Very high voltage latching relay

Relay consists of high voltage reed switch actuated by rotating permanent magnet mounted on stepper motor shaft, with actuation assembly isolated from high voltage circuit. Unit can be modified for use as double pole or double pole double throw latching relay and can be used in either air or vacuum

Design considerations for large space electric power systems

As power levels of spacecraft rise to the 50 to 100 kW range, it becomes apparent that low voltage (28 V) dc power distribution and management systems will not operate efficiently at these higher power levels. The concept of transforming a solar array voltage at 150 V dc into a 1000 V ac distribution system operating at 20 kHz is examined. The transformation is accomplished with series-resonant inverter by using a rotary transformer to isolate the solar array from the spacecraft. The power can then be distributed in any desired method such as three phase delta to delta. The distribution voltage can be easily transformed to any desired load voltage and operating frequency. The reasons for the voltage limitations on the solar array due to plasma interactions and the many advantages of a high voltage, high frequency at distribution system are discussed

Effectiveness and Cost of Shrub Removal Methods in Degraded Woodlands Being Converted to Silvopasture

Transforming degraded woodlands to silvopasture is of interest in the Midwestern USA as it increases profitability of farms and benefits animal health. Invasive shrubs within woodlands, however, are a major obstacle to silvopasture establishment. Research was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness, cost and resulting herbaceous canopy light interception of common brush-control methods when used alone or integrated over a two-year timeframe. Five treatments were established in a randomized complete block design. In the first year, treatments were either forestry mowed (mow) or rotationally grazed by goats (goats) at a stocking density of 5700 to 6000 kg per hectare. In the second year, mow and goat treatments were either grazed by goats again or shrubs were treated with a herbicide (herb). These were compared to a non-treated control. Costs of each treatment were calculated based on labor, equipment/supplies, and contracts. Vegetation composition and herbaceous canopy light interception were evaluated the summer after treatments were implemented. Forestry mowing followed by herbicide was the least expensive treatment at $1833/ha, while goats were 72% higher. Light interception by the herbaceous canopy was not reduced by goats, but mowing followed by goats increased light interception such that it was greater than repeated goat grazing (p\u3c0.05). While shrubs were initially impacted by treatments, resprouting resulted in no differences in abundance compared with non-treated controls. Grass abundance was similar in control plots and treatments (p\u3e0.05). Forb abundance remained similar in control and goat-grazed treatments but increased in mowed areas. Costs and effectiveness of multi-year treatments will continue to be evaluated through 2024

Integrating Grazing with 2,4-D and Florpyrauxifen to Control Broadleaf Weeds and Maintain Red Clover Productivity in Grass-Legume Pastures

In grass-legume pastures, 2,4-D-amine + florpyrauxifen-benzyl controls broadleaf weeds but red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is eliminated. Grazing within a week prior to herbicide application is likely to reduce leaf surface area and may reduce red clover injury and maintain productivity. Experiments were conducted in 2020 and in 2021 to determine if red clover could be productive when 560 g ae ha-1 2,4-D-amine + 6.3 g ae ha-1 of florpyrauxifen-benzyl with 1% v/v methylated seed oil applied in the spring was grazed before or after herbicide application. Grazing timings occurred 6, 4, or 2 days prior to herbicide application, the day of application, or 6 days after application. Grazing timing did not affect productivity or cover of red clover, white clover, forage grasses, broadleaf weeds, or annual grasses. In contrast, aboveground biomass of broadleaf weeds, red clover, and white clover was \u3e55, 56, and 44% less, respectively, in 2,4-D-amine + florpyrauxifenbenzyl treated pasture than nontreated pasture. Less clover and broadleaf weed biomass in herbicide treated pasture was associated with 16% more perennial grass biomass and no changes in total forage productivity. Results suggest that all grazing timings applied with 2,4-D-amine + florpyrauxifen-benzyl provided effective weed control that persisted more than 1 year with only partial injury to red clover populations. Grazing in concert with herbicide applications improves herbicide selectivity of preferentially grazed species, while improved from conventional standards practicality to producers is still unknown

Integrating Grazing with 2,4-D and Florpyrauxifen to Control Broadleaf Weeds and Maintain Red Clover Productivity in Grass-Legume Pastures

In grass-legume pastures, 2,4-D-amine + florpyrauxifen-benzyl controls broadleaf weeds but red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is eliminated. Grazing within a week prior to herbicide application is likely to reduce leaf surface area and may reduce red clover injury and maintain productivity. Experiments were conducted in 2020 and in 2021 to determine if red clover could be productive when 560 g ae ha-1 2,4-D-amine + 6.3 g ae ha-1 of florpyrauxifen-benzyl with 1% v/v methylated seed oil applied in the spring was grazed before or after herbicide application. Grazing timings occurred 6, 4, or 2 days prior to herbicide application, the day of application, or 6 days after application. Grazing timing did not affect productivity or cover of red clover, white clover, forage grasses, broadleaf weeds, or annual grasses. In contrast, aboveground biomass of broadleaf weeds, red clover, and white clover was \u3e 55, 56, and 44% less, respectively, in 2,4-D-amine + florpyrauxifenbenzyl treated pasture than nontreated pasture. Less clover and broadleaf weed biomass in herbicide treated pasture was associated with 16% more perennial grass biomass and no changes in total forage productivity. Results suggest that all grazing timings applied with 2,4-D-amine + florpyrauxifen-benzyl provided effective weed control that persisted more than 1 year with only partial injury to red clover populations. Grazing in concert with herbicide applications improves herbicide selectivity of preferentially grazed species, while improved from conventional standards practicality to producers is still unknown

Reasoning about topological and cardinal direction relations between 2-dimensional spatial objects

Increasing the expressiveness of qualitative spatial calculi is an essential step towards meeting the requirements of applications. This can be achieved by combining existing calculi in a way that we can express spatial information using relations from multiple calculi. The great challenge is to develop reasoning algorithms that are correct and complete when reasoning over the combined information. Previous work has mainly studied cases where the interaction between the combined calculi was small, or where one of the two calculi was very simple. In this paper we tackle the important combination of topological and directional information for extended spatial objects. We combine some of the best known calculi in qualitative spatial reasoning, the RCC8 algebra for representing topological information, and the Rectangle Algebra (RA) and the Cardinal Direction Calculus (CDC) for directional information. We consider two different interpretations of the RCC8 algebra, one uses a weak connectedness relation, the other uses a strong connectedness relation. In both interpretations, we show that reasoning with topological and directional information is decidable and remains in NP. Our computational complexity results unveil the significant differences between RA and CDC, and that between weak and strong RCC8 models. Take the combination of basic RCC8 and basic CDC constraints as an example: we show that the consistency problem is in P only when we use the strong RCC8 algebra and explicitly know the corresponding basic RA constraints

DogOnt - Ontology Modeling for Intelligent Domotic Environments

Abstract. Home automation has recently gained a new momentum thanks to the ever-increasing commercial availability of domotic components. In this context, researchers are working to provide interoperation mechanisms and to add intelligence on top of them. For supporting intelligent behaviors, house modeling is an essential requirement to understand current and future house states and to possibly drive more complex actions. In this paper we propose a new house modeling ontology designed to fit real world domotic system capabilities and to support interoperation between currently available and future solutions. Taking advantage of technologies developed in the context of the Semantic Web, the DogOnt ontology supports device/network independent description of houses, including both “controllable ” and architectural elements. States and functionalities are automatically associated to the modeled elements through proper inheritance mechanisms and by means of properly defined SWRL auto-completion rules which ease the modeling process, while automatic device recognition is achieved through classification reasoning.

Defining Mob Grazing in the Upper Midwestern United States

Mob grazing has emerged as an increasingly used management strategy on pasture-based farms throughout the country; however, the practice lacks clear definition among practitioners. We conducted a survey of livestock and dairy producers using some form of rotational grazing in the upper midwestern United States (N = 155) to gather producer-generated definitions, perceptions of benefits and disadvantages, and implementation strategies for mob grazing. The results describe a practice defined by variability and associated with compelling impacts. Implementation of mob grazing differed among producers, although most used it as a strategic tool and not a rigid management strategy

Algebraic Properties of Qualitative Spatio-Temporal Calculi

Qualitative spatial and temporal reasoning is based on so-called qualitative calculi. Algebraic properties of these calculi have several implications on reasoning algorithms. But what exactly is a qualitative calculus? And to which extent do the qualitative calculi proposed meet these demands? The literature provides various answers to the first question but only few facts about the second. In this paper we identify the minimal requirements to binary spatio-temporal calculi and we discuss the relevance of the according axioms for representation and reasoning. We also analyze existing qualitative calculi and provide a classification involving different notions of a relation algebra.Comment: COSIT 2013 paper including supplementary materia

Systematic Multi-Domain Alzheimer's Risk Reduction Trial (SMARRT): Study Protocol.

This article describes the protocol for the Systematic Multi-domain Alzheimer's Risk Reduction Trial (SMARRT), a single-blind randomized pilot trial to test a personalized, pragmatic, multi-domain Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk reduction intervention in a US integrated healthcare delivery system. Study participants will be 200 higher-risk older adults (age 70-89 years with subjective cognitive complaints, low normal performance on cognitive screen, and ≥ two modifiable risk factors targeted by our intervention) who will be recruited from selected primary care clinics of Kaiser Permanente Washington, oversampling people with non-white race or Hispanic ethnicity. Study participants will be randomly assigned to a two-year Alzheimer's risk reduction intervention (SMARRT) or a Health Education (HE) control. Randomization will be stratified by clinic, race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white versus non-white or Hispanic), and age (70-79, 80-89). Participants randomized to the SMARRT group will work with a behavioral coach and nurse to develop a personalized plan related to their risk factors (poorly controlled hypertension, diabetes with evidence of hyper or hypoglycemia, depressive symptoms, poor sleep quality, contraindicated medications, physical inactivity, low cognitive stimulation, social isolation, poor diet, smoking). Participants in the HE control group will be mailed general health education information about these risk factors for AD. The primary outcome is two-year cognitive change on a cognitive test composite score. Secondary outcomes include: 1) improvement in targeted risk factors, 2) individual cognitive domain composite scores, 3) physical performance, 4) functional ability, 5) quality of life, and 6) incidence of mild cognitive impairment, AD, and dementia. Primary and secondary outcomes will be assessed in both groups at baseline and 6, 12, 18, and 24 months