SPOT Data Research Articles

SITE SELECTION OF SEAWEED CULTURE USING SPOT AND LANDSAT SATELLITE DATA IN PARI ISLAND

One of several factors for seaweed culture success is to determine the suitable location for seaweed culture based on oceanographic parameters. The best location for seaweed culture is coastal waters with suitable requirements for total suspended solid (TSS), sea surface temperature (SST), and area with calm water that is sheltered from waves, strong current and predator, such as lagoon in the middle of an atoll. The purpose of this study was to locate the suitable area for seaweed culture in Pari island, Seribu island using SPOT and LANDSAT-TM data. The results showed that TSS in Pari island waters were in the range of 150 mg/l - 200 mg/l, SST in the range of 22-29°C, while coral reefs and lagoon was only available in some coastal locations. The analysis showed that most of Pari island waters were suitable for seaweed culture.

Motion-artifact-robust, polarization-resolved second-harmonic-generation microscopy based on rapid polarization switching with electro-optic Pockells cell and its application to in vivo visualization of collagen fiber orientation in human facial skin.

Polarization-resolved second-harmonic-generation (PR-SHG) microscopy is a powerful tool for investigating collagen fiber orientation quantitatively with low invasiveness. However, the waiting time for the mechanical polarization rotation makes it too sensitive to motion artifacts and hence has hampered its use in various applications in vivo. In the work described in this article, we constructed a motion-artifact-robust, PR-SHG microscope based on rapid polarization switching at every pixel with an electro-optic Pockells cell (PC) in synchronization with step-wise raster scanning of the focus spot and alternate data acquisition of a vertical-polarization-resolved SHG signal and a horizontal-polarization-resolved one. The constructed PC-based PR-SHG microscope enabled us to visualize orientation mapping of dermal collagen fiber in human facial skin in vivo without the influence of motion artifacts. Furthermore, it implied the location and/or age dependence of the collagen fiber orientation in human facial skin. The robustness to motion artifacts in the collagen orientation measurement will expand the application scope of SHG microscopy in dermatology and collagen-related fields.

How Many Commodity Sectors Are There, and How Do They Behave?

In this article, the authors find evidence for five commodity sectors that naturally conform to the standard functional categorizations typically used by the investment industry (industrial metals, energy, precious metals, grains &amp; oilseeds, and livestock). Of the typical investment industry categorizations, only “softs” do not share a common factor. Using spot data to extend the history of commodity futures, the authors examine the performance of commodity sectors during periods of economic interest to investors and find the following: 1) The industrial metals sector is very sensitive to economic conditions, while the grains &amp; oilseed sector is insensitive; 2) energy and precious metals are the sectors that earn the highest returns during periods of high and unexpectedly high inflation; 3) precious metals do not do well when economic conditions are poor and do not outperform the typical commodity during those periods; and 4) commodities in general, and all commodity sectors, earn positive returns during U.S. dollar crashes. <b>TOPICS:</b>Commodities, performance measurement

Abstract 105: Geographic Disparities in Emergency Medical Services Calls for Stroke in Chicago

Introduction: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a methodology for matching clinical and spatial metrics to inform public health intervention and policy development. We evaluated statistical hot spots for emergency medical services (EMS) calls for stroke and compared these with stroke admission rates in Chicago. Methods: In a retrospective review, we compared stroke hospitalizations (ICD-9 code 430-436) for residents of Chicago using Illinois Hospital Association CompData to EMS stroke calls between May 15, 2012 and November 30, 2012. EMS stroke calls were identified through the patient tracking system of the Chicago Fire Department which also captured the scene coordinates (latitude and longitude). Using the Getis-Ord Gi* method, we identified hot spots for EMS stroke calls. Statistical hot spots are defined as areas where there is &lt;1% chance of the case clusters occurring by chance. We then calculated a ratio of EMS calls to stroke admissions for each zip code in Chicago to identify areas where EMS usage was disproportionately low. Results: During the study period, there were 4,135 stroke admissions and 919 EMS stroke calls. Stroke admissions were more frequent in the south, west, and northwest sides of Chicago. While hot spot data for EMS stroke calls overlapped with areas of greatest stroke density and mortality, there were some areas with disproportionately low rates of EMS calls (figure). In particular, the regions in the northwest area of the city and downtown/south loop of Chicago appear to have low (4-11%) rates of EMS calls per stroke admissions. Conclusion: Discrete areas within Chicago were identified as hot spots for EMS-treated stroke which correspond generally with regions of greatest stroke density and stroke mortality. GIS mapping of EMS stroke calls may be valuable for targeted neighborhood educational outreach, operational deployment of EMS resources, and monitoring performance improvement initiatives.

Fast Fourier transformation resampling algorithm and its application in satellite image processing

The image resampling algorithm, fast Fourier transformation resampling (FFTR), is introduced. The FFTR uses a global function in the Fourier expansion form to represent an image, and the image resampling is achieved by the introduction of a phase shift in the Fourier expansion. The comparison with the cubic spline interpolation approach in the image resampling is presented, which shows that FFTR is more accurate in the satellite image resampling. The FFTR algorithm is also generally reversible, because both the resampled and its original images share the same Fourier spectrum. The resampling for the images with hot spots is discussed. The hot spots in an image are the pixels with the second-order derivatives that are order of magnitude larger than the average value. The images with the hot spots are resampled with the introduction of a local Gaussian function to model the hot spot data, so that the remaining data for the Fourier expansion are continuous. Its application to the infrared channel image of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Imager, to mitigate a diur- nally changing band co-registration, is presented. © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI. (DOI: 10.1117/1.JRS.8.083683)

Research on the Open Source GIS Development Oriented to Marine Oil Spill Application

With the frequent occurrence of marine oil spill and the serious environmental pollution as well as enormous economic losses it causes, there is a growing demand for oil spill emergency resp onse. It becomes a trend to research on spatial information analysis and publishing based on GIS. Compared with the expensive and system-huge commercial software, open source platform which is free and small-scale is becoming a new choice. This article develops the marine oil spill monitoring information analysis & publishing system based on DotSpatial, the upgrade version of the open-source .NET development of component library. In this system, the monitoring information of oil spill is visualized, rendered, analyzed and finally published on the web. However open source GIS is functionally limited and instable. DotSpatial can not read the spatial information of RS images well and the mapping module is unstable. This article solves some technical problems. For example, the spatial data is processed such as re-projected via GDAL to match the images layers with the vector layers. Vector oil spots data is generated and rendered, and the major axis and minor axis are drawn. Moreover the map extent to output can be determined by dragging a rectangle using GDI+, and the decorating of the map to putout is also improved. By adopting several developing method s comprehensively, this paper researches on the marine oil spill application oriented system development based on open source GIS. It provides references for other similar system researches and developments of spatial information expression and analysis.

A Method to Create the Traffic Accident Scene Graphic Based on Electronic Maps and Information Acquisition Device

This paper presents a method to create the traffic accident scene graphic based on electronic maps and information acquisition device (IAD). The method uses global position system (GPS) and electronic maps to get the satellite images of accident site, and it uses an IAD to obtain the angle and distance data between the origin position determined by the IAD and the locations prepared to be measured in the accident scene. With the data operation and image processing, we can create an isometric traffic accident scene graphic. This method provides the traffic accident spot data collecting, graph drawing and reason analyzing a more convenient and scientific technical means.

Genotoxic, antigenotoxic and phytochemical assessment of Terminalia actinophylla ethanolic extract

Terminalia actinophylla has been used for anti-diarrheic and haemostatic purposes in Brazil. The fly spot data obtained after exposure of marker-heterozygous Drosophila melanogaster larvae to T. actinophylla ethanolic extract (TAE) in the standard (ST) and high bioactivation (HB) crosses revealed that TAE did not induce any statistically significant increment in any spot categories. Differences between the two crosses are related to cytochrome P450 (CYPs) levels. In this sense, our data pointed out the absence of TAE-direct and indirect mutagenic and recombinagenic action in the Somatic Mutation and Recombination Test (SMART). When the anti-genotoxicity of TAE was analyzed, neither mitomycin C (MMC) nor ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS) genotoxicity was modified by the post-exposure to TAE, which suggests that TAE has no effect on the mechanisms involved in the processing of the lesions induced by both genotoxins. In the mwh/flr3 genotype, co-treatment with TAE may lead to a significant protection against the genotoxicity of MMC and a weak but significant effect in the toxic genetic action of EMS. The overall findings suggested that the favorable modulations by TAE could be, at least in part, due to its antioxidative potential.

Research and application of bottom-up route-based product data conformity inspection approach for civil aircraft

Civil aircrafts are typically complex products with huge amounts of data, numerous product configurations, as well as complicated data evolvement structures and processes. These characteristics pose a great challenge for data consistency management. Thus, an effective data consistency inspection method is urgently needed for the product data management of aircraft manufacturers to ensure data consistency during the entire assembly process as well as to fulfil the management acquisition requirement of civil aircraft airworthiness. Based on the development of the ARJ21 and C919 aircrafts, this article analyses the bill of material (BOM) data structures, types of data differences and causes of data discrepancies in the design and manufacture of civil aircrafts. Correspondingly, a bottom-up route-based product data conformity inspection approach for civil aircraft is proposed. The algorithm is described in detail, and the application results reveal that the approach can effectively help manufacturers spot data inconsistencies in BOMs.

Tangent-to-Curve Transition on Two-Lane Rural Roads Based on Continuous Speed Profiles

AbstractIn the road geometric design process, speed variation along the road segment is one of the most popular criteria to evaluate road consistency, hence the importance of estimating operating speed and its variations. Most of the estimation models are based on speed spot data collection, usually assuming some hypotheses like operating speed remains constant at curves and speed variations take place entirely at preceding tangent. This paper presents the results of the study of the deceleration phenomenon using a new methodology based on data collection by global positioning system devices. By means of this new methodology, not only new and more accurate models can be developed, but also the previous hypotheses can be checked and new studies can be carried out. Tangent-to-curve speed variations have been evaluated, comparing the 85th percentile speed differential (Δ85V) and the differential of the 85th percentile operating speed (ΔV85), analyzing the percentage of deceleration length that takes place at...

Rice yield forecasting models using satellite imagery in Egypt

Ability to make yield prediction before harvest using satellite remote sensing is important in many aspects of agricultural decision-making. In this study, canopy reflectance band and different band ratios in form of vegetation indices (VI) with leaf area index (LAI) were used to generate remotely sensed pre-harvest empirical rice yield prediction models. LAI measurements, spectral data derived from two SPOT data acquired on August 24, 2008 and August 23, 2009 and observed rice yield were used as main inputs for rice yield modeling. Each remotely sensed factor was used separately and in combination with LAI to generate the models. The results showed that green spectral band, middle infra-red spectral band and green vegetation index (GVI) did not show sufficient capability as rice yield estimators while other inputs such as red spectral band, near infrared spectral band and vegetation indices that are algebraic ratios from these two spectral bands when used separately or in combined with leaf area index (LAI) produced high accurate rice yield estimation models. The validation process was carried out using two statistical tests; standard error of estimate and the correlation coefficient between modeled and predicted yield. The validation results indicated that using normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) combined with leaf area index (LAI) produced the model with highest accuracy and stability during the two rice seasons. The generated models are applicable 90days after planting in any similar environmental conditions and agricultural practices.

Diagnosing implosion performance at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) by means of neutron spectrometry

The neutron spectrum from a cryogenically layered deuterium–tritium (dt) implosion at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) provides essential information about the implosion performance. From the measured primary-neutron spectrum (13–15 MeV), yield (Yn) and hot-spot ion temperature (Ti) are determined. From the scattered neutron yield (10–12 MeV) relative to Yn, the down-scatter ratio, and the fuel areal density (ρR) are determined. These implosion parameters have been diagnosed to an unprecedented accuracy with a suite of neutron-time-of-flight spectrometers and a magnetic recoil spectrometer implemented in various locations around the NIF target chamber. This provides good implosion coverage and excellent measurement complementarity required for reliable measurements of Yn, Ti and ρR, in addition to ρR asymmetries. The data indicate that the implosion performance, characterized by the experimental ignition threshold factor, has improved almost two orders of magnitude since the first shot taken in September 2010. ρR values greater than 1 g cm−2 are readily achieved. Three-dimensional semi-analytical modelling and numerical simulations of the neutron-spectrometry data, as well as other data for the hot spot and main fuel, indicate that a maximum hot-spot pressure of ∼150 Gbar has been obtained, which is almost a factor of two from the conditions required for ignition according to simulations. Observed Yn are also 3–10 times lower than predicted. The conjecture is that the observed pressure and Yn deficits are partly explained by substantial low-mode ρR asymmetries, which may cause inefficient conversion of shell kinetic energy to hot-spot thermal energy at stagnation.

The Potential and Cost Analysis of Emission Reduction in China’s Cement Sector

The cement sector emission occupies 5% of world emissions caused by human activities. Especially, China’s cement production accounted for 50% of the world’s output, which ranked the first for continuous 25 years. The total production in 2010 was 1.882 billion tons. The cement sector, which is characterized of high yield, small-scale enterprises, low technology development level and poor product structure, is one of the biggest energy consumers and emitters in China. Therefore, the energy saving and emission reduction in cement sector is not only the essential measure and basic content for coping with climate change, but also the guarantee for the sustainable development. Plenty of basic research, including spot investigation and data collection, was carried out in this paper. After the identification of 18 different kinds of energy saving technologies and emission reductions, a baseline as daily 5000 tons of a production line was set in this paper. The emission reduction potential and cost are quantitatively analyzed by estimating the marginal abatement costs. Hence, the marginal abatement cost curve of energy saving and emission reduction technology was obtained. With the abatement costs ranking from low to high, the key emission reduction technology can be concluded as energy efficiency, energy alternatives, blended cement and CCS technology. According to the status of domestic energy-saving technology as well as support policies, we finally proposed relevant measures and policy suggestions.

Mapping overused slopelands from SPOT data using support vector machines and artificial neural networks

Overuse of slopelands has become a major concern for land resources managers in Taiwan. Monitoring the overuse of slopelands is an important activity to mitigate environmental impacts. An approach for monitoring overused slopelands in central Taiwan using SPOT-5 data in 2008 is developed. Data processing consisted of four main steps: (1) data preprocessing, (2) image classification by support vector machines (SVM) and artificial neural networks (ANN), (3) accuracy assessment of the classification results using ground reference data, and (4) investigation of overused slopeland areas. The results revealed that SVM gave slightly better classification results, when compared with ANN. However, the comparison results produced by the Z-test indicated that there was no statistical difference between the two classification methods. The overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient achieved by SVM were 93.7% and 0.88%, respectively, while those achieved by ANN were 93.1% and 0.86%, respectively. The classification map produced by SVM was compared with the forestland suitability map to examine the overuse of slopeland areas. The results showed that approximately 15.6% of the slopeland area suitable for forests was identified as agricultural areas. These overused areas were verified by visual interpretation of aerial photos and field survey data.

VARIABILIDADE ESPACIAL DOS ATRIBUTOS CLIMÁTICOS NA ESTAÇÃO ECOLÓGICA DO TAIM (RS), SOB DOMÍNIO POLAR

The general objective of this research concerns in to analyze the spatial distribution of climate elements in the Ecological Station of Taim/RS under anticiclonal polar domain. For this research it was needed to carry out fieldwork in ESEC Taim, which were installed mini-weather shelters in six distinct points, which correspond to the bases of security and research Conservation Unit and collected data of climatic spot. Were measured air temperature and soil, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure and wind speed. Still, maps of spatial variation of climatological were made and used the synoptic maps and satellite images for identification of active weather systems. After climatic analysis and mapping, it was seen that the climate is as diverse and dynamic as the living nature of the place, especially in the thermal variations, hygrometric and airspeed that this primary research, may suggest the division of ESEC Taim in two major climate units: one understood by its northern portion, with greater stability in relation to humidity and wind, but with large spatial variation of temperature, and another along its southern portion, with great thermal homogeneity, but large variations in humidity and wind speed.

Preclinical Bridging Studies: Understanding Dried Blood Spot and Plasma Exposure Profiles

Understanding the distribution of the analyte between the cellular and noncellular (plasma) components of the blood is important, especially in situations where dried blood spot (DBS) data need to be compared with plasma data, or vice versa. Pearson's coefficient, Lin's coefficient and the Bland-Altman analysis are appropriate to evaluate the concordance between DBS and plasma data from bridging studies. Percent recovery plots generated using the ex vivo blood:plasma ratio and the regression equations demonstrate the best approach for predicting plasma concentrations from DBS. Statistical analysis of bridging study data is needed to characterize the relationship or concordance between blood (DBS) and plasma. The outcomes also provide guidance on selecting the most appropriate approach to transform DBS data to plasma, or vice versa. However, the biological and statistical evidence must be weighed together when deciding if DBS is suitable for preclinical and/or clinical development.

The Yen/Dollar Carry Trade: Carrying the UIP Condition Too Far?

The yen carry trade between the US and Japan has existed as a feasible investment strategy in direct violation of the uncovered interest parity (UIP) condition. Using yen-dollar spot and forward exchange rate data from 1993 thorough 2007, I demonstrate that the forward exchange rate quoted in the market in this period was based on the UIP formulation, and as such the investment strategy was based on favorable variations in the spot exchange rate. Empirical analysis using OLS regressions verified that the forward rate is not an unbiased estimator of the future spot rate, and demonstrated the failure of the UIP condition in this specific case. Adapting models from Frankel and Froot (1989), empirical analyses suggested the insufficiency of peso problems (systematically irrational expectations in the market) and time-varying risk premiums in explaining the failure of UIP. A comprehensive model incorporating monetary policy variables (interest rate smoothing, resisting rapid changes in exchange rates, and random policy influences), adapted from McCallum (1994), demonstrated that the UIP condition is actually not violated, and the observed bias of the forward rate as a predictor may be attributed to monetary policy response strategies by the US and Japanese governments. I find that the subsequent gap between predicted and actual future spot rates accounts for the existence of the yen carry trade as a viable arbitrage opportunity.

Modeling forest fire risk in the northeast of Iran using remote sensing and GIS techniques

Fire in forested areas can be regarded as an environmental disaster which is triggered by either natural forces or anthropogenic activities. Fires are one of the major hazards in forested and grassland areas in the north of Iran. Control of fire is difficult, but it is feasible to map fire risk by geospatial technologies and thereby minimize the frequency of fire occur- rences and damages caused by fire. The fire risk models provide a suitable concept to understand characterization of fire risk. Some models are map based, and they combine effectively different forest fire-causing variables with remote sensing data in a GIS environ- ment for identifying and mapping forest fire risk. In this study, Structural Fire Index, Fire Risk Index, and a new index called Hybrid Fire Index were used to delineate fire risk in northeastern Iran that is subjected to frequent forest fire. Vegetation moisture, slope, aspect, elevation, distance from roads, and vicinity to settlements were used as the factors influencing accidental fire starts. These indices were set up by assigning subjective weight values to the classes of the layers based on their sensitivity ratio to fire. Hot spots data derived from MODIS satellite sensor were used to validate the indices. Assessment of the indices with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves shows that 76.7 % accuracy of the HFI outperformed the other two indices. According to the Hybrid Fire Index, 57.5 % of the study area is located under high-risk zone, 33 % in medium-risk zone, and the remaining 9.5 % area is located in low-risk zone.

A new invasive insect in Sweden –Physokermes inopinatus: Tracing forest damage with satellite based remote sensing

Forests are important from many perspectives. Forestry delivers products such as timber, fiber and fuel; forests are also important for recreational activities as well as for the global carbon balance. Consequently, it is important to develop methods that enable efficient monitoring of disturbances, such as insect attacks, over vast forested areas. These methods can be based on remote sensing, since satellites provide images with frequent spatial coverage. Insect attacks can be detected in these satellite data if the resulting defoliation or discolouration is sufficiently severe. Satellite data also facilitates monitoring of migration patterns of invasive insects since some sensors provide time series that enables tracing of insect attacks back in time. In this study, SPOT and MODIS data were utilized to map damage in Norway spruce (Picea abies) caused by Physokermes inopinatus, and the associated black encrustation formed by sooty mold during an attack occurring 2010 in Scania, the southernmost province of Sweden. This attack is the first known presence of P. inopinatus in Sweden. The study shows that damage can be detected with high accuracy in satellite data. In SPOT-data, 78% of the damage was detected with an overestimation of 46%. The larger damaged areas could be detected with MODIS 16-days composite NDVI-product with 250m resolution. In addition, the study indicates that there was damage already in 2009, the year before any damage was detected in field. Prior to 2009 no damage was detected, suggesting that this was the first year of the outbreak. This study documents the outbreak of P. inopinatus in S. Sweden and highlights the potential for remote sensing for monitoring and early detection of damage of this invasive insect.

DETERMINATION OF MAGNITUDE AND DIRECTION OF LAND USE/ LAND COVER CHANGES IN TERKOS WATER BASIN, ISTANBUL

Abstract. Remotely sensed data have huge importance to determine land use/cover changes for sustainable region planning and management. Variety of techniques in order to detect land cover dynamics using remote sensing imagery have been developed, tested and assessed with the results varying according to the change scenario, the information required and the imagery applied. In this study, the modified Change Vector Analysis (mCVA) technique was implemented on SPOT 4 and SPOT 5 multispectral (MS) data to monitor the dynamics of land use/land cover (LULC) change in Terkos Water Basin, İstanbul. mCVA was applied to multi-temporal data to compare the differences in the time-trajectory of the Tasseled Cap (TC) brightness, greenness and wetness for two successive time periods – 2003 and 2007. Gram Schmidt Orthogonalization Technique was used to derive the related TC coefficients for SPOT data. The efficiency of the technique was assessed based on error matrix. The overall accuracy and Kappa statistic was 84.32 % and 0.81, respectively. The results indicated that it is possible to produce accurate change detection maps with the help of mCVA and SPOT 4 &amp;amp;SPOT 5 satellite data.