A case study using LARSYS for analysis of LANDSAT data

Techniques are described for analysis of LANDSAT multispectral using the LARSYS data processing system

The ecological dichotomy of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and bacteria in the hyper-arid soils of the Antarctic Dry Valleys

The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are considered to be one of the most physically and chemically extreme terrestrial environments on the Earth. However, little is known about the organisms involved in nitrogen transformations in these environments. In this study, we investigated the diversity and abundance of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in four McMurdo Dry Valleys with highly variable soil geochemical properties and climatic conditions: Miers Valley, Upper Wright Valley, Beacon Valley and Battleship Promontory. The bacterial communities of these four Dry Valleys have been examined previously, and the results suggested that the extremely localized bacterial diversities are likely driven by the disparate physicochemical conditions associated with these locations. Here we showed that AOB and AOA amoA gene diversity was generally low; only four AOA and three AOB operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified from a total of 420 AOA and AOB amoA clones. Quantitative PCR analysis of amoA genes revealed clear differences in the relative abundances of AOA and AOB amoA genes among samples from the four dry valleys. Although AOB amoA gene dominated the ammonia-oxidizing community in soils from Miers Valley and Battleship Promontory, AOA amoA gene were more abundant in samples from Upper Wright and Beacon Valleys, where the environmental conditions are considerably harsher (e.g., extremely low soil C/N ratios and much higher soil electrical conductivity). Correlations between environmental variables and amoA genes copy numbers, as examined by redundancy analysis (RDA), revealed that higher AOA/AOB ratios were closely related to soils with high salts and Cu contents and low pH. Our findings hint at a dichotomized distribution of AOA and AOB within the Dry Valleys, potentially driven by environmental constraints

Building Sector-Based Consensus: A Review of the EPA\u27s Common Sense Initiative

In the late 1990s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted what the agency considered to be a bold experiment in regulatory reinvention, bringing representatives from six industrial sectors together with government officials and NGO representatives to forge a consensus on innovations in public policy and business practices. This paper assesses the impact of the agency\u27s experiment - called the Common Sense Initiative (CSI) - in terms of the agency\u27s goals of improving regulatory performance and technological innovation. Based on a review of CSI projects across all six sectors, the paper shows how EPA achieved, at best, quite modest accomplishments. The paper explains how EPA\u27s decision to rely on consensus as a procedural rule contributed to CSI\u27s failure to meet the agency\u27s ambitious goals. Faced with delays, CSI participants tended to work on projects over which agreement was possible, such as on the development of training manuals or production of case studies, instead of tackling more significant issues. These information-gathering and educational projects avoided the kind of conflicts that would have arisen over more ambitious efforts, but at the expense of making more meaningful economic or environmental improvement. The EPA\u27s experience with CSI provides cautionary lessons for regulators in any policy area who might contemplate using consensus as a decision rule

Crop Identification Technology Assessment for Remote Sensing (CITARS)

The results of classifications and experiments performed for the Crop Identification Technology Assessment for Remote Sensing (CITARS) project are summarized. Fifteen data sets were classified using two analysis procedures. One procedure used class weights while the other assumed equal probabilities of occurrence for all classes. In addition, 20 data sets were classified using training statistics from another segment or date. The results of both the local and non-local classifications in terms of classification and proportion estimation are presented. Several additional experiments are described which were performed to provide additional understanding of the CITARS results. These experiments investigated alternative analysis procedures, training set selection and size, effects of multitemporal registration, the spectral discriminability of corn, soybeans, and other, and analysis of aircraft multispectral data

Crop identification technology assessment for remote sensing (CITARS). Volume 6: Data processing at the laboratory for applications of remote sensing

The results of classifications and experiments for the crop identification technology assessment for remote sensing are summarized. Using two analysis procedures, 15 data sets were classified. One procedure used class weights while the other assumed equal probabilities of occurrence for all classes. Additionally, 20 data sets were classified using training statistics from another segment or date. The classification and proportion estimation results of the local and nonlocal classifications are reported. Data also describe several other experiments to provide additional understanding of the results of the crop identification technology assessment for remote sensing. These experiments investigated alternative analysis procedures, training set selection and size, effects of multitemporal registration, spectral discriminability of corn, soybeans, and other, and analyses of aircraft multispectral data

Micro-eukaryotic diversity in hypolithons from Miers Valley, Antarctica

The discovery of extensive and complex hypolithic communities in both cold and hot deserts has raised many questions regarding their ecology, biodiversity and relevance in terms of regional productivity. However, most hypolithic research has focused on the bacterial elements of the community. This study represents the first investigation of micro-eukaryotic communities in all three hypolith types. Here we show that Antarctic hypoliths support extensive populations of novel uncharacterized bryophyta, fungi and protists and suggest that well known producer-decomposer-predator interactions may create the necessary conditions for hypolithic productivity in Antarctic deserts

Insights from Two Decades of P-12 Engineering Education Research

The 21st century has seen a growing movement in the United States towards the adoption of engineering and technology as a complement to science education. Motivated by this shift, this article offers insights into engineering education for grades P-12, based on a landscape review of 263 empirical research studies spanning the two decades from January 2000 to June 2021. These insights are organized around three core themes: (1) students’ understandings, skills, and attitudes about engineering and technology; (2) effective methods of P-12 engineering education; and (3) benefits of P-12 engineering education. The insights are captured in the form of evidence-based claims summarized as a set of ten findings. The findings start with the recognition that students at all age levels in the United States—though not in many other countries—have narrow conceptions of technology and engineering. A key finding is that for students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, it is important to develop their interest at an early age. Several findings address effective strategies for engaging students in engineering, both in schools and in afterschool and summer programs. These include generalizable teaching methods suitable across a wide range of educators and students, as well as topical approaches around specific themes such as the design of robots, or biomedical devices. One of the most encouraging findings is that multiple methods have successfully addressed a major social inequity: improving the attitudes, STEM skills, and career aspirations of girls, students of color, and students from low-income families. The last group of findings addresses the benefits of engineering education including not only increased knowledge and skills, but also lifelong skills such as teamwork, communication, and creativity, as well as persistence, motivation, self-confidence, and STEM identity. We hope that these insights may be of value to researchers, educators, administrators, and policy leaders

Integrated Flush Air Data Sensing System Modeling for Planetary Entry Guidance with Direct Force Control

Flush air data sensing (FADS) systems have been previously used at both Earth and Mars to provide onboard estimates of angle of attack, sideslip angle, and dynamic pressure. However, these FADS data were often not used in an in-the-loop sense to inform the onboard guidance and control systems. A method to integrate FADS-derived density and wind estimates with a numerical predictor-corrector guidance algorithm is presented. The method is demonstrated in a high-fidelity simulation of a human-scale Mars entry vehicle that utilizes a hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator (HIAD) with direct force control. Effects on guidance commands and state uncertainties both with and without FADS system modeling are presented and discussed

Determining land use patterns through man-machine analysis of LANDSAT data: A tutorial simulation

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Visualization of the Digital Divide Among K-12 Students: Open Data, Quantitative Measures, and Policy Implications

Our work utilized a multi-disciplinary approach to assess the digital divide among K-12 students through socio-technical and economic analysis. Results show that access to high-speed internet (broadband) and use continued to be a challenge for children and schools located in disadvantaged communities. Three visualizations were developed to display the digital disparity at the county level across our country and to support decision-making in resource allocation to improve broadband access and utilization