Disagreement In Terms Research Articles

Contingentism for historians

In this paper, I will propose a formulation of the contingentism/inevitabilism (C/I) debate that does not require of alternatives to present-day scientific theories that they are equally successful, but rather asks whether they are historically possible. I argue that the debate has already, over the past decades, moved towards a more historical interpretation of the issue, and that it is worth exploring what it would entail to let go of normative considerations altogether. Different answers to inevitability questions still retain the philosophical relevance that originally led Ian Hacking to explore philosophical disagreement in terms of the contingentism/inevitabilism debate.1

Disagreement and suspended judgement

Can someone who suspends judgement about a certain proposition <p> be in a relational state of disagreement with someone who believes <p> as well as with someone who disbelieves <p>? This paper argues for an affirmative answer. It develops an account of the notions ofsuspended judgementanddisagreementthat explains how and why the suspender is in a relational state of disagreement with both the believer and the disbeliever about the very same proposition <p>. More specifically, the paper first provides a characterisation of the normative profile associated with the state of suspended judgement in terms of the set of normative commitments that it engenders in the context of inquiry. It then provides a characterisation of the notion of disagreement in terms the incompatibility between the sets of normative commitments characteristic of the three states in question—belief, disbelief, and suspension.

Individuation by agreement and disagreement

ABSTRACT It is common to explain agreement and disagreement in terms of relations among mental states. The main purpose of the present discussion is to present an alternative way of thinking about the relationship between mental states and agreement and disagreement. The idea is to connect agreement and disagreement with the individuation of mental states. More specifically, for at least some mental states, standing in the same relations of agreement and disagreement is both necessary and sufficient for identity. This provides us with a framework for discussing issues related to agreement and disagreement. It is for instance well-known that de se beliefs raise questions about agreement and disagreement. The present framework allows us to discuss such beliefs while relying on assumptions that are interestingly different from the standard assumptions in the literature. While most of the discussion focuses on beliefs, there are other mental states, such as desires, that can seemingly also stand in relations of agreement and disagreement. This raises questions about how far the framework can be extended.

P–614 BMI effects on oocyte quality in an egg donation program and the relationship with its first stimulation cycle

Abstract Study question Does body mass index (BMI) affect oocyte quality in an egg donation program and its relationship with the first stimulation cycle? Summary answer Our results indicated significant differences within BMI groups obtaining better results in donors <25 years old in quantity/quality oocyte than > 25 with normal weight. What is known already Low weight (LW) and excess weight represent a risk factor for different pathologies and may have a negative effect on the quality of the ovarian response in infertility treatments. Study design, size, duration Observational retrospective study at IVI Alicante, in which first donor cycles between 01/01/2015 and 04/30/2020 were analyzed. 307 donors were included. Groups were divided according to the BMI following the WHO criteria and were subdivided according to the protocol used (antagonists / progestogens, age, previous pregnancy and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)). In all cases, the number of total, MII and immature oocytes, doses of FSH and days of stimulation were observed. Participants/materials, setting, methods Donors between 18–35 years old, in their first stimulation cycle, were distributed according to their BMI, following the WHO criteria in kg / m2 (Low weight (LW): <18, 5, Normal weight (NW): 18.5–24.9, Overweight (OW) 25–29.9 and Obese (O): ≥30). Inclusion criteria: Good state of psychophysical health and normal tests according to Spanish law on ART . Statistical analysis was performed with R statistical software, version 4.0, linear and establishing significant differences when p < 0.05. Main results and the role of chance Taking into account the general results of the BMI groups by oocytes number and MII: LW: 19.2 / 14.9; NW: 20.2 / 15.6; OW: 18.9 / 14.6, p = 0.513 / p = 0.74 respectively, we observe that with BMI groups and progestin stimulation protocols, results are reversed: No. oocytes and MII with LW: 30 / 22.5; NW: 19.2 / 14.4, OW: 20.8 / 14.8 p = 0.402 / 0.662 respectively. LW and OW are conditions which affect more in quantity than oocyte quality. Significant differences in BMI are observed when they are subdivided according to age, obtaining better results in donors <25 years of age both in quantity and oocyte quality than> 25 years: Total oocytes: LW: 22.6, NW: 21.7, OW: 20 vs LW: 14.2, NW: 17.6, SP: 16.3, p = 0.01, respectively; No. of MII oocytes LW: 17.8, NW: 16.6, OW: 14.9 vs LW: 10.5, NW: 13.9 OW: 13.8, p = 0.003, respectively. Our results reflect that the NW group is the one with better results obtained compared to the LW and OW groups both in overall number of oocytes and also in quality. The type of stimulation does not affect this group of donors. Limitations, reasons for caution More studies with clear criteria and a uniform record of results are needed. Meanwhile, the proper shortlisting should be considered if it is a BMI of NW (18.5–24.9 kg / m2) and less than 25 years. Wider implications of the findings: Analyzing other studies, there are disagreements in terms of discrimination of BMI groups and with incomplete data about of quantity, oocyte quality and oocyte stimulation, offering different results with the same parameters establishing trends in the NW group. Trial registration number Not applicable

EFL Students’ Perceptions Toward Online English Learning during the Covid-19 Outbreak

The present study aims at investigating English Foreign Language Students’ perceptions toward online English learning at a private vocational school, Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan Bina Informatika Bintaro. In order to answer the research question, this study occupied descriptive qualitative research. The data were collected through questionnaires which were distributed to students. The participants of this study were 54 vocational high school students on 2020/2021 academic year who attended online English learning in the second semester. The samples were chosen by implementing purposive sampling technique. The results of the perception of most participants in the study expressed their support for the conduct of online English learning during the Covid-19 pandemic and agreed with the ease of accessibility. However, the study revealed some disagreement in terms of ease of use of the tools, English learning material understanding, and interaction. Further, the results of the research showed 60% of students stated that online English learning was unattractive compared to face-to-face learning, 27% said it was still interesting, and the rest were hesitant. Furthermore, it is hoped that English teachers use more suitable platforms when teaching English in online learning, so that students will be more interested in learning English online and will gain optimal learning outcomes.

Moral Relativism, Metalinguistic Negotiation, and the Epistemic Significance of Disagreement

Although moral relativists often appeal to cases of apparent moral disagreement between members of different communities to motivate their view, accounting for these exchanges as evincing genuine disagreements constitutes a challenge to the coherence of moral relativism. While many moral relativists acknowledge this problem, attempts to solve it so far have been wanting. In response, moral relativists either give up the claim that there can be moral disagreement between members of different communities or end up with a view on which these disagreements have no “epistemic significance” because they are always faultless. This paper introduces an alternative strategy: accounting for disagreement in terms of “metalinguistic negotiation”. It argues that this strategy constitutes a better solution to the challenge disagreement poses for moral relativists because it leads to a nuanced understanding of the epistemic significance of moral disagreement between members of different communities. The upshot is a novel account of disagreement for moral relativists that has consequences for how moral relativism should be understood.

Sensitivity of radiative flux simulations to ice cloud parameterization over the equatorial western Pacific Ocean region

AbstractPrevious studies suggest explanations of the observed cancellation of shortwave (SW) and longwave (LW) cloud radiative effects (CREs) at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) over tropical oceans where deep convection prevails, such as interactions among cloud microphysics, radiation, and dynamics. However, simulations based on general circulation models (GCMs) show disagreement in terms of the net (SW + LW) CREs over tropical deep convective ocean regions. One of the GCM uncertainty sources is the parameterization of ice cloud bulk optical properties. In this study, a combination of active and passive satellite daytime cloud retrievals is used to study the sensitivity of radiation flux calculations to ice cloud parameterization over the equatorial western Pacific Ocean region. Three ice cloud schemes are tested. The first is a widely used scheme that assumes hexagonal column ice particles. The second scheme treats ice particles as aggregates of surface-roughened hexagonal columns. The third scheme best matches the cloud ice mass-dimension relation in the cloud microphysics scheme by assuming a mixture of two ice particle habits. The results show that the hexagonal-column-based scheme has the weakest SW CRE but strongest LW CRE among the three. In addition, cloud optical thickness and effective radius are used to cluster cold-top single-layer ice clouds into three types, which resemble thin cirrus, detrained anvil clouds, and deep convective cores, respectively. In agreement with previous studies, cloud SW heating overwhelms LW cooling in the upper portion of anvil-like clouds.

Veterinary Herd Health Consultancy and Antimicrobial Use in Dairy Herds.

The globally increasing level of antimicrobial resistance affects both human and animal health, why it is necessary to identify ways to change our current use of antimicrobials. The veterinary herd health collaboration between veterinarians and dairy farmers provides a useful setting for changing antimicrobial use in livestock. However, farmers and veterinarians work in a complex agricultural setting influenced by socio-economic factors, which complicates their choices regarding antimicrobial usage. It is therefore necessary to be aware of the range of potential influencing factors and to integrate this knowledge in the relevant local settings. This manuscript presents a literature review of relevant factors relating to antimicrobial use within the veterinary herd health consultancy setting, including knowledge gaps of relevance for changing the use of antimicrobials. An enriched version of the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour was used to organise the literature review. We identified diverging attitudes on correct treatment practices and perceptions of antimicrobial resistance among veterinarians and farmers, influenced by individual risk perception as well as social norms. Furthermore, disagreements in terms of goal setting and in the frequency of herd visits in relation to herd health consultancy can negatively influence the collaboration and the intention to change antimicrobial use. Farmers and veterinarians emphasise the importance of legislation and the role of the dairy industry in changing antimicrobial use, but the relevance of specific factors depends on the country-specific context. Overall, farmers and veterinarians must communicate better to understand each other's perspectives and establish common goals within the collaboration if they are to work efficiently to reduce antimicrobial use. Farmers and veterinarians both requested changes in individual behaviour; however, they also called for national and structural solutions in terms of balanced legislation and the availability of better diagnostics to facilitate a change in antimicrobial use practices. These various paths to achieving the desired changes in antimicrobial use illustrate the need to bridge methodological research approaches of veterinary science and social sciences for a better understanding of our potential to change antimicrobial use within the dairy farm animal sector.

Oldest Record of African Bagridae and Evidence from Catfishes for a Marine Influence in the Late Eocene Birket Qarun Locality 2 (BQ-2), Fayum Depression, Egypt

ABSTRACT The Birket Qarun Formation, sampling upper Eocene deposits of the Fayum Depression, has been the subject of disagreement in terms of the environmental deposition. The formation has traditionally been considered to be a marine deposit but, more recently, one particular site, Birket Qarun Locality 2 (BQ-2), has been reported to have freshwater vertebrates, indicating that at least this locality in the formation contains terrestrial deposits. We here report a new varied assemblage of fossil catfishes from BQ-2, which adds new information with which to interpret the paleoenvironment of the locality. The new BQ-2 catfish assemblage includes the earliest record of the freshwater family Bagridae in Africa, as well as the oldest records of Fajumia and Socnopaea, otherwise known only from the overlying marine deposits of the Qasr el-Sagha Formation. Notable among the finds are remains of Arius fraasi and two additional species of marine ariid catfishes, representing the first such occurrences from the Fayum deposits. These occurrences indicate that BQ-2 likely had marine influences, or perhaps that Fajumia, Socnopaea, and Arius were euryhaline. In addition, the freshwater families Claroteidae and Mochokidae are represented among our collection. The new material documents the presence of a variety of taxa, and in addition it documents the variation in body size of members of the same family. Most evidence from other vertebrate fossils indicates that BQ-2 is a freshwater deposit, but some elements of the new catfish collection suggest the presence of nearshore marine influences, indicating that a much more complex environment was present.

Configuration entropy effect on temperature coefficient of redox potential of P2-NaxCoO2

The temperature coefficient (α) of redox potential (V) is a significant material parameter that coverts thermal energy into electric energy. In this paper, we determined α of P2-type NaxCoO2 against the Na+ concentration (x). The solid component (αsolid) of α scatters from −0.18 to 0.64 mV K−1. The phase separation model cannot reproduce the x-dependence even qualitatively. We interpreted the unexpected disagreement in terms of the residual configuration entropy in the pseudo-disordered region between the Na+ ordered phases.

Scaling Laws for Consensus Protocols Subject to Noise

We study the performance of discrete-time consensus protocols in the presence of additive noise. When the consensus dynamic corresponds to a reversible Markov chain, we give an exact expression for a weighted version of steady-state disagreement in terms of the stationary distribution and hitting times in an underlying graph. We then show how this result can be used to characterize the noise robustness of a class of protocols for formation control in terms of the Kemeny constant of an underlying graph.

Divide to unite

Abstract In dispute mediation, mediators, perhaps counterintuitively, make the disagreement between parties explicit and formulate their interventions on the disagreement in such a way that the disagreement is made manageable. In this paper, three functions of identifying and elucidating the parties’ disagreement that demonstrate the importance of making disagreement salient – (1) uncovering real issues, (2) emphasizing conflict ownership, (3) making disagreements manageable – are presented. Corpora of mediation simulation transcripts are used as empirical bases for the analyses of the means by which mediators make disagreement explicit (the how) and for what specific functions they do so (the why). The three aspects of strategic maneuvering (van Eemeren 2010) are used to analyze how mediators construct the interventions on the disagreement in terms of: (a) the topics they select from the topical potential, (b) the adjustment of interventions to suit their intended addressee(s), and (c) what presentational devices are used.

Implications of Disagreement Between Self-Reporting and Objective Measures: A Scoping Review

INTRODUCTION: Researchers and health specialists generally collect data and information about chronic diseases from self-reports. However, the accuracy of self-reports has been questioned as they depend on the respondents' ability to recall information and their understanding of pathological conditions. Therefore, an objective diagnosis is usually regarded as a more accurate indication of the presence of diseases.OBJECTIVE: A scoping review will examine the extent of the disagreement between self- reports and objective measures, focusing on the implications of this disagreement in terms of indicators of physical and emotional health as well provision and planning of health services.METHOD: There are few publications on the impact of disagreements between self-reporting and objective measures. In this case, a scoping review was chosen as an efficient tool to explore the issue, due to the limited amount of available evidence. This review was conducted in two major research databases: Scopus and Medline databases. The criteria of the study included all genders, age groups, and geographic areas. The source of information for the scoping review included existing literature such as guidelines, letters, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and primary research studies.RESULT: In the 12 studies, the total participants were 155,939 and each study’s sample size ranged from 77 to 118,553. Four out of twelve studies showed a significant difference between self-reported ailments and objective diagnosis for (kappa=0.17 to 0.3), whereas the agreement was moderate for the utilization of health services and quality of ambulatory care (kappa=0.43 to 0.5), however, the agreement on whether counselling and referrals were needed was low (kappa= 0.3, 95% CI [0.3-0.3]). The disagreements between self-report and objective measures had implications regarding prevalence of diseases (20% less by self-reported) or risk factors (such as physical activity [PA]), costs of treatments (15 EUR high by reports), risk factors such as car accidents for elderly (useful field of view in elderly drivers was a risk over four times larger than obtained from self-reported [OR= 13.7 vs OR=3.4]), and utilization of health services (34.1% higher by reported).CONCLUSION: In most health domains, we found there was low to moderate disagreement between self-reporting and objective measures for diagnosing illnesses and utilization of health services. The prevalence of disease was lower when self-reported, while the utilization of health services and cost of health services were higher when self-reported than when objectively measured. This disagreement has implications regarding the increasing the cost of health services and provides a misleading basis for health planning.

Buffer Zone Concept and its Potential Implementation in Tasek Bera

Tasek Bera (TB), one of the Protected Areas (PA) in Malaysia is an important site for the natural ecosystem and community's life. Previous studies suggested that the activities around the PAs gave a great impact on the latter. Thus, the implementation and management of the surrounding areas Buffer Zones (BZ) are necessary to safeguard the PAs. This study interviewed in-depth, six stakeholders of TB and the adjacent areas. Results indicated that although all stakeholders agreed on the overall concept and the importance of the BZs, there are disagreements in terms of threats and opportunities derived from the potential implementation of it.

Social Relationships and the Prevention of Anti-Christian Violence in Egypt

Institutionalist accounts of sectarian and ethnic conflict tend to emphasize national divisions. For the master cleavages of identity politics to shape behavior, however, they must be reproduced at the local level. Otherwise, citizens will not experience private disagreements in terms of officially promoted differences. This finding comes from extensive fieldwork on collective assaults upon Christians in Qena, Egypt. The Egyptian state favors Muslim citizens over Christian citizens, but in Qena local practices eclipsed this national hierarchy. The likelihood of attacks on Christians depended not on how the state categorized Egyptian governors (Muslim or Christian), but whether the governors reproduced Muslim primacy in their social relationships

Preliminary evaluation of pathogenic bacteria loading on organic Municipal Solid Waste compost and vermicompost

The use of composts or vermicomposts derived from organic fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) brought about certain disagreement in terms of high level of bacterial pathogens, thereby surpassing the legal restrictions. This preliminary study was undertaken to compare the evolution of pathogenic bacteria on OFMSW compost against vermicompost (generated by Eudrilus eugeniae) with promises of achieving sanitation goals. Analysis to quality data showed that OFMSW vermicomposting caused a moderately higher reduction in total coliforms in contrast to composting. E. coli in OFMSW composts was found to be in the range of 4.72–4.96 log10 CFU g−1 whilst on a clear contrary, E. coli was undetectable in the final vermicomposts (6.01–6.14 logs of reduction) which might be explained by the involvement of the digestive processes in worms' guts. Both OFMSW composts and vermicomposts generated Salmonella-free products which were acceptable for agricultural usage and soil improvement. In comparison to compost, the analysis of this research indicated that earthworm activity can effectively destroy bacterial pathogenic load in OFMSW vermicomposts. But still, this study necessitates extra research in order to comprehend the factors that direct pathogenic bacteria in vermicomposting and earthworm-free decomposition systems.

Micro-slot injection into a boundary layer driven by a favourable pressure gradient

We investigate the effects of injection through a streamwise-aligned ‘micro-slot’ into a laminar boundary layer driven by a favourable pressure gradient of power-law type. The injection slot exists at all downstream locations, and is ‘micro’ in the sense that it has a finite spanwise width that is a fixed ratio of the local boundary-layer thickness. This approach is motivated by recent studies of micro-jets (of small spanwise and streamwise extents), which have indicated that for short spanwise scales, injection does not necessarily lead directly to separation. Injection in the absence of a free-stream pressure gradient has recently been analysed by Hewitt et al. (J Fluid Mech 822:617–639, 2017), and here we show that boundary layers in a favourable pressure gradient behave qualitatively differently. We present three-dimensional boundary-layer solutions affected by slot injection and contrast these with the corresponding zero pressure-gradient states. In the absence of a pressure gradient, injection results in low-speed streamwise-aligned streaks, where the amplitude and spanwise width of the injection determine the geometry of the streaks as one of the three possible types. The introduction of a favourable pressure gradient greatly reduces the spanwise extent of injection-driven streaks and removes the delineation between the three distinct flow regimes found in the zero pressure-gradient case. We present an asymptotic description in the limit of a large injection-slot width, thereby approaching the macro-slot limit from the micro-slot formulation. This description shows that not all injection rates and pressure gradients recover the expected Falkner–Skan solution at the centreline of the injection slot in the macro-slot limit. We explain this disagreement in terms of local spatial (cross flow) eigenmodes that are associated with a cross-flow collisional process at the centre of the injection slot.

Measuring Interobserver Disagreement in Rating Diagnostic Characteristics of Pulmonary Nodule Using the Lung Imaging Database Consortium and Image Database Resource Initiative

The purpose of this study was to measure and analyze interobserver disagreement in rating diagnostic characteristics of pulmonary nodules on computed tomography scans using the Lung Imaging Database Consortium and Image Database Resource Initiative (LIDC/IDRI) database, and then to provide investigators with understanding the variability in rating diagnostic characteristics among radiologists. A histogram-based accumulated nodule-level approach is proposed to measure interobserver disagreement in rating diagnostic characteristics of pulmonary nodules among radiologists. The mean rating differences of radiologists on nodule level are calculated; next, a histogram of the accumulated nodule-level disagreements is constructed; and finally, mean, variance, skewness, and kurtosis statistics based on the histogram are extracted to analyze and summary interobserver disagreement in terms of the assessment of diagnostic characteristics of radiologists. Using the developed computer scheme, the disagreement of radiologists in rating all of 1880 distinct nodules from 1018 computed tomography scans are analyzed using original ratings as well as combined ratings according to the LIDC/IDRI instruction. The interobserver disagreement in rating diagnostic characteristics according to the defined categories of the LIDC/IDRI is substantial. The mean values of disagreement range from 0.0052 to 0.2341. The highest disagreement lies in rating subtlety characteristics, whereas internal structure receives the lowest disagreement of 0.0052. The calcification, texture, spiculation, lobulation, malignancy, sphericity, and margin receive disagreements of 0.0393, 0.1351, 0.1616, 0.1943, 0.2144, 0.2174, and 0.2228, respectively. Disagreements exist across radiologists in rating diagnostic characteristics of pulmonary nodules, and the disagreement levels vary from each other. Agreement among radiologists is improved by combining ratings according to the LIDC/IDRI instruction. For investigators, understanding and appreciating the disagreement level of each diagnostic characteristic is required when using them in related researches.

Comparison of Pediatric and General Orthopedic Surgeons' Approaches in Management of Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip and Flexible Flatfoot: the Road to Clinical Consensus.

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) and flatfoot are common pediatric orthopedic disorders, being referred to and managed by both general and pediatric orthopedic surgeons, through various modalities. Our study aimed to evaluate their consensus and perspective disagreements in terms of diagnostic and therapeutic approaches of the mentioned deformities. Forty participants in two groups of general orthopedic surgeons (GOS) (n=20) and pediatric orthopedic surgeons (POS) (n=20), were asked to answer an 8-item questionnaire on DDH and flexible flatfoot. The questions were provided with two- or multiple choices and a single choice was accepted for each one. Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests was performed to compare the responses. For a neonate with limited hip abduction, hip ultrasonography was the agreed-upon approach in both groups (100% POS vs 71% GOS), and for its interpretation 79% of POS relied on their own whereas 73% of GOS relied on radiologist's report (P=0.002). In failure of a 3-week application of the Pavlik harness, ending it and closed reduction (57% POS vs. 41% GOS) followed by surgery quality assessment with CT scan (64% POS vs. 47% GOS) and without the necessity for avascular necrosis evaluation (79% POS vs. 73% GOS) were the choice measures. In case of closed reduction failure, open reduction via medial approach was the favorite next step in both groups (62% POS and 80% GOS). For the patient with flexible flat foot, reassurance was the choice plan of 79% of pediatric orthopedists. Our findings demonstrated significant disagreements among the orthopedic surgeons. This proposes insufficiency of high-level evidence.

Evaluation of intermediate TanDEM-X digital elevation data products over Tasmania using other digital elevation models and accurate heights from the Australian National Gravity Database

ABSTRACTThe successful operation of the TanDEM-X satellite mission is the start of a new era of globally consistent and accurate digital elevation data for planet Earth. In this work available 12 m-resolution intermediate TanDEM-X products (DEM: digital elevation model; HEM: height error map; COV: coverage map; WAM: water indication mask) are evaluated over Tasmania. Elevations from the TanDEM-X intermediate digital elevation model (IDEM) are compared with (a) other global DEMs (30 m-resolution SRTM1 USGS v3 and 30 m-resolution Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission Reflectometer (ASTER GDEM2), (b) the local 25 m-resolution DEM made available by Tasmanian environmental authority (DPIPWE), and (c) over 15 000 accurate ground-control-points (GCPs) from the Australian National Gravity Database (ANGD). The comparison with ASTER and SRTM over the area of Tasmania involves over 500 million valid TanDEM-X IDEM elevations. The root-mean-square (RMS) of 8.8 m indicates a reasonable to good agreement of TanDEM-X IDEM and SRTM, while ASTER shows almost twice the disagreement in terms of RMS (∼16.5 m). Both, ASTER and SRTM show a (mean) offset of –1.9 m and –2.3 m w.r.t. TanDEM-X IDEM, respectively. By comparisons with GCPs, we find that SRTM and ASTER overestimate the terrain height. The comparison with the AGND GCPs also allows an estimate of the absolute accuracy of the IDEM, which is found to be superior to that of SRTM or ASTER. The RMS error of 6.6 m shows that the IDEM is close to the officially denoted 4 m absolute vertical accuracy considering that the GCPs are not error free. The height error map information layer is found to a suitable first indicator of the (local) accuracy of the IDEM in a relative sense. However, we find that the HEM tends to underestimate observed differences to the GCPs. Terrain-type analyses reveal that the TanDEM-X IDEM is a very consistent elevation database over Tasmania. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the new TanDEM-X elevation data sets provide improved high-resolution terrain information over Tasmania and beyond.