Evaluation of Keypoint Descriptors for Flight Simulator Cockpit Elements: WrightBroS Database

The goal of the WrightBroS project is to design a system supporting the training of pilots in a flight simulator. The desired software should work on smart glasses supplementing the visual information with augmented reality data, displaying, for instance, additional training information or descriptions of visible devices in real time. Therefore, the rapid recognition of observed objects and their exact positioning is crucial for successful deployment. The keypoint descriptor approach is a natural framework that is used for this purpose. For this to be applied, the thorough examination of specific keypoint location methods and types of keypoint descriptors is required first, as these are essential factors that affect the overall accuracy of the approach. In the presented research, we prepared a dedicated database presenting 27 various devices of flight simulator. Then, we used it to compare existing state-of-the-art techniques and verify their applicability. We investigated the time necessary for the computation of a keypoint position, the time needed for the preparation of a descriptor, and the classification accuracy of the considered approaches. In total, we compared the outcomes of 12 keypoint location methods and 10 keypoint descriptors. The best scores recorded for our database were almost 96% for a combination of the ORB method for keypoint localization followed by the BRISK approach as a descriptor.

Crosscorrelation migration of microseismic source locations with hybrid imaging condition

Locating microseismic sources is critical to monitor the hydraulic fractures that occur during fluid extraction/injection in unconventional oil or gas exploration. Waveform-based seismic location methods can reliably and automatically image weak microseismic source locations without phase picking. Among them, the cross-correlation migration (CCM) method can avoid excitation time scanning by generating virtual gathers. We propose a CCM location method based on the hybrid imaging condition (HIC). There are four main steps in the implementation of this method: 1) selection of receivers with good azimuthal coverage; 2) generation of virtual gathers by correlating the reference receiver with the rest of the receivers; 3) summation of back-projections in the virtual gathers; and 4) multiplication of all summations. The CCM-HIC method was tested on synthetic and field datasets, and the results were compared with those obtained by conventional summation imaging condition (SIC) and multiplication imaging condition (MIC). The comparison results demonstrate that the CCM-HIC is sufficiently robust to obtain better stability and higher spatial resolution image of source location, despite the presence of strong noise.

Evaluating strategies for spatial allocation of vaccines based on risk and centrality

When vaccinating a large population in response to an invading pathogen, it is often necessary to prioritise some individuals to be vaccinated first. One way to do this is to choose individuals to vaccinate based on their location. Methods for this prioritisation include strategies which target those regions most at risk of importing the pathogen, and strategies which target regions with high centrality on the travel network. We use a simple infectious disease epidemic model to compare a risk-targeting strategy to two different centrality-targeting strategies based on betweenness centrality and random walk percolation centrality, respectively. We find that the relative effectiveness of these strategies in reducing the total number of infections varies with the basic reproduction number of the pathogen, travel rates, structure of the travel network, and vaccine availability. We conclude that, when a pathogen has high spreading capacity, or when vaccine availability is limited, centrality-targeting strategies should be considered as an alternative to the more commonly used risk-targeting strategies.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Target Location Methods for Depression

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a substantial global public health problem in need of novel and effective treatment strategies. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive and promising treatment for depression that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the methodological weaknesses of existing work impairs the universal clinical use of rTMS. The variation of stimulated targets across the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may account for most of the heterogeneity in the efficacy of rTMS. Many rTMS target location methods for MDD have been developed in recent decades. This review was conducted to assess this emerging field and to improve treatment outcomes in clinical practice.

Joint microseismic moment tensor inversion and location using P- and S-waves diffraction stacking

The microseismic location methods based on diffraction stacking which does not require arrival picking can yield accurate and reliable source location for data with a low signal-to-noise ratio. However, due to the complex radiation pattern from a rupturing source, variation in the waveform polarities brings challenges to the diffraction-stacking based methods. The current implementations of joint source mechanism inversion and location methods which only use P-wave amplitudes have limitations in noise resistance and location accuracy. To mitigate those issues, we develop a new method for joint microseismic moment tensor inversion and event location using diffraction stacking with P- and S-waves amplitudes, both of which are used to invert for the moment tensor of a microseismic event, and then the inverted moment tensor is used to correct the waveform polarity changes before stacking. In addition, to expedite the large amount of calculations required for moment tensor inversion at each potential source position and origin time, we develop an optimized grid search scheme and implement the algorithm with GPUs. The proposed location method does not require manual picking of the first arrivals, and can automatically detect and locate microseismic events from continuous data. We first validated the method with two synthetic examples, and then applied it to a surface monitoring dataset for hydraulic fracturing at a shale gas well pad in the southern Sichuan Basin, China, where billions of cubic meters of shale gas are being produced annually. The locations of the microseismic events are nicely correlated with the fracturing stages and the determined source mechanisms are also consistent with the expected fracture growth. The proposed method is feasible for microseismic surface monitoring with dense nodal arrays and can provide important information for fracture growth and regional stress characterization.

A Review of methodologies for Fault Location Techniques in Distribution Power System

Since recent societies become more hooked into electricity, a higher level of power supply continuity is required from power systems. The expansion of those systems makes them liable to electrical faults and several failures are raised due to totally different causes, like the lightning strike, power system element failure caused by mechanical aging as well as human mistakes. These conditions impact the stability of the power as well as lead to costly maintenance and loss of output. This article examines the latest technologies and strategies to determine the location of faults in medium voltage distribution systems. The aim is to classify and assess different strategies in order to determine the best recommended models in practice or for further improvement. Several ways to locate failures in distribution networks have therefore been established. Because faults are unpredictable, quick fault location as well as isolating are necessary to reduce the impact of faults in distribution networks as well as removing the emergency condition from the entire system. This study also includes a comprehensive evaluation of several defect location methods depending on the algorithm employed, the input, the test system, the characteristics retrieved, and the degree of complexity. In order to gain further insight into the strengths and limitations of each method and also comparative analysis is carried out. Then the main problems of the fault location methods in distribution network are briefly expounded

​Effects of Microbial Fertilizer and Vermicompost Applications on the Yield and Yield Related Parameters of Broad Bean (Vicia faba L.) under Eastern Mediterranean Highland Agroclimatic Conditions

Background: This study was conducted to determine the effects of microbial fertilizer and vermicompost applications on the yield and yield related parameters of broad beans (Vicia faba L.) under zero chemical fertilizer applied conditions. Trial area was a highland remote to sea under Mediterranean climate in South Eastern Anatolia of Turkey. It is located in fertile crescent and 180 km away to Karacadag Mountains (Diyarbakir) where Einkorn wheat (Aegilops monococcum L.) was first cultivated in history approximately ten thousand years ago. The broad bean was also among the founder crops of the Near East including the trial location. Methods: Rhizobium leguminosarum inoculant were used as microbial fertilizer in the experiments. Applied vermicompost doses were 0, 400, 800 and 1200 kg ha-1. The trials was conducted for two years and replicated thrice in a randomized block deign. Conclusion: Application of vermicompost was found significantly effective on the plant height, first pod height, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, 100 grain weight and grain yield. Aapplication of 800 kg ha-1 and 120 kg ha-1 vermicompost along with Rhizobium leguminosarum inoculation was found superior for grain yield.

Counter-Passive Coherent Locator (C-PCL)—A Method of Remote Detection of Passive Radars for Electronic Warfare Systems

Passive Coherent Location methods and techniques have an established position in the modern state-of-the-art radar. Inexpensive, easy to deploy and undetectable for other sensors, passive radars are growing in popularity. Due to that, a need arises to develop proper methods of any possible kind of countermeasure. In this work, a method of detection and localization of hidden PCL systems is proposed. Authors exploit certain physical features of an RF receiver in order to detect such a passive systems. Results of selected hardware measurements are presented as a proof of concept. Summarized findings are followed by an extensive discussion of conditions related with the method implementation in a real world scenarios.