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At least 1,729 records · Page 96

Study of the utilization of EREP data from the Wabash River Basin

The author has identified the following significant results. Analysis of the digitized SL/4 S190A color IR photography proved very difficult. An area within Allen County, including Ft. Wayne, was studied. Eight segments of the study area were clustered separately and the cluster maps were then compared with the photography and maps available. The training areas for the land use classes were selected from the cluster maps. The separability measures (transformed divergence) of the classes indicated that many of the land use classes were not spectrally separable. The classification results bore this out. Visually the resulting classification map was poor, with 67 percent correct data. These results were of significantly lower quality than those obtained for the summertime SL/2 data near Lake Monroe, Indiana. Low contrast between land use classes during the wintertime and the limited spectral range and resolution are the major causes for the poor performance.

Silva, L. F.↗

Slushy weightings for the optimal pilot model

A pilot model is described which accounts for the effect of motion cues in a well defined visual tracking task. The effect of visual and motion cues are accounted for in the model in two ways. First, the observation matrix in the pilot model is structured to account for the visual and motion inputs presented to the pilot. Secondly, the weightings in the quadratic cost function associated with the pilot model are modified to account for the pilot's perception of the variables he considers important in the task. Analytic results obtained using the pilot model are compared to experimental results and in general good agreement is demonstrated. The analytic model yields small improvements in tracking performance with the addition of motion cues for easily controlled task dynamics and large improvements in tracking performance with the addition of motion cues for difficult task dynamics.

Dillow, J. D.↗

Ultraviolet observations of cool stars. IV - Intensities of Lyman-alpha and Mg II in epsilon Pegasi and epsilon Eridani, and line width-luminosity correlations

A spectrometer on the Copernicus satellite has been used to confirm the existence of a line width-luminosity relation for the Ly-alpha and Mg II 2800-A chromospheric emission lines in K-type stars by observation of a K2 dwarf (epsilon Eri) and a K2 supergiant (epsilon Peg). Combined with previously reported observations of lines in three K giants (alpha Boo, alpha Tau, and beta Gem), the data are consistent with an identical dependence of line width on absolute visual magnitude for the Ca II K, Ly-alpha, and Mg II 2795-A lines. Surface fluxes of Ly-alpha, Mg II 2800-A, and O V 1218-A (upper limit) for epsilon Eri, and of Mg II 2800-A for epsilon Peg are also compared with values reported previously for the three giant stars.

Mcclintock, W.↗

Estimation of the sugar cane cultivated area from LANDSAT images using the two phase sampling method

A two phase sampling method and the optimal sampling segment dimensions for the estimation of sugar cane cultivated area were developed. This technique employs visual interpretations of LANDSAT images and panchromatic aerial photographs considered as the ground truth. The estimates, as a mean value of 100 simulated samples, represent 99.3% of the true value with a CV of approximately 1%; the relative efficiency of the two phase design was 157% when compared with a one phase aerial photographs sample.

Parada, N. D. J.↗

Image coding by way of wavelets

The application of two wavelet transforms to image compression is discussed. It is noted that the Haar transform, with proper bit allocation, has performance that is visually superior to an algorithm based on a Daubechies filter and to the discrete cosine transform based Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) algorithm at compression ratios exceeding 20:1. In terms of the root-mean-square error, the performance of the Haar transform method is basically comparable to that of the JPEG algorithm. The implementation of the Haar transform can be achieved in integer arithmetic, making it very suitable for applications requiring real-time performance.

Shahshahani, M.↗

Diskless supercomputers: Scalable, reliable I/O for the Tera-Op technology base

Computing is seeing an unprecedented improvement in performance; over the last five years there has been an order-of-magnitude improvement in the speeds of workstation CPU's. At least another order of magnitude seems likely in the next five years, to machines with 500 MIPS or more. The goal of the ARPA Teraop program is to realize even larger, more powerful machines, executing as many as a trillion operations per second. Unfortunately, we have seen no comparable breakthroughs in I/O performance; the speeds of I/O devices and the hardware and software architectures for managing them have not changed substantially in many years. We have completed a program of research to demonstrate hardware and software I/O architectures capable of supporting the kinds of internetworked 'visualization' workstations and supercomputers that will appear in the mid 1990s. The project had three overall goals: high performance, high reliability, and scalable, multipurpose system.

Katz, Randy H.↗

Mathematical Modeling of an Oscillating Droplet

Oscillating droplets are of interest in a number of disciplines. A practical application is the oscillating drop method, which is a technique for measuring surface tension and viscosity of liquid metals. It is especially suited to undercooled and highly reactive metals, because it is performed by electromagnetic levitation. The natural oscillation frequency of the droplets is related to the surface tension of the material, and the decay of oscillations is related to its viscosity. The fluid flow inside the droplet must be laminar in order for this technique to yield good results. Because no experimental method has yet been developed to visualize flow in electromagnetically-levitated oscillating metal droplets, mathematical modeling is required to determine whether or not turbulence occurs. Three mathematical models of the flow: (1) assuming laminar conditions, (2) using the k-epsilon turbulence model, and (3) using the RNG turbulence model, respectively, are compared and contrasted to determine the physical characteristics of the flow. It is concluded that the RNG model is the best suited for describing this problem. The goal of the presented work was to characterize internal flow in an oscillating droplet of liquid metal, and to verify the accuracy of the characterization by comparing calculated surface tension and viscosity.

Berry, S.↗

Novel Optical Diagnostic Techniques for Studying Particle Deposition Upon Large Cylinders in a Sheared Suspension

On a twelve-month voyage to Mars, one astronaut will require at least two tons of potable water and two tons of pure oxygen. Efficient, reliable fluid reclamation is therefore necessary for manned space exploration. Space habitats require a compact, flexible, and robust apparatus capable of solid-fluid mechanical separation over a wide range of fluid and particle densities and particle sizes. In space, centrifugal filtration, where particles suspended in fluid are captured by rotating fixed-fiber mat filters, is a logical candidate for mechanical separation. Non-colloidal particles are deposited on the fibers due to inertial impaction or direct interception. Since rotation rates are easily adjustable, inertial effects are the most practical way to control separation rates for a wide variety of multiphase mixtures in variable gravity environments. Understanding how fluid inertia and differential fluid-particle inertia, characterized by the Reynolds and Stokes numbers, respectively, affect deposition is critical in optimizing filtration in a microgravity environment. This work will develop non-intrusive optical diagnostic techniques for directly visualizing where and when non-colloidal particles deposit upon, or contact, solid surfaces: 'particle proximity sensors'. To model particle deposition upon a single filter fiber, these sensors will be used in ground-based experiments to study particle dynamics as in the vicinity of a large (compared with the particles) cylinder in a simply sheared (i.e., linearly-varying, zero-mean velocity profile) neutrally-buoyant, refractive-index matched solid-liquid suspension.

Yoda, M.↗

Particle Image Velocimetry Measurements to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Deck-Edge Columnar Vortex Generators on Aircraft Carriers

Candidate passive flow control devices were chosen from a NASA flow visualization study to investigate their effectiveness at improving flow quality over a flat-top carrier model. Flow over the deck was analyzed using a particle image velocimeter and a 1/120th scaled carrier model in a low-speed wind tunnel. Baseline (no devices) flow quality was compared to flow quality from combinations of bow and deck-edge devices at both zero and 20 degrees yaw. Devices included plain flaps and spiral cross-section columnar vortex generators attached in various combinations to the front and sides of the deck. Centerline and cross plane measurements were made with velocity and average turbulence measurements reported. Results show that the bow/deck-edge flap and bow/deck-edge columnar vortex generator pairs reduce flight deck turbulence both at zero yaw and at 20 degrees yaw by a factor of approximately 20. Of the devices tested, the most effective bow-only device appears to be the plain flap.

Landman, Drew↗

Global View of the Bright Material on Vesta

At 525 km in mean diameter, Vesta is the second-most massive and one of the brightest asteroids of the main-belt. Here we give a global view of the bright material (BM) units on Vesta. We classified the BMs according to the normal visual albedo. The global albedo map of Vesta allows to be divided the surface into three principal types of terrains: bright regions, dark regions and intermediate regions. The distribution of bright regions is not uniform. The mid-southern latitudes contain the most bright areas, while the northern hemisphere is poor in bright regions. The analysis of the spectral parameters and the normal visual albedo show a dependence between albedo and the strength (depth) of ferrous iron absorption bands, strong bands correspond with high albedo units. Vesta's average albedo is 0.38, but there are bright material whose albedo can exceed 0.50. Only the E-Type asteroids have albedos comparable to those of the BMs on Vesta. The Dawn mission observed a large fraction of Vesta's surface at high spatial resolution, allowing a detailed study of the morphology and mineralogy of it. In particular, reflectance spectra provided by the Visible and InfraRed spectrometer (VIR), confirmed that Vesta's mineralogy is dominated by pyroxenes. All Vesta spectra show two strong absorption bands at approx 0.9 and 1.9 micron, typical of the pyroxenes and associated with the howardite, eucrite and diogenite (HED) meteorites.

Zambon, F.↗

SU-E-J-211: Design and Study of In-House Software Based Respiratory Motion Monitoring, Controlling and Breath-Hold Device for Gated Radiotherapy

Purpose: The purpose of this present work was to fabricate an in-house software based respiratory monitoring, controlling and breath-hold device using computer software programme which guides the patient to have uniform breath hold in response to request during the gated radiotherapy. Methods: The respiratory controlling device consists of a computer, inhouse software, video goggles, a highly sensitive sensor for measurement of distance, mounting systems, a camera, a respiratory signal device, a speaker and a visual indicator. The computer is used to display the respiratory movements of the patient with digital as well as analogue respiration indicators during the respiration cycle, to control, breath-hold and analyze the respiratory movement using indigenously developed software. Results: Studies were conducted with anthropomophic phantoms by simulating the respiratory motion on phantoms and recording the respective movements using the respiratory monitoring device. The results show good agreement between the simulated and measured movements. Further studies were conducted for 60 cancer patients with several types of cancers in the thoracic region. The respiratory movement cycles for each fraction of radiotherapy treatment were recorded and compared. Alarm indications are provided in the system to indicate when the patient breathing movement exceeds the threshold level. This will help the patient to maintain uniform breath hold during the radiotherapy treatment. Our preliminary clinical test results indicate that our device is highly reliable and able to maintain the uniform respiratory motion and breathe hold during the entire course of gated radiotherapy treatment. Conclusion: An indigenous respiratory monitoring device to guide the patient to have uniform breath hold device was fabricated. The alarm feature and the visual waveform indicator in the system guide the patient to have normal respiration. The signal from the device can be connected to the radiation unit in near future to carry out the gated radiotherapy treatment.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Daylight performance of a microstructured prismatic window film in deep open plan offices

Daylight redirecting systems with vertical windows have the potential to offset lighting energy use in deep perimeter zones. Here, a microstructured prismatic film designed for such use was characterized using goniophotometric measurements and ray tracing simulations. The synthetically-generated bidirectional scattering distribution function (BSDF) data were shown to have good agreement with limited measured data for normal incident angles (0–60°). Measured data indicated that the prismatic film was most efficient when vertical angles of incidence were between 18 and 35° and within ±45° of normal incidence to the plane of the window so maximum energy savings across the full depth of the zone occurred over the equinox to winter solstice period. Annual lighting energy use and visual comfort in a deep open plan office zone were evaluated using the Radiance three-phase method in several climates and for south and east-facing window orientations. Lighting energy savings were 39–43% for a 12 m (40 ft) deep south-facing perimeter zone compared to the same zone with no lighting controls. The prismatic film with and without a diffuser controlled glare for views parallel to the window but produced glare for seated viewpoints looking toward the window. At mature market costs, the system was projected to have a simple payback of 2–6 years. Technical challenges encountered throughout the evaluation led to improvements in measurement and modeling tools and stressed the importance of having accurate input data for product development.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗

Soot and PAH formation in high pressure spray pyrolysis of gasoline and diesel fuels

Time-resolved soot and PAH formation from gasoline and diesel spray pyrolysis are visualized and quantified using diffuse back illumination (DBI) and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) at 355 nm, respectively, in a constant-volume vessel at 60 bar from 1400 to 1700 K for up to 30 ms. The delay, maximum formation rate, and yield of soot and PAHs are compared across fuels and temperatures and correlated with the yield sooting indices on either the mass or mole basis. The delays generally decrease with increasing temperature, and the formation rates of both PAHs and soot generally increase with temperature. The apparent PAH-LIF yield may decrease with temperature due to PAH growth and conversion into larger species, signal trapping, and thermal quneching. Soot yield generally increases with temperature. The mass-based YSI correlates reasonably well with soot delay, but YSI does not correlate well with soot yield. Here, the mass-based YSI is a more appropriate predictor of sooting propensity than the mole-based YSI.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Can 18-FDG-PET During Radiotherapy Replace Post-Therapy Scanning for Detection/Demonstration of Tumor Response in Head-and-Neck Cancer?

Purpose: In routine practice, the tumor response in head-and-neck cancer (HNC) is assessed 3-4 months after radiotherapy (RT). We compared the results of fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) during (47 Gy) and 4 months after RT. Methods and Materials: In 40 patients with HNC, PET was performed before (PET1), at the end of Week 4 (47 Gy) (PET2), and 4 months after RT (PET3). Visual analysis classified patients as having a complete response (CR) or a non-CR (NCR). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value for PET2 and PET3 were determined. The 2-year overall survival (OS) rate for a CR and NCR was calculated for both response evaluation points. Results: After a median follow-up of 26 months, 10 patients had died, 6 had residual disease, and 24 remained disease free. The overall sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, and accuracy of PET2 vs. PET3 for the detection of a CR was 28.6%, 81.8%, 31.0%, 80.0%, and 42.5% vs. 78.6%, 75.0%, 60.0%, 88.0%, and 77.5%, respectively. The 2-year OS rate determined at 47 Gy was 90.0% and 71.8% for a CR and NCR, respectively, and did not appear to be significantly different (p = .50). For the study, at 4 months, the OS was significantly better in the CR group (91.8%) than in the NCR group (49.9%; p = .0055). Conclusion: The high specificity and positive predictive value for the evaluation of tumor response with PET2 and PET3 might avoid unnecessary salvage surgery in patients with a CR. In contrast to PET3, the sensitivity of PET 2 was low, and the difference in OS between the CR and NCR groups was not significantly different. Therefore, the evaluation of the tumor response with FDG-PET at 4 months after RT completion cannot be replaced by FDG-PET during RT at 47 Gy.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Reveals Energy Landscape for Rhodopsin Photoactivation

Here, knowledge of the activation principles for G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) is critical to development of new pharmaceuticals. Rhodopsin is the archetype for the largest GPCR family, yet the changes in protein dynamics that trigger signaling are not fully understood. Here we show that rhodopsin can be investigated by small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) in fully protiated detergent micelles under contrast matching to resolve light-induced changes in the protein structure. In SANS studies of membrane proteins, the zwitterionic detergent [(cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) is advantageous because of the low contrast difference between the hydrophobic core and hydrophilic head groups as compared with alkyl glycoside detergents. Combining SANS results with quasielastic neutron scattering reveals how changes in volumetric protein shape are coupled (slaved) to the aqueous solvent. Upon light exposure, rhodopsin is swollen by the penetration of water into the protein core, allowing interactions with effector proteins in the visual signaling mechanism.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

CARBON AND OXYGEN ABUNDANCES IN THE HOT JUPITER EXOPLANET HOST STAR XO-2B AND ITS BINARY COMPANION

With the aim of connecting the compositions of stars and planets, we present the abundances of carbon and oxygen, as well as iron and nickel, for the transiting exoplanet host star XO-2N and its wide-separation binary companion XO-2S. Stellar parameters are derived from high-resolution, high signal-to-noise spectra, and the two stars are found to be similar in their T{sub eff}, log g, iron ([Fe/H]), and nickel ([Ni/H]) abundances. Their carbon ([C/H]) and oxygen ([O/H]) abundances also overlap within errors, although XO-2N may be slightly more C-rich and O-rich than XO-2S. The C/O ratios of both stars ({approx}0.60 {+-} 0.20) may also be somewhat larger than solar (C/O {approx} 0.50). The XO-2 system has a transiting hot Jupiter orbiting one binary component but not the other, allowing us to probe the potential effects planet formation might have on the host star composition. Additionally, with multiple observations of its atmosphere the transiting exoplanet XO-2b lends itself to compositional analysis, which can be compared to the natal chemical environment established by our binary star elemental abundances. This work sets the stage for determining how similar or different exoplanet and host star compositions are, and the implications for planet formation, by discussing the C/O ratio measurements in the unique environment of a visual binary system with one star hosting a transiting hot Jupiter.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Performance and Emission Investigations of Jatropha and Karanja Biodiesels in a Single-Cylinder Compression-Ignition Engine Using Endoscopic Imaging

Biofuels produced from non-edible sources that are cultivated on marginal lands represent a viable source of renewable and carbon-neutral energy. In this context, biodiesel obtained from Jatropha and Karanja oil seeds have received significant interest, especially in South Asian subcontinent. Both of these fuels are produced from non-edible plant seeds with high oil content, which can be grown on marginal lands. In this research, we have investigated the performance and emission characteristics of Jatropha and Karanja methyl esters (biodiesel) and their blends with diesel. Another objective is to examine the effect of long-term storage on biodiesel’s oxidative stability. The biodiesels were produced at Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, (IIT Kanpur), India, and the engine experiments were performed in a single cylinder, 4-stroke, compression ignition engine at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Chicago. An endoscope was used to visualize in-cylinder combustion events and examine the soot distribution. The effects of fuel and start of injection (SOI) on engine performance and emissions were investigated. Results indicated that ignition delay was shorter with biodiesel. Consequently the cylinder pressure and premixed heat release were higher for diesel compared to biodiesel. Engine performance data for biodiesel (J100, K100) and biodiesel blends (J30, K30) showed an increase in break thermal efficiency (BTE) (10.9%, 7.6% for biodiesel and blend, respectively), BSFC (13.1% and 5.6%), and NOx emission (9.8% and 12.9%), and a reduction in BSHC (8.64% and 12.9%), and BSCO (15.56% and 4.0%). The soot analysis from optical images qualitatively showed that biodiesel and blends produced less soot compared to diesel. The temperature profiles obtained from optical imaging further supported higher NOx in biodiesels and their blends compared to diesel. Additionally, the data indicated that retarding the injection timing leads to higher BSFC, but lower flame temperatures and NOx levels along with higher soot formation for all test fuels. The physicochemical properties such as fatty acid profile, cetane number, and oxygen content in biodiesels support the observed combustion and emission characteristics of the fuels tested in this study. Finally, the effect of long-term storage is found to increase the glycerol content, acid value and cetane number of the two biodiesels, indicating some oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids in the fuels.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗

The ARM Data-oriented Metrics and Diagnostics Package for Climate Models - A New Tool for Evaluating Climate Models with Field Data

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program User Facility produces ground-based long-term continuous unique measurements for atmospheric state, precipitation, turbulent fluxes, radiation, aerosol, cloud and the land surface, which are collected at multiple sites. These comprehensive datasets have been widely used to calibrate climate models and are proven to be invaluable for climate model development and improvement. This article introduces an evaluation package to facilitate the use of ground-based ARM measurements in climate model evaluation. The ARM data-oriented metrics and diagnostics package (ARM-DIAGS) includes both ARM observational datasets and a Python-based analysis toolkit for computation and visualization. The observational datasets are compiled from multiple ARM data products and specifically tailored for use in climate model evaluation. In addition, ARM-DIAGS also includes simulation data from models participating the Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project (CMIP), which will allow climate-modeling groups to compare a new, candidate version of their model to existing CMIP models. The analysis toolkit is designed to make the metrics and diagnostics quickly available to the model developers.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗