Thermal and kinematic corrections to the microwave background polarization induced by galaxy clusters along the line of sight

We derive analytic expressions for the leading-order corrections to the polarization induced in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) due to scattering off hot electrons in galaxy clusters along the line of sight. For a thermal distribution of electrons with a kinetic temperature of 10 keV and a bulk peculiar velocity of 1000 km/s, the dominant corrections to the polarization induced by the primordial CMB quadrupole and the cluster peculiar velocity arise from electron thermal motion and are at the level of 10 per cent in each case, near the peak of the polarization signal. When more sensitive measurements become feasible, these effects will be significant for the determination of transverse peculiar velocities, and the value of the CMB quadrupole at the cluster redshift, via the cluster polarization route.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. Version accepted for MNRAS. Minor expansion of text in some section

Archaeological Investigation of a Spring Lake Lot for Joe\u27s Crab Shack Parking

On August 19 and 25, 1997, the Center for Archaeological Research (CAR) of The University of Texas at San Antonio conducted an intensive survey for cultural resources at the proposed location of a parking lot for Joe\u27s Crab Shack Restaurants along Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas. The work was contracted by Southwest Texas State University (SWTSU) and conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit number 1877. Upon completion of the survey and subsurface testing, CAR determined that no cultural resources would be impacted by the planned parking lot construction. CAR therefore recommended that the project sponsor be allowed to proceed as planned with the proposed project and the Texas Historical Commission (THC) has concurred

Land of My Fathers? Economic Development, Ethnic Division and Ethnic National Identity in 32 Countries

We investigate the reasons why some people, and some countries, place greater or lesser emphasis on the idea that membership of a nation is tied to ancestry. We test the influence of two key factors - economic development and ethnic division. Economic development is strongly associated with support for the ancestry criterion of national membership. Those who are more economically secure, who grew up in wealthier nations, or live in a wealthier nation currently, are less likely to emphasise ancestry as an important factor in national identity. Those who have grown up since mass immigration to a country begun are also less likely to emphasise ancestry. However, we find no evidence that historical conditions are correlated with current national identity beliefs.National Identity, Comparative, Survey, Generational Change

Productivity analysis in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation region: A multi-country translog comparative analysis, 1965-97

We employ the total factor productivity (TFP) index in growth accounting as a proxy for productivity growth to compare patterns and sources of output growth for a group of proximate countries in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation region. The estimates indicate that output growth has benefited from both TFP and factor input contributions albeit with differing magnitudes. Whereas TFP and capital are the dominant contributors to output growth in Japan and the tiger economies, capital and labour emerge as the dominant contributors in the baby tiger economies. In addition, Japanese productivity has on the average been growing over the past decade. It also emerges that foreign direct investment may be playing a prominent role of promoting the contribution of TFP.

Systems approach to assessing and improving local human research Institutional Review Board performance.

ObjectiveTo quantifying the interdependency within the regulatory environment governing human subject research, including Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), federally mandated Medicare coverage analysis and contract negotiations.MethodsOver 8000 IRB, coverage analysis and contract applications initiated between 2013 and 2016 were analyzed using traditional and machine learning analytics for a quality improvement effort to improve the time required to authorize the start of human research studies.ResultsStaffing ratios, study characteristics such as the number of arms, source of funding and number and type of ancillary reviews significantly influenced the timelines. Using key variables, a predictive algorithm identified outliers for a workflow distinct from the standard process. Improved communication between regulatory units, integration of common functions, and education outreach improved the regulatory approval process.ConclusionsUnderstanding and improving the interdependencies between IRB, coverage analysis and contract negotiation offices requires a systems approach and might benefit from predictive analytics

Ab initio Molecular Orbital Studies of the Vibrational Spectra of some van der Waals Complexes. Part 4. Complexes of Sulphur Dioxide with Carbon Dioxide, Carbonyl Sulphide, Carbon Disulphide and Nitrous Oxide

The binary complexes formed between sulphur dioxide, as electron donor, and the series carbon dioxide, carbonyl sulphide and carbon disulphide, as electron acceptors, have been studied by means of ab initio molecular orbital theory. The optimized structures, the interaction energies and the vibrational spectra have been determined, and the effect of successive substitution of sulphur for oxygen atoms in the electron acceptor molecules has been established. Nitrous oxide, which is isoelectronic with carbon dioxide, has also been included among the electron acceptors, but the properties of the complex formed between sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide are substantially different from those of the other three complexes.Keywords: Ab initio calculations, molecular complexes, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbonyl sulphide, carbon disulphide, nitrous oxide, molecular structures, interaction energies, vibrational spectraPDF and Supplementry file attache

Glint Correction of Unmanned Aerial System Imagery

Glint in aquatic imagery captured by Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) is a limiting factor when performing spectral analysis. It cannot be corrected by methods developed for space-based imaging systems, meaning new approaches are required. Two processes using in-situ radiometric data were developed augmenting an established method for removing atmospheric effects from imagery, the Empirical Line Method (ELM), to remove glint from multispectral UAS imagery. The results of this correction showed good agreement with in-situ spectroradiometer measurements and similar accuracy to atmospherically compensated satellite measurements. The Root-Mean-Square Error of the UAS retrieved remote sensing reflectance was as low as 0.0004 sr -1 and outperformed the traditional ELM

Determining improvements in Landsat spectral sampling for inland water quality monitoring

Inland waters are optically complex and provide an ongoing challenge to effective water quality monitoring through remote sensing. Imaging satellites with spectral sampling designed for this task often have coarse spatial resolutions, preventing any capture of information from small lakes. Medium resolution satellite systems such as Landsat 8 have the appropriate spatial resolution and sensitivity required to resolve these waterbodies, but the spectral sampling is not optimal. This work uses system simulation to explore potential changes to Landsat spectral sampling to determine if its ability to monitor inland waters could be improved. The HydroLight and MODTRAN radiative transfer models are used for simulation in a Look Up Table and spectrum matching approach to provide maximum flexibility intesting spectral sampling scenarios. To isolate the testing to the impacts of spectral sampling, all simulations were performed based on the known system noise characteristics of Landsat 8. Spectral sampling changes tested include the addition of yellow and red edge spectral bands as well as conversion to an imaging spectrometer. Simulated spectra of inland waters undergoing a cyanobacteria bloom, including atmospheric effects and sensor noise, were implemented with the Look-Up-Table retrieval process to extract estimated concentrations of waterbody components. The retrieval accuracy of each potential system is compared to that of a modeled Landsat 8 baseline. All potential systems show an increase of retrieval accuracy over the baseline. The best performing system design is an imaging spectrometer, followed by the addition of both a yellow and red edge band simultaneously, and the addition of either band individually. Testing also demonstrates that resampling an imaging spectrometer with 20 nm spectral resolution to the Landsat 8 band responses produces outputs matching those available from Landsat 8. Our results indicate that future Landsat missions should aim to add as much spectral sampling as is feasible, while maintaining at least the same sensitivity. The minimum change to improve water quality monitoring capability is the addition of a red edge spectral band