Monitoring small pioneer trees in the forest-tundra ecotone: using multi-temporal airborne laser scanning data to model height growth.

PubMed

Hauglin, Marius; Bollandsås, Ole Martin; Gobakken, Terje; Næsset, Erik

2017-12-08

Monitoring of forest resources through national forest inventory programmes is carried out in many countries. The expected climate changes will affect trees and forests and might cause an expansion of trees into presently treeless areas, such as above the current alpine tree line. It is therefore a need to develop methods that enable the inclusion of also these areas into monitoring programmes. Airborne laser scanning (ALS) is an established tool in operational forest inventories, and could be a viable option for monitoring tasks. In the present study, we used multi-temporal ALS data with point density of 8-15 points per m 2 , together with field measurements from single trees in the forest-tundra ecotone along a 1500-km-long transect in Norway. The material comprised 262 small trees with an average height of 1.78 m. The field-measured height growth was derived from height measurements at two points in time. The elapsed time between the two measurements was 4 years. Regression models were then used to model the relationship between ALS-derived variables and tree heights as well as the height growth. Strong relationships between ALS-derived variables and tree heights were found, with R 2 values of 0.93 and 0.97 for the two points in time. The relationship between the ALS data and the field-derived height growth was weaker, with R 2 values of 0.36-0.42. A cross-validation gave corresponding results, with root mean square errors of 19 and 11% for the ALS height models and 60% for the model relating ALS data to single-tree height growth.

Arc program documentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmillan, J. D.

1976-01-01

A description of the input and output files and the data control cards for the altimeter residual computation (ARC) computer program is given. The program acts as the final altimeter preprocessor before the data is reformatted for external users. It calculates all parameters necessary for the computation of the altimeter observation residuals and the sea surface height. Mathematical models used for calculating tropospheric refraction, geoid height, tide height, ephemeris, and orbit geometry are described.

Automatic computation for optimum height planning of apartment buildings to improve solar access

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Seong, Yoon-Bok; Kim, Yong-Yee; Seok, Ho-Tae

2011-01-15

The objective of this study is to suggest a mathematical model and an optimal algorithm for determining the height of apartment buildings to satisfy the solar rights of survey buildings or survey housing units. The objective is also to develop an automatic computation model for the optimum height of apartment buildings and then to clarify the performance and expected effects. To accomplish the objective of this study, the following procedures were followed: (1) The necessity of the height planning of obstruction buildings to satisfy the solar rights of survey buildings or survey housing units is demonstrated by analyzing through amore » literature review the recent trend of disputes related to solar rights and to examining the social requirements in terms of solar rights. In addition, the necessity of the automatic computation system for height planning of apartment buildings is demonstrated and a suitable analysis method for this system is chosen by investigating the characteristics of analysis methods for solar rights assessment. (2) A case study on the process of height planning of apartment buildings will be briefly described and the problems occurring in this process will then be examined carefully. (3) To develop an automatic computation model for height planning of apartment buildings, geometrical elements forming apartment buildings are defined by analyzing the geometrical characteristics of apartment buildings. In addition, design factors and regulations required in height planning of apartment buildings are investigated. Based on this knowledge, the methodology and mathematical algorithm to adjust the height of apartment buildings by automatic computation are suggested and probable problems and the ways to resolve these problems are discussed. Finally, the methodology and algorithm for the optimization are suggested. (4) Based on the suggested methodology and mathematical algorithm, the automatic computation model for optimum height of apartment buildings is developed and the developed system is verified through the application of some cases. The effects of the suggested model are then demonstrated quantitatively and qualitatively. (author)« less

Raman lidar/AERI PBL Height Product

DOE Data Explorer

Ferrare, Richard

2012-12-14

Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) heights have been computed using potential temperature profiles derived from Raman lidar and AERI measurements. Raman lidar measurements of the rotational Raman scattering from nitrogen and oxygen are used to derive vertical profiles of potential temperature. AERI measurements of downwelling radiance are used in a physical retrieval approach (Smith et al. 1999, Feltz et al. 1998) to derive profiles of temperature and water vapor. The Raman lidar and AERI potential temperature profiles are merged to create a single potential temperature profile for computing PBL heights. PBL heights were derived from these merged potential temperature profiles using a modified Heffter (1980) technique that was tailored to the SGP site (Della Monache et al., 2004). PBL heights were computed on an hourly basis for the period January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2011. These heights are provided as meters above ground level.

Large-Scale Mixed Temperate Forest Mapping at the Single Tree Level using Airborne Laser Scanning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholl, V.; Morsdorf, F.; Ginzler, C.; Schaepman, M. E.

2017-12-01

Monitoring vegetation on a single tree level is critical to understand and model a variety of processes, functions, and changes in forest systems. Remote sensing technologies are increasingly utilized to complement and upscale the field-based measurements of forest inventories. Airborne laser scanning (ALS) systems provide valuable information in the vertical dimension for effective vegetation structure mapping. Although many algorithms exist to extract single tree segments from forest scans, they are often tuned to perform well in homogeneous coniferous or deciduous areas and are not successful in mixed forests. Other methods are too computationally expensive to apply operationally. The aim of this study was to develop a single tree detection workflow using leaf-off ALS data for the canton of Aargau in Switzerland. Aargau covers an area of over 1,400km2 and features mixed forests with various development stages and topography. Forest type was classified using random forests to guide local parameter selection. Canopy height model-based treetop maxima were detected and maintained based on the relationship between tree height and window size, used as a proxy to crown diameter. Watershed segmentation was used to generate crown polygons surrounding each maximum. The location, height, and crown dimensions of single trees were derived from the ALS returns within each polygon. Validation was performed through comparison with field measurements and extrapolated estimates from long-term monitoring plots of the Swiss National Forest Inventory within the framework of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research. This method shows promise for robust, large-scale single tree detection in mixed forests. The single tree data will aid ecological studies as well as forest management practices. Figure description: Height-normalized ALS point cloud data (top) and resulting single tree segments (bottom) on the Laegeren mountain in Switzerland.

Modeling vegetation heights from high resolution stereo aerial photography: an application for broad-scale rangeland monitoring.

PubMed

Gillan, Jeffrey K; Karl, Jason W; Duniway, Michael; Elaksher, Ahmed

2014-11-01

Vertical vegetation structure in rangeland ecosystems can be a valuable indicator for assessing rangeland health and monitoring riparian areas, post-fire recovery, available forage for livestock, and wildlife habitat. Federal land management agencies are directed to monitor and manage rangelands at landscapes scales, but traditional field methods for measuring vegetation heights are often too costly and time consuming to apply at these broad scales. Most emerging remote sensing techniques capable of measuring surface and vegetation height (e.g., LiDAR or synthetic aperture radar) are often too expensive, and require specialized sensors. An alternative remote sensing approach that is potentially more practical for managers is to measure vegetation heights from digital stereo aerial photographs. As aerial photography is already commonly used for rangeland monitoring, acquiring it in stereo enables three-dimensional modeling and estimation of vegetation height. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and accuracy of estimating shrub heights from high-resolution (HR, 3-cm ground sampling distance) digital stereo-pair aerial images. Overlapping HR imagery was taken in March 2009 near Lake Mead, Nevada and 5-cm resolution digital surface models (DSMs) were created by photogrammetric methods (aerial triangulation, digital image matching) for twenty-six test plots. We compared the heights of individual shrubs and plot averages derived from the DSMs to field measurements. We found strong positive correlations between field and image measurements for several metrics. Individual shrub heights tended to be underestimated in the imagery, however, accuracy was higher for dense, compact shrubs compared with shrubs with thin branches. Plot averages of shrub height from DSMs were also strongly correlated to field measurements but consistently underestimated. Grasses and forbs were generally too small to be detected with the resolution of the DSMs. Estimates of vertical structure will be more accurate in plots having low herbaceous cover and high amounts of dense shrubs. Through the use of statistically derived correction factors or choosing field methods that better correlate with the imagery, vegetation heights from HR DSMs could be a valuable technique for broad-scale rangeland monitoring needs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling vegetation heights from high resolution stereo aerial photography: an application for broad-scale rangeland monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gillan, Jeffrey K.; Karl, Jason W.; Duniway, Michael; Elaksher, Ahmed

2014-01-01

Vertical vegetation structure in rangeland ecosystems can be a valuable indicator for assessing rangeland health and monitoring riparian areas, post-fire recovery, available forage for livestock, and wildlife habitat. Federal land management agencies are directed to monitor and manage rangelands at landscapes scales, but traditional field methods for measuring vegetation heights are often too costly and time consuming to apply at these broad scales. Most emerging remote sensing techniques capable of measuring surface and vegetation height (e.g., LiDAR or synthetic aperture radar) are often too expensive, and require specialized sensors. An alternative remote sensing approach that is potentially more practical for managers is to measure vegetation heights from digital stereo aerial photographs. As aerial photography is already commonly used for rangeland monitoring, acquiring it in stereo enables three-dimensional modeling and estimation of vegetation height. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and accuracy of estimating shrub heights from high-resolution (HR, 3-cm ground sampling distance) digital stereo-pair aerial images. Overlapping HR imagery was taken in March 2009 near Lake Mead, Nevada and 5-cm resolution digital surface models (DSMs) were created by photogrammetric methods (aerial triangulation, digital image matching) for twenty-six test plots. We compared the heights of individual shrubs and plot averages derived from the DSMs to field measurements. We found strong positive correlations between field and image measurements for several metrics. Individual shrub heights tended to be underestimated in the imagery, however, accuracy was higher for dense, compact shrubs compared with shrubs with thin branches. Plot averages of shrub height from DSMs were also strongly correlated to field measurements but consistently underestimated. Grasses and forbs were generally too small to be detected with the resolution of the DSMs. Estimates of vertical structure will be more accurate in plots having low herbaceous cover and high amounts of dense shrubs. Through the use of statistically derived correction factors or choosing field methods that better correlate with the imagery, vegetation heights from HR DSMs could be a valuable technique for broad-scale rangeland monitoring needs.

Advanced Signal Processing for High Temperatures Health Monitoring of Condensed Water Height in Steam Pipes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lih, Shyh-Shiuh; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Takano, Nobuyuki; Bao, Xiaoqi

2013-01-01

An advanced signal processing methodology is being developed to monitor the height of condensed water thru the wall of a steel pipe while operating at temperatures as high as 250deg. Using existing techniques, previous study indicated that, when the water height is low or there is disturbance in the environment, the predicted water height may not be accurate. In recent years, the use of the autocorrelation and envelope techniques in the signal processing has been demonstrated to be a very useful tool for practical applications. In this paper, various signal processing techniques including the auto correlation, Hilbert transform, and the Shannon Energy Envelope methods were studied and implemented to determine the water height in the steam pipe. The results have shown that the developed method provides a good capability for monitoring the height in the regular conditions. An alternative solution for shallow water or no water conditions based on a developed hybrid method based on Hilbert transform (HT) with a high pass filter and using the optimized windowing technique is suggested. Further development of the reported methods would provide a powerful tool for the identification of the disturbances of water height inside the pipe.

Versatile analog pulse height computer performs real-time arithmetic operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brenner, R.; Strauss, M. G.

1967-01-01

Multipurpose analog pulse height computer performs real-time arithmetic operations on relatively fast pulses. This computer can be used for identification of charged particles, pulse shape discrimination, division of signals from position sensitive detectors, and other on-line data reduction techniques.

Soft computing methods for geoidal height transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akyilmaz, O.; Özlüdemir, M. T.; Ayan, T.; Çelik, R. N.

2009-07-01

Soft computing techniques, such as fuzzy logic and artificial neural network (ANN) approaches, have enabled researchers to create precise models for use in many scientific and engineering applications. Applications that can be employed in geodetic studies include the estimation of earth rotation parameters and the determination of mean sea level changes. Another important field of geodesy in which these computing techniques can be applied is geoidal height transformation. We report here our use of a conventional polynomial model, the Adaptive Network-based Fuzzy (or in some publications, Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy) Inference System (ANFIS), an ANN and a modified ANN approach to approximate geoid heights. These approximation models have been tested on a number of test points. The results obtained through the transformation processes from ellipsoidal heights into local levelling heights have also been compared.

Altimetry, Orbits and Tides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colombo, O. L.

1984-01-01

The nature of the orbit error and its effect on the sea surface heights calculated with satellite altimetry are explained. The elementary concepts of celestial mechanics required to follow a general discussion of the problem are included. Consideration of errors in the orbits of satellites with precisely repeating ground tracks (SEASAT, TOPEX, ERS-1, POSEIDON, amongst past and future altimeter satellites) are detailed. The theoretical conclusions are illustrated with the numerical results of computer simulations. The nature of the errors in this type of orbits is such that this error can be filtered out by using height differences along repeating (overlapping) passes. This makes them particularly valuable for the study and monitoring of changes in the sea surface, such as tides. Elements of tidal theory, showing how these principles can be combined with those pertinent to the orbit error to make direct maps of the tides using altimetry are presented.

Combined Infrared Stereo and Laser Ranging Cloud Measurements from Shuttle Mission STS-85

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lancaster, R. S.; Spinhirne, J. D.; Manizade, K. F.

2004-01-01

Multiangle remote sensing provides a wealth of information for earth and climate monitoring, such as the ability to measure the height of cloud tops through stereoscopic imaging. As technology advances so do the options for developing spacecraft instrumentation versatile enough to meet the demands associated with multiangle measurements. One such instrument is the infrared spectral imaging radiometer, which flew as part of mission STS-85 of the space shuttle in 1997 and was the first earth- observing radiometer to incorporate an uncooled microbolometer array detector as its image sensor. Specifically, a method for computing cloud-top height with a precision of +/- 620 m from the multispectral stereo measurements acquired during this flight has been developed, and the results are compared with coincident direct laser ranging measurements from the shuttle laser altimeter. Mission STS-85 was the first space flight to combine laser ranging and thermal IR camera systems for cloud remote sensing.

Improvement of Forest Height Retrieval By Integration of Dual-Baseline PolInSAR Data And External DEM Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Q.; Wang, C.; Zhu, J.; Fu, H.; Wang, C.

2015-06-01

In recent years, a lot of studies have shown that polarimetric synthetic aperture radar interferometry (PolInSAR) is a powerful technique for forest height mapping and monitoring. However, few researches address the problem of terrain slope effect, which will be one of the major limitations for forest height inversion in mountain forest area. In this paper, we present a novel forest height retrieval algorithm by integration of dual-baseline PolInSAR data and external DEM data. For the first time, we successfully expand the S-RVoG (Sloped-Random Volume over Ground) model for forest parameters inversion into the case of dual-baseline PolInSAR configuration. In this case, the proposed method not only corrects terrain slope variation effect efficiently, but also involves more observations to improve the accuracy of parameters inversion. In order to demonstrate the performance of the inversion algorithm, a set of quad-pol images acquired at the P-band in interferometric repeat-pass mode by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) with the Experimental SAR (E-SAR) system, in the frame of the BioSAR2008 campaign, has been used for the retrieval of forest height over Krycklan boreal forest in northern Sweden. At the same time, a high accuracy external DEM in the experimental area has been collected for computing terrain slope information, which subsequently is used as an inputting parameter in the S-RVoG model. Finally, in-situ ground truth heights in stand-level have been collected to validate the inversion result. The preliminary results show that the proposed inversion algorithm promises to provide much more accurate estimation of forest height than traditional dualbaseline inversion algorithms.

[Anthropometry in workers and ergonomic aspects of work stations in the printing plant of the government of the state of Zulia, Venezuela].

PubMed

Rojas-González, L; Chacín-Almarza, B; Corzo-Alvarez, G; Sanabria-Vera, C; Nuñez-González, J

2000-12-01

To measure the corporal dimensions of the workers and the relationships with the spaces and equipments used in the printing processes, as the initial phase for the design and implementation of a surveillance program of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, 38 workers of a press were studied, by making an anthropometric record for ergonomic studies (CAPEE). The interior spaces and machinery were measured according to a format designed for that purpose. When the anthropometric parameters for each sex, the width elbow-elbow, height of the plane of the seat--elbow, height floor--upper face of the thigh and maximum width of hips were compared, they did not present significant differences. The other anthropometric parameters differ statistically (p < 0.05), being greater in men, except the height of the heel (p < 0.01). When relating the anthropometric measures and those of the interior spaces, there were no relationships among the maximum vertical reach of knuckles with the minimum height of objects and controls, the plane height of the seat-eye with the height of the computer's monitor and the sacrum-knee distance with the height of the work surface. The other variables showed a significant statistical relationship (p < 0.05). The interior spaces of the press are adapted to the anthropometric measures of its workers, fulfilling ergonomics approaches. These anthropometric measures and the ergonomics aspects of objects and workplace provide elements that will allow the design and the implementation of surveillance programs for the control and the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, related to the personnel's inadequate selection and to the redesign of interior spaces, and the selection of the machinery and tools to use in the technological processes.

An algorithm to estimate building heights from Google street-view imagery using single view metrology across a representational state transfer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz, Elkin; Arguello, Henry

2016-05-01

Urban ecosystem studies require monitoring, controlling and planning to analyze building density, urban density, urban planning, atmospheric modeling and land use. In urban planning, there are many methods for building height estimation using optical remote sensing images. These methods however, highly depend on sun illumination and cloud-free weather. In contrast, high resolution synthetic aperture radar provides images independent from daytime and weather conditions, although, these images rely on special hardware and expensive acquisition. Most of the biggest cities around the world have been photographed by Google street view under different conditions. Thus, thousands of images from the principal streets of a city can be accessed online. The availability of this and similar rich city imagery such as StreetSide from Microsoft, represents huge opportunities in computer vision because these images can be used as input in many applications such as 3D modeling, segmentation, recognition and stereo correspondence. This paper proposes a novel algorithm to estimate building heights using public Google Street-View imagery. The objective of this work is to obtain thousands of geo-referenced images from Google Street-View using a representational state transfer system, and estimate their average height using single view metrology. Furthermore, the resulting measurements and image metadata are used to derive a layer of heights in a Google map available online. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can estimate an accurate average building height map of thousands of images using Google Street-View Imagery of any city.

Global height datum unification: a new approach in gravity potential space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardalan, A. A.; Safari, A.

2005-12-01

The problem of “global height datum unification” is solved in the gravity potential space based on: (1) high-resolution local gravity field modeling, (2) geocentric coordinates of the reference benchmark, and (3) a known value of the geoid’s potential. The high-resolution local gravity field model is derived based on a solution of the fixed-free two-boundary-value problem of the Earth’s gravity field using (a) potential difference values (from precise leveling), (b) modulus of the gravity vector (from gravimetry), (c) astronomical longitude and latitude (from geodetic astronomy and/or combination of (GNSS) Global Navigation Satellite System observations with total station measurements), (d) and satellite altimetry. Knowing the height of the reference benchmark in the national height system and its geocentric GNSS coordinates, and using the derived high-resolution local gravity field model, the gravity potential value of the zero point of the height system is computed. The difference between the derived gravity potential value of the zero point of the height system and the geoid’s potential value is computed. This potential difference gives the offset of the zero point of the height system from geoid in the “potential space”, which is transferred into “geometry space” using the transformation formula derived in this paper. The method was applied to the computation of the offset of the zero point of the Iranian height datum from the geoid’s potential value W 0=62636855.8 m2/s2. According to the geometry space computations, the height datum of Iran is 0.09 m below the geoid.

Computer vision-based evaluation of pre- and postrigor changes in size and shape of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fillets during rigor mortis and ice storage: effects of perimortem handling stress.

PubMed

Misimi, E; Erikson, U; Digre, H; Skavhaug, A; Mathiassen, J R

2008-03-01

The present study describes the possibilities for using computer vision-based methods for the detection and monitoring of transient 2D and 3D changes in the geometry of a given product. The rigor contractions of unstressed and stressed fillets of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) were used as a model system. Gradual changes in fillet shape and size (area, length, width, and roundness) were recorded for 7 and 3 d, respectively. Also, changes in fillet area and height (cross-section profiles) were tracked using a laser beam and a 3D digital camera. Another goal was to compare rigor developments of the 2 species of farmed fish, and whether perimortem stress affected the appearance of the fillets. Some significant changes in fillet size and shape were found (length, width, area, roundness, height) between unstressed and stressed fish during the course of rigor mortis as well as after ice storage (postrigor). However, the observed irreversible stress-related changes were small and would hardly mean anything for postrigor fish processors or consumers. The cod were less stressed (as defined by muscle biochemistry) than the salmon after the 2 species had been subjected to similar stress bouts. Consequently, the difference between the rigor courses of unstressed and stressed fish was more extreme in the case of salmon. However, the maximal whole fish rigor strength was judged to be about the same for both species. Moreover, the reductions in fillet area and length, as well as the increases in width, were basically of similar magnitude for both species. In fact, the increases in fillet roundness and cross-section height were larger for the cod. We conclude that the computer vision method can be used effectively for automated monitoring of changes in 2D and 3D shape and size of fish fillets during rigor mortis and ice storage. In addition, it can be used for grading of fillets according to uniformity in size and shape, as well as measurement of fillet yield measured in thickness. The methods are accurate, rapid, nondestructive, and contact-free and can therefore be regarded as suitable for industrial purposes.

The use of copulas to practical estimation of multivariate stochastic differential equation mixed effects models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rupšys, P.

A system of stochastic differential equations (SDE) with mixed-effects parameters and multivariate normal copula density function were used to develop tree height model for Scots pine trees in Lithuania. A two-step maximum likelihood parameter estimation method is used and computational guidelines are given. After fitting the conditional probability density functions to outside bark diameter at breast height, and total tree height, a bivariate normal copula distribution model was constructed. Predictions from the mixed-effects parameters SDE tree height model calculated during this research were compared to the regression tree height equations. The results are implemented in the symbolic computational language MAPLE.

The impact of computer display height and desk design on 3D posture during information technology work by young adults.

PubMed

Straker, L; Burgess-Limerick, R; Pollock, C; Murray, K; Netto, K; Coleman, J; Skoss, R

2008-04-01

Computer display height and desk design to allow forearm support are two critical design features of workstations for information technology tasks. However there is currently no 3D description of head and neck posture with different computer display heights and no direct comparison to paper based information technology tasks. There is also inconsistent evidence on the effect of forearm support on posture and no evidence on whether these features interact. This study compared the 3D head, neck and upper limb postures of 18 male and 18 female young adults whilst working with different display and desk design conditions. There was no substantial interaction between display height and desk design. Lower display heights increased head and neck flexion with more spinal asymmetry when working with paper. The curved desk, designed to provide forearm support, increased scapula elevation/protraction and shoulder flexion/abduction.

HSTRESS: A computer program to calculate the height of a hydraulic fracture in a multi-layered stress medium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Warpinski, N.R.

A computer code for calculating hydraulic fracture height and width in a stressed-layer medium has been modified for easy use on a personal computer. HSTRESS allows for up to 51 layers having different thicknesses, stresses and fracture toughnesses. The code can calculate fracture height versus pressure or pressure versus fracture height, depending on the design model in which the data will be used. At any pressure/height, a width profile is calculated and an equivalent width factor and flow resistance factor are determined. This program is written in FORTRAN. Graphics use PLOT88 software by Plotworks, Inc., but the graphics software mustmore » be obtained by the user because of licensing restrictions. A version without graphics can also be run. This code is available through the National Energy Software Center (NESC), operated by Argonne National Laboratory. 14 refs., 21 figs.« less

Monitoring height and greenness of non-woody floodplain vegetation with UAV time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Iersel, Wimala; Straatsma, Menno; Addink, Elisabeth; Middelkoop, Hans

2018-07-01

Vegetation in river floodplains has important functions for biodiversity, but can also have a negative influence on flood safety. Floodplain vegetation is becoming increasingly heterogeneous in space and time as a result of river restoration projects. To document the spatio-temporal patterns of the floodplain vegetation, the need arises for efficient monitoring techniques. Monitoring is commonly performed by mapping floodplains based on single-epoch remote sensing data, thereby not considering seasonal dynamics of vegetation. The rising availability of unmanned airborne vehicles (UAV) increases monitoring frequency potential. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the performance of multi-temporal high-spatial-resolution imagery, collected with a UAV, to record the dynamics in floodplain vegetation height and greenness over a growing season. Since the classification accuracy of current airborne surveys remains insufficient for low vegetation types, we focussed on seasonal variation of herbaceous and grassy vegetation with a height up to 3 m. Field reference data on vegetation height were collected six times during one year in 28 field plots within a single floodplain along the Waal River, the main distributary of the Rhine River in the Netherlands. Simultaneously with each field survey, we recorded UAV true-colour and false-colour imagery from which normalized digital surface models (nDSMs) and a consumer-grade camera vegetation index (CGCVI) were calculated. We observed that: (1) the accuracy of a UAV-derived digital terrain model (DTM) varies over the growing season and is most accurate during winter when the vegetation is dormant, (2) vegetation height can be determined from the nDSMs in leaf-on conditions via linear regression (RSME = 0.17-0.33 m), (3) the multitemporal nDSMs yielded meaningful temporal profiles of greenness and vegetation height and (4) herbaceous vegetation shows hysteresis for greenness and vegetation height, but no clear hysteresis was observed for grassland vegetation. These results show the high potential of using UAV-borne sensors for increasing the classification accuracy of low floodplain vegetation within the framework of floodplain monitoring.

Vehicle monitoring under Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks (VANET) parameters employing illumination invariant correlation filters for the Pakistan motorway police

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardezi, A.; Umer, T.; Butt, F.; Young, R. C. D.; Chatwin, C. R.

2016-04-01

A spatial domain optimal trade-off Maximum Average Correlation Height (SPOT-MACH) filter has been previously developed and shown to have advantages over frequency domain implementations in that it can be made locally adaptive to spatial variations in the input image background clutter and normalised for local intensity changes. The main concern for using the SPOT-MACH is its computationally intensive nature. However in the past enhancements techniques were proposed for the SPOT-MACH to make its execution time comparable to its frequency domain counterpart. In this paper a novel approach is discussed which uses VANET parameters coupled with the SPOT-MACH in order to minimise the extensive processing of the large video dataset acquired from the Pakistan motorways surveillance system. The use of VANET parameters gives us an estimation criterion of the flow of traffic on the Pakistan motorway network and acts as a precursor to the training algorithm. The use of VANET in this scenario would contribute heavily towards the computational complexity minimization of the proposed monitoring system.

Field evaluations of newly available "interference-free" monitors for nitrogen dioxide and ozone at near-road and conventional National Ambient Air Quality Standards compliance sites.

PubMed

Leston, Alan R; Ollison, Will M

2017-11-01

Long-standing measurement techniques for determining ground-level ozone (O 3 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) are known to be biased by interfering compounds that result in overestimates of high O 3 and NO 2 ambient concentrations under conducive conditions. An increasing near-ground O 3 gradient (NGOG) with increasing height above ground level is also known to exist. Both the interference bias and NGOG were investigated by comparing data from a conventional Federal Equivalent Method (FEM) O 3 photometer and an identical monitor upgraded with an "interference-free" nitric oxide O 3 scrubber that alternatively sampled at 2 m and 6.2 m inlet heights above ground level (AGL). Intercomparison was also made between a conventional nitrogen oxide (NO x ) chemiluminescence Federal Reference Method (FRM) monitor and a new "direct-measure" NO 2 NO x 405 nm photometer at a near-road air quality measurement site. Results indicate that the O 3 monitor with the upgraded scrubber recorded lower regulatory-oriented concentrations than the deployed conventional metal oxide-scrubbed monitor and that O 3 concentrations 6.2 m AGL were higher than concentrations 2.0 m AGL, the nominal nose height of outdoor populations. Also, a new direct-measure NO 2 photometer recorded generally lower NO 2 regulatory-oriented concentrations than the conventional FRM chemiluminescence monitor, reporting lower daily maximum hourly average concentrations than the conventional monitor about 3 of every 5 days. Employing bias-prone instruments for measurement of ambient ozone or nitrogen dioxide from inlets at inappropriate heights above ground level may result in collection of positively biased data. This paper discusses tests of new regulatory instruments, recent developments in bias-free ozone and nitrogen dioxide measurement technology, and the presence/extent of a near-ground O 3 gradient (NGOG). Collection of unbiased monitor inlet height-appropriate data is crucial for determining accurate design values and meeting National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

Real-Time Estimation of Volcanic ASH/SO2 Cloud Height from Combined Uv/ir Satellite Observations and Numerical Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vicente, Gilberto A.

An efficient iterative method has been developed to estimate the vertical profile of SO2 and ash clouds from volcanic eruptions by comparing near real-time satellite observations with numerical modeling outputs. The approach uses UV based SO2 concentration and IR based ash cloud images, the volcanic ash transport model PUFF and wind speed, height and directional information to find the best match between the simulated and the observed displays. The method is computationally fast and is being implemented for operational use at the NOAA Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers (VAACs) in Washington, DC, USA, to support the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) effort to detect, track and measure volcanic ash cloud heights for air traffic safety and management. The presentation will show the methodology, results, statistical analysis and SO2 and Aerosol Index input products derived from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) onboard the NASA EOS/Aura research satellite and from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment-2 (GOME-2) instrument in the MetOp-A. The volcanic ash products are derived from AVHRR instruments in the NOAA POES-16, 17, 18, 19 as well as MetOp-A. The presentation will also show how a VAAC volcanic ash analyst interacts with the system providing initial condition inputs such as location and time of the volcanic eruption, followed by the automatic real-time tracking of all the satellite data available, subsequent activation of the iterative approach and the data/product delivery process in numerical and graphical format for operational applications.

Field observations of display placement requirements and character size for presbyopic and prepresbyopic computer users.

PubMed

Bartha, Michael C; Allie, Paul; Kokot, Douglas; Roe, Cynthia Purvis

2015-01-01

Computer users continue to report eye and upper body discomfort even as workstation flexibility has improved. Research shows a relationship between character size, viewing distance, and reading performance. Few reports exist regarding text height viewed under normal office work conditions and eye discomfort. This paper reports self-selected computer display placement, text characteristics, and subjective comfort for older and younger computer workers under real-world conditions. Computer workers were provided with monitors and adjustable display support(s). In Study 1, older workers wearing progressive-addition lenses (PALs) were observed. In study 2, older workers wearing multifocal lenses and younger workers were observed. Workers wearing PALs experienced less eye and body discomfort with adjustable displays, and less eye and neck discomfort for text visual angles near or greater than ergonomic recommendations. Older workers wearing multifocal correction positioned displays much lower than younger workers. In general, computer users did not adjust character size to ensure that fovial images of text fell within the recommended range. Ergonomic display placement recommendations should be different for computer users wearing multifocal correction for presbyopia. Ergonomic training should emphasize adjusting text size for user comfort.

Shuttle program: Computing atmospheric scale height for refraction corrections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lear, W. M.

1980-01-01

Methods for computing the atmospheric scale height to determine radio wave refraction were investigated for different atmospheres, and different angles of elevation. Tables of refractivity versus altitude are included. The equations used to compute the refraction corrections are given. It is concluded that very accurate corrections are determined with the assumption of an exponential atmosphere.

Development of MCNPX-ESUT computer code for simulation of neutron/gamma pulse height distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abolfazl Hosseini, Seyed; Vosoughi, Naser; Zangian, Mehdi

2015-05-01

In this paper, the development of the MCNPX-ESUT (MCNPX-Energy Engineering of Sharif University of Technology) computer code for simulation of neutron/gamma pulse height distribution is reported. Since liquid organic scintillators like NE-213 are well suited and routinely used for spectrometry in mixed neutron/gamma fields, this type of detectors is selected for simulation in the present study. The proposed algorithm for simulation includes four main steps. The first step is the modeling of the neutron/gamma particle transport and their interactions with the materials in the environment and detector volume. In the second step, the number of scintillation photons due to charged particles such as electrons, alphas, protons and carbon nuclei in the scintillator material is calculated. In the third step, the transport of scintillation photons in the scintillator and lightguide is simulated. Finally, the resolution corresponding to the experiment is considered in the last step of the simulation. Unlike the similar computer codes like SCINFUL, NRESP7 and PHRESP, the developed computer code is applicable to both neutron and gamma sources. Hence, the discrimination of neutron and gamma in the mixed fields may be performed using the MCNPX-ESUT computer code. The main feature of MCNPX-ESUT computer code is that the neutron/gamma pulse height simulation may be performed without needing any sort of post processing. In the present study, the pulse height distributions due to a monoenergetic neutron/gamma source in NE-213 detector using MCNPX-ESUT computer code is simulated. The simulated neutron pulse height distributions are validated through comparing with experimental data (Gohil et al. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 664 (2012) 304-309.) and the results obtained from similar computer codes like SCINFUL, NRESP7 and Geant4. The simulated gamma pulse height distribution for a 137Cs source is also compared with the experimental data.

Deformability analysis of sickle blood using ektacytometry.

PubMed

Rabai, Miklos; Detterich, Jon A; Wenby, Rosalinda B; Hernandez, Tatiana M; Toth, Kalman; Meiselman, Herbert J; Wood, John C

2014-01-01

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterized by decreased erythrocyte deformability, microvessel occlusion and severe painful infarctions of different organs. Ektacytometry of SCD red blood cells (RBC) is made difficult by the presence of rigid, poorly-deformable irreversibly sickled cells (ISC) that do not align with the fluid shear field and distort the elliptical diffraction pattern seen with normal RBC. In operation, the computer software fits an outline to the diffraction pattern, then reports an elongation index (EI) at each shear stress based on the length and width of the fitted ellipse: EI=(length-width)/(length+width). Using a commercial ektacytometer (LORCA, Mechatronics Instruments, The Netherlands) we have approached the problem of ellipse fitting in two ways: (1) altering the height of the diffraction image on a computer monitor using an aperture within the camera lens; (2) altering the light intensity level (gray level) used by the software to fit the image to an elliptical shape. Neither of these methods affected deformability results (elongation index-shear stress relations) for normal RBC but did markedly affect results for SCD erythrocytes: (1) decreasing image height by 15% and 30% increased EI at moderate to high stresses; (2) progressively increasing the light level increased EI over a wide range of stresses. Fitting data obtained at different image heights using the Lineweaver-Burke routine yielded percentage ISC results in good agreement with microscopic cell counting. We suggest that these two relatively simple approaches allow minimizing artifacts due to the presence of rigid discs or ISC and also suggest the need for additional studies to evaluate the physiological relevance of deformability data obtained via these methods.

Cumulus cloud base height estimation from high spatial resolution Landsat data - A Hough transform approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berendes, Todd; Sengupta, Sailes K.; Welch, Ron M.; Wielicki, Bruce A.; Navar, Murgesh

1992-01-01

A semiautomated methodology is developed for estimating cumulus cloud base heights on the basis of high spatial resolution Landsat MSS data, using various image-processing techniques to match cloud edges with their corresponding shadow edges. The cloud base height is then estimated by computing the separation distance between the corresponding generalized Hough transform reference points. The differences between the cloud base heights computed by these means and a manual verification technique are of the order of 100 m or less; accuracies of 50-70 m may soon be possible via EOS instruments.

The impact of computer display height and desk design on muscle activity during information technology work by young adults.

PubMed

Straker, L; Pollock, C; Burgess-Limerick, R; Skoss, R; Coleman, J

2008-08-01

Computer display height and desk design are believed to be important workstation features and are included in international standards and guidelines. However, the evidence base for these guidelines is lacking a comparison of neck/shoulder muscle activity during computer and paper tasks and whether forearm support can be provided by desk design. This study measured the spinal and upper limb muscle activity in 36 young adults whilst they worked in different computer display, book and desk conditions. Display height affected spinal muscle activity with paper tasks resulting in greater mean spinal and upper limb muscle activity. A curved desk resulted in increased proximal muscle activity. There was no substantial interaction between display and desk.

A Comparison of Mangrove Canopy Height Using Multiple Independent Measurements from Land, Air, and Space.

PubMed

Lagomasino, David; Fatoyinbo, Temilola; Lee, SeungKuk; Feliciano, Emanuelle; Trettin, Carl; Simard, Marc

2016-04-01

Canopy height is one of the strongest predictors of biomass and carbon in forested ecosystems. Additionally, mangrove ecosystems represent one of the most concentrated carbon reservoirs that are rapidly degrading as a result of deforestation, development, and hydrologic manipulation. Therefore, the accuracy of Canopy Height Models (CHM) over mangrove forest can provide crucial information for monitoring and verification protocols. We compared four CHMs derived from independent remotely sensed imagery and identified potential errors and bias between measurement types. CHMs were derived from three spaceborne datasets; Very-High Resolution (VHR) stereophotogrammetry, TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement, and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (TanDEM-X), and lidar data which was acquired from an airborne platform. Each dataset exhibited different error characteristics that were related to spatial resolution, sensitivities of the sensors, and reference frames. Canopies over 10 m were accurately predicted by all CHMs while the distributions of canopy height were best predicted by the VHR CHM. Depending on the guidelines and strategies needed for monitoring and verification activities, coarse resolution CHMs could be used to track canopy height at regional and global scales with finer resolution imagery used to validate and monitor critical areas undergoing rapid changes.

The UF/NCI family of hybrid computational phantoms representing the current US population of male and female children, adolescents, and adults—application to CT dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geyer, Amy M.; O'Reilly, Shannon; Lee, Choonsik; Long, Daniel J.; Bolch, Wesley E.

2014-09-01

Substantial increases in pediatric and adult obesity in the US have prompted a major revision to the current UF/NCI (University of Florida/National Cancer Institute) family of hybrid computational phantoms to more accurately reflect current trends in larger body morphometry. A decision was made to construct the new library in a gridded fashion by height/weight without further reference to age-dependent weight/height percentiles as these become quickly outdated. At each height/weight combination, circumferential parameters were defined and used for phantom construction. All morphometric data for the new library were taken from the CDC NHANES survey data over the time period 1999-2006, the most recent reported survey period. A subset of the phantom library was then used in a CT organ dose sensitivity study to examine the degree to which body morphometry influences the magnitude of organ doses for patients that are underweight to morbidly obese in body size. Using primary and secondary morphometric parameters, grids containing 100 adult male height/weight bins, 93 adult female height/weight bins, 85 pediatric male height/weight bins and 73 pediatric female height/weight bins were constructed. These grids served as the blueprints for construction of a comprehensive library of patient-dependent phantoms containing 351 computational phantoms. At a given phantom standing height, normalized CT organ doses were shown to linearly decrease with increasing phantom BMI for pediatric males, while curvilinear decreases in organ dose were shown with increasing phantom BMI for adult females. These results suggest that one very useful application of the phantom library would be the construction of a pre-computed dose library for CT imaging as needed for patient dose-tracking.

Stellar refraction - A tool to monitor the height of the tropopause from space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuerman, D. W.; Giovane, F.; Greenberg, J. M.

1975-01-01

Calculations of stellar refraction for a setting or rising star as viewed from a spacecraft show that the tropopause is a discernible feature in a plot of refraction vs time. The height of the tropopause is easily obtained from such a plot. Since the refraction suffered by the starlight appears to be measurable with some precision from orbital altitudes, this technique is suggested as a method for remotely monitoring the height of the tropopause. Although limited to nighttime measurements, the method is independent of supporting data or model fitting and easily lends itself to on-line data reduction.

47 CFR 80.763 - Effective antenna height.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Effective antenna height. 80.763 Section 80.763... MARITIME SERVICES Standards for Computing Public Coast Station VHF Coverage § 80.763 Effective antenna height. The effective height of the antenna is the vertical distance between the center of the radiating...

47 CFR 80.763 - Effective antenna height.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Effective antenna height. 80.763 Section 80.763... MARITIME SERVICES Standards for Computing Public Coast Station VHF Coverage § 80.763 Effective antenna height. The effective height of the antenna is the vertical distance between the center of the radiating...

47 CFR 80.763 - Effective antenna height.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Effective antenna height. 80.763 Section 80.763... MARITIME SERVICES Standards for Computing Public Coast Station VHF Coverage § 80.763 Effective antenna height. The effective height of the antenna is the vertical distance between the center of the radiating...

47 CFR 80.763 - Effective antenna height.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Effective antenna height. 80.763 Section 80.763... MARITIME SERVICES Standards for Computing Public Coast Station VHF Coverage § 80.763 Effective antenna height. The effective height of the antenna is the vertical distance between the center of the radiating...

47 CFR 80.763 - Effective antenna height.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Effective antenna height. 80.763 Section 80.763... MARITIME SERVICES Standards for Computing Public Coast Station VHF Coverage § 80.763 Effective antenna height. The effective height of the antenna is the vertical distance between the center of the radiating...

Radiographic comparison of different concentrations of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein with allogenic bone compared with the use of 100% mineralized cancellous bone allograft in maxillary sinus grafting.

PubMed

Froum, Stuart J; Wallace, Stephen; Cho, Sang-Choon; Khouly, Ismael; Rosenberg, Edwin; Corby, Patricia; Froum, Scott; Mascarenhas, Patrick; Tarnow, Dennis P

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to radiographically evaluate, then analyze, bone height, volume, and density with reference to percentage of vital bone after maxillary sinuses were grafted using two different doses of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2/acellular collagen sponge (rhBMP-2/ACS) combined with mineralized cancellous bone allograft (MCBA) and a control sinus grafted with MCBA only. A total of 18 patients (36 sinuses) were used for analysis of height and volume measurements, having two of three graft combinations (one in each sinus): (1) control, MCBA only; (2) test 1, MCBA + 5.6 mL of rhBMP-2/ACS (containing 8.4 mg of rhBMP-2); and (3) test 2, MCBA + 2.8 mL of rhBMP-2/ACS (containing 4.2 mg of rhBMP-2). The study was completed with 16 patients who also had bilateral cores removed 6 to 9 months following sinus augmentation. A computer software system was used to evaluate 36 computed tomography scans. Two time points where selected for measurements of height: The results indicated that height of the grafted sinus was significantly greater in the treatment groups compared with the control. However, by the second time point, there were no statistically significant differences. Three weeks post-surgery bone volume measurements showed similar statistically significant differences between test and controls. However, prior to core removal, test group 1 with the greater dose of rhBMP-2 showed a statistically significant greater increase compared with test group 2 and the control. There was no statistically significant difference between the latter two groups. All three groups had similar volume and shrinkage. Density measurements varied from the above results, with the control showing statistically significant greater density at both time points. By contrast, the density increase over time in both rhBMP groups was similar and statistically higher than in the control group. There were strong associations between height and volume in all groups and between volume and new vital bone only in the control group. There were no statistically significant relationships observed between height and bone density or between volume and bone density for any parameter measured. More cases and monitoring of the future survival of implants placed in these augmented sinuses are needed to verify these results.

Near-field monitoring of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bjornsson, H.; Pedersen, G. N.; Arason, P.; Karlsdottir, S.; Vogfjord, K. S.; Thorsteinsson, H.; Palmason, B.; Sigurdsson, A.

2010-12-01

When the ice capped Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted in April 2010 the Icelandic Meteorological Office (IMO) employed range of observation systems to monitor the eruption cloud and the progress of the eruption. The main tool for monitoring the volcanic cloud was a C-band weather radar located at Keflavik international airport, about 150 km from the volcano. Radar monitoring was supported by visual observations, on-site and from a network of web-cameras. Airborne observations allowed for detailed examination of the plume, and pilot reports proved to be an extremely useful aid in verifying the radar data. Furthermore, data from lightning sensors and radiosondes was used to supplement information on plume height. Satellite images, from several frequency bands and both polar as well as geostationary satellites were used to track the orientation of the eruption cloud, and brightness temperature difference was used to estimate far field ash dispersal. Ash fall monitoring and meteorological observations supplemented with atmospheric reanalysis and wind forecasts were used to track local ash dispersal. Information from these data sources was combined with geophysical and hydrological measurements (seismic, GPS, strain and river flow gauges) made by the IMO, the Earth Institute of the University of Iceland and other institutions. The data generated by these different observation types gives a consistent picture of the progression of the eruption and reveals interesting connections. For example, volcanic tremors tended to be inversly related to the eruption cloud height, increasing tremors were associated lower plume height and reduced eruption strength. Furthermore, the occurrence of lighting seems to be explained by both sufficiently strong plume and cold ambient air. Wind also had a clear effect on the eruption cloud height. In general, simple scaling laws for the relationship between the emission rate of the volcano, and the height of the eruption do not seem to explain all the height variations in the eruption cloud.

Effect of Premolar Axial Wall Height on Computer-Aided Design/Computer-Assisted Manufacture Crown Retention.

PubMed

Martin, Curt; Harris, Ashley; DuVall, Nicholas; Wajdowicz, Michael; Roberts, Howard Wayne

2018-03-28

To evaluate the effect of premolar axial wall height on the retention of adhesive, full-coverage, computer-aided design/computer-assisted manufacture (CAD/CAM) restorations. A total of 48 premolar teeth randomized into four groups (n = 12 per group) received all-ceramic CAD/CAM restorations with axial wall heights (AWH) of 3, 2, 1, and 0 mm and 16-degree total occlusal convergence (TOC). Specimens were restored with lithium disilicate material and cemented with self-adhesive resin cement. Specimens were loaded to failure after 24 hours. The 3- and 2-mm AWH specimens demonstrated significantly greater failure load. Failure analysis suggests a 2-mm minimum AWH for premolars with a TOC of 16 degrees. Adhesive technology may compensate for compromised AWH.

SPREADSHEET-BASED PROGRAM FOR ERGONOMIC ADJUSTMENT OF NOTEBOOK COMPUTER AND WORKSTATION SETTINGS.

PubMed

Nanthavanij, Suebsak; Prae-Arporn, Kanlayanee; Chanjirawittaya, Sorajak; Paripoonyo, Satirajit; Rodloy, Somsak

2015-06-01

This paper discusses a computer program, ErgoNBC, which provides suggestions regarding the ergonomic settings of a notebook computer (NBC), workstation components, and selected accessories in order to help computer users to assume an appropriate work posture during the NBC work. From the users' body height, NBC and workstation component data, ErgoNBC computes the recommended tilt angle of NBC base unit, NBC screen angle, distance between the user and NBC, seat height and work surface height. If necessary, the NBC base support, seat cushion and footrest, including their settings, are recommended. An experiment involving twenty-four university students was conducted to evaluate the recommendations provided by ErgoNBC. The Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) technique was used to analyze their work postures both before and after implementing the Ergo NBC's recommendations. The results clearly showed that ErgoNBC could significantly help to improve the subjects' work postures.

Apparatus for and Method of Monitoring Condensed Water in Steam Pipes at High Temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lih, Shyh-Shiuh (Inventor); Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor); Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor); Lee, Hyeong Jae (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A system and method for monitoring the properties of a fluid, such as water, in a steam pipe without mechanically penetrating the wall of the pipe. The system uses a piezoelectric transducer to launch an ultrasonic probe signal into the pipe. Reflected ultrasonic signals are captured in a transducer, which can be the same transducer that launched the probe signal. The reflected signals are subjected to data processing, which can include filtering, amplification, analog-to-digital conversion and autocorrelation analysis. A result is extracted which is indicative of a property of the fluid, such as a height of the condensed fluid, a cavitation of the condensed fluid, and a surface perturbation of the condensed fluid. The result can be recorded, displayed, and/or transmitted to another location. One embodiment of the system has been constructed and tested based on a general purpose programmable computer using instructions recorded in machine-readable non-volatile memory.

In-Service Monitoring of Steam Pipe Systems at High Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor); Scott, James Samson (Inventor); Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor); Badescu, Mircea (Inventor); Widholm, Scott E. (Inventor); Lih, Shyh-Shiuh (Inventor); Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor); Blosiu, Julian O. (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A system and method for monitoring the properties of a fluid, such as water, in a steam pipe without mechanically penetrating the wall of the pipe. The system uses a piezoelectric transducer to launch an ultrasonic probe signal into the pipe. Reflected ultrasonic signals are captured in a transducer, which can be the same transducer that launched the probe signal. The reflected signals are subjected to data processing, which can include filtering, amplification, analog-to-digital conversion and autocorrelation analysis. A result is extracted which is indicative of a property of the fluid, such as a height of the condensed fluid, a cavitation of the condensed fluid, and a surface perturbation of the condensed fluid. The result can be recorded, displayed, and/or transmitted to another location. One embodiment of the system has been constructed and tested based on a general purpose programmable computer using instructions recorded in machine-readable non-volatile memory.

Relationship between first-twitch depression and train-of-four ratio during sugammadex reversal of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade.

PubMed

Kim, Kyo Sang; Oh, You Na; Kim, Tae Yeon; Oh, Song Yee; Sin, Yeong Hun

2016-06-01

The primary outcome of sugammadex reversal for rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block (NMB) is a train-of-four ratio (TOFR) of 0.9, not first twitch (T1) height. We investigated whether the recovery of TOFR or T1 differs based on the reversal of NMB with neostigmine or sugammadex. The acceleromyographic responses from 0.6 mg/kg of rocuronium were monitored supramaximally in 80 patients after induction of anesthesia. The TOFR and T1 height were recorded, and saved in a personal computer using TOF-Watch SX Monitor software in all patients. Patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups to receive either neostigmine 50 µg/kg with glycopyrrolate 10 µg/kg (neostigmine group, n = 40) or sugammadex 2.0 mg/kg (sugammadex group, n = 40). The primary objective was to determine the difference of recovery time between TOFR to 0.9 and T1 to 0.9 after sugammadex or neostigmine administration during moderate rocuronium-induced NMB. The recovery pattern of the TOFR 2 min after sugammadex administration was 1.0 or more, but that of T1 was less than 90% (T1 / control value) up to 6 min after drug was injected. The recovery pattern of TOFR and T1 was similar during the 20 min after reversal with neostigmine. If you have not performed the T1 monitoring, both TOFR and T1 should be considered to confirm suitable recovery during the 6 min after reversal with sugammadex during rocuronium-induced moderate NMB.

A Comparison of Mangrove Canopy Height Using Multiple Independent Measurements from Land, Air, and Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lagomasino, David; Fatoyinbo, Temilola; Lee, SeungKuk; Feliciano, Emanuelle; Trettin, Carl; Simard, Marc

2016-01-01

Canopy height is one of the strongest predictors of biomass and carbon in forested ecosystems. Additionally, mangrove ecosystems represent one of the most concentrated carbon reservoirs that are rapidly degrading as a result of deforestation, development, and hydrologic manipulation. Therefore, the accuracy of Canopy Height Models (CHM) over mangrove forest can provide crucial information for monitoring and verification protocols. We compared four CHMs derived from independent remotely sensed imagery and identified potential errors and bias between measurement types. CHMs were derived from three spaceborne datasets; Very-High Resolution (VHR) stereophotogrammetry, TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement (DEM), and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (TanDEM-X), and lidar data which was acquired from an airborne platform. Each dataset exhibited different error characteristics that were related to spatial resolution, sensitivities of the sensors, and reference frames. Canopies over 10 meters were accurately predicted by all CHMs while the distributions of canopy height were best predicted by the VHR CHM. Depending on the guidelines and strategies needed for monitoring and verification activities, coarse resolution CHMs could be used to track canopy height at regional and global scales with finer resolution imagery used to validate and monitor critical areas undergoing rapid changes.

A Comparison of Mangrove Canopy Height Using Multiple Independent Measurements from Land, Air, and Space

PubMed Central

Lagomasino, David; Fatoyinbo, Temilola; Lee, SeungKuk; Feliciano, Emanuelle; Trettin, Carl; Simard, Marc

2017-01-01

Canopy height is one of the strongest predictors of biomass and carbon in forested ecosystems. Additionally, mangrove ecosystems represent one of the most concentrated carbon reservoirs that are rapidly degrading as a result of deforestation, development, and hydrologic manipulation. Therefore, the accuracy of Canopy Height Models (CHM) over mangrove forest can provide crucial information for monitoring and verification protocols. We compared four CHMs derived from independent remotely sensed imagery and identified potential errors and bias between measurement types. CHMs were derived from three spaceborne datasets; Very-High Resolution (VHR) stereophotogrammetry, TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement, and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (TanDEM-X), and lidar data which was acquired from an airborne platform. Each dataset exhibited different error characteristics that were related to spatial resolution, sensitivities of the sensors, and reference frames. Canopies over 10 m were accurately predicted by all CHMs while the distributions of canopy height were best predicted by the VHR CHM. Depending on the guidelines and strategies needed for monitoring and verification activities, coarse resolution CHMs could be used to track canopy height at regional and global scales with finer resolution imagery used to validate and monitor critical areas undergoing rapid changes. PMID:29629207

Analytic and rule-based decision support tool for VDT workstation adjustment and computer accessories arrangement.

PubMed

Rurkhamet, Busagarin; Nanthavanij, Suebsak

2004-12-01

One important factor that leads to the development of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and cumulative trauma disorders (CTD) among visual display terminal (VDT) users is their work posture. While operating a VDT, a user's body posture is strongly influenced by the task, VDT workstation settings, and layout of computer accessories. This paper presents an analytic and rule-based decision support tool called EQ-DeX (an ergonomics and quantitative design expert system) that is developed to provide valid and practical recommendations regarding the adjustment of a VDT workstation and the arrangement of computer accessories. The paper explains the structure and components of EQ-DeX, input data, rules, and adjustment and arrangement algorithms. From input information such as gender, age, body height, task, etc., EQ-DeX uses analytic and rule-based algorithms to estimate quantitative settings of a computer table and a chair, as well as locations of computer accessories such as monitor, document holder, keyboard, and mouse. With the input and output screens that are designed using the concept of usability, the interactions between the user and EQ-DeX are convenient. Examples are also presented to demonstrate the recommendations generated by EQ-DeX.

Normalized GNSS Interference Pattern Technique for Altimetry

PubMed Central

Ribot, Miguel Angel; Kucwaj, Jean-Christophe; Botteron, Cyril; Reboul, Serge; Stienne, Georges; Leclère, Jérôme; Choquel, Jean-Bernard; Farine, Pierre-André; Benjelloun, Mohammed

2014-01-01

It is well known that reflected signals from Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) can be used for altimetry applications, such as monitoring of water levels and determining snow height. Due to the interference of these reflected signals and the motion of satellites in space, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) measured at the receiver slowly oscillates. The oscillation rate is proportional to the change in the propagation path difference between the direct and reflected signals, which depends on the satellite elevation angle. Assuming a known receiver position, it is possible to compute the distance between the antenna and the surface of reflection from the measured oscillation rate. This technique is usually known as the interference pattern technique (IPT). In this paper, we propose to normalize the measurements in order to derive an alternative model of the SNR variations. From this model, we define a maximum likelihood estimate of the antenna height that reduces the estimation time to a fraction of one period of the SNR variation. We also derive the Cramér–Rao lower bound for the IPT and use it to assess the sensitivity of different parameters to the estimation of the antenna height. Finally, we propose an experimental framework, and we use it to assess our approach with real GPS L1 C/A signals. PMID:24922453

A Computational Methodology to Screen Activities of Enzyme Variants

PubMed Central

Hediger, Martin R.; De Vico, Luca; Svendsen, Allan; Besenmatter, Werner; Jensen, Jan H.

2012-01-01

We present a fast computational method to efficiently screen enzyme activity. In the presented method, the effect of mutations on the barrier height of an enzyme-catalysed reaction can be computed within 24 hours on roughly 10 processors. The methodology is based on the PM6 and MOZYME methods as implemented in MOPAC2009, and is tested on the first step of the amide hydrolysis reaction catalyzed by the Candida Antarctica lipase B (CalB) enzyme. The barrier heights are estimated using adiabatic mapping and shown to give barrier heights to within 3 kcal/mol of B3LYP/6-31G(d)//RHF/3-21G results for a small model system. Relatively strict convergence criteria (0.5 kcal/(molÅ)), long NDDO cutoff distances within the MOZYME method (15 Å) and single point evaluations using conventional PM6 are needed for reliable results. The generation of mutant structures and subsequent setup of the semiempirical calculations are automated so that the effect on barrier heights can be estimated for hundreds of mutants in a matter of weeks using high performance computing. PMID:23284627

Rail height effects on safety performance of Midwest Guardrail System.

PubMed

Asadollahi Pajouh, Mojdeh; Julin, Ramen D; Stolle, Cody S; Reid, John D; Faller, Ronald K

2018-02-17

Guardrail heights play a crucial role in the way that errant vehicles interact with roadside barriers. Low rail heights increase the propensity of vehicle rollover and override, whereas excessively tall rails promote underride. Further, rail mounting heights and post embedment depths may be altered by variations in roadside terrain. An increased guardrail height may be desirable to accommodate construction tolerances, soil erosion, frost heave, and future roadway overlays. This study aimed to investigate and identify a maximum safe installation height for the Midwest Guardrail System that would be robust and remain crashworthy before and after pavement overlays. A research investigation was performed to evaluate the safety performance of increased mounting heights for the standard 787-mm (31-in.)-tall Midwest Guardrail System (MGS) through crash testing and computer simulation. Two full-scale crash tests with small passenger cars were performed on the MGS with top-rail mounting heights of 864 and 914 mm (34 and 36 in.). Test results were then used to calibrate computer simulation models. In the first test, a small car impacted the MGS with 864-mm (34-in.) rail height at 102 km/h (63.6 mph) and 25.0° and was successfully redirected. In the second test, another small car impacted the MGS with a 914-mm (36-in.) rail height at 103 km/h (64.1 mph) and 25.6° and was successful. Both system heights satisfied the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) Test Level 3 (TL-3) evaluation criteria. Test results were then used to calibrate computer simulation models. A mounting height of 36 in. was determined to be the maximum guardrail height that would safely contain and redirect small car vehicles. Simulations confirmed that taller guardrail heights (i.e., 37 in.) would likely result in small car underride. In addition, simulation results indicated that passenger vehicle models were successfully contained by the 34- and 36-in.-tall MGS installed on approach slopes as steep as 6:1. A mounting height of 914 mm (36 in.) was determined to be the maximum guardrail height that would safely contain and redirect 1100C vehicles and not allow underride or excessive vehicle snag on support posts. Recommendations were also provided regarding the safety performance of the MGS with increased height.

Vertical facial height and its correlation with facial width and depth: Three dimensional cone beam computed tomography evaluation based on dry skulls.

PubMed

Wang, Ming Feng; Otsuka, Takero; Akimoto, Susumu; Sato, Sadao

2013-01-01

The aim of the present study was to evaluate how vertical facial height correlates with mandibular plane angle, facial width and depth from a three dimensional (3D) viewing angle. In this study 3D cephalometric landmarks were identified and measurements from 43 randomly selected cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of dry skulls from the Weisbach collection of Vienna Natural History Museum were analyzed. Pearson correlation coefficients of facial height measurements and mandibular plane angle and the correlation coefficients of height-width and height-depth were calculated, respectively. The mandibular plane angle (MP-SN) significantly correlated with ramus height (Co-Go) and posterior facial height (PFH) but not with anterior lower face height (ALFH) or anterior total face height (ATFH). The ALFH and ATFH showed significant correlation with anterior cranial base length (S-N), whereas PFH showed significant correlation with the mandible (S-B) and maxilla (S-A) anteroposterior position. High or low mandibular plane angle might not necessarily be accompanied by long or short anterior face height, respectively. The PFH rather than AFH is assumed to play a key role in the vertical facial type whereas AFH seems to undergo relatively intrinsic growth.

Indirect Phase Height Measurements in Central and Eastern Europe for Monitoring D Region Plasma

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cossart, G. V.; Pakhomov, S. V.

1984-01-01

Low-frequency propagation experiments for the investigation of the lower part of the ionospheric D region were at first used by BRACEWELL et al. (1951) in the early fifties. Among these was the method of indirect phase height measurements for continuous monitoring of the lower ionosphere. It is based upon field strength measurements of commercial radio transmitters in the frequency range between 50 and 200 kHz at distances from 500 to 1500 km. The field strength records show characteristic diurnal variations with maxima and minima, produced by interference between the ground wave and the ionospherically reflected sky wave, the phase difference between varies in correspondence to the diurnal variation of the reflection height. In order to check the validity of interpretations of indirect phase height data, comparisons were made with simultaneous rocket soundings. Results are summarized.

Wireless Monitoring of the Height of Condensed Water in Steam Pipes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Hyeong Jae; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Lih, Shyh-Shiuh; Badescu, Mircea; Dingizian, Arsham; Takano, Nobuyuki; Blosiu, Julian O.

2014-01-01

A wireless health monitoring system has been developed for determining the height of water condensation in the steam pipes and the data acquisition is done remotely using a wireless network system. The developed system is designed to operate in the harsh environment encountered at manholes and the pipe high temperature of over 200 °C. The test method is an ultrasonic pulse-echo and the hardware includes a pulser, receiver and wireless modem for communication. Data acquisition and signal processing software were developed to determine the water height using adaptive signal processing and data communication that can be controlled while the hardware is installed in a manhole. A statistical decision-making tool is being developed based on the field test data to determine the height of in the condensed water under high noise conditions and other environmental factors.

Use of high-speed cinematography and computer generated gait diagrams for the study of equine hindlimb kinematics.

PubMed

Kobluk, C N; Schnurr, D; Horney, F D; Sumner-Smith, G; Willoughby, R A; Dekleer, V; Hearn, T C

1989-01-01

High-speed cinematography with computer aided analysis was used to study equine hindlimb kinematics. Eight horses were filmed at the trot or the pace. Filming was done from the side (lateral) and the back (caudal). Parameters measured from the lateral filming included the heights of the tuber coxae and tailhead, protraction and retraction of the hoof and angular changes of the tarsus and stifle. Abduction and adduction of the limb and tarsal height changes were measured from the caudal filming. The maximum and minimum values plus the standard deviations and coefficients of variations are presented in tabular form. Three gait diagrams were constructed to represent stifle angle versus tarsal angle, metatarsophalangeal height versus protraction-retraction (fetlock height diagram) and tuber coxae and tailhead height versus stride (pelvic height diagram). Application of the technique to the group of horses revealed good repeatability of the gait diagrams within a limb and the diagrams appeared to be sensitive indicators of left/right asymmetries.

ANN-based calibration model of FTIR used in transformer online monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Honglei; Liu, Xian-yong; Zhou, Fangjie; Tan, Kexiong

2005-02-01

Recently, chromatography column and gas sensor have been used in online monitoring device of dissolved gases in transformer oil. But some disadvantages still exist in these devices: consumption of carrier gas, requirement of calibration, etc. Since FTIR has high accuracy, consume no carrier gas and require no calibration, the researcher studied the application of FTIR in such monitoring device. Experiments of "Flow gas method" were designed, and spectrum of mixture composed of different gases was collected with A BOMEM MB104 FTIR Spectrometer. A key question in the application of FTIR is that: the absorbance spectrum of 3 fault key gases, including C2H4, CH4 and C2H6, are overlapped seriously at 2700~3400cm-1. Because Absorbance Law is no longer appropriate, a nonlinear calibration model based on BP ANN was setup to in the quantitative analysis. The height absorbance of C2H4, CH4 and C2H6 were adopted as quantitative feature, and all the data were normalized before training the ANN. Computing results show that the calibration model can effectively eliminate the cross disturbance to measurement.

Evolution and Advances in Satellite Analysis of Volcanoes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dean, K. G.; Dehn, J.; Webley, P.; Bailey, J.

2008-12-01

Over the past 20 years satellite data used for monitoring and analysis of volcanic eruptions has evolved in terms of timeliness, access, distribution, resolution and understanding of volcanic processes. Initially satellite data was used for retrospective analysis but has evolved to proactive monitoring systems. Timely acquisition of data and the capability to distribute large data files paralleled advances in computer technology and was a critical component for near real-time monitoring. The sharing of these data and resulting discussions has improved our understanding of eruption processes and, even more importantly, their impact on society. To illustrate this evolution, critical scientific discoveries will be highlighted, including detection of airborne ash and sulfur dioxide, cloud-height estimates, prediction of ash cloud movement, and detection of thermal anomalies as precursor-signals to eruptions. AVO has been a leader in implementing many of these advances into an operational setting such as, automated eruption detection, database analysis systems, and remotely accessible web-based analysis systems. Finally, limitations resulting from trade-offs between resolution and how they impact some weakness in detection techniques and hazard assessments will be presented.

A novel pulse height analysis technique for nuclear spectroscopic and imaging systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tseng, H. H.; Wang, C. Y.; Chou, H. P.

2005-08-01

The proposed pulse height analysis technique is based on the constant and linear relationship between pulse width and pulse height generated from front-end electronics of nuclear spectroscopic and imaging systems. The present technique has successfully implemented into the sump water radiation monitoring system in a nuclear power plant. The radiation monitoring system uses a NaI(Tl) scintillator to detect radioactive nuclides of Radon daughters brought down by rain. The technique is also used for a nuclear medical imaging system. The system uses a position sensitive photomultiplier tube coupled with a scintillator. The proposed techniques has greatly simplified the electronic design and made the system a feasible one for potable applications.

Computation of turbulent flow in a thin liquid layer of fluid involving a hydraulic jump

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rahman, M. M.; Faghri, A.; Hankey, W. L.

1991-01-01

Numerically computed flow fields and free surface height distributions are presented for the flow of a thin layer of liquid adjacent to a solid horizontal surface that encounters a hydraulic jump. Two kinds of flow configurations are considered: two-dimensional plane flow and axisymmetric radial flow. The computations used a boundary-fitted moving grid method with a k-epsilon model for the closure of turbulence. The free surface height was determined by an optimization procedure which minimized the error in the pressure distribution on the free surface. It was also checked against an approximate procedure involving integration of the governing equations and use of the MacCormack predictor-corrector method. The computed film height also compared reasonably well with previous experiments. A region of recirculating flow was found to be present adjacent to the solid boundary near the location of the jump, which was caused by a rapid deceleration of the flow.

Toward an automated low-cost three-dimensional crop surface monitoring system using oblique stereo imagery from consumer-grade smart cameras

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brocks, Sebastian; Bendig, Juliane; Bareth, Georg

2016-10-01

Crop surface models (CSMs) representing plant height above ground level are a useful tool for monitoring in-field crop growth variability and enabling precision agriculture applications. A semiautomated system for generating CSMs was implemented. It combines an Android application running on a set of smart cameras for image acquisition and transmission and a set of Python scripts automating the structure-from-motion (SfM) software package Agisoft Photoscan and ArcGIS. Only ground-control-point (GCP) marking was performed manually. This system was set up on a barley field experiment with nine different barley cultivars in the growing period of 2014. Images were acquired three times a day for a period of two months. CSMs were successfully generated for 95 out of 98 acquisitions between May 2 and June 30. The best linear regressions of the CSM-derived plot-wise averaged plant-heights compared to manual plant height measurements taken at four dates resulted in a coefficient of determination R2 of 0.87 and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.08 m, with Willmott's refined index of model performance dr equaling 0.78. In total, 103 mean plot heights were used in the regression based on the noon acquisition time. The presented system succeeded in semiautomatedly monitoring crop height on a plot scale to field scale.

Observing Crop-Height Dynamics Using a UAV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ziliani, M. G.; Parkes, S. D.; McCabe, M.

2017-12-01

Retrieval of vegetation height during a growing season is a key indicator for monitoring crop status, offering insight to the forecast yield relative to previous planting cycles. Improvement in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technologies, supported by advances in computer vision and photogrammetry software, has enabled retrieval of crop heights with much higher spatial resolution and coverage. These methodologies retrieve a Digital Surface Map (DSM), which combine terrain and crop elements to obtain a Crop Surface Map (CSM). Here we describe an automated method for deriving high resolution CSMs from a DSM, using RGB imagery from a UAV platform. Importantly, the approach does not require the need for a digital terrain map (DTM). The method involves distinguishing between vegetation and bare-ground cover pixels, using vegetation index maps from the RGB orthomosaic derived from the same flight as the DSM. We show that the absolute crop height can be extracted to within several centimeters, exploiting the data captured from a single UAV flight. In addition, the method is applied across five surveys during a maize growing cycle and compared against a terrain map constructed from a baseline UAV survey undertaken prior to crop growth. Results show that the approach is able to reproduce the observed spatial variability of the crop height within the maize field throughout the duration of the growing season. This is particularly valuable since it may be employed to detect intra-field problems (i.e. fertilizer variability, inefficiency in the irrigation system, salinity etc.) at different stages of the season, from which remedial action can be initiated to mitigate against yield loss. The method also demonstrates that UAV imagery combined with commercial photogrammetry software can determine a CSM from a single flight without the requirement of a prior DTM. This, together with the dynamic crop height estimation, provide useful information with which to inform precision agricultural management at the local scale.

Evaluation of the Factors which Contribute to the Ocular Complaints in Computer Users.

PubMed

Agarwal, Smita; Goel, Dishanter; Sharma, Anshu

2013-02-01

Use of information technology hardware given new heights to professional success rate and saves time but on the other hand its harmful effect has introduced an array of health related complaints causing hazards for our human health. Increased use of computers has led to an increase in the number of patients with ocular complaints which are being grouped together as computer vision syndrome (CVS). In view of that, this study was undertaken to find out the ocular complaints and the factors contributing to occurrence of such problems in computer users. To evaluate the factors contributing to Ocular complaints in computer users in Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, U.P. India. Community-based cross-sectional study of 150 subjects who work on computer for varying period of time in Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Two hundred computer operators working in different institutes offices and bank of were selected randomly in Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, and Uttar Pradesh. 16 were non responders 18 did not come for assessment and 16 were excluded due to complaints prior to computer use making no response rate Twenty-one did not participate in the study, making the no response rate 25%. Rest of the subjects (n = 150) were asked to fill a pre-tested questionnaire, after obtaining their verbal consent Depending on the average hours of usage in a day, they were categorized into three categories viz. <2 hrs, 2-6 hrs, >6 hrs of usage. All the responders were asked to come to the Ophthalmic OPD for further interview and assessment. Simple proportions and Chi-square test. Among the 150 subjects studied major ocular complaint reported in descending order were eyestrain. (53%). Occurrence of eye strain, ( 53.8%), itching ( 47.6%) and burning (66.7%) in subjects using computer for more than 6 hours. distance from computer screen with respect to eyes, use of antiglare screen, taking frequent breaks, use of LCD monitor and adjustment of brightness of monitor screen bear a significant association with these ocular complaints in computer users. Eye strain is the most common ocular complaints among computer users working for more than 6 hours a day. We also found that maintaining ideal distance from screen, keeping level of eyes above the top of screen, taking frequent breaks, using LCD monitors and using antiglare screen and adjusting brightness levels according to workplace reduced these ocular complaints to a significant level.

Evaluation of the Factors which Contribute to the Ocular Complaints in Computer Users

PubMed Central

Agarwal, Smita; Goel, Dishanter; Sharma, Anshu

2013-01-01

Context: Use of information technology hardware given new heights to professional success rate and saves time but on the other hand its harmful effect has introduced an array of health related complaints causing hazards for our human health. Increased use of computers has led to an increase in the number of patients with ocular complaints which are being grouped together as computer vision syndrome (CVS). In view of that, this study was undertaken to find out the ocular complaints and the factors contributing to occurrence of such problems in computer users. Aims: To evaluate the factors contributing to Ocular complaints in computer users in Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, U.P. India. Settings and Design: Community-based cross-sectional study of 150 subjects who work on computer for varying period of time in Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh. Materials and Methods: Two hundred computer operators working in different institutes offices and bank of were selected randomly in Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, and Uttar Pradesh. 16 were non responders 18 did not come for assessment and 16 were excluded due to complaints prior to computer use making no response rate Twenty-one did not participate in the study, making the no response rate 25%. Rest of the subjects (n = 150) were asked to fill a pre-tested questionnaire, after obtaining their verbal consent Depending on the average hours of usage in a day, they were categorized into three categories viz. <2 hrs, 2-6 hrs, >6 hrs of usage. All the responders were asked to come to the Ophthalmic OPD for further interview and assessment. Statistical Analysis Used: Simple proportions and Chi-square test. Results: Among the 150 subjects studied major ocular complaint reported in descending order were eyestrain. (53%). Occurrence of eye strain, ( 53.8%), itching ( 47.6%) and burning (66.7%) in subjects using computer for more than 6 hours. distance from computer screen with respect to eyes, use of antiglare screen, taking frequent breaks, use of LCD monitor and adjustment of brightness of monitor screen bear a significant association with these ocular complaints in computer users. Conclusions: Eye strain is the most common ocular complaints among computer users working for more than 6 hours a day. We also found that maintaining ideal distance from screen, keeping level of eyes above the top of screen, taking frequent breaks, using LCD monitors and using antiglare screen and adjusting brightness levels according to workplace reduced these ocular complaints to a significant level. PMID:23543722

Calibration of the TOPEX altimeter using a GPS buoy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Born, G. H.; Parke, Michael E.; Axelrad, P.; Gold, K. L.; Johnson, James; Key, K.; Kubitschek, Daniel G.; Christensen, Edward J.

1994-01-01

The use of a spar buoy equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) antenna to calibrate the height measurement of the TOPEX radar altimeter is described. In order to determine the height of the GPS antenna phase center above the ocean surface, the buoy was also equipped with instrumentation to measure the instantaneous location of the waterline, and tilt of the bouy from vertical. The experiment was conducted off the California coast near the Texaco offshore oil platform, Harvest, during cycle 34 of the TOPEX/POSEIDON observational period. GPS solutions were computed for the bouy position using two different software packages, K&RS and GIPSY-OASIS II. These solutions were combined with estimates of the waterline location on the bouy to yield the height of the ocean surface. The ocean surface height in an absolute coordinate system combined with knowledge of the spacecraft height from tracking data provides a computed altimeter range measurement. By comparing this computed value to the actual altimeter measurement, the altimeter bias can be calibrated. The altimeter height bias obtained with the buoy using K&RS was -14.6 +/- 4 cm, while with GIPSY-OASIS II it was -13.1 +/- 4 cm. These are 0.1 cm and 1.6 cm different from the -14.7 +/- 4 cm result obtained for this flight overflight with the tide gauge instruments located on Platform Harvest.

High-Throughput 3-D Monitoring of Agricultural-Tree Plantations with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Technology

PubMed Central

Torres-Sánchez, Jorge; López-Granados, Francisca; Serrano, Nicolás; Arquero, Octavio; Peña, José M.

2015-01-01

The geometric features of agricultural trees such as canopy area, tree height and crown volume provide useful information about plantation status and crop production. However, these variables are mostly estimated after a time-consuming and hard field work and applying equations that treat the trees as geometric solids, which produce inconsistent results. As an alternative, this work presents an innovative procedure for computing the 3-dimensional geometric features of individual trees and tree-rows by applying two consecutive phases: 1) generation of Digital Surface Models with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology and 2) use of object-based image analysis techniques. Our UAV-based procedure produced successful results both in single-tree and in tree-row plantations, reporting up to 97% accuracy on area quantification and minimal deviations compared to in-field estimations of tree heights and crown volumes. The maps generated could be used to understand the linkages between tree grown and field-related factors or to optimize crop management operations in the context of precision agriculture with relevant agro-environmental implications. PMID:26107174

High-Throughput 3-D Monitoring of Agricultural-Tree Plantations with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Technology.

PubMed

Torres-Sánchez, Jorge; López-Granados, Francisca; Serrano, Nicolás; Arquero, Octavio; Peña, José M

2015-01-01

The geometric features of agricultural trees such as canopy area, tree height and crown volume provide useful information about plantation status and crop production. However, these variables are mostly estimated after a time-consuming and hard field work and applying equations that treat the trees as geometric solids, which produce inconsistent results. As an alternative, this work presents an innovative procedure for computing the 3-dimensional geometric features of individual trees and tree-rows by applying two consecutive phases: 1) generation of Digital Surface Models with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology and 2) use of object-based image analysis techniques. Our UAV-based procedure produced successful results both in single-tree and in tree-row plantations, reporting up to 97% accuracy on area quantification and minimal deviations compared to in-field estimations of tree heights and crown volumes. The maps generated could be used to understand the linkages between tree grown and field-related factors or to optimize crop management operations in the context of precision agriculture with relevant agro-environmental implications.

The countermovement jump to monitor neuromuscular status: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Claudino, João Gustavo; Cronin, John; Mezêncio, Bruno; McMaster, Daniel Travis; McGuigan, Michael; Tricoli, Valmor; Amadio, Alberto Carlos; Serrão, Julio Cerca

2017-04-01

The primary objective of this meta-analysis was to compare countermovement jump (CMJ) performance in studies that reported the highest value as opposed to average value for the purposes of monitoring neuromuscular status (i.e., fatigue and supercompensation). The secondary aim was to determine the sensitivity of the dependent variables. Systematic review with meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted on the highest or average of a number of CMJ variables. Multiple literature searches were undertaken in Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify articles utilizing CMJ to monitor training status. Effect sizes (ES) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated using the mean and standard deviation of the pre- and post-testing data. The coefficient of variation (CV) with 95% CI was also calculated to assess the level of instability of each variable. Heterogeneity was assessed using a random-effects model. 151 articles were included providing a total of 531 ESs for the meta-analyses; 85.4% of articles used highest CMJ height, 13.2% used average and 1.3% used both when reporting changes in CMJ performance. Based on the meta-analysis, average CMJ height was more sensitive than highest CMJ height in detecting CMJ fatigue and supercompensation. Furthermore, other CMJ variables such as peak power, mean power, peak velocity, peak force, mean impulse, and power were sensitive in tracking the supercompensation effects of training. The average CMJ height was more sensitive than highest CMJ height in monitoring neuromuscular status; however, further investigation is needed to determine the sensitivity of other CMJ performance variables. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rapid Assessment of Wave Height Transformation through a Tidal Inlet via Radar Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Díaz Méndez, G.; Haller, M. C.; Raubenheimer, B.; Elgar, S.; Honegger, D.

2014-12-01

Radar has the potential to enable temporally and spatially dense, continuous monitoring of waves and currents in nearshore environments. If quantitative relationships between the remote sensing signals and the hydrodynamic parameters of interest can be found, remote sensing techniques can mitigate the challenges of continuous in situ sampling and possibly enable a better understanding of wave transformation in areas with strongly inhomogeneous along and across-shore bathymetry, currents, and dissipation. As part of the DARLA experiment (New River Inlet, NC), the accuracy of a rapid assessment of wave height transformation via radar remote sensing is tested. Wave breaking events are identified in the radar image time series (Catalán et al. 2011). Once the total number of breaking waves (per radar collection) is mapped throughout the imaging domain, radar-derived bathymetry and wave frequency are used to compute wave breaking dissipation (Janssen and Battjes 2007). Given the wave breaking dissipation, the wave height transformation is calculated by finding an inverse solution to the 1D cross-shore energy flux equation (including the effect of refraction). The predicted wave height transformation is consistent (correlation R > 0.9 and rmse as low as 0.1 m) with the transformation observed with in situ sensors in an area of complex morphology and strong (> 1 m/s) tidal currents over a nine-day period. The wave forcing (i.e., radiation stress gradients) determined from the remote sensing methodology will be compared with values estimated with in situ sensors. Funded by ONR and ASD(R&E)

Monitoring culvert load with shallow filling under Geofoam areas.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-08-01

Geofoam and the "Imperfect Ditch" method can be used effectively on embankment projects to reduce pressures on underground structures when sufficient fill height is available to create an arching effect. When the fill height is too shallow the archin...

Bi-Fi: an embedded sensor/system architecture for REMOTE biological monitoring.

PubMed

Farshchi, Shahin; Pesterev, Aleksey; Nuyujukian, Paul H; Mody, Istvan; Judy, Jack W

2007-11-01

Wireless-enabled processor modules intended for communicating low-frequency phenomena (i.e., temperature, humidity, and ambient light) have been enabled to acquire and transmit multiple biological signals in real time, which has been achieved by using computationally efficient data acquisition, filtering, and compression algorithms, and interfacing the modules with biological interface hardware. The sensor modules can acquire and transmit raw biological signals at a rate of 32 kb/s, which is near the hardware limit of the modules. Furthermore, onboard signal processing enables one channel, sampled at a rate of 4000 samples/s at 12-bit resolution, to be compressed via adaptive differential-pulse-code modulation (ADPCM) and transmitted in real time. In addition, the sensors can be configured to filter and transmit individual time-referenced "spike" waveforms, or to transmit the spike height and width for alleviating network traffic and increasing battery life. The system is capable of acquiring eight channels of analog signals as well as data via an asynchronous serial connection. A back-end server archives the biological data received via networked gateway sensors, and hosts them to a client application that enables users to browse recorded data. The system also acquires, filters, and transmits oxygen saturation and pulse rate via a commercial-off-the-shelf interface board. The system architecture can be configured for performing real-time nonobtrusive biological monitoring of humans or rodents. This paper demonstrates that low-power, computational, and bandwidth-constrained wireless-enabled platforms can indeed be leveraged for wireless biosignal monitoring.

A continuous scale-space method for the automated placement of spot heights on maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocca, Luigi; Jenny, Bernhard; Puppo, Enrico

2017-12-01

Spot heights and soundings explicitly indicate terrain elevation on cartographic maps. Cartographers have developed design principles for the manual selection, placement, labeling, and generalization of spot height locations, but these processes are work-intensive and expensive. Finding an algorithmic criterion that matches the cartographers' judgment in ranking the significance of features on a terrain is a difficult endeavor. This article proposes a method for the automated selection of spot heights locations representing natural features such as peaks, saddles and depressions. A lifespan of critical points in a continuous scale-space model is employed as the main measure of the importance of features, and an algorithm and a data structure for its computation are described. We also introduce a method for the comparison of algorithmically computed spot height locations with manually produced reference compilations. The new method is compared with two known techniques from the literature. Results show spot height locations that are closer to reference spot heights produced manually by swisstopo cartographers, compared to previous techniques. The introduced method can be applied to elevation models for the creation of topographic and bathymetric maps. It also ranks the importance of extracted spot height locations, which allows for a variation in the size of symbols and labels according to the significance of represented features. The importance ranking could also be useful for adjusting spot height density of zoomable maps in real time.

Computation of distribution of minimum resolution for log-normal distribution of chromatographic peak heights.

PubMed

Davis, Joe M

2011-10-28

General equations are derived for the distribution of minimum resolution between two chromatographic peaks, when peak heights in a multi-component chromatogram follow a continuous statistical distribution. The derivation draws on published theory by relating the area under the distribution of minimum resolution to the area under the distribution of the ratio of peak heights, which in turn is derived from the peak-height distribution. Two procedures are proposed for the equations' numerical solution. The procedures are applied to the log-normal distribution, which recently was reported to describe the distribution of component concentrations in three complex natural mixtures. For published statistical parameters of these mixtures, the distribution of minimum resolution is similar to that for the commonly assumed exponential distribution of peak heights used in statistical-overlap theory. However, these two distributions of minimum resolution can differ markedly, depending on the scale parameter of the log-normal distribution. Theory for the computation of the distribution of minimum resolution is extended to other cases of interest. With the log-normal distribution of peak heights as an example, the distribution of minimum resolution is computed when small peaks are lost due to noise or detection limits, and when the height of at least one peak is less than an upper limit. The distribution of minimum resolution shifts slightly to lower resolution values in the first case and to markedly larger resolution values in the second one. The theory and numerical procedure are confirmed by Monte Carlo simulation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Numerical Assessment of Four-Port Through-Flow Wave Rotor Cycles with Passage Height Variation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paxson, D. E.; Lindau, Jules W.

1997-01-01

The potential for improved performance of wave rotor cycles through the use of passage height variation is examined. A Quasi-one-dimensional CFD code with experimentally validated loss models is used to determine the flowfield in the wave rotor passages. Results indicate that a carefully chosen passage height profile can produce substantial performance gains. Numerical performance data are presented for a specific profile, in a four-port, through-flow cycle design which yielded a computed 4.6% increase in design point pressure ratio over a comparably sized rotor with constant passage height. In a small gas turbine topping cycle application, this increased pressure ratio would reduce specific fuel consumption to 22% below the un-topped engine; a significant improvement over the already impressive 18% reductions predicted for the constant passage height rotor. The simulation code is briefly described. The method used to obtain rotor passage height profiles with enhanced performance is presented. Design and off-design results are shown using two different computational techniques. The paper concludes with some recommendations for further work.

Evaluation of submarine strain-gage systems for monitoring coastal sediment migration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shideler, G. L.; Mcgrath, D. G.

1973-01-01

Single and multiple strain-gage systems were respectively evaluated as in situ point and areal sensors for monitoring sand-height variations in coastal environments. Static loading tests indicate that gage response pressure is linear for sand heights up to 24 inches. Response pressures are a function of both sand height and aggregate density, with density being influenced by both sediment texture and degree of compaction. Poorer sediment sorting and greater compaction result in higher response pressures. Field tests in a beach foreshore environment indicate that the gage systems are effective qualitative instruments for monitoring long-period migration trends of beach sediments; whereas, short-period responses are not sufficiently reliable. The durability and compactness of the gage systems must be substantially increased for effective field operations. It is recommended that the systems' qualitative potentials be further developed, whereas their development as quantitative instruments be terminated. Further development should emphasize the construction of remote recording systems designed for semipermanent installation.

Automatic analysis of stereoscopic satellite image pairs for determination of cloud-top height and structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasler, A. F.; Strong, J.; Woodward, R. H.; Pierce, H.

1991-01-01

Results are presented on an automatic stereo analysis of cloud-top heights from nearly simultaneous satellite image pairs from the GOES and NOAA satellites, using a massively parallel processor computer. Comparisons of computer-derived height fields and manually analyzed fields show that the automatic analysis technique shows promise for performing routine stereo analysis in a real-time environment, providing a useful forecasting tool by augmenting observational data sets of severe thunderstorms and hurricanes. Simulations using synthetic stereo data show that it is possible to automatically resolve small-scale features such as 4000-m-diam clouds to about 1500 m in the vertical.

Analysis of a new phase and height algorithm in phase measurement profilometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bian, Xintian; Zuo, Fen; Cheng, Ju

2018-04-01

Traditional phase measurement profilometry adopts divergent illumination to obtain the height distribution of a measured object accurately. However, the mapping relation between reference plane coordinates and phase distribution must be calculated before measurement. Data are then stored in a computer in the form of a data sheet for standby applications. This study improved the distribution of projected fringes and deducted the phase-height mapping algorithm when the two pupils of the projection and imaging systems are of unequal heights and when the projection and imaging axes are on different planes. With the algorithm, calculating the mapping relation between reference plane coordinates and phase distribution prior to measurement is unnecessary. Thus, the measurement process is simplified, and the construction of an experimental system is made easy. Computer simulation and experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the method.

Signal Processing for Determining Water Height in Steam Pipes with Dynamic Surface Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lih, Shyh-Shiuh; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2015-01-01

An enhanced signal processing method based on the filtered Hilbert envelope of the auto-correlation function of the wave signal has been developed to monitor the height of condensed water through the steel wall of steam pipes with dynamic surface conditions. The developed signal processing algorithm can also be used to estimate the thickness of the pipe to determine the cut-off frequency for the low pass filter frequency of the Hilbert Envelope. Testing and analysis results by using the developed technique for dynamic surface conditions are presented. A multiple array of transducers setup and methodology are proposed for both the pulse-echo and pitch-catch signals to monitor the fluctuation of the water height due to disturbance, water flow, and other anomaly conditions.

Rip current monitoring using GPS buoy system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, DongSeob; Kim, InHo; Kang, DongSoo

2014-05-01

The occurrence of rip current in the Haeundae beach, which is one of the most famous beaches in South Korea, has been threatening beach-goers security in summer season annually. Many coastal scientists have been investigating rip currents by using field observations and measurements, laboratory measurements and wave tank experiments, and computer and numerical modeling. Rip current velocity is intermittent and may rapidly increase within minutes due to larger incoming wave groups or nearshore circulation instabilities. It is important to understand that changes in rip current velocity occur in response to changes in incoming wave height and period as well as changes in water level. GPS buoys have been used to acquire sea level change data, atmospheric parameters and other oceanic variables in sea for the purposes of vertical datum determination, tide correction, radar altimeter calibration, ocean environment and marine pollution monitoring. Therefore, we adopted GPS buoy system for an experiment which is to investigate rip current velocity; it is sporadic and may quickly upsurge within minutes due to larger arriving wave groups or nearshore flow uncertainties. In this study, for high accurate positioning of buy equipment, a Satellite Based Argumentation System DGPS data logger was deployed to investigate within floating object, and it can be acquired three-dimensional coordinate or geodetic position of buoy with continuous NMEA-0183 protocol during 24 hours. The wave height measured by in-situ hydrometer in a cross-shore array clearly increased before and after occurrence of rip current, and wave period also was lengthened around an event. These results show that wave height and period correlate reasonably well with long-shore current interaction in the Haeundae beach. Additionally, current meter data and GPS buoy data showed that rip current velocities, about 0.2 m/s, may become dangerously strong under specific conditions. Acknowledgement This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology(2010-0024670)

Room airflow studies using sonic anemometry.

PubMed

Wasiolek, P T; Whicker, J J; Gong, H; Rodgers, J C

1999-06-01

To ensure prompt response by real-time air monitors to an accidental release of toxic aerosols in a workplace, safety professionals should understand airflow patterns. This understanding can be achieved with validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computer simulations, or with experimental techniques, such as measurements with smoke, neutrally buoyant markers, trace gases, or trace aerosol particles. As a supplementary technique to quantify airflows, the use of a state-of-the art, three-dimensional sonic anemometer was explored. This instrument allows for the precise measurements of the air-velocity vector components in the range of a few centimeters per second, which is common in many indoor work environments. Measurements of air velocities and directions at selected locations were made for the purpose of providing data for characterizing fundamental aspects of indoor air movement in two ventilated rooms and for comparison to CFD model predictions. One room was a mockup of a plutonium workroom, and the other was an actual functioning plutonium workroom. In the mockup room, air-velocity vector components were measured at 19 locations at three heights (60, 120 and 180 cm) with average velocities varying from 1.4 cm s-1 to 9.7 cm s-1. There were complex flow patterns observed with turbulence intensities from 39% up to 108%. In the plutonium workroom, measurements were made at the breathing-zone height, recording average velocities ranging from 9.9 cm s-1 to 35.5 cm s-1 with turbulence intensities from 33% to 108%.

Hurricane Juliette

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-19

... right is the cloud-top height field derived using automated computer processing of the data from multiple MISR cameras. Relative height ... NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Terra spacecraft is managed ...

Two global data sets of daily fire emission injection heights since 2003

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rémy, Samuel; Veira, Andreas; Paugam, Ronan; Sofiev, Mikhail; Kaiser, Johannes W.; Marenco, Franco; Burton, Sharon P.; Benedetti, Angela; Engelen, Richard J.; Ferrare, Richard; Hair, Jonathan W.

2017-02-01

The Global Fire Assimilation System (GFAS) assimilates fire radiative power (FRP) observations from satellite-based sensors to produce daily estimates of biomass burning emissions. It has been extended to include information about injection heights derived from fire observations and meteorological information from the operational weather forecasts of ECMWF. Injection heights are provided by two distinct methods: the Integrated Monitoring and Modelling System for wildland fires (IS4FIRES) parameterisation and the one-dimensional plume rise model (PRM). A global database of daily biomass burning emissions and injection heights at 0.1° resolution has been produced for 2003-2015 and is continuously extended in near-real time with the operational GFAS service of the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS). In this study, the two injection height data sets were compared with the new MPHP2 (MISR Plume Height Project 2) satellite-based plume height retrievals. The IS4FIRES parameterisation showed a better overall agreement than the observations, while the PRM was better at capturing the variability of injection heights. The performance of both parameterisations is also dependent on the type of vegetation. Furthermore, the use of biomass burning emission heights from GFAS in atmospheric composition forecasts was assessed in two case studies: the South AMerican Biomass Burning Analysis (SAMBBA) campaign which took place in September 2012 in Brazil, and a series of large fire events in the western USA in August 2013. For these case studies, forecasts of biomass burning aerosol species by the Composition Integrated Forecasting System (C-IFS) of CAMS were found to better reproduce the observed vertical distribution when using PRM injection heights from GFAS compared to aerosols emissions being prescribed at the surface. The globally available GFAS injection heights introduced and evaluated in this study provide a comprehensive data set for future fire and atmospheric composition modelling studies.

Computer Reconstruction of Plant Growth and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Emission in Three Spatial Dimensions

PubMed Central

Bellasio, Chandra; Olejníčková, Julie; Tesař, Radek; Šebela, David; Nedbal, Ladislav

2012-01-01

Plant leaves grow and change their orientation as well their emission of chlorophyll fluorescence in time. All these dynamic plant properties can be semi-automatically monitored by a 3D imaging system that generates plant models by the method of coded light illumination, fluorescence imaging and computer 3D reconstruction. Here, we describe the essentials of the method, as well as the system hardware. We show that the technique can reconstruct, with a high fidelity, the leaf size, the leaf angle and the plant height. The method fails with wilted plants when leaves overlap obscuring their true area. This effect, naturally, also interferes when the method is applied to measure plant growth under water stress. The method is, however, very potent in capturing the plant dynamics under mild stress and without stress. The 3D reconstruction is also highly effective in correcting geometrical factors that distort measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence emission of naturally positioned plant leaves. PMID:22368511

Computer reconstruction of plant growth and chlorophyll fluorescence emission in three spatial dimensions.

PubMed

Bellasio, Chandra; Olejníčková, Julie; Tesař, Radek; Sebela, David; Nedbal, Ladislav

2012-01-01

Plant leaves grow and change their orientation as well their emission of chlorophyll fluorescence in time. All these dynamic plant properties can be semi-automatically monitored by a 3D imaging system that generates plant models by the method of coded light illumination, fluorescence imaging and computer 3D reconstruction. Here, we describe the essentials of the method, as well as the system hardware. We show that the technique can reconstruct, with a high fidelity, the leaf size, the leaf angle and the plant height. The method fails with wilted plants when leaves overlap obscuring their true area. This effect, naturally, also interferes when the method is applied to measure plant growth under water stress. The method is, however, very potent in capturing the plant dynamics under mild stress and without stress. The 3D reconstruction is also highly effective in correcting geometrical factors that distort measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence emission of naturally positioned plant leaves.

[Computer-assisted diet therapy in pediatric kidney diseases].

PubMed

Dartois, A M; Ducamp, S; Decaux, F; Broyer, M

1989-01-01

The authors present a computer program written in UCSD Pascal) which monitors the dietary management of children with kidney diseases. Diet is established according to height, weight, chronological and statural age and recommended dietary allowances (USRDA). The composition of the prescribed diet and of food intake is given as amounts of animal and vegetable protein, fat, carbohydrates, energy, water, Na, K, Ca, P and renal solute load, per day and per kilo BW as compared to RDA. The amount of food is presented in tabular form, per day, per meal, per feed, or per tube-feeding with the schedule. It is possible to calculate the nutrients of food recipes. The food table includes 500 items, that can be modified as required. The drug table contains 100 items. The program calculates also average food consumption for dietary surveys. Diets, recipes and food tables may be viewed and modified before print out at each step of the calculation. The diet data bank stores 100 diets per floppy disk.

Analysis of seismograms from a downhole array in sediments near San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Joyner, William B.; Warrick, Richard E.; Oliver, Adolph A.

1976-01-01

A four-level downhole array of three-component instruments was established on the southwest shore of San Francisco Bay to monitor the effect of the sediments on low-amplitude seismic ground motion. The deepest instrument is at a depth of 186 meters, two meters below the top of the Franciscan bedrock. Earthquake data from regional distances (29 km ≤ Δ ≤ 485 km) over a wide range of azimuths are compared with the predictions of a simple plane-layered model with material properties independently determined. Spectral ratios between the surface and bedrock computed for the one horizontal component of motion that was analyzed agree rather well with the model predictions; the model predicts the frequencies of the first three peaks within 10 percent in most cases and the height of the peaks within 50 percent in most cases. Surface time histories computed from the theoretical model predict the time variations of amplitude and frequency content reasonably well, but correlations of individual cycles cannot be made between observed and predicted traces.

Optimal control of build height utilizing optical profilometry in cold spray deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakraborty, Abhijit; Shishkin, Sergey; Birnkrant, Michael J.

2017-04-01

Part-to-part variability and poor part quality due to failure to maintain geometric specifications pose a challenge for adopting Additive Manufacturing (AM) as a viable manufacturing process. In recent years, In-process Monitoring and Control (InPMC) has received a lot of attention as an approach to overcome these obstacles. The ability to sense geometry of the deposited layers accurately enables effective process monitoring and control of AM application. This paper demonstrates an application of geometry sensing technique for the coating deposition Cold Spray process, where solid powders are accelerated through a nozzle, collides with the substrate and adheres to it. Often the deposited surface has shape irregularities. This paper proposes an approach to suppress the iregularities by controlling the deposition height. An analytical control-oriented model is developed that expresses the resulting height of deposit as an integral function of nozzle velocity and angle. In order to obtain height information at each layer, a Micro-Epsilon laser line scanner was used for surface profiling after each deposition. This surface profile information, specifically the layer height, was then fed back to an optimal control algorithm which manipulated the nozzle speed to control the layer height to a pre specified height. While the problem is heavily nonlinear, we were able to transform it into equivalent Optimal Control problem linear w.r.t. input. That enabled development of two solution methods: one is fast and approximate, while another is more accurate but still efficient.

Final height in survivors of childhood cancer compared with Height Standard Deviation Scores at diagnosis.

PubMed

Knijnenburg, S L; Raemaekers, S; van den Berg, H; van Dijk, I W E M; Lieverst, J A; van der Pal, H J; Jaspers, M W M; Caron, H N; Kremer, L C; van Santen, H M

2013-04-01

Our study aimed to evaluate final height in a cohort of Dutch childhood cancer survivors (CCS) and assess possible determinants of final height, including height at diagnosis. We calculated standard deviation scores (SDS) for height at initial cancer diagnosis and height in adulthood in a cohort of 573 CCS. Multivariable regression analyses were carried out to estimate the influence of different determinants on height SDS at follow-up. Overall, survivors had a normal height SDS at cancer diagnosis. However, at follow-up in adulthood, 8.9% had a height ≤-2 SDS. Height SDS at diagnosis was an important determinant for adult height SDS. Children treated with (higher doses of) radiotherapy showed significantly reduced final height SDS. Survivors treated with total body irradiation (TBI) and craniospinal radiation had the greatest loss in height (-1.56 and -1.37 SDS, respectively). Younger age at diagnosis contributed negatively to final height. Height at diagnosis was an important determinant for height SDS at follow-up. Survivors treated with TBI, cranial and craniospinal irradiation should be monitored periodically for adequate linear growth, to enable treatment on time if necessary. For correct interpretation of treatment-related late effects studies in CCS, pre-treatment data should always be included.

Home- and community-based growth monitoring to reduce early life growth faltering: an open-label, cluster-randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Fink, Günther; Levenson, Rachel; Tembo, Sarah; Rockers, Peter C

2017-10-01

Background: Despite the continued high prevalence of faltering growth, height monitoring remains limited in many low- and middle-income countries. Objective: The objective of this study was to test whether providing parents with information on their child's height can improve children's height and developmental outcomes. Design: Villages in Chipata District, Zambia ( n = 127), were randomly assigned with equal probability to 1 of 3 groups: home-based growth monitoring (HBGM), community-based growth monitoring including nutritional supplementation for children with stunted growth (CBGM+NS), and control. Primary study outcomes were individual height-for-age z score (HAZ) and overall child development assessed with the International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21st Century Neurodevelopment Assessment tool. Secondary outcomes were weight-for-age z score (WAZ), protein consumption, breastfeeding, and general dietary diversity. Results: We enrolled a total of 547 children with a median age of 13 mo at baseline. Estimated mean difference (β) in HAZ was 0.127 (95% CI: -0.107, 0.361) for HBGM and -0.152 (95% CI: -0.341, 0.036) for CBGM+NS. HBGM had no impact on child development [β: -0.017 (95% CI: -0.133, 0.098)]; CBGM+NS reduced overall child development scores by -0.118 SD (95% CI: -0.230, -0.006 SD). Both interventions had larger positive effects among children with stunted growth at baseline, with estimated interaction effects of 0.503 (95% CI: 0.160, 0.846) and 0.582 (95% CI: 0.134, 1.030) for CBGM+NS and HBGM, respectively. HBGM increased mean WAZ [β = 0.183 (95% CI: 0.037, 0.328)]. Both interventions improved parental reports of children's protein intake. Conclusions: The results from this trial suggest that growth monitoring has a limited effect on children's height and development, despite improvements in self-reported feeding practices. HBGM had modest positive effects on children with stunted growth. Given its relatively low cost, this intervention may be a cost-effective tool for increasing parental efforts toward reducing children's physical growth deficits. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02242539.

Comparison of face types in Chinese women using three-dimensional computed tomography.

PubMed

Zhou, Rong-Rong; Zhao, Qi-Ming; Liu, Miao

2015-04-01

This study compared inverted triangle and square faces of 21 young Chinese Han women (18-25 years old) using three-dimensional computed tomography images retrieved from a records database. In this study, 11 patients had inverted triangle faces and 10 had square faces. The anatomic features were examined and compared. There were significant differences in lower face width, lower face height, masseter thickness, middle/lower face width ratio, and lower face width/height ratio between the two facial types (p < 0.01). Lower face width was positively correlated with masseter thickness and negatively correlated with gonial angle. Lower face height was positively correlated with gonial angle and negatively correlated with masseter thickness, and gonial angle was negatively correlated with masseter thickness. In young Chinese Han women, inverted triangle faces and square faces differ significantly in masseter thickness and lower face height. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Optimizing efficiency of height modeling for extensive forest inventories.

Treesearch

T.M. Barrett

2006-01-01

Although critical to monitoring forest ecosystems, inventories are expensive. This paper presents a generalizable method for using an integer programming model to examine tradeoffs between cost and estimation error for alternative measurement strategies in forest inventories. The method is applied to an example problem of choosing alternative height-modeling strategies...

50 CFR 216.175 - Requirements for monitoring and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...., FFG, DDG, or CG). (G) Length of time observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal. (H) Wave... height in feet (high, low and average during exercise). (I) Narrative description of sensors and... sensor. (F) Length of time observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal. (G) Wave height. (H...

50 CFR 218.105 - Requirements for monitoring and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...., FFG, DDG, or CG); (G) Length of time observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal(s); (H...., participating in exercise; (H) Wave height in feet (high, low and average during exercise); and (I) Narrative... observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal; (G) Wave height; (H) Visibility; (I) Whether...

50 CFR 218.105 - Requirements for monitoring and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...., FFG, DDG, or CG); (G) Length of time observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal(s); (H...., participating in exercise; (H) Wave height in feet (high, low and average during exercise); and (I) Narrative... observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal; (G) Wave height; (H) Visibility; (I) Whether...

Quality of anthropometric measurements in Spanish Intensive Care Units (The CAMIES Study).

PubMed

García-Martínez, M A; Cherednichenko, T; Hidalgo Encinas, Y; Catalá Espinosa, A I; Arrascaeta Llanes, A; Acosta Escribano, J A

2017-11-11

Real body weight and height are essential data to be obtained in all critically ill patients (CIP), due to their influence in the designing of therapies and monitoring. Visual estimation is a very inaccurate practice. No precise descriptions of anthropometric measurements among CIP are available in the clinical practice guides. To describe anthropometric quality in CIP, health professional perception of such quality, and its influencing factors. Computer-assisted telephone or self-interviewing. Doctors and nurses of all Spanish Intensive Care Units (ICU) attending adults. Anthropometric practices were described in detail, along with the proclivity to obtain real measurements, and the influence of professional experience, the number of ICU beds, and the health professional group involved. A total of 481 questionnaires were collected from 176 hospitals (36.8% from physicians). The availability of measuring tools is limited (weight 68.7% - height 76.7%), with no relation to the number of ICU beds (weight P=.343, height P=.61). Visual estimation was the most frequent way of obtaining measurements (weight 65.9% - height 64.8%), even when measuring tools were available. Willingness to take real measurements was very low, especially among physicians, and professional experience was associated to increased rejection (P<.001). Visually estimated measurements exceed real measurements in the routine practice of Spanish ICUs. Measurement tools are not widely available in the ICU, and even when available, their use is not guaranteed. The surveyed population does not view anthropometric measures as being important for clinical practice. An effort should be made by scientific societies to promote reliable anthropometric practice in Spanish ICUs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

Assessing browse trend at the landscape level Part 2: Monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keigley, R.B.; Frisina, M.R.; Fager, C.W.

2002-01-01

In Part 1, we assessed browse trend across a wide geographic area of Mt. Haggin Wildlife Management Area by conducting surveys of browsing-related architectures. Those data were qualitative. Below we describe the periodic collection of quantitative data from permanently marked locations; we refer to this phase of the trend assessment program as "monitoring." Trend was monitored by three methods: 1 Repeat photography. 2 Comparison of the height of live stems with the height of stems killed by browsing (LD Index). 3 Net annual stem growth rate (NAGRL3). The photography provides an assessment of trend from the comparison of photographs taken at intervals of a few years. The LD Index and NAGRL3 measurements provide an immediate assessment of trend.

Potential of Multitemporal Tandem-X Derived Crop Surface Models for Maize Growth Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hütt, C.; Tilly, N.; Schiedung, H.; Bareth, G.

2016-06-01

In this study, first results of retrieving plant heights of maize fields from multitemporal TanDEM-X images are shown. Three TanDEM-X dual polarization spotlight acquisitions were taken over a rural area in Germany in the growing season 2014. By interferometric processing, digital terrain models (DTM) were derived for each date with 5m resolution. From the data of the first acquisition (June 1st) taken before planting, a DTM of the bare ground is generated. The data of the following acquisition dates (July 15th, July 26th) are used to establish crop surface models (CSM). A CSM represents the crop surface of a whole field in a high resolution. By subtracting the DTM of the ground from each CSM, the actual plant height is calculated. Within these data sets 30 maize fields in the area of interest could be detected and verified by external land use data. Besides the spaceborne measurements, one of the maize fields was intensively investigated using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), which was carried out at the same dates as the predicted TanDEM-X acquisitions. Visual inspection of the derived plant heights, and accordance of the individually processed polarisations over the maize fields, demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method. Unfortunately, the infield variability of the intensively monitored field could not be successfully captured in the TanDEM-X derived plant heights and merely the general trend is visible. Nevertheless, the study shows the potential of the TanDEM-X constellation for maize height monitoring on field level.

The Influence of the Solar Coronal Radiation on Coronal Plasma Structures, I: Determination of the Incident Coronal Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Gerrard M.; Labrosse, Nicolas

2018-02-01

Coronal structures receive radiation not only from the solar disc, but also from the corona. This height-dependent incident radiation plays a crucial role in the excitation and the ionisation of the illuminated plasma. The aim of this article is to present a method for computing the detailed incident radiation coming from the solar corona, which is perceived at a point located at an arbitrary height. The coronal radiation is calculated by integrating the radiation received at a point in the corona over all of the corona visible from this point. The emission from the corona at all wavelengths of interest is computed using atomic data provided by CHIANTI. We obtain the spectrum illuminating points located at varying heights in the corona at wavelengths between 100 and 912 Å when photons can ionise H or He atoms and ions in their ground states. As expected, individual spectral lines will contribute most at the height within the corona where the local temperature is closest to their formation temperature. As there are many spectral lines produced by many ions, the coronal intensity cannot be assumed to vary in the same way at all wavelengths and so must be calculated for each separate height that is to be considered. This code can be used to compute the spectrum from the corona illuminating a point at any given height above the solar surface. This brings a necessary improvement to models where an accurate determination of the excitation and ionisation states of coronal plasma structures is crucial.

In defense of the classical height system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Foroughi, Ismael; Vaníček, Petr; Sheng, Michael; Kingdon, Robert William; Santos, Marcelo C.

2017-11-01

In many European countries, normal heights referred to the quasi-geoid as introduced by Molodenskij in the mid-20th century are preferred to the classical height system that consists of orthometric heights and the geoid as a reference surface for these heights. The rationale for this choice is supposed to be that in the classical height system, neither the geoid, nor the orthometric height can be ever known with centimetre level accuracy because one would need to know the topographical mass density to a level that can never be achieved. The aim of this paper is to question the validity of this rationale. The common way of assessing the congruency of a local geoid model and the orthometric heights is to compare the geoid heights with the difference between orthometric heights provided by leveling and geodetic heights provided by GNSS. On the other hand, testing the congruency of a quasi-geoidal model with normal height a similar procedure is used, except that instead of orthometric heights, normal heights are employed. For the area of Auvergne, France, which is now a more or less standard choice for precise geoid or quasi-geoid testing, only the normal heights are supplied by the Institute Geographic National, the provider of the data. This is clearly the consequence of the European preference for the Molodenskij system. The quality of the height system is to be judged by the congruency of the difference of the geoid/quasi-geoid heights subtracted from the geodetic heights and orthometric/normal heights. To assess the congruency of the classical height system, the Helmert approximation of orthometric heights is typically used as the transformation between normal and Helmert's heights is easily done. However, the evaluation of the differences between Helmert's and the rigorous orthometric heights is somewhat more involved as will be seen from the review in this paper. For the area of interest, the differences between normal and Helmert's heights at the control leveling points range between - 9.5 and 0 cm, differences between Helmert's and the rigorous orthometric heights vary between - 3.6 and 1.1 cm. The local gravimetric geoid model of Auvergne, computed by the Stokes-Helmert technique, is used here to illustrate the accuracy of the classical height system. Results show a very reasonable standard deviation (STD) of 3.2 cm of the differences between geoid values, derived from control leveling points, and gravimetric geoid heights when Helmert's heights are employed and even a smaller STD of 2.9 cm when rigorous orthometric heights are used. A corresponding comparison of a quasi-geoid model, computed by Least-Squares Modification of Stokes method, with normal heights show an STD of 3.4 cm.

A Mathematical Model for the Height of a Satellite.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thoemke, Sharon S.; And Others

1993-01-01

Emphasizes a real-world-problem situation using sine law and cosine law. Angles of elevation from two tracking stations located in the plane of the equator determine height of a satellite. Calculators or computers can be used. (LDR)

Calculation of tip clearance effects in a transonic compressor rotor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chima, R. V.

1996-01-01

The flow through the tip clearance region of a transonic compressor rotor (NASA rotor 37) was computed and compared to aerodynamic probe and laser anemometer data. Tip clearance effects were modeled both by gridding the clearance gap and by using a simple periodicity model across the ungridded gap. The simple model was run with both the full gap height, and with half the gap height to simulate a vena-contracta effect. Comparisons between computed and measured performance maps and downstream profiles were used to validate the models and to assess the effects of gap height on the simple clearance model. Recommendations were made concerning the use of the simple clearance model. Detailed comparisons were made between the gridded clearance gap solution and the laser anemometer data near the tip at two operating points. The computer results agreed fairly well with the data but overpredicted the extent of the casing separation and underpredicted the wake decay rate. The computations were then used to describe the interaction of the tip vortex, the passage shock, and the casing boundary layer.

COMPUTATIONAL MODELING OF CIRCULATING FLUIDIZED BED REACTORS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ibrahim, Essam A

2013-01-09

Details of numerical simulations of two-phase gas-solid turbulent flow in the riser section of Circulating Fluidized Bed Reactor (CFBR) using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technique are reported. Two CFBR riser configurations are considered and modeled. Each of these two riser models consist of inlet, exit, connecting elbows and a main pipe. Both riser configurations are cylindrical and have the same diameter but differ in their inlet lengths and main pipe height to enable investigation of riser geometrical scaling effects. In addition, two types of solid particles are exploited in the solid phase of the two-phase gas-solid riser flow simulations tomore » study the influence of solid loading ratio on flow patterns. The gaseous phase in the two-phase flow is represented by standard atmospheric air. The CFD-based FLUENT software is employed to obtain steady state and transient solutions for flow modulations in the riser. The physical dimensions, types and numbers of computation meshes, and solution methodology utilized in the present work are stated. Flow parameters, such as static and dynamic pressure, species velocity, and volume fractions are monitored and analyzed. The differences in the computational results between the two models, under steady and transient conditions, are compared, contrasted, and discussed.« less

High Temperatures Health Monitoring of the Condensed Water Height in Steam Pipe Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lih, Shyh-Shiuh; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Lee, Hyeong Jae; Badescu, Mircea; Bao, Xiaoqi; Sherrit, Stewart; Takano, Nobuyuki; Ostlund, Patrick; Blosiu, Julian

2013-01-01

Ultrasonic probes were designed, fabricated and tested for high temperature health monitoring system. The goal of this work was to develop the health monitoring system that can determine the height level of the condensed water through the pipe wall at high temperature up to 250 deg while accounting for the effects of surface perturbation. Among different ultrasonic probe designs, 2.25 MHz probes with air backed configuration provide satisfactory results in terms of sensitivity, receiving reflections from the target through the pipe wall. A series of tests were performed using the air-backed probes under irregular conditions, such as surface perturbation and surface disturbance at elevated temperature, to qualify the developed ultrasonic system. The results demonstrate that the fabricated air-backed probes combined with advanced signal processing techniques offer the capability of health monitoring of steam pipe under various operating conditions.

Applied anatomic site study of palatal anchorage implants using cone beam computed tomography.

PubMed

Lai, Ren-fa; Zou, Hui; Kong, Wei-dong; Lin, Wei

2010-06-01

The purpose of this study was to conduct quantitative research on bone height and bone mineral density of palatal implant sites for implantation, and to provide reference sites for safe and stable palatal implants. Three-dimensional reformatting images were reconstructed by cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in 34 patients, aged 18 to 35 years, using EZ Implant software. Bone height was measured at 20 sites of interest on the palate. Bone mineral density was measured at the 10 sites with the highest implantation rate, classified using K-mean cluster analysis based on bone height and bone mineral density. According to the cluster analysis, 10 sites were classified into three clusters. Significant differences in bone height and bone mineral density were detected between these three clusters (P<0.05). The greatest bone height was obtained in cluster 2, followed by cluster 1 and cluster 3. The highest bone mineral density was found in cluster 3, followed by cluster 1 and cluster 2. CBCT plays an important role in pre-surgical treatment planning. CBCT is helpful in identifying safe and stable implantation sites for palatal anchorage.

Intercontinental height datum connection with GOCE and GPS-levelling data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruber, T.; Gerlach, C.; Haagmans, R.

2012-12-01

In this study an attempt is made to establish height system datum connections based upon a gravity field and steady-state ocean circulation explorer (GOCE) gravity field model and a set of global positioning system (GPS) and levelling data. The procedure applied in principle is straightforward. First local geoid heights are obtained point wise from GPS and levelling data. Then the mean of these geoid heights is computed for regions nominally referring to the same height datum. Subsequently, these local mean geoid heights are compared with a mean global geoid from GOCE for the same region. This way one can identify an offset of the local to the global geoid per region. This procedure is applied to a number of regions distributed worldwide. Results show that the vertical datum offset estimates strongly depend on the nature of the omission error, i.e. the signal not represented in the GOCE model. For a smooth gravity field the commission error of GOCE, the quality of the GPS and levelling data and the averaging control the accuracy of the vertical datum offset estimates. In case the omission error does not cancel out in the mean value computation, because of a sub-optimal point distribution or a characteristic behaviour of the omitted part of the geoid signal, one needs to estimate a correction for the omission error from other sources. For areas with dense and high quality ground observations the EGM2008 global model is a good choice to estimate the omission error correction in theses cases. Relative intercontinental height datum offsets are estimated by applying this procedure between the United State of America (USA), Australia and Germany. These are compared to historical values provided in the literature and computed with the same procedure. The results obtained in this study agree on a level of 10 cm to the historical results. The changes mainly can be attributed to the new global geoid information from GOCE, rather than to the ellipsoidal heights or the levelled heights. These historical levelling data are still in use in many countries. This conclusion is supported by other results on the validation of the GOCE models.

The Effect of the Three-Dimensional Geometry of Cargo on the Detection of Radioactive Sources in Cargo Containers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schweppe, John E.; Ely, James H.; McConn, Ronald J.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed computer models to simulate the screening of vehicles and cargo with radiation portal monitors for the presence of illegitimate radioactive material. In addition, selected measurements have been conducted to validate the models. An important consideration in the modeling of realistic scenarios is the influence of the three-dimensional geometry of the cargo on the measured signature. This is particularly important for scenarios where the source and detector move with respect to each other. Two cases of the influence of the three-dimensional geometry of the cargo on the measured radiation signature are analyzed. In the first,more » measurements show that spectral data collected from moving sources so as to maximize the gross-counting signal-to-noise ratio has minimal spectral distortion, so that the spectral data can be summed over this time interval. In the second, modeling demonstrates that the ability to detect radioactive sources at all locations in a container full of cargo scales approximately linearly with the vertical height of the detector, suggesting that detectors should be approximately the same height as the container they scan.« less

Validation of Volcanic Ash Forecasting Performed by the Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salemi, A.; Hanna, J.

2009-12-01

In support of NOAA’s mission to protect life and property, the Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) uses satellite imagery to monitor volcanic eruptions and track volcanic ash. The Washington Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) was established in late 1997 through an agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). A volcanic ash advisory (VAA) is issued every 6 hours while an eruption is occurring. Information about the current location and height of the volcanic ash as well as any pertinent meteorological information is contained within the VAA. In addition, when ash is detected in satellite imagery, 6-, 12- and 18-hour forecasts of ash height and location are provided. This information is garnered from many sources including Meteorological Watch Offices (MWOs), pilot reports (PIREPs), model forecast winds, radiosondes and volcano observatories. The Washington VAAC has performed a validation of their 6, 12 and 18 hour airborne volcanic ash forecasts issued since October, 2007. The volcanic ash forecasts are viewed dichotomously (yes/no) with the frequency of yes and no events placed into a contingency table. A large variety of categorical statistics useful in describing forecast performance are then computed from the resulting contingency table.

Do Bat Gantries and Underpasses Help Bats Cross Roads Safely?

PubMed Central

Berthinussen, Anna; Altringham, John

2012-01-01

Major roads can reduce bat abundance and diversity over considerable distances. To mitigate against these effects and comply with environmental law, many European countries install bridges, gantries or underpasses to make roads permeable and safer to cross. However, through lack of appropriate monitoring, there is little evidence to support their effectiveness. Three underpasses and four bat gantries were investigated in northern England. Echolocation call recordings and observations were used to determine the number of bats using underpasses in preference to crossing the road above, and the height at which bats crossed. At gantries, proximity to the gantry and height of crossing bats were measured. Data were compared to those from adjacent, severed commuting routes that had no crossing structure. At one underpass 96% of bats flew through it in preference to crossing the road. This underpass was located on a pre-construction commuting route that allowed bats to pass without changing flight height or direction. At two underpasses attempts to divert bats from their original commuting routes were unsuccessful and bats crossed the road at the height of passing vehicles. Underpasses have the potential to allow bats to cross roads safely if built on pre-construction commuting routes. Bat gantries were ineffective and used by a very small proportion of bats, even up to nine years after construction. Most bats near gantries crossed roads along severed, pre-construction commuting routes at heights that put them in the path of vehicles. Crossing height was strongly correlated with verge height, suggesting that elevated verges may have some value in mitigation, but increased flight height may be at the cost of reduced permeability. Green bridges should be explored as an alternative form of mitigation. Robust monitoring is essential to assess objectively the case for mitigation and to ensure effective mitigation. PMID:22719941

Adult height, nutrition, and population health

PubMed Central

Perkins, Jessica M.; Subramanian, S.V.; Davey Smith, George

2016-01-01

In this review, the potential causes and consequences of adult height, a measure of cumulative net nutrition, in modern populations are summarized. The mechanisms linking adult height and health are examined, with a focus on the role of potential confounders. Evidence across studies indicates that short adult height (reflecting growth retardation) in low- and middle-income countries is driven by environmental conditions, especially net nutrition during early years. Some of the associations of height with health and social outcomes potentially reflect the association between these environmental factors and such outcomes. These conditions are manifested in the substantial differences in adult height that exist between and within countries and over time. This review suggests that adult height is a useful marker of variation in cumulative net nutrition, biological deprivation, and standard of living between and within populations and should be routinely measured. Linkages between adult height and health, within and across generations, suggest that adult height may be a potential tool for monitoring health conditions and that programs focused on offspring outcomes may consider maternal height as a potentially important influence. PMID:26928678

Calculate Your Body Mass Index

MedlinePlus

... Professional Resources Calculate Your Body Mass Index Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. Enter your weight and height using standard or metric measures. Select "Compute BMI" and your ...

The use of LIDAR Technology for Measuring Mixing Heights under the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Program; leveraging research under the joint DISCOVER-AQ/FRAPPÉ Missions

EPA Science Inventory

The operational use of ceilometers across the United States has been limited to detection of cloud-base heights across the Automatic Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) primarily operated by the National Weather Service and the Federal Aviation Administration. Continued improvements...

Thermoluminescent dosimetry in rotary-dual technique of the total skin electron irradiation.

PubMed

Piotrowski, T; Fundowicz, D; Pawlaczyk, M; Malicki, J

2003-01-01

The aim of the study was to discuss the results of thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) in rotary-dual technique of the total skin electron irradiation (TSEI RD), to confirm beam calibration and monitor unit calculations and to provide data for making clinical decisions. Between May 2001 and April 2002, in 3 cases of mycosis fungoides, 736 dosimetric checks were performed in 34 points at the skin. CaF2:MnTLD-400 cubes (1/8"x1/8"x0.015") were used for in vivo dosimetry. Doses were computed and analyzed for all locations. Percent of described dose and SD for the following localizations from 34 points were: anterior abdomen (reference point) 100+/-6%, upper back 100+/-8%, right calf 98+/-10%, left foot (mid dorsum) 97+/-8%, posterior neck 93+/-6%, right hand (mid dorsum) 78+/-10%, hand fingers 57+/-10%, top of right shoulder 56+/-14%, left groin 35+/-20%, perineum 22+/-17%. The correlations between patient's height and measured doses were sufficient for the following localizations: scalp (top rear), occiput, elbows, hand fingers and hands (mid dorsum). The correlations between obesity index and measured doses were sufficient for the following localizations: shoulders and lateral neck, groins, and perineum. Dosimetric checks at the reference point confirm that our beam calibration technique and monitor unit calculation are accurate. TLD shows that for some parts of the skin such as shoulder, hands and perineum boost fields were required. The correlations with obesity index and height for several sites suggest that boost fields must be customized for each patient.

In-field High Throughput Phenotyping and Cotton Plant Growth Analysis Using LiDAR.

PubMed

Sun, Shangpeng; Li, Changying; Paterson, Andrew H; Jiang, Yu; Xu, Rui; Robertson, Jon S; Snider, John L; Chee, Peng W

2018-01-01

Plant breeding programs and a wide range of plant science applications would greatly benefit from the development of in-field high throughput phenotyping technologies. In this study, a terrestrial LiDAR-based high throughput phenotyping system was developed. A 2D LiDAR was applied to scan plants from overhead in the field, and an RTK-GPS was used to provide spatial coordinates. Precise 3D models of scanned plants were reconstructed based on the LiDAR and RTK-GPS data. The ground plane of the 3D model was separated by RANSAC algorithm and a Euclidean clustering algorithm was applied to remove noise generated by weeds. After that, clean 3D surface models of cotton plants were obtained, from which three plot-level morphologic traits including canopy height, projected canopy area, and plant volume were derived. Canopy height ranging from 85th percentile to the maximum height were computed based on the histogram of the z coordinate for all measured points; projected canopy area was derived by projecting all points on a ground plane; and a Trapezoidal rule based algorithm was proposed to estimate plant volume. Results of validation experiments showed good agreement between LiDAR measurements and manual measurements for maximum canopy height, projected canopy area, and plant volume, with R 2 -values of 0.97, 0.97, and 0.98, respectively. The developed system was used to scan the whole field repeatedly over the period from 43 to 109 days after planting. Growth trends and growth rate curves for all three derived morphologic traits were established over the monitoring period for each cultivar. Overall, four different cultivars showed similar growth trends and growth rate patterns. Each cultivar continued to grow until ~88 days after planting, and from then on varied little. However, the actual values were cultivar specific. Correlation analysis between morphologic traits and final yield was conducted over the monitoring period. When considering each cultivar individually, the three traits showed the best correlations with final yield during the period between around 67 and 109 days after planting, with maximum R 2 -values of up to 0.84, 0.88, and 0.85, respectively. The developed system demonstrated relatively high throughput data collection and analysis.

Precision of lumbar intervertebral measurements: does a computer-assisted technique improve reliability?

PubMed

Pearson, Adam M; Spratt, Kevin F; Genuario, James; McGough, William; Kosman, Katherine; Lurie, Jon; Sengupta, Dilip K

2011-04-01

Comparison of intra- and interobserver reliability of digitized manual and computer-assisted intervertebral motion measurements and classification of "instability." To determine if computer-assisted measurement of lumbar intervertebral motion on flexion-extension radiographs improves reliability compared with digitized manual measurements. Many studies have questioned the reliability of manual intervertebral measurements, although few have compared the reliability of computer-assisted and manual measurements on lumbar flexion-extension radiographs. Intervertebral rotation, anterior-posterior (AP) translation, and change in anterior and posterior disc height were measured with a digitized manual technique by three physicians and by three other observers using computer-assisted quantitative motion analysis (QMA) software. Each observer measured 30 sets of digital flexion-extension radiographs (L1-S1) twice. Shrout-Fleiss intraclass correlation coefficients for intra- and interobserver reliabilities were computed. The stability of each level was also classified (instability defined as >4 mm AP translation or 10° rotation), and the intra- and interobserver reliabilities of the two methods were compared using adjusted percent agreement (APA). Intraobserver reliability intraclass correlation coefficients were substantially higher for the QMA technique THAN the digitized manual technique across all measurements: rotation 0.997 versus 0.870, AP translation 0.959 versus 0.557, change in anterior disc height 0.962 versus 0.770, and change in posterior disc height 0.951 versus 0.283. The same pattern was observed for interobserver reliability (rotation 0.962 vs. 0.693, AP translation 0.862 vs. 0.151, change in anterior disc height 0.862 vs. 0.373, and change in posterior disc height 0.730 vs. 0.300). The QMA technique was also more reliable for the classification of "instability." Intraobserver APAs ranged from 87 to 97% for QMA versus 60% to 73% for digitized manual measurements, while interobserver APAs ranged from 91% to 96% for QMA versus 57% to 63% for digitized manual measurements. The use of QMA software substantially improved the reliability of lumbar intervertebral measurements and the classification of instability based on flexion-extension radiographs.

The Tall Wind project - exploring the wind profile and boundary-layer height in the atmosphere's first kilometer over flat terrain.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gryning, S. E.; Batchvarova, E.; Pena, A.; Mikkelsen, T.; Brümmer, B.; Emeis, S.; Gulstad, L.; Lee, N.

2010-09-01

Predicting the wind at typical heights of present and future wind turbines is a considerable scientific challenge. Presently applied models are accurate within the surface layer. New measurements and instrument synergies are necessary as basis for developing new wind models and understanding the physical processes that form the wind profile in order to describe the wind profile above it. Analysis of the wind and turbulence profiles from a meteorological mast at heights up to 160 meters and wind lidars up to 300 meters at the National test station at Høvsøre, Denmark, shows deviations of the wind profile above 80 meters the from the profile used so far near the surface. It also reveals the importance of the boundary-layer height as a physical parameter for the description of the wind profile. In the Tall Wind project, mast and lidar measurements of wind and fluxes will be combined with monitoring of the boundary-layer height by use of an aerosol lidar. At the main project monitoring sites (Høvsøre in Denmark and Hamburg in Germany) long term monitoring programmes on tall masts (160 and 300 meters) already exists and will be intensified. As part of the project the wind profile will be measured up to 1000 meters by a wind lidar (windcube) and the boundary-layer height by an aerosol lidar. The new data sets can be used for theoretical developments and evaluation of meso-scale meteorological models. The project is an international collaboration between academia (Risoe-DTU, HU and KIT) and industry (Vestas and DONG), funded by the Danish Research Agency, the Strategic Research Council (Sagsnr. 2104-08-0025). In the paper the set-up of the Tall Wind project will be described and some first results and experience will be presented.

Ergonomics in thoracoscopic surgery: results of a survey among thoracic surgeons†

PubMed Central

Welcker, Katrin; Kesieme, Emeka B.; Internullo, Eveline; Kranenburg van Koppen, Laura J.C.

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVES The frequent and prolonged use of thoracoscopic equipment raises ergonomic risks which may cause physical distress. We aimed to determine the relationship between ergonomic problems encountered in thoracoscopic surgery and physical distress among thoracic surgeons. METHODS An online questionnaire which investigated personal factors, product factors, interaction factors and physical discomfort was sent to all members of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS). RESULTS Of the respondents, 2.4% indicated that a one arm's length should be the optimal distance between the surgeon and the monitor. Only 2.4% indicated that the monitor should be positioned below the eye level of the surgeon. Most of the respondents agreed, partially to fully, that they experienced neck discomfort because of inappropriate monitor height, bad monitor position and bad table height. Most respondents experienced numb fingers and shoulder discomfort due to instrument manipulation. Most of the respondents (77.1%) experienced muscle fatigue to some extent due to a static posture during thoracoscopic surgery. The majority of respondents (81.9, 76.3 and 83.2% respectively) indicated that they had varying degrees of discomfort mainly in the neck, shoulder and back. Some 94.4% of respondents were unaware of any guidelines concerning table height, monitor and instrument placement for endoscopic surgery. CONCLUSIONS Most thoracic surgeons in Europe are unaware of ergonomic guidelines and do not practise them, hence they suffer varying degrees of physical discomfort arising from ergonomic issues. PMID:22586071

The Role of the Computer in Education. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting (7th, Arlington Heights, Illinois, February 18-20, 1987).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Micro-Ideas, Glenview, IL.

The 47 papers in these proceedings describe computer technology and its many applications to the educational process. Topics discussed include computer literacy, networking, word processing, automated instructional management, computer conferencing, career information services, computer-aided drawing/design, and robotics. Programming languages…

High Temperature Monitoring the Height of Condensed Water in Steam Pipes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Lih, Shyh-Shiuh; Badescu, Mircea; Bao, Xiaoqi; Sherrit, Stewart; Widholm, Scott; Ostlund, Patrick; Blosiu, Julian

2011-01-01

An in-service health monitoring system is needed for steam pipes to track through their wall the condensation of water. The system is required to measure the height of the condensed water inside the pipe while operating at temperatures that are as high as 250 deg. C. The system needs to be able to make real time measurements while accounting for the effects of cavitation and wavy water surface. For this purpose, ultrasonic wave in pulse-echo configuration was used and reflected signals were acquired and auto-correlated to remove noise from the data and determine the water height. Transmitting and receiving the waves is done by piezoelectric transducers having Curie temperature that is significantly higher than 250 deg. C. Measurements were made at temperatures as high as 250 deg. C and have shown the feasibility of the test method. This manuscript reports the results of this feasibility study.

Field optimization of the sex pheromone of Stenoma catenifer (Lepidoptera: Elachistidae): evaluation of lure types, trap height, male flight distances, and number of traps needed per avocado orchard for detection.

PubMed

Hoddle, M S; Millar, J G; Hoddle, C D; Zou, Y; McElfresh, J S; Lesch, S M

2011-04-01

The sex pheromone of Stenoma catenifer was evaluated in commercial avocado orchards in Guatemala to determine operational parameters, such as optimal lure type, trap height, trap density and estimates of the distances that male moths fly. Of four pheromone dispensers tested, gray and white rubber septa were of equal efficacy, whereas 1-ml low-density polyethylene vials and 2×3-cm polyethylene ziplock bags were least efficacious. The height at which wing traps were hung did not significantly affect the number of adult male S. catenifer captured. For monitoring S. catenifer, these data suggest that the pheromone should be dispensed from gray rubber septa in wing traps hung inside the tree canopy at 1.75 m, a height convenient for trap placement and monitoring. Mark-recapture studies of male S. catenifer indicated that, on average, males flew 67 m in one night. However, it is likely that this is an underestimate of the distance that male moths are capable of flying in a single night. Probabilistic modeling of S. catenifer capture data from different numbers of pheromone traps deployed in seven commercial avocado orchards of varying sizes and infestation levels suggested that 10-13 randomly deployed traps per orchard for a 7-day period are needed to detect at least one male S. catenifer with 90% confidence. These data provide sufficient information to develop effective protocols for using the S. catenifer pheromone to detect and monitor this pest in countries with endemic populations that are exporting fresh avocados, and for quarantine detection and incursion monitoring in countries receiving avocado imports from high risk areas.

Individualized adjustments to reference phantom internal organ dosimetry—scaling factors given knowledge of patient external anatomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wayson, Michael B.; Bolch, Wesley E.

2018-04-01

Internal radiation dose estimates for diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures are typically calculated for a reference individual. Resultantly, there is uncertainty when determining the organ doses to patients who are not at 50th percentile on either height or weight. This study aims to better personalize internal radiation dose estimates for individual patients by modifying the dose estimates calculated for reference individuals based on easily obtainable morphometric characteristics of the patient. Phantoms of different sitting heights and waist circumferences were constructed based on computational reference phantoms for the newborn, 10 year-old, and adult. Monoenergetic photons and electrons were then simulated separately at 15 energies. Photon and electron specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) were computed for the newly constructed non-reference phantoms and compared to SAFs previously generated for the age-matched reference phantoms. Differences in SAFs were correlated to changes in sitting height and waist circumference to develop scaling factors that could be applied to reference SAFs as morphometry corrections. A further set of arbitrary non-reference phantoms were then constructed and used in validation studies for the SAF scaling factors. Both photon and electron dose scaling methods were found to increase average accuracy when sitting height was used as the scaling parameter (~11%). Photon waist circumference-based scaling factors showed modest increases in average accuracy (~7%) for underweight individuals, but not for overweight individuals. Electron waist circumference-based scaling factors did not show increases in average accuracy. When sitting height and waist circumference scaling factors were combined, modest average gains in accuracy were observed for photons (~6%), but not for electrons. Both photon and electron absorbed doses are more reliably scaled using scaling factors computed in this study. They can be effectively scaled using sitting height alone as patient-specific morphometric parameter.

Individualized adjustments to reference phantom internal organ dosimetry-scaling factors given knowledge of patient external anatomy.

PubMed

Wayson, Michael B; Bolch, Wesley E

2018-04-13

Internal radiation dose estimates for diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures are typically calculated for a reference individual. Resultantly, there is uncertainty when determining the organ doses to patients who are not at 50th percentile on either height or weight. This study aims to better personalize internal radiation dose estimates for individual patients by modifying the dose estimates calculated for reference individuals based on easily obtainable morphometric characteristics of the patient. Phantoms of different sitting heights and waist circumferences were constructed based on computational reference phantoms for the newborn, 10 year-old, and adult. Monoenergetic photons and electrons were then simulated separately at 15 energies. Photon and electron specific absorbed fractions (SAFs) were computed for the newly constructed non-reference phantoms and compared to SAFs previously generated for the age-matched reference phantoms. Differences in SAFs were correlated to changes in sitting height and waist circumference to develop scaling factors that could be applied to reference SAFs as morphometry corrections. A further set of arbitrary non-reference phantoms were then constructed and used in validation studies for the SAF scaling factors. Both photon and electron dose scaling methods were found to increase average accuracy when sitting height was used as the scaling parameter (~11%). Photon waist circumference-based scaling factors showed modest increases in average accuracy (~7%) for underweight individuals, but not for overweight individuals. Electron waist circumference-based scaling factors did not show increases in average accuracy. When sitting height and waist circumference scaling factors were combined, modest average gains in accuracy were observed for photons (~6%), but not for electrons. Both photon and electron absorbed doses are more reliably scaled using scaling factors computed in this study. They can be effectively scaled using sitting height alone as patient-specific morphometric parameter.

Depressed height gain of children associated with intrauterine exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heavy metals: the cohort prospective study.

PubMed

Jedrychowski, Wiesław A; Perera, Frederica P; Majewska, Renata; Mrozek-Budzyn, Dorota; Mroz, Elżbieta; Roen, Emily L; Sowa, Agata; Jacek, Ryszard

2015-01-01

Fetal exposure to environmental toxicants may program the development of children and have long-lasting health impacts. The study tested the hypothesis that depressed height gain in childhood is associated with prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heavy metals (lead and mercury). The study sample comprised 379 children born to non-smoking mothers among whom a total of 2011 height measurements were carried out over the 9-year follow-up period. Prenatal airborne PAH exposure was assessed by personal air monitoring of the mother in the second trimester of pregnancy and heavy metals were measured in cord blood. At the age of 3 residential air monitoring was done to evaluate the level of airborne PAH, and at the age 5 the levels of heavy metals were measured in capillary blood. The effect estimates of prenatal PAH exposure on height growth over the follow-up were adjusted in the General Estimated Equation (GEE) models for a wide set of relevant covariates. Prenatal exposure to airborne PAH showed a significant negative association with height growth, which was significantly decreased by 1.1cm at PAH level above 34.7 ng/m(3) (coeff.=-1.07, p=0.040). While prenatal lead exposure was not significantly associated with height restriction, the effect of mercury was inversely related to cord blood mercury concentration above 1.2 μg/L (coeff.=-1.21, p=0.020), The observed negative impact of prenatal PAH exposure on height gain in childhood was mainly mediated by shorter birth length related to maternal PAH exposure during pregnancy. The height gain deficit associated with prenatal mercury exposure was not seen at birth, but the height growth was significantly slower at later age. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-E-T-399: Evaluation of Selection Criteria for Computational Human Phantoms for Use in Out-Of-Field Organ Dosimetry for Radiotherapy Patients

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pelletier, C; Jung, J; Lee, C

2015-06-15

Purpose: To quantify the dosimetric uncertainty due to organ position errors when using height and weight as phantom selection criteria in the UF/NCI Hybrid Phantom Library for the purpose of out-of-field organ dose reconstruction. Methods: Four diagnostic patient CT images were used to create 7-field IMRT plans. For each patient, dose to the liver, right lung, and left lung were calculated using the XVMC Monte Carlo code. These doses were taken to be the ground truth. For each patient, the phantom with the most closely matching height and weight was selected from the body size dependent phantom library. The patientmore » plans were then transferred to the computational phantoms and organ doses were recalculated. Each plan was also run on 4 additional phantoms with reference heights and or weights. Maximum and mean doses for the three organs were computed, and the DVHs were extracted and compared. One sample t-tests were performed to compare the accuracy of the height and weight matched phantoms against the additional phantoms in regards to both maximum and mean dose. Results: For one of the patients, the height and weight matched phantom yielded the most accurate results across all three organs for both maximum and mean doses. For two additional patients, the matched phantom yielded the best match for one organ only. In 13 of the 24 cases, the matched phantom yielded better results than the average of the other four phantoms, though the results were only statistically significant at the .05 level for three cases. Conclusion: Using height and weight matched phantoms does yield better results in regards to out-of-field dosimetry than using average phantoms. Height and weight appear to be moderately good selection criteria, though this selection criteria failed to yield any better results for one patient.« less

Real-time determination of the worst tsunami scenario based on Earthquake Early Warning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuya, Takashi; Koshimura, Shunichi; Hino, Ryota; Ohta, Yusaku; Inoue, Takuya

2016-04-01

In recent years, real-time tsunami inundation forecasting has been developed with the advances of dense seismic monitoring, GPS Earth observation, offshore tsunami observation networks, and high-performance computing infrastructure (Koshimura et al., 2014). Several uncertainties are involved in tsunami inundation modeling and it is believed that tsunami generation model is one of the great uncertain sources. Uncertain tsunami source model has risk to underestimate tsunami height, extent of inundation zone, and damage. Tsunami source inversion using observed seismic, geodetic and tsunami data is the most effective to avoid underestimation of tsunami, but needs to expect more time to acquire the observed data and this limitation makes difficult to terminate real-time tsunami inundation forecasting within sufficient time. Not waiting for the precise tsunami observation information, but from disaster management point of view, we aim to determine the worst tsunami source scenario, for the use of real-time tsunami inundation forecasting and mapping, using the seismic information of Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) that can be obtained immediately after the event triggered. After an earthquake occurs, JMA's EEW estimates magnitude and hypocenter. With the constraints of earthquake magnitude, hypocenter and scaling law, we determine possible multi tsunami source scenarios and start searching the worst one by the superposition of pre-computed tsunami Green's functions, i.e. time series of tsunami height at offshore points corresponding to 2-dimensional Gaussian unit source, e.g. Tsushima et al., 2014. Scenario analysis of our method consists of following 2 steps. (1) Searching the worst scenario range by calculating 90 scenarios with various strike and fault-position. From maximum tsunami height of 90 scenarios, we determine a narrower strike range which causes high tsunami height in the area of concern. (2) Calculating 900 scenarios that have different strike, dip, length, width, depth and fault-position. Note that strike is limited with the range obtained from 90 scenarios calculation. From 900 scenarios, we determine the worst tsunami scenarios from disaster management point of view, such as the one with shortest travel time and the highest water level. The method was applied to a hypothetical-earthquake, and verified if it can effectively search the worst tsunami source scenario in real-time, to be used as an input of real-time tsunami inundation forecasting.

Effect of habitat and foraging height on bat activity in the coastal plain of South Carolina.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Menzel, Jennifer, M.; Menzel, Michael A.; Kilgo, John C.

2005-07-01

A comparison of bat activity levels in the Coastal Plain of South Carolina among 5 habitat types: forested riparian areas, clearcuts, young pine plantations, mature pine plantations and pine savannas, using time expansion radio-microphones and integrated detectors to simultaneously monitor bat activity at three heights in each habitat type.

Pulse width and height modulation for multi-level resistance in bi-layer TaOx based RRAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alamgir, Zahiruddin; Beckmann, Karsten; Holt, Joshua; Cady, Nathaniel C.

2017-08-01

Mutli-level switching in resistive memory devices enables a wide range of computational paradigms, including neuromorphic and cognitive computing. To this end, we have developed a bi-layer tantalum oxide based resistive random access memory device using Hf as the oxygen exchange layer. Multiple, discrete resistance levels were achieved by modulating the RESET pulse width and height, ranging from 2 kΩ to several MΩ. For a fixed pulse height, OFF state resistance was found to increase gradually with the increase in the pulse width, whereas for a fixed pulse width, the increase in the pulse height resulted in drastic changes in resistance. Resistive switching in these devices transitioned from Schottky emission in the OFF state to tunneling based conduction in the ON state, based on I-V curve fitting and temperature dependent current measurements. These devices also demonstrated endurance of more than 108 cycles with a satisfactory Roff/Ron ratio and retention greater than 104 s.

Effective height of chimney for biomass cook stove simulated by computational fluid dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faisal; Setiawan, A.; Wusnah; Khairil; Luthfi

2018-02-01

This paper presents the results of numerical modelling of temperature distribution and flow pattern in a biomass cooking stove using CFD simulation. The biomass stove has been designed to suite the household cooking process. The stove consists of two pots. The first is the main pot located on the top of the combustion chamber where the heat from the combustion process is directly received. The second pot absorbs the heat from the exhaust gas. A chimney installed at the end of the stove releases the exhaust gas to the ambient air. During the tests, the height of chimney was varied to find the highest temperatures at both pots. Results showed that the height of the chimney at the highest temperatures of the pots is 1.65 m. This chimney height was validated by developing a model for computational fluid dynamics. Both experimental and simulations results show a good agreement and help in tune-fining the design of biomass cooking stove.

Extracting the Data From the LCM vk4 Formatted Output File

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wendelberger, James G.

These are slides about extracting the data from the LCM vk4 formatted output file. The following is covered: vk4 file produced by Keyence VK Software, custom analysis, no off the shelf way to read the file, reading the binary data in a vk4 file, various offsets in decimal lines, finding the height image data, directly in MATLAB, binary output beginning of height image data, color image information, color image binary data, color image decimal and binary data, MATLAB code to read vk4 file (choose a file, read the file, compute offsets, read optical image, laser optical image, read and computemore » laser intensity image, read height image, timing, display height image, display laser intensity image, display RGB laser optical images, display RGB optical images, display beginning data and save images to workspace, gamma correction subroutine), reading intensity form the vk4 file, linear in the low range, linear in the high range, gamma correction for vk4 files, computing the gamma intensity correction, observations.« less

Anatomy of the larynx and pharynx: effects of age, gender and height revealed by multidetector computed tomography.

PubMed

Inamoto, Y; Saitoh, E; Okada, S; Kagaya, H; Shibata, S; Baba, M; Onogi, K; Hashimoto, S; Katada, K; Wattanapan, P; Palmer, J B

2015-09-01

Although oropharyngeal and laryngeal structures are essential for swallowing, the three-dimensional (3D) anatomy is not well understood, due in part to limitations of available measuring techniques. This study uses 3D images acquired by 320-row area detector computed tomography ('320-ADCT'), to measure the pharynx and larynx and to investigate the effects of age, gender and height. Fifty-four healthy volunteers (30 male, 24 female, 23-77 years) underwent one single-phase volume scan (0.35 s) with 320-ADCT during resting tidal breathing. Six measurements of the pharynx and two of larynx were performed. Bivariate statistical methods were used to analyse the effects of gender, age and height on these measurements. Length and volume were significantly larger for men than for women for every measurement (P < 0.05) and increased with height (P < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis was performed to understand the interactions of gender, height and age. Gender, height and age each had significant effects on certain values. The volume of the larynx and hypopharynx was significantly affected by height and age. The length of pharynx was associated with gender and age. Length of the vocal folds and distance from the valleculae to the vocal folds were significantly affected by gender (P < 0.05). These results suggest that age, gender and height have independent and interacting effects on the morphology of the pharynx and larynx. Three-dimensional imaging and morphometrics using 320-ADCT are powerful tools for efficiently and reliably observing and measuring the pharynx and larynx. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Home- and community-based growth monitoring to reduce early life growth faltering: an open-label, cluster-randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

Levenson, Rachel; Tembo, Sarah; Rockers, Peter C

2017-01-01

Background: Despite the continued high prevalence of faltering growth, height monitoring remains limited in many low- and middle-income countries. Objective: The objective of this study was to test whether providing parents with information on their child’s height can improve children’s height and developmental outcomes. Design: Villages in Chipata District, Zambia (n = 127), were randomly assigned with equal probability to 1 of 3 groups: home-based growth monitoring (HBGM), community-based growth monitoring including nutritional supplementation for children with stunted growth (CBGM+NS), and control. Primary study outcomes were individual height-for-age z score (HAZ) and overall child development assessed with the International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21st Century Neurodevelopment Assessment tool. Secondary outcomes were weight-for-age z score (WAZ), protein consumption, breastfeeding, and general dietary diversity. Results: We enrolled a total of 547 children with a median age of 13 mo at baseline. Estimated mean difference (β) in HAZ was 0.127 (95% CI: −0.107, 0.361) for HBGM and −0.152 (95% CI: −0.341, 0.036) for CBGM+NS. HBGM had no impact on child development [β: −0.017 (95% CI: −0.133, 0.098)]; CBGM+NS reduced overall child development scores by −0.118 SD (95% CI: −0.230, −0.006 SD). Both interventions had larger positive effects among children with stunted growth at baseline, with estimated interaction effects of 0.503 (95% CI: 0.160, 0.846) and 0.582 (95% CI: 0.134, 1.030) for CBGM+NS and HBGM, respectively. HBGM increased mean WAZ [β = 0.183 (95% CI: 0.037, 0.328)]. Both interventions improved parental reports of children’s protein intake. Conclusions: The results from this trial suggest that growth monitoring has a limited effect on children’s height and development, despite improvements in self-reported feeding practices. HBGM had modest positive effects on children with stunted growth. Given its relatively low cost, this intervention may be a cost-effective tool for increasing parental efforts toward reducing children’s physical growth deficits. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02242539. PMID:28835364

Computer Workstations: Keyboards

MedlinePlus

... computer workstation. Keyboard Placement - Height Keyboard Placement - Distance Design and Use Left Hand Key Usage You should ... chair has armrests that interfere with adequate positioning. Design and Use Potential Hazards: A traditional keyboard may ...

FDTD Modeling of LEMP Propagation in the Earth-Ionosphere Waveguide With Emphasis on Realistic Representation of Lightning Source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tran, Thang H.; Baba, Yoshihiro; Somu, Vijaya B.; Rakov, Vladimir A.

2017-12-01

The finite difference time domain (FDTD) method in the 2-D cylindrical coordinate system was used to compute the nearly full-frequency-bandwidth vertical electric field and azimuthal magnetic field waveforms produced on the ground surface by lightning return strokes. The lightning source was represented by the modified transmission-line model with linear current decay with height, which was implemented in the FDTD computations as an appropriate vertical phased-current-source array. The conductivity of atmosphere was assumed to increase exponentially with height, with different conductivity profiles being used for daytime and nighttime conditions. The fields were computed at distances ranging from 50 to 500 km. Sky waves (reflections from the ionosphere) were identified in computed waveforms and used for estimation of apparent ionospheric reflection heights. It was found that our model reproduces reasonably well the daytime electric field waveforms measured at different distances and simulated (using a more sophisticated propagation model) by Qin et al. (2017). Sensitivity of model predictions to changes in the parameters of atmospheric conductivity profile, as well as influences of the lightning source characteristics (current waveshape parameters, return-stroke speed, and channel length) and ground conductivity were examined.

Computational Investigations in Rectangular Convergent and Divergent Ribbed Channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivakumar, Karthikeyan; Kulasekharan, N.; Natarajan, E.

2018-05-01

Computational investigations on the rib turbulated flow inside a convergent and divergent rectangular channel with square ribs of different rib heights and different Reynolds numbers (Re=20,000, 40,000 and 60,000). The ribs were arranged in a staggered fashion between the upper and lower surfaces of the test section. Computational investigations are carried out using computational fluid dynamic software ANSYS Fluent 14.0. Suitable solver settings like turbulence models were identified from the literature and the boundary conditions for the simulations on a solution of independent grid. Computations were carried out for both convergent and divergent channels with 0 (smooth duct), 1.5, 3, 6, 9 and 12 mm rib heights, to identify the ribbed channel with optimal performance, assessed using a thermo hydraulic performance parameter. The convergent and divergent rectangular channels show higher Nu values than the standard correlation values.

Impact of Computer Related Posture on the Occurrence of Musculoskeletal Discomfort among Secondary School Students in Lagos, Nigeria.

PubMed

Odebiyi, D O; Olawale, O A; Adeniji, Y M

2013-01-01

Computers have become an essential part of life particularly in industrially advanced countries of the world. Children now have greater accessibility to computers both at school and at home. Recent studies suggest that with this increased exposure, there are associated musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in both school-aged children and adults. To assess the posture assumed by secondary school students during computer use and its impact on the occurrence and severity of reported musculoskeletal discomforts. Posture assumed during normal computer class, occurrence of discomforts, body parts involved and the intensity of discomforts were evaluated in 235 school aged children using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) scale, Body Discomfort Chart (BDC) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before and after normal computer class. Inferential statistics of t-test and chi-square were used to determine significance difference between variables, with level of significant set at p < 0.05. None of the participants demonstrated acceptable posture. Computer use produced significant discomforts on the neck, shoulder and low back. There was a significant relationship between participants height and posture assumed. Two hundred and eleven (89.8%) participants reported discomforts/pain during the use of computer. Weight and height were contributory factors to the occurrence of musculoskeletal discomfort/pain (p < 0.05) in some of the body parts studied. Musculoskeletal discomfort was found to be a problem among the school-aged children during computer use. Weight and height were implicated as factors that influenced the form of posture and the nature of the reported discomfort. Creating awareness about the knowledge of ergonomics and safety for promotion of good posture was therefore recommended.

Polarimetric SAR Interferometry based modeling for tree height and aboveground biomass retrieval in a tropical deciduous forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Shashi; Khati, Unmesh G.; Chandola, Shreya; Agrawal, Shefali; Kushwaha, Satya P. S.

2017-08-01

The regulation of the carbon cycle is a critical ecosystem service provided by forests globally. It is, therefore, necessary to have robust techniques for speedy assessment of forest biophysical parameters at the landscape level. It is arduous and time taking to monitor the status of vast forest landscapes using traditional field methods. Remote sensing and GIS techniques are efficient tools that can monitor the health of forests regularly. Biomass estimation is a key parameter in the assessment of forest health. Polarimetric SAR (PolSAR) remote sensing has already shown its potential for forest biophysical parameter retrieval. The current research work focuses on the retrieval of forest biophysical parameters of tropical deciduous forest, using fully polarimetric spaceborne C-band data with Polarimetric SAR Interferometry (PolInSAR) techniques. PolSAR based Interferometric Water Cloud Model (IWCM) has been used to estimate aboveground biomass (AGB). Input parameters to the IWCM have been extracted from the decomposition modeling of SAR data as well as PolInSAR coherence estimation. The technique of forest tree height retrieval utilized PolInSAR coherence based modeling approach. Two techniques - Coherence Amplitude Inversion (CAI) and Three Stage Inversion (TSI) - for forest height estimation are discussed, compared and validated. These techniques allow estimation of forest stand height and true ground topography. The accuracy of the forest height estimated is assessed using ground-based measurements. PolInSAR based forest height models showed enervation in the identification of forest vegetation and as a result height values were obtained in river channels and plain areas. Overestimation in forest height was also noticed at several patches of the forest. To overcome this problem, coherence and backscatter based threshold technique is introduced for forest area identification and accurate height estimation in non-forested regions. IWCM based modeling for forest AGB retrieval showed R2 value of 0.5, RMSE of 62.73 (t ha-1) and a percent accuracy of 51%. TSI based PolInSAR inversion modeling showed the most accurate result for forest height estimation. The correlation between the field measured forest height and the estimated tree height using TSI technique is 62% with an average accuracy of 91.56% and RMSE of 2.28 m. The study suggested that PolInSAR coherence based modeling approach has significant potential for retrieval of forest biophysical parameters.

Monitoring change in Great Salt Lake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Naftz, David L.; Angeroth, Cory E.; Freeman, Michael L.; Rowland, Ryan C.; Carling, Gregory

2013-01-01

Despite the ecological and economic importance of Great Salt Lake, only limited water quality monitoring has occurred historically. To change this, new monitoring stations and networks—gauges of lake level height and rate of inflow, moored buoys, and multiple lake-bottom sensors—will provide important information that can be used to make informed decisions regarding future management of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.

Azimuth cut-off model for significant wave height investigation along coastal water of Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marghany, Maged; Ibrahim, Zelina; Van Genderen, Johan

2002-11-01

The present work is used to operationalize the azimuth cut-off concept in the study of significant wave height. Three ERS-1 images have been used along the coastal waters of Terengganu, Malaysia. The quasi-linear transform was applied to map the SAR wave spectra into real ocean wave spectra. The azimuth cut-off was then used to model the significant wave height. The results show that azimuth cut-off varied with the different period of the ERS-1 images. This is because of the fact that the azimuth cut-off is a function of wind speed and significant wave height. It is of interest to find that the significant wave height modeled from azimuth cut-off is in good relation with ground wave conditions. It can be concluded that ERS-1 can be used as a monitoring tool in detecting the significant wave height variation. The azimuth cut-off can be used to model the significant wave height. This means that the quasi-linear transform could be a good application to significant wave height variation during different seasons.

Automatic rice crop height measurement using a field server and digital image processing.

PubMed

Sritarapipat, Tanakorn; Rakwatin, Preesan; Kasetkasem, Teerasit

2014-01-07

Rice crop height is an important agronomic trait linked to plant type and yield potential. This research developed an automatic image processing technique to detect rice crop height based on images taken by a digital camera attached to a field server. The camera acquires rice paddy images daily at a consistent time of day. The images include the rice plants and a marker bar used to provide a height reference. The rice crop height can be indirectly measured from the images by measuring the height of the marker bar compared to the height of the initial marker bar. Four digital image processing steps are employed to automatically measure the rice crop height: band selection, filtering, thresholding, and height measurement. Band selection is used to remove redundant features. Filtering extracts significant features of the marker bar. The thresholding method is applied to separate objects and boundaries of the marker bar versus other areas. The marker bar is detected and compared with the initial marker bar to measure the rice crop height. Our experiment used a field server with a digital camera to continuously monitor a rice field located in Suphanburi Province, Thailand. The experimental results show that the proposed method measures rice crop height effectively, with no human intervention required.

Lidar monitoring of regions of intense backscatter with poorly defined boundaries

Treesearch

Vladimir A. Kovalev; Alexander Petkov; Cyle Wold; WeiMin Hao

2011-01-01

The upper height of a region of intense backscatter with a poorly defined boundary between this region and a region of clear air above it is found as the maximal height where aerosol heterogeneity is detectable, that is, where it can be discriminated from noise. The theoretical basis behind the retrieval technique and the corresponding lidar-data-processing procedures...

The electrical heart axis and ST events in fetal monitoring: A post-hoc analysis following a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Vullings, Rik; Verdurmen, Kim M J; Hulsenboom, Alexandra D J; Scheffer, Stephanie; de Lau, Hinke; Kwee, Anneke; Wijn, Pieter F F; Amer-Wåhlin, Isis; van Laar, Judith O E H; Oei, S Guid

2017-01-01

Reducing perinatal morbidity and mortality is one of the major challenges in modern health care. Analysing the ST segment of the fetal electrocardiogram was thought to be the breakthrough in fetal monitoring during labour. However, its implementation in clinical practice yields many false alarms and ST monitoring is highly dependent on cardiotocogram assessment, limiting its value for the prediction of fetal distress during labour. This study aims to evaluate the relation between physiological variations in the orientation of the fetal electrical heart axis and the occurrence of ST events. A post-hoc analysis was performed following a multicentre randomised controlled trial, including 1097 patients from two participating centres. All women were monitored with ST analysis during labour. Cases of fetal metabolic acidosis, poor signal quality, missing blood gas analysis, and congenital heart disease were excluded. The orientation of the fetal electrical heart axis affects the height of the initial T/QRS baseline, and therefore the incidence of ST events. We grouped tracings with the same initial baseline T/QRS value. We depicted the number of ST events as a function of the initial baseline T/QRS value with a linear regression model. A significant increment of ST events was observed with increasing height of the initial T/QRS baseline, irrespective of the fetal condition; correlation coefficient 0.63, p<0.001. The most frequent T/QRS baseline is 0.12. The orientation of the fetal electrical heart axis and accordingly the height of the initial T/QRS baseline should be taken into account in fetal monitoring with ST analysis.

Monitoring Start of Season in Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robin, J.; Dubayah, R.; Sparrow, E.; Levine, E.

2006-12-01

In biomes that have distinct winter seasons, start of spring phenological events, specifically timing of budburst and green-up of leaves, coincides with transpiration. Seasons leave annual signatures that reflect the dynamic nature of the hydrologic cycle and link the different spheres of the Earth system. This paper evaluates whether continuity between AVHRR and MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is achievable for monitoring land surface phenology, specifically start of season (SOS), in Alaska. Additionally, two thresholds, one based on NDVI and the other on accumulated growing degree-days (GDD), are compared to determine which most accurately predicts SOS for Fairbanks. Ratio of maximum greenness at SOS was computed from biweekly AVHRR and MODIS composites for 2001 through 2004 for Anchorage and Fairbanks regions. SOS dates were determined from annual green-up observations made by GLOBE students. Results showed that different processing as well as spectral characteristics of each sensor restrict continuity between the two datasets. MODIS values were consistently higher and had less inter-annual variability during the height of the growing season than corresponding AVHRR values. Furthermore, a threshold of 131-175 accumulated GDD was a better predictor of SOS for Fairbanks than a NDVI threshold applied to AVHRR and MODIS datasets. The NDVI threshold was developed from biweekly AVHRR composites from 1982 through 2004 and corresponding annual green-up observations at University of Alaska-Fairbanks (UAF). The GDD threshold was developed from 20+ years of historic daily mean air temperature data and the same green-up observations. SOS dates computed with the GDD threshold most closely resembled actual green-up dates observed by GLOBE students and UAF researchers. Overall, biweekly composites and effects of clouds, snow, and conifers limit the ability of NDVI to monitor phenological changes in Alaska.

48 CFR 1552.239-103 - Acquisition of Energy Star Compliant Microcomputers, Including Personal Computers, Monitors and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Compliant Microcomputers, Including Personal Computers, Monitors and Printers. 1552.239-103 Section 1552.239... Star Compliant Microcomputers, Including Personal Computers, Monitors and Printers. As prescribed in... Personal Computers, Monitors, and Printers (APR 1996) (a) The Contractor shall provide computer products...

48 CFR 1552.239-103 - Acquisition of Energy Star Compliant Microcomputers, Including Personal Computers, Monitors and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Compliant Microcomputers, Including Personal Computers, Monitors and Printers. 1552.239-103 Section 1552.239... Star Compliant Microcomputers, Including Personal Computers, Monitors and Printers. As prescribed in... Personal Computers, Monitors, and Printers (APR 1996) (a) The Contractor shall provide computer products...

48 CFR 1552.239-103 - Acquisition of Energy Star Compliant Microcomputers, Including Personal Computers, Monitors and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Compliant Microcomputers, Including Personal Computers, Monitors and Printers. 1552.239-103 Section 1552.239... Star Compliant Microcomputers, Including Personal Computers, Monitors and Printers. As prescribed in... Personal Computers, Monitors, and Printers (APR 1996) (a) The Contractor shall provide computer products...

Point Judith, Rhode Island, Breakwater Risk Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-01

output stations. Beach zones considered included the sandy beach to the west side of the HoR, which had significant dune features and was fronting...time dependency for crest height and wave parameters is assumed, hc = total damaged crest height of structure from toe , Lp is the local wave length...computed using linear wave theory and Tp, h is the toe depth, hc’ = total undamaged crest height of structure from toe , At = area of structure enclosed

Program Merges SAR Data on Terrain and Vegetation Heights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siqueira, Paul; Hensley, Scott; Rodriguez, Ernesto; Simard, Marc

2007-01-01

X/P Merge is a computer program that estimates ground-surface elevations and vegetation heights from multiple sets of data acquired by the GeoSAR instrument [a terrain-mapping synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) system that operates in the X and bands]. X/P Merge software combines data from X- and P-band digital elevation models, SAR backscatter magnitudes, and interferometric correlation magnitudes into a simplified set of output topographical maps of ground-surface elevation and tree height.

A three-dimensional semianalytical model of hydraulic fracture growth through weak barriers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luiskutty, C.T.; Tomutes, L.; Palmer, I.D.

1989-08-01

The goal of this research was to develop a fracture model for length/height ratio {le}4 that includes 2D flow (and a line source corresponding to the perforated interval) but makes approximations that allow a semianalytical solution, with large computer-time savings over the fully numerical mode. The height, maximum width, and pressure at the wellbore in this semianalytical model are calculated and compared with the results of the fully three-dimensional (3D) model. There is reasonable agreement in all parameters, the maximum discrepancy being 24%. Comparisons of fracture volume and leakoff volume also show reasonable agreement in volume and fluid efficiencies. Themore » values of length/height ratio, in the four cases in which agreement is found, vary from 1.5 to 3.7. The model offers a useful first-order (or screening) calculation of fracture-height growth through weak barriers (e.g., low stress contrasts). When coupled with the model developed for highly elongated fractures of length/height ratio {ge}4, which are also found to be in basic agreement with the fully numerical model, this new model provides the capability for approximating fracture-height growth through barriers for vertical fracture shapes that vary from penny to highly elongated. The computer time required is estimated to be less than the time required for the fully numerical model by a factor of 10 or more.« less

A parallel-vector algorithm for rapid structural analysis on high-performance computers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Storaasli, Olaf O.; Nguyen, Duc T.; Agarwal, Tarun K.

1990-01-01

A fast, accurate Choleski method for the solution of symmetric systems of linear equations is presented. This direct method is based on a variable-band storage scheme and takes advantage of column heights to reduce the number of operations in the Choleski factorization. The method employs parallel computation in the outermost DO-loop and vector computation via the 'loop unrolling' technique in the innermost DO-loop. The method avoids computations with zeros outside the column heights, and as an option, zeros inside the band. The close relationship between Choleski and Gauss elimination methods is examined. The minor changes required to convert the Choleski code to a Gauss code to solve non-positive-definite symmetric systems of equations are identified. The results for two large-scale structural analyses performed on supercomputers, demonstrate the accuracy and speed of the method.

A parallel-vector algorithm for rapid structural analysis on high-performance computers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Storaasli, Olaf O.; Nguyen, Duc T.; Agarwal, Tarun K.

1990-01-01

A fast, accurate Choleski method for the solution of symmetric systems of linear equations is presented. This direct method is based on a variable-band storage scheme and takes advantage of column heights to reduce the number of operations in the Choleski factorization. The method employs parallel computation in the outermost DO-loop and vector computation via the loop unrolling technique in the innermost DO-loop. The method avoids computations with zeros outside the column heights, and as an option, zeros inside the band. The close relationship between Choleski and Gauss elimination methods is examined. The minor changes required to convert the Choleski code to a Gauss code to solve non-positive-definite symmetric systems of equations are identified. The results for two large scale structural analyses performed on supercomputers, demonstrate the accuracy and speed of the method.

NASA MISR Studies Smoke Plumes from California Sand Fire

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-08-02

39,000 acres (60 square miles, or 160 square kilometers). Thousands of residents were evacuated, and the fire claimed the life of one person. The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite passed over the region on July 23 around 11:50 a.m. PDT. At left is an image acquired by MISR's 60-degree forward-viewing camera. The oblique view angle makes the smoke more apparent than it would be in a more conventional vertical view. This cropped image is about 185 miles (300 kilometers) wide. Smoke from the Sand Fire is visible on the right-hand side of the image. Stereoscopic analysis of MISR's multiple camera angles is used to compute the height of the smoke plume from the Sand Fire. In the right-hand image, these heights are superimposed on the underlying image. The color scale shows that the plume extends up to about 4 miles (6 kilometers) above its source in Santa Clarita, but rapidly diminishes in height as winds push it to the southwest. The data compare well with a pilot report issued at Los Angeles International Airport on the evening of July 22, which reported smoke at 15,000-18,000 feet altitude (4.5 to 5.5 kilometers). Air quality warnings were issued for the San Fernando Valley and the western portion of Los Angeles due to this low-hanging smoke. However, data from air quality monitoring instruments seem to indicate that the smoke did not actually reach the ground. These data were captured during Terra orbit 88284. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20724

A novel flow sensor based on resonant sensing with two-stage microleverage mechanism.

PubMed

Yang, B; Guo, X; Wang, Q H; Lu, C F; Hu, D

2018-04-01

The design, simulation, fabrication, and experiments of a novel flow sensor based on resonant sensing with a two-stage microleverage mechanism are presented in this paper. Different from the conventional detection methods for flow sensors, two differential resonators are adopted to implement air flow rate transformation through two-stage leverage magnification. The proposed flow sensor has a high sensitivity since the adopted two-stage microleverage mechanism possesses a higher amplification factor than a single-stage microleverage mechanism. The modal distribution and geometric dimension of the two-stage leverage mechanism and hair are analyzed and optimized by Ansys simulation. A digital closed-loop driving technique with a phase frequency detector-based coordinate rotation digital computer algorithm is implemented for the detection and locking of resonance frequency. The sensor fabricated by the standard deep dry silicon on a glass process has a device dimension of 5100 μm (length) × 5100 μm (width) × 100 μm (height) with a hair diameter of 1000 μm. The preliminary experimental results demonstrate that the maximal mechanical sensitivity of the flow sensor is approximately 7.41 Hz/(m/s) 2 at a resonant frequency of 22 kHz for the hair height of 9 mm and increases by 2.42 times as hair height extends from 3 mm to 9 mm. Simultaneously, a detection-limit of 3.23 mm/s air flow amplitude at 60 Hz is confirmed. The proposed flow sensor has great application prospects in the micro-autonomous system and technology, self-stabilizing micro-air vehicles, and environmental monitoring.

A novel flow sensor based on resonant sensing with two-stage microleverage mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, B.; Guo, X.; Wang, Q. H.; Lu, C. F.; Hu, D.

2018-04-01

The design, simulation, fabrication, and experiments of a novel flow sensor based on resonant sensing with a two-stage microleverage mechanism are presented in this paper. Different from the conventional detection methods for flow sensors, two differential resonators are adopted to implement air flow rate transformation through two-stage leverage magnification. The proposed flow sensor has a high sensitivity since the adopted two-stage microleverage mechanism possesses a higher amplification factor than a single-stage microleverage mechanism. The modal distribution and geometric dimension of the two-stage leverage mechanism and hair are analyzed and optimized by Ansys simulation. A digital closed-loop driving technique with a phase frequency detector-based coordinate rotation digital computer algorithm is implemented for the detection and locking of resonance frequency. The sensor fabricated by the standard deep dry silicon on a glass process has a device dimension of 5100 μm (length) × 5100 μm (width) × 100 μm (height) with a hair diameter of 1000 μm. The preliminary experimental results demonstrate that the maximal mechanical sensitivity of the flow sensor is approximately 7.41 Hz/(m/s)2 at a resonant frequency of 22 kHz for the hair height of 9 mm and increases by 2.42 times as hair height extends from 3 mm to 9 mm. Simultaneously, a detection-limit of 3.23 mm/s air flow amplitude at 60 Hz is confirmed. The proposed flow sensor has great application prospects in the micro-autonomous system and technology, self-stabilizing micro-air vehicles, and environmental monitoring.

Predicting vertical jump height from bar velocity.

PubMed

García-Ramos, Amador; Štirn, Igor; Padial, Paulino; Argüelles-Cienfuegos, Javier; De la Fuente, Blanca; Strojnik, Vojko; Feriche, Belén

2015-06-01

The objective of the study was to assess the use of maximum (Vmax) and final propulsive phase (FPV) bar velocity to predict jump height in the weighted jump squat. FPV was defined as the velocity reached just before bar acceleration was lower than gravity (-9.81 m·s(-2)). Vertical jump height was calculated from the take-off velocity (Vtake-off) provided by a force platform. Thirty swimmers belonging to the National Slovenian swimming team performed a jump squat incremental loading test, lifting 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of body weight in a Smith machine. Jump performance was simultaneously monitored using an AMTI portable force platform and a linear velocity transducer attached to the barbell. Simple linear regression was used to estimate jump height from the Vmax and FPV recorded by the linear velocity transducer. Vmax (y = 16.577x - 16.384) was able to explain 93% of jump height variance with a standard error of the estimate of 1.47 cm. FPV (y = 12.828x - 6.504) was able to explain 91% of jump height variance with a standard error of the estimate of 1.66 cm. Despite that both variables resulted to be good predictors, heteroscedasticity in the differences between FPV and Vtake-off was observed (r(2) = 0.307), while the differences between Vmax and Vtake-off were homogenously distributed (r(2) = 0.071). These results suggest that Vmax is a valid tool for estimating vertical jump height in a loaded jump squat test performed in a Smith machine. Key pointsVertical jump height in the loaded jump squat can be estimated with acceptable precision from the maximum bar velocity recorded by a linear velocity transducer.The relationship between the point at which bar acceleration is less than -9.81 m·s(-2) and the real take-off is affected by the velocity of movement.Mean propulsive velocity recorded by a linear velocity transducer does not appear to be optimal to monitor ballistic exercise performance.

Predicting Vertical Jump Height from Bar Velocity

PubMed Central

García-Ramos, Amador; Štirn, Igor; Padial, Paulino; Argüelles-Cienfuegos, Javier; De la Fuente, Blanca; Strojnik, Vojko; Feriche, Belén

2015-01-01

The objective of the study was to assess the use of maximum (Vmax) and final propulsive phase (FPV) bar velocity to predict jump height in the weighted jump squat. FPV was defined as the velocity reached just before bar acceleration was lower than gravity (-9.81 m·s-2). Vertical jump height was calculated from the take-off velocity (Vtake-off) provided by a force platform. Thirty swimmers belonging to the National Slovenian swimming team performed a jump squat incremental loading test, lifting 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of body weight in a Smith machine. Jump performance was simultaneously monitored using an AMTI portable force platform and a linear velocity transducer attached to the barbell. Simple linear regression was used to estimate jump height from the Vmax and FPV recorded by the linear velocity transducer. Vmax (y = 16.577x - 16.384) was able to explain 93% of jump height variance with a standard error of the estimate of 1.47 cm. FPV (y = 12.828x - 6.504) was able to explain 91% of jump height variance with a standard error of the estimate of 1.66 cm. Despite that both variables resulted to be good predictors, heteroscedasticity in the differences between FPV and Vtake-off was observed (r2 = 0.307), while the differences between Vmax and Vtake-off were homogenously distributed (r2 = 0.071). These results suggest that Vmax is a valid tool for estimating vertical jump height in a loaded jump squat test performed in a Smith machine. Key points Vertical jump height in the loaded jump squat can be estimated with acceptable precision from the maximum bar velocity recorded by a linear velocity transducer. The relationship between the point at which bar acceleration is less than -9.81 m·s-2 and the real take-off is affected by the velocity of movement. Mean propulsive velocity recorded by a linear velocity transducer does not appear to be optimal to monitor ballistic exercise performance. PMID:25983572

Citizen Hydrology and Compressed-Air Hydropower for Rural Electrification in Haiti

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, S. M.

2015-12-01

At the present time, only one in eight residents of Haiti has access to electricity. Two recent engineering and statistical innovations have the potential for vastly reducing the cost of installation of hydropower in Haiti and the rest of the developing world. The engineering innovation is that wind, solar and fluvial energy have been used to compress air for generation of electricity for only 20 per megawatt-hour, in contrast to the conventional World Bank practice of funding photovoltaic cells for 156 per megawatt-hour. The installation of hydropower requires a record of stream discharge, which is conventionally obtained by installing a gaging station that automatically monitors gage height (height of the water surface above a fixed datum). An empirical rating curve is then used to convert gage height to stream discharge. The multiple field measurements of gage height and discharge over a wide range of discharge values that are required to develop and maintain a rating curve require a manpower of hydrologic technicians that is prohibitive in remote and impoverished areas of the world. The statistical innovation is that machine learning has been applied to the USGS database of nearly four million simultaneous measurements of gage height and discharge to develop a new classification of rivers so that a rating curve can be developed solely from the stream slope, channel geometry, horizontal and vertical distances to the nearest upstream and downstream confluences, and two pairs of discharge - gage height measurements. The objective of this study is to organize local residents to monitor gage height at ten stream sites in the northern peninsula of Haiti over a one-year period in preparation for installation of hydropower at one of the sites. The necessary baseline discharge measurements and channel surveying are being carried out for conversion of gage height to discharge. Results will be reported at the meeting.

Computer-aided teniae coli detection using height maps from computed tomographic colonography images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wei, Zhuoshi; Yao, Jianhua; Wang, Shijun; Summers, Ronald M.

2011-03-01

Computed tomographic colonography (CTC) is a minimally invasive technique for colonic polyps and cancer screening. Teniae coli are three bands of longitudinal smooth muscle on the colon surface. They are parallel, equally distributed on the colon wall, and form a triple helix structure from the appendix to the sigmoid colon. Because of their characteristics, teniae coli are important anatomical meaningful landmarks on human colon. This paper proposes a novel method for teniae coli detection on CT colonography. We first unfold the three-dimensional (3D) colon using a reversible projection technique and compute the two-dimensional (2D) height map of the unfolded colon. The height map records the elevation of colon surface relative to the unfolding plane, where haustral folds corresponding to high elevation points and teniae to low elevation points. The teniae coli are detected on the height map and then projected back to the 3D colon. Since teniae are located where the haustral folds meet, we break down the problem by first detecting haustral folds. We apply 2D Gabor filter banks to extract fold features. The maximum response of the filter banks is then selected as the feature image. The fold centers are then identified based on piecewise thresholding on the feature image. Connecting the fold centers yields a path of the folds. Teniae coli are finally extracted as lines running between the fold paths. Experiments were carried out on 7 cases. The proposed method yielded a promising result with an average normalized RMSE of 5.66% and standard deviation of 4.79% of the circumference of the colon.

First Release of Gravimetric Geoid Model over Saudi Arabia Based on Terrestrial Gravity and GOCE Satellite Data: KSAG01

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alothman, A. O.; Elsaka, B.

2015-12-01

A new gravimetric quasi-geoid, known as KSAG0, has been developed recently by Remove-Compute-Restore techniques (RCR), provided by the GRAVSOFT software, using gravimetric free air anomalies. The terrestrial gravity data used in this computations are: 1145 gravity field anomalies observed by ARAMCO (Saudi Arabian Oil Company) and 2470 Gravity measurements from BGI (Bureau Gravimétrique International). The computations were carried out implementing the least squares collocation method through the RCR techniques. The KSAG01 is based on merging in addition to the terrestrial gravity observations, GOCE satellite model (Eigen-6C4) and global gravity model (EGM2008) have been utilized in the computations. The long, medium and short wavelength spectrum of the height anomalies were compensated from Eigen-6C4 and EGM2008 geoid models truncated up to Degree and order (d/o) up to 2190. KSAG01 geoid covers 100 per cent of the kingdom, with geoid heights range from - 37.513 m in the southeast to 23.183 m in the northwest of the country. The accuracy of the geoid is governed by the accuracy, distribution, and spacing of the observations. The standard deviation of the predicted geoid heights is 0.115 m, with maximum errors of about 0.612 m. The RMS of geoid noise ranges from 0.019 m to 0.04 m. Comparison of the predicted gravimetric geoid with EGM, GOCE, and GPS/Levelling geoids, reveals a considerable improvements of the quasi-geoid heights over Saudi Arabia.

First Release of Gravimetric Geoid Model over Saudi Arabia Based on Terrestrial Gravity and GOCE Satellite Data: KSAG01

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alothman, Abdulaziz; Elsaka, Basem

2016-04-01

A new gravimetric quasi-geoid, known as KSAG0, has been developed recently by Remove-Compute-Restore techniques (RCR), provided by the GRAVSOFT software, using gravimetric free air anomalies. The terrestrial gravity data used in this computations are: 1145 gravity field anomalies observed by ARAMCO (Saudi Arabian Oil Company) and 2470 Gravity measurements from BGI (Bureau Gravimétrique International). The computations were carried out implementing the least squares collocation method through the RCR techniques. The KSAG01 is based on merging in addition to the terrestrial gravity observations, GOCE satellite model (Eigen-6C4) and global gravity model (EGM2008) have been utilized in the computations. The long, medium and short wavelength spectrum of the height anomalies were compensated from Eigen-6C4 and EGM2008 geoid models truncated up to Degree and order (d/o) up to 2190. KSAG01 geoid covers 100 per cent of the kingdom, with geoid heights range from - 37.513 m in the southeast to 23.183 m in the northwest of the country. The accuracy of the geoid is governed by the accuracy, distribution, and spacing of the observations. The standard deviation of the predicted geoid heights is 0.115 m, with maximum errors of about 0.612 m. The RMS of geoid noise ranges from 0.019 m to 0.04 m. Comparison of the predicted gravimetric geoid with EGM, GOCE, and GPS/Levelling geoids, reveals a considerable improvements of the quasi-geoid heights over Saudi Arabia.

An assessment of the Height Above Nearest Drainage terrain descriptor for the thematic enhancement of automatic SAR-based flood monitoring services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chow, Candace; Twele, André; Martinis, Sandro

2016-10-01

Flood extent maps derived from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data can communicate spatially-explicit information in a timely and cost-effective manner to support disaster management. Automated processing chains for SAR-based flood mapping have the potential to substantially reduce the critical time delay between the delivery of post-event satellite data and the subsequent provision of satellite derived crisis information to emergency management authorities. However, the accuracy of SAR-based flood mapping can vary drastically due to the prevalent land cover and topography of a given scene. While expert-based image interpretation with the consideration of contextual information can effectively isolate flood surface features, a fully-automated feature differentiation algorithm mainly based on the grey levels of a given pixel is comparatively more limited for features with similar SAR-backscattering characteristics. The inclusion of ancillary data in the automatic classification procedure can effectively reduce instances of misclassification. In this work, a near-global `Height Above Nearest Drainage' (HAND) index [10] was calculated with digital elevation data and drainage directions from the HydroSHEDS mapping project [2]. The index can be used to separate flood-prone regions from areas with a low probability of flood occurrence. Based on the HAND-index, an exclusion mask was computed to reduce water look-alikes with respect to the hydrologictopographic setting. The applicability of this near-global ancillary data set for the thematic improvement of Sentinel-1 and TerraSAR-X based services for flood and surface water monitoring has been validated both qualitatively and quantitatively. Application of a HAND-based exclusion mask resulted in improvements to the classification accuracy of SAR scenes with high amounts of water look-alikes and considerable elevation differences.

Influence of atmospheric properties on detection of wood-warbler nocturnal flight calls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horton, Kyle G.; Stepanian, Phillip M.; Wainwright, Charlotte E.; Tegeler, Amy K.

2015-10-01

Avian migration monitoring can take on many forms; however, monitoring active nocturnal migration of land birds is limited to a few techniques. Avian nocturnal flight calls are currently the only method for describing migrant composition at the species level. However, as this method develops, more information is needed to understand the sources of variation in call detection. Additionally, few studies examine how detection probabilities differ under varying atmospheric conditions. We use nocturnal flight call recordings from captive individuals to explore the dependence of flight call detection on atmospheric temperature and humidity. Height or distance from origin had the largest influence on call detection, while temperature and humidity also influenced detectability at higher altitudes. Because flight call detection varies with both atmospheric conditions and flight height, improved monitoring across time and space will require correction for these factors to generate standardized metrics of songbird migration.

Modeling Aboveground Biomass in Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem by Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Discrete Lidar

PubMed Central

Wang, Dongliang; Xin, Xiaoping; Shao, Quanqin; Brolly, Matthew; Zhu, Zhiliang; Chen, Jin

2017-01-01

Accurate canopy structure datasets, including canopy height and fractional cover, are required to monitor aboveground biomass as well as to provide validation data for satellite remote sensing products. In this study, the ability of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) discrete light detection and ranging (lidar) was investigated for modeling both the canopy height and fractional cover in Hulunber grassland ecosystem. The extracted mean canopy height, maximum canopy height, and fractional cover were used to estimate the aboveground biomass. The influences of flight height on lidar estimates were also analyzed. The main findings are: (1) the lidar-derived mean canopy height is the most reasonable predictor of aboveground biomass (R2 = 0.340, root-mean-square error (RMSE) = 81.89 g·m−2, and relative error of 14.1%). The improvement of multiple regressions to the R2 and RMSE values is unobvious when adding fractional cover in the regression since the correlation between mean canopy height and fractional cover is high; (2) Flight height has a pronounced effect on the derived fractional cover and details of the lidar data, but the effect is insignificant on the derived canopy height when the flight height is within the range (<100 m). These findings are helpful for modeling stable regressions to estimate grassland biomass using lidar returns. PMID:28106819

Modeling Aboveground Biomass in Hulunber Grassland Ecosystem by Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Discrete Lidar.

PubMed

Wang, Dongliang; Xin, Xiaoping; Shao, Quanqin; Brolly, Matthew; Zhu, Zhiliang; Chen, Jin

2017-01-19

Accurate canopy structure datasets, including canopy height and fractional cover, are required to monitor aboveground biomass as well as to provide validation data for satellite remote sensing products. In this study, the ability of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) discrete light detection and ranging (lidar) was investigated for modeling both the canopy height and fractional cover in Hulunber grassland ecosystem. The extracted mean canopy height, maximum canopy height, and fractional cover were used to estimate the aboveground biomass. The influences of flight height on lidar estimates were also analyzed. The main findings are: (1) the lidar-derived mean canopy height is the most reasonable predictor of aboveground biomass ( R ² = 0.340, root-mean-square error (RMSE) = 81.89 g·m -2 , and relative error of 14.1%). The improvement of multiple regressions to the R ² and RMSE values is unobvious when adding fractional cover in the regression since the correlation between mean canopy height and fractional cover is high; (2) Flight height has a pronounced effect on the derived fractional cover and details of the lidar data, but the effect is insignificant on the derived canopy height when the flight height is within the range (<100 m). These findings are helpful for modeling stable regressions to estimate grassland biomass using lidar returns.

Integrating scales of seagrass monitoring to meet conservation needs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neckles, Hilary A.; Kopp, Blaine S.; Peterson, Bradley J.; Pooler, Penelope S.

2012-01-01

We evaluated a hierarchical framework for seagrass monitoring in two estuaries in the northeastern USA: Little Pleasant Bay, Massachusetts, and Great South Bay/Moriches Bay, New York. This approach includes three tiers of monitoring that are integrated across spatial scales and sampling intensities. We identified monitoring attributes for determining attainment of conservation objectives to protect seagrass ecosystems from estuarine nutrient enrichment. Existing mapping programs provided large-scale information on seagrass distribution and bed sizes (tier 1 monitoring). We supplemented this with bay-wide, quadrat-based assessments of seagrass percent cover and canopy height at permanent sampling stations following a spatially distributed random design (tier 2 monitoring). Resampling simulations showed that four observations per station were sufficient to minimize bias in estimating mean percent cover on a bay-wide scale, and sample sizes of 55 stations in a 624-ha system and 198 stations in a 9,220-ha system were sufficient to detect absolute temporal increases in seagrass abundance from 25% to 49% cover and from 4% to 12% cover, respectively. We made high-resolution measurements of seagrass condition (percent cover, canopy height, total and reproductive shoot density, biomass, and seagrass depth limit) at a representative index site in each system (tier 3 monitoring). Tier 3 data helped explain system-wide changes. Our results suggest tiered monitoring as an efficient and feasible way to detect and predict changes in seagrass systems relative to multi-scale conservation objectives.

Orthorectification, mosaicking, and analysis of sub-decimeter resolution UAV imagery for rangeland monitoring

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer an attractive platform for acquiring imagery for rangeland monitoring. UAVs can be deployed quickly and repeatedly, and they can obtain sub-decimeter resolution imagery at lower image acquisition costs than with piloted aircraft. Low flying heights result in ima...

Modeling vegetation heights from high resolution stereo aerial photography: an application for broad-scale rangeland monitoring

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Vertical vegetation structure in rangeland ecosystems can be a valuable indicator for monitoring rangeland health or progress toward management objectives because of its importance for assessing riparian areas, post-fire recovery, wind erosion, and wildlife habitat. Federal land management agencies ...

Monitoring system and methods for a distributed and recoverable digital control system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stange, Kent (Inventor); Hess, Richard (Inventor); Kelley, Gerald B (Inventor); Rogers, Randy (Inventor)

2010-01-01

A monitoring system and methods are provided for a distributed and recoverable digital control system. The monitoring system generally comprises two independent monitoring planes within the control system. The first monitoring plane is internal to the computing units in the control system, and the second monitoring plane is external to the computing units. The internal first monitoring plane includes two in-line monitors. The first internal monitor is a self-checking, lock-step-processing monitor with integrated rapid recovery capability. The second internal monitor includes one or more reasonableness monitors, which compare actual effector position with commanded effector position. The external second monitor plane includes two monitors. The first external monitor includes a pre-recovery computing monitor, and the second external monitor includes a post recovery computing monitor. Various methods for implementing the monitoring functions are also disclosed.

Theoretical studies of the potential surface for the F - H2 greater than HF + H reaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauschlicher, Charles W., Jr.; Walch, Stephen, P.; Langhoff, Stephen R.; Taylor, Peter R.; Jaffe, Richard L.

1987-01-01

The F + H2 yields HF + H potential energy hypersurface was studied in the saddle point and entrance channel regions. Using a large (5s 5p 3d 2f 1g/4s 3p 2d) atomic natural orbital basis set, a classical barrier height of 1.86 kcal/mole was obtained at the CASSCF/multireference CI level (MRCI) after correcting for basis set superposition error and including a Davidson correction (+Q) for higher excitations. Based upon an analysis of the computed results, the true classical barrier is estimated to be about 1.4 kcal/mole. The location of the bottleneck on the lowest vibrationally adiabatic potential curve was also computed and the translational energy threshold determined from a one-dimensional tunneling calculation. Using the difference between the calculated and experimental threshold to adjust the classical barrier height on the computed surface yields a classical barrier in the range of 1.0 to 1.5 kcal/mole. Combining the results of the direct estimates of the classical barrier height with the empirical values obtained from the approximation calculations of the dynamical threshold, it is predicted that the true classical barrier height is 1.4 + or - 0.4 kcal/mole. Arguments are presented in favor of including the relatively large +Q correction obtained when nine electrons are correlated at the CASSCF/MRCI level.

Spectral decomposition of internal gravity wave sea surface height in global models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savage, Anna C.; Arbic, Brian K.; Alford, Matthew H.; Ansong, Joseph K.; Farrar, J. Thomas; Menemenlis, Dimitris; O'Rourke, Amanda K.; Richman, James G.; Shriver, Jay F.; Voet, Gunnar; Wallcraft, Alan J.; Zamudio, Luis

2017-10-01

Two global ocean models ranging in horizontal resolution from 1/12° to 1/48° are used to study the space and time scales of sea surface height (SSH) signals associated with internal gravity waves (IGWs). Frequency-horizontal wavenumber SSH spectral densities are computed over seven regions of the world ocean from two simulations of the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and three simulations of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology general circulation model (MITgcm). High wavenumber, high-frequency SSH variance follows the predicted IGW linear dispersion curves. The realism of high-frequency motions (>0.87 cpd) in the models is tested through comparison of the frequency spectral density of dynamic height variance computed from the highest-resolution runs of each model (1/25° HYCOM and 1/48° MITgcm) with dynamic height variance frequency spectral density computed from nine in situ profiling instruments. These high-frequency motions are of particular interest because of their contributions to the small-scale SSH variability that will be observed on a global scale in the upcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite altimetry mission. The variance at supertidal frequencies can be comparable to the tidal and low-frequency variance for high wavenumbers (length scales smaller than ˜50 km), especially in the higher-resolution simulations. In the highest-resolution simulations, the high-frequency variance can be greater than the low-frequency variance at these scales.

Bas-relief generation using adaptive histogram equalization.

PubMed

Sun, Xianfang; Rosin, Paul L; Martin, Ralph R; Langbein, Frank C

2009-01-01

An algorithm is presented to automatically generate bas-reliefs based on adaptive histogram equalization (AHE), starting from an input height field. A mesh model may alternatively be provided, in which case a height field is first created via orthogonal or perspective projection. The height field is regularly gridded and treated as an image, enabling a modified AHE method to be used to generate a bas-relief with a user-chosen height range. We modify the original image-contrast-enhancement AHE method to use gradient weights also to enhance the shape features of the bas-relief. To effectively compress the height field, we limit the height-dependent scaling factors used to compute relative height variations in the output from height variations in the input; this prevents any height differences from having too great effect. Results of AHE over different neighborhood sizes are averaged to preserve information at different scales in the resulting bas-relief. Compared to previous approaches, the proposed algorithm is simple and yet largely preserves original shape features. Experiments show that our results are, in general, comparable to and in some cases better than the best previously published methods.

Effect of habitat and foraging height on bat activity in the coastal plain of South Carolina

Treesearch

Jennifer M. Menzel; Michael A. Menzel; John C. Kilgo; W. Mark Ford; John w. Edwards; Gary F. McCracken

2005-01-01

We conipared bat activity levels in the Coaslal Plain of South Carolina atnong 5 habitat types: forested riparian areas, clearcuts, young pine plantations, ature pine plantations, and pine savannas. We used time-expansion radio-microphones and integrated detectors to simultaneously monitor bat activity at 3 heights (30, 10, 2 mj in each habitat type. Variation in...

Initial shock and long-term stand development following thinning in a Douglas-fir plantation.

Treesearch

Constance A. Harrington; Donald L. Reukema

1983-01-01

Responses following the application of six precommercial thinning treatments to a 27-year-old Douglas-fir plantation (2.4-m spacing, height at age 100 = 24 m) have been monitored for 25 years. Spacing after thinning ranged from 3.4 m to 8.1 m. Immediately following thinning, trees exhibited thinning shock; that is, substantial height growth reductions. The severity and...

Key algorithms used in GR02: A computer simulation model for predicting tree and stand growth

Treesearch

Garrett A. Hughes; Paul E. Sendak; Paul E. Sendak

1985-01-01

GR02 is an individual tree, distance-independent simulation model for predicting tree and stand growth over time. It performs five major functions during each run: (1) updates diameter at breast height, (2) updates total height, (3) estimates mortality, (4) determines regeneration, and (5) updates crown class.

Microgravity Geyser and Flow Field Prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hochstein, J. I.; Marchetta, J. G.; Thornton, R. J.

2006-01-01

Modeling and prediction of flow fields and geyser formation in microgravity cryogenic propellant tanks was investigated. A computational simulation was used to reproduce the test matrix of experimental results performed by other investigators, as well as to model the flows in a larger tank. An underprediction of geyser height by the model led to a sensitivity study to determine if variations in surface tension coefficient, contact angle, or jet pipe turbulence significantly influence the simulations. It was determined that computational geyser height is not sensitive to slight variations in any of these items. An existing empirical correlation based on dimensionless parameters was re-examined in an effort to improve the accuracy of geyser prediction. This resulted in the proposal for a re-formulation of two dimensionless parameters used in the correlation; the non-dimensional geyser height and the Bond number. It was concluded that the new non-dimensional geyser height shows little promise. Although further data will be required to make a definite judgement, the reformulation of the Bond number provided correlations that are more accurate and appear to be more general than the previously established correlation.

Airburst height computation method of Sea-Impact Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jinho; Kim, Hyungsup; Chae, Sungwoo; Park, Sungho

2017-05-01

This paper describes the ways how to measure the airburst height of projectiles and rockets. In general, the airburst height could be determined by using triangulation method or the images from the camera installed on the radar. There are some limitations in these previous methods when the missiles impact the sea surface. To apply triangulation method, the cameras should be installed so that the lines of sight intersect at angles from 60 to 120 degrees. There could be no effective observation towers to install the optical system. In case the range of the missile is more than 50km, the images from the camera of the radar could be useless. This paper proposes the method to measure the airburst height of sea impact projectile by using a single camera. The camera would be installed on the island near to the impact area and the distance could be computed by using the position and attitude of camera and sea level. To demonstrate the proposed method, the results from the proposed method are compared with that from the previous method.

Utilization of thermoluminescent dosimetry in total skin electron beam radiotherapy of mycosis fungoides.

PubMed

Antolak, J A; Cundiff, J H; Ha, C S

1998-01-01

The purpose of this report is to discuss the utilization of thermoluminescent dosimetry (TLD) in total skin electron beam (TSEB) radiotherapy to: (a) compare patient dose distributions for similar techniques on different machines, (b) confirm beam calibration and monitor unit calculations, (c) provide data for making clinical decisions, and (d) study reasons for variations in individual dose readings. We report dosimetric results for 72 cases of mycosis fungoides, using similar irradiation techniques on two different linear accelerators. All patients were treated using a modified Stanford 6-field technique. In vivo TLD was done on all patients, and the data for all patients treated on both machines was collected into a database for analysis. Means and standard deviations (SDs) were computed for all locations. Scatter plots of doses vs. height, weight, and obesity index were generated, and correlation coefficients with these variables were computed. The TLD results show that our current TSEB implementation is dosimetrically equivalent to the previous implementation, and that our beam calibration technique and monitor unit calculation is accurate. Correlations with obesity index were significant at several sites. Individual TLD results allow us to customize the boost treatment for each patient, in addition to revealing patient positioning problems and/or systematic variations in dose caused by patient variability. The data agree well with previously published TLD results for similar TSEB techniques. TLD is an important part of the treatment planning and quality assurance programs for TSEB, and routine use of TLD measurements for TSEB is recommended.

Height system connection between island and mainland using a hydrodynamic model: a case study connecting the Dutch Wadden islands to the Amsterdam ordnance datum (NAP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slobbe, D. C.; Klees, R.; Verlaan, M.; Zijl, F.; Alberts, B.; Farahani, H. H.

2018-03-01

We present an efficient and flexible alternative method to connect islands and offshore tide gauges with the height system on land. The method uses a regional, high-resolution hydrodynamic model that provides total water levels. From the model, we obtain the differences in mean water level (MWL) between tide gauges at the mainland and at the islands or offshore platforms. Adding them to the MWL relative to the national height system at the mainland's tide gauges realizes a connection of the island and offshore platforms with the height system on the mainland. Numerical results are presented for the connection of the Dutch Wadden islands with the national height system (Normaal Amsterdams Peil, NAP). Several choices of the period over which the MWLs are computed are tested and validated. The best results were obtained when we computed the MWL only over the summer months of our 19-year simulation period. Based on this strategy, the percentage of connections for which the absolute differences between the observation- and model-derived MWL differences are ≤ 1 cm is about 34% (46 out of 135 possible leveling connections). In this case, for each Wadden island we can find several connections that allow the transfer of NAP with (sub-)centimeter accuracy.

Computational and theoretical analysis of free surface flow in a thin liquid film under zero and normal gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faghri, Amir; Swanson, Theodore D.

1988-01-01

The results of a numerical computation and theoretical analysis are presented for the flow of a thin liquid film in the presence and absence of a gravitational body force. Five different flow systems were used. Also presented are the governing equations and boundary conditions for the situation of a thin liquid emanating from a pressure vessel; traveling along a horizontal plate with a constant initial height and uniform initial velocity; and traveling radially along a horizontal disk with a constant initial height and uniform initial velocity.

Flood profiles for lower Brooker Creek, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Murphy, W.R.

1978-01-01

Flood heights are computed for a range of recurrence intervals for a 12.6 mile reach of Brooker Creek, beginning at the mouth at Lake Tarpon. A Geological Survey step-backwater computer program, E431, was used in these analyses using: (1) Stream and valley cross-section geometry and roughness data; (2) Recurrence interval flood-peak discharges; (3) Recurrence interval starting elevations; (4) Gaging station stage-discharge relations. Flood heights may be plotted versus distance above stream mouth and connected to construct flood profiles. They may also be used to indicate areas of inundation on detailed topographic maps.

Computation of marginal distributions of peak-heights in electropherograms for analysing single source and mixture STR DNA samples.

PubMed

Cowell, Robert G

2018-05-04

Current models for single source and mixture samples, and probabilistic genotyping software based on them used for analysing STR electropherogram data, assume simple probability distributions, such as the gamma distribution, to model the allelic peak height variability given the initial amount of DNA prior to PCR amplification. Here we illustrate how amplicon number distributions, for a model of the process of sample DNA collection and PCR amplification, may be efficiently computed by evaluating probability generating functions using discrete Fourier transforms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ground Level Enhancement in the 2014 January 6 Solar Energetic Particle Event

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thakur, N.; Gopalswamy, N.; Xie, H.; Makela, P.; Yashiro, S.; Akiyama, S.; Davila, J. M.

2014-01-01

We present a study of the 2014 January 6 solar energetic particle event which produced a small ground level enhancement (GLE), making it the second GLE of this unusual solar cycle 24. This event was primarily observed by the South Pole neutron monitors (increase of approximately 2.5 percent) while a few other neutron monitors recorded smaller increases. The associated coronal mass ejection (CME) originated behind the western limb and had a speed of 1960 kilometers per second. The height of the CME at the start of the associated metric type II radio burst, which indicates the formation of a strong shock, was measured to be 1.61 solar radii using a direct image from STEREO-A/EUVI. The CME height at the time of the GLE particle release (determined using the South Pole neutron monitor data) was directly measured as 2.96 solar radii based on STEREO-A/COR1 white-light observations. These CME heights are consistent with those obtained for GLE71, the only other GLE of the current cycle, as well as cycle-23 GLEs derived using back-extrapolation. GLE72 is of special interest because it is one of only two GLEs of cycle 24, one of two behind-the-limb GLEs, and one of the two smallest GLEs of cycles 23 and 24.

Evaluating the distance between the femoral tunnel centers in anatomic double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using a computer simulation

PubMed Central

Tashiro, Yasutaka; Okazaki, Ken; Iwamoto, Yukihide

2015-01-01

Purpose We aimed to clarify the distance between the anteromedial (AM) bundle and posterolateral (PL) bundle tunnel-aperture centers by simulating the anatomical femoral tunnel placement during double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using 3-D computer-aided design models of the knee, in order to discuss the risk of tunnel overlap. Relationships between the AM to PL center distance, body height, and sex difference were also analyzed. Patients and methods The positions of the AM and PL tunnel centers were defined based on previous studies using the quadrant method, and were superimposed anatomically onto the 3-D computer-aided design knee models from 68 intact femurs. The distance between the tunnel centers was measured using the 3-D DICOM software package. The correlation between the AM–PL distance and the subject’s body height was assessed, and a cutoff height value for a higher risk of overlap of the AM and PL tunnel apertures was identified. Results The distance between the AM and PL centers was 10.2±0.6 mm in males and 9.4±0.5 mm in females (P<0.01). The AM–PL center distance demonstrated good correlation with body height in both males (r=0.66, P<0.01) and females (r=0.63, P<0.01). When 9 mm was defined as the critical distance between the tunnel centers to preserve a 2 mm bony bridge between the two tunnels, the cutoff value was calculated to be a height of 160 cm in males and 155 cm in females. Conclusion When AM and PL tunnels were placed anatomically in simulated double-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, the distance between the two tunnel centers showed a strong positive correlation with body height. In cases with relatively short stature, the AM and PL tunnel apertures are considered to be at a higher risk of overlap when surgeons choose the double-bundle technique. PMID:26170727

Study of City Landscape Heritage Using Lidar Data and 3d-City Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubinowicz, P.; Czynska, K.

2015-04-01

In contemporary town planning protection of urban landscape is a significant issue. It regards especially those cities, where urban structures are the result of ages of evolution and layering of historical development process. Specific panoramas and other strategic views with historic city dominants can be an important part of the cultural heritage and genius loci. Other hand, protection of such expositions introduces limitations for future based city development. Digital Earth observation techniques creates new possibilities for more accurate urban studies, monitoring of urbanization processes and measuring of city landscape parameters. The paper examines possibilities of application of Lidar data and digital 3D-city models for: a) evaluation of strategic city views, b) mapping landscape absorption limits, and c) determination protection zones, where the urbanization and buildings height should be limited. In reference to this goal, the paper introduces a method of computational analysis of the city landscape called Visual Protection Surface (VPS). The method allows to emulate a virtual surface above the city including protection of a selected strategic views. The surface defines maximum height of buildings in such a way, that no new facility can be seen in any of selected views. The research includes also analyses of the quality of simulations according the form and precision of the input data: airborne Lidar / DSM model and more advanced 3D-city models (incl. semantic of the geometry, like in CityGML format). The outcome can be a support for professional planning of tall building development. Application of VPS method have been prepared by a computer program developed by the authors (C++). Simulations were carried out on an example of the city of Dresden.

Monitoring individual tree-based change with airborne lidar.

PubMed

Duncanson, Laura; Dubayah, Ralph

2018-05-01

Understanding the carbon flux of forests is critical for constraining the global carbon cycle and managing forests to mitigate climate change. Monitoring forest growth and mortality rates is critical to this effort, but has been limited in the past, with estimates relying primarily on field surveys. Advances in remote sensing enable the potential to monitor tree growth and mortality across landscapes. This work presents an approach to measure tree growth and loss using multidate lidar campaigns in a high-biomass forest in California, USA. Individual tree crowns were delineated in 2008 and again in 2013 using a 3D crown segmentation algorithm, with derived heights and crown radii extracted and used to estimate individual tree aboveground biomass. Tree growth, loss, and aboveground biomass were analyzed with respect to tree height and crown radius. Both tree growth and loss rates decrease with increasing tree height, following the expectation that trees slow in growth rate as they age. Additionally, our aboveground biomass analysis suggests that, while the system is a net source of aboveground carbon, these carbon dynamics are governed by size class with the largest sources coming from the loss of a relatively small number of large individuals. This study demonstrates that monitoring individual tree-based growth and loss can be conducted with multidate airborne lidar, but these methods remain relatively immature. Disparities between lidar acquisitions were particularly difficult to overcome and decreased the sample of trees analyzed for growth rate in this study to 21% of the full number of delineated crowns. However, this study illuminates the potential of airborne remote sensing for ecologically meaningful forest monitoring at an individual tree level. As methods continue to improve, airborne multidate lidar will enable a richer understanding of the drivers of tree growth, loss, and aboveground carbon flux.

[Body proportions of healthy and short stature adolescent girls].

PubMed

Milde, Katarzyna; Tomaszewski, Paweł; Majcher, Anna; Pyrżak, Beata; Stupnicki, Romuald

2011-01-01

Regularly conducted assessment of body proportions is of importance as early detection of possible growth disorders and immediate prevention may allow gathering an optimum of child's genetically conditioned level of development. To assess body proportions of adolescent girls, healthy or with growth deficiency. Three groups were studied: 104 healthy, short-statured girls (body height below the 10th percentile), 84 girls with Turner's syndrome (ZT) and 263 healthy girls of normal stature (between percentiles 25 and 75), all aged 11-15 years. The following measurements were conducted according to common anthropometric standards: body height, sitting body height, shoulder width, upper extremity length and lower extremity length - the last one was computed as the difference between standing and sitting body heights. All measurements were converted to logarithms and allometric linear regressions vs log body height were computed. The Turner girls proved to have allometrically shorter legs (p<0.001) and wider shoulders (p<0.001) compared with both groups of healthy girls, and longer upper extremities (p<0.001) compared with the girls of normal stature. Healthy, short-statured girls had longer lower extremities (p<0.001) as compared to other groups; they also had wider shoulders (p<0.001) and longer upper extremities (p<0.001) compared to healthy girls of normal height. Allometric relations of anthropometric measurements enable a deeper insight into the body proportions, especially in the growth period. The presented discrimination of Turner girls may serve as a screening test, and recommendation for further clinical treatment.

Fault slip and seismic moment of the 1700 Cascadia earthquake inferred from Japanese tsunami descriptions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Satake, K.; Wang, K.; Atwater, B.F.

2003-01-01

The 1700 Cascadia earthquake attained moment magnitude 9 according to new estimates based on effects of its tsunami in Japan, computed coseismic seafloor deformation for hypothetical ruptures in Cascadia, and tsunami modeling in the Pacific Ocean. Reports of damage and flooding show that the 1700 Casscadia tsunami reached 1-5 m heights at seven shoreline sites in Japan. Three sets of estimated heights express uncertainty about location and depth of reported flooding, landward decline in tsunami heights from shorelines, and post-1700 land-level changes. We compare each set with tsunami heights computed from six Cascadia sources. Each source is vertical seafloor displacement calculated with a three-dimensional elastic dislocation model, for three sources the rupture extends the 1100 km length of the subduction zone and differs in width and shallow dip; for the other sources, ruptures of ordinary width extend 360-670 km. To compute tsunami waveforms, we use a linear long-wave approximation with a finite difference method, and we employ modern bathymetry with nearshore grid spacing as small as 0.4 km. The various combinations of Japanese tsunami heights and Cascadia sources give seismic moment of 1-9 ?? 1022 N m, equivalent to moment magnitude 8.7-9.2. This range excludes several unquantified uncertainties. The most likely earthquake, of moment magnitude 9.0, has 19 m of coseismic slip on an offshore, full-slip zone 1100 km long with linearly decreasing slip on a downdip partial-slip zone. The shorter rupture models require up to 40 m offshore slip and predict land-level changes inconsistent with coastal paleoseismological evidence. Copyright 2003 by the American Geophysical Union.

Height loss in elderly women is preceded by osteoporosis and is associated with digestive problems and urinary incontinence.

PubMed

Berecki-Gisolf, J; Spallek, M; Hockey, R; Dobson, A

2010-03-01

This study explores risk factors for height loss and consequences in terms of health and wellbeing, in older women. Osteoporosis, low body-mass index, being born in Europe and using medications for both sleep and anxiety were risk factors for height loss. Height loss was associated with digestive problems; excessive height loss was also associated with urinary stress-incontinence and a decline in self-rated health. Height loss is associated with osteoporosis, but little is known about its consequences. We aimed to examine the risk factors for height loss and the symptoms associated with height loss. Elderly participants of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (aged 70-75 in 1996) who provided data on height at any two consecutive surveys (held in 1996, 1999, 2002, and 2005) were included (N = 9,852). A regression model was fitted with height loss as the outcome and sociodemographics, osteoporosis, and other risk factors as explanatory variables. Symptoms related to postural changes or raised intra-abdominal pressure were analyzed using height loss as an explanatory variable. Over 9 years, average height loss per year was -0.12% (95% confidence intervals [95% CI] = -0.13 to -0.12) of height at baseline. Height loss was greater among those with osteoporosis and low body mass index and those taking medications for sleep and anxiety. After adjusting for confounders, symptoms associated with height loss of > or =2% were heartburn/indigestion (odds ratio [OR] = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.40), constipation (OR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.37), and urinary stress incontinence (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.41). These findings highlight the importance of monitoring height among the elderly in general practice and targeting associated symptoms.

On-line computer system for use with low- energy nuclear physics experiments is reported

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gemmell, D. S.

1969-01-01

Computer program handles data from low-energy nuclear physics experiments which utilize the ND-160 pulse-height analyzer and the PHYLIS computing system. The program allows experimenters to choose from about 50 different basic data-handling functions and to prescribe the order in which these functions will be performed.

SETs: stand evaluation tools: II. tree value conversion standards for hardwood sawtimber

Treesearch

Joseph J. Mendel; Paul S. DeBald; Martin E. Dale

1976-01-01

Tree quatity index tables are presented for 12 important hardwood species of the oak-hickory forest. From these, tree value conversion standards are developed for each species, log grade, merchantable height, and diameter at breast height. The method of calculating tree value conversion standards and adapting them to different conditions is explained. A computer...

Time dependent genetic analysis links field and controlled environment phenotypes in the model C 4 grass Setaria

DOE PAGES

Feldman, Max J.; Paul, Rachel E.; Banan, Darshi; ...

2017-06-23

Vertical growth of plants is a dynamic process that is influenced by genetic and environmental factors and has a pronounced effect on overall plant architecture and biomass composition. For this research, we have performed six controlled growth trials of an interspecific Setaria italica x Setaria viridis recombinant inbred line population to assess how the genetic architecture of plant height is influenced by developmental queues, water availability and planting density. The non-destructive nature of plant height measurements has enabled us to monitor height throughout the plant life cycle in both field and controlled environments. We find that plant height is reducedmore » under water limitation and high density planting and affected by growth environment (field vs. growth chamber). The results support a model where plant height is a heritable, polygenic trait and that the major genetic loci that influence plant height function independent of growth environment. The identity and contribution of loci that influence height changes dynamically throughout development and the reduction of growth observed in water limited environments is a consequence of delayed progression through the genetic program which establishes plant height in Setaria. In this population, alleles inherited from the weedy S. viridis parent act to increase plant height early, whereas a larger number of small effect alleles inherited from the domesticated S. italica parent collectively act to increase plant height later in development.« less

Time dependent genetic analysis links field and controlled environment phenotypes in the model C 4 grass Setaria

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Feldman, Max J.; Paul, Rachel E.; Banan, Darshi

Vertical growth of plants is a dynamic process that is influenced by genetic and environmental factors and has a pronounced effect on overall plant architecture and biomass composition. For this research, we have performed six controlled growth trials of an interspecific Setaria italica x Setaria viridis recombinant inbred line population to assess how the genetic architecture of plant height is influenced by developmental queues, water availability and planting density. The non-destructive nature of plant height measurements has enabled us to monitor height throughout the plant life cycle in both field and controlled environments. We find that plant height is reducedmore » under water limitation and high density planting and affected by growth environment (field vs. growth chamber). The results support a model where plant height is a heritable, polygenic trait and that the major genetic loci that influence plant height function independent of growth environment. The identity and contribution of loci that influence height changes dynamically throughout development and the reduction of growth observed in water limited environments is a consequence of delayed progression through the genetic program which establishes plant height in Setaria. In this population, alleles inherited from the weedy S. viridis parent act to increase plant height early, whereas a larger number of small effect alleles inherited from the domesticated S. italica parent collectively act to increase plant height later in development.« less

Time dependent genetic analysis links field and controlled environment phenotypes in the model C4 grass Setaria

PubMed Central

Paul, Rachel E.; Sebastian, Jose; Yee, Muh-Ching; Jiang, Hui; Lipka, Alexander E.; Brutnell, Thomas P.; Dinneny, José R.; Leakey, Andrew D. B.

2017-01-01

Vertical growth of plants is a dynamic process that is influenced by genetic and environmental factors and has a pronounced effect on overall plant architecture and biomass composition. We have performed six controlled growth trials of an interspecific Setaria italica x Setaria viridis recombinant inbred line population to assess how the genetic architecture of plant height is influenced by developmental queues, water availability and planting density. The non-destructive nature of plant height measurements has enabled us to monitor height throughout the plant life cycle in both field and controlled environments. We find that plant height is reduced under water limitation and high density planting and affected by growth environment (field vs. growth chamber). The results support a model where plant height is a heritable, polygenic trait and that the major genetic loci that influence plant height function independent of growth environment. The identity and contribution of loci that influence height changes dynamically throughout development and the reduction of growth observed in water limited environments is a consequence of delayed progression through the genetic program which establishes plant height in Setaria. In this population, alleles inherited from the weedy S. viridis parent act to increase plant height early, whereas a larger number of small effect alleles inherited from the domesticated S. italica parent collectively act to increase plant height later in development. PMID:28644860

Time dependent genetic analysis links field and controlled environment phenotypes in the model C4 grass Setaria.

PubMed

Feldman, Max J; Paul, Rachel E; Banan, Darshi; Barrett, Jennifer F; Sebastian, Jose; Yee, Muh-Ching; Jiang, Hui; Lipka, Alexander E; Brutnell, Thomas P; Dinneny, José R; Leakey, Andrew D B; Baxter, Ivan

2017-06-01

Vertical growth of plants is a dynamic process that is influenced by genetic and environmental factors and has a pronounced effect on overall plant architecture and biomass composition. We have performed six controlled growth trials of an interspecific Setaria italica x Setaria viridis recombinant inbred line population to assess how the genetic architecture of plant height is influenced by developmental queues, water availability and planting density. The non-destructive nature of plant height measurements has enabled us to monitor height throughout the plant life cycle in both field and controlled environments. We find that plant height is reduced under water limitation and high density planting and affected by growth environment (field vs. growth chamber). The results support a model where plant height is a heritable, polygenic trait and that the major genetic loci that influence plant height function independent of growth environment. The identity and contribution of loci that influence height changes dynamically throughout development and the reduction of growth observed in water limited environments is a consequence of delayed progression through the genetic program which establishes plant height in Setaria. In this population, alleles inherited from the weedy S. viridis parent act to increase plant height early, whereas a larger number of small effect alleles inherited from the domesticated S. italica parent collectively act to increase plant height later in development.

The evolution of computer monitoring of real time data during the Atlas Centaur launch countdown

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, W. F.

1981-01-01

In the last decade, improvements in computer technology have provided new 'tools' for controlling and monitoring critical missile systems. In this connection, computers have gradually taken a large role in monitoring all flights and ground systems on the Atlas Centaur. The wide body Centaur which will be launched in the Space Shuttle Cargo Bay will use computers to an even greater extent. It is planned to use the wide body Centaur to boost the Galileo spacecraft toward Jupiter in 1985. The critical systems which must be monitored prior to liftoff are examined. Computers have now been programmed to monitor all critical parameters continuously. At this time, there are two separate computer systems used to monitor these parameters.

Detailed gravimetric geoid for the United States.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Strange, W. E.; Vincent, S. F.; Berry, R. H.; Marsh, J. G.

1972-01-01

A detailed gravimetric geoid was computed for the United States using a combination of satellite-derived spherical harmonic coefficients and 1 by 1 deg mean gravity values from surface gravimetry. Comparisons of this geoid with astrogeodetic geoid data indicate that a precision of plus or minus 2 meters has been obtained. Translations only were used to convert the NAD astrogeodetic geoid heights to geocentric astrogeodetic heights. On the basis of the agreement between the geocentric astrogeodetic geoid heights and the gravimetric geoid heights, no evidence is found for rotation in the North American datum. The value of the zero-order undulation can vary by 10 to 20 meters, depending on which investigator's station positions are used to establish it.

Convective flow effects on protein crystal growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberger, Franz; Monaco, Lisa A.

1993-01-01

The experimental setup for the in-situ high resolution optical monitoring of protein crystal growth/dissolution morphologies was substantially improved. By augmenting the observation system with a temperature-controlled enclosure, laser illumination for the interferometric microscope, and software for pixel by pixel light intensity recording, a height resolution of about two unit cells for lysozyme can now be obtained. The repartitioning of Na(+) and Cl(-) ions between lysozyme solutions and crystals was studied. Quite unexpectedly, it was found that the longer crystals were in contact with their solution, the lower was their ion content. The development of a model for diffusive-convective transport and resulting distribution of the growth rate on facets was completed. Results obtained for a realistic growth cell geometry show interesting differences between 'growth runs' at 1g and 0g. The kinematic viscosity of lysozyme solutions of various supersaturations and salt concentrations was monitored over time. In contrast to the preliminary finding of other authors, no changes in viscosity were found over four days. The experimental setup for light scattering investigations of aggregation and nucleation in protein solutions was completed, and a computer program for the evaluation of multi-angle light scattering data was acquired.

In-Service Monitoring of Steam Pipe Systems at High Temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Lih, Shyh-Shiuh; Badescu, Mircea; Bao, Xiaoqi; Sherrit, Stewart; Scott, James S.; Blosiu, Julian O.; Widholm, Scott E.

2011-01-01

An effective, in-service health monitoring system is needed to track water condensation in real time through the walls of steam pipes. The system is required to measure the height of the condensed water from outside the pipe, while operating at temperatures that are as high as 250 C. The system needs to account for the effects of water flow and cavitation. In addition, it is desired that the system does not require perforating the pipes and thereby reducing the structural integrity. Generally, steam pipes are used as part of the district heating system carrying steam from central power stations under the streets to heat, cool, or supply power to high-rise buildings and businesses. This system uses ultrasonic waves in pulse-echo and acquires reflected signal data. Via autocorrelation, it determines the water height while eliminating the effect of noise and multiple reflections from the wall of the pipe. The system performs nondestructive monitoring through the walls of steam pipes, and automatically measures the height of condensed water while operating at the high-temperature conditions of 250 C. For this purpose, the ultrasonic pulse-echo method is used where the time-of-flight of the wave reflections inside the water are measured, and it is multiplied by the wave velocity to determine the height. The pulse-echo test consists of emitting ultrasonic wave pulses from a piezoelectric transducer and receiving the reflections from the top and bottom of the condensed water. A single transducer is used as a transmitter as well as the receiver of the ultrasonic waves. To obtain high resolution, a broadband transducer is used and the frequency can be in the range of 2.25 to 10 MHz, providing sharp pulses in the time domain allowing for higher resolution in identifying the individual reflections.

Computer simulation of the classical entanglement of U-shaped particles in three dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maddock, Brian; Lindner, John

2014-03-01

Classical entanglement is important in a wide range of phenomena, such as velcro hook-and-loop-fasteners, seed dispersal by animal fur, and bent liquid crystal molecules. We present a computer simulation of the entanglement of U-shaped particles in three dimensions. We represent the particles by phenomenological potentials and evolve them by integrating Newton's laws of motion. We drop them into a virtual cylinder, shake them, and ultimately release the cylinder. As the particle piles relax, we quantify their entanglement by the exponential decay times of their heights, which we correlate to the particles' height-to-length ratios.

A Computer-Based Atlas of Global Instrumental Climate Data (DB1003)

DOE Data Explorer

Bradley, Raymond S.; Ahern, Linda G.; Keimig, Frank T.

1994-01-01

Color-shaded and contoured images of global, gridded instrumental data have been produced as a computer-based atlas. Each image simultaneously depicts anomaly maps of surface temperature, sea-level pressure, 500-mbar geopotential heights, and percentages of reference-period precipitation. Monthly, seasonal, and annual composites are available in either cylindrical equidistant or northern and southern hemisphere polar projections. Temperature maps are available from 1854 to 1991, precipitation from 1851 to 1989, sea-level pressure from 1899 to 1991, and 500-mbar heights from 1946 to 1991. The source of data for the temperature images is Jones et al.'s global gridded temperature anomalies. The precipitation images were derived from Eischeid et al.'s global gridded precipitation percentages. Grids from the Data Support Section, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) were the sources for the sea-level-pressure and 500-mbar geopotential-height images. All images are in GIF files (1024 × 822 pixels, 256 colors) and can be displayed on many different computer platforms. Each annual subdirectory contains 141 images, each seasonal subdirectory contains 563 images, and each monthly subdirectory contains 1656 images. The entire atlas requires approximately 340 MB of disk space, but users may retrieve any number of images at one time.

40 CFR 86.005-17 - On-board diagnostics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... other available operating parameters), and functionality checks for computer output components (proper... considered acceptable. (e) Storing of computer codes. The OBD system shall record and store in computer... monitors that can be considered continuously operating monitors (e.g., misfire monitor, fuel system monitor...

40 CFR 86.005-17 - On-board diagnostics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... other available operating parameters), and functionality checks for computer output components (proper... considered acceptable. (e) Storing of computer codes. The OBD system shall record and store in computer... monitors that can be considered continuously operating monitors (e.g., misfire monitor, fuel system monitor...

Comparison of horizontal winds from the LIMS satellite instrument with rocket measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, A. K.; Bailey, P. L.

1985-01-01

Statistical results are given for a comparison between horizontal geostrophic winds computed from satellite height data and all available in situ rocket wind soundings during a 7-month period. The satellite data are the daily mapped fields from the Nimbus 7 Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) instrument, which extend from 100 to 0.1 mbar. Results indicate that in both the tropics and the extratropical Northern Hemisphere, the average zonal and meridional wind speeds agree to within 2-4 m/s throughout the stratosphere. The rms differences are much larger, with values of 5-10 m/s in the lower stratosphere, increasing to 20-40 m/s in the lower mesosphere. Time series show that LIMS and rocketsonde zonal wind speeds show coherent variations with temporal periods of 1-2 weeks and more, and both exhibit irregular variations on time scales of less than one week.

The High Resolution Tropospheric Ozone Residual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoeberl, Mark R.

2006-01-01

The co-flight of the MLS stratospheric limb sounder and the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) provides the capability of computing the Tropospheric Ozone Residual (TOR) in much greater detail [Ziemke et al., 2006]. Using forward trajectory calculations of MLS ozone measurements combined with OMI column ozone we have developed a high horizontal resolution tropospheric ozone residual (HTOR) which can provide even more detail than the standard TOR product. HTOR is especially useful for extra-tropical studies of tropospheric ozone transport. We find that both the Pacific pollution corridor (East Asia to Alaska) and the Atlantic pollution corridor (North America east coast to Europe) are also preferred locations for strat-trop folds leading to systematic overestimates of pollution amounts. In fact, fold events appear to dominate extra-tropical Northern Hemisphere day-to-day maps of HTOR. Model estimates of the tropospheric column are in reasonable agreement with the HTOR amounts when offsets due to different tropopause height calculations are taken into consideration.

GNSS-Reflectometry aboard ISS with GEROS: Investigation of atmospheric propagation effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zus, F.; Heise, S.; Wickert, J.; Semmling, M.

2015-12-01

GEROS-ISS (GNSS rEflectometry Radio Occultation and Scatterometry) is an ESA mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The main mission goals are the determination of the sea surface height and surface winds. Secondary goals are monitoring of land surface parameters and atmosphere sounding using GNSS radio occultation measurements. The international scientific study GARCA (GNSS-Reflectometry Assessment of Requirements and Consolidation of Retrieval Algorithms), funded by ESA, is part of the preparations for GEROS-ISS. Major goals of GARCA are the development of an end2end Simulator for the GEROS-ISS measurements (GEROS-SIM) and the evaluation of the error budget of the GNSS reflectometry measurements. In this presentation we introduce some of the GARCA activities to quantify the influence of the ionized and neutral atmosphere on the altimetric measurements, which is a major error source for GEROS-ISS. At first, we analyse, to which extend the standard linear combination of interferometric paths at different carrier frequencies can be used to correct for the ionospheric propagation effects. Second, we make use of the tangent-linear version of our ray-trace algorithm to propagate the uncertainty of the underlying refractivity profile into the uncertainty of the interferometric path. For comparison the sensitivity of the interferometric path with respect to the sea surface height is computed. Though our calculations are based on a number of simplifying assumptions (the Earth is a sphere, the atmosphere is spherically layered and the ISS and GNSS satellite orbits are circular) some general conclusions can be drawn. In essence, for elevation angles above -5° at the ISS the higher-order ionospheric errors and the uncertaintiy of the inteferometric path due to the uncertainty of the underlying refractivity profile are small enough to distinguish a sea surface height of ± 0.5 m.

Discounting the value of safety: effects of perceived risk and effort.

PubMed

Sigurdsson, Sigurdur O; Taylor, Matthew A; Wirth, Oliver

2013-09-01

Although falls from heights remain the most prevalent cause of fatalities in the construction industry, factors impacting safety-related choices associated with work at heights are not completely understood. Better tools are needed to identify and study the factors influencing safety-related choices and decision making. Using a computer-based task within a behavioral economics paradigm, college students were presented a choice between two hypothetical scenarios that differed in working height and effort associated with retrieving and donning a safety harness. Participants were instructed to choose the scenario in which they were more likely to wear the safety harness. Based on choice patterns, switch points were identified, indicating when the perceived risk in both scenarios was equivalent. Switch points were a systematic function of working height and effort, and the quantified relation between perceived risk and effort was described well by a hyperbolic equation. Choice patterns revealed that the perceived risk of working at heights decreased as the effort to retrieve and don a safety harness increased. Results contribute to the development of computer-based procedure for assessing risk discounting within a behavioral economics framework. Such a procedure can be used as a research tool to study factors that influence safety-related decision making with a goal of informing more effective prevention and intervention strategies. Copyright © 2013 National Safety Council and Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Computational study of the vortex path variation with the VG height

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández-Gámiz, U.; Zamorano, G.; Zulueta, E.

2014-06-01

An extensive range of conventional, vane-type, passive vortex generators (VGs) are in use for successful applications of flow separation control. In most cases, the VG height is designed with the same thickness as the local boundary layer at the VG position. However, in some applications, these conventional VGs may produce excess residual drag. The so-called low-profile VGs can reduce the parasitic drag associated to this kind of passive control devices. As suggested by many authors, low-profile VGs can provide enough momentum transfer over a region several times their own height for effective flow-separation control with much lower drag. The main objective of this work is to study the variation of the path and the development of the primary vortex generated by a rectangular VG mounted on a flat plate with five different device heights h = δ, h1 = 0.8δ, h2 = 0.6δ, h3 = 0.4δ and h4 = 0.25m, where 5 is the local boundary layer thickness. For this purpose, computational simulations have been carried out at Reynolds number Re = 1350 based on the height of the conventional VG h = 0.25m with the angle of attack of the vane to the oncoming flow β = 18.5°. The results show that the VG scaling significantly affects the vortex trajectory and the peak vorticity generated by the primary vortex.

Research study on neutral thermodynamic atmospheric model. [for space shuttle mission and abort trajectory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hargraves, W. R.; Delulio, E. B.; Justus, C. G.

1977-01-01

The Global Reference Atmospheric Model is used along with the revised perturbation statistics to evaluate and computer graph various atmospheric statistics along a space shuttle reference mission and abort trajectory. The trajectory plots are height vs. ground range, with height from ground level to 155 km and ground range along the reentry trajectory. Cross sectional plots, height vs. latitude or longitude, are also generated for 80 deg longitude, with heights from 30 km to 90 km and latitude from -90 deg to +90 deg, and for 45 deg latitude, with heights from 30 km to 90 km and longitudes from 180 deg E to 180 deg W. The variables plotted are monthly average pressure, density, temperature, wind components, and wind speed and standard deviations and 99th inter-percentile range for each of these variables.

Software for computing plant biomass—BIOPAK users guide.

Treesearch

Joseph E. Means; Heather A. Hansen; Greg J. Koerper; Paul B Alaback; Mark W. Klopsch

1994-01-01

BIOPAK is a menu-driven package of computer programs for IBM-compatible personal computers that calculates the biomass, area, height, length, or volume of plant components (leaves, branches, stem, crown, and roots). The routines were written in FoxPro, Fortran, and C.BIOPAK was created to facilitate linking of a diverse array of vegetation datasets with the...

Validity of Proxy-Reported Height and Weight to Derive Body Mass Index in Adults Participating in Special Olympics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dobranowski, Kristin; Lloyd, Meghann; Côté, Pierre; Balogh, Robert

2018-01-01

Background: Overweight and obesity are common in adults with intellectual disabilities, which complicates their health. To meet their health needs, individuals with intellectual disability frequently rely on proxies to answer questions on their behalf. In the general population, the use of proxy-reported height and weight to compute body mass…

Taper-based system for estimating stem volumes of upland oaks

Treesearch

Donald E. Hilt

1980-01-01

A taper-based system for estimating stem volumes is developed for Central States upland oaks. Inside bark diameters up the stem are predicted as a function of dbhib, total height, and powers and relative height. A Fortran IV computer program, OAKVOL, is used to predict cubic and board-foot volumes to any desired merchantable top dib. Volumes of...

Opposed-flow Flame Spread Over Solid Fuels in Microgravity: the Effect of Confined Spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shuangfeng; Hu, Jun; Xiao, Yuan; Ren, Tan; Zhu, Feng

2015-09-01

Effects of confined spaces on flame spread over thin solid fuels in a low-speed opposing flow is investigated by combined use of microgravity experiments and computations. The flame behaviors are observed to depend strongly on the height of the flow tunnel. In particular, a non-monotonic trend of flame spread rate versus tunnel height is found, with the fastest flame occurring in the 3 cm high tunnel. The flame length and the total heat release rate from the flame also change with tunnel height, and a faster flame has a larger length and a higher heat release rate. The computation analyses indicate that a confined space modifies the flow around the spreading flame. The confinement restricts the thermal expansion and accelerates the flow in the streamwise direction. Above the flame, the flow deflects back from the tunnel wall. This inward flow pushes the flame towards the fuel surface, and increases oxygen transport into the flame. Such a flow modification explains the variations of flame spread rate and flame length with tunnel height. The present results suggest that the confinement effects on flame behavior in microgravity should be accounted to assess accurately the spacecraft fire hazard.

Transition in a Supersonic Boundary-Layer Due to Roughness and Acoustic Disturbances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balakumar, P.

2003-01-01

The transition process induced by the interaction of an isolated roughness with acoustic disturbances in the free stream is numerically investigated for a boundary layer over a flat plate with a blunted leading edge at a free stream Mach number of 3.5. The roughness is assumed to be of Gaussian shape and the acoustic disturbances are introduced as boundary condition at the outer field. The governing equations are solved using the 5'h-rder accurate weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme for space discretization and using third- order total-variation-diminishing (TVD) Runge- Kutta scheme for time integration. The steady field induced by the two and three-dimensional roughness is also computed. The flow field induced by two-dimensional roughness exhibits different characteristics depending on the roughness heights. At small roughness heights the flow passes smoothly over the roughness, at moderate heights the flow separates downstream of the roughness and at larger roughness heights the flow separates upstream and downstream of the roughness. Computations also show that disturbances inside the boundary layer is due to the direct interaction of the acoustic waves and isolated roughness plays a minor role in generating instability waves.

Precision assessment of the orthometric heights determination in northern part of Algeria by combining the GPS data and the local geoid model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benahmed Daho, Sid Ahmed

2010-02-01

The main purpose of this article is to discuss the use of GPS positioning together with a gravimetrically determined geoid, for deriving orthometric heights in the North of Algeria, for which a limited number of GPS stations with known orthometric heights are available, and to check, by the same opportunity, the possibility of substituting the classical spirit levelling. For this work, 247 GPS stations which are homogeneously distributed and collected from the international TYRGEONET project, as well as the local GPS/Levelling surveys, have been used. The GPS/Levelling geoidal heights are obtained by connecting the points to the levelling network while gravimetric geoidal heights were interpolated from the geoid model computed by the Geodetic Laboratory of the National Centre of Spatial Techniques from gravity data supplied by BGI. However, and in order to minimise the discordances, systematic errors and datum inconsistencies between the available height data sets, we have tested two parametric models of corrector surface: a four parameter transformation and a third polynomial model are used to find the adequate functional representation of the correction that should be applied to the gravimetric geoid. The comparisons based on these GPS campaigns prove that a good fit between the geoid model and GPS/levelling data has been reached when the third order polynomial was used as corrector surface and that the orthometric heights can be deducted from GPS observations with an accuracy acceptable for the low order levelling network densification. In addition, the adopted methodology has been also applied for the altimetric auscultation of a storage reservoir situated at 40 km from the town of Oran. The comparison between the computed orthometric heights and observed ones allowed us to affirm that the alternative of levelling by GPS is attractive for this auscultation.

Wide-area, real-time monitoring and visualization system

DOEpatents

Budhraja, Vikram S.; Dyer, James D.; Martinez Morales, Carlos A.

2013-03-19

A real-time performance monitoring system for monitoring an electric power grid. The electric power grid has a plurality of grid portions, each grid portion corresponding to one of a plurality of control areas. The real-time performance monitoring system includes a monitor computer for monitoring at least one of reliability metrics, generation metrics, transmission metrics, suppliers metrics, grid infrastructure security metrics, and markets metrics for the electric power grid. The data for metrics being monitored by the monitor computer are stored in a data base, and a visualization of the metrics is displayed on at least one display computer having a monitor. The at least one display computer in one said control area enables an operator to monitor the grid portion corresponding to a different said control area.

Wide-area, real-time monitoring and visualization system

DOEpatents

Budhraja, Vikram S [Los Angeles, CA; Dyer, James D [La Mirada, CA; Martinez Morales, Carlos A [Upland, CA

2011-11-15

A real-time performance monitoring system for monitoring an electric power grid. The electric power grid has a plurality of grid portions, each grid portion corresponding to one of a plurality of control areas. The real-time performance monitoring system includes a monitor computer for monitoring at least one of reliability metrics, generation metrics, transmission metrics, suppliers metrics, grid infrastructure security metrics, and markets metrics for the electric power grid. The data for metrics being monitored by the monitor computer are stored in a data base, and a visualization of the metrics is displayed on at least one display computer having a monitor. The at least one display computer in one said control area enables an operator to monitor the grid portion corresponding to a different said control area.

Real-time performance monitoring and management system

DOEpatents

Budhraja, Vikram S [Los Angeles, CA; Dyer, James D [La Mirada, CA; Martinez Morales, Carlos A [Upland, CA

2007-06-19

A real-time performance monitoring system for monitoring an electric power grid. The electric power grid has a plurality of grid portions, each grid portion corresponding to one of a plurality of control areas. The real-time performance monitoring system includes a monitor computer for monitoring at least one of reliability metrics, generation metrics, transmission metrics, suppliers metrics, grid infrastructure security metrics, and markets metrics for the electric power grid. The data for metrics being monitored by the monitor computer are stored in a data base, and a visualization of the metrics is displayed on at least one display computer having a monitor. The at least one display computer in one said control area enables an operator to monitor the grid portion corresponding to a different said control area.

An analysis of the 70-meter antenna hydrostatic bearing by means of computer simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartos, R. D.

1993-01-01

Recently, the computer program 'A Computer Solution for Hydrostatic Bearings with Variable Film Thickness,' used to design the hydrostatic bearing of the 70-meter antennas, was modified to improve the accuracy with which the program predicts the film height profile and oil pressure distribution between the hydrostatic bearing pad and the runner. This article presents a description of the modified computer program, the theory upon which the computer program computations are based, computer simulation results, and a discussion of the computer simulation results.

Design for Run-Time Monitor on Cloud Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Mikyung; Kang, Dong-In; Yun, Mira; Park, Gyung-Leen; Lee, Junghoon

Cloud computing is a new information technology trend that moves computing and data away from desktops and portable PCs into large data centers. The basic principle of cloud computing is to deliver applications as services over the Internet as well as infrastructure. A cloud is the type of a parallel and distributed system consisting of a collection of inter-connected and virtualized computers that are dynamically provisioned and presented as one or more unified computing resources. The large-scale distributed applications on a cloud require adaptive service-based software, which has the capability of monitoring the system status change, analyzing the monitored information, and adapting its service configuration while considering tradeoffs among multiple QoS features simultaneously. In this paper, we design Run-Time Monitor (RTM) which is a system software to monitor the application behavior at run-time, analyze the collected information, and optimize resources on cloud computing. RTM monitors application software through library instrumentation as well as underlying hardware through performance counter optimizing its computing configuration based on the analyzed data.

Retrieving the Height of Smoke and Dust Aerosols by Synergistic Use of VIIRS, OMPS, and CALIOP Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Jaehwa; Hsu, N. Christina; Bettenhausen, Corey; Sayer, Andrew M.; Seftor, Colin J.; Jeong, Myeong-Jae

2015-01-01

Aerosol Single scattering albedo and Height Estimation (ASHE) algorithm was first introduced in Jeong and Hsu (2008) to provide aerosol layer height as well as single scattering albedo (SSA) for biomass burning smoke aerosols. One of the advantages of this algorithm was that the aerosol layer height can be retrieved over broad areas, which had not been available from lidar observations only. The algorithm utilized aerosol properties from three different satellite sensors, i.e., aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Ångström exponent (AE) from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), UV aerosol index (UVAI) from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), and aerosol layer height from Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP). Here, we extend the application of the algorithm to Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) and Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite (OMPS) data. We also now include dust layers as well as smoke. Other updates include improvements in retrieving the AOD of nonspherical dust from VIIRS, better determination of the aerosol layer height from CALIOP, and more realistic input aerosol profiles in the forward model for better accuracy.

Annual variability of ozone along alpine hillsides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Putz, Erich; Kosmus, Walter

1994-01-01

Over a period of more than two years (March 1989 till June 1991) ozone and nitrogen dioxide have been monitored along twelve alpine hillsides in the Austrian alps. The profiles had a height-resolution of 100 m and cover a range between 400 m and 1800 m asl, that is 100 m to 1100 m above the bottom of the valleys. They were situated in remote rural areas as well as in the vicinity of polluted urban and industrial areas. Both trace gases were monitored by means of integral chemical (SAM-surface active monitor) methods with a measuring cycle of two weeks. The concentration of ozone exhibits a substantial annual variation over the entire height range. In summer, highest ozone levels are observed near the ground and at the top of the mountains, whereas in winter the maxima are found mainly in the crest regions. The overall ozone burden shows a relative maximum near the temperature inversion layer in the valleys and an absolute maximum at the crest.

The Role of the Computer in Education. Proceedings of the Annual Meeting (6th, Arlington Heights, Illinois, February 12-14, 1986).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Micro-Ideas, Glenview, IL.

Fifty-five papers focusing on the role of computer technology in education at all levels are included in the proceedings of this conference, which was designed to model effective and appropriate uses of the computer as an extension of the teacher-based instructional system. The use of the computer as a tool was emphasized, and the word processor…

Comparison of spirometry and abdominal height as four-dimensional computed tomography metrics in lung

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu Wei; Low, Daniel A.; Parikh, Parag J.

2005-07-15

An important consideration in four-dimensional CT scanning is the selection of a breathing metric for sorting the CT data and modeling internal motion. This study compared two noninvasive breathing metrics, spirometry and abdominal height, against internal air content, used as a surrogate for internal motion. Both metrics were shown to be accurate, but the spirometry showed a stronger and more reproducible relationship than the abdominal height in the lung. The abdominal height was known to be affected by sensor placement and patient positioning while the spirometer exhibited signal drift. By combining these two, a normalization of the drift-free metric tomore » tidal volume may be generated and the overall metric precision may be improved.« less

U.S. Geological Survey shrub/grass products provide new approach to shrubland monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Young, Steven M.

2017-12-11

In the Western United States, shrubland ecosystems provide vital ecological, hydrological, biological, agricultural, and recreational services. However, disturbances such as livestock grazing, exotic species invasion, conversion to agriculture, climate change, urban expansion, and energy development are altering these ecosystems.Improving our understanding of how shrublands are distributed, where they are changing, the extent of the historical change, and likely future change directions is critical for successful management of these ecosystems. Remote-sensing technologies provide the most likely data source for large-area monitoring of ecosystem disturbance—both near-real time and historically. A monitoring framework supported by remote-sensing data can offer efficient and accurate analysis of change across a range of spatial and temporal scales.The U.S. Geological Survey has been working to develop new remote-sensing data, tools, and products to characterize and monitor these changing shrubland landscapes. Nine individual map products (components) have been developed that quantify the percent of shrub, sagebrush, big sagebrush, herbaceous, annual herbaceous, litter, bare ground, shrub height, and sagebrush height at 1-percent intervals in each 30-meter grid cell. These component products are designed to be combined and customized to widely support different applications in rangeland monitoring, analysis of wildlife habitat, resource inventory, adaptive management, and environmental review.

The Valec fireball and predicted meteorite fall

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ceplecha, Z.; Spurny, P.

1987-01-01

A fireball was photographed with a luminous trajectory below a height of 20 km. On Aug. 3, 1984, seven stations photographed this slow moving fireball, which traversed 94 km of luminous trajectory in 9.2 sec and terminated its visible flight at a height of 19.1 km. The computed dark flight trajectory intersected the surface close to Valec, a small village 40 km west of Brno. The Valec fireball was the lowest photographed fireball ever. The Valec fireball was photographed by fish eye cameras. The positional precision of all the records were within the range of 1 to 2 minutes of arc. All computations were done using the FIRBAL program, a set of almost 4000 Fortran statements run on EC 1040 computer. The average computed mass at the terminal point, i.e., the predicted mass of the biggest meteorite, was 16 kg. This number is based on the dynamical data at the terminal point solely. Visual data was also collected from occasional observers. This observed phenomenon is discussed.

Computational Investigations on the Effects of Gurney Flap on Airfoil Aerodynamics.

PubMed

Jain, Shubham; Sitaram, Nekkanti; Krishnaswamy, Sriram

2015-01-01

The present study comprises steady state, two-dimensional computational investigations performed on NACA 0012 airfoil to analyze the effect of Gurney flap (GF) on airfoil aerodynamics using k-ε RNG turbulence model of FLUENT. Airfoil with GF is analyzed for six different heights from 0.5% to 4% of the chord length, seven positions from 0% to 20% of the chord length from the trailing edge, and seven mounting angles from 30° to 120° with the chord. Computed values of lift and drag coefficients with angle of attack are compared with experimental values and good agreement is found at low angles of attack. In addition static pressure distribution on the airfoil surface and pathlines and turbulence intensities near the trailing edge are present. From the computational investigation, it is recommended that Gurney flaps with a height of 1.5% chord be installed perpendicular to chord and as close to the trailing edge as possible to obtain maximum lift enhancement with minimum drag penalty.

Computational Investigations on the Effects of Gurney Flap on Airfoil Aerodynamics

PubMed Central

Jain, Shubham; Sitaram, Nekkanti; Krishnaswamy, Sriram

2015-01-01

The present study comprises steady state, two-dimensional computational investigations performed on NACA 0012 airfoil to analyze the effect of Gurney flap (GF) on airfoil aerodynamics using k-ε RNG turbulence model of FLUENT. Airfoil with GF is analyzed for six different heights from 0.5% to 4% of the chord length, seven positions from 0% to 20% of the chord length from the trailing edge, and seven mounting angles from 30° to 120° with the chord. Computed values of lift and drag coefficients with angle of attack are compared with experimental values and good agreement is found at low angles of attack. In addition static pressure distribution on the airfoil surface and pathlines and turbulence intensities near the trailing edge are present. From the computational investigation, it is recommended that Gurney flaps with a height of 1.5% chord be installed perpendicular to chord and as close to the trailing edge as possible to obtain maximum lift enhancement with minimum drag penalty. PMID:27347517

The Influence of the Terrestrial Reference Frame on Studies of Sea Level Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nerem, R. S.; Bar-Sever, Y. E.; Haines, B. J.; Desai, S.; Heflin, M. B.

2015-12-01

The terrestrial reference frame (TRF) provides the foundation for the accurate monitoring of sea level using both ground-based (tide gauges) and space-based (satellite altimetry) techniques. For the latter, tide gauges are also used to monitor drifts in the satellite instruments over time. The accuracy of the terrestrial reference frame (TRF) is thus a critical component for both types of sea level measurements. The TRF is central to the formation of geocentric sea-surface height (SSH) measurements from satellite altimeter data. The computed satellite orbits are linked to a particular TRF via the assumed locations of the ground-based tracking systems. The manner in which TRF errors are expressed in the orbit solution (and thus SSH) is not straightforward, and depends on the models of the forces underlying the satellite's motion. We discuss this relationship, and provide examples of the systematic TRF-induced errors in the altimeter derived sea-level record. The TRF is also crucial to the interpretation of tide-gauge measurements, as it enables the separation of vertical land motion from volumetric changes in the water level. TRF errors affect tide gauge measurements through GNSS estimates of the vertical land motion at each tide gauge. This talk will discuss the current accuracy of the TRF and how errors in the TRF impact both satellite altimeter and tide gauge sea level measurements. We will also discuss simulations of how the proposed Geodetic Reference Antenna in SPace (GRASP) satellite mission could reduce these errors and revolutionize how reference frames are computed in general.

Geodetic satellite observations in North American (solution NA-9)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, I. I.; Reilly, J. P.; Soler, T.

1972-01-01

A new detailed geoidal map with claimed accuracies of plus or minus 2 meters (on land), based on gravimetric and satellite data, was presented. With the new geoid and the orthometric heights given, more reliable height constraints were calculated and applied. The basic purpose of this experiment was to compute the new solution NA9 by defining the origin of the system, from the point of view of error propagation, in the most favorable position applying inner constraints and imposing new weighted height constraints to all of the stations. The major differences with respect to formerly published adjustments are presented.

Investigating the Relationship between the Half-Life Decay of the Height and the Coefficient of Restitution of Bouncing Balls Using a Microcomputer-Based Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amrani, D.

2010-01-01

This pedagogical activity is aimed at students using a computer-learning environment with advanced tools for data analysis. It investigates the relationship between the coefficient of restitution and the way the heights of different bouncing balls decrease in a number of bounces with time. The time between successive ball bounces, or…

A chart to link child centiles of body mass index, weight and height.

PubMed

Cole, T J

2002-12-01

Weight for height in children is often assessed by comparing the child's weight-for-age centile with their height-for-age centile. However, this assessment has not been validated statistically, and it differs from the body mass index (BMI) centile. To study indices of weight-for-height based on weight centile-for-age adjusted for height centile-for-age, and to see how they relate to the BMI centile-for-age. Cross-sectional survey of data for 40 536 boys and girls aged 0-18 y from the 1980 Nationwide Dutch Growth Survey, using the British 1990 and US CDC 2000 growth references. Two measures of weight for height: (a) the difference between weight centile and height centile, and (b) BMI centile, with the centiles analysed as SD scores (SDS). BMI centile is correlated strongly with weight centile (r=0.77) but weakly with height centile (r=0.1). By contrast the difference between weight centile and height centile is correlated only weakly with weight centile (r=0.3) and strongly negatively with height centile (r=-0.5). BMI centile is predicted to high accuracy by the multiple regression on weight centile and height centile (93-97% of variance explained, s.e.e. 0.2 units). A child's BMI centile can be calculated to high accuracy from their weight and height centiles as read off the weight and height charts. This avoids the need to calculate BMI or to plot it on the BMI chart. A chart is provided to simplify this calculation, which works throughout the spectrum of nutritional status. It can also be used to monitor individuals' weight, height and BMI centiles simultaneously as they change over time. However the simpler procedure of comparing weight and height centiles (eg a difference of two or three channel widths) is a poor measure of weight-for-height and should not be used.

Assessing and Adapting LiDAR-Derived Pit-Free Canopy Height Model Algorithm for Sites with Varying Vegetation Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholl, V.; Hulslander, D.; Goulden, T.; Wasser, L. A.

2015-12-01

Spatial and temporal monitoring of vegetation structure is important to the ecological community. Airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems are used to efficiently survey large forested areas. From LiDAR data, three-dimensional models of forests called canopy height models (CHMs) are generated and used to estimate tree height. A common problem associated with CHMs is data pits, where LiDAR pulses penetrate the top of the canopy, leading to an underestimation of vegetation height. The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) currently implements an algorithm to reduce data pit frequency, which requires two height threshold parameters, increment size and range ceiling. CHMs are produced at a series of height increments up to a height range ceiling and combined to produce a CHM with reduced pits (referred to as a "pit-free" CHM). The current implementation uses static values for the height increment and ceiling (5 and 15 meters, respectively). To facilitate the generation of accurate pit-free CHMs across diverse NEON sites with varying vegetation structure, the impacts of adjusting the height threshold parameters were investigated through development of an algorithm which dynamically selects the height increment and ceiling. A series of pit-free CHMs were generated using three height range ceilings and four height increment values for three ecologically different sites. Height threshold parameters were found to change CHM-derived tree heights up to 36% compared to original CHMs. The extent of the parameters' influence on modelled tree heights was greater than expected, which will be considered during future CHM data product development at NEON. (A) Aerial image of Harvard National Forest, (B) standard CHM containing pits, appearing as black speckles, (C) a pit-free CHM created with the static algorithm implementation, and (D) a pit-free CHM created through varying the height threshold ceiling up to 82 m and the increment to 1 m.

Sensitive gas analysis system on a microchip and application for on-site monitoring of NH3 in a clean room.

PubMed

Hiki, Shinichiro; Mawatari, Kazuma; Aota, Arata; Saito, Maki; Kitamori, Takehiko

2011-06-15

A portable, highly sensitive, and continuous ammonia gas monitoring system was developed with a microfluidic chip. The system consists of a main unit, a gas pumping unit, and a computer which serves as an operation console. The size of the system is 45 cm width × 30 cm depth × 30 cm height, and the portable system was realized. A highly efficient and stable extraction method was developed by utilizing an annular gas/liquid laminar flow. In addition, a stable gas/liquid separation method with a PTFE membrane was developed by arranging a fluidic network in three dimensions to achieve almost zero dead volume at the gas/liquid extraction part. The extraction rate was almost 100% with a liquid flow rate of 3.5 μL/min and a gas flow rate of 100 mL/min (contact time of ~15 ms), and the concentration factor was 200 times by calculating the NH(3) concentration (w/w unit) in the gas and liquid phases. Stable phase separation and detection was sustained for more than 3 weeks in an automated operation, which was sufficient for the monitoring application. The lower limit of detection calculated based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 was 84 ppt, which showed good detectability for NH(3) analysis. We believe that our system is a very powerful tool for gas analysis due to the advantages of portable size, high sensitivity, and continuous monitoring, and it is particularly useful in the semiconductor field.

Evaluation of Hip/HeightP Ratio as an Index for Adiposity and Metabolic Complications in Obese Children: Comparison with Waist-related Indices.

PubMed

Dobashi, Kazushige; Takahashi, Kenichiro; Nagahara, Keiko; Tanaka, Daisuke; Itabashi, Kazuo

2017-01-01

To investigate whether body adiposity index (BAI; hip/height 1.5 -18), pediatric BAI (BAIp; hip/height 0.8 - 38), and other hip/height P ratios are useful in obese children. Ninety obese Japanese children, 55 boys and 35 girls, who visited our University Clinic, were enrolled. The age was 9.92±2.6 (mean±SD) years, and the percentage overweight (POW) was 51.6±18.8%. We set the power value of the hip/height P 0, 0.5, 0.8, 1, 1.5, and 2 and studied the association with overweight indices, biochemical data, and fat area measured by computed tomography. Waist, waist/height ratio, and waist/hip ratio were also evaluated. Hip/height and hip/height 0.8 (BAIp) were more closely correlated with POW, body mass index percentile, and percentage body fat than hip/height 1.5 (BAI). The correlation coefficient of hip/height with POW (r =0.855) was the highest among the studied hip/height P indices. The approximate line to predict POW was 411×hip/height-207. The waist/height was also highly correlated with POW (r=0.879). Hip and hip/height 0.5 were more closely correlated with visceral fat area than hip/height, BAIp, and hip/height 1.5 . Hip and hip/height 0.5 were significantly correlated with insulin. Only hip was also significantly associated with dyslipidemia. All hip/height P indices were not significantly correlated with alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Waist was significantly correlated with serum lipids, ALT, and insulin. Hip/height and BAIp are better markers for overweight (adiposity) in obese children than BAI. However, hip/height, BAIp, and BAI are not useful to predict metabolic complications. Waist appears to be the best index for obese children overall at this time.

Fast template matching with polynomials.

PubMed

Omachi, Shinichiro; Omachi, Masako

2007-08-01

Template matching is widely used for many applications in image and signal processing. This paper proposes a novel template matching algorithm, called algebraic template matching. Given a template and an input image, algebraic template matching efficiently calculates similarities between the template and the partial images of the input image, for various widths and heights. The partial image most similar to the template image is detected from the input image for any location, width, and height. In the proposed algorithm, a polynomial that approximates the template image is used to match the input image instead of the template image. The proposed algorithm is effective especially when the width and height of the template image differ from the partial image to be matched. An algorithm using the Legendre polynomial is proposed for efficient approximation of the template image. This algorithm not only reduces computational costs, but also improves the quality of the approximated image. It is shown theoretically and experimentally that the computational cost of the proposed algorithm is much smaller than the existing methods.

A comparative analysis of rawinsonde and NIMBUS 6 and TIROS N satellite profile data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scoggins, J. R.; Carle, W. E.; Knight, K.; Moyer, V.; Cheng, N. M.

1981-01-01

Comparisons are made between rawinsonde and satellite profiles in seven areas for a wide range of surface and weather conditions. Variables considered include temperature, dewpoint temperature, thickness, precipitable water, lapse rate of temperature, stability, geopotential height, mixing ratio, wind direction, wind speed, and kinematic parameters, including vorticity and the advection of vorticity and temperature. In addition, comparisons are made in the form of cross sections and synoptic fields for selected variables. Sounding data from the NIMBUS 6 and TIROS N satellites were used. Geostrophic wind computed from smoothed geopotential heights provided large scale flow patterns that agreed well with the rawinsonde wind fields. Surface wind patterns as well as magnitudes computed by use of the log law to extrapolate wind to a height of 10 m agreed with observations. Results of this study demonstrate rather conclusively that satellite profile data can be used to determine characteristics of large scale systems but that small scale features, such as frontal zones, cannot yet be resolved.

50 CFR 218.115 - Requirements for monitoring and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...) Narrative description of sensors and platforms utilized for marine mammal detection and timeline... sensor; (vi) Length of time observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal; (vii) Wave height...

Design of river height and speed monitoring system by using Arduino

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasution, T. H.; Siagian, E. C.; Tanjung, K.; Soeharwinto

2018-02-01

River is one part of the hydrologic cycle. Water in rivers is generally collected from precipitation, such as rain, dew, springs, underground runoff, and in certain countries also comes from melt ice/snow. The height and speed of water in a river is always changing. Changes in altitude and speed of water can affect the surrounding environment. In this paper, we will design a system to measure the altitude and speed of the river. In this work we use Arduino Uno, ultrasonic sensors and flow rate sensors. Ultrasonic sensor HC-SR04 is used as a river height meter. Based on the test results, this sensor has an accuracy of 96.6%.

Surfactant monitoring by foam generation

DOEpatents

Mullen, Ken I.

1997-01-01

A device for monitoring the presence or absence of active surfactant or other surface active agents in a solution or flowing stream based on the formation of foam or bubbles is presented. The device detects the formation of foam with a light beam or conductivity measurement. The height or density of the foam can be correlated to the concentration of the active surfactant present.

Ovitrap Efficacy Using Plant Infusions to Monitor Vertical Distribution of Aedes albopictus Skuse (Diptera: Culicidae) in North-Central Florida

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The response of Aedes albopictus to ovitraps containing water, oak or oak-pine was evaluated in four suburban and four sylvatic habitats in North-Central Florida to ascertain potential egg-laying heights. A total of 48 ovitraps were suspended at 1 and 6 meters and monitored weekly for five months....

Man-Computer Interactive Data Access System (McIDAS). Continued development of McIDAS and operation in the GARP Atlantic tropical experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suomi, V. E.

1975-01-01

The complete output of the Synchronous Meteorological Satellite was recorded on one inch magnetic tape. A quality control subsystem tests cloud track vectors against four sets of criteria: (1) rejection if best match occurs on correlation boundary; (2) rejection if major correlation peak is not distinct and significantly greater than secondary peak; (3) rejection if correlation is not persistent; and (4) rejection if acceleration is too great. A cloud height program determines cloud optical thickness from visible data and computer infrared emissivity. From infrared data and temperature profile, cloud height is determined. A functional description and electronic schematics of equipment are given.

Design and Development of a Run-Time Monitor for Multi-Core Architectures in Cloud Computing

PubMed Central

Kang, Mikyung; Kang, Dong-In; Crago, Stephen P.; Park, Gyung-Leen; Lee, Junghoon

2011-01-01

Cloud computing is a new information technology trend that moves computing and data away from desktops and portable PCs into large data centers. The basic principle of cloud computing is to deliver applications as services over the Internet as well as infrastructure. A cloud is a type of parallel and distributed system consisting of a collection of inter-connected and virtualized computers that are dynamically provisioned and presented as one or more unified computing resources. The large-scale distributed applications on a cloud require adaptive service-based software, which has the capability of monitoring system status changes, analyzing the monitored information, and adapting its service configuration while considering tradeoffs among multiple QoS features simultaneously. In this paper, we design and develop a Run-Time Monitor (RTM) which is a system software to monitor the application behavior at run-time, analyze the collected information, and optimize cloud computing resources for multi-core architectures. RTM monitors application software through library instrumentation as well as underlying hardware through a performance counter optimizing its computing configuration based on the analyzed data. PMID:22163811

Design and development of a run-time monitor for multi-core architectures in cloud computing.

PubMed

Kang, Mikyung; Kang, Dong-In; Crago, Stephen P; Park, Gyung-Leen; Lee, Junghoon

2011-01-01

Cloud computing is a new information technology trend that moves computing and data away from desktops and portable PCs into large data centers. The basic principle of cloud computing is to deliver applications as services over the Internet as well as infrastructure. A cloud is a type of parallel and distributed system consisting of a collection of inter-connected and virtualized computers that are dynamically provisioned and presented as one or more unified computing resources. The large-scale distributed applications on a cloud require adaptive service-based software, which has the capability of monitoring system status changes, analyzing the monitored information, and adapting its service configuration while considering tradeoffs among multiple QoS features simultaneously. In this paper, we design and develop a Run-Time Monitor (RTM) which is a system software to monitor the application behavior at run-time, analyze the collected information, and optimize cloud computing resources for multi-core architectures. RTM monitors application software through library instrumentation as well as underlying hardware through a performance counter optimizing its computing configuration based on the analyzed data.

Theoretical, Experimental, and Computational Evaluation of Several Vane-Type Slow-Wave Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallett, Thomas M.; Qureshi, A. Haq

1994-01-01

Several types of periodic vane slow-wave structures were fabricated. The dispersion characteristics were found by theoretical analysis, experimental testing, and computer simulation using the MAFIA code. Computer-generated characteristics agreed to approximately within 2 percent of the experimental characteristics for all structures. The theoretical characteristics, however, deviated increasingly as the width to height ratio became smaller. Interaction impedances were also computed based on the experimental and computer-generated resonance frequency shifts due to the introduction of a perturbing dielectric rod.

Modeling Atmospheric Transport for Greenhouse Gas Observations within the Urban Dome

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nehrkorn, T.; Sargent, M. R.; Wofsy, S. C.

2016-12-01

Observations of CO2, CH4, and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) within the urban dome of major cities generally show large enhancements over background values, and large sensitivity to surface fluxes (as measured by the footprints computed by Lagrangian Particle Dispersion Models, LPDMs) within the urban dome. However, their use in top-down inversion studies to constrain urban emission estimates is complicated by difficulties in proper modeling of the atmospheric transport. We are conducting experiments with the Weather Research and Forecast model (WRF) coupled to the STILT LPDM to improve model simulation of atmospheric transport on spatial scales of a few km in urban domains, because errors in transport on short time/space scales are amplified by the patchiness of GHG emissions and may engender systematic errors of simulated concentrations.We are evaluating the quality of the meteorological simulations from model configurations with different resolutions and PBL packages, using both standard and non-standard (Lidar PBL height and ACARS aircraft profile) observations. To take into account the effect of building scale eddies for observations located on top of buildings, we are modifying the basic STILT algorithm for the computation of footprints by replacing the nominal receptor height by an effective sampling height. In addition, the footprint computations for near-field emissions make use of the vertical particle spread within the LPDM to arrive at a more appropriate estimate of mixing heights in the immediate vicinity of receptors. We present the effect of these and similar modifications on simulated concentrations and their level of agreement with observed values.

Leg length, sitting height, and body proportions references for achondroplasia: New tools for monitoring growth.

PubMed

Del Pino, Mariana; Ramos Mejía, Rosario; Fano, Virginia

2018-04-01

Achondroplasia is the most common form of inherited disproportionate short stature. We report leg length, sitting height, and body proportion curves for achondroplasia. Seven centile format of sitting height, leg length, sitting height/leg length ratio, sitting height/height ratio, and head circumference/height ratio were estimated by the LMS method. The Q-test was applied to assess the goodness of fit. For comparison, centiles of sitting height and leg length were graphed using Argentine national growth references for achondroplasia and non-achondroplasia populations. The sample consisted of 342 children with achondroplasia (171 males, 171 females) aged 0-18 years. The median (interquartile range) number of measurements per child was 6 (3, 12) for sitting height and 8 (3, 13) for head circumference. Median leg length increased from 14 cm at age 1 week to 44 and 40 cm (males and females, respectively) in achondroplasia adolescents which is 3.5 cm shorter than non-achondroplasia children at age 1 week and, 38 cm shorter at adolescence. Median sitting height increased from 34 cm at birth to 86 and 81 in adolescents' boys and girls respectively, only 5 cm shorter than non-achondroplasia children. Sitting height/leg length decreased from 2.61 at birth to approximately 1.90 at adolescent. Median head circumference/height ratio decreased from 0.79 at birth to 0.46 at 18 years in both sexes. Growth of lower limbs is affected early in life and becomes more noticeable throughout childhood. The disharmonic growth between the less affected trunk and the severely affected limbs determine body disproportion in achondroplasia. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Validating Community-Led Forest Biomass Assessments.

PubMed

Venter, Michelle; Venter, Oscar; Edwards, Will; Bird, Michael I

2015-01-01

The lack of capacity to monitor forest carbon stocks in developing countries is undermining global efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Involving local people in monitoring forest carbon stocks could potentially address this capacity gap. This study conducts a complete expert remeasurement of community-led biomass inventories in remote tropical forests of Papua New Guinea. By fully remeasuring and isolating the effects of 4,481 field measurements, we demonstrate that programmes employing local people (non-experts) can produce forest monitoring data as reliable as those produced by scientists (experts). Overall, non-experts reported lower biomass estimates by an average of 9.1%, equivalent to 55.2 fewer tonnes of biomass ha(-1), which could have important financial implications for communities. However, there were no significant differences between forest biomass estimates of expert and non-expert, nor were there significant differences in some of the components used to calculate these estimates, such as tree diameter at breast height (DBH), tree counts and plot surface area, but were significant differences between tree heights. At the landscape level, the greatest biomass discrepancies resulted from height measurements (41%) and, unexpectedly, a few large missing trees contributing to a third of the overall discrepancies. We show that 85% of the biomass discrepancies at the tree level were caused by measurement taken on large trees (DBH ≥50 cm), even though they consisted of only 14% of the stems. We demonstrate that programmes that engage local people can provide high-quality forest carbon data that could help overcome barriers to reducing forest carbon emissions in developing countries. Nonetheless, community-based monitoring programmes should prioritise reducing errors in the field that lead to the most important discrepancies, notably; overcoming challenges to accurately measure large trees.

Validating Community-Led Forest Biomass Assessments

PubMed Central

Venter, Michelle; Venter, Oscar; Edwards, Will; Bird, Michael I.

2015-01-01

The lack of capacity to monitor forest carbon stocks in developing countries is undermining global efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Involving local people in monitoring forest carbon stocks could potentially address this capacity gap. This study conducts a complete expert remeasurement of community-led biomass inventories in remote tropical forests of Papua New Guinea. By fully remeasuring and isolating the effects of 4,481 field measurements, we demonstrate that programmes employing local people (non-experts) can produce forest monitoring data as reliable as those produced by scientists (experts). Overall, non-experts reported lower biomass estimates by an average of 9.1%, equivalent to 55.2 fewer tonnes of biomass ha-1, which could have important financial implications for communities. However, there were no significant differences between forest biomass estimates of expert and non-expert, nor were there significant differences in some of the components used to calculate these estimates, such as tree diameter at breast height (DBH), tree counts and plot surface area, but were significant differences between tree heights. At the landscape level, the greatest biomass discrepancies resulted from height measurements (41%) and, unexpectedly, a few large missing trees contributing to a third of the overall discrepancies. We show that 85% of the biomass discrepancies at the tree level were caused by measurement taken on large trees (DBH ≥50cm), even though they consisted of only 14% of the stems. We demonstrate that programmes that engage local people can provide high-quality forest carbon data that could help overcome barriers to reducing forest carbon emissions in developing countries. Nonetheless, community-based monitoring programmes should prioritise reducing errors in the field that lead to the most important discrepancies, notably; overcoming challenges to accurately measure large trees. PMID:26126186

Non-numeric computation for high eccentricity orbits. [Earth satellite orbit perturbation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sridharan, R.; Renard, M. L.

1975-01-01

Geocentric orbits of large eccentricity (e = 0.9 to 0.95) are significantly perturbed in cislunar space by the sun and moon. The time-history of the height of perigee, subsequent to launch, is particularly critical. The determination of 'launch windows' is mostly concerned with preventing the height of perigee from falling below its low initial value before the mission lifetime has elapsed. Between the extremes of high accuracy digital integration of the equations of motion and of using an approximate, but very fast, stability criteria method, this paper is concerned with the developement of a method of intermediate complexity using non-numeric computation. The computer is used as the theory generator to generalize Lidov's theory using six osculating elements. Symbolic integration is completely automatized and the output is a set of condensed formulae well suited for repeated applications in launch window analysis. Examples of applications are given.

Computational Analysis on Performance of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Diffuser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adib, M. A. H. M.; Adnan, F.; Ismail, A. R.; Kardigama, K.; Salaam, H. A.; Ahmad, Z.; Johari, N. H.; Anuar, Z.; Azmi, N. S. N.

2012-09-01

Application of thermal energy storage (TES) system reduces cost and energy consumption. The performance of the overall operation is affected by diffuser design. In this study, computational analysis is used to determine the thermocline thickness. Three dimensional simulations with different tank height-to-diameter ratio (HD), diffuser opening and the effect of difference number of diffuser holes are investigated. Medium HD tanks simulations with double ring octagonal diffuser show good thermocline behavior and clear distinction between warm and cold water. The result show, the best performance of thermocline thickness during 50% time charging occur in medium tank with height-to-diameter ratio of 4.0 and double ring octagonal diffuser with 48 holes (9mm opening ~ 60%) acceptable compared to diffuser with 6mm ~ 40% and 12mm ~ 80% opening. The conclusion is computational analysis method are very useful in the study on performance of thermal energy storage (TES).

Semantic 3d City Model to Raster Generalisation for Water Run-Off Modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verbree, E.; de Vries, M.; Gorte, B.; Oude Elberink, S.; Karimlou, G.

2013-09-01

Water run-off modelling applied within urban areas requires an appropriate detailed surface model represented by a raster height grid. Accurate simulations at this scale level have to take into account small but important water barriers and flow channels given by the large-scale map definitions of buildings, street infrastructure, and other terrain objects. Thus, these 3D features have to be rasterised such that each cell represents the height of the object class as good as possible given the cell size limitations. Small grid cells will result in realistic run-off modelling but with unacceptable computation times; larger grid cells with averaged height values will result in less realistic run-off modelling but fast computation times. This paper introduces a height grid generalisation approach in which the surface characteristics that most influence the water run-off flow are preserved. The first step is to create a detailed surface model (1:1.000), combining high-density laser data with a detailed topographic base map. The topographic map objects are triangulated to a set of TIN-objects by taking into account the semantics of the different map object classes. These TIN objects are then rasterised to two grids with a 0.5m cell-spacing: one grid for the object class labels and the other for the TIN-interpolated height values. The next step is to generalise both raster grids to a lower resolution using a procedure that considers the class label of each cell and that of its neighbours. The results of this approach are tested and validated by water run-off model runs for different cellspaced height grids at a pilot area in Amersfoort (the Netherlands). Two national datasets were used in this study: the large scale Topographic Base map (BGT, map scale 1:1.000), and the National height model of the Netherlands AHN2 (10 points per square meter on average). Comparison between the original AHN2 height grid and the semantically enriched and then generalised height grids shows that water barriers are better preserved with the new method. This research confirms the idea that topographical information, mainly the boundary locations and object classes, can enrich the height grid for this hydrological application.

Pediatric Patients with High Pulmonary Arterial Pressure in Congenital Heart Disease Have Increased Tracheal Diameters Measured by Computed Tomography.

PubMed

Ohashi, Nobuko; Imai, Hidekazu; Seino, Yutaka; Baba, Hiroshi

2017-12-06

Determination of the appropriate tracheal tube size using formulas based on age or height often is inaccurate in pediatric patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), particularly in those with high pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). Here, the authors compared tracheal diameters between pediatric patients with CHD with high PAP and low PAP. Retrospective clinical study. Hospital. Pediatric patients, from birth to 6 months of age, requiring general anesthesia and tracheal intubation who underwent computed tomography were included. Patients with mean pulmonary artery pressure >25 mmHg were allocated to the high PAP group, and the remaining patients were allocated to the low PAP group. The primary outcome was the tracheal diameter at the cricoid cartilage level, and the secondary goal was to observe whether the size of the tracheal tube was appropriate compared with that obtained using predictable formulas based on age or height. The mean tracheal diameter was significantly larger in the high PAP group than in the low PAP group (p < 0.01). Pediatric patients with high PAP required a larger tracheal tube size than predicted by formulas based on age or height (p = 0.04 for age and height). Pediatric patients with high PAP had larger tracheal diameters than those with low PAP and required larger tracheal tubes compared with the size predicted using formulas based on age or height. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A New Method for Detecting and Monitoring Atmospheric Natural Hazards with GPS RO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biondi, R.; Steiner, A. K.; Rieckh, T. M.; Kirchengast, G.

2014-12-01

Global Positioning System (GPS) Radio Occultation (RO) allows measurements in any meteorological condition, with global coverage, high vertical resolution, and high accuracy. With more than 13 years of data availability, RO also became a fundamental tool for studying climate change. We present here the application of RO for detecting and monitoring tropical cyclones (TCs), deep convective systems (CSs) and volcanic ash clouds (ACs).Deep CSs and TCs play a fundamental role in atmospheric circulation producing vertical transport, redistributing water vapor and trace gases, changing the thermal structure of the Upper Troposphere and Lower Stratosphere (UTLS) and affecting climate through overshooting into the stratosphere. Explosive volcanic eruptions produce large ACs dangerous for the aviation and they can impact climate when the ash is injected into the UTLS.The detection of cloud top height, the determination of cloud extent, the discrimination of ACs from CSs clouds and the detection of overshooting are main challenges for atmospheric natural hazards study. We created a reference atmosphere with a resolution of 5° in latitude and longitude, sampled on a 1° x 1° grid, and a vertical sampling of 100 m. We then compared RO profiles acquired during TCs, CSs and ACs to the reference atmosphere and computed anomaly profiles.CSs, TCs and the ACs leave a clear signature in the atmosphere which can be detected by RO. Using RO temperature and bending angle profiles we gain insight into the vertical thermal structure and developed a new method for detecting the cloud top altitude with high accuracy.We have characterized the TCs by ocean basins and intensities, showing that they have a different thermal structure and reach to different altitudes according to the basin. We provide statistics on overshooting frequency, achieving results consistent with patterns found in the literature and demonstrating that RO is well suited for this kind of study. We have analyzed the Nabro 2010 eruption determining the AC top height and analyzing the long term impact of the eruption in the zonal UTLS thermal structure. The results show that there is a signature allowing the discrimination of ACs from CSs clouds. The comparison of AC top height with the tropopause altitude shows that during Nabro eruption the ash reached the UTLS.

A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Simulation of PM10 Dispersion Caused by Rail Transit Construction Activity: A Real Urban Street Canyon Model.

PubMed

Wang, Yang; Zhou, Ying; Zuo, Jian; Rameezdeen, Raufdeen

2018-03-09

Particle emissions derived from construction activities have a significant impact on the local air quality, while the canyon effect with reduced natural ventilation contributes to the highest particulate pollution in urban environments. This study attempted to examine the effect of PM 10 emissions derived from the construction of a rail transit system in an urban street canyon. Using a 3D computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model based on a real street canyon with different height ratios, this study formulates the impact of height ratio and wind directions on the dispersion and concentration of PM 10 . The results indicate that parallel flow would cause the concentration of PM 10 at the end of the street canyons in all height ratios, and the trends in horizontal, vertical and lateral planes in all street canyons are similar. While in the condition of perpendicular flow, double-eddy circulations occur and lead to the concentration of PM 10 in the middle part of the street canyon and leeward of backwind buildings in all height ratios. Furthermore, perpendicular flow will cause the concentration of PM 10 to increase if the upwind buildings are higher than the backwind ones. This study also shows that the dispersion of PM 10 is strongly associated with wind direction in and the height ratios of the street canyons. Certain measures could, therefore, be taken to prevent the impact on people in terms of the PM 10 concentration and the heights of street canyons identified in this research. Potential mitigation strategies are suggested, include measurements below 4 m according to governmental regulations, dust shields, and atomized water.

A Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) Simulation of PM10 Dispersion Caused by Rail Transit Construction Activity: A Real Urban Street Canyon Model

PubMed Central

Wang, Yang; Zhou, Ying; Zuo, Jian

2018-01-01

Particle emissions derived from construction activities have a significant impact on the local air quality, while the canyon effect with reduced natural ventilation contributes to the highest particulate pollution in urban environments. This study attempted to examine the effect of PM10 emissions derived from the construction of a rail transit system in an urban street canyon. Using a 3D computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model based on a real street canyon with different height ratios, this study formulates the impact of height ratio and wind directions on the dispersion and concentration of PM10. The results indicate that parallel flow would cause the concentration of PM10 at the end of the street canyons in all height ratios, and the trends in horizontal, vertical and lateral planes in all street canyons are similar. While in the condition of perpendicular flow, double-eddy circulations occur and lead to the concentration of PM10 in the middle part of the street canyon and leeward of backwind buildings in all height ratios. Furthermore, perpendicular flow will cause the concentration of PM10 to increase if the upwind buildings are higher than the backwind ones. This study also shows that the dispersion of PM10 is strongly associated with wind direction in and the height ratios of the street canyons. Certain measures could, therefore, be taken to prevent the impact on people in terms of the PM10 concentration and the heights of street canyons identified in this research. Potential mitigation strategies are suggested, include measurements below 4 m according to governmental regulations, dust shields, and atomized water. PMID:29522495

Comparative analysis of 2 glenoid version measurement methods in variable axial slices on 3-dimensionally reconstructed computed tomography scans.

PubMed

Cunningham, Gregory; Freebody, John; Smith, Margaret M; Taha, Mohy E; Young, Allan A; Cass, Benjamin; Giuffre, Bruno

2018-05-16

Most glenoid version measurement methods have been validated on 3-dimensionally corrected axial computed tomography (CT) slices at the mid glenoid. Variability of the vault according to slice height and angulation has not yet been studied and is crucial for proper surgical implant positioning. The aim of this study was to analyze the variation of the glenoid vault compared with the Friedman angle according to different CT slice heights and angulations. The hypothesis was that the Friedman angle would show less variability. Sixty shoulder CT scans were retrieved from a hospital imaging database and were reconstructed in the plane of the scapula. Seven axial slices of different heights and coronal angulations were selected, and measurements were carried out by 3 observers. Mid-glenoid mean version was -8.0° (±4.9°; range, -19.6° to +7.0°) and -2.1° (±4.7°; range, -13.0° to +10.3°) using the vault method and Friedman angle, respectively. For both methods, decreasing slice height or angulation did not significantly alter version. Increasing slice height or angulation significantly increased anteversion for the vault method (P < .001). Both interobserver reliability and intraobserver reliability were significantly higher using the Friedman angle. Version at the mid and lower glenoid is similar using either method. The vault method shows less reliability and more variability according to slice height or angulation. Yet, as it significantly differs from the Friedman angle, it should still be used in situations where maximum bone purchase is sought with glenoid implants. For any other situation, the Friedman angle remains the method of choice. Copyright © 2018 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving Multi-Sensor Drought Monitoring, Prediction and Recovery Assessment Using Gravimetry Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghakouchak, Amir; Tourian, Mohammad J.

2015-04-01

Development of reliable drought monitoring, prediction and recovery assessment tools are fundamental to water resources management. This presentation focuses on how gravimetry information can improve drought assessment. First, we provide an overview of the Global Integrated Drought Monitoring and Prediction System (GIDMaPS) which offers near real-time drought information using remote sensing observations and model simulations. Then, we present a framework for integration of satellite gravimetry information for improving drought prediction and recovery assessment. The input data include satellite-based and model-based precipitation, soil moisture estimates and equivalent water height. Previous studies show that drought assessment based on one single indicator may not be sufficient. For this reason, GIDMaPS provides drought information based on multiple drought indicators including Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), Standardized Soil Moisture Index (SSI) and the Multivariate Standardized Drought Index (MSDI) which combines SPI and SSI probabilistically. MSDI incorporates the meteorological and agricultural drought conditions and provides composite multi-index drought information for overall characterization of droughts. GIDMaPS includes a seasonal prediction component based on a statistical persistence-based approach. The prediction component of GIDMaPS provides the empirical probability of drought for different severity levels. In this presentation we present a new component in which the drought prediction information based on SPI, SSI and MSDI are conditioned on equivalent water height obtained from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). Using a Bayesian approach, GRACE information is used to evaluate persistence of drought. Finally, the deficit equivalent water height based on GRACE is used for assessing drought recovery. In this presentation, both monitoring and prediction components of GIDMaPS will be discussed, and the results from 2014 California Drought will be presented. Further Reading: Hao Z., AghaKouchak A., Nakhjiri N., Farahmand A., 2014, Global Integrated Drought Monitoring and Prediction System, Scientific Data, 1:140001, 1-10, doi: 10.1038/sdata.2014.1.

Solar energy incident at the receiver of a solar tower plant, derived from remote sensing: Computation of both DNI and slant path transmittance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elias, Thierry; Ramon, Didier; Garnero, Marie-Agnès; Dubus, Laurent; Bourdil, Charles

2017-06-01

By scattering and absorbing solar radiation, aerosols generate production losses in solar plants. Due to the specific design of solar tower plants, solar radiation is attenuated not only in the atmospheric column but also in the slant path between the heliostats and the receiver. Broadband attenuation by aerosols is estimated in both the column and the slant path for Ouarzazate, Morocco, using spectral measurements of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) collected by AERONET. The proportion of AOT below the tower's height is computed assuming a single uniform aerosol layer of height equal to the boundary layer height computed by ECMWF for the Operational Analysis. The monthly average of the broadband attenuation by aerosols in the slant path was 6.9±3.0% in August 2012 at Ouarzazate, for 1-km distance between the heliostat and the receiver. The slant path attenuation should be added to almost 40% attenuation along the atmospheric column, with aerosols in an approximate 4.7-km aerosol layer. Also, around 1.5% attenuation is caused by Rayleigh and water vapour in the slant path. The monochromatic-broadband extrapolation is validated by comparing computed and observed direct normal irradiance (DNI). DNI observed around noon varied from more than 1000 W/m2 to around 400 W/m2 at Ouarzazate in 2012 because of desert dust plumes transported from North African desert areas.

Mechanical testing and finite element analysis of orthodontic teardrop loop.

PubMed

Coimbra, Maria Elisa Rodrigues; Penedo, Norman Duque; de Gouvêa, Jayme Pereira; Elias, Carlos Nelson; de Souza Araújo, Mônica Tirre; Coelho, Paulo Guilherme

2008-02-01

Understanding how teeth move in response to mechanical loads is an important aspect of orthodontic treatment. Treatment planning should include consideration of the appliances that will meet the desired loading of the teeth to result in optimized treatment outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of computer simulation to predict the force and the torsion obtained after the activation of tear drop loops of 3 heights. Seventy-five retraction loops were divided into 3 groups according to height (6, 7, and 8 mm). The loops were subjected to tensile load through displacements of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mm, and the resulting forces and torques were recorded. The loops were designed in AutoCAD software(2005; Autodesk Systems, Alpharetta, GA), and finite element analysis was performed with Ansys software(version 7.0; Swanson Analysis System, Canonsburg, PA). Statistical analysis of the mechanical experiment results was obtained by ANOVA and the Tukey post-hoc test (P < .01). The correlation test and the paired t test (P < .05) were used to compare the computer simulation with the mechanical experiment. The computer simulation accurately predicted the experimentally determined mechanical behavior of tear drop loops of different heights and should be considered an alternative for designing orthodontic appliances before treatment.

Wave height data assimilation using non-stationary kriging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tolosana-Delgado, R.; Egozcue, J. J.; Sáchez-Arcilla, A.; Gómez, J.

2011-03-01

Data assimilation into numerical models should be both computationally fast and physically meaningful, in order to be applicable in online environmental surveillance. We present a way to improve assimilation for computationally intensive models, based on non-stationary kriging and a separable space-time covariance function. The method is illustrated with significant wave height data. The covariance function is expressed as a collection of fields: each one is obtained as the empirical covariance between the studied property (significant wave height in log-scale) at a pixel where a measurement is located (a wave-buoy is available) and the same parameter at every other pixel of the field. These covariances are computed from the available history of forecasts. The method provides a set of weights, that can be mapped for each measuring location, and that do not vary with time. Resulting weights may be used in a weighted average of the differences between the forecast and measured parameter. In the case presented, these weights may show long-range connection patterns, such as between the Catalan coast and the eastern coast of Sardinia, associated to common prevailing meteo-oceanographic conditions. When such patterns are considered as non-informative of the present situation, it is always possible to diminish their influence by relaxing the covariance maps.

Ergonomics: The Forgotten Variable.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitterman, L. Jeffrey

1998-01-01

Defines ergonomics and discusses design and environmental considerations. Suggests work-space requirements for: tables, chairs, monitor height, ambient noise and light, electricity, and environmental hazards. Includes sources for additional information related to ergonomic design. (AEF)

Lamb Wave Propagation in a Restricted Geometry Composite PI-Joint Specimen (Preprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-11-01

adhesive, and were located along the length and height of the specimen as depicted in Figure 3. The sensors were 6.35 mm round disks of PZT , with a...in both cases for R1, R2, and R3. 3D Finite Element Model Geometry 200mm length 50mm width 140mm height x z y PZT Actuation Sensor...health monitoring using scanning laser vibrometry: III. Lamb waves for fatigue crack detection”, Smart Mater. Struct., Vol. 14, No. 6, 2005. 16

An investigation of airborne allergenic pollen at different heights.

PubMed

Xiao, Xiaojun; Fu, Aixiang; Xie, Xiongjie; Kang, Minxiong; Hu, Dongsheng; Yang, Pingchang; Liu, Zhigang

2013-01-01

Airborne pollen is an important source of allergens in a number of allergic diseases. Data on the concentrations of pollen at different heights in the air are scarce. The aim of the present study was to investigate different types and numbers of airborne pollen and their seasonal variation at different heights in the urban area of Shenzhen (China) and their associations with meteorological factors. The concentration of airborne pollen at different heights was monitored with Burkard traps from July 1, 2006, to June 30, 2007, in Shenzhen; the results were analyzed with SAS 9.13 software. In total, 1,095 films (at 3 heights, 365 films at each height) were exposed throughout the year, and 48 families and 85 genera of pollen taxa were identified. The total pollen count was 55,830 grains (25,204 grains at 1.5 m; 16,218 grains at 35 m, and 14,408 grains at 70 m); pollen grains were present in the atmosphere throughout the year, with two peaks of airborne pollen: one peak in February to April and the other in September to November. On the basis of our local investigations, the pollen concentrations and the pollen types in the air decrease gradually with increasing height. The distribution and concentrations of airborne pollen at different heights in the atmosphere were influenced by composite factors such as the season and meteorological factors. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Proceedings of the Annual Conference on "The Role of the Computer in Education" (5th, Arlington Heights, Illinois, February 20-22, 1985).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Micro-Ideas, Glenview, IL.

The 46 papers in this proceedings summarize the work of academic and private groups which seek to provide a means of integrating the utilization of the computer into an established curriculum; descriptions of sample courses are included. The contents include: (1) Four Precollege Computer Curricula: A Symposium; (2) Data Processing Management…

The impact of long-term changes in water table height on carbon cycling in sub-boreal peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pypker, T. G.; Moore, P. A.; Waddington, J. M.; Hribljan, J. A.; Ballantyne, D.; Chimner, R. A.

2011-12-01

Peatlands are a critical component in the global carbon (C) cycle because they have been slowly sequestering atmospheric greenhouse gases as peat since the last glaciation. Today, soil C stocks in peatlands are estimated to represent 224 to 455 Pg, equal to 12-30% of the global soil C pool. At present, peatlands are estimated to sequester 76 Tg C yr-1. The flux of C to and from peatlands is likely to respond to climate change, thereby influencing atmospheric C concentrations. Peatland C budgets are tightly linked to their hydrology, hence, it is critical we understand how changes in hydrology will affect the C budgets of peatlands. The main objective of the project was to determine how long-term changes in water table height affect CO2 and CH4 fluxes from three adjacent peatlands. This study took place in the Seney National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. SNWR is home to the largest wetland drainage project in Michigan. In 1912, ditches and dikes were created in an effort to convert approximately 20,000 ha of peatland to agriculture. The ditches and dikes were unsuccessful in creating agricultural land, but they are still in place. The manipulation of water table heights provides an opportunity to research how long-term peat drying or wetting alters C cycling in peatlands. From May to November in 2009, 2010 and 2011, we monitored CO2 fluxes using eddy covariance and chamber techniques in three adjacent peatlands with lowered, relatively unaltered ("control") and raised water table heights. In 2011, we installed CH4 analyzers to continuously monitor CH4 fluxes at the sites with high and relatively unaltered water table heights. The results are compared across sites to determine how changes in water table height might affect C fluxes sub-boreal peatlands.

Multipoint correlators in the Abelian sandpile model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poncelet, Adrien; Ruelle, Philippe

2017-12-01

We revisit the calculation of height correlations in the two-dimensional Abelian sandpile model by taking advantage of a technique developed recently by Kenyon and Wilson. The formalism requires to equip the usual graph Laplacian, ubiquitous in the context of cycle-rooted spanning forests, with a complex connection. In the case at hand, the connection is constant and localized along a semi-infinite defect line (zipper). In the appropriate limit of a trivial connection, it allows one to count spanning forests whose components contain prescribed sites, which are of direct relevance for height correlations in the sandpile model. Using this technique, we first rederive known 1- and 2-site lattice correlators on the plane and upper half-plane, more efficiently than what has been done so far. We also compute explicitly the (new) next-to-leading order in the distances (r-4 for 1-site on the upper half-plane, r-6 for 2-site on the plane). We extend these results by computing new correlators involving one arbitrary height and a few heights 1 on the plane and upper half-plane, for the open and closed boundary conditions. We examine our lattice results from the conformal point of view, and confirm the full consistency with the specific features currently conjectured to be present in the associated logarithmic conformal field theory.

Frontal sinus parameters in computed tomography and sex determination.

PubMed

Akhlaghi, Mitra; Bakhtavar, Khadijeh; Moarefdoost, Jhale; Kamali, Artin; Rafeifar, Shahram

2016-03-01

The frontal sinus is a sturdy part of the skull that is likely to be retrieved for forensic investigations. We evaluated frontal sinus parameters in paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT) images for sex determination. The study was conducted on 200 normal paranasal sinus CT images of 100 men and 100 women of Persian origin. We categorized the studied population into three age groups of 20-34, 35-49 and ⩾ 50 years. The number of partial septa in the right frontal sinus and the maximum height and width were significantly different between the two sexes. The highest precision for sex determination was for the maximum height of the left frontal sinus (61.3%). In the 20-34 years age-group, height and width of the frontal sinus were significantly different between the two sexes and the height of the left sinus had the highest precision (60.8%). In the 35-49 years age-group, right anterior-posterior diameter had a sex determination precision of 52.3%. No frontal sinus parameter reached a statistically significant level for sex determination in the ⩾ 50 years age-group. The number of septa and scallopings were not useful in sex determination. Frontal sinus parameters did not have a high precision in sex determination among Persian adults. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Tornado occurrences related to overshooting cloud-top heights as determined from ATS pictures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fujita, T. T.

1972-01-01

A sequence of ATS 3 pictures including the development history of large anvil clouds near Salina, Kansas was enlarged by NASA into 8X negatives which were used to obtain the best quality prints by mixing scan lines in 8 steps to minimize checker-board patterns. These images resulted in the best possible resolution, permitting use to compute the heights of overshooting tops above environmental anvil levels based on cloud shadow relationships along with the techniques of lunar topographic mapping. Of 39 heights computed, 6 were within 15 miles of reported positions of 3 tornadoes. It was found that the tornado proximity tops were mostly less than 5000 ft, with one exception of 7000 ft, suggesting that tornadoes are most likely to occur when overshooting height decreases. In order to simulate surface vortices induced by cloud-scale rotation and updraft fields, a laboratory model was constructed. The model experiment has shown that the rotation or updraft field induces a surface vortex but their combination does prevent the formation of the surface vortex. This research leads to a conclusion that the determination of the cloud-top topography and its time variation is of extreme importance in predicting severe local storms for a period of 0 to 6 hours.

Using a software-defined computer in teaching the basics of computer architecture and operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosowska, Julia; Mazur, Grzegorz

2017-08-01

The paper describes the concept and implementation of SDC_One software-defined computer designed for experimental and didactic purposes. Equipped with extensive hardware monitoring mechanisms, the device enables the students to monitor the computer's operation on bus transfer cycle or instruction cycle basis, providing the practical illustration of basic aspects of computer's operation. In the paper, we describe the hardware monitoring capabilities of SDC_One and some scenarios of using it in teaching the basics of computer architecture and microprocessor operation.

Patella Height Correlates With Trochlear Dysplasia: A Computed Tomography Image Analysis.

PubMed

Ferlic, Peter Wilhelm; Runer, Armin; Dammerer, Dietmar; Wansch, Jürgen; Hackl, Wolfgang; Liebensteiner, Michael Christian

2018-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the position of the patella relative to the trochlea for a possible correlation with radiologic parameters characterizing the form of the trochlea. The computed tomography scans of 36 cases with patellofemoral instability and 30 without (mean age, 24.7 ± 6.8 years) were studied. The height of the patella relative to the trochlea was evaluated as the distance between the axial slice where the patella (P) showed its widest diameter, as the patella at this level has the greatest potential to form the trochlea, and the proximal entrance of the femoral trochlea (TE). The correlations between this parameter and several radiologic parameters used to evaluate trochlear dysplasia, including trochlea height, transverse trochlea shift, trochlea depth, sulcus angle, lateral and medial trochlea slope, trochlea facet asymmetry, and the Dejour trochlea type, were calculated. The P-TE distance correlated significantly with all trochlea parameters evaluated, with a more dysplastic trochlea in cases of higher position of the patella: medial, central, and lateral trochlea height (0.287

Accessibility Attributes of Blood Glucose Meter and Home Blood Pressure Monitor Displays for Visually Impaired Persons

PubMed Central

Blubaugh, Morgan V.; Uslan, Mark M.

2012-01-01

The vast majority of diabetes-related self-management technology utilizes small visual displays (SVDs) that often produce a low level of contrast and suffer from high levels of reflection (glare). This is a major accessibility issue for the 3.5 million Americans with diabetes who have reduced vision. The purpose of this article is to gather comparative data on the key display attributes of the SVDs used in blood glucose meters (BGMs) and home blood pressure monitors (HBPMs) on the market today and determine which displays offer the best prospect for being accessible to people with reduced vision. Nine BGMs and eight HBPMs were identified for this study on the basis of amount of devices sold, full-functionality speech output, and advanced display technologies. An optical instrumentation system obtained contrast, reflection (glare), and font height measurements for all 17 displays. The contrast, reflection, and font-height values for the BGMs and HBPMs varied greatly between models. The Michelson contrast values for the BGMs ranged from 11% to 98% and font heights ranged 0.39–1.00 in. for the measurement results. The HBPMs had Michelson contrast values ranging 55–96% and font height ranging 0.28–0.94 in. for the measurement results. Due largely to the lack of display design standards for the technical requirements of SVDs, there is tremendous variability in the quality and readability of BGM and HBPM displays. There were two BGMs and one HBPM that exhibited high-contrast values and large font heights, but most of the devices exhibited either poor contrast or exceptionally high reflection. PMID:22538132

A valid and reliable method to measure jump-specific training and competition load in elite volleyball players.

PubMed

Skazalski, C; Whiteley, R; Hansen, C; Bahr, R

2018-05-01

Use of a commercially available wearable device to monitor jump load with elite volleyball players has become common practice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of this device, the Vert, to count jumps and measure jump height with professional volleyball players. Jump count accuracy was determined by comparing jumps recorded by the device to jumps observed through systematic video analysis of three practice sessions and two league matches performed by a men's professional volleyball team. Jumps performed by 14 players were each coded for time and jump type and individually matched to device recorded jumps. Jump height validity of the device was examined against reference standards as participants performed countermovement jumps on a force plate and volleyball-specific jumps with a Vertec. The Vert device accurately counted 99.3% of the 3637 jumps performed during practice and match play. The device showed excellent jump height interdevice reliability for two devices placed in the same pouch during volleyball jumps (r = .99, 95% CI 0.98-0.99). The device had a minimum detectable change (MDC) of 9.7 cm and overestimated jump height by an average of 5.5 cm (95% CI 4.5-6.5) across all volleyball jumps. The Vert device demonstrates excellent accuracy counting volleyball-specific jumps during training and competition. While the device is not recommended to measure maximal jumping ability when precision is needed, it provides an acceptable measure of on-court jump height that can be used to monitor athlete jump load. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Accessibility attributes of blood glucose meter and home blood pressure monitor displays for visually impaired persons.

PubMed

Blubaugh, Morgan V; Uslan, Mark M

2012-03-01

The vast majority of diabetes-related self-management technology utilizes small visual displays (SVDs) that often produce a low level of contrast and suffer from high levels of reflection (glare). This is a major accessibility issue for the 3.5 million Americans with diabetes who have reduced vision. The purpose of this article is to gather comparative data on the key display attributes of the SVDs used in blood glucose meters (BGMs) and home blood pressure monitors (HBPMs) on the market today and determine which displays offer the best prospect for being accessible to people with reduced vision. Nine BGMs and eight HBPMs were identified for this study on the basis of amount of devices sold, fullfunctionality speech output, and advanced display technologies. An optical instrumentation system obtained contrast, reflection (glare), and font height measurements for all 17 displays. The contrast, reflection, and font-height values for the BGMs and HBPMs varied greatly between models. The Michelson contrast values for the BGMs ranged from 11% to 98% and font heights ranged 0.39-1.00 in. for the measurement results. The HBPMs had Michelson contrast values ranging 55-96% and font height ranging 0.28-0.94 in. for the measurement results. Due largely to the lack of display design standards for the technical requirements of SVDs, there is tremendous variability in the quality and readability of BGM and HBPM displays. There were two BGMs and one HBPM that exhibited high-contrast values and large font heights, but most of the devices exhibited either poor contrast or exceptionally high reflection. © 2012 Diabetes Technology Society.

Variation of growth in height and weight of children. II. After infancy.

PubMed

Sorva, R; Lankinen, S; Tolppanen, E M; Perheentupa, J

1990-05-01

To provide for early detection of abnormal changes in growth, we propose the monitoring of all children for changes in relative height and relative weight as indirect indicators of growth velocity. To this end we analyzed the growth of 2,156 children, as recorded by the child health surveillance services at ages 2 to 19 years. From their data we constructed growth standards on charts of a novel type, which allow direct reading of relative height (SD score, SDS) and relative weight (percentage deviation of weight from median weight for height and sex, %DW). Variation in height explained most (mean 60%) of the variation in weight, and age did not contribute significantly. Hence, our weight charts are height-based. Next, we defined the variations of changes in (delta) SDS and %DW during the different periods of growth. The group means of changes in each period were zero. Variation in delta SDS is widest at the earliest ages, then decreases until year 9-10 (girls) and 10-11 (boys), and again increases. For delta %DW the picture is similar. We present these variations as diagrams for use in growth screening.

Shoreline to Height (S2H): an algorithm to monitor reservoirs' water height from satellite images. A flood risk management application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cenci, Luca; Boni, Giorgio; Pulvirenti, Luca; Gabellani, Simone; Gardella, Fabio; Squicciarino, Giuseppe; Pierdicca, Nazzareno; Benedetto, Catia

2016-04-01

In a reservoir, water level monitoring is important for emergency management purposes. This information can be used to estimate the degree of filling of the water body, thus helping decision makers in flood control operations. Furthermore, if assimilated in hydrological models and coupled with rainfall forecasts, this information can be used for flood forecast and early warning. In many cases, water level is not known (e.g. data-scarce environments), or not shared by operators. Remote sensing may allow overcoming these limitations, enabling its estimation. The objective of this work is to present the Shoreline to Height (S2H) algorithm, developed to retrieve the height of the water stored in reservoirs from satellite images. To this aim, some auxiliary data are needed: a DEM and the maximum/minimum height that can be reached by the water. In data-scarce environments, these information can be easily obtained on the Internet (e.g. free, worldwide DEM and design data for artificial reservoirs). S2H was tested with different satellite data, both optical and SAR (Landsat and Cosmo SkyMed®-CSK®) in order to assess the impact of different sensors on the final estimates. The study area was the Place-Moulin Lake (Valle d'Aosta-VdA, Italy), where it is present a monitoring network that can provide reliable ground-truths for validating the algorithm and assessing its accuracy. When the algorithm was developed, it was assumed to be in absence of any "official"-auxiliary data. Therefore, two DEMs (SRTM 1 arc-second and ASTER GDEM) were used to evaluate their performances. The maximum/minimum water height values were found on the website of VdA Region. The S2H is based on three steps: i) satellite data preprocessing (Landsat: atmospheric correction; CSK®: geocoding and speckle filtering); ii) water mask generation (using a thresholding and region growing algorithm) and shoreline extraction; iii) retrieval of the shoreline height according to the reference DEMs (adopting a statistical approach). The algorithm was tested for different water heights and results were compared against ground-truths. Findings showed that the combination CSK®-SRTM provided more reliable results. It was also found that the overall quality of the estimates increases as the water height increases, reaching an accuracy up to some centimetres. This result is particularly interesting for flood control applications, where it is important to be accurate when the reservoir's degree of filling is high. The potentialities of S2H for operational hydrology purposes were tested in a real-case simulation, in which the river discharge's prediction downstream of the dam was needed for flood risk management purposes. The water height value retrieved with S2H was assimilated within a semi-distributed, event-based, hydrological model (DRiFt) by using a simple direct insertion algorithm. DRiFt is usually run in operative way on the reservoir by using ground-truths as input data. The result of the data assimilation experiment was compared with the "real", operative run of the model. Findings showed a high agreement between the two simulations, proving the utility/quality of the S2H algorithm. "Project carried out using CSK® Products, © of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), delivered under a license to use by ASI."

The Cloud Detection and Ultraviolet Monitoring Experiment (CLUE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbier, Louis M.; Loh, Eugene C.; Krizmanic, John F.; Sokolsky, Pierre; Streitmatter, Robert E.

2004-01-01

In this paper we describe a new balloon instrument - CLUE - which is designed to monitor ultraviolet (uv) nightglow levels and determine cloud cover and cloud heights with a CO2 slicing technique. The CO2 slicing technique is based on the MODIS instrument on NASA's Aqua and Terra spacecraft. CLUE will provide higher spatial resolution (0.5 km) and correlations between the uv and the cloud cover.

Oxygen Sensors Monitor Bioreactors and Ensure Health and Safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2014-01-01

In order to cultivate healthy bacteria in bioreactors, Kennedy Space Center awarded SBIR funding to Needham Heights, Massachusetts-based Polestar Technologies Inc. to develop sensors that could monitor oxygen levels. The result is a sensor now widely used by pharmaceutical companies and medical research universities. Other sensors have also been developed, and in 2013 alone the company increased its workforce by 50 percent.

Computer guided restoration of joint line and femoral offset in cruciate substituting total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Shetty, Gautam M; Mullaji, Arun; Bhayde, Sagar

2012-10-01

This prospective study aimed to evaluate radiographically, change in joint line and femoral condylar offset with the optimized gap balancing technique in computer-assisted, primary, cruciate-substituting total knee arthroplasties (TKAs). One hundred and twenty-nine consecutive computer-assisted TKAs were evaluated radiographically using pre- and postoperative full-length standing hip-to-ankle, antero-posterior and lateral radiographs to assess change in knee deformity, joint line height and posterior condylar offset. In 49% of knees, there was a net decrease (mean 2.2mm, range 0.2-8.4mm) in joint line height postoperatively whereas 46.5% of knees had a net increase in joint line height (mean 2.5mm, range 0.2-11.2mm). In 93% of the knees, joint line was restored to within ± 5 mm of preoperative values. In 53% of knees, there was a net increase (mean 2.9 mm, range 0.2-12 mm) in posterior offset postoperatively whereas 40% of knees had a net decrease in posterior offset (mean 4.2mm, range 0.6-20mm). In 82% of knees, the posterior offset was restored within ± 5 mm of preoperative values. Based on radiographic evaluation in extension and at 30° flexion, the current study clearly demonstrates that joint line and posterior femoral condylar offset can be restored in the majority of computer-assisted, cruciate-substituting TKAs to within 5mm of their preoperative value. The optimized gap balancing feature of the computer software allows the surgeon to simulate the effect of simultaneously adjusting femoral component size, position and distal femoral resection level on joint line and posterior femoral offset. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multi-dimensional SAR tomography for monitoring the deformation of newly built concrete buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Peifeng; Lin, Hui; Lan, Hengxing; Chen, Fulong

2015-08-01

Deformation often occurs in buildings at early ages, and the constant inspection of deformation is of significant importance to discover possible cracking and avoid wall failure. This paper exploits the multi-dimensional SAR tomography technique to monitor the deformation performances of two newly built buildings (B1 and B2) with a special focus on the effects of concrete creep and shrinkage. To separate the nonlinear thermal expansion from total deformations, the extended 4-D SAR technique is exploited. The thermal map estimated from 44 TerraSAR-X images demonstrates that the derived thermal amplitude is highly related to the building height due to the upward accumulative effect of thermal expansion. The linear deformation velocity map reveals that B1 is subject to settlement during the construction period, in addition, the creep and shrinkage of B1 lead to wall shortening that is a height-dependent movement in the downward direction, and the asymmetrical creep of B2 triggers wall deflection that is a height-dependent movement in the deflection direction. It is also validated that the extended 4-D SAR can rectify the bias of estimated wall shortening and wall deflection by 4-D SAR.

Towards the methodological optimization of the moss bag technique in terms of contaminants concentrations and replicability values

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ares, A.; Fernández, J. A.; Carballeira, A.; Aboal, J. R.

2014-09-01

The moss bag technique is a simple and economical environmental monitoring tool used to monitor air quality. However, routine use of the method is not possible because the protocols involved have not yet been standardized. Some of the most variable methodological aspects include (i) selection of moss species, (ii) ratio of moss weight to surface area of the bag, (iii) duration of exposure, and (iv) height of exposure. In the present study, the best option for each of these aspects was selected on the basis of the mean concentrations and data replicability of Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn measured during at least two exposure periods in environments affected by different degrees of contamination. The optimal choices for the studied aspects were the following: (i) Sphagnum denticulatum, (ii) 5.68 mg of moss tissue for each cm-2 of bag surface, (iii) 8 weeks of exposure, and (iv) 4 m height of exposure. Duration of exposure and height of exposure accounted for most of the variability in the data. The aim of this methodological study was to provide data to help establish a standardized protocol that will enable use of the moss bag technique by public authorities.

Automatic Estimation of Volcanic Ash Plume Height using WorldView-2 Imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McLaren, David; Thompson, David R.; Davies, Ashley G.; Gudmundsson, Magnus T.; Chien, Steve

2012-01-01

We explore the use of machine learning, computer vision, and pattern recognition techniques to automatically identify volcanic ash plumes and plume shadows, in WorldView-2 imagery. Using information of the relative position of the sun and spacecraft and terrain information in the form of a digital elevation map, classification, the height of the ash plume can also be inferred. We present the results from applying this approach to six scenes acquired on two separate days in April and May of 2010 of the Eyjafjallajokull eruption in Iceland. These results show rough agreement with ash plume height estimates from visual and radar based measurements.

Information exposure and growth monitoring favour child nutrition in rural Indonesia.

PubMed

Sahanggamu, Paulus D; Purnomosari, Lupi; Dillon, Drupadi

2017-03-01

Malnutrition is a health problem among under-five children in Indonesia. The mothers' knowledge on nutrition and health in addition to growth monitoring program are essential components that may influence nutritional status of children under-five. The objective was to observe the importance of maternal information exposure along with growth monitoring program to the nutritional status of children in rural areas. A cross sectional study of 233 randomly selected mothers of under-five children from different geographical rural settings in Indonesia were interviewed and observed as to their exposure to nutrition and health information, growth monitoring program and nutritional status of the children. The prevalence of underweight, stunting, and wasting was 50.5%, 18.0%, and 28.4%, respectively. The mean of height-for-age z score was similar across villages, however, the mean of weight-for-age (p=0.039) and weightfor- height (p=0.047) were significantly lower in Kenduren compared with Karangrejo village. The possession of a growth monitoring card in Kenduren was significantly lower compared with Karangrejo (p<0.001) or Buko villages (p<0.001). The prevalence of underweight (p=0.001) or stunting (p=0.021) was higher among children who did not possess a growth monitoring card. The prevalence of stunting was higher among children who did not routinely go to Posyandu (Integrated Health Post) in the last 3 months (p=0.018). Maternal exposure to nutrition and health information, along with growth monitoring programs, contribute to the prevalence of underweight and stunting among rural children who are under-five years old.

A fixed full-matrix method for determining ice sheet height change from satellite altimeter: an ENVISAT case study in East Antarctica with backscatter analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Yuande; Hwang, Cheinway; E, Dongchen

2014-09-01

A new method, called the fixed full-matrix method (FFM), is used to compute height changes at crossovers of satellite altimeter ground tracks. Using the ENVISAT data in East Antarctica, FFM results in crossovers of altimeter heights that are 1.9 and 79 times more than those from the fixed half method (FHM) and the one-row method (ORM). The mean standard error of height changes is about 14 cm from ORM, which is reduced to 7 cm by FHM and to 3 cm by FFM. Unlike FHM, FFM leads to uniform errors in the first-half and second-half height-change time series. FFM has the advantage in improving the accuracy of the change of height and backscattered power over ORM and FHM. Assisted by the ICESat-derived height changes, we determine the optimal threshold correlation coefficient (TCC) for a best correction for the backscatter effect on ENVISAT height changes. The TCC value of 0.92 yields an optimal result for FFM. With this value, FFM yields ENVISAT-derived height change rates in East Antarctica mostly falling between and 3 cm/year, and matching the ICESat result to 0.94 cm/year. The ENVISAT result will provide a constraint on the current mass balance result along the Chinese expedition route CHINARE.

Processing of the WLCG monitoring data using NoSQL

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andreeva, J.; Beche, A.; Belov, S.; Dzhunov, I.; Kadochnikov, I.; Karavakis, E.; Saiz, P.; Schovancova, J.; Tuckett, D.

2014-06-01

The Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) today includes more than 150 computing centres where more than 2 million jobs are being executed daily and petabytes of data are transferred between sites. Monitoring the computing activities of the LHC experiments, over such a huge heterogeneous infrastructure, is extremely demanding in terms of computation, performance and reliability. Furthermore, the generated monitoring flow is constantly increasing, which represents another challenge for the monitoring systems. While existing solutions are traditionally based on Oracle for data storage and processing, recent developments evaluate NoSQL for processing large-scale monitoring datasets. NoSQL databases are getting increasingly popular for processing datasets at the terabyte and petabyte scale using commodity hardware. In this contribution, the integration of NoSQL data processing in the Experiment Dashboard framework is described along with first experiences of using this technology for monitoring the LHC computing activities.

Radial diffusion, vertical transport, and refixation of labeled bicarbonate in scots pine stems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, J. D.; Tarvainen, L.; Wallin, G.

2016-12-01

The CO2 produced by a respiring stem provides an index of metabolic activity in the stem and a quantitative estimate of an important component of the forest carbon budget. Production of CO2 by a given stem volume is lost by three competing processes. First, some diffuses radially outward through the bark. Second, some is dissolved and vertically transported upward out of the control volume by the xylem stream. Third, some is refixed by photosynthesis under the bark. The relative balance among these pathways was quantified in 17-m Scots pine trees by 13C-bicarbonate labeling of the xylem stream and monitoring of the 13CO2 in the xylem water, along with continuous monitoring of the radial diffusive flux at four canopy heights and in transpiration from leaves. Most of the label diffused out radially, as 13CO2, immediately above the labeling site, over about a week. The pulse was weakly and briefly detected 4 m above that height. Further up the stem it was not detected at all. We detected significant refixation of CO2 in the stems at all heights above 4 m, where the bark becomes papery and thin, but the label was so weak at this height that refixation had little influence on the pulse chase. We conclude that the vertical flux is negligible in Scots pine, but that the refixation flux must be accounted for in estimates of whole-stem CO2 efflux.

Pulse Height Analyzer Interfacing and Computer Programming in the Environmental Laser Propagation Project

DTIC Science & Technology

1976-06-01

United States Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey , California, 1974. 6. Anton , H., Elementary Linear Algebra , John Wiley & Sons, 1973. 7. Parrat, L. G...CONVERTER ln(laser & bias) PULSE HEIGHT ANALYZER © LINEAR AMPLIFIER SAMPLE TRIGGER OSCILLATOR early ln(laser & bias) SCINTILLOMETERS recent BACKGROUND...DEMODULATOR LASER CALIBRATION BOX LASER OR CAL VOLTAGE LOG CONVERTER LN (LASER OR CAL VOLT) LINEAR AMPLIFIER uLN (LASER OR CAL VOLT) PULSE HEIGHTEN ANALYZER V

Constructing Stylish Characters on Computer Graphics Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldman, Gary S.

1980-01-01

Computer graphics systems typically produce a single, machine-like character font. At most, these systems enable the user to (1) alter the aspect ratio (height-to-width ratio) of the characters, (2) specify a transformation matrix to slant the characters, and (3) define a virtual pen table to change the lineweight of the plotted characters.…

Using two detectors concurrently to monitor ambient dose equivalent rates in vehicle surveys of radiocesium contaminated land.

PubMed

Takeishi, Minoru; Shibamichi, Masaru; Malins, Alex; Kurikami, Hiroshi; Murakami, Mitsuhiro; Saegusa, Jun; Yoneya, Masayuki

2017-10-01

In response to the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP), vehicle-borne monitoring was used to map radiation levels for radiological protection of the public. By convention measurements from vehicle-borne surveys are converted to the ambient dose equivalent rate at 1 m height in the absence of the vehicle. This allows for comparison with results from other types of survey, including surveys with hand-held or airborne instruments. To improve the accuracy of the converted results from vehicle-borne surveys, we investigated combining measurements from two detectors mounted on the vehicle at different heights above the ground. A dual-detector setup was added to a JAEA monitoring car and compared against hand-held survey meter measurements in Fukushima Prefecture. The results obtained by combining measurements from two detectors were within ±20% of the hand-held reference measurements. The mean absolute percentage deviation from the reference measurements was 7.2%. The combined results from the two detectors were more accurate than those from either the roof-mounted detector, or the detector inside the vehicle, taken alone. One issue with vehicle-borne surveys is that ambient dose equivalent rates above roads are not necessarily representative of adjacent areas. This is because radiocesium is often deficient on asphalt surfaces, as it is easily scrubbed off by rain, wind and vehicle tires. To tackle this issue, we investigated mounting heights for vehicle-borne detectors using Monte Carlo gamma-ray simulations. When radiocesium is deficient on a road compared to the adjacent land, mounting detectors high on vehicles yields results closer to the values adjacent to the road. The ratio of ambient dose equivalent rates reported by detectors mounted at different heights in a dual-detector setup indicates whether radiocesium is deficient on the road compared to the adjacent land. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A comparison of the postures assumed when using laptop computers and desktop computers.

PubMed

Straker, L; Jones, K J; Miller, J

1997-08-01

This study evaluated the postural implications of using a laptop computer. Laptop computer screens and keyboards are joined, and are therefore unable to be adjusted separately in terms of screen height and distance, and keyboard height and distance. The posture required for their use is likely to be constrained, as little adjustment can be made for the anthropometric differences of users. In addition to the postural constraints, the study looked at discomfort levels and performance when using laptops as compared with desktops. Statistical analysis showed significantly greater neck flexion and head tilt with laptop use. The other body angles measured (trunk, shoulder, elbow, wrist, and scapula and neck protraction/retraction) showed no statistical differences. The average discomfort experienced after using the laptop for 20 min, although appearing greater than the discomfort experienced after using the desktop, was not significantly greater. When using the laptop, subjects tended to perform better than when using the desktop, though not significantly so. Possible reasons for the results are discussed and implications of the findings outlined.

Monitoring of live cell cultures during apoptosis by phase imaging and Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharikova, Anna; Saide, George; Sfakis, Lauren; Park, Jun Yong; Desta, Habben; Maloney, Maxwell C.; Castracane, James; Mahajan, Supriya D.; Khmaladze, Alexander

2017-02-01

Non-invasive live cell measurements are an important tool in biomedical research. We present a combined digital holography/Raman spectroscopy technique to study live cell cultures during apoptosis. Digital holographic microscopy records an interference pattern between object and reference waves, so that the computationally reconstructed holographic image contains both amplitude and phase information about the sample. When the phase is mapped across the sample and converted into height information for each pixel, a three dimensional image is obtained. The measurement of live cell cultures by digital holographic microscopy yields information about cell shape and volume, changes to which are reflective of alterations in cell cycle and initiation of cell death mechanisms. Raman spectroscopy, on the other hand, is sensitive to rotational and vibrational molecular transitions, as well as intermolecular vibrations. Therefore, Raman spectroscopy provides complementary information about cells, such as protein, lipid and nucleic acid content, and, particularly, the spectral signatures associated with structural changes in molecules. The cell cultures are kept in the temperature-controlled environmental chamber during the experiment, which allows monitoring over multiple cell cycles. The DHM system combines a visible (red) laser source with conventional microscope base, and LabVIEW-run data processing. We analyzed and compared cell culture information obtained by these two methods.

Multitemporal Observations of Sugarcane by TerraSAR-X Images

PubMed Central

Baghdadi, Nicolas; Cresson, Rémi; Todoroff, Pierre; Moinet, Soizic

2010-01-01

The objective of this study is to investigate the potential of TerraSAR-X (X-band) in monitoring sugarcane growth on Reunion Island (located in the Indian Ocean). Multi-temporal TerraSAR data acquired at various incidence angles (17°, 31°, 37°, 47°, 58°) and polarizations (HH, HV, VV) were analyzed in order to study the behaviour of SAR (synthetic aperture radar) signal as a function of sugarcane height and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). The potential of TerraSAR for mapping the sugarcane harvest was also studied. Radar signal increased quickly with crop height until a threshold height, which depended on polarization and incidence angle. Beyond this threshold, the signal increased only slightly, remained constant, or even decreased. The threshold height is slightly higher with cross polarization and higher incidence angles (47° in comparison with 17° and 31°). Results also showed that the co-polarizations channels (HH and VV) were well correlated. High correlation between SAR signal and NDVI calculated from SPOT-4/5 images was observed. TerraSAR data showed that after strong rains the soil contribution to the backscattering of sugarcane fields can be important for canes with heights of terminal visible dewlap (htvd) less than 50 cm (total cane heights around 155 cm). This increase in radar signal after strong rains could involve an ambiguity between young and mature canes. Indeed, the radar signal on TerraSAR images acquired in wet soil conditions could be of the same order for fields recently harvested and mature sugarcane fields, making difficult the detection of cuts. Finally, TerraSAR data at high spatial resolution were shown to be useful for monitoring sugarcane harvest when the fields are of small size or when the cut is spread out in time. The comparison between incidence angles of 17°, 37° and 58° shows that 37° is more suitable to monitor the sugarcane harvest. The cut is easily detectable on TerraSAR images for data acquired less than two or three months after the cut. The radar signal decreases about 5dB for images acquired some days after the cut and 3 dB for data acquired two month after the cut (VV-37°). The difference in radar signal becomes negligible (<1 dB) between harvested fields and mature canes for sugarcane harvested since three months or more. PMID:22163387

Synthetic temperature profiles derived from Geosat altimetry: Comparison with air-dropped expendable bathythermograph profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carnes, Michael R.; Mitchell, Jim L.; de Witt, P. Webb

1990-10-01

Synthetic temperature profiles are computed from altimeter-derived sea surface heights in the Gulf Stream region. The required relationships between surface height (dynamic height at the surface relative to 1000 dbar) and subsurface temperature are provided from regression relationships between dynamic height and amplitudes of empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of the vertical structure of temperature derived by de Witt (1987). Relationships were derived for each month of the year from historical temperature and salinity profiles from the region surrounding the Gulf Stream northeast of Cape Hatteras. Sea surface heights are derived using two different geoid estimates, the feature-modeled geoid and the air-dropped expendable bathythermograph (AXBT) geoid, both described by Carnes et al. (1990). The accuracy of the synthetic profiles is assessed by comparison to 21 AXBT profile sections which were taken during three surveys along 12 Geosat ERM ground tracks nearly contemporaneously with Geosat overflights. The primary error statistic considered is the root-mean-square (rms) difference between AXBT and synthetic isotherm depths. The two sources of error are the EOF relationship and the altimeter-derived surface heights. EOF-related and surface height-related errors in synthetic temperature isotherm depth are of comparable magnitude; each translates into about a 60-m rms isotherm depth error, or a combined 80 m to 90 m error for isotherms in the permanent thermocline. EOF-related errors are responsible for the absence of the near-surface warm core of the Gulf Stream and for the reduced volume of Eighteen Degree Water in the upper few hundred meters of (apparently older) cold-core rings in the synthetic profiles. The overall rms difference between surface heights derived from the altimeter and those computed from AXBT profiles is 0.15 dyn m when the feature-modeled geoid is used and 0.19 dyn m when the AXBT geoid is used; the portion attributable to altimeter-derived surface height errors alone is 0.03 dyn m less for each. In most cases, the deeper structure of the Gulf Stream and eddies is reproduced well by vertical sections of synthetic temperature, with largest errors typically in regions of high horizontal gradient such as across rings and the Gulf Stream front.

A Biomechanical Analysis of the Effects of Bouncing the Barbell in the Conventional Deadlift.

PubMed

Krajewski, Kellen; LeFavi, Robert; Riemann, Bryan

2018-02-27

The purpose of this study is to analyze biomechanical differences between the bounce and pause styles of deadlifting. Twenty physically active males performed deadlifts at their 75% one repetition maximum testing utilizing both pause and bounce techniques in a within-subjects randomized study design. The average peak height the barbell attained from the three bounce style repetitions was used to compute a compatible phase for analysis of the pause style repetitions. Net joint moment impulse (NJMI), work, average vertical ground reaction force (vGRF), vGRF impulse and phase time were computed for two phases, lift off to peak barbell height and the entire ascent. Additionally, the ankle, knee, hip, and trunk angles at the location of peak barbell height. During the lift off to peak barbell height phase, although each of the joints demonstrated significantly less NJMI and work during the bounce style, the hip joint was impacted the most. The average vGRF was greater for the bounce however the vGRF impulse was greater for the pause. The NJMI results for the ascent phase were similar to the lift off to peak barbell height phase, while work was significantly less for the bounce condition compared to the pause condition across all three joints. Strength and conditioning specialists utilizing the deadlift should be aware that the bounce technique does not allow the athlete to develop maximal force production in the early portion of the lift. Further analyses should focus on joint angles and potential vulnerability to injury when the barbell momentum generated from the bounce is lost.

Short and long periodic atmospheric variations between 25 and 200 km

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justus, C. G.; Woodrum, A.

1973-01-01

Previously collected data on atmospheric pressure, density, temperature and winds between 25 and 200 km from sources including Meteorological Rocket Network data, ROBIN falling sphere data, grenade release and pitot tube data, meteor winds, chemical release winds, satellite data, and others were analyzed by a daily difference method and results on the distribution statistics, magnitude, and spatial structure of gravity wave and planetary wave atmospheric variations are presented. Time structure of the gravity wave variations were determined by the analysis of residuals from harmonic analysis of time series data. Planetary wave contributions in the 25-85 km range were discovered and found to have significant height and latitudinal variation. Long period planetary waves, and seasonal variations were also computed by harmonic analysis. Revised height variations of the gravity wave contributions in the 25 to 85 km height range were computed. An engineering method and design values for gravity wave magnitudes and wave lengths are given to be used for such tasks as evaluating the effects on the dynamical heating, stability and control of spacecraft such as the space shuttle vehicle in launch or reentry trajectories.

Ozone concentration characteristics at a high-elevation forest site

Treesearch

G. Wooldridge; K. Zeller; R. Musselman

1997-01-01

Atmospheric ozone concentrations have been monitored at a subalpine forest ecosystem site, 3180m above mean sea level (msl), and at a 2680m msl forest-steppe ecotone site 15km to the southeast. Ozone concentrations were monitored at three heights above the ground on a 30m tower at the higher elevation site, and on a 10m tower in a large meadow downwind of this site....

Evaluating Dense 3d Reconstruction Software Packages for Oblique Monitoring of Crop Canopy Surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brocks, S.; Bareth, G.

2016-06-01

Crop Surface Models (CSMs) are 2.5D raster surfaces representing absolute plant canopy height. Using multiple CMSs generated from data acquired at multiple time steps, a crop surface monitoring is enabled. This makes it possible to monitor crop growth over time and can be used for monitoring in-field crop growth variability which is useful in the context of high-throughput phenotyping. This study aims to evaluate several software packages for dense 3D reconstruction from multiple overlapping RGB images on field and plot-scale. A summer barley field experiment located at the Campus Klein-Altendorf of University of Bonn was observed by acquiring stereo images from an oblique angle using consumer-grade smart cameras. Two such cameras were mounted at an elevation of 10 m and acquired images for a period of two months during the growing period of 2014. The field experiment consisted of nine barley cultivars that were cultivated in multiple repetitions and nitrogen treatments. Manual plant height measurements were carried out at four dates during the observation period. The software packages Agisoft PhotoScan, VisualSfM with CMVS/PMVS2 and SURE are investigated. The point clouds are georeferenced through a set of ground control points. Where adequate results are reached, a statistical analysis is performed.

Computational hybrid anthropometric paediatric phantom library for internal radiation dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Tianwu; Kuster, Niels; Zaidi, Habib

2017-04-01

Hybrid computational phantoms combine voxel-based and simplified equation-based modelling approaches to provide unique advantages and more realism for the construction of anthropomorphic models. In this work, a methodology and C++ code are developed to generate hybrid computational phantoms covering statistical distributions of body morphometry in the paediatric population. The paediatric phantoms of the Virtual Population Series (IT’IS Foundation, Switzerland) were modified to match target anthropometric parameters, including body mass, body length, standing height and sitting height/stature ratio, determined from reference databases of the National Centre for Health Statistics and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The phantoms were selected as representative anchor phantoms for the newborn, 1, 2, 5, 10 and 15 years-old children, and were subsequently remodelled to create 1100 female and male phantoms with 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th body morphometries. Evaluation was performed qualitatively using 3D visualization and quantitatively by analysing internal organ masses. Overall, the newly generated phantoms appear very reasonable and representative of the main characteristics of the paediatric population at various ages and for different genders, body sizes and sitting stature ratios. The mass of internal organs increases with height and body mass. The comparison of organ masses of the heart, kidney, liver, lung and spleen with published autopsy and ICRP reference data for children demonstrated that they follow the same trend when correlated with age. The constructed hybrid computational phantom library opens up the prospect of comprehensive radiation dosimetry calculations and risk assessment for the paediatric population of different age groups and diverse anthropometric parameters.

Hurricane Debby

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-19

... cloud-tracked winds at the different cloud levels. The wind vectors, shown in the right panel, reveal cyclonic motion associated with ... of cloud height and motions globally will help us monitor the effects of climate change on the three-dimensional distribution of ...

Effects of body habitus on internal radiation dose calculations using the 5-year-old anthropomorphic male models.

PubMed

Xie, Tianwu; Kuster, Niels; Zaidi, Habib

2017-07-13

Computational phantoms are commonly used in internal radiation dosimetry to assess the amount and distribution pattern of energy deposited in various parts of the human body from different internal radiation sources. Radiation dose assessments are commonly performed on predetermined reference computational phantoms while the argument for individualized patient-specific radiation dosimetry exists. This study aims to evaluate the influence of body habitus on internal dosimetry and to quantify the uncertainties in dose estimation correlated with the use of fixed reference models. The 5-year-old IT'IS male phantom was modified to match target anthropometric parameters, including body weight, body height and sitting height/stature ratio (SSR), determined from reference databases, thus enabling the creation of 125 5-year-old habitus-dependent male phantoms with 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentile body morphometries. We evaluated the absorbed fractions and the mean absorbed dose to the target region per unit cumulative activity in the source region (S-values) of F-18 in 46 source regions for the generated 125 anthropomorphic 5-year-old hybrid male phantoms using the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended general purpose Monte Carlo transport code and calculated the absorbed dose and effective dose of five 18 F-labelled radiotracers for children of various habitus. For most organs, the S-value of F-18 presents stronger statistical correlations with body weight, standing height and sitting height than BMI and SSR. The self-absorbed fraction and self-absorbed S-values of F-18 and the absorbed dose and effective dose of 18 F-labelled radiotracers present with the strongest statistical correlations with body weight. For 18 F-Amino acids, 18 F-Brain receptor substances, 18 F-FDG, 18 F-L-DOPA and 18 F-FBPA, the mean absolute effective dose differences between phantoms of different habitus and fixed reference models are 11.4%, 11.3%, 10.8%, 13.3% and 11.4%, respectively. Total body weight, standing height and sitting height have considerable effects on human internal dosimetry. Radiation dose calculations for individual subjects using the most closely matched habitus-dependent computational phantom should be considered as an alternative to improve the accuracy of the estimates.

Effects of body habitus on internal radiation dose calculations using the 5-year-old anthropomorphic male models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xie, Tianwu; Kuster, Niels; Zaidi, Habib

2017-08-01

Computational phantoms are commonly used in internal radiation dosimetry to assess the amount and distribution pattern of energy deposited in various parts of the human body from different internal radiation sources. Radiation dose assessments are commonly performed on predetermined reference computational phantoms while the argument for individualized patient-specific radiation dosimetry exists. This study aims to evaluate the influence of body habitus on internal dosimetry and to quantify the uncertainties in dose estimation correlated with the use of fixed reference models. The 5-year-old IT’IS male phantom was modified to match target anthropometric parameters, including body weight, body height and sitting height/stature ratio (SSR), determined from reference databases, thus enabling the creation of 125 5-year-old habitus-dependent male phantoms with 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th and 90th percentile body morphometries. We evaluated the absorbed fractions and the mean absorbed dose to the target region per unit cumulative activity in the source region (S-values) of F-18 in 46 source regions for the generated 125 anthropomorphic 5-year-old hybrid male phantoms using the Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended general purpose Monte Carlo transport code and calculated the absorbed dose and effective dose of five 18F-labelled radiotracers for children of various habitus. For most organs, the S-value of F-18 presents stronger statistical correlations with body weight, standing height and sitting height than BMI and SSR. The self-absorbed fraction and self-absorbed S-values of F-18 and the absorbed dose and effective dose of 18F-labelled radiotracers present with the strongest statistical correlations with body weight. For 18F-Amino acids, 18F-Brain receptor substances, 18F-FDG, 18F-L-DOPA and 18F-FBPA, the mean absolute effective dose differences between phantoms of different habitus and fixed reference models are 11.4%, 11.3%, 10.8%, 13.3% and 11.4%, respectively. Total body weight, standing height and sitting height have considerable effects on human internal dosimetry. Radiation dose calculations for individual subjects using the most closely matched habitus-dependent computational phantom should be considered as an alternative to improve the accuracy of the estimates.

Online measurement of bead geometry in GMAW-based additive manufacturing using passive vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiong, Jun; Zhang, Guangjun

2013-11-01

Additive manufacturing based on gas metal arc welding is an advanced technique for depositing fully dense components with low cost. Despite this fact, techniques to achieve accurate control and automation of the process have not yet been perfectly developed. The online measurement of the deposited bead geometry is a key problem for reliable control. In this work a passive vision-sensing system, comprising two cameras and composite filtering techniques, was proposed for real-time detection of the bead height and width through deposition of thin walls. The nozzle to the top surface distance was monitored for eliminating accumulated height errors during the multi-layer deposition process. Various image processing algorithms were applied and discussed for extracting feature parameters. A calibration procedure was presented for the monitoring system. Validation experiments confirmed the effectiveness of the online measurement system for bead geometry in layered additive manufacturing.

3D model generation using an airborne swarm

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clark, R. A.; Punzo, G.; Macdonald, M.

2015-03-31

Using an artificial kinematic field to provide co-ordination between multiple inspection UAVs, the authors herein demonstrate full 3D modelling capability based on a photogrammetric system. The operation of the system is demonstrated by generating a full 3D surface model of an intermediate level nuclear waste storage drum. Such drums require periodic inspection to ensure that drum distortion or corrosion is carefully monitored. Performing this inspection with multiple airborne platforms enables rapid inspection of structures that are inaccessible to on-surface remote vehicles and are in human-hazardous environments. A three-dimensional surface-meshed model of the target can then be constructed in post-processing throughmore » photogrammetry analysis of the visual inspection data. The inspection environment uses a tracking system to precisely monitor the position of each aerial vehicle within the enclosure. The vehicles used are commercially available Parrot AR. Drone quadcopters, controlled through a computer interface connected over an IEEE 802.11n (WiFi) network, implementing a distributed controller for each vehicle. This enables the autonomous and distributed elements of the control scheme to be retained, while alleviating the vehicles of the control algorithm’s computational load. The control scheme relies on a kinematic field defined with the target at its centre. This field defines the trajectory for all the drones in the volume relative to the central target, enabling the drones to circle the target at a set radius while avoiding drone collisions. This function enables complete coverage along the height of the object, which is assured by transitioning to another inspection band only after completing circumferential coverage. Using a swarm of vehicles, the time until complete coverage can be significantly reduced.« less

3D model generation using an airborne swarm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, R. A.; Punzo, G.; Dobie, G.; MacLeod, C. N.; Summan, R.; Pierce, G.; Macdonald, M.; Bolton, G.

2015-03-01

Using an artificial kinematic field to provide co-ordination between multiple inspection UAVs, the authors herein demonstrate full 3D modelling capability based on a photogrammetric system. The operation of the system is demonstrated by generating a full 3D surface model of an intermediate level nuclear waste storage drum. Such drums require periodic inspection to ensure that drum distortion or corrosion is carefully monitored. Performing this inspection with multiple airborne platforms enables rapid inspection of structures that are inaccessible to on-surface remote vehicles and are in human-hazardous environments. A three-dimensional surface-meshed model of the target can then be constructed in post-processing through photogrammetry analysis of the visual inspection data. The inspection environment uses a tracking system to precisely monitor the position of each aerial vehicle within the enclosure. The vehicles used are commercially available Parrot AR. Drone quadcopters, controlled through a computer interface connected over an IEEE 802.11n (WiFi) network, implementing a distributed controller for each vehicle. This enables the autonomous and distributed elements of the control scheme to be retained, while alleviating the vehicles of the control algorithm's computational load. The control scheme relies on a kinematic field defined with the target at its centre. This field defines the trajectory for all the drones in the volume relative to the central target, enabling the drones to circle the target at a set radius while avoiding drone collisions. This function enables complete coverage along the height of the object, which is assured by transitioning to another inspection band only after completing circumferential coverage. Using a swarm of vehicles, the time until complete coverage can be significantly reduced.

Information processing requirements for on-board monitoring of automatic landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sorensen, J. A.; Karmarkar, J. S.

1977-01-01

A systematic procedure is presented for determining the information processing requirements for on-board monitoring of automatic landing systems. The monitoring system detects landing anomalies through use of appropriate statistical tests. The time-to-correct aircraft perturbations is determined from covariance analyses using a sequence of suitable aircraft/autoland/pilot models. The covariance results are used to establish landing safety and a fault recovery operating envelope via an event outcome tree. This procedure is demonstrated with examples using the NASA Terminal Configured Vehicle (B-737 aircraft). The procedure can also be used to define decision height, assess monitoring implementation requirements, and evaluate alternate autoland configurations.

Real-time human collaboration monitoring and intervention

DOEpatents

Merkle, Peter B.; Johnson, Curtis M.; Jones, Wendell B.; Yonas, Gerold; Doser, Adele B.; Warner, David J.

2010-07-13

A method of and apparatus for monitoring and intervening in, in real time, a collaboration between a plurality of subjects comprising measuring indicia of physiological and cognitive states of each of the plurality of subjects, communicating the indicia to a monitoring computer system, with the monitoring computer system, comparing the indicia with one or more models of previous collaborative performance of one or more of the plurality of subjects, and with the monitoring computer system, employing the results of the comparison to communicate commands or suggestions to one or more of the plurality of subjects.

Energy Use and Power Levels in New Monitors and Personal Computers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roberson, Judy A.; Homan, Gregory K.; Mahajan, Akshay

2002-07-23

Our research was conducted in support of the EPA ENERGY STAR Office Equipment program, whose goal is to reduce the amount of electricity consumed by office equipment in the U.S. The most energy-efficient models in each office equipment category are eligible for the ENERGY STAR label, which consumers can use to identify and select efficient products. As the efficiency of each category improves over time, the ENERGY STAR criteria need to be revised accordingly. The purpose of this study was to provide reliable data on the energy consumption of the newest personal computers and monitors that the EPA can usemore » to evaluate revisions to current ENERGY STAR criteria as well as to improve the accuracy of ENERGY STAR program savings estimates. We report the results of measuring the power consumption and power management capabilities of a sample of new monitors and computers. These results will be used to improve estimates of program energy savings and carbon emission reductions, and to inform rev isions of the ENERGY STAR criteria for these products. Our sample consists of 35 monitors and 26 computers manufactured between July 2000 and October 2001; it includes cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD) monitors, Macintosh and Intel-architecture computers, desktop and laptop computers, and integrated computer systems, in which power consumption of the computer and monitor cannot be measured separately. For each machine we measured power consumption when off, on, and in each low-power level. We identify trends in and opportunities to reduce power consumption in new personal computers and monitors. Our results include a trend among monitor manufacturers to provide a single very low low-power level, well below the current ENERGY STAR criteria for sleep power consumption. These very low sleep power results mean that energy consumed when monitors are off or in active use has become more important in terms of contribution to the overall unit energy consumption (UEC). Cur rent ENERGY STAR monitor and computer criteria do not specify off or on power, but our results suggest opportunities for saving energy in these modes. Also, significant differences between CRT and LCD technology, and between field-measured and manufacturer-reported power levels reveal the need for standard methods and metrics for measuring and comparing monitor power consumption.« less

Study on the wiping gas jet in continuous galvanizing line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kweon, Yong-Hun; Kim, Heuy-Dong

2011-09-01

In the continuous hot-dip galvanizing process, the gas-jet wiping is used to control the coating thickness of moving steel strip. The high speed gas-jet discharged from the nozzle slot impinges on the strip, and at this moment, wipes the liquid coating layer dragged by a moving strip. The coating thickness is generally influenced on the flow characteristics of wiping gas-jet such as the impinging pressure distribution, pressure gradient and shear stress distribution on the surface of strip. The flow characteristics of wiping gas-jet mentioned above depends upon considerably both the process operating conditions such as the nozzle pressure, nozzle-to-strip distance and line speed, and the geometry of gas-jet wiping apparatus such as the height of nozzle slot. In the present study, the effect of the geometry of nozzle on the coating thickness is investigated with the help of a computational fluid dynamics method. The height of nozzle slot is varied in the range of 0.6mm to 1.7mm. A finite volume method (FVM) is employed to solve two-dimensional, steady, compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Based upon the results obtained, the effect of the height of nozzle slot in the gas-jet wiping process is discussed in detail. The computational results show that for a given standoff distance between the nozzle to the strip, the effective height of nozzle slot exists in achieving thinner coating thickness.

Workplace Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The Anthropometric Source Book was developed based on Johnson Space Center project of anthropometry, the study of the size, shape and motion characteristics of the human body. Designed primarily for use by NASA, the military services and aerospace contractors, the book was also intended to help non-aerospace engineers, architects, and others engaged in design of clothing, equipment and workplaces. An example of its use by Eastman Kodak Company is the company's application of the data to design efficient, productive and comfortable workplaces for employees in the Rochester, NY processing laboratories. The sourcebook was used to determine such dimensions as leg space, work surface height and thickness, employee reach distances, proper height for computer terminal screen, seat height and knee space.

An atlas of monthly mean distributions of GEOSAT sea surface height, SSMI surface wind speed, AVHRR/2 sea surface temperature, and ECMWF surface wind components during 1988

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Halpern, D.; Zlotnicki, V.; Newman, J.; Brown, O.; Wentz, F.

1991-01-01

Monthly mean global distributions for 1988 are presented with a common color scale and geographical map. Distributions are included for sea surface height variation estimated from GEOSAT; surface wind speed estimated from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager on the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft; sea surface temperature estimated from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer on NOAA spacecrafts; and the Cartesian components of the 10m height wind vector computed by the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting. Charts of monthly mean value, sampling distribution, and standard deviation value are displayed. Annual mean distributions are displayed.

Extraction of urban vegetation with Pleiades multiangular images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefebvre, Antoine; Nabucet, Jean; Corpetti, Thomas; Courty, Nicolas; Hubert-Moy, Laurence

2016-10-01

Vegetation is essential in urban environments since it provides significant services in terms of health, heat, property value, ecology ... As part of the European Union Biodiversity Strategy Plan for 2020, the protection and development of green-infrastructures is strengthened in urban areas. In order to evaluate and monitor the quality of the green infra-structures, this article investigates contributions of Pléiades multi-angular images to extract and characterize low and high urban vegetation. From such images one can extract both spectral and elevation information from optical images. Our method is composed of 3 main steps : (1) the computation of a normalized Digital Surface Model from the multi-angular images ; (2) Extraction of spectral and contextual features ; (3) a classification of vegetation classes (tree and grass) performed with a random forest classifier. Results performed in the city of Rennes in France show the ability of multi-angular images to extract DEM in urban area despite building height. It also highlights its importance and its complementarity with contextual information to extract urban vegetation.

Combined Infrared Stereo and Laser Ranging Cloud Measurements from Shuttle Mission STS-85

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lancaster, Redgie S.; Spinhirne, James D.; OCStarr, David (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Multi-angle remote sensing provides a wealth of information for earth and climate monitoring. And, as technology advances so do the options for developing instrumentation versatile enough to meet the demands associated with these types of measurements. In the current work, the multiangle measurement capability of the Infrared Spectral Imaging Radiometer is demonstrated. This instrument flew as part of mission STS-85 of the space shuttle Columbia in 1997 and was the first earth-observing radiometer to incorporate an uncooled microbolometer array detector as its image sensor. Specifically, a method for computing cloud-top height from the multi-spectral stereo measurements acquired during this flight has been developed and the results demonstrate that a vertical precision of 10.6 km was achieved. Further, the accuracy of these measurements is confirmed by comparison with coincident direct laser ranging measurements from the Shuttle Laser Altimeter. Mission STS-85 was the first space flight to combine laser ranging and thermal IR camera systems for cloud remote sensing.

The effect of height and BMI on computer dynamic posturography parameters in women.

PubMed

Olchowik, Grażyna; Tomaszewski, Marek; Olejarz, Piotr; Warchoł, Jan; Różańska-Boczula, Monika

2014-01-01

The human body's posture control is a complex system of organs and mechanisms which controls the body's centre of gravity (COG) over its base of support (BOS). Computerised Dynamic Posturography (CDP) allows for the quantitative and objective assessment of the sensory and motor components of the body's posture control system as well as of the integration and adaptation mechanisms in the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between the body's height and BMI on CDP results in a group of young healthy women without any clinical symptoms of balance disorders. It was found that the MS depended significantly on the height and BMI of the subjects as well as on the SOT conditions. As the height and BMI increased the MS value decreased. The postural response latency (LC) in the MCT statistically significantly depended only on height and showed a positive correlation. The postural response latency increased with height. The postural response amplitude for both right and left lower limbs significantly depended on height and BMI, but only for the backward movement of the platform. The response amplitude for all platform translations under all MCT conditions increased with height and BMI. The body's resultant imbalance caused by the platform perturbations in the ADT was greater in shorter people and those with a lower BMI.

Effects of Concreteness and Contiguity on Learning from Computer-Based Reference Maps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Srinivasan, Sribhagyam; Lewis, Daphne D.; Crooks, Steven M.

2006-01-01

Today's technology has reached new heights that have not been fully implemented. One of the areas where technology has not yet reached its full potential is in education. This study examined the effects of concreteness of location names and contiguity of location names with textual information on learning from computer-based reference maps. The…

Hurricane Havens Handbook for the North Atlantic Ocean. Change 5. Naval Stations Mobile, Pascagoula, and Ingleside as Hurricane Havens.

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-01

XXIV-2 0 CHANGE 5 . 3.3 ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 3.3.1 WIND AND TOPOGRAPHY The relatively low- lving topograDhv surrounding Mobile Bay affords little...for Corpus Christi, Texas. The report contains computer- gridded charts with storm surge heights computed for several locations and situations, including

Effects of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate treatment for ADHD on growth.

PubMed

Faraone, Stephen V; Spencer, Thomas J; Kollins, Scott H; Glatt, Stephen J

2010-01-01

To complete an exploratory uncontrolled study of the effects of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) on growth of children treated for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) from 281 children ages 6 to 13 years from longitudinal assessments up to 15 months were compared to norms from the Centers for Disease Control. At study entry, children were taller and heavier than average. Growth delays were largest for weight and BMI, and there was a 13 percentile point decrease in height. Children continued to grow in terms of height while treated with LDX; we found no increase in raw weight or BMI during the study period. LDX treatment was significantly associated with diminished gains in height, weight, and BMI compared to levels that would be expected based on age-appropriate standards from the Centers for Disease Control. Growth delays were greatest for the heaviest and tallest children, for those who had not previously received stimulant therapy, and for those with a greater cumulative exposure to LDX. More work is needed to determine effects on ultimate adult height. Consistent with prior studies of stimulants, treatment with LDX leads to statistically significant reductions in expected height, weight, and BMI. Growth of patients with ADHD treated with LDX should be closely monitored and corrective action taken should growth delays be observed.

Implant-retained mandibular bar-supported overlay dentures: a finite element stress analysis of four different bar heights.

PubMed

Rismanchian, Mansoor; Dakhilalian, Mansour; Bajoghli, Farshad; Ghasemi, Ehsan; Sadr-Eshkevari, Pooyan

2012-04-01

Proper stress distribution on dental implants is necessary in bar-retained implant overlay dentures. We aimed to comparatively assess this stress distribution according to different bar heights using finite element models. A three-dimensional (3D) computer model of mandible with 2 implants (ITI, 4.1 mm diameter and 12 mm length) in canine areas and an overlying implant-supported bar-retained overlay denture were simulated with 0-, 1-, 2-, and 3-mm bar heights using ABAQUS software. A vertical force was applied to the left first molar and gradually increased from 0 to 50 N. The resultant stress distribution was evaluated. Bars of 1 and 2 mm in height transferred the least stress to the implants (3.882 and 3.896 MPa, respectively). The 0-mm height of the bar connection transferred the highest stress value (4.277 MPa). The amount of stress transferred by 3-mm heights of the bar connection was greater than that of 1- and 2-mm bar connections and smaller than that of 0-mm bar connection (4.165 kgN). This 3D finite element analysis study suggested that the use of Dolder bar attachment with 1- and 2-mm heights could be associated with appropriate stress distribution for implant-retained overlay dentures.

Analysis of cloud top height and cloud coverage from satellites using the O2 A and B bands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuze, Akihiko; Chance, Kelly V.

1994-01-01

Cloud height and cloud coverage detection are important for total ozone retrieval using ultraviolet and visible scattered light. Use of the O2 A and B bands, around 761 and 687 nm, by a satellite-borne instrument of moderately high spectral resolution viewing in the nadir makes it possible to detect cloud top height and related parameters, including fractional coverage. The measured values of a satellite-borne spectrometer are convolutions of the instrument slit function and the atmospheric transmittance between cloud top and satellite. Studies here determine the optical depth between a satellite orbit and the Earth or cloud top height to high accuracy using FASCODE 3. Cloud top height and a cloud coverage parameter are determined by least squares fitting to calculated radiance ratios in the oxygen bands. A grid search method is used to search the parameter space of cloud top height and the coverage parameter to minimize an appropriate sum of squares of deviations. For this search, nonlinearity of the atmospheric transmittance (i.e., leverage based on varying amounts of saturation in the absorption spectrum) is important for distinguishing between cloud top height and fractional coverage. Using the above-mentioned method, an operational cloud detection algorithm which uses minimal computation time can be implemented.

Inference of cirrus cloud properties using satellite-observed visible and infrared radiances. I - Parameterization of radiance fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minnis, Patrick; Liou, Kuo-Nan; Takano, Yoshihide

1993-01-01

The impact of using phase functions for spherical droplets and hexagonal ice crystals to analyze radiances from cirrus is examined. Adding-doubling radiative transfer calculations are employed to compute radiances for different cloud thicknesses and heights over various backgrounds. These radiances are used to develop parameterizations of top-of-the-atmosphere visible reflectance and IR emittance using tables of reflectances as a function of cloud optical depth, viewing and illumination angles, and microphysics. This parameterization, which includes Rayleigh scattering, ozone absorption, variable cloud height, and an anisotropic surface reflectance, reproduces the computed top-of-the-atmosphere reflectances with an accruacy of +/- 6 percent for four microphysical models: 10-micron water droplet, small symmetric crystal, cirrostratus, and cirrus uncinus. The accuracy is twice that of previous models.

Analysis of conditions and organization of work of notebook computer users.

PubMed

Malińska, Marzena; Bugajska, Joanna; Kamińska, Joanna; Jędryka-Góral, Anna

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate working conditions with a notebook computer (notebook) as a potential cause of musculoskeletal disorders. The study had 2 stages. The first one was a questionnaire survey among 300 notebook users. The next stage was an expert analysis of 53 randomly selected workstations. The questionnaire survey included questions about the participants, their working conditions, work organization and also duration of work with a notebook. The results of the research showed that most examined operators used a notebook as a basic working tool. The most important irregularities included an unadjustable working surface, unadjustable height of the seat pan and backrest, unadjustable height and distance between the armrests and no additional ergonomic devices (external keyboard, docking station, notebook stand or footstool).

Effects of computer monitor-emitted radiation on oxidant/antioxidant balance in cornea and lens from rats

PubMed Central

Namuslu, Mehmet; Devrim, Erdinç; Durak, İlker

2009-01-01

Purpose This study aims to investigate the possible effects of computer monitor-emitted radiation on the oxidant/antioxidant balance in corneal and lens tissues and to observe any protective effects of vitamin C (vit C). Methods Four groups (PC monitor, PC monitor plus vitamin C, vitamin C, and control) each consisting of ten Wistar rats were studied. The study lasted for three weeks. Vitamin C was administered in oral doses of 250 mg/kg/day. The computer and computer plus vitamin C groups were exposed to computer monitors while the other groups were not. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT) activities were measured in corneal and lens tissues of the rats. Results In corneal tissue, MDA levels and CAT activity were found to increase in the computer group compared with the control group. In the computer plus vitamin C group, MDA level, SOD, and GSH-Px activities were higher and CAT activity lower than those in the computer and control groups. Regarding lens tissue, in the computer group, MDA levels and GSH-Px activity were found to increase, as compared to the control and computer plus vitamin C groups, and SOD activity was higher than that of the control group. In the computer plus vitamin C group, SOD activity was found to be higher and CAT activity to be lower than those in the control group. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that computer-monitor radiation leads to oxidative stress in the corneal and lens tissues, and that vitamin C may prevent oxidative effects in the lens. PMID:19960068

Artist Concept of U.S.-European Jason-3 Ocean Altimetry Satellite over California

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-23

Artist concept of the U.S.-European Jason-3 spacecraft over the California coast. Jason-3 will precisely measure the height of the ocean surface, allowing scientists to monitor ocean circulation and sea level.

Research on Inversion Models for Forest Height Estimation Using Polarimetric SAR Interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Duan, B.; Zou, B.

2017-09-01

The forest height is an important forest resource information parameter and usually used in biomass estimation. Forest height extraction with PolInSAR is a hot research field of imaging SAR remote sensing. SAR interferometry is a well-established SAR technique to estimate the vertical location of the effective scattering center in each resolution cell through the phase difference in images acquired from spatially separated antennas. The manipulation of PolInSAR has applications ranging from climate monitoring to disaster detection especially when used in forest area, is of particular interest because it is quite sensitive to the location and vertical distribution of vegetation structure components. However, some of the existing methods can't estimate forest height accurately. Here we introduce several available inversion models and compare the precision of some classical inversion approaches using simulated data. By comparing the advantages and disadvantages of these inversion methods, researchers can find better solutions conveniently based on these inversion methods.

Problems and Limitations of Satellite Image Orientation for Determination of Height Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobsen, K.

2017-05-01

The usual satellite image orientation is based on bias corrected rational polynomial coefficients (RPC). The RPC are describing the direct sensor orientation of the satellite images. The locations of the projection centres today are without problems, but an accuracy limit is caused by the attitudes. Very high resolution satellites today are very agile, able to change the pointed area over 200km within 10 to 11 seconds. The corresponding fast attitude acceleration of the satellite may cause a jitter which cannot be expressed by the third order RPC, even if it is recorded by the gyros. Only a correction of the image geometry may help, but usually this will not be done. The first indication of jitter problems is shown by systematic errors of the y-parallaxes (py) for the intersection of corresponding points during the computation of ground coordinates. These y-parallaxes have a limited influence to the ground coordinates, but similar problems can be expected for the x-parallaxes, determining directly the object height. Systematic y-parallaxes are shown for Ziyuan-3 (ZY3), WorldView-2 (WV2), Pleiades, Cartosat-1, IKONOS and GeoEye. Some of them have clear jitter effects. In addition linear trends of py can be seen. Linear trends in py and tilts in of computed height models may be caused by limited accuracy of the attitude registration, but also by bias correction with affinity transformation. The bias correction is based on ground control points (GCPs). The accuracy of the GCPs usually does not cause some limitations but the identification of the GCPs in the images may be difficult. With 2-dimensional bias corrected RPC-orientation by affinity transformation tilts of the generated height models may be caused, but due to large affine image deformations some satellites, as Cartosat-1, have to be handled with bias correction by affinity transformation. Instead of a 2-dimensional RPC-orientation also a 3-dimensional orientation is possible, respecting the object height more as by 2-dimensional orientation. The 3-dimensional orientation showed advantages for orientation based on a limited number of GCPs, but in case of poor GCP distribution it may cause also negative effects. For some of the used satellites the bias correction by affinity transformation showed advantages, but for some other the bias correction by shift was leading to a better levelling of the generated height models, even if the root mean square (RMS) differences at the GCPs were larger as for bias correction by affinity transformation. The generated height models can be analyzed and corrected with reference height models. For the used data sets accurate reference height models are available, but an analysis and correction with the free of charge available SRTM digital surface model (DSM) or ALOS World 3D (AW3D30) is also possible and leads to similar results. The comparison of the generated height models with the reference DSM shows some height undulations, but the major accuracy influence is caused by tilts of the height models. Some height model undulations reach up to 50 % of the ground sampling distance (GSD), this is not negligible but it cannot be seen not so much at the standard deviations of the height. In any case an improvement of the generated height models is possible with reference height models. If such corrections are applied it compensates possible negative effects of the type of bias correction or 2-dimensional orientations against 3-dimensional handling.

Comparison of Evaporation Duct Height Measurement Methods and Their Impact on Radar Propagation Estimates

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-03-01

AUTHOR John David Whalen 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval Postgraduate School Monterey CA 93943...5000 PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME( S ) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT...impact the evaporation duct and its effect on the propagation of electromagnetic energy from the AEGIS AN/SPY-1 radars. Two ships, USS ANZIC and USS

Terrain Correction on the moving equal area cylindrical map projection of the surface of a reference ellipsoid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardalan, A.; Safari, A.; Grafarend, E.

2003-04-01

An operational algorithm for computing the ellipsoidal terrain correction based on application of closed form solution of the Newton integral in terms of Cartesian coordinates in the cylindrical equal area map projected surface of a reference ellipsoid has been developed. As the first step the mapping of the points on the surface of a reference ellipsoid onto the cylindrical equal area map projection of a cylinder tangent to a point on the surface of reference ellipsoid closely studied and the map projection formulas are computed. Ellipsoidal mass elements with various sizes on the surface of the reference ellipsoid is considered and the gravitational potential and the vector of gravitational intensity of these mass elements has been computed via the solution of Newton integral in terms of ellipsoidal coordinates. The geographical cross section areas of the selected ellipsoidal mass elements are transferred into cylindrical equal area map projection and based on the transformed area elements Cartesian mass elements with the same height as that of the ellipsoidal mass elements are constructed. Using the close form solution of the Newton integral in terms of Cartesian coordinates the potential of the Cartesian mass elements are computed and compared with the same results based on the application of the ellipsoidal Newton integral over the ellipsoidal mass elements. The results of the numerical computations show that difference between computed gravitational potential of the ellipsoidal mass elements and Cartesian mass element in the cylindrical equal area map projection is of the order of 1.6 × 10-8m^2/s^2 for a mass element with the cross section size of 10 km × 10 km and the height of 1000 m. For a 1 km × 1 km mass element with the same height, this difference is less than 1.5 × 10-4 m^2}/s^2. The results of the numerical computations indicate that a new method for computing the terrain correction based on the closed form solution of the Newton integral in terms of Cartesian coordinates and with accuracy of ellipsoidal terrain correction has been achieved! In this way one can enjoy the simplicity of the solution of the Newton integral in terms of Cartesian coordinates and at the same time the accuracy of the ellipsoidal terrain correction, which is needed for the modern theory of geoid computations.

The anthropometric match between high school learners of the Cape Metropole area, Western Cape, South Africa and their computer workstation at school.

PubMed

van Niekerk, Sjan-Mari; Louw, Quinette Abigail; Grimmer-Somers, Karen; Harvey, Justin; Hendry, Kevan John

2013-05-01

Descriptive study. The objective of this study was to present anthropometric data from high school students in Cape Metropole area, Western Cape, South Africa that are relevant for chair design and whether the dimensions of computer laboratory chairs currently used in high schools match linear anthropometrics of high-school students. Summary of Background Data. Learner-chair mismatch is proposed as a cause of poor postural alignment and spinal pain in adolescents. A learner-chair mismatch is defined as the incompatibility between the dimensions of a chair and the anthropometric dimensions of the learner. Currently, there is no published research to ascertain whether the furniture dimensions in school computer laboratories match the anthropometrics of the students. This may contribute to the high prevalence of adolescent spinal pain. The sample consisted of 689 learners, 13-18 years old. The following body dimensions were measured: stature, popliteal height, buttock-to-popliteal length and hip width. These measurements were matched with the corresponding chair seat dimensions: height, depth and width. Popliteal and seat height mismatch was defined when the seat height is either >95% or <88% of the popliteal height. Buttock-popliteal length and seat depth mismatch was defined when the seat depth is either >95% or <80% of the buttock-popliteal length. Seat width mismatch is defined where the seat width should be at least 10% and at the most 30% larger than hip width. An 89% of learners did not match the seat. Five percent of learners matched the chair depth, the majority was found to be too big. In contrast, 65% of the learners matched the chair width dimension. A substantial mismatch was found. The school chairs failed standard ergonomics recommendations for the design of furniture to fit the user. This study supports the conclusion that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. There is an urgent need for chairs that are of different sizes or that are adjustable. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Shared genetic determinants of axial length and height in children: the Guangzhou twin eye study.

PubMed

Zhang, Jian; Hur, Yoon-Mi; Huang, Wenyong; Ding, Xiaohu; Feng, Ke; He, Mingguang

2011-01-01

To describe the association between axial length (AL) and height and to estimate the extent to which shared genetic or environmental factors influence this covariance. Study participants were recruited from the Guangzhou Twin Registry. Axial length was measured using partial coherence laser interferometry. Height was measured with the participants standing without shoes. We computed twin pairwise correlations and cross-twin cross-trait correlations between AL and height for monozygotic and dizygotic twins and performed model-fitting analyses using a multivariate Cholesky model. The right eye was arbitrarily selected to represent AL of participants. Five hundred sixty-five twin pairs (359 monozygotic and 206 dizygotic) aged 7 to 15 years were available for analysis. Phenotypic correlation between AL and height was 0.46 but decreased to 0.19 after adjusting for age, sex, and age × sex interaction. Bivariate Cholesky model-fitting analyses revealed that 89% of phenotypic correlation was due to shared genetic factors and 11% was due to shared random environmental factors, which includes measurement error. Covariance of AL and height is largely attributable to shared genes. Given that AL is a key determinant of myopia, further work is needed to confirm gene sharing between myopia and stature.

Predictive Demi-Span Equations for Estimation of Stature in Aged Mexican Americans.

PubMed

Siordia, C; Panas, L J; Markides, K

2012-01-01

To develop demi-span height predictive equations for older Mexican Americans. Cross-sectional study. Data files housed by the Sociomedical Division in the department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. 1,078 (700 females, 378 males) Southwest U.S.A. community-dwelling older Mexican Americans, aged 80-102 years. Demi-span, height, weight, BMI, demi-span equivalent height (DSEH), DSEH derived BMI (DS-BMI). Bland and Altman agreement analysis on: height and DSEH; BMI and DS-BMI. Paired t-test comparing derived and actual measures by single-age units and sex. DSEH with Bassey equations (DSEHBassey) are significantly different than actual measures. DSEHBassey derived BMIs (DSBasseyBMIs) are significantly different than BMIs computed from actual measures. DSEH with Mexican equations (DSEHMexican) are not significantly different than real measures. DSEHMexican derived BMIs (DSMexicanBMIs) are not significantly different than real measures. These findings provide evidence that both DSEHBassey and DSBasseyBMIs estimates are significantly different from measured height and BMI. Both DSEHMexican and DSMexicanBMIs estimates are shown to produce similar height and BMI estimates to those obtained from real measures. .

Efficient computation of turbulent flow in ribbed passages using a non-overlapping near-wall domain decomposition method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Adam; Utyuzhnikov, Sergey

2017-08-01

Turbulent flow in a ribbed channel is studied using an efficient near-wall domain decomposition (NDD) method. The NDD approach is formulated by splitting the computational domain into an inner and outer region, with an interface boundary between the two. The computational mesh covers the outer region, and the flow in this region is solved using the open-source CFD code Code_Saturne with special boundary conditions on the interface boundary, called interface boundary conditions (IBCs). The IBCs are of Robin type and incorporate the effect of the inner region on the flow in the outer region. IBCs are formulated in terms of the distance from the interface boundary to the wall in the inner region. It is demonstrated that up to 90% of the region between the ribs in the ribbed passage can be removed from the computational mesh with an error on the friction factor within 2.5%. In addition, computations with NDD are faster than computations based on low Reynolds number (LRN) models by a factor of five. Different rib heights can be studied with the same mesh in the outer region without affecting the accuracy of the friction factor. This is tested with six different rib heights in an example of a design optimisation study. It is found that the friction factors computed with NDD are almost identical to the fully-resolved results. When used for inverse problems, NDD is considerably more efficient than LRN computations because only one computation needs to be performed and only one mesh needs to be generated.

Standoff Human Identification Using Body Shape

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matzner, Shari; Heredia-Langner, Alejandro; Amidan, Brett G.

2015-09-01

The ability to identify individuals is a key component of maintaining safety and security in public spaces and around critical infrastructure. Monitoring an open space is challenging because individuals must be identified and re-identified from a standoff distance nonintrusively, making methods like fingerprinting and even facial recognition impractical. We propose using body shape features as a means for identification from standoff sensing, either complementing other identifiers or as an alternative. An important challenge in monitoring open spaces is reconstructing identifying features when only a partial observation is available, because of the view-angle limitations and occlusion or subject pose changes. Tomore » address this challenge, we investigated the minimum number of features required for a high probability of correct identification, and we developed models for predicting a key body feature—height—from a limited set of observed features. We found that any set of nine randomly selected body measurements was sufficient to correctly identify an individual in a dataset of 4426 subjects. For predicting height, anthropometric measures were investigated for correlation with height. Their correlation coefficients and associated linear models were reported. These results—a sufficient number of features for identification and height prediction from a single feature—contribute to developing systems for standoff identification when views of a subject are limited.« less

Wheelchair Mobility Performance enhancement by Changing Wheelchair Properties; What is the Effect of Grip, Seat Height and Mass?

PubMed

van der Slikke, Rienk M A; de Witte, Annemarie M H; Berger, Monique A M; Bregman, Daan J J; Veeger, Dirk Jan H E J

2018-02-12

The purpose of this study was to provide insight in the effect of wheelchair settings on wheelchair mobility performance. Twenty elite wheelchair basketball athletes of low (n=10) and high classification (n=10), were tested in a wheelchair basketball directed field test. Athletes performed the test in their own wheelchair, which was modified for five additional conditions regarding seat height (high - low), mass (central - distributed) and grip. The previously developed, inertial sensor based wheelchair mobility performance monitor 1 was used to extract wheelchair kinematics in all conditions. Adding mass showed most effect on wheelchair mobility performance, with a reduced average acceleration across all activities. Once distributed, additional mass also reduced maximal rotational speed and rotational acceleration. Elevating seat height had effect on several performance aspects in sprinting and turning, whereas lowering seat height influenced performance minimally. Increased rim grip did not alter performance. No differences in response were evident between low and high classified athletes. The wheelchair mobility performance monitor showed sensitive to detect performance differences due to the small changes in wheelchair configuration made. Distributed additional mass had the most effect on wheelchair mobility performance, whereas additional grip had the least effect of conditions tested. Performance effects appear similar for both low and high classified athletes. Athletes, coaches and wheelchair experts are provided with insight in the performance effect of key wheelchair settings, and they are offered a proven sensitive method to apply in sports practice, in their search for the best wheelchair-athlete combination.

Disaster debris estimation using high-resolution polarimetric stereo-SAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koyama, Christian N.; Gokon, Hideomi; Jimbo, Masaru; Koshimura, Shunichi; Sato, Motoyuki

2016-10-01

This paper addresses the problem of debris estimation which is one of the most important initial challenges in the wake of a disaster like the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. Reasonable estimates of the debris have to be made available to decision makers as quickly as possible. Current approaches to obtain this information are far from being optimal as they usually rely on manual interpretation of optical imagery. We have developed a novel approach for the estimation of tsunami debris pile heights and volumes for improved emergency response. The method is based on a stereo-synthetic aperture radar (stereo-SAR) approach for very high-resolution polarimetric SAR. An advanced gradient-based optical-flow estimation technique is applied for optimal image coregistration of the low-coherence non-interferometric data resulting from the illumination from opposite directions and in different polarizations. By applying model based decomposition of the coherency matrix, only the odd bounce scattering contributions are used to optimize echo time computation. The method exclusively considers the relative height differences from the top of the piles to their base to achieve a very fine resolution in height estimation. To define the base, a reference point on non-debris-covered ground surface is located adjacent to the debris pile targets by exploiting the polarimetric scattering information. The proposed technique is validated using in situ data of real tsunami debris taken on a temporary debris management site in the tsunami affected area near Sendai city, Japan. The estimated height error is smaller than 0.6 m RMSE. The good quality of derived pile heights allows for a voxel-based estimation of debris volumes with a RMSE of 1099 m3. Advantages of the proposed method are fast computation time, and robust height and volume estimation of debris piles without the need for pre-event data or auxiliary information like DEM, topographic maps or GCPs.

A new weighted mean temperature model in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jinghong; Yao, Yibin; Sang, Jizhang

2018-01-01

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has been applied in meteorology to monitor the change of Precipitable Water Vapor (PWV) in atmosphere, transformed from Zenith Wet Delay (ZWD). A key factor in converting the ZWD into the PWV is the weighted mean temperature (Tm), which has a direct impact on the accuracy of the transformation. A number of Bevis-type models, like Tm -Ts and Tm -Ts,Ps type models, have been developed by statistics approaches, and are not able to clearly depict the relationship between Tm and the surface temperature, Ts . A new model for Tm , called weighted mean temperature norm model (abbreviated as norm model), is derived as a function of Ts , the lapse rate of temperature, δ, the tropopause height, htrop , and the radiosonde station height, hs . It is found that Tm is better related to Ts through an intermediate temperature. The small effects of lapse rate can be ignored and the tropopause height be obtained from an empirical model. Then the norm model is reduced to a simplified form, which causes fewer loss of accuracy and needs two inputs, Ts and hs . In site-specific fittings, the norm model performs much better, with RMS values reduced averagely by 0.45 K and the Mean of Absolute Differences (MAD) values by 0.2 K. The norm model is also found more appropriate than the linear models to fit Tm in a large area, not only with the RMS value reduced from 4.3 K to 3.80 K, correlation coefficient R2 increased from 0.84 to 0.88, and MAD decreased from 3.24 K to 2.90 K, but also with the distribution of simplified model values to be more reasonable. The RMS and MAD values of the differences between reference and computed PWVs are reduced by on average 16.3% and 14.27%, respectively, when using the new norm models instead of the linear model.

Computational analysis of semi-span model test techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milholen, William E., II; Chokani, Ndaona

1996-01-01

A computational investigation was conducted to support the development of a semi-span model test capability in the NASA LaRC's National Transonic Facility. This capability is required for the testing of high-lift systems at flight Reynolds numbers. A three-dimensional Navier-Stokes solver was used to compute the low-speed flow over both a full-span configuration and a semi-span configuration. The computational results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental data. The computational results indicate that the stand-off height has a strong influence on the flow over a semi-span model. The semi-span model adequately replicates the aerodynamic characteristics of the full-span configuration when a small stand-off height, approximately twice the tunnel empty sidewall boundary layer displacement thickness, is used. Several active sidewall boundary layer control techniques were examined including: upstream blowing, local jet blowing, and sidewall suction. Both upstream tangential blowing, and sidewall suction were found to minimize the separation of the sidewall boundary layer ahead of the semi-span model. The required mass flow rates are found to be practicable for testing in the NTF. For the configuration examined, the active sidewall boundary layer control techniques were found to be necessary only near the maximum lift conditions.

Simulation studies of the application of SEASAT data in weather and state of sea forecasting models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardone, V. J.; Greenwood, J. A.

1979-01-01

The design and analysis of SEASAT simulation studies in which the error structure of conventional analyses and forecasts is modeled realistically are presented. The development and computer implementation of a global spectral ocean wave model is described. The design of algorithms for the assimilation of theoretical wind data into computers and for the utilization of real wind data and wave height data in a coupled computer system are presented.

District Computer Concerns: Checklist for Monitoring Instructional Use of Computers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coe, Merilyn

Designed to assist those involved with planning, organizing, and implementing computer use in schools, this checklist can be applied to: (1) assess the present state of instructional computer use in the district; (2) assist with the development of plans or guidelines for computer use; (3) support a start-up phase; and (4) monitor the…

Effects of LiDAR point density, sampling size and height threshold on estimation accuracy of crop biophysical parameters.

PubMed

Luo, Shezhou; Chen, Jing M; Wang, Cheng; Xi, Xiaohuan; Zeng, Hongcheng; Peng, Dailiang; Li, Dong

2016-05-30

Vegetation leaf area index (LAI), height, and aboveground biomass are key biophysical parameters. Corn is an important and globally distributed crop, and reliable estimations of these parameters are essential for corn yield forecasting, health monitoring and ecosystem modeling. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is considered an effective technology for estimating vegetation biophysical parameters. However, the estimation accuracies of these parameters are affected by multiple factors. In this study, we first estimated corn LAI, height and biomass (R² = 0.80, 0.874 and 0.838, respectively) using the original LiDAR data (7.32 points/m²), and the results showed that LiDAR data could accurately estimate these biophysical parameters. Second, comprehensive research was conducted on the effects of LiDAR point density, sampling size and height threshold on the estimation accuracy of LAI, height and biomass. Our findings indicated that LiDAR point density had an important effect on the estimation accuracy for vegetation biophysical parameters, however, high point density did not always produce highly accurate estimates, and reduced point density could deliver reasonable estimation results. Furthermore, the results showed that sampling size and height threshold were additional key factors that affect the estimation accuracy of biophysical parameters. Therefore, the optimal sampling size and the height threshold should be determined to improve the estimation accuracy of biophysical parameters. Our results also implied that a higher LiDAR point density, larger sampling size and height threshold were required to obtain accurate corn LAI estimation when compared with height and biomass estimations. In general, our results provide valuable guidance for LiDAR data acquisition and estimation of vegetation biophysical parameters using LiDAR data.

Comparison of Dental Panoramic Radiography and CBCT for Measuring Vertical Bone Height in Different Horizontal Locations of Posterior Mandibular Alveolar Process.

PubMed

Shahidi, Shoaleh; Zamiri, Barbad; Abolvardi, Masoud; Akhlaghian, Marzieh; Paknahad, Maryam

2018-06-01

Accurate measurement of the available bone height is an essential step in the pre-surgical phase of dental implantation. Panoramic radiography is a unique technique in the pre-surgical phase of dental implantations because of its low cost, relatively low-dose, and availability. This article aimed to assess the reliability of dental panoramic radiographs in the accurate measurement of the vertical bone height with respect to the horizontal location of the alveolar crest. 132 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) of the edentulous mandibular molar area and dental panoramic radiograph of 508 patients were selected. Exclusion criteria were bone abnormalities and detectable ideal information on each modality. The alveolar ridge morphology was categorized into 7 types according to the relative horizontal location of the alveolar crest to the mandibular canal based on CBCT findings. The available bone height (ABH) was defined as the distance between the upper border of the mandibular canal and alveolar crest. One oral radiologist and one oral surgeon measured the available bone height twice on each modality with a 7-dayinterval. We found a significant correlation between dental panoramic radiographs and cone-beam computed tomography values (ICC=0.992, p < 0.001). A positive correlation between the horizontal distance of the alveolar crest to the mandibular canal and measured differences between two radiographic modalities had been found (r=0.755, p < 0.001). For each single unit of increase in the horizontal distance of the alveolar crest to the mandibular canal, dental panoramic radiographs showed 0.87 unit of overestimation ( p < 0.001). Dental panoramic radiographs can be employed safely in the pre-surgical phase of dental implantation in posterior alveolus of mandible, especially in routine and simple cases.

In vitro comparison of the effect of different slice thicknesses on the accuracy of linear measurements on cone beam computed tomography images in implant sites.

PubMed

Shokri, Abbas; Khajeh, Samira

2015-01-01

Use of dental implants in edentulous patients has become a common treatment modality. Treatment of such implants requires radiographic evaluation, and in most cases, several different imaging techniques are necessary to evaluate the height, width, and structure of the bone at the implant site. In the current study, an attempt was made to evaluate the accuracy of measurements on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images with different slice thicknesses so that accurate data can be collected for proper clinical applications. In the present in vitro study, 11 human dry mandibles were used. The width and height of bone at the central, canine, and molar teeth areas were measured on the left and right sides by using digital calipers (as gold standard) and on CBCT images with 0.5-, 1-, 2-, 3-, 5-, and 10-mm slice thicknesses. Data were analyzed with SPSS 16, using paired t-test, Tukey test, and inter class correlation. Data were collected by evaluation of 11 skulls and 63 samples on the whole. There were no significant differences in bone width in any area (P > 0.05). There were significant differences in bone height in the central and molar teeth areas (P = 0.02). The measurements were not significant only at 4-mm slice thickness option and 5-mm slice thickness option for height compared with the gold standard (P = 0.513 and 0.173, respectively). The results did not show any significant differences between the observers (P = 0.329). The highest measurement accuracy of CBCT software program was observed at 4-mm slices for bone width and 5-mm slice thickness for bone height.

A new Ellipsoidal Gravimetric-Satellite Altimetry Boundary Value Problem; Case study: High Resolution Geoid of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ardalan, A.; Safari, A.; Grafarend, E.

2003-04-01

A new ellipsoidal gravimetric-satellite altimetry boundary value problem has been developed and successfully tested. This boundary value problem has been constructed for gravity observables of the type (i) gravity potential (ii) gravity intensity (iii) deflection of vertical and (iv) satellite altimetry data. The developed boundary value problem is enjoying the ellipsoidal nature and as such can take advantage of high precision GPS observations in the set-up of the problem. The highlights of the solution are as follows: begin{itemize} Application of ellipsoidal harmonic expansion up to degree/order and ellipsoidal centrifugal field for the reduction of global gravity and isostasy effects from the gravity observable at the surface of the Earth. Application of ellipsoidal Newton integral on the equal area map projection surface for the reduction of residual mass effects within a radius of 55 km around the computational point. Ellipsoidal harmonic downward continuation of the residual observables from the surface of the earth down to the surface of reference ellipsoid using the ellipsoidal height of the observation points derived from GPS. Restore of the removed effects at the application points on the surface of reference ellipsoid. Conversion of the satellite altimetry derived heights of the water bodies into potential. Combination of the downward continued gravity information with the potential equivalent of the satellite altimetry derived heights of the water bodies. Application of ellipsoidal Bruns formula for converting the potential values on the surface of the reference ellipsoid into the geoidal heights (i.e. ellipsoidal heights of the geoid) with respect to the reference ellipsoid. Computation of the high-resolution geoid of Iran has successfully tested this new methodology!

Ergonomics: The Forgotten Variable.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fitterman, L. Jeffrey

This paper describes ergonomics and the need to adapt worksites and technologies for individuals with physical or sensory disabilities. It provides suggestions for how to design an appropriate setup, design considerations, environmental considerations, chairs, monitor height, ambient noise, light, and electricity. Recommendations include: (1)…

Experience with long-term glucocorticoid treatment in congenital adrenal hyperplasia: growth pattern compared with genetic height potential.

PubMed

Aycan, Zehra; Ocal, Gonul; Berberoglu, Merih; Cetinkaya, Ergun; Adiyaman, Pelin; Evliyaoglu, Olcay

2006-03-01

Long-term replacement treatment with high doses of steroids in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is known to have a negative influence on growth. We evaluated the effects of long-term steroid treatment in patients with classical CAH on height development in relation to genetic height potential. Twenty-three patients with CAH (16 females, 7 males, mean age: 9.8 +/- 3.5 years) were included in this longitudinal study. The effect of steroid treatment on growth was determined by monitoring patients for 8.61 +/- 3.46 years (2-17 years) while they were treated with hydrocortisone at a mean dosage of 17.64 +/- 3.60 mg/m2/day. The height standard deviation scores (Ht-SDS), target Ht-SDS, and corrected Ht-SDS for target height was calculated for all patients. Predicted adult height according to bone age was calculated and it was determined whether height was developing according to the genetic height potential. In addition, patients were grouped as 'tight control' or 'poor control' according to their mean serum 17OH-progesterone or ACTH levels while on treatment. We evaluated whether height development was different for the tight and poor control groups. The mean chronological age of our patients at the time of the study was 9.89 +/- 3.53 years, Ht-SDS -0.77 +/- 1.57, target height (TH) 161.03 +/- 6.54 cm, TH-SDS -0.60 +/- 0.90, predicted height (PH) 157.2 +/- 11.16 cm, PH-SDS -1.1 +/- 1.69, and corrected Ht-SDS -0.75 +/- 1.14. There was no significant difference between the actual Ht-SDS and TH-SDS of our patients (p >0.05) but the corrected Ht-SDS was less than zero. Only 28.5% of our patients had normal height according to their genetic potential while 71.5% were shorter than their genetic height potential. While the Ht-SDS and corrected Ht-SDS were similar in the tight and poor metabolic control groups, the predicted height was significantly greater in the tight control group. We demonstrated that a hydrocortisone dose of 17.64 +/- 3.60 mg/m2/day in classical CAH had a negative influence on height development for genetic height potential in 8.5 years of follow-up and that it is necessary to use the lowest possible steroid dosage by individualizing the dose.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A new control tower is nearing completion at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. It will replace the old tower in use since 1987. The old tower stands only 20 feet above the runway surface, too low to see the launch pads to the east. During nighttime landing operations, those inside the tower have been hindered by the eight-billion candlepower xenon lights that illuminate the runway. The new control tower is built atop an existing mound, rising nearly 100 feet over the midpoint of the runway. The height gives controllers a spectacular 360-degree view of NASA-KSC and northern Brevard County. The new facility will also replace the SLF Operations Building. The operations building is home to the Military Radar Unit that monitors NASA-KSC airspace 24 hours a day, as well as runway light controls, navigational aids, weather and wind speed instrumentation, and gate controls. In the new tower, the computer displays will be fully modernized to Federal Aviation Administration standards with touch-screen technology. Construction on the new facility began in February 2003 and is nearly ready for occupancy. Only some final inspections and approvals remain. A support building and Public Affairs viewing deck, to be used for observing future landing operations, will be added and are already in work.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A new control tower is nearing completion at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility. It will replace the old tower in use since 1987. The old tower stands only 20 feet above the runway surface, too low to see the launch pads to the east. During nighttime landing operations, those inside the tower have been hindered by the eight-billion candlepower xenon lights that illuminate the runway. The new control tower is built atop an existing mound, rising nearly 100 feet over the midpoint of the runway. The height gives controllers a spectacular 360-degree view of NASA-KSC and northern Brevard County. The new facility will also replace the SLF Operations Building. The operations building is home to the Military Radar Unit that monitors NASA-KSC airspace 24 hours a day, as well as runway light controls, navigational aids, weather and wind speed instrumentation, and gate controls. In the new tower, the computer displays will be fully modernized to Federal Aviation Administration standards with touch-screen technology. Construction on the new facility began in February 2003 and is nearly ready for occupancy. Only some final inspections and approvals remain. A support building and Public Affairs viewing deck, to be used for observing future landing operations, will be added and are already in work.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The existing control tower seen here at the edge of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility is being replaced. In use since 1987, the old tower stands only 20 feet above the runway surface, too low to see the launch pads to the east. During nighttime landing operations, those inside the tower have been hindered by the eight-billion candlepower xenon lights that illuminate the runway. The new control tower is built atop an existing mound, rising nearly 100 feet over the midpoint of the runway. The height gives controllers a spectacular 360-degree view of NASA-KSC and northern Brevard County. The new facility will also replace the SLF Operations Building. The operations building is home to the Military Radar Unit that monitors NASA-KSC airspace 24 hours a day, as well as runway light controls, navigational aids, weather and wind speed instrumentation, and gate controls. In the new tower, the computer displays will be fully modernized to Federal Aviation Administration standards with touch-screen technology. Construction on the new facility began in February 2003 and is nearly ready for occupancy. Only some final inspections and approvals remain. A support building and Public Affairs viewing deck, to be used for observing future landing operations, will be added and are already in work.

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-12-17

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- The existing control tower seen here at the edge of the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility is being replaced. In use since 1987, the old tower stands only 20 feet above the runway surface, too low to see the launch pads to the east. During nighttime landing operations, those inside the tower have been hindered by the eight-billion candlepower xenon lights that illuminate the runway. The new control tower is built atop an existing mound, rising nearly 100 feet over the midpoint of the runway. The height gives controllers a spectacular 360-degree view of NASA-KSC and northern Brevard County. The new facility will also replace the SLF Operations Building. The operations building is home to the Military Radar Unit that monitors NASA-KSC airspace 24 hours a day, as well as runway light controls, navigational aids, weather and wind speed instrumentation, and gate controls. In the new tower, the computer displays will be fully modernized to Federal Aviation Administration standards with touch-screen technology. Construction on the new facility began in February 2003 and is nearly ready for occupancy. Only some final inspections and approvals remain. A support building and Public Affairs viewing deck, to be used for observing future landing operations, will be added and are already in work.

Monitoring and long-term assessment of the Mediterranean Sea physical state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simoncelli, Simona; Fratianni, Claudia; Clementi, Emanuela; Drudi, Massimiliano; Pistoia, Jenny; Grandi, Alessandro; Del Rosso, Damiano

2017-04-01

The near real time monitoring and long-term assessment of the physical state of the ocean are crucial for the wide CMEMS user community providing a continuous and up to date overview of key indicators computed from operational analysis and reanalysis datasets. This constitutes an operational warning system on particular events, stimulating the research towards a deeper understanding of them and consequently increasing CMEMS products uptake. Ocean Monitoring Indicators (OMIs) of some Essential Ocean Variables have been identified and developed by the Mediterranean Monitoring and Forecasting Centre (MED-MFC) under the umbrella of the CMEMS MYP WG (Multi Year Products Working Group). These OMIs have been operationally implemented starting from the physical reanalysis products and then they have been applied to the operational analyses product. Sea surface temperature, salinity, height as well as heat, water and momentum fluxes at the air-sea interface have been operationally implemented since the reanalysis system development as a real time monitoring of the data production. Their consistency analysis against available observational products or budget values recognized in literature guarantees the high quality of the numerical dataset. The results of the reanalysis validation procedures are yearly published in the QUality Information Document since 2014 available through the CMEMS catalogue (http://marine.copernicus.eu), together with the yearly dataset extension. New OMIs of the winter mixed layer depth, the eddy kinetic energy and the heat content will be presented, in particular we will analyze their time evolution and trends starting from 1987, then we will focus on the recent time period 2013-2016 when reanalysis and analyses datasets overlap to show their consistency beside their different system implementation (i.e. atmospheric forcing, wave coupling, nesting). At the end the focus will be on 2016 sea state and circulation of the Mediterranean Sea and its anomaly with respect to the climatological fields to early detect the 2016 peculiarities.

Computational Electromagnetics

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-20

finite differences use the continuation method instead, and have been shown to lead to unconditionally stable numerics for a wide range of realistic PDE...best previous solvers were restricted to two-dimensional (range and height) refractive index variations. The numerical method we introduced...however, is such that even its solution on the basis of Rytov’s method gives rise to extremely high computational costs. We thus resort to

Doppler measurements of the ionosphere on the occasion of the Apollo-Soyuz test project. Part 1: Computer simulation of ionospheric-induced Doppler shifts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grossi, M. D.; Gay, R. H.

1975-01-01

A computer simulation of the ionospheric experiment of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) was performed. ASTP is the first example of USA/USSR cooperation in space and is scheduled for summer 1975. The experiment consists of performing dual-frequency Doppler measurements (at 162 and 324 MHz) between the Apollo Command Service Module (CSM) and the ASTP Docking Module (DM), both orbiting at 221-km height and at a relative distance of 300 km. The computer simulation showed that, with the Doppler measurement resolution of approximately 3 mHz provided by the instrumentation (in 10-sec integration time), ionospheric-induced Doppler shifts will be measurable accurately at all times, with some rare exceptions occurring when the radio path crosses regions of minimum ionospheric density. The computer simulation evaluated the ability of the experiment to measure changes of columnar electron content between CSM and DM (from which horizontal gradients of electron density at 221-km height can be obtained) and to measure variations in DM-to-ground columnar content (from which an averaged columnar content and the electron density at the DM can be deduced, under some simplifying assumptions).

Direct Methods for Predicting Movement Biomechanics Based Upon Optimal Control Theory with Implementation in OpenSim.

PubMed

Porsa, Sina; Lin, Yi-Chung; Pandy, Marcus G

2016-08-01

The aim of this study was to compare the computational performances of two direct methods for solving large-scale, nonlinear, optimal control problems in human movement. Direct shooting and direct collocation were implemented on an 8-segment, 48-muscle model of the body (24 muscles on each side) to compute the optimal control solution for maximum-height jumping. Both algorithms were executed on a freely-available musculoskeletal modeling platform called OpenSim. Direct collocation converged to essentially the same optimal solution up to 249 times faster than direct shooting when the same initial guess was assumed (3.4 h of CPU time for direct collocation vs. 35.3 days for direct shooting). The model predictions were in good agreement with the time histories of joint angles, ground reaction forces and muscle activation patterns measured for subjects jumping to their maximum achievable heights. Both methods converged to essentially the same solution when started from the same initial guess, but computation time was sensitive to the initial guess assumed. Direct collocation demonstrates exceptional computational performance and is well suited to performing predictive simulations of movement using large-scale musculoskeletal models.

Learning-based computing techniques in geoid modeling for precise height transformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erol, B.; Erol, S.

2013-03-01

Precise determination of local geoid is of particular importance for establishing height control in geodetic GNSS applications, since the classical leveling technique is too laborious. A geoid model can be accurately obtained employing properly distributed benchmarks having GNSS and leveling observations using an appropriate computing algorithm. Besides the classical multivariable polynomial regression equations (MPRE), this study attempts an evaluation of learning based computing algorithms: artificial neural networks (ANNs), adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and especially the wavelet neural networks (WNNs) approach in geoid surface approximation. These algorithms were developed parallel to advances in computer technologies and recently have been used for solving complex nonlinear problems of many applications. However, they are rather new in dealing with precise modeling problem of the Earth gravity field. In the scope of the study, these methods were applied to Istanbul GPS Triangulation Network data. The performances of the methods were assessed considering the validation results of the geoid models at the observation points. In conclusion the ANFIS and WNN revealed higher prediction accuracies compared to ANN and MPRE methods. Beside the prediction capabilities, these methods were also compared and discussed from the practical point of view in conclusions.

Effects of convection electric field on upwelling and escape of ionospheric O(+)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cladis, J. B.; Chiu, Yam T.; Peterson, William K.

1992-01-01

A Monte Carlo code is used to explore the full effects of the convection electric field on distributions of upflowing O(+) ions from the cusp/cleft ionosphere. Trajectories of individual ions/neutrals are computed as they undergo multiple charge-exchange collisions. In the ion state, the trajectories are computed in realistic models of the magnetic field and the convection, corotation, and ambipolar electric fields. The effects of ion-ion collisions are included, and the trajectories are computed with and without simultaneous stochastic heating perpendicular to the magnetic field by a realistic model of broadband, low frequency waves. In the neutral state, ballistic trajectories in the gravitational field are computed. The initial conditions of the ions, in addition to ambipolar electric field and the number densities and temperatures of O(+), H(+), and electrons as a function of height in the cusp/cleft region were obtained from the results of Gombosi and Killeen (1987), who used a hydrodynamic code to simulate the time-dependent frictional-heating effects in a magnetic tube during its motion though the convection throat. The distribution of the ion fluxes as a function of height are constructed from the case histories.

High speed three-dimensional laser scanner with real time processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lavelle, Joseph P. (Inventor); Schuet, Stefan R. (Inventor)

2008-01-01

A laser scanner computes a range from a laser line to an imaging sensor. The laser line illuminates a detail within an area covered by the imaging sensor, the area having a first dimension and a second dimension. The detail has a dimension perpendicular to the area. A traverse moves a laser emitter coupled to the imaging sensor, at a height above the area. The laser emitter is positioned at an offset along the scan direction with respect to the imaging sensor, and is oriented at a depression angle with respect to the area. The laser emitter projects the laser line along the second dimension of the area at a position where a image frame is acquired. The imaging sensor is sensitive to laser reflections from the detail produced by the laser line. The imaging sensor images the laser reflections from the detail to generate the image frame. A computer having a pipeline structure is connected to the imaging sensor for reception of the image frame, and for computing the range to the detail using height, depression angle and/or offset. The computer displays the range to the area and detail thereon covered by the image frame.

Reflections on current and future applications of multiangle imaging to aerosol and cloud remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diner, David

2010-05-01

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument has been collecting global Earth data from NASA's Terra satellite since February 2000. With its 9 along-track view angles, 4 spectral bands, intrinsic spatial resolution of 275 m, and stable radiometric and geometric calibration, no instrument that combines MISR's attributes has previously flown in space, nor is there is a similar capability currently available on any other satellite platform. Multiangle imaging offers several tools for remote sensing of aerosol and cloud properties, including bidirectional reflectance and scattering measurements, stereoscopic pattern matching, time lapse sequencing, and potentially, optical tomography. Current data products from MISR employ several of these techniques. Observations of the intensity of scattered light as a function of view angle and wavelength provide accurate measures of aerosol optical depths (AOD) over land, including bright desert and urban source regions. Partitioning of AOD according to retrieved particle classification and incorporation of height information improves the relationship between AOD and surface PM2.5 (fine particulate matter, a regulated air pollutant), constituting an important step toward a satellite-based particulate pollution monitoring system. Stereoscopic cloud-top heights provide a unique metric for detecting interannual variability of clouds and exceptionally high quality and sensitivity for detection and height retrieval for low-level clouds. Using the several-minute time interval between camera views, MISR has enabled a pole-to-pole, height-resolved atmospheric wind measurement system. Stereo imagery also makes possible global measurement of the injection heights and advection speeds of smoke plumes, volcanic plumes, and dust clouds, for which a large database is now available. To build upon what has been learned during the first decade of MISR observations, we are evaluating algorithm updates that not only refine retrieval accuracies but also include enhancements (e.g., finer spatial resolution) that would have been computationally prohibitive just ten years ago. In addition, we are developing technological building blocks for future sensors that enable broader spectral coverage, wider swath, and incorporation of high-accuracy polarimetric imaging. Prototype cameras incorporating photoelastic modulators have been constructed. To fully capitalize on the rich information content of the current and next-generation of multiangle imagers, several algorithmic paradigms currently employed need to be re-examined, e.g., the use of aerosol look-up tables, neglect of 3-D effects, and binary partitioning of the atmosphere into "cloudy" or "clear" designations. Examples of progress in algorithm and technology developments geared toward advanced application of multiangle imaging to remote sensing of aerosols and clouds will be presented.

Quantification of uncertainties in the tsunami hazard for Cascadia using statistical emulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guillas, S.; Day, S. J.; Joakim, B.

2016-12-01

We present new high resolution tsunami wave propagation and coastal inundation for the Cascadia region in the Pacific Northwest. The coseismic representation in this analysis is novel, and more realistic than in previous studies, as we jointly parametrize multiple aspects of the seabed deformation. Due to the large computational cost of such simulators, statistical emulation is required in order to carry out uncertainty quantification tasks, as emulators efficiently approximate simulators. The emulator replaces the tsunami model VOLNA by a fast surrogate, so we are able to efficiently propagate uncertainties from the source characteristics to wave heights, in order to probabilistically assess tsunami hazard for Cascadia. We employ a new method for the design of the computer experiments in order to reduce the number of runs while maintaining good approximations properties of the emulator. Out of the initial nine parameters, mostly describing the geometry and time variation of the seabed deformation, we drop two parameters since these turn out to not have an influence on the resulting tsunami waves at the coast. We model the impact of another parameter linearly as its influence on the wave heights is identified as linear. We combine this screening approach with the sequential design algorithm MICE (Mutual Information for Computer Experiments), that adaptively selects the input values at which to run the computer simulator, in order to maximize the expected information gain (mutual information) over the input space. As a result, the emulation is made possible and accurate. Starting from distributions of the source parameters that encapsulate geophysical knowledge of the possible source characteristics, we derive distributions of the tsunami wave heights along the coastline.

[Sedentary behaviour 13-years-olds and its association with selected health behaviours, parenting practices and body mass].

PubMed

Jodkowska, Maria; Tabak, Izabela; Oblacińska, Anna; Stalmach, Magdalena

2013-01-01

1. To estimate the time spent in sedentary behaviour (watching TV, using the computer, doing homework). 2. To assess the link between the total time spent on watching TV, using the computer, doing homework and dietary habits, physical activity, parental practices and body mass. Cross-sectional study was conducted in Poland in 2008 among 13-year olds (n=600). They self-reported their time of TV viewing, computer use and homework. Their dietary behaviours, physical activity (MVPA) and parenting practices were also self-reported. Height and weight were measured by school nurses. Descriptive statistics and correlation were used in this analysis. The mean time spent watching television in school days was 2.3 hours for girls and 2.2 for boys. Boys spent significantly more time using the computer than girls - respectively 1.8 and 1.5 hours, while girls took longer doing homework - respectively 1.7 and 1.3 hours. Mean screen time was about 4 hours in school days and about 6 hours during weekend, statistically longer for boys in weekdays. Screen time was positively associated with intake of sweets, chips, soft drinks, "fast food" and meals consumption during TV, and negatively with regularity of meals and parental supervision. There was no correlation between screen time with physical activity and body mass. Sedentary behaviours and physical activity are not competing behaviours in Polish teenagers, but their relationship with unhealthy dietary patterns may lead to development of obesity. Good parental practices, both mother's and father's supervision seems to be crucial for screen time limitation in their children. Parents should become aware that relevant lifestyle monitoring of their children is a crucial element of health education in prevention of civilization diseases. This is a task for both healthcare workers and educational staff.

Hurricane Jeanne

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-19

... view. The cloud height map was produced by automated computer recognition of the distinctive spatial features between images ... NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington, D.C. The Terra spacecraft is managed ...

Utilization of O4 slant column density to derive aerosol layer height from a spaceborne UV-visible hyperspectral sensor: sensitivity and case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, S. S.; Kim, J.; Lee, H.; Torres, O.; Lee, K.-M.; Lee, S. D.

2015-03-01

The sensitivities of oxygen-dimer (O4) slant column densities (SCDs) to changes in aerosol layer height are investigated using simulated radiances by a radiative transfer model, Linearized Discrete Ordinate Radiative Transfer (LIDORT), and Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) technique. The sensitivities of the O4 SCDs to aerosol types and optical properties are also evaluated and compared. Among the O4 absorption bands at 340, 360, 380, and 477 nm, the O4 absorption band at 477 nm is found to be the most suitable to retrieve the aerosol effective height. However, the O4 SCD at 477 nm is significantly influenced not only by the aerosol layer effective height but also by aerosol vertical profiles, optical properties including single scattering albedo (SSA), aerosol optical depth (AOD), and surface albedo. Overall, the error of the retrieved aerosol effective height is estimated to be 414 m (16.5%), 564 m (22.4%), and 1343 m (52.5%) for absorbing, dust, and non-absorbing aerosol, respectively, assuming knowledge on the aerosol vertical distribution type. Using radiance data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), a new algorithm is developed to derive the aerosol effective height over East Asia after the determination of the aerosol type and AOD from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). The retrieved aerosol effective heights are lower by approximately 300 m (27 %) compared to those obtained from the ground-based LIDAR measurements.

Quantifying changes in land-surface height in bioenergy palm oil plantations (Sumatra) using InSAR time series.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Zhiwei; Waldron, Susan; Li, Zhenhong

2013-04-01

Tropical peatlands in Southeast Asia cover ~ 439,238 km sq. and represent ~77 % of global tropical peatland carbon stores and ~11 % of global peatland area. These landscapes are substantial C stores accounting for ~17-19 % of the global peat C pool (Page et al., 2010). Within southeast Asia, Indonesian peatlands hold most C (57.4 Pg, 65 %), followed by Malaysia (9.1 Pg, 10 %). In recent decades the drive to use these soils for agriculture and often the palm oil biogenergy crop, has driven fire-clearing, deforestation and drainage of these carbon landscapes. The drainage can lead to respiration of the soil carbon store and subsidence of the peatland (Hooijer et al., 2012), reducing their strength as a current C store and their capacity for future soil C storage. Using field-based surveying to monitor changes in the past peatland surface height, and over the large areas typical of commercial agricultural palm oil plantations, is challenging such that measurements are more likely to describe a small area and be only a snapshot in time. Upscaling and understanding the rate of change in surface height through time may be overcome using remote sensing approaches. Here we present data on the change in peatland surface height in Indonesia palm oil plantations, detected using the Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) Small BAseline Set (SBAS) approach (Berardino et al., 2002). Using data from July 2007 to January 2011, we have generated a map of the rate of change of mean height, and time series of change in surface height for several plantation areas. To do this we used two independent ALOS L-band tracks SAR images, as there is a lack of ground data for validation, coherence in output provides confidence the results are representative. Our analysis to date shows that in drained and planted palm oil areas: 1) the rate of change in surface height (decrease) can vary; 2) the decrease in surface height can be up to 5 cm/year; 3) the largest decrease in surface height observed was 15 cm. Here we will explain further our approach to estimating change in surface height and consider these results in the context of the loss of regional and global C storage. Berardino, P., Fornaro, G., Lanari, R. & Sansosti, E. 2002. A new algorithm for surface deformation monitoring based on small baseline differential SAR interferograms. Geoscience and Remote Sensing, IEEE Transactions on, 40, 2375-2383. Hooijer, A., Page, S., Jauhiainen, J., Lee, W. A., Lu, X. X., Idris, A. & Anshari, G. 2012. Subsidence and carbon loss in drained tropical peatlands. Biogeosciences, 9, 1053-1071. Page, S., Wüst R.& Banks C. 2010. Past and present carbon accumulation and loss in Southeast Asian peatlands. PAGES news, 18, 25-27.

Randomized Trial of Desktop Humidifier for Dry Eye Relief in Computer Users.

PubMed

Wang, Michael T M; Chan, Evon; Ea, Linda; Kam, Clifford; Lu, Yvonne; Misra, Stuti L; Craig, Jennifer P

2017-11-01

Dry eye is a frequently reported problem among computer users. Low relative humidity environments are recognized to exacerbate signs and symptoms of dry eye, yet are common in offices of computer operators. Desktop USB-powered humidifiers are available commercially, but their efficacy for dry eye relief has not been established. This study aims to evaluate the potential for a desktop USB-powered humidifier to improve tear-film parameters, ocular surface characteristics, and subjective comfort of computer users. Forty-four computer users were enrolled in a prospective, masked, randomized crossover study. On separate days, participants were randomized to 1 hour of continuous computer use, with and without exposure to a desktop humidifier. Lipid-layer grade, noninvasive tear-film breakup time, and tear meniscus height were measured before and after computer use. Following the 1-hour period, participants reported whether ocular comfort was greater, equal, or lesser than that at baseline. The desktop humidifier effected a relative difference in humidity between the two environments of +5.4 ± 5.0% (P < .001). Participants demonstrated no significant differences in lipid-layer grade and tear meniscus height between the two environments (all P > .05). However, a relative increase in the median noninvasive tear-film breakup time of +4.0 seconds was observed in the humidified environment (P < .001), which was associated with a higher proportion of subjects reporting greater comfort relative to baseline (36% vs. 5%, P < .001). Even with a modest increase in relative humidity locally, the desktop humidifier shows potential to improve tear-film stability and subjective comfort during computer use.Trial registration no: ACTRN12617000326392.

Meniscus Imaging for Crystal-Growth Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sachs, E. M.

1983-01-01

Silicon crystal growth monitored by new video system reduces operator stress and improves conditions for observation and control of growing process. System optics produce greater magnification vertically than horizontally, so entire meniscus and melt is viewed with high resolution in both width and height dimensions.

Technical guidance and analytic services in support of SEASAT-A. [radar altimeters for altimetry and ocean wave height

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, W. L.; Dooley, R. P.

1975-01-01

The design of a high resolution radar for altimetry and ocean wave height estimation was studied. From basic principles, it is shown that a short pulse wide beam radar is the most appropriate and recommended technique for measuring both altitude and ocean wave height. To achieve a topographic resolution of + or - 10 cm RMS at 5.0 meter RMS wave heights, as required for SEASAT-A, it is recommended that the altimeter design include an onboard adaptive processor. The resulting design, which assumes a maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) processor, is shown to satisfy all performance requirements. A design summary is given for the recommended radar altimeter, which includes a full deramp STRETCH pulse compression technique followed by an analog filter bank to separate range returns as well as the assumed MLE processor. The feedback loop implementation of the MLE on a digital computer was examined in detail, and computer size, estimation accuracies, and bias due to range sidelobes are given for the MLE with typical SEASAT-A parameters. The standard deviation of the altitude estimate was developed and evaluated for several adaptive and nonadaptive split-gate trackers. Split-gate tracker biases due to range sidelobes and transmitter noise are examined. An approximate closed form solution for the altimeter power return is derived and evaluated. The feasibility of utilizing the basic radar altimeter design for the measurement of ocean wave spectra was examined.

Age at menarche in relation to adult height: the EPIC study.

PubMed

Onland-Moret, N C; Peeters, P H M; van Gils, C H; Clavel-Chapelon, F; Key, T; Tjønneland, A; Trichopoulou, A; Kaaks, R; Manjer, J; Panico, S; Palli, D; Tehard, B; Stoikidou, M; Bueno-De-Mesquita, H B; Boeing, H; Overvad, K; Lenner, P; Quirós, J R; Chirlaque, M D; Miller, A B; Khaw, K T; Riboli, E

2005-10-01

In the last two centuries, age at menarche has decreased in several European populations, whereas adult height has increased. It is unclear whether these trends have ceased in recent years or how age at menarche and height are related in individuals. In this study, the authors first investigated trends in age at menarche and adult height among 286,205 women from nine European countries by computing the mean age at menarche and height in 5-year birth cohorts, adjusted for differences in socioeconomic status. Second, the relation between age at menarche and height was estimated by linear regression models, adjusted for age at enrollment between 1992 and 1998 and socioeconomic status. Mean age at menarche decreased by 44 days per 5-year birth cohort (beta = -0.12, standard error = 0.002), varying from 18 days in the United Kingdom to 58 days in Spain and Germany. Women grew 0.29 cm taller per 5-year birth cohort (standard error = 0.007), varying from 0.42 cm in Italy to 0.98 cm in Denmark. Furthermore, women grew approximately 0.31 cm taller when menarche occurred 1 year later (range by country: 0.13-0.50 cm). Based on time trends, more recent birth cohorts have their menarche earlier and grow taller. However, women with earlier menarche reach a shorter adult height compared with women who have menarche at a later age.

[Nutritional status in children with intellectual disabilities based on anthropometric profile].

PubMed

Cossio-Bolaños, Marco; Vidal-Espinoza, Rubén; Lagos-Luciano, Juan; Gómez-Campos, Rossana

2015-01-01

Anthropometric variables such as weight, height and body length in children and adolescents with and without intellectual disabilities should be studied in connection with nutritional status, physical growth and biological maturation. a) to analyze the anthropometric profile based on nutritional status, b) to determine the prevalence of overweight and short stature c) to propose equations for predicting height from anthropometric variables. A total of 49 children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities, and from a special education school were studied (30 boys and 19 girls). Weight, height, trunk-cephalic height, forearm and foot length were evaluated. The calculation of nutritional status resulted in the establishment of nutritional categories: underweight, normal and overweight. The anthropometric profile of males varies significantly when classified according to nutritional categories (P<.05); however no variations were observed in the girls (P>.05). Also, high values of overweight prevalence were observed in both genders (43% of boys and 26% of girls). Variables such as age, weight, length of the forearm in females, and foot length in males are good predictors of height (R(2) = 91-94% males and R(2) = 87% females). A high percentage of overweight cases were observed; therefore, rigorous control and monitoring of nutritional status are suggested. The proposed regression equations could be an option in schools to easily and simply predict height. Copyright © 2015. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Computer-Assisted Monitoring Of A Complex System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beil, Bob J.; Mickelson, Eric M.; Sterritt, John M.; Costantino, Rob W.; Houvener, Bob C.; Super, Mike A.

1995-01-01

Propulsion System Advisor (PSA) computer-based system assists engineers and technicians in analyzing masses of sensory data indicative of operating conditions of space shuttle propulsion system during pre-launch and launch activities. Designed solely for monitoring; does not perform any control functions. Although PSA developed for highly specialized application, serves as prototype of noncontrolling, computer-based subsystems for monitoring other complex systems like electric-power-distribution networks and factories.

Monitoring and Analyses of Initial Stages of Graphene Growth in Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Yasuaki; Yamada, Junya; Kawano, Masahiro; Sano, Kazuya

2015-09-01

RF magnetron plasma was used for the growth of graphene. Copper films deposited by sputtering on mirror-polished silicon were used for substrates. Slant view-ports are welded to the side wall of vacuum chamber. In-situ ellipsometry is able to be carried out for the monitoring of substrate surface. The growth of graphene was started by the introduction of C2H4 gas in addition to hydrogen. Substrate temperature was controlled at 680°C at the first stage. An RF power up to 100 W was applied. C2H4 and H2 gases were introduced with the flow rate of 20 and 10 sccm, respectively. The pressure in the vacuum chamber was maintained at 200 Pa. The result of Raman analysis showed that the ratio of height of D (1350 cm-1) peak to G (1580 cm-1) peak, as well as that of 2D (2700 cm-1) peak to G peak, increased with time. Time evolution of height and width of graphene or graphite tips showed that, during the first 5 min, the width abruptly increases, while the increase speed of the height is lower than that after 5 min. The result implies that graphene sheets horizontally grow on the surface of substrate first before perpendicularly aligned CNWs grow. In order to analyze the first stage of the graphene growth, in-situ and precise measurement is required. For this purpose, in-situ ellipsometry should play an important role. Therefore we carried out a preliminary experiment of in-situ ellipsometry monitoring. Evolutions of ellipsometric parameters, Ψ and Δ, were precisely measured before the growth of graphene of 1 nm in thickness.

[The Cerebral Function Monitor. Description, functioning and interpretation principles].

PubMed

Roujas, F; Bertrand, C; Hrouda, P; Laborit, G; Lang, G; Rivet, P

1979-01-01

The Monitor of Cerebral Function enables continuous monitoring of the cerebral electrical activity and this over long periods due to the slow recording speeds. The cerebral electrical signals picked up by the electrodes attached to the scalp are registered in the form of a curve which fluctuates to a greater or lesser extent depending on the recording speed. The examination of the height of the curve with respect to zero and its amplitude indicates the voltage of the cerebral activity and yields information regarding polymorphism. It is thus possible to monitor variations in cerebral activity over a prolonged period during anaesthesia as well as during the revival phase with the Monitor of Cerebral Function, the electroencephalogram being reserved as an aid to precise diagnosis and for localization and close scruting of the anomalies.

Computation offloading for real-time health-monitoring devices.

PubMed

Kalantarian, Haik; Sideris, Costas; Tuan Le; Hosseini, Anahita; Sarrafzadeh, Majid

2016-08-01

Among the major challenges in the development of real-time wearable health monitoring systems is to optimize battery life. One of the major techniques with which this objective can be achieved is computation offloading, in which portions of computation can be partitioned between the device and other resources such as a server or cloud. In this paper, we describe a novel dynamic computation offloading scheme for real-time wearable health monitoring devices that adjusts the partitioning of data between the wearable device and mobile application as a function of desired classification accuracy.

Organic liquid scintillation detectors for on-the-fly neutron/gamma alarming and radionuclide identification in a pedestrian radiation portal monitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paff, Marc Gerrit; Ruch, Marc L.; Poitrasson-Riviere, Alexis; Sagadevan, Athena; Clarke, Shaun D.; Pozzi, Sara

2015-07-01

We present new experimental results from a radiation portal monitor based on the use of organic liquid scintillators. The system was tested as part of a 3He-free radiation portal monitor testing campaign at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, in February 2014. The radiation portal monitor was subjected to a wide range of test conditions described in ANSI N42.35, including a variety of gamma-ray sources and a 20,000 n/s 252Cf source. A false alarm test tested whether radiation portal monitors ever alarmed in the presence of only natural background. The University of Michigan Detection for Nuclear Nonproliferation Group's system triggered zero false alarms in 2739 trials. It consistently alarmed on a variety of gamma-ray sources travelling at 1.2 m/s at a 70 cm source to detector distance. The neutron source was detected at speeds up to 3 m/s and in configurations with up to 8 cm of high density polyethylene shielding. The success of on-the-fly radionuclide identification varied with the gamma-ray source measured as well as with which of two radionuclide identification methods was used. Both methods used a least squares comparison between the measured pulse height distributions to library spectra to pick the best match. The methods varied in how the pulse height distributions were modified prior to the least squares comparison. Correct identification rates were as high as 100% for highly enriched uranium, but as low as 50% for 241Am. Both radionuclide identification algorithms produced mixed results, but the concept of using liquid scintillation detectors for gamma-ray and neutron alarming in radiation portal monitor was validated.

Monitoring the Deformation of High-Rise Buildings in Shanghai Luijiazui Zone by Tomo-Psinsar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, L. F.; Ma, P. F.; Xia, Y.; Xie, C. H.

2018-05-01

In this study, we utilize a Tomography-based Persistent Scatterers Interferometry (Tomo-PSInSAR) approach for monitoring the deformation performances of high-rise buildings, i.e. SWFC and Jin Mao Tower, in Shanghai Lujiazui Zone. For the purpose of this study, we use 31 Stripmap acquisitions from TerraSAR-X missions, spanning from December 2009 to February 2013. Considering thermal expansion, creep and shrinkage are two long-term movements that occur in high-rise buildings with concrete structures, we use an extended 4-D SAR phase model, and three parameters (height, deformation velocity, and thermal amplitude) are estimated simultaneously. Moreover, we apply a two-tier network strategy to detect single and double PSs with no need for preliminary removal of the atmospheric phase screen (APS) in the study area, avoiding possible error caused by the uncertainty in spatiotemporal filtering. Thermal expansion is illustrated in the thermal amplitude map, and deformation due to creep and shrinkage is revealed in the linear deformation velocity map. The thermal amplitude map demonstrates that the derived thermal amplitude of the two high-rise buildings both dilate and contract periodically, which is highly related to the building height due to the upward accumulative effect of thermal expansion. The linear deformation velocity map reveals that SWFC is subject to deformation during the new built period due to creep and shrinkage, which is height-dependent movements in the linear velocity map. It is worth mention that creep and shrinkage induces movements that increase with the increasing height in the downward direction. In addition, the deformation rates caused by creep and shrinkage are largest at the beginning and gradually decrease, and at last achieve a steady state as time goes infinity. On the contrary, the linear deformation velocity map shows that Jin Mao Tower is almost stable, and the reason is that it is an old built building, which is not influenced by creep and shrinkage as the load is relaxed and dehydration proceeds. This study underlines the potential of the Tomo-PSInSAR solution for the monitoring deformation performance of high-rise buildings, which offers a quantitative indicator to local authorities and planners for assessing potential damages.

The spinal posture of computing adolescents in a real-life setting

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background It is assumed that good postural alignment is associated with the less likelihood of musculoskeletal pain symptoms. Encouraging good sitting postures have not reported consequent musculoskeletal pain reduction in school-based populations, possibly due to a lack of clear understanding of good posture. Therefore this paper describes the variability of postural angles in a cohort of asymptomatic high-school students whilst working on desk-top computers in a school computer classroom and to report on the relationship between the postural angles and age, gender, height, weight and computer use. Methods The baseline data from a 12 month longitudinal study is reported. The study was conducted in South African school computer classrooms. 194 Grade 10 high-school students, from randomly selected high-schools, aged 15–17 years, enrolled in Computer Application Technology for the first time, asymptomatic during the preceding month, and from whom written informed consent were obtained, participated in the study. The 3D Posture Analysis Tool captured five postural angles (head flexion, neck flexion, cranio-cervical angle, trunk flexion and head lateral bend) while the students were working on desk-top computers. Height, weight and computer use were also measured. Individual and combinations of postural angles were analysed. Results 944 Students were screened for eligibility of which the data of 194 students are reported. Trunk flexion was the most variable angle. Increased neck flexion and the combination of increased head flexion, neck flexion and trunk flexion were significantly associated with increased weight and BMI (p = 0.0001). Conclusions High-school students sit with greater ranges of trunk flexion (leaning forward or reclining) when using the classroom computer. Increased weight is significantly associated with increased sagittal plane postural angles. PMID:24950887

Importance of curvature evaluation scale for predictive simulations of dynamic gas-liquid interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owkes, Mark; Cauble, Eric; Senecal, Jacob; Currie, Robert A.

2018-07-01

The effect of the scale used to compute the interfacial curvature on the prediction of dynamic gas-liquid interfaces is investigated. A new interface curvature calculation methodology referred to herein as the Adjustable Curvature Evaluation Scale (ACES) is proposed. ACES leverages a weighted least squares regression to fit a polynomial through points computed on the volume-of-fluid representation of the gas-liquid interface. The interface curvature is evaluated from this polynomial. Varying the least squares weight with distance from the location where the curvature is being computed, adjusts the scale the curvature is evaluated on. ACES is verified using canonical static test cases and compared against second- and fourth-order height function methods. Simulations of dynamic interfaces, including a standing wave and oscillating droplet, are performed to assess the impact of the curvature evaluation scale for predicting interface motions. ACES and the height function methods are combined with two different unsplit geometric volume-of-fluid (VoF) schemes that define the interface on meshes with different levels of refinement. We find that the results depend significantly on curvature evaluation scale. Particularly, the ACES scheme with a properly chosen weight function is accurate, but fails when the scale is too small or large. Surprisingly, the second-order height function method is more accurate than the fourth-order variant for the dynamic tests even though the fourth-order method performs better for static interfaces. Comparing the curvature evaluation scale of the second- and fourth-order height function methods, we find the second-order method is closer to the optimum scale identified with ACES. This result suggests that the curvature scale is driving the accuracy of the dynamics. This work highlights the importance of studying numerical methods with realistic (dynamic) test cases and that the interactions of the various discretizations is as important as the accuracy of one part of the discretization.

Computation of Southern Pine Site Index Using a TI-59 Calculator

Treesearch

Robert M. Farrar

1983-01-01

A program is described that permits computation of site index in the field using a Texas Instruments model TI-59 programmable, hand-held, battery-powered calculator. Based on a series of equations developed by R.M. Farrar, Jr., for the site index curves in USDA Miscellaneous Publication 50, the program can accommodate any index base age, tree age, and height within...

2006 - 2016: Ten Years Of Tsunami In French Polynesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reymond, D.; Jamelot, A.; Hyvernaud, O.

2016-12-01

Located in South central Pacific and despite of its far field situation, the French Polynesia is very much concerned by the tsunamis generated along the major subduction zones located around the Pacific. At the time of writing, 10 tsunamis have been generated in the Pacific Ocean since 2006; all these events recorded in French Polynesia, produced different levels of warning, starting from a simple seismic warning with an information bulletin, up to an effective tsunami warning with evacuation of the coastal zone. These tsunamigenic events represent an invaluable opportunity of evolutions and tests of the tsunami warning system developed in French Polynesia: during the last ten years, the warning rules had evolved from a simple criterion of magnitudes up to the computation of the main seismic source parameters (location, slowness determinant (Newman & Okal, 1998) and focal geometry) using two independent methods: the first one uses an inversion of W-phases (Kanamori & Rivera, 2012) and the second one performs an inversion of long period surface waves (Clément & Reymond, 2014); the source parameters such estimated allow to compute in near real time the expected distributions of tsunami heights (with the help of a super-computer and parallelized codes of numerical simulations). Furthermore, two kinds of numerical modeling are used: the first one, very rapid (performed in about 5minutes of computation time) is based on the Green's law (Jamelot & Reymond, 2015), and a more detailed and precise one that uses classical numerical simulations through nested grids (about 45 minutes of computation time). Consequently, the criteria of tsunami warning are presently based on the expected tsunami heights in the different archipelagos and islands of French Polynesia. This major evolution allows to differentiate and use different levels of warning for the different archipelagos,working in tandem with the Civil Defense. We present the comparison of the historical observed tsunami heights (instrumental records, including deep ocean measurements provided by DART buoys and measured of tsunamis run-up) to the computed ones. In addition, the sites known for their amplification and resonance effects are well reproduced by the numerical simulations.

Data processing for water monitoring system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monford, L.; Linton, A. T.

1978-01-01

Water monitoring data acquisition system is structured about central computer that controls sampling and sensor operation, and analyzes and displays data in real time. Unit is essentially separated into two systems: computer system, and hard wire backup system which may function separately or with computer.

Cloud Height Estimation with a Single Digital Camera and Artificial Neural Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carretas, Filipe; Janeiro, Fernando M.

2014-05-01

Clouds influence the local weather, the global climate and are an important parameter in the weather prediction models. Clouds are also an essential component of airplane safety when visual flight rules (VFR) are enforced, such as in most small aerodromes where it is not economically viable to install instruments for assisted flying. Therefore it is important to develop low cost and robust systems that can be easily deployed in the field, enabling large scale acquisition of cloud parameters. Recently, the authors developed a low-cost system for the measurement of cloud base height using stereo-vision and digital photography. However, due to the stereo nature of the system, some challenges were presented. In particular, the relative camera orientation requires calibration and the two cameras need to be synchronized so that the photos from both cameras are acquired simultaneously. In this work we present a new system that estimates the cloud height between 1000 and 5000 meters. This prototype is composed by one digital camera controlled by a Raspberry Pi and is installed at Centro de Geofísica de Évora (CGE) in Évora, Portugal. The camera is periodically triggered to acquire images of the overhead sky and the photos are downloaded to the Raspberry Pi which forwards them to a central computer that processes the images and estimates the cloud height in real time. To estimate the cloud height using just one image requires a computer model that is able to learn from previous experiences and execute pattern recognition. The model proposed in this work is an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) that was previously trained with cloud features at different heights. The chosen Artificial Neural Network is a three-layer network, with six parameters in the input layer, 12 neurons in the hidden intermediate layer, and an output layer with only one output. The six input parameters are the average intensity values and the intensity standard deviation of each RGB channel. The output parameter in the output layer is the cloud height estimated by the ANN. The training procedure was performed, using the back-propagation method, in a set of 260 different clouds with heights in the range [1000, 5000] m. The training of the ANN has resulted in a correlation ratio of 0.74. This trained ANN can therefore be used to estimate the cloud height. The previously described system can also measure the wind speed and direction at cloud height by measuring the displacement, in pixels, of a cloud feature between consecutively acquired photos. Also, the geographical north direction can be estimated using this setup through sequential night images with high exposure times. A further advantage of this single camera system is that no camera calibration or synchronization is needed. This significantly reduces the cost and complexity of field deployment of cloud height measurement systems based on digital photography.

Body height as risk factor for emphysema in COPD

PubMed Central

Miniati, Massimo; Bottai, Matteo; Pavlickova, Ivana; Monti, Simonetta

2016-01-01

Pulmonary emphysema is a phenotypic component of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) which carries substantial morbidity and mortality. We explored the association between emphysema and body height in 726 patients with COPD using computed tomography as the reference diagnostic standard for emphysema. We applied univariate analysis to look for differences between patients with emphysema and those without, and multivariate logistic regression to identify significant predictors of the risk of emphysema. As covariates we included age, sex, body height, body mass index, pack-years of smoking, and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) as percent predicted. The overall prevalence of emphysema was 52%. Emphysemic patients were significantly taller and thinner than non-emphysemic ones, and featured significantly higher pack-years of smoking and lower FEV1 (P < 0.001). The prevalence of emphysema rose linearly by 10-cm increase in body height (r2 = 0.96). In multivariate analysis, the odds of emphysema increased by 5% (95% confidence interval, 3 to 7%) along with one-centimeter increase in body height, and remained unchanged after adjusting for all the potential confounders considered (P < 0.001). The odds of emphysema were not statistically different between males and females. In conclusion, body height is a strong, independent risk factor for emphysema in COPD. PMID:27874046

Is there any relation between distal parameters of the femur and its height and width?

PubMed

Yazar, Fatih; Imre, Nurcan; Battal, Bilal; Bilgic, Serkan; Tayfun, Cem

2012-03-01

The purpose of this study was to reveal the association whether the distal morphometry of femur had a relation with femur height or width. Sixty-six adult (35 right and 31 left) dry femurs from Caucasians were used in this study. Computed tomography (CT) imaging was applied to obtain measurement values of the femur. Femur height (413.29 ± 28.40 mm) and width (29.86 ± 2.72 mm) were all checked one by one to determine the correlation with the parameters obtained. Both values exposed high rates of correlation with height (26 ± 2.34 mm) and width (20.85 ± 2.76 mm) of femur notch; also, measures of epicondylar, bicondylar and condylar diameters of femur were obtained. Measures were checked if there was a correlation with femur height and width. Differences displayed in distal morphometry of femur according to race and sex are due to other morphometric measures of femur rather than race and sex. We believe that displaying the high rates of correlation of distal morphometry of femur with femur height and width will be the factor which determines the selection and production of prosthesis among the long or short individuals of folks.

Silicon Sheet Quality is Improved By Meniscus Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yates, D. A.; Hatch, A. E.; Goldsmith, J. M.

1983-01-01

Better quality silicon crystals for solar cells are possible with instrument that monitors position of meniscus as sheet of solid silicon is drawn from melt. Using information on meniscus height, instrument generates feedback signal to control melt temperature. Automatic control ensures more uniform silicon sheets.

40 CFR 52.380 - Rules and regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the following elements of the revisions: (1)-(2) [Reserved] (3) The program to review new and modified... (5) Stack height regulations (6) Interstate pollution requirements (7) Monitoring requirements (8) Conflict of interest provisions. (9) Use of 1 percent sulfur content fuel by the following residual oil...

40 CFR 52.380 - Rules and regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... the following elements of the revisions: (1)-(2) [Reserved] (3) The program to review new and modified... (5) Stack height regulations (6) Interstate pollution requirements (7) Monitoring requirements (8) Conflict of interest provisions. (9) Use of 1 percent sulfur content fuel by the following residual oil...

40 CFR 52.380 - Rules and regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the following elements of the revisions: (1)-(2) [Reserved] (3) The program to review new and modified... (5) Stack height regulations (6) Interstate pollution requirements (7) Monitoring requirements (8) Conflict of interest provisions. (9) Use of 1 percent sulfur content fuel by the following residual oil...

40 CFR 52.380 - Rules and regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the following elements of the revisions: (1)-(2) [Reserved] (3) The program to review new and modified... (5) Stack height regulations (6) Interstate pollution requirements (7) Monitoring requirements (8) Conflict of interest provisions. (9) Use of 1 percent sulfur content fuel by the following residual oil...

Configuration and Management of Wireless Sensor Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-12-01

monitor network status. B. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK WSNs are an exciting and useful technology which will be used in various areas in the...int h = getSize().height; Image resizedImage = null; ImageFilter replicate = new ReplicateScaleFilter(w, h); ImageProducer prod = new

Early recognition of growth abnormalities permitting early intervention

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Normal growth is a sign of good health. Monitoring for growth disturbances is fundamental to children's health care. Early detection and diagnosis of the causes of short stature allows management of underlying medical conditions, optimizing attainment of good health and normal adult height. This rev...

Acoustic monitoring of the tide height and slope-water intrusion at the New Jersey Shelf in winter conditions.

PubMed

Turgut, Altan; Orr, Marshall; Pasewark, Bruce

2007-05-01

Waveguide invariant theory is used to describe the frequency shifts of constant acoustic intensity level curves in broadband signal spectrograms measured at the New Jersey Shelf during the winter of 2003. The broadband signals (270-330 Hz) were transmitted from a fixed source and received at three fixed receivers, located at 10, 20, and 30 km range along a cross-shelf propagation track. The constant acoustic intensity level curves of the received signals indicate regular frequency shifts that can be well predicted by the change in water depth observed through tens of tidal cycles. A second pattern of frequency shifts is observed at only 30 km range where significant variability of slope-water intrusion was measured. An excellent agreement between observed frequency shifts of the constant acoustic intensity levels and those predicted by the change in tide height and slope water elevations suggests the capability of long-term acoustic monitoring of tide and slope water intrusions in winter conditions.

Automated Meteor Fluxes with a Wide-Field Meteor Camera Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blaauw, R. C.; Campbell-Brown, M. D.; Cooke, W.; Weryk, R. J.; Gill, J.; Musci, R.

2013-01-01

Within NASA, the Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) is charged to monitor the meteoroid environment in near ]earth space for the protection of satellites and spacecraft. The MEO has recently established a two ]station system to calculate automated meteor fluxes in the millimeter ]size ]range. The cameras each consist of a 17 mm focal length Schneider lens on a Watec 902H2 Ultimate CCD video camera, producing a 21.7 x 16.3 degree field of view. This configuration has a red ]sensitive limiting meteor magnitude of about +5. The stations are located in the South Eastern USA, 31.8 kilometers apart, and are aimed at a location 90 km above a point 50 km equidistant from each station, which optimizes the common volume. Both single station and double station fluxes are found, each having benefits; more meteors will be detected in a single camera than will be seen in both cameras, producing a better determined flux, but double station detections allow for non ]ambiguous shower associations and permit speed/orbit determinations. Video from the cameras are fed into Linux computers running the ASGARD (All Sky and Guided Automatic Real ]time Detection) software, created by Rob Weryk of the University of Western Ontario Meteor Physics Group. ASGARD performs the meteor detection/photometry, and invokes the MILIG and MORB codes to determine the trajectory, speed, and orbit of the meteor. A subroutine in ASGARD allows for the approximate shower identification in single station meteors. The ASGARD output is used in routines to calculate the flux in units of #/sq km/hour. The flux algorithm employed here differs from others currently in use in that it does not assume a single height for all meteors observed in the common camera volume. In the MEO system, the volume is broken up into a set of height intervals, with the collecting areas determined by the radiant of active shower or sporadic source. The flux per height interval is summed to obtain the total meteor flux. As ASGARD also computes the meteor mass from the photometry, a mass flux can be also calculated. Weather conditions in the southeastern United States are seldom ideal, which introduces the difficulty of a variable sky background. First a weather algorithm indicates if sky conditions are clear enough to calculate fluxes, at which point a limiting magnitude algorithm is employed. The limiting magnitude algorithm performs a fit of stellar magnitudes vs camera intensities. The stellar limiting magnitude is derived from this and easily converted to a limiting meteor magnitude for the active shower or sporadic source.

Shortcomings of low-cost imaging systems for viewing computed radiographs.

PubMed

Ricke, J; Hänninen, E L; Zielinski, C; Amthauer, H; Stroszczynski, C; Liebig, T; Wolf, M; Hosten, N

2000-01-01

To assess potential advantages of a new PC-based viewing tool featuring image post-processing for viewing computed radiographs on low-cost hardware (PC) with a common display card and color monitor, and to evaluate the effect of using color versus monochrome monitors. Computed radiographs of a statistical phantom were viewed on a PC, with and without post-processing (spatial frequency and contrast processing), employing a monochrome or a color monitor. Findings were compared with the viewing on a radiological Workstation and evaluated with ROC analysis. Image post-processing improved the perception of low-contrast details significantly irrespective of the monitor used. No significant difference in perception was observed between monochrome and color monitors. The review at the radiological Workstation was superior to the review done using the PC with image processing. Lower quality hardware (graphic card and monitor) used in low cost PCs negatively affects perception of low-contrast details in computed radiographs. In this situation, it is highly recommended to use spatial frequency and contrast processing. No significant quality gain has been observed for the high-end monochrome monitor compared to the color display. However, the color monitor was affected stronger by high ambient illumination.

[Weight and height local growth charts of Algerian children and adolescents (6-18 years of age)].

PubMed

Bahchachi, N; Dahel-Mekhancha, C C; Rolland-Cachera, M F; Badis, N; Roelants, M; Hauspie, R; Nezzal, L

2016-04-01

Measurements of height and weight provide important information on growth and development, puberty, and nutritional status in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to develop contemporary reference growth centiles for Algerian children and adolescents (6-18 years of age). A cross-sectional growth survey was conducted in government schools on 7772 healthy schoolchildren (45.1% boys and 54.9% girls) aged 6-18 years in Constantine (eastern Algeria) in 2008. Height and weight were measured with portable stadiometers and calibrated scales, respectively. Smooth reference curves of height and weight were estimated with the LMS method. These height and weight curves are presented together with local data from Arab countries and with the growth references of France, Belgium (Flanders), and the World Health Organization (WHO) 2007. In girls, median height and weight increased until 16 and 17 years of age, respectively, whereas in boys, they increased through age 18 years. Between ages 11 and 13 years (puberty), girls were taller and heavier than boys. After puberty, boys became taller than girls, by up to 13 cm by the age of 18 years. Median height and weight of Algerian boys and girls were generally intermediate between those observed in other Arab countries. They were higher than the French reference values up to the age of 13 years and lower than Belgian and WHO reference values at all ages. The present study provides Algerian height- and weight-for-age growth charts, which should be recommended as a national reference for monitoring growth and development in children and adolescents. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Accuracy of Jump-Mat Systems for Measuring Jump Height.

PubMed

Pueo, Basilio; Lipinska, Patrycja; Jiménez-Olmedo, José M; Zmijewski, Piotr; Hopkins, Will G

2017-08-01

Vertical-jump tests are commonly used to evaluate lower-limb power of athletes and nonathletes. Several types of equipment are available for this purpose. To compare the error of measurement of 2 jump-mat systems (Chronojump-Boscosystem and Globus Ergo Tester) with that of a motion-capture system as a criterion and to determine the modifying effect of foot length on jump height. Thirty-one young adult men alternated 4 countermovement jumps with 4 squat jumps. Mean jump height and standard deviations representing technical error of measurement arising from each device and variability arising from the subjects themselves were estimated with a novel mixed model and evaluated via standardization and magnitude-based inference. The jump-mat systems produced nearly identical measures of jump height (differences in means and in technical errors of measurement ≤1 mm). Countermovement and squat-jump height were both 13.6 cm higher with motion capture (90% confidence limits ±0.3 cm), but this very large difference was reduced to small unclear differences when adjusted to a foot length of zero. Variability in countermovement and squat-jump height arising from the subjects was small (1.1 and 1.5 cm, respectively, 90% confidence limits ±0.3 cm); technical error of motion capture was similar in magnitude (1.7 and 1.6 cm, ±0.3 and ±0.4 cm), and that of the jump mats was similar or smaller (1.2 and 0.3 cm, ±0.5 and ±0.9 cm). The jump-mat systems provide trustworthy measurements for monitoring changes in jump height. Foot length can explain the substantially higher jump height observed with motion capture.

A modified S-DIMM+: applying additional height grids for characterizing daytime seeing profiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhiyong; Zhang, Lanqiang; Kong, Lin; Bao, Hua; Guo, Youming; Rao, Xuejun; Zhong, Libo; Zhu, Lei; Rao, Changhui

2018-07-01

Characterization of daytime atmospheric turbulence profiles is needed for the design of a multi-conjugate adaptive optical system. S-DIMM+ (solar differential image motion monitor+) is a technique to measure vertical seeing profiles. However, the number of height grids will be limited by the lenslet array of the wide-field Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor (SHWFS). A small number of subaperture lenslet arrays will lead to a coarse height grid over the atmosphere, which can result in difficulty in finding the location of strong-turbulence layers and overestimates of the turbulence strength for the measured layers. To address this problem, we propose a modified S-DIMM+ method to measure seeing profiles iteratively with decreasing altitude range for a given number of height grids; finally they will be combined as a new seeing profile, with a denser and more uniform distribution of height grids. This method is tested with simulations and recovers the input height and contribution perfectly. Furthermore, this method is applied to the 102 data-sequences recorded from the 1-m New Vacuum Solar Telescope at Fuxian Solar Observatory, 55 of which were recorded at local time between 13:40 and 14:35 on 2016 October 6, and the other 47 between 12:50 and 13:40 on 2017 October 5. A 7x7 lenslet array of SHWFS is used to generate a 16-layer height grid to 15 km, each with 1 km height separation. The experimental results show that the turbulence has three origins in the lower (0-2 km) layers, the higher (3-6 km) layers and the uppermost (≥7 km) layers.

Nowcast modeling of Escherichia coli concentrations at multiple urban beaches of southern Lake Michigan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nevers, Meredith B.; Whitman, Richard L.

2005-01-01

Predictive modeling for Escherichia coli concentrations at effluent-dominated beaches may be a favorable alternative to current, routinely criticized monitoring standards. The ability to model numerous beaches simultaneously and provide real-time data decreases cost and effort associated with beach monitoring. In 2004, five Lake Michigan beaches and the nearby Little Calumet River outfall were monitored for E. coli 7 days a week; on nine occasions, samples were analyzed for coliphage to indicate a sewage source. Ambient lake, river, and weather conditions were measured or obtained from independent monitoring sources. Positive tests for coliphage analysis indicated sewage was present in the river and on bathing beaches following heavy rainfall. Models were developed separately for days with prevailing onshore and offshore winds due to the strong influence of wind direction in determining the river's impact on the beaches. Using regression modeling, it was determined that during onshore winds, E. coli   could be adequately predicted using wave height, lake chlorophyll and turbidity, and river turbidity (R2=0.635, N=94); model performance decreased for offshore winds using wave height, wave period, and precipitation (R2=0.320, N=124). Variation was better explained at individual beaches. Overall, the models only failed to predict E. coli levels above the EPA closure limit (235 CFU/100 ml) on five of eleven occasions, indicating that the model is a more reliable alternative to the monitoring approach employed at most recreational beaches.

Remote sensing for grassland management in the arid Southwest

USGS Publications Warehouse

Marsett, R.C.; Qi, J.; Heilman, P.; Biedenbender, S.H.; Watson, M.C.; Amer, S.; Weltz, M.; Goodrich, D.; Marsett, R.

2006-01-01

We surveyed a group of rangeland managers in the Southwest about vegetation monitoring needs on grassland. Based on their responses, the objective of the RANGES (Rangeland Analysis Utilizing Geospatial Information Science) project was defined to be the accurate conversion of remotely sensed data (satellite imagery) to quantitative estimates of total (green and senescent) standing cover and biomass on grasslands and semidesert grasslands. Although remote sensing has been used to estimate green vegetation cover, in arid grasslands herbaceous vegetation is senescent much of the year and is not detected by current remote sensing techniques. We developed a ground truth protocol compatible with both range management requirements and Landsat's 30 m resolution imagery. The resulting ground-truth data were then used to develop image processing algorithms that quantified total herbaceous vegetation cover, height, and biomass. Cover was calculated based on a newly developed Soil Adjusted Total Vegetation Index (SATVI), and height and biomass were estimated based on reflectance in the near infrared (NIR) band. Comparison of the remotely sensed estimates with independent ground measurements produced r2 values of 0.80, 0.85, and 0.77 and Nash Sutcliffe values of 0.78, 0.70, and 0.77 for the cover, plant height, and biomass, respectively. The approach for estimating plant height and biomass did not work for sites where forbs comprised more than 30% of total vegetative cover. The ground reconnaissance protocol and image processing techniques together offer land managers accurate and timely methods for monitoring extensive grasslands. The time-consuming requirement to collect concurrent data in the field for each image implies a need to share the high fixed costs of processing an image across multiple users to reduce the costs for individual rangeland managers.

Reference values of bone stiffness index and C-terminal telopeptide in healthy European children.

PubMed

Herrmann, D; Intemann, T; Lauria, F; Mårild, S; Molnár, D; Moreno, L A; Sioen, I; Tornaritis, M; Veidebaum, T; Pigeot, I; Ahrens, W

2014-09-01

Quantitative ultrasound measurements and bone metabolic markers can help to monitor bone health and to detect impaired skeletal development. Population-based reference values for children may serve as a basis for preventive measures to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures in later life. This is the first paper providing age-, sex- and height-specific reference values for bone stiffness index (SI) and serum carboxy-terminal cross-linking telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) in healthy, apparently prepubertal children. In the population-based IDEFICS baseline survey (2007-2008) and follow-up (2009-2010), 18,745 children from eight European countries were newly recruited. A total of 10,791 2-10.9-year-old and 1646 3-8.9-year-old healthy children provided data on SI of the right and left calcaneus and serum CTX, respectively. Furthermore, height and weight were measured. Percentile curves were calculated using the General Additive Model for Location Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) to model the distribution of SI and CTX depending on multiple covariates while accounting for dispersion, skewness, and the kurtosis of this distribution. SI was negatively associated with age and height in children aged 2-5 years, whereas a positive association was observed in children aged 6-10 years. The dip in SI occurred at older age for higher SI percentiles and was observed earlier in taller children than in smaller children. The CTX reference curves showed a linear-positive association with age and height. No major sex differences were observed for the SI and CTX reference values. These reference data lay the ground to evaluate bone growth and metabolism in prepubertal children in epidemiological and clinical settings. They may also inform clinical practice to monitor skeletal development and to assess adverse drug reactions during medical treatments.

The monitoring and managing application of cloud computing based on Internet of Things.

PubMed

Luo, Shiliang; Ren, Bin

2016-07-01

Cloud computing and the Internet of Things are the two hot points in the Internet application field. The application of the two new technologies is in hot discussion and research, but quite less on the field of medical monitoring and managing application. Thus, in this paper, we study and analyze the application of cloud computing and the Internet of Things on the medical field. And we manage to make a combination of the two techniques in the medical monitoring and managing field. The model architecture for remote monitoring cloud platform of healthcare information (RMCPHI) was established firstly. Then the RMCPHI architecture was analyzed. Finally an efficient PSOSAA algorithm was proposed for the medical monitoring and managing application of cloud computing. Simulation results showed that our proposed scheme can improve the efficiency about 50%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reactor Operations Monitoring System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hart, M.M.

1989-01-01

The Reactor Operations Monitoring System (ROMS) is a VME based, parallel processor data acquisition and safety action system designed by the Equipment Engineering Section and Reactor Engineering Department of the Savannah River Site. The ROMS will be analyzing over 8 million signal samples per minute. Sixty-eight microprocessors are used in the ROMS in order to achieve a real-time data analysis. The ROMS is composed of multiple computer subsystems. Four redundant computer subsystems monitor 600 temperatures with 2400 thermocouples. Two computer subsystems share the monitoring of 600 reactor coolant flows. Additional computer subsystems are dedicated to monitoring 400 signals from assortedmore » process sensors. Data from these computer subsystems are transferred to two redundant process display computer subsystems which present process information to reactor operators and to reactor control computers. The ROMS is also designed to carry out safety functions based on its analysis of process data. The safety functions include initiating a reactor scram (shutdown), the injection of neutron poison, and the loadshed of selected equipment. A complete development Reactor Operations Monitoring System has been built. It is located in the Program Development Center at the Savannah River Site and is currently being used by the Reactor Engineering Department in software development. The Equipment Engineering Section is designing and fabricating the process interface hardware. Upon proof of hardware and design concept, orders will be placed for the final five systems located in the three reactor areas, the reactor training simulator, and the hardware maintenance center.« less

The Accuracy of Cognitive Monitoring during Computer-Based Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garhart, Casey; Hannafin, Michael J.

This study was conducted to determine the accuracy of learners' comprehension monitoring during computer-based instruction and to assess the relationship between enroute monitoring and different levels of learning. Participants were 50 university undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory educational psychology class. All students received…

MULTICHANNEL PULSE-HEIGHT ANALYZER

DOEpatents

Russell, J.T.; Lefevre, H.W.

1958-01-21

This patent deals with electronic computing circuits and more particularly to pulse-height analyzers used for classifying variable amplitude pulses into groups of different amplitudes. The device accomplishes this pulse allocation by by converting the pulses into frequencies corresponding to the amplitudes of the pulses, which frequencies are filtered in channels individually pretuned to a particular frequency and then detected and recorded in the responsive channel. This circuit substantially overcomes the disadvantages of prior annlyzers incorporating discriminators pre-set to respond to certain voltage levels, since small variation in component values is not as critical to satisfactory circuit operation.

Observation of wave celerity evolution in the nearshore using digital video imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoo, J.; Fritz, H. M.; Haas, K. A.; Work, P. A.; Barnes, C. F.; Cho, Y.

2008-12-01

Celerity of incident waves in the nearshore is observed from oblique video imagery collected at Myrtle Beach, S.C.. The video camera covers the field view of length scales O(100) m. Celerity of waves propagating in shallow water including the surf zone is estimated by applying advanced image processing and analysis methods to the individual video images sampled at 3 Hz. Original image sequences are processed through video image frame differencing, directional low-pass image filtering to reduce the noise arising from foam in the surf zone. The breaking wave celerity is computed along a cross-shore transect from the wave crest tracks extracted by a Radon transform-based line detection method. The observed celerity from the nearshore video imagery is larger than the linear wave celerity computed from the measured water depths over the entire surf zone. Compared to the nonlinear shallow water wave equation (NSWE)-based celerity computed using the measured depths and wave heights, in general, the video-based celerity shows good agreements over the surf zone except the regions across the incipient wave breaking locations. In the regions across the breaker points, the observed wave celerity is even larger than the NSWE-based celerity due to the transition of wave crest shapes. The observed celerity using the video imagery can be used to monitor the nearshore geometry through depth inversion based on the nonlinear wave celerity theories. For this purpose, the exceeding celerity across the breaker points needs to be corrected accordingly compared to a nonlinear wave celerity theory applied.

Elastomer degradation sensor using a piezoelectric material

DOEpatents

Olness, Dolores U.; Hirschfeld, deceased, Tomas B.

1990-01-01

A method and apparatus for monitoring the degradation of elastomeric materials is provided. Piezoelectric oscillators are placed in contact with the elastomeric material so that a forced harmonic oscillator with damping is formed. The piezoelectric material is connected to an oscillator circuit,. A parameter such as the resonant frequency, amplitude or Q value of the oscillating system is related to the elasticity of the elastomeric material. Degradation of the elastomeric material causes changes in its elasticity which, in turn, causes the resonant frequency, amplitude or Q of the oscillator to change. These changes are monitored with a peak height monitor, frequency counter, Q-meter, spectrum analyzer, or other measurement circuit. Elasticity of elastomers can be monitored in situ, using miniaturized sensors.

Stereographic observations from geosynchronous satellites - An important new tool for the atmospheric sciences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hasler, A. F.

1981-01-01

Observations of cloud geometry using scan-synchronized stereo geostationary satellites having images with horizontal spatial resolution of approximately 0.5 km, and temporal resolution of up to 3 min are presented. The stereo does not require a cloud with known emissivity to be in equilibrium with an atmosphere with a known vertical temperature profile. It is shown that absolute accuracies of about 0.5 km are possible. Qualitative and quantitative representations of atmospheric dynamics were shown by remapping, display, and stereo image analysis on an interactive computer/imaging system. Applications of stereo observations include: (1) cloud top height contours of severe thunderstorms and hurricanes, (2) cloud top and base height estimates for cloud-wind height assignment, (3) cloud growth measurements for severe thunderstorm over-shooting towers, (4) atmospheric temperature from stereo heights and infrared cloud top temperatures, and (5) cloud emissivity estimation. Recommendations are given for future improvements in stereo observations, including a third GOES satellite, operational scan synchronization of all GOES satellites and better resolution sensors.

[Personal computer-based computer monitoring system of the anesthesiologist (2-year experience in development and use)].

PubMed

Buniatian, A A; Sablin, I N; Flerov, E V; Mierbekov, E M; Broĭtman, O G; Shevchenko, V V; Shitikov, I I

1995-01-01

Creation of computer monitoring systems (CMS) for operating rooms is one of the most important spheres of personal computer employment in anesthesiology. The authors developed a PC RS/AT-based CMS and effectively used it for more than 2 years. This system permits comprehensive monitoring in cardiosurgical operations by real time processing the values of arterial and central venous pressure, pressure in the pulmonary artery, bioelectrical activity of the brain, and two temperature values. Use of this CMS helped appreciably improve patients' safety during surgery. The possibility to assess brain function by computer monitoring the EEF simultaneously with central hemodynamics and body temperature permit the anesthesiologist to objectively assess the depth of anesthesia and to diagnose cerebral hypoxia. Automated anesthesiological chart issued by the CMS after surgery reliably reflects the patient's status and the measures taken by the anesthesiologist.

Mapping of Rill Erosion of Arable Soils Based on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashtanov, A. N.; Vernyuk, Yu. I.; Savin, I. Yu.; Shchepot'ev, V. V.; Dokukin, P. A.; Sharychev, D. V.; Li, K. A.

2018-04-01

Possibilities of using data obtained from unmanned aerial vehicles for detection and mapping of rill erosion on arable lands are analyzed. Identification and mapping of rill erosion was performed on a key plot with a predominance of arable gray forest soils (Greyzemic Phaeozems) under winter wheat in Tula oblast. This plot was surveyed from different heights and in different periods to determine the reliability of identification of rill erosion on the basis of automated procedures in a GIS. It was found that, despite changes in the pattern of rills during the warm season, only one survey during this season is sufficient for adequate assessment of the area of eroded soils. According to our data, the most reliable identification of rill erosion is based on the aerial survey from the height of 50 m above the soil surface. When the height of the flight is more than 200 m, erosional rills virtually escape identification. The efficiency of identification depends on the type of crops, their status, and time of the survey. The surveys of bare soil surface in periods with maximum possible interval from the previous rain or snowmelt season are most efficient. The results of our study can be used in the systems of remote sensing monitoring of erosional processes on arable fields. Application of multiand hyperspectral cameras can improve the efficiency of monitoring.

G3X-K theory: A composite theoretical method for thermochemical kinetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Silva, Gabriel

2013-02-01

A composite theoretical method for accurate thermochemical kinetics, G3X-K, is described. This method is accurate to around 0.5 kcal mol-1 for barrier heights and 0.8 kcal mol-1 for enthalpies of formation. G3X-K is a modification of G3SX theory using the M06-2X density functional for structures and zero-point energies and parameterized for a test set of 223 heats of formation and 23 barrier heights. A reduced perturbation-order variant, G3X(MP3)-K, is also developed, providing around 0.7 kcal mol-1 accuracy for barrier heights and 0.9 kcal mol-1 accuracy for enthalpies, at reduced computational cost. Some opportunities to further improve Gn composite methods are identified and briefly discussed.

Verification and transfer of thermal pollution model. Volume 4: User's manual for three-dimensional rigid-lid model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, S. S.; Nwadike, E. V.; Sinha, S. E.

1982-01-01

The theory of a three dimensional (3-D) mathematical thermal discharge model and a related one dimensional (1-D) model are described. Model verification at two sites, a separate user's manual for each model are included. The 3-D model has two forms: free surface and rigid lid. The former allows a free air/water interface and is suited for significant surface wave heights compared to mean water depth, estuaries and coastal regions. The latter is suited for small surface wave heights compared to depth because surface elevation was removed as a parameter. These models allow computation of time dependent velocity and temperature fields for given initial conditions and time-varying boundary conditions. The free surface model also provides surface height variations with time.

Consistency evaluation of values of weight, height, and body mass index in Food Intake and Physical Activity of School Children: the quality control of data entry in the computerized system.

PubMed

Jesus, Gilmar Mercês de; Assis, Maria Alice Altenburg de; Kupek, Emil; Dias, Lizziane Andrade

2017-01-01

The quality control of data entry in computerized questionnaires is an important step in the validation of new instruments. The study assessed the consistency of recorded weight and height on the Food Intake and Physical Activity of School Children (Web-CAAFE) between repeated measures and against directly measured data. Students from the 2nd to the 5th grade (n = 390) had their weight and height directly measured and then filled out the Web-CAAFE. A subsample (n = 92) filled out the Web-CAAFE twice, three hours apart. The analysis included hierarchical linear regression, mixed linear regression model, to evaluate the bias, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), to assess consistency. Univariate linear regression assessed the effect of gender, reading/writing performance, and computer/internet use and possession on residuals of fixed and random effects. The Web-CAAFE showed high values of ICC between repeated measures (body weight = 0.996, height = 0.937, body mass index - BMI = 0.972), and regarding the checked measures (body weight = 0.962, height = 0.882, BMI = 0.828). The difference between means of body weight, height, and BMI directly measured and recorded was 208 g, -2 mm, and 0.238 kg/m², respectively, indicating slight BMI underestimation due to underestimation of weight and overestimation of height. This trend was related to body weight and age. Height and weight data entered in the Web-CAAFE by children were highly correlated with direct measurements and with the repeated entry. The bias found was similar to validation studies of self-reported weight and height in comparison to direct measurements.

A hybrid approach to modeling and control of vehicle height for electronically controlled air suspension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xiaoqiang; Cai, Yingfeng; Wang, Shaohua; Liu, Yanling; Chen, Long

2016-01-01

The control problems associated with vehicle height adjustment of electronically controlled air suspension (ECAS) still pose theoretical challenges for researchers, which manifest themselves in the publications on this subject over the last years. This paper deals with modeling and control of a vehicle height adjustment system for ECAS, which is an example of a hybrid dynamical system due to the coexistence and coupling of continuous variables and discrete events. A mixed logical dynamical (MLD) modeling approach is chosen for capturing enough details of the vehicle height adjustment process. The hybrid dynamic model is constructed on the basis of some assumptions and piecewise linear approximation for components nonlinearities. Then, the on-off statuses of solenoid valves and the piecewise approximation process are described by propositional logic, and the hybrid system is transformed into the set of linear mixed-integer equalities and inequalities, denoted as MLD model, automatically by HYSDEL. Using this model, a hybrid model predictive controller (HMPC) is tuned based on online mixed-integer quadratic optimization (MIQP). Two different scenarios are considered in the simulation, whose results verify the height adjustment effectiveness of the proposed approach. Explicit solutions of the controller are computed to control the vehicle height adjustment system in realtime using an offline multi-parametric programming technology (MPT), thus convert the controller into an equivalent explicit piecewise affine form. Finally, bench experiments for vehicle height lifting, holding and lowering procedures are conducted, which demonstrate that the HMPC can adjust the vehicle height by controlling the on-off statuses of solenoid valves directly. This research proposes a new modeling and control method for vehicle height adjustment of ECAS, which leads to a closed-loop system with favorable dynamical properties.

The Impact of the Afternoon Planetary Boundary-Layer Height on the Diurnal Cycle of CO and CO2 Mixing Ratios at a Low-Altitude Mountaintop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Temple R.; De Wekker, Stephan F. J.; Pal, Sandip

2018-02-01

Mountaintop trace-gas mixing ratios are often assumed to represent free atmospheric values, but are affected by valley planetary boundary-layer (PBL) air at certain times. We hypothesize that the afternoon valley-PBL height relative to the ridgetop is important in the diurnal cycle of mountaintop trace-gas mixing ratios. To investigate this, we use, (1) 4-years (1 January 2009-31 December 2012) of CO and CO2 mixing-ratio measurements and supporting meteorological observations from Pinnacles (38.61°N , 78.35°W , 1017 m a.s.l.), which is a monitoring site in the Appalachian Mountains, (2) regional O3 mixing-ratio measurements, and (3) PBL heights determined from a nearby sounding station. Results reveal that the amplitudes of the diurnal cycles of CO and CO2 mixing ratios vary as a function of the daytime maximum valley-PBL height relative to the ridgetop. The mean diurnal cycle for the subset of days when the afternoon valley-PBL height is at least 400 m below the ridgetop shows a daytime CO mixing-ratio increase, implying the transport of PBL air from the valley to the mountaintop. During the daytime, on days when the PBL heights exceed the mountaintop, PBL dilution and entrainment cause CO mixing ratios to decrease. This decrease in CO mixing ratio, especially on days when PBL heights are at least 400 m above the ridgetop, suggests that measurements from these days can be used as with afternoon measurements from flat terrain in applications requiring regionally-representative measurements.

Source of parental reports of child height and weight during phone interviews and influence on obesity prevalence estimates among children aged 3-17 years.

PubMed

Skinner, Asheley Cockrell; Miles, Donna; Perrin, Eliana M; Coyne-Beasley, Tamera; Ford, Carol

2013-01-01

We compared parental reports of children's height and weight when the values were estimated vs. parent-measured to determine how these reports influence the estimated prevalence of childhood obesity. In the 2007 and 2008 North Carolina Child Health Assessment and Monitoring Program surveys, parents reported height and weight for children aged 3-17 years. When parents reported the values were not measured (by doctor, school, or home), they were asked to measure their child and were later called back. We categorized body mass index status using standard CDC definitions, and we used Chi-square tests and the Stuart-Maxwell test of marginal homogeneity to examine reporting differences. About 80% (n=509) of the 638 parents who reported an unmeasured height and/or weight participated in a callback and provided updated measures. Children originally classified as obese were subsequently classified as obese (67%), overweight (13%), and healthy weight (19%). An estimated 28% of younger children (<10 years of age) vs. 6% of older children (aged ≥10 years) were reclassified on callback. Having parents who guessed the height and weight of their children and then reported updated values did not significantly change the overall population estimates of obesity. Our findings demonstrate that using parent-reported height and weight values may be sufficient to provide reasonable estimates of obesity prevalence. Systematically asking the source of height and weight information may help improve how it is applied to research of the prevalence of childhood obesity when gold-standard measurements are not available.

A Computer Interview for Multivariate Monitoring of Psychiatric Outcome.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevenson, John F.; And Others

Application of computer technology to psychiatric outcome measurement offers the promise of coping with increasing demands for extensive patient interviews repeated longitudinally. Described is the development of a cost-effective multi-dimensional tracking device to monitor psychiatric functioning, building on a previous local computer interview…

3D Participatory Sensing with Low-Cost Mobile Devices for Crop Height Assessment--A Comparison with Terrestrial Laser Scanning Data.

PubMed

Marx, Sabrina; Hämmerle, Martin; Klonner, Carolin; Höfle, Bernhard

2016-01-01

The integration of local agricultural knowledge deepens the understanding of complex phenomena such as the association between climate variability, crop yields and undernutrition. Participatory Sensing (PS) is a concept which enables laymen to easily gather geodata with standard low-cost mobile devices, offering new and efficient opportunities for agricultural monitoring. This study presents a methodological approach for crop height assessment based on PS. In-field crop height variations of a maize field in Heidelberg, Germany, are gathered with smartphones and handheld GPS devices by 19 participants. The comparison of crop height values measured by the participants to reference data based on terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) results in R2 = 0.63 for the handheld GPS devices and R2 = 0.24 for the smartphone-based approach. RMSE for the comparison between crop height models (CHM) derived from PS and TLS data is 10.45 cm (GPS devices) and 14.69 cm (smartphones). Furthermore, the results indicate that incorporating participants' cognitive abilities in the data collection process potentially improves the quality data captured with the PS approach. The proposed PS methods serve as a fundament to collect agricultural parameters on field-level by incorporating local people. Combined with other methods such as remote sensing, PS opens new perspectives to support agricultural development.

Body mass index and body composition scaling to height in children and adolescent.

PubMed

Chung, Sochung

2015-09-01

Childhood obesity prevalence has been increased and known to be related to various diseases and mortality in adult and body mass index (BMI) has been widely used as a screening tool in children with obesity. It is important to understand what BMI is and its limitations. BMI is a measure of weight adjusted for height. Weight scales to height with a power of about 2, is the basis of BMI (weight/height(2)) as the scaling of body weight to height across adults provides powers rounded to 2. BMI has the advantage of a simple and noninvasive surrogate measure of body fat, but it has limitation in differentiating body fat from lean (fat free) mass and low-moderate sensitivity is problematic for clinical applications. Among overweight children higher BMI levels can be a result of increased either fat or fat-free mass. BMI could be divided into fat-free mass index and fat mass index. Monitoring of the changes in body composition is important as distinguishing changes in each component occur with rapid growth in adolescents as it is occur in concert with changes in the hormonal environment. Reference values for each body composition indexes and chart created with selected percentiles of a normal adolescent population could be helpful in growth assessment and health risk evaluation.

Vowel category dependence of the relationship between palate height, tongue height, and oral area.

PubMed

Hasegawa-Johnson, Mark; Pizza, Shamala; Alwan, Abeer; Cha, Jul Setsu; Haker, Katherine

2003-06-01

This article evaluates intertalker variance of oral area, logarithm of the oral area, tongue height, and formant frequencies as a function of vowel category. The data consist of coronal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences and acoustic recordings of 5 talkers, each producing 11 different vowels. Tongue height (left, right, and midsagittal), palate height, and oral area were measured in 3 coronal sections anterior to the oropharyngeal bend and were subjected to multivariate analysis of variance, variance ratio analysis, and regression analysis. The primary finding of this article is that oral area (between palate and tongue) showed less intertalker variance during production of vowels with an oral place of articulation (palatal and velar vowels) than during production of vowels with a uvular or pharyngeal place of articulation. Although oral area variance is place dependent, percentage variance (log area variance) is not place dependent. Midsagittal tongue height in the molar region was positively correlated with palate height during production of palatal vowels, but not during production of nonpalatal vowels. Taken together, these results suggest that small oral areas are characterized by relatively talker-independent vowel targets and that meeting these talker-independent targets is important enough that each talker adjusts his or her own tongue height to compensate for talker-dependent differences in constriction anatomy. Computer simulation results are presented to demonstrate that these results may be explained by an acoustic control strategy: When talkers with very different anatomical characteristics try to match talker-independent formant targets, the resulting area variances are minimized near the primary vocal tract constriction.

Monitoring Collaborative Activities in Computer Supported Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Persico, Donatella; Pozzi, Francesca; Sarti, Luigi

2010-01-01

Monitoring the learning process in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments is a key element for supporting the efficacy of tutor actions. This article proposes an approach for analysing learning processes in a CSCL environment to support tutors in their monitoring tasks. The approach entails tracking the interactions within…

50 CFR 218.125 - Requirements for monitoring and reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... observers maintained visual contact with marine mammal(s); (H) Wave height (ft); (I) Visibility; (J) Sonar..., low, and average during exercise); and (I) Narrative description of sensors and platforms utilized for...) Calves observed (y/n); (E) Initial detection sensor; (F) Length of time observers maintained visual...

Design improvement of a pump wear ring labyrinth seal

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhode, David L.; Morrison, G. L.; Ko, S. H.; Waughtal, S. P.

1987-01-01

The investigation was successful in obtaining two improved designs for the impeller wear ring seal of the liquid hydrogen turbopump of interest. A finite difference computer code was extensively used in a parametric computational study in determining a cavity configuration with high flow resistance due to turbulence dissipation. These two designs, along with that currently used, were fabricated and tested. The improved designs were denoted Type O and Type S. The measurements showed that Type O and Type S given 67 and 30 percent reduction in leakage over the current design, respectively. It was found that the number of cavities, the step height and the presence of a small stator groove are quite important design features. Also, the tooth thickness is of some significance. Finally, the tooth height and an additional large cavity cut out from the stator (upstream of the step) are of negligible importance.

CFD analysis of hydrodynamic studies of a bubbling fluidized bed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, B. J. M.; Rao, K. V. N. S.; Ranga Janardhana, G.

2018-03-01

Fluidization velocity is one of the most important parameter to characterize the hydrodynamic studies of fluidized bed asit determines different flow regimes. Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations are carriedfor a cylindrical bubbling fluidized bed with a static bed height 1m with 0.150m diameter of gasification chamber. The parameter investigated is fluidization velocity in range of 0.05m/s to 0.7m/s. Sand with density 2600kg/m3 and with a constant particle diameter of sand 385μm is employed for all the simulations. Simulations are conducted using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics software, ANSYS-FLUENT.The bubbling flow regime is appeared above the air inlet velocity of 0.2m/s. Bubbling character is increased with increase in inlet air velocities indicated by asymmetrical fluctuations of volume fractions in radial directions at different bed heights

Computational study of the reactions of methanol with the hydroperoxyl and methyl radicals. 1. Accurate thermochemistry and barrier heights.

PubMed

Alecu, I M; Truhlar, Donald G

2011-04-07

The reactions of CH(3)OH with the HO(2) and CH(3) radicals are important in the combustion of methanol and are prototypes for reactions of heavier alcohols in biofuels. The reaction energies and barrier heights for these reaction systems are computed with CCSD(T) theory extrapolated to the complete basis set limit using correlation-consistent basis sets, both augmented and unaugmented, and further refined by including a fully coupled treatment of the connected triple excitations, a second-order perturbative treatment of quadruple excitations (by CCSDT(2)(Q)), core-valence corrections, and scalar relativistic effects. It is shown that the M08-HX and M08-SO hybrid meta-GGA density functionals can achieve sub-kcal mol(-1) agreement with the high-level ab initio results, identifying these functionals as important potential candidates for direct dynamics studies on the rates of these and homologous reaction systems.

The Stochastic Parcel Model: A deterministic parameterization of stochastically entraining convection

DOE PAGES

Romps, David M.

2016-03-01

Convective entrainment is a process that is poorly represented in existing convective parameterizations. By many estimates, convective entrainment is the leading source of error in global climate models. As a potential remedy, an Eulerian implementation of the Stochastic Parcel Model (SPM) is presented here as a convective parameterization that treats entrainment in a physically realistic and computationally efficient way. Drawing on evidence that convecting clouds comprise air parcels subject to Poisson-process entrainment events, the SPM calculates the deterministic limit of an infinite number of such parcels. For computational efficiency, the SPM groups parcels at each height by their purity, whichmore » is a measure of their total entrainment up to that height. This reduces the calculation of convective fluxes to a sequence of matrix multiplications. The SPM is implemented in a single-column model and compared with a large-eddy simulation of deep convection.« less

Global 30m Height Above the Nearest Drainage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donchyts, Gennadii; Winsemius, Hessel; Schellekens, Jaap; Erickson, Tyler; Gao, Hongkai; Savenije, Hubert; van de Giesen, Nick

2016-04-01

Variability of the Earth surface is the primary characteristics affecting the flow of surface and subsurface water. Digital elevation models, usually represented as height maps above some well-defined vertical datum, are used a lot to compute hydrologic parameters such as local flow directions, drainage area, drainage network pattern, and many others. Usually, it requires a significant effort to derive these parameters at a global scale. One hydrological characteristic introduced in the last decade is Height Above the Nearest Drainage (HAND): a digital elevation model normalized using nearest drainage. This parameter has been shown to be useful for many hydrological and more general purpose applications, such as landscape hazard mapping, landform classification, remote sensing and rainfall-runoff modeling. One of the essential characteristics of HAND is its ability to capture heterogeneities in local environments, difficult to measure or model otherwise. While many applications of HAND were published in the academic literature, no studies analyze its variability on a global scale, especially, using higher resolution DEMs, such as the new, one arc-second (approximately 30m) resolution version of SRTM. In this work, we will present the first global version of HAND computed using a mosaic of two DEMS: 30m SRTM and Viewfinderpanorama DEM (90m). The lower resolution DEM was used to cover latitudes above 60 degrees north and below 56 degrees south where SRTM is not available. We compute HAND using the unmodified version of the input DEMs to ensure consistency with the original elevation model. We have parallelized processing by generating a homogenized, equal-area version of HydroBASINS catchments. The resulting catchment boundaries were used to perform processing using 30m resolution DEM. To compute HAND, a new version of D8 local drainage directions as well as flow accumulation were calculated. The latter was used to estimate river head by incorporating fixed and variable thresholding methods. The resulting HAND dataset was analyzed regarding its spatial variability and to assess the global distribution of the main landform types: valley, ecotone, slope, and plateau. The method used to compute HAND was implemented using PCRaster software, running on Google Compute Engine platform running under Ubuntu Linux. The Google Earth Engine was used to perform mosaicing and clipping of the original DEMs as well as to provide access to the final product. The effort took about three months of computing time on eight core CPU virtual machine.

Impact study of the Argo array definition in the Mediterranean Sea based on satellite altimetry gridded data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Roman, Antonio; Ruiz, Simón; Pascual, Ananda; Guinehut, Stéphanie; Mourre, Baptiste

2016-04-01

The existing Argo network provides essential data in near real time to constrain monitoring and forecasting centers and strongly complements the observations of the ocean surface from space. The comparison of Sea Level Anomalies (SLA) provided by satellite altimeters with in-situ Dynamic Heights Anomalies (DHA) derived from the temperature and salinity profiles of Argo floats contribute to better characterize the error budget associated with the altimeter observations. In this work, performed in the frame of the E-AIMS FP7 European Project, we focus on the Argo observing system in the Mediterranean Sea and its impact on SLA fields provided by satellite altimetry measurements in the basin. Namely, we focus on the sensitivity of specific SLA gridded merged products provided by AVISO in the Mediterranean to the reference depth (400 or 900 dbar) selected in the computation of the Argo Dynamic Height (DH) as an integration of the Argo T/S profiles through the water column. This reference depth will have impact on the number of valid Argo profiles and therefore on their temporal sampling and the coverage by the network used to compare with altimeter data. To compare both datasets, altimeter grids and synthetic climatologies used to compute DHA were spatially and temporally interpolated at the position and time of each in-situ Argo profile by a mapping method based on an optimal interpolation scheme. The analysis was conducted in the entire Mediterranean Sea and different sub-regions of the basin. The second part of this work is devoted to investigate which configuration in terms of spatial sampling of the Argo array in the Mediterranean will properly reproduce the mesoscale dynamics in this basin, which is comprehensively captured by new standards of specific altimeter products for this region. To do that, several Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) were conducted assuming that altimetry data computed from AVISO specific reanalysis gridded merged product for the Mediterranean as the "true" field. The choice of the reference depth of Argo profiles impacts the number of valid profiles used to compute DHA and therefore the spatial coverage by the network. Results show that the impact of the reference level in the computation of Argo DH is statistically significant since the standard deviation of the differences between DH computed from Altimetry and Argo data referred to reference depth of 400 dbar and 900 dbar are quite different (4.85 and 5.11 cm, respectively). Therefore, 400 dbar should be taken as reference depth to compute DHA from Argo data in the Mediterranean. On the contrary, similar scores are obtained when shallow floats are not included in the computation (4.85 cm against 4.87 cm). In any case, we must highlight that all the studies show significant correlations (95 %) higher than 0.70 between Altimetry and Argo data with a STD for the differences between both datasets of around 4.90 cm. Furthermore, the sub-basin study shows improved statistics for the eastern sub-basin for DHA referred to 400 dbar while minimum values are obtained for the western sub-basin when computing DHA referred to 900 dbar. On the other hand, results about the OSSEs suggest that maintaining an array of Argo floats of 100×100 km, the variance of the large-scale signal and most of the mesoscale features of SLA fields are recovered. Therefore, the network coverage should be enlarged in the Mediterranean in order to achieve at least this spatial resolution.

Computer Architecture for Energy Efficient SFQ

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-27

IBM Corporation (T.J. Watson Research Laboratory) 1101 Kitchawan Road Yorktown Heights, NY 10598 -0000 2 ABSTRACT Number of Papers published in peer...accomplished during this ARO-sponsored project at IBM Research to identify and model an energy efficient SFQ-based computer architecture. The... IBM Windsor Blue (WB), illustrated schematically in Figure 2. The basic building block of WB is a "tile" comprised of a 64-bit arithmetic logic unit

ITER Simulations Using the PEDESTAL Module in the PTRANSP Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halpern, F. D.; Bateman, G.; Kritz, A. H.; Pankin, A. Y.; Budny, R. V.; Kessel, C.; McCune, D.; Onjun, T.

2006-10-01

PTRANSP simulations with a computed pedestal height are carried out for ITER scenarios including a standard ELMy H-mode (15 MA discharge) and a hybrid scenario (12MA discharge). It has been found that fusion power production predicted in simulations of ITER discharges depends sensitively on the height of the H-mode temperature pedestal [1]. In order to study this effect, the NTCC PEDESTAL module [2] has been implemented in PTRANSP code to provide boundary conditions used for the computation of the projected performance of ITER. The PEDESTAL module computes both the temperature and width of the pedestal at the edge of type I ELMy H-mode discharges once the threshold conditions for the H-mode are satisfied. The anomalous transport in the plasma core is predicted using the GLF23 or MMM95 transport models. To facilitate the steering of lengthy PTRANSP computations, the PTRANSP code has been modified to allow changes in the transport model when simulations are restarted. The PTRANSP simulation results are compared with corresponding results obtained using other integrated modeling codes.[1] G. Bateman, T. Onjun and A.H. Kritz, Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion, 45, 1939 (2003).[2] T. Onjun, G. Bateman, A.H. Kritz, and G. Hammett, Phys. Plasmas 9, 5018 (2002).

Complementary code and digital filtering for detection of weak VHF radar signals from the mesoscale. [SOUSY-VHF radar, Harz Mountains, Germany

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, G.; Ruster, R.; Czechowsky, P.

1983-01-01

The SOUSY-VHF-Radar operates at a frequency of 53.5 MHz in a valley in the Harz mountains, Germany, 90 km from Hanover. The radar controller, which is programmed by a 16-bit computer holds 1024 program steps in core and controls, via 8 channels, the whole radar system: in particular the master oscillator, the transmitter, the transmit-receive-switch, the receiver, the analog to digital converter, and the hardware adder. The high-sensitivity receiver has a dynamic range of 70 dB and a video bandwidth of 1 MHz. Phase coding schemes are applied, in particular for investigations at mesospheric heights, in order to carry out measurements with the maximum duty cycle and the maximum height resolution. The computer takes the data from the adder to store it in magnetic tape or disc. The radar controller is programmed by the computer using simple FORTRAN IV statements. After the program has been loaded and the computer has started the radar controller, it runs automatically, stopping at the program end. In case of errors or failures occurring during the radar operation, the radar controller is shut off caused either by a safety circuit or by a power failure circuit or by a parity check system.

Numerical investigation of thermal-hydraulic performance of channel with protrusions by turbulent cross flow jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, M. K.; Pandey, K. M.; Chatterjee, S.

2018-05-01

In this two dimensional numerical investigation, small rectangular channel with right angled triangular protrusions in the bottom wall of test section is considered. A slot nozzle is placed at the middle of top wall of channel which impinges air normal to the protruded surface. A duct flow and nozzle flow combined to form cross flow which is investigated for heat transfer enhancement of protruded channel. The governing equations for continuity, momentum, energy along with SST k-ω turbulence model are solved with finite volume based Computational fluid dynamics code ANSYS FLUENT 14.0. The range of duct Reynolds number considered for this analysis is 8357 to 51760. The ratios of pitch of protrusion to height of duct considered are 0.5, 0.64 and 0.82. The ratios of height of protrusion to height of duct considered are 0.14, 0.23 and 0.29. The effect of duct Reynolds number, pitch and height of protrusion on thermal-hydraulic performance is studied under cross flow condition. It is found that heat transfer rate is more at relatively larger pitch and small pressure drop is found in case of low height of protrusion.

Viscoelastic modeling of deformation and gravity changes induced by pressurized magmatic sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Currenti, Gilda

2018-05-01

Gravity and height changes, which reflect magma accumulation in subsurface chambers, are evaluated using analytical and numerical models in order to investigate their relationships and temporal evolutions. The analysis focuses mainly on the exploration of the time-dependent response of gravity and height changes to the pressurization of ellipsoidal magmatic chambers in viscoelastic media. Firstly, the validation of the numerical Finite Element results is performed by comparison with analytical solutions, which are devised for a simple spherical source embedded in a homogeneous viscoelastic half-space medium. Then, the effect of several model parameters on time-dependent height and gravity changes is investigated thanks to the flexibility of the numerical method in handling complex configurations. Both homogeneous and viscoelastic shell models reveal significantly different amplitudes in the ratio between gravity and height changes depending on geometry factors and medium rheology. The results show that these factors also influence the relaxation characteristic times of the investigated geophysical changes. Overall, these temporal patterns are compatible with time-dependent height and gravity changes observed on Etna volcano during the 1994-1997 inflation period. By modeling the viscoelastic response of a pressurized prolate magmatic source, a general agreement between computed and observed geophysical variations is achieved.

Development of virtual environment for treating acrophobia.

PubMed

Ku, J; Jang, D; Shin, M; Jo, H; Ahn, H; Lee, J; Cho, B; Kim, S I

2001-01-01

Virtual Reality (VR) is a new technology that makes humans communicate with computer. It allows the user to see, hear, feel and interact in a three-dimensional virtual world created graphically. Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT), based on this sophisticated technology, has been recently used in the treatment of subjects diagnosed with acrophobia, a disorder that is characterized by marked anxiety upon exposure to heights, avoidance of heights, and a resulting interference in functioning. Conventional virtual reality system for the treatment of acrophobia has a limitation in scope that it is based on over-costly devices or somewhat unrealistic graphic scene. The goal of this study was to develop a inexpensive and more realistic virtual environment for the exposure therapy of acrophobia. We constructed two types virtual environment. One is constituted a bungee-jump tower in the middle of a city. It includes the open lift surrounded by props beside tower that allowed the patient to feel sense of heights. Another is composed of diving boards which have various heights. It provides a view of a lower diving board and people swimming in the pool to serve the patient stimuli upon exposure to heights.

Height and body mass influence on human body outlines: a quantitative approach using an elliptic Fourier analysis.

PubMed

Courtiol, Alexandre; Ferdy, Jean Baptiste; Godelle, Bernard; Raymond, Michel; Claude, Julien

2010-05-01

Many studies use representations of human body outlines to study how individual characteristics, such as height and body mass, affect perception of body shape. These typically involve reality-based stimuli (e.g., pictures) or manipulated stimuli (e.g., drawings). These two classes of stimuli have important drawbacks that limit result interpretations. Realistic stimuli vary in terms of traits that are correlated, which makes it impossible to assess the effect of a single trait independently. In addition, manipulated stimuli usually do not represent realistic morphologies. We describe and examine a method based on elliptic Fourier descriptors to automatically predict and represent body outlines for a given set of predicted variables (e.g., sex, height, and body mass). We first estimate whether these predictive variables are significantly related to human outlines. We find that height and body mass significantly influence body shape. Unlike height, the effect of body mass on shape differs between sexes. Then, we show that we can easily build a regression model that creates hypothetical outlines for an arbitrary set of covariates. These statistically computed outlines are quite realistic and may be used as stimuli in future studies.

Geoid modeling in Mexico and the collaboration with Central America and the Caribbean.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avalos, D.; Gomez, R.

2012-12-01

The model of geoidal heights for Mexico, named GGM10, is presented as a geodetic tool to support vertical positioning in the context of regional height system unification. It is a purely gravimetric solution computed by the Stokes-Helmert technique in resolution of 2.5 arc minutes. This product from the Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia (INEGI) is released together with a series of 10 gravimetric models which add to the improvements in description of the gravity field. In the recent years, the INEGI joined the initiative of the U.S. National Geodetic Survey and the Canada's Geodetic Survey Division to promote the regional height system unification. In an effort to further improve the compatibility among national geoid models in the region, the INEGI has begun to champion a network of specialists that includes national representatives from Central America and the Caribbean. Through the opening of opportunities for training and more direct access to international agreements and discussions, the tropical region is gaining participation. Now a significantly increased number of countries is pushing for a future North and Central American geoid-based vertical datum as support of height system unification.eoidal height in Mexico, mapped from the model GGM10.

The Crazy Business of Internet Peeping, Privacy, and Anonymity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Horn, Royal

2000-01-01

Peeping software takes several forms and can be used on a network or to monitor a certain computer. E-Mail Plus, for example, hides inside a computer and sends exact copies of incoming or outgoing e-mail anywhere. School staff with monitored computers should demand e-mail privacy. (MLH)

Dynamic Computation Offloading for Low-Power Wearable Health Monitoring Systems.

PubMed

Kalantarian, Haik; Sideris, Costas; Mortazavi, Bobak; Alshurafa, Nabil; Sarrafzadeh, Majid

2017-03-01

The objective of this paper is to describe and evaluate an algorithm to reduce power usage and increase battery lifetime for wearable health-monitoring devices. We describe a novel dynamic computation offloading scheme for real-time wearable health monitoring devices that adjusts the partitioning of data processing between the wearable device and mobile application as a function of desired classification accuracy. By making the correct offloading decision based on current system parameters, we show that we are able to reduce system power by as much as 20%. We demonstrate that computation offloading can be applied to real-time monitoring systems, and yields significant power savings. Making correct offloading decisions for health monitoring devices can extend battery life and improve adherence.

Louisiana Wetland Monitoring Using TOPEX/POSEIDON Altimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yi, Y.; Lee, H.; Ibaraki, M.; Shum, C.

2006-12-01

Conventional satellite radar altimetry is designed to observe ocean topography and significant technological advance has enabled our capability to measure sea level change, ice sheet elevation and sea ice freeboard height changes, hydrologic changes for large inland lake and rivers, and potentially land deformation. Wide- swath altimetry or interferometric altimetry onboard proposed and planned platforms are anticipated to significantly improve the spatial resolution of observations over ocean, land water, and ice surfaces. Coastal estuaries and wetlands play important roles in ecological environments. They not only provide habitat for thousands of aquatic/terrestrial plant and animal species but also control floods and storm surges by absorbing and reducing the velocity of storm water. Regional measurement of wetland water level changes from space is essential for hydrological studies. To our knowledge, there have been no reported successful attempts to use Ku-band altimetry for this purpose, especially over wetlands with seasonally varying vegetations. Here we demonstrate the use of the pulsed-limited radar altimeter (TOPEX), for the potential monitoring of wetland water level changes. The specific study regions are over the vegetated wetland in Louisiana. In addition to the retracking of Ku-band radar waveforms and generate a water level change time series over Louisiana wetland, we study the effect of media corrections, including the ionosphere and wet troposphere delays which are largely not applied for inland hydrological studies using altimetry. We find that most of the TOPEX waveform responses over the study region are specular or narrow-peaked, and we have tested various retrackers including the conventional OCOG, threshold, and the modified threshold algorithms which result in a decadal (1992-2002) height time series over several specific regions of the Louisiana wetland. It is found that the use of various corrections including wet troposphere delays computed from models (FMO/ECMWF) and DORIS ionosphere delays reduces variance of the resulting wetland water level measurements. The result of the study is anticipated to have an impact on the use of wide-swath radar altimetry for studies of hydrologic processes in world's wetlands.

Converting NAD83 GPS Heights Into NAVD88 Elevations With LVGEOID, a Hybrid Geoid Height Model for the Long Valley Volcanic Region, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Battaglia, Maurizio; Dzurisin, Daniel; Langbein, John; Svarc, Jerry; Hill, David P.

2008-01-01

A GPS survey of leveling benchmarks done in Long Valley Caldera in 1999 showed that the application of the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) geoid model GEOID99 to tie GPS heights to historical leveling measurements would significantly underestimate the caldera ground deformation (known from other geodetic measurements). The NGS geoid model was able to correctly reproduce the shape of the deformation, but required a local adjustment to give a realistic estimate of the magnitude of the uplift. In summer 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a new leveling survey along two major routes crossing the Long Valley region from north to south (Hwy 395) and from east to west (Hwy 203 - Benton Crossing). At the same time, 25 leveling bench marks were occupied with dual frequency GPS receivers to provide a measurement of the ellipsoid heights. Using the heights from these two surveys, we were able to compute a precise geoid height model (LVGEOID) for the Long Valley volcanic region. Our results show that although the LVGEOID and the latest NGS GEOID03 model practically coincide in areas outside the caldera, there is a difference of up to 0.2 m between the two models within the caldera. Accounting for this difference is critical when using the geoid height model to estimate the ground deformation due to magmatic or tectonic activity in the caldera.

Disturbance in the Tropical Ionosphere and Earth Magnetic Field Mensured on the Magnetic Equator Caused by Magnetic Storms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almeida, Pedro; Sobral, José; Resende, Laysa; Marcos Denardini, Clezio; Carlotto Aveiro, Henrique

The focus of the present work is to monitor the disturbances in the equatorial F region caused by magnetic storms and comparatively to observe possible effects caused by the storms in the earth magnetics field measured on the ground, aiming to establish the events time occurrence order. The motivation for this work is due to the diversity of phenomena of scientific interest, which are observed in this region and also are capable to disturbance the transionospheric communication. The monitoring on the ionospheric plasma variation in the F region during and after the magnetics storms can generate indications of magnetosphere - ionosphere coupling effects. For this study we have used F region parameters measured by digital sounder installed at the Observatório Espacial de São Lú (2.33° S; 44.20° W; -0.5° DIP): foF2 (critical frequency o a ıs of F layer), hmF2 (real height of electronic density F layer peak) and h'F (minimum virtual height of F layer). For monitoring the disturbance in the magnetic field we have studied the H- and Z-component of the Earth magnetic field measured by magnetometers installed in the same site. The results are presented and discussed.

An evaluation of rapid methods for monitoring vegetation characteristics of wetland bird habitat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tavernia, Brian G.; Lyons, James E.; Loges, Brian W.; Wilson, Andrew; Collazo, Jaime A.; Runge, Michael C.

2016-01-01

Wetland managers benefit from monitoring data of sufficient precision and accuracy to assess wildlife habitat conditions and to evaluate and learn from past management decisions. For large-scale monitoring programs focused on waterbirds (waterfowl, wading birds, secretive marsh birds, and shorebirds), precision and accuracy of habitat measurements must be balanced with fiscal and logistic constraints. We evaluated a set of protocols for rapid, visual estimates of key waterbird habitat characteristics made from the wetland perimeter against estimates from (1) plots sampled within wetlands, and (2) cover maps made from aerial photographs. Estimated percent cover of annuals and perennials using a perimeter-based protocol fell within 10 percent of plot-based estimates, and percent cover estimates for seven vegetation height classes were within 20 % of plot-based estimates. Perimeter-based estimates of total emergent vegetation cover did not differ significantly from cover map estimates. Post-hoc analyses revealed evidence for observer effects in estimates of annual and perennial covers and vegetation height. Median time required to complete perimeter-based methods was less than 7 percent of the time needed for intensive plot-based methods. Our results show that rapid, perimeter-based assessments, which increase sample size and efficiency, provide vegetation estimates comparable to more intensive methods.

Building Change Detection from Harvey using Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, A.; Yeom, J.; Jung, J.; Choi, I.

2017-12-01

Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is getting to be the most important technique in recent days since the fine spatial and high temporal resolution data previously unobtainable from traditional remote sensing platforms. Advanced UAS data can provide a great opportunity for disaster monitoring. Especially, building change detection is the one of the most important topics for damage assessment and recovery from disasters. This study is proposing a method to monitor building change with UAS data for Holiday Beach in Texas, where was directly hit by Harvey on 25 August 2017. This study adopted 3D change detection to monitor building damage and recovery levels with building height as well as natural color information. We used a rotorcraft UAS to collect RGB data twice on 9 September and 18 October 2017 after the hurricane. The UAS data was processed using Agisoft Photoscan Pro Software to generate super high resolution dataset including orthomosaic, DSM (Digital Surface Model), and 3D point cloud. We compared the processed dataset with an airborne image considerable as before-hurricane data, which was acquired on January 2016. Building damage and recovery levels were determined by height and color change. The result will show that UAS data is useful to assess building damage and recovery for affected area by the natural disaster such as Harvey.

Towards innovative roadside monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ojha, G.; Appel, E.; Magiera, T.

2012-04-01

Soil contamination along roadsides is an important factor of anthropogenic point source pollution. Climatic and traffic-specific factors influence the amount and characteristics of pollution emitted and deposited in the roadside soil. In our present study we focus on monitoring typical traffic pollutants (heavy metals HM, platinum group elements, polycyclic hydrocarbons PAH), and investigate the use of magnetic parameters, especially magnetic susceptibility (MS) as proxy. Monitoring plots were installed along roadside in areas with different climatic conditions and different traffic-specific activities (traffic density and speed, vehicle types, abrasion of tires, brake linings, petrol/diesel compounds and road maintenance). For monitoring we removed 10-15 cm of top soil at 1 m distance from the roadside edge and placed 30 plastic boxes there filled with clean quartz sand, to be sampled after regular intervals within two years. Preliminary data from the first year of monitoring are presented. Magnetic results revealed that a coarse grained magnetite-like phase is responsible for the enhancement of magnetic concentration. The mass-specific MS and concentration of pollutants (HM, PAH) all show a significant increase with time, however, there are obviously also seasonal and site-dependent effects which lead to more stable values over several months or even some decrease in the upper few cm due to migration into depth. Source identification indicates that the accumulated PAHs are primarily emissions from traffic. In order to be able to discriminate in between different kinds of transport and deposition (surface run off from the road and neighbouring soil material, splash water, air transport), we additionally established pillars at the roadside with clean quartz sampling boxes at different heights (surface, 0.5 m, 2 m). As a first surprising result we observed that the increase in the boxes at surface is not necessarily higher than at 0.5 m height. The results from our monitoring studies will be utilized to understand site-specific characteristics and to develop new innovative roadside pollution monitoring concepts.

Formulation of additional observables for ENTREE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Findlay, J. T.; Heck, M. L.

1980-01-01

The S-band X and Y angles, SAMS, and TACAN range and bearing were incorporated into the ENTREE software for use by experimenters at LaRC for entry trajectory reconstruction purposes. Background discussions present the need for this added capability. Formulations for the various observables are presented. Both north-south and east-west antenna mounts were provided for in the S-band angle computations. Sub-vehicle terrain height variations are included in the SAMS model. Local magnetic variations were incorporated for the TACAN bearing computations. Observable formulations are discussed in detail along with the partial computations.

Body image dissatisfaction, physical activity and screen-time in Spanish adolescents.

PubMed

Añez, Elizabeth; Fornieles-Deu, Albert; Fauquet-Ars, Jordi; López-Guimerà, Gemma; Puntí-Vidal, Joaquim; Sánchez-Carracedo, David

2018-01-01

This cross-sectional study contributes to the literature on whether body dissatisfaction is a barrier/facilitator to engaging in physical activity and to investigate the impact of mass-media messages via computer-time on body dissatisfaction. High-school students ( N = 1501) reported their physical activity, computer-time (homework/leisure) and body dissatisfaction. Researchers measured students' weight and height. Analyses revealed that body dissatisfaction was negatively associated with physical activity on both genders, whereas computer-time was associated only with girls' body dissatisfaction. Specifically, as computer-homework increased, body dissatisfaction decreased; as computer-leisure increased, body dissatisfaction increased. Weight-related interventions should improve body image and physical activity simultaneously, while critical consumption of mass-media interventions should include a computer component.

Determining the parameters of Weibull function to estimate the wind power potential in conditions of limited source meteorological data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fetisova, Yu. A.; Ermolenko, B. V.; Ermolenko, G. V.; Kiseleva, S. V.

2017-04-01

We studied the information basis for the assessment of wind power potential on the territory of Russia. We described the methodology to determine the parameters of the Weibull function, which reflects the density of distribution of probabilities of wind flow speeds at a defined basic height above the surface of the earth using the available data on the average speed at this height and its repetition by gradations. The application of the least square method for determining these parameters, unlike the use of graphical methods, allows performing a statistical assessment of the results of approximation of empirical histograms by the Weibull formula. On the basis of the computer-aided analysis of the statistical data, it was shown that, at a fixed point where the wind speed changes at different heights, the range of parameter variation of the Weibull distribution curve is relatively small, the sensitivity of the function to parameter changes is quite low, and the influence of changes on the shape of speed distribution curves is negligible. Taking this into consideration, we proposed and mathematically verified the methodology of determining the speed parameters of the Weibull function at other heights using the parameter computations for this function at a basic height, which is known or defined by the average speed of wind flow, or the roughness coefficient of the geological substrate. We gave examples of practical application of the suggested methodology in the development of the Atlas of Renewable Energy Resources in Russia in conditions of deficiency of source meteorological data. The proposed methodology, to some extent, may solve the problem related to the lack of information on the vertical profile of repeatability of the wind flow speeds in the presence of a wide assortment of wind turbines with different ranges of wind-wheel axis heights and various performance characteristics in the global market; as a result, this methodology can become a powerful tool for effective selection of equipment in the process of designing a power supply system in a certain location.

Response to growth hormone treatment in Prader-Willi syndrome: auxological criteria versus genetic diagnosis.

PubMed

Scheermeyer, Elly; Hughes, Ian; Harris, Mark; Ambler, Geoff; Crock, Patricia; Verge, Charles F; Craig, Maria E; Bergman, Phil; Werther, George; van Driel, Mieke; Davies, Peter Sw; Choong, Catherine S Y

2013-12-01

The Australian Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) database was established to monitor the efficacy and safety of growth hormone (GH) treatment in PWS. This study aims to compare response to GH based on eligibility criteria. Comparative study: 72 children received GH on the basis of short stature or evidence of GH deficiency (pre-2009: PWS-SS) and 94 on a genetic diagnosis (post-2009: PWS-Dx). We report on mandatory patient data for GH prescription: median and standard deviation score (SDS) for height and body mass index (BMI), waist/height ratio, bone age/chronological age ratio and adverse events. Comparisons were made using non-parametric tests. At baseline, the PWS-SS cohort was shorter (height SDS: -2.6 vs. -1.1, P < 0.001), had a lower BMI (0.6 vs. 1.5 SDS, P < 0.05) and greater bone age delay (bone age/chronological age: 0.7 vs. 0.9, P < 0.05) than the PWS-Dx cohort. PWS-SS parents were shorter (mid-parental height SDS: -0.13 vs. 0.28, P < 0.005). Mean change in height over 2 years was 0.9 SDS and in BMI using PWS reference standards -0.3 SDSPWS (n = 106) (year 2, height SDS: PWS-SS = -1.7, PWS-Dx = 0.1; BMI SDSPWS : PWS-SS = -1.0, PWS-Dx = -0.6). The waist/height ratio reduced (PWS-Dx: 0.60 vs. 0.56, P < 0.05) and bone age delay was unchanged over this period. No serious adverse events were reported. The PWS-SS cohort represents a subgroup of the wider PWS-Dx population; however both cohorts improved height SDS with normalisation of height in the PWS-Dx cohort and lowering of BMI relative to PWS standards supporting the efficacy of treatment under the current Australian GH programme. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2013 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

A multi-sensor lidar, multi-spectral and multi-angular approach for mapping canopy height in boreal forest regions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Selkowitz, David J.; Green, Gordon; Peterson, Birgit E.; Wylie, Bruce

2012-01-01

Spatially explicit representations of vegetation canopy height over large regions are necessary for a wide variety of inventory, monitoring, and modeling activities. Although airborne lidar data has been successfully used to develop vegetation canopy height maps in many regions, for vast, sparsely populated regions such as the boreal forest biome, airborne lidar is not widely available. An alternative approach to canopy height mapping in areas where airborne lidar data is limited is to use spaceborne lidar measurements in combination with multi-angular and multi-spectral remote sensing data to produce comprehensive canopy height maps for the entire region. This study uses spaceborne lidar data from the Geosciences Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) as training data for regression tree models that incorporate multi-angular and multi-spectral data from the Multi-Angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MODIS) to map vegetation canopy height across a 1,300,000 km2 swath of boreal forest in Interior Alaska. Results are compared to in situ height measurements as well as airborne lidar data. Although many of the GLAS-derived canopy height estimates are inaccurate, applying a series of filters incorporating both data associated with the GLAS shots as well as ancillary data such as land cover can identify the majority of height estimates with significant errors, resulting in a filtered dataset with much higher accuracy. Results from the regression tree models indicate that late winter MISR imagery acquired under snow-covered conditions is effective for mapping canopy heights ranging from 5 to 15 m, which includes the vast majority of forests in the region. It appears that neither MISR nor MODIS imagery acquired during the growing season is effective for canopy height mapping, although including summer multi-spectral MODIS data along with winter MISR imagery does appear to provide a slight increase in the accuracy of resulting height maps. The finding that winter, snow-covered MISR imagery can be used to map canopy height is important because clear sky days are nearly three times as common during the late winter period as during the growing season. The increased odds of acquiring cloud-free imagery during the target acquisition period make regularly updated forest height inventories for Interior Alaska much more feasible. A major advantage of the GLAS–MISR–MODIS canopy height mapping methodology described here is that this approach uses only data that is freely available worldwide, making the approach potentially applicable across the entire circumpolar boreal forest region.

Accommodative and convergence response to computer screen and printed text

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Andreia; Lira, Madalena; Franco, Sandra

2011-05-01

The aim of this work was to find out if differences exist in accommodative and convergence response for different computer monitors' and a printed text. It was also tried to relate the horizontal heterophoria value and accommodative response with the symptoms associated with computer use. Two independents experiments were carried out in this study. The first experiment was measuring the accommodative response on 89 subjects using the Grand Seiko WAM-5500 (Grand Seiko Co., Ltd., Japan). The accommodative response was measured using three computer monitors: a 17-inch cathode ray tube (CRT), two liquid crystal displays LCDs, one 17-inch (LCD17) and one 15 inches (LCD15) and a printed text. The text displayed was always the same for all the subjects and tests. A second experiment aimed to measure the value of habitual horizontal heterophoria on 80 subjects using the Von Graefe technique. The measurements were obtained using the same target presented on two different computer monitors, one 19-inch cathode ray tube (CRT) and other 19 inches liquid crystal displays (LCD) and printed on paper. A small survey about the incidence and prevalence of symptoms was performed similarly in both experiments. In the first experiment, the accommodation response was higher in the CRT and LCD's than for paper. There were not found significantly different response for both LCD monitors'. The second experiment showed that, the heterophoria values were similar for all the stimuli. On average, participants presented a small exophoria. In both experiments, asthenopia was the symptom that presented higher incidence. There are different accommodative responses when reading on paper or on computer monitors. This difference is more significant for CRT monitors. On the other hand, there was no difference in the values of convergence for the computer monitors' and paper. The symptoms associated with the use of computers are not related with the increase in accommodation and with the horizontal heterophoria values.

The impact of North Atlantic wind and cyclone trends on European precipitation and significant wave height in the Atlantic.

PubMed

Trigo, Ricardo M; Valente, Maria A; Trigo, Isabel F; Miranda, Pedro M A; Ramos, Alexandre M; Paredes, Daniel; García-Herrera, Ricardo

2008-12-01

An analysis of the frequency of cyclones and surface wind velocity for the Euro-Atlantic sector is performed by means of an objective methodology. Monthly and seasonal trends of cyclones and wind speed magnitude are computed and trends between 1960 and 2000 evaluated. Results reveal a significant frequency decrease (increase) in the western Mediterranean (Greenland and Scandinavia), particularly in December, February, and March. Seasonal and monthly analysis of wind magnitude trends shows similar spatial patterns. We show that these changes in the frequency of low-pressure centers and the associated wind patterns are partially responsible for trends in the significant height of waves. Throughout the extended winter months (October-March), regions with positive (negative) wind magnitude trends, of up to 5 cm/s/year, often correspond to regions of positive (negative) significant wave height trends. The cyclone and wind speed trends computed for January-March are well matched by the corresponding trends in significant wave height, with February being the month with the highest trends (negative south of lat 50 degrees N up to -3 cm/year, and positive up to 5 cm/year just north of Scotland). Trends in European precipitation are assessed using the Climatic Research Unit data set. The results of the assessment emphasize the link with the corresponding tendencies of cyclone frequencies. Finally, it is shown that these changes are associated, to a large extent, with the preferred phases of major large-scale atmospheric circulation modes, particularly with the North Atlantic Oscillation, the eastern Atlantic pattern, and the Scandinavian pattern.

Monitoring techniques and alarm procedures for CMS services and sites in WLCG

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Molina-Perez, J.; Bonacorsi, D.; Gutsche, O.

2012-01-01

The CMS offline computing system is composed of roughly 80 sites (including most experienced T3s) and a number of central services to distribute, process and analyze data worldwide. A high level of stability and reliability is required from the underlying infrastructure and services, partially covered by local or automated monitoring and alarming systems such as Lemon and SLS, the former collects metrics from sensors installed on computing nodes and triggers alarms when values are out of range, the latter measures the quality of service and warns managers when service is affected. CMS has established computing shift procedures with personnel operatingmore » worldwide from remote Computing Centers, under the supervision of the Computing Run Coordinator at CERN. This dedicated 24/7 computing shift personnel is contributing to detect and react timely on any unexpected error and hence ensure that CMS workflows are carried out efficiently and in a sustained manner. Synergy among all the involved actors is exploited to ensure the 24/7 monitoring, alarming and troubleshooting of the CMS computing sites and services. We review the deployment of the monitoring and alarming procedures, and report on the experience gained throughout the first two years of LHC operation. We describe the efficiency of the communication tools employed, the coherent monitoring framework, the proactive alarming systems and the proficient troubleshooting procedures that helped the CMS Computing facilities and infrastructure to operate at high reliability levels.« less

[The Key Technology Study on Cloud Computing Platform for ECG Monitoring Based on Regional Internet of Things].

PubMed

Yang, Shu; Qiu, Yuyan; Shi, Bo

2016-09-01

This paper explores the methods of building the internet of things of a regional ECG monitoring, focused on the implementation of ECG monitoring center based on cloud computing platform. It analyzes implementation principles of automatic identifi cation in the types of arrhythmia. It also studies the system architecture and key techniques of cloud computing platform, including server load balancing technology, reliable storage of massive smalfi les and the implications of quick search function.

Nutritional status and height, weight and BMI centiles of school-aged children and adolescents of 6-18-years from Kinshasa (DRC).

PubMed

Buhendwa, Rudahaba Augustin; Roelants, Mathieu; Thomis, Martine; Nkiama, Constant E

2017-09-01

The last study to establish centiles of main anthropometric measurements in Kinshasa was conducted over 60 years ago, which questions its current adequacy to describe or monitor growth in this population. To assess the nutritional status of school-aged children and adolescents and to estimate centile curves of height, weight and body mass index (BMI). A representative sample of 7541 school-aged children and adolescents (48% boys) aged 6-18 years was measured between 2010-2013. Smooth centiles of height, weight and BMI-for-age were estimated with the LMS method and compared with the WHO 2007 reference. Nutritional status was assessed by comparing measurements of height and BMI against the appropriate WHO cut-offs. Compared to the WHO reference, percentiles of height and BMI were generally lower. This difference was larger in boys than in girls and increased as they approached adolescence. The prevalence of short stature (< -2 SD) and thinness (< -2 SD) was higher in boys (9.8% and 12%) than in girls (3.4% and 6.1%), but the prevalence of overweight (> 1 SD) was higher in girls (8.6%) than in boys (4.5%). Children from Kinshasa fall below WHO centile references. This study established up-to-date centile curves for height, weight and BMI by age in children and adolescents. These reference curves describe the current status of these anthropometric markers and can be used as a basis for comparison in future studies.

Alternative images for perpendicular parking : a usability test of a multi-camera parking assistance system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-10-01

The parking assistance system evaluated consisted of four outward facing cameras whose images could be presented on a monitor on the center console. The images presented varied in the location of the virtual eye point of the camera (the height above ...

40 CFR 52.2565 - Original identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) Amended Regulations VI and VII, and an Identification and Analysis of the Impact of the 1979 West Virginia... State of West Virginia on November 4, 1983 which establishes an Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Network...) Revision to the State implementation plan consisting of a good engineering practice (GEP) for stack heights...

40 CFR 52.2565 - Original identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) Amended Regulations VI and VII, and an Identification and Analysis of the Impact of the 1979 West Virginia... State of West Virginia on November 4, 1983 which establishes an Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Network...) Revision to the State implementation plan consisting of a good engineering practice (GEP) for stack heights...

40 CFR 52.2565 - Original identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) Amended Regulations VI and VII, and an Identification and Analysis of the Impact of the 1979 West Virginia... State of West Virginia on November 4, 1983 which establishes an Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Network...) Revision to the State implementation plan consisting of a good engineering practice (GEP) for stack heights...

40 CFR 52.2565 - Original identification of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) Amended Regulations VI and VII, and an Identification and Analysis of the Impact of the 1979 West Virginia... State of West Virginia on November 4, 1983 which establishes an Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Network...) Revision to the State implementation plan consisting of a good engineering practice (GEP) for stack heights...

Bistatic radar sea state monitoring system design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruck, G. T.; Krichbaum, C. K.; Everly, J. O.

1975-01-01

Remote measurement of the two-dimensional surface wave height spectrum of the ocean by the use of bistatic radar techniques was examined. Potential feasibility and experimental verification by field experiment are suggested. The required experimental hardware is defined along with the designing, assembling, and testing of several required experimental hardware components.

Iceland: Eyjafjallajökull Volcano

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-17

... erroneous impression that they are below the land surface. A quantitative computer analysis is necessary to separate out wind and height. ... MD. The MISR data were obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center in Hampton, VA. Image ...

Iceland: Eyjafjallajökull Volcano

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2013-04-17

... causes motion of the plume features between camera views. A quantitative computer analysis is necessary to separate out wind and height ... MD. The MISR data were obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center in Hampton, VA. Image ...

Bedform response to flow variability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, J.M.; Logan, B.L.; Kinzel, P.J.; Shimizu, Y.; Giri, S.; Shreve, R.L.; McLean, S.R.

2011-01-01

Laboratory observations and computational results for the response of bedform fields to rapid variations in discharge are compared and discussed. The simple case considered here begins with a relatively low discharge over a flat bed on which bedforms are initiated, followed by a short high-flow period with double the original discharge, during which the morphology of the bedforms adjusts, followed in turn by a relatively long period of the original low discharge. For the grain size and hydraulic conditions selected, the Froude number remains subcritical during the experiment, and sediment moves predominantly as bedload. Observations show rapid development of quasi-two-dimensional bedforms during the initial period of low flow with increasing wavelength and height over the initial low-flow period. When the flow increases, the bedforms rapidly increase in wavelength and height, as expected from other empirical results. When the flow decreases back to the original discharge, the height of the bedforms quickly decreases in response, but the wavelength decreases much more slowly. Computational results using an unsteady two-dimensional flow model coupled to a disequilibrium bedload transport model for the same conditions simulate the formation and initial growth of the bedforms fairly accurately and also predict an increase in dimensions during the high-flow period. However, the computational model predicts a much slower rate of wavelength increase, and also performs less accurately during the final low-flow period, where the wavelength remains essentially constant, rather than decreasing. In addition, the numerical results show less variability in bedform wavelength and height than the measured values; the bedform shape is also somewhat different. Based on observations, these discrepancies may result from the simplified model for sediment particle step lengths used in the computational approach. Experiments show that the particle step length varies spatially and temporally over the bedforms during the evolution process. Assuming a constant value for the step length neglects the role of flow alterations in the bedload sediment-transport process, which appears to result in predicted bedform wavelength changes smaller than those observed. However, observations also suggest that three-dimensional effects play at least some role in the decrease of bedform wavelength, so incorporating better models for particle hop lengths alone may not be sufficient to improve model predictions. ?? 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterization of Radial Curved Fin Heat Sink under Natural and Forced Convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khadke, Rishikesh; Bhole, Kiran

2018-02-01

Heat exchangers are important structures widely used in power plants, food industries, refrigeration, and air conditioners and now widely used in computing systems. Finned type of heat sink is widely used in computing systems. The main aim of the design of the heat sink is to maintain the optimum temperature level. To achieve this goal so many geometrical configurations are implemented. This paper presents a characterization of radially curved fin heat sink under natural and forced convection. Forced convection is studied for the optimization of temperature for better efficiency. The different alternatives in geometry are considered in characterization are heat intensity, the height of the fin and speed of the fan. By recognizing these alternatives the heat sink is characterized by the heat flux usually generated in high-end PCs. The temperature drop characteristics across height and radial direction are presented for the constant heat input and air flow in the heat sink. The effect of dimensionless elevation height (0 ≤ Z* ≤ 1) and Elenbaas Number (0.4 ≤ El ≤ 2.8) of the heat sink were investigated for study of the Nusselt number. Based on experimental characterization, process plan has been developed for the selection of the similar heat sinks for desired output (heat dissipation and temperature distribution).

Marine Geoid Undulation Assessment Over South China Sea Using Global Geopotential Models and Airborne Gravity Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yazid, N. M.; Din, A. H. M.; Omar, K. M.; Som, Z. A. M.; Omar, A. H.; Yahaya, N. A. Z.; Tugi, A.

2016-09-01

Global geopotential models (GGMs) are vital in computing global geoid undulations heights. Based on the ellipsoidal height by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) observations, the accurate orthometric height can be calculated by adding precise and accurate geoid undulations model information. However, GGMs also provide data from the satellite gravity missions such as GRACE, GOCE and CHAMP. Thus, this will assist to enhance the global geoid undulations data. A statistical assessment has been made between geoid undulations derived from 4 GGMs and the airborne gravity data provided by Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia (DSMM). The goal of this study is the selection of the best possible GGM that best matches statistically with the geoid undulations of airborne gravity data under the Marine Geodetic Infrastructures in Malaysian Waters (MAGIC) Project over marine areas in Sabah. The correlation coefficients and the RMS value for the geoid undulations of GGM and airborne gravity data were computed. The correlation coefficients between EGM 2008 and airborne gravity data is 1 while RMS value is 0.1499.In this study, the RMS value of EGM 2008 is the lowest among the others. Regarding to the statistical analysis, it clearly represents that EGM 2008 is the best fit for marine geoid undulations throughout South China Sea.

Implant Supported Distal Extension over Denture Retained by Two Types of Attachments. A Comparative Radiographic Study by Cone Beam Computed Tomography

PubMed Central

Mahrous, Ahmed I; Aldawash, Hussien A; Soliman, Tarek A; Banasr, Fahad H; Abdelwahed, Ahmed

2015-01-01

Background: This study was conducted to compare and evaluate the effect of two different attachments (locator attachment and ball and socket [B&S] attachment) on implants and natural abutments supporting structures, in cases of limited inter-arch spaces in mandibular Kennedy Class I implant supported removable partial over dentures by measuring the bone height changes through the cone beam radiographic technology. Materials and Methods: Two implants were positioned in the first or second molar area following the two-stage surgical protocol. Two equal groups were divided ten for each: Group I: Sides were the placed implants restored by the locator attachment. Group II: The other sides, implants were restored by B&S attachment. Evaluation of the implants and main abutments supporting structures of each group was done at the time of removable partial over denture insertion, 6, 12 and 18 months by measuring the bone height changes using cone beam computed tomography. Results: Implants with locator attachment showed marginal bone height better effects on implants and main abutments supporting structures. Conclusion: Implants restored by locator attachment shows better effects on bone of both main natural abutments and implant than those restored with ball and socket. PMID:26028894

Constraining the Physical Properties of Meteor Stream Particles by Light Curve Shapes Using the Virtual Meteor Observatory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koschny, D.; Gritsevich, M.; Barentsen, G.

2011-01-01

Different authors have produced models for the physical properties of meteoroids based on the shape of a meteor's light curve, typically from short observing campaigns. We here analyze the height profiles and light curves of approx.200 double-station meteors from the Leonids and Perseids using data from the Virtual Meteor Observatory, to demonstrate that with this web-based meteor database it is possible to analyze very large datasets from different authors in a consistent way. We compute the average heights for begin point, maximum luminosity, and end heights for Perseids and Leonids. We also compute the skew of the light curve, usually called the F-parameter. The results compare well with other author's data. We display the average light curve in a novel way to assess the light curve shape in addition to using the F-parameter. While the Perseids show a peaked light curve, the average Leonid light curve has a more flat peak. This indicates that the particle distribution of Leonid meteors can be described by a Gaussian distribution; the Perseids can be described with a power law. The skew for Leonids is smaller than for Perseids, indicating that the Leonids are more fragile than the Perseids.

Anthropometric approaches and their uncertainties to assigning computational phantoms to individual patients in pediatric dosimetry studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whalen, Scott; Lee, Choonsik; Williams, Jonathan L.; Bolch, Wesley E.

2008-01-01

Current efforts to reconstruct organ doses in children undergoing diagnostic imaging or therapeutic interventions using ionizing radiation typically rely upon the use of reference anthropomorphic computational phantoms coupled to Monte Carlo radiation transport codes. These phantoms are generally matched to individual patients based upon nearest age or sometimes total body mass. In this study, we explore alternative methods of phantom-to-patient matching with the goal of identifying those methods which yield the lowest residual errors in internal organ volumes. Various thoracic and abdominal organs were segmented and organ volumes obtained from chest-abdominal-pelvic (CAP) computed tomography (CT) image sets from 38 pediatric patients ranging in age from 2 months to 15 years. The organs segmented included the skeleton, heart, kidneys, liver, lungs and spleen. For each organ, least-squared regression lines, 95th percentile confidence intervals and 95th percentile prediction intervals were established as a function of patient age, trunk volume, estimated trunk mass, trunk height, and three estimates of the ventral body cavity volume based on trunk height alone, or in combination with circumferential, width and/or breadth measurements in the mid-chest of the patient. When matching phantom to patient based upon age, residual uncertainties in organ volumes ranged from 53% (lungs) to 33% (kidneys), and when trunk mass was used (surrogate for total body mass as we did not have images of patient head, arms or legs), these uncertainties ranged from 56% (spleen) to 32% (liver). When trunk height is used as the matching parameter, residual uncertainties in organ volumes were reduced to between 21 and 29% for all organs except the spleen (40%). In the case of the lungs and skeleton, the two-fold reduction in organ volume uncertainties was seen in moving from patient age to trunk height—a parameter easily measured in the clinic. When ventral body cavity volumes were used, residual uncertainties were lowered even further to a range of between 14 and 20% for all organs except the spleen, which continued to remain at around 40%. The results of this study suggest that a more anthropometric pairing of computational phantom to individual patient based on simple measurements of trunk height and possibly mid-chest circumference or thickness (where influences of subcutaneous fat are minimized) can lead to significant reductions in organ volume uncertainties: ranges of 40-50% (based on patient age) to between 15 and 20% (based on body cavity volumes tied to trunk height). An expanded series of non-uniform rational B-spine (NURBS) pediatric phantoms are being created at the University of Florida to allow the full application of this new approach in pediatric medical imaging studies.

Photo-anthropometric study on face among Garo adult females of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Akhter, Z; Banu, M L A; Alam, M M; Hossain, S; Nazneen, M

2013-08-01

Facial anthropometry has well-known implications in health-related fields. Measurement of human face is used in identification of person in Forensic medicine, Plastic surgery, Orthodontics, Archeology, Hair-style design and examination of the differences between races and ethnicities. Facial anthropometry provides an indication of the variations in facial shape in a specified population. Bangladesh harbours many cultures and people of different races because of the colonial rules of the past regimes. Standards based on ethnic or racial data are desirable because these standards reflect the potentially different patterns of craniofacial growth resulting from racial, ethnic and sexual differences. In the above context, the present study was attempted to establish ethnic specific anthropometric data for the Christian Garo adult females of Bangladesh. The study was an observational, cross-sectional and primarily descriptive in nature with some analytical components and it was carried out with a total number of 100 Christian Garo adult females aged between 25-45 years. Three vertical facial dimensions such as facial height from 'trichion' to 'gnathion', nasal length and total vermilion height were measured by photographic method. Though these measurements were taken by photographic method but they were converted into actual size using one of the physically measured variables between two angles of the mouth (chilion to chilion). The data were then statistically analyzed by computation to find out its normatic value. The study also observed the possible 'correlation' between the facial height from 'trichion' to 'gnathion' with nasal length and total vermilion height. Multiplication factors were estimated for estimating facial height from nasal length and total vermilion height. Comparison were made between 'estimated' values with the 'measured' values by using't' test. The mean (+/- SD) of nasal length and total vermilion height were 4.53 +/- 0.36 cm and 1.63 +/- 0.23 cm respectively and the mean (+/- SD) of facial height from 'trichion' to 'gnathion' was 16.88 +/- 1.11 cm. Nasal length and total vermilion height showed also a significant positive correlation with facial height from 'trichion' to 'gnathion'. No significant difference was found between the 'measured' and 'estimated' facial height from 'trichion' to 'gnathion' for nasal length and total vermilion height.

Real-time slicing algorithm for Stereolithography (STL) CAD model applied in additive manufacturing industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adnan, F. A.; Romlay, F. R. M.; Shafiq, M.

2018-04-01

Owing to the advent of the industrial revolution 4.0, the need for further evaluating processes applied in the additive manufacturing application particularly the computational process for slicing is non-trivial. This paper evaluates a real-time slicing algorithm for slicing an STL formatted computer-aided design (CAD). A line-plane intersection equation was applied to perform the slicing procedure at any given height. The application of this algorithm has found to provide a better computational time regardless the number of facet in the STL model. The performance of this algorithm is evaluated by comparing the results of the computational time for different geometry.

Active-passive measurements and CFD based modelling for indoor radon dispersion study.

PubMed

Chauhan, Neetika; Chauhan, R P

2015-06-01

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) play a significant role in indoor pollutant dispersion study. Radon is an indoor pollutant which is radioactive and inert gas in nature. The concentration level and spatial distribution of radon may be affected by the dwelling's ventilation conditions. Present work focus at the study of indoor radon gas distribution via measurement and CFD modeling in naturally ventilated living room. The need of the study is the prediction of activity level and to study the effect of natural ventilation on indoor radon. Two measurement techniques (Passive measurement using pin-hole dosimeters and active measurement using continuous radon monitor (SRM)) were used for the validation purpose of CFD results. The CFD simulation results were compared with the measurement results at 15 points, 3 XY planes at different heights along with the volumetric average concentration. The simulation results found to be comparable with the measurement results. The future scope of these CFD codes is to study the effect of varying inflow rate of air on the radon concentration level and dispersion pattern. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Radionuclide identification algorithm for organic scintillator-based radiation portal monitor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paff, Marc Gerrit; Di Fulvio, Angela; Clarke, Shaun D.; Pozzi, Sara A.

2017-03-01

We have developed an algorithm for on-the-fly radionuclide identification for radiation portal monitors using organic scintillation detectors. The algorithm was demonstrated on experimental data acquired with our pedestrian portal monitor on moving special nuclear material and industrial sources at a purpose-built radiation portal monitor testing facility. The experimental data also included common medical isotopes. The algorithm takes the power spectral density of the cumulative distribution function of the measured pulse height distributions and matches these to reference spectra using a spectral angle mapper. F-score analysis showed that the new algorithm exhibited significant performance improvements over previously implemented radionuclide identification algorithms for organic scintillators. Reliable on-the-fly radionuclide identification would help portal monitor operators more effectively screen out the hundreds of thousands of nuisance alarms they encounter annually due to recent nuclear-medicine patients and cargo containing naturally occurring radioactive material. Portal monitor operators could instead focus on the rare but potentially high impact incidents of nuclear and radiological material smuggling detection for which portal monitors are intended.

Comparison of Dental Panoramic Radiography and CBCT for Measuring Vertical Bone Height in Different Horizontal Locations of Posterior Mandibular Alveolar Process

PubMed Central

Shahidi, Shoaleh; Zamiri, Barbad; Abolvardi, Masoud; Akhlaghian, Marzieh; Paknahad, Maryam

2018-01-01

Statement of the Problem: Accurate measurement of the available bone height is an essential step in the pre-surgical phase of dental implantation. Panoramic radiography is a unique technique in the pre-surgical phase of dental implantations because of its low cost, relatively low-dose, and availability. Purpose: This article aimed to assess the reliability of dental panoramic radiographs in the accurate measurement of the vertical bone height with respect to the horizontal location of the alveolar crest. Materials and Method: 132 cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) of the edentulous mandibular molar area and dental panoramic radiograph of 508 patients were selected. Exclusion criteria were bone abnormalities and detectable ideal information on each modality. The alveolar ridge morphology was categorized into 7 types according to the relative horizontal location of the alveolar crest to the mandibular canal based on CBCT findings. The available bone height (ABH) was defined as the distance between the upper border of the mandibular canal and alveolar crest. One oral radiologist and one oral surgeon measured the available bone height twice on each modality with a 7-dayinterval. Results: We found a significant correlation between dental panoramic radiographs and cone-beam computed tomography values (ICC=0.992, p< 0.001). A positive correlation between the horizontal distance of the alveolar crest to the mandibular canal and measured differences between two radiographic modalities had been found (r=0.755, p< 0.001). For each single unit of increase in the horizontal distance of the alveolar crest to the mandibular canal, dental panoramic radiographs showed 0.87 unit of overestimation (p< 0.001). Conclusion: Dental panoramic radiographs can be employed safely in the pre-surgical phase of dental implantation in posterior alveolus of mandible, especially in routine and simple cases. PMID:29854881

Influence of Gender and Age on Upper-Airway Length During Development

PubMed Central

Ronen, Ohad; Malhotra, Atul; Pillar, Giora

2008-01-01

OBJECTIVE Obstructive sleep apnea has a strong male predominance in adults but not in children. The collapsible portion of the upper airway is longer in adult men than in women (a property that may increase vulnerability to collapse during sleep). We sought to test the hypothesis that in prepubertal children, pharyngeal airway length is equal between genders, but after puberty boys have a longer upper airway than girls, thus potentially contributing to this change in apnea propensity. METHODS Sixty-nine healthy boys and girls who had undergone computed tomography scans of their neck for other reasons were selected from the computed tomography archives of Rambam and Carmel hospitals. The airway length was measured in the midsagittal plane and defined as the length between the lower part of the posterior hard palate and the upper limit of the hyoid bone. Airway length and normalized airway length/body height were compared between the genders in prepubertal (4- to 10-year-old) and postpubertal (14- to 19-year-old) children. RESULTS In prepubertal children, airway length was similar between boys and girls (43.2 ± 5.9 vs 46.8 ± 7.7 mm, respectively). When normalized to body height, airway length/body height was significantly shorter in prepubertal boys than in girls (0.35 ± 0.03 vs 0.38 ± 0.04 mm/cm). In contrast, postpubertal boys had longer upper airways (66.5 ± 9.2 vs 52.2 ± 7.0 mm) and normalized airway length/body height (0.38 ± 0.05 vs 0.33 ± 0.05 mm/cm) than girls. CONCLUSIONS Although boys have equal or shorter airway length compared with girls among prepubertal children, after puberty, airway length and airway length normalized for body height are significantly greater in boys than in girls. These data suggest that important anatomic changes at puberty occur in a gender-specific manner, which may be important in explaining the male predisposition to pharyngeal collapse in adults. PMID:17908723

Tetherless ergonomics workstation to assess nurses' physical workload in a clinical setting.

PubMed

Smith, Warren D; Nave, Michael E; Hreljac, Alan P

2011-01-01

Nurses are at risk of physical injury when moving immobile patients. This paper describes the development and testing of a tetherless ergonomics workstation that is suitable for studying nurses' physical workload in a clinical setting. The workstation uses wearable sensors to record multiple channels of body orientation and muscle activity and wirelessly transmits them to a base station laptop computer for display, storage, and analysis. In preparation for use in a clinical setting, the workstation was tested in a laboratory equipped for multi-camera video motion analysis. The testing included a pilot study of the effect of bed height on student nurses' physical workload while they repositioned a volunteer posing as a bedridden patient toward the head of the bed. Each nurse subject chose a preferred bed height, and data were recorded, in randomized order, with the bed at this height, at 0.1 m below this height, and at 0.1 m above this height. The testing showed that the body orientation recordings made by the wearable sensors agreed closely with those obtained from the video motion analysis system. The pilot study showed the following trends: As the bed height was raised, the nurses' trunk flexion at both thoracic and lumbar sites and lumbar muscle effort decreased, whereas trapezius and deltoid muscle effort increased. These trends will be evaluated by further studies of practicing nurses in the clinical setting.

Tree Height Calculator: An Android App for Estimating Tree Height

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burca, V. S.; Htet, N. M.; Huang, X.; de Lanerolle, T. R.; Morelli, R.; Gourley, J. R.

2011-12-01

Conventionally, measuring tree height requires a collection of different tools - clinometer, transit, pencil, paper, laptop computer. Results are recorded manually and entered into a spreadsheet or database for future calculation and analysis. Tree Height Calculator is a mobile Android app the integrates the various steps in this process thereby improving the accuracy and dramatically reducing the time required to go from taking measurements to analyzing data. Given the user's height and the distance from the base of the tree (which can be downloaded into the app from a server), the app uses the phone's orientation sensor to calculate the angle of elevation. A simple trigonometric formula is then used to calculate and record the tree's height in the phone's database. When the phone has a WiFi connection, the data are transmitted to a server, from where they can be downloaded directly into a spreadsheet. The application was first tested in an Environmental Science laboratory at Trinity College. On the first trial, 103 data samples were collected, stored, and uploaded to the online database with only couple of dropped data points. On the second trial, 98 data samples were gathered with no loss of data. The app combined the individual measurements taken by the students in the lab, reducing the time required to produce a graph of the class's results from days to hours.

Impact of height and shape of building roof on air quality in urban street canyons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yassin, Mohamed F.

2011-09-01

A building's roof shape and roof height play an important role in determining pollutant concentrations from vehicle emissions and its complex flow patterns within urban street canyons. The impact of the roof shape and height on wind flow and dispersion of gaseous pollutants from vehicle exhaust within urban canyons were investigated numerically using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model. Two-dimensional flow and dispersion of gaseous pollutants were analyzed using standard κ- ɛ turbulence model, which was numerically solved based on Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations. The diffusion fields in the urban canyons were examined with three roof heights ( Z H/ H = 0.17, 0.33 and 0.5) and five roof shapes: (1) flat-shaped roof, (2) slanted-shaped roof, (3) downwind wedge-shaped roof, (4) upwind wedge-shaped roof, and (5) trapezoid-shaped roof. The numerical model was validated against the wind tunnels results in order to optimize the turbulence model. The numerical simulations agreed reasonably with the wind tunnel results. The results obtained indicated that the pollutant concentration increased as the roof height decreases. It also decreased with the slanted and trapezoid-shaped roofs but increased with the flat-shaped roof. The pollutant concentration distributions simulated in the present work, indicated that the variability of the roof shapes and roof heights of the buildings are important factors for estimating air quality within urban canyons.

Determination of Ground Effect from Tests of a Glider in Towed Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wetmore, J W; Turner, L I , Jr

1940-01-01

Report presents the results of an investigation made to find the effect of ground on the aerodynamic characteristics of a Franklin PS-2 glider. The lift, the drag, and the angle of attack of the glider in towed flight were determined at several heights from 0.14 to 1.19 span lengths and at various speeds for each height. Two wing arrangements were tested: the plain wing, and the wing with a nearly full-span 30-percent-chord split flap deflected 45 degrees. The experimental results for the plain wing were in good agreement with theoretical values calculated by the method of Wieselsberger for both the angle of attack and the drag coefficient at a height of 0.21 span length; Tani's refinements of the theory had a practically negligible effect on the computed values in this case.

Measuring the rebound resilience of a bouncing ball

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadhwa, Ajay

2012-09-01

Some balls which are made of high-quality rubber (an elastomeric) material, such as tennis or squash balls, could be used for the determination of an important property of such materials called resilience. Since a bouncing ball involves a single impact we call this property 'rebound resilience' and express it as the ratio of the rebound height to the initial drop height of the ball. We determine the rebound resilience for three different types of ball by calculating the coefficient of restitution of the ball-surface combination from the experimentally measurable physical quantities, such as initial drop height and time interval between successive bounces. Using these we also determine the contact time of balls with the surface of impact. For measurements we have used audio, motion and surface-temperature sensors that were interfaced through a USB port with a computer.

System and Method for Monitoring Distributed Asset Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorinevsky, Dimitry (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A computer-based monitoring system and monitoring method implemented in computer software for detecting, estimating, and reporting the condition states, their changes, and anomalies for many assets. The assets are of same type, are operated over a period of time, and outfitted with data collection systems. The proposed monitoring method accounts for variability of working conditions for each asset by using regression model that characterizes asset performance. The assets are of the same type but not identical. The proposed monitoring method accounts for asset-to-asset variability; it also accounts for drifts and trends in the asset condition and data. The proposed monitoring system can perform distributed processing of massive amounts of historical data without discarding any useful information where moving all the asset data into one central computing system might be infeasible. The overall processing is includes distributed preprocessing data records from each asset to produce compressed data.

Time Series of Tropical-Forest Structure from TanDEM-X, Transformed to Time Series of Biomass by MODIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Treuhaft, R. N.; Baccini, A.; Goncalves, F. G.; Lei, Y.; Keller, M.; Walker, W. S.

2017-12-01

Tropical forests account for about 50% of the world's forested biomass, and play a critical role in the control of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Large-scale (1000's of km) changes in forest structure and biomass bear on global carbon source-sink dynamics, while small-scale (< 100 m) changes bear on deforestation and degradation monitoring. After describing the interferometric SAR (InSAR) phase-height observation, we show forest phase-height time series from the TanDEM-X radar interferometer at X-band (3 cm), taken with monthly and sub-hectare temporal and spatial resolution, respectively. The measurements were taken with more than 30 TanDEM-X passes over Tapajós National Forest in the Brazilian Amazon between 2011 and 2014. The transformation of phase-height rates into aboveground biomass (AGB) rates is based on the idea that the change in AGB due to a change in phase-height depends on the plot's AGB. Plots with higher AGB will produce more AGB for a given increase in height or phase-height. Postulating a power-law dependence of plot-level mass density on physical height, we previously found that the best conversion factors for transforming phase-height rate to AGB rate were indeed dependent on AGB. For 78 plots, we demonstrated AGB rates from InSAR phase-height rates using AGB from field measurements. For regional modeling of the Amazon Basin, field measurements of AGB, to specify the conversion factors, is impractical. Conversion factors from InSAR phase-height rate to AGB rate in this talk will be based on AGB derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). AGB measurement from MODIS is based on the spectral reflectance of 7 bands from the visible to short wave infrared, and auxiliary metrics describing the variance in reflectance. The mapping of MODIS reflectance to AGB is enabled by training a machine learning algorithm with lidar-derived AGB data, which are in turn trained by field measurements for small areas. The performance of TanDEM-X AGB rate from MODIS-derived conversion factors will be compared to that derived from field-based conversion factors. We will also attempt to improve phase-height rate to AGB rate transformation by deriving improved models of mass density dependences on height, based on the aggregation of single-stem allometrics.

EPANET USERS MANUAL

EPA Science Inventory

EPANET is a computer program that performs extended period simulation of hydraulic and water quality behavior within drinking water distribution systems. It tracks the flow of water in each pipe, the pressure at each pipe junction, the height of water in each storage tank, and th...

Utilization of O4 slant column density to derive aerosol layer height from a space-borne UV-visible hyperspectral sensor: sensitivity and case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Sang Seo; Kim, Jhoon; Lee, Hanlim; Torres, Omar; Lee, Kwang-Mog; Lee, Sang Deok

2016-02-01

The sensitivities of oxygen-dimer (O4) slant column densities (SCDs) to changes in aerosol layer height are investigated using the simulated radiances by a radiative transfer model, the linearized pseudo-spherical vector discrete ordinate radiative transfer (VLIDORT), and the differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) technique. The sensitivities of the O4 index (O4I), which is defined as dividing O4 SCD by 1040 molecules2 cm-5, to aerosol types and optical properties are also evaluated and compared. Among the O4 absorption bands at 340, 360, 380, and 477 nm, the O4 absorption band at 477 nm is found to be the most suitable to retrieve the aerosol effective height. However, the O4I at 477 nm is significantly influenced not only by the aerosol layer effective height but also by aerosol vertical profiles, optical properties including single scattering albedo (SSA), aerosol optical depth (AOD), particle size, and surface albedo. Overall, the error of the retrieved aerosol effective height is estimated to be 1276, 846, and 739 m for dust, non-absorbing, and absorbing aerosol, respectively, assuming knowledge on the aerosol vertical distribution shape. Using radiance data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), a new algorithm is developed to derive the aerosol effective height over East Asia after the determination of the aerosol type and AOD from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). About 80 % of retrieved aerosol effective heights are within the error range of 1 km compared to those obtained from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) measurements on thick aerosol layer cases.

Utilization of O4 Slant Column Density to Derive Aerosol Layer Height from a Space-Borne UV-Visible Hyperspectral Sensor: Sensitivity and Case Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Sang Seo; Kim, Jhoon; Lee, Hanlim; Torres, Omar; Lee, Kwang-Mog; Lee, Sang Deok

2016-01-01

The sensitivities of oxygen-dimer (O4) slant column densities (SCDs) to changes in aerosol layer height are investigated using the simulated radiances by a radiative transfer model, the linearized pseudo-spherical vector discrete ordinate radiative transfer (VLIDORT), and the differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) technique. The sensitivities of the O4 index (O4I), which is defined as dividing O4 SCD by 10(sup 40) molecules (sup 2) per centimeters(sup -5), to aerosol types and optical properties are also evaluated and compared. Among the O4 absorption bands at 340, 360, 380, and 477 nanometers, the O4 absorption band at 477 nanometers is found to be the most suitable to retrieve the aerosol effective height. However, the O4I at 477 nanometers is significantly influenced not only by the aerosol layer effective height but also by aerosol vertical profiles, optical properties including single scattering albedo (SSA), aerosol optical depth (AOD), particle size, and surface albedo. Overall, the error of the retrieved aerosol effective height is estimated to be 1276, 846, and 739 meters for dust, non-absorbing, and absorbing aerosol, respectively, assuming knowledge on the aerosol vertical distribution shape. Using radiance data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), a new algorithm is developed to derive the aerosol effective height over East Asia after the determination of the aerosol type and AOD from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). About 80 percent of retrieved aerosol effective heights are within the error range of 1 kilometer compared to those obtained from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) measurements on thick aerosol layer cases.

Application and Limitations of GPS Radio Occultation (GPS-RO) Data for Atmospheric Boundary Layer Height Detection over the Arctic.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganeshan, M.; Wu, D. L.

2014-12-01

Due to recent changes in the Arctic environment, it is important to monitor the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) properties over the Arctic Ocean, especially to explore the variability in ABL clouds (such as sensitivity and feedback to sea ice loss). For example, radiosonde and satellite observations of the Arctic ABL height (and low-cloud cover) have recently suggested a positive response to sea ice loss during October that may not occur during the melt season (June-September). Owing to its high vertical and spatiotemporal resolution, an independent ABL height detection algorithm using GPS Radio Occultation (GPS-RO) refractivity in the Arctic is explored. Similar GPS-RO algorithms developed previously typically define the level of the most negative moisture gradient as the ABL height. This definition is favorable for subtropical oceans where a stratocumulus-topped ABL is often capped by a layer of sharp moisture lapse rate (coincident with the temperature inversion). The Arctic Ocean is also characterized by stratocumulus cloud cover, however, the specific humidity does not frequently decrease in the ABL capping inversion. The use of GPS-RO refractivity for ABL height retrieval therefore becomes more complex. During winter months (December-February), when the total precipitable water in the troposphere is a minimum, a fairly straightforward algorithm for ABL height retrieval is developed. The applicability and limitations of this method for other seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall) is determined. The seasonal, interannual and spatial variability in the GPS-derived ABL height over the Arctic Ocean, as well as its relation to the underlying surface (ice vs. water), is investigated. The GPS-RO profiles are also explored for the evidence of low-level moisture transport in the cold Arctic environment.

[The secular trend in body height and weight in the adult population in the Czech republic].

PubMed

Kopecký, Miroslav; Kikalová, Kateřina; Charamza, Jiří

Secular changes in anthropometric parameters reflect the effect of socio-economic conditions in interaction with other factors on individuals in the course of 100-200 years. The main aim of the research was to determine the average body height and weight for the current adult population of men 19 to 94 years old and women 19 to 86 years old in the Czech Republic, and to compare the average values ​​of body height and weight of the monitored group with the reference values ​​for the adult population observed in our country from 1895 to 2001.Body height and weight were measured with standard anthropometry in 973 men aged 19-94 years and 2,606 women aged 19-86 years. The research was carried out from 2013 to 2015. Statistical tests: t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The average body weight and height of the current adult male is 178.58 cm and 80.86 kg, and of adult female 165.99 cm and 65.67 kg. When compared to men, women show significantly lower average height by 12.59 cm and lower weight by 15.19 kg. The results show that men today are about 10.61 cm higher and weigh 9.01 kilograms more than men in 1895. Todays women are about 9.43 centimeters taller, but weigh 0,58 kg less than women of the same age in 1895.Comparison of results from 1895 to 2015 shows that at present there is likely stagnation or decline in the positive secular trend in body height among men and women. The weight of men is increasing while there is stagnation in the body weight of women.

Utilization of O4 Slant Column Density to Derive Aerosol Layer Height from a Spaceborne UV-Visible Hyperspectral Sensor: Sensitivity and Case Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Sang Seo; Kim, Jhoon; Lee, Hanlim; Torres, Omar; Lee, Kwang-Mog; Lee, Sang Deok

2016-01-01

The sensitivities of oxygen-dimer (O4) slant column densities (SCDs) to changes in aerosol layer height are investigated using the simulated radiances by a radiative transfer model, the linearized pseudo-spherical vector discrete ordinate radiative transfer (VLIDORT), and the Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy (DOAS) technique. The sensitivities of the O4 index (O4I), which is defined as dividing O4 SCD by 10(exp 40) sq molecules cm(exp -5), to aerosol types and optical properties are also evaluated and compared. Among the O4 absorption bands at 340, 360, 380, and 477 nm, the O4 absorption band at 477 nm is found to be the most suitable to retrieve the aerosol effective height. However, the O4I at 477 nm is significantly influenced not only by the aerosol layer effective height but also by aerosol vertical profiles, optical properties including single scattering albedo (SSA), aerosol optical depth (AOD), particle size, and surface albedo. Overall, the error of the retrieved aerosol effective height is estimated to be 1276, 846, and 739 m for dust, non-absorbing, and absorbing aerosol, respectively, assuming knowledge on the aerosol vertical distribution shape. Using radiance data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), a new algorithm is developed to derive the aerosol effective height over East Asia after the determination of the aerosol type and AOD from the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). About 80% of retrieved aerosol effective heights are within the error range of 1 km compared to those obtained from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) measurements on thick aerosol layer cases.

Anthropometric measurements in the diagnosis of pelvic size: an analysis of maternal height and shoe size and computed tomography pelvimetric data.

PubMed

Awonuga, Awoniyi O; Merhi, Zaher; Awonuga, Modupe T; Samuels, Terri-Ann; Waller, Jennifer; Pring, David

2007-11-01

To determine whether measurements of maternal height and shoe size are predictors of pelvic size, using erect lateral computerized tomography (CT) pelvimetry as gold standard. Three hundred and fifty three obstetric patients out of a sequential population of 6112 (5.8%) had CT pelvimetry performed between January 1990 and December 1991 at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, York District Hospital, United Kingdom. Multivariable logistic regression models were built using maternal height (n = 322), shoe size (314) and weight at last clinic visit (n = 318). The reference standard for pelvic size was CT Pelvimetry. Pelvic adequacy was defined as an anterior-posterior diameter of the inlet of > or =11 cm and an anterior-posterior diameter of the outlet > or =10 cm on erect lateral CT pelvimetry. Women with values lower than these were regarded as having an inadequate pelvis. The diagnostic accuracy of the models was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The area under the curve (AUC) for maternal height (0.768) was not significantly greater than that for shoe size (0.686, p = 0.163 for the difference in AUC's) and weight at the last clinic visit (0.655, p = 0.057 for the difference in the AUCs). The change in the AUC for each of the models (the full model with height, shoe size and weight [0.769]; model for height and shoe size [0.767] model for just height [0.768]) was also not significantly different. Measurements of maternal height, shoe size and weight at the last clinic visit are not useful for the identification of women with inadequate pelvis.

Evaluation of a new approach to compute intervertebral disc height measurements from lateral radiographic views of the spine.

PubMed

Allaire, Brett T; DePaolis Kaluza, M Clara; Bruno, Alexander G; Samelson, Elizabeth J; Kiel, Douglas P; Anderson, Dennis E; Bouxsein, Mary L

2017-01-01

Current standard methods to quantify disc height, namely distortion compensated Roentgen analysis (DCRA), have been mostly utilized in the lumbar and cervical spine and have strict exclusion criteria. Specifically, discs adjacent to a vertebral fracture are excluded from measurement, thus limiting the use of DCRA in studies that include older populations with a high prevalence of vertebral fractures. Thus, we developed and tested a modified DCRA algorithm that does not depend on vertebral shape. Participants included 1186 men and women from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring and Third Generation Multidetector CT Study. Lateral CT scout images were used to place 6 morphometry points around each vertebra at 13 vertebral levels in each participant. Disc heights were calculated utilizing these morphometry points using DCRA methodology and our modified version of DCRA, which requires information from fewer morphometry points than the standard DCRA. Modified DCRA and standard DCRA measures of disc height are highly correlated, with concordance correlation coefficients above 0.999. Both measures demonstrate good inter- and intra-operator reproducibility. 13.9 % of available disc heights were not evaluable or excluded using the standard DCRA algorithm, while only 3.3 % of disc heights were not evaluable using our modified DCRA algorithm. Using our modified DCRA algorithm, it is not necessary to exclude vertebrae with fracture or other deformity from disc height measurements as in the standard DCRA. Modified DCRA also yields identical measurements to the standard DCRA. Thus, the use of modified DCRA for quantitative assessment of disc height will lead to less missing data without any loss of accuracy, making it a preferred alternative to the current standard methodology.

MISR Stereo-heights of Grassland Fire Smoke Plumes in Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mims, S. R.; Kahn, R. A.; Moroney, C. M.; Gaitley, B. J.; Nelson, D. L.; Garay, M. J.

2008-12-01

Plume heights from wildfires are used in climate modeling to predict and understand trends in aerosol transport. This study examines whether smoke from grassland fires in the desert region of Western and central Australia ever rises above the relatively stable atmospheric boundary layer and accumulates in higher layers of relative atmospheric stability. Several methods for deriving plume heights from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument are examined for fire events during the summer 2000 and 2002 burning seasons. Using MISR's multi-angle stereo-imagery from its three near-nadir-viewing cameras, an automatic algorithm routinely derives the stereo-heights above the geoid of the level-of-maximum-contrast for the entire global data set, which often correspond to the heights of clouds and aerosol plumes. Most of the fires that occur in the cases studied here are small, diffuse, and difficult to detect. To increase the signal from these thin hazes, the MISR enhanced stereo product that computes stereo heights from the most steeply viewing MISR cameras is used. For some cases, a third approach to retrieving plume heights from MISR stereo imaging observations, the MISR Interactive Explorer (MINX) tool, is employed to help differentiate between smoke and cloud. To provide context and to search for correlative factors, stereo-heights are combined with data providing fire strength from the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, atmospheric structure from the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Project, surface cover from the Australia National Vegetation Information System, and forward and backward trajectories from the NOAA HYSPLIT model. Although most smoke plumes concentrate in the near-surface boundary layer, as expected, some appear to rise higher. These findings suggest that a closer examination of grassland fire energetics may be warranted.

Gravitational polarizability of black holes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Damour, Thibault; Lecian, Orchidea Maria; APC, UMR 7164 du CNRS, Universite Paris 7, 10, rue Alice Domon et Leonie Duquet, 75205 Paris Cedex 13

The gravitational polarizability properties of black holes are compared and contrasted with their electromagnetic polarizability properties. The 'shape' or 'height' multipolar Love numbers h{sub l} of a black hole are defined and computed. They are then compared to their electromagnetic analogs h{sub l}{sup EM}. The Love numbers h{sub l} give the height of the lth multipolar 'tidal bulge' raised on the horizon of a black hole by faraway masses. We also discuss the shape of the tidal bulge raised by a test-mass m, in the limit where m gets very close to the horizon.

Computerized Design and Analysis of Face-Milled, Uniform Tooth Height Spiral Bevel Gear Drives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litvin, Faydor L.; Wang, Anngwo; Handschuh, R. F.

1996-01-01

Face-milled spiral bevel gears with uniform tooth height are considered. An approach is proposed for the design of low noise and localized bearing contact of such gears. The approach is based on the mismatch of contacting surfaces and permits two types of bearing contact either directed longitudinally or across the surface to be obtained. A Tooth Contact Analysis (TCA) computer program was developed. This analysis was used to determine the influence of misalignment on meshing and contact of the spiral bevel gears. A numerical example that illustrates the developed theory is provided.