Great prospects for fiber optics sensors

Fiber optic sensors provide noise immunity and galvanic insulation at the measurement point. Interest in such sensors is increasing for these reasons. In the United States sales are expected to increase from 12 million dollars in 1981 to 180 million in 1991. Interferometric sensors based on single modus fibers deliver extremely high sensitivity, while sensors based on multi-modus fibers are more easily manufactured. The fiber optic sensors which are available today are based on point measurements. Development of fiber optic sensors in Norway is being carried out at the Central institute and has resulted in the development of medical manometers which are now undergoing clinical testing

Asymptotic Theory for Clustered Samples

We provide a complete asymptotic distribution theory for clustered data with a large number of independent groups, generalizing the classic laws of large numbers, uniform laws, central limit theory, and clustered covariance matrix estimation. Our theory allows for clustered observations with heterogeneous and unbounded cluster sizes. Our conditions cleanly nest the classical results for i.n.i.d. observations, in the sense that our conditions specialize to the classical conditions under independent sampling. We use this theory to develop a full asymptotic distribution theory for estimation based on linear least-squares, 2SLS, nonlinear MLE, and nonlinear GMM

Organic Farming - Nature Conceptions, Management and Cross Compliance

Organic farmers perceptions of qualities in nature do not clearly correspond with the biologists ideas of nature quality. The differences in perception hold both opportunities and conflicts

Suitability of commercially available laboratory cryogenic refrigerators to support shipboard electro-optical systems in the 10 - 77 Kelvin region

The primary development of cryogenically cooled infrared systems was accomplished by FLIR systems designed for airborne, passive night vision. Essential to the development of these FLIR systems was a family of closed cycle refrigerators which had to meet a limited envelope requirement, utilize a nonlubricated compressor module, and be light in weight. Closed cycle refrigerators accomplished the same cooling function, they use modified oil lubricated reciprocating compressors which are limited in their axis of orientation to an angle of approximately 15-20 degrees maximum from horizon

Discussion of "Feature Matching in Time Series Modeling" by Y. Xia and H. Tong

Discussion of "Feature Matching in Time Series Modeling" by Y. Xia and H. Tong [arXiv:1104.3073]Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/11-STS345A the Statistical Science (http://www.imstat.org/sts/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Stellar Forensics II: Millisecond Pulsar Binaries

We use the grid of models described in paper~I to analyse those millisecond pulsar binaries whose secondaries have been studied optically. In particular, we find cooling ages for these binary systems that range from $< 1 \rm Gyr$ to $\sim \rm 15 Gyr$. Comparison of cooling ages and characteristic spin down ages allows us to constrain the initial spin periods and spin-up histories for individual systems, showing that at least some millisecond pulsars had sub-Eddington accretion rates and long magnetic field decay times.Comment: Latex, 14 pages, and 15 postscript figures. Accepted by Monthly Notice

Comments on the paper by D. G. Rea and B. T. O'Leary on the composition of the Venus clouds

Comments on ice particles as major scatterers of infrared radiation from Venus atmospher