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Moral panic, our predisposition to exaggerate threats against our livelihood and start blaming ourselves, is as old as human history. We always feared “others”, people with skin colors or ethnicity other than ours, people coming from other corners of the globe, and the infectious diseases the strangers might bring along. This paper deals with a new version of such moral panics which is arguably even more intense than the previous ones, but which relates to a new dimension of human experience, namely globalization. The health, economic and environmental challenges we are now faced with are posed globally. The moral panic today stems from this triple challenge. Our central thesis is that these three emergencies are interrelated, but there is no simple causal relationship between them. They can only be addressed in a global manner, while we still live in a world which is segmented into sovereign nation-states.

To more accurately treat severe accidents in fast reactors, a program has been set up to investigate new computational models and approaches. The product of this effort is a computer code, the Advanced Fluid Dynamics Model (AFDM). This paper describes some of the basic features of the numerical algorithm used in AFDM. Aspects receiving particular emphasis are the fractional-step method of time integration, the semi-implicit pressure iteration, the virtual mass inertial terms, the use of three velocity fields, higher order differencing, convection of interfacial area with source and sink terms, multicomponent diffusion processes in heat and mass transfer, the SESAME equation of state, and vectorized programming. A calculated comparison with an isothermal tetralin/ammonia experiment is performed. We conclude that significant improvements are possible in reliably calculating the progression of severe accidents with further development.

This paper describes the modeling used in the Advanced Fluid Dynamics Model (AFDM), a computer code to investigate new approaches to simulating severe accidents in fast reactors. The AFDM code has 12 topologies describing what material contacts are possible depending on the presence or absence of a given material in a computational cell, the dominant liquid, and the continuous phase. Single-phase, bubbly, churn-turbulent, cellular, and dispersed flow are permitted for the pool situations modeled. Interfacial areas between the continuous and discontinuous phases are convected to allow some tracking of phenomenological histories. Interfacial areas also are modified by models of nucleation, dynamic forces, turbulence, flashing, coalescence, and mass transfer. Heat transfer generally is treated using engineering correlations. Liquid/vapor phase transitions are handled with a nonequililbrium heat-transfer-limited model, whereas melting and freezing processes are based on equilibrium considerations. The Los Alamos SESAME equation of state (EOS) has been inplemented using densities and temperatures as the independent variables. A summary description of the AFDM numerical algorithm is provided. The AFDM code currently is being debugged and checked out. Two sample three-field calculations also are presented. The first is a three-phase bubble column mixing experiment performed at Argonne National Laboratory; the second is a liquid-liquid mixing experiment performed at Kernforschungszentrum, Karlsruhe, that resulted in rapid vapor production. We conclude that only qualitative comparisons currently are possible for complex multiphase situations. Many further model developments can be pursued, but there are limits because of the lack of a comprehensive theory, the lack of detailed multicomponent experimental data, and the difficulties in keeping the resulting model complexities tractable.

Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) are exposed to environmental and anthropogenic stresses due to their wide geographic distribution, long migrations, and complex life histories. Understanding how these stressors interact to affect population abundance is essential for conservation and sustainable management of salmon. We investigate the causal effects on population dynamics of hatchery-enhanced Japanese chum salmon (O. keta), focusing on the period of sharp decline since the early 2000s and the rebound in 2022. We used 50 years of fishery and hatchery release data and 40 years of high-resolution SST datasets in 30 coastal areas in Japan, as well as monthly mean SST data along the Japanese chum salmon migration route in the high seas. We provide initial evidence that SST at release and that in the migration route, size at release, northward expansion of a piscivorous fish, and intraspecific competition influence the abundance of Japanese chum salmon. The sudden increase in 2022 was driven by an increase in Age-4 fish. The age structure shift towards younger age at maturity was observed in all areas except the Honshu Pacific and was particularly pronounced in the Hokkaido Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk and, where winter SST in the North Pacific and the Gulf of Alaska had a positive effect on return rates. Size at release and Russian chum salmon also had a positive effect. On the other hand, SST at release and yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata), as well as summer SST in the Sea of Okhotsk had a negative effect on return rate. Our regression model predicted the return rate well, while explaining 43-75% of the variation in regional populations. Our results highlight winter SST as a driver of younger age at maturity but the trade-off between returned fish and body size.

Producing ions from large molecules is of distinguished importance in mass spectrometry. In our present study we survey different laser desorption methods in view of their virtues and drawbacks in volatilization and ion generation. Laser induced thermal desorption and matrix assisted laser desorption are assessed with special emphasis to the recent breakthrough in the field (m/z > 100,000 ions produced by matrix assisted laser desorption). Efforts to understand and describe laser desorption and ionization are also reported. We emphasize the role of restricted energy transfer pathways as a possible explanation to the volatilization of non-degraded large molecules.

The backscattered electron coefficient is known to be primarily dependent on the atomic number of the sample. If the atomic number increases, the backscattered electron coefficient increases, which results in a higher intensity in the backscattered electron image. The dependence of the primary electron energy is somewhat more complicated. Using photographic material (with composition AgBr-AgI), it is seen that the contrast in the backscattered electron image increases with the primary electron energy. Using three independent methods, based on image analysis techniques, it is shown that the difference between the backscattered electron coefficient of AgBr and AgI increases with the primary electron energy in the range from 40 to 100 keV.

Original data for the study: Lí, et al. Subarctic winter-warming promotes soil microbial resilience to freeze-thaw cycles and enhances the microbial carbon-use efficiency. This dataset mainly contains the data showing the legacy effect of field winter warming on the dynamic response of soil microbial growth, respiration, and C-use efficiency during an imposed freezing-thawing perturbation. Six sheets are included in an Excel file named "Open data for WinterWarmingFTW.xlsx" as follows: Figure1. Field temp & moist Table1. Soil variables & PLFAs Figure2. PCA of PLFAs Figure3. Bac & Fung grwoth Figure4. Resp Figure5. FB & CUE

To date, the majority of world's primary energy is derived from fossil fuels. However, the fossil fuel recourses are in an inevitable decline as energy demand continues to grow exponentially with population growth, urbanization, and improved standards of living. Crude oil prices have recently risen several times and their current annual volatility exceeds 30%. The potential scarcity of fossil fuels has prompted a global search for alternative energy resources. Biodiesel fulfills the major requirements for production of alternative fuels such as feedstock availability, technical feasibility, and economic competitiveness. Together with other renewable biofuels, the use of biodiesel as a substitute of fossil-based fuels is expected to reduce the dependence on imported petroleum and associated political and economic vulnerability, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, and revitalize the economy. The objective of this article was to provide an update of the most recent technological advancements toward clean and sustainable biodiesel production through a thorough overview of biodiesel feedstocks, most promising transesterification processes, and opportunities for glycerol utilization for value-added products. A critical analysis of the techno-economical barriers and environmental challenges that need to be addressed in future R&D efforts toward commercialization and establishment of a sustainable and cost-efficient biodiesel production is provided. Keywords: biodiesel; waste oil; microbial oil; transesterification; microwave irradiation; lipase; glycerol; triacetin; greenhouse gas emissions; trends in biodiesel R&D

This paper presents some recent results obtained from the COMMIX-1A code for the EBR-II reactor transient No. 10, Phase 2. Both the reactor vessel and the neutron shield assembly and assembly arrangement in the reactor core are shown. The computational grid system used in COMMIX-1A is presented. Reactor flow and power transients are shown. Velocity and temperature distributions at steady state and t (time) = 60 sec are included. Finally, a comparison between the calculated results from COMMIX-1A and experimental measurements are presented for outlet temperatures for driver subassembly of XX08, top-of-core temperature for driver subassembly of XX08, and low-pressure plenum mass flow respectively.