Wearable Sensors For Personal Temperature Exposure Assessments: A Comparative Study

Heat exposure is the leading weather-related cause of death in the United States. The impacts of heat on human health has sparked research on different approaches to measure, map, and predict heat exposure at more accurate and precise spatiotemporal scales. Personal heat sensor studies rely on small sensors that can continuously measure ambient temperatures as individuals move through time and space. The comparison between different types of sensors and sensor placements have yet to be fully researched. The objective of this study is to assess the validity of personal ambient temperature sensors. To accomplish this objective, we evaluate the performance of multiple low-cost wearable sensors for measuring ambient temperature in a (1) field exposure study by varying the placement on human subjects and in a (2) field calibration study by co-locating sensors with fixed site weather station monitors. Bland-Altman analysis, correlation coefficients, and index of agreement statistics were used to quantify the difference between sensor and weather station ambient temperature measurements. Results demonstrated significant differences in measured temperatures for sensors based on sensor type and placement on participants. Future research should account for the differences in personal ambient temperature readings based on sensor type and placement

Perceptions of Advertising by Dog Owners and Non-Dog Owners: An Experimental Study

More Americans are traveling with their pets every year. Unfortunately, not all travelers enjoy being surrounded by other traveler’s pets. Hotels are having an increasingly difficult time reaching both target markets without turning away one or the other. The current study examines how each target market is affected by three differing levels of advertisements. The advertisements differ based on the involvement of pets in the advertisement. It was found that the advertisement with the most pet involvement turned away non-dog owners more than it attracted dog owners

The Dilution Effect In A Freshwater Mutualism

The dilution effect describes the effect of host diversity on parasite abundance—with greater host diversity, parasite levels per host are predicted to be lower, due to several possible mechanisms including a higher probability of parasites encountering non-competent hosts. No research has examined whether host dilution affects the prevalence of mutualistic symbionts on their hosts. Using the crayfish-branchiobdellidan worm mutualism, I performed an experiment investigating the effect of host density (1 vs 2 Cambarus chasmodactylus) and host diversity (1 C. chasmodactylus paired with 1 O. cristavarius) on branchiobdellidan(Cambarincola ingens) abundance. Worm numbers decreased over time on C. chasmodactylus alone and in the treatment in which it was paired with O. cristavarius, the latter being a poor host for C. ingens. Worm numbers declined the least in the 2 C. chasmodactylus treatment. While increased host diversity may reduce levels of parasitism (a positive effect of increased diversity) it could have negative effects on mutualistic symbionts depending on the quality of alternative hosts

Experimental Analysis Of The House-Money Effect In A Public Goods Environment

Experiments in economics usually begin with an initial endowment to subjects. Essentially, subjects are given starting capital to be used in the games conducted by the experimenter. While this practice is necessary to conduct the experiment, it could potentially affect the decisions of the subjects as there is no risk of suffering any net monetary loss. This phenomenon is known as the house-money effect. Since the original discovery, the house-money effect has been studied in different contexts and settings. The results from these experiments have varied. This study serves as a robustness check on past research conducted on the house-money effect.The experiment was conducted with 69 student subjects in two treatment groups. Thirty-six subjects participated in the house treatment where subjects were credit money in their experimental accounts upon arrival at the public goods experiment (standard protocol in experimental economics). Thirty-three subjects participated in the advance treatment where subjects were given money prior to arriving at the public goods experiment. Additionally, subjects in each treatment participated in two sessions spread across three weeks. In conclusion, the study does not find strong statistical evidence of a house-money effect within the public goods environment

Hands-on GPS and Remote Sensing Training for High School Learners During IGARSS 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa

Continuing the commitment of the Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) to education and outreach, the IEEE 2009 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) conference in Cape Town, South Africa provided an opportunity for over 400 local high school students to engage in hands-on GPS training and remote sensing workshops. Mafeteng Schools Environment Network (MSEN) and the Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organization (SHAWCO) worked with the University of Cape Town in identifying the student learners, who had an average age of 17.7 years and came from socio-economically challenged populations in areas surrounding Cape Town. Activities included a remote sensing art workshop, Mathematics of Remote Sensing team contest, and a scavenger hunt requiring students to ask questions of scientists and vendors. NOAA scientists led discussions and demonstrations of educational products to help build an understanding of the science of Earth’s systems and the stewardship of our planet. This paper details the e-o events and gives demographic information on the participants

Reduction and Loss of an Ice Shelf in Elizabeth City State University Bay, Antarctica: 1972 - 2003

Gradual reduction of a small ice shelf in the Pine Island Bay area is measured using eleven Landsat images spanning 1972 to 2003. Measurements of Ice shelf area indicate that it expanded slightly during the first two decades of observations from approximately 6.19 km2 measured on December 7, 1972, to a maximum of about 6.82 km2 observed in 1986. This maximum was followed by a nearly continuous decrease in area and ultimate disappearance of the ice shelf by January 17, 2003. No ice shelf has reappeared since 2003 as observed in subsequent Landsat images. Ten of the eleven Landsat images were co-registered and warped to one of a pair of 2003 geographic reference images before area measurement. Individual study team members made independent measurements of the ice shelf area apparent in each image. The average of these measurements had a standard deviation of 0.14 km2.The specific cause of this ice shelf disappearance is unknown but is probably related to increased basal melting by warmer ocean waters reaching Pine Island Bay. Intrusions of warm ‘Circumpolar Deep Water’ are related to ice shelf and outlet glacier thinning and retreat as reported throughout the Amundsen Sea region. This is the first report of complete ice shelf loss so far south or in the Amundsen Bay region. This small, previously unnamed ice shelf formerly occupied what is now known as the Elizabeth City State University Bay

Collaborations Focused on Enhancing Undergraduate Involvement in Remote Sensing Applications to Atmospheric and Earth Science Research

This paper discusses the mentoring strategies used with groups of undergraduate physics, mathematics, and atmospheric science majors to develop their ability to contribute to remote sensing investigations. The projects have been a joint effort of scientists and educators at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton University in Virginia, Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, Stennis Space Center, and The Office of Naval Research. Atmospheric Science investigations have included verification of Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER). The SABER instrument is one of the four instruments housed on the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED) satellite. SABER explores the MLTI (Mesosphere Lithosphere Thermosphere Ionosphere) region of the Earth's atmosphere using infrared limb emission to sound the atmosphere. Other atmospheric science investigations have included use of a single scatter lidar equation to investigate tropospheric and stratospheric aerosol and temperature measurements derived from the 355 and 532 nm channels and comparison of the SAGE III limb scattering data to other instruments measuring similar aerosol and gas profiles. Earth science investigations include investigating incidents of coastal upwelling during the summer of 2000 along the northeastern coast of North Carolina (from Cape Hatteras to the Virginia Commonwealth border) by comparing archived in situ near and offshore wind and temperature measurements with sea surface temperatures deduced from observations by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on board several of NOAA's Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellites (POES); remote sensing investigation of turbidity and water clarity in the Atlantic Ocean with the use of SeaWiFS data during which the frequency and extent of turbidity events in the Atlantic coast was studied and SeaWiFS ocean color data was utilized to generate Secchi disk depth estimates- - and; determining the spatial and temporal variability of chlorophyll concentrations in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico during 2002. Techniques for developing the required collaborations, student selection, and organization of research training activities are described in this paper

Vertical collaborative inquiry teams: a vehicle for building instructional capacity in teachers

This disquisition addresses the problem of student under-preparedness in the area of math, across school transitions. Disquisitioners engaged in improvement processes related to: (1) building teacher capacity to collaborate within and across school buildings, (2) identifying critical learning standards, and (3) creating conditions whereby math teachers within vertical teams will collectively describe and assess the learning progressions between grade levels in identified critical standards. The authors begin by critically examining the literature for factors contributing to student under-preparedness across school transitions including: (1) developmental factors, (2)external factors, and (3) organizational factors. In response, disquisitioners develop animprovement initiative revolving around the implementation of vertical collaborative inquiryteams. Disquisitioners use formative and summative evaluation measures to determine theeffectiveness of the improvement initiative (vertical collaborative inquiry teams). Data analysis revealed teachers’ experienced an increased capacity to: (1) collaborate within and across school buildings with other math teachers, (2) identify common, critical learning standards, and (3) describe and assess learning progressions between grade level math courses within critical learning standards

Building a Model of Collaboration Between Historically Black and Historically White Universities

Despite increases over the last two decades in the degrees awarded to underrepresented students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines, enhancing diversity in these disciplines remains a significant challenge. This paper describes a strategic approach to this challenge—the development of a collaborative partnership model between two universities: the historically black Elizabeth City State University and the historically white University of New Hampshire. The partnership, a type of learning organization built on a mutually-agreed upon set of principles, strives to enhance opportunities for underrepresented students to pursue careers in STEM disciplines, specifically those in Earth system science and remote sensing. In examining the partnership, six promising practices have helped advance the partnership. These practices include institutional commitment and faculty engagement, establishing mutual respect and shared time commitment, identifying an engaged leader, engaging critical change agents, initiating difficult dialogues, and preparing for growth and evolution. In reality, these practices overlap and integrate with the partnership principles, forming the foundation for an effective working partnership

Image processing to optimize wave energy converters

The world is turning to renewable energies as a means of ensuring the planet’s future and wellbeing.There have been a few attempts in the past to utilize wave power as a means of generatingelectricity through the use of Wave Energy Converters (WEC), but only recently are theybecoming a focal point in the renewable energy field. Over the past few years there has been aglobal drive to advance the efficiency of WEC. Placing a mechanical device either onshore oroffshore that captures the energy within ocean surface waves to drive a mechanical device is howwave power is produced. This paper seeks to provide a novel and innovative way to estimate oceanwave frequency through the use of image processing. This will be achieved by applying a complexmodulated lapped orthogonal transform filter bank to satellite images of ocean waves. Thecomplex modulated lapped orthogonal transform filterbank provides an equal subbanddecomposition of the Nyquist bounded discrete time Fourier Transform spectrum. The maximumenergy of the 2D complex modulated lapped transform subband is used to determine the horizontaland vertical frequency, which subsequently can be used to determine the wave frequency in thedirection of the WEC by a simple trigonometric scaling. The robustness of the proposed methodis provided by the applications to simulated and real satellite images where the frequency is known