Satellite data for surface-mine inventory

To determine the feasibility of satellite data for surface-mine inventory, particularly as it applies to coal, a case study was conducted in Maryland. A band-ratio method was developed to measure disturbed surface areas, and it proved to be extendible both temporally and geographically. This method was used to measure area changes in the region over three time periods from September 1972 through July 1974 and to map the entire two-county area for 1973. For mines ranging between 31 and 244 acres (12 to 98 hectares) the measurement accuracy of total affected acreage was determined to be 92%. Mines of 120 acres (50 hectares) and larger were measured with greater accuracy, some within one percent of the actual area. The ability to identify, classify, and measure strip-mine surfaces in a two-county area (1,541 square kilometers - 595 square miles) of western Maryland was demonstrated through the use of computer processing. On the basis of these results the use of LANDSAT satellite data and multilevel sampling of aircraft and field verification inspections, multispectral analysis of digital data is shown to be an effective, rapid, and accurate means of monitoring the surface mining cycle

Utilisation of JSR and BCB resists for the construction of gray scale microstructures

This paper reports on the use of two well-known photoresists, the JSR and BCB for the construction of gray scale structures which have a wide range of applications in the semiconductor/electronics industry. Reactive ion etching experiments were carried out in order to define the etching rate of the resist JSR and cyclotene using a combination of two different gases. Argon and Oxygen were used separately in order to determine the etching rate of the photoresist and the cyclotene by changing the following parameters: concentration, gas pressure and power of the RF unit. New reactive ion etching experiments were performed using combinations of the two gases in order to establish the optimum ratio of the two gases for accomplishing the desirable gray scale structures

Exploring Planets with Directed Aerial Robot Explorers

Global Aerospace Corporation (GAC) is developing a revolutionary system architecture for exploration of planetary atmospheres and surfaces from atmospheric altitudes. The work is supported by the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC). The innovative system architecture relies upon the use of Directed Aerial Robot Explorers (DAREs), which essentially are long-duration-flight autonomous balloons with trajectory control capabilities that can deploy swarms of miniature probes over multiple target areas. Balloon guidance capabilities will offer unprecedented opportunities in high-resolution, targeted observations of both atmospheric and surface phenomena. Multifunctional microprobes will be deployed from the balloons once over the target areas, and perform a multitude of functions, such as atmospheric profiling or surface exploration, relaying data back to the balloons or an orbiter. This architecture will enable low-cost, low-energy, long-term global exploration of planetary atmospheres and surfaces. This paper focuses on a conceptual analysis of the DARE architecture capabilities and science applications for Venus, Titan and Jupiter. Preliminary simulations with simplified atmospheric models show that a relatively small trajectory control wing can enable global coverage of the atmospheres of Venus and Titan by a single balloon over a 100-day mission. This presents unique opportunities for global in situ sampling of the atmospheric composition and dynamics, atmospheric profiling over multiple sites with small dropsondes and targeted deployment of surface microprobes. At Jupiter, path guidance capabilities of the DARE platforms permits targeting localized regions of interest, such as "hot spots" or the Great Red Spot. A single DARE platform at Jupiter can sample major types of the atmospheric flows (zones and belts) over a 100-day mission. Observations by deployable probes would reveal if the differences exist in radiative, dynamic and compositional environments at these sites

Venus Interior Structure Mission (VISM): Establishing a Seismic Network on Venus

Magellan radar data show the surface of Venus to contain a wide range of geologic features (large volcanoes, extensive rift valleys, etc.). Although networks of interconnecting zones of deformation are identified, a system of spreading ridges and subduction zones like those that dominate the tectonic style of the Earth do not appear to be present. In addition, the absence of a mantle low-viscosity zone suggests a strong link between mantle dynamics and the surface. As a natural follow-on to the Magellan mission, establishing a network of seismometers on Venus will provide detailed quantitative information on the large scale interior structure of the planet. When analyzed in conjunction with image, gravity, and topography information, these data will aid in constraining mechanisms that drive surface deformation

Modeling the Pinning of Au and Ni Clusters on Graphite

The pinning of size-selected AuN and NiN clusters on graphite, for N=7–100, is investigated by means of molecular dynamics simulations and the results are compared to experiment and previous work with Ag clusters. Ab initio calculations of the binding of the metal adatom and dimers on a graphite surface are used to parametrize the potentials used in the simulations. The clusters are projected normally towards a graphite surface and the value of the energy at which pinning first occurs, EP, is determined. Pinning is shown to occur when a surface defect, made by the cluster interaction, is first produced. The simulations give a good agreement with the experimentally determined pinning energy thresholds and the heights of the clusters on the surface. The gold clusters are shown to be flatter and more spread out than the nickel clusters which are more compact

Covenant Marriage Turns Five Years Old

Part I of this article discusses public policy rationales behind covenant marriage legislation, describes relevant aspects of Louisiana\u27s legislation, and summarizes the efforts of other states to enact covenant marriage legislation. Part II discusses methods of data collection and analysis and identifies the demographic characteristics of covenant married couples as opposed to standard married couples in Louisiana. Part III addresses the dynamics behind couples\u27 choice to have a covenant versus standard marriage. Part IV is an analysis of couples\u27 satisfaction with their marriage option and the gendered dynamics of different levels of satisfaction with the marital choice

Covenant Marriage Turns Five Years Old

Part I of this article discusses public policy rationales behind covenant marriage legislation, describes relevant aspects of Louisiana\u27s legislation, and summarizes the efforts of other states to enact covenant marriage legislation. Part II discusses methods of data collection and analysis and identifies the demographic characteristics of covenant married couples as opposed to standard married couples in Louisiana. Part III addresses the dynamics behind couples\u27 choice to have a covenant versus standard marriage. Part IV is an analysis of couples\u27 satisfaction with their marriage option and the gendered dynamics of different levels of satisfaction with the marital choice

Why alternative teenagers self-harm: exploring the link between non-suicidal self-injury, attempted suicide and adolescent identity

Background: The term ‘self-harm’ encompasses both attempted suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Specific adolescent subpopulations such as ethnic or sexual minorities, and more controversially, those who identify as ‘Alternative’ (Goth, Emo) have been proposed as being more likely to self-harm, while other groups such as ‘Jocks’ are linked with protective coping behaviours (for example exercise). NSSI has autonomic (it reduces negative emotions) and social (it communicates distress or facilitates group ‘bonding’) functions. This study explores the links between such aspects of self-harm, primarily NSSI, and youth subculture.<p></p> Methods: An anonymous survey was carried out of 452 15 year old German school students. Measures included: identification with different youth cultures, i.e. Alternative (Goth, Emo, Punk), Nerd (academic) or Jock (athletic); social background, e.g. socioeconomic status; and experience of victimisation. Self-harm (suicide and NSSI) was assessed using Self-harm Behavior Questionnaire and the Functional Assessment of Self-Mutilation (FASM).<p></p> Results: An “Alternative” identity was directly (r ≈ 0.3) and a “Jock” identity inversely (r ≈ -0.1) correlated with self-harm. “Alternative” teenagers self-injured more frequently (NSSI 45.5% vs. 18.8%), repeatedly self-injured, and were 4–8 times more likely to attempt suicide (even after adjusting for social background) than their non-Alternative peers. They were also more likely to self-injure for autonomic, communicative and social reasons than other adolescents.<p></p> Conclusions: About half of ‘Alternative’ adolescents’ self-injure, primarily to regulate emotions and communicate distress. However, a minority self-injure to reinforce their group identity, i.e. ‘To feel more a part of a group’

Enveloping Aerodynamic Decelerator

An inflatable aerodynamic deceleration method and system is provided for use with an atmospheric entry payload. The inflatable aerodynamic decelerator includes an inflatable envelope and an inflatant, wherein the inflatant is configured to fill the inflatable envelope to an inflated state such that the inflatable envelope surrounds the atmospheric entry payload, causing aerodynamic forces to decelerate the atmospheric entry payload

Bregman Voronoi Diagrams: Properties, Algorithms and Applications

The Voronoi diagram of a finite set of objects is a fundamental geometric structure that subdivides the embedding space into regions, each region consisting of the points that are closer to a given object than to the others. We may define many variants of Voronoi diagrams depending on the class of objects, the distance functions and the embedding space. In this paper, we investigate a framework for defining and building Voronoi diagrams for a broad class of distance functions called Bregman divergences. Bregman divergences include not only the traditional (squared) Euclidean distance but also various divergence measures based on entropic functions. Accordingly, Bregman Voronoi diagrams allow to define information-theoretic Voronoi diagrams in statistical parametric spaces based on the relative entropy of distributions. We define several types of Bregman diagrams, establish correspondences between those diagrams (using the Legendre transformation), and show how to compute them efficiently. We also introduce extensions of these diagrams, e.g. k-order and k-bag Bregman Voronoi diagrams, and introduce Bregman triangulations of a set of points and their connexion with Bregman Voronoi diagrams. We show that these triangulations capture many of the properties of the celebrated Delaunay triangulation. Finally, we give some applications of Bregman Voronoi diagrams which are of interest in the context of computational geometry and machine learning.Comment: Extend the proceedings abstract of SODA 2007 (46 pages, 15 figures