Writing states of independence: Erna Brodber and Kei Miller

Caribbean literature records the disillusionment with the reality of political independence that followed the failure of the West Indies Federation, and indicts the confederacy of dunces largely responsible. Peter Abraham’s This Island Now, V.S. Naipaul’s The Mimic Men, Oonya Kempadoo’s Buxton Spice and Caryl Philips’s A State of Independence, among others, have excoriated both colonial and national political machinations that divide states and the region on the grounds of race, class and ideological differences. I want to attend, however, to a more positive vision which cautiously raises hopes for the prospects of Caribbean citizens to actually achieve a state of independence, or as Erna Brodber puts it in The Rainmaker’s Mistake, entry into ‘the Free’ (2007 150). This process, however, takes place far outside the realm of organised politics: specifically, the realm of Spirit. The writing of Erna Brodber and Kei Miller envisions Caribbean people accessing epistemological resources of their own cultural fashioning, resources which properly harnessed admit the possibility of growth, transcendence and fulfilment beyond the strictly material realm. In both, the liberation of the individual is linked with that of the community and imagines achievement of a real confederation

First flight of the ATMOS instrument during the Spacelab 3 Mission, April 29 through May 6, 1985

The underlying rationale and the implementation of the Atmospheric Trace Molecule Spectroscopy (ATMOS) investigation are discussed, a description of the sensor is given, and the ground tests and integration procedures leading to the Spacelab 3 flight are described. The data reduction and analysis procedures used after the flight are discussed, a number of examples of the spectra obtained are shown, and the concentration profiles as a function of altitude for the minor and trace gases measured during the mission are presented. On the basis of the instrument's ability to survive both the launch and the reentry of the shuttle and its flawless performance while on orbit, the concepts involved in the investigation have been proved by the Spacelab 3 flight, and an extended series of reflights is currently being planned as a part of the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS) Missions. The goals for the investigation during these missions are also discussed

Integrated optics in an electrically scanned imaging Fourier transform spectrometer

An efficient, lightweight and stable, Fourier transform spectrometer was developed. The mechanical slide mechanism needed to create a path difference was eliminated by the use of retro-reflecting mirrors in a monolithic interferometer assembly in which the mirrors are not at 90 degrees to the propagation vector of the radiation, but rather at a small angle. The resulting plane wave fronts create a double-sided inteferogram of the source irradiance distribution which is detected by a charge-coupled device image sensor array. The position of each CCD pixel in the array is an indication of the path difference between the two retro-reflecting mirrors in the monolithic optical structure. The Fourier transform of the signals generated by the image sensor provide the spectral irradiance distribution of the source. For imaging, the interferometer assembly scans the source of irradiation by moving the entire instrument, such as would occur if it was fixedly mounted to a moving platform, i.e., a spacecraft. During scanning, the entrace slot to the monolithic optical structure sends different pixels to corresponding interferograms detected by adjacent columns of pixels of the image sensor

Implementation of a MPEG 1 layer I audio decoder with variable bit lengths

One of the most popular forms of audio compression is MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group). By using a VHDL (Very high-speed integrated circuit Hardware Description Language) implementation of a MPEG audio decoder and varying the word length of the constants and the multiplications used in the decoding process, and comparing the error, the minimum word length required can be determined. In general, the smaller the word length, the smaller the hardware resources required. This thesis is an investigation to find the minimum bit lengths required for each of the four multiplication sections used in a MPEG Audio decoder, that will still meet the quality levels specified in the MPEG standard. The use of the minimum bit lengths allows the minimum area resources of a FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) to be used. A FPGA model was designed that allowed the number of bits used to represent four constants and the results of the multiplications using these constants to vary. In order to limit the amount of data generated, testing was restricted to a single channel of audio data sampled at a frequency of 32kHz. This was then compared to the supplied C model distributed with the MPEG Audio Standard. It was found that for the MPEG audio coder to be fully compliant with the standard the bit lengths of the constants and the multiplications could be reduced by 75% and to be partial compliant with the standard, the bit lengths of the constants and the multiplications could be reduced by up to 82%. An implementation of a MPEG audio decoder in VHDL has the advantage of specific hardware, optimised, for all the different complex mathematical operations thereby reducing the repetitive operations and therefore power consumption and the time required performing these complex operations

Ultraviolet stellar astronomy

The author has identified the following significant results. During all three Skylab missions, prism-on observations were obtained in 188 starfields and prism-off observations in 31 starfields. In general, the fields are concentrated in the Milky Way where the frequency of hot stars is highest. These fields cover an area approximately 3660 degrees and include roughly 24 percent of a band 30 deg wide centered on the plane of the Milky Way. A census of stars in the prism-on fields shows that nearly 6,000 stars have measurable flux data at a wavelength of 2600A, that 1,600 have measurable data at 2000A, and that 400 show useful data at 1500A. Obvious absorption or emission features shortward of 2000A are visible in approximately 120 stars. This represents a bonanza of data useful for statistical studies of stellar classification and of interstellar reddening as well as for studies of various types of peculiar stars

Construction material processed using lunar simulant in various environments

The manufacture of construction materials from locally available resources in space is an important first step in the establishment of lunar and planetary bases. The objective of the CoMPULSIVE (Construction Material Processed Using Lunar Simulant In Various Environments) experiment is to develop a procedure to produce construction materials by sintering or melting Johnson Space Center Simulant 1 (JSC-1) lunar soil simulant in both earth-based (1-g) and microgravity (approximately 0-g) environments. The characteristics of the resultant materials will be tested to determine its physical and mechanical properties. The physical characteristics include: crystalline, thermal, and electrical properties. The mechanical properties include: compressive tensile, and flexural strengths. The simulant, placed in a sealed graphite crucible, will be heated using a high temperature furnace. The crucible will then be cooled by radiative and forced convective means. The core furnace element consists of space qualified quartz-halogen incandescent lamps with focusing mirrors. Sample temperatures of up to 2200 C are attainable using this heating method

UV and EUV Instruments

We describe telescopes and instruments that were developed and used for astronomical research in the ultraviolet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelength ranges covered by these bands are not uniquely defined. We use the following convention here: The EUV and UV span the regions ~100-912 and 912-3000 Angstroem respectively. The limitation between both ranges is a natural choice, because the hydrogen Lyman absorption edge is located at 912 Angstroem. At smaller wavelengths, astronomical sources are strongly absorbed by the interstellar medium. It also marks a technical limit, because telescopes and instruments are of different design. In the EUV range, the technology is strongly related to that utilized in X-ray astronomy, while in the UV range the instruments in many cases have their roots in optical astronomy. We will, therefore, describe the UV and EUV instruments in appropriate conciseness and refer to the respective chapters of this volume for more technical details.Comment: To appear in: Landolt-Boernstein, New Series VI/4A, Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Cosmology; Instruments and Methods, ed. J.E. Truemper, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 201

Calm ICT design in hotels: A critical review of applications and implications

There has recently been a call for revisiting the effect of ICT on guest experience in hotels. This is because ICT solutions can act not only as enhancers of hotel guest experience, but also as its inhibitors. In response to this call, the notion of calm ICT design has recently been introduced. Calm ICT design describes the ICT solutions that are used only when and if required, thus not calling user’s attention at all times. Although this concept is highly relevant to the hospitality industry, it has never been systematically considered within. This paper conceptualizes calm ICT design for application in the hospitality context. To this end, it analyzes the ICT solutions that are currently employed by hospitality businesses from the calm ICT design perspective; discusses how the opportunities offered by calm ICT design can be better capitalized upon by hospitality managers; and outlines directions for future research

Effects of fluoxetine on functional outcomes after acute stroke (FOCUS): a pragmatic, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial

Background Results of small trials indicate that fluoxetine might improve functional outcomes after stroke. The FOCUS trial aimed to provide a precise estimate of these effects. Methods FOCUS was a pragmatic, multicentre, parallel group, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial done at 103 hospitals in the UK. Patients were eligible if they were aged 18 years or older, had a clinical stroke diagnosis, were enrolled and randomly assigned between 2 days and 15 days after onset, and had focal neurological deficits. Patients were randomly allocated fluoxetine 20 mg or matching placebo orally once daily for 6 months via a web-based system by use of a minimisation algorithm. The primary outcome was functional status, measured with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), at 6 months. Patients, carers, health-care staff, and the trial team were masked to treatment allocation. Functional status was assessed at 6 months and 12 months after randomisation. Patients were analysed according to their treatment allocation. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN83290762. Findings Between Sept 10, 2012, and March 31, 2017, 3127 patients were recruited. 1564 patients were allocated fluoxetine and 1563 allocated placebo. mRS data at 6 months were available for 1553 (99·3%) patients in each treatment group. The distribution across mRS categories at 6 months was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (common odds ratio adjusted for minimisation variables 0·951 [95% CI 0·839–1·079]; p=0·439). Patients allocated fluoxetine were less likely than those allocated placebo to develop new depression by 6 months (210 [13·43%] patients vs 269 [17·21%]; difference 3·78% [95% CI 1·26–6·30]; p=0·0033), but they had more bone fractures (45 [2·88%] vs 23 [1·47%]; difference 1·41% [95% CI 0·38–2·43]; p=0·0070). There were no significant differences in any other event at 6 or 12 months. Interpretation Fluoxetine 20 mg given daily for 6 months after acute stroke does not seem to improve functional outcomes. Although the treatment reduced the occurrence of depression, it increased the frequency of bone fractures. These results do not support the routine use of fluoxetine either for the prevention of post-stroke depression or to promote recovery of function. Funding UK Stroke Association and NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme