Studies of some unconventional systems for solving various landing problems

Solutions to various landing problems were obtained through unconventional systems. The first, of these is the air cushion landing system, where efforts were concentrated on development of adequate braking and steering systems and an improved understanding of scaling laws and behavior. The second was concentrated on use of a wire brush skid as a drag producing device, which was shown to have good friction coefficients and reasonable wear rates at ground bearing pressures up to 689 kPa and forward speeds up to 80 km/hr. The third showed great promise in an active control landing gear where significant load reductions were possible during landing impact and subsequent rollout

An estimation of genetic trend in weaning weights of beef cattle using field data

The data used in this study were from the Tennessee Beef Cattle Improvement Program weaning records of 10,501 Angus and Hereford calves accumulated over the nine year period, 1964 through 1972. The calves were classified according to weaning age (within the range of 120 to 300 days inclusive), sex (bulls, heifers, and steers), age of dam (by years from 2 to 10 years inclusive and 11 years and over), month of birth, management (creep or non—creep fed), year and breed in preliminary analyses. An adjusted 205-day weight that removed as much of the sources of environmental variation as possible was previously calculated on all calves. The calves were divided into four sub-groups according to breed and management. The purpose of this study was to determine an estimate of genetic trend in each of the four sub-groups. Least-squares estimates were calculated for each herd using two models. One model yielded a regression of performance on time, while the second model regressed performance on time for each sire. Mean regression coefficients were then calculated for each breed-management sub-group. Using these values, estimates of genetic change due to sire differences were calculated. These estimates for Hereford non-creep-fed, Angus non-creep-fed, Hereford creep-fed, and Angus creep-fed calves were -.30, 3.49, 5.42, and 17.67 pounds per year, respectively. No attempt has been made in the past to obtain estimates of genetic trends using beef cattle field data. However, a portion of the results obtained in this study compare favorably with similar work by Holbert (1975) using data from experimental herds

A Preliminary Report on the Excavation of Two Late Middle Woodland Mounds in Northwestern Wisconsin

A preliminary report of the excavation of two mounds located in a group of 52 in Burnett County, Wisconsin. Analysis of the data demonstrates a close generic cultural relation to data gathered at Minnesota sites. Carbon 14 dates place the existence of this culture well within the chronological position of the Late Middle Woodland period

Strain-activated structural anisotropy in BaFe2As2

High-resolution single crystal neutron diffraction measurements are presented probing the magnetostructural response to uniaxial pressure in the iron pnictide parent system BaFe2As2. Scattering data reveal a strain-activated, anisotropic broadening of nuclear Bragg reflections, which increases upon cooling below the resolvable onset of global orthorhombicity. This anisotropy in lattice coherence continues to diverge until a lower temperature scale---the first-order onset of antiferromagnetism---is reached. Our data suggest that antiferromagnetism and strong magnetoelastic coupling drive the strain-activated lattice response in this material and that the development of anisotropic lattice coherence under strain is the physical origin for the anomalous nematic anisotropy in this compound.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Inverse wing design in transonic flow including viscous interaction

Several inverse methods were compared and initial results indicate that differences in results are primarily due to coordinate systems and fuselage representations and not to design procedures. Further, results from a direct-inverse method that includes 3-D wing boundary layer effects, wake curvature, and wake displacement are represented. These results show that boundary layer displacements must be included in the design process for accurate results

Development of a scale to assess avoidance behavior due to a fear of falling: the fear of falling avoidance behavior questionnaire

Journal ArticleBackground. A history of falls or imbalance may lead to a fear of falling, which may lead to self-imposed avoidance of activity; this avoidance may stimulate a vicious cycle of deconditioning and subsequent falls. Objective. The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire that would quantify avoidance behavior due to a fear of falling. Design. This study consisted of 2 parts: questionnaire development and psychometric testing. Questionnaire development involved an expert panel and 39 residents of an assisted living facility. Sixty-three community-dwelling individuals with various health conditions participated in psychometric testing. Method. Questionnaire development included the evaluation of face and content validity and factor analysis of the initial questionnaire. The final result of questionnaire development was the Fear of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire (FFABQ). In order to determine its psychometric properties, reliability and construct validity were assessed through administration of the FFABQ to participants twice, 1 week apart, and comparison of the FFABQ with other questionnaires related to fear of falling, functional measures of balance and mobility, and daily activity levels using an activity monitor. Results. The FFABQ had good overall test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient=.812) and was found to differentiate between participants who were considered ?fallers? (ie, at least one fall in the previous year) and those who were considered ?nonfallers.? The FFABQ predicted time spent sitting or lying and endurance. Limitations. A relatively small number of people with a fear of falling were willing to participate. Conclusion. Results from this study offer evidence for the reliability and validity of the FFABQ and support the notion that the FFABQ measures avoidance behavior rather than balance confidence, self-efficacy, or fear

Agribusiness Concentration, Intellectual Property, and the Prospects for Rural Economic Benefits from the Emerging Biofuel Economy

United States policy makers are promoting bio-fuels as an economic development opportunity, especially for rural America. A USDA study claims that developments in energy production from biomass could increase profits for agricultural commodity producers. However, as William Heffernan and his colleagues have demonstrated, concentration in the agrifood sector limits the economic benefits going to the commodity producers. Relying on Heffernan’s framework, we compare the distribution of intellectual property of corn and other genetically modified crops with that of the emerging biomass technologies. We find that patent ownership in the emerging biofuel sector is not yet as concentrated as in the agricultural biotechnology sector. However, theories of private ordering predict concentration and our data indicate that concentration is occurring. The results suggest that rural biomass producers are unlikely to gain broad economic benefits from the biofuel economy