Experimental masking of RBV images to reduce stationary residual inaccuracies in radiometric correction

Return beam vidicon tube calibration data are used to correct spatially non-uniform radiance response in individual vidicons, during post-acquisition signal processing. However, examination of different ERTS-1 RBV-1, -2, and -3 image scenes showed stationary, repetitive residual inaccuracies in shading correction, large enough to affect qualitative and quantitative image analyses. Photographic masks designed to reduce residual shading were prepared from RBV-1, -2, and -3 images of a relatively cloud-free ocean scene of uniform reflectance. When applied to other RBV scenes, the masks enabled more closely corrected RBV images to be printed. Illustrations are given of RBV-1 image before and after correction, compared with an equivalent MSS spectral image of the same scene

Water depth estimation with ERTS-1 imagery

Contrast-enhanced 9.5 inch ERTS-1 images were produced for an investigation on ocean water color. Such images lend themselves to water depth estimation by photographic and electronic density contouring. MSS-4 and -5 images of the Great Bahama Bank were density sliced by both methods. Correlation was found between the MSS-4 image and a hydrographic chart at 1:467,000 scale, in a number of areas corresponding to water depth of less than 2 meters, 5 to 10 meters and 10 to about 20 meters. The MSS-5 image was restricted to depths of about 2 meters. Where reflective bottom and clear water are found, ERTS-1 MSS-4 images can be used with density contouring by electronic or photographic methods for estimating depths to 5 meters within about one meter

Studying the Perturbative Reggeon

We consider the flavour non-singlet Reggeon within the context of perturbative QCD. This consists of ladders built out of ``reggeized'' quarks. We propose a method for the numerical solution of the integro-differential equation for the amplitude describing the exchange of such a Reggeon. The solution is known to have a sharp rise at low values of Bjorken-x when applied to non-singlet quantities in deep-inelastic scattering. We show that when the running of the coupling is taken into account this sharp rise is further enhanced, although the Q^2 dependence is suppressed by the introduction of the running coupling. We also investigate the effects of simulating non-perturbative physics by introducing a constituent mass for the soft quarks and an effective mass for the soft gluons exchanged in the t-channel.Comment: LaTeX, 21 pages, 16 figure

Inward foreign direct investment and constitutional change in Scotland

Purpose - To undertake an analysis of the implications of potential Scottish independence for inward foreign direct investment (FDI), multinational enterprise strategies, and the local economy.<p></p> Design/methodology/approach - Takes a multidisciplinary approach drawing upon literature and evidence in the international business and management, political economy, and economic geography fields to analyze the role and impact of inward FDI in Scotland following possible Scottish independence.<p></p> Findings - Scotland continues as an attractive location for FDI, with greater diversity than hitherto. While the country’s comparative advantages in immobile natural resources provide some protection from uncertainty, weak embeddedness is a risk factor irrespective of independence. A range of transition costs of independence are identified, which could be high and of indeterminate duration, and some will be sector-specific. There are also new possibilities for tailoring of policies, and potential reindustrialization opportunities in renewable technologies. The foreign investors most vulnerable to political risks and uncertainties are those whose market scope is the rest of the UK (rUK) either as exporters or value chain integrators, in addition to the high political risk industries of energy, banking, and financial services and defence. Scottish subsidiaries’ significance within their parent MNE groups will also be a major factor in determining responses to political risks and uncertainties.<p></p> Originality/value - Specific focus upon the impact of potential independence on the foreign-owned sector as a major contributor to the Scottish economy.<p></p&gt

The Hippocampus is Preferentially Associated with Memory for Spatial Context

The existence of a functional-anatomic dissociation for retrieving item versus contextual information within subregions of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) is currently under debate. We used a spatial source memory paradigm during event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate this issue. At study, abstract shapes were presented to the left or right of fixation. During test, old and new shapes were presented at fixation. Participants responded whether each shape had been previously presented on the “left,” the “right,” or was “new.” Activity associated with contextual memory (i.e., source memory) was isolated by contrasting accurate versus inaccurate memory for spatial location. Item-memory-related activity was isolated by contrasting accurate item recognition without contextual memory with forgotten items. Source memory was associated with activity in the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex. Although item memory was not associated with unique MTL activity at our original threshold, a region-of-interest (ROI) analysis revealed item-memory-related activity in the perirhinal cortex. Furthermore, a functional-anatomic dissociation within the parietal cortex for retrieving item and contextual information was not found in any of three ROIs. These results support the hypothesis that specific subregions in the MTL are associated with item memory and memory for context

New findings and instrumentation from the NASA Lewis microgravity facilities

The study of fundamental combustion and fluid physics in a microgravity environment is a relatively new scientific endeavor. The microgravity environment enables a new range of experiments to be performed since: buoyancy-induced flows are nearly eliminated; normally obscured forces and flows may be isolated; gravitational settling or sedimentation is nearly eliminated; and larger time or length scales in experiments become permissible. Unexpected phenomena have been observed, with surprising frequency, in microgravity experiments, raising questions about the degree of accuracy and completeness of the classical understanding. An overview is provided of some new phenomena found through ground-based, microgravity research, the instrumentation used in this research, and plans for new instrumentation

Research of low cost wind generator rotors

A feasibility program determined that it would be possible to significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing wind generator rotors by making them of cast urethane. Several high modulus urethanes which were structurally tested were developed. A section of rotor was also cast and tested showing the excellent aerodynamic surface which results. A design analysis indicated that a cost reduction of almost ten to one can be achieved with a small weight increase to achieve the same structural integrity as expected of current rotor systems

Neonatal weight loss in breast and formula-fed infants

We have observed an increase in the number of breast fed babies presenting with dehydration and/or failure to thrive because of lactation failure and non-recognition of feeding problems. Recent reports1,2 support this experience and recommend monitoring of the weight of infants through the neonatal period. However, these reports acknowledge uncertainty as to what actually constitutes normal neonatal weight loss. Maisels and colleagues published two studies which have been quoted as giving guidance on normal loss. Both studies were designed primarily to study factors that influence breast milk jaundice. The first3 reported a mean weight loss of about 6% in 100 unselected well babies during the first 3 days. The subsequent study4 reported a mean weight loss of 6.86% in 186 infants. The timescale over which babies were weighed was not clearly indicated, although it may have only been 2-3 days. The sample was neither population based nor randomly selected, being largely preselected because of the presence of more pronounced jaundice. The distribution of data points for early neonatal weight loss are likely to be skewed, yet both studies reported the results as mean (SD). Owing to the design and method of data presentation, these studies cannot reliably inform the debate as to what constitutes the norm. Marchini and colleagues published reports also designed primarily to study other issues. One5 indicated a mean early weight loss of 5.7%. Measurements were recorded over a three day period, and no indication is given of the skewness of the data. Another study6 reported a median weight loss of about 6% recorded over a four day period. At least one baby lost > 15% of his/her birth weight during this time, but there is no clear information as to the frequency with which more extreme degrees of weight loss are observed

Design of a Multi-Moon Orbiter

The Multi-Moon Orbiter concept is introduced, wherein a single spacecraft orbits several moons of Jupiter, allowing long duration observations. The ΔV requirements for this mission can be low if ballistic captures and resonant gravity assists by Jupiter’s moons are used. For example, using only 22 m/s, a spacecraft initially injected in a jovian orbit can be directed into a capture orbit around Europa, orbiting both Callisto and Ganymede enroute. The time of flight for this preliminary trajectory is four years, but may be reduced by striking a compromise between fuel and time optimization during the inter-moon transfer phases

Application of dynamical systems theory to a very low energy transfer

We use lobe dynamics in the restricted three-body problem to design orbits with prescribed itineraries with respect to the resonance regions within a Hill’s region. The application we envision is the design of a low energy trajectory to orbit three of Jupiter’s moons using the patched three-body approximation (P3BA). We introduce the “switching region,” the P3BA analogue to the “sphere of influence.” Numerical results are given for the problem of finding the fastest trajectory from an initial region of phase space (escape orbits from moon A) to a target region (orbits captured by moon B) using small controls