Fluid containers and resealable septum therefor Patent

Manufacture of fluid containers from fused coated polyester sheets having resealable septu

Checklist of the Ants of Michigan (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

A total of 113 species of ants is recorded by county from the state of Michigan. The list is based upon literature records and specimens in the authors\u27 collections and those of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology and the Michigan State University Department of Entomology. The list includes 3 species in Ponerinae, 44 in Myrnucinae, 6 in Dolichoderinae, and 60 in Formicinae. Ten species represent new state records. Five distribution pat- terns are evident: statewide (39 species), southern counties only (5), southern 3/4th of Lower Peninsula (10), Lower Peninsula (17), and Upper Peninsula (2). Forty species have been collected too infrequently to determine the distribution within the state

Tripropellant engine study

Work conducted was devoted to three main tasks. Thermochemical equilibrium performance data were assembled to establish the expected performance calculations of the mode 1 engine propellant combinations and thermodynamic and transport data for the products of combustion. Turbine drive gas characteristics were also established. Thrust chamber and nozzle cooling studies were devoted to the evaluation of H2, C3H8, CH4, and RP-1 as coolants in the existing SSME cooling circuit geometry. It was found that all these candidate coolants are feasible without limiting the desired operating conditions with the exception of RP-1, which would limit the maximum P(c) to 2000 psia. RP-1 could be used, however, to cool the nozzle only without imposing the chamber pressure limit. A total of 15 candidate engine system cycles were selected and a preliminary engine system balance was conducted for 12 of these systems to establish component operating flowrates, pressures and temperatures. It was found that the staged combustion cycles employing fuel rich LOX/hydrocarbon turbine drive gases are power limited

Tripropellant engine study

The potential for converting the space shuttle main engine (SSME) to a dual-fuel, dual-mode engine using LOX/hydrocarbon propellants in mode 1 and LOX/H2 in mode 2 was examined. Various engine system concepts were formulated that included staged combustion and gas generator turbine power cycles, and LOX/RP-1, LOX/CH4, and LOX/C3H8 mode 1 propellants. Both oxidizer and fuel regenerative cooling were considered. All of the SSME major components were examined to determine their adaptability to the candidate dual-fuel engines

High-pressure LOX/CH4 injector program

Two injector types, either coaxial or impinging elements, for high pressure LOX/CH4 operation with an existing 40K chamber are examined. A comparison is presented. The detailed fabrication drawings and supporting analysis are presented

The Role of Kinetic Energy Flux in the Convective Urca Process

The previous analysis of the convective Urca neutrino loss process in degenerate, convective, quasi-static, carbon-burning cores by Barkat and Wheeler omitted specific consideration of the role of the kinetic energy flux. The arguments of Barkat and Wheeler that steady-state composition gradients exist are correct, but chemical equilibrium does not result in net cooling. Barkat and Wheeler included a "work" term that effectively removed energy from the total energy budget that could only have come from the kinetic energy, which must remain positive. Consideration of the kinetic energy in the thermodynamics of the convective Urca process shows that the convective Urca neutrinos reduce the rate of increase of entropy that would otherwise be associated with the input of nuclear energy and slow down the convective current, but, unlike the "thermal" Urca process do not reduce the entropy or temperature.Comment: 16 pages, AAS LaTex, in press, Astrophysical Journal, September 20, Vol 52

Small manufacturing plants, pollution, and poverty : new evidence from Brazil and Mexico

The authors use new data from Brazil and Mexico to analyze relationships linking economic development, the size distribution of manufacturing plants, and exposure to industrial pollution. For lack of data, prior work in this field has been limited largely to water pollution and medium-size plants. This study examines air pollution and encompasses small plants (with 1 to 20 employees) as well as medium-size and large plants. Four main questions are addressed (with answers from plant-level data): a) Are small plants more pollution-intensive than large facilities? Clearly, yes. b) Are there proportionately more small plants in low-income regions? The answer is yes, in thousands of Brazilian municipalities. Small plants dominate poor regions and are a relatively low source of employment in high-income areas. c) Is industry more pollution-intensive in low-income regions? In Brazil, yes. For each municipality, the authors estimate the share of the six most pollution-intensive ("dirty") sectors in total industrial activity. They find that the dirty-sector share declines continuously with increases in municipality income per capita. d) Do poor areas suffer more than wealthy areas from industrial air pollution? Paradoxically, no. The risk of mortality from industrial air pollution is much higher in the top two income deciles among Brazil's municipalities and the great majority of projected deaths is attributable to emissions from large plants.The scale of large-plant emissions dominates all other factors. Lower-income areas suffer much less from industrial air pollution in Brazil, despite the greater emissions-intensity of smaller plants and the prevalence of smaller plants in lower income areas.Water and Industry,Environmental Economics&Policies,Sanitation and Sewerage,Public Health Promotion,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Environmental Economics&Policies,Water and Industry,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Sanitation and Sewerage,TF030632-DANISH CTF - FY05 (DAC PART COUNTRIES GNP PER CAPITA BELOW USD 2,500/AL

Supporting STEM Faculty of Large Enrollment Undergraduate Courses: A Mixed Methods Study of Impact

A plethora of literature exists identifying the importance of engaging students in learning within Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) undergraduate courses, making professional development (PD) for faculty teaching these courses vital. Yet few studies of PD programs focus on STEM faculty, incorporate direct measures of faculty practice, and seek to understand the student experience in courses taught by these faculty. In this study, I examine the impact of a program for faculty teaching large enrollment STEM courses on their perceptions, instructional practices, and student perceptions of learning. The program included a week-long course design institute (35 hrs) and a year-long STEM Faculty Learning Community (STEM-FLC) that met monthly (14 hrs). Data included faculty surveys, course syllabi, observations of teaching, and Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs). Results suggest the program helped instructors create more learning-focused courses and implement student-centered instructional practices to differing degrees. Despite the STEM-FLC, faculty still perceived barriers to implementing their course design. Students’ perceptions of course instruction and self-reported learning in these courses highlighted the importance of in-class activities. Finally, when the course design and instructional practice were aligned, students had more positive perceptions and reported higher learning gains compared to students in courses with misalignments in design and practice. Based on the findings of the study and connection with PD literature, I provide a set of essential PD features that may enable STEM faculty to make meaningful and lasting changes to practice

Evaluating Accessibility Issues in Urbana to Improve Safety at an Intersection

Details the efforts of the author to advocate for a safer pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Philo Road and Florida Avenue in Urbana, Illinois, especially for those in the community with disabilities