Optimal maintenance policies for a safety‐critical system and its deteriorating sensor

We consider the integrated problem of optimally maintaining an imperfect, deteriorating sensor and the safety‐critical system it monitors. The sensor's costless observations of the binary state of the system become less informative over time. A costly full inspection may be conducted to perfectly discern the state of the system, after which the system is replaced if it is in the out‐of‐control state. In addition, a full inspection provides the opportunity to replace the sensor. We formulate the problem of adaptively scheduling full inspections and sensor replacements using a partially observable Markov decision process (POMDP) model. The objective is to minimize the total expected discounted costs associated with system operation, full inspection, system replacement, and sensor replacement. We show that the optimal policy has a threshold structure and demonstrate the value of coordinating system and sensor maintenance via numerical examples. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 64: 399–417, 2017     

Terrorism as Method in Nepali Maoist Insurgency, 1996–2016

During the period 1996–2006, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) waged overt people’s war to seize state power and institute a new order that realized the party’s understanding of ‘New Democracy’ as posited by Mao Tse-tung. Contextual shifts led to a crucial strategic turning point in September 2005, when the Maoists agreed to a united front with estranged legal parties to oust the monarchy and establish a republic. Though touted as acceptance of political reintegration, the move was tactical rather than strategic. The party had no intention of supporting a parliamentary version of democracy and thus, 2006–2016, engaged in a covert effort to seize power. Central to this effort was the paramilitary Young Communist League (YCL), the members of which responded to inflammatory party verbiage and exhortations with attacks upon rival political actors. These attacks, academically and legally, were terrorism and offered a salient illustration of intra-state unrestricted warfare. Ultimately, organizational, national, and regional circumstances caused the main Maoist movement to move decisively away from its covert approach. By that time, however, radical splinters had embraced the use of terrorism against rival political actors, creating a situation whereby local politics is yet a dangerous endeavor in certain areas and at certain times.     

What-If at Waterloo. Carl von Clausewitz’s use of historical counterfactuals in his history of the Campaign of 1815

In this article, I analyze the use of historical counterfactuals in the Campaign of 1815 by Carl von Clausewitz (1780–1831). Such is the importance of counterfactuals in this work that its gist can be given in a series of 25 counterfactuals. I claim that a central role is played by evaluative counterfactuals. This specific form of counterfactuals is part of a didactic method that allows Clausewitz to teach young officers a critical method that prepares them for the challenge of decision-making in real warfare. I conclude with the enduring relevance of Clausewitz’s use of evaluative counterfactuals for contemporary military historiography.     

航拍图像车辆检测中的圆形滤波器HOG特征快速计算

航拍图像中车辆一般近似为矩形结构,因此通过统计检测窗口中的梯度方向直方图并根据梯度主方向估计车辆朝向,将检测窗口旋转到相应方向进行分类器判别。车辆检测采用级联boosting分类器和梯度方向直方图特征,针对旋转窗口中梯度方向直方图特征的计算,设计一种基于圆形滤波器的梯度方向直方图特征。与传统基于积分直方图的梯度方向直方图特征提取方法相比,显著提高了旋转窗口中梯度方向直方图特征的计算效率,在计算每个像素的梯度时采用查找表代替梯度向量的求模和角度计算也减小了计算量。使用真实图像进行的实验表明,该车辆检测算法快速高效。     

(修，2撤3)关键几何参数对超声速膨胀器流场和性能影响的数值研究

为了揭示关键几何参数对超声速膨胀器流动特性影响的规律,对3种隔板安装角和5种出进口面积比超声速膨胀器设计工况下的流场进行了数值研究。结果表明：随隔板安装角增加,斜激波向出口迁移,斜激波强度略有降低,超声速膨胀器膨胀比减小,效率提高;随出进口面积比增加,流道内高速区显著扩大并逐渐靠近压力面,斜激波增强,出口流动损失增加,超声速膨胀器膨胀比增大,效率降低。为获得综合性能较优超声速膨胀器结构,需在较小出进口面积比和较大隔板安装角之间做折衷选择。     

(Re-)emergent orders: understanding the negotiation(s) of rebel governance

Abstract

The concept of order is often neglected in the study of conflict – seemingly such a ‘disordering’ process. With the recent increase in the examination of rebel governance however, bringing order back into our understanding of rebel and insurgent groups has much to offer in exploring the everyday politics which connect authorities, rebel movements and the population itself, in a complex mass of intersubjective and power-based interactions and negotiations. Rebels both shape and are shaped by existing forms of order in complex and ongoing ways. This article explores how varying elements interact in the negotiation, framing and enforcement of order and develops an original analytical framework to examine the perpetual negotiations of rebel movements in their attempts to cement their control.     

预冷却引射系统性能一维分析

根据引射器的一维设计理论可知,二次流在进入混合室之前进行预冷降温可以提高引射效率,增大引射系数,但引入预冷器会同时引起流动损失,故需要对引射系统进行性能评估。针对设有预冷器的引射系统,应用一维理论分析预冷对系统性能的影响,重点分析预冷增强效果与流阻减弱效果对引射效率的作用。研究发现:预冷器对引射系统同时带来冷却增强作用和流阻减弱作用,横截面积和换热面积是主要影响因素。预冷器存在临界横截面积,横截面积大于临界值时,换热面积越大,引射性能越高;反之,换热面积越大,引射性能越低。等压混合引射方案比等截面混合引射方案性能高,前者引射系数比后者大60%;预冷却能够有效提高引射性能,尤其是等截面混合引射方案,性能提高可达35.5%。     

基于多侦察资源的电子侦察作战效能评估模型

现代战争战场环境越来越复杂,准确发现目标的难度越来越大,靠单侦察设备独立完成侦察任务已难以满足作战需要。通过建立多侦察资源的电子对抗侦察效能评估模型,对来自同一作战平台的不同侦察设备和来自不同平台的侦察设备的数据进行融合,最大限度地发挥各侦察设备的作战效能,为决策者提供作战使用依据。     

基于Delphi-BP神经网络的装备保障能力评估

针对评估指标数量过多可能给评估过程及结果带来的弊端,在构建装备保障能力评估指标体系基础上,给出了基于Delphi法的指标体系筛选的方法步骤,通过计算累计贡献率,对指标体系进行了筛选,降低了评估模型的输入维度。建立了评估部队装备保障能力的三层BP神经网络模型,利用Matlab神经网络工具箱对网络进行了训练和仿真,结果显示误差小于10-3。最后,通过对比评估,验证了方法的有效性和正确性。