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 ...

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Abstract The overstory of the jarrah forest is dominated by Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) with a smaller proportion of Marri (Corymbia calophylla). There are also several smaller tree species in the areas where Alcoa mines. Alcoa's restoration aims to restore all these species at densities similar to the unmined forest. This paper describes the establishment, survival, and growth of these trees with particular focus on Jarrah. Factors affecting the growth and form of Jarrah are also discussed. Establishment of Jarrah from seed in restored sites is variable (mean 10%), and once established, survival is high over two summer droughts (96%) and still high (mean 83%) after about a decade regardless of the presence of the Jarrah dieback disease Phytophthora cinnamomi. High establishment densitie...

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In recent years, cobia has become an emerging farmed species in Asia due to its quick growth and high economic value. This study collects biological and economic data affecting the economic performance of cobia farming in three countries, namely Taiwan, China, and Vietnam. The data are collected by questionnaire sampling and analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis in order to compare the key factors affecting the production and economy of cobia farming in these three countries. The results show that Taiwan, China, and Vietnam have significant differences in input intensities and profitability. China has the highest input intensity (3372.42?TWD/m3), as its high stocking density increases feed input. Taiwan has the highest unit input cost (103.44?TWD/kg), as the high quality of the pro...

Science.gov (United States)

Testosterone has bipotential effects on male fitness; that is, it both suppresses immune function and maintains characteristics important for reproductive success. Presumably, these effects of testosterone may be more pronounced among polygynous species because testosterone concentrations are generally higher among polygynous than monogamous males. The present study examined sex and species differences in cell-mediated immunity among four arvicoline rodents. The role of mating system and sex steroids in sex differences in immune function was examined in individually housed polygynous meadow (Microtus pennsylvanicus) and montane (M. montanus) voles and monogamous prairie (M. ochrogaster) and pine (M. pinetorum) voles in Experiment 1. No sex differences in splenocyte proliferation were observed among the four species and circulating testosterone concentrations did not correlate with immune function of individuals within each ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Aging is a biological process that affects most cells, organisms and species. Human aging is associated with increased susceptibility to a variety of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease,...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Mowing a meadow is an example of an equalizing process that reduces differences among species by removing aboveground biomass approximately 5?cm above ground. This regular disturbance that affects all plants prevents competitive exclusion of small species and thus allows coexistence of numerous species differing in shoot size. In this paper we search for the mechanism behind this by comparing the shoot biomass of 41 common species in dry and wet species-rich meadows in mown and recently abandoned plots in June (before mowing) and in October. We asked the following questions: i) Do the plants differ in proportion of biomass lost by mowing? ii) Are the mown plants able to compensate for biomass lost by mowing? iii) Is the compensatory ability of mown plants related to their size? iv) Is the ...

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... 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

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quantitative ecological risk assessment (ERA) is a means whereby the risk posed by a toxicant in any system can be evaluated by comparing the distribution of its measured or modelled concentrations (water quality data (WQD)) with available information on the range of concentrations that are known to adversely affect biota within that, or similar, habitats (dose-response data (DRD)). Initially, the WQD are compared with regulatory criteria (e.g. ANZECC and ARMCANZ, 2000). If they fail this test, then, on the assumption that both data sets comprise subsets of the entire range of concentrations, probability density functions are derived assuming a standard distribution form a typically log-normal. In this paper, AQUARISK has been used to estimate the risk posed by copper in effluent from the Rum Jungle mine site, pre- and post-remediation, and the proportion of taxa likely to be affected in the East Branch (EB) of the Finniss River downstream of ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The association between invasive and native species varies across spatial scales and is affected by phylogenetic relatedness, but these issues have rarely been addressed in aquatic ecosystems. In this study, we used a non-native, highly invasive species of Poaceae (tropical signalgrass) to test the hypotheses that (i) tropical signalgrass success correlates negatively with success of most native species of macrophytes at fine spatial scales, but its success correlates positively or at random with natives at coarse spatial scales, and that (ii) tropical signalgrass is less associated with native species belonging to the family Poaceae than with species belonging to other families (Darwin?s naturalization hypothesis). We used a dataset obtained at fine (0.25?m2) and coarse (ca. 1,000?m2) sca...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The preparation of wood-plastic combinations (WPC) using combined methods for curing intermediate products and final products is described. In the first step, impregnated wood was irradiated using doses of 1 to 10 kGy in the presence of chemical initiators of polymerization. Thereafter, curing of this partly cured impregnating mixture was accomplished in the wood at elevated temperatures with the aid of chemical initiators of polymerization. Impregnation mixtures based on unsaturated polyester resins and methyl methacrylate, and the wood species European Beech (Fagus silvatica) and Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa) were used. The results indicate that this method of preparing WPC allows substantially lower radiation doses to be used, i.e., doses in the range of 1 to 2.5 kGy. These doses gelatinate the impregnation mixture in the wood so that the subsequent curing by chemical polymerization initiators proceeds without the impregnation mixture flowing out of the wood, ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Man-made endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) present a threat to biodiversity, even in remote areas. To date, numerous wildlife species have been affected by EDCs in the environment, but it is likely...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Gas exchange between the plant and the environment is severely hampered when plants are submerged, leading to oxygen and energy deficits. A straightforward way to reduce these shortages of oxygen and...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Models of age-related effects on behavior predict that among short-lived species younger adults are more attractive and attracted to opposite-sex conspecifics than are older adults, whereas...Full Text Available

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

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

B vitamins and polymorphisms in genes coding for enzymes involved in one-carbon metabolism may affect DNA synthesis and methylation and thereby be implicated in carcinogenesis. Previous data on vitamins B2 and B6 and genetic polymorphisms other than those involving MTHFR as risk factors for gastric cancer (GC) are sparse and inconsistent. In this case-control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort, cases (n = 235) and controls (n = 601) were matched for study center, age, sex, and time of blood sampling. B2 and B6 species were measured in plasma, and the sum of riboflavin and flavin mononucleotide was used as the main exposure variable for vitamin B2 status, whereas the sum of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, pyridoxal, and 4-pyridoxic acid was used to define vitamin B6 status. In addition, we determined eight polymorphisms related to one-carbon metabolism. Relative risks for GC ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A mild reduction in mitochondrial respiration extends the life span of many species, including C. elegans. We recently showed that hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is required for...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The Methoprene-tolerant (Met) gene in Drosophila melanogaster has been shown to function in juvenile hormone (JH) action. Met...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coal slurry pH values can be used to characterize coals. pH values depend on the coal, time since slurry preparation, contact with gas atmosphere, particle size, and stirring. Measured values reflect a sequence of reactions including: carbon dioxide absorption by water from the air, wetting of the coal (pH may be affected by the elemental composition of the mineral matter), and further equilibration with species in the water. The pH initially drops as carbon dioxide is absorbed, then rapidly increases as the coal is wetted, and then slowly decreases as some reactions with species in the water take place.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Many species of entomophagous arthropods have been introduced either intentionally (through the practice of biological control) or unintentionally to new regions. We examine interactions of these aliens with their new environments in the context of rapid global change linked to human activity. We consider effects of such interactions on establishment and spread of the alien species and effects on indigenous biota and ecosystems. Major elements of global change that affect alien-environment interactions include landscape modifications by humans (e.g., cultivation, habitat loss and fragmentation) and increases in atmospheric CO2 and other gases resulting in climate change and other effects (e.g., changes in food quality for herbivores that affect higher trophic levels as well). Alien arthrop...

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...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The management programs for invasive species have been proposed and implemented in many regions of the world. However, practitioners and scientists have not reached a consensus on how to control them yet. One reason is the presence of various uncertainties associated with the management. To give some guidance on this issue, we characterize the optimal strategy by developing a dynamic model of invasive species management under uncertainties. In particular, focusing on (i) growth uncertainty and (ii) measurement uncertainty, we identify how these uncertainties affect optimal strategies and value functions. Our results suggest that a rise in growth uncertainty causes the optimal strategy to involve more restrained removals and the corresponding value function to shift up. Furthermore, we also...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

One of the most effective removing processes of iodine species is what is called ''Iodox Process'', which contains oxidation and absorption of iodine species by highly concentrated nitric acid. The result of fundamental test with bubble column in this process had been reported. Present paper describes the fundamental experiment by the use of packed column. This experiment has been carried out to clear the effect of feed gas flow rate, nitric acid flow rate, nitric acid concentration, and methyl iodide concentration on removal efficiency of methyl iodide. The following results were obtained. The decontamination factor of methyl iodide (DF) increases exponentially with nitric acid concentration, which agrees with the result obtained by using the bubble column. The factor is in inverse proportion to feed gas flow rate, and is also almost independent of nitric acid flow rate and methyl iodide concentration. ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Ophthalmologic abnormalities have been described in patients with dementia, but the extent to which poor vision and treatment for visual disorders affect cognitive decline is not well defined. Linked...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

From view on Organization Behavior theory, the concept, development and affecting factors of safety culture are introduced. The focuses are on the establishment, development and management practice for safety culture at Daya Bay NPP. A strong safety culture, also demonstrated, has contributed greatly to improving performance at Daya Bay

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Factors affecting the membrane filtration of food suspensions were studied for 58 foods and 13 membrane filters. Lot number within a brand, pore size (0.45 or 0.8 micrometer), and time elapsed before...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

The report discusses the capabilities of equipment vendors to supply and install the quantity of flue gas desulfurization systems required to meet alternative standards for coal-fired steam generators. It analyzes limiting factors affecting supply capabilities (such as the availa...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting the failure of trials (<50% pain reduction in pain for trial period) to improve success rate of spinal...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diel vertial migrations of the marine dinoflagellates Gonyaulax polyedra Stein and Ceratium furca (Ehr.) Clap. et Lachm, were followed in a laboratory tube (2.02 m x 0.25 m) under a 12:12h light:dark cycle. The effects of temperature stratification, two levels of surface irradiance and nitrogen depletion on patterns of vertical migrations were examined. At temperatures between 22 to 26/sup 0/C with small temperature gradients, both species migrated at a rate of 0.7 to 1.0 mh/sup -1/. Steeper thermoclines (ca. 0.8/sup 0/C 0.1 m/sup -1/) with temperatures below ca. 20/sup 0/C caused a marked decrease in swimming speed which resulted in accumulations of cells in these thermocline regions. Under conditions of nutrient sufficiency both algae migrated into the surface layers at irradiance values of over 1000 ..mu..E m/sup -2/s/sup -1/. Increasing nitrogen depletion caused the downward migration of both algae to commence progressively earlier in the day and before the end ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Increasing salinity has the potential to affect freshwater organisms. Yet sub-lethal effects of salinity on macroinvertebrates are poorly understood. Growth and development of Ischnura heterosticta (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) was experimentally shown to be faster in 5-20 mS/cm than 0.1-1 mS/cm, while in 35 mS/cm all individuals died. In 30 mS/cm about half died and growth was similar to the 0.1 mS/cm treatment. The salinity-growth relationship cannot be explained indirectly, that is salinity affecting the survival of their prey. Tissue content and concentration of Ca, Mg, Na and K in emerged adults showed no evidence of deficiencies at low salinity. Heart beat rate was similar across treatments, except at 35 mS/cm, where it was slower. Respiration and feeding were similar at 0.1, 10 and 30 mS/cm. While there are similarities in I. heterosticta and other species' salinity response, there are differences and studies on more ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The lower condition factors for two catfish species in water heated by effluents from APCo's Glen Lyn, Virginia plant as compared to control areas probably is not due to lack of food as evidenced by macroinvertebrate sampling and the fact that only 4.3 percent of the catfish stomachs were empty. Results suggested that young-of-the-year channel catfish were nonselectively eating food organisms present at both control and heated stations. The difference between stomach contents of flatheat catfish from the heated site and fauna available at that site indicated that fish were either moving out of the heated area to feed or were selectively feeding on organisms (particularly mayflies) which were in the substrate or drifted into the heated area. Stomach contents of the two species and distribution and abundance of the macroinvertebrate benthos community are detailed.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

A variety of stress situations may affect the activity and survival of plant-beneficial pseudomonads added to soil to control root diseases. This study focused on the roles of the sigma factor AlgU...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)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Distinguishing between effects of natural and anthropogenic environmental factors on ecosystems is a fundamental problem in environmental science. In river systems the longitudinal gradient of environmental factors is one of the most relevant sources of dissimilarity between communities that could be confounded with anthropogenic disturbances. To test the hypothesis that in macroinvertebrate communities the distribution of species' sensitivity to organic toxicants is independent of natural longitudinal factors, but depends on contamination with organic toxicants, we analysed the relationship between community sensitivity SPEARorganic (average community sensitivity to organic toxicants) and natural and anthropogenic environmental factors in a large-scale river system, from alpine streams to a lowland river. The results show that SPEARorganic is largely independent of natural ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Dinarmus basalis Rondani (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), an ectoparasitoid of bruchid pests of stored cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata), is a potential biological control agent. We investigated whether grain protectants from Hyptis spicigera and H. suaveolens (Lamiaceae) disturb parasitism and post-embryonic growth of the parasitoid. When cowpeas containing bruchid larvae were treated before being placed in the presence of D. basalis females, the rate of parasitism decreased on average up to 24% and 47% in the presence of, respectively, leaf dry powder and essential oils from both plant species. The estimated larval mortality was higher on treated (9.55 to 28.6%) than on non-treated parasitized hosts (2.8%), depending on the plant species and the plant extract tested. Additional larval mortality wa...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) is a marine species of great economic importance, particularly in Mediterranean aquaculture. However, numerous pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites affect the species, causing various infectious diseases and thereby leading to the most heavy losses in aquaculture production of sea bass. In this respect, knowledge on molecular and genetic mechanisms of resistance to pathogens and specific features of immune response against various infectious agents should greatly benefit the development of effective vaccines and proper vaccination strategies in marker-assisted selection of fish resistant to a range of infections. To date, genetic knowledge on sea bass immune regulatory genes responsible for resistance to pathogens is relatively poor ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Survival and growth of terrestrial plants is negatively affected by complete submergence. This is mainly the result of hampered gas exchange between plants and their environment, since gas diffusion is severely reduced in water compared with air, resulting in O2 deficits which limit aerobic respiration. The continuation of photosynthesis could probably alleviate submergence-stress in terrestrial plants, but its potential under water will be limited as the availability of CO2 is hampered. Several submerged terrestrial plant species, however, express plastic responses of the shoot which may reduce gas diffusion resistance and enhance benefits from underwater photosynthesis. In particular, the plasticity of the flooding-tolerant terrestrial species Rumex palustris turned out to be remarkable,...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The evolution of clinal variation has become a topic widely studied for invasive species. Most studies of this kind have found significant correlations between latitude and various plant traits, usually using univariate analytic methods. However, plants are composed of multiple, interacting traits, and it is this correlation among traits that can affect how quickly or even whether the populations of invasive plants adapt to their local climatic conditions. We used data from a common garden experiment to determine the possible formation of latitudinal clines in invasive North American populations of Lythrum salicaria L. (purple loosestrife) from the central portion of its invasive range. Analyses were conducted using the more common univariate approach (nested and oneway ANOVAs; linear regr...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Endogenous opioid peptides (EOP) are molecules affecting many biological functions influencing productive and reproductive performance. They increase in stress conditions and interact with specific opioidergic receptors (OR): delta, kappa and mu. Several studies in other animal species suggest that they can also affect sperm cell motility. In fish the ionic external environment modulates the increase of intracellular calcium ion that is required to activate sperm motility after spawning. In mammals OR are functionally associated to calcium channels and in fishes calcium is highly required for fish sperm activation. In this study the presence of OR on spermatozoa of two Perciform fish, the sharpsnout seabream (Diplodus puntazzo, family Sparidae) and the European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labr...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Under appropriate conditions, bismuth molybdates can catalyze a number of transformations of olefins with selective oxidation being of particular importance. Experimental evidence suggests that the propylene is activated to an allylic species by a site associated with the Bi and that the oxidation step occurs at an Mo site. In order to address the mechanistic steps associated with these Mo sites. The authors discuss the chemistry of terminal oxo and imido groups. They find that for surface sites such as 1 about, 2 about and 3 about, the presence of two double bonds leads to a much more active species than those with a single multiple bond. This leads to a situation similar to that in olefin metathesis by high oxidation state Mo catalysis where the (spectator) oxo group species promotes formation of the metallacycle intermediate by formation of a partial Mo==O triple bond that stabilizes the intermediate. Calculations ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Immunoassays are versatile analytical techniques that had a leading role in various clinical applications, during the last four decades. The studies carried out by Rosalyn Yalow, Solomon Berson and Roger Ekins in the 1960s gave a breakthrough in the development of this novel analytical method. Sensitivity up to femtomolar concentrations, high specificity and universal application to different classes of molecular species made immunoassay a very useful tool in analytical investigation. The expertise acquired by immunochemists in producing antibodies against any antigen and the ability of radiochemists in labeling the antigens with "1"2"5I without affecting the active site are the two main factors responsible for the above development. There are concerns about the safety and health of humans due to the high-level contamination of environment by pesticides, industrial compounds and metals, anabolic steroids in milk and meat ...

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 ...

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)

The purpose of this research is to clarify how psychological factors' impact on public acceptance of nuclear energy varies with where they live and their degree of knowledge. For this purpose, we carried out questionnaire survey about nuclear energy at three urban areas and two nuclear power plant siting areas. After collecting data, we applied factor analysis to the data, and found four factors which construct cognitive structure of nuclear energy. Using multiple regression analysis, we evaluated the impact of the four factors on two issues: the decision for or against nuclear policy and the reaction to nuclear power plant siting, and compared changes of the impact by where respondents live and their degree of knowledge. Consequently, we found that the impact of all four factors on the two issues varies with where respondents live. We also found that the impact of respondents' ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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 plant siting was ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

During last decade, considerable interest has been focused to assess the influence of human activities on ecosystems. The increasing trend in the atmospheric concentration of CO{sub 2} has been predicted to continue till the next century and the amount of nitrogen deposition in the northern hemisphere has increased markedly. Substantial interest has been focused on predicting how these changes will affect on plants. Most boreal mire ecosystems are dominated by mosses of the genus Sphagnum, the litter of which constitutes the main component in the peat deposits and is an important CO{sub 2} sink via peat formation. Since virtually nothing was known about the growth response of peat mosses to elevated concentrations of CO{sub 2} and alerting changes in species composition were detected in the sensitive ombrotrophic mire vegetation under increased N deposition in central Europe, this study was established. Laboratory experiments focused on ...

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...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Single stage separation factors ..cap alpha.. have been determined for /sup 6/Li and /sup 7/Li between lithium ions in methanol and complexed ions with a cryptand (2 sub(B), 2, 1) polymer. The /sup 6/Li was concentrated in the cryptand. The separation factors were compared with the values of other chemical exchange systems. The maximum enrichment factor obtained was epsilon = 0.047 +- 0.002. The figure is one of the greatest in the chemical exchange reactions without valence change and almost 10 times larger than the values of ion exchangers. The variation in ..cap alpha.. depending on the chemical species was small in the non-aqueous system. High enrichment of lithium isotopes was expected to be achievable by means of the chromatographic application of the cryptand (2 sub(B), 2, 1).

Science.gov (United States)

The health of professional bus drivers is a critical factor in their driving performance; any impairment may lead to undesired consequences. In an attempt to develop and prioritize health and wellness programs, this study investigates the factors significantly affecting the health conditions of professional bus drivers, as well as the strength of these factors. This study uses self-rated health as the examination measurement. This simple assessment is an inclusive measure of health status for judging health trajectory, and is highly associated with changes in functional ability, including perceived control over driving. This study evaluates driver responses of self-rated health with ordered response models that consider factors such as the driver reported health problems, physical and psychological conditions, demographic factors, driving experience, and working ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A new empirical expression is presented for the T/sub c/ of A-15 compounds, T/sub c/ = 210 2R/sub A/-d/sub 0//R/sub B/..sqrt..M/sub A/ x R/sup 3//sub A/g-barZ-bary/sub B//RB/R/sup 3//sub B/n-baray/sub A//R/sub A/, from which the effects of some structural factors on T/sub c/ for high-T/sub c/ superconductors are obvious.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Wood usage for cooking and heating is still very relevant in most developing countries especially those of sub-Saharan Africa and many parts of Asia. Therefore, sustainable means of generating it for this and other purposes are necessary bearing in mind the influence of indigenous knowledge/users perspective on any production method regarding success and sustenance. In conformity with this view, questionnaires were administered on 240 respondents in 8 rural communities of Akinyele and Ido Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Oyo State, Nigeria, to elicit information on species that can be used as fuelwood, preferred by the respondents for incorporation into and/or retention in agroforestry plots, out of which 179 (i.e. 75% of the total number of questionnaires administered) were successfully r...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Nest locations of breeding birds are often spatially clustered. This tendency to nest together has generally been related to a patchy distribution of nesting habitat in landscape studies, but behavioral studies of species with clustered breeding patterns draw attention to the importance of social and biotic factors. Indeed, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the breeding system of many territorial, migrant birds may be semi-colonial. The reasons for, and extent of, spatial clustering in their breeding systems are not well understood. Our goal was to tease apart the influence of habitat availability and social drivers of clustered breeding in a neotropical migrant species, the hooded warbler (Wilsonia citrina). To test alternative hypotheses related to clustered habitat or conspecifi...

Science.gov (United States)

Describes general trends in the quality of rural education: equivalent rural and urban performance on national standardized tests and high school graduation rates but continuing rural deficits in college attendance and teacher qualifications. Discusses the below-average performance of southern rural schools, factors affecting rural students' college attendance, and the influence of changing labor markets. (SV)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A near-field microscope which operates in the rf/microwave frequency range is described. In this microscope, a scanning tunneling microscope (STM)-like tip rather than an aperture is used as a point-like evanescent field emitter. A spatial resolution of {approximately}5 {mu}m ({approximately}{lambda}/100000) is achieved in the current version. The design of the microscope as well as the principal factors which affect its performance are discussed. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The degradation of chlorinated solvents by reduction at the surface of zero-valent metals and bimetallic systems has emerged as an important approach to the in-situ remediation of ground water. Reduction by iron metal was studied in batch and column systems to develop a mechanistic understanding of the reaction chemistry and to determine the factors that affect dechlorination rate and long term performance in field applications.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The ductility of extruded heavy-section Ti-base--Mo--V--Fe--Al alloy was studied. Metallographic evidence for the large effect of grain size on ductility is presented. Fracture was found to occur in large-grain material after less deformation than in smaller grain size specimens.

Wastenet

...food waste recycling schemes; (3) Six in-depth site visits to authorities operating collection schemes in order to capture information on scheme design, operational issues and factors affecting public engagement. The case study areas were: Bexley, Cambridge, Fenland, Hackney, Taunton Deane and Weymouth & Portland;...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

the medium to long freezing range alloys of aluminum such as A356, A357, A206, 319 for example are known to exhibit dispersed porosity, which is recognized as a factor affecting ductility, fracture toughness, and fatigue resistance of light alloy castings. The local thermal environment, for example, temperature gradient and freezing from velocity, affect the mode of solidification which, along with alloy composition, heat treatment, oxide film occlusion, hydrogen content, and the extent to which the alloy contracts on solidification, combine to exert strong effects on the porosity formation in such alloys. In addition to such factors, the availability of liquid metal and its ability to flow through the partially solidified casting, which will be affect by the pressure in the liquid metal, must also be considered. The supply of molten metal will thus be controlled by the volume of ...

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Cryogenic distillation is the main industrial method for separating hydrogen's isotopes, because it presents the advantage of high separating factors and also the possibility of processing great quantities of gases. In the case of multicomponent mixtures the determination of transport for molecular species between the two phases is very difficult owing to the particularities of physical characteristics of each component from the mixture. The transport of molecular species is also strongly influenced by the hydrodynamics of two phases, in strong connection with the dimension of the interface between the vapor and liquid phase. The characteristics of the interface depend on the type and geometry of the separation area: plates or package. The traditional methods of analysis for exchange processes use the concept 'theoretic plate', a physical entity for which the values of concentrations for vapors ...

Science.gov (United States)

This paper addresses the major issues beginning teachers face in their first postings to rural areas in Australia. The issues go beyond pedagogy. Beginning teachers need to understand social factors affecting rural communities so they can link lessons to the realities experienced by students. Geographic isolation affects the provision of education in terms of time taken to travel, cost, terrain, and technology. Rural communities have groups that are socially isolated from each other and from the staff in schools. In order to teach effectively, teachers need to be aware of the social context of the community in which they live and work. Teachers in rural areas suffer from professional isolation and often confront teaching situations for which they have had little formal preparation. Communities in remote places often move quickly to adopt technological means to overcome their isolation. Teachers in rural areas need to ...

Science.gov (United States)

New interest by Australians in the state of rural education requires new understanding of factors affecting rural education and its related issues. Educational programs have not been flexible enough to cope with rural diversity, a key element in the milieu. Standards such as "equality of opportunity" and "uniformity" have been misapplied to rural Australian education, which is made distinctive by the inter-relatedness of many factors. Three dimensions of isolation are discussed: (1) types of isolation (geographic, cultural, social, and professional isolation); (2) ways of coping with isolation (understanding isolation, developing a sense of community, developing awareness of options, training the isolated, application, and technology); and (3) conditions affecting educational changes in isolated communities (social and political climate, pedagogy, finance, and incentives for change). All these concerns ...

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The small pilot facility of a cyclone type suspension incineration system of radioactive waste was set up in order to evaluate the decontamination efficiency of a high efficiency ceramic filter. The evaluation was made by use of /sup 54/Mn, /sup 59/Fe, /sup 60/Co, /sup 65/Zn and /sup 137/Cs. 1. The decontamination factor by one line of ceramic filter for every species were over 10/sup 5/. 2. The decontamination factor increased by one oder when water vapor exists in off-gas. The same tendency was also observed when iron dioxide existed at the incineration of cation exchange resin.

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A computationally efficient dynamic adaptive chemistry (DAC) scheme is described that permits on-the-fly mechanism reduction during reactive flow calculations. The scheme reduces a globally valid full mechanism to a locally, instantaneously applicable smaller mechanism. Previously we demonstrated its applicability to homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) problems with n-heptane [L. Liang, J.G. Stevens, J.T. Farrell, Proc. Combust. Inst. 32 (2009) 527-534]. In this work we demonstrate the broader utility of the DAC scheme through the simulation of HCCI and shock tube ignition delay times (IDT) for three gasoline surrogates, including two- and three-component blends of primary reference fuels (PRF) and toluene reference fuels (TRF). Both a detailed 1099-species mechanism and a skeletal 150-species mechanism are investigated as the full mechanism to explore the impact of fuel complexity on the DAC scheme. For all conditions studied, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This publication identifies conditions which affect (either increase or decrease) public concern for and political acceptance of the development and implementation of programmes for geological disposal of long lived radioactive waste. It also looks at how interested citizens can be associated in the decision making process in such a way that their input enriches the outcome of a more socially robust and sustainable solution. The publication also considers how to optimize risk management, addressing the needs and expectations of the public and of other relevant stakeholders. Factors of relevance for societal acceptance conditions are identified for the different stages of a repository programme and implementation process, from policy development to the realization of the repository itself. Further, they are described and analysed through case studies from several countries, illustrating the added value of broadening the technical dimension with ...

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)

Recent work has shown that natural hydrocarbon emissions can significantly affect the levels of urban and regional tropospheric ozone. We report on the reactivities of these biogenic trace gases, particularly isoprene, focusing on their importance in the production of aldehydes and peroxy radicals, leading to increased levels of hydrogen over regional forests. Hydrogen peroxide can lead to the wet oxidation of sulfur dioxide to acidic sulfate in aerosols, fogs, and clouds. In turn, acidic sulfate can act to as a light scattering aerosol and a source of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), potentially leading to global cooling. Aerosol sulfate and other dissolved organic and inorganic compounds can also play important roles as a greenhouse species in the lower troposphere.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract: Thorough evaluation has made the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List the most widely used and accepted authority on the conservation status of biodiversity. Although the system used to determine risk of extinction is rigorously and objectively applied, the list of threatening processes affecting a species is far more subjectively determined and has not had adequate review. I reviewed the threats listed in the IUCN Red List for randomly selected groups within the three most threatened orders of mammals: Artiodactyla, Carnivora, and Primates. These groups are taxonomically related and often ecologically similar, so I expected they would suffer relatively similar threats. Hominoid primates and all other terrestrial fauna faced similar threats, except for b...

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The human articular cartilagineous proteoglycans (PG) R.I.A. is highly specific. The PG used as the standard and the /sup 125/I labelled molecule appear to be pure. Under these conditions, all the potential interfering substances which have been tested show no cross reaction. For instance, the Ag-Ab equilibrium is not affected by adding human IgG, human albumin, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, rat type II collagen or total human serum proteins. This R.I.A. also exhibits a species spcificity since there is no cross reaction with rat PG and negligible cross section with dog PG. The results obtained after addition of enzymes to the antigen demonstrate that the antigenic sites are localized on the protein region and not on the glycosaminoglycan region of the molecule.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Summary 1.-The modules of plants experience different levels of resources, and clonal plants can integrate resource heterogeneity. However, no studies have tested whether the benefits of clonal integration depend on patterns of heterogeneity in multiple resources, like high levels of above-ground and below-ground resources in the same patches (-coincident patchiness-) or different patches (-reciprocal patchiness-). 2.-We hypothesized that the benefits of clonal integration can vary depending on whether patchiness is reciprocal or coincident, and that clonal species experience greater benefits from integration when qualitative patterns of resource heterogeneity are more like those likely to occur in their habitats. To test these hypotheses, we grew pairs of connected ramets of Cynodon dacty...

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Turbulent premixed methane-air combustion in a cylindrical chamber is numerically simulated considering radiation effect. Reaction rates are considered as minimum rates between Arrhenius rates and eddy break up rates. A five step reduced mechanism is used. Turbulent modeling is done via standard k-{epsilon} model imposed by empirical inlet boundary conditions. Source terms of energy equation consist of reaction rates and radiation effects. The discrete ordinate method (DOM) is employed to solve the radiative transfer equation (RTE) and the weighted sum of gray gas model (WSGGM) is imposed to consider radiation effect of non-gray gases. The results indicate that in the case of turbulent combusting flows, the effect of radiation of gases can affect the temperature and species concentrations. The numerical results obtained considering radiation effect are closer to the experimental data than that of the case without radiation effect. (author)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Enterococci are mostly isolated from urinary tract infections (UTIs). Increasing antibiotic resistance affects the success rate in empirical treatment, thus makes antibiotic susceptibility tests important. The aim of this study was to determine the species distribution and resistance patterns of Enterococcus strains isolated from urine samples to antibacterial agents including fosfomycin in a teaching hospital, Istanbul. The identification of 100 Enterococcus strains were determined by using conventional methods and API 20 Strep (bioMerieux France). The susceptibility testing was performed by disk diffusion and Etest. The majority of isolates were E. faecalis (67%), followed by E. faecium (33%). The ratio of E. faecalis to E. faecium was 2.03/1. E. faecalis and E. faecium strains were resi...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Coral populations have precipitously declined on Caribbean reefs while algal abundance has increased, leading to enhanced competitive damage to corals, which likely is mediated by the potent allelochemicals produced by both macroalgae and benthic cyanobacteria. Allelochemicals may affect the composition and abundance of coral-associated microorganisms that control host responses and adaptations to environmental change, including susceptibility to bacterial diseases. Here, we demonstrate that extracts of six Caribbean macroalgae and two benthic cyanobacteria have both inhibitory and stimulatory effects on bacterial taxa cultured from the surfaces of Caribbean corals, macroalgae, and corals exposed to macroalgal extracts. The growth of 54 bacterial isolates was monitored in the presence of l...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

T-2 toxin, a highly toxic member of the type-A trichothecenes, is produced by various Fusarium moulds that can potentially affect human health. It is strongly cytotoxic for human hematopoietic progenitors. Alimentary toxic aleukia (ATA), a disease typically associated with human, is primarily induced by T-2 toxin. A comparison of the metabolism of T-2 toxin incubated with hepatocytes of rats, piglets, chickens, and the hepatic subcellular fractions (microsomes and cytosol) of piglets, chickens, rats, and carp (common carp and grass carp) was carried out. The activities of the recombinant pig CYP3A29 on the transformation of T-2 and HT-2 toxins were preliminary studied. Metabolites were identified by novel LC/MS-IT-TOF. Qualitative similarities and differences across the species were observ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The economic attractiveness and negative environmental impact of nitrogen (N) fertilization in pastures depend on the N use efficiency in the soil-plant system. However, the recovery of urea-{sup 15}N by Panicum maximum cv. Tanzania pastures, one of the most widely used forage species in intensified pastoral systems, is still unknown. This experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with four treatments (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg ha-1 of N-urea) and three replications, to determine the recovery of {sup 15}N urea by Tanzania grass. Forage production, total N content and N yield were not affected by fertilization (p > 0.05), reflecting the high losses of applied N under the experimental conditions. The recovery of {sup 15}N urea (% of applied N) in forage and roots was not affected by fertilization levels (p > 0.05), but decreased exponentially in the soil and soil-plant system (p < 0.05) ...

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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 ...

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 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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 ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Three simulated low-level reactor wastes were dried using a spray dryer-baghouse system. The three aqueous feedstocks were sodium sulfate waste characteristic of a BWR, boric acid waste characteristic of a PWR, and a waste mixture of ion exchange resins and filter aid. These slurries were spiked with nonradioactive iron, cobalt, and manganese (representing corrosion products) and nonradioactive cesium and iodine (representing fission products). The throughput for the 2.1-m-diameter spray dryer and baghouse system was 160-180 kg/h, which is comparable to the requirements for a full-scale commercial installation. A free-flowing, dry product was produced in all of the tests. The volume reduction factor ranged from 2.5 to 5.8; the baghouse decontamination factor was typically in the range of 10"3 to 10"4. Using an overall system decontamination factor of 10"6, the activity of the off-gas was calculated to be one to two orders ...

Science.gov (United States)

Metabolic engineering of photosynthetic organisms is required for utilization of light energy and for reducing carbon emissions.Control of transcriptional regulators is a powerful approach for changing cellular dynamics, because a set of genes is concomitantly regulated. Here, we show that overexpression of a group 2 ? factor, SigE, enhances the expressions of sugar catabolic genes in the unicellular cyanobacterium, Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Transcriptome analysis revealed that genes for the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway and glycogen catabolism are induced by overproduction of SigE. Immunoblotting showed that protein levels of sugar catabolic enzymes, such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, glycogen phosphorylase, and isoamylase, are increased. Glycogen levels are reduced in the SigE-overexpressing strain grown under light. Metabolome analysis revealed that metabolite levels of the TCA cycle and acetyl-CoA are ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Extensive investigations and detailed analysis of the failure reason of 9DVN002ZV fan in Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station showed that the fan destroy was caused by the failure of non-drive end bear. The direct cause of this bearing' failure was its improper assembly caused by improper maintenance procedure, and the root cause was too small internal radial clearance after mounting. The factor affecting bearing internal radial clearance, the relationship between clearance and operating life time and fan failure process were discussed. (authors)

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper presents a survey on public preferences in SE England for the use of wind, biomass and nuclear power in electricity generation. Using a labelled CE the perceived importance (value) to the public of distance and the energy options' impacts on biodiversity, emissions, land occupation and household cost was explored. Results suggest that impacts, technology name, demographic characteristics, attitudes towards the environment, knowledge and experience with the technologies were significant choice determinants. Considering the current debate about the development of nuclear power and biomass in UK and worldwide, this survey provides an insight into the factors affecting public acceptability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The sensitivity of the primary circuit material was examined at the Mochovce and Dukovany NPPs. No significant sensitivity of the base material or the weld metal to the initiation of corrosion cracking was observed. Thermal aging was found to accelerate significantly the corrosion fatigue kinetics in the material of the heat affected zone. The threshold values of the double amplitudes of the stress intensity factor were below 8 MPa/m"2 for the materials examined, with a cycle asymmetry coefficient of 0.65. The tests revealed no appreciable sensitivity to general corrosion, pitting, or intergranular corrosion. (J.B.). 7 tabs., 26 figs., 11 refs.

Science.gov (United States)

Computer simulations of agricultural finance and management may be helpful to students preparing for agricultural careers. Simulations would provide problem definition and problem solving in realistic interactions with complex and ambiguous situations similar to those encountered in farming. The paper describes a major financial problem for farmers, explores the implications of that problem for students, and outlines a computer-based simulation model which would give students experience in dealing with the problem. Data sources for simulations, potentials of interactive exercises among students, and advantages of using real data with existing ambiguities are described. The board game "AGRICULTURE" is discussed as a prototype for simulation. (LFL)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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.).

Science.gov (United States)

The global spread of HIV and AIDS has presented a major threat to development, affecting the health of the poor and many aspects of social and economic development. The greatest impact of the epidemic has been felt in sub-Saharan Africa, and Zambia ranks among the worst hit countries. The Free Basic Education Policy in Zambia upholds the right of all children to a universal basic education. This study explored staff and student perceptions of the impact of the epidemic on access to, and the quality of, basic education for AIDS-affected children, orphans and other vulnerable children (OVCs) in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia, where the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate ranges from 34 to 40%, and life expectancy has dropped to 33 years. Data were collected from education personnel in six districts of the Copperbelt with the highest prevalence of HIV and AIDS and from staff and students in six schools. The data indicated a range of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

To evaluate the success rates, long-term patency rates and factors affecting the patency rates of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty(PTA) and thrombolysis in the management of insufficient access during hemodialysis. Between January 1991 and March 1995, 37 insufficient shunts(23 native fistulae and 14 graft fistulae) were treated in 31 patients. PTA was performed in 24 shunts, and thrombolysis in 13;in seven of these latter, thrombolysois was followed by PTA. The success and long-term patency rates of PTA and thrombolysis were evaluated. Shunts were subdivided according to a patient's age, type and age of the shunt, and number and length of the stenosis, and the degree of residual stenosis and in each subgroup, patency rates was compared. The overall success rate of PTA and thrombolysis for insufficient hemodialytic access was 78.4%(29/37). The success rates of PTA and thrombolysis were 91.7%(22/24) and 53.8%(7/13), respectively. ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

In recent years, Clostridium species have rapidly reemerged as human and animal pathogens. The detection and identification of pathogenic Clostridium species...Full Text Available

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 ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The X-band EPR spectra of unirradiated and "6"0 Co gamma ray irradiated cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum L. Maton, Zingiberaceae), ginger ((Zingiber officinale Rosc., Zingiberaceae), saffron (Crocus sativus L., Iridaceae), and curry have been investigated at room temperature. All unirradiated spices presented a weak resonance line with g-factors around free-electron ones, most probably due to the presence of semiquinones, previously reported to have paramagnetic properties. After gamma ray irradiation at absorbed dose up to 11.3 kGy we have noticed in all spices the presence of complex EPR spectra consisting of a superposition of at last two different paramagnetic species whose amplitude increase monotonously with the absorbed dose. A 100 deg. C isothermal annealing of 11.3 kGy irradiated samples has shown a differential reduction of amplitude of various components that form the initial spectra, but even after 5 h of thermal treatment, the ...

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We describe a model of damage in rf cavities and show how this damage can limit cavity operation. We first present a review of mechanisms that may or may not affect the ultimate fields that can be obtained in rf cavities, assuming that mechanical stress explains the triggers of rf breakdown events. We present a method of quantifying the surface damage caused by breakdown events in terms of the spectrum of field enhancement factors, Beta, for asperities on the surface. We then model an equilibrium that can develop between damage and conditioning effects, and show how this equilibrium can determine cavity performance and show experimental evidence for this mechanism. We define three functions that quantify damage, and explain how the parameters that determine this performance can be factored out and measured. We then show how this model can quantitatively explain the dependence of cavity performance on material, frequency, ...

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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 chitinase seems to be present in high activities ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Invasive species pose serious threats to community structure and ecosystem function worldwide. The impacts of invasive species can be more pervasive than simple reduction of species numbers. By using...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The nitrogen content of 10 medicinal plant species has been determined by fast-neutron activation analysis (FNAA). Correction factors for the effects of the /sup 16/O(p,..cap alpha..)/sup 13/N knock-on proton-induced reaction and the (n,2n) reactions, which produce interfering positron-emitting radionuclides, have also been determined. The total relative interference from the /sup 16/O(p,..cap alpha..)/sup 13/N and (n,2n) reactions of K, Cl, Fe and Br was found to be 5.1 to 32.1% for the plant samples.

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, fuel efficiency and power output of the ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The treatment of Be-contaminated wastewater has been paid little attention, although beryllium (Be) and its compounds are of high toxicity. In this research, aerobic granule was for the first time introduced to remove Be from aqueous solution. Influencing factors including reaction time, initial Be concentration, pH, biosorbent dosage, and coexistent metal ions (Cd, Cu, and Fe) were investigated in batch experiments. The aerobic granule, characterized by element analysis and CLSM, was abundant in carboxyl, phosphoryl, amine and hydroxyl groups. Potentiometric titration experiment demonstrated that the pH effect on biosorption depended on the surface charge of granule (pHzpc=2.4) and the species of Be (Be^2^+, Be(OH)^+, and Be(OH)2) in solution. The coexistent metal ions would either inhibi...

Science.gov (United States)

... of species extinctions in around the world if global warming continues unabated, according to a new study published ... ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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%, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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)

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. ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The performance of larger than bench scale ion exchange systems is evaluated by using solutions containing trace amounts of "1"3"7Cs, "8"5Kr, and "1"3"1I, and large amounts of either NaCl or Na_2HPO_4, H_3BO_3, and LiOH. The significant finding in this study is that the empirical rules of ionic selectivity of strong acid cation and strong base anion resins were followed by all ionic species, even though concentrations of some macrocomponents were nearly 10"6 times those of trace components. Other results of possible importance are the correlation between the instantaneous decontamination factor (DF) and the efficiency of column exchange capacity utilization, and the concept of time average decontamination factor (anti DF). The plot of anti DF vs. feed throughput will serve as a guide in determining when the feed should be discontinued in order to achieve a desired anti DF. Both of these correlations are derived from the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The ruthenium decontamination factor in Purex process falls quickly with recycles of TBP. So it is necessary to change the chemical states of RuNO complexes in order to improve DF_R_u in the uranium purification cycle. The retention of RuNO complexes in TBP-kerosenelaurohydroxamic acid is observed to be quite large in our previous work. Therefore, water-soluble short chain hydroxamic acid is used as complexing agent to decrease the distribution coefficient of Ru. Hydroxamic acid can transform RuNO complexes into in-extractable species by TBP-kerosene in certain conditions. The result of cascade experiment indicates that the ruthenium decontamination can be increased by a factor of 40-50. Acidity has more influence on the effect of pretreatment. The higher acidity is, the worse the effect will be. The pretreatment is first carried out in low acidic solution, then extractive acidity is increased. In this way, the distribution ...

Science.gov (United States)

It is currently unclear if the potential for West Nile virus transmission by mosquito vectors in the eastern United States is related to landscape or climate factors or both. We compared abundance of vector species between urban and suburban neighborhoods of Henrico County, VA, in relation to the following factors: temperature, precipitation, canopy cover, building footprint, and proximity to drainage infrastructure. Mosquitoes were collected throughout the 2005, 2006, and 2007 seasons and tested for West Nile virus (WNV) in pools of 10-50. Test results of mosquito pools were compared to average site abundance from 37 sites in Henrico County, VA; abundance was then examined in relation to ecological variables. Urban infrastructure was positively correlated with the abundance of Culex pipiens L./Cx. restuans, and our findings implicate combined sewer overflow systems as large contributors to Culex vector populations. No ...

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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 ...

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 ...

CERN Document Server

This study compares the spatial characteristics of industrial R&D networks to those of public research R&D networks (i.e. universities and research organisations). The objective is to measure the impact of geographical separation effects on the constitution of cross-region R&D collaborations for both types of collaboration. We use data on joint research projects funded by the 5th European Framework Programme (FP) to proxy cross-region collaborative activities. The study area is composed of 255 NUTS-2 regions that cover the EU-25 member states (excluding Malta and Cyprus) as well as Norway and Switzerland. We adopt spatial interaction models to analyse how the variation of cross-region industry and public research networks is affected by geography. The results of the spatial analysis provide evidence that geographical factors significantly affect patterns of industrial R&D collaboration, while in the public ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This document describes the contents of a digital climatological data set that may be used by raster or vector geographic information systems (GISs). The primary focus of the data set is the quantification of the occurrence of synoptic storms and other climatological factors that affect coastlines. However, recent demands for new and/or improved climatologies of storm events as well as an increase in the availability of source data have made it useful to extend the domain of most of the data variables to that of regional and/or global coverage. The expansion of the data makes the data set applicable in several areas of climatic research. The data set contains eight data groups. Spatial coverage of data varies by data group. All data groups except one are referred to 1{degree} {times} 1{degree} or 5{degree} {times} 5{degree} grid cells of latitude and longitude. (Data group (3) is referenced by state.) 19 refs., 12 figs., 26 tabs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A set of equations describing a stress-mediated evolution of the nonequilibrium dopant-defect system has been derived and analyzed. Together with coupled diffusion of dopant atoms and point defects, we consider the drift of all mobile species in different charge states, namely vacancies, self-interstitials, and pairs 'dopant atom-point defect', in the field of stress. It has been shown that stresses may affect the diffusion of dopant atoms mainly in two ways: (1) directly, due to the drift of the pairs in the field of stress; (2) indirectly, by the formation of nonuniform defect distribution due to the drift of point defects. On this basis, various features of doping processes, such as phenomena of 'uphill' impurity diffusion near the surface (within the framework of the first or second mechanisms) and the peculiarities of high concentration phosphorus diffusion (due to the second mechanism), can be explained. Numerical computations of high ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This is the final report of a two-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This project has examined the fundamental chemistry of plutonium that affects the integration of hydrothermal technology into nuclear materials processing operations. Chemical reactions in high temperature water allow new avenues for waste treatment and radionuclide separation.Successful implementation of hydrothermal technology offers the potential to effective treat many types of radioactive waste, reduce the storage hazards and disposal costs, and minimize the generation of secondary waste streams. The focus has been on the chemistry of plutonium(VI) in solution with carbonate since these are expected to be important species in the effluent from hydrothermal oxidation of Pu-containing organic wastes. The authors investigated the structure, solubility, and stability of the key plutonium complexes. ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laboratory dose-response experiments with organophosphate and pyrethroid pesticides, and dose-response experiments with increasing particle loads were used to determine which of these stressors were likely responsible for the toxicity and macroinvertebrate impacts previously observed in the Salinas River. Experiments were conducted with the amphipod Hyalella azteca, the baetid mayfly Procloeon sp., and the midge Chironomus dilutus (Shobanov, formerly Chironomus tentans). The results indicate the primary stressor impacting H. azteca was pesticides, including chlorpyrifos and permethrin. The mayfly Procloeon sp. was sensitive to chlorpyrifos and permethrin within the range of concentrations of these pesticides measured in the river. Chironomus dilutus were sensitive to chlorpyrifos within the ranges of concentrations measured in the river. None of the species tested were affected by turbidity as high as 1000 NTUs. The current study shows that ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The nature of the electrolyte strongly influences the electrode kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and electrochemical ozone production (EOP) mainly by affecting the degree of coverage by the intermediates of both processes. The anomalous behaviour of the Tafel coefficient, b, as a function of temperature was attributed to surface adsorption of the electrolyte species, and the competition between them, as well as gas bubble adherence. Comparison of the current efficiencies of the EOP, PHI_E_O_P, determined for different temperatures and supporting electrolyte compositions, showed the presence of fluorinated anions increases PHI_E_O_P. The influence of the anion nature on PHI_E_O_P, when analysed in the light of the proposed electrode mechanism, reveals introduction into the electrolyte of anions having a high electronegativity changes the double layer structure resulting in an increase of surface concentration of the active centres ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Microwaves can produce sensations of warmth and sound in humans. In other species, they also can serve as cues, they may be avoided, and they can disrupt ongoing behavior. These actions appear to be due to heat produced by energy absorption. The rate of absorption depends on the microwave parameters and the electrical and geometric properties of the subject. We therefore, cannot predict the human response to microwaves based on data from other animals without appropriate scaling considerations. At low levels of exposure, microwaves can produce changes in behavior without large, or even measureable, changes in body temperature. Thermoregulatory behavior may respond to those low levels of heat, and thereby affect other behavior occurring concurrently. There are no data that demonstrate that behavioral effects of microwaves depend on any mechanism other than reactions to heat. Our interpretation of whether a reported behavioral effect indicates ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Removal of radioactive ions was studied from low and medium level radioactive waste solutions by electrodialysis using ion exchange membranes. The test solutions contained "1"3"7Cs"+, "1"0"6Ru"3"+ or fission products (F.P.) as active ions and NaCl, Na_2SO_4 or Ca(NO_3)_2 as inactive coexisting salts. The decontamination factor of the active ions was in the order: "1"3"7Cs"+ (greater than 99%) > "9"0Sr"2"+ > F.P. > "1"0"6Ru"3"+. The dialysis time required to attain the saturation was the shortest for monovalent cations K"+, Cs"+ and Na"+, intermediate for divalent cation Sr"2"+, and the longest for trivalent cation Ru"3"+. The ratio of the decontamination factor of an active ion eta sub( a) to the desalination factor of an inactive ion eta sub( b) was nearly equal to unity for "2"4Na, "4"2K, "1"3"7Cs and "9"0Sr. On the other hand, the apparent selective permeability of an active ion (A"+) against Na"+ ion, T ...

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There are many factors affecting diffusion bonding in order to obtain high quality joining. Therefore, in the beginning, we constructed diffusion bonding model based on void growth mechanism to predict bonding pressures and times. In addition, in order to compare theoretical values with experimental values, diffusion bonding tests were carried out by using commercial AZ31 magnesium alloy sheets with different grain sizes, 16 and 130 {mu}m. The present AZ31 alloys were successfully diffusion bonded at several conditions, and the bonding strength was more than 0.8 of each parent materials. The experimental bonding conditions in high quality joining, times and pressures, were good agreed with prediction analysis. (orig.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) analysis of the correlations between initial brain uptake and structure parameters, for example lipophilicity F_r, molar refractivity MR and electronic parameters #sigma#_1 of the "9"9Tc"m-N_2S_2 complexes have been studied with multiple regression analysis method. The main structural factors which affect the initial brain uptake of this kind of brain imaging agents have been discussed. The results may give some theoretical information for designing new brain imaging agents

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the world of pipeline maintenance, there are pigs and there are intelligent pigs. Intelligent pigs, when launched into a pipeline, carry instrumentation onboard which enables them to gather and record information about problems such as denting, corrosion, and cracking. More basic pigs, on the other hand, look after the routine internal maintenance chores such as cleaning and swabbing, or else perform operational duties such as batching different types of product along the line. The harsh environment in which pigs often operate is described. Aside from the mechanical shocks they undergo when passing welds, bends, and other fittings, they may have to contend with hostile conditions such as hydrogen sulfide environments. High pressure is another factor to consider. In crude oil lines, significant paraffin deposits also can cause problems if they affect the sensors ability to maintain good contact with the pipe wall. In spite of these ...

ScienceCinema

...global warming um ? know he's been right into our our ...who was a little bit about global warming and cooling ...global warming ...america uh we can help ? global warming and reduce the demand for electricity and and ...now means that those who immediately combat global warming ? ...global warming ...global warming ...global warming by ...we ? in terms of the contribution to global warming is a small i mean anything else ...global warming and ...among scientists are speaking out about global warming the only thing they really talk about a year to ...the other factors that affect global warming and i i just feel that ...problem of global warming would have to ...global warming ...global warming ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Improved radionuclide generator include a substantially insoluble salt of a radioactive parent which may be directly packed in column for subsequent elution of the daughter radionuclide. An improved 188Re generator was prepared by reacting a radioactive tungsten (188W) as parent radionuclide incorporated with aluminum chloride to obtain an insoluble radioactive aluminum tungstate matrix. The investigated matrix was characterized on the basis of the chemical composition, IR, thermal analysis and mechanical stabilities. The factors affecting the elution performance were studied such as influence of pH, molar ratio and drying temperature. From the obtained data, the molar ratio W:Al was 1.5:1 at pH?=?4, the matrix dried at 105??C for 2 h. Chromatographic and multichannel analysis has been cur...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A novel composite charged mosaic membrane (CCMM) was prepared via interfacial polymerization (IP) of polyamine [poly(epichlorohydrin amine)] and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) on the polyethersulfone (PES) support. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle analysis were applied to characterize the resulted CCMM. The FT-IR spectrum indicates that TMC reacts sufficiently with polyamine. ESEM and AFM pictures show that the IP process produces a dense selective layer on the support membrane. The water contact angle of the CCMM is smaller than that of the substrate membrane because of the cross-linked hydrophilic polyamine network. Several factors affecting the IP reaction and the performan...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Objectives Vietnamese patients? views on healthcare are changing as surgical interventions become more commonplace, but their views on perioperative care have remained largely unstudied during this period of rapid change. This study assesses Vietnamese patients? impression of anesthesia safety and postoperative pain in relation to clinical outcomes with the aim of improving patient-centered perioperative care. Methods The study cohort consisted of 180 hospitalized patients who were followed for 24?h following abdominal surgery. The assessments of these patients on the use of anesthesia and postoperative pain were measured by means of a 5-point Likert scale survey. Perioperative events were recorded on standardized forms by medical staff. The relationship between relevant factors affecting ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A central composite design was employed to optimize the extraction of pectin with citric acid. The independent variables were citric acid concentration (0.086-2.91% w/v) and extraction time (17-102min). The combined effect of these variables on the degree of esterification was investigated. Results have shown that the generated regression models adequately explained the data variation and significantly represented the actual relationship between the independent variables and the responses. Besides that, the citric acid concentration was the most important factor to affect the degree of esterification, as it exerted a significant influence on the dependent variable. Lower citric acid concentration increased the pectin degree of esterification. The surface response showed the relationships b...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In this study, Nylon 66/Polyester (Ny 66/PET) hybrid cord design and production was investigated to obtain new cord with better performance than conventional cord. The factors affecting cord properties and cord production process were examined. Taguchi design of experiment method was implemented in order to minimize the required number of experiments. Different sets of 4 reference cords conventionally used in tyre industry were prepared and resorcinol-formaldehyde-latex (RFL) treated in order to make a comparison of performance. Mechanical and thermal properties of hybrid cords were measured and compared with the values of reference cords. It was found that the twist level of high modulus PET component in the hybrid cords should be the same or above of the nylon in order to obtain maximum ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

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

Science.gov (United States)

To quantify the opportunities for natural gas and identify technological advances needed to capture such opportunities, the mineral-wool industry was analyzed with respect to the principal companies, their capabilities, and markets. The mineral-wool industry is stable with a slightly declining market. Of its market segments, only commercial acoustic insulation (which is currently dominant) is likely to be affected by growth in the next ten years. The principal process is based on treatment of blast-furnace slags in a cupola furnace using coke as the fuel and reducing agent. Expanded use of gas, as a substitute for coke, would eliminate environmental problems and expand the latitude of suitable raw materials. The study provides insights into the mineral-wool industry and identifies factors that may constitute bases for future usage of natural gas.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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 alphy 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)

The Sulige gas field and the Yulin gas field are located in the north of the Ordos Basin. Reservoir pressure in the Sulige area is subnormal, whereas reservoirs in the Yulin area have normal hydrostatic pressure. This paper provides an explanation of this difference. The characteristics of reservoir sediment and formation water chemistry in the gas reservoirs of these two areas were analyzed. The results showed that both reservoirs have good sealing ability. Data of numerical simulation showed that tectonic uplift resulted in a great reduction in formation pressure in the northern Ordos Basin during the late Cretaceous period, and the decrease was greater in the Yulin gas field than in the Sulige gas field. However, because the total hydrocarbon-generating intensity of the Sulige area (<24...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A linear diffusion model serves as the basis for determination of an effective radon diffusion coefficient in concrete. The coefficient was needed to later allow quantitative prediction of radon accumulation within and behind concrete walls after application of an impervious radon barrier. A resolution of certain discrepancies noted in the literature in the use of an effective diffusion coefficient to model diffusion of a radioactive gas through a porous medium is suggested. An outline of factors expected to affect the concrete physical structure and the effective diffusion coefficient of radon through it is also presented. Finally, a field method for evaluating effective radon diffusion coefficients in concrete is proposed and results of measurements performed on a concrete foundation wall are compared with similar published values of gas diffusion coefficients in concrete. (author).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Purpose: The DBA/2J mice have been used as an animal model for human pigmentary glaucoma. However, these mice develop various degrees of disease symptoms at different ages, making it difficult to detect pathological changes of retinal degeneration at glaucoma onset. The purpose of this study is to develop a non-invasive assay to identify individual mice that develop visual deficits. Materials and Methods: We apply two behavioral tests, a swimming test of visual discrimination and a test of optomotor response, to identify glaucomatous DBA/2J mice. We then examine whether the elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP), the common risk factor for glaucoma, affects visual performances of the DBA/2J mice. We further compare the retinal ganglion cell death, one of the signature glaucoma symptoms, i...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An overview of climatic factors and impact relative to river ice engineering and science is presented. An explanation of the fundamentals of climatic change is followed by a review of direct and indirect climatic influences that govern river ice breakup and related trends. Known responses of river ice to climatic change and potential future changes to ice breakup processes are described along with the probable ecological and socio-economic consequences of these changes. Changes in engineering approaches to accommodate the present ice regime and predicted changes in climatic variables that affect river ice processes and reduce the vulnerability of infrastructure and ecosystems to climatic change are examined. Future research on the links between river ice and stream ecology is suggested to identify ecological concerns that may result from changes in river ice regimes induced by climatic change. 60 refs., 3 figs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The emittances of hydrogen and deuterium negative ion beams produced by volume ion sources have been measured in a transverse plane normal to the beam trajectory. The extraction voltage was varied from 10 to 40 kV, and the transverse magnetic field in the Penning discharges was varied from 0.1 to 0.2 T. Measurements were made on beams with current densities up to 60 mA/cm/sup 2/ at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with an emittance scanner originally developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The beam profile at the scanner can be used to improve the accuracy of the emittance measurements. Other factors affecting emittance measurements are discussed. This analysis may be applicable to other ion sources. 6 figs.

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)

Tree growth is mainly regulated by nitrogen (N) availability. Many plants exhibit enhanced growth and increased biomass or net primary productivity when exposed to higher atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO_2), as N metabolism is regulated by signals that are derived from CO_2 metabolism. This study estimated N use by trees of 3 poplar species exposed for 3 years to free air CO_2 enrichment (FACE) in order to determine if CO_2 treatment affected the future N availability of the plantation. N uptake of fine roots and litter was measured throughout the first crop rotation. Results were then related to previously published variations in soil N content during the same period. Retranslocation from green leaves was studied, as well as processes determining N mobilization and immobilization. The study showed that elevated CO_2 concentrations significantly increased N-use efficiency, and decreased N concentrations in most plant tissues. However, ...

Science.gov (United States)

The simultaneous diffusion of Si and the dopants B, P, and As has been studied by the use of a multilayer structure of isotopically enriched Si. This structure, consisting of 5 pairs of 120 nm thick natural Si and {sup 28}Si enriched layers, enables the observation of {sup 30}Si self-diffusion from the natural layers into the {sup 28}Si enriched layers, as well as dopant diffusion from an implanted source in an amorphous Si cap layer, via Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). The dopant diffusion created regions of the multilayer structure that were extrinsic at the diffusion temperatures. In these regions, the Fermi level shift due to the extrinsic condition altered the concentration and charge state of the native defects involved in the diffusion process, which affected the dopant and self-diffusion. The simultaneously recorded diffusion profiles enabled the modeling of the coupled dopant and self-diffusion. From the modeling of the simultaneous diffusion, the ...

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)

Using a set of six baboons (Papio cynocephalus), the authors conducted a series of seven experiments designed to evaluate the potentially aversive character of a 60 Hz electric field (EF). Initially, the subjects were trained, using food rewards as the reinforcer, to respond only when a cue light was illuminated. Next, an EF was presented along with the cue light; responses produced delivery of a food pellet and turned off both the cue light and the EF. Then, stimulus and reward conditions were varied. The authors determined that (1) presence of a strong EF does not affect operant responding for food rewards, (2) subjects will not respond at normal rates when the only reinforcer is termination of a strong EF, (3) presence of a strong EF can serve as a discriminative stimulus, (4) presence of a strong EF does not affect extinction of an appetite-motivated task, and (5) presentation of an EF can become a secondary reinforcer. The pattern of ...

Science.gov (United States)

Context: The Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997 allowed some rural hospitals meeting certain requirements to convert to Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and changed their Medicare reimbursement from prospective to cost-based. Some subsequent CAH-related laws reduced restrictions and increased payments, and the number of CAHs grew rapidly. Purpose: To examine factors related to hospitals' decisions to convert and time to CAH conversion. Methods: Eighty-nine rural hospitals in Iowa were characterized and observed from 1998 to 2005. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify the determinants of time to CAH conversion. Findings: T-test and one-covariate Cox regression indicated that, in 1998, Iowa rural hospitals with more staffed beds, discharges, and acute inpatient days, higher operating margin, lower skilled swing bed days relative to acute days, and located in relatively high density counties were more likely to convert later or not convert before 2006. ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Numbers of non-indigenous species--species introduced from elsewhere - are increasing rapidly worldwide, causing both environmental and economic damage. Rigorous quantitative risk-analysis frameworks,...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A number of screening tests were performed to determine ion species that effectively reduce wear rates when implanted in four industrial steels. Ball bearing steel 100Cr6 (AISI 52100) showed a wear rate reduction by a factor of 20 when implanted with carbon dioxide to a dose of 5x10{sup 17} cm{sup -2} with a non-mass-separated ion beam and by a factor of {>=}20 when implanted with 5x10{sup 17} cm{sup -2} oxygen ions. For the ferritic and martensite steels X90CrMoV18 (AISI 440B, unhardened and hardened) also a strong wear reduction after implantation of oxygen ions was found. Co-implantation of aluminum and oxygen also reduces wear rates of X90CrMoV18, of S6-5-2 (AISI M2), and of 100Cr6, respectively. For comparison, thin oxide layers were grown in a low-temperature thermal oxidation process. These experiments also yielded reduced wear rates by a factor of 10. The surfaces were investigated and ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Species invasions are a principal component of global change, causing large losses in biodiversity as well as economic damage. Invasion theory attempts to understand and predict invasion success and...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

AbstractEsagonatopus floridensis sp. n. is described from Florida, Oklaloosa County (USA). A revision of the three...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Since the last review of the problem of insecticide-resistance was presented in this journal at the beginning of 1958, resistance has been discovered in 16 new species, and in at least 14 species both...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The rates of spontaneous interbilayer and transbilayer exchange of ["3H]dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (["3H]DMPC) were examined in the DMPC and DMPC/dimyristoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DMPE) large unilamellar vesicles in the liquid-crystalline-, gel-, and mixed-phase states. DMPC desorption rates from either gel or liquid-crystalline phases containing DMPE are very similar to the corresponding rates from pure DMPC gel or liquid-crystalline phases. The authors proposed that the DMPC/DSPC behavior results from packing defects in gel phases composed of both DMPC and DSPC molecules because of the four-carbon difference in the acyl chain lengths of the two species. The present results strongly support this hypothesis because no such anomalous behavior is observed in DMPC/DMPE, which is similar to DMPC/DSPC in phase behavior but does not have the chain length difference. These results are not consistent with lipid headgroup dehydration as the major energetic barrier to ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We have developed a photon accumulated laser mass spectrometer that enables us to identify isomers of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran. This system is comprised of a high temperature (230 deg. C) pulsed gas injector (PGI), multimirror multipath system (MMS), and the conventional time-of-flight mass spectrometer. The PGI induces the formation of a choked supersonic jet gas pulse that cools down to a temperature to restrain fragmentation and reduces vibrational and rotational thermal noises. The results suggest that the excited lifetime numbers and fragment dynamics of these species change completely with jet cooling of molecules. The MMS enhances the soft ionization efficiency (by a factor of 1000 over a single path system) through photon accumulation by extending the irradiation duration (to about 40 ns) and volume, and it further minimizes fragmentation by carefully controlling the laser intensity distribution ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The effect of molybdenum on the electronic structure of the passive films formed on ferritic (Fe-Cr and Fe-Cr-Mo) stainless steels is examined by capacitance and photoelectrochemical measurements. The capacitance study is supported by a mathematical analysis of the Schottky barrier developed at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface in the case of a semiconductor with multiple bulk electronic states in the bandgap. The numerical simulations, based on the more general Mott-Schottky relation proposed, are in good agreement with the experimental results. It can be concluded that the capacitance behavior of the passive films is related to the contributions of a shallow donor level very close to the conduction band and a deep donor level at about 0.4 eV below the conduction band. The addition of molybdenum decreases the donor density of the deep level. Photoeffects observed for subbandgap photon energies reveal that this deep donor level behaves like a trapping electronic state situated in ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macroinvertebrate communities in Rietvlei nature reserve wetland area and their relationship with water quality were studied with the aim to evaluate their use as potential indicators of pollution. Sampling locations were selected to include outlets from swage effluent, agricultural and informal residential runoff. A large increase in nutrient concentrations was observed downstream from discharged treated sewage with an associated decrease in species richness. Bioassays performed included: Daphnia magna, Hydra attenuate, Lactuca sativa, Allium cepa and Pyxicephalus adspersus. The highest percentage of lethality response to a screen (100% concentration) of sampled wetland water by test specimens were observed at the point source input of the Hartbeespoort treated sewage plant. Data generated from the AUSRIVAS method and multitrophic level bioassays revealed the deterioration of the wetland possibly due to factors such as increasing urbanization, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

In analysis of hydrogen in metals and alloys by SIMS, control of the hydrogen blank mainly due to residual gases is a persistent problem. Contrarity, this problem becomes less important in case of deuterium analysis. The prescribed amounts of deuterium were introduced into a pure titanium and a beta-titanium alloy (Ti- 6.6wt%Fe) by the gas reaction method. Intensities of the various secondary ions sputtered from each sample were measured by the Hitachi Ion Microanalyzer with primary ions of Ar"+. Energy distributions of the various secondary ion species were measured with the energy window of about 15eV width. The effects of oxygen gas pressure in the target chamber and the bulk deuterium concentration on the shape of energy distribution curves are discussed. For all samples, intensity of D"- ions is higher than that of D"+ ions, especially at higher energy ranges. With increasing the deuterium concentration: a) intensities of D"+ and D"- ions from Ti-D system ...

Science.gov (United States)

The kinetics of benzoate degradation by the anaerobic syntrophic bacterium, Syntrophus buswellii, was studied in coculture with Desulfovibrio strain G11. The threshold value for benzoate degradation was dependent on the acetate concentration with benzoate threshold values ranging from 2.4 [mu]M at 20 mM acetate to 30.0 [mu]M at 65 mM acetate. Increasing acetate concentrations also inhibited the rate of benzoate degradation with a apparent K[sub i] for acetate inhibition of 7.0 mM. Lower threshold values were obtained when nitrate rather than sulfate was the terminal electron acceptor. These data are consistent with a thermodynamic explanation for the threshold, and suggest that there is a minimum Gibbs free energy value required for the degradation of benzoate. An acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase has been isolated from Syntrophomonas wolfei; it is apparently a key enzyme controlling the synthesis of poly-B-hydroxyalkanoate from acetyl-CoA in this organism. Kinetic characterization of the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The DNA sequence motif ATTTGCAT (octamer) or its inverse complement has been identified as an evolutionarily conserved element in the promoter region of immunoglobulin genes. Two major DNA-binding proteins that bind in a sequence-specific manner to the octamer DNA sequence have been identified in mammalian species--a ubiquitously expressed protein (Oct-1) and a lymphoid-specific protein (Oct-2). During characterization of the promoter region of the chicken immunoglobulin light chain gene, the authors identified two homologous octamer-binding proteins in chicken B cells. when the cloning of the human gene for Oct-2 revealed it to be a member of a distinct family of homeobox genes, they sought to determine if the human Oct-2 cDNA could be used to identify homologous chicken homeobox genes. Using a human Oct-2 homeobox-specific DNA probe, they were able to identify 6-10 homeobox-containing genes in the chicken genome, demonstrating that the Oct-2-related subfamily of ...

Wastenet

crucial to the survival of our species that our brains have developed an obsession with all things

KoreaScience (Korea)

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Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961

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Science.gov (United States)

... Central Africa: Bostrychus africanus is known from Banana, Matadi and Malela, Lower Congo River. Elsewhere, the species ... ...

Science.gov (United States)

Language: English ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herbivores and pathogens impact the species composition, ecosystem function, and socioeconomic value of forests. Herbivores and pathogens are an integral part of forests, but sometimes produce undesirable effects and a degradation of forest resources. In the United States, a few species of forest pests routinely have significant impacts on up to 20 million ha of forest with economic costs that probably exceed $1 billion/year. Climatic change could alter patterns of disturbance from herbivores and pathogens through: (1) direct effects on the development and survival of herbivores and pathogens; (2) physiological changes in tree defenses; and (3) indirect effects from changes in the abundance of natural enemies (e.g. parasitoids of insect herbivores), mutualists (e.g. insect vectors of tree pathogens), and competitors. Because of their short life cycles, mobility, reproductive potential, and physiological sensitivity to temperature, even modest ...

Science.gov (United States)

Hypercholesterolemia

Science.gov (United States)

Our long-term goal is to enable highly productive plant species to extract, resist, detoxify, and/or sequester toxic heavy metal pollutants as an environmentally friendly alternative to physical remediation methods. We have focused this phytoremediation research on soil and water-borne ionic and methylmercury. Mercury pollution is a serious world-wide problem affecting the health of human and wild-life populations. Methylmercury, produced by native bacteria at mercury-contaminated wetland sites, is a particularly serious problem due to its extreme toxicity and efficient biomagnification in the food chain. We engineered several plant species (e.g., Arabidopsis, tobacco, canola, yellow poplar, rice) to express the bacterial genes, merB and/or merA, under the control of plant regulatory sequences. These transgenic plants acquired remarkable properties for mercury remediation. (1) Transgenic plants expressing merB ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper presents thermodynamic and kinetic data collected for aqueous blends of piperazine (PZ), an ethylamine, and potassium carbonate (K{sub 2}CO{sub 3}). Mixtures of K{sup +} and PZ have been investigated in a wetted-wall column at 40 to 80{sup o}C, typical conditions for an industrial absorber. The addition of 0.6 m PZ to 20 wt% (3.6 m) K{sub 2}CO{sub 3} increases the rate of CO{sub 2} absorption by a factor of ten from the value in unpromoted solutions at 60{sup o}C. The addition of PZ increases the heat of absorption from 4 kcal/mol in 3.6 m K{sup +} to 10 kcal/mol when 0.6 m PZ is added. The capacity, ranging from 0.4 to 0.7 mol-CO{sub 2}/kg-H{sub 2}O, approaches that of monoethanolamine (MEA) solutions and seems to be a strong function of K{sup +} concentration. Speciation of the solution was obtained using proton nuclear magnetic reasonance (NMR), verifying and quantifying the presence of three PZ species. An equilibrium model and a ...

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 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper describes an investigation of electrodeposited Zn-14% Ni and aluminium-based SermeTel 1140/962 coatings as possible replacements for cadmium. Slow strain rate tests were performed to measure the extent of direct hydrogen embrittlement of a high strength steel substrate as a result of the coating process and of hydrogen re-embrittlement caused by coating corrosion. The level of re-embrittlement was shown to depend on both the electrochemical potential of the coating and its barrier properties. Zn-14% Ni coatings caused the most re-embrittlement as they had the most active potential and contained through-thickness defects which left the steel exposed to hydrogen uptake. The microstructure of the high strength steel was also shown to be an important factor affecting the extent of embrittlement. AerMet 100 steel was more resistant than 300M steel and this was attributed to the presence of reverted austenite surrounding the martensite ...

CERN Document Server

The properties of the highest velocity ejecta of normal Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are studied via models of very early optical spectra of 6 SNe. At epochs earlier than 1 week before maximum, SNe with a rapidly evolving Si II 6355 line velocity (HVG) have a larger photospheric velocity than SNe with a slowly evolving Si II 6355 line velocity (LVG). Since the two groups have comparable luminosities, the temperature at the photosphere is higher in LVG SNe. This explains the different overall spectral appearance of HVG and LVG SNe. However, the variation of the Ca II and Si II absorptions at the highest velocities (v >~ 20,000 km/s) suggests that additional factors, such as asphericity or different abundances in the progenitor white dwarf, affect the outermost layers. The C II 6578 line is marginally detected in 3 LVG SNe, suggesting that LVG undergo less intense burning. The carbon mass fraction is small, only less than 0.01 near the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

High energy radiation was studied as a means for destroying hazardous organic chemical wastes. Tests were conducted at bench scale with a {sup 60}Co source, and at full scale (387 l/min) with a 1.5 MV electron beam source. Bench scale tests for both benzene and phenol included 32 permutations of water quality factors. For some water qualities, as much as 99.99% of benzene or 90% of phenol were removed by 775 krads of {sup 60}Co irradiation. Full scale testing for destruction of benzene in a simulated waste-water mix showed loss of 97% of benzene following an 800 krad dose and 88% following a 500 krad dose. At these loss rates, approximately 5 Mrad of electron beam irradiation is required to reduce concentrations from 100 g/l to drinking water quality (5 {mu}g/l). Since many waste streams are also inhabited by bacterial populations which may affect filtering operations, the effect of irradiation on those populations was also studied. {sup 60}Co ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Single-crystal neutron diffraction has been used to observe the interactions between deuterated ethanol (CD3CD2OH) and lysozyme in triclinic crystals of hen egg white lysozyme soaked in 25% (v/v) ethanol solutions. A total of 6047 observed reflections to a resolution of 2 A were used, and 13 possible ethanol sites were identified. The three highest occupied sites are close to locations for bromoethanol found in an earlier study by Yonath et al. [Yonath, A., Podjarny, A., Honig, B., Traub, W., Sielecki, A., Herzberg, O., and Moult, J. (1978) Biophys. Struct. Mech. 4, 27-36]. Structure refinements including a model for the flat solvent lead to a final crystallographic agreement factor of 0.097. Comparison with earlier neutron studies on triclinic lysozyme showed that neither the molecular structure nor the thermal motions were affected significantly by the ethanol. A detailed analysis of the ethanol-lysozyme contacts showed 61% of these to be ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper describes the graphical simulation of a traffic environment. The environment includes streets leading to an intersection, the intersection, vehicle traffic, and signal lights in the intersection controlled by different methods. The simulation allows for the study of parameters affecting traffic environments and the study of different control strategies for traffic signal lights, including conventional, fuzzy, and adaptive control methods. Realistic traffic environments are simulated including a cross intersection, with one or more lanes of traffic in each direction, with and without turn lanes. Vehicle traffic patterns are a mixture of cars going straight and making right or left turns. The free velocities of vehicles follow a normal distribution with a mean of the ``posted`` speed limit. Actual velocities depend on such factors as the proximity and velocity of surrounding traffic, approaches to intersections, and human response ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This conference was attended by decision makers throughout the supply chain in the natural gas industry who face the continuing challenges of changes in market mechanisms, pricing options, and transmission alternatives. It provided an opportunity to review issues affecting producers, shippers, marketers, and end-users in an environment of tight energy markets and high, inelastic demand. The constraints on adequate energy supplies are influenced by economic factors, current and future resources, materials, equipment, skilled labour, technology and financial capital. The 8 sessions of the conference dealt with the tight North American gas supply; the slow development of new supplies; resource access issues, including politics and supply security; the geopolitics of natural gas; impacts of high prices on the North American economy; energy industry impacts of high natural gas prices; domestic politics and high natural gas prices; and, radical ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A book has been written to introduce the physical aspects of the radiotherapy electron beam by presenting a summary of the developments in this field. The first chapter is a brief introduction to the technology of medical accelerators with emphasis on the electron beam production facilities. Chapter 2 describes the interaction processes at the atomic level once the electron beam enters the medium. Chapter 3 is concerned with the various properties of the electron beam purely from the clinical point of view. The electron beam algorithms and models for distribution calculations are covered in Chapter 4 with inclusion of age diffusion and multiple scattering approaches. The factors affecting the beam distribution in a patient, with inhomogeneities, surface irregularities, backscattering etc. are discussed in Chapter 5. The last two chapters are devoted to electron beam dosimetry including various dosimetric methods, specification and measurement ...