Advanced manufacturing development of a composite empennage component for L-1011 aircraft. Phase 3: Production readiness verification testing

Twenty-two specimens of each of two key structural elements of the Advance Composite Vertical Fin (ACVF) were fabricated and tested. One element represented the front spar at the fuselage attachment area and the other element represented the cover at the fuselage joint area. Ten specimens of each element were selected for static testing. The coefficient of variation resulting from the tests was 3.28 percent for the ten cover specimens and 6.11 percent for the ten spar specimens, which compare well with metallic structures. The remaining twelve cover and twelve spar specimens were durability tested in environmental chambers which permitted the temperature and humidity environment to be cycled as well as the applied loads. Results of the durability tests indicated that such components will survive the service environment

NASA's Radioisotope Power Systems - Plans

NASA's Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Program continues to plan and implement content to enable planetary exploration where such systems could be needed, and to prepare more advanced RPS technology for possible infusion into future power systems. The 2014-2015 period saw significant changes, and strong progress. Achievements of near-term objectives have enabled definition of a clear path forward in which payoffs from research investments and other sustaining efforts can be applied. The future implementation path is expected to yield a higher-performing thermoelectric generator design, a more isotope-fuel efficient system concept design, and a robust RPS infrastructure maintained effectively within both NASA and the Department of Energy. This paper describes recent work with an eye towards the future plans that result from these achievements

Revisiting the Response Mechanism of Polymeric Membrane Based Heparin Electrodes

Potentiometric membrane electrodes that respond to heparin and other polyanions were introduced in the early 1990s. Herein, the mechanism of polymer membrane electrode type heparin sensors is revisited. The extraction/diffusion of heparin is studied via both potentiometric and impedance spectroscopic techniques using a prefractionated heparin preparation that contains polyanionic species >10 000 Daltons. The reversal in EMF response using this heparin preparation indicates diffusion of higher MW heparin fragments to the backside of the membrane. Diffusion coefficients are calculated using a novel formula derived from the phase boundary potential model and Fick′s second law of diffusion. Impedance spectroscopy is also employed to show that high MW heparin species are extracted and diffuse across the PVC membranes.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90404/1/53_ftp.pd

Planetary Science Technology Infusion Study: Findings and Recommendations Status

The Planetary Science Division (PSD) within the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) at NASA Headquarters sought to understand how to better realize a scientific return on spacecraft system technology investments currently being funded. In order to achieve this objective, a team at NASA Glenn Research Center was tasked with surveying the science and mission communities to collect their insight on technology infusion and additionally sought inputs from industry, universities, and other organizations involved with proposing for future PSD missions. This survey was undertaken by issuing a Request for Information (RFI) activity that requested input from the proposing community on present technology infusion efforts. The Technology Infusion Study was initiated in March 2013 with the release of the RFI request. The evaluation team compiled and assessed this input in order to provide PSD with recommendations on how to effectively infuse new spacecraft systems technologies that it develops into future competed missions enabling increased scientific discoveries, lower mission cost, or both. This team is comprised of personnel from the Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Program and the In-Space Propulsion Technology (ISPT) Program staff.The RFI survey covered two aspects of technology infusion: 1) General Insight, including: their assessment of barriers to technology infusion as related to infusion approach; technology readiness; information and documentation products; communication; integration considerations; interaction with technology development areas; cost-capped mission areas; risk considerations; system level impacts and implementation; and mission pull. 2) Specific technologies from the most recent PSD Announcements of Opportunities (AOs): The Advanced Stirling Radioisotope Generator (ASRG), aerocapture and aeroshell hardware technologies, the NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT) ion propulsion system, and the Advanced Materials Bi-propellant Rocket (AMBR) engine.This report will present the teams Findings from the RFI inputs and the recommendations that arose from these findings. Methodologies on the findings and recommendations development are discussed

Causal Factors and Adverse Events of Aviation Accidents and Incidents Related to Integrated Vehicle Health Management

Causal factors in aviation accidents and incidents related to system/component failure/malfunction (SCFM) were examined for Federal Aviation Regulation Parts 121 and 135 operations to establish future requirements for the NASA Aviation Safety Program s Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) Project. Data analyzed includes National Transportation Safety Board (NSTB) accident data (1988 to 2003), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) incident data (1988 to 2003), and Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) incident data (1993 to 2008). Failure modes and effects analyses were examined to identify possible modes of SCFM. A table of potential adverse conditions was developed to help evaluate IVHM research technologies. Tables present details of specific SCFM for the incidents and accidents. Of the 370 NTSB accidents affected by SCFM, 48 percent involved the engine or fuel system, and 31 percent involved landing gear or hydraulic failure and malfunctions. A total of 35 percent of all SCFM accidents were caused by improper maintenance. Of the 7732 FAA database incidents affected by SCFM, 33 percent involved landing gear or hydraulics, and 33 percent involved the engine and fuel system. The most frequent SCFM found in ASRS were turbine engine, pressurization system, hydraulic main system, flight management system/flight management computer, and engine. Because the IVHM Project does not address maintenance issues, and landing gear and hydraulic systems accidents are usually not fatal, the focus of research should be those SCFMs that occur in the engine/fuel and flight control/structures systems as well as power systems

Substituted bis(beta-diketones) for molecular squares

Our group has been synthesizing porous supramolecular metal-organic molecules using multidentate β-diketones as ligands. For example, m-phenylenebis(acetylacetone) (m-pbaH2, 1) and m-phenylenebis(dipropionylmethane) (m-pbprH2, 2) were readily converted to the molecular squares Cu4(m-pba)4 (6) and Cu4(m-pbpr)4 (7), which bind guests such as 4,4’-bpy and C60.1 However, 6 and 7 are only soluble in a few solvents, limiting their use in practical applications. It is therefore necessary to derivatize the ligand with different functional groups in order to improve solubility and adjust host-guest properties. Simple alkoxy derivatives should prove useful in testing this idea as they would be relatively chemically inert and should not interfere with reactions in their synthesis. Herein, I report synthesis of the ligands 5-MeO-m-pbaH2 (3), 5- BuO-m-pbaH2 (4), and 2-MeO-m-pbaH2 (5). Ligand 3 was synthesized from 5-methoxy-1,3- benzendimethanol in a two step reaction and reacted with Cu2+ to form a complex that is soluble in CH2Cl2 and THF. X-ray analysis of this complex confirms that it is a molecular square with the formula Cu4(5-MeO-m-pba)4 (square 8). Ligand 4 was synthesized from dimethyl 5- hydroxyisophthalate in a three step reaction and used for the synthesis of Cu4(5-BuO-m-pba)4 (square 9). Square 9 is soluble in a wide range of solvents including CH2Cl2, CHCl3, THF, and several benzene derivatives. Ligand 5 was synthesized from 2-methoxyisophthalic acid in a three step reaction and used for the synthesis of Cu4(2-MeO-m-pba)4 (square 10)

Remotely sensed heat : variation and change in surface urban heat islands in a temperate eco-region of the United States.

Urban heat island (UHI) is a term used to describe increased surface and atmospheric temperatures in an urban core relative to surrounding non-urbanized areas. To examine the variability introduced into derived estimates of the surface UHI, this study constructs and compares multiple remotely sensed indicators of the surface UHI for major metropolitan cities of a temperate eco-region of the United States. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 8-day, 500-meter product (MOD11A2) is the source data used to calculate six different RS-derived UHI indicators for the year 2002 to 2012. The different SUHI indicators are evaluated using the Spearmans Rho rank-order correlation statistic to assess agreeability for 2012 and consistency over time 2002 to 2012. Inconsistencies exist in monthly rankings between indicators, and the degree to which the indicators detect change over time. Results suggest that land cover based indicators are highly correlated compared to urban heat island driven indicators in terms of magnitude and change over time

Kioto Aoki Interview

Artist Bio: Kioto Aoki is a conceptual photographer and experimental filmmaker who also makes books and installations engaging the material specificity of the analogue image and image-making process. Her work explores modes of perception via nuances of the mundane, with recent focusing on perceptions of movement between the still and the moving image. She received MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently a 2017-2018 HATCH artist in residence at the Chicago Artist Coalition. https://kiotoaoki.com

Knowledge, Technical Skills, and Employability Skills Required of Accounting Graduates: Perceptions of Certified Public Accountants in Mississippi

Employers report recent college graduates are not prepared for the workforce and a skills gap exists (O’Bannon, 2016). Research indicates accounting graduates do not have the skills needed when entering the workforce (Altarawneh, 2016). The skills gap is costing companies money (Nanduri, 2017). Employers report extended job vacancies cost U.S. companies close to one million dollars annually (Nanduri, 2017). Also, the skills gap costs the U.S. economy an estimated $160 billion per year (Fisher, 2014). This research determined the knowledge, technical skills, and employability skills required of accounting graduates in the workforce as perceived by Mississippi CPAs and determined if recent accounting graduates possessed the knowledge and skills deemed important as perceived by CPA hiring managers. Also, this study determined the relationship between skills CPA hiring managers’ perceived importance and accounting graduate acquisition of knowledge, technical skills, and employability skills. This non-experimental, cross-sectional, explanatory study finds that Mississippi CPAs perceived that many of the knowledge and skill variables were important. Those skills deemed very important are critical thinking, analytical and problem solving, decision making, self-motivation/self-direction, and listening attentiveness. Employers indicate that accounting graduates only moderately possess most knowledge and skills. The skills possessed by accounting graduates were professional attitude/professional demeanor, teamwork/group interaction, and computer skills/information technology skills. The relationship between perceived importance and perceived graduation acquisition indicates that 16 of the 25 knowledge items had significant, positive correlations, and two of the 16 skills items had significant, positive correlations. However, coefficients ranged from .211 to .411 which are considered small to medium effect (Field, 2013). Future research considerations include larger samples and other states

Radioisotope Power Systems Program Status and Expectations

The Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Programs goal is to make RPS available for the exploration of the solar system in environments where conventional solar or chemical power generation is impractical or impossible to use to meet mission needs. To meet this goal, the RPS Program manages investments in RPS system development and RPS technologies. The RPS Program exists to support NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). The RPS Program provides strategic leadership for RPS, enables the availability of RPS for use by the planetary science community, successfully executes RPS flight projects and mission deployments, maintains a robust technology development portfolio, manages RPS related National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Nuclear Launch Safety (NLS) approval processes for SMD, maintains insight into the Department of Energy (DOE) implementation of NASA funded RPS production infrastructure operations, including implementation of the NASA funded Plutonium-238 production restart efforts. This paper will provide a status of recent RPS activities