A Tracking Sun Photometer Without Moving Parts

This innovation is small, lightweight, and consumes very little electricity as it measures the solar energy attenuated by gases and aerosol particles in the atmosphere. A Sun photometer is commonly used on the Earth's surface, as well as on aircraft, to determine the solar energy attenuated by aerosol particles in the atmosphere and their distribution of sizes. This information is used to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of gases and aerosols in the atmosphere, as well as their distribution sizes. The design for this Sun photometer uses a combination of unique optics and a charge coupled device (CCD) array to eliminate moving parts and make the instrument more reliable. It could be selfcalibrating throughout the year. Data products would be down-welling flux, the direct-diffuse flux ratio, column abundance of gas phase constituents, aerosol optical depth at multiple-wavelengths, phase functions, cloud statistics, and an estimate of the representative size of atmospheric particles. These measurements can be used to obtain an estimate of aerosol size distribution, refractive index, and particle shape. Incident light is received at a light-reflecting (inner) surface, which is a truncated paraboloid. Light arriving from a hemispheric field of view (solid angle 2 steradians) enters the reflecting optic at an entrance aperture at, or adjacent to, the focus of the paraboloid, and is captured by the optic. Most of this light is reflected from an inner surface. The light proceeds substantially parallel to the paraboloid axis, and is detected by an array detector located near an exit aperture. Each of the entrance and exit apertures is formed by the intersection of the paraboloid with a plane substantially perpendicular to the paraboloid axis. Incident (non-reflected) light from a source of limited extent (the Sun) illuminates a limited area on the detector array. Both direct and diffuse illumination may be reflected, or not reflected, before being received on the detector array. As the Sun traverses a path in the sky over some time interval, the track of the Sun can be traced on the detector array. A suitably modified Sun photometer might be used to study the dynamics of an environment on another planet or satellite with an atmosphere

Experimental program for real gas flow code validation at NASA Ames Research Center

The experimental program for validating real gas hypersonic flow codes at NASA Ames Rsearch Center is described. Ground-based test facilities used include ballistic ranges, shock tubes and shock tunnels, arc jet facilities and heated-air hypersonic wind tunnels. Also included are large-scale computer systems for kinetic theory simulations and benchmark code solutions. Flight tests consist of the Aeroassist Flight Experiment, the Space Shuttle, Project Fire 2, and planetary probes such as Galileo, Pioneer Venus, and PAET

KOMPLEKSOWE ZARZĄDZANIE PRZEZ JAKOŚĆ W OBSŁUDZE NAZIEMNEJ W PORCIE LOTNICZYM NA PRZYKŁADZIE WELCOME AIRPORT SERVICES SP. Z O.O.

The conduct of business directed towards achieving the highest quality level of service is widespread and in many cases decides about the market success or failure. The quality service is of particular importance for the economic operator acting on the air transport market and in addition to customers satisfactions, ensures safety and reliability as well. The extensive research literature on the philosophy of total quality management and the detailed list of guidelines on the implementing and taking this forward in practice in an organisation are available. The selected pro-quality solutions in activity of ground handling agent WELCOME Airport Services Sp. z o.o. are presented in the article.Prowadzenie działalności gospodarczej ukierunkowanej na osiąganie najwyż­szego poziomu jakości usług jest powszechne i niejednokrotnie stanowi o sukcesie lub porażce rynkowej. Dla podmiotów gospodarczych działających na rynku transportu lotniczego, jakość usług ma znaczenie szczególne, poza satysfakcją klienta, zapewnia bezpieczeństwo i niezawod­ność. Dostępna jest obszerna literatura na temat filozofii kompleksowego zarządzania przez jakość i szczegółowy wykaz wytycznych dotyczących jej implementacji i realizacji w prakty­ce organizacji. W treści artykułu zaprezentowane zostały wybrane rozwiązania projakościowe w działalności agenta obsługi naziemnej WELCOME Airport Services sp. z o.o

Podstawowa terminologia i typologia w zakresie obsługi naziemnej dla potrzeb zarządzania w porcie lotniczym

The present publication presents basic terminology and typology related to the ground handling services needs of management at the airport, based on the analysis of the content of the Act of 3 July 2002 – Aviation Law and its implementing act, i.e. the regulation of the Minister of Transport, the Construction and Maritime Economy of 19 November 2013 on the ground handling services at the airports. This publication contains descriptions of suppliers of the ground handling services at the airports, taking into account the obligations which arise in the course of these activities. In addition to the presented analysis regarding authorization to provide the ground handling services, a list of categories of the ground handling services and the activities carried out within the particular categories was drawn up. The publication discussed the conditions of access and usage of the airport infrastructure by the suppliers of the ground handling services, including the main rules of setting and collecting charges for access to devices and the airport area as well as charges for centralized airport infrastructures.W niniejszej publikacji zaprezentowano podstawową terminologię i typologię w zakresie obsługi naziemnej dla potrzeb zarządzania w porcie lotniczym, która została wyodrębniona na podstawie przeprowadzonej analizy treści ustawy Prawo lotnicze2 oraz jej aktu wykonawczego, tj. rozporządzenia Ministra Transportu, Budownictwa i Gospodarki Morskiej z dnia 19 listopada 2013 roku w sprawie obsługi naziemnej w portach lotniczych. Dokonana została charakterystyka podmiotów świadczących obsługę naziemną w porcie lotniczym z uwzględnieniem obowiązków wynikających z realizowanej działalności. W uzupełnieniu do prezentowanej analizy dotyczącej uprawnień do świadczenia obsługi naziemnej sporządzony został wykaz kategorii usług obsługi naziemnej oraz działań realizowanych w ramach poszczególnych kategorii. Omówione zostały warunki udostępniania i korzystania z infrastruktury lotniska przez podmioty świadczące usługi obsługi naziemnej, w tym głównie zasady ustalania i pobierania opłat za dostęp do urządzeń i powierzchni lotniska oraz opłat za użytkowanie scentralizowanej infrastruktury

Observations and analysis of polar stratospheric clouds detected by POAM III and SAGE III during the SOLVE II/VINTERSOL campaign in the 2002/2003 Northern Hemisphere winter

The Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement and Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment instruments both observed high numbers of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs) in the polar region during the second SAGE Ozone Loss and Validation (SOLVE II) and Validation of INTERnational Satellites and Study of Ozone Loss (VINTERSOL) campaign, conducted during the 2002/2003 Northern Hemisphere winter. Between 15 November 2002 (14 November 2002) and 18 March 2003 (21 March 2003) SAGE (POAM) observed 122 (151) aerosol extinction profiles containing PSCs. PSCs were observed on an almost daily basis, from early December through 15 January, in both instruments. No PSCs were observed from either instrument from 15 January until 4 February, and from then only sparingly in three periods in mid- and late February and mid-March. In early December, PSCs were observed in the potential temperature range from roughly 375 K to 750 K. Throughout December the top of this range decreases to near 600 K. In February and March, PSC observations were primarily constrained to potential temperatures below 500 K. The PSC observation frequency as a function of ambient temperature relative to the nitric acid-trihydrate saturation point (using a nitric acid profile prior to denitrification) was used to infer irreversible denitrification. By late December 38% denitrification was inferred at both the 400–475 K and 475–550 K potential temperature ranges. By early January extensive levels of denitrification near 80% were inferred at both potential temperature ranges, and the air remained denitrified at least through early March

Software for Start-Ups: Introducing the NASA in Silicon Valley

Ames is in the unique position to cater to tech companies and start-ups in California's Silicon Valley. The majority of Ames' technology transfer is software, which is very attractive to newly developing companies in the Valley as they create their business plans and develop their technology portfolio structures. Ames is collaborating with several "accelerators", "incubators" and academic technology transfer programs to connect start-ups with the space agency's technologies and software. The ultimate goal is to enable successful businesses by harnessing the unique resources of the Silicon Valley entrepreneurial ecosystem, AND beyond! Note: All info is in the public domain

Parathyroid cancer — difficult diagnosis — a case report

Parathyroid cancer is a rare disorder of unclear etiology that is difficult to diagnose and treat. It is most often diagnosed incidentally based on multi-organ non-specific symptoms of hypercalcemia as a consequence of parathyroid hormone oversecretion. We present a case of a male with primary hyperparathyroidism who was diagnosed with parathyroid cancer ectopically located in the mediastinum only after the third surgery. However, due to chronic hypercalcemia, problems with localization and a bad clinical condition, the patient was not able to undergo a radical resection and one year after the first pathological fracture died. Taking into consideration the whole clinical picture we want to emphasize the need to apply comprehensive differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia and localization diagnosis of parathyroid tissue with a use of MIBI scintigraphy accompanied by the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, as the most specific diagnostic tools employed in this pathology.Parathyroid cancer is a rare disorder of unclear etiology that is difficult to diagnose and treat. It is most often diagnosed incidentally based on multi-organ non-specific symptoms of hypercalcemia as a consequence of parathyroid hormone oversecretion. We present a case of a male with primary hyperparathyroidism who was diagnosed with parathyroid cancer ectopically located in the mediastinum only after the third surgery. However, due to chronic hypercalcemia, problems with localization and a bad clinical condition, the patient was not able to undergo a radical resection and one year after the first pathological fracture died. Taking into consideration the whole clinical picture we want to emphasize the need to apply comprehensive differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia and localization diagnosis of parathyroid tissue with a use of MIBI scintigraphy accompanied by the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, as the most specific diagnostic tools employed in this pathology

On-line learning and updating unmanned tracked vehicle dynamics

Increasing levels of autonomy impose more pronounced performance requirements for unmanned ground vehicles (UGV). Presence of model uncertainties significantly reduces a ground vehicle performance when the vehicle is traversing an unknown terrain or the vehicle inertial parameters vary due to a mission schedule or external disturbances. A comprehensive mathematical model of a skid steering tracked vehicle is presented in this paper and used to design a control law. Analysis of the controller under model uncertainties in inertial parameters and in the vehicle-terrain interaction revealed undesirable behavior, such as controller divergence and offset from the desired trajectory. A compound identification scheme utilizing an exponential forgetting recursive least square, generalized Newton–Raphson (NR), and Unscented Kalman Filter methods is proposed to estimate the model parameters, such as the vehicle mass and inertia, as well as parameters of the vehicle-terrain interaction, such as slip, resistance coefficients, cohesion, and shear deformation modulus on-line. The proposed identification scheme facilitates adaptive capability for the control system, improves tracking performance and contributes to an adaptive path and trajectory planning framework, which is essential for future autonomous ground vehicle mission

Addison’s disease — symptoms and diagnosis. Case study

Wstęp. Choroba Addisona to zespół objawów klinicznych, wywołanych długotrwałym niedoborem hormonów kory nadnerczy, do którego dochodzi w wyniku autoimmunologicznego uszkodzenia nadnerczy. Najczęściej chorują kobiety, a początek choroby obserwuje się zwykle w 3. lub 4. dekadzie życia. Cel pracy. Przedstawienie trudności diagnostycznych, jakie mogą pojawić się w związku z ustaleniem ostatecznego rozpoznania choroby Addisona. Opis przypadku. Pacjentka 24-letnia z podejrzeniem pierwotnej niedoczynności kory nadnerczy została w trybie nagłym przyjęta do Kliniki Endokry­nologii. Od około pięciu miesięcy chora obserwowała nasilające się ciemnienie skóry, hipotensję, postępujące osłabienie z epizodami zasłabnięć, pogorszenie apetytu wraz z towarzyszącym spadkiem masy ciała. Lekarz rodzinny i dermatolog, do których w pierwszej kolejności zgłosiła się chora, nie brali pod uwagę patologii nadnerczy jako przyczyny zgłaszanych objawów, co opóźniło ustalenie ostatecznego rozpoznania. Wnioski. Ważną rolę w diagnostyce niedoczynności kor y nadnerczy odgrywa dobrze zebrany wywiad chorobowy oraz badanie przedmiotowe, a dokładna znajomość objawów klinicznych może znacznie ułatwić wczesne ustalenie rozpoznania. Choroba Addisona może przebiegać bez charakterystycznych zaburzeń gospodarki elektrolitowej, co może utrudniać jej wczesne rozpoznanie.Introduction. Addison’s disease is a constellation of symptoms triggered by long-term adrenal insufficiency, which is caused by autoimmune adrenal damage. Addison’s disease affects mostly women. The onset of the disease is usually observed in 3rd or 4th decade of life. Aim of the study. In the present paper diagnostic difficulties connected with posting a final diagnosis of Addison’s disease were presented. Case study. A 24-year female patient was admitted to Clinic of Endocrinology as an emergency case with suspected primary adrenal insufficiency. The medical history of the patient indicated progressive darkening of the skin, hypotension, fatigue with episodes of collapse, decreased appetite and weight loss over the last five months. The general practitioner and the dermatologist, who she consulted first, didn’t take into account the adrenal pathology as the cause of reported symptoms, which delayed the posting of final diagnosis. Conclusions. A significant factor in diagnosing adrenal insufficiency is a w ell-gathered medical history and physical examination. A thorough knowledge of signs and symptoms of this disease may be the key to early diagnosis. Addison’s disease may show no characteristic electrolyte metabolism disturbances, which may be a significant problem in posting an accurate early diagnosis