Rolling contact fatigue of surface modified 440C using a 'Ge-Polymet' type disc rod test rig

Through hardened 440 C martensitic stainless steel test specimens were surface modified and tested for changes in rolling contact fatigue using a disc on rod test rig. The surface modifications consisted of nitrogen, boron, titanium, chromium, tantalum, carbon, or molybdenum ion implantation at various ion fluences and energies. Tests were also performed on specimens reactively sputtered with titanium nitride

DSIF station schedules

System manages Deep Space Instrumentation Facilities /DSIF/ equipment construction and modification planning. Versatile program applies to such tasks as employee time and task schedules, pay schedules, operations schedules, and plant and equipment procurement, construction, modification or service

The Last Eight-Billion Years of Intergalactic SiIV Evolution

We identified 24 SiIV absorption systems with z <~ 1 from a blind survey of 49 low-redshift quasars with archival Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet spectra. We relied solely on the characteristic wavelength separation of the doublet to automatically detect candidates. After visual inspection, we defined a sample of 20 definite (group G = 1) and 4 "highly-likely" (G = 2) doublets with rest equivalent widths W_r for both lines detected at > 3 sigma. The absorber line density of the G = 1 doublets was dN_SiIV/dX = 1.4+0.4/-0.3 for log N(Si+3) > 12.9. The best-fit power law to the G = 1 frequency distribution of column densities f(N(Si+3)) had normalization k = (1.2+0.5/-0.4) x 10^-14 cm2 and slope alpha = -1.6+0.3/-0.3. Using the power-law model of f(N(Si+3)), we measured the Si+3 mass density relative to the critical density: Omega(Si+3) = (3.7+2.8/-1.7) x 10^-8 for 13 < log N(Si+3) < 15. From Monte Carlo sampling of the distributions, we estimated our value to be a factor of 4.8+3.0/-1.9 higher than the 2 . From a simple linear fit to Omega(Si+3) over the age of the Universe, we estimated a slow and steady increase from z = 5.5 --> 0 with dOmega/dt_age = (0.61+/-0.23) x 10^-8 Gyr^-1. We compared our ionic ratios N(Si+3)/N(C+3) to a 2 < z < 4.5 sample and concluded, from survival analysis, that the two populations are similar, with median = 0.16.Comment: 18 pages, 9 figures, 4 tables, added figures and new analysis, results have changed, accepted to Ap

Unlocking the Latino Vote: Civic Organizations As Tools for Latino Voter Mobilization and Participation

For decades now, politicians, pollsters and pundits have tried to define, unite and persuade Latino voters. Presidential campaigns dating as far back as the 1960s have made efforts to appeal to the Latino electorate in order to win elections. In 1983 Ronald Reagan concerned himself with winning over Latinos voters during his reelection bid. Today, the diversifying electorate has placed Latinos at the center of twenty-first century American politics. It is no secret that Latinos are the largest minority population in the United States. Their share of the electorate increases daily, along with their importance in winning national elections. Now more than ever, the Latino voting bloc is the apple of every presidential campaign’s eye. Part of the appeal is that Latino voters are largely undecided about their political party affiliations. They have supported both Democratic and Republican candidates in the past, and have taken both liberal and conservative stances on a variety of social issues. Another factor is that a good number of Latinos live in important swing districts across the country in states such as Colorado, Virginia and Florida. Their votes are critical to winning any presidential campaign. For these reasons, the “Latino vote” has become one of the most talked about topics among politicos and strategists. However, absent from the discussion is whether or not a homogenous Latino vote actually exists. The diverse backgrounds and experiences among Latinos in the United States suggest that they share little in common with one another. So far, there is no indication of a pan-ethnic Latino identity or culture. On the other hand, there is evidence to suggest that Latinos in the United States are beginning to band together to push for common causes and agendas that are particular to their communities. Does increased unity among Latinos mean they will all vote in the same way? This thesis weighs competing theories on the Latino vote through the lens of Latino civic organizations. Through two case studies of Latino civic institutions that operate at the local and national levels, and in suburban and urban communities, this thesis concludes that civic organizations are mainstays in Latino communities and provide important resources to Latinos of all backgrounds to participate in civic life. They are gradually becoming the primary places where Latinos can learn civic skills and mobilize to participate in political and nonpolitical activities. Due to their nonpartisan nature, though, they alone are not enough to confirm the existence of a Latino vote. By examining Latino civic organizations, this thesis contributes to theoretical discussions of Latino politics and draws conclusions about the feasibility and future of a homogenous Latino vote

Public health participation in alcohol licensing decisions in England: the importance of navigating "contested space"

The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act of 2011, added ‘health bodies’ as responsible authorities in licensing and, in practice, Directors of Public Health undertook this role. Despite this legislation facilitating the inclusion of public health in partnerships around licensing in England, wide variations in involvement levels by Public Health professionals persist This article is based on the findings from interviews that explored the experiences of public health professionals engaging with local established partnerships around alcohol licensing. Qualitative data were collected through twenty-one interviews in a purposeful sample of London boroughs. These data were combined with analyses of relevant area documentation and observations of fourteen licensing sub-committee meetings in one London borough over a seven-month period. Thematic analysis of all data sources was conducted to identify emerging themes. This study highlighted the importance of successful navigation of the ‘contested space’ (Hunter and Perkins, 2014) surrounding both public health practice and licensing partnerships. In some instances, contested spaces were successfully negotiated and public health departments achieved an increased level of participation within the partnership. Ultimately, improvements in engagement levels of public health teams within licensing could be achieved. The paper explores a neglected aspect of research around partnership working and highlights the issues arising when a new partner attempts to enter an existing partnership

What&#039;s in a WordTM? When one electronic document format standard is not enough

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of the standardisation of two largely overlapping electronic document formats between 2005 and 2008, and its implications for future IT standards development. Design/methodology/approach - The document format controversy is researched as an exemplary case study of the institutional rivalries, perspectives and strategic interests at play in standardisation processes. The study adopts a methodological lens of discursive institutionalism in order to explain how actors assume and perform a variety of roles during the controversy. It consults a range of documentary sources, including media commentary, corporate press releases and blog posts, financial reports and technical specifications. Findings - The study shows that: first, intentions to increase competition in the office software market through the standardisation of document formats led to a standards &quot;arms race&quot;; second, this further entrenched the position of a single market actor; and third, the resulting public debate nevertheless has reinvigorated the push for genuinely open standards. Social implications - Information technology standards are often touted as mechanisms for increasing the competitiveness of a market, thereby benefitting consumers and the greater public. In the presence of dominant institutional actors, efforts to standardise can, perversely, undermine this benefit. Increased public scrutiny through online media offers a potential remedy. Originality/value - This research presents a novel account of the controversy over the document format standardisation process, understood through the lens of discursive institutionalism. It also shows the increasing and potentially putative role of online media in the development of ITstandards generally

Estimated Nutrient Content and Uptake by Kentucky\u27s Crops

A commonly asked question by crop producers is, how many pounds of plant nutrients do my crops take up? While the absolute answer to this varies by yield and soil fertility, useful estimates can be made from research data to enable a producer to have a ballpark value for nutrient up-take by some of the major crops of Kentucky. The following tables contain estimates of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P),and potassium (K) contained in certain crops and the amount of N, phosphate (P2O5), and potash (K,O) taken up by tobacco, corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa hay, clover grass hay, and pastures. Values are based on good yields for tobacco, corn, soybeans, and wheat, and are expressed on a per ton of production for hay and pasture (example: a ton of alfalfa contains about 50-14-55 lbs/A of N-P2O5- K2O, respectively). A grower with 5 T/A yield of alfalfa would thus have removed 250-70-275 lbs/A of N-P2O5-K,O per year). For cattle grazed land, it is important to note that most of the nutrients taken up and consumed are recycled back to the surface of the field (in a non-uniform pattern, particularly with low to normal stocking rates). Beef cattle retain only about 25-20-15% of N-P2O5-K2O intake, respectively. For dairy cattle, retention of N-P2O5-K2O is about 35-30-20%, respectively. Nutrients contained in stalks, stover, and straw are also of note. If recycled back onto fields, these plant residues can be a valuable source of nutrients

InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device: The 20 element linear imager

The design and fabrication of the 8585 InSb charge coupled infrared imaging device (CCIRID) chip are reported. The InSb material characteristics are described along with mask and process modifications. Test results for the 2- and 20-element CCIRID's are discussed, including gate oxide characteristics, charge transfer efficiency, optical mode of operation, and development of the surface potential diagram