Wireless connectivity has been realized for multiple environments and different frequency bands. However, little research exists about mmWave communication in industrial environments. This paper presents the 60 GHz double-directional radio channel for mmWave communication in a ship hull for Line-of-Sight (LOS) and non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) conditions. We performed channel measurements using the Terragraph channel sounder at different locations in the ship hull and fitted LOS path loss to a one-slope path loss model. Path loss and root-mean-square delay spread of the LOS path is compared to the reflected path with lowest path loss. NLOS communication via this first-order reflected path is modeled by calculating the path distance and determining the reflection loss. The reflection losses have a considerable contribution to the signal attenuation of the reflected path. The channel models are implemented in an indoor coverage prediction tool, which was extended with a ray launching algorithm and validated by comparison with an analytical electromagnetic solver. The results show that the mmWave radio channel allows high-throughput communication within a ship hull compartment, even when no LOS path between the transmitter and receiver is present.

Lusala (Dioscorea hirtiflora Benth. subsp. pedicellata Milne-Redh) is an important wild edible tuber foraged widely from natural forests in Southern Zambia, but at risk from overharvesting and deforestation. Its propagation was investigated in glasshouse studies to explore potential domestication and future in situ and ex situ genetic resources conservation. Almost all tubers planted with visible shoot buds produced vines, with no effect of tuber size on vine emergence or tuber yield. Few tubers without visible shoot buds at planting produced vines, but those that did not re-tuberized. The progeny provided good vine emergence and similar tuber yield, with vines from tubers produced by re-tuberization being more vigorous. Re-tuberization in the absence of vine emergence also occurred in other experiments. Minisetts cut from the proximal end of tubers provided better vine emergence (with more from 20-mm than 10-mm-long sections) and greater tuber yield than mid- or distal minisetts. Nodal stem cuttings rooted well, vined, and provided small tubers. This study shows that lusala can be propagated successfully from tubers, minisetts, nodal vine cuttings, or mini-tubers from nodal vine cuttings, for genetic resources conservation and/or domestication. Domestication is likely to be hampered by the long period required for vines to emerge and establish. More sustainable foraging, including re-planting in natural forests, is recommended to balance consumption of lusala in the region and promote its long-term conservation.

Missions to asteroids have been the trend in space exploration for the last years. They provide information about the formation and evolution of the Solar System, contribute to direct planetary defense tasks, and could be potentially exploited for resource mining. Be their purpose as it may, the factor that all these mission types have in common is the challenging dynamical environment they have to deal with. The gravitational environment of a certain asteroid is most of the times not accurately known until very late mission phases when the spacecraft has already orbited the body for some time.

Shape models help to estimate the gravitational potential with a density distribution assumption (usually constant value) and some optical measurements of the body. These measurements, unlike the ones needed for harmonic coefficient estimation, can be taken from well before arriving at the asteroid’s sphere of influence, which allows to obtain a better approximation of the gravitational dynamics much sooner. The disadvantage they pose is that obtaining acceleration values from these models implies a heavy computational burden on the on-board processing unit, which is very often too time-consuming for the mission profile.

In this paper, the technique developed on [1] is used to create a validated Python-based tool that obtains spherical harmonic coefficients from the shape model of an asteroid or comet, given a certain density for the body. This validated software suite, called AstroHarm, is used to analyse the accuracy of the models obtained and the improvements in computational efficiency in a simulated spacecraft orbiting a small body.

The results obtained are shown offering a qualitative comparison between different order spherical harmonic models and the original shape model. Finally, the creation of a catalogue for harmonics is proposed together with some thoughts on complex modelling using this tool.

Lichen thalli represent the most conspicuous examples of fungal-algal interactions. Studies that describe phycobiont diversity within entire thalli are based mainly on Sanger sequencing. In some lichen species, this technique could underestimate the intrathalline coexistence of multiple microalgae. In this study different multi-tool approaches were applied to two lichen taxa, Circinaria hispida and Flavoparmelia soredians, to detect algal coexistence. Here, we combined Sanger sequencing, a specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer, 454-pyrosequencing, phycobiont isolation and ultrastructural characterization. Furthermore, we compared pyrenoid ultrastructural features of lichenized phycobionts with microalgae isolated in culture. An improved methodology was used to isolate and propagate phycobionts which, in combination with fast genetic identification, resulted in a considerable reduction in time and cost to complete the process. This isolation method, coupled with a specific PCR primer, allowed for the detection of coexisting algae in C. hispida (four Trebouxia lineages). 454-pyrosequencing detected only a fraction of such diversity, while Sanger sequencing identified only the primary phycobiont. Ultrastructural features of the isolated algae were observed by transmission electron microscopy; the maintenance of the pyrenoid characteristics suggested the existence of different Trebouxia lineages. In F. soredians a single Trebouxia lineage was identified using all these approaches.

In cases of lichens with algal coexistence, a combination of different molecular and ultrastructural approaches may be required to reveal the underlying algal diversity within a single thallus. The approach proposed in this study provides information about the relationship between molecular and ultrastructural data, and represents an improvement in the delimitation of taxonomic features which is needed to recognize intrathalline Trebouxia diversity.

Control of common lambsquarters by the use of Ascochyta caldina as a postemergence mycoherbicide was studied in corn and sugar beet, in 1992 or 1993. The weed was planted at determined positions in the crops. Plots were treated with suspensions of A. caulina spores, and wetness duration's were varied to create different levels of disease development. Application of A. caulina resulted in necrosis development on, and mortality of common lambsquarters. Average severities of leaf necrosis 1 wk after treatment ranged from 0.01 to 0.75. Average proportions of dead plants 3 wk after treatment ranged from 0.00 to 0.65. Necrosis development and mortality were affected by wetness duration in two experiments. Sublethally diseased plants showed reduced growth. Maximum dry matter was affected by crop and by necrosis development. Numbers of fruits per plant showed a positive, almost linear relationship with plant dry matter weight. Seed weight was less affected by necrosis than number of fruits per plant. Competitiveness of common lambsquarters was reduced after infection by A. caulina. Crop dry matter weight showed a positive relationship with the level of common lambsquarters control. In corn, yield reduction by competition was prevented by application of A. caulina, but not in sugar beet.

This paper presents an extension of the formulation of wave propagation in transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes in the case of metallic circular waveguides filled with anisotropic metamaterials. The determined higher-order modes have been analyzed and exploited to the design of filters. Among the particularities of anisotropic material, the backward waves can propagate below the cut-off frequency. The numerical results for TE and TM modes have been compared with theoretical predictions. Good agreements were obtained. We analyzed a periodic structure containing waveguides filled with anisotropic metamaterial using the mode-matching technique. By using modal analysis, our approach reduced considerably the computation time compared to HFSS.

Ecological restoration of trees is often constrained by limited knowledge of the biology, propagation and management requirements of individual species. Consequently, restoration initiatives rarely incorporate less well-known species or those that are difficult to source and grow. We describe challenges associated with the restoration of threatened trees in the Araucaria Forest of southern Brazil, and analyse the effectiveness of methods used to define target species, identify seed sources and generate information on the phenology of rare or threatened tree species. A review of secondary data identified 71 rare or threatened taxa as targets for seed collection. We then surveyed 68.7 km of trails in 26 forest remnants, identifying and mapping 1,027 seed-producing trees of 38 species. Surveys confirmed the scarcity of several tree species (including seven species with an abundance of <0.04 individuals per km), and nine species showed no signs of fruiting during 3 years of phenological monitoring. These findings, together with limited knowledge and application of optimal seed collection methods, are significant factors impeding the recovery of these species within their natural habitat. Wider application of the results of this case study could support restoration of the Araucaria Forest with seedlings from a wider diversity of species.

When considering a system that performs a role, it is often stated that performing that role is a function of the system. The general form of such statements is that “the function of S is R,” where S is the functioning system and R is the functional role it plays. However, such statements do not represent how that single function was selected from many possible alternatives. This article renders those alternatives explicit by revealing the other possible function statements that might be made when either S or R is being considered. In particular, two forms of selection are emphasized. First, when we say “the function of S is R,” there are typically many systems other than S that are required to be in operation for that role to be fulfilled. The functioning system, S, does not perform the role, R, all by itself, and those systems that support S in performing that role might also have been considered as functioning. Second, when we say, “the function of S is R,” there are typically many other roles that S plays apart from R, and those other roles might also have been considered functional. When we make function assignments, we select both the functioning system, S, and the functional role, R, from a range of alternatives. To emphasize these alternatives, this article develops a diagrammatic representation of multiple systems playing multiple roles in multiple supersystems.

Satellite Navigation Systems (SNS) provide Position, Velocity and Time (PVT) services. The SNS is required to maintain its own System Time with high accuracy. To set up the precise System Time, each system component should maintain its own time within a specified limit. In the SNS, the onboard Space Vehicle (SV) time generator is one of the components and it should be set and maintained with few nanoseconds accuracy. To achieve accurate time setting with minimum difference between the ground and onboard SV systems, the onboard time setting should be highly predictable and accurate. This paper proposes an approach to initialize/set the onboard SV Time. The paper also discusses the concept of synchronization of SV Time with System Time with an overall accuracy better than 1 nsec. The proposed technique requires minimum setting time and synchronization steps and there is no need to predict accurate uplink propagation delay and command execution time.

A novel scheme involving experimental analyses and diagnoses is presented for monitoring radio-frequency (RF) and high-speed circuits. A live electrooptic imaging (LEI) camera is used in the scheme and it provides real-time images of the phase evolution of the RF electric field. Besides, it is demonstrated that essential properties of RF wave propagation are easily grasped from visual images; examples of LEI movies and images from which such essential properties can be identified are presented. The subjects of the LEI observations, analyses, and diagnoses are planar RF circuits and a Gbps-class emitter-coupled-logic circuit. In addition, the results of analyses and diagnoses in the space domain are discussed.

La compréhension du phénomène de la rupture des matériaux nécessite des études approfondies des phénomènes d'amorçage et de propagation des fissures qui, en général, prennent naissance dans les zones de fortes concentrations de contraintes dues aux effets géométriques ou métallurgiques. La connaissance de la distribution des contraintes au voisinage des différentes zones a une importance pour l'analyse de la variation du facteur de concentration de contraintes en fonction de leurs géométries. Ceci permet aussi d'expliquer le phénomène d'amorçage d'une rupture et de quantifier le facteur d'intensité de contraintes (FIC) en fonction de la géométrie de l'entaille et de la longueur de la fissure. Dans cette étude, on a essayé de modéliser par l'application de la méthode des éléments finis (MEF) l'effet de la présence d'une entaille et d'une inclusion sur le comportement d'une structure.

L'objectif de ce travail est l'étude du comportement à la fatigue cyclique de disques sollicités en compression diamétrale en biocéramiques orthopédiques d'alumine et de zircone (Al2O3, ZrO2) utilisées pour la conception des prothèses ostéo-articulaires. Nous étudions, grâce aux calculs numériques, l'état de contraintes sur un cotyle d'une prothèse totale de hanche en se basant sur les travaux de Pauwels [Pauwels, Biomécanique de la hanche saine et pathologique, principe, technique et résultats d'une thérapeutique causale, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York, 1977]. La zone la plus sollicitée en contrainte de traction potentiellement à l'origine d'une rupture par fatigue est déterminée. Nous rassemblons des résultats sur la propagation et l'amorçage des fissures de fatigue sous chargement cyclique en compression sur des éprouvettes de simulation de type disque brésilien chargées en mode I et en mode mixte I+II.