The development of a post-test diagnostic system for rocket engines

An effort was undertaken by NASA to develop an automated post-test, post-flight diagnostic system for rocket engines. The automated system is designed to be generic and to automate the rocket engine data review process. A modular, distributed architecture with a generic software core was chosen to meet the design requirements. The diagnostic system is initially being applied to the Space Shuttle Main Engine data review process. The system modules currently under development are the session/message manager, and portions of the applications section, the component analysis section, and the intelligent knowledge server. An overview is presented of a rocket engine data review process, the design requirements and guidelines, the architecture and modules, and the projected benefits of the automated diagnostic system

Factor Supplies and Specialization in the World Economy

A core prediction of the Heckscher-Ohlin theory is that countries specialize in goods in which they have a comparative advantage, and that the source of comparative advantage is differences in relative factor supplies. To examine this theory, we use the most extensive dataset available and document the pattern of industrial specialization and factor endowment differences in a broad sample of rich and developing countries over a lengthy period (1970-92). Next, we develop an empirical model of specialization based on factor endowments, allowing for unmeasurable technological differences and estimate it using panel data techniques. In addition to estimating the effects of factor endowments, we also consider the alternative hypothesis that the level of aggregate productivity by itself can explain specialization. Our results clearly show the importance of factor endowments on specialization: relative endowments do matter.

Investment and the Cost of Capital: New Evidence from the Corporate Bond Market

We study the effect of variation in interest rates on investment spending, employing a large panel data set that links yields on outstanding corporate bonds to the issuer income and balance sheet statements. The bond price data -- based on trades in the secondary market -- enable us to construct a firm-specific measure of the user cost of capital based on the marginal cost of external finance as determined in the market for long-term corporate debt. Our results imply a robust and quantitatively important effect of the user cost of capital on the firm-level investment decisions. According to our estimates, a 1 percentage point increase in the user cost of capital implies a reduction in the investment rate of 50 to 75 basis points and, in the long run, a 1 percent reduction in the stock of capital.

Recent developments in business lending by commercial banks

After growing rapidly during much of the 1990s, the real value of commercial and industrial (C&I) loans at domestic commercial banks and at U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banks has fallen 19 percent since the beginning of 2001. The recent contraction in business loans has been concentrated at large banking institutions and appears to stem from the combined effects of weak demand for credit and a tightening of lending standards and terms. The move toward a more-stringent lending posture, although partly cyclical, also reflects a reassessment of the risks and returns of C&I lending. This reassessment, in turn, is due partly to structural changes in the market, including the increased participation of nonbank financial institutions, the growth of the secondary loan market, and the greater use of credit derivatives by some banks.Commercial loans ; Bank loans

The importance of credit for macroeconomic activity: identification through heterogeneity

Bank loans ; Monetary policy - United States ; Macroeconomics

Profits and balance sheet developments at U.S. commercial banks in 2000

The profitability of the U.S. commercial banking industry remained robust in 2000, but returns on equity and on commercial bank assets fell back somewhat from the peak reached in 1999. The falloff reflected a continuation of the decline in net interest margin that dates from the extraordinarily high levels of the early 1990s, a significant increase in loan-loss provisions, and a notable slowing in noninterest income growth. The expansion of bank balance sheets was much stronger in 2000 than in the preceding year, as growth of both loans and securities accelerated. The pickup in loan growth resulted mainly from a marked decline in securitizations, which boosted the growth of consumer loans in bank portfolios, and from business and real estate lending. The faster growth of securities was due to a surge in trading accounts, as runoffs of U.S. Treasury securities damped the growth of investment accounts.Banks and banking ; Bank profits ; Bank assets

Special Feature: CTL Directors Need to Be Centered

Dr. Todd D. Zakrajsek began his career as an adjunct professor, teaching at a small private college, a technical school, and distance education classes for a large university. Securing a tenure-track position at a small regional college in the Pacific Northwest in the fall of 1994, Todd started a center for teaching and learning in his third year at that institution. For his efforts, he received a budget of $500 his first year. The following year his budget went to$5,000 and a one-course release. In year three, the budget was $20,000 with additional release time. While at that small regional college, he was promoted to associate professor and tenured, partly for his campus-wide faculty development work. In 2001, Todd resigned tenure to accept a position as the founding director of a center for teaching and learning at a research university in the Midwest. With an office consisting of himself and an office professional, he began to develop resources for a campus with approximately 650 full time faculty members. In 2003, the provost merged the faculty development center he was leading with the learning technologies group. Todd became the director of the combined office, with a large staff and a budget of approximately$800,000. He also served as Co-PI on a Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grant to provide resources to distance and adjunct faculty. In 2008, Todd resigned from his job as faculty development director to become the Executive Director of a large research extensive university in the South. There, he successfully assisted with the transformation of a long-standing and successful teaching center into a center providing support in teaching, research, and leadership; he was responsible for hiring six positions and managed a budget of $1.2 million. In 2012, Todd began working in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, as an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and in the Academy of Educators to assist in building resources for faculty in the School of Medicine. He is still at the UNC School of Medicine. Concurrent with his institutional work, over the past 20 years, Todd has been directing Lilly Teaching Conferences and publishing extensively in the area of effective teaching and learning. Given Todd’s extensive experience in faculty development for 25 years in various types of institutions, regions, and faculty served, we have asked him to write a series on essential issues needed by directors of faculty development efforts. This series suggests areas for faculty developers to consider, along with tips and techniques Todd has found helpful along the way. In this issue, Todd describes CTL director’s workload challenges and offers advise for avoiding burnout. If there is a specific topic you would like Todd to address, contact JCTL’s incoming Editor-in-Chief at [email protected]. &nbsp

Essentials Skills in Building and Sustaining a Faculty Development Center: Budget and Staff

Dr. Todd Zakrajsek began his career as an adjunct professor, teaching at a small private college, a technical school, and distance education classes. Securing a tenure-track position at a small regional college in the Pacific Northwest in the fall of 1994, Todd started a center for teaching and learning in his third year there. For his efforts he received a budget of $50 his first year. The next year it went to$5,000 and a one-course release. In year three, the budget was $20,000 with additional release time. While there, he was promoted to associate professor and tenured, partly for his campus-wide faculty development work. In 2001, Todd resigned tenure to take a position as the founding director of a center for teaching and learning at a research university in the Midwest. With a staff of himself and an office professional, he began to develop resources for a campus with approximately 650 full-time faculty members. In 2003, the faculty development center he was leading was merged with the learning technologies group, and Todd was asked to be the director of the combined office. About this time, he also served as Co-PI on a Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) grant to provide resources to distance and adjunct faculty. In 2008, Todd resigned his job as faculty development director to accept a position as the Executive Director of a large research extensive university in the South. He was successful in assisting with the transformation from a long-standing and successful teaching center into a center providing support in teaching, research, and leadership. There, he was responsible for hiring six positions and managed a budget of$1.2 million. In 2012, Todd began working in the School of Medicine at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, as an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and also in the Academy of Educators to assist in building resources for faculty in the School of Medicine.Given Todd’s extensive experience in faculty development for over 15 years in a variety of types of institutions, regions, and faculty served, we have asked him to write a series on essential issues needed by directors of faculty development efforts. This series is designed to suggest areas for faculty developers to consider along with tips and techniques Todd has found to be helpful along the way. In this issue, Todd focuses on budget and staff concerns. Possible future topics will include how to get and maintain support on campus, what programs to offer, bringing outside experts to campus, assessing/documenting your successes, and strategic planning. If there is a topic you would like to see covered, contact the Editor-in-Chief at [email protected]

Oh, the Places Your Center Can Go: Possible Programs to Offer

Given Todd’s extensive experience in faculty development for 20 years in a variety of types of institutions, regions, and faculty served, we have asked him to write a series on essential issues needed by directors of faculty development efforts. This series is designed to suggest areas for faculty developers to consider along with tips and techniques Todd has found to be helpful along the way. In this issue, Todd focuses on what programs to offer. Possible future topics will include how to get and maintain support on campus, bringing outside experts to campus, assessing/documenting your successes, and strategic planning. If there is a specific topic you would like to see addressed, contact the Editor-in-Chief at [email protected]

Near-field testing of the 30 GHz TRW proof-of-concept multibeam antenna

Near-field testing was conducted on the 30 GHz TRW proof-of-concept (POC) Multibeam Antenna (MBA). The TRW POC MBA is a dual offset Cassegrain reflector system using a 2.7 m main reflector. This configuration was selected to assess the ability to create both multiple fixed and scanned spot beams. The POC configuration investigated frequency reuse via spatial separation of beams, polarization selectivity and time division multiple access scanning at 30 GHz. Measurements of directivity, sidelobe level, and pattern were made at NASA Lewis Research Center's Near-Field Antenna Test Facility. Presented in this paper are complete results of these measurements. Included is a detailed discussion of all testing procedures and parameters. Results of additional testing used to evaluate diffraction effects of the subreflector and distortions of the main reflector are also presented