An Analysis of the Dynamics of the US Commercial Air Transportation System

Major trends in the airline industry are analyzed to highlight key dynamics that govern the US domestic air transportation system. The hypothesis is that air travel supply and demand equilibriums, a reliance on outside capital, and intra-industry competition are among the most critical forces that are driving the current restructuring of the airline industry. Data on airline operational and financial performance is used to trace these dynamics as the industry evolved through periods of industry deregulation, an economic growth bubble, and the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001. The thesis identifies the post-deregulation development of hub-and-spoke networks and yield management systems as the key forces that would set the stage for a bifurcation of the air travel market during a cycle of economic growth in the late 1990’s. During this bubble economy, the dynamics of supply and demand fundamentally shifted as the major carriers focused on high-revenue, high-cost operations and travelers began to flock to newer low-fare, low-cost carriers. With the end of the economic growth cycle in 2000, the bifurcation of the airline industry began to affect revenues and profits at the major carriers. Massive and unprecedented industry losses would ensue, and would be compounded by the attacks of 9/11. Airline operational strategies in response to 9/11 and longer-term restructuring efforts are discussed in order to further identify the key dynamics affecting the air transportation system. These dynamics are synthesized and then discussed within the broader context of the air transportation system, the impact of air travel on the economy and mobility, and the role of government.MIT Global Airline Industry Program, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Air Transportation And Socioeconomic Connectivity In The United States Since Deregulation

In light of ongoing threats to the viability of traditional airline business models and the provision of air service in the United States, this paper studies the fundamental interdependence of the national economy and the air transportation system. A conceptual framework has been developed to identify the mechanisms that enable air transportation to shape regional economic productivity and social connectivity. Regional economic census data is combined with airline traffic and financial data to illustrate the changes in supply and demand for air travel after the deregulation of the airline industry in 1978. The paper focuses on how the utilization of air transportation system supports economic and social activities across greater distances than would otherwise be possible—changing the economic geography of market access. An analysis of industry restructuring after the economic bubble and the attacks of September 11, 2001 are also used to look at the potential impacts on economic activity at the regional and national levels

Impact of Air Transportation on Regional Economic and Social Connectivity in the United States

This paper identifies some of the forces that influence the impact of air transportation on regional connectivity and economic productivity in the United States. In light of recent threats to the financial viability of the airline industry, a conceptual model has been developed to highlight the interdependence of the national economy and the air transportation system. These complex relationships are identified using regional economic and social indicators combined with airline traffic and financial data. The changes in supply and demand for air travel after the deregulation of the airline industry in 1978—as well as the challenges faced after the attacks of September 11, 2001—are used to frame this discussion.Alfred P. Sloan Foundatio

Recent developments in the assessment of nutrition knowledge in athletes

Purpose of Review Adequate nutrition knowledge may influence dietary behaviour, and the performance and health of athletes. Assessment of the nutrition knowledge of athletes can inform practice and provide a quantitative way to evaluate education interventions. This article aims to review nutrition knowledge questionnaires published in the last 5 years to identify advances, possible improvements in questionnaire development and design, and challenges that remain. Recent Findings Twelve new or modified questionnaires were identified. All had undergone validity and reliability testing. Advancements included quantitative measures of content validity and Rasch analysis. Online questionnaires were common, with at least seven using this format. Advances included use of images (n = 2), automated scored feedback (n = 1), and use of applied questions. Summary While advancements have been made in validation and reliability testing and electronic delivery, new questionnaires would benefit from interactive and attractive features including images, provision of electronic feedback, and applied questions

Do You Feel Financially Secured? The Investigation of Economic Indicators of Financial Well-Being

The economy has been in downward movement in the past few years in the United States as well as different parts of the world. Consumers’ financial situations have been found to influence their purchase behaviors. While some personal finance experts blame consumers’ (lack of) spending plans for their financial situations, others suggest that consumers’ perception of their financial standing influences their purchase plans. Using a nationwide large scale survey study, we examined the value of applying economic indicators as proxy measure of financial well-being. Instead of income or debts, wealth was found to be the most important economic indicator of financial well-being

Do You Feel Financially Secured? The Investigation of Economic Indicators and Consequences of Financial Well-Being

The economy has been in downward movement in the past few years in the United States as well as different parts of the world. Consumers’ financial situations have been found to influence their purchase behaviors. While some personal finance experts blame consumers’ (lack of) spending plans for their financial situations, others suggest that consumers’ perception of their financial standing influences their purchase plans. Using two nationwide large scale survey studies, we investigated how the consumer’s financial well-being affects planned and unplanned purchasing decisions from two competing perspectives. Supporting our notion of financial well-being as a status, the results revealed consumers with high financial well-being are more likely to make planned purchases and less likely to make unplanned purchases. We also examined the value of applying economic indicators as proxy measure of financial well-being. Instead of income or debts, wealth was found to be the most important economic indicator of financial well-being

Development of a pointing, acquisition, and tracking system for a CubeSat optical communication module

Miniaturized satellites such as CubeSats continue to improve their capabilities to enable missions that can produce significant amounts of data. For most CubeSat missions, data must be downlinked during short low-earth orbit ground station passes, a task currently performed using traditional radio systems. Free-space optical communications take advantage of the high gain of a narrow optical beam to achieve better link efficiency, allowing more valuable data to be downlinked over the mission lifetime. We present the Nanosatellite Optical Downlink Experiment (NODE) design, capable of providing a typical 3U (30 x 10 x 10 cm) CubeSat with a comparatively high data-rate downlink. The NODE optical communication module is designed to fit within a 5 x 10 x 10 cm volume, weigh less than 1 kg, and consume no more than 10Wof power during active communication periods. Our design incorporates a fine-steering mechanism and beacon-tracking system to achieve a 10 Mbps link rate. We describe the system-level requirements and designs for key components, including a transmitter, a beacon tracking camera, and a fast-steering mirror. We present simulation results of the uplink beacon tracking and fine steering of the downlink beam, including the effects of atmospheric fading and on-orbit environmental disturbances to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach. © (2015) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only