11,873 research outputs found
On the determination of anti-neutrino spectra from nuclear reactors
In this paper we study the effect of, well-known, higher order corrections to
the allowed beta decay spectrum on the determination of anti-neutrino spectra
resulting from the decays of fission fragments. In particular, we try to
estimate the associated theory errors and find that induced currents like weak
magnetism may ultimately limit our ability to improve the current accuracy and
under certain circumstance could even largely increase the theoretical errors.
We also perform a critical evaluation of the errors associated with our method
to extract the anti-neutrino spectrum using synthetic beta spectra. It turns
out, that a fit using only virtual beta branches with a judicious choice of the
effective nuclear charge provides results with a minimal bias. We apply this
method to actual data for U235, Pu239 and Pu241 and confirm, within errors,
recent results, which indicate a net 3% upward shift in energy averaged
anti-neutrino fluxes. However, we also find significant shape differences which
can in principle be tested by high statistics anti-neutrino data samples.Comment: 20 pages, 5 figures, 9 tables, added references, version accepted for
publication in Phys. Rev. C. Corrected errors in tab. 1 and eqs. 18 and 19.
Results and conclusion unchange
Playing “Sherlock Holmes”: Enhancing students’ understanding of prejudice and stereotyping
A very simple, innovative classroom exercise designed to heighten students\u27 understanding of stereotyping and prejudice is described. Students\u27 evaluation of the exercise was very positive. Students reported greater awareness and understanding of their own and others’ stereotypes and prejudice and of the negative effects of prejudice, with females more than males reporting enhanced awareness of others’ stereotyping. Students also rated the exercise as very enjoyable. There was a trend among Non-White more than White students to report that the exercise helped show them how to reduce stereotypes and more Non-White than White students offered solutions for reducing prejudice that involved actively reaching out and interacting with others different from themselves. Additional suggestions for instructors are discussed
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Beach impact study, Padre Island National Seashore
Prepared for Office of Natural Science, Southwest Region, National Park Service, under contract CX70005044830 April 1976Vegetative differences between heavily and very lightly trafficked beaches show that more beach traffic correlates with quantitative decreases in variety and density of plants and with declines of grasses relative to forbs. The vegetated portions of all beaches continue to grow in volume. However, this is at the expense of the more seaward (more trafficked) parts of the beaches and has lead to overall loss of total beach volume except where vehicular traffic is prohibited. The very lightly trafficked beach is the only study site wherein the entire beach to mean sea level has grown. The effect of these trends on resistance to storm surge erosion remains to be tested.Marine Scienc
Algal culture studies for CELSS
Microalgae are well-suited as a component of a Closed Environmental Life Support System (CELSS), since they can couple the closely related functions of food production and atmospheric regeneration. The objective was to provide a basis for predicting the response of CELSS algal cultures, and thus the food supply and air regeneration system, to changes in the culture parameters. Scenedesmus growth was measured as a function of light intensity, and the spectral dependence of light absorption by the algae as well as algal respiration in the light were determined as a function of cell concentration. These results were used to test and confirm a mathematical model that describes the productivity of an algal culture in terms of the competing processes of photosynthesis and respiration. The relationship of algal productivity to cell concentration was determined at different carbon dioxide concentrations, temperatures, and light intensities. The maximum productivity achieved by an air-grown culture was found to be within 10% of the computed maximum productivity, indicating that CO2 was very efficiently removed from the gas stream by the algal culture. Measurements of biomass productivity as a function of cell concentration at different light intensities indicated that both the productivity and efficiency of light utilization were greater at higher light intensities
High-resolution quantitative profiling of tRNA abundance and modification status in eukaryotes by mim-tRNAseq
Measurements of cellular tRNA abundance are hampered by pervasive blocks to cDNA synthesis at modified nucleosides and the extensive similarity among tRNA genes. We overcome these limitations with modification-induced misincorporation tRNA sequencing (mim-tRNAseq), which combines a workflow for full-length cDNA library construction from endogenously modified tRNA with a comprehensive and user-friendly computational analysis toolkit. Our method accurately captures tRNA abundance and modification status in yeast, fly, and human cells and is applicable to any organism with a known genome. We applied mim-tRNAseq to discover a dramatic heterogeneity of tRNA isodecoder pools among diverse human cell lines and a surprising interdependence of modifications at distinct sites within the same tRNA transcript
Effect of assumptions by pre-service teachers concerning family life, extracurricular involvement and socioeconomic status [abstract]
Abstract only availableThe state of Missouri wants to produce highly qualified educators in order to facilitate high performing students; because of this it is vital that pre-service teachers alter their expectation in order to maintain high expectations for all students thus lessoning the achievement gap. For over twenty years researchers have demonstrated that teacher expectations have impacted student's academic performance. Tom Good states, “Teachers' high expectations of their students contributes to students achieving at or near their potential, while students receiving low expectations will not gain as much as they could have if taught differently” (1987). As pre-service teachers (students in the teacher development program taking 2000 level courses) develop as educators at the University of Missouri the knowledge of what impacts their expectations needs to be understood in order to adjust them to best meet their student's academic needs. These teachers are being placed in America's classroom and have a direct impact on student's educational performance. Lower student performance resulting from low teacher expectations may result in low test scores for students leading to lowered funding and decreased value in the district. Within this research we will be examining what formulates pre-service teacher's expectations of their students. Our research is crucial to determining how to better educate future teachers in order to establish teacher's high expectations and higher achievement from their students. In order to determine these factors we poled 368 students in an entry level teacher development course at the University of Missouri. In the past the expectations of in-service teacher's has been studied in correlation with student achievement to determine the effect upon students' performance. Past research has shown race to be a large factor in teacher expectation. For example generally African American students are thought to perform poorly, while Asian students are expected to perform highly. We will analyze University of Missouri pre-service teacher's survey responses in order to identify patterns within their reasoning for the expectation given. Surveys included mixed race variable and factors that one might infer would impact teacher expectations, such as family life, extracurricular involvement, and socio economic status of the different scenarios represented. Surveys included a control scenario with a race, gender, and SES variable
Spatially uniform calibration of a liquid xenon detector at low energies using 83m-Kr
A difficult task with many particle detectors focusing on interactions below
~100 keV is to perform a calibration in the appropriate energy range that
adequately probes all regions of the detector. Because detector response can
vary greatly in various locations within the device, a spatially uniform
calibration is important. We present a new method for calibration of liquid
xenon (LXe) detectors, using the short-lived 83m-Kr. This source has
transitions at 9.4 and 32.1 keV, and as a noble gas like Xe, it disperses
uniformly in all regions of the detector. Even for low source activities, the
existence of the two transitions provides a method of identifying the decays
that is free of background. We find that at decreasing energies, the LXe light
yield increases, while the amount of electric field quenching is diminished.
Additionally, we show that if any long-lived radioactive backgrounds are
introduced by this method, they will present less than 67E-6 events/kg/day in
the next generation of LXe dark matter direct detection searchesComment: 9 pages, 9 figures. Accepted to Review of Scientific Instrument
Deep into the structure of the first galaxies: SERRA views
We study the formation and evolution of a sample of Lyman Break Galaxies in
the Epoch of Reionization by using high-resolution (),
cosmological zoom-in simulations part of the SERRA suite. In SERRA, we follow
the interstellar medium (ISM) thermo-chemical non-equilibrium evolution, and
perform on-the-fly radiative transfer of the interstellar radiation field
(ISRF). The simulation outputs are post-processed to compute the emission of
far infrared lines ([CII], [NII], and [OIII]). At , the most massive
galaxy, `Freesia', has an age , stellar mass
, and a star formation rate
, due to a recent burst.
Freesia has two stellar components (A and B) separated by ; other 11 galaxies are found within . The
mean ISRF in the Habing band is and is spatially uniform; in
contrast, the ionisation parameter is , and
has a patchy distribution peaked at the location of star-forming sites. The
resulting ionising escape fraction from Freesia is .
While [CII] emission is extended (radius 1.54 kpc), [OIII] is concentrated in
Freesia-A (0.85 kpc), where the ratio . As many high- galaxies, Freesia lies below the local [CII]-SFR
relation. We show that this is the general consequence of a starburst phase
(pushing the galaxy above the Kennicutt-Schmidt relation) which
disrupts/photodissociates the emitting molecular clouds around star-forming
sites. Metallicity has a sub-dominant impact on the amplitude of [CII]-SFR
deviations.Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures, accepted by MNRA
Informal paratransit in the Global South
This chapter synthesises current knowledge of informal paratransit services in cities of the Global South and discusses prevailing policy issues and emerging trends. The scope of the chapter is limited to unscheduled public transport and for-hire services operating in whole, or in part, within the informal economy. The chapter focuses on three regions of the Global South: Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It reviews current knowledge in relation to business models, regulatory regimes, and operating practices. While illustrating that the sector is heterogeneous across, and within, these regions, this review shows that informal paratransit services are usually operated by small businesses organised into associations that exert varying degrees of self-regulation. Service operations are seldom free of state regulation, but the extent can vary. Operating environments often have considerable infrastructure deficits, and driver employment conditions can be exploitative. Services are, in many cases, a response to gaps left by formal public transport undertakings. Prevailing business models, however, make operators demand-responsive, often providing the only service available to vulnerable groups. It is argued that important policy issues relate to integration with other public transport modes, service quality, and safety improvement. These challenges are compounded by poorly resourced regulatory authorities, often subjected to pervasive corruption. An important emerging trend identified takes the form of potentially disruptive technologies, most commonly in the form of ride-hailing apps. These platforms may have a significant impact on operating practices, and few cities have regulatory frameworks in anticipation of this change. Experience suggests that attempts to change business models and operating practices can be met with resistance. Policy intervention in this sector therefore requires careful analysis of local contexts and options
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