22,897 research outputs found
The calibration and flight test performance of the space shuttle orbiter air data system
The Space Shuttle air data system (ADS) is used by the guidance, navigation and control system (GN&C) to guide the vehicle to a safe landing. In addition, postflight aerodynamic analysis requires a precise knowledge of flight conditions. Since the orbiter is essentially an unpowered vehicle, the conventional methods of obtaining the ADS calibration were not available; therefore, the calibration was derived using a unique and extensive wind tunnel test program. This test program included subsonic tests with a 0.36-scale orbiter model, transonic and supersonic tests with a smaller 0.2-scale model, and numerous ADS probe-alone tests. The wind tunnel calibration was further refined with subsonic results from the approach and landing test (ALT) program, thus producing the ADS calibration for the orbital flight test (OFT) program. The calibration of the Space Shuttle ADS and its performance during flight are discussed in this paper. A brief description of the system is followed by a discussion of the calibration methodology, and then by a review of the wind tunnel and flight test programs. Finally, the flight results are presented, including an evaluation of the system performance for on-board systems use and a description of the calibration refinements developed to provide the best possible air data for postflight analysis work
Limits on the Doppler factor in relativistic jets by means of gamma-ray observations
A new, simple and potentially useful method for constraining the kinematical parameters of relativistic jets based on gamma ray spectral measurements of Active Galaxies is presented. The application of this method to the Quasar 3C273 leads to a value of the Doppler factor of 3 to 4. This corresponds to jet parameters of mu 2 and theta 15 deg in good agreement with the values estimated independently from radio observations of superluminal motion. For the particular case of 3C273, the results are also compared to those given by a similar technique based on the comparison of the X-ray observational data with the synchrotron self Compton prediction from radio measurements. The application of the proposed technique to a significant sample of active galaxies as a result of future gamma ray surveys of the sky is briefly discussed, particularly with respect to possible ways to constrain the cosmological constants H sub o and q sub o
Recommendation Subgraphs for Web Discovery
Recommendations are central to the utility of many websites including
YouTube, Quora as well as popular e-commerce stores. Such sites typically
contain a set of recommendations on every product page that enables visitors to
easily navigate the website. Choosing an appropriate set of recommendations at
each page is one of the key features of backend engines that have been deployed
at several e-commerce sites.
Specifically at BloomReach, an engine consisting of several independent
components analyzes and optimizes its clients' websites. This paper focuses on
the structure optimizer component which improves the website navigation
experience that enables the discovery of novel content.
We begin by formalizing the concept of recommendations used for discovery. We
formulate this as a natural graph optimization problem which in its simplest
case, reduces to a bipartite matching problem. In practice, solving these
matching problems requires superlinear time and is not scalable. Also,
implementing simple algorithms is critical in practice because they are
significantly easier to maintain in production. This motivated us to analyze
three methods for solving the problem in increasing order of sophistication: a
sampling algorithm, a greedy algorithm and a more involved partitioning based
algorithm.
We first theoretically analyze the performance of these three methods on
random graph models characterizing when each method will yield a solution of
sufficient quality and the parameter ranges when more sophistication is needed.
We complement this by providing an empirical analysis of these algorithms on
simulated and real-world production data. Our results confirm that it is not
always necessary to implement complicated algorithms in the real-world and that
very good practical results can be obtained by using heuristics that are backed
by the confidence of concrete theoretical guarantees
Tapping Thermodynamics of the One Dimensional Ising Model
We analyse the steady state regime of a one dimensional Ising model under a
tapping dynamics recently introduced by analogy with the dynamics of
mechanically perturbed granular media. The idea that the steady state regime
may be described by a flat measure over metastable states of fixed energy is
tested by comparing various steady state time averaged quantities in extensive
numerical simulations with the corresponding ensemble averages computed
analytically with this flat measure. The agreement between the two averages is
excellent in all the cases examined, showing that a static approach is capable
of predicting certain measurable properties of the steady state regime.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure
Influence of the absorber dimensions on wavefront shaping based on volumetric optoacoustic feedback
The recently demonstrated control over light distribution through turbid
media based on real-time three-dimensional optoacoustic feedback has offered
promising prospects to interferometrically focus light within scattering
objects. Nevertheless, the focusing capacity of the feedback-based approach is
strongly conditioned by the number of effectively resolvable optical modes
(speckles). In this letter, we experimentally tested the light intensity
enhancement achieved with optoacoustic feedback measurements from different
sizes of absorbing microparticles. The importance of the obtained results is
discussed in the context of potential signal enhancement at deep locations
within a scattering medium where the effective speckle sizes approach the
minimum values dictated by optical diffraction
A computationally efficacious free-energy functional for studies of inhomogeneous liquid water
We present an accurate equation of state for water based on a simple
microscopic Hamiltonian, with only four parameters that are well-constrained by
bulk experimental data. With one additional parameter for the range of
interaction, this model yields a computationally efficient free-energy
functional for inhomogeneous water which captures short-ranged correlations,
cavitation energies and, with suitable long-range corrections, the non-linear
dielectric response of water, making it an excellent candidate for studies of
mesoscale water and for use in ab initio solvation methods.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure
Effective diffusion constant in a two dimensional medium of charged point scatterers
We obtain exact results for the effective diffusion constant of a two
dimensional Langevin tracer particle in the force field generated by charged
point scatterers with quenched positions. We show that if the point scatterers
have a screened Coulomb (Yukawa) potential and are uniformly and independently
distributed then the effective diffusion constant obeys the
Volgel-Fulcher-Tammann law where it vanishes. Exact results are also obtained
for pure Coulomb scatterers frozen in an equilibrium configuration of the same
temperature as that of the tracer.Comment: 9 pages IOP LaTex, no figure
Monitoring the Impact of Health Care Reforms on Americans 50-64: Awareness and Coverage Expectations
This survey found widespread awareness among Americans ages 50 to 64 about the new health insurance Marketplace that had been created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Those with the most to gain from the ACA -- the uninsured and those with nongroup (individual) insurance -- expressed the greatest interest in using the Marketplace to learn about new coverage options. Most of those already insured expected to keep their same source of coverage in 2014, whereas the uninsured had mixed expectations. This paper is part of a series that looks at the experiences of 50- to 64-year-olds during the ACA's first open enrollment period
Clinical manifestations of human brucellosis : a systematic review and meta-analysis
BACKGROUND: The objectives of this systematic review, commissioned by WHO, were to assess the frequency and severity of clinical manifestations of human brucellosis, in view of specifying a disability weight for a DALY calculation. METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Thirty three databases were searched, with 2,385 articles published between January 1990-June 2010 identified as relating to human brucellosis. Fifty-seven studies were of sufficient quality for data extraction. Pooled proportions of cases with specific clinical manifestations were stratified by age category and sex and analysed using generalized linear mixed models. Data relating to duration of illness and risk factors were also extracted. Severe complications of brucellosis infection were not rare, with 1 case of endocarditis and 4 neurological cases per 100 patients. One in 10 men suffered from epididymo-orchitis. Debilitating conditions such as arthralgia, myalgia and back pain affected around half of the patients (65%, 47% and 45%, respectively). Given that 78% patients had fever, brucellosis poses a diagnostic challenge in malaria-endemic areas. Significant delays in appropriate diagnosis and treatment were the result of health service inadequacies and socioeconomic factors. Based on disability weights from the 2004 Global Burden of Disease Study, a disability weight of 0.150 is proposed as the first informed estimate for chronic, localised brucellosis and 0.190 for acute brucellosis. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review adds to the understanding of the global burden of brucellosis, one of the most common zoonoses worldwide. The severe, debilitating, and chronic impact of brucellosis is highlighted. Well designed epidemiological studies from regions lacking in data would allow a more complete understanding of the clinical manifestations of disease and exposure risks, and provide further evidence for policy-makers. As this is the first informed estimate of a disability weight for brucellosis, there need for further debate amongst brucellosis experts and a consensus to be reache
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