Pivotal in a pandemic: an interview with Ian Roberts, head of the WHO libraries

This interview with the head of the World Health Organization’s Library Service took place in May 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The interview provides a snapshot of how COVID-19 has affected the library service in an organization which is at the centre of disseminating information and providing leadership during the pandemic. In the interview, various aspects of managing a library service during a pandemic are discussed, including: how the library copes with high demand; how they maintain a high-quality search and retrieval service; how they make use of partnerships; what are the emerging "lessons learned" for their service; and how they try to take care of their well-being

Book Review: Wipe Out Your Debts and Make a Fresh Start (1973)

Book Review of WIPE OUT YOUR DEBTS AND MAKE A FRESH START, by Jerome I. Meyers (NY: Chancellor Press Inc., 1973)

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizatio

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizatio

Spectroscopic study of unique line broadening and inversion in low-pressure microwave generated water plasmas

It was demonstrated that low pressure (~0.2 Torr) water vapor plasmas generated in a 10 mm inner diameter quartz tube with an Evenson microwave cavity show at least two features which are not explained by conventional plasma models. First, significant (> 0.25 nm) hydrogen Balmer_ line broadening, of constant width, up to 5 cm from the microwave coupler was recorded. Only hydrogen, and not oxygen, showed significant line broadening. This feature, observed previously in hydrogen-containing mixed gas plasmas generated with high voltage dc and rf discharges was explained by some researchers to result from acceleration of hydrogen ions near the cathode. This explanation cannot apply to the line broadening observed in the (electrodeless) microwave plasmas generated in this work, particularly at distances as great as 5 cm from the microwave coupler. Second, inversion of the line intensities of both the Lyman and Balmer series, again, at distances up to 5 cm from the coupler, were observed. The line inversion suggests the existence of a hitherto unknown source of pumping of the optical power in plasmas. Finally, it is notable that other aspects of the plasma including the OH* rotational temperature and low electron concentrations are quite typical of plasmas of this type.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figure

Dynamic Rating of Overhead Transmission Lines over Complex Terrain Using a Large-Eddy Simulation Paradigm

Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) enables rating of power line conductors using real-time weather conditions. Conductors are typically operated based on a conservative static rating that assumes worst case weather conditions to avoid line sagging to unsafe levels. Static ratings can cause unnecessary congestion on transmission lines. To address this potential issue, a simulation-based dynamic line rating approach is applied to an area with moderately complex terrain. A micro-scale wind solver — accelerated on multiple graphics processing units (GPUs) — is deployed to compute wind speed and direction in the vicinity of powerlines. The wind solver adopts the large-eddy simulation technique and the immersed boundary method with fine spatial resolutions to improve the accuracy of wind field predictions. Statistical analysis of simulated winds compare favorably against wind data collected at multiple weather stations across the testbed area. The simulation data is then used to compute excess transmission capacity that may not be utilized because of a static rating practice. Our results show that the present multi-GPU accelerated simulation-based approach — supported with transient calculation of conductor temperature with high-order schemes — could be used as a non-intrusive smart-grid technology to increase transmission capacity on existing lines

Novel Endophyte Varities: What\u27s the Difference?

Over the past few decades forage producers have seen several major changes in varieties of tall fescue. From the days of Kentucky 31 being the predominant variety, the first change was the development of endophyte-free tall fescue varieties. For many growers, these have been useful additions, especially when coupled with rotational grazing to reduce the risks of overgrazing, and practices that eradicate existing stands of KY-31 and preventing the reintroduction of endophyte infected KY-31. However, these endophyte-free varieties often lacked the persistence of Kentucky 31 and disappointed many early adopters. In the 30 years since the first generation of endophyte-free varieties, plant breeders have made incredible progress in developing additional tall fescue varieties with the latest breakthrough the development and release of novel endophyte varieties

Rehabilitation of the Rocket Vehicle Integration Test Stand at Edwards Air Force Base

Since initial use in 1958 for the X-15 rocket-powered research airplane, the Rocket Engine Test Facility has proven essential for testing and servicing rocket-powered vehicles at Edwards Air Force Base. For almost two decades, several successful flight-test programs utilized the capability of this facility. The Department of Defense has recently demonstrated a renewed interest in propulsion technology development with the establishment of the National Aerospace Initiative. More recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is undergoing a transformation to realign the organization, focusing on the Vision for Space Exploration. These initiatives provide a clear indication that a very capable ground-test stand at Edwards Air Force Base will be beneficial to support the testing of future access-to-space vehicles. To meet the demand of full integration testing of rocket-powered vehicles, the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, the Air Force Flight Test Center, and the Air Force Research Laboratory have combined their resources in an effort to restore and upgrade the original X-15 Rocket Engine Test Facility to become the new Rocket Vehicle Integration Test Stand. This report describes the history of the X-15 Rocket Engine Test Facility, discusses the current status of the facility, and summarizes recent efforts to rehabilitate the facility to support potential access-to-space flight-test programs. A summary of the capabilities of the facility is presented and other important issues are discussed