Neural-network-based prediction techniques for single station modeling and regional mapping of the <I>fo</I>F2 and M(3000)F2 ionospheric characteristics

In this work, Neural-Network-based single-station hourly daily <i>f</i>oF2 and M(3000)F2 modelling of 15 European ionospheric stations is investigated. The data used are neural networks and hourly daily values from the period 1964- 1988 for training the neural networks and from the period 1989-1994 for checking the prediction accuracy. Two types of models are presented for the F2-layer critical frequency prediction and two for the propagation factor M(3000)F2. The first <i>f</i>oF2 model employs the E-layer local noon calculated daily critical frequency <i>(f</i>oE₁₂) and the local noon F2- layer critical frequency of the previous day. The second <i>f</i>oF2 model, which introduces a new regional mapping technique, employs the Juliusruh neural network model and uses the E-layer local noon calculated daily critical frequency <i>(f</i>oE₁₂), and the previous day F2-layer critical frequency measured at Juliusruh at noon. The first M(3000)F2 model employs the E-layer local noon calculated daily critical frequency <i>(f</i>oE₁₂), its ± 3 h deviations and the local noon cosine of the solar zenith angle (cos <font face='Symbol'>c</font>₁₂). The second model, which introduces a new M(3000)F2 mapping technique, employs Juliusruh neural network model and uses the E-layer local noon calculated daily critical frequency <i>(f</i>oE₁₂), and the previous day F2-layer critical frequency measured at Juliusruh at noon

The effects of f0 F2 variability on TEC prediction accuracy

In this paper hourly daily F2-layer critical frequency data recorded at Rome and one minute daily TEC data recorded at Florence were used and the relevant variabiles were calculated. It was concluded that there was no clear evidence as to how they correlated. In order to obtain a measure of the f 0 F 2 and TEC variability, the normalised differences df0 F2 and d TEC from the relevant monthly median values were also considered. Since no clear evidence could be obtained as of how df0 F2 and d TEC correlate, a new parameter, the ?Ap /?R ratio was tried. ?Ap was taken as the difference between the maximum value of Ap measured at the relevant disturbance and that corresponding at the beginning of the disturbance. ?R corresponded to the two above mentioned values of Ap. This parameter was compared to the differences of the corresponding df0 F2 values called ?df and d TEC values called ?dT. In wintertime, when ?A p /? R was negative, for the vast majority of the occurrences either ?df or ?dT was negative; ?df and ?dT were never observed to be negative at the same time whereas they were both positive in fewer than 10% of the observations. When ?A p /?R was positive then either ?df or ?dT were negative. In summertime when ?A p /?R was negative both ?df and ?dT were negative. When ?A p /?R was positive, while a positive ?df corresponded almost always to a positive ?dT, a negative ?df would equiprobably indicate either a positive or a negative ?dT

Time-dependent prediction degradation assessment of neural-networks-based TEC forecasting models

An estimation of the difference in TEC prediction accuracy achieved when the prediction varies from 1 h to 7 days in advance is described using classical neural networks. Hourly-daily Faraday-rotation derived TEC measurements from Florence are used. It is shown that the prediction accuracy for the examined dataset, though degrading when time span increases, is always high. In fact, when a relative prediction error margin of +/-10% is considered, the population percentage included therein is almost always well above the 55%. It is found that the results are highly dependent on season and the dataset wealth, whereas they highly depend on the f(0)F2 - TEC variability difference and on hysteresis-like effect between these two ionospheric characteristics.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

TEC and foF2 variations: preliminary results

Investigation of the relationship between TEC and (foF2)2 shows that although they are highly correlated, a «hysteresis» effect exists between them. The slab thickness is greater before than after mid-day for equal cos ?values. Moreover, a comparison of the calculated upper and lower quartiles of variability in TEC, foF2 and Nmax, respectively shows that the variability of TEC lies between those of foF2 and Nmax depending on the level of solar activity

An artificial neural network predictor for tropospheric surface duct phenomena

International audienceIn this work, an artificial neural network (ANN) model is developed and used to predict the presence of ducting phenomena for a specific time, taking into account ground values of atmospheric pressure, relative humidity and temperature. A feed forward backpropagation ANN is implemented, which is trained, validated and tested using atmospheric radiosonde data from the Helliniko airport, for the period from 1991 to 2004. The network's quality and generality is assessed using the Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) Curves (AUC), which resulted to a mean value of about 0.86 to 0.90, depending on the observation time. In order to validate the ANN results and to evaluate any further improvement options of the proposed method, the problem was additionally treated using Least Squares Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) classifiers, trained and tested with identical data sets for direct performance comparison with the ANN. Furthermore, time series prediction and the effect of surface wind to the presence of tropospheric ducts appearance are discussed. The results show that the ANN model presented here performs efficiently and gives successful tropospheric ducts predictions

TEC and foF2 variations: preliminary results

Investigation of the relationship between TEC and (foF2)2 shows that although they are highly correlated, a «hysteresis» effect exists between them. The slab thickness is greater before than after mid-day for equal cos ?values. Moreover, a comparison of the calculated upper and lower quartiles of variability in TEC, foF2 and Nmax, respectively shows that the variability of TEC lies between those of foF2 and Nmax depending on the level of solar activity

Investigating the effect of child maltreatment on early adolescent peer-on-peer sexual aggression: testing a multiple mediator model in a non-incarcerated sample of Danish adolescents

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between child maltreatment and severe early adolescent peer-on-peer sexual aggression, using a multiple mediator model. Methods: The study comprised 330 male Grade 9 students with a mean age of 14.9 years (SD=0.5). Results: Estimates from the mediation model indicated significant indirect effects of child physical abuse on sexual aggression via peer influence and insecure-hostile masculinity. No significant total effect of child sexual abuse and child neglect on sexual aggression was found. Conclusions: Findings of the present study identify risk factors that are potentially changeable and therefore of value in informing the design of prevention programs aiming at early adolescent peer-on-peer sexual aggression in at-risk youth

Chronic instability of the anterior tibiofibular syndesmosis of the ankle. Arthroscopic findings and results of anatomical reconstruction

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The arthroscopic findings in patients with chronic anterior syndesmotic instability that need reconstructive surgery have never been described extensively.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In 12 patients the clinical suspicion of chronic instability of the syndesmosis was confirmed during arthroscopy of the ankle. All findings during the arthroscopy were scored. Anatomical reconstruction of the anterior tibiofibular syndesmosis was performed in all patients. The AOFAS score was assessed to evaluate the result of the reconstruction. At an average of 43 months after the reconstruction all patients were seen for follow-up.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The syndesmosis being easily accessible for the 3 mm transverse end of probe which could be rotated around its longitudinal axis in all cases during arthroscopy of the ankle joint, confirmed the diagnosis. Cartilage damage was seen in 8 ankles, of which in 7 patients the damage was situated at the medial side of the ankle joint. The intraarticular part of anterior tibiofibular ligament was visibly damaged in 5 patients. Synovitis was seen in all but one ankle joint. After surgical reconstruction the AOFAS score improved from an average of 72 pre-operatively to 92 post-operatively.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To confirm the clinical suspicion, the final diagnosis of chronic instability of the anterior syndesmosis can be made during arthroscopy of the ankle. Cartilage damage to the medial side of the tibiotalar joint is often seen and might be the result of syndesmotic instability. Good results are achieved by anatomic reconstruction of the anterior syndesmosis, and all patients in this study would undergo the surgery again if necessary.</p

Coital Experience Among Adolescents in Three Social-Educational Groups in Urban Chiang Mai, Thailand

This article compares coital experience of Chiang Mai 17–20-year-olds who were: (1) out-of-school; (2) studying at vocational schools; and (3) studying at general schools or university. Four-fifths, two-thirds and one-third, respectively, of males in these groups had had intercourse, compared to 53, 62 and 15 per cent of females. The gender difference for general school/university students, but not vocational school students, probably reflects HIV/AIDS refocusing male sexual initiation away from commercial sex workers. Vocational school females may have been disproportionately affected. Loss of virginity was associated, for both sexes, with social-educational background and lifestyle, and was less likely in certain minority ethnic groups. Among males, it was also associated with age and parental marital dissolution, and among females, with independent living and parental disharmony. Within social-educational groups, lifestyle variables dominated, but among general school/university students, parental marital dissolution (for males) and disharmony (for females) were also important, and Chinese ethnicity deterred male sexual experimentation

Materializing digital collecting: an extended view of digital materiality

If digital objects are abundant and ubiquitous, why should consumers pay for, much less collect them? The qualities of digital code present numerous challenges for collecting, yet digital collecting can and does occur. We explore the role of companies in constructing digital consumption objects that encourage and support collecting behaviours, identifying material configuration techniques that materialise these objects as elusive and authentic. Such techniques, we argue, may facilitate those pleasures of collecting otherwise absent in the digital realm. We extend theories of collecting by highlighting the role of objects and the companies that construct them in materialising digital collecting. More broadly, we extend theories of digital materiality by highlighting processes of digital material configuration that occur in the pre-objectification phase of materialisation, acknowledging the role of marketing and design in shaping the qualities exhibited by digital consumption objects and consequently related consumption behaviours and experiences