Constructing sophisticated refractivity models is one of the key problems for the RFC(refractivity from clutter)technology. If prior knowledge of the local refractivity environment is available, more accurate paramete...Constructing sophisticated refractivity models is one of the key problems for the RFC(refractivity from clutter)technology. If prior knowledge of the local refractivity environment is available, more accurate parameterized model can be constructed from the statistical information, which in turn can be used to improve the quality of the local refractivity retrievals. The validity of this proposal was demonstrated by range-dependent refractivity profile inversions using the adjoint parabolic equation method to the Wallops’ 98 experimental data.展开更多
An improved retrieval method, which uses the solution with a Gaussian constraint as the initial state variables for the Kalman Filtering （KF） method, was developed to retrieve the wet refractivity profiles from slan...An improved retrieval method, which uses the solution with a Gaussian constraint as the initial state variables for the Kalman Filtering （KF） method, was developed to retrieve the wet refractivity profiles from slant wet delays （SWD） extracted by the double-differenced （DD） GPS method. The accuracy of the GPS-derived SWDs is also tested in this study against the measurements of a water vapor radiometer （WVR） and a weather model. It is concluded that the GPS-derived SWDs have similar accuracy to those measured with WVR and are much higher in quality than those derived from the weather model used. The developed method is used to retrieve the 3D wet refractivity distribution in the Hong Kong region. The retrieved profiles agree well with the radiosonde observations, with a difference of about 4 mm km^- 1 in the low levels. The accurate profiles obtained with this method are applicable in a number of meteorological applications.展开更多
The estimation of lower atmospheric refractivity from radar sea clutter（RFC） is a complicated nonlinear optimization problem.This paper deals with the RFC problem in a Bayesian framework.It uses the unbiased Markov ...The estimation of lower atmospheric refractivity from radar sea clutter（RFC） is a complicated nonlinear optimization problem.This paper deals with the RFC problem in a Bayesian framework.It uses the unbiased Markov Chain Monte Carlo（MCMC） sampling technique,which can provide accurate posterior probability distributions of the estimated refractivity parameters by using an electromagnetic split-step fast Fourier transform terrain parabolic equation propagation model within a Bayesian inversion framework.In contrast to the global optimization algorithm,the Bayesian-MCMC can obtain not only the approximate solutions,but also the probability distributions of the solutions,that is,uncertainty analyses of solutions.The Bayesian-MCMC algorithm is implemented on the simulation radar sea-clutter data and the real radar seaclutter data.Reference data are assumed to be simulation data and refractivity profiles are obtained using a helicopter.The inversion algorithm is assessed（i） by comparing the estimated refractivity profiles from the assumed simulation and the helicopter sounding data;（ii） the one-dimensional（1D） and two-dimensional（2D） posterior probability distribution of solutions.展开更多
In recent years, radio occultation （RO） technology making use of global positioning system （GPS） signals has been exploited to obtain profiles of atmospheric parameters in the neutral atmosphere. In this paper, th...In recent years, radio occultation （RO） technology making use of global positioning system （GPS） signals has been exploited to obtain profiles of atmospheric parameters in the neutral atmosphere. In this paper, the RO refractivity profiles obtained from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate （COSMIC） mission are statistically compared with the observations of 38 radiosonde stations provided by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology during the period from 15 July 2006 through 15 July 2007. Different collocation criteria are compared at first, and COSMIC RO soundings that occur within 3 hours and 300 km of radiosonde measurements are used for the final statistical comparison. The overall results show that the agreements between the COSMIC refractivity profiles and the radiosonde soundings from the 38 stations are very good at 0-30 km altitude, with mean absolute relative refractivity deviations of less than 0.5%. Latitudinal comparisons indicate that there are negative refractivity deviations in the lower troposphere over the low latitude and middle latitude regions and large standard deviations exist in the lower troposphere of low latitude regions, which can reach up to ～6%. The comparisons of COSMIC RO refractivity profiles and radiosonde observations for 3 polar stations in four different seasons indicate that the accuracy of GPS RO profiles is better in the Austral summer and autumn than in the Austral spring and winter during the year from September 2006 to August 2007.展开更多
This paper presents a novel approach for assessing the precision of the wet refractivity field using BDS （BeiDou navigation satellite system） simulations only,GPS,and BDS＋GPS for the Shenzhen and Hongkong GNSS netw...This paper presents a novel approach for assessing the precision of the wet refractivity field using BDS （BeiDou navigation satellite system） simulations only,GPS,and BDS＋GPS for the Shenzhen and Hongkong GNSS network.The simulations are carried out by adding artificial noise to a real observation dataset.Instead of using the δ and σ parameters computed from slant wet delay,as in previous studies,we employ the Bias and RMS parameters,computed from the tomography results of total voxels,in order to obtain a more direct and comprehensive evaluation of the precision of the refractivity field determination.The results show that：（1） the precision of tropospheric wet refractivity estimated using BDS alone （only 9 satellites used） is basically comparable to that of GPS; （2） BDS＋GPS （as of current operation） may not be able to significantly improve the data＇s spatial density for the application of refractivity tomography; and （3） any slight increase in the precision of refractivity tomography,particularly in the lower atmosphere,bears great significance for any applications dependent on the Chinese operational meteorological service.展开更多
In the present reported study, the vertical distributions of local atmospheric refractivity were retrieved from ground- based GPS observations at low elevation angles. An improved optimization method was implemented a...In the present reported study, the vertical distributions of local atmospheric refractivity were retrieved from ground- based GPS observations at low elevation angles. An improved optimization method was implemented at altitudes of 0-10 km to search for a best-fit refractivity profile that resulted in atmospheric delays most similar to the delays calculated from the observations. A ray-tracing model was used to simulate neutral atmospheric delays corresponding to a given refractivity profile. We initially performed a ＂theoretical retrieval＂, in which no observation data were involved, to verify the optimization method. A statistical relative error of this ＂theoretical retrieval＂ （-2% to 2%） indicated that such a retrieval is effective. In a practical retrieval, observations were obtained using a dual-frequency GPS receiver, and its initial value was provided by CIRA86aQ_UoG data. The statistical relative errors of the practical retrieval range from -3% to 5% were compared with co-located radiosonde measurements, Results clearly revealed diurnal variations in local refractivity prc,files, The results also suggest that the general vertical distribution of refractivity can be derived with a high temporal resolution. However, further study is needed to describe the vertical refractivity gradient clearly.展开更多
This paper addresses the probability of atmospheric refractivity estimation by using field measurements at an array of radio receivers in terms of angle-of-arrival spectrum. Angle-of-arrival spectrum information is si...This paper addresses the probability of atmospheric refractivity estimation by using field measurements at an array of radio receivers in terms of angle-of-arrival spectrum. Angle-of-arrival spectrum information is simulated by the ray optics model and refractivity is expressed in the presence of an ideal tri-linear profile. The estimation of the refractivity is organized as an optimization problem and a genetic Mgorithm is used to search for the optimal solution from various trial refractivity profiles. Theoretical analysis demonstrates the feasibility of this method to retrieve the refractivity parameters. Simulation results indicate that this approach has a fair anti-noise ability and its accuracy performance is mainly dependent on the antenna aperture size and its positions.展开更多
Particles swarm optimization（PSO） and differential evolution（DE） algorithms based on optimization are employed to estimate low atmospheric refractivity profiles from radar sea clutter.Low atmospheric refractivity ...Particles swarm optimization（PSO） and differential evolution（DE） algorithms based on optimization are employed to estimate low atmospheric refractivity profiles from radar sea clutter.Low atmospheric refractivity profiles are modeled as evaporation ducts.The objective functions,which are used to evaluate the fit of simulated and measured power in estimation procedures,are also investigated at different frequencies such as L-,S-,C-and X-frequency at 10 m/s wind speeds.The results show that all the objective functions are multi-peak functions.The Adjusted Barton Model of radar cross section（RCS） is adopted.PSO and DE algorithms are compared with genetic algorithm（GA） by 200 Monte Carlo simulation estimations.Simulation results indicate that DE has the best global search ability,and PSO has the highest success probability.According to the statistical results,PSO algorithm with the population size 30 is the appropriate way for evaporation duct estimation.展开更多
Because they are most sensitive to atmospheric moisture content, radar refractivity observations can provide high-resolution information about the highly variable low-level moisture field. In this study, simulated rad...Because they are most sensitive to atmospheric moisture content, radar refractivity observations can provide high-resolution information about the highly variable low-level moisture field. In this study, simulated radar refractivity-related phase-change data were created using a radar simulator from realistic highresolution model simulation data for a dryline case. These data were analyzed using the 2DVAR system developed specifically for the phase-change data. Two sets of experiments with the simulated observations were performed, one assuming a uniform target spacing of 250 m and one assuming nonuniform spacing between 250 m to 4 km. Several sources of observation error were considered, and their impacts were examined. They included errors due to ground target position uncertainty, typical random errors associated with radar measurements, and gross error due to phase wrapping. Without any additional information, the 2DVAR system was incapable of dealing with phase-wrapped data directly. When there was no phase wrapping in the data, the 2DVAR produced ex- cellent analyses, even in the presence of both position uncertainty and random radar measurement errors. When a separate pre-processing step was applied to unwrap the phase-wrapped data, quality moisture anal- yses were again obtained, although the analyses were smoother due to the reduced effective resolution of the observations by interpolation and smoothing involved in the unwrapping procedure. The unwrapping procedure was effective even when significant differences existed between the analyzed state and the state at a reference time. The results affirm the promise of using radar refractivity phase-change measurements for near-surface moisture analysis.展开更多
This study is an effort to investigate the spatial-temporal variability of the modified refractivity gradient at the 700 hPa pressure level over Pakistan and its neighbouring regions of Afghanistan, India, Iran and th...This study is an effort to investigate the spatial-temporal variability of the modified refractivity gradient at the 700 hPa pressure level over Pakistan and its neighbouring regions of Afghanistan, India, Iran and the Arabian Sea using the remote sensing data of the AQUA (AIRX3STM) satellite from 2008 to 2012. Trapping conditions only found in December were spread over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan) with an average value of -182.042 M/Km and showing Leptokurtic distributions. The lowest monthly average value super-refractive conditions existed in the autumn season with a strong monthly correlation (>0.91 M/Km). A very high monthly correlation (0.9 M/Km) was found for the super-refractive conditions over the whole time period. The largest spatial and temporal normal conditions appeared in January with the average value for normal conditions being 132.72 M/Km (found over Zabul, Afghanistan) with Leptokurtic distributions. During May normal conditions were the smallest in spatial extent over Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, showing Platykurtic distributions. Sub-refractive conditions mostly prevailed at all times. The probability for extreme sub-refractive conditions was very high in 2008-2012. The highest average sub-refractive conditions appeared in the winter and autumn seasons (spread around Quetta and Kalam, Pakistan). The highest monthly average sub-refractive conditions with a value of 1,265,188 M/Km were found in January and spread around the Sarbaz River Iran. Correlations for the existence of sub-refractive conditions varied from 0.8 M/Km (moderate strong) to 0.4 M/Km during the autumn to winter season. Permanent super-refractive conditions existed over Baluchistan from February to September.展开更多
The present paper reports the modification in GPS TEC (total electron content) and atmospheric refractivity prior to the Iran earthquake that had occurred on 16 April 2013 in Iran (28.10°N, 62.05°E). The ana...The present paper reports the modification in GPS TEC (total electron content) and atmospheric refractivity prior to the Iran earthquake that had occurred on 16 April 2013 in Iran (28.10°N, 62.05°E). The analysis of GPS-based TEC from two GPS receivers, Surat (21.16°N, 72.78°E) and Lucknow (26.91°N, 80.95°E ) and results of atmospheric refractivity profile for radiosonde observation stations (Shiraz, Iran and Delhi, India) around the fault line are presented in this paper. It is seen that atmospheric refractivity gets modified from 8 to 6 days prior to the earthquake at Shiraz, Iran and Delhi, India. The GPS TEC showed variations a few days prior to the earthquake. We conclude that in search of precursory signatures for an earthquake, both GPS TEC and refractivity are important parameters.展开更多
This paper addresses the problem of estimating lower atmospheric refractivity under the nonstandard propagation conditions frequently encountered in low altitude maritime radar applications. The vertical structure of ...This paper addresses the problem of estimating lower atmospheric refractivity under the nonstandard propagation conditions frequently encountered in low altitude maritime radar applications. The vertical structure of the refractive environment is modeled by using a five-parameter model, and the horizontal structure is modeled as range-independent. The electromagnetic propagation in the troposphere is simulated by using a split-step fast Fourier transform based on parabolic approximation to the wave equation. A global search marked as a modified genetic algorithm （MGA） for the 5 environmental parameters is performed by using a genetic algorithm （GA） integrated with a simulated annealing technique. The retrieved results from simulated runs demonstrate the ability of this method to make atmospheric refractivity estimations. A comparison with the classical GA and the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo （Bayesian- MCMC） technique shows that the MGA can not only shorten the inverse time but also improve the inverse precision. For real data cases, the inversion values do not match the reference data very well. The inverted profile, however, can be used to synoptically describe the real refractive structure.展开更多
In this study, the variation of radio refractivity with respect to temperature and moisture is analyzed. Also, the effects of vertical gradients in temperature and moisture on the propagation paths of electromagnetic ...In this study, the variation of radio refractivity with respect to temperature and moisture is analyzed. Also, the effects of vertical gradients in temperature and moisture on the propagation paths of electromagnetic waves of weather radar are examined for several sites across the United States using several years of sounding data from the National Weather Service. The ray path is important for identifying storm characteristics and for properly using the radar data in initializing numerical weather prediction models. It is found that during the warm season the radio refractivity gradient is more sensitive to moisture gradients than to temperature gradients. Ray paths from the commonly accepted vertical ray path model are compared to a ray path computed from a stepwise ray tracing algorithm using data from actual soundings. For the sample of about 16 000 soundings examined, we find that only a small fraction of the ray paths diverge significantly from those calculated using a ray path model based on the US Standard Atmosphere. While the problem of ray dueting in the presence of a temperature inversion is fairly well known, we identify the presence of a strong vertical moisture gradient as the culprit in the majority of the cases where significant deviations occurred.展开更多
A meteorological data acquisition system is built using a PIC16F877A microcontroller and electric output-based sensors. This system is programmed in C language using the PCWH compiler. It is smart, accurate, cheap, sm...A meteorological data acquisition system is built using a PIC16F877A microcontroller and electric output-based sensors. This system is programmed in C language using the PCWH compiler. It is smart, accurate, cheap, small, light and easily movable. It is designed to automatically get instantaneous measurements of air temperature, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity. Depending on their utilisation, these measurements are collected with repetition rate tuneable from one minute to one hour. They are displayed on LCD screen and transferred to a personal computer where they are stored and processed. As an application, such data are recorded in situ and used to estimate the radio refractivity of air near the ground in real time. This parameter is necessary to account for the propagation of radiofrequency waves through the lower atmosphere, during wireless transmissions.展开更多
Air masses in the atmosphere have contrasting temperature, humidity and moisture, which influence radio signals traversing the atmosphere. The influence of the atmosphere on refractivity is strongly determined by its ...Air masses in the atmosphere have contrasting temperature, humidity and moisture, which influence radio signals traversing the atmosphere. The influence of the atmosphere on refractivity is strongly determined by its temporal and spatial variability. This paper uses meteorological measurements to investigate the impact of meteorological structures on diverse environments evident in Nigeria. The study hypothesises that refractivity measures could serve as indicators of diurnal radio wave degradation traversing the atmosphere.展开更多
AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of the total computer vision syndrome questionnaire(CVS-Q)score as a predictive tool for identifying individuals with symptomatic binocular vision anomalies and refractive errors.METHODS:A...AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of the total computer vision syndrome questionnaire(CVS-Q)score as a predictive tool for identifying individuals with symptomatic binocular vision anomalies and refractive errors.METHODS:A total of 141 healthy computer users underwent comprehensive clinical visual function assessments,including evaluations of refractive errors,accommodation(amplitude of accommodation,positive relative accommodation,negative relative accommodation,accommodative accuracy,and accommodative facility),and vergence(phoria,positive and negative fusional vergence,near point of convergence,and vergence facility).Total CVS-Q scores were recorded to explore potential associations between symptom scores and the aforementioned clinical visual function parameters.RESULTS:The cohort included 54 males(38.3%)with a mean age of 23.9±0.58y and 87 age-matched females(61.7%)with a mean age of 23.9±0.53y.The multiple regression model was statistically significant[R²=0.60,F=13.28,degrees of freedom(DF=17122,P<0.001].This indicates that 60%of the variance in total CVS-Q scores(reflecting reported symptoms)could be explained by four clinical measurements:amplitude of accommodation,positive relative accommodation,exophoria at distance and near,and positive fusional vergence at near.CONCLUSION:The total CVS-Q score is a valid and reliable tool for predicting the presence of various nonstrabismic binocular vision anomalies and refractive errors in symptomatic computer users.展开更多
AIM:To ascertain the pattern of ocular morbidity in a population of primary school children in rural Kenya as it is a prerequisite for planning effective preventive and therapeutic strategies.METHODS:A cross-sectional...AIM:To ascertain the pattern of ocular morbidity in a population of primary school children in rural Kenya as it is a prerequisite for planning effective preventive and therapeutic strategies.METHODS:A cross-sectional survey of ocular symptoms and clinical eye examinations were performed in a sample of 35 rural primary schools in the semi-arid region of Kajiado West sub-county in S.W.Kenya,amongst a seminomadic tribe(Maasai).Students in Grades 1-8 were included.Visual acuity was measured using the Snellen“tumbling E”chart at 6 m.Children with symptoms of refractive error underwent non-cycloplegic refraction.RESULTS:A total of 2036 children(1084 males)between the ages of 4-20y were examined.Conjunctival actinic changes were present in 22%(442/2036).Nine cases were seen with a potential squamous carcinoma.No overt classical ocular signs of vitamin A deficiency were noted,although 181(8.9%)children complained of nyctalopia.Three hundred thirty-six(16.5%)children had a visual acuity worse than 6/12 in either eye,were unable to read N10 near text at 40 cm or had symptoms suggestive of refractive error.Refractive data led to an estimate of hyperopia of+1.00 D or more in 3.9%and of myopia of-0.50 D or more in either eye in 3.0%of the study population.CONCLUSION:Solar exposure-and dust-related conjunctival pathology is common.As this may develop into potentially sight-or even life-threatening conditions,it warrants further study,and preventive strategies may be needed.Complaints of nyctalopia were common and could suggest vitamin A deficiency.The prevalence of refractive errors is low in this rural African population.展开更多
Dear Editor,We present this case report which discusses a patient who underwent flap amputation after repeated attempts to resolve persistent and severe epithelial ingrowth following laser-assisted in situ keratomileu...Dear Editor,We present this case report which discusses a patient who underwent flap amputation after repeated attempts to resolve persistent and severe epithelial ingrowth following laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis(LASIK)surgery.Epithelial ingrowth is a known complication of LASIK surgery,typically manageable with minimal measures.However,severe cases may necessitate more aggressive interventions,such as flap amputation[1].LASIK is a widely performed refractive surgery with high success rates and excellent visual outcome[2].展开更多
In this paper,we have calculated the structural,electronic,and optical properties of chalcogenide stannite Cu_(2)CdSnX4(X=S,Se,Te) materials.The calculations are based on the density functional theory (DFT) method and...In this paper,we have calculated the structural,electronic,and optical properties of chalcogenide stannite Cu_(2)CdSnX4(X=S,Se,Te) materials.The calculations are based on the density functional theory (DFT) method and are performed using the Cambridge sequential total energy package (CASTEP) code included in the Biovia Material Studio 20 software.All optical properties have been studied in a domain that extends energetically from 10 meV to 40 eV.Our results show that Cu_(2)CdSnX4(X=S,Se,Te) stannite exhibits absorption in the visible region,the refractive index decreases with increasing energy,and the refractive index values are n=3.2,3.73 and 3.75 for Cu_(2)CdSnS_(4),Cu_(2)CdSnSe_(4)and Cu_(2)CdSnTe_(4),respectively.They show also high conductivity,which implies that this material is promising for solar cells.These results argue in favor of the use of these materials in various potential applications.The density of state,band structures,and structural properties of Cu_(2)CdSnX4(X=S,Se,and Te) stannite are also studied in this work.展开更多
AIM:To evaluate the visual outcomes of implantable collamer lenses(ICLs)and identify the possible risk factors for ICL axis misalignment,and consequently,repositioning,explanting,or exchanging at a specialized eye hos...AIM:To evaluate the visual outcomes of implantable collamer lenses(ICLs)and identify the possible risk factors for ICL axis misalignment,and consequently,repositioning,explanting,or exchanging at a specialized eye hospital in Saudi Arabia.METHODS:The medical records of 813 eyes with different refractive errors corrected with ICL implantation were identified and included in this single-arm retrospective cohort study.The following data were collected:demographic characteristics,primary diagnosis,preoperative refraction,anterior chamber depth(ACD),white-to-white(WTW)measurement,endothelial cell density(ECD),and axial length.Patients’satisfaction and complaints,and their postoperative refraction,vault depth,and axis alignment with the preoperative target,were reviewed during the postoperative period.Collectively,these data were correlated with symptomatic axis rotation and the need for repositioning,explantation,or exchange due to high or low ICL vaults.RESULTS:Of 813 eyes,27(3.32%),13(1.59%),and 11(1.35%)required ICL repositioning,ICL explantation only without exchange,and ICL explantation with the placement of a new ICL,respectively.The mean follow-up period was 37.5mo.The main cause of explanation or exchange was incorrect WTW measurement in seven(29.17%)eyes,followed by high vault in four(16.56%)eyes.ICL repositioning was required in 27(3.32%)eyes with considerable rotation.Only 2(0.24%)eyes developed cataracts that required ICL removal,and retinal complications were reported in 7(0.86%)eyes.Long-term glaucoma and corneal decompensation were not observed in this cohort.CONCLUSION:With a high safety profile and reversibility,ICL implantation is a good alternative to corneal-based refractive surgery in eyes unsuitable for laser vision correction.The rate of secondary procedures in our study was 6.26%.Old age is a risk factor for secondary surgical interventions in the repositioning group,whereas abnormal vault and toric ICL rotation in the explantation group necessitated subsequent surgical procedures.Overall,ICL implantation demonstrates a good efficacy index and safety profile in patients with diverse refractive errors.展开更多
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.41775027 and 41405025)
文摘Constructing sophisticated refractivity models is one of the key problems for the RFC(refractivity from clutter)technology. If prior knowledge of the local refractivity environment is available, more accurate parameterized model can be constructed from the statistical information, which in turn can be used to improve the quality of the local refractivity retrievals. The validity of this proposal was demonstrated by range-dependent refractivity profile inversions using the adjoint parabolic equation method to the Wallops’ 98 experimental data.
文摘An improved retrieval method, which uses the solution with a Gaussian constraint as the initial state variables for the Kalman Filtering （KF） method, was developed to retrieve the wet refractivity profiles from slant wet delays （SWD） extracted by the double-differenced （DD） GPS method. The accuracy of the GPS-derived SWDs is also tested in this study against the measurements of a water vapor radiometer （WVR） and a weather model. It is concluded that the GPS-derived SWDs have similar accuracy to those measured with WVR and are much higher in quality than those derived from the weather model used. The developed method is used to retrieve the 3D wet refractivity distribution in the Hong Kong region. The retrieved profiles agree well with the radiosonde observations, with a difference of about 4 mm km^- 1 in the low levels. The accurate profiles obtained with this method are applicable in a number of meteorological applications.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41105013)the National Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province,China (Grant No. BK2011122)+1 种基金the Open Issue Foundation of Key Laboratory of Meteorological Disaster of Ministry of Education,China (Grant No. KLME1109)the City Meteorological Scientific Research Fund,China (Grant No. IUMKY&UMRF201111)
文摘The estimation of lower atmospheric refractivity from radar sea clutter（RFC） is a complicated nonlinear optimization problem.This paper deals with the RFC problem in a Bayesian framework.It uses the unbiased Markov Chain Monte Carlo（MCMC） sampling technique,which can provide accurate posterior probability distributions of the estimated refractivity parameters by using an electromagnetic split-step fast Fourier transform terrain parabolic equation propagation model within a Bayesian inversion framework.In contrast to the global optimization algorithm,the Bayesian-MCMC can obtain not only the approximate solutions,but also the probability distributions of the solutions,that is,uncertainty analyses of solutions.The Bayesian-MCMC algorithm is implemented on the simulation radar sea-clutter data and the real radar seaclutter data.Reference data are assumed to be simulation data and refractivity profiles are obtained using a helicopter.The inversion algorithm is assessed（i） by comparing the estimated refractivity profiles from the assumed simulation and the helicopter sounding data;（ii） the one-dimensional（1D） and two-dimensional（2D） posterior probability distribution of solutions.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.40904002 and 40804004)the China-Australia Special Fund of International Collaborative Scientific Research Project(Grant No.40911120024)+1 种基金the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Project,Grant No.2006CB701301)the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(863 Project,Grant No.2007AA12Z339)
文摘In recent years, radio occultation （RO） technology making use of global positioning system （GPS） signals has been exploited to obtain profiles of atmospheric parameters in the neutral atmosphere. In this paper, the RO refractivity profiles obtained from the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate （COSMIC） mission are statistically compared with the observations of 38 radiosonde stations provided by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology during the period from 15 July 2006 through 15 July 2007. Different collocation criteria are compared at first, and COSMIC RO soundings that occur within 3 hours and 300 km of radiosonde measurements are used for the final statistical comparison. The overall results show that the agreements between the COSMIC refractivity profiles and the radiosonde soundings from the 38 stations are very good at 0-30 km altitude, with mean absolute relative refractivity deviations of less than 0.5%. Latitudinal comparisons indicate that there are negative refractivity deviations in the lower troposphere over the low latitude and middle latitude regions and large standard deviations exist in the lower troposphere of low latitude regions, which can reach up to ～6%. The comparisons of COSMIC RO refractivity profiles and radiosonde observations for 3 polar stations in four different seasons indicate that the accuracy of GPS RO profiles is better in the Austral summer and autumn than in the Austral spring and winter during the year from September 2006 to August 2007.
基金supported by the National Basic ResearchDevelopment (973) Program of China (Grant No. 2012CB955903)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 20907047 and Grant No. 71373131)National Industry-specific Topics (Grant No.GYHY 201406078)
文摘This paper presents a novel approach for assessing the precision of the wet refractivity field using BDS （BeiDou navigation satellite system） simulations only,GPS,and BDS＋GPS for the Shenzhen and Hongkong GNSS network.The simulations are carried out by adding artificial noise to a real observation dataset.Instead of using the δ and σ parameters computed from slant wet delay,as in previous studies,we employ the Bias and RMS parameters,computed from the tomography results of total voxels,in order to obtain a more direct and comprehensive evaluation of the precision of the refractivity field determination.The results show that：（1） the precision of tropospheric wet refractivity estimated using BDS alone （only 9 satellites used） is basically comparable to that of GPS; （2） BDS＋GPS （as of current operation） may not be able to significantly improve the data＇s spatial density for the application of refractivity tomography; and （3） any slight increase in the precision of refractivity tomography,particularly in the lower atmosphere,bears great significance for any applications dependent on the Chinese operational meteorological service.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) under Grant No. 2010CB428601the Open Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Satellite Ocean Environment Dynamics under Contract No. SOED0705the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
文摘In the present reported study, the vertical distributions of local atmospheric refractivity were retrieved from ground- based GPS observations at low elevation angles. An improved optimization method was implemented at altitudes of 0-10 km to search for a best-fit refractivity profile that resulted in atmospheric delays most similar to the delays calculated from the observations. A ray-tracing model was used to simulate neutral atmospheric delays corresponding to a given refractivity profile. We initially performed a ＂theoretical retrieval＂, in which no observation data were involved, to verify the optimization method. A statistical relative error of this ＂theoretical retrieval＂ （-2% to 2%） indicated that such a retrieval is effective. In a practical retrieval, observations were obtained using a dual-frequency GPS receiver, and its initial value was provided by CIRA86aQ_UoG data. The statistical relative errors of the practical retrieval range from -3% to 5% were compared with co-located radiosonde measurements, Results clearly revealed diurnal variations in local refractivity prc,files, The results also suggest that the general vertical distribution of refractivity can be derived with a high temporal resolution. However, further study is needed to describe the vertical refractivity gradient clearly.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40775023)
文摘This paper addresses the probability of atmospheric refractivity estimation by using field measurements at an array of radio receivers in terms of angle-of-arrival spectrum. Angle-of-arrival spectrum information is simulated by the ray optics model and refractivity is expressed in the presence of an ideal tri-linear profile. The estimation of the refractivity is organized as an optimization problem and a genetic Mgorithm is used to search for the optimal solution from various trial refractivity profiles. Theoretical analysis demonstrates the feasibility of this method to retrieve the refractivity parameters. Simulation results indicate that this approach has a fair anti-noise ability and its accuracy performance is mainly dependent on the antenna aperture size and its positions.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (60771038)the National Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Environment Foundation of China (9140C0802050703)
文摘Particles swarm optimization（PSO） and differential evolution（DE） algorithms based on optimization are employed to estimate low atmospheric refractivity profiles from radar sea clutter.Low atmospheric refractivity profiles are modeled as evaporation ducts.The objective functions,which are used to evaluate the fit of simulated and measured power in estimation procedures,are also investigated at different frequencies such as L-,S-,C-and X-frequency at 10 m/s wind speeds.The results show that all the objective functions are multi-peak functions.The Adjusted Barton Model of radar cross section（RCS） is adopted.PSO and DE algorithms are compared with genetic algorithm（GA） by 200 Monte Carlo simulation estimations.Simulation results indicate that DE has the best global search ability,and PSO has the highest success probability.According to the statistical results,PSO algorithm with the population size 30 is the appropriate way for evaporation duct estimation.
基金supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant No. AGS-0750790)supported by the NSF grants (Grant Nos. AGS-0802888,OCI-0905040,AGS-0941491,AGS-1046171,and AGS-1046081)
文摘Because they are most sensitive to atmospheric moisture content, radar refractivity observations can provide high-resolution information about the highly variable low-level moisture field. In this study, simulated radar refractivity-related phase-change data were created using a radar simulator from realistic highresolution model simulation data for a dryline case. These data were analyzed using the 2DVAR system developed specifically for the phase-change data. Two sets of experiments with the simulated observations were performed, one assuming a uniform target spacing of 250 m and one assuming nonuniform spacing between 250 m to 4 km. Several sources of observation error were considered, and their impacts were examined. They included errors due to ground target position uncertainty, typical random errors associated with radar measurements, and gross error due to phase wrapping. Without any additional information, the 2DVAR system was incapable of dealing with phase-wrapped data directly. When there was no phase wrapping in the data, the 2DVAR produced ex- cellent analyses, even in the presence of both position uncertainty and random radar measurement errors. When a separate pre-processing step was applied to unwrap the phase-wrapped data, quality moisture anal- yses were again obtained, although the analyses were smoother due to the reduced effective resolution of the observations by interpolation and smoothing involved in the unwrapping procedure. The unwrapping procedure was effective even when significant differences existed between the analyzed state and the state at a reference time. The results affirm the promise of using radar refractivity phase-change measurements for near-surface moisture analysis.
文摘This study is an effort to investigate the spatial-temporal variability of the modified refractivity gradient at the 700 hPa pressure level over Pakistan and its neighbouring regions of Afghanistan, India, Iran and the Arabian Sea using the remote sensing data of the AQUA (AIRX3STM) satellite from 2008 to 2012. Trapping conditions only found in December were spread over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan) with an average value of -182.042 M/Km and showing Leptokurtic distributions. The lowest monthly average value super-refractive conditions existed in the autumn season with a strong monthly correlation (>0.91 M/Km). A very high monthly correlation (0.9 M/Km) was found for the super-refractive conditions over the whole time period. The largest spatial and temporal normal conditions appeared in January with the average value for normal conditions being 132.72 M/Km (found over Zabul, Afghanistan) with Leptokurtic distributions. During May normal conditions were the smallest in spatial extent over Pakistan, India and Afghanistan, showing Platykurtic distributions. Sub-refractive conditions mostly prevailed at all times. The probability for extreme sub-refractive conditions was very high in 2008-2012. The highest average sub-refractive conditions appeared in the winter and autumn seasons (spread around Quetta and Kalam, Pakistan). The highest monthly average sub-refractive conditions with a value of 1,265,188 M/Km were found in January and spread around the Sarbaz River Iran. Correlations for the existence of sub-refractive conditions varied from 0.8 M/Km (moderate strong) to 0.4 M/Km during the autumn to winter season. Permanent super-refractive conditions existed over Baluchistan from February to September.
文摘The present paper reports the modification in GPS TEC (total electron content) and atmospheric refractivity prior to the Iran earthquake that had occurred on 16 April 2013 in Iran (28.10°N, 62.05°E). The analysis of GPS-based TEC from two GPS receivers, Surat (21.16°N, 72.78°E) and Lucknow (26.91°N, 80.95°E ) and results of atmospheric refractivity profile for radiosonde observation stations (Shiraz, Iran and Delhi, India) around the fault line are presented in this paper. It is seen that atmospheric refractivity gets modified from 8 to 6 days prior to the earthquake at Shiraz, Iran and Delhi, India. The GPS TEC showed variations a few days prior to the earthquake. We conclude that in search of precursory signatures for an earthquake, both GPS TEC and refractivity are important parameters.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No 40775025)
文摘This paper addresses the problem of estimating lower atmospheric refractivity under the nonstandard propagation conditions frequently encountered in low altitude maritime radar applications. The vertical structure of the refractive environment is modeled by using a five-parameter model, and the horizontal structure is modeled as range-independent. The electromagnetic propagation in the troposphere is simulated by using a split-step fast Fourier transform based on parabolic approximation to the wave equation. A global search marked as a modified genetic algorithm （MGA） for the 5 environmental parameters is performed by using a genetic algorithm （GA） integrated with a simulated annealing technique. The retrieved results from simulated runs demonstrate the ability of this method to make atmospheric refractivity estimations. A comparison with the classical GA and the Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo （Bayesian- MCMC） technique shows that the MGA can not only shorten the inverse time but also improve the inverse precision. For real data cases, the inversion values do not match the reference data very well. The inverted profile, however, can be used to synoptically describe the real refractive structure.
基金U. S. NSF Grant Nos. ATM-0331756, ATM-0331594, ATM-0530814 and EEC-0313747, and by DOT-FAA Grant NA17RJ1227-01the National Natural Science Foun- dation of China under Grant Nos. 40620120437 and 40505022
文摘In this study, the variation of radio refractivity with respect to temperature and moisture is analyzed. Also, the effects of vertical gradients in temperature and moisture on the propagation paths of electromagnetic waves of weather radar are examined for several sites across the United States using several years of sounding data from the National Weather Service. The ray path is important for identifying storm characteristics and for properly using the radar data in initializing numerical weather prediction models. It is found that during the warm season the radio refractivity gradient is more sensitive to moisture gradients than to temperature gradients. Ray paths from the commonly accepted vertical ray path model are compared to a ray path computed from a stepwise ray tracing algorithm using data from actual soundings. For the sample of about 16 000 soundings examined, we find that only a small fraction of the ray paths diverge significantly from those calculated using a ray path model based on the US Standard Atmosphere. While the problem of ray dueting in the presence of a temperature inversion is fairly well known, we identify the presence of a strong vertical moisture gradient as the culprit in the majority of the cases where significant deviations occurred.
文摘A meteorological data acquisition system is built using a PIC16F877A microcontroller and electric output-based sensors. This system is programmed in C language using the PCWH compiler. It is smart, accurate, cheap, small, light and easily movable. It is designed to automatically get instantaneous measurements of air temperature, atmospheric pressure, and relative humidity. Depending on their utilisation, these measurements are collected with repetition rate tuneable from one minute to one hour. They are displayed on LCD screen and transferred to a personal computer where they are stored and processed. As an application, such data are recorded in situ and used to estimate the radio refractivity of air near the ground in real time. This parameter is necessary to account for the propagation of radiofrequency waves through the lower atmosphere, during wireless transmissions.
文摘Air masses in the atmosphere have contrasting temperature, humidity and moisture, which influence radio signals traversing the atmosphere. The influence of the atmosphere on refractivity is strongly determined by its temporal and spatial variability. This paper uses meteorological measurements to investigate the impact of meteorological structures on diverse environments evident in Nigeria. The study hypothesises that refractivity measures could serve as indicators of diurnal radio wave degradation traversing the atmosphere.
基金Supported by Ongoing Research Funding Program(ORFFT-2025-054-1),King Saud University,Riyadh,Saudi Arabia.
文摘AIM:To evaluate the efficacy of the total computer vision syndrome questionnaire(CVS-Q)score as a predictive tool for identifying individuals with symptomatic binocular vision anomalies and refractive errors.METHODS:A total of 141 healthy computer users underwent comprehensive clinical visual function assessments,including evaluations of refractive errors,accommodation(amplitude of accommodation,positive relative accommodation,negative relative accommodation,accommodative accuracy,and accommodative facility),and vergence(phoria,positive and negative fusional vergence,near point of convergence,and vergence facility).Total CVS-Q scores were recorded to explore potential associations between symptom scores and the aforementioned clinical visual function parameters.RESULTS:The cohort included 54 males(38.3%)with a mean age of 23.9±0.58y and 87 age-matched females(61.7%)with a mean age of 23.9±0.53y.The multiple regression model was statistically significant[R²=0.60,F=13.28,degrees of freedom(DF=17122,P<0.001].This indicates that 60%of the variance in total CVS-Q scores(reflecting reported symptoms)could be explained by four clinical measurements:amplitude of accommodation,positive relative accommodation,exophoria at distance and near,and positive fusional vergence at near.CONCLUSION:The total CVS-Q score is a valid and reliable tool for predicting the presence of various nonstrabismic binocular vision anomalies and refractive errors in symptomatic computer users.
基金Supported by Vision International Eye Missions-USA,“One Drop for All”,Italy,and Private Donors in the Netherlands.
文摘AIM:To ascertain the pattern of ocular morbidity in a population of primary school children in rural Kenya as it is a prerequisite for planning effective preventive and therapeutic strategies.METHODS:A cross-sectional survey of ocular symptoms and clinical eye examinations were performed in a sample of 35 rural primary schools in the semi-arid region of Kajiado West sub-county in S.W.Kenya,amongst a seminomadic tribe(Maasai).Students in Grades 1-8 were included.Visual acuity was measured using the Snellen“tumbling E”chart at 6 m.Children with symptoms of refractive error underwent non-cycloplegic refraction.RESULTS:A total of 2036 children(1084 males)between the ages of 4-20y were examined.Conjunctival actinic changes were present in 22%(442/2036).Nine cases were seen with a potential squamous carcinoma.No overt classical ocular signs of vitamin A deficiency were noted,although 181(8.9%)children complained of nyctalopia.Three hundred thirty-six(16.5%)children had a visual acuity worse than 6/12 in either eye,were unable to read N10 near text at 40 cm or had symptoms suggestive of refractive error.Refractive data led to an estimate of hyperopia of+1.00 D or more in 3.9%and of myopia of-0.50 D or more in either eye in 3.0%of the study population.CONCLUSION:Solar exposure-and dust-related conjunctival pathology is common.As this may develop into potentially sight-or even life-threatening conditions,it warrants further study,and preventive strategies may be needed.Complaints of nyctalopia were common and could suggest vitamin A deficiency.The prevalence of refractive errors is low in this rural African population.
文摘Dear Editor,We present this case report which discusses a patient who underwent flap amputation after repeated attempts to resolve persistent and severe epithelial ingrowth following laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis(LASIK)surgery.Epithelial ingrowth is a known complication of LASIK surgery,typically manageable with minimal measures.However,severe cases may necessitate more aggressive interventions,such as flap amputation[1].LASIK is a widely performed refractive surgery with high success rates and excellent visual outcome[2].
基金supported by the University Sultan Moulay Slimane,Beni Mellal,Morocco。
文摘In this paper,we have calculated the structural,electronic,and optical properties of chalcogenide stannite Cu_(2)CdSnX4(X=S,Se,Te) materials.The calculations are based on the density functional theory (DFT) method and are performed using the Cambridge sequential total energy package (CASTEP) code included in the Biovia Material Studio 20 software.All optical properties have been studied in a domain that extends energetically from 10 meV to 40 eV.Our results show that Cu_(2)CdSnX4(X=S,Se,Te) stannite exhibits absorption in the visible region,the refractive index decreases with increasing energy,and the refractive index values are n=3.2,3.73 and 3.75 for Cu_(2)CdSnS_(4),Cu_(2)CdSnSe_(4)and Cu_(2)CdSnTe_(4),respectively.They show also high conductivity,which implies that this material is promising for solar cells.These results argue in favor of the use of these materials in various potential applications.The density of state,band structures,and structural properties of Cu_(2)CdSnX4(X=S,Se,and Te) stannite are also studied in this work.
文摘AIM:To evaluate the visual outcomes of implantable collamer lenses(ICLs)and identify the possible risk factors for ICL axis misalignment,and consequently,repositioning,explanting,or exchanging at a specialized eye hospital in Saudi Arabia.METHODS:The medical records of 813 eyes with different refractive errors corrected with ICL implantation were identified and included in this single-arm retrospective cohort study.The following data were collected:demographic characteristics,primary diagnosis,preoperative refraction,anterior chamber depth(ACD),white-to-white(WTW)measurement,endothelial cell density(ECD),and axial length.Patients’satisfaction and complaints,and their postoperative refraction,vault depth,and axis alignment with the preoperative target,were reviewed during the postoperative period.Collectively,these data were correlated with symptomatic axis rotation and the need for repositioning,explantation,or exchange due to high or low ICL vaults.RESULTS:Of 813 eyes,27(3.32%),13(1.59%),and 11(1.35%)required ICL repositioning,ICL explantation only without exchange,and ICL explantation with the placement of a new ICL,respectively.The mean follow-up period was 37.5mo.The main cause of explanation or exchange was incorrect WTW measurement in seven(29.17%)eyes,followed by high vault in four(16.56%)eyes.ICL repositioning was required in 27(3.32%)eyes with considerable rotation.Only 2(0.24%)eyes developed cataracts that required ICL removal,and retinal complications were reported in 7(0.86%)eyes.Long-term glaucoma and corneal decompensation were not observed in this cohort.CONCLUSION:With a high safety profile and reversibility,ICL implantation is a good alternative to corneal-based refractive surgery in eyes unsuitable for laser vision correction.The rate of secondary procedures in our study was 6.26%.Old age is a risk factor for secondary surgical interventions in the repositioning group,whereas abnormal vault and toric ICL rotation in the explantation group necessitated subsequent surgical procedures.Overall,ICL implantation demonstrates a good efficacy index and safety profile in patients with diverse refractive errors.
