A new approach for data acquisition at the JPL space simulators

In 1990, a personal computer based data acquisition system was put into service for the Space Simulators and Environmental Test Laboratory at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. The new system replaced an outdated minicomputer system which had been in use since 1980. This new data acquisition system was designed and built by JPL for the specific task of acquiring thermal test data in support of space simulation and thermal vacuum testing at JPL. The data acquisition system was designed using powerful personal computers and local-area-network (LAN) technology. Reliability, expandability, and maintainability were some of the most important criteria in the design of the data system and in the selection of hardware and software components. The data acquisition system is used to record both test chamber operational data and thermal data from the unit under test. Tests are conducted in numerous small thermal vacuum chambers and in the large solar simulator and range in size from individual components using only 2 or 3 thermocouples to entire planetary spacecraft requiring in excess of 1200 channels of test data. The system supports several of these tests running concurrently. The previous data system is described along with reasons for its replacement, the types of data acquired, the new data system, and the benefits obtained from the new system including information on tests performed to date

Occurrence of the Sinus Nematode Skrjabingylus sp. (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea) Inferred from Sinus Lesions in Arkansas Mustelidae and Mephitidae, with review of relevant literature

Nasal nematodes of the genus Skrjabingylus occur in the mammalian families Mustelidae and Mephitidae, and have been found from Canada to Costa Rica. Ingestion of infected snails, frogs, snakes, or mice can lead to infection of these mammalian hosts. Infection often causes pathology to bones in the sinus region, which may lead to discoloration, enlargement, and fenestrations of the bone. Examination of museum specimens for bone lesions or other evidence of infection has been used to evidence prior infection, but prevalence and intensity cannot be interpreted without actually recovering the parasite. We examined Mustelids and Mephitids in collections of mammals housed at Arkansas State University (ASU), Henderson State University (HSU), and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) to evaluate the possible occurrence of nasal nematodes in Arkansas mammals. Evidence of infection was found in skulls of the Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis), Spotted Skunk (Spilogale putorius), Mink (Neovison vison), Long-tailed Weasel (Mustela frenata), and North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis) from Arkansas. We report for the first time evidence of the presence and distribution of Skrjabingylus sp. infecting mammals in Arkansas

Multi-Modal Delivery Approaches in Teaching Postgraduate Legal Research Courses

This paper commences with a consideration of the rationales for teaching legal research to postgraduate students. It discusses the importance of legal research to the dynamic and ever-changing discipline of law and the added significance of this area to postgraduate study. The paper then discusses the learning needs of postgraduate students and the changing educational environment that they face, and how new directions in education and developments in student numbers and background, funding and technology affect this environment. It examines the contextual needs of postgraduate students and how these affect their expectations of postgraduate study. The paper concludes with an analysis of the results of a survey of students undertaking the subject Advanced Legal Research as to various modes of delivery and considers some recommendations arising from the responses

LDPC Code Design for Noncoherent Physical Layer Network Coding

This work considers optimizing LDPC codes in the physical-layer network coded two-way relay channel using noncoherent FSK modulation. The error-rate performance of channel decoding at the relay node during the multiple-access phase was improved through EXIT-based optimization of Tanner graph variable node degree distributions. Codes drawn from the DVB-S2 and WiMAX standards were used as a basis for design and performance comparison. The computational complexity characteristics of the standard codes were preserved in the optimized codes by maintaining the extended irregular repeat-accumulate (eIRA). The relay receiver performance was optimized considering two modulation orders M = {4, 8} using iterative decoding in which the decoder and demodulator refine channel estimates by exchanging information. The code optimization procedure yielded unique optimized codes for each case of modulation order and available channel state information. Performance of the standard and optimized codes were measured using Monte Carlo simulation in the flat Rayleigh fading channel, and error rate improvements up to 1.2 dB are demonstrated depending on system parameters.Comment: Six pages, submitted to 2015 IEEE International Conference on Communication

Normative values for the profile of mood states for use with athletic samples

The Profile of Mood States (POMS) has been used extensively for the assessment of mood in the sport and exercise environments. The purpose of the study was to develop tables of normative values based on athletic samples. Participants (N = 2,086), comprising athletes at the international (n = 622), club (n = 628), and recreational (n = 836) levels, completed the POMS in one of three situations: pre-competition/exercise, post-competition/exercise, and away from the athletic environment. Differences between the athletic sample and existing norms were found for all mood subscales. Main effects of level of competition and situation were identified. The results support the proposition that the use of the original tables of normative values in sport and exercise environments is inappropriate