The Importance of Background in the Detection and Identification of Gas Plumes Using Emissive Infrared Hyperspectral Sensing

Using a Fourier transform infrared field spectrometer, spectral infrared radiance measurements were made of several generated gas plumes against both a uniform sky and terrestrial background. Background temperature, spectral complexity, and physical homogeneity each influenced the success of emissive infrared spectral sensing technology in detecting and identifying the presence of a gas plume and its component constituents. As expected, high temperature contrast and uniform backgrounds provided the best conditions for detectability and diagnostic identification. This report will summarize some of SITAC’s findings concerning plume detectability, including the importance of plume cooling, plumes in emission and absorption, the effects of optical thickness, and the effects of condensing plumes on gas detection

The Burrell-Optical-Kepler-Survey (BOKS). I. Survey Description and Initial Results

We present the initial results of a 40 night contiguous ground-based campaign of time series photometric observations of a 1.39 deg^2 field located within the NASA Kepler Mission field of view. The goal of this pre-launch survey was to search for transiting extrasolar planets and to provide independent variability information of stellar sources. We have gathered a data set containing light curves of 54,687 stars from which we have created a statistical sub-sample of 13,786 stars between 14 < r < 18.5 and have statistically examined each light curve to test for variability. We present a summary of our preliminary photometric findings including the overall level and content of stellar variability in this portion of the Kepler field and give some examples of unusual variable stars found within. We present a preliminary catalog of 2,457 candidate variable stars, of which 776 show signs of periodicity. We also present three potential exoplanet candidates, all of which should be observable by the Kepler mission

The Clover Root Weevil Invasion: Impact and Response of the New Zealand Pastoral Industry 1996-2012

Clover root weevil, Sitona lepidus Gyllenhall (Curculionidae: Coleoptera), was first reported in New Zealand in 1996. With few natural enemies or competitors, it rapidly became a major pest of white clover. Its strong flight capability, tendency to be transported in agricultural machinery and vehicles, and wide climatic tolerance enabled it to spread the length of the country (1,600 km) by 2010. The most damaging stage is the larva, which attacks the roots, root nodules and stolons of clovers, reducing herbage production (particularly in spring), pasture clover content, and nitrogen fixation. From the time of the initial invasion, the pastoral industry supported research into management as insecticides were not a viable option. Nitrogen fertiliser applications after grazing were recommended to maintain production. Field evaluations showed that white clovers with good general agronomic adaptation survived better under weevil pressure than less-adapted clovers. In 2006, a parasitic wasp, Microctonus aethiopoides Loan (Braconidae: Hymenoptera), was introduced from Ireland for biological control of S. lepidus. It has also established and dispersed very rapidly, and often suppresses weevil populations within 2 – 3 years of its establishment in a new locality. Involvement of industry field consultants was an essential aspect of the biological control release programme in the North Island where the weevil was already widespread before M. aethiopoides was introduced

Evaluating the Accuracy of Imputation Methods in a Five-Way Admixed Population

Genotype imputation is a powerful tool for increasing statistical power in an association analysis. Meta-analysis of multiple study datasets also requires a substantial overlap of SNPs for a successful association analysis, which can be achieved by imputation. Quality of imputed datasets is largely dependent on the software used, as well as the reference populations chosen. The accuracy of imputation of available reference populations has not been tested for the five-way admixed South African Colored (SAC) population. In this study, imputation results obtained using three freely-accessible methods were evaluated for accuracy and quality. We show that the African Genome Resource is the best reference panel for imputation of missing genotypes in samples from the SAC population, implemented via the freely accessible Sanger Imputation Server

Frontal theta and posterior alpha in resting EEG: A critical examination of convergent and discriminant validity

Prior research has identified two resting EEG biomarkers with potential for predicting functional outcomes in depression: theta current density in frontal brain regions (especially rostral anterior cingulate cortex) and alpha power over posterior scalp regions. As little is known about the discriminant and convergent validity of these putative biomarkers, a thorough evaluation of these psychometric properties was conducted toward the goal of improving clinical utility of these markers. Resting 71‐channel EEG recorded from 35 healthy adults at two sessions (1‐week retest) were used to systematically compare different quantification techniques for theta and alpha sources at scalp (surface Laplacian or current source density [CSD]) and brain (distributed inverse; exact low resolution electromagnetic tomography [eLORETA]) level. Signal quality was evaluated with signal‐to‐noise ratio, participant‐level spectra, and frequency PCA covariance decomposition. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed within a multitrait‐multimethod framework. Posterior alpha was reliably identified as two spectral components, each with unique spatial patterns and condition effects (eyes open/closed), high signal quality, and good convergent and discriminant validity. In contrast, frontal theta was characterized by one low‐variance component, low signal quality, lack of a distinct spectral peak, and mixed validity. Correlations between candidate biomarkers suggest that posterior alpha components constitute reliable, convergent, and discriminant biometrics in healthy adults. Component‐based identification of spectral activity (CSD/eLORETA‐fPCA) was superior to fixed, a priori frequency bands. Improved quantification and conceptualization of frontal theta is necessary to determine clinical utility.Magnitude of frontal theta (rostral ACC eLORETA source amplitude) and posterior alpha (spectral components of scalp current source density) at rest have been considered candidate EEG biomarkers of depression outcomes. Given inconsistent findings, we examined the discriminant and convergent validity of these measures in healthy adults. Unlike theta, two distinct alpha components constituted reliable, convergent, and discriminant biometrics. While results have marked implications for clinical utility, we make several recommendations for improving the psychometric properties of resting frontal theta.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153675/1/psyp13483.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/153675/2/psyp13483_am.pd

A Sex-Stratified Genome-Wide Association Study of Tuberculosis Using a Multi-Ethnic Genotyping Array

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a complex disease with a known human genetic component. Males seem to be more affected than females and in most countries the TB notification rate is twice as high in males than in females. While socio-economic status, behavior and sex hormones influence the male bias they do not fully account for it. Males have only one copy of the X chromosome, while diploid females are subject to X chromosome inactivation. In addition, the X chromosome codes for many immune-related genes, supporting the hypothesis that X-linked genes could contribute to TB susceptibility in a sex-biased manner. We report the first TB susceptibility genome-wide association study (GWAS) with a specific focus on sex-stratified autosomal analysis and the X chromosome. A total of 810 individuals (410 cases and 405 controls) from an admixed South African population were genotyped using the Illumina Multi Ethnic Genotyping Array, specifically designed as a suitable platform for diverse and admixed populations. Association testing was done on the autosome (8,27,386 variants) and X chromosome (20,939 variants) in a sex stratified and combined manner. SNP association testing was not statistically significant using a stringent cut-off for significance but revealed likely candidate genes that warrant further investigation. A genome wide interaction analysis detected 16 significant interactions. Finally, the results highlight the importance of sex-stratified analysis as strong sex-specific effects were identified on both the autosome and X chromosome