A review of the supply of liquid propellants and other fluids in support of the Space Shuttle Program

In this study, over twenty significant liquid propellants and other fluids were reviewed as to their supply in support of the Space Shuttle Program (SSP), primarily at KSC. The uniqueness of most of the products, either by their application or production characteristics, present a variety of supply issues to contend with. Each, however, is critical to the success of the SSP. It becomes necessary to formulate, and maintain, a logistic approach to assure a continued availability of each product. For convenience, two categories were established. One, labeled limited-availability, represents those products wherein they are single sourced, have production restrictions and/or there has been a history of supply problems. The other, labeled universally-available, is characteristic of those having several sources and/or having little, if any, historical supply problems. This last category was not examined in depth. Through concepts of establishing stockpile inventories, multiple supply contracts, or other arrangements, the supply of liquid propellants and other fluids can be assured

Differences in Temperature Responses of Achene Types in Centaurea melitensis

Southern California has a Mediterranean climate with wet winters and hot dry summers. This type of environment is associated with irregular temperature patterns and rainfall, which can be unpredictable. Unpredictable environments, can threaten the germination and survival of plants like Centaurea melitensis. To ensure germination and survival under unpredictable environmental conditions, some plants may develop characteristic structures like cleistogamous flower heads, and in some cases they will develop heteromorphic achenes. Morphological differences between peripheral and center achenes may indicate variable responses to temperature. Additionally, unpredictable environmental conditions may lead to differences in the number of peripheral to center achenes in each head type. This study was designed to investigate differences in germination of peripheral and center achene\u27s of each head type CH (Chasmogamous), iCL (Initial cleistogamous) and fCL (Final cleistogamous) when subjected to constant temperatures 5C, 10C, 15C, 23.5C and 30C. Differences in achene ratios (central to peripheral) and persistence were also investigated. A total of 400 achenes per achene type was used. Twenty achenes were placed in a petri dish filled with 6 ml of distilled water; the plates were incubated at one of five temperatures for seven days. The number of achenes (central to peripheral) remaining in the flower head three months post dispersal was documented. The results indicate that Centaurea melitensis was significantly affected by temperature. A fraction of the achenes remain in the flower head until early fall. Ratio differences in peripheral and center achenes may be a reflection of unstable environmental conditions

Cost effective flat plate photovoltaic modules using light trapping

Work in optical trapping in 'thick films' is described to form a design guide for photovoltaic engineers. A thick optical film can trap light by diffusive reflection and total internal reflection. Light can be propagated reasonably long distances compared with layer thicknesses by this technique. This makes it possible to conduct light from inter-cell and intra-cell areas now not used in photovoltaic modules onto active cell areas

The state of agricultural credit in New Zealand

In this paper the subject of agricultural credit has been subdivided into three sections covering background, borrowing, and lending. The background covers some of the changes in the New Zealand economy and government policies which have affected both borrowers and lenders in the agricultural sector, and consequently the amount and form of credit used. The section on borrowing (Section 3) examines the present credit needs of farmers, in particular the apparent trends towards increased equity and greater difficulty in servicing debt. The lending section (Section 4) examines the roles of government and private lending institutions in the field of agricultural credit and changes in the amount and form of credit available

A review of agricultural credit in New Zealand

The following discussion of the agricultural credit market encompasses agriculture in its wider sense. Because most of the available information and data on agricultural credit is concerned with traditional forms of pastoral farming (sheep, beef and dairy) the discussion relates primarily to those sectors. However, the growing importance of other sectors such as horticulture, grain cropping and deer farming is recognised and where possible their credit situation is also considered. The purpose of the paper is to update previous research by the Agricultural Economics Research Unit into the financing of the agriculture industry. In the past the agricultural credit situation has been relatively stable. Because of its large contribution to exports, agriculture (pastoral agriculture in particular) received considerable support from Government in the form of policies aimed at maintaining a steady flow of investment. Credit assistance was one of the cornerstones of these policies. In 1982 the Government began to change its stance. In the Budget of that year interest payments and certain development ceased to be tax deductible where the farm property was sold within 10 years of purchase. Although this steadied inflation in land prices, long term investors particularly pastoral farm investors still enjoyed considerable advantages over investors wishing to borrow capital for diversification into or expansion of enterprises which were capable of better returns on investment. It was not until late 1984 that a wide range of policies were introduced to remove these advantages and promote greater equity between enterprises and industries requiring capital for restructuring or expansion. As a result some of the conclusions reached in Discussion Papers on agricultural and horticultural credit published by the Unit as recently as April and October 1984 have been quickly overtaken by economic events and need updating. This paper begins with a background of trends in the New Zealand economy and then in chronological order details recent changes in Government Policy. This is followed by a discussion of the implications of these changes for the financing of agriculture. Finally the present state of the agricultural credit market is discussed and some conclusions are drawn. The discussion is based on a variety of sources including MAF, Reserve Bank, Treasury, AERU and private economic reports and data. A considerable part of the material was also obtained from personal correspondence and interviews with people directly involved in the finance industry. The views expressed are, of course those of the authors

Queer(ing) Urban Planning and Municipal Governance

To queer urban planning and municipal governance requires explicit civic engagement with sexual and gender minority inclusions, representations and needs in urban plans and policies across departmental and committee silos. This collection questions the hetero-cis-normative assumptions of urban planning and examines the integration of LGBTQ+ issues in municipal governance at the interface of community activism, bureaucratic procedures, and political intervention. The editorial summarizes the contributions to this thematic issue within a tripartite thematic framework: 1) counter-hegemonic reactions to hetero-cis-normativities; 2) queering plans and policies; and 3) governance coalitions and LGBTQ+ activisms