AN ANALYSIS TO LENGTHEN OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET TO 2-YEAR AND ALLOW A CARRYOVER OF EXPIRED FUNDS TO THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE SUBSEQUENT FY

Includes Supplementary MaterialIn this thesis, I propose the extension of the operation and maintenance (O&M) appropriation or period of availability from one year to two years, along with allowing a carryover of the expired funds to cover new starts and program increases during a continuing resolution. I present both the advantages and disadvantages that such policy change would bring and argue that the advantages far outweigh the concerns raised by Congress and those who oppose the two-year proposal. Extending O&M funding availability to two years would alleviate the spike of end-of-year obligations and lower the amount of expired unobligated funds, leading to fiscal and program stability. I also discuss the opponents’ main argument against such a policy shift; i.e., Congress’s perceived loss of control. This policy proposal, if implemented, would bring much-needed budgetary flexibility and procurement stability throughout the fleet and to the DOD in general.Lieutenant Commander, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Effect of Deep-Fat Frying on Chemical Properties of Edible Vegetable Oils Used By Senegalese Households

Deep-fat frying performed at high temperatures under atmospheric pressure is a common method of preparing dishes in Senegalese culinary practices. This operation can lead to deterioration of physical, chemical, nutritional and sensory properties of oil, which affects its frying performance. It also results in the production of volatile products such as aldehydes and non volatile fraction which remains in the frying medium. Some of these remaining products have been implicated in producing adverse health effects. Highly oxidized oils may also produce polyaromatic hydrocarbons, which have carcinogenic effect. This work was intended to evaluate the effect of frying on chemical properties of edible vegetable oils. Frying process was applied to meat, fish and potatoes in Senegalese culinary conditions. Ten (10) oil samples, each of three different brands, were purchased from wholesalers and retailers in different neighborhoods of Dakar. The samples were subjected to frying at 220°C for 40 min and then oils were withdrawn in amber bottles samples of which were taken for analysis. Acid value, peroxide value and total polar components were used to evaluate the quality of these oils after initial determination of the iodine value and the moisture and volatile matter content. Acid value increased after 40 min of frying and values ranged from 0.62 to 1.08 mg/kg after frying fish, while those for meat and potatoes ranged from 0.39 to 0.73 and 0.37 to 0.51 mg/kg, respectively. Peroxide value increased slightly for peanut oil (A) and sharply for peanut oil (B) and sunflower oil (C). Frying fish led to high values of total polar components whereas those obtained after frying meat and potatoes during 40 min did not exceed 15.27% except for peanut oil (A). Therefore, frying affects chemical parameter values of edible vegetable oils, which increase at a level depending on the product to be fried. A sharp Total Polar components increase was obtained after frying fish using the three types of oil with values exceeding, sometimes, the maximum level set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. This latter chemical parameter is considered a good indicator of overall quality of frying oil. Thus in Senegalese culinary practices where frying oil is often reused in families with low-income, such a situation may lead to significant sanitary risks. In view of these results, investigations need to be extended to other types of oil marketed in Senegal.Keywords: edible-oils, quality, frying, fish, mea

Disintegration of concrete construction induced by acid mine drainage attack

Abstract: In this paper, microanalytical investigation was conducted on disintegrated field concrete that had been used to construct a weir within a coal mine in South Africa. The concrete was in contact with polluted mine water, commonly referred to as acid mine drainage (AMD). Accordingly, the concrete weir had been exposed to dynamic conditions associated with flowing AMD. Investigations were conducted by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The field concrete samples examined consisted of soft broken concrete chunks and whitish powdery substance that had crystallized and formed a surface coating on the widely cracked locations of the deteriorated concrete. No evidence of sulphate attack or pyrite oxidation was found in the investigation; acid attack mechanism was diagnosed

Labor Camp Surveys in GCC Countries: Group Quarter Subsampling

The Gulf Cooperation Council is a regional cooperation of six Middle Eastern countries-Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. A common feature of these countries is the existence of many group quarters, usually called labor camps, a term used to refer to housing accommodations for unskilled migrants where nonrelated people live together. The camp size ranges from a few people to a few thousand people from many different countries who speak dozens of languages. Also, the camp size and the composition of residents inside the camps change relatively quickly as people move in and out of the camps as their labor contracts expire or project needs change. This article presents one way to subsample this dynamic population inside such labor camps. The technique was used in one survey conducted in Qatar, where more than half of the country's population resides in labor camps

African-American Land Loss and Sustainable Forestry in the Southeast: An Analysis of the Issues, Opportunities, and Gaps

African-Americans\u27 connection to the land is rapidly disappearing, and with it goes the cultural, political, and socio-economic capital that has helped this population, especially in southern states. There has been a severe decline in black landownership since 1910, resulting in rural counties with predominantly black populations becoming pockets of enduring poverty. Judicious investments in efforts to solve black land loss may lead to solutions to a larger problem: engagement of non-industrial private forestland owners in sustainable land management. Strengthening black forest-based communities as places to invest and live can build on this rich Southern heritage

A concrete reactive barrier for acid mine drainage treatment

Abstract: Pervious concrete was investigated for potential use as a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) for treatment of acid mine drainage (AMD). Pervious concrete mixtures of varied water-cement ratios = 0.50, 0.40, 0.35, 0.30, 0.27 and cement contents = 300, 360, 380, 400 kg/m3 were prepared. Dolomite and granite aggregates types of 9.5 mm size were employed. Tests done were density, compressive strength, porosity. Water treatment was determined by analysis of the influent and effluent AMD after passage through the pervious concrete. It was found that a filter thickness of at least 500 mm was required to increase the pH of acidic mine water from 2.8 pH to 5 - 7 pH value, and corresponding reduction in electrical conductivity. When used in the filter mix design, the granite aggregate gave better treatment performance compared to the dolomite aggregate. The concrete PRB treatment led to effective removal of major metals from the AMD. The treatment reduced the metals in the AMD by 30% SO4, 99% Fe, 50-83% Mn, 85% Ca, 30% TDS. There was, however, a noticeable increase in magnesium concentration in the water effluent by 49-66% Mg. These results are short-term tests and further work is underway on the system’s life expectancy

CDS calibration under an extended JDCEV model

We propose a new methodology for the calibration of a hybrid credit-equity model to credit default swap (CDS) spreads and survival probabilities. We consider an extended Jump to Default Constant Elasticity of Variance model incorporating stochastic and possibly negative interest rates. Our approach is based on a perturbation technique that provides an explicit asymptotic expansion of the CDS spreads. The robustness and efficiency of the method is confirmed by several calibration tests on real market data

Remote sensing study of soil hazards for Odendaalsrus in the Free State Province

Expansive soils are some of the most widely distributed and costly of geological hazards. This study examined ASTER satellite data, combined with standard remote sensing techniques, namely band ratios, in identifying these soils. Ratios designed to detect various clay minerals were calculated and possible expansive soils were detected, especially in the pans. It was also possible to delineate the mudrock that may act as a source for expansive soils. Moisture content clearly affected the ratios and it shows that remote sensing can detect where wetness leads to the development of problem soils. The fact that the area has relatively dry climatic conditions may explain why large areas of the mudrock have not yet weathered to clays. Because the ratios are not unique, results can be ambiguous, so care must be taken in the interpretation phase