An assessment of General Aviation utilization of advanced avionics technology

Needs of the general aviation industry for services and facilities which might be supplied by NASA were examined. In the data collection phase, twenty-one individuals from nine manufacturing companies in general aviation were interviewed against a carefully prepared meeting format. General aviation avionics manufacturers were credited with a high degree of technology transfer from the forcing industries such as television, automotive, and computers and a demonstrated ability to apply advanced technology such as large scale integration and microprocessors to avionics functions in an innovative and cost effective manner. The industry's traditional resistance to any unnecessary regimentation or standardization was confirmed. Industry's self sufficiency in applying advanced technology to avionics product development was amply demonstrated. NASA research capability could be supportive in areas of basic mechanics of turbulence in weather and alternative means for its sensing

Why Did Some Employers Suspend Their 401(k) Match?

The employer match of employee contributions is an important characteristic of 401(k) plans. The match was designed to encourage participation and contributions ñ particularly by lower-paid employees. However, at many companies, the employer match became a casualty of the financial collapse and ensuing recession. While several large companies have restored their match, it is still important to understand what causes such a response. This Issue in Brief attempts to explain why some firms suspended their match while others did not. It proceeds as follows. The first section explains the rationale for, and mechanics behind, employer matching of employee contributions. The second section considers the economic impact of the match. The third section describes the companies that have suspended their match. The fourth section examines how several factors impact the probability of an employer suspending its match. The results suggest that liquidity constraints, rather than profitability issues, are the main reasons for suspending the match. The fifth section speculates about the likely impact of the 401(k) match suspensions on employees. The final section concludes that cash-strapped companies appear to have been forced to cut back, and, if the pattern follows that of the 2001 recession, most companies are likely to restore their match once the economy recovers. To the extent that the match is quickly restored, little harm may have been done ñ especially compared with the alternative of laying off workers.

The Impact of Pensions on State Borrowing Costs

Municipal bond prices are tumbling and rates rising just as public borrowers face pressure to refinance deals cut during the financial crisis. At the same time, the funded status of public pension plans has declined, and states and localities will have to come up with more money to meet future benefit payments. In the private sector, numerous studies have shown that pension underfunding affects corporate bond ratings. And Moody’s just announced that it would combine unfunded pension liabilities with outstanding bonds when evaluating a state’s leverage position. These developments raise the question of how future pension commitments affect today’s borrowing costs in the public sector. The brief proceeds as follows. The first section describes the municipal bond market. The second section describes the factors that traditionally have been considered in the bond rating process. The third section summarizes what other researchers have found regarding the relationship between pension commitments and borrowing costs in the private and public sectors. The fourth section presents a model for the period 2005-2009 that relates borrowing costs to factors generally considered by the rating agencies, such as the state’s management, finances, economy, and debt structure. Pensions are a component of the debt structure, and the extent to which states make their Annual Required Contribution (ARC) has a statistically significant – albeit modest – impact on the cost of debt. A side finding is that the bond’s rating explains relatively little about the variation in interest cost, and the effect of pensions remains significant even including the bond’s rating in the equation. The final section concludes that while pension underfunding had only a small effect on borrowing costs in the 2005-2009 period when pension expenses were only 3 to 4 percent of state budgets, its impact could become more significant as the cost of pensions increases.

Leadership guidance for public secondary schools

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University, 1946. This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Regulating Geoengineering: Applications of GMO Trade and Ocean Dumping Regulation

Geoengineering--the deliberate, large-scale manipulation of the environment--is being increasingly considered as an emergency solution to curb global warming, as efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have largely proved inadequate. This Note explores one form of proposed geoengineering: solar radiation management, which contemplates spraying reflective particles into the stratosphere to cause a global cooling effect. Geoengineering presents many challenges to regulators because of its potential to cause trans-boundary harm, its relative ease of enactment, and its unknown nature. Current international environmental treaties do not address geoengineering and would likely inadequately regulate it. But premature multilateral geoengineering regulations, if agreed to by states, would likely stifle geoengineering research. Instead, norms surrounding geoengineering must be developed by researchers at the forefront of the field before these new standards are codified into multinational treaties. This Note looks to international GMO trade and ocean dumping regulations for inspiration as to how future multinational geoengineering regulation could work. Principles and institutions from these regulations--including the polluter pays principle, a mandatory permit system, and research and monitoring systems--should be incorporated into future international geoengineering regulations once adequate norms surrounding the substantive research of geoengineering are established

Leadership guidance for public secondary schools

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University, 1946. This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Polarized light scattering by aerosols in the marine atmospheric boundary layer

The intensity and polarization of light scattered from marine aerosols affect visibility and contrast in the marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL). The polarization properties of scattered light in the MABL vary with size, refractive index, number distributions, and environmental conditions. Laboratory measurements were used to determine the characteristics and variability of the polarization of light scattered by aerosols similar to those in the MABL. Scattering from laboratory-generated sea-salt-containing (SSC) [NaCl, (NH4)2SO4, and seawater] components of marine aerosols was measured with a scanning polarization-modulated nephelometer. Mie theory with Gaussian and log normal size distributions of spheres was used to calculate the polarized light scattering from various aerosol composition models and from experimentally determined distributions of aerosols in the marine boundary layer. The modeling was verified by comparison with scattering from distilled water aerosols. The study suggests that polarimetric techniques can be used to enhance techniques for improving visibility and remote imaging for various aerosol types, Sun angles, and viewing conditions

55 and Over: A Study of Success for the Senior Student

The following paper is a report on a class that was taught to elderly Cambodian refugees in the Philippine Refugee Processing Center in 1981. It covers the development of the class from its inception to its final party for \u27 graduation\u27 . There were many hurdles for the students to overcome in their learning. The strategies that were used to aid the students in overcoming these are discussed and described. Relevant curriculum, a supportive environment in the classroom, and achievable goals are the three key elements that are noted as necessary for success in such a class

CORN (Zea mays L.) PRODUCTION IN LIVING MULCH SYSTEMS, GRAZING POTENTIAL, AND ECONOMIC VIABILITY

Living mulch (LM) is a practice in which forages are grown simultaneously with the main crop, serving as a living cover throughout the growing season. The LM systems were developed to alleviate concerns of soil depletion and finding ways to reduce tillage negative effects on soil productivity. In addition, when legumes are use can decrease the reliance on N fertilizer. The use of corn in LM have been previously studied due to the crop being a large commodity in the U.S.; In addition, the ability to graze the LM after corn production can increase the land use efficiency. To determine the benefits of LM in the Southeastern U.S., two studies were developed in Spring Hill, TN from 2018 to 2021: [1] two LM species, WC (Trifolium pratense L. [WC]) and a mixture of crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) and cereal rye (Secale cereale L. [CCCR]), and cull cows were used for the grazing period of four weeks before planting and after harvest of corn to assess the ability of LM grazing, the study evaluated the botanical composition (BC), LM mass (LMM), nutritive value (NV), corn silage and grain production, and cows average daily gain (ADG); [2] WC LM was seeded with corn silage and grain in different N rates to determine the best level of fertilization when utilizing WC, it was assessed the production of corn at harvest, botanical composition, and LM mass throughout the corn growing season. Lastly, economic analysis was performed in both projects to determine the viability of the system

The Impact of Public Pensions on State and Local Budgets

State and local pensions have been headline news since the financial collapse reduced the value of their assets, leaving a substantial unfunded liability. The magnitude of that liability depends on the interest rate used to discount future benefit promises but, regardless of the assumptions, states and localities are going to have to come up with more money. This brief looks at the size of the additional funding relative to state budgets. The brief proceeds as follows. The first section provides an overview of state and local plans and in­troduces our sample of six states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. The second section presents data on pension expendi­tures relative to budget totals for states and localities in the aggregate and for our sample of plans. The third section develops baseline budgets for the period 2010-2043 for all states and localities and for the six individual states. It then projects annual required pension contributions beginning in 2014 under three scenarios: 1) amortizing the unfunded liability valued at an 8-percent discount rate over the next 30 years; 2) amortizing the unfunded liability valued at 5 per­cent over the next 30 years; and 3) continuing to pay contributions at current levels until the trust fund is exhausted and then paying benefits on a pay-as-you-go basis. The final section concludes that whereas public plans are substantially underfunded, in the aggregate they currently account for only 3.8 percent of state and local spending. Assuming 30-year amortization beginning in 2014, this share would rise to only 5.0 percent and, even assuming a 5-percent discount rate, to only 9.1 percent. Aggregate data, however, hide substantial variation. States that have seriously underfunded plans and/or generous benefits, such as California, Illinois, and New Jersey, would see contributions rise to about 8 percent of budgets with an 8-percent discount rate and 12.5 percent with a 5-percent discount rate.State and Local Pensions