KoreaScience (Korea)

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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A mechanistic understanding of fracture in human bone is critical to predicting fracture risk associated with age and disease. Despite extensive work, a mechanistic framework for describing how the underlying microstructure affects the failure mode in bone is lacking.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A historical overview of corrosion problems found in power plant condensers and mitigation procedures is presented. The paper is organized according to alloy type and failure mode. Alloys considered are copper-base alloys, stainless steels and titanium. Failure modes discussed include erosion-corrosion, sulfide attack, environmentally assisted cracking, galvanic corrosion, steam condensate corrosion, pitting corrosion, and dealloying. Mitigation procedures discussed include cathodic protection, ferrous ion injection, as well as tube cleaning and layup practices.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Microelectronic failure analysis (FA) has been an integral part of the development of state-of-the-art integrated circuits. FA of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) is moving from its infancy stage to assume an important role in the successful design, fabrication, performance and reliability analysis for this new technology. In previous work, the authors focused on the application of several techniques developed for integrated circuit analysis to an earlier version of a surface micromachined microengine fabricated at Sandia. Recently, they have identified important new failure modes in binary counters that incorporate a newer design of the microengine, using a subset of integrated circuit failure analysis techniques including optical microscopy, focused ion beam (FIB) techniques, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The primary failure ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Probabilistic assessment methods can be used to identify specific plant vulnerabilities. Application of such methods can also facilitate selection among system design alternatives available for safety enhancements. The quality of assessment results is however strongly dependent on realistic and accurate input data for modelling of system component behaviour and failure modes during conditions to be assessed. Use of conservative input data may not lead to results providing guidance on safety upgrades. Adequate input data for probabilistic assessments seems to be lacking for at least failure modes of some electrical components when exposed to a fire. This report presents an attempt to improve the situation with respect to such input data. In order to take advantage of information in existing documentation of fire incident occurrences some of the lessons learned from the fire at Browns Ferry Nuclear Power ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Random forest (RF) analysis of genetic data does not require specification of the mode of inheritance, and provides measures of variable importance that incorporate interaction effects. In this paper...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

The goal of this study was to evaluate topics used to troubleshoot circuit boards with known or suspected thermally intermittent components. Failure modes for thermally intermittent components are typically mechanical defects, such as cracks in solder paths or joints, or broken b...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polyethylene gas piping is expected to be in service for times on the order of 50 years depending on service conditions. Therefore research research on piping materials and pipes has two principal objectives: (a) developing methods for predicting when a pipe will fail and (b) improving the material for piping. The prediction of long time failure hinges on the development of short time test methods which relate to long time failure. The improvement in the behavior of current materials also hinges on the use of test methods of short duration relative to the anticipated life time of the pipe in service. One of the primary criterion for an acceptable test method is that it produces the same type of failure as is observed after long time failure in service. It has been found that P.E. pipe material fails in a brittle mode after long periods of time. The failure ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper investigates the calculation of availability for parallel transmission lines (two or more) in the same tower or on the same right of way. As in many studies, the development of mathematical models is an important step. The models are justified using historical data and known characteristics of power system elements. A statistical method was used to generalize the failure rate and repair rate from real operating data. Application of the new model (which combines common-mode, simultaneous independent, and dependent outages) is discussed.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aiming at the non-stationary characteristics of differential pressure fluctuation signals of gas-liquid two-phase flow, and the slow convergence of learning and liability of dropping into local minima for BP neural networks, flow regime identification method based on Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Least Square Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) is presented. First of all, the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) method is used to decompose the differential pressure fluctuation signals of gas-liquid two-phase flow into a number of stationary Intrinsic Mode Functions (IMFs) components from which the initial feature vector matrix is formed. By applying the singular vale decomposition technique to the initial feature vector matrixes, the singular values are obtained. Finally, the singular values serve as the flow regime characteristic vector to be LS-SVM classifier and flow regimes are identified by the output of the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A large amount of radioactive waste has been stored safely at the Savannah River and Hanford sites over the past 46 years. The aim of this report is to review the experimental corrosion studies at Savannah River and Hanford with the intention of identifying the types and rates of corrosion encountered and indicate how these data contribute to tank failure predictions. The compositions of the High-Level Wastes, mild steels used in the construction of the waste tanks and degradation-modes particularly stress corrosion cracking and pitting are discussed. Current concerns at the Hanford Site are highlighted.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The fatigue life variability of the #alpha#+#beta# titanium alloy, Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-6Mo increased with decreasing stress level. The variability in life was found to be due to segregation of lives due to two failure mechanisms. A bimodal cumulative distribution model was shown to accurately describe the combined failure modes. The nominal failure processes for the two regimes were similar, with crack nucleation occurring in equiaxed #alpha#p particles, irrespective of life or stress level. However the variability in life was not controlled by the size of the crack-nucleating #alpha#p, but rather by the ability of the material to distribute deformation and avoid early crack nucleation.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

As part of the Nondestructive Evaluation Reliability Program sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Pacific Northwest Laboratory is developing a method that uses risk-based approaches to establish in-service inspection plans for nuclear power plant components. This method uses probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) results and Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FEMA) techniques to identify and prioritize the most risk-important systems and components for inspection. The Surry Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 was selected for pilot applications of this method. The specific systems addressed in this report are the reactor pressure vessel, the reactor coolant, the low-pressure injection, and the auxiliary feedwater. The results provide a risk-based ranking of components within these systems and relate the target risk to target failure probability values for individual components. These results will be used to guide ...

CERN Document Server

Dynamic system identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

One of the main applications of PSA studies is related to identification of the major key issues related to plant safety. In standard PSA one assumes a constant value for component failure rates by considering that the component doesn't experience any degradation that could affect its performance. Used in this manner, standard PSA tools do not adequately address important ageing issues, and this fact could have a significant impact on the conclusions drawn from PSA studies and applications, in conditions of operation of ageing plants. To obtain realistic results, it is necessary to consider in the PSA model the ageing effects, and to do that it is necessary to take into consideration the change in component failure rate as a function of component age. In case of ageing phenomena, this dependence causes the failure rate of a component (or a set of components) to increase in time as the component age ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Many existing methods of identifying the optimum sites for installing power system stabilizers (PSSs) in multi-machine systems are restricted to the sequential PSS application, which considers the enhancement of damping of just one critical electromechanical mode at a time; the eigenstructure analysis of the open-loop system, which does not take the control matrix (i.e., the B matrix in the linearized model x = Ax + Bu for power systems) into consideration. This paper presents a method of identifying the optimum sites for installing power system stabilizers. The advantages of this method are: it can identify the optimum sites for installing PSSs so that several electrochemical modes are damped out simultaneously; it takes both the eigenstructure of the open-loop system and the control matrix into consideration.

CERN Document Server

AMS is a particle detector designed to perform high precision measurements of the cosmic rays fluxes with the main goals of searching for anti-nuclei, as remnants of primordial anti-matter, and of measuring the faintest components of the cosmic flux, anti- protons, positrons and high energy photons. To fulfill the requirements of large acceptance, long exposure time and excellent particle identification needed to achieve the intended results, AMS will operate in space as an attached payload to the International Space Station (ISS), being the first full featured particle physics experiment to operate in the Earth orbit. The AMS-02 accurate measurements of cosmic-ray nuclei, protons, antiprotons, electrons and positrons will be completed by high energy gamma rays detection. The experiment will detect gamma-rays, either by reconstructing e+e? pairs generated by photons converted upstream the tracker (conversion mode), or based on direct ...

Science.gov (United States)

In the course of previous composite structures test programs, the need for and the feasibility of developing analyses for scale-up effects has been demonstrated. The analysis techniques for scale-up effects fall into two categories. The first category pertains to developing analysis methods independently for a single, unique failure mode in composites, and using this compendium of analysis methods together with a global structural model to identify and predict the response and failure mode of full-scale built-up structures. The second category of scale-up effects pertains to similitude in structural validation testing. In this latter category, dimensional analysis is used to develop scale-up laws that enable extrapolation of sub-scale component test data to full-scale structures. This viewgraph presentation describes the approach taken and some developments accomplished in the first category of analysis ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The objective of this study is to comprehend the basic structural characteristics of box shaped mixed structures proposed for a future nuclear reactor building structure. Specimens of reinforced concrete precast panel walls of the mixed structures were prepared using ultrahigh strength materials. Two bending shear tests were conducted with a parameter of the quantity of reinforcement bars. The results include: (1) Relationship of shear stress and the angle of the structure, and (2) Failure mode. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The leakage behavior of containments beyond design conditions and knowledge of failure modes is required for evaluation of mitigation strategies for severe accidents, risk studies, emergency preparedness planning, and siting. These studies are directed towards assessing the risk and consequences of severe accidents. An accident sequence analysis conducted on a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR), Mark I (MK I), indicated very high temperatures in the dry-well region, which is the location of the majority of electrical penetration assemblies. Because of the high temperatures, it was postulated in the ORNL study that the sealants would fail and all the electrical penetration assemblies would leak before structural failure would occur. Since other containments had similar electrical penetration assemblies, it was concluded that all containments would experience the same type of failure. The results of this study, ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this report, we estimated the temperature of the pump rooms and reviewed the operability of the components under the loss of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Condition) system. The issues relevant to the HVAC system in the PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment) FT (Fault Tree) model are as follows: (1) Does the loss of the HVAC system bring about a function failure of other components? (2) Can the operator take action to reduce the temperature of the room in case of a HVAC function failure? At present, we do not know whether a component will lose its function or not under the loss of the HVAC. ASME Standard describes that a recovery action can be credited if the related recovery action is included in the procedure or there are similar recovery experiences in the plant. However, there is no description about the recovery action of the HVAC in the EOP (Emergency Operation Procedure) of the UCN3, 4 under the situation of a loss of the ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

... edge localized modes h-mode plasma confinement jet tokamak l-mode plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Both the increased complexity of integrated circuits, resulting in six or more levels of integration, and the increasing use of flip-chip packaging have driven the development of integrated circuit (IC) failure analysis tools that can be applied to the backside of the chip. Among these new approaches are focused ion beam (FIB) tools and processes for performing chip edits/repairs from the die backside. This paper describes the use of backside FIB for a failure analysis application rather than for chip repair. Specifically, they used FIB technology to prepare an IC for inspection of voided metal interconnects (lines) and vias. Conventional FIB milling was combined with a super-enhanced gas assisted milling process that uses XeF{sub 2} for rapid removal of large volumes of bulk silicon. This combined approach allowed removal of the TiW underlayer from a large number of Ml lines simultaneously, enabling rapid localization and plan view imaging of ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report discusses a representation scheme of device failures anticipated in nuclear power plant, to describe related knowledge in a computer software. Coping ability covering a wide range of physical events is desired in plant operators and maintenance staffs, but it is impractical to give them a set of experience to cover the all possible events in the education/training curriculum. However, in case that their knowledge of plant design and of generally-known physical principles are enforced, their ability of cause identification and of appropriate responding actions against inexperienced events are expected to be enhanced, by combining the basic engineering and physical knowledge. Most of the anomalies anticipated in nuclear power plants are initiated as an incipient failure in some auxiliary equipment initially affecting only within the relative subsystem and hiding from the central control room, and then are ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The 1977 version of the Simpson-Puls-Dutton model appears to be the most amenable with respect to utilizing known or readily estimated quantities. The Pardee-Paton model requires extensive calculations involving estimated quantities. Recent observations by Koike and Suzuki on vanadium support the general assumption that crack growth in hydride forming metals is determined by the rate of hydride formation, and their hydrogen atmosphere-displacive transformation model is of potential interest in explaining hydrogen embrittlement in ferrous alloys as well as hydride formers. The discontinuous nature of cracking due to hydrogen embrittlement appears to depend very strongly on localized stress intensities, thereby pointing to the role of microstructure in influencing crack initiation, fracture mode and crack path. The initiation of hydrogen induced failures over relatively short periods of time can be characterized with fair reliability using ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A micro-mechanistic understanding of bone fracture that encompasses how cracks interact with the underlying microstructure and defines their local failure mode is lacking, despite extensive research on the response of bone to a variety of factors like aging, loading, and/or disease. Micro-mechanical models for fracture incorporating such local failure criteria have been widely developed for metallic and ceramic materials systems; however, few such deliberations have been undertaken for the fracture of bone. In fact, although the fracture event in mineralized tissues such as bone is commonly believed to be locally strain controlled, until recently there has been little experimental evidence to support this widely held belief. In the present study, a series of in vitro experiments involving a double-notch bend test geometry are performed in order to shed further light on the nature of the local cracking events that precede ...

International Science & Technology Center (ISTC)

Isolation and Identification of Mycoplasmas, Development of Reliable Antigen for Mycoplasmas Detection and Oil-Based Vaccines

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A crack fault is one of the damage modes most frequently occurring in gears. Identifying different crack levels, especially for early cracks is a challenge in gear fault diagnosis. This paper aims to propose a method to classify the different levels of gear cracks automatically and reliably. In this method, feature parameters in time domain, specially designed for gear damage detection and in frequency domain are extracted to characterize the gear conditions. A two-stage feature selection and weighting technique (TFSWT) via Euclidean distance evaluation technique (EDET) is presented and adopted to select sensitive features and remove fault-unrelated features. A weighted K nearest neighbor (WKNN) classification algorithm is utilized to identify the gear crack levels. The gear crack experime...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We have discovered a previously unidentified thermal explosion mode using the Los Alamos deflagration cylinder test (DFCT). The DFCT is a "pipe bomb"-style test similar to the detonation cylinder test (DTCT), which has been used for many years to calibrate detonation product equations of state. The shot is heated in an oven to a uniform test temperature. The pre-heated high explosive (HE) is triggered by a hot wire initiator on one end. The tube is back-illuminated by a bright light source, and its combustion-driven deformation and subsequent break-up are observed by a high-speed framing camera. Like the DTCT, the DFCT tube wall motion provides the primary diagnostic. A variety of reactive responses are possible, including quasi-steady deflagration and deflagration-to-detonation transition...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

For years rock bit performance has been progressively improved by many innovative changes to the design of both the bit cutting structure and the bearing. The changes have offered increased footage per bit and reduced cost per foot of hole through longer bit life and/or faster penetration rate. Efforts to assist the industry in drilling deeper thru hard abrasive rocks such as cherts of West Texas, conglomerated of the Rockies and bromides of Oklahoma led to a major breakthrough in rock bit design - the development of the tungsten carbide cutting structure. When properly applied the bit far exceeded that of the non-sealed ball and roller bearing being used at the time. The bearing failure mode was one of severe race spalling and abrasive wear influenced by the drilling fluid entering the bearing.

Science.gov (United States)

A ground-breaking study was recently completed as part of the Seabrook Level 2 PRA update. This study updates the post-core damage phenomena to be consistent with the most recent information and includes accident management activities that should be modeled in the Level 2 PRA. Overall, the result is a Level 2 PRA that fully meets the requirements of the ASME PRA Standard with respect to modeling accident management in the LERF assessment and NRC requirements in Regulatory Guide 1.174 for considering late containment failures. This technical paper deals only with the incorporation of operator actions into the Level 2 PRA based on a comprehensive study of the Seabrook Station accident response procedures and guidance. The paper describes the process used to identify the key operator actions that can influence the Level 2 PRA results and the development of success criteria for these key operator actions. This addresses a key requirement of the ASME PRA Standard for ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nowadays the safety of Nuclear Power Plants is becoming more and more significant. Therefore consideration of severe accidents shall be included in both design and operating process of Nuclear Power Plants. In particular ground motion forms one of the important natural hazards. For structural analysis both linear-elastic and non-linear methods are specified by the engineering codes for earthquake resistance design. However, time history analysis is required for investigation of non-linear structural behaviour. Moreover, non-linearities are often caused by the presence of damage. This can be detected by means of structural health monitoring and subsequently system identification. In this paper the advantages of both dynamic time history analysis and damage detection by means of wavelet analysis are discussed. First, the non-linear behaviour of a frame structure due to an artificial earthquake motion is analyzed. A comparison to non-time history techniques is ...

CERN Document Server

PAMELA is a satellite borne experiment designed to study with great accuracy cosmic rays of galactic, solar, and trapped nature in a wide energy range (protons: 80 MeV-700 GeV, electrons 50 MeV-400 GeV). Main objective is the study of the antimatter component: antiprotons (80 MeV-190 GeV), positrons (50 MeV-270 GeV) and search for antimatter with a precision of the order of $10^{-8}$). The experiment, housed on board the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite, was launched on June, 15 2006 in a $350\\times 600 km$ orbit with an inclination of 70 degrees. The detector is composed of a series of scintillator counters arranged at the extremities of a permanent magnet spectrometer to provide charge, Time-of-Flight and rigidity information. Lepton/hadron identification is performed by a Silicon-Tungsten calorimeter and a Neutron detector placed at the bottom of the device. An Anticounter system is used offline to reject false triggers coming from the satellite. In self-trigger ...

Science.gov (United States)

A crack fault is one of the damage modes most frequently occurring in gears. Identifying different crack levels, especially for early cracks is a challenge in gear fault diagnosis. This paper aims to propose a method to classify the different levels of gear cracks automatically and reliably. In this method, feature parameters in time domain, specially designed for gear damage detection and in frequency domain are extracted to characterize the gear conditions. A two-stage feature selection and weighting technique (TFSWT) via Euclidean distance evaluation technique (EDET) is presented and adopted to select sensitive features and remove fault-unrelated features. A weighted K nearest neighbor (WKNN) classification algorithm is utilized to identify the gear crack levels. The gear crack experiments were conducted and the vibration signals were captured from the gears under different loads and motor speeds. The proposed method is applied to identifying the gear crack ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stress corrosion cracking tests in constant extension rate tensile (CERT) and constant load tensile (CLT) tests were conducted on Ni-xCr- 9Fe-yC in Ar, water, and a LiOH-boric acid solution. Cr and C improve the resistance of Ni-base alloys to IG cracking in both Ar and water at 360C. Since creep plays a role in IG cracking, one possible explanation for the role of the environment involves its effect on the creep. Experiments were conducted on the role of C in the deformation behavior and failure mode of Ni-16Cr-9Fe. Constant load experiments were conducted on Ni-16Cr-9Fe to determine if the CLT test is more aggressive than CERT. The electron backscattering technique in a SEM is being developed in order to extend the IG cracking studies to grain sizes typical of commercial alloys, 20-30 microns.

CERN Document Server

The main LHC superconducting magnets (dipoles and quadrupoles) use Rutherford type cables, stabilized electrically and thermally with copper profiles. The portions of cables are connected to each other by a soft soldering technique (Sn96Ag4) with an overlapping length corresponding to one pitch of the superconducting strands. The splice constitutes a "composite" structure with the interchanging layers of Sn96Ag4 and NbTi superconductor, located inside a Cu cage. In order to ensure a high level of reliability (failure probability not exceeding 10-8) for some 10000 connections in the LHC, a non-destructive technique to check the quantity of solder in the joint is foreseen. The technique is based on a gamma ray source (241Am) and the detection is position-sensitive in the transmission mode. Scintillating detectors of gamma rays are used and their accumulated length corresponds to the length of the radioactive source (120 mm). The method can be ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A featfinding committee of the German Federal Parliament in July 1980 recommended to perform a ''risk-oriented study'' of the SNR-300, the German 300 MW fast breeder prototype reactor being under construction in Kalkar. The main aim of this study was to allow a comparative safety evaluation between the SNR-300 and a modern PWR, thus to prepare a basis for a political decision on the SNR-300. Methods and main results of the study are presented in this paper. In the first step of the risk analysis six groups of accidents have been identified which may initiate core destruction. These groups comprise all conceivable courses, potentially leading to core destruction. By reliability analyses, expected frequency of each group has been calculated. In the accident analysis potential failure modes of the reactor tank have been investigated. Core destruction may be accompanied by the release of significant amounts of mechanical energy. The primary coolant ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report is the first of four volumes that identify and assess the environmental, health, and safety issues involved in using sodium-sulfur (Na/S) battery technology as the energy source in electric and hybrid vehicles that may affect the commercialization of Na/S batteries. This and the other reports on recycling, shipping, and vehicle safety are intended to help the Electric and Hybrid Propulsion Division of the Office of Transportation Technologies in the US Department of Energy (DOE/EHP) determine the direction of its research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) program for Na/S battery technology. The reports review the status of Na/S battery RD&D and identify potential hazards and risks that may require additional research or that may affect the design and use of Na/S batteries. This volume covers cell design and engineering as the basis of safety for Na/S batteries and describes and assesses the potential chemical, electrical, and thermal hazards and risks of Na/S ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The dominant fracture parameters used in fracture mechanics analyses of pipelines are related to the asymptotic crack-tip stress and strain fields at the crack tip. This paper reviewed new developments in constraint-sensitive fracture mechanics for the assessment of pipeline girth weld integrity. Constraint theories and experimental studies were evaluated. Constraint models included brittle fracture models and ductile fracture models. Constraint models for brittle fracture are based on weakest link statistics and Weibull distribution. Specifically designed experimental tests are often necessary to derive the damage parameters of ductile fracture models. Experimental test data must then be calibrated with finite element analyses (FEA) to ensure that the correct damage parameters are chosen. The effects of specimen geometry and loading condition are characterized by the T stress, while Q stress is the hydrostatic stress defined by the difference between stress fields, geometry and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

During earlier work rapid and highly sensitive Jet-REMPI (resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization) mass spectrometry was applied for monitoring the effluent from thermal treatment of a filter dust during a de novo test under laboratory conditions. The sample, from ESP-Field 2 of an iron ore sintering plant, was already loaded with dioxins ({sigma}PCDD/F = 132 ng/g), their precursors (PCBz, PCPh) and other products of incomplete combustion. Heating filter dust in a temperature window 200-350 C under a flow of air results in further formation of these pollutants. As described elsewhere, on-line detection was mostly carried out using a non-selective ionization mode, to measure a wide range of compounds simultaneously. The changes of output suggest that the reaction products increase in chlorination level with time. Another explanation is that higherchlorinated compounds appear later as a consequence of lower volatility and stronger adsorption. However, due to mass ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Heart failure affects nearly 6 million Americans, with a half-million new cases emerging each year. Whereas up to 50% of heart failure patients die of arrhythmia, the diverse mechanisms underlying...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The possibility of gamma-absorption identification of the analyzed substance is considered. the basic provisions of the proposed method are concentrated on the example of carbohydrates and hydrocarbons. The above method is tested experimentally on polyethylenes and polystyrene

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

As adulterated and substituted Chinese medicinal materials are common in the market, therapeutic effectiveness of such materials cannot be guaranteed. Identification at species-, strain- and locality-levels,...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundProvision of consumer information and patient education are considered an essential part of chronic disease management programmes developed for patients with heart failure....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Diagnostic accuracy of the currently available serum markers of cardiac injury, such as myoglobin, creatine kinase and its myocardial isoform, are altered in patients with renal failure. It is shown...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Published in summary form only. 2 figs.

KoreaScience (Korea)

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KoreaScience (Korea)

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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

By means of a global mode analysis of ideal MHD modes for Mercier-unstable equilibria in a planar axis L=2/M=10 heliotron/torsatron system with an inherently large Shafranov shift, the conjecture from local mode analysis for Mercier-unstable equilibria given in [N. Nakajima, Phys. Plasmas 3, 4556 (1996)] has been confirmed and the properties of pressure-driven modes, namely, ballooning modes and interchange modes, inherent to such three-dimensional systems have been clarified. The change of the local magnetic shear due to the Shafranov shift, which is related to toroidicity, reduces the field line bending stabilizing effects on ballooning modes. According to the degree of the reduction of the local magnetic shear by the Shafranov shift, the Mercier-unstable equilibria are categorized into toroidicity-dominant (strong reduction) and ...

KoreaScience (Korea)

Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A survey was conducted of experience with steam generator tubes at nuclear power stations during 1976. Failures were reported at 25 out of 68 water-cooled reactors. The causes of these failures and the repair and inspection procedures designed to cope with them are summarized. Examination of the data indicates that corrosion was the major cause of steam generator tube failures. Improvements are needed in steam generator design, condenser integrity and secondary water chemistry control. (author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report documents the investigation regarding the failure of CPVC piping that was used to connect a solar hot water system to standard plumbing in a home. Details of the failure are described along with numerous pictures and diagrams. A potential failure mechanism is described and recommendations are outlined to prevent such a failure.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The instrument ball bearings are the key components of movable components for various kinds of measuring and control instruments; they often operate in the environmental condition of high-speed and light preload. In general, the non metal, disposable oilimpregnated retainer material has been used for these kinds of high precision miniature bearing. The engineering practice shows that the common failure mode of them is the wear which appears under the condition of insufficient lubrication condition. As the results, the vibration and noise will be enlarged, so does the frictional torque, which makes the ball bearings to lose its original working accuracy. It is the lifetime test of bearings that can enable the designers and manufacturers to chose the material of the bearing properly, optimize the product structure, mend the manufacturing technique process, and to enhance the technical level of the bearing products significantly. In this paper, ...

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)

Science.gov (United States)

In this paper a new procedure, addressed as Interpolation Damage Detecting Method (IDDM), is investigated as a possible mean for early detection and location of light damage in a structure struck by an earthquake. Damage is defined in terms of the accuracy of a spline function in interpolating the operational mode shapes (ODS) of the structure. At a certain location a decrease (statistically meaningful) of accuracy, with respect to a reference configuration, points out a localized variation of the operational shapes thus revealing the existence of damage. In this paper, the proposed method is applied to a numerical model of a multistory frame, simulating a damaged condition through a reduction of the story stiffness. Several damage scenarios have been considered and the results indicate the effectiveness of the method to assess and localize damage for the case of concentrated damage and for low to medium levels of noise in the recorded signals. The main advantage ...

Science.gov (United States)

Research into methods for reasoning under uncertainty is currently one of the most exciting areas of artificial intelligence, largely because it has recently become possible to record, store, and process large amounts of data. While impressive achievements have been made in pattern classification problems such as handwritten character recognition, face detection, speaker identification, and prediction of gene function, it is even more exciting that researchers are on the verge of introducing systems that can perform large-scale combinatorial analyses of data, decomposing the data into interacting components. For example, computational methods for automatic scene analysis are now emerging in the computer vision community. These methods decompose an input image into its constituent objects, lighting conditions, motion patterns, etc. Two of the main challenges are finding effective representations and models in specific applications and finding efficient algorithms ...

Science.gov (United States)

Practitioners who care for pregnant women face dilemmas when their patients use illicit drugs, reject medical recommendations, or cause fetal harm. Many ethics scholars characterize those situations as maternal-fetal conflicts. In conflict-based models, maternal rights are considered to conflict with fetal rights, or moral obligations owed to pregnant women are considered to conflict with those owed to their fetuses. I offer an alternative model of pregnancy ethics by applying relational and equality-based moral theories to situations of fetal harm by pregnant women. In this model, clinicians faced with ethical dilemmas should attempt to understand pregnant women and their decisions within their broad social networks and communities, ask how the clinician's personal standpoint influences outcomes judged to be ethical, and determine whether the clinician's ethical formulations reduce or enhance existing gender, class, or racial inequality. This model focuses on the mutual needs of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piping systems transporting high-pressure fluid will release a large amount of energy, leading to whipping of the broken pipe as well as impingement of the ejecting fluids on adjacent structures if they fracture unstably. Postulation of such an event in design of piping systems in nuclear power plants often requires various counter measures such as installation of pipe whip restraints or jet impingement shields to prevent such damage. One of the approaches to justify exclusion of unstable fracture from the design conditions is leak-before-break (LBB) analysis. In order to demonstrate LBB behavior, it is necessary to prove that in the presence of a part-through wall flaw in the pipe, this flaw will not grow through the wall under fatigue loading and is stable (level 2 LBB) and that the leak of fluid through the penetration is detected by leak detection systems before unstable fracture occurs (level 3 LBB). If this can be demonstrated in plant design, significant reduction of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Under the current design philosophy, reactor structures are to be designed to withstand large inelastic deformation caused by strong and severe ground motion. The design of the main structural elements and their connections are to be such that they always fail in ductile mode. This will ensure large energy absorption capacity of the structures under seismic excitation and avoid sudden and brittle failure of the structure. Over the years, a number of experimental investigations have been carried out on RC beam- column joints to study their behaviour and strength. However, these studies mostly pertain to small scale joints of moment resisting frame of residential buildings and commercial complexes. Information on full scale joints existing in NPP structures are scanty. Therefore, experimental programme was planned in the laboratory to construct identical large sized joints with the same reinforcement percentage and detail as that of the existing ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Improved uranium utilization by means of extended burnup via routine end-of-cycle coastdown has been analyzed, with a specific focus on pressurided water reactors. Both computer and simple analytic models have been developed to determine the optimal coastdown length. Coastdown has been compared with the use of higher fuel-enrichment to achieve comparable burnup values. Temperature and Power coastdown modes were analyzed and changes in the plant thermodynamic efficiency determined. Effects on fuel integrity due to coastdown were examined using a fuel reliability code (SPEAR). Finally the effects on coastdown duration of major parameters involved in charaterizing reactor operation and the economic enviroment were examined. It was found that natural uranium savings up to 7% could be achieved in a typical application by the use of routine pre-planned coast down up to the economic optimun. If coastdown is carried out all the way up to the economic breakeven point ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We study the characteristics of cyclotron wave-particle interaction in a typical hydrogen plasma. The numerical calculations of minimum resonant energy Emin, resonant wave frequency ?, and pitch angle diffusion coefficient D?? for interactions between R-mode/L-mode and electrons/protons are presented. It is found that Emin decreases with ? for R-mode/electron, L-mode/proton and L-mode/electron interactions, but increase with ? for R-mode/proton interaction. It is shown that both R-mode and L-mode waves can efficiently scatter energetic (10 keV-100 keV) electrons and protons and cause precipitation loss at L=4, indicating that perhaps wave-particle interaction is a serious candidate for the ring current decay. (authors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Breaker failure relaying has been generally achieved through the use of a current monitoring relay to determine whether current continues to flow into a fault after a breaker has been instructed to interrupt the circuit. If current continues to flow after a predefined period of time, the circuit breaker is considered to have failed. Steps must then be taken to trip the next set of upstream breakers in the power system to remove the faulted circuit and prevent system damage. However, with industrial power systems, this may be the utility`s breakers on the feeding transmission line. Regardless, breaker failure schemes must be designed to isolate both the faulted circuit and the failed circuit breaker. This paper discusses a new and innovative method of protecting a circuit breaker from the failure described above, plus other failures that go unprotected with conventional schemes, this providing total ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Direct identification of group B streptococci from a selective broth medium was performed with the Phadebact streptococcus test to determine the feasibility of this technique for early detection of...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Several efforts have been made to completely automate cephalometric analysis by automatic landmark search. However, accuracy obtained was worse than manual identification in every study. The analogue-to-digital...Full Text Available

KoreaScience (Korea)

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Science.gov (United States)

... Development Tapered Roller Bearing Program . . . 11 ... 98 61 Tapered Roller Bearing Component t Identification..... 104 ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We describe a 59-year-old patient who developed acute renal failure because of rhabdomyolysis after extensive red fire ant bites. This case illustrates a serious systemic reaction that may occur from...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Forty-six patients with end-stage renal failure were subjected to iliac crest biopsy before the initiation of a dialysis programme and regardless of the presence of skeletal symptoms....Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

Angiotensin II has adverse actions in heart failure including vasoconstriction, aldosterone secretion, and activation of the sympathetic nervous system. Valsartan, a potent specific angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker, may produce beneficial effects in heart failure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the steady-state pharmacokinetics of valsartan 40, 80, and 160 mg each given every 12 h for 7 days in heart failure patients. Eighteen patients with chronic stable heart failure and left ventricular ejection fractions power model, showed that doubling the dose increased the AUC and Cmax 1.8 times. The pharmacokinetics of valsartan are predictable in heart failure patients within the dose range of 40-160 mg BID. Age did not appear to have influenced the valsartan clearance in heart failure patients. The pharmacokinetic values were higher in heart ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Background:The cardiac sodium–calcium exchanger (NCX1) is a key sarcolemmal protein for the maintenance of calcium homeostasis in the heart. Since heart failure...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

AimsTo determine the effect of exercise training on clinical events and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients with systolic heart failure.Methods...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

There is limited information about the true incidence of acute renal failure (ARF). Most studies could not quantify disease frequency in the general population as they are hospital-based and...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We use the method of Padg approximants and Fourier transform techniques to treat analytically the problem of transverse and longitudinal mode evolution in FELs. We obtain simple relations providing a transparent understanding of the dynamic of pulse propagation effects and of transverse mode guiding. We discuss the interplay with inhomogeneous broadening effects and derive gain formulae including longitudinal and transverse mode couplings.

KoreaScience (Korea)

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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The reliability of an electrical power system is influenced by the operation of circuit-breaker (CB). A good indicator of circuit-breaker condition is its switching time. Based on it some of the critical circuit-breaker irregularities can be detected and removed before they develop to a failure. In this paper, the evaluation of time measurements (timings) in case of different failures will be carried out for two circuit-breaker solutions, i.e. with spring and hydraulic drive. Moreover, the relationships between switching time and failure type/location will be derived. Thereby, the influence of failure trend will also be taken into account. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Presented are the results of the investigation of the kinetics and micromechanism of the failure in impact bending of oriented-crystallized specimens having the eutectic composition Ni_3Al-Ni_3Nb and of the bimetal composed of 45 steel + M3 copper. The failure kinetics was studied by high-speed filming, whereas the fractures were studied by electron fractography. The particularities of the failure of the laminar-type composite materials were found. Analyzed was the effect of the kinetic factors and the mechanism of failure upon its energy consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

... with the additional US funds supporting Islamic ... the FATA and NWFP, keeping Pakistan's government and ... Without these madrassas, the TTP is left ...

Science.gov (United States)

Aluminum electrolytic capacitors, with 1043 failures, are a good example. Also, categorization by size and voltage reveals such frequencies of occurrence as ...

Science.gov (United States)

PMID:20173351

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Heart failure goes beyond mechanical dysfunction and involves an interplay of multiple pathophysiologic mechanisms, including inflammation, tissue remodeling, neurohormonal and endocrine signaling, and interactions with the renal and nervous systems. This article highlights some novel biomarkers that may aid in diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of acute heart failure, specifically focusing on ST2, endoglin, galectin-3, cystatin C, neutrophil gelatinase?associated lipocalin, midregional pro-adrenomedullin, chromogranin A, adiponectin, resistin, and leptin and their emerging clinical roles.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A case study is presented about the failure of a stainless steel blade reinforcing band in a steam turbine. The inspection results and analysis of samples of material are discussed. Being pitting corrosion and cracks the main defects found, a study of chemical composition and heat treatment state of the steel is made and findings are related to type of failure. (orig.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Project management mode plays a key role in project construction, especially in nuclear power field. From the aspects of right, responsibility and benefit, this paper discussed the differences among the common used project management modes. Also the main kinds of the construction management modes used in China's nuclear power plants were summarized. At last, considering the experience of Ningde nuclear power plant, this paper put forward several perspectives about the selection of project management mode in nuclear power plant construction. (authors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Experiences with the model parameter identification of the excitation system (EXS) and the power system stabilizer (PSS) for Mingtan{number_sign}6 pumped storage generation unit of Taiwan Power System are presented in this paper. The input-output data corresponding to each block of the EXS and PSS were obtained when the finalization tests of this unit were performed. The generalized least squares (GLS) approach is introduced and employed to identify the desired parameters of the noisy excitation system and PSS models. In this method, the reduction technique of biased estimates due to the non-white (correlated) identification residual is also applied to improve the accuracy of identification. The results of the parameter estimation are satisfactory. The GLS parameter identification method using the measured data at finalization tests is then suggested from the viewpoint of economy and engineering.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

In the field of Living Probabilistic Safety Assessment (LPSA) the reliability data updating is an important factor. In risk analysis equipment failure data is needed to estimate the frequencies of events contributing to risk posed by a facility. Five years data of emergency diesel generator (EDG) of Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has been studied in this paper. The data updating process has been done by using two methods, i.e., the classical method and Bayesian method. The aim of using these methods is to calculate the operational failure rate (@l) and demand failure probability (p). The results show that the operational failure rate is 1.7E-3 per hour and the demand failure probability is 2.4E-2 demand per day for Daya Bay NPP. By comparing the results obtain from classical and Bayesi...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report describes the experimental researches on the polarization Characteristics of symmetric GaAs-GaAlAsP double heterojunction lasers, and analyses the mode-competition processes of these lasers. The experiments showed that semiconductor laser is emitted spontaneously and does not indicate optical polarization characteristic when it is biased under the threshold current. When it is biased above the threshold current, the laser for thin active layer of d = 0.15approx.0.40 ..mu..m is generally observed only in fundamental order mode, and TE mode polarization is predominant. At this time, polarization selection is dependent on Fabry-Perot cavity facet (cleaved face) mode reflectivity R/sub 0/. But TM mode is saturated at the threshold, the current applied to the laser above the threshold is used to enhance the TE polarization when the active thickness d is larger than 0.4 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This probabilistic analysis of WIPP TRUDOCK crane failure is based on two sources of failure data. The source for operator errors is the report by Swain and Guttman, NUREG/CR-1278-F, August 1983. The source for crane cable hook breaks was initially made by WIPP/WID-96- 2196, Rev. O by using relatively old (1970s) U.S. Navy data (NUREG-0612). However, a helpful analysis by R.K. Deremer of PLG guided the authors to values that were more realistic and more conservative, with the recommendation that the crane cable/hook failure rate should be 2.5 x 10-6 per demand. This value was adopted and used. Based on these choices a mean failure rate of 9.70 x 10-3(1/yr) was calculated. However, a mean rate by itself does not reveal the level of confidence to be associated with this number. Guidance to making confidence calculations came from the report by Swain and Guttman, who stated that ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The mechanism of influenza virus (INFV)-induced immunosuppression and the mode of inosiplex action against INFV infection were studied. INFV suppressed both anti-lipopolysaccharide and anti-sheep erythrocyte...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This book contains over 20 selections. Some of the titles are: Continuum damage mechanics studies on the dynamic fracture of concrete; Dynamic compressive strength of cementitious materials; Rate-sensitivity of mode I and mode II fracture concrete; and An impact damage model of concrete.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThe default mode network (DMN) is a set of brain regions that exhibit synchronized low frequency oscillations at resting-state, and is believed to be relevant to attention...Full Text Available

KoreaScience (Korea)

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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The plasma cladding waveguide, which is a cylindrical dielectric core surrounded by a plasma cladding, is developed, and the guided modes and their characteristics of this waveguide are displayed through the present detailed theoretical research. The conditions of the single mode existing in the plasma cladding waveguide have been given, and the defined forbidden gap of frequency is discussed. It is found that the usage characteristics of the plasma cladding waveguide vary strongly with plasma frequency, and changing the plasma parameters can control the propagation mode. This paper focuses on exhibiting the basic characteristics and the potential applications of this new type of waveguide.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linear properties of ion temperature gradient (ITG) modes in helical systems are studied. The real frequency, growth rate, and eigenfunction are obtained for both stable and unstable cases by solving a kinetic integral equation with proper analytic continuation performed in the complex frequency plane. Based on the model magnetic configuration for toroidal helical systems like the Large Helical Device (LHD), dependences of the ITG mode properties on various plasma equilibrium parameters are investigated. Particularly, relative effects of {nabla}B-curvature drifts driven by the toroidicity and by the helical ripples are examined in order to compare the ITG modes in helical systems with those in tokamaks. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Supplementing the collection of artificial neural network methodologies devised for monitoring energy producing installations, a general regression artificial neural network is proposed for the identification of the two-phase flow that occurs in the coolant channels of boiling water reactors. The utilization of a limited number of image features derived from radiography images affords the proposed approach with efficiency and non-invasiveness. Additionally, the application of counter-clustering to the input patterns prior to training accomplishes an 80% reduction in network size as well as in training and test time. Cross-validation tests confirm accurate on-line flow regime identification.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The TS-1 and TS-2 TREAT transient experiments subjected a low burnup (2 MWd/kg) and a medium burnup (58 MWd/kg), respectively, FFTF irradiated fuel pin to unprotected 5 cents/s overpower transient conditions. The fuel pin failure response was similar in the two tests, which demonstrated a large margin to failure (P/P_0 > 3) and a favorable upper level failure location. Thus, for these transient conditions, burnup effects on transient performance appeared to be minimal in the range tested. Pin disruption in the medium burnup TS-2 test was more severe due to the higher fission gas pressurization, but failure occurred at only a 5% lower power level than for the low burnup TS-1 fuel pin. Both tests exhibited axial extrusion of molten fuel to the region above the fuel column several seconds before pin failure, demonstrating a potentially beneficial inherent safety mechanism to delay ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper presents a method for the optimal design of high voltage transmission lines taking into consideration shielding and backflashover failure rates. The minimization of suitably defined performance indices, which relate the failures caused by lightning in a transmission line to both line insulation level and tower footing resistance, is aimed. Optimum values for both line insulation level and tower footing resistance are calculated. The method is applied on several operating Hellenic transmission lines of 150 and 400kV, respectively, carefully selected among others, due to their high failure rates during lightning thunderstorms. Special attention has been paid on open loop lines, where a possible failure could bring the system out of service causing significant problems. The obtained design parameters, which reduce the failure rates caused by lightning, are compared with the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Elastic depth imaging of both P-wave and S-wave prestack seismic reflection data is formulated as a degraded form of Kirchhoff migration known as Wavepath Migration (WM). Applications to the SEG/EAGE salt model show that the method is sufficiently versatile anti relaitively inexpensive. It handles S-wave data with at least the same accuracy as Pwave data when local mode conversions are removed. WM also provides an understanding of multi-mode illumination.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The effect of finite gyroradius on the current diffusive ballooning mode is examined. Starting from the reduced MHD equations including turbulent transports, coupling with drift motion and finite gyroradius effect of ions, we derive a ballooning mode equation with complex transport coefficients. The eigenfrequency, saturation level and thermal diffusivity are evaluated numerically from the marginal stability condition. Preliminary results of their parameter dependence is presented. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004 p. 79-80 Poland Jastrzebski, T. Klinika Chirurgii Onkologicznej, Akademia

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

There is considerable evidence to suggest that the identification and treatment of dyslipidaemia will reduce the risk of premature CHD, i.e. before the age of 65. Diagnosis of the cause of raised plasma...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Pork identification in four types of food products, which are sausages and the casings, bread and biscuits, using species-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of a conserved region in the mitochondrial (mt) 12S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene was developed. Genomic DNA of the food products were successfully extracted except for the casing samples, where no genomic DNA was detected. The extracted genomic DNA was then subjected to PCR amplification targeting the specific regions of the 12S rRNA gene. The genomic DNA from the food products were found to be of good quality and produced clear PCR products on the amplification of 12S rRNA gene of 387 base pairs (bp) from pork species. The species-specific PCR identification yielded excellent results for identification of pork derivatives...

KoreaScience (Korea)

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UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Contractile vacuole complexes are critical components of cell volume regulation and have been shown to have other functional roles in several free-living protists....Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The management of risks of explosives are described. Administrative and procedural controls are considered. The safety management plan involves hazard identification, risk analysis, assessment and control. The current position of explosives safety is considered. 4 tabs.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The CKK-70 400/200 NN telephone exchange in the Nowa Ruda mine in Lower Silesia was used with the JAUL-CAMAC linear subscriber system. The CKK-70 telephone exchanges were supplied without a system for identification of calling subscribers at the ground surface. A modified identification system developed by the Nowa Ruda mine for identifying calling subscribers is evaluated. Its design is shown in 2 schemes and operation is discussed. The identification system was tested over 6 years. Tests showed it to be reliable and uncomplicated. The modified system for identification of calling subscribers adapted for conditions of underground coal mines has been tested in other mines (1 Maj, Piast, Knurow and Staszic). Recommendations for use of the modified system are made.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The main aim of DNA barcoding is to establish a shared community resource of DNA sequences that can be used for organismal identification and taxonomic clarification. This approach was successfully...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A method and apparatus for determining the condition of tissue or otherwise making chemical identifications includes exposing the sample to a light source, and using a synchronous luminescence system to produce a spectrum that can be analyzed for tissue condition.

CERN Document Server

System identification refers to estimation of process parameters and is a necessity in control theory. Physical systems usually have varying parameters. For such processes, accurate identification is particularly important. Online identification schemes are also needed for designing adaptive controllers. Real processes are usually of fractional order as opposed to the ideal integral order models. In this paper, we propose a simple and elegant scheme of estimating the parameters for such a fractional order process. A population of process models is generated and updated by particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique, the fitness function being the sum of squared deviations from the actual set of observations. Results show that the proposed scheme offers a high degree of accuracy even when the observations are corrupted to a significant degree. Additional schemes to improve the accuracy still further are also proposed and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A wood/polymer composite was produced by impregnating Ramin wood with methyl methacrylate monomer and subsequently polymerizing it by gamma irradiation. To assess the improvement in compression strength of the wood caused by the polymer impregnation, a microbuckling compression failure mechanism was used to model the compression failure of the composite. Such a mechanism was found to predict a linear relationship between the compression strength and the percentage polymer impregnation (by weight). Uniaxial compression test results at 45({plus minus}5)% and 90({plus minus}5)% relative humidity levels, after being statistically analysed, showed that such a linear relationship was valid for up to 100% polymer impregnation. (author).

Science.gov (United States)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has for over ten years provided materials testing and failure analysis services to various coal conversion and utilization facilities in the United States. ORNL was involved in these types of activities at all four of the major coal liquefaction pilot plants. This paper presents a summary of activities at Wilsonville over the past two and one-half years. Some details of these activities are discussed below. Failure analysis of elastomers, stainless steels, and alloys is discussed. 6 refs., 9 figs., 13 tabs.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

There has been a steady increase in the number of revision total knee arthroplasties being performed in the United States. Hinge knee prostheses are used predominantly in complex primary or revision arthroplasties, often as salvage procedures. Significant improvement of the articulation between the rotating hinge mechanism and tibial component has decreased the stresses that contributed to earlier failures in previous generation designs. Two cases of fracture of the tibial metal post in the rotating hinge of a revision total knee arthroplasty were evaluated and treated at our institution within a 1-month period. We present our experience with this construct failure and subsequent patient management.

Science.gov (United States)

It is well known that the growth of purple plague is tempera- ture dependent. in Figure 2 which shows the progressive growth of purple ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Several randomized studies have been completed in prostate cancer that show a benefit to immediate postoperative treatment in patients undergoing prostatectomy. In one of the studies, there was even...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Mangroves are disappearing rapidly worldwide despite their well documented biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide. Failure to link ecological processes and their societal benefits has...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The coolant activity analysis to obtain the information about the fuel failure has been studied long before. And several codes have been developed to estimate the number of fuel failures through evaluating volatile and inert fission products release in coolant from the defective fuel. These codes use a fission product diffusion model coupled with a mass balance in the gap and coolant. But each code has a different model to assess fuel failure. In order to develop the model to estimate the number of fuel failures we analysis well-known code's models such as CHIRON, CADE, IODYNE, and CAAP and compare accuracy through Korean PWR activity data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A general purpose Emergency Generator Set (EGS) is considered for a methodological study and related reliability behavior is analyzed. In particular in a procedure of reliability and availability analysis of a EGS, dependent failure events need a complex mathematical model as state-space model to be a accurately evaluated. Furthermore these dependent failure events are one of the most important reliability characteristic of EGS. This paper suggests a procedure for reliability calculations in presence of dependent failure based on the evaluation of a equivalent failure rate that can be fitted to a network reduction method by simple mathematical calculations. The simplified models analyzed show a good accuracy for a wide range of variation of main reliability characteristics of EGS and utility. The advantages obtained are very useful on reliability evaluation because the possibility of use of network ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The most frequent ultimate cause of death is myocardial arrest. In many cases this is due to myocardial hypoxia, generally arising from failure of the coronary macro- and microcirculation to deliver...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The Rotary Mode Core Sample System (RMCSS) is used to obtain stratified samples of the waste deposits in single-shell and double-shell waste tanks at the Hanford Site. The samples are used to characterize the waste in support of ongoing and future waste remediation efforts. Four sampling trucks have been developed to obtain these samples. Truck I was the first in operation and is currently being used to obtain samples where the push mode is appropriate (i.e., no rotation of drill). Truck 2 is similar to truck 1, except for added safety features, and is in operation to obtain samples using either a push mode or rotary drill mode. Trucks 3 and 4 are now being fabricated to be essentially identical to truck 2.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An ultrasonic signal processing technique is applied to multi-mode arrival time estimation from Lamb waveforms. The basic tool is a simplified time-scale projection called a dynamic wavelet fingerprint (DWFP) which enables direct observation of the variation of features of interest in non-stationary ultrasonic signals. The DWFP technique was used to automatically detect and evaluate each candidate through-transmitted Lamb mode. The area of the dynamic wavelet fingerprint was then used as a feature to distinguish false modes caused by noise and other interference from the true modes of interest. The set of estimated arrival times were then used as inputs for tomographic reconstruction. The Lamb wave tomography images generated with these estimated arrival times were able to indicate different defects in aluminum plates.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An experimental study was performed to provide the combustion and emission characteristics resulting from fuel-reactivity controlled compression ignition (RCCI) combustion mode utilizing dual-fuel approach in a light-duty, multi-cylinder diesel engine. In-cylinder fuel blending using port fuel injection of gasoline before intake valve opening (IVO) and early-cycle, direct injection of diesel fuel was used as the charge preparation and fuel blending strategy. In order to achieve the desired auto-ignition quality through the stratification of the fuel-air equivalence ratio ( ), blends of commercially available gasoline and diesel fuel were used. Engine experiments were performed at an engine speed of 2300rpm and an engine load of 4.3bar brake mean effective pressure (BMEP). It was found that significant reduction in both nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) was realized successfully through the RCCI combustion mode even without ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Electron cyclotron emission (ECE) can be used to determine the electron temperature profile in magnetized plasmas. The complex structure of the magnetic field configuration in the Large Helical Device (LHD), which has a large shear, complicates the analysis of the ECE spectrum. In a sheared magnetic field the propagation of X and O-mode polarization through the plasma are coupled, causing mode conversion and polarization rotation. Mode scrambling is also caused by wall reflections. In this report, this mode conversion in LHD is numerically analyzed. It was found that at low density mode conversion scrambles the ECE spectra. However, at higher density (n{sub eo} > 1.0{center_dot}10{sup 19} m{sup -3}) the polarization mode is found to rotate with the sheared magnetic field, yielding only a negligible mode conversion. Wall reflections ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This report presents criteria for the identification and evaluation of fire hazards in nuclear power stations. The report presents criteria that are consistent with the existing regulatory approach in Canada, and outlines engineering tools and analytical techniques currently available to deterministically analyse fire. The criteria presented cover the topics which should be included in a fire hazard analysis and provide details of each topic so that the accuracy of an analysis may be evaluated.

Wastenet

such as public utilities, waste disposal sites, large energy dependent facilities including factories, institutions ( ...provides immediate identification of PCB wastes, informs company officials of any special handling or disposal techniques ...provides immediate identification of PCB wastes, informs company officials of any special handling or disposal techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A new method of particle identification of heavy ions through the measurement of the Bragg curve centroid and particle energy has been developed using a gas ionization chamber with a resistive anode layer. Z-resolutions comparable to the conventional ..delta..E-E counter telescope could be rather easily attained.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A new article identification method based on the measurement of Bragg-curve centroids using a gas-filled ionization chamber has been improved for detection of low-energy particles around 1 MeV per nucleon by introducing a nonuniform distribution of resistance on the anode electrode. Almost the same quality of Z-resolutions as in the conventional ..delta..E-E method could be obtained up to Z=19.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Projectilelike fragments following the 80 MeV "1"6O+"2"7Al reaction have been detected using a Bragg-curve spectroscopy ionization chamber (BCS-IC). The atomic number is deduced from the Bragg-peak amplitude. Nitrogen isotopes are clearly resolved using either range or energy loss data. This is the first application of the BCS method for complete ion identification in a heavy-ion-induced reaction.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This document, the Standards/Requirements Identification Document (S/RID) Phase I Assessment Report for the subject facility, represents the results of an Administrative Assessment to determine whether S/RID requirements are fully addressed by existing policies, plans or procedures. It contains; compliance status, remedial actions, and an implementing manuals report linking S/RID elements to requirement source to implementing manual and section.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

1-Naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) is a specific inhibitor of polar auxin transport that blocks carrier-mediated auxin efflux from plant cells. To allow identification of the NPA receptor thought to be...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

Science.gov (United States)

Only a small number of radiation accidents in the United States have been severe enough to result in multi-organ failure (MOF). Medical details of selected medical misadministration and criticality cases are reviewed, with an emphasis on pathophysiology. The four criticality cases are particularly relevant for analysis of MOF, since medical treatment was supportive and did not appreciably alter the clinical evolution of radiation injury. PMID:15975871

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The paper presents results of studies on the effect of heat treatment on strength and pattern of 40Kh steel impact failure. Loading levels corresponding to macroscopic spalling microdamage initiation in the material are determined for three initial states. Metallographic study on the spalling failure pattern for 40Kh steel in different initial states and data on microhardness measurement are presented.

Science.gov (United States)

... 2,000 230.102Tender plain bearing journal boxes: Failure to repair 1,000 1,500 230.103Tender roller bearing journal boxes: Failure to properly maintain 1,000 1,500 230.104Driving box shoes and wedges:...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

On February 9, 1995 ComEd experienced a pipe type cable failure on 138kV line 13717. Line 1737 is a bulk power transmission cable circuit connecting The Fisk and Crawford generating stations located within city limits. The line is approximately 4.5 miles long and was originally installed in 1975. This line is forced cooled, has 2,500 KCMIL copper conductors with 505 mils of paper insulation in an 8 inch pritec coated steel pipe. The splices are constructed with Voltalit castings. The failure occurred approximately 3,500 feet from Crawford Station. It was easy to locate the failure since the cable joint casing was breached resulting in the loss of approximately 2,600--2,700 gallons of dielectric fluid. Upon field examination B Phase was determined to have failed. The failure occurred 12 inches inside the casing in an area where it was impossible to install a long connector or add an additional short ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A 25m wind turbine blade was tested to failure when subjected to a flapwise load. With the test setup, it was possible to test the blade to failure at three diffe-rent locations. The objective of these tests is to learn about how a wind turbine blade fails when exposed to a large flapwise load and how failures propagate. The report shows also results from ultra sonic scan of the surface of the blade and it is seen to be very useful for the detection of defects, especially in the layer between the skin laminate and the load carrying main spar. Acoustic emission was successfully used as sensor for the detection of damages in the blade during the test. The report contains measurements of the total deflection of the blade, the local deflection of the skin and the load carrying main spar and also measurement of strain all as a function of the applied load and up to failure of the blade. The 'post ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The temporal evolution of linear toroidal ion temperature gradient (ITG) modes is studied based on a kinetic integral equation including an initial condition. It is shown how to evaluate the analytic continuation of the integral kernel as a function of a complex-valued frequency, which is useful for analytical and numerical calculations of the asymptotic damping behavior of the ITG mode. In the presence of the toroidal {nabla}B-curvature drift, the temporal dependence of the density and potential perturbations consists of normal modes and a continuum mode, which correspond to contributions from poles and from an integral along a branch cut, respectively, of the Laplace-transformed potential function of the complex-valued frequency. The normal modes have exponential time dependence with frequencies and growth rates determined by the dispersion relation while the continuum ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Partial combustion of biomass in the gasifier generates producer gas that can be used for heating purposes and as supplementary or sole fuel in internal combustion engines. In this study, the potential of coir-pith and wood chips as the feedstock for gasifier is analyzed. The performance of the gasifier-engine system is analyzed by running the engine for various producer gas-air flow ratios and at different load conditions. The system is experimentally optimized with respect to maximum diesel savings and lower emissions in the dual fuel mode operation while using coir-pith and wood chips separately. The performance and emission characteristics of the dual fuel engine are compared with that of diesel engine at different load conditions. Specific energy consumption in the dual fuel mode of operation is found to be in the higher side at all load conditions. The brake thermal efficiency of the engine while using wood chips in the dual ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The traveling-wave mode in ring lasers is achieved by two methods: by a reversing mirror, and by using an intracavity nonreciprocal device. This paper is devoted to realization of the traveling-wave mode in a mode-locked YAG-Nd ring laser by a method proposed by Tomov et al. This method uses two intracavity Q-switches. In mode-locked operation, pulses are generated that can be considered short compared with the period of modulation T = L/C (where L is the length of the perimeter of the cavity). Analysis shows that if the shift of the switching signals corresponds to the time of travel of a light pulse between Q-switches, the pulse in one direction will pass the Q-switches at instants of zero losses, while losses in the other direction will be maximized for a distance between Q-switches of L/4, and will be zero for a distance L/2. Experimental verification of the proposed method gave unidirectional ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Information that describes the use of the Otto cycle engines in transportation is summarized. The transportation modes discussed in this report include the following: automobiles, light trucks, heavy trucks, marine, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, buses, aircraft, and snowmobiles. These modes account for nearly 100% of the gasoline and LPG consumed in transportation engines. The information provided on each of these modes includes descriptions of the average energy conversion efficiency of the engine, the capital stock, the amount of energy used, and the activity level as measured in ton-miles. Estimates are provided for the years 1980 and 2000.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solid-state acoustic sensors for monitoring conditions at a surface immersed in a liquid and for monitoring concentrations of species in a liquid and for monitoring electrical properties of a liquid are formed by placing interdigital input and output transducers on a piezoelectric substrate and propagating acoustic plate modes therebetween. The deposition or removal of material on or from, respectively, a thin film in contact with the surface, or changes in the mechanical properties of a thin film in contact with the surface, or changes in the electrical characteristics of the solution, create perturbations in the velocity and attenuation of the acoustic plate modes as a function of these properties or changes in them.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Measurements of the relaxation of the D{sub 2}O stretch mode in vitreous As{sub 2}S{sub 3} are presented. Because the bending mode of the molecule offers an intra-molecular decay channel for the stretch mode, the decay scheme of the D{sub 2}O molecule is more complex than that of diatomic molecules. The asymmetric stretch mode of D{sub 2}O has a frequency of 2680 cm{sup -1}. To study the relaxation of this mode we applied a pump-probe technique, using intense psec; pulses of the Stanford Free Electron Laser. Due to the small cross-section of the vibrational mode, successful efforts were made to improve the signal to noise ratio by using a laser stabilization system and a tightly focused beam to increase the intensity, by averaging the signal with a kHz repetition rate and by using samples with an optimized D{sub 2}O concentration. A rapid relaxation rate on the ...

Science.gov (United States)

The authors report on temperature dependent characteristics and single mode performance of one-wave cavity, planar implanted, AlGaInP-based vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers. By optimizing the overlap between the gain peak and the cavity mode of the structure, they demonstrate record device performance, including 8.2 mW maximum output power and 11% power conversion efficiency for multimode operation and 1.9 mW and 9.6% power conversion efficiency for single mode operation at 687 nm. Improved performance at elevated temperatures is also achieved, with 1.5 mW output power demonstrated at 50 C from a 15-{micro}m-diameter device.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The microdynamics of soliton waves and localized modes of nonlinear vibrations of the acoustic and optical types in uranium nitride has been investigated. It has been shown that, with an increase in the excitation energy in the spectral gap between the bands of optical and acoustic phonons, the energies of solitons increase, whereas the energies of local modes decrease. The previously experimentally observed unidentified quasi-resonant features, which shift in the gap with variations in the temperature, can represent the revealed soliton waves and local modes. The microdynamics of heat conduction of uranium nitride has been studied for the stochastic generation of soliton waves and local modes in the case of spatially distant energy absorption. The thermal conductivity coefficient determin...

CERN Document Server

Within a fully relativistic framework, we derive and solve numerically the perturbation equations of relativistic stars, including the stresses produced by a non-vanishing shear viscosity in the stress-energy tensor. With this approach, the real and imaginary parts of the frequency of the modes are consistently obtained. We find that, approaching the inviscid limit from the finite viscosity case, the continuous spectrum is regularized and we can calculate the quasi-normal modes for stellar models that do not admit solutions at first order in perturbation theory when the coupling between the polar and axial perturbations is neglected. The viscous damping time is found to agree within factor 2 with the usual estimate obtained by using the eigenfunctions of the inviscid limit and some approximation for the energy dissipation integrals. We find that the frequencies and viscous damping times for relativistic $r-$modes lie ...

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The Muon Ionization Cooling Experiment (MICE) focusing solenoid magnets focus the muon beam within the MICE cooling channel on a liquid or solid absorber that is within the warm bore of solenoid. The focusing magnet has a warm bore of 470 mm. his magnet consists of two coils 210-mm long that is separated by an aluminum mandrel that is 200 mm long. Each of the coils has its own leads. The coils may be operated in either the non-flip mode (solenoid mode with both coils at the same polarity) or the lip mode (quadrupole focusing mode where both coils are at opposite polarity). This report describes the focusing solenoid magnet design that will be built by the vendor. The progress on the construction of the first of the focusing magnets will also be discussed in this report. Ultimately three of these magnets will be built. These magnets will be cooled using a pair 1.5 W (at 4.2 K) pulse tube coolers.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We analyze the potential of the e"+e"- linear colliders, operating in the e#gamma# and #gamma##gamma# modes, to probe anomalous quartic vector-boson interactions through the multiple production of W's and Z's. We examine all SU(2)_L(circle times)U(1)_Y chiral operators of order p"4 that lead to new four-gauge-boson interactions but do not alter trilinear vertices. We show that the e#gamma# and #gamma##gamma# modes are able not only to establish the existence of a strongly interacting symmetry breaking sector but also to probe for anomalous quartic couplings of the order of 10"-"2 at 90% C.L. Moreover, the information gathered in the e#gamma# mode can be used to reduce the ambiguities of the e"+e"- mode.

Science.gov (United States)

... one for each node, and an i/o queue to manage ... ecuted as if it came from a terminal attached to a ... In its default mode PC-NETSIM is stochastic, that is ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundIt is well established that Legionella pneumophila is a waterborne pathogen; by contrast, the mode of Helicobacter pylori transmission...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The need for material standards in the field of clinical immunology, together with the mode of operation of the combined World Health Organization/International Union of Immunological Societies programme...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The characteristics of the local magnetic shear, a quantity associated with high-mode-number ballooning mode stability, are considered in heliotron/torsatron devices that have a large Shafranov shift. The local magnetic shear is shown to vanish even in the stellarator-like region in which the global magnetic shear is positive. The reason for this is that the degree of the local compression of the poloidal magnetic field on the outer side of the torus, which maintains the toroidal force balance, is reduced in the stellarator-like region of global magnetic shear because the global rotational transform in heliotron/torsatron systems is a radially increasing function. This vanishing of the local magnetic shear is a universal property in heliotron/torsatron systems with a large Shafranov shift since it results from toroidal force balance in the stellarator-like global shear regime that is inherent to such systems.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) can overcome the mode mixing problem of the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and therefore provide more precise decomposition results. Wavelet neural network (WNN) possesses the advantages of both wavelet transform and artificial neural networks. This paper combines the merits of EEMD and WNN to propose an automated and effective fault diagnosis method of locomotive roller bearings. First, the vibration signals captured from the locomotive roller bearings are preprocessed by EEMD method and intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) are produced. Second, a kurtosis based method is presented and used to select the sensitive IMF. Third, time- and frequency-domain features are extracted from the sensitive IMF, its frequency spectrum and its envelope spe...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Due to the well-establish corrosion problems of Alloy 600 as a steam-generator material and the subsequent focus on thermally treated (TT) Alloy 690 and Alloy 800 as alternative materials, a systematic analysis of the corrosion behavior of these two latter alloys is warranted. Corrosion test results for Alloys 690 TT and 800 were collected and organized in the form of corrosion mode diagrams. Selected data for mill annealed (MA) Alloy 600 were also included for reference. The corrosion mode diagrams correlate the modes of corrosion degradation observed in tests as functions of the environment pH and electrochemical potential (ECP). The diagrams confirm that Alloys 690TT shows some susceptibility in caustic environments, and Alloy 800 shows susceptibility in both caustic and highly acidic environments. (authors). 6 figs., 5 refs.

Science.gov (United States)

Description: PDF file of Baldwin and Dunkerton (2001) Science article. ... Baldwin, M.P. and T.J. Dunkerton. 2001. Stratospheric Harbingers of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

We study the constraints on the anomalous coupling g_5"Z that can be obtained from the analysis of the reaction #gamma##gamma##->#W"+W"-Z at future linear e"+e"- colliders. We find out that a 0.5 (1) TeV e"+e"- collider operating in the #gamma##gamma# mode can probe values of g_5"Z of the order of 0.15 (4.5x10"-"2) for an integrated luminosity of 10 fb"-"1. This shows that the ability to search for this anomalous interaction of the #gamma##gamma# mode is better than the one of the usual e"+e"- mode, and it is similar to the ability of the e#gamma# mode.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In this paper the newly developed discrete-time adaptive sliding mode control method is proposed and applied to the power system stabilization problem. In contrast to the conventional continuous-time sliding mode controller, the proposed method is developed in the discrete-time domain and based on the input/output measurements instead of the continuous-time and the full-states feedback, respectively. Because the proposed control method has the adaptivity property in addition to the natural robustness property of the sliding mode control, it is possible to design the power system stabilizer which can overcome both the minor variations of the parameters of the power system and the diverse operating conditions and faults of the power system. Mathematical proof and the various computer simulations are done to verify the performance and stability of the proposed method. (author). 14 refs., 12 figs., 1 tab.

Science.gov (United States)

This paper deals with the experimental identification and the validation of a non-parametric probabilistic approach allowing model uncertainties and data uncertainties to be taken into account in the numerical model developed to predict low- and medium-frequency dynamics of structures. The analysis is performed for a composite sandwich panel representing a complex dynamical system which is sufficiently simple to be completely described and which exhibits, not only data uncertainties, but above all model uncertainties. The dynamical identification is experimentally performed for eight panels. The experimental frequency response functions are used to identify the non-parametric probabilistic approach of model uncertainties. The prediction of the low- and medium-frequency dynamical responses obtained with the stochastic system is compared with the experimental measurements.

CERN Document Server

This contribution deals with identification of fractional-order dynamical systems. System identification, which refers to estimation of process parameters, is a necessity in control theory. Real processes are usually of fractional order as opposed to the ideal integral order models. A simple and elegant scheme of estimating the parameters for such a fractional order process is proposed. This method employs fractional calculus theory to find equations relating the parameters that are to be estimated, and then estimates the process parameters after solving the simultaneous equations. The said simultaneous equations are generated and updated using particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique, the fitness function being the sum of squared deviations from the actual set of observations. The data used for the calculations are intentionally corrupted to simulate real-life conditions. Results show that the proposed scheme offers a very high degree of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A series of six transient tests was performed on FFTF irradiated fuel pins to demonstrate their transient performance capability. The tests were performed in the TREAT reactor using sodium loops and instrumented test trains. The TEMECH computer code was used to design overpower transients which would simulate FFTF fuel pin thermal conditions during slow and fast unprotected transients. Some tests were run to substantial overpower levels but terminated prior to fuel pin failure, while other tests were intentionally extended to fuel failure to establish failure thresholds and characteristics. Post-test examination data provided significant cladding strain and fuel melting information used for performance code calibration and validation. These data showed that cladding damage caused by fuel melting is related to the steady state condition of the fuel.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Design rules for robustness require insensitivity to local failure and the prevention of progressive collapse. This is often verified by applying the load case ''removal of a limited part of the structure''. This paper will evaluate typical structural systems for large-span timber roof structures against these requirements, comparing the results against typical reasons for damages and failures. Applying the finding that most failures of timber structures are not caused by random occurrences or local defects, but by global (repetitive) defects (e.g. from systematic mistakes), it is shown that the objective of load transfer-often mentioned as preferable-should be critically analysed for such structures. Based on these findings, proposals for structural systems and details towards a robust de...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Statement of problem Porcelain fracture associated with an implant-supported, metal ceramic crown or fixed partial denture occurs at a higher rate than in tooth-supported restorations, according to the literature. Implant-specific and patient-specific causes of ceramic failure have not been fully evaluated. Purpose The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the potential statistical predictors for porcelain fracture of implant-supported, metal ceramic restorations. Material and Methods Over a 6-month period, a consecutive series of patients having previously received implant-supported, metal ceramic fixed restorations were examined during periodic recall appointments. The number of supporting implants, number of dental units, type of restoration, date of prosthesis insertion, ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Premature Failure of a Riata Defibrillator Lead. A 63-year-old woman with a St. Jude Medical Riata 1570 right ventricular lead complained of intermittent hiccups 2 months after implant. Interrogation revealed elevated pacing threshold and diaphragmatic stimulation. Pacing and shock lead impedances remained stable. No inappropriate sensing was noted. Fluoroscopic examination of the lead revealed a thin radio-opaque wire seen between the 2 defibrillator coils away from the main body of the lead. After extraction, a tear in the insulation of the lead was noted allowing the inner wire to protrude. This case illustrates a novel mechanism of insulation failure without inappropriate sensing or impedance change.-(J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 22, pp. 1070-1072, September 2011)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Twenty-two out of 31 patients with chronic renal failure and secondary hyperparathyroidism who underwent parathyroidectomy before operation underwent non-invasive image diagnosis of parathyroid glands by computed tomography (CT), scintigraphy with /sup 201/TlCl and /sup 99m/TcO/sup 4 +/, and/or ultrasonography. CT visualized 39 of 45 parathyroid glands (86.7%), weighing more than 500 mg. Scintigraphy with a subtraction method using a computer performed the diagnosis in 19 of 27 glands (70.4%). Ultrasonography detected 21 of 27 glands (77.8%). Image diagnosis was also useful in the postoperative follow-up study. The non-invasive image diagnosis of parathyroid glands in patients with chronic renal failure is thus valuable for 1) definite diagnosis of secondary hyperparathyroidism, 2) localization, and 3) diagnosis for effectiveness of conservative treatment.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The reliability analysis of the Fast Flux Test Facility reactor shutdown system was reevaluated. Failure information based on five years of plant operating experience was used to verify original reliability numbers or to establish new ones. Also, system modifications made subsequent to performance of the original analysis were incorporated into the reevaluation. Reliability calculations and sensitivity analyses were performed using a commercially available spreadsheet on a personal computer. The spreadsheet was configured so that future failures could be tracked and compared with expected failures. A number of recommendations resulted from the reevaluation including both increased and decreased surveillance intervals. All recommendations were based on meeting or exceeding existing reliability goals. Considerable cost savings will be incurred upon implementation of the recommendations.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this project was to develop improved dynamic failure models for brittle materials (primarily ceramics). The approach to developing these failure models was to establish a database (ACERAM) in which fundamental material properties and processing information could be directly correlated with ballistic performance data. Under this contract, a comprehensive literature search was conducted, many contacts were established in the armor/anti-armor research and development community, and database development was undertaken. A more limited project was also undertaken to assess and compare the effects of material properties and penetration mechanisms on the ballistic performance of depleted uranium and tungsten alloy penetrators.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

BackgroundAlthough self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) insertion is widely used for relief of malignant colorectal obstructions, the immediate technical and clinical failure rates of SEMSs and the associated risk factors remain largely unknown. ObjectiveTo identify rates and factors predictive of technical and clinical failure of SEMSs when their use is attempted for the decompression of malignant colorectal obstruction. DesignRetrospective chart review. SettingA tertiary-care academic medical center in South Korea. PatientsThis study involved a total of 412 patients with malignant colorectal obstruction in whom SEMS insertion was attempted. InterventionPlacement of colonic SEMSs. Main Outcome MeasurementsTechnical success and immediate and long-term clinical success rates. ResultsTechnical...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Alkylphenols are widely used as plastic additives and surfactants. We report the identification of an alkylphenol, nonylphenol, as an estrogenic substance released from plastic centrifuge tubes. This...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundStrategies to accurately identify the occurrence of specific health care events in administrative data is central to many quality improvement and research efforts. Many...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

In proteomics, one-dimensional (1D) SDS-PAGE is widely used for protein fractionation prior to mass spectrometric analysis to enhance dynamic range of analysis and to improve identification...Full Text Available

CERN Document Server

This note is about three interesting 15th and 16th century sightings of comets in Kashmiri chronicles. We provide reasons for their identification as the 1468 S1, 1531 (Halley's), and 1533 M1 comets.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Accompanying rapid developments in hepatic surgery, the number of surgeries and identifications of histological types of primary hepatic space-occupying lesions (PHSOLs) have increased dramatically....Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

Identification of the Ranging System Reference Point (SRP) ... Daylight Filter Type : (SPECTRAL FILTER/FABRY-PEROT/etc) Dayl. Filt. ... INT/etc) Edit Criterion 1st Chain : (ITERATIVE n.n SIGMA/MANUAL/NONE/etc) Edit Criterion 2nd Chain ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Sparganosis is a rare parasitic infection affecting various organs, including the central nervous system, especially the lumbar epidural space. This report describes the identification of disease and...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

MIL-STD-129. N. 5/15/97. Standard Practice for Military Marking. MIL-STD-130. K. 1/15/00. Identification Marking of U.S. Military Property. MIL-STD-2073-1 ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The aspirin esterase activity of human plasma is due to butyrylcholinesterase and albumin. Our goal was to identify the amino acid residues involved in the aspirin esterase activity of albumin....Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The past decade has seen rapid advances in the identification of associations between candidate genes and a range of common multifactorial disorders. This paper evaluates public attitudes towards the...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Most codon indices used today are based on highly biased nonrandom usage of codons in coding regions. The background of a coding or noncoding DNA sequence, however, is fairly random, and can be characterized...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Thirty chemicals or substances currently undergoing long-term carcinogenicity bioassays in rodents have been used in a project to further evaluate methods and information that may have the capability...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundIdentification of urinary biomarkers for detection of bladder cancer recurrence would be beneficial to minimize the frequency of cystoscopy. Our objective was to determine...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease with poor survival. The identification of therapeutic targets is essential to improving outcomes. Previous studies found that expression...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThe lack of adequate randomized clinical trials (RCT) has hindered identification of new therapies that are safe and effective for patients with primary focal segmental...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the etiologic agent of tuberculosis and can be accurately detected by laboratories using commercial genetic tests. Nontuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) causing other mycobacterioses...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThe binding of peptide fragments of antigens to class II MHC is a crucial step in initiating a helper T cell immune response. The identification of such peptide epitopes...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundIdentification of global livestock diversity hotspots and their importance in diversity maintenance is essential for making global conservation efforts. We screened 52...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The identification of predictive biomarkers is at the core of modern toxicology. So far, a number of approaches have been proposed. These rely on statistical inference of toxicity response from either...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portuguese ... Orig. Title Isolamento e identificacao do flavonoide (-)-4'-metil-epigalocatequina das raizes de Maytenus obtusifolia Mart. (Celastraceae)

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The identification and validation of biomarkers for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia are increasingly important. To date, ELISA measurement of β-amyloid(1–42),...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Francisella tularensis is a highly infectious bacterium causing the zoonotic disease tularaemia. During its infectious cycle, F. tularensis is not only exposed to the...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

Various methods to analyse the effect of a non-isotherme water injection on the pressure evolution during a test on a double geothermal well are investigated. Then, several types of injection test are simulated with experimental data to examine the condit...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Isogenic strains containing insertional disruptions of 10 Haemophilus influenzae Rd genes were investigated for their effects on the susceptibility of the organism to various classes...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

IntroductionThe murine air pouch is a bursa-like space that resembles the human synovial membrane. Injection of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals into the pouch elicits an acute inflammatory...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Auxin modulates diverse plant developmental pathways through direct transcriptional regulation and cooperative signaling with other plant hormones. Genetic and biochemical approaches have clarified...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundThe human bacterial pathogen Campylobacter jejuni contains two subspecies: C. jejuni subsp. jejuni (Cjj)...Full Text Available