Latitudinal variation of the solar photospheric intensity

We have examined images from the Precision Solar Photometric Telescope (PSPT) at the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) in search of latitudinal variation in the solar photospheric intensity. Along with the expected brightening of the solar activity belts, we have found a weak enhancement of the mean continuum intensity at polar latitudes (continuum intensity enhancement $\sim0.1 - 0.2$ corresponding to a brightness temperature enhancement of $\sim2.5{\rm K}$). This appears to be thermal in origin and not due to a polar accumulation of weak magnetic elements, with both the continuum and CaIIK intensity distributions shifted towards higher values with little change in shape from their mid-latitude distributions. Since the enhancement is of low spatial frequency and of very small amplitude it is difficult to separate from systematic instrumental and processing errors. We provide a thorough discussion of these and conclude that the measurement captures real solar latitudinal intensity variations.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figs, accepted in Ap

Estimation of soil and vegetation temperatures with multiangular thermal infrared observations: IMGRASS, HEIFE, and SGP 1997 experiments

The potential of directional observations in the thermal infrared region for land surface studies is a largely uncharted area of research. The availability of the dual-view Along Track Scanning Radiometer (ATSR) observations led to explore new opportunities in this direction. In the context of studies on heat transfer at heterogeneous land surfaces, multiangular thermal infrared (TIR) observations offer the opportunity of overcoming fundamental difficulties in modeling sparse canopies. Three case studies were performed on the estimation of the component temperatures of foliage and soil. The first one included the use of multi-temporal field measurements at view angles of 0°, 23° and 52°. The second and third one were done with directional ATSR observations at view angles of 0° and 53° only. The first one was a contribution to the Inner-Mongolia Grassland Atmosphere Surface Study (IMGRASS) experiment in China, the second to the Hei He International Field Experiment (HEIFE) in China and the third one to the Southern Great Plains 1997 (SGP 1997) experiment in Oklahoma, United States. The IMGRASS experiment provided useful insights on the applicability of a simple linear mixture model to the analysis of observed radiance. The HEIFE case study was focused on the large oasis of Zhang-Ye and led to useful estimates of soil and vegetation temperatures. The SGP 1997 contributed a better understanding of the impact of spatial heterogeneity on the accuracy of retrieved foliage and soil temperatures. Limitations in the approach due to varying radiative and boundary layer forcing and to the difference in spatial resolution between the forward and the nadir view are evaluated through a combination of modeling studies and analysis of field data

Optometric trends in sports vision: Knowledge, utilization, and practitioner role expansion potential in 1994

Background: The optometric discipline of sports vision is a relatively young and actively growing area which has spurred the interest of optometrists and sports organizations at all levels of athletics. Methods: 473 optometrists were surveyed and compared to a similar survey sent to 100 optometrists in 1980, 1983, and the same 473 in 1987-88. Also, 290 college and 108 professional teams were surveyed. Results: Optometrists felt there were more opportunities available in sports vision. Contact lenses are preferred over spectacles for most general sports, and optometrists usually consider the specific visual demands of the athlete when providing services. Vision therapy was reported to be used in nearly half the practices surveyed. College and professional team results suggest a broader acceptance and utilization of sports vision services. Conclusions: Since the establishment of the American Optometric Association Sports Vision Section (AOA-SVS) seventeen years ago, advances have been made in utilization and acceptance worldwide. The results of this survey, however, show that there. is still an unmet need for vision care and screening services at both the collegiate and professional levels

The unity and diversity of executive functions: A systematic review and re-analysis of latent variable studies.

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) has been frequently applied to executive function measurement since first used to identify a three-factor model of inhibition, updating, and shifting; however, subsequent CFAs have supported inconsistent models across the life span, ranging from unidimensional to nested-factor models (i.e., bifactor without inhibition). This systematic review summarized CFAs on performance-based tests of executive functions and reanalyzed summary data to identify best-fitting models. Eligible CFAs involved 46 samples (N = 9,756). The most frequently accepted models varied by age (i.e., preschool = one/two-factor; school-age = three-factor; adolescent/adult = three/nested-factor; older adult = two/three-factor), and most often included updating/working memory, inhibition, and shifting factors. A bootstrap reanalysis simulated 5,000 samples from 21 correlation matrices (11 child/adolescent; 10 adult) from studies including the three most common factors, fitting seven competing models. Model results were summarized as the mean percent accepted (i.e., average rate at which models converged and met fit thresholds: CFI ≥ .90/RMSEA ≤ .08) and mean percent selected (i.e., average rate at which a model showed superior fit to other models: ΔCFI ≥ .005/.010/ΔRMSEA ≤ -.010/-.015). No model consistently converged and met fit criteria in all samples. Among adult samples, the nested-factor was accepted (41-42%) and selected (8-30%) most often. Among child/adolescent samples, the unidimensional model was accepted (32-36%) and selected (21-53%) most often, with some support for two-factor models without a differentiated shifting factor. Results show some evidence for greater unidimensionality of executive function among child/adolescent samples and both unity and diversity among adult samples. However, low rates of model acceptance/selection suggest possible bias toward the publication of well-fitting but potentially nonreplicable models with underpowered samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)

Computational Modeling of Electromagnetically Induced Heating of Magnetic Nanoparticle Materials for Hyperthermic Cancer Treatment

Abstract-We present work on the computational modeling of electromagnetically induced heating in the hyperthermic treatment of cancer using fluid-dispersed magnetic nanoparticles. Magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia can be used as a complement to chemotherapy or for direct targeting and destruction of tumors through heat treatment. The ability of nanoscale materials to provide an extremely localized therapeutic effect is a major advantage over traditional methods of treatment. When an AC magnetic field is applied to a ferrofluid, Brownian rotation and Néel relaxation of induced magnetic moments result in power dissipation. In order to achieve appreciable volumetric heating, while maintaining safe values of frequency and magnetic field strength, and to reduce the risk of spot heating of healthy tissue, it is necessary to determine an ideal range of input parameters for the driving magnetic field as well as the complex susceptibility of the ferrofluid. We do this by the coupling of the solution of Maxwell's equations in a model of the tumor and surrounding tissue as input to the solution to the Pennes' Bioheat Equation (PBE). In this study, we solve both sets of equations via the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) method as implemented in the program SEMCAD X (by SPEAG, Schmid & Partner Engineering). We use a multilayer model of the human head made up of perfused dermal and skeletal layers and a grey-matter region surrounding a composite region of tumor tissue and the magnetic nanoparticle fluid. The tumor/ferrofluid composite material properties are represented as mean values of the material properties of both constituents, assuming homogeneity of the region. The AC magnetic excitation of the system (within 100 kHz-2 MHz frequency range) is provided by square Helmholtz coils, which provide a uniform magnetic field in the region of interest. The power density derived from the electromagnetic field calculation serves as an input term to the bioheat equation and therefore determines the heating due to the ferrofluid. Results for several variations of input parameters will be presented

Numerical simulations of compressible Rayleigh-Taylor turbulence in stratified fluids

We present results from numerical simulations of Rayleigh-Taylor turbulence, performed using a recently proposed lattice Boltzmann method able to describe consistently a thermal compressible flow subject to an external forcing. The method allowed us to study the system both in the nearly-Boussinesq and strongly compressible regimes. Moreover, we show that when the stratification is important, the presence of the adiabatic gradient causes the arrest of the mixing process.Comment: 15 pages, 11 figures. Proceedings of II Conference on Turbulent Mixing and Beyond (TMB-2009

Supporting Earth-Observation Calibration and Validation: A new generation of tools for crowdsourcing and citizen science

Citizens are providing vast amounts of georeferenced data in the form of in situ data collections as well as interpretations and digitization of Earth-observation (EO) data sets. These new data streams have considerable potential for supporting the calibration and validation of current and future products derived from EO. We provide a general introduction to this growing area of interest and review existing crowdsourcing and citizen science (CS) initiatives of relevance to EO. We then draw upon our own experiences to provide case studies that highlight different types of data collection and citizen engagement and discuss the various barriers to adoption. Finally, we highlight opportunities for how citizens can become part of an integrated EO monitoring system in the framework of the European Union (EU) space program, including Copernicus and other monitoring initiatives

Plant Science's Next Top Models

Model organisms are at the core of life science research. Notable examples include the mouse as a model for humans, baker's yeast for eukaryotic unicellular life and simple genetics, or the enterobacteria phage λ in virology. Plant research was an exception to this rule, with researchers relying on a variety of non-model plants until the eventual adoption of Arabidopsis thaliana as primary plant model in the 1980s. This proved to be an unprecedented success, and several secondary plant models have since been established. Currently, we are experiencing another wave of expansion in the set of plant models