ANALYSIS OF ARMY CONTRACTING WORKFORCE COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT

The primary purpose of this research is to assess the competencies of the Mission and Installation Contracting Command Field Directorate Office-Fort Sam Houston (MICC FDO-FSH) and Army Contracting Command-Orlando (ACC-ORL) contracting management workforce. Data was gathered through a Contracting Workforce Competency Assessment, based on the newly adopted National Contract Management Association’s (NCMA) Contract Management Standard (CMS). This research answers the four questions based on the assessment results. The research findings indicate buyer task proficiency ratings higher than seller task knowledge ratings. The findings also show that the buyer pre-award process is the highest average rating for both organizations. This analysis will establish a baseline and provide insight for decision makers on where to focus the redesign of training and education and will serve as a benchmark for how the current workforce will perform under the NCMA CMS. Recommendations for maintaining and improving contract management competencies include education, training, and initiatives focused on the NCMA CMS guiding principles for buyer and seller tasks and education, and on training on competencies to improve the organizations' ability to manage disagreements and provide resources for obtaining the Certified Professional Contract Manager (CPCM) certification and for incorporating the CPCM certificate as an equivalent training for those with industry experience.Outstanding ThesisCivilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the ArmyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

The 2023 terahertz science and technology roadmap

Terahertz (THz) radiation encompasses a wide spectral range within the electromagnetic spectrum that extends from microwaves to the far infrared (100 GHz-∼30 THz). Within its frequency boundaries exist a broad variety of scientific disciplines that have presented, and continue to present, technical challenges to researchers. During the past 50 years, for instance, the demands of the scientific community have substantially evolved and with a need for advanced instrumentation to support radio astronomy, Earth observation, weather forecasting, security imaging, telecommunications, non-destructive device testing and much more. Furthermore, applications have required an emergence of technology from the laboratory environment to production-scale supply and in-the-field deployments ranging from harsh ground-based locations to deep space. In addressing these requirements, the research and development community has advanced related technology and bridged the transition between electronics and photonics that high frequency operation demands. The multidisciplinary nature of THz work was our stimulus for creating the 2017 THz Science and Technology Roadmap (Dhillon et al 2017 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50 043001). As one might envisage, though, there remains much to explore both scientifically and technically and the field has continued to develop and expand rapidly. It is timely, therefore, to revise our previous roadmap and in this 2023 version we both provide an update on key developments in established technical areas that have important scientific and public benefit, and highlight new and emerging areas that show particular promise. The developments that we describe thus span from fundamental scientific research, such as THz astronomy and the emergent area of THz quantum optics, to highly applied and commercially and societally impactful subjects that include 6G THz communications, medical imaging, and climate monitoring and prediction. Our Roadmap vision draws upon the expertise and perspective of multiple international specialists that together provide an overview of past developments and the likely challenges facing the field of THz science and technology in future decades. The document is written in a form that is accessible to policy makers who wish to gain an overview of the current state of the THz art, and for the non-specialist and curious who wish to understand available technology and challenges. A such, our experts deliver a ‘snapshot’ introduction to the current status of the field and provide suggestions for exciting future technical development directions. Ultimately, we intend the Roadmap to portray the advantages and benefits of the THz domain and to stimulate further exploration of the field in support of scientific research and commercial realisation

A rare case of Aerococcus urinae infective endocarditis in an atypically young male: case report and review of the literature

Abstract Background Aerococcus urinae is a gram-positive, alpha-hemolytic coccus bacterium primarily implicated in less than 1 % of all symptomatic urinary tract infections. Risk factors for disease include male gender, advanced age, and comorbid genitourinary tract pathology. Infections beyond the genitourinary tract are rare, though spondylodiscitis, perineal abscesses, lymphadenitis, bacteremia, meningitis, and endocarditis have been reported. Less than fifty cases of A. urinae infective endocarditis (IE) have been described in the literature. The rare occurrence of A. urinae in human infections and resultant lack of randomized controlled trials have resulted in a significant degree of clinical uncertainty in the management of A. urinae IE. Case presentation We present an unusual case of a forty-three year-old male with A. urinae infective endocarditis (IE) who was successfully treated with mitral valve replacement and six weeks of penicillin/gentamicin therapy. In addition, we include a comprehensive review of all reported cases of IE due to A. urinae with specific attention to therapeutic regimens and treatment durations. Conclusion Recent advances in diagnostic technology have led to an increase in the frequency A. urinae is diagnosed. Reviewing cases of Aerococcus urinae infections, their clinical courses and subsequent management can assist future healthcare providers and their patients

Terahertz Grid Frequency Doublers

A terahertz quasi-optical grid frequency doubler has been developed. This frequency doubler is a planar bow-tie grid structure periodically loaded with planar Schottky diodes. This is the #rst experimental result with quasi-optical grid frequency multipliers in the terahertz frequency range. A peak output power of 330 #Wwas measured at 1 THz for 2.42 #s 500-GHz input pulses with a peak power of 3.3 W

Solvation dynamics of biomolecules: modeling and terahertz experiments

The role of water in biomolecule dynamics has attracted much interest over the past decade, due in part to new probes of biomolecule-water interactions and developments in molecular simulations. Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy, among the most recent experimental methods brought to bear on this problem, is able to detect even small solute induced changes of the collective water network dynamics at the biomolecule-water interface. THz measurements reveal that proteins influence up to 1000 water molecules in their surroundings, and that even small saccharides influence the dynamics of hundreds of surrounding water molecules. The THz spectrum of a protein is sensitive to mutation and depends on the surface charge and flexibility of the protein. Influence on the solvation shell appears most pronounced for native wildtype proteins and decreases upon partial unfolding or mutation. THz spectra of solvated saccharides reveal that the number of water molecules coupled dynamically to a saccharide, forming a dynamical hydration shell around it, is related to the number of exposed oxygen atoms on the solute. The thickness of this layer appears correlated with the bioprotection efficiency of the saccharide. All findings support the thesis of a long-range dynamic coupling between biomolecule and solvent

Gene expression profiling--Opening the black box of plant ecosystem responses to global change

The use of genomic techniques to address ecological questions is emerging as the field of genomic ecology. Experimentation under environmentally realistic conditions to investigate the molecular response of plants to meaningful changes in growth conditions and ecological interactions is the defining feature of genomic ecology. Since the impact of global change factors on plant performance are mediated by direct effects at the molecular, biochemical and physiological scales, gene expression analysis promises important advances in understanding factors that have previously been consigned to the 'black box' of unknown mechanism. Various tools and approaches are available for assessing gene expression in model and non-model species as part of global change biology studies. Each approach has its own unique advantages and constraints. A first generation of genomic ecology studies in managed ecosystems and mesocosms have provided a testbed for the approach and have begun to reveal how the experimental design and data analysis of gene expression studies can be tailored for use in an ecological context

The 2023 Terahertz Science and Technology Roadmap

Funder: Alexander von Humboldt FoundationFunder: Experienced Researcher FellowshipFunder: DFG CollaborativeFunder: PAPIITFunder: Danish National Research FoundationFunder: JSPSFunder: STFC Centre for InstrumentationFunder: UKSA Centre for EarthFunder: Leverhulme Trust; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000275Funder: NRFFunder: Royal Society; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000288Funder: Australian Government; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100015539Funder: Cancer Research UK; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000289Funder: University of Warwick; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000741Abstract Terahertz (THz) radiation encompasses a wide spectral range within the electromagnetic spectrum that extends from microwaves to the far infrared (100 GHz to ~30 THz). Within its frequency boundaries exist a broad variety of scientific disciplines that have presented, and continue to present, technical challenges to researchers. During the past 50 years, for instance, the demands of the scientific community have substantially evolved and with a need for advanced instrumentation to support radio astronomy, Earth observation, weather forecasting, security imaging, telecommunications, non-destructive device testing and much more. Furthermore, applications have required an emergence of technology from the laboratory environment to production-scale supply and in-the-field deployments ranging from harsh ground-based locations to deep space. In addressing these requirements, the research and development community has advanced related technology and bridged the transition between electronics and photonics that high frequency operation demands. The multidisciplinary nature of THz work was our stimulus for creating the 2017 THz Science and Technology Roadmap (S S Dhillon et al 2017 J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50 043001). As one might envisage, though, there remains much to explore both scientifically and technically and the field has continued to develop and expand rapidly. It is timely, therefore, to revise our previous roadmap and in this 2023 version we both provide an update on key developments in established technical areas that have important scientific and public benefit, and highlight new and emerging areas that show particular promise. The developments that we describe thus span from fundamental scientific research, such as THz astronomy and the emergent area of THz quantum optics, to highly applied and commercially and societally impactful subjects that include 6G THz communications, medical imaging, and climate monitoring and prediction.</jats:p