Testimony of Robert A. Frosch before the Subcommittee on HUD and Independent Agencies of the Senate Committee on Appropriations

An agreement between NASA and the Congress was arranged as part of the activities supporting the establishment of NASA Policy on Automation and Robotics for the space station. This agreement is dicussed. A panel brought together experts from industry, universities, national laboratories, other government agencies, and NASA to perform an independent study of how NASA could use automation and robotics in the space station in ways that would be most useful to carrying out the mission of the station, and that would lead to useful benefits to the U.S. economy and industry on the ground

A spatial configuration effect on the probability of detection

Author Posting. © IEEE, 2011. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of IEEE for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering 36 (2011): 679-685, doi:10.1109/JOE.2011.2167069.This paper discusses a simple problem in detection theory using a model with a simple discretized space. This allows the probability problem to be analyzed algebraically to demonstrate that separate targets, independent before entering the detection space, do not have probabilistically independent detection probability distributions. Several variants of the basic case are discussed

The Growth of the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory

Address to the closing session of the Dedication Symposium for the new laboratory, restating the Office of Naval Research policy re NARL, and noting current funding of just under $1-1/2 million, a ten-fold increase over the past decade. Specific contributions of the Lab to the Navy are cited: studies of ocean bottom topography, arctic radiation balance and its relation to engineering strength, and permafrost studies relative to rational engineering practices. A wide range of future programs dealing with mass and energy exchange between the Arctic and other oceans, various aspects of sea ice, under-ice acoustic propagation, environmental systems, atmospheric or terrestrial, pollution problems, and the protection of the tundra are suggested. Seven examples are given of current governmental action through councils, committees and commissions focusing on arctic programs

Fast and frugal framing effects?

Three experiments examine whether simple pair-wise comparison judgments, involving the “recognition heuristic” (Goldstein & Gigerenzer, 2002), are sensitive to implicit cues to the nature of the comparison required. Experiments 1 & 2 show that participants frequently choose the recognized option of a pair if asked to make “larger” judgments but are significantly less likely to choose the unrecognized option when asked to make “smaller” judgments. Experiment 3 demonstrates that, overall, participants consider recognition to be a more reliable guide to judgments of a magnitude criterion than lack of recognition and that this intuition drives the framing effect. These results support the idea that, when making pair-wise comparison judgments, inferring that the recognized item is large is simpler than inferring that the unrecognized item is small

Space agency notes 20th anniversary

The twentieth anniversary of NASA is announced. A chronology of major milestones of the NASA program is given along with a brief outline of the programs and responsibilities of NASA Headquarters and the NASA centers and facilities. The NASA launch record is included

Implementation of a Non-Metallic Reinforced Bridge Deck, Volume 1: Bond Behavior

The primary maintenance problem with bridges in Indiana has been deterioration of the concrete deck which is often related to corrosion of the reinforcing steel. While a corrosion protection system consisting of epoxy-coated reinforcement in combination with 2-1/2 in. of Class C concrete cover has been used in Indiana, research and experience have demonstrated that this system can be compromised. As an alternative solution to the corrosion problem in reinforced concrete, fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars which are corrosion resistant can be provided as reinforcement. This research was divided into two phases directed towards the implementation of a nonmetallic reinforced bridge deck. The first phase evaluated the bond strength of fiber reinforced polymer reinforcement with the goal of developing a design expression for the calculation of development and splice lengths. Forty-six glass FRP, carbon FRP, and steel reinforced concrete beams with unconfined tension lap splices were tested. The second phase consisted of the design, construction, and performance evaluation of a glass FRP bar reinforced concrete bridge deck. Based on this study, design recommendations are provided for the calculation of development and splice lengths of both FRP and steel reinforcement. Furthermore, the behavior of the FRP reinforced bridge deck is assessed and compared with its design assumptions. The findings of this study provide design tools and behavioral data that will assist in the future development and deployment of this technology

Quantification of sulfur distribution on rubber surfaces by means of μ-X-ray fluorescence analysis

A homogeneous distribution of sulfur in a rubber compound is often desired. Spatially resolved imaging techniques are useful for evaluating the distribution of this crosslinking chemical. Typical measurement methods such as SEM (scanning electron microscopy) or TEM (transmission electron microscopy) have very high resolutions. However, the sample size or the maximum area to be investigated is limited, which makes it difficult to obtain a statistically reliable determination of sulfur homogeneity across the component or sample. In this work, an alternative measurement technique is therefore presented: the μ-XRF (μ-X-ray fluorescence analysis). With the help of this method, it is possible to scan surfaces of several cm2 and to show the distribution of different chemical elements. Its measuring principle has been known for decades but has hardly been used in the rubber industry so far. The main reason for this is that its quantification process for polymeric samples is more complex than for geologic or metallic samples, which are typically been investigated with μ-XRF to date. In this paper, this issue is addressed and a solution is presented: With the help of the fundamental parameter method, the determination of sulfur homogeneity and distribution on rubber surfaces becomes possible. This opens up a variety of further possibilities for the use of μ-XRF in the rubber industry: For example, it could be used in areas of tire production, recycling of end-of-life rubber, and beyond.</p

Underwater acoustics research at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 1930-1960

Author Posting. © Acoustical Society of America, 2016. This article is posted here by permission of Acoustical Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Proceedings of Meetings on Acoustics 23 (2016): 070013, doi:10.1121/2.0000214.The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) was founded in 1930, and throughout its history has had a strong involvement in research into the science and applications of sound in the ocean. In terms of a brief history, three eras stand out: (1) pre-WWII, (2) WWII, and (3) the postwar years. This manuscript will focus on the history of the most influential and colorful, individuals and stories that arose during the war years. Provided are personal reminiscences, technical report details, and photos illustrating the achievements, and importance, in underwater sound research at WHOI during that time.This work was supported by ONR Grant N00014-14-1-0040/N00014-16-1-2361