Satellite Phone Research Articles

Of Note: Intelligent Reform?

Of Note:Intelligent Reform? Emma Ashburn In the run-up to 9/11, the U.S. government spent millions of dollars to reproduce information that agencies already had but refused to share with others. These efforts included building antennae aimed to intercept phone calls of suspected terrorists and setting up a satellite phone booth in Kandahar for eavesdropping on suspected terrorists.1 After 9/11, Congress created the office of the Director of National Intelligence to integrate intelligence collecting and analysis work, yet critics argue that nothing short of a change as drastic as the 1986 Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act can reform such structural deficiencies. The lack of a unifying authority in the intelligence community was mirrored in U.S. combat operations before the passage of the Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reorganization Act. several military disasters in the early 1980s prompted the passage of the act in 1986. These blunders resulted from the military's inability to coordinate planning, and included the botched 1980 rescue mission of U.S. hostages in Iran, the 1982 Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, and the clumsy intervention in Grenada in 1983. Before 1986, the leaders of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps were charged with forming and implementing an integrated defense policy, but were not forced to plan with other agencies, only to coordinate their plans.2 The Goldwater-Nichols Act, named for Senator Barry Goldwater and Representative Bill Nichols, created the Unified Command plan, which required different commands to command "jointly" together in the field. The four services—Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps—must assign personnel to the joint combatant commander. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has budgetary authority and speaks with the authority of the President in important matters. In addition, as a prerequisite for promotion, officers must serve tours in different commands, both regional and functional.3 Much like the pre-reform defense structure, the pre-9/11 intelligence community was set up to satisfy post-World War II and Cold War demands. Each intelligence agency had a specific function, with the expectation that the agency would produce narrowly focused, thorough research.4 The community's current configuration resembles that of the disjointed military framework before the Goldwater-Nichols Act, which was at its highest levels a committee that could act only with the consensus of all of its members. [End Page 139] Inter-departmental rivalries and security fears lead to each agency acting in near-isolation. Serious reform is still needed to prevent additional terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, intelligence reform has proven to be more difficult to complete than military reform. One problem is that U.S. intelligence agencies are spread between pure intelligence functions and defense-related functions. In 2004, Robert Gates, now the head of the Department of Defense (DOD), wrote in a New York Times editorial that "more than 80% of foreign intelligence dollars are spent by agencies under the control of the Secretary of Defense," and went on to explain that since these agencies perform other functions in addition to intelligence, Defense officials would never agree to relinquish control to an intelligence "czar" in the white house.5 Observers have noted continued struggles over jurisdiction between the CIA and DOD. The Defense Department has continued to develop multi-million dollar information-gathering units as well as enter into the territory previously held by the CIA in terms of collecting "human intelligence," or intelligence collecting through interpersonal contact as opposed to through wiretapping or other data mining.6 Also in November 2005, the Pentagon issued a directive in which it asserted control over the National Security Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and the National Reconnaissance Office, which are all part of DOD. Then Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte received criticism for not resisting the DOD assertion of authority.7 The problem of isolated intelligence gatherers has persisted even since the time of the Cold War. The writers of a 1969 CIA report lamented the fact that "US intelligence activities are to be conducted as a coordinated rather than an integrated effort."8 Different agencies and departments still require more drastic overhaul in order to solve the problems of not...

A Quasi-Omnidirectional Antenna for Modern Wireless Communication Gadgets

A compact, planar, wideband antenna designed by modifying the coplanar waveguide is presented in this letter. The proposed antenna finds a wide range of applications including advanced wireless systems (AWS), DCS-1800, DCS-1900/PCS/PHS, WiBro, BlueTooth/WLAN/WiBree/ZigBee, DMB, Global Star Satellite Phones, and digital cordless phones. Wide bandwidth > 75% centered at 2.50 GHz, quasi-omnidirectional radiation coverage along with moderate gain and efficiency are the salient features of the antenna. A prototype fabricated on a substrate with dielectric constant 4.4 and thickness 1.6 mm occupies an area of (31times 64) mm <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup> . Details of antenna design and discussions on the effect of various antenna parameters on the radiation characteristics are presented.

A Logical Formulation of Probabilistic Spatial Databases

There are numerous applications where there: is uncertainty over space and time. Examples of such uncertainty arise in vehicle tracking systems where we are not always sure where a vehicle is now (or may be in the future), and cell and satellite phone applications where we are not sure exactly where a phone may be, and so on. In this paper, we propose the concept of a Spatial Probabilistic Temporal (SPOT) database that contains statements of the form "Object O is in spatial region R at some time / with some probability in the interval [L, U]." We define the syntax and a declarative semantics for SPOT databases based on a mix of logic and linear programming, as well as query algebra. We show alternative implementations of some of these query algebra operators when the SPOT database has a disjoint/less property. Though the declarative semantics of SPOT databases is rooted in linear programming, we have found very efficient algorithms that do not use linear programming methods. We report on experiments we have conducted that show that the system scales to large numbers of SPOT atoms, as well as to fairly fine temporal and spatial granularity.

Monitoring of Exposure to and Potential Effects of Contaminants in the Environment

In our lifetimes, much of what was once considered science fiction: space ships, monitoring the environment from space, satellite phones and biomedical advances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease at the molecular level have now become realities. These advances in technology have changed our perceptions and how we interact with the world around us. Also during this time, the world population has doubled several times, our use of natural resources has increased exponentially and we continue to release natural and synthetic compounds to the global environment at an ever-increasing rate. These actions have altered the face of the planet in a multitude of ways. In the ultimate irony, technology has proven to be a double-edged sword that can both threaten to destroy us while also possibly providing the means of our salvation, our means of achieving sustainable development. How can we harness the rapidly developing technological means at our disposal to predict and manage environmental changes? There are exciting changes in technology that may provide the ability to monitor the environment, providing the information we need to allow us to make wise environmental policy decisions. However, even with these advances in technology, the basic dilemma still facing environmental scientists is complexity of ecosystems where known and unknown natural and anthropogenic factors may adversely influence natural processes, resulting in degradation of living resources, environmental services, and human health. Conversely, failure to effectively monitor will lead to our failure to detect threats to human health and reductions in biodiversity, resulting in higher costs associated with after-the-fact remediation and restoration, with the ultimate risk of irreversible damage to environmental resources. Within this context, it is important that as environmental scientists, we provide the necessary information to the general public and regulatory stakeholders that is readily interpretable and is related to valued resources and functions of ecosystems, allowing these stakeholder groups to make informed and effective resource-management decisions in real-time. Efforts are still needed to develop programs to detect, monitor and assess impacts in bio-diverse ecosystems by measuring the right things, in the right places, at the right frequency over sufficient time periods in a cost-effective manner. To increase the efficiency and effectiveness of monitoring programs focusing on “known” chemicals and the potential effects and risks they may pose to biota, including humans, we propose that risk-based monitoring programs be developed incorporating chemical and biological techniques that are rapid, readily implemented, and provide

Slocum Gliders: Robust and ready

AbstractBuoyancy driven Slocum Gliders were a vision of Douglas Webb, which Henry Stommel championed in a futuristic vision published in 1989. Slocum Gliders have transitioned from a concept to a technology serving basic research and environmental stewardship. The long duration and low operating costs of Gliders allow them to anchor spatial time series. Large distances, over 600 km, can be covered using a single set of alkaline batteries. Since the initial tests, a wide range of physical and optical sensors have been integrated into the Glider allowing measurements of temperature, salinity, depth averaged currents, surface currents, fluorescence, apparent and inherent optical properties. A command/control center, entitled Dockserver, has been developed that allows users to fly fleets of gliders simultaneously in multiple places around the world via the Internet. Over the last 2.5 years, Rutgers Gliders have logged 27 056 kilometers, and flown 1357 days at sea. Gliders call into the automated Glider Command Center at the Rutgers campus via satellite phone to provide a status update, download data, and receive new mission commands. The ability to operate Gliders for extended periods of time are making them the central in situ technology for the evolving ocean observatories. Off shore New Jersey Gliders have occupied a cross shelf transect and have documented the annual variability in shelf wide stratification on the Mid‐Atlantic Bight and the role of storms in sediment resuspension. The sustained data permits scientists to gather regional data critical to addressing if, and how, the oceans are changing. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Acoustic measurements in shallow water using an ocean glider

Acoustic data was collected on a single hydrophone attached to a Webb Slocum glider deployed by Rutgers University during the Shallow Water Experiment (SW06) on the continental shelf off New Jersey. The geometry of the experiment provided for adequate recording of the 224 and 400 Hz WHOI tomography sources. The glider periodically surfaced for GPS fixes and data transfer via satellite phone. A synthetic aperture is created through coherent processing of the acoustic data as the glider traveled through the water. A number of issues including varying depth and nonsteady motion must be accounted for due to the trajectory of the glider. However, the glider provides a low‐noise and low‐speed platform, potentially enabling detection of low level signals. Initial results show that the phase of the tomography signals is linear as the glider traverses the sound field. An acoustic normal mode representation of the field provides the basis for processing of the data similar to Hankel transform approach of Frisk and Lynch [J. Acoust. Soc Am. 76, 205–216 (1984)] and Holmes, Carey, and Lynch [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 119, 3346 (2006)]. Effects of spatial variations in sound speed are examined. [Work sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.]

Media Reporting, Mobility and Trauma

Media Reporting, Mobility and Trauma

Satellite services for disaster management and security applications

Advantages of communications satellites are the inherent broadcast capability, high bandwidth, reliability and flexibility in network expansion. Small transportable terminals can be made operational very quickly. Recent developments in communications and computer technology allow to provide low-cost equipment, which is affordable even in developing countries. Communications satellites can also play an important role in case of emergencies or natural disasters. The combination of satellite communications and navigation can support new services for emergency teams. At the Institute of Applied Systems Technology and the Institute of Communication Networks and Satellite Communications highly transportable terminals have been developed, both for star and mesh network topologies. A fully meshed VSAT system is used for symmetrical links. For other applications, which do not require high return link capacity an asymmetrical system is an efficient solution. It uses low-cost DVB technology for the forward link and satellite phones with data capability on the return link. Novel multicast protocols allow to use these asymmetrical links in an efficient way. The paper describes the different systems and their applications in disaster management and security applications. Emphasis is put on transfer of remote sensing images and voice over IP (VoIP) as well as videoconference services.

Measurements of 3‐D propagation effects at a shelfbreak front

Acoustic data collected on two Webb Slocum gliders deployed by Rutgers University during the Shallow Water Experiment (SW06) on the continental shelf off New Jersey are presented. Acoustic recording systems were attached to the two gliders, which also collected oceanographic data. These gliders periodically surfaced for GPS fixes and data transfer via satellite phone. A major goal of these measurements was to quantify 3‐D propagation effects including the horizontal analog to the classical Lloyd’s mirror. The Lloyd’s mirror effect is produced by the fact that fronts can totally internally reflect sound incident upon them at low grazing angles. The direct and reflected arrivals can add up to produce an interference pattern in range, potentially increasing the received intensity level by 6 dB [Lynch et al., IEEE J. Ocean. Eng., in press]. The gliders crossed the shelfbreak front at ranges of approximately 20 km from the sources and in water depths of approximately 80 m. Measurements of the acoustic arrivals from 224 and 400 Hz tomography sources are compared to 3D modeling results. The increase in the intensity level predicted by the horizontal ray‐vertical mode model is discussed. [Work supported by Office of Naval Research.]

Single element synthetic aperture using an ocean glider

The feasibility of using a single transducer element on an ocean glider to create a synthetic aperture is discussed. Acoustic data were collected on two Webb Slocum gliders deployed by Rutgers University during the Shallow Water Experiment (SW06) on the continental shelf off New Jersey. These gliders periodically surfaced for GPS fixes and data transfer via satellite phone. A synthetic aperture is created through coherent processing of the acoustic data as the glider travels through the water. A number of issues including changes in depth, nonsteady motion of the glider, and clock drift can limit the performance of the processing. However, the glider provides a low‐noise and low‐speed platform, potentially improving the signal‐to‐noise ratio. The geometry of the experiment provided for near‐broadside recording of the 224‐ and 400‐Hz WHOI tomography sources. An acoustic normal mode representation of the field provides the basis for processing of the data similar to the Hankel transform approach of Frisk and Lynch [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 76, 205–216 (1984)] and Holmes et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 119, 3346 (2006)]. Effects of spatial variations in sound speed are examined. [Work sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.]

North America

On 19 September 1985, Mexico City was devastated by an earthquake measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale that claimed more than 10,000 lives. I had arrived in the capital two days earlier with my family to begin work as Latin America correspondent for The Globe and Mail. Instead of the day of logistics and paperwork I had planned, I set out in search of stories among the rubble-strewn streets of a city I barely knew. There was no shortage of heartrending tales of death and survival, but sending them back to Canada was another thing altogether. The quake had toppled Mexico's main telecommunications tower, knocking out international long-distance telephone service and all but severing communications with the world's largest metropolis.One television station, tiny Channel 13, stayed on the air. Its transmissions were picked up through a satellite link by a radio station in Bogota, Colombia, and information was relayed by news agencies there to the rest of the world. Some US newspapers used ham radio operators for coverage in editions of 19 and 20 September. A few foreign reporters based in Mexico City got stories out the first day. Some headed straight for the airport and caught planes before it closed. At least two managed to locate a working telex machine; others drove some distance outside the city to find functioning telephones. I, like many, did not succeed, and in my subsequent years as a foreign correspondent I never forgot the earthquake's lesson: the best story in the world is useless unless it can be transmitted.1Another major earthquake is likely to strike Mexico City at some point. But fortunately for citizens and disaster relief officials, and incidentally for journalists, the prospect of a major urban area being cut off from communication for more than an hour or two is now close to zero. Conventional long-distance telephone service has been augmented in several ways. Cell phone networks, nonexistent in 1985, are decentralized. Today a journalist carrying the right equipment can send a story and pictures home from almost anywhere on earth via satellite phone-and, as the Bogota link demonstrated, satellite phones bypass earthquakes. Private and public wireless data networks and the internet provide further layers of redundancy. In just two decades, in Mexico as elsewhere, both the form and content of international communication have been transformed.Yet while we marvel at what is possible, we risk losing sight of what may be slipping away. The communications revolution is an operational blessing for traditional news media, but it also poses a serious strategic challenge that many have failed to meet. Fast-paced, systematic coverage of global affairs became easier than ever, yet the number of news organizations maintaining a serious commitment to it dwindled. The production of text and images expanded immensely with the rise of the internet, but relatively little of the additional content was generated using the rigorous observation and verification characteristic of good journalism. Whether it has deepened knowledge and understanding among the peoples of the world is open to serious question.It is probably safe to say that none of the original promoters of the North American free trade agreement (NAFTA) foresaw the impact of the internet or wireless technology. If they had, these marvels would doubtless have been incorporated into the rosy visions of continental harmony and self-awareness evoked in NAFTA's defence. They have indeed helped change the landscape and methods of politics. But it is uncertain whether the people of Canada, Mexico, and the United States are on the whole better informed than they were two decades ago about the continent they live in-that is to say, about themselves and one another. The internet has allowed a broader range of voices to be heard in all three countries, to varying degrees, but serious concerns continue to be raised in each of them about the dominance of a few private media interests. …

Opening Our Doors for All Newborns: Caring for Displaced Neonates: Intrastate

Woman’s Hospital in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, one of the first women’s specialty hospitals in the nation, is a 225-bed, private, not-for-profit organization that delivers more than 8000 infants each year. Sick newborns and infants less than 1 year of age are cared for in the 83-bed Center for Newborn and Infant Care, comprised of a level III-C NICU,1 special care nursery (level II), developmental nursery, infant care center, and neonatal surgery center. A private physician group consisting of 9 neonatologists and 2 neonatal nurse practitioners (NNPs) provide in-house coverage on a 24/7 basis. The hospital employs 4 NNPs to serve as transport NNPs. The Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness (OEP) designated Woman’s Hospital as the referral center for high-risk obstetrical patients and neonates for both Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. In a period of 5 days, 87 neonates were transferred to Woman’s Hospital during Hurricane Katrina, and transports were arranged for an additional 34 infants to other facilities. Twenty-one neonates were transferred to Woman’s Hospital during Hurricane Rita. ### Peak Census: 61; Midnight Census: 56* Katrina, still in the Gulf of Mexico, became a category 2 hurricane, and by 11 pm, the landfall forecast was for just east of New Orleans, Louisiana.2 We knew Baton Rouge would experience some type of adverse weather. The Hospital Emergency Incident Command System contains 4 increasing states of storm readiness based on the type of tropical storm/hurricane watches and warnings issued for Baton Rouge. Level 2 was implemented, which included fueling of emergency power generator tanks, establishment of alternate communications, updating departmental emergency call lists, stocking of hospital linen, replenishment of emergency food and drinkable water supplies, battery charging on portable equipment, and an evaluation of current medication supplies in the pharmacy, with procurement of additional needed emergency medications. ### Peak Census: 59; Midnight Census: 54 Katrina became a category 3 hurricane. During the day, the … Address correspondence to Steven B. Spedale, MD, FAAP, PO Box 45171, Baton Rouge, LA 70895-4171. E-mail: steve.spedale{at}infamedics.com

Parks as Shibboleths

Parks as Shibboleths

North America: Multiplying media in a dynamic landscape

Perhaps no region on earth has been as affected by the dramatic pace and extent of media development since 1990 as North America, where most have ready access to new media, such as the Internet and the latest telecommunications devices, as well as the traditional newspapers, radio and television. Even traditional media have undergone profound change as convergence and cross–ownership brought them together in vast media conglomerates dominated by a handful of global corporations. Digitization has taken hold in the United States and Canada, increasing commodification and cross–ownership of all forms of communication, from movies and music to the written word, and bringing together once separate domains of print, broadcasting, telecommunications and computer technology. Yet all is not monolithic on the North American scene. This increasing concentration of ownership has evolved at the same time as increasing fragmentation of media markets and outlets. Explosive growth in cable and satellite television channels, musical variety and the Internet, have given citizens many more choices and in some cases easier access to outlets for their own creative and political expression. Throughout North America, increasing cultural diversity has also led to products and policies serving multicultural needs in an information society. As a less powerful, less populous neighbor with close economic and cultural ties to the United States, Canada’s history has been one of resisting cultural and economic domination. This theme continues in the current era, in the face of evolving trade agreements attempting to drop restrictions and barriers. At the risk of becoming irrelevant in the Internet era, North American media have been quick to establish their online presence, with virtually all mainstream newspapers and broadcasters now posting news on Internet sites, and an increasing number of community newspapers and local broadcasters joining the trend. The accessibility and effectiveness of those Web sites vary greatly. Media whose primary goals are to inform and educate, such as public broadcasters, have used the Web to enhance that mandate, with some of the most accessible interactive sites. Those who simply aim to generate revenue post a bare minimum of news content, and charge fees for access to their most valuable online resources, such as archival databases. The digital age has also changed the way journalists work, with significant cost savings and staff reductions as large media organizations pool resources and share material. Reporters use satellite phones and internet hookups to file stories from off–site, including abroad, and at times the same reporter writes stories and shoots television footage. In some cases the changes have eliminated locally based correspondents; instead “parachute reporters” travel to the scene with little knowledge of the region and situation. While these reporters may serve to entertain and persuade those back home, they can be ill equipped to educate and inform.

Disaster Technology and Scholarly Tools Revisited

LIVING in a coastal city and being an offshore mariner makes me give more thought to disaster preparedness than some. For example, my boat has two of almost everything, including two VHF radios, one a handheld submersible; two bilge pumps; two manual fire extinguishers and one automatic one; a spare storm anchor; a second, never used, get home battery; and so on. Since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, I have been thinking a lot about how technology could be helpful in case my family were ever in the middle of such a disaster. Here are a few thoughts on the topic. If you ever have to evacuate quickly, what do you grab before you go out the door? Family photos, insurance papers, medical records, and the laptop computer are a few things that come to mind. Taking all these things would amount to carrying a cardboard box full of stuff--not very handy. Fortunately, there's a better plan, and it's an emergency USB flash memory drive you prepared in advance. A flash memory sometimes called a thumb drive, is a solid-state device and doesn't really contain a disk drive. Last May, Sandisk began selling waterproof USB flash memory drives in various sizes. Sandisk's plan at the time was to sell the waterproof units to resellers in the health-care industry and in the military. I was unable to find resellers of these units, but I believe they will probably be available soon. Until that time, you could always use a tough ziplock storage bag and a plain USB drive. By the way, if you ever have a valuable hard drive fail, don't immediately give up on salvaging the drive's contents. Several firms, such as www.drivesavers.com, are experts at repairing drives that have gotten wet, hot, and even crushed. The advice from DriveSavers for a wet drive is to turn off the computer immediately and place the drive in an airtight plastic bag as soon as possible. If water dries on drive surfaces, it can leave deposits that make recovery difficult. Recovery of drive contents is not cheap, but DriveSavers did offer a 20% discount to Katrina victims. If you are like me, you probably have several USB drives. To mark one of mine as the emergency I simply borrowed some red nail polish from my wife and painted its case. Then I filled the red unit with important files like my family finances spreadsheet with all of our account numbers. I now take the red drive with me everywhere. My drive has 256 MB of memory, which holds an amazing number of files. The optimum size is probably 512 MB, which is about the amount of information you can write to a recordable CD-ROM disk. One problem with such small devices is that they are easy to lose. I suggest attaching a tag of some sort to the drive with your name, address, and telephone number on it. Some people like to put the drives on a lanyard, but I find that cumbersome. Another backup technique is to use an online service such as www.backup.com. Backup. com encrypts and stores files securely. The company offers a variety of plans, from $4.95 a month for 256 MB to $99.95 a year for 500 MB. An even cheaper approach is to simply make it a habit to e-mail yourself important files. You can sign up for a free Gmail account from Google that comes with 2 GB of storage. Since I don't know where Google locates its servers, I would be a little anxious about relying on this approach. Most operations the size of Google use a network of highly distributed servers. It is likely that Google lost servers in the region devastated by Katrina. For serious backup, I use a small portable 60 GB, USB 2+ FireWire 800 disk drive. This is a very fast portable drive that spins at 7,200 rpm. Most portable drives are 5,000 rpm or less. Various newscasts following Katrina often reported that police, fire, and other rescue personnel lost all communications with one another. That is unfortunate because of the easy availability of portable satellite phones. Out of curiosity, I went to www. …

A near-real-time acoustic detection and reporting system for endangered species in critical habitats

Passive acoustics is an effective mechanism for detection and recognition of species-specific sounds and can be a more cost-effective approach than visual techniques for monitoring populations of rare or endangered species. A network of moored buoys has been strategically deployed in and around Cape Cod Bay to report detections of northern right whales in critical habitat. Each buoy continuously and automatically monitors for right whale contact calls and transmits detection and ambient noise data by cell or satellite phone to Cornell University on a regular basis. Each day, validated data are automatically unloaded into a Website database to provide on-line graphical and numerical data summaries. The array of three buoys deployed in the Bay will eventually be synchronized to allow localization and tracking of individual animals. [Work supported by funds from the NOAA Right Whale Grants Program and augmented by funds from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.]

Satellite phones and Jane Austen — remote access at the BBC

The transition from analogue to digital will create new information security challenges for the BBC. Brian McKenna speaks to the BBC's security strategist, Andy Leigh.

7.6.2 Connected Requirements: …liberating requirements so they can influence design

AbstractCustomer Requirements are important because that is what the customer will buy. Many organizations have learned the hard lesson of producing a product that doesn't meet customer needs–Ford's Edsel, Motorola's Iridium Satellite Phones, and others quickly come to mind. Given their importance its not uncommon for organizations to use a variety of means/methods to keep up with them–including documents, databases, and tracing tools. The problem is that even though the requirements are captured somewhere, they don't go anywhere and thus they have no influence over the design of the product. Teamcenter Requirements is after solving this problem by integrating or connecting the requirements into the development process so that requirements show up where the decisions are being made so they can have an influence over the design as the design decisions are being made. This presentation will cover the basics of Teamcenter Requirements as well as demonstrate the benefits of integrating requirements with the entire product life cycle.

An HTS X-band DC SQUID based amplifier: Modeling and development concepts

We present an X-band amplifier concept based on a HTS grain boundary dc SQUID, which allow for extended dynamic range for use with SIS mixers, e.g., as a buffer amplifier in front of an RSFQ ADC, or possibly for satellite and cellular phone communications. The proposed RF design is based on a combination of single-layer slot and coplanar lines forming novel input and output circuits. The following parameters (per stage) are obtained via simulation for central frequency 11 GHz: bandwidth 0.5-1 GHz, power gain 11-12 dB, noise temperature 5-10 K. A saturation product as high as 500-1000 K/spl middot/GHz is estimated for a characteristic voltage of 1-2 mV. The realization of these parameters makes HTS SQA competitive with existing coolable HEMT-amplifiers for radio astronomy and satellite communication.

Prehospital ECG transmission: comparison of advanced mobile phone and facsimile devices in an urban Emergency Medical Service System

Objective: To compare the speed and reliability of electrocardiogram (ECG) transmissions from the prehospital setting to a conventional table facsimile device and to an advanced mobile phone in a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service System (HEMS). Methods: Eighteen authentic ECGs stored in the memory module of a monitor defibrillator were used. The ECGs were (1) sent directly from the monitor defibrillator to a table fax and an advanced mobile phone at the HEMS base; (2) printed out and sent from a mobile fax connected to an ordinary mobile phone to the table fax and the advanced mobile phone at the HEMS base; (3) printed out and sent from an ordinary table fax as well as from a table fax connected to a satellite phone system to the receiving devices at the HEMS base. Results: When the ECGs were sent from the table fax via satellite, the transmission times were longer to the advanced mobile phone than to the table fax at the HEMS base (1 min 54 s±0 min 21 s vs. 1 min 37 s±0 min 20 s, (mean±SD), ( P<0.01). Regarding transmission from the other fax devices, there were no differences in transmission times between the two receiving devices. The fastest way to transmit ECGs to the advanced mobile phone was to send it from conventional table fax (1 min 22 s±0 min 18 s) and the longest transmission times were with mobile fax connected to mobile phone (5 min 23 s±3 min 5 s). In all ECGs transmitted except one the cardiac rhythm and ST-changes could be recognised. Conclusion: An advanced mobile phone is as fast and reliable as a conventional table fax in receiving ECGs. A mobile phone with advanced features is a practical tool for HEMS physicians who need to evaluate ECGs in the prehospital setting.