MANY DO SUCCEED, YOU KNOW: AFRICAN AMERICAN ADULT STUDENT SUCCESS AND RETENTION IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES

This study explores the factors, attributes, and commitment that contribute to African American adult student success, retention, and completion in the community college environment. This study explores what factors contribute to African American student retention as opposed to those factors that serve as deficit; literature abounds with reasoning why minorities fail at both the two-year and four-year college setting. What then are reasons they succeedare these reasons different from other minorities or the larger non-minority student body? Does gender effect outcomes? To answer these questions of success and retention, these variables were measured by specific components the Community College Student Experience Questionnaire (CCSEQ). The CCSEQ is a student self-assessment instrument that provides information on the quality of students\u27 educational experience as well as students\u27 progress toward important educational goals (Pearson et. al, 2009) based on their effort in academic activities, interaction with faculty, staff, and institution as a whole, and the utilization of resources. The participants in this study were graduates of a large Southeastern community college during the fall of 2019. This quantitative study consisted of an analysis of the data extracted from the CCSEQ. This analysis compared compare graduation participants based on gender and race (as defined as minority or non-minority). The CCSEQ results and matched samples of fall graduate responses were analyzed by ANCOVA addressing seven variables that relate to Tintos theory of retention in three broad categories (internal retention factors, external retention factors, and success factors). The secondary and tertiary purposes of this study are to determine the strength of relationship between the students tendency to persist and their perception of the collegiate environment, perceptions of gains, and quality of effort. While there was no significance found in these seven independent variables, controlling for African American students as a covariate, there was significance found for independent variables minority and gender. The study analyzed the effect of the gender and the minority variables on each score and studied the interaction effect of gender x minority. In addition, this study provides analysis about the effect of being African American (defined as covariate AA Black) on each score. Overall, independent variable minority had an effect on two scores, but not AA Black. AABlack had basically the same effect as the other non-white minorities on these two scores. Otherwise independent variable gender also had an effect on two other scores. Some interaction effect between variables gender and minority was observed on the mean plots, but the variance in each group is too large to detect a statistically significant interaction.Keywords: African American student, covariate, community college, quantitative methodology, retention, success, persistence, CCSEQ, background characteristics, ANCOVA

Qualification of Additive Manufacturing Flaw Fabrication Process for Verification of X-ray Computed Tomography of Complex Geometry Components

Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) techniques are needed to validate the additive manufacturing (AM) process performance. The lack of adequate NDE techniques for examination before, during and after AM component fabrication was identified as one of the main current challenges [1]. X-ray computed tomography (CT) was selected as primary technique for post-process inspection of components with complex shapes where the advantages of AM are fully realized [2]. To establish an initial baseline of CT data, Direct Metal Laser Melting (DMLM) and Electron Beam Melting (EBM) were used to fabricate coupons and complex geometry aerospace components with typical flaws and conditions. A flaw matrix was designed and the two processes were optimized to produce the desired flaws necessary for verification of CT performance in Inconel 718 and Ti-6Al-4V. Four coupon batches were fabricated. Surface and subsurface flaws were implanted such as pores, up to 135 AM process induced, and 8 machined artificial flaws. All four batches were CT inspected to measure the flaws and compare with the matrix to qualify the flaw fabrication process and determine the range of flaws that could reliably be produced. Coupons were sectioned to verify the CT measurements. CT data showed residual powder and differences between surface and subsurface flaw morphology. Results will be used in subsequent phases of the project to build and CT inspect components with complex shape and geometry for establishing CT baseline capabilities

Impact of Increased Load Carriage Magnitude on the Dynamic Postural Stability of Men and Women

The impact of load carriage on dynamic postural stability affects the survivability of the Warfighter by influencing performance capabilities and injury incidence. Further, sex may interact with the relationship between load carriage and dynamic postural stability to further compromise survivability. PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of load carriage magnitude on dynamic postural stability of men and women and its relationship to jumping ability. METHODS: 32 subjects (16 men, 16 women) were investigated for maximum jump height and dynamic postural stability. Dynamic postural stability was assessed by subjects jumping a horizontal distance of 40% their height over a 30cm hurdle, landing on one leg on a force plate (sample rate = 1200 Hz). 3 trials were completed for 3 load conditions: +0, +20 and +30% body weight (BW). Dynamic postural stability was determined from ground reaction force data during landings, by calculation of the dynamic postural stability index (DPSI). Maximum jump height was assessed by subjects performing 3 countermovement jumps (sample rate = 1000 Hz). Two-way repeated measures ANOVA were used to compare mean DPSI scores between sexes and conditions (α = 0.05). Pearson’s Correlation Coefficients were used to determine the relationship between jump height and change in DPSI scores between conditions (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Load condition significantly affected DPSI (F = 100.304, p = 0.001). DPSI scores increased between the 0% (0.359 ± 0.041), 20% (0.396 ± 0.034) and 30% (0.420 ± 0.028) BW load conditions. No significant effect of sex on DPSI was found (F = 0.131). No significant sex by load interaction on DPSI was found (F = 0.393). No significant correlations were found between jump height and change in DPSI scores between conditions. CONCLUSION: Increased load was found to negatively affect dynamic postural stability, most likely as a result of modifying the demands of the task. Therefore, the dynamic postural stability of men and women changes comparably in response to increased load carriage magnitude. Future research should focus on the effects of load on dynamic postural stability under higher loads and during more military-specific tasks

Geospatial Planning and the Resulting Economic Impact of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Introduction in Mozambique

Research has shown that the distance to the nearest immunization location can ultimately prevent someone from getting immunized. With the introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine throughout the world, a major question is whether the target populations can readily access immunization

ORNL/IAT ARMATURE DIAGNOSTICS DEMONSTRATION TEST REPORT

This test established feasibility for 'on the fly' temperature measurements of rail gun projectiles. In addition, an approach for projectile velocity measurement was also demonstrated. Insight was gained into other useful optical and fiberoptic diagnostic approaches. Instantaneous diagnostics could be critical for achieving further improvements in rail gun operation. They have the potential to enable design enhancements by providing information on the state of the armature and its relationship to the rail as it proceeds down the bore. To that end, the following was accomplished: (1) Optical fibers successfully delivered optical excitation and returned reflective and fluorescence signals as desired. (2) Luminescent coatings survived multiple firings--approximately 40 shots. (3) Optical triggering effectively synchronized an ultraviolet laser pulse to strike the moving armature. (4) Velocity measurements were successfully accomplished by either triggering on the armature front edge using two red diode lasers or by using a single laser and grooved marks a known distance apart on the armature surface. (5) Velocities ranged from 19 to 88 m/s. (6) Temperatures of 30 to 92 C were measured with a precision of about 2 C-: (a) This precision was achieved with a single laser shot and (b) Motion effect was observed but a methodology adequately corrected the result. The correction was only about 2 C. (7) Adequate signal-to-noise and measurement precision was achieved with a single laser shot

Characterizing the Habitable Zones of Exoplanetary Systems with a Large Ultraviolet/Visible/Near-IR Space Observatory

Understanding the surface and atmospheric conditions of Earth-size, rocky planets in the habitable zones (HZs) of low-mass stars is currently one of the greatest astronomical endeavors. Knowledge of the planetary effective surface temperature alone is insufficient to accurately interpret biosignature gases when they are observed in the coming decades. The UV stellar spectrum drives and regulates the upper atmospheric heating and chemistry on Earth-like planets, is critical to the definition and interpretation of biosignature gases, and may even produce false-positives in our search for biologic activity. This white paper briefly describes the scientific motivation for panchromatic observations of exoplanetary systems as a whole (star and planet), argues that a future NASA UV/Vis/near-IR space observatory is well-suited to carry out this work, and describes technology development goals that can be achieved in the next decade to support the development of a UV/Vis/near-IR flagship mission in the 2020s.Comment: Submitted in response to NASA call for white papers: "Large Astrophysics Missions to Be Studied by NASA Prior to the 2020 Decadal Survey

The distribution of ammonia on Jupiter from a preliminary inversion of Juno Microwave Radiometer data

The Juno microwave radiometer measured the thermal emission from Jupiter's atmosphere from the cloud tops at about 1 bar to as deep as a hundred bars of pressure during its first flyby over Jupiter (PJ1). The nadir brightness temperatures show that the Equatorial Zone is likely to be an ideal adiabat, which allows a determination of the deep ammonia abundance in the range 362^(+33)_(-33) ppm. The combination of Markov chain Monte Carlo method and Tikhonov regularization is studied to invert Jupiter's global ammonia distribution assuming a prescribed temperature profile. The result shows (1) that ammonia is depleted globally down to 50–60 bars except within a few degrees of the equator, (2) the North Equatorial Belt is more depleted in ammonia than elsewhere, and (3) the ammonia concentration shows a slight inversion starting from about 7 bars to 2 bars. These results are robust regardless of the choice of water abundance

North American extreme precipitation events and related large-scale meteorological patterns: a review of statistical methods, dynamics, modeling, and trends

This paper surveys the current state of knowledge regarding large-scale meteorological patterns (LSMPs) associated with short-duration (less than 1 week) extreme precipitation events over North America. In contrast to teleconnections, which are typically defined based on the characteristic spatial variations of a meteorological field or on the remote circulation response to a known forcing, LSMPs are defined relative to the occurrence of a specific phenomenon-here, extreme precipitation-and with an emphasis on the synoptic scales that have a primary influence in individual events, have medium-range weather predictability, and are well-resolved in both weather and climate models. For the LSMP relationship with extreme precipitation, we consider the previous literature with respect to definitions and data, dynamical mechanisms, model representation, and climate change trends. There is considerable uncertainty in identifying extremes based on existing observational precipitation data and some limitations in analyzing the associated LSMPs in reanalysis data. Many different definitions of "extreme" are in use, making it difficult to directly compare different studies. Dynamically, several types of meteorological systems-extratropical cyclones, tropical cyclones, mesoscale convective systems, and mesohighs-and several mechanisms-fronts, atmospheric rivers, and orographic ascent-have been shown to be important aspects of extreme precipitation LSMPs. The extreme precipitation is often realized through mesoscale processes organized, enhanced, or triggered by the LSMP. Understanding of model representation, trends, and projections for LSMPs is at an early stage, although some promising analysis techniques have been identified and the LSMP perspective is useful for evaluating the model dynamics associated with extremes.11Ysciescopu