Time domain simulations of dynamic river networks

The problem of simulating a river network is considered. A river network is considered to comprise of rivers, dams/lakes as well as weirs. We suggest a numerical approach with specific features that enable the correct representation of these assets. For each river the flow of water is described by the shallow water equations which is a system of hyperbolic partial differential equations and at the junctions of the rivers, suitable coupling conditions, viewed as interior boundary conditions are used to couple the dynamics. A different model for the dams is also presented. Numerical test cases are presented which show that the model is able to reproduce the expected dynamics of the system. Other aspects of the modelling such as rainfall, run-off, overflow/flooding, evaporation, absorption/seepage, bed-slopes, bed friction have not been incorporated in the model due to their specific nature

Opportunity, Community, and Teen Pregnancy in an Appalachian State

Teen pregnancy has become an issue that educators and public policy makers are obliged to treat as a serious problem. Too often, explanations of teen pregnancy have included uncritical use of the notion of adolescents at risk. Recently, however, attention has been given to structurally-determined contextual factors in explaining teen pregnancy. Such contextual factors include economic and educational opportunities and costs, as well as chances for valued participation in socially and culturally stable communities. This interest in contextual factors parallels a development in the literature on high school dropouts. A data set previously employed to study variability in drop-out rates among school districts in the Appalachian state of West Virginia was used. Results show that teen pregnancy can be explained in much the same way as dropping out. Explanation in terms of contextual factors helps to avoid the victim-blaming accounts sometimes associated with the notion of teenagers at risk. It also suggests that conventional pregnancy prevention programs may be constrained by these same contextual factors in ways that are not typically appreciated

Low-noise 0.8-0.96- and 0.96-1.12-THz superconductor-insulator-superconductor mixers for the Herschel Space Observatory

Heterodyne mixers incorporating Nb SIS junctions and NbTiN-SiO/sub 2/-Al microstrip tuning circuits offer the lowest reported receiver noise temperatures to date in the 0.8-0.96- and 0.96-1.12-THz frequency bands. In particular, improvements in the quality of the NbTiN ground plane of the SIS devices' on-chip microstrip tuning circuits have yielded significant improvements in the sensitivity of the 0.96-1.12-THz mixers relative to previously presented results. Additionally, an optimized RF design incorporating a reduced-height waveguide and suspended stripline RF choke filter offers significantly larger operating bandwidths than were obtained with mixers that incorporated full-height waveguides near 1 THz. Finally, the impact of junction current density and quality on the performance of the 0.8-0.96-THz mixers is discussed and compared with measured mixer sensitivities, as are the relative sensitivities of the 0.8-0.96- and 0.96-1.12-THz mixers

FY04 Advanced Life Support Architecture and Technology Studies: Mid-Year Presentation

Long-Term Objective: Identify optimal advanced life support system designs that meet existing and projected requirements for future human spaceflight missions. a) Include failure-tolerance, reliability, and safe-haven requirements. b) Compare designs based on multiple criteria including equivalent system mass (ESM), technology readiness level (TRL), simplicity, commonality, etc. c) Develop and evaluate new, more optimal, architecture concepts and technology applications

A large language model-assisted education tool to provide feedback on open-ended responses

Open-ended questions are a favored tool among instructors for assessing student understanding and encouraging critical exploration of course material. Providing feedback for such responses is a time-consuming task that can lead to overwhelmed instructors and decreased feedback quality. Many instructors resort to simpler question formats, like multiple-choice questions, which provide immediate feedback but at the expense of personalized and insightful comments. Here, we present a tool that uses large language models (LLMs), guided by instructor-defined criteria, to automate responses to open-ended questions. Our tool delivers rapid personalized feedback, enabling students to quickly test their knowledge and identify areas for improvement. We provide open-source reference implementations both as a web application and as a Jupyter Notebook widget that can be used with instructional coding or math notebooks. With instructor guidance, LLMs hold promise to enhance student learning outcomes and elevate instructional methodologies

The Book of Mick: A Collaboration Chapter 17

Eighteen international ceramic authors were approached to be involved in this collaborative novel, exploring the history of wood firing in Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the United States. It was published as part of the proceedings of the Smoke on the Water 2017 Australian Woodfired Ceramics Conference, Cooroy, Queensland, Australia. The Book of Mick utilises the creative medium of the novel to explore the unique experiences of Australian woodfired ceramics, along with the associated educational, cultural, governmental and personal experiences that have shaped the development of this art form over the last 50 years

Is telomere length socially patterned? Evidence from the West of Scotland Twenty-07 study

Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is strongly associated with an increased risk of morbidity and premature mortality, but it is not known if the same is true for telomere length, a marker often used to assess biological ageing. The West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study was used to investigate this and consists of three cohorts aged approximately 35 (N = 775), 55 (N = 866) and 75 years (N = 544) at the time of telomere length measurement. Four sets of measurements of SES were investigated: those collected contemporaneously with telomere length assessment, educational markers, SES in childhood and SES over the preceding twenty years. We found mixed evidence for an association between SES and telomere length. In 35-year-olds, many of the education and childhood SES measures were associated with telomere length, i.e. those in poorer circumstances had shorter telomeres, as was intergenerational social mobility, but not accumulated disadvantage. A crude estimate showed that, at the same chronological age, social renters, for example, were nine years (biologically) older than home owners. No consistent associations were apparent in those aged 55 or 75. There is evidence of an association between SES and telomere length, but only in younger adults and most strongly using education and childhood SES measures. These results may reflect that childhood is a sensitive period for telomere attrition. The cohort differences are possibly the result of survival bias suppressing the SES-telomere association; cohort effects with regard different experiences of SES; or telomere possibly being a less effective marker of biological ageing at older ages

LEVANTAMENTO COM VEÍCULO AÉREO NÃO TRIPULADO PARA GERAÇÃO DE MODELO DIGITAL DO TERRENO EM BACIA EXPERIMENTAL COM VEGETAÇÃO FLORESTAL ESPARSA

A representação do relevo por meio dos modelos digitais do terreno (MDT) demanda do conhecimento das potencialidades e limitações das técnicas e instrumentos da aerofotogrametria. O levantamento com veículos aéreos não tripulados (VANT) e câmeras não métricas tem sido amplamente utilizado como método para obtenção de MDT devido a sua facilidade de operação e baixo custo. Entretanto, a geração do MDT a partir do modelo digital de superfície exige cuidados e pode adicionar erros ao modelo. Neste contexto, este artigo tem por objetivo avaliar a qualidade do MDT gerado por aplicação de procedimento semiautomático em área com presença de vegetação esparsa. O modelo foi gerado com o VANT Phantom 3 Professional com altura média de voo de 60 m e sem a utilização de pontos de controle. Para a avaliação da acurácia e validação do MDT foram utilizados 354 pontos obtidos por técnicas de levantamento topográfico convencional. As diferenças altimétricas entre o MDT e o levantamento foram, em geral, inferiores a 0,5 m (R² = 0,99), sendo obtido um erro padrão de 0,29 m e um padrão de exatidão cartográfica de 0,49 m, equivalente a um levantamento altimétrico classe A (1:5.000). Foi ainda elaborado um modelo digital da vegetação, sendo validado a partir de dados obtidos em campo para 54 árvores (R²= 0,87 e erro padrão = 0,54 m). Os resultados evidenciam a aplicabilidade da utilização de levantamento com VANT para obtenção de MDT em locais com vegetação florestal esparsa mediante a validação dos resultados com levantamento topográfico convencional