Estimation of longitudinal stability and control derivatives for an icing research aircraft from flight data

The results of applying a modified stepwise regression algorithm and a maximum likelihood algorithm to flight data from a twin-engine commuter-class icing research aircraft are presented. The results are in the form of body-axis stability and control derivatives related to the short-period, longitudinal motion of the aircraft. Data were analyzed for the baseline (uniced) and for the airplane with an artificial glaze ice shape attached to the leading edge of the horizontal tail. The results are discussed as to the accuracy of the derivative estimates and the difference between the derivative values found for the baseline and the iced airplane. Additional comparisons were made between the maximum likelihood results and the modified stepwise regression results with causes for any discrepancies postulated

Review on Image Guided Surgery Systems

Nowadays modern imaging techniques can grant an excellent quality 3D images that clearly show the anatomy, vascularity, pathology and active functions of the tissues. The ability to register these preoperative images to each other, to offer a comprehensive information, and later the ability to register the image space to the patient space intraoperatively is the core for the image guided surgery systems (IGS). Other main elements of the system include the process of tracking the surgical tools intraoperatively by reflecting their positions within the 3D image model. In some occasions an intraoperative image may be acquired and registered to the preoperative images to make sure the 3D model used to guide the operation describes the actual situation at surgery time. This survey overviews the history of IGS and discusses the modern system components for a reliable application and gives information about the different applications in medical specialties that benefited from the use of IGS

Gamification and Its Application in Social Network Implementation

In this communication strategy, ideal audiences that are perceived to yield an effective influence of the stakeholders include national security or intelligence groups, as well as external firms that engage in regular monitoring of user information systems in collaboration with Visa’s internal group of experts. Indeed, the role of the national intelligence group(s) lies in addressing potential legal liabilities that could arise from any customer complaints relating to communication failures or lapses when malicious activities are detected. Similarly, the national intelligence group acts as a regulator to check trends in Visa Inc.’s conformity to standards shaping the state of communication about user information (in terms of frequency) and advising about some of the emerging technologies or platforms that ought to be incorporated to foster inclusivity and reach out to as many customer bases as possible. On the other hand, external firms responsible for regular monitoring of user information will play the role of examining some of the strengths of the communication strategies outlined and advising about possible improvements that could be made to avoid lapses regarding the duration and frequency of updates to the customers. It is also worth noting that the general public forms another audience group that the formulated strategy seeks to involve because this group plays a significant role of airing views about possible improvements that could be made to the company’s current communication goals. An ideal communication platform through which views from members of the public could be received and enacted accordingly is the social media, a trend that prompts Visa to have open forums from which these members could be allowed to channel their views about the merits and demerits accruing from the communication goals and their eventual implementation

Interpreting the Indonesian Constitutional Court Approach in Conducting Judicial Review on Cases Related to Economic and Social Rights

One of the duties of the Indonesian Constitutional Court (Mahkamah Konstitusi - MK) is to determine whether legislation is consistent with the Constitution. If the MK determines that a statute is inconsistent with the Constitution, it declares that such statute is invalid. In such instance, the MK has the final word to determine the validity of legislation. In the view of some scholars, this feature reflects that the MK adopts strong form of judicial review. While this assertion holds true in some cases, it does not necessarily reflect the complete feature of the MK's approach in deciding cases. In some economic and social rights cases, the MK decision adopts weak form of judicial review. This paper attempts to explain that while constitutionally the MK adopts strong form of judicial review, in some economic and social rights cases it adopts weak form of judicial review

The Constitutionalization of Budget for Education and Its Judicial Enforcement in Indonesia

The introduction of provision concerning budget allocation for education in the amended constitution is not a common method in constitutional drafting in Indonesia. This article aims to understanding the background of the inclusion of this provision and its judicial enforcement. It argues that the establishment of this provision closely related to the fact that education was not properly funded. As a result, the quality of education was negatively affected. The constitutionalisation of budget for education opens the possibility to allocate the national budget in this field in a more sustainable way. In addition, by constitutionalizing budget for education, there is a legal avenue available to challenge the government policy if the government fails to fulfill its constitutional obligation. The newly established Constitutional Court has the power to review whether the allocation of national budget for education is consistent with the Constitution. In some judicial review cases on budget for education, the Court took legal approach and also extralegal factors in its rulings

INFLUENCE OF SELECTED ECONOMIC, DEMOGRAPHIC AND POLITICAL CHARACTERISTICS ON GROWTH IN AFRICA

ABSTRACT Despite their common sources of development funds, African countries have had varying rates of growth. This study assesses the influence of selected social and economic variables on economic growth in Africa using data from 45 African countries for the year 2005. Regression results show that literacy rate, property rights, net budget surplus and inflation rate significantly influenced on growth in Africa. Judicial independence, number of days to start business and reliability of financial institutions did not show significant influence on growth in Africa. To promote growth, African governments need to redesign their education systems in order to be able to cope with the rapid socio-economic as well as technological changes and pursue policies that promote property rights, control inflation rates and increase net budget surpluses. Key words: Africa, Economic growth, regression model, regions

An FPGA Test bed for Spectrum Sensing in Cognitive Radio

In this thesis we presented a research test bed for spectrum sensing in cognitive radio systems. We considered spectrum sensing based on Eigen values of sample covariance matrix. When considering the implementation of the algorithm , it will pose a question on how to generate the Eigen values with low complexity. In practice, there is a trade-off between complexity and detection performance. The Eigen values of the sample covariance matrix can be found by using a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) , which can be implemented in hardware using Fats Fourier Transform (FFT). Simulations are performed in MATLAB and real-time measurements carried out in Xilinx Kintex-7 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). The result shows that the probability of detection increased as Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) increases. For Hardware result it shows less performance because the threshold is being calculated theoretically and the processing delay of FFT causes the distribution under hypothesis 1 (signal + noise) to be delayed from the distribution under hypothesis 0 (noise only).In terms of the computational complexity, the Eigen values method which proposed in [6], is about M times that of the Number of samples Ns , where M is the autocorrelation length of the received signal. However our proposed method only needs 2*M LUT(Look Up Tables) as shown in table 3. The simulations and implementation show that the proposed method works well with low complexity, without using information of the signal, the channel and noise power compared to the current spectrum sensing state of the art. we present a feasibility study of spectrum sensing using a research test bed platform for exploration and demonstration of development of physical layer functionalities for cognitive radio systems. Keywords: Cognitive Radio, spectrum sensing, Eigen values, FPG

Catalytic Courts and Enforcement of Constitutional Education Funding Provisions

It is well-recognized that it is easier for judges to enforce constitutional “negative rights” provisions than positive social and economic rights. This article focuses on the challenges of enforcing one specific positive right: the constitutional right of children to attend adequately funded schools. Our article tests on-the-ground judicial implementation of education funding provisions against the general theoretical framework of judicial interaction with the political branches developed by Katharine Young. We analyze how, in multi-year, multi-decision litigation, constitutional court judges in the three jurisdictions we studied actively experimented with the challenging task of forcing, or enticing, reluctant legislative and executive branches into spending more on education—often against the backdrop of potential political retaliation. Focusing principally on Indonesia and the American states of Washington and Kansas, we found Young’s model helpful in describing how judges shifted their tactical and rhetorical approaches among “peremptory,” “managerial,” “experimentalist,” “conversational” and “deferential” modes of review. Our study confirms Varun Gauri’s and Daniel M. Brinks’ observation that “judges . . . craft their opinions with an eye on the likelihood of compliance . . . , the political reaction and its effect on the standing of the judiciary.” These and other social scientists help explain why it is so difficult for courts to push the political branches to act, particularly when action requires higher taxes or a redirection of existing funds. We conclude that a court’s approach to judicial review of legislative and executive actions (or inaction) de-pends on the judiciary’s institutional strength, the remedies sought, and the specific political context within which the judicial review occurs. The three courts we studied were catalysts in contentious, multi-year education finance cases that were ultimately successful, in significant part, because of the strong support for judicial action from civil society groups and the media