Synchronized Line-Scan LIDAR/EO Imager for Creating 3D Images of Dynamic Scenes: Prototype II

A second prototype integrated lidar/Electro Optical (EO) camera, or 3D Texel™ camera, has been developed by Utah State University (USU) Center for Advanced Imaging Ladar (CAIL) that collocates, both temporally and spatially, a CMOS digital camera readout with a time-of-flight pulsed lidar1. The first prototype uses a flying spot lidar with a double gimbal whereas this prototype uses a single gimbal and rotating mirror. The selection and design of the second prototype hardware components: lidar, EO camera, computer, synchronization box, power source (AC to DC and battery box) and battery charger is discussed and compared with the first prototype. The new software used for scanning and tiling called LDScanner™ and LDImager™, developed in conjunction with RappidMapper Inc., Salt Lake City Utah, is explained. Based on the operator input, LDScanner™ initializes the hardware components, sets them up for scanning, conducts the scan and analyzes the data files. LDImager™ takes the lidar and EO camera files and converts them into image files for 3D viewing. LDImager™ also allows the operator to analyze preprocessed data files from the 3D Texel™ camera and create a histogram of the processed image. The EO requirements to control the region of interest (ROI), set cameraproperties, trigger the camera and set the file format are discussed. Third party toolkits including the EO camera manufacturer’s demo program and Carnegie Melon University’s (CMU) demo program were considered to implement EO requirements. The requirements ended up being implemented using a modified CMU demo program. The software created in the modified CMU demo program and the CMU1394.dll functions were made accessible through calls to the Camera.dll wrapper. The functions exposed through the wrapper were also used to construct a Camera Image dialog box. This dialog box displays the real time EO image and histogram. It also allows the operator to adjust the shutter speed, gain, brightness, white balance and select the scan azimuth extents

Mathematics: A good predictor for success in a health science degree

Research-based literature indicates that secondary school mathematics performance is highly predictive of university performance Moreover, scholars suggest that success in secondary mathematics courses translates into success in tertiary degrees where mathematics is required. This paper examines the extent to which the completion of secondary school mathematics courses is predictive of academic success for 57 first-year students enrolled in a Health Science degree at The University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) (Fremantle Campus). Using the University’s databases, the level of mathematics completed at secondary school was examined against gender, Tertiary Entrance Ranking (TER) and Grade Point Average (GPA). A statistical analysis of collected data revealed that irrespective of gender, students who completed 3C3D mathematics at secondary school had a significantly (p = .00) higher GPA, than those students who had studied level 2C2D mathematics. These findings are discussed briefly in light of the current literature presented

Understanding the performance of water supply systems during mild to extreme droughts

This project assessed the performance of different types of public water supply systems in England and Wales in a range of droughts, including those that are more severe than the worst droughts in the historical record

The association between secondary mathematics and first year university performance in health sciences

In recent years, there has been a significant decline in the rate of participation in secondary school mathematics courses within Australia, particularly in advanced or higher level mathematics. The aim of this study was to investigate how grade point average (GPA) differed between five health science degrees at an Australian university. The association between Australian Tertiary Admission Ranking (ATAR), the level of mathematics completed at secondary school and GPA was also investigated. Results showed that students studying Biomedical Sciences and Physiotherapy had significantly higher GPA and ATAR than students studying Exercise and Sports Science, Physical Education, and Nursing. A higher percentage of Biomedical Science, and Physiotherapy students undertook advanced mathematics (3C3D MAT) at secondary school than students in the other three degrees, who recorded lower secondary school mathematics result scores from an intermediate or elementary mathematics course studied (3A3B and 2C2D MAT, respectively). The results of this study accord with published literature from other university courses that the decline in numbers of students opting to undertake a higher level of mathematics at secondary school will impact negatively upon their first year university performance

Internal evaluation of a physically-based distributed model using data from a Mediterranean mountain catchment

An evaluation of the performance of a physically-based distributed model of a small Mediterranean mountain catchment is presented. This was carried out using hydrological response data, including measurements of runoff, soil moisture, phreatic surface level and actual evapotranspiration. <i>A-priori</i> model parameterisation was based as far as possible on property data measured in the catchment. Limited model calibration was required to identify an appropriate value for terms controlling water loss to a deeper regional aquifer. The model provided good results for an initial calibration period, when judged in terms of catchment discharge. However, model performance for runoff declined substantially when evaluated against a consecutive, rather drier, period of data. Evaluation against other catchment responses allowed identification of the problems responsible for the observed lack of model robustness in flow simulation. In particular, it was shown that an incorrect parameterisation of the soil water model was preventing adequate representation of drainage from soils during hydrograph recessions. This excess moisture was then being removed via an overestimation of evapotranspiration. It also appeared that the model underestimated canopy interception. The results presented here suggest that model evaluation against catchment scale variables summarising its water balance can be of great use in identifying problems with model parameterisation, even for distributed models. Evaluation using spatially distributed data yielded less useful information on model performance, owing to the relative sparseness of data points, and problems of mismatch of scale between the measurement and the model grid.</p> <p style='line-height: 20px;'><b>Keywords: </b>physically-based distributed model, SHETRAN, parameterisation, Mediterranean mountain catchment, internal evaluation, multi-respons

Negative Selection during the Peripheral Immune Response to Antigen

Thymic selection depends on positive and negative selective mechanisms based on the avidity of T cell interaction with antigen–major histocompatibility complex complexes. However, peripheral mechanisms for the recruitment and clonal expansion of the responding T cell repertoire remain obscure. Here we provide evidence for an avidity-based model of peripheral T cell clonal expansion in response to antigenic challenge. We have used the encephalitogenic, H-2 Au-restricted, acetylated NH2-terminal nonameric peptide (Ac1-9) epitope from myelin basic protein as our model antigen. Peptide analogues were generated that varied in antigenic strength (as assessed by in vitro assay) based on differences in their binding affinity for Au. In vivo, these analogues elicited distinct repertoires of T cells that displayed marked differences in antigen sensitivity. Immunization with the weakest (wild-type) antigen expanded the high affinity T cells required to induce encephalomyelitis. In contrast, immunization with strongly antigenic analogues led to the elimination of T cells bearing high affinity T cell receptors by apoptosis, thereby preventing disease development. Moreover, the T cell repertoire was consistently tuned to respond to the immunizing antigen with the same activation threshold. This tuning mechanism provides a peripheral control against the expansion of autoreactive T cells and has implications for immunotherapy and vaccine design

Netrin-3 and Netrin-4-Like Proteins are Secreted from \u3cem\u3eTetrahymena thermophila\u3c/em\u3e

Netrins are signaling proteins, acting as chemorepellants or chemoattractants, and their role is especially important in early growth in organisms. In studies involving Tetrahymena thermophila, netrin proteins often act as chemorepellants, so research centered around verifying if this was also true for Netrin-4 protein. Since Netrin-1 and Netrin-3 have been shown to influence neurological and developmental growth in organisms, the implications for discovering the cellular effects of Netrin-4 are significant for human health and research. Through behavioral assays, we were able to confirm that Netrin4 does act as a chemorepellant. In addition, our ELISA and Western blots also helped substantiate the idea that Tetrahymena produce Netrin-4 for physiological functions, as they possess receptors for these proteins. The exact purposes of Netrin-4 for this organism is unknown up to this point, so further testing is needed to determine the cellular mechanisms with which Netrin-4 is involved

Pliocene-Pleistocene marine cyclothems, Wanganui Basin, New Zealand: a lithostratigraphic framework

The Rangitikei River valley between Mangaweka and Vinegar Hill and the surrounding Ohingaiti region in eastern Wanganui Basin contains a late Pliocene to early Pleistocene (c. 2.6-1.7 Ma), c. 1100 m thick, southward-dipping (4-9deg.), marine cyclothemic succession. Twenty sedimentary cycles occur within the succession, each of which contains coarse-grained (siliciclastic sandstone and coquina) and fine-grained (siliciclastic siltstone) units. Nineteen of the cycles are assigned to the Rangitikei Group (new). Six new formations are defined within the Rangitikei Group, and their distribution in the Ohingaiti region is represented in a new geologic map. The new formations are named: Mangarere, Tikapu, Makohine, Orangipongo, Mangaonoho, and Vinegar Hill. Each formation comprises one or more cyclothems and includes a previously described and named distinctive basal horizon. Discrete sandstones, siltstones, and coquinas within formations are assigned member status and correspond to systems tracts in sequence stratigraphic nomenclature. The members provide the link between the new formational lithostratigraphy and the sequence stratigraphy of the Rangitikei Group. Base of cycle coquina members accumulated during episodes of sediment starvation associated with stratigraphic condensation on an open marine shelf during sea-level transgressions. Siltstone members accumulated in mid-shelf environments (50-100 m water depth) during sea-level highstands, whereas the overlying sandstone members are ascribed to inner shelf and shoreface environments (0-50 m water depth) and accumulated during falling eustatic sea-level conditions. Repetitive changes in water depth of 50-100 m magnitude are consistent with a glacio-eustatic origin for the cyclothems, which correspond to an interval of Earth history when successive glaciations in the Northern Hemisphere are known to have occurred. Moreover, the chronology of the Rangitikei River section indicates that Rangitikei Group cyclothems accumulated during short duration, 41 ka cycles in continental ice volume attributed to the dominance of the Milankovitch obliquity orbital parameter. The Ohingaiti region has simple postdepositional structure. The late Pliocene formations dip generally to the SSW between 4deg. and 9deg.. Discernible discordances of c. 1deg. between successively younger formations are attributed to synsedimentary tilting of the shelf concomitant with migration of the tectonic hingeline southward into the basin. The outcrop distribution of the Rangitikei Group is strongly influenced by this regional tilt and also by three major northeast-southwest oriented, high-angle reverse faults (Rauoterangi, Pakihikura, and Rangitikei Faults)