A Turning Point in Aviation Training: The AQP Mandates Crew Resource Management and Line Operational Simulations

Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Line Oriented Flight Training (LOFT) have not been mandatory elements of air carrier flight crew training. Additionally, Full-Flight Simulation and Flight Training Devices (FTDs) have been tools utilized to various degrees by the different air carrier training departments. Each air carrier\u27s training program has traditionally been approved by its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Principal Operations Inspector (POI). The Advanced Qualification Program (AQP) is an alternative method of training air carrier flight crewmembers and will be a voluntary program applicable to airline certificate holders under the Code of Federal Regulations Section 14 (14 CFR--encompasses aeronautics and space) Parts 121 and 135. The FAA has facilitated the implementation of AQPs with the issuance of a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR 58), rather than rewriting the numerous Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) which detail air carrier training. Additionally, an Air Carrier Training Branch (AFS-210) has been established to administer AQPs, with quality control being developed by a human factors specialist. Mandatory CRM training and the utilization of Line Operational Simulations (LOS--a rechristening of LOFT) are key elements of the AQP curriculum for flight crewmembers. As AQPs are approved, increased utilization of FTDs may augment and optimize Full-Flight Simulation. ... it is anticipated that AQP will become standard practice in the future for FAR Parts 121 and 135 operators (Longridge and Boothe, 1991)

Far-UV Emission from Elliptical Galaxies at z=0.55

The restframe UV-to-optical flux ratio, characterizing the ``UV upturn'' phenomenon, is potentially the most sensitive tracer of age in elliptical galaxies; models predict that it may change by orders of magnitude over the course of a few Gyr. In order to trace the evolution of the UV upturn as a function of redshift, we have used the far-UV camera on the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph to image the galaxy cluster CL0016+16 at z=0.55. Our 25''x25'' field includes four bright elliptical galaxies, spectroscopically confirmed to be passively evolving cluster members. The weak UV emission from the galaxies in our image demonstrates that the UV upturn is weaker at a lookback time 5.6 Gyr earlier than our own, as compared to measurements of the UV upturn in cluster E and S0 galaxies at z=0 and z=0.375. These images are the first with sufficient depth to demonstrate the fading of the UV upturn expected at moderate redshifts. We discuss these observations and the implications for the formation history of galaxies.Comment: 4 pages, Latex. 2 figures. Uses corrected version of emulateapj.sty and apjfonts.sty (included). Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter

Tho\u27 \u27tis all but a Dream

[Verse 1]Tho\u27 \u27tis all but a drema at the best, And still when happiest soonest o\u27er; Yet ev\u27n in a dream to be blest Is so sweet, that I ask for no more; The bosom that opes with earliest hopes, The soonest finds those hopes untrue, As flowers that first in spring time burst The earliest wither too! Aye, \u27tis but a dream at the best, And still when happiest soonest o\u27er; Yet ev\u27n in a dream to be blest Is so sweet, that I ask for no more. [Verse 2]By friendship we oft are deciv\u27d, And find the love we clung too past: Yet frienship will still be believed And love trusted on to the last The web in the charm Hope hands o\u27er man, Tho\u27 often she sees it broke by the breeze, She spins the bright tissue again, Aye, \u27tis all but a dream

Can simulations reproduce the observed temperature-mass relation for clusters of galaxies?

It has become increasingly apparent that traditional hydrodynamical simulations of galaxy clusters are unable to reproduce the observed properties of galaxy clusters, in particular overpredicting the mass corresponding to a given cluster temperature. Such overestimation may lead to systematic errors in results using galaxy clusters as cosmological probes, such as constraints on the density perturbation normalization sigma_8. In this paper we demonstrate that inclusion of additional gas physics, namely radiative cooling and a possible preheating of gas prior to cluster formation, is able to bring the temperature-mass relation in the innermost parts of clusters into good agreement with recent determinations by Allen, Schmidt & Fabian using Chandra data.Comment: 5 pages, submitted to MNRA

Steady-state activation and modulation of the synaptic-type α1β2γ2L GABAA receptor by combinations of physiological and clinical ligands

The synaptic α1β2γ2 GAB

Morphological variations in cadmium sulfide nanocrystals without phase transformation

A very novel phenomenon of morphological variations of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanorods under the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) beam was observed without structural phase transformation. Environmentally stable and highly crystalline CdS nanorods have been obtained via a chemical bath method. The energy of the TEM beam is believed to have a significant influence on CdS nanorods and may melt and transform them into smaller nanowires. Morphological variations without structural phase transformation are confirmed by recording selected area electron diffraction at various stages. The prepared CdS nanorods have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, TEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The importance of this phenomenon is vital for the potential application for CdS such as smart materials

A proposed EPRI tailored collaboration project

After five years of extensive R&D sponsored by government and industry, the coal log pipeline (CLP) technology for transportation of coal has been sufficiently developed through laboratory tests to warrant large-scale pre-commercial demonstration and testing. Meanwhile, a national survey of electric utilities and coal companies has produced fourteen potential CLP demonstration sites. A preliminary evaluation of the sites determined that at least seven of the fourteen sites are economically promising. The purpose of this EPRI-TC proposal is to conduct a large-scale pre-commercial test/demo of CLP to pave the way for commercial demonstration. Completion of this pre-commercial test/demo project in two years will enable construction of the first commercial CLP with minimum risk involved and with maximum success. The CLP technology involves compaction of coal into logs (large circular coal cylinders), and the transportation of such logs by an underground pipeline to the user--a power generation station. It is an innovative new coal pipeline system that can effectively compete with railroads and truck transportation. The economics of CLP has been thoroughly examined in 1995. It was found that the CLP is economically competitive with train for distances greater than about 100 miles, and competitive with truck for distances greater than about 30 miles. As compared to coal slurry pipeline, the CLP has the following advantages: (1) CLP transports twice as much coal than a coal slurry pipeline of the same diameter can. The cost of coal transportation by CLP is substantially lower than by slurry pipeline. (2) Dewatering coal logs is much simpler than dewatering slurry. (3) CLP can be restarted readily after lengthy shutdown. It has no restart problem. (4) CLP uses less energy than slurry pipeline for transporting the same amount of coal. (5) Coal log fuel is most versatile. Upon crushing it can be burned in any type of combustors--pulverized-coal, cyclone, fluidized-bed, or stoker. (6) Storage of coal logs is much simpler than storage of coal slurry. (7) CLP uses only 1/3 to 1/4 of the water used by slurry pipeline. This makes CLP more feasible than slurry pipeline in regions of water shortage. Development of the CLP technology will benefit electric utilities by reducing coal transportation cost--not only through use of CLP, but also due to the competition fostered which will cause rail rates and truck rates to keep within bounds. The pre-commercial test/demo project proposed herein contains four major components or tasks: (1) construction of a 6-inch-diameter, 3,000-ft-long coal pipeline for testing coal logs under conditions similar to those of future commercial CLP; (2) construction and testing of a coal log machine that can rapidly manufacture coal logs to supply coal log pipelines; (3) conducting a site-specific application study for each participating utilities; and (4) conducting an economic analysis of future commercial CLP systems using information gained in this study, and following EPRI cost guidelines. The project is for two years at a total cost of $825,960 of which$500,000 is requested from EPRI and participating utilities. As an EPRI Tailored Collaboration project, each participating utility is asked to contribute a total of $60,000 over two years (with equal matching from EPRI) to support this project. The targeted amount from utilities and EPRI for this project is$600,000 of which $100,000 is indirect cost to be used by EPRI to administer this project. This targeted amount can be achieved with five electric utilities participating. The project will also be cost-shared with$325,960 of the existing funds of the Capsule Pipeline Research Center (CPRC). Currently, the CPRC has insufficient funds to carry out this project without support from EPRI and some additional utility companies.Introduction -- Advantages of CLP -- Brief review of concept and state of development -- Project purpose and tasks -- Test facilities -- Statement of work -- Schedule of activities -- References -- Qualifications of institute and project personnel -- Budget -- Budget explanation -- Utilities participation and arrangements -- Intellectual property rights and patents -- Appendices. Document on preparing smooth welded joints for steel pipe ; CPRC's contract document (agreement) with existing industrial sponsors

Measurements of the Diffuse Ultraviolet Background and the Terrestrial Airglow with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph

Far-UV observations in and near the Hubble Deep Fields demonstrate that the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) can potentially obtain unique and precise measurements of the diffuse far-ultraviolet background. Although STIS is not the ideal instrument for such measurements, high-resolution images allow Galactic and extragalactic objects to be masked to very faint magnitudes, thus ensuring a measurement of the truly diffuse UV signal. The programs we have analyzed were not designed for this scientific purpose, but would be sufficient to obtain a very sensitive measurement if it were not for a weak but larger-than-expected signal from airglow in the STIS 1450-1900 A bandpass. Our analysis shows that STIS far-UV crystal quartz observations taken near the limb during orbital day can detect a faint airglow signal, most likely from NI\1493, that is comparable to the dark rate and inseparable from the far-UV background. Discarding all but the night data from these datasets gives a diffuse far-ultraviolet background measurement of 501 +/- 103 ph/cm2/sec/ster/A, along a line of sight with very low Galactic neutral hydrogen column (N_HI = 1.5E20 cm-2) and extinction (E(B-V)=0.01 mag). This result is in good agreement with earlier measurements of the far-UV background, and should not include any significant contribution from airglow. We present our findings as a warning to other groups who may use the STIS far-UV camera to observe faint extended targets, and to demonstrate how this measurement may be properly obtained with STIS.Comment: 7 pages, Latex. 4 figures. Uses corrected version of emulateapj.sty and apjfonts.sty (included). Accepted for publication in A