENRR observations. Using a similar system but with a higher-resolution forecast model yields comparable results to the lower-resolution system. These findings imply a limited improvement in large-scale forecast variability from additional in situ observations, but significant improvements in local 6-h forecasts.

scholarly journals Investigating tool engagement in groundwood pulping: finite element modelling and in-situ observations at the microscale

Holzforschung ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 74 (5) ◽  
pp. 477-487 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Carlsson ◽  
Magnus Heldin ◽  
Per Isaksson ◽  
Urban Wiklund
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Tool Geometries ◽  
Commercial Use ◽  
X Ray Computed ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

AbstractWith industrial groundwood pulping processes relying on carefully designed grit surfaces being developed for commercial use, it is increasingly important to understand the mechanisms occurring in the contact between wood and tool. We present a methodology to experimentally and numerically analyse the effect of different tool geometries on the groundwood pulping defibration process. Using a combination of high-resolution experimental and numerical methods, including finite element (FE) models, digital volume correlation (DVC) of synchrotron radiation-based X-ray computed tomography (CT) of initial grinding and lab-scale grinding experiments, this paper aims to study such mechanisms. Three different asperity geometries were studied in FE simulations and in grinding of wood from Norway spruce. We found a good correlation between strains obtained from FE models and strains calculated using DVC from stacks of CT images of initial grinding. We also correlate the strains obtained from numerical models to the integrity of the separated fibres in lab-scale grinding experiments. In conclusion, we found that, by modifying the asperity geometries, it is, to some extent, possible to control the underlying mechanisms, enabling development of better tools in terms of efficiency, quality of the fibres and stability of the groundwood pulping process.

Exploring the Diabatic Role of Ice Microphysical Processes in Two North Atlantic Summer Cyclones

2016 ◽  
Vol 144 (4) ◽  
pp. 1249-1272 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Dearden ◽  
G. Vaughan ◽  
T. Tsai ◽  
J.-P. Chen
Keyword(s):  
Crystal Habit ◽  
Ice Crystal ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
First Case ◽  
Storm Evolution ◽  
In Situ Observations ◽  
Microphysical Processes ◽  
Ice Production ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Numerical simulations are performed with the Weather Research and Forecasting Model to elucidate the diabatic effects of ice phase microphysical processes on the dynamics of two slow-moving summer cyclones that affected the United Kingdom during the summer of 2012. The first case is representative of a typical midlatitude storm for the time of year, while the second case is unusually deep. Sensitivity tests are performed with 5-km horizontal grid spacing and at lead times between 1 and 2 days using three different microphysics schemes, one of which is a new scheme whose development was informed by the latest in situ observations of midlatitude weather systems. The effects of latent heating and cooling associated with deposition growth, sublimation, and melting of ice are assessed in terms of the impact on both the synoptic scale and the frontal scale. The results show that, of these diabatic processes, deposition growth was the most important in both cases, affecting the depth and position of each of the low pressure systems and influencing the spatial distribution of the frontal precipitation. Cooling associated with sublimation and melting also played a role in determining the cyclone depth, but mainly in the more intense cyclone case. The effects of ice crystal habit and secondary ice production are also explored in the simulations, based on insight from in situ observations. However in these two cases, the ability to predict changes in crystal habit did not significantly impact the storm evolution, and the authors found no obvious need to parameterize secondary ice crystal production at the model resolutions considered.

The Lightning and Dual-Polarization Radar Characteristics of Three Hail-Accumulating Thunderstorms

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 1583-1603
Author(s):  
Robinson Wallace ◽  
Katja Friedrich ◽  
Wiebke Deierling ◽  
Evan A. Kalina ◽  
Paul Schlatter
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Radar Data ◽  
Optimal Combination ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Dual Polarization ◽  
Translation Speed ◽  
Maximum Accumulation ◽  
In Situ Observations

AbstractThunderstorms that produce hail accumulations at the surface can impact residents by obstructing roadways, closing airports, and causing localized flooding from hail-clogged drainages. These storms have recently gained an increased interest within the scientific community. However, differences that are observable in real time between these storms and storms that produce nonimpactful hail accumulations have yet to be documented. Similarly, the characteristics within a single storm that are useful to quantify or predict hail accumulations are not fully understood. This study uses lightning and dual-polarization radar data to characterize hail accumulations from three storms that occurred on the same day along the Colorado–Wyoming Front Range. Each storm’s characteristics are verified against radar-derived hail accumulation maps and in situ observations. The storms differed in maximum accumulation, either producing 22 cm, 7 cm, or no accumulation. The magnitude of surface hail accumulations is found to be dependent on a combination of in-cloud hail production, storm translation speed, and hailstone melting. The optimal combination for substantial hail accumulations is enhanced in-cloud hail production, slow storm speed, and limited hailstone melting. However, during periods of similar in-cloud hail production, lesser accumulations are derived when storm speed and/or hailstone melting, identified by radar presentation, is sufficiently large. These results will aid forecasters in identifying when hail accumulations are occurring in real time.

New scientometric indicator for the qualitative evaluation of scientific production

2015 ◽  
Vol 116 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 661-676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nedra Ibrahim ◽  
Anja Habacha Chaibi ◽  
Mohamed Ben Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Production Quality ◽  
Scientific Production ◽  
Bibliographic Databases ◽  
Scientometric Indicator ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Publish Or Perish ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Quality Of Research

Purpose – This paper aims to propose a new qualitative indicator for the evaluation of the productions of researchers in any discipline. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the study of existing quantitative indicators, the authors’ approach consisted of the hybridization of two indicators. This hybridization is based on the individual H_index (Hi_index) and H_index contemporary (Hc_index) weighted by qualitative factors. The initial sources of the data are online bibliographic databases, such as Google Scholar and Publish or Perish. Findings – A new scientometric indicator was used to compare the scientific production quality of researchers and their classification (as part of a research community) as the classification of national and international research institutions. The authors have applied a new indicator to compare and classify the members of their laboratory, RIADI, according to their quality of scientific production. Practical implications – The indicator is an improvement of the H_index. It is a measure that can have an impact on society (influencing research attitudes, affecting quality of research). By this contribution, the authors measure more than one aspect by involving all the external factors that can affect the quality of research. Originality/value – This paper fulfils a gap in the literature concerning the absence of a qualitative indicator among the set of existing quantitative measures. Additionally, this paper addresses the limitations of the existing qualitative practices, such as peer review and citation analysis. In the new qualitative indicator, the authors involve all of these qualitative aspects: the influence of the age of the paper, the number of co-authors, the order of the co-authors, the impact factor of journals and the conference rankings.

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