Long-Term Monitoring of Experimental Features, Subtask 2: Alexandria-Ashland Highway (KY 9) Pavement Performance Monitoring

Construction on the AA Highway began in late 1985 and was completed in late 1990. Prior to construction, 30 different test sections had been designed into the highway for evaluation. The test sections contain 23 different characteristic qualities and different segment lengths. The segment lengths range from 1.28 to 9.13 miles and took one and a half to four years to complete each segment. The sections were constructed from various pavement and shoulder designs. The designs are varied by parameters such as the type of subgrade stabilization, drainage type, surface class, surface aggregate, and more. The purpose for monitoring the performance of the AA Highway is to compare the different design types to determine the most feasible, long-lasting design available. There are several factors that impact the long term performance of the pavement. These include the volume of traffic, the classification of traffic, ESAL (equivalent single axle load), and environmental factors. Therefore, the performance of the pavement can not be entirely dependent on the design. The pavement performance was monitored periodically since construction through 1999. Falling weight deflectometer (FWD) measurements were made, distress surveys were conducted, and rideability data was collected from the Pavement Management Branch of the Division of Operations. Cracking of all types was the most prevalent form of distress in all the sections. Raveling was the second most prominent distress. Much of these distresses were associated with crushed gravel surfaces. There was less cracking and raveling on sections that were paved with crushed limestone surface mixtures

Sulfate and Phosphate Speleothems at Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, Australia

Sulfate and phosphate deposits at Jenolan Caves occur in a variety of forms and compositions including crusts, ‘flowers’ and fibrous masses of gypsum (selenite), and clusters of boss-like speleothems (potatoes) of ardealite (calcium sulphate, phosphate hydrate) with associated gypsum. This boss-like morphology of ardealite does not appear to have been previously described in the literature and this is the first report of ardealite in New South Wales. Gypsum var. selenite occurs in close association with pyrite-bearing palaeokarst, while the ardealite gypsum association appears to relate to deposits of mineralised bat guano. Isotope studies confirm that the two gypsum suites have separate sources of sulfur, one from the weathering of pyrite (-1.4 to +4.9 δ34S) for gypsum (selenite) and the other from alteration of bat guano (+11.4 to +12.9 δ34S) for the ardealite and gypsum crusts

Sulfate and Phosphate Speleothems at Jenolan Caves, New South Wales, Australia

Sulfate and phosphate deposits at Jenolan Caves occur in a variety of forms and compositions including crusts, ‘flowers’ and fibrous masses of gypsum (selenite), and clusters of boss-like speleothems (potatoes) of ardealite (calcium sulphate, phosphate hydrate) with associated gypsum. This boss-like morphology of ardealite does not appear to have been previously described in the literature and this is the first report of ardealite in New South Wales. Gypsum var. selenite occurs in close association with pyrite-bearing palaeokarst, while the ardealite gypsum association appears to relate to deposits of mineralised bat guano. Isotope studies confirm that the two gypsum suites have separate sources of sulfur, one from the weathering of pyrite (-1.4 to +4.9 δ34S) for gypsum (selenite) and the other from alteration of bat guano (+11.4 to +12.9 δ34S) for the ardealite and gypsum crusts

Influence of Stream Location in a Drainage Network on the Index of Biotic Integrity

The index of biotic integrity (IBI) has become a widely used tool for assessing the condition of stream fish communities and the overall biological status of streams. Because the location of a stream in a drainage network can influence the species richness offish communities and because species richness is an important component of the IBI, we examined the influence of stream spatial location on the IBI. We found that IBI scores for headwater streams in three Illinois drainage basins were significantly lower than those calculated for tributary streams of similar size connecting directly to larger streams. This difference in IBI was related to the increased species richness and to a greater number of sucker and darter species in tributaries that drain into larger, main‐channel streams. Because of the influence of tributary location on the IBI, expected values for headwater tributary streams should be developed independently from those developed for main‐channel tributary streams. Failure to do so can result in a substantial underestimation of the IBI of headwater tributary streams or an overestimation of main‐channel tributaries.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142315/1/tafs0635.pd

The Grizzly, October 26, 2017

History of Halloween • Senior English Majors go Gothic • SAO Plans Halloween Trip to Dorney • Senior Halloween Party: An Ursinus Tradition • Fright Night: Phoenixville Theatre Hosts Horror Film Series • Spooky Ursinus Folk • Something Wicked This Way Comes • Opinions: A Ghost Story Haunts with Quiet Pain and Loss; Trick-or-Treating Should End for Children Older than Thirteen • Superstitions Win Confidence for Ursinus Student Athletes • First Year Athletes Face Scary New Adjustmentshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1629/thumbnail.jp

Monitoring neonicotinoid exposure for bees in rural and peri-urban areas of the UK during the transition from pre- to post-moratorium

Concerns regarding the impact of neonicotinoid exposure on bee populations recently led to an EU-wide moratorium on the use of certain neonicotinoids on flowering crops. Currently evidence regarding the impact, if any, the moratorium has had on bees’ exposure is limited. We sampled pollen and nectar from bumblebee colonies in rural and peri-urban habitats in three UK regions; Stirlingshire, Hertfordshire and Sussex. Colonies were sampled over three years; prior to the ban (2013), during the initial implementation when some seed-treated winter-sown oilseed rape was still grown (2014), and following the ban (2015). To compare species-level differences, in 2014 only, honeybee colonies in rural habitats were also sampled. Over half of all samples were found to be contaminated (n=408), with thiamethoxam being the compound detected at the highest concentrations in honeybee- (up to 2.29 ng/g in nectar in 2014, median≤0.1 ng/g, n=79) and bumblebee-collected pollen and nectar (up to 38.77 ng/g in pollen in 2013, median ≤0.12 ng/g, n=76). Honeybees were exposed to higher concentrations of neonicotinoids than bumblebees in 2014. While neonicotinoid exposure for rural bumblebees declined post-ban (2015), suggesting a positive impact of the moratorium, the risk of neonicotinoid exposure for bumblebees in peri-urban habitats remained largely the same between 2013 and 2015

Superfluid to solid crossover in a rotating Bose-Einstein condensed gas

The properties of a rotating Bose-Einstein condensate confined in a prolate cylindrically symmetric trap are explored both analytically and numerically. As the rotation frequency increases, an ever greater number of vortices are energetically favored. Though the cloud anisotropy and moment of inertia approach those of a classical fluid at high frequencies, the observed vortex density is consistently lower than the solid-body estimate. Furthermore, the vortices are found to arrange themselves in highly regular triangular arrays, with little distortion even near the condensate surface. These results are shown to be a direct consequence of the inhomogeneous confining potential.Comment: 4+e pages, 5 embedded figures, revte

The Grizzly, September 21, 2017

CSCG Brings Biologist and Policy Maker Nina Federoff to Campus • Students Surprised by New Student Senate Requirements • International Film Festival Kicks Off • Q&A with Dean Mark Schneider • Beekeeping Society Creates Some Buzz • Final Member of Pi Omega Delta • Opinions: First-year Perspective: Challenge Yourself with New Experiences; How to be Involved but not Over-committed on Campus • Electric Start for UC Men\u27s Cross Country • Party of Five: Women\u27s Golf Wins First Matchhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1625/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, September 14, 2017

Three Workers Injured in IDC Construction Accident • Rush Week Comes Early This Year • Have You Seen Scene / Unseen? • Ursinus Welcomes a New AD to Main Street • A Fairy Tale in the English Department • Opinions: Trump\u27s Move to End DACA is One of his Most Disgusting Acts Yet; Why Resident Advisers Could Benefit From a Union • Fresh Voice for UC Volleyball • Bears Beat Bison and Bullets for Hot Start to Seasonhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1624/thumbnail.jp

The Grizzly, November 16, 2017

Democrats Sweep Local Elections • Sustainability Office Recognized by the Princeton Review • Bear2Bear Fund Aids Students with Emergency Expenses • UCDC Fall Show, Once Removed, Opens This Thursday • Pride Shines at Ursinus • Build Character, Write Now • Opinions: Student Leaders Must be Better Allies Through Their Actions; Paradise Papers Reveal Unethical Tax Avoidance by Tech Companies • UCXC Finishes Strong • Men\u27s Basketball Picked Fourth in Preseason Pollhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1632/thumbnail.jp