Joint microwave and infrared studies for soil moisture determination

The feasibility of using a combined microwave-thermal infrared system to determine soil moisture content is addressed. Of particular concern are bare soils. The theoretical basis for microwave emission from soils and the transport of heat and moisture in soils is presented. Also, a description is given of the results of two field experiments held during vernal months in the San Joaquin Valley of California

Processing of multispectral thermal IR data for geologic applications

Multispectral thermal IR data were acquired with a 24-channel scanner flown in an aircraft over the E. Tintic Utah mining district. These digital image data required extensive computer processing in order to put the information into a format useful for a geologic photointerpreter. Simple enhancement procedures were not sufficient to reveal the total information content because the data were highly correlated in all channels. The data were shown to be dominated by temperature variations across the scene, while the much more subtle spectral variations between the different rock types were of interest. The image processing techniques employed to analyze these data are described

Evaluation of LANDSAT MSS vs TM simulated data for distinguishing hydrothermal alteration

The LANDSAT Follow-On (LFO) data was simulated to demonstrate the mineral exploration capability of this system for segregating different types of hydrothermal alteration and to compare this capability with that of the existing LANDSAT system. Multispectral data were acquired for several test sites with the Bendix 24-channel MSDS scanner. Contrast enhancements, band ratioing, and principal component transformations were used to process the simulated LFO data for analysis. For Red Mountain, Arizona, the LFO data allowed identification of silicified areas, not identifiable with LANDSAT 1 and 2 data. The improved LFO resolution allowed detection of small silicic outcrops and of a narrow silicified dike. For Cuprite - Ralston, Nevada, the LFO spectral bands allowed discrimination of argillic and opalized altered areas; these could not be spectrally discriminated using LANDSAT 1 and 2 data. Addition of data from the 1.3- and 2.2- micrometer regions allowed better discriminations of hydrothermal alteration types

Random geometric complexes

We study the expected topological properties of Cech and Vietoris-Rips complexes built on i.i.d. random points in R^d. We find higher dimensional analogues of known results for connectivity and component counts for random geometric graphs. However, higher homology H_k is not monotone when k > 0. In particular for every k > 0 we exhibit two thresholds, one where homology passes from vanishing to nonvanishing, and another where it passes back to vanishing. We give asymptotic formulas for the expectation of the Betti numbers in the sparser regimes, and bounds in the denser regimes. The main technical contribution of the article is in the application of discrete Morse theory in geometric probability.Comment: 26 pages, 3 figures, final revisions, to appear in Discrete & Computational Geometr

Successfully Climbing the “STAIRs”: Surmounting Failed Translation of Experimental Ischemic Stroke Treatments

The Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) provided initial (in 1999) and updated (in 2009) recommendations with the goal of improving preclinical stroke therapy assessment and to increase the translational potential of experimental stroke treatments. It is important for preclinical stroke researchers to frequently consider and revisit these concepts, especially since promising experimental stroke treatments continue to fail in human clinical trials. Therefore, this paper will focus on considerations for several key aspects of preclinical stroke studies including the selection and execution of the animal stroke model, drug/experimental treatment administration, and outcome measures to improve experimental validity and translation potential. Specific points of interest discussed include the incorporation of human comorbid conditions and drugs, the benefits of defining a proposed mechanism of action, replication of results using multiple methods, using clinically relevant routes of administration and treatment time windows, and performing and reporting good experimental methods to reduce bias such as, as suggested by the updated STAIR recommendations, sample size calculations, randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, and appropriate inclusion/exclusion criteria. It is our hope that reviewing and revisiting these considerations will benefit researchers in their investigations of stroke therapies and increase the likelihood of translational success in the battle against stroke

Uniform random colored complexes

We present here random distributions on $(D+1)$-edge-colored, bipartite graphs with a fixed number of vertices $2p$. These graphs are dual to $D$-dimensional orientable colored complexes. We investigate the behavior of quantities related to those random graphs, such as their number of connected components or the number of vertices of their dual complexes, as $p \to \infty$. The techniques involved in the study of these quantities also yield a Central Limit Theorem for the genus of a uniform map of order $p$, as $p \to \infty$.Comment: 36 pages, 9 figures, minor additions and correction

Project factsheet for EC DG RTD brochure

The European Commission DG Research brochure contains project factsheets for FP7 funded Integrated Activities projects. Each factsheet is one page (recto-verso) detailing the general aims and scope of the project. The factsheets are directed at the general public

Geologic application of thermal inertia imaging using HCMM data

Three test sites in the western US were selected to discriminate among surface geologic materials on the basis of their thermal properties as determined from HCMM data. Attempts to determine quantitatively accurate thermal inertia values from HCMM digital data met with only partial success due to the effects of sensor miscalibrations, radiative transfer in the atmosphere, and varying meteorology and elevation across a scene. In most instances, apparent thermal inertia was found to be an excellent qualitative representation of true thermal inertia. Computer processing of digital day and night HCMM data allowed construction of geologically useful images. At some test sites, more information was provided by data than LANDSAT data. Soil moisture effects and differences in spectrally dark materials were more effectively displayed using the thermal data

EuCARD Newsletter Issue 1

European Coordination for Accelerator Research and Development (EuCARD) Newsletter Issue 1: April - June 2009 * A word from the Coordinator * EuCARD in a nutshell * The EuCARD website * MICE - see how they run * For EuCARD members: FAQ