The increased use of Unmanned Ground Vehicles affects how Integrated Logistics Support is performed due to the removal of onboard operators. This thesis aims to identify key differences between how Integrated Logistics Support is performed on Manned and Unmanned Ground Vehicles. Thereby providing the industry with the requested basis for necessary changes in Integrated Logistics Support for future systems. By conducting semi-structured interviews, six experts provided knowledge of inherent differences between Manned and Unmanned Ground Vehicles. The interview data was used to develop Maintenance Concepts for Manned and Unmanned Ground Vehicles. By comparing these maintenance concepts, differences were identified mainly in the form of maintenance and support operations due to the disappearance of the onboard operator. Multiple questions were also raised by the experts, asking when unmanned ground vehicles should be considered consumable, how redundant they should be, where the boundaries of cyber lie within the system, and to what degree they are autonomous. This work signifies the importance of continued research on the topic of Integrated Logistics Support in regard to future unmanned systems. / Den ökade användningen av Obemannade Markfordon (UGV) påverkar hur Integrerat Logistikstöd (ILS) utförs på grund av att ombordoperatörer tas bort. Denna uppsats syftar till att identifiera viktiga skillnader mellan hur Integrerat Logistikstöd utförs på Bemannade och Obemannade Markfordon. Därigenom ges branschen den efterfrågade grunden för nödvändiga förändringar inom Integrerat Logistikstöd för framtida system. Genom att genomföra semistrukturerade intervjuer bidrog sex experter med kunskap om grundläggande skillnader mellan Bemannade och Obemannade Markfordon. Intervjudatan användes för att utveckla underhållskoncept för Bemannade och Obemannade Markfordon. Genom att jämföra dessa underhållskoncept identifierades skillnader främst i form av underhålls- och stödoperationer på grund av att ombordoperatören försvinner. Experterna väckte också flera frågor om när Obemannade Markfordon ska betraktas som förbrukningsvaror, hur redundanta de ska vara, var gränserna för cyber ligger inom systemet och i vilken grad de är autonoma. Detta arbete understryker vikten av fortsatt forskning inom Integrerat Logistikstöd vad gäller framtida obemannade system.

Master of Arts / Department of English / Dean G. Hall / Salman Rushdie's 1999 novel The Ground Beneath Her Feet is ostensibly a rock 'n' roll novel, largely set in the 1960s, that traces the commercial rise of Indian rock star protagonists Vina Apsara and Ormus Cama. As their fame and wealth rise to global status and their stage show comes to entail a logistical complexity of military proportions, it becomes increasingly difficult to discern the couple's earlier countercultural ideals within their new established culture status. I argue that despite the change from countercultural to establishment-based values in the novel's protagonists, Rushdie does make a case in The Ground Beneath Her Feet for the possibility of countercultural efficacy against the commodifying culture of global capitalism (which I refer to as the "Frame"). His recipe for combating the exclusive hierarchies produced by the Frame is a combination of the non-totalizing politics of postmodernism and the subversive potential of uncommodified rock music. I pay close attention to establishing the historical templates--John Lennon of the Beatles and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys--of the novel's protagonists in an effort to understand the sort of countercultural alternative Rushdie is proposing. I likewise focus on the novel's depiction of the Beach Boys' Smile album, which as a still commercially unreleased record, reinforces Rushdie's imperative in The Ground Beneath Her Feet for an uncommodifying counterculture and works in tandem with his portrayals of the artistic plights of several minor characters in the novel as well.

The key issue in recent debates of Christian apologetics is whether there is any common ground of data and criteria between believers and unbelievers. Two main schools are divided on this issue, namely: evidential and presuppositional apologetics. The evidential apologists claim that a common ground exists, and that objective proofs of theism are possible from this common ground. In contrast, the presuppositional apologists argue that there is no common ground; and they maintain that theoretical arguments (including apologetic ones) are unavoidably prejudiced by religious presuppositions. In this study, both sides are claimed to have their own flaws. The former apologetics has the flaw that its epistemic foundation (i.e., “classical foundationalism”) is fatally defective; and it is criticised by the reformational philosophical tradition, as well as secular contemporary (postmodern) epistemology. In contrast, the latter apologetics has the flaw that when the existence of common ground is entirely denied, the problems of circular reasoning (hence, relativism) and total communication breakdown are unavoidable. In order to clarify and deepen the issue, the tradition of reformational philosophy, which is represented by Kuyper, Dooyeweerd and Van Til is first examined; and it is shown that all three scholars struggle with the tension between antithesis and common ground; and they attempt their own solution. Secondly, the contemporary anti-foundationalist epistemology is examined; and it is shown that the same tension exists between “radical” and “moderate” postmodern (anti-foundationalist) epistemologies; and their debate is on-going – without any satisfactory conclusion. As a solution, it is suggested that the notion of common ground should be distinguished by the ontological and epistemological dimensions. From the epistemological standpoint, all knowledge is prejudiced; and no objective conclusion (on the issue of e.g., theism) can be arrived at by so-called “neutral” rational arguments. However, from the ontological standpoint, it is undeniable that all kinds of knowledge are made possible by certain universal (transcendental) conditions, which constitute the ontic common ground. In this distinction, the confusion is caused by the false assumption that the ontic common ground is meant to function as an epistemic neutral criterion. In contrast, this study argues that the ontic common ground functions only as the condition for the possibility of legitimate knowledge (including apologetic arguments). As a result, this study claims that traditional apologetics, based on objective theistic proofs should be abandoned, and that (radical) presuppositional apologetics needs to be modified. Therefore, as an alternative approach, a new “integral apologetics” is proposed – on the basis of Dooyeweerd’s modal theory of reality. This approach emphasizes the need to utilize different types of knowledge, which together could strengthen the apologetic persuasion towards Christian theism, and take into consideration of the whole context of apologetic dialogue. / PhD (International Trade), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The key issue in recent debates of Christian apologetics is whether there is any common ground of data and criteria between believers and unbelievers. Two main schools are divided on this issue, namely: evidential and presuppositional apologetics. The evidential apologists claim that a common ground exists, and that objective proofs of theism are possible from this common ground. In contrast, the presuppositional apologists argue that there is no common ground; and they maintain that theoretical arguments (including apologetic ones) are unavoidably prejudiced by religious presuppositions. In this study, both sides are claimed to have their own flaws. The former apologetics has the flaw that its epistemic foundation (i.e., “classical foundationalism”) is fatally defective; and it is criticised by the reformational philosophical tradition, as well as secular contemporary (postmodern) epistemology. In contrast, the latter apologetics has the flaw that when the existence of common ground is entirely denied, the problems of circular reasoning (hence, relativism) and total communication breakdown are unavoidable. In order to clarify and deepen the issue, the tradition of reformational philosophy, which is represented by Kuyper, Dooyeweerd and Van Til is first examined; and it is shown that all three scholars struggle with the tension between antithesis and common ground; and they attempt their own solution. Secondly, the contemporary anti-foundationalist epistemology is examined; and it is shown that the same tension exists between “radical” and “moderate” postmodern (anti-foundationalist) epistemologies; and their debate is on-going – without any satisfactory conclusion. As a solution, it is suggested that the notion of common ground should be distinguished by the ontological and epistemological dimensions. From the epistemological standpoint, all knowledge is prejudiced; and no objective conclusion (on the issue of e.g., theism) can be arrived at by so-called “neutral” rational arguments. However, from the ontological standpoint, it is undeniable that all kinds of knowledge are made possible by certain universal (transcendental) conditions, which constitute the ontic common ground. In this distinction, the confusion is caused by the false assumption that the ontic common ground is meant to function as an epistemic neutral criterion. In contrast, this study argues that the ontic common ground functions only as the condition for the possibility of legitimate knowledge (including apologetic arguments). As a result, this study claims that traditional apologetics, based on objective theistic proofs should be abandoned, and that (radical) presuppositional apologetics needs to be modified. Therefore, as an alternative approach, a new “integral apologetics” is proposed – on the basis of Dooyeweerd’s modal theory of reality. This approach emphasizes the need to utilize different types of knowledge, which together could strengthen the apologetic persuasion towards Christian theism, and take into consideration of the whole context of apologetic dialogue. / PhD (International Trade), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Doctor of Philosophy / Food Science Institute / Melvin C. Hunt / Three experiments were conducted to evaluate factors affecting ground beef color stability with the objectives: 1) To characterize color characteristics of different ground muscles from similarly fed and managed cows and steers; 2) To evaluate the contributions different muscles make to overall ground beef color stability; and 3) To determine if cow biological type (beef-type vs. dairy-type) affects ground beef color dynamics. In general, ground muscles from fed cows appeared darker and redder than ground muscles from steers. Chronological age did not affect ground beef color stability of muscles from fed cows. Use of steroid implants or [Beta]-agonists did not affect ground muscle color stability of fed steers or fed cows. Overall color stability varied more in muscle from steers than from fed cows. Fed cow muscles tended to have a greater proportion of saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids to poly-unsaturated fatty acids than fed steer muscles. Ground muscles from fed cows had better color stability properties than ground muscles from steer. When muscles of various color stability were blended to make ground beef and packaged in high-oxygen modified atmosphere (HiO[subscript]2 MAP), high color stability muscles (≥ 75%) in formulations maximizes display color life; however, inclusion of low color stability muscles (≥ 25%) in ground beef formulations had deleterious effects on ground beef color life. Ground semimembranosus (SM) from dairy cows exhibited darker initial color than ground SM from beef cows when packaged in HiO[subscript]2 MAP. However, ground SM from dairy cows was more color stable than ground SM from beef cows when packaged in HiO[subscript]2 MAP. Cow trim used as a fat source in ground beef formulations improved color stability compared to young beef trim when packaged in HiO[subscript]2 MAP. Isolating and managing muscle sources enable meat processors to better manage ground beef based upon intrinsic factors affecting ground beef color stability.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 20-23, 2003 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Western Aeronautical Test Range (WATR) of NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) is facing a challenge in meeting the technology demands of future flight mission projects. Rapid growth in technology for aircraft has resulted in complexity often surpassing the capabilities of the current WATR real-time processing and display systems. These current legacy systems are based on an architecture that is over a decade old. In response, the WATR has initiated the development of the WATR Integrated Next Generation System (WINGS). The purpose of WINGS is to provide the capability to acquire data from a variety of sources and process that data for subsequent analysis and display to Project Users in the WATR Mission Control Centers (MCCs) in real-time, near real-time and subsequent post-mission analysis. WINGS system architecture will bridge the continuing gap between new research flight test requirements and capability by distributing current system architectures to provide incremental and iterative system upgrades.

ITC/USA 2006 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Second Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 23-26, 2006 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / The IRIG 106 Chapter 10 Standard has evolved significantly since its inception. This paper covers the background, technology, status, users, supporting vendors and future considerations such as ground-based recording and archiving. Also covered are samples of toolsets available for troubleshooting, validation, data processing and display of Chapter 10 data

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 20-23, 2003 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / As more satellite ground station systems use the Internet as a means of connectivity, the security of the ground stations and data transferred between stations becomes a growing concern. Possible solutions include software-level password authentication, link encryption, IP filtering, and several others. Many of these methods are being implemented in many different applications. SSH (Secure Shell) tunneling is one specific method that ensures a highly encrypted data link between computers on the Internet. It is used every day by individuals and organizations that want to ensure the security of the data they are transferring over the Internet. This paper describes the security requirements of a specific example of a ground station network, how SSH can be implemented into the existing system, software configuration, and operational testing of the revised ground network.

ITC/USA 2009 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fifth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 26-29, 2009 / Riviera Hotel & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / The Weapons System Test and Integration Laboratory (WSTIL) at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) will provide a new capability for ground based testing in this arena. Current and near term YPG scheduled test programs will benefit tremendously from this enhanced ground test capability provided by the Weapons STIL. The Weapons STIL's design goals center on the implementation of an automated mechanism for testing the weapon systems and sensors that are currently the responsibility of the YPG facility. To meet the Army's weapons test needs the Weapons STIL incorporates various levels of digital stimulation, human-in-the-loop, hardware-in-the-loop, and installed system test facility (ISTF) techniques to maximize ground testing in order to focus and optimize subsequent open air flight testing. This paper describes this work in progress.

ITC/USA 2008 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Fourth Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 27-30, 2008 / Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, California / Space Link Extension (SLE) is a set of Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) recommended standards for extending the space link from ground stations to other spaceflight mission ground facilities over a ground network, allowing distributed access to space link telecommand and telemetry services. The currently defined and implemented SLE recommendations are oriented around a traditional CCSDS telecommand and telemetry protocol set, which uses discrete telecommand frames that are encapsulated in Communication Link Transmission Units (CLTUs) for transport over the ground segment, and telemetry data encapsulated in Transfer Frames at the spacecraft. This paper discusses several non-traditional uses of the SLE services. The applications addressed within lie outside the discrete packet telecommand/telemetry subset of the SLE recommendations that are fully defined by CCSDS. This paper will focus on the use of the currently implemented SLE model to enable the transport of other forms of data, which may be subject to various transmission constraints, across the ground segment.