The Design and Development of a Multi-Disciplinary Project in Embedded Systems Design

As has been noted over the past ten years, “The wall between computer science and electrical engineering has kept the potential of embedded systems at bay. It is time to build a new scientific foundation with embedded systems design as the cornerstone, which will ensure a systematic and even-handed integration of the two fields.”[1] In Baylor University’s School of Engineering & Computer Science, the Embedded Systems course in the Department of Computer Science, and the Embedded Systems Design course in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering have been offered independent of each other in the recent past. In the past year, however, this is beginning to change, with plans developing to combine the project portion of the two courses into one multi-disciplinary group project. This paper will document the two courses – scope and sequence, as well as emphasis, equipment used, and delivery style – highlighting the need for a new and innovative approach at the systematic integration of software and hardware in the design and development of a mutli-disciplinary group project. The beta test of this group project is occurring in the fall 2017 semester, with full first-time full-scale deployment during the spring 2018 semester. The results of this beta test will be discussed, and the lessons learned and planned modifications to the course will be considered.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Indoor and outdoor allergens in Bloemfontein

N/

A two-dimensional mixing length theory of convective transport

The helioseismic observations of the internal rotation profile of the Sun raise questions about the two-dimensional (2D) nature of the transport of angular momentum in stars. Here we derive a convective prescription for axisymmetric (2D) stellar evolution models. We describe the small scale motions by a spectrum of unstable linear modes in a Boussinesq fluid. Our saturation prescription makes use of the angular dependence of the linear dispersion relation to estimate the anisotropy of convective velocities. We are then able to provide closed form expressions for the thermal and angular momentum fluxes with only one free parameter, the mixing length. We illustrate our prescription for slow rotation, to first order in the rotation rate. In this limit, the thermodynamical variables are spherically symetric, while the angular momentum depends both on radius and latitude. We obtain a closed set of equations for stellar evolution, with a self-consistent description for the transport of angular momentum in convective regions. We derive the linear coefficients which link the angular momentum flux to the rotation rate ($\Lambda$- effect) and its gradient ($\alpha$-effect). We compare our results to former relevant numerical work.Comment: MNRAS accepted, 10 pages, 1 figure, version prior to language editio

Large antenna apertures and arrays for deep space communications

Effect of frequency on communications capability, single antennas and arrays, and economic balance between ground station and spacecraft developmen

A study of weather-dependent data links for deep space applications

Weather-dependent data links for deep space applications, and five potential system

Viscous-flow analysis of a subsonic transport aircraft high-lift system and correlation with flight data

High-lift system aerodynamics has been gaining attention in recent years. In an effort to improve aircraft performance, comprehensive studies of multi-element airfoil systems are being undertaken in wind-tunnel and flight experiments. Recent developments in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) offer a relatively inexpensive alternative for studying complex viscous flows by numerically solving the Navier-Stokes (N-S) equations. Current limitations in computer resources restrict practical high-lift N-S computations to two dimensions, but CFD predictions can yield tremendous insight into flow structure, interactions between airfoil elements, and effects of changes in airfoil geometry or free-stream conditions. These codes are very accurate when compared to strictly 2D data provided by wind-tunnel testing, as will be shown here. Yet, additional challenges must be faced in the analysis of a production aircraft wing section, such as that of the NASA Langley Transport Systems Research Vehicle (TSRV). A primary issue is the sweep theory used to correlate 2D predictions with 3D flight results, accounting for sweep, taper, and finite wing effects. Other computational issues addressed here include the effects of surface roughness of the geometry, cove shape modeling, grid topology, and transition specification. The sensitivity of the flow to changing free-stream conditions is investigated. In addition, the effects of Gurney flaps on the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoil system are predicted

The Allergy Clinic: 50 years

There has been an allergy clinic at Red Cross Children’s Hospital from the day that the doors opened 50 years ago. This may not appear surprising given the prevalence of allergic conditions in children, but even today few major teaching hospitals in South Africa have paediatric allergy clinics – this despite the recent International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC) which ranked South Africa twelfth in prevalence out of the 56 countries surveyed

The effect of Telfast® 180 on driver behaviour, decision-making and reaction time.

The principal objective of the study was to examine the effect of Telfast® 180, an antihistamine, on driver behaviour, decision-making, and reaction time. A sample of 255 volunteers participated in the study. The sample was randomly divided into two groups, viz. a placebo and a Telfast group. One of the groups received Telfast and the other a placebo. Initially all the participants were given a standardised driving test, as well as a psychomotor test. Immediately thereafter the placebo group received their placebo tablets and the Telfast group their Telfast tablets. Exactly 2,6 hours later every participant was tested again, using the same tests as before. No statistically significant differences were found between the Placebo group and the Telfast group. No sedative effects due to Telfast® 180 were thus evident