Modeling of plume dispersion and interaction with the surround of synthetic imaging applications

Discharge of effluent gas is an inescapable byproduct of many physical processes. The type or characteristics of the discharge potentially indicate the nature of the process. Observation of factory stack gases, for example, may indicate the level of pollutants being emitted into the atmosphere or the nature of the process being carried out in the factory. In this work, we have developed an improved model of plume dispersion suitable for synthetic image generation (SIG) applications. The technique partially utilizes a new EPA model that discretizes the plume into a series of small puffs (rather than the implicit mono lithic form used in prior regulatory and SIG work) . The locations and sizes of these puffs are then perturbed to approximate the location and size of the plume at any given instant and to incorporate the effects of high-frequency wind fluctuation. We have incorporated an improved model for plume temperature calculation and a more accurate method for calculating the aggregate self-emitted radiance for rays traced through the plume. We have also developed novel techniques simulating the interaction of plumes with their surroundings. Our primary application of this work is the simulation of heating of roofs by vents of various types. The technique can also be used to simulate vehicle exhaust and other similar effects. Finally, we have established a protocol for future modification of plume calculation algorithms by end-users of the Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Image Generation (DIRSIG) code and implemented the present methods as prototypes. This Generic Plume Interface (GPI) protocol defines a message set used to request that the plume effect along a particular ray be calculated and to communicate back to DIRSIG the concentrations and temperatures along the ray. With this construct in place, any off-the-shelf tool can be interfaced with DIRSIG through a simple user-written interpreter to make appropriate inputs to the tool for each ray and to translate the output into the proper format

Using a One Health approach to assess the impact of parasitic disease in livestock: how does it add value?

Human population increases, with greater food demands, have resulted in a rapid evolution of livestock food systems, leading to changes in land and water use. The scale of global livestock systems mean that changes in animal health status, particularly in parasite levels, have impacts that go beyond farm and sector levels. To quantify the true impact of parasites in livestock, frameworks that look at both resources and services valued in markets and those that have no true market value are required. Mitigating the effects of parasitic disease in livestock will not only increase productivity, but also improve animal welfare and human health, whilst reducing the environmental burden of livestock production systems. To measure these potential benefits, a One Health approach is needed. This paper discusses the types of methods and the data collection tools needed for a more holistic perspective and provides a framework with its application to coccidiosis in poultry. To build a body of knowledge that allows the ranking of parasite diseases in a wider animal health setting, such One Health frameworks need to be applied more frequently and with rigour. The outcome will improve the allocation of resources to critical constraints on parasite management

Connecting Cline Library with tribal communities: A case study

Northern Arizona University (NAU) is a public state university with a commitment to Native American students (Hughes and Tsosie 2013). The university’s Cline Library strongly supports the values of academic excellence, student engagement, and student success. NAU is a unique academic institution because it has a Native student community population of 4%; according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, in 2006 Native students at US universities averaged only 1% of the entire student population. As of 2016, the Native American population at NAU was 825 students. Compared to the overall student population Native students comprise about 3% of student growth. In 2005 NAU’s strategic plan defined a commitment to Native Americans and to “become one of the nation’s leading universities serving Native Americans.” This goal is currently under revision by the university’s Commission for Native Americans and the Vice President for Native American Affairs (Chad Hamill, PhD). What does this goal mean for the university? This is the only goal in the university’s strategic plan where a specific community is mentioned and highlighted as a priority. The institution’s commitment to serving Native Americans has a direct impact on the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates for Native American students. The university commitment to developing collaborative services and outreach programs to Native American communities and promoting engagement and appreciation of Native American cultures and tribal nations within the university and broader community is still a top goal (NAU Strategic Plan 2005-2010). Today over a hundred tribes from across the country are represented at NAU. A large portion of students come from the geographic region of Northern Arizona and New Mexico. Beginning in 2008, Cline Library sought out ways in which it could align its activities with the university's strategic commitment to serving Native Americans. Cline librarians and archivists work to support indigenous students, researchers, scholars, and communities through collecting and preserving Indigenous scholarship. In order to achieve the university’s commitment to Native Americans Cline Library needs a robust collection and services available for Native students. This paper will focus on themes that emerge from a critical analysis of the library’s collections and their work with American Indian communities. It will start by describing how the library applies concepts of critical librarianship and teaching and learning to collection development. The conversation continues with the critical role of librarians and archivists at Cline Library in supporting faculty and students. Finally, as an independent yet integrated department, the library’s Special Collections and Archives unit responds to the Native American community’s tribal concerns with the collaborative management of cultural materials in ways that balance archival theory and practice with access to sensitive information. The conclusion offers strategies to improve on existing efforts at Cline and ties together many of the themes woven throughout the article

The narrative structure of comics

Mémoire numérisé par la Direction des bibliothèques de l'Université de Montréal.[À l'origine dans / Was originally part of : Thèses et mémoires - FAS - Département de littérature comparée

Endurance Training Intensity Does Not Mediate Interference to Maximal Lower-Body Strength Gain during Short-Term Concurrent Training

We determined the effect of concurrent training incorporating either high-intensity interval training (HIT) or moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on maximal strength, counter-movement jump (CMJ) performance, and body composition adaptations, compared with single-mode resistance training (RT). Twenty-three recreationally-active males (mean ± SD: age, 29.6 ± 5.5 y; [Formula: see text], 44 ± 11 mL kg(-1)·min(-1)) underwent 8 weeks (3 sessions·wk(-1)) of either: (1) HIT combined with RT (HIT+RT group, n = 8), (2) work-matched MICT combined with RT (MICT+RT group, n = 7), or (3) RT performed alone (RT group, n = 8). Measures of aerobic capacity, maximal (1-RM) strength, CMJ performance and body composition (DXA) were obtained before (PRE), mid-way (MID), and after (POST) training. Maximal (one-repetition maximum [1-RM]) leg press strength was improved from PRE to POST for RT (mean change ± 90% confidence interval; 38.5 ± 8.5%; effect size [ES] ± 90% confidence interval; 1.26 ± 0.24; P < 0.001), HIT+RT (28.7 ± 5.3%; ES, 1.17 ± 0.19; P < 0.001), and MICT+RT (27.5 ± 4.6%, ES, 0.81 ± 0.12; P < 0.001); however, the magnitude of this change was greater for RT vs. both HIT+RT (7.4 ± 8.7%; ES, 0.40 ± 0.40) and MICT+RT (8.2 ± 9.9%; ES, 0.60 ± 0.45). There were no substantial between-group differences in 1-RM bench press strength gain. RT induced greater changes in peak CMJ force vs. HIT+RT (6.8 ± 4.5%; ES, 0.41 ± 0.28) and MICT+RT (9.9 ± 11.2%; ES, 0.54 ± 0.65), and greater improvements in maximal CMJ rate of force development (RFD) vs. HIT+RT (24.1 ± 26.1%; ES, 0.72 ± 0.88). Lower-body lean mass was similarly increased for RT (4.1 ± 2.0%; ES; 0.33 ± 0.16; P = 0.023) and MICT+RT (3.6 ± 2.4%; ES; 0.45 ± 0.30; P = 0.052); however, this change was attenuated for HIT+RT (1.8 ± 1.6%; ES; 0.13 ± 0.12; P = 0.069). We conclude that concurrent training incorporating either HIT or work-matched MICT similarly attenuates improvements in maximal lower-body strength and indices of CMJ performance compared with RT performed alone. This suggests endurance training intensity is not a critical mediator of interference to maximal strength gain during short-term concurrent training

Instrumentation and early-age monitoring of concrete slabs

This paper reports the instrumentation and monitoring techniques developed to improve understanding of the early-life behaviour of concrete industrial ground-floor slabs. Concrete strains, temperatures and joint movements were measured using vibrating-wire embedment strain gauges and thermistors, while ambient conditions were monitored to assess their effects. A reliable, accurate and easy-to-implement methodology, developed by instrumenting four types of floor slab (mesh-reinforced long strip, mesh-reinforced jointed large area pour, steel fibre-reinforced jointed large area pour and steel fibre-reinforced jointless large area pour) is described in detail, along with the further developments and modifications to the instrumentation. The methodology developed would be equally applicable to the early-life monitoring of other concrete structural elements. Some sample results of data gathered using the instrumentation methodology developed are included

Study of multi black hole and ring singularity apparent horizons

We study critical black hole separations for the formation of a common apparent horizon in systems of $N$ - black holes in a time symmetric configuration. We study in detail the aligned equal mass cases for $N=2,3,4,5$, and relate them to the unequal mass binary black hole case. We then study the apparent horizon of the time symmetric initial geometry of a ring singularity of different radii. The apparent horizon is used as indicative of the location of the event horizon in an effort to predict a critical ring radius that would generate an event horizon of toroidal topology. We found that a good estimate for this ring critical radius is $20/(3\pi) M$. We briefly discuss the connection of this two cases through a discrete black hole 'necklace' configuration.Comment: 31 pages, 21 figure

Numerical relativity with characteristic evolution, using six angular patches

The characteristic approach to numerical relativity is a useful tool in evolving gravitational systems. In the past this has been implemented using two patches of stereographic angular coordinates. In other applications, a six-patch angular coordinate system has proved effective. Here we investigate the use of a six-patch system in characteristic numerical relativity, by comparing an existing two-patch implementation (using second-order finite differencing throughout) with a new six-patch implementation (using either second- or fourth-order finite differencing for the angular derivatives). We compare these different codes by monitoring the Einstein constraint equations, numerically evaluated independently from the evolution. We find that, compared to the (second-order) two-patch code at equivalent resolutions, the errors of the second-order six-patch code are smaller by a factor of about 2, and the errors of the fourth-order six-patch code are smaller by a factor of nearly 50.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, submitted to CQG (special NFNR issue

COMPARISON OF MARKER AND MARKER-LESS AUTOMATED MOTION CAPTURE FOR BASEBALL PITCHING BIOMECHANICS

The purpose of this study was to measure baseball pitching kinematics with a marker-less motion capture system and compare the results against marker-based measurements. A sample of 114 pitches were captured at 240 Hz simultaneously with a 9-camera marker-less system and a 12-camera marker system. The pitches were thrown by nine baseball pitchers (age 17.0 ± 4.0 yrs). For each trial, the data were time-synchronized between the two systems using the instant of ball release. Coefficient of Multiple Correlations (CMC) were computed to assess the similarity of waveforms between the two systems. Paired t-tests were used to compare differences between the two systems for 3 temporal and 18 kinematic measurements. The CMC for all eight time series analyzed were excellent, ranging from 0.90 to 0.99. Timing of events between the two systems varied by two frames (0.0083 s) or less. Angular positions differed between the two systems up to 14 degrees. Thus, the marker-based and marker-less motion capture systems produced similar patterns for baseball pitching kinematics. However, based on the variations between the systems, it is recommended that a database of normative ranges should be established for each system individually