Monitoring the coastal zone using earth observation::application of linear spectral unmixing to coastal dune systems in Wales

Coastal sand dune systems across temperate Europe are presently characterized by a high level of ecological stabilization and a subsequent loss of biological diversity. The use of continuous monitoring within these systems is vital to the preservation of species richness, particularly with regard to the persistence of early stage pioneer species dependent on a strong sediment supply. Linear spectral unmixing was applied to archived Landsat data (1975?2014) and historical aerial photography (1941?1962) for monitoring bare sand (BS) cover dynamics as a proxy for ecological dune stabilization. Using this approach, a time series of change was calculated for Kenfig Burrows, a 6-km2 stabilized dune system in South Wales, during 1941?2014. The time series indicated that a rapid level of stabilization had occurred within the study area over a period of 75 years. Accuracy assessment of the data indicated the suitability of medium-resolution imagery with an RMSE of <10% across all images and a difference of <3% between observed and predicted BS area. Temporal resolution was found to be a significant factor in the representation of BS cover with fluctuations occurring on a sub-decadal scale, outside of the margin of error introduced through the use of medium-resolution Landsat imagery. This study demonstrates a tractable approach for mapping and monitoring ecologically sensitive regions at a subLandsat pixel levelpublishersversionPeer reviewe

Genetic algorithms and neural networks for solving water quality model of the Egyptian research reactor

The second Egyptian research reactor ETRR-2 became critical on 27th November, 1997. The National Center of Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control (NCNSRC) has the responsibility for the evaluation and assessment of safety of this reactor. Modern managements of water distribution system (WDS) need water quality models that are able to accurately predict the dynamics of water quality variations within the distribution system environment. Before water quality models can be applied to solve system problems, they should be calibrated. The purpose of this paper is to present an approach which combines both macro and detailed models to optimize the water quality parameters. For an efficient search through the solution space, we use a multi-objective genetic algorithm which allows us to identify a set of Pareto optimal solutions providing the decision maker with a complete spectrum of optimal solutions with respect to the various targets. This new combinative algorithm uses the radial basis function (RBF) metamodeling as a surrogate to be optimized for the purpose of decreasing the times of time-consuming water quality simulation and can realize rapidly the calibration of pipe wall reaction coefficients of chlorine model of large-scaled WDS

Application of genetic algorithm for optimization the safety system of the nuclear reactor

The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to optimization in which every target is considered as a separate objective to be optimized. Multi-objective optimization is a powerful tool for resolving conflicting objectives in engineering design and numerous other fields. One approach to solve multi-objective optimization problems is the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA). Genetic algorithm (GA) was applied in regarding the choice of the time intervals for the periodic testing of the components of the chimney water injection system (CWIS) of the 22 MW open pool multipurpose reactor (MPR), ETRR-2, at the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, has been used as a case study

The Incidence of Malignant Infiltration in the Biopsy Tract of Osteosarcoma

Biopsy is a crucial step in the management of musculoskeletal sarcoma. The surgical approach to the biopsy site is important, as the tract must be removed en bloc with the tumour during limb sparing surgery so as to reduce the risk of local recurrence. The biopsy tracts of 26 osteosarcoma patients were evaluated histologically for tumour infiltration. Horizontal sections of 1 mm thickness with 2 cm radius from were evaluated from each excised biopsy tract. Five out of 26 cases (19.2%) showed positive tumour infiltration. One case (3.85%) had tumour infiltration in the pseudocapsule, two cases (7.69%) had tumour infiltration into the muscle and two other cases (7.69%) had tumour infiltration into the subcutaneous tissue. None had skin infiltration. We conclude that resection of the entire biopsy tract is indeed mandatory for surgical treatment of osteosarcoma

INFLUENCE OF HEART RATE AND EPICARDIAL STENOSIS SEVERITY ON CARDIAC CONTRACTILITY UNDER CONCOMITANT MICROVASCULAR DISEASE IN A PORCINE MODEL SBC2011-53512

ABSTRACT Invasive guide wire methods to assess functional severity of coronary stenosis are affected by dynamic variables like heart rate (HR), contractility, epicardial stenosis (AS) and blood pressure. The interdependence of these factors is also influenced by the presence of concomitant microvascular disease (CMVD). The purpose of this study is to assess the variation in contractility under varying HR and AS in the presence of CMVD. In vivo experiments were performed on seven Yorkshire pigs. It was found that, in the presence of concomitant microvascular disease (CMVD), for lower AS (&lt;50%) contractility increases for HR&lt;120 bpm while it marginally decreases for HR&gt;120 bpm. However, for higher AS (&gt;50%), contractility decreases for both HR&lt;120 bpm and HR&gt;120 bpm. INTRODUCTON Quantification of the functional significance of epicardial coronary stenosis is important to diagnose heart diseases. In addition, in most clinical cases an obstruction in the coronary microvasculature might also be present under concomitant microvasculature disease, (CMVD) and can affect the clinical diagnostic measurements. Thus, quantification of the combined effect of epicardial and microvascular dysfunction is very much needed. The recent development of Dopplertipped guide wires and pressure monitoring guide wires has facilitated the invasive measurements of coronary flow velocity and distal pressure, thus reviving interest in the invasive physiological assessment of coronary artery disease. However, invasive measurements take place in a dynamic environment involving fluctuating hemodynamic variables like the blood pressure, contractility (CY) of the heart, epicardial stenosis (AS) and the heart rate (HR). To avoid any ambiguity in the evaluation of coronary circulation, the interdependence of these variables need to be clearly delineated. Accordingly, the goal of the present study was to evaluate the influence of changes in HR and AS on the left ventricular CY, measured as the maximum value of the derivative of left ventricular pressure (dp/dt) max METHODS The animal protocol for this study was approved by the University of Cincinnati IACUC and the Cincinnati Children&apos;s Hospital Medical Center. Seven Yorkshire swine (mean wt. 50 ± 3 kg) were premedicated with intramuscular xylazine (2 mg/kg), telazol (7 mg/kg), and atropine (0.05 mg/kg) and anesthesia was maintained with 2% isoflurane and supplemental oxygen. Three surgical accesses were made: 1) the jugular vein access was used to vary the HR by inserting pacing leads (Medtronics Inc., MN) into the right atrium; 2) second access through the carotid artery was used to advance a Millar © solid-tip catheter into the left ventricle, to measure the left ventricular pressure (recorded using Sonometrics system, Ontario, CN); 3) the third access, through the femoral artery, was used to engage a 7-F guiding catheter at the coronary ostium. Access to the left anterior descending (LAD) was achieved using a 0.014&quot; guidewire under fluoroscopy guidance. The lumen crosssectional area was measured using an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS, 2.5-F, 40-MHz) catheter. A 0.014&quot; Combo wire (Volcano Corp., CA) was inserted distal to the balloon to measure pressure and velocity distal to lesion. Based on the artery size, an appropriate Voyager angioplasty balloon of rapid exchange type (Guidant Inc., IN) was introduced over the Doppler flow wire. The balloon was inflated to different diameters to create intraluminal epicardial stenosis of varying severity. Polystyrene microspheres of 90µm (Polysciences Inc., NY) were injected to creat

Contesting the development of European Works Councils in the chemicals sector

International audienceThe Directive on European Works Councils (EWCs) introduced areas in which management and employee representatives could contest the development of the institution. This article reviews the outcome of this contestation within the chemicals sector, examining the agenda, the ‘Europeanization' of representatives, company transparency and integration of EWCs into wider industrial relations networks. It shows that neither the expectations of critics of the Directive nor of those who emphasized its potential have been realized