Estimation and validation of glacier surface motion in the northwestern Himalayas using high-resolution SAR intensity tracking

We estimate two-dimensional (2D) glacier surface motion using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) X-band intensity tracking. It has been observed that the viability of SAR interferometry (InSAR) is often limited by coherence loss over glaciers in landlocked regions using SAR data pairs of more than 1 day temporal baseline. An alternative to InSAR is the intensity-tracking approach, which relies on intensity cross-correlation for the estimation of subpixel surface motion in range and azimuth direction. In this work, we apply this approach for 2D glacier surface motion estimation in the north-western (NW) Himalayas, using TerraSAR-X (TS-X) spotlight mode high-resolution data pairs of 11, 22, and 33 day temporal separation. The results are in good agreement with total station surveying measurements synchronous with the satellite data acquisition period. The technique is found to be highly appropriate for monitoring the flow rate of glaciers in the Himalayas on a multitemporal basis.     

High Voltage DC Transmission Applications Offshore

An offshore power plant and high voltage dc (HVDC) transmission to bring the generated energy ashore are described. Offshore gas fields will, in some cases, be better utilized if the gas can be burned in platform located gas turbines to generate electric power which is transmitted to shore via HVDC cable circuits. The proposed system should be considered when the distance is long, the water depth is large, or the gas deposit is small.     

Benefiting from Commissioned Research: The Role of Researcher – Client Cooperation

This paper discusses why commissioned research is often neglected and misunderstood, as well as how its use can be enhanced. We argue that the lack of use of such research can be attributed to differences in researchers’ and practitioners’ knowledge and expectations regarding research problems, solutions, interpretations, and applications. Two hypotheses are proposed, which link the use of research to cooperation between researchers and users during the production of the research, and to assistance in interpreting and applying the research results. The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 65 buyers of 86 research projects in the seafood industry. The reported findings reveal that collaboration fosters research utilisation, but also that close cooperation between the providers and the users of research may substitute assistance in enhancing research utilisation.     

Automated interpretation of myocardial SPECT perfusion images using artificial neural networks

The purpose of this study was to develop a computer-based method for automatic detection and localization of coronary artery disease (CAD) in myocardial bull's-eye scintigrams. METHODS: A population of 135 patients who had undergone both myocardial 99mTc-sestamibi rest-stress scintigraphy and coronary angiography within 3 mo was studied. Different image data reduction methods, including pixel averaging and two-dimensional Fourier transform, were applied to the bull's-eye scintigrams. After a quantitative and qualitative evaluation of these methods, 30 Fourier components were chosen as inputs to multilayer perceptron artificial neural networks. The networks were trained to detect CAD in two vascular territories, using coronary angiography as gold standard. A "leave one out" procedure was used for training and evaluation. The performance of the networks was compared to those of two human experts. RESULTS: One of the human experts detected CAD in one of two vascular territories, with a sensitivity of 54.4% at a specificity of 70.5%. The sensitivity of the networks was significantly higher at that level of specificity (77.2%, p = 0.0022). The other expert had a sensitivity of 63.2% at a specificity of 61.5%. The networks had a sensitivity of 77.2% (p = 0.038) at this specificity level as well. The differences in sensitivity between human experts and networks for the other vascular territory were all less than 6% and were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Artificial neural networks can detect CAD in myocardial bull's-eye scintigrams with such a high accuracy that the application of neural networks as clinical decision support tools appears to have significant potential.     

High-Temperature Proton-Conducting LaNbO4-Based Materials: Powder Synthesis by Spray Pyrolysis

Submicrometer lanthanum ortho-niobate (LaNbO₄ (LN))-based powders have been prepared by spray pyrolysis of an aqueous solution containing stable La–EDTA and Nb–malic acid complexes. The powders had a particle size of ∼0.1 μm, a narrow particle size distribution, and high purity after calcination above 800°C. The powders possessed excellent sintering properties resulting in >98% dense materials at 1200°C. The present route is shown to be excellent for the large-scale preparation of high-quality LaNbO₄-based powders.     

How reasonable are oil production scenarios from public agencies?

According to the long-term scenarios of the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), conventional oil production is expected to grow until at least 2030. EIA has published results from a resource-constrained production model which ostensibly supports such a scenario. The model is here described and analyzed in detail. However, it is shown that the model, although sound in principle, has been misapplied due to a confusion of resource categories. A correction of this methodological error reveals that EIA's scenario requires rather extreme and implausible assumptions regarding future global decline rates. This result puts into question the basis for the conclusion that global “peak oil” would not occur before 2030.     

High temperature corrosion of cobalt in SO2

The reaction of cobalt in SO₂ has been studied in the temperature range 800–1000°C and at SO₂ pressures from 10 to 760 torr. Reaction kinetics have been studied by thermogravimetry, while the reacted specimens have been characterized by means of optical metallography, scanning electron microscopy, and electron microprobe analysis. The reaction involves formation of cobalt oxide (CoO), cobalt sulphides, and probably cobalt sulphate. The latter compound is formed at the lower temperature due to the presence of oxygen impurities in the SO₂. The relative importance of formation of the different reaction products is a function of temperature and the partial pressure of SO₂ (and O₂). At sufficiently high temperatures and reduced SO₂ pressure, CoO is the only reaction product. Reaction kinetics vary with reaction conditions. The amount of reaction goes through a maximum at about 920°C at 1 atm.SO₂. The reaction mechanism is interpreted in terms of the stability diagram of the Co-O-system.     

Demonstration of estrogen receptor-beta immunoreactivity in human growth plate cartilage

Estrogens affect longitudinal bone growth through their action on endochondral bone formation. Two estrogen receptors are known, the classical estrogen receptor-alpha (ER alpha), newly demonstrated in human growth plate cartilage, and a recently cloned estrogen receptor-beta (ER beta). The present study aimed to localize a possible expression of ER beta protein in human growth plates. Tissue samples were obtained from tibial and femoral growth plates in four female pubertal patients undergoing epiphyseal surgery. Immunohistochemistry, using two different ER beta-specific antibodies, demonstrated positive staining for ER beta in hypertrophic epiphyseal chondrocytes from all patients. No staining was noted in resting or proliferative chondrocytes. These data suggest that in addition to ER alpha, human epiphyseal chondrocytes also express ER beta. The physiological role of ER beta in the regulation of longitudinal bone growth in humans remains to be elucidated.     

Tealeaves may release or absorb fluoride, depending on the fluoride content of water

As the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is known to accumulate fluoride from the soil, the tealeaves may contain high concentrations of fluoride, which is easily released during infusion. In this study, we have tested the possible effect of original fluoride concentration in the water on the fluoride release from tea. Moreover, we wanted to test the possible capacity of tealeaves (commercially available tea) to absorb fluoride from high-fluoride water. In low-fluoride water, fluoride is easily released from tealeaves. Depending upon the fluoride content of the water, dried tealeaves are able also to absorb fluoride. Thus, if a cup of tea is made from high-fluoride water, the fluoride concentration of the infusion may actually be lower than the original fluoride concentration of the water.