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At least 1,027 records · Page 57

Re-Greening Sahel: 30 Years of Remote Sensing Data and Field Observations (Mali, Niger)

Desertification of the Sahel region has been debated for decades, while the concept of a "re-greening" Sahel appeared with satellite remote sensing data that allowed vegetation monitoring across wide regions and over increasingly long series of years (nowadays 30 years with the GIMMS-3g dataset). However, the scarcity of long-term field observations of vegetation in the Sahel prevents ground validation and deeper analysis of such trends. After assessing the consistency of the new GIMMS-3g NDVI product by comparison to three other AVHRR-NDVI datasets and MODIS NDVI, regional GIMMS-3g NDVI trends over 1981-2011 are analyzed. Trends are found positive and statistically significant almost everywhere in Sahel over the 1981-2011 period. Long-term field observations of the aboveground herbaceous layer mass have been collected within the Gourma region in Mali (1984-2011) and within the Fakara region in western Niger (1994-2011). These observations sample ecosystem and soil diversity, thus enabling estimation of averaged values representative of the Gourma and Fakara. NDVI measurements are found in good agreement with field observations, both over the Gourma and Fakara regions where re-greening and negative trends are observed respectively. A linear regression analysis performed between spatially averaged seasonal NDVI and a weighted average of field measurements explains 59% of the variability for the Gourma region over 1984-2011, and 38% for the Fakara region over 1994-2011. In the Gourma, which is a pastoral region, the re-greening trend is mainly observed over sandy soils, and attests for the ecosystem's resilience to the 1980s' drought, able to react to the more favorable rainfall of the 1990s and 2000s. However, contrasted changes in the landscape's functioning have occurred locally. An increase in erosion and run-off processes in association with decreasing or stable vegetation cover was observed over shallow soils, which occupy 30% of the area. In the agro-pastoral Fakara, the decreasing trends observed both from satellite NDVI and field assessments of herbaceous mass are hardly explained by rainfall. These results give confidence in the dominant positive trends in Sahelian greenness, but indicate that degradation trends can also be observed, both in situ and from satellite time series.

Sahel↗

Lead exposure is related to hypercortisolemic profiles and allostatic load in Brazilian older adults

Lead levels (Pb) have been linked to both hyper- and hypo-reactivity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) axis to acute stress in animals and humans. Similarly, allostatic load (AL), the ‘wear and tear’ of chronic stress, is associated with inadequate HPA axis activity. We examined whether Pb levels would be associated with altered diurnal cortisol profile, as a primary mediator of AL, during aging. Pb levels were measured from blood samples (BPb) of 126 Brazilian individuals (105 women), between 50 and 82 years old. Six neuroendocrine, metabolic, and anthropometric biomarkers were analyzed and values were transformed into an AL index using clinical reference cut-offs. Salivary samples were collected at home over 2 days at awakening, 30-min after waking, afternoon, and evening periods to determine cortisol levels. A multiple linear regression model showed a positive association between BPb as the independent continuous variable and cortisol awakening response (R{sup 2}=0.128; B=0.791; p=0.005) and overall cortisol concentration (R{sup 2}=0.266; B=0.889; p<0.001) as the outcomes. Repeated measures ANOVA showed that individuals with high BPb levels showed higher cortisol at 30 min after awakening (p=0.003), and in the afternoon (p=0.002) than those with low BPb values. Regarding AL, regression model showed that BPb was positively associated with AL index (R{sup 2}=0.100; B=0.204; p=0.032). Correlation analyzes with individual biomarkers showed that BPb was positively correlated with HDL cholesterol (p=0.02) and negatively correlated with DHEA-S (p=0.049). These findings suggest that Pb exposure, even at levels below the reference blood lead level for adults recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, may contribute to AL and dysregulated cortisol functioning in older adults. Considering these findings were based on cross-sectional data future research is needed to confirm our exploratory results. - Highlights: • Lead exposure is associated with several negative health outcomes. • Allostatic load (AL), the wear and tear of chronic stress, may be affected by lead exposure. • Lead concentration was associated with high cortisol levels and high allostatic load. • Even at very low levels of exposure, lead was associated with chronic stress mediators.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Maternal exposure to selenium and cadmium, fetal growth, and placental expression of steroidogenic and apoptotic genes

Background: Cadmium (Cd) and selenium (Se) antagonistically influence redox balance and apoptotic signaling, with Cd potentially promoting and Se inhibiting oxidative stress and apoptosis. Alterations to placental redox and apoptotic functions by maternal exposure to Cd and Se during pregnancy may explain some of the Cd and Se associations with fetal development. Objectives: Investigate associations between Cd and Se concentrations in maternal toenails with placental expression patterns of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and steroidogenic genes involved in redox reactions and test associations with fetal growth. Methods: In a sub-sample from the Rhode Island Child Health Study (n = 173), we investigated the relationships between: (1) maternal toenail Cd and Se concentrations and fetal growth using logistic regression, (2) Cd and Se interactions with factor scores from placental TNF and steroidogenic expression patterns (RNAseq) using linear models, and (3) TNF and steroidogenic expression factors with fetal growth via analysis of covariance. Results: Se was associated with decreased odds of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) (OR = 0.27, p-value = 0.045). Cd was associated with increased odds of IUGR (OR = 1.95, p-value = 0.13) and small for gestational age (SGA) births (OR = 1.46, p-value = 0.11), though not statistically significant. Cd and Se concentrations were antagonistically associated with placental TNF and steroidogenic expression patterns, which also differed by birth size. Conclusions: Se may act as an antagonist to Cd and as a modifiable protective factor in fetal growth restriction, and these data suggest these effects may be due to associated variations in the regulation of genes involved in placental redox balance and/or apoptotic signaling. - Highlights: • Tested cadmium and selenium associations with fetal growth and gene expression. • Maternal selenium associated with decreased odds of intrauterine growth restriction. • Cadmium may increase oxidative and apoptotic placental expression patterns. • Selenium may decrease oxidative and apoptotic placental expression patterns.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Mountain Basin Controls on the Snow-to-Streamflow Signal: An AIC-Weighted Multiple Linear Regression Framework

A regression-based analysis quantifies how basin characteristics modulate the snow-to-streamflow signal. First, we use the ERA5-Land reanalysis gridded product (European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis 5 -Land component) for 4,655 hydrologic unit code - 10 (HUC10) mountain basins across the western United States (US) for water years 1987–2024. Linear regressions are performed for peak snow water equivalent (SWE) and annual streamflow for each mountain basin. Models use ordinary least squares in Python’s statsmodels package. After which, an Akaike Information Criterion (AIC)–weighted ensemble multiple linear regression (MLR) framework with 47 watershed traits is used to predict the linear regression coefficient of determination (r-squared) defining the ability of peak SWE to predict annual streamflow across all mountain basin. Predictor sets are constrained to avoid multicollinearity by excluding models with variance inflation factors (VIF) greater than 5. Mountain basin traits included in the MLR include seasonal climate, topography, vegetation type and structure, and bedrock geology. Accepted models are considered if their AIC is within 2.0 of the model with the minimum AIC, or best model. To compare predictor influence across acceptable models, we computed standardized regression coefficients. To evaluate structural redundancy among models, we constructed binary inclusion vectors for each acceptable model, denoting whether a predictor was present (1) or absent (0). Core predictor variables are defined as occurring in at least 67% of the acceptable models. For this regional analysis, only one model was found acceptable, with higher snow-to-streamflow translation (higher r-squared) occurring in colder mountain basins with higher relative winter precipitation, more snow accumulation and a lower fraction of annual precipitation that falls in the spring and summer. The second component of the data package uses previously published, high-resolution output from an integrated hydrological model of the East River watershed using the U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater and Surface water Flow model (GSFLOW, doi:10.15485/1998576). East River MLR expands upon the approach described above to explore the response of five streamflow metrics—annual streamflow, runoff efficiency, 7-day minimum flow, low-flow duration, and non-perennial stream fraction to snow system indicators including peak SWE, snow-covered area, snow disappearance date, and the fraction of basin area characterized by low-to-no snow, as well as seasonal precipitation and temperature, and annual hydrologic variables representing soil moisture, evapotranspiration (ET), the partitioning of incoming precipitation to evapotranspiration (ET/P), groundwater storage, and groundwater inflow to streams. MLR was done on all water years (P0: 1987-2024) and for each period as determined in the split analysis using pooled regression techniques (P1: 1987-2011 and P2: 2012-2024) to evaluate shifting predictor variable emphasis on streamflow generation. Results indicate that since 2012, peak SWE has lost statistical strength in its prediction of annual streamflow and runoff efficiency, and the indirect influence of spring temperature has emerged as critically important. Low-flow metrics remain largely influenced by soil moisture, vegetation water use and groundwater inflows with summer precipitation becoming a direct influence on minimum summer flow. Together, these data and Python-based analysis tools provide a framework for identifying the key watershed characteristics that control how streamflow responds to snow from year to year. The package also helps quantify uncertainty in statistical models and assess how snow–streamflow relationships vary across regions and over time. This dataset contains comma-separated values files (.csv), text files (.txt), python code files (.py), figure files (.png), and shapefiles (.cpg, .dbf, .prj, .sbn, .sbx, .shp, .xml). Further details on file contents and MLR execution can be found in the readme file and the FLMD files. Work was supported by the Watershed Function Science Focus Area at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Differential Equation Approximation Using Gradient-Boosted Quantile Regression

The operation of cyber-physical-human (CPH) systems is subject to various epistemic and aleatory uncertainties. Overall trustworthiness of CPH systems relies on the trustworthiness of its components and their interactions. It is important that computational models comprising the cyber component of CPH provide predictions accompanied by a measure of confidence in model outcomes. Uncertainty quantification (UQ) and propagation are especially important in safety critical CPH systems. Gradient-boosted trees is a modeling approach capable both of learning the dynamics of a system and performing UQ. In this paper, we devise a method for using gradient boosting to learn the dynamics of a second order differential equation and estimate uncertainty at the same time. We do this by creating a custom loss function that trains the model to approximate the second derivative of a noisy time series, and to penalize based on a parameter that corresponds to the desired quantile. The resulting gradient boosting model can simulate stochastic trajectories of the system given a single starting point, that is, it can estimate both the expected trajectory and its uncertainty. We show that the uncertainty estimation is well calibrated and that the model can learn the dynamics even in the presence of noise. We demonstrate the approach on a simple cartpole system.

Autonomous systems↗

Photometric redshift estimation with convolutional neural networks and galaxy images: Case study of resolving biases in data-driven methods

Deep-learning models have been increasingly exploited in astrophysical studies, but these data-driven algorithms are prone to producing biased outputs that are detrimental for subsequent analyses. In this work, we investigate two main forms of biases: class-dependent residuals, and mode collapse. We do this in a case study, in which we estimate photometric redshift as a classification problem using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) trained with galaxy images and associated spectroscopic redshifts. We focus on point estimates and propose a set of consecutive steps for resolving the two biases based on CNN models, involving representation learning with multichannel outputs, balancing the training data, and leveraging soft labels. The residuals can be viewed as a function of spectroscopic redshift or photometric redshift, and the biases with respect to these two definitions are incompatible and should be treated individually. We suggest that a prerequisite for resolving biases in photometric space is resolving biases in spectroscopic space. Experiments show that our methods can better control biases than benchmark methods, and they are robust in various implementing and training conditions with high-quality data. Our methods hold promises for future cosmological surveys that require a good constraint of biases, and they may be applied to regression problems and other studies that make use of data-driven models. Nonetheless, the bias-variance tradeoff and the requirement of sufficient statistics suggest that we need better methods and optimized data usage strategies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Modeling Intercalation Chemistry with Multiredox Reactions by Sparse Lattice Models in Disordered Rocksalt Cathodes

Modern battery materials can contain many elements with substantial site disorder, and their configurational state has been shown to be critical for their performance. The intercalation voltage profile is a critical parameter to evaluate the performance of energy storage. The application of commonly used cluster expansion techniques to model the intercalation thermodynamics of such systems ab initio is challenged by the combinatorial increase in configurational degrees of freedom as the number of species grows. Such challenges necessitate the efficient generation of lattice models without overfitting and proper sampling of the configurational space under the requirement of charge balance in ionic systems. In this work, we introduce a combined approach that addresses these challenges by (1) constructing a robust cluster expansion Hamiltonian using the sparse regression technique, including -norm regularization and structural hierarchy; and (2) implementing semigrand-canonical Monte Carlo to sample charge-balanced ionic configurations using the table-exchange method and an ensemble average approach. These techniques are applied to a disordered rocksalt oxyfluoride (LMNOF) that is part of a family of promising earth-abundant cathode materials. The simulated voltage profile is found to be in good agreement with experimental data and particularly provides a clear demonstration of the and oxygen contributions to the redox potential as a function of content.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

SU-D-BRB-05: Quantum Learning for Knowledge-Based Response-Adaptive Radiotherapy

Purpose: There is tremendous excitement in radiotherapy about applying data-driven methods to develop personalized clinical decisions for real-time response-based adaptation. However, classical statistical learning methods lack in terms of efficiency and ability to predict outcomes under conditions of uncertainty and incomplete information. Therefore, we are investigating physics-inspired machine learning approaches by utilizing quantum principles for developing a robust framework to dynamically adapt treatments to individual patient’s characteristics and optimize outcomes. Methods: We studied 88 liver SBRT patients with 35 on non-adaptive and 53 on adaptive protocols. Adaptation was based on liver function using a split-course of 3+2 fractions with a month break. The radiotherapy environment was modeled as a Markov decision process (MDP) of baseline and one month into treatment states. The patient environment was modeled by a 5-variable state represented by patient’s clinical and dosimetric covariates. For comparison of classical and quantum learning methods, decision-making to adapt at one month was considered. The MDP objective was defined by the complication-free tumor control (P{sup +}=TCPx(1-NTCP)). A simple regression model represented state-action mapping. Single bit in classical MDP and a qubit of 2-superimposed states in quantum MDP represented the decision actions. Classical decision selection was done using reinforcement Q-learning and quantum searching was performed using Grover’s algorithm, which applies uniform superposition over possible states and yields quadratic speed-up. Results: Classical/quantum MDPs suggested adaptation (probability amplitude ≥0.5) 79% of the time for splitcourses and 100% for continuous-courses. However, the classical MDP had an average adaptation probability of 0.5±0.22 while the quantum algorithm reached 0.76±0.28. In cases where adaptation failed, classical MDP yielded 0.31±0.26 average amplitude while the quantum approach averaged a more optimistic 0.57±0.4, but with high phase fluctuations. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that quantum machine learning approaches provide a feasible and promising framework for real-time and sequential clinical decision-making in adaptive radiotherapy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Quantification of MagLIF Morphology using the Mallat Scattering Transformation

The morphology of the stagnated plasma resulting from Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion (MagLIF) is measured by imaging the self-emission x-rays coming from the multi-keV plasma, and the evolution of the imploding liner is measured by radiographs. Equivalent diagnostic response can be derived from integrated rad-MHD simulations from programs such as Hydra and Gorgon. There have been only limited quantitative ways to compare the image morphology, that is the texture, of simulations and experiments. We have developed a metric of image morphology based on the Mallat Scattering Transformation (MST), a transformation that has proved to be effective at distinguishing textures, sounds, and written characters. This metric has demonstrated excellent performance in classifying ensembles of synthetic stagnation images. We use this metric to quantitatively compare simulations to experimental images, cross experimental images, and to estimate the parameters of the images with uncertainty via a linear regression of the synthetic images to the parameter used to generate them. This coordinate space has proved very adept at doing a sophisticated relative back-ground subtraction in the MST space. This was needed to compare the experimental self emission images to the rad-MHD simulation images. We have also developed theory that connects the transformation to the causal dynamics of physical systems. This has been done from the classical kinetic perspective and from the field theory perspective, where the MST is the generalized Green's function, or S-matrix of the field theory in the scale basis. From both perspectives the first order MST is the current state of the system, and the second order MST are the transition rates from one state to another. An efficient, GPU accelerated, Python implementation of the MST was developed. Future applications are discussed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Optimizing transmit field inhomogeneity of parallel RF transmit design in 7T MRI using deep learning

Ultrahigh field (UHF) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) provides a higher signal-to-noise ratio and, thereby, higher spatial resolution. However, UHF MRI introduces challenges such as transmit radiofrequency (RF) field (B+1) inhomogeneities, leading to uneven flip angles and image intensity anomalies. These issues can significantly degrade imaging quality and its medical applications. This study addresses B+1 field homogeneity through a novel deep learning-based strategy. Traditional methods like Magnitude Least Squares (MLS) optimization have been effective but are time-consuming and dependent on the patient’s presence. Recent machine learning approaches, such as RF Shim Prediction by Iteratively Projected Ridge Regression and deep learning frameworks, have shown promise but face limitations like extensive training times and oversimplified architectures. We propose a two-step deep learning strategy. First, we obtain the desired reference RF shimming weights from multi-channel B+1 fields using random-initialized Adaptive Moment Estimation. Then, we employ Residual Networks (ResNets) to train a model that maps B+1 fields to target RF shimming outputs. Our approach does not rely on pre-calculated reference optimizations for the testing process and efficiently learns residual functions. Comparative studies with traditional MLS optimization demonstrate our method’s advantages in terms of speed and accuracy. The proposed strategy achieves a faster and more efficient RF shimming design, significantly improving imaging quality at UHF. This advancement holds potential for broader applications in medical imaging and diagnostics.

Lu, Zhengyi [Vanderbilt University]↗

Data-Driven Closures and Assimilation for Stiff Multiscale Random Dynamics

Here, we introduce a data-driven and physics-informed framework for propagating uncertainty in stiff, multiscale random ordinary differential equations (RODEs) driven by correlated (colored) noise. Unlike systems subjected to Gaussian white noise, a deterministic equation for the joint probability density function (PDF) of RODE state variables does not exist in closed form. Moreover, such an equation would require as many phase-space variables as there are states in the RODE system. To alleviate this curse of dimensionality, we instead derive exact, albeit unclosed, reduced-order PDF (RoPDF) equations for low-dimensional observables/quantities of interest. The unclosed terms take the form of state-dependent conditional expectations, which are directly estimated from data at sparse observation times. However, for systems exhibiting stiff, multiscale dynamics, data sparsity introduces regression discrepancies that compound during RoPDF evolution. This is overcome by introducing a kinetic-like defect term to the RoPDF equation, which is learned by assimilating in sparse, low-fidelity RoPDF estimates. Two assimilation methods are considered, namely nudging and deep neural networks, which are successfully tested against Monte Carlo simulations.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗

Improvement of Stratospheric Aerosol Extinction Retrieval from OMPS/LP Using a New Aerosol Model

The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS/LP) has been flying on the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) satellite since October 2011. It is designed to produce ozone and aerosol vertical profiles at 2-kilometer vertical resolution over the entire sunlit globe. Aerosol extinction profiles are computed with Mie theory using radiances measured at 675 nanometers. The operational Version 1.0 (V1.0) aerosol extinction retrieval algorithm assumes a bimodal lognormal aerosol size distribution (ASD) whose parameters were derived by combining an in situ measurement of aerosol microphysics with the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE II) aerosol extinction climatology. Internal analysis indicates that this bimodal lognormal ASD does not sufficiently explain the spectral dependence of LP-measured radiances. In this paper we describe the derivation of an improved aerosol size distribution, designated Version 1.5 (V1.5), for the LP retrieval algorithm. The new ASD uses a gamma function distribution that is derived from Community Aerosol and Radiation Model for Atmospheres (CARMA)-calculated results. A cumulative distribution fit derived from the gamma function ASD gives better agreement with CARMA results at small particle radii than bimodal or unimodal functions. The new ASD also explains the spectral dependence of LP-measured radiances better than the V1.0 ASD. We find that the impact of our choice of ASD on the retrieved extinctions varies strongly with the underlying reflectivity of the scene. Initial comparisons with collocated extinction profiles retrieved at 676 nanometers from the SAGE III instrument on the International Space Station (ISS) show a significant improvement in agreement for the LP V1.5 retrievals. Zonal mean extinction profiles agree to within 10 percent between 19 and 29 kilometers, and regression fits of collocated samples show improved correlation and reduced scatter compared to the V1.0 product. This improved agreement will motivate development of more sophisticated ASDs from CARMA results that incorporate latitude, altitude and seasonal variations in aerosol properties.

Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS/L↗

Active- and transfer-learning applied to microscale-macroscale coupling to simulate viscoelastic flows

Active- and transfer-learning are applied to microscale dynamics of polymer flows for the multiscale discovery of effective constitutive approximations required in viscoelastic flow simulation. The result is macroscopic rheology directly connected to a microstructural model. Micro and macroscale simulations are adaptively coupled by means of Gaussian process regression (GPR) to run the expensive microscale computations only as necessary. This multiscale method is demonstrated with flows of a polymer solution as a model system. At the microscale level dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) is employed to model the fluid as a suspension of bead-spring micro-structures subjected to steady shear flow. The results yield the non-Newtonian viscosity and the first normal stress difference at strain rates as training data used in a GPR model. DPD parameters are calibrated with respect to experimental data for a real polymer solution. Compliance with these data requires adjustment of the DPD model's cutoff radius, which then becomes a function of the second invariant of the strain rate tensor. The FENE-P model is chosen for the macroscale description using the spectral element method (SEM) to simulate channel flow and flow past a circular cylinder. The DPD results at the lowest possible shear strain rate yield an estimate of the zero-shear rate viscosity, which allows the initiation of the macroscale flow by SEM as a Newtonian fluid. The resulting strain-rate field is surveyed to determine additional shear strain rate sampling points for the DPD system. This new information allows an initial fitting of parameters of the constitutive equation followed by new SEM simulations at the macroscale. Additionally, guided by active-learning GPR to select new sampling points, this process continues until convergence is achieved. The effectiveness of this new simulation paradigm for viscoelastic flows is tested with different macroscale operating conditions. The effective closure learned in the channel simulation is then transferred directly to the flow past a circular cylinder at low Reynolds number, where the results show that only two additional DPD simulations are required to achieve a satisfactory constitutive model. With an increase of the Reynolds number, the active-learning scheme automatically detects the inaccuracy of the learned constitutive model, and initiates additional DPD simulations for the extra data needed to once again close the microscale-macroscale coupled system. This new paradigm of active- and transfer-learning for multiscale modeling is readily applicable to other microscale-macroscale coupled simulations of complex fluids and other materials. Furthermore, the coupling between microscale and macroscale solvers can be seamlessly implemented with our open source multiscale universal interface (MUI) library.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Binary dislocation junction formation and strength in hexagonal close-packed crystals

This work examines binary dislocation interactions, junction formation and junction strengths in hexagonal close-packed ( hcp ) crystals. Through a line-tension model and dislocation dynamics (DD) simulations, the interaction and dissociation of different sets of binary junctions are investigated involving one dislocation on the (011¯0) prismatic plane and a second dislocation on one of the following planes: (0001) basal, (11¯00) prismatic, (11¯01) primary pyramidal, or (2¯112) secondary pyramidal. Varying pairs of Burgers vectors are chosen from among the common types the basal type < a > 1/3 < 112¯0 >, prismatic type < c > <0001>, and pyramidal type < a+c > 1/3 < 112¯3¯ >. For binary interaction due to dislocation intersection, both the analytical results and DD-simulations indicate a relationship between symmetry of interaction maps and the relative magnitude of the Burgers vectors that constitute the junction. Using analytical formulae, a simple regressive model is also developed to represent the junction yield surface. The equation is treated as a degenerated super elliptical equation to quantify the aspect ratio and tilting angle. Lastly, the results provide analytical insights on binary dislocation interactions that may occur in general hcp metals.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

PetroFit: A Python Package for Computing Petrosian Radii and Fitting Galaxy Light Profiles

PetroFit is an open-source Python package based on Astropy and Photutils that can calculate Petrosian profiles and fit galaxy images. It offers end-to-end tools for making accurate photometric measurements, estimating morphological properties, and fitting 2D models to galaxy images. Petrosian metric radii can be used for model parameter estimation and aperture photometry to provide accurate total fluxes. Correction tools are provided for improving Petrosian radii estimates affected by galaxy morphology. PetroFit also provides tools for sampling Astropy-based models (including custom profiles and multicomponent models) onto image grids and enables point-spread function convolution to account for the effects of seeing. These capabilities provide a robust means of modeling and fitting galaxy light profiles. We have made the PetroFit package publicly available on GitHub (PetroFit/petrofit) and PyPi (pip install petrofit).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Modeling and synthesis of multicomputer interconnection networks

The type of interconnection network employed has a profound effect on the performance of a multicomputer and multiprocessor design. Adequate models are needed to aid in the design and development of interconnection networks. A novel modeling approach using statistical and optimization techniques is described. This method represents an attempt to compare diverse interconnection network designs in a way that allows not only the best of existing designs to be identified but to suggest other, perhaps hybrid, networks that may offer better performance. Stepwise linear regression is used to develop a polynomial surface representation of performance in a (k+1) space with a total of k quantitative and qualitative independent variables describing graph-theoretic characteristics such as size, average degree, diameter, radius, girth, node-connectivity, edge-connectivity, minimum dominating set size, and maximum number of prime node and edge cutsets. Dependent variables used to measure performance are average message delay and the ratio of message completion rate to network connection cost. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) optimizes a response variable from a polynomial function of several independent variables. Steepest ascent path may also be used to approach optimum points.

Standley, Hilda M.↗

Tidal and atmospheric forcing of the upper ocean in the Gulf of California. I - Sea surface temperature variability

SST variability in the northern Gulf of California is examined on the basis of findings of two years of satellite infrared imagery (1984-1986). Empirical orthogonal functions of the temporal and spatial SST variance for 20 monthly mean images show that the dominant SST patterns are generated by spatially varying tidal mixing in the presence of seasonal heating and cooling. Atmospheric forcing of the northern gulf appears to occur over large spatial scales. Area-averaged SSTs for the Guaymas Basin, island region, and northern basin exhibit significant fluctuations which are highly correlated. These fluctuations in SST correspond to similar fluctuations in the air temperature which are related to synoptic weather events over the gulf. A regression analysis of the SST relative to the fortnightly tidal range shows that tidal mixing occurs over the sills in the island region as well as on the shallow northern shelf. Mixing over the sills occurs as a result of large breaking internal waves of internal hydraulic jumps which mix over water in the upper 300-500 m.

Paden, Cynthia A.↗

GOCI Yonsei Aerosol Retrieval (YAER) Algorithm and Validation During the DRAGON-NE Asia 2012 Campaign

The Geostationary Ocean Color Imager (GOCI) onboard the Communication, Ocean, and Meteorological Satellite (COMS) is the first multi-channel ocean color imager in geostationary orbit. Hourly GOCI top-of-atmosphere radiance has been available for the retrieval of aerosol optical properties over East Asia since March 2011. This study presents improvements made to the GOCI Yonsei Aerosol Retrieval (YAER) algorithm together with validation results during the Distributed Regional Aerosol Gridded Observation Networks - Northeast Asia 2012 campaign (DRAGONNE Asia 2012 campaign). The evaluation during the spring season over East Asia is important because of high aerosol concentrations and diverse types of Asian dust and haze. Optical properties of aerosol are retrieved from the GOCI YAER algorithm including aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 550 nm, fine-mode fraction (FMF) at 550 nm, single-scattering albedo (SSA) at 440 nm, Angstrom exponent (AE) between 440 and 860 nm, and aerosol type. The aerosol models are created based on a global analysis of the Aerosol Robotic Networks (AERONET) inversion data, and covers a broad range of size distribution and absorptivity, including nonspherical dust properties. The Cox-Munk ocean bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) model is used over ocean, and an improved minimum reflectance technique is used over land. Because turbid water is persistent over the Yellow Sea, the land algorithm is used for such cases. The aerosol products are evaluated against AERONET observations and MODIS Collection 6 aerosol products retrieved from Dark Target (DT) and Deep Blue (DB) algorithms during the DRAGON-NE Asia 2012 campaign conducted from March to May 2012. Comparison of AOD from GOCI and AERONET resulted in a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.881 and a linear regression equation with GOCI AOD = 1.083 x AERONET AOD - 0.042. The correlation between GOCI and MODIS AODs is higher over ocean than land. GOCI AOD shows better agreement with MODIS DB than MODIS DT. The other GOCI YAER products (AE, FMF, and SSA) show lower correlation with AERONET than AOD, but still show some skills for qualitative use.

Choi, Myungje↗