Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C instrument

The Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C is the next radar in the series of spaceborne radar experiments, which began with Seasat and continued with SIR-A and SIR-B. The SIR-C instrument has been designed to obtain simultaneous multifrequency and simultaneous multipolarization radar images from a low earth orbit. It is a multiparameter imaging radar that will be flown during at least two different seasons. The instrument operates in the squint alignment mode, the extended aperture mode, the scansar mode, and the interferometry mode. The instrument uses engineering techniques such as beam nulling for echo tracking, pulse repetition frequency hopping for Doppler centroid tracking, generating the frequency step chirp for radar parameter flexibility, block floating-point quantizing for data rate compression, and elevation beamwidth broadening for increasing the swath illumination

An introduction to the interim digital SAR processor and the characteristics of the associated Seasat SAR imagery

Basic engineering data regarding the Interim Digital SAR Processor (IDP) and the digitally correlated Seasat synthetic aperature radar (SAR) imagery are presented. The correlation function and IDP hardware/software configuration are described, and a preliminary performance assessment presented. The geometric and radiometric characteristics, with special emphasis on those peculiar to the IDP produced imagery, are described

Feasibility of Using Oxide Thickness Measurements for Predicting Crack Growth Rates in P91 Steel Components

There are only few methods available for predicting the age of cracks that are found in high temperature structural components during service; among the promising ones is the oxide thickness measurement technique. Oxide thickness profiles are taken from crack surfaces of components and used for predicting the rates of crack propagation. This technique is particularly suitable for high temperature components fabricated from ferritic steels commonly used in power plants that run on fossil fuels. To implement this technique, it is necessary to fully understand the kinetics of high temperature oxidation in these steels. In this study, the oxidation characteristics of an American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) Grade P91 ferritic steel used in high temperature piping is characterized. The literature shows that there are four primary mechanisms that influence the oxide thickness during high temperature exposure. Initially, the oxide thickness increases in a linear fashion with time and then as steady-state conditions are established, the parabolic relationship takes over. Multiple types of oxides with different rate characteristics can also form. Oxide degradation can occur by spallation due to porosity and formation of cracks. Evaporation or volatility can also occur and result in loss of oxide thickness. These factors must be considered in oxide thickness analysis to determine crack growth history. Two sets of laboratory experiments were conducted. The first consisted of measurement of oxide thicknesses after exposure to high temperature for various periods to determine the oxidation kinetics. The oxidized samples were subjected to SEM examination and measurements of physical properties such as density and porosity levels. The second set of experiments consisted of measuring the oxide layer thickness on the fracture surfaces of creep-fatigue crack growth samples tested as part of a previous study where the crack growth rates were measured. These reported measurements are used to compare with the predicted crack growth rates from the analytical models that are developed as part of this study. The success of the technique is measured by finding the correlation coefficient, which is within a factor of 2.58

SEASAT synthetic-aperture radar data user's manual

The SEASAT Synthetic-Aperture Radar (SAR) system, the data processors, the extent of the image data set, and the means by which a user obtains this data are described and the data quality is evaluated. The user is alerted to some potential problems with the existing volume of SEASAT SAR image data, and allows him to modify his use of that data accordingly. Secondly, the manual focuses on the ultimate focuses on the ultimate capabilities of the raw data set and evaluates the potential of this data for processing into accurately located, amplitude-calibrated imagery of high resolution. This allows the user to decide whether his needs require special-purpose data processing of the SAR raw data

North Carolina's Preventive Maintenance Program: A Case For Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning Through the Use of Mandatory Interim Lead Control Methods

North Carolina's Lead-Based Paint Preventive Maintenance Program was created in 1997 when the North Carolina General Assembly adopted the Childhood Lead Exposure Control Act. The Preventive Maintenance Program was designed to prevent childhood lead exposure from deteriorating lead-based paint in older rental housing. As a primary prevention method, the Preventive Maintenance Program was designed to protect children from exposure to lead-based paint hazards. Today most lead poisoning prevention programs use screening to identify a lead-poisoned child after the child has already been exposed to the environmental toxin lead. By requiring mandatory participation of pre-1978 rental property in the Preventive Maintenance Program, there will be a reduction of risk of children becoming poisoned by lead-based paint.Master of Public Healt

Report on 2018 Royal Studies Journal and Canterbury Christ Church University Prizes

A report announcing the winners of the 2018 Royal Studies Journal and Canterbury Christ Church University book and article prizes

Young eyewitnesses: An examination of young children’s response accuracy to target present and target absent lineup arrays following training procedures

The Young Eyewitnesses research study examined the relationship between lineup type (Lineup Present, Lineup Absent), experimental condition (Training, Control) and response accuracy (correct, incorrect, and Don’t Know responses)for children ages 3 years through 8 years. Children watched a video depicting apicnic scene in which a woman steals a camera. After a distractor task, childrenwere provided with general instructions and demonstrations regarding lineups,including specific instructions about Don’t Know and Not Here response options. The children assigned to the training condition then madeidentifications from six lineup arrays of photographs of men. The rest of thechildren engaged in a card game (using the photographs of the men). All children then viewed the main lineup array, consisting of six photographs of women, a Don’t Know card, and a Not Here card. Children’s comprehensionmonitoring was assessed through a referential communication task. Lineup type had a significant effect on accuracy when response accuracy was measured at three levels (correct, incorrect, and Don’t Know) but not when accuracy was collapsed to two levels (correct, incorrect). Training had no impact on responseaccuracy within the Lineup Present condition; it neither increased nor decreased the proportions of correct responses. In the Lineup Absent condition, there was a significant effect of training on response accuracy. The proportion of correct responses was significantly higher for children in the Training group as compared to those in the Control group. In the Lineup Absent condition, there was a significant interaction between response accuracy and age (coded as adichotomous categorical variable, with children ages 3 years through 5 years as one level and children ages 6 years through 8 years as the other), with the proportion of correct responses for the younger children significantly greaterthan the proportion of correct responses for the older children. Training did not have any observed negative impact on identification responses and, in the Lineup Absent condition, improved response accuracy. Implications for police and other personnel involved in working with child eyewitnesses and suggestions for continued research are discussed.Ph.D., Clinical Psychology -- Drexel University, 200