A novel design concept for space-based polar remote sensing

Space-based remote sensing of the Earth is conducted from a fleet of spacecraft in two basic orbital positions, near-polar low-Earth orbits and geosynchronous orbits, with each offering its own advantages and disadvantages. Low-Earth orbits provide high-resolution observations at the expense of large-scale contextual information, while geosynchronous orbits provide near-global, continuous coverage at reduced resolutions. However, due to the rapidly decreasing horizontal resolution data-products derived from geosynchronous orbits are of degraded value beyond approximately 55 degrees of latitude. A novel mission design is introduced to enable continuous observation of all longitudes at latitudes between 55 and 90 degrees with an observation zenith angle of less than 60 degrees, without the use of composite images. A single Soyuz launch is used to deliver three spacecraft to 12-hr, highly eccentric true-polar orbits with apogee at 40170 km and electric propulsion is used to maintain the orbit apse-line coincident with the Earth’s poles. It is shown that the science payload mass can be traded against the mission duration, with a payload mass varying between 120 – 90 kg for mission durations between 3 – 5 years, respectively. It is further shown that the payload would have approximately of 2kW of power available during operations as the electric propulsion system is not operated at these times. Whilst the payload mass is less than a typical remote sensing platform in geosynchronous orbit it is considered that the concept would offer an excellent technology demonstrator mission for operational missions, whilst also enabling unique and valuable science

Optical Storage Shines Over the Horizon

Ranging from read-only, write-once and erasable designs, optical storage promises to store large amounts of data at lower than Winchester costs. But lack of media, standards and software is slowing market acceptance

An experimental application of industrial engineering techniques to department store operations

M.S.Robert N. Lehre

Discussant\u27s response to the case for the unstructured audit approach

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/dl_proceedings/1158/thumbnail.jp

Pricing efficiency, physical characteristics, and wholesale values of slaughter hogs

The objectives of this study were: (1) to estimate the cutout characteristics of U.S.D.A. Grades 1, 2, and 3 hogs at different weight intervals; (2) to determine the gross margin differentials^ among these animals and to identify variables affecting this margin; (3) to use cutout characteristics established in Objective I to calcu-late GMD\u27s for a different sample of animals, taking into account differences that may be attributable to both season and procurement method; and (4) to determine relationships that may exist between physical characteristics and wholesale values per hundredweight of hot carcasses under different situations of wholesale cut prices. The facilities and records of a large, federally inspected meat packing company were made available to this researcher and provided the primary data source. Cut-out data were gathered on 180 animals. Sixty of these animals were from U.S.D.A. Grade 1, while U.S.D.A. Grades 2 and 3 provided 70 and 50 animals, respectively. They fell into 18 categories of 10 animals each, based on liveweight and grade. Cut-out data from these 180 animals were used to attain Objective I. Linear multiple regression equations were used to test relation-ships among variables included in the last three objectives. Analysis for Objective II revealed that increases in hot carcass weights and increases in liveweight prices were associated with lower GMD\u27s. Lower GMD\u27s were also associated with Grade 3 animals. However, as weights increased within this grade, GMD\u27s increased. Results of the analysis for Objective III also showed negative relationships between GMD\u27s and increases in hot carcass weights, and increases in liveweight prices. Animals procured through order buyers, and animals purchased on a carcass basis had significantly lower GMD\u27s than animals purchased on a direct liveweight basis. The GMD\u27s for the second, third, and fourth quarter of the year were significantly higher than those for the first quarter. Results revealed also that GMD\u27s for Grades 2 and 3 were significantly higher than those for Grade 1. Analysis for Objective IV revealed that the degree of association between physical characteristics and wholesale values varied, depending on the wholesale cut prices used to estimate carcass values. The magnitude of the b coefficient varied widely for the variable hot carcass weight. Results indicated that there would be no advantage to using more than one backfat measure in carcass buying models. Assuming that the proper muscling score or grade would be given, results of the equations in each of the pricing situations for wholesale cuts indicate that carcass buying programs including grade or muscling as variables along with hot carcass weights would be as accurate as those using backfat measurements. Several sources of potential inaccuracies in the buying practices of the firm were revealed in this study. One source may be a failure to discount properly for the heavier weights of some animals. Another may stem from a failure of the liveweight pricing system to reflect value differences between grades. The GMD\u27s received by a packer could be affected by the methods of procurement used (this may be only for the short run). Many carcass buying models are based on systems of premiums and discounts based on the associations present between physical character-istics and wholesale values. Results would lead one to conclude that there are factors other than physical characteristics which are associated with change in wholesale values of animals. An example would be inconsistencies from one season to another in differences between prices of light and heavy hams or other wholesale cuts

Management and Dietary Strategies to Mitigate Environmental Stressors in Northern Plains Cattle Feeding Systems

Three studies were undertaken to examine strategies to mitigate environmental stress faced by Northern Plains cattle feeders. In the first study, 46 feedlot managers from SD (n = 21), MN (n = 6), and NE (n = 19) were surveyed on use and perceptions of heat stress (HS) mitigation strategies. All respondents avoided cattle handling during heat stress events and incorporated some method of HS mitigation. Buildings or shades were perceived as the most successful strategy (60.9%) and were most commonly named as strategies managers would like to employ (63% for shades and 17.4% for buildings). Increasing dietary corn silage inclusion is a method to deal with challenging weather either by expanding the harvest window or to salvage weather stressed crops. One hundred ninety steers [initial BW 420 kg (SD 24.7)] were used in a randomized complete block design to evaluate the effects of feeding two types of silage germplasm at two inclusion rates. A 2 × 2 factorial treatment arrangement was used with either a conventional hybrid or a hybrid with increased expression of alpha-amylase (Syngenta Enogen Feed corn, Syngenta Seeds, LLC) fed at either 12% or 24% of diet DM. No hybrid by inclusion rate interactions were detected for live growth performance (P ≥ 0.15). Growth performance was unaffected by silage hybrid (P ≥ 0.35). Feeding 24% silage reduced ADG and G:F (P ≤ 0.05), but increased beef produced per ha (P = 0.05). Hybrid cereal rye offers agronomic benefits as a rotational crop, but knowledge is lacking regarding feeding value in finishing beef diets. Two hundred and forty steers (initial BW 404 ± 18.5 kg) were used in a finishing experiment to evaluate the effect of hybrid rye (KWS Cereals USA, LLC, Champaign, IL) as a replacement for dry-rolled corn (DRC). Four treatments were used in a completely randomized design where DRC was replaced by rye (DRC:rye, 60:0, 40:20, 20:40, 0:60). Increased rye inclusion linearly decreased final BW, ADG, and G:F. Estimated NEm and NEg values for rye when fed at 60% of DM were 1.90 and 1.25 Mcal/kg, respectively

On the Rates of Type Ia Supernovae in Dwarf and Giant Hosts with ROTSE-IIIb

We present a sample of 23 spectroscopically confirmed Type Ia supernovae that were discovered in the background of galaxy clusters targeted by ROTSE-IIIb and use up to 18 of these to determine the local (z = 0.05) volumetric rate. Since our survey is flux limited and thus biased against fainter objects, the pseudo-absolute magnitude distribution (pAMD) of SNeIa in a given volume is an important concern, especially the relative frequency of high to low-luminosity SNeIa. We find that the pAMD derived from the volume limited Lick Observatory Supernova Search (LOSS) sample is incompatible with the distribution of SNeIa in a volume limited (z<0.12) sub sample of the SDSS-II. The LOSS sample requires far more low-luminosity SNeIa than the SDSS-II can accommodate. Even though LOSS and SDSS-II have sampled different SNeIa populations, their volumetric rates are surprisingly similar. Using the same model pAMD adopted in the SDSS-II SNeIa rate calculation and excluding two high-luminosity SNeIa from our sample, we derive a rate that is marginally higher than previous low-redshift determinations. With our full sample and the LOSS pAMD our rate is more than double the canonical value. We also find that 5 of our 18 SNeIa are hosted by very low-luminosity (M_B > -16) galaxies, whereas only 1 out 79 nearby SDSS-II SNeIa have such faint hosts. It is possible that previous works have under-counted either low luminosity SNeIa, SNeIa in low luminosity hosts, or peculiar SNeIa (sometimes explicitly), and the total SNeIa rate may be higher than the canonical value.Comment: 18 pages; accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journa

Demand illumination control apparatus

Solar illuminating compensating apparatus is disclosed whereby the interior of a building is illuminated to a substantially constant, predetermined level of light intensity by a combination of natural illumination from the sun and artificial illumination from electricity wherein the intensity of said artificial illumination is controlled by fully electronic means which increases the level of artificial illumination when the natural illumination is inadequate and vice versa

Observations on the Biology and Morphology of Ophyra Aenescens (Diptera: Muscidae)

Author Institution: Department of Zoology and Entomology, The Ohio State University, Columbus 1