Protecting Healthcare Workers From Violence

Growing violence in the community increases the risks of injuries to healthcare workers. This project assessed the levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and acknowledgment of professional accomplishments in healthcare workers in the community who were responsible for the care of confused and combative clients. The community healthcare workers were assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey-Medical Personnel. An intervention was then presented, which focused on self-awareness, including mood assessments, soothing rhythmic breathing, compassionate focused imagery, and the creation of a safe place to process criticism compassionately. The participants were resurveyed after 30 days by repeating the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey-Medical Personnel. The project used a quantitative research method that assessed descriptive statistics with the comparison of means and standard deviations. The inference statistics were determined by the paired sample t test. The project concluded that the intervention significantly improved emotional exhaustion with slight improvements for depersonalization and professional accomplishments

Forecasting Crop Basis Using Historical Averages Supplemented with Current Market Information

This research compares practical methods of forecasting basis, using current market information for wheat, soybeans, corn, and milo (grain sorghum) in Kansas. Though generally not statistically superior, an historical one-year average was optimal for corn, milo, and soybean harvest and post-harvest basis forecasts. A one-year average was also best for wheat post-harvest basis forecasts, whereas a five-year average was the best method for forecasting wheat harvest basis. Incorporating current market information, defined as basis deviation from historical average, improved the accuracy of post-harvest basis forecasts. A naive forecast incorporating current information was often the most accurate for post-harvest basis forecasts.basis forecast, crop basis, current information, naive forecast, Marketing,

INCORPORATING CURRENT INFORMATION INTO HISTORICAL-AVERAGE-BASED FORECASTS TO IMPROVE CROP PRICE BASIS FORECASTS

Being able to accurately predict basis is critical for making marketing and management decisions. Basis forecasts can be used along with futures prices to provide cash price projections. Additionally, basis forecasts are needed to evaluate hedging opportunities. Many studies have examined factors affecting basis but few have explicitly examined the ability to forecast basis. Studies have shown basis forecasts based on simple historical averages compare favorably with more complex forecasting models. However, these studies typically have considered only a 3-year historical average for forecasting basis. This research compares practical methods of forecasting basis for wheat, soybeans, corn, and milo (grain sorghum) in Kansas. Across most of the multiple-year forecast methods considered, absolute basis forecast errors were slightly higher for the harvest forecasts than the post-harvest forecasts. Using an historical 3-year average to forecast basis for wheat and soybeans was optimal as compared to other multiple-year forecasts. For corn and milo, a 2-year average was the optimal multiple-year forecast method. Incorporating current market information, such as current nearby basis deviation from an historical average, into a harvest basis forecast improves accuracy for only the 4 weeks ahead of harvest vantage point, but improves the accuracy of post-harvest basis forecasts (24 weeks after harvest) from nearly all vantage points considered.Marketing,

Show Quality Quarter Horse Auctions: Price Determinants and Buy-Back Practices

This study estimates the price determinants of show quality quarter horses sold at auction. Several characteristics including genetic and physical traits, quality of pedigree, and performance record of the horse, as well as the horse's offspring, were found to significantly impact selling price. Sale order positively affected price and appears to be driven by buyers rather than intentional ordering of the horses. A common practice at horse auctions is for the seller to reject the final bid offered and buy back the horse. Model-predicted prices for these buy-back horses indicate they are not undervalued by the final bids, based on their characteristics.auction, equine, hedonic pricing, quarter horses, Demand and Price Analysis,

Bringing NASA Technology Down to Earth

Whether putting rovers on Mars or sustaining life in extreme conditions, NASA develops technologies to solve some of the most difficult challenges ever faced. Through its Technology Transfer Program, the agency makes the innovations behind space exploration available to industry, academia, and the general public. This paper describes the primary mechanisms through which NASA disseminates technology to solve real-life problems; illustrates recent program accomplishments; and provides examples of spinoff success stories currently impacting everyday life

Ariel - Volume 3 Number 7

Editors Richard J. Bonanno Robin A. Edwards Associate Editors Steven Ager Tom Williams Lay-out Editor Eugenia Miller Contributing Editors Paul Bialas Robert Breckenridge David Jacoby Mike LeWitt Terry Burt Michael Leo Editors Emeritus Delvyn C. Case, Jr. Paul M. Fernhof

MSFC's Advanced Space Propulsion Formulation Task

In NASA s Fiscal Year 2012, a small project was undertaken to provide additional substance, depth, and activity knowledge to the technology areas identified in the In-Space Propulsion Systems Roadmap, Technology Area 02 (TA-02), as created under the auspices of the NASA Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT). This roadmap was divided into four basic groups: (1) Chemical Propulsion, (2) Non-chemical Propulsion, (3) Advanced (TRL<3) Propulsion Technologies, and (4) Supporting Technologies. The first two were grouped according to the governing physics. The third group captured technologies and physic concepts that are at a lower TRL level. The fourth group identified pertinent technical areas that are strongly coupled with these related areas which could allow significant improvements in performance. There were a total of 45 technologies identified in TA-02, and 25 of these were studied in this formulation task. The goal of this task was to provide OCT with a knowledge-base for decisionmaking on advanced space propulsion technologies and not waste money by unintentionally repeating past projects or funding the technologies with minor impacts. This formulation task developed the next level of detail for technologies described and provides context to OCT where investments should be made. The presentation will begin with the list of technologies from TA-02, how they were prioritized for this study, and details on what additional data was captured for the technologies studied. Following this, some samples of the documentation will be provided, followed by plans on how the data will be made accessible

Integrated Testing Approaches for the NASA Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle

The Ares I crew launch vehicle is being developed by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to provide crew and cargo access to the International Space Station (ISS) and, together with the Ares V cargo launch vehicle, serves as a critical component of NASA's future human exploration of the Moon. During the preliminary design phase, NASA defined and began implementing plans for integrated ground and flight testing necessary to achieve the first human launch of Ares I. The individual Ares I flight hardware elements - including the first stage five segment booster (FSB), upper stage, and J-2X upper stage engine - will undergo extensive development, qualification, and certification testing prior to flight. Key integrated system tests include the upper stage Main Propulsion Test Article (MPTA), acceptance tests of the integrated upper stage and upper stage engine assembly, a full-scale integrated vehicle ground vibration test (IVGVT), aerodynamic testing to characterize vehicle performance, and integrated testing of the avionics and software components. The Ares I-X development flight test will provide flight data to validate engineering models for aerodynamic performance, stage separation, structural dynamic performance, and control system functionality. The Ares I-Y flight test will validate ascent performance of the first stage, stage separation functionality, validate the ability of the upper stage to manage cryogenic propellants to achieve upper stage engine start conditions, and a high-altitude demonstration of the launch abort system (LAS) following stage separation. The Orion 1 flight test will be conducted as a full, un-crewed, operational flight test through the entire ascent flight profile prior to the first crewed launch

Pedestrian Behavior Study to Advance Pedestrian Safety in Smart Transportation Systems Using Innovative LiDAR Sensors

Pedestrian safety is critical to improving walkability in cities. Although walking trips have increased in the last decade, pedestrian safety remains a top concern. In 2020, 6,516 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes, representing the most deaths since 1990 (NHTSA, 2020). Approximately 15% of these occurred at signalized intersections where a variety of modes converge, leading to the increased propensity of conflicts. Current signal timing and detection technologies are heavily biased towards vehicular traffic, often leading to higher delays and insufficient walk times for pedestrians, which could result in risky behaviors such as noncompliance. Current detection systems for pedestrians at signalized intersections consist primarily of push buttons. Limitations include the inability to provide feedback to the pedestrian that they have been detected, especially with older devices, and not being able to dynamically extend the walk times if the pedestrians fail to clear the crosswalk. Smart transportation systems play a vital role in enhancing mobility and safety and provide innovative techniques to connect pedestrians, vehicles, and infrastructure. Most research on smart and connected technologies is focused on vehicles; however, there is a critical need to harness the power of these technologies to study pedestrian behavior, as pedestrians are the most vulnerable users of the transportation system. While a few studies have used location technologies to detect pedestrians, this coverage is usually small and favors people with smartphones. However, the transportation system must consider a full spectrum of pedestrians and accommodate everyone. In this research, the investigators first review the previous studies on pedestrian behavior data and sensing technologies. Then the research team developed a pedestrian behavioral data collecting system based on the emerging LiDAR sensors. The system was deployed at two signalized intersections. Two studies were conducted: (a) pedestrian behaviors study at signalized intersections, analyzing the pedestrian waiting time before crossing, generalized perception-reaction time to WALK sign and crossing speed; and (b) a novel dynamic flashing yellow arrow (D-FYA) solution to separate permissive left-turn vehicles from concurrent crossing pedestrians. The results reveal that the pedestrian behaviors may have evolved compared with the recommended behaviors in the pedestrian facility design guideline (e.g., AASHTO’s “Green Book”). The D-FYA solution was also evaluated on the cabinet-in-theloop simulation platform and the improvements were promising. The findings in this study will advance the body of knowledge on equitable traffic safety, especially for pedestrian safety in the future

NASA Technology Transfer Program: FY2017 Accomplishments and FY2018 Program Plan

No abstract availabl