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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.

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.

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.

The title photo of a glacier overlying a karst aquifer in the Swiss Alps was taken in September 2009. The red number on the polished limestone surface in the foreground indicates the position of the glacier in 2003. Since then, the glacier has lost ca. 182 m in length and 9 m in thickness. If retreat continues at this rate, most of this small glacier will have vanished by approximately 2035 (while most large glaciers will probably shrink but still exist). The spring draining the aquifer supplied by this glacier is used for drinking water supply and irrigation. How will the retreat of this glacier affect the availability and temporal variability of freshwater from the spring? More generally, how, and to what extent, will impacts of the predicted climate change affect water resources from karst aquifers? This question represents one of several "research frontiers and practical challenges in karst hydrogeology" discussed in this special issue, which has been prepared by the Karst Commission of the International Association of Hydrogeologists, IAH (www.iah.org/karst).

In this letter we report the preliminary validation of a low-cost paradigm for photovoltaic power generation that utilizes a prismatic Fresnel-like lens to simultaneously concentrate and separate sunlight into continuous laterally spaced spectral bands, which are then fed into spectrally matched single-junction photovoltaic cells. A prismatic lens was designed using geometric optics and the dispersive properties of the employed material, and its performance was simulated with a raytracing software. After device optimization, it was fabricated by injection molding, suitable for large-scale mass production. We report an average optical transmittance of ~ 90% over the VNIR range with spectral separation in excellent agreement with our simulations. Finally, two prototype systems were tested: one with GaAsP and c-Si photovoltaic devices and one with a pair of copper indium gallium selenide based solar cells. The systems demonstrated an increase in peak electrical power output of 51% and 64% respectively under white light illumination. Given the ease of manufacturability of the proposed device, the reported spectral splitting approach provides a costeffective alternative to multi-junction solar cells for efficient light-to-electricity conversion ready for mass production.

This repository contains a PDF presentation for a 4-hour lesson for the Advanced Master in Blue Economy jointly organized by the University of Trieste and OGS (Istituto Nazionale di Oceanografia e di Geofisica Sperimentale) About the Lesson This presentation is part of the curriculum for the Advanced Master in Blue Economy, a comprehensive program that focuses on supporting the creation of stable and attractive blue career pathways through strengthening professional skills and enhancing competencies in fields related to sustainable blue economy. The lessons covered in this presentation are designed to provide students with valuable insights and knowledge in the field of maritime Green House Gases (GHG) emissions with a focus on the European Economic Area (EEA) and an open dataset THETIS-MRV by EMSA, which will be used as a base for establishing EU-ETS (Emission Trade System) allowances for the maritime sector, starting from 2024. Contents The presentation is provided in PDF format, and it includes the following key topics: 1. Introduction to maritime emissions in the EEA - Motivation - Market volume 2. THETIS-MRV dataset - Introduction to EU Regulation 757/2015 - Dataset overview 3. Preliminary analysis - Simple statistics and visualize distributions - Paired samples and distribution of differences 4. Advanced analysis: the impact of COVID-19 - emissions loss and recovery (lambda, rho) - significance of variations 5. Case Studies: focus on ferries - Analysis of 2018's Ro-pax CO2 data [pub link] - How COVID-19 affected GHG emissions of ferries in Europe [pub link] Accessing the resources You can access the presentation by downloading the PDF file from this repository. To get the most out of this lesson it is recommended to download also the code session material from this link. Citation If you find this presentation useful in your academic or professional work, please consider citing it as follows: Salinas, Mario Leonardo. (2023). GHG maritime emissions in the EEA - presentation. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8375490 Salinas, Mario Leonardo. (2023). GHG maritime emissions in the EEA - code session. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8375530 License The content of this presentation is subject to copyright. Please refer to the accompanying license file for details on how you can use and share this material. Contact Information For any questions, feedback, or inquiries related to this presentation, please contact: Mario Leonardo Salinas, mario.salinas@cmcc.it Copyright (c) Fondazione CMCC, 2023