Graphite core condition monitoring through intelligent analysis of fuel grab load trace data

As a graphite core ages, there is an increased requirement to monitor the distortions within the core to permit safe continued operation of the station. In addition to existing monitoring and inspection, new methods of providing information relating to the core are being investigated

Graphite core brick crack detection through automated load trace analysis

This presentation looks at graphite core brick crack detection through automated load trace analysi

Indigenous Peoples’ rights in national climate governance: An analysis of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

Although the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ contributions to climate governance by the international community has gradually increased, a rights-based approach in national climate action is still largely absent. This article analyses the recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ rights in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. We conducted a content analysis of all NDCs submitted between 2016 and May 2022. Through a five-pronged framework of sustainable self-determination, we assessed how the NDCs recognise: i. Indigenous Peoples as rights-holders; ii. Indigenous jurisdiction over land; iii. Indigenous knowledge systems; iv. Indigenous Peoples’ right to full and effective participation in climate governance; and v. the legacy of colonialism. NDCs with references related to Indigenous Peoples are increasing. However, questions remain regarding their sincerity and commitment to implementation. States must therefore make more significant efforts to ensure that the NDCs take a rights-based approach and contribute to strengthening Indigenous Peoples’ role and say in climate governance

Toward Indigenous visions of nature-based solutions: an exploration into Canadian federal climate policy

Political traction for nature-based solutions is rapidly growing as governments recognize their role in addressing the simultaneous climate and biodiversity crises. While there has been recognition of the role of Indigenous Peoples in nature-based solutions, there has also been limited academic review on their relationship. This paper explores how the Government of Canada’s conceptualization of nature-based solutions either support or prevent Indigenous sustainable self-determination. Drawing on past policy frameworks, we construct a novel four-dimensional sustainable self-determination policy lens focused on: Indigenous knowledge systems; Indigenous jurisdiction over land; the full and effective participation of Indigenous Peoples; and Indigenous Peoples as rights-holders to review a total of nine federal climate policy, planning, and science documents. Our analysis shows that while there is growing recognition of Indigenous rights, inclusion of Indigenous knowledge, and commitments to include the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the implementation of certain climate activities, there is a clear unwillingness to recognize Indigenous jurisdiction and Indigenous understandings of land as systems of reciprocal relations. Reframing nature-based solutions in the context of Canadian and international climate policy is essential not only to advance the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples, but also to create the ceremonial ground for Indigenous visions of nature-based solutions in order to address these joint crises

Theoretical and computational study of high pressure structures in barium

Recent high pressure work has suggested that elemental barium forms a high pressure self-hosting structure (Ba IV) involving two `types' of barium atom. Uniquely among reported elemental structures it cannot be described by a single crystalline lattice, instead involving two interpenetrating incommensurate lattices. In this letter we report pseudopotential calculations demonstrating the stability and the potentially disordered nature of the `guest' structure. Using band structures and nearly-free electron theory we relate the appearance of Ba IV to an instability in the close-packed structure, demonstrate that it has a zero energy vibrational mode, and speculate about the structure's stability in other divalent elements.Comment: 4 pages and 5 figures. To appear in PR

Cumulants and the moment algebra: tools for analysing weak measurements

Recently it has been shown that cumulants significantly simplify the analysis of multipartite weak measurements. Here we consider the mathematical structure that underlies this, and find that it can be formulated in terms of what we call the moment algebra. Apart from resulting in simpler proofs, the flexibility of this structure allows generalizations of the original results to a number of weak measurement scenarios, including one where the weakly interacting pointers reach thermal equilibrium with the probed system.Comment: Journal reference added, minor correction

Estimating Photosynthetic Attributes from High-Throughput Canopy Hyperspectral Sensing in Sorghum

Sorghum, a genetically diverse C(4) cereal, is an ideal model to study natural variation in photosynthetic capacity. Specific leaf nitrogen (SLN) and leaf mass per leaf area (LMA), as well as, maximal rates of Rubisco carboxylation (V (cmax)), phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylation (V (pmax)), and electron transport (J (max)), quantified using a C(4) photosynthesis model, were evaluated in two field-grown training sets (n = 169 plots including 124 genotypes) in 2019 and 2020. Partial least square regression (PLSR) was used to predict V (cmax) (R (2) = 0.83), V (pmax) (R (2) = 0.93), J (max) (R (2) = 0.76), SLN (R (2) = 0.82), and LMA (R (2) = 0.68) from tractor-based hyperspectral sensing. Further assessments of the capability of the PLSR models for V (cmax), V (pmax), J (max), SLN, and LMA were conducted by extrapolating these models to two trials of genome-wide association studies adjacent to the training sets in 2019 (n = 875 plots including 650 genotypes) and 2020 (n = 912 plots with 634 genotypes). The predicted traits showed medium to high heritability and genome-wide association studies using the predicted values identified four QTL for V (cmax) and two QTL for J (max). Candidate genes within 200 kb of the V (cmax) QTL were involved in nitrogen storage, which is closely associated with Rubisco, while not directly associated with Rubisco activity per se. J (max) QTL was enriched for candidate genes involved in electron transport. These outcomes suggest the methods here are of great promise to effectively screen large germplasm collections for enhanced photosynthetic capacity

Estimating Photosynthetic Attributes from High-Throughput Canopy Hyperspectral Sensing in Sorghum

Sorghum, a genetically diverse C(4) cereal, is an ideal model to study natural variation in photosynthetic capacity. Specific leaf nitrogen (SLN) and leaf mass per leaf area (LMA), as well as, maximal rates of Rubisco carboxylation (V (cmax)), phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylation (V (pmax)), and electron transport (J (max)), quantified using a C(4) photosynthesis model, were evaluated in two field-grown training sets (n = 169 plots including 124 genotypes) in 2019 and 2020. Partial least square regression (PLSR) was used to predict V (cmax) (R (2) = 0.83), V (pmax) (R (2) = 0.93), J (max) (R (2) = 0.76), SLN (R (2) = 0.82), and LMA (R (2) = 0.68) from tractor-based hyperspectral sensing. Further assessments of the capability of the PLSR models for V (cmax), V (pmax), J (max), SLN, and LMA were conducted by extrapolating these models to two trials of genome-wide association studies adjacent to the training sets in 2019 (n = 875 plots including 650 genotypes) and 2020 (n = 912 plots with 634 genotypes). The predicted traits showed medium to high heritability and genome-wide association studies using the predicted values identified four QTL for V (cmax) and two QTL for J (max). Candidate genes within 200 kb of the V (cmax) QTL were involved in nitrogen storage, which is closely associated with Rubisco, while not directly associated with Rubisco activity per se. J (max) QTL was enriched for candidate genes involved in electron transport. These outcomes suggest the methods here are of great promise to effectively screen large germplasm collections for enhanced photosynthetic capacity

Two-band second moment model and an interatomic potential for caesium

A semi-empirical formalism is presented for deriving interatomic potentials for materials such as caesium or cerium which exhibit volume collapse phase transitions. It is based on the Finnis-Sinclair second moment tight binding approach, but incorporates two independent bands on each atom. The potential is cast in a form suitable for large-scale molecular dynamics, the computational cost being the evaluation of short ranged pair potentials. Parameters for a model potential for caesium are derived and tested