Development and Testing of a High-Speed Real-Time Kinematic Precise DGPS Positioning System between Two Aircraft

This research involves the design, implementation, and testing of a high-speed, real-time kinematic, precise differential GPS positioning system for use in airborne applications such as automated aerial-refueling and close formation flying. Although many of the current ambiguity resolution techniques use the residuals from the least squares position estimation to determine the true ambiguity set, this thesis presents a novel approach to the ambiguity resolution problem, called the minimum indicator. Instead of assuming the ambiguity set with the lowest residuals is the true set, other special characteristics of the residuals are examined. This increases the confidence that the algorithm has selected the true ambiguity set. The end result was the first-ever successful in-flight demonstration of close formation flight, culminating in over 11 hours of close formation flying with a mean radial spherical error of 3.3 centimeters (0.108 feet). Other areas addressed include: the difference between pre-fit and post-fit residuals in the conditional probability calculation, the impact of a simplified dynamics model on system performance, the effect of widelane observables on the time-to-fix the correct double-difference ambiguities, and dynamically adjusting the time constant and standard deviation of relative acceleration states in the FOGMA model

Far From Fair, Farther From Efficient: The FTC and the Hyper-Formalization of Informal Rulemaking

Partially concerned with the proliferation of the “New Deal” agencies, Congress saw theAPAas a “compromise measure.” That is, Congress designed it to afford “uniformity and fairness in administrative procedures without at the same time unduly interfering with the efficient and economical operation of government.” Scholars and jurists from across the political spectrum have recognized that the notice-and-comment process allows for relative flexibility that can help “foster better government” by setting policy prospectively and expeditiously, thereby striking a reasonable balance between fairness and efficiency. In contrast to adjudicative measures, informal rulemaking can offer holistic treatment to market disorders—with considerable public input—without having to rely on “whack-a-mole” triage that is less publicly accountable and, in some ways, more inequitable for regulated entities. For the FTC and other stakeholders, these benefits remain elusive. Despite the D.C. Circuit upholding the FTC’s authority to create substantive rules in 1973, Congress passed the Magnusson-Moss Warranty, Federal Trade Commission Improvement Act (Mag-Moss), which sanctioned the FTC’s power of substantive rulemaking. But in doing so, Congress established a “hybrid” rulemaking system in an effort to provide more “due process” safeguards than § 553 of theAPA, but less than would be in the adjudicatory context. Congress augmented the procedural “safeguards” over the next two decades; most significantly in 1980 and 1994. Consequently, if the FTC now wishes to promulgate, substantively amend, or repeal binding trade rules proscribing certain “unfair or deceptive acts or practices,” it must identify the practice as “prevalent” before adhering to an eighteen-step, trial-like process that jettisons all the advantages of informal rulemaking in exchange for exceedingly expensive glacial deliberation. Indeed, it is a process that can take up to over a decade merely to amend a rule. To put this in perspective, when granted authority to promulgate new rules under § 553, the FTC’s promulgation can often take only a few months, even when providing opportunity for public input beyond notice-and-comment. Whatever may have been the true motives of Congress in passing Mag-Moss, it cited the FTC’s difficulties in protecting the consuming public, over-reliance on adjudicative measures like cease-and-desist orders, and a lack of public understanding regarding agency intention. Almost four decades later, those good intentions have helped entrench, if not exacerbate, the very problems Congress sought to ameliorate. Finding the Mag-Moss process to be prohibitively profligate, the FTC has refrained from proactively initiating rulemaking proceedings, instead favoring enforcement actions and non-binding guidelines. In the last two decades, Congress has at times granted the FTC—largely as a result of FTC lobbying efforts—the power to promulgate rules through notice-and-comment procedure, but only on a temporary ad hoc basis. Scholars have partially addressed this issue through what is known as the “ossification” thesis: cumbersome procedures, “hard look” judicial review, and probing executive oversight have notably diminished the pace and volume of rulemaking. Some of the ossification scholars’ prescriptive proposals have discussed guidance documents as “de-ossifying” methods, while their diagnostic analyses tend to focus more on the judiciary’s role in regulatory ossification. However, some evidence suggests that agencies such as the FTC cannot adequately address the pernicious practices of some market actors through adjudication and voluntary guidance documents alone. Nor does the FTC’s remedy lie in the softening of judicial review. Therefore, this Article exclusively focuses on the effects of congressionally-imposed strictures, and uses the case of the FTC to argue that in the context of administrative rulemaking, efficiency should not be sacrificed at the altar of formality

Controlled complete suppression of single-atom inelastic spin and orbital cotunnelling

The inelastic portion of the tunnel current through an individual magnetic atom grants unique access to read out and change the atom's spin state, but it also provides a path for spontaneous relaxation and decoherence. Controlled closure of the inelastic channel would allow for the latter to be switched off at will, paving the way to coherent spin manipulation in single atoms. Here we demonstrate complete closure of the inelastic channels for both spin and orbital transitions due to a controlled geometric modification of the atom's environment, using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). The observed suppression of the excitation signal, which occurs for Co atoms assembled into chain on a Cu$_2$N substrate, indicates a structural transition affecting the d$_z$$^2$ orbital, effectively cutting off the STM tip from the spin-flip cotunnelling path.Comment: 4 figures plus 4 supplementary figure

Microphotonic parabolic light directors fabricated by two-photon lithography

We have fabricated microphotonic parabolic light directors using two-photon lithography, thin-film processing, and aperture formation by focused ion beam lithography. Optical transmission measurements through upright parabolic directors 22 μm high and 10 μm in diameter exhibit strong beam directivity with a beam divergence of 5.6°, in reasonable agreement with ray-tracing and full-field electromagnetic simulations. The results indicate the suitability of microphotonic parabolic light directors for producing collimated beams for applications in advanced solar cell and light-emitting diode designs

Finding the ‘Sweet-Spot’ of Mechanised Felling Machines

Understanding how stand and terrain parameters impact the productivity of harvesting machines is important for determining their optimum use. Productivity studies in forest operations are often carried out on new equipment, or on equipment being used in new conditions. Such information is normally presented as a productivity or efficiency function; that is, a regression equation that best represents the data. Most studies establish that piece size is the dominant predictor that impacts overall productivity. A common concept, know as the ‘piece-size law’, is that productivity increases at a decreasing rate with increasing piece size. What is not well understood is the upper limit to this piece-size law. That is, as the trees get ‘too’ large, the machine starts to struggle and we can expect a decrease in productivity. Four different mechanised felling machines were studied in New Zealand radiata pine plantations. Using more complex non-linear equations it was possible to identify an ‘optimum’ piece-size for maximum productivity, whereby this ‘sweet-spot’ piece size for all machines is considerably smaller than their maximum. Unexpectedly, productivity tended to decrease gradually, not drop off suddenly beyond the optimum. Using more complex statistical functions when correlating piece size to productivity will help identifying the ‘sweet-spot’

Phlebotominae Sand Flies in Paraguay. Abundance Distribution in the Southeastern Region

From September 1993 to August 2001, 7,190 phlebotomine were collected with CDC light trap in an endemic area for human leishmaniasis, in the departments of Misiones and Itapúa, Paraguay. Eleven species were identified: Lutzomyia neivai (93.7%), L. whitmani (4.1%), and L. fischeri, L. shannoni, L. migonei, L. misionensis, L. cortelezzii, L. pessoai, L. alphabetica, Brumptomyia avellari and B. guimaraesi (less than 1%). The last three species are new records for the country. The biodiversity and phlebotomine abundance were associated with the proximity to primary forest or gallery forest, but L. neivai was also found in peridomestic periurban environment. L. neivai was found throughout the year, and showed a period of higher activity from September to April (spring to fall) with a unimodal or bimodal pattern in relation to the annual rainy peaks during the summer. Background literature about phlebotomine from Paraguay has been reviewed.Fil: Salomón, Oscar Daniel. Ministerio de Salud de la Nación; ArgentinaFil: Rossi, Gustavo Carlos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; ArgentinaFil: Cousiño, Blanca. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; ParaguayFil: Spinelli, Gustavo Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Limnología ; ArgentinaFil: Rojas de Arias, Antonieta. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; ParaguayFil: López de Puerto, Delfin G.. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; ParaguayFil: Ortiz, Arnaldo J.. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud; Paragua