Targeting the Workforce of Tomorrow Today

Strategically designed and implemented Aviation STEM (AvSTEM) education programs are essential to the future of aviation. As the retirement of a large portion of the aviation workforce rapidly approaches, the industry will be left with a deficit of seasoned employees with comparable knowledge to meet the ever changing needs of the national airspace system. AvSTEM programs designed for school-aged young people offer an opportunity for educators to target, educate, and plant seeds to recruit an adequate pipeline of diverse talent for tomorrow. A well-developed and strategically executed AvSTEM program also has the potential to impact Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. Programs implemented within school aged children not only educate young people about the many STEM jobs in aviation, they normalize diversity in STEM fields and offer the potential of reducing DEI issues in the workplace over time and into the future. The Human Factors Research Division within the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute at the FAA is contributing to AvSTEM education by investing in area schools to educate students about STEM-related careers in aviation and by providing hands-on research experiences for older students. Current and planned outreach includes participation in symposiums and webinars highlighting the importance of AvSTEM education and the many careers that exist in aviation, collaborations with local schools and tribal communities, and establishing internships and mentorship opportunities. FAA representatives will highlight strategies used and lessons learned by Human Factors STEM outreach representatives in the FAA Aviation Safety Organization

Optical investigations of the chemical pressurized EuFe2(As1-xPx)2: an s-wave superconductor with strong interband interaction

Superconducting EuFe2(As0.82P0.18)2 single crystals are investigated by infrared spectroscopy in a wide frequency range. Below Tc=28K a superconducting gap forms at 2\Delta_{0} = 9.5 meV = 3.8 k_B T_c causing the reflectivity to sharply rise to unity at low frequency. In the range of the gap the optical conductivity can be perfectly described by BCS theory with an $s$-wave gap and no nodes. From our analysis of the temperature dependent conductivity and spectral weight at T>T_c, we deduce an increased interband coupling between hole- and electron-sheets on the Fermi surface when $T$ approaches T_c

In vitro antimicrobial activity of Trapa natans L. fruit rind extracted in different solvents

Trapa natans L. fruit rind was extracted in different solvents with increasing polarity; 1,4-dioxan, chloroform, acetone,  imethylformamide, ethanol and water. The extractive yield ranged from 0.62 –12.62%. The antibacterial activity of all the extracts was determined by agar disc diffusion method. Maximum antibacterial activity was observed against Gram negative bacteria. The resistant Gram negative strains were C. fruendii, E. aerogenes, E. coli, P. vulgaris, P. aeruginosa and S. typhimurium. Amongst Gram positive bacteria, M. flavus was the most susceptible bacteria and B. subtilis was most resistant. The moulds showed better antifungal activity than yeast. A. niger was the most resistant fungal strain. The best antimicrobial activity was with 1,4-dioxan extract and the least activity was with petroleum ether extract. The inhibitory effects of the extracts were comparable with the standard antimicrobics used. This work has highlighted the antimicrobial effects of fruit rind of Trapa natans L.on some of the medically important pathogens

Screening of some plant extracts against some skin diseases caused by oxidative stress and microorganisms

Eleven plants were selected to evaluate their antioxidant and antimicrobial potentiality against some skin diseases caused by some bacteria and fungi. The dry powder was extracted in methanol by cold percolation method. Free radical scavenging activities like diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH), superoxide anion (O2-) scavenging activity, hydroxyl radical (·OH) scavenging activity, reducing capacity assessment and total phenol content were measured. Antimicrobial activity was done against 8 microorganisms by agar well diffusion method. All the plants exhibited a strong correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenol content. Euphorbia hirta exhibited best antioxidant activity. The plant extracts showed more activity against Gram positive bacteria and fungi. The best antimicrobial activity was shown by Euphorbia tirucalli. The study supports the folkloric use of E. hirta and E. tirucalli against some skin diseases caused by oxidative stress or by microorganisms

Antibacterial activity of Eucalpytus citriodora Hk. oil on few clinically important bacteria

The antibacterial activity of Eucalyptus citriodora oil was evaluated. The volatile oil was extracted by steam distillation method. The tested bacterial strains were Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus mirabilis NCIM2241, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853, Proteus vulgaris NCTC8313, Salmonella typhimurium, Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC13048, Pseudomonas testosteroni NCIM 5098, Alcaligenes fecalis, Bacillus cereus ATCC11778 and Citrobacter freundiiATCC10787. Piperacillin and Amikacin were used as the positive controls. The activity of the oil increased with increase in concentration but decreased after a certain level. The study suggests that isolation of the active compound from oil would give more satisfactory and promising results