The applicability of frame imaging from a spinning spacecraft. Volume 1: Summary report

A detailed study was made of frame-type imaging systems for use on board a spin stabilized spacecraft for outer planets applications. All types of frame imagers capable of performing this mission were considered, regardless of the current state of the art. Detailed sensor models of these systems were developed at the component level and used in the subsequent analyses. An overall assessment was then made of the various systems based upon results of a worst-case performance analysis, foreseeable technology problems, and the relative reliability and radiation tolerance of the systems. Special attention was directed at restraints imposed by image motion and the limited data transmission and storage capability of the spacecraft. Based upon this overall assessment, the most promising systems were selected and then examined in detail for a specified Jupiter orbiter mission. The relative merits of each selected system were then analyzed, and the system design characteristics were demonstrated using preliminary configurations, block diagrams, and tables of estimated weights, volumes and power consumption

Control of electric vehicles with autonomous corner modules: implementation aspects and fault handling

In this paper, vehicle dynamics for electric vehicles equippedwith in-wheel motors and individual steering actuators are studied adoptingthe principles of optimal tyre-force allocation. A simple method fordescribing the constraints owing to tyre and actuator limitations is described.The control architecture is evaluated by investigating its response to realisticfault conditions. The evaluation demonstrates that the control architecture’sability to ensure vehicle stability generally is good. However, during majorfaults and extreme driving situations, vehicle stability is not maintainedunless the constraints in the optimisation process used for tyre-force allocationare adapted to the specific fault

Stability of an electric vehicle with permanent-magnet in-wheel motors during electrical faults

This paper presents an analysis of the stability of an electric vehicle equipped with in-wheel motors ofpermanent-magnet type during a class of electrical faults. Due to the constant excitation from the permanentmagnets, the output torque from a faulted wheel cannot easily be removed if an inverter shuts down, which directlyaffects the vehicle stability. In this paper, the impact of an electrical fault during two driving scenarios isinvestigated by simulations; using parameters from a 30 kW in-wheel motor and experimentally obtained tire data.It is shown that the electrical fault risks to seriously degrading the vehicle stability if the correct counteraction isnot taken quickly. However, it is also demonstrated that vehicle stability during an electrical fault can be maintainedwith only minor lateral displacements when a closed-loop path controller and a simple method to allocate theindividual tire forces are used. This inherent capacity to handle an important class of electrical faults is attractive;especially since no additional fault-handling strategy or hardware is needed

The Four Immeasurables Program: Training empathy and promoting altruism through meditation. An eight-week randomized controlled pilot study.

The general purpose of this randomized controlled pilot study was to investigate the potential effects of The Four Immeasurables Program on empathy and measures assumed to be related to the development of empathy and empathic concern for others such as perceived stress, mindfulness, and self-compassion. Of primary interest was to study whether the program can alter the dispositional tendency to feel empathic concern rather than personal distress when perceiving another as in need, termed other-orientation. In a randomized controlled study, an experimental group (n=21) was enrolled in an 8-week Four Immeasurables Program based on the Buddhist meditations of loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity, as well as the practice of Tonglen (“taking and sending”). The control group (n=25) was assigned to a waiting-list condition. After controlling for pre-test scores, post-intervention results showed a trend towards increases in other-orientation in the experimental group - an increase that significantly correlated with meditation time and with decreases in perceived stress as well as increases in self-compassion and mindfulness. Additionally, significant increases in mindfulness and self-compassion and a significant decrease in perceived stress were obtained for the experimental group when compared to the controls

The Alaska Workers’ Compensation Law: Fact-Finding, Appellate Review, and the Presumption of Compensability

This paper presents a fault handling strategy for electric vehicles with in-wheel motors. The ap-plied control algorithm is based on tyre-force allocation. One complex tyre-force allocation meth-od, which requires non-linear optimization, as well as a simpler tyre force allocation method are developed and applied. A comparison between them is conducted and evaluated against a standard reference vehicle with an Electronic Stability Control (ESC) algorithm. The faults in consideration are electrical faults that can arise in in-wheel motors of permanent-magnet type. The results show for both tyre-force allocation methods an improved re-allocation after a severe fault and thus re-sults in an improved state trajectory recovery. Thereby the proposed fault handling strategy be-comes an important component to improve system dependability and secure vehicle safety.QC 20130611</p

MOS field-effect-transistor technology

Metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor circuit development and laminated electronic packaging for computer storage device

Research groups: How big should they be?

Understanding the relationship between scientific productivity and research group size is important for deciding how science should be funded. We have investigated the relationship between these variables in the life sciences in the United Kingdom using data from 398 principle investigators (PIs). We show that three measures of productivity, the number of publications, the impact factor of the journals in which papers are published and the number of citations, are all positively correlated to group size, although they all show a pattern of diminishing returns—doubling group size leads to less than a doubling in productivity. The relationships for the impact factor and the number of citations are extremely weak. Our analyses suggest that an increase in productivity will be achieved by funding more PIs with small research groups, unless the cost of employing post-docs and PhD students is less than 20% the cost of a PI. We also provide evidence that post-docs are more productive than PhD students both in terms of the number of papers they produce and where those papers are published

Success factors in drug discovery and development

The article aimed to give a personal perspective on drug discovery and development. The author has worked both in Big Pharma as a scientist and manager and more recently also in start-up biotech companies. Drug companies have played a major important role in improving population health and will continue to do so. The hurdles and costs for drug development have continuously risen without a parallel enhancement of productivity. There is no single explanation for this and the article outlines success factors and hurdles for effective drug development. Aspects of the external and internal environments that influence Big Pharma productivity is outlined and discussed

The domesticated Thai elephants as a sustainable resource

In this study the welfare among domesticated Asian elephants in Thailand (Maximus indicus) and Zoo elephants in Sweden and Thailand were investigated. The aim of the study was to see if elephants owned by local people and hired by camp managers showed a higher frequency of stereotypic behaviour than those owned by the camp, if zoo elephant perform a lot of stereotypic behaviours and what could be done to the decrease that level, if calves contribute to an increased welfare of their mothers and what could be done to ease the problems connected with musth in bulls. The study was performed at two different camps in Thailand; Thai Elephant Conservation Centre (TECC) and Surin Elephant Study Centre (SESC) and three zoos; Dusit Zoo, Borås Zoo and Kolmården Zoo. In total 39 individuals were studied and their behaviour was recorded each minute in a time interval protocol during four hours. Interviews were also carried out with mahouts and elephant keepers. No significant difference was seen in time-budget when comparing the two camps in Thailand. At Dusit zoo the level of stereotypic behaviour was higher than expected while little stereotypic behaviour was observed at the Swedish zoos. Altered feeding regimes will most probably decrease the level of stereotypic behaviour. Calves contribute to low level of stereotypic behaviour among their mothers and a wider variety of behaviours were seen. More money should be invested in research concerning musth control as musth related problems causes large animal welfare problems.I denna studie undersötes välfärden hos domesticerade asiatiska elefanter (Maximus indicus) i Thailand samt hos djurparkselefanter i Sverige och Thailand. Studiens syfte var att ta reda på om elefanter som ägdes av lokalbefolkningen och som hyrdes ut till elefantcenter uppvisade en högre frekvens stereotypisk beteende än dem som ägdes av centren direkt, om zooelefanter uppvisade en hög frekvens stereotypiskt beteende och vad man kan göra för att sänka nivån, om kalvar bidrar till ökad välfärd för sin mamma och vad som kan göras för att minska de mustrelaterade problemen hos tjurar. Studien utfördes på två elefantcenter i Thailand; Thai Elephant Conservation Centre (TECC) och Surin Elephant Study Centre (SESC) samt tre djurparker; Dusit Zoo, Borås Djurpark och Kolmårdens Djurpark. Totalt studerades 39 individer vars beteende registrerades i ett protokoll var minut under fyra timmars tid. Intervjuer hölls med mahouter och elefantskötare. Ingen signifikant skillnad sågs vid jämförelse av de två centren i Thailand. På Dusit Zoo var nivån stereotypt beteende högre än förväntat och lite stereotypt beteende sågs i de svenska djurparkerna. Förändringar i utfodringsrutiner har störst påverkan för att minska stereotypt beteende. Kalvar bidrar till en låg nivå av stereotyp beteende hos sina mammor samt ett mer varierat beteende. Mer pengar bör investeras i forskning kring kontrollen av must eftersom mustrelaterade problem orsakar sämre välfärd hos elefanterna