Coral Reef Electronic Chart Initiative, Protecting Corals, Saving Ships

The Office of Coast Survey, NOAA is conducting a pilot project in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to convert existing coral, marine protected areas (MPA) and other marine GIS information into a format suitable for use with shipboard Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS). Specifically, existing data will be converted into Marine Information Objects (MIOs) conforming to IHO S-57 data standards that become a supplemental information layer to be used with Electronic Navigational Charts (ENC) in ECDIS. The project goal is to strengthen marine resource conservation by bringing critical coral, MPA, and other environmental protection-related information to the marine r. This effort will also contribute to an initiative by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) to incorporate nautical chart symbology for coral reefs and MPAs. In particular, designated areas will be symbolized as Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs). This project involves a number of stakeholders (e.g., mariners, hydrographers, conservationists, scientists, and resource managers) who are interested in both safety of navigation and marine environmental conservation

The Attraction of Foreign Manufacturing Investments: Investment Promotion and Agglomeration Economies

We study Japanese investments between 1980 and 1992 to assess the effectiveness of state promotion efforts in light of strong agglomeration economies in Japanese investment. Two policy variables are consistently shown to influence the location of investment - foreign trade zones and labor subsidies. We use simulations to explore the impact these policies had on the geographic distribution of Japanese investment. The simulations reveal that in aggregate promotion programs largely offset each other; however, unilateral withdrawal of promotion causes individual states to lose substantial amounts of foreign investment.

Clinical study comparing ketorolac tromethamine with diclofenac sodium for the treatment of ocular surface inflammations

Thirty patients with various ocular surface inflammations were enrolled in a double-masked study comparing ketorolac tromethamine 0.5% (Acular) and diclofenac sodium 0.1% (Voltaren Ophthalmic). At the initial visit, baseline measurements of various inflammatory signs were taken. The patients were instructed to use Acular in one eye and Voltaren Ophthalmic in the other eye four times a day for a period of seven days. After this seven day treatment period, the patients completed a questionnaire and were evaluated for signs of inflammation. At this time, the drops were reversed for each eye. Once again the patients were instructed to use the drops four times daily for seven days. After this second week of treatment the patients were reevaluated for signs and symptoms of inflammation. Quantification of signs and symptoms occurred at the one week and two week evaluations. After two weeks the Acular-treated eyes showed significant decreases in conjunctival injection (p = 0.0192), tear debris (p = 0.0052), papillae (p = 0.0092), and follicles (p = 0.0046) compared to baseline. The Voltaren Ophthalmic-treated eyes showed significant decreases in chemosis (p = 0,0113), conjunctival injection (p = 0.0268), tear debris (p = 0.0373), papillae (p = 0.0068), and follicles (p = 0.0039). Subjectively patients found more overall satisfaction with Voltaren Ophthalmic than with Acular (p = 0.0010). Results of this study show that both Acular and Voltaren Ophthalmic are effective in reducing the signs of ocular surface inflammations

Characterization of Dyspnea in Veteran Lung Cancer Survivors Following Curative-Intent Therapy.

PurposeDyspnea is highly prevalent in lung cancer survivors following curative-intent therapy. We aimed to identify clinical predictors or determinants of dyspnea and characterize its relationship with functional exercise capacity (EC).MethodsIn an analysis of data from a cross-sectional study of lung cancer survivors at the VA San Diego Healthcare System who completed curative-intent therapy for stage I-IIIA disease ≥1 mo previously, we tested a thorough list of comorbidities, lung function, and lung cancer characteristics. We assessed dyspnea using the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Lung Cancer Module 13 (LC13) and functional EC using the 6-minute walk. We replicated results with the University of California San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire.ResultsIn 75 participants at a median of 12 mo since treatment completion, the mean ± SD LC13-Dyspnea score was 35.3 ± 26.2; 60% had abnormally high dyspnea. In multivariable linear regression analyses, significant clinical predictors or determinants of dyspnea were (β [95% CI]) psychiatric illness (-20.8 [-32.4 to -9.09]), heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (-15.5 [-28.0 to -2.97]), and forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration (-0.28 [-0.49 to -0.06]). Dyspnea was an independent predictor of functional EC (-1.54 [-2.43 to -0.64]). These results were similar with the University of California San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire.ConclusionWe identified clinical predictors or determinants of dyspnea that have pathophysiological bases. Dyspnea was independently associated with functional EC. These results have implications in efforts to reduce dyspnea and improve exercise behavior and functional EC in lung cancer survivors following curative-intent therapy

On the bend number of circular-arc graphs as edge intersection graphs of paths on a grid

Golumbic, Lipshteyn and Stern \cite{Golumbic-epg} proved that every graph can be represented as the edge intersection graph of paths on a grid (EPG graph), i.e., one can associate with each vertex of the graph a nontrivial path on a rectangular grid such that two vertices are adjacent if and only if the corresponding paths share at least one edge of the grid. For a nonnegative integer $k$, $B_k$-EPG graphs are defined as EPG graphs admitting a model in which each path has at most $k$ bends. Circular-arc graphs are intersection graphs of open arcs of a circle. It is easy to see that every circular-arc graph is a $B_4$-EPG graph, by embedding the circle into a rectangle of the grid. In this paper, we prove that every circular-arc graph is $B_3$-EPG, and that there exist circular-arc graphs which are not $B_2$-EPG. If we restrict ourselves to rectangular representations (i.e., the union of the paths used in the model is contained in a rectangle of the grid), we obtain EPR (edge intersection of path in a rectangle) representations. We may define $B_k$-EPR graphs, $k\geq 0$, the same way as $B_k$-EPG graphs. Circular-arc graphs are clearly $B_4$-EPR graphs and we will show that there exist circular-arc graphs that are not $B_3$-EPR graphs. We also show that normal circular-arc graphs are $B_2$-EPR graphs and that there exist normal circular-arc graphs that are not $B_1$-EPR graphs. Finally, we characterize $B_1$-EPR graphs by a family of minimal forbidden induced subgraphs, and show that they form a subclass of normal Helly circular-arc graphs

Lunar laser ranging data processing in a Unix/X windows environment

In cooperation with the NASA Crustal Dynamics Project initiative placing workstation computers at each of its laser ranging stations to handle data filtering and normalpointing, MLRS personnel have developed a new generation of software to provide the same services for the lunar laser ranging data type. The Unix operating system and X windows/Motif provides an environment for both batch and interactive filtering and normalpointing as well as prediction calculations. The goal is to provide a transportable and maintainable data reduction environment. This software and some sample displays are presented. that the lunar (or satellite) datacould be processed on one computer while data was taken on the other. The reduction of the data was totally interactive and in no way automated. In addition, lunar predictions were produced on-site, another first in the effort to down-size historically mainframe-based applications. Extraction of earth rotation parameters was at one time attempted on site in near-realtime. In 1988, the Crustal Dynamics Project SLR Computer Panel mandated the installation of Hewlett-Packard 9000/360 Unix workstations at each NASA-operated laser ranging station to relieve the aging controller computers of much of their data and communications handling responsibility and to provide on-site data filtering and normal pointing for a growing list of artificial satellite targets. This was seen by MLRS staff as an opportunity to provide a better lunar data processing environment as well

Fermionization of two distinguishable fermions

In this work we study a system of two distinguishable fermions in a 1D harmonic potential. This system has the exceptional property that there is an analytic solution for arbitrary values of the interparticle interaction. We tune the interaction strength via a magnetic offset field and compare the measured properties of the system to the theoretical prediction. At the point where the interaction strength diverges, the energy and square of the wave function for two distinguishable particles are the same as for a system of two identical fermions. This is referred to as fermionization. We have observed this phenomenon by directly comparing two distinguishable fermions with diverging interaction strength with two identical fermions in the same potential. We observe good agreement between experiment and theory. By adding one or more particles our system can be used as a quantum simulator for more complex few-body systems where no theoretical solution is available