A Total Systems analysis Method for the Conceptual design of Spacecraft: An application to Remote Sensing Imager Systems

Increased emphasis is being placed on improving the performance of space projects, within tighter budgets and shorter development times. This has led to a need for more efficient space system design methods. The research described here represents an effort to develop and evaluate such a method. Systems engineering and concurrent engineering together provide the theoretical foundation for the method. The method, derived from both this theoretical foundation and ideas from experts in the space industry, emphasizes a total systems analysis approach, taking into account given mission requirements, and the mathematical modeling of interactions between system variables and between subsystems. The emphasis makes it possible to apply the method for effectively sizing and configuring the full space project, its subsystems, and its variables. Size and configuration issues are especially important in the early conceptual design stages. The focus of this research and the developed method was, therefore, put on facilitating the design decisions taking place during those design stages. Mass, as a proxy for cost, was selected as the evaluation and optimization criterion. To make the method practical, LabVIEW was selected for developing the total systems analysis model. LabVIEW is a graphical programming language that is easy to learn, program, modify, and run; and, it has a good user interface. These characteristics make it well suited for rapid model development and for performing the large number of analysis runs required in the early conceptual design stages. The method was demonstrated for a V/IR (Visual/Infrared) space based Earth observation system. The mathematical model describing the interactions in this system was developed in close cooperation with subsystem specialists, primarily at NASA Langley Research Center, making it as realistic as possible. The model includes some 300 variables and 130 equations, and uses 1.7 MB of code. The demonstration, focusing on size and configuration issues, showed how the method and model could be used for better understanding of model dynamics, for evaluating alternative technologies, for detecting technology limits, for performing inter-subsystem analyses, and for suggesting new technology developments. It is hoped that this research will encourage engineers and project managers in the space sector to apply the developed design method to other types of space projects

Variability of sclerosis along the longitudinal hippocampal axis in epilepsy: A post mortem study

Detailed neuropathological studies of the extent of hippocampal sclerosis (HS) in epilepsy along the longitudinal axis of the hippocampus are lacking. Neuroimaging studies of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy support that sclerosis is not always localised. The extent of HS is of relevance to surgical planning and poor outcomes may relate to residual HS in the posterior remnant. In 10 post mortems from patients with long histories of drug refractory epilepsy and 3 controls we systematically sampled the left and right hippocampus at seven coronal anatomical levels along the body to the tail. We quantified neuronal densities in CA1 and CA4 subfields at each level using Cresyl Violet (CV), calretinin (CR), calbindin (CB) and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) immunohistochemistry. In the dentate gyrus we graded the extent of granule cell dispersion, patterns of CB expression, and synaptic reorganisation with CR and NPY at each level. We identified four patterns of HS based on patterns of pyramidal and interneuronal loss and dentate gyrus reorganisation between sides and levels as follows: (1) symmetrical HS with anterior–posterior (AP) gradient, (2) symmetrical HS without AP gradient, (3) asymmetrical HS with AP gradient and (4) asymmetrical cases without AP gradient. We confirmed in this series that HS can extend into the tail. The patterns of sclerosis (classical versus atypical or none) were consistent between all levels in less than a third of cases. In conclusion, this series highlights the variability of HS along the longitudinal axis. Further studies are required to identify factors that lead to focal versus diffuse HS

The U-shaped relationship between parental age and the risk of bipolar disorder in the offspring: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Parenthood age may affect the risk for the development of different psychiatric disorders in the offspring, including bipolar disorder (BD). The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to appraise the relationship between paternal age and risk for BD and to explore the eventual relationship between paternal age and age at onset of BD. We searched the MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, PsycINFO online databases for original studies from inception, up to December 2021. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted. Sixteen studies participated in the qualitative synthesis, of which k = 14 fetched quantitative data encompassing a total of 13,424,760 participants and 217,089 individuals with BD. Both fathers [adjusted for the age of other parent and socioeconomic status odd ratio - OR = 1.29(95%C.I. = 1.13-1.48)] and mothers aged ≤ 20 years [(OR = 1.23(95%C.I. = 1.14-1.33)] had consistently increased odds of BD diagnosis in their offspring compared to parents aged 25-29 years. Fathers aged ≥ 45 years [adjusted OR = 1.29 (95%C.I. = 1.15-1.46)] and mothers aged 35-39 years [OR = 1.10(95%C.I. = 1.01-1.19)] and 40 years or older [OR = 1.2(95% C.I. = 1.02-1.40)] likewise had inflated odds of BD diagnosis in their offspring compared to parents aged 25-29 years. Early and delayed parenthood are associated with an increased risk of BD in the offspring. Mechanisms underlying this association are largely unknown and may involve a complex interplay between psychosocial, genetic and biological factors, and with different impacts according to sex and age range. Evidence on the association between parental age and illness onset is still tentative but it points towards a possible specific effect of advanced paternal age on early BD-onset

Technoscience and the modernization of freshwater fisheries assessment and management

Inland fisheries assessment and management are challenging given the inherent com- plexity of working in diverse habitats (e.g., rivers, lakes, wetlands) that are dynamic on organisms that are often cryptic and where fishers are often highly mobile. Yet, technoscience is offering new tools that have the potential to reimagine how inland fisheries are assessed and managed. So-called ‘‘technoscience’’ refers to instances in which science and technology unfurl together, offering novel ways of spurring and achieving meaningful change. This paper considers the role of technoscience and its potential for modernizing the assessment and management of inland fisheries. It first explores technoscience and its potential benefits, followed by presentation of a series of synopses that explore the application (both successes and challenges) of new tech- nologies such as environmental DNA (eDNA), genomics, electronic tags, drones, phone apps, iEcology, and artificial intelligence to assessment and management. The paper also considers the challenges and barriers that exist in adopting new technologies. The paper concludes with a provocative assessment of the potential of technoscience to reform and modernize inland fisheries assessment and management. Although these tools are increasingly being embraced, there is a lack of platforms for aggregating these data streams and providing managers with actionable information in a timely manner. The ideas presented here should serve as a catalyst for beginning to work collectively and collaboratively towards fisheries assessment and management systems that harness the power of technology and serve to modernize inland fisheries management. Such transformation is urgently needed given the dynamic nature of environmental change, the evolving threat matrix facing inland waters, and the complex behavior of fishers. Quite simply, a dynamic world demands dynamic fisheries management; technoscience has made that within reach.publishedVersio

Deficit irrigation and emerging fruit crops as a strategy to save water in Mediterranean semiarid agrosystems

Water scarcity in Mediterranean climate areas will be progressively aggravated by climate change, population increase and urban, tourism and industrial activities. To protect water resources and their integrity for future use and to improve biodiversity, besides following advanced deficit irrigation strategies in fruit cultivation, attention could well be directed towards what are at present underused plant materials able to withstand deficit irrigation with minimum impact on yield and fruit quality. To this end, the state of the art as regards deficit irrigation strategies and the response of some very interesting emerging fruit crops [jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Mill.), loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.), pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) and pomegranate (Punica granatum L.)] are reviewed. The strengths and weaknesses of deficit irrigation strategies and the mechanisms developed by these emerging fruit crops in the face of water stress are discussed. The response of these crops to deficit irrigation, with special attention paid to the effect on yield but also on fruit quality and health-related chemical compounds, was analysed in order to assess their suitability for saving water in Mediterranean semiarid agrosystems and to analyze their potential role as alternatives to currently cultivated fruit crops with higher water requirements. Finally, the factors involved in establishing an identity brand (hydroSOS) to protect fruits obtained under specific DI conditions are discussed

Root Herbivore Effects on Aboveground Multitrophic Interactions: Patterns, Processes and Mechanisms

In terrestrial food webs, the study of multitrophic interactions traditionally has focused on organisms that share a common domain, mainly above ground. In the last two decades, it has become clear that to further understand multitrophic interactions, the barrier between the belowground and aboveground domains has to be crossed. Belowground organisms that are intimately associated with the roots of terrestrial plants can influence the levels of primary and secondary chemistry and biomass of aboveground plant parts. These changes, in turn, influence the growth, development, and survival of aboveground insect herbivores. The discovery that soil organisms, which are usually out of sight and out of mind, can affect plant-herbivore interactions aboveground raised the question if and how higher trophic level organisms, such as carnivores, could be influenced. At present, the study of above-belowground interactions is evolving from interactions between organisms directly associated with the plant roots and shoots (e.g., root feeders - plant - foliar herbivores) to interactions involving members of higher trophic levels (e.g., parasitoids), as well as non-herbivorous organisms (e.g., decomposers, symbiotic plant mutualists, and pollinators). This multitrophic approach linking above- and belowground food webs aims at addressing interactions between plants, herbivores, and carnivores in a more realistic community setting. The ultimate goal is to understand the ecology and evolution of species in communities and, ultimately how community interactions contribute to the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we summarize studies on the effects of root feeders on aboveground insect herbivores and parasitoids and discuss if there are common trends. We discuss the mechanisms that have been reported to mediate these effects, from changes in concentrations of plant nutritional quality and secondary chemistry to defense signaling. Finally, we discuss how the traditional framework of fixed paired combinations of root- and shoot-related organisms feeding on a common plant can be transformed into a more dynamic and realistic framework that incorporates community variation in species, densities, space and time, in order to gain further insight in this exciting and rapidly developing field

“Putting the baby back in the body”: The re-embodiment of pregnancy to enhance safety in a free-standing birth centre

The general discourse in most countries is that technological surveillance during pregnancy and childbirth is synonymous with safety, while women's individual experiences are less likely regarded as critical. The aim of this ethnographic study at a birth centre in Germany was to describe how midwives and their clients construct risk and safety. The data collection methods included participant observation and semi-structured interviews. ‘Putting the baby back in the body’ was the major theme that emerged, supported by three sub-themes. The women in this study relied on scans at the beginning of pregnancy to make their baby real to them, but became more confident in their capacity to sense their baby after experiencing the first fetal movements. The midwives fostered this confidence by using interactive palpation of the abdomen with the women, thus supporting their individual sensory experience, and, in the midwives’ view, enhancing overall safety during pregnancy and at birth

Informe de model d'acompanyament i assistència a persones trans a la ciutat de Barcelona

Presentat a la Comissió de Drets Socials, Cultura i Esports de 22-03-2016Podeu consultar una altra versió del document en castellà a: http://hdl.handle.net/11703/105919Podeu consultar una altra versió del document en anglès a: http://hdl.handle.net/11703/10592

Feminisme, dret i immigració: una crítica feminista al dret d'estrangeria.

RESUM Larribada a lestat espanyol de població immigrant ha plantejat una sèrie de qüestions al voltant de la titularitat i el subjecte de drets. Si bé la vinculació entre els drets dels estrangers i els dels ciutadans es posa de manifest, quan es parla de les dones els problemes dels drets desapareixen: parlar de dones immigrades sembla implicar parlar de lestatut de la dona a les diferents cultures, però no a la nostra. Lanàlisi jurídica i política de les implicacions de la llei destrangeria des duna perspectiva feminista crítica està poc desenvolupada, per més que les qüestions que aquest tipus danàlisi revela són importants, tant per a les persones estrangeres com per als ciutadans i ciutadanes. Lestrangeria és un espill de la societat: els models dhome i dona que reflecteix la llei no són importats pels immigrants sinó imposats per nosaltres. Les qüestions i crítiques suscitades pels diferents feminismes són centrals per a aquest debat des de la filosofia política i jurídica: la discussió és el subjecte de drets, de quina manera es defineix i quin marc dactuació dissenyem en funció daqueixa manera dentendre el subjecte particular. He volgut examinar què pot significar fer una anàlisi feminista crítica del dret i el sistema polític i en quina mesura el dret construeix a la dona immigrada com a subjecte subordinat; presentant aquesta construcció com la punta de liceberg del nostre contracte social. La tesi consta de tres parts. La primera, dedicada a la teoria feminista desenvolupada les darreres dècades, assenyala dues grans etapes: el projecte antisexista i el projecte de reconstrucció teòrica i social. La teoria feminista crítica recull tots dos i és el punt de partida ja que reformula el projecte i el subjecte del feminisme en institucionalitzar la diferència entre dones. Aquesta reformulació permet incloure les dones immigrades a lanàlisi a partir del desplaçament del sistema sexe/gènere i creuar-lo amb lestrangeria (un altre sistema de creació jurídica de la diferència). La segona part analitza els instruments danàlisi amb què podem comptar des duna perspectiva feminista per apropar-nos al dret destrangeria. Per tal de minar i modificar els espais de poder, les estratègies i discursos que conformen les relacions socials excloents cal conéixer els instruments (conceptes i categories) que sutilitzen o que impedeixen que les relacions es produesquen en un marc digualtat i llibertat. En el cas de les dones immigrants, em sembla especialment important analitzar dos aspectes o desenvolupar dos perspectives que en faciliten la interpretació: la divisió públic/privat i la masculinitat del dret. La tercera part és una crítica feminista del dret destrangeria. Amb lestrangeria ens posem davant dels problemes del nostre sistema i davant les raons de lexclusió. La clau de lectura de la llei ha estat el sistema daccés als drets: el contracte de treball, el reagrupament familiar, lempadronament i el permís especial de col·laboració amb la justícia. Lobjectiu és posar de manifest com el sistema sexe/gènere travessa lestrangeria a partir de tres situacions protagonitzades per dones immigrants: laccés desigual als drets per la via del treball al inserir-se en treballs feminitzats; laccés subordinat als drets mitjançant el reagrupament familiar amb la qual es renova la ideologia de lespai de la dona, i la necessitat de negar-se dues vegades les treballadores del sexe per poder accedir als drets. Així, els criteris que fem servir per reconéixer una persona subjecte de drets han estat construïts sobre la base de lexclusió de les dones. Si el dret és instrument dexclusió i construeix subjectes exclosos; si la dona immigrada és un no-subjecte de drets, això ens afecta a tots i no sols a elles. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________The thesis considers two subjects: (1) the significance of a critical feminist analysis of law and the political system, and the possible liberating consequences derived from reflecting on matters such as citizenship, the recognition of rights and the end of systems of oppression and (2) the evaluation of the degree to which the law constructs the immigrant woman as a subordinate subject, presenting this exclusionary construction as the tip of the iceberg of our social contract, our juridical and political system, which permits the reinforced exclusion of immigrant women and its silencing. The study, thus, politicizes the situation of immigrant women and tries to explain the reasons for their exclusion, and, in addition, includes a revision of the limitations surrounding gender and citizenship. The work consists of three parts: the starting point is a review of the stages of feminist thought, not only does this aim to clarify debates and positions later considered, but it also acts as a revision of how and from which point immigrant women can be considered in the intended method. The second part presents the instruments of analysis developed by feminist theory with regard to politics and law. The third part applies these instruments to the analysis of the legislation relating to foreigners, showing that the different levels of access to rights by immigrant women is evidence of an incomplete (gendered) citizenship, unequal for women. The analysis proves that law is one of the structures responsible for creating gender difference resulting in a significant difference in the establishment of hierarchies with regards to the enjoyment of rights. This is this can be witnessed in three different situations in which women have a leading role: family reunification, domestic service and prostitution (sex work)