Downsizing the Navy: Privatization of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Indianapolis--A Case Study

Proceedings Paper (for Acquisition Research Program)Abstract: Case Objectives - Strategic: When faced with a BRAC decision (1) identify and analyze the stakeholders; (2) develop top level guidance with an overarching process framework; and, (3) develop and evaluate alternative courses of action, completing ''customer satisfaction,'' business case, and risk analyses. Tactical: Once an alternative is selected, develop a detailed implementation plan to address (1) transition issues; (2) economic development and agreement terms and conditions from City and business perspectives; and, (3) contract terms and conditions from the business and Navy perspectives. Lesson Learned/Reflections: Identify potential risks and mitigations, barriers to implementation, success factors, and best practices; and make recommendations for future privatizations.Naval Postgraduate School Acquisition Research ProgramApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Phased array transducer for billet inspection

A phased array transducer design for billet inspection is presented. The transducer sweeps a uniform focus in both depth and angle to assure uniform coverage of the billet volume, particularly at the billet center, where coverage depends critically on transducer alignment. Design concepts are presented which enable the transducer to sweep a tight focus in both depth and angle using 63 discrete time delays. Design concepts and specifications are summarized, and experimental verification of design performance is presented. Data acquisition protocols are discussed enabling the phased array inspection to operate at production speeds

Genetic mapping and legume synteny of aphid resistance in African cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) grown in California.

The cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora Koch (CPA) is a destructive insect pest of cowpea, a staple legume crop in Sub-Saharan Africa and other semiarid warm tropics and subtropics. In California, CPA causes damage on all local cultivars from early vegetative to pod development growth stages. Sources of CPA resistance are available in African cowpea germplasm. However, their utilization in breeding is limited by the lack of information on inheritance, genomic location and marker linkage associations of the resistance determinants. In the research reported here, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from a cross between a susceptible California blackeye cultivar (CB27) and a resistant African breeding line (IT97K-556-6) was genotyped with 1,536 SNP markers. The RILs and parents were phenotyped for CPA resistance using field-based screenings during two main crop seasons in a 'hotspot' location for this pest within the primary growing region of the Central Valley of California. One minor and one major quantitative trait locus (QTL) were consistently mapped on linkage groups 1 and 7, respectively, both with favorable alleles contributed from IT97K-556-6. The major QTL appeared dominant based on a validation test in a related F2 population. SNP markers flanking each QTL were positioned in physical contigs carrying genes involved in plant defense based on synteny with related legumes. These markers could be used to introgress resistance alleles from IT97K-556-6 into susceptible local blackeye varieties by backcrossing

Association Studies and Legume Synteny Reveal Haplotypes Determining Seed Size in Vigna unguiculata.

Highly specific seed market classes for cowpea and other grain legumes exist because grain is most commonly cooked and consumed whole. Size, shape, color, and texture are critical features of these market classes and breeders target development of cultivars for market acceptance. Resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses that are absent from elite breeding material are often introgressed through crosses to landraces or wild relatives. When crosses are made between parents with different grain quality characteristics, recovery of progeny with acceptable or enhanced grain quality is problematic. Thus genetic markers for grain quality traits can help in pyramiding genes needed for specific market classes. Allelic variation dictating the inheritance of seed size can be tagged and used to assist the selection of large seeded lines. In this work we applied 1,536-plex SNP genotyping and knowledge of legume synteny to characterize regions of the cowpea genome associated with seed size. These marker-trait associations will enable breeders to use marker-based selection approaches to increase the frequency of progeny with large seed. For 804 individuals derived from eight bi-parental populations, QTL analysis was used to identify markers linked to 10 trait determinants. In addition, the population structure of 171 samples from the USDA core collection was identified and incorporated into a genome-wide association study which supported more than half of the trait-associated regions important in the bi-parental populations. Seven of the total 10 QTLs were supported based on synteny to seed size associated regions identified in the related legume soybean. In addition to delivering markers linked to major trait determinants in the context of modern breeding, we provide an analysis of the diversity of the USDA core collection of cowpea to identify genepools, migrants, admixture, and duplicates

A major QTL corresponding to the Rk locus for resistance to root-knot nematodes in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.).

Key messageGenome resolution of a major QTL associated with the Rk locus in cowpea for resistance to root-knot nematodes has significance for plant breeding programs and R gene characterization. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) is a susceptible host of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) (RKN), major plant-parasitic pests in global agriculture. To date, breeding for host resistance in cowpea has relied on phenotypic selection which requires time-consuming and expensive controlled infection assays. To facilitate marker-based selection, we aimed to identify and map quantitative trait loci (QTL) conferring the resistance trait. One recombinant inbred line (RIL) and two F2:3 populations, each derived from a cross between a susceptible and a resistant parent, were genotyped with genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The populations were screened in the field for root-galling symptoms and/or under growth-chamber conditions for nematode reproduction levels using M. incognita and M. javanica biotypes. One major QTL was mapped consistently on linkage group VuLG11 of each population. By genotyping additional cowpea lines and near-isogenic lines derived from conventional backcrossing, we confirmed that the detected QTL co-localized with the genome region associated with the Rk locus for RKN resistance that has been used in conventional breeding for many decades. This chromosomal location defined with flanking markers will be a valuable target in marker-assisted breeding and for positional cloning of genes controlling RKN resistance

Acute effects of ingesting a commercial thermogenic drink on changes in energy expenditure and markers of lipolysis

Background: To determine the acute effects of ingesting a thermogenic drink (Celsius, Delray Beach, FL) (TD) on changes in metabolism and lipolysis. Methods: Healthy college-aged male (23.2 ± 4.0 y, 177.2 ± 6.1 cm, 81.7 ± 11.3 kg, 22.8 ± 7.3 % fat; n = 30) and female (23.4 ± 3.1 y, 165.6 ± 8.7 cm, 62.1 ± 9.9 kg, 28.3 ± 7.4 % fat; n = 30) participants were matched according to height and weight to consume 336 ml of the TD or a noncaloric, non-caffeinated placebo (PLA). After a 12 h fast, participants reported for pre-consumption measures of height, weight, heart rate, blood pressure, resting energy expenditure (REE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), glycerol and free-fatty acid (FFA) concentrations. REE and RER were determined at 60, 120, and 180 min post-consumption. Serum glycerol and FFA concentrations were determined at 30, 60, 120 and 180 min post-consumption. Results: When compared to PLA, TD significantly increased REE at 60, 120 and 180 min (p < 0.05). FFA concentrations were significantly greater in TD compared to PLA at 30, 60, 120 and 180 min post-consumption (p < 0.05). No between-group differences were found in RER. Conclusion: Acute TD ingestion significantly increased REE, FFA and glycerol appearance. If sustained, these changes may help to promote weight loss and improve body composition; however, these findings are currently unknown as are the general safety and efficacy of prolonged consumption

The Solar-System-Scale Disk Around AB Aurigae

The young star AB Aurigae is surrounded by a complex combination of gas-rich and dust dominated structures. The inner disk which has not been studied previously at sufficient resolution and imaging dynamic range seems to contain very little gas inside a radius of least 130 astronomical units (AU) from the star. Using adaptive-optics coronagraphy and polarimetry we have imaged the dust in an annulus between 43 and 302 AU from the star, a region never seen before. An azimuthal gap in an annulus of dust at a radius of 102 AU, along with a clearing at closer radii inside this annulus, suggests the formation of at least one small body at an orbital distance of about 100 AU. This structure seems consistent with crude models of mean motion resonances, or accumulation of material at two of the Lagrange points relative to the putative object and the star. We also report a low significance detection of a point source in this outer annulus of dust. This source may be an overdensity in the disk due to dust accreting onto an unseen companion. An alternate interpretation suggests that the object's mass is between 5 and 37 times the mass of Jupiter. The results have implications for circumstellar disk dynamics and planet formation.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal, V. 680, June 10, 200

Efficacy and safety of a popular thermogenic drink after 28 days of ingestion

Background: We have recently demonstrated that consuming a thermogenic drink (TD) acutely increases energy expenditure and serum markers of lipolysis in healthy, college-aged individuals. The purpose of this study was to determine if consuming TD over 28 days affects its acute thermogenic and lipolytic effects as well as body composition and clinical chemistry safety markers. Methods: Sixty healthy, males (mean ± SE; 23 ± 1 years, 177 ± 2 cm, 81.7 ± 2.1 kg, 22.8 ± 1.4% body fat; n = 30) and females (23 ± 1 years, 166 ± 2 cm, 62.1 ± 1.8 kg, 28.3 ± 1.4% body fat; n = 30) reported to the laboratory on day 0 (T1) for determination of body composition, resting energy expenditure (REE) as well as glycerol and free fatty acid (FFA) levels before and after ingesting either 336 ml of TD or a non-caloric, non-caffeinated placebo (PLA) drink. Following day 0, participants supplemented daily with 336 ml•day-1 of either TD or PLA and repeated identical testing procedures on day 28 (T2). Day 28 area under the curve (AUC) values were calculated for REE, FFA, and glycerol. Day 28 acute data and prolonged AUC comparisons between groups were analyzed using ANOVAs with repeated measures. Results: Percent body fat (p = 0.02) and fat mass (p = 0.01) decreased in the TD group compared to the PLA group after 28 days. Day 28 FFA AUC values (p = 0.048) were greater in the TD group compared to the PLA group. There was no significant difference in day 28 REE AUC values (p = 0.30) or glycerol AUC values (p = 0.21), although a significant increase in REE values in the PLA group may have confounded these findings. There were no differences between groups concerning blood and clinical safety markers. Conclusion: Within-group elevations in FFA and REE values in the TD group were still evident following a 28-day supplementation period which may contribute to the observed decrements in %BF. Further, prolonged TD supplementation did not alter the assessed clinical safety markers. Future studies should examine the synergistic and independent effects of the active ingredients in addition to effects of longer ingestion periods of TD ingestion with or without exercise at promoting and sustaining changes in body composition

Association Between Early Hyperoxia Exposure After Resuscitation From Cardiac Arrest and Neurological Disability: Prospective Multicenter Protocol-Directed Cohort Study

BACKGROUND: Studies examining the association between hyperoxia exposure after resuscitation from cardiac arrest and clinical outcomes have reported conflicting results. Our objective was to test the hypothesis that early postresuscitation hyperoxia is associated with poor neurological outcome. METHODS: This was a multicenter prospective cohort study. We included adult patients with cardiac arrest who were mechanically ventilated and received targeted temperature management after return of spontaneous circulation. We excluded patients with cardiac arrest caused by trauma or sepsis. Per protocol, partial pressure of arterial oxygen (Pao2) was measured at 1 and 6 hours after return of spontaneous circulation. Hyperoxia was defined as a Pao2 >300 mm Hg during the initial 6 hours after return of spontaneous circulation. The primary outcome was poor neurological function at hospital discharge, defined as a modified Rankin Scale score >3. Multivariable generalized linear regression with a log link was used to test the association between Pao2 and poor neurological outcome. To assess whether there was an association between other supranormal Pao2 levels and poor neurological outcome, we used other Pao2 cut points to define hyperoxia (ie, 100, 150, 200, 250, 350, 400 mm Hg). RESULTS: Of the 280 patients included, 105 (38%) had exposure to hyperoxia. Poor neurological function at hospital discharge occurred in 70% of patients in the entire cohort and in 77% versus 65% among patients with versus without exposure to hyperoxia respectively (absolute risk difference, 12%; 95% confidence interval, 1-23). Hyperoxia was independently associated with poor neurological function (relative risk, 1.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.35). On multivariable analysis, a 1-hour-longer duration of hyperoxia exposure was associated with a 3% increase in risk of poor neurological outcome (relative risk, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.02-1.05). We found that the association with poor neurological outcome began at ≥300 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS: Early hyperoxia exposure after resuscitation from cardiac arrest was independently associated with poor neurological function at hospital discharge

Increased police patrols for preventing alcohol-impaired driving.

BACKGROUND: Road traffic injuries cause 1.2 million deaths worldwide each year. Alcohol consumption increases the risk of traffic crashes, especially fatal crashes. Increased police patrols aim to increase both the perceived and actual likelihood of being caught driving while alcohol-impaired, potentially reducing alcohol-related driving, crashes and injuries. OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects on injuries and crashes of increased police patrols that target alcohol-impaired driving. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Injuries Group Specialised Register (5/2006), CENTRAL (The Cochrane Library 2006, Issue 2), MEDLINE (1966 to 5/2006), TRANSPORT (1968 to 5/2006), C2-SPECTR (2/2005), NCJRS (1/1951 to 5/2006), PsycINFO (1872 to 5/2006), Social Science Citation Index (1974 to 5/2006), SIGLE (1980 to 2/2006), Science Citation Index Expanded (1970 to 5/2006), Dissertation Abstracts (1870 to 5/2006), NTIS (1964 to 12/2004), conference proceedings, and reference lists. We contacted authors of eligible studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized controlled trials, controlled trials, controlled before and after studies, interrupted time series (ITS) studies, and controlled ITS studies evaluating increased police patrols, either alone or combined with other interventions, targeting alcohol-impaired motor vehicle drivers. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two investigators independently screened citations, extracted data, and assessed quality criteria. We compared intervention and no-intervention geographical areas or time periods. We re-analyzed study data as required. Results are presented narratively. MAIN RESULTS: The 32 eligible studies included one randomized controlled trial, eight controlled before-after studies, 14 controlled ITS studies, six ITS studies, and three studies with both ITS and controlled before-after analyses. Most interventions targeted only alcohol-impaired driving (69%) and included additional interventions such as media campaigns or special training for police officers (91%). Only two studies reported sufficient information to assess study quality completely. Two-thirds of studies were scored 'not adequate' on at least one feature. Five of six studies evaluating traffic fatalities reported reductions with the intervention, but differences were statistically significant in only one study. Effects of intervention on traffic injuries were inconsistent in the six studies evaluating this outcome, and no results were statistically significant. All four controlled studies evaluating fatal crashes reported reductions with the intervention, which were statistically significant in one study. All 12 controlled studies assessing injury crashes reported greater reductions with the intervention, though effects were minimal or not significant in several studies. ITS studies showed less consistent effects on fatal crashes (three studies) and injury crashes (four studies), and effect estimates were typically imprecise. Thirteen of 20 studies showed reductions in total crashes and about two-thirds of these were statistically significant. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Studies examining increased police patrol programs were generally consistent in reporting beneficial effects on traffic crashes and fatalities, but study quality and reporting were often poor. Methodological limitations included inadequate sample size, dissimilar baseline measures, contamination, and inadequate data analysis. Thus existing evidence, although supportive, does not firmly establish whether increased police patrols, implemented with or without other intervention elements, reduce the adverse consequences of alcohol-impaired driving