What Is the X-30

The X-30 is envisioned to be a machine that is capable of exploring technology that is critical to single stage to orbit and to hypersonic cruise. The X-30 is comparable to a laboratory that will be able to investigate such things as the chemistry of supersonic combustion and the control of an of an integrated engine airframe, where the forebody of the airplane is the first compression surface for the propulsion. The X-30 is very ambitionous; it follows a path that is pretty well established by such programs as the X-15. This document is limited to a discussion of what is anticipated in the flight tests of the X-30 as opposed to describing the entire vehicle

User Manual for GERT EXCLUSIVE-OR Program

This report describes the procedures for using digital computer programs for analyzing GERT networks which contain nodes of the EXCLUSIVE-OR type and branches which have both a probability and a time associated with them. The time associated with a branch can be a random variable. The program calculates the probability, the expected time and the variance in the time to go from each source node of the GERT network to each sink node. Programs have been written in FORTRAN II and FORTRAN IV and have been exercised on the IBM 1130, GE 225 and CDC 3400 computers. This report details the operating procedures for using these programs. Four examples are included to illustrate the important facets involved in using the programs. Special options included in the program are: (1) printout of all loops and paths associated with the network; and (2) deletion of loops that have a probability of occurrence less than a value specified by the user. The program described in this report has been submitted to COSMIC

AFTI/F-16 flight test results and lessons

The advanced fighter technology integration (AFTI) F-16 aircraft is a highly complex digital flight control system integrated with advanced avionics and cockpit. The use of dissimilar backup modes if the primary system fails requires the designer to trade off system simplicity and capability. The tradeoff is evident in the AFTI/F-16 aircraft with its limited stability and fly by wire digital flight control systems when a generic software failure occurs the backup or normal mode must provide equivalent envelop protection during the transition to degraded flight control. The complexity of systems like the AFTI/F-16 system defines a second design issue, which is divided into two segments: (1) the effect on testing, (2) and the pilot's ability to act correctly in the limited time available for cockpit decisions. The large matrix of states possible with the AFTI/F-16 flight control system illustrates the difficulty of both testing the system and choosing real time pilot actions. The third generic issue is the possible reductions in the user's reliability expectations where false single channel information can be displayed at the pilot vehicle interface while the redundant set remains functional

Testing The Random Walk (Rw) Behaviour of Botswana’s Equity Returns

This paper examines the efficiency of Botswana’s capital market by testing the presence of random walk (RW) behavior in the Domestic Companies Index covering a period of 1989-2013 and Foreign Companies Index covering a period of 2005-2013. These return series represent Botswana’s equity market. Linear tests (i.e. Autocorrelations and ADF test) and nonlinear dynamics tests (i.e., Runs and R/S test) are applied to test the randomness of these return series. Results of the parametric autocorrelations test and the nonparametric runs test suggest that returns are serially correlated. Univariate unit root test (i.e. ADF) rejects the RW behavior of returns suggesting that the data is stationary. These results are further supported by those of the R/S test which indicates that all BSE index returns series possess strong persistent behavior which supports momentum investing. Generally, the results reject the Random walk behavior governing Botswana’s Equity market, implying that the market is weak-form inefficient. Overall, these results suggest that it is possible for investors to use historical stock market information to predict future stock prices employing some investments strategies to earn abnormal returns which nullifies the notion of market efficiency. Therefore in Botswana the efforts of technical and fundamental stock analysts are not futile

Deploying rural community wireless mesh networks

Inadequate Internet access is widening the digital divide between town and countryside, degrading both social communication and business advancements in rural areas. Wireless mesh networking can provide an excellent framework for delivering broadband services to such areas. With this in mind, Lancaster University deployed a WMN in the rural village of Wray over a three-year period, providing the community with Internet service that exceeds many urban offerings. The project gave researchers a real-world testbed for exploring the technical and social issues entailed in deploying WMNs in the heart of a small community

Perceived influence of cybersecurity on the intention to use mobile banking applications

Banking institutions see the adoption and usage of mobile devices for banking namely mobile banking as an innovative financial service delivering strategy that bridges the gap between customers and banks. Mobile banking eliminates the need to visit bank branches for banking services and it eliminates the need to only perform banking services within fixed business hours. In mobile banking, mobile devices such as a cellphone, smartphone, or tablet’ are used to conduct non-financial and financial transactions such as checking account status, transferring money, making payments, or selling stocks. Mobile banking is suggested to take over the banking sector because it is economising and timesaving benefits. Despite these benefits, the adoption rate amongst consumers remains low, especially in developing countries where there is a knowledge gap in understanding why consumers do not engage in the frequent use of mobile banking applications. Apart from several factors identified in previous literature on mobile banking as influencers of limited usage and adoption of mobile banking, trust remains an important factor in the intention to adopt or use mobile banking applications. Also, because of the increasing prevalence of cyber threats in developing countries, the influence of cybersecurity is still questionable on their influences on the intention to adopt or use mobile baking applications. The increase in cyber threats and attacks has birthed the need for cybersecurity to be addressed. Given that most financial institutions see mobile banking as a strategy for their competitive advantage; it is important that they understand how best to address consumer’s fears brought about by cybersecurity threats. Literature has not covered more ground on the analysis of mobile banking applications (Uduimoh., Osho., Ismaila, & Shafi’i, 2019). The purpose of this study is to investigate the perceived influence of cybersecurity on the user’s intentions to use mobile banking applications. The study identified seven salient cybersecurity factors that influence the intention to use mobile banking applications. These cybersecurity factors were grouped into two groups, namely intrinsic factors and extrinsic factors and resulted in the development of a conceptual model. With this model, hypothesises were developed and tested statistically using quantitative data from an online selfadministered Qualtrics survey questionnaire. Data collected from 90 participants was statistically analysed in Smart PLS 3 (a quantitative data analysis software). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Partial Least Squares path modelling approaches were adopted for data analysis. Hypothesis testing was performed on salient factors that influence the perception of cybersecurity on the intention to use mobile banking applications. The findings concluded that salient significant factors that influence the perception of mobile banking cybersecurity on the intention to use mobile banking applications were perceived data confidentiality and cybersecurity awareness. As a result, the study concluded that one’s perception on ability to avert cybersecurity threats and attacks, how they perceived the protection of their data from being modified by unauthorised users, how they perceive their data to be kept confidential and their knowledge of cybersecurity from legitimate sources influences their intention to use mobile banking applications. Finally, this study investigated the empirical evidence of the knowledge gap concerning the perceived influence of cybersecurity on the intention to use mobile banking applications