Crusta: A new virtual globe for real-time visualization of sub-meter digital topography at planetary scales

Virtual globes are becoming ubiquitous in the visualization of planetary bodies and Earth specifically. While many of the current virtual globes have proven to be quite useful for remote geologic investigation, they were never designed for the purpose of serving as virtual geologic instruments. Their shortcomings have become more obvious as earth scientists struggle to visualize recently released digital elevation models of very high spatial resolution (0.5-1 m²/sample) and extent (>2000 km²). We developed Crusta as an alternative virtual globe that allows users to easily visualize their custom imagery and more importantly their custom topography. Crusta represents the globe as a 30-sided polyhedron to avoid distortion of the display, in particular the singularities at the poles characteristic of other projections. This polyhedron defines 30 “base patches,” each being a four-sided region that can be subdivided to an arbitrarily fine grid on the surface of the globe to accommodate input data of arbitrary resolution, from global (BlueMarble) to local (tripod LiDAR), all in the same visualization. We designed Crusta to be dynamic with the shading of the terrain surface computed on-the-fly when a user manipulates his point-of-view. In a similarly interactive fashion the globe's surface can be exaggerated vertically. The combination of the two effects greatly improves the perception of shape. A convenient pre-processing tool based on the GDAL library facilitates importing a number of data formats into the Crusta-specific multi-scale hierarchies that enable interactive visualization on a range of platforms from laptops to immersive geowalls and caves. The main scientific user community for Crusta is earth scientists, and their needs have been driving the development.     

Work routinization and implications for ergonomic exposure assessment

Jobs in many modern settings, including manufacturing, service, agriculture and construction, are variable in their content and timing. This prompts the need for exposure assessment methods that do not assume regular work cycles. A scheme is presented for classifying levels of routinization to inform development of an appropriate exposure assessment strategy for a given occupational setting. Five levels of routinization have been defined based on the tasks of which the job is composed: 1) a single scheduled task with a regular work cycle; 2) multiple cyclical tasks; 3) a mix of cyclical and non-cyclical tasks; 4) one non-cyclical task; 5) multiple non-cyclical tasks. This classification, based primarily on job observation, is illustrated through data from a study of automobile manufacturing workers (n = 1200), from which self-assessed exposures to physical and psychosocial stressors were also obtained. In this cohort, decision latitude was greater with higher routinization level (p < 0.0001), and the least routinized jobs showed the lowest self-reported exposure to physical ergonomic stressors. The job analysis checklist developed for non-routinized jobs is presented, and limitations of the task analysis method utilized in the study are discussed. A work sampling approach to job analysis is recommended as the most efficient way to obtain a comparable unbiased exposure estimate across all routinization levels.     

Characterization of posture and comfort in laptop users in non-desk settings

Laptop computers may be used in a variety of postures not coupled to the office workstation. Using passive motion analysis, this study examined mean joint angles during a short typing/editing task in college students (n=20), in up to seven positions. Comfort was assessed after task execution through a body map. For three required postures, joint angles in a prone posture were different than those while seated at a couch with feet either on floor or on ottoman. Specifically, the prone posture was characterized by comparatively non-neutral shoulders, elbows and wrists, and pronounced neck extension. Significantly greater intensity and more regions of discomfort were marked for the prone posture than for the seated postures. It is recommended that the prone posture only be assumed briefly during laptop use. Exposure to laptops outside of the office setting should be assessed in future epidemiologic studies of musculoskeletal complaints and computer use.     

No, It Is Not Possible to Be Schizophrenic Yet Neuropsychologically Normal.

Cognitive impairment is well documented in schizophrenia, though some reports have been interpreted to suggest that it is possible to have schizophrenia without neuropsychological impairment. The authors tested this by comparing the neuropsychological profiles of closely matched patients with schizophrenia and healthy comparison participants. Sixty-four patients with schizophrenia and 64 healthy comparison cases, matched to within 3 Full-Scale IQ points, were tested using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (3rd ed.; D. Wechsler, 1997b) and the Wechsler Memory Scale (3rd ed.; D. Wechsler, 1997c). Neuropsychological profiles for these groups were markedly different, with the group of patients with schizophrenia exhibiting performance deficits in memory and speeded visual processing but superior verbal comprehension and perceptual organization relative to the group of healthy comparison participants matched on Full-Scale IQ. Thus, scoring in the normal range does not preclude neuropsychological abnormality in schizophrenia, confirming that neuropsychological impairment is a core feature of the illness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Restoring coverage to the Bayesian false discovery rate control procedure

Principal among knowledge discovery tasks is recognition of insightful patterns or features from data that can inform otherwise challenging decisions. For the costly future decisions, there is little room for error. Features must provide substantial evidence to be robust for classification and dependable for important decisions. Here we seek statistical evidence for feature selection, that feature signals are of sufficient magnitude and frequency to be generalizable for classification. The Bayesian false discovery rate (bFDR) error control procedure is powerfully suited for this task. In realistic situations often encountered in practice, the bFDR procedure is biased, yielding a greater than desired FDR. In other less typical cases, the FDR is less than desired. We investigate the sources of bias in the bFDR procedure, and predict the direction of bias. A new algorithm has been developed to recover the bias in the bFDR control procedure. In simulation and real data mining examples, the new bFDR control algorithm shows promise. The strengths and limitations of the new approach are presented with examples and discussed.     

沂南金矿床的火成岩源控制特征

沂南金矿床中的矿体类型包括断裂带型、矽卡岩型、爆破角砾岩筒型和细脉—网脉型四种。燕山晚期闪长玢岩体的侵入是不同类型矿体形成的主要因素。其成矿模式是以成矿母岩为中心、密切受其内部与外部的构造及物理-化学条件的制约而形成。沂沭断裂带两侧是寻找新的火成岩源控制的多类型金矿床远景地区。