Sea surface effects on the sea surface temperature estimation by remote sensing—Part 2

By referring to the sea surface temperature profiler buoy (SSTPB) data observed in Mutsu Bay, this study showed under calm and strong sunshine conditions, the vertical water temperature profile near the sea surface bends abruptly, and sea surface temperature detected by satellite remote sensing is not necessarily coincident to the bulk sea surface temperature. Besides the atmospheric effect, this effect causes another error in the estimation of sea surface temperature by remote sensing data known as the sea surface effect (SSE). As a sequel to a former paper, this paper is concerned with the investigation of the conditions which occur in the apparent SSE. Statistical analyses were directed to the total data set of SSTPB. The amount of SSE was evaluated by the water temperature difference between the uppermost surface and 1 m depth, and apparent SSE was identified to when the absolute value of the difference is larger than 0·5 °C. Apparent SSE was observed in the season from May to September. Its occurrence rate in May and June was about 40 per cent of the total days, and about 20 per cent in July. SSE grew when wind speed was less than 2 m s^?1 and the solar zenith angle is smaller than 30°. If either of those two conditions were violated, SSE easily transferred into reducing phase.     

The reconstruction of a time-dependent source from a surface measurement for full Maxwell’s equations by means of the potential field method

This paper is devoted to the study of an inverse source problem governed by full Maxwell’s equations by means of the potential field method (the $\mathit{A}$-$?$ method). The source term is assumed to be separable in time and space, in which the unknown part is solely time-dependent and is recovered from a surface measurement. We prove that the solution to the inverse problem based on the $\mathit{A}$-$?$ formulation is existing and unique. We suggest a constructive scheme for approximating the solution and discuss its convergence. Finally, a few examples are presented to verify the theoretical results.     

Delimiting the building heights in a city from the shadow in a panchromatic SPOT-image—Part 1. Test of forty-two buildings

Many researchers have delimited objects' heights, mainly heights of the Earth surface for topographic mapping or digital elevation model (DEM), with SPOT-images by using stereo observe-systems. In this paper, we try to delimit buildings' heights from the shadow in a panchromatic SPOT-image. The heights of 42 buildings are calculated with this method and checked. The root-mean-square error is 3·69 m. A main inference comes from the blocked shadows.     

The decorrelation time of microwave radar echoes from the sea surface†

The case is considered of a CW microwave radar looking at the sea surface at moderate angles of incidence. This is treated using the ‘facet’ concept, in which the sea surface is considered as being covered by spatially uncorrelated facets, each a small number of Bragg wavelengths across and being transported by the particle velocities in the longer sea waves. The facets are considered to have an unknown decorrelation time. In two cases simplifications allow approximate numerical values for the coherent decorrelation time of the radar return to be calculated. These are compared with measured bandwidths and decorrelation times reported in the literature. These agree adequately with the theory and indicate that the facet decorrelation time is long. However, some properly thought-out measurements of coherent decorrelation time are badly needed.     

On the use of synthetic 12 μm data in a split-window retrieval of sea surface temperature from AVHRR measurements

A numerical model of the radiation transfer through the atmosphere is used with a set of mid-latitude atmospheric profiles to simulate split-window measurements of the AVHRR/2 on the NOAA-7 satellite. These are used to quantify the degradation in accuracy which results in going from a sea surface temperature retrieval in which the effect of the atmosphere is estimated using measurements at 11 μm and 12 μm (channels 4 and 5), to one in which it is estimated using synthetic channel 5 data, as advocated by Singh et al (1985).     

InfoSec In the Interest of National Security — Part 1

In looking back at articles in InfoSec magazines and even this column’s past topics, I didn’t find any significant readings that addressed the role of InfoSec in the national security environment. By national security, we mean not only the sensitive nation-state’s government agencies’ information, but more importantly, their classified information. Just as trade secrets and other proprietary-related information are the ‘crown jewels’ of any corporation, the classified information is the ‘crown jewels’ of a nation. By classified we mean information that is confidential, secret or top secret —or have similar designations, depending on where you live.     

Stabilization of the Euler–Bernoulli plate with variable coefficients by nonlinear internal feedback

We consider the energy decay for solutions of the Euler–Bernoulli plate equation with variable coefficients where a nonlinear internal feedback acts in a suitable subregion of the domain. The Riemannian geometric method is used to deal with variable coefficient problems. When the feedback region has a structure similar to that for the wave equation with constant coefficients, we establish the stabilization of the system in the case of fixed boundary conditions. Several energy decay rates are established according to various growth restrictions on the nonlinear feedback near the origin and at infinity. We further show that, unlike for the case of constant coefficients, choices of such feedback regions depend not only on the type of boundary conditions but also on the curvature of a Riemannian metric, based on the coefficients of the system.     

The Five Pillars of a Cognitive Risk Framework—Part II

The purpose of this study is to develop the first cognitive risk framework for cybersecurity to address two narrative arcs in cyber warfare: the rise of the “hacker” as an industry and the “cybersecurity paradox”, namely why billions spent on cybersecurity fail to address semantic cyberattacks. Semantic cyberattacks, also known as social engineering, manipulates human users’ perceptions and interpretation of computer-generated data to obtain non-public confidential data. The cyber battleground has shifted from an attack on hard assets to a much softer target: the human mind. If human behavior is the new and last “weakest link” in the cybersecurity armor, is it possible to build cognitive defenses at the intersection of human-machine interactions? The answer is yes, but the change that is needed requires a new way of thinking about security, data governance and strategy. The concepts referenced in the Cognitive Risk Framework for Cybersecurity (CRFC) are drawn from a large body of research in multidisciplinary topics. Cognitive risk management is a sister discipline of a parallel body of science called Cognitive Informatics Security or CogSec. It is also important to point out as the creator of the CRFC, the principles and practices prescribed herein are borrowed from cognitive informatics security, machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI), and behavioral and cognitive science, among just a few that are still evolving. The Cognitive Risk Framework for Cybersecurity revolves around five pillars: Intentional Controls Design, Cognitive Informatics Security, Cognitive Risk Governance, Cybersecurity Intelligence and Active Defense Strategies and Legal “Best Efforts” considerations in Cyberspace. Complete text of “Cognitive Hack: The New Battleground in Cybersecurity … the Human Mind” is available here: https://www.crcpress.com/Cognitive-Hack-The-New-Battleground-in-Cybersecurity–the-Human-Mind/Bone/p/book/9781498749817     

Computer security — Prevention: Lessons from the operation of a nuclear power plant

This article demonstrates the means of implementing an ongoing security prevention system, starting from the design phase of information systems and continuing through all other project phases during the whole life cycle of the system.     

Virtual wiper — removal of adherent noises from images of dynamic scenes by using a pan–tilt camera

In this paper, we propose a new method that can remove noises from images of dynamic scenes that can cause viewing problems. One of the thorny problems in outdoor surveillance by a camera is that adherent noises such as waterdrops or mud blobs on the protecting glass surface lens disturb the view from the camera. Therefore, we propose a method for removing adherent noises from images of dynamic scenes taken by changing the direction of a pan–tilt camera, which is often used for surveillance. Our method is based on the comparison of two images — a reference image and a second image taken by a different camera angle. The latter image is transformed by a projective transformation and subtracted from the reference image to extract the regions of adherent noises and moving objects. The regions of adherent noises in the reference image are identified by examining the shapes and distances of regions existing in the subtracted image. Finally, regions of adherent noises can be eliminated by merging two images. Experimental results show the effectiveness of our proposed method.     

The communications decency Act and the karma of chaos — Part 1

When the FBI set about its nationwide investigation of online pornography, it landed its first prime catch in February 1996. John Delmarle pleaded guilty to transmitting sexually explicit pictures of children through America Online and drew a five-year prison term in New York Federal court.¹ Then in mid July, a Federal grand jury in San Jose, California charged 16 people in the United States and abroad with conspiracy to possess and distribute child pornography. The defendants were members of the ‘Orchid Club’, an online paedophilia club, which inducted its members by requiring accounts of their sexual experiences with children. In one instance, members chatted electronically as two of the men molested a 10-year-old girl. At least eight children were molested in connection with the club and although 13 members were arrested and charged, three others have not yet been identified and are known only by their computer aliases.²     

Converting freemium customers from free to premium—the role of the perceived premium fit in the case of music as a service

Freemium seems to be a promising solution for content providers to earn money now that Web 2.0 users feel entitled to free services and content services like Spotify generally accept this concept. Providers using freemium offer their service in free basic and paid premium versions. To prompt users to pay, a free version has fewer functions. However, no studies have yet investigated whether limiting features is the best strategy for converting users into paying customers, and, if so, how many functional differences there should be between free and premium versions. Therefore, our study aims to measure whether a free service’s limitations impact the evaluation of free and premium versions. Drawing on the Dual Mediation Hypothesis and the Elaboration Likelihood Model, we examined 317 freemium users’ survey responses. Our results indicate that companies providing freemium services can increase the probability of user conversion by providing a strong functional fit between their free and premium services.     

Calculation of the entropy caused by hindered internal rotation—a mechanistic tool to explore the steric influence on the entropy of activation

A method is described for calculating the contribution of hindered internal rotation to the entropy of molecules and activated complexes. This involves the Fourier approximation of rotational profiles, as obtained by force field calculations, and the solution of the corresponding Schrödinger equation. With this method we are able to explain the surprising difference in the entropy of activation for the homolytic bond cleavage of the diastereomers of 3,4-diphenyl-2,2,3,3-tetramethyl-hexanes 1 (meso- and d,l). We find that internal rotation is responsible for 47% of this entropy difference.     

Evaluation of the Teller-Redlich Product Rule for Non-linear X—Y—Z Molecules by a Programmable Calculator

A calculator program TRPR3 is described for evaluation of the Teller-Redlich product rule for isotopically substitued non-linear X—Y—Z molecules with given bond lengths and valence angle. The program is used to examine the tentative vibrational band assignments and also to study the geometrical molecular parameters by comparison of the theoretical and experimental product ratios. Coding is given for the Texas Instruments TI-59 programmable calculator.     

Derivation of land surface temperatures from MODIS data using the general split‐window technique

Fast Atmospheric Signature Code (FASCODE), a line‐by‐line radiative transfer programme, was used to simulate Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data at wavelengths 11.03 and 12.02 µm to ascertain how accurately the land surface temperature (LST) can be inferred, by the split‐window technique (SWT), for a wide range of atmospheric and terrestrial conditions. The approach starts from the Ulivieri algorithm, originally applied to Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) channels 4 and 5. This algorithm proved to be very accurate compared to several others and takes into account the atmospheric effects, in particular the water vapour column (WVC) amount and a non‐unitary surface emissivity. Extended simulations allowed the determination of new coefficients of this algorithm appropriate to MODIS bands 31 and 32, using different atmospheric conditions. The algorithm was also improved by removing some of the hypothesis on which its original expression was based. This led to the addition of a new corrective term that took into account the interdependence between water vapour and non‐unitary emissivity values and their effects on the retrieved surface temperature. The LST products were validated within 1 K with in situ LSTs in 11 cases.     

Evasion of a moving object from detection by a system of observers: Sensor–maneuvering search means

Consideration was given to planning the optimal evasion trajectory of a moving object from the system of observers consisting of a sensor and initial and terminal points of the route. An optimization criterion was proposed. The optimal trajectory and the speed mode of the moving object were determined for sector and ring—the two zones of search for the maneuvering search means.     

The continuous measurement of the temperature of the upper layer of the sea—a practical approach

A new instrument for the continuous direct measurement of temperature in the upper layer of the sea (within the first millimetre) is described. The technique makes use of a miniature thermistor in a surface-floating hydrophobic support. A wide range of possible applications in fields such as oceanography and climatology exist, and the method also provides a promising alternative to the conventional ‘bottle and reversing thermometers’ or ‘bucket’ methods currently used to provide in situ data for comparison with remote-sensing measurements.