Transparency in Complex Computational Systems

Scientists depend on complex computational systems that are often ineliminably opaque, to the detriment of our ability to give scientific explanations and detect artifacts. Some philosophers have s..

La injerencia de los defensores de los derechos humanos en el fenómeno de los feminicidios en Ciudad Juárez, México

[ES] Se presentan las circunstancias sociológicas y de criminalidad en la región de Ciudad Juárez, México. Se describen los feminicidios desde 1993 y las reacciones de las autoridades al respecto. Se presenta la situación de México en relación con los instrumentos internacionales propios tema. Se analiza la lucha de las organizaciones locales defensoras de los Derechos Humanos y su trascendencia para atraer la intervención del Comité para la Eliminación de la Discriminación contra la Mujer de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas y el dictamen que se emitió por dicho organismo, como también el proceso contra México ante la Corte interamericana de Derechos Humanos, para concluir con los avances ha llevado con motivo de la intervención de dichos organismos internacionales.[EU] Ciudad Juarezeko eskualdeko (Mexiko) inguruabar soziologikoak eta kriminalitateari lotutakoak aurkezten ditu artikuluak. 1993tik gertatutako feminizidioak eta agintariek horiei emandako erantzuna deskribatzen ditu. Gaiari buruzko nazioarteko tresnekin lotzen du Mexikoko egoera. Giza Eskubideen aldeko erakunde lokalen borroka eta horiek Emakumeen aurkako diskriminazioa ezabatzeko Nazio Batuen Erakundeko Batzordearen parte-hartzea eragiteko izan duten garrantzia aztertzen ditu; baita ere azken horrek emandako ebazpena eta Giza Eskubideen Inter-Amerikar Auzitegian Mexikoren aurka gauzatutako prozesua. Bukatzeko, aipatutako nazioarteko erakundeen parte-hartzeak eragindako aurrerapenak aztertzen ditu.[FR] Cet article présente les circonstances sociologiques et de criminalité dans la région de Ciudad Juárez, au Mexique. Il décrit les féminicides depuis 1993 et les réactions des autorités à ce sujet. L’article présente la situation du Mexique en matière d'instruments internationaux autour de ce sujet. L’article analyse la lutte des organisations locales de défense des droits de l’homme et son importance pour atteindre l’intervention du Comité des Nations Unies pour l’élimination de la discrimination à l’égard des femmes et le rapport présenté par cet organisme. Il étudie aussi le procès contre le Mexique devant la Cour interaméricaine des droits de l’homme et les avances à l’issue de l’intervention de ces organismes internationaux.[EN] The author presents the sociological and crime-related circumstances in the region of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The article describes de femicides since 1993 and the reactions of the authorities in this regard. The situation in Mexico is presented together with the international instruments on the topic. The paper analyses the struggle of local human rights organisations and the important role they played in attracting the intervention of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the report by such organism, as well as the proceedings against Mexico before the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights. Finally, it studies the progress which has taken place as a result of the intervention of the aforementioned international organisms

The SNS Cryogenic Control System: Experiences in Collaboration

The cryogenic system for the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) is designed by Jefferson Laboratory (JLab) personnel and is based on the existing JLab facility. Our task is to use the JLab control system design [2] as much as practical while remaining consistent with SNS control system standards. Some aspects of the systems are very similar, including equipment to be controlled, the need for PID loops and automatic sequences, and the use of EPICS. There are differences in device naming, system hardware, and software tools. The cryogenic system is the first SNS system to be developed using SNS standards. This paper reports on our experiences in integrating the new and the old.Comment: 3 page

Aerodynamic characteristics of a hypersonic research airplane concept having a 70 deg swept double-delta wing at Mach number 0.2

A wind-tunnel of the static longitudinal, lateral and directional stability characteristics of a hypersonic research airplane concept having a 70 deg swept double-delta wing was conducted in the Langley low-turbulence pressure tunnel. The configuration variables included wing planform, tip fins, center fin, and scramjet engine modules. A mach number of 0.2 was investigated over a Reynolds number (based on fuselage length) range of 2,200,000 to 19.75 x 1,000,000 (with a majority of tests at 10.0 x 1,000,000. Tests were conducted through an angle-of-attack range from about -2 deg to 34 deg at angles of sideslip of 0 deg to 5 deg, and at elevon deflection of 0 deg, -5 deg, -10 deg, -15 deg, and -20 deg. The drag coefficient of the integrated scramjet engine appears relatively constant with Reynolds number at the test Mach number of 0.2. Mild pitch-up was exhibited by the models equipped with tip fins. The forward delta, a highly swept forward portion of the wing, was destabilizing. The center fin model has a higher trimmed maximum lift-drag ratio and a wider trim lift and angle-of-attack range than the tip fin model. Both the tip fin models and center fin models exhibited positive dihedral effect and positive directional stability. Roll control was positive for the tip fin model, but yaw due to roll control was unfavorable

Automated electronic system for measuring thermophysical properties

Phase-charge coatings are used to measure surface temperature accurately under transient heating conditions. Coating melts when surface reaches calibrated phase-charge temperature. Temperature is monitored by infrared thermometer, and corresponding elapsed time is recorded by electronic data-handling system

Apparatus for determining thermophysical properties of test specimens

Apparatus is described for directly measuring the quantity square root of pck of a test specimen such as a wind tunnel model where p is density, c is the specific heat and k is the thermal conductivity of the specimen. The test specimen and a reference specimen are simultaneously subjected to the heat from a heat source. A thermocouple is attached to the reference specimen for producing a first electrical analog signal proportional to the heat rate Q that the test specimen is subjected to and an infrared radiometer that is aimed at the test specimen produces a second electrical analog signal proportional to the surface temperature T of the test specimen. An analog-to-digital converter converts the first and second electrical analog signals to digital signals. These digital signals are applied to a computer for determining the quantity

Low-speed aerodynamic characteristics of a hypersonic research airplane concept having a 70 deg swept delta wing

An experimental investigation of the low-speed static longitudinal, lateral and directional stability characteristics of a hypersonic research airplane concept having a 70 deg swept delta wing was conducted in a low-speed tunnel with a 12-foot (3.66 meter) octagonal test section. Aircraft component variations included: (1) fuselage shape modifications, (2) tip fins, (3) center vertical fin, (4) wing camber, and (5) wing planform. This investigation was conducted at a dynamic pressure of 262.4 Pa (5.48 psf), a Mach number of 0.06, and a Reynolds number of 2.24 million, based on body length. Tests were conducted through an angle-of-attack range of 0 deg to 30 deg with elevon deflections from +5.0 deg to minus 30.0 deg. The complete configuration exhibited positive static longitudinal, lateral and directional stability up to angles of attack of at least 20 deg and was trimmable to lift coefficients of at least 0.70 with elevon deflections of minus 30 deg

Transparency in Complex Computational Systems

Scientists depend on complex computational systems that are often ineliminably opaque, to the detriment of our ability to give scientific explanations and detect artifacts. Some philosophers have suggested treating opaque systems instrumentally, but computer scientists developing strategies for increasing transparency are correct in finding this unsatisfying. Instead, I propose an analysis of transparency as having three forms: transparency of the algorithm, the realization of the algorithm in code, and the way that code is run on particular hardware and data. This targets the transparency most useful for a task, avoiding instrumentalism by providing partial transparency when full transparency is impossible

Limitations to estimating bacterial cross-species transmission using genetic and genomic markers: inferences from simulation modeling

Cross-species transmission (CST) of bacterial pathogens has major implications for human health, livestock, and wildlife management because it determines whether control actions in one species may have subsequent effects on other potential host species. The study of bacterial transmission has benefitted from methods measuring two types of genetic variation: variable number of tandem repeats (VNTRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). However, it is unclear whether these data can distinguish between different epidemiological scenarios. We used a simulation model with two host species and known transmission rates (within and between species) to evaluate the utility of these markers for inferring CST. We found that CST estimates are biased for a wide range of parameters when based on VNTRs and a most parsimonious reconstructed phylogeny. However, estimations of CST rates lower than 5% can be achieved with relatively low bias using as low as 250 SNPs. CST estimates are sensitive to several parameters, including the number of mutations accumulated since introduction, stochasticity, the genetic difference of strains introduced, and the sampling effort. Our results suggest that, even with whole-genome sequences, unbiased estimates of CST will be difficult when sampling is limited, mutation rates are low, or for pathogens that were recently introduced

SPATIOTEMPORAL VARIATIONIN GRASSLAND BIOMASS AND FORAGE QUALITY ACROSS THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER BASIN

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the abundance of high quality forage is known to play an important role in migratory ungulate ecology. While many studies have documented how variations in the timing of start of growth and land use affect the availability of high quality forage across temperate landscapes, few studies have quantified how the abundance of high quality forage varies across these gradients. In this study we quantified how aboveground biomass, crude protein, and digestibility varied throughout the growing season in (1) grasslands that start growth early, mid, and late in the season and (2) in irrigated agriculture, private grasslands, and public grasslands and then used these estimates to (3)assess how the seasonal abundance of high quality forage differed in these start of season and land use classes in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin. We found that grasslands that start growth late in the season had up to 150% greater aboveground biomass, 20% greater crude protein, and 15% greater digestibility at its seasonal peak than grasslands that start growth mid and early in the season. Irrigated agriculture had up to 500% greater aboveground biomass, 90% greater crude protein, and 10% greater digestibility at its seasonal peak than private and public grasslands. Overall, the abundance of high quality forage was greater in the late start of season and irrigated agriculture grasslands. Understanding these landscape-scale variations in the abundance of high quality forage may provide important information for migratory ungulate research and management