Space station advanced automation

In the development of a safe, productive and maintainable space station, Automation and Robotics (A and R) has been identified as an enabling technology which will allow efficient operation at a reasonable cost. The Space Station Freedom's (SSF) systems are very complex, and interdependent. The usage of Advanced Automation (AA) will help restructure, and integrate system status so that station and ground personnel can operate more efficiently. To use AA technology for the augmentation of system management functions requires a development model which consists of well defined phases of: evaluation, development, integration, and maintenance. The evaluation phase will consider system management functions against traditional solutions, implementation techniques and requirements; the end result of this phase should be a well developed concept along with a feasibility analysis. In the development phase the AA system will be developed in accordance with a traditional Life Cycle Model (LCM) modified for Knowledge Based System (KBS) applications. A way by which both knowledge bases and reasoning techniques can be reused to control costs is explained. During the integration phase the KBS software must be integrated with conventional software, and verified and validated. The Verification and Validation (V and V) techniques applicable to these KBS are based on the ideas of consistency, minimal competency, and graph theory. The maintenance phase will be aided by having well designed and documented KBS software

STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR IMPROVED COMPETITIVENESS BY REGIONAL COMMODITY INDUSTRIES

Agribusiness,

APPLE INDUSTRY STRATEGIC PLANNING AND INTEGRATION WITH UNIVERSITY RESEARCH

Agribusiness,

Improving lives in Scotland : a wellbeing approach

This paper has been developed from a programme of work supported by the Scottish Universities Insight Institute, Scotland’s Futures Forum and partners in 2014, which focused on wellbeing in Scotland. Such an approach takes a balanced look across social, economic and environmental dimensions to understand what influences the wellbeing of citizens and society at large and to assess its progress. The wellbeing of individuals and society is influenced by a wide range of factors that are interrelated and often self-reinforcing. A broad conclusion that can be drawn from a wellbeing perspective is that fairer, more inclusive societies tend to be happier, more prosperous and have better developed social capital and fewer social problems. Scotland is considered to be one of the leading countries in the world in measuring wellbeing, although there are a number of areas where this could be improved. While measurement plays an important role in assessing progress and focussing resources, it must be used carefully and a number of issues need to be taken into account. A wellbeing framework provides an opportunity to actively engage citizens, join up policy and practice and prevent the need for often costly remedial action. Actively engaging, enabling and empowering citizens will not only improve policy and practice and strengthen democracy it will also directly improve wellbeing

CUSTOMER PREFERENCES FOR MICHIGAN APPLES: A CASE EXAMPLE OF A MARKET RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR A COMMODITY INDUSTRY

A series of market-research studies on Michigan apples are discussed in this paper. They provide a case example of a continuing program of market research to aid this industry. These include studies on changing preferences, needs, perceptions, practices and buying behavior for major customer segments of this industry, including consumers and grocery retailers, as well as mid-chain customer segments such as shippers and processors. While this market research program includes several component studies, the overall integration of the information from the various component studies is especially important for the development of the industry's marketing strategies. The component studies which comprise the overall market research program to date include the following interrelated phases: 1. An initial survey of apple shippers as key mid-chain firms - emphasizing overview information on customer needs and preferences as well as priorities for needed market research information. 2. A consumer focus group study. 3. A large-sample consumer telephone survey on consumer preferences, behavior and attitudes. 4. Consumer taste tests emphasizing fruit firmness and taste. 5. Consumer visual test regarding purchase preferences for fruit size and color. 6. A survey of consumers using an in-store taste and sampling program. 7. A follow-up survey of shippers that concentrated on apple varieties preferred for current and future markets. 8. A similar survey of apple processors on apple varieties preferred for processed apple markets. 9. A survey of grocery trade customers on their needs and preferences for fresh apples. 10. Integrative analyses comparing and contrasting preference information obtained from the studies listed in 1-9. The market research was done as part of broad-scope industry efforts to analyze, target and develop major strategic directions intended to position the industry for high performance and success in the future. These identified strategic directions have the goal of improving the industry's overall performance, including effectively meeting the needs of their consumer and trade customers in order to improve industry's competitiveness and economic viability. The specific types of information, priority questions and customer targets for each of the component market-research studies were developed in close cooperation with industry leaders and major industry organizations such as the industry's generic promotional commission. The industry has used the information from these market-research studies to develop their evolving strategies to most effectively serve their customer needs and hence to compete in the changing markets for their industry.Consumer/Household Economics,

IMPROVING VERTICAL COORDINATION OF AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES THROUGH SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Supply chain management is an important topic related to improving efficiency, vertical coordination, overall performance and competitiveness in food industries. Considerable attention has been given to supply chain management as an approach for improving vertical coordination and market performance in both the trade literature and by food economists. Much of this has been primarily from the perspective of grocery retailer-wholesalers, food manufacturers and their suppliers. Supply chain management is also very relevant, with substantial opportunities for improved efficiency and performance, if the perspective is from an agricultural commodity industry. The goal for a commodity industry in this regard is to find ways to enhance their responsiveness to their customers, and ultimately their competitiveness. This can be accomplished when two or more vertical segments together pursue innovative approaches to doing business with emphasis on the vertical linkages that mutually benefit all parties.Industrial Organization,

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT: IMPROVING VERTICAL COORDINATION IN FRUIT INDUSTRIES

Agribusiness,

Strategic Planning Approaches and Concepts: Potentials for Improving Commodity Subsector Performance

Subsector, or industry strategic planning is a potentially useful tool that can be designed to enhance the overall performance and competitiveness of a commodity industry across the industry's inter-dependent vertical segments. Industry strategic planning provides a framework for industry stakeholders to consider future strategic directions and to facilitate needed adjustments and progress on certain issues of common interest. Industry strategic planning is particularly well suited for facilitating efforts by regional and national commodity industries to enhance their competitiveness in today's business setting, including global markets -- a major objective of industries throughout the world. The paper discusses possible relationships between strategic management objectives and the desirability of subsector coordination and performance. It concludes by presenting ten planning components modified to fit the context of a commodity subsector that need to be considered by those involved in the strategic planning process.Agribusiness, Crop Production/Industries, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Production Economics,

Regional Seismic Discriminants Using Wave-Train Energy Ratios

We have examined broadband regional waveforms of recent (since 1988) Nevada Test Site (NTS) underground explosions and earthquakes throughout the southwestern United States and Baja, Mexico, recorded by TERRAscope and other IRIS stations in order to characterize seismic sources for the purposes of event identification. As expected, earthquakes tended to be richer in long-period surface-wave and short-period shear-wave energy relative to explosions of comparable P-wave strength. Also, explosions, in general, were found to be richer in 1- to 6-sec surface-wave (Rg) energy and other late-arriving coda energy than were earthquakes. Most earthquakes show relatively little long-period (T > 6 sec) Rg and surface-wave coda energy, which we attribute to their deeper source depths, whereas known shallow earthquakes do exhibit these phases. We have developed several seismic discriminants based on our observations. The most promising discriminant is the ratio of short-period (f ≧ 1.0 Hz), vertical component, P_(nl) wave-train energy (E_(spPz)) to long-period (0.05 to 0.167 Hz), three-component, surface-wave energy (E_(lp−3)). For this ratio, explosions tend to have a higher value than do earthquakes. This discriminant works on the same premise as the teleseismic m_b:M_S ratio, for which earthquakes are richer in long-period surface-wave energy relative to explosions with the same body-wave magnitude. The long-period passband was chosen to limit the effect of longer-period noise and to remove the effect of the coda surface waves. Another potential discriminant examined is the ratio of short-period (f ≧ 1.0 Hz), vertical-component, P-wave to S-wave energy (E_(spPz):E_(spSz)). We find that this criterion only yields marginal separation of the source populations but becomes more effective at higher frequency bands (f ≧ 4.0 Hz) or when looking at single-station observations. It does, however, help to quantify significant short-period waveform differences between the three test subsites, with Pahute Mesa shots generating relatively little S-wave energy compared to those of Yucca Flat for which the S wave (or Lg) is often the largest phase, while Rainier's shots are intermediate in character with distinct but less prominent S waves. This S-wave generation is thought to be caused by near-source scattering to converted phases and appears to be highly dependent on the near-source geology. These two discriminants are useful in that they are simple and fast to calculate. Using regional stations for sources 200 to 1300 km away, the magnitude threshold for the E_(spPz):E_(lp−3) discriminant is roughly M_L ≧ 4.0, the limiting factor being the signal level of the Airy phase, while that for the E_(spPz):E_(spSz) discriminant is roughly M_L ≧ 3.0 for the same distance ranges