Synergistic angular and spectral estimation of aerosol properties using CHRIS/PROBA-1 and simulated Sentinel-3~data

A method has been developed to estimate Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), Fine Mode Fraction (FMF) and Single Scattering Albedo (SSA) over land surfaces using simulated Sentinel-3 data. The method uses inversion of a coupled surface/atmosphere radiative transfer model, and includes a general physical model of angular surface reflectance. An iterative process is used to determine the optimum value of the aerosol properties providing the best fit of the corrected reflectance values for a number of view angles and wavelengths with those provided by the physical model. A method of estimating AOD using only angular retrieval has previously been demonstrated on data from the ENVISAT and PROBA-1 satellite instruments, and is extended here to the synergistic spectral and angular sampling of Sentinel-3 and the additional aerosol properties. The method is tested using hyperspectral, multi-angle Compact High Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (CHRIS) images. The values obtained from these CHRIS observations are validated using ground based sun-photometer measurements. Results from 22 image sets using the synergistic retrieval and improved aerosol models show an RMSE of 0.06 in AOD, reduced to 0.03 over vegetated targets.

Improvements in Aerosol Optical Depth Estimation Using Multiangle CHRIS/PROBA Images

A method has been developed to estimate aerosol optical depth (AOD) over land surfaces using high spatial resolution, hyperspectral, and multiangle Compact High Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (CHRIS)/Project for On Board Autonomy (PROBA) images. The CHRIS instrument is mounted aboard the PROBA satellite and provides up to 62 bands. The PROBA satellite allows pointing to obtain imagery from five different view angles within a short time interval. The method uses inversion of a coupled surface/atmosphere radiative transfer model and includes a general physical model of angular surface reflectance. An iterative process is used to determine the optimum value providing the best fit of the corrected reflectance values for a number of view angles and wavelengths with those provided by the physical model. This method has previously been demonstrated on data from the Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer and is extended here to the spectral and angular sampling of CHRIS/PROBA. The values obtained from these observations are validated using ground-based sun-photometer measurements. Results from 22 image sets show an rms error of 0.11 in AOD at 550 nm, which is reduced to 0.06 after an automatic screening procedure.

Synergistic angular and spectral estimation of aerosol properties using CHRIS/PROBA-1 and simulated Sentinel-3 data

We develop a method to derive aerosol properties over land surfaces using combined spectral and angular information, such as available from ESA Sentinel-3 mission, to be launched in 2015. A method of estimating aerosol optical depth (AOD) using only angular retrieval has previously been demonstrated on data from the ENVISAT and PROBA-1 satellite instruments, and is extended here to the synergistic spectral and angular sampling of Sentinel-3. The method aims to improve the estimation of AOD, and to explore the estimation of fine mode fraction (FMF) and single scattering albedo (SSA) over land surfaces by inversion of a coupled surface/atmosphere radiative transfer model. The surface model includes a general physical model of angular and spectral surface reflectance. An iterative process is used to determine the optimum value of the aerosol properties providing the best fit of the corrected reflectance values to the physical model. The method is tested using hyperspectral, multi-angle Compact High Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (CHRIS) images. The values obtained from these CHRIS observations are validated using ground-based sun photometer measurements. Results from 22 image sets using the synergistic retrieval and improved aerosol models show an RMSE of 0.06 in AOD, reduced to 0.03 over vegetated targets.

Teaching English as an additional language: a MESHGuide

This guide has been co-authored by Naomi Flynn, an Associate Professor at The University of Reading, working with Chris Pim and Sarah Coles who are specialist advisory teachers with Hampshire’s Ethnic Minority and Traveller Achievement Service (EMTAS). It was constructed with the support of teachers in primary and secondary schools in Hampshire, selected for their existing expertise in teaching EAL learners, who used the guidance for action research during the spring and summer of 2015. The guide is written principally to support teachers and learning support assistants working with EAL learners in any educational setting and who are at any stage of fluency in the learning of English. It will also support senior leaders in their strategic response to the EAL learners in their schools. As with all MESH guides it seeks to share knowledge with professionals in order to support the growth of evidence informed practice that works in promoting the best in pupil outcomes

The COnvective Precipitation Experiment (COPE): investigating the origins of heavy precipitation in the southwestern UK

A recent field campaign in southwest England used numerical modeling integrated with aircraft and radar observations to investigate the dynamic and microphysical interactions that can result in heavy convective precipitation. The COnvective Precipitation Experiment (COPE) was a joint UK-US field campaign held during the summer of 2013 in the southwest peninsula of England, designed to study convective clouds that produce heavy rain leading to flash floods. The clouds form along convergence lines that develop regularly due to the topography. Major flash floods have occurred in the past, most famously at Boscastle in 2004. It has been suggested that much of the rain was produced by warm rain processes, similar to some flash floods that have occurred in the US. The overarching goal of COPE is to improve quantitative convective precipitation forecasting by understanding the interactions of the cloud microphysics and dynamics and thereby to improve NWP model skill for forecasts of flash floods. Two research aircraft, the University of Wyoming King Air and the UK BAe 146, obtained detailed in situ and remote sensing measurements in, around, and below storms on several days. A new fast-scanning X-band dual-polarization Doppler radar made 360-deg volume scans over 10 elevation angles approximately every 5 minutes, and was augmented by two UK Met Office C-band radars and the Chilbolton S-band radar. Detailed aerosol measurements were made on the aircraft and on the ground. This paper: (i) provides an overview of the COPE field campaign and the resulting dataset; (ii) presents examples of heavy convective rainfall in clouds containing ice and also in relatively shallow clouds through the warm rain process alone; and (iii) explains how COPE data will be used to improve high-resolution NWP models for operational use.

Perfil de maturidade de dirigentes de empresas de Porto Alegre : estudo baseado no modelo de Chris Argyris

O estudo sobre maturidade gerencial desenvolveu-se com base no modelo de Chris Argyris e foi enriquecido com reflexões, proposições e indagações de outros autores que, direta ou indiretamente, estudaram o comportamento de dirigentes em organizações de aprendizagem e de empresas excelentes. O estudo foi realizado a partir das manifestações de dirigentes de empresas de pequeno, médio e grande porte, localizadas no Município de Porto Alegre. Das sete dimensões estudadas - desdobradas em atitudes e habilidades - verificou-se que os dirigentes consideram muito importantes, a iniciativa e a perspectivas de ação; importantes, em ordem decrescente de percentual de respostas, autonomia e autocontrole; seguidas, em igualdade de condições, pela flexibilidade e auto-estima, e finalmente pela dimensão interesse. Foram constatadas diferenças significativas de respostas apresentadas pelos dirigentes do sexo feminino em relação às respostas fornecidas pelos do sexo masculino, assim como das respostas fornecidas por dirigentes que há mais tempo estão na empresa ou no exercício da função em relação aos que têm menos tempo de exercício profissional. Também foram constatados resultados surpreendentes que confirmam a interferência de aspectos culturais e educacionais nas respostas dadas. As variáveis idade, tempo na organização e no exercício da função na empresa demonstraram também sua interferência. Os resultados da pesquisa permitiram igualmente divisar caminhos, onde existem elos importantes, sendo o principal o de considerar o homem como agente de sua história e de sua empresa, na medida em que ele se conhecer mais e intencionalmente realizar vivências que o levem a um desenvolvimento pessoal – alcançar sua maturidade na empresa. São feitas reflexões que requerem alternativas diferenciadas de intervenção para as Universidades e Escolas Técnicas, para as áreas de consultoria e de Recursos Humanos das Empresas. Também se confirmou a necessidade de serem realizados novos estudos para aprofundar a temática, tanto em nível empresarial, quanto acadêmico.

Thermogravimetric studies of decomposition kinetics of six different IAC Hevea rubber clones using Flynn-Wall-Ozawa approach

The thermal degradation behaviour of rubber from six new Hevea brasiliensis clones (IAC 40, 56, 300, 301, 302 and 303) from São Paulo State, Brazil was studied by thermogravimetry using the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa approach to assess the kinetic parameters ( reaction order, activation energy and pre-exponential factor) of the decomposition process. This study indicated that the thermal behaviour is a complex multiple step process, which depends on the type of rubber Hevea clones studied. The rubber from these clones can be classified, following the order of decreasing thermal stability, as IAC 303 > 302 > 56 > 40 > 300 > 301.

Omtvedt Innovation Awards Presented to Chris Calkins, Steven Jones, Rodger Johnson, and Sheila Scheideler

It's a great pleasure to welcome you to this very first recognition ceremony for the Omtvedt Innovation Awards. We are present here to honor innovation strengths of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and certainly the four faculty members receiving today's awards are greatly deserving of this recognition. Just hearing about their work is gratifying!

Tradurre il fantasy per giovani lettori: "The Explorers' gate" di Chris Grabenstein

The purpose of this thesis is, on the one hand, to illustrate the peculiarities of children’s literature, fantasy fiction and their translation and, on the other hand, to propose a translation from English to Italian of some chapters of the e-book The Explorers’ Gate by American author Chris Grabenstein. The first chapters of this work offer an analysis of different critical studies on children’s literature and fantasy fiction and illustrate the characteristics of these two literary expressions. I will also discuss the different approaches to their translation in order to produce a translated text that is consistent with its literary genre and with translation theories. The third chapter is about the author and includes an interview on his idea of children’s literature and his opinions about translation. The second part of this thesis is represented by the actual translation of the e-book. Firstly, I will analyze the source text, dividing the analysis in extra-textual and intra- textual and focusing on sender, addressee, time and space, function of the text, plot, structure, narrator, style and language used by the author. I will also highlight those elements that probably would be challenging during the translation phase. Secondly, I will explain the macro-strategy that I adopted during the process of translation, which can be defined as child-oriented. In the last chapter I will highlight those passages that represented translation challenges and I will show how I tackled them.