Large deployable antenna program. Phase 1: Technology assessment and mission architecture

The program was initiated to investigate the availability of critical large deployable antenna technologies which would enable microwave remote sensing missions from geostationary orbits as required for Mission to Planet Earth. Program goals for the large antenna were: 40-meter diameter, offset-fed paraboloid, and surface precision of 0.1 mm rms. Phase 1 goals were: to review the state-of-the-art for large, precise, wide-scanning radiometers up to 60 GHz; to assess critical technologies necessary for selected concepts; to develop mission architecture for these concepts; and to evaluate generic technologies to support the large deployable reflectors necessary for these missions. Selected results of the study show that deployable reflectors using furlable segments are limited by surface precision goals to 12 meters in diameter, current launch vehicles can place in geostationary only a 20-meter class antenna, and conceptual designs using stiff reflectors are possible with areal densities of 2.4 deg/sq m

Parameter Estimation In Heat Transfer And Elasticity Using Trained Pod-rbf Network Inverse Methods

In applied mechanics it is always necessary to understand the fundamental properties of a system in order to generate an accurate numerical model or to predict future operating conditions. These fundamental properties include, but are not limited to, the material parameters of a specimen, the boundary conditions inside of a system, or essential dimensional characteristics that define the system or body. However in certain instances there may be little to no knowledge about the systems conditions or properties; as a result the problem cannot be modeled accurately using standard numerical methods. Consequently, it is critical to define an approach that is capable of identifying such characteristics of the problem at hand. In this thesis, an inverse approach is formulated using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) with an accompanying radial basis function (RBF) network to estimate the current material parameters of a specimen with little prior knowledge of the system. Specifically conductive heat transfer and linear elasticity problems are developed in this thesis and modeled with a corresponding finite element (FEM) or boundary element (BEM) method. In order to create the truncated POD-RBF network to be utilized in the inverse approach, a series of direct FEM or BEM solutions are used to generate a statistical data set of temperatures or deformations in the system or body, each having a set of various material parameters. The data set is then transformed via POD to generate an orthonormal basis to accurately solve for the desired material characteristics using the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) algorithm. For now, the LM algorithm can be simply defined as a direct relation to the minimization of the Euclidean norm of the objective Least Squares function(s). The trained POD-RBF inverse technique outlined in this thesis provides a flexible by which this inverse approach can be implemented into various fields of engineering and mechanics. More importantly this approach is designed to offer an inexpensive way to accurately estimate material characteristics or properties using nondestructive techniques. While the POD-RBF inverse approach outlined in this thesis focuses primarily in application to conduction heat transfer, elasticity, and fracture mechanics, this technique is designed to be directly applicable to other realistic conditions and/or industries

Object-Oriented Design of an Automated Calibration System for an Analog I/O Process Control Device

The goal of this project was to deliver the design of object-oriented software for the control of a custom calibration/test system. This calibration/test system is to be used for the production testing and calibration of an Analog Input device used in a process control system. Software features include a GUI (Graphical User Interface), Analog Input device troubleshooting tools, calibration/test system calibration and troubleshooting tools, and report printing capability. This project followed the methodology defined by the Unified Process Model and delivered design documentation through the Inception and Elaboration phases. This paper discusses the planning, documentation and testing differences between a large software project and a small software project

Shifting Spatial Patterns Of A Monocentric Metropolitan Area: The Evolution Of An Employment Cluster In The Buffalo-Niagara Falls, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA): 1990-2000

These findings are contrary to the established economic and geography literature that strongly suggests employment suburbanization has and will continue to create employment centers beyond the central city in metropolitan areas

An Investigation of the Big Five and Narrow Personality Traits in Relation to Academic Performance

The present study investigated the relationship between the Big Five personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, extroversion, and openness), as well as the relationship of more narrow personality traits, with academic performance. The issue of narrow traits adding incremental validity to the Big Five in predicting academic performance was investigated, using archival data collected from 552 university students. Results from a correlation analysis indicated that openness, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and emotional stability were all significantly related to GPA (college grade-point average), while extroversion was not related. Due to a significant gender difference in college GPA, gender interaction terms with each of the Big Five factors were employed for regression analyses. The regression analyses indicated that GPA was related to openness, emotional stability, and agreeableness. Bivariate correlation analyses showed that, of the five narrow traits, aggression, self-directed learning, optimism, and work drive were related to GPA. Regression analysis indicated that aggression, self-directed learning, tough-mindedness, and work drive accounted for partial effects in GPA. Significant interactions were noted between gender and optimism and gender and self-directed learning. Finally, a sequential multiple regression revealed that the following narrow traits added incremental validity to the Big Five in explaining variance in college GPA: conscientiousness from the Big Five, and the narrow traits of self-directed learning, aggression, tough-mindedness, and work drive. Significant interactions were noted between gender and optimism and gender and self-directed learning. These findings were interpreted as supporting the usefulness of both broad and narrow personality traits to predict real-world outcomes. Furthermore, these findings illuminate the relationship between personality and academic performance

Taxation, Public Borrowing And Economic Development: A Metropolitan Area Analysis

Despite a substantial body of evidence to the contrary, state and local fiscal policy variables loom to many political leaders as important determinants of economic growth.  Using instrumental variables regression analysis reveals that prior population growth has a strong and significant influence on subsequent job growth.  Differential factor costs, such as earnings per worker and electricity costs, have a statistically significant effect on employment growth. The results for total employment growth and for manufacturing employment growth suggest that factor costs are more important statistically for growth in the 1980s than they were during the 1970s.   The degree of labor unionization has had mixed effects on economic growth.  Fiscal variables, however, are not generally statistically significant except for the limited effects of per capita state non-property taxes on the change of total employment. There is no demonstrable long term effect of public expenditures on growth patterns over the 20 year period analyzed.  Finally, per capita private purpose public bonds do not influence employment growth.  The results reveal that, if anything, metropolitan areas with declining employment are more likely to use economic development bonds in unsuccessful attempts to stem employment decline

Gang Violence and Social Media

The increasing permeation of social media into people’s daily lives is playing an important role in (re)shaping attitudes and behaviours (Annisette & Lafreniere, 2016; Greenfield, 2014). Whilst online activity has huge potential to enhance the quantity and quality of communication between people across the world, it is also raising some serious challenges. This chapter focuses on one of these challenges in particular, namely, the links between gang-related activity in the virtual world and gang-related violence in the real world