Annotated bibliography of observations on Illinois water resources 1673-1850

This study is concerned with the development of the water resources to the middle of the nineteenth century. The works involved in it are the French accounts of their travels in the Illinois Country in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries; the accounts of the later eighteenth century, during the British period (1763-1783) when the Northwest was closed by royal proclamation to settlement; and the accounts of the nineteenth century when settlement began, primarily in the southern part of the State and, less formally, in the lead region of the northwest corner. By the middle of the century, Illinois reached the stage of sophisticated development; the Federal lands in the State had, almost all been entered, and the frontier had moved westward. An introductory text illustrates the nature of the findings, both as to observations, as well as the influence of the resources themselves, on the growth of the State of Illinois. An extensively annotated bibliography consists of travel narratives and descriptive accounts of Illinois written by observers who were in the State or who wrote of the State between the years 1673 and 1850. These limits were chosen because the first recorded European set foot on Illinois soil in 1673, and after the middle of the nineteenth century the official State and Federal geological reports can be relied upon. The works included in this list were chosen because the authors of them recorded observations bearing on the state of the water resources in Illinois at the time of their visits or publication. The entries in the bibliography consist of the titles, an introductory and summary paragraph, and the pertinent selections from the works.U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological SurveyOpe

An optimisation-based decision support system framework for multi-objective in- core fuel management of nuclear reactor cores

CITATION: Schlunz, E. B., Bokov, P. M. & Van Vuuren, J. H. 2016. An optimisation-based decision support system framework for multi-objective in- core fuel management of nuclear reactor cores. South African Journal of Industrial Engineering, 27(3):201-209, doi:10.7166/27-3-1650.The original publication is available at http://sajie.journals.ac.za/pubENGLISH ABSTRACT: The notion of in-core fuel management (ICFM) involves decision making in respect of the specific arrangement of fuel assemblies in a nuclear reactor core. This arrangement, referred to as a reload configuration, influences the efficiency and effectiveness of fuel usage in a reactor. A decision support system (DSS) may assist nuclear reactor operators in improving the quality of their reload configuration designs. In this paper, a generic optimisation-based DSS framework is proposed for multi-objective ICFM, with the intention of serving as a high-level formalisation of a computerised tool that can assist reactor operators in their complex ICFM decisions.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Binne-kern brandstofbestuur (BKBB) behels die neem van besluite oor die rangskikking van brandstofelemente in ‘n kernreaktor. So ‘n rangskikking staan bekend as ‘n herlaai-konfigurasie en beïnvloed die doeltreffendheid en doelmatigheid van brandstofverbruik in die reaktor. ‘n Besluitsteunstelsel (BSS) mag kernreaktor-operateurs help om die kwaliteit van hul herlaaikonfigurasie-ontwerpe te verbeter. In hierdie artikel word ‘n generiese optimerings-gebaseerde BSS vir veeldoelige BKBB voorgestel wat ten doel het om as ‘n hoë-vlak formalisering van ‘n gerekenariseerde toepassing te dien wat operateurs kan bystaan met hul komplekse BKBB-verwante besluite.http://sajie.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/1650Publisher's versio

An optimisation-based decision support system framework for multi-objective in-core fuel management of nuclear reactor cores

The notion of in-core fuel management (ICFM) involves decision making in respect of the specific arrangement of fuel assemblies in a nuclear reactor core. This arrangement, referred to as a reload configuration, influences the efficiency and effectiveness of fuel usage in a reactor. A decision support system (DSS) may assist nuclear reactor operators in improving the quality of their reload configuration designs. In this paper, a generic optimisation-based DSS framework is proposed for multi-objective ICFM, with the intention of serving as a high-level formalisation of a computerised tool that can assist reactor operators in their complex ICFM decisions

Neurointerventional Treatment of Vein of Galen Malformation (VGM): A Structured Review with a Proposal for the Comparison of Outcome Quality

Background: Vein of Galen malformation (VGM) is a congenital intracranial vascular anomaly consisting of arteriovenous fistulas and/or malformations between various arterial feeders and the median prosencephalic vein of Markowski (MPV). Despite its rare occurrence, VGM is of particular clinical relevance, as the excessive intracranial shunt volume leads to high mortality without appropriate treatment. Methods: The objective of this article is to review the published data on neurointerventional treatment and compare outcome quality in the included studies. Eight studies were included and synthesized. One study was multicentric and the rest were retrospective monocentric (level 4 evidence studies according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine). Results: The total number of included patients was 480 and patient age ranged from 1 day to 18 years. Mild or severe heart failure, hydrocephalus, and other reasons led to the indication for neurointerventional treatment, which was performed in all studies in the form of embolization. Under consideration of the introduced semiquantitative multidimensional scoring system, the highest total score, i.e., the best outcome quality, was found for the study “Houston” 2002–2018 (19 points) and the study “Duisburg” 2001–2010 (19 points). Conclusions: Neurointerventional treatment represents the essential pillar in the interdisciplinary management of patients with VGM, although standardization is lacking—based on the results of the structured review. As complementary treatments, pediatric critical care is mandatory and includes medical hemodynamic stabilization

Sedimentary changes on the Southeastern Brazilian upper slope during the last 35,000 years

A first evaluation of the sedimentary changes, including accumulation of inorganic and organic carbon on the upper slope off Southeastern Brazil under different climatic conditions, based on the analysis of a sedimentary core, is here presented. Results indicate that sedimentation rate as well sedimentary characteristics, including the nature of the organic carbon deposited during the LGM (Last Glacial Maximum), were different from the present deposition, indicating higher primary productivity during the LGM, to be accounted for by the higher values of marine organic carbon. Nevertheless, the higher values of Accumulation Rate of calcium carbonate and organic carbon can be credited to the higher values of the sedimentation rates. Conditions prevailing during Isotope Stage 3 may be considered intermediate as between the LGM and the present day. The conditions for a higher primary productivity associated with the deposition of finer terrigenous sediments may be explained as a response to the off shoreward displacement of the main flow of the Brazil Current.<br>Este trabalho apresenta uma primeira avaliação das mudanças sedimentares, incluindo a acumulação de carbono orgânico e inorgânico, no talude continental superior do Brasil, sob diferentes condições climáticas, baseadas em análises de um testemunho. Os resultados indicam que a taxa de sedimentação, assim como as características sedimentares, incluindo a natureza do carbono orgânico depositado durante o UMG (Último Máximo Glacial), foram diferentes dos processos deposicionais atuais, indicando maior produtividade primária durante o UMG, como determinado pelos maiores valores de carbono orgânico marinho. Entretanto, os maiores valores de Taxa de Acumulação de carbonato de cálcio e carbono orgânico podem ser creditados aos valores mais altos de taxas de sedimentação. As condições prevalentes durante o Estágio Isotópico 3 podem ser consideradas intermediárias entre o UMG e as condições atuais. As condições para maior produtividade primária, associada à deposição de sedimentos mais finos, podem ser explicadas como uma resposta ao deslocamento, em direção ao mar aberto, do fluxo principal da Corrente do Brasil