Verification of a Monte Carlo model of the Missouri S&T reactor

The purpose of this research is to ensure that an MCNP model of the Missouri S&T reactor produces accurate results so that it may be used to predict the effects of some desired upgrades to the reactor. The desired upgrades are an increase in licensed power from 200 kW to 400kW, and the installation of a secondary cooling system to prevent heating of the pool. This was performed by comparing simulations performed using the model with experiments performed using the reactor. The experiments performed were, the approach to criticality method of predicting the critical control rod height, measurement of the axial flux profile, moderator temperature coefficient of reactivity, and void coefficient of reactivity. The results of these experiments and results from the simulation show that the model produces a similar axial flux profile, and that it models the void and temperature coefficients of reactivity well. The model does however over-predict the criticality of the core, such that it predicts a lower critical rod height and a keff greater than one when simulating conditions in which the reactor was at a stable power. It is assumed that this is due to the model using fuel compositions from when the fuel was new, while in reality the reactor has been operating with this fuel for nearly 20 years. It has therefore been concluded that the fuel composition should be updated by performing a burnup analysis, and an accurate heat transfer and fluid flow analysis be performed to better represent the temperature profile before the model is used to simulate the effects of the desired upgrades

How we judge others: The attribution of responsibility

Attribution theory is concerned with the process by which people infer causation from parts of the relatively stable environment (Heider, 1958:297). This process is a function of the need to. control the environment through explanation and prediction similar to the way scientists attempt descriptions that render predictions. This analogy has also been drawn by Kelley (1967), who has concluded that the way in which causal attributions are made is similar to the way data is analysed by means of the analysis of variance procedure. Another example of the parallel between the scientific method and attribution processes has been made by Kelley (1971) regarding compensatory causes. These have been shown to be similar to the principles involved in scalogram analysis as developed by Guttman (1950), in that the underlying characteristics of action are examined and analyzed (see Kelley, 1971). While the scientific method can be seen as a model of the way in which people make attributions, so too, the way in which people make attributions can be seen in the scientific method, though, the naive psychology (Heider, 1958) of the man on the street is less systematic. A naive version of J. S. Kills\u27 method of difference provides the basic analytic tool (Kelley, 1967:194)

Horticultural Studies 2003

We are pleased to bring you the sixth edition of Horticultural Studies. This publication, beginning with Horticultural Studies 1998, has continued to bring to the citizens of Arkansas the latest reports about horticultural crop research being conducted throughout the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. Our goal with this publication was to bring annual up-to-date findings to the horticultural community in Arkansas so that you could utilize these new findings and/or contact the researchers for further information. We hope that this goal is being met. As editors, we strive to make this publication reader-friendly, timely, and hopefully of value to you, a user of the resulting technology, who we in the Department of Horticulture are working to serve

Quantifying Undisturbed (Native) Lands in Northwestern South Dakota: 2013

We employed simple GIS methods primarily utilizing the South Dakota Farm Service Agency’s Common Land Unit (CLU) data layers from 2013 and the 2012 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) county mosaic aerial imagery to evaluate 7,347,812 acres of land in northwestern South Dakota. The analysis area includes: Harding, Perkins, and Butte counties along with portions of Lawrence and Meade counties outside of the Black Hills Core Highlands and Plateau Ecoregions. We utilized the FSA CLU data layer queried to show current and former cropland to identify and remove any areas with cropping history regardless of current land use. We analyzed the remaining land in approximately one mi2 sections to identify and remove additional historic or current land disturbances. The remaining land tracts were categorized as potentially ‘undisturbed grassland’ or ‘undisturbed woodland’ by simple reason of deduction. Finally, we removed all known water bodies larger than 40 acres as defined by the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks’ (SDGFP) Statewide Water Bodies layer to gain a more accurate interpretation of the remaining undisturbed grassland/wetland complex. Overall, 5,743,137 acres (78.2%) of the approximately 7.3 million-acre analysis area was designated as potentially undisturbed by our initial analysis (Figure 1). However, a portion of these undisturbed acres have certain indicators suggesting historical disturbance, thus 17,263 locations were flagged as potential ‘go-back’ areas (see updated Methods section). In addition to go-back areas, we also identified over 300 locations with indicators of some type of native rangeland manipulation other than historic cropping. Because of limitations evaluating historic land patterns with NAIP imagery, it was not possible to accurately calculate actual area estimates for these flagged locations. However, we were able to perform an initial area analysis of go-back sites using polygons in portions of Harding and northern Perkins Counties which suggests the combined impact of go-back fields and rangeland manipulations may impact about 10% of the undisturbed land layer. Therefore, we speculate the actual undisturbed (potentially native) land area for this region may be reduced from the current 78.3% down to roughly 68% if we can refine our methodologies to more accurately reflect these disturbances in the future. We anticipate future LiDAR analysis will aid in improving such accuracy. To provide the reader with a better understanding of the distribution of these flagged disturbances, we analyzed the number of legal sections of land (as defined by the 2000 Public Land Survey) that had at least one indicator of disturbance against the total number of legal sections in the analysis area. We found that 7,558 out of 11,580 (65.3%) legal sections had at least one indication of disturbance within the section (either a go-back site or rangeland manipulation site within the undisturbed land layer). Of the approximate 7.2-million-acre total analysis area, 1.4 million acres (19%) were deemed to have a cropping history according to the FSA CLU data. 193,570 acres (2.6%) were found to have some type of land disturbance not indicated by a CLU crop code. Totaling 1.59 million acres (21.7%) of all land with some type of proven disturbance history. Leaving roughly 5.7 million acres deemed undisturbed. Within the approximate 7.2-million-acre total evaluation area, 12,315 acres (0.2%) were found to have some sort of permanent protection from conversion (some of these acres have a disturbance history). Only 10,835 acres of the approximately 5.7 million acres of undisturbed land (0.2%) had some level of permanent conservation protection status. The 10,835 acres of potentially undisturbed land that is officially protected from future conversion represents only 0.1% of the analysis area for the five northwestern South Dakota counties. Within northwestern South Dakota we identified 298 oil wells, drill sites, and associated facilities/developments. These sites are primarily located in the Sagebursh Steppe Ecoregion of Harding County. Of the sites identified, 262 (87.9%) were located adjacent to undisturbed areas (within 250 feet, see Methods section).https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/data_land-northwestsd/1000/thumbnail.jp

Embracing Change: Adapting and Evolving Your Distance Learning Library Services to Embrace the New ACRL Distance Learning Library Services Standards

Distance learning continues to grow by leaps and bounds and almost all academic libraries are struggling to evolve and adapt to offer quality equivalent services and resources to their distance students. This interactive presentation will offer participants an in-depth analysis of the new ACRL Distance Learning Library Services Standards, offer forecasts regarding the future of distance learning, and will draw distinctions between the previous 2008 Standards for Distance Learning Library Services and the new standards. Practical advice on how to update distance learning library services to meet the new standards will be offered, and participants are encouraged to bring their own experiences and questions to the discussion

Trumpet Festival of the Southeast: Faculty Jazz Parliament

KSU Faculty Jazz Parliament welcomes featured guest artists Joe Gransden and Rex Richardson for a special performance as part of the 2019 Trumpet Festival of the Southeast. Gransden, an accomplished trumpeter, singer, and bandleader, is renowned for his distinctive style that\u27s earned him a loyal following in Atlanta and worldwide through engaging performances and acclaimed recordings as a soloist and with his 16-piece big band. Rex Richardson stays busy as a headline artist at international classical and jazz festivals and as a soloist with a multitude of orchestras, concert bands, brass bands, and jazz ensembles performing across five continents.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/2157/thumbnail.jp

Block 2 SRM conceptual design studies. Volume 1, Book 1: Conceptual design package

The conceptual design studies of a Block 2 Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) require the elimination of asbestos-filled insulation and was open to alternate designs, such as case changes, different propellants, modified burn rate - to improve reliability and performance. Limitations were placed on SRM changes such that the outside geometry should not impact the physical interfaces with other Space Shuttle elements and should have minimum changes to the aerodynamic and dynamic characteristics of the Space Shuttle vehicle. Previous Space Shuttle SRM experience was assessed and new design concepts combined to define a valid approach to assured flight success and economic operation of the STS. Trade studies, preliminary designs, analyses, plans, and cost estimates are documented

Line isolation versus letter isolation in distance phoria and duction testing: Is there a difference?

An isolated column of 20/20 letters is typically the target used to measure the distance lateral phoria and the distance lateral ductions. The above tests were run on 30 subjects and statistically compared with results of the same test procedures performed on the same subjects using an isolated 20/60 letter as the target. Analysis disclosed no statistical differences for either test target for distance lateral phorias or lateral ductions. The isolated 20/60 letter target provides not only sufficient phoria and duction information at the far point but also simplifies and facilitates the examination sequence for subject and examiner alike

Maternal nutrient restriction in guinea pigs as an animal model for studying growth-restricted offspring with postnatal catch-up growth

We determined the impact of moderate maternal nutrient restriction (MNR) in guinea pigs with fetal growth restriction (FGR) on offspring body and organ weights, hypothesizing that FGR-MNR animals will show catch-up growth but with organ-specific differences. Guinea pig sows were fed ad libitum (Control) or 70% of the control diet from 4 weeks preconception, switching to 90% at midpregnancy (MNR). Control newborns \u3e95 g [appropriate for gestational age (AGA); n = 37] and MNR newborns \u3c85 g (FGR; n = 37) were monitored until neonatal (~25 days) or adult (~110 days) necropsy. Birth weights and body/organ weights at necropsy were used to calculate absolute and fractional growth rates (FRs). FGR-MNR birth weights were decreased ~32% compared with the AGA-Controls. FGR-MNR neonatal whole body FRs were increased ~36% compared with Controls indicating catch-up growth, with values negatively correlated to birth weights indicating the degree of FGR leads to greater catch-up growth. However, the increase in organ FRs in the FGR-MNR neonates compared with Controls was variable, being similar for the brain and kidneys indicating comparable catch-up growth to that of the whole body and twofold increased for the liver but negligible for the heart indicating markedly increased and absent catch-up growth, respectively. While FGR-MNR body and organ weights were unchanged from the AGA-Controls by adulthood, whole body growth rates were increased. These findings confirm early catch-up growth in FGR-MNR guinea pigs but with organ-specific differences and enhanced growth rates by adulthood, which are likely to have implications for structural alterations and disease risk in later life

Maternal nutrient restriction in Guinea pigs leads to fetal growth restriction with evidence for chronic hypoxia

BackgroundWe determined whether maternal nutrient restriction (MNR) in Guinea pigs leading to fetal growth restriction (FGR) impacts markers for tissue hypoxia, implicating a mechanistic role for chronic hypoxia.MethodsGuinea pigs were fed ad libitum (Control) or 70% of the control diet before pregnancy, switching to 90% at mid-pregnancy (MNR). Near term, hypoxyprobe-1 (HP-1), a marker of tissue hypoxia, was injected into pregnant sows. Fetuses were then necropsied and liver, kidney, and placental tissues were processed for erythropoietin (EPO), EPO-receptor (EPOR), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein levels, and for HP-1 immunoreactivity (IR).ResultsFGR-MNR fetuses were 36% smaller with asymmetrical growth restriction compared to controls. EPO and VEGF protein levels were increased in the female FGR-MNR fetuses, providing support for hypoxic stimulus and linkage to increased erythropoiesis, but not in the male FGR-MNR fetuses, possibly reflecting a weaker link between oxygenation and erythropoiesis. HP-1 IR was increased in the liver and kidneys of both male and female FGR-MNR fetuses as an index of local tissue hypoxia, but with no changes in the placenta.ConclusionChronic hypoxia is likely to be an important signaling mechanism for the decreased fetal growth seen with maternal undernutrition and appears to be post-placental in nature