Resilient urban edges: Adaptive and mitigative design in Chennai

This paper investigates design responses to El Nino-mediated climatic disturbances, using the December 2015 Chennai floods as a test case. The effects of such disturbances are exacerbated by human intervention: urbanisation-led impermeabilisation of soil accentuates the urban heat island, makes water percolation difficult, increasing surface run-off. Using literature, precedents and on-site interviews with residents of a tenement block in severely-flooded Chennai, downstream of the River Adyar, key issues were identified. Additionally, impact of existing morphology on comfort conditions were derived using analytical tools of Envimet, Ladybug and CFD (outdoor) and TAS (indoor). The conclusions informed testing of hypotheses which merged with informal recycling practices of the residents. The paper discusses strategies employing recycled and local materials to build permeable surfaces (water-air-ground interfaces) to be embedded into existing architectural objects (by retrofitting), or utilised to build new experimental floating structures complementing the existing. The design studies show how strategies bring extreme temperatures of 42°C within a comfortable range in indoor and outdoor spaces; whilst contributing to flood mitigation. The paper speculates upon a resilient live-work environment for 2050 employing productive self-build networks to alleviate socio-economic polarisation characterising riverfronts, contributing to urban permeability and responding adaptively to daily, seasonal and extreme event

Magnetoplasmadynamic thrustor research Final report

Radiation-cooled and water-cooled magnetoplasmadynamic thrustors tested in 10 to kW power range with 1000 to 5000 sec specific impuls

Evaluating quantum generative models via imbalanced data classification benchmarks

A limited set of tools exist for assessing whether the behavior of quantum machine learning models diverges from conventional models, outside of abstract or theoretical settings. We present a systematic application of explainable artificial intelligence techniques to analyze synthetic data generated from a hybrid quantum-classical neural network adapted from twenty different real-world data sets, including solar flares, cardiac arrhythmia, and speech data. Each of these data sets exhibits varying degrees of complexity and class imbalance. We benchmark the quantum-generated data relative to state-of-the-art methods for mitigating class imbalance for associated classification tasks. We leverage this approach to elucidate the qualities of a problem that make it more or less likely to be amenable to a hybrid quantum-classical generative model

CORMASS: A Compact and Efficient NIR Spectrograph for Studying Low-Mass Objects

CorMASS (Cornell Massachusetts Slit Spectrograph) is a compact, low-resolution (R=300), double-pass prism cross-dispersed near-infrared (NIR) spectrograph in operation on the Palomar Observatory 60-inch telescope. Its 2-dimensional spectral format provides simultaneous coverage from lambda ~ 0.75 microns to lambda ~ 2.5 microns (z'JHK bands). A remotely operated cold flip mirror permits its NICMOS3 detector to function as a K_s slit viewer to assist object placement into the 2 arcsec x 15 arcsec slit. CorMASS was primarily designed for the rapid spectral classification of low-mass stellar and sub-stellar objects identified by the Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). CorMASS' efficiency and resolution also make it a versatile instrument for the spectral observation and classification of many other types of bright objects (K<14) including quasars, novae, and emission line objects.Comment: To be published in Feb 2001 PASP, 19 pages, 12 Figures, High Resolution file can be retrieved from ftp://iras2.tn.cornell.edu/pub/wilson/papers/cormass.ps.g

The Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) in 2-to 4-year-old Children: Effects of Acute Nighttime Sleep Restriction, Wake Time, and Daytime Napping

The cortisol awakening response (CAR) is presumed critically important for healthy adaptation. The current literature, however, is hampered by systematic measurement difficulties relative to awakening, especially with young children. While reports suggest the CAR is smaller in children than adults, well-controlled research in early childhood is scarce. We examined whether robust CARs exist in 2- to 4-year-old children and if sleep restriction, wake timing, and napping influence the CAR (n?=?7). During a 25-day in-home protocol, researchers collected four salivary cortisol samples (0, 15, 30, 45?min post-wake) following five polysomnographic sleep recordings on nonconsecutive days after 4?hr (morning nap), 7?hr (afternoon nap), 10?hr (evening nap), 13?hr (baseline night), and 16?hr (sleep restriction night) of wakefulness (20 samples/child). The CAR was robust after nighttime sleep, diminished after sleep restriction, and smaller but distinct after morning and afternoon (not evening) naps. Cortisol remained elevated 45?min after morning and afternoon naps. (c) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 54:412422, 2012

Understanding the Environment on the Surface of Spent Nuclear Fuel Interim Storage Containers

Abstract: A primary concern with dry storage of spent nuclear fuel is chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking, caused by deliquescence of salts deposited on the stainless steel canisters. However, limited access through the ventilated overpacks and high surface radiation fields impede direct examination of cask surfaces for CISCC, or sampling of surface deposits. Predictive models for CISCC must be able to predict the occurrence of a corrosive chemical environment (a chloride-rich brine formed by dust deliquescence) at specific locations (e.g. weld zones) on the canister surface. The presence of a deliquescent brine is controlled by the relative humidity (RH), which is a function of absolute humidity and cask surface temperature. This requires a thermal model that includes the canister and overpack design, canister-specific waste heat load, and passive cooling by ventilation. Brine compositions vary with initially-deposited salt assemblage, reactions with atmospheric gases, temperature, and the relative rates of salt deposition and reaction; predicting brine composition requires site-specific compositional data for atmospheric aerosols and acid gases. Aerosol particle transport through the overpack and deposition onto the canister must also be assessed. Initial field data show complex variability in the amount and composition of deposited salts as a function of canister surface location

Discovery of a Bright Field Methane (T-type) Brown Dwarf by 2MASS

We report the discovery of a bright (J = 13.83$\pm$0.03) methane brown dwarf, or T dwarf, by the Two Micron All Sky Survey. This object, 2MASSI J0559191-140448, is the first brown dwarf identified by the newly commissioned CorMASS instrument mounted on the Palomar 60-inch Telescope. Near-infrared spectra from 0.9 - 2.35 \micron show characteristic CH$_4$ bands at 1.1, 1.3, 1.6, and 2.2 \micron, which are significantly shallower than those seen in other T dwarfs discovered to date. Coupled with the detection of an FeH band at 0.9896 \micron and two sets of K I doublets at J-band, we propose that 2MASS J0559-14 is a warm T dwarf, close to the transition between L and T spectral classes. The brightness of this object makes it a good candidate for detailed investigation over a broad wavelength regime and at higher resolution.Comment: 21 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted to AJ for publication August 200

Optimizing task- sharing in abortion care in Ghana: Stakeholder perspectives

Ghana has made progress in expanding providers in abortion care but access to the service is still a challenge. We explored stakeholder perspectives on task- sharing in abortion care and the opportunities that exist to optimize this strategy in Ghana. We purposively sampled 12 representatives of agencies that played a key role in expanding abortion care to include midwives for key informant interviews. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then coded for thematic analysis. Stakeholders indicated that Ghana was motivated to practice task- sharing in abortion care because unsafe abortion was contributing significantly to maternal mortality. They noted that the Ghana Health Service utilized the high maternal mortality in the country at the time, advancements in medicine, and the lack of clarity in the definition of the term - health practitioner- to work with partner nongovernmental organizations to successfully task- share abortion care to include midwives. Access, however, is still poor and provider stigma continues to contribute significantly to conscientious objection. This calls for further task- sharing in abortion care to include medical or physician assistants, community health officers, and pharmacists to ensure that more women have access to abortion care.Midwives are providing abortion care in Ghana through task- sharing; access is still limited, therefore further expansion to include physician assistants and community health nurses is needed.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/156176/1/ijgo13000.pd