Accuracy Assessment of the 2006 National Land Cover Database Percent Impervious Dataset

An impervious surface is any surface that prevents water from infiltrating the ground. As impervious surface area increases within watersheds, stream networks and water quality are negatively impacted. The Multi-Resolution Land Characteristic Consortium developed a percent impervious dataset using Landsat imagery as part of the 2006 National Land Cover Database. This percent impervious dataset estimates imperviousness for each 30-meter cell in the land cover database. The percent impervious dataset permits study of impervious surfaces, can be used to identify impacted or critical areas, and allows for development of impact mitigation plans; however, the accuracy of this dataset is unknown. To determine the accuracy of the 2006 percent impervious dataset, reference data were digitized from one-foot digital aerial imagery for three study areas in Arkansas, USA. Digitized reference data were compared to percent impervious dataset estimates of imperviousness at multiple 900m2 , 8,100m2 , and 22,500m2 sample grids to determine if accuracy varied by ground area. Analyses showed percent impervious estimates and digitized reference data differ modestly; however, as ground area increases, percent impervious estimates and reference data match more closely. These findings suggest that the percent impervious dataset is useful for planning purposes for ground areas of at least 2.25ha

Application of Remote Sensing Techniques to Monitoring Soil Moisture

During the 1970 growing season, research was conducted to investigate the relationship between remote sensing imagery and soil moisture. Extensive aerial and ground truth data were collected and studied in order to evaluate the moisture supply and water use. The three hectare study site, located on the South Dakota State University James Valley Research and Extension Center, contained irrigated and non-irrigated sorghum and two fallow treatments. Results indicate that remote sensing is a feasible method for monitoring available soil moisture. Thirteen aerial missions were conducted between June 17 and October 5 at altitudes between 305 meters (1,000 feet) above ground level and 1525 meters (5,000 feet) above ground level. Photography was collected each flight with color reversal infrared film and three black and white films filtered for the green, red, and near infrared bands of the spectrum. A thermal infrared scanner and a precision radiation thermometer recorded earth-emitted radiation and temperature anomalies. Solameters measured both incoming and outgoing radiation. Imagery analyses were performed by three methods: 1. visual interpretation, 2. Use of a closed circuit television color encoding system specifically designed for imagery interpretation and overall film density analysis, and 3. Film density measurements. Film densities were corrected to account for seasonal changes in incoming radiation, amount of plant canopy, and reflectances of the crop and soil. Final analysis was accomplished by correlation of the soil moisture data with the film densities and corrected film densities. The results revealed that the soil-plant system viewed by the sensors provided information on the different soil moisture, the crop related the available moisture conditions of the soil profile. Of the three reflected the available moisture conditions of the soil profile. Of the three reflected radiation bands, the red band provided the best results for determination of soil moisture; the green band gave reasonable results throughout most of the season; and near infrared photography did not provide helpful indications of available soil moisture

Flow visualization and flow field measurements of a 1/12 scale tilt rotor aircraft in hover

The results are given of flow visualization studies and inflow velocity field measurements performed on a 1/12 scale model of the XV-15 tilt rotor aircraft in the hover mode. The complex recirculating flow due to the rotor-wake-body interactions characteristic of tilt rotors was studied visually using neutrally buoyant soap bubbles and quantitatively using hot wire anemometry. Still and video photography were used to record the flow patterns. Analysis of the photos and video provided information on the physical dimensions of the recirculating fountain flow and on details of the flow including the relative unsteadiness and turbulence characteristics of the flow. Recirculating flows were also observed along the length of the fuselage. Hot wire anemometry results indicate that the wing under the rotor acts to obstruct the inflow causing a deficit in the inflow velocities over the inboard region of the model. Hot wire anemometry also shows that the turbulence intensities in the inflow are much higher in the recirculating fountain reingestion zone

DuraTable Enterprises Inc.

In late 2017, DuraTable received a number of unsolicited inquiries regarding its interest in selling out in a going private transaction, mostly from private equity firms. Since the chairman of the board and founder, Gary Reynolds, was approaching retirement age and the largest single shareholder who had provided the seed capital to start the company was over 80 years old, Mr. Reynolds was willing to consider a sale and provided information to four or five of them to prepare bids. DuraTable was a closely held company with relatively few individuals holding the vast majority of shares. As such, DuraTable’s shares traded infrequently. As a result, Mr. Reynolds questioned if even the share price itself appropriately reflected the value of the company. As he looked forward to a meeting that would be held with Pierce the following week, Mr. Reynolds asked himself, ‘What price would reflect a fair valuation of DuraTable’s operations?

Externalities of public firm presence: Evidence from private firms' investment decisions

Public firms provide a large amount of information through their disclosures. In addition, information intermediaries publicly analyze, discuss, and disseminate these disclosures. Thus, greater public firm presence in an industry should reduce uncertainty in that industry. Following the theoretical prediction of investment under uncertainty, we hypothesize and find that private firms are more responsive to their investment opportunities when they operate in industries with greater public firm presence. Further, we find that the effect of public firm presence is greater in industries with better information quality and in industries characterized by a greater degree of investment irreversibility. Our results suggest that public firms generate positive externalities by reducing industry uncertainty and facilitating more efficient private firm investment.MIT Junior Faculty Research Assistance ProgramErnst & YoungPrice Waterhouse (Firm)University of Notre Dam