2,614 research outputs found
Effects of Volcanic Emissions on Clouds During Kilauea Degassing Events
Aerosols influence Earths radiative balance directly by scattering and absorbing solar radiation, and indirectly by modifying cloud properties. Current scientific consensus indicates that these effects may offset as much as 50% of the warming due to greenhouse gas emissions. Over the last two decades dramatic volcanic events in Hawaii have produced localized aerosol emissions in otherwise clean environments. These are natural experiments" where the aerosol effects on clouds and climate can be partitioned from other effects like meteorology and industrial emissions. Therefore, these events provide a unique opportunity to learn about possible effects of aerosol pollution on climate through cloud modification. In this work we use the version 5 of the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS-5) and satellite retrievals to analyze and evaluate the strength of the aerosol indirect effect on liquid and ice clouds during the 2008 and 2018 Kilauea degassing events using different emissions scenarios (0, 1, and 5 actual emissions). Our results suggested that the 2018 event was stronger and more regionally significant with respect to cloud formation process for both liquid and ice clouds, while the 2008 affected local liquid clouds only. GEOS-5 predictions reproduced spatial patterns for all parameters, however better precision could be gained by using more accurate plume parameters for height and ash concentration
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Large Scale Labelled Video Data Augmentation for Semantic Segmentation in Driving Scenarios
In this paper we present an analysis of the effect of large scale video data augmentation for semantic segmentation in driving scenarios. Our work is motivated by a strong correlation between the high performance of most recent deep learning based methods and the availability of large volumes
of ground truth labels. To generate additional labelled data, we make use of an occlusion-aware and uncertainty-enabled label propagation algorithm. As a result we increase the availability of high-resolution labelled frames by a factor of 20, yielding in a 6.8% to 10.8% rise in average classification accuracy and/or IoU scores for several semantic segmentation networks.
Our key contributions include: (a) augmented CityScapes and CamVid datasets providing 56.2K and 6.5K additional labelled frames of object classes respectively, (b) detailed empirical analysis of the effect of the use of augmented data as well as (c) extension of proposed framework to instance segmentation
Survey sequencing and radiation hybrid mapping to construct comparative maps.
In MURPHY WJ (ed.) Phylogenomics, Humana Press. (Methods in Molecular Biology, 422)International audienceRadiation hybrid (RH) mapping has become one of the most well-established techniques for economically and efficiently navigating genomes of interest. The success of the technique relies on random chromosome breakage of a target genome, which is then captured by recipient cells missing a preselected marker. Selection for hybrid cells that have DNA fragments bearing the marker of choice, plus a random set of DNA fragments from the initial irradiation, generates a set of cell lines that recapitulates the genome of the target organism several-fold. Markers or genes of interest are analyzed by PCR using DNA isolated from each cell line. Statistical tools are applied to determine both the linear order of markers on each chromosome, and the confidence of each placement. The resolution of the resulting map relies on many factors, most notably the degree of breakage from the initial radiation as well as the number of hybrid clones and mean retention value.A high-resolution RH map of a genome derived from low pass or survey sequencing (coverage from 1 to 2 times) can provide essentially the same comparative data on gene order that is derived from high-coverage (greater than x7) genome sequencing. When combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization, RH maps are complete and ordered blueprints for each chromosome. They give information about the relative order and spacing of genes and markers, and allow investigators to move between target and reference genomes, such as those of mouse or human, with ease although the approach is not limited to mammal genomes
-Algebras, the BV Formalism, and Classical Fields
We summarise some of our recent works on -algebras and quasi-groups
with regard to higher principal bundles and their applications in twistor
theory and gauge theory. In particular, after a lightning review of
-algebras, we discuss their Maurer-Cartan theory and explain that any
classical field theory admitting an action can be reformulated in this context
with the help of the Batalin-Vilkovisky formalism. As examples, we explore
higher Chern-Simons theory and Yang-Mills theory. We also explain how these
ideas can be combined with those of twistor theory to formulate maximally
superconformal gauge theories in four and six dimensions by means of
-quasi-isomorphisms, and we propose a twistor space action.Comment: 19 pages, Contribution to Proceedings of LMS/EPSRC Durham Symposium
Higher Structures in M-Theory, August 201
Intermittent maser flare around the high mass young stellar object G353.273+0.641 I: data & overview
We have performed VLBI and single-dish monitoring of 22 GHz HO maser
emission from the high mass young stellar object G353.273+0.641 with VERA (VLBI
Exploration of Radio Astrometry) and Tomakamai 11-m radio telescope. Two maser
flares have been detected, separated almost two years. Frequent VLBI monitoring
has revealed that these flare activities have been accompanied by structural
change of the prominent shock front traced by H2O maser alignments. We have
detected only blue-shifted emissions and all maser features have been
distributed within very small area of 200 200 au in spite of
wide velocity range (> 100 km s). The light curve shows notably
intermittent variation and suggests that the HO masers in G353.273+0.641
are excited by episodic radio jet. The time-scale of \sim2 yr and
characteristic velocity of \sim500 km s also support this
interpretation. Two isolated velocity components of C50 (-53 \pm 7 km s)
and C70 (-73 \pm 7 km s) have shown synchronised linear acceleration of
the flux weighted V_{\rmn{LSR}} values (\sim-5 km s yr) during
the flare phase. This can be converted to the lower-limit momentum rate of 1.1
\times 10 M_{\sun} km s yr. Maser properties are quite
similar to that of IRAS 20126+4104 especially. This corroborates the previous
suggestion that G353.273+0.641 is a candidate of high mass protostellar object.
The possible pole-on geometry of disc-jet system can be suitable for direct
imaging of the accretion disc in this case.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures accepted for publication in MNRA
Variation in C - reactive protein response according to host and mycobacterial characteristics in active tuberculosis
BACKGROUND: The C - reactive protein (CRP) response is often measured in patients with active tuberculosis (TB) yet little is known about its relationship to clinical features in TB, or whether responses differ between ethnic groups or with different Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) strain types. We report the relationship between baseline serum CRP prior to treatment and disease characteristics in a metropolitan population with TB resident in a low TB incidence region. METHODS: People treated for TB at four London, UK sites between 2003 and 2014 were assessed and data collected on the following characteristics: baseline CRP level; demographics (ethnicity, gender and age); HIV status; site of TB disease; sputum smear (in pulmonary cases) and culture results. The effect of TB strain-type was also assessed in culture-positive pulmonary cases using VNTR typing data. RESULTS: Three thousands two hundred twenty-two patients were included in the analysis of which 72 % had a baseline CRP at or within 4 weeks prior to starting TB treatment. CRP results were significantly higher in culture positive cases compared to culture negative cases: median 49 mg/L (16-103 mg/L) vs 19 mg/L (IQR 5-72 mg/L), p = <0.001. In those with pulmonary disease, smear positive cases had a higher CRP than smear negative cases: 67 mg/L (31-122 mg/L) vs 24 mg/L (7-72 mg/L), p < 0.001. HIV positive cases had higher baseline CRPs than HIV negative cases: 75 mg/L (26-136 mg/L) vs 37 mg/L (10-88 mg/L), p <0.001. Differing sites of disease were associated with differences in baseline CRP: locations that might be expected to have a high mycobacterial load (e.g. pulmonary disease and disseminated disease) had a significantly higher CRP than those such as skin, lymph node or CNS disease, where the mycobacterial load is typically low in HIV negative subjects. In a multivariable log-scale linear regression model adjusting for host characteristics and M.tb strain type, infection with the East African Indian strain was associated with significantly lower baseline-CRP (fold-change in CRP 0.51 (0.34-0.77), p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Host and mycobacterial factors are strongly associated with baseline CRP response in tuberculosis. This analysis suggests that there are important differences in innate immune response according to ethnicity, Mtb strain type and site of disease. This may reflect differing mycobacterial loads or host immune responses
SCOTCH -- Search for Clandestine Optically Thick Compact HIIs
This study uses archival high frequency continuum data to expand the search
for Hypercompact HII regions and determine the conditions at which they appear,
as this stage high mass star formation is short-lived and rare. We use 23 GHz
continuum data taken towards methanol masers, which are an excellent signpost
for very young embedded high-mass protostars. We have searched for
high-frequency, optically thick radio sources to identify HC HII region
candidates. The data cover 128 fields that include 141 methanol masers
identified by the Methanol Multibeam (MMB) survey. We have detected 68
high-frequency radio sources and conducted a multi-wavelength analysis to
determine their nature. This has identified 49 HII regions, 47 of which are
embedded in dense clumps fourteen of which do not have a 5 GHz radio
counterpart. We have identified 13 methanol maser sites that are coincident
with radio sources that have a steep positive spectral index. The majority of
these are not detected in the mid-infrared and have been classified as
protostellar or young stellar objects in the literature and we therefore
consider to be good HC HII region candidates, however, further work and higher
resolution data are needed to confirm these candidates
The political economy of competitiveness and social mobility
Social mobility has become a mainstream political and media issue in recent years in the United Kingdom. This article suggests that part of the reason for this is that it can serve as a mechanism to discuss policy concerns that appear to be about social justice without questioning important aspects of neo-liberal political economy. The article charts the policy rhetoric on social mobility under both New Labour and the current Coalition Government. It is argued first that under New Labour the apparent commitment to social mobility was in fact subsumed beneath the pursuit of neo-liberal competitiveness, albeit imperfectly realised in policy. Second, the article suggests that under the Coalition Government the commitment to raising levels of social mobility has been retained and the recently published Strategy for Social Mobility promises that social mobility is what the Coalition means when it argues that the austerity programme is balanced with ‘fairness’. Third, however, the Strategy makes clear that the Coalition define social mobility in narrower terms than the previous government. It is argued here that in narrowing the definition the connection with the idea of competitiveness, while still clearly desirable for the Coalition, is weakened. Fourth, a brief analysis of the Coalition's main policy announcements provides little evidence to suggest that even the narrow definition set out in the Strategy is being seriously pursued. Fifth, the international comparative evidence suggests that any strategy aimed at genuinely raising the level of social mobility would need to give much more serious consideration to narrowing levels of inequality. Finally, it is concluded that when considered in the light of the arguments above, the Strategy for Social Mobility – and therefore ‘Fairness’ itself – is merely a discursive legitimation of the wider political economy programme of austerity
The Global Omnivore: Identifying Musical Taste Groups in Austria, England, Israel and Serbia
This research offers a unique opportunity to revisit the omnivore hypothesis under a unified method of cross-national analysis. To accomplish this, we interpret omnivourism as a special case of cultural eclecticism (Ollivier, 2008; Ollivier, Gauthier and Truong, 2009). Our methodological approach incorporates the simultaneous analysis of locally produced and globally known musical genres. Its objective is to verify whether cultural omnivourism is a widespread phenomenon, and to determine to what extent any conclusions can be generalised across countries with different social structures and different levels of cultural openness. To truly understand the scope of the omnivourism hypothesis, we argue that it is essential to perform a cross-national comparison to test the hypothesis within a range of social, political and cultural contexts, and a reflection of different historical and cultural repertoires (Lamont, 1992)
'You were quiet - I did all the marching': Research processes involved in hearing the voices of South Asian girls
This article is available open access through the publisher’s website at the link below. Copyright @ 2011
A B
Academic
Publishers.This article provides insights into the outcomes of reflection following two interview approaches used to explore narratives of the lived, individual experiences of South-Asian girls living in West London. In attempting to illuminate and re-present the cultural experiences as told by these girls, the choice of interview approach became critical in allowing the voices to be effectively heard (Rogers, 2005). This article therefore considers how a semi-structured interview approach offered valuable insights into the girls' experiences but became constraining for both researcher and participant in unveiling the complexity and depth of their lives. These constraints emerged through reflection by both participants and researcher. As a result of reflexivity during the research process, the researcher moved towards the use of research conversations during the second phase of the study. Ultimately the study revealed how the girls felt empowered by the opportunity to narrate their individual experiences and tell of their lives. In narrating their reflections on being part of the research, there was a clear recognition that the process facilitated the articulation of new voices and ‘multi-voicedness’ (Moen, 2006
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