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Daily Archives: December 20, 2017

The Database on Nuclear Power Reactors

International Atomic Energy Commission: “The Power Reactor Information System (PRIS), developed and maintained by the IAEA for over four decades, is a comprehensive database focusing on nuclear power plants worldwide. PRIS contains information on power reactors in operation, under construction, or those being decommissioned. All information and data items are collected by the IAEA via data providers nominated by Member States.  The database covers:

  • Reactor specification data (status, location, operator, owner, suppliers, milestone dates) and technical design characteristics.
  • Performance data including energy production and energy loss data, outage and operational event information.

Monthly production and power loss data have been recorded in PRIS since 1970 and are complemented by information on nuclear-power generated energy provided to non-electrical applications such as district heating, process heat supply or desalination. Information relating to the decommissioning process of shutdown units is also available from PRIS. A set of internationally accepted performance indicators has been developed for calculations with PRIS data. The indicators can be used for benchmarking, international comparison or for analyses of nuclear power availability and reliability according to reactor type, country or worldwide. The analyses can, in turn, be applied to evaluations of nuclear power’s competitiveness compared to other power sources. In 2009 the new web-based PRIS-STATISTICS reporting system was developed, making PRIS reports globally available online. Global and plant specific reports and graphs are created in a few mouse clicks. An integrated mapping system is also included.

PRIS is available to both the general public and registered users as follows:

  • Web-Enabled Data Acquisition System (WEDAS): used by PRIS data providers for inputting data on their nuclear power reactors to the database. The data provided is verified and approved by PRIS administrators before being used in PRIS reports.
  • PRIS Statistics (PRISTA): A web-based reporting tool used by registered users to produce reports and statistics from PRIS.

Two official Agency publications are produced each year using PRIS data:

  • Nuclear Power Reactors in the World, published since 1981 as RDS-2, is one of the IAEA’s most popular annual publications. It includes specifications and performance history data of operating reactors, as well as reactors under construction, being planned, or reactors being decommissioned.
  • Operating Experience with Nuclear Power Stations in Member States, has been providing comprehensive information on nuclear power reactor performance in IAEA Member States since 1970. The publication contains information and performance data for all operational power reactors. In addition to annual information, the report contains a historical summary of performance during the lifetime of individual reactors and figures illustrating worldwide performance of the nuclear industry…”

Congress’ Impeachment Power and the Case of Presidential Obstruction

Bob Bauer – Lawfare: “Josh Blackman, in three successive postings for Lawfare, and co-commentators David Rivkin and Lee Casey in a separate piece for the Wall Street Journal, have been developing the case that a president firing an FBI director or other senior law enforcement official may not subject to impeachment for obstruction of justice.… Continue Reading

Bloomberg and Twitter Launch TicToc 24/7 Global Social News Network

PR Newswire: “Bloomberg Media and Twitter today launched TicToc by Bloomberg, the first-ever 24/7 global news network built for a social media platform that targets the next generation of on-the-go, mobile-first news consumers. TicToc by Bloomberg combines the global news gathering capabilities of Bloomberg’s 2,700 journalists and analysts across 120 countries, with the digital power… Continue Reading

Fundamentally Understanding the Usability and Realistic Evolution of Artificial Intelligence Act of 2017

“Cantwell, Young, Markey, Delaney & Olson Introduce Bill to Further Understand and Promote Development of Artificial Intelligence, Drive Economic Opportunity – Legislation creates federal advisory committee to examine and develop recommendations on: investment, workforce, privacy, and ethics, among others – [December 12, 2017] U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Todd Young (R-IN), and Ed Markey (D-MA),… Continue Reading

Open educational resources rise in visibility but still lag behind costly textbooks

Inside Higher Ed: “More and more instructors are choosing open educational resources over traditional textbooks, a survey of more than 2,700 faculty members reveals. The “Opening the Textbook” survey, published by the Babson Survey Research Group today, reports that the number of faculty members at two- and four-year institutions using OER as textbooks has nearly… Continue Reading

Court case documents more than decade long litigation over Texas property seized for border wall

United States of America v. 15.919 Acres of Land (More or Less) by Susie Cagle, Special to ProPublica. December 20, 2017.  This story was co-published with the Texas Tribune.  [A fine example of a graphic narrative – well done – succinct – direct – and understandable.] “In 2007, the Department of Homeland Security began building… Continue Reading

The Human Transportation System – Is Fundamental Change Coming?

Beyond the Automobile – The Human Transportation System: “…The auto-centric transportation system clearly stipulates the inferior place of people travelling on foot (“pedestrians”), but leaves those riding bicycles in an awkward and ambiguous position – is a person riding a bicycle a vehicle, or a pedestrian? Compared to motor vehicles, cyclists are vulnerable and slow,… Continue Reading