Dietary Protection Against Pulmonary Oxygen Poisoning.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-31

hyperoxia produces pathological changes in lung which can be fatal. With an interest in delineating dietary factors which might affect the pulmonary response...by dietary fat type (6,7). This study was conducted to investigate any changes in pulmonary PG synthetic capacity following treatment with diets...at 1 atmosphere in controlled environment chambers (9). In our mc3Rl system oxygen exposure produces discernible pulmonary biochem-cal changes after 24

Selecting and testing cryptogam species for use in wetland delineation in Alaska

Treesearch

Robert W. Lichvar; Gary A. Laursen; Rodney D. Seppelt; Walter R. Ochs

2009-01-01

To support the determination of hydrophytic vegetation in wetland delineations in Alaska, USA, a series of tests were conducted to develop a group of "test positive" species to be used in a "cryptogam indicator." In 2004, non-vascular cryptogam species (bryophytes, lichens, and fungi) from Interior and South-Central Alaska in the vicinities of...

Cavity detection and delineation research. Part 1: Microgravimetric and magnetic surveys: Medford Cave Site, Florida

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, D. K.

1982-03-01

This report reviews the scope of a research effort initiated in 1974 at the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station with the objectives of (a) assessing the state of the art in geophysical cavity detection and delineation methodology and (b) developing new methods and improving or adapting old methods for application to cavity detection and delineation. Two field test sites were selected: (a) the Medford Cave site with a relatively shallow (10- to 50-ft-deep) air-filled cavity system and (b) the Manatee Springs site with a deeper (approximately 100-ft-deep) water-filled cavity system. Results of field studies at the Medford Cave site are presented in this report: (a) the site geology, (b) the site topographic survey, (c) the site drilling program (boreholes for geophysical tests, for determination of a detailed geological cross section, and for verification of geophysical anomalies), (d) details of magnetic and microgravimetric surveys, and (e) correlation of geophysical results with known site geology. Qualitative interpretation guidelines using complementary geophysical techniques for site investigations in karst regions are presented. Including the results of electrical resistivity surveys conducted at the Medford Cave site, the qualitative guidelines are applied to four profile lines, and drilling locations are indicated on the profile plots of gravity, magnetic, and electrical resistivity data. Borehole logs are then presented for comparison with the predictions of the qualitative interpretation guidelines.

Mars surface penetrator: System description

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Manning, L. A. (Editor)

1977-01-01

A point design of a penetrator system for a Mars mission is described. A strawman payload which is to conduct measurements of geophysical and meteorological parameters is included in the design. The subsystems used in the point design are delineated in terms of power, mass, volume, data, and functional modes. The prospects for survival of the rigors of emplacement are described. Data handling and communications plans are presented to allow consideration of the requirements placed by the penetrator on the orbiter and ground operations. The point design is technically feasible and the payload selection scientifically desirable.

Methane emissions and airflow patterns along longwall faces and through bleeder ventilation systems

PubMed Central

Schatzel, Steven J.; Dougherty, Heather N.

2015-01-01

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted an investigation of longwall face and bleeder ventilation systems using tracer gas experiments and computer network ventilation. The condition of gateroad entries, along with the caved material’s permeability and porosity changes as the longwall face advances, determine the resistance of the airflow pathways within the longwall’s worked-out area of the bleeder system. A series of field evaluations were conducted on a four-panel longwall district. Tracer gas was released at the mouth of the longwall section or on the longwall face and sampled at various locations in the gateroads inby the shield line. Measurements of arrival times and concentrations defined airflow/gas movements for the active/completed panels and the bleeder system, providing real field data to delineate these pathways. Results showed a sustained ability of the bleeder system to ventilate the longwall tailgate corner as the panels retreated. PMID:26925166

Polymer delineation system. [Patent application: traffic lane lines

DOEpatents

Woolman, S.; Steinberg, M.

1975-06-24

A delineation system (traffic lane lines) for highways is described in which polymerizable substances are applied to existing or newly prepared highway pavements. The substances would contain a suitable pigment and may incorporate reflective elements.

Effect of Increased Rear Row Occupancy on Injury to Seat Belt Restrained Children in Side Impact Crashes

PubMed Central

Maltese, Matthew R.; Chen, Irene G.; Arbogast, Kristy B.

2005-01-01

Previous work identified a similar risk of injury for children seated on the struck side and center rear in side impact crashes in passenger cars. In order to further explain this finding, we investigated the effect of sharing the rear row with other occupants on injury risk and delineated differences in injury patterns among the seat positions. These analyses, conducted from a large child specific crash surveillance system, included: children 4–15 years old, rear seated, seat belt restrained, in a passenger car, and in a side impact crash. Injury risk was compared among each rear seat position stratified by the presence of other occupants on the rear row. Occupants are at an increased risk of injury if they sit alone on their row as compared to sitting with other occupants. Patterns of injuries distinct to each seat position were delineated. PMID:16179151

3D automatic anatomy recognition based on iterative graph-cut-ASM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xinjian; Udupa, Jayaram K.; Bagci, Ulas; Alavi, Abass; Torigian, Drew A.

2010-02-01

We call the computerized assistive process of recognizing, delineating, and quantifying organs and tissue regions in medical imaging, occurring automatically during clinical image interpretation, automatic anatomy recognition (AAR). The AAR system we are developing includes five main parts: model building, object recognition, object delineation, pathology detection, and organ system quantification. In this paper, we focus on the delineation part. For the modeling part, we employ the active shape model (ASM) strategy. For recognition and delineation, we integrate several hybrid strategies of combining purely image based methods with ASM. In this paper, an iterative Graph-Cut ASM (IGCASM) method is proposed for object delineation. An algorithm called GC-ASM was presented at this symposium last year for object delineation in 2D images which attempted to combine synergistically ASM and GC. Here, we extend this method to 3D medical image delineation. The IGCASM method effectively combines the rich statistical shape information embodied in ASM with the globally optimal delineation capability of the GC method. We propose a new GC cost function, which effectively integrates the specific image information with the ASM shape model information. The proposed methods are tested on a clinical abdominal CT data set. The preliminary results show that: (a) it is feasible to explicitly bring prior 3D statistical shape information into the GC framework; (b) the 3D IGCASM delineation method improves on ASM and GC and can provide practical operational time on clinical images.

Remote sensing of physiographic soil units of Bennett County, South Dakota

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Frazee, C. J.; Gropper, J. L.; Westin, F. C.

1973-01-01

A study was conducted in Bennett County, South Dakota, to establish a rangeland test site for evaluating the usefulness of ERTS data for mapping soil resources in rangeland areas. Photographic imagery obtained in October, 1970, was analyzed to determine which type of imagery is best for mapping drainage and land use patterns. Imagery of scales ranging from 1:1,000,000 to 1.20,000 was used to delineate soil-vegetative physiographic units. The photo characteristics used to define physiographic units were texture, drainage pattern, tone pattern, land use pattern and tone. These units will be used as test data for evaluating ERTS data. The physiographic units were categorized into a land classification system. The various categories which were delineated at the different scales of imagery were designed to be useful for different levels of land use planning. The land systems are adequate only for planning of large areas for general uses. The lowest category separated was the facet. The facets have a definite soil composition and represent different soil landscapes. These units are thought to be useful for providing natural resource information needed for local planning.

Evaluation of curve delineation signs on rural highways.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1983-01-01

The three post-mounted delineator systems currently used in the state of Virginia were tested at five sites for their effectiveness in controlling run-off-the-road accidents. The changes in speed and lateral placement noted with the systems in place ...

Imaging pathways in fractured rock using three-dimensional electrical resistivity tomography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robinson, Judith; Slater, Lee; Johnson, Timothy B.; Shapiro, Allen M.; Tiedeman, Claire; Ntlargiannis, Dimitrios; Johnson, Carole D.; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Lacombe, Pierre; Imbrigiotta, Thomas; Lane, John W.

2016-01-01

Major challenges exist in delineating bedrock fracture zones because these cause abrupt changes in geological and hydrogeological properties over small distances. Borehole observations cannot sufficiently capture heterogeneity in these systems. Geophysical techniques offer the potential to image properties and processes in between boreholes. We used three-dimensional cross borehole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in a 9 m (diameter) × 15 m well field to capture high-resolution flow and transport processes in a fractured mudstone contaminated by chlorinated solvents, primarily trichloroethylene. Conductive (sodium bromide) and resistive (deionized water) injections were monitored in seven boreholes. Electrode arrays with isolation packers and fluid sampling ports were designed to enable acquisition of ERT measurements during pulsed tracer injections. Fracture zone locations and hydraulic pathways inferred from hydraulic head drawdown data were compared with electrical conductivity distributions from ERT measurements. Static ERT imaging has limited resolution to decipher individual fractures; however, these images showed alternating conductive and resistive zones, consistent with alternating laminated and massive mudstone units at the site. Tracer evolution and migration was clearly revealed in time-lapse ERT images and supported by in situ borehole vertical apparent conductivity profiles collected during the pulsed tracer test. While water samples provided important local information at the extraction borehole, ERT delineated tracer migration over spatial scales capturing the primary hydrogeological heterogeneity controlling flow and transport. The fate of these tracer injections at this scale could not have been quantified using borehole logging and/or borehole sampling methods alone.

Numerical aerodynamic simulation facility. Preliminary study extension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The production of an optimized design of key elements of the candidate facility was the primary objective of this report. This was accomplished by effort in the following tasks: (1) to further develop, optimize and describe the function description of the custom hardware; (2) to delineate trade off areas between performance, reliability, availability, serviceability, and programmability; (3) to develop metrics and models for validation of the candidate systems performance; (4) to conduct a functional simulation of the system design; (5) to perform a reliability analysis of the system design; and (6) to develop the software specifications to include a user level high level programming language, a correspondence between the programming language and instruction set and outline the operation system requirements.

Resource Documentation and Recharge Area Delineation of a Large Fluvial Karst System: Carroll Cave, Missouri

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Located along Wet Glaize Creek in the central Missouri Ozarks, Toronto Spring is a distributary spring system where surface stream flow mixes with flow from the Carroll Cave system. Following recharge area delineations for Thunder River and Confusion Creek in Carroll Cave, flow from these rivers wa...

Deep Learning Role in Early Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer

PubMed Central

Reda, Islam; Khalil, Ashraf; Elmogy, Mohammed; Abou El-Fetouh, Ahmed; Shalaby, Ahmed; Abou El-Ghar, Mohamed; Elmaghraby, Adel; Ghazal, Mohammed; El-Baz, Ayman

2018-01-01

The objective of this work is to develop a computer-aided diagnostic system for early diagnosis of prostate cancer. The presented system integrates both clinical biomarkers (prostate-specific antigen) and extracted features from diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging collected at multiple b values. The presented system performs 3 major processing steps. First, prostate delineation using a hybrid approach that combines a level-set model with nonnegative matrix factorization. Second, estimation and normalization of diffusion parameters, which are the apparent diffusion coefficients of the delineated prostate volumes at different b values followed by refinement of those apparent diffusion coefficients using a generalized Gaussian Markov random field model. Then, construction of the cumulative distribution functions of the processed apparent diffusion coefficients at multiple b values. In parallel, a K-nearest neighbor classifier is employed to transform the prostate-specific antigen results into diagnostic probabilities. Finally, those prostate-specific antigen–based probabilities are integrated with the initial diagnostic probabilities obtained using stacked nonnegativity constraint sparse autoencoders that employ apparent diffusion coefficient–cumulative distribution functions for better diagnostic accuracy. Experiments conducted on 18 diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data sets achieved 94.4% diagnosis accuracy (sensitivity = 88.9% and specificity = 100%), which indicate the promising results of the presented computer-aided diagnostic system. PMID:29804518

Delineation of recharge areas for selected wells in the St. Peter-Prairie du Chien-Jordan Aquifer, Rochester, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delin, G.N.; Almendinger, James Edward

1991-01-01

Hydrogeologic mapping and numerical modeling were used to delineate zones of contribution to wells, defined as all parts of a ground-water-flow system that could supply water to a well. The zones of contribution delineated by use of numerical modeling have similar orientation (parallel to regional flow directions) but significantly different areas than the zones of contribution delineated by use of hydrogeologic mapping. Differences in computed areas of recharge are attributed to the capability of the numerical model to more accurately represent (1) the three-dimensional flow system, (2) hydrologic boundaries like streams, (3) variable recharge, and (4) the influence of nearby pumped wells, compared to the analytical models.

Delineation of recharge areas for selected wells in the St. Peter-Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer, Rochester, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delin, G.N.; Almendinger, James Edward

1993-01-01

Hydrogeologic mapping and numerical modeling were used to delineate zones of contribution to wells, defined as all parts of a ground-water-flow system that could supply water to a well. The zones of contribution delineated by use of numerical modeling have similar orientation (parallel to regional flow directions) but significantly different areas than the zones of contribution delineated by use of hydrogeologic mapping. Differences in computed areas of recharge are attributed to the capability of the numerical model to more accurately represent (1) the three-dimensional flow system, (2) hydrologic boundaries such as streams, (3) variable recharge, and (4) the influence of nearby pumped wells, compared to the analytical models.

A correlation analysis-based detection and delineation of ECG characteristic events using template waveforms extracted by ensemble averaging of clustered heart cycles.

PubMed

Homaeinezhad, M R; Erfanianmoshiri-Nejad, M; Naseri, H

2014-01-01

The goal of this study is to introduce a simple, standard and safe procedure to detect and to delineate P and T waves of the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal in real conditions. The proposed method consists of four major steps: (1) a secure QRS detection and delineation algorithm, (2) a pattern recognition algorithm designed for distinguishing various ECG clusters which take place between consecutive R-waves, (3) extracting template of the dominant events of each cluster waveform and (4) application of the correlation analysis in order to delineate automatically the P- and T-waves in noisy conditions. The performance characteristics of the proposed P and T detection-delineation algorithm are evaluated versus various ECG signals whose qualities are altered from the best to the worst cases based on the random-walk noise theory. Also, the method is applied to the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia and the QT databases for comparing some parts of its performance characteristics with a number of P and T detection-delineation algorithms. The conducted evaluations indicate that in a signal with low quality value of about 0.6, the proposed method detects the P and T events with sensitivity Se=85% and positive predictive value of P+=89%, respectively. In addition, at the same quality, the average delineation errors associated with those ECG events are 45 and 63ms, respectively. Stable delineation error, high detection accuracy and high noise tolerance were the most important aspects considered during development of the proposed method. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Modular Low-Complexity ECG Delineation Algorithm for Real-Time Embedded Systems.

PubMed

Bote, Jose Manuel; Recas, Joaquin; Rincon, Francisco; Atienza, David; Hermida, Roman

2018-03-01

This work presents a new modular and low-complexity algorithm for the delineation of the different ECG waves (QRS, P and T peaks, onsets, and end). Involving a reduced number of operations per second and having a small memory footprint, this algorithm is intended to perform real-time delineation on resource-constrained embedded systems. The modular design allows the algorithm to automatically adjust the delineation quality in runtime to a wide range of modes and sampling rates, from a ultralow-power mode when no arrhythmia is detected, in which the ECG is sampled at low frequency, to a complete high-accuracy delineation mode, in which the ECG is sampled at high frequency and all the ECG fiducial points are detected, in the case of arrhythmia. The delineation algorithm has been adjusted using the QT database, providing very high sensitivity and positive predictivity, and validated with the MIT database. The errors in the delineation of all the fiducial points are below the tolerances given by the Common Standards for Electrocardiography Committee in the high-accuracy mode, except for the P wave onset, for which the algorithm is above the agreed tolerances by only a fraction of the sample duration. The computational load for the ultralow-power 8-MHz TI MSP430 series microcontroller ranges from 0.2% to 8.5% according to the mode used.

Full-scale Transport Controlled Impact Demonstration Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NASA conducted a full-scale air-to-surface impact-survivable impact demonstration with a remotely piloted transport aircraft on 1 December 1984, at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The test article consisted of experiments, special equipment, and supporting systems, such as antimisting kerosene (AMK), crashworthiness structural/restraint, analytical modeling, cabin fire safety, flight data recorders, post-impact investigation, instrumentation/data acquisition systems, remotely piloted vehicle/flight control systems, range and flight safety provisions, etc. This report describes the aircraft, experiments, systems, activities, and events which lead up to the Controlled Impact Demonstration (CID). An overview of the final unmanned remote control flight and sequence of impact events are delineated. Preliminary post CID observations are presented.

Imaging Pathways in Fractured Rock Using Three-Dimensional Electrical Resistivity Tomography.

PubMed

Robinson, Judith; Slater, Lee; Johnson, Timothy; Shapiro, Allen; Tiedeman, Claire; Ntarlagiannis, Dimitrios; Johnson, Carole; Day-Lewis, Frederick; Lacombe, Pierre; Imbrigiotta, Thomas; Lane, John

2016-03-01

Major challenges exist in delineating bedrock fracture zones because these cause abrupt changes in geological and hydrogeological properties over small distances. Borehole observations cannot sufficiently capture heterogeneity in these systems. Geophysical techniques offer the potential to image properties and processes in between boreholes. We used three-dimensional cross borehole electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in a 9 m (diameter) × 15 m well field to capture high-resolution flow and transport processes in a fractured mudstone contaminated by chlorinated solvents, primarily trichloroethylene. Conductive (sodium bromide) and resistive (deionized water) injections were monitored in seven boreholes. Electrode arrays with isolation packers and fluid sampling ports were designed to enable acquisition of ERT measurements during pulsed tracer injections. Fracture zone locations and hydraulic pathways inferred from hydraulic head drawdown data were compared with electrical conductivity distributions from ERT measurements. Static ERT imaging has limited resolution to decipher individual fractures; however, these images showed alternating conductive and resistive zones, consistent with alternating laminated and massive mudstone units at the site. Tracer evolution and migration was clearly revealed in time-lapse ERT images and supported by in situ borehole vertical apparent conductivity profiles collected during the pulsed tracer test. While water samples provided important local information at the extraction borehole, ERT delineated tracer migration over spatial scales capturing the primary hydrogeological heterogeneity controlling flow and transport. The fate of these tracer injections at this scale could not have been quantified using borehole logging and/or borehole sampling methods alone. © 2015, National Ground Water Association.

Using analytic element models to delineate drinking water source protection areas.

PubMed

Raymond, Heather A; Bondoc, Michael; McGinnis, John; Metropulos, Kathy; Heider, Pat; Reed, Allison; Saines, Steve

2006-01-01

Since 1999, Ohio EPA hydrogeologists have used two analytic element models (AEMs), the proprietary software GFLOW and U.S. EPA's WhAEM, to delineate protection areas for 535 public water systems. Both models now use the GFLOW2001 solution engine, integrate well with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, have a user-friendly graphical interface, are capable of simulating a variety of complex hydrogeologic settings, and do not rely upon a model grid. These features simplify the modeling process and enable AEMs to bridge the gap between existing simplistic delineation methods and more complex numerical models. Ohio EPA hydrogeologists demonstrated that WhAEM2000 and GFLOW2000 were capable of producing capture zones similar to more widely accepted models by applying the AEMs to eight sites that had been previously delineated using other methods. After the Ohio EPA delineated protection areas using AEMs, more simplistic delineation methods used by other states (volumetric equation and arbitrary fixed radii) were applied to the same water systems to compare the differences between various methods. GIS software and two-tailed paired t-tests were used to quantify the differences in protection areas and analyze the data. The results of this analysis demonstrate that AEMs typically produce significantly different protection areas than the most simplistic delineation methods, in terms of total area and shape. If the volumetric equation had been used instead of AEMs, Ohio would not have protected 265 km2 of critical upgradient area and would have overprotected 269 km2 of primarily downgradient land. Since an increasing number of land-use restrictions are being tied to drinking water protection areas, this analysis has broad policy implications.

Delineation of a collapse feature in a noisy environment using a multichannel surface wave technique

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xia, J.; Chen, C.; Li, P.H.; Lewis, M.J.

2004-01-01

A collapse developed at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Maryland, in early 2001. The location of the collapse was over a groundwater drainage system pipe buried at an elevation of +0??9 m (reference is to Chesapeake Bay level). The cause of the collapse was a subsurface drain pipe that collapsed because of saltwater corrosion of the corrugated metal pipe. The inflow/outflow of sea water and groundwater flow caused soil to be removed from the area where the pipe collapsed. To prevent damage to nearby structures, the collapse was quickly filled with uncompacted sand and gravel (???36000 kg). However, the plant had an immediate need to determine whether more underground voids existed. A high-frequency multichannel surface-wave survey technique was conducted to define the zone affected by the collapse. Although the surface-wave survey at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant was conducted at a noise level 50-100 times higher than the normal environment for a shallow seismic survey, the shear (S)-wave velocity field calculated from surface-wave data delineated a possible zone affected by the collapse. The S-wave velocity field showed chimney-shaped low-velocity anomalies that were directly related to the collapse. Based on S-wave velocity field maps, a potential zone affected by the collapse was tentatively defined.

Hydrostratigraphy and hydrogeology of the western part of Maira area, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: a case study by using electrical resistivity.

PubMed

Farid, Asam; Jadoon, Khanzaib; Akhter, Gulraiz; Iqbal, Muhammad Asim

2013-03-01

Hydrostratigraphy and hydrogeology of the Maira vicinity is important for the characterization of aquifer system and developing numerical groundwater flow models to predict the future availability of the water resource. Conventionally, the aquifer parameters are obtained by the analysis of pumping tests data which provide limited spatial information and turn out to be costly and time consuming. Vertical electrical soundings and pump testing of boreholes were conducted to delineate the aquifer system at the western part of the Maira area, Khyber Pakhtun Khwa, Pakistan. Aquifer lithology in the eastern part of the study area is dominated by coarse sand and gravel whereas the western part is characterized by fine sand. An attempt has been made to estimate the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer system by establishing a relationship between the pumping test results and vertical electrical soundings by using regression technique. The relationship is applied to the area along the resistivity profiles where boreholes are not drilled. Our findings show a good match between pumped hydraulic conductivity and estimated hydraulic conductivity. In case of sparse borehole data, regression technique is useful in estimating hydraulic properties for aquifers with varying lithology.

Mapping subtrappean sediments and delineating structure with the aid of heliborne time domain electromagnetics: Case study from Kaladgi Basin, Karnataka

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sridhar, M.; Markandeyulu, A.; Chaturvedi, A. K.

2017-01-01

Mapping of subtrappean sediments is a complex geological problem attempted by many interpreters applying different geophysical techniques. Variations in thickness and resistivity of traps and underlying sediments, respectively, results in considerable uncertainty in the interpretation of geophysical data. It is proposed that the transient electromagnetic technique is an effective geophysical tool for delineation of the sub-trappean sediments, due to marked resistivity contrast between the Deccan trap, and underlying sediments and/or basement. The northern margin of the Kaladgi basin is covered under trap. A heliborne time domain electromagnetic survey was conducted to demarcate the basin extent and map the sub-trappean sediments. Conductivity depth transformations were used to map the interface between conductive trap and resistive 'basement'. Two resistivity contrast boundaries are picked: the first corresponds to the bottom of the shallow conductive unit interpreted as the base of the Deccan Volcanics and the second - picked at the base of a deeper subsurface conductive zone - is interpreted as the weathered paleo-surface of the crystalline basement. This second boundary can only be seen in areas where the volcanics are thin or absent, suggesting that the volcanics are masking the EM signal preventing deeper penetration. An interesting feature, which shows prominently in the EM data but less clearly imaged in the magnetic data, is observed in the vicinity of Mudhol. The surface geology interpreted from satellite imagery show Deccan trap cover around Mudhol. Modelling of TDEM data suggest the presence of synclinal basin structure. The depth of penetration of the heliborne TDEM data is estimated to be approximately 350 m for the study area. This suggests that heliborne TDEM could penetrate significant thicknesses of conductive Deccan trap cover to delineate structure below in the Bagalkot Group.

Delineation of contaminant plume for an inorganic contaminated site using electrical resistivity tomography: comparison with direct-push technique.

PubMed

Liao, Qing; Deng, Yaping; Shi, Xiaoqing; Sun, Yuanyuan; Duan, Weidong; Wu, Jichun

2018-03-03

Precise delineation of contaminant plume distribution is essential for effective remediation of contaminated sites. Traditional in situ investigation methods like direct-push (DP) sampling are accurate, but are usually intrusive and costly. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) method, as a non-invasive geophysical technique to map spatiotemporal changes in resistivity of the subsurface, is becoming increasingly popular in environmental science. However, the resolution of ERT for delineation of contaminant plumes still remains controversial. In this study, ERT and DP technique were both conducted at a real inorganic contaminated site. The reliability of the ERT method was validated by the direct comparisons of their investigation results that the resistivity acquired by ERT method is in accordance with the total dissolved solid concentration in groundwater and the overall variation of the total iron content in soil obtained by DP technique. After testifying the applicability of ERT method for contaminant identification, the extension of contaminant plume at the study site was revealed by supplementary ERT surveys conducted subsequently in the surrounding area of the contaminant source zone.

Geomorphology and depositional subenvironments of Gulf Islands National Seashore, Perdido Key and Santa Rosa Island, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, Robert A.; Montgomery, Marilyn C.

2010-01-01

The primary mapping procedures were supervised functions within a Geographic Information System (GIS) that were applied to delineate and classify depositional subenvironments and features, collectively referred to as map units. The delineated boundaries of the map units were exported to create one shapefile, and are differentiated by the field "Type" in the associated attribute table. Map units were delineated and classified based on differences in tonal patterns of features in contrast to adjacent features observed on orthophotography. Land elevations from recent lidar surveys served as supplementary data to assist in delineating the map unit boundaries.

Design Experiments in Educational Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobb, Paul; Confrey, Jere; diSessa, Andrea; Lehrer, Richard; Schauble, Leona

2003-01-01

Indicates the range of purposes and variety of settings in which design experiments have been conducted, delineating five crosscutting features that collectively differentiate design experiments from other methodologies. Clarifies what is involved in preparing for and carrying out a design experiment and in conducting a retrospective analysis of…

Detection and delineation of underground septic tanks in sandy terrain using ground penetrating radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omolaiye, Gabriel Efomeh; Ayolabi, Elijah A.

2010-09-01

A ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey was conducted on the Lekki Peninsula, Lagos State, Nigeria. The primary target of the survey was the delineation of underground septic tanks (ST). A total of four GPR profiles were acquired on the survey site using Ramac X3M GPR equipment with a 250MHz antenna, chosen based on the depth of interest and resolution. An interpretable depth of penetration of 4.5m below the surface was achieved after processing. The method accurately delineated five underground ST. The tops of the ST were easily identified on the radargram based on the strong-amplitude anomalies, the length and the depths to the base of the ST were estimated with 99 and 73 percent confidence respectively. The continuous vertical profiles provide uninterrupted subsurface data along the lines of traverse, while the non-intrusive nature makes it an ideal tool for the accurate mapping and delineation of underground utilities.

Psychological Profile of Sasang Typology: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Park, Soo Hyun; Lee, Soo Jin; Kim, Myoung-geun; Wedding, Danny; Kwon, Young-Kyu

2009-01-01

A systematic review of studies related to the psychological characteristics of Sasang types was conducted with the goal of delineating generalizable psychological profiles based on Sasang typology, a traditional Korean medical typology with medical herbs and acupuncture that is characterized as personalized medicine. Journal articles pertaining to Sasang typology were collected using five electronic database systems in Korea and in the USA. As a result, 64 potentially relevant studies were identified and 21 peer-reviewed research articles that employed psychometric inventories were included. Beginning with the use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory in 1992, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, NEO-Personality Inventory, Temperament and Character Inventory and other personality assessment tools were employed in the identified studies. Because data synthesis could not be carried out due to the heterogeneity of the studies, the present review article sought to delineate the mutual relevance of the studies based on research results pertaining to the correlation between the aforementioned psychological assessment instruments. Results of the review indicate that two super-factors, Extraversion and Neuroticism, serve as the foundation in regards to delineating personality constructs, such that the So-Yang type scored high on the Extraversion dimension and low on the Neuroticism dimension, while the So-Eum type scored low on the Extraversion dimension and high on the Neuroticism dimension. The present systematic review indicates that Sasang typology shares similarities with the Western psychological tradition. PMID:19745008

Psychological profile of sasang typology: a systematic review.

PubMed

Chae, Han; Park, Soo Hyun; Lee, Soo Jin; Kim, Myoung-Geun; Wedding, Danny; Kwon, Young-Kyu

2009-09-01

A systematic review of studies related to the psychological characteristics of Sasang types was conducted with the goal of delineating generalizable psychological profiles based on Sasang typology, a traditional Korean medical typology with medical herbs and acupuncture that is characterized as personalized medicine. Journal articles pertaining to Sasang typology were collected using five electronic database systems in Korea and in the USA. As a result, 64 potentially relevant studies were identified and 21 peer-reviewed research articles that employed psychometric inventories were included. Beginning with the use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory in 1992, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, NEO-Personality Inventory, Temperament and Character Inventory and other personality assessment tools were employed in the identified studies. Because data synthesis could not be carried out due to the heterogeneity of the studies, the present review article sought to delineate the mutual relevance of the studies based on research results pertaining to the correlation between the aforementioned psychological assessment instruments. Results of the review indicate that two super-factors, Extraversion and Neuroticism, serve as the foundation in regards to delineating personality constructs, such that the So-Yang type scored high on the Extraversion dimension and low on the Neuroticism dimension, while the So-Eum type scored low on the Extraversion dimension and high on the Neuroticism dimension. The present systematic review indicates that Sasang typology shares similarities with the Western psychological tradition.

Time lapse survey plan on the first offshore methane hydrate production test in 2013 around the eastern Nankai Trough area by multi-component OBC seismic tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inamori, T.; Hayashi, T.; Asakawa, E.; Takahashi, H.; Saeki, T.

2011-12-01

We are planning to conduct the multi-component ocean bottom cable (hereafter OBC) seismic survey to monitor the methane hydrate dissociation zone at the 1st offshore methane hydrate production test site in the eastern Nankai Trough, Japan, in 2013. We conducted the first OBC survey in the methane hydrate concentrated zone around the eastern Nankai Trough area in 2006 by RSCS which we developed. We obtained to the good image of methane hydrate bearing layer by P-P section as similar as the conventional surface seismic survey. However, we could not obtain the good image from P-S section compared with P-P section. On the other hand, we studied the sonic velocity distribution at the Mallik 2nd production test before and after in 2007, by the sonic tool data. We could clearly delineate the decrease of S-wave velocity, however, we could not detect the decrease of P-wave velocity because of the presence of the dissociated methane gas from methane hydrate. From these reason we guess the S-wave data is more proper to delineate the condition of the methane hydrate zone at the methane hydrate production tests than P-wave data. We are now developing the new OBC system, which we call Deep-sea Seismic System (hereafter DSS). The sensor of the DSS will install three accelerometers and one hydrophone. A feasibility study to detect the methane hydrate dissociation with the DSS was carried out and we found that the methane hydrate dissociation could be detected with the DSS depending on the zone of the dissociation. And the baseline survey will be held at the 1st offshore methane hydrate production test site in summer 2012. Two monitoring surveys are planned after the methane hydrate production test in 2013. We believe that we will get the good images to delineate the methane hydrate dissociated zone from this time lapse survey. The Authors would like to thank METI, MH21 consortium and JOGMEC for permissions to publish this paper.

A comparison of three fiber tract delineation methods and their impact on white matter analysis.

PubMed

Sydnor, Valerie J; Rivas-Grajales, Ana María; Lyall, Amanda E; Zhang, Fan; Bouix, Sylvain; Karmacharya, Sarina; Shenton, Martha E; Westin, Carl-Fredrik; Makris, Nikos; Wassermann, Demian; O'Donnell, Lauren J; Kubicki, Marek

2018-05-19

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is an important method for studying white matter connectivity in the brain in vivo in both healthy and clinical populations. Improvements in dMRI tractography algorithms, which reconstruct macroscopic three-dimensional white matter fiber pathways, have allowed for methodological advances in the study of white matter; however, insufficient attention has been paid to comparing post-tractography methods that extract white matter fiber tracts of interest from whole-brain tractography. Here we conduct a comparison of three representative and conceptually distinct approaches to fiber tract delineation: 1) a manual multiple region of interest-based approach, 2) an atlas-based approach, and 3) a groupwise fiber clustering approach, by employing methods that exemplify these approaches to delineate the arcuate fasciculus, the middle longitudinal fasciculus, and the uncinate fasciculus in 10 healthy male subjects. We enable qualitative comparisons across methods, conduct quantitative evaluations of tract volume, tract length, mean fractional anisotropy, and true positive and true negative rates, and report measures of intra-method and inter-method agreement. We discuss methodological similarities and differences between the three approaches and the major advantages and drawbacks of each, and review research and clinical contexts for which each method may be most apposite. Emphasis is given to the means by which different white matter fiber tract delineation approaches may systematically produce variable results, despite utilizing the same input tractography and reliance on similar anatomical knowledge. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Design of the primary pre-TRMM and TRMM ground truth site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garstang, Michael

1988-01-01

The primary objective of the Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (TRMM) were to: integrate the rain gage measurements with radar measurements of rainfall using the KSFC/Patrick digitized radar and associated rainfall network; delineate the major rain bearing systems over Florida using the Weather Service reported radar/rainfall distributions; combine the integrated measurements with the delineated rain bearing systems; use the results of the combined measurements and delineated rain bearing systems to represent patterns of rainfall which actually exist and contribute significantly to the rainfall to test sampling strategies and based on the results of these analyses decide upon the ground truth network; and complete the design begun in Phase 1 of a multi-scale (space and time) surface observing precipitation network centered upon KSFC. Work accomplished and in progress is discussed.

The revised APTA code of ethics for the physical therapist and standards of ethical conduct for the physical therapist assistant: theory, purpose, process, and significance.

PubMed

Swisher, Laura Lee; Hiller, Peggy

2010-05-01

In June 2009, the House of Delegates (HOD) of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) passed a major revision of the APTA Code of Ethics for physical therapists and the Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant. The revised documents will be effective July 1, 2010. The purposes of this article are: (1) to provide a historical, professional, and theoretical context for this important revision; (2) to describe the 4-year revision process; (3) to examine major features of the documents; and (4) to discuss the significance of the revisions from the perspective of the maturation of physical therapy as a doctoring profession. PROCESS OF REVISION: The process for revision is delineated within the context of history and the Bylaws of APTA. FORMAT, STRUCTURE, AND CONTENT OF REVISED CORE ETHICS DOCUMENTS: The revised documents represent a significant change in format, level of detail, and scope of application. Previous APTA Codes of Ethics and Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant have delineated very broad general principles, with specific obligations spelled out in the Ethics and Judicial Committee's Guide for Professional Conduct and Guide for Conduct of the Physical Therapist Assistant. In contrast to the current documents, the revised documents address all 5 roles of the physical therapist, delineate ethical obligations in organizational and business contexts, and align with the tenets of Vision 2020. The significance of this revision is discussed within historical parameters, the implications for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, the maturation of the profession, societal accountability and moral community, potential regulatory implications, and the inclusive and deliberative process of moral dialogue by which changes were developed, revised, and approved.

Parametric modelling of cardiac system multiple measurement signals: an open-source computer framework for performance evaluation of ECG, PCG and ABP event detectors.

PubMed

Homaeinezhad, M R; Sabetian, P; Feizollahi, A; Ghaffari, A; Rahmani, R

2012-02-01

The major focus of this study is to present a performance accuracy assessment framework based on mathematical modelling of cardiac system multiple measurement signals. Three mathematical algebraic subroutines with simple structural functions for synthetic generation of the synchronously triggered electrocardiogram (ECG), phonocardiogram (PCG) and arterial blood pressure (ABP) signals are described. In the case of ECG signals, normal and abnormal PQRST cycles in complicated conditions such as fascicular ventricular tachycardia, rate dependent conduction block and acute Q-wave infarctions of inferior and anterolateral walls can be simulated. Also, continuous ABP waveform with corresponding individual events such as systolic, diastolic and dicrotic pressures with normal or abnormal morphologies can be generated by another part of the model. In addition, the mathematical synthetic PCG framework is able to generate the S4-S1-S2-S3 cycles in normal and in cardiac disorder conditions such as stenosis, insufficiency, regurgitation and gallop. In the PCG model, the amplitude and frequency content (5-700 Hz) of each sound and variation patterns can be specified. The three proposed models were implemented to generate artificial signals with varies abnormality types and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), for quantitative detection-delineation performance assessment of several ECG, PCG and ABP individual event detectors designed based on the Hilbert transform, discrete wavelet transform, geometric features such as area curve length (ACLM), the multiple higher order moments (MHOM) metric, and the principal components analysed geometric index (PCAGI). For each method the detection-delineation operating characteristics were obtained automatically in terms of sensitivity, positive predictivity and delineation (segmentation) error rms and checked by the cardiologist. The Matlab m-file script of the synthetic ECG, ABP and PCG signal generators are available in the Appendix.

Evaluation of methodology for delineation of protection zones around public-supply wells in west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vecchioli, John; Hunn, J.D.; Aucott, W.R.

1989-01-01

Public-supply wells in the west-central Florida area of Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Hillsborough, and Pinellas Counties derive their supply solely from the Floridan aquifer system. In much of this area, the Floridan is at or near land surface and vulnerable to contamination. Recognizing this potential threat to the aquifer, the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation (FDER) recently promulgated regulations providing for the delineation of protection zones around public-supply wells that tap vulnerable aquifers, such as the Floridan in west-central Florida. This report evaluates the methodology for delineation of protection zones for public supply wells in west-central Florida in accordance with the methods detailed in the FDER regulations. Protection zones were delineated for public supply wells or well fields that are permitted an average daily withdrawal of 100,000 gal or more from the Floridan aquifer system where it is unconfined or leaky confined. Leaky confined, as used in FDER regulations describe conditions such that the time for a particle of water to travel vertically from the water table to the top of the Floridan is 5 years or less. Protection zones were delineated by using a radial volumetric-displacement model that simulated 5 years of permitted-rate withdrawal. Where zones overlapped, such as for well fields, composite protection zones in shapes that varied according to the configuration of well arrays were delineated on maps. (USGS)

Automatic segmentation software in locally advanced rectal cancer: READY (REsearch program in Auto Delineation sYstem)-RECTAL 02: prospective study.

PubMed

Gambacorta, Maria A; Boldrini, Luca; Valentini, Chiara; Dinapoli, Nicola; Mattiucci, Gian C; Chiloiro, Giuditta; Pasini, Danilo; Manfrida, Stefania; Caria, Nicola; Minsky, Bruce D; Valentini, Vincenzo

2016-07-05

To validate autocontouring software (AS) in a clinical practice including a two steps delineation quality assurance (QA) procedure.The existing delineation agreement among experts for rectal cancer and the overlap and time criteria that have to be verified to allow the use of AS were defined.Median Dice Similarity Coefficient (MDSC), Mean slicewise Hausdorff Distances (MSHD) and Total-Time saving (TT) were analyzed.Two expert Radiation Oncologists reviewed CT-scans of 44 patients and agreed the reference-CTV: the first 14 consecutive cases were used to populate the software Atlas and 30 were used as Test.Each expert performed a manual (group A) and an automatic delineation (group B) of 15 Test patients.The delineations were compared with the reference contours.The overlap between the manual and automatic delineations with MDSC and MSHD and the TT were analyzed.Three acceptance criteria were set: MDSC ≥ 0.75, MSHD ≤1mm and TT sparing ≥ 50%.At least 2 criteria had to be met, one of which had to be TT saving, to validate the system.The MDSC was 0.75, MSHD 2.00 mm and the TT saving 55.5% between group A and group B. MDSC among experts was 0.84.Autosegmentation systems in rectal cancer partially met acceptability criteria with the present version.

Enhancements to TauDEM to support Rapid Watershed Delineation Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sazib, N. S.; Tarboton, D. G.

2015-12-01

Watersheds are widely recognized as the basic functional unit for water resources management studies and are important for a variety of problems in hydrology, ecology, and geomorphology. Nevertheless, delineating a watershed spread across a large region is still cumbersome due to the processing burden of working with large Digital Elevation Model. Terrain Analysis Using Digital Elevation Models (TauDEM) software supports the delineation of watersheds and stream networks from within desktop Geographic Information Systems. A rich set of watershed and stream network attributes are computed. However limitations of the TauDEM desktop tools are (1) it supports only one type of raster (tiff format) data (2) requires installation of software for parallel processing, and (3) data have to be in projected coordinate system. This paper presents enhancements to TauDEM that have been developed to extend its generality and support web based watershed delineation services. The enhancements of TauDEM include (1) reading and writing raster data with the open-source geospatial data abstraction library (GDAL) not limited to the tiff data format and (2) support for both geographic and projected coordinates. To support web services for rapid watershed delineation a procedure has been developed for sub setting the domain based on sub-catchments, with preprocessed data prepared for each catchment stored. This allows the watershed delineation to function locally, while extending to the full extent of watersheds using preprocessed information. Additional capabilities of this program includes computation of average watershed properties and geomorphic and channel network variables such as drainage density, shape factor, relief ratio and stream ordering. The updated version of TauDEM increases the practical applicability of it in terms of raster data type, size and coordinate system. The watershed delineation web service functionality is useful for web based software as service deployments that alleviate the need for users to install and work with desktop GIS software.

A Comparative Review of North American Tundra Delineations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Silver, Kirk C.; Carroll, Mark

2013-01-01

Recent profound changes have been observed in the Arctic environment, including record low sea ice extents and high latitude greening. Studying the Arctic and how it is changing is an important element of climate change science. The Tundra, an ecoregion of the Arctic, is directly related to climate change due to its effects on the snow ice feedback mechanism and greenhouse gas cycling. Like all ecoregions, the Tundra border is shifting, yet studies and policies require clear delineation of boundaries. There are many options for ecoregion classification systems, as well as resources for creating custom maps. To help decision makers identify the best classification system possible, we present a review of North American Tundra ecoregion delineations and further explore the methodologies, purposes, limitations, and physical properties of five common ecoregion classification systems. We quantitatively compare the corresponding maps by area using a geographic information system.

Infiltration and hydraulic connections from the Niagara River to a fractured-dolomite aquifer in Niagara Falls, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yager, R.M.; Kappel, W.M.

1998-01-01

The spatial distribution of hydrogen and oxygen stable-isotope values in groundwater can be used to distinguish different sources of recharge and to trace groundwater flow directions from recharge boundaries. This method can be particularly useful in fractured-rock settings where multiple lines of evidence are required to delineate preferential flow paths that result from heterogeneity within fracture zones. Flow paths delineated with stable isotopes can be combined with hydraulic data to form a more complete picture of the groundwater flow system. In this study values of ??D and ??18O were used to delineate paths of river-water infiltration into the Lockport Group, a fractured dolomite aquifer, and to compute the percentage of fiver water in groundwater samples from shallow bedrock wells. Flow paths were correlated with areas of high hydraulic diffusivity in the shallow bedrock that were delineated from water-level fluctuations induced by diurnal stage fluctuations in man-made hydraulic structures. Flow paths delineated with the stable-isotope and hydraulic data suggest that fiver infiltration reaches an unlined storm sewer in the bedrock through a drainage system that surrounds aqueducts carrying river water to hydroelectric power plants. This finding is significant because the storm sewer is the discharge point for contaminated groundwater from several chemical waste-disposal sites and the cost of treating the storm sewer's discharge could be reduced if the volume of infiltration from the river were decreased.The spatial distribution of hydrogen and oxygen stable-isotope values in groundwater can be used to distinguish different sources of recharge and to trace groundwater flow directions from recharge boundaries. This method can be particularly useful in fractured-rock settings where multiple lines of evidence are required to delineate preferential flow paths that result from heterogeneity within fracture zones. Flow paths delineated with stable isotopes can be combined with hydraulic data to form a more complete picture of the groundwater flow system. In this study values of ??D and ??18O were used to delineate paths of river-water infiltration into the Lockport Group, a fractured dolomite aquifer, and to compute the percentage of river water in groundwater samples from shallow bedrock wells. Flow paths were correlated with areas of high hydraulic diffusivity in the shallow bedrock that were delineated from water-level fluctuations induced by diurnal stage fluctuations in man-made hydraulic structures. Flow paths delineated with the stable-isotope and hydraulic data suggest that river infiltration reaches an unlined storm sewer in the bedrock through a drainage system that surrounds aqueducts carrying river water to hydroelectric power plants. This finding is significant because the storm sewer is the discharge point for contaminated groundwater from several chemical waste-disposal sites and the cost of treating the storm sewer's discharge could be reduced if the volume of infiltration from the river were decreased.

Particle-tracking analysis of contributing areas of public-supply wells in simple and complex flow systems, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barlow, Paul M.

1997-01-01

Steady-state, two- and three-dimensional, ground-water-flow models coupled with particle tracking were evaluated to determine their effectiveness in delineating contributing areas of wells pumping from stratified-drift aquifers of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Several contributing areas delineated by use of the three-dimensional models do not conform to simple ellipsoidal shapes that are typically delineated by use of two-dimensional analytical and numerical modeling techniques and included discontinuous areas of the water table.

Delineation of estuarine management areas using multivariate geostatistics: the case of Sado Estuary.

PubMed

Caeiro, Sandra; Goovaerts, Pierre; Painho, Marco; Costa, M Helena

2003-09-15

The Sado Estuary is a coastal zone located in the south of Portugal where conflicts between conservation and development exist because of its location near industrialized urban zones and its designation as a natural reserve. The aim of this paper is to evaluate a set of multivariate geostatistical approaches to delineate spatially contiguous regions of sediment structure for Sado Estuary. These areas will be the supporting infrastructure of an environmental management system for this estuary. The boundaries of each homogeneous area were derived from three sediment characterization attributes through three different approaches: (1) cluster analysis of dissimilarity matrix function of geographical separation followed by indicator kriging of the cluster data, (2) discriminant analysis of kriged values of the three sediment attributes, and (3) a combination of methods 1 and 2. Final maximum likelihood classification was integrated into a geographical information system. All methods generated fairly spatially contiguous management areas that reproduce well the environment of the estuary. Map comparison techniques based on kappa statistics showed thatthe resultant three maps are similar, supporting the choice of any of the methods as appropriate for management of the Sado Estuary. However, the results of method 1 seem to be in better agreement with estuary behavior, assessment of contamination sources, and previous work conducted at this site.

Architectural element analysis within the Kayenta Formation (Lower Jurassic) using ground-probing radar and sedimentological profiling, southwestern Colorado

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stephens, Mark

1994-05-01

A well exposed outcrop in the Kayenta Formation (Lower Jurassic) in southwestern Colorado was examined in order to delineate the stratigraphy in the subsurface and test the usefulness of ground-probing radar (GPR) in three-dimensional architectural studies. Two fluvial styles are present within the Kayenta Formation. Sandbodies within the lower third of the outcrop are characterized by parallel laminations that can be followed in the cliff-face for well over 300 m. These sandbodies are sheet-like in appearance, and represent high-energy flood deposits that most likely resulted from episodic floods. The remainder of the outcrop is characterized by concave-up channel deposits with bank-attached and mid-channel macroforms. Their presence suggests a multiple channel river system. The GPR data collected on the cliff-top, together with sedimentological data, provided a partial three-dimensional picture of the paleo-river system within the Kayenta Formation. The 3-D picture consists of stacked channel-bar lenses approximately 50 m in diameter. The GPR technique offers a very effective means of delineating the subsurface stratigraphy. Its high resolution capabilities, easy mobility, and rapid rate of data collection make it a useful tool. Its shallow penetration depth and limitation to low-conductivity environments are its only drawbacks.

Detection of contaminant plumes by bore­ hole geophysical logging

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mack, Thomas J.

1993-01-01

Two borehole geophysical methods—electromagnetic induction and natural gamma radiation logs—were used to vertically delineate landfill leachate plumes in a glacial aquifer. Geophysical logs of monitoring wells near two land-fills in a glacial aquifer in west-central Vermont show that borehole geophysical methods can aid in interpretation of geologic logs and placement of monitoring well screens to sample landfill leachate plumes.Zones of high electrical conductance were delineated from the electromagnetic log in wells near two landfills. Some of these zones were found to correlate with silt and clay units on the basis of drilling and gamma logs. Monitoring wells were screened specifically in zones of high electrical conductivity that did not correlate to a silt or clay unit. Zones of high electrical conductivity that did not correlate to a silt or clay unit were caused by the presence of ground water with a high specific conductance, generally from 1000 to 2370 μS/cm (microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius). Ambient ground water in the study area has a specific conductance of approximately 200 to 400 μS/cm. Landfill leachate plumes were found to be approximately 5 to 20 feet thick and to be near the water table surface.

Fly-by-light flight control system technology development plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chakravarty, A.; Berwick, J. W.; Griffith, D. M.; Marston, S. E.; Norton, R. L.

1990-01-01

The results of a four-month, phased effort to develop a Fly-by-Light Technology Development Plan are documented. The technical shortfalls for each phase were identified and a development plan to bridge the technical gap was developed. The production configuration was defined for a 757-type airplane, but it is suggested that the demonstration flight be conducted on the NASA Transport Systems Research Vehicle. The modifications required and verification and validation issues are delineated in this report. A detailed schedule for the phased introduction of fly-by-light system components has been generated. It is concluded that a fiber-optics program would contribute significantly toward developing the required state of readiness that will make a fly-by-light control system not only cost effective but reliable without mitigating the weight and high-energy radio frequency related benefits.

3D automatic anatomy segmentation based on iterative graph-cut-ASM.

PubMed

Chen, Xinjian; Bagci, Ulas

2011-08-01

This paper studies the feasibility of developing an automatic anatomy segmentation (AAS) system in clinical radiology and demonstrates its operation on clinical 3D images. The AAS system, the authors are developing consists of two main parts: object recognition and object delineation. As for recognition, a hierarchical 3D scale-based multiobject method is used for the multiobject recognition task, which incorporates intensity weighted ball-scale (b-scale) information into the active shape model (ASM). For object delineation, an iterative graph-cut-ASM (IGCASM) algorithm is proposed, which effectively combines the rich statistical shape information embodied in ASM with the globally optimal delineation capability of the GC method. The presented IGCASM algorithm is a 3D generalization of the 2D GC-ASM method that they proposed previously in Chen et al. [Proc. SPIE, 7259, 72590C1-72590C-8 (2009)]. The proposed methods are tested on two datasets comprised of images obtained from 20 patients (10 male and 10 female) of clinical abdominal CT scans, and 11 foot magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The test is for four organs (liver, left and right kidneys, and spleen) segmentation, five foot bones (calcaneus, tibia, cuboid, talus, and navicular). The recognition and delineation accuracies were evaluated separately. The recognition accuracy was evaluated in terms of translation, rotation, and scale (size) error. The delineation accuracy was evaluated in terms of true and false positive volume fractions (TPVF, FPVF). The efficiency of the delineation method was also evaluated on an Intel Pentium IV PC with a 3.4 GHZ CPU machine. The recognition accuracies in terms of translation, rotation, and scale error over all organs are about 8 mm, 10 degrees and 0.03, and over all foot bones are about 3.5709 mm, 0.35 degrees and 0.025, respectively. The accuracy of delineation over all organs for all subjects as expressed in TPVF and FPVF is 93.01% and 0.22%, and all foot bones for all subjects are 93.75% and 0.28%, respectively. While the delineations for the four organs can be accomplished quite rapidly with average of 78 s, the delineations for the five foot bones can be accomplished with average of 70 s. The experimental results showed the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed automatic anatomy segmentation system: (a) the incorporation of shape priors into the GC framework is feasible in 3D as demonstrated previously for 2D images; (b) our results in 3D confirm the accuracy behavior observed in 2D. The hybrid strategy IGCASM seems to be more robust and accurate than ASM and GC individually; and (c) delineations within body regions and foot bones of clinical importance can be accomplished quite rapidly within 1.5 min.

‘I–We’ boundary fluctuations in couple adjustment to rectal cancer and life with a permanent colostomy

PubMed Central

McCarthy, Molly; Fergus, Karen; Miller, Debbie

2016-01-01

This study investigates couples’ adjustment to rectal cancer and a colostomy using the ‘Classification System of Couple Adjustment to Cancer’, a framework delineating fluctuations in couples’ sense of ‘I’ and ‘We’ in response to cancer. Nine couples affected by rectal cancer and adjusting to life with a colostomy were interviewed. A theoretical thematic analysis of the transcripts was conducted; nearly all ‘I–We’ shifts of the Classification System of Couple Adjustment to Cancer were observed – often in unique ways in response to rectal cancer–specific challenges – and one new shift was described. The results provide a novel and experientially grounded means of conceptualizing complex dyadic coping processes. PMID:28070388

Cooperative geochemical investigation of geothermal resources in the Imperial Valley and Yuma areas. Final report

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

Coplen, T.B.

1973-10-01

Preliminary studies indicate that the Imperial Valley has a large geothermal potential. In order to delineate additional geothermal systems a chemical and isotopic investigation of samples from water wells, springs, and geothermal wells in the Imperial Valley and Yuma areas was conducted. Na, K, and Ca concentrations of nearly 200 well water, spring water, hot spring, and geothermal fluid samples from the Imperial Valley area were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Fournier and Truesdell's function was determined for each water sample. Suspected geothermal areas are identified. Hydrogen and oxygen isotope abundances were determined in order to determine and to identifymore » the source of the water in the Mesa geothermal system. (JGB)« less

Integrated geophysical investigations for the delineation of source and subsurface structure associated with hydro-uranium anomaly: A case study from South Purulia Shear Zone (SPSZ), India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, S. P.; Biswas, A.

2012-12-01

South Purulia Shear Zone (SPSZ) is an important region for prospecting of uranium mineralization. Geological studies and hydro-uranium anomaly suggest the presence of Uranium deposit around Raghunathpur village which lies about 8 km north of SPSZ. However, detailed geophysical investigations have not been carried out in this region for investigation of uranium mineralization. Since surface signature of uranium mineralization is not depicted near the location, a deeper subsurface source is expected for hydro uranium anomaly. To delineate the subsurface structure and to investigate the origin of hydro-uranium anomaly present in the area, Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) using Schlumberger array and Gradient Resistivity Profiling (GRP) were performed at different locations along a profile perpendicular to the South Purulia Shear Zone. Apparent resistivity computed from the measured sounding data at various locations shows a continuously increasing trend. As a result, conventional apparent resistivity data is not able to detect the possible source of hydro uranium anomaly. An innovative approach is applied which depicts the apparent conductivity in the subsurface revealed a possible connection from SPSZ to Raghunathpur. On the other hand resistivity profiling data suggests a low resistive zone which is also characterized by low Self-Potential (SP) anomaly zone. Since SPSZ is characterized by the source of uranium mineralization; hydro-uranium anomaly at Raghunathpur is connected with the SPSZ. The conducting zone has been delineated from SPSZ to Raghunathpur at deeper depths which could be uranium bearing. Since the location is also characterized by a low gravity and high magnetic anomaly zone, this conducting zone is likely to be mineralized zone. Keywords: Apparent resistivity; apparent conductivity; Self Potential; Uranium mineralization; shear zone; hydro-uranium anomaly.

Delineation of a landfill leachate plume using shallow electromagnetic and ground-penetrating radar surveys

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

Nobes, D.C.; Armstrong, M.J.; Broadbent, M.

1994-12-31

Leachate plumes are often more electrically conductive than the surrounding host pore waters, and thus can be detected using shallow electromagnetic (EM) methods. The depth of penetration of ground penetrating radar (GPR) is controlled to a large extent by the electrical conductivity. Conductive leachate plumes will appear as ``blank`` areas in the radar profiles, because the radar energy is more severely attenuated in the region of the leachate plume. The authors present here the results of EM and GPR Surveys carried out in an area adjacent to a landfill site. Previous resistivity surveys indicated the presence of a leachate plumemore » originating from an early stage of the landfill operation. The shallow EM and GPR surveys were carried out, in part, to confirm and refine the resistivity results, and to delineate the spatial extent of the plume. The surficial sediments are coastal sands, and the dune topography has an effect on the EM results, even though the variations in elevation are, in general, no more than 3 m. Besides the leachate plume, numerous conductivity highs and lows are present, which are at least coarsely correlated with topographic lows and highs. Following the empirical procedure outlined by Monier-Williams et al. (1990), the topographic effects have been removed, and the plume is better isolated and delineated. A possible second, weaker leachate plume has been identified, emanating from the current landfill operation. The second plume may follow a channel that was masked by the overlying dune sands. The leading edge of the primary leachate plume is moving to the south-southeast at a rate of 14 to 15 m/yr.« less

An initial analysis of LANDSAT 4 Thematic Mapper data for the classification of agricultural, forested wetland, and urban land covers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, D. A.; Anderson, J. E.; Brannon, D. P.; Hill, C. L.

1982-01-01

An initial analysis of LANDSAT 4 thematic mapper (TM) data for the delineation and classification of agricultural, forested wetland, and urban land covers was conducted. A study area in Poinsett County, Arkansas was used to evaluate a classification of agricultural lands derived from multitemporal LANDSAT multispectral scanner (MSS) data in comparison with a classification of TM data for the same area. Data over Reelfoot Lake in northwestern Tennessee were utilized to evaluate the TM for delineating forested wetland species. A classification of the study area was assessed for accuracy in discriminating five forested wetland categories. Finally, the TM data were used to identify urban features within a small city. A computer generated classification of Union City, Tennessee was analyzed for accuracy in delineating urban land covers. An evaluation of digitally enhanced TM data using principal components analysis to facilitate photointerpretation of urban features was also performed.

OCLC for the hospital library: the justification plan for hospital administration.

PubMed

Allen, C W; Branson, J R

1982-07-01

This paper delineates the necessary steps to provide hospital administrators with the information needed to evaluate an automated system, OCLC, for addition to the medical library. Based on experience at the Norton-Children's Hospitals, included are: (1) cost analyses of present technical processing systems and cost comparisons with OCLC; (2) delineation of start-up costs for installing OCLC; (3) budgetary requirements for 1981; (4) the impact of automation on library systems, personnel, and services; (5) potential as a shared service; and (6) preparation of the proposal for administrative review.

OCLC for the hospital library: the justification plan for hospital administration.

PubMed Central

Allen, C W; Branson, J R

1982-01-01

This paper delineates the necessary steps to provide hospital administrators with the information needed to evaluate an automated system, OCLC, for addition to the medical library. Based on experience at the Norton-Children's Hospitals, included are: (1) cost analyses of present technical processing systems and cost comparisons with OCLC; (2) delineation of start-up costs for installing OCLC; (3) budgetary requirements for 1981; (4) the impact of automation on library systems, personnel, and services; (5) potential as a shared service; and (6) preparation of the proposal for administrative review. PMID:7116018

The instrumental principles of MST radars and incoherent scatter radars and the configuration of radar system hardware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roettger, Juergen

1989-01-01

The principle of pulse modulation used in the case of coherent scatter radars (MST radars) is discussed. Coherent detection and the corresponding system configuration is delineated. Antenna requirements and design are outlined and the phase-coherent transmitter/receiver system is described. Transmit/receive duplexers, transmitters, receivers, and quadrature detectors are explained. The radar controller, integrator, decoder and correlator design as well as the data transfer and the control and monitoring by the host computer are delineated. Typical operation parameters of some well-known radars are summarized.

Improving the delineation of hydrocarbon-impacted soils and water through induced polarization (IP) tomographies: a field study at an industrial waste land.

PubMed

Deceuster, John; Kaufmann, Olivier

2012-08-01

Without a good estimation of samples representativeness, the delineation of the contaminated plume extent and the evaluation of volumes of hydrocarbon-impacted soils may remain difficult. To contribute to this question, a time domain induced polarization (IP) field experiment was conducted on an industrial waste land. Boreholes were drilled to specify the local geological context. Cross-hole seismic tomographies were performed to extend borehole logs and to draw an interpreted geological cross-section. Soil samples taken during drillings were analysed in laboratory. A preliminary survey was conducted to locate the IP profile. The polarization signatures linked to the presence of clayey sediments were filtered out from the data set. Chargeability and resistivity depth soundings were computed and compared to mean concentrations of total organic products to overcome the data support issue between the geophysical models and the spot samples of soils. A logarithmic relation between chargeabilities and smoothed hydrocarbon concentrations in soils was found. Taking into account contaminant's concentration thresholds defined in local codes and regulations allows defining chargeability classes to delineate hotspots on this site. This showed that IP tomography can be an accurate screening methodology. A statistical methodology is proposed to assess the efficiency of the investigation strategy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Urban area delineation and detection of change along the urban-rural boundary as derived from LANDSAT digital data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christenson, J. W.; Lachowski, H. M.

1977-01-01

LANDSAT digital multispectral scanner data, in conjunction with supporting ground truth, were investigated to determine their utility in delineation of urban-rural boundaries. The digital data for the metropolitan areas of Washington, D. C.; Austin, Texas; and Seattle, Washingtion; were processed using an interactive image processing system. Processing focused on identification of major land cover types typical of the zone of transition from urban to rural landscape, and definition of their spectral signatures. Census tract boundaries were input into the interactive image processing system along with the LANDSAT single and overlayed multiple date MSS data. Results of this investigation indicate that satellite collected information has a practical application to the problem of urban area delineation and to change detection.

Body-wide hierarchical fuzzy modeling, recognition, and delineation of anatomy in medical images.

PubMed

Udupa, Jayaram K; Odhner, Dewey; Zhao, Liming; Tong, Yubing; Matsumoto, Monica M S; Ciesielski, Krzysztof C; Falcao, Alexandre X; Vaideeswaran, Pavithra; Ciesielski, Victoria; Saboury, Babak; Mohammadianrasanani, Syedmehrdad; Sin, Sanghun; Arens, Raanan; Torigian, Drew A

2014-07-01

To make Quantitative Radiology (QR) a reality in radiological practice, computerized body-wide Automatic Anatomy Recognition (AAR) becomes essential. With the goal of building a general AAR system that is not tied to any specific organ system, body region, or image modality, this paper presents an AAR methodology for localizing and delineating all major organs in different body regions based on fuzzy modeling ideas and a tight integration of fuzzy models with an Iterative Relative Fuzzy Connectedness (IRFC) delineation algorithm. The methodology consists of five main steps: (a) gathering image data for both building models and testing the AAR algorithms from patient image sets existing in our health system; (b) formulating precise definitions of each body region and organ and delineating them following these definitions; (c) building hierarchical fuzzy anatomy models of organs for each body region; (d) recognizing and locating organs in given images by employing the hierarchical models; and (e) delineating the organs following the hierarchy. In Step (c), we explicitly encode object size and positional relationships into the hierarchy and subsequently exploit this information in object recognition in Step (d) and delineation in Step (e). Modality-independent and dependent aspects are carefully separated in model encoding. At the model building stage, a learning process is carried out for rehearsing an optimal threshold-based object recognition method. The recognition process in Step (d) starts from large, well-defined objects and proceeds down the hierarchy in a global to local manner. A fuzzy model-based version of the IRFC algorithm is created by naturally integrating the fuzzy model constraints into the delineation algorithm. The AAR system is tested on three body regions - thorax (on CT), abdomen (on CT and MRI), and neck (on MRI and CT) - involving a total of over 35 organs and 130 data sets (the total used for model building and testing). The training and testing data sets are divided into equal size in all cases except for the neck. Overall the AAR method achieves a mean accuracy of about 2 voxels in localizing non-sparse blob-like objects and most sparse tubular objects. The delineation accuracy in terms of mean false positive and negative volume fractions is 2% and 8%, respectively, for non-sparse objects, and 5% and 15%, respectively, for sparse objects. The two object groups achieve mean boundary distance relative to ground truth of 0.9 and 1.5 voxels, respectively. Some sparse objects - venous system (in the thorax on CT), inferior vena cava (in the abdomen on CT), and mandible and naso-pharynx (in neck on MRI, but not on CT) - pose challenges at all levels, leading to poor recognition and/or delineation results. The AAR method fares quite favorably when compared with methods from the recent literature for liver, kidneys, and spleen on CT images. We conclude that separation of modality-independent from dependent aspects, organization of objects in a hierarchy, encoding of object relationship information explicitly into the hierarchy, optimal threshold-based recognition learning, and fuzzy model-based IRFC are effective concepts which allowed us to demonstrate the feasibility of a general AAR system that works in different body regions on a variety of organs and on different modalities. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

41 CFR 102-83.45 - Where may Executive agencies find guidance on appealing GSA's decisions and recommendations...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... agencies find guidance on appealing GSA's decisions and recommendations concerning delineated areas? 102-83... System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 83-LOCATION OF SPACE Location of Space... recommendations concerning delineated areas? GSA's PBS provides guidance in its Customer Guide to Real Property on...

The Adoption of Roles by Primary Care Providers during Implementation of the New Chronic Disease Guidelines in Urban Mongolia: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Chimeddamba, Oyun; Ayton, Darshini; Bazarragchaa, Nansalmaa; Dorjsuren, Bayarsaikhan; Peeters, Anna; Joyce, Catherine

2016-04-07

(1) BACKGROUND: In 2011, new chronic disease guidelines were introduced across Mongolia. No formal advice was provided regarding role delineation. This study aimed to analyse the roles that different primary care providers adopted, and the variations in these, in the implementation of the guidelines in urban Mongolia; (2) METHODS: Ten group interviews with nurses and ten individual interviews each with practice doctors and practice directors were conducted. Data was analysed using a thematic approach based on the identified themes relevant to role delineation; (3) RESULTS: There was some variability and flexibility in role delineation. Factors involving teamwork, task rotation and practice flexibility facilitated well the guideline implementation. However, factors including expectations and decision making, nursing shortage, and training gaps adversely influenced in the roles and responsibilities. Some role confusion and dissatisfaction was identified, often associated with a lack of training or staff turnover; (4) CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that adequate ongoing training is required to maximize the range of roles particular provider types, especially primary care nurses, are competent to perform. Ensuring that role delineation is specified in guidelines could remove confusion and enhance implementation of such guidelines.

Mesoporous carbon materials

DOEpatents

Dai, Sheng; Fulvio, Pasquale Fernando; Mayes, Richard T.; Wang, Xiqing; Sun, Xiao-Guang; Guo, Bingkun

2014-09-09

A conductive mesoporous carbon composite comprising conductive carbon nanoparticles contained within a mesoporous carbon matrix, wherein the conductive mesoporous carbon composite possesses at least a portion of mesopores having a pore size of at least 10 nm and up to 50 nm, and wherein the mesopores are either within the mesoporous carbon matrix, or are spacings delineated by surfaces of said conductive carbon nanoparticles when said conductive carbon nanoparticles are fused with each other, or both. Methods for producing the above-described composite, devices incorporating them (e.g., lithium batteries), and methods of using them, are also described.

3D automatic anatomy segmentation based on iterative graph-cut-ASM

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

Chen, Xinjian; Bagci, Ulas; Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Building 10 Room 1C515, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1182

2011-08-15

Purpose: This paper studies the feasibility of developing an automatic anatomy segmentation (AAS) system in clinical radiology and demonstrates its operation on clinical 3D images. Methods: The AAS system, the authors are developing consists of two main parts: object recognition and object delineation. As for recognition, a hierarchical 3D scale-based multiobject method is used for the multiobject recognition task, which incorporates intensity weighted ball-scale (b-scale) information into the active shape model (ASM). For object delineation, an iterative graph-cut-ASM (IGCASM) algorithm is proposed, which effectively combines the rich statistical shape information embodied in ASM with the globally optimal delineation capability ofmore » the GC method. The presented IGCASM algorithm is a 3D generalization of the 2D GC-ASM method that they proposed previously in Chen et al.[Proc. SPIE, 7259, 72590C1-72590C-8 (2009)]. The proposed methods are tested on two datasets comprised of images obtained from 20 patients (10 male and 10 female) of clinical abdominal CT scans, and 11 foot magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The test is for four organs (liver, left and right kidneys, and spleen) segmentation, five foot bones (calcaneus, tibia, cuboid, talus, and navicular). The recognition and delineation accuracies were evaluated separately. The recognition accuracy was evaluated in terms of translation, rotation, and scale (size) error. The delineation accuracy was evaluated in terms of true and false positive volume fractions (TPVF, FPVF). The efficiency of the delineation method was also evaluated on an Intel Pentium IV PC with a 3.4 GHZ CPU machine. Results: The recognition accuracies in terms of translation, rotation, and scale error over all organs are about 8 mm, 10 deg. and 0.03, and over all foot bones are about 3.5709 mm, 0.35 deg. and 0.025, respectively. The accuracy of delineation over all organs for all subjects as expressed in TPVF and FPVF is 93.01% and 0.22%, and all foot bones for all subjects are 93.75% and 0.28%, respectively. While the delineations for the four organs can be accomplished quite rapidly with average of 78 s, the delineations for the five foot bones can be accomplished with average of 70 s. Conclusions: The experimental results showed the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed automatic anatomy segmentation system: (a) the incorporation of shape priors into the GC framework is feasible in 3D as demonstrated previously for 2D images; (b) our results in 3D confirm the accuracy behavior observed in 2D. The hybrid strategy IGCASM seems to be more robust and accurate than ASM and GC individually; and (c) delineations within body regions and foot bones of clinical importance can be accomplished quite rapidly within 1.5 min.« less

3D automatic anatomy segmentation based on iterative graph-cut-ASM

PubMed Central

Chen, Xinjian; Bagci, Ulas

2011-01-01

Purpose: This paper studies the feasibility of developing an automatic anatomy segmentation (AAS) system in clinical radiology and demonstrates its operation on clinical 3D images.Methods: The AAS system, the authors are developing consists of two main parts: object recognition and object delineation. As for recognition, a hierarchical 3D scale-based multiobject method is used for the multiobject recognition task, which incorporates intensity weighted ball-scale (b-scale) information into the active shape model (ASM). For object delineation, an iterative graph-cut-ASM (IGCASM) algorithm is proposed, which effectively combines the rich statistical shape information embodied in ASM with the globally optimal delineation capability of the GC method. The presented IGCASM algorithm is a 3D generalization of the 2D GC-ASM method that they proposed previously in Chen et al. [Proc. SPIE, 7259, 72590C1–72590C-8 (2009)]. The proposed methods are tested on two datasets comprised of images obtained from 20 patients (10 male and 10 female) of clinical abdominal CT scans, and 11 foot magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. The test is for four organs (liver, left and right kidneys, and spleen) segmentation, five foot bones (calcaneus, tibia, cuboid, talus, and navicular). The recognition and delineation accuracies were evaluated separately. The recognition accuracy was evaluated in terms of translation, rotation, and scale (size) error. The delineation accuracy was evaluated in terms of true and false positive volume fractions (TPVF, FPVF). The efficiency of the delineation method was also evaluated on an Intel Pentium IV PC with a 3.4 GHZ CPU machine.Results: The recognition accuracies in terms of translation, rotation, and scale error over all organs are about 8 mm, 10° and 0.03, and over all foot bones are about 3.5709 mm, 0.35° and 0.025, respectively. The accuracy of delineation over all organs for all subjects as expressed in TPVF and FPVF is 93.01% and 0.22%, and all foot bones for all subjects are 93.75% and 0.28%, respectively. While the delineations for the four organs can be accomplished quite rapidly with average of 78 s, the delineations for the five foot bones can be accomplished with average of 70 s.Conclusions: The experimental results showed the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed automatic anatomy segmentation system: (a) the incorporation of shape priors into the GC framework is feasible in 3D as demonstrated previously for 2D images; (b) our results in 3D confirm the accuracy behavior observed in 2D. The hybrid strategy IGCASM seems to be more robust and accurate than ASM and GC individually; and (c) delineations within body regions and foot bones of clinical importance can be accomplished quite rapidly within 1.5 min. PMID:21928634

Ecohydrologic coevolution in drylands: relative roles of vegetation, soil depth and runoff connectivity on ecosystem shifts.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saco, P. M.; Moreno de las Heras, M.; Willgoose, G. R.

2014-12-01

Watersheds are widely recognized as the basic functional unit for water resources management studies and are important for a variety of problems in hydrology, ecology, and geomorphology. Nevertheless, delineating a watershed spread across a large region is still cumbersome due to the processing burden of working with large Digital Elevation Model. Terrain Analysis Using Digital Elevation Models (TauDEM) software supports the delineation of watersheds and stream networks from within desktop Geographic Information Systems. A rich set of watershed and stream network attributes are computed. However limitations of the TauDEM desktop tools are (1) it supports only one type of raster (tiff format) data (2) requires installation of software for parallel processing, and (3) data have to be in projected coordinate system. This paper presents enhancements to TauDEM that have been developed to extend its generality and support web based watershed delineation services. The enhancements of TauDEM include (1) reading and writing raster data with the open-source geospatial data abstraction library (GDAL) not limited to the tiff data format and (2) support for both geographic and projected coordinates. To support web services for rapid watershed delineation a procedure has been developed for sub setting the domain based on sub-catchments, with preprocessed data prepared for each catchment stored. This allows the watershed delineation to function locally, while extending to the full extent of watersheds using preprocessed information. Additional capabilities of this program includes computation of average watershed properties and geomorphic and channel network variables such as drainage density, shape factor, relief ratio and stream ordering. The updated version of TauDEM increases the practical applicability of it in terms of raster data type, size and coordinate system. The watershed delineation web service functionality is useful for web based software as service deployments that alleviate the need for users to install and work with desktop GIS software.

Defect inspection in hot slab surface: multi-source CCD imaging based fuzzy-rough sets method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Liming; Zhang, Yi; Xu, Xiaodong; Xiao, Hong; Huang, Chao

2016-09-01

To provide an accurate surface defects inspection method and make the automation of robust image region of interests(ROI) delineation strategy a reality in production line, a multi-source CCD imaging based fuzzy-rough sets method is proposed for hot slab surface quality assessment. The applicability of the presented method and the devised system are mainly tied to the surface quality inspection for strip, billet and slab surface etcetera. In this work we take into account the complementary advantages in two common machine vision (MV) systems(line array CCD traditional scanning imaging (LS-imaging) and area array CCD laser three-dimensional (3D) scanning imaging (AL-imaging)), and through establishing the model of fuzzy-rough sets in the detection system the seeds for relative fuzzy connectedness(RFC) delineation for ROI can placed adaptively, which introduces the upper and lower approximation sets for RIO definition, and by which the boundary region can be delineated by RFC region competitive classification mechanism. For the first time, a Multi-source CCD imaging based fuzzy-rough sets strategy is attempted for CC-slab surface defects inspection that allows an automatic way of AI algorithms and powerful ROI delineation strategies to be applied to the MV inspection field.

The Early Impact Program: An Early Intervention and Prevention Program for Children and Families At-Risk of Conduct Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larmar, Stephen; Gatfield, Terry

2007-01-01

The Early Impact (EI) program is an early intervention and prevention program for reducing the incidence of conduct problems in pre-school aged children. The EI intervention framework is ecological in design and includes universal and indicated components. This paper delineates key principles and associated strategies that underpin the EI program.…

Contextual Risk Factors as Predictors of Disruptive Behavior Disorder Trajectories in Girls: The Moderating Effect of Callous-Unemotional Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroneman, Leoniek M.; Hipwell, Alison E.; Loeber, Rolf; Koot, Hans M.; Pardini, Dustin A.

2011-01-01

Background: The presence of callous-unemotional (CU) features may delineate a severe and persistent form of conduct problems in children with unique developmental origins. Contextual risk factors such as poor parenting, delinquent peers, or neighborhood risk are believed to influence the development of conduct problems primarily in children with…

Head-and-Neck Target Delineation Among Radiation Oncology Residents After a Teaching Intervention: A Prospective, Blinded Pilot Study

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

Bekelman, Justin E.; Wolden, Suzanne; Lee, Nancy

Purpose: We conducted this study to determine the feasibility of incorporating a teaching intervention on target delineation into the educational curriculum of a radiation oncology residency program and to assess the short-term effects on resident skills. Methods and Materials: The study schema consisted of a baseline evaluation, the teaching intervention, and a follow-up evaluation. At the baseline evaluation, the participants contoured three clinical tumor volumes (CTVs) (70 Gy, 59.4 Gy, and 54 Gy) on six contrast-enhanced axial computed tomography images of a de-identified patient with Stage T2N2bM0 squamous cell carcinoma of the right base of the tongue. The participants attendedmore » a series of head-and-neck oncology and anatomy seminars. The teaching intervention consisted of a didactic lecture and an interactive hands-on practical session designed to improve the knowledge and skills for target delineation in the head and neck. At the follow-up evaluation, the residents again contoured the CTVs. Results: Of the 14 eligible residents, 11 (79%) actually participated in the study. For all participants, but especially for those who had not had previous experience with head-and-neck target delineation, the teaching intervention was associated with improvement in the delineation of the node-negative neck (CTV 54 Gy contour). Regardless of clinical experience, participants had difficulty determining what should be included in the CTV 59.4 Gy contour to ensure adequate coverage of potential microscopic disease. Conclusion: Incorporating a teaching intervention into the education curriculum of a radiation oncology residency program is feasible and was associated with short-term improvements in target delineation skills. Subsequent interventions will require content refinement, additional validation, longer term follow-up, and multi-institutional collaboration.« less

The Significance of Land Cover Delineation on Soil Erosion Assessment.

PubMed

Efthimiou, Nikolaos; Psomiadis, Emmanouil

2018-04-25

The study aims to evaluate the significance of land cover delineation on soil erosion assessment. To that end, RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) was implemented at the Upper Acheloos River catchment, Western Central Greece, annually and multi-annually for the period 1965-92. The model estimates soil erosion as the linear product of six factors (R, K, LS, C, and P) considering the catchment's climatic, pedological, topographic, land cover, and anthropogenic characteristics, respectively. The C factor was estimated using six alternative land use delineations of different resolution, namely the CORINE Land Cover (CLC) project (2000, 2012 versions) (1:100,000), a land use map conducted by the Greek National Agricultural Research Foundation (NAGREF) (1:20,000), a land use map conducted by the Greek Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid (PCAGGCA) (1:5,000), and the Landsat 8 16-day Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) dataset (30 m/pixel) (two approximations) based on remote sensing data (satellite image acquired on 07/09/2016) (1:40,000). Since all other factors remain unchanged per each RUSLE application, the differences among the yielded results are attributed to the C factor (thus the land cover pattern) variations. Validation was made considering the convergence between simulated (modeled) and observed sediment yield. The latter was estimated based on field measurements conducted by the Greek PPC (Public Power Corporation). The model performed best at both time scales using the Landsat 8 (Eq. 13) dataset, characterized by a detailed resolution and a satisfactory categorization, allowing the identification of the most susceptible to erosion areas.

Defect detection in slab surface: a novel dual Charge-coupled Device imaging-based fuzzy connectedness strategy.

PubMed

Zhao, Liming; Ouyang, Qi; Chen, Dengfu; Udupa, Jayaram K; Wang, Huiqian; Zeng, Yuebin

2014-11-01

To provide an accurate surface defects inspection system and make the automation of robust image segmentation method a reality in routine production line, a general approach is presented for continuous casting slab (CC-slab) surface defects extraction and delineation. The applicability of the system is not tied to CC-slab exclusively. We combined the line array CCD (Charge-coupled Device) traditional scanning imaging (LS-imaging) and area array CCD laser three-dimensional (3D) scanning imaging (AL-imaging) strategies in designing the system. Its aim is to suppress the respective imaging system's limitations. In the system, the images acquired from the two CCD sensors are carefully aligned in space and in time by maximum mutual information-based full-fledged registration schema. Subsequently, the image information is fused from these two subsystems such as the unbroken 2D information in LS-imaging and 3D depressed information in AL-imaging. Finally, on the basis of the established dual scanning imaging system the region of interest (ROI) localization by seed specification was designed, and the delineation for ROI by iterative relative fuzzy connectedness (IRFC) algorithm was utilized to get a precise inspection result. Our method takes into account the complementary advantages in the two common machine vision (MV) systems and it performs competitively with the state-of-the-art as seen from the comparison of experimental results. For the first time, a joint imaging scanning strategy is proposed for CC-slab surface defect inspection that allows a feasible way of powerful ROI delineation strategies to be applied to the MV inspection field. Multi-ROI delineation by using IRFC in this research field may further improve the results.

Approach for delineation of contributing areas and zones of transport to selected public-supply wells using a regional ground-water flow model, Palm Beach County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Renken, R.A.; Patterson, R.D.; Orzol, L.L.; Dixon, Joann

2001-01-01

Rapid urban development and population growth in Palm Beach County, Florida, have been accompanied with the need for additional freshwater withdrawals from the surficial aquifer system. To maintain water quality, County officials protect capture areas and determine zones of transport of municipal supply wells. A multistep process was used to help automate the delineation of wellhead protection areas. A modular ground-water flow model (MODFLOW) Telescopic Mesh Refinement program (MODTMR) was used to construct an embedded flow model and combined with particle tracking to delineate zones of transport to supply wells; model output was coupled with a geographic information system. An embedded flow MODFLOW model was constructed using input and output file data from a preexisting three-dimensional, calibrated model of the surficial aquifer system. Three graphical user interfaces for use with the geographic information software, ArcView, were developed to enhance the telescopic mesh refinement process. These interfaces include AvMODTMR for use with MODTMR; AvHDRD to build MODFLOW river and drain input files from dynamically segmented linear (canals) data sets; and AvWELL Refiner, an interface designed to examine and convert well coverage spatial data layers to a MODFLOW Well package input file. MODPATH (the U.S. Geological Survey particle-tracking postprocessing program) and MODTOOLS (the set of U.S. Geological Survey computer programs to translate MODFLOW and MODPATH output to a geographic information system) were used to map zones of transport. A steady-state, five-layer model of the Boca Raton area was created using the telescopic mesh refinement process and calibrated to average conditions during January 1989 to June 1990. A sensitivity analysis of various model parameters indicates that the model is most sensitive to changes in recharge rates, hydraulic conductivity for layer 1, and leakance for layers 3 and 4 (Biscayne aquifer). Recharge (58 percent); river (canal) leakance (29 percent); and inflow through the northern, western, and southern prescribed flux model boundaries (10 percent) represent the major inflow components. Principal outflow components in the Boca Raton well field area include well discharge (56 percent), river (canal) leakance (27 percent), and water that discharges along the coast (10 percent). A particle-tracking analysis using MODPATH was conducted to better understand well-field ground-water flow patterns and time of travel. MODTOOLS was used to construct zones-of-transport spatial data for municipal supply wells. Porosity estimates were uniformly increased to study the effect of porosity on zones of transport. Where porosity was increased, the size of the zones of transport were shown to decrease.

Using a geographic information system and scanning technology to create high-resolution land-use data sets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harvey, Craig A.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Battaglin, William A.

1996-01-01

A geographic information system (GIS) procedure was developed to compile low-altitude aerial photography, digitized data, and land-use data from U.S. Department of Agriculture Consolidated Farm Service Agency (CFSA) offices into a high-resolution (approximately 5 meters) land-use GIS data set. The aerial photography consisted of 35-mm slides which were scanned into tagged information file format (TIFF) images. These TIFF images were then imported into the GIS where they were registered into a geographically referenced coordinate system. Boundaries between land use were delineated from these GIS data sets using on-screen digitizing techniques. Crop types were determined using information obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture CFSA offices. Crop information not supplied by the CFSA was attributed by manual classification procedures. Automated methods to provide delineation of the field boundaries and land-use classification were investigated. It was determined that using these data sources, automated methods were less efficient and accurate than manual methods of delineating field boundaries and classifying land use.

Results of the application of seismic-reflection and electromagnetic techniques for near-surface hydrogeologic and environmental investigations at Fort Bragg, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meyer, M.T.; Fine, J.M.

1997-01-01

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Facilities Investigations at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, selected geophysical techniques were evaluated for their usefulness as assessment tools for determining subsurface geology, delineating the areal extent of potentially contaminated landfill sites, and locating buried objects and debris of potential environmental concern. Two shallow seismic-reflection techniques (compression and shear wave) and two electromagnetic techniques (ground-penetrating radar and terrain conductivity) were evaluated at several sites at the U.S. Army Base. The electromagnetic techniques also were tested for tolerance to cultural noise, such as nearby fences, vehicles, and power lines. For the terrain conductivity tests, two instruments were used--the EM31 and EM34, which have variable depths of exploration. The shallowest reflection event was 70 feet below land surface observed in common-depth point, stacked compression-wave data from 24- and 12-fold shallow-seismic-reflection surveys. Several reflection events consistent with clay-sand interfaces between 70 and 120 feet below land surface, along with basement-saprolite surfaces, were imaged in the 24-fold, common- depth-point stacked data. 12-fold, common-depth-point stacked data set contained considerably more noise than the 24-fold, common-depth-point data, due to reduced shot-to-receiver redundancy. Coherent stacked reflection events were not observed in the 24-fold, common-depth-point stacked shear-wave data because of the partial decoupling of the shear- wave generator from the ground. At one site, ground-penetrating radar effectively delineated a shallow, 2- to 5-foot thick sand unit bounded by thin (less than 1 foot) clay layers. The radar signal was completely attenuated where the overlying and underlying clay units thickened and the sand unit thinned. The pene- tration depth of the radar signal was less than 10 feet below land surface. A slight increase in electromagnetic conductivity across shallow sampling EM31 and EM34 profiles provided corroborative evidence of the shallow, thickening clay units. Plots of raw EM31 and EM34 data provided no direct interpretable information to delineate sand and clay units in the shallow subsurface. At two sites, the ground-penetrating radar effectively delineated the lateral continuity of surficial sand units 5 to 25 feet in thickness and the tops of their underlying clay units. The effective exploration depth of the ground-penetrating radar was limited by the proximity of clay units to the subsurface and their thickness. The ground-penetrating radar delineated the areal extent and depth of cover at a previously unrecognized extension of a trench-like landfill underlying a vehicle salvage yard. Attenuation of the radar signal beneath the landfill cover and the adjacent subsurface clays made these two mediums indistinguishable by ground-penetrating radar; however, EM31 data indicated that the electrical conductivity of the landfill was higher than the subsurface material adjacent to the landfill. The EM31 and EM34 conductivity surveys defined the areal extent of a landfill whose boundaries were inaccurately mapped, and also identified the locations of an old dumpsite and waste incinerator site at another landfill. A follow-up ground-penetrating radar survey of the abandoned dumpsite showed incongruities in some of the shallow radar reflections interpreted as buried refuse dispersed throughout the landfill. The ground-penetrating radar and EM31 effectively delineated a shallow buried fuel-oil tank. Of the three electromagnetic instruments, the ground-penetrating radar with the shielded 100-megahertz antenna was the least affected by cultural noise followed, in order, by the EM31 and EM34. The combination of terrain- conductivity and ground-penetrating radar for the site assessment of the landfill provided a powerful means to identify the areal extent of the landfill, potenti

Translation from UML to Markov Model: A Performance Modeling Framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Razib Hayat; Heegaard, Poul E.

Performance engineering focuses on the quantitative investigation of the behavior of a system during the early phase of the system development life cycle. Bearing this on mind, we delineate a performance modeling framework of the application for communication system that proposes a translation process from high level UML notation to Continuous Time Markov Chain model (CTMC) and solves the model for relevant performance metrics. The framework utilizes UML collaborations, activity diagrams and deployment diagrams to be used for generating performance model for a communication system. The system dynamics will be captured by UML collaboration and activity diagram as reusable specification building blocks, while deployment diagram highlights the components of the system. The collaboration and activity show how reusable building blocks in the form of collaboration can compose together the service components through input and output pin by highlighting the behavior of the components and later a mapping between collaboration and system component identified by deployment diagram will be delineated. Moreover the UML models are annotated to associate performance related quality of service (QoS) information which is necessary for solving the performance model for relevant performance metrics through our proposed framework. The applicability of our proposed performance modeling framework in performance evaluation is delineated in the context of modeling a communication system.

Plume Delineation in the BC Cribs and Trenches Area

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

Rucker, Dale F.; Sweeney, Mark D.

2004-11-30

HydroGEOPHYSICS, Inc. and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) were contracted by Fluor Hanford Group, Inc. to conduct a geophysical investigation in the area of the BC Cribs and Trenches (subject site) at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. The BC Cribs and Trenches are located south of the 200 East Area. This document provides the details of the investigation to identify existing infrastructure from legacy disposal activities and to delineate the edges of a groundwater plume that contains radiological and heavy metal constituents beneath the 216-B-26 and 216-B-52 Trenches, and the 216-B-14 through 216-B-19 Cribs.

Hydrostratigraphic Framework and Selection and Correlation of Geophysical Log Markers in the Surficial Aquifer System, Palm Beach County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reese, Ronald S.; Wacker, Michael A.

2007-01-01

The surficial aquifer system is the major source of freshwater for public water supply in Palm Beach County, Florida, yet many previous studies of the hydrogeology of this aquifer system have focused only on the eastern one-half to one-third of the county in the more densely populated coastal area (Land and others, 1973; Swayze and others, 1980; Swayze and Miller, 1984; Shine and others, 1989). Population growth in the county has resulted in the westward expansion of urbanized areas into agricultural areas and has created new demands on the water resources of the county. Additionally, interest in surface-water resources of central and western areas of the county has increased. In these areas, plans for additional surface-water storage reservoirs are being made under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan originally proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the South Florida Water Management District (1999), and stormwater treatment areas have been constructed by the South Florida Water Management District. Surface-water and ground-water interactions in the Everglades are thought to be important to water budgets, water quality, and ecology (Harvey and others, 2002). Most of the previous hydrogeologic and ground-water flow simulation studies of the surficial aquifer system have not utilized a hydrostratigraphic framework, in which stratigraphic or sequence stratigraphic units, such as those proposed in Cunningham and others (2001), are delineated in this stratigraphically complex aquifer system. A thick zone of secondary permeability mapped by Swayze and Miller (1984) was not subdivided and was identified as only being within the Anastasia Formation of Pleistocene age. Miller (1987) published 11 geologic sections of the surficial aquifer system, but did not delineate any named stratigraphic units in these sections. This limited interpretation has resulted, in part, from the complex facies changes within rocks and sediments of the surficial aquifer system and the seemingly indistinct and repetitious nature of the most common lithologies, which include sand, shell, sandstone, and limestone. Model construction and layer definition in a simulation of ground-water flow within the surficial aquifer system of Palm Beach County utilized only the boundaries of one or two major hydrogeologic zones, such as the Biscayne aquifer and surficial aquifer system; otherwise layers were defined by average elevations rather than geologic structure or stratigraphy (Shine and others, 1989). Additionally, each major permeable zone layer in the model was assumed to have constant hydraulic conductivity with no allowance for the possibility of discrete (thin) flow zones within the zone. The key to understanding the spatial distribution and hydraulic connectivity of permeable zones in the surficial aquifer system beneath Palm Beach County is the development of a stratigraphic framework based on a consistent method of county-wide correlation. Variability in hydraulic properties in the system needs to be linked to the stratigraphic units delineated in this framework, and proper delineation of the hydrostratigraphic framework should provide a better understanding and simulation of the ground-water flow system. In 2004, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the South Florida Water Management District, initiated an investigation to develop a hydrostratigraphic framework for the surficial aquifer system in Palm Beach County.

Geophysical delineation of the freshwater/saline-water transition zone in the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer, Travis and Hays Counties, Texas, September 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Payne, J.D.; Kress, W.H.; Shah, S.D.; Stefanov, J.E.; Smith, B.A.; Hunt, B.B.

2007-01-01

During September 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, conducted a geophysical pilot study to determine whether time-domain electromagnetic (TDEM) sounding could be used to delineate the freshwater/saline-water transition zone in the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards aquifer in Travis and Hays Counties, Texas. There was uncertainty regarding the application of TDEM sounding for this purpose because of the depth of the aquifer (200-500 feet to the top of the aquifer) and the relatively low-resistivity clayey units in the upper confining unit. Twenty-five TDEM soundings were made along four 2-3-mile-long profiles in a study area overlying the transition zone near the Travis-Hays County boundary. The soundings yield measurements of subsurface electrical resistivity, the variations in which were correlated with hydrogeologic and stratigraphic units, and then with dissolved solids concentrations in the aquifer. Geonics Protem 47 and 57 systems with 492-foot and 328-foot transmitter-loop sizes were used to collect the TDEM soundings. A smooth model (vertical delineation of calculated apparent resistivity that represents an estimate [non-unique] of the true resistivity) for each sounding site was created using an iterative software program for inverse modeling. The effectiveness of using TDEM soundings to delineate the transition zone was indicated by comparing the distribution of resistivity in the aquifer with the distribution of dissolved solids concentrations in the aquifer along the profiles. TDEM sounding data show that, in general, the Edwards aquifer in the study area is characterized by a sharp change in resistivity from west to east. The western part of the Edwards aquifer in the study area shows higher resistivity than the eastern part. The higher resistivity regions correspond to lower dissolved solids concentrations (freshwater), and the lower resistivity regions correspond to higher dissolved solids concentrations (saline water). On the basis of reasonably close matches between the inferred locations of the freshwater/saline-water transition zone in the Edwards aquifer in the study area from resistivities and from dissolved solids concentrations in three of the four profiles, TDEM sounding appears to be a suitable tool for delineating the transition zone.

Delineation, characterization, and classification of topographic eminences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, Gaurav

Topographic eminences are defined as upwardly rising, convex shaped topographic landforms that are noticeably distinct in their immediate surroundings. As opposed to everyday objects, the properties of a topographic eminence are dependent not only on how it is conceptualized, but is also intrinsically related to its spatial extent and its relative location in the landscape. In this thesis, a system for automated detection, delineation and characterization of topographic eminences based on an analysis of digital elevation models is proposed. Research has shown that conceptualization of eminences (and other landforms) is linked to the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of people. However, the perception of stimuli from our physical environment is not subject to cultural or linguistic bias. Hence, perceptually salient morphological and spatial properties of the natural landscape can form the basis for generically applicable detection and delineation of topographic eminences. Six principles of cognitive eminence modeling are introduced to develop the philosophical foundation of this research regarding eminence delineation and characterization. The first step in delineating eminences is to automatically detect their presence within digital elevation models. This is achieved by the use of quantitative geomorphometric parameters (e.g., elevation, slope and curvature) and qualitative geomorphometric features (e.g., peaks, passes, pits, ridgelines, and valley lines). The process of eminence delineation follows that of eminence detection. It is posited that eminences may be perceived either as monolithic terrain objects, or as composites of morphological parts (e.g., top, bottom, slope). Individual eminences may also simultaneously be conceived as comprising larger, higher order eminence complexes (e.g., mountain ranges). Multiple algorithms are presented for the delineation of simple and complex eminences, and the morphological parts of eminences. The proposed eminence detection and delineation methods are amenable to intuitive parameterization such that they can easily capture the multitude of eminence conceptualizations that people develop due to differences in terrain type and cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Eminence delineation is an important step in object based modeling of the natural landscape. However, mere 'geocoding' of eminences is not sufficient for modeling how people intuitively perceive and reason about eminences. Therefore, a comprehensive eminence parameterization system for characterizing the perceptual properties of eminences is also proposed in this thesis. Over 40 parameters are suggested for measuring the commonly perceived properties of eminences: size, shape, topology, proximity, and visibility. The proposed parameters describe different aspects of naive eminence perception. Quantitative analysis of eminence parameters using cluster analysis, confirms that not only can eminences be parameterized as individual terrain objects, but that eminence (dis)similarities can be exploited to develop intuitive eminence classification systems. Eminence parameters are also shown to be essential for exploring the relationships between extracted eminences and natural language terms (e.g., hill, mount, mountain, peak) used commonly to refer to different types of eminences. The results from this research confirm that object based modeling of the landscape is not only useful for terrain information system design, but is also essential for understanding how people commonly conceptualize their observations of and interactions with the natural landscape.

Hierarchical, quantitative biogeographic provinces for all North American turtles and their contribution to the biogeography of turtles and the continent

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ennen, Joshua R.; Matamoros, Wilfredo A.; Agha, Mickey; Lovich, Jeffrey E.; Sweat, Sarah C.; Hoagstrom, Christopher W.

2017-01-01

Our study represents the first attempt to describe biogeographic provinces for North American (México, United States, and Canada) turtles. We analyzed three nested data sets separately: (1) all turtles, (2) freshwater turtles, and (3) aquatic turtles. We georeferenced North American turtle distributions, then we created presence–absence matrices for each of the three data sets. We used watershed unit as biogeographic units. We conducted an unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic mean clustering analysis on each Jaccard index distance matrix from our watershed species matrices to delineate biogeographic provinces. Provinces were then tested for significant differences in species compositions in a global model with the use of a one-way analysis of similarity. We conducted a best subset of environmental variables with maximum (rank) correlation with community dissimilarities that determined the best model of abiotic variables explaining province delineation (i.e., climate, topography, and stream channel). To identify which species contributed the most to province delineations, we conducted an indicator species analysis and a similarity-percentage analysis. There were 16 all-turtle provinces, 15 freshwater provinces, and 13 aquatic provinces. Species compositions delineating the provinces were explained by abiotic variables, including mean annual precipitation, mean precipitation seasonality, and diversity of streams. Province delineations correspond closely with geographical boundaries, many of which have Pleistocene origins. For example, rivers with a history of carrying glacial runoff (e.g., Arkansas, Mississippi) sometimes dissect upland provinces, especially for aquatic and semiaquatic turtles. Compared with freshwater fishes, turtles show greater sensitivity to decreased temperature with restriction of most taxa south of the last permafrost maximum. Turtles also exhibit higher sensitivity to climatic, geomorphic, and tectonic instability, with richness and endemism concentrated along the more stable Gulf of México and Atlantic (south of the last permafrost maximum) coasts. Although distribution data indicate two aquatic turtles are most cold tolerant (i.e., Chrysemys picta, Chelydra serpentina), aquatic turtles overall show the most restriction to warmer, wetter climates. Sequential addition of semiaquatic and terrestrial turtles into analyses shows, as expected, that these taxa flesh out turtle faunas in climatically harsh (e.g., grasslands) or remote (e.g., California, Sonoran Desert) regions. The turtle assemblages of southwestern versus southeastern North America are distinct. But there is a transition zone across the semiarid plains of the Texas Gulf Coast, High Plains, and Chihuahuan Desert, including a strong boundary congruent with the Cochise Filter-Barrier. This is not a simple subdivision of Neotropical versus Nearctic taxa, as some lineages from both realms span the transition zone.

Object-Based Image Analysis Beyond Remote Sensing - the Human Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blaschke, T.; Lang, S.; Tiede, D.; Papadakis, M.; Györi, A.

2016-06-01

We introduce a prototypical methodological framework for a place-based GIS-RS system for the spatial delineation of place while incorporating spatial analysis and mapping techniques using methods from different fields such as environmental psychology, geography, and computer science. The methodological lynchpin for this to happen - when aiming to delineate place in terms of objects - is object-based image analysis (OBIA).

Impact of 4D image quality on the accuracy of target definition.

PubMed

Nielsen, Tine Bjørn; Hansen, Christian Rønn; Westberg, Jonas; Hansen, Olfred; Brink, Carsten

2016-03-01

Delineation accuracy of target shape and position depends on the image quality. This study investigates whether the image quality on standard 4D systems has an influence comparable to the overall delineation uncertainty. A moving lung target was imaged using a dynamic thorax phantom on three different 4D computed tomography (CT) systems and a 4D cone beam CT (CBCT) system using pre-defined clinical scanning protocols. Peak-to-peak motion and target volume were registered using rigid registration and automatic delineation, respectively. A spatial distribution of the imaging uncertainty was calculated as the distance deviation between the imaged target and the true target shape. The measured motions were smaller than actual motions. There were volume differences of the imaged target between respiration phases. Imaging uncertainties of >0.4 cm were measured in the motion direction which showed that there was a large distortion of the imaged target shape. Imaging uncertainties of standard 4D systems are of similar size as typical GTV-CTV expansions (0.5-1 cm) and contribute considerably to the target definition uncertainty. Optimising and validating 4D systems is recommended in order to obtain the most optimal imaged target shape.

Comparing Models and Methods for the Delineation of Stream Baseflow Contribution Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chow, R.; Frind, M.; Frind, E. O.; Jones, J. P.; Sousa, M.; Rudolph, D. L.; Nowak, W.

2016-12-01

This study addresses the delineation of areas that contribute baseflow to a stream reach, also known as stream capture zones. Such areas can be delineated using standard well capture zone delineation methods, with three important differences: (1) natural gradients are smaller compared to those produced by supply wells and are therefore subject to greater numerical errors, (2) stream discharge varies seasonally, and (3) stream discharge varies spatially. This study focuses on model-related uncertainties due to parameter non-uniqueness, discretization schemes, and particle tracking algorithms. The methodology is applied to the Alder Creek watershed in southwestern Ontario. Four different model codes are compared: HydroGeoSphere, WATFLOW, MODFLOW, and FEFLOW. In addition, two delineation methods are compared: reverse particle tracking and reverse transport, where the latter considers local-scale parameter uncertainty by using a macrodispersion term to produce a capture probability plume. The results from this study indicate that different models can calibrate acceptably well to the same data and produce very similar distributions of hydraulic head, but can produce different capture zones. The stream capture zone is found to be highly sensitive to the particle tracking algorithm. It was also found that particle tracking by itself, if applied to complex systems such as the Alder Creek watershed, would require considerable subjective judgement in the delineation of stream capture zones. Reverse transport is an alternate approach that provides probability intervals for the baseflow contribution areas. In situations where the two approaches agree, the confidence in the delineation is reinforced.

Digital database architecture and delineation methodology for deriving drainage basins, and a comparison of digitally and non-digitally derived numeric drainage areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dupree, Jean A.; Crowfoot, Richard M.

2012-01-01

The drainage basin is a fundamental hydrologic entity used for studies of surface-water resources and during planning of water-related projects. Numeric drainage areas published by the U.S. Geological Survey water science centers in Annual Water Data Reports and on the National Water Information Systems (NWIS) Web site are still primarily derived from hard-copy sources and by manual delineation of polygonal basin areas on paper topographic map sheets. To expedite numeric drainage area determinations, the Colorado Water Science Center developed a digital database structure and a delineation methodology based on the hydrologic unit boundaries in the National Watershed Boundary Dataset. This report describes the digital database architecture and delineation methodology and also presents the results of a comparison of the numeric drainage areas derived using this digital methodology with those derived using traditional, non-digital methods. (Please see report for full Abstract)

STRUCTURAL AND HYDROGEOLOGIC APPLICATIONS OF REMOTE SENSING DATA, EASTERN YUCATAN PENINSULA, MEXICO.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Southworth, C. Scott; ,

1984-01-01

Landsat and Seasat satellite images and aerial photographs of eastern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, were analyzed to delineate geologic controls of ground water. Significant interpretation results include the delineation of linear topographic swales, interpreted as fractures, extending more than 50 km along strike from the previously known limit of the Holbox fracture system; the alignment of sink holes (cenotes) and inlets (caletas) on strike with existing faults and fracture systems; and the identification of tonal anomalies in Ingles Lagoon suggesting fresh-water discharge from a submarine spring.

A novel technique for tailoring frontal osteoplastic flaps using the ENT magnetic navigation system.

PubMed

Volpi, Luca; Pistochini, Andrea; Bignami, Maurizio; Meloni, Francesco; Turri Zanoni, Mario; Castelnuovo, Paolo

2012-06-01

The ENT magnetic navigation system is potentially useful and offers the most accurate technique for harvesting frontal osteoplastic flaps. It represents a valid tool in the wide range of instruments available to rhinologists. Precise delineation of the boundaries of the frontal sinus is a crucial step when harvesting a frontal osteoplastic flap. We present a novel technique using the ENT magnetic navigation system. Nineteen patients affected by different pathologies involving the frontal sinus underwent an osteoplastic flap procedure using the ENT magnetic navigation system between January 2009 and April 2011. The ENT magnetic navigation system was found to be a safe and accurate tool for delineating the frontal sinus boundaries. No intraoperative complications occurred during the osteoplastic procedures.

Automatic anatomy recognition via multiobject oriented active shape models.

PubMed

Chen, Xinjian; Udupa, Jayaram K; Alavi, Abass; Torigian, Drew A

2010-12-01

This paper studies the feasibility of developing an automatic anatomy recognition (AAR) system in clinical radiology and demonstrates its operation on clinical 2D images. The anatomy recognition method described here consists of two main components: (a) multiobject generalization of OASM and (b) object recognition strategies. The OASM algorithm is generalized to multiple objects by including a model for each object and assigning a cost structure specific to each object in the spirit of live wire. The delineation of multiobject boundaries is done in MOASM via a three level dynamic programming algorithm, wherein the first level is at pixel level which aims to find optimal oriented boundary segments between successive landmarks, the second level is at landmark level which aims to find optimal location for the landmarks, and the third level is at the object level which aims to find optimal arrangement of object boundaries over all objects. The object recognition strategy attempts to find that pose vector (consisting of translation, rotation, and scale component) for the multiobject model that yields the smallest total boundary cost for all objects. The delineation and recognition accuracies were evaluated separately utilizing routine clinical chest CT, abdominal CT, and foot MRI data sets. The delineation accuracy was evaluated in terms of true and false positive volume fractions (TPVF and FPVF). The recognition accuracy was assessed (1) in terms of the size of the space of the pose vectors for the model assembly that yielded high delineation accuracy, (2) as a function of the number of objects and objects' distribution and size in the model, (3) in terms of the interdependence between delineation and recognition, and (4) in terms of the closeness of the optimum recognition result to the global optimum. When multiple objects are included in the model, the delineation accuracy in terms of TPVF can be improved to 97%-98% with a low FPVF of 0.1%-0.2%. Typically, a recognition accuracy of > or = 90% yielded a TPVF > or = 95% and FPVF < or = 0.5%. Over the three data sets and over all tested objects, in 97% of the cases, the optimal solutions found by the proposed method constituted the true global optimum. The experimental results showed the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed automatic anatomy recognition system. Increasing the number of objects in the model can significantly improve both recognition and delineation accuracy. More spread out arrangement of objects in the model can lead to improved recognition and delineation accuracy. Including larger objects in the model also improved recognition and delineation. The proposed method almost always finds globally optimum solutions.

Hydrogeologic Investigation, Water Chemistry Analysis, and Model Delineation of contributing Areas for City of Tallahassee Public-Supply Wells, Tallahassee, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, J. Hal; Katz, Brian G.

2007-01-01

Ground water from the Upper Floridan aquifer is the sole source of water supply for Tallahassee, Florida, and the surrounding area. The City of Tallahassee (the City) currently operates 28 water-supply wells; 26 wells are distributed throughout the City and 2 are located in Woodville, Florida. Most of these wells yield an ample supply of potable water; however, water from several wells has low levels of tetrachloroethylene (PCE). The City removes the PCE from the water by passing it through granular-activated carbon units before distribution. To ensure that water-supply wells presently free of contamination remain clean, it is necessary to understand the ground-water flow system in sufficient detail to protect the contributing areas. Ground-water samples collected from four public-supply wells were analyzed for tritium (3H), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6). Using data for the CFC compounds, apparent ground-water ages ranged from 7 to 31 years. For SF6, the apparent ages tended to be about 5 to 10 years younger than those from CFCs. Apparent ages based on the tritium/tritiogenic helium-3 (3H/3Hetrit) method ranged from 26 to 33 years. The three dating methods indicate that the apparent age of ground water generally decreases from northern to southern Leon County. This southward trend of decreasing ages is consistent with increasing amounts of recharge that occur as ground water moves from north to south. The ground-water age data derived by geochemical and tracer analyses were used in combination with the flow model and particle tracking to determine an effective porosity for the Hawthorn clays and Upper Floridan aquifer. The effective porosities for the Upper Floridan aquifer that resulted in best model matches were averaged to produce an effective porosity of 7 percent, and the effective porosities for the Hawthorn clays that resulted in a match were averaged to produce an effective porosity of 22 percent. Probabilistic contributing areas were determined for 26 City wells using MODFLOW and MODPATH. For each probabilistic contributing area delineated, the model was run 100 times and the results were analyzed statistically. For each of the 100 runs, a different hydraulic conductivity for each of the zones was assigned to the Upper Floridan aquifer. The hydraulic conductivities were generated randomly assuming a lognormal probability distribution; the mean of the distribution was equal to the hydraulic conductivity from the calibrated model. The 5-year time-dependent capture zones (TDCZs), assuming effective porosities of 0.1, 1, and 7 percent for four representative wells, were delineated. The higher probabilities of capture (greater than 40, 60, and 80 percent) were similar for all effective porosities, and the TDCZ delineated using a 7-percent porosity was slightly smaller; the lower probabilities of capture (greater than 10 and 20 percent) showed a large range of variability.

Flood Hazard Mapping Assessment for El-Awali River Catchment-Lebanon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hdeib, Rouya; Abdallah, Chadi; Moussa, Roger; Hijazi, Samar

2016-04-01

River flooding prediction and flood forecasting has become an essential stage in the major flood mitigation plans worldwide. Delineation of floodplains resulting from a river flooding event requires coupling between a Hydrological rainfall-runoff model to calculate the resulting outflows of the catchment and a hydraulic model to calculate the corresponding water surface profiles along the river main course. In this study several methods were applied to predict the flood discharge of El-Awali River using the available historical data and gauging records and by conducting several site visits. The HEC-HMS Rainfall-Runoff model was built and applied to calculate the flood hydrographs along several outlets on El-Awali River and calibrated using the storm that took place on January 2013 and caused flooding of the major Lebanese rivers and by conducting additional site visits to calculate proper river sections and record witnesses of the locals. The Hydraulic HEC-RAS model was then applied to calculate the corresponding water surface profiles along El-Awali River main reach. Floodplain delineation and Hazard mapping for 10,50 and 100 years return periods was performed using the Watershed Modeling System WMS. The results first show an underestimation of the flood discharge recorded by the operating gauge stations on El-Awali River, whereas, the discharge of the 100 years flood may reach up to 506 m3/s compared by lower values calculated using the traditional discharge estimation methods. Second any flooding of El-Awali River may be catastrophic especially to the coastal part of the catchment and can cause tragic losses in agricultural lands and properties. Last a major floodplain was noticed in Marj Bisri village this floodplain can reach more than 200 meters in width. Overall, performance was good and the Rainfall-Runoff model can provide valuable information about flows especially on ungauged points and can perform a great aid for the floodplain delineation and flood prediction methods in poorly gauged basins, but further model updates and calibration is always required to compensate the weaknesses in such model and attain better results.

Prediction of Groundwater Quality Trends Resulting from Anthropogenic Changes in Southeast Florida.

PubMed

Yi, Quanghee; Stewart, Mark

2018-01-01

The effects of surface water flow system changes caused by constructing water-conservation areas and canals in southeast Florida on groundwater quality under the Atlantic Coastal Ridge was investigated with numerical modeling. Water quality data were used to delineate a zone of groundwater with low total dissolved solids (TDS) within the Biscayne aquifer under the ridge. The delineated zone has the following characteristics. Its location generally coincides with an area where the Biscayne aquifer has high transmissivities, corresponds to a high recharge area of the ridge, and underlies a part of the groundwater mound formed under the ridge prior to completion of the canals. This low TDS groundwater appears to be the result of pre-development conditions rather than seepage from the canals constructed after the 1950s. Numerical simulation results indicate that the time for low TDS groundwater under the ridge to reach equilibrium with high TDS surface water in the water-conservation areas and Everglades National Park are approximately 70 and 60 years, respectively. The high TDS groundwater would be restricted to the water-conservation areas and the park due to its slow eastward movement caused by small hydraulic gradients in Rocky Glades and its mixing with the low TDS groundwater under the high-recharge area of the ridge. The flow or physical boundary conditions such as high recharge rates or low hydraulic conductivity layers may affect how the spatial distribution of groundwater quality in an aquifer will change when a groundwater flow system reaches equilibrium with an associated surface water flow system. © 2017, National Ground Water Association.

SYSTEMS BIOLOGY MODEL DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION

EPA Science Inventory

System biology models holistically describe, in a quantitative fashion, the relationships between different levels of a biologic system. Relationships between individual components of a system are delineated. System biology models describe how the components of the system inter...

A locally adaptive kernel regression method for facies delineation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernàndez-Garcia, D.; Barahona-Palomo, M.; Henri, C. V.; Sanchez-Vila, X.

2015-12-01

Facies delineation is defined as the separation of geological units with distinct intrinsic characteristics (grain size, hydraulic conductivity, mineralogical composition). A major challenge in this area stems from the fact that only a few scattered pieces of hydrogeological information are available to delineate geological facies. Several methods to delineate facies are available in the literature, ranging from those based only on existing hard data, to those including secondary data or external knowledge about sedimentological patterns. This paper describes a methodology to use kernel regression methods as an effective tool for facies delineation. The method uses both the spatial and the actual sampled values to produce, for each individual hard data point, a locally adaptive steering kernel function, self-adjusting the principal directions of the local anisotropic kernels to the direction of highest local spatial correlation. The method is shown to outperform the nearest neighbor classification method in a number of synthetic aquifers whenever the available number of hard data is small and randomly distributed in space. In the case of exhaustive sampling, the steering kernel regression method converges to the true solution. Simulations ran in a suite of synthetic examples are used to explore the selection of kernel parameters in typical field settings. It is shown that, in practice, a rule of thumb can be used to obtain suboptimal results. The performance of the method is demonstrated to significantly improve when external information regarding facies proportions is incorporated. Remarkably, the method allows for a reasonable reconstruction of the facies connectivity patterns, shown in terms of breakthrough curves performance.

An evaluation of automated GIS tools for delineating karst sinkholes and closed depressions from 1-meter LIDAR-derived digital elevation data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Doctor, Daniel H.; Young, John A.

2013-01-01

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) surveys of karst terrains provide high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) that are particularly useful for mapping sinkholes. In this study, we used automated processing tools within ArcGIS (v. 10.0) operating on a 1.0 m resolution LiDAR DEM in order to delineate sinkholes and closed depressions in the Boyce 7.5 minute quadrangle located in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. The results derived from the use of the automated tools were then compared with depressions manually delineated by a geologist. Manual delineation of closed depressions was conducted using a combination of 1.0 m DEM hillshade, slopeshade, aerial imagery, and Topographic Position Index (TPI) rasters. The most effective means of visualizing depressions in the GIS was using an overlay of the partially transparent TPI raster atop the slopeshade raster at 1.0 m resolution. Manually identified depressions were subsequently checked using aerial imagery to screen for false positives, and targeted ground-truthing was undertaken in the field. The automated tools that were utilized include the routines in ArcHydro Tools (v. 2.0) for prescreening, evaluating, and selecting sinks and depressions as well as thresholding, grouping, and assessing depressions from the TPI raster. Results showed that the automated delineation of sinks and depressions within the ArcHydro tools was highly dependent upon pre-conditioning of the DEM to produce "hydrologically correct" surface flow routes. Using stream vectors obtained from the National Hydrologic Dataset alone to condition the flow routing was not sufficient to produce a suitable drainage network, and numerous artificial depressions were generated where roads, railways, or other manmade structures acted as flow barriers in the elevation model. Additional conditioning of the DEM with drainage paths across these barriers was required prior to automated 2delineation of sinks and depressions. In regions where the DEM had been properly conditioned, the tools for automated delineation performed reasonably well as compared to the manually delineated depressions, but generally overestimated the number of depressions thus necessitating manual filtering of the final results. Results from the TPI thresholding analysis were not dependent on DEM pre-conditioning, but the ability to extract meaningful depressions depended on careful assessment of analysis scale and TPI thresholding.

Integration of sewer system maps in topographically based sub-basin delineation in suburban areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jankowfsky, Sonja; Branger, Flora; Braud, Isabelle; Rodriguez, Fabrice

2010-05-01

Due to the increase of urbanization, suburban areas experience a fast change in land use. The impact of such modifications on the watershed hydrological cycle must be quantified. To achieve this goal, distributed hydrological models offer the possibility to take into account land use change, and more particularly to consider urbanized areas and anthropogenic features such as roads or ditches and their impact on the hydrological cycle. A detailed definition of the hydrographical drainage network and a corresponding delineation of sub-basins is therefore necessary as input to distributed models. Sub-basins in natural catchments are usually delineated using standard GIS based terrain analysis. The drainage network in urbanised watersheds is often modified, due to sewer systems, ditches, retention basins, etc.. Therefore, its delineation is not only determined by topography. The simple application of terrain analysis algorithms to delineate sub-basins in suburban areas can consequently lead to erroneous sub-basin borders. This study presents an improved approach for sub-basin delineation in suburban areas. It applies to small catchments connected to a sewage plant, located outside the catchment boundary. The approach assumes that subsurface flow follows topography. The method requires a digital elevation model (DEM), maps of land use, cadastre, sewer system and the location of measurement stations and retention basins. Firstly, the topographic catchment border must be defined for the concerning flow measurement station. Standard GIS based algorithms, like the d8-flow direction algorithm (O'Callaghan and Mark, 1984) can be applied using a high resolution DEM. Secondly, the artificial catchment outlets have to be determined. Each catchment has one natural outlet - the measurement station on the river- but it can have several artificial outlets towards a sewage station. Once the outlets are determined, a first approximation of the "theoretical maximal contributing area" can be made. It encompasses the whole connected sewer system and the topographic catchment boundary. The area of interest is therefore defined. The next step is the determination of the extended drainage network, consisting of the natural river, ditches, combined and separated sewer systems and retention basins. This requires a detailed analysis of sewer system data, field work (mapping of ditches and inlets into the natural river). Contacts with local authorities are also required to keep up-to-date about recent changes. Pure wastewater and drinking water pipes are not integrated in the drainage network. In order to have a unique drainage network for the model, choices might have to be made in case of several coexisting drainage pipes. The urban sub-basins are then delineated with the help of a cadastral map (Rodriguez et al., 2003) or an aerial photography. Each cadastral unit is connected to the closest drainage pipe, following the principle of proximity and gravity. The assembly of all cadastral units connected to one network reach represents one urban sub-basin. The sub-basins in the rural part are calculated using the d8 flow direction and watershed delineation algorithm with "stream burning" (Hutchinson, 1989). One sub-basin is delineated for each reach of the extended drainage network. Some manual corrections of the calculated sub-basins are necessary. Finally, the urban and rural sub-basins are merged by subtraction of the urban area from the rural area and subsequent union of both maps. This method was applied to the Chaudanne catchment, a sub-basin of the Yzeron catchment (ca. 4 km2) in the suburban region of Lyon city, France. The method leads to a 30 % extended catchment area, as compared to the topographic catchment area. For each river inlet the sub-basin area could be determined, as well as for each retention basin. This information can be directly used for the dimensioning of retention basins, pipe diameters, etc.

Detecting forest canopy change due to insect activity using Landsat MSS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, R. F.

1983-01-01

Multitemporal Landsat multispectral scanner data were analyzed to test various computer-aided analysis techniques for detecting significant forest canopy alteration. Three data transformations - differencing, ratioing, and a vegetative index difference - were tested to determine which best delineated gypsy moth defoliation. Response surface analyses were conducted to determine optimal threshold levels for the individual transformed bands and band combinations. Results indicate that, of the three transformations investigated, a vegetative index difference (VID) transformation most accurately delineates forest canopy change. Band 5 (0.6 to 0.7 micron ratioed data did nearly as well. However, other single bands and band combinations did not improve upon the band 5 ratio and VID results.

Visualizing geoelectric - Hydrogeological parameters of Fadak farm at Najaf Ashraf by using 2D spa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Khafaji, Wadhah Mahmood Shakir; Al-Dabbagh, Hayder Abdul Zahra

2016-12-01

A geophysical survey achieved to produce an electrical resistivity grid data of 23 Schlumberger Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) points distributed across the area of Fadak farm at Najaf Ashraf province in Iraq. The current research deals with the application of six interpolation methods used to delineate subsurface groundwater aquifer properties. One example of such features is the delineation of high and low groundwater hydraulic conductivity (K). Such methods could be useful in predicting high (K) zones and predicting groundwater flowing directions within the studied aquifer. Interpolation methods were helpful in predicting some aquifer hydrogeological and structural characteristics. The results produced some important conclusions for any future groundwater investment.

Use of high-resolution ground-penetrating radar in kimberlite delineation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kruger, J.M.; Martinez, A.; Berendsen, P.

1997-01-01

High-resolution ground-penetrating radar (GPR) was used to image the near-surface extent of two exposed Late Cretaceous kimberlites intruded into lower Permian limestone and dolomite host rocks in northeast Kansas. Six parallel GPR profiles identify the margin of the Randolph 1 kimberlite by the up-bending and termination of limestone reflectors. Five radially-intersecting GPR profiles identify the elliptical margin of the Randolph 2 kimberlite by the termination of dolomite reflectors near or below the kimberlite's mushroom-shaped cap. These results suggest GPR may augment magnetic methods for the delineation of kimberlites or other forceful intrusions in a layered host rock where thick, conductive soil or shale is not present at the surface.

Fully automatic lesion segmentation in breast MRI using mean-shift and graph-cuts on a region adjacency graph.

PubMed

McClymont, Darryl; Mehnert, Andrew; Trakic, Adnan; Kennedy, Dominic; Crozier, Stuart

2014-04-01

To present and evaluate a fully automatic method for segmentation (i.e., detection and delineation) of suspicious tissue in breast MRI. The method, based on mean-shift clustering and graph-cuts on a region adjacency graph, was developed and its parameters tuned using multimodal (T1, T2, DCE-MRI) clinical breast MRI data from 35 subjects (training data). It was then tested using two data sets. Test set 1 comprises data for 85 subjects (93 lesions) acquired using the same protocol and scanner system used to acquire the training data. Test set 2 comprises data for eight subjects (nine lesions) acquired using a similar protocol but a different vendor's scanner system. Each lesion was manually delineated in three-dimensions by an experienced breast radiographer to establish segmentation ground truth. The regions of interest identified by the method were compared with the ground truth and the detection and delineation accuracies quantitatively evaluated. One hundred percent of the lesions were detected with a mean of 4.5 ± 1.2 false positives per subject. This false-positive rate is nearly 50% better than previously reported for a fully automatic breast lesion detection system. The median Dice coefficient for Test set 1 was 0.76 (interquartile range, 0.17), and 0.75 (interquartile range, 0.16) for Test set 2. The results demonstrate the efficacy and accuracy of the proposed method as well as its potential for direct application across different MRI systems. It is (to the authors' knowledge) the first fully automatic method for breast lesion detection and delineation in breast MRI.

The Green, Amber, Red Delineation of Risk and Need (GARDIAN) management system: a pragmatic approach to optimizing heart health from primary prevention to chronic disease management.

PubMed

Carrington, Melinda J; Kok, Simone; Jansen, Kiki; Stewart, Simon

2013-08-01

A sustained epidemic of cardiovascular disease and related risk factors is a global phenomenon contributing significantly to premature deaths and costly morbidity. Preventative strategies across the full continuum of life, from a population to individual perspective, are not optimally applied. This paper describes a simple and adaptable 'traffic-light' system we have developed to systematically perform individual risk and need delineation in order to 'titrate' the intensity and frequency of healthcare intervention in a cost-effective manner. The GARDIAN (Green Amber Red Delineation of Risk and Need) system is an individual assessment of risk and need that modulates the frequency and intensity of future healthcare intervention. Individual assessment of risk and need for ongoing intervention and support is determined with reference to three domains: (1) clinical stability, (2) gold-standard management, and (3) a broader, holistic assessment of individual circumstance. This can be applied from a primary prevention, secondary prevention, or chronic disease management perspective. Our experience with applying and validating GARDIAN to titrate healthcare resources according to need has been extensive to date, with >5000 individuals profiled in a host of clinical settings. A series of clinical randomized trials will determine the impact of the GARDIAN system on important indices of healthcare utilization and health status. The GARDIAN model to delineating risk and need for varied intensity of management shows strong potential to cost effectively improve health outcomes for both individuals at risk of heart disease and those with established heart disease.

SURFACTANT ENHANCED AQUIFER REMEDIATION WITH SURFACTANT REGENERATION/REUSE

EPA Science Inventory

A demonstration of surfactant-enhanced aquifer remediation was conducted during the spring of 1999 at Marine Corps Base, Camp LeJeune, NC. A PCE-DNAPL zone was identified and delineated by extensive soil sampling in 1997, and was further characteized by a partitioning interwell t...

Delineating Landfill Leachate Discharge To An Arsenic Contaminated Waterway

EPA Science Inventory

Discharge of contaminated ground water may serve as a primary and on-going source of contamination to surface water. A field investigation was conducted at a Superfund site in Massachusetts, USA to define the locus of contaminant flux and support source identification for arseni...

Monitoring spatial and temporal variations of permeability in constructed wetlands by time-lapse geophysical methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tapias, J. C.; Himi, M.; Lovera, R.; Blasco, R.; Folch, M.; Casas, A.

2012-04-01

Constructed wetlands are widely used for removing pollutants from wastewater in small communities because their simplicity and low operation costs. Nevertheless, with time the cleaning process can result in gradual clogging of the porous layer by suspended solids, bacterial film, chemical precipitates and compactation. The clogging development causes decrease of hydraulic conductivity, reduced oxygen supply and further leads to a rapid decrease of the treatment performance. As the investment involved in reversing clogging can represent a substantial fraction of the cost of a new system it is essential to assess in advance the evolution of clogging process and detect potential failures in the system. Since there is a lack of experiences for monitoring the functionality of constructed wedlands a combination of non-destructive geophysical methods have been tested in this study. With this purpose electrical resistivity tomography, induced polarisation, frequency domain EM and ground probing radar have been conducted at different horizontal subsurface flow municipal wastewater treatment wetlands of Catalonia (Spain). The obtained results have shown that the applied geophysical techniques may delineate the clogging expansion and help take the preventive measures for enlarge the lifetime of the treatment system.

Oncology Nurse Navigation: Results of the 2016 Role Delineation Study.

PubMed

Lubejko, Barbara G; Bellfield, Sonia; Kahn, Elisa; Lee, Carrie; Peterson, Nicole; Rose, Traudi; Murphy, Cynthia Miller; McCorkle, Michele

2017-02-01

In 2011, an oncology nurse navigator (ONN) role delineation survey (RDS) was conducted by the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) when the role was relatively new to oncology. Results did not demonstrate a unique skill set for the ONN; however, since then, the role has expanded. ONS and the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation partnered in 2016 to complete an RDS of ONNs to redefine the role and determine the need for an ONN certification examination. A structured RDS was conducted using a formal consensus-building process. A survey was developed and released to examine the specific tasks, knowledge, and skills for the ONN as well as to determine which role possesses more responsibility for the tasks. The ONN role is evolving, and more was learned about its key tasks, including differences in the responsibilities of the ONN and the clinical or staff nurse. However, the RDS did not find an adequate difference in the knowledge required by the ONN and the clinical or staff nurse to support the need for a separate ONN certification.

Integrated magnetic, gravity, and GPR surveys to locate the probable source of hydrocarbon contamination in Sharm El-Sheikh area, south Sinai, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morsy, Mona; Rashed, Mohamed

2013-01-01

Sharm El-Sheikh waters were suddenly hit by hydrocarbon spills which created a serious threat to the prosperous tourism industry in and around the city. Analysis of soil samples, water samples, and seabed samples collected in and around the contaminated bay area showed anomalous levels of hydrocarbons. An integrated geophysical investigation, using magnetic, gravity, and ground penetrating radar geophysical tools, was conducted in the headland overlooking the contaminated bay in order to delineate the possible subsurface source of contamination. The results of the geophysical investigations revealed three underground manmade reinforced concrete tanks and a complicated network of buried steel pipes in addition to other unidentified buried objects. The depths and dimensions of the discovered objects were determined. Geophysical investigations also revealed the presence of a north-south oblique slip fault running through the eastern part of the studied area. Excavations, conducted later on, confirmed the presence of one of the tanks delineated by the geophysical surveys.

Land Capability Potential Index (LCPI) for the Lower Missouri River Valley

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jacobson, Robert B.; Chojnacki, Kimberly A.; Reuter, Joanna M.

2007-01-01

The Land Capability Potential Index (LCPI) was developed to serve as a relatively coarse-scale index to delineate broad land capability classes in the valley of the Lower Missouri River. The index integrates fundamental factors that determine suitability of land for various uses, and may provide a useful mechanism to guide land-management decisions. The LCPI was constructed from integration of hydrology, hydraulics, land-surface elevations, and soil permeability (or saturated hydraulic conductivity) datasets for an area of the Lower Missouri River, river miles 423–670. The LCPI estimates relative wetness based on intersecting water-surface elevations, interpolated from measurements or calculated from hydraulic models, with a high-resolution land-surface elevation dataset. The potential for wet areas to retain or drain water is assessed using soil-drainage classes that are estimated from saturated hydraulic conductivity of surface soils. Terrain mapping that delineates areas with convex, concave, and flat parts of the landscape provides another means to assess tendency of landscape patches to retain surface water.

High Frequency Electromagnetic Impedance Measurements for Characterization, Monitoring and Verification Efforts

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

Lee, Ki Ha; Becker, Alex; Framgos, William

1999-06-01

Non-invasive, high-resolution imaging of the shallow subsurface is needed for delineation of buried waste, detection of unexploded ordinance, verification and monitoring of containment structures, and other environmental applications. Electromagnetic measurements at frequencies between 1 and 100 MHz are important for such applications, because the induction number of many targets is small and the ability to determine the dielectric permittivity in addition to electrical conductivity of the subsurface is possible. Earlier workers were successful in developing systems for detecting anomalous areas, but no quantifiable information was accurately determined. For high-resolution imaging, accurate measurements are necessary so the field data can bemore » mapped into the space of the subsurface parameters. We are developing a non-invasive method for accurately imaging the electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity of the shallow subsurface using the plane wave impedance approach. Electric and magnetic sensors are being tested in a known area against theoretical predictions, thereby insuring that the data collected with the high-frequency impedance (HFI) system will support high-resolution, multi-dimensional imaging techniques.« less

High-Frequency Electromagnetic Impedance Measurements for Characterization, Monitoring and Verification Efforts

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

Lee, Ki Ha; Becker, Alex; Tseng, Hung-Wen

2002-11-20

Non-invasive, high-resolution imaging of the shallow subsurface is needed for delineation of buried waste, detection of unexploded ordinance, verification and monitoring of containment structures, and other environmental applications. Electromagnetic (EM) measurements at frequencies between 1 and 100 MHz are important for such applications, because the induction number of many targets is small and the ability to determine the dielectric permittivity in addition to electrical conductivity of the subsurface is possible. Earlier workers were successful in developing systems for detecting anomalous areas, but no quantifiable information was accurately determined. For high-resolution imaging, accurate measurements are necessary so the field data canmore » be mapped into the space of the subsurface parameters. We are developing a non-invasive method for accurately mapping the electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity of the shallow subsurface using the EM impedance approach (Frangos, 2001; Lee and Becker, 2001; Song et al., 2002). Electric and magnetic sensors are being tested in a known area against theoretical predictions, thereby insuring that the data collected with the high-frequency impedance (HFI) system will support high-resolution, multi-dimensional imaging techniques.« less

High-Frequency Electromagnetic Impedance Measurements for Characterization, Monitoring, and Verification Efforts

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

Lee, Ki Ha; Becker, Alex

2000-06-01

Non-invasive, high-resolution imaging of the shallow subsurface is needed for delineation of buried waste, detection of unexploded ordinance, verification and monitoring of containment structures, and other environmental applications. Electromagnetic measurements at frequencies between 1 and 100 MHz are important for such applications, because the induction number of many targets is small and the ability to determine the dielectric permittivity in addition to electrical conductivity of the subsurface is possible. Earlier workers were successful in developing systems for detecting anomalous areas, but no quantifiable information was accurately determined. For high-resolution imaging, accurate measurements are necessary so the field data can bemore » mapped into the space of the subsurface parameters. We are developing a non-invasive method for accurately imaging the electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity of the shallow subsurface using the plane wave impedance approach (Song et al., 1997). Electric and magnetic sensors are being tested in a known area against theoretical predictions, thereby insuring that the data collected with the high-frequency impedance (HFI) system will support high-resolution, multi-dimensional imaging techniques.« less

High-Frequency Electromagnetic Impedance Measurements for Characterization, Monitoring and Verification Efforts

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

Lee, Ki Ha; Becker, Alex; Tseng, Hung-Wen

2001-06-10

Non-invasive, high-resolution imaging of the shallow subsurface is needed for delineation of buried waste, detection of unexploded ordinance, verification and monitoring of containment structures, and other environmental applications. Electromagnetic (EM) measurements at frequencies between 1 and 100 MHz are important for such applications, because the induction number of many targets is small and the ability to determine the dielectric permittivity in addition to electrical conductivity of the subsurface is possible. Earlier workers were successful in developing systems for detecting anomalous areas, but no quantifiable information was accurately determined. For high-resolution imaging, accurate measurements are necessary so the field data canmore » be mapped into the space of the subsurface parameters. We are developing a non-invasive method for accurately mapping the electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity of the shallow subsurface using the EM impedance approach (Frangos, 2001; Lee and Becker, 2001). Electric and magnetic sensors are being tested in a known area against theoretical predictions, thereby insuring that the data collected with the high-frequency impedance (HFI) system will support high-resolution, multi-dimensional imaging techniques.« less

Optical system for object detection and delineation in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handelman, Amir; Shwartz, Shoam; Donitza, Liad; Chaplanov, Loran

2018-01-01

Object recognition and delineation is an important task in many environments, such as in crime scenes and operating rooms. Marking evidence or surgical tools and attracting the attention of the surrounding staff to the marked objects can affect people's lives. We present an optical system comprising a camera, computer, and small laser projector that can detect and delineate objects in the environment. To prove the optical system's concept, we show that it can operate in a hypothetical crime scene in which a pistol is present and automatically recognize and segment it by various computer-vision algorithms. Based on such segmentation, the laser projector illuminates the actual boundaries of the pistol and thus allows the persons in the scene to comfortably locate and measure the pistol without holding any intermediator device, such as an augmented reality handheld device, glasses, or screens. Using additional optical devices, such as diffraction grating and a cylinder lens, the pistol size can be estimated. The exact location of the pistol in space remains static, even after its removal. Our optical system can be fixed or dynamically moved, making it suitable for various applications that require marking of objects in space.

Phreatophytic land-cover map of the northern and central Great Basin Ecoregion: California, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Oregon, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mathie, Amy M.; Welborn, Toby L.; Susong, David D.; Tumbusch, Mary L.

2011-01-01

Increasing water use and changing climate in the Great Basin of the western United States are likely affecting the distribution of phreatophytic vegetation in the region. Phreatophytic plant communities that depend on groundwater are susceptible to natural and anthropogenic changes to hydrologic flow systems. The purpose of this report is to document the methods used to create the accompanying map that delineates areas of the Great Basin that have the greatest potential to support phreatophytic vegetation. Several data sets were used to develop the data displayed on the map, including Shrub Map (a land-cover data set derived from the Regional Gap Analysis Program) and Gap Analysis Program (GAP) data sets for California and Wyoming. In addition, the analysis used the surface landforms from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Global Ecosystems Mapping Project data to delineate regions of the study area based on topographic relief that are most favorable to support phreatophytic vegetation. Using spatial analysis techniques in a GIS, phreatophytic vegetation classes identified within Shrub Map and GAP were selected and compared to the spatial distribution of selected landforms in the study area to delineate areas of phreatophyte vegetation. Results were compared to more detailed studies conducted in selected areas. A general qualitative description of the data and the limitations of the base data determined that these results provide a regional overview but are not intended for localized studies or as a substitute for detailed field analysis. The map is intended as a decision-support aide for land managers to better understand, anticipate, and respond to ecosystem changes in the Great Basin.

Delineating baseflow contribution areas for streams - A model and methods comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chow, Reynold; Frind, Michael E.; Frind, Emil O.; Jones, Jon P.; Sousa, Marcelo R.; Rudolph, David L.; Molson, John W.; Nowak, Wolfgang

2016-12-01

This study addresses the delineation of areas that contribute baseflow to a stream reach, also known as stream capture zones. Such areas can be delineated using standard well capture zone delineation methods, with three important differences: (1) natural gradients are smaller compared to those produced by supply wells and are therefore subject to greater numerical errors, (2) stream discharge varies seasonally, and (3) stream discharge varies spatially. This study focuses on model-related uncertainties due to model characteristics, discretization schemes, delineation methods, and particle tracking algorithms. The methodology is applied to the Alder Creek watershed in southwestern Ontario. Four different model codes are compared: HydroGeoSphere, WATFLOW, MODFLOW, and FEFLOW. In addition, two delineation methods are compared: reverse particle tracking and reverse transport, where the latter considers local-scale parameter uncertainty by using a macrodispersion term to produce a capture probability plume. The results from this study indicate that different models can calibrate acceptably well to the same data and produce very similar distributions of hydraulic head, but can produce different capture zones. The stream capture zone is found to be highly sensitive to the particle tracking algorithm. It was also found that particle tracking by itself, if applied to complex systems such as the Alder Creek watershed, would require considerable subjective judgement in the delineation of stream capture zones. Reverse transport is an alternative and more reliable approach that provides probability intervals for the baseflow contribution areas, taking uncertainty into account. The two approaches can be used together to enhance the confidence in the final outcome.

Automatic delineation of tumor volumes by co-segmentation of combined PET/MR data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leibfarth, S.; Eckert, F.; Welz, S.; Siegel, C.; Schmidt, H.; Schwenzer, N.; Zips, D.; Thorwarth, D.

2015-07-01

Combined PET/MRI may be highly beneficial for radiotherapy treatment planning in terms of tumor delineation and characterization. To standardize tumor volume delineation, an automatic algorithm for the co-segmentation of head and neck (HN) tumors based on PET/MR data was developed. Ten HN patient datasets acquired in a combined PET/MR system were available for this study. The proposed algorithm uses both the anatomical T2-weighted MR and FDG-PET data. For both imaging modalities tumor probability maps were derived, assigning each voxel a probability of being cancerous based on its signal intensity. A combination of these maps was subsequently segmented using a threshold level set algorithm. To validate the method, tumor delineations from three radiation oncologists were available. Inter-observer variabilities and variabilities between the algorithm and each observer were quantified by means of the Dice similarity index and a distance measure. Inter-observer variabilities and variabilities between observers and algorithm were found to be comparable, suggesting that the proposed algorithm is adequate for PET/MR co-segmentation. Moreover, taking into account combined PET/MR data resulted in more consistent tumor delineations compared to MR information only.

Interactive boundary delineation of agricultural lands using graphics workstations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Thomas D.; Angelici, Gary L.; Slye, Robert E.; Ma, Matt

1992-01-01

A review is presented of the computer-assisted stratification and sampling (CASS) system developed to delineate the boundaries of sample units for survey procedures. CASS stratifies the sampling units by land-cover and land-use type, employing image-processing software and hardware. This procedure generates coverage areas and the boundaries of stratified sampling units that are utilized for subsequent sampling procedures from which agricultural statistics are developed.

Delineating Scholarly Types of College and University Faculty Members

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Toby J.; Braxton, John M.

2013-01-01

This study was conducted using cluster analysis as well as discriminant analysis to empirically identify types of faculty based on their patterns of performance of scholarship reflective of one or more of Boyer's four domains of scholarship. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

Virginia's use of remote sensing in the preliminary aerial survey--highway planning stage.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1972-01-01

The purpose of the study was to determine whether infrared technology could be used in Virginia to delineate areas with soils having a high moisture content. The study was conducted in cooperation with the FHWA, and personnel of the University of Mic...

An Analysis of Students' Mistakes on Routine Slope Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cho, Peter; Nagle, Courtney

2017-01-01

This study extends past research on students' understanding of slope by analyzing college students' mistakes on routine tasks involving slope. We conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis of students' mistakes to extract information regarding slope conceptualizations described in prior research. Results delineate procedural proficiencies and…

An integrated surface-geophysical investigation of the University of Connecticut landfill, Storrs, Connecticut, 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Carole D.; Dawson, C.B.; Belaval, Marcel; Lane, John W.

2002-01-01

A surface-geophysical investigation to characterize the hydrogeology and contaminant distribution of the former landfill area at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut, was conducted in 2000 to supplement the preliminary hydrogeologic assessment of the contamination of soil, surface water, and ground water at the site. A geophysical-toolbox approach was used to characterize the hydrogeology and contaminant distribution of the former landfill. Two-dimensional direct-current resistivity, inductive terrain-conductivity, and seismic-refraction surface-geophysical data were collected and interpreted in an iterative manner with exploratory drilling, borehole geophysics, and hydraulic testing. In this investigation, a geophysical-toolbox approach was used to 1) further define previously identified conductive anomalies and leachate plumes; 2) identify additional leachate plumes, possible fracture zones, and (or) conductive lithologic layers in the bedrock; and 3) delineate bedrock-surface topography in the drainage valleys north and south of the landfill. Resistivity and terrain-conductivity surveys were used to further delineate previously identified geophysical anomalies to the north and southwest of the landfill. A conductive anomaly identified in the terrain-conductivity survey to the north of the landfill in 2000 had a similar location and magnitude as an anomaly identified in terrain-conductivity surveys conducted in 1998 and 1999. Collectively, these surveys indicated that the magnitude of the conductive anomaly decreased with depth and with distance from the landfill. These anomalies indicated landfill leachate in the overburden and shallow bedrock. Results of previous surface-geophysical investigations southwest of the landfill indicated a shallow conductive anomaly in the overburden that extended into the fractured-bedrock aquifer. This conductive anomaly had a sheet-like geometry that had a north-south strike, dipped to the west, and terminated abruptly about 450 feet southwest of the landfill. The sheet-like conductive anomaly was interpreted as a fractured, conductive lithologic feature filled with conductive fluids. To further delineate this anomaly, two two-dimensional resistivity profiles were collected west of the sheet-like conductive anomaly to assess the possibility that the sheet-like conductive anomaly continued to the west in its down-dip direction. Each of the north-south oriented resistivity profiles showed bullet-shaped rather than linear-shaped anomalies, with a relatively smaller magnitude of conductivity than the sheet-like conductive anomaly to the east. If these bullet-like features are spatially connected, they may represent a linear, or pipe-like, conductive anomaly in the bedrock with a trend of N290?E and a plunge of 12?. Additional surveys were conducted to assess the apparent southern termination of the sheet-like conductive feature. Terrain-conductivity surveys indicated the sheet-like feature was not continuous to the south. A two-dimensional resistivity line and a coincident terrain-conductivity profile indicated the presence of a steep, eastward dipping, low magnitude, electrically conductive anomaly on the eastern end of the profile. Although the sheet-like conductive anomaly apparently did not continue to the south, the survey conducted in 2000 identified an isolated, weak conductive anomaly south of the previously identified anomaly. Inductive terrain-conductivity surveys performed north of the sheet-like conductive anomaly and west of the landfill indicated the anomaly did not extend to the north into the area of the former chemical-waste disposal pits. No conductive plumes or conductive features were observed in the subsurface bedrock west of the landfill. A conductive anomaly was identified in the southern section of the new terrain-conductivity grid. The magnitude and distribution of the apparent conductivity of this anomaly was identified as a nearly vertica

High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS): Pilot Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

This report summarizes the initial work accomplished by the ACCESS 5 Human System Integration (HSI) team to identify Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Pilot Knowledge, Skill and Ability (KSA), Training and Medical requirements. To derive this information the following tasks were accomplished: a) Mission and Function analyses were performed; b) Applicable FARs and FAA Advisory Circulars (ACs) were reviewed; c) Meetings were conducted with NASA and FAA Human Factors personnel; d) Surveys were completed by ACCESS 5 HSI Working group UA Pilots; e) Coordination meetings were conducted with the ACCESS 5 Policy IPT. The results of these efforts were used to develop a summary of the current qualifications. for an individual to function as a Pilot In Command (PIC) for UAs currently flown by UNITE companies, to develop preliminary Pilot KSAs for each phase of flight, and to delineate preliminary Pilot Training and Medical requirements. These results are to be provided to the Policy IPT to support their development of recommendations for UA Pilot Rating Criteria, training and medical qualifications. It is expected that the initially an instrument rated pilot will be required to serve as the PIC. However, as operational experience is gained, and automation is applied to accomplish various system functions, it is expected that pilot rating criteria could be lessened.

The Uncertain Geographic Context Problem in the Analysis of the Relationships between Obesity and the Built Environment in Guangzhou

PubMed Central

Zhao, Pengxiang; Zhou, Suhong

2018-01-01

Traditionally, static units of analysis such as administrative units are used when studying obesity. However, using these fixed contextual units ignores environmental influences experienced by individuals in areas beyond their residential neighborhood and may render the results unreliable. This problem has been articulated as the uncertain geographic context problem (UGCoP). This study investigates the UGCoP through exploring the relationships between the built environment and obesity based on individuals’ activity space. First, a survey was conducted to collect individuals’ daily activity and weight information in Guangzhou in January 2016. Then, the data were used to calculate and compare the values of several built environment variables based on seven activity space delineations, including home buffers, workplace buffers (WPB), fitness place buffers (FPB), the standard deviational ellipse at two standard deviations (SDE2), the weighted standard deviational ellipse at two standard deviations (WSDE2), the minimum convex polygon (MCP), and road network buffers (RNB). Lastly, we conducted comparative analysis and regression analysis based on different activity space measures. The results indicate that significant differences exist between variables obtained with different activity space delineations. Further, regression analyses show that the activity space delineations used in the analysis have a significant influence on the results concerning the relationships between the built environment and obesity. The study sheds light on the UGCoP in analyzing the relationships between obesity and the built environment. PMID:29439392

A topological system for delineation and codification of the Earth's river basins

USGS Publications Warehouse

Verdin, K.L.; Verdin, J.P.

1999-01-01

A comprehensive reference system for the Earth's river basins is proposed as a support to fiver basin management, global change research, and the pursuit of sustainable development. A natural system for delineation and codification of basins is presented which is based upon topographic control and the topology of the fiver network. These characteristics make the system well suited for implementation and use with digital elevation models (DEMs) and geographic information systems. A demonstration of these traits is made with the 30-arcsecond GTOPO30 DEM for North America. The system has additional appeal owing to its economy of digits and the topological information that they carry. This is illustrated through presentation of comparisons with USGS hydrologic unit codes and demonstration of the use of code numbers to reveal dependence or independence of water use activities within a basin.

Interactive contour delineation of organs at risk in radiotherapy: Clinical evaluation on NSCLC patients.

PubMed

Dolz, J; Kirişli, H A; Fechter, T; Karnitzki, S; Oehlke, O; Nestle, U; Vermandel, M; Massoptier, L

2016-05-01

Accurate delineation of organs at risk (OARs) on computed tomography (CT) image is required for radiation treatment planning (RTP). Manual delineation of OARs being time consuming and prone to high interobserver variability, many (semi-) automatic methods have been proposed. However, most of them are specific to a particular OAR. Here, an interactive computer-assisted system able to segment various OARs required for thoracic radiation therapy is introduced. Segmentation information (foreground and background seeds) is interactively added by the user in any of the three main orthogonal views of the CT volume and is subsequently propagated within the whole volume. The proposed method is based on the combination of watershed transformation and graph-cuts algorithm, which is used as a powerful optimization technique to minimize the energy function. The OARs considered for thoracic radiation therapy are the lungs, spinal cord, trachea, proximal bronchus tree, heart, and esophagus. The method was evaluated on multivendor CT datasets of 30 patients. Two radiation oncologists participated in the study and manual delineations from the original RTP were used as ground truth for evaluation. Delineation of the OARs obtained with the minimally interactive approach was approved to be usable for RTP in nearly 90% of the cases, excluding the esophagus, which segmentation was mostly rejected, thus leading to a gain of time ranging from 50% to 80% in RTP. Considering exclusively accepted cases, overall OARs, a Dice similarity coefficient higher than 0.7 and a Hausdorff distance below 10 mm with respect to the ground truth were achieved. In addition, the interobserver analysis did not highlight any statistically significant difference, at the exception of the segmentation of the heart, in terms of Hausdorff distance and volume difference. An interactive, accurate, fast, and easy-to-use computer-assisted system able to segment various OARs required for thoracic radiation therapy has been presented and clinically evaluated. The introduction of the proposed system in clinical routine may offer valuable new option to radiation oncologists in performing RTP.

SU-F-T-405: Development of a Rapid Cardiac Contouring Tool Using Landmark-Driven Modeling

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

Pelletier, C; Jung, J; Mosher, E

2016-06-15

Purpose: This study aims to develop a tool to rapidly delineate cardiac substructures for use in dosimetry for large-scale clinical trial or epidemiological investigations. The goal is to produce a system that can semi-automatically delineate nine cardiac structures to a reasonable accuracy within a couple of minutes. Methods: The cardiac contouring tool employs a Most Similar Atlas method, where a selection criterion is used to pre-select the most similar model to the patient from a library of pre-defined atlases. Sixty contrast-enhanced cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA) scans (30 male and 30 female) were manually contoured to serve as the atlasmore » library. For each CTA 12 structures were delineated. Kabsch algorithm was used to compute the optimum rotation and translation matrices between the patient and atlas. Minimum root mean squared distance between the patient and atlas after transformation was used to select the most-similar atlas. An initial study using 10 CTA sets was performed to assess system feasibility. Leave-one patient out method was performed, and fit criteria were calculated to evaluate the fit accuracy compared to manual contours. Results: For the pilot study, mean dice indices of .895 were achieved for the whole heart, .867 for the ventricles, and .802 for the atria. In addition, mean distance was measured via the chord length distribution (CLD) between ground truth and the atlas structures for the four coronary arteries. The mean CLD for all coronary arteries was below 14mm, with the left circumflex artery showing the best agreement (7.08mm). Conclusion: The cardiac contouring tool is able to delineate cardiac structures with reasonable accuracy in less than 90 seconds. Pilot data indicates that the system is able to delineate the whole heart and ventricles within a reasonable accuracy using even a limited library. We are extending the atlas sets to 60 adult males and females in total.« less

Afterschool Alliance Backgrounder: Formal Evaluations of Afterschool Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afterschool Alliance, Washington, DC.

Noting that various types of evaluations of after-school programming conducted over the last several years have provided useful information to providers and to policymakers, this report summarizes the lessons learned from independent evaluations of after-school programs. The following overall findings are supported with a delineation of findings…

Variable rate application of nematicides on cotton fields: A promising site-specific management strategy.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Field tests were conducted to determine if differences in response to nematicide application (i.e., root-knot nematode (RKN) population levels, cotton yield, and profitability) occurred among RKN management zones (MZ). The MZ were delineated using variables related to soil texture, including appare...

21 CFR 312.85 - Phase 4 studies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Phase 4 studies. 312.85 Section 312.85 Food and...-debilitating Illnesses § 312.85 Phase 4 studies. Concurrent with marketing approval, FDA may seek agreement from the sponsor to conduct certain postmarketing (phase 4) studies to delineate additional information...

21 CFR 312.85 - Phase 4 studies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Phase 4 studies. 312.85 Section 312.85 Food and...-debilitating Illnesses § 312.85 Phase 4 studies. Concurrent with marketing approval, FDA may seek agreement from the sponsor to conduct certain postmarketing (phase 4) studies to delineate additional information...

Purpose of Adult Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moon, Paul J.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this conceptual paper was to propose an ultimate goal and purpose for the field and practice of adult education. A literature search was conducted to delineate historical philosophies of education that inform the current state of education, including adult education. Furthermore, building upon the rudiments of adult education extant…

Patterns of zone management uncertainty in cotton using tarnished plant bug distributions, NDVI, soil EC, yield and thermal imagery

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Management zones for various crops have been delineated using NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), apparent bulk soil electrical conductivity (ECa - Veris), and yield data; however, estimations of uncertainty for these data layers are equally important considerations. The objective of this...

Mentoring Beginning Teachers in Primary Schools: Research Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spooner-Lane, Rebecca

2017-01-01

While mentoring programmes have proven to be successful in reducing attrition and improving teaching ability in beginning teachers, there remains a lack of research delineating the key components of effective mentoring programmes in primary education. This integrative research review examines empirical studies conducted since 2000 on the nature…

Methods Used in a Recent Computer Selection Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Botten, LeRoy H.

A study was conducted at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan to determine selection of a computer for both academic and administrative purposes. The university has a total enrollment of 2,100 students and includes a college, graduate school and seminary. An initial feasibility study delineated criteria and desirable components of the…

Personality disorder traits, family environment, and alcohol misuse: a multivariate behavioural genetic analysis.

PubMed

Jang, K L; Vernon, P A; Livesley, W J

2000-06-01

This study seeks to estimate the extent to which a common genetic and environmental basis is shared between (i) traits delineating specific aspects of antisocial personality and alcohol misuse, and (ii) childhood family environments, traits delineating broad domains of personality pathology and alcohol misuse. Postal survey data were collected from monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs. Twin pairs were recruited from Vancouver, British Columbia and London, Ontario, Canada using newspaper advertisements, media stories and twin clubs. Data obtained from 324 monozygotic and 335 dizygotic twin pairs were used to estimate the extent to which traits delineating specific antisocial personality traits and alcohol misuse shared a common genetic and environmental aetiology. Data from 81 monozygotic and 74 dizygotic twin pairs were used to estimate the degree to which traits delineating personality pathology, childhood family environment and alcohol misuse shared a common aetiology. Current alcohol misuse and personality pathology were measured using scales contained in the self-report Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology. Perceptions of childhood family environment were measured using the self-report Family Environment Scale. Multivariate genetic analyses showed that a subset of traits delineating components of antisocial personality (i.e. grandiosity, attention-seeking, failure to adopt social norms, interpersonal violence and juvenile antisocial behaviours) are influenced by genetic factors in common to alcohol misuse. Genetically based perceptions of childhood family environment had little relationship with alcohol misuse. Heritable personality factors that influence the perception of childhood family environment play only a small role in the liability to alcohol misuse. Instead, liability to alcohol misuse is related to genetic factors common a specific subset of antisocial personality traits describing conduct problems, narcissistic and stimulus-seeking behaviour.

Delineating baseflow contribution areas for streams - A model and methods comparison.

PubMed

Chow, Reynold; Frind, Michael E; Frind, Emil O; Jones, Jon P; Sousa, Marcelo R; Rudolph, David L; Molson, John W; Nowak, Wolfgang

2016-12-01

This study addresses the delineation of areas that contribute baseflow to a stream reach, also known as stream capture zones. Such areas can be delineated using standard well capture zone delineation methods, with three important differences: (1) natural gradients are smaller compared to those produced by supply wells and are therefore subject to greater numerical errors, (2) stream discharge varies seasonally, and (3) stream discharge varies spatially. This study focuses on model-related uncertainties due to model characteristics, discretization schemes, delineation methods, and particle tracking algorithms. The methodology is applied to the Alder Creek watershed in southwestern Ontario. Four different model codes are compared: HydroGeoSphere, WATFLOW, MODFLOW, and FEFLOW. In addition, two delineation methods are compared: reverse particle tracking and reverse transport, where the latter considers local-scale parameter uncertainty by using a macrodispersion term to produce a capture probability plume. The results from this study indicate that different models can calibrate acceptably well to the same data and produce very similar distributions of hydraulic head, but can produce different capture zones. The stream capture zone is found to be highly sensitive to the particle tracking algorithm. It was also found that particle tracking by itself, if applied to complex systems such as the Alder Creek watershed, would require considerable subjective judgement in the delineation of stream capture zones. Reverse transport is an alternative and more reliable approach that provides probability intervals for the baseflow contribution areas, taking uncertainty into account. The two approaches can be used together to enhance the confidence in the final outcome. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Predicting Flood Hazards in Systems with Multiple Flooding Mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luke, A.; Schubert, J.; Cheng, L.; AghaKouchak, A.; Sanders, B. F.

2014-12-01

Delineating flood zones in systems that are susceptible to flooding from a single mechanism (riverine flooding) is a relatively well defined procedure with specific guidance from agencies such as FEMA and USACE. However, there is little guidance in delineating flood zones in systems that are susceptible to flooding from multiple mechanisms such as storm surge, waves, tidal influence, and riverine flooding. In this study, a new flood mapping method which accounts for multiple extremes occurring simultaneously is developed and exemplified. The study site in which the method is employed is the Tijuana River Estuary (TRE) located in Southern California adjacent to the U.S./Mexico border. TRE is an intertidal coastal estuary that receives freshwater flows from the Tijuana River. Extreme discharge from the Tijuana River is the primary driver of flooding within TRE, however tide level and storm surge also play a significant role in flooding extent and depth. A comparison between measured flows at the Tijuana River and ocean levels revealed a correlation between extreme discharge and ocean height. Using a novel statistical method based upon extreme value theory, ocean heights were predicted conditioned up extreme discharge occurring within the Tijuana River. This statistical technique could also be applied to other systems in which different factors are identified as the primary drivers of flooding, such as significant wave height conditioned upon tide level, for example. Using the predicted ocean levels conditioned upon varying return levels of discharge as forcing parameters for the 2D hydraulic model BreZo, the 100, 50, 20, and 10 year floodplains were delineated. The results will then be compared to floodplains delineated using the standard methods recommended by FEMA for riverine zones with a downstream ocean boundary.

Technological Innovation in Grade Crossing Protective Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-06-01

The constraints on innovative grade crossing protective systems are delineated and guidelines for development indicated. Inventory data has been arranged to permit an estimate of the classes of systems needed, the allowable costs, and contribution of...

Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Harold O.; Burford, Anna Marie

1990-01-01

Delineates artificial intelligence/expert systems (AI/ES) concepts; provides an exposition of some business application areas; relates progress; and creates an awareness of the benefits, limitations, and reservations of AI/ES. (Author)

Benchmark of Client and Server-Side Catchment Delineation Approaches on Web-Based Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demir, I.; Sermet, M. Y.; Sit, M. A.

2016-12-01

Recent advances in internet and cyberinfrastructure technologies have provided the capability to acquire large scale spatial data from various gauges and sensor networks. The collection of environmental data increased demand for applications which are capable of managing and processing large-scale and high-resolution data sets. With the amount and resolution of data sets provided, one of the challenging tasks for organizing and customizing hydrological data sets is delineation of watersheds on demand. Watershed delineation is a process for creating a boundary that represents the contributing area for a specific control point or water outlet, with intent of characterization and analysis of portions of a study area. Although many GIS tools and software for watershed analysis are available on desktop systems, there is a need for web-based and client-side techniques for creating a dynamic and interactive environment for exploring hydrological data. In this project, we demonstrated several watershed delineation techniques on the web with various techniques implemented on the client-side using JavaScript and WebGL, and on the server-side using Python and C++. We also developed a client-side GPGPU (General Purpose Graphical Processing Unit) algorithm to analyze high-resolution terrain data for watershed delineation which allows parallelization using GPU. The web-based real-time analysis of watershed segmentation can be helpful for decision-makers and interested stakeholders while eliminating the need of installing complex software packages and dealing with large-scale data sets. Utilization of the client-side hardware resources also eliminates the need of servers due its crowdsourcing nature. Our goal for future work is to improve other hydrologic analysis methods such as rain flow tracking by adapting presented approaches.

Improvement and extension of a radar forest backscattering model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simonett, David S.; Wang, Yong

1989-01-01

Radar modeling of mangal forest stands, in the Sundarbans area of Southern Bangladesh, was developed. The modeling employs radar system parameters with forest data on tree height, spacing, biomass, species combinations, and water (including slightly conductive water), content both in leaves and trunks of the mangal. For Sundri and Gewa tropical mangal forests, six model components are proposed, which are required to explain the contributions of various forest species combinations in the attenuation and scattering of mangal vegetated nonflooded or flooded surfaces. Statistical data of simulated images were compared with those of SIR-B images both to refine the modeling procedures and to appropriately characterize the model output. The possibility of delineation of flooded or nonflooded boundaries is discussed.

Intelligent transportation systems field operational test cross-cutting study : hazardous material incident management

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-08-01

This handbook was developed to assist design, traffic, and maintenance engineering personnel in making determinations about roadway delineation systems, including the appropriate system for a given situation, when a system has reached the end of its ...

Profiling Groundwater Salt Concentrations in Mangrove Swamps and Tropical Salt Flats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ridd, Peter V.; Sam, Renagi

1996-11-01

The salt concentration of groundwater in mangrove swamps is an important parameter controlling the growth of mangrove species. Extremely high salt concentrations of groundwater in tropical salt flats are responsible for the complete absence of macrophytes. Determining groundwater salt concentrations can be a very time-consuming and laborious process if conventional techniques are used. Typically, groundwater samples must be extracted for later laboratory analysis. In this work, a simple conductivity probe has been developed which may be inserted easily to a depth of 2 m into the sediment. The changes in conductivity of the sediment is due primarily to porewater salt concentration, and thus ground conductivity is useful in determining changes in groundwater salt concentrations. Using the conductivity probe, transects of sediment conductivity can be undertaken quickly. As an example of a possible application of the probe, transects of ground conductivity were taken on a mangrove swamp/saltflat system. The transects show clearly the sharp delineation in conductivity between the salt flat and mangrove swamp due to a change in groundwater salt concentrations. Horizontal and vertical salt concentration gradients of up to 50 g l -1 m -1and 150 g l -1 m -1, respectively, were found. Very sharp changes in groundwater salt concentrations at the interface between salt flats and mangroves indicate that the mangroves may be modifying the salinity of the groundwater actively.

Toward more environmentally resistant gas turbines: Progress in NASA-Lewis programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowell, C. E.; Grisaffe, S. J.; Levine, S. R.

1976-01-01

A wide range of programs are being conducted for improving the environmental resistance to oxidation and hot corrosion of gas turbine and power system materials. They range from fundamental efforts to delineate attack mechanisms, allow attack modeling and permit life prediction, to more applied efforts to develop potentially more resistant alloys and coatings. Oxidation life prediction efforts have resulted in a computer program which provides an initial method for predicting long time metal loss using short time oxidation data by means of a paralinear attack model. Efforts in alloy development have centered on oxide-dispersion strengthened alloys based on the Ni-Cr-Al system. Compositions have been identified which are compromises between oxidation and thermal fatigue resistance. Fundamental studies of hot corrosion mechanisms include thermodynamic studies of sodium sulfate formation during turbine combustion. Information concerning species formed during the vaporization of Na2SO4 has been developed using high temperature mass spectrometry.

Regional agriculture surveys using ERTS-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Draeger, W. C.; Nichols, J. D.; Benson, A. S.; Larrabee, D. G.; Jenkus, W. M.; Hay, C. M.

1974-01-01

The Center for Remote Sensing Research has conducted studies designed to evaluate the potential application of ERTS data in performing agricultural inventories, and to develop efficient methods of data handling and analysis useful in the operational context for performing large area surveys. This work has resulted in the development of an integrated system utilizing both human and computer analysis of ground, aerial, and space imagery, which has been shown to be very efficient for regional crop acreage inventories. The technique involves: (1) the delineation of ERTS images into relatively homogeneous strata by human interpreters, (2) the point-by-point classification of the area within each strata on the basis of crop type using a human/machine interactive digital image processing system; and (3) a multistage sampling procedure for the collection of supporting aerial and ground data used in the adjustment and verification of the classification results.

Estimation of slip distribution using an inverse method based on spectral decomposition of Green's function utilizing Global Positioning System (GPS) data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Honglin; Kato, Teruyuki; Hori, Muneo

2007-07-01

An inverse method based on the spectral decomposition of the Green's function was employed for estimating a slip distribution. We conducted numerical simulations along the Philippine Sea plate (PH) boundary in southwest Japan using this method to examine how to determine the essential parameters which are the number of deformation function modes and their coefficients. Japanese GPS Earth Observation Network (GEONET) Global Positioning System (GPS) data were used for three years covering 1997-1999 to estimate interseismic back slip distribution in this region. The estimated maximum back slip rate is about 7 cm/yr, which is consistent with the Philippine Sea plate convergence rate. Areas of strong coupling are confined between depths of 10 and 30 km and three areas of strong coupling were delineated. These results are consistent with other studies that have estimated locations of coupling distribution.

Liposomal amphotericin B treatment of Old World cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis: A literature review.

PubMed

Mosimann, Vincent; Neumayr, Andreas; Paris, Daniel H; Blum, Johannes

2018-06-01

Old World cutaneous and mucosal leishmaniasis is a potentially serious disease. Systemic treatment approaches with pentavalent antimonials, liposomal amphotericin B, fluconazole and miltefosine are increasingly used despite the absence of supportive evidence - to date, no prospective clinical trials have been conducted for systemic treatment of these diseases. We performed a literature search to delineate the contemporary evidence for the use of liposomal amphotericin B, and found that although cure rates of 17/20 (85%) were achieved in immune competent patients with Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis and cure rates of 10/13 (77%) for Old World mucosal leishmaniasis due to L. infantum, the available data is highly limited with high variation in total treatment dosages. The presented findings reflect a lack of consensus on the optimal treatment dosage and on the schedule of application. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Building the School Attendance Boundary Information System (SABINS): Collecting, Processing, and Modeling K to 12 Educational Geography

PubMed Central

Saporito, Salvatore; Van Riper, David; Wakchaure, Ashwini

2017-01-01

The School Attendance Boundary Information System is a social science data infrastructure project that assembles, processes, and distributes spatial data delineating K through 12th grade school attendance boundaries for thousands of school districts in U.S. Although geography is a fundamental organizing feature of K to 12 education, until now school attendance boundary data have not been made readily available on a massive basis and in an easy-to-use format. The School Attendance Boundary Information System removes these barriers by linking spatial data delineating school attendance boundaries with tabular data describing the demographic characteristics of populations living within those boundaries. This paper explains why a comprehensive GIS database of K through 12 school attendance boundaries is valuable, how original spatial information delineating school attendance boundaries is collected from local agencies, and techniques for modeling and storing the data so they provide maximum flexibility to the user community. An important goal of this paper is to share the techniques used to assemble the SABINS database so that local and state agencies apply a standard set of procedures and models as they gather data for their regions. PMID:29151773

Building the School Attendance Boundary Information System (SABINS): Collecting, Processing, and Modeling K to 12 Educational Geography.

PubMed

Saporito, Salvatore; Van Riper, David; Wakchaure, Ashwini

2013-01-01

The School Attendance Boundary Information System is a social science data infrastructure project that assembles, processes, and distributes spatial data delineating K through 12 th grade school attendance boundaries for thousands of school districts in U.S. Although geography is a fundamental organizing feature of K to 12 education, until now school attendance boundary data have not been made readily available on a massive basis and in an easy-to-use format. The School Attendance Boundary Information System removes these barriers by linking spatial data delineating school attendance boundaries with tabular data describing the demographic characteristics of populations living within those boundaries. This paper explains why a comprehensive GIS database of K through 12 school attendance boundaries is valuable, how original spatial information delineating school attendance boundaries is collected from local agencies, and techniques for modeling and storing the data so they provide maximum flexibility to the user community. An important goal of this paper is to share the techniques used to assemble the SABINS database so that local and state agencies apply a standard set of procedures and models as they gather data for their regions.

Regional TEMPEST survey in north-east Namibia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, Geoffrey; Street, Gregory; Kahimise, Ivor; Hutchins, David

2015-09-01

A regional scale TEMPEST208 airborne electromagnetic survey was flown in north-east Namibia in 2011. With broad line spacing (4 km) and a relatively low-powered, fixed-wing system, the approach was intended to provide a regional geo-electric map of the area, rather than direct detection of potential mineral deposits. A key component of the geo-electric profiling was to map the relative thickness of the Kalahari sediments, which is up to 200 m thick and obscures most of the bedrock in the area. Knowledge of the thickness would allow explorers to better predict the costs of exploration under the Kalahari. An additional aim was to determine if bedrock conductors were detectable beneath the Kalahari cover. The system succeeded in measuring the Kalahari thickness where this cover was relatively thin and moderately conductive. Limitations in depth penetration mean that it is not possible to map the thickness in the centre of the survey area, and much of the northern half of the survey area. Additional problems arise due to the variable conductivity of the Kalahari cover. Where the conductivity of the Kalahari sediment is close to that of the basement, there is no discernable contrast to delineate the base of the Kalahari. Basement conductors are visible beneath the more thinly covered areas such as in the north-west and south of the survey area. The remainder of the survey area generally comprises deeper, more conductive cover and for the most part basement conductors cannot be detected. A qualitative comparison with VTEM data shows comparable results in terms of regional mapping, and suggests that even more powerful systems such as the VTEM may not detect discrete conductors beneath the thick conductive parts of the Kalahari cover.

Geophysical detection of on-site wastewater plumes in the North Carolina Coastal Plain, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Matthew

Nonpoint source pollution (NPS) continues to be the leading cause of water quality degradation in the United States. On-site wastewater systems (OWS) contribute to NPS; however, due to the range of system designs and complexity of the subsurface, OWS contributions to groundwater pollution are not well understood. As the population of coastal North Carolina continues to increase, better methods to locate and characterize wastewater impacted groundwater are needed. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of non-intrusive geophysical methods to provide high resolution information on various contaminants in different geologic settings. The goals of this study were to evaluate the utility of ground penetrating radar (GPR) and capacitively coupled resistivity (CCR) for detecting OWS components, delineating associated wastewater plumes, and monitoring temporal variations in groundwater quality. Cross-sectional and three dimensional (3D) geophysical surveys were conducted periodically over a one year period (February 2011--January 2012) at two schools utilizing OWS in the lower Neuse River Basin (NRB) in the North Carolina Coastal Plain (NCCP). Cores were collected at both study sites; as well as monthly groundwater depth, temperature, and specific conductivity measurements to better constrain the geophysical interpretations. Additionally, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and Cl concentrations were monitored bi-monthly to assess nutrient transport at the sites. The 3D GPR surveys effectively located the wastewater drainage trenches at both sites, in close agreement with locations described in as-built OWS blueprints. Regression analysis of resistivity versus groundwater specific conductivity revealed an inverse relationship, suggesting resistivity ≤ 250 ohm.m was indicative of wastewater impacted groundwater at both sites. The 3D resistivity models identified regions of low resistivity beneath the drainfields relative to background values. Regression analysis of GPR signal absolute peak amplitude (APA) versus groundwater specific conductivity revealed a decrease in APA indicative of radar signal attenuation at locations where groundwater specific conductivity was elevated. The 3D GPR models identified regions of attenuated radar signal beneath the drainfields relative to background locations. Comparisons of groundwater specific conductivity, GPR, and CCR lateral wastewater plume estimates indicated similar dimensions at both sites. The sensitivity of resistivity measurements tended to decline with increased water-table depth; although, differences in resistivity associated with seasonal water-table depth changes were noticeable. Overall, results of this study suggest that GPR and CCR surveys combined with sediment, hydrologic, and water quality data may provide reliable information on the location of OWS components and extent of associated wastewater plumes. The GPR surveys successfully located the wastewater drainage trenches and helped image the uppermost surface of the wastewater plumes. The CCR surveys delineated the lateral wastewater plume dimensions and revealed temporal changes in groundwater quality associated with differences in groundwater recharge.

Transient flow conditions in probabilistic wellhead protection: importance and ways to manage spatial and temporal uncertainty in capture zone delineation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enzenhoefer, R.; Rodriguez-Pretelin, A.; Nowak, W.

2012-12-01

"From an engineering standpoint, the quantification of uncertainty is extremely important not only because it allows estimating risk but mostly because it allows taking optimal decisions in an uncertain framework" (Renard, 2007). The most common way to account for uncertainty in the field of subsurface hydrology and wellhead protection is to randomize spatial parameters, e.g. the log-hydraulic conductivity or porosity. This enables water managers to take robust decisions in delineating wellhead protection zones with rationally chosen safety margins in the spirit of probabilistic risk management. Probabilistic wellhead protection zones are commonly based on steady-state flow fields. However, several past studies showed that transient flow conditions may substantially influence the shape and extent of catchments. Therefore, we believe they should be accounted for in the probabilistic assessment and in the delineation process. The aim of our work is to show the significance of flow transients and to investigate the interplay between spatial uncertainty and flow transients in wellhead protection zone delineation. To this end, we advance our concept of probabilistic capture zone delineation (Enzenhoefer et al., 2012) that works with capture probabilities and other probabilistic criteria for delineation. The extended framework is able to evaluate the time fraction that any point on a map falls within a capture zone. In short, we separate capture probabilities into spatial/statistical and time-related frequencies. This will provide water managers additional information on how to manage a well catchment in the light of possible hazard conditions close to the capture boundary under uncertain and time-variable flow conditions. In order to save computational costs, we take advantage of super-positioned flow components with time-variable coefficients. We assume an instantaneous development of steady-state flow conditions after each temporal change in driving forces, following an idea by Festger and Walter, 2002. These quasi steady-state flow fields are cast into a geostatistical Monte Carlo framework to admit and evaluate the influence of parameter uncertainty on the delineation process. Furthermore, this framework enables conditioning on observed data with any conditioning scheme, such as rejection sampling, Ensemble Kalman Filters, etc. To further reduce the computational load, we use the reverse formulation of advective-dispersive transport. We simulate the reverse transport by particle tracking random walk in order to avoid numerical dispersion to account for well arrival times.

Career Objectives of Wyoming Secondary Students Compared with Parental Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Church, Olive

The study was conducted to determine the influence of current parental occupations upon the career objectives of secondary students in Wyoming, including variables related to sex and to mother's employment. The study also sought to delineate the career clusters in which there was scant parental occupation and few students' career objectives, to…

THE SCHOOL AND THE MIGRANT CHILD--A SURVEY INTERPRETED.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Committee on the Education of Migrant Children, Washington, DC.

A SURVEY CONDUCTED TO SECURE INFORMATION ON CONDITIONS AFFECTING MIGRANT CHILDREN IS PRESENTED. A FIVE-PART QUESTIONNAIRE DELINEATES THE NUMBER OF MIGRANT CHILDREN IN A GIVEN STATE, THEIR PARTICIPATION IN REGULAR AND SUMMER TERMS, AND NEEDS AND PROBLEMS CONNECTED WITH THEIR CLASSROOM ATTENDANCE. THE QUESTIONNAIRE HAS BEEN SENT TO DEPARTMENTS OF…

Procedures for Developing an Inservice Industry/Education Exchange Program: Planning and Implementation Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Keith K.; Whiteman, Richard E.

This report describes an in-service industry exchange project conducted by Cerritos College during which five faculty members returned to the work place to update their skills and gather information useful in curriculum development. First, the project's objectives are delineated, covering: (1) formation of the Project Advisory Committee and…

Gene-Environment Interplay in Internalizing Disorders: Consistent Findings across Six Environmental Risk Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hicks, Brian M.; Dirago, Ana C.; Iacono, William G.; McGue, Matt

2009-01-01

Background: Behavior genetic methods can help to elucidate gene-environment (G-E) interplay in the development of internalizing (INT) disorders (i.e., major depression and anxiety disorders). To date, however, no study has conducted a comprehensive analysis examining multiple environmental risk factors with the purpose of delineating general…

Child Development Functionality Assessment Guide: Standards and Requirements for Developing Most Efficient Organizations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of the Army, Washington, DC.

As part of its cost containment efforts, the U.S. Navy continues to evaluate its child development program to expand availability without compromising the high quality standards required by the 1989 Military Child Care Act. This manual provides guidelines for conducting Functionality Assessments (FA) and delineates the standards and requirements…

Marketing and Public Relations in ARL Libraries. SPEC Kit 240.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smykla, Evelyn Ortiz, Comp.

1999-01-01

This survey was conducted to delineate the growing relationship between marketing and public relations and library funding by identifying: (1) the extent to which North American research libraries have developed organized programs in the areas of marketing and public relations; (2) who holds positions in these areas; and (3) the impact these…

Borehole geophysical data for the East Poplar oil field area, Fort Peck Indian Reservation, northeastern Montana, 1993, 2004, and 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Bruce D.; Thamke, Joanna N.; Tyrrell, Christa

2014-01-01

Areas of high electrical conductivity in shallow aquifers in the East Poplar oil field area were delineated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, in order to interpret areas of saline-water contamination. Ground, airborne, and borehole geophysical data were collected in the East Poplar oil field area from 1992 through 2005 as part of this delineation. This report presents borehole geophysical data for thirty-two wells that were collected during, 1993, 2004, and 2005 in the East Poplar oil field study area. Natural-gamma and induction instruments were used to provide information about the lithology and conductivity of the soil, rock, and water matrix adjacent to and within the wells. The well logs were also collected to provide subsurface controls for interpretation of a helicopter electromagnetic survey flown over most of the East Poplar oil field in 2004. The objective of the USGS studies was to improve understanding of aquifer hydrogeology particularly in regard to variations in water quality.

Core drilling provides information about Santa Fe Group aquifer system beneath Albuquerque's West Mesa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, B.D.; Connell, S.D.; Hawley, J.W.; Stone, B.D.

1998-01-01

Core samples from the upper ???1500 ft of the Santa Fe Group in the Albuquerque West Mesa area provide a first-hand look at the sediments and at subsurface stratigraphic relationships in this important part of the basin-fill aquifer system. Two major hydrostratigraphic subunits consisting of a lower coarse-grained, sandy interval and an overlying fine-grained, interbedded silty sand and clay interval lie beneath the water table at the 98th St core hole. Borehole electrical conductivity measurements reproduce major textural changes observed in the recovered cores and support subsurface correlations of hydrostratigraphic units in the Santa Fe Group aquifer system based on geophysical logs. Comparison of electrical logs from the core hole and from nearby city wells reveals laterally consistent lithostratigraphic patterns over much of the metropolitan area west of the Rio Grande that may be used to delineate structural and related stratigraphic features that have a direct bearing on the availability of ground water.

An approach for delineating drinking water wellhead protection areas at the Nile Delta, Egypt.

PubMed

Fadlelmawla, Amr A; Dawoud, Mohamed A

2006-04-01

In Egypt, production has a high priority. To this end protecting the quality of the groundwater, specifically when used for drinking water, and delineating protection areas around the drinking water wellheads for strict landuse restrictions is essential. The delineation methods are numerous; nonetheless, the uniqueness of the hydrogeological, institutional as well as social conditions in the Nile Delta region dictate a customized approach. The analysis of the hydrological conditions and land ownership at the Nile Delta indicates the need for an accurate methodology. On the other hand, attempting to calculate the wellhead protected areas around each of the drinking wells (more than 1500) requires data, human resources, and time that exceed the capabilities of the groundwater management agency. Accordingly, a combination of two methods (simplified variable shapes and numerical modeling) was adopted. Sensitivity analyses carried out using hypothetical modeling conditions have identified the pumping rate, clay thickness, hydraulic gradient, vertical conductivity of the clay, and the hydraulic conductivity as the most significant parameters in determining the dimensions of the wellhead protection areas (WHPAs). Tables of sets of WHPAs dimensions were calculated using synthetic modeling conditions representing the most common ranges of the significant parameters. Specific WHPA dimensions can be calculated by interpolation, utilizing the produced tables along with the operational and hydrogeological conditions for the well under consideration. In order to simplify the interpolation of the appropriate dimensions of the WHPAs from the calculated tables, an interactive computer program was written. The program accepts the real time data of the significant parameters as its input, and gives the appropriate WHPAs dimensions as its output.

Analyte quantification with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography: assessment of methods for baseline correction, peak delineation, and matrix effect elimination for real samples.

PubMed

Samanipour, Saer; Dimitriou-Christidis, Petros; Gros, Jonas; Grange, Aureline; Samuel Arey, J

2015-01-02

Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC) is used widely to separate and measure organic chemicals in complex mixtures. However, approaches to quantify analytes in real, complex samples have not been critically assessed. We quantified 7 PAHs in a certified diesel fuel using GC×GC coupled to flame ionization detector (FID), and we quantified 11 target chlorinated hydrocarbons in a lake water extract using GC×GC with electron capture detector (μECD), further confirmed qualitatively by GC×GC with electron capture negative chemical ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ENCI-TOFMS). Target analyte peak volumes were determined using several existing baseline correction algorithms and peak delineation algorithms. Analyte quantifications were conducted using external standards and also using standard additions, enabling us to diagnose matrix effects. We then applied several chemometric tests to these data. We find that the choice of baseline correction algorithm and peak delineation algorithm strongly influence the reproducibility of analyte signal, error of the calibration offset, proportionality of integrated signal response, and accuracy of quantifications. Additionally, the choice of baseline correction and the peak delineation algorithm are essential for correctly discriminating analyte signal from unresolved complex mixture signal, and this is the chief consideration for controlling matrix effects during quantification. The diagnostic approaches presented here provide guidance for analyte quantification using GC×GC. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biochemical Imaging of Gliomas Using MR Spectroscopic Imaging for Radiotherapy Treatment Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heikal, Amr Ahmed

This thesis discusses the main obstacles facing wide clinical implementation of magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) as a tumor delineation tool for radiotherapy treatment planning, particularly for gliomas. These main obstacles are identified as 1. observer bias and poor interpretational reproducibility of the results of MRSI scans, and 2. the long scan times required to conduct MRSI scans. An examination of an existing user-independent MRSI tumor delineation technique known as the choline-to-NAA index (CNI) is conducted to assess its utility in providing a tool for reproducible interpretation of MRSI results. While working with spatial resolutions typically twice those on which the CNI model was originally designed, a region of statistical uncertainty was discovered between the tumor and normal tissue populations and as such a modification to the CNI model was introduced to clearly identify that region. To address the issue of long scan times, a series of studies were conducted to adapt a scan acceleration technique, compressed sensing (CS), to work with MRSI and to quantify the effects of such a novel technique on the modulation transfer function (MTF), an important quantitative imaging metric. The studies included the development of the first phantom based method of measuring the MTF for MRSI data, a study of the correlation between the k-space sampling patterns used for compressed sensing and the resulting MTFs, and the introduction of a technique circumventing some of side-effects of compressed sensing by exploiting the conjugate symmetry property of k-space. The work in this thesis provides two essential steps towards wide clinical implementation of MRSI-based tumor delineation. The proposed modifications to the CNI method coupled with the application of CS to MRSI address the two main obstacles outlined. However, there continues to be room for improvement and questions that need to be answered by future research.

Velocity, water-quality, and bathymetric surveys of the Grays Landing and Maxwell Navigation Pools, and Selected Tributaries to the Monongahela River, Pennsylvania, 2010–11

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoffman, Scott A.; Roland, Mark A.; Schalk, Luther F.; Fulton, John W.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducted velocity, water-quality, and bathymetric surveys from spring 2010 to summer 2011 in the Grays Landing and Maxwell navigation pools of the Monongahela River, Pennsylvania, and selected tributaries in response to elevated levels of total dissolved solids (TDS) recorded in early September 2009. Velocity data were collected using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. Water-quality surveys included the in-situ collection of specific-conductance, water-temperature, and turbidity data using a water-quality sonde. Additionally, discrete water samples were collected and analyzed for TDS, chloride, and sulfate. Bathymetric data were collected using an echo sounder, and the shoreline was delineated using a laser range finder and electronic compass. The data were geo-referenced using a differential global positioning system and navigational software. Horizontal (x, y) coordinates were referenced to the North American Datum of 1983. Depth (z) elevations were referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988. The data are provided in electronic format (appendix 1) and may be downloaded and can be used in a geographic information system for cartographic display and data analysis.

Vegetation Types in Coastal Louisiana in 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sasser, Charles E.; Visser, Jenneke M.; Mouton, Edmond; Linscombe, Jeb; Hartley, Steve B.

2008-01-01

During the summer and fall of 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Fur and Refuge Division jointly completed an aerial survey to collect data on 2007 vegetation types in coastal Louisiana. The current map presents the data collected in this effort. The 2007 aerial survey was conducted by using techniques developed over the last thirty years while conducting similar vegetation surveys. Transects flown were oriented in a north-south direction and spaced 1.87 mi (3 km) apart and covered coastal marshes from the Texas State line to the Mississippi State line and from the northern extent of fresh marshes to the southern end of saline (saltwater) marshes on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico or of coastal bays. Navigation along these transects and to each sampling site was accomplished by using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and geographic information system (GIS) software. As the surveyors reached each sampling station, observed areas of marsh were assigned as fresh, intermediate, brackish, or saline (saltwater) types, and dominant plant species were listed and ranked according to abundance. Delineations of marsh boundaries usually followed natural levees, bayous, or other features that impede or restrict water flow.

High-Frequency Electromagnetic Impedance Measurements for Characterization, Monitoring and Verification Efforts

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

Lee, Ki Ha; Becker, Alex; Tseng, Hung-Wen

2004-06-16

Non-invasive, high-resolution imaging of the shallow subsurface is needed for delineation of buried waste, detection of unexploded ordinance, verification and monitoring of containment structures, and other environmental applications. Electromagnetic (EM) measurements at frequencies between 0.1 and 100 MHz are important for such applications, because the induction number of many targets is small and the ability to determine the dielectric permittivity in addition to electrical conductivity of the subsurface is possible. Earlier workers were successful in developing systems for detecting anomalous areas, but no quantifiable information was accurately determined. For high-resolution imaging, accurate measurements are necessary so the field data canmore » be mapped into the space of the subsurface parameters. We are developing a non-invasive method for accurately mapping the electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity of the shallow subsurface using the EM impedance approach (Frangos, 2001; Lee and Becker, 2001; Song et al., 2002, Tseng et al., 2003). Electric and magnetic sensors are being tested and calibrated on sea water and in a known area against theoretical predictions, thereby insuring that the data collected with the high-frequency impedance (HFI) system will support high-resolution, multi-dimensional imaging techniques.« less

Patient-specific and global convolutional neural networks for robust automatic liver tumor delineation in follow-up CT studies.

PubMed

Vivanti, Refael; Joskowicz, Leo; Lev-Cohain, Naama; Ephrat, Ariel; Sosna, Jacob

2018-03-10

Radiological longitudinal follow-up of tumors in CT scans is essential for disease assessment and liver tumor therapy. Currently, most tumor size measurements follow the RECIST guidelines, which can be off by as much as 50%. True volumetric measurements are more accurate but require manual delineation, which is time-consuming and user-dependent. We present a convolutional neural networks (CNN) based method for robust automatic liver tumor delineation in longitudinal CT studies that uses both global and patient specific CNNs trained on a small database of delineated images. The inputs are the baseline scan and the tumor delineation, a follow-up scan, and a liver tumor global CNN voxel classifier built from radiologist-validated liver tumor delineations. The outputs are the tumor delineations in the follow-up CT scan. The baseline scan tumor delineation serves as a high-quality prior for the tumor characterization in the follow-up scans. It is used to evaluate the global CNN performance on the new case and to reliably predict failures of the global CNN on the follow-up scan. High-scoring cases are segmented with a global CNN; low-scoring cases, which are predicted to be failures of the global CNN, are segmented with a patient-specific CNN built from the baseline scan. Our experimental results on 222 tumors from 31 patients yield an average overlap error of 17% (std = 11.2) and surface distance of 2.1 mm (std = 1.8), far better than stand-alone segmentation. Importantly, the robustness of our method improved from 67% for stand-alone global CNN segmentation to 100%. Unlike other medical imaging deep learning approaches, which require large annotated training datasets, our method exploits the follow-up framework to yield accurate tumor tracking and failure detection and correction with a small training dataset. Graphical abstract Flow diagram of the proposed method. In the offline mode (orange), a global CNN is trained as a voxel classifier to segment liver tumor as in [31]. The online mode (blue) is used for each new case. The input is baseline scan with delineation and the follow-up CT scan to be segmented. The main novelty is the ability to predict failures by trying the system on the baseline scan and the ability to correct them using the patient-specific CNN.

Hypochromic vitiligo: delineation of a new entity.

PubMed

Ezzedine, K; Mahé, A; van Geel, N; Cardot-Leccia, N; Gauthier, Y; Descamps, V; Al Issa, A; Ly, F; Chosidow, O; Taïeb, A; Passeron, T

2015-03-01

Hypochromic vitiligo is a rare entity that has been reported only twice under the term 'vitiligo minor', with an absence of clear delineation. To delineate hypochromic vitiligo through a case series of patients with typical bilateral hypopigmented lesions affecting the face and trunk. This is a retrospective multicentric evaluation study conducted in eight departments of dermatology in France, Belgium, Senegal and Saudi Arabia. Twenty-four cases of hypochromic vitiligo were identified. Fourteen were men and 10 women. The mean age at diagnosis was 35·4 years (range 8-66). Strikingly, all patients were dark skinned, with skin types V and VI. The pattern of distribution was highly similar in most of the patients (18 of 24), with involvement of the face and neck area predominating on seborrhoeic areas associated with multiple isolated hypopigmented macules involving predominantly the scalp. The retrospective nature of this study is its main limitation. Hypochromic vitiligo is not yet part of a conventional classification. The disease seems to be limited to individuals with dark skin types. Hypopigmented seborrhoeic face and neck involvement associated with hypopigmented macules of the trunk and scalp is the hallmark of the disease. © 2014 British Association of Dermatologists.

Dispersion Modeling in Complex Urban Systems

EPA Science Inventory

Models are used to represent real systems in an understandable way. They take many forms. A conceptual model explains the way a system works. In environmental studies, for example, a conceptual model may delineate all the factors and parameters for determining how a particle move...

Interactive contour delineation of organs at risk in radiotherapy: Clinical evaluation on NSCLC patients

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

Dolz, J., E-mail: jose.dolz.upv@gmail.com; Kirişli, H. A.; Massoptier, L.

2016-05-15

Purpose: Accurate delineation of organs at risk (OARs) on computed tomography (CT) image is required for radiation treatment planning (RTP). Manual delineation of OARs being time consuming and prone to high interobserver variability, many (semi-) automatic methods have been proposed. However, most of them are specific to a particular OAR. Here, an interactive computer-assisted system able to segment various OARs required for thoracic radiation therapy is introduced. Methods: Segmentation information (foreground and background seeds) is interactively added by the user in any of the three main orthogonal views of the CT volume and is subsequently propagated within the whole volume.more » The proposed method is based on the combination of watershed transformation and graph-cuts algorithm, which is used as a powerful optimization technique to minimize the energy function. The OARs considered for thoracic radiation therapy are the lungs, spinal cord, trachea, proximal bronchus tree, heart, and esophagus. The method was evaluated on multivendor CT datasets of 30 patients. Two radiation oncologists participated in the study and manual delineations from the original RTP were used as ground truth for evaluation. Results: Delineation of the OARs obtained with the minimally interactive approach was approved to be usable for RTP in nearly 90% of the cases, excluding the esophagus, which segmentation was mostly rejected, thus leading to a gain of time ranging from 50% to 80% in RTP. Considering exclusively accepted cases, overall OARs, a Dice similarity coefficient higher than 0.7 and a Hausdorff distance below 10 mm with respect to the ground truth were achieved. In addition, the interobserver analysis did not highlight any statistically significant difference, at the exception of the segmentation of the heart, in terms of Hausdorff distance and volume difference. Conclusions: An interactive, accurate, fast, and easy-to-use computer-assisted system able to segment various OARs required for thoracic radiation therapy has been presented and clinically evaluated. The introduction of the proposed system in clinical routine may offer valuable new option to radiation oncologists in performing RTP.« less

Analysis of synthetic aperture radar data acquired over a variety of land cover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, S.-T.

1984-01-01

The results of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) measurements over Kershaw County, South Carolina, using HH, HV, and VV polarization and two-incidence angle X-band airborne SAR system and over Baldwin County, Alabama, using HH polarization L-band Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-A) are presented. The X-band data indicate higher HH than VV radar return for cypress forest with standing water. Multipolarization (HH, HV, and VV) data help delineate several land-cover types that are difficult to delineate by the single polarization (HH) data. The L-band data indicate that radar return signal strength is highly correlated with tree height or age for three types of pine forest. It is found that delineation of urban/residential from deciduous forest is significantly improved by the inclusion of Landsat multispectral scanner data.

Interpretation of Pennsylvania agricultural land use from ERTS-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcmurtry, G. J.; Petersen, G. W. (Principal Investigator); Wilson, A. D.

1974-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. To study the complex agricultural patterns in Pennsylvania, a portion of an ERTS scene was selected for detailed analysis. Various photographic products were made and were found to be only of limited value. This necessitated the digital processing of the ERTS data. Using an unsupervised classification procedure, it was possible to delineate the following categories: (1) forest land with a northern aspect, (2) forest land with a southern aspect, (3) valley trees, (4) wheat, (5) corn, (6) alfalfa, grass, pasture, (7) disturbed land, (8) builtup land, (9) strip mines, and (10) water. These land use categories were delineated at a scale of approximately 1:20,000 on the line printer output. Land use delineations were also made using the General Electric IMAGE 100 interactive analysis system.

Disorder-Specific Effects of CBT for Anxious and Depressed Youth: A Meta-Analysis of Candidate Mediators of Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chu, Brian C.; Harrison, Tara L.

2007-01-01

The commonalities between anxiety and depression have been discussed before, but few have delineated the potentially different mechanisms through which treatments work for these populations. The current study conducted a comprehensive review of child and adolescent randomized clinical trials that tested cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for…

[Possibilities of ultrasonic investigations in differentiation of a small-foci impairment of thyroid gland].

PubMed

Reyti, A O; Vityuk, N V; Medvedev, V E; Starushok, I O

2015-03-01

The results of ultrasound investigation of microcarcinomas and nontumoral foci of thyroid gland up to 10 mm in diameter and malignant foci over 10 mm are presented. Ultrasound signs are depicted, in accordance to which a potentially malignant thyroid gland foci are delineated, what demands a morphological (cytological) verification conduction.

Motives for Residential Mobility in Later Life: Post-Move Perspectives of Elders and Family Members

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sergeant, Julie F.; Ekerdt, David J.

2008-01-01

This qualitative study delineates motives for residential mobility, describes dynamics between the elder and family members during the move decision process, and locates the move decision within ecological layers of the aging context. Interviews were conducted with 30 individuals and couples (ages 60-87) who experienced a community-based move…

School Education and Development of Gender Perspectives and Sexuality in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hashimoto, Noriko; Ushitora, Kaori; Morioka, Mari; Motegi, Terunori; Tanaka, Kazue; Tashiro, Mieko; Inoue, Emiko; Ikeya, Hisao; Sekiguchi, Hisashi; Marui, Yoshimi; Sawamura, Fumika

2017-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate changes in the attitudes of Japan's post-war youth towards gender equality and sexuality, and to examine whether these attitudes bore a relationship to school education. Different generations were delineated based on changes in courses of study and year of birth, and semi-structured interviews were conducted enquiring…

75 FR 42114 - Office of Biotechnology Activities; Recombinant DNA Research: Proposed Action Under the NIH...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-20

... impose an administrative burden without enhancing the safe conduct of this research. In response to this... public health or the environment (Section III-F-6). These exemptions are delineated in Appendix C of the... rationale is that three decades of experience working with and breeding transgenic rodents has demonstrated...

Part versus Whole: A Randomized Trial of Central Venous Catheterization Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Angela; Singh, Sunita; Dubrowski, Adam; Pratt, Daniel D.; Zalunardo, Nadia; Nair, Parvarthy; McLaughlin, Kevin; Ma, Irene W. Y.

2015-01-01

Central venous catheterization (CVC) is a complex but commonly performed procedure. How best to teach this complex skill has not been clearly delineated. We conducted a randomized trial of the effects of two types of teaching of CVC on skill acquisition and retention. We randomly assigned novice internal medicine residents to learning CVC in-part…

Conducting School-Based Assessments of Child and Adolescent Behavior. The Guilford School Practitioner Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shapiro, Edward S., Ed.; Kratochwill, Thomas R., Ed.

This guide brings educational practitioners up to date on how to administer and interpret a wide range of assessment methods for students presenting with emotional and behavioral difficulties. It offers insights and tools for K-12 practitioners and trainees in regular and special education. Delineating a concise conceptual framework, the first…

Mapping Miles and Huberman's Within-Case and Cross-Case Analysis Methods onto the Literature Review Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onwuegbuzie, Anthony J.; Weinbaum, Rebecca K.

2016-01-01

Recently, several authors have attempted to make the literature review process more transparent by providing a step-by-step guide to conducting literature reviews. However, although these works are very informative, none of them delineate how to display information extracted from literature reviews in a reader-friendly and visually appealing…

Delineation of site-specific management units in a saline region at the Venice Lagoon margin, Italy, using soil reflectance and apparent electrical conductivity

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Site-specific crop management utilizes site-specific management units (SSMUs) to apply inputs when, where, and in the amount needed to increase food productivity, optimize resource utilization, increase profitability, and reduce detrimental environmental impacts. It is the objective of this study to...

Action Researchers' Perspectives about the Distinguishing Characteristics of Action Research: A Delphi and Learning Circles Mixed-Methods Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowell, Lonnie L.; Polush, Elena Yu; Riel, Margaret; Bruewer, Aaron

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify distinguishing characteristics of action research within the Action Research Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association. The authors sought to delineate the foundational framework endorsed by this community. The study was conducted during January-April 2012 and employed an…

Happy Places, Horrible Times, and Scary Learners: Affective Performances and Sticky Objects in Inclusive Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naraian, Srikala; Khoja-Moolji, Shenila

2016-01-01

Drawing on data from two studies conducted in US public schools, this paper traces the affective productions and performances of teachers to illustrate the role of affect in delineating (non)normative pedagogical practices in inclusive classrooms. Occupying a borderland space in narrative inquiry that permitted the straddling of differing…

Comparison of Eh and H2 measurements for delineating redox processes in a contaminated aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapelle, Francis H.; Haack, Sheridan K.; Adriaens, Peter; Henry, Mark A.; Bradley, Paul M.

1996-01-01

Measurements of oxidation-reduction potential (Eh) and concentrations of dissolved hydrogen (H2) were made in a shallow groundwater system contaminated with solvents and jet fuel to delineate the zonation of redox processes. Eh measurements ranged from +69 to -158 mV in a cross section of the contaminated plume and accurately delineated oxic from anoxic groundwater. Plotting measured Eh and pH values on an equilibrium stability diagram indicated that Fe(III) reduction was the predominant redox process in the anoxic zone and did not indicate the presence of methanogenesis and sulfate reduction. In contrast, measurements of H2concentrations indicated that methanogenesis predominated in heavily contaminated sediments near the water table surface (H2 ∼ 7.0 nM) and that the methanogenic zone was surrounded by distinct sulfate-reducing (H2 ∼ 1-4 nM) and Fe(III)-reducing (H2 ∼ 0.1-0.8 nM) zones. The presence of methanogenesis, sulfate reduction, and Fe(III) reduction was confirmed by the distribution of dissolved oxygen, sulfate, Fe(II), and methane in groundwater. These results show that H2 concentrations were more useful for identifying anoxic redox processes than Ehmeasurements in this groundwater system. However, H2-based redox zone delineations are more reliable when H2 concentrations are interpreted in the context of electron-acceptor (oxygen, nitrate, sulfate) availability and the presence of final products [Fe(II), sulfide, methane] of microbial metabolism.

Situation Awareness Information Requirements for Commercial Airline Pilots

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Endsley, Mica R.; Farley, Todd C.; Jones, William M.; Midkiff, Alan H.; Hansman, R. John

1998-01-01

Situation awareness is presented as a fundamental requirement for good airmanship, forming the basis for pilot decision making and performance. To develop a better understanding of the role of situation awareness in flying, an analysis was performed to determine the specific situation awareness information requirements for commercial aircraft pilots. This was conducted as a goal-directed task analysis in which pilots' major goals, subgoals, decisions, and associated situation awareness information requirements were delineated based on elicitation from experienced commercial airline pilots. A determination of the major situation awareness information requirements for visual and instrument flight was developed from this analysis, providing a foundation for future system development which seeks to enhance pilot situation awareness and provide a basis for the development of situation awareness measures for commercial flight.

Rationale for a GRAVSAT-MAGSAT mission: A perspective on the problem of external/internal transient field effects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hermance, J. F.

1985-01-01

The Earth's magnetic field at MAGSAT altitudes not only has contributions from the Earth's core and static magnetization in the lithosphere, but also from external electric current systems in the ionosphere and magnetosphere, along with induced electric currents flowing in the conducting earth. Hermance assessed these last two contributions; the external time-varying fields and their associated internal counter-parts which are electromagnetically induced. It is readily recognized that during periods of magnetic disturbance, external currents often contribute from 10's to 100's of nanoteslas (gammas) to observations of the Earth's field. Since static anomalies from lithospheric magnetization are of this same magnitude or less, these external source fields must be taken into account when attempting to delineate gross structural features in the crust.

Carbonate aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cunningham, Kevin J.; Sukop, Michael; Curran, H. Allen

2012-01-01

Only limited hydrogeological research has been conducted using ichnology in carbonate aquifer characterization. Regardless, important applications of ichnology to carbonate aquifer characterization include its use to distinguish and delineate depositional cycles, correlate mappable biogenically altered surfaces, identify zones of preferential groundwater flow and paleogroundwater flow, and better understand the origin of ichnofabric-related karst features. Three case studies, which include Pleistocene carbonate rocks of the Biscayne aquifer in southern Florida and Cretaceous carbonate strata of the Edwards–Trinity aquifer system in central Texas, demonstrate that (1) there can be a strong relation between ichnofabrics and groundwater flow in carbonate aquifers and (2) ichnology can offer a useful methodology for carbonate aquifer characterization. In these examples, zones of extremely permeable, ichnofabric-related macroporosity are mappable stratiform geobodies and as such can be represented in groundwater flow and transport simulations.

Improvement and extension of a radar forest backscattering model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simonett, David S.; Wang, Yong

1989-01-01

Radar modeling of mangal forest stands, in the Sundarbans area of Southern Bangladesh, was developed. The modeling employs radar system parameters such as wavelength, polarization, and incidence angle, with forest data on tree height, spacing, biomass, species combinations, and water content (including slightly conductive water) both in leaves and trunks of the mangal. For Sundri and Gewa tropical mangal forests, five model components are proposed, which are required to explain the contributions of various forest species combinations in the attenuation and scattering of mangal vegetated nonflooded or flooded surfaces. Statistical data of simulated images (HH components only) were compared with those of SIR-B images both to refine the modeling procedures and to appropriately characterize the model output. The possibility of delineation of flooded or non-flooded boundaries is discussed.

Five Year Computer Technology Forecast

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1972-12-01

The report delineates the various computer system components and extrapolates past trends in light of industry goals and physical limitations to predict what individual components and entire systems will look like in the second half of this decade. T...

System engineering toolbox for design-oriented engineers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldberg, B. E.; Everhart, K.; Stevens, R.; Babbitt, N., III; Clemens, P.; Stout, L.

1994-01-01

This system engineering toolbox is designed to provide tools and methodologies to the design-oriented systems engineer. A tool is defined as a set of procedures to accomplish a specific function. A methodology is defined as a collection of tools, rules, and postulates to accomplish a purpose. For each concept addressed in the toolbox, the following information is provided: (1) description, (2) application, (3) procedures, (4) examples, if practical, (5) advantages, (6) limitations, and (7) bibliography and/or references. The scope of the document includes concept development tools, system safety and reliability tools, design-related analytical tools, graphical data interpretation tools, a brief description of common statistical tools and methodologies, so-called total quality management tools, and trend analysis tools. Both relationship to project phase and primary functional usage of the tools are also delineated. The toolbox also includes a case study for illustrative purposes. Fifty-five tools are delineated in the text.

Breast lesion shape and margin evaluation: BI-RADS based metrics understate radiologists' actual levels of agreement.

PubMed

Rawashdeh, Mohammad; Lewis, Sarah; Zaitoun, Maha; Brennan, Patrick

2018-05-01

While there is much literature describing the radiologic detection of breast cancer, there are limited data available on the agreement between experts when delineating and classifying breast lesions. The aim of this work is to measure the level of agreement between expert radiologists when delineating and classifying breast lesions as demonstrated through Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) and quantitative shape metrics. Forty mammographic images, each containing a single lesion, were presented to nine expert breast radiologists using a high specification interactive digital drawing tablet with stylus. Each reader was asked to manually delineate the breast masses using the tablet and stylus and then visually classify the lesion according to the American College of Radiology (ACR) BI-RADS lexicon. The delineated lesion compactness and elongation were computed using Matlab software. Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Cohen's kappa were used to assess inter-observer agreement for delineation and classification outcomes, respectively. Inter-observer agreement was fair for BI-RADS shape (kappa = 0.37) and moderate for margin (kappa = 0.58) assessments. Agreement for quantitative shape metrics was good for lesion elongation (ICC = 0.82) and excellent for compactness (ICC = 0.93). Fair to moderate levels of agreement was shown by radiologists for shape and margin classifications of cancers using the BI-RADS lexicon. When quantitative shape metrics were used to evaluate radiologists' delineation of lesions, good to excellent inter-observer agreement was found. The results suggest that qualitative descriptors such as BI-RADS lesion shape and margin understate the actual level of expert radiologist agreement. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stratiform/convective rain delineation for TRMM microwave imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Tanvir; Srivastava, Prashant K.; Dai, Qiang; Gupta, Manika; Wan Jaafar, Wan Zurina

2015-10-01

This article investigates the potential for using machine learning algorithms to delineate stratiform/convective (S/C) rain regimes for passive microwave imager taking calibrated brightness temperatures as only spectral parameters. The algorithms have been implemented for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) microwave imager (TMI), and calibrated as well as validated taking the Precipitation Radar (PR) S/C information as the target class variables. Two different algorithms are particularly explored for the delineation. The first one is metaheuristic adaptive boosting algorithm that includes the real, gentle, and modest versions of the AdaBoost. The second one is the classical linear discriminant analysis that includes the Fisher's and penalized versions of the linear discriminant analysis. Furthermore, prior to the development of the delineation algorithms, a feature selection analysis has been conducted for a total of 85 features, which contains the combinations of brightness temperatures from 10 GHz to 85 GHz and some derived indexes, such as scattering index, polarization corrected temperature, and polarization difference with the help of mutual information aided minimal redundancy maximal relevance criterion (mRMR). It has been found that the polarization corrected temperature at 85 GHz and the features derived from the "addition" operator associated with the 85 GHz channels have good statistical dependency to the S/C target class variables. Further, it has been shown how the mRMR feature selection technique helps to reduce the number of features without deteriorating the results when applying through the machine learning algorithms. The proposed scheme is able to delineate the S/C rain regimes with reasonable accuracy. Based on the statistical validation experience from the validation period, the Matthews correlation coefficients are in the range of 0.60-0.70. Since, the proposed method does not rely on any a priori information, this makes it very suitable for other microwave sensors having similar channels to the TMI. The method could possibly benefit the constellation sensors in the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission era.

A tri-modality image fusion method for target delineation of brain tumors in radiotherapy.

PubMed

Guo, Lu; Shen, Shuming; Harris, Eleanor; Wang, Zheng; Jiang, Wei; Guo, Yu; Feng, Yuanming

2014-01-01

To develop a tri-modality image fusion method for better target delineation in image-guided radiotherapy for patients with brain tumors. A new method of tri-modality image fusion was developed, which can fuse and display all image sets in one panel and one operation. And a feasibility study in gross tumor volume (GTV) delineation using data from three patients with brain tumors was conducted, which included images of simulation CT, MRI, and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) examinations before radiotherapy. Tri-modality image fusion was implemented after image registrations of CT+PET and CT+MRI, and the transparency weight of each modality could be adjusted and set by users. Three radiation oncologists delineated GTVs for all patients using dual-modality (MRI/CT) and tri-modality (MRI/CT/PET) image fusion respectively. Inter-observer variation was assessed by the coefficient of variation (COV), the average distance between surface and centroid (ADSC), and the local standard deviation (SDlocal). Analysis of COV was also performed to evaluate intra-observer volume variation. The inter-observer variation analysis showed that, the mean COV was 0.14(± 0.09) and 0.07(± 0.01) for dual-modality and tri-modality respectively; the standard deviation of ADSC was significantly reduced (p<0.05) with tri-modality; SDlocal averaged over median GTV surface was reduced in patient 2 (from 0.57 cm to 0.39 cm) and patient 3 (from 0.42 cm to 0.36 cm) with the new method. The intra-observer volume variation was also significantly reduced (p = 0.00) with the tri-modality method as compared with using the dual-modality method. With the new tri-modality image fusion method smaller inter- and intra-observer variation in GTV definition for the brain tumors can be achieved, which improves the consistency and accuracy for target delineation in individualized radiotherapy.

Alterations of Brain Functional Architecture Associated with Psychopathic Traits in Male Adolescents with Conduct Disorder.

PubMed

Pu, Weidan; Luo, Qiang; Jiang, Yali; Gao, Yidian; Ming, Qingsen; Yao, Shuqiao

2017-09-12

Psychopathic traits of conduct disorder (CD) have a core callous-unemotional (CU) component and an impulsive-antisocial component. Previous task-driven fMRI studies have suggested that psychopathic traits are associated with dysfunction of several brain areas involved in different cognitive functions (e.g., empathy, reward, and response inhibition etc.), but the relationship between psychopathic traits and intrinsic brain functional architecture has not yet been explored in CD. Using a holistic brain-wide functional connectivity analysis, this study delineated the alterations in brain functional networks in patients with conduct disorder. Compared with matched healthy controls, we found decreased anti-synchronization between the fronto-parietal network (FPN) and default mode network (DMN), and increased intra-network synchronization within the frontothalamic-basal ganglia, right frontoparietal, and temporal/limbic/visual networks in CD patients. Correlation analysis showed that the weakened FPN-DMN interaction was associated with CU traits, while the heightened intra-network functional connectivity was related to impulsivity traits in CD patients. Our findings suggest that decoupling of cognitive control (FPN) with social understanding of others (DMN) is associated with the CU traits, and hyper-functions of the reward and motor inhibition systems elevate impulsiveness in CD.

The Limits to Adaptation; A Systems Approach

EPA Science Inventory

The Limits to Adaptation: A Systems Approach. The ability to adapt to climate change is delineated by capacity thresholds, after which climate damages begin to overwhelm the adaptation response. Such thresholds depend upon physical properties (natural processes and engineering...

WAVELENGTH AND ALIGNMENT TESTS FOR CONFOCAL SPECTRAL IMAGING SYSTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Confocal spectral imaging (CSI) microscope systems now on the market delineate multiple fluorescent proteins, labels, or dyes within biological specimens by performing spectral characterizations. However, we find that some CSI present inconsistent spectral profiles of reference s...

Organizing Performance Requirements For Dynamical Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malchow, Harvey L.; Croopnick, Steven R.

1990-01-01

Paper describes methodology for establishing performance requirements for complicated dynamical systems. Uses top-down approach. In series of steps, makes connections between high-level mission requirements and lower-level functional performance requirements. Provides systematic delineation of elements accommodating design compromises.

Accuracy Assessment of Crown Delineation Methods for the Individual Trees Using LIDAR Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, K. T.; Lin, C.; Lin, Y. C.; Liu, J. K.

2016-06-01

Forest canopy density and height are used as variables in a number of environmental applications, including the estimation of biomass, forest extent and condition, and biodiversity. The airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is very useful to estimate forest canopy parameters according to the generated canopy height models (CHMs). The purpose of this work is to introduce an algorithm to delineate crown parameters, e.g. tree height and crown radii based on the generated rasterized CHMs. And accuracy assessment for the extraction of volumetric parameters of a single tree is also performed via manual measurement using corresponding aerial photo pairs. A LiDAR dataset of a golf course acquired by Leica ALS70-HP is used in this study. Two algorithms, i.e. a traditional one with the subtraction of a digital elevation model (DEM) from a digital surface model (DSM), and a pit-free approach are conducted to generate the CHMs firstly. Then two algorithms, a multilevel morphological active-contour (MMAC) and a variable window filter (VWF), are implemented and used in this study for individual tree delineation. Finally, experimental results of two automatic estimation methods for individual trees can be evaluated with manually measured stand-level parameters, i.e. tree height and crown diameter. The resulting CHM generated by a simple subtraction is full of empty pixels (called "pits") that will give vital impact on subsequent analysis for individual tree delineation. The experimental results indicated that if more individual trees can be extracted, tree crown shape will became more completely in the CHM data after the pit-free process.

1996-1997 TEMA/DOE oversite annual report

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

NONE

1998-01-01

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has entered into a five-year agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide emergency response activities associated with the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). The Agreement in Principle (AIP) delineates the duties and responsibilities of the parties. The agreement tasked TEMA with the following responsibilities: develop offsite emergency plans; conduct emergency management training; develop offsite emergency organizations; develop emergency communications; develop emergency facilities; conduct exercises and drills; provide detection and protection equipment; and develop an emergency staff. This document reports on progress on these tasks during the past year.

1996--1997 TEMA/DOE oversight annual report

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

NONE

1998-06-01

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has entered into a five-year agreement with the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide emergency response activities associated with the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR). The Agreement in Principle (AIP) delineates the duties and responsibilities of the parties. The agreement tasked TEMA with the following responsibilities: develop offsite emergency plans; conduct emergency management training; develop offsite emergency organizations; develop emergency communications; develop emergency facilities; conduct exercises and drills; provide detection and protection equipment; and develop an emergency staff. This report describes progress on the 14 deliverables connected with this contract.

Description and application of capture zone delineation for a wellfield at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landmeyer, J.E.

1994-01-01

Ground-water capture zone boundaries for individual pumped wells in a confined aquffer were delineated by using groundwater models. Both analytical and numerical (semi-analytical) models that more accurately represent the $round-water-flow system were used. All models delineated 2-dimensional boundaries (capture zones) that represent the areal extent of groundwater contribution to a pumped well. The resultant capture zones were evaluated on the basis of the ability of each model to realistically rapresent the part of the ground-water-flow system that contributed water to the pumped wells. Analytical models used were based on a fixed radius approach, and induded; an arbitrary radius model, a calculated fixed radius model based on the volumetric-flow equation with a time-of-travel criterion, and a calculated fixed radius model derived from modification of the Theis model with a drawdown criterion. Numerical models used induded the 2-dimensional, finite-difference models RESSQC and MWCAP. The arbitrary radius and Theis analytical models delineated capture zone boundaries that compared least favorably with capture zones delineated using the volumetric-flow analytical model and both numerical models. The numerical models produced more hydrologically reasonable capture zones (that were oriented parallel to the regional flow direction) than the volumetric-flow equation. The RESSQC numerical model computed more hydrologically realistic capture zones than the MWCAP numerical model by accounting for changes in the shape of capture zones caused by multiple-well interference. The capture zone boundaries generated by using both analytical and numerical models indicated that the curnmtly used 100-foot radius of protection around a wellhead in South Carolina is an underestimate of the extent of ground-water capture for pumped wetis in this particular wellfield in the Upper Floridan aquifer. The arbitrary fixed radius of 100 feet was shown to underestimate the upgradient contribution of ground-water flow to a pumped well.

Reproducibility of functional volume and activity concentration in 18F-FDG PET/CT of liver metastases in colorectal cancer.

PubMed

Heijmen, Linda; de Geus-Oei, Lioe-Fee; de Wilt, Johannes H W; Visvikis, Dimitris; Hatt, Mathieu; Visser, Eric P; Bussink, Johan; Punt, Cornelis J A; Oyen, Wim J G; van Laarhoven, Hanneke W M

2012-12-01

Several studies showed potential for monitoring response to systemic therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer patients with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET). Before (18)F-FDG PET can be implemented for response evaluation the repeatability should be known. This study was performed to assess the magnitude of the changes in standardized uptake value (SUV), volume and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) in colorectal liver metastases and validate the biological basis of (18)F-FDG PET in colorectal liver metastases. Twenty patients scheduled for liver metastasectomy underwent two (18)F-FDG PET scans within 1 week. Bland-Altman analysis was performed to assess repeatability of SUV(max), SUV(mean), volume and TLG. Tumours were delineated using an adaptive threshold method (PET(SBR)) and a semiautomatic fuzzy locally adaptive Bayesian (FLAB) delineation method. Coefficient of repeatability of SUV(max) and SUV(mean) were ∼39 and ∼31 %, respectively, independent of the delineation method used and image reconstruction parameters. However, repeatability was worse in recently treated patients. The FLAB delineation method improved the repeatability of the volume and TLG measurements compared to PET(SBR), from coefficients of repeatability of over 85 % to 45 % and 57 % for volume and TLG, respectively. Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) expression correlated to the SUV(mean). Vascularity (CD34 expression) and tumour hypoxia (carbonic anhydrase IX expression) did not correlate with (18)F-FDG PET parameters. In conclusion, repeatability of SUV(mean) and SUV(max) was mainly affected by preceding systemic therapy. The repeatability of tumour volume and TLG could be improved using more advanced and robust delineation approaches such as FLAB, which is recommended when (18)F-FDG PET is utilized for volume or TLG measurements. Improvement of repeatability of PET measurements, for instance by dynamic PET scanning protocols, is probably necessary to effectively use PET for early response monitoring.

Systems theory as a framework for examining a college campus-based support program for the former foster youth.

PubMed

Schelbe, Lisa; Randolph, Karen A; Yelick, Anna; Cheatham, Leah P; Groton, Danielle B

2018-01-01

Increased attention to former foster youth pursuing post-secondary education has resulted in the creation of college campus based support programs to address their need. However, limited empirical evidence and theoretical knowledge exist about these programs. This study seeks to describe the application of systems theory as a framework for examining a college campus based support program for former foster youth. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 program stakeholders including students, mentors, collaborative members, and independent living program staff. Using qualitative data analysis software, holistic coding techniques were employed to analyze interview transcripts. Then applying principles of extended case method using systems theory, data were analyzed. Findings suggest systems theory serves as a framework for understanding the functioning of a college campus based support program. The theory's concepts help delineate program components and roles of stakeholders; outline boundaries between and interactions among stakeholders; and identify program strengths and weakness. Systems theory plays an important role in identifying intervention components and providing a structure through which to identify and understand program elements as a part of the planning process. This study highlights the utility of systems theory as a framework for program planning and evaluation.

Delineation and Analysis of Uncertainty of Contributing Areas to Wells at the Southbury Training School, Southbury, Connecticut

USGS Publications Warehouse

Starn, J. Jeffrey; Stone, Janet Radway; Mullaney, John R.

2000-01-01

Contributing areas to public-supply wells at the Southbury Training School in Southbury, Connecticut, were mapped by simulating ground-water flow in stratified glacial deposits in the lower Transylvania Brook watershed. The simulation used nonlinear regression methods and informational statistics to estimate parameters of a ground-water flow model using drawdown data from an aquifer test. The goodness of fit of the model and the uncertainty associated with model predictions were statistically measured. A watershed-scale model, depicting large-scale ground-water flow in the Transylvania Brook watershed, was used to estimate the distribution of groundwater recharge. Estimates of recharge from 10 small basins in the watershed differed on the basis of the drainage characteristics of each basin. Small basins having well-defined stream channels contributed less ground-water recharge than basins having no defined channels because potential ground-water recharge was carried away in the stream channel. Estimates of ground-water recharge were used in an aquifer-scale parameter-estimation model. Seven variations of the ground-water-flow system were posed, each representing the ground-water-flow system in slightly different but realistic ways. The model that most closely reproduced measured hydraulic heads and flows with realistic parameter values was selected as the most representative of the ground-water-flow system and was used to delineate boundaries of the contributing areas. The model fit revealed no systematic model error, which indicates that the model is likely to represent the major characteristics of the actual system. Parameter values estimated during the simulation are as follows: horizontal hydraulic conductivity of coarse-grained deposits, 154 feet per day; vertical hydraulic conductivity of coarse-grained deposits, 0.83 feet per day; horizontal hydraulic conductivity of fine-grained deposits, 29 feet per day; specific yield, 0.007; specific storage, 1.6E-05. Average annual recharge was estimated using the watershed-scale model with no parameter estimation and was determined to be 24 inches per year in the valley areas and 9 inches per year in the upland areas. The parameter estimates produced in the model are similar to expected values, with two exceptions. The estimated specific yield of the stratified glacial deposits is lower than expected, which could be caused by the layered nature of the deposits. The recharge estimate produced by the model was also lower?about 32 percent of the average annual rate. This could be caused by the timing of the aquifer test with respect to the annual cycle of ground-water recharge, and by some of the expected recharge going to parts of the flow system that were not simulated. The data used in the calibration were collected during an aquifer test from October 30 to November 4, 1996. The model fit was very good, as indicated by the correlation coefficient (0.999) between the weighted simulated values and weighted observed values. The model also reproduced the general rise in ground-water levels caused by ground-water recharge and the cyclic fluctuations caused by pumping prior to the aquifer test. Contributing areas were delineated using a particle-tracking procedure. Hypothetical particles of water were introduced at each model cell in the top layer and were tracked to determine whether or not they reached the pumped well. A deterministic contributing area was calculated using the calibrated model, and a probabilistic contributing area was calculated using a Monte Carlo approach along with the calibrated model. The Monte Carlo simulation was done, using the parameter variance/covariance matrix generated by the regression model, to estimate probabilities associated with the contributing area to the wells. The probabilities arise from uncertainty in the estimated parameter values, which in turn arise from the adequacy of the data available to comprehensively describe the groundwater-flow sy

Delineation of fault zones using imaging radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toksoz, M. N.; Gulen, L.; Prange, M.; Matarese, J.; Pettengill, G. H.; Ford, P. G.

1986-01-01

The assessment of earthquake hazards and mineral and oil potential of a given region requires a detailed knowledge of geological structure, including the configuration of faults. Delineation of faults is traditionally based on three types of data: (1) seismicity data, which shows the location and magnitude of earthquake activity; (2) field mapping, which in remote areas is typically incomplete and of insufficient accuracy; and (3) remote sensing, including LANDSAT images and high altitude photography. Recently, high resolution radar images of tectonically active regions have been obtained by SEASAT and Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR-A and SIR-B) systems. These radar images are sensitive to terrain slope variations and emphasize the topographic signatures of fault zones. Techniques were developed for using the radar data in conjunction with the traditional types of data to delineate major faults in well-known test sites, and to extend interpretation techniques to remote areas.

Soil and ecological sites of the Santa Rita Experimental Range

Treesearch

Donald J. Breckenfeld; Daniel Robinett

2003-01-01

A soil survey and rangeland resource inventory of the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) was conducted by staff from the Tucson office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) during April and May of 1997. Thirty-two soils series and taxadjuncts were mapped on the SRER and delineated in 24 different mapping units. These soils all occur in an Aridic and...

Remote sensing program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, T.

1973-01-01

Research projects concerning the development and application of remote sensors are discussed. Some of the research projects conducted are as follows: (1) aerial photographic inventory of natural resources, (2) detection of buried river channels, (3) delineation of interconnected waterways, (4) plant indicators of atmospheric pollution, and (5) techniques for data transfer from photographs to base maps. On-going projects involving earth resources analyses are described.

Dosimetric impact in the dose-volume histograms of rectal and vesical wall contouring in prostate cancer IMRT treatments.

PubMed

Gómez, Laura; Andrés, Carlos; Ruiz, Antonio

2017-01-01

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in dose-volume histograms of IMRT treatments for prostate cancer based on the delineation of the main organs at risk (rectum and bladder) as solid organs or by contouring their wall. Rectum and bladder have typically been delineated as solid organs, including the waste material, which, in practice, can lead to an erroneous assessment of the risk of adverse effects. A retrospective study was made on 25 patients treated with IMRT radiotherapy for prostate adenocarcinoma. 76.32 Gy in 36 fractions was prescribed to the prostate and seminal vesicles. In addition to the delineation of the rectum and bladder as solid organs (including their content), the rectal and bladder wall were also delineated and the resulting dose-volume histograms were analyzed for the two groups of structures. Data analysis shows statistically significant differences in the main parameters used to assess the risk of toxicity of a prostate radiotherapy treatment. Higher doses were received on the rectal and bladder walls compared to doses received on the corresponding solid organs. The observed differences in terms of received doses to the rectum and bladder based on the method of contouring could gain greater importance in inverse planning treatments, where the treatment planning system optimizes the dose in these volumes. So, one should take into account the method of delineating of these structures to make a clinical decision regarding dose limitation and risk assessment of chronic toxicity.

Health system factors affecting implementation of integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI): qualitative insights from a South African province.

PubMed

Pandya, Himani; Slemming, Wiedaad; Saloojee, Haroon

2018-03-01

The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy has been adopted by 102 countries including South Africa, as the preferred primary health care (PHC) delivery strategy for sick children under 5 years. Despite substantial investment to support IMCI in South Africa, its delivery remains sub-optimal, with varied implementation in different settings. There is scarce research globally, and in the local context, examining the effects of health system characteristics on IMCI implementation. This study explored key determinants of IMCI delivery in a South African province, with a specific focus on health system building blocks using a health system dynamics framework. In-depth interviews were conducted with 38 districts, provincial and national respondents involved with IMCI co-ordination and delivery, exploring their involvement in, and perceptions of, IMCI strategy implementation. Identified barriers included poor definition of elements of a service package for children and how IMCI aligned with this, incompetence of trained nurses exacerbated by inappropriate rotation practices, use of inappropriate indicators to track progress, multiple cadres coordinating similar activities with poor role delineation, and fragmented, vertical governance of programmes included within IMCI, such as immunization. Enabling practices in one district included the use of standardized child health records incorporating IMCI activities and stringent practice monitoring through record audits. Using IMCI as a case study, our work highlights critical health system deficiencies affecting service delivery for young children which need to be resolved to reposition IMCI within the broader child 'survive, thrive and transform' agenda. Recommendations for appropriate health system strengthening include the need for redefining IMCI within a broader PHC service package for children, prioritizing post-training supervision and mentoring of practitioners through appropriate duty allocation and rotation policies, strengthening IMCI monitoring with a specific focus on quality of care and building stronger clinical governance through workforce allocation, role delineation and improved accountability. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Radiated Interference in Rapid Transit Systems. Volume 1. Theory and Data.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1988-04-01

For the past eight years, the UMTA Office of Systems Engineering, U.S. Department of Transportation, has sponsored a program to delineate and mitigate the effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI) in rail transit operations. Work has proceeded un...

Teacher Performance Appraisal in Thailand: Poison or Panacea?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pimpa, Nattavud

2005-01-01

This research focuses on the examination of problems related to the national teacher performance appraisal system by the Thai Ministry of Education. It highlights major problems of the current performance appraisal system by delineating the weaknesses and pitfalls of the current appraisal system. The findings indicate problems to three major…

Effects of including surface depressions in the application of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System in the Upper Flint River Basin, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Viger, Roland J.; Hay, Lauren E.; Jones, John W.; Buell, Gary R.

2010-01-01

This report documents an extension of the Precipitation Runoff Modeling System that accounts for the effect of a large number of water-holding depressions in the land surface on the hydrologic response of a basin. Several techniques for developing the inputs needed by this extension also are presented. These techniques include the delineation of the surface depressions, the generation of volume estimates for the surface depressions, and the derivation of model parameters required to describe these surface depressions. This extension is valuable for applications in basins where surface depressions are too small or numerous to conveniently model as discrete spatial units, but where the aggregated storage capacity of these units is large enough to have a substantial effect on streamflow. In addition, this report documents several new model concepts that were evaluated in conjunction with the depression storage functionality, including: ?hydrologically effective? imperviousness, rates of hydraulic conductivity, and daily streamflow routing. All of these techniques are demonstrated as part of an application in the Upper Flint River Basin, Georgia. Simulated solar radiation, potential evapotranspiration, and water balances match observations well, with small errors for the first two simulated data in June and August because of differences in temperatures from the calibration and evaluation periods for those months. Daily runoff simulations show increasing accuracy with streamflow and a good fit overall. Including surface depression storage in the model has the effect of decreasing daily streamflow for all but the lowest flow values. The report discusses the choices and resultant effects involved in delineating and parameterizing these features. The remaining enhancements to the model and its application provide a more realistic description of basin geography and hydrology that serve to constrain the calibration process to more physically realistic parameter values.

The Definition of Groundwater Recharge Area Using GIS Approach -A Case Study of Choshuihsi Alluvial Fan, Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, JuiPin; Chen, Yu Wen; Chang, Liang Cheng; Chiang, Chun Jung; Chen, Jui Er; Chen, You Cheng

2013-04-01

Groundwater recharge areas are regions with high permeability that accept surface water more readily than other regions. If the land use/cover were changed, it would affect the groundwater recharge. Also, if this area were polluted, the contamination easily infiltrates into the groundwater system. Therefore, the goal of this study is to delineate the recharge area of Choshuihsi Alluvial Fan. This study applies 6 recharge potential scale factors, including land use/land cover, soil, drainage density, annual average rainfall, hydraulic conductivity and aquifer thickness to estimate the infiltration ability and storage capacity of study area. The fundamental data of these factors were digitized using GIS (Geographic Information System) technology and their GIS maps were created. Then each of these maps was translated to a score map ranged from 1 to 100. Moreover, these score maps are integrated as a recharge potential map using arithmetic average, and this map shows recharge potential in 5 levels, such as very poor, poor, moderate, good and excellent. The result shows that majority of "good" and "excellent" areas is located at the top of the fan. This is because the land use of top-fan is agricultural and its surface soil type is gravel and coarse. The top-fan, which is close to mountain areas, has a higher average annual rainfall than other areas. Also, the aquifer thickness of top-fan is much thicker than other areas. The percentage of the areas ranged as "good" and above is 9.63% of total area, and most areas located at top-fan. As a result, we suggest that the top-fan of study area should be protected and more field surveys are required to accurately delineate the recharge area boundary.

Potential of fructooligosaccharide prebiotics in alternative and nonconventional poultry production systems.

PubMed

Ricke, S C

2015-06-01

Fructooligosaccharide and inulin prebiotics are carbohydrate-based polymers derived from natural sources that can be utilized by certain gastrointestinal tract bacteria but not by the host animal. They are attractive as feed additives for nonconventional poultry production systems because they select for beneficial microorganisms that are thought to promote nutritional benefits to the bird and potentially limit foodborne pathogen establishment. There have been numerous studies conducted with prebiotic supplements to assess their impact in humans, animals, and conventionally raised poultry but only limited research has been conducted with birds grown under nonconventional production conditions. Much remains unknown about the specific mechanism(s) associated with their impact on the host as well as the gastrointestinal tract microflora. Utilization of several recently developed approaches such as microbiome and metabolomic analyses should offer more insight on how dietary prebiotic additives influence the development of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota and these subsequent changes correspond with alterations in a bird's physiology as it matures. As more detailed and precise studies are done with nonconventional poultry, it is likely that structurally distinct prebiotics will influence not only the gastrointestinal tract microbiota differently, but potentially interact directly and/or indirectly with the bird host in distinguishable patterns as well. These functions will be important to delineate if further applications are to be developed for specific prebiotics in nonconventional poultry production systems. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

3D numerical modelling of negative apparent conductivity anomalies in loop-loop electromagnetic measurements: a case study at a dacite intrusion in Sugisawa, Akita Prefecture, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selepeng, Ame Thato; Sakanaka, Shin'ya; Nishitani, Tadashi

2017-04-01

Under certain geological conditions, low induction number electromagnetic (LIN-EM) instruments are known to produce negative apparent conductivity (σa) responses. This is particularly the case when the shallow subsurface is characterised by highly conductive bodies, however little attention has been given to this issue in the research literature. To analyse negative σa anomalies and their causative structures, we make use of a 3D integral equation forward modelling technique based on a 3D weighting function. We present 3D numerical modelling results over a volcanic tuff body intruded by several dacite dikes, in Sugisawa, Akita Prefecture, Japan. Apparent conductivity data were acquired using a Geonics EM-34-3 system in the horizontal magnetic dipole (HMD) and vertical magnetic dipole (VMD) operating modes. Our 3D model resolved the horizontal and vertical extent of the dacite dikes and also delineated a high conductive zone between the volcanic tuff and the intrusive dacite dikes. This zone is the causative structure for negative σa responses in the VMD data, and is interpreted to be an alteration zone. Interestingly, the negative σa response was absent when the instrument alignment azimuth was changed, implying an anisotropic effect on the EM signature in the study area. The true conductivity model achieved by 3D forward modelling is shown to compare favourably with the DC resistivity data acquired in the same area.

Mapping sensory circuits by anterograde trans-synaptic transfer of recombinant rabies virus

PubMed Central

Zampieri, Niccolò; Jessell, Thomas M.; Murray, Andrew J.

2014-01-01

Summary Primary sensory neurons convey information from the external world to relay circuits within the central nervous system (CNS), but the identity and organization of the neurons that process incoming sensory information remains sketchy. Within the CNS viral tracing techniques that rely on retrograde trans-synaptic transfer provide a powerful tool for delineating circuit organization. Viral tracing of the circuits engaged by primary sensory neurons has, however, been hampered by the absence of a genetically tractable anterograde transfer system. In this study we demonstrate that rabies virus can infect sensory neurons in the somatosensory system, is subject to anterograde trans-synaptic transfer from primary sensory to spinal target neurons, and can delineate output connectivity with third-order neurons. Anterograde trans-synaptic transfer is a feature shared by other classes of primary sensory neurons, permitting the identification and potentially the manipulation of neural circuits processing sensory feedback within the mammalian CNS. PMID:24486087

A dysmorphology score system for assessing embryo abnormalities in rat whole embryo culture.

PubMed

Zhang, Cindy X; Danberry, Tracy; Jacobs, Mary Ann; Augustine-Rauch, Karen

2010-12-01

The rodent whole embryo culture (WEC) system is a well-established model for characterizing developmental toxicity of test compounds and conducting mechanistic studies. Laboratories have taken various approaches in describing type and severity of developmental findings of organogenesis-stage rodent embryos, but the Brown and Fabro morphological score system is commonly used as a quantitative approach. The associated score criteria is based upon developmental stage and growth parameters, where a series of embryonic structures are assessed and assigned respective scores relative to their gestational stage, with a Total Morphological Score (TMS) assigned to the embryo. This score system is beneficial because it assesses a series of stage-specific anatomical landmarks, facilitating harmonized evaluation across laboratories. Although the TMS provides a quantitative approach to assess growth and determine developmental delay, it is limited to its ability to identify and/or delineate subtle or structure-specific abnormalities. Because of this, the TMS may not be sufficiently sensitive for identifying compounds that induce structure or organ-selective effects. This study describes a distinct morphological score system called the "Dysmorphology Score System (DMS system)" that has been developed for assessing gestation day 11 (approximately 20-26 somite stage) rat embryos using numerical scores to differentiate normal from abnormal morphology and define the respective severity of dysmorphology of specific embryonic structures and organ systems. This method can also be used in scoring mouse embryos of the equivalent developmental stage. The DMS system enhances capabilities to rank-order compounds based upon teratogenic potency, conduct structure- relationships of chemicals, and develop statistical prediction models to support abbreviated developmental toxicity screens. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

How large is the Upper Indus Basin? The pitfalls of auto-delineation using DEMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Asif; Richards, Keith S.; Parker, Geoffrey T.; McRobie, Allan; Mukhopadhyay, Biswajit

2014-02-01

Extraction of watershed areas from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) is increasingly required in a variety of environmental analyses. It is facilitated by the availability of DEMs based on remotely sensed data, and by Geographical Information System (GIS) software. However, accurate delineation depends on the quality of the DEM and the methodology adopted. This paper considers automated and supervised delineation in a case study of the Upper Indus Basin (UIB), Pakistan, for which published estimates of the basin area show significant disagreement, ranging from 166,000 to 266,000 km2. Automated delineation used ArcGIS Archydro and hydrology tools applied to three good quality DEMs (two from SRTM data with 90m resolution, and one from 30m resolution ASTER data). Automatic delineation defined a basin area of c.440,000 km2 for the UIB, but included a large area of internal drainage in the western Tibetan Plateau. It is shown that discrepancies between different estimates reflect differences in the initial extent of the DEM used for watershed delineation, and the unchecked effect of iterative pit-filling of the DEM (going beyond the filling of erroneous pixels to filling entire closed basins). For the UIB we have identified critical points where spurious addition of catchment area has arisen, and use Google Earth to examine the geomorphology adjacent to these points, and also examine the basin boundary data provided by the HydroSHEDS database. We show that the Pangong Tso watershed and some other areas in the western Tibetan plateau are not part of the UIB, but are areas of internal drainage. Our best estimate of the area of the Upper Indus Basin (at Besham Qila) is 164,867 km2 based on the SRTM DEM, and 164,853 km2 using the ASTER DEM). This matches the catchment area measured by WAPDA SWHP. An important lesson from this investigation is that one should not rely on automated delineation, as iterative pit-filling can produce spurious drainage networks and basins, when there are areas of internal drainage nearby.

Investigation of Flood Risk Assessment in Inaccessible Regions using Multiple Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, J.; Lee, K. S.

2017-12-01

Flooding is extremely dangerous when a river overflows to inundate an urban area. From 1995 to 2016, North Korea (NK) experienced annual extensive damage to life and property almost each year due to a levee breach resulting from typhoons and heavy rainfall during the summer monsoon season. Recently, Hoeryeong City (2016) experienced heavy rainfall during typhoon Lionrock and the resulting flood killed and injured many people (68,900) and destroyed numerous buildings and settlements (11,600). The NK state media described it as the biggest national disaster since 1945. Thus, almost all annual repeat occurrences of floods in NK have had a serious impact, which makes it necessary to figure out the extent of floods in restoring the damaged environment. In addition, traditional hydrological model is impractical to delineate Flood Damaged Areas (FDAs) in NK due to the inaccessibility. Under such a situation, multiple optical Remote Sensing (RS) and radar RS along with a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based spatial analysis were utilized in this study (1) to develop modelling FDA delineation using multiple RS and GIS methods and (2) to conduct flood risk assessment in NK. Interpreting high-resolution web-based satellite imagery were also implemented to confirm the results of the study. From the study result, it was found that (1) on August 30th, 2016, an area of 117.2 km2 (8.6%) at Hoeryeong City was inundated. Most floods occurred in flat areas with a lower and middle stream order. (2) In the binary logistic regression model applied in this study, the distance from the nearest stream map and landform map variables are important factors to delineate FDAs because these two factors reflect heterogeneous mountainous NK topography. (3) Total annual flood risk of study area is estimated to be ₩454.13 million NKW ($504,417.24 USD, and ₩576.53 million SKW). The risk of the confluence of the Tumen River and Hoeryeong stream appears to be the highest. (4) High resolution satellite images can be used to confirm study results as ground truth data in this study, which shows the possibility of further application in environmental research of NK. Ultimately, this study provides recommendations to improve flood risk management in NK upon reunification.

Uniforms, status and professional boundaries in hospital.

PubMed

Timmons, Stephen; East, Linda

2011-11-01

Despite their comparative neglect analytically, uniforms play a key role in the delineation of occupational boundaries and the formation of professional identity in healthcare. This paper analyses a change to the system of uniforms in one UK hospital, where management have required all professions (with the exception of doctors) to wear the same 'corporate' uniform. Focus groups were conducted with the professionals and patients. We analyse this initiative as a kind of McDonaldisation, seeking to create a new 'corporate' worker whose allegiance is principally to the organisation, rather than a profession. Our findings show how important uniforms are to their wearers, both in terms of the defence of professional boundaries and status, as well as the construction of professional identity. © 2011 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2011 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Call for research: detecting early vulnerability for psychiatric hospitalization.

PubMed

Prince, Jonathan D

2013-01-01

This study delineated the extent to which a broad set of risk factors in youth, a period well suited to primary prevention strategies, influences the likelihood and timing of first lifetime psychiatric hospitalizations. Logistic regression was used to delineate early risk factors for psychiatric hospitalization among Americans in a nationally representative survey (NCS-R, Part II, 2001-2003: N = 5,692). Results suggest that inpatient stay is more common and happens at earlier ages among Americans who report growing up with versus without: (1) depressed parents or caregivers, (2) family members who victimized them, or (3) one of three child mental illnesses (conduct, oppositional defiant, or separation anxiety disorder). In order to prevent inpatient stay, findings call for longitudinal research on early vulnerability for psychiatric hospitalization among families with: (1) depressed parents of children or adolescents, (2) violence against children, and (3) children that have externalizing or separation anxiety disorders.

A compilation of spatial digital databases for selected U.S. Geological Survey nonfuel mineral resource assessments for parts of Idaho and Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carlson, Mary H.; Zientek, Michael L.; Causey, J. Douglas; Kayser, Helen Z.; Spanski, Gregory T.; Wilson, Anna B.; Van Gosen, Bradley S.; Trautwein, Charles M.

2007-01-01

This report compiles selected results from 13 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) mineral resource assessment studies conducted in Idaho and Montana into consistent spatial databases that can be used in a geographic information system. The 183 spatial databases represent areas of mineral potential delineated in these studies and include attributes on mineral deposit type, level of mineral potential, certainty, and a reference. The assessments were conducted for five 1? x 2? quadrangles (Butte, Challis, Choteau, Dillon, and Wallace), several U.S. Forest Service (USFS) National Forests (including Challis, Custer, Gallatin, Helena, and Payette), and one Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Resource Area (Dillon). The data contained in the spatial databases are based on published information: no new interpretations are made. This digital compilation is part of an ongoing effort to provide mineral resource information formatted for use in spatial analysis. In particular, this is one of several reports prepared to address USFS needs for science information as forest management plans are revised in the Northern Rocky Mountains.

Assessment of groundwater quality using geographical information system (GIS), at north-east Cairo, Egypt.

PubMed

El-Shahat, M F; Sadek, M A; Mostafa, W M; Hagagg, K H

2016-04-01

The present investigation has been conducted to delineate the hydrogeochemical and environmental factors that control the water quality of the groundwater resources in the north-east of Cairo. A complementary approach based on hydrogeochemistry and a geographical information system (GIS) based protectability index has been employed for conducting this work. The results from the chemical analysis revealed that the groundwater of the Quaternary aquifer is less saline than that of the Miocene aquifer and the main factors that control the groundwater salinity in the studied area are primarily related to the genesis of the original recharging water modified after by leaching, dissolution, cation exchange, and fertilizer leachate. The computed groundwater quality index (WQI) falls into two categories: fair for almost all the Miocene groundwater samples, while the Quaternary groundwater samples are all have a good quality. The retarded flow and non-replenishment of the Miocene aquifer compared to the renewable active recharge of the Quaternary aquifer can explain this variation of WQI. The index and overlay approach exemplified by the DUPIT index has been used to investigate the protectability of the study aquifers against diffuse pollutants. Three categories (highly protectable less vulnerable, moderately protectable moderately vulnerable and less protectable highly vulnerable) have been determined and areally mapped.

36 CFR 212.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... the National Forest System. Area. A discrete, specifically delineated space that is smaller, and in... including surface and shoulders, parking and side areas, structures, and such traffic-control devices as are...

36 CFR 212.1 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... the National Forest System. Area. A discrete, specifically delineated space that is smaller, and in... including surface and shoulders, parking and side areas, structures, and such traffic-control devices as are...

Volcanic geothermal system in the Main Ethiopian Rift: insights from 3D MT finite-element inversion and other exploration methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samrock, F.; Grayver, A.; Eysteinsson, H.; Saar, M. O.

2017-12-01

In search for geothermal resources, especially in exploration for high-enthalpy systems found in regions with active volcanism, the magnetotelluric (MT) method has proven to be an efficient tool. Electrical conductivity of the subsurface, imaged by MT, is used for detecting layers of electrically highly conductive clays which form around the surrounding strata of hot circulating fluids and for delineating magmatic heat sources such as zones with partial melting. We present a case study using a novel 3-D inverse solver, based on adaptive local mesh refinement techniques, applied to decoupled forward and inverse mesh parameterizations. The flexible meshing allows accurate representation of surface topography, while keeping computational costs at a reasonable level. The MT data set we analyze was measured at 112 sites, covering an area of 18 by 11 km at a geothermal prospect in the Main Ethiopian Rift. For inverse modelling, we tested a series of different settings to ensure that the recovered structures are supported by the data. Specifically, we tested different starting models, regularization functionals, sets of transfer functions, with and without inclusion of topography. Several robust subsurface structures were revealed. These are prominent features of a high-enthalpy geothermal system: A highly conductive shallow clay cap occurs in an area with high fumarolic activity, and is underlain by a more resistive zone, which is commonly interpreted as a propylitic reservoir and is the main geothermal target for drilling. An interesting discovery is the existence of a channel-like conductor connecting the geothermal field at the surface with an off-rift conductive zone, whose existence was proposed earlier as being related to an off-rift volcanic belt along the western shoulder of the Main Ethiopian Rift. The electrical conductivity model is interpreted together with results from other geoscientific studies and outcomes from satellite remote sensing techniques.

Image analysis of multiple moving wood pieces in real time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Weixing

2006-02-01

This paper presents algorithms for image processing and image analysis of wood piece materials. The algorithms were designed for auto-detection of wood piece materials on a moving conveyor belt or a truck. When wood objects on moving, the hard task is to trace the contours of the objects in n optimal way. To make the algorithms work efficiently in the plant, a flexible online system was designed and developed, which mainly consists of image acquisition, image processing, object delineation and analysis. A number of newly-developed algorithms can delineate wood objects with high accuracy and high speed, and in the wood piece analysis part, each wood piece can be characterized by a number of visual parameters which can also be used for constructing experimental models directly in the system.

Mars Global Geologic Mapping Progress and Suggested Geographic-Based Hierarchal Systems for Unit Grouping and Naming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tanaka, K. L.; Dohm, J. M.; Irwin, R.; Kolb, E. J.; Skinner, J. A., Jr.; Hare, T. M.

2010-01-01

We are in the fourth year of a fiveyear effort to map the global geology of Mars at 1:20M scale using mainly Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Express, and Mars Odyssey image and altimetry datasets. Previously, we reported on details of project management, mapping datasets (local and regional), initial and anticipated mapping approaches, and tactics of map unit delineation and description [1-2]. Last year, we described mapping and unit delineation results thus far, a new unit identified in the northern plains, and remaining steps to complete the map [3].

Management of the Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, James L.; Thomas, Valerie L.; Butler, Todd F.; Peters, David J.; Sisson, Patricia L.

1990-01-01

Here, the purpose is to define the operational management structure and to delineate the responsibilities of key Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN) individuals. The management structure must take into account the large NASA and ESA science research community by giving them a major voice in the operation of the system. Appropriate NASA and ESA interfaces must be provided so that there will be adequate communications facilities available when needed. Responsibilities are delineated for the Advisory Committee, the Steering Committee, the Project Scientist, the Project Manager, the SPAN Security Manager, the Internetwork Manager, the Network Operations Manager, the Remote Site Manager, and others.

Development of Pain Endpoint Models for Use in Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials and Drug Approval

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

publication delineating key methodological components of pain studies in prostate cancer. KEYWORDS Pain, metastatic castrate resistant prostate cancer...pain palliation and pain progression in prostate cancer clinical trials that are feasible, methodologically rigorous, and meet regulatory...requirements for drug approval and labeling. The primary aim of this award is to conduct an observational longitudinal study in men with castrate-resistant

Delineation of sediments below flood basalts by joint inversion of seismic and magnetotelluric data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manglik, A.; Verma, Saurabh K.

A one-dimensional joint-inversion (JI) scheme considering seismic reflection and refraction, and MT data is developed. Its efficacy to resolve low velocity conducting sediments below high velocity resistive flood basalts is tested for a representative geological model considering noisy, incomplete data. The JI is found to provide improved results in comparison to those obtained by individual seismic and MT inversions.

Tier 2 Supports to Improve Motivation and Performance of Elementary Students with Behavioral Challenges and Poor Work Completion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakes, Wendy Peia; Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Cox, Meredith; Magrane, Ashley; Jenkins, Abbie; Hankins, Katy

2012-01-01

We offer a methodological illustration for researchers and practitioners of how to conduct a development study consistent with the parameters delineated by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES; U.S. Department of Education [USDE], 2010) to explore the utility of an existing Tier 1 intervention applied as a Tier 2 support within a three-tiered…

Core Competency Needs Analysis for U.S. Naval Reserve Training and Administration of Reserve (TAR) Officers

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-03-01

sponsor is interested in exploring the possibility of developing a “ Personal Qualification Standards” (PQS) program, which would delineate a...the Task Force for Excellence through Commitment to Education and Learning. Task Force Excel has five vectors: professional development, personal ...major designator communities. Seventeen personal interviews and four telephone interviews were conducted. The interview participants were, at the

Evaluation of Topographic wetness index and catchment characteristics on spatially and temporally variable streams across an elevation gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, C.

2017-12-01

Topography can be used to delineate streams and quantify the topographic control on hydrological processes of a watershed because geomorphologic processes have shaped the topography and streams of a catchment over time. Topographic Wetness index (TWI) is a common index used for delineating stream networks by predicting location of saturation excess overland flow, but is also used for other physical attributes of a watershed such as soil moisture, groundwater level, and vegetation patterns. This study evaluates how well TWI works across an elevation gradient and the relationships between the active drainage network of four headwater watersheds at various elevations in the Colorado Front Range to topography, geology, climate, soils, elevation, and vegetation in attempt to determine the controls on streamflow location and duration. The results suggest that streams prefer to flow along a path of least resistance which including faults and permeable lithology. Permeable lithologies created more connectivity of stream networks during higher flows but during lower flows dried up. Streams flowing over impermeable lithologies had longer flow duration. Upslope soil hydraulic conductivity played a role on stream location, where soils with low hydraulic conductivity had longer flow duration than soils with higher hydraulic conductivity.Finally TWI thresholds ranged from 5.95 - 10.3 due to changes in stream length and to factors such as geology and soil. TWI had low accuracy for the lowest elevation site due to the greatest change of stream length. In conclusion, structural geology, upslope soil texture, and the permeability of the underlying lithology influenced where the stream was flowing and for how long. Elevation determines climate which influences the hydrologic processes occurring at the watersheds and therefore affects the duration and timing of streams at different elevations. TWI is an adequate tool for delineating streams because results suggest topography has a primary control on the stream locations, but because intermittent streams change throughout the year a algorithm needs to be created to correspond to snow melt and rain events. Also geology indices and soil indices need be considered in addition to topography to have the most accurate derived stream network.

Development and application of a recombination-based library versus library high- throughput yeast two-hybrid (RLL-Y2H) screening system.

PubMed

Yang, Fang; Lei, Yingying; Zhou, Meiling; Yao, Qili; Han, Yichao; Wu, Xiang; Zhong, Wanshun; Zhu, Chenghang; Xu, Weize; Tao, Ran; Chen, Xi; Lin, Da; Rahman, Khaista; Tyagi, Rohit; Habib, Zeshan; Xiao, Shaobo; Wang, Dang; Yu, Yang; Chen, Huanchun; Fu, Zhenfang; Cao, Gang

2018-02-16

Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network maintains proper function of all organisms. Simple high-throughput technologies are desperately needed to delineate the landscape of PPI networks. While recent state-of-the-art yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) systems improved screening efficiency, either individual colony isolation, library preparation arrays, gene barcoding or massive sequencing are still required. Here, we developed a recombination-based 'library vs library' Y2H system (RLL-Y2H), by which multi-library screening can be accomplished in a single pool without any individual treatment. This system is based on the phiC31 integrase-mediated integration between bait and prey plasmids. The integrated fragments were digested by MmeI and subjected to deep sequencing to decode the interaction matrix. We applied this system to decipher the trans-kingdom interactome between Mycobacterium tuberculosis and host cells and further identified Rv2427c interfering with the phagosome-lysosome fusion. This concept can also be applied to other systems to screen protein-RNA and protein-DNA interactions and delineate signaling landscape in cells.

Non-intrusive methods of characterizing vehicles on the highway.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-06-01

Over the past year we have worked on the development of a real-time laser-based non-intrusive field-deployable detection system for delineation of moving vehicles. The primary goal of the project is to develop a roadway detection system that can be u...

Demand-Side Job Development and System Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilbride, Dennis; Stensrud, Robert

1999-01-01

Authors discuss demand-side job development as a model for improving and providing rehabilitation services to consumers and employers. It stresses quality employment outcomes, consumer choice and empowerment, and a productive partnership between consumer and counselor. Delineates systemic challenges this model poses to traditional vocational…

Professional-Development Systems: The State of the States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gannett, Ellen; Nee, Judy; Smith, Darci

2001-01-01

Describes states' efforts to implement a school-age credentialing system for child caregivers. Identifies basic problems hindering progress: readiness, infrastructure, and sustainability of infrastructure. Delineates implications for school-age care of significant initiatives in California, Florida, and New York. Suggests that there is no…

Conceptual foundations of a palliative approach: a knowledge synthesis.

PubMed

Sawatzky, Richard; Porterfield, Pat; Lee, Joyce; Dixon, Duncan; Lounsbury, Kathleen; Pesut, Barbara; Roberts, Della; Tayler, Carolyn; Voth, James; Stajduhar, Kelli

2016-01-15

Much of what we understand about the design of healthcare systems to support care of the dying comes from our experiences with providing palliative care for dying cancer patients. It is increasingly recognized that in addition to cancer, high quality end of life care should be an integral part of care that is provided for those with other advancing chronic life-limiting conditions. A "palliative approach" has been articulated as one way of conceptualizing this care. However, there is a lack of conceptual clarity regarding the essential characteristics of a palliative approach to care. The goal of this research was to delineate the key characteristics of a palliative approach found in the empiric literature in order to establish conceptual clarity. We conducted a knowledge synthesis of empirical peer-reviewed literature. Search terms pertaining to "palliative care" and "chronic life-limiting conditions" were identified. A comprehensive database search of 11 research databases for the intersection of these terms yielded 190,204 documents. A subsequent computer-assisted approach using statistical predictive classification methods was used to identify relevant documents, resulting in a final yield of 91 studies. Narrative synthesis methods and thematic analysis were used to then identify and conceptualize key characteristics of a palliative approach. The following three overarching themes were conceptualized to delineate a palliative approach: (1) upstream orientation towards the needs of people who have life-limiting conditions and their families, (2) adaptation of palliative care knowledge and expertise, (3) operationalization of a palliative approach through integration into systems and models of care that do not specialize in palliative care. Our findings provide much needed conceptual clarity regarding a palliative approach. Such clarity is of fundamental importance for the development of healthcare systems that facilitate the integration of a palliative approach in the care of people who have chronic life-limiting conditions.

Simulation of Ground-Water Flow in the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia and West Virginia, Using Variable-Direction Anisotropy in Hydraulic Conductivity to Represent Bedrock Structure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yager, Richard M.; Southworth, Scott C.; Voss, Clifford I.

2008-01-01

Ground-water flow was simulated using variable-direction anisotropy in hydraulic conductivity to represent the folded, fractured sedimentary rocks that underlie the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and West Virginia. The anisotropy is a consequence of the orientations of fractures that provide preferential flow paths through the rock, such that the direction of maximum hydraulic conductivity is oriented within bedding planes, which generally strike N30 deg E; the direction of minimum hydraulic conductivity is perpendicular to the bedding. The finite-element model SUTRA was used to specify variable directions of the hydraulic-conductivity tensor in order to represent changes in the strike and dip of the bedding throughout the valley. The folded rocks in the valley are collectively referred to as the Massanutten synclinorium, which contains about a 5-km thick section of clastic and carbonate rocks. For the model, the bedrock was divided into four units: a 300-m thick top unit with 10 equally spaced layers through which most ground water is assumed to flow, and three lower units each containing 5 layers of increasing thickness that correspond to the three major rock units in the valley: clastic, carbonate and metamorphic rocks. A separate zone in the carbonate rocks that is overlain by colluvial gravel - called the western-toe carbonate unit - was also distinguished. Hydraulic-conductivity values were estimated through model calibration for each of the four rock units, using data from 354 wells and 23 streamflow-gaging stations. Conductivity tensors for metamorphic and western-toe carbonate rocks were assumed to be isotropic, while conductivity tensors for carbonate and clastic rocks were assumed to be anisotropic. The directions of the conductivity tensor for carbonate and clastic rocks were interpolated for each mesh element from a stack of 'form surfaces' that provided a three-dimensional representation of bedrock structure. Model simulations were run with (1) variable strike and dip, in which conductivity tensors were aligned with the strike and dip of the bedding, and (2) uniform strike in which conductivity tensors were assumed to be horizontally isotropic with the maximum conductivity direction parallel to the N30 deg E axis of the valley and the minimum conductivity direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane. Simulated flow penetrated deeper into the aquifer system with the uniform-strike tensor than with the variable-strike-and-dip tensor. Sensitivity analyses suggest that additional information on recharge rates would increase confidence in the estimated parameter values. Two applications of the model were conducted - the first, to determine depth of recent ground-water flow by simulating the distribution of ground-water ages, showed that most shallow ground water is less than 10 years old. Ground-water age distributions computed by variable-strike-and-dip and uniform-strike models were similar, but differed beneath Massanutten Mountain in the center of the valley. The variable-strike-and-dip model simulated flow from west to east parallel to the bedding of the carbonate rocks beneath Massanutten Mountain, while the uniform-strike model, in which flow was largely controlled by topography, simulated this same area as an east-west ground-water divide. The second application, which delineated capture zones for selected well fields in the valley, showed that capture zones delineated with both models were similar in plan view, but differed in vertical extent. Capture zones simulated by the variable-strike-and-dip model extended downdip with the bedding of carbonate rock and were relatively shallow, while those simulated by the uniform-strike model extended to the bottom of the flow system, which is unrealistic. These results suggest that simulations of ground-water flow through folded fractured rock can be constructed using SUTRA to represent variable orientations of the hydraulic-conductivity tensor and produce a

Biomechanical analysis of occupant kinematics in rollover motor vehicle accidents: dynamic spit test.

PubMed

Sances, Anthony; Kumaresan, Srirangam; Clarke, Richard; Herbst, Brian; Meyer, Steve

2005-01-01

A better understanding of occupant kinematics in rollover accidents helps to advance biomechanical knowledge and to enhance the safety features of motor vehicles. While many rollover accident simulation studies have adopted the static approach to delineate the occupant kinematics in rollover accidents, very few studies have attempted the dynamic approach. The present work was designed to study the biomechanics of restrained occupants during rollover accidents using the steady-state dynamic spit test and to address the importance of keeping the lap belt fastened. Experimental tests were conducted using an anthropometric 50% Hybrid III dummy in a vehicle. The vehicle was rotated at 180 degrees/second and the dummy was restrained using a standard three-point restraint system. The lap belt of the dummy was fastened either by using the cinching latch plate or by locking the retractor. Three configurations of shoulder belt harness were simulated: shoulder belt loose on chest with cinch plate, shoulder belt under the left arm and shoulder belt behind the chest. In all tests, the dummy stayed within the confinement of the vehicle indicating that the securely fastened lap belt holds the dummy with dynamic movement of 3 1/2" to 4". The results show that occupant movement in rollover accidents is least affected by various shoulder harness positions with a securely fastened lap belt. The present study forms a first step in delineating the biomechanics of occupants in rollover accidents.

Integration of multi-disciplinary geospatial data for delineating agroecosystem uniform management zones.

PubMed

Liu, Huanjun; Huffman, Ted; Liu, Jiangui; Li, Zhe; Daneshfar, Bahram; Zhang, Xinle

2015-01-01

Understanding agricultural ecosystems and their complex interactions with the environment is important for improving agricultural sustainability and environmental protection. Developing the necessary understanding requires approaches that integrate multi-source geospatial data and interdisciplinary relationships at different spatial scales. In order to identify and delineate landscape units representing relatively homogenous biophysical properties and eco-environmental functions at different spatial scales, a hierarchical system of uniform management zones (UMZ) is proposed. The UMZ hierarchy consists of seven levels of units at different spatial scales, namely site-specific, field, local, regional, country, continent, and globe. Relatively few studies have focused on the identification of the two middle levels of units in the hierarchy, namely the local UMZ (LUMZ) and the regional UMZ (RUMZ), which prevents true eco-environmental studies from being carried out across the full range of scales. This study presents a methodology to delineate LUMZ and RUMZ spatial units using land cover, soil, and remote sensing data. A set of objective criteria were defined and applied to evaluate the within-zone homogeneity and between-zone separation of the delineated zones. The approach was applied in a farming and forestry region in southeastern Ontario, Canada, and the methodology was shown to be objective, flexible, and applicable with commonly available spatial data. The hierarchical delineation of UMZs can be used as a tool to organize the spatial structure of agricultural landscapes, to understand spatial relationships between cropping practices and natural resources, and to target areas for application of specific environmental process models and place-based policy interventions.

Computer object segmentation by nonlinear image enhancement, multidimensional clustering, and geometrically constrained contour optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruynooghe, Michel M.

1998-04-01

In this paper, we present a robust method for automatic object detection and delineation in noisy complex images. The proposed procedure is a three stage process that integrates image segmentation by multidimensional pixel clustering and geometrically constrained optimization of deformable contours. The first step is to enhance the original image by nonlinear unsharp masking. The second step is to segment the enhanced image by multidimensional pixel clustering, using our reducible neighborhoods clustering algorithm that has a very interesting theoretical maximal complexity. Then, candidate objects are extracted and initially delineated by an optimized region merging algorithm, that is based on ascendant hierarchical clustering with contiguity constraints and on the maximization of average contour gradients. The third step is to optimize the delineation of previously extracted and initially delineated objects. Deformable object contours have been modeled by cubic splines. An affine invariant has been used to control the undesired formation of cusps and loops. Non linear constrained optimization has been used to maximize the external energy. This avoids the difficult and non reproducible choice of regularization parameters, that are required by classical snake models. The proposed method has been applied successfully to the detection of fine and subtle microcalcifications in X-ray mammographic images, to defect detection by moire image analysis, and to the analysis of microrugosities of thin metallic films. The later implementation of the proposed method on a digital signal processor associated to a vector coprocessor would allow the design of a real-time object detection and delineation system for applications in medical imaging and in industrial computer vision.

A system dynamics model integrating physiology and biochemical regulation predicts extent of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) phases.

PubMed

Owen, Nick A; Griffiths, Howard

2013-12-01

A system dynamics (SD) approach was taken to model crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) expression from measured biochemical and physiological constants. SD emphasizes state-dependent feedback interaction to describe the emergent properties of a complex system. These mechanisms maintain biological systems with homeostatic limits on a temporal basis. Previous empirical studies on CAM have correlated biological constants (e.g. enzyme kinetic parameters) with expression over the CAM diel cycle. The SD model integrates these constants within the architecture of the CAM 'system'. This allowed quantitative causal connections to be established between biological inputs and the four distinct phases of CAM delineated by gas exchange and malic acid accumulation traits. Regulation at flow junctions (e.g. stomatal and mesophyll conductance, and malic acid transport across the tonoplast) that are subject to feedback control (e.g. stomatal aperture, malic acid inhibition of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, and enzyme kinetics) was simulated. Simulated expression for the leaf-succulent Kalanchoë daigremontiana and more succulent tissues of Agave tequilana showed strong correlation with measured gas exchange and malic acid accumulation (R(2)  = 0.912 and 0.937, respectively, for K. daigremontiana and R(2)  = 0.928 and 0.942, respectively, for A. tequilana). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to quantitatively identify determinants of diel CO2 uptake. The transition in CAM expression from low to high volume/area tissues (elimination of phase II-IV carbon-uptake signatures) was achieved largely by the manipulation three input parameters. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

Application of ERT, Saline Tracer and Numerical Studies to Delineate Preferential Paths in Fractured Granites.

PubMed

Sreeparvathy, Vijay; Kambhammettu, B V N P; Peddinti, Srinivasa Rao; Sarada, P S L

2018-03-22

Accurate quantification of in situ heterogeneity and flow processes through fractured geologic media remains elusive for hydrogeologists due to the complexity in fracture characterization and its multiscale behavior. In this research, we demonstrated the efficacy of tracer-electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) experiments combined with numerical simulations to characterize heterogeneity and delineate preferential flow paths in a fractured granite aquifer. A series of natural gradient saline tracer experiments were conducted from a depth window of 18 to 22 m in an injection well (IW) located inside the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad campus. Tracer migration was monitored in a time-lapse mode using two cross-sectional surface ERT profiles placed in the direction of flow gradient. ERT data quality was improved by considering stacking, reciprocal measurements, resolution indicators, and geophysical logs. Dynamic changes in subsurface electrical properties inferred via resistivity anomalies were used to highlight preferential flow paths of the study area. Temporal changes in electrical resistivity and tracer concentration were monitored along the vertical in an observation well located at 48 m to the east of the IW. ERT-derived tracer breakthrough curves were in agreement with geochemical sample measurements. Fracture geometry and hydraulic properties derived from ERT and pumping tests were further used to evaluate two mathematical conceptualizations that are relevant to fractured aquifers. Results of numerical analysis conclude that dual continuum model that combines matrix and fracture systems through a flow exchange term has outperformed equivalent continuum model in reproducing tracer concentrations at the monitoring wells (evident by a decrease in RMSE from 199 to 65 mg/L). A sensitivity analysis on model simulations conclude that spatial variability in hydraulic conductivity, local-scale dispersion, and flow exchange at fracture-matrix interface have a profound effect on model simulations. © 2018, National Ground Water Association.

Modeling and Predicting Pesticide Exposures

EPA Science Inventory

Models provide a means for representing a real system in an understandable way. They take many forms, beginning with conceptual models that explain the way a system works, such as delineation of all the factors and parameters of how a pesticide particle moves in the air after a s...

Conservative treatments, surgical treatments, and the KineSpring® Knee Implant system for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review.

PubMed

Li, Chuan Silvia; Ayeni, Olufemi R; Sprague, Sheila; Truong, Victoria; Bhandari, Mohit

2013-01-01

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a disease with a high global burden, and multiple treatment options are available. In the current review we summarize the results of studies that have evaluated treatments of knee OA, and we compare these results with an implantable load absorber called the KineSpring® Knee Implant System. We conducted a literature search of systematic reviews on treatment strategies for knee OA. We pooled results for each treatment in three categories: pain, function, and stiffness. Then we compared this data to that available for the KineSpring System. Medications and viscosupplementation show promising initial pain relief for knee OA. Aerobic and resistance training, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) showed a reduction in pain scores. High tibial osteotomy (HTO) generally improves pain and function at 6 weeks, but long-term results are lacking. The KineSpring System demonstrated significant improvements from baseline to 24 months, but direct comparative data are lacking. Evidence for knee OA therapies suggests improved pain, stiffness, and functional outcomes. Additional research is necessary to clearly delineate the advantages of various approaches to guide practice.

Real-time three-dimensional soft tissue reconstruction for laparoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Kowalczuk, Jędrzej; Meyer, Avishai; Carlson, Jay; Psota, Eric T; Buettner, Shelby; Pérez, Lance C; Farritor, Shane M; Oleynikov, Dmitry

2012-12-01

Accurate real-time 3D models of the operating field have the potential to enable augmented reality for endoscopic surgery. A new system is proposed to create real-time 3D models of the operating field that uses a custom miniaturized stereoscopic video camera attached to a laparoscope and an image-based reconstruction algorithm implemented on a graphics processing unit (GPU). The proposed system was evaluated in a porcine model that approximates the viewing conditions of in vivo surgery. To assess the quality of the models, a synthetic view of the operating field was produced by overlaying a color image on the reconstructed 3D model, and an image rendered from the 3D model was compared with a 2D image captured from the same view. Experiments conducted with an object of known geometry demonstrate that the system produces 3D models accurate to within 1.5 mm. The ability to produce accurate real-time 3D models of the operating field is a significant advancement toward augmented reality in minimally invasive surgery. An imaging system with this capability will potentially transform surgery by helping novice and expert surgeons alike to delineate variance in internal anatomy accurately.

Delineation of ground water potential zones using GIS and remote sensing - A case study from midland region of Vamanapuram river basin, Kerala, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Geena; Vinod P., G.; John, Shaleena Elizabeth

2018-04-01

In a highly rugged terrain, shielded by hard crystalline rocks like that of Kerala, locating potential zones of groundwater is found to be an unenviable task. Remote sensing and Geographical information system technologies have been attempted widely to delineate the potential regions in such terrain. Geographical information system tool has been used for delineation of groundwater prospect zones in midland physiographic zone (30-200m) of Vamanapuram river basin. The terrain variables are generated using satellite imageries, SRTM DEM data of 30m resolution and SOI toposheets. The groundwater prospect zones were delineated through the integration of the reclassified raster map layers of geomorphology, slope percent, geology, land use / land cover and soil texture using the weighted overlay analysis in the GIS platform. The groundwater prospects in the study area were grouped into five classes and their distribution are; `very high/high' (8.79%), `moderate' (39.08%), and `very low / low' (52.01%). The study result of the area has been validated with water level data of dug wells and bore wells of the area. The spatial distribution map of the water level of the region is overlaid on groundwater prospect map and shows a positive correlation i.e., the water level at shallow depth in higher prospect zones and at deeper depth in poor to very poor zones. The Groundwater prospect map of midland region of Vamanapuram river basin can be used as base level information which can be further investigated with geophysical methods to locate potential well sites for the execution of water supply schemes.

Irrigated Acreage Within the Basin and Range Carbonate-Rock Aquifer System, White Pine County, Nevada, and Adjacent Areas in Nevada and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Welborn, Toby L.; Moreo, Michael T.

2007-01-01

Accurate delineations of irrigated acreage are needed for the development of water-use estimates and in determining water-budget calculations for the Basin and Range carbonate-rock aquifer system (BARCAS) study. Irrigated acreage is estimated routinely for only a few basins in the study area. Satellite imagery from the Landsat Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper platforms were used to delineate irrigated acreage on a field-by-field basis for the entire study area. Six hundred and forty-three fields were delineated. The water source, irrigation system, crop type, and field activity for 2005 were identified and verified through field reconnaissance. These data were integrated in a geodatabase and analyzed to develop estimates of irrigated acreage for the 2000, 2002, and 2005 growing seasons by hydrographic area and subbasin. Estimated average annual potential evapotranspiration and average annual precipitation also were estimated for each field.The geodatabase was analyzed to determine the spatial distribution of field locations, the total amount of irrigated acreage by potential irrigation water source, by irrigation system, and by crop type. Irrigated acreage in 2005 totaled nearly 32,000 acres ranging from less than 200 acres in Butte, Cave, Jakes, Long, and Tippett Valleys to 9,300 acres in Snake Valley. Irrigated acreage increased about 20 percent between 2000 and 2005 and increased the most in Snake and White River Valleys. Ground-water supplies as much as 80 percent of irrigation water during dry years. Almost 90 percent of the irrigated acreage was planted with alfalfa.

Delineation of Waters of the United States for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Site 300

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

Preston, R E

2006-09-25

This report presents the results of a delineation of waters of the United States, including wetlands, for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's Site 300 in Alameda and San Joaquin Counties, California. Jones & Stokes mapped vegetation at Site 300 in August, 2001, using Global Positioning System (GPS) data recorders to collect point locations and to record linear features and map unit polygons. We identified wetlands boundaries in the field on the basis of the plant community present. We returned to collect additional information on wetland soils on July 3, 2002. Forty-six wetlands were identified, with a total area of 3.482 hectaresmore » (8.605 acres). The wetlands include vernal pools, freshwater seeps, and seasonal ponds. Wetlands appearing to meet the criteria for federal jurisdictional total 1.776 hectares (4.388 acres). A delineation map is presented and a table is provided with information on the type, size, characteristic plant species of each wetland, and a preliminary jurisdictional assessment.« less

Online Hydrologic Impact Assessment Decision Support System using Internet and Web-GIS Capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, J.; Engel, B. A.; Harbor, J.

2002-05-01

Urban sprawl and the corresponding land use change from lower intensity uses, such as agriculture and forests, to higher intensity uses including high density residential and commercial has various long- and short-term environment impacts on ground water recharge, water pollution, and storm water drainage. A web-based Spatial Decision Support System, SDSS, for Web-based operation of long-term hydrologic impact modeling and analysis was developed. The system combines a hydrologic model, databases, web-GIS capability and HTML user interfaces to create a comprehensive hydrologic analysis system. The hydrologic model estimates daily direct runoff using the NRCS Curve Number technique and annual nonpoint source pollution loading by an event mean concentration approach. This is supported by a rainfall database with over 30 years of daily rainfall for the continental US. A web-GIS interface and a robust Web-based watershed delineation capability were developed to simplify the spatial data preparation task that is often a barrier to hydrologic model operation. The web-GIS supports browsing of map layers including hydrologic soil groups, roads, counties, streams, lakes and railroads, as well as on-line watershed delineation for any geographic point the user selects with a simple mouse click. The watershed delineation results can also be used to generate data for the hydrologic and water quality models available in the DSS. This system is already being used by city and local government planners for hydrologic impact evaluation of land use change from urbanization, and can be found at http://pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/~watergen/hymaps. This system can assist local community, city and watershed planners, and even professionals when they are examining impacts of land use change on water resources. They can estimate the hydrologic impact of possible land use changes using this system with readily available data supported through the Internet. This system provides a cost effective approach to serve potential users who require easy-to-use tools.

Accuracy assessment of airborne LIDAR data and automated extraction of features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cetin, Ali Fuat

Airborne LIDAR technology is becoming more widely used since it provides fast and dense irregularly spaced 3D point clouds. The coordinates produced as a result of calibration of the system are used for surface modeling and information extraction. In this research a new idea of LIDAR detectable targets is introduced. In the second part of this research, a new technique to delineate the edge of road pavements automatically using only LIDAR is presented. The accuracy of LIDAR data should be determined before exploitation for any information extraction to support a Geographic Information System (GIS) database. Until recently there was no definitive research to provide a methodology for common and practical assessment of both horizontal and vertical accuracy of LIDAR data for end users. The idea used in this research was to use targets of such a size and design so that the position of each target can be determined using the Least Squares Image Matching Technique. The technique used in this research can provide end users and data providers an easy way to evaluate the quality of the product, especially when there are accessible hard surfaces to install the targets. The results of the technique are determined to be in a reasonable range when the point spacing of the data is sufficient. To delineate the edge of pavements, trees and buildings are removed from the point cloud, and the road surfaces are segmented from the remaining terrain data. This is accomplished using the homogeneous nature of road surfaces in intensity and height. There are not many studies to delineate the edge of road pavement after the road surfaces are extracted. In this research, template matching techniques are used with criteria computed by Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM) properties, in order to locate seed pixels in the image. The seed pixels are then used for placement of the matched templates along the road. The accuracy of the delineated edge of pavement is determined by comparing the coordinates of reference points collected via photogrammetry with the coordinates of the nearest points along the delineated edge.

New York State Public Health System Response to Hurricane Sandy: Lessons From the Field.

PubMed

Shipp Hilts, Asante; Mack, Stephanie; Eidson, Millicent; Nguyen, Trang; Birkhead, Guthrie S

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to conduct interviews with public health staff who responded to Hurricane Sandy and to analyze their feedback to assess response strengths and challenges and recommend improvements for future disaster preparedness and response. Qualitative analysis was conducted of information from individual confidential interviews with 35 staff from 3 local health departments in New York State (NYS) impacted by Hurricane Sandy and the NYS Department of Health. Staff were asked about their experiences during Hurricane Sandy and their recommendations for improvements. Open coding was used to analyze interview transcripts for reoccurring themes, which were labeled as strengths, challenges, or recommendations and then categorized into public health preparedness capabilities. The most commonly cited strengths, challenges, and recommendations related to the Hurricane Sandy public health response in NYS were within the emergency operations coordination preparedness capability, which includes the abilities of health department staff to partner among government agencies, coordinate with emergency operation centers, conduct routine conference calls with partners, and manage resources. Health departments should ensure that emergency planning includes protocols to coordinate backup staffing, delineation of services that can be halted during disasters, clear guidelines to coordinate resources across agencies, and training for transitioning into unfamiliar disaster response roles. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:443-453).

Mars Lander/Rover vehicle development: An advanced space design project for USRA and NASA/OAST

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

The accomplishments of the Utah State University (USU) Mars Lander/Rover (MLR) design class during the Winter Quarter are delineated and explained. Environment and trajectory, ground systems, balloon system, and payload system are described. Results from this effort will provide a valid and useful basis for further studies of Mars exploratory vehicles.

Demographic Norms for Metropolitan, Nonmetropolitan and Rural Counties. Mental Health Demographic Profile System Working Paper No. 24, July 1975.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldsmith, Harold F.; And Others

Utilizing 1970 census statistics for metropolitan, nonmetropolitan, rural, and "all" counties, this paper presents the selected percentile values for the 130 statistics (social indicators) in the Mental Health Demographic Profile System (the MHDPS is a system which allows the delineation of residential areas with common social rank, life…

Board of Regents' Montana University System (MUS) Strategic Plan 2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montana University System, 2016

2016-01-01

The Montana University System Strategic Plan is the primary planning document of the Board of Regents. The Plan sets forth an agenda for higher education in Montana by delineating the strategic directions, goals, and objectives that guide the Montana University System (MUS). In July 2006, after several years of study, public dialogue, and internal…

[Prognostication of malignization and acute complications of gastric ulcer disease, using multiparametric neuronet clasterization].

PubMed

Dzyubanovskiy, I Ya; Selskiy, P R; Viytovych, L E

2015-03-01

Results of examination of 20 gastric ulcer disease patients were analyzed for delineation of a high risk group for an acute complications occurrence, and in whom the conduction of organ preserving preventive operative interventions is expedient. For prognostication such following indices were applied: quantity of cells-producents of various immunoglobulins, mitotic and apoptotic indices, relative volume of damaged epitheliocytes, the patients' age.

DOLUS LAKES ROADLESS AREA, MONTANA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elliott, James E.; Avery, Dale W.

1984-01-01

A mineral survey of the Dolus Lakes Roadless Area in southwestern Montana, was conducted. Much of the roadless area has probable and substantiated potential for resources of gold, silver, molybdenum, and tungsten. The nature of the geologic terrain indicates that there is little promise for the occurrence of coal, oil, gas, or geothermal resources. Detailed geologic and geochemical studies are suggested to delineate exploration targets that could be tested by drilling.

Report for neutral buoyancy simulations of transfer orbit stage contingency extravehicular activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sexton, J. D.

1992-01-01

The transfer orbit stage (TOS) will propel the advanced communications technology satellite (ACTS) from the Space Shuttle to an Earth geosynchronous transfer orbit. Two neutral buoyancy test series were conducted at MSFC to validate the extravehicular activities (EVA) contingency operations for the ACTS/TOS/mission. The results of the neutral buoyancy tests are delineated and a brief history of the TOS EVA program is given.

Procedures for Delineating and Characterizing Watersheds for Stream and River Monitoring Programs (Final Report)

EPA Science Inventory

EPA has released the document, Procedures for Delineating and Characterizing Watersheds for Stream and River Monitoring Programs (EPA/600/R-17/448F). This manual describes how states and tribes can delineate and characterize watersheds. It explains how to delineate water...

Delineation of subsurface hydrocarbon contamination at a former hydrogenation plant using spectral induced polarization imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flores Orozco, Adrián; Kemna, Andreas; Oberdörster, Christoph; Zschornack, Ludwig; Leven, Carsten; Dietrich, Peter; Weiss, Holger

2012-08-01

Broadband spectral induced polarization (SIP) measurements were conducted at a former hydrogenation plant in Zeitz (NE Germany) to investigate the potential of SIP imaging to delineate areas with different BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene) concentrations. Conductivity images reveal a poor correlation with the distribution of contaminants; whereas phase images exhibit two main anomalies: low phase shift values (< 5 mrad) for locations with high BTEX concentrations, including the occurrence of free-phase product (BTEX concentrations > 1.7 g/l), and higher phase values for lower BTEX concentrations. Moreover, the spectral response of the areas with high BTEX concentration and free-phase products reveals a flattened spectrum in the low frequencies (< 40 Hz), while areas with lower BTEX concentrations exhibit a response characterized by a frequency peak. The SIP response was modelled using a Debye decomposition to compute images of the median relaxation-time. Consistent with laboratory studies, we observed an increase in the relaxation-time associated with an increase in BTEX concentrations. Measurements were also collected in the time domain (TDIP), revealing imaging results consistent with those obtained for frequency domain (SIP) measurements. Results presented here demonstrate the potential of the SIP imaging method to discriminate source and plume of dissolved contaminants at BTEX contaminated sites.

Obtaining parsimonious hydraulic conductivity fields using head and transport observations: A Bayesian geostatistical parameter estimation approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fienen, M.; Hunt, R.; Krabbenhoft, D.; Clemo, T.

2009-08-01

Flow path delineation is a valuable tool for interpreting the subsurface hydrogeochemical environment. Different types of data, such as groundwater flow and transport, inform different aspects of hydrogeologic parameter values (hydraulic conductivity in this case) which, in turn, determine flow paths. This work combines flow and transport information to estimate a unified set of hydrogeologic parameters using the Bayesian geostatistical inverse approach. Parameter flexibility is allowed by using a highly parameterized approach with the level of complexity informed by the data. Despite the effort to adhere to the ideal of minimal a priori structure imposed on the problem, extreme contrasts in parameters can result in the need to censor correlation across hydrostratigraphic bounding surfaces. These partitions segregate parameters into facies associations. With an iterative approach in which partitions are based on inspection of initial estimates, flow path interpretation is progressively refined through the inclusion of more types of data. Head observations, stable oxygen isotopes (18O/16O ratios), and tritium are all used to progressively refine flow path delineation on an isthmus between two lakes in the Trout Lake watershed, northern Wisconsin, United States. Despite allowing significant parameter freedom by estimating many distributed parameter values, a smooth field is obtained.

Obtaining parsimonious hydraulic conductivity fields using head and transport observations: A Bayesian geostatistical parameter estimation approach

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fienen, M.; Hunt, R.; Krabbenhoft, D.; Clemo, T.

2009-01-01

Flow path delineation is a valuable tool for interpreting the subsurface hydrogeochemical environment. Different types of data, such as groundwater flow and transport, inform different aspects of hydrogeologic parameter values (hydraulic conductivity in this case) which, in turn, determine flow paths. This work combines flow and transport information to estimate a unified set of hydrogeologic parameters using the Bayesian geostatistical inverse approach. Parameter flexibility is allowed by using a highly parameterized approach with the level of complexity informed by the data. Despite the effort to adhere to the ideal of minimal a priori structure imposed on the problem, extreme contrasts in parameters can result in the need to censor correlation across hydrostratigraphic bounding surfaces. These partitions segregate parameters into facies associations. With an iterative approach in which partitions are based on inspection of initial estimates, flow path interpretation is progressively refined through the inclusion of more types of data. Head observations, stable oxygen isotopes (18O/16O ratios), and tritium are all used to progressively refine flow path delineation on an isthmus between two lakes in the Trout Lake watershed, northern Wisconsin, United States. Despite allowing significant parameter freedom by estimating many distributed parameter values, a smooth field is obtained.

Noneconomic Analysis Considerations for Management and Information System for Occupational Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creager, John A.

As the first of two papers delineating the design of Massachusetts' Management and Information System for Occupational Education (MISOE), these specific dimensions of MISOE structure and function are considered: (1) the distinction between economic and noneconomic analysis, (2) distinctions among census, sample, and other data, (3) the distinction…

Do We Really Need Performance Objectives?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duenk, Lester G.

Trade and industrial education (T&I) has been using performance-based instructional systems long before competency-based education (CBE) emerged as a creative innovation in other subject areas. Allen devised the forerunner of the present CBE system in 1917 by carefully plotting competencies and delineating job analyses from these, and Fryklund's…

Synthesizing the scientific foundation for ordinary high water mark delineation in fluvial systems

EPA Science Inventory

For more than 100 years, the ordinary high water mark (OHWM) has been used to define water boundaries in a number of contexts in the United States. This Special Report summarizes the scientific literature pertaining to the indicators used to identify the OHWM in fluvial systems, ...

Space station systems analysis study. Part 3: Documentation. Volume 5: Cost and schedule data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Cost estimates for the space station systems analysis were recorded. Space construction base costs and characteristics were cited as well as mission hardware costs and characteristics. Also delineated were cost ground rules, the program schedule, and a detail cost estimate and funding distribution.

A Framework for Curriculum Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimpston, Richard D.; Rogers, Karen B.

1986-01-01

A framework for generating curriculum research is proposed from a synthesis of Dunkin and Biddle's model of teaching variables with Beauchamp's "curriculum system" planning functions. The framework systematically defines variables that delineate curriculum planning processes. (CJH)

Ultrastructural aspects of feeding and secretion-excretion by the equine parasite Strongylus vulgaris.

PubMed

Mobarak, M S; Ryan, M F

1999-06-01

Light, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy were employed to provide further data on the putative origins of the immunogenic secretory-excretory product (ESP) of Strongylus vulgaris (Looss 1900). The sharply delineated but superficial attachment to the equine caecum by the mouth leaves behind an oval area devoid of epithelial cells. Attachment does not extend deeply enough to reach the muscularis mucosa layer of the equine intestine. The progressive digestion of the ingested plug of tissue (epithelial cells, blood cells and mucous) was visualized. The coelomocytes, floating cells and membranous structures located in the pseudocoelom and intimately associated with the digestive, excretory and reproductive systems, and with the somatic muscles are described. The secretory-excretory system comprises two, ventrally-located, secretory-excretory glands connected to tubular elements. These glands synthesize granules of various sizes and densities that are delineated.

Lidar point density analysis: implications for identifying water bodies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Worstell, Bruce B.; Poppenga, Sandra K.; Evans, Gayla A.; Prince, Sandra

2014-01-01

Most airborne topographic light detection and ranging (lidar) systems operate within the near-infrared spectrum. Laser pulses from these systems frequently are absorbed by water and therefore do not generate reflected returns on water bodies in the resulting void regions within the lidar point cloud. Thus, an analysis of lidar voids has implications for identifying water bodies. Data analysis techniques to detect reduced lidar return densities were evaluated for test sites in Blackhawk County, Iowa, and Beltrami County, Minnesota, to delineate contiguous areas that have few or no lidar returns. Results from this study indicated a 5-meter radius moving window with fewer than 23 returns (28 percent of the moving window) was sufficient for delineating void regions. Techniques to provide elevation values for void regions to flatten water features and to force channel flow in the downstream direction also are presented.

Intra-temporal facial nerve centerline segmentation for navigated temporal bone surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voormolen, Eduard H. J.; van Stralen, Marijn; Woerdeman, Peter A.; Pluim, Josien P. W.; Noordmans, Herke J.; Regli, Luca; Berkelbach van der Sprenkel, Jan W.; Viergever, Max A.

2011-03-01

Approaches through the temporal bone require surgeons to drill away bone to expose a target skull base lesion while evading vital structures contained within it, such as the sigmoid sinus, jugular bulb, and facial nerve. We hypothesize that an augmented neuronavigation system that continuously calculates the distance to these structures and warns if the surgeon drills too close, will aid in making safe surgical approaches. Contemporary image guidance systems are lacking an automated method to segment the inhomogeneous and complexly curved facial nerve. Therefore, we developed a segmentation method to delineate the intra-temporal facial nerve centerline from clinically available temporal bone CT images semi-automatically. Our method requires the user to provide the start- and end-point of the facial nerve in a patient's CT scan, after which it iteratively matches an active appearance model based on the shape and texture of forty facial nerves. Its performance was evaluated on 20 patients by comparison to our gold standard: manually segmented facial nerve centerlines. Our segmentation method delineates facial nerve centerlines with a maximum error along its whole trajectory of 0.40+/-0.20 mm (mean+/-standard deviation). These results demonstrate that our model-based segmentation method can robustly segment facial nerve centerlines. Next, we can investigate whether integration of this automated facial nerve delineation with a distance calculating neuronavigation interface results in a system that can adequately warn surgeons during temporal bone drilling, and effectively diminishes risks of iatrogenic facial nerve palsy.

An Intraoperative Visualization System Using Hyperspectral Imaging to Aid in Brain Tumor Delineation

PubMed Central

Ortega, Samuel; M. Callicó, Gustavo; Juárez, Eduardo; Bulters, Diederik; Szolna, Adam; Piñeiro, Juan F.; Sosa, Coralia; J. O’Shanahan, Aruma; Bisshopp, Sara; Hernández, María; Morera, Jesús; Ravi, Daniele; Kiran, B. Ravi; Vega, Aurelio; Báez-Quevedo, Abelardo; Yang, Guang-Zhong; Stanciulescu, Bogdan; Sarmiento, Roberto

2018-01-01

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) allows for the acquisition of large numbers of spectral bands throughout the electromagnetic spectrum (within and beyond the visual range) with respect to the surface of scenes captured by sensors. Using this information and a set of complex classification algorithms, it is possible to determine which material or substance is located in each pixel. The work presented in this paper aims to exploit the characteristics of HSI to develop a demonstrator capable of delineating tumor tissue from brain tissue during neurosurgical operations. Improved delineation of tumor boundaries is expected to improve the results of surgery. The developed demonstrator is composed of two hyperspectral cameras covering a spectral range of 400–1700 nm. Furthermore, a hardware accelerator connected to a control unit is used to speed up the hyperspectral brain cancer detection algorithm to achieve processing during the time of surgery. A labeled dataset comprised of more than 300,000 spectral signatures is used as the training dataset for the supervised stage of the classification algorithm. In this preliminary study, thematic maps obtained from a validation database of seven hyperspectral images of in vivo brain tissue captured and processed during neurosurgical operations demonstrate that the system is able to discriminate between normal and tumor tissue in the brain. The results can be provided during the surgical procedure (~1 min), making it a practical system for neurosurgeons to use in the near future to improve excision and potentially improve patient outcomes. PMID:29389893

An Intraoperative Visualization System Using Hyperspectral Imaging to Aid in Brain Tumor Delineation.

PubMed

Fabelo, Himar; Ortega, Samuel; Lazcano, Raquel; Madroñal, Daniel; M Callicó, Gustavo; Juárez, Eduardo; Salvador, Rubén; Bulters, Diederik; Bulstrode, Harry; Szolna, Adam; Piñeiro, Juan F; Sosa, Coralia; J O'Shanahan, Aruma; Bisshopp, Sara; Hernández, María; Morera, Jesús; Ravi, Daniele; Kiran, B Ravi; Vega, Aurelio; Báez-Quevedo, Abelardo; Yang, Guang-Zhong; Stanciulescu, Bogdan; Sarmiento, Roberto

2018-02-01

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) allows for the acquisition of large numbers of spectral bands throughout the electromagnetic spectrum (within and beyond the visual range) with respect to the surface of scenes captured by sensors. Using this information and a set of complex classification algorithms, it is possible to determine which material or substance is located in each pixel. The work presented in this paper aims to exploit the characteristics of HSI to develop a demonstrator capable of delineating tumor tissue from brain tissue during neurosurgical operations. Improved delineation of tumor boundaries is expected to improve the results of surgery. The developed demonstrator is composed of two hyperspectral cameras covering a spectral range of 400-1700 nm. Furthermore, a hardware accelerator connected to a control unit is used to speed up the hyperspectral brain cancer detection algorithm to achieve processing during the time of surgery. A labeled dataset comprised of more than 300,000 spectral signatures is used as the training dataset for the supervised stage of the classification algorithm. In this preliminary study, thematic maps obtained from a validation database of seven hyperspectral images of in vivo brain tissue captured and processed during neurosurgical operations demonstrate that the system is able to discriminate between normal and tumor tissue in the brain. The results can be provided during the surgical procedure (~1 min), making it a practical system for neurosurgeons to use in the near future to improve excision and potentially improve patient outcomes.

Three-Dimensional Electrical Resistivity Tomography of the Solfatara Crater (Italy): Implication for the Multiphase Flow Structure of the Shallow Hydrothermal System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gresse, Marceau; Vandemeulebrouck, Jean; Byrdina, Svetlana; Chiodini, Giovanni; Revil, André; Johnson, Timothy C.; Ricci, Tullio; Vilardo, Giuseppe; Mangiacapra, Annarita; Lebourg, Thomas; Grangeon, Jacques; Bascou, Pascale; Metral, Laurent

2017-11-01

The Solfatara volcano is the main degassing area of the Campi Flegrei caldera, characterized by 60 years of unrest. Assessing such renewal activity is a challenging task because hydrothermal interactions with magmatic gases remain poorly understood. In this study, we decipher the complex structure of the shallow Solfatara hydrothermal system by performing the first 3-D, high-resolution, electrical resistivity tomography of the volcano. The 3-D resistivity model was obtained from the inversion of 43,432 resistance measurements performed on an area of 0.68 km2. The proposed interpretation of the multiphase hydrothermal structures is based on the resistivity model, a high-resolution infrared surface temperature image, and 1,136 soil CO2 flux measurements. In addition, we realized 27 soil cation exchange capacity and pH measurements demonstrating a negligible contribution of surface conductivity to the shallow bulk electrical conductivity. Hence, we show that the resistivity changes are mainly controlled by fluid content and temperature. The high-resolution tomograms identify for the first time the structure of the gas-dominated reservoir at 60 m depth that feeds the Bocca Grande fumarole through a 10 m thick channel. In addition, the resistivity model reveals a channel-like conductive structure where the liquid produced by steam condensation around the main fumaroles flows down to the Fangaia area within a buried fault. The model delineates the emplacement of the main geological structures: Mount Olibano, Solfatara cryptodome, and tephra deposits. It also reveals the anatomy of the hydrothermal system, especially two liquid-dominated plumes, the Fangaia mud pool and the Pisciarelli fumarole, respectively.

Regional investigations of tectonic and igneous geology, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. An extension of the trace of the Chaman-Nushki fault was detected and delineated for 42 km, as was the Ornach-Nal fault for 170 km. Two structural intersections responsible for restricted movements in particular segments of the Chaman-Nushki fault were detected and interpreted. The newest and youngest fault named the Quetta-Mustung-Surab system was delineated for 580 km. The igneous complex of the Lasbela area was interpreted and differentiation was made between ultramafic complex, mafic complex, and basaltic lava flows. One oblong feature was also found which was interpreted as a porphyritic basalt plug.

How Useful Is Electroencephalography in the Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders and the Delineation of Subtypes: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Gurau, Oana; Bosl, William J.; Newton, Charles R.

2017-01-01

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are thought to be associated with abnormal neural connectivity. Presently, neural connectivity is a theoretical construct that cannot be easily measured. Research in network science and time series analysis suggests that neural network structure, a marker of neural activity, can be measured with electroencephalography (EEG). EEG can be quantified by different methods of analysis to potentially detect brain abnormalities. The aim of this review is to examine evidence for the utility of three methods of EEG signal analysis in the ASD diagnosis and subtype delineation. We conducted a review of literature in which 40 studies were identified and classified according to the principal method of EEG analysis in three categories: functional connectivity analysis, spectral power analysis, and information dynamics. All studies identified significant differences between ASD patients and non-ASD subjects. However, due to high heterogeneity in the results, generalizations could not be inferred and none of the methods alone are currently useful as a new diagnostic tool. The lack of studies prevented the analysis of these methods as tools for ASD subtypes delineation. These results confirm EEG abnormalities in ASD, but as yet not sufficient to help in the diagnosis. Future research with larger samples and more robust study designs could allow for higher sensitivity and consistency in characterizing ASD, paving the way for developing new means of diagnosis. PMID:28747892

Flood Inundation Mapping and Emergency Operations during Hurricane Harvey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, N. Z.; Cotter, J.; Gao, S.; Bedient, P. B.; Yung, A.; Penland, C.

2017-12-01

Hurricane Harvey struck the Gulf Coast as Category 4 on August 25, 2017 with devastating and life-threatening floods in Texas. Harris County received up to 49 inches of rainfall over a 5-day period and experienced flooding level and impacts beyond any previous storm in Houston's history. The depth-duration-frequency analysis reveals that the areal average rainfall for Brays Bayou surpasses the 500-year rainfall in both 24 and 48 hours. To cope with this unprecedented event, the researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington and Rice University worked closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the National Weather Service (NWS), the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM), Walter P. Moore and Associates, Inc. and Halff Associates, to conduct a series of meteorological, hydrologic and hydraulic analyses to delineate flood inundation maps. Up to eight major watersheds in Harris County were delineated based the available QPE data from WGRFC. The inundation map over Brays Bayou with their impacts from Hurricane Harvey was delineated in comparison with those of 100-, 500-year, and Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) design storms. This presentation will provide insights for both engineers and planners to re-evaluate the existing flood infrastructure and policy, which will help build Houston stronger for future extreme storms. The collaborative effort among the federal, academic, and private entities clearly demonstrates an effective approach for flood inundation mapping initiatives for the nation.

A complete-pelvis segmentation framework for image-free total hip arthroplasty (THA): methodology and clinical study.

PubMed

Xie, Weiguo; Franke, Jochen; Chen, Cheng; Grützner, Paul A; Schumann, Steffen; Nolte, Lutz-P; Zheng, Guoyan

2015-06-01

Complete-pelvis segmentation in antero-posterior pelvic radiographs is required to create a patient-specific three-dimensional pelvis model for surgical planning and postoperative assessment in image-free navigation of total hip arthroplasty. A fast and robust framework for accurately segmenting the complete pelvis is presented, consisting of two consecutive modules. In the first module, a three-stage method was developed to delineate the left hemi-pelvis based on statistical appearance and shape models. To handle complex pelvic structures, anatomy-specific information processing techniques were employed. As the input to the second module, the delineated left hemi-pelvis was then reflected about an estimated symmetry line of the radiograph to initialize the right hemi-pelvis segmentation. The right hemi-pelvis was segmented by the same three-stage method, Two experiments conducted on respectively 143 and 40 AP radiographs demonstrated a mean segmentation accuracy of 1.61±0.68 mm. A clinical study to investigate the postoperative assessment of acetabular cup orientations based on the proposed framework revealed an average accuracy of 1.2°±0.9° and 1.6°±1.4° for anteversion and inclination, respectively. Delineation of each radiograph costs less than one minute. Despite further validation needed, the preliminary results implied the underlying clinical applicability of the proposed framework for image-free THA. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A numerical rating system for crown classes of southern hardwoods

Treesearch

James S. Meadows; E.C. Burkhardt; Robert L. Johnson; John D. Hodges

2001-01-01

A numerical rating system to delineate crown classes of southern hardwoods is described. The system is based on four criteria: (1) amount of direct sunlight from above, (2) amount of direct sunlight from the sides, (3) crown balance, and (4) relative crown size. The total point value assigned places the tree within one of the four crown classes. The rating system can...

Flight qualification of mortar-actuated parachute deployment systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pleasants, J. E.

1975-01-01

A brief discussion outlines background of mortar use in parachute deployment systems. A description of the system operation is presented. Effects of the environment on performance are discussed as well as the instrumentation needed to assess this performance. Power unit qualification and lot qualification for shear pins and cartridges is delineated. Functional mortar system tests are described. Finally, bridle deployment and parachute deployment are discussed.

Hormones and growth factors in the pathogenesis of spinal ligament ossification

PubMed Central

Li, Hai; Jiang, Lei-Sheng

2007-01-01

Ossification of the spinal ligaments (OSL) is a pathologic condition that causes ectopic bone formation and subsequently results in various degrees of neurological deficit, but the etiology of OSL remains almost unknown. Some systemic hormones, such as 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), insulin and leptin, and local growth factors, such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), have been studied and are thought to be involved in the initiation and development of OSL. This review article summarizes these studies, delineates the possible mechanisms, and puts forward doubts and new questions. The related findings from studies of genes and target cells in the ligament of OSL are also discussed. Although these findings may be helpful in understanding the pathogenesis of OSL, much more research needs to be conducted in order to investigate the nature of OSL. PMID:17426989

Controlling allosteric networks in proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dokholyan, Nikolay

2013-03-01

We present a novel methodology based on graph theory and discrete molecular dynamics simulations for delineating allosteric pathways in proteins. We use this methodology to uncover the structural mechanisms responsible for coupling of distal sites on proteins and utilize it for allosteric modulation of proteins. We will present examples where inference of allosteric networks and its rewiring allows us to ``rescue'' cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), a protein associated with fatal genetic disease cystic fibrosis. We also use our methodology to control protein function allosterically. We design a novel protein domain that can be inserted into identified allosteric site of target protein. Using a drug that binds to our domain, we alter the function of the target protein. We successfully tested this methodology in vitro, in living cells and in zebrafish. We further demonstrate transferability of our allosteric modulation methodology to other systems and extend it to become ligh-activatable.

ISS Plasma Interaction: Measurements and Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barsamian, H.; Mikatarian, R.; Alred, J.; Minow, J.; Koontz, S.

2004-01-01

Ionospheric plasma interaction effects on the International Space Station are discussed in the following paper. The large structure and high voltage arrays of the ISS represent a complex system interacting with LEO plasma. Discharge current measurements made by the Plasma Contactor Units and potential measurements made by the Floating Potential Probe delineate charging and magnetic induction effects on the ISS. Based on theoretical and physical understanding of the interaction phenomena, a model of ISS plasma interaction has been developed. The model includes magnetic induction effects, interaction of the high voltage solar arrays with ionospheric plasma, and accounts for other conductive areas on the ISS. Based on these phenomena, the Plasma Interaction Model has been developed. Limited verification of the model has been performed by comparison of Floating Potential Probe measurement data to simulations. The ISS plasma interaction model will be further tested and verified as measurements from the Floating Potential Measurement Unit become available, and construction of the ISS continues.

Hormones and growth factors in the pathogenesis of spinal ligament ossification.

PubMed

Li, Hai; Jiang, Lei-Sheng; Dai, Li-Yang

2007-08-01

Ossification of the spinal ligaments (OSL) is a pathologic condition that causes ectopic bone formation and subsequently results in various degrees of neurological deficit, but the etiology of OSL remains almost unknown. Some systemic hormones, such as 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), insulin and leptin, and local growth factors, such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP), have been studied and are thought to be involved in the initiation and development of OSL. This review article summarizes these studies, delineates the possible mechanisms, and puts forward doubts and new questions. The related findings from studies of genes and target cells in the ligament of OSL are also discussed. Although these findings may be helpful in understanding the pathogenesis of OSL, much more research needs to be conducted in order to investigate the nature of OSL.

Earth Survey Applications Division. [a bibliography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, L. (Editor)

1981-01-01

Accomplishments of research and data analysis conducted to study physical parameters and processes inside the Earth and on the Earth's surface, to define techniques and systems for remotely sensing the processes and measuring the parameters of scientific and applications interest, and the transfer of promising operational applications techniques to the user community of Earth resources monitors, managers, and decision makers are described. Research areas covered include: geobotany, magnetic field modeling, crustal studies, crustal dynamics, sea surface topography, land resources, remote sensing of vegetation and soils, and hydrological sciences. Major accomplishments include: production of global maps of magnetic anomalies using Magsat data; computation of the global mean sea surface using GEOS-3 and Seasat altimetry data; delineation of the effects of topography on the interpretation of remotely-sensed data; application of snowmelt runoff models to water resources management; and mapping of snow depth over wheat growing areas using Nimbus microwave data.

Delineating Floodplain in North Korea using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, J.; Lee, K. S.

2015-12-01

Korea has been divided into two countries after World War II. So environmental studies about North Korean are not easy and very limited. There were several flood damages every summer in North Korea since 1995, which induces lots of economic loss and agricultural production decrease. Delineating floodplain is indispensable to estimate the magnitude of flood damage and restore the flooded paddy field after unification. Remote Sensing (RS) can provide opportunity to study inaccessible area. In addition, flooding detection is possible. Several research groups study about flooding disaster using RS. Optical images and microwave images have been used in that field. Also, Digital topographic data have been used for flooding detection. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the land characteristics of floodplain by delineating floodplain in inaccessible North Korea using Landsat and digital topographic data. Landsat TM 5 images were used in this study. North Korea had severe flooding disaster since 1995. Among them 1995, 2007 and 2012 flooding are known for serious damages. Two Landsat images before and after flooding of each year were used to delineate floodplain. Study areas are Pyongyang City, Nampo City, North and South Hwanghae Province and South Pyongan Province. Floodplain are derived from overlaid classification image and flood-depth map. 1:25,000 scale digital topographic data were used to make flood-depth map. For land cover classification image enhancement and supervised classification with maximum likelihood classifier were used. Training areas were selected by visual interpretation using Daum-map which provides high resolution image of whole North Korea. The spatial characteristics of the floodplain were discussed based on floodplain map delineated in this study.

Development and Evaluation of Anticipatory Crash Sensors for Automobiles

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-02-01

This report delineates the preferred means, potential effectiveness, and estimated costs of carrying out anticipatory sensing of automobile collisions. Actuation of passive restraint systems requires only a small advance warning to extend the protect...

Delineation of the hydrogeologic framework of the Big Sioux aquifer near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, using airborne electromagnetic data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Valseth, Kristen J.; Delzer, Gregory C.; Price, Curtis V.

2018-03-21

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, began developing a groundwater-flow model of the Big Sioux aquifer in 2014 that will enable the City to make more informed water management decisions, such as delineation of areas of the greatest specific yield, which is crucial for locating municipal wells. Innovative tools are being evaluated as part of this study that can improve the delineation of the hydrogeologic framework of the aquifer for use in development of a groundwater-flow model, and the approach could have transfer value for similar hydrogeologic settings. The first step in developing a groundwater-flow model is determining the hydrogeologic framework (vertical and horizontal extents of the aquifer), which typically is determined by interpreting geologic information from drillers’ logs and surficial geology maps. However, well and borehole data only provide hydrogeologic information for a single location; conversely, nearly continuous geophysical data are collected along flight lines using airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys. These electromagnetic data are collected every 3 meters along a flight line (on average) and subsequently can be related to hydrogeologic properties. AEM data, coupled with and constrained by well and borehole data, can substantially improve the accuracy of aquifer hydrogeologic framework delineations and result in better groundwater-flow models. AEM data were acquired using the Resolve frequency-domain AEM system to map the Big Sioux aquifer in the region of the city of Sioux Falls. The survey acquired more than 870 line-kilometers of AEM data over a total area of about 145 square kilometers, primarily over the flood plain of the Big Sioux River between the cities of Dell Rapids and Sioux Falls. The U.S. Geological Survey inverted the survey data to generate resistivity-depth sections that were used in two-dimensional maps and in three-dimensional volumetric visualizations of the Earth resistivity distribution. Contact lines were drawn using a geographic information system to delineate interpreted geologic stratigraphy. The contact lines were converted to points and then interpolated into a raster surface. The methods used to develop elevation and depth maps of the hydrogeologic framework of the Big Sioux aquifer are described herein.The final AEM interpreted aquifer thickness ranged from 0 to 31 meters with an average thickness of 12.8 meters. The estimated total volume of the aquifer was 1,060,000,000 cubic meters based on the assumption that the top of the aquifer is the land-surface elevation. A simple calculation of the volume (length times width times height) of a previous delineation of the aquifer estimated the aquifer volume at 378,000,000 cubic meters; thus, the estimation based on AEM data is more than twice the previous estimate. The depth to top of Sioux Quartzite, which ranged in depth from 0 to 90 meters, also was delineated from the AEM data.

Resolution and sensitivity of boat-towed RMT data to delineate fracture zones - Example of the Stockholm bypass multi-lane tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mehta, Suman; Bastani, Mehrdad; Malehmir, Alireza; Pedersen, Laust B.

2017-04-01

The resolution and sensitivity of water-borne boat-towed multi-frequency radio-magnetotelluric (RMT) data for delineating zones of weaknesses in bedrock are examined in this study. 2D modeling of RMT data along 40 profiles in joint transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) as well as determinant mode was used for this purpose. The RMT data were acquired over two water passages from the Lake Mälaren near the city of Stockholm where one of the largest underground infrastructure projects, a multi-lane tunnel, in Europe is currently being developed. Comparison with available borehole coring, refraction seismic and bathymetric data was used to scrutinize the RMT resistivity models. A low-resistivity zone observed in the middle of all the profiles is suggested to be from fracture/fault zones striking in the same direction as the water passages. Drilling observations confirm the presence of brittle structures in the bedrock, which manifest themselves as zones of low-resistivity and low-velocity in the RMT and refraction seismic data, respectively. Nevertheless, RMT is an inductive electromagnetic method hence the presence of conductive lake sediments may shield detecting the underlying fractured bedrock. The loss of resolution at depth implies that the structures within the bedrock under the lake sediments cannot reliably be delineated. To support this, a synthetic data analysis was carried out providing useful information on how to improve and plan the lake measurements for future studies. Synthetic modeling results for example suggested that frequencies as low as 3 kHz would be required to reliably resolve the bedrock and fracture zone within it in the study area. The modeling further illustrated the advantage of a fresh water layer that acts as a near-surface homogeneous medium eliminating the static shift effects. While boat-towed RMT data provided substantial information about the subsurface geology, the acquisition system should be upgraded to enable controlled-source data acquisition to increase the penetration depth and to overcome the shortcomings of using only radio-frequencies.

Comparison of Macroscopic Pathology Measurements With Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Assessment of Microscopic Pathology Extension for Colorectal Liver Metastases

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

Mendez Romero, Alejandra, E-mail: a.mendezromero@erasmusmc.nl; Verheij, Joanne; Dwarkasing, Roy S.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To compare pathology macroscopic tumor dimensions with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements and to establish the microscopic tumor extension of colorectal liver metastases. Methods and Materials: In a prospective pilot study we included patients with colorectal liver metastases planned for surgery and eligible for MRI. A liver MRI was performed within 48 hours before surgery. Directly after surgery, an MRI of the specimen was acquired to measure the degree of tumor shrinkage. The specimen was fixed in formalin for 48 hours, and another MRI was performed to assess the specimen/tumor shrinkage. All MRI sequences were imported into our radiotherapymore » treatment planning system, where the tumor and the specimen were delineated. For the macroscopic pathology analyses, photographs of the sliced specimens were used to delineate and reconstruct the tumor and the specimen volumes. Microscopic pathology analyses were conducted to assess the infiltration depth of tumor cell nests. Results: Between February 2009 and January 2010 we included 13 patients for analysis with 21 colorectal liver metastases. Specimen and tumor shrinkage after resection and fixation was negligible. The best tumor volume correlations between MRI and pathology were found for T1-weighted (w) echo gradient sequence (r{sub s} = 0.99, slope = 1.06), and the T2-w fast spin echo (FSE) single-shot sequence (r{sub s} = 0.99, slope = 1.08), followed by the T2-w FSE fat saturation sequence (r{sub s} = 0.99, slope = 1.23), and the T1-w gadolinium-enhanced sequence (r{sub s} = 0.98, slope = 1.24). We observed 39 tumor cell nests beyond the tumor border in 12 metastases. Microscopic extension was found between 0.2 and 10 mm from the main tumor, with 90% of the cases within 6 mm. Conclusions: MRI tumor dimensions showed a good agreement with the macroscopic pathology suggesting that MRI can be used for accurate tumor delineation. However, microscopic extensions found beyond the tumor border indicate that caution is needed in selecting appropriate tumor margins.« less

Low-Temperature Hydrothermal Resource Potential

DOE Data Explorer

Katherine Young

2016-06-30

Compilation of data (spreadsheet and shapefiles) for several low-temperature resource types, including isolated springs and wells, delineated area convection systems, sedimentary basins and coastal plains sedimentary systems. For each system, we include estimates of the accessible resource base, mean extractable resource and beneficial heat. Data compiled from USGS and other sources. The paper (submitted to GRC 2016) describing the methodology and analysis is also included.

Assessing Children's Appraisals of Security in the Family System: The Development of the Security in the Family System (SIFS) Scales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forman, Evan M.; Davies, Patrick T.

2005-01-01

Background: Although delineating the processes by which children appraise the family as a source of security from their collective experiences in the family subsystem has assumed center stage in many conceptualizations of child development, the dearth of measures of child adaptation in the family system has hindered empirical advances. Therefore,…

Development of deployable structures for large space platform systems, volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

Generic deployable spacecraft configurations and deployable platform systems concepts were identified. Sizing, building block concepts, orbiter packaging, thermal analysis, cost analysis, and mass properties analysis as related to platform systems integration are considered. Technology needs are examined and the major criteria used in concept selection are delineated. Requirements for deployable habitat modules, tunnels, and OTV hangars are considered.

Understanding the Picture Exchange Communication System and Its Application in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Amanda; Sandt, Dawn

2013-01-01

This article presents the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and its applications in physical education. The PECS is an appropriate communication intervention for students with autism who lack functional communication skills. It is often confused with other visual support strategies, so the authors delineate the six phases of PECS and…

Supporting nursing students' critical thinking with a mobile web learning environment.

PubMed

Lai, Chin-Yuan; Wu, Cheng-Chih

2012-01-01

The use of mobile technology has the potential of revolutionizing and transforming the way clinical practicums are conducted in nursing training. Our Web-based implementation suggested that incorporating technology, specifically with Internet and mobile devices, to promote nursing students’ critical thinking is feasible and showed dramatic results. As our environment was tailored for the psychiatric nursing practicum, future studies should delineate the context in which they are to be delivered.

Using aquatic invertebrates to delineate seasonal and temporary wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Euliss, Ned H.; Mushet, David M.; Johnson, Douglas H.

2002-01-01

Tillage can destroy or greatly disturb indicators of hydric soils and hydrophytic vegetation, making delineation of tilled wetlands difficult. The remains of aquatic invertebrates (e.g., shells, drought-resistant eggs, and trichopteran cases) are easily identifiable and persist in wetland substrates even when wetlands are dry. Additionally, these remains are not easily destroyed by mechanical tillage. To test the feasibility of using invertebrate remains to delineate wetlands, we used two methods to identify the wetland edge of ten seasonal and ten temporary wetlands, evenly divided between grassland and cropland landscapes. First, we identified the wetland edge using hydric soil and vegetation indicators along six evenly spaced transects in each wetland (our “standard” delineation). We then identified the wetland edge along the same transects using aquatic invertebrate remains as our indicator. In grassland landscapes, delineations of the wetland edge made using invertebrate remains were consistently at the same location or closer to the wetland center as the standard delineations for both seasonal and temporary wetlands. In cropland landscapes, however, many of our invertebrate delineations of seasonal and temporary wetlands were on the upland side of our standard delineations. We attribute the differences to movement of remains during tillage, increased maximum pool levels in cropland wetlands, and disturbance of hydric soils and plants. We found that the elevations of the wetland edge indicated by invertebrate remains were more consistent within a wetland than elevations determined by standard delineations. Aquatic invertebrate remains can be useful in delineating wetlands when other indicators have been destroyed or severely disturbed by tillage.

Characterization of soil spatial variability for site-specific management using soil electrical conductivity and other remotely sensed data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bang, Jisu

Field-scale characterization of soil spatial variability using remote sensing technology has potential for achieving the successful implementation of site-specific management (SSM). The objectives of this study were to: (i) examine the spatial relationships between apparent soil electrical conductivity (EC a) and soil chemical and physical properties to determine if EC a could be useful to characterize soil properties related to crop productivity in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont of North Carolina; (ii) evaluate the effects of in-situ soil moisture variation on ECa mapping as a basis for characterization of soil spatial variability and as a data layer in cluster analysis as a means of delineating sampling zones; (iii) evaluate clustering approaches using different variable sets for management zone delineation to characterize spatial variability in soil nutrient levels and crop yields. Studies were conducted in two fields in the Piedmont and three fields in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. Spatial measurements of ECa via electromagnetic induction (EMI) were compared with soil chemical parameters (extractable P, K, and micronutrients; pH, cation exchange capacity [CEC], humic matter or soil organic matter; and physical parameters (percentage sand, silt, and clay; and plant-available water [PAW] content; bulk density; cone index; saturated hydraulic conductivity [Ksat] in one of the coastal plain fields) using correlation analysis across fields. We also collected ECa measurements in one coastal plain field on four days with significantly different naturally occurring soil moisture conditions measured in five increments to 0.75 m using profiling time-domain reflectometry probes to evaluate the temporal variability of ECa associated with changes in in-situ soil moisture content. Nonhierarchical k-means cluster analysis using sensor-based field attributes including vertical ECa, near-infrared (NIR) radiance of bare-soil from an aerial color infrared (CIR) image, elevation, slope, and their combinations was performed to delineate management zones. The strengths and signs of the correlations between ECa and measured soil properties varied among fields. Few strong direct correlations were found between ECa and the soil chemical and physical properties studied (r2 < 0.50), but correlations improved considerably when zone mean ECa and zone means of selected soil properties among ECa zones were compared. The results suggested that field-scale ECa survey is not able to directly predict soil nutrient levels at any specific location, but could delimit distinct zones of soil condition among which soil nutrient levels differ, providing an effective basis for soil sampling on a zone basis. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Assessing the Agreement Between Eo-Based Semi-Automated Landslide Maps with Fuzzy Manual Landslide Delineation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albrecht, F.; Hölbling, D.; Friedl, B.

2017-09-01

Landslide mapping benefits from the ever increasing availability of Earth Observation (EO) data resulting from programmes like the Copernicus Sentinel missions and improved infrastructure for data access. However, there arises the need for improved automated landslide information extraction processes from EO data while the dominant method is still manual delineation. Object-based image analysis (OBIA) provides the means for the fast and efficient extraction of landslide information. To prove its quality, automated results are often compared to manually delineated landslide maps. Although there is awareness of the uncertainties inherent in manual delineations, there is a lack of understanding how they affect the levels of agreement in a direct comparison of OBIA-derived landslide maps and manually derived landslide maps. In order to provide an improved reference, we present a fuzzy approach for the manual delineation of landslides on optical satellite images, thereby making the inherent uncertainties of the delineation explicit. The fuzzy manual delineation and the OBIA classification are compared by accuracy metrics accepted in the remote sensing community. We have tested this approach for high resolution (HR) satellite images of three large landslides in Austria and Italy. We were able to show that the deviation of the OBIA result from the manual delineation can mainly be attributed to the uncertainty inherent in the manual delineation process, a relevant issue for the design of validation processes for OBIA-derived landslide maps.

Oversight of human participants research: identifying problems to evaluate reform proposals.

PubMed

Emanuel, Ezekiel J; Wood, Anne; Fleischman, Alan; Bowen, Angela; Getz, Kenneth A; Grady, Christine; Levine, Carol; Hammerschmidt, Dale E; Faden, Ruth; Eckenwiler, Lisa; Muse, Carianne Tucker; Sugarman, Jeremy

2004-08-17

The oversight of research involving human participants is widely believed to be inadequate. The U.S. Congress, national commissions, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Institute of Medicine, numerous professional societies, and others are proposing remedies based on the assumption that the main problems are researchers' conflict of interest, lack of institutional review board (IRB) resources, and the volume and complexity of clinical research. Developing appropriate reform proposals requires carefully delineating the problems of the current system to know what reforms are needed. To stimulate a more informed and meaningful debate, we delineate 15 current problems into 3 broad categories. First, structural problems encompass 8 specific problems related to the way the research oversight system is organized. Second, procedural problems constitute 5 specific problems related to the operations of IRB review. Finally, performance assessment problems include 2 problems related to absence of systematic assessment of the outcomes of the oversight system. We critically assess proposed reforms, such as accreditation and central IRBs, according to how well they address these 15 problems. None of the reforms addresses all 15 problems. Indeed, most focus on the procedural problems, failing to address either the structure or the performance assessment problems. Finally, on the basis of the delineation of problems, we outline components of a more effective reform proposal, including bringing all research under federal oversight, a permanent advisory committee to address recurrent ethical issues in clinical research, mandatory single-time review for multicenter research protocols, additional financial support for IRB functions, and a standardized system for collecting and disseminating data on both adverse events and the performance assessment of IRBs.

The Limits to Adaptation: A Systems Approach

EPA Science Inventory

The ability to adapt to climate change is delineated by capacity thresholds, after which climate damages begin to overwhelm the adaptation response. Such thresholds depend upon physical properties (natural processes and engineering parameters), resource constraints (expressed th...

Special Education: A Microcosm of Bureaucracy. Part Two: The Elements of the System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Ann D.

1971-01-01

Delineates a case study of special education that provides a unique microcosm of the emergence of an educational subsystem with inherent and forceful bureaucratic controls that were present from its inception. (Author)

Correlation of infrared reflectance ratios at 2.3 microns/1.6 micron and 1.1 micron/1.6 micron with delta O-18 values delineating fossil hydrothermal systems in the Idaho batholith

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillespie, A. R.; Criss, R. E.

1983-01-01

Reflectance ratios from laboratory spectra and airborne multispectral images are found to be strongly correlated with delta O-18 values of granite rocks in the Idaho batholith. The correlation is largely a result of interactions between hot water and rock, which lowered the delta O-18 values of the rocks and produced secondary hydrous material. Maps of the ratio of reflectivities at 2.3 and 1.6 microns should delineate fossil hydrothermal systems and provide estimates of alteration intensity. However, hydrous minerals produced during deuteric alteration or weathering cannot be unambiguously distinguished in remotely sensed images from the products of propylitic alteration without the use of narrow-band scanners. The reflectivity at 1.6 micron is strongly correlated with rock density and may be useful in distinguishing rock types in granitic terranes.

Extracting topographic structure from digital elevation data for geographic information-system analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenson, Susan K.; Domingue, Julia O.

1988-01-01

The first phase of analysis is a conditioning phase that generates three data sets: the original OEM with depressions filled, a data set indicating the flow direction for each cell, and a flow accumulation data set in which each cell receives a value equal to the total number of cells that drain to it. The original OEM and these three derivative data sets can then be processed in a variety of ways to optionally delineate drainage networks, overland paths, watersheds for userspecified locations, sub-watersheds for the major tributaries of a drainage network, or pour point linkages between watersheds. The computer-generated drainage lines and watershed polygons and the pour point linkage information can be transferred to vector-based geographic information systems for futher analysis. Comparisons between these computergenerated features and their manually delineated counterparts generally show close agreement, indicating that these software tools will save analyst time spent in manual interpretation and digitizing.

Computer-aided boundary delineation of agricultural lands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cheng, Thomas D.; Angelici, Gary L.; Slye, Robert E.; Ma, Matt

1989-01-01

The National Agricultural Statistics Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) presently uses labor-intensive aerial photographic interpretation techniques to divide large geographical areas into manageable-sized units for estimating domestic crop and livestock production. Prototype software, the computer-aided stratification (CAS) system, was developed to automate the procedure, and currently runs on a Sun-based image processing system. With a background display of LANDSAT Thematic Mapper and United States Geological Survey Digital Line Graph data, the operator uses a cursor to delineate agricultural areas, called sampling units, which are assigned to strata of land-use and land-cover types. The resultant stratified sampling units are used as input into subsequent USDA sampling procedures. As a test, three counties in Missouri were chosen for application of the CAS procedures. Subsequent analysis indicates that CAS was five times faster in creating sampling units than the manual techniques were.

A high frequency electromagnetic impedance imaging system

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

Tseng, Hung-Wen; Lee, Ki Ha; Becker, Alex

2003-01-15

Non-invasive, high resolution geophysical mapping of the shallow subsurface is necessary for delineation of buried hazardous wastes, detecting unexploded ordinance, verifying and monitoring of containment or moisture contents, and other environmental applications. Electromagnetic (EM) techniques can be used for this purpose since electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity are representative of the subsurface media. Measurements in the EM frequency band between 1 and 100 MHz are very important for such applications, because the induction number of many targets is small and the ability to determine the subsurface distribution of both electrical properties is required. Earlier workers were successful in developing systemsmore » for detecting anomalous areas, but quantitative interpretation of the data was difficult. Accurate measurements are necessary, but difficult to achieve for high-resolution imaging of the subsurface. We are developing a broadband non-invasive method for accurately mapping the electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity of the shallow subsurface using an EM impedance approach similar to the MT exploration technique. Electric and magnetic sensors were tested to ensure that stray EM scattering is minimized and the quality of the data collected with the high-frequency impedance (HFI) system is good enough to allow high-resolution, multi-dimensional imaging of hidden targets. Additional efforts are being made to modify and further develop existing sensors and transmitters to improve the imaging capability and data acquisition efficiency.« less

Remote sensing for studying atmospheric aerosols in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanniah, Kasturi D.; Kamarul Zaman, Nurul A. F.

2015-10-01

The aerosol system is Southeast Asia is complex and the high concentrations are due to population growth, rapid urbanization and development of SEA countries. Nevertheless, only a few studies have been carried out especially at large spatial extent and on a continuous basis to study atmospheric aerosols in Malaysia. In this review paper we report the use of remote sensing data to study atmospheric aerosols in Malaysia and document gaps and recommend further studies to bridge the gaps. Satellite data have been used to study the spatial and seasonal patterns of aerosol optical depth (AOD) in Malaysia. Satellite data combined with AERONET data were used to delineate different types and sizes of aerosols and to identify the sources of aerosols in Malaysia. Most of the aerosol studies performed in Malaysia was based on station-based PM10 data that have limited spatial coverage. Thus, satellite data have been used to extrapolate and retrieve PM10 data over large areas by correlating remotely sensed AOD with ground-based PM10. Realising the critical role of aerosols on radiative forcing numerous studies have been conducted worldwide to assess the aerosol radiative forcing (ARF). Such studies are yet to be conducted in Malaysia. Although the only source of aerosol data covering large region in Malaysia is remote sensing, satellite observations are limited by cloud cover, orbital gaps of satellite track, etc. In addition, relatively less understanding is achieved on how the atmospheric aerosol interacts with the regional climate system. These gaps can be bridged by conducting more studies using integrated approach of remote sensing, AERONET and ground based measurements.

Transcriptional Architecture of Synaptic Communication Delineates GABAergic Neuron Identity.

PubMed

Paul, Anirban; Crow, Megan; Raudales, Ricardo; He, Miao; Gillis, Jesse; Huang, Z Josh

2017-10-19

Understanding the organizational logic of neural circuits requires deciphering the biological basis of neuronal diversity and identity, but there is no consensus on how neuron types should be defined. We analyzed single-cell transcriptomes of a set of anatomically and physiologically characterized cortical GABAergic neurons and conducted a computational genomic screen for transcriptional profiles that distinguish them from one another. We discovered that cardinal GABAergic neuron types are delineated by a transcriptional architecture that encodes their synaptic communication patterns. This architecture comprises 6 categories of ∼40 gene families, including cell-adhesion molecules, transmitter-modulator receptors, ion channels, signaling proteins, neuropeptides and vesicular release components, and transcription factors. Combinatorial expression of select members across families shapes a multi-layered molecular scaffold along the cell membrane that may customize synaptic connectivity patterns and input-output signaling properties. This molecular genetic framework of neuronal identity integrates cell phenotypes along multiple axes and provides a foundation for discovering and classifying neuron types. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

What is the effect of LiDAR-derived DEM resolution on large-scale watershed model results?

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

Ping Yang; Daniel B. Ames; Andre Fonseca

This paper examines the effect of raster cell size on hydrographic feature extraction and hydrological modeling using LiDAR derived DEMs. LiDAR datasets for three experimental watersheds were converted to DEMs at various cell sizes. Watershed boundaries and stream networks were delineated from each DEM and were compared to reference data. Hydrological simulations were conducted and the outputs were compared. Smaller cell size DEMs consistently resulted in less difference between DEM-delineated features and reference data. However, minor differences been found between streamflow simulations resulted for a lumped watershed model run at daily simulations aggregated at an annual average. These findings indicatemore » that while higher resolution DEM grids may result in more accurate representation of terrain characteristics, such variations do not necessarily improve watershed scale simulation modeling. Hence the additional expense of generating high resolution DEM's for the purpose of watershed modeling at daily or longer time steps may not be warranted.« less

Monitoring irrigated land acreage using Landsat imagery: an application example

USGS Publications Warehouse

Draeger, William C.

1976-01-01

A demonstration of the utility of Landsat imagery for quickly and cheaply estimating irrigated land area was conducted in the Klamath River basin of Oregon. Landsat color composite images, at 1:250,000 scale and acquired on two dates during the 1975 growing season, were interpreted. Irrigated lands were delineated manually, and the irrigated area was estimated, based on dot-grid sampling of the manually delineated lands. The image interpretation estimate of irrigated area was then adjusted by a comparison of interpretation results with ground data on 45 sample plots, each 1 mi2 (2.6 km2) in size.Two interpreters independently estimated the irrigated area.  Their adjusted estimates were 285,000 acres (115,000 ha) and 267,000 acres (108,000 ha) respectively, with corresponding 95 percent confidence intervals of ±19,500 acres (7,880 ha) and ±34,700 acres (14,000 ha). The estimated cost of the survey, exclusive of management costs and training, was $1,500.

Determining and representing width of soil boundaries using electrical conductivity and MultiGrid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greve, Mogens Humlekrog; Greve, Mette Balslev

2004-07-01

In classical soil mapping, map unit boundaries are considered crisp even though all experienced survey personnel are aware of the fact, that soil boundaries really are transition zones of varying width. However, classification of transition zone width on site is difficult in a practical survey. The objective of this study is to present a method for determining soil boundary width and a way of representing continuous soil boundaries in GIS. A survey was performed using the non-contact conductivity meter EM38 from Geonics Inc., which measures the bulk Soil Electromagnetic Conductivity (SEC). The EM38 provides an opportunity to classify the width of transition zones in an unbiased manner. By calculating the spatial rate of change in the interpolated EM38 map across the crisp map unit delineations from a classical soil mapping, a measure of transition zone width can be extracted. The map unit delineations are represented as transition zones in a GIS through a concept of multiple grid layers, a MultiGrid. Each layer corresponds to a soil type and the values in a layer represent the percentage of that soil type in each cell. As a test, the subsoil texture was mapped at the Vindum field in Denmark using both the classical mapping method with crisp representation of the boundaries and the new map with MultiGrid and continuous boundaries. These maps were then compared to an independent reference map of subsoil texture. The improvement of the prediction of subsoil texture, using continuous boundaries instead of crisp, was in the case of the Vindum field, 15%.

Data Processing and Quality Evaluation of a Boat-Based Mobile Laser Scanning System

PubMed Central

Vaaja, Matti; Kukko, Antero; Kaartinen, Harri; Kurkela, Matti; Kasvi, Elina; Flener, Claude; Hyyppä, Hannu; Hyyppä, Juha; Järvelä, Juha; Alho, Petteri

2013-01-01

Mobile mapping systems (MMSs) are used for mapping topographic and urban features which are difficult and time consuming to measure with other instruments. The benefits of MMSs include efficient data collection and versatile usability. This paper investigates the data processing steps and quality of a boat-based mobile mapping system (BoMMS) data for generating terrain and vegetation points in a river environment. Our aim in data processing was to filter noise points, detect shorelines as well as points below water surface and conduct ground point classification. Previous studies of BoMMS have investigated elevation accuracies and usability in detection of fluvial erosion and deposition areas. The new findings concerning BoMMS data are that the improved data processing approach allows for identification of multipath reflections and shoreline delineation. We demonstrate the possibility to measure bathymetry data in shallow (0–1 m) and clear water. Furthermore, we evaluate for the first time the accuracy of the BoMMS ground points classification compared to manually classified data. We also demonstrate the spatial variations of the ground point density and assess elevation and vertical accuracies of the BoMMS data. PMID:24048340

Data processing and quality evaluation of a boat-based mobile laser scanning system.

PubMed

Vaaja, Matti; Kukko, Antero; Kaartinen, Harri; Kurkela, Matti; Kasvi, Elina; Flener, Claude; Hyyppä, Hannu; Hyyppä, Juha; Järvelä, Juha; Alho, Petteri

2013-09-17

Mobile mapping systems (MMSs) are used for mapping topographic and urban features which are difficult and time consuming to measure with other instruments. The benefits of MMSs include efficient data collection and versatile usability. This paper investigates the data processing steps and quality of a boat-based mobile mapping system (BoMMS) data for generating terrain and vegetation points in a river environment. Our aim in data processing was to filter noise points, detect shorelines as well as points below water surface and conduct ground point classification. Previous studies of BoMMS have investigated elevation accuracies and usability in detection of fluvial erosion and deposition areas. The new findings concerning BoMMS data are that the improved data processing approach allows for identification of multipath reflections and shoreline delineation. We demonstrate the possibility to measure bathymetry data in shallow (0-1 m) and clear water. Furthermore, we evaluate for the first time the accuracy of the BoMMS ground points classification compared to manually classified data. We also demonstrate the spatial variations of the ground point density and assess elevation and vertical accuracies of the BoMMS data.

Geomagnetic Survey to Explore High-Temperature Geothermal System in Blawan-Ijen, East Java, Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daud, Yunus; Rosid, Syamsu; Fahmi, Fikri; Yunus, Faris Maulana; Muflihendri, Reza

2018-02-01

Ijen geothermal area is high-temperature geothermal system located in Bondowoso regency, East Java. It is categorized as caldera-hosted geothermal system which is covered by quaternary andesitic volcanic rocks with steep topography at the surrounding. Several surface thermal manifestations are found, such as altered rocks near Mt. Kukusan and a group of Blawan hotsprings in the northern part of the caldera. Geomagnetic survey was conducted at 72 stations which is distributed inside the caldera to delineate the existence of hydrothermal activity. Magnetic anomaly was obtained by reducing total magnetic measured on the field by IGRF and diurnal variation. Reduction to pole (RTP) method was applied with geomagnetic inclination of about -32°. In general, the result shows that high magnetic anomaly is distributed at the boundary of study area, while low magnetic anomaly is observed in the centre. The low anomaly indicates demagnetized rock that probably caused by hydrothermal activity. It has a good correlation with surface alteration observed close to Mt. Kukusan as well as high temperature reservoir drilled in the centre of caldera. Accordingly, the low magnetic anomaly also presents the possibility of geothermal reservoir in Ijen geothermal area.

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

Liu, Lu; Albright, Austin P; Rahimpour, Alireza

Wide-area-measurement systems (WAMSs) are used in smart grid systems to enable the efficient monitoring of grid dynamics. However, the overwhelming amount of data and the severe contamination from noise often impede the effective and efficient data analysis and storage of WAMS generated measurements. To solve this problem, we propose a novel framework that takes advantage of Multivariate Empirical Mode Decomposition (MEMD), a fully data-driven approach to analyzing non-stationary signals, dubbed MEMD based Signal Analysis (MSA). The frequency measurements are considered as a linear superposition of different oscillatory components and noise. The low-frequency components, corresponding to the long-term trend and inter-areamore » oscillations, are grouped and compressed by MSA using the mean shift clustering algorithm. Whereas, higher-frequency components, mostly noise and potentially part of high-frequency inter-area oscillations, are analyzed using Hilbert spectral analysis and they are delineated by statistical behavior. By conducting experiments on both synthetic and real-world data, we show that the proposed framework can capture the characteristics, such as trends and inter-area oscillation, while reducing the data storage requirements« less

SU-E-J-275: Impact of the Intra and Inter Observer Variability in the Delineation of Parotid Glands On the Dose Calculation During Head and Neck Helical Tomotherapy

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

Jodda, A; Piotrowski, T

2014-06-01

Purpose: The intra- and inter-observer variability in delineation of the parotids on the kilo-voltage computed tomography (kVCT) and mega-voltage computed tomography (MVCT) were examined to establish their impact on the dose calculation during adaptive head and neck helical tomotherapy (HT). Methods: Three observers delineated left and right parotids for ten randomly selected patients with oropharynx cancer treated on HT. The pre-treatment kVCT and the MVCT from the first fraction of irradiation were selected to delineation. The delineation procedure was repeated three times by each observer. The parotids were delineated according to the institutional protocol. The analyses included intra-observer reproducibility andmore » inter-structure, -observer and -modality variability of the volume and dose. Results: The differences between the left and right parotid outlines were not statistically significant (p>0.3). The reproducibility of the delineation was confirmed for each observer on the kVCT (p>0.2) and on the MVCT (p>0.1). The inter-observer variability of the outlines was significant (p<0.001) as well as the inter-modality variability (p<0.006). The parotids delineated on the MVCT were 10% smaller than on the kVCT. The inter-observer variability of the parotids delineation did not affect the average dose (p=0.096 on the kVCT and p=0.176 on the MVCT). The dose calculated on the MVCT was higher by 3.3% than dose from the kVCT (p=0.009). Conclusion: Usage of the institutional protocols for the parotids delineation reduces intra-observer variability and increases reproducibility of the outlines. These protocols do not eliminate delineation differences between the observers, but these differences are not clinically significant and do not affect average doses in the parotids. The volumes of the parotids delineated on the MVCT are smaller than on the kVCT, which affects the differences in the calculated doses.« less

A generalized methodology for identification of threshold for HRU delineation in SWAT model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

M, J.; Sudheer, K.; Chaubey, I.; Raj, C.

2016-12-01

The distributed hydrological model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is a comprehensive hydrologic model widely used for making various decisions. The simulation accuracy of the distributed hydrological model differs due to the mechanism involved in the subdivision of the watershed. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) considers sub-dividing the watershed and the sub-basins into small computing units known as 'hydrologic response units (HRU). The delineation of HRU is done based on unique combinations of land use, soil types, and slope within the sub-watersheds, which are not spatially defined. The computations in SWAT are done at HRU level and are then aggregated up to the sub-basin outlet, which is routed through the stream system. Generally, the HRUs are delineated by considering a threshold percentage of land use, soil and slope are to be given by the modeler to decrease the computation time of the model. The thresholds constrain the minimum area for constructing an HRU. In the current HRU delineation practice in SWAT, the land use, soil and slope of the watershed within a sub-basin, which is less than the predefined threshold, will be surpassed by the dominating land use, soil and slope, and introduce some level of ambiguity in the process simulations in terms of inappropriate representation of the area. But the loss of information due to variation in the threshold values depends highly on the purpose of the study. Therefore this research studies the effects of threshold values of HRU delineation on the hydrological modeling of SWAT on sediment simulations and suggests guidelines for selecting the appropriate threshold values considering the sediment simulation accuracy. The preliminary study was done on Illinois watershed by assigning different thresholds for land use and soil. A general methodology was proposed for identifying an appropriate threshold for HRU delineation in SWAT model that considered computational time and accuracy of the simulation. The methodology can be adopted for identifying an appropriate threshold for SWAT model simulation in any watershed with a single simulation of the model with a zero-zero threshold.

Fixing health care before it fixes us.

PubMed

Kotlikoff, Laurence J

2009-02-01

The current American health care system is beyond repair. The problems of the health care system are delineated in this discussion. The current health care system needs to be replaced in its entirety with a new system that provides every American with first-rate, first-tier medicine and that doesn't drive our nation broke. The author describes a 10-point Medical Security System, which he proposes will address the problems of the current health care system.

The use of the multiple-gradient array for geoelectrical resistivity and induced polarization imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aizebeokhai, Ahzegbobor P.; Oyeyemi, Kehinde D.

2014-12-01

The use of most conventional electrode configurations in electrical resistivity survey is often time consuming and labour intensive, especially when using manual data acquisition systems. Often, data acquisition teams tend to reduce data density so as to speed up field operation thereby reducing the survey cost; but this could significantly degrade the quality and resolution of the inverse models. In the present work, the potential of using the multiple-gradient array, a non-conventional electrode configuration, for practical cost effective and rapid subsurface resistivity and induced polarization mapping was evaluated. The array was used to conduct 2D resistivity and time-domain induced polarization imaging along two traverses in a study site at Ota, southwestern Nigeria. The subsurface was characterised and the main aquifer delineated using the inverse resistivity and chargeability images obtained. The performance of the multiple-gradient array was evaluated by correlating the 2D resistivity and chargeability images with those of the conventional Wenner array as well as the result of some soundings conducted along the same traverses using Schlumberger array. The multiple-gradient array has been found to have the advantage of measurement logistics and improved image resolution over the Wenner array.

Automated volume of interest delineation and rendering of cone beam CT images in interventional cardiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenz, Cristian; Schäfer, Dirk; Eshuis, Peter; Carroll, John; Grass, Michael

2012-02-01

Interventional C-arm systems allow the efficient acquisition of 3D cone beam CT images. They can be used for intervention planning, navigation, and outcome assessment. We present a fast and completely automated volume of interest (VOI) delineation for cardiac interventions, covering the whole visceral cavity including mediastinum and lungs but leaving out rib-cage and spine. The problem is addressed in a model based approach. The procedure has been evaluated on 22 patient cases and achieves an average surface error below 2mm. The method is able to cope with varying image intensities, varying truncations due to the limited reconstruction volume, and partially with heavy metal and motion artifacts.

Detailed Hydrographic Feature Extraction from High-Resolution LiDAR Data

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

Danny L. Anderson

Detailed hydrographic feature extraction from high-resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data is investigated. Methods for quantitatively evaluating and comparing such extractions are presented, including the use of sinuosity and longitudinal root-mean-square-error (LRMSE). These metrics are then used to quantitatively compare stream networks in two studies. The first study examines the effect of raster cell size on watershed boundaries and stream networks delineated from LiDAR-derived digital elevation models (DEMs). The study confirmed that, with the greatly increased resolution of LiDAR data, smaller cell sizes generally yielded better stream network delineations, based on sinuosity and LRMSE. The second study demonstrates amore » new method of delineating a stream directly from LiDAR point clouds, without the intermediate step of deriving a DEM. Direct use of LiDAR point clouds could improve efficiency and accuracy of hydrographic feature extractions. The direct delineation method developed herein and termed “mDn”, is an extension of the D8 method that has been used for several decades with gridded raster data. The method divides the region around a starting point into sectors, using the LiDAR data points within each sector to determine an average slope, and selecting the sector with the greatest downward slope to determine the direction of flow. An mDn delineation was compared with a traditional grid-based delineation, using TauDEM, and other readily available, common stream data sets. Although, the TauDEM delineation yielded a sinuosity that more closely matches the reference, the mDn delineation yielded a sinuosity that was higher than either the TauDEM method or the existing published stream delineations. Furthermore, stream delineation using the mDn method yielded the smallest LRMSE.« less

Measuring the apparent diffusion coefficient in primary rectal tumors: is there a benefit in performing histogram analyses?

PubMed

van Heeswijk, Miriam M; Lambregts, Doenja M J; Maas, Monique; Lahaye, Max J; Ayas, Z; Slenter, Jos M G M; Beets, Geerard L; Bakers, Frans C H; Beets-Tan, Regina G H

2017-06-01

The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is a potential prognostic imaging marker in rectal cancer. Typically, mean ADC values are used, derived from precise manual whole-volume tumor delineations by experts. The aim was first to explore whether non-precise circular delineation combined with histogram analysis can be a less cumbersome alternative to acquire similar ADC measurements and second to explore whether histogram analyses provide additional prognostic information. Thirty-seven patients who underwent a primary staging MRI including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI; b0, 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000; 1.5 T) were included. Volumes-of-interest (VOIs) were drawn on b1000-DWI: (a) precise delineation, manually tracing tumor boundaries (2 expert readers), and (b) non-precise delineation, drawing circular VOIs with a wide margin around the tumor (2 non-experts). Mean ADC and histogram metrics (mean, min, max, median, SD, skewness, kurtosis, 5th-95th percentiles) were derived from the VOIs and delineation time was recorded. Measurements were compared between the two methods and correlated with prognostic outcome parameters. Median delineation time reduced from 47-165 s (precise) to 21-43 s (non-precise). The 45th percentile of the non-precise delineation showed the best correlation with the mean ADC from the precise delineation as the reference standard (ICC 0.71-0.75). None of the mean ADC or histogram parameters showed significant prognostic value; only the total tumor volume (VOI) was significantly larger in patients with positive clinical N stage and mesorectal fascia involvement. When performing non-precise tumor delineation, histogram analysis (in specific 45th ADC percentile) may be used as an alternative to obtain similar ADC values as with precise whole tumor delineation. Histogram analyses are not beneficial to obtain additional prognostic information.

Enhancing in vivo tumor boundary delineation with structured illumination fluorescence molecular imaging and spatial gradient mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jessica; Miller, Jessica P.; Hathi, Deep; Zhou, Haiying; Achilefu, Samuel; Shokeen, Monica; Akers, Walter J.

2016-08-01

Fluorescence imaging, in combination with tumor-avid near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent molecular probes, provides high specificity and sensitivity for cancer detection in preclinical animal models, and more recently, assistance during oncologic surgery. However, conventional camera-based fluorescence imaging techniques are heavily surface-weighted such that surface reflection from skin or other nontumor tissue and nonspecific fluorescence signals dominate, obscuring true cancer-specific signals and blurring tumor boundaries. To address this challenge, we applied structured illumination fluorescence molecular imaging (SIFMI) in live animals for automated subtraction of nonspecific surface signals to better delineate accumulation of an NIR fluorescent probe targeting α4β1 integrin in mice bearing subcutaneous plasma cell xenografts. SIFMI demonstrated a fivefold improvement in tumor-to-background contrast when compared with other full-field fluorescence imaging methods and required significantly reduced scanning time compared with diffuse optical spectroscopy imaging. Furthermore, the spatial gradient mapping enhanced highlighting of tumor boundaries. Through the relatively simple hardware and software modifications described, SIFMI can be integrated with clinical fluorescence imaging systems, enhancing intraoperative tumor boundary delineation from the uninvolved tissue.

Low-Temperature Hydrothermal Resource Potential Estimate

DOE Data Explorer

Katherine Young

2016-06-30

Compilation of data (spreadsheet and shapefiles) for several low-temperature resource types, including isolated springs and wells, delineated area convection systems, sedimentary basins and coastal plains sedimentary systems. For each system, we include estimates of the accessible resource base, mean extractable resource and beneficial heat. Data compiled from USGS and other sources. The paper (submitted to GRC 2016) describing the methodology and analysis is also included.

The Architecture of Personality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cervone, Daniel

2004-01-01

This article presents a theoretical framework for analyzing psychological systems that contribute to the variability, consistency, and cross-situational coherence of personality functioning. In the proposed knowledge-and-appraisal personality architecture (KAPA), personality structures and processes are delineated by combining 2 principles:…

Microbial colonization is required for normal neurobehavioral development in zebrafish..

EPA Science Inventory

Host-associated microbiota are a dynamic system that shapes organismal development. There is growing evidence that microbiota modify the toxicokinetics and/or toxicodynamics of environmental chemicals. To delineate the neurobehavioral consequences of microbial colonization, we ex...

Rapid river classification using GIS-delineated functional process zones

EPA Science Inventory

Traditional classification of rivers does not take into consideration how rivers function within the ecosystem. Using factors such as hydrology and geomorphology that directly affect ecosystem structure and function, provides a means of classifying river systems into hydrogeomorp...

Evaluation of 3M(TM) Scotchlite linear delineation system : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2004-09-01

Major construction projects present many hazards for drivers to negotiate. Detours, lane shifts and confusing curves : present unique challenges to all drivers. At night, the difficulties in negotiating these obstacles are amplified due to : reduced ...

2. EAST END PLANT 5 POWERHOUSE AND EAST TAILRACE. STONE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. EAST END PLANT 5 POWERHOUSE AND EAST TAILRACE. STONE RETAINING WALLS BEHIND POWERHOUSE DELINEATE FORMER RESIDENTIAL AREA. VIEW TO WEST ACROSS PLANT 6 INTAKE. - Bishop Creek Hydroelectric System, Plant 5, Bishop Creek, Bishop, Inyo County, CA

Microbial colonization is required for normal neurobehavioral development in zebrafish.

EPA Science Inventory

Host-associated microbiota are a dynamic system that shapes organismal development. There is growing evidence that microbiota modify the toxicokinetics and/or toxicodynamics of environmental chemicals. To delineate the neurobehavioral consequences of microbial colonization, we ex...

Interactive Cadastral Boundary Delineation from Uav Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crommelinck, S.; Höfle, B.; Koeva, M. N.; Yang, M. Y.; Vosselman, G.

2018-05-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are evolving as an alternative tool to acquire land tenure data. UAVs can capture geospatial data at high quality and resolution in a cost-effective, transparent and flexible manner, from which visible land parcel boundaries, i.e., cadastral boundaries are delineable. This delineation is to no extent automated, even though physical objects automatically retrievable through image analysis methods mark a large portion of cadastral boundaries. This study proposes (i) a methodology that automatically extracts and processes candidate cadastral boundary features from UAV data, and (ii) a procedure for a subsequent interactive delineation. Part (i) consists of two state-of-the-art computer vision methods, namely gPb contour detection and SLIC superpixels, as well as a classification part assigning costs to each outline according to local boundary knowledge. Part (ii) allows a user-guided delineation by calculating least-cost paths along previously extracted and weighted lines. The approach is tested on visible road outlines in two UAV datasets from Germany. Results show that all roads can be delineated comprehensively. Compared to manual delineation, the number of clicks per 100 m is reduced by up to 86 %, while obtaining a similar localization quality. The approach shows promising results to reduce the effort of manual delineation that is currently employed for indirect (cadastral) surveying.

3D Groundwater flow model at the Upper Rhine Graben scale to delineate preferential target areas for geothermal projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armandine Les Landes, Antoine; Guillon, Théophile; Peter-Borie, Mariane; Rachez, Xavier

2017-04-01

Any deep unconventional geothermal project remains risky because of the uncertainty regarding the presence of the geothermal resource at depth and the drilling costs increasing accordingly. That's why this resource must be located as precisely as possible to increase the chances of successful projects and their economic viability. To minimize the risk, as much information as possible should be gathered prior to any drilling. Usually, the position of the exploration wells of geothermal energy systems is chosen based on structural geology observations, geophysics measurements and geochemical analyses. Confronting these observations to results from additional disciplines should bring more objectivity in locating the region to explore and where to implant the geothermal system. The Upper Rhine Graben (URG) is a tectonically active rift system that corresponds to one branch of the European Cenozoic Rift System where the basin hosts a significant potential for geothermal energy. The large fault network inherited from a complex tectonic history and settled under the sedimentary deposits hosts fluid circulation patterns. Geothermal anomalies are strongly influenced by fluid circulations within permeable structures such as fault zones. In order to better predict the location of the geothermal resource, it is necessary to understand how it is influenced by heat transport mechanisms such as groundwater flow. The understanding of fluid circulation in hot fractured media at large scale can help in the identification of preferential zones at a finer scale where additional exploration can be carried out. Numerical simulations is a useful tool to deal with the issue of fluid circulations through large fault networks that enable the uplift of deep and hot fluids. Therefore, we build a numerical model to study groundwater flow at the URG scale (150 x 130km), which aims to delineate preferential zones. The numerical model is based on a hybrid method using a Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) and 3D elements to simulate groundwater flow in the 3D regional fault network and in sedimentary deposits, respectively. Firstly, the geometry of the 3D fracture network and its hydraulic connections with 3D elements (sedimentary cover) is built in accordance with the tectonic history and based on geological and geophysical evidences. Secondly, data from previous studies and site-specific geological knowledge provide information on the fault zones family sets and on respective hydraulic properties. Then, from the simulated 3D groundwater flow model and based on a particle tracking methodology, groundwater flow paths are constructed. The regional groundwater flow paths results are extracted and analysed to delineate preferential zones to explore at finer scale and so to define the potential positions of the exploration wells. This work is conducted in the framework of the IMAGE project (Integrated Methods for Advanced Geothermal Exploration, grant agreement No. 608553), which aims to develop new methods for better siting of exploitation wells.

Distinct Brain Systems Underlie the Processing of Valence and Arousal of Affective Pictures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielen, M. M. A.; Heslenfeld, D. J.; Heinen, K.; Van Strien, J. W.; Witter, M. P.; Jonker, C.; Veltman, D. J.

2009-01-01

Valence and arousal are thought to be the primary dimensions of human emotion. However, the degree to which valence and arousal interact in determining brain responses to emotional pictures is still elusive. This functional MRI study aimed to delineate neural systems responding to valence and arousal, and their interaction. We measured neural…

Delineation of the primary tumour Clinical Target Volumes (CTV-P) in laryngeal, hypopharyngeal, oropharyngeal and oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: AIRO, CACA, DAHANCA, EORTC, GEORCC, GORTEC, HKNPCSG, HNCIG, IAG-KHT, LPRHHT, NCIC CTG, NCRI, NRG Oncology, PHNS, SBRT, SOMERA, SRO, SSHNO, TROG consensus guidelines.

PubMed

Grégoire, Vincent; Evans, Mererid; Le, Quynh-Thu; Bourhis, Jean; Budach, Volker; Chen, Amy; Eisbruch, Abraham; Feng, Mei; Giralt, Jordi; Gupta, Tejpal; Hamoir, Marc; Helito, Juliana K; Hu, Chaosu; Hunter, Keith; Johansen, Jorgen; Kaanders, Johannes; Laskar, Sarbani Ghosh; Lee, Anne; Maingon, Philippe; Mäkitie, Antti; Micciche', Francesco; Nicolai, Piero; O'Sullivan, Brian; Poitevin, Adela; Porceddu, Sandro; Składowski, Krzysztof; Tribius, Silke; Waldron, John; Wee, Joseph; Yao, Min; Yom, Sue S; Zimmermann, Frank; Grau, Cai

2018-01-01

Few studies have reported large inter-observer variations in target volume selection and delineation in patients treated with radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Consensus guidelines have been published for the neck nodes (see Grégoire et al., 2003, 2014), but such recommendations are lacking for primary tumour delineation. For the latter, two main schools of thoughts are prevailing, one based on geometric expansion of the Gross Tumour Volume (GTV) as promoted by DAHANCA, and the other one based on anatomical expansion of the GTV using compartmentalization of head and neck anatomy. For each anatomic location within the larynx, hypopharynx, oropharynx and oral cavity, and for each T-stage, the DAHANCA proposal has been comprehensively reviewed and edited to include anatomic knowledge into the geometric Clinical Target Volume (CTV) delineation concept. A first proposal was put forward by the leading authors of this publication (VG and CG) and discussed with opinion leaders in head and neck radiation oncology from Europe, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, North America and South America to reach a worldwide consensus. This consensus proposes two CTVs for the primary tumour, the so called CTV-P1 and CVT-P2, corresponding to a high and lower tumour burden, and which should be associated with a high and a lower dose prescription, respectively. Implementation of these guidelines in the daily practice of radiation oncology should contribute to reduce treatment variations from clinicians to clinicians, facilitate the conduct of multi-institutional clinical trials, and contribute to improved care of patients with head and neck carcinoma. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

FDG-PET/CT imaging for tumor staging and definition of tumor volumes in radiation treatment planning in non-small cell lung cancer.

PubMed

Zheng, Yuanda; Sun, Xiaojiang; Wang, Jian; Zhang, Lingnan; DI, Xiaoyun; Xu, Yaping

2014-04-01

18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has the potential to improve the staging and radiation treatment (RT) planning of various tumor sites. However, from a clinical standpoint, questions remain with regard to what extent PET/CT changes the target volume and whether PET/CT reduces interobserver variability in target volume delineation. The present study analyzed the use of FDG-PET/CT images for staging and evaluated the impact of FDG-PET/CT on the radiotherapy volume delineation compared with CT in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who were candidates for radiotherapy. Intraobserver variation in delineating tumor volumes was also observed. In total, 23 patients with stage I-III NSCLC were enrolled and treated with fractionated RT-based therapy with or without chemotherapy. FDG-PET/CT scans were acquired within two weeks prior to RT. PET and CT data sets were sent to the treatment planning system, Pinnacle, through compact discs. The CT and PET images were subsequently fused by means of a dedicated RT planning system. Gross tumor volume (GTV) was contoured by four radiation oncologists on CT (GTV-CT) and PET/CT images (GTV-PET/CT). The resulting volumes were analyzed and compared. For the first phase, two radiation oncologists outlined the contours together, achieving a final consensus. Based on PET/CT, changes in tumor-node-metastasis categories occurred in 8/23 cases (35%). Radiation targeting with fused FDG-PET and CT images resulted in alterations in radiation therapy planning in 12/20 patients (60%) in comparison with CT targeting. The most prominent changes in GTV were observed in cases with atelectasis. For the second phase, the variation in delineating tumor volumes was assessed by four observers. The mean ratio of largest to smallest CT-based GTV was 2.31 (range, 1.01-5.96). The addition of the PET results reduced the mean ratio to 1.46 (range, 1.02-2.27). PET/CT fusion images may have a potential impact on tumor staging and treatment planning. Implementing matched PET/CT results reduced observer variation in delineating tumor volumes significantly with respect to CT only.

Seven Strategies for Improving the Quality and Efficiency of the Education System. Notes, Comments... No. 192 = Sept strategies visant a ameliorer la qualite et l'efficacite du systeme d'education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schiefelbein, Ernesto

Seven strategies for improving the quality and efficiency of educational system in Latin American are delineated within the context of background information on the coverage and efficiency of school systems from 1970 to 1980, technical and institutional limitations to educational progress, and an estimate of the impact of the strategies.…

Solar energy collection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Selcuk, M. K. (Inventor)

1977-01-01

An improved solar energy collection system, having enhanced energy collection and conversion capabilities, is delineated. The system is characterized by a plurality of receivers suspended above a heliostat field comprising a multiplicity of reflector surfaces, each being adapted to direct a concentrated beam of solar energy to illuminate a target surface for a given receiver. A magnitude of efficiency, suitable for effectively competing with systems employed in collecting and converting energy extracted from fossil fuels, is indicated.

Vertical Cable Seismic (VCS) Survey for SMS exploration in Izena Cauldron, Okinawa-Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asakawa, Eiichi; Murakami, Fumitoshi; Tsukahara, Hitoshi; Mizohata, Shigeharu; Tara, Kenji

2015-04-01

In 2014, the Japanese government started the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP), which includes 'New-generation Offshore Exploration Techniques' as an area of interest. We proposed the Vertical Cable Seismic (VCS) survey technique for this program, especially for the exploration of Seafloor Massive Sulfides (SMS). VCS is a reflection seismic method that uses hydrophone arrays vertically moored from the seafloor to record acoustic waves generated by various acoustic sources. This method is useful to delineate detailed structures in a spatially-limited area below the seabed in the deep sea where conventional surface seismic is not effective. We have been developing an autonomous VCS system with the financial support of the Japanese government since 2009. We have carried out several VCS surveys and completed our VCS system. Izena Cauldron, Okinawa Trough is one of the most promising SMS areas around Japan. There are two high potential areas, the north and south mound. We carried out the first VCS survey around the north mound in 2011 and the second survey around the south mound in 2013 respectively. The first VCS survey in Izena Cauldron was carried out using a GI gun in September, 2011, with the objective of surveying the large-scale and deeper structure of the hydrothermal system. The water depth was 1,500-1,600m. Four VCS systems were deployed. The shooting lines covered an area of 9 km x 9 km with a shooting interval of about 25m and line spacing of 200m to 400m. In the second survey, we used a high-voltage sparker. The objective is to explore very shallow parts to delineate very thin SMS deposits. The survey area was about 4 km x 4km with a 12.5 m shooting interval and 100m to 200m line spacing. Three VCS systems were deployed in this survey. The result of the first GI gun VCS survey was a 3D PSDM volume of the subsurface structure. It extends 2,000m horizontally and down to 1,500m in depth. Further, by re-processing the data with a higher resolution to focus the very shallow parts, we found that this survey has enough potential to delineate the SMS deposits itself. In the second high-voltage sparker VCS survey we obtained high resolution field records and a very high resolution 3D volume down to 150m over an area of 400m x 200m. These results successfully delineated sub-seabed structures that suggest the existence of reflections about 30m beneath the seabed. This suggests the top interface of a buried SMS deposit. The detailed results of the both surveys are consistent with the information from a well drilled in the Izena Cauldron by JOGMEC These VCS survey results provide us useful SMS exploration information, and demonstrate that VCS is a suitable reflection seismic method to obtain high resolution 3D volumes just below the seabed. We consider our VCS system to have high potential to delineate SMS structures. The system will continue to be developed as part of the SIP project, along with other geophysical exploration techniques such as EM, magnetic and gravity.

Function in the Human Connectome: Task-fMRI and Individual Differences in Behavior

PubMed Central

Barch, Deanna M.; Burgess, Gregory C.; Harms, Michael P.; Petersen, Steven E.; Schlaggar, Bradley L.; Corbetta, Maurizio; Glasser, Matthew F.; Curtiss, Sandra; Dixit, Sachin; Feldt, Cindy; Nolan, Dan; Bryant, Edward; Hartley, Tucker; Footer, Owen; Bjork, James M.; Poldrack, Russ; Smith, Steve; Johansen-Berg, Heidi; Snyder, Abraham Z.; Van Essen, David C.

2014-01-01

The primary goal of the Human Connectome Project (HCP) is to delineate the typical patterns of structural and functional connectivity in the healthy adult human brain. However, we know that there are important individual differences in such patterns of connectivity, with evidence that this variability is associated with alterations in important cognitive and behavioral variables that affect real world function. The HCP data will be a critical stepping-off point for future studies that will examine how variation in human structural and functional connectivity play a role in adult and pediatric neurological and psychiatric disorders that account for a huge amount of public health resources. Thus, the HCP is collecting behavioral measures of a range of motor, sensory, cognitive and emotional processes that will delineate a core set of functions relevant to understanding the relationship between brain connectivity and human behavior. In addition, the HCP is using task-fMRI (tfMRI) to help delineate the relationships between individual differences in the neurobiological substrates of mental processing and both functional and structural connectivity, as well as to help characterize and validate the connectivity analyses to be conducted on the structural and functional connectivity data. This paper describes the logic and rationale behind the development of the behavioral, individual difference, and tfMRI batteries and provides preliminary data on the patterns of activation associated with each of the fMRI tasks, at both a group and individual level. PMID:23684877

Genetic delineation between and within the widespread coccolithophore morpho-species Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa oceanica (Haptophyta).

PubMed

Bendif, El Mahdi; Probert, Ian; Carmichael, Margaux; Romac, Sarah; Hagino, Kyoko; de Vargas, Colomban

2014-02-01

Emiliania huxleyi and Gephyrocapsa oceanica are abundant coccolithophore morpho-species that play key roles in ocean carbon cycling due to their importance as both primary producers and cal-cifiers. Global change processes such as ocean acidification impact these key calcifying species. The physiology of E. huxleyi, a developing model species, has been widely studied, but its genetic delineation from G. oceanica remains unclear due to a lack of resolution in classical genetic markers. Using nuclear (18S rDNA and 28S rDNA), mitochondrial (cox1, cox2, cox3, rpl16, and dam), and plastidial (16S rDNA, rbcL, tufA, and petA) DNA markers from 99 E. huxleyi and 44 G. oceanica strains, we conducted a multigene/multistrain survey to compare the suitability of different markers for resolving phylogenetic patterns within and between these two morpho-species. The nuclear genes tested did not provide sufficient resolution to discriminate between the two morpho-species that diverged only 291Kya. Typical patterns of incomplete lineage sorting were generated in phylogenetic analyses using plastidial genes. In contrast, full morpho-species delineation was achieved with mitochondrial markers and common intra-morpho-species phylogenetic patterns were observed despite differing rates of DNA substitution. Mitochondrial genes are thus promising barcodes for distinguishing these coccolithophore morpho-species, in particular in the context of environmental monitoring. © 2013 Phycological Society of America.

Experimental use of temporary traffic delineators : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1988-12-01

During construction, there is a safety need to provide highly visible channelizing delineation for temporary protection and direction of traffic. "Super Duck" Surface Mounted Delineator (SDR-328, Rounded) by Carsonite is marked to meet the safety nee...

California Groundwater Units

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Tyler D.; Belitz, Kenneth

2014-01-01

The California Groundwater Units dataset classifies and delineates areas within the State of California into one of three groundwater-based polygon units: (1) those areas previously defined as alluvial groundwater basins or subbasins, (2) highland areas that are adjacent to and topographically upgradient of groundwater basins, and (3) highland areas not associated with a groundwater basin, only a hydrogeologic province. In total, 938 Groundwater Units are represented. The Groundwater Units dataset relates existing groundwater basins with their newly delineated highland areas which can be used in subsequent hydrologic studies. The methods used to delineate groundwater-basin-associated highland areas are similar to those used to delineate a contributing area (such as for a lake or water body); the difference is that highland areas are constrained to the immediately surrounding upslope (upstream) area. Upslope basins have their own delineated highland. A geoprocessing tool was created to facilitate delineation of highland areas for groundwater basins and subbasins and is available for download.

A new approach to delineating lymph node target volumes for post-operative radiotherapy in gastric cancer: A phase II trial.

PubMed

Haijun, Yu; Qiuji, Wu; Zhenming, Fu; Yong, Huang; Zhengkai, Liao; Conghua, Xie; Yunfeng, Zhou; Yahua, Zhong

2015-08-01

In the context of gastric cancer, lymph node target volume delineation for post-operative radiotherapy is currently built on the traditional system of dividing the stomach and 2-D treatment methods. Here, we have proposed a new delineation approach with irradiation indications for lymph node stations. Its safety and efficacy were evaluated in a phase II clinical trial. Fifty-four gastric cancer patients with D2 lymph node dissection received 2 cycles of FOLFOX4. They subsequently received concurrent chemoradiotherapy (45 Gy at 1.8 Gy per fraction, 5 fractions per week for 5 weeks) with a 5-fluorouracil/leucovorin regimen, followed by 4 additional FOLFOX4 cycles. The target volume included the remnant stomach, anastomosis site, tumor bed, and regional lymph nodes selected through our new approach by taking gastric arteries as references. The most common grade 3-4 adverse event was neutropenia (14.8%). Neutropenia, anemia, and nausea were common grade 1-2 toxicities. No treatment-related deaths occurred during treatment. The 3-year overall, disease-free, and locoregional recurrence-free survival rates were 81.6%, 70.2%, and 91.1%, respectively. Eight patients developed peritoneal or distant metastases. Using our new approach and irradiation indications, delineation of the target volume of post-operative lymph node stations was feasible and well tolerated after D2 resection in patients with gastric cancer. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Delineation of the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley groundwater basin, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fenelon, Joseph M.; Halford, Keith J.; Moreo, Michael T.

2016-01-22

This report delineates the Pahute Mesa–Oasis Valley (PMOV) groundwater basin, where recharge occurs, moves downgradient, and discharges to Oasis Valley, Nevada. About 5,900 acre-feet of water discharges annually from Oasis Valley, an area of springs and seeps near the town of Beatty in southern Nevada. Radionuclides in groundwater beneath Pahute Mesa, an area of historical underground nuclear testing at the Nevada National Security Site, are believed to be migrating toward Oasis Valley. Delineating the boundary of the PMOV groundwater basin is necessary to adequately assess the potential for transport of radionuclides from Pahute Mesa to Oasis Valley.The PMOV contributing area is defined based on regional water-level contours, geologic controls, and knowledge of adjacent flow systems. The viability of this area as the contributing area to Oasis Valley and the absence of significant interbasin flow between the PMOV groundwater basin and adjacent basins are shown regionally and locally. Regional constraints on the location of the contributing area boundary and on the absence of interbasin groundwater flow are shown by balancing groundwater discharges in the PMOV groundwater basin and adjacent basins against available water from precipitation. Internal consistency for the delineated contributing area is shown by matching measured water levels, groundwater discharges, and transmissivities with simulated results from a single-layer, steady-state, groundwater-flow model. An alternative basin boundary extending farther north than the final boundary was rejected based on a poor chloride mass balance and a large imbalance in the northern area between preferred and simulated recharge.

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

Schooneveldt, G.; Kok, H.P.; Bakker, A.

Purpose: Hyperthermia combined with Mitomycin C is used for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), using a phased array system of microwave antennas for bladder heating. Often some air is present in the bladder, which effectively blocks the microwave radiation, potentially preventing proper treatment of that part of the bladder. Air can be a relevant fraction of the bladder content and large air pockets are expected to have a noticeable influence on achieved temperatures. Methods: We analysed 14 NMIBC patients treated at our institute with our AMC-4 hyperthermia device with four 70MHz antennas around the pelvis. A CTmore » scan was made after treatment and a physician delineated the bladder on the CT scan. On the same scan, the amount of air present in the bladder was delineated. Using our in-house developed hyperthermia treatment planning system, we simulated the treatment using the clinically applied device settings. We did this once with the air pocket delineated on the CT scan, and once with the same volume filled with bladder tissue. Results: The patients had on average 4.2ml (range 0.8–10.1ml) air in the bladder. The bladder volume was delineated by the physician, that is including air pocket and bladder wall, was on average 253ml (range 93–452ml). The average volume in which changes exceeded 0.25°C was 22ml (range 0–108 ml), with the bladder being up to 2°C cooler when an air pocket was present. Except for extreme cases, there was no evident relation between the quantity of air and the difference in temperature. Conclusion: The effect of an air pocket in the bladder during bladder hyperthermia treatment varies strongly between patients. Generally, this leads to lower temperatures in the bladder, potentially affecting treatment quality, and suggesting that care need be taken to minimise the size of air pockets during hyperthermia treatments. The KWF Dutch Cancer Society financially supported this work, grant UVA 2012-5539.« less

Delineation systems for temporary traffic barriers in work zones.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-01-01

Providing for the safety of traffic traversing construction and maintenance work zones is becoming increasingly complex, and over the past several years, temporary concrete barriers have come into use as a means of protecting work crews as well as mo...

Lighted guidance tube evaluation : final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-08-01

This report summarizes the evaluation of the Lighted Guidance Tube (LGT), a 3M product used to delineate a temporary detour curve section on the Eddyville-Cline Hill Section construction project. The 3M LGT system can reduce accidents on highway curv...

3. PLANT 3 FLOWLINE DEPARTING PLANT 2. THIS SECTION OF ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. PLANT 3 FLOWLINE DEPARTING PLANT 2. THIS SECTION OF FLOWLINE WAS THE LAST REMAINING OF WOOD-STAVE CONSTRUCTION. ICE ON FLOWLINE DELINEATES LEAKS. VIEW TO SOUTH. - Bishop Creek Hydroelectric System, Plant 2, Bishop Creek, Bishop, Inyo County, CA

TU-H-CAMPUS-JeP2-02: Interobserver Variability of CT, PET-CT and MRI Based Primary Tumor Delineation for Lung Cancer

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

Karki, K; Hugo, G; Saraiya, S

Purpose: Target delineation in lung cancer radiotherapy has, in general, large variability. MRI has so far not been investigated in detail for lung cancer delineation variability. The purpose of this study is to investigate delineation variability for lung tumors using MRI and compare it to CT alone and PET-CT based delineations. Methods: Seven physicians delineated the primary tumor volumes of nine patients for the following scenarios: (1) CT only; (2) post-contrast T1-weighted MRI registered with diffusion-weighted MRI; and (3) PET-CT fusion images. To compute interobserver variability, the median surface was generated from all observers’ contours and used as the referencemore » surface. A single physician labeled the interface types (tumor to lung, atelectasis (collapsed lung), hilum, mediastinum, or chest-wall) on the median surface. Volume variation (normalized to PET-CT volume), minimum distance (MD), and bidirectional local distance (BLD) between individual observers’ contours and the reference contour were measured. Results: CT- and MRI-based normalized volumes were 1.61±0.76 (mean±SD) and 1.38±0.44, respectively, both significantly larger than PET-CT (p<0.05, paired t-test). The overall uncertainty (root mean square of SD values over all points) of both BLD and MD measures of the observers for the interfaces were not significantly different (p>0.05, two-samples t-test) for all imaging modalities except between tumor-mediastinum and tumor-atelectasis in PET-CT. The largest mean overall uncertainty was observed for tumor-atelectasis interface, the smallest for tumor-mediastinum and tumor-lung interfaces for all modalities. The whole tumor uncertainties for both BLD and MD were not significantly different between any two modalities (p>0.05, paired t-test). Overall uncertainties for the interfaces using BLD were similar to using MD. Conclusion: Large volume variations were observed between the three imaging modalities. Contouring variability appeared to depend on the interface type. This study will be useful for understanding the delineation uncertainty for radiotherapy planning of lung cancer using different imaging modalities. Disclosures: Research agreement with Phillips Healthcare (GH and EW), National Institutes of Health Licensing agreement with Varian Medical Systems (GH and EW), research grants from the National Institute of Health (GH and EW), UpToDate royalties (EW), and none (others). Authors have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.« less

Geodatabase of sites, basin boundaries, and topology rules used to store drainage basin boundaries for the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Water Science Center

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dupree, Jean A.; Crowfoot, Richard M.

2012-01-01

This geodatabase and its component datasets are part of U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series 650 and were generated to store basin boundaries for U.S. Geological Survey streamgages and other sites in Colorado. The geodatabase and its components were created by the U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Water Science Center, and are used to derive the numeric drainage areas for Colorado that are input into the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System (NWIS) database and also published in the Annual Water Data Report and on NWISWeb. The foundational dataset used to create the basin boundaries in this geodatabase was the National Watershed Boundary Dataset. This geodatabase accompanies a U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods report (Book 11, Section C, Chapter 6) entitled "Digital Database Architecture and Delineation Methodology for Deriving Drainage Basins, and Comparison of Digitally and Non-Digitally Derived Numeric Drainage Areas." The Techniques and Methods report details the geodatabase architecture, describes the delineation methodology and workflows used to develop these basin boundaries, and compares digitally derived numeric drainage areas in this geodatabase to non-digitally derived areas. 1. COBasins.gdb: This geodatabase contains site locations and basin boundaries for Colorado. It includes a single feature dataset, called BasinsFD, which groups the component feature classes and topology rules. 2. BasinsFD: This feature dataset in the "COBasins.gdb" geodatabase is a digital container that holds the feature classes used to archive site locations and basin boundaries as well as the topology rules that govern spatial relations within and among component feature classes. This feature dataset includes three feature classes: the sites for which basins have been delineated (the "Sites" feature class), basin bounding lines (the "BasinLines" feature class), and polygonal basin areas (the "BasinPolys" feature class). The feature dataset also stores the topology rules (the "BasinsFD_Topology") that constrain the relations within and among component feature classes. The feature dataset also forces any feature classes inside it to have a consistent projection system, which is, in this case, an Albers-Equal-Area projection system. 3. BasinsFD_Topology: This topology contains four persistent topology rules that constrain the spatial relations within the "BasinLines" feature class and between the "BasinLines" feature class and the "BasinPolys" feature classes. 4. Sites: This point feature class contains the digital representations of the site locations for which Colorado Water Science Center basin boundaries have been delineated. This feature class includes point locations for Colorado Water Science Center active (as of September 30, 2009) gages and for other sites. 5. BasinLines: This line feature class contains the perimeters of basins delineated for features in the "Sites" feature class, and it also contains information regarding the sources of lines used for the basin boundaries. 6. BasinPolys: This polygon feature class contains the polygonal basin areas delineated for features in the "Sites" feature class, and it is used to derive the numeric drainage areas published by the Colorado Water Science Center.

Differences in delineation guidelines for head and neck cancer result in inconsistent reported dose and corresponding NTCP.

PubMed

Brouwer, Charlotte L; Steenbakkers, Roel J H M; Gort, Elske; Kamphuis, Marije E; van der Laan, Hans Paul; Van't Veld, Aart A; Sijtsema, Nanna M; Langendijk, Johannes A

2014-04-01

To test the hypothesis that delineation of swallowing organs at risk (SWOARs) based on different guidelines results in differences in dose-volume parameters and subsequent normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) values for dysphagia-related endpoints. Nine different SWOARs were delineated according to five different delineation guidelines in 29 patients. Reference delineation was performed according to the guidelines and NTCP-models of Christianen et al. Concordance Index (CI), dosimetric consequences, as well as differences in the subsequent NTCPs were calculated. The median CI of the different delineation guidelines with the reference guidelines was 0.54 for the pharyngeal constrictor muscles, 0.56 for the laryngeal structures and 0.07 for the cricopharyngeal muscle and esophageal inlet muscle. The average difference in mean dose to the SWOARs between the guidelines with the largest difference (maxΔD) was 3.5±3.2Gy. A mean ΔNTCP of 2.3±2.7% was found. For two patients, ΔNTCP exceeded 10%. The majority of the patients showed little differences in NTCPs between the different delineation guidelines. However, large NTCP differences >10% were found in 7% of the patients. For correct use of NTCP models in individual patients, uniform delineation guidelines are of great importance. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Slic Superpixels for Object Delineation from Uav Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crommelinck, S.; Bennett, R.; Gerke, M.; Koeva, M. N.; Yang, M. Y.; Vosselman, G.

2017-08-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are increasingly investigated with regard to their potential to create and update (cadastral) maps. UAVs provide a flexible and low-cost platform for high-resolution data, from which object outlines can be accurately delineated. This delineation could be automated with image analysis methods to improve existing mapping procedures that are cost, time and labor intensive and of little reproducibility. This study investigates a superpixel approach, namely simple linear iterative clustering (SLIC), in terms of its applicability to UAV data. The approach is investigated in terms of its applicability to high-resolution UAV orthoimages and in terms of its ability to delineate object outlines of roads and roofs. Results show that the approach is applicable to UAV orthoimages of 0.05 m GSD and extents of 100 million and 400 million pixels. Further, the approach delineates the objects with the high accuracy provided by the UAV orthoimages at completeness rates of up to 64 %. The approach is not suitable as a standalone approach for object delineation. However, it shows high potential for a combination with further methods that delineate objects at higher correctness rates in exchange of a lower localization quality. This study provides a basis for future work that will focus on the incorporation of multiple methods for an interactive, comprehensive and accurate object delineation from UAV data. This aims to support numerous application fields such as topographic and cadastral mapping.

Improved business driveway delineation in urban work zones.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-04-01

This report documents the efforts and results of a two-year research project aimed at improving driveway : delineation in work zones. The first year of the project included a closed-course study to identify the most : promising driveway delineation a...

Colony image acquisition and segmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W. X.

2007-12-01

For counting of both colonies and plaques, there is a large number of applications including food, dairy, beverages, hygiene, environmental monitoring, water, toxicology, sterility testing, AMES testing, pharmaceuticals, paints, sterile fluids and fungal contamination. Recently, many researchers and developers have made efforts for this kind of systems. By investigation, some existing systems have some problems. The main problems are image acquisition and image segmentation. In order to acquire colony images with good quality, an illumination box was constructed as: the box includes front lightning and back lightning, which can be selected by users based on properties of colony dishes. With the illumination box, lightning can be uniform; colony dish can be put in the same place every time, which make image processing easy. The developed colony image segmentation algorithm consists of the sub-algorithms: (1) image classification; (2) image processing; and (3) colony delineation. The colony delineation algorithm main contain: the procedures based on grey level similarity, on boundary tracing, on shape information and colony excluding. In addition, a number of algorithms are developed for colony analysis. The system has been tested and satisfactory.

23 CFR 972.212 - Federal lands safety management system (SMS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... as signs, delineators, and guardrails (including terminals); (iii) Traffic information including...-rail crossing warning devices, signs, highway elements, and operational features where appropriate; and...., data collection, analyses, and standards) for low volume roads may be tailored to be consistent with...

23 CFR 972.212 - Federal lands safety management system (SMS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... as signs, delineators, and guardrails (including terminals); (iii) Traffic information including...-rail crossing warning devices, signs, highway elements, and operational features where appropriate; and...., data collection, analyses, and standards) for low volume roads may be tailored to be consistent with...

23 CFR 972.212 - Federal lands safety management system (SMS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... as signs, delineators, and guardrails (including terminals); (iii) Traffic information including...-rail crossing warning devices, signs, highway elements, and operational features where appropriate; and...., data collection, analyses, and standards) for low volume roads may be tailored to be consistent with...

23 CFR 972.212 - Federal lands safety management system (SMS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... as signs, delineators, and guardrails (including terminals); (iii) Traffic information including...-rail crossing warning devices, signs, highway elements, and operational features where appropriate; and...., data collection, analyses, and standards) for low volume roads may be tailored to be consistent with...

EPA MODELING TOOLS FOR CAPTURE ZONE DELINEATION

EPA Science Inventory

The EPA Office of Research and Development supports a step-wise modeling approach for design of wellhead protection areas for water supply wells. A web-based WellHEDSS (wellhead decision support system) is under development for determining when simple capture zones (e.g., centri...

The Visual System's Intrinsic Bias and Knowledge of Size Mediate Perceived Size and Location in the Dark

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Liu; He, Zijiang J.; Ooi, Teng Leng

2013-01-01

Dimly lit targets in the dark are perceived as located about an implicit slanted surface that delineates the visual system's intrinsic bias (Ooi, Wu, & He, 2001). If the intrinsic bias reflects the internal model of visual space--as proposed here--its influence should extend beyond target localization. Our first 2 experiments demonstrated that…

Using Games-Based eLearning Technologies in Overcoming Difficulties in Teaching Information Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connolly, Thomas; Stanfield, Mark

2006-01-01

The contributions of this research center on two major areas: delineation of a new model of distance education in which the authors identify three generations of eLearning; and examination of how eLearning and games-based eLearning technologies can be used to enrich the Information Systems (IS) learning experiences of students with different…

Mineral separation and recycle in a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballou, E. V.

1982-01-01

The background of the mineral nutrition needs of plants are examined along with the applicability of mineral control and separation to a controlled ecological life support system (CELSS). Steps that may be taken in a program to analytically define and experimentally test key mineral control concepts in the nutritional and waste processing loops of a CELSS are delineated.

Reduction of observer variation using matched CT-PET for lung cancer delineation: A three-dimensional analysis

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

Steenbakkers, Roel; Duppen, Joop C.; Fitton, Isabelle

2006-02-01

Purpose: Target delineation using only CT information introduces large geometric uncertainties in radiotherapy for lung cancer. Therefore, a reduction of the delineation variability is needed. The impact of including a matched CT scan with 2-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and adaptation of the delineation protocol and software on target delineation in lung cancer was evaluated in an extensive multi-institutional setting and compared with the delineations using CT only. Methods and Materials: The study was separated into two phases. For the first phase, 11 radiation oncologists (observers) delineated the gross tumor volume (GTV), including the pathologic lymph nodes of 22more » lung cancer patients (Stages I-IIIB) on CT only. For the second phase (1 year later), the same radiation oncologists delineated the GTV of the same 22 patients on a matched CT-FDG-PET scan using an adapted delineation protocol and software (according to the results of the first phase). All delineated volumes were analyzed in detail. The observer variation was computed in three dimensions by measuring the distance between the median GTV surface and each individual GTV. The variation in distance of all radiation oncologists was expressed as a standard deviation. The observer variation was evaluated for anatomic regions (lung, mediastinum, chest wall, atelectasis, and lymph nodes) and interpretation regions (agreement and disagreement; i.e., >80% vs. <80% of the radiation oncologists delineated the same structure, respectively). All radiation oncologist-computer interactions were recorded and analyzed with a tool called 'Big Brother.' Results: The overall three-dimensional observer variation was reduced from 1.0 cm (SD) for the first phase (CT only) to 0.4 cm (SD) for the second phase (matched CT-FDG-PET). The largest reduction in the observer variation was seen in the atelectasis region (SD 1.9 cm reduced to 0.5 cm). The mean ratio between the common and encompassing volume was 0.17 and 0.29 for the first and second phases, respectively. For the first phase, the common volume was 0 in 4 patients (i.e., no common point for all GTVs). In the second phase, the common volume was always >0. For all anatomic regions, the interpretation differences among the radiation oncologists were reduced. The amount of disagreement was 45% and 18% for the first and second phase, respectively. Furthermore, the mean delineation time (12 vs. 16 min, p < 0.001) and mean number of corrections (25 vs. 39, p < 0.001) were reduced in the second phase compared with the first phase. Conclusion: For high-precision radiotherapy, the delineation of lung target volumes using only CT introduces too great a variability among radiation oncologists. Implementing matched CT-FDG-PET and adapted delineation protocol and software reduced observer variation in lung cancer delineation significantly with respect to CT only. However, the remaining observer variation was still large compared with other geometric uncertainties (setup variation and organ motion)« less

Radiation Planning Assistant - A Streamlined, Fully Automated Radiotherapy Treatment Planning System

PubMed Central

Court, Laurence E.; Kisling, Kelly; McCarroll, Rachel; Zhang, Lifei; Yang, Jinzhong; Simonds, Hannah; du Toit, Monique; Trauernicht, Chris; Burger, Hester; Parkes, Jeannette; Mejia, Mike; Bojador, Maureen; Balter, Peter; Branco, Daniela; Steinmann, Angela; Baltz, Garrett; Gay, Skylar; Anderson, Brian; Cardenas, Carlos; Jhingran, Anuja; Shaitelman, Simona; Bogler, Oliver; Schmeller, Kathleen; Followill, David; Howell, Rebecca; Nelson, Christopher; Peterson, Christine; Beadle, Beth

2018-01-01

The Radiation Planning Assistant (RPA) is a system developed for the fully automated creation of radiotherapy treatment plans, including volume-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans for patients with head/neck cancer and 4-field box plans for patients with cervical cancer. It is a combination of specially developed in-house software that uses an application programming interface to communicate with a commercial radiotherapy treatment planning system. It also interfaces with a commercial secondary dose verification software. The necessary inputs to the system are a Treatment Plan Order, approved by the radiation oncologist, and a simulation computed tomography (CT) image, approved by the radiographer. The RPA then generates a complete radiotherapy treatment plan. For the cervical cancer treatment plans, no additional user intervention is necessary until the plan is complete. For head/neck treatment plans, after the normal tissue and some of the target structures are automatically delineated on the CT image, the radiation oncologist must review the contours, making edits if necessary. They also delineate the gross tumor volume. The RPA then completes the treatment planning process, creating a VMAT plan. Finally, the completed plan must be reviewed by qualified clinical staff. PMID:29708544

Techniques for land use change detection using Landsat imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Angelici, G. L.; Bryant, N. A.; Friedman, S. Z.

1977-01-01

A variety of procedures were developed for the delineation of areas of land use change using Landsat Multispectral Scanner data and the generation of statistics revealing the nature of the changes involved (i.e., number of acres changed from rural to urban). Techniques of the Image Based Information System were utilized in all stages of the procedure, from logging the Landsat data and registering two frames of imagery, to extracting the changed areas and printing tabulations of land use change in acres. Two alternative methods of delineating land use change are presented while enumerating the steps of the entire process. The Houston, Texas urban area, and the Orlando, Florida urban area, are used as illustrative examples of various procedures.

Evaluating segmentation error without ground truth.

PubMed

Kohlberger, Timo; Singh, Vivek; Alvino, Chris; Bahlmann, Claus; Grady, Leo

2012-01-01

The automatic delineation of the boundaries of organs and other anatomical structures is a key component of many medical image processing systems. In this paper we present a generic learning approach based on a novel space of segmentation features, which can be trained to predict the overlap error and Dice coefficient of an arbitrary organ segmentation without knowing the ground truth delineation. We show the regressor to be much stronger a predictor of these error metrics than the responses of probabilistic boosting classifiers trained on the segmentation boundary. The presented approach not only allows us to build reliable confidence measures and fidelity checks, but also to rank several segmentation hypotheses against each other during online usage of the segmentation algorithm in clinical practice.

Near-census Delineation of Laterally Organized Geomorphic Zones and Associated Sub-width Fluvial Landforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pasternack, G. B.; Hopkins, C.

2017-12-01

A river channel and its associated riparian corridor exhibit a pattern of nested, geomorphically imprinted, lateral inundation zones (IZs). Each zone plays a key role in fluvial geomorphic processes and ecological functions. Within each zone, distinct landforms (aka geomorphic or morphological units, MUs) reside at the 0.1-10 channel width scale. These features are basic units linking river corridor morphology with local ecosystem services. Objective, automated delineation of nested inundation zones and morphological units remains a significant scientific challenge. This study describes and demonstrates new, objective methods for solving this problem, using the 35-km alluvial lower Yuba River as a testbed. A detrended, high-resolution digital elevation model constructed from near-census topographic and bathymetric data was produced and used in a hypsograph analysis, a commonly used method in oceanographic studies capable of identifying slope breaks at IZ transitions. Geomorphic interpretation mindful of the river's setting was required to properly describe each IZ identified by the hypsograph analysis. Then, a 2D hydrodynamic model was used to determine what flow yields the wetted area that most closely matches each IZ domain. The model also provided meter-scale rasters of depth and velocity useful for MU mapping. Even though MUs are discharge-independent landforms, they can be revealed by analyzing their overlying hydraulics at low flows. Baseflow depth and velocity rasters are used along with a hydraulic landform classification system to quantitatively delineate in-channel bed MU types. In-channel bar and off-channel flood and valley MUs are delineated using a combination of hydraulic and geomorphic indicators, such as depth and velocity rasters for different discharges, topographic contours, NAIP imagery, and a raster of vegetation. The ability to objectively delineate inundation zones and morphological units in tandem allows for better informed river management and restoration strategies as well as scientific studies about abiotic-biotic linkages.

Driver response to delineation treatments on horizontal curves on two-lane roads.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-05-01

The delineation of horizontal curves on two-lane rural roads is an important component of safety : improvements to reduce run-off-road and head-on crashes. This project assessed four types of vertical : delineation in conjunction with edgeline markin...

Installation Restoration Program Phase 2 - Confirmation/Quantification Stage 1 for Air Force Plant PJKS, Waterton, Colorado. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-10-06

surface geophyjcal sur’.-y using electrical recistivity and magnetometer to delineate the buried -renche , to prove the e zist nc./ae~ neme. of b~r...Department of Energy’s garbage-to-gas proof of concept facility at Pompano Beach, Florida. As Co-investigator conducting Bacterial and Trace Organic...advised the bacteri - ological analyst on techniques for identification and quantitation of environmentally important bacteria. 1984-1985 Chem-Technics, Inc

Installation Restoration Program. Phase II. Problem Confirmation and Quantification Study, Griffiss Air Force Base, Rome, New York.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-12-01

Base 6-26 17 Confirmation Stage Soil PCB Data, Building 112, Griffiss Air Force Base 6-27 18 Analysis of Roof and Oil Samples Building 112, Griffiss...Chlordane Application 46 52 (14) Drywell, Building 219 46 36 (14) PCB Spill at Floyd 46 47 17 Hazardous Waste Storage Area, Lot 69 38 47 18 Waste Oil ...specific anions, oil and grease, pH, and specific conductance. * Prepare a field investigations report delineating the nature and magnitude of

Simulation of semi-arid hydrological processes at different spatial resolutions using the AgroEcoSystem-Watershed (AgES-W) model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, T. R.; Erksine, R. H.; David, O.; Ascough, J. C., II; Kipka, H.; Lloyd, W. J.; McMaster, G. S.

2015-12-01

Water movement and storage within a watershed may be simulated at different spatial resolutions of land areas or hydrological response units (HRUs). Here, effects of HRU size on simulated soil water and surface runoff are tested using the AgroEcoSystem-Watershed (AgES-W) model with three different resolutions of HRUs. We studied a 56-ha agricultural watershed in northern Colorado, USA farmed primarily under a wheat-fallow rotation. The delineation algorithm was based upon topography (surface flow paths), land use (crop management strips and native grass), and mapped soil units (three types), which produced HRUs that follow the land use and soil boundaries. AgES-W model parameters that control surface and subsurface hydrology were calibrated using simulated daily soil moisture at different landscape positions and depths where soil moisture was measured hourly and averaged up to daily values. Parameter sets were both uniform and spatially variable with depth and across the watershed (5 different calibration approaches). Although forward simulations were computationally efficient (less than 1 minute each), each calibration required thousands of model runs. Execution of such large jobs was facilitated by using the Object Modeling System with the Cloud Services Innovation Platform to manage four virtual machines on a commercial web service configured with a total of 64 computational cores and 120 GB of memory. Results show how spatially distributed and averaged soil moisture and runoff at the outlet vary with different HRU delineations. The results will help guide HRU delineation, spatial resolution and parameter estimation methods for improved hydrological simulations in this and other semi-arid agricultural watersheds.

Imaging and characterizing root systems using electrical impedance tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kemna, A.; Weigand, M.; Kelter, M.; Pfeifer, J.; Zimmermann, E.; Walter, A.

2011-12-01

Root architecture, growth, and activity play an essential role regarding the nutrient uptake of roots in soils. While in recent years advances could be achieved concerning the modeling of root systems, measurement methods capable of imaging, characterizing, and monitoring root structure and dynamics in a non-destructive manner are still lacking, in particular at the field scale. We here propose electrical impedance tomography (EIT) for the imaging of root systems. The approach takes advantage of the low-frequency capacitive electrical properties of the soil-root interface and the root tissue. These properties are based on the induced migration of ions in an externally applied electric field and give rise to characteristic impedance spectra which can be measured by means of electrical impedance spectroscopy. The latter technique was already successfully applied in the 10 Hz to 1 MHz range by Ozier-Lafontaine and Bajazet (2005) to monitor root growth of tomato. We here apply the method in the 1 mHz to 45 kHz range, requiring four-electrode measurements, and demonstrate its implementation and potential in an imaging framework. Images of real and imaginary components of complex electrical conductivity are computed using a finite-element based inversion algorithm with smoothness-constraint regularization. Results from laboratory measurements on rhizotrons with different root systems (barley, rape) show that images of imaginary conductivity delineate the spatial extent of the root system under investigation, while images of real conductivity show a less clear response. As confirmed by numerical simulations, the latter could be explained by the partly compensating electrical conduction properties of epidermis (resistive) and inner root cells (conductive), indicating the limitations of conventional electrical resistivity tomography. The captured spectral behavior exhibits two distinct relaxation processes with Cole-Cole type signatures, which we interpret as the responses of the soil-root interface (phase peak in the range of 10 Hz) and the root tissue (phase peak above 10 kHz). Importantly, our measurements prove an almost linear relationship between root mass and the electrical polarizability associated with the low-frequency relaxation, suggesting the potential of the method to quantify root structural parameters. In future studies we will in particular investigate a hypothesized relationship between time constant and effective root radius. Based on our results, we believe that spectral EIT, by combining the spatial resolution benefits of a tomographic method with the diagnostic capability of spectroscopy, can be developed into a valuable tool for imaging, characterizing, and monitoring root systems both at laboratory and field scales.

MRI target delineation may reduce long-term toxicity after prostate radiotherapy.

PubMed

Sander, Lotte; Langkilde, Niels Christian; Holmberg, Mats; Carl, Jesper

2014-06-01

Aiming for minimal toxicity after radical prostate cancer (PC) radiotherapy (RT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) target delineation could be a possible benefit knowing that clinical target volumes (CTV) are up to 30% smaller, when CTV delineation on MRI is compared to standard computed tomography (CT). This study compares long-term toxicity using CT or MRI delineation before PC RT. Urinary and rectal toxicity assessments 36 months after image-guided RT (78 Gy) using CTC-AE scores in two groups of PC patients. Peak symptom score values were registered. One group of patients (n=72) had standard CT target delineation and gold markers as fiducials. Another group of patients (n=73) had MRI target delineation and a nickel-titanium stent as fiducial. At 36 months no difference in overall survival (92% in both groups, p=0.29) or in PSA-relapse free survival was found between the groups (MRI=89% and CT=94%, p=0.67). A significantly smaller CTV was found in the MRI group (p=0.02). Urinary retention and frequency were significantly reduced in the MRI group (p=0.03 in the matter of both). The overall urinary and rectal toxicity did not differ between the two groups. MRI delineation leads to a significantly reduced CTV. Significantly lower urinary frequency and urinary retention toxicity scores were observed following MRI delineation. The study did not find significant differences in overall urinary or rectal toxicity between the two groups. PSA-relapse survival did not differ between the two groups at 36 months.

Comorbidity of Alcohol Use Disorder and Chronic Pain: Genetic Influences on Brain Reward and Stress Systems.

PubMed

Yeung, Ellen W; Craggs, Jason G; Gizer, Ian R

2017-11-01

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly comorbid with chronic pain (CP). Evidence has suggested that neuroadaptive processes characterized by reward deficit and stress surfeit are involved in the development of AUD and pain chronification. Neurological data suggest that shared genetic architecture associated with the reward and stress systems may contribute to the comorbidity of AUD and CP. This monograph first delineates the prevailing theories of the development of AUD and pain chronification focusing on the reward and stress systems. It then provides a brief summary of relevant neurological findings followed by an evaluation of evidence documented by molecular genetic studies. Candidate gene association studies have provided some initial support for the genetic overlap between AUD and CP; however, these results must be interpreted with caution until studies with sufficient statistical power are conducted and replications obtained. Genomewide association studies have suggested a number of genes (e.g., TBX19, HTR7, and ADRA1A) that are either directly or indirectly related to the reward and stress systems in the AUD and CP literature. Evidence reviewed in this monograph suggests that shared genetic liability underlying the comorbidity between AUD and CP, if present, is likely to be complex. As the advancement in molecular genetic methods continues, future studies may show broader central nervous system involvement in AUD-CP comorbidity. Copyright © 2017 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Hydrogeologic Setting, Ground-Water Flow, and Ground-Water Quality at the Langtree Peninsula Research Station, Iredell County, North Carolina, 2000-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pippin, Charles G.; Chapman, Melinda J.; Huffman, Brad A.; Heller, Matthew J.; Schelgel, Melissa E.

2008-01-01

A 6-year intensive field study (2000-2005) of a complex, regolith-fractured bedrock ground-water system was conducted at the Langtree Peninsula research station on the Davidson College Lake Campus in Iredell County, North Carolina. This research station was constructed as part of the Piedmont and Mountains Resource Evaluation Program, a cooperative study being conducted by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey. Results of the study characterize the distinction and interaction of a two-component ground-water system in a quartz diorite rock type. The Langtree Peninsula research station includes 17 monitoring wells and 12 piezometers, including 2 well transects along high to low topographic settings, drilled into separate parts of the ground-water-flow system. The location of the research station is representative of a metaigneous intermediate (composition) regional hydrogeologic unit. The primary rock type is mafic quartz diorite that has steeply dipping foliation. Primary and secondary foliations are present in the quartz diorite at the site, and both have an average strike of about N. 12 degree E. and dip about 60 degree in opposite directions to the southeast (primary) and the northwest (secondary). This rock is cut by granitic dikes (intrusions) ranging in thickness from 2 to 50 feet and having an average strike of N. 20 degree W. and an average dip of 66 degree to the southwest. Depth to consolidated bedrock is considered moderate to deep, ranging from about 24 to 76 feet below land surface. The transition zone was delineated and described in each corehole near the well clusters but had a highly variable thickness ranging from about 1 to 20 feet. Thickness of the regolith (23 to 68 feet) and the transition zone do not appear to be related to topographic setting. Delineated bedrock fractures are dominantly low angle (possibly stress relief), which were observed to be open to partially open at depths of as much as 479 feet below land surface. Well yields ranged from about 3 to 50 gallons per minute. The connection of fracture zones at depth was demonstrated in three bedrock wells during a 48-hour aquifer test, and drawdown curves were similar for all three wells. General findings of this study help characterize ground-water flow in the Piedmont and Mountains ground-water systems. Ground-water flow generally is from high to low topographic settings. Ground-water flow discharges toward a surface-water boundary (Lake Norman), and vertical hydraulic gradients generally are downward in recharge areas and upward in discharge areas. Dominant water types are calcium-bicarbonate and are similar in all three zones (regolith, transition zone, and bedrock) of the ground-water system. Results of continuous ground-water-quality monitoring indicate that ground-water recharge may occur seasonally over a period of several months or after heavy rainfall periods over a shorter period of a few to several weeks.

The nature of the semantic/episodic memory distinction: A missing piece of the "working through" process.

PubMed

Klein, Stanley B; Markowitsch, Hans J

2015-01-01

The relations between the semantic and episodic-autobiographical memory systems are more complex than described in the target article. We argue that understanding the noetic/autonoetic distinction provides critical insights into the foundation of the delineation between the two memory systems. Clarity with respect to the criteria for classification of these two systems, and the evolving conceptualization of episodic memory, can further neuroscientifically informed therapeutic approaches.

Classification of antecedents towards safety use of health information technology: A systematic review.

PubMed

Salahuddin, Lizawati; Ismail, Zuraini

2015-11-01

This paper provides a systematic review of safety use of health information technology (IT). The first objective is to identify the antecedents towards safety use of health IT by conducting systematic literature review (SLR). The second objective is to classify the identified antecedents based on the work system in Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model and an extension of DeLone and McLean (D&M) information system (IS) success model. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted from peer-reviewed scholarly publications between January 2000 and July 2014. SLR was carried out and reported based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) statement. The related articles were identified by searching the articles published in Science Direct, Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL databases. Data extracted from the resultant studies included are to be analysed based on the work system in Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) model, and also from the extended DeLone and McLean (D&M) information system (IS) success model. 55 articles delineated to be antecedents that influenced the safety use of health IT were included for review. Antecedents were identified and then classified into five key categories. The categories are (1) person, (2) technology, (3) tasks, (4) organization, and (5) environment. Specifically, person is attributed by competence while technology is associated to system quality, information quality, and service quality. Tasks are attributed by task-related stressor. Organisation is related to training, organisation resources, and teamwork. Lastly, environment is attributed by physical layout, and noise. This review provides evidence that the antecedents for safety use of health IT originated from both social and technical aspects. However, inappropriate health IT usage potentially increases the incidence of errors and produces new safety risks. The review cautions future implementation and adoption of health IT to carefully consider the complex interactions between social and technical elements propound in healthcare settings. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

30 CFR 282.22 - Delineation Plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Delineation Plan. 282.22 Section 282.22 Mineral Resources BUREAU OF OCEAN ENERGY MANAGEMENT, REGULATION, AND ENFORCEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR... a comprehensive Testing or Mining Plan. A Delineation Plan at a minimum shall include the following...

Blueprint. Number 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, April D., Ed.

2008-01-01

This first issue of "Blueprint" focuses on standards that states have adopted to delineate what students should know at each grade level of the K-12 system. Textbooks, teacher training, professional development, and assessments are built upon education standards. To generate information that will help state leaders improve their…

Evaluating Teachers of Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hult, Christine A., Ed.

Describing the various forms evaluation can take, this book delineates problems in evaluating writing faculty and sets the stage for reconsidering the entire process to produce a fair, equitable, and appropriate system. The book discusses evaluation through real-life examples: evaluation of writing faculty by literature faculty, student…

Addressing the limits to adaptation across four damage--response systems

EPA Science Inventory

Our ability to adapt to climate change is not boundless, and previous modeling shows that capacity limited adaptation will play a policy-significant role in future decisions about climate change. These limits are delineated by capacity thresholds, after which climate damages beg...

32 CFR 316.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Purpose. 316.1 Section 316.1 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (CONTINUED) PRIVACY PROGRAM DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY PRIVACY PROGRAM § 316.1 Purpose. This part delineates responsibility and provides...

23 CFR 970.212 - Federal lands safety management system (SMS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...) An inventory of safety appurtenances such as signs, delineators, and guardrails (including terminals... upgrading safety appurtenances including highway-rail crossing warning devices, signs, highway elements, and... standards) for low volume roads may be tailored to be consistent with the functional classification of the...

23 CFR 970.212 - Federal lands safety management system (SMS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...) An inventory of safety appurtenances such as signs, delineators, and guardrails (including terminals... upgrading safety appurtenances including highway-rail crossing warning devices, signs, highway elements, and... standards) for low volume roads may be tailored to be consistent with the functional classification of the...

23 CFR 970.212 - Federal lands safety management system (SMS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...) An inventory of safety appurtenances such as signs, delineators, and guardrails (including terminals... upgrading safety appurtenances including highway-rail crossing warning devices, signs, highway elements, and... standards) for low volume roads may be tailored to be consistent with the functional classification of the...

23 CFR 970.212 - Federal lands safety management system (SMS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...) An inventory of safety appurtenances such as signs, delineators, and guardrails (including terminals... upgrading safety appurtenances including highway-rail crossing warning devices, signs, highway elements, and... standards) for low volume roads may be tailored to be consistent with the functional classification of the...

Socioeconomic indicators of heat-related health risk supplemented with remotely sensed data

PubMed Central

Johnson, Daniel P; Wilson, Jeffrey S; Luber, George C

2009-01-01

Background Extreme heat events are the number one cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States. The current system of alert for extreme heat events does not take into account intra-urban spatial variation in risk. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a potential method to improve spatial delineation of risk from extreme heat events in urban environments by integrating sociodemographic risk factors with estimates of land surface temperature derived from thermal remote sensing data. Results Comparison of logistic regression models indicates that supplementing known sociodemographic risk factors with remote sensing estimates of land surface temperature improves the delineation of intra-urban variations in risk from extreme heat events. Conclusion Thermal remote sensing data can be utilized to improve understanding of intra-urban variations in risk from extreme heat. The refinement of current risk assessment systems could increase the likelihood of survival during extreme heat events and assist emergency personnel in the delivery of vital resources during such disasters. PMID:19835578

Techniques of contributing-area delineation for analysis of nonpoint-source contamination of Long Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Misut, P.

1995-01-01

Ninety shallow monitoring wells on Long Island, N.Y., were used to test the hypothesis that the correlation between the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) at a well and explanatory variables representing land use, population density, and hydrogeologic conditions around the well is affected by the size and shape of the area defined as the contributing area. Explanatory variables are quantified through overlay of various specified contributing areas on 1:24 000-scale landuse and population-density geographic information system (GIS) coverages. Four methods of contributing-area delineation were used: (a) centering a circle of selected radius on the well site, (b) orienting a triangular area along the direction of horizontal ground-water flow to the well, (c) generating a shaped based on direction and magnitude of horizontal flow to the well, and (d) generating a shape based on three-dimensional particle pathlines backtracked from the well screen to the water table. The strongest correlations with VOC detections were obtained from circles of 400- to 1 000-meter radius. Improvement in correlation through delineations based on ground-water flow would require geographic overlay on more highly detailed GIS coverages than those used in the study.

Stream-channel and watershed delineations and basin-characteristic measurements using lidar elevation data for small drainage basins within the Des Moines Lobe landform region in Iowa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eash, David A.; Barnes, Kimberlee K.; O'Shea, Padraic S.; Gelder, Brian K.

2018-02-14

Basin-characteristic measurements related to stream length, stream slope, stream density, and stream order have been identified as significant variables for estimation of flood, flow-duration, and low-flow discharges in Iowa. The placement of channel initiation points, however, has always been a matter of individual interpretation, leading to differences in stream definitions between analysts.This study investigated five different methods to define stream initiation using 3-meter light detection and ranging (lidar) digital elevation models (DEMs) data for 17 streamgages with drainage areas less than 50 square miles within the Des Moines Lobe landform region in north-central Iowa. Each DEM was hydrologically enforced and the five stream initiation methods were used to define channel initiation points and the downstream flow paths. The five different methods to define stream initiation were tested side-by-side for three watershed delineations: (1) the total drainage-area delineation, (2) an effective drainage-area delineation of basins based on a 2-percent annual exceedance probability (AEP) 12-hour rainfall, and (3) an effective drainage-area delineation based on a 20-percent AEP 12-hour rainfall.Generalized least squares regression analysis was used to develop a set of equations for sites in the Des Moines Lobe landform region for estimating discharges for ungaged stream sites with 50-, 20-, 10-, 4-, 2-, 1-, 0.5-, and 0.2-percent AEPs. A total of 17 streamgages were included in the development of the regression equations. In addition, geographic information system software was used to measure 58 selected basin-characteristics for each streamgage.Results of the regression analyses of the 15 lidar datasets indicate that the datasets that produce regional regression equations (RREs) with the best overall predictive accuracy are the National Hydrographic Dataset, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and profile curvature of 0.5 stream initiation methods combined with the 20-percent AEP 12-hour rainfall watershed delineation method. These RREs have a mean average standard error of prediction (SEP) for 4-, 2-, and 1-percent AEP discharges of 53.9 percent and a mean SEP for all eight AEPs of 55.5 percent. Compared to the RREs developed in this study using the basin characteristics from the U.S. Geological Survey StreamStats application, the lidar basin characteristics provide better overall predictive accuracy.

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.

7 CFR 1416.201 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

.... Goats will be further delineated by sex (bucks and does) and age (kids). Kid means a goat less than 1... geese. Poultry will be further delineated by sex, age and purpose of production, as determined by CCC... further delineated by sex (rams and ewes) and age (lambs). Swine means domesticated omnivorous pigs, hogs...

7 CFR 1416.201 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

.... Goats will be further delineated by sex (bucks and does) and age (kids). Kid means a goat less than 1... geese. Poultry will be further delineated by sex, age and purpose of production, as determined by CCC... further delineated by sex (rams and ewes) and age (lambs). Swine means domesticated omnivorous pigs, hogs...

7 CFR 1416.201 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

.... Goats will be further delineated by sex (bucks and does) and age (kids). Kid means a goat less than 1... geese. Poultry will be further delineated by sex, age and purpose of production, as determined by CCC... further delineated by sex (rams and ewes) and age (lambs). Swine means domesticated omnivorous pigs, hogs...

7 CFR 1416.201 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

.... Goats will be further delineated by sex (bucks and does) and age (kids). Kid means a goat less than 1... geese. Poultry will be further delineated by sex, age and purpose of production, as determined by CCC... further delineated by sex (rams and ewes) and age (lambs). Swine means domesticated omnivorous pigs, hogs...

Development of delineator material/impact testing specific to managed lane use for optimization of service life : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-01

The durability of delineators should be considered when selecting a product. Looking at the data : gathered in this project, there was a considerable gap between the quality of the top three delineators tested : and the other four. This led the resea...

12 CFR 345.41 - Assessment area delineation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the bank's delineation of its assessment area(s) as a separate performance criterion, but the FDIC..., such as those consumer loans on which the bank elects to have its performance assessed). (d... area(s) delineated by a bank in its evaluation of the bank's CRA performance unless the FDIC determines...

12 CFR 228.41 - Assessment area delineation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... does not evaluate the bank's delineation of its assessment area(s) as a separate performance criterion..., such as those consumer loans on which the bank elects to have its performance assessed). (d... area(s) delineated by a bank in its evaluation of the bank's CRA performance unless the Board...

Radiotherapy treatment planning: benefits of CT-MR image registration and fusion in tumor volume delineation.

PubMed

Djan, Igor; Petrović, Borislava; Erak, Marko; Nikolić, Ivan; Lucić, Silvija

2013-08-01

Development of imaging techniques, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET), made great impact on radiotherapy treatment planning by improving the localization of target volumes. Improved localization allows better local control of tumor volumes, but also minimizes geographical misses. Mutual information is obtained by registration and fusion of images achieved manually or automatically. The aim of this study was to validate the CT-MRI image fusion method and compare delineation obtained by CT versus CT-MRI image fusion. The image fusion software (XIO CMS 4.50.0) was applied to delineate 16 patients. The patients were scanned on CT and MRI in the treatment position within an immobilization device before the initial treatment. The gross tumor volume (GTV) and clinical target volume (CTV) were delineated on CT alone and on CT+MRI images consecutively and image fusion was obtained. Image fusion showed that CTV delineated on a CT image study set is mainly inadequate for treatment planning, in comparison with CTV delineated on CT-MRI fused image study set. Fusion of different modalities enables the most accurate target volume delineation. This study shows that registration and image fusion allows precise target localization in terms of GTV and CTV and local disease control.

Estimated bankfull discharge for selected Michigan rivers and regional hydraulic geometry curves for estimating bankfull characteristics in southern Michigan rivers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rachol, Cynthia M.; Boley-Morse, Kristine

2009-01-01

Regional hydraulic geometry curves are power-function equations that relate riffle dimensions and bankfull discharge to drainage-basin size. They are defined by data collected through surveys conducted at stable stream reaches and can be used to aid watershed managers, design engineers, and others involved in determination of the best course of action for an unstable stream. Hydraulic geometry curves provide a mechanism through which comparisons can be made between riffle dimensions collected at an unstable stream to those collected at stable streams within the same region. In 2005, a study was initiated to delineate regional hydraulic geometry curves for Michigan. After in-office review of 343 U.S. Geological Survey streamgaging stations and an extensive field reconnaissance effort, 44 stable reaches were selected for this study. Detailed surveys that included cross-sectional and longitudinal profiles and pebble counts were conducted at selected streamgages, which were distributed throughout Michigan. By use of survey data from riffle cross sections and water-surface slope, bankfull discharge was estimated and compared to flood-recurrence intervals using regional flood equations. This comparison shows that bankfull discharges in Michigan recur more frequently than every 2 years. Regional hydraulic geometry curves were developed rather than statewide curves owing to large differences in factors that control channel geometry across the State. However, after the data were subdivided according to ecoregions, it was determined that there were enough data to delineate regional hydraulic geometry curves only for the Southern Lower Michigan Ecoregion. For this ecoregion, geometry curve equations and their coefficients of determination are: Width = 8.19 x DA0.44; R2 = 0.69, Depth = 0.67 x DA0.27; R2 = 0.28, Area = 4.38 x DA0.74; R2 = 0.59, where DA is the drainage area and R2 is the coefficient of determination. By use of discharge estimates for the Southern Lower Michigan Ecoregion, a bankfull discharge curve was delineated. The corresponding equation and its coefficient of determination are: Discharge = 4.05 x DA0.95; R2 = 0.60

Description of 'Synergistetes' phyl. nov. and emended description of the phylum 'Deferribacteres' and of the family Syntrophomonadaceae, phylum 'Firmicutes'.

PubMed

Jumas-Bilak, Estelle; Roudière, Laurent; Marchandin, Hélène

2009-05-01

The number of bacterial phyla has greatly increased in the past decade. Among them, a candidate division named 'Synergistes' was proposed in a phylogenetic study on the global diversity of bacteria. We previously described the genus Jonquetella and suggested that it belonged to this not yet well-delineated candidate phylum. 16S rRNA gene based-phylogeny studies were conducted using four reconstruction methods and 599 sequences forming five datasets were used in an alternative treeing approach. These analyses indicated that the genera Aminiphilus, Aminobacterium, Aminomonas, Anaerobaculum, Dethiosulfovibrio, Jonquetella, Synergistes, Thermanaerovibrio and Thermovirga should be grouped in the same high-level taxon. This taxon was shown to be a phylum-rank lineage in the domain Bacteria and, because of the prior use of the name Synergistes for a genus, the name 'Synergistetes' is proposed for this candidate phylum. We also propose an emended delineation of the phylum 'Deferribacteres', which is now only represented by the family Deferribacteriaceae. The emended family Syntrophomonadaceae is limited to the genera Pelospora, Syntrophomonas, Syntrophothermus and Thermosyntropha.

A regularization approach to hydrofacies delineation

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

Wohlberg, Brendt; Tartakovsky, Daniel

2009-01-01

We consider an inverse problem of identifying complex internal structures of composite (geological) materials from sparse measurements of system parameters and system states. Two conceptual frameworks for identifying internal boundaries between constitutive materials in a composite are considered. A sequential approach relies on support vector machines, nearest neighbor classifiers, or geostatistics to reconstruct boundaries from measurements of system parameters and then uses system states data to refine the reconstruction. A joint approach inverts the two data sets simultaneously by employing a regularization approach.

Continuous resistivity profiling data from Northport Harbor and Manhasset Bay, Long Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cross, V.A.; Bratton, J.F.; Crusius, John; Kroeger, K.D.; Worley, C.R.

2012-01-01

An investigation of coastal groundwater systems was performed along the North Shore of Long Island, New York, during May 2008 to constrain nutrient delivery to Northport Harbor and Manhasset Bay by delineating locations of likely groundwater discharge. The embayments are bounded by steep moraines and are underlain by thick, fine-grained sediments deposited in proglacial lakes during the last ice age. Beach sand and gravel overlie the glacial deposits along the coast. The continuous resistivity profiling (CRP) surveys that were conducted indicate the existence of low-salinity groundwater in shore-parallel bands, typically 25 to 50 meters wide, along the shorelines of both bays. Piezometer sampling and seepage meter deployments in intertidal and subtidal areas of the two bays confirmed the presence and discharge of brackish and low-salinity groundwater. The large tidal ranges (up to 3 meters) and the steep onshore topography and hydraulic gradients are important variables controlling coastal groundwater discharge in these areas.

Pragmatic clinical trials: ethical imperatives and opportunities.

PubMed

Kalkman, Shona; van Thiel, Ghislaine J M W; Grobbee, Diederick E; van Delden, Johannes J M

2018-06-12

Pragmatic clinical trials generate robust real-world evidence that holds great potential to better inform decision making regarding new medicines. For clinicians, patients and regulators, this evidence would preferably be available sooner rather than later. This means that, ideally, market authorization of any given medicine is accompanied by evidence obtained from a pragmatic trial. Given the operational and regulatory complexities of pragmatic trials in general, stakeholders tend to be hesitant to employ more pragmatism at the time of market approval. One prominent hurdle for the conduct of pragmatic trials is the concern that pragmatic design features conflict with ethical standards for clinical trials. To encourage timely yet responsible generation of real-world evidence through clinical trials, it is important to delineate exactly which areas, from a societal point of view, demand early pragmatic evaluations. We also urge stakeholders to recognize how the current system of trial ethics oversight already accommodates for more-pragmatic approaches, and how new ideas about their permissibility have progressed in the bioethics literature. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The juggling paradigm: a novel social neuroscience approach to identify neuropsychophysiological markers of team mental models.

PubMed

Filho, Edson; Bertollo, Maurizio; Robazza, Claudio; Comani, Silvia

2015-01-01

Since the discovery of the mirror neuron system in the 1980s, little, if any, research has been devoted to the study of interactive motor tasks (Goldman, 2012). Scientists interested in the neuropsychophysiological markers of joint motor action have relied on observation paradigms and passive tasks rather than dynamic paradigms and interactive tasks (Konvalinka and Roepstorff, 2012). Within this research scenario, we introduce a novel research paradigm that uses cooperative juggling as a platform to capture peripheral (e.g., skin conductance, breathing and heart rates, electromyographic signals) and central neuropsychophysiological (e.g., functional connectivity within and between brains) markers underlying the notion of team mental models (TMM). We discuss the epistemological and theoretical grounds of a cooperative juggling paradigm, and propose testable hypotheses on neuropsychophysiological markers underlying TMM. Furthermore, we present key methodological concerns that may influence peripheral responses as well as single and hyperbrain network configurations during joint motor action. Preliminary findings of the paradigm are highlighted. We conclude by delineating avenues for future research.

Characterising meso-marine ecosystems of the North Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Batten, Sonia D.; David Hyrenbach, K.; Sydeman, William J.; Morgan, Ken H.; Henry, Michael F.; Yen, Peggy P. Y.; Welch, David W.

2006-02-01

To delineate mesoscale variability in marine ecosystems of the subarctic North Pacific and identify "hotspots" of biological activity, we conducted contemporaneous surveys of plankton and avifaunal communites in 2000-2003. Plankton samples were collected with a continuous plankton recorder (CPR) towed by a commercial vessel while a trained observer recorded marine bird distributions using strip-transect techniques. Near- and sub-surface physical oceanographic properties and productivity patterns were measured using a temperature data logger and satellite-derived chlorophyll a concentrations. We identified 10 distinct biological communities across the North Pacific, which we refer to as 'meso-marine ecosystems' (MME). We examined the characteristics of MME over multiple years to assess temporal persistence. MME were associated with different bathymetric domains and current systems. MME differed in the overall abundance and species composition of their fauna and, therefore, almost certainly in productivity. Regular monitoring of the spatial and temporal variability of MME will enhance our ability to detect and understand coupled climate-ecosystem responses, and, in turn, help guide ecosystem-based fisheries and wildlife management.

Brine delineation and monitoring with electrical resistivity tomography and electromagnetic borehole logging at the Fort Knox well field near West Point, Kentucky

USGS Publications Warehouse

Henderson, Rory; Unthank, Michael D.; Zettwoch, Douglas D.; Lane, John W.

2010-01-01

The potable water system at Fort Knox is threatened by brine contamination from improperly abandoned natural gas exploration wells. The Fort Knox well field is located near the town of West Point, Kentucky, in the flood plain of the Ohio River. At the site, unconsolidated sediments approximately 30 – 40 m thick, overlie shale and porous limestone. Brine is believed to flow vertically from the underlying formations to the unconsolidated aquifer through damaged or leaky well casings under a high hydraulic gradient from the artificially pressurized porous limestone, which is utilized for natural gas storage by a regional energy company. Upon reaching the unconsolidated aquifer, brinecontaminated groundwater enters water supply production wells under the pumping‐induced gradient. As part of the Fort Knox remediation strategy to reduce the impact of brine contamination, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and borehole electromagnetic (EM) logs are being collected annually to detect gross changes in subsurface conductivity. The 2009 ERT data show areas of high conductivity on the western (contaminated) side of the site with conductivities more than an order of magnitude higher than on the eastern (uncontaminated) side of the site. The areas of high conductivity are interpreted as brine contamination, consistent with known regions of brine contamination. Conductivities from the EM logs are consistent with the results from the ERT inversions. The EM logs show little change between 2008 and 2009, except for some small changes in the brine distribution in well PZ1. Yearly ERT surveys will be continued to detect new areas of brine contamination and monitor the remediation effort.

Three-dimensional audio-magnetotelluric sounding in monitoring coalbed methane reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Nan; Zhao, Shanshan; Hui, Jian; Qin, Qiming

2017-03-01

Audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) sounding is widely employed in rapid resistivity delineation of objective geometry in near surface exploration. According to reservoir patterns and electrical parameters obtained in Qinshui Basin, China, two-dimensional and three-dimensional synthetic "objective anomaly" models were designed and inverted with the availability of a modular system for electromagnetic inversion (ModEM). The results revealed that 3-D full impedance inversion yielded the subsurface models closest to synthetic models. One or more conductive targets were correctly recovered. Therefore, conductive aquifers in the study area, including hydrous coalbed methane (CBM) reservoirs, were suggested to be the interpretation signs for reservoir characterization. With the aim of dynamic monitoring of CBM reservoirs, the AMT surveys in continuous years (June 2013-May 2015) were carried out. 3-D inversion results demonstrated that conductive anomalies accumulated around the producing reservoirs at the corresponding depths if CBM reservoirs were in high water production rates. In contrast, smaller conductive anomalies were generally identical with rapid gas production or stopping production of reservoirs. These analyses were in accordance with actual production history of CBM wells. The dynamic traces of conductive anomalies revealed that reservoir water migrated deep or converged in axial parts and wings of folds, which contributed significantly to formations of CBM traps. Then the well spacing scenario was also evaluated based on the dynamic production analysis. Wells distributed near closed faults or flat folds, rather than open faults, had CBM production potential to ascertain stable gas production. Therefore, three-dimensional AMT sounding becomes an attractive option with the ability of dynamic monitoring of CBM reservoirs, and lays a solid foundation of quantitative evaluation of reservoir parameters.

Pilot Study of A Novel Biobehavioral Intervention’s Effect on Physiologic State, Perceived Stress and Affect: An Investigation of the Health Benefits of Laughter Yoga Participational

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-25

the past 16 years of war. 1-3 McEwen’ s allostatic load model delineates how chronic stress up-regulates the sympathetic nervous system causing...physiologic and psychological sequela. Conversely, yogic breathing has been shown to up-regulate the parasympathetic nervous system due to the

An abstract specification language for Markov reliability models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, R. W.

1985-01-01

Markov models can be used to compute the reliability of virtually any fault tolerant system. However, the process of delineating all of the states and transitions in a model of complex system can be devastatingly tedious and error-prone. An approach to this problem is presented utilizing an abstract model definition language. This high level language is described in a nonformal manner and illustrated by example.

An abstract language for specifying Markov reliability models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, Ricky W.

1986-01-01

Markov models can be used to compute the reliability of virtually any fault tolerant system. However, the process of delineating all of the states and transitions in a model of complex system can be devastatingly tedious and error-prone. An approach to this problem is presented utilizing an abstract model definition language. This high level language is described in a nonformal manner and illustrated by example.

Aging and space travel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mohler, S. R.

1982-01-01

The matter of aging and its relation to space vehicle crewmembers undertaking prolonged space missions is addressed. The capabilities of the older space traveler to recover from bone demineralization and muscle atrophy are discussed. Certain advantages of the older person are noted, for example, a greater tolerance of monotony and repetitious activities. Additional parameters are delineated including the cardiovascular system, the reproductive system, ionizing radiation, performance, and group dynamics.

Crustal-scale electrical conductivity anomaly beneath inflating Lazufre volcanic complex, Central Andes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budach, Ingmar; Brasse, Heinrich; Díaz, Daniel

2013-03-01

Large-scale surface deformation was observed at Lazufre volcanic center in the Central Andes of Northern Chile/Northwestern Argentina by means of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR). Uplift started there after 1998 and increased dramatically in the following years up to a rate of 3 cm/a. Lazufre is now one of the largest deforming volcano systems on Earth, but the cause for uplift - likely influx of magmatic material into the crust - is still poorly understood. In the beginning of 2010 a magnetotelluric survey was conducted to delineate the electrical conductivity distribution in the area. Several long-period magnetotelluric (LMT) sites and two broadband magnetotelluric (BBMT) sites were set up on an EW trending profile crossing the volcanic center; furthermore some LMT sites were arranged circularly around Lazufre complex and adjacent Lastarria volcano. Data were processed using an algorithm for robust and remote reference transfer function estimation. Electrical strike directions were estimated and induction arrows were derived. Although electrical strike is rather ambiguous, in a first step a 2-D resistivity model was calculated. The most prominent feature of this model is a well conducting structure rising from the upper mantle to the shallow crust beneath the center of elevation. This can be interpreted as partial melts ascending from the asthenospheric wedge and feeding a potential magma reservoir beneath Lazufre volcanic center. An improved model is finally achieved by 3-D inversion, supporting this feature. We assume that these rising melts are the source of the observed uplift at Lazufre complex.

Evaluation of methods for delineating areas that contribute water to wells completed in valley-fill aquifers in Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Risser, Dennis W.; Madden, Thomas M.

1994-01-01

Valley-fill aquifers in Pennsylvania are the source of drinking water for many wells in the glaciated parts of the State and along major river valleys. These aquifers area subject to contamination because of their shallow water-table depth and highly transmissive sediments. The possibility for contamination of water-supply wells in valley-fill aquifers can be minimized by excluding activities that could contaminate areas that contribute water to supply wells. An area that contributes water to a well is identified in this report as either an area of diversion, time-of-travel area, or contributing area. The area of diversion is a projection to land surface of the valley-fill aquifer volume through which water is diverted to a well and the time-of travel area is that fraction of the area of diversion through which water moves to the well in a specified time. The contributing area, the largest of three areas, includes the area of diversion but also incorporates bedrock uplands and other area that contribute water. Methods for delineating areas of diversion and contributing areas in valley-fill aquifers, described and compared in order of increasing complexity, include fixed radius, uniform flow, analytical, semianalytical, and numerical modeling. Delineated areas are considered approximations because the hydraulic properties and boundary conditions of the real ground-water system are simplified even in the most complex numerical methods. Successful application of any of these methods depends on the investigator's understanding of the hydrologic system in and near the well field, and the limitations of the method. The hydrologic system includes not only the valley-fill aquifer but also the regional surface-water and ground-water flow systems within which the valley is situated. As shown by numerical flow simulations of a well field in the valley-fill aquifer along Marsh Creek Valley near Asaph, Pa., water from upland bedrock sources can provide nearly all the water contributed to the well.

Delineating ecological regions in marine systems: Integrating physical structure and community composition to inform spatial management in the eastern Bering Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Matthew R.; Hollowed, Anne B.

2014-11-01

Characterizing spatial structure and delineating meaningful spatial boundaries have useful applications to understanding regional dynamics in marine systems, and are integral to ecosystem approaches to fisheries management. Physical structure and drivers combine with biological responses and interactions to organize marine systems in unique ways at multiple scales. We apply multivariate statistical methods to define spatially coherent ecological units or ecoregions in the eastern Bering Sea. We also illustrate a practical approach to integrate data on species distribution, habitat structure and physical forcing mechanisms to distinguish areas with distinct biogeography as one means to define management units in large marine ecosystems. We use random forests to quantify the relative importance of habitat and environmental variables to the distribution of individual species, and to quantify shifts in multispecies assemblages or community composition along environmental gradients. Threshold shifts in community composition are used to identify regions with distinct physical and biological attributes, and to evaluate the relative importance of predictor variables to determining regional boundaries. Depth, bottom temperature and frontal boundaries were dominant factors delineating distinct biological communities in this system, with a latitudinal divide at approximately 60°N. Our results indicate that distinct climatic periods will shift habitat gradients and that dynamic physical variables such as temperature and stratification are important to understanding temporal stability of ecoregion boundaries. We note distinct distribution patterns among functional guilds and also evidence for resource partitioning among individual species within each guild. By integrating physical and biological data to determine spatial patterns in community composition, we partition ecosystems along ecologically significant gradients. This may provide a basis for defining spatial management units or serve as a baseline index for analyses of structural shifts in the physical environment, species abundance and distribution, and community dynamics over time.

MR and CT data with multiobserver delineations of organs in the pelvic area-Part of the Gold Atlas project.

PubMed

Nyholm, Tufve; Svensson, Stina; Andersson, Sebastian; Jonsson, Joakim; Sohlin, Maja; Gustafsson, Christian; Kjellén, Elisabeth; Söderström, Karin; Albertsson, Per; Blomqvist, Lennart; Zackrisson, Björn; Olsson, Lars E; Gunnlaugsson, Adalsteinn

2018-03-01

We describe a public dataset with MR and CT images of patients performed in the same position with both multiobserver and expert consensus delineations of relevant organs in the male pelvic region. The purpose was to provide means for training and validation of segmentation algorithms and methods to convert MR to CT like data, i.e., so called synthetic CT (sCT). T1- and T2-weighted MR images as well as CT data were collected for 19 patients at three different departments. Five experts delineated nine organs for each patient based on the T2-weighted MR images. An automatic method was used to fuse the delineations. Starting from each fused delineation, a consensus delineation was agreed upon by the five experts for each organ and patient. Segmentation overlap between user delineations with respect to the consensus delineations was measured to describe the spread of the collected data. Finally, an open-source software was used to create deformation vector fields describing the relation between MR and CT images to further increase the usability of the dataset. The dataset has been made publically available to be used for academic purposes, and can be accessed from https://zenodo.org/record/583096. The dataset provides a useful source for training and validation of segmentation algorithms as well as methods to convert MR to CT-like data (sCT). To give some examples: The T2-weighted MR images with their consensus delineations can directly be used as a template in an existing atlas-based segmentation engine; the expert delineations are useful to validate the performance of a segmentation algorithm as they provide a way to measure variability among users which can be compared with the result of an automatic segmentation; and the pairwise deformably registered MR and CT images can be a source for an atlas-based sCT algorithm or for validation of sCT algorithm. © 2018 The Authors. Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Hyperspectral analysis of columbia spotted frog habitat

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shive, J.P.; Pilliod, D.S.; Peterson, C.R.

2010-01-01

Wildlife managers increasingly are using remotely sensed imagery to improve habitat delineations and sampling strategies. Advances in remote sensing technology, such as hyperspectral imagery, provide more information than previously was available with multispectral sensors. We evaluated accuracy of high-resolution hyperspectral image classifications to identify wetlands and wetland habitat features important for Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris) and compared the results to multispectral image classification and United States Geological Survey topographic maps. The study area spanned 3 lake basins in the Salmon River Mountains, Idaho, USA. Hyperspectral data were collected with an airborne sensor on 30 June 2002 and on 8 July 2006. A 12-year comprehensive ground survey of the study area for Columbia spotted frog reproduction served as validation for image classifications. Hyperspectral image classification accuracy of wetlands was high, with a producer's accuracy of 96 (44 wetlands) correctly classified with the 2002 data and 89 (41 wetlands) correctly classified with the 2006 data. We applied habitat-based rules to delineate breeding habitat from other wetlands, and successfully predicted 74 (14 wetlands) of known breeding wetlands for the Columbia spotted frog. Emergent sedge microhabitat classification showed promise for directly predicting Columbia spotted frog egg mass locations within a wetland by correctly identifying 72 (23 of 32) of known locations. Our study indicates hyperspectral imagery can be an effective tool for mapping spotted frog breeding habitat in the selected mountain basins. We conclude that this technique has potential for improving site selection for inventory and monitoring programs conducted across similar wetland habitat and can be a useful tool for delineating wildlife habitats. ?? 2010 The Wildlife Society.

Delineation of a quick clay zone at Smørgrav, Norway, with electromagnetic methods under geotechnical constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalscheuer, Thomas; Bastani, Mehrdad; Donohue, Shane; Persson, Lena; Aspmo Pfaffhuber, Andreas; Reiser, Fabienne; Ren, Zhengyong

2013-05-01

In many coastal areas of North America and Scandinavia, post-glacial clay sediments have emerged above sea level due to iso-static uplift. These clays are often destabilised by fresh water leaching and transformed to so-called quick clays as at the investigated area at Smørgrav, Norway. Slight mechanical disturbances of these materials may trigger landslides. Since the leaching increases the electrical resistivity of quick clay as compared to normal marine clay, the application of electromagnetic (EM) methods is of particular interest in the study of quick clay structures. For the first time, single and joint inversions of direct-current resistivity (DCR), radiomagnetotelluric (RMT) and controlled-source audiomagnetotelluric (CSAMT) data were applied to delineate a zone of quick clay. The resulting 2-D models of electrical resistivity correlate excellently with previously published data from a ground conductivity metre and resistivity logs from two resistivity cone penetration tests (RCPT) into marine clay and quick clay. The RCPT log into the central part of the quick clay identifies the electrical resistivity of the quick clay structure to lie between 10 and 80 Ω m. In combination with the 2-D inversion models, it becomes possible to delineate the vertical and horizontal extent of the quick clay zone. As compared to the inversions of single data sets, the joint inversion model exhibits sharper resistivity contrasts and its resistivity values are more characteristic of the expected geology. In our preferred joint inversion model, there is a clear demarcation between dry soil, marine clay, quick clay and bedrock, which consists of alum shale and limestone.

Detection of Head and Neck Cancer in Surgical Specimens Using Quantitative Hyperspectral Imaging.

PubMed

Lu, Guolan; Little, James V; Wang, Xu; Zhang, Hongzheng; Patel, Mihir R; Griffith, Christopher C; El-Deiry, Mark W; Chen, Amy Y; Fei, Baowei

2017-09-15

Purpose: This study intends to investigate the feasibility of using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) to detect and delineate cancers in fresh, surgical specimens of patients with head and neck cancers. Experimental Design: A clinical study was conducted in order to collect and image fresh, surgical specimens from patients ( N = 36) with head and neck cancers undergoing surgical resection. A set of machine-learning tools were developed to quantify hyperspectral images of the resected tissue in order to detect and delineate cancerous regions which were validated by histopathologic diagnosis. More than two million reflectance spectral signatures were obtained by HSI and analyzed using machine-learning methods. The detection results of HSI were compared with autofluorescence imaging and fluorescence imaging of two vital-dyes of the same specimens. Results: Quantitative HSI differentiated cancerous tissue from normal tissue in ex vivo surgical specimens with a sensitivity and specificity of 91% and 91%, respectively, and which was more accurate than autofluorescence imaging ( P < 0.05) or fluorescence imaging of 2-NBDG ( P < 0.05) and proflavine ( P < 0.05). The proposed quantification tools also generated cancer probability maps with the tumor border demarcated and which could provide real-time guidance for surgeons regarding optimal tumor resection. Conclusions: This study highlights the feasibility of using quantitative HSI as a diagnostic tool to delineate the cancer boundaries in surgical specimens, and which could be translated into the clinic application with the hope of improving clinical outcomes in the future. Clin Cancer Res; 23(18); 5426-36. ©2017 AACR . ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

Gradient Weight in Phonology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ryan, Kevin Michael

2011-01-01

Research on syllable weight in generative phonology has focused almost exclusively on systems in which weight is treated as an ordinal hierarchy of clearly delineated categories (e.g. light and heavy). As I discuss, canonical weight-sensitive phenomena in phonology, including quantitative meter and quantity-sensitive stress, can also treat weight…

Principles of Social Justice in Educational Research: The Case of Contract Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Morwenna

1998-01-01

Delineates small-scale contract-research principles predicated on an understanding of social justice and of research purposes, epistemological issues, and possibilities for ethical and political action. Principles embrace improvement, knowledge and learning, changed belief systems, collaboration and consultation, openness to other communities,…

Group Treatment in Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bertisch, Hilary; Rath, Joseph F.; Langenbahn, Donna M.; Sherr, Rose Lynn; Diller, Leonard

2011-01-01

The current article describes critical issues in adapting traditional group-treatment methods for working with individuals with reduced cognitive capacity secondary to acquired brain injury. Using the classification system based on functional ability developed at the NYU Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine (RIRM), we delineate the cognitive…

Design controls for large order systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doane, George B., III

1991-01-01

The output of this task will be a program plan which will delineate how MSFC will support and implement its portion of the Inter-Center Computational Controls Program Plan. Another output will be the results of looking at various multibody/multidegree of freedom computer programs in various environments.

Chris Deline | NREL

Science.gov Websites

., Meydbray, J., Donovan, M., and Forrest, J. 2014. Photovoltaic Shading Testbed for Module-Level Power Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, in the photovoltaic (PV) performance and reliability performance and stabilization, mismatch and partial shading in PV systems, and distributed power electronics

Scientific Literacy in Nigeria: The Role of Science Education Programmes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olorundare, Solomon A.

1988-01-01

Delineates a concept of scientific literacy as it relates to the Nigerian situation. Examines the relevance and implications of scientific literacy to the educational system and national security. Suggests how scientific literacy can be encouraged through science programs, especially in elementary science education. (YP)

Geothermal system boundary at the northern edge of Patuha Geothermal Field based on integrated study of volcanostratigraphy, geological field mapping, and cool springs contamination by thermal fluids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryantini; Rachmawati, C.; Abdurrahman, M.

2017-12-01

Patuha Geothermal System is a volcanic hydrothermal system. In this type of system, the boundary of the system is often determined by low resistivity (10 ohm.m) anomaly from Magnetotelluric (MT) or DC-Resistivity survey. On the contrary, during geothermal exploration, the system boundary often need to be determined as early as possible even prior of resistivity data available. Thus, a method that use early stage survey data must be developed properly to reduce the uncertainty of the geothermal area extent delineation at the time the geophysical data unavailable. Geological field mapping, volcanostratigraphy analysis and fluid chemistry of thermal water and cold water are the data available at the early stage of exploration. This study integrates this data to delineate the geothermal system boundary. The geological mapping and volcanostratigraphy are constructed to limit the extent of thermal and cold springs. It results that springs in the study area are controlled hydrologically by topography of Patuha Volcanic Crown (complex) or so called PVC, the current geothermal field and Masigit Volcanic Crown (complex) or so called MVC, the dormant volcano not associated with active geothermal system. Some of the cold springs at PVC are contaminated by subsurface steam heated outflow while others are not contaminated. The contaminated cold springs have several characteristics such as higher water temperature than ambient temperature at the time it was measured, higher total disolved solid (TDS), and lower pH. The soluble elements analysis support the early contamination indication by showing higher cation and anion, and positive oxygen shifting of stable isotope of these cool springs. Where as the uncontaminated spring shows similar characteristic with cool springs occur at MVC. The boundary of the system is delineated by an arbitrary line drawn between distal thermal springs from the upflow or contaminated cool springs with the cool uncontaminated springs. This boundary is more or less in agreement with low resisitivity boundary derived from MT and DC resistivity survey. The area defined as part of geothermal area from this method is also validate with drilling data that give high temperature gradient. It suggests that the method use in this study is applicable and reliable.

18F-fluorocholine PET-guided target volume delineation techniques for partial prostate re-irradiation in local recurrent prostate cancer.

PubMed

Wang, Hui; Vees, Hansjörg; Miralbell, Raymond; Wissmeyer, Michael; Steiner, Charles; Ratib, Osman; Senthamizhchelvan, Srinivasan; Zaidi, Habib

2009-11-01

We evaluate the contribution of (18)F-choline PET/CT in the delineation of gross tumour volume (GTV) in local recurrent prostate cancer after initial irradiation using various PET image segmentation techniques. Seventeen patients with local-only recurrent prostate cancer (median=5.7 years) after initial irradiation were included in the study. Rebiopsies were performed in 10 patients that confirmed the local recurrence. Following injection of 300 MBq of (18)F-fluorocholine, dynamic PET frames (3 min each) were reconstructed from the list-mode acquisition. Five PET image segmentation techniques were used to delineate the (18)F-choline-based GTVs. These included manual delineation of contours (GTV(man)) by two teams consisting of a radiation oncologist and a nuclear medicine physician each, a fixed threshold of 40% and 50% of the maximum signal intensity (GTV(40%) and GTV(50%)), signal-to-background ratio-based adaptive thresholding (GTV(SBR)), and a region growing (GTV(RG)) algorithm. Geographic mismatches between the GTVs were also assessed using overlap analysis. Inter-observer variability for manual delineation of GTVs was high but not statistically significant (p=0.459). In addition, the volumes and shapes of GTVs delineated using semi-automated techniques were significantly higher than those of GTVs defined manually. Semi-automated segmentation techniques for (18)F-choline PET-guided GTV delineation resulted in substantially higher GTVs compared to manual delineation and might replace the latter for determination of recurrent prostate cancer for partial prostate re-irradiation. The selection of the most appropriate segmentation algorithm still needs to be determined.

A simplified CT-based definition of the supraclavicular and infraclavicular nodal volumes in breast cancer.

PubMed

Atean, I; Pointreau, Y; Ouldamer, L; Monghal, C; Bougnoux, A; Bera, G; Barillot, I

2013-02-01

The available contouring guidelines for the supraclavicular and infraclavicular lymph nodes appeared to be inadequate for their delineation on non-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans. For this purpose, we developed delineation guidelines for the clinical target volumes (CTV) of these lymph nodes on non-enhanced CT-slices performed in the treatment position of breast cancer. A fresh female cadaver study as well as delineation and an anatomical descriptions review were performed to propose a simplified definition of the supra- and infraclavicular lymph nodes using readily identifiable anatomical structures. This definition was developed jointly by breast radiologists, breast surgeons, and radiation oncologists. To validate these guidelines, the primary investigator and seven radiation oncologists (observers) independently delineated 10 different nodal CTVs. The primary investigator contours were considered to be the gold standard contours. Contour accuracy and concordance were evaluated. Written guidelines for the delineation of supra- and infraclavicular lymph nodes CTVs were developed. Consistent contours with minimal variability existed between the delineated volumes; the mean kappa index was 0.83. The mean common contoured and additional contoured volumes were 84.6% and 18.5%, respectively. The mean overlap volume ratio was 0.71. Simplified CT-based atlas for delineation of the supra- and infraclavicular lymph nodes for locoregional irradiation of the breast on non-enhanced CT-scan, have been developed in this study. This atlas provides a consistent set of guidelines for delineating these volumes. Copyright © 2012 Société française de radiothérapie oncologique (SFRO). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Mapping fracture flow paths with a nanoscale zero-valent iron tracer test and a flowmeter test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chuang, Po-Yu; Chia, Yeeping; Chiu, Yung-Chia; Teng, Mao-Hua; Liou, Sofia Ya Hsuan

2018-02-01

The detection of preferential flow paths and the characterization of their hydraulic properties are important for the development of hydrogeological conceptual models in fractured-rock aquifers. In this study, nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) particles were used as tracers to characterize fracture connectivity between two boreholes in fractured rock. A magnet array was installed vertically in the observation well to attract arriving nZVI particles and identify the location of the incoming tracer. Heat-pulse flowmeter tests were conducted to delineate the permeable fractures in the two wells for the design of the tracer test. The nZVI slurry was released in the screened injection well. The arrival of the slurry in the observation well was detected by an increase in electrical conductivity, while the depth of the connected fracture was identified by the distribution of nZVI particles attracted to the magnet array. The position where the maximum weight of attracted nZVI particles was observed coincides with the depth of a permeable fracture zone delineated by the heat-pulse flowmeter. In addition, a saline tracer test produced comparable results with the nZVI tracer test. Numerical simulation was performed using MODFLOW with MT3DMS to estimate the hydraulic properties of the connected fracture zones between the two wells. The study results indicate that the nZVI particle could be a promising tracer for the characterization of flow paths in fractured rock.

Adaptation of Soil Physical Measurement Techniques for the Delineation of Mud and Lakebed Sediments at Neusiedler See

PubMed Central

Kogelbauer, Ilse; Heine, Erwin; D'Amboise, Christopher; Müllebner, Christoph; Sokol, Wolfgang; Loiskandl, Willibald

2013-01-01

For many water management issues of shallow lakes with non-consolidated sediments hydrographic surveys of the open water area and reed belt areas are required. In the frame of water management strategy for the steppe lake Neusiedler See, located between Austria and Hungary, a hydrographic survey was conducted. In the open water area (water depth ≥1 m) a sediment echosounder was used. To validate these measurements and to distinguish between water, mud, and sediment layers in the shallow lake and reed belt area additional measurements were needed. As no common standard methods are available yet, we developed a measurement system based on two commonly applied soil physical measurement techniques providing reproducible physical values: a capacitive sensor and a cone penetrometer combined with GNSS-positioning enable dynamic measurements of georeferenced vertical water-mud-bedsediments profiles. The system bases on site-specific calibrated sensors and allows instantaneous, in situ measurements. The measurements manifest a sharp water-mud interface by a sudden decline to smaller water content which is a function of the dielectric permittivity. A second decline indicates the transition to compacted mud. That is concurrently the density where the penetrometer starts registering significant penetration resistance. The penetrometer detects shallow lakebed-sediment layers. Within the lake survey this measurement system was successfully tested. PMID:24351626

The U-tube: A novel system for acquiring borehole fluid samples from a deep geologic CO2 sequestration experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Freifeild, Barry M.; Trautz, Robert C.; Kharaka, Yousif K.; Phelps, Tommy J.; Myer, Larry R.; Hovorka, Susan D.; Collins, Daniel J.

2005-01-01

A novel system has been deployed to obtain geochemical samples of water and gas, at in situ pressure, during a geologic CO2 sequestration experiment conducted in the Frio brine aquifer in Liberty County, Texas. Project goals required high-frequency recovery of representative and uncontaminated aliquots of a rapidly changing two-phase fluid (supercritical CO2 and brine) fluid from 1.5 km depth. The data sets collected, using both the liquid and gas portions of the downhole samples, provide insights into the coupled hydrogeochemical issues affecting CO2sequestration in brine-filled formations. While the basic premise underlying the U-tube sampler is not new, the system is unique because careful consideration was given to the processing of the recovered two-phase fluids. In particular, strain gauges mounted beneath the high-pressure surface sample cylinders measured the ratio of recovered brine to supercritical CO2. A quadrupole mass spectrometer provided real-time gas analysis for perfluorocarbon and noble gas tracers that were injected along with the CO2. The U-tube successfully acquired frequent samples, facilitating accurate delineation of the arrival of the CO2 plume, and on-site analysis revealed rapid changes in geochemical conditions.

The U-tube: A novel system for acquiring borehole fluid samples from a deep geologic CO2 sequestration experiment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Freifeild, Barry M.; Trautz, Robert C.; Kharaka, Yousif K.; Phelps, Tommy J.; Myer, Larry R.; Hovorka, Susan D.; Collins, Daniel J.

2005-01-01

A novel system has been deployed to obtain geochemical samples of water and gas, at in situ pressure, during a geologic CO2 sequestration experiment conducted in the Frio brine aquifer in Liberty County, Texas. Project goals required high-frequency recovery of representative and uncontaminated aliquots of a rapidly changing two-phase fluid (supercritical CO2 and brine) fluid from 1.5 km depth. The data sets collected, using both the liquid and gas portions of the downhole samples, provide insights into the coupled hydrogeochemical issues affecting CO2 sequestration in brine-filled formations. While the basic premise underlying the U-tube sampler is not new, the system is unique because careful consideration was given to the processing of the recovered two-phase fluids. In particular, strain gauges mounted beneath the high-pressure surface sample cylinders measured the ratio of recovered brine to supercritical CO2. A quadrupole mass spectrometer provided real-time gas analysis for perfluorocarbon and noble gas tracers that were injected along with the CO2. The U-tube successfully acquired frequent samples, facilitating accurate delineation of the arrival of the CO2 plume, and on-site analysis revealed rapid changes in geochemical conditions.

Need for an Ethical Framework for Testing for Systemic Diseases in Dental Clinics

PubMed Central

Silveira, Marushka Leanne; Chattopadhyay, Amit

2012-01-01

Testing for systemic diseases in dental clinics is a potentially attractive avenue for oral health professionals and may be viewed as an opportunity to increase professional reach, expand practice, and improve financial returns. However, several ethical questions arise that must be addressed before such activities are adopted. (1) What should be the level of training dentists must acquire to deal with challenges associated with testing? (2) How well are dental practices aware of and compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and procedures related to informed consent? (3) What is the evidence regarding acceptability and effectiveness of testing? (4) What should be the acceptable standard of practice for conduct of invasive and noninvasive tests? (5) What is the boundary delineating “testing” and “reporting” vis-à-vis counseling? (6) What is the value of testing without counseling? (7) What assurances need to be in place to ensure voluntariness of testing? (8) How would data from testing be used in “research,” especially with the growth of practice based research networks? and (9) Does the American Dental Association Code of Ethics need to incorporate guidance for practicing dentists? We discuss how ethical principles can be used to develop a framework of guidelines for potential testing for systemic diseases in dental clinics.. PMID:24600534

The U-tube: A novel system for acquiring borehole fluid samples from a deep geologic CO2 sequestration experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freifeld, Barry M.; Trautz, Robert C.; Kharaka, Yousif K.; Phelps, Tommy J.; Myer, Larry R.; Hovorka, Susan D.; Collins, Daniel J.

2005-10-01

A novel system has been deployed to obtain geochemical samples of water and gas, at in situ pressure, during a geologic CO2 sequestration experiment conducted in the Frio brine aquifer in Liberty County, Texas. Project goals required high-frequency recovery of representative and uncontaminated aliquots of a rapidly changing two-phase fluid (supercritical CO2 and brine) fluid from 1.5 km depth. The data sets collected, using both the liquid and gas portions of the downhole samples, provide insights into the coupled hydrogeochemical issues affecting CO2 sequestration in brine-filled formations. While the basic premise underlying the U-tube sampler is not new, the system is unique because careful consideration was given to the processing of the recovered two-phase fluids. In particular, strain gauges mounted beneath the high-pressure surface sample cylinders measured the ratio of recovered brine to supercritical CO2. A quadrupole mass spectrometer provided real-time gas analysis for perfluorocarbon and noble gas tracers that were injected along with the CO2. The U-tube successfully acquired frequent samples, facilitating accurate delineation of the arrival of the CO2 plume, and on-site analysis revealed rapid changes in geochemical conditions.

Human Splice-Site Prediction with Deep Neural Networks.

PubMed

Naito, Tatsuhiko

2018-04-18

Accurate splice-site prediction is essential to delineate gene structures from sequence data. Several computational techniques have been applied to create a system to predict canonical splice sites. For classification tasks, deep neural networks (DNNs) have achieved record-breaking results and often outperformed other supervised learning techniques. In this study, a new method of splice-site prediction using DNNs was proposed. The proposed system receives an input sequence data and returns an answer as to whether it is splice site. The length of input is 140 nucleotides, with the consensus sequence (i.e., "GT" and "AG" for the donor and acceptor sites, respectively) in the middle. Each input sequence model is applied to the pretrained DNN model that determines the probability that an input is a splice site. The model consists of convolutional layers and bidirectional long short-term memory network layers. The pretraining and validation were conducted using the data set tested in previously reported methods. The performance evaluation results showed that the proposed method can outperform the previous methods. In addition, the pattern learned by the DNNs was visualized as position frequency matrices (PFMs). Some of PFMs were very similar to the consensus sequence. The trained DNN model and the brief source code for the prediction system are uploaded. Further improvement will be achieved following the further development of DNNs.

CPT site characterization for seismic hazards in the New Madrid seismic zone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Liao, T.; Mayne, P.W.; Tuttle, M.P.; Schweig, E.S.; Van Arsdale, R.B.

2002-01-01

A series of cone penetration tests (CPTs) were conducted in the vicinity of the New Madrid seismic zone in central USA for quantifying seismic hazards, obtaining geotechnical soil properties, and conducting studies at liquefaction sites related to the 1811-1812 and prehistoric New Madrid earthquakes. The seismic piezocone provides four independent measurements for delineating the stratigraphy, liquefaction potential, and site amplification parameters. At the same location, two independent assessments of soil liquefaction susceptibility can be made using both the normalized tip resistance (qc1N) and shear wave velocity (Vs1). In lieu of traditional deterministic approaches, the CPT data can be processed using probability curves to assess the level and likelihood of future liquefaction occurrence. ?? 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

New Mexico statewide geothermal energy program. Final technical report

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

Icerman, L.; Parker, S.K.

1988-04-01

This report summarizes the results of geothermal energy resource assessment work conducted by the New Mexico Statewide Geothermal Energy Program during the period September 7, 1984, through February 29, 1988, under the sponsorship of the US Dept. of Energy and the State of New Mexico Research and Development Institute. The research program was administered by the New Mexico Research and Development Institute and was conducted by professional staff members at New Mexico State University and Lightning Dock Geothermal, Inc. The report is divided into four chapters, which correspond to the principal tasks delineated in the above grant. This work extendsmore » the knowledge of the geothermal energy resource base in southern New Mexico with the potential for commercial applications.« less

12 CFR 25.41 - Assessment area delineation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... performance assessed). (d) Adjustments to geographic area(s). A bank may adjust the boundaries of its... uses the assessment area(s) delineated by a bank in its evaluation of the bank's CRA performance unless... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Assessment area delineation. 25.41 Section 25...

An advanced computational bioheat transfer model for a human body with an embedded systemic circulation.

PubMed

Coccarelli, Alberto; Boileau, Etienne; Parthimos, Dimitris; Nithiarasu, Perumal

2016-10-01

In the present work, an elaborate one-dimensional thermofluid model for a human body is presented. By contrast to the existing pure conduction-/perfusion-based models, the proposed methodology couples the arterial fluid dynamics of a human body with a multi-segmental bioheat model of surrounding solid tissues. In the present configuration, arterial flow is included through a network of elastic vessels. More than a dozen solid segments are employed to represent the heat conduction in the surrounding tissues, and each segment is constituted by a multilayered circular cylinder. Such multi-layers allow flexible delineation of the geometry and incorporation of properties of different tissue types. The coupling of solid tissue and fluid models requires subdivision of the arterial circulation into large and small arteries. The heat exchange between tissues and arterial wall occurs by convection in large vessels and by perfusion in small arteries. The core region, including the heart, provides the inlet conditions for the fluid equations. In the proposed model, shivering, sweating, and perfusion changes constitute the basis of the thermoregulatory system. The equations governing flow and heat transfer in the circulatory system are solved using a locally conservative Galerkin approach, and the heat conduction in the surrounding tissues is solved using a standard implicit backward Euler method. To investigate the effectiveness of the proposed model, temperature field evolutions are monitored at different points of the arterial tree and in the surrounding tissue layers. To study the differences due to flow-induced convection effects on thermal balance, the results of the current model are compared against those of the widely used modelling methodologies. The results show that the convection significantly influences the temperature distribution of the solid tissues in the vicinity of the arteries. Thus, the inner convection has a more predominant role in the human body heat balance than previously thought. To demonstrate its capabilities, the proposed new model is used to study different scenarios, including thermoregulation inactivity and variation in surrounding atmospheric conditions.

Ultrasonic evaluation of the neonatal brain.

PubMed

Johnson, M L; Rumack, C M

1980-04-01

Ultrasound examination of the infant brain has been performed in selected medical centers for many years. However, the equipment necessary for obtaining satisfactory visualization of the brain has only recently become commercially available. Currently, ultrasonography is an excellent, noninvasive, inexpensive, rapid, and safe imaging modality for the evaluation of hydrocephalus and other pathologic conditions of the neonatal brain. Ventricular size can often be evaluated in infants up to two or three years of age, but a detailed image of the brain parenchyma becomes more difficult to obtain in a term infant after the first two to three months of life. With the use of the water path and high resolution, real-time systems and with the delineation of structures by multiple projections, (axial, coronal, sagittal and occipital), complex abnormalities may be delineated.

Optimal staining methods for delineation of cortical areas and neuron counts in human brains.

PubMed

Uylings, H B; Zilles, K; Rajkowska, G

1999-04-01

For cytoarchitectonic delineation of cortical areas in human brain, the Gallyas staining for somata with its sharp contrast between cell bodies and neuropil is preferable to the classical Nissl staining, the more so when an image analysis system is used. This Gallyas staining, however, does not appear to be appropriate for counting neuron numbers in pertinent brain areas, due to the lack of distinct cytological features between small neurons and glial cells. For cell counting Nissl is preferable. In an optimal design for cell counting at least both the Gallyas and the Nissl staining must be applied, the former staining for cytoarchitectural delineaton of cortical areas and the latter for counting the number of neurons in the pertinent cortical areas. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

High frequency electromagnetic impedance measurements for characterization, monitoring and verification efforts. 1998 annual progress report

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

Lee, K.H.; Pellerin, L.; Becker, A.

1998-06-01

'Non-invasive, high-resolution imaging of the shallow subsurface is needed for delineation of buried waste, detection of unexploded ordinance, verification and monitoring of containment structures, and other environmental applications. Electromagnetic measurements at frequencies between 1 and 100 MHz are important for such applications, because the induction number of many targets is small due, and the ability to determine the dielectric permittivity in addition to electrical conductivity of the subsurface is possible. Earlier workers were successful in developing systems for detecting anomalous areas, but no quantifiable information was accurately determined. For high resolution imaging, accurate measurements are necessary so the field datamore » can be mapped into the space of the subsurface parameters. The authors are developing a non-invasive method for accurately imaging the electrical conductivity and dielectric permittivity of the shallow subsurface using the plane wave impedance approach, known as the magnetotelluric (MT) method at low frequencies. Electric and magnetic sensors are being tested in a known area against theoretical predictions, thereby insuring that the data collected with the high-frequency impedance (HFI) system will support high-resolution, multi-dimensional imaging techniques. The summary of the work to date is divided into three sections: equipment procurement, instrumentation, and theoretical developments. For most earth materials, the frequency range from 1 to 100 MHz encompasses a very difficult transition zone between the wave propagation of displacement currents and the diffusive behavior of conduction currents. Test equipment, such as signal generators and amplifiers, does not cover the entire range except at great expense. Hence the authors have divided the range of investigation into three sub-ranges: 1--10 MHz, 10--30 MHz, and 30--100 MHz. Results to date are in the lowest frequency range of 1--10 MHz. Even though conduction currents dominate in this range, as in traditional electromagnetic exploration methods, little work has been done by the geophysical community above 500 kHz.'« less

The reactive bed plasma system for contamination control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birmingham, Joseph G.; Moore, Robert R.; Perry, Tony R.

1990-01-01

The contamination control capabilities of the Reactive Bed Plasma (RBP) system is described by delineating the results of toxic chemical composition studies, aerosol filtration work, and other testing. The RBP system has demonstrated its capabilities to decompose toxic materials and process hazardous aerosols. The post-treatment requirements for the reaction products have possible solutions. Although additional work is required to meet NASA requirements, the RBP may be able to meet contamination control problems aboard the Space Station.

Naturally occurring deletions/insertions in HBV core promoter tend to decrease in hepatitis B e antigen-positive chronic hepatitis B patients during antiviral therapy.

PubMed

Peng, Yaqin; Liu, Baoming; Hou, Jinlin; Sun, Jian; Hao, Ran; Xiang, Kuanhui; Yan, Ling; Zhang, Jiangbo; Zhuang, Hui; Li, Tong

2015-01-01

Mutations in HBV core promoter (CP) are suggested to affect viral replication and disease progression. We investigated CP deletion/insertion mutations (Del/Ins) in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients before and during antiviral treatment. Direct and clone sequencings were used for detection of CP Del/Ins in 12 patients. The dynamic changes of CP Del/Ins were tracked in these cases until week 48 of treatment. The effects of Del/Ins on CP activities and hepatitis B X protein (HBx) were analysed using luciferase assay and sequence comparison, respectively. Furthermore, 292 untreated HBeAg-positive CHB cases were also analysed. Twelve cases with multi-peak PCR direct sequencing electropherograms at baseline were confirmed to have CP Del/Ins by clone sequencing, with detection rates varying from 14.8% to 93.3% of clones analysed. Follow-up studies showed the detection rates of CP Del/Ins in patients decreased from 100% (12/12) at baseline to 16.7% (2/12) at week 48 of treatment (P<0.001), in parallel with a decline in HBV DNA, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels along with an increase in HBeAg loss. Luciferase assay results showed distinct promoter activities among Del/Ins-harbouring CP sequences. Importantly, 71.8% (148/206) of Del/Ins sequences potentially resulted in HBx carboxy-terminal truncations. CP Del/Ins mutations were also found in 27.4% (80/292) of untreated cases. Naturally occurring complex of CP Del/Ins mutants existed in untreated HBeAg-positive CHB patients. These mutations would affect HBV transcription activities and integrity of HBx, which might correlate with disease progression. Their prevalence decreases on antiviral therapy in parallel with the decline in HBV DNA, HBsAg and ALT and AST levels.

Storm and Clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

[figure removed for brevity, see original site]

Yesterday's storm front was moving westward, today's moves eastward. Note the thick cloud cover and beautifully delineated cloud tops.

Image information: VIS instrument. Latitude 72.1, Longitude 308.3 East (51.7 West). 40 meter/pixel resolution.

Note: this THEMIS visual image has not been radiometrically nor geometrically calibrated for this preliminary release. An empirical correction has been performed to remove instrumental effects. A linear shift has been applied in the cross-track and down-track direction to approximate spacecraft and planetary motion. Fully calibrated and geometrically projected images will be released through the Planetary Data System in accordance with Project policies at a later time.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory manages the 2001 Mars Odyssey mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. The Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) was developed by Arizona State University, Tempe, in collaboration with Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The THEMIS investigation is led by Dr. Philip Christensen at Arizona State University. Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, is the prime contractor for the Odyssey project, and developed and built the orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Flow-induced 2D protein crystallization: characterization of the coupled interfacial and bulk flows.

PubMed

Young, James E; Posada, David; Lopez, Juan M; Hirsa, Amir H

2015-05-14

Two-dimensional crystallization of the protein streptavidin, crystallizing below a biotinylated lipid film spread on a quiescent air-water interface is a well studied phenomenon. More recently, 2D crystallization induced by a shearing interfacial flow has been observed at film surface pressures significantly lower than those required in a quiescent system. Here, we quantify the interfacial and bulk flow associated with 2D protein crystallization through numerical modeling of the flow along with a Newtonian surface model. Experiments were conducted over a wide range of conditions resulting in a state diagram delineating the flow strength required to induce crystals for various surface pressures. Through measurements of the velocity profile at the air-water interface, we found that even in the cases where crystals are formed, the macroscopic flow at the interface is well described by the Newtonian model. However, the results show that even in the absence of any protein in the system, the viscous response of the biotinylated lipid film is complicated and strongly dependent on the strength of the flow. This observation suggests that the insoluble lipid film plays a key role in flow-induced 2D protein crystallization.

Dynamic effective properties of heterogeneous geological formations with spherical inclusions under periodic time variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabinovich, A.; Dagan, G.; Miloh, T.

2013-04-01

In unsteady groundwater flow (or similar processes of heat/electrical conduction), the heterogeneous medium structure is characterized by two random properties, the conductivity K and the specific storativity S. The average head field ⟨H ⟩and the associated effective properties Kef, Sef are determined for a layer with a periodic head drop between boundaries, such that H is periodic in time, and a medium made up of a matrix with a dilute concentration of spherical inclusions. In the common quasi-steady approximation, Kef is equal to the classical steady solution while Sef = SA, the arithmetic mean. We derive expressions for the frequency dependent Kef, Sef, which are generally complex, i.e., dynamic. The main result is the delineation of the ranges of the parameters: dimensionless frequency (ω) and contrasts of conductivity (κ) and storativity (s) between the matrix and the inclusions, for which dynamic effects are significant.

The influence of heterogeneity on coastal groundwater flow - physical and numerical modeling of fringing reefs, dykes and structured conductivity fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houben, Georg J.; Stoeckl, Leonard; Mariner, Katrina E.; Choudhury, Anis S.

2018-03-01

Geological heterogeneity of the subsurface, caused by both discrete features and spatially distributed hydraulic conductivity fields, affects the flow of coastal groundwater. It influences the shape and the position of the interface between saltwater and freshwater, as well as the location and flux rate of freshwater discharge to the ocean. Fringing reefs lead to a bimodal regime of freshwater discharge, with discharge at the beach face and through deeper, submarine springs. Impermeable vertical flow barriers (dykes) lead to an impoundment of fresh groundwater and a compartmentalization of the aquifer but also to a delayed expulsion of saline water. Spatially distributed conductivity fields affect the shape of the interface and the geometry of the saltwater wedge. Higher effective conductivities lead to a further landward intrusion of the wedge toe. These flow characteristics can be important for groundwater extraction, the delineation of protection zones and the assessment of contaminant transport to coastal ecosystems.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO FACULTY AND STUDENT ACCEPTANCE OF INSTRUCTIONAL TELEVISION, TEMP II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SANFORD, FILLMORE H.

PERTINENT FACTORS WERE DELINEATED IN THE ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF TELEVISED INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS USED WITH THE TEXAS EDUCATIONAL MICROWAVE PROJECT (TEMP)--AN EFFORT LINKING 11 COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES BY MICROWAVE TRANSMITTERS TO PROVIDE AN INTEGRATED CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION SYSTEM. DATA-GATHERING INSTRUMENTS WERE INTERVIEWS,…

The Global-Market Doctrine: A Study in Fundamentalist Theology. The Iconoclast.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMurty, John

1997-01-01

Presents an interesting metaphorical critique of the current enthusiasm for the global market and the free market system. Delineates 10 defining principles of a fundamentalist theological doctrine and then suggests replacing the term "global market" with "Supreme Ruler." Criticizes free market capitalism as being occasionally…

Using Microcomputers in School Administration. Fastback No. 248.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connors, Eugene T.; Valesky, Thomas C.

This "fastback" outlines the steps to take in computerizing school administration. After an introduction that lists the potential benefits of microcomputers in administrative offices, the booklet begins by delineating a three-step process for establishing an administrative computer system: (1) creating a district-level committee of administrators,…

Modula-3 Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cardelli, Luca; And Others

Designed by the DEC Systems Research Center and the Olivetti Research Center, the programming language Modula-3 descends from Mesa, Modula-2, Cedar, and Module-2+, and resembles Object Pascal, Oberon, and Euclid. A notable feature of this language family is the use of modules to delineate the separation between the implementation and the use of…

AgroEcoSystem-Watershed (AgES-W) model delineation and scaling

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Water movement and storage within an agricultural watershed can be simulated at different spatial resolutions of land areas or hydrological response units (HRUs). Interactions between HRUs in space and time vary with the HRU sizes, such that natural scaling relationships are confounded with the simu...

Weapons in Schools. NSSC Resource Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butterfield, George E., Ed.; Turner, Brenda, Ed.

More than ever, our public school system must confront weapons in schools and become aware of steadily rising statistics on youth homicide and suicide. This report delineates the problem, discusses why children carry weapons to school, and outlines strategies for keeping weapons out of schools and for improving school safety. Although some…

Methodological Gravitism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaman, Muhammad

2011-01-01

In this paper the author presents the case of the exchange marriage system to delineate a model of methodological gravitism. Such a model is not a deviation from or alteration to the existing qualitative research approaches. I have adopted culturally specific methodology to investigate spouse selection in line with the Grounded Theory Method. This…

PREVENTING CONTAMINATION OF PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY WELLS USING COMPUTERIZED MODELING AND MAPPING TOOLS

EPA Science Inventory

The EPA Office of Research and Development and the Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water have collaborated since 1998 on the development of a public domain ground-water flow modeling system designed to facilitate capture zone delineation and protection area mapping for public...

Towards a Participatory Strategy for Integrated Rural Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowdermilk, Max; Laitos, W. Robert

1981-01-01

Details essential elements of any rural development program, describes a seven-stage project development strategy which has proved successful in water management projects in Pakistan and Egypt, delineates the key concepts in each of the seven stages, and recommends integration of the client system into rural development programs. (Author)

The CAS Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garner, Sue

2004-01-01

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) Computer Algebra System (CAS)Pilot study (2001-2005) is monitoring the use of CAS in senior secondary mathematics. This article explores the author's experiences in the CAS classroom and delineates changes in teaching style, as a result of the introduction of CAS into the senior mathematics…

Ocean color, a three component system?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yentsch, C. S.; Owen, W. P.

1972-01-01

This study measures the concentrations of phytoplankton chlorophyll and yellow substance in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine. Sea surface observations attempt to delineate the principal biochemical parameters responsible for sea surface color. It is shown that the reddish-brown water changed to a blue-green in the open gulf.

Delirium diagnosis defined by cluster analysis of symptoms versus diagnosis by DSM and ICD criteria: diagnostic accuracy study.

PubMed

Sepulveda, Esteban; Franco, José G; Trzepacz, Paula T; Gaviria, Ana M; Meagher, David J; Palma, José; Viñuelas, Eva; Grau, Imma; Vilella, Elisabet; de Pablo, Joan

2016-05-26

Information on validity and reliability of delirium criteria is necessary for clinicians, researchers, and further developments of DSM or ICD. We compare four DSM and ICD delirium diagnostic criteria versions, which were developed by consensus of experts, with a phenomenology-based natural diagnosis delineated using cluster analysis of delirium features in a sample with a high prevalence of dementia. We also measured inter-rater reliability of each system when applied by two evaluators from distinct disciplines. Cross-sectional analysis of 200 consecutive patients admitted to a skilled nursing facility, independently assessed within 24-48 h after admission with the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R98) and for DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, DSM-5, and ICD-10 criteria for delirium. Cluster analysis (CA) delineated natural delirium and nondelirium reference groups using DRS-R98 items and then diagnostic systems' performance were evaluated against the CA-defined groups using logistic regression and crosstabs for discriminant analysis (sensitivity, specificity, percentage of subjects correctly classified by each diagnostic system and their individual criteria, and performance for each system when excluding each individual criterion are reported). Kappa Index (K) was used to report inter-rater reliability for delirium diagnostic systems and their individual criteria. 117 (58.5 %) patients had preexisting dementia according to the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly. CA delineated 49 delirium subjects and 151 nondelirium. Against these CA groups, delirium diagnosis accuracy was highest using DSM-III-R (87.5 %) followed closely by DSM-IV (86.0 %), ICD-10 (85.5 %) and DSM-5 (84.5 %). ICD-10 had the highest specificity (96.0 %) but lowest sensitivity (53.1 %). DSM-III-R had the best sensitivity (81.6 %) and the best sensitivity-specificity balance. DSM-5 had the highest inter-rater reliability (K =0.73) while DSM-III-R criteria were the least reliable. Using our CA-defined, phenomenologically-based delirium designations as the reference standard, we found performance discordance among four diagnostic systems when tested in subjects where comorbid dementia was prevalent. The most complex diagnostic systems have higher accuracy and the newer DSM-5 have higher reliability. Our novel phenomenological approach to designing a delirium reference standard may be preferred to guide revisions of diagnostic systems in the future.

Geological and geophysical analysis of Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole No. 1 (CGEH-1), Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California

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

Galbraith, R.M.

1978-05-01

The Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole number one (CGEH-1) was drilled in the Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California, from September 2 to December 2, 1977. Chip samples were collected at ten foot intervals and extensive geophysical logging surveys were conducted to document the geologic character of the geothermal system as penetrated by CGEH-1. The major rock units encountered include a mafic metamorphic sequence and a leucogranite which intruded the metamorphic rocks. Only weak hydrothermal alteration was noted in these rocks. Drillhole surveys and drilling rate data indicate that the geothermal system is structurally controlled and that the drillhole itself was stronglymore » influenced by structural zones. Water chemistry indicates that this geothermal resource is a hot-water rather than a vapor-dominated system. Several geophysical logs were employed to characcterize the drillhole geology. The natural gamma and neutron porosity logs indicate gross rock type and the accoustic logs indicate fractured rock and potentially permeable zones. A series of temperature logs run as a function of time during and after the completion of drilling were most useful in delineating the zones of maximum heat flux. Convective heat flow and temperatures greater than 350/sup 0/F appear to occur only along an open fracture system encountered between depths of 1850 and 2775 feet. Temperature logs indicate a negative thermal gradient below 3000 feet.« less

Geological and geophysical analysis of Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole No. 1 (CGEH-1), Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California

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

Galbraith, R.M.

1978-05-01

The Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole number one (CGEH-1) was drilled in the Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California from September 2 to December 2, 1977. Chip samples were collected at ten foot intervals and extensive geophysical logging surveys were conducted to document the geologic character of the geothermal system as penetrated by CGEH-1. The major rock units encountered include a mafic metamorphic sequence and a leucogranite which intruded the metamorphic rocks. Only weak hydrothermal alteration was noted in these rocks. Drillhole surveys and drilling rate data indicate that the geothermal system is structurally controlled and that the drillhole itself was stronglymore » influenced by structural zones. Water chemistry indicates that this geothermal resource is a hot-water rather than a vapor-dominated system. Several geophysical logs were employed to characterize the drillhole geology. The natural gamma and neutron porosity logs indicate gross rock type and the acoustic logs indicate fractured rock and potentially permeable zones. A series of temperature logs run as a function of time during and after the completion of drilling were most useful in delineating the zones of maximum heat flux. Convective heat flow and temperatures greater than 350/sup 0/F appear to occur only along an open fracture system encountered between depths of 1850 and 2775 feet. Temperature logs indicate a negative thermal gradient below 3000 feet.« less

Nurturing for Careers in Drug Use and Crime: Conduct Norms for Children and Juveniles in Crack-Using Households

PubMed Central

Johnson, Bruce D.; Dunlap, Eloise; Maher, Lisa

2009-01-01

A very sizable proportion of juvenile delinquents and adult criminals come from backgrounds and family kin systems having deviant parents or kin. This paper provides a focus upon the child-rearing practices directly observed by trained ethnographer during a case study of one highly criminal, drug-using household/kin network. The concrete expectations (and actual practices)—called conduct norms—with which the household adults respond to (or “nurture”) children and juveniles are delineated. While children are taught to “pay attention” to what adults do, adults typically model various deviant activities and rarely engage in conventional behaviors. Drug-using, and especially crack-using, men and women are expected not to raise (or financially support) children born to them; other kin expect to raise children of such unions. Children are not expected, nor able, to develop strong affective bonds with any household adults, and receive little or no psychological parenting. Adults do not take strong measures to protect children/juveniles from harm, and often adults are a major source of harm. In many ways the conduct norms in such crack-using households are well designed to “nurture” those persons who will be antisocial as children, delinquents as juveniles, and become criminals, drug misusers, and prostitutes in adulthood—and who have very few chances to become conventional adults. [Translations are provided in the International Abstracts Section of this issue.] PMID:9657414

Assessment of accuracy and efficiency of atlas-based autosegmentation for prostate radiotherapy in a variety of clinical conditions.

PubMed

Simmat, I; Georg, P; Georg, D; Birkfellner, W; Goldner, G; Stock, M

2012-09-01

The goal of the current study was to evaluate the commercially available atlas-based autosegmentation software for clinical use in prostate radiotherapy. The accuracy was benchmarked against interobserver variability. A total of 20 planning computed tomographs (CTs) and 10 cone-beam CTs (CBCTs) were selected for prostate, rectum, and bladder delineation. The images varied regarding to individual (age, body mass index) and setup parameters (contrast agent, rectal balloon, implanted markers). Automatically created contours with ABAS(®) and iPlan(®) were compared to an expert's delineation by calculating the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and conformity index. Demo-atlases of both systems showed different results for bladder (DSC(ABAS) 0.86 ± 0.17, DSC(iPlan) 0.51 ± 0.30) and prostate (DSC(ABAS) 0.71 ± 0.14, DSC(iPlan) 0.57 ± 0.19). Rectum delineation (DSC(ABAS) 0.78 ± 0.11, DSC(iPlan) 0.84 ± 0.08) demonstrated differences between the systems but better correlation of the automatically drawn volumes. ABAS(®) was closest to the interobserver benchmark. Autosegmentation with iPlan(®), ABAS(®) and manual segmentation took 0.5, 4 and 15-20 min, respectively. Automatic contouring on CBCT showed high dependence on image quality (DSC bladder 0.54, rectum 0.42, prostate 0.34). For clinical routine, efforts are still necessary to either redesign algorithms implemented in autosegmentation or to optimize image quality for CBCT to guarantee required accuracy and time savings for adaptive radiotherapy.

Comparison of five segmentation tools for 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose-positron emission tomography-based target volume definition in head and neck cancer.

PubMed

Schinagl, Dominic A X; Vogel, Wouter V; Hoffmann, Aswin L; van Dalen, Jorn A; Oyen, Wim J; Kaanders, Johannes H A M

2007-11-15

Target-volume delineation for radiation treatment to the head and neck area traditionally is based on physical examination, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging. Additional molecular imaging with (18)F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) may improve definition of the gross tumor volume (GTV). In this study, five methods for tumor delineation on FDG-PET are compared with CT-based delineation. Seventy-eight patients with Stages II-IV squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck area underwent coregistered CT and FDG-PET. The primary tumor was delineated on CT, and five PET-based GTVs were obtained: visual interpretation, applying an isocontour of a standardized uptake value of 2.5, using a fixed threshold of 40% and 50% of the maximum signal intensity, and applying an adaptive threshold based on the signal-to-background ratio. Absolute GTV volumes were compared, and overlap analyses were performed. The GTV method of applying an isocontour of a standardized uptake value of 2.5 failed to provide successful delineation in 45% of cases. For the other PET delineation methods, volume and shape of the GTV were influenced heavily by the choice of segmentation tool. On average, all threshold-based PET-GTVs were smaller than on CT. Nevertheless, PET frequently detected significant tumor extension outside the GTV delineated on CT (15-34% of PET volume). The choice of segmentation tool for target-volume definition of head and neck cancer based on FDG-PET images is not trivial because it influences both volume and shape of the resulting GTV. With adequate delineation, PET may add significantly to CT- and physical examination-based GTV definition.

Nine steps to risk-informed wellhead protection and management: Methods and application to the Burgberg Catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowak, W.; Enzenhoefer, R.; Bunk, T.

2013-12-01

Wellhead protection zones are commonly delineated via advective travel time analysis without considering any aspects of model uncertainty. In the past decade, research efforts produced quantifiable risk-based safety margins for protection zones. They are based on well vulnerability criteria (e.g., travel times, exposure times, peak concentrations) cast into a probabilistic setting, i.e., they consider model and parameter uncertainty. Practitioners still refrain from applying these new techniques for mainly three reasons. (1) They fear the possibly cost-intensive additional areal demand of probabilistic safety margins, (2) probabilistic approaches are allegedly complex, not readily available, and consume huge computing resources, and (3) uncertainty bounds are fuzzy, whereas final decisions are binary. The primary goal of this study is to show that these reservations are unjustified. We present a straightforward and computationally affordable framework based on a novel combination of well-known tools (e.g., MODFLOW, PEST, Monte Carlo). This framework provides risk-informed decision support for robust and transparent wellhead delineation under uncertainty. Thus, probabilistic risk-informed wellhead protection is possible with methods readily available for practitioners. As vivid proof of concept, we illustrate our key points on a pumped karstic well catchment, located in Germany. In the case study, we show that reliability levels can be increased by re-allocating the existing delineated area at no increase in delineated area. This is achieved by simply swapping delineated low-risk areas against previously non-delineated high-risk areas. Also, we show that further improvements may often be available at only low additional delineation area. Depending on the context, increases or reductions of delineated area directly translate to costs and benefits, if the land is priced, or if land owners need to be compensated for land use restrictions.

A hierarchical network-based algorithm for multi-scale watershed delineation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castronova, Anthony M.; Goodall, Jonathan L.

2014-11-01

Watershed delineation is a process for defining a land area that contributes surface water flow to a single outlet point. It is a commonly used in water resources analysis to define the domain in which hydrologic process calculations are applied. There has been a growing effort over the past decade to improve surface elevation measurements in the U.S., which has had a significant impact on the accuracy of hydrologic calculations. Traditional watershed processing on these elevation rasters, however, becomes more burdensome as data resolution increases. As a result, processing of these datasets can be troublesome on standard desktop computers. This challenge has resulted in numerous works that aim to provide high performance computing solutions to large data, high resolution data, or both. This work proposes an efficient watershed delineation algorithm for use in desktop computing environments that leverages existing data, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Hydrography Dataset Plus (NHD+), and open source software tools to construct watershed boundaries. This approach makes use of U.S. national-level hydrography data that has been precomputed using raster processing algorithms coupled with quality control routines. Our approach uses carefully arranged data and mathematical graph theory to traverse river networks and identify catchment boundaries. We demonstrate this new watershed delineation technique, compare its accuracy with traditional algorithms that derive watershed solely from digital elevation models, and then extend our approach to address subwatershed delineation. Our findings suggest that the open-source hierarchical network-based delineation procedure presented in the work is a promising approach to watershed delineation that can be used summarize publicly available datasets for hydrologic model input pre-processing. Through our analysis, we explore the benefits of reusing the NHD+ datasets for watershed delineation, and find that the our technique offers greater flexibility and extendability than traditional raster algorithms.

Delineating the Impact of Weightlessness on Human Physiology Using Computational Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kassemi, Mohammad

2015-01-01

Microgravity environment has profound effects on several important human physiological systems. The impact of weightlessness is usually indirect as mediated by changes in the biological fluid flow and transport and alterations in the deformation and stress fields of the compliant tissues. In this context, Fluid-Structural and Fluid-Solid Interaction models provide a valuable tool in delineating the physical origins of the physiological changes so that systematic countermeasures can be devised to reduce their adverse effects. In this presentation, impact of gravity on three human physiological systems will be considered. The first case involves prediction of cardiac shape change and altered stress distributions in weightlessness. The second, presents a fluid-structural-interaction (FSI) analysis and assessment of the vestibular system and explores the reasons behind the unexpected microgravity caloric stimulation test results performed aboard the Skylab. The last case investigates renal stone development in microgravity and the possible impact of re-entry into partial gravity on the development and transport of nucleating, growing, and agglomerating renal calculi in the nephron. Finally, the need for model validation and verification and application of the FSI models to assess the effects of Artificial Gravity (AG) are also briefly discussed.

Automated Wetland Delineation from Multi-Frequency and Multi-Polarized SAR Images in High Temporal and Spatial Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moser, L.; Schmitt, A.; Wendleder, A.

2016-06-01

Water scarcity is one of the main challenges posed by the changing climate. Especially in semi-arid regions where water reservoirs are filled during the very short rainy season, but have to store enough water for the extremely long dry season, the intelligent handling of water resources is vital. This study focusses on Lac Bam in Burkina Faso, which is the largest natural lake of the country and of high importance for the local inhabitants for irrigated farming, animal watering, and extraction of water for drinking and sanitation. With respect to the competition for water resources an independent area-wide monitoring system is essential for the acceptance of any decision maker. The following contribution introduces a weather and illumination independent monitoring system for the automated wetland delineation with a high temporal (about two weeks) and a high spatial sampling (about five meters). The similarities of the multispectral and multi-polarized SAR acquisitions by RADARSAT-2 and TerraSAR-X are studied as well as the differences. The results indicate that even basic approaches without pre-classification time series analysis or post-classification filtering are already enough to establish a monitoring system of prime importance for a whole region.

2007 Precision Strike PEO Summer Forum - Joint Perspectives on Precision Engagement

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-11

Status,” Colonel Richard Justice, USAF—Commander of the Miniature Munitions Systems Group (MMSG), Eglin Air Force Base “Unmanned Systems (UAS) Roadmap...Role in the Roadmap Implementation Methods & Processes Working Group Issues delineated in Implementation Plan form basis for JTEM methodology...Test and Evaluation JMETC – Joint Mission Environment Test Capability WG – Working Group DOT&E AT&L DOT&E Unclassified 5 Background: JTEM Problem

The Disk Instability Model for SU UMa systems - a Comparison of the Thermal-Tidal Model and Plain Vanilla Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannizzo, John K.

2017-01-01

We utilize the time dependent accretion disk model described by Ichikawa & Osaki (1992) to explore two basic ideas for the outbursts in the SU UMa systems, Osaki's Thermal-Tidal Model, and the basic accretion disk limit cycle model. We explore a range in possible input parameters and model assumptions to delineate under what conditions each model may be preferred.

Manned remote work station development article. Volume 1, book 2, appendix B: Trade and design definition studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

System trades, evaluations, and selection were organized under the appropriate manned remote work station roles and subsystems. Those trades/evaluations that have an impact on simulator fidelity were given emphasis in terms of identifying alternate concepts, making a selection, and defining the system approach. Those trades that do not impact simulator fidelity have the issues delineated and future study requirements identified.

Application of the marine Ex-Bz transient system for delineating near shore resistive targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levi, Eldad; Goldman, Mark

2017-09-01

Under certain conditions, multidimensional coastal effect significantly enhances relative target response of the broadside transient marine Ex-Bz system. The effect is caused by a redistribution of the induced currents between the resistive target and the sea bottom compared to that existing in a 1-D geometry. As a result, the effect strongly depends on specific geoelectric conditions in the near-shore environment. The first study of the effect in the Mediterranean coast of central Israel was addressing shallow groundwater problem under specific geoelectric, hydrogeological and geomorphological conditions. Under different conditions (e.g. deep targets and sharp near-shore bathymetry), the influence of the effect on target response might be significantly different. More general analysis carried out in this study comprises various geoelectric scenarios that include both shallow and deep resistive targets at different distances from the shore line as well as various geometries of the target and the near-shore bathymetry. The study includes three major exploration aspects of the system, namely signal detectability, lateral and vertical resolution. Taking into account poor lateral resolution of the classical frequency domain CSEM and the limited application in shallow sea, the described broadside transient Ex-Bz system might represent a desired alternative for delineating shallow and deep resistive targets in transition zone.

Oriented active shape models.

PubMed

Liu, Jiamin; Udupa, Jayaram K

2009-04-01

Active shape models (ASM) are widely employed for recognizing anatomic structures and for delineating them in medical images. In this paper, a novel strategy called oriented active shape models (OASM) is presented in an attempt to overcome the following five limitations of ASM: 1) lower delineation accuracy, 2) the requirement of a large number of landmarks, 3) sensitivity to search range, 4) sensitivity to initialization, and 5) inability to fully exploit the specific information present in the given image to be segmented. OASM effectively combines the rich statistical shape information embodied in ASM with the boundary orientedness property and the globally optimal delineation capability of the live wire methodology of boundary segmentation. The latter characteristics allow live wire to effectively separate an object boundary from other nonobject boundaries with similar properties especially when they come very close in the image domain. The approach leads to a two-level dynamic programming method, wherein the first level corresponds to boundary recognition and the second level corresponds to boundary delineation, and to an effective automatic initialization method. The method outputs a globally optimal boundary that agrees with the shape model if the recognition step is successful in bringing the model close to the boundary in the image. Extensive evaluation experiments have been conducted by utilizing 40 image (magnetic resonance and computed tomography) data sets in each of five different application areas for segmenting breast, liver, bones of the foot, and cervical vertebrae of the spine. Comparisons are made between OASM and ASM based on precision, accuracy, and efficiency of segmentation. Accuracy is assessed using both region-based false positive and false negative measures and boundary-based distance measures. The results indicate the following: 1) The accuracy of segmentation via OASM is considerably better than that of ASM; 2) The number of landmarks can be reduced by a factor of 3 in OASM over that in ASM; 3) OASM becomes largely independent of search range and initialization becomes automatic. All three benefits of OASM ensue mainly from the severe constraints brought in by the boundary-orientedness property of live wire and the globally optimal solution found by the 2-level dynamic programming algorithm.

LNAPL source zone delineation using soil gases in a heterogeneous silty-sand aquifer.

PubMed

Cohen, Grégory J V; Jousse, Florie; Luze, Nicolas; Höhener, Patrick; Atteia, Olivier

2016-09-01

Source delineation of hydrocarbon contaminated sites is of high importance for remediation work. However, traditional methods like soil core extraction and analysis or recent Membrane Interface Probe methods are time consuming and costly. Therefore, the development of an in situ method based on soil gas analysis can be interesting. This includes the direct measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in soil gas taken from gas probes using a PID (Photo Ionization Detector) and the analysis of other soil gases related to VOC degradation distribution (CH4, O2, CO2) or related to presence of Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL) as (222)Rn. However, in widespread heterogeneous formations, delineation by gas measurements becomes more challenging. The objective of this study is twofold: (i) to analyse the potential of several in situ gas measurement techniques in comparison to soil coring for LNAPL source delineation at a heterogeneous contaminated site where the techniques might be limited by a low diffusion potential linked to the presence of fine sands and silts, and (ii) to analyse the effect of vertical sediment heterogeneities on the performance of these gas measurement methods. Thus, five types of gases were analysed: VOCs, their three related degradation products O2, CO2 and CH4 and (222)Rn. Gas measurements were compared to independent LNAPL analysis by coring. This work was conducted at an old industrial site frequently contaminated by a Diesel-Fuel mixture located in a heterogeneous fine-grained aquifer. Results show that in such heterogeneous media migration of reactive gases like VOCs occurs only across small distances and the VOC concentrations sampled with gas probes are mainly related to local conditions rather than the presence of LNAPL below the gas probe. (222)Rn is not well correlated with LNAPL because of sediment heterogeneity. Oxygen, CO2, and especially CH4, have larger lengths of diffusion and give the clearest picture for LNAPL presence at this site even when the gas probe is somewhat distant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Improved Representation of Regional Boundaries on Parcellated Morphological Surfaces

PubMed Central

Hao, Xuejun; Xu, Dongrong; Bansal, Ravi; Liu, Jun; Peterson, Bradley S.

2010-01-01

Establishing the correspondences of brain anatomy with function is important for understanding neuroimaging data. Regional delineations on morphological surfaces define anatomical landmarks and help to visualize and interpret both functional data and morphological measures mapped onto the cortical surface. We present an efficient algorithm that accurately delineates the morphological surface of the cerebral cortex in real time during generation of the surface using information from parcellated 3D data. With this accurate region delineation, we then develop methods for boundary-preserved simplification and smoothing, as well as procedures for the automated correction of small, misclassified regions to improve the quality of the delineated surface. We demonstrate that our delineation algorithm, together with a new method for double-snapshot visualization of cortical regions, can be used to establish a clear correspondence between brain anatomy and mapped quantities, such as morphological measures, across groups of subjects. PMID:21144708

pyLIDEM: A Python-Based Tool to Delineate Coastal Watersheds Using LIDAR Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Banion, R.; Alameddine, I.; Gronewold, A.; Reckhow, K.

2008-12-01

Accurately identifying the boundary of a watershed is one of the most fundamental and important steps in any hydrological assessment. Representative applications include defining a study area, predicting overland flow, estimating groundwater infiltration, modeling pollutant accumulation and wash-off rates, and evaluating effectiveness of pollutant mitigation measures. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program, the most comprehensive water quality management program in the United States (US), is just one example of an application in which accurate and efficient watershed delineation tools play a critical role. For example, many impaired water bodies currently being addressed through the TMDL program drain small coastal watersheds with relatively flat terrain, making watershed delineation particularly challenging. Most of these TMDL studies use 30-meter digital elevation models (DEMs) that rarely capture all of the small elevation changes in coastal watersheds, leading to errors not only in watershed boundary delineation, but in subsequent model predictions (such as watershed runoff flow and pollutant deposition rate predictions) for which watershed attributes are key inputs. Manually delineating these low-relief coastal watersheds through the use of expert knowledge of local water flow patterns, often produces relatively accurate (and often more accurate) watershed boundaries as compared to the boundaries generated by the 30-meter DEMs. Yet, manual delineation is a costly and time consuming procedure that is often not opted for. There is a growing need, therefore, particularly to address the ongoing needs of the TMDL program (and similar environmental management programs), for software tools which can utilize high resolution topography data to more accurately delineate coastal watersheds. Here, we address this need by developing pyLIDEM (python LIdar DEM), a python-based tool which processes bare earth high-resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data, generates fine scale DEMs, and delineates watershed boundaries for a given pour point. Because LIDAR data are typically distributed in large sets of predefined tiles, our tool is capable of combining only the minimum number of bare earth LIDAR tiles required to delineate a watershed of interest. Our tool then processes the LIDAR data into Triangulated Irregular Networks, generates DEMs at user- specified cell sizes, and creates the required files needed to delineate watersheds within ArcGIS. To make pyLIDEM more accessible to the modeling community, we have bundled it within an ArcGIS toolbox, which also allows users to run it directly from an ArcGIS platform. We assess pyLIDEM functionality and accuracy by delineating several impaired small coastal watersheds in the Newport River Estuary in Eastern North Carolina using LIDAR data collected for the North Carolina Flood Mapping Program. We then compare the pyLIDAR-based watershed boundaries with those generated manually and with those generated using the 30-meter DEMs, and find that the pyLIDAR-based boundaries are more accurate than the 30-meter DEMs, and provide a significant time savings compared to manual delineation, particularly in cases where multiple watersheds need to be delineated for a single project.

Theory and Practice of Lineage Tracing.

PubMed

Hsu, Ya-Chieh

2015-11-01

Lineage tracing is a method that delineates all progeny produced by a single cell or a group of cells. The possibility of performing lineage tracing initiated the field of Developmental Biology and continues to revolutionize Stem Cell Biology. Here, I introduce the principles behind a successful lineage-tracing experiment. In addition, I summarize and compare different methods for conducting lineage tracing and provide examples of how these strategies can be implemented to answer fundamental questions in development and regeneration. The advantages and limitations of each method are also discussed. © 2015 AlphaMed Press.

Analysis of Synthetic Aperture Radar data acquired over a variety of land cover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, S. T.

1983-01-01

An analysis has been conducted of two-look-angle, multipolarization X-band SAR results. On the basis of the variety of land covers studied, the vertical-vertical polarization (VV) data is judged to contain the highest degree of contrast, while the horizontal-vertical (HV) polarization contained the least. VV polarization data is accordingly recommended for forest vegetation classification in those cases where only one data channel is available. The inclusion of horizontal-horizontal polarization data, however, is noted to be capable of delineating special surface features.

On the status of knowledge for using punishment implications for treating behavior disorders.

PubMed Central

Lerman, Dorothea C; Vorndran, Christina M

2002-01-01

In this paper, we review basic and applied findings on punishment and discuss the importance of conducting further research in this area. The characteristics of responding during punishment and numerous factors that interact with basic processes are delineated in conjunction with implications for the treatment of behavior disorders in clinical populations. We conclude that further understanding of punishment processes is needed to develop a highly systematic, effective technology of behavior change, including strategies for improving the efficacy of less intrusive procedures and for successfully fading treatment. PMID:12555918

Reservoir engineering applications for development and exploitation of geothermal fields in the Philippines

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

Vasquez, N.C.; Sarmiento, Z.F.

1986-07-01

After a geothermal well is completed, several tests and downhole measurements are conducted to help evaluate the subsurface fluid and reservoir properties intersected. From these tests, a conceptual model of the well can be developed by integrating data from the various parts of the field. This paper presents the completion techniques applied in geothermal wells, as well as the role of reservoir engineering science in delineating a field for development. Monitoring techniques and other reservoir engineering aspects of a field under exploitation are also discussed, with examples from the Philippines.

Yield Model Development (YMD) implementation plan for fiscal years 1981 and 1982

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ambroziak, R. A. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

A plan is described for supporting USDA crop production forecasting and estimation by (1) testing, evaluating, and selecting crop yield models for application testing; (2) identifying areas of feasible research for improvement of models; and (3) conducting research to modify existing models and to develop new crop yield assessment methods. Tasks to be performed for each of these efforts are described as well as for project management and support. The responsibilities of USDA, USDC, USDI, and NASA are delineated as well as problem areas to be addressed.

Application of LANDSAT satellite imagery for iron ore prospecting in the Western Desert of Egypt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elshazly, E. M.; Abdelhady, M. A.; Elghawaby, M. A.; Khawasik, S. M.

1977-01-01

Prospecting for iron ore occurrences was conducted by the Remote Sensing Center in Bahariya Oasis-El Faiyum area covering some 100,000 km squared in the Western Desert of Egypt. LANDSAT-1 satellite images were utilized as the main tool in the regional prospecting of the iron ores. The delineation of the geological units and geological structure through the interpretation of the images corroborated by field observations and structural analysis led to the discovery of new iron ore occurrences in the area of investigation.

A new brain positron emission tomography scanner with semiconductor detectors for target volume delineation and radiotherapy treatment planning in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

PubMed

Katoh, Norio; Yasuda, Koichi; Shiga, Tohru; Hasegawa, Masakazu; Onimaru, Rikiya; Shimizu, Shinichi; Bengua, Gerard; Ishikawa, Masayori; Tamaki, Nagara; Shirato, Hiroki

2012-03-15

We compared two treatment planning methods for stereotactic boost for treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC): the use of conventional whole-body bismuth germanate (BGO) scintillator positron emission tomography (PET(CONV)WB) versus the new brain (BR) PET system using semiconductor detectors (PET(NEW)BR). Twelve patients with NPC were enrolled in this study. [(18)F]Fluorodeoxyglucose-PET images were acquired using both the PET(NEW)BR and the PET(CONV)WB system on the same day. Computed tomography (CT) and two PET data sets were transferred to a treatment planning system, and the PET(CONV)WB and PET(NEW)BR images were coregistered with the same set of CT images. Window width and level values for all PET images were fixed at 3000 and 300, respectively. The gross tumor volume (GTV) was visually delineated on PET images by using either PET(CONV)WB (GTV(CONV)) images or PET(NEW)BR (GTV(NEW)) images. Assuming a stereotactic radiotherapy boost of 7 ports, the prescribed dose delivered to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV) was set to 2000 cGy in 4 fractions. The average absolute volume (±standard deviation [SD]) of GTV(NEW) was 15.7 ml (±9.9) ml, and that of GTV(CONV) was 34.0 (±20.5) ml. The average GTV(NEW) was significantly smaller than that of GTV(CONV) (p = 0.0006). There was no statistically significant difference between the maximum dose (p = 0.0585) and the mean dose (p = 0.2748) of PTV. The radiotherapy treatment plan based on the new gross tumor volume (PLAN(NEW)) significantly reduced maximum doses to the cerebrum and cerebellum (p = 0.0418) and to brain stem (p = 0.0041). Results of the present study suggest that the new brain PET system using semiconductor detectors can provide more accurate tumor delineation than the conventional whole-body BGO PET system and may be an important tool for functional and molecular radiotherapy treatment planning. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Use of Data Layering to Address Changes in Nitrogen Management Zone Delineation

Treesearch

D.W. Franzen; T. Nanna

2006-01-01

Use of N management zones appears to be a practical method of revealing dominant patterns of residual soil nitrate in North Dakota crop fields, where fall soil nitrate sampling is a common N management tool. Delineation of zone boundaries to date has been a largely subjective process. A weighted, classified method of delineating nitrogen management zones is presented....

Combined reflectance confocal microscopy-optical coherence tomography for delineation of basal cell carcinoma margins: an ex vivo study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iftimia, Nicusor; Peterson, Gary; Chang, Ernest W.; Maguluri, Gopi; Fox, William; Rajadhyaksha, Milind

2016-01-01

We present a combined reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) approach, integrated within a single optical layout, for diagnosis of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) and delineation of margins. While RCM imaging detects BCC presence (diagnoses) and its lateral spreading (margins) with measured resolution of ˜1 μm, OCT imaging delineates BCC depth spreading (margins) with resolution of ˜7 μm. When delineating margins in 20 specimens of superficial and nodular BCCs, depth could be reliably determined down to ˜600 μm, and agreement with histology was within about ±50 μm.