Health Care Systems Oncology, Imaging and Pharmacology, particularly for Prostate Cancer.
Technology that interests me: Sensors (Radar, Sonar, EO/IR,Fusion) Communications, Satellites, Unmanned Vehicles (UAV), Information Technology, Intelligent Transportation
Manymilitary powershave long beenbetting heavilyondrones. Somerotary-wingscoutsfitin the palm ofa person,while othershave a spanof a few metersandcan carryguided missiles.They areunobtrusive,versatile, and most importantly- peopleare safe, because thecontrolis carried outformany kilometers fromrockets andbulletsof the enemy.Experts believe thatin the distant futurethe entire militaryaviationin generalto get rid ofthe pilots, but todaythe main task-covertintelligenceand transferof accurate datafor strikes.
This is a radar image of one of the areas sampled on Ovda Regio.
There
is a smooth ramp across the map going from higher to lower elevations,
shown as a gradual transition in radar brightness up the ramp.
The top
of the ramp is brighter than the bottom of the ramp in the
lower right
corner. The bright areas to either side of the
ramp are highland
plateaus, and the curious dark spots are
the mysterious areas at the
highest elevations that the researchers
are investigating.
Image credit:
Elise Harrington / Allan Trieman / NASA.
Mystery of ‘Metallic Frost’ in Venusian Mountains Deepens | Space Exploration | Sci-News.com
The idea that the Venusian highlands are covered in a ‘metallic frost’ dates back to 1995, when Dr Raymond Arvidson
of the Washington University’s McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences
and his colleagues were analyzing the rich archives of data taken from
Magellan mission in the 1990's. Magellan’s primary objective was to map the surface of Venus using a technique known as synthetic aperture radar (SAR). SAR images taken of mountainous regions in the planet’s highlands revealed a mysterious brightening effect. Scientists surmised that this effect was due to a metal-containing
‘frost’ only a few millimeters in thickness frosting the mountains’
rugged surfaces.
use of stereo radar elevation data rather than the lower resolution radar altimetry. increased their
altimetry resolution from seeing patches 8 by 12 km to just 0.6 x 0.6
km.
Magellan’s SAR, with its 75×75-m footprint, to look at
radio reflectance, rather than the data on radio emissions from the
surface, which had a coarser 15 by 23 km resolution.
They applied these to two areas in the Ovda Regio
highlands region of Venus where they confirmed the same pattern of
radar reflections brightening with increasing elevation, as was found by
previous studies. The radar reflection was low at the lower 2.4 km elevation, then
rapidly brightens up to 4.5 km. But they also found a lot more of those
strange black spots, with a precipitous drop in the reflections at 4.7
km.
“Our data supports the interpretation that the radar properties of
Ovda could be explained by the presence of ferroelectric substance at
its surface,” the scientists said.
The Surface Features of Venus Our knowledge concerning the surface of Venus comes from a limited amount of
information obtained by the series of Russian Venera landers, and primarily
from extensive radar imaging of the planet. The radar imaging of the planet
has been performed both from Earth-based facilities and from space probes.
The most extensive radar imaging was obtained from the Magellan orbiter in a
4-year period in the
early 1990s. As a consequence, we now have a detailed radar picture of
the surface of Venus. The adjacent animation shows the topography of the
surface as determined using the Magellan synthetic aperture radar (black areas
are regions not examined by Magellan). An
MPEG movie (303 kB) of this animation is also
available.
Overview of Surface
The surface of Venus is rather smooth in many places, though not
nearly as smooth as originally expected . However, we find evidence for many of
the same geological features found on Earth: canyons, volcanoes, lava flows,
rift valleys, mountains, craters, and plains. There is substantial evidence for
local tectonic activity but the surface appears to be a single crustal plate,
with little evidence for large-scale horizontal motion of crustal plates as
found on the Earth. Why the two planets differ in this aspect of their geology
even though we believe them to have similar interiors is not well understood.
The usual explanation is that Venus is a little behind the Earth in geological
timescale, and its tectonic activity is just getting started.
Much of the surface of Venus appears to be rather young. The global
data set from radar imaging reveals a number of craters consistent with an
average Venus surface age of 300 million to 500 million
years.
There are two "continents", which are large regions several kilometers above
the average elevation. These are called Istar Terra and Aphrodite
Terra. They can be seen in the preceding
animation as the large
green, yellow, and red regions indicating higher elevation
near the equator (Aphrodite Terra) and near the top (Ishtar
Terra).
Newest U.S. Stealth Fighter ‘10 Years Behind’ Older Jets - The Daily Beast
“The F-35 will, in my opinion, be 10 years behind legacy fighters
when it achieves [initial operational capability],” said one Air Force
official affiliated with the F-35 program. “When the F-35 achieves
[initial operational capability], it will not have the weapons or sensor
capability, with respect to the CAS [close air support] mission set,
that legacy multi-role fighters had by the mid-2000s.”
The problem
stems from the fact that the technology found on one of the stealth
fighter’s primary air-to-ground sensors—its nose-mounted Electro-Optical
Targeting System (EOTS)—is more than a decade old and hopelessly
obsolete. The EOTS, which is similar in concept to a large
high-resolution infrared and television camera, is used to visually
identify and monitor ground targets. The system can also mark targets
for laser-guided bombs.
[Stealth requires internal mounting of sensors on the JSF as opposed to podded mount on previous fighters.] Ironically, older jets currently in service with the Air Force, Navy and
Marine Corps can carry the latest generation of sensor pods, which are
far more advanced than the EOTS sensor carried by the F-35. The latest
generation pods—the Lockheed Martin Sniper ATP-SE and Northrop Grumman LITENING-SE—display far clearer high-definition video imagery in both in
the infrared and optical spectrum—and from greater distances. Further,
both pods have the ability to beam those full-motion video feeds to
ground troops, which provides those forces with vital intelligence
information.
It is augmented by the nose-mounted Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS),[308] it provides the capabilities of an externally mounted Sniper XR pod with a reduced radar presence.[309][310]
The AN/ASQ-239 (Barracuda) system is an improved version of the F-22's
AN/ALR-94 EW suite, providing sensor fusion of RF and IR tracking
functions, basic radar warning, multispectral countermeasures for
self-defense against missiles, situational awareness and electronic
surveillance; employing 10 radio frequency antennae embedded into the
edges of the wing and tail.[311][312]
Six additional passive infrared sensors are distributed over the
aircraft as part of Northrop Grumman's electro-optical AN/AAQ-37
Distributed Aperture System (DAS),[28] which acts as a missile warning system,
reports missile launch locations, detects and tracks approaching
aircraft spherically around the F-35, and replaces traditional night
vision goggles. All DAS functions are performed simultaneously, in every
direction, at all times.
The Electronic Warfare systems are designed by
BAE Systems and include Northrop Grumman components.[313]
Functions such as the Electro-Optical Targeting System and the
Electronic Warfare system are not usually integrated on fighters.[314]
What's Inside F-35's EOTS
Faceted Sapphire window passes 85% EO/IR
How an F-35 Targets, Aims and Fires Without Being Seen - Popular Mechanics Aiming weapons from
a stealth aircraft like the F-35 is not easy. The infrared sensors used
to find targets in the air and on the ground need a 360-degree view, so
they must hang outside the airframe. However, the shape of any exterior
hardware produces a telltale signature on enemy radar, so Lockheed
Martin engineers put the targeting optics in a multifaceted sapphire
structure jutting out of the fuselage under the aircraft's nose. "The
material is the same as you find in a supermarket checkout bar-code
scanner," says Don Bolling, Lockheed's business development manager for
the electro-optical targeting system (EOTS). From the outside, the
beveled shape of the damage-resistant panels will reflect radar in
meaningless patterns, in the same way the airplane's other surfaces are
shaped to defeat enemy tracking. Inside, a focal-plane array produces
two kinds of infrared images: high-resolution images for targeting, and
less distinct "search and track" images to follow distant objects of interest.
Laser Assembly
Diode-pumped laser finds the range of targets and designates and guides smart weapons.
Fiberoptic Link
Connects the sensor to the airplane's central computer.
360-degree Gimbal Assembly
Passive sensors turn to capture thermal images of targets.
Range Receiver Measures the reflected laser to gauge distance.
Spot Tracker Allows airplane to see ground troops' or another aircraft's targeting lasers.
Fast-Steering Mirror Corrects unwanted movement while tracking targets.
The
Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a Lockheed Martin developed
technology that combines forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and infrared
search and track (IRST) functionality.The
Electro-optical Targeting System (EOTS) is a multi-functional system for precision
air-to-air and air-to-surface targeting. The low-drag, stealthy EOTS is
integrated into the fuselage with a durable sapphire
window and is linked to the aircraft's integrated central computer
through a high-speed fiber-optic interface. The
EOTS uses a staring mid-wave forward-looking infrared that provides
superior target detection and identification at greatly increased
standoff ranges. EOTS looks downwards and forwards with respect to the aircraft centre-line.
EOTS also provides high-resolution imagery, automatic tracking,
infrared search and track, laser designation and range finding and laser
spot tracking. It is derived from the
Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod and IRST systems.Features:
Rugged, low-profile, faceted window for supersonic, low-observable performance
Compact single aperture design
Lightweight = 200 lb
Advanced, third-generation, focal plane array
Air-to-surface FLIR tracker and air-to-air IRST modes
Modular design for two-level maintenance to reduce life cycle cost
Automatic bore sight and aircraft alignment
Tactical and eye-safe diode pumped laser
Laser spot tracker
Passive and active ranging
Highly accurate geo-coordinate generation to meet precision strike requirements
In announcing the update, Google said the vehicle it previously revealed in May was an “early mockup.” This version brings together all the elements of the car in what is the first fully functional form of the vehicle. While Google hopes to have the new cars on the streets of California next year, the California DMV recently acknowledged it will miss a year-end deadline to adopt rules for this new form of transportation due to safety concerns
The mistake is the same as with Glass: it’s a product without customers. It’s Google assuming that someday someone will actually buy a driverless car. Not a hobbyist or an eccentric millionaire. But a customer who actually needs or desires a driverless car. Someone who, given the choice of spending $30K on a car that they fully control and can go anywhere they want at any speed they want – or another, likely more expensive buggy that will only travel on certain routes at slower speeds and with less options. Hmm, which car would you buy?
For driverless cars to work, to decrease congestion, increase safety, reduce lawsuits and lower our insurance premiums everyone would have to be driving one. Every road and car in the country would have to accommodate some sort of technology or sensor. The only way this would happen is if the government mandates the technology (similar to the government mandating rear view video cameras
in cars starting in 2018). And for the driverless car system to truly work as desired, there would need to be more centralized control over our entire transportation system, from the roads and highways to the cars we’re allowed to use, the speed we’re allowed to travel and the places we’re allowed to go. This, in the very country where the majority of the population fights against government regulations, red tape and bureaucracy. Where people line up at movie theatres to see a two-star comedy about the hypothetical killing of a foreign leader just because it’s an exercise of their free speech. Where people complain about their high taxes and launch national movements against government controlled healthcare and are terrified at their continued loss privacy.
Naval Studies Board; Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences; National Research Council
Description
Elmo R Zumwalt, Jr.
Forty years ago the Naval Studies Board was created at the request of then Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. As stated in his request to the National Academy of Sciences, he thought it important for the Navy to have an outside resource to which it could turn "for independent and outside counsel on any area of its responsibilities involving the interplay of scientific and technical matters with other national issues." Admiral Zumwalt, together with Under Secretary of the Navy Honorable David S. Potter and President of the National Academy of Sciences Dr. Philip Handler, recognized the importance of not only continuing but also focusing and strengthening the relationship that had existed between the National Academy of Sciences and the Department of the Navy since the Academy's creation in 1863.
An enterprise report from the Washington Post indicates that
some of the agency's safety inspectors told top officials in multiple
emails that the plans proposed by the film and TV companies involved
high risk, and the waivers should not be granted.
Since the waivers were granted in September, the agency has
reportedly been inundated with requests for exemptions, and some at the
agency have said anonymously that upper-level managers are insisting
that they be "rubber stamped" without being thoroughly vetted for
safety. One former safety official told the paper that there is "huge
political pressure" to quickly approve requests, and that "safety is not
at the forefront" with Congress because of industry pressure.
The FAA even hired a lobbying company that works with the film
and TV industry to look for ways to speed up the approval process ...
until it was pointed out that there was a clear conflict of interest.
The article cites several specific examples of objections to waivers that were apparently overruled by the agency.
Sean Burke, the new program manager for the Persistent Maritime Unmanned
Aircraft Systems program office (PMA-262), provides remarks during his
change of command ceremony Dec. 18 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River,
Md. (U.S. Navy photo)
NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The
Navy’s Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program
office (PMA-262) held a change-of-command ceremony Dec. 18 at Pax River
while also bidding "fair winds and following seas" to its program
manager, a 29-year naval officer.
Retiring Capt. Jim Hoke turned over command of the Navy’s largest UAS
program office to his deputy program manager Sean Burke during the
ceremony at the Triton UAS hangar.
Burke, a former Marine Corps officer and AH-1W helicopter pilot,
brought his extensive operational experience to the acquisition
community in 1998. Prior to joining PMA-262, he provided leadership and
management to the Unmanned Carrier Launched Aerial Surveillance and
Strike System, Joint Strike Fighter, EP-X, VH-71 Presidential Helicopter
Replacement, among other missile, rocket and ammunition programs.
Burke held the PMA-262 deputy program manager position since April
2011. This change of command marks a significant milestone for Burke, as
well as the program, by being one of only two civilians at NAVAIR to
take the reins of large acquisition category (ACAT) 1 program.
Speedy, Agile UAVs Envisioned for Troops in Urban Missions | Aviation & Air Force News at DefenceTalk
Military teams patrolling dangerous urban environments overseas and
rescue teams responding to disasters such as earthquakes or floods
currently rely on remotely piloted unmanned aerial vehicles
to provide a bird’s-eye view of the situation and spot threats that
can’t be seen from the ground. But to know what’s going on inside an
unstable building or a threatening indoor space often requires physical
entry, which can put troops or civilian response teams in danger.
To address these challenges, DARPA issued a Broad Agency Announcement
solicitation for the Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) program. FLA
focuses on creating a new class of algorithms to enable small, unmanned aerial vehicles
to quickly navigate a labyrinth of rooms, stairways and corridors or
other obstacle-filled environments without a remote pilot. The
solicitation is available here.
The Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) program will explore
non-traditional perception and autonomy methods that enable new classes
of minimalistic algorithms for high-speed navigation in cluttered
environments. Through this exploration, the program will develop and
demonstrate the capability for small and fast unmanned air vehicles
(UAVs) to fly autonomously through complex, cluttered environments. The
FLA program focuses on autonomy algorithms and software specifically
on sensing, perception, planning, and control rather than on the
flight hardware platform.
The Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) program will explore
non-traditional perception and autonomy methods that enable new classes
of minimalistic algorithms for high-speed navigation in cluttered
environments. Through this exploration, the program will develop and
demonstrate the capability for small and fast unmanned air vehicles
(UAVs) to fly autonomously through complex, cluttered environments. The
FLA program focuses on autonomy algorithms and software– specifically
on sensing, perception, planning, and control – rather than on the
flight hardware platform.
The program aims to develop and demonstrate autonomous UAVs small
enough to fit through an open window and able to fly at speeds up to 20
meters per second (45 miles per hour)—while navigating within complex
indoor spaces independent of communication with outside operators or
sensors and without reliance on GPS waypoints.
“Birds of prey and flying insects exhibit the kinds of capabilities
we want for small UAVs,” said Mark Micire, DARPA program manager.
“Goshawks, for example, can fly very fast through a dense forest without
smacking into a tree. Many insects, too, can dart and hover with
incredible speed and precision. The goal of the FLA program is to
explore non-traditional perception and autonomy methods that would give
small UAVs the capacity to perform in a similar way, including an
ability to easily navigate tight spaces at high speed and quickly
recognize if it had already been in a room before.”
For
decades, academic and industry researchers have been working on control
algorithms for autonomous helicopters — robotic helicopters that pilot
themselves, rather than requiring remote human guidance. Dozens of
research teams have competed in a series of autonomous-helicopter
challenges posed by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems
International (AUVSI); progress has been so rapid that the last two
challenges have involved indoor navigation without the use of GPS.
But
MIT's Robust Robotics Group — which fielded the team that won the last
AUVSI contest — has set itself an even tougher challenge: developing
autonomous-control algorithms for the indoor flight of GPS-denied
airplanes. At the 2011 International Conference on Robotics and
Automation (ICRA), a team of researchers from the group described an
algorithm for calculating a plane's trajectory; in 2012, at the same
conference, they presented an algorithm for determining its "state" —
its location, physical orientation, velocity and acceleration. Now, the
MIT researchers have completed a series of flight tests in which an
autonomous robotic plane running their state-estimation algorithm
successfully threaded its way among pillars in the parking garage under
MIT's Stata Center.
How, J.P.; Bethke, B.; Frank, A.; Dale, D.; Vian, J., "Real-time indoor autonomous vehicle test environment," Control Systems, IEEE , vol.28, no.2, pp.51,64, April 2008
doi: 10.1109/MCS.2007.914691
Abstract:
To investigate and develop unmanned vehicle systems technologies for
autonomous multiagent mission platforms, we are using an indoor
multivehicle testbed called real-time indoor autonomous vehicle test
environment (RAVEN) to study long-duration multivehicle missions in a
controlled environment. Normally, demonstrations of multivehicle
coordination and control technologies require that multiple human
operators simultaneously manage flight hardware, navigation, control,
and vehicle tasking. However, RAVEN simplifies all of these issues to
allow researchers to focus, if desired, on the algorithms associated
with high-level tasks. Alternatively, RAVEN provides a facility for
testing low-level control algorithms on both fixed- and rotary-wing
aerial platforms. RAVEN is also being used to analyze and implement
techniques for embedding the fleet and vehicle health state (for
instance, vehicle failures, refueling, and maintenance) into UAV mission
planning. These characteristics facilitate the rapid prototyping of new
vehicle configurations and algorithms without requiring a redesign of
the vehicle hardware. This article describes the main components and
architecture of RAVEN and presents recent flight test results
illustrating the applications discussed above.
URL: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=4472379&isnumber=4472219
MQ-8C Fire Scout completes first ship-based test period | NAVAIR - U.S. Navy Naval Air Systems Command - Navy and Marine Corps Aviation Research, Development, Acquisition, Test and Evaluation NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, Patuxent River, Md. – The Navy’s new, larger MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter returned from a five-day test period aboard USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) Dec. 19 after successfully completing its first ship-based flights off the Virginia coast.
The Fire Scout test team and Sailors aboard Dunham conducted dynamic
interface testing with the MQ-8C to verify the system’s launch and
recovery procedures before the system undergoes operational test next
year.
“By better understanding ship operations, we will have a smoother transition into operational test,” said Capt. Jeff Dodge,
Fire Scout program manager. “This exercise gives us insight into
operating from an air-capable ship and will help us mitigate any risk
associated with the system.”
During this underway period, the Fire Scout completed three flights
and 32 takeoffs and recoveries. The data collected during these test
events helped the team assess the system's performance at different
combinations of wind and ship motion and get a better understanding of
how the aircraft behaved around the ship, he said.
"This system has the potential to enhance the fleet's ability to
conduct airborne-over the horizon searches and targeting that would
expand a myriad of missions, while maintaining a conceivably small
support element,” said Cmdr. Darren Dugan, commanding officer for DDG
109. “I'm excited to be part of this testing and evaluation period for
the MQ-8C."
The MQ-8C Fire Scout is an upgrade to the existing “B” variant,
which first deployed in 2009. With its larger airframe, the “C” can fly
nearly twice as long and carry three times more payload than its
predecessor.
The MQ-8C team is leveraging lessons learned from MQ-8B operations.
The “B” variant has routinely flown from frigates and most recently from
the littoral combat ship (LCS).
The
US Navy and Northrop Grumman have successfully completed the debut
flight of the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter on the navy's
guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109).
The latest
flight, held off the Virginia coast, follows a year of land-based trials
at Point Mugu, California, and involved 22 successful take-offs and 22
precision landings.
Naval Air Systems Command Fire Scout programme
manager captain Jeff Dodge said: "The MQ-8C Fire Scout's flights from
the USS Dunham represent a significant navy milestone.
GC, MQ-8C Fire Scout Takes First Flight On USS Jason Dunham | Aero-News Network
After more than a year of land-based testing at Point Mugu,
California, the MQ-8C Fire Scout grew its sea legs, making 22 takeoffs
and 22 precision landings while being controlled from the ship's ground
control station.
"The MQ-8C Fire Scout's flights from the USS Dunham represent a
significant Navy milestone. This is the first sea-based flight of the
MQ-8C and the first time an unmanned helicopter has operated from a
destroyer," said Capt. Jeff Dodge, Fire Scout program manager at Naval
Air Systems Command. "The extended capabilities will offer the Navy a
dynamic, multipurpose unmanned helicopter with increased endurance,
allowing for our ship commanders and pilots to have a longer on station
presence."
San
Diego CA (SPX) Nov 27, 2013 - Northrop Grumman has delivered the
second MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter to the U.S. Navy after
completing final assembly at the company's unmanned systems center in
Moss Point, Miss.
The aircraft is joining the first one delivered
to Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, Calif., to conduct flight
testing before using the system for operational missions in 2014.
Prostate cancer
affects more than 23,000 men this year in the USA however the
individual genes that initiate prostate cancer formation are poorly
understood. Finding an enzyme that regulates this process could provide
excellent new prevention approaches for this common malignancy. Sirtuin
enzymes have been implicated in neuro degeneration, obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Research published online in The American Journal of Pathology
show the loss of one of sirtuin (SIRT1) drives the formation of early
prostate cancer (prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia) in mouse models of
the disease.
"Using genetic deletion we found that SIRT1 normally restrains prostatic
intraepithelial neoplasia in animals. Therefore too little SIRT1 may be
involved in the cellular processes that starts human prostate cancer,"
said Dr. Richard Pestell, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, executive Vice President of
Thomas Jefferson University and Director of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer
Center. "As we had shown that gene therapy based re expression of SIRT1
can block human prostate cancer tumor growth, and SIRT1 is an enzyme which can be targeted, this may be an important new target for prostate cancer prevention."
The Roles of SIRT1 in Cancer
The sirtuin family has emerged as important regulators of diverse
physiological and pathological events, including life-span extension,
neurodegeneration, age-related disorders, obesity, heart disease,
inflammation, and cancer. In mammals, there are 7 members (SIRT1-SIRT7)
in the sirtuin family, with the function of SIRT1 being extensively
studied in the past decade. SIRT1 can deacetylate histones and a number
of nonhistone substrates, which are involved in multiple signaling
pathways. Numerous studies have suggested that SIRT1 could act as either
a tumor suppressor or tumor promoter depending on its targets in
specific signaling pathways or in specific cancers. This review
highlights the major pathways regulated by SIRT1 involved in
tumorigenesis.
Causal Linkages to Parkinson's and Huntington's
The neurobiology of sirtuins and their role in neurodegeneration: Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
Sirtuins are highly conserved NAD+-dependent enzymes that
have beneficial effects against age-related diseases. Aging is the major
unifying risk factor for all neurodegenerative disorders. Sirtuins
modulate major biological pathways, such as stress response, protein
aggregation, and inflammatory processes, that are involved in
age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, sirtuins have been
widely studied in the context of the nervous system and
neurodegeneration. They are especially interesting because it is
possible to alter the activities of sirtuins using small molecules that
could be developed into drugs. Indeed, it has been shown that
manipulation of SIRT1 activity genetically or pharmacologically impacts
neurodegenerative disease models. This review summarizes recent research
in sirtuin neurobiology and neurodegenerative diseases and analyzes the
potential of therapeutic applications based on sirtuin research.
Portable pathology for Africa
Dolgin, E., "Portable pathology for Africa," Spectrum, IEEE , vol.52, no.1, pp.37,39, January 2015
doi: 10.1109/MSPEC.2015.6995631
Abstract:
When John Barber, a project manager at Daktari Diagnostics, sought to
test his company's instrument, he went to the type of place where the
technology might have the most impact: a small fishing village on the
shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. He awoke at dawn on a November
morning in 2013, tossed a few Daktari devices into a backpack, and,
together with a team of HIV-treatment specialists, drove 2 hours to the
village of Kasensero, where the first Ugandan case of HIV was reported
more than 30 years ago. Driving a Jeep along dirt roads with more cows
than traffic, "we were off the grid," Barber recalls.
keywords: {Africa;Companies;Human immunodeficiency virus;Instruments;Medical diagnostic imaging;Testing},
URL: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6995631&isnumber=6995607
Daktari CD4 is a system portable and robust enough to be used anywhere,
from a doctor’s office to the most remote settings. Combining
groundbreaking innovations in microscale technologies with simplicity in
design and use, Daktari brings this essential blood test to parts of
the world where millions of people now have access to life-saving drugs,
yet cannot receive the best treatment due to inadequate diagnostics.
Microfluidics – Daktari’s sample preparation technology, known to specialists as microfluidic cell chromatography,
isolates cells and other particles in a miniature sensing chamber,
without pipetting, labels, or reagents of any kind — none of the complex
manual steps that take blood tests out of the hands of clinicians who
work beyond the reach of sophisticated labs.
Electrochemical Sensing – Daktari CD4 also takes advantage of a second innovation,lysate impedance spectroscopy.
The system uses a simple sensor that counts the captured CD4 cells by
measuring their internal contents electrically. A handheld instrument
interprets the electrical signal and reports the CD4 count within
minutes.
Next-Gen Naval Gunfire Support: The USA’s AGS & LRLAP spendergast: DDG-1000 Capabilities Fit Outdated Mission It’s easy to forget that the original rationale for the DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class centered around naval gunfire support for troops ashore, as the ship’s estimated costs have risen and its missions have proliferated. Heavily armored US battleships with massive 16-inch (406 mm) guns once performed extremely well in this role, as their volkswagen-weight shells gave
enemies pause. USS Iowa was brought back into service during the Reagan era, but she was decommissioned again in 1990. That left America with a floating museum in Los Angeles, and a gap in its options.
Feb 21/14: BAE Systems Land and Armaments L.P., Minneapolis, MN, is being awarded a $19.2 million contract modification. They’ll provide mounts for the Advanced Gun System’s magazine upper pallet hoist, a gun cooling assembly, a centerline hoist, and engineering services.
Jan 28/14: DOT&E Testing Report. The Pentagon releases the FY 2013 Annual Report from its Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E).
FY 2013 live fire tactical guided flight and lethality testing is still being analyzed, and 1 more guided flight test is expected in FY 2014, but the preliminary assessment is that the LRLAP is lethal against
expected realistic targets. Meanwhile, AGS counter-battery capability against onshore artillery has been pushed into the ship’s Post-Shakedown Availability after delivery.
Early LRLAP test failures were accelerometer failures, but 14 tests have passed without event since the Navy tightened quality screening requirements for that part. The caveat? Even if LRLAP goes 15/15, there won’t be enough firings to offer enough statistical certainty of a fix before operational testing begins.
June 11, 2014: The U.S. Navy, having completed successful
testing of its new 155mm AGS (Advanced Gun System) in 2013 has now asked defense firms to provide similar GPS guided shells for navy 127mm (5 inch) guns. The navy made it clear that there was no money for more development, but given the number of GPS guided shell systems available
out there for 155mm guns (mostly army artillery) and 120mm mortars, someone probably has something for navy 127mm guns that can be bought “off the shelf” and immediately be put to use. This would make naval gun
fire against land targets much more effective and get more out of the limited ammunition supply each ship carries. Even the cost of these smart shells (over $50,000 each) does not diminish the advantages.
The 155mm AGS is only used on the new DDG 1000 ("Zumwalt") destroyers and only three of these are being built and each has only two 155mm AGS. It may be decades before the navy can afford to develop and buy a new surface warship that can handle the larger and heavier 155mm
gun. Only a few DDG 1000s are being built because costs grew too large for the navy to afford any more. So for the next decade or so all the navy can afford is some upgrades on its 62 Burke class destroyers, each
armed with one 127mm gun. Buying GPS guided shells for the existing
127mm guns on these destroyers would be such an affordable upgrade.
The AGS used
the LRLAP (Long Range Land Attack Projectile) GPS guided shell, which
during tests hit land targets 83 kilometers distant. It was only in 2011 that LRLAP, after six years of development, had its first successful test firing. The AGS was designed to fire GPS guided shells up to 190 kilometers. That GPS guidance system enables the shells to land inside a 50 meter (155 foot) circle at that extreme range. The AGS shells carry 11 kg (24 pounds) of explosives. The AGS uses a water cooled barrel, so that it can fire ten rounds a minute for extended periods. Each AGS on
the DDG 1000 carries 335 rounds of ammo, which is loaded and fired
automatically. The AGS shell was originally supposed to enter service in 2015. That has now been delayed to 2018.
Taiwan on Tuesday launched its largest ever missile ship as
the island strives to modernise its armed forces in response to a
perceived threat from China.
The 500-tonne corvette named ‘Tuo Chiang’ — ‘Tuo River’ — is the
first of its kind ever produced by Taiwan and was touted by defence
minister Yen Ming as “the fastest and most powerful” in Asia.
Armed with 16 missiles including eight supersonic Hsiung-feng III (Brave Wind) anti-ship missiles,
it will boost Taiwan’s defence capabilities against its giant neighbor,
which considers the island part of China’s territory awaiting to be
reunited by force if necessary.
“From now on, the navy’s
combat capabilities will reach a crucial milestone, Yen said at a
launch ceremony held in the port of Suao, in northeastern Yilan county.
‘Stealth’ frigate handed over to Taiwan's Navy | South China Morning Post
Military experts estimate testing of the missile system will take at
least eight months. The navy hopes a fleet of the vessels could be
deployed next year and plans to build 2,000-tonne twin-hull frigates in
the future if the Tuo Jiang fleet performs well, the Liberty Times newspaper reported.
Tuo Jiang is part a NT$25 billion (HK$6.1 billion) budget approved by
the legislature in 2011 to build eight to 12 of the corvettes as a
defence measure against the mainland’s aircraft carrier.
Republic of China Navy officers pose with
the first Hsun Hai-class stealth missile corvette, the Tuo River 618, at
its official launch yesterday in Suao, Yilan County.
The 500-tonne Tuo River (沱江) is the first of possibly 12 ships to be built locally under the Hsun Hai (迅海, Swift Sea) program.
The
twin-hull corvette, described as a “carrier-killer” by local media, has
a maximum speed of 38 knots (70kph) and a range of 2,000 nautical miles
(3,704km). Its speed and low radar signature allows the corvette to get
close to enemy targets, experts said.
The ship, 60.4m in length
and 14m wide, carries a crew of 41. Its armaments include Hsiung Feng II
and Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missiles.
Hsiung Feng III missiles are already installed on Taiwan’s
Chengkung-class frigates and Chinchiang-class corvettes. The 502-ton
Tuo Chiang, Taiwan’s first locally designed stealth missile corvette,
will also be equipped with the missiles in the future, according to
military sources.
The release of the images came as China also unveiled its new CX-1 supersonic anti-ship cruise missile at the recent Airshow China in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, showing that both countries are placing emphasis on supersonic anti-ship missiles.
Hsiung Feng III uses two solid rocket boosters and a liquid propelled
ramjet, accelerating the missile to a cruising speed of Mach 2.5-3.0.
Its range is about 80 nautical miles (150 km), with minimum attack range
of 16 nm (30 km). In contrast, China’s CX-1
supersonic anti-ship missile – unveiled at Airshow China in November
2014 – is capable of striking surface targets at 22-150 nm (40-280 km.)
Lockheed believes it can develop its SR-72 by 2030.
Published on Nov 8, 2013
Lockheed
Martin have announced plans to build a new hypersonic unmanned spy
plane. The SR-72 will fly at Mach-6 thanks to jet and ramjet hybrid
technologies -- double the speed of the legendary SR-71 Blackbird which
was retired in the late 1990s. The new design will take inspiration from
the astonishingly fast but crash-happy HTV-2, a DARPA-funded rocket
glider capable of hitting Mach-20.
The path toward a
hypersonic space plane has been a slow one, filled with twists and turns
one would expect given the technological leap involved. Speeds of Mach
8+ place tremendous heat and resistance stresses on a craft. Building a
vehicle that is both light enough to achieve the speeds desired at
reasonable cost, and robust enough to survive those speeds, is no easy
task.
Despite the considerable engineering challenges ahead, the potential
of a truly hypersonic aircraft for reconnaissance, global strike/
transport, and low-cost access to near-space and space is a compelling
goal on both engineering and military grounds. The question, as always,
will be balancing the need for funding to prove out new designs and
concepts, with risk management that ensures limited exposure if it
becomes clear that the challenge is still too great. In October 2008,
the US Congress decided that FALCON/Blackswift had reached those limits.
That decision led to the program’s cancellation, though some activities
will continue.
Neither Lockheed Martin Skunk Works nor NASA Glenn Research Center
officials are talking about the recent award. But a Lockheed Martin
website notes that the company has been working with Aerojet Rocketdyne
to find a way to integrate a turbine engine, which would get the plane
up to Mach 3, with a supersonic ramjet engine, or scramjet, to push it
to Mach 6.
Lockheed unveils SR-72 hypersonic Mach 6 scramjet spy plane | ExtremeTech Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works
has confirmed that it is developing the SR-72 spy plane. The successor
to the SR-71 Blackbird, which was capable of Mach 3.5, the SR-72 will be
a hypersonic unmanned aircraft capable of Mach 6, or just over 4,500
mph. At hypersonic speeds, the SR-72 will be able to traverse any
continent in around an hour — meaning, if they’re strategically
positioned around the world on aircraft carriers, the US military can
strike or surveil any location on Earth in about an hour. It is also
suspected that the SR-72’s hypersonic engine tech — some kind of hybrid
scramjet — will find its way into the US military’s High Speed Strike
Weapon (HSSW), a missile that can theoretically strike anywhere on Earth
in just a few minutes.
Continuing Major Defense Acquisition Programs (MDAPs) Have Higher Average Cost Growth than Those That Are Complete
Average
cost growth in all acquisition metrics except development is
substantially higher in continuing Air Force MDAPs than those that are
now complete.
Three continuing space programs with extreme cost growth drive the
higher cost growth in the group of continuing MDAPs.
Four programs in aggregate are expected to consume a large
fraction of annual Air Force weapon system investment funding in the
coming 20 years: F-35A, EELV, KC-46A, and the Long Long-Range Strike
Bomber. The first two are well along in the acquisition process but have
decades of production to come. Opportunity remains to stem the cost
growth in these programs. The second two are earlier in the acquisition
process and thus provide even greater opportunities to ensure
affordability and minimal future cost growth. Controlling the cost of
these four high-value programs is essential to ensuring both their
affordability and that of the entire Air Force weapon system acquisition
portfolio for decades to come.
from its Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E). 
