The application of NASREM to remote robot control

The implementation of a remote robot controller, wherein the distance to the remote robot causes significant communication time delays is described. The NASREM telrobot control architecture is used as a basis for the implementation of the system. Levels 1 through 4 of the hierarchy were implemented. The solution to the problems encounterd during the implementation and those which are unique to remote robot control are described

A Survey of Working Capital Policy among Small Manufacturing Firms

This study reports results of a nationwide survey on overall working capital policy of small manufacturing firms. The survey instrument used was a modified version of the 1980 Smith and Sell study [18] on large firms. A detailed 36-question form queried firms on their overall working capital policies as well as on the management of the components of working capital. Statistically significant measures of association between working capital policies and tools were found among many of the variables. However, many other expected relationships were not confirmed

The Sales Forecast and Financial Management in the Small Manufacturing Firm

The importance of an accurate sales forecast to financial management in general is well documented. Although large firms\u27 forecasting practices as they relate to financial management have been surveyed, this is the first such study on small (manufacturing) firms. Surprisingly, the two groups are highly similar with respect to accuracy desired accuracy achieved, the uses of the sales forecast, and in the importance of the sales forecast. However, large and small firms do differ significantly in methods, perceived sophistication of methods, and in the commitment of resources to the sales forecasting effort

The spinning artificial gravity environment: A design project

The SAGE, or Spinning Artificial Gravity Environment, design was carried out to develop an artificial gravity space station which could be used as a platform for the performance of medical research to determine the benefits of various, fractional gravity levels for astronauts normally subject to zero gravity. Desirable both for its medical research mission and a mission for the study of closed loop life-support and other factors in prolonged space flight, SAGE was designed as a low Earth orbiting, solar powered, manned space station

Characterising the anisotropic nature of bio-composites

Buildings contribute substantially to our greenhouse gas emissions and energy demands both in their occupation and construction. Their construction also consumes large volumes of finite resources. Sustainable, low embodied energy, high performance crop based materials therefore offer great potential. Hemp-lime is a bio-composite concrete, mass infill material with a greatly lower embodied energy than equivalent traditional constructions. It also exhibits beneficial hygrothermal properties that can improve both a building’s energy performance and the comfort of its occupants by buffering humidity and temperature. It is however widely considered insufficient structurally, limiting its scope for application. A lack of understanding and acknowledgment that hemp-lime and other similar bio-composites are anisotropic, but instead have a directional internal structure, has hindered the development of stronger and more versatile products. In this work a range of methods based on digital image analysis and computer tomography were trialled with the aim of identifying the nature of hemp-lime’s internal structure and providing a methodology to classify it. The results from both digital imaging and computer tomography scanning indicate that the internal structure of the specimens considered was highly anisotropic; a strong directionality in the hemp particles was found to be induced by the construction process. The novel assessment methods developed to allow the numerical classification the internal structure that may be used in the future to allow the structural optimisation and modelling of bio-composites

Why Small Manufacturing Firms Shun DCF

Although there is ample literature on the use of capital budgeting techniques by small firms, there is practically no research available on why small firms don’t use discounted cash flow methods. This paper looks at this rationale issue in die light of Brigham\u27s 10 hypodieses (in Fundamentals of Financial Management, sixth edition). Support is found primarily for Brigham’s ignorance hypothesis, but also for his other hypotheses concerning small firms’ short-run cash flow orientation, the comparatively small size of their projects, the managers’ overall knowledge of their firms, and the irrelevance of value analysis when the value of the firm itself is unknown. Furthermore, small firms seem quite satisfied with their present techniques. Since the chief difficulty of small firms is forecasting future cash flows, changing to more sophisticated techniques offers no obvious and effective remedy for that problem

Ireland never seemed so far away

Gift of Dr. Mary Jane Esplen.Piano vocal [instrumentation]Just today I got a letter [first line]Ireland never seemed so far away [first line of chorus]E flat [key]Moderato [tempo]Popular song [form/genre]Woman leaning against brick wall in forest [illustration]Publisher's advertisement on inside front and back cover [note

2011 Ole Miss Track and Field Guide

Head Coach Joe Walker is featured on the cover.https://egrove.olemiss.edu/med_tfxc/1007/thumbnail.jp

Regional-Scale Relationships of Leaf Area Index to Specific Leaf Area and Leaf Nitrogen Content

Specific leaf area (SLA) is an important link between vegetation water and carbon cycles because it describes the allocation of leaf biomass per unit of leaf area. Several studies in many vegetation types have shown that canopy SLA is closely related to canopy leaf nitrogen (N) content and photosynthetic capacity. SLA increases as light is attenuated by leaf area down through a plant canopy. It therefore follows that across an individual biome the spatial patterns in canopy—average SLA and leaf N content should be significantly correlated with the spatial patterns in leaf area index (LAI) and canopy transmittance. In this paper, we show that the LAI across the Oregon transect is closely related to canopy—average SLA (R2 = 0.82) and leaf N content on a mass basis (R2 = 0.80). Canopy—average leaf N per unit area is highly correlated to canopy transmittance (R2 = 0.94) across the transect. At any given site, canopy—average SLA and leaf N per unit area do not vary significantly, either seasonally or between different codominant species occupying the same site. The results of this study suggest that the spatial distribution of canopy—average SLA and leaf nitrogen content (and perhaps canopy photosynthetic capacity) can be predicted across biomes from satellite estimates of LAI