Primary Mission Research Articles

It’s complicated: Exploring the internal land-grant brand at Oklahoma State University

Land-grant institutions (LGIs) are tasked with providing accessible education to the common man and improving their quality of life. This study examined faculty members’ interpretations of the land-grant mission and opinions about its future. The theory of branding guided this study. Faculty members are the primary deliverers university missions. Past studies have indicated some personnel are unaware of pieces of the land-grant mission. This is troublesome as a strong internal brand increases the likelihood of a positive public image. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit participants for 11 focus groups conducted in the summer of 2020. The audio was transcribed and imported into MAXQDA20 and analyzed using Glaser’s constant comparative method to identify themes, which were confirmed by assistant moderators. Participants had multiple definitions of the land-grant mission and interpreted in their work differently. There was a general state of concern for the future, but faculty members had an overall positive outlook on the land-grant mission. Faculty should view their work and behaviors as true building block of the OSU and land-grant brand. Future research should explore the internal brand at other LGIs and university staff, administration, and student perceptions should also be explored.

Sakiko Kaiga. Britain and the Intellectual Origins of the League of Nations, 1914–1919.

The League of Nations has been the subject of an extensive reappraisal in recent years. Rather than seeing it as an organization that failed in its primary mission to prevent the outbreak of another world war, scholars have explored the work undertaken by the League in a vast range of areas, such as public health, economics, humanitarianism, and education, among many others. New works increasingly see continuities linking the activities undertaken by the League in the 1920s and 1930s and the initiatives pursued by the United Nations following the Second World War. Sakiko Kaiga’s new book, Britain and the Intellectual Origins of the League of Nations, 1914–1919, continues this revision of the history of the League of Nations by looking backward rather than forward, exploring the intellectual origins of the organization in Britain during the First World War. Based on extensive archival research, Kaiga’s book argues persuasively that “the League idea originated intellectually from the little-appreciated pro-league movement in Britain and the unexpected development and consequences of its idea during the Great War” (2).

The role of marketing strategy in the activities of an agricultural enterprise

The dynamism and unpredictability of the modern market dictate the conditions for successful business development. To solve the most critical task - operational adaptation to what is happening - the enterprise must consider not only its internal state but also the features of the external environment. That is why there is a need for a strategy, and its development becomes the main task of planning. The primary mission of the marketing strategy is to find solutions aimed at the complete satisfaction of consumer requests and obtaining advantages compared to competitors. A competent, well-founded strategy contributes to the enterprise's survival in an unfavorable environment. Its choice depends on the situation where the enterprise is located. Marketing programs, both short-term and long-term, require the development and application of such a strategy, which, under the given conditions, would meet the state economic policy as much as possible and, at the same time, provide commercial structures with the necessary efficiency, profitability, and material interest in the results of work. Working on the company's strategy is one of the elements of forecasting, without which full-fledged planning is impossible. Thinking through various scenarios, accounting for multiple factors, and identifying competitive advantages make it possible to choose a direction of development and plan behavior in any situation. Marketing strategy includes specific strategies for activities in target markets, the marketing mix used, and marketing costs. Marketing strategies are based on clear principles, but this does not mean their mechanical application can automatically ensure success. Therefore, combining knowledge, experience, and a flexible approach is necessary. The marketing strategy is built considering certain probable unpredictability of the development of the market situation, which also depends on various market fluctuations in the field of demand and competition. The strategy provides for the step-by-step deployment of activities and the setting of intermediate goals and tasks for one or another stage. It connects all these stages and plans with a single basis for making informed decisions. Keywords: marketing, marketing strategy, system, product, market, competition, promotion.

The K2 and TESS Synergy. II. Revisiting 26 Systems in the TESS Primary Mission

The legacy of NASA’s K2 mission has provided hundreds of transiting exoplanets that can be revisited by new and future facilities for further characterization, with a particular focus on studying the atmospheres of these systems. However, the majority of K2-discovered exoplanets have typical uncertainties on future times of transit within the next decade of greater than 4 hr, making observations less practical for many upcoming facilities. Fortunately, NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission is reobserving most of the sky, providing the opportunity to update the ephemerides for ∼300 K2 systems. In the second paper of this series, we reanalyze 26 single-planet, K2-discovered systems that were observed in the TESS primary mission by globally fitting their K2 and TESS light curves (including extended mission data where available), along with any archival radial velocity measurements. As a result of the faintness of the K2 sample, 13 systems studied here do not have transits detectable by TESS. In those cases, we refit the K2 light curve and provide updated system parameters. For the 23 systems with M * ≳ 0.6 M ⊙, we determine the host star parameters using a combination of Gaia parallaxes, spectral energy distribution fits, and MESA Isochrones and Stellar Tracks stellar evolution models. Given the expectation of future TESS extended missions, efforts like the K2 and TESS Synergy project will ensure the accessibility of transiting planets for future characterization while leading to a self-consistent catalog of stellar and planetary parameters for future population efforts.

The evolution of Early Music

Early Music has evolved. It was launched by John Thomson as ‘A new quarterly devoted to medieval, Renaissance and Baroque music’. The invitation to contribute to a celebration of 50 years of Early Music prompted me to look back at the very first issue, January 1973, a single stapled gathering with a total of 64 pages, fully ten of which were devoted to a listing by location of early music performers (mostly teachers and amateurs, with addresses and phone numbers) who might want to get together. I counted 36 advertisements, mostly for instruments and sheet music, an important income stream in pre-internet days. There was a check-list of recordings and a concert diary. That issue contained five articles of three to seven pages each, all on some aspect of performance, three of them on instruments and instrument-makers. It was directed very specifically towards performers and those concerned with instruments and performance practice. The July 1974 issue, typically, included an article by Bernard Thomas: ‘Playing the crumhorn: first steps’. An early editorial by John Thomson was eager that the journal should not be intimidating to amateurs, seeing its primary mission as the dissemination of information about resources and particularly about instruments—makers, restoration, playing techniques, prices and so on—to the community of amateur performers internationally. His editorial in January 1975 promised a consumer’s guide to instruments. The early issues always included a pull-out octavo music supplement—in the first issue a Busnoys song edited by Howard Mayer Brown, a strong supporter of the venture, and a regular contributor.

Developing Antiracist Research to Address Racial/Ethnic Health and Socioeconomic Inequities: Conceptual Frameworks That Guide Equity

The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who have been historically marginalized and oppressed. Race is a fundamental determinant of many outcomes that are prioritized by the field. Social work’s commitment to social justice and efforts to advance racial equity in critical areas such as socioeconomics and health are especially salient at this social and political moment in history. To meaningfully advance equity, social work researchers and practitioners must account for and explicitly address legacies of racism. To this end, this paper proposes that social work researchers consider the use of two theoretical frameworks—fundamental cause theory and critical race theory—that provide a conceptual framing of racism and socioeconomic status, which may be used to guide research and practice efforts to disrupt systems of racial oppression.

Problems in evaluating the health impacts of radio frequency radiation

In an effort to clarify the nature of causal evidence regarding the potential impacts of RFR on biological systems, this paper relies on a well-established framework for considering causation expanded from that of Bradford Hill, that combines experimental and epidemiological evidence on carcinogenesis of RFR. The Precautionary Principle, while not perfect, has been the effective lodestone for establishing public policy to guard the safety of the general public from potentially harmful materials, practices or technologies. Yet, when considering the exposure of the public to anthropogenic electromagnetic fields, especially those arising from mobile communications and their infrastructure, it seems to be ignored. The current exposure standards recommended by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) consider only thermal effects (tissue heating) as potentially harmful. However, there is mounting evidence of non-thermal effects of exposure to electromagnetic radiation in biological systems and human populations. We review the latest literature on in vitro and in vivo studies, on clinical studies on electromagnetic hypersensitivity, as well as the epidemiological evidence for cancer due to the action of mobile based radiation exposure. We question whether the current regulatory atmosphere truly serves the public good when considered in terms of the Precautionary Principle and the principles for deducing causation established by Bradford Hill. We conclude that there is substantial scientific evidence that RFR causes cancer, endocrinological, neurological and other adverse health effects. In light of this evidence the primary mission of public bodies, such as the FCC to protect public health has not been fulfilled. Rather, we find that industry convenience is being prioritized and thereby subjecting the public to avoidable risks.

Challenges and Risks in Out-of-Hospital Transport of Patients During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Objective: Norwegian critical care resources are regionalized making air ambulances transport of suspected or confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-positive patients a necessity. We prospectively observed pre- and interhospital transportation of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 in our physician-manned emergency medical services.Methods: This was a prospective, observational quality assurance study of primary and secondary missions conducted by 2 Norwegian air ambulances during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: Forty-one (24.1%) were primary missions, whereas 129 (75.9%) were interhospital transports. Most patients (158 [92.9%]) were transported with ground-based vehicles, and 12 (7.1%) were transported by rotor wing aircrafts. One hundred thirty-four of 170 patients (78.8%) were COVID-19 positive at the time of transportation. The median (interquartile range) fraction of inspired oxygen concentration was 0.60 (0.50-0.80), the positive end-expiratory pressure was 11 cm H2O (8-13.5 cm H2O), and the peak inspiratory pressure was 26 cm H2O (22-30 cm H2O). Some degree of elevated treatment challenge was reported in 157 (87.7%) transports, and in 139 (77.7%), the patient risk was considered elevated. The physician stated that some degree of elevated risk for the provider was elevated in 131 (73.2%) of the transports.Conclusion: The capacity of the physician-manned emergency medical services to safely transfer patients remains essential to maintain resilient critical care capacity, and the perceived elevated risks should be considered in capacity planning.

Keepers of the past: history teaching at the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa in the 1970s

ABSTRACT Unearthing a key chapter in the development of Israeli history education, this article explores history-teaching at the Hebrew Reali School in Haifa, one of Israel’s foremost schools, in the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War and against the backdrop of attempts made by the Ministry of Education to reform history education in Israel. It shows that in the context of the great social changes that occurred in Israeli society, Reali history teachers felt that their primary mission was to ensure that their students remained closely connected to their collective past.

Identifying Exoplanets with Deep Learning. V. Improved Light-curve Classification for TESS Full-frame Image Observations

The TESS mission produces a large amount of time series data, only a small fraction of which contain detectable exoplanetary transit signals. Deep-learning techniques such as neural networks have proved effective at differentiating promising astrophysical eclipsing candidates from other phenomena such as stellar variability and systematic instrumental effects in an efficient, unbiased, and sustainable manner. This paper presents a high-quality data set containing light curves from the Primary Mission and 1st Extended Mission full-frame images and periodic signals detected via box least-squares. The data set was curated using a thorough manual review process then used to train a neural network called Astronet-Triage-v2. On our test set, for transiting/eclipsing events, we achieve a 99.6% recall (true positives over all data with positive labels) at a precision of 75.7% (true positives over all predicted positives). Since 90% of our training data is from the Primary Mission, we also test our ability to generalize on held-out 1st Extended Mission data. Here, we find an area under the precision-recall curve of 0.965, a 4% improvement over Astronet-Triage. On the TESS object of interest (TOI) Catalog through 2022 April, a shortlist of planets and planet candidates, Astronet-Triage-v2 is able to recover 3577 out of 4140 TOIs, while Astronet-Triage only recovers 3349 targets at an equal level of precision. In other words, upgrading to Astronet-Triage-v2 helps save at least 200 planet candidates from being lost. The new model is currently used for planet candidate triage in the Quick-Look Pipeline.

Development of a neutrino detector capable of operating in space

The $\nu$SOL experiment to operate a neutrino detector close to the Sun is building a small test detector to orbit the Earth to test the concept in space. This detector concept is to provide a new way to detect neutrinos unshielded in space. A double delayed coincidence on Gallium nuclei that have a large cross section for solar neutrino interactions emitting a conversion electron and converting the nuclei into an excited state of Germanium, which decays with a well-known energy and half-life. This unique signature permits operation of the detector volume mostly unshielded in space with a high single particle counting rate from gamma and cosmic ray events. The test detector concept which has been studied in the lab and is planned for a year of operations orbiting Earth which is scheduled for launch in late 2024. It will be surrounded by an active veto and shielding will be operated in a polar orbit around the Earth to validate the detector concept and study detailed background spectrums that can fake the double timing and energy signature from random galactic cosmic or gamma rays. The success of this new technology development will permit the design of a larger spacecraft with a mission to fly close to the Sun and is of importance to the primary science mission of the Heliophysics division of NASA Space Science Mission Directorate, which is to better understand the Sun by measuring details of our Sun's fusion core.

Swarm A and C Accelerometers: Data Validation and Scientific Interpretation

AbstractThe fourth European Space Agency Earth Explorer (Swarm) was launched in 2013 and it comprises a constellation of three identical satellites. The primary mission objective is analyzing and modeling the geomagnetic field and its temporal evolution, based on the measurements of a vector and a scalar magnetometer on board. Each spacecraft (A, B, and C) carries an accelerometer, supposed to measure the non‐gravitational forces. However, this instrument did not work as expected; the processing of the related data sets has a significant latency. The focus was primarily on Swarm C, because its signal‐to‐noise ratio is the best amongst the three spacecrafts. For this satellite, the data are available for the whole mission timeline. At the end of 2021, a batch of Swarm A accelerometer data set was disseminated. Swarm A and C have flown side‐by‐side for most of the mission and, therefore, their measurements are supposed to be nearly identical after calibration. The work presented in this paper shows that such a correspondence occurs: at high frequency similar signatures are visible in both accelerometer data sets, near the equator and the poles. These features agree with measurements of other instruments on board and with earlier findings based on CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment data. The equatorial structures show a correlation between the equatorial mass anomaly and the equatorial ionization anomaly. At the poles, the data are related to the polar cap index and to field‐aligned‐currents enhancements measured by the magnetometers on board. This research shows, for the first time, scientific results obtained from the Swarm accelerometers.

A Review on Modern Trends in Analytical Instruments

Pharmaceutical analysis stands as an essential cornerstone within the pharmaceutical sector, playing a critical role in upholding the safety, effectiveness and quality of medicinal products. This scientific discipline encompasses a range of techniques for scrutinizing pharmaceutical compounds, dosage formulations and associated materials, with its primary mission being the fulfilment of regulatory standards and the preservation of public well-being. In this review, we mainly focussed on the modern trends in analytical instruments that include miniaturization & portable devices, multimodal & hybrid instruments, high resolution imaging techniques, data driven approaches, spectroscopy advancements, mass spectrometry innovations, advancements in chromatography, emergence of electrochemical sensors and nanotechnology integration. In pharmaceutical analysis, the horizon of innovation and transformation is being explored with enthusiasm and determination. The visionaries of this evolving landscape are the dedicated pharmaceutical analysts, scientists and researchers. They are at the forefront of pioneering the advancements that promise to reshape drug development, quality control and healthcare.

The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment Mission Overview

Atmospheric escape is a fundamental process that affects the structure, composition, and evolution of many planets. The signatures of escape are detectable on close-in, gaseous exoplanets orbiting bright stars, owing to the high levels of extreme-ultraviolet irradiation from their parent stars. The Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) is a CubeSat mission designed to take advantage of the near-ultraviolet stellar brightness distribution to conduct a survey of the extended atmospheres of nearby close-in planets. The CUTE payload is a magnifying near-ultraviolet (2479–3306 Å) spectrograph fed by a rectangular Cassegrain telescope (206 mm × 84 mm); the spectrogram is recorded on a back-illuminated, UV-enhanced CCD. The science payload is integrated into a 6U Blue Canyon Technology XB1 bus. CUTE was launched into a polar, low-Earth orbit on 2021 September 27 and has been conducting this transit spectroscopy survey following an on-orbit commissioning period. This paper presents the mission motivation, development path, and demonstrates the potential for small satellites to conduct this type of science by presenting initial on-orbit science observations. The primary science mission is being conducted in 2022–2023, with a publicly available data archive coming online in 2023.

Hydrogen energy in BRICS-US: A whirl succeeding fuel treasure

Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere have grown rapidly (by 50% since the 1750 industrial revolution) due to natural processes, the use of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other factors. Carbon dioxide contributes to global warming, which causes climate change and extreme weather events. Because of technological advancement and use, the world's energy consumption has skyrocketed. The novelty of the study as it focuses on the present state of carbon emissions (in terms of sectors and fuel) as a result of current hydrogen production projects, applications, cost, and delivery, as well as government policy and structural changes in the BRICS-US (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and the United States) relationship throughout time. A conceptual model has been established for multi-dimensional debate for logical comparison analysis in institution-economic-technology-behavior (IETB). This paper has three main findings. First, in terms of horizontal comparison, each country has its advantages but distinct underlying driving causes. Second, in terms of vertical comparison, each country's hydrogen energy development is still in the quantitative stage, with the qualitative inflection point still to be reached. Third, in terms of a strategic goal, producing hydrogen energy benefits the energy transition from a primary mission aspect. However, studies have revealed that China is the leader in CO2 emissions, followed by the US. China is the largest producer and consumer of hydrogen (24 million tonnes). Even though the world's largest green hydrogen plant is being developed in California (United States) (11,000 kg of green hydrogen per day and 3.8 million kilograms per year). This study highlights potential future development despite existing challenges and opens doors for enlightening the core researchers for establishing programs in transition (emerging and frontier) economies to strengthen state energy, efficiency, and conservation policies.

Changes in sick leave utilization at an academic medical center during the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic drastically changed work arrangements, but COVID-19's impact on employee leave utilization is unclear. The authors sought to understand how sick leave and vacation leave utilization changed during the pandemic among clinical and non-clinical departments at an academic medical center (AMC).Design/methodology/approachClinical departments were defined as work units with a primary mission of providing direct patient care. Per-person, per-month leave utilization data were obtained from the AMC's time-keeping system for 3 clinical departments and 4 non-clinical departments in the first 12 months of the pandemic and the preceding 12 months. Monthly data for each department were analyzed with mixed-effects regression.FindingsAvailable data represented 402 employees from 3 clinical departments and 73 employees from 4 non-clinical departments. The authors found no statistically significant change in sick leave utilization among either clinical or non-clinical departments. Vacation leave utilization decreased during the pandemic by 5.9 h per person per month in non-clinical departments (95% confidence interval [CI]: −8.1, −3.8; p < 0.001) and by 3.0 h per person per month in clinical departments (95% CI: −4.3, −1.7; p < 0.001).Originality/valueAmong employees in clinical departments, the authors found no increase in sick leave utilization and a decrease in vacation utilization. These findings are concerning for presenteeism, risk of burnout or understaffing resulting in workers' inability to take time away from work in clinical departments.

Harmonization of National Access Points to Intelligent Transport Systems data: A data content and added value perspective

Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) constitute a key driver for the adaptation of transport sector to the concurrent digital era. Therefore, the necessity to develop a solid framework under which specific norms will be followed by ITS applications, such as being accurate and up to date seems more than important. This is the prime mission that National Access Points (NAPs) aspire to accomplish. However, the architecture and implementation of NAPs varies across Europe. Hence, all Member States have joined their forces, through the project “National Access Point Coordination Organization for Europe (NAPCORE)”, to harmonize their NAPs. This paper aims to describe the scenery of ITS-related data exchange by highlighting the benefits resulting from NAPs and the challenges that need to be overcome. Finally, it aims to present planned activities related to the required content of NAPs.

The Ronnie Ellenblum Jerusalem History Knowledge Center: Conceptual Framework and Implementation

This paper describes the vision, framework, challenges, and implementation of the Jerusalem History Knowledge Center (JHKC) initiated by the late Ronnie Ellenblum. The center’s establishment was configured as a joint project of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI), the National Library of Israel (NLI), and the Israel Antiquities Authorities (IAA). Its primary mission and challenge were to establish a long-term digital infrastructure constituting an open-access platform about the history of Jerusalem, which draws on diverse sources, such as archaeological records, historical documents, pilgrims’ accounts, old and new photographs and videos, architectural reconstructions, etc. The first stages included the classification of databases about two sites in Jerusalem: the Citadel—Tower of David and the Damascus Gate. As part of this work, we implemented a unified search in interdisciplinary databases regarding a specific geographical area or a single monument. The center’s products will eventually operate at two levels: at the research level, facilitating work in the fields of history, archeology, art, geography, social sciences, etc., and at the popular level, serving the general public.

Dhenu Svasthya Bot: An AI driven well-being and health monitoring setup for science and engineering applications

In this paper, an AI driven well-being and health monitoring set-up for the science &amp; engineering applications is being presented. "Dhenu Svasthya" represents an initiative at the intersection of agriculture, animal welfare, and artificial intelligence. This project's primary mission is to significantly enhance the overall health and living conditions of cattle, with a focus on improving their well-being and productivity. At the core of "Dhenu Svasthya" lies a sophisticated health monitoring system. Utilizing advanced AI ML method this system continuously tracks and analyzes key health indicators in cattle. It observes and records jaw movements, heart rate, acetone levels, bellowing patterns, and body temperature in real-time. The objective is to detect anomalies, deviations, or early signs of distress promptly. This proactive approach enables timely intervention by cattle owners, reducing the likelihood of disease and ensuring the optimal health of the animals. Environmental Cleanliness is another pivotal aspect of the project is the assessment of the cattle's living environment. Maintaining a clean and hygienic space is paramount for the cattle’s well-being. "Dhenu Svasthya" deploys AI technology to evaluate the cleanliness of the surroundings. The system provides actionable insights to users, allowing them to address potential cleanliness issues promptly and maintain a healthier living environment for their cattle. To extend the project's reach and accessibility, we are actively working on integrating "Dhenu Svasthya" with cloud services and other data management platforms. It aims to empower cattle owners and farmers with the information and insights needed for effective cattle management, thereby improving overall livestock welfare. In summary, "Dhenu Svasthya" is an ambitious undertaking that leverages AI to usher in a new era of cattle care. By continuously monitoring health, ensuring environmental cleanliness, and embracing data integration, this project aspires to be a game-changer in the field of livestock management. Its overarching goal is to promote the well-being of cattle, enhance agricultural sustainability, and ultimately benefit both the animals and those who depend on them for their livelihoods. The work carried out is the seventh semester main-project by the students of Electronics &amp; Communication Engineering under the guidance of the faculties supervision (guide).

Research and Development of the Tianzhou Cargo Spacecraft

After more than 7 years of development, the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft (TZ), a space station cargo transfer spacecraft, was successfully launched on 2017 April 20. The TZ is robotic spacecraft that is designed to support China space station operation by transporting pressurized cargo, unpressurized cargo, large cargo, propellant, and other supplies. The vehicle is equipped with the crew specifications necessary for astronauts to unload pressurized cargo. TZ can be utilized for a variety of commercial, engineering, scientific, or other proposed activities once its primary mission is complete. TZ is China's first dedicated space cargo transport spacecraft, but the safety designs for crew activities are also particular to TZ. Newly developed technologies were applied to enable high-efficiency cargo shipment. Its development was carried out under the policy of adopting flight-proven technologies to enhance the reliability and safety of a mission. The success of the flight test of the TZ-1 cargo spacecraft marked the perfect end of the mission of the China Space Laboratory and laid the foundation for the smooth implementation of the manned space station project. As a novel manned spacecraft, TZ-1 has broken through key technologies such as cargo transportation, propellant replenishment, and fully autonomous rapid rendezvous and docking. TZ has the characteristics of high transport efficiency, multitasks, and strong self-control ability. The paper describes the phylogeny, main technical schemes, and technological achievements of China TZ.