Cary Moskovitz

Effects of nose bluntness, roughness, and surface perturbations on the asymmetric flow past slender bodies at large angles of attack

The effects of such geometric perturbations as variations of model-tip sharpness and roughness, as well as discrete surface perturbations, on the asymmetric flow past slender bodies is experimentally investigated for the cases of a cone/cylinder model having a 10-deg semiapex angle and a 3.0-caliber tangent ogive model. Both models have base diameters of 3.5 inches, and were tested in laminar flow conditions at angles-of-attack in the 30-60 deg range. Single, discrete roughness elements were represented by beads; bead effectiveness was judged on the basis of the extent to which they affected the flowfield in various conditions.

Forebody vortex management for yaw control at high angles of attack

The yaw-control potential of deployable forebody strakes at angles of attack above the range of conventional rudder effectiveness has been investigated. The conformally-stored strakes when deployed force asymmetrical vortex shedding from the forebody, thereby generating a controlled yawing moment. The concept was explored through low-speed wind tunnel tests on a conical forebody in isolation and in a generic fighter configuration. Force and moment measurements on the complete model were supplemented with circumferential pressure and flow-visualization surveys on an isolated forebody, in order to gain insight into the vortex flow mechanisms resulting from forced asymmetrical separations and to quantify the obtainable yaw power at angles of attack to 80 deg. This preliminary, low-Reynolds-number study showed asymmetrically-deployed forebody strakes to have considerable yaw control potential, whose sensitivity to scale effects needs further investigation.

Inquiry-Based Writing in the Laboratory Course

Writing lab reports in science classes can be more productive and engaging if the experience is structured well. Scientific writing is increasingly recognized as a key component of an undergraduate scientific education. As an integral part of scientific practice, scientific writing is best learned in the context of doing science (1, 2). Because students “do” science (as opposed to “learn about” science) almost exclusively in laboratory courses (3, 4), they need to learn the skills of scientific writing there.

Experimental investigation of a new device to control the asymmetric flowfield on forebodies at large angles of attack

An exploratory experimental investigation of a new device to control the asymmetric flowfield on forebodies at large angles of attack has been conducted. The device is a rotatable forebody tip, which varies in cross section from circular at its base to elliptic at its tip. The device itself extends over a small portion of the aircraft or missile forebody. The device provides two important improvements. First, it replaced the normally random behavior of the nose side force as a function of nose tip orientation with a predictable and generally sinusoidal distribution and, second, the device showed promise for use as part of a vehicle control system, to be deflected in a prescribed manner to provide additional directional control for the vehicle. The device was tested on a cone/cylinder model having a 10 deg semiapex angle and on a 3.0 caliber tangent ogive model, each with a base diameter of 3.5 in, for angles of attack from 30 to 60 deg. Data were taken from 3 circumferential rows of pressure taps on each model at a Reynolds number of 84,000 based on cylinder diameter and by a helium-bubble flow visualization technique at a Reynolds number of 24,000.

New device for controlling asymmetric flowfields on forebodies at large alpha

An exploratory experimental investigation of a new device to control the asymmetric flowfield on forebodies at large angles of attack has been conducted. The device is a rotatable forebody tip, which varies in cross section from circular at its base to elliptic at its tip. The device itself extends over a small portion of the aircraft or missile forebody. The device provides two important improvements. First, it replaces the normally random behavior of the nose side force as a function of nose tip orientation with a predictable and generally sinusoidal distribution; second, the device shows promise for use as part of a vehicle control system to be deflected in a prescribed manner to provide additional directional control for the vehicle. The device was tested on a cone/cylinder model having a 10-deg semiapex angle and on a 3.0-caliber tangent ogive model. Data were taken with each model at a Reynolds number of 8.4 x 10 4 based on cylinder diameter and by a helium-bubble flow visualization technique at a Reynolds number of 2.4 x 10 4.

Effects of surface perturbations on the asymmetric vortex flow over a slender body

An experimental investigation of the effects of surface perturbations on the asymmetric flow past a slender body has been conducted for laminar flow conditions. Beads with diameters ranging from 3/32 to 12/32 in. were attached near the apex of a cone/cylinder model having a base diameter of 3.5 in. and a cone semiapex angle of 9 deg at an angle of attack of 40 deg in an attempt to alter the sense of the asymmetric vortex flow pattern. Circumferential position as well as longitudinal location were varied to determine the most effective bead position. Whether or not the beads were effective in controlling the magnitude and direction of the vortex asymmetries was determined by 3 circumferential rows of pressure taps and by a helium-bubble flow visualization technique. The most effective circumferential position was found to be approximately 140 deg from the windward ray. While holding this circumferential position constant, the effect of bead size at three stations further along the body was also investigated. It was found that the size of the bead necessary to reverse the asymmetry increased more rapidly than the growth in cylinder radius. In general, these results indicate that discrete geometric imperfections on a bodys surface can force asymmetry in a given direction if they are sufficiently large relative to the local radius.

BioTAP: A Systematic Approach to Teaching Scientific Writing and Evaluating Undergraduate Theses

Undergraduate theses and other capstone research projects are standard features of many science curricula, but participation has typically been limited to only the most advanced and highly motivated students. With the recent push to engage more undergraduates in research, some faculty are finding that their typical approach to working with thesis writers is less effective, given the wider diversity of students, or is inefficient, given the higher participation rates. In these situations, a more formal process may be needed to ensure that all students are adequately supported and to establish consistency in how student writers are mentored and assessed. To address this need, we created BioTAP, the Biology Thesis Assessment Protocol, a teaching and assessment tool. BioTAP includes a rubric that articulates departmental expectations for the thesis and a guide to the drafting-feedback-revision process that is modeled after the structure of professional scientific peer review. In this article we (a) describe BioTAPs parts and the rationale behind them, (b) present the results of a study of the rubrics interrater reliability, (c) describe how the development of BioTAP helped us create a faculty learning community, and (d) suggest how other departments and institutions can adapt BioTAP to suit their needs.

Audio Feedback for Student Writing in Online Nursing Courses: Exploring Student and Instructor Reactions

Because scientific writing is an essential skill for advanced practice nurses, it is an important component of graduate education. Faculty typically provide written feedback about student writing, but this may not be the most effective choice for the distance-learning environment. This exploratory pilot studys aim was to compare spoken, recorded feedback with written feedback in three areas: which approach do students perceive as providing more useful guidance; which approach helps students feel more connected to the course; and which approach do instructors prefer? Students enrolled in an evidence-based practice graduate-level course received asynchronous audio feedback on their written assignments instead of the written feedback they received in other courses. Results from a survey completed by 30 students at completion of the course suggest a strong preference for audio feedback. This pilot study suggests that audio feedback may be preferable to written comments for distance learning courses.

Text recycling in health sciences research literature: a rhetorical perspective

The past few years have seen a steady rise in the number of health science journals using plagiarism detection software to screen submitted manuscripts. While there is widespread agreement about the need to guard against plagiarism and duplicate publication, the use of such tools has sparked debate about text recycling—the reuse of material from one’s prior publications in a new manuscript. Many who have published on the topic consider all uses of text recycling anathema. Others argue that some uses of recycling are unavoidable and sometimes even beneficial for readers. Unfortunately, much of this discourse now merely repeats dogmatic assertions. I argue that progress can be made by acknowledging three points: First, citation standards for research writing in the health sciences will not mirror those of the humanities. Second, while it is impossible to draw a definitive line between appropriate and inappropriate uses of text recycling, some uses of the practice lie clearly on the legitimate side. Third, the needs of editors for information regarding recycled text are different from those of readers. Ultimately, calls for rewording and citation as alternatives or fixes for text recycling are unlikely to prove satisfactory to either readers or editors.A response to this article can be found using the following link: http://researchintegrityjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41073-017-0026-y.

Text Recycling in Scientific Writing

Text recycling, often called “self-plagiarism”, is the practice of reusing textual material from one’s prior documents in a new work. The practice presents a complex set of ethical and practical challenges to the scientific community, many of which have not been addressed in prior discourse on the subject. This essay identifies and discusses these factors in a systematic fashion, concluding with a new definition of text recycling that takes these factors into account. Topics include terminology, what is not text recycling, factors affecting judgements about the appropriateness of text recycling, and visual materials.