Space processing applications payload equipment study. Volume 2C: Data acquisition and process control

The services provided by the Spacelab Information Management System are discussed. The majority of the services are provided by the common-support subsystems in the Support Module furnished by the Spacelab manufacturer. The information processing requirements for the space processing applications (SPA) are identified. The requirements and capabilities for electric power, display and control panels, recording and telemetry, intercom, and closed circuit television are analyzed

Finding the oppressor out: constructions of colonial classrooms in Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John and Patrick Chamoiseau's School Days

2011 Spring.Includes bibliographical references.Jamaica Kincaid's Annie John and Patrick Chamoiseau's School Days critique the colonial education system as well as construct many ways in which the protagonists interact with that system at the psychological level. The colonial school acts as a physical and cultural manifestation of Empire, a catalyst for the protagonist's development, and a site for mediating relationships with peers and family members. The texts simultaneously construct the colonial education system and challenge its imperial foundation. The first two chapters of this thesis aim to study how the emerging narrative voices of Annie John and the little boy develop in relation to, and in resistance of, the colonial school system. The final chapter discusses the different approaches Kincaid and Chamoiseau utilize to appropriate the language and literature of the colonizers

The Determination of Avionics Redundancy for Minimum Cost

This paper describes an analysis of the level of redundancy of line repaceable units (LRUs) required for the Space Shuttle avionics system. The required number of LRUs is neither based on an arbitrary numerical probability nor on an aribtrary number of replicative units. Instead, a total cost to the program of each added LRU is calculated and the configuration that results in lowest program cost is selected. The analysis includes the costs of developing and procuring hardware, and the annual maintenance expense. Cost penalties for weight and electric power consumption are imposed for each added LRU. Improvement in reliability is quantified in terms of the reduced costs due to fewer lost vehicles and fewer missions where the payload cannot be delivered. Realistic mission rules are used for determining when the payload cannot be safely delivered. The analysis allows a choice of high-reliability or low-reliability procurement policies for each LRU. The results show that triply redundant Booster equipment and triply-redundant Orbiter equipment, are most cost effective, except for one additional inertial platform and central computer in the Orbiter

A Computer Vision Application to Accurately Estimate Object Distance

Scientists have been working to create robots that perform manual work for years. However, creating machines that can navigate themselves and respond to their environment has proven to be difficult. One integral task to such research is to estimate the position of objects in the robot\u27s visual field. In this project we examine an implementation of computer vision depth perception. Our application uses color-based object tracking combined with model-based pose estimation to estimate the depth of specific objects in the view of our Pioneer 2 and Power Wheels robots. We use the Camshift algorithm for color-based object tracking, which uses a color-histogram and gradient density climbing to find the object. We then use the POSIT algorithm, or Pose from Orthographic Scaling with ITerations, to estimate the pose of the object based on a model. Although pose consists of a translation vector and rotation matrix, we are only concerned with the z-component of the translation vector as it is an estimation of depth. Our results show that distortions caused by the environment result in inaccurate distance estimations. These distortions include reflections of the object off surfaces such as a linoleum floor. However, when no such distortions are present, the application is rather well behaved and returns consistent, accurate depth estimations. An advantage of the application is that it can be run in real-time for both standard web cameras and more expensive higher quality cameras. It can also be used with stored image files

Culture Research Landscape Throughout the United States Department of Defense

This contribution delineates the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) regional expertise and culture (REC) research landscape from 2005 through 2011, including major research efforts and topics of study, key contributors and publications, collaborative practices, and future research opportunities. Through interviews and survey responses, subject matter experts (SMEs) in REC research noted the need for better REC research coordination, more social science expertise and personnel, and greater collaborative practices. Key contributors to REC research across the DoD are located at AFCLC, ARI, ARL, AFRL, CAOCL, NAWCTSD, TRADOC, and the HSCB Modeling program. Opportunities for future research include: (1) Validation studies for 3C requirements; (2) Validation studies of REC training and education programs; (3) Role of technology in culture training; (4) Mitigating Cognitive Dissonance: Crossing the Culture Divide; (5) Navigating Culture During a High Stakes Mission; (6) Team cohesion in a multinational context

Análise de ecoperformance dos municípios de São Paulo : um estudo exploratório da capacidade institucional para a gestão ambiental

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade, Departamento de Economia, 2019.O conceito de ecoeficiência emerge como um desdobramento da gestão pública e privada à luz do novo paradigma do desenvolvimento sustentável, articulando não só as dimensões econômicas e ambientais, como também agregando um valor operativo ao próprio conceito. Para esse estudo, foi desenvolvido um modelo de ecoeficiência, aplicando-se o método da Análise Envoltória de Dados (DEA), com a determinação de um índice, cuja seleção das variáveis de entrada (inputs) e saída (outputs) foi baseada nos estudos de Robaina-Alves et al. (2015) e Timo Kuosmanen & Mika Kortelainen (2005). Ao passo que, a partir da análise da ecoeficiência, foram desenvolvidos três outros índices. O segundo índice, complementar ao índice de ecoeficiência, diz respeito ao ecodesempenho, isto é, analisa se a unidade produtiva atingiu os resultados estipulados congregando variáveis ambientais e econômicas. O terceiro índice, compreende a combinação da ecoeficiência com o ecodesempenho, conformando o índice da ecoperformance. Na segunda etapa dessa análise, com a finalidade de estimar a gestão ambiental municipal, foi desenvolvido um quarto índice que trata da capacidade institucional municipal, com dados extraídos da base Perfil dos Municípios Brasileiros (Munic/IBGE). Compreende-se aqui a capacidade institucional do órgão municipal de meio ambiente a partir das dimensões normativas, financeira e participação. Com isso, o objetivo deste estudo acadêmico é analisar a performance ambiental de uma amostra de 620 municípios do estado de São Paulo em relação com a capacidade institucional para a gestão ambiental municipal. Conforme os resultados, o coeficiente de correlação de Spearman de r=0,23, com nível de confiança de 99%, evidencia a existência de uma associação positiva entre os índices de ecoperformance e capacidades institucionais para gestão ambiental. O índice Bivariate Local Moran’s I (BILISA) , que avalia o efeito vizinha, foi positivo de 0,097 e indica que parte dos municípios e seus vizinhos apresentam valores de ecoperformance e capacidades institucionais semelhantes.The concept of eco-efficiency emerges as a development of public and private management in the light of the new paradigm of sustainable development, articulating not only the economic and environmental dimensions, but also adding an operative value to the concept itself. For this study, an eco-efficiency model was developed, applying the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method, with the determination of an index, whose selection of the input and output variables was based on Robaina-Alves et al. (2015) and Timo Kuosmanen & Mika Kortelainen (2005) studies. Whereas from the eco-efficiency analysis, three other indices were developed. The second index, which is complementary to the eco-efficiency index, concerns eco-effectiveness, that is, it analyzes whether the productive unit has achieved the stipulated results by gathering environmental and economic variables. The third index is determined by combining eco-efficiency with eco-effectiveness, conforming the eco-performance index. In the second stage of this analysis, in order to estimate municipal environmental management, a fourth index dealing with municipal institutional capacity was developed, with data extracted from the Perfil dos Municípios Brasileiros (Munic/IBGE). It is understood here the institutional capacity of the municipal environmental agency from the normative, financial and participation dimensions. Thus, the objective of this academic study is to analyze the environmental performance of a sample of 620 municipalities in the state of São Paulo in relation to the institutional capacity for municipal environmental management. According to the results, the Spearman correlation coefficient of r = 0.23, with a 99% confidence level, shows the existence of a positive association between eco-performance and institutional capacities for environmental management indices. The Bivariate Local Moran's I Index (BILISA), which assesses the neighboring effect, was positive at 0.097 and indicates that part of the municipalities and their neighbors have similar ecoperformance and institutional capacities values

Neotropical Monogenoidea. 2. The Anacanthorinae Price, 1967, with the proposal of four new species of Anacanthorus Mizelle & Price, 1965. from Amazonian fishes

Four species of Monogenoidea (Dactylogyridae) are reported from the gills of freshwater fishes from Amazonas, Brasil, as followsAnacanthorus spatulatus sp. n. from Colossoma bidens (Spix) and C. macropomum (Cuvier), and A. elegans sp. n., A. spiralocirrus melanopterus (Cope). Additionally, the status of the subfamily Anacanthorinae is discussed, and the diagnosis of Anacanthorus is emended.Quatro novas espécies de Monogenoidea (Dactylogyridae) são citadas das brânquias de peixes de água doce de Amazonas, Brasil, a saber: Anacanthorus spatulatus n. sp., de Colossoma bidens (Spix) e de C. macropomum (Cuvier), e A. elegans n. sp., A. spiralocirrus n. sp., e A. kruidenieri n. sp. todas de Brycon melanopterus (Cope). Adicionalmente, a posição sistemática da Subfamília Anacanthorinae é comentada, e a diagnose de Anacanthorus corrigida