Gravitational field; Apollo-Soyuz pamphlet no. 4.

Bibliography.

Sun, stars, in between; Apollo-Soyuz pamphlet no. 3.

Bibliography.

X-rays, gamma-rays; Apollo-Soyuz pamphlet no. 2.

Bibliography.

Spacelab data processing facility : users' guide.

Cover title.

Nondestructive testing: trends and techniques; proceedings.

Includes bibliographies.

Experimental expansion tube study of the flow over a toroidal ballute

An experimental investigation of high-enthalpy flow over a toroidal ballute (balloon/parachute) was conducted in an expansion tube facility. The ballute, proposed for use in a number of future aerocapture missions, involves the deployment of a large toroidal-shaped inflatable parachute behind a space vehicle to generate drag on passing through a planetary atmosphere, thus, placing the spacecraft in orbit. A configuration consisting of a spherical spacecraft, followed by a toroid, was tested in a superorbital facility. Measurements at moderate-enthalpy conditions (15-20 MJ/kg) in nitrogen and carbon dioxide showed peak heat transfer rates of around 20 MW/m(2) on the toroid. At higher enthalpies (>50 MJ/kg) in nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and a hydrogen-neon mixture, heat transfer rates above 100 MW/m(2) were observed. Imaging using near-resonant holographic interferometry showed that the flows were steady except when the opening of the toroid was blocked.

Gaussian operator bases for correlated fermions

We formulate a general multi-mode Gaussian operator basis for fermions, to enable a positive phase-space representation of correlated Fermi states. The Gaussian basis extends existing bosonic phase-space methods to Fermi systems and thus allows first-principles dynamical or equilibrium calculations in quantum many-body Fermi systems. We prove the completeness of the basis and derive differential forms for products with one- and two-body operators. Because the basis satisfies fermionic superselection rules, the resulting phase space involves only c-numbers, without requiring anticommuting Grassmann variables. Furthermore, because of the overcompleteness of the basis, the phase-space distribution can always be chosen positive. This has important consequences for the sign problem in fermion physics.

Focusing in on structural genomics: The University of Queensland structural biology pipeline

The flood of new genomic sequence information together with technological innovations in protein structure determination have led to worldwide structural genomics (SG) initiatives. The goals of SG initiatives are to accelerate the process of protein structure determination, to fill in protein fold space and to provide information about the function of uncharacterized proteins. In the long-term, these outcomes are likely to impact on medical biotechnology and drug discovery, leading to a better understanding of disease as well as the development of new therapeutics. Here we describe the high throughput pipeline established at the University of Queensland in Australia. In this focused pipeline, the targets for structure determination are proteins that are expressed in mouse macrophage cells and that are inferred to have a role in innate immunity. The aim is to characterize the molecular structure and the biochemical and cellular function of these targets by using a parallel processing pipeline. The pipeline is designed to work with tens to hundreds of target gene products and comprises target selection, cloning, expression, purification, crystallization and structure determination. The structures from this pipeline will provide insights into the function of previously uncharacterized macrophage proteins and could lead to the validation of new drug targets for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and arthritis. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

RELIGIÃO E COTIDIANO NA CIDADE DE ALTO PARAÍSO (RONDÔNIA)

O objetivo da presente pesquisa é explicitar a relação entre a religião e a vida cotidiana na cid ade de Alto Paraíso (RO). Pretende discutir o papel do imaginário religioso no processo de ocupação de um novo espaço geográfico e na luta pela sobrevivência neste contexto. Sistematiza, assim, a história de uma cidade a partir de depoimentos de seus primeiros habitantes, perguntando pelo lugar da religião nesta memória. A metodologia privilegia o depoimento oral, colhido através da técnica de entrevistas, transcritas, sistematizadas e problematizadas como fonte plausível de investigação. Tenta captar e visibilizar os sentidos que sujeitos anônimos atribuem a suas experiências de vida num processo de transformação de um espaço inóspito em um lugar habitável e promissor em termos econômicos e sociais. A pesquisa está dividida em três capítulos. O primeiro sistematiza a história de Alto Paraíso, privilegiando a memória dos primeiros moradores da região. O segundo debate a religião como agente na formação do imaginário e das transformações sociais. O terceiro capítulo discute o embricamento entre o trânsito religioso, as magias populares e os milagres institucionalizados.(AU)

CONSELHO DE COMUNICAÇÃO SOCIAL Um instrumento para a democratização da comunicação?

O presente estudo tem por objetivo examinar o papel do Conselho de Comunicação Social no processo de democratização da comunicação no Brasil. Faz-se, então, necessária uma retrospectiva histórica sobre o movimento pela democratização da comunicação no Brasil, a qual antecede à Constituição Federal de 1988. Discute a longa trajetória percorrida para a instalação do CCS e analisa a atuação desse órgão durante seu primeiro mandato (2002/2004). Para alcançar os objetivos estabelecidos, o trabalho utilizou-se do Estudo de Caso de natureza qualitativa, tendo como método principal a Análise Retórica. O eixo central de análise foram as atas, por meio das quais foi possível examinar as estratégias discursivas dos grupos de interesse que atuaram no Conselho. A proposta de Regionalização da Programação foi o objeto principal deste estudo. Os resultados alcançados indicam que a baixa representatividade da Sociedade Civil e as estratégias utilizadas pelos concessionários da mídia transformaram esse espaço em mais uma extensão do lobby empresarial, a fim de impedir a implementação de novas propostas para a democratização da comunicação. Esse predomínio do interesse privado sobre o interesse público aponta para a necessidade de se repensar a atuação do CCS.

A estética autoral da narrativa jornalística contemporânea: Histórias de Brasileiros

O trabalho analisa a narrativa jornalística praticada pela revista Brasileiros a partir de elementos textuais estilísticos que agregam ao texto, além da função informativa, a promoção do prazer estético da leitura. Junto à análise estética do objeto, uma especial atenção foi dada aos sinais de autoria identificados nas reportagens, onde o repórter supera a noção de transmissor isento da realidade e assume a posição mediador- autor. Para o estudo foram identificadas quatro categorias de análise que guiaram a observação das reportagens: subnarrativas (amplo espaço dedicado ao discurso do outro), autorreferência (a imagem de si do próprio repórter projetada nas reportagens), descrição intimista (detalhes de personagens, coisas ou lugares que aproximam o leitor das narrações), e cenas de apoio (momentos narrativos auxiliares à narrativa principal). Verificou-se que tais características, além de compor uma identidade editorial, permite a humanização das reportagens, dando ênfase às representações humanas, inclusive contemplando aspectos subjetivos, e não restringindo-se à transmissão de dados ou fatos pontuais, supostamente objetivos.(AU)

A hierarchical latent variable model for data visualization

Visualization has proven to be a powerful and widely-applicable tool the analysis and interpretation of data. Most visualization algorithms aim to find a projection from the data space down to a two-dimensional visualization space. However, for complex data sets living in a high-dimensional space it is unlikely that a single two-dimensional projection can reveal all of the interesting structure. We therefore introduce a hierarchical visualization algorithm which allows the complete data set to be visualized at the top level, with clusters and sub-clusters of data points visualized at deeper levels. The algorithm is based on a hierarchical mixture of latent variable models, whose parameters are estimated using the expectation-maximization algorithm. We demonstrate the principle of the approach first on a toy data set, and then apply the algorithm to the visualization of a synthetic data set in 12 dimensions obtained from a simulation of multi-phase flows in oil pipelines and to data in 36 dimensions derived from satellite images.

Gaussian regression and optimal finite dimensional linear models

The problem of regression under Gaussian assumptions is treated generally. The relationship between Bayesian prediction, regularization and smoothing is elucidated. The ideal regression is the posterior mean and its computation scales as O(n³), where n is the sample size. We show that the optimal m-dimensional linear model under a given prior is spanned by the first m eigenfunctions of a covariance operator, which is a trace-class operator. This is an infinite dimensional analogue of principal component analysis. The importance of Hilbert space methods to practical statistics is also discussed.

Canonical solution groups of a homomorphism : manipulator kinematics, nonparametric regression and distributed object systems

The kinematic mapping of a rigid open-link manipulator is a homomorphism between Lie groups. The homomorphisrn has solution groups that act on an inverse kinematic solution element. A canonical representation of solution group operators that act on a solution element of three and seven degree-of-freedom (do!) dextrous manipulators is determined by geometric analysis. Seven canonical solution groups are determined for the seven do! Robotics Research K-1207 and Hollerbach arms. The solution element of a dextrous manipulator is a collection of trivial fibre bundles with solution fibres homotopic to the Torus. If fibre solutions are parameterised by a scalar, a direct inverse funct.ion that maps the scalar and Cartesian base space coordinates to solution element fibre coordinates may be defined. A direct inverse pararneterisation of a solution element may be approximated by a local linear map generated by an inverse augmented Jacobian correction of a linear interpolation. The action of canonical solution group operators on a local linear approximation of the solution element of inverse kinematics of dextrous manipulators generates cyclical solutions. The solution representation is proposed as a model of inverse kinematic transformations in primate nervous systems. Simultaneous calibration of a composition of stereo-camera and manipulator kinematic models is under-determined by equi-output parameter groups in the composition of stereo-camera and Denavit Hartenberg (DH) rnodels. An error measure for simultaneous calibration of a composition of models is derived and parameter subsets with no equi-output groups are determined by numerical experiments to simultaneously calibrate the composition of homogeneous or pan-tilt stereo-camera with DH models. For acceleration of exact Newton second-order re-calibration of DH parameters after a sequential calibration of stereo-camera and DH parameters, an optimal numerical evaluation of DH matrix first order and second order error derivatives with respect to a re-calibration error function is derived, implemented and tested. A distributed object environment for point and click image-based tele-command of manipulators and stereo-cameras is specified and implemented that supports rapid prototyping of numerical experiments in distributed system control. The environment is validated by a hierarchical k-fold cross validated calibration to Cartesian space of a radial basis function regression correction of an affine stereo model. Basic design and performance requirements are defined for scalable virtual micro-kernels that broker inter-Java-virtual-machine remote method invocations between components of secure manageable fault-tolerant open distributed agile Total Quality Managed ISO 9000+ conformant Just in Time manufacturing systems.

The development of discourse in a discourse of development:a case study of a group constructing a new discourse.

This thesis is a qualitative case study drawing on discourse analysis and ethnographic traditions. The aim of the study is to provide a description of the discourse consciously constructed by a group of six TESOL professionals in the interests of their own development. Once a week, the group met for one hour and took turns to act as 'Speaker'. The other five individuals acted as Understanders. The extra space given to the Speaker allowed a fuller articulation of a problem or focus than would normally be possible in other professional talk. The Understanders contributed moves to support this articulation. The description covers a two-year period (1998-2000) of this constructed discourse. Data, collected during this period, are drawn from several different sources: recordings, interviews, diaries and critical incident journals. The main recordings are of the actual Group Development Meetings (GDMs). Discussion of six transcribed GDMs demonstrates which discourse choices and decisions were important. In particular, the study looks at the key role played by 'Reflection' in this process. It is argued that Reflection is the key element in supporting the Speaker. The analysis of Reflection, which is considered from four perspectives (values, purpose, form and outcomes) draws on data from the featured cases. Issues relating to the transfer to other groups of this discourse-based approach to professional development are considered.