New computer program solves wide variety of heat flow problems

Boeing Engineering Thermal Analyzer /BETA/ computer program uses numerical methods to provide accurate heat transfer solutions to a wide variety of heat flow problems. The program solves steady-state and transient problems in almost any situation that can be represented by a resistance-capacitance network

The tertiary igneous geology of Strathaird, Skye

This study is concerned with the Tertiary igneous rocks found within an area some twenty square miles in extent on the south-east side of the Skye central intrusion complex. The Tertiary rocks include basic lavas, a small intrusion of granophyre, the margin of the Cuillin Gabbro, and numerous minor intrusions. Extrusive rocks occupy an area of some seven square miles, and have an aggregate thickness of about 1,000 feet. The greater part of the sequence consists of alkaline olivine basalts, but there is also one horizon of trachybasalt and thin group of picritic flows. Pyroclastic rocks are rare, being limited to one small agglomerate vent and an isolated lens of tuff. It has been found possible to divide the sequence into several mappable units based on groups of flows possessing common petrographical features. The laves which lie within half a mile of the Cuillin Gabbro have been metamorphosed by that intrusion, while an outer zone of lower temperature alteration includes the whole of the strathaird lava outcrop. Within the thermal aureole a narrow zone of pyroxene hornfels along the contact with the Gabbro is followed outwards by a broader zone charaterized by the presence of an actinolitic amphibole. Within this pyroxene hornfels zone the lavas have been thoroughly recrystalized to high temperature mineral assemblages, but within the amphibolezone equilibrium was only locally attained, and many of the lavas still posses much of their original texture and mineralogy. The transition from unmetamorphed lava to pyroxene hornfels was not accomplished by independently under its own particular pressure-temperature conditions. On the basis of both chemical and petrographical evidence it is considered probable that a small amount of silica was added to at least some of the lavas during metamorphism. The internal structure and composition of the Cuillin Gabbro do not come within the provenence of this thesis, but some attention has been given to the relationships between the Gabbro and its country rocks, especially in the neighbourhood of camasunary. In this latter area there is an extensive development of basic minor instructions pre-dating the Gabbo, and metamorphosed in a similar manner to the nearby lavas. Most of these small intrusions are emplaced into Torridonian sandstones, which locally extend up to several hundred feet from the contact, the Torridonian shows clear evidence of having been partially melted by the high temperatures induced by the intrusion of gabbro magma, and many of the early intrusions are veined and broken into fragments by the mobilized material. The vein material is chemically more basic in composition than the sediments from which it was derived, partly due to reaction with the basic minor intrusions. Parallel to the contact of the Cuillin Gabbro, in Strathaird, there is a series of irregularly shaped outer-ops of granphyre which are thought to be parts of a single intrusion exposed in the vicinity of its roof. The granophyre is fine-grained, is unusual in containing paramorphs after tridymite, and differs chemically from other Skye granitic rocks. Through there is sometimes a well-defined, chilled margin, many of the contacts against sedimentary rocks are complex and highly xenolithin. The granophyre post-dates the Cuillin Gabbro, but is earlier than the large granitic intrusions which lie to the north and north-east of the areas. One of the most impressive features of the local geology is the great profusion of north-west dykes, all but a few of which are basic in composition. Most of the dykes are later date than the Cuillin Gabbro, but their distribution shows that they are closely related to that centre. Other minor intrusions include a few acid and basic skills which are, in general, of earlier date then the dyke swarm, while basic cone-sheets occur in the vicinity of the Cuillin Gabbro and are later than most of the north-west dykes. In Strathaird, erosion to a relatively deep level allows the structural relationships between lavas, intrusions, and pre-Tertiary sediments to be more easily examined than elsewhere in Syke. Most of the sediments are of Jurassic age, and these rest uncon-formably on Torridonian sandstones. There were several phases of warping in Mesozic times, but the main period of deformation occurred after the outpouring of the lavas and gave rise to large arcuate folds. It is believed that these folds are one result of the stresses set up by the intrusion of the Cuillin Gabbro

Predicting the effects of sand erosion on collector surfaces in CSP plants

This paper presents a methodology to predict the optical performance and physical topography of the glass collector surfaces of any given CSP plant in the presence of sand and dust storms, providing that local climate conditions are known and representative sand and dust particles samples are available. Using existing meteorological data for a defined CSP plant in Egypt, plus sand and dust samples from two desert locations in Libya, we describe how to derive air speed, duration, and sand concentrations to use within the Global CSP Laboratory sand erosion simulation rig at Cranfield University. This then allows us to predict the optical performance of parabolic trough collector glass after an extended period by the use of accelerated ageing. However the behavior of particles in sandstorms is complex and has prompted a theoretical analysis of sand particle dynamics which is also described in this paper

Are You There God? Whether we Pray Harder or Endure Wrath Depends on the Religious Doctrine of Providence

This article gives a Christian perspective on the COVID-19 pandemic, relating it to the apocalypse narrative found in the Book of Revelations, in addition to the doctrinal idea of Divine Providence. The article discusses providential fatalism, providential activism, providential exclusivism, providential punitivism, and providential interventionism

Legal Rights of Transgender Students in Education

Nearly 150,000 school-aged teenagers in the United States identify as transgender, but the population continues to face harassment, bullying, and discrimination from their peers and educators. The most recent battles for bathroom access based on gender identity has led to significant policy debates nationally and statewide. It is critical for school leaders to promote an all-inclusive and safe school environment to help improve the academic experience for transgender students. The purpose of this paper is to outline the current anti-discrimination federal and state laws that protect against sex and gender identity harassment in school, including Title IX, Equal Access Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Additionally, court cases such as Whitaker v. Kenosha and G.G. v. Gloucester County School Board have helped to set the precedence for equal access to facilities in public schools. This paper will conclude with opportunities for school leaders to cultivate an institution that ensures the success of transgender students

Cast Stone Oxidation Front Evaluation: Preliminary Results For Samples Exposed To Moist Air

The rate of oxidation is important to the long-term performance of reducing salt waste forms because the solubility of some contaminants, e.g., technetium, is a function of oxidation state. TcO{sub 4}{sup −} in the salt solution is reduced to Tc(IV) and has been shown to react with ingredients in the waste form to precipitate low solubility sulfide and/or oxide phases. Upon exposure to oxygen, the compounds containing Tc(IV) oxidize to the pertechnetate ion, Tc(VII)O{sub 4}{sup −}, which is very soluble. Consequently the rate of technetium oxidation front advancement into a monolith and the technetium leaching profile as a function of depth from an exposed surface are important to waste form performance and ground water concentration predictions. An approach for measuring contaminant oxidation rate (effective contaminant specific oxidation rate) based on leaching of select contaminants of concern is described in this report. In addition, the relationship between reduction capacity and contaminant oxidation is addressed. Chromate (Cr(VI) was used as a non-radioactive surrogate for pertechnetate, Tc(VII), in Cast Stone samples prepared with 5 M Simulant. Cast Stone spiked with pertechnetate was also prepared and tested. Depth discrete subsamples spiked with Cr were cut from Cast Stone exposed to Savannah River Site (SRS) outdoor ambient temperature fluctuations and moist air. Depth discrete subsamples spiked with Tc-99 were cut from Cast Stone exposed to laboratory ambient temperature fluctuations and moist air. Similar conditions are expected to be encountered in the Cast Stone curing container. The leachability of Cr and Tc-99 and the reduction capacities, measured by the Angus-Glasser method, were determined for each subsample as a function of depth from the exposed surface. The results obtained to date were focused on continued method development and are preliminary and apply to the sample composition and curing / exposure conditions described in this report. The Cr oxidation front (depth to which soluble Cr was detected) for the Cast Stone sample exposed for 68 days to ambient outdoor temperatures and humid air (total age of sample was 131 days) was determined to be about 35 mm below the top sample surface exposed. The Tc oxidation front, depth at which Tc was insoluble, was not determined. Interpretation of the results indicates that the oxidation front is at least 38 mm below the exposed surface. The sample used for this measurement was exposed to ambient laboratory conditions and humid air for 50 days. The total age of the sample was 98 days. Technetium appears to be more easily oxidized than Cr in the Cast Stone matrix. The oxidized forms of Tc and Cr are soluble and therefore leachable. Longer exposure times are required for both the Cr and Tc spiked samples to better interpret the rate of oxidation. Tc spiked subsamples need to be taken further from the exposed surface to better define and interpret the leachable Tc profile. Finally Tc(VII) reduction to Tc(IV) appears to occur relatively fast. Results demonstrated that about 95 percent of the Tc(VII) was reduced to Tc(IV) during the setting and very early stage setting for a Cast Stone sample cured 10 days. Additional testing at longer curing times is required to determine whether additional time is required to reduce 100 % of the Tc(VII) in Cast Stone or whether the Tc loading exceeded the ability of the waste form to reduce 100 % of the Tc(VII). Additional testing is required for samples cured for longer times. Depth discrete subsampling in a nitrogen glove box is also required to determine whether the 5 percent Tc extracted from the subsamples was the result of the sampling process which took place in air. Reduction capacity measurements (per the Angus-Glasser method) performed on depth discrete samples could not be correlated with the amount of chromium or technetium leached from the depth discrete subsamples or with the oxidation front inferred from soluble chromium and technetium (i.e., effective Cr and Tc oxidation fronts). Residual reduction capacity in the oxidized region of the test samples indicates that the remaining reduction capacity is not effective in re-reducing Cr(VI) or Tc(VII) in the presence of oxygen. Depth discrete sampling and leaching is a useful for evaluating Cast Stone and other chemically reducing waste forms containing ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) or other reduction / sequestration reagents to control redox sensitive contaminant chemistry and leachability in the near surface disposal environment. Based on results presented in this report, reduction capacity measured by the Angus-Glasser Ce(IV) method is not an appropriate or meaningful parameter for determining or predicting Tc and Cr oxidation / retentions, speciation, or solubilities in cementitious materials such as Cast Stone. A model for predicting Tc(IV) oxidation to soluble Tc(VII) should consider the waste form porosity (pathway for oxygen ingress), oxygen source, and the contaminant specific oxidation rates and oxidation fronts. Depth discrete sampling of materials exposed to realistic conditions in combination with short term leaching of crushed samples has potential for advancing the understanding of factors influencing performance. This information can be used to support conceptual model development

Quaternary research in New Zealand since 2000: an overview

With the AQUA milestone of 30 years it seems an appropriate time to review the progress and achievements of Quaternary research in New Zealand. This article highlights some of the major achievements since the formal review of New Zealand’s Quaternary record by Newnham et al. (1999). The focus here is on paleoclimate and geochronology and is by no means a comprehensive review. We encourage members to write future articles for Quaternary Australasia (QA) about their exciting projects to keep the wider Australasian community informed. One of the main differences between Australian and New Zealand Quaternary science is the wide use of tephrochronology to correlate and date deposits and events across the landscape, helping to link terrestrial and marine records, especially in the North Island. There have been significant advances using glass-based fission-track dating, corrected for annealing, and the use of the electron microprobe and laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry for obtaining major- and trace-element analyses, respectively, to chemically fingerprint individual glass shards in tephras to aid their correlation (Shane, 2000; Lowe, 2011). Also the identification and analysis of cryptotephras (concentrations of glass shards not visible as a layer) have greatly expanded the geographic range of many tephras, allowing the application of tephrochronology as a stratigraphic and dating tool across much wider areas than previously possible (Gehrels et al., 2008)

The challenges of renal replacement therapy and renal palliative care in the elderly

Much of the increase in take on rate for dialysis in recent years is accounted for by older patients in whom a treatment as demanding as dialysis was previously thought to be contraindicated. The decision to dialyse the elderly often remains difficult, as recent data suggest that those with significant comorbidities are unlikely to survive more than 4-6 months longer on dialysis than they would have done if treated conservatively. It is also important to recognise that conservative treatment is not simply defined by the decision not to dialyse. Good conservative care comprises active disease management eg treatment of anaemia with erythropoietin stimulating agents and intravenous iron, and supportive care which may become increasingly complex eg pain relief with fentanyl and alfentanyl, towards the end of life. Those older patients who do decide to dialyse must contend with all the usual end of life issues facing older people, in addition to the option, denied to the rest of us, of dialysis withdrawal which effectively allows them to die at a time of their choosing