D-side: A facility and workforce planning group multi-criteria decision support system for Johnson Space Center

“To understand and protect our home planet, to explore the universe and search for life, and to inspire the next generation of explorers” is NASA's mission. The Systems Management Office at Johnson Space Center (JSC) is searching for methods to effectively manage the Center's resources to meet NASA's mission. D-Side is a group multi-criteria decision support system (GMDSS) developed to support facility decisions at JSC. D-Side uses a series of sequential and structured processes to plot facilities in a three-dimensional (3-D) graph on the basis of each facility's alignment with NASA's mission and goals, the extent to which other facilities are dependent on the facility, and the dollar value of capital investments that have been postponed at the facility relative to the facility's replacement value. A similarity factor rank orders facilities based on their Euclidean distance from Ideal and Nadir points. These similarity factors are then used to allocate capital improvement resources across facilities. We also present a parallel model that can be used to support decisions concerning allocation of human resources investments across workforce units. Finally, we present results from a pilot study where 12 experienced facility managers from NASA used D-Side and the organization's current approach to rank order and allocate funds for capital improvement across 20 facilities. Users evaluated D-Side favorably in terms of ease of use, the quality of the decision-making process, decision quality, and overall value-added. Their evaluations of D-Side were significantly more favorable than their evaluations of the current approach.     

Chromatic luminance,colorimetric purity,and optimal aperture‐color stimuli

Chromatic luminance (i.e., luminance of a monochromatic color) is the source of all luminance, since achromatic luminance arises only from mixing colors and their chromatic luminances. The ratio of chromatic luminance to total luminance (i.e., chromatic plus achromatic luminance) is known as colorimetric purity, and its measurement has long been problematic for nonspectral hues. Colorimetric purity (p_c) is a luminance metric in contrast to excitation purity, which is a chromaticity‐diagram metric approximating saturation. The CIE definition of p_c contains a fallacy. CIE defines maximum (1.0) p_c for spectral stimuli as monochromatic (i.e., optimal) stimuli, and as the line between spectrum ends for nonspectrals. However, this line has <0.003 lm/W according to CIE colorimetric data and is therefore effectively invisible. It only represents the limit of theoretically attainable colors, and is of no practical use in color reproduction or color appearance. Required is a locus giving optimal rather than invisible nonspectral stimuli. The problem is partly semantic. CIE wisely adopted the term colorimetric purity, rather than the original spectral luminance purity, to permit an equivalent metric for spectrals and nonspectrals, but the parameter of equivalence was never clear. Since 1 p_c denotes optimal aperture‐color stimuli for spectrals, arguably 1 p_c should denote optimal stimuli consistently for all stimuli. The problem reduces to calculating optimal aperture‐color stimuli (“optimal” in energy efficiency in color‐matching) for nonspectrals, shown to comprise 442 + 613 nm in all CIE illuminants. This remedy merely requires redefinition of 1 p_c for nonspectrals as the line 442–613 nm, and gives meaningful p_c values over the hue cycle allowing new research of chromatic luminance relations with color appearance. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 32, 469–476, 2007     

MANOVA method for analyzing repeated measures designs: An extensive primer.

Contends that tests in repeated-measures designs based on MANOVA are free of sphericity assumptions, and with modern computing software, MANOVA is straightforward to use, even for complex designs and nontraditional hypotheses. A general strategy for implementing MANOVA within statistical computing packages is presented. Regular (preplanned) tests and simultaneous (post hoc) tests are illustrated for a variety of designs and hypotheses. Optimal contrasts for unbalanced repeated measures designs are appended. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Criteria for judging the admissibility of eyewitness testimony of long past events.

Court cases of recovered memories of childhood abuse, in which the victim's testimony may constitute the only evidence available, and a growing body of research demonstrating the inexactitude and suggestibility of autobiographical memory of long past events, are forcing courts and cognitive scientists to seek scientific, principled criteria for admissibility of such testimony. The authors use as examples 2 recent court cases. In the 1st case, a concussion produced total retrograde amnesia for an accident for a period of 3 years, and then, over a few months, the driver claimed his memory returned. In the 2nd, 2 adults reported to the police that they witnessed their sister's murder 35 years earlier, when they were 3 and 5 years old, respectively. The authors provide objective guidelines for courts to determine whether testimony about recovered or very-long-term memory for eyewitnessed events should be admissible. The principles outlined can be expanded easily to include eyewitness testimony in general. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intact recognition of facial emotion in Parkinson's disease.

Although the basal ganglia have been shown to be critical for the expression of emotion in prosody and facial expressions, it is unclear whether they are also critical for recognition of emotions. Selective pathology of parts of the basal ganglia is a hallmark of individuals with Parkinson's disease, and such patients have been examined in several studies of emotion. We examined 18 patients with Parkinson's disease (11 men, 7 women) and 13 age-, education-, gender ratio-, and IQ-matched normal controls on their ability to recognize emotions signaled by facial expressions. Parkinson's patients performed entirely normally on a quantitative task of recognizing emotional facial expressions. The findings do not support the notion that the sectors of basal ganglia that are dysfunctional in Parkinson's disease are essential for recognizing emotion in facial expressions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of hydrogeologic parameters evaluated by deep well testing programs to assess nuclear waste repository feasibility

Hydrogeologic parameters evaluated for rocks investigated in deep well testing projects for nuclear waste repository feasibility are transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity and storativity. Such studies have been carried out in rock formations of different geologic types, origins and ages for nuclear waste management agencies in North America and Europe. From transient pressure testing, an assessment of static pressure in selected fracture zones was measured from which a profile with depth was developed using modelling techniques. As well, temperatures of formation fluids and hence thermal gradients have also been provided. Hydrogeologic parameters are commonly used in risk analysis for repositories with respect to the possible escape of contaminants and worst case scenarios. The parameters are related to the rate of possible radionuclide migration into the biosphere. The techniques of the investigation and analysis methods of this work have been fully described in the literature. This paper is the first to date, however, to compare results from testing in differen geologic environments. High transmissivity zones have been observed in the upper few hundred metres of granite formations. Below that depth, the rock is more competent and discrete zones of higher permeability occur less frequently. Our studies show, however, that in these rocks, zones of high hydraulic conductivity do not always correspond to zones of high fracture frequency. Most formation pressure profiles have a vertical gradient of about 10 kPa/m. In discrete zones, deviations from this trend can occur due to vertical inhomogeneity in the rock. Thermal gradients vary considerably from one investigation site to another. For example, in the Canadian Shield, gradients are of the order of 1.0 degree C per 100 m, whereas in similar rock types in Europe, the gradient is up to 4.0 degrees C per 100 m.     

Cuticular hydrocarbons ofReticulitermes virginicus (Banks) and their role as potential species- and caste-recognition cues

The cuticular hydrocarbon components of four castes ofReticulitermes virginicus (Banks) have been identified and quantitated. Components identified includen-alkanes; 2-, 3-, 11-, 13-, and 15-methyl-alkanes; 11,15-dimethylalkanes, (Z)-9-alkenes; (Z,Z)-7,9-dienes; and (E/Z)-6,9-dienes ranging in carbon number from C₂₁ to C₄₀. All caste forms ofR.virginicus contained the same components, but showed caste-specific proportions. Comparison of these hydrocarbons with those of the sympatric termiteR. flavipes (Kollar) suggest that cuticular hydrocarbons might serve as species- and caste-recognition cues. A bioassay was developed to test this species-recognition hypothesis, with the experimental results supporting the hypothesis.Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae.     

Desulfurization of commercial fuels by π-complexation: Monolayer CuCl/γ-Al2O3

Monolayer CuCl/γ-Al₂O₃ sorbent was studied for desulfurization of a commercial jet fuel (364.3 ppmw S) and a commercial diesel (140 ppmw S). The sorbent was prepared by means of spontaneous monolayer dispersion methods. Deep desulfurization (sulfur levels of <1 ppmw) was accomplished with this sorbent using a fixed-bed adsorber. The CuCl/γ-Al₂O₃ sorbent was capable of removing 6.4 and 11.2 mg of sulfur per gram for jet fuel at breakthrough (at <1 ppmw S) and saturation, respectively. The same sorbent was capable of removing 0.94 and 1.8 mg of sulfur per gram for BP diesel at breakthrough and saturation, respectively. The difference in sulfur capacities for jet fuel and diesel was apparently caused by the difference in concentrations of strongly binding compounds, such as nitrogen heterocycles, heavy (polynuclear) aromatics and fuel additives. In comparison with CuCl/γ-Al₂O₃, Cu(I)Y zeolite has higher sulfur capacities but is less stable and can be easily oxidized to Cu(II)Y by fuel additives (such as oxygenates) and moisture and consequently loses π-complexation ability. However, all these cuprous π-complexation sorbents selectively adsorb thiophenic compounds over aromatics and olefins (as predicted by the high separation factors), which resulted in the observed desulfurization capability. A feasibility study is shown for efficient regeneration of CuCl/γ-Al₂O₃ using ultrasound at ambient temperature. Possible problems associated with desulfurization using π-complexation sorbents for commercial fuels are discussed.     

Epoxy fatty acid ester plasticizers. Preparation and properties

Summary The preparation of epoxy fatty acid ester plasticizers has been reviewed. These plasticizers can be prepared by epoxidation reactions, utilizing a preformed peracid or anin-situ technique. A newin-situ epoxidation process, utilizing hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid in the presence of strong acid catalyst, has been described. Excellent conversions to epoxide have been achieved with a series of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated esters. Epoxy fatty acid esters are excellent plasticizers for vinyl resins. Their performance in a series of additional epoxy plasticizers of vegetable and marine origin is described. Novel epoxy plasticizers based upon mixed acetylated mono- and di-glyceride have been prepared and are found to have excellent plasticizer performance. Presented at the 28th fall meeting, American Oil Chemists’ Society, October 1954, Minneapolis, Minn.