PST and PARR: Plan specification tools and a planning and resource reasoning shell for use in satellite mission planning

Plan Specification Tools (PST) are tools that allow the user to specify satellite mission plans in terms of satellite activities, relevent orbital events, and targets for observation. The output of these tools is a set of knowledge bases and environmental events which can then be used by a Planning And Resource Reasoning (PARR) shell to build a schedule. PARR is a reactive planning shell which is capable of reasoning about actions in the satellite mission planning domain. Each of the PST tools and PARR are described as well as the use of PARR for scheduling computer usage in the multisatellite operations control center at Goddard Space Flight Center

Japanese Timer Frame Methodology: Alternative Solutions to Hawaii's Built Environment

This study EXAMINES the historical development of the Japanese tradition of wood-based residential architecture from its prehistoric beginnings up until of the end of the Edo period (1600 – 1868). It starts with a brief look into the history of traditional Japanese architecture, beginning with the construction of early dwelling housetypes developed during the early period of Japanese antiquity. This period dates back to pre-Buddhist influence and is followed by the buildings developed post Buddhist era, which includes Buddhist temples and temple complexes, Shinto shrines, and palace complexes. The historic summary culminates with the final development of the shoin style residence, which reached its final stage of development during the Edo period, and of which is the main design influence to this research document. The OBJECTIVE is to develop a background understanding of the history of traditional Japanese architecture, particularly its wood joinery component, and how it affected the evolution and development of the design features of the Edo period Japanese house. The FOCUS of the study is to look at the distinct architectural features that characterize the shoin style and make this type of residential architecture unique to Japan, such as its modular system of measure and construction, the application of a wood joinery method of construction, its flexible and multi-functional spatial layout, built in furnishings, and the buildings architectural relationship between interior and exterior environments. The GOAL is to primarily develop an understanding of the architectural qualities that are distinct to Japanese residential architecture and to apply some of the things learned to enhance contemporary wood-based building design and residential living in Oahu, in an effort to ensure the preservation and continuation of the knowledge of this form of construction methodology. The goal is to also look at alternative methods of wood-based construction and the use of reclaimed building materials local to Oahu that may be applicable when considering the traditional Japanese building methodology

Childhood Malnutrition In China: Change Of Inequality In A Decade

A concentration index methodology to analyze the inequality in childhood malnutrition in China is outlined. Height-for-age z score is used as a measure of childhood malnutrition. Using household survey data from nine Chinese provinces, it is found that per-capita household income, household head's education, urban residence and access to a bus stop reduced malnutrition. Child's age had a nonlinear effect on the malnutrition status. Income growth and access to public transportation reduced the inequality, while rural-urban gap, provincial differentiation, and unequal distribution of household head's education increased inequality in childhood malnutrition. Gender is not a factor in either malnutrition status or inequality. Investments in infrastructure and welfare programs are recommended to reduce the inequality.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Plasma Processing of III-V Materials for Energy Efficient Electronics Applications

This paper reviews some recent activity at the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre in the University of Glasgow in the area of plasma processing for energy efficient compound semiconductor-based transistors. Atomic layer etching suitable for controllable recess etching in GaN power transistors will be discussed. In addition, plasma based surface passivation techniques will be reviewed for a variety of compound semiconductor materials ((100) and (110) oriented InGaAs and InGaSb)

d_{xy}-Density wave in fermion-fermion cold atom mixtures

We study density wave instabilities in a doubly-degenerate Fermi-Fermi mixture with $SU(2)\times SU(2)$ symmetry on a square lattice. For sufficiently large on-site inter-species repulsion, when the two species of fermions are both at half-filling, two conventional ($s$-wave) number density waves are formed with a $\pi$-phase difference between them to minimize the inter-species repulsion. Upon moving one species away from half-filling, an unconventional density wave with $d_{xy}$-wave symmetry emerges. When both species are away from the vicinity of half-filling, superconducting instabilities dominate. We present results of a functional renormalization-group calculation that maps out the phase diagram at weak couplings. Also, we provide a simple explanation for the emergence of the $d_{xy}$-density wave phase based on a four-patch model. We find a robust and general mechanism for $d_{xy}$-density-wave formation that is related to the shape and size of the Fermi surfaces. The density imbalance between the two species of fermions in the vicinity of half-filling leads to phase-space discrepancy for different inter-species Umklapp couplings. Using a phase space argument for leading corrections in the one-loop renormalization group approach to fermions, we show that the phase-space discrepancy in our system causes opposite flows for the two leading intra-species Umklapp couplings and that this triggers the $d_{xy}$-density-wave instability.Comment: revised long version; 8 pages, 7 figure