The effect of channel convergence on heat transfer in a passage with short pin fins

Array averaged heat transfer coefficients were obtained for two configurations of short pin fins in a converging channel and for two flat plate configurations in a converging channel. The effect of flow acceleration due to channel convergence and the effect of varying pin length on the heat transfer was determined. Results are presented in the form of Nusselt number versus Reynolds number for the four geometries tested

Strategic change in the market for domestic electricity in the UK

This paper examines developments in the market for domestic electricity supply in the UK since September 1998 when the market was thrown over to competition using a variety of sources including firm interviews and a consumer questionnaire. We find that there was a substantial amount of entry, but that there has since been significant consolidation. There is still a substantial gap between the prices set by a firm in its incumbent area and prices obtainable from entrants to the market. There is no evidence that the market is near to Bertrand in operation

Crawling Water Beetles of Wisconsin (Coleoptera: Haliplidae)

(excerpt) Haliplidae are smail water beetles, less than 5 mm long, that frequently occur in abundance in ponds, marshes, sloughs, and swamps and also along the margins of slow streams or lakes where there is not severe wave action. Adults are readily recognized by their yelloa- to orange ground color with black maculations on the elytra and sometimes on the head and pronotum (Figs. 1,3,4). They have a distinctive shape, being broadest at the basss of the elytra and tapered toward the posterior end. The metacoxae are covered by dis~ctive plates that are unique among water beetles (Fig. 2). The tarsi and tibiae of the adults are modified for swimming, and the beetles can swim quite well, although they mostly crawl among the vegetation. Adults and larvae are found among vegetation upon which they feed, filamentous algae being the primary source of food for most species, but detrims and animal material may form a portion of the diet in some species. In Wisconsin most species probably have a one-year life cycle and overwinter as adults. Eggs are laid during spring and early summer, usually in or upon algae. There are three larval instars, and pupation takes place in moist soil above the water line. Larvae have been derrihd for only a few species, so identification is based upon adult characteristics

Fitness Norms for the Plank Exercise

PURPOSE: Adequate strength of core musculature is critical for optimal physical performance and postural control. Currently, standards for core musculature strength and stability have not been established. This study sought to determine normative fitness measurements of core musculature endurance using the plank exercise. METHODS: 168 collegiate male and female participants (18-25 years of age) were recruited. Participants were instructed in plank positioning; elbows bent at 90° directly below the shoulders, hands unclasped, feet placed hip width apart with ankles at 90° and pelvis tilted in the neutral position. After a 5-minute warm-up, participants were told to maintain the plank position as long as possible until complete fatigue was reached. The test was terminated if proper form was broken. The total time held in proper plank position was recorded. RESULTS: The mean time held in the plank position was 96.25 + 43.16 and 116.58 + 65.49 seconds for females and males, respectively. For females, quartiles showed that the 25th percentile was 63 seconds, the 50th percentile was 90 seconds, while the 75th percentile was 121 seconds. Quartiles for males were 77seconds, 106 seconds and 128.5 seconds for the 25th, 50th and 75th percentiles, respectively. CONCLUSION: This study provides normative values for the plank exercise that can be added to current fitness appraisal protocols to assess core muscular endurance. These data suggest that 1.50 minutes in females and 1.77 minutes in males (50th percentile values) could be considered average duration of the plank exercise for this age group

‘Riding the waves’ - an exploration of how students undertaking a pre-registration nursing programme develop emotional resilience

Background The study was prompted by recognition of the many emotional demands and challenges on mature students undertaking professional qualifying programmes. These can cause excessive levels of stress and anxiety with an impact on retention of students on programmes. Aim and objectives The overall aim was to identify what pre-registration nurses identified as challenges or adversity in their transition from health care support workers to accountable professionals and what factors they perceived as significant in contributing to their own emotional resilience. The objective was then to make specific recommendations related to the nursing curriculum, academic and work based support structures in order to promote resilience. Participants Participants were pre-registration nursing students on adult and mental health branches nearing the end of their final year of a pre-registration nursing programme with the Open University. Methods A qualitative methodology was used with use of one focus group and eleven in depth interviews. Results Four different dimensions of resilience were identified; ways of being/personal characteristics, personal survival tactics, immediate social and work based environment and wider social and cultural environment. Key findings included the importance of peer support, positive feedback and enhancing the student’s ability to re-frame difficulties or problems, a positive culture of work place learning , supporting and validating personal reflection outside academic discourses, and support in ‘meaning making’. As well as peer support, examples of good practice demonstrated by mentors, programme tutors and tutors were essential in supporting students in these identified areas. Conclusion and recommendations Emotional resilience is a multi-dimensional concept and different levels of intervention are therefore needed to promote it. The curriculum needs to reflect the importance of affective as well as cognitive aspects of development in order to promote the resilience of students and support structures need to be embedded in programme design to promote peer interaction and sharing of good practice between those in education roles. Key words Pre-registration nursing education, emotional resilience, adversity, communities of practic

Summer Annual Forage Mixtures Trial

In 2016, the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program evaluated yield and quality of six summer annual forage species and five mixtures at Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, VT. In the Northeast, cool season grasses dominate the pastures and hay meadows farmers rely on throughout the season. With the onset of hot summer weather, these grasses enter dormancy and slow in production leading to what is generally referred to as the “summer slump”. In addition to this loss in production, organic producers must provide animals with 30% of their dry matter intake (DMI) from pasture over at least 120 days of the year. These constraints, in combination with variable weather, can make it very difficult to produce adequate forage from these cool season perennial grasses alone to meet the farmer’s needs. Summer annual species thrive in hot weather and can be grazed to help reach the pasture requirement or can be used as stored feed to supplement other sources. Recently, there has been a growing interest in utilizing multiple species to maximize forage yield and quality. In 2015, we trialed three- and five-way mixtures of various summer annual grass, legume, and forb species. We found it very difficult to establish a well-balanced mixture as the grasses tended to outcompete the other species. In 2016, we simplified the project to examine seeding rates of summer annual legumes and grasses to better understand how to establish mixtures of these species and be able to benefit from both species. While the information presented can begin to describe the yield and quality performance of these forage mixtures in this region, it is important to note that the data represent results from only one season and one location

Summer Annual Variety Trial

Warm season grasses, such as sorghum x sudangrass crosses, sudangrass, and millet are high-yielding annuals that can provide quality forage in the hot summer months, when the cool season grasses that make up most pastures and hay meadows in the Northeast enter dormancy and decline in productivity. The addition of summer annuals into a rotation can provide a harvest of high-quality forage for stored feed or grazing during this critical time. Generally, summer annuals germinate quickly, grow rapidly, are drought resistant, and have high productivity and flexibility in utilization. The UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils team conducted this variety trial to evaluate the yield and quality of warm season annual grasses

Chapter 9: Aquatic Macroinvertebrates, Section A: Aquatic Macroinvertebrates (Exclusive of Mosquitoes)

Final Report. Excerpt (Chapter 9, Section A) from The Des Plaines River Wetlands Demonstration Project, Volume II, Baseline Survey, edited by Donald L. Hey and Nancy S. PhilippiReport issued on: October 1985INHS Technical Report prepared for Wetlands Research, Inc

Length to diameter ratio and row number effects in short pin fin heat transfer

The relative effects of pin length to diameter ratio and of pin row geometry on the heat transfer from pin fins, was determined. Array averaged heat transfer coefficients on pin and endwall surfaces were measured for two configurations of staggered arrays of short pin fins (length to diameter ratio of 4). One configuration contained eight streamwise rows of pins, while the other contained only four rows. Results showed that both the 8-row and the 4-row configurations for an L sub p/D of 4, exhibit higher heat transfer than in similar tests on shorter pin fns (L sub p/D of 1/2 and 2). It was also found that for this L sub p/D ratio, the array averaged heat transfer was slightly higher with eight rows of staggered pins than with only four rows

The Responsible Inclusion of Students Receiving Special Education Services for Emotional Disturbance: Unraveling the Practice to Research Gap.

The majority of students receiving special education services for emotional disturbance (ED) receive a significant amount of instruction in general education classrooms, which emphasizes curriculums based on college and career readiness standards. In turn, those teachers who provide instruction to students with ED in inclusive settings are responsible for using evidence-based practices (EBPs) for those teaching situations in which they exist to meet free appropriate public education (FAPE) mandates. However, the identification of EBPs is a necessary pre-condition to eventual school adoption and teacher use of such practices. In this investigation, we completed a synthesis of syntheses to (a) determine the degree to which academic intervention research has focused on students with ED in general education classrooms and (b) identify practices that are effective at improving the academic performance of students with ED in these settings. Overall, few studies were identified. Of those studies identified, half did not disaggregate outcomes for students with ED. A quality indicator coding based on the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) design standards revealed that no studies with disaggregated outcomes permitted causal inferences. Implications for school practice and areas for future research are discussed