Integration of a supersonic unsteady aerodynamic code into the NASA FASTEX system

A supersonic unsteady aerodynamic loads prediction method based on the constant pressure method was integrated into the NASA FASTEX system. The updated FASTEX code can be employed for aeroelastic analyses in subsonic and supersonic flow regimes. A brief description of the supersonic constant pressure panel method, as applied to lifting surfaces and body configurations, is followed by a documentation of updates required to incorporate this method in the FASTEX code. Test cases showing correlations of predicted pressure distributions, flutter solutions, and stability derivatives with available data are reported

A PRELIMINARY ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF ROUNDUP READY SOYBEANS IN MISSISSIPPI

The advent of genetically altered seed has had a revolutionary effect on the cotton, soybean, and corn seed industries. The basic premise for the use of these seed are to reduce costs through lower applications of chemicals and savings on trips through the field, thus, lowering production costs. Seed companies, however, charge a premium and a fee for use of the seed. This paper compares the costs associated with conventional and roundup ready soybeans. Data were collected from the ACost of Production@ survey of Mississippi producers that is administered by Mississippi State University through the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The survey is a random sample of producers fields that allows for a derivation of the cost of production for each field. The study suggests that while costs reductions can be achieved, the cost savings are offset by the technology fees. The study is based on limited data and points to the need for continued research on the long-run profitability of genetically altered seed to the soybean producers of Mississippi.soybeans, genetically altered seed, roundup ready, costs of production, Production Economics,

College Readiness Initiative: AVID and Navigation 101

The purpose of this report is to provide summative feedback to personnel at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and at the College Spark Washington regarding evidence of implementation and impact of the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) and Navigation 101 programs in schools funded by the College Readiness Initiative (CRI) in Washington State. The report, while addressing the effects of both programs, is also designed to provide formative feedback to assist in ongoing program development

Epigenetic regulation of asthma and allergic disease

Epigenetics of asthma and allergic disease is a field that has expanded greatly in the last decade. Previously thought only in terms of cell differentiation, it is now evident the epigenetics regulate many processes. With T cell activation, commitment toward an allergic phenotype is tightly regulated by DNA methylation and histone modifications at the Th2 locus control region. When normal epigenetic control is disturbed, either experimentally or by environmental exposures, Th1/Th2 balance can be affected. Epigenetic marks are not only transferred to daughter cells with cell replication but they can also be inherited through generations. In animal models, with constant environmental pressure, epigenetically determined phenotypes are amplified through generations and can last up to 2 generations after the environment is back to normal. In this review on the epigenetic regulation of asthma and allergic diseases we review basic epigenetic mechanisms and discuss the epigenetic control of Th2 cells. We then cover the transgenerational inheritance model of epigenetic traits and discuss how this could relate the amplification of asthma and allergic disease prevalence and severity through the last decades. Finally, we discuss recent epigenetic association studies for allergic phenotypes and related environmental risk factors as well as potential underlying mechanisms for these associations

Has the Western Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata) Declined in Western Ottawa, Ontario?

To determine whether the Western Chorus Frog has declined in western Ottawa, we conducted auditory surveys at historical locations as well as at various other wetlands. Western Chorus Frogs were detected at 12 of 18 historical locations. Wetland habitat remained at all historical locations where the species was not detected. There was no difference in the year of historical records for sites where Western Chorus Frogs were (median 1987.5) and were not (median 1987.5) detected. In the present study, Western Chorus Frogs were also detected at 30 locations where they had not been previously reported. Historical sites where Western Chorus Frogs were not detected were not significantly farther away from known Western Chorus Frog sites (median distance: 2.2 km) than historical sites where Western Chorus Frogs were detected (median distance: 1.4 km). Land use variables for historical sites where Western Chorus Frogs were and were not detected did not vary significantly at any spatial scale from 0.5 to 2.0 km. Western Chorus Frogs were detected in areas with up to 50% forest cover and up to 86% agricultural cover at the 1.0-km radius. The lack of historical data makes it difficult to assess the current status of the Western Chorus Frog in western Ottawa. The species may have declined, remained approximately the same (by shifting to different breeding sites), or even increased its distribution (by colonizing additional sites)

Gravitational waves from the sound of a first order phase transition

We report on the first three-dimensional numerical simulations of first-order phase transitions in the early Universe to include the cosmic fluid as well as the scalar field order parameter. We calculate the gravitational wave (GW) spectrum resulting from the nucleation, expansion, and collision of bubbles of the low-temperature phase, for phase transition strengths and bubble wall velocities covering many cases of interest. We find that the compression waves in the fluid continue to be a source of GWs long after the bubbles have merged, a new effect not taken properly into account in previous modeling of the GW source. For a wide range of models, the main source of the GWs produced by a phase transition is, therefore, the sound the bubbles make

Mentoring: A Select Annotated Bibliography

Increasingly, librarians have been engaged in discussions of the disconnect between the content covered in LIS education and the skills required to successfully navigate the first several years of work as a library professional (Andersen, 2002; Westbrock & Fabien, 2010). Mentoring has proven to be an important avenue for newly-degreed professionals to transition into the professional environment and bridge the gap between education and practice (Hallam & Newton-Smith, 2006). While examining the existing literature, a clear divide emerges between discussions of mentoring programs and mentoring relationships. This annotated bibliography seeks to bridge this disconnect by examining literature using narrative analysis as the primary methodology, which provides material covering both the programmatic and relational aspects of mentoring in the Library and Information Science profession. Library leaders and new professionals alike can benefit from this focused review of the literature as it provides an overview of both benefits and drawbacks of mentoring programs and relationships while reducing the information overload found in exploring this significant area of library and information science research

Information-Based Particle Flow with Convergence Control

A new formulation of the Gaussian particle flow filter is presented using an information theoretic approach. The developed information-based form advances the Gaussian particle flow framework in two ways: it imparts physical meaning to the flow dynamics and provides the ability to easily include modifications for a non-Bayesian update. An orbit determination simulation with high initial uncertainty is used to demonstrate the consistent, robust performance of the information flow filter in situations where the extended Kalman filter fails