Collection and management of satellite data for hydrological models

This thesis reports on the development of a system for the acquisition of AVHRR data, the processing of this data into hydrological parameters then the organisation and management of this data. The derivation of hydrological parameters through the use of remote sensing data has been well reported in the literature. The integration of the different derived estimates into a uniform and integrated set of data for use in Hydrological models have been lacking. The aim of the this project is the presentation of a system that solves and presents the problems faced in the development of such a system. This thesis is concerned with the integration of a set of methods, each concerned with a hydrological parameter, into a compatible system for the remote sensing estimation of hydrological parameters. The information produced by remote sensing methods are populous in space. A system is needed to manage this significant body of generated data. A database was selected and used for this task. The proposed system is a prototype system concerned primarily with an investigation of the different processes involved in the integration of the different methods into a compatible package. The system evolved, with the introduction of the database in the system, to become an embryonic Hydrology and Remote Sensing Information System acronymed as HyRSIS. Programs used in this project comprise of two kinds, those written 'in house' and 'acquired' from different researchers. Compatibility of programs and data files was solved and then used as building blocks of HyRSIS. A main program was used as driver for the interaction with the different programs. A design criterion was established for future development of such a system. The system provided solutions for two the problems of the big size of the data and the non suitability of remote sensing data for hydrological modelling. The use of the database provided the housing and the managing tool for the bulk of the data. A protocol for the retrieval of data from the database was established. For the first time the hydrological model used, in this project and probably for any hydrological model, was run using several parameters derived from remote sensing sources and supplemented by conventional data. The same model was also run using conventional data, as a prime source, and supplemented with remote sensing data

Contextualized Treatment in Traumatic Brain Injury Inpatient Rehabilitation: Effects on Outcomes During the First Year after Discharge

Objective To evaluate the effect of providing a greater percentage of therapy as contextualized treatment on acute traumatic brain injury (TBI) rehabilitation outcomes. Design Propensity score methods are applied to the TBI-Practice-Based Evidence (TBI-PBE) database, a database consisting of multi-site, prospective, longitudinal observational data. Setting Acute inpatient rehabilitation. Participants Patients enrolled in the TBI-PBE study (n=1843), aged 14 years or older, who sustained a severe, moderate, or complicated mild TBI, receiving their first IRF admission in the US, and consented to follow-up 3 and 9 months post discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective- -17, FIMTM Motor and Cognitive scores, Satisfaction with Life Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Results Increasing the percentage of contextualized treatment during inpatient TBI rehabilitation leads to better outcomes, specifically in regard to community participation. Conclusions Increasing the proportion of treatment provided in the context of real-life activities appears to have a beneficial impact on outcome. Although the effect sizes are small, the results are consistent with other studies supporting functional-based interventions effecting better outcomes. Furthermore, any positive findings, regardless of size or strength, are endorsed as important by consumers (survivors of TBI). While the findings do not imply that decontextualized treatment should not be used, when the therapy goal can be addressed with either approach, the findings suggest that better outcomes may result if the contextualized approach is used

LANDMAP: Serving Satellite imagery to the UK academic Community

The LANDMAP Project has created the first IfSAR DEM covering the entire British Isles. That DEM and associated orthorectified ERS images were used to produce a set of orthorectified images of the British Isles from LANDSAT and SPOT. Additional merged and mosaiced images were also created with the three different satellite products. The dataset includes images stored as files in Geo-TIFF format. This paper discusses the data creation process and presents the methods of serving these data to the user community

Advanced Therapy in Traumatic Brain Injury Inpatient Rehabilitation: Effects on Outcomes During the First Year after Discharge

Objective To use causal inference methods to determine if receipt of a greater proportion inpatient rehabilitation treatment focused on higher level functions, e.g. executive functions, ambulating over uneven surfaces (Advanced Therapy, AdvTx) results in better rehabilitation outcomes. Design A cohort study using propensity score methods applied to the TBI-Practice-Based Evidence (TBI-PBE) database, a database consisting of multi-site, prospective, longitudinal observational data. Setting Acute inpatient rehabilitation (IRF). Participants Patients enrolled in the TBI-PBE study (n=1843), aged 14 years or older, who sustained a severe, moderate, or complicated mild TBI, receiving their first IRF admission to one of 9 sites in the US, and consented to follow-up 3 and 9 months post discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Participation Assessment with Recombined Tools-Objective-17, FIMTM Motor and Cognitive scores, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Results Controlling for measured potential confounders, increasing the percentage of AdvTx during inpatient TBI rehabilitation was found to be associated with better community participation, functional independence, life satisfaction, and decreased likelihood of depression during the year following discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. Participants who began rehabilitation with greater disability experienced larger gains on some outcomes than those who began rehabilitation with more intact abilities. Conclusions Increasing the proportion of treatment targeting higher level functions appears to have no detrimental and a small, beneficial effect on outcome. Caution should be exercised when inferring causality given that a large number of potential confounders could not be completely controlled with propensity score methods. Further, the extent to which unmeasured confounders influenced the findings is not known and could be of particular concern due to the potential for the patient’s recovery trajectory to influence therapists’ decisions to provide a greater amount AdvTx

Family Involvement in Traumatic Brain Injury Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Propensity Score Analysis of Effects on Outcomes During the First Year After Discharge

Objective To evaluate the effect of family attendance at inpatient rehabilitation therapy sessions on traumatic brain injury (TBI) patient outcomes at discharge and up to 9 months postdischarge. Design Propensity score methods are applied to the TBI Practice-Based Evidence database, a database consisting of multisite, prospective, longitudinal, and observational data. Setting Nine inpatient rehabilitation centers in the United States. Participants Patients (N=1835) admitted for first inpatient rehabilitation after an index TBI. Intervention Family attendance during therapy sessions. Main Outcome Measures Participation Assessment for Recombined Tools-Objective-17 (Total scores and subdomain scores of Productivity, Out and About, and Social Relations), Functional Independence Measure, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Results Participants whose families were in attendance for at least 10% of the treatment time were more out and about in their communities at 3 and 9 months postdischarge than participants whose families attended treatment less than 10% of the time. Although findings varied by propensity score method, improved functional independence in the cognitive area at 9 months was also associated with increased family attendance. Conclusions Family involvement during inpatient rehabilitation may improve community participation and cognitive functioning up to 9 months after discharge. Rehabilitation teams should engage patients’ families in the rehabilitation process to maximize outcomes

Diseño de los Senderos Interpretativos del Bosque en el Campus Dr. Víctor Levi Sasso, Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá

La Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá tiene el propósito de poner en marcha el proyecto ``Diseño de los Senderos Interpretativos del Bosque en el Campus Dr. Víctor Levi Sasso''. El Campus de la UTP se identifica como un sitio que combina tanto infraestructura moderna como bosque exuberante. Los visitantes se sienten atraídos por esta naturaleza que rodea los edificios y tienen la necesidad de entrar en un contacto más cercano con ella. Este documento es en esencia una iniciativa en forma de propuesta donde se detallan las estrategias a seguir para lograr el desarrollo a buen término del proyecto. En principio, se contempla la mejora de senderos ya existentes y la creación de otros nuevos. También, se deben mejorar los accesos a los senderos y algunos pasos difíciles de transitar y colocar señalizaciones.La Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá tiene el propósito de poner en marcha el proyecto ``Diseño de los Senderos Interpretativos del Bosque en el Campus Dr. Víctor Levi Sasso''. El Campus de la UTP se identifica como un sitio que combina tanto infraestructura moderna como bosque exuberante. Los visitantes se sienten atraídos por esta naturaleza que rodea los edificios y tienen la necesidad de entrar en un contacto más cercano con ella. Este documento es en esencia una iniciativa en forma de propuesta donde se detallan las estrategias a seguir para lograr el desarrollo a buen término del proyecto. En principio, se contempla la mejora de senderos ya existentes y la creación de otros nuevos. También, se deben mejorar los accesos a los senderos y algunos pasos difíciles de transitar y colocar señalizaciones

ANALYSIS OF LIQUIDITY FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE EXCESS STOCK RETURN WITH RELATIVE MEASURE OF LIQUIDITY INCLUDED; WITHIN COMPANIES ALWAYS LISTED IN LQ45 2002- 2012

This study used the sample of companies always listed in the Indonesian stock index LQ45 period of 2002-2012. The purpose of this study is to reexamine the relationships of size, book value of equity to the market value of equity (BM), turnover, price, and relative measure of liquidity with excess stock return (RML). The data was secondary in nature. With Excess stock return as the dependent variable while size, BM, turnover, price, and RML as independent variable. The result of this study shows that size gives impact to excess stock return. BM, turnover, price, and RML has no effect on excess stock returns. Size, BM, turnover, price, and RML explained the excess stock return changes by 14, 4%. With size, BM, and turnover have positive effect on excess return. While price, and RML negative effect of excess return

Relationship Between Parental Alcoholism and Family Unpredictability

This research is a retrospective study on adult children of alcoholics using a previous researcher’s, Dr. Ross, unpredictability scale. Family Unpredictability is defined as “a lack of consistency in family behaviors and regulatory systems,” (Ross and Hill, 2000). There is currently a lack of research related to parental alcoholism and its effect on family structure. The researcher hopes to gain insight on the relationship between parental alcoholism and family unpredictability. Previous research suggests children growing up with a caregiver who is an alcoholic experience a higher level of unpredictability in the home. Examples of this unpredictability are: a decreased amount of family meals, decreased or lack of discipline, and decreased amount of nurturance. The goal is to find similarities in the family structures that can be related back to parental alcoholism. The reseracher will use an online survey to gain insight on childhood experiences of adult children of alcoholics. In order to determine significance results from the surveys were evaluated using a a multivariate analysis of variance, independent t test, and correlation studies