Satellite Power System (SPS) public outreach experiment

An outreach experiment was conducted to improve the results of the satellite power system (SPS) concept development and evaluation program. The objectives of the outreach were to: (1) determine the areas of major concern relative to the SPS concept and (2) gain experience with an outreach process for use in future public involvement. The response to the outreach effort was positive, suggesting that the effort extended by the SPS project division to encourage an information exchange with the public was well received. The responses were analyzed and from them some questions and answers about the satellite power system are presented

Hush Don\u27t Say a Word: Safeguarding Student\u27s Freedom of Expression in the Trump Era

The controversy surrounding NFL player Colin Kaepernick’s act of kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality against people of color continues to permeate public discourse. In March 2017, President Trump referenced Colin Kaepernick’s symbolic act during a rally in Louisville, Kentucky, in an effort to illustrate his strong opposition to anyone kneeling during the national anthem. In this speech, President Trump stated that although many NFL franchise owners were interested in signing Colin Kaepernick, many were afraid of receiving a nasty tweet from him. Likewise, in another speech, President Trump stated, “I think it’s a great lack of respect and appreciation for our country and I really think they should try another country, see if they like it better.” Although President Trump is referring to professional athletes in both of the aforementioned public statements, what about the thousands of students who participated in the nationwide walkout to protest gun violence in the aftermath of the Parkland school shooting? Or the hundreds of youth football players that are kneeling during the national anthem in an effort to mimic their professional idols? This article takes the position that students have the constitutional right under the First Amendment to engage in expressive activities, political speech, and symbolic speech without interference or censor from the state. Certainly, schools can educate, but they cannot indoctrinate based on a prescribed orthodoxy. Therefore, any attempts to limit or discipline students from participating in expressive activities, such as social protests, in K-12 schools that does not cause a material disruption to the learning environment is unconstitutional. Currently, students’ First Amendment rights in K- 12 schools reside in a sea of ambiguity where the Supreme Court has acknowledged that students are considered ‘persons’ under our Constitution and thus entitled to fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression, yet in the same vein marginalize those same rights in subsequent decisions by permitting school authorities to limit freedom of speech under certain circumstances. This article offers a path toward safeguarding students’ First Amendment rights to engage in expressive activities, political speech and symbolic speech in K-12 schools by amending existing anti-Hazelwood statutes to explicitly include protections for student social protests, as long as such conduct does not cause a material disruption to the school learning environment. Furthermore, the proposed amendment to anti- Hazelwood statutes will limit the reach of Tinker’s Material Disruption Standard so that school officials do not have unbridled discretion to censor student expression

BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP: SPORT SCIENCE SERVICES FOR U.S. DIVING

Applied biomechanists must often cross the bridge from science to practice. Practitioners and scientists should work together in a seamless and supportive manner. Many models for integrating sport science services into high-performance sport have been used, with varying results (Benton, 2003; Wang, 2005). In the United States, the sport of diving has included science in its high-performance programs for more than 25 years, using a variety of models (McLaughlin, 2007). Initially, sport science was integrated into the performance program as a budget item, offering funding to proposals put forth from specific sport science and medicine disciplines, typically from University academics. An annual sport science and technology conference was funded and served as the primary means by which research findings were provided to coaches. In 2002, USA Diving adopted an interdisciplinary approach of sport science and sports medicine services in the continuing quest for podium finishes. A Performance Enhancement Team (PET) was created which included specialists in nutrition, physiology, biomechanics, medicine, and psychology. Interaction with coaches and athletes occurred primarily at bi-annual training camps, and included educational presentations, data collection and assessment, and individual feedback to athletes and coaches from the PET. Following the 2008 Olympics, the PET and its organizational tenets were dissolved. A new high performance director was hired, bringing a fresh view of diving excellence and a reduced attention to sport science and medicine services. In the London Games, USA diving won its first Olympic medals in 12 years (n = 4), including our first medals in the synchronized events. This paper will discuss the author’s experiences as a contributor to sport science services with USA Diving during the past 20 years, present research and service successes and challenges, and suggest tactics for future sport science practitioners integrating their services with sport national governing bodies

Taxonomy of the Allium Tribracteatum (Alliaceae) Complex

Allium tribracteatum and related species present a confusing array in California. Previous attempts at classification have been largely unsuccessful and keys that are available are unworkable. Herbarium and field studies were initiated to ascertain if previously overlooked characteristics could be found that would elucidate relationships within the group. Members of the complex were examined morphologically and cytologically. Based on these investigations four of the seven previously described taxa are considered valid: A. cratericola, A. obtusum, A. tribracteatum, and A. yosemitense. Allium tribracteatum is redefined and A. obtusum is divided into two varieties. Allium obtusum var. conspicuum var. n. is described. A key to the species is presented and relationships within the complex are discussed

Dismantling Structural Inequality: Lock Ups, Systemic Chokeholds, and Race-Based Policing - A Symposium Summary

The prominence of the carceral state in American society serves to undermine basic principles of democracy and justice, disproportionately displacing people of color and excluding them from all viable avenues of citizenship

Modifications of a Composite-Material Combustion Chamber

Two short reports discuss modifications of a small, lightweight combustion chamber that comprises a carbon/carbon composite outer shell and an iridium/ rhenium inner liner. The first report discusses chamber design modifications made as results of hot-fire tests and post-test characterization. The Books & Reports 32 NASA Tech Briefs, June 2005 modifications were intended to serve a variety of purposes, including improving fabrication, reducing thermal-expansion mismatch stresses, increasing strength-to-weight ratios of some components, and improving cooling of some components. The second report discusses (1) the origin of stress in the mismatch between the thermal expansions of the Ir/Re liner and a niobium sleeve and flange attached to the carbon/ carbon shell and (2) a modification intended to relieve the stress. The modification involves the redesign of an inlet connection to incorporate a compressible seal between the Ir/Re liner and the Nb flange. A nickel alloy was selected as the seal material on the basis of its thermal-expansion properties and its ability to withstand the anticipated stresses, including the greatest stresses caused by the high temperatures to be used in brazing during fabrication

VERTICAL IMPACT FORCE AND LOADING RATE ON THE GYMNASTICS TABLE VAULT

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of low and high intensity impact forces on the average loading rate during a forward handspring vault. Peak force, time to peak and impulse were used to characterize the impact vertical force during a vault performed by 12 female gymnasts. Reaction forces from right and left hands were measured at 500 Hz with two PASCO portable force platforms fixed to the vault table surface. Force data were split in two groups: Low intensity (LI: peak forces 0.7 BW). Significant differences (

A Phylogenomic Assessment of Ancient Polyploidy and Genome Evolution Across the Poales

Comparisons of flowering plant genomes reveal multiple rounds of ancient polyploidy characterized by large intra-genomic syntenic blocks. Three such whole genome duplication (WGD) events, designated as rho (ρ), sigma (σ), and tau (τ), have been identified in the genomes of cereal grasses. Precise dating of these WGD events is necessary to investigate how they have influenced diversification rates, evolutionary innovations, and genomic characteristics such as the GC profile of protein coding sequences. The timing of these events has remained uncertain due to the paucity of monocot genome sequence data outside the grass family (Poaceae). Phylogenomic analysis of protein coding genes from sequenced genomes and transcriptome assemblies from 35 species, including representatives of all families within the Poales, has resolved the timing ofrho and sigma relative to speciation events and placed tau prior to divergence of Asparagales and the commelinids but after divergence with eudicots. Examination of gene family phylogenies indicates that rhooccurred just prior to the diversification of Poaceae and sigma occurred before early diversification of Poales lineages but after the Poales-commelinid split. Additional lineage specific WGD events were identified on the basis of the transcriptome data. Gene families exhibiting high GC content are underrepresented among those with duplicate genes that persisted following these genome duplications. However, genome duplications had little overall influence on lineage-specific changes in the GC content of coding genes. Improved resolution of the timing of WGD events in monocot history provides evidence for the influence of polyploidization on functional evolution and species diversification