Sample records for issue resolution comparison

  1. Exploration into technical procedures for vertical integration. [information systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Michel, R. J.; Maw, K. D.

    1979-01-01

    Issues in the design and use of a digital geographic information system incorporating landuse, zoning, hazard, LANDSAT, and other data are discussed. An eleven layer database was generated. Issues in spatial resolution, registration, grid versus polygonal structures, and comparison of photointerpreted landuse to LANDSAT land cover are examined.

  2. A comparison of EEOC closures involving hiring versus other prevalent discrimination issues under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

    PubMed

    McMahon, Brian T; Hurley, Jessica E; West, Steven L; Chan, Fong; Roessler, Richard; Rumrill, Phillip D

    2008-06-01

    This article describes findings from a causal comparative study of the Merit Resolution rate for allegations of Hiring discrimination that were filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) between 1992 and 2005. An allegation is the Charging Party's perception of discrimination, but a Merit Resolution is one in which the EEOC has determined that a discriminatory event did indeed occur. A Non-Merit Resolution is an allegation that is closed due to a technicality or lacks sufficient evidence to conclude that discrimination occurred. Merit favors the Charging Party; Non-Merit favors the Employer. The Merit Resolution rate of 19,527 closed Hiring allegations is compared and contrasted to that of 259,680 allegations aggregated from six other prevalent forms of discrimination including Discharge and Constructive Discharge, Reasonable Accommodation, Disability Harassment and Intimidation, and Terms and Conditions of Employment. Tests of Proportion distributed as chi-square are used to form comparisons along a variety of subcategories of Merit and Non-Merit outcomes. The overall Merit Resolution rate for Hiring is 26% compared to Non-Hiring at 20.6%. Employers are less likely to settle claims of hiring discrimination without mediation, and less likely to accept the remedies recommended by the EEOC when hiring discrimination has been determined. Hiring is not an unusual discrimination issue in that the overwhelming majority of allegations are still closed in favor of the Employer. However, it is counterintuitive that hiring has a higher merit resolution rate than other prevalent issues. This finding contradicts the assumption that hiring is an "invisible process." Considering that the EEOC makes merit determinations at a competitive rate, it is clear that hiring is sufficiently transparent.

  3. Validation of Suomi-NPP VIIRS sea ice concentration with very high-resolution satellite and airborne camera imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baldwin, Daniel; Tschudi, Mark; Pacifici, Fabio; Liu, Yinghui

    2017-08-01

    Two independent VIIRS-based Sea Ice Concentration (SIC) products are validated against SIC as estimated from Very High Spatial Resolution Imagery for several VIIRS overpasses. The 375 m resolution VIIRS SIC from the Interface Data Processing Segment (IDPS) SIC algorithm is compared against estimates made from 2 m DigitalGlobe (DG) WorldView-2 imagery and also against estimates created from 10 cm Digital Mapping System (DMS) camera imagery. The 750 m VIIRS SIC from the Enterprise SIC algorithm is compared against DG imagery. The IDPS vs. DG comparisons reveal that, due to algorithm issues, many of the IDPS SIC retrievals were falsely assigned ice-free values when the pixel was clearly over ice. These false values increased the validation bias and RMS statistics. The IDPS vs. DMS comparisons were largely over ice-covered regions and did not demonstrate the false retrieval issue. The validation results show that products from both the IDPS and Enterprise algorithms were within or very close to the 10% accuracy (bias) specifications in both the non-melting and melting conditions, but only products from the Enterprise algorithm met the 25% specifications for the uncertainty (RMS).

  4. Coronal Physics and the Chandra Emission Line Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brickhouse, N. S.; Drake, J. J.

    2000-01-01

    With the launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, high resolution X-ray spectroscopy of cosmic sources has begun. Early, deep observations of three stellar coronal sources Capella, Procyon, and HR 1099 are providing not only invaluable calibration data, but also benchmarks for plasma spectral models. These models are needed to interpret data from stellar coronae, galaxies and clusters of galaxies, supernova, remnants and other astrophysical sources. They have been called into question in recent years as problems with understanding low resolution ASCA and moderate resolution Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer Satellite (EUVE) data have arisen. The Emission Line Project is a collaborative effort, to improve the models, with Phase I being the comparison of models with observed spectra of Capella, Procyon, and HR 1099. Goals of these comparisons are (1) to determine and verify accurate and robust diagnostics and (2) to identify and prioritize issues in fundamental spectroscopy which will require further theoretical and/or laboratory work. A critical issue in exploiting the coronal data for these purposes is to understand the extent, to which common simplifying assumptions (coronal equilibrium, negligible optical depth) apply. We will discuss recent, advances in our understanding of stellar coronae, in this context.

  5. Towards responsible system development in health services: a discourse analysis study of design conflict resolution tactics.

    PubMed

    Irestig, Magnus; Timpka, Toomas

    2010-02-01

    We set out to examine design conflict resolution tactics used in development of large information systems for health services and to outline the design consequences for these tactics. Discourse analysis methods were applied to data collected from meetings conducted during the development of a web-based system in a public health context. We found that low risk tactics were characterized by design issues being managed within the formal mandate and competences of the design group. In comparison, high risk tactics were associated with irresponsible compromises, i.e. decisions being passed on to others or to later phases of the design process. The consequence of this collective disregard of issues such as responsibility and legitimacy is that the system design will be impossible to implement in factual health service contexts. The results imply that downstream responsibility issues have to be continuously dealt with in system development in health services.

  6. Smart Climatology System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-09-24

    12 2.1 Downscaling /Reanalysis Data ................................................................................ 12 2.2 Downscaling of...Comparison of Resolutions of Maximum Significant Wave heights for La Niña >= 8 ft >= 6 ft 12 2 Data Production Issues 2.1 Downscaling /Reanalysis...numerical weather prediction systems. The usage of satellite data , for example, is markedly different than the past practice. This played havoc with

  7. Comparison of digital elevation models for aquatic data development.

    Treesearch

    Sharon Clarke; Kelly Burnett

    2003-01-01

    Thirty-meter digital elevation models (DEMs) produced by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are widely available and commonly used in analyzing aquatic systems. However, these DEMs are of relatively coarse resolution, were inconsistently produced (i.e., Level 1 versus Level 2 DEMs), and lack drainage enforcement. Such issues may hamper efforts to accurately model...

  8. Coronal Physics and the Chandra Emission Line Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brickhouse, Nancy

    1999-01-01

    With the launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, high resolution X-ray spectroscopy of cosmic sources has begun. Early, deep observations of three stellar coronal sources will provide not only invaluable calibration data, but will also give us benchmarks for plasma spectral modeling codes. These codes are to interpret data from stellar coronae, galaxies and clusters of galaxies. supernova remnants and other astrophysical sources, but they have been called into question in recent years as problems with understanding moderate resolution ASCA and EUVE data have arisen. The Emission Line Project is a collaborative effort to improve the models, with Phase 1 being the comparison of models with observed spectra of Capella, Procyon, and HR, 1099. Goals of these comparisons are (1) to determine and verify accurate and robust diagnostics and (2) to identify and prioritize issues in fundamental spectroscopy which will require further theoretical and/or laboratory work. A critical issue in exploiting the coronal data for these purposes is to understand the extent to which common simplifying assumptions (coronal equilibrium, time-independence, negligible optical depth) apply. We will discuss recent advances in our understanding of stellar coronae in this context.

  9. Taking structure searches to the next dimension.

    PubMed

    Schafferhans, Andrea; Rost, Burkhard

    2014-07-08

    Structure comparisons are now the first step when a new experimental high-resolution protein structure has been determined. In this issue of Structure, Wiederstein and colleagues describe their latest tool for comparing structures, which gives us the unprecedented power to discover crucial structural connections between whole complexes of proteins in the full structural database in real time. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Fluorescence Imaging of Underexpanded Jets and Comparison with CFD

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilkes, Jennifer A.; Glass, Christopher E.; Danehy, Paul M.; Nowak, Robert J.

    2006-01-01

    An experimental study of underexpanded and highly underexpanded axisymmetric nitrogen free jets seeded with 0.5% nitric oxide (NO) and issuing from a sonic orifice was conducted at NASA Langley Research Center. Reynolds numbers based on nozzle exit conditions ranged from 770 to 35,700, and nozzle exit-to-ambient jet pressure ratios ranged from 2 to 35. These flows were non-intrusively visualized with a spatial resolution of approximately 0.14 mm x 0.14 mm x 1 mm thick and a temporal resolution of 1 s using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of NO, with the laser tuned to the strongly-fluorescing UV absorption bands of the Q1 band head near 226.256 nm. Three laminar cases were selected for comparison with computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The cases were run using GASP (General Aerodynamic Simulation Program) Version 4. Comparisons of the fundamental wavelength of the jet flow showed good agreement between CFD and experiment for all three test cases, while comparisons of Mach disk location and Mach disk diameter showed good agreement at lower jet pressure ratios, with a tendency to slightly underpredict these parameters with increasing jet pressure ratio.

  11. On the Reliability of Individual Brain Activity Networks.

    PubMed

    Cassidy, Ben; Bowman, F DuBois; Rae, Caroline; Solo, Victor

    2018-02-01

    There is intense interest in fMRI research on whole-brain functional connectivity, and however, two fundamental issues are still unresolved: the impact of spatiotemporal data resolution (spatial parcellation and temporal sampling) and the impact of the network construction method on the reliability of functional brain networks. In particular, the impact of spatiotemporal data resolution on the resulting connectivity findings has not been sufficiently investigated. In fact, a number of studies have already observed that functional networks often give different conclusions across different parcellation scales. If the interpretations from functional networks are inconsistent across spatiotemporal scales, then the whole validity of the functional network paradigm is called into question. This paper investigates the consistency of resting state network structure when using different temporal sampling or spatial parcellation, or different methods for constructing the networks. To pursue this, we develop a novel network comparison framework based on persistent homology from a topological data analysis. We use the new network comparison tools to characterize the spatial and temporal scales under which consistent functional networks can be constructed. The methods are illustrated on Human Connectome Project data, showing that the DISCOH 2 network construction method outperforms other approaches at most data spatiotemporal resolutions.

  12. Application of line-scanning microscopy using a linear sensor in semiconductor industry: shape and thickness measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Macedo, Milton P.; Correia, C. M. B. A.

    2013-04-01

    This work aims at showing the applicability of a scanning-stage bench-microscope in bright-field reflection mode for wirebonding inspection of integrated circuits (IC) as well as quality assurance of tracks in printed circuit boards (PCB). The main issues of our laboratorial prototype arise from the use of a linear image sensor taking advantage of its geometry to achieve lower acquisition time in comparison to traditional (pinhole) confocal approach. The use of a slit-detector is normally related to resolution degradation for details parallel to sensor. But an improvement will surely arise using light distribution along line pixels of the sensor which establishes a great advantage in comparison to (pure) slit detectors. The versatility of this bench-microscope affords excellent means to develop and test algorithms. Those to improve lateral resolution isotropy as well as image visualization and 3D mesh reconstruction under different setups namely illumination modes. Based on the results of these tests tests both wide-field illumination and parallel slit illumination and detection configurations were used in these two applications. Results from IC wire-bonding show the ability of the system to extract 3D information. A comparison of auto-focus images and 3D profiles obtained using different 3D reconstruction algorithms as well as a method for the determination of the diameter of the bond wire are presented. Measurements of PCB track width and thickness were performed and the comparison of these results from both longitudinal and transverse tracks stress the limitations of a lower spatial sampling rate induced by the resolution of object stage positioners.

  13. Workplace discrimination and cumulative trauma disorders: the national EEOC ADA research project.

    PubMed

    Armstrong, Amy J; McMahon, Brian T; West, Steven L; Lewis, Allen

    2005-01-01

    Employment discrimination of persons with cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) was explored using the Integrated Mission System dataset of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Demographic characteristics and merit resolutions of the Charging Parties (persons with CTD) were compared to individuals experiencing other physical, sensory and neurological impairments. Factors compared also included industry designation, geographic region, and size of Respondents against which allegations were filed. Persons with CTD had proportionately greater allegations among large Respondents (greater than 500 workers) engaged in manufacturing, utilities, transportation, finance insurance and real estate. The types of discrimination Issues that were proportionately greater in the CTD group included layoff, failure to reinstate, and failure to provide reasonable accommodation. The CTD group was significantly less likely than the comparison group to be involved in discrimination Issues such as assignment to less desirable duty, shift or work location; demotion; termination, or failure to hire or provide training. Persons with CTD had higher proportions of merit Resolutions where allegations were voluntarily withdrawn by the Charging Party with benefits.

  14. Comparison of turbulence mitigation algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kozacik, Stephen T.; Paolini, Aaron; Sherman, Ariel; Bonnett, James; Kelmelis, Eric

    2017-07-01

    When capturing imagery over long distances, atmospheric turbulence often degrades the data, especially when observation paths are close to the ground or in hot environments. These issues manifest as time-varying scintillation and warping effects that decrease the effective resolution of the sensor and reduce actionable intelligence. In recent years, several image processing approaches to turbulence mitigation have shown promise. Each of these algorithms has different computational requirements, usability demands, and degrees of independence from camera sensors. They also produce different degrees of enhancement when applied to turbulent imagery. Additionally, some of these algorithms are applicable to real-time operational scenarios while others may only be suitable for postprocessing workflows. EM Photonics has been developing image-processing-based turbulence mitigation technology since 2005. We will compare techniques from the literature with our commercially available, real-time, GPU-accelerated turbulence mitigation software. These comparisons will be made using real (not synthetic), experimentally obtained data for a variety of conditions, including varying optical hardware, imaging range, subjects, and turbulence conditions. Comparison metrics will include image quality, video latency, computational complexity, and potential for real-time operation. Additionally, we will present a technique for quantitatively comparing turbulence mitigation algorithms using real images of radial resolution targets.

  15. 17 CFR 240.3a12-10 - Exemption of certain securities issued by the Resolution Funding Corporation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... securities issued by the Resolution Funding Corporation. 240.3a12-10 Section 240.3a12-10 Commodity and... Exemptions § 240.3a12-10 Exemption of certain securities issued by the Resolution Funding Corporation. Securities that are issued by the Resolution Funding Corporation pursuant to section 21B(f) of the Federal...

  16. Iterative Code-Aided ML Phase Estimation and Phase Ambiguity Resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wymeersch, Henk; Moeneclaey, Marc

    2005-12-01

    As many coded systems operate at very low signal-to-noise ratios, synchronization becomes a very difficult task. In many cases, conventional algorithms will either require long training sequences or result in large BER degradations. By exploiting code properties, these problems can be avoided. In this contribution, we present several iterative maximum-likelihood (ML) algorithms for joint carrier phase estimation and ambiguity resolution. These algorithms operate on coded signals by accepting soft information from the MAP decoder. Issues of convergence and initialization are addressed in detail. Simulation results are presented for turbo codes, and are compared to performance results of conventional algorithms. Performance comparisons are carried out in terms of BER performance and mean square estimation error (MSEE). We show that the proposed algorithm reduces the MSEE and, more importantly, the BER degradation. Additionally, phase ambiguity resolution can be performed without resorting to a pilot sequence, thus improving the spectral efficiency.

  17. Contrasting dynamics of fragile and non-fragile polyalcohols through the glass, and dynamical, transitions: A comparison of neutron scattering and dielectric relaxation data for sorbitol and glycerol.

    PubMed

    Migliardo, F; Angell, C A; Magazù, S

    2017-01-01

    Glycerol and sorbitol are glass-forming hydrogen-bonded systems characterized by intriguing properties which make these systems very interesting also from the applications point of view. The goal of this work is to relate the hydrogen-bonded features, relaxation dynamics, glass transition properties and fragility of these systems, in particular to seek insight into their very different liquid fragilities. The comparison between glycerol and sorbitol is carried out by collecting the elastic incoherent neutron scattering (EINS) intensity as a function of temperature and of the instrumental energy resolution. Intensity data vs temperature and resolution are analyzed in terms of thermal restraint and Resolution Elastic Neutron Scattering (RENS) approaches. The number of OH groups, which are related to the connecting sites, is a significant parameter both in the glass transition and in the dynamical transition. On the other hand, the disordered nature of sorbitol is confirmed by the existence of different relaxation processes. From the applications point of view, glycerol and sorbitol have remarkable bioprotectant properties which make these systems useful in different technological and industrial fields. Furthermore, polyols are rich in glassforming liquid phenomenology and highly deserving of study in their own right. The comparison of EINS and calorimetric data on glycerol and sorbitol helps provide a connection between structural relaxation, dynamical transition, glass transition, and fragility. The evaluation of the inflection point in the elastic intensity behavior as a function of temperature and instrumental energy resolution provides a confirmation of the validity of the RENS approach. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Science for Life" Guest Editor: Dr. Austen Angell, Dr. Salvatore Magazù and Dr. Federica Migliardo. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  18. Photoionization in the time and frequency domain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Isinger, M.; Squibb, R. J.; Busto, D.; Zhong, S.; Harth, A.; Kroon, D.; Nandi, S.; Arnold, C. L.; Miranda, M.; Dahlström, J. M.; Lindroth, E.; Feifel, R.; Gisselbrecht, M.; L'Huillier, A.

    2017-11-01

    Ultrafast processes in matter, such as the electron emission after light absorption, can now be studied using ultrashort light pulses of attosecond duration (10-18 seconds) in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range. The lack of spectral resolution due to the use of short light pulses has raised issues in the interpretation of the experimental results and the comparison with theoretical calculations. We determine photoionization time delays in neon atoms over a 40-electron volt energy range with an interferometric technique combining high temporal and spectral resolution. We spectrally disentangle direct ionization from ionization with shake-up, in which a second electron is left in an excited state, and obtain excellent agreement with theoretical calculations, thereby solving a puzzle raised by 7-year-old measurements.

  19. Scientific authorship. Part 2. History, recurring issues, practices, and guidelines.

    PubMed

    Claxton, Larry D

    2005-01-01

    One challenge for most scientists is avoiding and resolving issues that center around authorship and the publishing of scientific manuscripts. While trying to place the research in proper context, impart new knowledge, follow proper guidelines, and publish in the most appropriate journal, the scientist often must deal with multi-collaborator issues like authorship allocation, trust and dependence, and resolution of publication conflicts. Most guidelines regarding publications, commentaries, and editorials have evolved from the ranks of editors in an effort to diminish the issues that faced them as editors. For example, the Ingelfinger rule attempts to prevent duplicate publications of the same study. This paper provides a historical overview of commonly encountered scientific authorship issues, a comparison of opinions on these issues, and the influence of various organizations and guidelines in regards to these issues. For example, a number of organizations provide guidelines for author allocation; however, a comparison shows that these guidelines differ on who should be an author, rules for ordering authors, and the level of responsibility for coauthors. Needs that emerge from this review are (a) a need for more controlled studies on authorship issues, (b) an increased awareness and a buy-in to consensus views by non-editor groups, e.g., managers, authors, reviewers, and scientific societies, and (c) a need for editors to express a greater understanding of authors' dilemmas and to exhibit greater flexibility. Also needed are occasions (e.g., an international congress) when editors and others (managers, authors, etc.) can directly exchange views, develop consensus approaches and solutions, and seek agreement on how to resolve authorship issues. Open dialogue is healthy, and it is essential for scientific integrity to be protected so that younger scientists can confidently follow the lead of their predecessors.

  20. Border effect-based precise measurement of any frequency signal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bai, Li-Na; Ye, Bo; Xuan, Mei-Na; Jin, Yu-Zhen; Zhou, Wei

    2015-12-01

    Limited detection resolution leads to fuzzy areas during the measurement, and the discrimination of the border of a fuzzy area helps to use the resolution stability. In this way, measurement precision is greatly improved, hence this phenomenon is named the border effect. The resolution fuzzy area and its application should be studied to realize high-resolution measurement. During the measurement of any frequency signal, the fuzzy areas of phase-coincidence detection are always discrete and irregular. In this paper the difficulty in capturing the border information of discrete fuzzy areas is overcome and extra-high resolution measurement is implemented. Measurement precision of any frequency-signal can easily reach better than 1 × 10-11/s in a wide range of frequencies, showing the great importance of the border effect. An in-depth study of this issue has great significance for frequency standard comparison, signal processing, telecommunication, and fundamental subjects. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10978017 and 61201288), the Natural Science Foundation of Research Plan Projects of Shaanxi Province, China (Grant No. 2014JM2-6128), and the Sino-Poland Science and Technology Cooperation Projects (Grant No. 36-33).

  1. Note: High-speed Z tip scanner with screw cantilever holding mechanism for atomic-resolution atomic force microscopy in liquid

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

    Reza Akrami, Seyed Mohammad; Miyata, Kazuki; Asakawa, Hitoshi

    High-speed atomic force microscopy has attracted much attention due to its unique capability of visualizing nanoscale dynamic processes at a solid/liquid interface. However, its usability and resolution have yet to be improved. As one of the solutions for this issue, here we present a design of a high-speed Z-tip scanner with screw holding mechanism. We perform detailed comparison between designs with different actuator size and screw arrangement by finite element analysis. Based on the design giving the best performance, we have developed a Z tip scanner and measured its performance. The measured frequency response of the scanner shows a flatmore » response up to ∼10 kHz. This high frequency response allows us to achieve wideband tip-sample distance regulation. We demonstrate the applicability of the scanner to high-speed atomic-resolution imaging by visualizing atomic-scale calcite crystal dissolution process in water at 2 s/frame.« less

  2. High resolution laser patterning of ITO on PET substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Tao; Liu, Di; Park, Hee K.; Yu, Dong X.; Hwang, David J.

    2013-03-01

    Cost-effective laser patterning of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film coated on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film substrate for touch panel was studied. The target scribing width was set to the order of 10 μm in order to examine issues involved with higher feature resolution. Picosecond-pulsed laser and Q-switched nanosecond-pulsed laser at the wavelength of 532nm were applied for the comparison of laser patterning in picosecond and nanosecond regimes. While relatively superior scribing quality was achieved by picosecond laser, 532 nm wavelength showed a limitation due to weaker absorption in ITO film. In order to seek for cost-effective solution for high resolution ITO scribing, nanosecond laser pulses were applied and performance of 532nm and 1064nm wavelengths were compared. 1064nm wavelength shows relatively better scribing quality due to the higher absorption ratio in ITO film, yet at noticeable substrate damage. Through single pulse based scribing experiments, we inspected that reduced pulse overlapping is preferred in order to minimize the substrate damage during line patterning.

  3. High-order ENO schemes applied to two- and three-dimensional compressible flow

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shu, Chi-Wang; Erlebacher, Gordon; Zang, Thomas A.; Whitaker, David; Osher, Stanley

    1991-01-01

    High order essentially non-oscillatory (ENO) finite difference schemes are applied to the 2-D and 3-D compressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations. Practical issues, such as vectorization, efficiency of coding, cost comparison with other numerical methods, and accuracy degeneracy effects, are discussed. Numerical examples are provided which are representative of computational problems of current interest in transition and turbulence physics. These require both nonoscillatory shock capturing and high resolution for detailed structures in the smooth regions and demonstrate the advantage of ENO schemes.

  4. Meta-analysis of dietary essential fatty acids and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids as they relate to visual resolution acuity in healthy preterm infants.

    PubMed

    SanGiovanni, J P; Parra-Cabrera, S; Colditz, G A; Berkey, C S; Dwyer, J T

    2000-06-01

    To derive combined estimates of visual resolution acuity differences between healthy preterm infants consuming different compositions and ratios of essential fatty acids (EFAs) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 (n-3) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA). Electronic biomedical reference database (Medline and Health Star from 1965 to July 1999) searches with index terms omega-3, n-3, infant, vision, acuity, and human. Current review article, monograph, and book chapter bibliography/reference section hand searches. A total of 5 original articles and 4 review chapters were reviewed for details on study design, conduct, and outcome. Four prospective trials of EFA/LCPUFA supplementation were included in these analyses. For behaviorally based outcomes, there were 2 randomized comparisons each at

  5. A comparison of earthquake backprojection imaging methods for dense local arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beskardes, G. D.; Hole, J. A.; Wang, K.; Michaelides, M.; Wu, Q.; Chapman, M. C.; Davenport, K. K.; Brown, L. D.; Quiros, D. A.

    2018-03-01

    Backprojection imaging has recently become a practical method for local earthquake detection and location due to the deployment of densely sampled, continuously recorded, local seismograph arrays. While backprojection sometimes utilizes the full seismic waveform, the waveforms are often pre-processed and simplified to overcome imaging challenges. Real data issues include aliased station spacing, inadequate array aperture, inaccurate velocity model, low signal-to-noise ratio, large noise bursts and varying waveform polarity. We compare the performance of backprojection with four previously used data pre-processing methods: raw waveform, envelope, short-term averaging/long-term averaging and kurtosis. Our primary goal is to detect and locate events smaller than noise by stacking prior to detection to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. The objective is to identify an optimized strategy for automated imaging that is robust in the presence of real-data issues, has the lowest signal-to-noise thresholds for detection and for location, has the best spatial resolution of the source images, preserves magnitude, and considers computational cost. Imaging method performance is assessed using a real aftershock data set recorded by the dense AIDA array following the 2011 Virginia earthquake. Our comparisons show that raw-waveform backprojection provides the best spatial resolution, preserves magnitude and boosts signal to detect events smaller than noise, but is most sensitive to velocity error, polarity error and noise bursts. On the other hand, the other methods avoid polarity error and reduce sensitivity to velocity error, but sacrifice spatial resolution and cannot effectively reduce noise by stacking. Of these, only kurtosis is insensitive to large noise bursts while being as efficient as the raw-waveform method to lower the detection threshold; however, it does not preserve the magnitude information. For automatic detection and location of events in a large data set, we therefore recommend backprojecting kurtosis waveforms, followed by a second pass on the detected events using noise-filtered raw waveforms to achieve the best of all criteria.

  6. Reprocessing 30 years of ISCCP: Addressing satellite intercalibration for deriving a long-term cloud climatology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Young, A. H.; Knapp, K. R.; Inamdar, A.; Hankins, W. B.; Rossow, W. B.

    2017-12-01

    The International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) has made significant changes in preparation for a reprocessing at NOAA's NCEI. This presentation will highlight these changes and the resulting new cloud products along with the challenges faced to address satellite intercalibration issues. The intercalibration challenges are largely due to the product's reliance on satellite observations from both polar orbiting (LEO) and geostationary (GEO) satellites. The presentation will also focus on the new products (ISCCP-H) which are reprocessed at a higher spatial resolution than previous versions (ISCCP-D) due to the use of higher resolution input data (e.g., 10 km geostationary and 4 km AVHRR data). Improvements, caveats, and a comparison against the predecessor D-Series product will also be presented. ISCCP-H data is now available at: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/isccp

  7. Conflicts between Public Car Insurance and Public Medical Insurance in Japan: International Comparison Survey

    PubMed Central

    SAKAGUCHI, Kazuki; MORI, Koichiro

    2014-01-01

    This paper clarifies essential issues regarding conflicts between public car insurance and public medical insurance in Japan, presenting the findings of an international survey to detect similar problems in other countries and discussing possible options for the resolution of these problems. Three essential issues are important to note: (i) Different prices between the two systems of public insurance provide stakeholders with the irrelevant incentive to apply public medical insurance in the case of car accidents; (ii) Public medical insurance sometimes covers medical expenses due to car accidents, although it should not cover them in principle; and (iii) The costs are imposed on tax payers unconsciously when people use public medical insurance for car accidents. Five findings were obtained from the international survey: (1) Most countries have compulsory car insurance; (2) Private insurance companies manage the financial affairs of compulsory car insurance in most developed countries; (3) Fault for casualties is not considered in the compensation of medical expenses in most countries; (4) Japan is unique in that people can choose between the two systems of public insurance; and (5) Prices for the same medical services differ between the two systems of public insurance in only a few countries. In consideration of the above findings, we provide five options for the resolution of this issue from the viewpoint of victim relief. PMID:25624784

  8. Conflicts between Public Car Insurance and Public Medical Insurance in Japan: International Comparison Survey.

    PubMed

    Sakaguchi, Kazuki; Mori, Koichiro

    2014-04-01

    This paper clarifies essential issues regarding conflicts between public car insurance and public medical insurance in Japan, presenting the findings of an international survey to detect similar problems in other countries and discussing possible options for the resolution of these problems. Three essential issues are important to note: (i) Different prices between the two systems of public insurance provide stakeholders with the irrelevant incentive to apply public medical insurance in the case of car accidents; (ii) Public medical insurance sometimes covers medical expenses due to car accidents, although it should not cover them in principle; and (iii) The costs are imposed on tax payers unconsciously when people use public medical insurance for car accidents. Five findings were obtained from the international survey: (1) Most countries have compulsory car insurance; (2) Private insurance companies manage the financial affairs of compulsory car insurance in most developed countries; (3) Fault for casualties is not considered in the compensation of medical expenses in most countries; (4) Japan is unique in that people can choose between the two systems of public insurance; and (5) Prices for the same medical services differ between the two systems of public insurance in only a few countries. In consideration of the above findings, we provide five options for the resolution of this issue from the viewpoint of victim relief.

  9. 36 CFR 251.93 - Resolution of issues.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Resolution of issues. 251.93... issues. (a) Authorized Forest Service officers shall, to the extent practicable and consistent with the... meetings is to discuss any issues or concerns related to the authorized use and to reach a common...

  10. Multi-scale investigation of shrub encroachment in southern Africa

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aplin, Paul; Marston, Christopher; Wilkinson, David; Field, Richard; O'Regan, Hannah

    2016-04-01

    There is growing speculation that savannah environments throughout Africa have been subject to shrub encroachment in recent years, whereby grassland is lost to woody vegetation cover. Changes in the relative proportions of grassland and woodland are important in the context of conservation of savannah systems, with implications for faunal distributions, environmental management and tourism. Here, we focus on southern Kruger National Park, South Africa, and investigate whether or not shrub encroachment has occurred over the last decade and a half. We use a multi-scale approach, examining the complementarity of medium (e.g. Landsat TM and OLI) and fine (e.g. QuickBird and WorldView-2) spatial resolution satellite sensor imagery, supported by intensive field survey in 2002 and 2014. We employ semi-automated land cover classification, involving a hybrid unsupervised clustering approach with manual class grouping and checking, followed by change detection post-classification comparison analysis. The results show that shrub encroachment is indeed occurring, a finding evidenced through three fine resolution replicate images plus medium resolution imagery. The results also demonstrate the complementarity of medium and fine resolution imagery, though some thematic information must be sacrificed to maintain high medium resolution classification accuracy. Finally, the findings have broader implications for issues such as vegetation seasonality, spatial transferability and management practices.

  11. The First Ground-Level Enhancement of Solar Cycle 24 on 17 May 2012 and Its Real-Time Detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papaioannou, A.; Souvatzoglou, G.; Paschalis, P.; Gerontidou, M.; Mavromichalaki, H.

    2014-01-01

    Ground-level enhancements (GLEs) are defined as sudden increases in the recorded intensity of cosmic-ray particles, usually by neutron monitors (NMs). In this work we present a time-shifting analysis (TSA) for the first arriving particles that were detected at Earth by NMs. We also present an automated real-time GLE alert that has been developed and is operating via the Neutron Monitor Database (NMDB), which successfully identified the 17 May 2012 event, designated as GLE71. We discuss the time evolution of the real-time GLE alert that was issued for GLE71 and present the event onset-time for NMs that contributed to this GLE alert based on their archived data. A comparison with their real-time time-stamp was made to illustrate the necessity for high-resolution data ( e.g. 1-min time resolution) made available at every minute. The first results on the propagation of relativistic protons that have been recorded by NMs, as inferred by the TSA, imply that they are most probably accelerated by the coronal-mass-ejection-driven shock. Furthermore, the successful usage of NM data and the corresponding achievement of issuing a timely GLE alert are discussed.

  12. A comparative verification of high resolution precipitation forecasts using model output statistics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van der Plas, Emiel; Schmeits, Maurice; Hooijman, Nicolien; Kok, Kees

    2017-04-01

    Verification of localized events such as precipitation has become even more challenging with the advent of high-resolution meso-scale numerical weather prediction (NWP). The realism of a forecast suggests that it should compare well against precipitation radar imagery with similar resolution, both spatially and temporally. Spatial verification methods solve some of the representativity issues that point verification gives rise to. In this study a verification strategy based on model output statistics is applied that aims to address both double penalty and resolution effects that are inherent to comparisons of NWP models with different resolutions. Using predictors based on spatial precipitation patterns around a set of stations, an extended logistic regression (ELR) equation is deduced, leading to a probability forecast distribution of precipitation for each NWP model, analysis and lead time. The ELR equations are derived for predictands based on areal calibrated radar precipitation and SYNOP observations. The aim is to extract maximum information from a series of precipitation forecasts, like a trained forecaster would. The method is applied to the non-hydrostatic model Harmonie (2.5 km resolution), Hirlam (11 km resolution) and the ECMWF model (16 km resolution), overall yielding similar Brier skill scores for the 3 post-processed models, but larger differences for individual lead times. Besides, the Fractions Skill Score is computed using the 3 deterministic forecasts, showing somewhat better skill for the Harmonie model. In other words, despite the realism of Harmonie precipitation forecasts, they only perform similarly or somewhat better than precipitation forecasts from the 2 lower resolution models, at least in the Netherlands.

  13. Flexible high-resolution display systems for the next generation of radiology reading rooms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Caban, Jesus J.; Wood, Bradford J.; Park, Adrian

    2007-03-01

    A flexible, scalable, high-resolution display system is presented to support the next generation of radiology reading rooms or interventional radiology suites. The project aims to create an environment for radiologists that will simultaneously facilitate image interpretation, analysis, and understanding while lowering visual and cognitive stress. Displays currently in use present radiologists with technical challenges to exploring complex datasets that we seek to address. These include resolution and brightness, display and ambient lighting differences, and degrees of complexity in addition to side-by-side comparison of time-variant and 2D/3D images. We address these issues through a scalable projector-based system that uses our custom-designed geometrical and photometrical calibration process to create a seamless, bright, high-resolution display environment that can reduce the visual fatigue commonly experienced by radiologists. The system we have designed uses an array of casually aligned projectors to cooperatively increase overall resolution and brightness. Images from a set of projectors in their narrowest zoom are combined at a shared projection surface, thus increasing the global "pixels per inch" (PPI) of the display environment. Two primary challenges - geometric calibration and photometric calibration - remained to be resolved before our high-resolution display system could be used in a radiology reading room or procedure suite. In this paper we present a method that accomplishes those calibrations and creates a flexible high-resolution display environment that appears seamless, sharp, and uniform across different devices.

  14. Gyrokinetic simulations and experiment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ross, David W.; Bravenec, R. V.; Dorland, W.

    2002-11-01

    Nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations with the code GS2 have been carried out in an effort to predict transport fluxes and fluctuation levels in the tokamaks DIII-D and Alcator C-Mod.(W. Dorland et al. in Fusion Energy 2000 (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 2000).)^,( W. Ross and W. Dorland, submitted to Phys. Plasmas (2002).) These simulations account for full electron dynamics and, in some instances, electromagnetic waves.( D. W. Ross, W. Dorland, and B. N. Rogers, Bull. Am. Phys. Soc. 46, 115 (2001).) Here, some issues of the necessary resolution, precision and wave number range are examined in connection with the experimental comparisons and parameter scans.

  15. LES-Modeling of a Partially Premixed Flame using a Deconvolution Turbulence Closure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Qing; Wu, Hao; Ihme, Matthias

    2015-11-01

    The modeling of the turbulence/chemistry interaction in partially premixed and multi-stream combustion remains an outstanding issue. By extending a recently developed constrained minimum mean-square error deconvolution (CMMSED) method, to objective of this work is to develop a source-term closure for turbulent multi-stream combustion. In this method, the chemical source term is obtained from a three-stream flamelet model, and CMMSED is used as closure model, thereby eliminating the need for presumed PDF-modeling. The model is applied to LES of a piloted turbulent jet flame with inhomogeneous inlets, and simulation results are compared with experiments. Comparisons with presumed PDF-methods are performed, and issues regarding resolution and conservation of the CMMSED method are examined. The author would like to acknowledge the support of funding from Stanford Graduate Fellowship.

  16. Invited Review Article: Gas puff imaging diagnostics of edge plasma turbulence in magnetic fusion devices

    DOE PAGES

    Zweben, S. J.; Terry, J. L.; Stotler, D. P.; ...

    2017-04-27

    Gas puff imaging (GPI) is a diagnostic of plasma turbulence which uses a puff of neutral gas at the plasma edge to increase the local visible light emission for improved space-time resolution of plasma fluctuations. This paper reviews gas puff imaging diagnostics of edge plasma turbulence in magnetic fusion research, with a focus on the instrumentation, diagnostic cross-checks, and interpretation issues. The gas puff imaging hardware, optics, and detectors are described for about 10 GPI systems implemented over the past similar to 15 years. Comparison of GPI results with other edge turbulence diagnostic results is described, and many common featuresmore » are observed. Here, several issues in the interpretation of GPI measurements are discussed, and potential improvements in hardware and modeling are suggested.« less

  17. Invited Review Article: Gas puff imaging diagnostics of edge plasma turbulence in magnetic fusion devices

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

    Zweben, S. J.; Terry, J. L.; Stotler, D. P.

    Gas puff imaging (GPI) is a diagnostic of plasma turbulence which uses a puff of neutral gas at the plasma edge to increase the local visible light emission for improved space-time resolution of plasma fluctuations. This paper reviews gas puff imaging diagnostics of edge plasma turbulence in magnetic fusion research, with a focus on the instrumentation, diagnostic cross-checks, and interpretation issues. The gas puff imaging hardware, optics, and detectors are described for about 10 GPI systems implemented over the past similar to 15 years. Comparison of GPI results with other edge turbulence diagnostic results is described, and many common featuresmore » are observed. Here, several issues in the interpretation of GPI measurements are discussed, and potential improvements in hardware and modeling are suggested.« less

  18. Automated conflict resolution issues

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wike, Jeffrey S.

    1991-01-01

    A discussion is presented of how conflicts for Space Network resources should be resolved in the ATDRSS era. The following topics are presented: a description of how resource conflicts are currently resolved; a description of issues associated with automated conflict resolution; present conflict resolution strategies; and topics for further discussion.

  19. Commercial ELV services and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Concord or discord?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Frankle, Edward A.

    1988-01-01

    In implementation of the U.S. policy to foster and encourage the commercial expendable launch vehicle (ELV) industry, tensions have developed between the industry and U.S. Government agencies in two distinct areas: industry use of government facilities and government purchase of commercial ELV services. The reasons for the tensions and discrete legal problems for each area are identified and discussed. Specifically, in the use of government facilities area, issues of insurance and indemnification for third-party liability and government property, concerns over priority and scheduling, and dispute-resolution procedures are discussed. In the area of government purchase of ELV launch services, a comparison is made between a launch service purchase and prior procurement practice. In all areas, the conclusion is reached that while problems still exist, they generally are understood and great progress has been made toward their resolution.

  20. Susceptibility-matched plugs for microcoil NMR probes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kc, Ravi; Gowda, Yashas N.; Djukovic, Danijel; Henry, Ian D.; Park, Gregory H. J.; Raftery, Daniel

    2010-07-01

    For mass-limited samples, the residual sample volume outside the detection coil is an important concern, as is good base line resolution. Here, we present the construction and evaluation of magnetic susceptibility-matched plugs for microcoil NMR sample cells which address these issues. Mixed-epoxy glue and ultem tube plugs that have susceptibility values close to those of perfluorocarbon FC-43 (fluorinert) and copper were used in small volume (0.5-2 μL) and larger volume (15-20 μL) thin glass capillary sample cells. Using these plugs, the sample volume efficiency (i.e. ratio of active volume to total sample volume in the microcoil NMR cell) was improved by 6-12-fold without sensitivity and resolution trade-offs. Comparison with laser etched or heat etched microcoil sample cells is provided. The approaches described are potentially useful in metabolomics for biomarkers detection in mass limited biological samples.

  1. Susceptibility-matched plugs for microcoil NMR probes.

    PubMed

    Kc, Ravi; Gowda, Yashas N; Djukovic, Danijel; Henry, Ian D; Park, Gregory H J; Raftery, Daniel

    2010-07-01

    For mass-limited samples, the residual sample volume outside the detection coil is an important concern, as is good base line resolution. Here, we present the construction and evaluation of magnetic susceptibility-matched plugs for microcoil NMR sample cells which address these issues. Mixed-epoxy glue and ultem tube plugs that have susceptibility values close to those of perfluorocarbon FC-43 (fluorinert) and copper were used in small volume (0.5-2 microL) and larger volume (15-20 microL) thin glass capillary sample cells. Using these plugs, the sample volume efficiency (i.e. ratio of active volume to total sample volume in the microcoil NMR cell) was improved by 6-12-fold without sensitivity and resolution trade-offs. Comparison with laser etched or heat etched microcoil sample cells is provided. The approaches described are potentially useful in metabolomics for biomarkers detection in mass limited biological samples. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Susceptibility-matched plugs for microcoil NMR probes

    PubMed Central

    Kc, Ravi; Gowda, Yashas N.; Djukovic, Danijel; Henry, Ian D; Park, Gregory H J; Raftery, Daniel

    2010-01-01

    For mass limited samples, the residual sample volume outside the detection coil is an important concern, as is good base line resolution. Here, we present the construction and evaluation of magnetic susceptibility-matched plugs for microcoil NMR sample cells which address these issues. Mixed-epoxy glue and ultem tube plugs that have susceptibility values close to those of perfluorocarbon FC-43 (fluorinert) and copper were used in small volume (0.5 to 2 μL) and larger volume (15 to 20 μL) thin glass capillary sample cells. Using these plugs, the sample volume efficiency (i.e. ratio of active volume to total sample volume in the microcoil NMR cell) was improved by 6 to 12 fold without sensitivity and resolution trade-offs. Comparison with laser etched or heat etched microcoil sample cells is provided. The approaches described are potentially useful in metabolomics for biomarkers detection in mass limited biological samples. PMID:20510638

  3. A High Resolution Land Cover Data Product to Remove Urban Density Over-Estimation Bias for Coupled Urban-Vegetation-Atmosphere Interaction Studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaffer, S. R.

    2017-12-01

    Coupled land-atmosphere interactions in urban settings modeled with the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) derive urban land cover from 30-meter resolution National Land Cover Database (NLCD) products. However, within urban areas, the categorical NLCD lose information of non-urban classifications whenever the impervious cover within a grid cell is above 0%, and the current method to determine urban area over estimates the actual area, leading to a bias of urban contribution. To address this bias of urban contribution an investigation is conducted by employing a 1-meter resolution land cover data product derived from the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) dataset. Scenes during 2010 for the Central Arizona Phoenix Long Term Ecological Research (CAP-LTER) study area, roughly a 120 km x 100 km area containing metropolitan Phoenix, are adapted for use within WRF to determine the areal fraction and urban fraction of each WRF urban class. A method is shown for converting these NAIP data into classes corresponding to NLCD urban classes, and is evaluated in comparison with current WRF implementation using NLCD. Results are shown for comparisons of land cover products at the level of input data and aggregated to model resolution (1 km). The sensitivity of WRF short-term summertime pre-monsoon predictions within metropolitan Phoenix to different input data products of land cover, to method of aggregating these data to model grid scale (1 km), for the default and derived parameter values are examined with the Noah mosaic land surface scheme adapted for using these data. Issues with adapting these non-urban NAIP classes for use in the mosaic approach will also be discussed.

  4. Gridded versus point data in the context of validation results from experiments of the COST action VALUE

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wibig, Joanna; Kotlarski, Sven; Maraun, Douglas; Soares, Pedro; Jaczewski, Adam; Czernecki, Bartosz; Gutierrez, Jose; Pongracz, Rita; Bartholy, Judit

    2016-04-01

    The aim of the paper is to compare the bias of selected ERA-Interim driven RCM projections when evaluated to gridded observation data (regridded to the same resolution as the considered RCM output) with those evaluated against station data to isolate the representativeness issue from the downscaling performance. The comparison has to be done for experiments of the COST action VALUE, so the same data period (1979-2008) and the same set consisting of 85 stations were used. As a gridded observations the EOBs data from the gridpoints closest to selected stations were used. The comparison was made for daily precipitation totals as well as daily minimum, maximum and mean temperature. A lot of indices were analysed to weigh up representativeness issues for marginal and temporal aspects. Relevant marginal aspects are described by average and extreme values distributions, whereas temporal aspects are presented by seasonality and length of extremespells. Set of indices used in VALUE experiment 1 is calculated for each dataset (stations, EOBs, selected RCM outputs) and biases of RCM outputs against station and EOBs data are obtained and compared. Those with most significant changes are analysed in details.

  5. A 150 year record of annual Bristlecone Pine 14C from the second millennium BC

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pearson, Charlotte; Salzer, Matthew; Brewer, Peter; Hodgins, Gregory; Jull, A. J. Timothy; Lange, Todd; Cruz, Richard; Brown, David; Boswijk, Gretel

    2017-04-01

    The Interdisciplinary Chronology of Civilizations Project (ICCP) at the University of Arizona (UA) aims to resolve longstanding chronological issues for Aegean and Near Eastern archaeology. A central component of this work is the production of annual resolution sequences of 14C from securely anchored tree-ring chronologies. Contemporary growth rings from Northern and Southern Hemisphere locations will be tested against a dataset of consecutive annual resolution 14C measurements from tree-rings of securely dated North American bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva D.K. Bailey). These data will be used in a number of ways: to investigate potential issues with the current IntCal dataset due to interpolation, smoothing, or the inclusion of annual scale rapid changes in 14C; to identify 14C off-sets; to evaluate whether annual determinations of 14C present sufficient advantages for dating to justify the substantial costs involved in creating an annual resolution calibration curve; to explore whether the degree of reproducibility between species and growth locations justifies the construction of regional curves or allows us to pioneer 'annual resolution wigglematching' to anchor substantial floating tree-ring chronologies from Mediterranean archaeological contexts, and; if new rapid changes in 14C (aka 'spikes') are discovered, to use these to achieve this same goal. The initial focus of the project is the first and second millennium BC. From this period we present 150 annual 14C determinations from bristlecone pine and explore preliminary findings based on comparisons with the existing IntCal dataset, decadal data from the Mediterranean, and some contemporary years from Irish Oak (Quercus spp.) and New Zealand Kauri (Agathis australis (D. Don) Lindl.). This work, in combination with results from another UA project team (see abstract by Jull et al.) helps confirm the potential of the bristlecone pine archive for high resolution radiocarbon research.

  6. Moral Sensitivity and Its Contribution to the Resolution of Socio-Scientific Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadler, Troy

    2004-01-01

    This study explores models of how people perceive moral aspects of socio-scientific issues. Thirty college students participated in interviews during which they discussed their reactions to and resolutions of two genetic engineering issues. The interview data were analyzed qualitatively to produce an emergent taxonomy of moral concerns recognized…

  7. Coincidental match of numerical simulation and physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pierre, B.; Gudmundsson, J. S.

    2010-08-01

    Consequences of rapid pressure transients in pipelines range from increased fatigue to leakages and to complete ruptures of pipeline. Therefore, accurate predictions of rapid pressure transients in pipelines using numerical simulations are critical. State of the art modelling of pressure transient in general, and water hammer in particular include unsteady friction in addition to the steady frictional pressure drop, and numerical simulations rely on the method of characteristics. Comparison of rapid pressure transient calculations by the method of characteristics and a selected high resolution finite volume method highlights issues related to modelling of pressure waves and illustrates that matches between numerical simulations and physics are purely coincidental.

  8. Intensity-Duration-Frequency curves from remote sensing datasets: direct comparison of weather radar and CMORPH over the Eastern Mediterranean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morin, Efrat; Marra, Francesco; Peleg, Nadav; Mei, Yiwen; Anagnostou, Emmanouil N.

    2017-04-01

    Rainfall frequency analysis is used to quantify the probability of occurrence of extreme rainfall and is traditionally based on rain gauge records. The limited spatial coverage of rain gauges is insufficient to sample the spatiotemporal variability of extreme rainfall and to provide the areal information required by management and design applications. Conversely, remote sensing instruments, even if quantitative uncertain, offer coverage and spatiotemporal detail that allow overcoming these issues. In recent years, remote sensing datasets began to be used for frequency analyses, taking advantage of increased record lengths and quantitative adjustments of the data. However, the studies so far made use of concepts and techniques developed for rain gauge (i.e. point or multiple-point) data and have been validated by comparison with gauge-derived analyses. These procedures add further sources of uncertainty and prevent from isolating between data and methodological uncertainties and from fully exploiting the available information. In this study, we step out of the gauge-centered concept presenting a direct comparison between at-site Intensity-Duration-Frequency (IDF) curves derived from different remote sensing datasets on corresponding spatial scales, temporal resolutions and records. We analyzed 16 years of homogeneously corrected and gauge-adjusted C-Band weather radar estimates, high-resolution CMORPH and gauge-adjusted high-resolution CMORPH over the Eastern Mediterranean. Results of this study include: (a) good spatial correlation between radar and satellite IDFs ( 0.7 for 2-5 years return period); (b) consistent correlation and dispersion in the raw and gauge adjusted CMORPH; (c) bias is almost uniform with return period for 12-24 h durations; (d) radar identifies thicker tail distributions than CMORPH and the tail of the distributions depends on the spatial and temporal scales. These results demonstrate the potential of remote sensing datasets for rainfall frequency analysis for management (e.g. warning and early-warning systems) and design (e.g. sewer design, large scale drainage planning)

  9. Comprehensive Assessment of Composition and Thermochemical Variability by High Resolution GC/QToF-MS and the Advanced Distillation-Curve Method as a Basis of Comparison for Reference Fuel Development.

    PubMed

    Lovestead, Tara M; Burger, Jessica L; Schneider, Nico; Bruno, Thomas J

    2016-12-15

    Commercial and military aviation is faced with challenges that include high fuel costs, undesirable emissions, and supply chain insecurity that result from the reliance on petroleum-based feedstocks. The development of alternative gas turbine fuels from renewable resources will likely be part of addressing these issues. The United States has established a target for one billion gallons of renewable fuels to enter the supply chain by 2018. These alternative fuels will have to be very similar in properties, chemistry, and composition to existing fuels. To further this goal, the National Jet Fuel Combustion Program (a collaboration of multiple U.S. agencies under the auspices of the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA) is coordinating measurements on three reference gas turbine fuels to be used as a basis of comparison. These fuels are reference fuels with certain properties that are at the limits of experience. These fuels include a low viscosity, low flash point, high hydrogen content "best case" JP-8 (POSF 10264) fuel, a relatively high viscosity, high flash point, low hydrogen content "worst case" JP-5 (POSF 10259) fuel, and a Jet-A (POSF 10325) fuel with relatively average properties. A comprehensive speciation of these fuels is provided in this paper by use of high resolution gas chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight - mass spectrometry (GC/QToF-MS), which affords unprecedented resolution and exact molecular formula capabilities. The volatility information as derived from the measurement of the advanced distillation curve temperatures, T k and T h , provides an approximation of the vapor liquid equilibrium and examination of the composition channels provides detailed insight into thermochemical data. A comprehensive understanding of the compositional and thermophysical data of gas turbine fuels is required not only for comparison but also for modeling of such complex mixtures, which will, in turn, aid in the development of new fuels with the goals of diversified feedstocks, decreased pollution, and increased efficiency.

  10. Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): CIL issues resolution report, volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1988-01-01

    The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes And Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. This report contains IOA assessment worksheets showing resolution of outstanding IOA CIL issues that were summarized in the IOA FMEA/CIL Assessment Interim Report, dated 9 March 1988. Each assessment worksheet has been updated with CIL issue resolution and rationale. Volume 2 contains the worksheets for the following subsystems: Nose Wheel Steering Subsystem; Remote Manipulator Subsystem; Atmospheric Revitalization Subsystem; Extravehicular Mobility Unit Subsystem; Power Reactant Supply and Distribution Subsystem; Main Propulsion Subsystem; and Orbital Maneuvering Subsystem.

  11. Real-space imaging of interfacial water with submolecular resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jiang, Ying; Peking University Team

    2014-03-01

    Water/solid interfaces are vital to our daily lives and also a central theme across an incredibly wide range of scientific disciplines. Resolving the internal structure, i.e. the O-H directionality, of water molecules adsorbed on solid surfaces has been one of the key issues of water science yet remains challenging. Using a low-temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM), we report the submolecular-resolution imaging of individual water monomers and tetramers on NaCl(001) films supported by a Au(111) substrate at 5 K. The frontier molecular orbitals of adsorbed water were directly visualized, which allowed discriminating the orientation of the monomers and the H-bond directionality of the tetramers in real space. Comparison with ab initio density functional theory calculations reveals that the ability to access the orbital structures of water stems from the electronic decoupling effect provided by the NaCl films and the precisely tunable tip-water coupling. Supported by National Basic Research Programs of China and National Science Foundation of China.

  12. Biomechanics meets the ecological niche: the importance of temporal data resolution.

    PubMed

    Kearney, Michael R; Matzelle, Allison; Helmuth, Brian

    2012-03-15

    The emerging field of mechanistic niche modelling aims to link the functional traits of organisms to their environments to predict survival, reproduction, distribution and abundance. This approach has great potential to increase our understanding of the impacts of environmental change on individuals, populations and communities by providing functional connections between physiological and ecological response to increasingly available spatial environmental data. By their nature, such mechanistic models are more data intensive in comparison with the more widely applied correlative approaches but can potentially provide more spatially and temporally explicit predictions, which are often needed by decision makers. A poorly explored issue in this context is the appropriate level of temporal resolution of input data required for these models, and specifically the error in predictions that can be incurred through the use of temporally averaged data. Here, we review how biomechanical principles from heat-transfer and metabolic theory are currently being used as foundations for mechanistic niche models and consider the consequences of different temporal resolutions of environmental data for modelling the niche of a behaviourally thermoregulating terrestrial lizard. We show that fine-scale temporal resolution (daily) data can be crucial for unbiased inference of climatic impacts on survival, growth and reproduction. This is especially so for species with little capacity for behavioural buffering, because of behavioural or habitat constraints, and for detecting temporal trends. However, coarser-resolution data (long-term monthly averages) can be appropriate for mechanistic studies of climatic constraints on distribution and abundance limits in thermoregulating species at broad spatial scales.

  13. Self-Pressurization of a Flightweight, Liquid Hydrogen Tank: Simulation and Comparison with Experiments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stewart, Mark E. M.; Moder, Jeffrey P.

    2016-01-01

    This paper presents ANSYS Fluent simulation results and analysis for self-pressurization of a flightweight, cryogenic, liquid hydrogen tank in 1-g. These results are compared with experimental data, in particular, pressure evolution and temperature measurements at a set of sensors. The simulations can be analyzed to identify and quantify heat flows in the tank. Heat flows change over time and influence the self-pressurization process. The initial rate of self-pressurization is sensitive to the initial temperature profile near the interface. Uncertainty in saturation pressure data and the accuracy of experimental measurements complicate simulation of self-pressurization. Numerical issues encountered, and their resolution, are also explained.

  14. Impact of the lateral boundary conditions resolution on dynamical downscaling of precipitation in mediterranean spain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amengual, A.; Romero, R.; Homar, V.; Ramis, C.; Alonso, S.

    2007-08-01

    Studies using transparent, polymeric witness plates consisting of polydimethlysiloxane (PDMS) have been conducted to measure the output of exploding bridge wire (EBW) detonators and exploding foil initiators (EFI). Polymeric witness plates are utilized to alleviate particle response issues that arise in gaseous flow fields containing shock waves and to allow measurements of shock-induced material velocities to be made using particle image velocimetry (PIV). Quantitative comparisons of velocity profiles across the shock waves in air and in PDMS demonstrate the improved response achieved by the dynamic witness plate method. Schlieren photographs complement the analysis through direct visualization of detonator-induced shock waves in the witness plates.

  15. Evaluation of Skin Temperatures Retrieved from GOES-8

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Suggs, Ronnie, J.; Jedlovec, G. J.; Lapenta, W. M.; Haines, S. L.

    2000-01-01

    Skin temperatures derived from geostationary satellites have the potential of providing the temporal and spatial resolution needed for model assimilation. To adequately assess the potential improvements in numerical model forecasts that can be made by assimilating satellite data, an estimate of the accuracy of the skin temperature product is necessary. A particular skin temperature algorithm, the Physical Split Window Technique, that uses the longwave infrared channels of the GOES Imager has shown promise in recent model assimilation studies to provide land surface temperatures with reasonable accuracy. A comparison of retrieved GOES-8 skin temperatures from this algorithm with in situ measurements is presented. Various retrieval algorithm issues are addressed including surface emissivity

  16. GPS=A Good Candidate for Data Assimilation?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Poli, P.; Joiner, J.; Kursinski, R.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    The Global Positioning System (GPS) enables positioning anywhere about our planet. The microwave signals sent by the 24 transmitters are sensitive to the atmosphere. Using the radio occultation technique, it is possible to perform soundings, with a Low Earth Orbiter (700 km) GPS receiver. The insensitiveness to clouds and aerosols, the relatively high vertical resolution (1.5 km), the self-calibration and stability of the GPS make it a priori a potentially good observing system candidate for data assimilation. A low-computing cost simple method to retrieve both temperature and humidity will be presented. Comparisons with radiosonde show the capability of the GPS to resolve the tropopause. Options for using GPS for data assimilation and remaining issues will be discussed.

  17. From atoms to layers: in situ gold cluster growth kinetics during sputter deposition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwartzkopf, Matthias; Buffet, Adeline; Körstgens, Volker; Metwalli, Ezzeldin; Schlage, Kai; Benecke, Gunthard; Perlich, Jan; Rawolle, Monika; Rothkirch, André; Heidmann, Berit; Herzog, Gerd; Müller-Buschbaum, Peter; Röhlsberger, Ralf; Gehrke, Rainer; Stribeck, Norbert; Roth, Stephan V.

    2013-05-01

    The adjustment of size-dependent catalytic, electrical and optical properties of gold cluster assemblies is a very significant issue in modern applied nanotechnology. We present a real-time investigation of the growth kinetics of gold nanostructures from small nuclei to a complete gold layer during magnetron sputter deposition with high time resolution by means of in situ microbeam grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (μGISAXS). We specify the four-stage growth including their thresholds with sub-monolayer resolution and identify phase transitions monitored in Yoneda intensity as a material-specific characteristic. An innovative and flexible geometrical model enables the extraction of morphological real space parameters, such as cluster size and shape, correlation distance, layer porosity and surface coverage, directly from reciprocal space scattering data. This approach enables a large variety of future investigations of the influence of different process parameters on the thin metal film morphology. Furthermore, our study allows for deducing the wetting behavior of gold cluster films on solid substrates and provides a better understanding of the growth kinetics in general, which is essential for optimization of manufacturing parameters, saving energy and resources.The adjustment of size-dependent catalytic, electrical and optical properties of gold cluster assemblies is a very significant issue in modern applied nanotechnology. We present a real-time investigation of the growth kinetics of gold nanostructures from small nuclei to a complete gold layer during magnetron sputter deposition with high time resolution by means of in situ microbeam grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (μGISAXS). We specify the four-stage growth including their thresholds with sub-monolayer resolution and identify phase transitions monitored in Yoneda intensity as a material-specific characteristic. An innovative and flexible geometrical model enables the extraction of morphological real space parameters, such as cluster size and shape, correlation distance, layer porosity and surface coverage, directly from reciprocal space scattering data. This approach enables a large variety of future investigations of the influence of different process parameters on the thin metal film morphology. Furthermore, our study allows for deducing the wetting behavior of gold cluster films on solid substrates and provides a better understanding of the growth kinetics in general, which is essential for optimization of manufacturing parameters, saving energy and resources. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: The full GISAXS image sequence of the experiment, the model-based IsGISAXS-simulation sequence as movie files for comparison and detailed information about sample cleaning, XRR, FESEM, IsGISAXS, comparison μGIWAXS/μGISAXS, and sampling statistics. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr34216f

  18. Wavelet data compression for archiving high-resolution icosahedral model data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, N.; Bao, J.; Lee, J.

    2011-12-01

    With the increase of the resolution of global circulation models, it becomes ever more important to develop highly effective solutions to archive the huge datasets produced by those models. While lossless data compression guarantees the accuracy of the restored data, it can only achieve limited reduction of data size. Wavelet transform based data compression offers significant potentials in data size reduction, and it has been shown very effective in transmitting data for remote visualizations. However, for data archive purposes, a detailed study has to be conducted to evaluate its impact to the datasets that will be used in further numerical computations. In this study, we carried out two sets of experiments for both summer and winter seasons. An icosahedral grid weather model and a highly efficient wavelet data compression software were used for this study. Initial conditions were compressed and input to the model to run to 10 days. The forecast results were then compared to those forecast results from the model run with the original uncompressed initial conditions. Several visual comparisons, as well as the statistics of numerical comparisons are presented. These results indicate that with specified minimum accuracy losses, wavelet data compression achieves significant data size reduction, and at the same time, it maintains minimum numerical impacts to the datasets. In addition, some issues are discussed to increase the archive efficiency while retaining a complete set of meta data for each archived file.

  19. Nuclear safety for the space exploration initiative

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dix, Terry E.

    1991-01-01

    The results of a study to identify potential hazards arising from nuclear reactor power systems for use on the lunar and Martian surfaces, related safety issues, and resolutions of such issues by system design changes, operating procedures, and other means are presented. All safety aspects of nuclear reactor power systems from prelaunch ground handling to eventual disposal were examined consistent with the level of detail for SP-100 reactor design at the 1988 System Design Review and for launch vehicle and space transport vehicle designs and mission descriptions as defined in the 90-day Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) study. Information from previous aerospace nuclear safety studies was used where appropriate. Safety requirements for the SP-100 space nuclear reactor system were compiled. Mission profiles were defined with emphasis on activities after low earth orbit insertion. Accident scenarios were then qualitatively defined for each mission phase. Safety issues were identified for all mission phases with the aid of simplified event trees. Safety issue resolution approaches of the SP-100 program were compiled. Resolution approaches for those safety issues not covered by the SP-100 program were identified. Additionally, the resolution approaches of the SP-100 program were examined in light of the moon and Mars missions.

  20. Position Statements, Issue Briefs, Resolutions and Consensus Statements. Revised

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Association of School Nurses (NJ1), 2012

    2012-01-01

    This article presents position statements, issue briefs, and resolutions and consensus statements of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN). The Position Statements include: (1) Allergy/Anaphylaxis Management in the School Setting; (2) Caseload Assignments; (3) Child Mortality in the School Setting; (4) Chronic Health Conditions, Managed…

  1. A comparison of GLAS SAT and NMC high resolution NOSAT forecasts from 19 and 11 February 1976

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Atlas, R.

    1979-01-01

    A subjective comparison of the Goddard Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences (GLAS) and the National Meteorological Center (NMC) high resolution model forecasts is presented. Two cases where NMC's operational model in 1976 had serious difficulties in forecasting for the United States were examined. For each of the cases, the GLAS model forecasts from initial conditions which included satellite sounding data were compared directly to the NMC higher resolution model forecasts, from initial conditions which excluded the satellite data. The comparison showed that the GLAS satellite forecasts significantly improved upon the current NMC operational model's predictions in both cases.

  2. Effects of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography on spatial scaling of net primary productivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, J. M.; Chen, X.; Ju, W.

    2013-03-01

    Due to the heterogeneous nature of the land surface, spatial scaling is an inevitable issue in the development of land models coupled with low-resolution Earth system models (ESMs) for predicting land-atmosphere interactions and carbon-climate feedbacks. In this study, a simple spatial scaling algorithm is developed to correct errors in net primary productivity (NPP) estimates made at a coarse spatial resolution based on sub-pixel information of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography. An eco-hydrological model BEPS-TerrainLab, which considers both vegetation and topographical effects on the vertical and lateral water flows and the carbon cycle, is used to simulate NPP at 30 m and 1 km resolutions for a 5700 km2 watershed with an elevation range from 518 m to 3767 m in the Qinling Mountain, Shaanxi Province, China. Assuming that the NPP simulated at 30 m resolution represents the reality and that at 1 km resolution is subject to errors due to sub-pixel heterogeneity, a spatial scaling index (SSI) is developed to correct the coarse resolution NPP values pixel by pixel. The agreement between the NPP values at these two resolutions is improved considerably from R2 = 0.782 to R2 = 0.884 after the correction. The mean bias error (MBE) in NPP modeled at the 1 km resolution is reduced from 14.8 g C m-2 yr-1 to 4.8 g C m-2 yr-1 in comparison with NPP modeled at 30 m resolution, where the mean NPP is 668 g C m-2 yr-1. The range of spatial variations of NPP at 30 m resolution is larger than that at 1 km resolution. Land cover fraction is the most important vegetation factor to be considered in NPP spatial scaling, and slope is the most important topographical factor for NPP spatial scaling especially in mountainous areas, because of its influence on the lateral water redistribution, affecting water table, soil moisture and plant growth. Other factors including leaf area index (LAI), elevation and aspect have small and additive effects on improving the spatial scaling between these two resolutions.

  3. Effects of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography on spatial scaling of net primary productivity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, J. M.; Chen, X.; Ju, W.

    2013-07-01

    Due to the heterogeneous nature of the land surface, spatial scaling is an inevitable issue in the development of land models coupled with low-resolution Earth system models (ESMs) for predicting land-atmosphere interactions and carbon-climate feedbacks. In this study, a simple spatial scaling algorithm is developed to correct errors in net primary productivity (NPP) estimates made at a coarse spatial resolution based on sub-pixel information of vegetation heterogeneity and surface topography. An eco-hydrological model BEPS-TerrainLab, which considers both vegetation and topographical effects on the vertical and lateral water flows and the carbon cycle, is used to simulate NPP at 30 m and 1 km resolutions for a 5700 km2 watershed with an elevation range from 518 m to 3767 m in the Qinling Mountain, Shanxi Province, China. Assuming that the NPP simulated at 30 m resolution represents the reality and that at 1 km resolution is subject to errors due to sub-pixel heterogeneity, a spatial scaling index (SSI) is developed to correct the coarse resolution NPP values pixel by pixel. The agreement between the NPP values at these two resolutions is improved considerably from R2 = 0.782 to R2 = 0.884 after the correction. The mean bias error (MBE) in NPP modelled at the 1 km resolution is reduced from 14.8 g C m-2 yr-1 to 4.8 g C m-2 yr-1 in comparison with NPP modelled at 30 m resolution, where the mean NPP is 668 g C m-2 yr-1. The range of spatial variations of NPP at 30 m resolution is larger than that at 1 km resolution. Land cover fraction is the most important vegetation factor to be considered in NPP spatial scaling, and slope is the most important topographical factor for NPP spatial scaling especially in mountainous areas, because of its influence on the lateral water redistribution, affecting water table, soil moisture and plant growth. Other factors including leaf area index (LAI) and elevation have small and additive effects on improving the spatial scaling between these two resolutions.

  4. Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): CIL issues resolution report, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Urbanowicz, Kenneth J.; Hinsdale, L. W.; Barnes, J. E.

    1988-01-01

    The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. This report contains IOA assessment worksheets showing resolution of outstanding IOA CIL issues that were summarized in the IOA FMEA/CIL Assessment Interim Report, dated 9 March 1988. Each assessment worksheet has been updated with CIL issue resolution and rationale. The NASA and Prime Contractor post 51-L FMEA/CIL documentation assessed is believed to be technically accurate and complete. No assessment issues remain that has safety implications. Volume 1 contain worksheets for the following sybsystems: Landing and Deceleration Subsystem; Purge, Vent and Drain Subsystem; Active Thermal Control and Life Support Systems; Crew Equipment Subsystem; Instrumentation Subsystem; Data Processing Subsystem; Atmospheric Revitalization Pressure Control Subsystem; Hydraulics and Water Spray Boiler Subsystem; and Mechanical Actuation Subsystem.

  5. High-resolution digital holography with the aid of coherent diffraction imaging.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Zhilong; Veetil, Suhas P; Cheng, Jun; Liu, Cheng; Wang, Ling; Zhu, Jianqiang

    2015-08-10

    The image reconstructed in ordinary digital holography was unable to bring out desired resolution in comparison to photographic materials; thus making it less preferable for many interesting applications. A method is proposed to enhance the resolution of digital holography in all directions by placing a random phase plate between the specimen and the electronic camera and then using an iterative approach to do the reconstruction. With this method, the resolution is improved remarkably in comparison to ordinary digital holography. Theoretical analysis is supported by numerical simulation. The feasibility of the method is also studied experimentally.

  6. 5 CFR 2424.31 - Resolution of disputed issues of material fact; hearings.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Resolution of disputed issues of material fact; hearings. 2424.31 Section 2424.31 Administrative Personnel FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY, GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY AND FEDERAL SERVICE IMPASSES PANEL FEDERAL LABOR RELATIONS AUTHORITY AND GENERAL COUNSEL OF...

  7. Moving on or digging deeper: Regulatory mode and interpersonal conflict resolution.

    PubMed

    Webb, Christine E; Coleman, Peter T; Rossignac-Milon, Maya; Tomasulo, Stephen J; Higgins, E Tory

    2017-04-01

    Conflict resolution, in its most basic sense, requires movement and change between opposing motivational states. Although scholars and practitioners have long acknowledged this point, research has yet to investigate whether individual differences in the motivation for movement from state-to-state influence conflict resolution processes. Regulatory Mode Theory (RMT) describes this fundamental motivation as locomotion. RMT simultaneously describes an orthogonal motivational emphasis on assessment, a tendency for critical evaluation and comparison. We argue that this tendency, in the absence of a stronger motivation for locomotion, can obstruct peoples' propensity to reconcile. Five studies, using diverse measures and methods, found that the predominance of an individual's locomotion over assessment facilitates interpersonal conflict resolution. The first two studies present participants with hypothetical conflict scenarios to examine how chronic (Study 1) and experimentally induced (Study 2) individual differences in locomotion predominance influence the motivation to reconcile. The next two studies investigate this relation by way of participants' own conflict experiences, both through essay recall of previous conflict events (Study 3) and verbal narratives of ongoing conflict issues (Study 4). We then explore this association in the context of real-world conflict discussions between roommates (Study 5). Lastly, we examine results across these studies meta-analytically (Study 6). Overall, locomotion and assessment can inform lay theories of individual variation in the motivation to "move on" or "dig deeper" in conflict situations. We conclude by emphasizing the importance of using RMT to go beyond instrumental approaches to conflict resolution to understand fundamental individual motivations underlying its occurrence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  8. A description and evaluation of an air quality model nested within global and regional composition-climate models using MetUM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Neal, Lucy S.; Dalvi, Mohit; Folberth, Gerd; McInnes, Rachel N.; Agnew, Paul; O'Connor, Fiona M.; Savage, Nicholas H.; Tilbee, Marie

    2017-11-01

    There is a clear need for the development of modelling frameworks for both climate change and air quality to help inform policies for addressing these issues simultaneously. This paper presents an initial attempt to develop a single modelling framework, by introducing a greater degree of consistency in the meteorological modelling framework by using a two-step, one-way nested configuration of models, from a global composition-climate model (GCCM) (140 km resolution) to a regional composition-climate model covering Europe (RCCM) (50 km resolution) and finally to a high (12 km) resolution model over the UK (AQUM). The latter model is used to produce routine air quality forecasts for the UK. All three models are based on the Met Office's Unified Model (MetUM). In order to better understand the impact of resolution on the downscaling of projections of future climate and air quality, we have used this nest of models to simulate a 5-year period using present-day emissions and under present-day climate conditions. We also consider the impact of running the higher-resolution model with higher spatial resolution emissions, rather than simply regridding emissions from the RCCM. We present an evaluation of the models compared to in situ air quality observations over the UK, plus a comparison against an independent 1 km resolution gridded dataset, derived from a combination of modelling and observations, effectively producing an analysis of annual mean surface pollutant concentrations. We show that using a high-resolution model over the UK has some benefits in improving air quality modelling, but that the use of higher spatial resolution emissions is important to capture local variations in concentrations, particularly for primary pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. For secondary pollutants such as ozone and the secondary component of PM10, the benefits of a higher-resolution nested model are more limited and reasons for this are discussed. This study highlights the point that the resolution of models is not the only factor in determining model performance - consistency between nested models is also important.

  9. A new method to assess the added value of high-resolution regional climate simulations: application to the EURO-CORDEX dataset

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soares, P. M. M.; Cardoso, R. M.

    2017-12-01

    Regional climate models (RCM) are used with increasing resolutions pursuing to represent in an improved way regional to local scale atmospheric phenomena. The EURO-CORDEX simulations at 0.11° and simulations exploiting finer grid spacing approaching the convective-permitting regimes are representative examples. The climate runs are computationally very demanding and do not always show improvements. These depend on the region, variable and object of study. The gains or losses associated with the use of higher resolution in relation to the forcing model (global climate model or reanalysis), or to different resolution RCM simulations, is known as added value. Its characterization is a long-standing issue, and many different added-value measures have been proposed. In the current paper, a new method is proposed to assess the added value of finer resolution simulations, in comparison to its forcing data or coarser resolution counterparts. This approach builds on a probability density function (PDF) matching score, giving a normalised measure of the difference between diverse resolution PDFs, mediated by the observational ones. The distribution added value (DAV) is an objective added value measure that can be applied to any variable, region or temporal scale, from hindcast or historical (non-synchronous) simulations. The DAVs metric and an application to the EURO-CORDEX simulations, for daily temperatures and precipitation, are here presented. The EURO-CORDEX simulations at both resolutions (0.44o,0.11o) display a clear added value in relation to ERA-Interim, with values around 30% in summer and 20% in the intermediate seasons, for precipitation. When both RCM resolutions are directly compared the added value is limited. The regions with the larger precipitation DAVs are areas where convection is relevant, e.g. Alps and Iberia. When looking at the extreme precipitation PDF tail, the higher resolution improvement is generally greater than the low resolution for seasons and regions. For temperature, the added value is smaller. AcknowledgmentsThe authors wish to acknowledge SOLAR (PTDC/GEOMET/7078/2014) and FCT UID/GEO/50019/ 2013 (Instituto Dom Luiz) projects.

  10. An overview of mesoscale aerosol processes, comparisons, and validation studies from DRAGON networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holben, Brent N.; Kim, Jhoon; Sano, Itaru; Mukai, Sonoyo; Eck, Thomas F.; Giles, David M.; Schafer, Joel S.; Sinyuk, Aliaksandr; Slutsker, Ilya; Smirnov, Alexander; Sorokin, Mikhail; Anderson, Bruce E.; Che, Huizheng; Choi, Myungje; Crawford, James H.; Ferrare, Richard A.; Garay, Michael J.; Jeong, Ukkyo; Kim, Mijin; Kim, Woogyung; Knox, Nichola; Li, Zhengqiang; Lim, Hwee S.; Liu, Yang; Maring, Hal; Nakata, Makiko; Pickering, Kenneth E.; Piketh, Stuart; Redemann, Jens; Reid, Jeffrey S.; Salinas, Santo; Seo, Sora; Tan, Fuyi; Tripathi, Sachchida N.; Toon, Owen B.; Xiao, Qingyang

    2018-01-01

    Over the past 24 years, the AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) program has provided highly accurate remote-sensing characterization of aerosol optical and physical properties for an increasingly extensive geographic distribution including all continents and many oceanic island and coastal sites. The measurements and retrievals from the AERONET global network have addressed satellite and model validation needs very well, but there have been challenges in making comparisons to similar parameters from in situ surface and airborne measurements. Additionally, with improved spatial and temporal satellite remote sensing of aerosols, there is a need for higher spatial-resolution ground-based remote-sensing networks. An effort to address these needs resulted in a number of field campaign networks called Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks (DRAGONs) that were designed to provide a database for in situ and remote-sensing comparison and analysis of local to mesoscale variability in aerosol properties. This paper describes the DRAGON deployments that will continue to contribute to the growing body of research related to meso- and microscale aerosol features and processes. The research presented in this special issue illustrates the diversity of topics that has resulted from the application of data from these networks.

  11. 48 CFR 33.214 - Alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... resolution (ADR). 33.214 Section 33.214 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION... dispute resolution (ADR). (a) The objective of using ADR procedures is to increase the opportunity for relatively inexpensive and expeditious resolution of issues in controversy. Essential elements of ADR include...

  12. 48 CFR 33.214 - Alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... resolution (ADR). 33.214 Section 33.214 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION... dispute resolution (ADR). (a) The objective of using ADR procedures is to increase the opportunity for relatively inexpensive and expeditious resolution of issues in controversy. Essential elements of ADR include...

  13. Report to the Legislature on Senate Concurrent Resolution 118 SD1 HD1: Improving the Community's Understanding of the Department of Education's Programs and School Expenses Including a Comparison with Other States on Adequacy of Funds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawaii Educational Policy Center, 2008

    2008-01-01

    The 2007 Hawai'i State Legislature passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 118 S.D.1 HD 1 Improving the Community's Understanding of the Department of Education's Programs and School Expenses Including a Comparison with Other States on Adequacy of Funds. Among the requests contained in the resolution were the following: "Be it further resolved…

  14. Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) CIL issues resolution report, volume 3

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1988-01-01

    The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. This report contains IOA assessment workshets showing resolution of outstanding IOA CIL issues that were summarized in the IOA FMEA/CIL Assessment Interim Report, dated 9 March 1988. Each assessment worksheet has been updated with CIL issue rsolution and rationale. Volume 3 contains the worksheets for the Reaction Control Subsystem and the Communications and Tracking Subsystem.

  15. Social Workers' Participation in the Resolution of Ethical Dilemmas in Hospice Care

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Csikai, Ellen L.

    2004-01-01

    Ethical dilemmas are inherent in every health care setting. A sample of hospice social workers with no direct access to a hospice ethics committee (N = 110) was surveyed regarding ethical issues in hospice care, how the issues were managed, and the extent to which social workers participated in resolution of ethical dilemmas. Common issues…

  16. 1992

    EPA Science Inventory

    There are two classes of statistical issues: firm issues amenable to problem statement and technical resolution and soft issues that have qualitative dimensions and ideological implications. irm issues are easy: defining and stating the problem is much of the solution. he soft is...

  17. The Filled Arm Fizeau Telescope (FFT)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Synnott, S. P.

    1991-01-01

    Attention is given to the design of a Mills Cross imaging interferometer in which the arms are fully filled with mirror segments of a Ritchey-Chretien primary and which has sensitivity to 27th magnitude per pixel and resolution a factor of 10 greater than Hubble. The optical design, structural configuration, thermal disturbances, and vibration, material, control, and metrology issues, as well as scientific capabilities are discussed, and technology needs are identified. The technologies under consideration are similar to those required for the development of the other imaging interferometers that have been proposed over the past decade. A comparison of the imaging capabilities of a 30-m diameter FFT, an 8-m telescope with a collecting area equal to that of the FFT, and the HST is presented.

  18. IDEA Special Education Resolution Meetings. A Guide for Parents of Children & Youth (Ages 3-21)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Appropriate Dispute Resolution in Special Education (CADRE), 2014

    2014-01-01

    A resolution meeting is a dispute resolution process that takes place after a parent files a due process complaint. Resolution meetings offer parents and school districts the opportunity to resolve issues before a due process hearing happens. This publication describes Resolution Meetings generally for Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities…

  19. Improved scintimammography using a high-resolution camera mounted on an upright mammography gantry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Itti, Emmanuel; Patt, Bradley E.; Diggles, Linda E.; MacDonald, Lawrence; Iwanczyk, Jan S.; Mishkin, Fred S.; Khalkhali, Iraj

    2003-01-01

    99mTc-sestamibi scintimammography (SMM) is a useful adjunct to conventional X-ray mammography (XMM) for the assessment of breast cancer. An increasing number of studies has emphasized fair sensitivity values for the detection of tumors >1 cm, compared to XMM, particularly in situations where high glandular breast densities make mammographic interpretation difficult. In addition, SMM has demonstrated high specificity for cancer, compared to various functional and anatomic imaging modalities. However, large field-of-view (FOV) gamma cameras are difficult to position close to the breasts, which decreases spatial resolution and subsequently, the sensitivity of detection for tumors <1 cm. New dedicated detectors featuring small FOV and increased spatial resolution have recently been developed. In this setting, improvement in tumor detection sensitivity, particularly with regard to small cancers is expected. At Division of Nuclear Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, we have performed over 2000 SMM within the last 9 years. We have recently used a dedicated breast camera (LumaGEM™) featuring a 12.8×12.8 cm 2 FOV and an array of 2×2×6 mm 3 discrete crystals coupled to a photon-sensitive photomultiplier tube readout. This camera is mounted on a mammography gantry allowing upright imaging, medial positioning and use of breast compression. Preliminary data indicates significant enhancement of spatial resolution by comparison with standard imaging in the first 10 patients. Larger series will be needed to conclude on sensitivity/specificity issues.

  20. Comparison of two Simon tasks: neuronal correlates of conflict resolution based on coherent motion perception.

    PubMed

    Wittfoth, Matthias; Buck, Daniela; Fahle, Manfred; Herrmann, Manfred

    2006-08-15

    The present study aimed at characterizing the neural correlates of conflict resolution in two variations of the Simon effect. We introduced two different Simon tasks where subjects had to identify shapes on the basis of form-from-motion perception (FFMo) within a randomly moving dot field, while (1) motion direction (motion-based Simon task) or (2) stimulus location (location-based Simon task) had to be ignored. Behavioral data revealed that both types of Simon tasks induced highly significant interference effects. Using event-related fMRI, we could demonstrate that both tasks share a common cluster of activated brain regions during conflict resolution (pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA), superior parietal lobule (SPL), and cuneus) but also show task-specific activation patterns (left superior temporal cortex in the motion-based, and the left fusiform gyrus in the location-based Simon task). Although motion-based and location-based Simon tasks are conceptually very similar (Type 3 stimulus-response ensembles according to the taxonomy of [Kornblum, S., Stevens, G. (2002). Sequential effects of dimensional overlap: findings and issues. In: Prinz, W., Hommel., B. (Eds.), Common mechanism in perception and action. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 9-54]) conflict resolution in both tasks results in the activation of different task-specific regions probably related to the different sources of task-irrelevant information. Furthermore, the present data give evidence those task-specific regions are most likely to detect the relationship between task-relevant and task-irrelevant information.

  1. Comprehensive Assessment of Composition and Thermochemical Variability by High Resolution GC/QToF-MS and the Advanced Distillation-Curve Method as a Basis of Comparison for Reference Fuel Development*

    PubMed Central

    Lovestead, Tara M.; Burger, Jessica L.; Schneider, Nico; Bruno, Thomas J.

    2018-01-01

    Commercial and military aviation is faced with challenges that include high fuel costs, undesirable emissions, and supply chain insecurity that result from the reliance on petroleum-based feedstocks. The development of alternative gas turbine fuels from renewable resources will likely be part of addressing these issues. The United States has established a target for one billion gallons of renewable fuels to enter the supply chain by 2018. These alternative fuels will have to be very similar in properties, chemistry, and composition to existing fuels. To further this goal, the National Jet Fuel Combustion Program (a collaboration of multiple U.S. agencies under the auspices of the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA) is coordinating measurements on three reference gas turbine fuels to be used as a basis of comparison. These fuels are reference fuels with certain properties that are at the limits of experience. These fuels include a low viscosity, low flash point, high hydrogen content “best case” JP-8 (POSF 10264) fuel, a relatively high viscosity, high flash point, low hydrogen content “worst case” JP-5 (POSF 10259) fuel, and a Jet-A (POSF 10325) fuel with relatively average properties. A comprehensive speciation of these fuels is provided in this paper by use of high resolution gas chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight – mass spectrometry (GC/QToF-MS), which affords unprecedented resolution and exact molecular formula capabilities. The volatility information as derived from the measurement of the advanced distillation curve temperatures, Tk and Th, provides an approximation of the vapor liquid equilibrium and examination of the composition channels provides detailed insight into thermochemical data. A comprehensive understanding of the compositional and thermophysical data of gas turbine fuels is required not only for comparison but also for modeling of such complex mixtures, which will, in turn, aid in the development of new fuels with the goals of diversified feedstocks, decreased pollution, and increased efficiency. PMID:29706688

  2. 20 CFR 627.481 - Audit resolution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Audit resolution. 627.481 Section 627.481... PROGRAMS UNDER TITLES I, II, AND III OF THE ACT Administrative Standards § 627.481 Audit resolution. (a) Federal audit resolution. When the OIG issues an audit report to the Employment and Training...

  3. Enhancing resolution in coherent x-ray diffraction imaging.

    PubMed

    Noh, Do Young; Kim, Chan; Kim, Yoonhee; Song, Changyong

    2016-12-14

    Achieving a resolution near 1 nm is a critical issue in coherent x-ray diffraction imaging (CDI) for applications in materials and biology. Albeit with various advantages of CDI based on synchrotrons and newly developed x-ray free electron lasers, its applications would be limited without improving resolution well below 10 nm. Here, we review the issues and efforts in improving CDI resolution including various methods for resolution determination. Enhancing diffraction signal at large diffraction angles, with the aid of interference between neighboring strong scatterers or templates, is reviewed and discussed in terms of increasing signal-to-noise ratio. In addition, we discuss errors in image reconstruction algorithms-caused by the discreteness of the Fourier transformations involved-which degrade the spatial resolution, and suggest ways to correct them. We expect this review to be useful for applications of CDI in imaging weakly scattering soft matters using coherent x-ray sources including x-ray free electron lasers.

  4. Permeability Estimation Directly From Logging-While-Drilling Induced Polarization Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiandaca, G.; Maurya, P. K.; Balbarini, N.; Hördt, A.; Christiansen, A. V.; Foged, N.; Bjerg, P. L.; Auken, E.

    2018-04-01

    In this study, we present the prediction of permeability from time domain spectral induced polarization (IP) data, measured in boreholes on undisturbed formations using the El-log logging-while-drilling technique. We collected El-log data and hydraulic properties on unconsolidated Quaternary and Miocene deposits in boreholes at three locations at a field site in Denmark, characterized by different electrical water conductivity and chemistry. The high vertical resolution of the El-log technique matches the lithological variability at the site, minimizing ambiguity in the interpretation originating from resolution issues. The permeability values were computed from IP data using a laboratory-derived empirical relationship presented in a recent study for saturated unconsolidated sediments, without any further calibration. A very good correlation, within 1 order of magnitude, was found between the IP-derived permeability estimates and those derived using grain size analyses and slug tests, with similar depth trends and permeability contrasts. Furthermore, the effect of water conductivity on the IP-derived permeability estimations was found negligible in comparison to the permeability uncertainties estimated from the inversion and the laboratory-derived empirical relationship.

  5. Uncertainty Analysis in the Creation of a Fine-Resolution Leaf Area Index (LAI) Reference Map for Validation of Moderate Resolution LAI Products

    EPA Science Inventory

    The validation process for a moderate resolution leaf area index (LAI) product (i.e., MODIS) involves the creation of a high spatial resolution LAI reference map (Lai-RM), which when scaled to the moderate LAI resolution (i.e., >1 km) allows for comparison and analysis with this ...

  6. A Large Scale Code Resolution Service Network in the Internet of Things

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Haining; Zhang, Hongli; Fang, Binxing; Yu, Xiangzhan

    2012-01-01

    In the Internet of Things a code resolution service provides a discovery mechanism for a requester to obtain the information resources associated with a particular product code immediately. In large scale application scenarios a code resolution service faces some serious issues involving heterogeneity, big data and data ownership. A code resolution service network is required to address these issues. Firstly, a list of requirements for the network architecture and code resolution services is proposed. Secondly, in order to eliminate code resolution conflicts and code resolution overloads, a code structure is presented to create a uniform namespace for code resolution records. Thirdly, we propose a loosely coupled distributed network consisting of heterogeneous, independent; collaborating code resolution services and a SkipNet based code resolution service named SkipNet-OCRS, which not only inherits DHT's advantages, but also supports administrative control and autonomy. For the external behaviors of SkipNet-OCRS, a novel external behavior mode named QRRA mode is proposed to enhance security and reduce requester complexity. For the internal behaviors of SkipNet-OCRS, an improved query algorithm is proposed to increase query efficiency. It is analyzed that integrating SkipNet-OCRS into our resolution service network can meet our proposed requirements. Finally, simulation experiments verify the excellent performance of SkipNet-OCRS. PMID:23202207

  7. A large scale code resolution service network in the Internet of Things.

    PubMed

    Yu, Haining; Zhang, Hongli; Fang, Binxing; Yu, Xiangzhan

    2012-11-07

    In the Internet of Things a code resolution service provides a discovery mechanism for a requester to obtain the information resources associated with a particular product code immediately. In large scale application scenarios a code resolution service faces some serious issues involving heterogeneity, big data and data ownership. A code resolution service network is required to address these issues. Firstly, a list of requirements for the network architecture and code resolution services is proposed. Secondly, in order to eliminate code resolution conflicts and code resolution overloads, a code structure is presented to create a uniform namespace for code resolution records. Thirdly, we propose a loosely coupled distributed network consisting of heterogeneous, independent; collaborating code resolution services and a SkipNet based code resolution service named SkipNet-OCRS, which not only inherits DHT’s advantages, but also supports administrative control and autonomy. For the external behaviors of SkipNet-OCRS, a novel external behavior mode named QRRA mode is proposed to enhance security and reduce requester complexity. For the internal behaviors of SkipNet-OCRS, an improved query algorithm is proposed to increase query efficiency. It is analyzed that integrating SkipNet-OCRS into our resolution service network can meet our proposed requirements. Finally, simulation experiments verify the excellent performance of SkipNet-OCRS.

  8. Conflict Resolution in Japanese Social Interactions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Killen, Melanie; Sueyoshi, Lina

    1995-01-01

    Studied Japanese preschool children's conflict resolution and how they and their mothers evaluate teachers' conflict resolution methods. Found that preschoolers' conflicts stemmed from wide range of issues, including concerns about justice, rights, and fairness. Preschoolers used negotiation more than retribution or appeals to teachers, which…

  9. Sahra integrated modeling approach to address water resources management in semi-arid river basins

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

    Springer, E. P.; Gupta, Hoshin V.; Brookshire, David S.

    Water resources decisions in the 21Sf Century that will affect allocation of water for economic and environmental will rely on simulations from integrated models of river basins. These models will not only couple natural systems such as surface and ground waters, but will include economic components that can assist in model assessments of river basins and bring the social dimension to the decision process. The National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA) has been developing integrated models to assess impacts of climate variability and land use change on water resources inmore » semi-arid river basins. The objectives of this paper are to describe the SAHRA integrated modeling approach and to describe the linkage between social and natural sciences in these models. Water resources issues that arise from climate variability or land use change may require different resolution models to answer different questions. For example, a question related to streamflow may not need a high-resolution model whereas a question concerning the source and nature of a pollutant will. SAHRA has taken a multiresolution approach to integrated model development because one cannot anticipate the questions in advance, and the computational and data resources may not always be available or needed for the issue to be addressed. The coarsest resolution model is based on dynamic simulation of subwatersheds or river reaches. This model resolution has the advantage of simplicity and social factors are readily incorporated. Users can readily take this model (and they have) and examine the effects of various management strategies such as increased cost of water. The medium resolution model is grid based and uses variable grid cells of 1-12 km. The surface hydrology is more physically based using basic equations for energy and water balance terms, and modules are being incorporated that will simulate engineering components such as reservoirs or irrigation diversions and economic features such as variable demand. The fine resolution model is viewed as a tool to examine basin response using best available process models. The fine resolution model operates on a grid cell size of 100 m or less, which is consistent with the scale that our process knowledge has developed. The fine resolution model couples atmosphere, surface water and groundwater modules using high performance computing. The medium and fine resolution models are not expected at this time to be operated by users as opposed to the coarse resolution model. One of the objectives of the SAHRA integrated modeling task is to present results in a manner that can be used by those making decisions. The application of these models within SAHRA is driven by a scenario analysis and a place location. The place is the Rio Grande from its headwaters in Colorado to the New Mexico-Texas border. This provides a focus for model development and an attempt to see how the results from the various models relate. The scenario selected by SAHRA is the impact of a 1950's style drought using 1990's population and land use on Rio Grande water resources including surface and groundwater. The same climate variables will be used to drive all three models so that comparison will be based on how the three resolutions partition and route water through the river basin. Aspects of this scenario will be discussed and initial model simulation will be presented. The issue of linking economic modules into the modeling effort will be discussed and the importance of feedback from the social and economic modules to the natural science modules will be reviewed.« less

  10. When Can Clades Be Potentially Resolved with Morphology?

    PubMed Central

    Bapst, David W.

    2013-01-01

    Morphology-based phylogenetic analyses are the only option for reconstructing relationships among extinct lineages, but often find support for conflicting hypotheses of relationships. The resulting lack of phylogenetic resolution is generally explained in terms of data quality and methodological issues, such as character selection. A previous suggestion is that sampling ancestral morphotaxa or sampling multiple taxa descended from a long-lived, unchanging lineage can also yield clades which have no opportunity to share synapomorphies. This lack of character information leads to a lack of ‘intrinsic’ resolution, an issue that cannot be solved with additional morphological data. It is unclear how often we should expect clades to be intrinsically resolvable in realistic circumstances, as intrinsic resolution must increase as taxonomic sampling decreases. Using branching simulations, I quantify intrinsic resolution across several models of morphological differentiation and taxonomic sampling. Intrinsically unresolvable clades are found to be relatively frequent in simulations of both extinct and living taxa under realistic sampling scenarios, implying that intrinsic resolution is an issue for morphology-based analyses of phylogeny. Simulations which vary the rates of sampling and differentiation were tested for their agreement to observed distributions of durations from well-sampled fossil records and also having high intrinsic resolution. This combination only occurs in those datasets when differentiation and sampling rates are both unrealistically high relative to branching and extinction rates. Thus, the poor phylogenetic resolution occasionally observed in morphological phylogenetics may result from a lack of intrinsic resolvability within groups. PMID:23638034

  11. The Flight from Physics Education: Searching for Reasons by Comparisons across the Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Monk, Martin

    2008-01-01

    Cross-curriculum comparisons help open up new perspectives on old issues. The flight from physics by students is one such issue. Here a comparison is made with music education and language education. Where these comparisons provide useful insights they can also warn against knee-jerk panaceas. It is suggested we need to understand how and why…

  12. Value Production in a Collaborative Environment. Sociophysical Studies of Wikipedia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yasseri, Taha; Kertész, János

    2013-05-01

    We review some recent endeavors and add some new results to characterize and understand underlying mechanisms in Wikipedia (WP), the paradigmatic example of collaborative value production. We analyzed the statistics of editorial activity in different languages and observed typical circadian and weekly patterns, which enabled us to estimate the geographical origins of contributions to WPs in languages spoken in several time zones. Using a recently introduced measure we showed that the editorial activities have intrinsic dependencies in the burstiness of events. A comparison of the English and Simple English WPs revealed important aspects of language complexity and showed how peer cooperation solved the task of enhancing readability. One of our focus issues was characterizing the conflicts or edit wars in WPs, which helped us to automatically filter out controversial pages. When studying the temporal evolution of the controversiality of such pages we identified typical patterns and classified conflicts accordingly. Our quantitative analysis provides the basis of modeling conflicts and their resolution in collaborative environments and contribute to the understanding of this issue, which becomes increasingly important with the development of information communication technology.

  13. Cost/benefit analysis for video security systems

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

    NONE

    1997-01-01

    Dr. Don Hush and Scott Chapman, in conjunction with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the University of New Mexico (UNM), have been contracted by Los Alamos National Laboratories to perform research in the area of high security video analysis. The first phase of this research, presented in this report, is a cost/benefit analysis of various approaches to the problem in question. This discussion begins with a description of three architectures that have been used as solutions to the problem of high security surveillance. An overview of the relative merits and weaknesses of each of the proposed systems ismore » included. These descriptions are followed directly by a discussion of the criteria chosen in evaluating the systems and the techniques used to perform the comparisons. The results are then given in graphical and tabular form, and their implications discussed. The project to this point has involved assessing hardware and software issues in image acquisition, processing and change detection. Future work is to leave these questions behind to consider the issues of change analysis - particularly the detection of human motion - and alarm decision criteria. The criteria for analysis in this report include: cost; speed; tradeoff issues in moving primative operations from software to hardware; real time operation considerations; change image resolution; and computational requirements.« less

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

    Yadav, P. K., E-mail: praveenyadav@rrcat.gov.in; Swami, M. K.

    Characterization of synchrotron induced contamination on optical elements and their cleaning are serious issues in beam lines. We used Raman spectroscopy for characterization of synchrotron induced contamination layer on LiF window (used in high resolution vacuum ultra violet beam line). Three peaks at 1035 cm{sup −1} (corresponding to C-C sp{sup 3} vibrations), 1563 cm{sup −1} and 1375 cm{sup −1} (corresponding to G and D bands of carbon) are observed. By data fitting I(D)/I(G) ratio (0.84) and FWHM(G)=124 cm{sup −1} was obtained. Comparison with available literature indicates that the carbon might be present in the form of rings of hydrogenated amorphousmore » carbon a-C:H (GLHC) with atomic hydrogen concentration about 15% with both sp{sup 2} and sp{sup 3} hybridization.« less

  15. Synchrotron radiation-induced contamination on LiF window: Characterization by Raman spectroscopy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yadav, P. K.; Swami, M. K.

    2016-05-01

    Characterization of synchrotron induced contamination on optical elements and their cleaning are serious issues in beam lines. We used Raman spectroscopy for characterization of synchrotron induced contamination layer on LiF window (used in high resolution vacuum ultra violet beam line). Three peaks at 1035 cm-1 (corresponding to C-C sp3 vibrations), 1563 cm-1 and 1375 cm-1 (corresponding to G and D bands of carbon) are observed. By data fitting I(D)/I(G) ratio (0.84) and FWHM(G)=124 cm-1 was obtained. Comparison with available literature indicates that the carbon might be present in the form of rings of hydrogenated amorphous carbon a-C:H (GLHC) with atomic hydrogen concentration about 15% with both sp2 and sp3 hybridization.

  16. Overview of the new capabilities of TORIC-v6 and comparison with TORIC-v5

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bilato, R.; Brambilla, M.; Bertelli, N.

    2016-10-01

    Since its release, version 5 (v5) of the full-wave TORIC code, characterized by an optimized parallelized solver for its routinely use in TRANSP package, has been ameliorated in many technical issues, e.g. the plasma-vacuum transition and the full-spectrum antenna modeling. For the WPCD-benchmark cases a good agreement between the new version, v6, and v5 is found. The major improvement, however, has been done in interfacing TORIC-v6 with the Fokker-Planck SSFPQL solver to account for the back-reaction of ICRF and NBI heating on the wave propagation and absorption. Special algorithms have been developed for SSFPQL for the numerical precision at high pitch-angle resolution and to evaluate the generalized dispersion function directly from the numerical solution. Care has been spent in automatizing the non-linear loop between TORIC-v6 and SSFPQL. In v6 the description of wave absorption at high-harmonics has been revised and applied to DEMO. For high-harmonic regimes there is an ongoing activity on the comparison with AORSA.

  17. Cross-comparison of the IRS-P6 AWiFS sensor with the L5 TM, L7 ETM+, & Terra MODIS sensors

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chander, G.; Xiong, X.; Angal, A.; Choi, T.; Malla, R.

    2009-01-01

    As scientists and decision makers increasingly rely on multiple Earth-observing satellites to address urgent global issues, it is imperative that they can rely on the accuracy of Earth-observing data products. This paper focuses on the crosscomparison of the Indian Remote Sensing (IRS-P6) Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) with the Landsat 5 (L5) Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 (L7) Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensors. The cross-comparison was performed using image statistics based on large common areas observed by the sensors within 30 minutes. Because of the limited availability of simultaneous observations between the AWiFS and the Landsat and MODIS sensors, only a few images were analyzed. These initial results are presented. Regression curves and coefficients of determination for the top-of-atmosphere (TOA) trends from these sensors were generated to quantify the uncertainty in these relationships and to provide an assessment of the calibration differences between these sensors. ?? 2009 SPIE.

  18. Comparison of Spectral Characteristic between LAPAN-A3 and Sentinel-2A

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zylshal, Z.; Sari, N. M.; Nugroho, J. T.; Kushardono, D.

    2017-12-01

    Indonesian National Institute of Aeronautics and Space (LAPAN) started building its experimental microsatellite back in 2007 and finally able to launch its first microsatellite dubbed as LAPAN-A1/LAPAN-Tubsat. With the launch of LAPAN-A3/LAPAN-IPB, Indonesian experimental satellite programme hit its third generation. LAPAN-A3 is carrying multiple payloads including multispectral push-broom imager, digital matrix camera, as well as video camera. This paper aims to highlight the spectral differences between LAPAN-A3 and the well-established Sentinel-2A multispectral to investigate the potential of using LAPAN-A3 data to complement the other well-established medium resolution satellite data. Comparisons between corresponding bands and band transformations were performed over a dataset. Three areas of interest were chosen as the test sites. Linear regression and Pearson correlation coefficient were then calculated between the corresponding bands. The preliminary results showed a moderate correlation between the two sensors with Pearson correlation coefficient ranging from 0.39 to 0.65. Some issues were found regarding the radiometric quality over the whole scene of LAPAN-A3.

  19. Defense AT and L Magazine. Vol. 46, no. 2, March-April 2017

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-03-01

    Regulation Supplement, system and reporting) are placed within the solicitation. Once under contract, PARCA has a new issue resolution ( IR ) pro- cess...PARCA has a new issue resolution ( IR ) process that has helped contractors interpret the expectations of the EIA-748 EVMS standard guidelines and EVM...interpretive guide which better clarified the requirements for an earned value management system. Through industry outreach and Web -based clearinghouse

  20. "No! The lambs can stay out because they got cozies": constructive and destructive sibling conflict, pretend play, and social understanding.

    PubMed

    Howe, Nina; Rinaldi, Christina M; Jennings, Melissa; Petrakos, Harriet

    2002-01-01

    Associations among constructive and destructive sibling conflict, pretend play, internal state language, and sibling relationship quality were investigated in 40 middle-class dyads with a kindergarten-age child (M age = 5.7 years). In 20 dyads the sibling was older (M age = 7.1 years) and in 20 dyads the sibling was younger (M age = 3.6 years). Dyads were videotaped playing with a farm set for 15 min; transcribed sessions were coded for (1) five types of conflict issues; (2) constructive, destructive, and passive resolution strategies; and (3) verbal and physical aggression. Measures of pretend play enactment, low- and high-level pretense negotiation strategies, and internal state language were also based on the transcripts. The Sibling Behavior and Feelings Questionnaire was used to assess both siblings' perceptions of sibling relationship quality. Findings revealed that conflict issues, aggression, and internal state language were associated with specific resolution strategies. Associations were evident between conflict issues and resolutions. Moreover, conflict issues and resolutions were associated with (1) relationship quality, (2) high-level pretense negotiation, and (3) internal state language employed in both play and conflict. Findings are discussed in light of recent theory on developmental processes operating within children's relationships.

  1. 10 CFR 2.700 - Scope of subpart G.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... presiding officer by order finds that resolution of the contention necessitates resolution of: issues of... to the resolution of the contested matter, proceedings for initial applications for construction... conflict between the provisions of this subpart and those set forth in subpart C of this part, the...

  2. Top Tips for Buying Telecommunication Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Linder, Jeff

    2001-01-01

    Examines top regulatory issues and other unique issues resulting from this regulatory overlay when negotiating for corporate telecom services. Issues cover such topics as tariffs, rate negotiation, exclusivity provisions, revenue commitments, mid-term negotiations, service-level agreements, and dispute resolution. (GR)

  3. A prioritization of generic safety issues. Supplement 19, Revision insertion instructions

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

    None

    1995-11-01

    The report presents the safety priority ranking for generic safety issues related to nuclear power plants. The purpose of these rankings is to assist in the timely and efficient allocation of NRC resources for the resolution of those safety issues that have a significant potential for reducing risk. The safety priority rankings are HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW, and DROP, and have been assigned on the basis of risk significance estimates, the ratio of risk to costs and other impacts estimated to result if resolution of the safety issues were implemented, and the consideration of uncertainties and other quantitative or qualitative factors.more » To the extent practical, estimates are quantitative. This document provides revisions and amendments to the report.« less

  4. The Session of a Special Character of UNEP's Governing Council: Principal Resolutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Uniterra, 1982

    1982-01-01

    Presents principal resolutions adopted by the Session of a Special Character (SSC) of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme. Resolutions focus on achievements of Action Plan for Human Environment, new perceptions of environmental issues, environmental trends, and planning/implementation of environmental activities.…

  5. Effects of spatial resolution and landscape structure on land cover characterization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Wenli

    This dissertation addressed problems in scaling, problems that are among the main challenges in remote sensing. The principal objective of the research was to investigate the effects of changing spatial scale on the representation of land cover. A second objective was to determine the relationship between such effects, characteristics of landscape structure and scaling procedures. Four research issues related to spatial scaling were examined. They included: (1) the upscaling of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI); (2) the effects of spatial scale on indices of landscape structure; (3) the representation of land cover databases at different spatial scales; and (4) the relationships between landscape indices and land cover area estimations. The overall bias resulting from non-linearity of NDVI in relation to spatial resolution is generally insignificant as compared to other factors such as influences of aerosols and water vapor. The bias is, however, related to land surface characteristics. Significant errors may be introduced in heterogeneous areas where different land cover types exhibit strong spectral contrast. Spatially upscaled SPOT and TM NDVIs have information content comparable with the AVHRR-derived NDVI. Indices of landscape structure and spatial resolution are generally related, but the exact forms of the relationships are subject to changes in other factors including the basic patch unit constituting a landscape and the proportional area of foreground land cover under consideration. The extent of agreement between spatially aggregated coarse resolution land cover datasets and full resolution datasets changes with the properties of the original datasets, including the pixel size and class definition. There are close relationships between landscape structure and class areas estimated from spatially aggregated land cover databases. The relationships, however, do not permit extension from one area to another. Inversion calibration across different geographic/ecological areas is, therefore, not feasible. Different rules govern the land cover area changes across resolutions when different upscaling methods are used. Special attention should be given to comparison between land cover maps derived using different methods.

  6. Transitional hemodynamics in intracranial aneurysms - Comparative velocity investigations with high resolution lattice Boltzmann simulations, normal resolution ANSYS simulations, and MR imaging.

    PubMed

    Jain, Kartik; Jiang, Jingfeng; Strother, Charles; Mardal, Kent-André

    2016-11-01

    Blood flow in intracranial aneurysms has, until recently, been considered to be disturbed but still laminar. Recent high resolution computational studies have demonstrated, in some situations, however, that the flow may exhibit high frequency fluctuations that resemble weakly turbulent or transitional flow. Due to numerous assumptions required for simplification in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies, the occurrence of these events, in vivo, remains unsettled. The detection of these fluctuations in aneurysmal blood flow, i.e., hemodynamics by CFD, poses additional challenges as such phenomena cannot be captured in clinical data acquisition with magnetic resonance (MR) due to inadequate temporal and spatial resolutions. The authors' purpose was to address this issue by comparing results from highly resolved simulations, conventional resolution laminar simulations, and MR measurements, identify the differences, and identify their causes. Two aneurysms in the basilar artery, one with disturbed yet laminar flow and the other with transitional flow, were chosen. One set of highly resolved direct numerical simulations using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) and another with adequate resolutions under laminar flow assumption were conducted using a commercially available ANSYS Fluent solver. The velocity fields obtained from simulation results were qualitatively and statistically compared against each other and with MR acquisition. Results from LBM, ANSYS Fluent, and MR agree well qualitatively and quantitatively for one of the aneurysms with laminar flow in which fluctuations were <80 Hz. The comparisons for the second aneurysm with high fluctuations of > ∼ 600 Hz showed vivid differences between LBM, ANSYS Fluent, and magnetic resonance imaging. After ensemble averaging and down-sampling to coarser space and time scales, these differences became minimal. A combination of MR derived data and CFD can be helpful in estimating the hemodynamic environment of intracranial aneurysms. Adequately resolved CFD would suffice gross assessment of hemodynamics, potentially in a clinical setting, and highly resolved CFD could be helpful in a detailed and retrospective understanding of the physiological mechanisms.

  7. Urban impact on air quality in RegCM/CAMx couple for MEGAPOLI project - high resolution sensitivity study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Halenka, T.; Huszar, P.; Belda, M.

    2010-09-01

    Recent studies show considerable effect of atmospheric chemistry and aerosols on climate on regional and local scale. For the purpose of qualifying and quantifying the magnitude of climate forcing due to atmospheric chemistry/aerosols on regional scale, the development of coupling of regional climate model and chemistry/aerosol model was started on the Department of Meteorology and Environmental Protection, Charles University, Prague, for the EC FP6 Project QUANTIFY and EC FP6 Project CECILIA. For this coupling, existing regional climate model and chemistry transport model have been used at very high resolution of 10km grid. Climate is calculated using RegCM while chemistry is solved by CAMx. The experiments with the couple have been prepared for EC FP7 project MEGAPOLI assessing the impact of the megacities and industrialized areas on climate. Meteorological fields generated by RCM drive CAMx transport, chemistry and a dry/wet deposition. A preprocessor utility was developed for transforming RegCM provided fields to CAMx input fields and format. New domain have been settled for MEGAPOLI purpose in 10km resolution including all the European "megacities" regions, i.e. London metropolitan area, Paris region, industrialized Ruhr area, Po valley etc. There is critical issue of the emission inventories available for 10km resolution including the urban hot-spots, TNO emissions are adopted for this sensitivity study in 10km resolution for comparison of the results with the simulation based on merged TNO emissions, i.e. basically original EMEP emissions at 50 km grid. The sensitivity test to switch on/off Paris area emissions is analysed as well. Preliminary results for year 2005 are presented and discussed to reveal whether the concept of effective emission indices could help to parameterize the urban plume effects in lower resolution models. Interactive coupling is compared to study the potential of possible impact of urban air-pollution to the urban area climate.

  8. Comparison between volcanic ash satellite retrievals and FALL3D transport model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Corradini, Stefano; Merucci, Luca; Folch, Arnau

    2010-05-01

    Volcanic eruptions represent one of the most important sources of natural pollution because of the large emission of gas and solid particles into the atmosphere. Volcanic clouds can contain different gas species (mainly H2O, CO2, SO2 and HCl) and a mix of silicate-bearing ash particles in the size range from 0.1 μm to few mm. Determining the properties, movement and extent of volcanic ash clouds is an important scientific, economic, and public safety issue because of the harmful effects on environment, public health and aviation. In particular, real-time tracking and forecasting of volcanic clouds is key for aviation safety. Several encounters of en-route aircrafts with volcanic ash clouds have demonstrated the harming effects of fine ash particles on modern aircrafts. Alongside these considerations, the economical consequences caused by disruption of airports must be also taken into account. Both security and economical issues require robust and affordable ash cloud detection and trajectory forecasting, ideally combining remote sensing and modeling. We perform a quantitative comparison between Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) retrievals of volcanic ash cloud mass and Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) with the FALL3D ash dispersal model. MODIS, aboard the NASA-Terra and NASA-Aqua polar satellites, is a multispectral instrument with 36 spectral bands from Visible (VIS) to Thermal InfraRed (TIR) and spatial resolution varying between 250 and 1000 m at nadir. The MODIS channels centered around 11 and 12 mm have been used for the ash retrievals through the Brightness Temperature Difference algorithm and MODTRAN simulations. FALL3D is a 3-D time-dependent Eulerian model for the transport and deposition of volcanic particles that outputs, among other variables, cloud column mass and AOD. We consider the Mt. Etna volcano 2002 eruptive event as a test case. Results show a good agreement between the mean AOT retrieved and the spatial ash dispersion in the different images, while the modeled FALL3D total mass retrieved results significantly overestimated.

  9. Simulating wind energy resources with mesoscale models: Intercomparison of state-of-the-art models over Northern Europe

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hahmann, A. N.

    2015-12-01

    Mesoscale models are increasingly being used to estimate wind conditions to identify perspective areas and sites where to develop wind farm projects. Mesoscale models are useful because they give information over extensive areas with various terrain complexities where measurements are scarce and measurement campaigns costly. Various mesoscale models and families of mesoscale models are being used, with thousands of setup options. Since long-term integrations are expensive and tedious to carry out, only limited comparisons exist. We have carried out a blind benchmarking study to evaluate the capabilities of mesoscale models used in wind energy to estimate site wind conditions: to highlight common issues on mesoscale modeling of wind conditions on sites with different characteristics, and to identify gaps and strengths of models and understand the root conditions for further evaluating uncertainties. Three experimental sites with tall mast measurements were selected: FINO3 (offshore), Høvsøre (coastal), and Cabauw (land-based). The participants were asked to provide hourly time series of wind speed and direction, temperature, etc., at various heights for 2011. The methods used were left to the choice of the participants, but they were asked for a detailed description of their model and many other parameters (e.g., horizontal and vertical resolution, model parameterizations, surface roughness length) that could be used to group the models and interpret the results of the intercomparison. The analysis of the time series includes comparison to observations, summarized with well-known measures such as biases, RMSE, correlations, and of sector-wise statistics, and the temporal spectra. The statistics were grouped by the models, their spatial resolution, forcing data, various integration methods, etc. The results show high fidelity of the various entries in simulating the wind climate at the offshore and coastal site. Over land and the statistics of other derived fields (e.g. wind shear distributions) show much less similarities among the models and with the observations. Cloud computing now allows the use of mesoscale models by non-experts for site assessment. This tool is very useful and powerful, but users must be aware of the different issues that might be encountered in working with different setups.

  10. Tracking: Conflicts and Resolutions. Controversial Issues in Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lockwood, Anne Turnbaugh

    The educational tracking system raises highly controversial issues. This book offers both the viewpoints of researchers who have grappled with the issue of tracking and the personal experiences of school staff who have wrestled with the issue of whether or not to track instruction. It presents summaries of interviews that were conducted with three…

  11. Mineral mapping on the Chilean-Bolivian Altiplano using co-orbital ALI, ASTER and Hyperion imagery: Data dimensionality issues and solutions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hubbard, B.E.; Crowley, J.K.

    2005-01-01

    Hyperspectral data coverage from the EO-1 Hyperion sensor was useful for calibrating Advanced Land Imager (ALI) and Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images of a volcanic terrane area of the Chilean-Bolivian Altiplano. Following calibration, the ALI and ASTER datasets were co-registered and joined to produce a 13-channel reflectance cube spanning the Visible to Short Wave Infrared (0.4-2.4 ??m). Eigen analysis and comparison of the Hyperion data with the ALI + ASTER reflectance data, as well as mapping results using various ALI+ASTER data subsets, provided insights into the information dimensionality of all the data. In particular, high spectral resolution, low signal-to-noise Hyperion data were only marginally better for mineral mapping than the merged 13-channel, low spectral resolution, high signal-to-noise ALI + ASTER dataset. Neither the Hyperion nor the combined ALI + ASTER datasets had sufficient information dimensionality for mapping the diverse range of surface materials exposed on the Altiplano. However, it is possible to optimize the use of the multispectral data for mineral-mapping purposes by careful data subsetting, and by employing other appropriate image-processing strategies.

  12. Ultrasonic force microscopy: detection and imaging of ultra-thin molecular domains.

    PubMed

    Dinelli, Franco; Albonetti, Cristiano; Kolosov, Oleg V

    2011-03-01

    The analysis of the formation of ultra-thin organic films is a very important issue. In fact, it is known that the properties of organic light emitting diodes and field effect transistors are strongly affected by the early growth stages. For instance, in the case of sexithiophene, the presence of domains made of molecules with the backbone parallel to the substrate surface has been indirectly evidenced by photoluminescence spectroscopy and confocal microscopy. On the contrary, conventional scanning force microscopy both in contact and intermittent contact modes have failed to detect such domains. In this paper, we show that Ultrasonic Force Microscopy (UFM), sensitive to nanomechanical properties, allows one to directly identify the structure of sub-monolayer thick films. Sexithiophene flat domains have been imaged for the first time with nanometer scale spatial resolution. A comparison with lateral force and intermittent contact modes has been carried out in order to explain the origins of the UFM contrast and its advantages. In particular, it indicates that UFM is highly suitable for investigations where high sensitivity to material properties, low specimen damage and high spatial resolution are required. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Usage of satellite data SMOS in order to characterize Sea Surface Salinity in the western Mediterranean

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brook, Anna; Robins, Lotem; Olmedo Casal, Estrella

    2017-04-01

    Measuring the level of Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) is a principle component in order to understand climate processes that occur today and for better understanding of climate change in the future; Different processes create different salt concentration in different places in the oceans. This different salinity level had a role in determining the vertical and horizontal water fluxes. As the first three meters of the ocean surface contain more heat than that in the whole atmosphere, the influence of the salinity level on the layering of the different water levels and the different fluxes, thus, it is an important factor determining air sea interaction. An existing problem in predicting the oceans is the lack of salinity samples in the oceans. While Sea surface Temperature (SST) could be evaluated easier from remote sensed devices, analyzing data at the Near Infra-Red and Visual wavelength. Measuring and locating salinity spectral signature was an obstacle. This lack of data caused problems running different models that describe different parameters of the ocean, both in depth and surface. One of the main goals of a program called: Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS), is to deliver data on a global scale concerning the sea surface salinity (SSS). The main idea of the SMOS technology is based on the differences between the electro-magnetic properties (spectral signatures) of distilled water and salted water. High concentration of salt revealed by analyzing the energy emitted from the ocean's surface, using detectors that are sensitive for the wavelength at the range of 21 cm (L-band: 1.4 GHz). One of the main problems, measuring this wavelength, is that it requires very large antennas. In order to solve this problem, a Y shaped satellite was built, on each of its arms, 69 antennas were attached, with equal distances between each antenna. Each antenna is 165 mm on the diameter and their height is 19 mm. This antenna transmits all the information they receive to a central device. By using interferometry and a matching algorithm between the signals of each possible couple of antennas, synthesis of all the antennas is preformed, which makes it possible to overcome the problem of using large antennas. The SMOS satellite delivers data at accuracy of 0.1psu, with spatial resolution of 200 km. The data is available in different forms, starting from unprocessed data to final products of brightness temperature that are temporally and spatially synchronized (L2 level). By downscaling those products, models of spatial resolution of 25 km and temporal daily resolution are calculated. The meaning of this long process is that the data is going through long process before arriving to scientific analysis. The process from raw data until L2 level involves radiometric and physical corrections, detection and exclusion of atmospheric disturbance, geographical anchor etc. In order to check the possible usage of the processed data of SMOS in the Mediterranean, a simple comparison was held between SMOS and MEDRYS1V2 - reanalysis of the Mediterranean sea during the years 1992-2013, which is based on the oceanic model of NEMO12, and forced by the atmospheric model of ALDERA. While doing this comparison, it is important to remember that the goal of the SMOS program is to deliver data in a global scale, while MEDRYS1V2 was created especially for the Mediterranean. From the comparison of the two data sets, it is possible to detect to main issues: The first issue is that it seems that the SMOS satellite uses more linear interpolation, to describe the space, while the reanalysis is based on the primitive physical equations and data assimilation. The second issue is a large anomaly that occurs probably due to the river spill, which is getting a different signature, as the low resolution of SMOS might be a problem detecting correctly the spill, without another local data source. To conclude, the SMOS program which one of its main goals is to create a reliable data source of SSS, on a global scale, has an important role for understanding oceanic process and climate change patterns. While the global goal is contributing for research and development, on a more local scale it is possible to observe that analyzation of the Mediterranean, that mainly being held in high spatial resolution is not represented well using SMOS products. The main reason is the low spatial resolution, of the satellite, but owing to its unique technology, different methods could be applied, to better represent smaller scaled research.

  14. In Vivo EPR Resolution Enhancement Using Techniques Known from Quantum Computing Spin Technology.

    PubMed

    Rahimi, Robabeh; Halpern, Howard J; Takui, Takeji

    2017-01-01

    A crucial issue with in vivo biological/medical EPR is its low signal-to-noise ratio, giving rise to the low spectroscopic resolution. We propose quantum hyperpolarization techniques based on 'Heat Bath Algorithmic Cooling', allowing possible approaches for improving the resolution in magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging.

  15. Technical Directions In High Resolution Non-Impact Printers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dunn, S. Thomas; Dunn, Patrice M.

    1987-04-01

    There are several factors to consider when addressing the issue of non-impact printer resolution. One will find differences between the imaging resolution and the final output resolution, and most assuradly differences exist between the advertised and actual resolution of many of these systems. Beyond that some of the technical factors that effect the resolution of a system in-clude: . Scan Line Density . Overlap . Spot Size . Energy Profile . Symmetry of Imaging Generally speaking, the user of graphic arts equipment, is best advised to view output to determine the degree of acceptable quality.

  16. SUPERFUND ENGINEERING ISSUE: ISSUES AFFECTING THE APPLICABILITY AND SUCCESS OF REMEDIAL/REMOVAL INCINERATION PROJECTS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Regional Superfund Engineering Forum is a group of EPA professionals, representing EPA's Regional Superfund Offices, committed to the identification and resolution of engineering issues impacting the remediation of Superfund sites. The Forum is supported by and advises the ...

  17. Scale-Resolving simulations (SRS): How much resolution do we really need?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pereira, Filipe M. S.; Girimaji, Sharath

    2017-11-01

    Scale-resolving simulations (SRS) are emerging as the computational approach of choice for many engineering flows with coherent structures. The SRS methods seek to resolve only the most important features of the coherent structures and model the remainder of the flow field with canonical closures. With reference to a typical Large-Eddy Simulation (LES), practical SRS methods aim to resolve a considerably narrower range of scales (reduced physical resolution) to achieve an adequate degree of accuracy at reasonable computational effort. While the objective of SRS is well-founded, the criteria for establishing the optimal degree of resolution required to achieve an acceptable level of accuracy are not clear. This study considers the canonical case of the flow around a circular cylinder to address the issue of `optimal' resolution. Two important criteria are developed. The first condition addresses the issue of adequate resolution of the flow field. The second guideline provides an assessment of whether the modeled field is canonical (stochastic) turbulence amenable to closure-based computations.

  18. Ganymede - Comparison of Voyager and Galileo Resolution

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1997-09-07

    These images demonstrate the dramatic improvement in the resolution of pictures that NASA Galileo spacecraft returned compared to previous images of the Jupiter system. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00277

  19. Characterization of AIRS temperature and water vapor measurement capability using correlative observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fetzer, Eric J.; Eldering, Annmarie; Lee, Sung-Yung

    2005-01-01

    In this presentation we address several fundamental issues in the measurement of temperature and water vapor by AIRS: accuracy, precision, vertical resolution and biases as a function of cloud amount. We use two correlative data sources. First we compare AIRS total water vapor with that from the Advanced microwave Sounding Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) instrument, also onboard the Aqua spacecraft. AMSRE uses a mature methodology with a heritage including the operational Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) instruments. AIRS and AMSR-E observations are collocated and simultaneous, providing a very large data set for comparison: about 200,000 over-ocean matches daily. We show small cloud-dependent biases between AIRS and AMSR-E total water vapor for several oceanic regions. Our second correlative data source is several hundred dedicated radiosondes launched during AIRS overpasses.

  20. Residual stress determination in an overlay dissimilar welded pipe by neutron diffraction

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

    Woo, Wan Chuck; Em, Vyacheslav; Hubbard, Camden R

    2011-01-01

    Residual stresses were determined through the thickness of a dissimilar weld overlay pipe using neutron diffraction. The specimen has a complex joining structure consisting of a ferritic steel (SA508), austenitic steel (F316L), Ni-based consumable (Alloy 182), and overlay of Ni-base superalloy (Alloy 52M). It simulates pressurized nozzle components, which have been a critical issue under the severe crack condition of nuclear power reactors. Two neutron diffractometers with different spatial resolutions have been utilized on the identical specimen for comparison. The macroscopic 'stress-free' lattice spacing (d{sub o}) was also obtained from both using a 2-mm width comb-like coupon. The results showmore » significant changes in residual stresses from tension (300-400 MPa) to compression (-600 MPa) through the thickness of the dissimilar weld overlay pipe specimen.« less

  1. Looking you in the mouth: abnormal gaze in autism resulting from impaired top-down modulation of visual attention.

    PubMed

    Neumann, Dirk; Spezio, Michael L; Piven, Joseph; Adolphs, Ralph

    2006-12-01

    People with autism are impaired in their social behavior, including their eye contact with others, but the processes that underlie this impairment remain elusive. We combined high-resolution eye tracking with computational modeling in a group of 10 high-functioning individuals with autism to address this issue. The group fixated the location of the mouth in facial expressions more than did matched controls, even when the mouth was not shown, even in faces that were inverted and most noticeably at latencies of 200-400 ms. Comparisons with a computational model of visual saliency argue that the abnormal bias for fixating the mouth in autism is not driven by an exaggerated sensitivity to the bottom-up saliency of the features, but rather by an abnormal top-down strategy for allocating visual attention.

  2. Comparing SMAP to Macro-scale and Hyper-resolution Land Surface Models over Continental U. S.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pan, Ming; Cai, Xitian; Chaney, Nathaniel; Wood, Eric

    2016-04-01

    SMAP sensors collect moisture information in top soil at the spatial resolution of ~40 km (radiometer) and ~1 to 3 km (radar, before its failure in July 2015). Such information is extremely valuable for understanding various terrestrial hydrologic processes and their implications on human life. At the same time, soil moisture is a joint consequence of numerous physical processes (precipitation, temperature, radiation, topography, crop/vegetation dynamics, soil properties, etc.) that happen at a wide range of scales from tens of kilometers down to tens of meters. Therefore, a full and thorough analysis/exploration of SMAP data products calls for investigations at multiple spatial scales - from regional, to catchment, and to field scales. Here we first compare the SMAP retrievals to the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macro-scale land surface model simulations over the continental U. S. region at 3 km resolution. The forcing inputs to the model are merged/downscaled from a suite of best available data products including the NLDAS-2 forcing, Stage IV and Stage II precipitation, GOES Surface and Insolation Products, and fine elevation data. The near real time VIC simulation is intended to provide a source of large scale comparisons at the active sensor resolution. Beyond the VIC model scale, we perform comparisons at 30 m resolution against the recently developed HydroBloks hyper-resolution land surface model over several densely gauged USDA experimental watersheds. Comparisons are also made against in-situ point-scale observations from various SMAP Cal/Val and field campaign sites.

  3. An investigation into the effects of temporal resolution on hepatic dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in volunteers and in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gill, Andrew B.; Black, Richard T.; Bowden, David J.; Priest, Andrew N.; Graves, Martin J.; Lomas, David J.

    2014-06-01

    This study investigated the effect of temporal resolution on the dual-input pharmacokinetic (PK) modelling of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) data from normal volunteer livers and from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Eleven volunteers and five patients were examined at 3 T. Two sections, one optimized for the vascular input functions (VIF) and one for the tissue, were imaged within a single heart-beat (HB) using a saturation-recovery fast gradient echo sequence. The data was analysed using a dual-input single-compartment PK model. The VIFs and/or uptake curves were then temporally sub-sampled (at interval ▵t = [2-20] s) before being subject to the same PK analysis. Statistical comparisons of tumour and normal tissue PK parameter values using a 5% significance level gave rise to the same study results when temporally sub-sampling the VIFs to HB < ▵t <4 s. However, sub-sampling to ▵t > 4 s did adversely affect the statistical comparisons. Temporal sub-sampling of just the liver/tumour tissue uptake curves at ▵t ≤ 20 s, whilst using high temporal resolution VIFs, did not substantially affect PK parameter statistical comparisons. In conclusion, there is no practical advantage to be gained from acquiring very high temporal resolution hepatic DCE-MRI data. Instead the high temporal resolution could be usefully traded for increased spatial resolution or SNR.

  4. 14 CFR 16.202 - Powers of a hearing officer.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 16.202 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL...) Issue subpoenas authorized by law and issue notices of deposition requested by the parties; (d) Limit... unnecessary and duplicative proceedings in the interest of prompt and fair resolution of the matters at issue...

  5. 14 CFR 16.202 - Powers of a hearing officer.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 16.202 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL...) Issue subpoenas authorized by law and issue notices of deposition requested by the parties; (d) Limit... unnecessary and duplicative proceedings in the interest of prompt and fair resolution of the matters at issue...

  6. 14 CFR 16.202 - Powers of a hearing officer.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 16.202 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL...) Issue subpoenas authorized by law and issue notices of deposition requested by the parties; (d) Limit... unnecessary and duplicative proceedings in the interest of prompt and fair resolution of the matters at issue...

  7. 14 CFR 16.202 - Powers of a hearing officer.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 16.202 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL...) Issue subpoenas authorized by law and issue notices of deposition requested by the parties; (d) Limit... unnecessary and duplicative proceedings in the interest of prompt and fair resolution of the matters at issue...

  8. 14 CFR 16.202 - Powers of a hearing officer.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 16.202 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROCEDURAL...) Issue subpoenas authorized by law and issue notices of deposition requested by the parties; (d) Limit... unnecessary and duplicative proceedings in the interest of prompt and fair resolution of the matters at issue...

  9. Current Issues in Canadian Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bergen, John J.

    Based on interviews with 150 persons in departments of education and in national, provincial, and territorial education organizations in Canada's major capital cities, this paper discusses seven vital issues in Canadian education and briefly states seven others. The seven major issues needing resolution concern: (1) the appropriate balance between…

  10. United States and Western Europe cooperation in planetary exploration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Levy, Eugene H.; Hunten, Donald M.; Masursky, Harold; Scarf, Frederick L.; Solomon, Sean C.; Wilkening, Laurel L.; Fechtig, Hugo; Balsiger, Hans; Blamont, Jacques; Fulchignoni, Marcello

    1989-01-01

    A framework was sought for U.S.-European cooperation in planetary exploration. Specific issues addressed include: types and levels of possible cooperative activities in the planetary sciences; specific or general scientific areas that seem most promising as the main focus of cooperative efforts; potential mission candidates for cooperative ventures; identification of special issues or problems for resolution by negotiation between the agencies, and possible suggestions for their resolutions; and identification of coordinated technological and instrumental developments for planetary missions.

  11. Cost and Training Effectiveness Analysis (CTEA) Performance Guide.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-09-01

    planning the CTFA and provides illustrative ne.-hods to be adapted to the particular data availability situations of the CTEA analyst. The report...11-1 B. Assessment of Available Data 1-1-3 C. Issues Requiring Resolution 1-5 D. Strategies for Conducting the CTE-A 11-6 E. Summnarv TI-15 III...Resolution of Issues 111-137 1. ITV CTEA 111-137 2. DRIMS CTEA 111-137 3. Trainability Analysis 11i-137 G. Sample Procedure 111-140 1. Assessment of Data

  12. The evolution of extreme precipitations in high resolution scenarios over France

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Colin, J.; Déqué, M.; Somot, S.

    2009-09-01

    Over the past years, improving the modelling of extreme events and their variability at climatic time scales has become one of the challenging issue raised in the regional climate research field. This study shows the results of a high resolution (12 km) scenario run over France with the limited area model (LAM) ALADIN-Climat, regarding the representation of extreme precipitations. The runs were conducted in the framework of the ANR-SCAMPEI national project on high resolution scenarios over French mountains. As a first step, we attempt to quantify one of the uncertainties implied by the use of LAM : the size of the area on which the model is run. In particular, we address the issue of whether a relatively small domain allows the model to create its small scale process. Indeed, high resolution scenarios cannot be run on large domains because of the computation time. Therefore one needs to answer this preliminary question before producing and analyzing such scenarios. To do so, we worked in the framework of a « big brother » experiment. We performed a 23-year long global simulation in present-day climate (1979-2001) with the ARPEGE-Climat GCM, at a resolution of approximately 50 km over Europe (stretched grid). This first simulation, named ARP50, constitutes the « big brother » reference of our experiment. It has been validated in comparison with the CRU climatology. Then we filtered the short waves (up to 200 km) from ARP50 in order to obtain the equivalent of coarse resolution lateral boundary conditions (LBC). We have carried out three ALADIN-Climat simulations at a 50 km resolution with these LBC, using different configurations of the model : * FRA50, run over a small domain (2000 x 2000 km, centered over France), * EUR50, run over a larger domain (5000 x 5000 km, centered over France as well), * EUR50-SN, run over the large domain (using spectral nudging). Considering the facts that ARPEGE-Climat and ALADIN-Climat models share the same physics and dynamics and that both regional and global simulations were run at the same resolution, ARP50 can be regarded as a reference with which FRA50, EUR50 and EUR50-SN should each be compared. After an analysis of the differences between the regional simulations and ARP50 in annual and seasonal mean, we focus on the representation of rainfall extremes comparing two dimensional fields of various index inspired from STARDEX and quantile-quantile plots. The results show a good agreement with the ARP50 reference for all three regional simulations and little differences are found between them. This result indicates that the use of small domains is not significantly detrimental to the modelling of extreme precipitation events. It also shows that the spectral nudging technique has no detrimental effect on the extreme precipitation. Therefore, high resolution scenarios performed on a relatively small domain such as the ones run for SCAMPEI, can be regarded as good tools to explore their possible evolution in the future climate. Preliminary results on the response of precipitation extremes over South-East France are given.

  13. Image demosaicing: a systematic survey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xin; Gunturk, Bahadir; Zhang, Lei

    2008-01-01

    Image demosaicing is a problem of interpolating full-resolution color images from so-called color-filter-array (CFA) samples. Among various CFA patterns, Bayer pattern has been the most popular choice and demosaicing of Bayer pattern has attracted renewed interest in recent years partially due to the increased availability of source codes/executables in response to the principle of "reproducible research". In this article, we provide a systematic survey of over seventy published works in this field since 1999 (complementary to previous reviews 22, 67). Our review attempts to address important issues to demosaicing and identify fundamental differences among competing approaches. Our findings suggest most existing works belong to the class of sequential demosaicing - i.e., luminance channel is interpolated first and then chrominance channels are reconstructed based on recovered luminance information. We report our comparative study results with a collection of eleven competing algorithms whose source codes or executables are provided by the authors. Our comparison is performed on two data sets: Kodak PhotoCD (popular choice) and IMAX high-quality images (more challenging). While most existing demosaicing algorithms achieve good performance on the Kodak data set, their performance on the IMAX one (images with varying-hue and high-saturation edges) degrades significantly. Such observation suggests the importance of properly addressing the issue of mismatch between assumed model and observation data in demosaicing, which calls for further investigation on issues such as model validation, test data selection and performance evaluation.

  14. Theoretical hot methane line lists up to T = 2000 K for astrophysical applications

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

    Rey, M.; Tyuterev, Vl. G.; Nikitin, A. V., E-mail: michael.rey@univ-reims.fr

    2014-07-01

    The paper describes the construction of complete sets of hot methane lines based on accurate ab initio potential and dipole moment surfaces and extensive first-principle calculations. Four line lists spanning the [0-5000] cm{sup –1} infrared region were built at T = 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 K. For each of these four temperatures, we have constructed two versions of line lists: a version for high-resolution applications containing strong and medium lines and a full version appropriate for low-resolution opacity calculations. A comparison with available empirical databases is discussed in detail for both cold and hot bands giving a very goodmore » agreement for line positions, typically <0.1-0.5 cm{sup –1} and ∼5% for intensities of strong lines. Together with numerical tests using various basis sets, this confirms the computational convergence of our results for the most important lines, which is the major issue for theoretical spectra predictions. We showed that transitions with lower state energies up to 14,000 cm{sup –1} could give significant contributions to the methane opacity and have to be systematically taken into account. Our list at 2000 K calculated up to J = 50 contains 11.5 billion transitions for I > 10{sup –29} cm mol{sup –1}. These new lists are expected to be quantitatively accurate with respect to the precision of available and currently planned observations of astrophysical objects with improved spectral resolution.« less

  15. Scales of variability of black carbon plumes and their dependence on resolution of ECHAM6-HAM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weigum, Natalie; Stier, Philip; Schutgens, Nick; Kipling, Zak

    2015-04-01

    Prediction of the aerosol effect on climate depends on the ability of three-dimensional numerical models to accurately estimate aerosol properties. However, a limitation of traditional grid-based models is their inability to resolve variability on scales smaller than a grid box. Past research has shown that significant aerosol variability exists on scales smaller than these grid-boxes, which can lead to discrepancies between observations and aerosol models. The aim of this study is to understand how a global climate model's (GCM) inability to resolve sub-grid scale variability affects simulations of important aerosol features. This problem is addressed by comparing observed black carbon (BC) plume scales from the HIPPO aircraft campaign to those simulated by ECHAM-HAM GCM, and testing how model resolution affects these scales. This study additionally investigates how model resolution affects BC variability in remote and near-source regions. These issues are examined using three different approaches: comparison of observed and simulated along-flight-track plume scales, two-dimensional autocorrelation analysis, and 3-dimensional plume analysis. We find that the degree to which GCMs resolve variability can have a significant impact on the scales of BC plumes, and it is important for models to capture the scales of aerosol plume structures, which account for a large degree of aerosol variability. In this presentation, we will provide further results from the three analysis techniques along with a summary of the implication of these results on future aerosol model development.

  16. Triblock copolymer matrix-based capillary electrophoretic microdevice for high-resolution multiplex pathogen detection.

    PubMed

    Kim, Se Jin; Shin, Gi Won; Choi, Seok Jin; Hwang, Hee Sung; Jung, Gyoo Yeol; Seo, Tae Seok

    2010-03-01

    Rapid and simple analysis for the multiple target pathogens is critical for patient management. CE-SSCP analysis on a microchip provides high speed, high sensitivity, and a portable genetic analysis platform in molecular diagnostic fields. The capability of separating ssDNA molecules in a capillary electrophoretic microchannel with high resolution is a critical issue to perform the precise interpretation in the electropherogram. In this study, we explored the potential of poly(ethyleneoxide)-poly(propyleneoxide)-poly(ethyleneoxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) triblock copolymer as a sieving matrix for CE-SSCP analysis on a microdevice. To demonstrate the superior resolving power of PEO-PPO-PEO copolymers, 255-bp PCR amplicons obtained from 16S ribosomal RNA genes of four bacterial species, namely Proteus mirabilis, Haemophilus ducreyi, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Neisseria meningitidis, were analyzed in the PEO-PPO-PEO matrix in comparison with 5% linear polyacrylamide and commercial GeneScan gel. Due to enhanced dynamic coating and sieving ability, PEO-PPO-PEO copolymer displayed fourfold enhancement of resolving power in the CE-SSCP to separate same-sized DNA molecules. Fivefold input of genomic DNA of P. aeruginosa and/or N. meningitidis produced proportionally increased corresponding amplicon peaks, enabling correct quantitative analysis in the pathogen detection. Besides the high-resolution sieving capability, a facile loading and replenishment of gel in the microchannel due to thermally reversible gelation property makes PEO-PPO-PEO triblock copolymer an excellent matrix in the CE-SSCP analysis on the microdevice.

  17. High-resolution surface velocity and strain rate mapping across the Alpine-Himalayan belt using InSAR and GNSS data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weiss, J. R.; Walters, R. J.; Wright, T. J.; Hussain, E.; González, P. J.; Hooper, A. J.

    2017-12-01

    Accurate and high-resolution measurements of interseismic crustal velocity and the strain-rate fields derived from these measurements are an important input for the assessment of earthquake hazard. However, most strain-rate estimation methods and associated seismicity forecasts rely heavily on Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) networks with sparse and heterogeneous spatial coverage, limiting both accuracy and resolution. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) provides remotely-sensed observations of surface motion, with accuracy comparable to GNSS data, and with a spatial resolution of a few tens of meters. The recently launched Sentinel-1 (S1) radar satellites can measure deformation at the tectonic-plate scale and across slowly straining regions where earthquake hazard is poorly characterised. We are producing large-scale crustal velocity and strain-rate fields for the Alpine-Himalayan belt (AHB) by augmenting global GNSS data compilations with InSAR-derived surface velocities. We are also systematically processing S1 interferograms for the AHB and these products are freely available to the geoscience community. We focus on the Anatolian microplate, where we have used both Envisat and S1 data to measure crustal velocity. We address some of the challenges associated with merging the complementary geodetic datasets including reference-frame issues, treatment of uncertainties, and comparison of different velocity/strain-rate inversion methods. We use synthetic displacement fields to illustrate how inclusion of InSAR can aid in identifying features such as unmapped active faults and fault segments that are creeping. From our preliminary results for Anatolia, we investigate the spatial distribution of strain and variation of strain rates during the seismic cycle.

  18. The Morality of Socioscientific Issues: Construal and Resolution of Genetic Engineering Dilemmas

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadler, Troy D.; Zeidler, Dana L.

    2004-01-01

    The ability to negotiate and resolve socioscientific issues has been posited as integral components of scientific literacy. Although philosophers and science educators have argued that socioscientific issues inherently involve moral and ethical considerations, the ultimate arbiters of morality are individual decision-makers. This study explored…

  19. Determining Extension's Role in Controversial Issues: Content, Process, Neither, or Both?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goerlich, Dan; Walker, Martha A.

    2015-01-01

    Controversial issues offer Extension faculty opportunities to facilitate community dialogue and apply conflict resolution strategies to help communities achieve higher ground. Handled appropriately, the long-term benefits to the community, the Extension organization, and the faculty member of facilitating public issues outweigh the costs. This…

  20. Assistive Technology and Academic Libraries: Legal Issues and Problem Resolution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Ravonne A.

    2009-01-01

    Legal issues have increasingly come to the forefront in academic libraries in recent years. Most of these issues involve The Rehabilitation Act, Section 504 (1973) or Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), complaints related to discriminatory practices with regard to accommodations or assistive technologies. This article provides a brief synopsis…

  1. Hydrologic applications of weather radar

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seo, Dong-Jun; Habib, Emad; Andrieu, Hervé; Morin, Efrat

    2015-12-01

    By providing high-resolution quantitative precipitation information (QPI), weather radars have revolutionized hydrology in the last two decades. With the aid of GIS technology, radar-based quantitative precipitation estimates (QPE) have enabled routine high-resolution hydrologic modeling in many parts of the world. Given the ever-increasing need for higher-resolution hydrologic and water resources information for a wide range of applications, one may expect that the use of weather radar will only grow. Despite the tremendous progress, a number of significant scientific, technological and engineering challenges remain to realize its potential. New challenges are also emerging as new areas of applications are discovered, explored and pursued. The purpose of this special issue is to provide the readership with some of the latest advances, lessons learned, experiences gained, and science issues and challenges related to hydrologic applications of weather radar. The special issue features 20 contributions on various topics which reflect the increasing diversity as well as the areas of focus in radar hydrology today. The contributions may be grouped as follows:

  2. Transmission Pricing Issues for Electricity Generation From Renewable Resources

    EIA Publications

    1999-01-01

    This article discusses how the resolution of transmission pricing issues which have arisen under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) open access environment may affect the prospects for renewable-based electricity.

  3. Assessment of a satellite power system and six alternative technologies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wolsko, T.; Whitfield, R.; Samsa, M.; Habegger, L. S.; Levine, E.; Tanzman, E.

    1981-01-01

    The satellite power system is assessed in comparison to six alternative technologies. The alternatives are: central-station terrestrial photovoltaic systems, conventional coal-fired power plants, coal-gasification/combined-cycle power plants, light water reactor power plants, liquid-metal fast-breeder reactors, and fusion. The comparison is made regarding issues of cost and performance, health and safety, environmental effects, resources, socio-economic factors, and institutional issues. The criteria for selecting the issues and the alternative technologies are given, and the methodology of the comparison is discussed. Brief descriptions of each of the technologies considered are included.

  4. Comparison of Dixon Sequences for Estimation of Percent Breast Fibroglandular Tissue

    PubMed Central

    Ledger, Araminta E. W.; Scurr, Erica D.; Hughes, Julie; Macdonald, Alison; Wallace, Toni; Thomas, Karen; Wilson, Robin; Leach, Martin O.; Schmidt, Maria A.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives To evaluate sources of error in the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) measurement of percent fibroglandular tissue (%FGT) using two-point Dixon sequences for fat-water separation. Methods Ten female volunteers (median age: 31 yrs, range: 23–50 yrs) gave informed consent following Research Ethics Committee approval. Each volunteer was scanned twice following repositioning to enable an estimation of measurement repeatability from high-resolution gradient-echo (GRE) proton-density (PD)-weighted Dixon sequences. Differences in measures of %FGT attributable to resolution, T1 weighting and sequence type were assessed by comparison of this Dixon sequence with low-resolution GRE PD-weighted Dixon data, and against gradient-echo (GRE) or spin-echo (SE) based T1-weighted Dixon datasets, respectively. Results %FGT measurement from high-resolution PD-weighted Dixon sequences had a coefficient of repeatability of ±4.3%. There was no significant difference in %FGT between high-resolution and low-resolution PD-weighted data. Values of %FGT from GRE and SE T1-weighted data were strongly correlated with that derived from PD-weighted data (r = 0.995 and 0.96, respectively). However, both sequences exhibited higher mean %FGT by 2.9% (p < 0.0001) and 12.6% (p < 0.0001), respectively, in comparison with PD-weighted data; the increase in %FGT from the SE T1-weighted sequence was significantly larger at lower breast densities. Conclusion Although measurement of %FGT at low resolution is feasible, T1 weighting and sequence type impact on the accuracy of Dixon-based %FGT measurements; Dixon MRI protocols for %FGT measurement should be carefully considered, particularly for longitudinal or multi-centre studies. PMID:27011312

  5. Evaluation and development of unmanned aircraft (UAV) for UDOT needs.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-05-01

    This research involved the use of high-resolution aerial photography obtained from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to aid UDOT in monitoring and documenting State Roadway structures and associated issues. Using geo-referenced UAV high resolution aeria...

  6. The FRIGG project: From intermediate galactic scales to self-gravitating cores

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hennebelle, Patrick

    2018-03-01

    Context. Understanding the detailed structure of the interstellar gas is essential for our knowledge of the star formation process. Aim. The small-scale structure of the interstellar medium (ISM) is a direct consequence of the galactic scales and making the link between the two is essential. Methods: We perform adaptive mesh simulations that aim to bridge the gap between the intermediate galactic scales and the self-gravitating prestellar cores. For this purpose we use stratified supernova regulated ISM magneto-hydrodynamical simulations at the kpc scale to set up the initial conditions. We then zoom, performing a series of concentric uniform refinement and then refining on the Jeans length for the last levels. This allows us to reach a spatial resolution of a few 10-3 pc. The cores are identified using a clump finder and various criteria based on virial analysis. Their most relevant properties are computed and, due to the large number of objects formed in the simulations, reliable statistics are obtained. Results: The cores' properties show encouraging agreements with observations. The mass spectrum presents a clear powerlaw at high masses with an exponent close to ≃-1.3 and a peak at about 1-2 M⊙. The velocity dispersion and the angular momentum distributions are respectively a few times the local sound speed and a few 10-2 pc km s-1. We also find that the distribution of thermally supercritical cores present a range of magnetic mass-to-flux over critical mass-to-flux ratios, typically between ≃0.3 and 3 indicating that they are significantly magnetized. Investigating the time and spatial dependence of these statistical properties, we conclude that they are not significantly affected by the zooming procedure and that they do not present very large fluctuations. The most severe issue appears to be the dependence on the numerical resolution of the core mass function (CMF). While the core definition process may possibly introduce some biases, the peak tends to shift to smaller values when the resolution improves. Conclusions: Our simulations, which use self-consistently generated initial conditions at the kpc scale, produce a large number of prestellar cores from which reliable statistics can be inferred. Preliminary comparisons with observations show encouraging agreements. In particular the inferred CMFs resemble the ones inferred from recent observations. We stress, however, a possible issue with the peak position shifting with numerical resolution.

  7. A Web-Based Validation Tool for GEWEX

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, R. A.; Gibson, S.; Heckert, E.; Minnis, P.; Sun-Mack, S.; Chen, Y.; Stubenrauch, C.; Kinne, S. A.; Ackerman, S. A.; Baum, B. A.; Chepfer, H.; Di Girolamo, L.; Heidinger, A. K.; Getzewich, B. J.; Guignard, A.; Maddux, B. C.; Menzel, W. P.; Platnick, S. E.; Poulsen, C.; Raschke, E. A.; Riedi, J.; Rossow, W. B.; Sayer, A. M.; Walther, A.; Winker, D. M.

    2011-12-01

    The Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Cloud assessment was initiated by the GEWEX Radiation Panel (GRP) in 2005 to evaluate the variability of available, global, long-term cloud data products. Since then, eleven cloud data records have been established from various instruments, mostly onboard polar orbiting satellites. Cloud properties under study include cloud amount, cloud pressure, cloud temperature, cloud infrared (IR) emissivity and visible (VIS) optical thickness, cloud thermodynamic phase, as well as bulk microphysical properties. The volume of data and variations in parameters, spatial, and temporal resolution for the different datasets constitute a significant challenge for understanding the differences and the value of having more than one dataset. To address this issue, this paper presents a NASA Langley web-based tool to facilitate comparisons among the different cloud data sets. With this tool, the operator can choose to view numeric or graphic presentations to allow comparison between products. Multiple records are displayed in time series graphs, global maps, or zonal plots. The tool has been made flexible so that additional teams can easily add their data sets to the record selection list for use in their own analyses. This tool has possible applications to other climate and weather datasets.

  8. Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): Assessment of the mechanical actuation subsystem, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bradway, M. W.; Slaughter, W. T.

    1988-01-01

    The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. The IOA approach features a top-down analysis of the hardware to determine draft failure modes, criticality, and potential critical items. To preserve independence, this analysis was accomplished without reliance upon the results contained within the NASA FMEA/CIL documentation. The IOA results were then compared to the proposed Post 51-L NASA FMEA/CIL baseline that was available. A resolution of each discrepancy from the comparison was provided through additional analysis as required. These discrepancies were flagged as issues, and recommendations were made based on the FMEA data available at the time. This report documents the results of that comparison for the Orbiter Mechanical Actuation System (MAS) hardware. Specifically, the MAS hardware consists of the following components: Air Data Probe (ADP); Elevon Seal Panel (ESP); External Tank Umbilical (ETU); Ku-Band Deploy (KBD); Payload Bay Doors (PBD); Payload Bay Radiators (PBR); Personnel Hatches (PH); Vent Door Mechanism (VDM); and Startracker Door Mechanism (SDM). Criticality was assigned based upon the severity of the effect for each failure mode.

  9. Toward variational assimilation of SARAL/Altika altimeter data in a North Atlantic circulation model at eddy-permitting resolution: assessment of a NEMO-based 4D-VAR system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bouttier, Pierre-Antoine; Brankart, Jean-Michel; Candille, Guillem; Vidard, Arthur; Blayo, Eric; Verron, Jacques; Brasseur, Pierre

    2015-04-01

    In this project, the response of a variational data assimilation system based on NEMO and its linear tangent and adjoint model is investigated using a 4DVAR algorithm into a North-Atlantic model at eddy-permitting resolution. The assimilated data consist of Jason-2 and SARAL/AltiKA dataset collected during the 2013-2014 period. The main objective is to explore the robustness of the 4DVAR algorithm in the context of a realistic turbulent oceanic circulation at mid-latitude constrained by multi-satellite altimetry missions. This work relies on two previous studies. First, a study with similar objectives was performed based on academic double-gyre turbulent model and synthetic SARAL/AltiKA data, using the same DA experimental framework. Its main goal was to investigate the impact of turbulence on variational DA methods performance. The comparison with this previous work will bring to light the methodological and physical issues encountered by variational DA algorithms in a realistic context at similar, eddy-permitting spatial resolution. We also have demonstrated how a dataset mimicking future SWOT observations improves 4DVAR incremental performances at eddy-permitting resolution. Then, in the context of the OSTST and FP7 SANGOMA projects, an ensemble DA experiment based on the same model and observational datasets has been realized (see poster by Brasseur et al.). This work offers the opportunity to compare efficiency, pros and cons of both DA methods in the context of KA-band altimetric data, at spatial resolution commonly used today for research and operational applications. In this poster we will present the validation plan proposed to evaluate the skill of variational experiment vs. ensemble assimilation experiments covering the same period using independent observations (e.g. from Cryosat-2 mission).

  10. Relaxation and Preconditioning for High Order Discontinuous Galerkin Methods with Applications to Aeroacoustics and High Speed Flows

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shu, Chi-Wang

    2004-01-01

    This project is about the investigation of the development of the discontinuous Galerkin finite element methods, for general geometry and triangulations, for solving convection dominated problems, with applications to aeroacoustics. Other related issues in high order WENO finite difference and finite volume methods have also been investigated. methods are two classes of high order, high resolution methods suitable for convection dominated simulations with possible discontinuous or sharp gradient solutions. In [18], we first review these two classes of methods, pointing out their similarities and differences in algorithm formulation, theoretical properties, implementation issues, applicability, and relative advantages. We then present some quantitative comparisons of the third order finite volume WENO methods and discontinuous Galerkin methods for a series of test problems to assess their relative merits in accuracy and CPU timing. In [3], we review the development of the Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin (RKDG) methods for non-linear convection-dominated problems. These robust and accurate methods have made their way into the main stream of computational fluid dynamics and are quickly finding use in a wide variety of applications. They combine a special class of Runge-Kutta time discretizations, that allows the method to be non-linearly stable regardless of its accuracy, with a finite element space discretization by discontinuous approximations, that incorporates the ideas of numerical fluxes and slope limiters coined during the remarkable development of the high-resolution finite difference and finite volume schemes. The resulting RKDG methods are stable, high-order accurate, and highly parallelizable schemes that can easily handle complicated geometries and boundary conditions. We review the theoretical and algorithmic aspects of these methods and show several applications including nonlinear conservation laws, the compressible and incompressible Navier-Stokes equations, and Hamilton-Jacobi-like equations.

  11. Electron Probe MicroAnalysis (EPMA) Standards. Issues Related to Measurement and Accuracy Evaluation in EPMA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Carpenter, Paul

    2003-01-01

    Electron-probe microanalysis standards and issues related to measurement and accuracy of microanalysis will be discussed. Critical evaluation of standards based on homogeneity and comparison with wet-chemical analysis will be made. Measurement problems such as spectrometer dead-time will be discussed. Analytical accuracy issues will be evaluated for systems by alpha-factor analysis and comparison with experimental k-ratio databases.

  12. A 4.5 km resolution Arctic Ocean simulation with the global multi-resolution model FESOM 1.4

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Qiang; Wekerle, Claudia; Danilov, Sergey; Wang, Xuezhu; Jung, Thomas

    2018-04-01

    In the framework of developing a global modeling system which can facilitate modeling studies on Arctic Ocean and high- to midlatitude linkage, we evaluate the Arctic Ocean simulated by the multi-resolution Finite Element Sea ice-Ocean Model (FESOM). To explore the value of using high horizontal resolution for Arctic Ocean modeling, we use two global meshes differing in the horizontal resolution only in the Arctic Ocean (24 km vs. 4.5 km). The high resolution significantly improves the model's representation of the Arctic Ocean. The most pronounced improvement is in the Arctic intermediate layer, in terms of both Atlantic Water (AW) mean state and variability. The deepening and thickening bias of the AW layer, a common issue found in coarse-resolution simulations, is significantly alleviated by using higher resolution. The topographic steering of the AW is stronger and the seasonal and interannual temperature variability along the ocean bottom topography is enhanced in the high-resolution simulation. The high resolution also improves the ocean surface circulation, mainly through a better representation of the narrow straits in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA). The representation of CAA throughflow not only influences the release of water masses through the other gateways but also the circulation pathways inside the Arctic Ocean. However, the mean state and variability of Arctic freshwater content and the variability of freshwater transport through the Arctic gateways appear not to be very sensitive to the increase in resolution employed here. By highlighting the issues that are independent of model resolution, we address that other efforts including the improvement of parameterizations are still required.

  13. Comparison of glomerular activity patterns by fMRI and wide-field calcium imaging: implications for principles underlying odor mapping

    PubMed Central

    Sanganahalli, Basavaraju G.; Rebello, Michelle R.; Herman, Peter; Papademetris, Xenophon; Shepherd, Gordon M.; Verhagen, Justus V.; Hyder, Fahmeed

    2015-01-01

    Functional imaging signals arise from distinct metabolic and hemodynamic events at the neuropil, but how these processes are influenced by pre- and post-synaptic activities need to be understood for quantitative interpretation of stimulus-evoked mapping data. The olfactory bulb (OB) glomeruli, spherical neuropil regions with well-defined neuronal circuitry, can provide insights into this issue. Optical calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye imaging (OICa2+) reflects dynamics of pre-synaptic input to glomeruli, whereas high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using deoxyhemoglobin contrast reveals neuropil function within the glomerular layer where both pre- and post-synaptic activities contribute. We imaged odor-specific activity patterns of the dorsal OB in the same anesthetized rats with fMRI and OICa2+ and then co-registered the respective maps to compare patterns in the same space. Maps by each modality were very reproducible as trial-to-trial patterns for a given odor, overlapping by ~80%. Maps evoked by ethyl butyrate and methyl valerate for a given modality overlapped by ~80%, suggesting activation of similar dorsal glomerular networks by these odors. Comparison of maps generated by both methods for a given odor showed ~70% overlap, indicating similar odor-specific maps by each method. These results suggest that odor-specific glomerular patterns by high-resolution fMRI primarily tracks pre-synaptic input to the OB. Thus combining OICa2+ and fMRI lays the framework for studies of OB processing over a range of spatiotemporal scales, where OICa2+ can feature the fast dynamics of dorsal glomerular clusters and fMRI can map the entire glomerular sheet in the OB. PMID:26631819

  14. Triggered O Star Formation in M20 via Cloud-Cloud Collision: Comparisons between High-resolution CO Observations and Simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torii, K.; Hattori, Y.; Hasegawa, K.; Ohama, A.; Haworth, T. J.; Shima, K.; Habe, A.; Tachihara, K.; Mizuno, N.; Onishi, T.; Mizuno, A.; Fukui, Y.

    2017-02-01

    Understanding high-mass star formation is one of the top-priority issues in astrophysics. Recent observational studies have revealed that cloud-cloud collisions may play a role in high-mass star formation in several places in the Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud. The Trifid Nebula M20 is a well-known Galactic H II region ionized by a single O7.5 star. In 2011, based on the CO observations with NANTEN2, we reported that the O star was formed by the collision between two molecular clouds ˜0.3 Myr ago. Those observations identified two molecular clouds toward M20, traveling at a relative velocity of 7.5 {km} {{{s}}}-1. This velocity separation implies that the clouds cannot be gravitationally bound to M20, but since the clouds show signs of heating by the stars there they must be spatially coincident with it. A collision is therefore highly possible. In this paper we present the new CO J = 1-0 and J = 3-2 observations of the colliding clouds in M20 performed with the Mopra and ASTE telescopes. The high-resolution observations revealed that the two molecular clouds have peculiar spatial and velocity structures, I.e., a spatially complementary distribution between the two clouds and a bridge feature that connects the two clouds in velocity space. Based on a new comparison with numerical models, we find that this complementary distribution is an expected outcome of cloud-cloud collisions, and that the bridge feature can be interpreted as the turbulent gas excited at the interface of the collision. Our results reinforce the cloud-cloud collision scenario in M20.

  15. Problems and Issues of Diversity in the United States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Naylor, Larry L., Ed.

    A number of social problems created by cultural diversity in the United States seem to defy resolution. The essays in this collection address some of these issues and are designed to initiate serious discussions on some of the most serious questions. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction to American Cultural Diversity: Unresolved Questions, Issues,…

  16. Issues and Agency: Postgraduate Student and Tutor Experiences with Written Feedback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanchez, Hugo Santiago; Dunworth, Katie

    2015-01-01

    This paper examines the issues which postgraduate students and tutors experienced as they engaged in receiving, providing and requesting feedback, as well as the strategies which they adopted as they sought resolution of these issues. The study employed a case study approach, using data obtained from semi-structured and stimulated recall…

  17. Related Critical Psychometric Issues and Their Resolutions during Development of PE Metrics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Connie; Zhu, Weimo; Park, Youngsik; Fisette, Jennifer L.; Graber, Kim C.; Dyson, Ben; Avery, Marybell; Franck, Marian; Placek, Judith H.; Rink, Judy; Raynes, De

    2011-01-01

    In addition to validity and reliability evidence, other psychometric qualities of the PE Metrics assessments needed to be examined. This article describes how those critical psychometric issues were addressed during the PE Metrics assessment bank construction. Specifically, issues included (a) number of items or assessments needed, (b) training…

  18. Supercontinuum ultra-high resolution line-field OCT; experimental spectrograph comparison and comparison with current clinical OCT systems by the imaging of a human cornea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lawman, Samuel; Romano, Vito; Madden, Peter W.; Mason, Sharon; Williams, Bryan M.; Zheng, Yalin; Shen, Yao-Chun

    2018-03-01

    Ultra high axial resolution (UHR) was demonstrated early in the development of optical coherence tomography (OCT), but has not yet reached clinical practice. We present the combination of supercontinuum light source and line field (LF-) OCT as a technical and economical route to get UHR-OCT into clinic and other OCT application areas. We directly compare images of a human donor cornea taken with low and high resolution current generation clinical OCT systems with UHR-LF-OCT. These images highlight the massive information increase of UHR-OCT. Application to pharmaceutical pellets, and the functionality and imaging performance of different imaging spectrograph choices for LF- OCT are also demonstrated.

  19. In situ high-resolution thermal microscopy on integrated circuits.

    PubMed

    Zhuo, Guan-Yu; Su, Hai-Ching; Wang, Hsien-Yi; Chan, Ming-Che

    2017-09-04

    The miniaturization of metal tracks in integrated circuits (ICs) can cause abnormal heat dissipation, resulting in electrostatic discharge, overvoltage breakdown, and other unwanted issues. Unfortunately, locating areas of abnormal heat dissipation is limited either by the spatial resolution or imaging acquisition speed of current thermal analytical techniques. A rapid, non-contact approach to the thermal imaging of ICs with sub-μm resolution could help to alleviate this issue. In this work, based on the intensity of the temperature-dependent two-photon fluorescence (TPF) of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) material, we developed a novel fast and non-invasive thermal microscopy with a sub-μm resolution. Its application to the location of hotspots that may evolve into thermally induced defects in ICs was also demonstrated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to present high-resolution 2D thermal microscopic images of ICs, showing the generation, propagation, and distribution of heat during its operation. According to the demonstrated results, this scheme has considerable potential for future in situ hotspot analysis during the optimization stage of IC development.

  20. A cloud mask methodology for high resolution remote sensing data combining information from high and medium resolution optical sensors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sedano, Fernando; Kempeneers, Pieter; Strobl, Peter; Kucera, Jan; Vogt, Peter; Seebach, Lucia; San-Miguel-Ayanz, Jesús

    2011-09-01

    This study presents a novel cloud masking approach for high resolution remote sensing images in the context of land cover mapping. As an advantage to traditional methods, the approach does not rely on thermal bands and it is applicable to images from most high resolution earth observation remote sensing sensors. The methodology couples pixel-based seed identification and object-based region growing. The seed identification stage relies on pixel value comparison between high resolution images and cloud free composites at lower spatial resolution from almost simultaneously acquired dates. The methodology was tested taking SPOT4-HRVIR, SPOT5-HRG and IRS-LISS III as high resolution images and cloud free MODIS composites as reference images. The selected scenes included a wide range of cloud types and surface features. The resulting cloud masks were evaluated through visual comparison. They were also compared with ad-hoc independently generated cloud masks and with the automatic cloud cover assessment algorithm (ACCA). In general the results showed an agreement in detected clouds higher than 95% for clouds larger than 50 ha. The approach produced consistent results identifying and mapping clouds of different type and size over various land surfaces including natural vegetation, agriculture land, built-up areas, water bodies and snow.

  1. Sacred bounds on rational resolution of violent political conflict

    PubMed Central

    Ginges, Jeremy; Atran, Scott; Medin, Douglas; Shikaki, Khalil

    2007-01-01

    We report a series of experiments carried out with Palestinian and Israeli participants showing that violent opposition to compromise over issues considered sacred is (i) increased by offering material incentives to compromise but (ii) decreased when the adversary makes symbolic compromises over their own sacred values. These results demonstrate some of the unique properties of reasoning and decision-making over sacred values. We show that the use of material incentives to promote the peaceful resolution of political and cultural conflicts may backfire when adversaries treat contested issues as sacred values. PMID:17460042

  2. Tank 241-C-112 vapor sampling and analysis tank characterization report. Revision 1

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

    Huckaby, J.L.

    1995-05-31

    Tank 241-C-112 headspace gas and vapor samples were collected and analyzed to help determine the potential risks to tank farm workers due to fugitive emissions from the tank. The drivers and objectives of waste tank headspace sampling and analysis are discussed in {open_quotes}Program Plan for the Resolution of Tank Vapor Issues.{close_quotes} Tank 241-C-112 was vapor sampled in accordance with {open_quotes}Data Quality Objectives for Generic In-Tank Health and Safety Issue Resolution.{close_quotes}

  3. Hispanic Medical Organizations' Support for LGBT Health Issues.

    PubMed

    Sánchez, John Paul; Sola, Orlando; Ramallo, Jorge; Sánchez, Nelson Felix; Dominguez, Kenneth; Romero-Leggott, Valerie

    2014-09-01

    Hispanics represent the fastest growing ethnic segment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in the United States and are disproportionately burdened by LGBT-related health issues and limited political support from Hispanic medical organizations. Recently, the Latino Medical Student Association, the National Hispanic Medical Association, and the Hispanic Serving Health Professions Schools, representing over 60,000 Hispanic students and providers and 35 institutions, collaborated to support a resolution opposing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and recognizing the obstacles encountered by LGBTQ Hispanics. The resolution provides an important framework for organizational members and leaders to address LGBT health issues and serve to support a more positive sociopolitical climate for the Hispanic LGBT community nationally and internationally.

  4. Corporate Civil Disobedience in the Consumer Interest.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dennis, Michael R.; And Others

    1994-01-01

    Through catalytic issue management, corporations proactively seek to affect resolutions of issues in which they have some interest. Corporations now catalyze legal changes by purposely disobeying existing law, facing the associated consequences, and lobbying for desired changes. (Author)

  5. Framework for Detection and Localization of Extreme Climate Event with Pixel Recursive Super Resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, S. K.; Lee, J.; Zhang, C.; Ames, S.; Williams, D. N.

    2017-12-01

    Deep learning techniques have been successfully applied to solve many problems in climate and geoscience using massive-scaled observed and modeled data. For extreme climate event detections, several models based on deep neural networks have been recently proposed and attend superior performance that overshadows all previous handcrafted expert based method. The issue arising, though, is that accurate localization of events requires high quality of climate data. In this work, we propose framework capable of detecting and localizing extreme climate events in very coarse climate data. Our framework is based on two models using deep neural networks, (1) Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) to detect and localize extreme climate events, and (2) Pixel recursive recursive super resolution model to reconstruct high resolution climate data from low resolution climate data. Based on our preliminary work, we have presented two CNNs in our framework for different purposes, detection and localization. Our results using CNNs for extreme climate events detection shows that simple neural nets can capture the pattern of extreme climate events with high accuracy from very coarse reanalysis data. However, localization accuracy is relatively low due to the coarse resolution. To resolve this issue, the pixel recursive super resolution model reconstructs the resolution of input of localization CNNs. We present a best networks using pixel recursive super resolution model that synthesizes details of tropical cyclone in ground truth data while enhancing their resolution. Therefore, this approach not only dramat- ically reduces the human effort, but also suggests possibility to reduce computing cost required for downscaling process to increase resolution of data.

  6. How to squeeze high quantum efficiency and high time resolution out of a SPAD

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lacaita, A.; Zappa, F.; Cova, Sergio; Ripamonti, Giancarlo; Spinelli, A.

    1993-01-01

    We address the issue whether Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) can be suitably designed to achieve a trade-off between quantum efficiency and time resolution performance. We briefly recall the physical mechanisms setting the time resolution of avalanche photodiodes operated in single-photon counting, and we give some criteria for the design of SPADs with a quantum efficiency better than l0 percent at 1064 nm together with a time resolution below 50 ps rms.

  7. Strategies and limitations for fluorescence detection of XAFS at high flux beamlines

    DOE PAGES

    Heald, Steve M.

    2015-02-17

    The issue of detecting the XAFS signal from dilute samples is discussed in detail with the aim of making best use of high flux beamlines that provide up to 10 13 photons -1. Various detection methods are compared, including filters with slits, solid state detectors, crystal analyzers and combinations of these. These comparisons rely on simulations that use experimentally determined parameters. It is found that inelastic scattering places a fundamental limit on detection, and that it is important to take proper account of the polarization dependence of the signals. The combination of a filter–slit system with a solid state detectormore » is a promising approach. With an optimized system good performance can be obtained even if the total count rate is limited to 10 7 Hz. Detection schemes with better energy resolution can help at the largest dilutions if their collection efficiency and count rate limits can be improved.« less

  8. Strategies and limitations for fluorescence detection of XAFS at high flux beamlines

    PubMed Central

    Heald, Steve M.

    2015-01-01

    The issue of detecting the XAFS signal from dilute samples is discussed in detail with the aim of making best use of high flux beamlines that provide up to 1013 photons s−1. Various detection methods are compared, including filters with slits, solid state detectors, crystal analyzers and combinations of these. These comparisons rely on simulations that use experimentally determined parameters. It is found that inelastic scattering places a fundamental limit on detection, and that it is important to take proper account of the polarization dependence of the signals. The combination of a filter–slit system with a solid state detector is a promising approach. With an optimized system good performance can be obtained even if the total count rate is limited to 107 Hz. Detection schemes with better energy resolution can help at the largest dilutions if their collection efficiency and count rate limits can be improved. PMID:25723945

  9. Fast quantitative optical detection of heat dissipation by surface plasmon polaritons.

    PubMed

    Möller, Thomas B; Ganser, Andreas; Kratt, Martina; Dickreuter, Simon; Waitz, Reimar; Scheer, Elke; Boneberg, Johannes; Leiderer, Paul

    2018-06-13

    Heat management at the nanoscale is an issue of increasing importance. In optoelectronic devices the transport and decay of plasmons contribute to the dissipation of heat. By comparison of experimental data and simulations we demonstrate that it is possible to gain quantitative information about excitation, propagation and decay of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) in a thin gold stripe supported by a silicon membrane. The temperature-dependent optical transmissivity of the membrane is used to determine the temperature distribution around the metal stripe with high spatial and temporal resolution. This method is complementary to techniques where the propagation of SPPs is monitored optically, and provides additional information which is not readily accessible by other means. In particular, we demonstrate that the thermal conductivity of the membrane can also be derived from our analysis. The results presented here show the high potential of this tool for heat management studies in nanoscale devices.

  10. Identifying the 630 nm auroral arc emission height: A comparison of the triangulation, FAC profile, and electron density methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Megan Gillies, D.; Knudsen, D.; Donovan, E.; Jackel, B.; Gillies, R.; Spanswick, E.

    2017-08-01

    We present a comprehensive survey of 630 nm (red-line) emission discrete auroral arcs using the newly deployed Redline Emission Geospace Observatory. In this study we discuss the need for observations of 630 nm aurora and issues with the large-altitude range of the red-line aurora. We compare field-aligned currents (FACs) measured by the Swarm constellation of satellites with the location of 10 red-line (630 nm) auroral arcs observed by all-sky imagers (ASIs) and find that a characteristic emission height of 200 km applied to the ASI maps gives optimal agreement between the two observations. We also compare the new FAC method against the traditional triangulation method using pairs of all-sky imagers (ASIs), and against electron density profiles obtained from the Resolute Bay Incoherent Scatter Radar-Canadian radar, both of which are consistent with a characteristic emission height of 200 km.

  11. High-Resolution X-Ray Telescopes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    ODell, Stephen L.; Brissenden, Roger J.; Davis, William; Elsner, Ronald F.; Elvis, Martin; Freeman, Mark; Gaetz, Terry; Gorenstein, Paul; Gubarev, Mikhail V.

    2010-01-01

    Fundamental needs for future x-ray telescopes: a) Sharp images => excellent angular resolution. b) High throughput => large aperture areas. Generation-X optics technical challenges: a) High resolution => precision mirrors & alignment. b) Large apertures => lots of lightweight mirrors. Innovation needed for technical readiness: a) 4 top-level error terms contribute to image size. b) There are approaches to controlling those errors. Innovation needed for manufacturing readiness. Programmatic issues are comparably challenging.

  12. Contour advection with surgery: A technique for investigating finescale structure in tracer transport

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Waugh, Darryn W.; Plumb, R. Alan

    1994-01-01

    We present a trajectory technique, contour advection with surgery (CAS), for tracing the evolution of material contours in a specified (including observed) evolving flow. CAS uses the algorithms developed by Dritschel for contour dynamics/surgery to trace the evolution of specified contours. The contours are represented by a series of particles, which are advected by a specified, gridded, wind distribution. The resolution of the contours is preserved by continually adjusting the number of particles, and finescale features are produced that are not present in the input data (and cannot easily be generated using standard trajectory techniques). The reliability, and dependence on the spatial and temporal resolution of the wind field, of the CAS procedure is examined by comparisons with high-resolution numerical data (from contour dynamics calculations and from a general circulation model), and with routine stratospheric analyses. These comparisons show that the large-scale motions dominate the deformation field and that CAS can accurately reproduce small scales from low-resolution wind fields. The CAS technique therefore enables examination of atmospheric tracer transport at previously unattainable resolution.

  13. High resolution infrared datasets useful for validating stratospheric models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rinsland, Curtis P.

    1992-01-01

    An important objective of the High Speed Research Program (HSRP) is to support research in the atmospheric sciences that will improve the basic understanding of the circulation and chemistry of the stratosphere and lead to an interim assessment of the impact of a projected fleet of High Speed Civil Transports (HSCT's) on the stratosphere. As part of this work, critical comparisons between models and existing high quality measurements are planned. These comparisons will be used to test the reliability of current atmospheric chemistry models. Two suitable sets of high resolution infrared measurements are discussed.

  14. Generation of Fine Scale Wind and Wave Climatologies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vandenberghe, F. C.; Filipot, J.; Mouche, A.

    2013-12-01

    A tool to generate 'on demand' large databases of atmospheric parameters at high resolution has been developed for defense applications. The approach takes advantage of the zooming and relocation capabilities of the embedded domains that can be found in regional models like the community Weather Research and Forecast model (WRF). The WRF model is applied to dynamically downscale NNRP, CFSR and ERA40 global analyses and to generate long records, up to 30 years, of hourly gridded data over 200km2 domains at 3km grid increment. To insure accuracy, observational data from the NCAR ADP historical database are used in combination with the Four-Dimensional Data Assimilation (FDDA) techniques to constantly nudge the model analysis toward observations. The atmospheric model is coupled to secondary applications such as the NOAA's Wave Watch III model the Navy's APM Electromagnetic Propagation model, allowing the creation of high-resolution climatologies of surface winds, waves and electromagnetic propagation parameters. The system was applied at several coastal locations of the Mediterranean Sea where SAR wind and wave observations were available during the entire year of 2008. Statistical comparisons between the model output and SAR observations are presented. Issues related to the global input data, and the model drift, as well as the impact of the wind biases on wave simulations will be discussed.

  15. Comparison of sampling strategies for object-based classification of urban vegetation from Very High Resolution satellite images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rougier, Simon; Puissant, Anne; Stumpf, André; Lachiche, Nicolas

    2016-09-01

    Vegetation monitoring is becoming a major issue in the urban environment due to the services they procure and necessitates an accurate and up to date mapping. Very High Resolution satellite images enable a detailed mapping of the urban tree and herbaceous vegetation. Several supervised classifications with statistical learning techniques have provided good results for the detection of urban vegetation but necessitate a large amount of training data. In this context, this study proposes to investigate the performances of different sampling strategies in order to reduce the number of examples needed. Two windows based active learning algorithms from state-of-art are compared to a classical stratified random sampling and a third combining active learning and stratified strategies is proposed. The efficiency of these strategies is evaluated on two medium size French cities, Strasbourg and Rennes, associated to different datasets. Results demonstrate that classical stratified random sampling can in some cases be just as effective as active learning methods and that it should be used more frequently to evaluate new active learning methods. Moreover, the active learning strategies proposed in this work enables to reduce the computational runtime by selecting multiple windows at each iteration without increasing the number of windows needed.

  16. Resolving the challenges in the international comparison of health systems: the must do's and the trade-offs.

    PubMed

    Forde, Ian; Morgan, David; Klazinga, Niek S

    2013-09-01

    Countries are increasingly publishing health system performance statistics alongside those of their peers, to identify high performers and achieve a continuously improving health system. The aim of the paper is to identify, and discuss resolution of, some key methodological challenges, which arise when comparing health system performance. To illustrate the issues, we focus on two OECD flagship initiatives: the System of Health Accounts (SHA) and the Health Care Quality Indicators (HCQI) project and refer to two main actors: a coordinating agency, which proposes and collates performance data and second, data correspondents in constituent health systems, who submit data to the coordinating centre. Discussion is structured around two themes: a set of must-do's (legitimacy of the coordinating centre, validity of proposed indicators, feasibility of data collection and technical support for data correspondents) and a set of trade-offs (depth vs. breadth in the number of system elements compared, aggregation vs. granularity of data, flexibility vs. consistency of indicator definitions and inclusion criteria). Robust fulfillment of the must-do's and transparent resolution of the trade-offs both depend upon effective collaboration between the coordinating centre and data correspondents, and a close working relationship between a technical secretariat and a body of experts. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  17. Ion formation upon electron collisions with valine embedded in helium nanodroplets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weinberger, Nikolaus; Ralser, Stefan; Renzler, Michael; Harnisch, Martina; Kaiser, Alexander; Denifl, Stefan; Böhme, Diethard K.; Scheier, Paul

    2016-04-01

    We report here experimental results for the electron ionization of large superfluid helium nanodroplets with sizes of about 105 atoms that are doped with valine and clusters of valine. Spectra of both cations and anions were monitored with high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometry (mass resolution >4000). Clear series of peaks with valine cluster sizes up to at least 40 and spaced by the mass of a valine molecule are visible in both the cation and anion spectra. Ion efficiency curves are presented for selected cations and anions at electron energies up to about 40 eV and these provide insight into the mode of ion formation. The measured onset of 24.59 eV for cations is indicative of valine ionization by He+ whereas broad resonances at 2, 10 and 22 eV (and beyond) in the formation of anions speak to the occurrence of various modes of dissociative electron attachment by collisions with electrons or He*- and the influence of droplet size on the relative importance of these processes. Comparisons are also made with gas phase results and these provide insight into a matrix effect within the superfluid helium nanodroplet. Contribution to the Topical Issue "Advances in Positron and Electron Scattering", edited by Paulo Limao-Vieira, Gustavo Garcia, E. Krishnakumar, James Sullivan, Hajime Tanuma and Zoran Petrovic.

  18. Lessons Learned During Solutions of Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Problems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Patnaik, Suna N.; Coroneos, Rula M.; Hopkins, Dale A.; Lavelle, Thomas M.

    2000-01-01

    Optimization research at NASA Glenn Research Center has addressed the design of structures, aircraft and airbreathing propulsion engines. During solution of the multidisciplinary problems several issues were encountered. This paper lists four issues and discusses the strategies adapted for their resolution: (1) The optimization process can lead to an inefficient local solution. This deficiency was encountered during design of an engine component. The limitation was overcome through an augmentation of animation into optimization. (2) Optimum solutions obtained were infeasible for aircraft and air-breathing propulsion engine problems. Alleviation of this deficiency required a cascading of multiple algorithms. (3) Profile optimization of a beam produced an irregular shape. Engineering intuition restored the regular shape for the beam. (4) The solution obtained for a cylindrical shell by a subproblem strategy converged to a design that can be difficult to manufacture. Resolution of this issue remains a challenge. The issues and resolutions are illustrated through six problems: (1) design of an engine component, (2) synthesis of a subsonic aircraft, (3) operation optimization of a supersonic engine, (4) design of a wave-rotor-topping device, (5) profile optimization of a cantilever beam, and (6) design of a cvlindrical shell. The combined effort of designers and researchers can bring the optimization method from academia to industry.

  19. A comparison of measured radiances from AIRS and HIRS across different cloud types

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schreier, M. M.; Kahn, B. H.; Staten, P.

    2015-12-01

    The observation of Earth's atmosphere with passive remote sensing instruments is ongoing for decades and resulting in a long-term global dataset. Two prominent examples are operational satellite platforms from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) or research platforms like NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS). The observed spectral ranges of these observations are often similar among the different platforms, but have large differences when it comes to resolution, accuracy and quality control. Our approach is to combine different kinds of instruments at the pixel-scale to improve the characterization of infrared radiances. We focus on data from the High-resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) and compare the observations to radiances from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on Aqua. The high spectral resolution of AIRS is used to characterize and possibly recalibrate the observed radiances from HIRS. Our approach is unique in that we use additional information from other passive instruments on the same platforms including the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). We will present comparisons of radiances from HIRS and AIRS within different types of clouds that are determined from the imagers. In this way, we can analyze and select the most homogeneous conditions for radiance comparisons and a possible re-calibration of HIRS. We hope to achieve a cloud-type-dependent calibration and quality control for HIRS, which can be extrapolated into the past via inter-calibration of the different HIRS instruments beyond the time of AIRS.

  20. Variations in optical coherence tomography resolution and uniformity: a multi-system performance comparison

    PubMed Central

    Fouad, Anthony; Pfefer, T. Joshua; Chen, Chao-Wei; Gong, Wei; Agrawal, Anant; Tomlins, Peter H.; Woolliams, Peter D.; Drezek, Rebekah A.; Chen, Yu

    2014-01-01

    Point spread function (PSF) phantoms based on unstructured distributions of sub-resolution particles in a transparent matrix have been demonstrated as a useful tool for evaluating resolution and its spatial variation across image volumes in optical coherence tomography (OCT) systems. Measurements based on PSF phantoms have the potential to become a standard test method for consistent, objective and quantitative inter-comparison of OCT system performance. Towards this end, we have evaluated three PSF phantoms and investigated their ability to compare the performance of four OCT systems. The phantoms are based on 260-nm-diameter gold nanoshells, 400-nm-diameter iron oxide particles and 1.5-micron-diameter silica particles. The OCT systems included spectral-domain and swept source systems in free-beam geometries as well as a time-domain system in both free-beam and fiberoptic probe geometries. Results indicated that iron oxide particles and gold nanoshells were most effective for measuring spatial variations in the magnitude and shape of PSFs across the image volume. The intensity of individual particles was also used to evaluate spatial variations in signal intensity uniformity. Significant system-to-system differences in resolution and signal intensity and their spatial variation were readily quantified. The phantoms proved useful for identification and characterization of irregularities such as astigmatism. Our multi-system results provide evidence of the practical utility of PSF-phantom-based test methods for quantitative inter-comparison of OCT system resolution and signal uniformity. PMID:25071949

  1. The Significance of Content Knowledge for Informal Reasoning regarding Socioscientific Issues: Applying Genetics Knowledge to Genetic Engineering Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadler, Troy D.; Zeidler, Dana L.

    2005-01-01

    This study focused on informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues. It sought to explore how content knowledge influenced the negotiation and resolution of contentious and complex scenarios based on genetic engineering. Two hundred and sixty-nine students drawn from undergraduate natural science and nonnatural science courses completed a…

  2. Validation of Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) spectral radiances with the Scanning High-resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) aircraft instrument

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tobin, David C.; Revercomb, Henry E.; Moeller, Chris C.; Knuteson, Robert O.; Best, Fred A.; Smith, William L.; van Delst, Paul; LaPorte, Daniel D.; Ellington, Scott D.; Werner, Mark D.; Dedecker, Ralph G.; Garcia, Raymond K.; Ciganovich, Nick N.; Howell, Hugh B.; Dutcher, Steven B.; Taylor, Joe K.

    2004-11-01

    The ability to accurately validate high spectral resolution infrared radiance measurements from space using comparisons with aircraft spectrometer observations has been successfully demonstrated. The demonstration is based on an under-flight of the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) on the NASA Aqua spacecraft by the Scanning High resolution Interferometer Sounder (S-HIS) on the NASA ER-2 high altitude aircraft on 21 November 2002 and resulted in brightness temperature differences approaching 0.1K for most of the spectrum. This paper presents the details of this AIRS/S-HIS validation case and also presents comparisons of Aqua AIRS and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) radiance observations. Aircraft comparisons of this type provide a mechanism for periodically testing the absolute calibration of spacecraft instruments with instrumentation for which the calibration can be carefully maintained on the ground. This capability is especially valuable for assuring the long-term consistency and accuracy of climate observations. It is expected that aircraft flights of the S-HIS and its close cousin the National Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Atmospheric Sounder Testbed (NAST) will be used to check the long-term stability of the NASA EOS spacecrafts (Terra, Aqua and Aura) and the follow-on complement of operational instruments, including the Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS).

  3. Conflict Resolution among Preschool Children: The Appeal of Negotiation in Hypothetical Disputes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iskandar, Niveen; And Others

    1995-01-01

    Using hypothetical puppet interviews, 48 preschool children were interviewed about their preferences for teacher methods of conflict intervention. Puppet vignettes contrasted conflict issue, peer status, and resolution strategy (negotiation, power assertion, and disengagement). Results showed that preschoolers preferred negotiation strategies over…

  4. Engineering the Business of Defense Acquisition: An Analysis of Program Office Processes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-04-30

    ability to stay focused on the decision outcome rather than procrastinate and wait for a time- dependent resolution. Another critical aspect of...instituted an effective issue resolution process. Conflict, left unmanaged, tended to result in further procrastination and less effective outcomes

  5. 33 CFR 385.23 - Dispute resolution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Processes § 385.23 Dispute resolution. (a) Disputes with the non-Federal sponsor concerning a Project... Cooperation Agreement. (b) Disputes with the non-Federal sponsor concerning design activities shall be... issues with the non-Federal sponsor and disputes with the State associated with the implementation of the...

  6. 33 CFR 385.23 - Dispute resolution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Processes § 385.23 Dispute resolution. (a) Disputes with the non-Federal sponsor concerning a Project... Cooperation Agreement. (b) Disputes with the non-Federal sponsor concerning design activities shall be... issues with the non-Federal sponsor and disputes with the State associated with the implementation of the...

  7. 33 CFR 385.23 - Dispute resolution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Processes § 385.23 Dispute resolution. (a) Disputes with the non-Federal sponsor concerning a Project... Cooperation Agreement. (b) Disputes with the non-Federal sponsor concerning design activities shall be... issues with the non-Federal sponsor and disputes with the State associated with the implementation of the...

  8. 33 CFR 385.23 - Dispute resolution.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Processes § 385.23 Dispute resolution. (a) Disputes with the non-Federal sponsor concerning a Project... Cooperation Agreement. (b) Disputes with the non-Federal sponsor concerning design activities shall be... issues with the non-Federal sponsor and disputes with the State associated with the implementation of the...

  9. Modeling Urban Air Quality in the Berlin-Brandenburg Region: Evaluation of a WRF-Chem Setup

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kuik, F.; Churkina, G.; Butler, T. M.; Lauer, A.; Mar, K. A.

    2015-12-01

    Air pollution is the number one environmental cause of premature deaths in Europe. Despite extensive regulations, air pollution remains a challenging issue, especially in urban areas. For studying air quality in the Berlin-Brandenburg region of Germany the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) is set up and evaluated against meteorological and air quality observations from monitoring stations as well as from a field campaign conducted in 2014 (incl. black carbon, VOCs as well as mobile measurements of particle size distribution and particle mass). The model setup includes 3 nested domains with horizontal resolutions of 15km, 3km, and 1km, online biogenic emissions using MEGAN 2.0, and anthropogenic emissions from the TNO-MACC-II inventory. This work serves as a basis for future studies on different aspects of air pollution in the Berlin-Brandenburg region, including how heat waves affect emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC) from urban vegetation (summer 2006) and the impact of selected traffic measures on air quality in the Berlin-Brandenburg area (summer 2014). The model represents the meteorology as observed in the region well for both periods. An exception is the heat wave period in 2006, where the temperature simulated with 3km and 1km resolutions is biased low by around 2°C for urban built-up stations. First results of simulations with chemistry show that, on average, WRF-Chem simulates concentrations of O3 well. However, the 8 hr maxima are underestimated, and the minima are overestimated. While NOx daily means are modeled reasonably well for urban stations, they are overestimated for suburban stations. PM10 concentrations are underestimated by the model. The biases and correlation coefficients of simulated O3, NOx, and PM10 in comparison to surface observations do not show improvements for the 1km domain in comparison to the 3km domain. To improve the model performance of the 1km domain we will include an updated emission inventory (TNO-MACC-III) as well as the interpolation of the emission data from 7km to a 1km resolution.

  10. FIMic: design for ultimate 3D-integral microscopy of in-vivo biological samples

    PubMed Central

    Scrofani, G.; Sola-Pikabea, J.; Llavador, A.; Sanchez-Ortiga, E.; Barreiro, J. C.; Saavedra, G.; Garcia-Sucerquia, J.; Martínez-Corral, M.

    2017-01-01

    In this work, Fourier integral microscope (FIMic), an ultimate design of 3D-integral microscopy, is presented. By placing a multiplexing microlens array at the aperture stop of the microscope objective of the host microscope, FIMic shows extended depth of field and enhanced lateral resolution in comparison with regular integral microscopy. As FIMic directly produces a set of orthographic views of the 3D-micrometer-sized sample, it is suitable for real-time imaging. Following regular integral-imaging reconstruction algorithms, a 2.75-fold enhanced depth of field and 2-time better spatial resolution in comparison with conventional integral microscopy is reported. Our claims are supported by theoretical analysis and experimental images of a resolution test target, cotton fibers, and in-vivo 3D-imaging of biological specimens. PMID:29359107

  11. Relation of comorbidities and patient navigation with the time to diagnostic resolution after abnormal cancer screening.

    PubMed

    Whitley, Elizabeth M; Raich, Peter C; Dudley, Donald J; Freund, Karen M; Paskett, Electra D; Patierno, Steven R; Simon, Melissa; Warren-Mears, Victoria; Snyder, Frederick R

    2017-01-01

    Whether patient navigation improves outcomes for patients with comorbidities is unknown. The aims of this study were to determine the effect of comorbidities on the time to diagnostic resolution after an abnormal cancer screening test and to examine whether patient navigation improves the timeliness and likelihood of diagnostic resolution for patients with comorbidities in comparison with no navigation. A secondary analysis of comorbidity data collected by Patient Navigation Research Program sites using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was conducted. The participants were 6,349 patients with abnormal breast, cervical, colon, or prostate cancer screening tests between 2007 and 2011. The intervention was patient navigation or usual care. The CCI data were highly skewed across projects and cancer sites, and the CCI scores were categorized as 0 (CCI score of 0 or no comorbidities identified; 76% of cases); 1 (CCI score of 1; 16% of cases), or 2 (CCI score ≥ 2; 8% of cases). Separate adjusted hazard ratios for each site and cancer type were obtained, and then they were pooled with a meta-analysis random effects methodology. Patients with a CCI score ≥ 2 had delayed diagnostic resolution after an abnormal cancer screening test in comparison with those with no comorbidities. Patient navigation reduced delays in diagnostic resolution, with the greatest benefits seen for those with a CCI score ≥ 2. Persons with a CCI score ≥ 2 experienced significant delays in timely diagnostic care in comparison with patients without comorbidities. Patient navigation was effective in reducing delays in diagnostic resolution among those with CCI scores > 1. Cancer 2017;123:312-318. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

  12. 5 CFR 2610.307 - Further proceedings.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 2610.307 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT ETHICS ORGANIZATION AND PROCEDURES... written submissions or, as to issues other than substantial justification (such as the applicant's... further proceedings shall be held only when necessary for full and fair resolution of the issues arising...

  13. 30 CFR 281.13 - Joint State/Federal coordination.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... and development activities; facilitate the resolution of issues of mutual interest; and provide a... be offered for lease; (2) The potential for conflicts between the exploration and development of OCS mineral resources, other users and uses of the area, and means for resolution or mitigation of these...

  14. A joint resolution to provide for the resolution of the outstanding issues in the current railway labor-management dispute.

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Enzi, Michael B. [R-WY

    2011-11-30

    Senate - 12/01/2011 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 242. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  15. Unstructured grid research and use at NASA Lewis Research Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Potapczuk, Mark G.

    1993-01-01

    Computational fluid dynamics applications of grid research at LRC include inlets, nozzles, and ducts; turbomachinery; propellers - ducted and unducted; and aircraft icing. Some issues related to internal flow grid generation are resolution requirements on several boundaries, shock resolution vs. grid periodicity, grid spacing at blade/shroud gap, grid generation in turbine blade passages, and grid generation for inlet/nozzle geometries. Aircraft icing grid generation issues include (1) small structures relative to airfoil chord must be resolved; (2) excessive number of grid points in far-field using structured grid; and (3) grid must be recreated as ice shape grows.

  16. A digital gigapixel large-format tile-scan camera.

    PubMed

    Ben-Ezra, M

    2011-01-01

    Although the resolution of single-lens reflex (SLR) and medium-format digital cameras has increased in recent years, applications for cultural-heritage preservation and computational photography require even higher resolutions. Addressing this issue, a large-format cameras' large image planes can achieve very high resolution without compromising pixel size and thus can provide high-quality, high-resolution images.This digital large-format tile scan camera can acquire high-quality, high-resolution images of static scenes. It employs unique calibration techniques and a simple algorithm for focal-stack processing of very large images with significant magnification variations. The camera automatically collects overlapping focal stacks and processes them into a high-resolution, extended-depth-of-field image.

  17. Evaluation of variability in high-resolution protein structures by global distance scoring.

    PubMed

    Anzai, Risa; Asami, Yoshiki; Inoue, Waka; Ueno, Hina; Yamada, Koya; Okada, Tetsuji

    2018-01-01

    Systematic analysis of the statistical and dynamical properties of proteins is critical to understanding cellular events. Extraction of biologically relevant information from a set of high-resolution structures is important because it can provide mechanistic details behind the functional properties of protein families, enabling rational comparison between families. Most of the current structural comparisons are pairwise-based, which hampers the global analysis of increasing contents in the Protein Data Bank. Additionally, pairing of protein structures introduces uncertainty with respect to reproducibility because it frequently accompanies other settings for superimposition. This study introduces intramolecular distance scoring for the global analysis of proteins, for each of which at least several high-resolution structures are available. As a pilot study, we have tested 300 human proteins and showed that the method is comprehensively used to overview advances in each protein and protein family at the atomic level. This method, together with the interpretation of the model calculations, provide new criteria for understanding specific structural variation in a protein, enabling global comparison of the variability in proteins from different species.

  18. 'To Trust or Not to Trust--Pupils' Ways of Judging Information Encountered in a Socio-Scientific Issue.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kolsto, Stein Dankert

    2001-01-01

    Describes a qualitative study in which 16-year-old Norwegian pupils dealt with a socio-scientific issue. Investigates aspects of students' decision-making concerning a local version of the well-known controversial issue of whether or not power transmission lines increase the risk for childhood leukemia. Some of the resolution strategies imply that…

  19. Solid state sandwich concept: Designs, considerations and issues. [solar power satellite transmission

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maynard, O. E.

    1980-01-01

    Progress in analysis and design of solid state approaches to the solar power satellite microwave power transmission system is reviewed with special emphasis on the Sandwich concept and the issues of maintenance of low junction temperatures for amplifiers to assure acceptable lifetime. Ten specific issues or considerations are discussed and their resolution or status is presented.

  20. Spatial Modeling of Geometallurgical Properties: Techniques and a Case Study

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

    Deutsch, Jared L., E-mail: jdeutsch@ualberta.ca; Palmer, Kevin; Deutsch, Clayton V.

    High-resolution spatial numerical models of metallurgical properties constrained by geological controls and more extensively by measured grade and geomechanical properties constitute an important part of geometallurgy. Geostatistical and other numerical techniques are adapted and developed to construct these high-resolution models accounting for all available data. Important issues that must be addressed include unequal sampling of the metallurgical properties versus grade assays, measurements at different scale, and complex nonlinear averaging of many metallurgical parameters. This paper establishes techniques to address each of these issues with the required implementation details and also demonstrates geometallurgical mineral deposit characterization for a copper–molybdenum deposit inmore » South America. High-resolution models of grades and comminution indices are constructed, checked, and are rigorously validated. The workflow demonstrated in this case study is applicable to many other deposit types.« less

  1. A Super-Resolution Algorithm for Enhancement of FLASH LIDAR Data: Flight Test Results

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bulyshev, Alexander; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Roback, Eric; Reisse Robert

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes the results of a 3D super-resolution algorithm applied to the range data obtained from a recent Flash Lidar helicopter flight test. The flight test was conducted by the NASA's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project over a simulated lunar terrain facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center. ALHAT is developing the technology for safe autonomous landing on the surface of celestial bodies: Moon, Mars, asteroids. One of the test objectives was to verify the ability of 3D super-resolution technique to generate high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) and to determine time resolved relative positions and orientations of the vehicle. 3D super-resolution algorithm was developed earlier and tested in computational modeling, and laboratory experiments, and in a few dynamic experiments using a moving truck. Prior to the helicopter flight test campaign, a 100mX100m hazard field was constructed having most of the relevant extraterrestrial hazard: slopes, rocks, and craters with different sizes. Data were collected during the flight and then processed by the super-resolution code. The detailed DEM of the hazard field was constructed using independent measurement to be used for comparison. ALHAT navigation system data were used to verify abilities of super-resolution method to provide accurate relative navigation information. Namely, the 6 degree of freedom state vector of the instrument as a function of time was restored from super-resolution data. The results of comparisons show that the super-resolution method can construct high quality DEMs and allows for identifying hazards like rocks and craters within the accordance of ALHAT requirements.

  2. A super-resolution algorithm for enhancement of flash lidar data: flight test results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bulyshev, Alexander; Amzajerdian, Farzin; Roback, Eric; Reisse, Robert

    2013-03-01

    This paper describes the results of a 3D super-resolution algorithm applied to the range data obtained from a recent Flash Lidar helicopter flight test. The flight test was conducted by the NASA's Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project over a simulated lunar terrain facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center. ALHAT is developing the technology for safe autonomous landing on the surface of celestial bodies: Moon, Mars, asteroids. One of the test objectives was to verify the ability of 3D super-resolution technique to generate high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) and to determine time resolved relative positions and orientations of the vehicle. 3D super-resolution algorithm was developed earlier and tested in computational modeling, and laboratory experiments, and in a few dynamic experiments using a moving truck. Prior to the helicopter flight test campaign, a 100mX100m hazard field was constructed having most of the relevant extraterrestrial hazard: slopes, rocks, and craters with different sizes. Data were collected during the flight and then processed by the super-resolution code. The detailed DEM of the hazard field was constructed using independent measurement to be used for comparison. ALHAT navigation system data were used to verify abilities of super-resolution method to provide accurate relative navigation information. Namely, the 6 degree of freedom state vector of the instrument as a function of time was restored from super-resolution data. The results of comparisons show that the super-resolution method can construct high quality DEMs and allows for identifying hazards like rocks and craters within the accordance of ALHAT requirements.

  3. Comparison of accelerator physics issues for symmetric and asymmetric B-factory rings

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

    Tigner, M.

    1990-10-10

    A systematic comparison of accelerator physics issues from the beam-beam interaction to single particle stability including ring and IR layout, synchrotron radiation and lost particle backgrounds, and single and multi-bunch instabilities is given. While some practical handicap probably accrues to the asymmetric design because of its extra constraints, the differences in the two approaches tend to be obscured by larger issues such as how to achieve the enormous increases in luminosity demanded of a b-factory.

  4. Vapor characterization of Tank 241-C-103

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

    Huckaby, J.L.; Story, M.S.

    The Westinghouse Hanford Company Tank Vapor Issue Resolution Program has developed, in cooperation with Northwest Instrument Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, Pacific Northwest Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratory, the equipment and expertise to characterize gases and vapors in the high-level radioactive waste storage tanks at the Hanford Site in south central Washington State. This capability has been demonstrated by the characterization of the tank 241-C-103 headspace. This tank headspace is the first, and for many reasons is expected to be the most problematic, that will be characterized (Osborne 1992). Results from themore » most recent and comprehensive sampling event, sample job 7B, are presented for the purpose of providing scientific bases for resolution of vapor issues associated with tank 241-C-103. This report is based on the work of Clauss et al. 1994, Jenkins et al. 1994, Ligotke et al. 1994, Mahon et al. 1994, and Rasmussen and Einfeld 1994. No attempt has been made in this report to evaluate the implications of the data presented, such as the potential impact of headspace gases and vapors to tank farm workers health. That and other issues will be addressed elsewhere. Key to the resolution of worker health issues is the quantitation of compounds of toxicological concern. The Toxicology Review Panel, a panel of Pacific Northwest Laboratory experts in various areas, of toxicology, has chosen 19 previously identified compounds as being of potential toxicological concern. During sample job 7B, the sampling and analytical methodology was validated for this preliminary list of compounds of toxicological concern. Validation was performed according to guidance provided by the Tank Vapor Conference Committee, a group of analytical chemists from academic institutions and national laboratories assembled and commissioned by the Tank Vapor Issue Resolution Program.« less

  5. Multi-angle polarimeter inter-comparison: the PODEX and ACEPOL field campaigns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knobelspiesse, K. D.; Tan, Q.; Redemann, J.; Cairns, B.; Diner, D. J.; Ferrare, R. A.; van Harten, G.; Hasekamp, O. P.; Kalashnikova, O. V.; Martins, J. V.; Yorks, J. E.; Seidel, F. C.

    2017-12-01

    A multi-angle polarimeter has been proposed for the NASA Aerosol-Cloud-Ecosystem (ACE) mission, recommended by the National Research Council's Decadal Survey. Such instruments are uncommon in orbit, and there is a great diversity of prototype instrument characteristics. For that reason, NASA funded two field campaigns where airborne polarimeter prototypes were deployed on the high altitude ER-2 aircraft. The first field campaign, POlarimeter DEfinition EXperiment (PODEX), was carried out in southern California in early 2013. Three polarimeters participated: the Airborne Multi-angle SpectroPolarimeter Imager (AirMSPI), the Passive Aerosol and Cloud Suite (PACS) and the Research Scanning Polarimeter (RSP). PACS, on its first deployment, suffered detector problems, while AirMSPI and RSP performed within expectations. Initial comparisons of AirMSPI and RSP observations found Degree of Linear Polarization (DoLP) biases. Following corrections to both instrument's calibration and/or geolocation techniques, these issues have improved. We will present the details of this comparison. The recent ACEPOL mission returned to southern California in October-November with a larger compliment of multi-angle polarimeters. This included AirMSPI and RSP, like in PODEX. Additional polarimetric instruments included AirHARP (Airborne HyperAngular Rainbow Polarimeter, a successor to PACS) and SPEX Airborne (SPectropolarimeter for Planetary Exploration). Two Lidars were also deployed: The High Spectral Resolution Lidar -2 (HSRL-2) and the Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL). While data processing is still underway, we will describe the objectives of this campaign and give a preview of what to expect in subsequent analysis.

  6. Conflict Resolution, Diversity, and Social Justice.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Townley, Annette

    1994-01-01

    Briefly explores the issue of conflict resolution (CR) in education; the introduction of CR into the public schools; and whether CR processes such as mediation meet the needs of nondominant groups. It also introduces several articles that discuss specific approaches to the development and implementation of CR programs in schools. (GLR)

  7. 29 CFR 33.12 - Complaint handling procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... that resolution of the complaint would require a fundamental alteration of the program or undue... Management (Deputy ASAM). (i) If informal resolution is not achieved, the Deputy ASAM shall issue a... Administration and Management (ASAM). (j)(1) An appeal of the Deputy ASAM's determination may be filed with the...

  8. Specialized ADR To Settle Faculty Employment Disputes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DiNardo, Lawrence C.; Sherrill, John A.; Palmer, Anna R.

    2001-01-01

    Presents an innovative approach to resolution of faculty employment disputes at institutions of higher education. Discusses the framework in which faculty employment issues arise, the current state of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as it is relevant to employment disputes, and the substantial benefits which could be achieved by developing a…

  9. 18 CFR 385.604 - Alternative means of dispute resolution (Rule 604).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... final written agreement or arbitral award reached as a result of a dispute resolution proceeding, is not..., unless the decisional authority, upon motion or otherwise, orders a different procedure. (b) Definitions... arbitration, or any combination thereof; (2) Award means any decision by an arbitrator resolving the issues in...

  10. Coreference annotation and resolution in the Colorado Richly Annotated Full Text (CRAFT) corpus of biomedical journal articles.

    PubMed

    Cohen, K Bretonnel; Lanfranchi, Arrick; Choi, Miji Joo-Young; Bada, Michael; Baumgartner, William A; Panteleyeva, Natalya; Verspoor, Karin; Palmer, Martha; Hunter, Lawrence E

    2017-08-17

    Coreference resolution is the task of finding strings in text that have the same referent as other strings. Failures of coreference resolution are a common cause of false negatives in information extraction from the scientific literature. In order to better understand the nature of the phenomenon of coreference in biomedical publications and to increase performance on the task, we annotated the Colorado Richly Annotated Full Text (CRAFT) corpus with coreference relations. The corpus was manually annotated with coreference relations, including identity and appositives for all coreferring base noun phrases. The OntoNotes annotation guidelines, with minor adaptations, were used. Interannotator agreement ranges from 0.480 (entity-based CEAF) to 0.858 (Class-B3), depending on the metric that is used to assess it. The resulting corpus adds nearly 30,000 annotations to the previous release of the CRAFT corpus. Differences from related projects include a much broader definition of markables, connection to extensive annotation of several domain-relevant semantic classes, and connection to complete syntactic annotation. Tool performance was benchmarked on the data. A publicly available out-of-the-box, general-domain coreference resolution system achieved an F-measure of 0.14 (B3), while a simple domain-adapted rule-based system achieved an F-measure of 0.42. An ensemble of the two reached F of 0.46. Following the IDENTITY chains in the data would add 106,263 additional named entities in the full 97-paper corpus, for an increase of 76% percent in the semantic classes of the eight ontologies that have been annotated in earlier versions of the CRAFT corpus. The project produced a large data set for further investigation of coreference and coreference resolution in the scientific literature. The work raised issues in the phenomenon of reference in this domain and genre, and the paper proposes that many mentions that would be considered generic in the general domain are not generic in the biomedical domain due to their referents to specific classes in domain-specific ontologies. The comparison of the performance of a publicly available and well-understood coreference resolution system with a domain-adapted system produced results that are consistent with the notion that the requirements for successful coreference resolution in this genre are quite different from those of the general domain, and also suggest that the baseline performance difference is quite large.

  11. Integrated satellite data fusion and mining for monitoring lake water quality status of the Albufera de Valencia in Spain.

    PubMed

    Doña, Carolina; Chang, Ni-Bin; Caselles, Vicente; Sánchez, Juan M; Camacho, Antonio; Delegido, Jesús; Vannah, Benjamin W

    2015-03-15

    Lake eutrophication is a critical issue in the interplay of water supply, environmental management, and ecosystem conservation. Integrated sensing, monitoring, and modeling for a holistic lake water quality assessment with respect to multiple constituents is in acute need. The aim of this paper is to develop an integrated algorithm for data fusion and mining of satellite remote sensing images to generate daily estimates of some water quality parameters of interest, such as chlorophyll a concentrations and water transparency, to be applied for the assessment of the hypertrophic Albufera de Valencia. The Albufera de Valencia is the largest freshwater lake in Spain, which can often present values of chlorophyll a concentration over 200 mg m(-3) and values of transparency (Secchi Disk, SD) as low as 20 cm. Remote sensing data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhance Thematic Mapper (ETM+) images were fused to carry out an integrative near-real time water quality assessment on a daily basis. Landsat images are useful to study the spatial variability of the water quality parameters, due to its spatial resolution of 30 m, in comparison to the low spatial resolution (250/500 m) of MODIS. While Landsat offers a high spatial resolution, the low temporal resolution of 16 days is a significant drawback to achieve a near real-time monitoring system. This gap may be bridged by using MODIS images that have a high temporal resolution of 1 day, in spite of its low spatial resolution. Synthetic Landsat images were fused for dates with no Landsat overpass over the study area. Finally, with a suite of ground truth data, a few genetic programming (GP) models were derived to estimate the water quality using the fused surface reflectance data as inputs. The GP model for chlorophyll a estimation yielded a R(2) of 0.94, with a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) = 8 mg m(-3), and the GP model for water transparency estimation using Secchi disk showed a R(2) of 0.89, with an RMSE = 4 cm. With this effort, the spatiotemporal variations of water transparency and chlorophyll a concentrations may be assessed simultaneously on a daily basis throughout the lake for environmental management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. "If Your Only Tool Is a Hammer, Any Issue Will Look like a Nail": Building Conflict Resolution and Mediation Capacity in South African Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harris, Geoff

    2008-01-01

    This article commences with an explanation of some of the technical terms in the field of conflict resolution. It then examines the common ways which parties to a conflict use in an effort to deal with it and concludes that, on a number of criteria, collaborative conflict resolution is the superior method. Using some representative examples of…

  13. Gender Equity Issues in Education: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gougeon, Thomas D.; And Others

    This paper addressed: (1) gender equity issues in a major Canadian urban school district; and (2) made gender comparisons relating to seven specific equity measures associated with teachers who were hired from September 1982 to June 1993. The comparisons were made over an 11 year period and included consistency of work, frequency of leaves from…

  14. Legal Issues in Anonymity and Pseudonymity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Froomkin, A. Michael

    1999-01-01

    Regulation of anonymous and pseudonymous communications is an important and contentious Internetrelated issues of the 21st century. Resolution of this controversy will effect freedom of speech, nature of electronic commerce, and capabilities of law enforcement. The legal constraints on anonymous communication, and the constitutional constraints on…

  15. Review of Congressional Issues. News from Capitol Hill.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heinz, Ann Simeo

    2002-01-01

    Focuses on U.S. congressional issues in two categories: (1) enacted legislation, and (2) proposed legislation. Addresses topics such as the resolution related to Iraq, the Department of Homeland Security, Pledge of Allegiance, social security protection, elder justice, and women's rights. Includes learning activities. (CMK)

  16. Cone Beam CT vs. Fan Beam CT: A Comparison of Image Quality and Dose Delivered Between Two Differing CT Imaging Modalities.

    PubMed

    Lechuga, Lawrence; Weidlich, Georg A

    2016-09-12

    A comparison of image quality and dose delivered between two differing computed tomography (CT) imaging modalities-fan beam and cone beam-was performed. A literature review of quantitative analyses for various image quality aspects such as uniformity, signal-to-noise ratio, artifact presence, spatial resolution, modulation transfer function (MTF), and low contrast resolution was generated. With these aspects quantified, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) shows a superior spatial resolution to that of fan beam, while fan beam shows a greater ability to produce clear and anatomically correct images with better soft tissue differentiation. The results indicate that fan beam CT produces superior images to that of on-board imaging (OBI) cone beam CT systems, while providing a considerably less dose to the patient.

  17. Cone Beam CT vs. Fan Beam CT: A Comparison of Image Quality and Dose Delivered Between Two Differing CT Imaging Modalities

    PubMed Central

    Weidlich, Georg A.

    2016-01-01

    A comparison of image quality and dose delivered between two differing computed tomography (CT) imaging modalities—fan beam and cone beam—was performed. A literature review of quantitative analyses for various image quality aspects such as uniformity, signal-to-noise ratio, artifact presence, spatial resolution, modulation transfer function (MTF), and low contrast resolution was generated. With these aspects quantified, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) shows a superior spatial resolution to that of fan beam, while fan beam shows a greater ability to produce clear and anatomically correct images with better soft tissue differentiation. The results indicate that fan beam CT produces superior images to that of on-board imaging (OBI) cone beam CT systems, while providing a considerably less dose to the patient. PMID:27752404

  18. Comparison of Ohm's Law Terms Using New High Resolution Fast Plasma Investigation Plasma Moments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rager, A. C.; Dorelli, J.; Gershman, D. J.; Avanov, L. A.; Burch, J. L.; Ergun, R.; Giles, B. L.; Lavraud, B.; Moore, T. E.; Paterson, W. R.; Pollock, C.; Russell, C.; Saito, Y.; Sauvaud, J. A.; Schiff, C.; Strangeway, R. J.; Torbert, R. B.; Figueroa-Vinas, A.

    2016-12-01

    The Fast Plasma Investigation's Dual Spectrometers, DES and DIS, on the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission measure all-sky images of charged particles every 30 and 150ms, respectively. The azimuthal resolution of each skymap results from biasing the electrostatic analyzers through four 11.25 degree deflection states. We present a technique of deconstructing the four deflection states of the FPI analyzers, allowing us to then reconstruct the phase space density with 4x faster, 7.5ms DES and 37.5ms DIS, time resolution at the expense of azimuthal resolution (in that only one fourth of the azimuths are covered). Nonetheless, we show that higher time resolution structure in the plasma moments is reliably recoverable. We validate the resulting 7.5ms DES velocities through the comparison of -vxB with the perpendicular electric field measured by the Electric Field Double Probe instrument and utilizing the Fluxgate Magnetometer instrument on MMS. Using this technique, we provide an unprecedented look at the terms in Ohm's law for several events, including the electron diffusion region event on 16 October, 2015 and a magnetopause crossing under northward interplanetary magnetic field on 25 November, 2015.

  19. Geostatistics and the representative elementary volume of gamma ray tomography attenuation in rocks cores

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Vogel, J.R.; Brown, G.O.

    2003-01-01

    Semivariograms of samples of Culebra Dolomite have been determined at two different resolutions for gamma ray computed tomography images. By fitting models to semivariograms, small-scale and large-scale correlation lengths are determined for four samples. Different semivariogram parameters were found for adjacent cores at both resolutions. Relative elementary volume (REV) concepts are related to the stationarity of the sample. A scale disparity factor is defined and is used to determine sample size required for ergodic stationarity with a specified correlation length. This allows for comparison of geostatistical measures and representative elementary volumes. The modifiable areal unit problem is also addressed and used to determine resolution effects on correlation lengths. By changing resolution, a range of correlation lengths can be determined for the same sample. Comparison of voxel volume to the best-fit model correlation length of a single sample at different resolutions reveals a linear scaling effect. Using this relationship, the range of the point value semivariogram is determined. This is the range approached as the voxel size goes to zero. Finally, these results are compared to the regularization theory of point variables for borehole cores and are found to be a better fit for predicting the volume-averaged range.

  20. Parameter comparison of white matter diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)

    PubMed Central

    MO, Yin; CHAO, Fang; SONG, Ming; LIU, Ci-Rong; LIU, Hui-Lang; QIAN, Xi-Ying; ZHAO, Xu-Dong

    2014-01-01

    In this study, we analyzed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) results of brain white matter in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with four different parameter settings and found that the sequence A (b=1 000 s/mm2, spatial resolution=1.25 mm×1.25 mm× 1.25 mm, numbers of direction=33, NSA=3) and B (b=800 s/mm2, spatial resolution=1.25 mm×1.25 mm×1.25 mm, numbers of direction=33, NSA=3) could accurately track coarse fibers. The fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from sequence C (b=1 000s/mm2, spatial resolution=0.55 mm×0.55 mm×2.5 mm, direction number=33, NSA=3) was too fuzzy to be used in tracking white matter fibers. By comparison, the high resolution and the FA with high contrast of gray matter and white matter derived from sequence D (b=800 s/mm2, spatial resolution=1.0 mm×1.0 mm ×1.0 mm, numbers of direction=33, NSA=3) qualified in its application in tracking both thick and thin fibers, making it an optimal DTI setting for rhesus macaques. PMID:24866488

  1. Comparison of mosaicking techniques for airborne images from consumer-grade cameras

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Images captured from airborne imaging systems have the advantages of relatively low cost, high spatial resolution, and real/near-real-time availability. Multiple images taken from one or more flight lines could be used to generate a high-resolution mosaic image, which could be useful for diverse rem...

  2. Mapping the distribution of emissive molecules in human ocular lipofuscin granules with near-field scanning optical microscopy.

    PubMed

    Krogmeier, J R; Clancy, C M; Pawlak, A; Rozanowska, M; Sarna, T; Simon, J D; Dunn, R C

    2001-05-01

    Several high resolution imaging techniques are utilized to probe the structure of human ocular lipofuscin granules. Atomic force microscopy reveals typical granule sizes to be about one micrometre in diameter and hundreds of nanometres in height, in agreement with previous electron microscopy results. For issues concerning the role of lipofuscin in age-related macular degeneration, recent attention has focused on the orange-emitting fluorophore, A2E. Confocal microscopy measurements are presented which reveal the presence of a highly emissive component in the granules, consistent with the presence of A2E. It is shown, however, that the interpretation of these results is complicated by the lack of structural details about the particles. To address these issues, near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) measurements are presented which measure both the lipofuscin fluorescence and topography, simultaneously. These measurements reveal distinct structure in the fluorescence image which do not necessarily correlate with the topography of the granules. Moreover, direct comparison between the NSOM fluorescence and topography measurements suggests that A2E is not the major component in lipofuscin. These measurements illustrate the unique capabilities of NSOM for probing into the microstructure of lipofuscin and uncovering new insights into its phototoxicity.

  3. Absolute Configuration of 3-METHYLCYCLOHEXANONE by Chiral Tag Rotational Spectroscopy and Vibrational Circular Dichroism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evangelisti, Luca; Holdren, Martin S.; Mayer, Kevin J.; Smart, Taylor; West, Channing; Pate, Brooks

    2017-06-01

    The absolute configuration of 3-methylcyclohexanone was established by chiral tag rotational spectroscopy measurements using 3-butyn-2-ol as the tag partner. This molecule was chosen because it is a benchmark measurement for vibrational circular dichroism (VCD). A comparison of the analysis approaches of chiral tag rotational spectroscopy and VCD will be presented. One important issue in chiral analysis by both methods is the conformational flexibility of the molecule being analyzed. The analysis of conformational composition of samples will be illustrated. In this case, the high spectral resolution of molecular rotational spectroscopy and potential for spectral simplification by conformational cooling in the pulsed jet expansion are advantages for chiral tag spectroscopy. The computational chemistry requirements for the two methods will also be discussed. In this case, the need to perform conformer searches for weakly bound complexes and to perform reasonably high level quantum chemistry geometry optimizations on these complexes makes the computational time requirements less favorable for chiral tag rotational spectroscopy. Finally, the issue of reliability of the determination of the absolute configuration will be considered. In this case, rotational spectroscopy offers a "gold standard" analysis method through the determination of the ^{13}C-subsitution structure of the complex between 3-methylcyclohexanone and an enantiopure sample of the 3-butyn-2-ol tag.

  4. High-Speed Microscale Optical Tracking Using Digital Frequency-Domain Multiplexing.

    PubMed

    Maclachlan, Robert A; Riviere, Cameron N

    2009-06-01

    Position-sensitive detectors (PSDs), or lateral-effect photodiodes, are commonly used for high-speed, high-resolution optical position measurement. This paper describes the instrument design for multidimensional position and orientation measurement based on the simultaneous position measurement of multiple modulated sources using frequency-domain-multiplexed (FDM) PSDs. The important advantages of this optical configuration in comparison with laser/mirror combinations are that it has a large angular measurement range and allows the use of a probe that is small in comparison with the measurement volume. We review PSD characteristics and quantitative resolution limits, consider the lock-in amplifier measurement system as a communication link, discuss the application of FDM to PSDs, and make comparisons with time-domain techniques. We consider the phase-sensitive detector as a multirate DSP problem, explore parallels with Fourier spectral estimation and filter banks, discuss how to choose the modulation frequencies and sample rates that maximize channel isolation under design constraints, and describe efficient digital implementation. We also discuss hardware design considerations, sensor calibration, probe construction and calibration, and 3-D measurement by triangulation using two sensors. As an example, we characterize the resolution, speed, and accuracy of an instrument that measures the position and orientation of a 10 mm × 5 mm probe in 5 degrees of freedom (DOF) over a 30-mm cube with 4-μm peak-to-peak resolution at 1-kHz sampling.

  5. MISR Aerosol Product Attributes and Statistical Comparisons with MODIS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kahn, Ralph A.; Nelson, David L.; Garay, Michael J.; Levy, Robert C.; Bull, Michael A.; Diner, David J.; Martonchik, John V.; Paradise, Susan R.; Hansen, Earl G.; Remer, Lorraine A.

    2009-01-01

    In this paper, Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) aerosol product attributes are described, including geometry and algorithm performance flags. Actual retrieval coverage is mapped and explained in detail using representative global monthly data. Statistical comparisons are made with coincident aerosol optical depth (AOD) and Angstrom exponent (ANG) retrieval results from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument. The relationship between these results and the ones previously obtained for MISR and MODIS individually, based on comparisons with coincident ground-truth observations, is established. For the data examined, MISR and MODIS each obtain successful aerosol retrievals about 15% of the time, and coincident MISR-MODIS aerosol retrievals are obtained for about 6%-7% of the total overlap region. Cloud avoidance, glint and oblique-Sun exclusions, and other algorithm physical limitations account for these results. For both MISR and MODIS, successful retrievals are obtained for over 75% of locations where attempts are made. Where coincident AOD retrievals are obtained over ocean, the MISR-MODIS correlation coefficient is about 0.9; over land, the correlation coefficient is about 0.7. Differences are traced to specific known algorithm issues or conditions. Over-ocean ANG comparisons yield a correlation of 0.67, showing consistency in distinguishing aerosol air masses dominated by coarse-mode versus fine-mode particles. Sampling considerations imply that care must be taken when assessing monthly global aerosol direct radiative forcing and AOD trends with these products, but they can be used directly for many other applications, such as regional AOD gradient and aerosol air mass type mapping and aerosol transport model validation. Users are urged to take seriously the published product data-quality statements.

  6. Examination of tracer transport in the NCAR CCM2 by comparison of CFCl3 simulations with ALE/GAGE observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hartley, Dana E.; Williamson, David L.; Rasch, Philip J.; Prinn, Ronald G.

    1994-01-01

    The latest version of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) community climate model (CCM2) contains a semi-Lagrangian tracer transport scheme for the purpose of advecting water vapor and for including chemistry in the climate model. One way to diagnose the CCM2 transport is to simulate CFCl3 in the CCM2 since it has a well-known industry-based source distribution and a photochemical sink and to compare the model results to Atmospheric Lifetime Experiment/Global Atmospheric Gases Experiment ALE/GAGE observations around the globe. In this paper we focus on this comparison and discuss the synoptic scale issues of tracer transport where appropriate. We compare the model and observations on both 12-hour and monthly timescales. The higher-frequency events allow us to diagnose the synoptic scale transport in the CCM2 associated with the observational sites and to determine uncertainties in our high-resolution source distribution. We find that the CCM2 does simulate many of the key features such as pollution events and some seasonal transports, but there are still some dynamical features of tracer transport such as the storm track dynamics and cross-equatorial flow that merit further study in both the model and the real atmosphere.

  7. Biometrics for electronic health records.

    PubMed

    Flores Zuniga, Alejandro Enrique; Win, Khin Than; Susilo, Willy

    2010-10-01

    Securing electronic health records, in scenarios in which the provision of care services is share among multiple actors, could become a complex and costly activity. Correct identification of patients and physician, protection of privacy and confidentiality, assignment of access permissions for healthcare providers and resolutions of conflicts rise as main points of concern in the development of interconnected health information networks. Biometric technologies have been proposed as a possible technological solution for these issues due to its ability to provide a mechanism for unique verification of an individual identity. This paper presents an analysis of the benefit as well as disadvantages offered by biometric technology. A comparison between this technology and more traditional identification methods is used to determine the key benefits and flaws of the use biometric in health information systems. The comparison as been made considering the viability of the technologies for medical environments, global security needs, the contemplation of a share care environment and the costs involved in the implementation and maintenance of such technologies. This paper also discusses alternative uses for biometrics technologies in health care environments. The outcome of this analysis lays in the fact that even when biometric technologies offer several advantages over traditional method of identification, they are still in the early stages of providing a suitable solution for a health care environment.

  8. 28 CFR 542.14 - Initial filing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... place a single complaint or a reasonable number of closely related issues on the form. If the inmate includes on a single form multiple unrelated issues, the submission shall be rejected and returned without... of informal resolution and submission of a formal written Administrative Remedy Request, on the...

  9. China-U.S. Trade Issues

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-03-31

    failure in some cases to ensure that its exported products meet U.S. health and safety standards. Further complicating the bilateral economic...resolution cases against China in the WTO, and continuing pressure on China to appreciate its currency. Others have warned against using...14 WTO Implementation Issues................................................................................................... 15 Pending Cases

  10. An Optimised System for Generating Multi-Resolution Dtms Using NASA Mro Datasets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tao, Y.; Muller, J.-P.; Sidiropoulos, P.; Veitch-Michaelis, J.; Yershov, V.

    2016-06-01

    Within the EU FP-7 iMars project, a fully automated multi-resolution DTM processing chain, called Co-registration ASP-Gotcha Optimised (CASP-GO) has been developed, based on the open source NASA Ames Stereo Pipeline (ASP). CASP-GO includes tiepoint based multi-resolution image co-registration and an adaptive least squares correlation-based sub-pixel refinement method called Gotcha. The implemented system guarantees global geo-referencing compliance with respect to HRSC (and thence to MOLA), provides refined stereo matching completeness and accuracy based on the ASP normalised cross-correlation. We summarise issues discovered from experimenting with the use of the open-source ASP DTM processing chain and introduce our new working solutions. These issues include global co-registration accuracy, de-noising, dealing with failure in matching, matching confidence estimation, outlier definition and rejection scheme, various DTM artefacts, uncertainty estimation, and quality-efficiency trade-offs.

  11. Conflict management: importance and implications.

    PubMed

    McKibben, Laurie

    2017-01-26

    Conflict is a consistent and unavoidable issue within healthcare teams. Despite training of nurse leaders and managers around areas of conflict resolution, the problem of staff relations, stress, sickness and retention remain. Conflict arises from issues with interpersonal relationships, change and poor leadership. New members of staff entering an already established healthcare team should be supported and integrated, to encourage mutual role respect between all team members and establish positive working relationships, in order to maximise patient care. This paper explores the concept of conflict, the importance of addressing causes of conflict, effective management, and the relevance of positive approaches to conflict resolution. Good leadership, nurturing positive team dynamics and communication, encourages shared problem solving and acceptance of change. Furthermore mutual respect fosters a more positive working environment for those in healthcare teams. As conflict has direct implications for patients, positive resolution is essential, to promote safe and effective delivery of care, whilst encouraging therapeutic relationships between colleagues and managers.

  12. The Kain-Fritsch Scheme: Science Updates & Revisiting Gray-Scale Issues from the NWP & Regional Climatae Perspectives

    EPA Science Inventory

    It’s just a matter of time before we see global climate models increasing their spatial resolution to that now typical of regional models. This encroachment brings in an urgent need for making regional NWP and climate models applicable at certain finer resolutions. One of the hin...

  13. Heterozygous mapping strategy (HetMapps)for high resolution genotyping-by-sequencing markers: a case study in grapevine

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) provides opportunities to generate high-resolution genetic maps at a low per-sample genotyping cost, but missing data and under-calling of heterozygotes complicate the creation of GBS linkage maps for highly heterozygous species. To overcome these issues, we developed ...

  14. Antecedent Frequency Effects on Anaphoric Pronoun Resolution: Evidence from Spanish

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Egusquiza, Nerea; Navarrete, Eduardo; Zawiszewski, Adam

    2016-01-01

    High-frequency words are usually understood and produced faster than low-frequency words. Although the effect of word frequency is a reliable phenomenon in many domains of language processing, it remains unclear whether and how frequency affects pronominal anaphoric resolution. We evaluated this issue by means of two self-paced reading…

  15. Texts Adopted at Meetings of the European Ministers Responsible for Sport. 1975-86.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Council of Europe, Strasbourg (France).

    This monograph presents resolutions passed by conferences of European ministers responsible for sport in five meetings from 1975 to 1986. The meetings were held in Brussels, London, Palma de Majorca, Malta, and Dublin. Reported also are declarations, press communiques, and resolutions issued by informal working parties and informal meetings of…

  16. 78 FR 24783 - U.S. Department of State Advisory Committee on Private International Law (ACPIL)-Online Dispute...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-26

    ... International Law (ACPIL)--Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) Study Group The Office of the Assistant Legal Adviser... guidelines and minimum requirements for online dispute resolution providers and arbitrators, substantive... that the working group is addressing is the identification of security issues relating to use of the...

  17. Imaging Mass Spectrometry on the Nanoscale with Cluster Ion Beams

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Imaging with cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is reaching a mature level of development. Using a variety of molecular ion projectiles to stimulate desorption, 3-dimensional imaging with the selectivity of mass spectrometry can now be achieved with submicrometer spatial resolution and <10 nm depth resolution. In this Perspective, stock is taken regarding what it will require to routinely achieve these remarkable properties. Issues include the chemical nature of the projectile, topography formation, differential erosion rates, and perhaps most importantly, ionization efficiency. Shortcomings of existing instrumentation are also noted. Speculation about how to successfully resolve these issues is a key part of the discussion. PMID:25458665

  18. NDVI, scale invariance and the modifiable areal unit problem: An assessment of vegetation in the Adelaide Parklands

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nouri, Hamideh; Anderson, Sharolyn; Sutton, Paul; Beecham, Simon; Nagler, Pamela L.; Jarchow, Christopher J.; Roberts, Dar A.

    2017-01-01

    This research addresses the question as to whether or not the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is scale invariant (i.e. constant over spatial aggregation) for pure pixels of urban vegetation. It has been long recognized that there are issues related to the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) pertaining to indices such as NDVI and images at varying spatial resolutions. These issues are relevant to using NDVI values in spatial analyses. We compare two different methods of calculation of a mean NDVI: 1) using pixel values of NDVI within feature/object boundaries and 2) first calculating the mean red and mean near-infrared across all feature pixels and then calculating NDVI. We explore the nature and magnitude of these differences for images taken from two sensors, a 1.24 m resolution WorldView-3 and a 0.1 m resolution digital aerial image. We apply these methods over an urban park located in the Adelaide Parklands of South Australia. We demonstrate that the MAUP is not an issue for calculation of NDVI within a sensor for pure urban vegetation pixels. This may prove useful for future rule-based monitoring of the ecosystem functioning of green infrastructure.

  19. Comparing the imaging performance of computed super resolution and magnification tomosynthesis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maidment, Tristan D.; Vent, Trevor L.; Ferris, William S.; Wurtele, David E.; Acciavatti, Raymond J.; Maidment, Andrew D. A.

    2017-03-01

    Computed super-resolution (SR) is a method of reconstructing images with pixels that are smaller than the detector element size; superior spatial resolution is achieved through the elimination of aliasing and alteration of the sampling function imposed by the reconstructed pixel aperture. By comparison, magnification mammography is a method of projection imaging that uses geometric magnification to increase spatial resolution. This study explores the development and application of magnification digital breast tomosynthesis (MDBT). Four different acquisition geometries are compared in terms of various image metrics. High-contrast spatial resolution was measured in various axes using a lead star pattern. A modified Defrise phantom was used to determine the low-frequency spatial resolution. An anthropomorphic phantom was used to simulate clinical imaging. Each experiment was conducted at three different magnifications: contact (1.04x), MAG1 (1.3x), and MAG2 (1.6x). All images were taken on our next generation tomosynthesis system, an in-house solution designed to optimize SR. It is demonstrated that both computed SR and MDBT (MAG1 and MAG2) provide improved spatial resolution over non-SR contact imaging. To achieve the highest resolution, SR and MDBT should be combined. However, MDBT is adversely affected by patient motion at higher magnifications. In addition, MDBT requires more radiation dose and delays diagnosis, since MDBT would be conducted upon recall. By comparison, SR can be conducted with the original screening data. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that computed SR and MDBT are both viable methods of imaging the breast.

  20. Recognition of Yeast Species from Gene Sequence Comparisons

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This review discusses recognition of yeast species from gene sequence comparisons, which have been responsible for doubling the number of known yeasts over the past decade. The resolution provided by various single gene sequences is examined for both ascomycetous and basidiomycetous species, and th...

  1. Online Assessment of Satellite-Derived Global Precipitation Products

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Liu, Zhong; Ostrenga, D.; Teng, W.; Kempler, S.

    2012-01-01

    Precipitation is difficult to measure and predict. Each year droughts and floods cause severe property damages and human casualties around the world. Accurate measurement and forecast are important for mitigation and preparedness efforts. Significant progress has been made over the past decade in satellite precipitation product development. In particular, products' spatial and temporal resolutions as well as timely availability have been improved by blended techniques. Their resulting products are widely used in various research and applications. However biases and uncertainties are common among precipitation products and an obstacle exists in quickly gaining knowledge of product quality, biases and behavior at a local or regional scale, namely user defined areas or points of interest. Current online inter-comparison and validation services have not addressed this issue adequately. To address this issue, we have developed a prototype to inter-compare satellite derived daily products in the TRMM Online Visualization and Analysis System (TOVAS). Despite its limited functionality and datasets, users can use this tool to generate customized plots within the United States for 2005. In addition, users can download customized data for further analysis, e.g. comparing their gauge data. To meet increasing demands, we plan to increase the temporal coverage and expanded the spatial coverage from the United States to the globe. More products have been added as well. In this poster, we present two new tools: Inter-comparison of 3B42RT and 3B42 Inter-comparison of V6 and V7 TRMM L-3 monthly products The future plans include integrating IPWG (International Precipitation Working Group) Validation Algorithms/statistics, allowing users to generate customized plots and data. In addition, we will expand the current daily products to monthly and their climatology products. Whenever the TRMM science team changes their product version number, users would like to know the differences by inter-comparing both versions of TRMM products in their areas of interest. Making this service available to users will help them to better understand associated changes. We plan to implement this inter-comparison in TRMM standard monthly products with the IPWG algorithms. The plans outlined above will complement and accelerate the existing and ongoing validation activities in the community as well as enhance data services for TRMM and the future Global Precipitation Mission (GPM).

  2. Inter-comparison between AIRS and IASI through Retrieved Parameters

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zhou, Daniel K.; Larar, Allen M.; Smith, William L.; Taylor, Jonathan P.; Schluessel, Peter; Strow, L. Larrabee; Mango, Steve

    2008-01-01

    A State-of-the-art retrieval algorithm dealing with all-weather conditions has been applied to satellite/aircraft instruments retrieving cloud/surface and atmospheric conditions. High quality retrievals have been achieved from IASI data. Surface, cloud, and atmospheric structure and variation are well captured by IASI measurements and/or retrievals. The same retrieval algorithm is also applied to AIRS for retrieval inter-comparison. Both AIRS and IASI have a similar FOV size but AIRS has a higher horizontal resolution. AIRS data can be interpolated to IASI horizontal resolution for inter-comparison at the same geophysical locations, however a temporal variation between AIRS and IASI observations need to be considered. JAIVEx has employed aircraft to obtain the atmospheric variation filling the temporal gap between two satellites. First results show that both AIRS and IASI have a very similar vertical resolving power, atmospheric conditions are well captured by both instruments, and radiances are well calibrated. AIRS data shown in retrievals (e.g., surface emissivity and moisture) have a relatively higher noise level. Since the this type of retrieval is very sensitive to its radiance quality, retrieval products inter-comparison is an effective way to identify/compare their radiance quality, in terms of a combination of spectral resolution and noise level, and to assess instrument performance. Additional validation analyses are needed to provide more-definitive conclusions.

  3. Error analysis for the ground-based microwave ozone measurements during STOIC

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Connor, Brian J.; Parrish, Alan; Tsou, Jung-Jung; McCormick, M. Patrick

    1995-01-01

    We present a formal error analysis and characterization of the microwave measurements made during the Stratospheric Ozone Intercomparison Campaign (STOIC). The most important error sources are found to be determination of the tropospheric opacity, the pressure-broadening coefficient of the observed line, and systematic variations in instrument response as a function of frequency ('baseline'). Net precision is 4-6% between 55 and 0.2 mbar, while accuracy is 6-10%. Resolution is 8-10 km below 3 mbar and increases to 17km at 0.2 mbar. We show the 'blind' microwave measurements from STOIC and make limited comparisons to other measurements. We use the averaging kernels of the microwave measurement to eliminate resolution and a priori effects from a comparison to SAGE 2. The STOIC results and comparisons are broadly consistent with the formal analysis.

  4. Introduction to the virtual special issue on super-resolution imaging techniques

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, Liangcai; Liu, Zhengjun

    2017-12-01

    Until quite recently, the resolution of optical imaging instruments, including telescopes, cameras and microscopes, was considered to be limited by the diffraction of light and by image sensors. In the past few years, many exciting super-resolution approaches have emerged that demonstrate intriguing ways to bypass the classical limit in optics and detectors. More and more research groups are engaged in the study of advanced super-resolution schemes, devices, algorithms, systems, and applications [1-6]. Super-resolution techniques involve new methods in science and engineering of optics [7,8], measurements [9,10], chemistry [11,12] and information [13,14]. Promising applications, particularly in biomedical research and semiconductor industry, have been successfully demonstrated.

  5. Characterization of dynamic changes of current source localization based on spatiotemporal fMRI constrained EEG source imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, Thinh; Potter, Thomas; Grossman, Robert; Zhang, Yingchun

    2018-06-01

    Objective. Neuroimaging has been employed as a promising approach to advance our understanding of brain networks in both basic and clinical neuroscience. Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) represent two neuroimaging modalities with complementary features; EEG has high temporal resolution and low spatial resolution while fMRI has high spatial resolution and low temporal resolution. Multimodal EEG inverse methods have attempted to capitalize on these properties but have been subjected to localization error. The dynamic brain transition network (DBTN) approach, a spatiotemporal fMRI constrained EEG source imaging method, has recently been developed to address these issues by solving the EEG inverse problem in a Bayesian framework, utilizing fMRI priors in a spatial and temporal variant manner. This paper presents a computer simulation study to provide a detailed characterization of the spatial and temporal accuracy of the DBTN method. Approach. Synthetic EEG data were generated in a series of computer simulations, designed to represent realistic and complex brain activity at superficial and deep sources with highly dynamical activity time-courses. The source reconstruction performance of the DBTN method was tested against the fMRI-constrained minimum norm estimates algorithm (fMRIMNE). The performances of the two inverse methods were evaluated both in terms of spatial and temporal accuracy. Main results. In comparison with the commonly used fMRIMNE method, results showed that the DBTN method produces results with increased spatial and temporal accuracy. The DBTN method also demonstrated the capability to reduce crosstalk in the reconstructed cortical time-course(s) induced by neighboring regions, mitigate depth bias and improve overall localization accuracy. Significance. The improved spatiotemporal accuracy of the reconstruction allows for an improved characterization of complex neural activity. This improvement can be extended to any subsequent brain connectivity analyses used to construct the associated dynamic brain networks.

  6. Added value of high-resolution regional climate model over the Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea areas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Delei; von Storch, Hans; Geyer, Beate

    2016-04-01

    Added value from dynamical downscaling has long been a crucial and debatable issue in regional climate studies. A 34 year (1979-2012) high-resolution (7 km grid) atmospheric hindcast over the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea (BYS) has been performed using COSMO-CLM (CCLM) forced by ERA-Interim reanalysis data (ERA-I). The accuracy of CCLM in surface wind reproduction and the added value of dynamical downscaling to ERA-I have been investigated through comparisons with the satellite data (including QuikSCAT Level2B 12.5 km version 3 (L2B12v3) swath data and MODIS images) and in situ observations, with adoption of quantitative metrics and qualitative assessment methods. The results revealed that CCLM has a reliable ability to reproduce the regional wind characteristics over the BYS areas. Over marine areas, added value to ERA-I has been detected in the coastal areas with complex coastlines and orography. CCLM was better able to represent light and moderate winds but has even more added value for strong winds relative to ERA-I. Over land areas, the high-resolution CCLM hindcast can add value to ERA-I in reproducing wind intensities and direction, wind probability distribution and extreme winds mainly at mountain areas. With respect to atmospheric processes, CCLM outperforms ERA-I in resolving detailed temporal and spatial structures for phenomena of a typhoon and of a coastal atmospheric front; CCLM generates some orography related phenomena such as a vortex street which is not captured by ERA-I. These added values demonstrate the utility of the 7-km-resolution CCLM for regional and local climate studies and applications. The simulation was constrained with adoption of spectral nudging method. The results may be different when simulations are considered, which are not constrained by spectral nudging.

  7. Nonlinear responses of southern African rainfall to forcing from Atlantic SST in a high-resolution regional climate model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, C.; Kniveton, D.; Layberry, R.

    2009-04-01

    It is increasingly accepted that any possible climate change will not only have an influence on mean climate but may also significantly alter climatic variability. A change in the distribution and magnitude of extreme rainfall events (associated with changing variability), such as droughts or flooding, may have a far greater impact on human and natural systems than a changing mean. This issue is of particular importance for environmentally vulnerable regions such as southern Africa. The subcontinent is considered especially vulnerable to and ill-equipped (in terms of adaptation) for extreme events, due to a number of factors including extensive poverty, famine, disease and political instability. Rainfall variability is a function of scale, so high spatial and temporal resolution data are preferred to identify extreme events and accurately predict future variability. In this research, high resolution satellite derived rainfall data from the Microwave Infra-Red Algorithm (MIRA) are used as a basis for undertaking model experiments using a state-of-the-art regional climate model. The MIRA dataset covers the period from 1993-2002 and the whole of southern Africa at a spatial resolution of 0.1 degree longitude/latitude. Once the model's ability to reproduce extremes has been assessed, idealised regions of sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies are used to force the model, with the overall aim of investigating the ways in which SST anomalies influence rainfall extremes over southern Africa. In this paper, results from sensitivity testing of the regional climate model's domain size are briefly presented, before a comparison of simulated daily rainfall from the model with the satellite-derived dataset. Secondly, simulations of current climate and rainfall extremes from the model are compared to the MIRA dataset at daily timescales. Finally, the results from the idealised SST experiments are presented, suggesting highly nonlinear associations between rainfall extremes remote SST anomalies.

  8. Effects of climate change on phenology in two French LTER (Alps and Brittany) for the period 1998-2009

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Perrimond, B.; Bigot, S.; Quénol, H.; Spielgelberger, T.; Baudry, J.

    2012-04-01

    Climate and vegetation are linked all over the world. In this study, we work on a seasonal weather classification based on air temperature and precipitation to deduce a link with different phenological stage (greening up, senescence, ...) over a 12 year period (1998-2009) for two different domains in France (Alps and Brittany). In temperate land, the main climatic variable with a potential effect on vegetation is the mean temperature followed by the rainfall deficit. A better understanding in season and their climatic characteristic is need to establish link between climate and phenology; so a weather classification is proposed based on empirical orthogonal functions and ascending hierarchical classification on atmospheric variables. This classification allows us to exhibit the inter-annual and intra-seasonal climatic spatiotemporal variability for both experimental site. Relationships between climate and phenology consist in a comparison between advance and delay in phenological stage and weather type issue from the classification. Experiment field are two french Long Term Ecological Research (LTER). The first one (LTER 'Alps' ) have mountain characteristics about 1000 to 4780 m ASL, ~65% of forest occupation ; the second one (LTER Armorique) is an Atlantic coastal landscape, 0-360 m ASL, ~70% of agricultural field. Climatic data are SAFRAN-France reanalysis which are developed to run SVAT model and come from the French meteorological service 'Météo-France'. All atmospheric variable needed to run a hydrological model are available (air temperature, rainfall/snowfall, wind speed, relative humidity, incoming/outcoming radiation) at a 8-8 km2 space resolution and with a daily time resolution. The phenological data are extracted from SPOT-VGT product 1-1 km2 space resolution and 10 days time resolution) by time series analysis process. Such of study is particularly important to understand relationships between environmental and ecological variables and it will allow to better predict ecological reaction under climate change constraint.

  9. 75 FR 57537 - Sunshine Act; Notice of Meetings

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-21

    ..., 2010 9:30 a.m. Briefing on Security Issues (Closed--Ex. 1). * * * * * * The schedule for Commission..., 2010 1 p.m. Briefing on Resolution of Generic Safety Issue (GSI)--191, Assessment of Debris... 18, 2010 1:30 p.m. NRC All Employees Meeting (Public Meeting) Marriott Bethesda North Hotel, 5701...

  10. Nuclear Issues: Strategies and Worksheets. Health Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lantieri, Linda; And Others

    This document is designed to provide students with an opportunity to share feelings and clarify their own values given the facts about nuclear technology. Using this short curriculum, students should be able to: (1) explore their associations with nuclear issues; (2) analyze guidelines for conflict resolution in personal situations; (3) analyze…

  11. Health Care Legislation 1996.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Conference of State Legislatures, Denver, CO.

    This summary of legislation, with a special focus on maternal and child health and primary care, describes nearly 600 laws and resolutions pertinent to these issues passed by the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in the 1996 legislative sessions. The summary includes health care reform and access issues, managed care and…

  12. Adolescent Health Issues: State Actions 1992-1994.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savage, Melissa Hough

    This publication summarizes approximately 300 laws and resolutions concerning adolescent health and related issues passed by the 50 states, and U.S. commonwealths and territories between 1992 and 1994. The state legislation reflects the health problems that, on the whole, involve preventable behavior. Brief descriptions of laws are provided…

  13. Adolescent Health Issues: State Actions 1995.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savage, Melissa Hough; Ourada, Joanne

    Many adolescents need basic health care and other services that address risky behaviors such as sexual activity, violence, alcohol and other drug abuse, and the consequences of those behaviors. This publication summarizes approximately 250 laws and resolutions concerning adolescent health and related issues passed by the 50 states and the District…

  14. Adolescent Health Issues: State Actions 1997.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kendell, Nicole

    Many adolescents need basic health care and other services that address risky behaviors such as sexual activity, violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and the consequences of these behaviors. This publication summarizes laws and resolutions on adolescent health issues passed in 1997 state and territory legislative sessions. No 1997 legislative session…

  15. A Stock Approach to Value Debate.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Colbert, Kent R.

    Existing theories of value debating (resolutions dealing with values rather than policy) may be more effectively applied and developed when viewed as stock issues paradigms for debating values in competitive situations. Issues are vital to an advocate's cause because they are essential to the meaning of a proposition and can also provide an…

  16. 12 CFR 390.466 - Risk-based capital credit risk-weight categories.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ...-sector entity; (J) Bonds issued by the Financing Corporation or the Resolution Funding Corporation; (K... country. (iii) 50 percent Risk Weight (Category 3). (A) Revenue bonds issued by any public-sector entity....g., industrial development bonds; (J) Debt securities not otherwise described in this section; (K...

  17. Navy Ford (CVN-78) Class Aircraft Carrier Program: Background and Issues for Congress

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-12-17

    AP funding for the ship. Oversight issues for Congress for the CVN-78 program include the following:  the potential impact on the CVN-78 program...Potential Impact of Continuing Resolution (CR) for FY2016 .................................................. 7 Overview...7 Impact on CVN-78 Program

  18. Environmental Science Misconceptions--Resolution of an Anomaly.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Groves, Fred H.; Pugh, Ava F.

    This document reports on research on the ability of a short-term intervention to substantially increase elementary pre-service teacher knowledge of major environmental science issues. The study was conducted each semester over seven years. Student understanding of such issues as global warming, ozone depletion, and local groundwater problems was…

  19. China-U.S. Trade Issues

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-06-23

    failure in some cases to ensure that its exported products meet U.S. health and safety standards. Further complicating the bilateral economic...resolution cases against China to the WTO; and continuing pressure on China to appreciate its currency. Others have warned against using...Implementation Issues ............................................................................................... 16 Pending U.S. Cases Against China

  20. 78 FR 19355 - Announcement of Charter Renewal of the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA), Inc.

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-29

    ... resolution of issues and challenges involving air transportation concepts, requirements, operational... impact the future Air Traffic Management System. This charter renewal will take effect on April 1, 2013... operational and technological issues that impact the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen...

  1. Army Command and Control Study-82 (ACCS-82). Volume III. Annexes.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-09-30

    specific issues identified by the group as requiring resolution in order to acompLish the study objective (Vol I, Chap 7). Recommendations are organized...Volume I, have been approved with the following modifications: a. Organizational Issue 1. The Army Readiness and Mobilization Region concept, described...in Volume IV, is the approved organizational alternative. b. Organizational Issue 3. The activation of one additional CONUS headquarters is

  2. A COMPARISON OF ILLUMINATION GEOMETRY-BASED METHODS FOR TOPOGRAPHIC CORRECTION OF QUICKBIRD IMAGES OF AN UNDULANT AREA

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The high spatial resolution of QuickBird satellite images makes it possible to show spatial variability at fine details. However, the effect of topography-induced illumination variations become more evident, even in moderately sloped areas. Based on a high resolution (1 m) digital elevation model ge...

  3. ION COMPOSITION ELUCIDATION (ICE): A HIGH RESOLUTION MASS SPECTROMETRIC TECHNIQUE FOR CHARACTERIZATION AND IDENTIFICATION OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Identifying compounds found in the environment without knowledge of their origin is a very difficult analytical problem. Comparison of the low resolution mass spectrum of a compound with those in the NIST or Wiley mass spectral libraries can provide a tentative identification whe...

  4. The pitfalls of platform comparison: DNA copy number array technologies assessed

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Background The accurate and high resolution mapping of DNA copy number aberrations has become an important tool by which to gain insight into the mechanisms of tumourigenesis. There are various commercially available platforms for such studies, but there remains no general consensus as to the optimal platform. There have been several previous platform comparison studies, but they have either described older technologies, used less-complex samples, or have not addressed the issue of the inherent biases in such comparisons. Here we describe a systematic comparison of data from four leading microarray technologies (the Affymetrix Genome-wide SNP 5.0 array, Agilent High-Density CGH Human 244A array, Illumina HumanCNV370-Duo DNA Analysis BeadChip, and the Nimblegen 385 K oligonucleotide array). We compare samples derived from primary breast tumours and their corresponding matched normals, well-established cancer cell lines, and HapMap individuals. By careful consideration and avoidance of potential sources of bias, we aim to provide a fair assessment of platform performance. Results By performing a theoretical assessment of the reproducibility, noise, and sensitivity of each platform, notable differences were revealed. Nimblegen exhibited between-replicate array variances an order of magnitude greater than the other three platforms, with Agilent slightly outperforming the others, and a comparison of self-self hybridizations revealed similar patterns. An assessment of the single probe power revealed that Agilent exhibits the highest sensitivity. Additionally, we performed an in-depth visual assessment of the ability of each platform to detect aberrations of varying sizes. As expected, all platforms were able to identify large aberrations in a robust manner. However, some focal amplifications and deletions were only detected in a subset of the platforms. Conclusion Although there are substantial differences in the design, density, and number of replicate probes, the comparison indicates a generally high level of concordance between platforms, despite differences in the reproducibility, noise, and sensitivity. In general, Agilent tended to be the best aCGH platform and Affymetrix, the superior SNP-CGH platform, but for specific decisions the results described herein provide a guide for platform selection and study design, and the dataset a resource for more tailored comparisons. PMID:19995423

  5. Landsat 8 Multispectral and Pansharpened Imagery Processing on the Study of Civil Engineering Issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lazaridou, M. A.; Karagianni, A. Ch.

    2016-06-01

    Scientific and professional interests of civil engineering mainly include structures, hydraulics, geotechnical engineering, environment, and transportation issues. Topics included in the context of the above may concern urban environment issues, urban planning, hydrological modelling, study of hazards and road construction. Land cover information contributes significantly on the study of the above subjects. Land cover information can be acquired effectively by visual image interpretation of satellite imagery or after applying enhancement routines and also by imagery classification. The Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM - Landsat 8) is the latest satellite in Landsat series, launched in February 2013. Landsat 8 medium spatial resolution multispectral imagery presents particular interest in extracting land cover, because of the fine spectral resolution, the radiometric quantization of 12bits, the capability of merging the high resolution panchromatic band of 15 meters with multispectral imagery of 30 meters as well as the policy of free data. In this paper, Landsat 8 multispectral and panchromatic imageries are being used, concerning surroundings of a lake in north-western Greece. Land cover information is extracted, using suitable digital image processing software. The rich spectral context of the multispectral image is combined with the high spatial resolution of the panchromatic image, applying image fusion - pansharpening, facilitating in this way visual image interpretation to delineate land cover. Further processing concerns supervised image classification. The classification of pansharpened image preceded multispectral image classification. Corresponding comparative considerations are also presented.

  6. High resolution modeling of a small urban catchment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Skouri-Plakali, Ilektra; Ichiba, Abdellah; Gires, Auguste; Tchiguirinskaia, Ioulia; Schertzer, Daniel

    2016-04-01

    Flooding is one of the most complex issues that urban environments have to deal with. In France, flooding remains the first natural risk with 72% of decrees state of natural disaster issued between October 1982 and mid-November 2014. Flooding is a result of meteorological extremes that are usually aggravated by the hydrological behavior of urban catchments and human factors. The continuing urbanization process is indeed changing the whole urban water cycle by limiting the infiltration and promoting runoff. Urban environments are very complex systems due to their extreme variability, the interference between human activities and natural processes but also the effect of the ongoing urbanization process that changes the landscape and hardly influences their hydrologic behavior. Moreover, many recent works highlight the need to simulate all urban water processes at their specific temporal and spatial scales. However, considering urban catchments heterogeneity still challenging for urban hydrology, even after advances noticed in term of high-resolution data collection and computational resources. This issue is more to be related to the architecture of urban models being used and how far these models are ready to take into account the extreme variability of urban catchments. In this work, high spatio-temporal resolution modeling is performed for a small and well-equipped urban catchment. The aim of this work is to identify urban modeling needs in terms of spatial and temporal resolution especially for a very small urban area (3.7 ha urban catchment located in the Perreux-sur-Marne city at the southeast of Paris) MultiHydro model was selected to carry out this work, it is a physical based and fully distributed model that interacts four existing modules each of them representing a portion of the water cycle in urban environments. MultiHydro was implemented at 10m, 5m and 2m resolution. Simulations were performed at different spatio-temporal resolutions and analyzed with respect to real flow measurements. First Results coming out show improvements obtained in terms of the model performance at high spatio-temporal resolution.

  7. Improvement of lateral resolution of spectral domain optical coherence tomography images in out-of-focus regions with holographic data processing techniques

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

    Moiseev, A A; Gelikonov, G V; Terpelov, D A

    2014-08-31

    An analogy between spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD OCT) data and broadband digital holography data is considered. Based on this analogy, a method for processing SD OCT data, which makes it possible to construct images with a lateral resolution in the whole investigated volume equal to the resolution in the in-focus region, is developed. Several issues concerning practical application of the proposed method are discussed. (laser biophotonics)

  8. A gower maneuver: the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities' resolution of the "Taking Stands" debate.

    PubMed

    Antommaria, Armand H Matheny

    2004-01-01

    The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities debated for several years about whether it should adopt positions and, if so, on what range of issues. The membership recently approved an amendment to its bylaws permitting the Society to adopt positions on matters related to academic freedom and professionalism but not on substantive moral and policy issues. This resolution is problematic for a number of reasons, including the lack of a categorical difference between these types of claims and the Society's inability to speak on behalf of patients and research subjects. The implementation of the amendment also raises several issues. The Society will need to refrain from speaking too specifically and to articulate the responsibilities of its members. If the Society fails to address these concerns, it runs the risk of denigrating its public image and that of the profession.

  9. High-performance computing in image registration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zanin, Michele; Remondino, Fabio; Dalla Mura, Mauro

    2012-10-01

    Thanks to the recent technological advances, a large variety of image data is at our disposal with variable geometric, radiometric and temporal resolution. In many applications the processing of such images needs high performance computing techniques in order to deliver timely responses e.g. for rapid decisions or real-time actions. Thus, parallel or distributed computing methods, Digital Signal Processor (DSP) architectures, Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) programming and Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices have become essential tools for the challenging issue of processing large amount of geo-data. The article focuses on the processing and registration of large datasets of terrestrial and aerial images for 3D reconstruction, diagnostic purposes and monitoring of the environment. For the image alignment procedure, sets of corresponding feature points need to be automatically extracted in order to successively compute the geometric transformation that aligns the data. The feature extraction and matching are ones of the most computationally demanding operations in the processing chain thus, a great degree of automation and speed is mandatory. The details of the implemented operations (named LARES) exploiting parallel architectures and GPU are thus presented. The innovative aspects of the implementation are (i) the effectiveness on a large variety of unorganized and complex datasets, (ii) capability to work with high-resolution images and (iii) the speed of the computations. Examples and comparisons with standard CPU processing are also reported and commented.

  10. Crop Yield Simulations Using Multiple Regional Climate Models in the Southwestern United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stack, D.; Kafatos, M.; Kim, S.; Kim, J.; Walko, R. L.

    2013-12-01

    Agricultural productivity (described by crop yield) is strongly dependent on climate conditions determined by meteorological parameters (e.g., temperature, rainfall, and solar radiation). California is the largest producer of agricultural products in the United States, but crops in associated arid and semi-arid regions live near their physiological limits (e.g., in hot summer conditions with little precipitation). Thus, accurate climate data are essential in assessing the impact of climate variability on agricultural productivity in the Southwestern United States and other arid regions. To address this issue, we produced simulated climate datasets and used them as input for the crop production model. For climate data, we employed two different regional climate models (WRF and OLAM) using a fine-resolution (8km) grid. Performances of the two different models are evaluated in a fine-resolution regional climate hindcast experiment for 10 years from 2001 to 2010 by comparing them to the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) dataset. Based on this comparison, multi-model ensembles with variable weighting are used to alleviate model bias and improve the accuracy of crop model productivity over large geographic regions (county and state). Finally, by using a specific crop-yield simulation model (APSIM) in conjunction with meteorological forcings from the multi-regional climate model ensemble, we demonstrate the degree to which maize yields are sensitive to the regional climate in the Southwestern United States.

  11. Registration and Fusion of Multiple Source Remotely Sensed Image Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    LeMoigne, Jacqueline

    2004-01-01

    Earth and Space Science often involve the comparison, fusion, and integration of multiple types of remotely sensed data at various temporal, radiometric, and spatial resolutions. Results of this integration may be utilized for global change analysis, global coverage of an area at multiple resolutions, map updating or validation of new instruments, as well as integration of data provided by multiple instruments carried on multiple platforms, e.g. in spacecraft constellations or fleets of planetary rovers. Our focus is on developing methods to perform fast, accurate and automatic image registration and fusion. General methods for automatic image registration are being reviewed and evaluated. Various choices for feature extraction, feature matching and similarity measurements are being compared, including wavelet-based algorithms, mutual information and statistically robust techniques. Our work also involves studies related to image fusion and investigates dimension reduction and co-kriging for application-dependent fusion. All methods are being tested using several multi-sensor datasets, acquired at EOS Core Sites, and including multiple sensors such as IKONOS, Landsat-7/ETM+, EO1/ALI and Hyperion, MODIS, and SeaWIFS instruments. Issues related to the coregistration of data from the same platform (i.e., AIRS and MODIS from Aqua) or from several platforms of the A-train (i.e., MLS, HIRDLS, OMI from Aura with AIRS and MODIS from Terra and Aqua) will also be considered.

  12. Tempest: GPU-CPU computing for high-throughput database spectral matching.

    PubMed

    Milloy, Jeffrey A; Faherty, Brendan K; Gerber, Scott A

    2012-07-06

    Modern mass spectrometers are now capable of producing hundreds of thousands of tandem (MS/MS) spectra per experiment, making the translation of these fragmentation spectra into peptide matches a common bottleneck in proteomics research. When coupled with experimental designs that enrich for post-translational modifications such as phosphorylation and/or include isotopically labeled amino acids for quantification, additional burdens are placed on this computational infrastructure by shotgun sequencing. To address this issue, we have developed a new database searching program that utilizes the massively parallel compute capabilities of a graphical processing unit (GPU) to produce peptide spectral matches in a very high throughput fashion. Our program, named Tempest, combines efficient database digestion and MS/MS spectral indexing on a CPU with fast similarity scoring on a GPU. In our implementation, the entire similarity score, including the generation of full theoretical peptide candidate fragmentation spectra and its comparison to experimental spectra, is conducted on the GPU. Although Tempest uses the classical SEQUEST XCorr score as a primary metric for evaluating similarity for spectra collected at unit resolution, we have developed a new "Accelerated Score" for MS/MS spectra collected at high resolution that is based on a computationally inexpensive dot product but exhibits scoring accuracy similar to that of the classical XCorr. In our experience, Tempest provides compute-cluster level performance in an affordable desktop computer.

  13. Single image super-resolution via an iterative reproducing kernel Hilbert space method.

    PubMed

    Deng, Liang-Jian; Guo, Weihong; Huang, Ting-Zhu

    2016-11-01

    Image super-resolution, a process to enhance image resolution, has important applications in satellite imaging, high definition television, medical imaging, etc. Many existing approaches use multiple low-resolution images to recover one high-resolution image. In this paper, we present an iterative scheme to solve single image super-resolution problems. It recovers a high quality high-resolution image from solely one low-resolution image without using a training data set. We solve the problem from image intensity function estimation perspective and assume the image contains smooth and edge components. We model the smooth components of an image using a thin-plate reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) and the edges using approximated Heaviside functions. The proposed method is applied to image patches, aiming to reduce computation and storage. Visual and quantitative comparisons with some competitive approaches show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

  14. Model simulations and proxy-based reconstructions for the European region in the past millennium (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zorita, E.

    2009-12-01

    One of the objectives when comparing simulations of past climates to proxy-based climate reconstructions is to asses the skill of climate models to simulate climate change. This comparison may accomplished at large spatial scales, for instance the evolution of simulated and reconstructed Northern Hemisphere annual temperature, or at regional or point scales. In both approaches a 'fair' comparison has to take into account different aspects that affect the inevitable uncertainties and biases in the simulations and in the reconstructions. These efforts face a trade-off: climate models are believed to be more skillful at large hemispheric scales, but climate reconstructions are these scales are burdened by the spatial distribution of available proxies and by methodological issues surrounding the statistical method used to translate the proxy information into large-spatial averages. Furthermore, the internal climatic noise at large hemispheric scales is low, so that the sampling uncertainty tends to be also low. On the other hand, the skill of climate models at regional scales is limited by the coarse spatial resolution, which hinders a faithful representation of aspects important for the regional climate. At small spatial scales, the reconstruction of past climate probably faces less methodological problems if information from different proxies is available. The internal climatic variability at regional scales is, however, high. In this contribution some examples of the different issues faced when comparing simulation and reconstructions at small spatial scales in the past millennium are discussed. These examples comprise reconstructions from dendrochronological data and from historical documentary data in Europe and climate simulations with global and regional models. These examples indicate that the centennial climate variations can offer a reasonable target to assess the skill of global climate models and of proxy-based reconstructions, even at small spatial scales. However, as the focus shifts towards higher frequency variability, decadal or multidecadal, the need for larger simulation ensembles becomes more evident. Nevertheless,the comparison at these time scales may expose some lines of research on the origin of multidecadal regional climate variability.

  15. Use of ADR in Extension Public Policy Education Programs and Roles Extension Can Play in Dispute Resolution.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Danielson, Leon E.; Garber, Simon K.

    The extension educator in public policy education and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) has many roles from which to choose. These include information provider, technical advisor, convener, facilitator and program developer. The increased importance of issues programming and the increased priority given to measurement of results are creating…

  16. Session of the General Assembly of IUCN (15th, Christchurch, New Zealand, October 11-23, 1981).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Morges, (Switzerland).

    Resolutions adopted by the 15th session of the General Assembly of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) are provided in this document. These resolutions focus on areas/issues related to: (1) world conservation strategy; (2) conservation and peace; (3) people, resources, and environment; (4) environmental…

  17. Resolution of seven-axis manipulator redundancy: A heuristic issue

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, I.

    1990-01-01

    An approach is presented for the resolution of the redundancy of a seven-axis manipulator arm from the AI and expert systems point of view. This approach is heuristic, analytical, and globally resolves the redundancy at the position level. When compared with other approaches, this approach has several improved performance capabilities, including singularity avoidance, repeatability, stability, and simplicity.

  18. ERIC First Analysis: The United States Justice System; 1983-84 National High School Debate Resolutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagner, David L.

    Designed to serve as a framework from which high school debate students, coaches, and judges can evaluate the issues, arguments, and evidence present in sustaining and reforming the U.S. justice system, this booklet provides debaters with guidelines for research on the 1983-84 debate resolutions selected by the National University Continuing…

  19. ERIC First Analysis: Agricultural Policy. 1986-87 National High School Debate Resolutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagner, David L.; Fraleigh, Douglas

    Designed to serve as a framework in which high school debate students, coaches, and judges can evaluate the issues, arguments, and evidence concerning which agricultural policies best serve the United States, this booklet provides guidelines for research on the 1986-87 debate resolutions selected by the National Federation of State High School…

  20. The Professional Educator: Why Supporting Latino Children and Families Is Union Work

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fortino, Catalina R.

    2017-01-01

    This article discusses the creation and promise of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) resolution "¡Si Se Puede!: Improving Outcomes for Latino Children and Youth and Addressing the Needs of the Latino Community." The resolution affirms the AFT's commitment to elevating the importance of Latino issues. As a union committed to…

  1. ERIC First Analysis: Water Resources; 1985-86 National High School Debate Resolutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagner, David L.; Fraleigh, Douglas

    Designed to serve as a framework from which high school debate students, coaches, and judges can evaluate the issues, arguments and evidence present in the availability and quality of water resources in the United States, this booklet provides guidelines for research on the 1985-86 debate resolutions selected by the National Federation of State…

  2. User-centered virtual environment assessment and design for cognitive rehabilitation applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fidopiastis, Cali Michael

    Virtual environment (VE) design for cognitive rehabilitation necessitates a new methodology to ensure the validity of the resulting rehabilitation assessment. We propose that benchmarking the VE system technology utilizing a user-centered approach should precede the VE construction. Further, user performance baselines should be measured throughout testing as a control for adaptive effects that may confound the metrics chosen to evaluate the rehabilitation treatment. To support these claims we present data obtained from two modules of a user-centered head-mounted display (HMD) assessment battery, specifically resolution visual acuity and stereoacuity. Resolution visual acuity and stereoacuity assessments provide information about the image quality achieved by an HMD based upon its unique system parameters. When applying a user-centered approach, we were able to quantify limitations in the VE system components (e.g., low microdisplay resolution) and separately point to user characteristics (e.g., changes in dark focus) that may introduce error in the evaluation of VE based rehabilitation protocols. Based on these results, we provide guidelines for calibrating and benchmarking HMDs. In addition, we discuss potential extensions of the assessment to address higher level usability issues. We intend to test the proposed framework within the Human Experience Modeler (HEM), a testbed created at the University of Central Florida to evaluate technologies that may enhance cognitive rehabilitation effectiveness. Preliminary results of a feasibility pilot study conducted with a memory impaired participant showed that the HEM provides the control and repeatability needed to conduct such technology comparisons. Further, the HEM affords the opportunity to integrate new brain imaging technologies (i.e., functional Near Infrared Imaging) to evaluate brain plasticity associated with VE based cognitive rehabilitation.

  3. Enhancing interferometer phase estimation, sensing sensitivity, and resolution using robust entangled states

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, James F.

    2017-11-01

    With the goal of designing interferometers and interferometer sensors, e.g., LADARs with enhanced sensitivity, resolution, and phase estimation, states using quantum entanglement are discussed. These states include N00N states, plain M and M states (PMMSs), and linear combinations of M and M states (LCMMS). Closed form expressions for the optimal detection operators; visibility, a measure of the state's robustness to loss and noise; a resolution measure; and phase estimate error, are provided in closed form. The optimal resolution for the maximum visibility and minimum phase error are found. For the visibility, comparisons between PMMSs, LCMMS, and N00N states are provided. For the minimum phase error, comparisons between LCMMS, PMMSs, N00N states, separate photon states (SPSs), the shot noise limit (SNL), and the Heisenberg limit (HL) are provided. A representative collection of computational results illustrating the superiority of LCMMS when compared to PMMSs and N00N states is given. It is found that for a resolution 12 times the classical result LCMMS has visibility 11 times that of N00N states and 4 times that of PMMSs. For the same case, the minimum phase error for LCMMS is 10.7 times smaller than that of PMMS and 29.7 times smaller than that of N00N states.

  4. Comparison of Different EO Sensors for Mapping Tree Species- A Case Study in Southwest Germany

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Enßle, Fabian; Kattenborn, Teja; Koch, Barbara

    2014-11-01

    The variety of different remote sensing sensors and thus the types of data specifications which are available is increasing continuously. Especially the differences in geometric, radiometric and temporal resolutions of different platforms affect their ability for the mapping of forests. These differences hinder the comparability and application of uniform methods of different remotely sensed data across the same region of interest. The quality and quantity of retrieved forest parameters is directly dependent on the data source, and therefore the objective of this project is to analyse the relationship between the data source and its derived parameters. A comparison of different optical EO-data (e.g. spatial resolution and spectral resolution of specific bands) will help to define the optimum data sets to produce a reproducible method to provide additional inputs to the Dragon cooperative project, specifically to method development for woody biomass estimation and biodiversity assessment services. This poster presents the first results on tree species mapping in a mixed temperate forest by satellite imagery taken from four different sensors. Tree species addressed in this pilot study are Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and red oak (Quercus rubra). The spatial resolution varies from 2m to 30m and the spectral resolutions range from 8bands up to 155bands.

  5. Comparison of Different EO Sensors for Mapping Tree Species- A Case Study in Southwest Germany

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Enβle, Fabian; Kattenborn, Teja; Koch, Barbara

    2014-11-01

    The variety of different remote sensing sensors and thus the types of data specifications which are available is increasing continuously. Especially the differences in geometric, radiometric and temporal resolutions of different platforms affect their ability for the mapping of forests. These differences hinder the comparability and application of uniform methods of different remotely sensed data across the same region of interest. The quality and quantity of retrieved forest parameters is directly dependent on the data source, and therefore the objective of this project is to analyse the relationship between the data source and its derived parameters. A comparison of different optical EO-data (e.g. spatial resolution and spectral resolution of specific bands) will help to define the optimum data sets to produce a reproducible method to provide additional inputs to the Dragon cooperative project, specifically to method development for woody biomass estimation and biodiversity assessment services. This poster presents the first results on tree species mapping in a mixed temperate forest by satellite imagery taken from four different sensors. Tree species addressed in this pilot study are: Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), sessile oak (Quercus petraea) and red oak (Quercus rubra). The spatial resolution varies from 2m to 30m and the spectral resolutions range from 8bands up to 155bands.

  6. Coarse-to-fine construction for high-resolution representation in visual working memory.

    PubMed

    Gao, Zaifeng; Ding, Xiaowei; Yang, Tong; Liang, Junying; Shui, Rende

    2013-01-01

    This study explored whether the high-resolution representations created by visual working memory (VWM) are constructed in a coarse-to-fine or all-or-none manner. The coarse-to-fine hypothesis suggests that coarse information precedes detailed information in entering VWM and that its resolution increases along with the processing time of the memory array, whereas the all-or-none hypothesis claims that either both enter into VWM simultaneously, or neither does. We tested the two hypotheses by asking participants to remember two or four complex objects. An ERP component, contralateral delay activity (CDA), was used as the neural marker. CDA is higher for four objects than for two objects when coarse information is primarily extracted; yet, this CDA difference vanishes when detailed information is encoded. Experiment 1 manipulated the comparison difficulty of the task under a 500-ms exposure time to determine a condition in which the detailed information was maintained. No CDA difference was found between two and four objects, even in an easy-comparison condition. Thus, Experiment 2 manipulated the memory array's exposure time under the easy-comparison condition and found a significant CDA difference at 100 ms while replicating Experiment 1's results at 500 ms. In Experiment 3, the 500-ms memory array was blurred to block the detailed information; this manipulation reestablished a significant CDA difference. These findings suggest that the creation of high-resolution representations in VWM is a coarse-to-fine process.

  7. Using High-Resolution, Regional-Scale Data to Characterize Floating Aquatic Nuisance Vegetation in Coastal Louisiana Navigation Channels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-01-01

    Comparison of footprints from various image sensors used in this study . Landsat (blue) is in the upper left panel, SPOT (yellow) is in the upper right...the higher resolution sensors evaluated as part of this study are limited to four spectral bands. Moderate resolution processing. ArcGIS ...moderate, effective useful coverage may be much more limited for a scene that includes significant amounts of water. Throughout the study period, SPOT 4

  8. Using pupil size and heart rate to infer affective states during behavioral neurophysiology and neuropsychology experiments

    PubMed Central

    Mitz, Andrew R.; Chacko, Ravi V.; Putnam, Philip T.; Rudebeck, Peter H.; Murray, Elisabeth A.

    2017-01-01

    Background Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are a valuable research model because of their behavioral, physiological and neuroanatomical similarities to humans. In the absence of language, autonomic activity can provide crucial information about cognitive and affective states during single-unit recording, inactivation and lesion studies. Methods standardized for use in humans are not easily adapted to NHPs and detailed guidance has been lacking. New Method We provide guidance for monitoring heart rate and pupil size in the behavioral neurophysiology setting by addressing the methodological issues, pitfalls and solutions for NHP studies. The methods are based on comparative physiology to establish a rationale for each solution. We include examples from both electrophysiological and lesion studies. Results Single-unit recording, pupil responses and heart rate changes represent a range of decreasing temporal resolution, a characteristic that impacts experimental design and analysis. We demonstrate the unexpected result that autonomic measures acquired before and after amygdala lesions are comparable despite disruption of normal autonomic function. Comparison with Existing Methods Species and study design differences can render standard techniques used in human studies inappropriate for NHP studies. We show how to manage data from small groups typical of NHP studies, data from the short behavioral trials typical of neurophysiological studies, issues associated with longitudinal studies, and differences in anatomy and physiology. Conclusions Autonomic measurement to infer cognitive and affective states in NHP is neither off-the-shelf nor onerous. Familiarity with the issues and solutions will broaden the use of autonomic signals in NHP single unit and lesion studies. PMID:28089759

  9. Analysis of airborne MAIS imaging spectrometric data for mineral exploration

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

    Wang Jinnian; Zheng Lanfen; Tong Qingxi

    1996-11-01

    The high spectral resolution imaging spectrometric system made quantitative analysis and mapping of surface composition possible. The key issue will be the quantitative approach for analysis of surface parameters for imaging spectrometer data. This paper describes the methods and the stages of quantitative analysis. (1) Extracting surface reflectance from imaging spectrometer image. Lab. and inflight field measurements are conducted for calibration of imaging spectrometer data, and the atmospheric correction has also been used to obtain ground reflectance by using empirical line method and radiation transfer modeling. (2) Determining quantitative relationship between absorption band parameters from the imaging spectrometer data andmore » chemical composition of minerals. (3) Spectral comparison between the spectra of spectral library and the spectra derived from the imagery. The wavelet analysis-based spectrum-matching techniques for quantitative analysis of imaging spectrometer data has beer, developed. Airborne MAIS imaging spectrometer data were used for analysis and the analysis results have been applied to the mineral and petroleum exploration in Tarim Basin area china. 8 refs., 8 figs.« less

  10. Extreme Scale Plasma Turbulence Simulations on Top Supercomputers Worldwide

    DOE PAGES

    Tang, William; Wang, Bei; Ethier, Stephane; ...

    2016-11-01

    The goal of the extreme scale plasma turbulence studies described in this paper is to expedite the delivery of reliable predictions on confinement physics in large magnetic fusion systems by using world-class supercomputers to carry out simulations with unprecedented resolution and temporal duration. This has involved architecture-dependent optimizations of performance scaling and addressing code portability and energy issues, with the metrics for multi-platform comparisons being 'time-to-solution' and 'energy-to-solution'. Realistic results addressing how confinement losses caused by plasma turbulence scale from present-day devices to the much larger $25 billion international ITER fusion facility have been enabled by innovative advances in themore » GTC-P code including (i) implementation of one-sided communication from MPI 3.0 standard; (ii) creative optimization techniques on Xeon Phi processors; and (iii) development of a novel performance model for the key kernels of the PIC code. Our results show that modeling data movement is sufficient to predict performance on modern supercomputer platforms.« less

  11. Hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin method for the 2-D frequency-domain elastic wave equations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonnasse-Gahot, Marie; Calandra, Henri; Diaz, Julien; Lanteri, Stéphane

    2018-04-01

    Discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods are nowadays actively studied and increasingly exploited for the simulation of large-scale time-domain (i.e. unsteady) seismic wave propagation problems. Although theoretically applicable to frequency-domain problems as well, their use in this context has been hampered by the potentially large number of coupled unknowns they incur, especially in the 3-D case, as compared to classical continuous finite element methods. In this paper, we address this issue in the framework of the so-called hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin (HDG) formulations. As a first step, we study an HDG method for the resolution of the frequency-domain elastic wave equations in the 2-D case. We describe the weak formulation of the method and provide some implementation details. The proposed HDG method is assessed numerically including a comparison with a classical upwind flux-based DG method, showing better overall computational efficiency as a result of the drastic reduction of the number of globally coupled unknowns in the resulting discrete HDG system.

  12. Surgical treatment of cholesteatoma: a comparison of three techniques.

    PubMed

    Toner, J G; Smyth, G D

    1990-07-01

    The debate regarding the surgical technique for the management of cholesteatoma still continues. The resolution of this issue will only come with the study of the long term results of well controlled series. In this paper long term follow-up on three groups of patients is reported. The groups underwent combined approach tympanoplasty (CAT), mastoid tympanoplasty with obliteration (MOT), and modified radical mastoidectomy (MRM) respectively for cholesteatoma. The factors studied included frequency of required review, condition of the external canal/cavity, and hearing status. The meatal cross-sectional areas and cavity volumes were also measured for the MRM and MOT groups. Analysis of the data showed no significant difference between the groups in either frequency of review or cavity status. The hearing results showed an initial improvement in all groups, however, over the prolonged follow-up period the air conduction threshold gradually increased. In conclusion this data supports the view that a one-stage canal wall down procedure provides maximum long term patient benefit.

  13. State-Tribal Legislation: 1992 and 1993 Summaries.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White-Tail Feather, Alex; And Others

    This report summarizes state legislative activity in 1992 and 1993 pertaining to Native American issues. An overview of each year is followed by state-by-state summaries. In 1993, of 238 bills, resolutions, and memorials introduced, 116 were enacted, with 31 pending. During 1993, education issues were important and included the integration of…

  14. Document Image Processing: Going beyond the Black-and-White Barrier. Progress, Issues and Options with Greyscale and Colour Image Processing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hendley, Tom

    1995-01-01

    Discussion of digital document image processing focuses on issues and options associated with greyscale and color image processing. Topics include speed; size of original document; scanning resolution; markets for different categories of scanners, including photographic libraries, publishing, and office applications; hybrid systems; data…

  15. Cases in Bioethics from the Hastings Center Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levine, Carol, Ed.; Veatch, Robert M.

    Case studies of ethical issues based on real events are followed by comments illustrating how people from various ethical traditions and frameworks and from different academic and professional disciplines analyze the issues and work toward a resolution of the conflict posed. The cases are intended to help the public and professional persons pursue…

  16. Applied Physics Lab Kennedy Space Center: Recent Contributions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Starr, Stan; Youngquist, Robert

    2006-01-01

    The mission of the Applied Physics Lab is: (1) Develop and deliver novel sensors and devices to support KSC mission operations. (2) Analyze operational issues and recommend or deliver practical solutions. (3) Apply physics to the resolution of long term space flight issues that affect space port operation on Earth or on other planets.

  17. Alaska Board of Forestry

    Science.gov Websites

    Natural Resources / Division of Forestry Alaska Board of Forestry The nine-member Alaska Board of Forestry advises the state on forest practices issues and provides a forum for discussion and resolution of forest management issues on state land. The board also reviews all proposed changes to the Alaska Forest Resources

  18. China-U.S. Trade Issues

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-10-07

    practices. In response, it filed a number of trade dispute resolution cases against China in the WTO, including China’s failure to protect IPR and...in China. In addition, the Administration reversed a long-standing policy that countervailing cases (dealing with government subsidies) could not be...13 WTO Implementation Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 U.S. WTO Cases Against China

  19. Designing a Citizen Involvement Program: A Guidebook for Involving Citizens in the Resolution of Environmental Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howell, Robert E.; And Others

    A model and supportive materials are presented for design and implementation of a program for involving citizens in decision-making concerning significant environmental issues. Chapter topics include: why citizen involvement? (potential benefits of the process); theoretical basis for citizen involvement (three fundamental perspectives underlying…

  20. Imaging Mass Spectrometry on the Nanoscale with Cluster Ion Beams

    DOE PAGES

    Winograd, Nicholas

    2014-12-02

    Imaging with cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is reaching a mature level of development. When, using a variety of molecular ion projectiles to stimulate desorption, 3-dimensional imaging with the selectivity of mass spectrometry can now be achieved with submicrometer spatial resolution and <10 nm depth resolution. In this Perspective, stock is taken regarding what it will require to routinely achieve these remarkable properties. Some issues include the chemical nature of the projectile, topography formation, differential erosion rates, and perhaps most importantly, ionization efficiency. Shortcomings of existing instrumentation are also noted. One key part of this discussion involves speculation onmore » how best to resolve these issues.« less

  1. Imaging Mass Spectrometry on the Nanoscale with Cluster Ion Beams

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

    Winograd, Nicholas

    Imaging with cluster secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is reaching a mature level of development. When, using a variety of molecular ion projectiles to stimulate desorption, 3-dimensional imaging with the selectivity of mass spectrometry can now be achieved with submicrometer spatial resolution and <10 nm depth resolution. In this Perspective, stock is taken regarding what it will require to routinely achieve these remarkable properties. Some issues include the chemical nature of the projectile, topography formation, differential erosion rates, and perhaps most importantly, ionization efficiency. Shortcomings of existing instrumentation are also noted. One key part of this discussion involves speculation onmore » how best to resolve these issues.« less

  2. The Effects of Extroversion on Conflict Resolution in Student Teams: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tashchian, Armen; Forrester, William R.; Kalamas, Maria

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports the results of a cross-cultural investigation of the role of Extroversion in determining the conflict resolution styles of business students in the United States and the Republic of Armenia. PLS modeling showed that Extroversion was associated with the Dominating style among US students and with the Compromising and Obliging…

  3. Fostering Peace: A Comparison of Conflict Resolution Approaches for Students (K-12).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iowa Peace Inst., Grinnell.

    This compilation of 12 conflict resolution models is an attempt to provide a comparable overview of approaches that teach conflict management and peacemaking skills to K-12 students, teachers, counselors, and administrators. They have been selected for inclusion because they have been used in many schools around the United States. Each is…

  4. Evaluation of lidar-derived DEMs through terrain analysis and field comparison

    Treesearch

    Cody P. Gillin; Scott W. Bailey; Kevin J. McGuire; Stephen P. Prisley

    2015-01-01

    Topographic analysis of watershed-scale soil and hydrological processes using digital elevation models (DEMs) is commonplace, but most studies have used DEMs of 10 m resolution or coarser. Availability of higher-resolution DEMs created from light detection and ranging (lidar) data is increasing but their suitability for such applications has received little critical...

  5. COMPARISON OF PIONEER 10, VOYAGER 1, AND VOYAGER 2 ULTRAVIOLET OBSERVATIONS WITH ANTI-SOLAR LYMAN-ALPHA BACKSCATTER SIMULATIONS

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

    Fayock, B.; Zank, G. P.; Heerikhuisen, J., E-mail: brian.fayock@gmail.com, E-mail: garyp.zank@gmail.com, E-mail: jacob.heerikhuisen@uah.edu

    Observations made by ultraviolet (UV) detectors on board Pioneer 10, Voyager 1, and Voyager 2 can be used to analyze the distribution of neutral hydrogen throughout the heliosphere, including the interaction regions of the solar wind and local interstellar medium. Previous studies of the long-term trend of decreasing intensity with increasing heliocentric distance established the need for more sophisticated heliospheric models. Here we use state-of-the-art three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) neutral models to simulate Lyman-alpha backscatter as would be seen by the three spacecrafts, exploiting a new 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer code under solar minimum conditions. Both observations and simulationsmore » of the UV backscatter intensity are normalized for each spacecraft flight path at {approx}15 AU, and we focus on the slope of decreasing intensity over an increasing heliocentric distance. Comparisons of simulations with Voyager 1 Lyman-alpha data results in a very close match, while the Pioneer 10 comparison is similar due to normalization, but not considered to be in agreement. The deviations may be influenced by a low resolution of photoionization in the 3D MHD-neutral model, a lack of solar cycle activity in our simulations, and possibly issues with instrumental sensitivity. Comparing the slope of Voyager 2 and the simulated intensities yields an almost identical match. Our results predict a large increase in the Lyman-alpha intensity as the hydrogen wall is approached, which would signal an imminent crossing of the heliopause.« less

  6. An investigation of a PRESAGE® in-vivo dosimeter for brachytherapy

    PubMed Central

    Vidovic, A K; Juang, T; Meltsner, S; Adamovics, J; Chino, J; Steffey, B; Craciunescu, O; Oldham, M

    2014-01-01

    Determining accurate in-vivo dosimetry in brachytherapy treatment with high dose gradients is challenging. Here we introduce, investigate, and characterize a novel in-vivo dosimeter and readout technique with the potential to address this problem. A cylindrical (4 mm x 20 mm) tissue equivalent radiochromic dosimeter PRESAGE® In-Vivo (PRESAGE®-IV) is investigated. Two readout methods of the radiation induced change in optical density (OD) were investigated: (i) volume-averaged readout by spectrophotometer, and (ii) a line profile readout by 2D projection imaging utilizing a high-resolution (50 micron) telecentric optical system. Method (i) is considered the gold standard when applied to PRESAGE® in optical cuvettes. The feasibility of both methods was evaluated by comparison to standard measurements on PRESAGE® in optical cuvettes via spectrophotometer. An end-to-end feasibility study was performed by a side-by-side comparison with TLDs in an 192Ir HDR delivery. 7 and 8 Gy was delivered to PRESAGE®-IV and TLDs attached to the surface of a vaginal cylinder. Known geometry enabled direct comparison of measured dose with commissioned treatment planning system. A high-resolution readout study under a steep dose gradient region showed 98.9% (5%/1 mm) agreement between PRESAGE®-IV and Gafchromic® EBT2 Film. Spectrometer measurements exhibited a linear dose response between 0–15 Gy with sensitivity of 0.0133 ± 0.0007 ΔOD/(Gy·cm) at the 95% confidence interval. Method (ii) yielded a linear response with sensitivity of 0.0132 ± 0.0006 (ΔOD/Gy), within 2% of method (i). Method (i) has poor spatial resolution due to volume averaging. Method (ii) has higher resolution (~1mm) without loss of sensitivity or increased noise. Both readout methods are shown to be feasible. The end-to-end comparison revealed a 2.5% agreement between PRESAGE®-IV and treatment plan in regions of uniform high dose. PRESAGE®-IV shows promise for in-vivo dose verification, although improved sensitivity would be desirable. Advantages include high-resolution, convenience and fast, low-cost readout. PMID:24957850

  7. An investigation of a PRESAGE® in vivo dosimeter for brachytherapy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vidovic, A. K.; Juang, T.; Meltsner, S.; Adamovics, J.; Chino, J.; Steffey, B.; Craciunescu, O.; Oldham, M.

    2014-07-01

    Determining accurate in vivo dosimetry in brachytherapy treatment with high dose gradients is challenging. Here we introduce, investigate, and characterize a novel in vivo dosimeter and readout technique with the potential to address this problem. A cylindrical (4 mm × 20 mm) tissue equivalent radiochromic dosimeter PRESAGE® in vivo (PRESAGE®-IV) is investigated. Two readout methods of the radiation induced change in optical density (OD) were investigated: (i) volume-averaged readout by spectrophotometer, and (ii) a line profile readout by 2D projection imaging utilizing a high-resolution (50 micron) telecentric optical system. Method (i) is considered the gold standard when applied to PRESAGE® in optical cuvettes. The feasibility of both methods was evaluated by comparison to standard measurements on PRESAGE® in optical cuvettes via spectrophotometer. An end-to-end feasibility study was performed by a side-by-side comparison with TLDs in an 192Ir HDR delivery. 7 and 8 Gy was delivered to PRESAGE®-IV and TLDs attached to the surface of a vaginal cylinder. Known geometry enabled direct comparison of measured dose with a commissioned treatment planning system. A high-resolution readout study under a steep dose gradient region showed 98.9% (5%/1 mm) agreement between PRESAGE®-IV and Gafchromic® EBT2 Film. Spectrometer measurements exhibited a linear dose response between 0-15 Gy with sensitivity of 0.0133 ± 0.0007 ΔOD/(Gy ṡ cm) at the 95% confidence interval. Method (ii) yielded a linear response with sensitivity of 0.0132 ± 0.0006 (ΔOD/Gy), within 2% of method (i). Method (i) has poor spatial resolution due to volume averaging. Method (ii) has higher resolution (˜1 mm) without loss of sensitivity or increased noise. Both readout methods are shown to be feasible. The end-to-end comparison revealed a 2.5% agreement between PRESAGE®-IV and treatment plan in regions of uniform high dose. PRESAGE®-IV shows promise for in vivo dose verification, although improved sensitivity would be desirable. Advantages include high-resolution, convenience and fast, low-cost readout.

  8. Duration of fever and other symptoms after the inhalation of laninamivir octanoate hydrate; comparison of the 2011/12 to 2015/16 Japanese influenza seasons.

    PubMed

    Ikematsu, Hideyuki; Kawai, Naoki; Iwaki, Norio; Kashiwagi, Seizaburo

    2017-09-01

    The duration of fever and symptoms after laninamivir octanoate hydrate (laninamivir) inhalation were investigated in the Japanese 2015/16 influenza season, and the results were compared with those of the 2011/12 to 2014/15 seasons. A total of 1068 patients were evaluated for the duration of fever and symptoms in the five studied seasons. The influenza types/subtypes were 125 A(H1N1)pdm09 (62.2%), 17 A(H3N2) (8.5%), and 59 B (29.4%) in the 2015/16 season. The median durations of fever were 40.0, 41.0, and 47.0 h, and the median durations of symptoms were 87.0, 76.0, and 93.0 h for A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), and B, respectively, with no significant difference. The median durations of fever were 52.0 and 46.0 h and the median durations of symptoms 93.0 and 88.0 h for the Victoria and Yamagata B lineages, respectively, with no significant difference. Fever resolution after laninamivir inhalation by the A(H1N1)pdm09 patients was similar in the 2013/14 and 2015/16 seasons. Fever resolution after laninamivir inhalation was similar in all comparisons of the 2011/12 to 2015/16 seasons for both A(H3N2) and B, with no significant difference among the five seasons. Over the seasons tested, eight adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were reported for 1128 patients. The most frequent ADR was diarrhea, and all ADRs were resolved and not serious. These results indicate the continuing clinical effectiveness of laninamivir against influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2), and B, with no safety issues. Copyright © 2017 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Ultrahigh-Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography in Glaucoma

    PubMed Central

    Wollstein, Gadi; Paunescu, Leila A.; Ko, Tony H.; Fujimoto, James G.; Kowalevicz, Andrew; Hartl, Ingmar; Beaton, Siobahn; Ishikawa, Hiroshi; Mattox, Cynthia; Singh, Omah; Duker, Jay; Drexler, Wolfgang; Schuman, Joel S.

    2007-01-01

    Objective Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been shown to be a valuable tool in glaucoma assessment. We investigated a new ultrahigh-resolution OCT (UHR-OCT) imaging system in glaucoma patients and compared the findings with those obtained by conventional-resolution OCT. Design Retrospective comparative case series. Participants A normal subject and 4 glaucoma patients representing various stages of glaucomatous damage. Testing All participants were scanned with StratusOCT (axial resolution of ~10 μm) and UHR-OCT (axial resolution of ~3 μm) at the same visit. Main Outcome Measure Comparison of OCT findings detected with StratusOCT and UHR-OCT. Results Ultrahigh-resolution OCT provides a detailed cross-sectional view of the scanned retinal area that allows differentiation between retinal layers. These UHR images were markedly better than those obtained by the conventional-resolution OCT. Conclusions Ultrahigh-resolution OCT provides high-resolution images of the ocular posterior segment, which improves the ability to detect retinal abnormalities due to glaucoma. PMID:15691556

  10. ERIC First Analysis: National Defense Commitments; 1982-83 National High School Debate Resolutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wagner, David L.

    The purpose of this booklet is to provide a brief overview of some of the issues involved in the 1982-83 high school debate resolutions, which focus on the defense commitments of the United States. The first of the booklet's four chapters provides a review of information sources for use in researching the topic of defense commitments. The…

  11. The Feasibility of Publicly Funded Residential Education in Pennsylvania. Staff Analysis Pursuant to House Resolution 43 of 1995.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission, Harrisburg.

    Pennsylvania's House Resolution 43 of 1995 directs the Joint State Government Commission to report to the General Assembly on the feasibility of creating a voluntary residential school program for disadvantaged children. The Commission assembled a Working Group to consider this issue, and the group focused on poor children living in high crime…

  12. Extended Galactic emission at l=312°: a comparison of mid-infrared and radio continuum (843 MHz) images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cohen, Martin; Green, Anne J.

    2001-08-01

    We report on the comparison of images of a region of the Galactic plane (centred on l=312°) as seen by the Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) at 8.3μm and by the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope (MOST) at 843MHz in the radio continuum. We note that the survey from each telescope is without peer and occupies a niche in panoramic coverage with high spatial resolution. Using independent classification of sources in the selected region, a detailed comparison of the two surveys was made. The aim of the project was to seek global characteristics for different types of source, with a view to establishing predictive criteria for identification and hence emission mechanisms. Several strong trends were found. There is a complete absence in this field of any detected MSX counterparts to non-thermal radio sources. Almost every Hii region in the radio image has its MSX counterpart, in the form of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon halo in the neutral zone surrounding the ionized gas. Both surveys show large-scale `braided' filamentary structures, extending over 1°, which appear to be produced by thermal processes. These filaments may be structures in the warm ionized phase of the interstellar medium or extended haloes around Hii regions. The comparisons in this paper were made using both preliminary MSX 8.3-μm results with 46-arcsec resolution and final MSX images with the intrinsic 20-arcsec resolution of the instruments.

  13. Loran-C performance assurance assessment program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lilley, Robert W.; Brooks, N. Kent

    1992-01-01

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has accepted the Loran-C navigation system as a supplemental navigation aid for enroute use. Extension of Loran-C utilization to instrument approaches requires establishment of a process by which the current level of performance of the system is always known by the pilot. This system 'integrity' translates into confidence that, if the system is made available to the pilot, the guidance will be correct. Early in the consideration of Loran-C for instrument approaches, the Loran-C Planning Work-Group (LPW) was formed with membership from the FAA, the US Coast Guard, various state governments, aviation users, equipment manufacturers and technical experts. The group was hosted and co-chaired by the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO). This forum was ideal for identification of system integrity issues and for finding the correct process for their resolution. Additionally, the Wild Goose Association (WGA), which is the international Loran-C technical and user forum, regularly brings together members of the FAA, Coast Guard, and the scientific community. Papers and discussions from WGA meetings have been helpful. Given here is a collection of the issues in which Ohio University became involved. Issues definition and resolution are included along with the recommendations in those areas where resolution is not yet complete.

  14. Trainee underperformance: a guide to achieving resolution.

    PubMed

    Rashid, Prem; Grills, Richard; Kuan, Melvyn; Klein, Deborah

    2015-05-01

    Underperformance and the disharmony it can cause are not commonly faced by trainees. However, when it occurs, a process to recognize and manage the issues compassionately must be put in place. A literature review was undertaken to outline processes and themes in addressing and resolving these types of issues. A PubMed search using 'surgical underperformance' and 'remedial teaching' was used as a broad template to find papers that illustrated key concepts. One thousand four hundred and fifteen papers were identified. In papers where the titles were in line with the stated topic, 294 abstracts were reviewed. Key papers were used to develop themes. Additional cross-referenced papers were also included where relevant. There can be a variety of reasons for trainee underperformance. The root cause is not always clear. Disharmony can result in a surgical unit during this time. The involved trainee as well as the members of the clinical unit may experience a variety of stressors. A systematic process of management can be used to evaluate the situation and bring some resolution to difficulties in working relationships. Early constructive intervention improves outcomes. There should be a process to systematically and compassionately resolve underlying issues. This paper outlines the disharmony that can result from trainee underperformance and offers guidance for resolution to those involved. © 2014 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  15. Single-nm resolution approach by applying DDRP and DDRM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shibayama, Wataru; Shigaki, Shuhei; Takeda, Satoshi; Nakajima, Makoto; Sakamoto, Rikimaru

    2017-03-01

    EUV lithography has been desired as the leading technology for 1x or single nm half-pitch patterning. However, the source power, masks and resist materials still have critical issues for mass production. Especially in resist materials, RLS trade-off has been the key issue. To overcome this issue, we are suggesting Dry Development Rinse Process (DDRP) and Materials (DDRM) as the pattern collapse mitigation approach. This DDRM can perform not only as pattern collapse free materials for fine pitch, but also as the etching hard mask against bottom layer (spin on carbon : SOC). In this paper, we especially propose new approaches to achieve high resolution around hp1X nm L/S and single nm line patterning. Especially, semi iso 8nm line was successfully achieved with good LWR (2.5nm) and around 3 times aspect ratio. This single nm patterning technique also helped to enhance sensitivity about 33%. On the other hand, pillar patterning thorough CH pattern by applying DDRP also showed high resolution below 20nm pillar CD with good LCDU and high sensitivity. This new DDRP technology can be the promising approach not only for hp1Xnm level patterning but also single nm patterning in N7/N5 and beyond.

  16. NDVI, scale invariance and the modifiable areal unit problem: An assessment of vegetation in the Adelaide Parklands.

    PubMed

    Nouri, Hamideh; Anderson, Sharolyn; Sutton, Paul; Beecham, Simon; Nagler, Pamela; Jarchow, Christopher J; Roberts, Dar A

    2017-04-15

    This research addresses the question as to whether or not the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is scale invariant (i.e. constant over spatial aggregation) for pure pixels of urban vegetation. It has been long recognized that there are issues related to the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) pertaining to indices such as NDVI and images at varying spatial resolutions. These issues are relevant to using NDVI values in spatial analyses. We compare two different methods of calculation of a mean NDVI: 1) using pixel values of NDVI within feature/object boundaries and 2) first calculating the mean red and mean near-infrared across all feature pixels and then calculating NDVI. We explore the nature and magnitude of these differences for images taken from two sensors, a 1.24m resolution WorldView-3 and a 0.1m resolution digital aerial image. We apply these methods over an urban park located in the Adelaide Parklands of South Australia. We demonstrate that the MAUP is not an issue for calculation of NDVI within a sensor for pure urban vegetation pixels. This may prove useful for future rule-based monitoring of the ecosystem functioning of green infrastructure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Lunar Polar Illumination for Power Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fincannon, James

    2008-01-01

    This paper presents illumination analyses using the latest Earth-based radar digital elevation model (DEM) of the lunar south pole and an independently developed analytical tool. These results enable the optimum sizing of solar/energy storage lunar surface power systems since they quantify the timing and durations of illuminated and shadowed periods. Filtering and manual editing of the DEM based on comparisons with independent imagery were performed and a reduced resolution version of the DEM was produced to reduce the analysis time. A comparison of the DEM with lunar limb imagery was performed in order to validate the absolute heights over the polar latitude range, the accuracy of which affects the impact of long range, shadow-casting terrain. Average illumination and energy storage duration maps of the south pole region are provided for the worst and best case lunar day using the reduced resolution DEM. Average illumination fractions and energy storage durations are presented for candidate low energy storage duration south pole sites. The best site identified using the reduced resolution DEM required a 62 hr energy storage duration using a fast recharge power system. Solar and horizon terrain elevations as well as illumination fraction profiles are presented for the best identified site and the data for both the reduced resolution and high resolution DEMs compared. High resolution maps for three low energy storage duration areas are presented showing energy storage duration for the worst case lunar day, surface height, and maximum absolute surface slope.

  18. A genetically anchored physical framework for Theobroma cacao cv. Matina 1-6

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background The fermented dried seeds of Theobroma cacao (cacao tree) are the main ingredient in chocolate. World cocoa production was estimated to be 3 million tons in 2010 with an annual estimated average growth rate of 2.2%. The cacao bean production industry is currently under threat from a rise in fungal diseases including black pod, frosty pod, and witches' broom. In order to address these issues, genome-sequencing efforts have been initiated recently to facilitate identification of genetic markers and genes that could be utilized to accelerate the release of robust T. cacao cultivars. However, problems inherent with assembly and resolution of distal regions of complex eukaryotic genomes, such as gaps, chimeric joins, and unresolvable repeat-induced compressions, have been unavoidably encountered with the sequencing strategies selected. Results Here, we describe the construction of a BAC-based integrated genetic-physical map of the T. cacao cultivar Matina 1-6 which is designed to augment and enhance these sequencing efforts. Three BAC libraries, each comprised of 10× coverage, were constructed and fingerprinted. 230 genetic markers from a high-resolution genetic recombination map and 96 Arabidopsis-derived conserved ortholog set (COS) II markers were anchored using pooled overgo hybridization. A dense tile path consisting of 29,383 BACs was selected and end-sequenced. The physical map consists of 154 contigs and 4,268 singletons. Forty-nine contigs are genetically anchored and ordered to chromosomes for a total span of 307.2 Mbp. The unanchored contigs (105) span 67.4 Mbp and therefore the estimated genome size of T. cacao is 374.6 Mbp. A comparative analysis with A. thaliana, V. vinifera, and P. trichocarpa suggests that comparisons of the genome assemblies of these distantly related species could provide insights into genome structure, evolutionary history, conservation of functional sites, and improvements in physical map assembly. A comparison between the two T. cacao cultivars Matina 1-6 and Criollo indicates a high degree of collinearity in their genomes, yet rearrangements were also observed. Conclusions The results presented in this study are a stand-alone resource for functional exploitation and enhancement of Theobroma cacao but are also expected to complement and augment ongoing genome-sequencing efforts. This resource will serve as a template for refinement of the T. cacao genome through gap-filling, targeted re-sequencing, and resolution of repetitive DNA arrays. PMID:21846342

  19. A genetically anchored physical framework for Theobroma cacao cv. Matina 1-6.

    PubMed

    Saski, Christopher A; Feltus, Frank A; Staton, Margaret E; Blackmon, Barbara P; Ficklin, Stephen P; Kuhn, David N; Schnell, Raymond J; Shapiro, Howard; Motamayor, Juan Carlos

    2011-08-16

    The fermented dried seeds of Theobroma cacao (cacao tree) are the main ingredient in chocolate. World cocoa production was estimated to be 3 million tons in 2010 with an annual estimated average growth rate of 2.2%. The cacao bean production industry is currently under threat from a rise in fungal diseases including black pod, frosty pod, and witches' broom. In order to address these issues, genome-sequencing efforts have been initiated recently to facilitate identification of genetic markers and genes that could be utilized to accelerate the release of robust T. cacao cultivars. However, problems inherent with assembly and resolution of distal regions of complex eukaryotic genomes, such as gaps, chimeric joins, and unresolvable repeat-induced compressions, have been unavoidably encountered with the sequencing strategies selected. Here, we describe the construction of a BAC-based integrated genetic-physical map of the T. cacao cultivar Matina 1-6 which is designed to augment and enhance these sequencing efforts. Three BAC libraries, each comprised of 10× coverage, were constructed and fingerprinted. 230 genetic markers from a high-resolution genetic recombination map and 96 Arabidopsis-derived conserved ortholog set (COS) II markers were anchored using pooled overgo hybridization. A dense tile path consisting of 29,383 BACs was selected and end-sequenced. The physical map consists of 154 contigs and 4,268 singletons. Forty-nine contigs are genetically anchored and ordered to chromosomes for a total span of 307.2 Mbp. The unanchored contigs (105) span 67.4 Mbp and therefore the estimated genome size of T. cacao is 374.6 Mbp. A comparative analysis with A. thaliana, V. vinifera, and P. trichocarpa suggests that comparisons of the genome assemblies of these distantly related species could provide insights into genome structure, evolutionary history, conservation of functional sites, and improvements in physical map assembly. A comparison between the two T. cacao cultivars Matina 1-6 and Criollo indicates a high degree of collinearity in their genomes, yet rearrangements were also observed. The results presented in this study are a stand-alone resource for functional exploitation and enhancement of Theobroma cacao but are also expected to complement and augment ongoing genome-sequencing efforts. This resource will serve as a template for refinement of the T. cacao genome through gap-filling, targeted re-sequencing, and resolution of repetitive DNA arrays.

  20. Comparison of Focused and Near-Field Imaging of Spray on Foam Insulation (SOFI) at Millimeter Wave Frequencies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kharkovshy, S.; Zoughi, R.; Hepburn, F. L.

    2007-01-01

    Millimeter wave imaging techniques can provide high spatial-resolution images of various composites. Lens antennas may be incorporated into the imaging system to provide a small incident beam footprint. Another approach may involve the use of horn antennas, which if operating in their near-fields, images with reasonably high spatial-resolutions may also be obtained. This paper gives a comparison between such near-field and focused far-field imaging of the Space Shuttle Spray on Foam Insulation (SOFI) used in its external fuel tank at millimeter wave frequencies. Small horn antennas and lens antennas with relatively long depth of focus were used in this investigation.

  1. A comparison of three feature selection methods for object-based classification of sub-decimeter resolution UltraCam-L imagery

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The availability of numerous spectral, spatial, and contextual features with object-based image analysis (OBIA) renders the selection of optimal features a time consuming and subjective process. While several feature election methods have been used in conjunction with OBIA, a robust comparison of th...

  2. Assessment of temperature and precipitation over Mediterranean Area and Black Sea with non hydrostatic high resolution regional climate model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mercogliano, P.; Montesarchio, M.; Zollo, A.; Bucchignani, E.

    2012-12-01

    In the framework of the Italian GEMINA Project (program of expansion and development of the Euro-Mediterranean Center for Climate Change (CMCC), high resolution climate simulations have been performed, with the aim of furthering knowledge in the field of climate variability at regional scale, its causes and impacts. CMCC is a no profit centre whose aims are the promotion, research coordination and scientific activities in the field of climate changes. In this work, we show results of numerical simulation performed over a very wide area (13W-46E; 29-56N) at spatial resolution of 14 km, which includes all the Mediterranean Sea, using the regional climate model COSMO-CLM. It is a non-hydrostatic model for the simulation of atmospheric processes, developed by the DWD-Germany for weather forecast services; successively, the model has been updated by the CLM-Community, in order to develop climatic applications. It is the only documented numerical model system in Europe designed for spatial resolutions down to 1 km with a range of applicability encompassing operational numerical weather prediction, regional climate modelling the dispersion of trace gases and aerosol and idealised studies and applicable in all regions of the world for a wide range of available climate simulations from global climate and NWP models. Different reasons justify the development of a regional model: the first is the increasing number of works in literature asserting that regional models have also the features to provide more detailed description of the climate extremes, that are often more important then their mean values for natural and human systems. The second one is that high resolution modelling shows adequate features to provide information for impact assessment studies. At CMCC, regional climate modelling is a part of an integrated simulation system and it has been used in different European and African projects to provide qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the hydrogeological and public health risks. A simulation covering the period 1971-2000 and driven by ERA40 reanalysis has been performed, in order to assess the capability of the model to reproduce the present climate, with "perfect boundary conditions". A comparison, in terms of 2-metre temperature and precipitation, with EOBS dataset will be shown and discussed, in order to analyze the capabilities in simulating the main features of the observed climate over a wide area, at high spatial resolution. Then, a comparison between the results of COSMO-CLM driven by the global model CMCC-MED (whose atmospheric component is ECHAM5) and by ERA40 will be provided for a characterization of the errors induced by the global model. Finally, climate projections on the examined area for the XXI century, considering the RCP4.5 emission scenario for the future, will be provided. In this work a special emphasis will be issued to the analysis of the capability to reproduce not only the average climate patterns but also extremes of the present and future climate, in terms of temperature, precipitation and wind.

  3. Validation of CALIPSO Lidar Observations Using Data From the NASA Langley Airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hostetler, Chris; Hair, Johnathan; Liu, Zhaoyan; Ferrare, Rich; Harper, David; Cook, Anthony; Vaughan, Mark; Trepte, Chip; Winker, David

    2006-01-01

    This poster focuses on preliminary comparisons of data from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) instrument on the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) spacecraft with data acquired by the NASA Langley Airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL). A series of 20 aircraft validation flights was conducted from 14 June through 27 September 2006, under both day and night lighting conditions and a variety of aerosol and cloud conditions. This poster presents comparisons of CALIOP measurements of attenuated backscatter at 532 and 1064 nm and depolarization at 532 nm with near coincident measurements from the Airborne HSRL as a preliminary assessment of CALIOP calibration accuracy. Note that the CALIOP data presented here are the pre-release version. These data have known artifacts in calibration which have been corrected in the December 8 CALIPSO data release which was not available at the time the comparisons were conducted for this poster. The HSRL data are also preliminary. No artifacts are known to exist; however, refinements in calibration and algorithms are likely to be implemented before validation comparisons are made final.

  4. NGNP High Temperature Materials White Paper

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

    Lew Lommers; George Honma

    2012-08-01

    This white paper is one in a series of white papers that address key generic issues of the combined construction and operating license (COL) pre-application program key generic issues for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant reactor using the prismatic block fuel technology. The purpose of the pre-application program interactions with the NRC staff is to reduce the time required for COL application review by identifying and addressing key regulatory issues and, if possible, obtaining agreements for their resolution

  5. Resolution No. 598-87, Regulations for the Functioning of the Land Tenure Registry, 27 October 1987.

    PubMed

    1988-01-01

    This Resolution sets forth Regulations for the Land Tenancy Registry of Cuba. It provides that the Registry is part of a scheme for exercising control over legal land tenure and has the following objectives: maintaining control of national land; determining the legal situation of holders of land; recognizing the number of legal holders of land; furnishing information on acquisition, exploitation, and buildings; issuing certificates; and analyzing and processing records in appeals. Further provisions of the Resolution lay down details about these functions. full text

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

    Daling, P.M.; Marler, J.E.; Vo, T.V.

    This study evaluates the values (benefits) and impacts (costs) associated with potential resolutions to Generic Issue 143, ``Availability of HVAC and Chilled Water Systems.`` The study identifies vulnerabilities related to failures of HVAC, chilled water, and room cooling systems; develops estimates of room heatup rates and safety-related equipment vulnerabilities following losses of HVAC/room cooler systems; develops estimates of the core damage frequencies and public risks associated with failures of these systems; develops three proposed resolution strategies to this generic issue; and performs a value/impact analysis of the proposed resolutions. Existing probabilistic risk assessments for four representative plants, including one plantmore » from each vendor, form the basis for the core damage frequency and public risk calculations. Both internal and external events were considered. It was concluded that all three proposed resolution strategies exceed the $1,000/person-rem cost-effectiveness ratio. Additional evaluations were performed to develop ``generic`` insights on potential design-related and configuration-related vulnerabilities and potential high-frequency ({approximately}1E-04/RY) accident sequences that involve failures of HVAC/room cooling functions. It was concluded that, although high-frequency accident sequences may exist at some plants, these high-frequency sequences are plant-specific in nature or have been resolved through hardware and/or operational changes. The plant-specific Individual Plant Examinations are an effective vehicle for identification and resolution of these plant-specific anomalies and hardware configurations.« less

  7. A Hydrogen and He Isotope Nanoprobe

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

    Doyle, Barney L.; Van Deusen, Stuart B.

    Materials that incorporate hydrogen and helium isotopes are of great interest at Sandia and throughout the NNSA and DOE. The Ion Beam Lab at SNL-NM has invented techniques using micron to mm-size MeV ion beams to recoil these light isotopes (Elastic Recoil Detection or ERD) that can very accurately make such measurements. However, there are many measurements that would benefit NW and DOE that require much better resolution, such as the distribution of H isotopes (and 3He) in individual grains of materials relevant to TPBARs, H and He-embrittlement of weapon components important to Tritium Sustainment Programs, issues with GTSs, batteries…more » Higher resolution would also benefit the field of materials science in general. To address these and many other issues, nm-scale lateral resolution is required. This LDRD demonstrated that neutral H atoms could be recoiled through a thin film by 70 keV electrons and detected with a Channeltron electron multiplier (CEM). The electrons were steered away from the CEM by strong permanent magnets. This proved the feasibility that the high energy electrons from a transmissionelectron- microscope-TEM can potentially be used to recoil and subsequently detect (e-ERD), quantify and map the concentration of H and He isotopes with nm resolution. This discovery could lead to a TEM-based H/He-isotope nanoprobe with 1000x higher resolution than currently available.« less

  8. College Students' Attitudes towards Sexually Themed Science Content: A Socioscientific Issues Approach to Resolution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yahaya, Jamil Mikhail; Nurulazam, Ahmad; Karpudewan, Mageswary

    2016-01-01

    A socioscientific issues integrated instruction was used in the study to resolve college students attitude towards sexually-themed science content. Some 200 college students participated in the study as experimental and control groups. The former consisting of 98 students from one college was taught the content using the socioscientific issues…

  9. Adoption and Assisted Reproduction. Adoption and Ethics, Volume 4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freundlich, Madelyn

    The controversies in adoption have extended across a spectrum of policy and practice issues, and although the issues have become clear, resolution has not been achieved nor has consensus developed regarding a framework on which to improve the quality of adoption policy and practice. This book is the fourth in a series to use an ethics-based…

  10. The Market Forces in Adoption. Adoption and Ethics, Volume 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freundlich, Madelyn

    The controversies in adoption have extended across a spectrum of policy and practice issues, and although the issues have become clear, resolution has not been achieved nor has consensus developed regarding a framework on which to improve the quality of adoption policy and practice. This book is the second in a series to use an ethics-based…

  11. Development of Global 30m Resolution Water Body Map with Permanent/Temporal Water Body Separation Using Satellite Acquired Images of Landsat GLS Datasets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ikeshima, D.; Yamazaki, D.; Yoshikawa, S.; Kanae, S.

    2015-12-01

    The specification of worldwide water body distribution is important for discovering hydrological cycle. Global 3-second Water Body Map (G3WBM) is a global scale map, which indicates the distribution of water body in 90m resolutions (http://hydro.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/~yamadai/G3WBM/index.html). This dataset was mainly built to identify the width of river channels, which is one of major uncertainties of continental-scale river hydrodynamics models. To survey the true width of the river channel, this water body map distinguish Permanent Water Body from Temporary Water Body, which means separating river channel and flood plain. However, rivers with narrower width, which is a major case in usual river, could not be observed in this map. To overcome this problem, updating the algorithm of G3WBM and enhancing the resolutions to 30m is the goal of this research. Although this 30m-resolution water body map uses similar algorithm as G3WBM, there are many technical issues attributed to relatively high resolutions. Those are such as lack of same high-resolution digital elevation map, or contamination problem of sub-pixel scale object on satellite acquired image, or invisibility of well-vegetated water body such as swamp. To manage those issues, this research used more than 30,000 satellite images of Landsat Global Land Survey (GLS), and lately distributed topography data of Shuttle Rader Topography Mission (SRTM) 1 arc-second (30m) digital elevation map. Also the effect of aerosol, which would scatter the sun reflectance and disturb the acquired result image, was considered. Due to these revises, the global water body distribution was established in more precise resolution.

  12. [Examination of upper abdominal region in high spatial resolution diffusion-weighted imaging using 3-Tesla MRI].

    PubMed

    Terada, Masaki; Matsushita, Hiroki; Oosugi, Masanori; Inoue, Kazuyasu; Yaegashi, Taku; Anma, Takeshi

    2009-03-20

    The advantage of the higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3-Tesla) has the possibility of contributing to the improvement of high spatial resolution without causing image deterioration. In this study, we compared SNR and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value with 3-Tesla as the condition in the diffusion-weighted image (DWI) parameter of the 1.5-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (1.5-Tesla) and we examined the high spatial resolution images in the imaging method [respiratory-triggering (RT) method and breath free (BF) method] and artifact (motion and zebra) in the upper abdominal region of DWI at 3-Tesla. We have optimized scan parameters based on phantom and in vivo study. As a result, 3-Tesla was able to obtain about 1.5 times SNR in comparison with the 1.5-Tesla, ADC value had few differences. Moreover, the RT method was effective in correcting the influence of respiratory movement in comparison with the BF method, and image improvement by the effective acquisition of SNR and reduction of the artifact were provided. Thus, DWI of upper abdominal region was a useful sequence for the high spatial resolution in 3-Tesla.

  13. The Cryosphere Model Comparison Tool (CmCt): Ice Sheet Model Validation and Comparison Tool for Greenland and Antarctica

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simon, E.; Nowicki, S.; Neumann, T.; Tyahla, L.; Saba, J. L.; Guerber, J. R.; Bonin, J. A.; DiMarzio, J. P.

    2017-12-01

    The Cryosphere model Comparison tool (CmCt) is a web based ice sheet model validation tool that is being developed by NASA to facilitate direct comparison between observational data and various ice sheet models. The CmCt allows the user to take advantage of several decades worth of observations from Greenland and Antarctica. Currently, the CmCt can be used to compare ice sheet models provided by the user with remotely sensed satellite data from ICESat (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite) laser altimetry, GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) satellite, and radar altimetry (ERS-1, ERS-2, and Envisat). One or more models can be uploaded through the CmCt website and compared with observational data, or compared to each other or other models. The CmCt calculates statistics on the differences between the model and observations, and other quantitative and qualitative metrics, which can be used to evaluate the different model simulations against the observations. The qualitative metrics consist of a range of visual outputs and the quantitative metrics consist of several whole-ice-sheet scalar values that can be used to assign an overall score to a particular simulation. The comparison results from CmCt are useful in quantifying improvements within a specific model (or within a class of models) as a result of differences in model dynamics (e.g., shallow vs. higher-order dynamics approximations), model physics (e.g., representations of ice sheet rheological or basal processes), or model resolution (mesh resolution and/or changes in the spatial resolution of input datasets). The framework and metrics could also be used for use as a model-to-model intercomparison tool, simply by swapping outputs from another model as the observational datasets. Future versions of the tool will include comparisons with other datasets that are of interest to the modeling community, such as ice velocity, ice thickness, and surface mass balance.

  14. The accuracy of temperature distributions used to derive the net transport for a zonally averaged model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Remsberg, Ellis E.; Bhatt, Praful P.

    1994-01-01

    Comparisons of satellite-derived temperatures with correlative temperatures indicate that the LIMS temperatures are accurate and contain more of the needed vertical resolution for calculating a residual mean circulation for transporting tracer-like species. Generally, the LIMS temperatures are accurate to at least 2 K. Other satellite data sets are comprised of temperatures with coarser vertical resolution, leading to biases that occur with an error pattern that is characteristic of their resolution. Their biases exceed 2 K at some altitudes. Retrievals of species using an infrared limb emission technique are sensitive to any temperature bias. Generally, the IMS comparisons with other data sets for ozone and water vapor are good to better than 20 percent; this represents an independent confirmation of the quality of LIMS and temperatures. Zonal mean comparisons between LIMS and SAMS temperatures also indicate agreement to better than 2 K from about 7 to 2hPa. Therefore, we are confident that SAMS N2O and CH4 are relatively free of temperature bias in that region. These factors support the generally good agreement in G90 between model N2O transported using a LIMS-derived RMC and the N2O contours from SAMS.

  15. The effect of horizontal resolution on simulation quality in the Community Atmospheric Model, CAM5.1

    DOE PAGES

    Wehner, Michael F.; Reed, Kevin A.; Li, Fuyu; ...

    2014-10-13

    We present an analysis of version 5.1 of the Community Atmospheric Model (CAM5.1) at a high horizontal resolution. Intercomparison of this global model at approximately 0.25°, 1°, and 2° is presented for extreme daily precipitation as well as for a suite of seasonal mean fields. In general, extreme precipitation amounts are larger in high resolution than in lower-resolution configurations. In many but not all locations and/or seasons, extreme daily precipitation rates in the high-resolution configuration are higher and more realistic. The high-resolution configuration produces tropical cyclones up to category 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale and a comparison to observations revealsmore » both realistic and unrealistic model behavior. In the absence of extensive model tuning at high resolution, simulation of many of the mean fields analyzed in this study is degraded compared to the tuned lower-resolution public released version of the model.« less

  16. The Enhancement of 3D Scans Depth Resolution Obtained by Confocal Scanning of Porous Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martisek, Dalibor; Prochazkova, Jana

    2017-12-01

    The 3D reconstruction of simple structured materials using a confocal microscope is widely used in many different areas including civil engineering. Nonetheless, scans of porous materials such as concrete or cement paste are highly problematic. The well-known problem of these scans is low depth resolution in comparison to the horizontal and vertical resolution. The degradation of the image depth resolution is caused by systematic errors and especially by different random events. Our method is focused on the elimination of such random events, mainly the additive noise. We use an averaging method based on the Lindeberg-Lévy theorem that improves the final depth resolution to a level comparable with horizontal and vertical resolution. Moreover, using the least square method, we also precisely determine the limit value of a depth resolution. Therefore, we can continuously evaluate the difference between current resolution and the optimal one. This substantially simplifies the scanning process because the operator can easily determine the required number of scans.

  17. Approaches to a cortical vision prosthesis: implications of electrode size and placement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Christie, Breanne P.; Ashmont, Kari R.; House, Paul A.; Greger, Bradley

    2016-04-01

    Objective. In order to move forward with the development of a cortical vision prosthesis, the critical issues in the field must be identified. Approach. To begin this process, we performed a brief review of several different cortical and retinal stimulation techniques that can be used to restore vision. Main results. Intracortical microelectrodes and epicortical macroelectrodes have been evaluated as the basis of a vision prosthesis. We concluded that an important knowledge gap necessitates an experimental in vivo performance evaluation of microelectrodes placed on the surface of the visual cortex. A comparison of the level of vision restored by intracortical versus epicortical microstimulation is necessary. Because foveal representation in the primary visual cortex involves more cortical columns per degree of visual field than does peripheral vision, restoration of foveal vision may require a large number of closely spaced microelectrodes. Based on previous studies of epicortical macrostimulation, it is possible that stimulation via surface microelectrodes could produce a lower spatial resolution, making them better suited for restoring peripheral vision. Significance. The validation of epicortical microstimulation in addition to the comparison of epicortical and intracortical approaches for vision restoration will fill an important knowledge gap and may have important implications for surgical strategies and device longevity. It is possible that the best approach to vision restoration will utilize both epicortical and intracortical microstimulation approaches, applying them appropriately to different visual representations in the primary visual cortex.

  18. A comparison between two inundation models for the 25 Ooctober 2010 Mentawai Islands Tsunami

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Z.; Borrero, J. C.; Qiu, Q.; Hill, E. M.; Li, L.; Sieh, K. E.

    2011-12-01

    On 25 October 2010, an Mw~7.8 earthquake occurred on the Sumatra megathrust seaward of the Mentawai Islands, Indonesia, generating a tsunami which killed approximately 500 people. Following the event, the Earth Observatory of Singapore (EOS) initiated a post-tsunami field survey, collecting tsunami run-up data from more than 30 sites on Pagai Selatan, Pagai Utara and Sipora. The strongest tsunami effects were observed on several small islands offshore of Pagai Selatan, where runup exceeded 16 m. This presentation will focus on a detailed comparison between two tsunami propagation and inundation models: COMCOT (Cornell Multi-grid Coupled Tsunami model) and MOST (Method of Splitting Tsunami). Simulations are initialized using fault models based on data from a 1-hz GPS system that measured co-seismic deformation throughout the region. Preliminary simulations suggest that 2-m vertical seafloor deformation over a reasonably large area is required to recreate most of the observed tsunami effects. Since the GPS data suggest that subsidence of the islands is small, this implies that the tsunami source region is somewhat narrower and located further offshore than described in recently published earthquake source models based on teleseismic inversions alone. We will also discuss issues such as bathymetric and topographic data preparation and the uncertainty in the modeling results due to the lack of high resolution bathymetry and topography in the study area.

  19. Enhancement of Satellite Image Compression Using a Hybrid (DWT-DCT) Algorithm

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shihab, Halah Saadoon; Shafie, Suhaidi; Ramli, Abdul Rahman; Ahmad, Fauzan

    2017-12-01

    Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) image compression techniques have been utilized in most of the earth observation satellites launched during the last few decades. However, these techniques have some issues that should be addressed. The DWT method has proven to be more efficient than DCT for several reasons. Nevertheless, the DCT can be exploited to improve the high-resolution satellite image compression when combined with the DWT technique. Hence, a proposed hybrid (DWT-DCT) method was developed and implemented in the current work, simulating an image compression system on-board on a small remote sensing satellite, with the aim of achieving a higher compression ratio to decrease the onboard data storage and the downlink bandwidth, while avoiding further complex levels of DWT. This method also succeeded in maintaining the reconstructed satellite image quality through replacing the standard forward DWT thresholding and quantization processes with an alternative process that employed the zero-padding technique, which also helped to reduce the processing time of DWT compression. The DCT, DWT and the proposed hybrid methods were implemented individually, for comparison, on three LANDSAT 8 images, using the MATLAB software package. A comparison was also made between the proposed method and three other previously published hybrid methods. The evaluation of all the objective and subjective results indicated the feasibility of using the proposed hybrid (DWT-DCT) method to enhance the image compression process on-board satellites.

  20. Identification and Resolution of Microdiversity through Metagenomic Sequencing of Parallel Consortia

    PubMed Central

    Maezato, Yukari; Wu, Yu-Wei; Romine, Margaret F.; Lindemann, Stephen R.

    2015-01-01

    To gain a predictive understanding of the interspecies interactions within microbial communities that govern community function, the genomic complement of every member population must be determined. Although metagenomic sequencing has enabled the de novo reconstruction of some microbial genomes from environmental communities, microdiversity confounds current genome reconstruction techniques. To overcome this issue, we performed short-read metagenomic sequencing on parallel consortia, defined as consortia cultivated under the same conditions from the same natural community with overlapping species composition. The differences in species abundance between the two consortia allowed reconstruction of near-complete (at an estimated >85% of gene complement) genome sequences for 17 of the 20 detected member species. Two Halomonas spp. indistinguishable by amplicon analysis were found to be present within the community. In addition, comparison of metagenomic reads against the consensus scaffolds revealed within-species variation for one of the Halomonas populations, one of the Rhodobacteraceae populations, and the Rhizobiales population. Genomic comparison of these representative instances of inter- and intraspecies microdiversity suggests differences in functional potential that may result in the expression of distinct roles in the community. In addition, isolation and complete genome sequence determination of six member species allowed an investigation into the sensitivity and specificity of genome reconstruction processes, demonstrating robustness across a wide range of sequence coverage (9× to 2,700×) within the metagenomic data set. PMID:26497460

  1. Identification and Resolution of Microdiversity through Metagenomic Sequencing of Parallel Consortia

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

    Nelson, William C.; Maezato, Yukari; Wu, Yu-Wei

    2015-10-23

    To gain a predictive understanding of the interspecies interactions within microbial communities that govern community function, the genomic complement of every member population must be determined. Although metagenomic sequencing has enabled thede novoreconstruction of some microbial genomes from environmental communities, microdiversity confounds current genome reconstruction techniques. To overcome this issue, we performed short-read metagenomic sequencing on parallel consortia, defined as consortia cultivated under the same conditions from the same natural community with overlapping species composition. The differences in species abundance between the two consortia allowed reconstruction of near-complete (at an estimated >85% of gene complement) genome sequences for 17 ofmore » the 20 detected member species. TwoHalomonasspp. indistinguishable by amplicon analysis were found to be present within the community. In addition, comparison of metagenomic reads against the consensus scaffolds revealed within-species variation for one of theHalomonaspopulations, one of theRhodobacteraceaepopulations, and theRhizobialespopulation. Genomic comparison of these representative instances of inter- and intraspecies microdiversity suggests differences in functional potential that may result in the expression of distinct roles in the community. In addition, isolation and complete genome sequence determination of six member species allowed an investigation into the sensitivity and specificity of genome reconstruction processes, demonstrating robustness across a wide range of sequence coverage (9× to 2,700×) within the metagenomic data set.« less

  2. Response to "Comparison and Evaluation of Clustering Algorithms for Tandem Mass Spectra".

    PubMed

    Griss, Johannes; Perez-Riverol, Yasset; The, Matthew; Käll, Lukas; Vizcaíno, Juan Antonio

    2018-05-04

    In the recent benchmarking article entitled "Comparison and Evaluation of Clustering Algorithms for Tandem Mass Spectra", Rieder et al. compared several different approaches to cluster MS/MS spectra. While we certainly recognize the value of the manuscript, here, we report some shortcomings detected in the original analyses. For most analyses, the authors clustered only single MS/MS runs. In one of the reported analyses, three MS/MS runs were processed together, which already led to computational performance issues in many of the tested approaches. This fact highlights the difficulties of using many of the tested algorithms on the nowadays produced average proteomics data sets. Second, the authors only processed identified spectra when merging MS runs. Thereby, all unidentified spectra that are of lower quality were already removed from the data set and could not influence the clustering results. Next, we found that the authors did not analyze the effect of chimeric spectra on the clustering results. In our analysis, we found that 3% of the spectra in the used data sets were chimeric, and this had marked effects on the behavior of the different clustering algorithms tested. Finally, the authors' choice to evaluate the MS-Cluster and spectra-cluster algorithms using a precursor tolerance of 5 Da for high-resolution Orbitrap data only was, in our opinion, not adequate to assess the performance of MS/MS clustering approaches.

  3. Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): Assessment of the mechanical actuation subsystem, volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bradway, M. W.; Slaughter, W. T.

    1988-01-01

    The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. The IOA approach features a top-down analysis of the hardware to determine draft failure modes, criticality, and potential critical items. To preserve independence, this analysis was accomplished without reliance upon the results contained within the NASA FMEA/CIL documentation. The IOA results were then compared to the proposed Post 51-L NASA FMEA/CIL baseline that was available. A resolution of each discrepancy from the comparison was provided through additional analysis as required. These discrepancies were flagged as issues, and recommendations were made based on the FMEA data available at the time. This report documents the results of that comparison for the Orbiter Mechanical Actuation System (MAS) hardware. Specifically, the MAS hardware consists of the following components: Air Data Probe (ADP); Elevon Seal Panel (ESP); External Tank Umbilical (ETU); Ku-Band Deploy (KBD); Payload Bay Doors (PBD); Payload Bay Radiators (PBR); Personnel Hatches (PH); Vent Door Mechanism (VDM); and Startracker Door Mechanism (SDM). Criticality was assigned based upon the severity of the effect for each failure mode. Volume 2 continues the presentation of IOA analysis worksheets and contains the potential critical items list, detailed analysis, and NASA FMEA/CIL to IOA worksheet cross reference and recommendations.

  4. Landsat 7 thermal-IR image sharpening using an artificial neural network and sensor model

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lemeshewsky, G.P.; Schowengerdt, R.A.; ,

    2001-01-01

    The enhanced thematic mapper (plus) (ETM+) instrument on Landsat 7 shares the same basic design as the TM sensors on Landsats 4 and 5, with some significant improvements. In common are six multispectral bands with a 30-m ground-projected instantaneous field of view (GIFOV). However, the thermaL-IR (TIR) band now has a 60-m GIFOV, instead of 120-m. Also, a 15-m panchromatic band has been added. The artificial neural network (NN) image sharpening method described here uses data from the higher spatial resolution ETM+ bands to enhance (sharpen) the spatial resolution of the TIR imagery. It is based on an assumed correlation over multiple scales of resolution, between image edge contrast patterns in the TIR band and several other spectral bands. A multilayer, feedforward NN is trained to approximate TIR data at 60m, given degraded (from 30-m to 60-m) spatial resolution input from spectral bands 7, 5, and 2. After training, the NN output for full-resolution input generates an approximation of a TIR image at 30-m resolution. Two methods are used to degrade the spatial resolution of the imagery used for NN training, and the corresponding sharpening results are compared. One degradation method uses a published sensor transfer function (TF) for Landsat 5 to simulate sensor coarser resolution imagery from higher resolution imagery. For comparison, the second degradation method is simply Gaussian low pass filtering and subsampling, wherein the Gaussian filter approximates the full width at half maximum amplitude characteristics of the TF-based spatial filter. Two fixed-size NNs (that is, number of weights and processing elements) were trained separately with the degraded resolution data, and the sharpening results compared. The comparison evaluates the relative influence of the degradation technique employed and whether or not it is desirable to incorporate a sensor TF model. Preliminary results indicate some improvements for the sensor model-based technique. Further evaluation using a higher resolution reference image and strict application of sensor model to data is recommended.

  5. High-resolution frequency measurement method with a wide-frequency range based on a quantized phase step law.

    PubMed

    Du, Baoqiang; Dong, Shaofeng; Wang, Yanfeng; Guo, Shuting; Cao, Lingzhi; Zhou, Wei; Zuo, Yandi; Liu, Dan

    2013-11-01

    A wide-frequency and high-resolution frequency measurement method based on the quantized phase step law is presented in this paper. Utilizing a variation law of the phase differences, the direct different frequency phase processing, and the phase group synchronization phenomenon, combining an A/D converter and the adaptive phase shifting principle, a counter gate is established in the phase coincidences at one-group intervals, which eliminates the ±1 counter error in the traditional frequency measurement method. More importantly, the direct phase comparison, the measurement, and the control between any periodic signals have been realized without frequency normalization in this method. Experimental results show that sub-picosecond resolution can be easily obtained in the frequency measurement, the frequency standard comparison, and the phase-locked control based on the phase quantization processing technique. The method may be widely used in navigation positioning, space techniques, communication, radar, astronomy, atomic frequency standards, and other high-tech fields.

  6. Comparison of GC stationary phases for the separation of fatty acid methyl esters in biodiesel fuels.

    PubMed

    Goding, Julian C; Ragon, Dorisanne Y; O'Connor, Jack B; Boehm, Sarah J; Hupp, Amber M

    2013-07-01

    The fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) content of biodiesel fuels has traditionally been determined using gas chromatography with a polar stationary phase. In this study, a direct comparison of the separation of FAMEs present in various biodiesel samples on three polar stationary phases and one moderately polar stationary phase (with comparable column dimensions) was performed. Retention on each column was based on solubility in and polarity of the phase. Quantitative metrics describing the resolution of important FAME pairs indicate high resolution on all polar columns, yet the best resolution, particularly of geometric isomers, is achieved on the cyanopropyl column. In addition, the separation of four C18 monounsaturated isomers was optimized and the elution order determined on each column. FAME composition of various biodiesel fuel types was determined on each column to illustrate (1) chemical differences in biodiesels produced from different feedstocks and (2) chemical similarities in biodiesels of the same feedstock type produced in different locations and harvest seasons.

  7. Classification of Clouds and Deep Convection from GEOS-5 Using Satellite Observations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Putman, William; Suarez, Max

    2010-01-01

    With the increased resolution of global atmospheric models and the push toward global cloud resolving models, the resemblance of model output to satellite observations has become strikingly similar. As we progress with our adaptation of the Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Version 5 (GEOS-5) as a high resolution cloud system resolving model, evaluation of cloud properties and deep convection require in-depth analysis beyond a visual comparison. Outgoing long-wave radiation (OLR) provides a sufficient comparison with infrared (IR) satellite imagery to isolate areas of deep convection. We have adopted a binning technique to generate a series of histograms for OLR which classify the presence and fraction of clear sky versus deep convection in the tropics that can be compared with a similar analyses of IR imagery from composite Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) observations. We will present initial results that have been used to evaluate the amount of deep convective parameterization required within the model as we move toward cloud system resolving resolutions of 10- to 1-km globally.

  8. Merging daily sea surface temperature data from multiple satellites using a Bayesian maximum entropy method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, Shaolei; Yang, Xiaofeng; Dong, Di; Li, Ziwei

    2015-12-01

    Sea surface temperature (SST) is an important variable for understanding interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere. SST fusion is crucial for acquiring SST products of high spatial resolution and coverage. This study introduces a Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) method for blending daily SSTs from multiple satellite sensors. A new spatiotemporal covariance model of an SST field is built to integrate not only single-day SSTs but also time-adjacent SSTs. In addition, AVHRR 30-year SST climatology data are introduced as soft data at the estimation points to improve the accuracy of blended results within the BME framework. The merged SSTs, with a spatial resolution of 4 km and a temporal resolution of 24 hours, are produced in the Western Pacific Ocean region to demonstrate and evaluate the proposed methodology. Comparisons with in situ drifting buoy observations show that the merged SSTs are accurate and the bias and root-mean-square errors for the comparison are 0.15°C and 0.72°C, respectively.

  9. Topography of Venus and earth - A test for the presence of plate tectonics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Head, J. W.; Yuter, S. E.; Solomon, S. C.

    1981-01-01

    Comparisons of earth and Venus topography by use of Pioneer/Venus radar altimetry are examined. Approximately 93% of the Venus surface has been mapped with a horizontal resolution of 200 km and a vertical resolution of 200 m. Tectonic troughs have been indicated in plains regions which cover 65% of Venus, and hypsometric comparisons between the two planets' elevation distributions revealed that while the earth has a bimodal height distribution, Venus displays a unimodal configuration, with 60% of the planet surface within 500 m of the modal planet radius. The effects of mapping the earth at the same resolution as the Venus observations were explored. Continents and oceans were apparent, and although folded mountains appeared as high spots, no indications of tectonic activity were discernible. A NASA Venus Orbiting Imaging radar is outlined, which is designed to detect volcanoes, folded mountain ranges, craters, and faults, and thereby allow definition of possible plate-tectonic activity on Venus.

  10. SUPERNOVA DRIVING. III. SYNTHETIC MOLECULAR CLOUD OBSERVATIONS

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

    Padoan, Paolo; Juvela, Mika; Pan, Liubin

    We present a comparison of molecular clouds (MCs) from a simulation of supernova (SN) driven interstellar medium (ISM) turbulence with real MCs from the Outer Galaxy Survey. The radiative transfer calculations to compute synthetic CO spectra are carried out assuming that the CO relative abundance depends only on gas density, according to four different models. Synthetic MCs are selected above a threshold brightness temperature value, T {sub B,min} = 1.4 K, of the J = 1 − 0 {sup 12}CO line, generating 16 synthetic catalogs (four different spatial resolutions and four CO abundance models), each containing up to several thousandsmore » MCs. The comparison with the observations focuses on the mass and size distributions and on the velocity–size and mass–size Larson relations. The mass and size distributions are found to be consistent with the observations, with no significant variations with spatial resolution or chemical model, except in the case of the unrealistic model with constant CO abundance. The velocity–size relation is slightly too steep for some of the models, while the mass–size relation is a bit too shallow for all models only at a spatial resolution dx ≈ 1 pc. The normalizations of the Larson relations show a clear dependence on spatial resolution, for both the synthetic and the real MCs. The comparison of the velocity–size normalization suggests that the SN rate in the Perseus arm is approximately 70% or less of the rate adopted in the simulation. Overall, the realistic properties of the synthetic clouds confirm that SN-driven turbulence can explain the origin and dynamics of MCs.« less

  11. Supernova Driving. III. Synthetic Molecular Cloud Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Padoan, Paolo; Juvela, Mika; Pan, Liubin; Haugbølle, Troels; Nordlund, Åke

    2016-08-01

    We present a comparison of molecular clouds (MCs) from a simulation of supernova (SN) driven interstellar medium (ISM) turbulence with real MCs from the Outer Galaxy Survey. The radiative transfer calculations to compute synthetic CO spectra are carried out assuming that the CO relative abundance depends only on gas density, according to four different models. Synthetic MCs are selected above a threshold brightness temperature value, T B,min = 1.4 K, of the J = 1 - 0 12CO line, generating 16 synthetic catalogs (four different spatial resolutions and four CO abundance models), each containing up to several thousands MCs. The comparison with the observations focuses on the mass and size distributions and on the velocity-size and mass-size Larson relations. The mass and size distributions are found to be consistent with the observations, with no significant variations with spatial resolution or chemical model, except in the case of the unrealistic model with constant CO abundance. The velocity-size relation is slightly too steep for some of the models, while the mass-size relation is a bit too shallow for all models only at a spatial resolution dx ≈ 1 pc. The normalizations of the Larson relations show a clear dependence on spatial resolution, for both the synthetic and the real MCs. The comparison of the velocity-size normalization suggests that the SN rate in the Perseus arm is approximately 70% or less of the rate adopted in the simulation. Overall, the realistic properties of the synthetic clouds confirm that SN-driven turbulence can explain the origin and dynamics of MCs.

  12. Phase I, open-cycle absorption solar cooling. Part IV. Executive summary analysis and resolution of critical issues and recommendations for Phase II. Final report

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

    Wood, B.D.

    The objective of this project is to advance lower cost solar cooling technology with the feasibility analysis, design and evaluation of proof-of-concept open cycle solar cooling concepts. The work is divided into three phases, with planned completion of each phase before proceeding with the following phase: Phase I - performance/economic/environmental related analysis and exploratory studies; Phase II - design and construction of an experimental system, including evaluative testing; Phase III - extended system testing during operation and engineering modifications as required. For Phase I, analysis and resolution of critical issues were completed with the objective of developing design specifications formore » an improved prototype OCA system.« less

  13. Will embryonic stem cells change health policy?

    PubMed

    Sage, William M

    2010-01-01

    Embryonic stem cells are actively debated in political and public policy arenas. However, the connections between stem cell innovation and overall health care policy are seldom elucidated. As with many controversial aspects of medical care, the stem cell debate bridges to a variety of social conversations beyond abortion. Some issues, such as translational medicine, commercialization, patient and public safety, health care spending, physician practice, and access to insurance and health care services, are core health policy concerns. Other issues, such as economic development, technologic progress, fiscal politics, and tort reform, are only indirectly related to the health care system but are frequently seen through a health care lens. These connections will help determine whether the stem cell debate reaches a resolution, and what that resolution might be.

  14. Imaging the cell surface and its organization down to the level of single molecules.

    PubMed

    Klenerman, David; Shevchuk, Andrew; Novak, Pavel; Korchev, Yuri E; Davis, Simon J

    2013-02-05

    Determining the organization of key molecules on the surface of live cells in two dimensions and how this changes during biological processes, such as signalling, is a major challenge in cell biology and requires methods with nanoscale spatial resolution and high temporal resolution. Here, we review biophysical tools, based on scanning ion conductance microscopy and single-molecule fluorescence and the combination of both of these methods, which have recently been developed to address these issues. We then give examples of how these methods have been be applied to provide new insights into cell membrane organization and function, and discuss some of the issues that will need to be addressed to further exploit these methods in the future.

  15. A range/depth modulation transfer function (RMTF) framework for characterizing 3D imaging LADAR performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Staple, Bevan; Earhart, R. P.; Slaymaker, Philip A.; Drouillard, Thomas F., II; Mahony, Thomas

    2005-05-01

    3D imaging LADARs have emerged as the key technology for producing high-resolution imagery of targets in 3-dimensions (X and Y spatial, and Z in the range/depth dimension). Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. continues to make significant investments in this technology to enable critical NASA, Department of Defense, and national security missions. As a consequence of rapid technology developments, two issues have emerged that need resolution. First, the terminology used to rate LADAR performance (e.g., range resolution) is inconsistently defined, is improperly used, and thus has become misleading. Second, the terminology does not include a metric of the system"s ability to resolve the 3D depth features of targets. These two issues create confusion when translating customer requirements into hardware. This paper presents a candidate framework for addressing these issues. To address the consistency issue, the framework utilizes only those terminologies proposed and tested by leading LADAR research and standards institutions. We also provide suggestions for strengthening these definitions by linking them to the well-known Rayleigh criterion extended into the range dimension. To address the inadequate 3D image quality metrics, the framework introduces the concept of a Range/Depth Modulation Transfer Function (RMTF). The RMTF measures the impact of the spatial frequencies of a 3D target on its measured modulation in range/depth. It is determined using a new, Range-Based, Slanted Knife-Edge test. We present simulated results for two LADAR pulse detection techniques and compare them to a baseline centroid technique. Consistency in terminology plus a 3D image quality metric enable improved system standardization.

  16. Interpersonal conflict: strategies and guidelines for resolution.

    PubMed

    Wolfe, D E; Bushardt, S C

    1985-02-01

    Historically, management theorists have recommended the avoidance or suppression of conflict. Modern management theorists recognize interpersonal conflict as an inevitable byproduct of growth and change. The issue is no longer avoidance of conflict but the strategy by which conflict is resolved. Various strategies of conflict resolution and the consequences of each are discussed in this article, along with guidelines for the effective use of confrontation strategy.

  17. ISS Hygiene Activities - Issues and Resolutions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prokhorov, Kimberlee S.; Feldman, Brienne; Walker, Stephanie; Bruce, Rebekah

    2009-01-01

    Hygiene is something that is usually taken for granted by those of us on the Earth. The ability to perform hygiene satisfactorily during long duration space flight is crucial for the crew's ability to function. Besides preserving the basic health of the crew, crew members have expressed that the ability to clean up on-orbit is vital for mental health. Providing this functionality involves more than supplying hygiene items such as soap and toothpaste. On the International Space Station (ISS), the details on where and how to perform hygiene were left to the crew discretion for the first seventeen increments. Without clear guidance, the methods implemented on-orbit have resulted in some unintended consequences to the ISS environment. This paper will outline the issues encountered regarding hygiene activities on-board the ISS, and the lessons that have been learned in addressing those issues. Additionally, the paper will address the resolutions that have been put into place to protect the ISS environment while providing the crew sufficient means to perform hygiene.

  18. Genome Comparisons Reveal a Dominant Mechanism of Chromosome Number Reduction in Grasses and Accelerated Genome Evolution in Triticeae

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Single nucleotide polymorphism was employed in the construction of a high-resolution, expressed sequence tag (EST) map of Aegilops tauschii, the diploid source of the wheat D genome. Comparison of the map with the rice and sorghum genome sequences revealed 50 inversions and translocations; 2, 8, and...

  19. Multiple chemical sensitivity and workplace discrimination: the national EEOC ADA research project.

    PubMed

    Vierstra, Courtney V; Rumrill, Phillip D; Koch, Lynn C; McMahon, Brian T

    2007-01-01

    Information from the Integrated Mission System of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was used to investigate the employment discrimination experiences of Americans with multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) in comparison to Americans in a general disability group with allergies, asthma, HIV, gastrointestinal impairment, cumulative trauma disorder and tuberculosis. Specifically, the researchers examined demographic characteristics of the charging parties; the industry designation, location, and size of employers against whom allegations were filed; the nature of discrimination (i.e., type of adverse action) alleged to occur; and the legal outcomes or resolutions of these allegations. Findings indicate that persons with MCS were, on average, older than the comparison group and comparatively overrepresented by Caucasians and women. People with MCS were proportionally more likely than the comparison group to allege discrimination related to reasonable accommodations. People with MCS were proportionally more likely than the comparison group to file allegations against employers in the manufacturing and public administration industries, employers with 201-500 workers, and employers in the Western Census region. People with MCS were proportionally more likely than the comparison group to receive non-merit resolutions as a result of the EEOC's Americans with Disabilities Act Title I investigatory process. Implications for policy and advocacy are addressed.

  20. Negotiation From a Near and Distant Time Perspective

    PubMed Central

    Henderson, Marlone D.; Trope, Yaacov; Carnevale, Peter J.

    2011-01-01

    Across 3 experiments, the authors examined the effects of temporal distance on negotiation behavior. They found that greater temporal distance from negotiation decreased preference for piecemeal, single-issue consideration over integrative, multi-issue consideration (Experiment 1). They also found that greater temporal distance from an event being negotiated increased interest in conceding on the lowest priority issue and decreased interest in conceding on the highest priority issue (Experiment 2). Lastly, they found increased temporal distance from an event being negotiated produced a greater proportion of multi-issue offers, a greater likelihood of conceding on the lowest priority issue in exchange for a concession on the highest priority issue, and greater individual and joint outcomes (Experiment 3). Implications for conflict resolution and construal level theory are discussed. PMID:17014295

  1. The Fundamental Structure of Coronal Loops

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Winebarger, Amy; Warren, Harry; Cirtain, Jonathan; Kobayashi, Ken; Korreck, Kelly; Golub, Leon; Kuzin, Sergey; Walsh, Robert; DePontieu, Bart; Title, Alan; hide

    2012-01-01

    During the past ten years, solar physicists have attempted to infer the coronal heating mechanism by comparing observations of coronal loops with hydrodynamic model predictions. These comparisons often used the addition of sub ]resolution strands to explain the observed loop properties. On July 11, 2012, the High Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi ]C) was launched on a sounding rocket. This instrument obtained images of the solar corona was 0.2 ]0.3'' resolution in a narrowband EUV filter centered around 193 Angstroms. In this talk, we will compare these high resolution images to simultaneous density measurements obtained with the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph (EIS) on Hinode to determine whether the structures observed with Hi ]C are resolved.

  2. Comparison and validation of gridded precipitation datasets for Spain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quintana-Seguí, Pere; Turco, Marco; Míguez-Macho, Gonzalo

    2016-04-01

    In this study, two gridded precipitation datasets are compared and validated in Spain: the recently developed SAFRAN dataset and the Spain02 dataset. These are validated using rain gauges and they are also compared to the low resolution ERA-Interim reanalysis. The SAFRAN precipitation dataset has been recently produced, using the SAFRAN meteorological analysis, which is extensively used in France (Durand et al. 1993, 1999; Quintana-Seguí et al. 2008; Vidal et al., 2010) and which has recently been applied to Spain (Quintana-Seguí et al., 2015). SAFRAN uses an optimal interpolation (OI) algorithm and uses all available rain gauges from the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (Agencia Estatal de Meteorología, AEMET). The product has a spatial resolution of 5 km and it spans from September 1979 to August 2014. This dataset has been produced mainly to be used in large scale hydrological applications. Spain02 (Herrera et al. 2012, 2015) is another high quality precipitation dataset for Spain based on a dense network of quality-controlled stations and it has different versions at different resolutions. In this study we used the version with a resolution of 0.11°. The product spans from 1971 to 2010. Spain02 is well tested and widely used, mainly, but not exclusively, for RCM model validation and statistical downscliang. ERA-Interim is a well known global reanalysis with a spatial resolution of ˜79 km. It has been included in the comparison because it is a widely used product for continental and global scale studies and also in smaller scale studies in data poor countries. Thus, its comparison with higher resolution products of a data rich country, such as Spain, allows us to quantify the errors made when using such datasets for national scale studies, in line with some of the objectives of the EU-FP7 eartH2Observe project. The comparison shows that SAFRAN and Spain02 perform similarly, even though their underlying principles are different. Both products are largely better than ERA-Interim, which has a much coarser representation of the relief, which is crucial for precipitation. These results are a contribution to the Spanish Case Study of the eartH2Observe project, which is focused on the simulation of drought processes in Spain using Land-Surface Models (LSM). This study will also be helpful in the Spanish MARCO project, which aims at improving the ability of RCMs to simulate hydrometeorological extremes.

  3. Cracks in Continuing Education's Mirror and a Fix To Correct Its Distorted Internal and External Image.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Loch, John R.

    2003-01-01

    Outlines problems in continuing higher education, suggesting that it lacks (1) a standard name; (2) a unified voice on national issues; (3) a standard set of roles and functions; (4) a standard title for the chief administrative officer; (5) an accreditation body and process; and (6) resolution of the centralization/decentralization issue. (SK)

  4. The Impact of Adoption on Members of the Triad. Adoption and Ethics, Volume 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Freundlich, Madelyn

    The controversies in adoption have extended across a spectrum of policy and practice issues, and although the issues have become clear, resolution has not been achieved nor has consensus developed regarding a framework on which to improve the quality of adoption policy and practice. This book is the third in a series to use an ethics-based…

  5. Public involvement and consensus building in the Verde River Watershed in central Arizona

    Treesearch

    Tom Bonomo

    1996-01-01

    Currently an organization called the Verde Watershed Association is the central point for consensus building and public involvement in water issues in the Verde River Watershed. The association is the out growth of efforts towards the resolution of watershed issues without passing new laws, initiating regulations, or entering the win-lose arena of litigation. The...

  6. Model Comparison of Bayesian Semiparametric and Parametric Structural Equation Models

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Song, Xin-Yuan; Xia, Ye-Mao; Pan, Jun-Hao; Lee, Sik-Yum

    2011-01-01

    Structural equation models have wide applications. One of the most important issues in analyzing structural equation models is model comparison. This article proposes a Bayesian model comparison statistic, namely the "L[subscript nu]"-measure for both semiparametric and parametric structural equation models. For illustration purposes, we consider…

  7. Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Forms of the Enhancing Relationships in School Communities Project for Promoting Cooperative Conflict Resolution Education in Australian Primary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trinder, Margot; Wertheim, Eleanor H.; Freeman, Elizabeth; Sanson, Ann; Richardson, Shanel; Hunt, Sue

    2010-01-01

    This study evaluated the Enhancing Relationships in School Communities (ERIS) Project which aimed to promote constructive conflict resolution (CR) in Australian primary school communities through professional development for core teams of three-five staff (n = 33 teachers). Twelve schools were randomly assigned to a full intervention (FI) group or…

  8. Comparison of LiDAR-derived data and high resolution true color imagery for extracting urban forest cover

    Treesearch

    Aaron E. Maxwell; Adam C. Riley; Paul Kinder

    2013-01-01

    Remote sensing has many applications in forestry. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and high resolution aerial photography have been investigated as means to extract forest data, such as biomass, timber volume, stand dynamics, and gap characteristics. LiDAR return intensity data are often overlooked as a source of input raster data for thematic map creation. We...

  9. Production of Landsat ETM+ reference imagery of burned areas within Southern African savannahs: comparison of methods and application to MODIS

    Treesearch

    A. M. S. Smith; N. A. Drake; M. J. Wooster; A. T. Hudak; Z. A. Holden; C. J. Gibbons

    2007-01-01

    Accurate production of regional burned area maps are necessary to reduce uncertainty in emission estimates from African savannah fires. Numerous methods have been developed that map burned and unburned surfaces. These methods are typically applied to coarse spatial resolution (1 km) data to produce regional estimates of the area burned, while higher spatial resolution...

  10. On precise phase difference measurement approach using border stability of detection resolution.

    PubMed

    Bai, Lina; Su, Xin; Zhou, Wei; Ou, Xiaojuan

    2015-01-01

    For the precise phase difference measurement, this paper develops an improved dual phase coincidence detection method. The measurement resolution of the digital phase coincidence detection circuits is always limited, for example, only at the nanosecond level. This paper reveals a new way to improve the phase difference measurement precision by using the border stability of the circuit detection fuzzy areas. When a common oscillator signal is used to detect the phase coincidence with the two comparison signals, there will be two detection fuzzy areas for the reason of finite detection resolution surrounding the strict phase coincidence. Border stability of fuzzy areas and the fluctuation difference of the two fuzzy areas can be even finer than the picoseconds level. It is shown that the system resolution obtained only depends on the stability of the circuit measurement resolution which is much better than the measurement device resolution itself.

  11. Test target for characterizing 3D resolution of optical coherence tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Zhixiong; Hao, Bingtao; Liu, Wenli; Hong, Baoyu; Li, Jiao

    2014-12-01

    Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive 3D imaging technology which has been applied or investigated in many diagnostic fields including ophthalmology, dermatology, dentistry, cardiovasology, endoscopy, brain imaging and so on. Optical resolution is an important characteristic that can describe the quality and utility of an image acquiring system. We employ 3D printing technology to design and fabricate a test target for characterizing 3D resolution of optical coherence tomography. The test target which mimics USAF 1951 test chart was produced with photopolymer. By measuring the 3D test target, axial resolution as well as lateral resolution of a spectral domain OCT system was evaluated. For comparison, conventional microscope and surface profiler were employed to characterize the 3D test targets. The results demonstrate that the 3D resolution test targets have the potential of qualitatively and quantitatively validating the performance of OCT systems.

  12. Complementarity of PALM and SOFI for super-resolution live-cell imaging of focal adhesions

    PubMed Central

    Deschout, Hendrik; Lukes, Tomas; Sharipov, Azat; Szlag, Daniel; Feletti, Lely; Vandenberg, Wim; Dedecker, Peter; Hofkens, Johan; Leutenegger, Marcel; Lasser, Theo; Radenovic, Aleksandra

    2016-01-01

    Live-cell imaging of focal adhesions requires a sufficiently high temporal resolution, which remains a challenge for super-resolution microscopy. Here we address this important issue by combining photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) with super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (SOFI). Using simulations and fixed-cell focal adhesion images, we investigate the complementarity between PALM and SOFI in terms of spatial and temporal resolution. This PALM-SOFI framework is used to image focal adhesions in living cells, while obtaining a temporal resolution below 10 s. We visualize the dynamics of focal adhesions, and reveal local mean velocities around 190 nm min−1. The complementarity of PALM and SOFI is assessed in detail with a methodology that integrates a resolution and signal-to-noise metric. This PALM and SOFI concept provides an enlarged quantitative imaging framework, allowing unprecedented functional exploration of focal adhesions through the estimation of molecular parameters such as fluorophore densities and photoactivation or photoswitching kinetics. PMID:27991512

  13. Complementarity of PALM and SOFI for super-resolution live-cell imaging of focal adhesions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deschout, Hendrik; Lukes, Tomas; Sharipov, Azat; Szlag, Daniel; Feletti, Lely; Vandenberg, Wim; Dedecker, Peter; Hofkens, Johan; Leutenegger, Marcel; Lasser, Theo; Radenovic, Aleksandra

    2016-12-01

    Live-cell imaging of focal adhesions requires a sufficiently high temporal resolution, which remains a challenge for super-resolution microscopy. Here we address this important issue by combining photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) with super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (SOFI). Using simulations and fixed-cell focal adhesion images, we investigate the complementarity between PALM and SOFI in terms of spatial and temporal resolution. This PALM-SOFI framework is used to image focal adhesions in living cells, while obtaining a temporal resolution below 10 s. We visualize the dynamics of focal adhesions, and reveal local mean velocities around 190 nm min-1. The complementarity of PALM and SOFI is assessed in detail with a methodology that integrates a resolution and signal-to-noise metric. This PALM and SOFI concept provides an enlarged quantitative imaging framework, allowing unprecedented functional exploration of focal adhesions through the estimation of molecular parameters such as fluorophore densities and photoactivation or photoswitching kinetics.

  14. Complementarity of PALM and SOFI for super-resolution live-cell imaging of focal adhesions.

    PubMed

    Deschout, Hendrik; Lukes, Tomas; Sharipov, Azat; Szlag, Daniel; Feletti, Lely; Vandenberg, Wim; Dedecker, Peter; Hofkens, Johan; Leutenegger, Marcel; Lasser, Theo; Radenovic, Aleksandra

    2016-12-19

    Live-cell imaging of focal adhesions requires a sufficiently high temporal resolution, which remains a challenge for super-resolution microscopy. Here we address this important issue by combining photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) with super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (SOFI). Using simulations and fixed-cell focal adhesion images, we investigate the complementarity between PALM and SOFI in terms of spatial and temporal resolution. This PALM-SOFI framework is used to image focal adhesions in living cells, while obtaining a temporal resolution below 10 s. We visualize the dynamics of focal adhesions, and reveal local mean velocities around 190 nm min -1 . The complementarity of PALM and SOFI is assessed in detail with a methodology that integrates a resolution and signal-to-noise metric. This PALM and SOFI concept provides an enlarged quantitative imaging framework, allowing unprecedented functional exploration of focal adhesions through the estimation of molecular parameters such as fluorophore densities and photoactivation or photoswitching kinetics.

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

    Karpius, Peter Joseph; Myers, Steven Charles

    This presentation is a part of the DHS LSS spectroscopy course and provides an overview of the following concepts: detector system components, intrinsic and absolute efficiency, resolution and linearity, and operational issues and limits.

  16. Calculation of steady and unsteady transonic flow using a Cartesian mesh and gridless boundary conditions with application to aeroelasticity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirshman, David

    A numerical method for the solution of inviscid compressible flow using an array of embedded Cartesian meshes in conjunction with gridless surface boundary conditions is developed. The gridless boundary treatment is implemented by means of a least squares fitting of the conserved flux variables using a cloud of nodes in the vicinity of the surface geometry. The method allows for accurate treatment of the surface boundary conditions using a grid resolution an order of magnitude coarser than required of typical Cartesian approaches. Additionally, the method does not suffer from issues associated with thin body geometry or extremely fine cut cells near the body. Unlike some methods that consider a gridless (or "meshless") treatment throughout the entire domain, multi-grid acceleration can be effectively incorporated and issues associated with global conservation are alleviated. The "gridless" surface boundary condition provides for efficient and simple problem set up since definition of the body geometry is generated independently from the field mesh, and automatically incorporated into the field discretization of the domain. The applicability of the method is first demonstrated for steady flow of single and multi-element airfoil configurations. Using this method, comparisons with traditional body-fitted grid simulations reveal that steady flow solutions can be obtained accurately with minimal effort associated with grid generation. The method is then extended to unsteady flow predictions. In this application, flow field simulations for the prescribed oscillation of an airfoil indicate excellent agreement with experimental data. Furthermore, it is shown that the phase lag associated with shock oscillation is accurately predicted without the need for a deformable mesh. Lastly, the method is applied to the prediction of transonic flutter using a two-dimensional wing model, in which comparisons with moving mesh simulations yield nearly identical results. As a result, applicability of the method to transient and vibrating fluid-structure interaction problems is established in which the requirement for a deformable mesh is eliminated.

  17. Hyper-Resolution Groundwater Modeling using MODFLOW 6

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hughes, J. D.; Langevin, C.

    2017-12-01

    MODFLOW 6 is the latest version of the U.S. Geological Survey's modular hydrologic model. MODFLOW 6 was developed to synthesize many of the recent versions of MODFLOW into a single program, improve the way different process models are coupled, and to provide an object-oriented framework for adding new types of models and packages. The object-oriented framework and underlying numerical solver make it possible to tightly couple any number of hyper-resolution models within coarser regional models. The hyper-resolution models can be used to evaluate local-scale groundwater issues that may be affected by regional-scale forcings. In MODFLOW 6, hyper-resolution meshes can be maintained as separate model datasets, similar to MODFLOW-LGR, which simplifies the development of a coarse regional model with imbedded hyper-resolution models from a coarse regional model. For example, the South Atlantic Coastal Plain regional water availability model was converted from a MODFLOW-2000 model to a MODFLOW 6 model. The horizontal discretization of the original model is approximately 3,218 m x 3,218 m. Hyper-resolution models of the Aiken and Sumter County water budget areas in South Carolina with a horizontal discretization of approximately 322 m x 322 m were developed and were tightly coupled to a modified version of the original coarse regional model that excluded these areas. Hydraulic property and aquifer geometry data from the coarse model were mapped to the hyper-resolution models. The discretization of the hyper-resolution models is fine enough to make detailed analyses of the effect that changes in groundwater withdrawals in the production aquifers have on the water table and surface-water/groundwater interactions. The approach used in this analysis could be applied to other regional water availability models that have been developed by the U.S. Geological Survey to evaluate local scale groundwater issues.

  18. Sensitivity of drainage morphometry based hydrological response (GIUH) of a river basin to the spatial resolution of DEM data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sahoo, Ramendra; Jain, Vikrant

    2018-02-01

    Drainage network pattern and its associated morphometric ratios are some of the important plan form attributes of a drainage basin. Extraction of these attributes for any basin is usually done by spatial analysis of the elevation data of that basin. These planform attributes are further used as input data for studying numerous process-response interactions inside the physical premise of the basin. One of the important uses of the morphometric ratios is its usage in the derivation of hydrologic response of a basin using GIUH concept. Hence, accuracy of the basin hydrological response to any storm event depends upon the accuracy with which, the morphometric ratios can be estimated. This in turn, is affected by the spatial resolution of the source data, i.e. the digital elevation model (DEM). We have estimated the sensitivity of the morphometric ratios and the GIUH derived hydrograph parameters, to the resolution of source data using a 30 meter and a 90 meter DEM. The analysis has been carried out for 50 drainage basins in a mountainous catchment. A simple and comprehensive algorithm has been developed for estimation of the morphometric indices from a stream network. We have calculated all the morphometric parameters and the hydrograph parameters for each of these basins extracted from two different DEMs, with different spatial resolutions. Paired t-test and Sign test were used for the comparison. Our results didn't show any statistically significant difference among any of the parameters calculated from the two source data. Along with the comparative study, a first-hand empirical analysis about the frequency distribution of the morphometric and hydrologic response parameters has also been communicated. Further, a comparison with other hydrological models suggests that plan form morphometry based GIUH model is more consistent with resolution variability in comparison to topographic based hydrological model.

  19. High-resolution CSR GRACE RL05 mascons

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Save, Himanshu; Bettadpur, Srinivas; Tapley, Byron D.

    2016-10-01

    The determination of the gravity model for the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) is susceptible to modeling errors, measurement noise, and observability issues. The ill-posed GRACE estimation problem causes the unconstrained GRACE RL05 solutions to have north-south stripes. We discuss the development of global equal area mascon solutions to improve the GRACE gravity information for the study of Earth surface processes. These regularized mascon solutions are developed with a 1° resolution using Tikhonov regularization in a geodesic grid domain. These solutions are derived from GRACE information only, and no external model or data is used to inform the constraints. The regularization matrix is time variable and will not bias or attenuate future regional signals to some past statistics from GRACE or other models. The resulting Center for Space Research (CSR) mascon solutions have no stripe errors and capture all the signals observed by GRACE within the measurement noise level. The solutions are not tailored for specific applications and are global in nature. This study discusses the solution approach and compares the resulting solutions with postprocessed results from the RL05 spherical harmonic solutions and other global mascon solutions for studies of Arctic ice sheet processes, ocean bottom pressure variation, and land surface total water storage change. This suite of comparisons leads to the conclusion that the mascon solutions presented here are an enhanced representation of the RL05 GRACE solutions and provide accurate surface-based gridded information that can be used without further processing.

  20. Power quality considerations for nuclear spectroscopy applications: Grounding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    García-Hernández, J. M.; Ramírez-Jiménez, F. J.; Mondragón-Contreras, L.; López-Callejas, R.; Torres-Bribiesca, M. A.; Peña-Eguiluz, R.

    2013-11-01

    Traditionally the electrical installations are designed for supplying power and to assure the personnel safety. In nuclear analysis laboratories, additional issues about grounding also must be considered for proper operation of high resolution nuclear spectroscopy systems. This paper shows the traditional ways of grounding nuclear spectroscopy systems and through different scenarios, it shows the effects on the more sensitive parameter of these systems: the energy resolution, it also proposes the constant monitoring of a power quality parameter as a way to preserve or to improve the resolution of the systems, avoiding the influence of excessive extrinsic noise.

  1. A conceptual model to empower software requirements conflict detection and resolution with rule-based reasoning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmad, Sabrina; Jalil, Intan Ermahani A.; Ahmad, Sharifah Sakinah Syed

    2016-08-01

    It is seldom technical issues which impede the process of eliciting software requirements. The involvement of multiple stakeholders usually leads to conflicts and therefore the need of conflict detection and resolution effort is crucial. This paper presents a conceptual model to further improve current efforts. Hence, this paper forwards an improved conceptual model to assist the conflict detection and resolution effort which extends the model ability and improves overall performance. The significant of the new model is to empower the automation of conflicts detection and its severity level with rule-based reasoning.

  2. The Power to Declare War: The Ultimate Check on Presidential Power

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-03-07

    action through a resolution or by continued funding. When Congress does declare war it grants sweeping powers to the Executive Branch that threatens...formally declare war. If war only requires limited resources then Congress authorizes the action through a resolution or by continued funding. When...surface it may appear that Congress has not performed its constitutional obligations by authorizing military actions without issuing a formal

  3. Ground truth management system to support multispectral scanner /MSS/ digital analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Coiner, J. C.; Ungar, S. G.

    1977-01-01

    A computerized geographic information system for management of ground truth has been designed and implemented to relate MSS classification results to in situ observations. The ground truth system transforms, generalizes and rectifies ground observations to conform to the pixel size and shape of high resolution MSS aircraft data. These observations can then be aggregated for comparison to lower resolution sensor data. Construction of a digital ground truth array allows direct pixel by pixel comparison between classification results of MSS data and ground truth. By making comparisons, analysts can identify spatial distribution of error within the MSS data as well as usual figures of merit for the classifications. Use of the ground truth system permits investigators to compare a variety of environmental or anthropogenic data, such as soil color or tillage patterns, with classification results and allows direct inclusion of such data into classification operations. To illustrate the system, examples from classification of simulated Thematic Mapper data for agricultural test sites in North Dakota and Kansas are provided.

  4. 48 CFR 1603.7002 - Additional guidelines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... plan. The official document for benefit and rate comparisons among FEHBP plans is the comparison chart issued by OPM. (b) Not use the FEHBP logo. (c) Recognize that the officially approved plan brochure is...

  5. 48 CFR 1603.7002 - Additional guidelines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... plan. The official document for benefit and rate comparisons among FEHBP plans is the comparison chart issued by OPM. (b) Not use the FEHBP logo. (c) Recognize that the officially approved plan brochure is...

  6. 48 CFR 1603.7002 - Additional guidelines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... plan. The official document for benefit and rate comparisons among FEHBP plans is the comparison chart issued by OPM. (b) Not use the FEHBP logo. (c) Recognize that the officially approved plan brochure is...

  7. 48 CFR 1603.7002 - Additional guidelines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... plan. The official document for benefit and rate comparisons among FEHBP plans is the comparison chart issued by OPM. (b) Not use the FEHBP logo. (c) Recognize that the officially approved plan brochure is...

  8. 48 CFR 1603.7002 - Additional guidelines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... plan. The official document for benefit and rate comparisons among FEHBP plans is the comparison chart issued by OPM. (b) Not use the FEHBP logo. (c) Recognize that the officially approved plan brochure is...

  9. A Comparison of Earthquake Back-Projection Imaging Methods for Dense Local Arrays, and Application to the 2011 Virginia Aftershock Sequence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beskardes, G. D.; Hole, J. A.; Wang, K.; Wu, Q.; Chapman, M. C.; Davenport, K. K.; Michaelides, M.; Brown, L. D.; Quiros, D. A.

    2016-12-01

    Back-projection imaging has recently become a practical method for local earthquake detection and location due to the deployment of densely sampled, continuously recorded, local seismograph arrays. Back-projection is scalable to earthquakes with a wide range of magnitudes from very tiny to very large. Local dense arrays provide the opportunity to capture very tiny events for a range applications, such as tectonic microseismicity, source scaling studies, wastewater injection-induced seismicity, hydraulic fracturing, CO2 injection monitoring, volcano studies, and mining safety. While back-projection sometimes utilizes the full seismic waveform, the waveforms are often pre-processed to overcome imaging issues. We compare the performance of back-projection using four previously used data pre-processing methods: full waveform, envelope, short-term averaging / long-term averaging (STA/LTA), and kurtosis. The goal is to identify an optimized strategy for an entirely automated imaging process that is robust in the presence of real-data issues, has the lowest signal-to-noise thresholds for detection and for location, has the best spatial resolution of the energy imaged at the source, preserves magnitude information, and considers computational cost. Real data issues include aliased station spacing, low signal-to-noise ratio (to <1), large noise bursts and spatially varying waveform polarity. For evaluation, the four imaging methods were applied to the aftershock sequence of the 2011 Virginia earthquake as recorded by the AIDA array with 200-400 m station spacing. These data include earthquake magnitudes from -2 to 3 with highly variable signal to noise, spatially aliased noise, and large noise bursts: realistic issues in many environments. Each of the four back-projection methods has advantages and disadvantages, and a combined multi-pass method achieves the best of all criteria. Preliminary imaging results from the 2011 Virginia dataset will be presented.

  10. Uncovering the effective interval of resolution parameter across multiple community optimization measures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Hui-Jia; Cheng, Qing; Mao, He-Jin; Wang, Huanian; Chen, Junhua

    2017-03-01

    The study of community structure is a primary focus of network analysis, which has attracted a large amount of attention. In this paper, we focus on two famous functions, i.e., the Hamiltonian function H and the modularity density measure D, and intend to uncover the effective thresholds of their corresponding resolution parameter γ without resolution limit problem. Two widely used example networks are employed, including the ring network of lumps as well as the ad hoc network. In these two networks, we use discrete convex analysis to study the interval of resolution parameter of H and D that will not cause the misidentification. By comparison, we find that in both examples, for Hamiltonian function H, the larger the value of resolution parameter γ, the less resolution limit the network suffers; while for modularity density D, the less resolution limit the network suffers when we decrease the value of γ. Our framework is mathematically strict and efficient and can be applied in a lot of scientific fields.

  11. Spatial Estimation of Evapotranspiration in an Irrigated Semi-arid Region Using LSMs Driven by Remote Sensing Data.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Etchanchu, J.; Delogu, E.; Saadi, S.; Chebbi, W.; Trapon, D.; Rivalland, V.; Boulet, G.; Boone, A. A.; Fanise, P.; Mougenot, B.; LE Dantec, V.

    2017-12-01

    Evapotranspiration and sensible-latent heat flux partition are important decision critera to manage crops, detect water stress and plan irrigation, particularly in a semi-arid context. Nowadays, remote sensing information (at medium -MODIS- and high resolution -LANDSAT, SPOT-) allows us to spatially estimate the different terms of the energy balance at daily and infra-daily time step through various approaches, either by forcing data in an energy balance model (EVASPA, Gallego-Elvira et al., 2013, and SPARSE, Boulet et al., 2015) or data assimilation in coupled water/energy balance models (SURFEX-ISBA, Noilhan et Planton, 1989). However, these different methods of flux estimations still require an evaluation through comparison to in-situ measurements and inter-comparison.The area selected for this study is the Kairouan agricultural plain, a semi-arid region in central Tunisia. Different flux datasets were acquired over two years, on an extensive rainfed oliveyard with very low vegetation cover, and on irrigated and rainfed wheat plots. In the same time, a third dataset has been acquired over a complex agricultural landscape with an eXtra-Large Aperture Scintillometer (XLAS) set-up on a 4 km transect.First, EC fluxes from towers are compared to the different model simulations at plot scale. Then a spatial comparison with retrievals of sensible and latent heat fluxes from XLAS is performed which allows to take into account the heterogeneity of the landscape (mix of wheat, irrigated oliveyards and bare soil). Effects on irrigation scenarios, through an automatic irrigation triggering method are tested and discussed. Finally, we cross-compare the different modeling approaches.We tackle the various issues: the accuracy of the measurements, the temporal frequency of remote sensing data, and the difficulty to calibrate the models.

  12. Comparison of Ground-Based and Airborne Function Allocation Concepts for NextGen Using Human-In-The-Loop Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wing, David J.; Prevot, Thomas; Murdoch, Jennifer L.; Cabrall, Christopher D.; Homola, Jeffrey R.; Martin, Lynne H.; Mercer, Joey S.; Hoadley, Sherwood T.; Wilson, Sara R.; Hubbs, Clay E.; hide

    2010-01-01

    Investigation of function allocation for the Next Generation Air Transportation System is being conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). To provide insight on comparability of different function allocations for separation assurance, two human-in-the-loop simulation experiments were conducted on homogeneous airborne and ground-based approaches to four-dimensional trajectory-based operations, one referred to as ground-based automated separation assurance (groundbased) and the other as airborne trajectory management with self-separation (airborne). In the coordinated simulations at NASA s Ames and Langley Research Centers, controllers for the ground-based concept at Ames and pilots for the airborne concept at Langley managed the same traffic scenarios using the two different concepts. The common scenarios represented a significant increase in airspace demand over current operations. Using common independent variables, the simulations varied traffic density, scheduling constraints, and the timing of trajectory change events. Common metrics were collected to enable a comparison of relevant results. Where comparisons were possible, no substantial differences in performance or operator acceptability were observed. Mean schedule conformance and flight path deviation were considered adequate for both approaches. Conflict detection warning times and resolution times were mostly adequate, but certain conflict situations were detected too late to be resolved in a timely manner. This led to some situations in which safety was compromised and/or workload was rated as being unacceptable in both experiments. Operators acknowledged these issues in their responses and ratings but gave generally positive assessments of the respective concept and operations they experienced. Future studies will evaluate technical improvements and procedural enhancements to achieve the required level of safety and acceptability and will investigate the integration of airborne and ground-based capabilities within the same airspace to leverage the benefits of each concept.

  13. Very high precision and accuracy analysis of triple isotopic ratios of water. A critical instrumentation comparison study.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gkinis, Vasileios; Holme, Christian; Morris, Valerie; Thayer, Abigail Grace; Vaughn, Bruce; Kjaer, Helle Astrid; Vallelonga, Paul; Simonsen, Marius; Jensen, Camilla Marie; Svensson, Anders; Maffrezzoli, Niccolo; Vinther, Bo; Dallmayr, Remi

    2017-04-01

    We present a performance comparison study between two state of the art Cavity Ring Down Spectrometers (Picarro L2310-i, L2140-i). The comparison took place during the Continuous Flow Analysis (CFA) campaign for the measurement of the Renland ice core, over a period of three months. Instant and complete vaporisation of the ice core melt stream, as well as of in-house water reference materials is achieved by accurate control of microflows of liquid into a homemade calibration system by following simple principles of the Hagen-Poiseuille law. Both instruments share the same vaporisation unit in a configuration that minimises sample preparation discrepancies between the two analyses. We describe our SMOW-SLAP calibration and measurement protocols for such a CFA application and present quality control metrics acquired during the full period of the campaign on a daily basis. The results indicate an unprecedented performance for all 3 isotopic ratios (δ2H, δ17O, δ18O ) in terms of precision, accuracy and resolution. We also comment on the precision and accuracy of the second order excess parameters of HD16O and H217O over H218O (Dxs, Δ17O ). To our knowledge these are the first reported CFA measurements at this level of precision and accuracy for all three isotopic ratios. Differences on the performance of the two instruments are carefully assessed during the measurement and reported here. Our quality control protocols extend to the area of low water mixing ratios, a regime in which often atmospheric vapour measurements take place and Cavity Ring Down Analysers show a poorer performance due to the lower signal to noise ratios. We address such issues and propose calibration protocols from which water vapour isotopic analyses can benefit from.

  14. A Submillimeter Resolution PET Prototype Evaluated With an 18F Inkjet Printed Phantom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneider, Florian R.; Hohberg, Melanie; Mann, Alexander B.; Paul, Stephan; Ziegler, Sibylle I.

    2015-10-01

    This work presents a submillimeter resolution PET (Positron Emission Tomography) scanner prototype based on SiPM/MPPC arrays (Silicon Photomultiplier/Multi Pixel Photon Counter). Onto each active area a 1 ×1 ×20 mm3 LYSO (Lutetium-Yttrium-Oxyorthosilicate) scintillator crystal is coupled one-to-one. Two detector modules facing each other in a distance of 10.0 cm have been set up with in total 64 channels that are digitized by SADCs (Sampling Analog to Digital Converters) with 80 MHz, 10 bit resolution and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) based extraction of energy and time information. Since standard phantoms are not sufficient for testing submillimeter resolution at which positron range is an issue, a 18F inkjet printed phantom has been used to explore the limit in spatial resolution. The phantom could be successfully reconstructed with an iterative MLEM (Maximum Likelihood Expectation Maximization) and an analytically calculated system matrix based on the DRF (Detector Response Function) model. The system yields a coincidence time resolution of 4.8 ns FWHM, an energy resolution of 20%-30% FWHM and a spatial resolution of 0.8 mm.

  15. Higher Education Funding Issues: U.S. / UK Comparison

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orkodashvili, Mariam

    2007-01-01

    The paper compares and contrasts higher education funding sources and systems in the U.S. and the UK. The issues raised in the paper pertain to the major challenge of academia: finding financial support in times of limited resources and enhanced competition. The issues discussed throughout the paper are: funding and quality assessment of…

  16. The 1986 NASP Survey: Comparison of Practitioners, NASP Leadership, and University Faculty on Key Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reschly, Daniel J.; And Others

    National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) practitioner members (N=600), all recent members of the NASP leadership (N=139), and college faculty (N=166) responded to surveys on a variety of topics and issues including current demographic information, NASP priorities, credentialing, job satisfaction, issues related to learning disabilities…

  17. Environmental and economic comparisons of the satellite power system and six alternative energy technologies

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

    Whitfield, R.G.; Habegger, L.J.; Levine, E.P.

    1981-04-01

    The objective of the comparative assessment is to provide an initial, traceable and consistent comparison of the SPS and selected current, near-term, and advanced energy technologies. Terrestrial alternatives were selected, and their cost, performance, and environmental and societal attributes were specified for use in the comparison with the SPS in the post-2000 era. The framework for comparisons was established. The SPS was compared with alternative systems in terms of key issues such as life-cycle cost and environmental impacts. The results of the assessments were assembled and integrated into a consistent comparative assessment. Environmental and economic effects are evaluated, which weremore » subdivided into the following issue areas: human health and safety, environmental welfare, resources (land, materials, energy, water, labor), macroeconomics, socioeconomics, and institutional. These evaluations were based on technology characterization data and alternative futures scenarios, which were developed as part of CDEP by supporting studies. The technologies and the scenarios are described. An additional major issue area concerned the cost and performance of the SPS and the alternative technologies: results in this area provided part of the basis of the macroeconomic analyses. 159 references.« less

  18. High-Resolution Adaptive Optics Test-Bed for Vision Science

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

    Wilks, S C; Thomspon, C A; Olivier, S S

    2001-09-27

    We discuss the design and implementation of a low-cost, high-resolution adaptive optics test-bed for vision research. It is well known that high-order aberrations in the human eye reduce optical resolution and limit visual acuity. However, the effects of aberration-free eyesight on vision are only now beginning to be studied using adaptive optics to sense and correct the aberrations in the eye. We are developing a high-resolution adaptive optics system for this purpose using a Hamamatsu Parallel Aligned Nematic Liquid Crystal Spatial Light Modulator. Phase-wrapping is used to extend the effective stroke of the device, and the wavefront sensing and wavefrontmore » correction are done at different wavelengths. Issues associated with these techniques will be discussed.« less

  19. A Comparison of High Spectral Resolution Infrared Cloud-Top Pressure Altitude Algorithms Using S-HIS Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Holz, Robert E.; Ackerman, Steve; Antonelli, Paolo; Nagle, Fred; McGill, Matthew; Hlavka, Dennis L.; Hart, William D.

    2005-01-01

    This paper presents a comparison of cloud-top altitude retrieval methods applied to S-HIS (Scanning High Resolution Interferometer Sounder) measurements. Included in this comparison is an improvement to the traditional CO2 Slicing method. The new method, CO2 Sorting, determines optimal channel pairs to apply the CO2 Slicing. Measurements from collocated samples of the Cloud Physics Lidar (CPL) and Modis Airborne Simulator (MAS) instruments assist in the comparison. For optically thick clouds good correlation between the S-HIS and lidar cloud-top retrievals are found. For tenuous ice clouds there can be large differences between lidar (CPL) and S-HIS retrieved cloud-tops. It is found that CO2 Sorting significantly reduces the cloud height biases for the optically thin cloud (total optical depths less then 1.0). For geometrically thick but optically thin cirrus clouds large differences between the S-HIS infrared cloud top retrievals and the CPL detected cloud top where found. For these cases the cloud height retrieved by the S-HIS cloud retrievals correlated closely with the level the CPL integrated cloud optical depth was approximately 1.0.

  20. 12 CFR 308.517 - Authority of the ALJ.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ...) Administer oaths and affirmations; (5) Issue subpoenas requiring the attendance of witnesses and the... regarding the validity of federal statutes or regulations or of directives, rules, resolutions, policies...

  1. Understanding conflict-resolution taskload: Implementing advisory conflict-detection and resolution algorithms in an airspace

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vela, Adan Ernesto

    2011-12-01

    From 2010 to 2030, the number of instrument flight rules aircraft operations handled by Federal Aviation Administration en route traffic centers is predicted to increase from approximately 39 million flights to 64 million flights. The projected growth in air transportation demand is likely to result in traffic levels that exceed the abilities of the unaided air traffic controller in managing, separating, and providing services to aircraft. Consequently, the Federal Aviation Administration, and other air navigation service providers around the world, are making several efforts to improve the capacity and throughput of existing airspaces. Ultimately, the stated goal of the Federal Aviation Administration is to triple the available capacity of the National Airspace System by 2025. In an effort to satisfy air traffic demand through the increase of airspace capacity, air navigation service providers are considering the inclusion of advisory conflict-detection and resolution systems. In a human-in-the-loop framework, advisory conflict-detection and resolution decision-support tools identify potential conflicts and propose resolution commands for the air traffic controller to verify and issue to aircraft. A number of researchers and air navigation service providers hypothesize that the inclusion of combined conflict-detection and resolution tools into air traffic control systems will reduce or transform controller workload and enable the required increases in airspace capacity. In an effort to understand the potential workload implications of introducing advisory conflict-detection and resolution tools, this thesis provides a detailed study of the conflict event process and the implementation of conflict-detection and resolution algorithms. Specifically, the research presented here examines a metric of controller taskload: how many resolution commands an air traffic controller issues under the guidance of a conflict-detection and resolution decision-support tool. The goal of the research is to understand how the formulation, capabilities, and implementation of conflict-detection and resolution tools affect the controller taskload (system demands) associated with the conflict-resolution process, and implicitly the controller workload (physical and psychological demands). Furthermore this thesis seeks to establish best practices for the design of future conflict-detection and resolution systems. To generalize conclusions on the conflict-resolution taskload and best design practices of conflict-detection and resolution systems, this thesis focuses on abstracting and parameterizing the behaviors and capabilities of the advisory tools. Ideally, this abstraction of advisory decision-support tools serves as an alternative to exhaustively designing tools, implementing them in high-fidelity simulations, and analyzing their conflict-resolution taskload. Such an approach of simulating specific conflict-detection and resolution systems limits the type of conclusions that can be drawn concerning the design of more generic algorithms. In the process of understanding conflict-detection and resolution systems, evidence in the thesis reveals that the most effective approach to reducing conflict-resolution taskload is to improve conflict-detection systems. Furthermore, studies in the this thesis indicate that there is significant exibility in the design of conflict-resolution algorithms.

  2. Foreword to the special issue on intercalibration of satellite instruments

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Chander, Gyanesh; Hewison, T.J.; Fox, Nigel; Wu, Xiangqian; Xiong, Xiaoxiong; Blackwell, William J.

    2013-01-01

    This forty papers in this special issue focus on how intercalibration and comparison between sensors can provide an effective and convenient means of verifying their postlaunch performance and correcting their measurement differences.

  3. Using Paired Comparisons to Assess Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strong, Lisa L.; Fiebert, Martin S.

    Past studies which have examined need levels have identified individuals as functioning at specific need levels without an adequate assessment of the intensity of each need or a clear comparison with other need levels. To address these issues, a self-report inventory using a modified paired comparison format was developed to assess need potencies…

  4. Measurement Issues in State Achievement Comparisons. Research Report. ETS RR-10-19

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zwick, Rebecca

    2010-01-01

    Political perspectives on the advisability of state achievement comparisons have changed substantially over the last half-century. As Selden (2004) noted regarding the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), "[w]hen it began in the 1960s, NAEP specifically was designed "not" to provide comparisons among states. This was…

  5. Comparison of computed tomography and complex motion tomography in the evaluation of cholesteatoma

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

    Shaffer, K.A.

    1984-08-01

    High-resolution axial and coronal computed tomographic (CT) scans were compared with coronal and sagittal complex motion tomograms in patients with suspected middle ear cholesteatomas. Information on CT scans equaled or exceeded that on conventional complex motion tomograms in 16 of 17 patients, and in 11 it provided additional information. Soft-tissue resolution was superior with CT. In 14 patients who underwent surgery, CT provided information that was valuable to the surgeon. On the basis of this study, high-resolution CT is recommended as the preferred method for evaluating most patients with cholesteatomas of the temporal bone.

  6. A quantitative comparison of resolution, scanning speed and lifetime behavior of CVD grown Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes and silicon SPM probes using spectral methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krause, O.; Bouchiat, V.; Bonnot, A. M.

    2007-03-01

    Due to their extreme aspect ratios and exceptional mechanical properties Carbon Nanotubes terminated silicon probes have proven to be the ''ideal'' probe for Atomic Force Microscopy. But especially for the manufacturing and use of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes there are serious problems, which have not been solved until today. Here, Single and Double Wall Carbon Nanotubes, batch processed and used as deposited by Chemical Vapor Deposition without any postprocessing, are compared to standard and high resolution silicon probes concerning resolution, scanning speed and lifetime behavior.

  7. Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-05-09

    resolution land-surface data with comparison to observations . These will be extended to higher resolution with the immersed boundary method when...To) 09/05/2017 Final 1 Jun 1 1 to 30 May 17 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Sa. CONTRACT NUMBER Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations ...OF NOTRE DAME DU LAC REPORT NUMBER RESEARCH AND SPONSORED PROGRAMS Final 940 GRACE HALL NOTRE DAME, IN 46556-5602 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY

  8. Alpha particle spectroscopy in radon/thoron progeny measurements.

    PubMed

    Thiessen, N P

    1994-12-01

    A comparison is made between the relative variances and counting time requirements for obtaining radon and thoron progeny air concentrations from total alpha count data and from spectroscopically resolved alpha count data collected from air sampling filters. Spectral resolution is shown to have significant advantages, especially in mixed radon/thoron atmospheres. Systematic biases resulting from imperfect energy peak resolution are shown to be subject to accurate mathematical compensation.

  9. Development of a procedure to model high-resolution wind profiles from smoothed or low-frequency data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Camp, D. W.

    1977-01-01

    The derivation of simulated Jimsphere wind profiles from low-frequency rawinsonde data and a generated set of white noise data are presented. A computer program is developed to model high-resolution wind profiles based on the statistical properties of data from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Comparison of the measured Jimsphere data, rawinsonde data, and the simulated profiles shows excellent agreement.

  10. Comparison of VRX CT scanners geometries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    DiBianca, Frank A.; Melnyk, Roman; Duckworth, Christopher N.; Russ, Stephan; Jordan, Lawrence M.; Laughter, Joseph S.

    2001-06-01

    A technique called Variable-Resolution X-ray (VRX) detection greatly increases the spatial resolution in computed tomography (CT) and digital radiography (DR) as the field size decreases. The technique is based on a principle called `projective compression' that allows both the resolution element and the sampling distance of a CT detector to scale with the subject or field size. For very large (40 - 50 cm) field sizes, resolution exceeding 2 cy/mm is possible and for very small fields, microscopy is attainable with resolution exceeding 100 cy/mm. This paper compares the benefits obtainable with two different VRX detector geometries: the single-arm geometry and the dual-arm geometry. The analysis is based on Monte Carlo simulations and direct calculations. The results of this study indicate that the dual-arm system appears to have more advantages than the single-arm technique.

  11. Impacts of high resolution data on traveler compliance levels in emergency evacuation simulations

    DOE PAGES

    Lu, Wei; Han, Lee D.; Liu, Cheng; ...

    2016-05-05

    In this article, we conducted a comparison study of evacuation assignment based on Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ) and high resolution LandScan USA Population Cells (LPC) with detailed real world roads network. A platform for evacuation modeling built on high resolution population distribution data and activity-based microscopic traffic simulation was proposed. This platform can be extended to any cities in the world. The results indicated that evacuee compliance behavior affects evacuation efficiency with traditional TAZ assignment, but it did not significantly compromise the performance with high resolution LPC assignment. The TAZ assignment also underestimated the real travel time during evacuation. Thismore » suggests that high data resolution can improve the accuracy of traffic modeling and simulation. The evacuation manager should consider more diverse assignment during emergency evacuation to avoid congestions.« less

  12. Comparison of SeaWinds Backscatter Imaging Algorithms

    PubMed Central

    Long, David G.

    2017-01-01

    This paper compares the performance and tradeoffs of various backscatter imaging algorithms for the SeaWinds scatterometer when multiple passes over a target are available. Reconstruction methods are compared with conventional gridding algorithms. In particular, the performance and tradeoffs in conventional ‘drop in the bucket’ (DIB) gridding at the intrinsic sensor resolution are compared to high-spatial-resolution imaging algorithms such as fine-resolution DIB and the scatterometer image reconstruction (SIR) that generate enhanced-resolution backscatter images. Various options for each algorithm are explored, including considering both linear and dB computation. The effects of sampling density and reconstruction quality versus time are explored. Both simulated and actual data results are considered. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of high-resolution reconstruction using SIR as well as its limitations and the limitations of DIB and fDIB. PMID:28828143

  13. Can social stories enhance the interpersonal conflict resolution skills of children with LD?

    PubMed

    Kalyva, Efrosini; Agaliotis, Ioannis

    2009-01-01

    Since many children with learning disabilities (LD) face interpersonal conflict resolution problems, this study examines the efficacy of social stories in helping them choose more appropriate interpersonal conflict resolution strategies. A social story was recorded and played to the 31 children with LD in the experimental group twice a week for a period of 1 month, while the 32 children with LD in the control group did not receive any intervention. The effects of the intervention were systematically examined by means of an interview with the participants, while teachers completed the T-MESSY (Matson, J. L. (1990). Matson Evaluation of Social Skills With Youngsters: Manual. Worthington, OR: International Diagnostic Systems). All children chose mainly avoidance and hostile strategies before the intervention, but children in the experimental group chose predominantly positive strategies both after the intervention and at follow-up in comparison to control children. Furthermore, children with LD who received the intervention were rated by their teachers as engaging in significantly less inappropriate social behaviors after the intervention and at follow-up in comparison to control children. The recorded changes in the choice of interpersonal conflict resolution strategies and the more positive teacher ratings for the experimental group indicate that social stories constitute a powerful intervention for the enhancement of the social competence of children with LD.

  14. Improving LC-MS sensitivity through increases in chromatographic performance: comparisons of UPLC-ES/MS/MS to HPLC-ES/MS/MS.

    PubMed

    Churchwell, Mona I; Twaddle, Nathan C; Meeker, Larry R; Doerge, Daniel R

    2005-10-25

    Recent technological advances have made available reverse phase chromatographic media with a 1.7 microm particle size along with a liquid handling system that can operate such columns at much higher pressures. This technology, termed ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), offers significant theoretical advantages in resolution, speed, and sensitivity for analytical determinations, particularly when coupled with mass spectrometers capable of high-speed acquisitions. This paper explores the differences in LC-MS performance by conducting a side-by-side comparison of UPLC for several methods previously optimized for HPLC-based separation and quantification of multiple analytes with maximum throughput. In general, UPLC produced significant improvements in method sensitivity, speed, and resolution. Sensitivity increases with UPLC, which were found to be analyte-dependent, were as large as 10-fold and improvements in method speed were as large as 5-fold under conditions of comparable peak separations. Improvements in chromatographic resolution with UPLC were apparent from generally narrower peak widths and from a separation of diastereomers not possible using HPLC. Overall, the improvements in LC-MS method sensitivity, speed, and resolution provided by UPLC show that further advances can be made in analytical methodology to add significant value to hypothesis-driven research.

  15. Marine Boundary Layer Cloud Property Retrievals from High-Resolution ASTER Observations: Case Studies and Comparison with Terra MODIS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Werner, Frank; Wind, Galina; Zhang, Zhibo; Platnick, Steven; Di Girolamo, Larry; Zhao, Guangyu; Amarasinghe, Nandana; Meyer, Kerry

    2016-01-01

    A research-level retrieval algorithm for cloud optical and microphysical properties is developed for the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) aboard the Terra satellite. It is based on the operational MODIS algorithm. This paper documents the technical details of this algorithm and evaluates the retrievals for selected marine boundary layer cloud scenes through comparisons with the operational MODIS Data Collection 6 (C6) cloud product. The newly developed, ASTERspecific cloud masking algorithm is evaluated through comparison with an independent algorithm reported in Zhao and Di Girolamo (2006). To validate and evaluate the cloud optical thickness (tau) and cloud effective radius (r(sub eff)) from ASTER, the high-spatial-resolution ASTER observations are first aggregated to the same 1000m resolution as MODIS. Subsequently, tau(sub aA) and r(sub eff, aA) retrieved from the aggregated ASTER radiances are compared with the collocated MODIS retrievals. For overcast pixels, the two data sets agree very well with Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients of R greater than 0.970. However, for partially cloudy pixels there are significant differences between r(sub eff, aA) and the MODIS results which can exceed 10 micrometers. Moreover, it is shown that the numerous delicate cloud structures in the example marine boundary layer scenes, resolved by the high-resolution ASTER retrievals, are smoothed by the MODIS observations. The overall good agreement between the research-level ASTER results and the operational MODIS C6 products proves the feasibility of MODIS-like retrievals from ASTER reflectance measurements and provides the basis for future studies concerning the scale dependency of satellite observations and three-dimensional radiative effects.

  16. High-resolution velocimetry in energetic tidal currents using a convergent-beam acoustic Doppler profiler

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

    Sellar, Brian; Harding, Samuel F.; Richmond, Marshall C.

    An array of convergent acoustic Doppler velocimeters has been developed and tested for the high resolution measurement of three-dimensional tidal flow velocities in an energetic tidal site. This configuration has been developed to increase spatial resolution of velocity measurements in comparison to conventional acoustic Doppler profilers (ADPs) which characteristically use diverging acoustic beams emanating from a single instrument. This is achieved using converging acoustic beams with a sample volume at the focal point of 0.03 m 3. The array is also able to simultaneously measure three-dimensional velocity components in a profile throughout the water column, and as such is referredmore » to herein as a converging-beam acoustic Doppler profiler (CADP). Mid-depth profiling is achieved through integration of the sensor platform with the operational Alstom 1MW DeepGen-IV Tidal Turbine. This proof-of-concept paper outlines system configuration and comparison to measurements provided by co-installed reference instrumentation. Comparison of CADP to standard ADP velocity measurements reveals a mean difference of 8 mm/s, standard deviation of 18 mm/s, and order-of-magnitude reduction in realizable length-scale. CADP focal point measurements compared to a proximal single-beam reference show peak cross-correlation coefficient of 0.96 over 4.0 s averaging period and a 47% reduction in Doppler noise. The dual functionality of the CADP as a profiling instrument with a high resolution focal point make this configuration a unique and valuable advancement in underwater velocimetry enabling improved turbulence, resource and structural loading quantification and validation of numerical simulations. Alternative modes of operation have been implemented including noise-reducing bi-static sampling. Since waves are simultaneously measured it is expected that derivatives of this system will be a powerful tool in wave-current interaction studies.« less

  17. A Comparison Between Gravity Wave Momentum Fluxes in Observations and Climate Models

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Geller, Marvin A.; Alexadner, M. Joan; Love, Peter T.; Bacmeister, Julio; Ern, Manfred; Hertzog, Albert; Manzini, Elisa; Preusse, Peter; Sato, Kaoru; Scaife, Adam A.; hide

    2013-01-01

    For the first time, a formal comparison is made between gravity wave momentum fluxes in models and those derived from observations. Although gravity waves occur over a wide range of spatial and temporal scales, the focus of this paper is on scales that are being parameterized in present climate models, sub-1000-km scales. Only observational methods that permit derivation of gravity wave momentum fluxes over large geographical areas are discussed, and these are from satellite temperature measurements, constant-density long-duration balloons, and high-vertical-resolution radiosonde data. The models discussed include two high-resolution models in which gravity waves are explicitly modeled, Kanto and the Community Atmosphere Model, version 5 (CAM5), and three climate models containing gravity wave parameterizations,MAECHAM5, Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model 3 (HadGEM3), and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) model. Measurements generally show similar flux magnitudes as in models, except that the fluxes derived from satellite measurements fall off more rapidly with height. This is likely due to limitations on the observable range of wavelengths, although other factors may contribute. When one accounts for this more rapid fall off, the geographical distribution of the fluxes from observations and models compare reasonably well, except for certain features that depend on the specification of the nonorographic gravity wave source functions in the climate models. For instance, both the observed fluxes and those in the high-resolution models are very small at summer high latitudes, but this is not the case for some of the climate models. This comparison between gravity wave fluxes from climate models, high-resolution models, and fluxes derived from observations indicates that such efforts offer a promising path toward improving specifications of gravity wave sources in climate models.

  18. Marine boundary layer cloud property retrievals from high-resolution ASTER observations: case studies and comparison with Terra MODIS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Werner, Frank; Wind, Galina; Zhang, Zhibo; Platnick, Steven; Di Girolamo, Larry; Zhao, Guangyu; Amarasinghe, Nandana; Meyer, Kerry

    2016-12-01

    A research-level retrieval algorithm for cloud optical and microphysical properties is developed for the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) aboard the Terra satellite. It is based on the operational MODIS algorithm. This paper documents the technical details of this algorithm and evaluates the retrievals for selected marine boundary layer cloud scenes through comparisons with the operational MODIS Data Collection 6 (C6) cloud product. The newly developed, ASTER-specific cloud masking algorithm is evaluated through comparison with an independent algorithm reported in [Zhao and Di Girolamo(2006)]. To validate and evaluate the cloud optical thickness (τ) and cloud effective radius (reff) from ASTER, the high-spatial-resolution ASTER observations are first aggregated to the same 1000 m resolution as MODIS. Subsequently, τaA and reff, aA retrieved from the aggregated ASTER radiances are compared with the collocated MODIS retrievals. For overcast pixels, the two data sets agree very well with Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients of R > 0.970. However, for partially cloudy pixels there are significant differences between reff, aA and the MODIS results which can exceed 10 µm. Moreover, it is shown that the numerous delicate cloud structures in the example marine boundary layer scenes, resolved by the high-resolution ASTER retrievals, are smoothed by the MODIS observations. The overall good agreement between the research-level ASTER results and the operational MODIS C6 products proves the feasibility of MODIS-like retrievals from ASTER reflectance measurements and provides the basis for future studies concerning the scale dependency of satellite observations and three-dimensional radiative effects.

  19. The Histochemistry and Cell Biology pandect: the year 2014 in review.

    PubMed

    Taatjes, Douglas J; Roth, Jürgen

    2015-04-01

    This review encompasses a brief synopsis of the articles published in 2014 in Histochemistry and Cell Biology. Out of the total of 12 issues published in 2014, two special issues were devoted to "Single-Molecule Super-Resolution Microscopy." The present review is divided into 11 categories, providing an easy format for readers to quickly peruse topics of particular interest to them.

  20. Healthcare rationing: issues and implications.

    PubMed

    Cypher, D P

    1997-01-01

    What methods, if any, should be used to practice healthcare rationing? This article looks at healthcare rationing in the United States, identifies ethical issues associated with implementing healthcare rationing, and addresses legal implications. The author utilizes sources from published literature and her own experience. Society must recognize that it does not have the resources available to fulfill all healthcare needs of all its members. Resolution will bring conflict and compromise.

  1. Tank waste remediation system nuclear criticality safety program management review

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

    BRADY RAAP, M.C.

    1999-06-24

    This document provides the results of an internal management review of the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) criticality safety program, performed in advance of the DOE/RL assessment for closure of the TWRS Nuclear Criticality Safety Issue, March 1994. Resolution of the safety issue was identified as Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-40-12, due September 1999.

  2. The expanding scope of air pollution monitoring can facilitate sustainable development.

    PubMed

    Knox, Andrew; Mykhaylova, Natalia; Evans, Greg J; Lee, Colin J; Karney, Bryan; Brook, Jeffrey R

    2013-03-15

    This paper explores technologies currently expanding the physical scope of air pollution monitoring and their potential contributions to the assessment of sustainable development. This potential lies largely in the ability of these technologies to address issues typically on the fringe of the air pollution agenda. Air pollution monitoring tends to be primarily focused on human health, and largely neglects other aspects of sustainable development. Sensor networks, with their relatively inexpensive monitoring nodes, allow for monitoring with finer spatiotemporal resolution. This resolution can support more conclusive studies of air pollution's effect on socio-ecological justice and human quality of life. Satellite observation of air pollution allows for wider geographical scope, and in doing so can facilitate studies of air pollution's effects on natural capital and ecosystem resilience. Many air pollution-related aspects of the sustainability of development in human systems are not being given their due attention. Opportunities exist for air pollution monitoring to attend more to these issues. Improvements to the resolution and scale of monitoring make these opportunities realizable. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Towards a real-time wide area motion imagery system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Young, R. I.; Foulkes, S. B.

    2015-10-01

    It is becoming increasingly important in both the defence and security domains to conduct persistent wide area surveillance (PWAS) of large populations of targets. Wide Area Motion Imagery (WAMI) is a key technique for achieving this wide area surveillance. The recent development of multi-million pixel sensors has provided sensors with wide field of view replete with sufficient resolution for detection and tracking of objects of interest to be achieved across these extended areas of interest. WAMI sensors simultaneously provide high spatial and temporal resolutions, giving extreme pixel counts over large geographical areas. The high temporal resolution is required to enable effective tracking of targets. The provision of wide area coverage with high frame rates generates data deluge issues; these are especially profound if the sensor is mounted on an airborne platform, with finite data-link bandwidth and processing power that is constrained by size, weight and power (SWAP) limitations. These issues manifest themselves either as bottlenecks in the transmission of the imagery off-board or as latency in the time taken to analyse the data due to limited computational processing power.

  4. Oceanography at coastal scales: Introduction to the special issue on results from the EU FP7 FIELD_AC project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sánchez-Arcilla, Agustín; Wolf, Judith; Monbaliu, Jaak

    2014-09-01

    The high-resolution and coupled forecasting of wind, waves and currents, in restricted coastal domains, offer a number of important challenges; these limit the quality of predictions, in the present state-of-the-art. This paper presents the main results obtained for such coastal domains, with reference to a variety of modelling suites and observing networks for: a) Liverpool Bay; b) German Bight; c) Gulf of Venice; and d) the Catalan coast. All of these areas are restricted domains, where boundary effects play a significant role in the resulting inner dynamics. This contribution addresses also the themes of the other papers in this Special Issue, ranging from observations to simulations. Emphasis is placed upon the physics controlling such restricted areas. The text deals also with the transfer to end-users and other interested parties, since the requirements on resolution, accuracy and robustness must be linked to their applications. Finally, some remarks are included on the way forward for coastal oceanography and the synergetic combination of in-situ and remote measurements, with high-resolution 3D simulations.

  5. Family members' needs and experiences of driving disruption over time following an acquired brain injury: an evolving issue.

    PubMed

    Liang, Phyllis; Gustafsson, Louise; Liddle, Jacki; Fleming, Jennifer

    2017-07-01

    Family members often assume the role of driver for individuals who are not driving post-acquired brain injury (ABI). Given that return to driving can be unpredictable and uncertain, the impact of driving disruption on family members may vary at different stages post-injury. This study aims to understand the needs and experiences of family members over time during driving disruption following an ABI. A qualitative prospective longitudinal research design was used with semi-structured interviews at recruitment to study, 3 and 6 months later. Fourteen family members completed 41 interviews. The longitudinal data revealed four phases of driving disruption: (1) Wait and see, (2) Holding onto a quick fix, (3) No way out, and (4) Resolution and adjustment. The phases described a process of building tension and a need for support and resolution over time. Holding onto a quick fix is a pivotal phase whereby supports, such as engagement in realistic goal setting, are essential to facilitate family members' resolution of driving disruption issues. Family members who see no way out might not actively seek help and these points to a need for long-term and regular follow-ups. Future research can explore ways to support family members at these key times. Implications for rehabilitation Health professionals need to facilitate the process of fostering hope in family members to set realistic expectations of return to driving and the duration of driving disruption. It is necessary to follow-up with family members even years after ABI as the issue of driving disruption could escalate to be a crisis and family members might not actively seek help. Health professionals can consider both practical support for facilitating transport and emotional support when addressing the issue of driving disruption with family members.

  6. Determining Titan surface topography from Cassini SAR data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stiles, Bryan W.; Hensley, Scott; Gim, Yonggyu; Bates, David M.; Kirk, Randolph L.; Hayes, Alex; Radebaugh, Jani; Lorenz, Ralph D.; Mitchell, Karl L.; Callahan, Philip S.; Zebker, Howard; Johnson, William T.K.; Wall, Stephen D.; Lunine, Jonathan I.; Wood, Charles A.; Janssen, Michael; Pelletier, Frederic; West, Richard D.; Veeramacheneni, Chandini

    2009-01-01

    A technique, referred to as SARTopo, has been developed for obtaining surface height estimates with 10 km horizontal resolution and 75 m vertical resolution of the surface of Titan along each Cassini Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) swath. We describe the technique and present maps of the co-located data sets. A global map and regional maps of Xanadu and the northern hemisphere hydrocarbon lakes district are included in the results. A strength of the technique is that it provides topographic information co-located with SAR imagery. Having a topographic context vastly improves the interpretability of the SAR imagery and is essential for understanding Titan. SARTopo is capable of estimating surface heights for most of the SAR-imaged surface of Titan. Currently nearly 30% of the surface is within 100 km of a SARTopo height profile. Other competing techniques provide orders of magnitude less coverage. We validate the SARTopo technique through comparison with known geomorphological features such as mountain ranges and craters, and by comparison with co-located nadir altimetry, including a 3000 km strip that had been observed by SAR a month earlier. In this area, the SARTopo and nadir altimetry data sets are co-located tightly (within 5-10 km for one 500 km section), have similar resolution, and as expected agree closely in surface height. Furthermore the region contains prominent high spatial resolution topography, so it provides an excellent test of the resolution and precision of both techniques.

  7. Air Quality Forecasts Using the NASA GEOS Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Keller, Christoph A.; Knowland, K. Emma; Nielsen, Jon E.; Orbe, Clara; Ott, Lesley; Pawson, Steven; Saunders, Emily; Duncan, Bryan; Follette-Cook, Melanie; Liu, Junhua; hide

    2018-01-01

    We provide an introduction to a new high-resolution (0.25 degree) global composition forecast produced by NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation office. The NASA Goddard Earth Observing System version 5 (GEOS-5) model has been expanded to provide global near-real-time forecasts of atmospheric composition at a horizontal resolution of 0.25 degrees (25 km). Previously, this combination of detailed chemistry and resolution was only provided by regional models. This system combines the operational GEOS-5 weather forecasting model with the state-of-the-science GEOS-Chem chemistry module (version 11) to provide detailed chemical analysis of a wide range of air pollutants such as ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The resolution of the forecasts is the highest resolution compared to current, publically-available global composition forecasts. Evaluation and validation of modeled trace gases and aerosols compared to surface and satellite observations will be presented for constituents relative to health air quality standards. Comparisons of modeled trace gases and aerosols against satellite observations show that the model produces realistic concentrations of atmospheric constituents in the free troposphere. Model comparisons against surface observations highlight the model's capability to capture the diurnal variability of air pollutants under a variety of meteorological conditions. The GEOS-5 composition forecasting system offers a new tool for scientists and the public health community, and is being developed jointly with several government and non-profit partners. Potential applications include air quality warnings, flight campaign planning and exposure studies using the archived analysis fields.

  8. Adaptive mesh refinement and adjoint methods in geophysics simulations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burstedde, Carsten

    2013-04-01

    It is an ongoing challenge to increase the resolution that can be achieved by numerical geophysics simulations. This applies to considering sub-kilometer mesh spacings in global-scale mantle convection simulations as well as to using frequencies up to 1 Hz in seismic wave propagation simulations. One central issue is the numerical cost, since for three-dimensional space discretizations, possibly combined with time stepping schemes, a doubling of resolution can lead to an increase in storage requirements and run time by factors between 8 and 16. A related challenge lies in the fact that an increase in resolution also increases the dimensionality of the model space that is needed to fully parametrize the physical properties of the simulated object (a.k.a. earth). Systems that exhibit a multiscale structure in space are candidates for employing adaptive mesh refinement, which varies the resolution locally. An example that we found well suited is the mantle, where plate boundaries and fault zones require a resolution on the km scale, while deeper area can be treated with 50 or 100 km mesh spacings. This approach effectively reduces the number of computational variables by several orders of magnitude. While in this case it is possible to derive the local adaptation pattern from known physical parameters, it is often unclear what are the most suitable criteria for adaptation. We will present the goal-oriented error estimation procedure, where such criteria are derived from an objective functional that represents the observables to be computed most accurately. Even though this approach is well studied, it is rarely used in the geophysics community. A related strategy to make finer resolution manageable is to design methods that automate the inference of model parameters. Tweaking more than a handful of numbers and judging the quality of the simulation by adhoc comparisons to known facts and observations is a tedious task and fundamentally limited by the turnaround times required by human intervention and analysis. Specifying an objective functional that quantifies the misfit between the simulation outcome and known constraints and then minimizing it through numerical optimization can serve as an automated technique for parameter identification. As suggested by the similarity in formulation, the numerical algorithm is closely related to the one used for goal-oriented error estimation. One common point is that the so-called adjoint equation needs to be solved numerically. We will outline the derivation and implementation of these methods and discuss some of their pros and cons, supported by numerical results.

  9. CINCH (confocal incoherent correlation holography) super resolution fluorescence microscopy based upon FINCH (Fresnel incoherent correlation holography).

    PubMed

    Siegel, Nisan; Storrie, Brian; Bruce, Marc; Brooker, Gary

    2015-02-07

    FINCH holographic fluorescence microscopy creates high resolution super-resolved images with enhanced depth of focus. The simple addition of a real-time Nipkow disk confocal image scanner in a conjugate plane of this incoherent holographic system is shown to reduce the depth of focus, and the combination of both techniques provides a simple way to enhance the axial resolution of FINCH in a combined method called "CINCH". An important feature of the combined system allows for the simultaneous real-time image capture of widefield and holographic images or confocal and confocal holographic images for ready comparison of each method on the exact same field of view. Additional GPU based complex deconvolution processing of the images further enhances resolution.

  10. Studies regarding the quality of numerical weather forecasts of the WRF model integrated at high-resolutions for the Romanian territory

    DOE PAGES

    Iriza, Amalia; Dumitrache, Rodica C.; Lupascu, Aurelia; ...

    2016-01-01

    Our paper aims to evaluate the quality of high-resolution weather forecasts from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) numerical weather prediction model. The lateral and boundary conditions were obtained from the numerical output of the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) model at 7 km horizontal resolution. Furthermore, the WRF model was run for January and July 2013 at two horizontal resolutions (3 and 1 km). The numerical forecasts of the WRF model were evaluated using different statistical scores for 2 m temperature and 10 m wind speed. Our results showed a tendency of the WRF model to overestimate the valuesmore » of the analyzed parameters in comparison to observations.« less

  11. Studies regarding the quality of numerical weather forecasts of the WRF model integrated at high-resolutions for the Romanian territory

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

    Iriza, Amalia; Dumitrache, Rodica C.; Lupascu, Aurelia

    Our paper aims to evaluate the quality of high-resolution weather forecasts from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) numerical weather prediction model. The lateral and boundary conditions were obtained from the numerical output of the Consortium for Small-scale Modeling (COSMO) model at 7 km horizontal resolution. Furthermore, the WRF model was run for January and July 2013 at two horizontal resolutions (3 and 1 km). The numerical forecasts of the WRF model were evaluated using different statistical scores for 2 m temperature and 10 m wind speed. Our results showed a tendency of the WRF model to overestimate the valuesmore » of the analyzed parameters in comparison to observations.« less

  12. Local Analogues: Comparing a 12 inch Telescope to the Hubble

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moore, Nathaniel; DeGroot, Laura

    2018-01-01

    The College of Wooster Campus Observatory is home to two telescopes: an 8 inch and a 12 inch. We aimed to test the limits of the observatory equipment and conditions by targeting nearby galaxies, to determine their morphology based on lower resolution. We suspected that this resolution would be similar to that of the Hubble Telescope (HST) for galaxies with a higher redshift. From our images, we hoped to find various variables related to the morphology of the nearby galaxies. These variables included the Sérsic index, concentration, asymmetry, smoothness, the Gini coefficient, and M20. From here, we hoped that these would allow us to create a comparison between lower resolution galaxies that are nearby and galaxies with a higher redshift with similar resolutions.

  13. [A comparison of time resolution among auditory, tactile and promontory electrical stimulation--superiority of cochlear implants as human communication aids].

    PubMed

    Matsushima, J; Kumagai, M; Harada, C; Takahashi, K; Inuyama, Y; Ifukube, T

    1992-09-01

    Our previous reports showed that second formant information, using a speech coding method, could be transmitted through an electrode on the promontory. However, second formant information can also be transmitted by tactile stimulation. Therefore, to find out whether electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve would be superior to tactile stimulation for our speech coding method, the time resolutions of the two modes of stimulation were compared. The results showed that the time resolution of electrical promontory stimulation was three times better than the time resolution of tactile stimulation of the finger. This indicates that electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve is much better for our speech coding method than tactile stimulation of the finger.

  14. Imaging cellular structures in super-resolution with SIM, STED and Localisation Microscopy: A practical comparison.

    PubMed

    Wegel, Eva; Göhler, Antonia; Lagerholm, B Christoffer; Wainman, Alan; Uphoff, Stephan; Kaufmann, Rainer; Dobbie, Ian M

    2016-06-06

    Many biological questions require fluorescence microscopy with a resolution beyond the diffraction limit of light. Super-resolution methods such as Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM), STimulated Emission Depletion (STED) microscopy and Single Molecule Localisation Microscopy (SMLM) enable an increase in image resolution beyond the classical diffraction-limit. Here, we compare the individual strengths and weaknesses of each technique by imaging a variety of different subcellular structures in fixed cells. We chose examples ranging from well separated vesicles to densely packed three dimensional filaments. We used quantitative and correlative analyses to assess the performance of SIM, STED and SMLM with the aim of establishing a rough guideline regarding the suitability for typical applications and to highlight pitfalls associated with the different techniques.

  15. Infrared super-resolution imaging based on compressed sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sui, Xiubao; Chen, Qian; Gu, Guohua; Shen, Xuewei

    2014-03-01

    The theoretical basis of traditional infrared super-resolution imaging method is Nyquist sampling theorem. The reconstruction premise is that the relative positions of the infrared objects in the low-resolution image sequences should keep fixed and the image restoration means is the inverse operation of ill-posed issues without fixed rules. The super-resolution reconstruction ability of the infrared image, algorithm's application area and stability of reconstruction algorithm are limited. To this end, we proposed super-resolution reconstruction method based on compressed sensing in this paper. In the method, we selected Toeplitz matrix as the measurement matrix and realized it by phase mask method. We researched complementary matching pursuit algorithm and selected it as the recovery algorithm. In order to adapt to the moving target and decrease imaging time, we take use of area infrared focal plane array to acquire multiple measurements at one time. Theoretically, the method breaks though Nyquist sampling theorem and can greatly improve the spatial resolution of the infrared image. The last image contrast and experiment data indicate that our method is effective in improving resolution of infrared images and is superior than some traditional super-resolution imaging method. The compressed sensing super-resolution method is expected to have a wide application prospect.

  16. Librarians, Civil Liberties and Privacy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fielding, Derek

    1978-01-01

    A comparison of current civil liberties issues in Australia with the status of similar issues in Britain and the United States. Included are political affiliation of government employees, censorship, rights of the individual, privacy, and freedom of information. (JAB)

  17. Maritime Issues between Pakistan and India: Seeking Cooperation and Regional Stability

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-12-01

    release; distribution is unlimited 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words ) Since independence, relations between Pakistan and...the way for the resolution of more complex and substantive disputes in the future. In other words , peace in Kashmir may be wrought at sea...could pave the way for the resolution of more complex and substantive disputes in the future. In other words , peace in Kashmir may be wrought at sea

  18. 7 CFR 1486.207 - What is the Technical Issues Resolution Fund?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... strategic areas of longer term interest. Funding decisions are determined primarily through a review process... CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS EMERGING MARKETS...

  19. What the Rankings Do for "U.S. News"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Selingo, Jeffrey

    2007-01-01

    The annual "America's Best Colleges" issue of "U.S. News & World Report" has long been referred to as the magazine's swimsuit issue. While the comparison is made in jest, in terms of newsstand sales the association with the popular "Sports Illustrated" cover is not far off. Last year the "U.S. News" college issue was among 17 perennial…

  20. A Comparison of Intra-Personal and Inter-Personal Agendas of Public Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCombs, Maxwell; Snow, John Ben

    The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in agenda setting of public issues in terms of their relative importance when two separate frames of reference were present in question formation. Specifically, 302 sophomore males from Syracuse University were asked to order issues in an intrapersonal context ("Which of these…

  1. Field testing of a convergent array of acoustic Doppler profilers for high-resolution velocimetry in energetic tidal currents

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

    Harding, Samuel F.; Sellar, Brian; Richmond, Marshall C.

    An array of single-beam acoustic Doppler profilers has been developed for the high resolution measurement of three-dimensional tidal flow velocities and subsequently tested in an energetic tidal site. This configuration has been developed to increase spatial resolution of velocity measurements in comparison to conventional acoustic Doppler profilers (ADPs) which characteristically use divergent acoustic beams emanating from a single instrument. This is achieved using geometrically convergent acoustic beams creating a sample volume at the focal point of 0.03 m3. Away from the focal point, the array is also able to simultaneously reconstruct three-dimensional velocity components in a profile throughout the watermore » column, and is referred to herein as a convergent-beam acoustic Doppler profiler (C-ADP). Mid-depth profiling is achieved through integration of the sensor platform with the operational commercial-scale Alstom 1MW DeepGen-IV Tidal Turbine deployed at the European Marine Energy Center, Orkney Isles, UK. This proof-of-concept paper outlines the C-ADP system configuration and comparison to measurements provided by co-installed reference instrumentation.« less

  2. Comparison of FLAASH and QUAC atmospheric correction methods for Resourcesat-2 LISS-IV data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saini, V.; Tiwari, R. K.; Gupta, R. P.

    2016-05-01

    The LISS-IV sensor aboard Resourcesat-2 is a modern relatively high resolution multispectral sensor having immense potential for generation of good quality land use land cover maps. It generates data in high (10-bit) radiometric resolution and 5.8 m spatial resolution and has three bands in the visible-near infrared region. This is of particular importance to global community as the data are provided at highly competitive prices. However, no literature describing the atmospheric correction of Resourcesat-2-LISS-IV data could be found. Further, without atmospheric correction full radiometric potential of any remote sensing data remains underutilized. The FLAASH and QUAC module of ENVI software are highly used by researchers for atmospheric correction of popular remote sensing data such as Landsat, SPOT, IKONOS, LISS-I, III etc. This article outlines a methodology for atmospheric correction of Resourcesat-2-LISS-IV data. Also, a comparison of reflectance from different atmospheric correction modules (FLAASH and QUAC) with TOA and standard data has been made to determine the best suitable method for reflectance estimation for this sensor.

  3. Secure steganography designed for mobile platforms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Agaian, Sos S.; Cherukuri, Ravindranath; Sifuentes, Ronnie R.

    2006-05-01

    Adaptive steganography, an intelligent approach to message hiding, integrated with matrix encoding and pn-sequences serves as a promising resolution to recent security assurance concerns. Incorporating the above data hiding concepts with established cryptographic protocols in wireless communication would greatly increase the security and privacy of transmitting sensitive information. We present an algorithm which will address the following problems: 1) low embedding capacity in mobile devices due to fixed image dimensions and memory constraints, 2) compatibility between mobile and land based desktop computers, and 3) detection of stego images by widely available steganalysis software [1-3]. Consistent with the smaller available memory, processor capabilities, and limited resolution associated with mobile devices, we propose a more magnified approach to steganography by focusing adaptive efforts at the pixel level. This deeper method, in comparison to the block processing techniques commonly found in existing adaptive methods, allows an increase in capacity while still offering a desired level of security. Based on computer simulations using high resolution, natural imagery and mobile device captured images, comparisons show that the proposed method securely allows an increased amount of embedding capacity but still avoids detection by varying steganalysis techniques.

  4. Time-domain least-squares migration using the Gaussian beam summation method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jidong; Zhu, Hejun; McMechan, George; Yue, Yubo

    2018-04-01

    With a finite recording aperture, a limited source spectrum and unbalanced illumination, traditional imaging methods are insufficient to generate satisfactory depth profiles with high resolution and high amplitude fidelity. This is because traditional migration uses the adjoint operator of the forward modeling rather than the inverse operator. We propose a least-squares migration approach based on the time-domain Gaussian beam summation, which helps to balance subsurface illumination and improve image resolution. Based on the Born approximation for the isotropic acoustic wave equation, we derive a linear time-domain Gaussian beam modeling operator, which significantly reduces computational costs in comparison with the spectral method. Then, we formulate the corresponding adjoint Gaussian beam migration, as the gradient of an L2-norm waveform misfit function. An L1-norm regularization is introduced to the inversion to enhance the robustness of least-squares migration, and an approximated diagonal Hessian is used as a preconditioner to speed convergence. Synthetic and field data examples demonstrate that the proposed approach improves imaging resolution and amplitude fidelity in comparison with traditional Gaussian beam migration.

  5. Time-domain least-squares migration using the Gaussian beam summation method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Jidong; Zhu, Hejun; McMechan, George; Yue, Yubo

    2018-07-01

    With a finite recording aperture, a limited source spectrum and unbalanced illumination, traditional imaging methods are insufficient to generate satisfactory depth profiles with high resolution and high amplitude fidelity. This is because traditional migration uses the adjoint operator of the forward modelling rather than the inverse operator. We propose a least-squares migration approach based on the time-domain Gaussian beam summation, which helps to balance subsurface illumination and improve image resolution. Based on the Born approximation for the isotropic acoustic wave equation, we derive a linear time-domain Gaussian beam modelling operator, which significantly reduces computational costs in comparison with the spectral method. Then, we formulate the corresponding adjoint Gaussian beam migration, as the gradient of an L2-norm waveform misfit function. An L1-norm regularization is introduced to the inversion to enhance the robustness of least-squares migration, and an approximated diagonal Hessian is used as a pre-conditioner to speed convergence. Synthetic and field data examples demonstrate that the proposed approach improves imaging resolution and amplitude fidelity in comparison with traditional Gaussian beam migration.

  6. Experimental comparison of high-density scintillators for EMCCD-based gamma ray imaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Heemskerk, Jan W. T.; Kreuger, Rob; Goorden, Marlies C.; Korevaar, Marc A. N.; Salvador, Samuel; Seeley, Zachary M.; Cherepy, Nerine J.; van der Kolk, Erik; Payne, Stephen A.; Dorenbos, Pieter; Beekman, Freek J.

    2012-07-01

    Detection of x-rays and gamma rays with high spatial resolution can be achieved with scintillators that are optically coupled to electron-multiplying charge-coupled devices (EMCCDs). These can be operated at typical frame rates of 50 Hz with low noise. In such a set-up, scintillation light within each frame is integrated after which the frame is analyzed for the presence of scintillation events. This method allows for the use of scintillator materials with relatively long decay times of a few milliseconds, not previously considered for use in photon-counting gamma cameras, opening up an unexplored range of dense scintillators. In this paper, we test CdWO4 and transparent polycrystalline ceramics of Lu2O3:Eu and (Gd,Lu)2O3:Eu as alternatives to currently used CsI:Tl in order to improve the performance of EMCCD-based gamma cameras. The tested scintillators were selected for their significantly larger cross-sections at 140 keV (99mTc) compared to CsI:Tl combined with moderate to good light yield. A performance comparison based on gamma camera spatial and energy resolution was done with all tested scintillators having equal (66%) interaction probability at 140 keV. CdWO4, Lu2O3:Eu and (Gd,Lu)2O3:Eu all result in a significantly improved spatial resolution over CsI:Tl, albeit at the cost of reduced energy resolution. Lu2O3:Eu transparent ceramic gives the best spatial resolution: 65 µm full-width-at-half-maximum (FWHM) compared to 147 µm FWHM for CsI:Tl. In conclusion, these ‘slow’ dense scintillators open up new possibilities for improving the spatial resolution of EMCCD-based scintillation cameras.

  7. A Simple and Universal Aerosol Retrieval Algorithm for Landsat Series Images Over Complex Surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Jing; Huang, Bo; Sun, Lin; Zhang, Zhaoyang; Wang, Lunche; Bilal, Muhammad

    2017-12-01

    Operational aerosol optical depth (AOD) products are available at coarse spatial resolutions from several to tens of kilometers. These resolutions limit the application of these products for monitoring atmospheric pollutants at the city level. Therefore, a simple, universal, and high-resolution (30 m) Landsat aerosol retrieval algorithm over complex urban surfaces is developed. The surface reflectance is estimated from a combination of top of atmosphere reflectance at short-wave infrared (2.22 μm) and Landsat 4-7 surface reflectance climate data records over densely vegetated areas and bright areas. The aerosol type is determined using the historical aerosol optical properties derived from the local urban Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) site (Beijing). AERONET ground-based sun photometer AOD measurements from five sites located in urban and rural areas are obtained to validate the AOD retrievals. Terra MODerate resolution Imaging Spectrometer Collection (C) 6 AOD products (MOD04) including the dark target (DT), the deep blue (DB), and the combined DT and DB (DT&DB) retrievals at 10 km spatial resolution are obtained for comparison purposes. Validation results show that the Landsat AOD retrievals at a 30 m resolution are well correlated with the AERONET AOD measurements (R2 = 0.932) and that approximately 77.46% of the retrievals fall within the expected error with a low mean absolute error of 0.090 and a root-mean-square error of 0.126. Comparison results show that Landsat AOD retrievals are overall better and less biased than MOD04 AOD products, indicating that the new algorithm is robust and performs well in AOD retrieval over complex surfaces. The new algorithm can provide continuous and detailed spatial distributions of AOD during both low and high aerosol loadings.

  8. The optics of microscope image formation.

    PubMed

    Wolf, David E

    2013-01-01

    Although geometric optics gives a good understanding of how the microscope works, it fails in one critical area, which is explaining the origin of microscope resolution. To accomplish this, one must consider the microscope from the viewpoint of physical optics. This chapter describes the theory of the microscope-relating resolution to the highest spatial frequency that a microscope can collect. The chapter illustrates how Huygens' principle or construction can be used to explain the propagation of a plane wave. It is shown that this limit increases with increasing numerical aperture (NA). As a corollary to this, resolution increases with decreasing wavelength because of how NA depends on wavelength. The resolution is higher for blue light than red light. Resolution is dependent on contrast, and the higher the contrast, the higher the resolution. This last point relates to issues of signal-to-noise and dynamic range. The use of video and new digital cameras has necessitated redefining classical limits such as those of Rayleigh's criterion. Copyright © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Measuring true localization accuracy in super resolution microscopy with DNA-origami nanostructures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reuss, Matthias; Fördős, Ferenc; Blom, Hans; Öktem, Ozan; Högberg, Björn; Brismar, Hjalmar

    2017-02-01

    A common method to assess the performance of (super resolution) microscopes is to use the localization precision of emitters as an estimate for the achieved resolution. Naturally, this is widely used in super resolution methods based on single molecule stochastic switching. This concept suffers from the fact that it is hard to calibrate measures against a real sample (a phantom), because true absolute positions of emitters are almost always unknown. For this reason, resolution estimates are potentially biased in an image since one is blind to true position accuracy, i.e. deviation in position measurement from true positions. We have solved this issue by imaging nanorods fabricated with DNA-origami. The nanorods used are designed to have emitters attached at each end in a well-defined and highly conserved distance. These structures are widely used to gauge localization precision. Here, we additionally determined the true achievable localization accuracy and compared this figure of merit to localization precision values for two common super resolution microscope methods STED and STORM.

  10. Comparison of two high-resolution manometry software systems in evaluating esophageal motor function.

    PubMed

    Rengarajan, A; Drapekin, J; Patel, A; Gyawali, C P

    2016-12-01

    High-resolution manometry (HRM) utilizes software tools to diagnose esophageal motor disorders. Performance of these software metrics could be affected by averaging and by software characteristics of different manufacturers. High-resolution manometry studies on 86 patients referred for antireflux surgery (61.6 ± 1.4 year, 70% F) and 20 healthy controls (27.9 ± 0.7 year, 45% F) were first subject to standard analysis (Medtronic, Duluth, GA, USA). Coordinates for each of 10 test swallows were exported and averaged to generate a composite swallow. The swallows and averaged composites were imported as ASCII file format into Manoview (Medtronic) and Medical Measurement Systems database reporter (MMS, Dover, NH, USA), and analyses repeated. Comparisons were made between standard and composite swallow interpretations. Correlation between the two systems was high for mean distal contractile integral (DCI, r 2 ≥ 0.9) but lower for integrated relaxation pressure (IRP, r 2 = 0.7). Excluding achalasia, six patients with outflow obstruction (mean IRP 23.2 ± 2.1 with 10-swallow average) were identified by both systems. An additional nine patients (10.5%) were identified as outflow obstruction (15 mmHg threshold) with MMS 10-swallow and four with MMS composite swallow evaluation; only one was confirmed. Ineffective esophageal motility was diagnosed by 10-swallow evaluation in 19 (22.1%) with Manoview, and 20 (23.3%) with MMS. On Manoview composite, 17 had DCI <450 mmHg/cm/s, and on MMS composite, 21, (p ≥ 0.85 for each comparison) but these did not impact diagnostic conclusions. Comparison of 10 swallow and composite swallows demonstrate variability in software metrics between manometry systems. Our data support use of manufacturer specific software metrics on 10-swallow sequences. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Comparison of H-alpha synoptic charts with the large-scale solar magnetic field as observed at Stanford

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Duvall, T. L., Jr.; Wilcox, J. M.; Svalgaard, L.; Scherrer, P. H.; Mcintosh, P. S.

    1977-01-01

    Two methods of observing the neutral line of the large-scale photospheric magnetic field are compared: neutral line positions inferred from H-alpha photographs (McIntosh and Nolte, 1975) and observations of the photospheric magnetic field made with low spatial resolution (three minutes) and high sensitivity using the Stanford magnetograph. The comparison is found to be very favorable.

  12. Revised Thickness of the Lunar Crust from GRAIL Data: Implications for Lunar Bulk Composition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Taylor, G. Jeffrey; Wieczorek, Mark A.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Nimmo, Francis; Kiefer, Walter S.; Melosh, H. Jay; Phillips, Roger J.; Solomon, Sean C.; Andrews-Hanna, Jeffrey C.; Asmar, Sami W.; hide

    2013-01-01

    High-resolution gravity data from GRAIL have yielded new estimates of the bulk density and thickness of the lunar crust. The bulk density of the highlands crust is 2550 kg m-3. From a comparison with crustal composition measured remotely, this density implies a mean porosity of 12%. With this bulk density and constraints from the Apollo seismic experiment, the average global crustal thickness is found to lie between 34 and 43 km, a value 10 to 20 km less than several previous estimates. Crustal thickness is a central parameter in estimating bulk lunar composition. Estimates of the concentrations of refractory elements in the Moon from heat flow, remote sensing and sample data, and geophysical data fall into two categories: those with refractory element abundances enriched by 50% or more relative to Earth, and those with abundances the same as Earth. Settling this issue has implications for processes operating during lunar formation. The crustal thickness resulting from analysis of GRAIL data is less than several previous estimates. We show here that a refractory-enriched Moon is not required

  13. Application of a Fast Separation Method for Anti-diabetics in Pharmaceuticals Using Monolithic Column: Comparative Study With Silica Based C-18 Particle Packed Column.

    PubMed

    Hemdan, A; Abdel-Aziz, Omar

    2018-04-01

    Run time is a predominant factor in HPLC for quality control laboratories especially if there is large number of samples have to be analyzed. Working at high flow rates cannot be attained with silica based particle packed column due to elevated backpressure issues. The use of monolithic column as an alternative to traditional C-18 column was tested for fast separation of pharmaceuticals, where the results were very competitive. The performance comparison of both columns was tested for separation of anti-diabetic combination containing Metformin, Pioglitazone and Glimepiride using Gliclazide as an internal standard. Working at high flow rates with less significant backpressure was obtained with the monolithic column where the run time was reduced from 6 min in traditional column to only 1 min in monolithic column with accepted resolution. The structure of the monolith contains many pores which can adapt the high flow rate of the mobile phase. Moreover, peak symmetry and equilibration time were more efficient with monolithic column.

  14. Laser-Induced Incandescence Measurements in Low Gravity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    VanderWal, R. L.

    1997-01-01

    A low-gravity environment offers advantages to investigations concerned with soot growth or flame radiation by eliminating of buoyancy-induced convection. Basic to each type of study is knowledge of spatially resolved soot volume fraction, (f(sub v). Laser-induced incandescence (LII) has emerged as a diagnostic for soot volume fraction determination because it possesses high temporal and spatial resolution, geometric versatility and high sensitivity. Implementation and system characterization of LII in a drop tower that provides 2.2 sec of low-gravity (micro)g) at the NASA Lewis Research Center are described here. Validation of LII for soot volume fraction determination in (micro)g is performed by comparison between soot volume fraction measurements obtained by light extinction [20] and LII in low-gravity for a 50/50 mixture (by volume) of 0 acetylene/nitrogen issuing into quiescent air. Quantitative soot volume fraction measurements within other laminar flames of ethane and propane and a turbulent diffusion flame in (micro)g via LII are also demonstrated. An analysis of LII images of a turbulent acetylene diffusion flame in 1-g and (micro)g is presented.

  15. Micro-spectroscopy on silicon wafers and solar cells

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Micro-Raman (μRS) and micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy (μPLS) are demonstrated as valuable characterization techniques for fundamental research on silicon as well as for technological issues in the photovoltaic production. We measure the quantitative carrier recombination lifetime and the doping density with submicron resolution by μPLS and μRS. μPLS utilizes the carrier diffusion from a point excitation source and μRS the hole density-dependent Fano resonances of the first order Raman peak. This is demonstrated on micro defects in multicrystalline silicon. In comparison with the stress measurement by μRS, these measurements reveal the influence of stress on the recombination activity of metal precipitates. This can be attributed to the strong stress dependence of the carrier mobility (piezoresistance) of silicon. With the aim of evaluating technological process steps, Fano resonances in μRS measurements are analyzed for the determination of the doping density and the carrier lifetime in selective emitters, laser fired doping structures, and back surface fields, while μPLS can show the micron-sized damage induced by the respective processes. PMID:21711723

  16. Development of a pressure based multigrid solution method for complex fluid flows

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shyy, Wei

    1991-01-01

    In order to reduce the computational difficulty associated with a single grid (SG) solution procedure, the multigrid (MG) technique was identified as a useful means for improving the convergence rate of iterative methods. A full MG full approximation storage (FMG/FAS) algorithm is used to solve the incompressible recirculating flow problems in complex geometries. The algorithm is implemented in conjunction with a pressure correction staggered grid type of technique using the curvilinear coordinates. In order to show the performance of the method, two flow configurations, one a square cavity and the other a channel, are used as test problems. Comparisons are made between the iterations, equivalent work units, and CPU time. Besides showing that the MG method can yield substantial speed-up with wide variations in Reynolds number, grid distributions, and geometry, issues such as the convergence characteristics of different grid levels, the choice of convection schemes, and the effectiveness of the basic iteration smoothers are studied. An adaptive grid scheme is also combined with the MG procedure to explore the effects of grid resolution on the MG convergence rate as well as the numerical accuracy.

  17. Stochastic performance modeling and evaluation of obstacle detectability with imaging range sensors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Matthies, Larry; Grandjean, Pierrick

    1993-01-01

    Statistical modeling and evaluation of the performance of obstacle detection systems for Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) is essential for the design, evaluation, and comparison of sensor systems. In this report, we address this issue for imaging range sensors by dividing the evaluation problem into two levels: quality of the range data itself and quality of the obstacle detection algorithms applied to the range data. We review existing models of the quality of range data from stereo vision and AM-CW LADAR, then use these to derive a new model for the quality of a simple obstacle detection algorithm. This model predicts the probability of detecting obstacles and the probability of false alarms, as a function of the size and distance of the obstacle, the resolution of the sensor, and the level of noise in the range data. We evaluate these models experimentally using range data from stereo image pairs of a gravel road with known obstacles at several distances. The results show that the approach is a promising tool for predicting and evaluating the performance of obstacle detection with imaging range sensors.

  18. Longitudinal changes in the visual field and optic disc in glaucoma.

    PubMed

    Artes, Paul H; Chauhan, Balwantray C

    2005-05-01

    The nature and mode of functional and structural progression in open-angle glaucoma is a subject of considerable debate in the literature. While there is a traditionally held viewpoint that optic disc and/or nerve fibre layer changes precede visual field changes, there is surprisingly little published evidence from well-controlled prospective studies in this area, specifically with modern perimetric and imaging techniques. In this paper, we report on clinical data from both glaucoma patients and normal controls collected prospectively over several years, to address the relationship between visual field and optic disc changes in glaucoma using standard automated perimetry (SAP), high-pass resolution perimetry (HRP) and confocal scanning laser tomography (CSLT). We use several methods of analysis of longitudinal data and describe a new technique called "evidence of change" analysis which facilitates comparison between different tests. We demonstrate that current clinical indicators of visual function (SAP and HRP) and measures of optic disc structure (CSLT) provide largely independent measures of progression. We discuss the reasons for these findings as well as several methodological issues that pose challenges to elucidating the true structure-function relationship in glaucoma.

  19. Consistency of land surface reflectance data: presentation of a new tool and case study with Formosat-2, SPOT-4 and Landsat-5/7/8 data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Claverie, M.; Vermote, E.; Franch, B.; Huc, M.; Hagolle, O.; Masek, J.

    2013-12-01

    Maintaining consistent dataset of Surface Reflectance (SR) data derived from the large panel of in-orbit sensors is an important challenge to ensure long term analysis of earth observation data. Continuous validation of such SR products through comparison with a reference dataset is thus an important challenge. Validating with in situ or airborne SR data is not easy since the sensors rarely match completely the same spectral, spatial and directional characteristics of the satellite measurement. Inter-comparison between satellites sensors data appears as a valuable tool to maintain a long term consistency of the data. However, satellite data are acquired at various times of the day (i.e., variation of the atmosphere content) and within a relative large range of geometry (view and sun angles). Also, even if band-to-band spectral characteristics of optical sensors are closed, they rarely have identical spectral responses. As the results, direct comparisons without consideration of these differences are poorly suitable. In this study, we suggest a new systematic method to assess land optical SR data from high to medium resolution sensors. We used MODIS SR products (MO/YD09CMG) which benefit from a long term calibration/validation process, to assess SR from 3 sensors data: Formosat-2 (280 scenes 24x24km - 5 sites), SPOT-4 (62 scenes 120x60km - 1 site) and Landsat-5/7 (104 180x180km scenes - 50 sites). The main issue concerns the difference in term of geometry acquisition between MODIS and compared sensors data. We used the VJB model (Vermote et al. 2009, TGRS) to correct MODIS SR from BRDF effects and to simulate SR at the corresponding geometry (view and sun angles) of each pixel of the compared sensor data. The comparison is done at the CMG spatial resolution (0.05°) which ensures a constant field-of-view and negligible geometrical errors. Figure 1 displays the summary of the NIR results through APU graphs where metrics A, P and U stands for Accuracy, Precision and Uncertainty (metrics explained in Claverie et al., 2013, RSE) and allows comparison with standard Specifications (S in magenta). The results shows relatively good uncertainty taking into account that atmospheric correction differs from MODIS and the sensors data (LEDAPS for Landsat-5/7 and MACC for Formosat-2 and SPOT-4). Biases (referring to the metric A) are in many cases related to the spectral differences which are analyzed using PROSAIL radiative transfer modeling. Finally some images of Landsat-8 OLI SR (computed using the preliminary adaptation of LEDAPS for Landsat-8) are assessed using this method. Figure 1: APU graph of SR comparison between MODIS NIR (from AQUA) and Landsat-5/7, Formosat-2 and SPOT-4. A, P and U metrics are given per bin (red, green and blue line, respectively) and for the whole range (upper left text values). Magenta line refers to the MODIS SR Specification.

  20. 36 CFR 223.242 - Supplemental guidance, Memorandum of Agreements and Memorandums of Understanding.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., SPECIAL FOREST PRODUCTS, AND FOREST BOTANICAL PRODUCTS Special Forest Products Award of Contracts, Permits... collaboration, issue resolution, and local implementation of these regulations. Existing Memorandums of...

  1. Thruster Limitation Consideration for Formation Flight Control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Xu, Yunjun; Fitz-Coy, Norman; Mason, Paul

    2003-01-01

    Physical constraints of any real system can have a drastic effect on its performance. Some of the more recognized constraints are actuator and sensor saturation and bandwidth, power consumption, sampling rate (sensor and control-loop) and computation limits. These constraints can degrade system s performance, such as settling time, overshoot, rising time, and stability margins. In order to address these issues, researchers have investigated the use of robust and nonlinear controllers that can incorporate uncertainty and constraints into a controller design. For instance, uncertainties can be addressed in the synthesis model used in such algorithms as H(sub infinity), or mu. There is a significant amount of literature addressing this type of problem. However, there is one constraint that has not often been considered; that is, actuator authority resolution. In this work, thruster resolution and controller schemes to compensate for this effect are investigated for position and attitude control of a Low Earth Orbit formation flight system In many academic problems, actuators are assumed to have infinite resolution. In real system applications, such as formation flight systems, the system actuators will not have infinite resolution. High-precision formation flying requires the relative position and the relative attitude to be controlled on the order of millimeters and arc-seconds, respectively. Therefore, the minimum force resolution is a significant concern in this application. Without the sufficient actuator resolution, the system may be unable to attain the required pointing and position precision control. Furthermore, fuel may be wasted due to high-frequency chattering phenomena when attempting to provide a fine control with inadequate actuators. To address this issue, a Sliding Mode Controller is developed along with the boundary Layer Control to provide the best control resolution constraints. A Genetic algorithm is used to optimize the controller parameters according to the states error and fuel consumption criterion. The tradeoffs and effects of the minimum force limitation on performance are studied and compared to the case without the limitation. Furthermore, two methods are proposed to reduce chattering and improve precision.

  2. Results of Laser-Calibrated High-Resolution Transmission Measurements and Comparisons with Broadband Transmissometer Data: San Nicolas Island, California, May 1979.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-09-30

    system . Atmospheric aerosol extinction coefficients at DF laser wavelengths obtained from the long - path transmission data show a wide range of variation...described in this report, it is recommended that addi- tional long - path field measurements of laser extinction and high-resolution transmission spectra be...independent long path laser extinction measurement . Column 7 of Table 3 lists the lime of the laser

  3. Super-Resolution Scanning Laser Microscopy Based on Virtually Structured Detection

    PubMed Central

    Zhi, Yanan; Wang, Benquan; Yao, Xincheng

    2016-01-01

    Light microscopy plays a key role in biological studies and medical diagnosis. The spatial resolution of conventional optical microscopes is limited to approximately half the wavelength of the illumination light as a result of the diffraction limit. Several approaches—including confocal microscopy, stimulated emission depletion microscopy, stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy, photoactivated localization microscopy, and structured illumination microscopy—have been established to achieve super-resolution imaging. However, none of these methods is suitable for the super-resolution ophthalmoscopy of retinal structures because of laser safety issues and inevitable eye movements. We recently experimentally validated virtually structured detection (VSD) as an alternative strategy to extend the diffraction limit. Without the complexity of structured illumination, VSD provides an easy, low-cost, and phase artifact–free strategy to achieve super-resolution in scanning laser microscopy. In this article we summarize the basic principles of the VSD method, review our demonstrated single-point and line-scan super-resolution systems, and discuss both technical challenges and the potential of VSD-based instrumentation for super-resolution ophthalmoscopy of the retina. PMID:27480461

  4. Plausible Reasoning in Tactical Planning.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-04-01

    different contexts and tasks that give rise to mappings, and the set of issues and different resolutions to these issues that have been proposed in the...humans use in reasoning about the wo~ ld ( Polya , 1958; Collins, 1978a). Our work attempts to formalize the plausible inferences that frequently occur in...are interconnected by traces. Each hierarchy represents knowledge about a class of concepts arranged in a tree structure according to some viewpoint

  5. Issues in management of artificial intelligence based projects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kiss, P. A.; Freeman, Michael S.

    1988-01-01

    Now that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is gaining acceptance, it is important to examine some of the obstacles that still stand in the way of its progress. Ironically, many of these obstacles are related to management and are aggravated by the very characteristcs that make AI useful. The purpose of this paper is to heighten awareness of management issues in AI development and to focus attention on their resolution.

  6. Performance evaluation of a non-hydrostatic regional climate model over the Mediterranean/Black Sea area and climate projections for the XXI century

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mercogliano, Paola; Bucchignani, Edoardo; Montesarchio, Myriam; Zollo, Alessandra Lucia

    2013-04-01

    In the framework of the Work Package 4 (Developing integrated tools for environmental assessment) of PERSEUS Project, high resolution climate simulations have been performed, with the aim of furthering knowledge in the field of climate variability at regional scale, its causes and impacts. CMCC is a no profit centre whose aims are the promotion, research coordination and scientific activities in the field of climate changes. In this work, we show results of numerical simulation performed over a very wide area (13W-46E; 29-56N) at spatial resolution of 14 km, which includes the Mediterranean and Black Seas, using the regional climate model COSMO-CLM. It is a non-hydrostatic model for the simulation of atmospheric processes, developed by the DWD-Germany for weather forecast services; successively, the model has been updated by the CLM-Community, in order to develop climatic applications. It is the only documented numerical model system in Europe designed for spatial resolutions down to 1 km with a range of applicability encompassing operational numerical weather prediction, regional climate modelling the dispersion of trace gases and aerosol and idealised studies and applicable in all regions of the world for a wide range of available climate simulations from global climate and NWP models. Different reasons justify the development of a regional model: the first is the increasing number of works in literature asserting that regional models have also the features to provide more detailed description of the climate extremes, that are often more important then their mean values for natural and human systems. The second one is that high resolution modelling shows adequate features to provide information for impact assessment studies. At CMCC, regional climate modelling is a part of an integrated simulation system and it has been used in different European and African projects to provide qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the hydrogeological and public health risks. A simulation covering the period 1971-2000 and driven by ERA40 reanalysis has been performed, in order to assess the capability of the model to reproduce the present climate, with "perfect boundary conditions". A comparison, in terms of 2-metre temperature and precipitation, with EOBS dataset will be shown and discussed, in order to analyze the capabilities in simulating the main features of the observed climate over a wide area, at high spatial resolution. Then, a comparison between the results of COSMO-CLM driven by the global model CMCC-MED (whose atmospheric component is ECHAM5) and by ERA40 will be provided for a characterization of the errors induced by the global model. Finally, climate projections on the examined area for the XXI century, considering the RCP4.5 emission scenario for the future, will be provided. In this work a special emphasis will be issued to the analysis of the capability to reproduce not only the average climate trend but also extremes of the present and future climate, in terms of temperature, precipitation and wind.

  7. Low-temperature magnetic resonance imaging with 2.8 μm isotropic resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Hsueh-Ying; Tycko, Robert

    2018-02-01

    We demonstrate the feasibility of high-resolution 1H magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at low temperatures by obtaining an MRI image of 20 μm diameter glass beads in glycerol/water at 28 K with 2.8 μm isotropic resolution. The experiments use a recently-described MRI apparatus (Moore and Tycko, 2015) with minor modifications. The sample is contained within a radio-frequency microcoil with 150 μm inner diameter. Sensitivity is additionally enhanced by paramagnetic doping, optimization of the sample temperature, three-dimensional phase-encoding of k-space data, pulsed spin-lock detection of 1H nuclear magnetic resonance signals, and spherical sampling of k-space. We verify that the actual image resolution is 2.7 ± 0.3 μm by quantitative comparisons of experimental and calculated images. Our imaging approach is compatible with dynamic nuclear polarization, providing a path to significantly higher resolution in future experiments.

  8. 10 CFR 600.22 - Disputes and appeals.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... procedures, to the extent practicable. (b) Alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Before issuing a final... disputes, as are trained mediators of other federal agencies. ADR may be used at any stage of a dispute. (c...

  9. 10 CFR 600.22 - Disputes and appeals.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... procedures, to the extent practicable. (b) Alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Before issuing a final... disputes, as are trained mediators of other federal agencies. ADR may be used at any stage of a dispute. (c...

  10. 12 CFR 269b.240 - The investigation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... means, the parties to reach a mutually satisfactory resolution of the issues as an alternative to the... determination whether the charging party has established a prima facie case, whether the charge was timely filed...

  11. MRI Superresolution Using Self-Similarity and Image Priors

    PubMed Central

    Manjón, José V.; Coupé, Pierrick; Buades, Antonio; Collins, D. Louis; Robles, Montserrat

    2010-01-01

    In Magnetic Resonance Imaging typical clinical settings, both low- and high-resolution images of different types are routinarily acquired. In some cases, the acquired low-resolution images have to be upsampled to match with other high-resolution images for posterior analysis or postprocessing such as registration or multimodal segmentation. However, classical interpolation techniques are not able to recover the high-frequency information lost during the acquisition process. In the present paper, a new superresolution method is proposed to reconstruct high-resolution images from the low-resolution ones using information from coplanar high resolution images acquired of the same subject. Furthermore, the reconstruction process is constrained to be physically plausible with the MR acquisition model that allows a meaningful interpretation of the results. Experiments on synthetic and real data are supplied to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach. A comparison with classical state-of-the-art interpolation techniques is presented to demonstrate the improved performance of the proposed methodology. PMID:21197094

  12. High-resolution X-ray crystal structure of bovine H-protein using the high-pressure cryocooling method.

    PubMed

    Higashiura, Akifumi; Ohta, Kazunori; Masaki, Mika; Sato, Masaru; Inaka, Koji; Tanaka, Hiroaki; Nakagawa, Atsushi

    2013-11-01

    Recently, many technical improvements in macromolecular X-ray crystallography have increased the number of structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank and improved the resolution limit of protein structures. Almost all high-resolution structures have been determined using a synchrotron radiation source in conjunction with cryocooling techniques, which are required in order to minimize radiation damage. However, optimization of cryoprotectant conditions is a time-consuming and difficult step. To overcome this problem, the high-pressure cryocooling method was developed (Kim et al., 2005) and successfully applied to many protein-structure analyses. In this report, using the high-pressure cryocooling method, the X-ray crystal structure of bovine H-protein was determined at 0.86 Å resolution. Structural comparisons between high- and ambient-pressure cryocooled crystals at ultra-high resolution illustrate the versatility of this technique. This is the first ultra-high-resolution X-ray structure obtained using the high-pressure cryocooling method.

  13. The marginalisation of Indigenous students within school mathematics and the math wars: seeking resolutions within ethical spaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Russell, Gale L.; Chernoff, Egan J.

    2013-03-01

    In mathematics education, there are (at least) two seemingly disparate and unethical issues that have been allowed to continue unresolved for decades: the math wars (traditional versus reform teaching and learning of mathematics) and the marginalisation of Indigenous students within K-12 mathematics. Willie Ermine, an Indigenous scholar, has proposed the use of ethical spaces to explore and analyse occurrences of unethical situations arising between the "intersection of Indigenous law and Canadian Legal systems" (Ermine, Indigenous Law Journal 6(1):193-203, 2007). This paper brings Ermine's notion of ethical spaces to the field of mathematics education research as the theoretical framework for analysing the aforementioned issues. The result of this analysis is a potential single theoretical resolution to both dilemmas that can also serve as a significant factor in the processes of decolonisation.

  14. Inferred Lunar Boulder Distributions at Decimeter Scales

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Baloga, S. M.; Glaze, L. S.; Spudis, P. D.

    2012-01-01

    Block size distributions of impact deposits on the Moon are diagnostic of the impact process and environmental effects, such as target lithology and weathering. Block size distributions are also important factors in trafficability, habitability, and possibly the identification of indigenous resources. Lunar block sizes have been investigated for many years for many purposes [e.g., 1-3]. An unresolved issue is the extent to which lunar block size distributions can be extrapolated to scales smaller than limits of resolution of direct measurement. This would seem to be a straightforward statistical application, but it is complicated by two issues. First, the cumulative size frequency distribution of observable boulders rolls over due to resolution limitations at the small end. Second, statistical regression provides the best fit only around the centroid of the data [4]. Confidence and prediction limits splay away from the best fit at the endpoints resulting in inferences in the boulder density at the CPR scale that can differ by many orders of magnitude [4]. These issues were originally investigated by Cintala and McBride [2] using Surveyor data. The objective of this study was to determine whether the measured block size distributions from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera - Narrow Angle Camera (LROC-NAC) images (m-scale resolution) can be used to infer the block size distribution at length scales comparable to Mini-RF Circular Polarization Ratio (CPR) scales, nominally taken as 10 cm. This would set the stage for assessing correlations of inferred block size distributions with CPR returns [6].

  15. The MODIS Aerosol Algorithm: Critical Evaluation and Plans for Collection 6

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Remer, Lorraine

    2010-01-01

    For ten years the MODIS aerosol algorithm has been applied to measured MODIS radiances to produce a continuous set of aerosol products, over land and ocean. The MODIS aerosol products are widely used by the scientific and applied science communities for variety of purposes that span operational air quality forecasting in estimates o[ clear-sky direct radiative effects over ocean and aerosol-cloud interactions. The products undergo continual evaluation, including self-consistency checks and comparisons with highly accurate ground-based instruments. The result of these evaluation exercises is a quantitative understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the retrieval, where and when the products are accurate and the situations where and when accuracy degrades. We intend 10 present results of the most recent critical evaluations including the first comparison of the over ocean products against the shipboard aerosol optical depth measurements of the Marine Aerosol Network (MAN), the demonstration of the lack of sensitivity to size parameter in the over land products and identification of residual problems and regional issues. While the current data set is undergoing evaluation, we are preparing for the next data processing, labeled Collection 6. Collection 6 will include transparent Quality Flags, a 3 km aerosol product and the 500m resolution cloud mask used within the aerosol n:bicvu|. These new products and adjustments to algorithm assumptions should provide users with more options and greater control, as they adapt the product for their own purposes.

  16. Dust transport model validation using satellite- and ground-based methods in the southwestern United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahler, Anna-Britt; Thome, Kurt; Yin, Dazhong; Sprigg, William A.

    2006-08-01

    Dust is known to aggravate respiratory diseases. This is an issue in the desert southwestern United States, where windblown dust events are common. The Public Health Applications in Remote Sensing (PHAiRS) project aims to address this problem by using remote-sensing products to assist in public health decision support. As part of PHAiRS, a model for simulating desert dust cycles, the Dust Regional Atmospheric Modeling (DREAM) system is employed to forecast dust events in the southwestern US. Thus far, DREAM has been validated in the southwestern US only in the lower part of the atmosphere by comparison with measurement and analysis products from surface synoptic, surface Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR), and upper-air radiosonde. This study examines the validity of the DREAM algorithm dust load prediction in the desert southwestern United States by comparison with satellite-based MODIS level 2 and MODIS Deep Blue aerosol products, and ground-based observations from the AERONET network of sunphotometers. Results indicate that there are difficulties obtaining MODIS L2 aerosol optical thickness (AOT) data in the desert southwest due to low AOT algorithm performance over areas with high surface reflectances. MODIS Deep Blue aerosol products show improvement, but the temporal and vertical resolution of MODIS data limit its utility for DREAM evaluation. AERONET AOT data show low correlation to DREAM dust load predictions. The potential contribution of space- or ground-based lidar to the PHAiRS project is also examined.

  17. Evaluation and cross-comparison of vegetation indices for crop monitoring from sentinel-2 and worldview-2 images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Psomiadis, Emmanouil; Dercas, Nicholas; Dalezios, Nicolas R.; Spyropoulos, Nikolaos V.

    2017-10-01

    Farmers throughout the world are constantly searching for ways to maximize their returns. Remote Sensing applications are designed to provide farmers with timely crop monitoring and production information. Such information can be used to identify crop vigor problems. Vegetation indices (VIs) derived from satellite data have been widely used to assess variations in the physiological state and biophysical properties of vegetation. However, due to the various sensor characteristics, there are differences among VIs derived from multiple sensors for the same target. Therefore, multi-sensor VI capability and effectiveness are critical but complicated issues in the application of multi-sensor vegetation observations. Various factors such as the atmospheric conditions during acquisition, sensor and geometric characteristics, such as viewing angle, field of view, and sun elevation influence direct comparability of vegetation indicators among different sensors. In the present study, two experimental areas were used which are located near the villages Nea Lefki and Melia of Larissa Prefecture in Thessaly Plain area, containing a wheat and a cotton crop, respectively. Two satellite systems with different spatial resolution, WorldView-2 (W2) and Sentinel-2 (S2) with 2 and 10 meters pixel size, were used. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Leaf Area Index (LAI) were calculated and a statistical comparison of the VIs was made to designate their correlation and dependency. Finally, several other innovative indices were calculated and compared to evaluate their effectiveness in the detection of problematic plant growth areas.

  18. CORDEX Coordinated Output for Regional Evaluation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gutowski, William; Giorgi, Filippo; Lake, Irene

    2017-04-01

    The Science Advisory Team for the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) has developed a baseline framework of specified regions, resolutions and simulation periods intended to provide a foundation for ongoing regional CORDEX activities: the CORDEX Coordinated Output for Regional Evaluation, or CORDEX-CORE. CORDEX-CORE was conceived in part to be responsive to IPCC needs for coordinated simulations that could provide regional climate downscaling (RCD) that yields fine-scale climate information beyond that resolved by GCMs. For each CORDEX region, a matrix of GCM-RCD experiments is designed based on the need to cover as much as possible different dimensions of the uncertainty space (e.g., different emissions and land-use scenarios, GCMs, RCD models and techniques). An appropriate set of driving GCMs can allow a program of simulations that efficiently addresses key scientific issues within CORDEX, while facilitating comparison and transfer of results and lessons learned across different regions. The CORDEX-CORE program seeks to provide, as much as possible, homogeneity across domains, so it is envisioned that a standard set of regional climate models (RCMs) and empirical statistical downscaling (ESD) methods will downscale a standard set of GCMs over all or at least most CORDEX domains for a minimum set of scenarios (high and low end). The focus is on historical climate simulations for the 20th century and projections for 21st century, implying that data would be needed minimally for the period 1950-2100 (but ideally 1900-2100). This foundational ensemble can be regionally enriched with further contributions (additional GCM-RCD pairs) by individual groups over their selected domains of interest. The RCM model resolution for these core experiments will be in the range of 10-20 km, a resolution that has been shown to provide substantial added value for a variety of climate variables and that represents a significant forward step compared in the CORDEX program. This presentation presents the vision and structure of CORDEX-CORE while also soliciting discussion on plans for implementing the program.

  19. High resolution crystal structure of rat long chain hydroxy acid oxidase in complex with the inhibitor 4-carboxy-5-[(4-chlorophenyl)sulfanyl]-1, 2, 3-thiadiazole. Implications for inhibitor specificity and drug design.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zhi-wei; Vignaud, Caroline; Jaafar, Adil; Lévy, Bernard; Guéritte, Françoise; Guénard, Daniel; Lederer, Florence; Mathews, F Scott

    2012-05-01

    Long chain hydroxy acid oxidase (LCHAO) is responsible for the formation of methylguanidine, a toxic compound with elevated serum levels in patients with chronic renal failure. Its isozyme glycolate oxidase (GOX), has a role in the formation of oxalate, which can lead to pathological deposits of calcium oxalate, in particular in the disease primary hyperoxaluria. Inhibitors of these two enzymes may have therapeutic value. These enzymes are the only human members of the family of FMN-dependent l-2-hydroxy acid-oxidizing enzymes, with yeast flavocytochrome b(2) (Fcb2) among its well studied members. We screened a chemical library for inhibitors, using in parallel rat LCHAO, human GOX and the Fcb2 flavodehydrogenase domain (FDH). Among the hits was an inhibitor, CCPST, with an IC(50) in the micromolar range for all three enzymes. We report here the crystal structure of a complex between this compound and LCHAO at 1.3 Å resolution. In comparison with a lower resolution structure of this enzyme, binding of the inhibitor induces a conformational change in part of the TIM barrel loop 4, as well as protonation of the active site histidine. The CCPST interactions are compared with those it forms with human GOX and those formed by two other inhibitors with human GOX and spinach GOX. These compounds differ from CCPST in having the sulfur replaced with a nitrogen in the five-membered ring as well as different hydrophobic substituents. The possible reason for the ∼100-fold difference in affinity between these two series of inhibitors is discussed. The present results indicate that specificity is an issue in the quest for therapeutic inhibitors of either LCHAO or GOX, but they may give leads for this quest. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  20. Prospects for using existing resists for evaluating 157-nm imaging systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fedynyshyn, Theodore H.; Kunz, Roderick R.; Doran, Scott P.; Goodman, Russell B.; Lind, Michele L.; Curtin, Jane E.

    2000-06-01

    Lithography at 157 nm represents the next evolutionary step in the Great Optical Continuum and is currently under investigation as a possible successor to 193-nm lithography. If successful, the photoresists used for this technology must be initially capable of 100-nm resolution and be extendable to less than 70 nm. Unfortunately, as with the transition to shorter wavelengths in the past, the photoresist materials developed for longer wavelengths appear to be too absorbent for practical use as a traditional high resolution single layer resist imageable with 157 nm radiation. Until new photoresist materials are developed that are sufficiently transparent to be used as single layer resists, the existing need for a resist to be used to evaluate 157 nm imaging systems, such as the prototype steppers now under development, will have to be met by employing existing resists. We have surveyed the commercial resist market with the dual purpose of identifying the general categories of commercial resists that have potential for use as tool evaluation resist and to baseline these resists for comparison against future 157 nm resist candidates. Little difference was observed in the 157- nm absorbance between different classes of resists with most resists having an absorbance between 6 and 8 per micron. Due to the high absorbance at 157 nm of polyhydroxystyrene, polyacrylate, and polycyclic copolymer based resists, the coated resist thickness will need to be under 100 nm. All four commercial resists evaluated for imaging at 157 nm showed that they are capable of acting as a tool testing resist to identify issues attributed focus, illumination, and vibration. Finally, an improved tool testing resist can be developed within the existing resist material base, that is capable of 100 nm imaging with a binary mask and 70 nm imaging with a phase shift mask. Minor formulation modification can greatly improve resist performance including improved resolution and reduced line edge roughness.

  1. A GPU-accelerated and Monte Carlo-based intensity modulated proton therapy optimization system.

    PubMed

    Ma, Jiasen; Beltran, Chris; Seum Wan Chan Tseung, Hok; Herman, Michael G

    2014-12-01

    Conventional spot scanning intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) treatment planning systems (TPSs) optimize proton spot weights based on analytical dose calculations. These analytical dose calculations have been shown to have severe limitations in heterogeneous materials. Monte Carlo (MC) methods do not have these limitations; however, MC-based systems have been of limited clinical use due to the large number of beam spots in IMPT and the extremely long calculation time of traditional MC techniques. In this work, the authors present a clinically applicable IMPT TPS that utilizes a very fast MC calculation. An in-house graphics processing unit (GPU)-based MC dose calculation engine was employed to generate the dose influence map for each proton spot. With the MC generated influence map, a modified least-squares optimization method was used to achieve the desired dose volume histograms (DVHs). The intrinsic CT image resolution was adopted for voxelization in simulation and optimization to preserve spatial resolution. The optimizations were computed on a multi-GPU framework to mitigate the memory limitation issues for the large dose influence maps that resulted from maintaining the intrinsic CT resolution. The effects of tail cutoff and starting condition were studied and minimized in this work. For relatively large and complex three-field head and neck cases, i.e., >100,000 spots with a target volume of ∼ 1000 cm(3) and multiple surrounding critical structures, the optimization together with the initial MC dose influence map calculation was done in a clinically viable time frame (less than 30 min) on a GPU cluster consisting of 24 Nvidia GeForce GTX Titan cards. The in-house MC TPS plans were comparable to a commercial TPS plans based on DVH comparisons. A MC-based treatment planning system was developed. The treatment planning can be performed in a clinically viable time frame on a hardware system costing around 45,000 dollars. The fast calculation and optimization make the system easily expandable to robust and multicriteria optimization.

  2. Detecting and tracking dust outbreaks by using high temporal resolution satellite data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sannazzaro, Filomena; Marchese, Francesco; Filizzola, Carolina; Tramutoli, Valerio; Pergola, Nicola; Mazzeo, Giuseppe; Paciello, Rossana

    2013-04-01

    A dust storm is a meteorological phenomenon generated by the action of wind, mainly in arid and semi-arid regions of the planet, particularly at subtropical latitudes. Dust outbreaks, of which frequency increases from year to year concurrently with climate change and reduction of moisture in the soil, may strongly impact on human activity as well as on environment and climate. Efficient early warning systems are then required to monitor them and to mitigate their effects. Satellite remote sensing thanks to a global coverage, to a high frequency of observation and low costs of data represents an important tool for studying and monitoring dust outbreaks. Several techniques have been then proposed to detect and monitor these phenomena from space, analyzing signal in different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. In particular, methods based on the reverse absorption behaviour of silicate particles in comparison with ice crystals and water droplets, at 11 and 12 micron wavelengths, have been largely employed for detecting dust, although some important issues both in terms of reliability and sensitivity still remain. In this work, an optimized configuration of an innovative algorithm for dust detection, based on the largely accepted Robust Satellite Techniques (RST) multi-temporal approach, is then presented. This optimized algorithm configuration is tested here on Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) data, analyzing some important dust events affecting Mediterranean basin in recent years. Results of this study, assessed on the basis of independent satellite-based aerosol products, generated by using the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS), the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, show that when the spectral resolution of SEVIRI is properly exploited dust and meteorological clouds may be better discriminated. These results encourage further experimentations of the proposed algorithm in view of a possible future implementation in operational monitoring systems.

  3. Volcanic Eruption Classification on Io and Earth from Low Spatial Resolution Remote-Sensing Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davies, A. G.; Keszthelyi, L. P.

    2005-08-01

    Earth and Io exhibit high-temperature (silicate) active volcanism. While there are important differences in the eruptions on Earth and Io, in low-spatial-resolution data (corresponding to the bulk of available and foreseeable data of Io), similar styles of effusive and explosive volcanism yield similar thermal flux densities [1-3]. If, from observed thermal emission as a function of wavelength and change in thermal emission with time, the eruption style of an ionian volcano can be constrained, estimates of volumetric fluxes can be made and compared with terrestrial volcanoes using techniques derived for analysing terrestrial remotely-sensed data. We find that ionian volcanoes fundamentally differ from their terrestrial counterparts only in areal extent, with Io volcanoes covering larger areas, with higher volumetric fluxes. Even with the low-spatial resolution data available it is possible to sometimes constrain and classify eruption style both on Io and Earth from the integrated thermal emission spectrum, and how this changes temporally. Plotting 2 and 5 μm fluxes reveals the evolution of individual eruptions of different styles, as well as the relative intensity of eruptions, allowing comparison to be made from individual eruptions on both planets. For some Ionian volcanoes, low-resolution analyses are confirmed from observations obtained at high spatial resolution Of great importance, possibly more so than spatial resolution, is temporal resolution, as this has proven diagnostic in determining style of eruption at a number of volcanoes (e.g., Prometheus, Pele, Loki Patera, Pillan 1997) [1-3]. Active lava lakes, fire-fountains and insulated flows are identified using this methodology, and this allows comparison of individual eruptions on both planets. References: [1] Davies et al. (2001) JGR, 106, 33079-33,103. [2] Keszthelyi et al. (2001) LPSC XXXII Abstract 1523. [3] Davies (2003) JGR, 108, 10.1029/2001JE001509. This work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory-California Institute of Technology, under contract to NASA.

  4. High resolution simulations of aerosol microphysics in a global and regionally nested chemical transport model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Adams, P. J.; Marks, M.

    2015-12-01

    The aerosol indirect effect is the largest source of forcing uncertainty in current climate models. This effect arises from the influence of aerosols on the reflective properties and lifetimes of clouds, and its magnitude depends on how many particles can serve as cloud droplet formation sites. Assessing levels of this subset of particles (cloud condensation nuclei, or CCN) requires knowledge of aerosol levels and their global distribution, size distributions, and composition. A key tool necessary to advance our understanding of CCN is the use of global aerosol microphysical models, which simulate the processes that control aerosol size distributions: nucleation, condensation/evaporation, and coagulation. Previous studies have found important differences in CO (Chen, D. et al., 2009) and ozone (Jang, J., 1995) modeled at different spatial resolutions, and it is reasonable to believe that short-lived, spatially-variable aerosol species will be similarly - or more - susceptible to model resolution effects. The goal of this study is to determine how CCN levels and spatial distributions change as simulations are run at higher spatial resolution - specifically, to evaluate how sensitive the model is to grid size, and how this affects comparisons against observations. Higher resolution simulations are necessary supports for model/measurement synergy. Simulations were performed using the global chemical transport model GEOS-Chem (v9-02). The years 2008 and 2009 were simulated at 4ox5o and 2ox2.5o globally and at 0.5ox0.667o over Europe and North America. Results were evaluated against surface-based particle size distribution measurements from the European Supersites for Atmospheric Aerosol Research project. The fine-resolution model simulates more spatial and temporal variability in ultrafine levels, and better resolves topography. Results suggest that the coarse model predicts systematically lower ultrafine levels than does the fine-resolution model. Significant differences are also evident with respect to model-measurement comparisons, and will be discussed.

  5. 0.4 Microns Spatial Resolution with 1 GHz (lambda = 30 cm) Evanescent Microwave Probe

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tabib-Azar, M.; Su, D.-P.; Pohar, A.; LeClair, S. R.; Ponchak, George E.

    1999-01-01

    In this article we describe evanescent field imaging of material nonuniformities with a record resolution of 0.4 microns at 1 GHz (lambda(sub g)/750000), using a resonant stripline scanning microwave probe. A chemically etched tip is used as a point-like evanescent field emitter and a probe-sample distance modulation is employed to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. Images obtained by evanescent microwave probe, by optical microscope, and by scanning tunneling microscope are presented for comparison. Probe was calibrated to perform quantitative conductivity measurements. The principal factors affecting the ultimate resolution of evanescent microwave probe are also discussed.

  6. Nonnegative constraint quadratic program technique to enhance the resolution of γ spectra

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Jinglun; Xiao, Wuyun; Ai, Xianyun; Chen, Ye

    2018-04-01

    Two concepts of the nonnegative least squares problem (NNLS) and the linear complementarity problem (LCP) are introduced for the resolution enhancement of the γ spectra. The respective algorithms such as the active set method and the primal-dual interior point method are applied to solve the above two problems. In mathematics, the nonnegative constraint results in the sparsity of the optimal solution of the deconvolution, and it is this sparsity that enhances the resolution. Finally, a comparison in the peak position accuracy and the computation time is made between these two methods and the boosted L_R and Gold methods.

  7. Resolution of psychosocial crises associated with flying in space

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suedfeld, Peter; Brcic, Jelena

    2011-07-01

    Erikson (1959) proposed a theoretical basis for healthy psychosocial development. His theory posits eight critical conflict situations throughout one's lifetime, each of which can result in a favorable or unfavorable resolution. Autobiographies, memoirs, interviews, personal diaries, and oral histories of 97 international astronauts were content analyzed to assess reported resolutions of Erikson's psychosocial crises, regardless of chronological sequence. We made comparisons across flight phases (before, during, and after), gender, nationality of home space agency, and flight duration. Astronauts reported more favorable than unfavorable outcomes across flight phases and demographic variables. Differences across demographic variables and flight phases, as well as the changes as a result of the flight are discussed.

  8. Instantaneous microwave frequency measurement with improved resolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yueqin; Pei, Li; Li, Jing; Zheng, Jingjing; Wang, Yiqun; Yuan, Jin; Tang, Yu

    2015-11-01

    An approach of instantaneous microwave frequency measurement with improved resolution is proposed and analyzed. The primary component employed in the proposal is a polarization modulator (PolM) followed by a linear polarizer (LP) and a spool of dispersive fiber. To obtain a flexible amplitude comparison function (ACF), the polarization state between the PolM and the LP should be properly adjusted. It is found that the notch point of the ACF can be widely shifted by simply adjusting the bias voltage applied to the PolM, especially, a greater first-order derivative of the ACF ensures that the measurement resolution can be improved when compared with the work in the reference.

  9. Small-Scale Tropopause Dynamics and TOMS Total Ozone

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stanford, John L.

    2002-01-01

    This project used Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (EP TOMS) along-track ozone retrievals, in conjunction with ancillary meteorological fields and modeling studies, for high resolution investigations of upper troposphere and lower stratosphere dynamics. Specifically, high resolution along-track (Level 2) EP TOMS data were used to investigate the beautiful fine-scale structure in constituent and meteorological fields prominent in the evolution of highly non-linear baroclinic storm systems. Comparison was made with high resolution meteorological models. The analyses provide internal consistency checks and validation of the EP TOMS data which are vital for monitoring ozone depletion in both polar and midlatitude regions.

  10. Occupational health and safety issues in military field hospitals.

    PubMed

    Bricknell, M C

    2001-10-01

    This paper considers the occupational health and safety issues that apply within a military field hospital. It considers NHS occupational health and safety activities and examines how these might be applied within an Army Medical Services unit. Areas that are unique to field hospitals are highlighted in comparison with a static NHS hospital. Some issues for future work are also considered.

  11. Image-receptor performance: a comparison of Trophy RVG UI sensor and Kodak Ektaspeed Plus film.

    PubMed

    Ludlow, J; Mol, A

    2001-01-01

    Objective. This study compares the physical characteristics of the RVG UI sensor (RVG) with Ektaspeed Plus film. Dose-response curves were generated for film and for each of 6 available RVG modes. An aluminum step-wedge was used to evaluate exposure latitude. Spatial resolution was assessed by using a line-pair test tool. Latitude and resolution were assessed by observers for both modalities. The RVG was further characterized by its modulation transfer function. Exposure latitude was equal for film and RVG in the periodontal mode. Other gray scale modes demonstrated much lower latitude. The average maximum resolution was 15.3 line-pairs per millimeter (lp/mm) for RVG in high-resolution mode, 10.5 lp/mm for RVG in low-resolution mode, and 20 lp/mm for film (P <.0001). Modulation transfer function measurements supported the subjective assessments. In periodontal mode, the RVG UI sensor demonstrates exposure latitude similar to that of Ektaspeed Plus film. Film images exhibit significantly higher spatial resolution than the RVG images acquired in high-resolution mode.

  12. 7 CFR 785.8 - Reports by qualifying States receiving mediation grant funds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... counseling services, training, notification, public education, increasing resolution rates, and obtaining... preceding fiscal year, and for prior fiscal years, as appropriate, for comparisons of program activities and...

  13. 7 CFR 785.8 - Reports by qualifying States receiving mediation grant funds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... counseling services, training, notification, public education, increasing resolution rates, and obtaining... preceding fiscal year, and for prior fiscal years, as appropriate, for comparisons of program activities and...

  14. 7 CFR 785.8 - Reports by qualifying States receiving mediation grant funds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... counseling services, training, notification, public education, increasing resolution rates, and obtaining... preceding fiscal year, and for prior fiscal years, as appropriate, for comparisons of program activities and...

  15. 7 CFR 785.8 - Reports by qualifying States receiving mediation grant funds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... counseling services, training, notification, public education, increasing resolution rates, and obtaining... preceding fiscal year, and for prior fiscal years, as appropriate, for comparisons of program activities and...

  16. Comparison of Two Grid Refinement Approaches for High Resolution Regional Climate Modeling: MPAS vs WRF

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leung, L.; Hagos, S. M.; Rauscher, S.; Ringler, T.

    2012-12-01

    This study compares two grid refinement approaches using global variable resolution model and nesting for high-resolution regional climate modeling. The global variable resolution model, Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS), and the limited area model, Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model, are compared in an idealized aqua-planet context with a focus on the spatial and temporal characteristics of tropical precipitation simulated by the models using the same physics package from the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM4). For MPAS, simulations have been performed with a quasi-uniform resolution global domain at coarse (1 degree) and high (0.25 degree) resolution, and a variable resolution domain with a high-resolution region at 0.25 degree configured inside a coarse resolution global domain at 1 degree resolution. Similarly, WRF has been configured to run on a coarse (1 degree) and high (0.25 degree) resolution tropical channel domain as well as a nested domain with a high-resolution region at 0.25 degree nested two-way inside the coarse resolution (1 degree) tropical channel. The variable resolution or nested simulations are compared against the high-resolution simulations that serve as virtual reality. Both MPAS and WRF simulate 20-day Kelvin waves propagating through the high-resolution domains fairly unaffected by the change in resolution. In addition, both models respond to increased resolution with enhanced precipitation. Grid refinement induces zonal asymmetry in precipitation (heating), accompanied by zonal anomalous Walker like circulations and standing Rossby wave signals. However, there are important differences between the anomalous patterns in MPAS and WRF due to differences in the grid refinement approaches and sensitivity of model physics to grid resolution. This study highlights the need for "scale aware" parameterizations in variable resolution and nested regional models.

  17. Impact of tropical cyclones on modeled extreme wind-wave climate

    DOE PAGES

    Timmermans, Ben; Stone, Daithi; Wehner, Michael; ...

    2017-02-16

    Here, the effect of forcing wind resolution on the extremes of global wind-wave climate are investigated in numerical simulations. Forcing winds from the Community Atmosphere Model at horizontal resolutions of ~1.0° and ~0.25° are used to drive Wavewatch III. Differences in extreme wave height are found to manifest most strongly in tropical cyclone (TC) regions, emphasizing the need for high-resolution forcing in those areas. Comparison with observations typically show improvement in performance with increased forcing resolution, with a strong influence in the tail of the distribution, although simulated extremes can exceed observations. A simulation for the end of the 21stmore » century under a RCP 8.5 type emission scenario suggests further increases in extreme wave height in TC regions.« less

  18. Impact of tropical cyclones on modeled extreme wind-wave climate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Timmermans, Ben; Stone, Dáithí; Wehner, Michael; Krishnan, Harinarayan

    2017-02-01

    The effect of forcing wind resolution on the extremes of global wind-wave climate are investigated in numerical simulations. Forcing winds from the Community Atmosphere Model at horizontal resolutions of ˜1.0° and ˜0.25° are used to drive Wavewatch III. Differences in extreme wave height are found to manifest most strongly in tropical cyclone (TC) regions, emphasizing the need for high-resolution forcing in those areas. Comparison with observations typically show improvement in performance with increased forcing resolution, with a strong influence in the tail of the distribution, although simulated extremes can exceed observations. A simulation for the end of the 21st century under a RCP 8.5 type emission scenario suggests further increases in extreme wave height in TC regions.

  19. CINCH (confocal incoherent correlation holography) super resolution fluorescence microscopy based upon FINCH (Fresnel incoherent correlation holography)

    PubMed Central

    Siegel, Nisan; Storrie, Brian; Bruce, Marc

    2016-01-01

    FINCH holographic fluorescence microscopy creates high resolution super-resolved images with enhanced depth of focus. The simple addition of a real-time Nipkow disk confocal image scanner in a conjugate plane of this incoherent holographic system is shown to reduce the depth of focus, and the combination of both techniques provides a simple way to enhance the axial resolution of FINCH in a combined method called “CINCH”. An important feature of the combined system allows for the simultaneous real-time image capture of widefield and holographic images or confocal and confocal holographic images for ready comparison of each method on the exact same field of view. Additional GPU based complex deconvolution processing of the images further enhances resolution. PMID:26839443

  20. Comparison between beamforming and super resolution imaging algorithms for non-destructive evaluation

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

    Fan, Chengguang; Drinkwater, Bruce W.

    In this paper the performance of total focusing method is compared with the widely used time-reversal MUSIC super resolution technique. The algorithms are tested with simulated and experimental ultrasonic array data, each containing different noise levels. The simulated time domain signals allow the effects of array geometry, frequency, scatterer location, scatterer size, scatterer separation and random noise to be carefully controlled. The performance of the imaging algorithms is evaluated in terms of resolution and sensitivity to random noise. It is shown that for the low noise situation, time-reversal MUSIC provides enhanced lateral resolution when compared to the total focusing method.more » However, for higher noise levels, the total focusing method shows robustness, whilst the performance of time-reversal MUSIC is significantly degraded.« less

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