Computed Responses of Several Aircraft to Atmospheric Turbulence and Discrete Wind Shears

The computed RMS and peak responses due to atmospheric turbulence and discrete wind shears, respectively, are presented for several aircraft in different flight conditions. The responses are presented with and without the effects of a typical second order washout filter. A complete set of dimensional stability derivatives for each aircraft/flight condition combination evaluated is also presented

A STOL airworthiness investigation using a simulation of a deflected slipstream transport. Volume 1: Summary of results and airworthiness implications

A simulator study of short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft was conducted using a model of a deflected slipstream transport aircraft. The subjects considered are: (1) the approach, (2) flare and landing, (3) go-around, and (4) takeoff phases of flight. The results are summarized and possible implications with regard to airworthiness criteria are discussed. A data base is provided for future STOL airworthiness requirements and a preliminary indication of potential problem areas is developed. Comparison of the simulation results with various proposed STOL criteria indicates significant deficiencies in many of these criteria

Airworthiness criteria development for powered-lift aircraft: A program summary

A four-year simulation program to develop airworthiness criteria for powered-lift aircraft is summarized. All flight phases affected by use of powered lift (approach, landing, takeoff) are treated with regard to airworthiness problem areas (limiting flight conditions and safety margins: stability, control, and performance; and systems failure). The general features of powered-lift aircraft are compared to conventional aircraft

A STOL airworthiness investigation using a simulation of an augmentor wing transport. Volume 2: Simulation data and analysis

A simulator study of STOL airworthiness was conducted using a model of an augmentor wing transport. The approach, flare and landing, go-around, and takeoff phases of flight were investigated. The simulation and the data obtained are described. These data include performance measures, pilot commentary, and pilot ratings. A pilot/vehicle analysis of glide slope tracking and of the flare maneuver is included

Talking academic writing: a conversation analysis of one‐to‐one writing tutorials with students from vocational backgrounds

This paper sheds light on what happens behind the closed door of the academic writing tutorial. Whilst there has been some empirical research on classroom interaction and dyadic tutorials, there has been little examination of the talk that occurs between tutor and student in one‐to‐one academic writing tutorials.  The paper will present the findings of a study that used conversation analysis (CA) to examine the talk of individual academic writing tutorials at a small college‐based Higher Education (HE) campus, where many students have vocational backgrounds.  Undergraduate students with vocational qualifications often have less experience with academic writing than their peers who study A‐levels (Parry 2012).  However, college‐ based HE students also share many of the characteristics and challenges of ‘non‐traditional’ HE students (Caldwell and Cattermole 2015). The study aimed to understand how tutorials are organised, how identities are established and how learning is developed. Data from 17 tutorials carried out with students from a range of courses and years were analysed using CA (Drew and Heritage 1992). The analysis revealed a number of strategies employed to negotiate goals between tutor and student, and how talk is used to achieve neutrality, correction and repair.  Within this context, there is a paucity of research offering guidance for tutors to develop these strategies in the one‐to‐one tutorial. These findings will therefore fill this gap by providing a resource for practitioners to interrogate and reflect on good practice for conducting academic writing tutorials

Long distance literacies: Developing academic engagement and equality of provision for distance learners

The Distance Learning PGCE is a Level 7 course, with many students requiring additional support to develop academic skills at this level. Campus-based students with similar needs have access to academic skills guidance from academic librarians and [institution LD team] which includes self-learn material, drop-in workshops and one-to-one tutorials as well as embedded skills sessions. There are numerous online self-access tutorials for distance learners (see for example [link to institution LD online resources]), however this asynchronous provision inevitably lacks the social and interactive learning opportunities available via synchronous tuition (Hrastinkski, 2008). This can reduce ‘transactional distance’ (Moore, 1993) and result in an unequal learning experience for distance learners. This project seeks to redress the balance by providing a structured programme of synchronous online interactive academic skills workshops (webinars) for distance learners on this course. The project is a collaboration between the Online Learning Tutors, the Academic Librarian and a student partner from the previous year’s cohort. We intend to evaluate the programme by collecting a range of data including participant self-assessment (quantitative); webinar evaluation (quantitative and qualitative) and focus groups (qualitative). Analysis of these data will enable us to answer two key questions: Have students’ academic skills improved as a result of the synchronous learning opportunities? Have the synchronous learning opportunities helped to reduce transactional distance? Although we are still in the data collection phase of the project, preliminary findings indicate a positive response from participants with regard to both questions

Talking Academic Writing: A Conversation Analysis of One-to-One Learning Development Tutorials

Within the Learning Development community there are few professional development opportunities or resources for new entrants to the profession, particularly with regard to conducting individual academic writing tutorials. The current study seeks to address this by analysing the talk of individual academic writing tutorials in order to better understand how tutorials are organised and conducted, how identities and relationships are established and how learning is developed. We analysed the audio recordings of one-to-one academic writing tutorials and used conversation analysis methodology to identify features of effective practice. The analysis revealed an overarching three-part sequential structure to the tutorials and identified several features of effective practice in the middle phase where advice-giving occurs. The key finding was that indirect and complex processes of highlighting problems and arriving at solutions are useful to develop learners’ skills and autonomy. The application of these insights has the potential to contribute to a more evidence-informed reflective community of Learning Development practitioners

Functional requirements for the man-vehicle systems research facility

The NASA Ames Research Center proposed a man-vehicle systems research facility to support flight simulation studies which are needed for identifying and correcting the sources of human error associated with current and future air carrier operations. The organization of research facility is reviewed and functional requirements and related priorities for the facility are recommended based on a review of potentially critical operational scenarios. Requirements are included for the experimenter's simulation control and data acquisition functions, as well as for the visual field, motion, sound, computation, crew station, and intercommunications subsystems. The related issues of functional fidelity and level of simulation are addressed, and specific criteria for quantitative assessment of various aspects of fidelity are offered. Recommendations for facility integration, checkout, and staffing are included

Chikungunya virus vaccine candidates with decreased mutational robustness are attenuated in vivo and have compromised transmissibility

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a reemerged arbovirus, a member of the Togaviridae family. It circulates through mosquito vectors mainly of the Aedes family and a mammalian host. CHIKV causes chikungunya fever, a mild to severe disease characterized by arthralgia, with some fatal outcomes described. In the past years, several outbreaks mainly caused by enhanced adaptation of the virus to the vector and ineffective control of the contacts between infected mosquito populations and the human host have been reported. Vaccines represent the best solution for the control of insect-borne viruses, including CHIKV, but are often unavailable. We designed live attenuated CHIKVs by applying a rational genomic design based on multiple replacements of synonymous codons. In doing so, the virus mutational robustness (capacity to maintain phenotype despite introduction of mutations to genotype) is decreased, driving the viral population toward deleterious evolutionary trajectories. When the candidate viruses were tested in the insect and mammalian hosts, we observed overall strong attenuation in both and greatly diminished signs of disease. Moreover, we found that the vaccine candidates elicited protective immunity related to the production of neutralizing antibodies after a single dose. During an experimental transmission cycle between mosquitoes and naive mice, vaccine candidates could be transmitted by mosquito bite, leading to asymptomatic infection in mice with compromised dissemination. Using deep-sequencing technology, we observed an increase in detrimental (stop) codons, which confirmed the effectiveness of this genomic design. Because the approach involves hundreds of synonymous modifications to the genome, the reversion risk is significantly reduced, rendering the viruses promising vaccine candidates

Do-it-yourself digital: the production boundary, the productivity puzzle and economic welfare

Part of the debate about the ‘productivity puzzle’ concerns potential mismeasurement of GDP due to digital activities. This paper discusses some measurement issues arising from digitally-enabled substitutions in activity across the conventional production boundary. Production boundary issues are not new, as conventionally defined GDP statistics account for the monetary cost but not the time cost of consumption and production. This means changes in the way time is allocated between market and home production affect measured growth and productivity. Just as technological innovation in domestic appliances led to a substitution from home production into market consumption in the second half of the 20th century, today’s digital innovations are driving some reverse substitution out of the market into home production. Statistical agencies do not currently collect the data needed to measure the scale of the switch, but the available evidence suggests it may be enough to make a contribution to understanding the puzzling behaviour of measured productivityEconomics Statistics Centre of Excellenc