Return mapping of phases and the analysis of the gravitational clustering hierarchy

We present spectroscopic and high-speed photometric data of the eclipsing polar V895 Cen. We find that the eclipsed component is consistent with it being the accretion regions on the white dwarf. This is in contrast to Stobie et al. who concluded that the eclipsed component was not the white dwarf. Further, we find no evidence for an accretion disc in our data. From our Doppler tomography results, we find that the white dwarf has   M ≳0.7 M_⊙  . Our indirect imaging of the accretion stream suggests that the stream is brightest close to the white dwarf. When we observed V895 Cen in its highest accretion state, emission was concentrated along field lines leading to the upper pole. There is no evidence for enhanced emission at the magnetic coupling region.     

Multisensor integration using neuron computing for land-vehicle navigation

Most of the present navigation sensor integration techniques are based on Kalman-filtering estimation procedures. Although Kalman filtering represents one of the best solutions for multisensor integration, it still has some drawbacks in terms of stability, computation load, immunity to noise effects and observability. Furthermore, Kalman filters perform adequately only under certain predefined dynamic models. Neuron computing, a technology of artificial neural network (ANN), is a powerful tool for solving nonlinear problems that involve mapping input data to output data without having any prior knowledge about the mathematical process involved. This article suggests a multisensor integration approach for fusing data from an inertial navigation system (INS) and differential global positioning system (DGPS) hardware utilizing multilayer feed-forward neural networks with a back propagation learning algorithm. In addition, it addresses the impact of neural network (NN) parameters and random noise on positioning accuracy. Electronic Publication     

A Risk-Based Approach for Managing Hazardous Waste

In 1992, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed risk-based management of hazardous waste. A major component of the proposed rule is the determination of non-site- specific screening concentration levels from waste leachate. Ground water at a downgradient exposure point must not exceed those screening levels, or more stringent requirements would apply.
The screening concentration level is determined with verified models and equations that simulate the transport and attenuation of chemicals as they travel from the source area to the exposure point. A consortium of screening levels is determined in this paper by considering varying physical, chemical, and biological conditions. In addition, a method is developed for multi component leaching from contaminated soils in a landfill to determine the time-dependent behavior of a finite source. Finally, this paper discusses infiltration rate through the clay liner.     

Merging multiple precipitation sources for flash flood forecasting

We investigated the effectiveness of combining gauge observations and satellite-derived precipitation on flood forecasting. Two data merging processes were proposed: the first one assumes that the individual precipitation measurement is non-bias, while the second process assumes that each precipitation source is biased and both weighting factor and bias parameters are to be calculated. Best weighting factors as well as the bias parameters were calculated by minimizing the error of hourly runoff prediction over Wu-Tu watershed in Taiwan. To simulate the hydrologic response from various sources of rainfall sequences, in our experiment, a recurrent neural network (RNN) model was used.

The results demonstrate that the merged method used in this study can efficiently combine the information from both rainfall sources to improve the accuracy of flood forecasting during typhoon periods. The contribution of satellite-based rainfall, being represented by the weighting factor, to the merging product, however, is highly related to the effectiveness of ground-based rainfall observation provided gauged. As the number of gauge observations in the basin is increased, the effectiveness of satellite-based observation to the merged rainfall is reduced. This is because the gauge measurements provide sufficient information for flood forecasting; as a result the improvements added on satellite-based rainfall are limited. This study provides a potential advantage for extending satellite-derived precipitation to those watersheds where gauge observations are limited.     

Local economic linkages to community‐based tourism in rural Costa Rica

This paper reports on the contribution of tourism to the wellbeing of rural residents through the development of economic linkages engaged by community‐based tourism (CBT) in rural Costa Rica. In a qualitative case study of local economic linkages surrounding one such project in Chira Island, economic linkages were assessed at two levels: discourse and practice. The findings indicate that CBT does not involve the collective property of the community, but rather, the collective property of a group of community members organized in a formal association. As a result, a discourse on local economic linkages has been promoted by CBT support organizations in which hopes of wider benefits are placed on small linkages to services and products provided by local community members. However, a field survey suggested that the economic linkages generated by CBT in the community were sporadic and polyvalent and, furthermore, that the linkages with agriculture are negatively affected by scale and seasonality, resulting in leakages out of the community. These findings caution practitioners that CBT may only have small‐scale positive impacts on the local economy.     

Analysing the Relationship Between Typhoon‐Triggered Landslides and Critical Rainfall Conditions

Many landslides are triggered by rainfall. Previous studies of the relationship between landslides and rainfall have concentrated on deriving minimum rainfall thresholds that are likely to trigger landslides. Though useful, these minimum thresholds derived from a log–log plot do not offer any measure of confidence in a landslide monitoring or warning system. This study presents a new and innovative method for incorporating rainfall into landslide modelling and prediction. The method involves three steps: compiling radar reflectivity data in a QPESUMS (quantitative precipitation estimation and segregation using multiple sensors) system during a typhoon (tropical hurricane) event, estimating rainfall from radar data and using rainfall intensity and rainfall duration as explanatory variables to develop a landslide logit model. Given the logit model, this paper discusses ways in which the model can be used for computing probabilities of landslide occurrence for a real‐time monitoring system or a warning system, and for delineating and mapping landslides. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.