Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This is a presentation on Human Factors in reactor operations. It discusses issues that deal with power plant operations, training and design, operational effectiveness and safety, supporting people to achieve effective and error free performance.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radium is known to be taken up by aquatic animals, and tends to accumulate in bone, shell and exoskeleton. The most common approach to estimating the uptake of a radionuclide by aquatic animals for use in health and environmental risk assessments is the concentration factor method. The concentration factor method relates the concentration of a contaminant in an organism to the concentration in the surrounding water. Site specific data are not usually available, and generic, default values are often used in risk assessment studies. This paper describes the concentration factor method, summarizes some of the variables which may influence the concentration factor for radium, reviews reported concentration factors measured in marine environments and presents concentration factors derived from data collected in a study in coastal Louisiana. The ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThe aim of the present article was to evaluate whether angiogenic parameters as assessed by transvaginal color Doppler ultrasound (TVCD) may predict those prognostic factors...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this paper, we present experimentally determined reflection factors of mirrors based on the depleted uranium and dependence of reflection factor on time of presence of samples on air.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper is aimed to present a fuzzy decision making approach to deal with the performance measurement in supply chain systems. In the manufacturing environment, performance measurement is based on different quantitative and qualitative factors. Some of these factors may have a larger effect on the performance measure than others. Units of measure of the quantitative factors are different such as time, money, percentage, ratio, and counts. Thus, this paper presents a performance measurement approach based on fuzzy set theory and the pair-wise comparison of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), which ensures the consistency of the designer's assignments of importance of one factor over another to find the weight of each of the manufacturing activity in the departmental organization. In the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Electron spin resonance (ESR) dosimetry of irradiated chicken legs is based on the additive dose or the calibration curve methods. In both cases the practical assumption is made that the behaviour of the chicken bone does not depend on factors such as temperature during irradiation, storage conditions and dose rate. So the aim of the present work was to investigate to what extent the above mentioned factors could influence the post-irradiation dose assessment using the ESR technique. (author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A semi-mechanistic model for calculating solid radionuclide release rates from bubbling pools of sodium was developed. The influence of particle spacial and size distributions on the decontamination of the releases was analysed and found significant. Decontamination factors are shown as a function of pool depth, bubbling characteristics and particle size distribution. The calculation of a decontamination factor for estimating the source term of large scale hypothetical core disruptive accidents is presented. The decontamination factor for a large scale accident was found to be two orders of magnitude greater than results obtained from small scale experiments conducted with uniform particle distributions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The use of computer vision to detect, measure, and perhaps guide the assembly of man-made components is potentially a very significant research and development area. The efficacy of these techniques for any given application depends on both technical and economic considerations. This paper will explore both these considerations using appropriate generic examples. It is our goal to first present a concise discussion of the present state of many technical and economic factors and then extrapolate these factors into the future for the purpose of guiding further investigations.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In many applications, the experimenter has limited options about what factor combinations can be chosen for a designed study. Consider a screening study for a production process involving five input factors whose levels have been previously established. The goal of the study is to understand the effect of each factor on the response, a variable that is expensive to measure and results in destruction of the part. From an inventory of available parts with known factor values, we wish to identify a best collection of factor combinations with which to estimate the factor effects. Though the observational nature of the study cannot establish a causal relationship involving the response and the factors, the study can increase understanding of the underlying process. The study can also help determine where investment should be made to control input ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A measurement of the magnetic form factor of a ferromagnetic actinide compound of UTe with circularly polarized X-rays is reported. The present geometrical configuration of the measurement gives a form factor of L(k)+0.3S(k), where L(k) and S(k) are the form factors of the orbital and the spin magnetic moment, respectively. We have combined the X-ray magnetic form factor with the neutron one which gives L(k)+2S(k) (G. Busch et al.: J. Phys. C 12 (1979) 1391), and have deduced L(k) and S(k) separately. The obtained profiles of L(k) and S(k) show that the orbital and the spin magnetic moments are spatially spread out more than those calculated for a free uranium ion. (author).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The heat transfer a characteristics and friction factor in the horizontal double pipes of flat tubes with full length helical screw element of different twist ratio and helical screw inserts with different spacer length are investigated. Cold and hot water are used as working fluid in tube side and shell side respectively. The experiments covered a range of Reynolds numbers 5.7x102Re1.31x103. The effect of spacer length on the heat transfer augmentation and friction factor and the effect of twist ratio on heat transfer augmentation and friction factor have been presented separately. The study shows that, the Nusslet number (Nu) and friction factor (f) decrease with the increase of S or Y for flat tube. The comparison between the data of present plain circular with that of previous plain ci...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Based on QCD conformal partial wave expansion to leading order conformal spin accuracy, we present the light-cone distribution amplitudes (DAs) of {sigma} and {lambda} baryons up to twist 6. It is concluded that fourteen independent DAs are needed to describe the valence three-quark states of the baryons at small transverse separations. The nonperturbative parameters relevant to the DAs are determined within the framework of QCD sum rule method. With the obtained DAs, a simple investigation on the electromagnetic form factors of these baryons are given. The magnetic moments of the baryons are estimated by fitting the magnetic form factor with the dipole formula.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An optimization criterion accounting for the energy and material consumption is defined. The allowed limits of the variations in the technological factors are discussed and the optimization criterion values within these limits are calculated. The analysis presented, demonstrating the significance of the chosen factors for the production cost-price, is of great practical importance. (orig.).

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The present study demonstrates that tumour necrosis factor (TNF) and FMLP, but not IL-1 or IL-8, enhanced the adherence of polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) to fibronectin, an extracellular matrix...Full Text Available

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that circulating levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are inversely associated with inflammatory processes in an elderly background population.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

There is ample evidence suggesting that superantigens may act as a triggering factor in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated whether superantigen could activate T cells in...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Normal brain development requires a series of highly complex and interrelated steps. This process presents many opportunities for errors to occur, which could result in developmental defects...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Membrane cofactor protein (MCP or gp45-70) of the complement system is a cofactor for factor I-mediated cleavage of fluid-phase C3b and C3b-like C3, which opens the thioester bond. In the present study...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Objective: Determine and compare the prevalence of known risk factors for cardiovascular disease among unselected individuals presenting with their first ever episode of...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

I present an overview of the measurement of the proton form factors in the time-like regiun. BABAR has recently measured with great accuracy the e{sup +} e{sup -} {yields} p p-bar reaction from productiun threshold up to an energy of {approx} 4.5 GeV; finding evidence for a ratio of the electric to magnetic form factur greater than unity, contrary to expectation. In agreement with previous measurements. BABAR confirmed the steep rise uf the magnetic form factor close to the p p-bar mass threshold, suggesting the possible presence of an under-threshuld N N-bar vector state. These and uther open questiuns related to the nucleon furm factors both in the time-like and space-like region, wait for more data with different experimental techniques to be possibly solved.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radon concentrations in homes have been shown to vary considerably with season. It is important to account for this by applying a correction factor to any home radon measurement of less than one year. To date, Irish radon measurement services have used correction factors based on data derived for the UK in the 1980s. In the absence of similar data for Ireland at the time, these were considered suitable for use due to the similarities between the climates, house types and lifestyles in the two countries. In order to better estimate the long-term radon concentration, measurements from 5640 Irish homes were used to derive a set of correction factors specifically for Ireland. These were generated by means of Fourier decomposition analysis and the new correction factors compared, using 95% confidence intervals, to those derived for the UK using the same analysis and to those currently in use for Ireland. In ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An experimental study of forced convection heat transfer at the inner tube wall of a double pipe heat exchanger with coiled wire inserts as heat transfer augmentation devices was performed over a turbulent flow region. The test results from twelve augmented tubes with inserts of different combinations of wire diameters (0.813, 1.016 and 1.575 mm) and pitches (2.82, 3.63, 5.08 and 8.47 mm) indicate that the turbulence promoters studied improve heat transfer by a factor of 1.4 to 2.24 compared with a smooth tube, although at a cost of 10-30 times increase in friction factor. A formula for presenting dimensionless exergy losses in a tubular heat exchanger is derived first and then the thermohydrodynamic optimum instead of economic optimum is found by minimizing the exergy losses in the system. From the heat transfer improvement number defined, it is observed that coiled wire turbulence promoters are more effective at Reynolds ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Presented are some preliminary studies made in preparation for the design of a solar powered loop for desalination by humidification - dehumidification process. The studies concentrated on the evaluation of different parameters affecting the performance of the combination of different components in such a loop in the hope of outlining the most decisive factors for the choice or design of solar collectors or heat source. The results presented relate to the performance of two of the most important components in a loop of such purpose, that is: the humidifying and the dehumidifying columns or stacks. 4 refs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The present review focuses on the isotropic composition in extra-terrestrial materials. There are many different factors in the variation in isotopic abundance between terrestrial and extra-terrestrial materials. Major factors in unusual isotopic composition are roughly grouped into three categories: factors associated with fractionation of isotopes, nuclear reaction or radioactive disintegration. Fractionation takes place due to differences in mass among various isotopes. There are physical and chemical factors. Physical ones include vaporization and condensation which meteorites may experience during their formation while the chemical ones include chemical reactions and chemical equilibration. There phenomena are mentioned as factors in the variation in isotopic ratio which is associated with nuclear reactions. An important nuclear reaction is the formation of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This report has been prepared in support of the industry effort to standardize nuclear plant designs. This document describes the Combustion Engineering, Inc. System 80+trademark Standard Design. This volume contain Chapter 18 -- Human Factors Engineering. Topics covered include: design team organization and responsibilities; design goals and design bases; design process and application to human factors engineering; functional task analysis; control room configuration; information presentation and panel layout evaluation; control and monitoring outside the main control room; and verification and validation.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

For reliable operation and the optimization of production, industrial fermentation processes require appropriate tools for monitoring the process in real time. This work presents the structure and operation of a soft sensor for the on-line monitoring of biomass and product concentration during salinomycin and bacitracin fermentation in an industrial, 80-m^3 batch reactor; moreover it provides a tool for evaluation of batch production verified in industrial application. The process estimation algorithm consists of decoupled growth and product models, which ensures an unbiased convergence of the estimator and the robustness of the model. The production of secondary metabolites is described with a non-structured model upgraded with a variable forgetting factor that demonstrated a successful e...

CERN Document Server

We develop methods for accelerating metric similarity search that are effective on modern hardware. Our algorithms factor into easily parallelizable components, making them simple to deploy and efficient on multicore CPUs and GPUs. Despite the simple structure of our algorithms, their search performance is provably sublinear in the size of the database, with a factor dependent only on its intrinsic dimensionality. We demonstrate that our methods provide substantial speedups on a range of datasets and hardware platforms. In particular, we present results on a 48-core server machine, on graphics hardware, and on a multicore desktop.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The scope of radioanalysis can be enlarged substantially by preconcentration. The minimal concentration factor required depends on the concentration to be determined, the limit of determination of the analytical technique and the maximal acceptable sample-weight. Simultaneously, the preconcentration step may cause a decontamination. In post-irradiation chemistry this is usually the crucial parameter. The present paper proposes the classification of (pre-) concentration techniques by the relation between the concentration-factor X and the decontamination-factor Y. In addition, three other criteria here are used to judge the applicability in combination with the analytical technique chosen. They stem from the minimal representative and the maximal acceptable sample-weights and the maximal acceptable dose-rate. The features of a particular combination of (pre-) concentration and analytical technique can be ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper presents the first report of multiple anthelmintic resistance in the gastrointestinal nematodes of goats and its possible contributory factors in an irrigated area (Pakistan). A total of 18 privately owned Beetal goat flocks were selected in order to determine the anthelmintic resistance against commonly used anthelmintics. Forty to 48 animals from each flock were selected according to their weight and egg count. The three anthelmintics viz., oxfendazole, levamisole and ivermectin, were given to three groups at manufacturer's recommended dose while one group was kept as untreated control. Anthelmintic resistance was determined through faecal egg count reduction and egg hatch tests while assessment of the contributory factors of anthelmintic resistance was measured through the ru...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The nuclear complex in Tarapur, Maharashtra is a multi facility nuclear site comprising of power reactors and research facilities. Each facility has independent liquid effluent discharge line to Arabian Sea. Experimental studies were conducted to evaluate dilution factors in the aquatic environment using liquid effluent releases as tracer from one of the facilities. 3H and 137Cs radioisotopes present in the routine releases were used as simulated tracer nuclides. The dilution factors(D.F) observed for tritium were in the range of 20-20000 in a distance range of 10 m to 1500 m respectively and for 137Cs the D.F. were in the range of 50 to 900 over a distance range of 10-200 m. The paper describes the analytical methodology and sampling scenarios and the results of dilution factors obtained for Tarapur aquatic environment. (author)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We tested two approaches to forecast species distributions while balancing the impact of climate change against the inertia promoted by other influential factors that have been forecast as not changing. Given that mountain species are presumed to be more at risk due to climate warming, we selected an amphibian, a reptile, a bird, and a mammal species present in the Spanish mountains, to model their distributional response to climate change during this century. The climatic forecasts were made according to the general circulation models CGCM2 and ECHAM4 and to the A2 and B2 emission scenarios. We modelled the response of the species to spatial, topographic, human, and climatic variables separately. In our first approach, we compared each of these single-factor models using the Akaike Inform...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

To develop the advanced subchannel analysis code, the dominant factors that influence the boiling transitional process must be taken into account in the mechanistic constitutive equations based on the flow geometries and the fluid properties. The dominant factors that influence the boiling transitional processes are (1) the gas-liquid re-distribution by cross flow, (2) the liquid film dryout, (3) the two-phase flow regime transition, (4) the droplet deposition, and (5) the spacer-droplet interaction. At first, we indicated the strategy for the development of the constitutive equations for the five dominant factors based on the experimental database by the latest measurement technique and the latest computational fluid dynamics method. Then, the problems of the present constitutive equations and the improvement plan of the constitutive equations were indicated. Finally, the layered structure for the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Results of an investigation aiming to study the effects of the burner cap design factors on flame stability are presented in this paper. Flame stability is an essential part of the operation of all domestic burners, including natural gas-fired cooktops. At high thermal inputs flame lifts are encountered above certain levels of primary aeration, whereas flashback only takes place at low thermal inputs, due to natural gas low flame speed, above certain levels of primary aeration. In this work, flame lift limits were measured at 3.3 kW thermal input and the highest primary aeration above which flame lifts started to become visible was the stability limit at this thermal input. Around 60% primary aeration was desired to minimize pollutant emissions. Turndown tests were done at 40% primary aeration. The `Factorial Experimental Design` method with statistical analysis was used. This enabled detection of interactions between ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An experimental evaluation of the Fano factor F in silicon at hard X-ray energies (5.9-136.5 keV) has been performed by means of a low-noise, high charge collection efficiency silicon drift detector with on-chip electronics. A dependence of F from the detector temperature as well as from the energy of the X-ray photons has been found. Assuming a pair creation energy equal to 3.64 eV, at +20 deg. C the F factor was observed to vary from 0.124{+-}0.006 at 5.9 keV up to 0.159{+-}0.002 at 122 keV. At -35 deg. C, the change of F with respect to the photon energy was less remarkable but nevertheless statistically significant, from 0.123{+-}0.002 at 5.9 keV up to 0.134{+-}0.001 at 122 keV. To our knowledge, the present results represent the first experimental evidence of an energy dependence of the Fano factor in silicon at hard X-ray energies.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The development and occurrence of new electron accelerators and applications are according to the human society development law, as a whole. The period of economic standstill is generating an intense creative activity in the domain of science and engineering which also resulting in great achievements in the field of electron accelerators. This paper presents the basic principle of the electron beam applications and the accelerators required characteristics for their present and potential applications in the domains: radiation sources, diagnostics, radiation processing, energetics, environment, defense and basic sciences. All these are correlated to the new generation of accelerators which, for the acceleration process, may employ electromagnetic fields generated by standard sources, atomic lasers, free electron lasers, Cerenkov effect, Smith - Purcell effect, electron beams, plasma, excited atoms into a crystal or other sources. Some more ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We present a new class of exact solutions of Deser, Jackiw, and Templeton's theory (DJT) of topologically massive gravity which consists of homogeneous, anisotropic manifolds. In these solutions the coframe is given by the left-invariant 1-forms of 3-dimensional Lie algebras up to constant scale factors. These factors are fixed in terms of the DJT coupling constant {mu}m which is the constant of proportionality between the Einstein and Cotton tensors in 3-dimensions. Differences between the scale factors result in anisotropy which is a common feature of topologically massive 3-manifolds. We have found that only Bianchi Types VI, VIII, and IX lead to nontrivial solutions. Among these, a Bianchi Type IX, squashed 3-sphere solution of the Euclideanized DJT theory has finite action, Bianchi Type VIII, IX solutions can variously be embedded in the de Sitter/anti-de Sitter space. That is, some DJT ...

CERN Document Server

We present faster approximation algorithms for generalized network flow problems. A generalized flow is one in which the flow out of an edge differs from the flow into the edge by a constant factor. We limit ourselves to the lossy case, when these factors are at most 1. Our algorithm uses a standard interior-point algorithm to solve a linear program formulation of the network flow problem. The system of linear equations that arises at each step of the interior-point algorithm takes the form of a symmetric M-matrix. We present an algorithm for solving such systems in nearly linear time. The algorithm relies on the Spielman-Teng nearly linear time algorithm for solving linear systems in diagonally-dominant matrices. For a graph with m edges, our algorithm obtains an additive epsilon approximation of the maximum generalized flow and minimum cost generalized flow in time tildeO(m^(3/2) * log(1/epsilon)). In ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Superconducting magnetic and inertial energy pulsed power systems are being developed for future theta-pinch, Tokamak, and laser fusion applications. The short term requirements for these applications are discussed along with present day accomplishments. Areas requiring a research and development effort are examined in detail. Subjects discussed include stresses, energy loss factors, conductor metallurgy, cryogenic requirements, and electrical limitations of superconducting magnetic storage systems; costs, applications, and present technology of homopolar systems; and switching problems associated with both systems.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An overview of particle and photon beam bunch length measurements is presented in the context of free-electron laser (FEL) challenges. Particle-beam peak current is a critical factor in obtaining adequate FEL gain for both oscillators and self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) devices. Since measurement of charge is a standard measurement, the bunch length becomes the key issue for ultrashort bunches. Both time-domain and frequency-domain techniques are presented in the context of using electromagnetic radiation over eight orders of magnitude in wavelength. In addition, the measurement of microbunching in a micropulse is addressed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The near-term availability of domestic and selected foreign uranium resources for use by United States electric utilities is considered in light of projected geopolitical and socioeconomic considerations. No attempt is made to analyze the impact on domestic uranium supply of inflation or cost-price considerations, the introduction of the breeder reactor, limitations in enrichment capacity, or the presently expanding uranium inventory. All data are current as of mid-1980. The period with which this research is concerned is 1980-1995. It is concluded that the United States must promote responsible, environmentally acceptable uranium resource exploration and development, if this nation is to remain self sufficient in this necessary energy commodity.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A brief overview is given of the geological characteristics of each region of the state as they relate to potential geothermal development. Those exploration methods which can lead to the siting of a deep exploration well are described. Requirements and techniques needed for drilling deeper higher temperature exploration and production wells are presented. Electrical generation, direct utilization, and indirect utilization are reviewed. Economic factors of direct use projects are presented. A general guide to the regulatory framework affecting geothermal energy development is provided. The general steps necessary to gain access to explore, develop, distribute, and use geothermal resources are outlined. (MHR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Information is presented concerning new trends in licensing; seismic considerations and system structural behavior; TMI-2 risk assessment and thermal hydraulics; statistical assessment of potential accidents and verification of computational methods; issues with respect to improved safety; human factors in nuclear power plant operation; diagnostics and activities in support of recovery; LOCA transient analysis; unresolved safety issues and other safety considerations; and fission product transport.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The electrogeometric model cannot consider the influence of some parameters on the screening of the wire conductor of the H.V. lines. For analysing the influence of these parameters (the conductor potential, the influence of the distance from phase conductor to earth wire, the influence of the reducing factor of the striking earth distance, the earth slope, etc.), the Monte Carlo method is preferable. The influence of the earth slope on the screening effect of the wire conductor for different conditions is presented in this paper. (author)

Science.gov (United States)

Symplectic integrators designed for simulating soft matter at constant temperature and constant pressure (or constant surface tension) are presented. In addition to the well-known merits of symplectic integrators, such as long time stability, these methods allow the estimation of thermal heat production/absorption and thus entropy differences through a simple function of the time scaling factor ?. The relative entropy estimation around crystal-liquid phase transition is given for systems with soft core repulsive potential.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Statistical data on individual types of foreign NPPs including reliability and safety indices are given. It is noted that capacity factors (CF) in 1985 were higher for PWRs. Japan has the highest CF-98.5% in the world. One of main causes of NPP shutdown remains the primary circuit equipment failure in connection with different corrosion types (intercrystalline, pitting, denting-corrosion etc.). Effect of all volatile treatment on enhancement of NPP reliabiity is shown. Technical BWR characteristics are presented.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We discuss the origin of Bloom-Gilman duality and the relationship between resonances and scaling in deep-inelastic scattering. We present a simple quantum mechanical model which reproduces the essential features of Bloom-Gilman duality at low Q{sup 2}, and describe applications of local duality relating structure functions at x{approximately}1 and elastic electromagnetic form factors.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papers are presented under the session headings: research in mechanical fragmentation; rock characterization, remote sensing and interface detection; monitoring, data transmission and communications; tunnel boring machines; minewide monitoring and expert systems for ground control; machine guidance; shaft and raise boring; automation of drilling equipment; machine automation and control; new developments in mechanical miners; materials handling; innovative mining systems; general minewide monitoring and expert systems; ground support; human factors; and extraterrestrial mining.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This publication presents an overview of the Energy information Administration`s recent monthly energy statistics. The statistics cover the major activities of US production, consumption, trade, stocks, and prices for petroleum, natural gas, coal, electricity, and nuclear energy. Also included are international energy and thermal and metric conversion factors. Two brief ``energy plugs`` (reviews of EIA publications) are included, as well.

CERN Document Server

The concept of frailty offers a convenient way to introduce unobserved heterogeneity and associations into models for survival data. In its simplest form, frailty is an unobserved random proportionality factor that modifies the hazard function of an individual or a group of related individuals. "Frailty Models in Survival Analysis" presents a comprehensive overview of the fundamental approaches in the area of frailty models. The book extensively explores how univariate frailty models can represent unobserved heterogeneity. It also emphasizes correlated frailty models as extensions of

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract The success of software projects is quite subjective in nature and is fettered by many risks, the perception of which varies from individual to individual and largely depends on the demographic characteristics of the executives and even the characteristics of the project. This study aims to identify and gauge the software risk dimensions and analyze the differences of perception among executives toward software risks. The contributions of this study untangle the issues underlying risks in the software industry and associates these issues with the perception of the -human- factor present in the industry.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report attempts to bring together available information on the coal deposits of Antarctica and discuss factors that would be involved if these deposits were to be explored and mined. Most of the reported principal coal deposits in Antarctica lie generally within the Transantarctic Mountains: the majority are of Permian age and are present in the Victoria Group of the Beacon Supergroup. Several other deposits have been recorded in East Antarctica and in the Antarctic Peninsula, including minor occurrences of Mesozoic and Tertiary coal and carbonaceous shale.

Science.gov (United States)

Up to the present, the generic values of the Common cause failure (CCF) event parameters have been used in most PSA projects for the Korean NPPs. However, the CCF analysis should be performed with plant specific information to meet Category II of the ASME PRA Standard. Therefore, we estimated the Alpha factor parameters of the emergency diesel generator (EDG) for Ulchin Unit 3 by using the International Common-Cause Failure data Exchange (ICDE) database. The ICDE database provides the member countries with only the information needed for an estimation of the CCF parameters. The Ulchin Unit A3, pressurized water reactor, has two onsite EDGs and one alternate AC (AAC) diesel generator. The onsite EDGs of Unit 3 and 4 and the AAC are manufactured by the same company, but they are designed differently. The estimation procedure of the Alpha factor used in this study follows the approach of the NUREG/CR-5485. Since we did not ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The ELEX process for isotopic enrichment and separation of tritium from aqueous reprocessing effluents is described. After the development of an appropriate hydrophobic catalyst and the study of the separate constituent steps of the ELEX process, an integrated bench-scale installation with a detritiation capacity of 10 mol water per hour was constructed. It comprises essentially a 1.5 kW electrolyser and two 2 cm diameter by 3 m high exchange columns. In this mini-pilot the ELEX process was successfully demonstrated by detritiating more than 1000 dm"3 water containing up to 100 mCi tritium per dm"3, which is the feed concentration expected for application of the process in a reprocessing plant. The process decontamination factor was always larger than 100 and the overall tritium balance could be kept within the experimental errors of the various measurements. Depending on the duration of the runs, the volume reduction factor was between 10 and ...

Science.gov (United States)

This cost-effectiveness analysis presents an evaluation of the technical efficiency of pollutant control options for the proposed Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards for the Transportation Equipment Cleaning Industry based on Best Available Technology Economically Achievable (BAT) and Pretreatment Standards for Existing Sources (PSES). Section 2 discusses EPA`s cost-effectiveness methodology and identifies the pollutants included in the analysis. This section also presents EPA`s toxic weighting factors for each pollutant and considers the removal efficiency of each pollution control option. Section 3 describes the options evaluated for each subcategory. Section 4 presents the results of the cost-effectiveness analysis. In Section 5, cost-effectiveness values for proposed TEC industry options are compared to cost-effectiveness values for other promulgated rules. Section 6 discusses the two-part ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We have used polarised neutrons to measure the integrated magnetic cross-section of a dilute alloy of Ce in Y a Kondo system, T{sub K}{approx}40 K. Previous polarised neutron measurements of the field-induced magnetic form factor found no anomalies that could be attributed to the formation of a spin compensation cloud around the Ce ion. The present measurements, focused on the diffuse low-Q range, represent information over a very wide length scale in real space. Again, they show no changes in the Q-dependence of the form-factor at low temperatures that could be attributed to the formation of a spin compensation cloud. An alternative interpretation of the phenomenon based on the dynamical magnetic susceptibility of Y-Ce is proposed.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Male infertility continues to be a clinical challenge of increasing significance. While male factors such as decreased semen quality are responsible for 25% of all infertility issues, the etiology of suboptimal semen quality is poorly understood. Many physiological, environmental, and genetic factors have been implicated, including oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS), or free radicals, and although ROS are required for critical aspects of sperm function, excessive levels of ROS can negatively impact sperm quality. The origin of ROS generation, and the etiologies of increased ROS in men with suboptimal sperm quality have only recently been elucidated, offering multiple targets for potential therapy. Here, we present a critical review of th...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this report we present a suite of subroutines for the solution of sparse unsymmetric sets of linear equations using a variant of Gaussian elimination. The subroutines are divided into three distinct phases. The first phase optionally preorders the matrix to block triangular form and then performs a sparsity oriented factorization, the second factorizes a matrix of a similar sparsity pattern, while the third uses these decompositions to solve the equations. In this revised edition, the actual Fortran listings have been replaced by a reference to their availability in machine readable form. Other changes to the first edition are minor. This revision is essentially a reprint of the 1979 revision, the only changes being that the MA28A specification sheet has been typeset and has a few minor changes and the existence of a version of the package for complex equations is announced. 11 refs., 11 tabs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tests on the scrubbing column have led to the following results: Use of a scrubbing column with Raschig rings is only meaningful for the sedimentation of particles exceeding diameters of 0.5 #mu#m; drops of diameter size 1.5 #mu#m are formed in the column; more efficient drop precipitators in the column air flow ease the load on subsequent suspended material filters thereby contributing to a longer life of these filters even at higher sodium ion concentrations in the washing water; with distillate of an 8% rather than 0.8% salt solution a decontamination factor greater than 10 can be calculated since larger particles precipitate more readily. This only applies, however, under the condition that the washing water is renewed regularly, if necessary daily where higher aerosol concentrations are present. If not, the decontamination factor will be reduced through the salt-containing secondary aerosols from the washing water. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Knowledge is a success factor for globally acting company networks as a. o. the aim-oriented knowledge transfer between partners is an essential condition for a successful cooperation. Several network specific problems impede however an efficient and effective knowledge management; e.g. the transfer of competition relevant data is a high sensitive theme. The authors describe how a relevant method can be selected, adapted and implemented to the application-specific boundary conditions. They integrate existing attempts processes and methods to establish an effective knowledge development and an efficient knowledge transfer in the network and take into account ''hard'' (IT-technical-oriented solution approaches) as also ''soft'' factors (e.g. cultural and personal aspects). So the authors present unified instruments for an integrated knowledge management ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Evolutionary conservation of DNA sequences provides a tool for the identification of functional elements in genomes. We have created a database of evolutionary conserved regions (ECRs) in vertebrate genomes entitled ECRbase that is constructed from a collection of pairwise vertebrate genome alignments produced by the ECR Browser database. ECRbase features a database of syntenic blocks that recapitulate the evolution of rearrangements in vertebrates and a collection of promoters in all vertebrate genomes presented in the database. The database also contains a collection of annotated transcription factor binding sites (TFBS) in all ECRs and promoter elements. ECRbase currently includes human, rhesus macaque, dog, opossum, rat, mouse, chicken, frog, zebrafish, and two pufferfish genomes. It is freely accessible at http://ECRbase.dcode.org.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adsorption by activated red mud (ARM) is investigated as a possible alternative to the conventional methods of Cr(VI) removal from aqueous synthetic solutions and industrial effluents. Adsorption characteristics suggest the heterogenous nature of the adsorbent surface sites with respect to the energy of adsorption. Various factors such as pH, contact time, Cr(VI) concentration, amount of adsorbent, and temperature are taken into account, and promising results are obtained. The applicability of the Langmuir as well as Freundlich adsorption isotherms for the present system is tested. The loading factor (i.e., milligrams Cr(VI) adsorbed per gram of ARM) increased with initial Cr(VI) concentration, whereas a negative trend was observed with increasing temperature. The influence of the addition of anions on the adsorption of Cr(VI) depends on the relative affinity of the anions for the surface and the relative concentrations of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stationary target measurements of the nucleon form factors have been performed with high precision down to Q{sup 2} of {approx} 0.01 GeV{sup 2} for protons (G{sub E}{sup p}) and down to {approx} 0.1 GeV{sup 2} for neutrons (G{sub M}{sup n}). Conventional extraction using cross section and polarization measurement cannot be extended to very low values of Q{sup 2} due to inherent experimental limitations. We present a proposal for a new approach to a measurement, using colliding beams, which will extend the range of possible measurement at low Q{sup 2} by several orders of magnitude over stationary target limits.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Environmental radon monitoring activities at the DOE Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP) have been conducted extensively since the early 1980`s. Monitoring has been conducted at ambient concentration levels (< 1 pCi/L Rn-222), inside buildings, and at significantly elevated levels (hundreds of thousands pCi/L Rn-222) within the K-65 silo that store concentrated radium bearing wastes. The purpose of this paper/presentation is to present and discuss some of the difficulties encountered/solutions (e.g. reliability, detection limits, affects of environmental factors, data transfer, etc.) that have been discovered while taking measurements using both alpha track-etch passive integrating detectors and alpha scintillation real-time detectors. A short summary and conclusion section is provided following each topic presented.

Science.gov (United States)

The cost-effectiveness (CE) analysis presents an evaluation of the technical efficiency of pollutant control options for the proposed effluent limitations guidelines. The proposed BAT and PSES apply to six subcategories: Dissolving Kraft; Dissolving Sulfite; Bleached Papergrade Kraft; Papergrade Sulfite; Unbleached Kraft; and Semichemical. The document compares the total annualized cost incurred for each of the regulatory options within each subcategory to the corresponding effectiveness of that option in reducing the discharge of pollutants. Section Two discusses the cost-effectiveness methodology and identifies the pollutants included in the analysis and their toxic weighting factors. Section Three describes the options evaluated for each subcategory. Section Four presents the results of the CE analysis. Section Five presents a separate analysis of AOX (adsorbable organic halides).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prognosis of 95 consecutive patients with non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases were evaluated. Three factors, therapy for brain metastases, general performance status (PS) and distant metastases to other organs had significant impact on survival. Among these 3 factors, PS was independent from the other 2 factors. Significant correlation was present, however, between therapy and other organ metastases, and few patients with brain and other distant metastases received aggressive treatment for brain metastases. Cranial irradiation had significant impact on survival even in those patients with brain and other distant metastases. Cranial irradiation also reduced death from brain metastases in responders. Our results indicate that there are several subgroups with different prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastases, therefore the most beneficial treatment modality ...

CERN Document Server

We present several recent results from the BaBar collaboration in the areas of initial state radiation physics and transition form factors. An updated study of the processes e+e- -> K+K-pi+pi- and e+e- -> K+K-pi0pi0 provides an improved understanding of the Y(2175) meson. A very precise study of the process e+e- -> pi+pi- improves the precision on the calculated anomalous magnetic moment of the muon and provides by far the best information on excited rho states. Our previous measurements of the timelike transition form factors (TFF) of the eta and eta' mesons at Q^2=112 GeV^2, combined with new measurements of the their spacelike TFFs and those of the pi0 and eta_c mesons, provide powerful tests of QCD and models of the distribution amplitudes of quarks inside these mesons. The eta_c TFF shows the expected behavior over the Q^2 range 1-50 GeV^2, and we are sensitive to next-to-leading-order QCD corrections. The eta ...

KoreaScience (Korea)

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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This monograph provides basic notions and principles in dosimetry and radiation protection in compliance with two fundamental works: IAEA Safety Series No.115 - International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources - and Publication no. 60 of International Commission on Radiological Protection. After the review of quantities and units necessary in radiation protection, the book presents the new values of dose limits as well as the values of 'radiation weighting factor', 'tissue weighting factor' and 'conversion factor intake-dose' (committed effective dose per unit intake) by ingestion and inhalation for 30 most important radionuclides. The new values of dose limits, lower than the old values, are a challenge for the radiation protection, especially of the 'public' where the dose limit diminished by a factor of five ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Various main circuit equipment with large capacity GTO thyristors are outlined for AC and DC electric cars. The configuration of a PWM converter system is presented for the AC main motor drive system of the Shinkansen trains, and its following features are described: the high power factor control capable of keeping a power factor 100% constantly, energy saving by power regenerative braking, the small triple structure with large capacity reverse-conducting GTO thyristors of 4,500V/3,000A, and the reduction of equivalent interfering current and harmonic current by three phase-triple phase difference operation. Furthermore, a control logic equipment with 16 bit MPU and a main transformer are outlined, and the verification test results of the control logic equipment by an analog model simulation and the combinational test results of the commercial equipment are reported. Prototype VVVF inverter system for DC electric cars is ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The paper presents results of measurements of the natural radioactivity of tap water where samples were taken in front of, and behind the ceramic filter commonly used in houses for the purification of tap water. Altogether, 289 samples were taken, processed and measured during 1985-1986 in Kuwait. Results reveal the fact that ceramic filters reduce substantially the natural radioactivity in water (the 'gross' alpha activity reduced by the factor 2.18 #+-# 18%; the 'gross' beta by 1.53 #+-# 1.6%. (author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The paper describes an experimental investigation involving pore structure of blended gypsum binder. The pore structure was investigated by using mercury porosimeter. A relationship between structure and mechanical properties has been established. It has been found that the principal factor of porosity governs the development of structure and strength of the blended gypsum binder. The pore size distribution was characterized by a reduction in the volume of the pores whose diameters are larger than 500 {angstrom} and an increase in the volume of those smaller diameters. An interpretation of the development in strength vis-a-vis porosity of the blended gypsum binder is presented.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

16 papers are presented covering: remote sensing - an aid to environment management; remote sensing application; monitoring environmental changes over iron ore mining areas; monitoring and management of environmental degradation due to geological factors; use of Landsat multispectral scanner data in environmental monitoring; geotechnical engineering problems with abandoned limestone mines; photogrammetric monitoring of mining environment; slope monitoring in open cast mines using close range remote sensing method; geobotanical remote sensing and mineral prospecting; geographical information in study of geo-environment through remote sensing; and alteration mapping in cuprite mining district.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Indoor radon is a potential health hazard for the general public, especially in buildings with poor ventilation. A variety of dosemeters have been developed and used in surveys of radon concentration measurements. In this article the passive dosemeters which are based on solid state nuclear track detectors are reviewed. The principle of passive dosimetry and the factors affecting their performance are discussed. The characteristics of SSNTD materials in relation to their behaviour under different environmental conditions are tabulated and discussed. Results of radon surveys from selected studies are also presented. (Author).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The use of finely powdered ion exchange resins improve loading of specific ion exchange materials with better performance but as such these materials are not suitable for column operation. However, by proper selection of ion exchange support medium, it is possible to get better product. The radioactive solution can be treated by suspending this material, stirring and allowing to settle. The present method gives DF in the range of 70 - 80 even after repeated use as compared to DF in the range of 5 to 10 by single conventional chemical treatment process. (author)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Transdifferentiation of an individual's own cells into functional differentiated cells to replace an organ's lost function would be a personalized approach to therapeutics. In this two part series, we will describe the progress toward establishing functional transdifferentiated adrenal cortical cells. In this article (Part 1), we describe adrenal development and function, and discuss genes involved in these processess and selected for use in our pilot studies of transdifferentiation that are presented in the second article (Part 2).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A study is presented of the influence of ethylenediamine-tetraacetic acid (EDTAA) on the antimicrobial properties of a number of bactericidal additives for cutting fluids. During the testing both the microbiological and primary physical-chemical properties of the cutting fluids were determined. The duration of protective action of the additives vazin, vazin FD, formacide-13, kamcide-5 and furacylin was determined with and without EDTAA in Ukrinol-1 cutting fluid. Though EDTAA itself did not show great duration of antibacterial effect, when combined with the other additives it lengthened their time of protection by a factor of 2.2 to 2.7. 10 references.

CERN Document Server

We present results for a complete set of polarization observables for jet production in lepton proton collision, where the final state lepton is not observed. The calculations are carried out in collinear factorization at the level of Born diagrams. For all the observables we also provide numerical estimates for typical kinematics of a potential future Electron Ion Collider. On the basis of this numerical study, the prospects for the transverse single target spin asymmetry are particularly promising. This observable is given by a certain quark-gluon correlation function, which has a direct relation to the transverse momentum dependent Sivers parton distribution.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The process of miniemulsification allows the generation of small, homogeneous, and stable droplets containing monomer or polymer precursors and magnetite which are then transferred by polymer reactions to the final polymer latexes, keeping their particular identity without serious exchange kinetics involved. It is shown that the miniemulsion process can excellently be used for the formulation of polymer-coated magnetic nanoparticles which can further be used for biomedical applications. The use of high shear, appropriate surfactants, and the addition of a hydrophobe in order to suppress the influence of Ostwald ripening are key factors for the formation of the small and stable droplets in miniemulsion and will be discussed. Two different approaches based on miniemulsion processes for the encapsulation of magnetite into polymer particles will be presented in detail.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A technique for calculation of the total weight of quark clusters-fluctons: in nuclei is developed. Blokhintsev's formula is justified microscopically and refined by introduction of spin-charge and quark factors. It is shown that the large values of the correlation radius (R/sub C/approx. =0.75 fm or 1.0 fm) derived from experimental data in various papers using this formula correspond to )similarreverse arrowto)2.5 times smaller internucleon distances in the flucton (0.3--0.4 fm), i.e., the hardness of fluctons is caused by unsuppressed manifestation of hidden color at such distances (the corresponding probabilities are presented)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corrosion is increasingly becoming an important factor reducing the reliability of many nuclear power plant components. The significance is evaluated of corrosion phenomena with respect to the reliability of primary circuit components of LWR's, viz., the reactor pressure vessel, primary piping, steam generator, and fuel elements. The mechanism of corrosion phenomena is explained and methods of minimizing their effects are presented. An analysis is made of the needs to solve the corrosion problems of nuclear power plants from the point of view of Czechoslovak producers and research and development activities. International cooperation is reviewed and main problems are formulated on which the solution of corrosion problems of structural materials used in WWER type nuclear power plants should be focussed. (author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper presents an approach to comparing computer run time of building simulation programs. The computing run time of a simulation program depends on several key factors, including the calculation algorithm and modeling capabilities of the program, the run period, the simulation time step, the complexity of the energy models, the run control settings, and the software and hardware configurations of the computer that is used to make the simulation runs. To demonstrate the approach, simulation runs are performed for several representative DOE-2.1E and EnergyPlus energy models. The computer run time of these energy models are then compared and analyzed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A large acceptance, high stopping power Bragg curve spectrometer has been developed for use in coincidence experiments with heavy ions. The electron collection fields are radial and position information is obtained from a resistive anode. The detector is 60 cm deep and operates at pressures of up to 2.5 atm of P-10 gas. It is mated to a scattering chamber which allows it to be moved out of plane during coincidence measurements. Factors affecting the performance of the detector are discussed, and results obtained with the detector are presented. (orig.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Reduced-Moderation Water Reactor (RMWR) is a next generation water-cooled reactor, based on the experienced light water reactor (LWR) technology, aiming at effective utilization of uranium resources, high burn-up and long operation cycle and plutonium multiple recycling. These characteristics can be achieved by the high conversion ratio from {sup 238}U to {sup 239}Pu resulted from the higher neutron energy spectrum in comparison to conventional LWRs. Considering the extension of LWR utilization, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) started the research on it in 1997 and then started a collaboration in the conceptual design study with the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) in 1998, under technical cooperation with three Japanese reactor vendors. In the core design study of the RMWR, several basic core designs with the high conversion ratio more than 1 and the negative void reactivity coefficient have been proposed, and then, subsequent investigation on the effects of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Steam Generator (SG) tubing degradation caused by corrosion and other age-related mechanisms continues to be a significant safety and cost concern for many Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). The understanding of the steam generator ageing mechanisms is the key to effective management of steam generator ageing and consists of the knowledge of steam generator materials and these one properties, stressors and operating conditions, like degradation sites and wear mechanisms. The principal types of corrosion are presented which can occur in CANDU steam generator. There are also presented the operation conditions, the specifications referring to the water chemistry and the construction materials of Steam Generator, the factors that have a great influence on the corrosion behaviour during the whole exploitation period of this equipment. (R.P.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heavy ions used for biomedical studies fragment when they pass through matter. It is known that different fragments cause different types of biological damage. In this paper, results pertaining to differrent kinds of secondary fragments produced by a /sup 28/Si beam at 463 MeV/nucleon in its interaction with nuclear emulsion are presented. It is observed that the production frequencies of secondary fragments are independent of the target. Partial production cross sections and fluences of the secondary fragments are also discussed. The partial production cross sections for different fragments at three lower energy ranges are practically the same within their statistical errors except for the cross section for Li fragments, which is larger by almost a factor of 1.5 at the lowest energy investigated. The dose contributions of the primary Si beam and its components at different points of the Bragg curve are presented for two ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The national energy research programme LVIS-2000: Future Building Services is concerned with the control of energy use and indoor climate in buildings of the future. The projects were presented at a one day seminar arranged by the Laboratory of Heating and Ventilation of the Technical Research Centre in Finland which is coordinating the programme. The presentations at the seminar were: Impurity emission from materials, Building materials and indoor air quality, analysis of organic compounds in indoor air, effect of the return air, effect of the return air on health and comfort, electric heating as an indoor climate factor, calculations of air flows in ventilated rooms, effect of energy saving measures on hospital hygiene, application of modern aerosol measurement technique on indoor climate research.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The iron foundry industry is considered to be a potential source of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs). This study investigated the emission factors and total emission amounts of PCDD/Fs and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) from iron foundries in China. The concentrations and the World Health Organization toxicity equivalents (WHO-TEQs) are presented and the congener profiles are discussed in this paper. In the present work, 26 fly ash samples were collected and tested to quantify the PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs generated by 14 plants of different scales, and five stack gas samples were collected from two (named as EFG and LFG) of those plants. The emission levels of PCDD/Fs and DL-PCBs indicated that hot-air cupolas had lower emissions than cold-air cupol...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Design of pipe whip restraints requires a knowledge of the maximum allowable unsupported pipe length. This paper presents a numerical method for calculating this critical length of the pipe. Salient features of the method are: (1) as a flow rounds an elbow, it exerts a transverse kick and an axial thrust to the pipe, both the axial thrust and the bending moment are considered; (2) the jet force is applied in an abrupt manner, the dynamic amplification factor (DAF) is determined from the load-deflection (H-{Delta}) curve of the pipe, by taking into consideration large strain, large deformation and the nonlinear stress-strain relationship of the piping material; (3) the ultimate capacity of the pipe under the combined action of an axial force and a bending moment is governed by an interaction formula. The maximum unsupported pipe length is calculated from this formula. Only the formulas and derivation are presented. Numerical ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We describe a fully automated bead puller system which uses stepping motors to position the bead, and an HP-8510 network analyzer to measure the resulting frequency shifts, both devices being under computer control. Longitudinal motion of the bead is used for measurement of cavity shunt impedance. In addition, azimuthal scans at fixed longitudinal position aid in determining the multipole character of higher-order modes. High sensitivity/accuracy is made possible by measuring phase shifts at the unperturbed resonant frequencies (rather than frequency shifts themselves), thereby permitting averaging factors of > 500 with only modest increases in data acquisition time. Sample measurements will be presented. A comprehensive analysis of the experimental results is presented in an accompanying paper.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Consolidation of spent fuel is under active consideration as the US Department of Energy plans to dispose of spent fuel. During consolidation, the fuel pins are removed from an intact fuel assembly and repackaged into a more compact configuration. After repackaging, approximately 30 kg of residual spent fuel assembly hardware per assembly remains that is also radioactive and requires disposal. Understanding the nature of this secondary waste stream is critical to designing a system that will properly handle, package, store, and dispose of the waste. This report presents a methodology for estimating the radionuclide inventory in irradiated spent fuel hardware. Ratios are developed that allow the use of ORIGEN2 computer code calculations to be applied to regions that are outside the fueled region. The ratios are based on the analysis of samples of irradiated hardware from spent fuel assemblies. The results of this research are presented in three ...

Science.gov (United States)

... TITLE (Indlude Security Classifkcation) Human Factors in Network Security 12. ... FIELD GROUP SUBGROUP Human Factors, Network, Security 19. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The core bypass flow in a prismatic very high temperature gas-cooled reactor (VHTR) is one of the important design considerations which impacts considerably on the integrity of reactor core internals including operating fuels. The interstitial gaps are an inherent presence in the reactor core because of tolerances in manufacturing the blocks and the inexact nature of their installation. Furthermore, the geometry of the graphite blocks changes over the lifetime of the reactor because of thermal expansion and irradiation damage. The occurrence of hot spots in the core and lower plenum and hot streaking in the lower plenum (regions of very hot gas flow) will be affected by the bypass flow. In the present study, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) calculations of a typical prismatic VHTR are conducted to understand better the bypass flow phenomenon and establish the evaluation method in the reactor core using commercial CFD code FLUENT. Parametric ...

Science.gov (United States)

Light composite sandwich panels are increasingly used in automobiles, ships and aircraft, because of the advantages they offer of high strength-to-weight ratios. However, the acoustical properties of these light and stiff structures can be less desirable than those of equivalent metal panels. These undesirable properties can lead to high interior noise levels. A number of researchers have studied the acoustical properties of honeycomb and foam sandwich panels. Not much work, however, has been carried out on foam-filled honeycomb sandwich panels. In this dissertation, governing equations for the forced vibration of asymmetric sandwich panels are developed. An analytical expression for modal densities of symmetric sandwich panels is derived from a sixth-order governing equation. A boundary element analysis model for the sound transmission loss of symmetric sandwich panels is proposed. Measurements of the modal density, total loss factor, radiation loss ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A fully implicit compositional simulator was written to predict the drawdown and buildup responses for a single well in a gas condensate reservoir. The model uses the Redlich-Kwong equation of state to compute fluid properties and to determine phase equilibrium. The accuracy of the model predictions in the two-phase flow regime is tested using the results of a steady-state theory developed here. Two new correlating functions for transient flow - the reservoir integral and the sandface integral - are presented. The reservoir integral is shown to be a good liquid analogue during transient flow (drawdown). The sandface integral correlates with the liquid solution only in the slope. These two theoretical functions are shown to reduce to a computable pseudopressure function by using the results of the steady-state theory. The usefulness of this pseudopressure function for computing the permeability-thickness product and the skin factor is ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Dysregulation of the alternative pathway of complement activation, caused by mutations or polymorphisms in the genes encoding factor H, membrane co-factor protein, factor I or factor B, is associated...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Human Factor VIII/von Willebrand factor, purified by calcium citrate-cellulose chromatography and 4% agarose gel filtration was subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis on gels containing...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Background/Aims: Transforming growth factor-b (TGF-b) initiates and maintains epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which causes disassembly of tight junctions and loss of epithelial cell polarity. In mature hepatocytes during EMT induced by TGF-b, changes in the expression of tight junction proteins and the fence function indicated that epithelial cell polarity remains unclear. Methods: In the present study, using primary cultures of adult rat hepatocytes at day 10 after plating, in which epithelial cell polarity is well maintained by tight junctions, we examined the effects of 0.01-20 ng/ml TGF-b on the expression of the integral tight junction proteins, claudin-1, -2 and occludin, as well as the fence function. Results: In adult rat hepatocytes, TGF-b induced EMT, which was ...

Science.gov (United States)

In a previous study, to identify genes of importance for hepatocellular carcinogenesis, and especially for processes involved in malignant transformation, the authors investigated differences in gene expression between adenomas and carcinomas by DNA microarray. In the present study, the authors investigated AW434047, one of the sequences that was upregulated in carcinomas. The investigation led to the identification of a novel gene, which the authors named hepatocyte malignant transforming factor (HMTF), of unknown function whose expression was increased in hepatocellular carcinomas. Northern blot and in situ hybridization also demonstrated high levels of HMTF in rat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, lymphocytes in the spleen, colon mucosal epithelia, spermatocytes, and granule cells of the hippocampus. Reduction of HMTF by RNA interference (RNAi) in N1 cells, an HCC cell line, caused suppression of cell proliferation, invasion, and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A comparison of the loss mechanisms in screen-printed solar cells relative to buried contact cells and cells with photolithography-defined contacts is presented in this paper. Model calculations show that emitter recombination accounts for about 0.5% absolute efficiency loss in conventional screen-printed cells with low-sheet-resistance emitters. Ohmic contact to high-sheet-resistance emitters by screen-printing has been investigated to regain this efficiency loss. Our work shows that good quality ohmic contacts to high sheet-resistance emitters can be achieved if the glass frit chemistry and Ag particle size are carefully tailored. The melting characteristics of the glass frit determine the firing scheme suitable for low contact resistance and high fill factors. In addition, small to regular Ag particles were found to help achieve a higher open-circuit voltage and maintain a low contact resistance. This work has resulted in cells with high ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inhalation of radon and its daughter products makes the major contribution to the total exposure of the population to natural radiations. In implementing a complex ecological survey, concentrations of radon and its daughter products were measured in different regions of Russia, namely, in the St. Petersburg Region, the Central Territories and the Altay Territory. Two suitable low price versions of the dosemeters for measuring environmental radon concentrations based on track-etch and activated-charcoal detectors were used. The radon daughter product activity and the effective dose equivalents were calculated with an equilibrium factor of 0.5 and a recommended effective dose equivalent factor of 0.061 mSv (Bq m"-"3)"-"1. Indoor measurements were taken in more than 1000 dwellings and public and industrial buildings of 21 towns and villages. The track chambers were exposed for about 2-3 months and the charcoal detectors for 6-10 days, mainly ...

CERN Document Server

We present a fully relativistic formalism for describing neutrino-induced $\\Delta$-mediated single-pion production from nuclei. We assess the ambiguities stemming from the $\\Delta$ interactions. Variations in the cross sections of over 10% are observed, depending on whether or not magnetic-dipole dominance is assumed to extract the vector form factors. These uncertainties have a direct impact on the accuracy with which the axial-vector form factors can be extracted. Different predictions for $C_5^A(Q^2)$ induce up to 40-50% effects on the $\\Delta$-production cross sections. To describe the nucleus, we turn to a relativistic plane-wave impulse approximation (RPWIA) using realistic bound-state wave functions derived in the Hartree approximation to the $\\sigma$-$\\omega$ Walecka model. For neutrino energies larger than 1 GeV, we show that a relativistic Fermi-gas model with appropriate binding-energy correction produces ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper presents a study on the crystallization and growth mechanism of selenium nanowires induced by silver nanoparticles at ambient conditions with special reference to the effects of factors such as the shapes and size of silver nanoparticles, the induced reaction time, and the molar ratio of Ag{sup 0} to SeO{sub 3}{sup 2-} ions. The synthesis approach is conducted with no need of any stabilizers, and with no sonochemical process and/or templates. It is found that whether silver spherical particles or colloids can lead to the formation of nanowires with average diameter of 25 nm and lengths up to a few micrometers, and silver nanoplates lead to the formation of flat Se nanostructures. In particular, Au, Cu, Pt, and Pd particles cannot induce the growth of selenium nanowires in aqueous solution at room temperature. The results indicate that silver particles play a critical role in determining the growth of selenium nanowires. The lattice ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

When total mesorectal excision (TME) is accurately performed, dysfunction, theoretically, does not occur. However, there are differences among individuals in the running patterns and the volumes of nerve fibers, and if obesity or a narrow pelvis is present, nerve identification is difficult. Currently, the rate of urinary dysfunction after rectal surgery ranges from 33% to 70%. Many factors other than nerve preservation play a role in minor incontinence. Male sexual function shows impotence rates ranging from 20% to 46%, while 20%-60% of potent patients are unable to ejaculate. In women, information on sexual function is not easily obtained, and there are more unknown aspects than in men. As urinary, sexual, and defecation dysfunction due to adjuvant radiotherapy have been reported to occur at a high frequency, the creation of a protocol that enables analysis of long-term functional outcome will be essential for future clinical trials. In the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The 9.50 GHz electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of unirradiated and "6"0Co #gamma#-ray irradiated cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum L. Maton, Zingiberaceae), ginger ((Zingiber officinale Rosc., Zingiberaceae), and saffron (Crocus sativus L., Iridaceae) have been investigated at room temperature. All unirradiated spices presented a weak resonance line with g-factors around free-electron ones. After #gamma#-ray irradiation at an absorbed dose of up to 11.3 kGy, the presence of EPR spectra whose amplitude increase monotonously with the absorbed dose has been noticed with all spices. A 100 "oC isothermal annealing of 11.3 kGy irradiated samples has shown a differential reduction of amplitude of various components that compose initial spectra, but even after 3.6 h of thermal treatment, the remaining amplitude represents no less then 30% of the initial ones. The same peculiarities have been noticed after 83 days storage at room temperature ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH`s) are ubiquitous hydrophobic organic pollutants in the marine environment. Many of the PAM`s are classified as possible carcinogens or mutagens, therefore they are of considerable concern to human and environmental health. The highest concentrations are found in coastal regions due to anthropogenic activities including oil spills, tanker operations, incomplete fossil fuel combustion and runoff. The sources and distribution of PAM`s in sediments are fairly well known, while the fate and transport of PAH`s in the marine environment are less known. Desorption is an important factor influencing the fate and transport of hydrophobic molecules at the seawater/sediment interface. The desorption of PAH`s from contaminated marine sediments to the water column/pore water affects the availability of the pollutant to biota. The sorption of PAH`s is determined in part by the organic carbon content of the sediments. The presence of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

It is very important in a nuclear air cleaning system that HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter is for reduction of releasing amounts of airborne radioactive particles. HEPA filter, by definition, has a minimum collection efficiency of 99.97 % for 0.3 #mu#m particles. However, DF (Decontamination Factor), which is necessary for safety management, can not be directly derived from the efficiency. And the current standard defined for 0.3 #mu#m particles has no scientific justification, because it has been found that the most penetrating particle size through HEPA filter is not always 0.3 #mu#m. In the present paper, a numerical experiment was made in order to estimate a relationship between DF and the efficiency. And new standard, in which the minimum DF is able to be easily obtained, was proposed. In the multistage filtration system, it was found that lower values of DF was possible to be experimentally indicated in the second and the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radiation necrosis of normal CNS tissue represents one of the main risk factors of brain irradiation, occurring more frequently and earlier at higher total doses and higher doses per fraction. At present, it is believed that the necrosis results due to increasing capillary permeability caused by cytokine release leading to extracellular edema. This process is sustained by endothelial dysfunction, tissue hypoxia, and subsequent necrosis. Consequently, blocking the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at an early stage could be an option to reduce the development of radiation necrosis by decreasing the vascular permeability. This might help to reverse the pathological mechanisms, improve the symptoms and prevent further progression. A patient with radiation-induced necrosis was treated with an anti-VEGF antibody (bevacizumab), in whom neurologic signs and symptoms improved in accordance with a decrease in T1-weighted ...

Science.gov (United States)

Varying load can cause changes in a measured gearbox vibration signal. However, conventional techniques for fault diagnosis are based on the assumption that changes in vibration signal are only caused by deterioration of the gearbox. There is a need to develop a technique to provide accurate state indicator of gearbox under fluctuating load conditions. This paper presents an approach to gear fault diagnosis based on complex Morlet continuous wavelet transform under this condition. Gear motion residual signal, which represents the departure of time synchronously averaged signal from the average tooth-meshing vibration, is analyzed as source data due to its lower sensitiveness to the alternating load condition. A fault growth parameter based on the amplitude of wavelet transform is proposed to evaluate gear fault advancement quantitatively. We found that this parameter is insensitive to varying load and can correctly indicate early gear fault. For a comparison, the ...

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This paper presents a new grid connected inverter for fuel cells. It consists of a two stage power conversion topology. Since the fuel cell operates with a low voltage in a wide voltage range (25 V-45 V) this volt- age must be transformed to around 350-400 V in order to invert this dc power into ac power to the grid. The proposed converter consists of an isolated dc-dc converter cascaded with a single phase H-bridge inverter. The dc-dc converter is a current-fed push-pull converter. A new dedicated voltage mode startup procedure has been developed in order to limit the inrush current during startup. The inverter is controlled as a power factor controller with resistor emulation.Experimental results of converter efficiency, grid performance and fuel cell response are shown for a 1 kW prototype. The proposed converter exhibits a high efficiency in a wide power range (higher than 92%) and the inverter operates with a near unity power ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 12 is a statistical compendium prepared and published by Oak Ridge National Laboratory under contract with the Office of Transportation Technologies in the Department of Energy. Designed for use as a desk-top reference, the data book represents an assembly and display of statistics and information that characterize transportation activity, and presents data on other factors that influence transportation energy use. The purpose of this document is to present relevant statistical data in the form of tables and graphs. Each of the major transportation modes--highway, air, water, rail, pipeline--is treated in separate chapters or sections. Chapter 1 compares US transportation data with data from seven other countries. Aggregate energy use and energy supply data for all modes are presented in Chapter 2. The highway mode, which accounts for over three-fourths of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Small-scale stoves, producing heat and hot water, are suited for domestic purposes. In order to optimise their efficiency when using lignocellulosic pellets, an important task is to do research on their real performance. The general behaviour depends on many operational factors (air flow and humidity, pressure, etc), dimension and pellet characteristics (moisture, size, raw material, density, friability, etc). In this paper, the first results and general performance of a 24 kW pellet fixed bed stove pilot plant are presented. The plant has been designed to study pellet combustion in the laboratory. The main targets are to reduce emissions of pollutants and to improve energy efficiency. Different situations can be simulated and tested due to its flexible design. Temperatures, pressures, flows and emissions are measured and analysed. An extensive study of different load conditions is presented through the application of both ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tritium, a beta emitting gas at room temperature causes a biological hazard in the locations where it is present beyond acceptable limits. The hazard can be due to inhalation, and absorption by skin. Hence is the necessity of Tritium monitoring instruments/systems for ensuring safety in the PHWRs and the nuclear research plants and laboratories. It is desirable that the instruments address satisfactorily to certain factors like the following: (i) Wide range of Tritium concentrations - 1 to 104 DAC ( Derived Air Concentration) (ii) On-line monitoring features (iii) Small response time (On-spot instantaneous measurements) (iv) Portability (v) Mitigation of memory effects. This paper presents an overview of the Online Tritium in Air Monitoring Systems manufactured by ECIL for Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors at Tarapur, Kaiga, and Rawatbhata. Significant aspects of design, function, testing, limitations of the detectors and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Artificial neural network analysis is found to be far superior to multiple regression when applied to the evaluation of trap quality in the Northern Kuqa Depression, a gas-rich depression of Tarim Basin in western China. This is because this technique can correlate the complex and non-linear relationship between trap quality and related geological factors, whereas multiple regression can only describe a linear relationship. However, multiple regression can work as an auxiliary tool, as it is suited to high-speed calculations and can indicate the degree of dependence between the trap quality and its related geological factors which artificial neural network analysis cannot. For illustration, we have investigated 30 traps in the Northern Kuqa Depression. For each of the traps, the values of 14 selected geological factors were all known. While geologists were also able to assign individual trap quality values to 27 traps, they ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cylindrical shells with regular perforation are widely used in power generating equipment and in particular in collectors 1 of the circuit of steam generators of power generating installations with water-water reactors (WWPR) The state of stress of collectors is determined by a broad spectrum of technological and operational loads, it is therefore difficult to analyze it theoretically. The aim of the present work is the experimental investigation of stresses in the cylindrical shells of collectors subjected to internal pressure, the generalization and systematization of empirical data in the form of engineering formulas and nomographs. The investigations were carried out with photoelastic three-dimensional models with the use of {open_quotes}freezing{close_quotes}. The basic characteristics of the state of stress of perforated shells (in particular those used in calculations of the strength and life of collectors) are the values of the stress intensity ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molten salt oxidation (MSO) is proposed as a {sup 238}Pu waste treatment technology that should be developed for volume reduction and recovery of {sup 238}Pu and as an alternative to the transport and permanent disposal of {sup 238}Pu waste to the WIPP repository. In MSO technology, molten sodium carbonate salt at 800--900 C in a reaction vessel acts as a reaction media for wastes. The waste material is destroyed when injected into the molten salt, creating harmless carbon dioxide and steam and a small amount of ash in the spent salt. The spent salt can be treated using aqueous separation methods to reuse the salt and to recover 99.9% of the precious {sup 238}Pu that was in the waste. Tests of MSO technology have shown that the volume of combustible TRU waste can be reduced by a factor of at least twenty. Using this factor the present inventory of 574 TRU drums of {sup 238}Pu contaminated wastes is reduced to 30 drums. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report summarizes the major features of the advisory tool `TUNDTEMP`, developed to act as a decision support in the continuous steel casting process. `TUNDTEMP` provides a means to predict abnormal phenomena of temperature origin in the casting that may be difficult to foresee in practical situations. The heart of the system is a semi-empirical calculation model that yields an estimate of the evolution of the tundish temperature of the liquid steel on the basis of a few important casting factors. The user interface of the system is to a large extent based on the visual presentation of the simulated results. The system also contains an optional rule based mechanism that provides assistance in the result interpretation and, if wished, linguistically formulates action recommendations. A separate program has been built for the tuning of the calculation model and for maintenance of the system. At the end of the report, the different tuning ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Measurement of fission and activation products in the soil or over a plane grass land of a nuclear power station environment is required to find out the long term changes. The inventory of radionuclides in the soil is routinely determined by soil sampling, processing and gamma spectrometry in the laboratory. The method although is proven and accurate is time consuming and largely dependent on homogenous distribution. Therefore, an alternative and rapid method of in-situ gamma spectrometry using portable devices was standardized to determine the concentration of radionuclides in soil, for regular environmental monitoring as well as during emergency condition. The paper presents the methodology, ready to use factors and compares the results of a few measurements made in the environment of Tarapur Atomic Power Station by both in-situ and laboratory methods. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this paper the measurements of radon-222 concentration in the air of Kowary Radon Inhalatorium in the vicinity of Jelenia Gora, Lower Silesia, Poland, performed by Radiation Protection and Radiobiology Department of National Institute of Hygiene in Warsaw, have been presented. For the measurements the integration method with the application of charcoal canisters have been used. The radon concentration was found within the very broad ranges from about 4 to 420 kBq m"-"3 depending of the season of the year. Basing on the radon concentration measurements during the inhalation therapy session and taking into account the equilibrium factor of 0.8 the doses to the bronchi of the patients in range from 1.2 to about 204 mSv (0.12-20.4 rem) have been assessed. The majority of patients (ca. 76%) received the doses between 115 and 204 mSv. (author)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

There is limited information on the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) although AKI may contribute to morbidity and mortality. We investigated the incidence of AKI in patients with moderate and severe TBI and the association of AKI with risk factors and outcomes in these patients. We studied all TBI patients over 16 years of age admitted to the two designated trauma hospitals in the state of Victoria, Australia from 1 January to 31 December 2008. Patients were included if they had head trauma and presented with a Glasgow coma scale (GCS) <13. Prospectively collected data from the hospital trauma registries, ICUs, and pathology databases were analyzed retrospectively. Risk injury failure loss end (RIFLE) criteria were used to categorize rena...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alloy 800 has been used for steam generator (SG) tubing for more than 30 years, primarily in CANDU reactors worldwide and in reactors in Germany. Extensive laboratory testing and in-service experience suggest that the Alloy 800 tubing has excellent resistance to corrosion-related degradation under appropriate operating conditions. In planning refurbishment of nuclear plants stations, a key concern is the longevity of existing SGs up to the 60-year lifetime of the refurbished plant. The paper reviews an existing methodology based on the concept of the improvement factor, and refines its estimation based on data specific to CANDU operating conditions. The paper presents a more advanced Bayesian probabilistic approach to estimate the degradation free lifetime distribution of Alloy 800 tubing, which is used to quantify the probability of degradation during the service life and to evaluate the impact of potential occurrences of degradation on ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Ventricular septal defects can occur as part of other congenital cardiac malformations or as an isolated finding. Aneurysms of the sinus of Valsalva are rare, most commonly involving the right or noncoronary sinuses. They can be congenital or acquired through infection, trauma, or degenerative diseases. They frequently co-exist with ventricular septal defects, aortic valve dysfunction, or other cardiac abnormalities. More commonly, sinus of Valsalva aneurysms are diagnosed after the clinical sequelae of rupture. Several etiologic factors may lead to the development of pathologic pericardial effusion and the detection of pericardial effusion was one of the first applications of echocardiography to gain widespread acceptance. We present a case of a chance finding of an aneurysm of the right ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Studies the quality of metallurgical coke produced from a mixture of USA (80%) and Soviet (20%) coking coals. Properties of coal were analyzed according to ICCP and ISO international standards, including mechanical and petrographic tests. Content of the coal mixture included 8.2% moisture, 7.6% ash, 0.98% sulfur, 27.7% volatiles. The swelling index was 6 and dilation index 15%. Properties of coke produced from this coal mixture in the Croatian Bakar coking plant are presented for lump sizes of 25-80 mm, 10-25 mm and 0-10 mm. The produced coke was of favorable quality, having a strength index of 4.70, an ASTM stability factor of 61, and an M40 strength of 73.3%. 9 refs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The purpose of this experimental study is to investigate the micromechanical fatigue behavior, in terms of slip nature and preferential cracking sites, of a commercial #alpha#/#beta#-forged Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Electron backscattering diffraction is extensively used to identify the deformation (prismatic, basal, pyramidal slip) and crack formation modes activated by fatigue at the surface of several hundred primary #alpha# nodules. Some fatal crack formation sites are also characterized. Cracking in basal planes is identified as the most critical damage mode leading to fracture. An explanation is proposed which involves the resolved shear stress, taking into account the Schmid factor and the normal stress in relation to the elastic anisotropy of the #alpha#-phase. Finally, the spatial distribution of the secondary cracks is analyzed according to the crystallographic textures (macrozones) present on a mesoscopic scale in the Ti-6Al-4V alloy.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We consider the electron-positron pair creation by a photon in an external constant electric field. The presented treatment is based on a purely quasiclassical calculation of the imaginary part of the on-shell photon polarization operator. By using this approach we find the pair production rate for photons with polarization parallel as well as orthogonal to the external electric field in the leading order in the parameter eE/m"2, which has been recently found by other methods. For the orthogonal polarization we also find a new contribution to the rate, which is leading in the ratio of the photon energy to the electron mass #omega#/m. We also reproduce by a purely geometrical calculation the exponential factor in the probability of the stimulated pair creation at arbitrary energy of the photon.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, scrap generated during the casting process for PMMA cast sheet is an industrial waste stream, which has a high impact on the PMMA production cost and environment. This paper presents an alternative way to reduce the processing cost of PMMA cast sheet and decrease industrial waste by using styrene (S) as a co-monomer with methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer, in conjunction with recycling of PMMA scrap in the S-MMA copolymer cast sheet process. The influence of factors, such as the concentrations of S and PMMA scrap, on the preparation of S-MMA copolymer cast sheet mixed with PMMA scrap was investigated. The characterization of basic copolymer composition, the physical, and the mechanical properties of the final products were examined. The results show that it ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We present a novel fabrication route yielding Raney-platinum film electrodes intended as glucose oxidation anodes for potentially implantable fuel cells. Fabrication roots on thermal alloying of an extractable metal with bulk platinum at 200^oC for 48h. In contrast to earlier works using carcinogenic nickel, we employ zinc as potentially biocompatible alloying partner. Microstructure analysis indicates that after removal of extractable zinc the porous Raney-platinum film (roughness factor ~2700) consists predominantly of the Pt3Zn phase. Release of zinc during electrode operation can be expected to have no significant effect on physiological normal levels in blood and serum, which promises good biocompatibility. In contrast to previous anodes based on hydrogel-bound catalyst particles the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Savannah River Site disposes of low-level radioactive waste within on-site engineered disposal facilities. The Savannah River Site must demonstrate that these disposals meet the requirements of DOE Order 435 . 1 through a process known as performance assessment (PA). The objective of this document is to provide the radionuclide -specific data needed for the PA calculations . This work is part of an on-going program to periodically review and update existing PA work as new data becomes available. Revision of the E -Area Low-Level Waste Facility PA is currently underway. The number of radionuclides selected to undergo detailed analysis in the PA is determined by a screening process. The basis of this process is described. Radionuclide-specific data for half-lives, decay modes, daughters, dose conversion factors and groundwater concentration limits are presented with source references and methodologies.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We present a phenomenological model of the quark-hadron transition in neutrino-nucleon scattering. Using recently extracted weak nucleon transition form factors, we investigate the extent to which local and global quark-hadron duality is applicable in the neutrino F{sub 1}, F{sub 2} and F{sub 3} structure functions, and contrast this with duality in electron scattering. Our findings suggest that duality works relatively well for neutrino-nucleon scattering for the F{sub 2} and F{sub 3} structure functions, but not as well for F{sub 1}. We also calculate the quasi-elastic, resonance and deep inelastic contributions to the Adler sum rule, and find it to be satisfied to within 10% for 0.5 < Q{sup 2} < 2 GeV{sup 2}.

Science.gov (United States)

A brief discussion on the effects of moisture on the quality of metallurgical coke was presented. Factors affecting the moisture content of coke were discussed. The adsorption of moisture by coke at 20/sup 0/C and 120-130/sup 0/C and the desorption of moisture from coke at 200/sup 0/C were investigated with respect to dynamics. It was concluded that the moisture content of coke should not be used as a rejection index, but should be used for computations by the user. Also, it was determined that work should continue to achieve a coke moisture range of 4-6%. The desorption of moisture from coke is an order of magnitude greater at 200/sup 0/C than at 20/sup 0/C, and increases with temperature.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We consider an extension of the standard electroweak theory with gauge group SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R x U(1) _Y, where the gauge bosons of the extra SU(2)_R factor do not couple to ordinary fermions. We show that precision electroweak data and flavour physics provide quite stringent indirect constraints on its parameter space, but still allow for relatively light non-standard gauge and Higgs bosons. We then consider the model phenomenology at high-energy colliders, and observe that in the gauge boson sector present bounds and possible future signals are dominated by Z' production. In summary, indirect constraints on the charged gauge boson sector are so tight that observable new effects must be connected either with the neutral gauge boson sector or with the extended Higgs sector of the model. (orig.).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Ozone is the most important regional-scale air pollutant causing risks for vegetation and human health in many parts of the world. Ozone impacts on yield and quality of crops and pastures depend on precursor emissions, atmospheric transport and leaf uptake and on the plant?s biochemical defence capacity, all of which are influenced by changing climatic conditions, increasing atmospheric CO2 and altered emission patterns. In this article, recent findings about ozone effects under current conditions and trends in regional ozone levels and in climatic factors affecting the plant?s sensitivity to ozone are reviewed in order to assess implications of these developments for future regional ozone risks. Based on pessimistic IPCC emission scenarios for many cropland regions elevated mean ozone lev...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In this paper, numerical simulation of a concentric tube heat exchanger is presented to determine the convective heat transfer coefficient and friction factor in a smooth tube. Increasing the convective heat transfer coefficient can increase heat transfer rate in a concentric tube heat exchanger from a given tubular surface area. This can be achieved by using heat transfer augmentation devices. This work constitutes the initial phase of the numerical simulation of heat transfer from tubes employing augmentation devices, such as twisted tapes, wire-coil inserts, for heat transfer enhancement. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation tool was developed with CFX software and the results obtained from the simulations are validated with the empirical correlations for a smooth tube heat exchanger. The difficulties associated with the simulation of a heat exchanger augmented with wire-coil inserts are discussed. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potassium clusters arrayed in zeolite A are known to show ferromagnetic properties at low temperature. The origin of the spontaneous magnetization has been explained by a model of spin-canting in an antiferromagnetically ordered state. The direct information for the magnetic structure, however, has not been obtained so far. In the present work, we measure the neutron powder diffraction by using pulsed neutron source at KEK-KENS below and above the Curie temperature. No significant temperature-dependence was, however, obtained within the statistical errors, namely, magnetic scattering could not be detected separately. We also estimate the intensity of magnetic scattering by assuming some possible magnetic structures with considering the magnetic form factor of the cluster wave function. The intensity of magnetic scattering is estimated to be extremely weak and higher S/N of ?104 or more is required to detect the magnetic scattering of this ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the various models or simulations for predicting drug release from bulk-degrading systems. A brief description of bulk degradation processes and factors affecting the degradation rate, and consequently the release kinetics, is presented first. Next, several important classical models, often used as the basis for subsequent model development, are discussed. Both mathematical models and Monte-Carlo based simulations have been developed for controlled release from bulk-degrading systems. The mathematical models can be further subdivided into two categories. First, the diffusion-based models whose transport mechanism is mainly governed by diffusion, but with degradation-dependent diffusion coefficients. These are generally simpler and easier...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Since the fluoroscopic image during nasoenteral tube placements is used for guidance and not for diagnosis, a lower contrast image with increased quantum mottle can be easily tolerated. The three methods to reduce the radiation dose rate investigated consisted of removing camera from the image intensifier output phosphor, and setting the fluoroscopic mA to the minimum value so that the kVp could be maximized. Fluoroscopic frozen video frames of a clinical tube insertion comparing the images with and without the dose-saving techniques are presented. Measurements of the radiation dose rates using a Plexiglas phantom show that the dose for patient and staff during fluoroscopic-guided nasoenteral tube placements can be reduced by over a factor of 10 without significantly adversely affecting the actual placement procedure. (author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MRI diagnosis for malignant tumors are made possible by direct comparison to the results obtained by the brain and it seems possible to differentiate malignant tumors from other benign lesions. Cystic lesions, and mycotic sinusitis sometimes resemble malignant tumors in MR Image. In the present report, we investigated the relationships between the biochemical contents of cystic lesions and NMR-parameters to clarify why some inflammatory lesions appeared similar to malignant tumors in MRI. The variation of relaxation time depends upon the amount of protein in the cystic contents and the amount of glucose affects the relaxation time. We conclude that NMR-parameters are useful for the differential diagnosis of malignant tumors, cystic lesions and mycositic sinusitis by using the multiple variation analysis.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The diversity of plant resources in the Brazilian semi-arid region is being compromised by practices related to agriculture, pastures, and forest harvesting, especially in areas containing Caatinga vegetation (xeric shrublands and thorn forests). The impact of these practices constitutes a series of complex factors involving local issues, creating a need for further scientific studies on the social-environmental dynamics of natural resource use. Through participatory methods, the present study analyzed people?s representations about local environmental change processes in the Brazilian semi-arid region, taking into consideration local production systems, natural resources, and their importance. Environmental historical graphs were developed with nine local families to analyze landscape cha...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In the post Genome era, the aim of behavior genetics has shifted from estimating the relative contributions of genes and environmental factors to (co-)variation in human complex traits, to localization of genes and identification of functional genetic variants. This special issue reflects this transition and presents fifteen papers that report on genome-wide linkage scans for complex traits in humans and on methodological tools and innovations. Six papers focus on cognition and report overlapping linkage peaks on chromosomes 6p and 14p. Papers on addictive behavior, i.e. smoking and alcohol dependence and its endophenotypes, find moderate LOD scores on chromosomes 6p, 5q, 4p and 7q, respectively. Three papers concentrate on emotionality, depression and loneliness and examine chromosomes 2q...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herein we present an impact of diagnosis by enhanced multidetector-row computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging for extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ECC). Although the diagnosis against the longitudinal stromal extension and surrounding tissue invasion of ECC by multi detector row CT (MDCT) and MRI was very strict, we could not detect any superficial mucosal spread (SMS). Furthermore, the diagnosis of lymphnode metastasis by MDCT/MRI was miserable. We believe that misdiagnosis of SMS is permissible since positive mucosal but not stromal surgical margin was not a significant factor influencing the postoperative prognosis. However, further advances in imaging diagnosis for ECC is needed. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The population of the hyporheic interstice and moss cushions by meso- and macroinvertebrates as found at the three measuring points along the Alte Riefensbeek and the Grosse Soese, respectively, in the period from March 1987 to May 1988 is studied and evaluated together with chemical measurements performed between 1987 and 1990. The six measuring points are positioned along an acidification gradient ranging from non-acid to severely acidified. Chemical and biological paramerters are studied with regard to their suitability as indicators of acidification. A model is presented which decribes the influence of abiotic anthropogenic and natural factors on invertebrate species diversity and populations and which can serve as a basis for the calculation of critical deposition burdens. (orig.).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A theoretical study of electron and positron band structures of zinc-blende AlN and InN and their alloy Al_0_._5In_0_._5N is presented using the first-principles full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method. Equilibrium lattices constants are determined from the total-energy minimization method. The results are compared with previous calculations and with experimental measurement. Electron and positron charge densities are computed as function of position in the unit cell. Detailed plots of distributions are along the direction. The ionicity factors are calculated by means of three different approaches. The calculated results of the positron charge density reflect the high insight for the annihilation effect.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Summary 1. A primary goal of evolutionary ecology is to understand factors selecting for the diversity of life histories. Life-history components, such as time-to-reproduction, adult survivorship and fecundity, might differ among species because of variation in direct and indirect benefits of these life histories in different environments or might have lower-than-expected variability because of phylogenetic constraints. Here, we present a phylogenetic examination of demography and life histories using a data base of 204 terrestrial plant species. 2. Overall, statistical models without phylogeny were preferred to models with phylogeny for vital rates and elasticities, suggesting that they lacked phylogenetic signal and are evolutionarily labile. However, the effect of phylogeny was signific...

Science.gov (United States)

This report is part of a four-volume study of Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) economics. This volume describes a computer model of VAWT cost and performance factors useful for system design and optimization. The content and limitations of the model are outlined. Output data are presented to demonstrate selection of optima and to indicate sensitivity of energy cost to design parameter variations. Optimized specifications generated by this model for six point designs are summarized. These designs subsequently receive a detailed economic analysis discussed in Volume IV. An appendix is included with a FORTRAN IV listing of the model and a description of the input/output characteristics.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The dramatic increase in diagnostic rates of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents in the USA has led to an intense interest in the phenomenology of the disorder. Here we present data from a newly-developed instrument to assess episodic mania-like symptoms in youth in a large population-based sample (N?=?5326) using parent- and self-report. We found that a substantial proportion of children screened positive for having episodes of ?going high? and were at an increased risk for morbidity and impairment. Using factor analysis, we identified that episodic mania-like symptoms comprised two dimensions: An under-controlled dimension that was associated with significant impairment, and a low-risk exuberant dimension. Using latent class analysis, we identified a small group of children scor...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

When the transmission line is very long or the generator is operated at a power factor nearly equal to 1.0, the machine regulated by an automatic voltage regulator (AVR) cannot be operated stably due to poor dynamic stability. To overcome this difficulty, the so called power system stabilizer (PSS) is very useful, in that output power or rotor speed of the generator is used as a feedback signal. The primary obective of the PSS is to damp the swing of the generator as quickly as possible. A method is proposed for designing PSS which yields a given eigenvalue. In the second method, the use of a Heffron-Phillips model is discussed. Next, a detailed procedure for the proposed design method is presented. A generalized method of a PSS design based on Park's equation and matrix operation is proposed.

Science.gov (United States)

Electric utilities have been surprised by recent opposition to the construction of very-high-voltage transmission lines, which met with little resistance in the past. Concerns over health and safety factors are associated with the increase in the number of such lines, although their presence has always been an inconvenience and a hazard for those living and working in the immediate vicinity. The new lines present additional hazards due to the continuous flow of small electric currents and the charges that build up in the area of the towers and lines. The lines are also a threat to persons wearing cardiac pacemakers. There is experimental evidence from the Soviet Union and the U.S. that electric and magnetic fields at the frequencies of such power lines can have serious biological effects on growth rates and the functioning of the central nervous system. Full disclosure that possible risks are involved and the opportunity to avoid these risks is ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), and Hashimotos thyroiditis (HT) are autoimmune disorders caused by impaired self-tolerance mechanisms triggered by interaction between genetic and environmental factors. ITP is an immune-mediated destruction of platelets resulting in mucocutaneous bleeding, GBS is an ascending motor paralysis caused by an inflammatory demyelination of peripheral nerves, and HT is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of the thyroid gland. The concurrent development of ITP and GBS has only rarely been reported in the literature, and GBS itself rarely occurs with other autoimmune disorders. We present a 21 year-old patient with known Hashimotos hypothyroidism that simultaneously developed GBS and ITP after an upper respiratory t...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coherent spontaneous radiation has now been observed in several FELs, and is a subject of great importance to the design of self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) devices. We report observations of coherent spontaneous radiation in both FIREFLY and the mid-infrared FEL at the Stanford Picosecond FEL Center. Coherent emission has been observed at wavelengths as short as 5 microns, and enhancement over incoherent levels by as much as a factor of 4x10"4 has been observed at longer wavelengths. The latter behavior was observed at 45 microns in FIREFLY with short bunches produced by off-peak acceleration and dispersive compression. We present temporal measurements of the highly bunched electron distributions responsible for the large enhancements, using both transition radiation and energy-phase techniques.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The increasing use of quantum-chemical methods in catalysis has underscored the importance of developing and improving semiempirical approximations oriented toward calculations of the total energy and geometry, offering a means for examining intermolecular interactions. In this article a general approach is proposed, using weighting factors for certain regions of distances, i.e., introducing different parametrization into the various regions. A scheme designated MINDO/3-HB is presented as an extension of the MINDO/3 scheme to the region of hydrogen bonds and ..pi..-complexes of olefins with Broensted acid centers (BACs). Examples of cluster calculations are given for the adsorption of ammonia, pyridine, ethylene, and ethanol on the BACs of zeolites. In the example of the process of zeolite synthesis, the possibilities of the cluster approach are discussed for calculations related to the formation of catalysts.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Presented here is the calculation of the diffusion of radionuclides from the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant under normal operation on the basis of Gaussian model. The model is modified partially considering practical situation, and monitoring meteorological data are adopted. By using the AIRDOS-EPA computer code, the average annual ground-level concentration distribution of radionuclides from Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant in 2001 was obtained, the atmospheric dispersion factor and ground deposition rate were also acquired. These calculated results can provide information for understanding the effect on radiation environment due to Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant under normal operation. (authors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In case of a severe nuclear accident at a PWR plant, countermeasures will be initiated in the short term by authorities to reduce the consequences of the atmospheric radioactive releases on the neighbouring population. Various factors influence the level of protection afforded by countermeasures. For instance, a too late intervention would lead to a Jack of efficiency in terms of dose reduction if the actual evolution of the accident is not considered. Thus, implementation of countermeasures should be optimized. In general, the projected doses (those without countermeasure) are compared with those expected when a particular countermeasure or strategy is implemented. In this paper, an in-depth analysis associates the kinetics of the release with the corresponding evolution of the dosimetric efficiency of countermeasures. This is done at different times in the short term of the accident and for various distances from the plant. Results are ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Natural circulation experiments carried out in the REWET-III facility in 1985 have been used for RELAP5/MOD2 assessment. The REWET-III facility is a scaled-down model of VVER-440 type reactors. The facility consists of a pressure vessel in which the downcomer is simulated with an external pipe assembly, hot and cold legs with loop seals and a horizontal steam generator. The volume scaling factor compared to the reference reactor is 1:2333. The present paper summarizes the experiences gained in the RELAP5/MOD2 calculations of selected REWET-III single- and two-phase natural circulation experiments. The code`s ability to represent the main phenomena of experiments in both cases was satisfactory.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Calcaneus quantitative ultrasound (QUS) assessment is a safe and reliable method for evaluating skeletal status. Until now, considerable data have been accumulated on the distribution of QUS in Caucasian populations, whereas such data are still insufficient in Asian populations, especially in Chinese mainland. The present study aimed to obtain the distribution characteristic of calcaneus QUS in healthy Chinese women, and to further investigate the distribution of low bone mass by QUS stiffness index (SI). This study included 2,498 healthy Chinese females aged 10-87 yr. The QUS exhibited a characteristic mild rise and then fall pattern with increasing age. Age, body height, and weight were significant influencing factors on SI, especially age and weight. The prevalence of osteoporosis detec...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dryout predictions using a multi-flood model for the annular two-phase flow regime are compared against dryout data obtained for BWR condition. The multifluid model treats two-phase flow as composed of distinct fluid regions (fluids) and individual conservation equations are applied to each fluid. Dryout is assumed to occur when flow rate of one of the liquid films becomes zero. The factor is extended to cover dryout data for very short boiling lengths. The present study involves wide ranges in geometries, heat flux distributions, and fluid concentrations. The accuracy of dryout power prediction is found to be as good as that of empirical correlations. It is confirmed that within a single analytical framework, the model can handle various classes of dryout analyses whereas the existing equilibrium models cannot.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The gliding modes of a duplex Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy were investigated through in situ (scanning electron microscopy) tensile tests. A method based on electron back-scattering diffraction (EBSD) measurements was used to identify activated slip systems. The approach applied to a large number of grains allowed a statistical analysis of the nature (basal, prismatic, pyramidal) and distribution of the slip systems according to the crystallographic texture. A discussion concerning the pertinence of Schmid's law to explain the occurrence and succession of slip events is then proposed. The domain in favor of each type of slip system is finally presented by using inverse pole figures mapped with Schmid's factor iso-curves.

Science.gov (United States)

A new algorithm for the design of decentralized output feedback stabilizers for large-scale electric power systems is presented in this paper. In the proposed approach, the generators which are most effective for stabilizer applications are first identified by using participation factors. Then an efficient algorithm based on decentralized pole assignment is proposed for the determination of the parameters of the power system stabilizers which, due to the difficulty associated with the communication among the geographically dispersed generating stations in a large power system, are essentially decentralized compensators using local generator outputs as their feedback signals. The proposed method is computationally efficient and can be applied to any large-scale system. The simplicity and effectiveness of the proposed method are demonstrated by an example of stabilizer design for a practical power system.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The factors which must be considered in the process of adapting United States nuclear utility training programs to the needs of a European utility are discussed. Following a review of the present situation and drawing up of a new training program, the management commitments in terms of personnel and finance must be considered. Short term, medium and long term programs are outlined. The long term objectives should include the establishment of a total training centre. This facility should be capable of providing all the training necessary to operate a power plant safely. This would include specific simulator training, classroom training for operators, technician training, staff training, management training etc. In addition to a simulator, it should include an emergency response facility to train personnel. (U.K.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alloy 800 has been used for steam generator (SG) tubing for more than 30 years, primarily in CANDU reactors and in reactors in Germany. Extensive laboratory testing and in-service experience suggest that the Alloy 800 tubing has excellent resistance to corrosion-related degradation under specified and appropriate operating conditions. In planning refurbishment of CANDU stations, a key concern is the longevity of existing SGs up to the 60 year lifetime of the refurbished plant. The paper reviews an existing methodology based on the concept of the improvement factor, and estimates it based on experimental data specific to CANDU operating conditions. The paper presents a more advanced probabilistic approach to estimate the degradation free lifetime distribution of Alloy 800 tubing, which is used to quantify the probability of degradation during the service life and to evaluate the impact of potential occurrences of degradation on reliability of SG ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A large acceptance, high stopping power, Bragg curve spectrometer has been developed for use in coincidence experiments with heavy ions. The electron collection fields are radial and position information is obtained from a resistive anode. The detector is 60 cm deep and operates at pressures of up to 2.5 atm of P-10 gas. It is mated to a scattering chamber which allows it to be moved out of plane during coincidence measurements. The detector design was aided by the results of computer simulations of the electron collection process in the detector, and of the signal processing in the electronics. The signals from the Bragg curve spectrometer are recorded in a waveform digitizer and the Bragg peak height, range, position and pileup rejection information are determined from software analysis of the recorded signals. Factors limiting the performance of the detector are discussed, and results obtained with the detector are presented. (orig.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The emergence of new power electronics and improved battery technology has created renewed interest in Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). These new systems provide electric utilities with alternatives to conventional storage technologies, such as pumped hydro. BESs has the potential to provide substantial benefits in terms of energy management, improved voltage, spinning reserve and protection from interruptions when compared to large centralized storage. This paper describes a commercial, economically justified, application of the new Battery Energy Storage Systems which is presently under construction in the Metlakatla Power and Light system. The paper outlines the system performance requirements which lead to consideration of BESS as an option; the economic factors which provided the justification for BESS as an economic alternative; and the overall BES system design and performance.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Measurements of alpha spectra in the (n, #alpha#) reactions induced on /sup 90,91/Zr at 14.3 and 18.15 MeV incident neutron energy are presented. A microscopic calculation of these spectra has been made using both pick-up and knock-on theories, and in both cases only one overall normalizing factor, which is the same for the two target nuclei and incident energies and all the considered transitions, appears as a free parameter in the calculation. Pick-up calculations provide a very satisfactory reproduction of the data. Knock-on calculations reproduce many qualitative features of the measured spectra, but do not allow a fully satisfactory reproduction of them. While the results obtained do not exclude knock-on contributions to these reactions, their presence is not established.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Failure of multiple components due to a common cause represents one of the most important issues in evaluation of system reliability or unavailability. The frequency of such events has relatively low expectancy, when compared to random failures, which affect individual components. However, in many cases the consequence is a direct loss of safety system or mitigative safety function. For this reason, the modeling of a common cause failure (CCF) and its presentation in fault tree structure is of the uttermost importance in probabilistic safety analyses (PSA). Amongst the different techniques available to reduce the impact of common cause failures, the most important operations related technique, is that of staggered testing. In the TAPP 3,4 Level-1 PSA it was found that the contribution of Common Cause Failures to the Core Damage Frequency (CDF) was significant. The Common Cause Failures were modeled using the Alpha Factor Model. This model is ...

Science.gov (United States)

We present a high-statistics calculation of nucleon electromagnetic form factors in N{sub f}=2+1 lattice QCD using domain wall quarks on fine lattices, to attain a new level of precision in systematic and statistical errors. Our calculations use 32{sup 3}x64 lattices with lattice spacing a=0.084 fm for pion masses of 297, 355, and 403 MeV, and we perform an overdetermined analysis using on the order of 3600 to 7000 measurements to calculate nucleon electric and magnetic form factors up to Q{sup 2{approx_equal}}1.05 GeV{sup 2}. Results are shown to be consistent with those obtained using valence domain wall quarks with improved staggered sea quarks, and using coarse domain wall lattices. We determine the isovector Dirac radius r{sub 1}{sup v}, Pauli radius r{sub 2}{sup v} and anomalous magnetic moment {kappa}{sub v}. We also determine connected contributions to the corresponding isoscalar observables. We extrapolate these ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Structural reliability and risk based techniques have recently been used to demonstrate safe operation of high-pressure pipelines at design factors greater than 0.72. In particular several pipelines are now operating on the Transco National Transmission System, in the UK, at design factors of 0.78 owing to the use of the techniques. The overall structural reliability and risk based approach for justifying safe operation of pipelines at these stress levels is thus now established. However, in order to establish cost effective and viable widespread use of the technique, formal guidelines are necessary which will allow analyses to be performed with minimal requirements for regulator liaison meetings, external audits and extensive reporting. Structured and comprehensive guidelines, which have recently been constructed based on extensive analytical consideration of the underlying issues, are presented in this paper. The ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metal waste generated from domestic nuclear operation for defense and commercial application has led to a growing stockpile of radioactively contaminated scrap metal, much of which is stainless steel. A significant fraction of this material cannot be efficiently surface decontaminated. The burial of this material would be wasteful and expensive, since long term monitoring would be necessary in order to minimize environmental risk. Much of this waste consists of bulky equipment. In many case, this equipment contains valuable material that may be recycled. The piece of equipment considered frequently also has complex geometries, making extremely difficult, time-consuming and expensive to determine the exact location and level of radioactivity on the internal surfaces. After melting, however, the radioactivity may be precisely determined from samples of each ingot. Moreover, an ingot may be released for restricted or unrestricted reuse, or stored for decay to appropriated limits. Melting ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Expressions for the spatial moments and macrodispersion tensor for sorbing solutes in heterogeneous formations were presented using a probabilistic model of a fluid residence time coupled with the particle position analysis. The fluid residence time was defined as a fraction of the actual time during which the particle stayed in the mobile fluid phase of the aquifer. The fluid residence time is a random variable whose variability comes as a result of the non-equilibrium sorption properties. The sorbing solute was assumed to be governed with first-order linear kinetics. The closed-form expressions were based on the stationarity in the kinetic process and on the first-order approximation in the hydraulic conductivity field and in the fluid residence time. The non-equilibrium effects were presented as a function of the spatial variability in hydraulic conductivity and temporal variability in the fluid residence time. The importance of the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This presentation describes a method for analyzing, quantifying, and minimizing the total cost of fossil, combined cycle, and pumped hydro power plant cycling operation. The method has been developed, refined, and applied during engineering studies at some 160 units in the United States and 8 units at the Irish Electric Supply Board (ESB) generating system. The basic premise of these studies was that utilities are underestimating the cost of cycling operation. The studies showed that the cost of cycling conventional boiler/turbine fossil power plants can range from between $2,500 and $500,000 per start-stop cycle. It was found that utilities typically estimate these costs by factors of 3 to 30 below actual costs and, thus, often significantly underestimate their true cycling costs. Knowledge of the actual, or total, cost of cycling will reduce power production costs by enabling utilities to more accurately dispatch their units to manage unit ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The reliability of the surface condenser is a key factor in plant performance level and maintenance cost optimization. This is especially the case for thermal nuclear plants where condenser raw wa-ter ingress can introduce contamination into the chemically-controlled, steam/water loop potentially causing damage to sensitive equipment. Two important parameters must be taken into account when attempting to optimize the quality and the reliability of condenser tubing. They include selecting the appropriate material according to the cooling water corrosion level present. A second and equally important parameter is the manufac-turing of the tubing product itself. This paper will identify methods to optimize manufacturing processes and improve tubing quality, according to VALTIMET's 30 years of condenser welded tubing production experience. Those methods complete the core manufacturing process (forming and welding), through improvement of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The nuclear industry has a recognized need for intelligent, multitask robots to carry out tasks in harsh environments. From 1986 to the present, the number of robotic systems available or under development for use in the nuclear industry has more than doubled. Presently, artificial intelligence (AI) plays a relatively small role in existing robots used in the nuclear industry. Indeed, the lack of intelligence has been labeled the ''Achilles heel'' of all current robotic technology. However, larger-scale efforts are underway to make the multitask robot more sensitive to its environment, more capable to move and perform useful work, and more fully autonomous via the use of AI. In this paper, we review the terminology, the history, and the factors which are motivating the development of robotics and remove systems; discuss the applications related to the nuclear industry; and, finally, examine the state of the art of the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The dynamics of a general Bianchi type-IX model with three scale factors is examined. The matter content of the model is assumed to be comoving dust plus a positive cosmological constant. The model presents a critical point of saddle-center-center type in the finite region of phase space. This critical point engenders in the phase space dynamics the topology of stable and unstable four dimensional tubes RxS"3, where R is a saddle direction and S"3 is the manifold of unstable periodic orbits in the center-center sector. A general characteristic of the dynamical flow is an oscillatory mode about orbits of an invariant plane of the dynamics which contains the critical point and a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) singularity. We show that a pair of tubes (one stable, one unstable) emerging from the neighborhood of the critical point towards the FRW singularity have homoclinic transversal crossings. The homoclinic intersection manifold has topology ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Over the past few years, NPCIL has performed comprehensive Level-1 Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) for a 220 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) and for the first 540 MWe PHWR at Tarapur Atomic Power Project (TAPP- 3 and 4). The major objective of these PSAs was to present an integrated picture of the safety of the plant to identify and understand key plant vulnerabilities. As a result of the availability of these PSAs, there is a desire to use them to operate the plants in the most efficient manner practicable. In recent years, the operation of Indian Nuclear Power Plants has been characterized by improved availability/capacity factors and reduced forced outages. Frequency of planned outages is also being reduced. In order to achieve this, the PSAs are now being used as an engineering tool for optimization of Technical Specifications with regard to Allowed Outage Time (AOT) and Surveillance ...

CERN Document Server

Future High Energy Physics experiments will produce unprecedented data volumes (up to 1 GB/s [1]). In most cases it will be impossible to analyse these data in real time and they will have to be stored on durable mostly magnetic linear media (e.g. tapes) for later analysis. This threatens to become a major cost factor for the running of these experiments. Here we present some ideas developed together with the Institute of Computer Graphics, Department for Algorithms and Programming on how this volume and the related cost can be reduced significantly. The algorithms presented are not general ones but aimed in particular to physics experiments data. Taking advantage of the knowledge of the data they are highly superior to general ones (Huffman, LZW, arithmetic coding) both in compression rate but more importantly in speed as to keep up with the output rate to modern tape drives. Above standard algorithms are, however, used ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rapid corrosion of PWR steam generator carbon steel support structures and consequential denting of steam generator tubes led to considerable investigation of the mechanism of corrosion and for palliatives. The basic mechanism is now fairly well understood. Chloride present in the boiler feedwater from condenser leakage is concentrated in the support plate crevice as a result of the superheat present. This leads to the formation of a low pH acid ferrous chloride environment either through the hydrolysis of a weak base chloride such as MgCl_2 or the combined action of a neutral chloride with an oxidizing agent. Rapid attack of the carbon steel ensues with the Fe_3O_4 corrosion product forming at the metal/oxide interface. This oxide has a volume approximately twice that of the steel consumed and thus eventually fills the crevice between the tube and the support plate. Oxide growth continues leading to compression of the Alloy 600 primary tube ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A case study is presented where an integrated, ecologically relevant exposure assessment is presented for a polluted lowland river. Using partial least squares regression of latent structures (PLS), an analysis of the impact of two effluents on physico-chemical water quality measures, macroinvertebrate and diatom communities, and in situ bioassay responses with four different test species are combined into an integrative exposure assessment. Bioassays focussed on growth and condition related endpoints, because they are key functional processes of organisms and populations. Integrating these multiple lines of evidence, we were able to discriminate among the impact of both effluents, link changes in physico-chemical water quality with bioassay endpoints and ecological quality of the ecosystem, and address the importance of integrating all information into one exposure assessment framework. The bioassays under field conditions indicated that most ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lithium carbonate pellets are frequently used for estimation of tritium production rate in irradiated samples in fusion blanket neutronics experiment and the activity is measured by liquid scintillation counting technique. In this measurement, it is essential to solve the lithium carbonate pellet as much as possible and to mix the pellet solution into scintillation cocktail homogeneously at stable condition. For this purpose, a novel binary-acid method has been developed to solve lithium carbonate and to mix the pellet solution into scintillation cocktail. High solubility is attained by adopting two acids, HNO_3 and CH_3COOH, and a good compatibility of the pellet solution with scintillator is obtained by emulsion cocktail resulting in high counting efficiency. Defining a product of dissolved mass and counting efficiency as a Figure of Merit (FOM), the present method has higher FOM value than the conventional method and is extremely simple in a sample preparation ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We discuss the consequence of local duality for elastic scattering, and derive a model-independent equation between structure functions at x ? 1 and elastic electromagnetic form factors. Then the electromagnetic form factors of proton are discussed using the quark-hadron duality theory. We also debate the form factor of proton in a bound state. It may be an effective approach to study the form factor of proton in media.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The titanium stabilized austenitic steel similar to the type of 321 is sensitive to the stress corrosion crackingunder horizontal steam generator operating condition. SCC was observed under crevice corrosion parameters and has resulted in the transgranular or intergranular cracking at the both, components primary collectors and heat exchange tubes. The crevice environment is characterized by aggressive impurities and 'non aggressive' compounds. Sulfates and chlorides as aggressive species and silicates and alumino-silicates as 'non aggressive' species on the other hand are present in significant amount in the crevice environment under operating condition. Local water chemistry parameters were evaluated with MULTEQ Code. As input data the measured operational values of local and bulk environments have been used. The determined parameters were compared with the results of thread hole environment analyses and tube surface ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Before the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on Climate Protection, the fluorinated greenhouse gases HFCs, PFCs, and SF6 (F-gases) aroused little public attention. Since then, the standards on surveying and reporting on national emissions have been rising constantly. Amongst others, the annual reporting to the UNFCCC secretariat makes detailed declarations on use and emissions of F-gases necessary, which have to be filled in specified formats for submission (Common Reporting Format = CRF). The scientific basis has been set out by the UNFCCC guidelines on reporting, in accordance with the instructions laid down in IPCC good practice guidance. Additionally, in Germany the Centralised System of Emissions (ZSE) shall provide a suitable tool to satisfy any quality needs of both activity data and emission factors. From 1995 onwards, activity data and emissions of each individual application sector shall be presented in a comprehensible and transparent way. ...

Science.gov (United States)

Based on the view that major changes in the social and economic context in the United States require major policy changes related to early childhood education, this paper examines the factors supporting public policy changes and how advocates for change in early childhood education might incorporate effective strategies. The paper is presented in two parts. Part 1 reviews the research on state policy settings and the factors that tend to support policy change. This part focuses attention on the ways that state policymakers appear to learn from what is going on elsewhere and incorporate new ideas into their policy agendas. Several strategic implications for advocates of policy change are presented, such as brainstorming a list of potential obstacles to the introduction of a policy innovation or shaping the debate so the public will support change. Part 2 of the paper takes these general strategic ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Replication of plus-strand RNA viruses depends on host factors that are recruited into viral replicase complexes. Previous studies showed that eukaryotic translation elongation factor (eEF1A) is one...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The experiments at the incinerator for low-level wastes processing, (containing transuranium radionuclides) are described. Air decontamination factors and detector readings correction factors for efficiency and absorption are indicated.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The ternary complex factor (TCF) Elk-1 is a transcription factor that regulates immediate early gene (IEG) expression via the serum response element (SRE) DNA consensus site. Elk-1 is associated with...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Background and objectives: Higher urinary calcium is a risk factor for nephrolithiasis. This study delineated associations between demographic, dietary, and urinary factors and 24-h urinary calcium.Design,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Because of the instability of Factor VIII (antihaemophilic factor) in plasma in vitro, and since evidence has accumulated that the level of activity varies significantly between samples...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The purpose of this article is to critically review the available evidence pertaining to occupational, environmental, and individual factors that can affect the development of occupational asthma (OA)....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Although the initiating factor(s) is unknown, it is now accepted that pulmonary sarcoidosis develops as a result of an over-stimulated local cellular immune response. Starting as a lymphocytic alveolitis,...Full Text Available

CERN Document Server

The stock market has been known to form homogeneous stock groups with a higher correlation among different stocks according to common economic factors that influence individual stocks. We investigate the role of common economic factors in the market in the formation of stock networks, using the arbitrage pricing model reflecting essential properties of common economic factors. We find that the degree of consistency between real and model stock networks increases as additional common economic factors are incorporated into our model. Furthermore, we find that individual stocks with a large number of links to other stocks in a network are more highly correlated with common economic factors than those with a small number of links. This suggests that common economic factors in the stock market can be understood in terms of deterministic factors.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This progress report consists of an article, the abstract of which follows, and apparently the references and vita from a proposal. A review of perturbation diagnostics applied to microwave resonant cavity discharges is presented. The classical microwave perturbation technique examines the shift in the resonant frequency and cavity quality factor of the resonant cavity caused by low electron density discharges. However, modifications presented here allow the analysis to be applied to discharges with electron densities beyond the limit predicted by perturbation theory. An {open_quote}exact{close_quote} perturbation analysis is presented which models the discharge as a separate dielectric, thereby removing the restrictions on electron density imposed by the classical technique. The {open_quote}exact{close_quote} method also uses measurements of the shifts in the resonant conditions of the cavity. Thirdly, ...