POWER LESSONS: Women's Advocacy and the 2030 Agenda

In September 2015, the 193 member states of the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Comprised of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 related targets, the "2030 Agenda" tackles a range of global challenges, including eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities, addressing climate change and promoting peace. If implemented successfully, this new agenda could transform the lives of women and girls all over the world

Ground resonance analysis using a substructure modeling approach

A convenient and versatile procedure for modeling and analyzing ground resonance phenomena is described and illustrated. A computer program is used which dynamically couples differential equations with nonlinear and time dependent coefficients. Each set of differential equations may represent a component such as a rotor, fuselage, landing gear, or a failed damper. Arbitrary combinations of such components may be formulated into a model of a system. When the coupled equations are formed, a procedure is executed which uses a Floquet analysis to determine the stability of the system. Illustrations of the use of the procedures along with the numerical examples are presented

Evaluation of a personal professional mentor scheme for newly qualified nurses.

Newly qualified nurses are known to experience a range of feelings and fears in the first transitional 12 months post-qualifying, with absence and turnover among potential outcomes. To evaluate the personal professional mentor role and scheme, a new pastoral support initiative, from the perspective of participating newly qualified nurses. Newly qualified paediatric nurses ( =10), who had been assigned a personal professional mentor (an experienced nurse who worked elsewhere in their employing NHS Trust), completed a semi-structured interview. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The personal professional mentor counteracted some aspects of transition isolation for the newly qualified nurses. They were an independent, accessible, experienced confidant and a welcome new supportive role. Pairing experienced nurses with newly qualified nurses provided a new type of workplace support during transition. Inexpensive to set up and run, it is an easy addition to any portfolio of support strategies

High performance architecture design for large scale fibre-optic sensor arrays using distributed EDFAs and hybrid TDM/DWDM

A distributed amplified dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) array architecture is presented for interferometric fibre optic sensor array systems. This architecture employs a distributed erbium doped fibre amplifier (EDFA) scheme to decrease the array insertion loss, and employs time division multiplexing (TDM) at each wavelength to increase the number of sensors that can be supported. The first experimental demonstration of this system is reported including results which show the potential for multiplexing and interrogating up to 4096 sensors using a single telemetry fibre pair with good system performance. The number can be increased to 8192 by using dual pump sources

Temperature Dependent Mean Free Path Spectra of Thermal Phonons Along the c-axis of Graphite

Heat conduction in graphite has been studied for decades because of its exceptionally large thermal anisotropy. While the bulk thermal conductivities along the in-plane and cross-plane directions are well known, less understood are the microscopic properties of the thermal phonons responsible for heat conduction. In particular, recent experimental and computational works indicate that the average phonon mean free path (MFP) along the c-axis is considerably larger than that estimated by kinetic theory, but the distribution of MFPs remains unknown. Here, we report the first quantitative measurements of c-axis phonon MFP spectra in graphite at a variety of temperatures using time-domain thermoreflectance measurements of graphite flakes with variable thickness. Our results indicate that c-axis phonon MFPs have values of a few hundred nanometers at room temperature and a much narrower distribution than in isotropic crystals. At low temperatures, phonon scattering is dominated by grain boundaries separating crystalline regions of different rotational orientation. Our study provides important new insights into heat transport and phonon scattering mechanisms in graphite and other anisotropic van der Waals solids

A thermodynamic approach to obtain materials properties for engineering applications

With the ever increases in the capabilities of computers for numerical computations, we are on the verge of using these tools to model manufacturing processes for improving the efficiency of these processes as well as the quality of the products. One such process is casting for the production of metals. However, in order to model metal casting processes in a meaningful way it is essential to have the basic properties of these materials in their molten state, solid state as well as in the mixed state of solid and liquid. Some of the properties needed may be considered as intrinsic such as the density, heat capacity or enthalpy of freezing of a pure metal, while others are not. For instance, the enthalpy of solidification of an alloy is not a defined thermodynamic quantity. Its value depends on the micro-segregation of the phases during the course of solidification. The objective of the present study is to present a thermodynamic approach to obtain some of the intrinsic properties and combining thermodynamics with kinetic models to estimate such quantities as the enthalpy of solidification of an alloy

Reply to ``Comment on `Insulating Behavior of λ\lambda-DNA on the Micron Scale' "

In our experiment, we found that the resistance of vacuum-dried $\lambda$-DNA exceeds $10^{14} \Omega$ at 295 K. Bechhoefer and Sen have raised a number of objections to our conclusion. We provide counter arguments to support our original conclusion.Comment: 1 page reply to comment, 1 figur

Evaluation of chemical properties in wells in Ghana (A case study in Ho Municipality)

The most important inorganic contaminant is nitrate ion, NO3-.Excess nitrate ion in drinking water is a potential health hazard: risk of methemoglobinemia (or “blue-baby” syndrome). Sources of nitrate in groundwater: nitrogen fertilizers, atmospheric deposition, human sewage deposited in septic systems. The results of the study show that the values of parameters of the water samples such as, alkalinity, phosphate and nitrate etc are higher than WHO standards. None of the samples had nil value of nitrates and nitrites. The levels of nitrogen ammonium were less than WHO limits of 1.5 mg/L. All the samples had the phosphate concentration higher than 0.01 mg/L (WHO) Guideline value. The mean values also exceeded the limits. It was recommended that, the focus of any programme designed to deliver safe drinking water should therefore be the effective management and operation of water sources, treatment plants and distribution systems whether piped or manual. This will demand action by water suppliers, environmental protection agencies and health bodies.

Nitrate Concentrations of Ground Water Northern Madison County, Arkansas

The presence of an extensive network of solution channels in the fractured carbonate bedrock and a thin permeable regolith in northwest Arkansas makes aquifers in this region susceptible to contamination. Because of these conditions, there is concern about nitrate contamination of the ground water from land applied animal wastes, commercial fertilizers, rural septic systems and municipal sewage systems. In response to these concerns a survey was conducted of the nitrate concentration in rural water wells in the carbonate aquifers of a 420 mi2 area of northern Madison county during wet and dry seasons in 1990. Information from well owners, drilling records, Mg/Ca (meq/L) ratios as well as other chemical parameters were utilized to determine the primary aquifer source. Thirty-one samples were collected from the mostly unconfined, shallow, more commonly used Springfield Plateau aquifer (Boone-St. Joe aquifer). Seventeen wells were completed in the deeper, confined Ozark aquifer. Another sixteen wells were determined to be from undifferentiated shallow non-carbonate aquifers. The deeper Ozark aquifer is much less susceptible to nitrate contamination than the overlying springfield Plateau aquifer. Comparison of seasonal mean nitrate plus nitrite (mg/L as N) values suggests that more nitrate is introduced to the Springfield Plateau aquifer during the wet (2.89 mg/L) season than in the dry ( 1.79 mg/L) season. The deeper Ozark aquifer seasonal mean nitrate values were slightly higher in the dry (0.16 mg/L) season compared to the wet (0.13 mg/L) season. overall, nitrate levels in ground water in northern Madison County are generally below the 10 mg/L as N standards for drinking water