Passive Space Radiation Shielding: Mass and Volume Optimization of Tungsten-Doped PolyPhenolic and Polyethylene Resins

The use of commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) components have become an increasingly attractive option to develop small satellites that satisfy high-quality and reliability, as well as low-cost and development time demands. However, the use of COTS may introduce mission design constraints associated with the mass and volume of appropriate radiation shielding required for various mission lifetime and/or reliability objectives. The purpose of this study is to provide insights towards optimization that minimizes the mass and/or volume of a graded-Z or composite-Z shield. In this study, three model space radiation environments will be attenuated via mass shields using numerical analysis, with a discussion provided on the manufacturability and integration of such shields within the small sat design envelope. The use of graded-Z shielding for multi-particle attenuation is not a new concept. However, as this area of application is yet emerging, few concepts have the development maturity at a Technology Readiness Level of three (TRL-3). Previous design approaches employed an optimization strategy that equally weighed the structural ability of the given system equally against its shielding performance. The current study removes the specific structural constraint, and examines the mass associated with a constant thickness Tungsten-doped PolyPhenolic and Polyethylene resins

Particle Shielding for Human Spaceflight: Electrostatic Potential Effects on the Störmer Magnetic Dipole Exclusion Region

A basic hybrid radiation shield concept, consisting of both a monopole positive electrostatic potential barrier and a current-carrying superconducting solenoid, was predicted to provide a more effective method of shielding a habitable torus region than a solenoid acting alone. A randomized position and velocity vector simulation of equal-energy iron ions using a Lagrangian reference frame was performed on the exact magnetic field integral for the solenoid and a discrete summation electrostatic field for a toroidal monopole array approximating a potential surface. Each particle is injected at a specific energy (100, 150 MeV and 1 GeV). Two cases were evaluated at each particle energy modeling 2x104 particles. The first case studied effects from only the magnetic dipole field (1.1x1013 A m2); the second case evaluated phenomena from a combined magnetic dipole field and electrostatic potential (20 MV). The toroidal electrostatic potential’s influence on the size and shape of the Störmer magnetic dipole exclusion region was examined as the main evaluating criterion against the pure magnetic field results. It was shown that the electrostatic potential influences the size of the Störmer dipole exclusion region, and the ratio of particle energy to electrostatic potential is significant in determining the amount increased. It was found that a low particle energy to electrostatic potential ratio of 5:1 increases Störmer area approximately by a factor of 2

Argotario: Computational Argumentation Meets Serious Games

An important skill in critical thinking and argumentation is the ability to spot and recognize fallacies. Fallacious arguments, omnipresent in argumentative discourse, can be deceptive, manipulative, or simply leading to `wrong moves' in a discussion. Despite their importance, argumentation scholars and NLP researchers with focus on argumentation quality have not yet investigated fallacies empirically. The nonexistence of resources dealing with fallacious argumentation calls for scalable approaches to data acquisition and annotation, for which the serious games methodology offers an appealing, yet unexplored, alternative. We present Argotario, a serious game that deals with fallacies in everyday argumentation. Argotario is a multilingual, open-source, platform-independent application with strong educational aspects, accessible at www.argotario.net.Comment: EMNLP 2017 demo paper. Source codes: https://github.com/UKPLab/argotari

Make Better Maps for Transportation Planning and Communication

Transportation plans are riddled with maps. We often make maps describing land use, demographics, terrain, transit, not to mention the roadways themselves. With modern technology, it is often easier to make a confusing map than to make a clear one. For this project, I have cataloged what makes these maps clear for the reader. This involves compiling information from researchers, professionals, and cartographers. I have tracked my symbology so that it is useful to other professionals who wish to improve their maps.Master of City and Regional Plannin

A Study of the Significance and Interrelation of Data Gathered by the Bell Adjustment Inventory and a Teacher Rating Scale with Other Academic and Demographic Data for Guidance Purposes

Developmental levels intellectually and levels of adjustment of each boy and girl needed to be ascertained in order to know what each was ready to accomplish at a particular time if individualization of instruction were to enable each child to develop his potentials to the optimum. The main problem of this study is the determining of a means of collection worthwhile and meaningful data as to adjustment difficulties of high school students early in the school year so that the material may be added to the cumulative records of the students in order to add another dimension to the material already entered there. This total information would then be used to offer help and insight to the students most in need of immediate counseling. When a guidance counselor comes into a new school situation with little cumulative record material to guide him, how is he going to be able to reach students who may drop out of school for reasons of personal adjustment before he is able to discover who these people are? The answer to this question indicates the tremendous importance of this study. There have been many studies of the Bell Adjustment Inventory made and it is an accepted instrument, but is it going to prove useful in the above described situation? This study, as a point in starting an organized guidance program, in updating and completing cumulative records for the students to be counseled, and as serving as an introduction to counseling sessions, should have a good deal of importance. (see more in text

School Change: Adolescents Transitioning from Conventional Schooling to Home-Based Online Education

This hermeneutic phenomenological research explored the lived experiences of six recently graduated adolescents to extrapolate the valued essence of their transitional encounters in changing from conventional school to home-based online schooling. The homeschool research shifted the emphasis from the outcome-based academic achievement studies prevalent during the past 20 years to a focus on internal and external factors impacting student learning within this technological instructional process. Findings produced from analysis and interpretation of reflective adolescent lived experiences revealed rich truth regarding the internal emotions, environmental adaptations, academic ramifications, and social adaptations encountered when changing from conventional schooling to home-based online school. Cognitive, maturational, and social skills showed reported gains in the move from conventional school to home-based online school. Gender differences were not reported as major contributing adjustment factors. The greatest transitional ramifications were noted by participants who made a geographic move while simultaneously enrolling in home-based online school. The magnitude of the loss in social capital was accentuated by the geographic move. Adolescent attitude in acceptance of the move was a defining element, leading to successful re-establishment of new social capital or resulting in social and psychological withdrawal

Klamm’s Microbiology Laboratory Manual

This laboratory manual was developed for a microbiology laboratory course designed to give students in the health care professions basic knowledge and skills of the techniques used to study microbes. The course is taken by first-time college students in the 6-year medical program and by prepharmacy undergraduates. Because this is the only microbiology laboratory course these students take, the laboratory experiments are essential to illustrate microbiological principles and methods presented in lecture companion course. The laboratory exercises demonstrate basic concepts of microbiology with emphasis on infectious diseases and host defenses. Throughout the course, students gain competency in the following areas: Safe handling of microbes Knowledge of the techniques and media used to subculture microbes Use of the light microscope Staining techniques Quantitative methods Identification of microbes using biochemical tests and/or immunological techniques Interpretation of experimental results In the past, I supplemented a commercially published lab manual with detailed weekly instructions posted to the course website. My instructions summarized the theory presented, pointing out the important concepts. Based on past experience, I made changes to the lab procedure accommodating organisms that work well in the UMKC teaching lab. In addition, the instructions gave students clarification on the post lab questions, encouraging critical thinking and evaluation of their actual experimental results. Students were required to use both the manual and my handouts to fully understand the exercise. As much as I tried to make each week’s activities clear, there was often confusion about the procedure, observations and/or expectations on the post-lab questions. This work aims to put it all together in one place for the student. For this project, I have built upon much of my original supplementary material using several open educational resources, most notably, OpenStax Microbiology. I appreciate the funding and support from the UM-system and the UMKC Libraries. I am grateful to my students who make teaching fun and interesting and will be unwitting editors and evaluators of this work. Sincerely, Loretta Sanderson Klam

Course Innovation: A Graduate Course on Digital Tools for Qualitative Research

There are few ways for novice qualitative researchers to systematically learn about new tools. We describe a graduate qualitative research course developed at the University of Tennessee designed to highlight the affordances and constraints of new tools and how they can support the qualitative research process. Graduate students and the instructor will discuss the design, development, and experience with the course, and share recommendations for those interested in designing similar courses

Der Einfluß historischer Bodenbearbeitung auf den Erhalt archäologischer Befundstrukturen

Die frühere kleinteilige Feldbewirtschaftung war mit Prozessen der Bodenverlagerung verbunden, die entweder bewusst hervorgerufen wurden oder ein unbeabsichtigtes Ergebnis der Feldbestellung waren. Diese Bodenumlagerungen wirkten sich auch auf den Erhaltungszustand archäologischer Kulturdenkmale im Erdboden aus. Die im Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologie aufbewahrten topographischen Karten 1: 25 000, aufgenommen um 1850, wurden in der zweiten Hälfte des 19. Jahrhunderts mit Eintragungen damals im Gelände sichtbarer Strukturen versehen, wie Wüstungen, alte Wegeverbindungen und noch erkennbarer kleinteiliger Ackersysteme. Diese Karten geben wertvolle Hinweise zur späteren Landnutzung im Bereich archäologischer Kulturdenkmale