Measuring Individual Tree Height and Crown Diameter for Mangrove Trees with Airborne Lidar Data

Mangroves are unique ecosystems that provide valuable coastal area habitats, protection, and services. Access to observing mangrove forests is typically difficult on the ground. Therefore, it is of interest to develop and evaluate remote sensing methods that enable us to obtain accurate information on the structure of mangrove forests and to monitor their condition in time. The main objective of this study was to develop a methodology for processing airborne lidar data for measuring height and crown diameter for mangrove forests in the north-eastern coastal areas of Brazil. Specific objectives were to: (1) evaluate the most appropriate lidar data processing approach, such as area-based or individual tree methods, (2) investigate the most appropriate parameters for lidar-derived data products when estimating height and crown diameter, such as the spatial resolution of canopy height models and ground elevation models; and (3) compare the accuracy of lidar estimates to field measurements of height and crown diameter. The lidar dataset was acquired over mangrove forest of the northeast of Brazil. The crown diameter was calculated as the average of two values measured along two perpendicular directions from the location of each tree top by fitting a fourth-degree polynomial on both profiles. The lidar-derived tree measurements were used with regression models and cross-validation to estimate plot level field-measured crown diameter. Root mean square error, linear regression and the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient were also used to compare lidar height and field height. The mean of lidar-estimated tree height was 9,48m and the mean of field tree height was 8.44m. The correlation between lidar tree height and field tree height was r= 0.60, E=-0.06 and RMSE= 2.8. The correlation between height and crown diameter needed to parameterized the individual tree identification software obtained for 32 trees was r= 0.83 and determination coefficient was r2 = 0.69. The results of the current study show that lidar data could be used to estimate height and average crown diameter of mangrove trees and to improve estimates of other mangrove forest biophysical parameters of interest by focusing at the individual tree level. The research presented in this study contributes to the overall knowledge of using lidar remote sensing to measure and monitor mangrove forests

Wide antral circumferential vs. ostial pulmonary vein isolation using pulsed field ablation—the butterfly effect

BackgroundWide antral circumferential ablation (WACA) in comparison to ostial pulmonary vein (PV) isolation (PVI) has been attributed with improved rhythm outcome. We investigated the feasibility, lesion formation, and rhythm outcome of WACA-PVI in comparison to ostial-PVI using pulsed field ablation (PFA).MethodsSymptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF) patients (69 years, 67% male; 67% paroxysmal AF) were prospectively enrolled into our single-center registry and underwent first-time ostial-PFA or WACA-PFA, N = 15 each. In all patients, eight pulse trains (2 kV/2.5 s, bipolar, biphasic, 4× basket/flower configuration each) were delivered to each PV. In WACA-PFA, two extra pulse trains in a flower configuration were added to the anterior and posterior antrum of the PVs. For comparison of PFA lesion size, pre- and post-ablation left atrial (LA) voltage maps were acquired using a multipolar spiral catheter together with a three-dimensional electroanatomic mapping system.ResultsWACA-PFA resulted in a significant larger lesion formation than ostial-PFA (45.5 vs. 35.1 cm2, p = 0.001) with bilateral overlapping butterfly shape-like lesions and concomitant posterior LA wall isolation in 73% of patients. This was not associated with increased procedure time, sedation dosage, or exposure to radiation. One-year freedom from AF recurrence was numerically higher after WACA-PFA than ostial-PFA (94% vs. 87%) but not statistically significant (p = 0.68). No organized atrial tachycardias (ATs) were observed. Ostial-PFA patients more often underwent re-ablation due to recurrent AF episodes.ConclusionWACA-PFA is feasible and resulted in significantly wider lesion sets than ostial-PFA. Concomitant posterior LA wall isolation occurred as an epiphenomenon in the majority of patients. The WACA approach was associated with neither increased procedure and fluoroscopy times nor statistically significant differences in 1-year rhythm outcome. ATs were absent

Measurement of the Forward-Backward Asymmetry in the B -> K(*) mu+ mu- Decay and First Observation of the Bs -> phi mu+ mu- Decay

We reconstruct the rare decays $B^+ \to K^+\mu^+\mu^-$, $B^0 \to K^{*}(892)^0\mu^+\mu^-$, and $B^0_s \to \phi(1020)\mu^+\mu^-$ in a data sample corresponding to $4.4 {\rm fb^{-1}}$ collected in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at $\sqrt{s}=1.96 {\rm TeV}$ by the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron Collider. Using $121 \pm 16$ $B^+ \to K^+\mu^+\mu^-$ and $101 \pm 12$ $B^0 \to K^{*0}\mu^+\mu^-$ decays we report the branching ratios. In addition, we report the measurement of the differential branching ratio and the muon forward-backward asymmetry in the $B^+$ and $B^0$ decay modes, and the $K^{*0}$ longitudinal polarization in the $B^0$ decay mode with respect to the squared dimuon mass. These are consistent with the theoretical prediction from the standard model, and most recent determinations from other experiments and of comparable accuracy. We also report the first observation of the $B^0_s \to \phi\mu^+\mu^- decay and measure its branching ratio${\mathcal{B}}(B^0_s \to \phi\mu^+\mu^-) = [1.44 \pm 0.33 \pm 0.46] \times 10^{-6}$using$27 \pm 6$signal events. This is currently the most rare$B^0_s$ decay observed.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Measurements of the properties of Lambda_c(2595), Lambda_c(2625), Sigma_c(2455), and Sigma_c(2520) baryons

We report measurements of the resonance properties of Lambda_c(2595)+ and Lambda_c(2625)+ baryons in their decays to Lambda_c+ pi+ pi- as well as Sigma_c(2455)++,0 and Sigma_c(2520)++,0 baryons in their decays to Lambda_c+ pi+/- final states. These measurements are performed using data corresponding to 5.2/fb of integrated luminosity from ppbar collisions at sqrt(s) = 1.96 TeV, collected with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron. Exploiting the largest available charmed baryon sample, we measure masses and decay widths with uncertainties comparable to the world averages for Sigma_c states, and significantly smaller uncertainties than the world averages for excited Lambda_c+ states.Comment: added one reference and one table, changed order of figures, 17 pages, 15 figure

Search for a New Heavy Gauge Boson Wprime with Electron + missing ET Event Signature in ppbar collisions at sqrt(s)=1.96 TeV

We present a search for a new heavy charged vector boson $W^\prime$ decaying to an electron-neutrino pair in $p\bar{p}$ collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 1.96\unit{TeV}. The data were collected with the CDF II detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 5.3\unit{fb}^{-1}. No significant excess above the standard model expectation is observed and we set upper limits on $\sigma\cdot{\cal B}(W^\prime\to e\nu)$. Assuming standard model couplings to fermions and the neutrino from the $W^\prime$ boson decay to be light, we exclude a $W^\prime$ boson with mass less than 1.12\unit{TeV/}c^2 at the 95\unit{%} confidence level.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures Submitted to PR

Search for heavy bottom-like quarks decaying to an electron or muon and jets in ppˉp\bar{p} collisions at s=1.96\sqrt{s}=1.96 TeV

We report the most sensitive direct search for pair production of fourth-generation bottom-like chiral quarks ($b'$) each decaying promptly to $tW$. We search for an excess of events with an electron or muon, at least five jets (one indentified as due to a $b$ or $c$ quark) and an imbalance of transverse momentum using data from $p\bar{p}$ collisions collected by the CDF II detector at Fermilab with an integrated luminosity of 4.8 fb$^{-1}$. We observe events consistent with background expectation and calculate upper limits on the $b'$ pair production cross section ($\sigma_{b\bar{b'}}\lesssim 30$ fb for $m_{b'}>$375 GeV/$c^2$) and exclude $m_{b'}<372$ \gevcc at 95% confidence level.Comment: For submission to PR

First Measurement of the Angular Coefficients of Drell-Yan e(+)e(-) Pairs in the Z Mass Region from p(p)over-bar Collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

We report on the first measurement of the angular distributions of final state electrons in p (p) over bar -> gamma*/Z -> e(+)e(-) + X events produced in the Z boson mass region at root s = 1.96 TeV. The data sample collected by the CDF II detector for this result corresponds to 2.1 fb(-1) of integrated luminosity. The angular distributions are studied as a function of the transverse momentum of the electron-positron pair and show good agreement with the Lam-Tung relation, consistent with a spin-1 description of the gluon, and demonstrate that, at high values of the transverse momentum, Z bosons are produced via quark-antiquark annihilation and quark-gluon Compton processes

First Search for Multijet Resonances in root s=1.96 TeV p(p)over-bar Collisions

We present the first model independent search for three-jet hadronic resonances within multijet events in root s = 1.96 TeV p (p) over bar collisions at the Fermilab Tevatron using the CDF II detector. Pair production of supersymmetric gluinos and squarks with hadronic R-parity violating decays is employed as an example of a new physics benchmark for this signature. Selection criteria based on the kinematic properties of an ensemble of jet combinations within each event help to extract signal from copious QCD background. No significant excess outside the top quark mass window is observed in data with an integrated luminosity of 3.2 fb(-1). We place 95% confidence level limits on the production cross section sigma(p (p) over bar -> XX') X BR((g) over tilde(g) over tilde -> 3 jet + 3 jet) where X, X' = (g) over tilde, (q) over tilde, or (sic), with (q) over tilde, (sic) -> (g) over tilde + jet, as a function of gluino mass, in the range of 77 GeV/c(2) to 240 GeV/c(2)

Search for a Very Light CP-Odd Higgs Boson in Top Quark Decays from p(p)over-bar Collisions at root s=1.96 TeV

We present the results of a search for a very light CP-odd Higgs boson a(1)(0) originating from top quark decays t -> H(+/-)b -> W-+/-(*) a(1)(0)b, and subsequently decaying into tau(+)tau(-). Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 2.7 fb(-1) collected by the CDF II detector in p (p) over bar collisions at 1.96 TeV, we perform a search for events containing a lepton, three or more jets, and an additional isolated track with transverse momentum in the range 3 to 20 GeV/c. Observed events are consistent with background sources, and 95% C.L. limits are set on the branching ratio of t -> H(+/-)b for various masses of H-+/- and a(1)(0)