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BackgroundThe interactions between torus and several factors such as age, gender, and dental status have not been studied comprehensively. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of gender on the mandibular cortical index (MCI) and to investigate a possible association between torus mandibularis (TM) and MCI.MethodsThe study consisted of 189 consecutive patients referred to Department of Oral Diagnosis and Radiology of Hacettepe University within 30 workdays. Patients who did not have systemic disorders affecting bone density were included; and the age, gender, dental status and existing TM of the patients were recorded. Morphology of the mandibular inferior cortex was determined according to Klemitti's classification on panoramic radiographs.ResultsMCI was affected by age and gender (P 0.05).ConclusionIn the study population, MCI was affected by age and gender. As ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Attacks by herbivorous insects reduce biomass production in willow plantations. The long-term goal of our research is to develop sustainable plant protection against these insect pests. Two lines of research are pursued. The first concentrates on identifying factors involved in the regulation of leaf-eating beetles. These insects vary in density among plantations, sometimes reaching outbreak levels resulting in complete defoliation. Mortality factors of eggs and larvae in plantations with low and high beetle densities have been investigated. The importance of plant resistance has also been investigated. The second line of research considers the mechanisms behind an earlier demonstrated resistance in certain willow clones against a gall midge. By using molecular techniques we have searched for markers of resistance. Promising results have been found concerning so called PR proteins; in particular ...

Science.gov (United States)

... implementation." 4 1 Factors Affecting Rural Construction. Two new factors profoundly modify today's pacification equa- tion. ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Various factors affecting the aggregation of Actinomyces naeslundii strain 12104 were studied. When the pH of glucose-supplemented growth medium fell below 5.5, the cells aggregated and formed microbial...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

... The moisture content-dimension relationship of two laminate components, phenolic core and melamine overlay, are compared. (Author, modified). ...

Science.gov (United States)

Pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) is a relatively sensitive explosive used in many electroexplosive devices as well as in medicine. Of primary interest to LLNL is its use in items such as exploding bridgewire (EBW) detonators and exploding bridge foil initiators (EFI). In these devices the crystalline powder is pressed into a granular, low-density compact that can be initiated by an exploding wire or foil. The long-term stability of this pressed compact is of interest to weapon stockpile lifetime prediction studies. Key points about potential aging mechanisms can be summarized as follows: (1) There are a number of factors that can contribute to PETN instability. These include particle size, polymorphic phase transitions, crystal structure, impurities, moisture, occlusions, chemical incompatibility and biological (microorganism) action. of these factors the most important for long-term aging of high surface area powders ...

CERN Document Server

(abridged) The accretion disk in AGN is expected to produce strong outflows, in particular a UV-line driven wind. Despite providing a good fit to the data, current spectral models of the X-ray spectrum of AGN observed through an accretion disk wind are ad-hoc in their treatment of the properties of the wind material. In order to address these limitations we adopt a numerical computation method that links a series of radiative transfer calculations, incorporating the effect of a global velocity field in a self-consistent manner (XSCORT). We present a series of example spectra from the XSCORT code that allow us to examine the shape of AGN X-ray spectra seen through a wind, for a range of velocity and density distributions, total column densities and initial ionization parameters. These detailed spectral models clearly show considerable complexity and structure that is strongly affected by all these ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Within the tight binding framework, a study is made of how the disorder affects the electronic properties of A-15 compounds. In particular it is shown that for compounds of two transition metals in the A-15 structure, the vacancy formation affects the density of states only in the low energy region or in the high energy region, in opposition with the isolated chain model of Labbe and Friedel. It is concluded that interchain interactions are important. (U.K.).

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BACKGROUNDThe reproductive health of children born of infertile couples may be affected by infertility treatment or factors associated with infertility. We examined sexual maturation...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

Jan 22, 2011 ... Abstract: Land use changes and deforestation in tropical rainforests are among the major factors affecting the overall function of the global ...

Science.gov (United States)

... content of the environment) are significant factors affecting the useful service life of adhesive bonded plastic composite sandwich panels at 650 F ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

There is conflicting evidence about the effect of parental consanguinity on fetal growth. Previous studies have not always allowed for other factors that are known to affect birth weight, in particular,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThe link between maternal factors and birth outcomes is well established. Substantial changes in society and medical care over time have influenced women's reproductive...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Objectives To assess the effectiveness of calcium supplementation for improving bone mineral density in healthy children and to determine if any effect is modified by other factors and...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The physics of density limit phenomena in toroidal helical plasmas based on an analytic point model of toroidal plasmas is discussed. The combined mechanism of the transport and radiation loss of energy is analyzed, and the achievable density is derived. A scaling law of the density limit is discussed. The dependence of the critical density on the heating power, magnetic field, plasma size and safety factor in the case of L-mode energy confinement is explained. The dynamic evolution of the plasma energy and radiation loss is discussed. Assuming a simple model of density evolution, of a sudden loss of density if the temperature becomes lower than critical value, then a limit cycle oscillation is shown to occur. A condition that divides the limit cycle oscillation and the complete radiation collapse is discussed. This model seems to explain ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this paper we present results of our investigation into the relationship between urban microclimate and the local density of tree cover as measured in Sacramento, California. These results were obtained through analysis of data collected in a two-month long monitoring program with automatic weather stations installed at 15 residential locations throughout the city. Measured wind speeds showed a highly negative correlation with respect to tree cover. Daily peak air temperatures showed significant variation often differing from site to site by 2 to 4{degrees}C ({approx}3.5 to 7{degrees}F). A complex interaction between several competing factors is discussed leading to the conclusion that additional tree cover may actually increase urban air temperatures on synoptically cool days. It is suggested that this does not have a significant adverse affect in terms of overall summer urban cooling load. This is supported by an ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brittleness and poor low-temperature thermal conductivity of A-15 compounds remain the major obstacles preventing the effective use of these superconductors in large-scale engineering applications. In order to circumvent these difficulties, a new type of ductile superconducting filamentary alloy has been developed recently by a simple metallurgical process which consists of melting the constituent elements and subsequent cold working and appropriate heat treatment. These superconducting materials are essentially Cu-base alloys containing a few percent of A-15 phase such as Nb_3Sn or V_3Ga which is in the form of fine filaments embedded in the Cu matrix. The emphasis of this work is on the formation of the A-15 phase in the Cu-base alloys and its correlation with superconducting properties such as transition temperature and critical current density. The formation of Nb_3Sn, Nb_3Al, V_3Si, and V_3Ga will serve as examples to illustrate the importance of some features ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The current--density profile of a focused ion beam (FIB) has a central peak accompanied by broader ''wings'' that, while unimportant in lithographic applications, can lead to unwanted effects during an implantation operation. The origin of the wings, and hence the best way to minimize them, is not clear and needs further study. We have measured the line profiles of several of the ions available in our FIB machine as a function of a number of variables, under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. No effects are observed from changes in emission current or deliberate defocusing of the objective lens. There are some changes with beam aperture and/or current, but the biggest differences seem to be associated with a change of source type and hence, possibly, with a change in the source/extractor configuration or in the alloy and the emission process. The wing amplitudes are appreciably lower than many previously observed, and their profiles, at least for the lighter ions ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

It is noted that the existence of cosmic-ray semidiurnal anisotropy of interplanetary origin has generally been attributed to the symmetrically rising density gradients perpendicular to the solar equatorial plane. An increase in the magnitude of the semidiurnal anisotropy of cosmic rays during the years 1973-1975 by a factor of 2 is in theory expected to be associated with larger magnitudes of the heliolatitudinal density gradients. The distribution of cosmic-ray intensity in the heliolatitude range + or - 7.25 deg obtained using the data of the Deep River neutron monitor is shown not to support the density gradient hypothesis. The presence of symmetrical gradients at higher heliolatitudes, however, cannot be ruled out.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Looking at all the indeterminate factors as a whole and regarding activity durations as independent random variables, the traditional stochastic network planning models ignore the inevitable relationship and dependence among activity durations when more than one activity is possibly affected by the same indeterminate factors. On this basis of analysis of indeterminate effect factors of durations, the effect factors-based stochastic network planning (EFBSNP) model is proposed, which emphasizes on the effects of not only logistic and organizational relationships, but also the dependent relationships, due to indeterminate factors among activity durations on the project period. By virtue of indeterminate factor analysis the model extracts and describes the quantitatively indeterminate effect f...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, a neglected tropical infection that affects millions of people in the Americas. Current chemotherapy...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The challenge to our profession today is to improve the quality of oral health while overcoming both extrinsic and intrinsic factors which may adversely affect our progress toward this goal. The combined...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The purpose of this prospective cohort study was to identify factors that place a dairy cow with uncomplicated milk fever (MF) at significant risk of becoming an alert downer cow (ADC) and to verify...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

On agar plates, daughter cells of Escherichia coli mutually slide and align side-by-side in parallel during the first round of binary fission. This phenomenon has been previously attributed...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Certain structural and environmental factors other than technical combination of resources and firm size are hypothesized to affect medical practice output. Four groups of variables related to physician...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Objective:This study examined the role of cognitive factors—such as expectancies regarding the consequences of not drinking and perceptions of peer drinking—in...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The potential to increase the productivity of fuel straw harvest and transportation was examined. When harvesting straw for energy purposes, only the long fraction is currently collected. However, technological improvements have now rendered it possible to harvest chaff, thus increasing the amount of harvest residues and bale density. The purpose of this study was to determine how harvest yield, bale density, field-drying behaviour and combustion characteristics are affected by the simultaneous harvest of straw and chaff. Field experiments were conducted in 2009 for long- and short-stalked winter wheat crops. Combine harvesting was carried out with 2 different types of combine harvesters. A high-density baler was used to bale the crop residues. Mixing chaff in with the straw swath by combine harvesting gave a lower initial moisture content compared with straw only. The density and ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Fyn is a Src-family tyrosine kinase that affects long term potentiation (LTP), synapse formation, and learning and memory. Fyn is also implicated in dendritic spine formation both in vitro and in vivo. However, whether Fyn's regulation of dendritic spine formation is brain-region specific and age-dependent is unknown. In the present study, we systematically examined whether Fyn altered dendritic spine density and morphology in the cortex and hippocampus and if these effects were age-dependent. We found that Fyn knockout mice trended toward a decrease in dendritic spine density in cortical layers II/III, but not in the hippocampus, at 1month of age. Additionally, Fyn knockout mice had significantly decreased dendritic spine density in both the cortex and hippocampus at 3months and 1year, an...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Published density profiles and central velocity dispersions place important constraints on the stellar velocity ellipsoid and on the distribution of dark matter (DM) in the dwarf spheroidal galaxies Draco and Ursa Minor. Central velocity dispersions of 9 km/s are adopted for Draco and 11 km/s for Ursa Minor. Then, for an isotropic stellar velocity distribution, the central DM densities are 0.8 and 1.0 solar mass/cu pc, respectively, if visible and dark matter have the same core radius. If DM has a much larger core radius than visible matter but nevertheless dominates the potential, these densities are reduced by a factor of 2. Central DM densities can be lower than this only if the stellar velocity distribution is anisotropic. Simple two-component King models are used to investigate this and to look for the smallest DM densities that are consistent with the ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Cervical cancer is known to metastasize primarily by the lymphatic system. Dissemination through lymphatic vessels represents an early step in regional tumor progression, and the presence of lymphatic...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundLifestyle, genetics and environmental factors are established determinants of bone density. We aimed to describe the bone characteristics of competitive top-ranked Nigerian...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundComplaints of arm, neck and/or shoulders (CANS) affects millions of computer office workers. However its prevalence and associated risk factors in developing countries...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper presents case studies of economic feasibility of solar photovoltaic systems using the software AVES-F (Analysis of Economic Feasibility of Photovoltaic Systems), developed by the authors, considering cases of stand-alone and grid-connected systems. The software takes into account several factors that can influence the economic feasibility of these kind of systems, like load to be supplied, distance to the grid, the use regime of the system, applied subsidies and others. The main goal of this paper is to analyze some of these factors and to observe how they can affect the economics of PV systems for electricity generation. (authors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The performance of two-cell planar solid oxide fuel cell stacks using coal syngas, with and without hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S), was studied. All cells were tested at 850 C with a constant current load of 15.2 A (current density of 0.22 A cm{sup -2} per cell) and 30% fuel utilization. The H{sub 2}S injection immediately and significantly affected the power degradation of the stack system regardless of the carrier fuel. Results for the test with only H{sub 2} and N{sub 2} in the presence of H{sub 2}S (119-120 ppm) indicated that the power decay and area-specific resistance (ASR) degradation values were lower than those for the tests where simulated syngas containing CO and increased water content was used. The results indicate that contact points in the stack contributed to the power degradation of the system. Other factors, including contamination from the upstream fuel gas tubing, may have contributed to the higher ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) is decommissioning many of its excess facilities through removal of the facility structures leaving only the concrete-slab foundations in place. Site-specific, risk-based derived concentration guideline levels (DCGLs) for radionuclides have been determined for a future industrial worker potentially exposed to residual contamination on these concrete slabs as described in Jannik. These risk-based DCGLs were estimated for an exposure area of 100 m2. During deactivation and decommissioning (D and D) operations at SRS, the need for area factors for larger and smaller contaminated areas arose. This paper compares the area factors determined for an industrial worker exposed to a concrete slab end-state for several radionuclides of concern at SRS with 1) the illustrative area factors provided in MARSSIM, 2) the area correction factors provided in ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The purpose of organization and management development activities in the commercial nuclear power industry is to foster high levels of power plant performance and safety through improved human performance. The NRC has been working to develop assessment tools to assay the effects of organizational factors on plant safety. The utility industry has been working on initiatives targeting individual accountability, the improvement of plant performance and the elimination of the items identified through the NRC assessment process. Organization and management activities do not focus on industry organizational charts, but on the personnel processes and dimensions (factors) that affect safety and economic performance. As individual terms these activities are often combined and referred to as organizational factors. As an area of study, organizational factors has become more prominent as the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The case of spontaneous radiation of channeled ultrarelativistic particles is considered when the dipolarity condition is not satisfied. The change of the particle longitudinal velocity affecting the maximum radiation frequency is included. The angular and frequency characteristics of the radiation for superhigh energies are studied for the first time. It is shown that there is an optimum energy at which the radiation density is maximum. The influence of the angle at which electrons enter a crystal and of the beam divergence on the radiation is investigated. The problem of quasichanneled particle radiation and also the radiation in axis-plane transitions are considered. (author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The visual impact of wind turbines is one of the main factors affecting public acceptance of wind parks. This paper evaluates the visual impact of a wind park in Chania, Crete, using the Spanish method of evaluation. The outcomes are combined with the psychometric testing of the residents by the use of questionnaires and with the values of the Spanish method about various scenarios concerning the size of the wind park (double, half, one wind turbine). The results of the study prove that the quantification of the potential visual impact could minimize this, apparently, main reason that affects public acceptance. (author)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Despite the proven utility of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) to predict soil rainfall erosion, it has limited precision in predicting soil loss in some soil series. Also, runoff is a factor in rainfall erosion and some models, such as the modified USLE (USLE-M), include runoff in predicting soil erosion. The soil erodibility factor is an essential component in both models and this may be affected by application of soil conditioners, such as polyacrylamide (PAM). The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of different rates of PAM (0, 1, 2, 4, and 6kgha-1) applied with sprinkler irrigation water, followed by two sprinkler irrigations with no PAM, on the erodibility of a loam soil under a rainfall simulator in a laboratory. The range of erodibility factor Ku obtained...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diagnostic capability of Fuji Computed Radiography (FCR) of the chest was compared to the conventional radiography (CoR) using regular film-screen system. FCR utilizers imaging plates of scanning laser stimulated luminescence. Visibility of 14 structures of the chest radiography was evaluated by 3 radiologists in 100 pairs of FCR and CoR which were taken at the same time with the same exposure factors. FCR was superior to CoR especially in observation of the mediastinum and areas behind the heart and diaphragm. The minor fissure was better seen on CoR. Superiority of FCR to CoR was thought to be mainly due to the processed image of FCR, and the so-called normal image of FCR had little diagnostic advantage. Simulated abnormal densities: nodular, alveolar, and interstitial densities with a chest phantom, were made, and detectability of alteration of these densities on FCR and CoR was evaluated by 19 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this research is to clarify how psychological factor's impact on public acceptance of nuclear energy varies with people's degree of knowledge. For this purpose, we carried out questionnaire survey about nuclear energy at Suginami ward, Tokyo. After collecting data, we applied factor analysis to the data, and found 4 factors: Trust in the Authorities, Superiority of Nuclear Power Generation, Benefit for Nuclear Power Plants' Siting Areas, and Risk Perception about Nuclear Technology. In addition, using multiple regression analysis, we evaluated the impact of the 4 factors on 2 issues: the decision for or against nuclear policy and the reaction to nuclear power plant siting. Consequently, we found the change of impact of all 4 factors on the 2 issues. Especially, the impact of the 4 factors to the reaction to nuclear power ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The design of solid breeder blankets is strongly affected by the low values of thermal conductivity and density of ceramic breeder pebble beds. A significant rise of both quantities would enhance the thermal performance and lead to an increased tritium breeding ratio. In order to improve these quantities pretreated lithium orthosilicate pebble material was dry pressed and subsequently sintered. The thermal conductivity of cylindrical pellets was determined by the heat pulse method using a laser flash device. A pebble bed characteristic sample was also investigated in order to check the measurement accuracy in comparison with previous results. Furthermore, two samples of low density cellular ceramics were also prepared by infiltration of polymer foams with a ceramic slurry. The thermal conductivity results show that the values are affected both by the particle size and the sample ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Data were collected on 154 adoptive families with gay/lesbian and straight adoptive parents (154 parent respondents and 210 adolescent respondents). This study was principally interested in factors affecting adolescent attachment including parent sexual orientation, adolescent and parent life satisfaction, and parent level of relationship satisfaction with their adopted child as well as other key parent, child and adoption characteristics. The results suggest that higher level of adopted adolescent attachment to parents is not related to adoptive parent sexual orientation. Adolescent attachment to parents is related to adolescent life satisfaction; parent level of relationship satisfaction with their adopted child, number of placements prior to adoption, and adolescent's current age. Adole...

Science.gov (United States)

We studied two-photon exchange for elastic electron-proton scattering at low Q{sup 2}. Compact approximate formulas for the amplitudes were obtained. Numerical calculations were done for Q{sup 2}{<=}0.1 GeV{sup 2} with several realistic form factor parametrizations, yielding similar results. They indicate that the corrections to the magnetic form factor can visibly affect the cross-section and proton radii. For low-Q{sup 2} electron-neutron scattering two-photon exchange corrections were shown to be negligibly small00.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evaluation of the tolerance limits of X-ray image density accepted by the radiologist shows that for different kinds of examinations, deviations of more than 50% from optimal density lead to images which cannot be used diagnostically. Within this range diagnostic accuracy shows a distinct maximum and diminishes to the limits by 20%. These figures are related to differences in the intensifying factor of screens, sensitivity of films, sensitometric parameters of film processing as well as the doses employed with automatic exposure control devices, measured in clinical conditions. Maximum permissible tolerance limits of the whole imaging system and of its constituents are discussed using the Gaussian law of error addition. (author).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The main objective of this paper is to identify conditions which affect public concern (either increase or decrease) and political acceptance for developing and implementing programmes for geologic disposal of long-lived radioactive waste. It also looks how citizens and relevant actors can be associated in the decision making process in such a way that their input is enriching the outcome towards a more socially robust and sustainable solution. Finally, it aims at learning from the interaction how to optimise risk management addressing needs and expectations of the public and of other relevant stakeholders. In order to meet these objectives, factors of relevance for societal acceptance conditions are identified, described and analysed. Subsequently these factors are looked for in the real world of nuclear waste management through cases in several countries. The analysis is conducted for six stages of a repository programme ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) are widely used for radon measurements and CR-39 is one of the most popular SSNTD. In this work it was determined the calibration factor for radon concentration measurements through the passive method with CR-39 detectors. The detectors were put in a proper device (an adapted Lucas cell) and exposed to the standard radon concentration through the Pylon Model RN-150 flow through radon gas source. After exposure, the detectors were etched for 5.5 hours in a KOH solution at 80 deg C in a bath at a constant temperature. The track density was read in an Axiolab-Zeiss optical microscope, with nominal magnification of X10 connected to a video camera and to a personal computer. The calibration factor was obtained through the relation between standard radon concentration, track density and exposure time. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A three-dimensional mathematical thermo-fluid model coupling the electrochemical kinetics with fluid dynamics was developed to simulate the heat and mass transfer in planar anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The internal reforming reactions and electrochemical reactions of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the porous anode layer were analyzed. The temperature, species mole fraction, current density, overpotential loss and other performance parameters of the single cell unit were obtained by a commercial CFD code (Fluent) and external sub-routine. Results show that the current density produced by electrochemical reactions of carbon monoxide cannot be ignored, the cathode overpotential loss is the biggest one among the three overpotential losses, and that the proper decrease of the operating voltage leads to the increase of the current density, PEN structure temperature, fuel utilization factor, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purpose: In an experimental study, the correlation between the trabecular bone density of the different regions of the proximal femur and the fracture load in the setting of femoral neck fractures was examined. Methods: The bone mineral density 41 random proximal human femora was estimated by single-energy quanitative CT (SE-QCT). The trabecular bone density was measured at the greatest possible extracortical volume at midcapital, midneck and intertrochanteric level and in the 1 cm"3 volumes of the centres of these regions in a standardised 10 mm thick slice in the middle of the femoral neck axis (in mg/ml Ca-hydroxyl apatite). The proximal femora were then isolated and mounted on a compression/bending device under two-legged stand conditions and loaded up to the point when a femoral neck fracture occurred. Results: Statistical analysis revealed a linear correlation between the trabecular bone density ...

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.

Science.gov (United States)

Addresses factors affecting rural education in Tasmania (Australia), including population trends, financial support, student enrollment, socioeconomic status of rural residents, and geographic isolation. Issues that need to be addressed include the status of small schools in Tasmania, costs associated with transporting students, staffing, low student retention, and limited availability of special services. (LP)

Science.gov (United States)

Friction opposes tooth motion whenever sliding mechanics is employed. Understanding what friction is and how to manage it is of paramount importance to the successful practitioner. In this article, the coefficients of friction are summarized between different arch wire-bracket couples as a function of material, geometric, and external parameters. From this vantage point, friction can then be evaluated within the context of other factors that affect sliding-binding and notching. PMID:9573878

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper reviews the main studies on entrepreneurship conducted during the past two decades that are relevant for the understanding of various macroeconomic issues. I organize the discussion by distinguishing three groups of contributions. The first group includes studies whose main purpose is to understand the factors that affect the decision to become an entrepreneur. The second group includes studies that look at the aggregate and distributional implications of entrepreneurship for savings and investment. The third group deals with issues of economic development and growth.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a monogenic disease characterized by a high variability of disease severity and outcome that points to the role of environmental factors and modulating genes that shape the course...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The aim of this paper is to present and evaluate control strategies for adjustment and preservation of air quality, thermal and visual comfort for buildings' occupants while, simultaneously, energy consumption reduction is achieved. Fuzzy PID, fuzzy PD and adaptive fuzzy PD control methods are applied. The inputs to any controller are: the PMV index affecting thermal comfort, the CO{sub 2} concentration affecting indoor air quality and the illuminance level affecting visual comfort. The adaptive fuzzy PD controller adapts the inputs and outputs scaling factors and is based on a second order reference model. More specifically, the scaling factors are modified according to a sigmoid type function, in such a way that the measured variable to be as closer as possible to the reference model. The adaptive fuzzy PD controller is compared to a non-adaptive fuzzy PD and to an ON-OFF ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Background: Apheresis is a procedure to selectively obtain blood components. For the collection process citrate is routinely used. It inhibits coagulation by binding to ionized calcium and leads to metabolic alkalosis. Objective: Whether regular apheresis affects bone and mineral metabolism is unknown. The intention of this study was to investigate 1) the acute effects of apheresis on acid-base balance, bone and mineral metabolism and 2) to compare bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and hip of donors to matched control subjects. Design: In this open, observational, single-center, cross-sectional study we enrolled 102 regular plasma and thrombocyte donors to pursue objective 1) and compared those to 102 matched controls (CTR) for objective 2). Results: Platelet donation led to s...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Gas separation membranes with polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)/polystyrene(PS) were prepared by using the sequential interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) method with various PS contents (10?70wt%). These gas separation membranes can be applied to reduce the smoke density in the emission gas of diesel engines. PS content has a pronounced effect on the membrane performance. It was found that the optimized PS contents in the final membrane were 50wt%. The emission capacities of diesel engines used in this study were 632 cc and 11,149 cc. When the oxygen separation membrane was used in the diesel engines, the smoke density of both diesel engines was remarkably reduced (35?73%). The oxygen concentration in the inlet air affects the composition of the emission gases. Especially, hydrocarbon (HC) dec...

Scientific Electronic Library Online (English)

Abstract in english The main objective of the research presented here is to relate anatomical features of wood species that affect the interactions between polymeric phases and performance of wood plastic composites (WPC). These interactions are related to the probable interlocking volume and surface area for stress transfer in a WPC. Composites were produced from different wood species and analyzed using SEM (scanning electron microscopy). Results showed that wood species with high interfac (more) ial areas may increase mechanical interlocking, reflected in the viscous constant of the Maxwell model. A complicating factor is that the relation of cell wall thickness-lumen diameter and the interconnectivity between wood cells in a wood, affect the potential for cell collapse. When wood cells collapse, the penetration of the thermoplastic into the wood structure is almost always ceased. The collapse of wood cells during ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A large variety of microwave producing devices are used in contemporary naval communications and weapons systems. Public and scientific concern about potential biological effects of microwave irradiation such as produced by these various devices requires documentations of such effects. Currently, the only well documented direct effect of microwaves is heating of the exposed organism. The present report is of a series of studies whose aim was to explore several microwave frequencies and their effect on performance and simultaneously to investigate the relationship to core heating in the exposed animals. Three difficult sized species of animals were used so that generalization to larger animals could be made. Rats, squirrel monkeys, and rhesus monkeys showed consistent effects of 60-minute exposures to microwaves when their body temperatures were increased at least 1 C above baseline temperatures. Performance was not reliably affected when body temperatures remained ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A low-molybdenum austenitic stainless steel (UNS S30100) has been surface implanted with molybdenum ions, using various doses of 50 keV and 140 keV ions at room temperature. It is found that in aqueous sulphate/chloride solutions similar to the constitution of sea-waters the implantation does not affect the potentiostatically-determined critical pitting potential, but does change the density and morphology of corrosion pits. Pitting initiation after the addition of chloride at a fixed potential indicates little change in the time for measurable current increase, but the rate of increase of the current is much lower for implanted material. Detailed examination using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and selected area diffraction suggests that the pits produced in implanted material are hemispherical with smooth covers of unattacked alloy. The use of half-implanted samples demonstrates that ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The conductivity of the membrane is a limiting factor for the efficiency and power density of PEFCs. Because this conductivity is strongly dependent on the membrane hydration, water management is an important aspect of PEFC optimisation. Single cell model experiments were made in order to determine the in-plane hydration of a Nafion{sup R} membrane under fuel cell conditions as function of the gas humidities. (author) 4 fig., 3 refs.

CERN Document Server

The energy fed by active galactic nuclei to the surrounding diffuse baryons changes the latter's amount, temperature, and distribution; so in groups and in member galaxies it affects the X-ray luminosity and also the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. Here we compute how the latter is enhanced by the transient blastwave driven by a shining quasar, and is depressed when the equilibrium is recovered with a depleted density. We constrain such depressions and enhancements with the masses of relic black holes in galaxies and the X-ray luminosities in groups. We discuss how all these linked observables can tell the quasar contribution to the thermal history of the baryons pervading galaxies and groups.

CERN Document Server

We briefly report on zero-temperature photoassociation of a Bose-Einstein condensate, focusing on the many-body rate limit for atom-molecule conversion. An upgraded model that explicitly includes spontaneous radiative decay leads to an unanticipated shift in the position of the photoassociation resonance, which affects whether the rate (constant) maximizes or saturates, as well as the limiting value itself. A simple analytical model agrees with numerical experiments, but only for high density. Finally, an explicit comparison with the two-body unitary limit, set by the size of the condensate, finds that the many-body rate limit is generally more strict.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eight cross spiders (Araneus diadematus) were exposed overnight (16 h) during web-building activity to pulsed 9.6-GHz microwaves at average power densities of 10, 1, and 0.1 mW/sq. cm. (estimated SARs 40, 4, and 0.4 mW/g). Under these conditions, 9.6-GHz pulsed microwaves did not affect the web-spinning ability of the cross spider.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In field O{sub 3}-enrichment experiments increased herbivore densities have been reported, which could be due to negatively affected host location behavior of natural enemies. We addressed the impact of doubling background O{sub 3} on the host location of the parasitoid Cotesia plutellae by conducting 24-h trials in an open-air O{sub 3}-fumigation system during two consecutive years. Two circles (radii 1.40 and 4.00 m) of Plutella xylostella-infested potted cabbage plants were placed in the O{sub 3} and ambient plots. Female wasps were released into each plot from the center, and observed 5 times over a 24-h period to assess their host location capability. Thereafter, plants were kept in laboratory conditions until larvae pupation to determine parasitism rates. No significant differences were detected between ambient and O{sub 3}-enriched environments either in the number of wasps found in the field, or in the percentages of parasitized larvae. ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The penetrance of Lebers hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) in families with primary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations is very complex. Matrilineal and nuclear genetic background, as well as environmental factors, have been reported to be involved in different affected pedigrees. Here we describe two large Chinese families that show a striking difference in the penetrance of LHON, in which 53.3% and 15.0% of members were affected (Pin vivo mitochondrial oxidative metabolism as described in a previous study. Evolutionary analysis failed to indicate any putatively pathogenic mutation that cosegregated with G11778A in these two pedigrees. Our results suggest that the variable penetrance of LHON in the two Chinese families is independent of both their mtDNA haplotype background and a seconda...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Some models anticipate that liberalized agricultural trade will lead to increased crop diversity, while other models make the opposite claim. These positions were explored in southwestern British Columbia, Canada where, between 1992 and 1998, government subsidies and other measures designed to protect horticultural farmers were lifted, exposing these farmers to foreign competition. Public hearings on the future of agriculture provided an opportunity to tap the knowledge and experience of people affected by this transition. Analysis of transcripts from these hearings, which was confirmed by industry data, shows that trade liberalization has led to the loss of the local fruit and vegetable processing industry. Stakeholders saw the loss as a major factor affecting the choice of crops grown lo...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The influence of small amounts of alloying elements (0.36% Cu and 0.47% Cr) on the semiconducting properties of passive films formed on weathering steels was investigated either in tetraborate/boric acid buffer solution (pH 9.2) or artificial atmospheric environment (SO_2-containing environment). The electrochemical behaviour was assessed by potentiodynamic polarisation, capacitance measurements and photoelectrochemistry. The chemical characterisation of the films was carried by Auger electron spectroscopy. The polarization results obtained in the buffer solution show that the addition of chromium decreases the passive current density. The capacitance results show that the films behave as an n-type semiconductor with shallow and deep donor levels situated in the forbidden gap. The presence of copper seems to affect the density of the shallow and of the deep donor levels in the forbidden gap, and as chromium, it also ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Temporal developments of the photoluminescence (PL) intensity at temperatures of 7, 100, and 294 K are analyzed using the rate equations including the exciton dissociation and association terms for an Al_0_._5_3In_0_._4_7P/Ga_0_._5_2In_0_._4_8P/Al_0_._5_3In_0_._4_7P-quantum well structure. At 7 K, the nonexponential time dependence of the PL intensity is caused by the exciton dissociation process. At 7 and 100 K, PL intensity is dominated by the exciton recombination even if the exciton density is smaller than the dissociated carrier density. The thermally excited background carriers affect the recombination processes at 100 and 294 K. At 294 K, the rise part of the PL intensity is dominated by the exciton recombination, though the dissociated carrier density dominates. [copyright] 2001 American Institute of Physics.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This is the first volume of a two-volume report. Volume 2 will be published at a later date. This report presents the results of a research project conducted by Brookhaven National Laboratory for the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The purpose of the project was to develop a general methodology to be use in the assessment of the organizational factors which affect performance reliability (safety) in a nuclear power plant. The research described in this report includes the development of the Nuclear Organization and Management Analysis Concept (GNOMIC). This concept characterizes the organizational factors that impact safety performance in a nuclear power plant and identifies some methods for systematically measuring and analyzing the influence of these factors on safety performance. This report is divided into two parts; Part 1 presents an overview of ...

Science.gov (United States)

Background: Accountability demands are increasingly pushing school leaders to explore more data and do more sophisticated analyses. Data-driven decision making (DDDM) has become an emerging field of practice for school leadership and a central focus of education policy and practice. Purpose: This study examined principals' DDDM practices and identified the factors influencing DDDM using the theoretical frame of information use environments. Participants: Participants were 183 public high school principals in a Midwestern state. Research Design: The research design was cross-sectional survey research. Data Collection and Analysis: Survey instruments were developed and administered to principals. Structural equation modeling was conducted to determine what factors significantly affect principals' DDDM practices in different leadership dimensions. Findings: Principals used data more frequently in instructional and organization ...

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This article identifies the imperatives behind the need to move away from teaching based on the transmission of a lot of facts to teaching that enables students to become lifelong learners. It reminds us that the over-riding goal is an education process that maximizes the ability of teachers to teach well and of students to learn effectively. It argues that the necessary reform process can only be successful if the three components of an education programme--the curriculum, teaching strategies and assessment--are reformed simultaneously to ensure that each is designed to produce more effective teaching and learning. It points to the literature that tells us what we know about factors affecting student behaviour and, in particular, notes the crucial factor of student perception of the requirement of the assessment regime. It recommends that Biggs' model of constructive alignment is used as the organizing principle ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Purpose - Mobile phones have provided an opportunity for banking institutions to introduce new services to the public. The latest service, which is now available in Malaysian banking institutions, is the mobile phone credit card. The purpose of this paper is to provide a preliminary investigation of the factors that determine whether Malaysia's bank customers will use the new mobile phone credit card technology. Design/methodology/approach - This paper extends the applicability of the technology acceptance model (TAM) to mobile phone credit cards and includes "perceived credibility (PC)", the "amount of information about mobile phone credit cards (AIMCs)" and "perceived expressiveness (PE)", in addition to "perceived usefulness (PU)" and "perceived ease of use (PEOU)". Findings - The resul...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

ALLEYNE G., HANCOCK C. & HUGHES P. (2011) Chronic and non-communicable diseases: a critical challenge for nurses globally. International Nursing Review58, 328-331 Background:- Chronic and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a growing and enormous challenge that faces countries across the world. Low- and middle-income countries are disproportionately affected. Contributory factors:- Three risk factors - tobacco use, poor diet (including excessive alcohol intake) and lack of physical activity - contribute to four major chronic diseases - cardiovascular, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and some cancers, which are responsible for over 50% of deaths worldwide. Potential solutions:- International governmental and non-governmental agencies are becoming increasingly concerned and ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The power?time curves of mice splenic lymphocytes growth at 37??C affected by ginsenoside Rh2 were determined by microcalorimetry using a 3114/3236 TAM air bioactivity monitor with ampoule mode. Then, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Rh2 on splenic lymphocytes growth was determined by serial dilution method. From factor analysis (FA) on six quantitative thermokinetic parameters from the power?time curves, the activity of Rh2 on splenic lymphocytes could be quickly evaluated by analyzing the changes in the two main parameters: growth rate constant k, and maximum heat-output power, P m. The results showed that Rh2 had strong inhibitory activity on splenic lymphocytes growth, and this inhibitory activity was strengthened with increasing concentration of Rh2 in the concentration r...

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Salamanders regenerate their appendages after amputation and nerves are required for this process. Experiments were designed to test the idea that one way nerves could affect blastema cell proliferation is by influencing the metabolism of extracellular matrix (ECM) components and to identify neurotrophic factors which promote blastema cell mitosis. Temporal and spatial differences of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) synthesis is innervated and denervated limbs were examined. Hyaluronic acid (HA) was found to be the major GAG produced during the proliferative period and chondroitin sulfate during differentiation. Denervation reduced synthesis of both these components by half. Dorsal root ganglia and fibroblast growth factor (FGF), a brain-derived mitogen, similarly doubled GAG synthesis in cultured blastemas, the FGF-effect being primarily on HA production. Histochemical and autoradiographical results confirmed the biochemical ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Statistically based experimental designs were applied to screen and optimize the bioleaching of spent hydrocracking catalyst by Penicillium simplicissimum. Eleven factors were examined for their significance on bioleaching using a Plackett-Burman factorial design. Four significant variables (pulp density, sucrose, NaNO"3, and yeast extract concentrations) were selected for the optimization studies. The combined effect of these variables on metal bioleaching was studied using a central composite design (CCD). Second-order polynomials were established to identify the relationship between the recovery percent of the metals and the four significant variables. The optimal values of the variables for maximum metals bioleaching were as follows: pulp density (4.0%, w/v), sucrose (90g/L), NaNO"3 (2...

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AZ31 Mg alloy samples were extruded by an equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) process and subsequently annealed to obtain fine-grained material with a low dislocation density. Tensile tests at room temperature exhibited an apparent steady-state deformation region and a large tensile elongation of 47%. The deformed microstructure at an elongation of 2% indicated a substantial cross-slip to nonbasal planes possibly induced by grain-boundary compatibility effects. The nonbasal segments of dislocations were found to consist of 40% of the total dislocation density at a yield anisotropy factor of only 1.1 instead of an expected value of 100 from single-crystal experiments. (orig.)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The thermal degradation and crystallisation behaviours of polyamide12/isotactic polypropylene (PA12/PP) blends were studied. Effects of blend ratio and compatibiliser concentration on the thermal degradation properties of the blends were analysed. The activation energy for degradation in compatibilised and uncompatibilised blends computed using Horowitz-Metzger equation was reported. The blend ratio as well as the presence of compatibiliser has significant effect on the thermal stability of the blends. Phase morphology was found to be one of the decisive factors that affected the thermal stability of both uncompatibilised and compatibilised blends. Melting and crystallisation behaviours of the blends in the presence and absence of compatibiliser were evaluated. It was observed that blendin...

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This study was initiated to provide empirical data and analyses on the dam passage timing, travel rate, survival, and life history variation of fall Chinook salmon that are produced in the Clearwater River. The area of interest for this study focuses on the lower four miles of the Clearwater River and its confluence with the Snake River because this is an area where many fish delay their seaward migration. The goal of the project is to increase our understanding of the environmental and biological factors that affect juvenile life history of fall Chinook salmon in the Clearwater River. The following summaries are provided for each of the individual chapters in this report.

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A detailed examination of the aging processes that may take place in solid-dielectric extruded-type high voltage transmission cables under dry conditions is presented. Particular emphasis is placed on the aging process as affected by the separate and simultaneous action of four main aging factors, namely the electrical, mechanical and thermal stresses, and the physical and chemical environment. A number of pertinent aging models are considered and their validity and applicability to accelerated aging tests on solid-type transmission cables are discussed.

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The various factors that affect the open-circuit voltage ([ital V][sub oc]) of a two-terminal GaInP[sub 2]/GaAs tandem cell are examined. These include a) an anomalous problem associated with the GaAs bottom cell and b) back surface passivation of the thin GaInP[sub 2] top cell. Solutions to these problems are presented and yield tandem [ital V][sub oc]s close to the practical theoretical limits.

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The purpose of the chapter is to explain briefly the various considerations that enter into determining the general layout or arrangement of typical hydroelectric powerplants, pumping plants, and pumped-storage plants. Some of the important factors that affect or determine the location, type, and layout of the plant and the selection of the major items of equipment included in the installation are outlined in this chapter. The first consideration in the design of a powerplant, pumping plant, or pumped-storage plant is that it adequately perform its function and be structurally safe. The structure is also designed to give a pleasing architectural appearance.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We study uncertainties surrounding competition on business networks and board games. We investigate these uncertainties using concepts of fuzzy logic and game theory. We investigate how the payoff of the players is affected by a number of factors. These include the level of connectivity or number of links, the number of competitors, possible constraints on the networks and on the boards, as well as choice of strategy adopted by competitors. We introduce one fuzzy player in the game. This player uses fuzzy rules to make strategic decisions. We introduce learning to train and analyze how the fuzzy player adapts over time during the game.

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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.).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

There is increasing pressure to operate laboratory facilities in environmentally and financially sustainable ways. A key factor in achieving this goal is careful consideration of how energy is used by the buildings' ventilation system, both for conditioning air supplied to the laboratories and the energy used moving air through the building. Traditionally, laboratory energy use is treated as an engineering concern within the scope of the building's overall design and operation. However, this approach limits the involvement of key stakeholders in many important decisions and can lead to unexpected safety concerns for the laboratory's users. We believe that a broad view of the parties affected by a laboratory building's operations is necessary to avoid having the various stakeholders working...

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Growth dynamics and biomass production in short-rotation poplar plantations were evaluated at Hanyuan Forestry Farm, Baoying County, P.R.C. Experimental treatments applied in a split-plot design included: four planting densities (1111, 833, 625 and 500 stems ha{sup -1}); three poplar clones (NL-80351, I-69 and I-72) and three rotation lengths. Survival of all three clones was excellent at the experimental site under the imposed management regime. Differences in DBH, height, LAI and above-ground biomass production, however, were manifested among the treatments. Overall the clonal ranking was in the order NL-80351 {>=}I-69 > I-72 by age 6. LAI values ranged from 0.6 to 4.4 m{sup 2} m{sup -2} and differences among four planting densities and three clones were significant throughout the first six years. Above-ground biomass productivity was affected considerably by planting density, clone and ...

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Because of questions regarding current density and inductance estimates of the Atlas oil transmission line in the region where the vertical plates connect to the disk line, calculations using the 3D FE program Flux3d were initiated. Flux3d inductance values are nearly that estimated by D. Scudder. Calculations for three base designs of E. Ballard and D. Pierce were completed where several variations for each base design were used to determine the important parameters affecting inductance and to check inductance consistency. Flux3d showed for the first base design a very high current density of 36MA/m at the connection between the vertical and horizontal ground plates resulting in a magnetic pressure of 120 kpsi. The second base design modified this connection to reduce the current density to 20MA/m and 36 kpsi and for design 3 current density is 17MA/m. Maximum current ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In mobile animals, movement behavior can maximize fitness by optimizing access to critical resources and minimizing risk of predation. We sought to evaluate several hypotheses regarding the effects of landscape structure on American marten foraging path selection in a landscape experiencing forest perforation by patchcut logging. We hypothesized that in the uncut pre-treatment landscape marten would choose foraging paths to maximize access to cover types that support the highest density of prey. In contrast, in the post-treatment landscapes we hypothesized marten would choose paths primarily to avoid crossing openings, and that this would limit their ability to optimally select paths to maximize foraging success. Our limiting factor analysis shows that different resistant models may be sup...

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A method for determining the reactivity of subcritical systems of fissile material, using neutron-noise power spectral density measurements in conjunction with a /sup 252/Cf source, has been tested in experiments with an aqueous solution containing uranium fluoride (4.95 wt% /sup 235/U). The kappasub(eff)-values obtained from the ratio of spectral densities G*/sub 12/G/sub 13//G/sub 11/G/sub 23/ agreed with those from break-frequency noise analysis and with bias-corrected transport theory calculations within the statistical uncertainty of the measurements. Corrections for the effects of spatial modes and source-detector locations appear to be well-understood, since measurements for a variety of source-detector positions resulted in essentially the same kappasub(eff)-values. Modal correction factors were such that ignoring them would result in higher values of kappasub(eff) than actually occur. The measurements have ...

CERN Document Server

We study the structure of the medium surrounding sites of high-mass star formation to determine the interrelation between the HII regions and the environment from which they were formed. The density distribution of the surroundings is key in determining how the radiation of the newly formed stars interacts with the surrounds in a way that allows it to be used as a star formation tracer. We present new Herschel/SPIRE 250, 350 and 500 mum data of LHA 120-N44 and LHA 120-N63 in the LMC. We construct average spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for annuli centered on the IR bright part of the star formation sites. The annuli cover ~10-~100 pc. We use a phenomenological dust model to fit these SEDs to derive the dust column densities, characterise the incident radiation field and the abundance of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules. We see a factor 5 decrease in the radiation field energy density as a ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozone production by synchrotron radiation as a function of power density in air was investigated using a white beam at the BNL National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) x-ray ring. Power densities were calculated from the energy spectrum at 2.52 GeV. Ozone concentrations in small beam pipes were measured for power densities between I = 10"1"2 and 10"1"5 eV . cm"-"3 . sec"-"1. The measured ozone half-life was 37 +- 2 min. The measured G-value was 2.69 +- 0.14 mol/100 eV and the ozone destruction factor k was less than 7 x 10"-"1"9 cm"3 . eV"-"1. The random uncertainties stated are approximately one standard error. The large departure of the values for G and k from previous values suggest that some undiscovered systematic error may exist in the experiment. Ozone concentration in excess of the 0.1 ppM ACGIH TLV can be generated in the experimental hutches but can readily be controlled. Industrial hygiene ...

CERN Document Server

Emission-line abundances have been uncertain for more than a decade due to unexplained discrepancies in the relative intensities of the forbidden lines and weak permitted recombination lines in planetary nebulae (PNe) and H II regions. The observed intensities of forbidden and recombination lines originating from the same parent ion differ from their theoretical values by factors of more than an order of magnitude in some of these nebulae. In this study we observe UV resonance line absorption in the central stars of PNe produced by the nebular gas, and from the same ions that emit optical forbidden lines. We then compare the derived absorption column densities with the emission measures determined from ground-based observations of the nebular forbidden lines. We find for our sample of PNe that the collisionally excited forbidden lines yield column densities that are in basic agreement with the column ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Redd1, a recently discovered stress-response gene, is regulated by hypoxia via hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) and by DNA damage via p53/p63; however, the signaling pathway by which its expression is induced by hypoxia has not been elucidated. We demonstrated that the up-regulation of Redd1 transcription by hypoxia and high cell density (HCD) depends on cooperation between Sp1 and HIF-1#alpha# downstream of the PI3K/Akt pathway.

CERN Document Server

Big Bang nucleosynthesis requires a fine balance between equations of state for photons and relativistic fermions. Several corrections to equation of state parameters arise from classical and quantum physics, which are derived here from a canonical perspective. In particular, loop quantum gravity allows one to compute quantum gravity corrections for Maxwell and Dirac fields. Although the classical actions are very different, quantum corrections to the equation of state are remarkably similar. To lowest order, these corrections take the form of an overall expansion-dependent multiplicative factor in the total density. We use these results, along with the predictions of Big Bang nucleosynthesis, to place bounds on these corrections.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The ecological effects of acid mine drainage were investigated during the summer of 1993 on St. Kevin Gulch, a headwater stream near Leadville, Colorado. The stream currently receives acidic water from an abandoned mine. The pH downstream of the mine is between 3.5 and 4.5, and several metals exceed concentrations toxic to aquatic organisms. Zinc is present at especially high concentrations (1 to 10 mg/L) Furthermore, the stream bottom is covered with a thick layer of iron hydroxide precipitates. Effects on stream biota have been dramatic. Aquatic flora in the affected reach is limited to a green filamentous alga, Ulothrix subtilissima. Macroinvertebrate densities are significantly lower in the affected reach (mean = 99 indiv/m"2; SD = 88 indiv/M"2) compared to an upstream (pristine) reference reach (mean = 1,735 indiv/m"2; SD = 652 indiv/M"2). Functional processes were also studied in the stream. Net primary production ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A field study (1993-96) assessed the benefits of applying unusually high rates of coal fly ash from power plants as a soil amendment to enhance water retention of soils without adversely affecting growth and marketability of the turf species, centipedegrass (Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack.) A Latin Square plot design was employed that included 0 (control, no fly ash applied), 280, 560 and 1120 MgHa {sup -1} application rates of unweathered precipitator fly ash. The fly ash was spread evenly over each plot area, rototilled, and allowed to weather under natural conditions for 8 months before seeding. High levels of soluble salts, indicated by the electrical conductivity of soil extracts, in tandem with an apparent phytotoxic effect from boron, apparently inhibited initial plant establishment as shown by substantially lower germination counts in treated soil. However, plant height and rooting depth were not adversely affected, as were the dry ...

CERN Document Server

We report on the spectral cross-calibration results of the Konus-Wind, the Suzaku/WAM, and the Swift/BAT instruments using simultaneously observed gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). This is the first attempt to use simultaneously observed GRBs as a spectral calibration source to understand systematic problems among the instruments. Based on these joint spectral fits, we find that 1) although a constant factor (a normalization factor) agrees within 20% among the instruments, the BAT constant factor shows a systematically smaller value by 10-20% compared to that of Konus-Wind, 2) there is a systematic trend that the low-energy photon index becomes steeper by 0.1-0.2 and Epeak becomes systematically higher by 10-20% when including the BAT data in the joint fits, and 3) the high-energy photon index agrees within 0.2 among the instruments. Our results show that cross-calibration based on joint spectral analysis is an important step to ...

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The deactivation rate of a resid hydrotreating catalyst is determined by a complex set of factors involving both chemical and physical changes in the catalyst structure. The various chemical changes that are associated with resid conversion involve thermal and catalytic steps of relatively large molecular weight species with the overall rates significantly affected by mass transfer limitations. The deposition of coke and the variation in the effective promoter level by the accumulation of metals deposited from the resid are the principal factors governing deactivation. The relative importance of mass transfer restrictions on activity and catalyst deactivation can be observed in studies where the average pore diameter of the catalyst has been varied. Several models have been proposed to characterize the deactivation of resid hydroprocessing catalysts. In this paper, the authors discuss some accelerated aging tests with a ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Several compatibilising systems were added to high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyamide 6 (PA6) blends in the presence of an organically modified montmorillonite (OMM). All the blends were prepared by using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder and characterized by SEM, TEM and XRD analyses. In addition, the rheological behaviour and the mechanical properties - tensile and impact - were evaluated. The presence of OMM affects the dimensions of the polymeric phases in the blend but not their mutual adhesion, granted only by the compatibilisers. TEM, SEM and XRD analyses indicated that there is a strict correlation between the compatibilisation level and the final interlayer distance achieved by OMM. Even if some filled compatibilised blends showed a fairly good morphology - in terms of phas...

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Charge transport in disordered organic semiconductors is generally described as thermally activated hopping in a gaussian distribution of localized states. The presence of charge traps is critical to the performance of organic electronic devices, since trapped charge carriers do no longer contribute to the current flow. The trap distribution in the polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is investigated by applying the fractional thermally stimulated current technique. Thereby, a low temperatur double-peak distribution has been revealed. One of the peaks is believed to belong to the tail of the intrinsic density of states, whereas the other trap is strongly affected by exposure to oxygen. We discuss the influence of oxygen exposure time on the trap distribution.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

An organically modified montmorillonite (MMT) was compounded with polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) in a twin-screw extruder. The organoclay PBT nanocomposites were then injection molded by conventional and microcellular methods. Nitrogen was used as the blowing agent. The effect of organoclay content, organoclay size (8 and 35mm), and speed of the screw (80 and 100rpm) on the mechanical and thermal properties were investigated. The results showed that when the MMT content was 1.0wt.%, the nanocomposites have maximum tensile strength, wear resistance, and cell density. Moreover, the larger the particle size, the greater the tensile strength. The screw speed during compounding also affected the mechanical strength. The higher speed of the screw increased the tensile strength of the nanocompo...

CERN Document Server

Neutron stars are sensitive laboratories for testing general relativity, especially when considering deviations where velocities are relativistic and gravitational fields are strong. One such deviation is described by dynamical, Chern-Simons modified gravity, where the Einstein-Hilbert action is modified through the addition of the gravitational parity-violating Pontryagin density coupled to a field. This four-dimensional effective theory arises naturally both in perturbative and non-perturbative string theory, loop quantum gravity, and generic effective field theory expansions. We calculate here Chern-Simons modifications to the properties and gravitational fields of slowly spinning neutron stars. We find that the Chern-Simons correction affects only the gravitomagnetic sector of the metric to leading order, thus introducing modifications to the moment of inertia but not to the mass-radius relation. We show that an observational determination ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Annual wormwood interference on soybean crop growth and yield may result from competition and allelopathy, which are modulated by crop management. Allelochemicals released by annual wormwood (e.g. artemisinin) may affect the crop directly or indirectly through the effect on the nitrogen fixing symbiont, Bradyrhizobium japonicum. The objectives were (i) to quantify the crop response (i.e. biomass production, nodulation and yield) to weed interference and (ii) to determinate the relative change of competition and allelopathy interferences, when a sublethal dose of herbicide is applied. Two split plot field experiments with three replications were used. The experiment involved a factorial combination of five weed-crop density (soybean/annual wormwood, plantsm^-^2) levels: D1, pure soybean, 40...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Seed dispersal involves several complex stages that can be affected by multiple peripheral processes. Thus, a major dispersal event can be followed by secondary dispersal, which can reduce density-dependent mortality and consolidate the dispersal phase. But predation events can also follow, and predation of seeds in feces is particularly interesting because it can heavily alter the fate of seeds dispersed through vertebrate guts. Our review of 20 cases involving this kind of interaction found that research has chiefly been in tropical and subtropical areas (85% of cases), suggesting that it is a minor phenomenon at higher latitudes. However, the small size of both the seeds and predators involved may have caused this process to go unnoticed outside the tropics. We tested the presence of pr...

CERN Document Server

The quasar B2005+403 located behind the Cygnus region, is a suitable object for studying the interplay between propagation effects, which are extrinsic to the source and source intrinsic variability. On the basis of VLBI experiments performed at 1.6, 5, 8, 15, 22, and 43GHz between 1992-2003 and parallel multi-frequency monitoring of the total flux density, we investigated the variability of total flux density and source structure. Below 8 GHz, the point-like VLBI source is affected by scatter-broadening of the turbulent interstellar medium, which is located along the line of sight and likely associated with the Cygnus region. We present and discuss the measured frequency dependence of the source size, which shows a power-law with slope of -1.91+/-0.05. From the measured scattering angle at 1GHz of 77.1+/-4.0mas a SM=0.43+/-0.04 m^{-20/3} kpc is derived, consistent with the general properties of the ISM in this direction. ...

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To evaluate the predictive factors for treatment response and prognostic factors affecting survival outcomes after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma. Medical records of forty two patients with histologically confirmed analsquamous cell carcinoma, who had complete CCRT between 1993 and 2008, were reviewed retrospectively. Median age was 61.5 years (39-89 years), and median radiotherapy (RT) dose was 50.4 Gy (30.0-64.0 Gy). A total of 36 patients had equal to or less than T2 stage (85.7%). Fourteen patients (33.3%) showed regional nodal metastasis, 36 patients (85.7%) were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) plus mitomycin, and the remaining patients were treated by 5-FU plus cisplatinum. The median follow--up time was 62 months (2-202 months).The 5-year overall survival, locoregional relapse-free survival, disease-free survival, and colostomy-free survival rates were 86.0%, ...

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A preliminary investigation was conducted on ion specific membranes. This investigation concentrated on testing candidate organic compounds for transporting cesium ions through a membrane composed of the organic compound supported on a substrate. Solid PVC membranes were initially tried, but were found to be too slow. Thereafter, only liquid membranes were tested. These were faster and cesium concentration factors up to 2.96 were achieved in a single membrane cell. A cell with two membranes achieved a cesium concentration factor of 4.19. Cesium precipitation with sodium tetraphenyl borate in high sodium concentrations was explored. No interference from sodium was found until the sodium nitrite concentration reached 4.5 moles. Concurrently, cesium concentrations as high as 5.4 g/L were precipitated. Potassium tetraphenyl borate is being investigated for use in exchange columns for the removal of cesium from solutions. Initial investigations show ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} superconducting ceramics containing various oxides were prepared, and their superconducting properties and degradation in moisture were discussed. The addition of Ag{sub 2}O greatly contributed to improve their properties, for example, in the specimen containing Ag{sub 2}O of 1-5wt%, a relative density was enhanced up to 95% of a theoretical density, and a critical current density was 2-3 times as large as that of non-added one. As the results of accelerated aging tests at 85{degree}C in the air of 100% relative humidity, in non-added specimens, the resistivity vs. temperature characteristics were strongly affected by moisture only for 30min, however, in Ag-added ones, no effects were detected even after 5h. A superconducting wire was made of an Ag pipe and superconducting powder containing Ag{sub 2}O of 5wt% by drawing and heating at 850{degree}C in air for 20h, and its ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A cross sectional study on the mineral density of the 3rd lumbar vertebral trabecular bone was carried out in 123 children less than 15 years old, comprising 44 controls, and 79 patients affected with conditions which are at risk for developing metabolic derangement of skeletal bone (34 patients taking antiepileptic drugs (AED), 29 undergoing glucocorticoid (GC) therapy and 16 bedridden patients), by using quantitative computed tomography (QCT) with a CaCO{sub 3} phantom. Serum Ca and alkaline-phosphatase (Alp) levels were measured at the time of QCT examinations in all. The results obtained were as follows: The QCT values in the control children showed neither age dependency nor a sexual difference before puberty. The QCT values in each group showed significant difference with one another; the control group>the AED group>the GC group>the bedridden group (p<0.05{approx}0.005). The serum Ca levels in each pathology group were ...

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, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The collapse and fragmentation of initially prolate and oblate, magnetic molecular clouds is calculated in three dimensions with a gravitational, radiative hydrodynamics code. The code includes magnetic field effects in an approximate manner: magnetic pressure, tension, braking, and ambipolar diffusion are all modeled. The parameters varied for both the initially prolate and oblate clouds are the initial degree of central concentration of the radial density profile, the initial angular velocity, and the efficiency of magnetic braking (represented by a factor f _m_b = 10"-"4 or 10"-"3). The oblate cores all collapse to form rings that might be susceptible to fragmentation into multiple systems. The outcome of the collapse of the prolate cores depends strongly on the initial density profile. Prolate cores with central densities 20 times higher than their boundary densities collapse ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The penetrance of Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) in families with primary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations is very complex. Matrilineal and nuclear genetic background, as well as environmental factors, have been reported to be involved in different affected pedigrees. Here we describe two large Chinese families that show a striking difference in the penetrance of LHON, in which 53.3% and 15.0% of members were affected (P < 0.02), respectively. Analysis of the complete mtDNA genome of the two families revealed the presence of the primary mutation G11778A and several other variants suggesting the same haplogroup status G2a. The family with higher penetrance contained a previously described secondary mutation G13708A, which presents a polymorphism in normal Chinese samples and does not affect in vivo mitochondrial oxidative metabolism as described in a previous study. Evolutionary ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Although the public generally hold positive attitudes towards wind energy, proposals for the construction of new wind farms are often met with strong resistance. In New Zealand, where the government has recently introduced ambitious policy targets for renewable energy generation, negative perceptions of wind farms are increasingly evident and have the potential to prevent the achievement of these targets. This research sets out to examine what influences social resistance to wind farms in New Zealand. Drawing from public submissions on three wind farm proposals, a framework developed by Devine-Wright [Devine-Wright, P., 2005a. Beyond NIMBYism: towards an integrated Framework for Understanding Public Perceptions of Wind Energy. Wind Energy 8, 125-139.] was used as the basis for identification of factors affecting public perceptions of wind farms. The research found firstly that there was no apparent relationship between the proximity of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Water repellency en the microstructure super-hydrophobic cured surface is important for research and industrial purposes. This microstructure film can be cured on polyethylene terephthalate PET surface by electron beam (EB) at different irradiation doses 10-100 kGy. The microstructure formulation composed from hydrophobic acrylate oligomer (EB 244) and monomer (SR 440). The irradiation induced cross linking of the prepared microstructure was proved by FTIR spectroscopy and the adhesion force by abrasion test. Some factors affecting the adhesion force of the prepared microstructure film such as oligomer/monomer composition ratio and the thickness of the microstructure cured film were studied. The contact angles (8) were measured on cured surfaces before and after adding the super hydrophobic nanoparticles (Zonyl 9361). The super-hydrophobic cured surface showed the self-cleaning property. The volume of water droplet affected ...

CERN Document Server

Neutrino emission drives neutron star cooling for the first several hundreds of years after its birth. Given the low energy ($\\sim$ keV) nature of this process, one expects very few nonstandard particle physics contributions which could affect this rate. Requiring that any new physics contributions involve light degrees of freedom, one of the likely candidates which can affect the cooling process would be a nonzero magnetic moment for the neutrino. To illustrate, we compute the emission rate for neutrino pair bremsstrahlung in neutron-neutron scattering through photon-neutrino magnetic moment coupling. We also present analogous differential rates for neutrino scattering off nucleons and electrons that determine neutrino opacities in supernovae. Employing current upper bounds from collider experiments on the tau magnetic moment, we find that the neutrino emission rate can exceed the rate through neutral current electroweak interaction by a ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This technology development plan is designed to provide a clear understanding of the research and development direction necessary for the qualification of nuclear grade graphite for use within the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) reactor. The NGNP will be a helium gas cooled Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) with a large graphite core. Graphite physically contains the fuel and comprises the majority of the core volume. Considerable effort will be required to ensure that the graphite performance is not compromised during operation. Based upon the perceived requirements the major data needs are outlined and justified from the perspective of reactor design, reatcor performance, or the reactor safety case. The path forward for technology development can then be easily determined for each data need. How the data will be obtained and the inter-relationships between the experimental and modeling activities will define the technology development for graphite R&D. Finally, the ...

Science.gov (United States)

This report describes the result of work completed during February, 1982 to October 1983. The aim of the work was to develop a low NO(x) emission range top burner. Discussed is the development of a flame insert modification to an existing burner which reduces NO(x) emission by 45 percent and NO2 emission by 25 percent. This relatively simple burner add-on device appears to be an economically viable low NO(x) burner. It was developed in cooperation with a major range manufacturer. The levels of NO(x) (NO2) reduction achieved should significantly reduce the impact of a gas range to indoor quality. The report also discusses the results of a literature search that preceeded the burner development. The search helped to direct the burner development by reviewing the state-of-the-art of low NO(x) burner design and covered factors which affect the indoor impact of range emissions such as air infiltration and ventilation trends, air quality standards, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Since the 1970 innovations have allowed both active and passive neutron techniques to address various safeguards and waste measurement needs in the DOE complex. Much research was focused on satisfjring the 100-nCi/g detection limit for TRU waste in 208-liter drums. The emphasis on measuring drum-sized containers for disposal at WIPP has resulted in improved waste assay capability that now needs to be extended to larger containers. The desire to expedite the decontamination and decommissioning of certtain DOE facilities, and the large waste encountered in that process, has prompted the need for increasingly large disposal containers. Instruments have recently been built to accommodate crates that are nearly 100 cubic feet in volume, such as a B-25 box or Standard Waste 13ox. The density of hydrogen inside a waste container profoundly affects the accuracy of neutron measurements, and the metal content greatly affects ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this investigation was to simulate a machining front from an abrasive waterjet and its movements in a ceramic material. Wear factors affecting the abrasive waterjet nozzle were also to be established. Therefore, a low inclination angle (9[degree]) was used between the nozzle and test sample, simulating a moving machine front. A standard nozzle with an inner diameter of 0.76 mm was used in the test, and it was placed close to the samples. The outer diameter of the abrasive nozzle was 9.5 mm. The high wear rate from abrasive waterjets makes it possible to machine hard ceramics-including dense alumina, titanium boride, silicon nitride, and composites-at high machining speeds.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Water?rock interaction is one of the prime factors affecting the fluoride contents of surface and groundwater. If fluoride concentration of drinking water has been neglected, excess fluoride can cause serious dental and medical problems on human health, which is well known at Golcuk-Isparta region. In the research area, Egirdir lake, Golcuk lake and surrounding springs have been utilized as drinking water sources. Golcuk lake water and surrounding groundwaters have high fluoride content (1.4?4.6?mg/l), which is above the WHO standards. Fluoride is predominantly supplied by dissolution of fluoride within the fluormicas of volcanics during the circulation of water. Fluoride concentrations of waters have shown variations for dry and rainy seasons depending on the degree of interaction between...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The factors affecting the rate of silica leaching in alkaline aqueous media from surface silanized, nanoporous, amorphous, silica gels and from silanized silica gels that have been modified with polyamines to form the previously reported silica polyamine composites (SPCs), BP-1 and BP-2 have been investigated. Silanization with alkyl trichlorosilanes slows the rate of silica leaching relative to the unmodified silica gels. The use of bulkier aryl silanes somewhat decreases the silica leaching under the same conditions. Interestingly, after modification of the silanized silica with poly(allylamine) (PAA) to make BP-1, the leaching increases, but subsequent modification of the SPC with chloroacetic acid to make BP-2, quenches this increase. A mechanism explaining these results is discussed. ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Lyme disease is a perfect model of the complex relationship between host, vector, and the vector-borne bacteria. Both dogs and horses in Romania are exposed to infection. The aim of the present study was to assess the seroreactivity against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in dogs and horses from different regions of Romania. 276 samples from dogs and 260 samples from horses located in different regions of Romania were analyzed by ELISA and IFA, respectively. The effect of several factors potentially affecting seroreactivity (location, age, gender, occupation, and vector exposition risk) was evaluated using Fisher's exact test (R 2.12.0). The overall prevalence of anti-Borrelia antibodies was 6.52% (18/276) in dogs, with a significantly higher positivity (46.15%, 6/13, p=0.0005) re...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A large body of evidence indicates clear relationships between number and space processing in healthy and brain-damaged adults, as well as in children. The present paper addressed this issue regarding atypical math development. Adults with a diagnosis of dyscalculia (DYS) during childhood were compared to adults with average or high abilities in mathematics across two bisection tasks. Participants were presented with Arabic number triplets and had to judge either the number magnitude or the spatial location of the middle number relative to the two outer numbers. For the numerical judgment, adults with DYS were slower than both groups of control peers. They were also more strongly affected by the factors related to number magnitude such as the range of the triplets or the distance between t...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- is a pro-inflammatory cytokine associated with psoriasis pathogenesis. Anti-TNF- therapies are effective in psoriasis. A significant weight gain has been reported in patients treated with anti-TNF- agents. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the body composition changes in psoriatic patients receiving anti-TNF- therapies according with disease phenotype. Forty patients affected with psoriasis were followed up for 24 weeks and divided into two groups: psoriasis vulgaris (PsO) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Anthropometric, blood biochemical, body composition parameters, resting metabolic rate, and disease activity indexes were measured at baseline and at week 24. After 24 weeks of anti-TNF- administration, the disease activity indexes and concen...

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.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We present an innovative approach to estimating residential irrigation water demand for a large metropolitan area using GIS data, weather station data, and a water budget modeling approach commonly used by plant scientists and landscape management professionals. An important question addressed by our study is how a growing urban forest affects the overall irrigation water demand of a semiarid metropolitan area. To estimate the amount of water required by residential landscaping, we consider water demand to be a function of the areal extent of residential landscaping (i.e. tree/shrub or turf grass), the water-loss rate for different landscaping types, the efficiency with which the landscape is irrigated, and local climatic factors (i.e. reference evapotranspiration and precipitation). We es...

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...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Some factors affecting the accuracy of magnitude calibration of palaeoearthquakes are discussed. The general problem is illustrated by two case studies. First, the 2003 strong earthquake in the Altai region (Russia-Mongolia border), which has generated co-seismic surface faulting is considered. An analysis is conducted to determine how accurately its magnitude could be defined after 2000 years based on surface faulting parameters, retrieved when future palaeoearthquake studies are launched. This example demonstrates that accurate evaluation of magnitude is possible if specific regional seismotectonic features are taken into account and surface faulting parameters are measured over a dense grid. Next, the Muya earthquake that occurred in the Baikal seismic region in 1957 is studied with res...

Environmental Research Database

ObjectivesTo determine the reaction rate of slag during curing and factors affecting reactivity.~%~~%~To measure the rates of chloride ingress into concrete and the extent of chloride binding.~%~~%~To determine conditions for pitting corrosion and the nature of corrosion products.~%~~%~To characterise the reactions in slag-calcium alumina cement hydration and the nature of the products.~%~DescriptionBlast-furnace slag has latent hydraulic properties, giving considerable potential for commercial use in addition to its widespread use as a partial replacement for Portland cement, notably in alkali-activated slag (AAS) and slag-calcium alumina cement (CAC) concretes. Use of AAS concretes is already well-established in China and the former USSR, but their further application is hindered by lack of research into setting, hydration and durability, Slag/CAC blends are new materials whose chemistr ...

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)

AISI 316L stainless steel was welded by the electron beam (EB) and laser techniques. Microstructural characteristics, hardness profile, creep rupture properties and creep damage of the welds were investigated. Fully austenitic microstructure was obtained in the two welds. The solidification structure of the welds consisted of the cellular and equiaxed dendrites. The creep rupture lives of the two welds were almost the same, and they were reduced by a factor of about two compared to the base metal. Moreover, the rupture elongation of the welds was lower than that of the base metal. Creep damage was observed in the ``parting`` region of the welds and in the heat-affected zone (HAZ), respectively. Final creep fracture occurred in the ``parting`` region of the welds. (orig.).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Tensile and flexural properties of single-gated (SG) and double-gated (DG) injection moulded blend of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polycarbonate (PC) and its composites containing 15, 20 and 30?wt.% short glass fibres were investigated. In the DG mouldings, a weldline was formed by direct impingement of two opposing melt fronts (i.e. cold weld). It was found that tensile modulus was not affected by the weldline but flexural modulus decreased in the presence of weldline. For both specimen types, modulus increased linearly with volume fraction of fibres (? f), according to the rule-of-mixtures for moduli. The weldline integrity (WIF) factor for flexural modulus decreased linearly with increasing ? f. Results showed that tensile and flexural strengths for SG mouldings increase with in...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Methods for improving the sensitivity of scintillation cells for radon concentration measurements were studied with emphasis on improving light collection efficiency. This allows the length and hence the volume of the cell to be increased. Variables studied were choice of scintillator material, its method of application and thickness, length of cell, cell material, type and configuration of reflectors, choice of photomultipliers, and factors affecting background. Response from various areas of the cell surface was studied with an alpha source and with radon filling. Coating the window with phosphor was found to be counter-productive. The optimum results obtained were with the inside of the cell (other than the window) covered with a thick layer of ZnS(Ag), or with a thick layer of reflective material coated with a thin layer of phosphor. With it, a 10 cm diameter plexiglass cell can be extended to at least 50 cm length without difficulty from ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Plant secondary chemistry is determined by both genetic and environmental factors, and while large intraspecific variation in secondary chemistry has been reported frequently, the levels of genetic variation of many secondary metabolites in forest trees in the context of potential resistance against pests have been rarely investigated. We examined the effect of tree genotype and environment/site on the variation in defensive secondary chemistry of lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta var. latifolia, against the fungus, Grosmannia clavigera (formerly known as Ophiostoma clavigerum), associated with the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae. Terpenoids were analyzed in phloem samples from 887, 20-yr-old trees originating from 45 half-sibling families planted at two sites. Samples were coll...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isopropyl chloroacetate has been synthesized by esterification of chloroacetic acid and isopropanol, using lanthanum dodecyl sulfate (LDDS) as the catalyst. Various factors that affected the esterification have been investigated, such as reaction time, different water-carrying agent and the amount of catalyst. Under the condition of 1.2/1 molar ratio of isopropanol to chloroacetic acid, 1.0% catalyst (molar percent of chloroacetic acid), 2.5 h reaction time, 5 mL cyclohexane as water-carrying agent and reflux temperature, the esterification conversion of isopropyl chloroacetate reaches 98.3%. The catalytic activity of LDDS is almost equal to that of a Bronsted acid. LDDS, as one kind of water-tolerant Lewis acid, is an excellent catalyst compared to the traditional Lewis acid. (author)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We investigated the magnet field dependence of the X-ray pulse height and the critical current of a Ti/Au bilayer TES micro-calorimeter. The pulse height was strongly affected by the magnetic field intensity applied perpendicularly to the TES surface. We found that the critical current at zero temperature, I c0, decreased by a factor of two by applying a magnet field of ?10??T. Our data are consistent with a TES sensitivity proportional to (I/I c0)?2/3, as predicted by the Ginzburg-Landau theory. This fact implies that the shape of the R?T curve of the TES is partly determined by the critical current of the superconductor. In order to make our TES microcalorimeters less sensitive to the external magnetic field, we fabricated devices equipped with on-chip magnetic shielding. One device has ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A full analysis is shown in this paper for the cost of kWh generated from photovoltaic station located in Kuwait. By using a 21 years weather data for Kuwait, the yearly generated energy was found by proposing the PV station capacity with known panels tilt angle. The cost of kWh generated from PV station was compared with the kWh generated from conventional units in the country. A sensitivity analysis was done to some factors, capital cost per installed PV peak watt, discount rate, and operating peak hours, which affect the cost of kWh production from both PV and conventional units. If the PV station is proposed to be installed in Kuwait, the capital cost per PV installed peak watt must be less than today`s prices. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

New technologies are needed to reduce the current high rate of well abandonment. Improved sweep efficiency, reservoir conformance, and permeability modification can have a significant impact on oil recovery processes. Microorganisms can be used to selectively plug high-permeability zones to improve sweep efficiency and impart conformance control. Studies of a promising microbial system for polymer production were conducted to evaluate reservoir conditions in which this system would be effective. Factors which can affect microbial growth and polymer production include salinity, pH, temperature, divalent ions, presence of residual oil, and rock matrix. Flask tests and coreflooding experiments were conducted to optimize and evaluate the effectiveness of this system. Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) was used to visualize microbial polymer production in porous media. Changes in fluid distribution within the pore system of the core were ...

CERN Document Server

This paper presents an application of the state of the art and new trends for risk management of safety-related control and monitoring systems, currently applied in the industry. These techniques not only enable to manage safety and reliability issues but they also help in the control of quality and economic factors affected by the availability and maintenance of the system. The method includes an unambiguous definition of the system in terms of functions and a systematic analysis of hazardous situations, undesired events and possible malfunctions. It also includes the identification and quantification of the risk associated to the system. The required risk reduction is specified in terms of safety integrity levels. The safety integrity level results in requirements, preventive measures, possible improvements and recommendations to assure the satisfactory management of the risk.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corrosion is said to be the most dominant factor which affects the physical life of ships and offshore structures. In order to secure the structural safety of ships and offshore structures, it is necessary to take measures to corrosion based on the prediction of condition of progressive corrosion. But such prediction is difficult because the behavior of corrosion`s progress is probabilistic. In this paper, probabilistic model, which could evaluate the degradation of coatings and the successive corrosion of steel members, was proposed in order to explain the tendency of the actual corrosion conditions of existing ships. Then, statistical inferences on the proposed model were made by applying the actual data on plate thickness measurements of Bulk Carriers` Cargo Hold. And validity of the proposed model was verified.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We have measured the redshift evolution of the density of Lyman limit systems (LLSs) in the intergalactic medium over the redshift range 0 < z < 6. We have used two new quasar samples to (1) improve coverage at z #approx# 1, with GALEX grism spectrograph observations of 50 quasars with 0.8 < z_e_m < 1.3, and (2) extend coverage to z #approx# 6, with Keck ESI spectra of 25 quasars with 4.17 < z_e_m < 5.99. Using these samples together with published data, we find that the number density of LLS per unit redshift, n(z), can be well fit by a simple evolution of the form n(z) = n_3_._5[(1 + z)/4.5]"#gamma# with n_3_._5 = 2.80 #+-# 0.33 and #gamma# = 1.94"+"0"."3"6_-_0_._3_2 for the entire range 0 < z < 6. We have also reanalyzed the evolution of damped Ly#alpha# systems (DLAs) in the redshift range 4 < z < 5 using our high-redshift quasar sample. We find a total of 17 DLAs and sub-DLAs, which we have analyzed in ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Three- and four-junction III-V devices are proposed for ultrahigh-efficiency solar cells using a new 1-eV material lattice-matched to GaAs, namely, GaInNAs. We demonstrate working prototypes of a GaInNAs-based solar cell lattice-matched to GaAs with photoresponse down to 1 eV. Under the AM1.5 direct spectrum with all the light higher in energy than the GaAs band gap filtered out, the prototypes grown with base doping of about 10{sup 17}&hthinsp;cm{sup {minus}3} have open-circuit voltages ranging from 0.35 to 0.44 V, short-circuit current densities of 1.8 mA/cm{sup 2}, and fill factors from 61{percent} to 66{percent}. To improve on the current record-efficiency tandem GaInP/GaAs solar cell by adding a GaInNAs junction, the short-circuit current density of this 1-eV cell must be significantly increased. Because these low short-circuit current densities are due to short diffusion lengths, we have ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The use of electricity is indispensable to modern life. As Macao Special Administrative Region becomes a gaming and tourism center in Asia, modeling the consumption of electricity is critical to Macao's economic development. The purposes of this paper are to conduct an extensive literature review on modeling of electricity consumption, and to identify key climatic, demographic, economic and/or industrial factors that may affect the electricity consumption of a country/city. It was identified that the five factors, namely temperature, population, the number of tourists, hotel room occupancy and days per month, could be used to characterize Macao's monthly electricity consumption. Three selected approaches including multiple regression, artificial neural network (ANN) and wavelet ANN were used to derive mathematical models of the electricity consumption. The accuracy of these models was assessed by using the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoogenstraaten's heating rate method has generally been considered as a reliable method for determining thermoluminescence trapping parameters of first order glow peaks. However, experience has shown that in some cases the deviation between the heating rate method and glow curve fitting method can be quite significant (considering only the linear part of the heating rate plot, of course). In this study it is shown that one of the main reasons for this deviation can be a systematic increase of a temperature lag between the measured and real temperature of the sample with increasing heating rate. It appears that this systematic increase of the temperature lag affects the method in the range of low heating rates (linear part of the heating rates plots) more than has been previously realised. The effect of the temperature lag on Hoogenstraaten's heating rate method is a decrease in activation energy and frequency factor and is ...

Science.gov (United States)

Persons with a thermolabile form of the enzyme 5,10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) have reduced enzyme activity and increased plasma homocysteine which can be lowered by supplemental folic acid. Thermolability of the enzyme has recently been shown to be caused by a common mutation (677C{sup {r_arrow}}T) in the MTHFR gene. We studied 41 fibroblast cultures from NTD-affected fetuses and compared their genotypes with those of 109 blood specimens from individuals in the general population. 677C{sup {r_arrow}}T homozygosity was associated with a 7.2 fold increased risk for NTDs (95% confidence interval: 1.8-30.3; p value: 0.001). These preliminary data suggest that the 677C{sup {r_arrow}}T polymorphism of the MTHFR gene is a risk factor for spina bifida and anencephaly that may provide a partial biologic explanation for why folic acid prevents these types of NTD. 13 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The contaminants that are potentially present in the coal-derived gas stream and their thermochemical nature are discussed. Accelerated testing was carried out on Ni-YSZ/YSZ/LSM solid oxide fuel cells (YSZ: yttria stabilized zirconia and LSM: lanthanum strontium manganese oxide) for eight main kind of contaminants: CH{sub 3}Cl, HCl, As, P, Zn, Hg, Cd and Sb at the temperature range of 750-850 C. The As and P species, at 10 and 35 ppm, respectively, resulted in severe power density degradation at temperatures 800 C and below. SEM and EDX analysis indicated that As attacked the Ni region of the anode surface and the Ni current collector, caused the break of the current collector and the eventual cell failure at 800 C. The phosphorous containing species were found in the bulk of the anode, they were segregated and formed ''grain boundary'' like phases separating large Ni patches. These species are presumably nickel ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

When chest radiographs are obtained using an anti-scatter grid in a mobile x-ray unit by Fuji Computed Radiography (FCR), right lung densities may differ from left lung densities owing to misalignment caused by an oblique x-ray beam. Such misalignment is considered to be caused by factors such as the shape of the bed and angle of the x-ray tube. Misalignment is especially frequent when exposure is carried out in the sitting position. Although a low-ratio grid has been reported to offer improvement, the misalignment is not completely eliminated. Therefore, we used a copper plate without a lattice feature instead of grid, and examined the results. The copper plate was found to have the ability of a grid to eliminate radiation scatter, and, furthermore, to offer the physical capabilities of a grid as determined by Carlin's new grid assessment method. Image quality was demonstrated through contrast manipulation to be ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Data by Wiesmann et al. on the temperature coefficient of the upper critical field, dH/sub c/2(T)/dT, and the normal-state resistivity rho_0 near the superconducting transition temperature T/sub c/ are analyzed to estimate the bare density of states N (E/sub F/) as a function of structural disorder and T/sub c/ in various #alpha#-particle irradiated samples of A-15 Nb_3Ge and Nb_3Sn. By taking into account the change in the electron-phonon coupling strength with T/sub c/ and the effect of mass enhancement arising from the electron-phonon interaction, the results of the new analysis indicate that (i) the drop in N (E/sub F/) for Nb_3Ge is relatively small as T/sub c/ changes from approx. 21 to approx. 4 K, in agreement with a recent low-temperature specific-heat measurement; (ii) the value of N (E/sub F/) in Nb_3Sn decreases by a factor of approx. 4 as T/sub c/ varies from approx. 18 to approx. 3 K. The implication of these findings is discussed ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The economic prospects for magnetic fusion energy can be dramatically improved if for the same total power output the fusion neutron first-wall (FW) loading and the system power density can be increased by factors of 3 to 5 and 10 to 30, respectively. A number of compact fusion reactor embodiments have been proposed, all of which would operate with increased FW loadings, would use thin (0.5 to 0.6 m) blankets, and would confine quasi-steady-state plasma with resistive, water-cooled copper or aluminum coils. Increased system power density (5 to 15 MWt/m/sup 3/ versus 0.3 to 0.5 MW/m/sup 3/), considerably reduced physical size of the fusion power core (FPC), and appreciably reduced economic leverage exerted by the FPC and associated physics result. The unique materials requirements anticipated for these compact reactors are outlined against the well documented backdrop provided by similar needs for the mainline approaches. ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The wind speed distribution and wind energy potential are investigated in three selected locations in Oyo state using wind speed data that span between 12 and 20 years measured at 10 m height. In addition, the performance of selected small to medium size wind turbines in these sites were examined. The annual energy output and capacity factor for these turbines were determined. It was found that the monthly mean wind speeds in Oyo state ranges from 2.85 m/s to 5.20 m/s. While the monthly mean power density varies between 27.08 W/m2 and 164.48 W/m2, while the annual mean power density is in the range of 67.28 W/m2 and 106.60 W/m2. Based on annual energy output, wind turbines with cut-in wind speed of about 2.5 m/s and moderate rated wind speeds will be best suited for all the sites.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A G-matrix, derived from a meson-exchange potential in nuclear matter, is applied to finite, semi-magic nuclei. For the open shell the broken-pair model, which can accommodate many single-particle levels, is used. The excitations of the closed shell are treated as particle-hole states. Energy spectra and electromagnetic transition densities are calculated for /sup 88/Sr and /sup 58/Ni. The energies of the non-collective states are well described. Pairing correlations in the ground state have almost the correct strength in a multishell model space. To improve the energies of the collective 2/sup +/ and 3/sup -/ states the inclusion of core-polarisation effects in the force is required. Transition charge densities for collective states become strongly surface-peaked by core-polarisation effects, as is observed in experiments. The effects of pairing correlations and core polarisation on the magnetic form factor of the 3.486 ...

CERN Document Server

Peculiar velocities induce apparent line of sight displacements of galaxies in redshift space, distorting the pattern of clustering in the radial versus transverse directions. On large scales, the amplitude of the distortion yields a measure of the dimensionless linear growth rate \\ff of fluctuations, which is related to the cosmological density \\Omega and the linear bias factor b in linearly biassed standard cosmology by \\ff \\approx \\Omega^{0.6} /b. To make the maximum statistical use of the data in a wide angle redshift survey, and for the greatest accuracy, the spherical character of the distortion needs to be treated properly, rather than in the simpler plane parallel approximation. In the linear regime, the redshift space correlation function is described by a spherical distortion operator acting on the true correlation function. It is pointed out here that there exists an operator, which is essentially the logarithmic derivative with ...

CERN Document Server

The finite element method and dimensional analysis have been applied in the present paper to study a hydraulic impact, which is utilized in a non-explosive rock breaking technology in mining industry. The impact process of a high speed piston on liquid water, previously introduced in a borehole drilled in rock, is numerically simulated. The research is focused on the influences of all the parameters involved in the technology on the largest principal stress in the rock, which is considered as one of the key factors to break the rock. Our detailed parametric investigation reveals that the variation of the isotropic rock material properties, especially its density, has no significant influence on the largest principal stress. The influences of the depth of the hole and the depth of the water column are also very small. On the other hand, increasing the initial kinetic energy of the piston can dramatically increase the largest principal stress and ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Within the framework of the Bianchi type-IX homogeneous space, we set up a system of coupled equations for the cosmic scale factors, scalar field, and radiative energy density. At the tree level, the equations are written in a self-consistent, Hartree-Fock form. For phi"4 theory, the system of nine first-order differential equations is solved numerically for a varying ratio of the energy of anisotropy to the vacuum energy. As the vacuum energy increases, there appears to be less reheating, since the energy of anisotropy is more efficiently converted into isotropic expansion. If the energy of anisotropy is large enough, the inflationary phase is prevented. In this case, a series of cosmological phase transitions will take place each time the square of the effective mass changes its sign.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The energy, angular momentum, and distance (measured from the center of mass of the nucleus) distributions of the effective number of 6q-fluctons are investigated and it is shown that many of the characteristics of these distributions are universal, i.e., independent of the flucton size. ''Saturation'' of the flucton density in nuclei with mass A approx > 80 and certain other features that determine the difference between the behaviors of the effective numbers of fluctons and deuterons are reported. This is used to explain the well known underestimation (by a factor of 1.5--6) of the cross section for the hard inclusive (p, p'd) process on nuclei calculated in the quasielastic formalism. See S. G. Kadmenskii and V. I. Furman, Alpha decay and elated nuclear reactions (in Russian), Energoatomizdat, Moscow, 1985.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The two-sonde neutron-logging device RKS-2 registers the ratios of the indications of two sondes and is scaled in units representing the total water content of pure limestone when saturated with fresh water. When analyzing the results of the measurements in real wells, it is necessary to calculate the effect of well- and strata conditions on the results of porosity determination. The results of simulated measurements are presented, on the basis of which correction factors are immediately determined for the calculation of the effect of the diameter of the well, and the effect of the mud cake on the well wall. A nomogram is constructed and substantiated; its purpose is the calculation of the effect of the following on the RKS-2 indication: the diameter of the well, the mud cake on the well wall, the density of the drilling solution, temperature, pressure in the well, and the lithology of the rock.

CERN Document Server

Gravitational lensing distorts the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarization fields and encodes valuable information on distances and growth rates at intermediate redshifts into the lensed power spectra. The non-Gaussian bandpower covariance induced by the lenses is negligible to l=2000 for all but the B polarization field where it increases the net variance by up to a factor of 10 and favors an observing strategy with 3 times more area than if it were Gaussian. To quantify the cosmological information, we introduce two lensing observables, characterizing nearly all of the information, which simplify the study of non-Gaussian impact, parameter degeneracies, dark energy models, and complementarity with other cosmological probes. Information on the intermediate redshift parameters rapidly becomes limited by constraints on the cold dark matter density and initial amplitude of fluctuations as observations improve. Extraction of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We have studied the structure of both propanol isomers in their glassy and crystalline states by neutron diffraction. The glass-transition temperatures of 1- and 2-propanol are about 98 and 115 K, respectively and, surprisingly, even larger differences are observed for the melting temperatures of the stable crystals, which are 148 and 185 K, respectively. Their supercooled liquid phases show rather different relaxation spectra, 1-propanol manifesting strong deviations from Debye behavior, whereas 2-propanol shows a far weaker effect. We discuss the spectra obtained for the static structure factor and the static pair correlation function D(r). There is a noticeable difference in the position of the first sharp diffraction peak, which clearly indicates a density change, well correlated with the period of the intermolecular oscillations shown by D(r). (orig.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radial sonic crystals (RSC) are fluidlike structures infinitely periodic along the radial direction that verify the Bloch theorem and are possible only if certain specially designed acoustic metamaterials with mass density anisotropy can be engineered (see Torrent and Sanchez-Dehesa 2009 Phys. Rev. Lett. 103 064301). A comprehensive analysis of two-dimensional (2D) RSC shells is reported here. A given shell is in fact a circular slab with a central cavity. These finite crystal structures contain Fabry-Perot-like resonances and modes strongly localized at the central cavity. Semi-analytical expressions are developed to obtain the quality factors of the different resonances, their symmetry features and their excitation properties. The results reported here are completely general and can be extended to equivalent 3D spherical shells and to their photonic counterparts.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The core bypass flow in a prismatic very high temperature reactor (VHTR) is an important design consideration and can have considerable impact on the condition of reactor core internals including 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) are affected by bypass flow. In the present study, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) calculations of a typical prismatic VHTR are conducted to better understand bypass flow phenomena and establish an evaluation method for the reactor core using the commercial CFD code FLUENT. Parametric calculations changing several ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this thesis, increased hemicellulose retention during kraft pulping has been studied. The work has been divided into three parts: i) Development of an accessible and reliable method for determination of carbohydrate composition of kraft pulps ii) Investigation of the composition and molecular mass distributions of the carbohydrates in kraft pulps with increased hemicellulose content iii) Investigation of the effect of increased hemicellulose content on the sheet properties of kraft pulps with increased hemicellulose content. A method for carbohydrate determination was developed. In this method, enzymes are used to hydrolyse the pulp into monosaccharides. A relatively mild acid hydrolysis is performed prior to detection on an HPLC with an RI-detector. The pulp is not derivatized and no pre-treatment (mechanical or chemical) is needed to determine the carbohydrate composition using the method developed here. Peak deconvolution software is used to improve the accuracy. Polysulphide and ...

Science.gov (United States)

The knowledge of wound ballistics and of wounding mechanisms is mandatory for the radiologist to interpret the CT findings of gunshot wounds. The severity of a bullet wound depends on the characteristics of the tissue it goes through, i.e., tissue elasticity, density, thickness of the wounded body part, the type of tissue, its specific gravity, internal cohesiveness and anatomical relationships, as well as on missile characteristics, i.e., mass, shape, fragmentation and deformation. Bullet velocity is certainly a major factor in wounding, but it is only one factor. Two major wounding mechanisms exist the crushing of the bullet-struck tissue (forming the permanent cavity) and radial stretching (forming a temporary cavity). Bullet "yaw" is defined as the angle between the long axis of the bullet and its flight path. The yaw is directly proportional to tissue crushing and stretching: the wider the yaw, the most severe tissue ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mechanistic models of aerosol decontamination by an overlying water pool during core debris/concrete interactions and spray removal of aerosols from a Mark I drywell atmosphere are developed. Eighteen uncertain features of the pool decontamination model and 19 uncertain features of the model for the rate coefficient of spray removal of aerosols are identified. Ranges for values of parameters that characterize these uncertain features of the models are established. Probability density functions for values within these ranges are assigned according to a set of rules. A Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis of the decontamination factor produced by water pools 30 and 50 cm deep and subcooled 0--70 K is performed. An uncertainty analysis for the rate constant of spray removal of aerosols is done for water fluxes of 0.25, 0.01, and 0.001 cm{sup 3} H{sub 2}O/cm{sup 2}-s and decontamination factors of 1.1, 2, 3.3, 10, 100, and 1000.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The {sup 252}Cf-source-driven frequency analysis method can be used for measuring the subcritical neutron multiplication factor of arrays of LWR fuel and as little as a single PWR fuel assembly. These measurements can be used to verify the criticality safety margins of spent LWR fuel configurations and thus could be a means of obtaining the information to justify burnup credit for spent LWR transportation/storage casks. In addition, the data can be used to validate calculational methods for criticality safety. These measurements provide parameters that have a higher sensitivity to changes in fissile mass than neutron multiplication factor and thus serve as a better test of calculational methods. The analysis have also shown that measurement of the cross power spectral density (CPSD) between detectors on one side of a single fuel assembly and an internal or external {sup 252}Cf source driving the fission chain multiplication ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The working hypothesis of the research was that the soil of boreal forests is a large carbon store and the amount of C is still increasing in young soils, like in the forest soils of Finland, which makes these soils important sinks for atmospheric CO{sub 2}. Since the processes defining the soil C balance, primary production of plants and decomposition, are dependent on environmental factors and site properties, it was assumed that the organic carbon pool in the soil is also dependent on the same factors. The soil C store is therefore likely to change in response to climatic warming. The aim of this research was to estimate the C balance of forest soil in Finland and predict changes in the balance in response to changes in climatic conditions. To achieve the aim (1) intensive empirical experimentation on the density of C in different pools in the soil and on fluxes between the pools was done was done, (2) the effect of site ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A theoretical model is presented to describe the electromagnetic, heat transfer and fluid flow phenomena within a magnetron plasma torch and in the resultant plume, by using a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT. Specific calculations are presented for a pure argon system (i.e., an argon plasma discharging into an argon environment), operated in a turbulent mode. An important finding of this work is that the external axial magnetic field (AMF) may have a significant effect on the behavior of arc plasma and thus affects the resulting plume. The AMF impels the plasma to retract axially and expand radially. As a result, the plasma intensity distribution on the cross section of torch seems to be more uniform. Numerical results also show that with AMF, the highest plasma temperature decreases and the anode arc root moves upstream significantly, while the current density distribution at the anode is more concentrated with a ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glasses in the system (95-x) [0.25 Na2O-0.75 B2O3]-x P2O5-5 Fe2O3 (0?x?15 mol%), have been prepared by the melt quenching technique. Elastic properties and FT-IR spectroscopic studies have been employed to study the role of P2O5 on the structure of the glass system. Elastic properties Poisson's ratio, micro-hardness and Debye temperature have been investigated using sound wave velocity measurements at 4 MHz (both longitudinal and shear) at room temperature. The results showed that the density and the molar volume increase as both sound velocities and the determined glass transition temperatures decrease with increasing the contents of P2O5. Infrared spectra of the glasses reveal that the borate network consists of diborate units and is affected by the increase in the concentration of P2O5 content as a second network former. These results are interpreted in terms of the replacement of the diborate units with B-O-B bridges by phosphate units with ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A statistical method is developed to determine the locations of major pollutant sources affecting a distant downwind receptor, provided that air trajectories can be estimated. Probability density functions are estimated which indicate the overall residence time of air parcels over a given geographic region as they travel toward a receptor and residence time for the case of high pollutant concentrations at the receptor. These functions are used to estimate a conditional probability function which indicates the potential for a source region to contribute to high air pollution concentrations. Finally, a source contribution function is formulated to indicate the relative contribution of different source regions to high concentrations at the receptor. The method is tested using data collected at Grand Canyon National Park in 1980. The dominant pathway for air masses arriving at Grand Canyon during this period was southern California. A lesser ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A mixture of crushed rock and bentonite is being considered as backfill and sealant for high-level nuclear waste repositories. Many variables affect the hydraulic conductivity of such a mixture, including the size and shape of the rock particles, method of mixing, water content and density of the clay, and the weight ratio of rock to clay. Mixtures of crushed basalt and bentonite have been tested to determine the relative effects of these variables. Two types of permeameters are used, 20 cm diameter stainless steel permeameters and 10 cm diameter clear PVC permeameters. Plugs are installed as a single lift or in many lifts; the water content of the clay ranged from air-dry (in most cases) to as high as 200%. Preliminary results show that a mixture of 75% crushed basalt and 25% bentonite has a hydraulic conductivity between 1 x 10/sup -9/ cm/s and 2.5 x 10/sup -8/ cm/s. In some cases, preferential flow paths have developed (possibly as a result ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

To dispose the radioactive waste drums, the waste form's integrity and the nuclides inventories must be assured according to the national and site waste acceptance criteria. Because they might be would gravely affected the performance objectives of disposal site. Our national regulation for the waste inventory related to 'Radioactive Waste Acceptance Criteria' requires that the activities of 13 nuclides and gross #alpha# must be measured and the 95 % of nuclides incorporated in the drum must be identified. It is very difficult to measure the radioactivity with accuracy from the regulated waste drum(200L), and have a large error in the analysis results. In present, there are two system, SGS (Segmented Gamma Scanning System) and TGS (Tomographic Gamma Scanning System) for the analysis of radionuclides from the waste drums. In general, it is known that the accuracy of TGS is below 20 % and that of SGS is below 30 %. The accuracy of TGS is better than that of SGS. But ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this paper we study different effects of excited molecules on swarm parameters, electron energy distribution functions and gas discharge modeling. First we discuss a possible experiment in parahydrogen to resolve the discrepancy in hydrogen vibrational excitation cross section data. Negative differential conductivity (NDC) is a kinetic phenomenon which manifests itself in a particular dependence of the drift velocity on E=N and it is affected by superelastic collisions with excited states. A complete kinetic scheme for argon required to model excited state densities in gas discharges is also described. These results are used to explain experiments in capacitively and inductively coupled RF plasmas used for processing. The paper illustrates the application of atomic and molecular collision data, swarm data and the theoretical techniques in modeling of gas discharges with large abundances of excited molecules. It is pointed out that swarm ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glasses in the system (1 - x) [29Na2O- 4Al2O3- 67B2O3]- xZnO (0 ? x ? 35 mol%), have been prepared by the melt quenching technique. Elastic properties, X-ray and FT-IR spectroscopic studies have been employed to study the role of ZnO on the structure of the investigated glass system. Elastic properties and Debye temperature have been investigated using sound wave velocity measurements at 4 MHz at room temperature. The results showed that the density increases and the molar volume decreases while both sound velocities and the determined glass transition temperatures decrease with increase in x. X-ray and infrared spectra of the glasses reveal that the borate network consists of diborate units and is affected by the increase in the concentration of ZnO content. These results are interpreted in terms of the decrease in the N4 values (fraction of tetrahedral coordinated boron atoms), and substitution of longer bond lengths of Zn-O in place of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Youngkwang Unit 3,4 and Ulchin Unit 3 and 4 have had problem of the KSNP Steam Generator due to a severe fretting wear on the tube. In particular, the wears were localized and concentrated in the upper part of U-bend of the Central Cavity region. At the upper tube bundle Central Cavity, the fluid flow velocities and void fraction are very high, because the steam is made by high heat transfer at secondary region. Also, this region is affected easily by fretting wear due to it's unsupported span is longer than another regions. The fretting wear is assumed to be result of Flow-Induced Vibration (F. I. V), which can occur by many mechanisms. EFDP was added to UCN 5,6 for prevent fretting wear by the SEC LCC and DSHIC, a company of design and manufacture of the steam generator, respectively. In order to evaluate the efficacy of EFDP, ANSYS and ATHOS-3 Code were used. From sensitivity analysis and calculation results, Density and Velocity ...

Science.gov (United States)

This site explains how temperature, pressure, and salinity work together to determine the density of ocean water. The three density layers of the ocean are described by means of text description and a graphic illustration.

Science.gov (United States)

Over the recent years the nuclear structure around the N = 50 shell closure, which is very pronounced in the strontium and zirconium isotopes, has been the subject of extensive experimental and theoretical work. On the proton side Z = 38 and Z = 40 provide fairly closed sub-shells. In the strontium isotopes the lg/sub 9/2/ neutron shell is closed at /sup 88/Sr, supplying relatively pure neutron-hole and neutron-particle states with large spectroscopic factors in /sup 87/Sr and /sup 89/Sr, as well as core-coupled states. The mass region is thus ideally suited to examine the transition from a correlated to an uncorrelated (chaotic.) excitational behavior. These two types are characterized e.g. by the density of excited states, the transition strengths, and the spectroscopic factors observed in transfer reactions. We conducted (n,..gamma..) and (d,p) reactions leading to /sup 87,88,89/Sr in addition to /sup 88/Sr(d,t)/sup ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We apply our previously developed first-principles nonlocal pseudopotentials (obtained for all atoms of rows 1--5 in the Periodic Table) to study self-consistently the electronic structure of Si and Ge and the transition metals Mo and W. For Si and Ge we find that the first-principles pseudopotentials yield valence-band states in good agreement with the empirically adjusted pseudopotential and photoemission data, whereas the low conduction-band states appear to be consistently lower in energy due apparently to incomplete cancellation of the self-interaction effects. The calculated x-ray scattering factors (obtained by core orthogonalization of the pseudo-wave-functions) are in excellent agreement with experiment. The self-consistent valence charge density shows a distinct elongation of the covalent bond along the internuclear axis, in good agreement with the experimentally synthesized density. The systematic deviations of ...

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 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

No abstract prepared.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ketamine-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed in H orientation to far-field 9.3-GHz continuous-wave (CW) and pulsed (2 microseconds 500 pps) radiofrequency radiation (RFR) at average power densities of 30 and 60 mW/sq. cm (whole-body average specific absorption rates of 9.3 and 18.6 W/kg, respectively). Irradiation was conducted to cyclicly increase colonic temperature from 38.5 to 39.5 C. Colonic, tympanic, and subcutaneous temperatures, ECG, blood pressure, and respiratory rate were continuously recorded during experimentation. At both power densities, the subcutaneous and tympanic temperature increases significantly exceeded the colonic temperature increase. At both exposure levels, heart rate increased significantly during irradiation and returned to baseline when exposure was discontinued. Blood pressure and respiratory rate did not significantly change during irradiation. There were no significant differences between the effects ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A series of Model Tests of Embedment Effect on Reactor Buildings has been carried out by the Nuclear Power Engineering Corporation (NUPEC), under the sponsorship of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Japan. Reactor buildings in Japan are partially embedded in general. Therefore, it is important to know how partial embedment affects the vibration characteristics of reactor buildings relating to seismic safety. Laboratory tests were conducted using a ground model made of silicone rubber (Young's modulus 2.3x10"6 Pa, Poisson's ratio 0.484, Density 1.24x 10"3 kg/m3 , Damping ratio 0.01) and a foundation model made of aluminum shown to study the effects of embedment on soil-structure interaction with different backfill types. The ground model is a cylinder, 70 cm high and 300 cm in diameter, with pit where the parallelepiped foundation model with square plan of 30 cm x 30 cm and 18 cm high was placed. Four types of backfill ...

Science.gov (United States)

For commercial use of the entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae and Steinernema feltiae in biological control of insect pests, they are produced in liquid culture on artificial media pre-incubated with their symbiotic bacteria Xenorhabdus nematophila and Xenorhabdus bovienii, respectively. After 1 day of the bacterial culture, nematode dauer juveniles (DJs) are inoculated, which recover development. The adult nematodes produce DJ offspring, which are harvested and can be sprayed. This study determined optimal temperatures to obtain high DJ progeny within a short process time. Temperatures assessed were 23 degrees C, 25 degrees C, 27 degrees C, and 29 degrees C for S. carpocapsae and 20 degrees C, 23 degrees C, 25 degrees C, and 27 degrees C for S. feltiae. The recovery of inoculated DJs was hardly affected and was reduced only in S. carpocapsae at 29 degrees C. The fecundity (eggs in uterus) in S. carpocapsae reached a maximum at 27 degrees C; whereas, ...

Science.gov (United States)

... 44 2. Luminance Power Spectral Density Measurements ..... 44 ... 50 4. Chrominance Power Spectral Density Measurements ..... 53 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Background The identification of sequences that control transcription in metazoans is a major goal of genome analysis. In a previous study, we demonstrated that searching for clusters of predicted transcription factor binding sites could discover active regulatory sequences, and identified 37 regions of the Drosophila melanogaster genome with high densities of predicted binding sites for five transcription factors involved in anterior-posterior embryonic patterning. Nine of these clusters overlapped known enhancers. Here, we report the results of in vivo functional analysis of 27 remaining clusters. Results We generated transgenic flies carrying each cluster attached to a basal promoter and reporter gene, and assayed embryos for reporter gene expression. Six clusters are enhancers of adjacent genes: giant, fushi tarazu, odd-skipped, nubbin, squeeze and pdm2; three drive expression in patterns unrelated to those of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

For the intermetallic system CaCdsub(1-x)Tlsub(x), 0 <= x <= 1, the Knight shift Ksub(s) of the Cd-NMR and the Tl-NMR were calculated as a function of x, Ksub(s) = Ksub(s)(x). The theoretical investigations were performed on the basis of relativistic augmented-plane-wave (RAPW) band-structure calculations for the boundary phases CaCd and CaTl respectively, and by using the rigid band model for the ternary phases. The density of states and the matrix elements of the relativistic hyperfine operator for electron states at the Fermi surface were calculated in detail. The obtained values were compared with nonrelativistic calculations. The effect of using different exchange potentials was studied for Ksub(s)(Tl). For the Cd-NMR the relativistic effects enhance the nonrelativistic results by a factor of about 1.4. The theoretical value for the Knight shift is smaller than the experimental one by a factor of 1.13. The band ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

It needs accurate estimation of radiation level for verifying machinery and cable in Nuclear Power Plant. Therefore, in this study, we used ESR(Electron Spin Resonance) system for estimate dose of Alanine dosimeter. Alanine/ESR dosimetry, already known as a dosimetric method in medical and industrial field, was applied to estimate dose quantity at cable locations within a nuclear power plant as a part of equipment qualification program. Alanine/ESR dosimetry of absorbed dose range is 1 - 100 KGy. The alanine dosimeter is not significantly affected by temperature and fading is limited to 1% per year. The alanine dosimeters were fixed on the targeted cable or nearest position to measure dose quantity to get accurate value. Alanine dosimeters were scanned by commercially used two different ESR systems, e-scan and EMX series for alanine dosimeters. To estimate more accurate dose, two environmental correction factors, irradiation temperature and ...