Master Console System Monitoring and Control Development

The Master Console internship during the summer of 2013 involved the development of firing room displays and support applications at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This position was with the Master Console Product Group (MCPG) on the Launch Control System (LCS) project. This project is responsible for the System Monitoring and Control (SMC) and Record and Retrieval (R&R) of launch operations data. The Master Console is responsible for: loading the correct software into each of the remaining consoles in the firing room, connecting the proper data paths to and from the launch vehicle and all ground support equipment, and initializing the entire firing room system to begin processing. During my internship, I created control scripts using the Application Control Language (ACL) to analyze the health and status of Kennedy Ground Control System (KGCS) programmable logic controllers (PLCs). This application provides a system health and status display I created with summarized data for use by Master Console Operators (MCO) to monitor and verify the integrity of KGCS subsystems

Master Console System Monitoring and Control Development

The Master Console internship during the spring of 2013 involved the development of firing room displays at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This position was with the Master Console Product Group (MCPG) on the Launch Control System (LCS) project. This project is responsible for the System Monitoring and Control (SMC) and Record and Retrieval (R&R) of launch operations data. The Master Console is responsible for: loading the correct software into each of the remaining consoles in the firing room, connecting the proper data paths to and from the launch vehicle and all ground support equipment, and initializing the entire firing room system to begin processing. During my internship, I developed a system health and status display for use by Master Console Operators (MCO) to monitor and verify the integrity of the servers, gateways, network switches, and firewalls used in the firing room

Student Perceptions of the Purpose and Function of the Laboratory in Science: A Grounded Theory Study

The laboratory has long been an important part of the undergraduate science experience. This paper reports on a qualitative, grounded theory study on students’ perceptions of the purpose of the laboratory. Thirteen undergraduate chemistry students were interviewed about their experiences in the science laboratory to provide data on students’ understanding of the purpose of the laboratory in science education. Results reveal that students had views that were polar opposites regarding the correlation between laboratory and lecture content material and the effectiveness of the laboratory at enhancing their learning in science. This paper also reveals the need for explicit instruction regarding the purpose of the laboratory to enhance student understanding. Interpretations of these and other findings are provided, along with a schema for approaching the undergraduate perception of the laboratory synthesizing current and past findings

Effects of a Triphasic Block Method on Power in Collegiate Basketball Players

Implementing a non-traditional method for a training cycle may serve as an alternative means of developing maximal strength and power. Seven male Division I intercollegiate basketball players (age=21.0±0.63 yrs, ht=191.86±7.24cm, wt=94.8±14.9kg, training experience = 2.2 ± 1.3 yrs) who recently completed a 5-month competitive season were recruited for this study. The testing took place during the off-season, when the players were not involved in NCAA competition. Subjects underwent a three-week preparation phase, followed by a pre-test vertical jump (CMJ), standing broad jump (SBJ), and back squat 1-repetition max (1RM). Prior to all testing sessions, the participants participated in a dynamic warm-up, and were allowed to familiarize themselves with each test. The training methods were developed as three, two-week phases, with the triphasic and plyometric methods included “French contrast training” along with the barbell back squat (BBS). The first phase had an eccentric emphasis, the second phase an isometric emphasis, and the third phase had a concentric emphasis. With the respective phase, the contraction emphasis was applied to the BBS, either completing 6-second eccentric portions, 3-second isometric portions, or dynamic concentric portions of the exercise. Each set was followed by a series of both reactive plyometrics, followed by resisted plyometrics. The triphasic emphasis was rotated throughout a 6-week period. At the end of six weeks, the participants had a recovery week, then underwent post-testing. Data was analyzed between the pre-test and post-test CMJ, SBJ and 1RM. There was a significant difference between CMJ improvement following a Triphasic Block Method (TBM) vs. a traditional method of training (

\u3cem\u3eAlsea Valley Alliance v. Evans\u3c/em\u3e and the Meaning of Species Under the Endangered Species Act: A Return to Congressional Intent

This article examines whether the Alsea decision\u27s definition of species is consistent with the Endangered Species Act by examining the language of the ESA and Congressional intent. This article then examines some of the implications of the Alsea decision in the Northwest. Counting hatchery salmon would likely result in the removal of most salmon ESUs from the endangered or threatened list, ending many of the costly restrictions imposed by the ESA. In particular, Part I discusses the ESA provisions and congressional intent regarding the definition of species that is pertinent to understanding Alsea. Part II describes some of the effects of salmon listings in the Northwest. Part III describes the Alsea case, including the history of the Oregon coastal coho ESU listing and the procedural history of the case. Part IV analyzes the court\u27s legal reasoning in Alsea. Finally, Part V considers the implications of the case and the potential structure and outcome of the current NMFS\u27s policy review

Don\u27t Be a Blockhead: ACORN, Protest Tactics, and Refund Anticipation Loans

The recent proliferation of community-based responses to urban problems has been characterized by a shift away from protest tactics to more moderate approaches of building community and consensus, developing social capital, and identifying and improving local assets. This case study examines the persistence and effectiveness of protest tactics in a campaign by the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now against H&R Block around predatory tax preparation practices. It reveals the potential of direct action, especially when local protests are coordinated nationally. This combination helps to transcend the inherent limits of both community-based activism and national-oriented advocacy efforts

\u3cem\u3eAlsea Valley Alliance v. Evans\u3c/em\u3e and the Meaning of Species Under the Endangered Species Act: A Return to Congressional Intent

This article examines whether the Alsea decision\u27s definition of species is consistent with the Endangered Species Act by examining the language of the ESA and Congressional intent. This article then examines some of the implications of the Alsea decision in the Northwest. Counting hatchery salmon would likely result in the removal of most salmon ESUs from the endangered or threatened list, ending many of the costly restrictions imposed by the ESA. In particular, Part I discusses the ESA provisions and congressional intent regarding the definition of species that is pertinent to understanding Alsea. Part II describes some of the effects of salmon listings in the Northwest. Part III describes the Alsea case, including the history of the Oregon coastal coho ESU listing and the procedural history of the case. Part IV analyzes the court\u27s legal reasoning in Alsea. Finally, Part V considers the implications of the case and the potential structure and outcome of the current NMFS\u27s policy review

impacts of climate change on coastal geomorphology

A large proportion of the coastline of the UK and Ireland is currently suffering from erosion (17% in the UK; 19.9% in Ireland) and of the 3700 km coastline of England and Wales 28% is experiencing erosion greater than 10 cm per year. In Scotland, 78% of the coast is considered ‘hard or mixed’, and is unlikely to erode at perceptible rates, 19% is ‘soft/erodible’, whilst 3% has artificial defences. Since the 1970s, 77% of the soft/erodible coast in Scotland has remained stable, 11% has accreted seawards and 12% has eroded landwards

Sex effects on life span and senescence in the wild when dates of birth and death are unknown

Males and females allocate and schedule reproductive effort in very different ways. Because the timing and amount of reproductive effort influence survival and thus the optimization of life histories, mortality and senescence are predicted to be sex specific. However, age-specific mortality rates of wild animals are often difficult to quantify in natural populations. Studies that report mortality rates from natural populations are, therefore, almost entirely confined to long-lived, easy-to-track species such as large mammals and birds. Here, we employ a novel approach using capture–mark–recapture data from a wild population of black field crickets (Teleogryllus commodus) to test for sex differences in demographic aging. In this species, the age of captured adults cannot be readily determined, and animals cannot be reliably captured or observed every night, resulting in demographic data on individuals whose dates of birth and death are unknown. We implement a recently developed life-table analysis for wild-caught individuals of unknown age, in combination with a well-established capture–mark–recapture methodology that models probabilistic dates of death. This unified analytical framework makes it possible to test for aging in wild, hard-to track animals. Using these methods to fit Gompertz models of age-specific mortality, we show that male crickets have higher mortality rates throughout life than female crickets. Furthermore, males and females both exhibit increasing mortality rates with age, indicating senescence, but the rate of senescence is not sex specific. Thus, observed sex differences in longevity are probably due to differences in baseline mortality rather than aging. Our findings illustrate the complexity of the relationships between sex, background mortality, and senescence rate in wild populations, showing that the elevated mortality rate of males need not be coupled with an elevated rate of aging