Spectrographic analysis of bismuth-tin eutectic alloys by spark-ignited low-voltage ac-arc excitation

Spectrographic method determines individual stainless steel components in molten bismuth-42 w/o tin eutectic to determine the solubility of Type 304 stainless steels. It utilizes the high sensitivity and precision of the spark-ignited, low-voltage ac-arc excitation of samples rendered homogeneous by dissolution

Techniques for railway restructuring

This report was sponsored by the Union of African Railways, as part of a Sub-Saharan Africa Transport Project task aimed at defining what is involved in restructuring railways so that they behave more like market driven enterprises. The question addressed in this document is not whether the railway should be restructured, but how. The report recommends four types of action to be employed in the process of institutional reform : 1) a strategic plan which defines the environment in which the railway will function and focuses on the crucial policy issues that will guide or influence the railway's planning and actions, 2) a contract plan which defines the roles and responsibilities of the railway and its owner. This plan flows from the strategic plan and should not be developed in isolation from related policy and funding objectives of the government and railway. 3) A management plan that clarifies the objectives of the senior railway executives and their roles and responsibilities in relation to the executive director, and 4) an enabling actions plan, which lists most of the initiatives that must be taken in conjunction with implementation of the first three plans. The focus should be to ensure that the roles and responsibilities defined will actually be realized in law or enforceable agreement.Railways Transport,Banks&Banking Reform,Public Sector Economics&Finance,Environmental Economics&Policies,Roads&Highways

Numerical simulations of supersonic flow through oscillating cascade sections

A finite difference code was developed for modeling inviscid, unsteady supersonic flow by solution of the compressible Euler equations. The code uses a deforming grid technique to capture the motion of the airfoils and can model oscillating cascades with any arbitrary interblade phase angle. A flat plate cascade is analyzed, and results are compared with results from a small perturbation theory. The results show very good agreement for both the unsteady pressure distributions and the integrated force predictions. The reason for using the numerical Euler code over a small perturbation theory is the ability to model real airfoils that have thickness and camber. Sample predictions are presented for a cascade of loaded airfoils and show appreciable differences in the unsteady surface pressure distributions when compared with the flat plate results

Numerical analysis of supersonic flow through oscillating cascade sections by using a deforming grid

A finite difference code was developed for modeling inviscid, unsteady supersonic flow by solution of the compressible Euler equations. The code uses a deforming grid technique to capture the motion of the airfoils and can model oscillating cascades with any arbitrary interblade phase angle. A flat plate cascade is analyzed, and results are compared with results from a small-perturbation theory. The results show very good agreement for both the unsteady pressure distributions and the integrated force predictions. The reason for using the numerical Euler code over a small-perturbation theory is the ability to model real airfoils that have thickness and camber. Sample predictions are presented for a section of the rotor on a supersonic throughflow compressor designed at NASA Lewis Research Center. Preliminary results indicate that two-dimensional, flat plate analysis predicts conservative flutter boundaries

A National Perspective on Women Owning Woodlands (WOW) Networks

This article provides a national overview of women owning woodlands (WOW) networks and the barriers and successes they encounter. Qualitative interview data with key network leaders were used for increasing understanding of how these networks operate. Network leaders were all connected professionally, and all successful WOW networks involved partnerships between universities and local or regional nonprofits and state agencies. WOW networks face recruitment challenges similar to those faced by woodland owner associations, but Extension efforts and peer-to-peer learning opportunities can lead to comfortable and welcoming environments in which women can learn more about their woodland management options

SPENDING CLAUSE—GRAVE DECEPTIONS: REMEDYING CEMETERY MISFEASANCE THROUGH CONGRESS’S CONDITIONAL SPENDING POWER IN THE AFTERMATH OF AFFORDABLE CARE ACT LITIGATION

In the United States, seventy-three percent of deaths each year result in traditional casket burials, yet the cemetery industry remains unregulated at the federal level. This Note argues that the federal government should intervene using its constitutional power to spend and encourage states to adopt “Minimum Grieving Consumer Protection Guidelines.” These guidelines seek to ensure that cemetery operations—like other trades—are legally bound to provide the most basic consumer protections. This Note first explains why the FTC, which regulates funeral providers, does not have jurisdiction to regulate the cemetery industry. Then this Note examines the patchwork of state regulations that currently exist and emphasizes the need for uniformity within the industry. This note offers two proposals for how Congress can encourage states to adopt guidelines for regulating the cemetery industry. Congress should either condition an appropriate percentage of the Medicaid grant on states’ compliance with the proposed Minimum Guidelines or condition the individual receipt of the Medicaid burial set-aside on state compliance with the above-mentioned guidelines

Analysis of debris from Spacelab Space Life Sciences-1

Airborne microbiological and particulate contamination generated aboard Spacelab modules is a potential safety hazard. In order to shed light on the characteristics of these contaminants, microbial and chemical/particulate analyses were performed on debris vacuumed from cabin and avionics air filters in the Space Life Sciences-1 (SLS-1) module of the Space Transportation System 40 (STS-40) mission 1 month after landing. The debris was sorted into categories (e.g., metal, nonmetal, hair/fur, synthetic fibers, food particles, insect fragments, etc.). Elemental analysis of particles was done by energy dispersive analysis of x rays (metals) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (nonmetals). Scanning electron micrographs were done of most particles. Microbiological samples were grown on R2A culture medium and identified. Clothing fibers dominated the debris by volume. Other particles, all attributed to the crew, resulted from abrasions and impacts during missions operations (e.g., paint chips, plastic, electronic scraps and clothing fibers). All bacterial species identified are commonly found in the atmosphere or on the human body. Bacillus sp. was the most frequently seen bacterium. One of the bacterial species, Enterobacter agglomerans, could cause illness in crew members with depressed immune systems

Euler flow predictions for an oscillating cascade using a high resolution wave-split scheme

A compressible flow code that can predict the nonlinear unsteady aerodynamics associated with transonic flows over oscillating cascades is developed and validated. The code solves the two dimensional, unsteady Euler equations using a time-marching, flux-difference splitting scheme. The unsteady pressures and forces can be determined for arbitrary input motions, although only harmonic pitching and plunging motions are addressed. The code solves the flow equations on a H-grid which is allowed to deform with the airfoil motion. Predictions are presented for both flat plate cascades and loaded airfoil cascades. Results are compared to flat plate theory and experimental data. Predictions are also presented for several oscillating cascades with strong normal shocks where the pitching amplitudes, cascade geometry and interblade phase angles are varied to investigate nonlinear behavior

General Lauman—A Rift in the Cloud

This article is about the discharge of General Lauman after the battle of Jackson, Mississippi in 1863. A letter from W. H. F. Randall indicates that the loss of the battle was not the fault of General Lauman