County-Specific Net Migration by Five-Year Age Groups, Hispanic Origin, Race and Sex 2000-2010

This report documents the methodology used to prepare county-level, net migration estimates by five-year age cohorts and sex, and by race and Hispanic origin, for the intercensal period from 2000 to 2010. The estimates were prepared using a vital statistics version of the forward cohort residual method (Siegel and Hamilton 1952) following the techniques used to prepare the 1990 to 2000 net migration estimates (Voss, McNiven, Johnson, Hammer, and Fuguitt 2004) as described in detail below. These numbers (and the net migration rates derivable from them) extend the set of decennial estimates of net migration that have been produced following each decennial census beginning with 1960 (net migration for the 1950s: Bowles and Tarver, 1965; 1960s: Bowles, Beale and Lee, 1975; 1970s: White, Mueser and Tierney, 1987; 1980s: Fuguitt, Beale, and Voss 2010; and 1990s: Voss, McNiven, Hammer, Johnson and Fuguitt, 2004)

The Second SIMBIOS Radiometric Intercomparison (SIMRIC-2), March-November 2002

The second SIMBIOS (Sensor Intercomparison and Merger for Biological and Interdisciplinary Oceanic Studies) Radiometric Intercomparison (SIMRIC-2) was carried out in 2002. The purpose of the SIMRIC's was to ensure a common radiometric scale among the calibration facilities that are engaged in calibrating in-situ radiometrics used for ocean color-related research and to document the calibration procedures and protocols. The SeaWIFS Transfer Radiometer (SXR-II) measured the calibration radiances at six wavelengths from 411nm to 777nm in the ten laboratories participating in the SIMRIC-2. The measured radiances were compared with the radiances expected by the laboratories. The agreement was within the combined uncertainties for all but two laboratories. Likely error sources were identified in these laboratories and corrective measures were implemented. NIST calibrations in December 2001 and January 2003 showed changes ranging from -0.6% to +0.7% for the six SXR-II channels. Two independent light sources were used to monitor changes in the SXR-II responsivity between the NIST calibrations. A 2% variation of the responsivity of channel 1 of the SXR-II was detected, and the SXR-II responsivity was corrected using the monitoring data. This report also compared directional reflectance calibrations of a Spectralon plaque by different calibration facilitie

Colour reconnection in e+e- -> W+W- at sqrt(s) = 189 - 209 GeV

The effects of the final state interaction phenomenon known as colour reconnection are investigated at centre-of-mass energies in the range sqrt(s) ~ 189-209 GeV using the OPAL detector at LEP. Colour reconnection is expected to affect observables based on charged particles in hadronic decays of W+W-. Measurements of inclusive charged particle multiplicities, and of their angular distribution with respect to the four jet axes of the events, are used to test models of colour reconnection. The data are found to exclude extreme scenarios of the Sjostrand-Khoze Type I (SK-I) model and are compatible with other models, both with and without colour reconnection effects. In the context of the SK-I model, the best agreement with data is obtained for a reconnection probability of 37%. Assuming no colour reconnection, the charged particle multiplicity in hadronically decaying W bosons is measured to be (nqqch) = 19.38+-0.05(stat.)+-0.08 (syst.).Comment: 30 pages, 9 figures, Submitted to Euro. Phys. J.

Dedicated JPSS VIIRS Ocean Color Calibration/Validation Cruise

The NOAA/STAR ocean color team is focused on “end-to-end” production of high quality satellite ocean color products. In situ validation of satellite data is essential to produce the high quality, “fit for purpose” remotely sensed ocean color products that are required and expected by all NOAA line offices, as well as by external (both applied and research) users. In addition to serving the needs of its diverse users within the U.S., NOAA has an ever increasing role in supporting the international ocean color community and is actively engaged in the International Ocean-Colour Coordinating Group (IOCCG). The IOCCG, along with the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Ocean Colour Radiometry Virtual Constellation (OCR-VC), is developing the International Network for Sensor Inter-comparison and Uncertainty assessment for Ocean Color Radiometry (INSITU-OCR). The INSITU-OCR has identified, amongst other issues, the crucial need for sustained in situ observations for product validation, with longterm measurement programs established and maintained beyond any individual mission. Recently, the NOAA/STAR Ocean Color Team has been making in situ validation measurements continually since the launch in fall 2011 of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) platform, part of the U.S. Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) program. NOAA ship time for the purpose of ocean color validation, however, had never been allocated until the cruise described herein. As the institutional lead for this cruise, NOAA/STAR invited external collaborators based on scientific objectives and existing institutional collaborations. The invited collaborators are all acknowledged professionals in the ocean color remote sensing community. Most of the cruise principal investigators (PIs) are also PIs of the VIIRS Ocean Color Calibration and Validation (Cal/Val) team, including groups from Stennis Space Center/Naval Research Laboratory (SSC/NRL) and the University of Southern Mississippi (USM); City College of New York (CCNY); University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB); University of South Florida (USF); University of Miami (U. Miami); and, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). These Cal/Val PIs participated directly, sent qualified researchers from their labs/groups, or else contributed specific instruments or equipment. Some of the cruise PIs are not part of the NOAA VIIRS Ocean Color Cal/Val team but were chosen to complement and augment the strengths of the Cal/Val team participants. Outside investigator groups included NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC), Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University (LDEO), and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (JRC). This report documents the November 2014 cruise off the U.S. East Coast aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster. This cruise was the first dedicated ocean color validation cruise to be supported by the NOAA Office of Marine and Air Operations (OMAO). A second OMAO-supported cruise aboard the Nancy Foster is being planned for late 2015. We at NOAA/STAR are looking forward to continuing dedicated ocean color validation cruises, supported by OMAO on NOAA vessels, on an annual basis in support of JPSS VIIRS on SNPP, J-1, J-2 and other forthcoming satellite ocean color missions from the U.S as well as other countries. We also look forward to working with the U.S. and the international ocean community for improving our understanding of global ocean optical, biological, and biogeochemical properties.JRC.H.1-Water Resource

Search for R-Parity Violating Decays of Scalar Fermions at LEP

A search for pair-produced scalar fermions under the assumption that R-parity is not conserved has been performed using data collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. The data samples analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 610 pb-1 collected at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) 189-209 GeV. An important consequence of R-parity violation is that the lightest supersymmetric particle is expected to be unstable. Searches of R-parity violating decays of charged sleptons, sneutrinos and squarks have been performed under the assumptions that the lightest supersymmetric particle decays promptly and that only one of the R-parity violating couplings is dominant for each of the decay modes considered. Such processes would yield final states consisting of leptons, jets, or both with or without missing energy. No significant single-like excess of events has been observed with respect to the Standard Model expectations. Limits on the production cross- section of scalar fermions in R-parity violating scenarios are obtained. Constraints on the supersymmetric particle masses are also presented in an R-parity violating framework analogous to the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model.Comment: 51 pages, 24 figures, Submitted to Eur. Phys. J.

Measurement of the Michel Parameters in Leptonic Tau Decays

The Michel parameters of the leptonic tau decays are measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. The Michel parameters are extracted from the energy spectra of the charged decay leptons and from their energy-energy correlations. A new method involving a global likelihood fit of Monte Carlo generated events with complete detector simulation and background treatment has been applied to the data recorded at center-of-mass energies close to sqrt(s) = M(Z) corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 155 pb-1 during the years 1990 to 1995. If e-mu universality is assumed and inferring the tau polarization from neutral current data, the measured Michel parameters are extracted. Limits on non-standard coupling constants and on the masses of new gauge bosons are obtained. The results are in agreement with the V-A prediction of the Standard Model.Comment: 32 pages, LaTeX, 9 eps figures included, submitted to the European Physical Journal

The role of seawater constituents in light backscattering in the ocean

The significance of light backscattering in the ocean is wide ranging, especially in optical remote sensing. However, the complexity of natural seawater as an optical medium often obscures the measured optical signals to the point that our present-day interpretation and detailed understanding of major sources of backscattering and its variability in the ocean are uncertain and controversial. Here we review the roles played by various seawater constituents in light backscattering and we address a question of \u27missing\u27 backscattering. Historically, this question has resulted from a hypothesis that under non-bloom conditions in the open ocean, phytoplankton make a significantly smaller contribution to the particulate backscattering coefficient than to the particulate (total) scattering coefficient. By discussing the backscattering properties and potential contributions of the various water constituents (colloids, bacteria, phytoplankton, biogenic detritus, minerogenic particles, bubbles), we show that due to substantial variability in water composition, different types of constituents can explain the \u27missing\u27 backscattering. Under typical non-bloom conditions in the open ocean, the small-sized non-living particles appear to be the most important because of their high abundance relative to other particle types. These particles are believed to be primarily of organic origin but an important role of minerogenic particles cannot be excluded. Still, in the very clear ocean water the backscattering by water molecules themselves can contribute as much as 80% to the total backscattering coefficient in the blue spectral region. The general scenario of the dominance of molecules and small-sized particles can, however, be readily perturbed due to changes in local conditions. For example, bubbles entrained by breaking waves can intermittently dominate the backscattering at shallow depths below the sea surface, the calcifying phytoplankton (coccolithophores) producing calcite scales of high refractive index can dominate if present in sufficient concentration, and other plankton species can dominate during blooms. The role of phytoplankton could be generally greater than commonly assumed given the fact that real cells backscatter more light than predicted from homogeneous sphere models. In addition, high refractive index mineral particles can dominate in many coastal areas, and perhaps also in some open ocean areas during events of atmospheric dust deposition. It is likely that the different scenarios are quite widespread and frequent. Further improvements in quantitative understanding of the variability in light backscattering and its sources require an increased effort in basic research to better characterize the optical properties of the various seawater constituents and the variability in the detailed composition of seawater. Seawater is a complex optical medium containing a great variety of particle types and soluble species that vary in concentration and composition with time and location in the ocean, so ocean optics science must progress beyond the traditional overly simplified description, which has been based only on a few constituent categories defined broadly as molecular water, suspended particles (phytoplankton and non-algal particles), and dissolved organic matter. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Personal semantics: Is it distinct from episodic and semantic memory? An electrophysiological study of memory for autobiographical facts and repeated events in honor of Shlomo Bentin

Declarative memory is thought to consist of two independent systems: episodic and semantic. Episodic memory represents personal and contextually unique events, while semantic memory represents culturally-shared, acontextual factual knowledge. Personal semantics refers to aspects of declarative memory that appear to fall somewhere in between the extremes of episodic and semantic. Examples include autobiographical knowledge and memories of repeated personal events. These two aspects of personal semantics have been studied little and rarely compared to both semantic and episodic memory. We recorded the event-related potentials (ERPs) of 27 healthy participants while they verified the veracity of sentences probing four types of questions: general (i.e., semantic) facts, autobiographical facts, repeated events, and unique (i.e., episodic) events. Behavioral results showed equivalent reaction times in all 4 conditions. True sentences were verified faster than false sentences, except for unique events for which no significant difference was observed. Electrophysiological results showed that the N400 (which is classically associated with retrieval from semantic memory) was maximal for general facts and the LPC (which is classically associated with retrieval from episodic memory) was maximal for unique events. For both ERP components, the two personal semantic conditions (i.e., autobiographical facts and repeated events) systematically differed from semantic memory. In addition, N400 amplitudes also differentiated autobiographical facts from unique events. Autobiographical facts and repeated events did not differ significantly from each other but their corresponding scalp distributions differed from those associated with general facts. Our results suggest that the neural correlates of personal semantics can be distinguished from those of semantic and episodic memory, and may provide clues as to how unique events are transformed to semantic memory