Tradeoff analysis of technology needs for public service helicopters

The design requirements for a family or type of Public Service Helicopter (PSH) is examined which will satisfy the needs of municipal and state governments in the following mission areas: Emergency Medical Service--Airborne Rescue Squad; Law Enforcement; Search and Rescue; and Environmental Control (Fire Fighting, Pollution, Resource Management). The report compares both design and performance requirements as specified by the PSH user's group against current technological capabilities, RTOPS and US Army LHX design requirements. The study explores various design trade-offs and options available to the aircraft designer/manufacturer in order to meet the several criteria specified by the PSH user's group. In addition, the report includes a brief assessment of the feasibility of employing certain advanced rotorcraft designs to meet the stringent combination of operational capabilities desired by the Public Service Helicopter Users

Toll-like receptor expression in C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ mice during Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium infection

Here, we have investigated the mRNA expression of Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR-2), TLR-4, and MD-2 in spleens and livers of C3H/HeN mice (carrying wild-type TLR-4) and C3H/HeJ mice (carrying mutated TLR-4) in response to Salmonella infection. During Salmonella infections, TLR-4 is activated, leading to increased TLR-2 and decreased TLR-4 expression

An investigation of vegetation and other earth resource/feature parameters using LANDSAT and other remote sensing data. A: LANDSAT. B: Remote sensing of volcanic emissions

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

A search for distant radio galaxies from SUMSS and NVSS: III. radio spectral energy distributions and the z-alpha correlation

This is the third in a series of papers that present observations and results for a sample of 76 ultra-steep-spectrum radio sources designed to find galaxies at high redshift. Here we present multi-frequency radio observations, from the Australia Telescope Compact Array, for a subset of 37 galaxies from the sample. Matched resolution observations at 2.3, 4.8 and 6.2GHz are presented for all galaxies, with the z<2 galaxies additionally observed at 8.6 and 18GHz. New angular size constraints are reported for 19 sources based on high resolution 4.8 and 6.2GHz observations. Functional forms for the rest-frame spectral energy distributions are derived: 89% of the sample is well characterised by a single power law, whilst the remaining 11% show some flattening toward higher frequencies: not one source shows any evidence for high frequency steepening. We discuss the implications of this result in light of the empirical correlation between redshift and spectral index seen in flux limited samples of radio galaxies. Finally, a new physical mechanism to explain the redshift -- spectral index correlation is posited: extremely steep spectrum radio galaxies in the local universe usually reside at the centres of rich galaxy clusters. We argue that if a higher fraction of radio galaxies, as a function of redshift, are located in environments with densities similar to nearby rich clusters, then this could be a natural interpretation for the correlation. We briefly outline our plans to pursue this line of investigation.Comment: MNRAS in pres

Closed trajectories of a particle model on null curves in anti-de Sitter 3-space

We study the existence of closed trajectories of a particle model on null curves in anti-de Sitter 3-space defined by a functional which is linear in the curvature of the particle path. Explicit expressions for the trajectories are found and the existence of infinitely many closed trajectories is proved.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figur

Elite coaches’ use and engagement with performance analysis within Olympic and Paralympic sport

The use and implementation of performance analysis and feedback by 18 elite Olympic/Paralympic coaches (coaching experience 16.1 ± 7.4; experience using performance analysis 8.3 ± 4.8 years) was explored via an online questionnaire (mean time to complete = 29 minutes). Likert scales were used to facilitate cross-sport comparison. Comment boxes were included to enable additional information to be provided if deemed necessary. Training goals, athlete discussion and coaching philosophy were the most prominent features influencing analysis direction. Time available had the greatest impact upon feedback provision. The main analysis techniques used were video, performance reports, and trend analysis. Coaches with greater experience delivered significantly more feedback sessions within 1-hour of performance. Feedback sessions were < 20-minutes in duration and delivered in a balanced (experienced) or mostly positive (inexperienced) approach. Feedback was delivered consistently according to a preferred schedule, face-to-face, and within an individual format. Sessions were usually coach led, however considerable value in a combined or analyst led approach was demonstrated. The findings have begun to illustrate practice within elite sport from the perspective of a key user of performance analysis, i.e. the coach, and have clear implications for practitioners by identifying the key areas coaches’ value from performance analysis

The implementation of performance analysis and feedback within Olympic sport: the performance analyst’s perspective

The study considered performance analysis and feedback from the perspective of the performance analyst through the investigation of the ‘what’, ‘how’, and ‘when’ of practice within a selection of Olympic sports. Twenty-three performance analysts (experience 6.4 ± 4.1 years) engaged in a structured interview (85 ± 15 minutes) regarding their processes within applied practice. Likert scales (All the time, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never) were used to facilitate cross sport and environment comparison. The performance analysts highlighted the experience of their coaches as the most prominent feature influencing analysis direction and time had the greatest impact upon feedback provision. The main analysis techniques used were video, profiling and performance reports. Feedback was delivered primarily either, 1) < 1-hour post-performance within sessions lasting < 10-minutes or 2) the following day within sessions lasting 25+ minutes. Video feedback was usually coach led, however data delivery was more evenly distributed between coach and analyst. Very similar processes across the participants were identified, despite a wide variety of sports and participant experience levels. The findings have begun to illustrate practice within elite sport whilst highlighting the importance and need for further practitioner-based investigation regarding the use of performance analysis and feedback within applied context

The Sec1p/Munc18 (SM) protein, Vps45p, cycles on and off membranes during vesicle transport

Protein phosphatase 1 (PP1, Glc7p) functions in the final stage of SNARE-mediated vesicle transport between docking and fusion. During this process, trans-SNARE complexes, formed between molecules in opposing membranes, convert to cis-complexes, with all participants in the same lipid bilayer. Here, we show that glc7 mutant cells accumulate SNARE complexes. These complexes are clearly different from those found in either wild-type or sec18–1 cells as the Sec1p/Munc18 (SM) protein Vps45p does not bind to them. Given that PP1 controls fusion, the SNARE complexes that accumulate in glc7 mutants likely represent trans-SNARE complexes. Vps45p dissociates from the membrane in the absence of PP1 activity, but rapidly reassociates after its reactivation. These data reveal that SM proteins cycle on and off membranes in a stage-specific manner during the vesicle transport reaction, and suggest that protein phosphorylation plays a key role in the regulation of this cycle

Generating Extended Resolution Proofs with a BDD-Based SAT Solver

In 2006, Biere, Jussila, and Sinz made the key observation that the underlying logic behind algorithms for constructing Reduced, Ordered Binary Decision Diagrams (BDDs) can be encoded as steps in a proof in the extended resolution logical framework. Through this, a BDD-based Boolean satisfiability (SAT) solver can generate a checkable proof of unsatisfiability for a set of clauses. Such a proof indicates that the formula is truly unsatisfiable without requiring the user to trust the BDD package or the SAT solver built on top of it. We extend their work to enable arbitrary existential quantification of the formula variables, a critical capability for BDD-based SAT solvers. We demonstrate the utility of this approach by applying a prototype solver to several problems that are very challenging for search-based SAT solvers, obtaining polynomially sized proofs on benchmarks for parity formulas, as well as the Urquhart, mutilated chessboard, and pigeonhole problems.Comment: Extended version of paper published at TACAS 202