Apollo experience report: A use of network simulation techniques in the design of the Apollo lunar surface experiments package support system

A case study of data-communications network modeling and simulation is presented. The applicability of simulation techniques in early system design phases is demonstrated, and the ease with which model parameters can be changed and comprehensive statistics gathered is shown. The discussion of the model design and application also yields an insight into the design and implementation of the Apollo lunar surface experiments package ground-support system

Asymptotic stability, concentration, and oscillation in harmonic map heat-flow, Landau-Lifshitz, and Schroedinger maps on R^2

We consider the Landau-Lifshitz equations of ferromagnetism (including the harmonic map heat-flow and Schroedinger flow as special cases) for degree m equivariant maps from R^2 to S^2. If m \geq 3, we prove that near-minimal energy solutions converge to a harmonic map as t goes to infinity (asymptotic stability), extending previous work down to degree m = 3. Due to slow spatial decay of the harmonic map components, a new approach is needed for m=3, involving (among other tools) a "normal form" for the parameter dynamics, and the 2D radial double-endpoint Strichartz estimate for Schroedinger operators with sufficiently repulsive potentials (which may be of some independent interest). When m=2 this asymptotic stability may fail: in the case of heat-flow with a further symmetry restriction, we show that more exotic asymptotics are possible, including infinite-time concentration (blow-up), and even "eternal oscillation".Comment: 34 page

Apollo experience report - a use of network simulation techniques in the design of the Apollo lunar surface experiments package support system

A case study of data-communications network modeling and simulation is presented. The applicability of simulation techniques in early system design phases is demonstrated, and the ease with which model parameters can be changed and comprehensive statistics gathered is shown. The discussion of the model design and application also yields an insight into the design and implementation of the Apollo lunar surface experiments package ground-support system

Protocol for a mixed-methods exploratory investigation of care following intensive care discharge: the REFLECT study

© Author(s) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.INTRODUCTION: A substantial number of patients discharged from intensive care units (ICUs) subsequently die without leaving hospital. It is unclear how many of these deaths are preventable. Ward-based management following discharge from ICU is an area that patients and healthcare staff are concerned about. The primary aim of REFLECT (Recovery Following Intensive Care Treatment) is to develop an intervention plan to reduce in-hospital mortality rates in patients who have been discharged from ICU. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: REFLECT is a multicentre mixed-methods exploratory study examining ward care delivery to adult patients discharged from ICU. The study will be made up of four substudies. Medical notes of patients who were discharged from ICU and subsequently died will be examined using a retrospective case records review (RCRR) technique. Patients and their relatives will be interviewed about their post-ICU care, including relatives of patients who died in hospital following ICU discharge. Staff involved in the care of patients post-ICU discharge will be interviewed about the care of this patient group. The medical records of patients who survived their post-ICU stay will also be reviewed using the RCRR technique. The analyses of the substudies will be both descriptive and use a modified grounded theory approach to identify emerging themes. The evidence generated in these four substudies will form the basis of the intervention development, which will take place through stakeholder and clinical expert meetings. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained through the Wales Research and Ethics Committee 4 (17/WA/0107). We aim to disseminate the findings through international conferences, international peer-reviewed journals and social media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN14658054.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Faith-Based Institutions, Institutional Mission, and the Public Good

Rooted in historical foundations and demonstrated by continued government financial support, one purpose of higher education is to contribute to the “public good,” or support and further social causes and human flourishing. This notion has received renewed attention in both the literature as well as in professional practice. Given the variety of institutional structures (e.g., public, private, religiously affiliated, nonprofit, and proprietary), the influence of institutional mission varies. Yet, aside from institutional leadership, an institution’s mission is potentially most significant in influencing public good. Faith-based higher education institutions often have missions that are inextricably interconnected with service and community engagement. With these missions, faith-based colleges and universities are distinctively positioned to address social issues, engage in service to the local and global community, and to involve students, faculty, and administrators in this shared purpose. These institutions are uniquely accountable and have the greatest potential in this outcome precisely because of their faith commitment that both informs and motivates their policy and practice. In this essay, the role of faith-based institutions of higher education in promoting public good is explored. In addition, an analysis of both opportunities to enhance public good, as well as obstacles and challenges faced are provided

Equal or Just? Intergenerational Allocations within Family Farm Businesses

A multi-disciplinary literature review was conducted in order to integrate multiple perspectives pertaining to family farm business transfer. Factors affecting perceptions of equality in family farm transfers were identified. Preliminary survey results analyze perceptions of equality within farm families and how these perceptions affect family farm transfer planning and implementation.family farm succession, intergenerational transfer, Farm Management, Q10, Q12,

Perceptual impact of environmental factors in sighted and visually impaired individuals

To a visually impaired individual the physical world presents many challenges. For a person with impaired sight, wayfinding through a complex environment is fraught with dangers, both actual and imagined. The current generation of mobility aids have the possibility of addressing a broad range of physical issues through technological solutions. The perception of difficulty however, can mean that many visually impaired individuals are fearful or uncomfortable about independent mobility or travel. In this context it becomes necessary to discover exactly what environments, environmental factors or items constitute a ‘perception of difficulty’ in the individuals mental landscape and may trigger a negative response before they interact with the physical environment. This paper reports on research, which sought to ascertain what levels of perceptual difficulties specific environments and factors presented to individuals. The research was conducted with both visually impaired and sighted groups and compared differences and similarities in perceptual difficulty between these two groups

Spatial and temporal filtering of a 10-W Nd:YAG laser with a Fabry-Perot ring-cavity premode cleaner

We report on the use of a fixed-spacer Fabry–Perot ring cavity to filter spatially and temporally a 10-W laser-diode-pumped Nd:YAG master-oscillator power amplifier. The spatial filtering leads to a 7.6-W TEMinfinity beam with 0.1% higher-order transverse mode content. The temporal filtering reduces the relative power fluctuations at 10 MHz to 2.8 x 10^-/sqrtHz, which is 1 dB above the shot-noise limit for 50 mA of detected photocurrent

Dust Distribution in Gas Disks. A Model for the Ring Around HR 4796A

There have been several model analyses of the near and mid IR flux from the circumstellar ring around HR4796A. In the vicinity of a young star, the possibility that the dust ring is embedded within a residual protostellar gas disk cannot be ruled out. In a gas-rich environment, larger sizes ($>100 \mu m$) are needed for the particles to survive the radiative blow out. The total dust mass required to account for the IR flux is $< 10^{-1} M_\oplus$. The combined influence of gas and stellar radiation may also account for the observed sharp inner boundary and rapidly fading outer boundary of the ring. The pressure gradient induced by a small (10%) amplitude variation in the surface density distribution of a low-mass gaseous disk would be sufficient to modify the rotation speed of the gas.Comment: proof read version, 26 pages, LaTex, 11 figures. To appear in The Astronomical Journal June 200