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Wednesday 2 April 2014

Novel analysis helped narrow Malaysian jet search (Update) - Blog Novel Malaysia

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<b>Novel</b> analysis helped narrow <b>Malaysian</b> jet search (Update) - Blog Novel Malaysia


<b>Novel</b> analysis helped narrow <b>Malaysian</b> jet search (Update)

Posted: 25 Mar 2014 04:50 AM PDT

Novel analysis helped narrow Malaysian jet search (Update)
Mar 25, 2014 by Justin Pritchard

In this Monday, March 24, 2014 photo, crewmen on board an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft look at their radar screens whilst searching for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 over the Indian Ocean. After 17 days of desperation and doubt over the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, Malaysian officials on Monday said an analysis of satellite data points to a "heartbreaking" conclusion: Flight 370 met its end in the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean, and none of those aboard survived. (AP Photo/Richard Wainwright, Pool)

Investigators are closer to solving an international aviation mystery thanks to a British communications satellite and classroom physics.

An analysis of faint signals sent from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 to an Inmarsat satellite led officials to conclude the plane crashed in a remote area of the southern Indian Ocean. More precise information about the plane's position when it sent the last signals is helping authorities refine the search being undertaken by planes and ships in seas 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) southwest of Perth, Australia. Investigators had little to examine otherwise because other communications were lost early in the flight March 8.

THE TIMING

Even with other communications shut down, the plane sent an automatic signal—a "ping" or a "handshake"—every hour to an Inmarsat satellite. Flight 370 completed six pings, and the time each took to be sent by the plane and received by the satellite showed the plane's range from the satellite, according to the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch. This initial analysis showed the last ping came from a position along one of two vast arcs north and south from the Malaysian Peninsula.

DOPPLER EFFECT

Think of a horn being honked in a passing car. To an observer, the sound is high pitched as the car approaches and is lower after the car passes. On approach, each successive sound wave is sent from a slightly closer position to the observer. The sound waves get compressed, resulting in a higher frequency. The opposite happens as the car moves away. It's called the Doppler effect for Austrian physicist Christian Doppler, who put forward the theory in 1842.

The same effect applies to the pings, which would arrive to the satellite at a higher frequency if the plane was moving toward the satellite and decrease in frequency when moving away.

For the analysis that led to Monday's conclusion the plane had crashed, Inmarsat studied the satellite communications made while the plane was on the ground at Kuala Lumpur airport and early in its flight.

In this Monday, March 24, 2014 photo, a crewman of an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft loads a sonar buoy that will mark the location of any wreckage found whilst searching for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 over the Indian Ocean. After 17 days of desperation and doubt over the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, Malaysian officials on Monday said an analysis of satellite data points to a "heartbreaking" conclusion: Flight 370 met its end in the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean, and none of those aboard survived. (AP Photo/Richard Wainwright, Pool)

It considered aircraft performance, the satellite's fixed location and other known factors. By knowing how the Doppler effect would apply to the satellite communications, Inmarsat could calculate the possible positions, direction of travel and speed of the plane.

The company then compared its predictions to six other Boeing 777 aircraft that flew the same day, and found good agreement, according to Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. Inmarsat did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press.

"By analyzing that you can determine speed and direction," said Joseph Bermudez Jr., chief analytics officer and co-founder of AllSource Analysis, a commercial satellite intelligence firm. And by determining the area from which the last signal was sent, then estimating fuel left, it "could give you an approximate area of where the aircraft impacted."

MORE ANALYSIS

Inmarsat sent its data to investigators days after the plane went missing. But it continued to run its own analysis to see if it could wring out any more clues.

The company's engineers were dealing with a "totally new area," Chris McLaughlin, senior vice president of external affairs at Inmarsat, told the BBC. "This really was a bit of a shot in the dark." However, the latest information could only go so far in pinpointing the jet's location.

"We can't help you with any closer data," he said.

Gregory D. Durgin, a professor who teaches satellite communications at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said that because Inmarsat was using a different kind of satellite in a novel way, he expects it would locate the last ping from the Malaysia Airlines lane within "around 100 miles (161 kilometers) of precision."

THE COMPANY

Inmarsat Plc started out in 1979 as an intergovernmental organization with the aim of helping ships communicate while at sea. It became a private company in 1999 and listed its shares in London in 2005. Customers now include governments, airlines, broadcast media, oil and gas companies, aid agencies as well as merchant shipping. They use hand-held satellite phones, laptop size Internet devices and antennas linked to the company's 10 satellites to communicate.

Explore further: Three pieces of evidence point to jet's takeover

© 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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Novel analysis helped narrow Malaysian jet search (Update)
Mar 25, 2014 by Justin Pritchard

In this Monday, March 24, 2014 photo, crewmen on board an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft look at their radar screens whilst searching for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 over the Indian Ocean. After 17 days of desperation and doubt over the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, Malaysian officials on Monday said an analysis of satellite data points to a "heartbreaking" conclusion: Flight 370 met its end in the southern reaches of the Indian Ocean, and none of those aboard survived. (AP Photo/Richard Wainwright, Pool)

Investigators are closer to solving an international aviation mystery thanks to a British communications satellite and classroom physics.

An analysis of faint signals sent from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 to an Inmarsat satellite led officials to conclude the plane crashed in a remote area of the southern Indian Ocean. More precise information about the plane's position when it sent the last signals is helping authorities refine the search being undertaken by planes and ships in seas 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) southwest of Perth, Australia. Investigators had little to examine otherwise because other communications were lost early in the flight March 8.

THE TIMING

Even with other communications shut down, the plane sent an automatic signal—a "ping" or a "handshake"—every hour to an Inmarsat satellite. Flight 370 completed six pings, and the time each took to be sent by the plane and received by the satellite showed the plane's range from the satellite, according to the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch. This initial analysis showed the last ping came from a position along one of two vast arcs north and south from the Malaysian Peninsula.

DOPPLER EFFECT

Think of a horn being honked in a passing car. To an observer, the sound is high pitched as the car approaches and is lower after the car passes. On approach, each successive sound wave is sent from a slightly closer position to the observer. The sound waves get compressed, resulting in a higher frequency. The opposite happens as the car moves away. It's called the Doppler effect for Austrian physicist Christian Doppler, who put forward the theory in 1842.

The same effect applies to the pings, which would arrive to the satellite at a higher frequency if the plane was moving toward the satellite and decrease in frequency when moving away.

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It considered aircraft performance, the satellite's fixed location and other known factors. By knowing how the Doppler effect would apply to the satellite communications, Inmarsat could calculate the possible positions, direction of travel and speed of the plane.

The company then compared its predictions to six other Boeing 777 aircraft that flew the same day, and found good agreement, according to Malaysian Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein. Inmarsat did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press.

"By analyzing that you can determine speed and direction," said Joseph Bermudez Jr., chief analytics officer and co-founder of AllSource Analysis, a commercial satellite intelligence firm. And by determining the area from which the last signal was sent, then estimating fuel left, it "could give you an approximate area of where the aircraft impacted."

MORE ANALYSIS

Inmarsat sent its data to investigators days after the plane went missing. But it continued to run its own analysis to see if it could wring out any more clues.

The company's engineers were dealing with a "totally new area," Chris McLaughlin, senior vice president of external affairs at Inmarsat, told the BBC. "This really was a bit of a shot in the dark." However, the latest information could only go so far in pinpointing the jet's location.

"We can't help you with any closer data," he said.

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THE COMPANY

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Molecular Cytogenetics | Abstract | Identification of <b>novel</b> pathogenic <b>...</b>

Posted: 31 Mar 2014 05:00 PM PDT

Open Access Research

Pau Ni Ivyna Bong, Ching Ching Ng, Kah Yuen Lam, Puteri Jamilatul Megat Baharuddin, Kian Meng Chang and Zubaidah Zakaria

Author Affiliations

For all author emails, please log on.

Molecular Cytogenetics 2014, 7:24  doi:10.1186/1755-8166-7-24

Published: 1 April 2014

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Multiple myeloma is an incurable disease. Little is known about the genetic and molecular mechanisms governing the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma. The risk of multiple myeloma predispositions varies among different ethnicities. More than 50% of myeloma cases showed normal karyotypes with conventional cytogenetic analysis due to the low mitotic activity and content of plasma cells in the bone marrow. In the present study, high resolution array comparative genomic hybridization technique was used to identify copy number aberrations in 63 multiple myeloma patients of Malaysia.

Results

Copy number aberrations were identified in 100% of patients analyzed (n = 63). Common chromosomal gains were detected at regions 1q, 2q, 3p, 3q, 4q, 5q, 6q, 8q, 9q, 10q, 11q, 13q, 14q, 15q, 21q and Xq while common chromosomal losses were identified at regions 3q and 14q. There were a total of 25 and 5 genes localized within the regions of copy number gains and losses, respectively (>30% penetrance). The LYST, CLK1, ACSL1 and NFKBIA are genes localized within the copy number aberration regions and they represent novel information that has never been previously described in multiple myeloma patients.

Conclusions

In general, due to the differences in genetic background, dietary and lifestyle practices of Malaysian compared to the Caucasian population, these chromosomal alterations might be unique for Asian MM patients. Genes identified in this study could be potential molecular therapeutic targets for the treatment and management of patients with multiple myeloma.

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production.


<b>Malaysia</b> Airlines Flight MH370 Vulnerable to a Cyber <b>...</b> - <b>Novel</b> M&#39;sia

Posted: 21 Mar 2014 01:29 PM PDT

Aircraft Cyber Vulnerability back on August 21, 2012, Boeing requested permission to make changes to the equipment that had been installed as part of 777's  series of aircraft onboard data network system upgrade. This request was ruled on November 18, 2013.

Reference:
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/11/18/2013-27343/special-conditions-boeing-model-777-200–300-and–300er-series-airplanes-aircraft-electronic-system

These special conditions are issued for the Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes. These airplanes, as modified by the Boeing Company, will have novel or unusual design features associated with the architecture and connectivity of the passenger service computer network systems to the airplane critical systems and data networks. This onboard network system will be composed of a network file server, a network extension device, and additional interfaces configured by customer option. The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature. These special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.

Formerly non-networked devices on board the plane may now be networked.

On August 21, 2012, The Boeing Company applied for a change to Type Certificate No. T00001SE Rev. 30 dated June 6, 2012 for installation of an onboard network system, associated line replaceable units (LRUs) and additional software functionality in the Boeing Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER Series Airplanes. The Boeing Model 777-200 airplanes are long-range, wide-body, twin-engine jet airplanes with a maximum capacity of 440 passengers. The Boeing Model 777-300 and 777-300ER series airplanes have a maximum capacity of 550 passengers. The Model 777-200, -300, and -300ER series airplanes have fly-by-wire controls, software-configurable avionics, and fiber-optic avionics networks.

The proposed architecture is novel or unusual for commercial transport airplanes by enabling connection to previously isolated data networks connected to systems that perform functions required for the safe operation of the airplane. This proposed data network and design integration may result in security vulnerabilities from intentional or unintentional corruption of data and systems critical to the safety and maintenance of the airplane. The existing regulations and guidance material did not anticipate this type of system architecture or electronic access to aircraft systems. Furthermore, regulations and current system safety assessment policy and techniques do not address potential security vulnerabilities, which could be caused by unauthorized access to aircraft data buses and servers.

Boeing warned about hacking the aircraft systems back in 2012.  Was it fixed?

By the way, I do not believe this was a part of the MH370 situation, but it is curious.

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