Review and outlook of the integral test facility PKL III corresponding studies

This paper reviews an important integral test facility (ITF) named PKL (primary loop in German), which is designed based on a 4-loop pressurized water reactor (PWR) with the power 1 300 MWe, and especially concentrates on two aspects: (1) the tests at each developmental period of the facility until 2020, which is a typical microcosm of nuclear safety research; (2) the simulation of the PKL facility tests by using system thermal-hydraulic (STH) codes, especially RELAP5, TRACE and ATHLET. The results from the literature showed that all of these codes could reproduce the accident scenarios on the PKL facility to some extent, and simulate the complex phenomena both in the reactor pressurized vessel (RPV) and in the loops well, except some local phenomena (e. g., peak cladding temperature (PCT)). Furthermore, this paper presents some suggestions on PKL further tests. Especially, the sensitivity studies of initial conditions (ICs) and boundary conditions (BCs), test studies related to Extensive damage mitigation guidelines (EDMGs) and FLEX strategies, anticipated transients without scram (ATWS), detailed core section model, combination with other ITF or separate effects test (SET) facilities, and tests on advanced conception reactors are emphasized.

Global Comfort Indices in Indoor Environments: A Survey

The term “comfort” has a number of nuances and meanings according to the specific context. This study was aimed at providing a review of the influence (or “weight”) of the different factors that contribute to global comfort, commonly known as indoor environmental quality (IEQ). A dedicated section includes the methodologies and strategies for finding the most relevant studies on this topic. Resulting in 85 studies, this review outlines 27 studies containing 26 different weightings and 9 global comfort indices (GCIs) with a formula. After an overview of the main concepts, basic definitions, indices, methods and possible strategies for each type of comfort, the studies on the IEQ categories weights to reach a global comfort index are reviewed. A particular interest was paid to research with a focus on green buildings and smart homes. The core section includes global indoor environmental quality indices, besides a specific emphasis on indices found in recent literature to understand the best aspects that they all share. For each of these overall indices, some specific details are shown, such as the comfort categories, the general formula, and the methods employed. The last section reports IEQ elements percentage weighting summary, common aspects of GCIs, requisites for an indoor global comfort index (IGCI), and models adopted in comfort category weighting. Furthermore, current trends are described in the concluding remarks pointing to a better IGCI by considering additional aspects and eventually adopting artificial intelligence algorithms. This leads to the optimal control of any actuator, maximising energy savings.

Nonlinear optical decoder based on photonic quasi crystal ring resonator structure

Using two nonlinear photonic crystal ring resonators we proposed and designed an all optical decoder. 2D 12 fold quasicrystal was used as the core section of the resonant rings. In order to make use of advantages of nonlinear Kerr effect, we put 24 dielectric rods between the core and outer shell of the resonant ring. The linear refractive index and nonlinear Kerr coefficient of these rods are n 0 = 1.4 and n 2 = 10−14 m2/W. In the proposed structure port I was used to switch the optical beams coming from BIAS between O1 and O2 output ports. The optical intensity required for performing the switching task is about 0.1 kW/μm2.

How to Teach the Basic Concept of Function in Senior High School: a Lesson Study

Teaching methods are a complex topic in mathematics education. This study aims to analyze the teaching methods of previous relevant studies and design a new lesson study on how to teach the topic of functions at the high school level in China. Lesson study focuses on the basic concepts of function and problem-solving abilities. The researcher uses the research and development method to teach the material function at the high school level. This Lesson Study is used to teach in China. The researcher explains 4 important aspects in designing a lesson study, namely the introduction or opening section, the instructional section or core section, the assessment section, and the closing section.

Capturing the structural and compositional variability of Opalinus Clay: constraints from multidisciplinary investigations of Mont Terri drill cores (Switzerland)

Opalinus Clay is considered a potential host rock for radioactive waste disposal. The Jurassic claystone formation is composed of several facies and subfacies types, which are characterized by varying amounts of quartz, carbonates (cements and fossils) and clay minerals. To provide samples for ongoing experimental and numerical studies, a complete core section was drilled in the Mont Terri rock laboratory. The lithological and structural variability (including tectonic fault structures) from borehole BAD-2 was investigated using a multidisciplinary approach including high-resolution geoelectric in situ borehole measurements, mineralogical/geochemical and (micro)structural analyses.The lithological–compositional variability was captured by successfully applying a modified subfacies approach, which is independently confirmed by the geochemical data and ERT (Electrical Resistivity Tomography) measurements. The variability on the cm to dm scale perpendicular to bedding can be determined based on the mean resistivity and variation of amplitude. In particular, the facies transitions could be precisely located. The new results suggest that both shaly facies types form the homogenous part of the investigated section, whereas the sandy facies and especially the carbonate-rich sandy facies represent the more heterogeneous lithofacies types of the Opalinus Clay. The varying resistivity can be attributed to differences in clay mineral and carbonate content. Regarding the structural variability, brittle faults were observed with varying frequency throughout the investigated section. Most fault planes occur in the shaly facies types, some of them concentrate along heterogeneities on the subfacies scale. The striking reproducibility of the measurements and observations was confirmed by a comparison with boreholes drilled in parallel, indicating a rather low compositional–structural variability parallel to bedding. The applied multidisciplinary approach is well suited to depict the vertical and lateral variability of a claystone formation, allowing an assessment of the degree of homogeneity/heterogeneity based on the subfacies concept.

What can the EU Learn from the USA in the Field of Innovation?

The rationale for more European Commission (EC) support for Open Innovation is there, as a whole-of-society approach seems to be the best to address the challenges arising mainly from competition at the global level. This paper supported this view and was built as a case study research paper based on the EU and USA case studies. In the first sections, a theoretical framework is built, which establishes a link between R&D, innovation, and competitiveness, introduces culture and military as factors influencing innovation, and shows how open innovation has changed innovation. A discussion evolves regarding the current position of the EU and EU countries in terms of innovation and what the EC is undertaking to address the identified challenges. The core section is dedicated to the case study, elaborates benchmarks, gains learnings from a country successful in the field of (open) innovation such as the USA, and suggests what the EC could concretely implement in the case of the EU. The outlook section suggests a few possible areas for future research and policies.

Charge Mobility in Discotic Liquid Crystals

Discotic (disk-shaped) molecules or molecular aggregates may form, within a certain temperature range, partially ordered phases, known as discotic liquid crystals, which have been extensively studied in the recent past. On the one hand, this interest was prompted by the fact that they represent models for testing energy and charge transport theories in organic materials. However, their long-range self-assembling properties, potential low cost, ease of processability with a variety of solvents and the relative ease of tailoring their properties via chemical synthesis, drove the attention of researchers also towards the exploitation of their semiconducting properties in organic electronic devices. This review covers recent research on the charge transport properties of discotic mesophases, starting with an introduction to their phase structure, followed by an overview of the models used to describe charge mobility in organic substances in general and in these systems in particular, and by the description of the techniques most commonly used to measure their charge mobility. The reader already familiar or not interested in such details can easily skip these sections and refer to the core section of this work, focusing on the most recent and significant results regarding charge mobility in discotic liquid crystals.

Process evaluations of a web-based intervention to increase handwashing during a pandemic: Moving Germ Defence from a randomised controlled trial to public dissemination (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Washing hands helps prevent transmission of seasonal and pandemic respiratory viruses. The PRIMIT study developed a fully automated, digital intervention to promote handwashing. In a randomised controlled trial during the Swine Flu outbreak, participants who had access to the intervention reported washing their hands more and experienced less respiratory tract infections than those without access. Using these findings, the intervention was subsequently adapted, renamed ‘Germ Defence’, and a study designed to assess a preliminary dissemination of the intervention to the general public to help prevent the spread of seasonal colds and flu. OBJECTIVE This paper compares process evaluations of the PRIMIT trial and Germ Defence dissemination to examine: 1) how online research enrollment procedures impacted on who used the intervention; 2) intervention usage in the two contexts; 3) whether increased intentions to wash hands are replicated once disseminated. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight so that the Germ Defence intervention could be optimized for wide-scale dissemination in the event of a global pandemic. METHODS The PRIMIT trial ran between 2010 and 2012 recruiting participants offline from General Practices, with restricted access to the intervention (N=9155). Germ Defence was disseminated as an open access website for use by the general public from 2016 to 2019 (N=624). The process evaluation plan was developed using Medical Research Council guidance and the framework for Analysing and Measuring Usage and Engagement Data. Both interventions contained a goal-setting section where users self-reported current and intended handwashing behaviour across seven situations. RESULTS During online enrolment, 54.30% (n=17,511) of PRIMIT study participants dropped out of the study compared to 36.46% (n=358) of Germ Defence users. Having reached the intervention, 93.79% (n=8586) of PRIMIT users completed the core section, whereas 65.06% (n=406) of Germ Defence users reached the same point. Users across both studies selected to increase their handwashing in five out of seven situations, including before eating snacks (PRIMIT MD=1.040 [CI 1.016, 1.063], Germ Defence MD=.949 [CI 766, 1.132]) and after blowing their nose, sneezing or coughing (PRIMIT MD=.995 [CI .972, 1.019], Germ Defence MD=.842 [CI .675, 1.008]). CONCLUSIONS By comparing a preliminary dissemination of Germ Defence to the PRIMIT trial we have been able to examine the potential effects of research procedures on uptake and attrition, such as the sizeable dropout during the PRIMIT trial enrolment procedure that may have led to a more motivated sample. The Germ Defence study highlighted points of attrition within the intervention. Despite sample bias in the trial context, the intervention replicated increases in intentions to handwash when used ‘in the wild’. This preliminary dissemination study informed the adaptation of the intervention for the COVID-19 health emergency, and it has now been disseminated globally. CLINICALTRIAL ISRCTN75058295

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF LOCAL SOLID WOOD POST-FIRE BEHAVIOUR

When wood structures are exposed to high temperatures, they will decompose to provide a char layer and pyrolysis zone, an insulating material that inhibits further degradation. This experimental study aims to determine the char thickness and pyrolysis of solid wood exposed to fire for 30, 45, and 60 minutes. The post-fire shear strength has also been evaluated. The solid woods were locally from Nusa Tenggara Island, namely Jati Putih, Bajur, and Rajumas. According to the Indonesian National Standard of the heating curve for structures, the temperature growth was SNI-1741: 2008. Obtained The char layer's highest average thickness was within 60 minutes of combustion with the highest temperature of 1055oC. The char layer for Jati Putih, Bajur, and Rajumas are 2.12 mm, 7.89 mm, and 6.53 mm. Meanwhile, the pyrolysis layers are 8.78 mm, 9.13 mm, and 14.82 mm, respectively, for Jati Putih, Bajur, and Rajumas. Besides, the post-fire shear strength of all wood species shows an increase in shear strength in the core. Wood can still sustain the load during a fire because there is a char layer preventing the core section from immediately exposed to the fire.