Techniques for obtaining regional radiation budgets from satellite radiometer observations, phase 4 and phase 5

A scheme was developed which divides the earth-atmosphere system into 2060 elemental areas. The regions previously described are defined in terms of these elemental areas which are fixed in size and position as the satellite moves. One method, termed the instantaneous technique, yields values of the radiant emittance (We) and the radiant reflectance (Wr) which the regions have during the time interval of a single satellite pass. The number of observations matches the number of regions under study and a unique solution is obtained using matrix inversion. The other method (termed the best fit technique), yields time averages of We and Wr for large time intervals (e.g., months, seasons). The number of observations in this technique is much greater than the number of regions considered, and an approximate solution is obtained by the method of least squares

Techniques for computing regional radiant emittances of the earth-atmosphere system from observations by wide-angle satellite radiometers, phase 3

Radiometers on earth orbiting satellites measure the exchange of radiant energy between the earth-atmosphere (E-A) system and space at observation points in space external to the E-A system. Observations by wideangle, spherical and flat radiometers are analyzed and interpreted with regard to the general problem of the earth energy budget (EEB) and to the problem of determining the energy budget of regions smaller than the field of view (FOV) of these radiometers

Inference of stratospheric temperature and moisture profiles from observations of the infrared horizon Final report

Stratospheric and mesospheric temperature and moisture profiles determined from infrared horizon observation

Real-time growth rate for general stochastic SIR epidemics on unclustered networks

Networks have become an important tool for infectious disease epidemiology. Most previous theoretical studies of transmission network models have either considered simple Markovian dynamics at the individual level, or have focused on the invasion threshold and final outcome of the epidemic. Here, we provide a general theory for early real-time behaviour of epidemics on large configuration model networks (i.e. static and locally unclustered), in particular focusing on the computation of the Malthusian parameter that describes the early exponential epidemic growth. Analytical, numerical and Monte-Carlo methods under a wide variety of Markovian and non-Markovian assumptions about the infectivity profile are presented. Numerous examples provide explicit quantification of the impact of the network structure on the temporal dynamics of the spread of infection and provide a benchmark for validating results of large scale simulations.Comment: 45 pages, 8 figures, submitted to Mathematical Biosciences on 29/11/2014; Version 2: resubmitted on 15/04/2015; accepted on 17/04/2015. Changes: better explanations in introduction; restructured section 3.3 (3.3.3 added); section 6.3.1 added; more precise terminology; typos correcte

Analyses of earth radiation budget data from unrestricted broadband radiometers on the ESSA 7 satellite

Six months of data from the wide-field-of-view low resolution infrared radiometers on the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) 7 satellite were analyzed. Earth emitted and earth reflected irradiances were computed at satellite altitude using data from a new in-flight calibration technique. Flux densitites and albedos were computed for the top of the earth's atmosphere. Monthly averages of these quantities over 100 latitude zones, each hemisphere, and the globe are presented for each month analyzed, and global distributions are presented for typical months. Emitted flux densities are generally lower and albedos higher than those of previous studies. This may be due, in part, to the fact that the ESSA 7 satellite was in a 3 p.m. Sun-synchronous orbit and some of the comparison data were obtained from satellites in 12 noon sun-synchronous orbits. The ESSA 7 detectors seem to smooth out spatial flux density variations more than scanning radiometers or wide-field-of-view fixed-plate detectors. Significant longitudinal and latitudinal variations of emitted flux density and albedo were identified in the tropics in a zone extending about + or - 25 deg in latitude

The invisible interior: an investigative approach

Evidence, noun, verb The quality or condition of being evident; clearness, evidentness; in evidence [after French en évidence] actually present; prominent, conspicuous; an appearance from which inferences may be drawn; an indication, mark, sign, token, trace. In his Manhattan Transcripts, 1981, Bernard Tschumi said that architecture ‘cannot be disassociated from the events that happen in it’1. For Tschumi architecture is less about built form and more about interaction – as both material witness and collaborator in the ‘event-world’ that unfolds through and around it. This paper is concerned with methods of capturing this ‘event-world’ where the physical environment – and in particular the interior - operates as a witness to the passing of time, and the transient interactions that take place within in it. Why are some interiors hidden from view or invisible to a public gaze? And what methods of detection might we employ to capture and record the evidence which pertains to these ephemeral moments, preserving them as either material fragments or immaterial data? Sometimes interiors have been designed to be hidden, inaccessible or to be inhabited by very specific users groups. Others are invisible because they are empty - no longer in active use - their intended purpose altered or changed through inhabitation and abandonment. With such interiors there is often no agenda for future possible adaptation; this is the case with the BBC Wing, Alexandra Palace in North London, the site of the first television broadcast in 1936 - currently unoccupied, its destiny uncertain. And Glasgow School of Art - recently devastated by fire, perhaps irretrievably damaging its structure and fabric. Adopting an investigative approach to detecting and narrating the invisible interior, this paper will explore strategies that expose the evidence that is left behind, and assess how new technologies might provide insight into their hidden narratives – atmosphere, emotion, time and memory

Contributions to planetary meteorology Final report

Atmospheric circulation and climatology of Venus and Mar

Creating a Vision for XYZ Research Corporation: A Case Study

A strategic analysis was developed for XYZ Research Corporation (the true company's name is disguised). The strategic analysis involved a series of visits to the company to conduct focus groups with its employees and management. Five focus groups were carried out at XYZ Research Corporation. This method proved to be effective and valuable when aiming to gather detailed information on the specifics of a firm's operation. Information and insights on the company and its business that would not become evident through any kind of meticulous financial or economic analysis of the company's and industry's numbers - which in fact were unavailable or scarce - was efficiently obtained by personal communication from the employees in the interviews. The focus group and interview method is recommended as a valid alternative to gathering detailed data and information when facing limited availability of reliable quantitative economic data on sales, size, and other information on the industry. The amount and quality of person-to-person information gathered in the interviews made the questionnaire a more powerful tool versus the alternative of simply mailing it. In the process of developing a strategic plan for XYZ, data and information used to write an undergraduate level teaching case study was gathered. The focus group method allowed for digging out intricate functional relationships within the company and between the company and the industry, which allowed for writing a more complete and educationally interesting case study.Focus Groups, Strategic Analysis, Food Safety, Outsourcing, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, A22, C99, L21, M10,

Industry-Academic Partnerships The View from the Corner Office

Industry-academic partnerships are described and discussed from the perspective of industry. Eight types of partnerships are discussed, including internships, mentoring, site visits, faculty-directed research, student research, consulting, in-class visits, and industry advisory boards. The benefits, problems, costs, motivation to participate, and advice for managing industry-academic partnerships are presented.industry partnerships, industry collaboration, internship, mentor, field trip, consulting, advisory board, Industrial Organization, Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession, Q10, Q16,

Estimating Consumers' Willingness-To-Pay for Country-Of-Origin Labels in Fresh Apples and Tomatoes: A Double-Hurdle Probit Analysis of American Data Using Factor Scores

Data are collected from primary shoppers in Gainesville Florida, Atlanta Georgia and Lansing Michigan using a Vickrey (fifth-priced sealed bid) experimental auction and a survey questionnaire to provide a sample of 311 observations useable for analysis. The average willingness to pay (WTP) for country of origin labeling (COOL) "Grown in the U.S." in apples and tomatoes are calculated then tested for equivalence to assess if WTP is produce specific. A double-hurdle probit model is then estimated to ascertain the prominent determinants of WTP for COOL. Independent variables include demographics, food safety and factor scores derived from a factor analysis of food quality and food preference variables. Results show that on average consumers are willing to pay $0.49 and$0.48 for COOL in apples and tomatoes respectively with 79% of the consumers willing to pay more than $0.00 for apples labeled "Grown in the U.S." and 72% in the case of tomatoes. Premiums are found to be statistically equivalent suggesting that WTP for COOL is not produce specific. The double hurdle probit estimation finds most independent variables insignificant with the exception of the food quality factor scores and consumer trust levels for information they receive from U.S. government agencies. Location, age and income also turn out to be significant factors in the case of the truncated part of the estimation as do food quality and food safety concerns.Consumer/Household Economics,