Investigations with satellite data temperature retrievals

A method is presented for using satellite measurements to interpolate vertical temperature soundings between radiosonde stations. The method finds a set of coefficients, which when multiplied by corresponding measured radiance quantities, yield zero temperature error at a radiosonde station. This derived set of coefficients is then applied to satellite radiance measurements at places between radiosonde stations. The computations show, for example, that the average absolute error in the layer 1000-800 mbs is only 0.3K when the corresponding 'minimum-information' method error was 2.9K. The method may be most applicable to measurements from geostationary satellites, but should also be applicable to measurements from polar orbiting satellites under certain conditions

Development and evaluation of the elastic recovery concept for expandable space structures

Elastic recovery of expandable space structure

Multidisciplinary Research Program in Atmospheric Science

A theoretical analysis of the vertical resolving power of the High resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HIRS) and the Advanced Meteorological Temperature Sounder (AMTS) is carried out. The infrared transmittance weighting functions and associated radiative transfer kernels are analyzed through singular value decomposition. The AMTS was found to contain several more pieces of independent information than HIRS when the transmittances were considered, but the two instruments appeared to be much more similar when the temperature sensitive radiative transfer kernels were analyzed. The HIRS and AMTS instruments were also subjected to a thorough analysis. It was found that the two instruments should have very similar vertical resolving power below 500 mb but that AMTS should have superior resolving power above 200 mb. In the layer 200 to 500 mb the AMTS showed badly degraded spread function

Sales Loss Determination in Food Contamination Incidents: An Application to Milk Bans in Hawaii

This article presents a procedure for estimating sales loss following a food contamination incident with application to the case of heptachlor contamination of fresh fluid milk in Oahu, Hawaii in 1982. A major finding is that media coverage following the incident had a significant impact on milk purchases and that negative coverage had a larger effect than positive coverage. This conclusion implies that public statements by producers or government to assure the public of safe food supplies may be ineffective in restoring consumer confidence following the discovery of a food safety problem. American Journal of Agricultural Economics, August, 1988.food contamination, food safety policy, milk demand, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Limits On Planets Around Pulsating White Dwarf Stars

We present limits on planetary companions to pulsating white dwarf stars. A subset of these stars exhibit extreme stability in the period and phase of some of their pulsation modes; a planet can be detected around such a star by searching for periodic variations in the arrival time of these pulsations. We present limits on companions greater than a few Jupiter masses around a sample of 15 white dwarf stars as part of an ongoing survey. One star shows a variation in arrival time consistent with a 2M(J) planet in a 4.5 yr orbit. We discuss other possible explanations for the observed signal and conclude that a planet is the most plausible explanation based on the data available.NASA Origins NAG5-13094Astronom

Preface: Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation

The 38 th annual Review of Progress in Quantitative NDE was held at the University of Vermont in Burlington, VT, on July 17-22, 2011. This conference, widely regarded as the most prestigious of NDE research conferences, emphasizes the interface between current research results in the development of new measurement techniques (theory with experimental confirmation) and early engineering applications used to enhance the safety in high technology systems. With an attendance of 350 persons - approximately one half coming from overseas and the other half from U.S. academia, industry, and government - over 320 technical papers were presented in both verbal and poster sessions. As is customary for this meeting, papers in essentially all NDE technologies were presented, ranging from fundamental theoretical analyses to practical applications. Attendees included members of the World Federation of NDE Centers, an organization dedicated to broad cooperation in and harmonization of research and education for NDE. Student papers from the 9th Annual Student Poster Competition were incorporated as a part of the Review and are included in these volumes. The Review was organized by the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation at Iowa State University and sponsored by QNDE Programs with welcome assistance from the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Ames Laboratory (DOE) at Iowa State University, the American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), the Army Research Laboratory, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry/University Cooperative Centers

Human Factors Considerations in the Assessment of Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Reliability

The overall performance level for an NDE operation is dependent on the NDE material, equipment, processes (methodology) and human skills applied to the operation. It is important to understand and consider human factors elements and contributions to NDE applications in the improvement of applications, in the design and validation of new applications, in automating portions of task performance, and in the development of modeling tools for the prediction of task performance for existing and new applications

INVESTIGATING THE APPLICATION OF SERVICE MODULARISATION IN AN INDUSTRY: - “A CASE STUDY OF A MOBILE OPERATOR IN SIERRA LEONE (AIRTEL) AND A MONEY TRANSFER SERVICE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM (WESTERN UNION)”

Abstract There is an increasing trend in the need for services, and organisations are now moving towards modularisation of their services for efficiency, competitive advantage and to satisfy their customers. Modularisation activities focuses on standardisation, customisation and the reduction of complexity in its system to achieve efficiency, cost minimisation and better service for business growth. The main objective of this study is to examine how theory and practice relates; which involves bringing out concepts of modularity from literatures and examine practical cases in the service industry. Interest in the field of modularity is emerging, in order to discover how the implementation of modularity can add value to research and practical application. Therefore, this dissertation seeks to arrive at strategic decisions that should be considered in the implementation of modularisation and identifying the factors that influences the implementation of modularisation in a money transfer service. To achieve this, two case studies were selected, a Mobile Money Transfer Service System in Sierra Leone and the Western Union Money Transfer Service in the United Kingdom. According to the results the application of modularisation in a service organisation can enhance service efficiency, customers’ satisfaction and contributes greatly in business development by gaining competitive advantage and increase in profit