Design of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with a Mass-Actuated Control System

Diseño de un UAV sin timones de dirección o profundidad, ni aleronesThis thesis presents the analysis, design and evaluation of a blended-wing-body unmanned aerial vehicle with an innovative control system, without any aerodynamic ight-control surfaces. The aircraft has a system of movable masses which are the main component of the control system, since they can be actuated to alter the center of mass position on longitudinal and lateral axis. The main purpose of the control system is to provide static and dynamic stability throughout the ight envelope, maneuvers, and possible gusts. The main advantage of this implementation is an improvement on the performance, since drag can be considerably reduced during maneuvers. Also, maintenance cost can be reduced, since the mechanical components involved in the control system have less complexity and no expensive actuators are required. An advanced aerodynamic design for a ying-wing configuration is proposed, where the use of diverse airfoils has been applied, providing high effciency. From a structural point of view, the aircraft in overall is more robust, since only internal components are mobile. Throughout the thesis, both, analytic and numerical methods have been considered and applied for the design and verification. Regarding the testing of the control system implementation, different ight algorithms have been generated and a simulation for a dynamic case with a vertical gust has been done, with satisfying results

Before the Voting Day: The Impact of Patron-Client Relations and Related Violations on Elections in Armenia

This article analyses how political forces recruit voters on a large scale using patron-client relations in organizations and residential neighbourhoods in Armenia and outlines the electoral violations often caused by such relations. The contribution also discusses cases of vote-buying not based on long-term ties and outlines citizens' reasons for collaboration. Even if some argue that certain forms of clientelism may have benefits, in this case, authoritarian patron-client relations are detrimental to democracy: citizens who vote from a position of subordination and insecurity or in exchange for particularistic benefits are unable to hold political elites vertically accountable and elect genuine representatives

Measurements of Correlated Pair Momentum Distributions in -3He(e,e\u27,p,p)n with CLAS

Nucleon-Nucleon (NN) Short Range Correlations (SRC) represent a valuable part of the nuclear wave function. Improved knowledge of SRC will give us a better understanding of nuclear matter and nuclear interactions in extreme conditions. A study of the effects of short-range correlations using the 3He(e, e\u27pp)n reaction measured at Jefferson Lab is presented. Two different approaches were selected to investigate SRC. The first approach consists of the kinematics when we investigate the two active protons and neutron is the spectator (was not involved in the interaction). This kinematics dominates by Final State Interactions which are reasonably well described by Laget calculations. The second approach consists of the kinematics when the one nucleon carries almost all energy of the virtual photon and the subject of interest is the spectator pair. Looking at the reactions, we can extract the kinematic regions where the NN SRC is an almost non interacting spectator pair. We have measured the relative and total momentum distributions of spectator pp and pn pairs up to 600 MeV/c. The theoretical calculations generally fail to describe the data

From votes to nicheness or from nicheness to votes? - the relationship between electoral fortunes and political strategies in Scandinavian countries

http://www.ester.ee/record=b5145139*es

Особливості дослідження потожирових слідів долонь і пальців рук за допомогою пристрою Projectina Docustat DS-210

Сharacteristic features of technological research on palm and finger prints are de- fined and described in detail. Considerable attention has been paid to methodical approach development that enables forensic research to be carried out without harming integrity of the paper medium on which in- visible prints are left. The opinion that use of Projectina Docustat DS-210 and Regula 4305 devices (in the case of applying the principle of gradual combination) provides an opportunity to prepare at least preliminary conclusions regarding identification of belonging (non-belonging) of invisible fat traces to the same person. Attention is focused on the possible solution of forensic tasks (during the next stages of the investigation) regarding identification of the chemical composition of substances in fat traces, that makes pos- sible to determine whether the suspect was in contact with material evidence in the case (for example, with weapons, drugs etc.). The research purpose is to formulate certain preliminary conclusions before further conducting objective fingerprinting examination it- self, as well as to ensure the integrity of the source document by applying a methodical approach developed in ‘’National Bureau of Expertises’’ State Non-Profit Organization of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia that will help forensic expert to more accurately identify belonging (non-belonging) of invisible fat traces to the same person.Детально визначено й докладно описано характерні особливості технологічного дослідження відбитків долонь і пальців рук. Значну увагу приділено розробленню методичного підходу, що дає змогу виконувати експертні дослідження без шкоди цілісності паперового носія, на якому залишено невидимі відбитки. Обґрунтовано думку про те, що використання пристроїв Projectina Docustat DS-210 і Regula 4305 (у разі застосування принципу постадійного суміщення) сприяє підготовці щонайменше попередніх висновків щодо ідентифікації належності (неналежності) невидимих потожирових слідів тій самій особі. Акцентовано увагу на можливому розв’язанні криміналістичних завдань (під час проведення наступних етапів дослідження) щодо ідентифікації хімічного складу речовин потожирових слідів, що, зі свого боку, дає змогу визначити, чи контактував підозрюваний із речовими доказами за справою (наприклад, зі зброєю, наркотиками тощо). Мета дослідження — сформулювати певні попередні висновки перед подальшим проведенням уже самої предметної дактилоскопічної експертизи, а також забезпечити цілісність вихідного документа шляхом застосування методичного підходу, розробленого в Національному бюро експертиз Національної академії наук Республіки Вірменія, що допоможе експертові з більш високою точністю ідентифікувати належність (неналежність) невидимих потожирових слідів тій самій особі

Reproduction of Gender Ideology Through Russian Consumer Culture: The Case of Iconography of the 'Mother' in Russia, an Extended Abstract

ABSTRACT The interest towards gender related studies in marketing emerged since late 1960s along with the critical developments regarding gender inequalities (Pilcher & Whelehan, 2004, Cova, et al., 2013). The shifting methods and approaches of analysing gender stimulated the formation of a discipline called ‘gender studieslan, 2001; Durante et al, 2011; Fan&Miao, 2012; Tiferet et at, 2012). Due to the complexity of understanding and interpreting gender roles in Marketing Communication (MC) scholars suggested and implemented interdisciplinary methods for more in –depth interpretation (Zotos & Tsichla (2014), Luyt, (2011). Knoll et al (2011)). Nonetheless, majority of scholars tend to focus on the gender stereotyping and comparative studies of male and female role portrayals in TV/print ads via quantitative content analysis (Berger (2015) Schroeder & Zwick (2004) (Kroska, 2006). This study aims to bring innovation in the field by applying multiple methods of investigation of archetypal images of “mother” in MC. This study explores the Russian consumer culture by focusing on the gender ideology and its role in the print advertisements. The doctoral project is divided into several stages that will subsequently contribute towards the knowledge by its originality. By heavily relying on Bourdieu’s sociology (Bourdieu, 1989) and Consumer Culture Theory traditions (Arnould & Thompson, 2005), the first stage of the research aims to explore and interpret the production of gender ideology in MC by the use of critical visual methods (Schroeder, 2002) and qualitative content analysis (QCA) (Schreier, 2012) and in the second stage further extends the investigation of the re- production of gender ideology from critical feminist perspective. The last stage of the study employs qualitative methods; in-depth interviews with Russian mothers, in order to understand how images used in advertisements influence the construction of identity of Russian women. The first stage of investigation concentrates on the advertisements published in three popular Russian women and baby magazines and correspondingly compares the representations of woman as mother in three most popular British magazines. The dimensions and categories of QCA emerged according to the critical visual analysis (Schroeder, 2002) that took into consideration the key historic events within this specific culture, sociological stimulus and changing patterns of everyday life, political and economic influence, including the consequences of soviet power in Russian culture. Totally 45 randomly selected issues of Russian magazines for the period of 2013-2015 have been selected and overall 160 ads with images of mother have been analysed. At this stage the research continues the comparative content analysis of images advertised in most popular mother and baby magazines in the UK. For the effectiveness and validation of the research outcomes additional inquiry is arranged with editors and advertisement agencies with the tactical purpose of understanding how the particular images of motherhood are positioned in ads and generally how the ads are designed and originated. This will largely contribute towards the theme formations for the in-depth interviews with Russian mothers. The expected outcome of the research will be concluded in the final section of the thesis where managerial implications are discussed and the outcomes of the previously mentioned stages are synthesised

Reproduction of Gender Ideology through Russian consumer culture: Iconography of Russian ‘Mother’

Contemporary studies in consumer research significantly shifted the attention towards gender identities and its importance in consumer culture (Epp and Price 2008, Humphreys and Thompson 2014; Dion et al 2014, Cova et al 2013), however less attention was given to ideological aspects in gender representations persisting in today’s marketing practice (Thompson and Üstüner 2015, Thompson and Coskuner-Balli 2007). CCT scholars often look at the social reproduction (Bourdieu 1979) and construction of identity as a result of socio-historic and sociocultural change that are evoked through meanings, symbols and signs (Moisio, Arnould, Price 2004, Arsel and Bean 2013). Wallendorf and Arnould (1991) argue that class and gender norms undergo through intergenerational transmission that often represent the collective past and Humphreys and Thomson (2014) suggest culturally iconic images as significant element in consumer decision making process and they represent the ‘bigger systematic picture of integrated political and market structures’ (Holt 2012, McDonagh et al 2012). Thus the theoretical and conceptual conversation around CCT allows this study to fulfil the gap by looking at the reproduction of gender ideology that presumably generates iconographic images of motherhood (mothers) in print advertisement. Following Schroeder’s interpretation we agree that images are core components of advertising practice that continuously circulate in everyday life by producing and reproducing sociocultural meanings (Schroeder 2006, Borgerson and Schroeder 2002;), stimulate gender roles (Goffman 1979), circulate signs and symbols that contribute towards identity formation as well as lifestyle choices (Arnold and Thompson 2005, Featherstone 2006). Thus this study explores archetypical images of mothers in Russian consumer culture and proposes five archetypes of motherhood frequently used in print media. By implemented body of theory in consumer research we suggest a novel theoretical framework that attempts to unpack iconography of Russian mothers and the effect of reproduced gender ideology in Russian consumer culture

Reproduction of Gender Ideology in Russian Consumer Culture: the Iconography of the ‘Russian Mother’

Mass-mediated marketplace images (for example, in advertisements) construct cultural norms through which we form our identities and ultimately, our consumption preferences. They produce and reproduce gender ideologies, ideas and ideals of motherhood practice that shape everyday lives. Nevertheless, the whole process of this ideological production and reproduction depends on cultural context and deeply enrooted cultural mechanisms. Exploring this relation, this thesis analyses Russian consumer culture in terms of the production and reproduction of gender and motherhood ideologies using the lenses of consumer culture theory and feminism. To understand mass-mediated gendered motherhood ideologies, this research develops a contemporary iconography of motherhood using print media advertising in Russian magazines, using an innovative analytical methodology of visual content analysis. Based on the outcomes of this, the study adopts a photoelicitation method, using this iconography in in-depth interviews, to understand Russian mothers’ response to, conformity and resistance towards these portrayed ideals. The theoretical background of the thesis comprises of consumer culture theory (2005), Bourdieu’s symbolic power (1989; 1990) and Schroeder’s visual consumption (2005; 2006) enabling the interpretation on the impact and the influence of archetypal representations on Russian mother’s identity construction and corresponding consumption preferences and tastes. Based on this research the theoretical perspectives are extended, suggesting that gender ideology is not only class, gender and race conditioned, but also conditioned by socially stratified secondary elements (i.e. marital status, age, location) and can shift across the boundaries of these important categories as mothers struggle with the motherhood and gender ideals presented to them in the magazines they read

Tensor Correlations Measured in 3He(e,e′pp)n

We have measured the He3(e,e′pp)n reaction at an incident energy of 4.7 GeV over a wide kinematic range. We identified spectator correlated pp and pn nucleon pairs by using kinematic cuts and measured their relative and total momentum distributions. This is the first measurement of the ratio of pp to pn pairs as a function of pair total momentum ptot. For pair relative momenta between 0.3 and 0.5  GeV/c, the ratio is very small at low ptot and rises to approximately 0.5 at large ptot. This shows the dominance of tensor over central correlations at this relative momentum

Comparison of forward and backward pp pair knockout in 3He(e,e′pp)n

Measuring nucleon-nucleon short range correlations (SRCs) has been a goal of the nuclear physics community for many years. They are an important part of the nuclear wave function, accounting for almost all of the high-momentum strength. They are closely related to the EMC effect. While their overall probability has been measured, measuring their momentum distributions is more difficult. In order to determine the best configuration for studying SRC momentum distributions, we measured the 3He(e,e′pp)n reaction, looking at events with high-momentum protons (pp\u3e0.35 GeV/c) and a low-momentum neutron (pn\u3c0.2 GeV/c). We examined two angular configurations: either both protons emitted forward or one proton emitted forward and one backward (with respect to the momentum transfer, q⃗ ). The measured relative momentum distribution of the events with one forward and one backward proton was much closer to the calculated initial-state pp relative momentum distribution, indicating that this is the preferred configuration for measuring SRC