Practical considerations in aeroelastic design

The structural design process for large transport aircraft is described. Critical loads must be determined from a large number of load cases within the flight maneuver envelope. The structural design is also constrained by considerations of producibility, reliability, maintainability, durability, and damage tolerance, as well as impact dynamics and multiple constraints due to flutter and aeroelasticity. Aircraft aeroelastic design considerations in three distinct areas of product development (preliminary design, advanced design, and detailed design) are presented and contrasted. The present state of the art is challenged to solve the practical difficulties associated with design, analysis, and redesign within cost and schedule constraints. The current practice consists of largely independent engineering disciplines operating with unorganized data interfaces. The need is then demonstrated for a well-planned computerized aeroelastic structural design optimization system operating with a common interdisciplinary data base. This system must incorporate automated interfaces between modular programs. In each phase of the design process, a common finite-element model for static and dynamic optimization is required to reduce errors due to modeling discrepancies. As the design proceeds from the simple models in preliminary design to the more complex models in advanced and detailed design, a means of retrieving design data from the previous models must be established

Network Models of Phage-Bacteria Coevolution

Bacteria and their bacteriophages are the most abundant, widespread and diverse groups of biological entities on the planet. In an attempt to understand how the interactions between bacteria, virulent phages and temperate phages might affect the diversity of these groups, we developed a novel stochastic network model for examining the co-evolution of these ecologies. In our approach, nodes represent whole species or strains of bacteria or phages, rather than individuals, with "speciation" and extinction modelled by duplication and removal of nodes. Phage-bacteria links represent host-parasite relationships and temperate-virulent phage links denote prophage-encoded resistance. The effect of horizontal transfer of genetic information between strains was also included in the dynamical rules. The observed networks evolved in a highly dynamic fashion but the ecosystems were prone to collapse (one or more entire groups going extinct). Diversity could be stably maintained in the model only if the probability of speciation was independent of the diversity. Such an effect could be achieved in real ecosystems if the speciation rate is primarily set by the availability of ecological niches.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Effects of intra- and inter-laminar resin content on the mechanical properties of toughened composite materials

Composite materials having multiphase toughened matrix systems and laminate architectures characterized by resin-rich interlaminar layers (RIL) have been the subject of much recent attention. Such materials are likely to find applications in thick compressively loaded structures such as the keel area of commercial aircraft fuselages. The effects of resin content and its interlaminar and intralaminar distribution on mechanical properties were investigated with test and analysis of two carbon-epoxy systems. The RIL was found to reduce the in situ strengthening effect for matrix cracking in laminates. Mode 2 fracture toughness was found to increase with increasing RIL thickness over the range investigated, and Mode 1 interlaminar toughness was negligibly affected. Compressive failure strains were found to increase with increasing resin content for specimens having no damage, holes, and impact damage. Analytical tools for predicting matrix cracking of off-axis plies and damage tolerance in compression after impact (CAI) were successfully applied to materials with RIL

Technology utilization data searches

Technology Use Studies Center activities, functions, and services are reported for this period. Transfers and searches are described. Characteristics of TUSC searches are tabulated

Mössbauer Spectrometry Study of Thermally-Activated Electronic Processes in Li_xFePO_4

The solid solution phase of Li_xFePO_4 with different Li concentrations, x, was investigated by Mössbauer spectrometry at temperatures between 25 and 210 °C. The Mössbauer spectra show a temperature dependence of their isomer shifts (E_(IS)) and electric quadrupole splittings (E_Q), typical of thermally activated, electronic relaxation processes involving ^(57)Fe ions. The activation energies for the fluctuations of E_Q and E_(IS) for Fe^(3+) are nearly the same, 570 ± 9 meV, suggesting that both originate from charge hopping. For the Fe^(2+) components of the spectra, the fluctuations of E_Q occurred at lower temperatures than the fluctuations of E_(IS), with an activation energy of 512 ± 12 meV for E_Q and one of 551 ± 7 meV for E_(IS). The more facile fluctuations of E_Q for Fe^(2+) are evidence for local motions of neighboring Li^+ ions. It appears that the electron hopping frequency is lower than that of Li^+ ions. The activation energies of relaxation did not have a measurable dependence on the concentration of lithium, x

Dynamic Assessment of bilingual children’s language at the point of referral

The DAPPLE (Dynamic Assessment of Preschoolers’ Proficiency in Learning English) was developed in response to a clinical need to obtain information about bilingual children’s English language learning ability, particularly in the absence of detailed information regarding their proficiency in their other languages. The assessment looked at children’s responses to opportunities to learn in the areas of vocabulary, sentence structure and phonology (speech sounds). Twelve bilingual children aged between three and five years who had been referred to speech and language therapy were assessed. Their responses across the three areas were explored to derive profiles of strength and weakness across language areas. One of the twelve children was found to possess good language learning abilities across all areas, which may reflect an inappropriate referral. All of the remaining children demonstrated difficulties with learning within one or more areas of the DAPPLE, with one child having difficulties across all areas. The findings indicate that the DAPPLE could be used productively as a pre-diagnostic tool. Future directions for the development of the test are considered

The cross-listing decision and the home bias in international equity investments

This paper examines the relationship between the choice of the destination market for cross-listing and the home bias of investors. We use two measures of home bias, the domestic bias (the degree of overinvestment in the home market), and the foreign bias (the degree of over-/under-investment in a foreign market). First, we find a strong relationship between the domestic bias of investors and cross-listing decisions of firms. In particular, the level of cross-listing activity of firms from a particular market is negatively related to the domestic bias of the home market investors, while the level of cross-listing activity of firms towards a particular market is negatively related to the domestic bias of the host market investors. Second, we find a strong relationship between the foreign bias and cross-listings. In particular, the level of cross-listing activity from one market to another is positively related to the foreign bias in investments allocation of the home market investors as well as of the host market investors. Overall, these results suggest that corporate managers, when making a cross-listing decision, may be prone to the same behavioral/familiarity bias as investors

Phase Diagram of Li_xFePO_4

The phase diagram for LixFePO4 has been determined for different lithium concentrations and temperatures. The two low-temperature phases, heterosite and triphylite, have previously been shown to transform to a disordered solid solution at elevated temperatures. This disordered phase allows for a continuous transition between the heterosite and triphylite phases and is stable at relatively low temperatures. At intermediate temperatures the proposed phase diagram resembles a eutectoid system, with eutectoid point at around x=0.6 and 200°C. Kinetics of mixing and unmixing transformations are reported, including the hysteresis between heating and cooling. The enthalpy of this transition is at least 700 J/mol

Technology utilization

Documentation is presented for selected transfer and impact reports provided to the business community, government agencies, and such other requestors as schools, universities, and health services. Statistical data are also included on the characteristics of the TUSC technical searches

Seasonal trends in response to inoculation of coast live oak with Phytophthora ramorum

We developed a branch cutting inoculation method to provide a controlled system for studying variation in response to inoculation of coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) with Phytophthora ramorum. This method has advantages over inoculations of trees in the field, in containing the inoculum and in allowing high levels of replication and the possibility of time series of responses. We previously reported significant tree-to-tree variation, with little population variation in lesion size using this method (Dodd and others 2005). Here we report on a time series in which branch cuttings were collected from the same trees at eight dates through a full year cycle. Branch cuttings were sampled from 33 trees from two sites at China Camp in Marin County, California, including 18 trees from one site that had suffered heavy mortality from this disease (Miwok Meadows) and 15 trees from a second site that has had little infection (Chicken Coop Island)