3D velocity from 3D Doppler radial velocity

We present local least squares and regularization frameworks for computing 3D velocity (3D optical flow) from 3D radial velocity measured by a Doppler radar. We demonstrate the performance of our algorithms quantitatively on synthetic radial velocity data and qualitatively on real radial velocity data, obtained from the Doppler radar at Kurnell Radar station, Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Radial velocity can be used to predict the future positions of storms in sequences of Doppler radar datasets.© 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 15, 189–198, 2005     

Two studies of the long-term follow-up of minimal therapist contact treatments of vascular and tension headache.

Tension and vascular headache patients, initially treated with biofeedback and/or relaxation training in either a minimal therapist contact protocol (3 visits) or an intensive individual protocol (10 or 16 visits) were followed-up prospectively for 2 years. In the first study, for the first 6 months of follow-up, half of all patients continued to keep headache diaries and were seen monthly and the other half had only minimal contact. The results at 1-year follow-up, based on 4 weeks of daily headache diaries, revealed equally good maintenance from both treatment protocols and from both follow-up conditions. In Study 2, we found that patients remained improved over pretreatment baseline levels at the 2-year follow-up regardless of initial treatment intensity. Approximately three quarters of vascular patients who were initially improved at posttreatment remained improved at 2 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Millimeter-wave asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulators

We have designed, fabricated, and characterized GaAs-AlGaAs (λ=864 nm) asymmetric Fabry-Perot modulators with ≈37 GHz modulation frequency response, comparable to the fastest waveguide modulators. The modulation response saturates at high optical powers due to saturation of the excitonic absorption and heating effects, but the frequency response is independent of the incident optical intensity, since it depends only on the RC time constant, and not on the carrier transit time. The device design takes advantage of the fact that the quantum-confined Stark effect is more pronounced at some distance from the absorption edge to achieve a modulator with ⩾20 dB contrast and ≈3 dB insertion loss for ±2 V operating voltage, but only 21 fF capacitance. The DC bias used to move the operating point off the absorption edge has the additional benefits of improving the linearity and chirp of the device, as well as the saturation intensity. Here we present measurements of the modulation and photocurrent responses of the modulators, calculate the RC and transit times for the device, analyze the saturation mechanisms, and discuss the linearity and chirp of the device from the perspective of a high-speed digital optical communications system     

High resolution solid state 13C n.m.r. of butadiene grafted polypropylene

¹H dipolar decoupled ¹³C n.m.r. experiments with the aid of the magic angle spinning technique have been used to determine the graft content and the isomer content of the polybutadiene grafts in a graft copolymer with isotactic polypropylene.     

Screening of serum samples from Wegener's granulomatosis patients using antibody microarrays

Wegener's Granulomatosis (WG) is an idiopathic granulomatosis autoimmune vasculitis that primarily affects small vessels and is associated with glomerulonephritis and pulmonary granulomatous vasculitis. Anti‐neutrophil cytoplasmic auto‐antibodies (cANCA) against proteinase‐3 are used to identify WG, but ANCA titers are not present in some patients with the localized disease. The objective of this study was to develop an antibody array to help identify protein expression patterns in serum from patients with WG as compared to normals. The arrays were tested for limits of detection, background, and cross reactivity using standard proteins. The arrays were hybridized with either normal patient serum (n = 30) or with serum samples from a population of WG patients (n = 26) that were age and sex matched. Data analysis and curve fitting of the standard dilution series calculated r² values and determined a sensitivity of <50 pg/mL for the majority of proteins. A total of 24 proteins were assessed. Several statistically significant increases (p<0.05) were seen in the expression of: angiotensin converting enzyme‐I, IFN‐γ, IL‐8, s‐ICAM‐1 and s‐VCAM in WG patients as compared to controls. Utilizing the antibody microarray technology has led to the identification of potential biomarkers of vascular injury in the serum of WG patients.     

Urbanisation and Shallow Groundwater: Predicting Changes in Catchment Hydrological Responses

The impact of urbanisation on catchment hydrological response was investigated by using a process-based coupled surface water–groundwater model (MODHMS). The modelling estimated likely changes in river discharge as a result of land-use change in the Southern River catchment in Western Australia, underlined by a highly transmissive aquifer, has permeable soils and a shallow watertable. A significant increase in total annual discharge was predicted as a result of urbanisation area with the runoff coefficient rising from 0.01 to more than 0.40. In contrast with urban areas elsewhere, these changes were mainly due to a shift in the subsurface water balance, leading to significant reduction in evaporative losses from the soil profile and shallow watertable after urbanisation (from nearly 80 % of infiltration to less than 20 %). The infiltration of roof and road runoff and establishment of subsurface drainage adopted in local construction practice leads to higher groundwater recharge rates and subsequently groundwater discharge to the urban drainage network. Urban density and groundwater abstraction for urban irrigation most strongly influence the urbanisation impact on catchment fluxes. The results shows that urban development leads to a production of ‘harvestable’ water; and depending on local needs, this water could be used for public and private water supply or to improve environmental flows.     

Surface repair of porous and damaged alumina bodies using carboxylate-alumoxane nanoparticles

Aqueous solutions of acetate-functionalized alumina nanoparticles (A-alumoxane), with an average particle size of 28 nm, have been used as alumina precursors for the surface infiltration and repair of porous and/or damaged alumina surfaces. SEM and AFM measurements indicate that treatment with a 1 wt% solution results in a reduction of surface roughness from >0.6 m to 100 nm for surface pores in the 100 nm to 1 m range. The use of 6 wt% solutions gives better infiltration repair for 50 m features, but surface cracking is observed. The surface hardness of the porous alumina substrate is increased upon infiltration. No spallation of the surface infiltration layer is observed after indentation measurements and grain dislodgment is overcome.