Application of advanced technologies to small, short-haul transport aircraft (STAT)

The benefits of selected advanced technologies for 19 and 30 passenger, short-haul aircraft were identified. Advanced technologies were investigated in four areas: aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, and ride quality. Configuration sensitivity studies were conducted to show design tradeoffs associated with passenger capacity, cabin comfort level, and design field length

INTRODUCING A NETWORK OF EMERGING COMMERCIAL TECHNOLOGIES TO COMBAT WILDFIRES ON DOD INSTALLATIONS

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the fiscal, environmental, and health impacts of wildfires aboard Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Pendleton and the potential benefits of incorporating Project Vesta, a system of emerging commercial-off-the-shelf technologies, into Camp Pendleton’s firefighting capabilities. The main objective of this report is to determine the cost of acquiring Project Vesta and the benefit of fielding it aboard Camp Pendleton and other DOD installations at risk from wildfires. First, we determine the growing threat of wildfires to MCB Camp Pendleton and their fiscal, environmental, and health impacts. Second, we analyze current firefighting detection and suppression methods to determine shortfalls and potential costs derived from insufficient responses. Finally, we identify Project Vesta integration opportunities and conduct a sensitivity analysis of the cost-benefit to better combat wildfires aboard MCB Camp Pendleton. This study determines how investing in Project Vesta will allow fire departments to detect fires sooner and suppress fires faster, leading to reduced costs by protecting people, resources, and training environments. Based on this research, we recommend that DOD facilities that are regularly impacted by wildfires acquire the Vesta system and integrate it into their fire departments.Major, United States Marine CorpsMajor, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

High sensitivity 1.06 micron optical receiver for precision laser range finding

Aluminum gallium antimonide avalanche photodiodes with average gain of 10, internal quantum efficiency of greater than 60%, capacitance less than 0.2pf, and dark current of less than 1 micron were designed and fabricated for use in a low noise optical receiver suitable for 2 cm accuracy rangefinding. Topics covered include: (1) design of suitable photodetector structures; (2) epitaxial growth of AlGaSb devices; (3) fabrication of photodetectors; and (4) electro-optics characterization

Molecular features of a human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line with spontaneous metastatic progression

A novel human cell line was established from a primary botryoid rhabdomyosarcoma. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction investigations of this cell line, called RUCH-2, demonstrated expression of the regulatory factors PAX3, Myf3 and Myf5. After 3.5 months in culture, cells underwent a crisis after which Myf3 and Myf5 could no longer be detected, whereas PAX3 expression remained constant over the entire period. Karyotype analysis revealed breakpoints in regions similar to previously described alterations in primary rhabdomyosarcoma tumour samples. Interestingly, cells progressed to a metastatic phenotype, as observed by enhanced invasiveness in vitro and tumour growth in nude mice in vivo. On the molecular level, microarray analysis before and after progression identified extensive changes in the composition of the extracellular matrix. As expected, down-regulation of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases and up-regulation of matrix metalloproteinases were observed. Extensive down-regulation of several death receptors of the tumour necrosis factor family suggests that these cells might have an altered response to appropriate apoptotic stimuli. The RUCH-2 cell line represents a cellular model to study multistep tumorigenesis in human rhabdomyosarcoma, allowing molecular comparison of tumorigenic versus metastatic cancer cells. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Sensational SuperCupboards

While the nation\u27s investment in nutrition assistance is an important and effective tool in fighting hunger and food insecurity, improving the diet quality of low-income Americans remains a major challenge. The SuperCupboard program is a successful community-based approach for educating low-income adults with families, thereby enabling them to prepare and consume healthy, nutritious, and safe diets and to become better managers of their food dollars

Concorde Noise-Induced Building Vibrations, Montgomery County, Maryland

A series of studies are reported to assess the noise induced building vibrations associated with Concorde operations. The levels of induced vibration and associated indoor/outdoor noise levels resulting from aircraft and nonaircraft events in selected homes, historic and other buildings near Dulles International Airport were recorded. The building response resulting from aircraft operations was found to be directly proportional to the overall sound pressure level and approximately independent of the aircraft type. The noise levels and, consequently, the response levels were observed to be higher for the Concorde operations than for the CTOL operations. Furthermore, the vibration could be closely reproduced by playing aircraft noise through a loudspeaker system located near the vibration measurement location. Nonaircraft events such as door closing were again observed to result in higher response levels than those induced by aircraft

The 1.06 optical receiver

High performance 1.06 micron m avalanche photodetectors (APDs), fabricated in the GaAlSb system, have high quantum efficiency (90 percent), high speed (risetime less than 60 ps) and low leakage currents (less than 50 na). The dark current represents more than an order of magnitude reduction compared to previously reported results. The high speed avalanche gain of these devices is between 20 and 50. The area uniformity is better than + or - 10 percent. GaAlAs APDs at 0.53 micron m have even faster speed, lower dark currents, and high speed gains of 100 to 200. Optical rangefinders based on measured APD performance parameters have far superior performance when compared to even ideal photomultiplier tubes in either a one color or two color rangefinder system. For a one color system, f factor of two lower time jitter can be achieved with identical transmitted power. The superiority of the APD based two color receiver is significant and exists in the entire range of desired time jitters (less than 100 ps) and received power levels