Backup flight control system functional evaluator software manual

The software for the Backup Flight Control System Functional Evaluator (BFCSFE) on a Data General Corporation Nova 1200 computer consists of three programs: the ground support program, the operational flight program (OFP), and the ground pulse code modulation (PCM) program. The Nova OFP software is structurally as close as possible to the AP101 code; therefore, this document highlights and describes only those areas of the Nova OFP that are significantly different from the AP101. Since the Ground Support Program was developed to meet BFCSFE requirements and differs considerably from the AP101 code, it is described in detail

Relative CC"-Numerical Ranges for Applications in Quantum Control and Quantum Information

Motivated by applications in quantum information and quantum control, a new type of $C$"-numerical range, the relative $C$"-numerical range denoted $W_K(C,A)$, is introduced. It arises upon replacing the unitary group U(N) in the definition of the classical $C$"-numerical range by any of its compact and connected subgroups $K \subset U(N)$. The geometric properties of the relative $C$"-numerical range are analysed in detail. Counterexamples prove its geometry is more intricate than in the classical case: e.g. $W_K(C,A)$ is neither star-shaped nor simply-connected. Yet, a well-known result on the rotational symmetry of the classical $C$"-numerical range extends to $W_K(C,A)$, as shown by a new approach based on Lie theory. Furthermore, we concentrate on the subgroup $SU_{\rm loc}(2^n) := SU(2)\otimes ... \otimes SU(2)$, i.e. the $n$-fold tensor product of SU(2), which is of particular interest in applications. In this case, sufficient conditions are derived for $W_{K}(C,A)$ being a circular disc centered at origin of the complex plane. Finally, the previous results are illustrated in detail for $SU(2) \otimes SU(2)$.Comment: accompanying paper to math-ph/070103

Ritual responses to drought: An examination of ritual expressions in Classic Maya written sources

Planting and rain-beckoning rituals are an extremely common way in which past and present human communities have confronted the risk of drought across a range of environments worldwide. In tropical environments, such ceremonies are particularly salient despite widespread assumptions that water supplies are unproblematic in such regions. We demonstrate for the first time that two common but previously under-appreciated Maya rituals are likely planting and rain-beckoning rituals preferentially performed at certain times of the year in close step with the rainy season and the Maya agricultural cycle. We also argue for considerable historical continuity between these Classic Maya ceremonies and later Maya community rituals still performed in times of uncertain weather conditions up to the present day across Guatemala, Belize, and eastern Mexico. During the Terminal Classic period (AD 800-900), the changing role played by ancient Maya drought-related rituals fits into a wider rhetorical shift observed in Maya texts away from the more characteristic focus on royal births, enthronements, marriages, and wars towards greater emphasis on the correct perpetuation of key ceremonies, and we argue that such changes are consistent with palaeoclimatic evidence for a period of diminished precipitation and recurrent drought

Constructing and manipulating color imagery from digital data

The development of a multispectral scanner data analysis console is reported that incorporates a wideband tape unit, a teletypewriter, a digital computer, and color display as well as numeric display terminals. The device is able to digitize infrared scanner images and displays color differences according to signal differences between analog channels

Eccrine porocarcinoma of the head: An important differential diagnosis in the elderly patient

Background: Eccrine porocarcinoma is a rare malignant tumor of the sweat gland, characterized by a broad spectrum of clinicopathologic presentations. Surprisingly, unlike its benign counterpart eccrine poroma, eccrine porocarcinoma is seldom found in areas with a high density of eccrine sweat glands, like the palms or soles. Instead, eccrine porocarcinoma frequently occurs on the lower extremities, trunk and abdomen, but also on the head, resembling various other skin tumors, as illustrated in the patients described herein. Observations: We report 5 cases of eccrine porocarcinoma of the head. All patients were initially diagnosed as having epidermal or melanocytic skin tumors. Only after histopathologic examination were they classified as eccrine porocarcinoma, showing features of epithelial tumors with abortive ductal differentiation. Characteristic clinical, histopathologic and immunohistochemical findings of eccrine porocarcinomas are illustrated. Conclusion: Eccrine porocarcinomas are potentially fatal adnexal malignancies, in which extensive metastatic dissemination may occur. Porocarcinomas are commonly overlooked, or misinterpreted as squamous or basal cell carcinomas as well as other common malignant and even benign skin tumors. Knowledge of the clinical pattern and histologic findings, therefore, is crucial for an early therapeutic intervention, which can reduce the risk of tumor recurrence and serious complications. Copyright (c) 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel

Informal Interference in the Judiciary in New Democracies: A Comparison of Six African and Latin American Cases

This paper assesses the extent to which elected power holders informally intervene in the judiciaries of new democracies, an acknowledged but under-researched topic in studies of judicial politics. The paper first develops an empirical strategy for the study of informal interference based on perceptions recorded in interviews, then applies the strategy to six third-wave democracies, three in Africa (Benin, Madagascar and Senegal) and three in Latin America (Argentina, Chile and Paraguay). It also examines how three conditioning factors affect the level of informal judicial interference: formal rules, previous democratic experience, and socioeconomic development. Our results show that countries with better performance in all these conditioning factors exhibit less informal interference than countries with poorer or mixed performance. The results stress the importance of systematically including informal politics in the study of judicial politics

On the geometry of the set of symmetric matrices with repeated eigenvalues

We investigate some geometric properties of the real algebraic variety \u394 of symmetric matrices with repeated eigenvalues. We explicitly compute the volume of its intersection with the sphere and prove a Eckart\u2013Young\u2013Mirsky-type theorem for the distance function from a generic matrix to points in \u394. We exhibit connections of our study to real algebraic geometry (computing the Euclidean distance degree of \u394) and random matrix theory

A Survey on Continuous Time Computations

We provide an overview of theories of continuous time computation. These theories allow us to understand both the hardness of questions related to continuous time dynamical systems and the computational power of continuous time analog models. We survey the existing models, summarizing results, and point to relevant references in the literature

Judicial disagreement need not be political: dissent on the Estonian Supreme Court

I investigate the non-unanimous decisions of judges on the Estonian Supreme Court. I argue that since judges on the court enjoy high de jure independence, dissent frequently, and are integrated in the normal judicial hierarchy, the Estonian Supreme Court is a crucial case for the presumption that judicial disagreement reveals policy preferences. I analyse dissenting opinions using an ideal point response model. Examining the characteristics of cases which discriminated with respect to the recovered dimension, I show that this dimension cannot be interpreted as a meaningful policy dimension, but instead reflects disagreement about the proper scope of constitutional redress