This report describes the design, fabrication, installation and testing of a small variable-speed vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). This VAWT is unique in its installation using handtools only; unconventional and simple support system; and variable speed operation under microprocessor control. Initial testing confirmed that the turbine can be controlled by commanded alternator field modulation. Further studies will be directed toward determination of an optimum control algorithm.
Background: The nail gun is a commonly utilized tool in carpentry and construction. When used properly with appropriate safety precautions, it can facilitate production and boost efficiency;...Full Text Available
Twenty-eight measurement while drilling tools are listed in this year's MWD Comparison Tables. Updated data on tools listed last year and data on five new tools provide a convenient guide for choosing MWD systems. Future MWD technologies include sonic tools and tools that make measurements ahead of the bit. For the seventh year, Petroleum Engineer International presents the Measurement While Drilling (MWD) Tables comparing a variety of available tools from many different vendors. The 1994 Tables include two additional companies and five new MWD tools not found in last year's Tables. However, the tables should serve only as a reference source. System specifications can change rapidly as tools are refined and new technologies develop. Operators and contractors should consult designated MWD marketing ...
This article presents a hands-on web-based activity motivated by the relation between human health and ozone pollution in California. This case study is based on multivariate data collected monthly at 20 locations in California between 1980 and 2006. Several strategies and tools for data interrogation and exploratory data analysis, model fitting and statistical inference on these data are presented. All components of this case study (data, tools, activity) are freely available online at: http://wiki.stat.ucla.edu/socr/index.php/SOCR_MotionCharts_CAOzoneData. Several types of exploratory (motion charts, box-and-whisker plots, spider charts) and quantitative (inference, regression, analysis of variance (ANOVA)) data analyses tools are demonstrated. Two specific human health related questions...
Various physics applications involve the computation of the standard hypergeometric function {sub 2}F{sub 1} and its derivatives. Because it is not an intrinsic in the common programming languages, automatic differentiation tools will either differentiate through the code that computes {sub 2}F{sub 1} if that code is available or require the user to provide a hand-written derivative code. We present options for the derivative computation in the context of an ionization problem and compare the approach implemented in the Diamant library to standard methods.
A porous tooling system was selected for the processing of Graphite/PMR-15 Polyimide laminates in thickness up to 3.2 mm. (0.125 inch). This tool system must have a reasonable strength, permeability dimensional stability, and thermal conductivity to accomplish curing at 600 F and 200 psi and 200 psi autoclave temperature and pressure. A permeability measuring apparatus was constructed and permeability vs. casting water level determined to produce tools at three different permeability levels. On these tools, laminates of 5, 11, and 22 plies (.027, .060, and 0.121 inch) were produced and evaluated by ultrasonic, mechanical, and thermal tests to determine the effect of the tool permeability on the cured laminates. All tools produced acceptable laminates at 5 and 11 plies but only the highest permeability produced acceptable clear ultrasonic C-Scans. Recommendations ...
The paper shortly recapitulates the background to and the importance of the principle of channeling of liability to the operator, contained in the international Conventions in the field of nuclear liability. It tries to outline the main problems involved in the process of backfitting in some more detail and to describe part of the work that has been done in Sweden and elsewhere to try to solve them. Finally, the paper contains some concluding remarks indicating that no entirely satisfactory solution to the problem is presently at hand. (orig./HP)
The IAEA has requested several member states to present their proposal of the application of the Integrated Safeguards (IS) system in their nuclear facilities. This report contains a IS proposal for Finland prepared under the Task FIN C 1264 of The Finnish Support Programme to IAEA Safeguards. The comprehensive safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been one of the main tools in the fight against nuclear proliferation since the entry-into-force of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty three decades ago. In the 1990s some of the inherent weaknesses of this so-called traditional safeguards system were revealed first in Iraq and then in North Korea. Therefore, the member states of the LAEA decided to give the Agency additional legal authority in order to make its control system more effective as well as more efficient than before. This was accomplished by the approval of the so-called Model Additional Protocol (INFCIRC/540) in 1997. ...
In this work trailing edge noise levels of a research aerofoil have been computed and compared to aeroacoustic measurements using two different approaches. On the other hand, aerodynamic and aeroacoustic calculations were performed with the full Navier-Stokes CFD code Fluent [Fluent Inc 2005 Fluent 6.2 Users Guide, Lebanon, NH, USA] on the basis of a steady RANS simulation. Aerodynamic characteristics were computed by the aid of various turbulence models. By the combined usage of implemented broadband noise source models, it was tried to isolate and determine the trailing edge noise level. Throughout this work two methods of different computational cost have been tested and quantitative and qualitative results obtained. On the one hand, the semi-empirical noise prediction tool NAFNoise [Moriarty P 2005 NAFNoise User's Guide. Golden, Colorado, July. http://wind.nrel.gov/designcodes/ simulators/NAFNoise] was used to directly ...
The current trend towards the increased use of risk assessment in the regulation of nuclear power plants will inevitably result in changes in the analysis of fire protection systems and the methods of analysis. Before fire protection can be regulated on a risk basis, a consensus must be reached on a number of issues. One key issue is what types of computational tools will be allowable for analyzing fire events, and what types of scenarios those tools will be approved for use. Reaching this consensus will require an understanding of the types of computational tools available and their inherent advantages and disadvantages. To aid with this understanding, three different methods of fire simulation are applied to an oil pool fire test in the HDR (Heiss Dampf Reaktor) containment test facility. These methods are a hand calculation, the zone model code CFAST (Consolidated Model of Fire Growth and Smoke ...
The activities and results of a Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project entitled ''Rapid Tools for Joint Inversion and Imaging'' are presented. Research and development on three-dimensional methods to recover distributions of material property values from sparse data are reported. Innovations using artificial neural networks and extended Kalman filtering are described. The report also covers investigations on upscaling and downscaling, segmentation for data processing, and applications to ground penetrating radar and geohydraulic tomography.
The General Purpose Light Source VME module is an integral part of every front-end micro in the NSLS control system. The board incorporates features such as a video character generator, clock signals, time-of-day clock, a VME bus interrupter and general-purpose digital inputs and outputs. This module serves as a valuable diagnostic and real-time display tool for the micro development as well as for the final operational systems. This paper describes the functions provided by the board for the NSLS micro control monitor software.
In this paper, we present FASE (Faster Asynchronous Systems Evaluation), a tool for evaluating the worst-case efficiency of asynchronous systems. The tool is based on some well-established results in the setting of a timed process algebra (PAFAS: a Process Algebra for Faster Asynchronous Systems). To show the applicability of FASE to concrete meaningful examples, we consider three implementations of a bounded buffer and use FASE to automatically evaluate their worst-case efficiency. We finally contrast our results with previous ones where the efficiency of the same implementations has already been considered.
This paper will track the design and results of an injection molding tool developed to manufacture microfluidic chips. The mold design and injection molding process was complicated by the presence of integrated capillary fluidic interconnects. We determined that design of the runner and gate system responsible for delivering molten plastic to the cavity had a significant impact on the quality of parts produced by the mold and the size of the process window. Numerical results confirm our findings that reducing gate lengths and increasing part thickness dramatically improved the filling profile and lowered injection pressures by 37%. Finally, the influence of gate location on part shrinkage is analyzed and discussed.
Taboada et al. have recently developed a computer model to predict gamma radiation doses to aircrews flying through nuclear-debris clouds. Although the model has the advantages of taking a large number of parameters into account and using the benchmark DELFIC code to model cloud dynamics, it takes up to 20 min for a single run on a mainframe computer. Results from a number of runs have been generalized into empirical formulae. From these results it is possible to estimate worst case gamma radiation doses for complex scenarios using a hand calculator.
The work reported included workshop-style, hands-on training sessions to reach three hundred residents of the Detroit area. The training was for teaching low-cost weatherization applications; teaching/constructing/installing thermal shades; and teaching/constructing/installing vertical wall solar air panels. All activities under the grant are summarized, including number and type of workshops, number of participants trained, etc. The organizations which actively supported and contributed to the program are identified, and the program's efforts and accomplishments are evaluated. (LEW)
MRI provides a non-invasive diagnostic tool complementing echocardiography on one hand, and showing advantages over echocardiography, on the other hand, especially after corrective procedures. The multiple different MRI sequences need to be adapted to examinations of children and patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), and can be used to detect morphologic changes, blood-flow in the heart and thoracic vessels and diastolic or systolic function of myocardium. Several factors determine the success of the examination of a complex congenital heart disease or a postoperative situs. Pediatric radiologists and radiologists experienced in congenital heart diseases have to work in close cooperation. Echocardiography should be performed before MRI. The results of prior examinations and the clinical history of the patients, including possible palliative or reconstructive operations, must be available before MRI to guide the ...
The developments of fields in deep waters (5000 ft and more) is a common occurrence. It is inevitable that production systems will operate under multiphase flow conditions (simultaneous flow of gas-oil-and water possibly along with sand, hydrates, and wax...
Processes were developed that use lasers as manufacturing tools. These processes were stripping of insulation from cables and wires, machining of quartz, microdrilling and welding of reflective metals, and precision alignment of curved surfaces before machining. A technological basis also was formed which resulted in a process for automatic surface inspection of parts and aided development of machining processes for Kevlar parts.
Solar cookers offer a viable alternative to conventional cooking methods in many areas, and can be an effective tool in the fight against the deforestation and desertification that plague many developing countries. However, there have been numerous obstacles to the successful dissemination of solar cookers in the past. The purpose of this paper is to identify opportunities, review constraints and develop a marketing strategy to disseminate the Sundyne Solar Cooker (SSC) in developing countries.
The results show that the SQUID device eddy current testing system is a suitable tool for NDE. Due to the high low-frequency sensitivity of the SQUID sensor, the SQUID device eddy current testing system permits lower examination frequencies than the conventional eddy current probe system. The SQUID system enhances fault detection in even deeper materials layers. (orig./MM).
This paper surveys the growing number of industrial applications of data mining and knowledge discovery. We look at the existing tools, describe some representative applications, and discuss the major issues and problems for building and deploying successful applications and their adoption by business users. Finally, we examine how to assess the potential of a knowledge discovery application.
We discuss the determination of the infrared singularities of massive one-loop 5-point functions with Mellin-Barnes (MB) representations. Massless internal lines may lead to poles in the {epsilon} expansion of the Feynman diagram, while unresolved massless final state particles give endpoint singularities of the phase space integrals. MB integrals are an elegant tool for their common treatment. An evaluation by taking residues leads to inverse binomial sums. (orig.)
We have at hand the tools for development of both a single amino acid substitution and a gene loss type assay for somatic cell mutations in human red cells. We are close to being able to assess the assays as possible means for screening the human population for individuals who may be a risk of acquiring abnormally high frequencies of mutant cells. The cause for such a high frequency of mutant cells could be a prior exposure of the individual to large amount of mutagen, or it could indicate a member of a vulnerable subpopulation that may have poor DNA repair systems. Either of these cases could well be an indication that the particular individual is at high risk that exposure to mutagens could lead to potential pathology. In the near future we expect to determine the reliability of the assays and to perform experiments to confirm the validity of flow cytometry in measuring real somatic mutagenic events that occur in vivo. (orig./AJ).
Although managing fisheries is complex, policymakers must make decisions daily that affect the future of aquatic resources. To make these decisions, they often combine a mental model with lessons learned from formal models such as computer models. While such computer models are frequently interpreted as predictors of the future, they are often more valuable when used as tools for learning about fisheries and options for management. This approach, looking at computer simulations as learning laboratories, is what this study is all about since its objective is to investigate by means of a microworld if policymakers in Belgian fisheries have the policy instruments at hand to align the real fisheries world with their often completely different desired fisheries worlds. This study illustrates ba...
In the present scenario of market driven business, power supply has become more like a commodity. Reliable and quality power need to be ensured to meet customer requirements. In such a situation, it is extremely important that transmission line faults be identified accurately, reliably and in quick time. Advanced signal processing tools such as discrete wavelet transform (DWT) can be used very effectively for parameterisation and characterization of the fault signals. On the other hand, properly configured neural network (NN) can be utilized for classification of the faults based on the DWT signal. The present contribution uses electromagnetic transient program (EMTP) for modeling of a real transmission system and MATLAB for DWT and NN. Various types of faults have been simulated at different locations along the transmission line and an attempt has been made to correctly identify and locate the fault. (author)
In the present scenario of market driven business, power supply has become more like a commodity. Reliable and quality power need to be ensured to meet customer requirements. In such a situation, it is extremely important that transmission line faults be identified accurately, reliably and in quick time. Advanced signal processing tools such as discrete wavelet transform (DWT) can be used very effectively for parameterisation and characterization of the fault signals. On the other hand, properly configured neural network (NN) can be utilized for classification of the faults based on the DWT signal. The present contribution uses electromagnetic transient program (EMTP) for modeling of a real transmission system and MATLAB for DWT and NN. Various types of faults have been simulated at differ...
The aim of this study was to evaluate typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in early rheumatic diseases manifesting at the soft tissues of the hand using a retrospective analysis. A total of 186 MRI examinations of patients with clinical suspicion of a rheumatic disease were evaluated in a consensus reading by two experienced radiologists. All imaging patterns were assessed with respect to their type and localization. Under blinded and non-blinded conditions diagnoses were correlated with final clinical diagnosis. The most frequent diagnoses were rheumatoid arthritis (RA, 45.7%) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA, 15.6%). The mean correlation between clinical and MRI diagnosis (r) was 0.75 in blinded and 0.853 in non-blinded reading (p <0.001). The following extra-articular imaging patterns were found: synovitis (59.1%), tendovaginitis (91.4%), dactylitis (14.5%), and bone marrow edema (18.3%). Only dactylitis was specific for a ...
The seismic reflection exploration technique which is one of the geophysical methods for oil exploration became effectively to image the subsurface structure with rapid development of computer. As a tool to perform seismic inversion, seismic forward modeling program using ray tracing should be developed. In this study, we have developed the algorithm that is to calculate the travel time of the complex geological structure using ray tracing by subdividing the geologic model into triangular element (finite element) having the constant velocity. We can analytically calculate Jacobian with some information by this current ray tracing. With this Jacobian, we will develop new algorithm which is to obtain geological properties and to image the subsurface. Since the FEM (Finite Element Method) ray tracing we have developed goes well the inverse velocities structure, we can apply the inversion problem to complex geological model. For the convenience of velocity model input ...
Asymmetric Incremental Sheet Forming (AISF) is a relatively new manufacturing process. In AISF, a CNC driven forming tool imposes a localized plastic deformation as it moves along the contour of the desired part. Thus, the final shape is obtained by a sequence of localized plastic deformations. AISF is suitable for small series production of sheet metal parts as needed in aeronautical and medical applications. Two main process limits restrict the range of application of AISF in these fields. These are the low geometrical accuracy of parts made from titanium alloys or high strength steels and, for titanium alloys, the limited formability at room temperature. In this paper a new concept for laser-assisted AISF is introduced including the required components. Furthermore, the CAX tools used f...
The Working Group reviewed the revised Who guidance and the information published since 1991 on the risks of thyroid cancer in children from radioiodine and the risks of side effects from stable iodine. In particular, it reviewed data compiled on the incidence of thyroid cancers in children following the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. It considered whether the NRPB Earls were still appropriate, in the light of the new data. It also reviewed a range of other recommendations given by the 1st Working Group, concerning the chemical form of stable iodine tablets and practical issues concerning implementation of stable iodine prophylaxis. Finally, it reviewed the Patient Information Leaflet that is required, by law, to be included in each box of tablets and provided suggestions for information to be included in a separate information leaflet to be handed out to the public when stable iodine tablets are distributed
This final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) describes the 23.5 kW photovoltaic installation on the Customs House in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland. The objective of the 'Zollhof' photovoltaic solar power plant is to provide the local population with a 'hands-on' solar cell experience, that, according to the authors, should lead to better understanding of renewable energy technology. The commissioning and initial operation of the installation is commented on, as are the above-average production figures of the plant. The power produced is sold by the local utility to its customers as electricity from renewable resources.
Sustainable development of geothermal resources is the key to prolong the commercial life of geothermal fields. This paper uses two well-known geothermal fields in China, with long histories of production, to demonstrate how sustainability can be quantitatively evaluated, and to highlight the essential differences between sustainable and non-sustainable development schemes. After examining the complex nature of sustainability evaluation, fuzzy synthetic evaluation is applied as a tool for the quantitative sustainability rating of geothermal reservoirs. The evaluation procedures include systemic criteria selection, weighing, individual criterion evaluation and finallyfinal multi-criterion decision analysis evaluation. The sustainability of a limestone reservoir in the urban sector of Tianj...
Petrographical analysis is a microscopical analytical tool which allows definition of the exact nature of the components of different concrete mixes, as well as definition of internal structures and alteration processes. In order to improve the precision and the swiftness of the petrographical analysis, an automated image analysis system has been developed. In the next stage of this study, which consisted in the testing of new concrete mixes containing fluidised bed ashes, petrography has been used, not only to identify the nature of the mix components, but also assess the behaviour of these new concrete mixes when exposed to aggressive conditions.
The quality insurance in radiotherapy in the frame of highly complex technical process as Intensity modulated radiotherapy (I.M.R.T.) needs independent control of the delivered dose to the patient. Actually, up to now, most of the radiotherapy treatments rely only on computed dosimetry through a rather complicated series of linked simulation tool. This dosimetry approach requires also qualified treatment means based on cautious quality insurance procedures. However, erroneous parameters could be difficult to detect and systematical errors could happen leading to radiotherapy accidents. In this context, in vivo dosimetry has a critical role of final control of the delivered dose. As many beam incidences and ports are used for any photon therapy treatment, external control could be very tedious and time consuming. Therefore, innovations are needed for in vivo dosimetry to provide ergonomic and efficient tools for these ...
DescriptionLameness, commonly referred to as the leg health, in the modern broiler chicken is an emotive issue and the debate surrounding this subject is not helped by the lack of agreement as to how leg health should be assessed. A commonly used tool for scoring leg health is the Bristol Gait Score, a technique used in the recently reported Defra project AW0230 (`Leg Health and Welfare in Commercial Broiler Production`). The authors of the final report for AW0230 noted that for the chickens gait scored [continued...
This paper presents a decision approach, and associated computer software tools, for prioritizing and selecting among technology development activities. The approach elicits and then summarizes technology development preferences from stakeholders, and then integrates preferences into a set of funding recommendations. By formalizing the technology review process, the decision approach builds consensus and clarifies the basis for final budget decisions. The software development was conducted jointly by Pacific Northwest Laboratory and Decisions Science Associates, Incorporated. The Underground Storage Tank Integrated Demonstration funded the task; however, the approach should also be valuable to the US Department of Energy Office of Technology Development, the Office of Waste Management, and the Office of Environmental Restoration.
This Waste Management Plan functions as a management and planning tool for managing waste streams generated as a result of operations at the Idaho CERCLA Disposal Facility (ICDF) Complex. The waste management activities described in this plan support the selected remedy presented in the Waste Area Group 3, Operable Unit 3-13 Final Record of Decision for the operation of the Idaho CERCLA Disposal Facility Complex. This plan identifies the types of waste that are anticipated during operations at the Idaho CERCLA Disposal Facility Complex. In addition, this plan presents management strategies and disposition for these anticipated waste streams.
As a generalization of fuzzy set, hesitant fuzzy set is a very useful tool in situations where there are some difficulties in determining the membership of an element to a set caused by a doubt between a few different values. The aim of this paper is to develop a series of aggregation operators for hesitant fuzzy information. We first discuss the relationship between intutionistic fuzzy set and hesitant fuzzy set, based on which we develop some operations and aggregation operators for hesitant fuzzy elements. The correlations among the aggregation operators are further discussed. Finally, we give their application in solving decision making problems.
Information security involves many branches of effort, including information assurance, host level security, physical security, and network security. Computer network security methods and implementations are given a top-down description to permit a medically focused audience to anchor this information to their daily practice. The depth of detail of network functionality and security measures, like that of the study of human anatomy, can be highly involved. Presented at the level of major gross anatomical systems, this paper will focus on network backbone implementation and perimeter defenses, then diagnostic tools, and finally the user practices (the human element). Physical security measures, though significant, have been defined as beyond the scope of this presentation.
The primary objective is to perform a fundamental study of filtration of nanoparticles, and to obtain filtration knowledge necessary to design particle collection devices/systems for nanoparticle processing and for preventing nanoparticle emissions into the environment. The research covered a wide area relevant to nanoparticle filtration, under these main topics: (1) nanoparticle filtration and molecular dynamics simulation, (2) nanoparticle virtual impactor, (3) particle transport under low pressure, and (4) development of a high-throughput nanoparticle generator. A number of novel tools and numerical models have been developed under the DOE support.
CT colonography (CTC) is increasingly advocated as an effective initial screening tool for colorectal cancer. Nowadays, policy-makers are increasingly interested in cost-effectiveness issues. A number of studies assessing the cost-effectiveness of CTC have been published to date. The majority of findings indicate that CTC is probably not cost-effective when colonoscopy is available, but this conclusion is sensitive to a number of key parameters. This review discusses the findings of these studies, and considers those factors which most influence final conclusions, notably intervention costs, compliance rates, effectiveness of colonoscopy, and the assumed prevalence and natural history of diminutive advanced polyps. (orig.)
The first candidate rotavirus vaccine was a live attenuated oral vaccine made by the classical empirical method of serial passage of virus in tissue culture cells. Current tetravalent vaccine candidates that are in the final stages of efficacy testing in the United States were made by genetic reassortment. This article briefly highlights how advances in the basic understanding of the molecular biology of rotaviruses have facilitated vaccine development. New approaches for second-generation vaccines and improvements in vaccine efficacy based on further exploitation of the tools and knowledge of rotavirus molecular biology and pathogenesis are discussed. PMID:8752289
The ultra-high pressure waterjet technology was being evaluated at Florida International University (FIU) as a baseline technology. In conjunction with FIU's evaluation of efficiency and cost, this report covers the evaluation conducted for safety and health issues. It is a commercially available technology and has been used for various projects at locations throughout the country. The ultra-high pressure waterjet technology acts as a cutting tool for the removal of surface substrates. The Husky trademark pump feeds water to a lance that directs the high pressure water at the surface to be removed. The safety and health evaluation during the testing demonstration focused on two main areas of exposure. These were dust and noise. The dust exposure was found to be minimal, which would be expected due to the wet environment inherent in the technology, but noise exposure was at a significant level. Further testing for noise is recommended because of the outdoor ...
Studies on the multivariate autoregressive (MAR) analysis are carried out for the choice of the parameters for modelling the data obtained from various sensors optimally. Accordingly, the roles of the parameters on the analysis results are identified and the related ambiguities are reduced. Experimental investigations are carried out by means of synthesized reactor noise-like data obtained from a digital simulator providing simulated stochastic signals of an operating nuclear reactor so that the simulator constitutes a favourable tool for the present studies aimed. As the system is well defined with its known structure, precise comparison of the MAR analysis results with the true values is performed. With the help of the information gained through the studies carried out, conditions to be taken care of for optimal signal processing in MAR modelling are determined. Although the parameters involved are related among themselves and they have to be given different ...
The production of cellulolytic enzymes from fungi has been extensively studied. Several mutants of Trichoderma reesei were selected. Most of the studies were carried out on T. reesei, T. viride, T. harzianum, Penicillium funiculosum, Altemaria alternata. Aspergillus phoenicis, A. ustus, A. tamarii, A. japonicus, and A. niger. T. koningii is one of the most active producers of the so-called C, factor, which is indispensable for the rapid and extensive attack on crystal-line cellulose. However, Trichodenna is known to excrete only small amounts of {beta}-glucosidase. Therefore, Trichoderma is supplemented with {beta}-glucosidase from Aspergillus to increase the saccharification rate of cellulose to glucose as the main sugar. Induction of mutations in Trichodenna spp. rather than T. viride as a tool for the enhancement of {beta}-glucosidase activity was reported. Unfortunately, T. reesei is a poor producer of {beta}-glucosidase. On the other hand, ...
The aim of this study was to evaluate typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in early rheumatic diseases manifesting at the soft tissues of the hand using a retrospective analysis. A total of 186 MRI examinations of patients with clinical suspicion of a rheumatic disease were evaluated in a consensus reading by two experienced radiologists. All imaging patterns were assessed with respect to their type and localization. Under blinded and non-blinded conditions diagnoses were correlated with final clinical diagnosis. The most frequent diagnoses were rheumatoid arthritis (RA, 45.7%) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA, 15.6%). The mean correlation between clinical and MRI diagnosis (r) was 0.75 in blinded and 0.853 in non-blinded reading (p <0.001). The following extra-articular imaging patterns were found: synovitis (59.1%), tendovaginitis (91.4%), dactylitis (14.5%), and bone marrow edema (18.3%). Only dactylitis was specific for a ...
We compiled the results of the source analysis obtained under the collaboration research. Recent construction scheme for source modeling adopted in Japan is described, and strong-motion prediction is performed assuming the scenario earthquakes occurring in the Ulsan fault system, Korea. Finally Qs values beneath the Korean inland crust are estimated using strong-motion records in Korea from the 2005 Off West Fukuoka earthquake (M7.0). Probabilistic seismic hazard for four NPP sites in Korea are evaluated, in which the site specific attenuation equations with Index SA developed for NPP sites are adopted. Furthermore, the uniform hazard spectra for the four NPP sites in Korea are obtained by conducting the PSHA by using the attenuation equations with the index of response spectra and seismic source model cases with maximum weights. The supporting tools for seismic response analysis, the evaluation tool for evaluating annual ...
The present position paper addresses contemporary waste management options, weaknesses and opportunities faced by Hellenic local authorities. It focuses on state-of-the-art, tested as well as innovative, environmental management tools on a municipal scale and identifies a range of different collaboration schemes between local authorities and related service providers. Currently, a policy implementation gap is still experienced among Hellenic local authorities; it appears that administration at the local level is inadequate to manage and implement many of the general policies proposed; identify, collect, monitor and assess relevant data; and safeguard efficient and effective implementation of MSWM practices in the framework of integrated environmental management as well. This shortfall is partly due to the decentralisation of waste management issues to local authorities without a parallel substantial budgetary and capacity support, thus resulting in local activity ...
The overall scope of this endeavor was to develop an integrated computer system, running on a network of heterogeneous computers, that would allow the rapid development of tool designs, and then use process models to determine whether the initial tooling would have characteristics which produce the prototype parts. The major thrust of this program for ORNL was the definition of the requirements for the development of the integrated die design system with the functional purpose to link part design, tool design, and component fabrication through a seamless software environment. The principal product would be a system control program that would coordinate the various application programs and implement the data transfer so that any networked workstation would be useable. The overall system control architecture was to be required to easily facilitate any changes, upgrades, or replacements of the model from either the ...
... We assume that A is chosen so that the claim in question meets whatever are the conventional requirements for confidence in the context at hand. ...
In 2000, the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) laid out a definition of competence that included six specific areas of focus: patient care (including clinical reasoning), medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice. The ACGME's intention was to mandate increasingly reliable and valid assessment measures to be used by all training programs over the next decade, with the goal of providing "more credible, accurate, reliable and useful educational outcome data." In this article, the authors will review definitions of competency according to the new ACGME standards and examine the assessment tools currently available, including global evaluations, 360-degree evaluations, checklists, standardized examinations and direct observations. The authors will provide an overview of critical considerations in different assessment methods, including timing, ...
Abstract in english Cell death is preceded by severe disruption of inorganic ion homeostasis. Seconds to minutes after an injury, calcium, protons, sodium, potassium and chloride are exchanged between the cell and its environment. Simultaneously, ions are shifted between membrane compartments inside the cell, whereby mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum play a crucial role. Depending of the type and severity of injury, two mutually exclusive metastable states can be reached, which predict (more) the final outcome. Cells characterized by large increases in cytosolic [Ca2+], [Na+]; and [Mg2+] swell and die by necrosis; alternatively, cells characterized by high [H+]and low [K+], with normal [Na+] and normal to moderate [Ca2+] increases die by apoptosis. The levels of these ions represent central determinants in signaling events leading to cell death. Their movements are explained mechanistically by specific modulation of membrane transport ...
We present a showcase for deriving bounds on the neutrino masses from laboratory experiments and cosmological observations. We compare the frequentist and Bayesian bounds on the effective electron neutrino mass m_beta which the KATRIN neutrino mass experiment is expected to obtain, using both an analytical likelihood function and Monte Carlo simulations of KATRIN. Assuming a uniform prior in m_beta, we find that a null result yields an upper bound of about 0.17 eV at 90% confidence in the Bayesian analysis, to be compared with the frequentist KATRIN reference value of 0.20 eV. This is a significant difference when judged relative to the systematic and statistical uncertainties of the experiment. On the other hand, an input m_beta=0.35 eV, which is the KATRIN 5sigma detection threshold, would be detected at virtually the same level. Finally, we combine the simulated KATRIN results with cosmological data in the form of present (post-WMAP) and ...
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We formulate a complete theory of Edge Radiation based on a novel method relying on Fourier Optics techniques. Similar types of radiation like Transition Undulator Radiation are addressed in the framework of the same formalism. Special attention is payed in discussing the validity of approximations upon which the theory is built. Our study makes consistent use of both similarity techniques and comparisons with numerical results from simulation. We discuss both near and far zone. Physical understanding of many asymptotes is discussed. Based on the solution of the field equation with a tensor Green's function technique, we also discuss an analytical model to describe the presence of a vacuum chamber. In particular, explicit calculations for a circular vacuum chamber are reported. Finally, we consider the use of Edge Radiation as a tool for electron beam diagnostics. We discuss Coherent Edge Radiation, Extraction of Edge Radiation by a mirror, and ...
This is a thought piece on data-intensive science requirements for databases and science centers. It argues that peta-scale datasets will be housed by science centers that provide substantial storage and processing for scientists who access the data via smart notebooks. Next-generation science instruments and simulations will generate these peta-scale datasets. The need to publish and share data and the need for generic analysis and visualization tools will finally create a convergence on common metadata standards. Database systems will be judged by their support of these metadata standards and by their ability to manage and access peta-scale datasets. The procedural stream-of-bytes-file-centric approach to data analysis is both too cumbersome and too serial for such large datasets. Non-procedural query and analysis of schematized self-describing data is both easier to use and allows much more parallelism.
Summary Reference to an ancient Hindu picture of a snarling dog may be a convincing enough proof to consider the fact that rabies has been known in the world for the past 50 centuries. Prior to the monumental observation about rabies of Fracastoro in the 16th century, facts and fantasies were intermingled in the study of rabies. In the realm of fantasy, consider the statement of Aristotle (otherwise a great philosopher) that only animals and not humans die of rabies. It took 19 centuries before Fracastoro finally established that infection with rabies is lethal for all warm-blooded beings including humans. The new era of rabies dates from the time of Galtier who isolated the virus and Pasteur who was able to create a somewhat attenuated strain of virus fixe which became the tool of laborat...
The celebrated Kuramoto model captures various synchronization phenomena in biological and man-made dynamical systems of coupled oscillators. It is well-known that there exists a critical coupling strength among the oscillators at which a phase transition from incoherency to synchronization occurs. This paper features three contributions. First, we characterize and distinguish the different notions of synchronization used throughout the literature and formally introduce the concept of phase cohesiveness as an analysis tool and performance index for synchronization. Second, we review the vast literature providing necessary, sufficient, implicit, and explicit estimates of the critical coupling strength in the finite and infinite-dimensional case. Finally, we present the first explicit necessary and sufficient condition on the critical coupling strength to achieve synchronization in the finite-dimensional Kuramoto model for an arbitrary ...
This paper presents a theoretical analysis based on the second law of thermodynamics for estimating the minimum work required for air dehumidification process to produce potable water in a humidification-dehumidification (HD) desalination cycle. The general air dehumidification process is analyzed through an equivalent path consisting of an isothermal dehumidification followed by a sensible cooling Dehumidification is treated as separation process of an ideal mixture consisting of two components, namely air and water vapor. The present analysis assumes the dead state to be the dry ambient and the final state for complete dehumidification to be saturated air at 0.01?C. Contours of the minimum work are plotted on psychrometric chart and presented as a handy engineering tool to estimate the p...
This book is mainly a comparison of the cost of pollution with the cost of environmental protection. As to the causes of pollution, a difference is made between pollutants that accumulate and pollutants that do not accumulate. Because of pollutant accumulation it is necessary to carry out both subsequent pollution abatement measures and to take preventive action which helps to avoid pollutant emission. Growth models serve to substantiate why such preventive action is both ecologically and economically useful as a rule. Finally the study makes a comparison between some tools of environmental protection. It stresses in particular that, if a duty on emissions is levied, the polluter has to bear all the cost of the pollution, while at the same time the quality of the environment can be more successfully improved than by emission standards alone.
One of the major challenges facing the proposed high-energy linear e^+e^ colliders is the preservation of the extremely small vertical emittance from the damping rings to the interaction point (IP). This emittance must be transported through bunch compression sections, the main linac and finally through the beam delivery system to the IP. Historically, the beam dynamics issues of each subsystem have been studied quasi-independently, with the beam conditions and tolerances being specified at the boundaries. As part of the recent International Linear Collider Technical Review Committee, new simulation tools have been developed to simulate the beam transport through the integrated system, including static and dynamic errors, stabilization systems, and tuning algorithms.
In 2008 the German National Analysis Facility (NAF) at DESY was established. It is attached to and builds on top of DESY Grid infrastructure. The facility is designed to provide the best possible analysis infrastructure for high energy particle physics of the ATLAS, CMS, LHCb and ILC experiments. The Grid and local infrastructure of the NAF is reviewed with a focus on the ATLAS part. Both parts include large scale storage and a batch system. Emphasis is put on ATLAS specific customisation and utilisation of the NAF. This refers not only to the NAF components but also to the di erent components of the ATLAS analysis framework. Experience from operating and supporting ATLAS users on the NAF is presented in this paper. The ATLAS usage of the di erent components are shown including some typical use cases of user analysis. Finally, the question is addressed, if the design of the NAF meets the ATLAS expectations for effcient data analysis in the era of LHC data taking.
A generalized approach to the analysis of the effects of transmission line faults on natural gas transmission pipelines has been developed and is presented in this report. A state of the art user-friendly computational tool has been developed and verified for the analysis of interference between electrical power lines and nearby buried or above-ground pipelines. This computer program, ECCAPP, is distinguished by its ability to model and analyze accurately complex, realistic interactions between pipelines and power lines, using easily obtained input data. The final report consists of three volumes. An independent fourth volume was also developed to simplify the installation of the ECCAPP software. This report, volume 1, contains the theory upon which the ECCAPP computer program is based. A parametric analysis and graphical charts have been formulated using ECCAPP to permit estimates to be made in the field or during preliminary analyses for ...
The purpose of this study is to analyze the safeties and the economics for Co-60 production from Wolsung PHWR and to verify the feasibility on the manufacturing of the final Co-60 source for industrial irradiation. The feasibility of reactor conversion was carried out with KEPCO collaboration. Through the site survey on the experience of Gentililly-2 in Canada, a feasibility of plant conversion, changes in design, equipment and tools for Co-60 production was verified. It was estimated that the reactor conversion would not impose adverse impact on plant safety. For the encapsulation of radiation source and storage of the final products, a modification of concrete hot cell at KAERI was primary concerns. The installation and improvement of facilities are needed to avoid cross contamination and extra radiation exposure. Main items for these are pressure gauge, separated HEPA filter the ceiling separation, extra-shielding and ...
The new industrial political tools based on the sustainable development of productive activities, and originating at the Rio Conference in 1992, late introduced by the European Union, the Government and voluntary organizations (ISO, CEM, UNI) are gradually entering the market, thereby underling their effect in terms of industrial competitiveness. The main tools were examined in the report and mostly refer to the voluntary ones which, in surpassing the command and control logic, increasingly tend to get close to traditional fiscal, tariff and financial ones. Voluntary agreements, environmental management systems (EMAS, ISO14000), the risk prevention systems (UNI 10617), certification (Ecolabel, ISO 14040) and environment communications tools (environment balance sheet, environmental report, environmental statement) are synthetically described. Finally, the tools regarding the ...
We have developed a playmate robot system for playing the rock-paper-scissors game with humans. The playmate robot recognizes the hand motions of a human using image processing without attaching any additional units to the human. The playmate robot system consists of three parts: a game management part, a hand motion recognition part, and a robot hand control part. The system functions as follows. (1) Before the game is played, the game management part decides on the motion of the robot hand from amongst rock, paper, and scissors. After the game is played, the robot develops a reaction using speech and facial expressions depending on the result of the game. (2) The hand motion recognition part recognizes the hand motion of the human. It does not use any additional units on the human?s body...
This thesis presents the work achieved to instrument the ATLAS software framework, ATHENA, with a library of tools and utensils for the physics analysis as well as the extraction of the jet energy scale using physics events (in-situ calibration). The software part presents the various components of the ATHENA framework which handles the simulated and reconstructed data flow as well as the different stages of this process, before and during the data taking. The building of a library of tools easing the reconstruction of physics objects, their association with Monte-Carlo particles and their API is then explained. The need for common language and collaboration-wide utensils is emphasised as it allows to share the workload of validating these tools and to get reproducible physics results. The analysis part deals with the implementation of a light jet energy scale calibration algorithm within the C++ framework. This calibration ...
As the jump from 2D to 3D, seismic exploration lives a new revolution with the use of converted PS waves. Indeed PS converted waves are proving their potential as a tool for imaging through gas; lithology discrimination; structural confirmation; and more. Nevertheless, processing converted shear data and in particular determining accurate P and S velocity models for depth imaging of these data is still a challenging problem, especially when the subsurface is anisotropic. To solve this velocity model determination problem we propose to use reflection travel time tomography. In a first step, we derive a new approximation of the exact phase velocity equation of the SV wave in anisotropic (TI) media. This new approximation is valid for non-weak anisotropy and is mathematically simpler to handle than the exact equation. Then, starting from an isotropic reflection tomography tool developed at Lt-'P, we extend the isotropic bending ray ...
... Abstract : The purpose of this study was to evaluate the tooling cost estimating equation of the DAPCA III model and determine if more accurate ...
To study the topographical organization of mu and beta band event-related desynchronization (ERD) associated with voluntary hand and foot movements, we used magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings...Full Text Available
PURPOSETo compare hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and pure laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy techniques in live donor nephrectomy.METHODSIn...Full Text Available
In laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS), the properties of laser-generated aerosols, such as size and composition, are crucial for matrix-independent quantification. In this study, the aerosol particle morphology and elemental composition generated by two state-of-the-art laser systems (ArF excimer nanosecond-UV laser and Ti:sapphire femtosecond-IR laser) were investigated by electron microscopic techniques. Electrostatic sampling of the aerosols directly onto transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids allowed us to study the morphology and elemental composition of the aerosols using TEM and TEM-EDX (energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) analyses, respectively. The results of the electron microscopic studies were finally compared to the LA-ICPMS signals of the main matrix components. The investigations were carried out for non-conducting materials (glass and zircon), metallic samples (steel and brass) and semiconductors ...
Damage survey of protective coats of modern gas turbine blade shows that most damages are not due to classic wear mechanisms such as oxydation or high-temperature corrosion but caused by foreign bodies, poor coating during manufacturing, or operation-caused cracks. Mere visual inspection of cracks is often not sufficient to tell whether cracks are superficial or whether they have already progressed into the base material. Non-destructive methods such as ultrasonic inspection or eddy-current testing are helpful tools but there is not yet a fully matured testing concept at hand. Metallographical tests can give important information about crack mechanisms and thermal, chemical and mechanical stresses.(orig.) [German] Die Schadenerfahrung mit Schutzschichten moderner Gasturbinenschaufeln zeigt, dass die meisten Schaeden nicht auf die klassischen Verbrauchsmechanismen wie Oxydation und Hochtemperaturkorrosion zurueckzufuehren sind, sondern durch ...
We have observed the CH_3OH J = 2-1, SiO J = 2-1, C"3"4S J = 2-1, H"1"3CO"+ J = 1-0, HN"1"3C J = 1-0, CCH N = 1-0, OCS J = 8-7, and SO J_N = 2_2-1_1 lines toward 20 massive clumps, including Midcourse Space Experiment (MSX) 8 #mu#m dark sources (infrared dark clouds) and MSX 8 #mu#m sources, by using the Nobeyama Radio Observatory 45 m telescope. We have found that the velocity widths of the CH_3OH and C"3"4S lines are broader than those of the H"1"3CO"+ line in the MSX dark sources. On the other hand, they are comparable to the velocity width of the H"1"3CO"+ line in the MSX sources. In addition, the [SiO]/[H"1"3CO"+] abundance ratio is found to be enhanced in the MSX dark sources in comparison with the MSX sources. These results suggest that shocks caused by interaction between an outflow and an ambient dense gas would have substantial impact on the chemical composition of the MSX dark sources. The velocity widths of the CH_3OH and C"3"4S lines relative to that ...
This handbook provides the necessary tools for the engineer to design forced-cooled HPOF pipe-type cable systems. It represents the final objective of a major project which included an extensive research program at the Waltz Mill Forced-Cooling Test Facility. The formulas and procedures presented in this handbook are consistent with the results of this program as well as other full-scale and model investigations. Introductory material, including historical information, general design concepts and basic heat transfer and fluid dynamics theory is given for those who are unfamiliar with the fundamental principles of forced-cooling. The nucleus of the handbook consists of equations and calculating procedures for determining forced-cooled parameters and thermal/hydraulic performance levels. Both simple and sophisticated procedures have been provided, with the more complex procedures treating such areas as the thermal interaction between cable pipes ...
The h-cobordism theorem is a noted theorem in differential and PL topology. A generalization of the h-cobordism theorem for possibly non simply connected manifolds is the so called s-cobordism theorem. In this paper, we prove semialgebraic and Nash versions of these theorems. That is, starting with semialgebraic or Nash cobordism data, we get a semialgebraic homeomorphism (respectively a Nash diffeomorphism). The main tools used are semialgebraic triangulation and Nash approximation. One aspect of the algebraic nature of semialgebraic or Nash objects is that one can measure their complexities. We show h and s-cobordism theorems with a uniform bound on the complexity of the semialgebraic homeomorphism (or Nash diffeomorphism) obtained in terms of the complexity of the cobordism data. The uniform bound of semialgebraic h-cobordism cannot be recursive, which gives another example of non effectiveness in real algebraic geometry see [ABB]. Finally ...
The ability to use an acoustic stethoscope to detect lung and/or heart sounds, and then to then communicate one's interpretation of those sounds is an essential skill for many medical professionals. Interpretation of lung and heart sounds, in the context of history and other examination findings, often aids the differential diagnosis. Bedside assessment of changing auscultation findings may also guide treatment. Learning lung and heart auscultation skills typically involves listening to pre-recorded normal and adventitious sounds, often followed by laboratory instruction to guide stethoscope placement, and finally correlating the sounds with the associated pathophysiology and pathology. Recently, medical simulation has become an important tool for teaching prior to clinical practice, and for evaluating bedside auscultation skills. When simulating cardiovascular or pulmonary problems, high-quality lung and heart sounds should be able to ...
One of the most active areas of physics in the last decades has been that of critical phenomena, and Monte Carlo simulations have played an important role as a guide for the validation and prediction of system properties close to the critical points. The kind of phase transitions occurring for the Betts lattice (lattice constructed removing 1/7 of the sites from the triangular lattice) have been studied before with the Potts model for the values q=3, ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic regime. Here, we add up to this research line the ferromagnetic case for q=4 and 5. In the first case, the critical exponents are estimated for the second order transition, whereas for the latter case the histogram method is applied for the occurring first order transition. Additionally, Domany's Monte Carlo based clustering technique mainly used to group genes similar in their expression levels is reviewed. Finally, a control theory tool --an adaptive observer-- ...
Full text.Increased environmental concerns and the emphasis on material and energy recovery are gradually changing the orientation of municipal solid waste (MSW) management and planning. In this context, the application of optimization techniques have been introduced to design the least cost solid waste management systems, considering the variety of management processes (recycling, composting, anaerobic digestion, incineration and land filling) and the existence of uncertainties associated with the number of system components and their interrelations. This study presents a model that was developed and applied to serve as a solid socio-economic and environmental considerations. The model accounts for solid waste generation rates, composition, collection, treatment, disposal as well as potential environmental impacts of various MSW management techniques. The model follows a linear programming formulation with the framework of dynamic optimization. The model can serve as a ...
The PICTURE utility generates user defined pictures with black-and-white or color output, suitable for viewgraphs, slides, report diagrams - in general, any application requiring visual aids. The interactive menu-driven system allows a user to create a picture consisting of text, straight lines, graphs, and assortment of markers, splines and drawings, all in a variety of colors. Commands for manipulating the picture include moving, scaling, rotating, deleting, copying and changing the color of objects. Text strings may be aligned left, right, or centered, and have a vertical or horizontal path. Markers, circles and the large bold font may be filled or unfilled. The user may add or delete one of two overlay grids for help in positioning items. The final product may be saved in a text file for later retrieval. PICTURE currently runs on a VAX 11/780 with the DI-3000 commercial graphics package. Supported graphics devices include Ramtek 9400 and Metheus 440 frame ...
Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for growth traits, water use efficiency and tolerance/resistance against metals and herbivores have been identified. A hybrid F2 population originating from a cross between a Salix dasyclados-clone (SW901290) and a S. viminalis-clone ('Jorunn') was used for the different studies in this project. The growth response was analyzed in a greenhouse experiment with two water treatments, normal and drought. In addition, three field experiments with contrasting soils and climates were established. QTL specific for each treatment or field environment but also QTL stable over the treatments or field environments were detected. Each QTL explained from 8 to 29 % of the phenotypic variation depending on trait, treatment or field environment. Clusters of QTL for different traits were mapped indicating a common genetic base or tightly-linked QTL. Stable QTL identified for dryweight can be useful tools for early selection in Salix. ...
This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). Nature uses chlorophyll and other porphyrinic pigments to capture and transfer light energy as a preliminary step in photosynthesis. The design of synthetic assemblies of light harvesting and energy directing pigments has been explored through synthesis and characterization of porphyrin oligomers. In this project, pigment electronic and vibrational structures have been explored by electrochemistry and dynamic and static optical measurements. Transient absorption data reveal energy transfer between pigments with lifetimes on the order of 20--200 picoseconds, while Raman data reveal that the basic porphyrin core structure is unperturbed relative to the individual monomer units. These two findings, along with an extensive series of experiments on the oxidized oligomers, reveal that coupling between the pigments is ...
Low and intermediate waste disposal facilities safety assessment is comprised of several steps from site selection , construction and operation to post-closure performance assessment. This is a multidisciplinary and complex task , and can not be analyzed by one expert only. This high complexity can lead to ambiguity and vagueness in information and consequently in the decision making process. In order to make the decision process clear and objective, there is the need to provide the decision makers with a clear and comprehensive picture of the whole process and, at the same time, simple and easily understandable by the public. This paper suggests the development of an inference system based on fuzzy decision making methodology. Fuzzy logic tools are specially suited to deal with ambiguous data by using language expressions. This process would be capable of integrating knowledge from various fields of environmental sciences. It has an advantage of keeping record of ...
A method is described for testing a diverter system on an offshore drilling rig of a type having a marine riser assembly extending to a subsea well, the diverter system having a packer element and at least one port located below the packer element for the passage of drilling fluid flowing upward from the marine riser assembly during drilling. The method consists of connecting a tubular member to the upper end of a packer having an elastomeric expansive seal element; placing the packer in an upper portion of the marine riser assembly below the diverter system and expanding the seal element against the interior of the upper portion; closing the packer element of the diverter system around the tubular member; and finally applying fluid pressure in the space between the packer element of the diverter system and the seal element of the packer to determine if any leakage in the diverter system exists. The patent also describes an offshore drilling rig linked to a subsea ...
The main purpose of this study is to develop a thermal hydraulic auditing code for the CANDU reactor, modifying the model of existing PWR auditing tool , i.e. RELAP5/MOD3. This scope of project is a fourth step of the whole project, applying the RELAP5/MOD3/CANDU+ version for the real CANDU plant LOCA Analysis and D2O leakage incident. There are three main models under investigation, i.e. Moody critical flow model, flow regime model of horizontal CANDU bundle, and fuel element heatup model when the stratification occurs, especially when CANDU LOCA is tested. Also, for Wolsung unit 1 D2O leakage incident analysis, the plant behavior is predicted with the newly developed version for the first 1000 seconds after onset of the incident, with the main interest aiming for system pressure, level control system, and thermal hydraulic transient behavior of the secondary system. The model applied for this particular application includes heat transfer model of nuclear fuel ...
I present here a review of past and present multi-disciplinary research of the Pittsburgh Computational AstroStatistics (PiCA) group. This group is dedicated to developing fast and efficient statistical algorithms for analysing huge astronomical data sources. I begin with a short review of multi-resolutional kd-trees which are the building blocks for many of our algorithms. For example, quick range queries and fast n-point correlation functions. I will present new results from the use of Mixture Models (Connolly et al. 2000) in density estimation of multi-color data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). Specifically, the selection of quasars and the automated identification of X-ray sources. I will also present a brief overview of the False Discovery Rate (FDR) procedure (Miller et al. 2001a) and show how it has been used in the detection of ``Baryon Wiggles'' in the local galaxy power spectrum and source identification in radio data. Finally, I will look ...
This report presents the results of analysis of selected data from the NRU test series dealing with heatup and reflood heat transfer during postulated PWR LOCA conditions. These tests used nuclear fuel rods and some considered clad ballooning and rupture. Also included was an electrically-heated rod ballooning test, REBEKA-6. The COBRA-TF computer program, renamed PYTHONS, was modified and used for the analytical tool. Modifications included provisions for fuel rod gas flow and pressure, creep deformation and rupture, channel blockage, and blockage heat transfer. Calculated clad temperatures for NRU unpressurized rods show quite good agreement with experimental data. The calculated amount and axial extent of clad ballooning for pressurized rods agrees reasonably well with post-test examinations of the NRU bundles. Time to failure was underpredicted in the MT-3 test as a result of the high strength of NRU clad material which was not represented in the PYTHONS creep ...
The purpose of this assessment is to develop a versatile process that will provide a mechanism for evaluating both present and future risks to this environment. Much of the regulatory and environmental interest in the port has centered around a Ballast Water Treatment facility that treats and discharges up to 30 mgd of oily ballast water brought in by crude oil tankers. However, six point discharges and other potential sources of pollution exist in the area. The authors have delineated eleven subareas in the port in order to identify the potential anthropogenic stressors, as well as the receptors that could be exposed to these stressors. Potential effects were then characterized for each exposure. Each component is ranked and integrated, resulting in a relative risk estimate in each subarea. Both the discernible risks, based on available data, and the data gaps are presented. Uncertainty is expressed as a range of high and low risk associated with each component. Results of the ranking ...
Design tools that are currently available for use with microcomputers to assist in designing energy-efficient daylighted buildings are presented. The information presented was gathered as a part of a telephone survey to design tool developer conducted over a six month period. The matrix is but one of five categories of tools. The other four were nomographs, protractors/tables, minis, and main frame computer programs. Information is provided to encourage interested design professionals, educators and students to communicate directly with design tool representatives.
The primary goal of this project is to increase the availability and ease of access to critical data on the Mesaverde and Dakota tight gas reservoirs of the San Juan Basin. Secondary goals include tuning well log interpretations through integration of core, water chemistry and production analysis data to help identify bypassed pay zones; increased knowledge of permeability ratios and how they affect well drainage and thus infill drilling plans; improved time-depth correlations through regional mapping of sonic logs; and improved understanding of the variability of formation waters within the basin through spatial analysis of water chemistry data. The project will collect, integrate, and analyze a variety of petrophysical and well data concerning the Mesaverde and Dakota reservoirs of the San Juan Basin, with particular emphasis on data available in the areas defined as tight gas areas for purpose of FERC. A relational, geo-referenced database (a geographic information system, or GIS) ...
MRI provides a non-invasive diagnostic tool complementing echocardiography on one hand, and showing advantages over echocardiography, on the other hand, especially after corrective procedures. The multiple different MRI sequences need to be adapted to examinations of children and patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), and can be used to detect morphologic changes, blood-flow in the heart and thoracic vessels and diastolic or systolic function of myocardium. Several factors determine the success of the examination of a complex congenital heart disease or a postoperative situs. Pediatric radiologists and radiologists experienced in congenital heart diseases have to work in close cooperation. Echocardiography should be performed before MRI. The results of prior examinations and the clinical history of the patients, including possible palliative or reconstructive operations, must be available before MRI to guide the ...
The vascular status of femoral heads in the post-traumatic period of intracapsular femoral neck fracture (ICFNF) remains uncertain until the patient actually develops avascular necrosis (AVN). Several methods for predicting the viability of femoral head have been reported, that are not effective or widely used because of unreliability, potential complications, and technical difficulties. The present study involved the use of Dynamic MRI (DMRI) in assessing femoral head vascularity to predict AVN. The role of DMRI was studied prospectively in 30 patients with 31 ICFNF. Fractures were divided in to three types (Type A, B, or C) based on the femoral head vascularity shown by dynamic curve patterns on MRI evaluation. Type A was preserved vascularity, Type B was some decrease in vascularity but still viable while Type C was significantly reduced vascularity. These were followed-up for 6 months to 2 years to observe the final outcome in terms of union, non-union, or AVN. ...
Since 1998, Hydro Quebec Research Centre (IREQ), in collaboration with Gentilly-2, has been working on the development of inspection devices for the feeder tubes of CANDU power plants. The first tool to come out of this work was the Metar bracelet, now used throughout the CANDU utilities, consisting of 14 ultrasonic probes held in place in a rigid bracelet to measure the thickness of the pipes and moved around manually along the pipe. Following the success of the Metar, a motorized version, i.e. the Crawler, has been developed to inspect beyond the operator arm's reach to access hard to reach place or further down the pipes in the reactor. This new system has been tested at 3 different stations and will be commercially available soon. Finally, the same technology was used to develop a motorized 2-axis crack detection device to answer new concerns about the feeder. Other configurations, depending on the demands from the industry, could ...
The increasing complexity of the real-time data acquisition and processing systems (TDAQ: the so called Trigger and Data AcQuisition systems) in high energy physics calls for an appropriate evolution of development tools. This work is about the interplay between in principle specifications of TDAQ systems and their actual design and realization on a concrete hardware and software platform. The basis of our work is to define a methodology for the development of TDAQ systems that meets the specific demands for the development of such systems. The result is the detailed specification of a 'methodological framework' based on the Unified Modeling Language (UML) and designed to manage a development process. The use of this UML-based methodological framework progressively leads to the setting up of a 'home-made' framework, i.e. a development tool that comprises reusable components and generic architectural elements ...
In 2003, Vehicle Emissions Team of the Clean Air Strategic Alliance (CASA) decided to explore ways to reduce vehicle emissions such as particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbons from diesel engines. One of the options for reducing emissions from diesel engines, a diesel particulate filter (DPF), is the subject of a demonstration project to test the effectiveness of the Johnson Matthey diesel particulate filter called Continuously Regenerating Technology (CRT) under cold weather conditions. The project involved filter testing between January 2003 and January 2004 on two diesel buses in Edmonton Transit System's (ETS) fleet. Vehicle exhaust emissions were tested for total hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter. The objectives of the project were to: prove the effectiveness of DPF under cold weather conditions in Alberta; provide an opportunity for hands-on installation experience and ...
This report describes a study of the mass of the electron neutrino using electron capture in {sup 163}Ho in Japan for the period from 1981 to 1994. This monograph has two purposes, one is to supplement the papers on the mass of the electron neutrino already published by us and another is to make a record on some details of our experiments for future. Electron capture in a nucleus takes place in a rather small space inside an atom, where atomic physics, nuclear physics and particle physics work closely together. Therefore, this study needed an intimate collaboration of atomic physicists, nuclear physicists and particle physicists. In addition, it was necessary for this study to use various fine techniques, including metallurgy, production of {sup 163}Ho activity, micro-analysis by wet chemistry, isotope-dilution mass spectrometry, undulator radiation source technology, the soft X-ray monochromator technology, a counting technique for very intense soft X-rays and so on. As a result, our ...
Full text of publication follows: As SiCf/SiC composites are very low activation materials, their use as structural material for the reactor blanket and first wall components appears essential to demonstrate the potential of D-T fusion power reactor. Positive features of SiCf/SiC are their high performances at elevated operating temperature and the ability to produce a specific component. Critical issues of SiCf/SiC are the mechanical properties, radiation stability and, with regard to technological issues, their hermeticity and joining processes. Improvement of joining processes for SiC/SiC components is also needed. Recently, several blanket designs have been studied: the TAURO blanket concept in the European Union, the ARIESAT concept in the US and the DREAM concept in Japan. In those reactors, hermetic SiCf/SiC or self-sealing coatings are mandatory. The basic idea of self sealing concept is to manufacture a coating with specific requirements (CTE and wettability suitable for ...
The production of heavy crude oils increased in the last years in the world. Crude oils with high density, viscosity, acidity and sulfur, nitrogen, metals and asphaltenes contents, by the others hand, low stability and low product quality. The challenger of many refiners is find solutions to refine the heavy crude oils, and produce fuels with certify quality, such as Jet Fuel. The principal aviation technique on the world work with gas turbines engines feted for jet fuel (JET A1). The quality specifications of this fuel are establish by International Norms: ASTM-1655, DEF STAN 91-91-3 (DERD 2494) and joint Fuelling System Check List. The world technologies to obtain jet fuel from mixtures of heavy crude oil with middle crude oils are: Atmospheric distillation, with a posterior hydrogenation and finally the additivation. Studies carried out have demonstrates that the Cubans heavy crude oils is characterized for having API less than 10, raised ...
This report describes progress made during the extended final year (April 1, 1992 to December 31, 1993) and summarizes the accomplishments of the entire three-year period (April 1, 1990 through December 31, 1993) of the current US Department of Energy grant DE-FG06-87ER40345. This work is carried out primarily at the UNISOR (University Isotope Separator at Oak Ridge) facility of the Holifield Heavy-Ion Research Facility of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The primary mission of this work is the study of the structure and properties of nuclei far from stability through on-line nuclear orientation using the UNISOR Nuclear Orientation Facility, a helium dilution refrigerator coupled on-line to the UNISOR mass separator. The author`s group was one of the original proposers of this facility and played a central role in its design, construction, and development. The structure of nuclei far from stability is in general poorly known. Knowledge from heavy-ion reactions is ...
Background: EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor) and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) inhibitors confer clinical benefit in metastatic colorectal cancer when combined with chemotherapy. An emerging strategy to improve outcomes in rectal cancer is to integrate biologically active, targeted agents as triple therapy into chemoradiation protocols. Material and methods: cetuximab and bevacizumab have now been incorporated into phase I-II studies of preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for rectal cancer. The rationale of these combinations, early efficacy and toxicity data, and possible molecular predictors for tumor response are reviewed. Computerized bibliographic searches of Pubmed were supplemented with hand searches of reference lists and abstracts of ASCO and ASTRO meetings. Results: the combination of cetuximab and CRT can be safely applied without dose compromises of the respective treatment components. Disappointingly low rates of pathologic ...
Stargardt`s disease (MIM 248200), originally described in 1909, is an autosomal recessive condition of childhood, characterized by a sudden and bilateral loss of central vision. Typically, it has an early onset (7 to 12 years), a rapidly progressive course and a poor final outcome. The central area of the retina (macula) displays pigmentary changes in a ring form with depigmentation and atrophy of the retinal pigmentary epithelium (RPE). Perimacular yellowish spots, termed fundus flavimaculatus, are observed in a high percentage of patients. We have recently reported the genetic mapping of Stargardt`s disease to chromosome 1p13. On the other hand, considering that fundus flavimaculatus (MIM 230100) is another form of fleck fundus disease, with a Stargardt-like retinal aspect but with a late-onset and a more progressive course, we decided to test the hypothesis of allelism between typical Stargardt`s disease and late-onset autosomal recessive ...
This document is a Final Technical Report that describes the results of the Geophex Airborne Unmanned Survey System (GAUSS) research project. The objectives were to construct a geophysical data acquisition system that uses a remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and to evaluate its effectiveness for characterization of hazardous environmental sites. The GAUSS is a data acquisition system that mitigates the potential risk to personnel during geophysical characterization of hazardous or radioactive sites. The fundamental basis of the GAUSS is as follows: (1) an unmanned survey vehicle carries geophysical sensors into a hazardous location, (2) the pilot remains outside the hazardous site and operates the vehicle using radio control, (3) geophysical measurements and their spatial locations are processed by an automated data-acquisition system which displays data on an off-site monitor in real-time, and (4) the pilot uses the display to direct the survey ...
Various kinds of decontaminations are carried out in atomic power plant. Here current decontamination technologies such as chemical decontamination with chemical solution or blast decontamination have a problem of reduction of secondary radioactive waste generated in the decontamination process. On the other hand, a low pressure arc plasma can remove metal oxide film on the metal substrate without heavy damage on the metal substrate when the object to be treated was set as a cathode. Dry surface decontamination technology with using low-pressure arc plasma can decrease secondary radioactive waste because low-pressure arc plasma does not need any chemical solution. In addition, the time required for treatment can be shorter, so it is possible for the low-pressure arc plasma decontamination technology to interpolate the current decontamination technologies such as spot decontamination technology etc. Therefore we have been investigating the dependence of removal of ...
The protein databank (PDB) contains high quality structural data for computational structural biology investigations. We have earlier described a fast tool (the decomp_pdb tool) for identifying and...Full Text Available
Grain refinement behavior of copper alloys cast in permanent molds was investigated. This is one of the least studied subjects in copper alloy castings. Grain refinement is not widely practiced for leaded copper alloys cast in sand molds. Aluminum bronzes and high strength yellow brasses, cast in sand and permanent molds, were usually fine grained due to the presence of more than 2% iron. Grain refinement of the most common permanent mold casting alloys, leaded yellow brass and its lead-free replacement EnviroBrass III, is not universally accepted due to the perceived problem of hard spots in finished castings and for the same reason these alloys contain very low amounts of iron. The yellow brasses and Cu-Si alloys are gaining popularity in North America due to their low lead content and amenability for permanent mold casting. These alloys are prone to hot tearing in permanent mold casting. Grain refinement is one of the solutions for reducing this problem. However, to use this ...
Artificial neural network analysis is found to be far superior to multiple regression when applied to the evaluation of trap quality in the Northern Kuqa Depression, a gas-rich depression of Tarim Basin in western China. This is because this technique can correlate the complex and non-linear relationship between trap quality and related geological factors, whereas multiple regression can only describe a linear relationship. However, multiple regression can work as an auxiliary tool, as it is suited to high-speed calculations and can indicate the degree of dependence between the trap quality and its related geological factors which artificial neural network analysis cannot. For illustration, we have investigated 30 traps in the Northern Kuqa Depression. For each of the traps, the values of 14 selected geological factors were all known. While geologists were also able to assign individual trap quality values to 27 traps, they were less certain about the values for ...
Snakebites are common among the rural population of developing countries. The severity of venomous snakebites depends on several factors, including the location of the bite, the amount of venom injected,...Full Text Available
The radiographic features of Ewing's sarcoma of the bones of the hands and feet are reviewed utilizing cases obtained from the Mayo Clinic patient files and the consultation files of Drs. D.C. Dahlin and K.K. Unni. This series consists of a total of 43 cases of pathologically proven Ewing's sarcoma involving the small bones of the hands and feet. The classic radiographic features of Ewing's sarcoma in the long bones, including lytic, permeative destruction, aggressive periosteal reaction, cortical violation, and a soft tissue mass, are also seen in the bones of the hands and feet, with similar frequency. These classic features are most commonly present in lesions affecting the short tubular bones. Lesions affecting the tarsal bones more often demonstrate atypical radiographic features. These atypical radiographic appearances may play a role in the reported delay in diagnosis of Ewing's sarcoma within the tarsal bones. ...
Background:Percutaneous tracheostomy (PT) has gained an increasing acceptance as an alternative to the conventional surgical tracheostomy (ST). In experienced hands, and with...Full Text Available
Sep 19, 2011 ... (The whispering voice, on the other hand, was the latest in ultrasound directed audio technology from the firm Audio Spotlight.) The NASA ...
BackgroundThe function of a cylinder allowing simultaneous measurements of the opposition axis of the index finger and thumb of the hand and the magnitude of pinch force is described.Full Text Available
The ecological approach to perception, as developed by James Gibson, is described and applied to how one knows, by means of the haptic perceptual system, various properties of hand-held objects. Four...Full Text Available
Nickel base superalloys for turbine construction are exposed to maximum thermal and mechanical stresses. owing to a change of materials by one of the project partners, the project only comprised analyses of the alloy CMSX-6. Isothermal tensile and fatigue tests provided basic data on the alloy. Thermomechanical fatigue tests showed that material life and microstructural changes are clearly, and to an extreme extent, dependent on the type of combination of the two stress factors `temperature interval` and `total strain amplitude`, while the damage to the material tends to be a function of the maximum stresses for a given stress path. On the one hand, these results make it possible to obtain information real stresses from the structures of real blades. On the other hand, constructional measures can be taken in order to better adapt the stresses to which alloys are exposed to their characteristic potential. (orig./AKF) [Deutsch] Die im Turbinenbau ...
A cooperative effort of the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW) and Phototronics Solartechnik GmbH (PST) aimed at the transfer of highly efficient solar cells developed on a laboratory scale, to large-area thin-film solar modules suitable for production. This work was based on research and development at the Institute for Physical Electronics (IPE) of Stuttgart University and ZSW on one hand, and on the know-how of PST in regard to large-area module fabrication on the other hand. The various thin-film layers of the cells and modules comprize molybdenum as rear contact, copper-indium(gallium)-diselenide (CIGS) as absorber material, the combination of cadmium sulphide (CdS) and ZnO as window layer. To produce these layers on large areas (30x30 cm{sup 2}), equipment was constructed and procedures were developed. Monolithic series connection of cells, used in other thin-film technologies, was studied and optimized by suitable ...
The advent of sophisticated automation equipment and computer hardware and software is changing the way manufacturing is carried out. To compete in the global marketplace, manufacturing companies must integrate these new technologies into their factories. In addition, they must integrate the planning, control, and data management methodologies needed to make effective use of these technologies. This paper provides an overview of recent approaches to achieving this enterprise integration. It then describes, using simulation as a particular example, a new tool`s perspective of enterprise integration.
Pumping is one of the means for storing vast quantities of energy. This article analyses its principles and ways of implementation with emphasis on its double aspect, e.g., on the one hand, off-peak power is transferred to the periods of heaviest load and is thus valorized, even when taking into account losses due to poor efficiency of operations in the pumping and turbine modes, and on the other hand, plants have great flexibility in operation, faciliting the permanent fitting of generation to demand.
The examples discussed demonstrate that in order to improve further the high-temperature strength properties of (monocrystalline) nickel-base superalloys, it is expedient to follow two parallel routes, namely alloy development, on the one hand, and suitable modifications of the microstructure by appropriate thermal and mechanical treatments, on the other hand. (orig.)
The purpose of this paper is to inform commercial building designers about an energy analysis tool which can aid them in making appropriate decisions about daylighting. The energy nomographs are an energy design tool which calculate the annual energy consumption of commercial buildings, including lighting, heating, cooling, domestic hot water, fans, pumps, and miscellaneous items. This paper specifically discusses the daylighting aspects of the tool. The calculation procedure is presented with an example to explain how this design tool can be used to make good energy decisions early in the design process.
The purpose of the Air Force Health Study is to determine whether those individuals involved in the spraying of herbicides in Vietnam during the Ranch Hand operation have experienced any adverse health effects as a result of their participation in that program. The study is designed to evaluate both the mortality (death) and morbidity (disease) in these individuals over a 20-year beginning in 1982. The Baseline Mortality Report was released in June 1983, the Baseline Morbidity Report in February 1984. Follow-up mortality reports were released in 1984, 1985, and 1986. This study has not demonstrated health effects which can be conclusively attributed to herbicide or dioxin exposure. This report contains analyses of cumulative deaths occurring up to 31 December 1987. The overall cumulative mortality of the Ranch Hands remains statistically indistinguishable from that of both their matched Comparisons and the entire Comparison, population, ...
Full text: There have been many recent calls for increased international cooperation in the field of nuclear forensics. While much is already being done, for example by the International Technical Working Group on Nuclear Smuggling and International Atomic Energy Agency, more effort is needed as cooperation on real-world incidents is often ad hoc. As a result, incidents - particularly diversions of nuclear material - are not effectively investigated, and opportunities to keep dangerous materials out of the hands of terrorists or proliferators are missed. Forensics techniques can be used to investigate many types of incidents involving illicit uses of nuclear or radiological material, but the need for cooperation can be seen most clearly in the area of illicit trafficking where collaboration is needed now. Here governments have had some success interdicting smuggled material but diversions are not usually effectively investigated. Forensics cooperation is often cast ...
(Cu_4_7Zr_1_1Ti_3_4Ni_8)_1_0_0_-_xMo _x bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) with x = 0, 1 and 2 at.% and a bulk metallic glass matrix composite with x = 5 at.% were successfully prepared by water-cooled copper mold casting. The effect of the addition of a small amount of Mo on the glass forming ability (GFA), thermal properties of the base alloy (i.e. x = 0) were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and differential thermal analyzer (DTA). It is found that the addition of appropriate amount of Mo can enhance the GFA of the Cu-based BMG, as indicated by the increase in the reduced glass transition temperature T _r_g (=T _g/T _l) and the parameter #gamma# (=T _x/(T _g + T _l)) with the increase of Mo. On the other hand, the corrosion resistance of the Cu-based BMGs with different Mo contents was examined by electrochemical polarization and weight loss measurement in 1 mol/L H_2SO_4 and 1 mol/L NaOH solutions, respectively. It is ...
Dust detection and control in real time, represent one of the most challenging problem in all those environments where fine and ultrafine airborne particulate solids products are present. The presence of such products can be linked to several factors, often directly related and influenced by the working-production actions performed. Independently from the causes generating dust, airborne contaminants are an occupational problem of increasing interest as they are related to a wide number of diseases. In particular, airborne dusts are well known to be associated with several classical occupational lung diseases, such as the pneumoconiosis, especially at high levels of exposure. Nowadays there is also an increasing interest in other dust related diseases, from the most serious as cancer and asthma, to those related with allergies or irritation and other illnesses, also occurring at lower levels of exposure. Among the different critical factors influencing health risk for airborne dust ...
The groundwater flow and transport model of the Faultless underground nuclear test conducted at the Central Nevada Test Area (CNTA) was accepted by the state regulator and the environmental remediation efforts at the site have progressed to the stages of model validation and long-term monitoring design. This report discusses the long-term monitoring strategy developed for CNTA. Subsurface monitoring is an expensive and time-consuming process, and the design approach should be based on a solid foundation. As such, a thorough literature review of monitoring network design is first presented. Monitoring well networks can be designed for a number of objectives including aquifer characterization, parameter estimation, compliance monitoring, detection monitoring, ambient monitoring, and research monitoring, to name a few. Design methodologies also range from simple hydrogeologic intuition-based tools to sophisticated statistical- and optimization-based ...
The results of the thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) study of the FEBEX bentonite performed during FEBEX II are presented. The laboratory test program continued in part with the works carried out during FEBEX I, particularly in activities related to tests aimed to the calibration of the models, the acquisition of parameters by back-analysis and the improvement of the knowledge on the behaviour of expansive clays. But the program has also included tests on new areas: investigations about the influence of the microstructure changes in bentonite, of temperature and of the solute concentration on the behaviour of clay. Besides, several tests were proposed in order to understand the unexpected behaviour observed in the mock-up test, towards the end of year 2. Temperature effects on water retention curves in confined and unconfined conditions were determined, and swelling pressure, hydraulic conductivity and swelling and consolidation strains as a function of temperature were successfully ...
A type of Si3N4-based nanocomposites ceramic cutting tool material was prepared by the addition of nano-scale Si3N4W whisker and nano-scale TiN particle. Cutting performance of the Si3N4/Si3N4W/TiN nanocomposite ceramic tool in machining of cast iron was investigated in comparison with a commercial sialon ceramic tool, and the tool wear mechanism was studied. The two types of cutting tools have similar cutting performance at relatively low cutting parameters, while Si3N4/Si3N4W/TiN nanocomposite tool exhibits a better wear resistance than sialon tool at the relatively high cutting parameters. The wear of sialon ceramic cutting tool is dominated by the plastic deformation, abrasive action, microcracking, pullout of grains and chemical action at the higher cutting parameters. The higher mech...
During 1993 and 1994 a working group of biologists operating in Region Lombardia has carried out a study to evaluate the reliability of artificial substrates in the assessment of water quality by the Extended Biotic Index. Macroinvertebrate samples were collected by means of hand net and artificial substrates (up to 3 replicates) in 22 sampling sites of 15 watercourses of different typology (river, stream, irrigation channel) and water quality. Sampling efficiency and reliability in the calculation of E.B.I. and Quality Class by 1, 2 and 3 artificial substrates with respect to hand net have been evaluated. Influence of water quality, typology and original prevailing substrate in watercourses on the performance of artificial substrates has also been investigated. Results show a good agreement with other Authors' papers, confirming that artificial substrates represent a valid alternative macroinvertebrate sampling technique when traditional ...
Wolsong 2,3 and 4 fuel channel analysis during a large break loss of coolant accident with loss of ECCS injection (LOCA/LOECC) is performed to obtain the heat load to moderator. Because the single channel analysis requires the establishment of the safety codes and their input decks, the present study follows the same safety analysis methodology found in FSAR of Wolsong 2,3 and 4. From this work we obtain the safety tools such as CATHENA MOD3.5b/Rev.1 and CHAN-II/A MOD2 codes, and their code modeling in a form of code input deck. The analysis consists of two parts: front-end (blowdown period) and back-end. For the front-end analysis the fuel and pressure tube (PT) temperatures, and PT circumferential strains at the end of front-end as well as fuel channel depressurization are calculated using CATHENA code and used as initial and boundary conditions for back-end analysis. The back-end period under the conditions of prolonged low steam flow is analyzed by CHAN-II code ...
This book proposed that a post-2012 climate regime will need to balance the needs of all countries while aiming to prevent the potentially serious economic and social consequences of the impacts of climate change. Four elements were presented to support the emergence of an internationally acceptable approach: (1) the need to ensure sustainable economic development; (2) the effective development and penetration of clean technologies; (3) the establishment of an effective international carbon market over the long term; and (4) the integration of adaptation in development and natural resource management decision-making. A series of discussion papers were presented which reviewed options on how best to create an effective and inclusive international climate regime that will achieve large reductions in global emissions and equitably reflect the diverse circumstances of countries while promoting sustainable economic development. The first paper highlighted some of the characteristics of an ...
The Plant Life Assessment Network (PLAN) is a Brite Euram Type II Thematic Network, initiated by the European Commission to facilitate structured co-operation between all cost shared action projects already funded by the Commission which fall under this common technical theme. The projects involved address a multiplicity of problems associated with plant life assessment and are drawn from Brite-Euram, Standards, Measurement and Testing, Nuclear Fission Safety and Esprit EC programmes. The main aim of the Network is to initiate, maintain and monitor a fruitful co-operation process between completed, ongoing and future EC R and D projects, thereby promoting improved cross fertilization and enhanced industrial exploitation of R and D results. As the project is in its infancy, this presentation covers the background to the initiative in some detail. In particular two key aspects are highlighted, namely, the requirement of the EC to launch such a network in the area of plant life assessment ...
Within the framework of the French inter lab SPACT project (Fuel Cell Systems for Transportation Applications), the behavior of a 5 kW PEM fuel cell stack, fed by humidified hydrogen and compressed air, is investigated in a test platform at Belfort, France. A set of polarization curves are recorded, under various conditions of stack temperature, gas pressure, and stoichiometry rates, in order to obtain a kind of cartography, representing the static stack performance. Initially, the tests are defined considering experimental design techniques. In order to study the relative impacts of the physical factors on the fuel cell voltage, some polarization curve results are selected from the static tests available applying experimental design methodology. First, several analyses are used to estimate the impact of the stack temperature, gas pressure, and stoichiometry rate on the fuel cell voltage. Statistical sensitivity analyses (ANOVA) are used to compute, from the available data, the effects ...
The mass generation in the Standard Model of Particles Physics relies on a spontaneous symmetry breaking mechanism. Its implementation is recalled, along with its constraints, both theoretical (Naturalness, Stability, Triviality, Unitarity) and experimental (limits of direct and indirect searches, prospects). Calculation techniques for observables evaluation in Perturbative Field Theory are described, particularly Helicity Amplitude method, which is given in details: fermions and vector bosons, massless and massive. Monte-Carlo integration, and structure functions approximations (which allows non-perturbative calculations) are also detailed. With these tools, a process giving to Physics beyond the Standard Model is studied: it leads to an experimental prediction for the LEP collision ring, taking the classical background into account. Technical aspects of a future photon linear collider are reviewed. The production of heavy vector bosons, either the classical Z for ...
A generalized approach to the analysis of the effects of transmission line faults on natural gas transmission pipelines has been developed and is presented in this report. A state of the art user-friendly computational tool has been developed and verified for the analysis of interference between electrical power lines and nearby buried or above-ground pipelines. This computer program, ECCAPP, is distinguished by its ability to model and analyze accurately complex, realistic interactions between pipelines and power lines, using easily obtained input data. The final report consists of three volumes. An independent fourth volume was also developed to simplify the installation of the ECCAPP software. Volume 1 contains the theory upon which the ECCAPP computer program is based. A parametric analysis and graphical charts have been formulated using ECCAPP to permit estimates to be made in the field or during preliminary analyses for situations that ...
The present work discusses the effect of the plasma nitriding temperature on the physical and chemical properties of the compound layer formed on pure iron samples. The samples were plasma nitrided in a mixture of H{sub 2}-20% N{sub 2} under a pressure of 6 mbar by using dc glow discharges. The treatment temperature T{sub N} was selected in the interval 400-600 C in steps of 50 C. X-ray diffraction and Moessbauer spectroscopy techniques were used as analytical tools to study the composition of the near-surface compound layer. Our results indicate that the effective thickness of the compound layer is smaller than 0.2 {mu}m for T{sub N} {<=}450 C and greater than this value for T{sub N} {>=}500 C. Also, we found that the compound layer is formed by a mixture of the phases {epsilon}-Fe{sub x}N(3.2{>=} x {>=}2) and {gamma}'-Fe{sub 4}N. In this case, the relative fractions of each phase depend on T{sub N}. As this increases, the ...
The use and application of remote sensing data for monitoring the environmental impacts of open cast lignite mining in Eastern Germany is described. This investigation is based on the digital analysis of several Landsat-TM and ERS-1 data sets acquired from 1989 to 1994. The characteristics of the imagery enable quantitative analysis of different open cast mine features, such as waste, water bodies, change of land use, reclamation processes and estimation of vegetation cover in the affected areas. On the basis of the Maximum Likelihood Classification of Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data the open cast mining areas were separated into bare open cast areas and areas of less and dense vegetation. The bare open cast areas were classified with respect to type of different sediments and the vegetation was seperated into different classes according to the age of the vegetation and the density cover. Apart from these, water bodies within the mining areas were classified into different spectral ...
Shielding calculations for neutron-gamma radiation are usually done by using the full Theory of Transport or the Monte Carlo Techniques. After some works based on the Albedo Method, the shielding calculations for neutron-gamma radiation have a reliable tool with great didactical value which shows its clarity and simplicity for the resolution of cases that involve neutrons and photon shielding in nonmultiplying media. The excellent results of these works have motivated the elaboration and the development of this study that will be presented in this dissertation. The balance of a neutronic current entering a shield of two layers considering the coupling neutron-gamma will be determined by the Albedo Method. The shield will be composed of a layer of iron and another one of manganese with 10 cm of thickness each. The arrays of the materials coefficients will be obtained from the ANISN code. ANISN is a one dimensional deterministic code that is based on transport ...
Shielding calculations for neutron-gamma radiation are usually done by using the full Theory of Transport or the Monte Carlo Techniques. After some works based on the Albedo Method, the shielding calculations for neutron-gamma radiation have a reliable tool with great didactical value which shows its clarity and simplicity for the resolution of cases that involve neutrons and photon shielding in nonmultiplying media. The excellent results of these works have motivated the elaboration and the development of this study that will be presented in this dissertation. The balance of a neutronic current entering a shield of two layers considering the coupling neutron-gamma will be determined by the Albedo Method. The shield will be composed of a layer of iron and another one of manganese with 10 cm of thickness each. The arrays of the materials coefficients will be obtained from the ANISN code. ANISN is a one dimensional deterministic code that is based on transport ...
Stochastic simulation has been employed in petroleum reservoir characterization as a modeling tool able to reconcile information from several different sources. It has the ability to preserve the variability of the modeled phenomena and permits transference of geological knowledge to numerical models of flux, whose predictions on reservoir constitute the main basis for reservoir management decisions. Several stochastic models have been used and/or suggested, depending on the nature of the phenomena to be described. Markov Random Fields (MRFs) appear as an alternative for the modeling of discrete variables, mainly reservoirs with mosaic architecture of facies. In this dissertation, the reader is introduced to the stochastic modeling by MRFs in a generic sense. The main aspects of the technique are reviewed. MRF Conceptual Background is described: its characterization through the Markovian property and the equivalence to Gibbs distributions. The framework for generic ...
In this report, I surveyed physics potential of the {gamma}{gamma} option of a linear e{sup +}e{sup -} collider with the following questions in mind: What new discovery can be expected at a {gamma}{gamma} collider in addition to what will be learned at its 'parent' e{sup +}e{sup -} linear collider? By taking account of the hard energy spectrum and polarization of colliding photons, produced by Compton back-scattering of laser light off incoming e{sup -} beams, we find that a {gamma}{gamma} collider is most powerful when new physics appears in the neutral spin-zero channel at an invariant mass below about 80% of the c.m. energy of the colliding e{sup -}e{sup -} system. If a light Higgs boson exists, its properties can be studied in detail, and if its heavier partners or a heavy Higgs boson exists in the above mass range, they may be discovered at a {gamma}{gamma} collider. CP property of the scalar sector can be explored in detail by making use of linear polarization ...
In this report, I surveyed physics potential of the #gamma##gamma# option of a linear e"+e"- collider with the following questions in mind: What new discovery can be expected at a #gamma##gamma# collider in addition to what will be learned at its 'parent' e"+e"- linear collider? By taking account of the hard energy spectrum and polarization of colliding photons, produced by Compton back-scattering of laser light off incoming e"- beams, we find that a #gamma##gamma# collider is most powerful when new physics appears in the neutral spin-zero channel at an invariant mass below about 80% of the c.m. energy of the colliding e"-e"- system. If a light Higgs boson exists, its properties can be studied in detail, and if its heavier partners or a heavy Higgs boson exists in the above mass range, they may be discovered at a #gamma##gamma# collider. CP property of the scalar sector can be explored in detail by making use of linear polarization of the colliding photons, decay angular correlations ...
The status of Monte Carlo system for the simulation of Bremsstrahlung in arbitrary decays and for the decay itself of #tau# -lepton is reviewed. During the last #tau# -lepton conference in 2010 several developments of the last two years have been presented: (i) For the TAUOLA Monte Carlo generator of #tau# -lepton decays, automated and simultaneous use of many versions of form-factors for the calculation of optional weights for fits was developed and checked to work in Belle and BaBar software environment. On-going work on alternative parameterizations of hadronic decays is presented too. (ii) The TAUOLA universal interface based on HepMC (the C++ event record) is now public. A similar interface for PHOTOS is now also public. (iii) Extension of PHOTOS Monte Carlo for QED Bremsstrahlung in decays featuring kernels based on complete first order matrix element are gradually becoming widely available thanks to properties of the new, HepMC based interface. (iv) Tests of the programs ...
The aim of this work was to develop a method to distinguish between different ion formation processes and to determine the influence of these processes on the total number of detected monatomic ions of a certain element. A vector/matrix-formalism was developed, which describes the physical processes of sputtering, ion formation, mass separation and detection in laser-SNMS. In the framework of the method developed, based on this theoretic formalism, changes in the secondary flux contribution of the respective element were observed by comparing the detected monatomic ion yield obtained in specifically aligned (SIMS and) laser-SNMS experiments. The yields resulting from these experiments were used to calculate characteristic numbers to compare the flux composition from different surfaces. The potential of the method was demonstrated for the elements boron, iron and gadolinium by investigating the changes in the flux composition of secondary particles sputtered from metallic surfaces, as a ...
One of the Eddy Current Testing issues in aeronautics is the inspection of fastened structures to detect flaws nearby rivets which can grow because of mechanical stress. EADS and the CEA LIST have started a collaborative work with the support of the Ile-de-France Region to develop a simulation tool of EC fastened structures testing, integrated to the CIVA platform, aimed at conceiving testing methods, optimizing and qualifying it. The volume integral method using the Green dyadics formalism has been chosen in order to get a fast resolution of Maxwell equations. A first milestone was to build a simulation model of multilayer structures testing, thanks to the use of the multilayer Green dyads. Because of the rivet volume, 60 times bigger than the one of a typical flaw, a large number of discretization cells are needed. Therefore an iterative method has been developed in order to numerically solve large calculation zones. Finally, the flaw ...
The General-Purpose Heat Source (GPHS), an improved radioisotope heat source, employs a unique thermal insulation material, carbon-bonded carbon fiber (CBCF), to protect the fuel capsule and to help achieve the highest possible specific power. The CBCF insulation is made from chopped rayon fiber about 10 ..mu..m in diameter and 250 ..mu..m long, which is carbonized and bonded with phenolic resin particles. The CBCF shapes, both tubes and plates, are formed in a multiple molding facility by vacuum molding a water slurry of the carbonized chopped-rayon fiber (54 wt %) and phenolic resin (46 wt %). The molded shapes are subsequently dried and cured. Final carbonization of the resin is at 1600/sup 0/C. Machining to close tolerances (+-0.08 mm) is accomplished by conventional tooling and fixturing. The resulting material is an excellent lightweight insulation with a nominal density of 0.2 Mg/m/sup 3/ and a thermal conductivity of 0.24 W(m.K) in ...
This is the final report of a three year DOE funded project titled ''A real-time coal content/ore grade (C{sub 2}OG) sensor''. The sensor, which is based on hyperspectral imaging technology, was designed to give a machine vision assay of ore or coal. Sensors were designed and built at Resonon, Inc., and then deployed at the Stillwater Mining Company core room in southcentral Montana for analyzing platinum/palladium ore and at the Montana Tech Spectroscopy Lab for analyzing coal and other materials. The Stillwater sensor imaged 91' of core and analyzed this data for surface sulfides which are considered to be pathfinder minerals for platinum/palladium at this mine. Our results indicate that the sensor could deliver a relative ore grade provided tool markings and iron oxidation were kept to a minimum. Coal, talc, and titanium sponge samples were also imaged and analyzed for content and grade with ...
TiO{sub 2} is a vital material in several technologies including, photocatalysis, gas sensing, biomaterials and optical coatings. Among the several crystal structures of this oxide, rutile has the highest density and microhardness, the highest index of refraction and the highest temperature stability. The processing of dense polycrystalline materials often includes the addition of a liquid-forming phase at higher temperatures. This technique is known as liquid-phase sintering and has been studied extensively. Rutile boundaries containing an amorphous phase have been used to study boundary migration and grain-boundary grooving. Visible-light (VLM), scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in addition to electron-backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and a focused-ion beam (FIB) tool were used to characterize boundary migration in rutile. EBSD analysis was carried out on a Philips XL30 FEG SEM equipped with a DigiView 1612 high-resolution, ...
This paper outlines conceptual framework for safeguards remote sensing, and suggests a strategy for overcoming the challenges to full exploitation of all types of optical satellite imagery. Since the introduction of commercial open-source high-resolution satellite imagery in 1999, it has become an important tool for verification of declarations, baseline mapping, detection and monitoring of changes and investigation of undeclared activities. Its use is still relatively restricted, but there is a growing demand for wider satellite reconnaissance support, and the Satellite Image Analysis Unit (SIAU) has recently been expanded in response. For a number of reasons, IAEA safeguards use of satellite imagery is largely based on visual interpretation by experienced image analysts of high-resolution monochromatic imagery to monitor and characterize buildings and structures on safeguards sites. The very wide range of remote sensing capabilities could be more fully exploited. ...
BackgroundThe use of measurement tools is an essential part of good evidence-based practice; however, physiotherapists (PTs) are not always confident when selecting, administering,...Full Text Available
Using observational and interview approaches, we evaluated the usability of a web-based communication tool that allows managers to announce open work shifts and staff to request work shifts....Full Text Available
DNA transposons are efficient tools in transgenesis and have therefore become popular in the analysis of the regulatory genome in vertebrates via enhancer trap screens. Here, I discuss recent progress...Full Text Available
Quality reporting tools, integrated with ambulatory electronic health records, can help clinicians and administrators understand performance, manage populations, and improve quality. Report Central...Full Text Available
In 2008, a clinical information tool was developed and embedded in the electronic health record system of an academic medical center. In 2009, the initial information tool, Clinical-e, was superseded...Full Text Available
BackgroundMicroarray data are often used for patient classification and gene selection. An appropriate tool for end users and biomedical researchers should combine user friendliness...Full Text Available
Adopting the approach taken with New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides), we present evidence of design complexity in one of the termite-fishing tools of chimpanzees (Pan...Full Text Available
IAQ Tools for Schools Program Leaders in Improving Indoor Air Quality in Schools Baldwin Union Free School District, Baldwin, NY El Paso Independent School District, El Paso,...
SKB is currently performing site investigations at two potential sites for a final repository for spent nuclear fuel. This report presents results of water flow and solute transport modelling of the Forsmark site. The modelling reported in this document focused on the near-surface groundwater, i.e. groundwater in Quaternary deposits and shallow rock, and surface water systems, and was performed using the MIKE SHE tool. The most recent site data used in the modelling were delivered in the Forsmark 2.3 dataset, which had its 'data freeze' on March 31, 2007. The present modelling is performed in support of the final version of the Forsmark site description that is produced during the site investigation phase. In this work, the hydrological modelling system MIKE SHE has been used to describe near-surface groundwater flow and the contact between groundwater and surface water at the Forsmark site. The surface ...
The tool materials durability problem, in particular shock and wear resistance, has allowed to formulate a set of requirements and also to stablish the dependence between physical properties and wear. However, for understanding the nature of the process, for example determining the tribological property of the cutting tool, it is necessary to consider the atom interactions in a crystal. A theoretical study of the physical properties of cutting tool materials (W-Ti-C) with varying concentration of titanium is presented. Total and partial local electronic density for each atom in such hard solutions were calculated. (nevyjel)
Abstract: HARVEST was designed as a strategic research and planning tool, allowing assessment of the spatial pattern consequences of broad timber management ...
The paper demonstrates an application of advanced decision support tools within the framework of the environmental information system of the Province of Milan. These tools include environmental simulation models, multi criteria analysis, risk analysis and environmental accounting for marketable emission permits. After describing the general structure of the system, three demonstrational case studies are introduced concerning: groundwater pollution management; atmospheric pollution management; urban environmental quality perception and management. In the conclusion, potential use of tools like the ones implemented by the province of Milan within the framework of Local Agenda 21 processes is recalled.
Most standard accounts of human anatomy and physiology are designed to meet the requirements of medical education and therefore consider their subject matter from the standpoint of typical rather than...Full Text Available
What has been accomplished does not die, but too often, alas, the personality of those who have handed the torch from one generation to another soon fades into oblivion.—...Full Text Available
A survey is given on the results in hand on the natural radioactivity of building materials. It is shown that only a small percentage of building materials has an increased content of radioactive materials. The results are compared with approximate values given in a Russian publication. (orig./AK).
The effects of response effort on safe behaviors (i.e., glove wearing, hand sanitizing, and electrical outlet replacement) exhibited by therapists at an autism treatment center were examined. Participants...Full Text Available
BackgroundSurface electromyography (sEMG) signals have been used in numerous studies for the classification of hand gestures and movements and successfully implemented in the position...Full Text Available
The contribution of the parietal cortex to episodic memory is a fascinating scientific puzzle. On one hand, parietal lesions do not normally yield severe episodic memory deficits, but on the...Full Text Available
Ten subjects balanced their own body or a mechanically equivalent unstable inverted pendulum by hand, through a compliant spring linkage. Their balancing process was always characterized by repeated...Full Text Available
1. Nitric oxide generation is important in the regulation of resistance vessel tone. Until now, however, there has been no evidence of such a role for basal generation of nitric oxide in the skin microcirculation...Full Text Available
In the Archaea only a handful of ribonucleases involved in RNA processing and degradation have been characterized. One potential group of archaeal ribonucleases are homologues of the bacterial RNase...Full Text Available
The conformation of d (CG)n oligomers with n = 2,3 has been studied in aqueous solution in the presence of high salt concentration. A minimum n value of three is necessary to obtain a left-handed Z-helix....Full Text Available
A nucleic acid extraction system that can handle small numbers of specimens with a short test turnaround time and short hands-on time is desirable for emergent testing. We performed a comparative validation...Full Text Available
BackgroundEvent-related potentials (ERPs) may be used as a highly sensitive way of detecting subtle degrees of cognitive dysfunction. On the other hand, impairment of cognitive skills...Full Text Available
The fabrication of a Prototype 275/sup 0/C Geothermal Temperature Tool is reviewed. This tool fabrication uses hybrid circuits that were developed at Sandia National Laboratories and are now being built at Teledyne Philbrick. To achieve high-temperature operation, the standard military specification hybrid technology was modified in fabrication processes and materials.
Communicating and collaborating online are becoming common requirements in education. The specialized notations and symbols necessary for some content areas where mathematical expressions are part of the conversation require that users select appropriate communication tools. The purpose of this article is to describe tools that can be used for online, asynchronous or synchronous communication involving mathematical expressions.
TRF-CUT, an ARB-implemented tool, was developed to predict in silico the terminal restriction fragments of aligned small-subunit rRNA gene or functional gene sequences. Application of this new tool...Full Text Available
In the early days of Moessbauer spectroscopy, it was demonstrated that coherent scattering of photons emitted by a Moessbauer source can be observed. In spite of the fact that scattering experiments could give information not accessible by the absorption method, they are not widely used. The reasons for this are, on the one hand, experimental difficulties, and on the other hand, the form of the samples, which should be large single crystals in most cases. In this work, we present a Moessbauer diffraction measurement on polycrystalline bcc iron where these problems have been overcome. We demonstrate that using the kinematical theory of gamma-ray diffraction, useful information on the relative orientation of the crystallographic axis to the hyperfine field directions can be subtracted. (orig.)
Two hypotheses are in the centre of this investigation, on the one hand the question, whether microwaves as exogenous fields alone are able to stimulate human muscle cells above-threshold, and on the other hand, whether microwaves as conditioning to cathodical electrical pulses can modify the excitation threshold and form. No excitation through the application of microwaves alone can be introduced at any subject. The conditioning of above-threshold cathodical electrical pulses with UMTS-microwaves leads not to a transgression of the threshold or the electrical muscle response (EMG) depending on the amplitude, the duration or the dose rate. (orig.)
Energy conservation presents major opportunities to industry, both to improve its energy efficiency (hence its competitiveness and profitability) and to supply services and equipment. There are vast markets, both in the United Kingdom and overseas, but there are also barriers. There is reluctance on one hand to make new investment on the scale required. On the other hand, the problems of meeting a fragmented new demand are complicated by the fragmentation of the conservation supply industry. This calls for a new coherent, and innovative approach by both the conservation supply industry and the financial institutions. 3 tables.
The global demand for platinum has consistently outgrown supply in the past decade. This trend likely will continue and the imbalance may possibly escalate into a crisis. Platinum plays pivotal roles in both conventional automobile emissions control and the envisioned hydrogen economy. A platinum crisis would have profound implications on energy and environment. On the one hand, inadequate platinum supply will prevent widespread commercialization of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. On the other hand, expensive platinum may enhance the competitiveness of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery-powered electric cars. Policymakers should weigh the potential impacts of a platinum crisis in energy policy.
Waste Technology and Innovation Study Final Report ...Waste Technology and Innovation Study Final Report 21/18569/150554 ...Survey of waste and resource recovery related technology and innovation, including products and product uses
This work is focused on effect of various cooling strategies on surface roughness and tool wear during computer aided milling of soft workpiece materials. These milling operations were selected as dry milling, cool air cooling milling and fluid cooling milling. A cool air cooling system was designed and produced to cool end milling tools. Cool air was produced by a vortex tube. Annealed AISI 1050 was used as the workpiece material and cutting tool material was selected as HSS-Co8 DIN 844/BN. Optimal cutting parameters were selected according to workpiece hardness from reference catalog and kept for all tests. Tool wear and surface quality were measured for three different cooling types changing from ten minute machining time to thirty minute machining time. As a result, the surface roughne...
Modern HENP experiments such as CMS and Atlas involve as many as 2000 collaborators around the world. Collaborations this large will be unable to meet often enough to support working closely together. Many of the tools currently available for collaboration focus on heavy-weight applications such as videoconferencing tools. While these are important, there is a more basic need for tools that support connecting physicists to work together on an ad hoc or continuous basis. Tools that support the day-to-day connectivity and underlying needs of a group of collaborators are important for providing light-weight, non-intrusive, and flexible ways to work collaboratively. Some example tools include messaging, file-sharing, and shared plot viewers. An important component of the environment is a scalable underlying communication framework. In this paper we will describe our current progress on ...
Fires and explosions have been identified as major potential hazards for Oil and Gas Floating Production Storage Offloading (FPSO) installations and pose risk to personnel, assets, and the environment. Current fire and explosion assessment (FEA) tools require physical effect modeling software and follows standards from API, ISO, and engineering practices. However, the tools are not specific to any particular system such as an FPSO, and do not provide comprehensive guidance for safety engineers to perform FEA. This paper discusses the development of a screening and comparison tool for FEA on FPSOs and the incorporation of an expert system into the tool. The results are computerized using MS Excel/VBA to provide a structured and comprehensive assessment on each equipment and module handling ...
A new German-engineered articulated drilling tool that can take the vertical to the horizontal, using about eight metres of curve, was described. The Articulate Downhole Motor has the capability to run radii as long as 57 metres (the usual requirement is 15 metres), under full control. Its ability to rotate and slide while maintaining control is one of the major positives of the technology. The technology also includes a `positive` communication system in its steering tool. The deployment of the positive pulse retrievable measurement-while-drilling (MWD) system brings real-time tool face orientation and hole direction to the surface. In using the tool, formation composition is not an issue; it is designed to withstand any environment.
A large hadron machine like the LHC with its high track multiplicities always asks for powerful tools that drastically reduce the large background while selecting signal events efficiently. Actually such tools are widely needed and used in all parts of particle physics. Regarding the huge amount of data that will be produced at the LHC, the process of training as well as the process of applying these tools to data, must be time efficient. Such tools can be multivariate analysis -- also called data mining -- tools. In this contribution we present the results for the application of the multivariate analysis, rule growing algorithm RIPPER on a problem of particle selection. It turns out that the meta-methods bagging and cost-sensitivity are essential for the quality of the outcome. The results are compared to other multivariate analysis techniques.
The goal of this project is to provide materials engineers, chemical engineers and plant operators with a software tool that will enable them to predict localized corrosion of process equipment including fabricated components as well as base alloys. For design and revamp purposes, the software predicts the occurrence of localized corrosion as a function of environment chemistry and assists the user in selecting the optimum alloy for a given environment. For the operation of existing plants, the software enables the users to predict the remaining life of equipment and help in scheduling maintenance activities. This project combined fundamental understanding of mechanisms of corrosion with focused experimental results to predict the corrosion of advanced, base or fabricated, alloys in real-world environments encountered in the chemical industry. At the heart of this approach is the development of models that predict the fundamental parameters that control the ...
Full text: A semiempirical algorithm for absorbed dose calculation at off-axis points in irregular beams was implemented. It is well known that semiempirical methods are very useful because of their easy implementation and its helpfulness in dose calculation in the clinic. These methods can be used as independent tools for dosimetric calculation in many applications of quality assurance. However, the applicability of such methods has some limitations, even in homogeneous media, specially at off axis points, near beam fringes or outside the beam. Only methods derived from tissue-air-ratio (TAR) or scatter-maximum-ratio (SMR) have been devised for those situations, many years ago. Despite there have been improvements for these manual methods, like the Sc-Sp ones, no attempt has been made to extend their usage at off axis points. In this work, a semiempirical formalism was introduced, based on the works of Venselaar et al. (1999) and Sanz et al. (2004), aimed to the ...
With the aid of a DOE grant (No. DE-FC26-01NT41050), Stolar Research Corporation (Stolar) developed the Horizon Sensor (HS) to distinguish between the different layers of a coal seam. Mounted on mining machine cutter drums, HS units can detect or sense the horizon between the coal seam and the roof and floor rock, providing the opportunity to accurately mine the section of the seam most desired. HS also enables accurate cutting of minimum height if that is the operator's objective. Often when cutting is done out-of-seam, the head-positioning function facilitates a fixed mining height to minimize dilution. With this technology, miners can still be at a remote location, yet cut only the clean coal, resulting in a much more efficient overall process. The objectives of this project were to demonstrate the feasibility of horizon sensing on mining machines and demonstrate that Horizon Sensing can allow coal to be cut cleaner and more efficiently. Stolar's primary goal was ...
A review of current daylighting design tools indicates that over 30 tools are now available, including nomographs, protractors, overlays, and programs for micro-, mini-, and mainframe computers. Computer-based tools allow testing and analyzing of more design alternatives under a wider variety of conditions than was previously practical with slower techniques, but they have not fundamentally changed the information available to the design professional. These tools are applicable to certain limited functions of the design process and do not address the varying information needs of the designer at various points in the design process. We describe a concept for a computer-based building envelope design tool that is structured to overcome many of the limitations of the existing tools. The tool would address daylighting design in the context of ...
A new rapid solidification process machine will be able to produce eight-inch diameter by six-inch thick finished cavities at the rate of one per hour - a rate that will change the tooling industry dramatically. Global Metal Technologies, Inc. (GMTI) (Solon, OH) has signed an exclusive license with Idaho National Engineered and Environmental Laboratories (INEEL) (Idaho Falls, ID) for the development and commercialization of the rapid solidification process (RSP tooling). The first production machine is scheduled for delivery in July 2001. The RSP tooling process is a method of producing production level tooling in prototype timing. The process' inventor, Kevin McHugh, describes it as a rapid solidification method, which differentiates it from the standard spray forming methods. RSP itself is relatively straightforward. Molten metal is sprayed against the ceramic pattern, replicating the ...
Concept Exploration (CE) experiments within the Innovative Confinement Concept Program have a unique role which impacts their contributions to the development of fusion energy. As stated in the FESAC ''Report on Alternate Concepts:'' These [CE] programs are aimed at innovation and basic understanding of relevant scientific phenomena. The emphasis on innovation motivates their application to the search for a better fusion reactor configuration. In addition, because of their unique character the CE experiments offer excellent opportunities to couple fusion-plasma physics to other sciences. A recent example of coupling is the fusion self-organized plasmas to reconnection physics and extra-terrestrial plasmas. Perhaps of even greater importance is the education of the future scientists needed for developing fusion energy. The CE experiments, both at universities and national labs, are of a size students can ''get their ...
This document - IAEA Safeguards: Implementation Blueprint of Commercial Satellite Imagery - constitutes the second report from SSC Satellitbild giving a structured view and solid guidelines on how to proceed with a conceivable implementation of satellite imagery to support Safeguards activities of the Agency. This Phase 2 report presents a large number of concrete recommendations regarding suggested management issues, work organisation, imagery purchasing and team building. The study has also resulted in several lists of actions and preliminary project plans with GANT schedules concerning training, hardware and software, as well as for the initial pilot studies. In both the Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies it is confirmed that the proposed concept of a relatively small Imagery Unit using high-resolution data will be a sound and feasible undertaking. Such a unit capable of performing advanced image processing as a tool for various safeguard tasks will give the Agency an ...
Full text of publication follows: General simulation objectives of any fire analysis are macroscopic in nature and deals with the grass data in respect of fire/smoke spread, structural behaviour, environmental conditions etc. However, the accuracy of predicting such macroscopic parameters is a strong function of several other microscopic parameters which govern the overall macroscopic behaviour. Some of the microscopic parameters of interesting such analysis could be buoyancy induced stable/unstable flows, relative flame behaviour, baroclinic velocity distribution etc. Only the field based fire modelling approach is capable of calculating several of these by way of detailed CFD based field modelling. One of the best known tool that could be employed for such studies is the Fire Dynamics simulator (FDS) from NIST with its popular LES based fire modelling approach. Advanced LES based fire modelling scores over the conventional RANS based Computational fire modelling ...
Cancer is a severe threat to human health. Early detection is considered the best way to increase the chance for survival. While the traditional cancer detection method, biopsy, is invasive, noninvasive optical diagnostic techniques are revolutionizing the way that cancer is diagnosed. Reflectance spectroscopy is one of these optical spectroscopy techniques showing promise as a diagnostic tool for pre-cancer detection. When a neoplasia occurs in tissue, morphologic and biochemical changes happen in the tissue, which in turn results in the change of optical properties and reflectance spectroscopy. Therefore, a pre-cancer can be detected by extracting optical properties from reflectance spectroscopy. This dissertation described the construction of a fiberoptic based reflectance system and the development of a series of modeling studies. This research is aimed at establishing an improved understanding of the optical properties of mucosal tissues by analyzing ...
The ''Enabling & Information Technology To Increase RAM for Advanced Powerplants'' program, by DOE request, was re-directed, de-scoped to two tasks, shortened to a 2-year period of performance, and refocused to develop, validate and accelerate the commercial use of enabling materials technologies and sensors for coal/IGCC powerplants. The new program was re-titled ''Enabling Technology for Monitoring & Predicting Gas Turbine Health & Performance in IGCC Powerplants''. This final report summarizes the work accomplished from March 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004 on the four original tasks, and the work accomplished from April 1, 2004 to July 30, 2005 on the two re-directed tasks. The program Tasks are summarized below: Task 1--IGCC Environmental Impact on high Temperature Materials: The first task was refocused to address IGCC environmental impacts on high temperature materials used in gas ...
The evaluate the signs of aortic intramural hematoma with helical CT and the diagnostic role of this technique in patients with this condition. It was reviewed the CT findings of 396 patients submitted to emergency examinations for suspected aortic dissection from 1995 to 1999. Only 18 patients (6 women and 12 men) had CT signs of aortic intramural hematoma. Helical CT studies were carried out with the following parameters: slice thickness 10 mm, reconstruction index 10, feed 1.5 mm, conventional algorithm with minimum values of 130 kV and 125mA. All patients were examined with dynamic contrast-enhanced CT, before and after a power injection of 130 mL ionic contrast material. It was studied: hematoma localization and longitudinal extension; thickness and density of aortic wall; presence and location of intimal calcifications; integrity of intimal wall; hemo mediastinum and/or hemo thorax. Aortic wall thickening appeared as a high density crescent-shaped area at baseline CT and had low ...
Al2O3-based ceramic is one of the most widely used materials for tools employed in hardened steel turning applications due to its high hardness, wear resistance, heat resistance and chemical stability. The objective of this work is to predict the lives of Al2O3-(W, Ti)C ceramic tools in intermittent turning of hardened AISI 1045 steel by means of damage evolution model taking into account the mechanical loading and thermal effect in the cutting process. A damage evolution model analyzing the RVE with uniformly distributed interacting cracks is constructed based on micromechanics. The calculated results of the proposed damage evolution model are compared with the lives of two kinds of Al2O3-(W, Ti)C ceramic tools obtained through experiments. It is found that the proposed model can be used to predict the lives of the ceramic cutting tools in intermittent turning operation.
The Energy Nomographs are a quick, simple-to-use tool for designing energy conscious lighting systems. Many assumptions and simplifications have been incorporated in the tool which may decrease its accuracy. However, the tool is accurate enough for use in Schematic Design, where design decisions have the largest impact on end energy use. It is not intended to replace all other energy design tools but rather supplement them when quicker decisions must be made. An important aspect of this analysis technique is its graphic procedural quality. As each design decision is made in the course of completing the nomograph procedure, the effects of each may be seen graphically and alternatives chosen without having to complete the entire process. This will have time but, more important, will act as an educational tool to the designer. As more calculations are completed, the user realizes how ...
The enclosed document describes a conceptual decision tool (hereinafter, Tool) for determining applicability of and for optimizing air sparging systems. The Tool was developed by a multi-disciplinary team of internationally recognized experts in air sparging technology, lead by a group of project and task managers at Parsons Engineering Science, Inc. (Parsons ES). The team included Mr. Douglas Downey and Dr. Robert Hinchee of Parsons ES, Dr. Paul Johnson of Arizona State University, Dr. Richard Johnson of Oregon Graduate Institute, and Mr. Michael Marley of Envirogen, Inc. User Community Panel Review was coordinated by Dr. Robert Siegrist of Colorado School of Mines (also of Oak Ridge National Laboratory) and Dr. Thomas Brouns of Battelle/Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The Tool is intended to provide guidance to field practitioners and environmental managers for evaluating the applicability and ...
The possibility of surface modification of high-speed steel cutting tool by means of vacuum-plasma treatment including ion nitriding in gas plasma followed by the deposition of wear resistant (Ti, Al)N coatings in metal-gas plasma of a vacuum arc discharge is studied. The regularities of nitrided layer formation and the structure of these layers under various operation conditions of cutting tool are investigated. Optimum conditions of vacuum-plasma treatment providing the best wear resistance of cutting are determined
Residual stresses are present in engineering components as an unintended consequence of manufacturing processes, but they are also deliberately introduced to beneficial effect during surface engineering procedures. Plasma nitriding is a process of particular importance for forming tools and dies, giving significant advantages in wear, and fatigue resistance through the generation of near-surface compressive residual stresses. A precise knowledge of the level and distribution of residual stresses that exist in engineering components is necessary for an accurate design and prediction of a component's fatigue resistance. However, measurement of residual stresses is not always possible, which is especially true for forming tools. Therefore, other methods for residual stress evaluation and pred...
We have used scale models to measure the predicted coupling of electromagnetic fields simulating the effects of high-altitude nuclear electromagnetic pulses (HEMP) on the interior surfaces of electronic components. Predictive tools for exterior coupling are adequate. For interior coupling, however, such tools are in their infancy. Our methodological approach combines analytical, computational, and laboratory techniques in a complementary way to take advantage of their separate strengths. Computer models are a promising tool, as they can be used to treat complex objects with arbitrary shapes, dielectrics, and cables, and multiple apertures. Laboratory tests can expand the domain of investigation even further.
Systems MEMS sensors C11-20 Lifetime Distributions of Aluminum Electrolytic Capacitors C11-22 Adhesion Strength of Advanced Polymer Films for Flexible and Rigid...
BackgroundOver the past decade, many investigators have used sophisticated time series tools for the analysis of genomic sequences. Specifically, the correlation of the nucleotide...Full Text Available
The Seismic Risk Explorer, an extension for ArcGIS Desktop developed by cedim AG, is a tool for computing the seismic risk, i.e. damage on residential buildings and thereby caused monetary losses for earthquake scenarios. It is based on the research results of the CEDIM (Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology) research center, located at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the GeoForschungsZentrum (GFZ) in Potsdam. With this software tool seismic scenarios can be simulated for a given magnitude, depths and location. The seismic intensity, the resulting mean damage ratio for residential buildings and the seismic risk, expressed as the monetary loss caused by an earthquake can be computed downscaled to communities, postcode areas or even single buildings. Interested end-users are especially insurance companies, but also public authorities which may use the tool for risk management issues.
The product-operator formalism is the most commonly used tool for describing and designing multidimensional NMR experiments. In spite of its relative simplicity and sound theoretical underpinnings,...Full Text Available
... Missionaries and cannibals [MaC] (Newell, McDermott and Forgy, 1977, p. 63): Three missionaries and three cannibals must cross a river in a two ...
Fast automated analysis of hyperspectral imagery can inform ... hyperspectral image analysis. .... atmospheric correction with the Crism Analysis Tool [11]. ...
This paper focuses on the Internet as a tool for enhancing behavior and lifestyle changes to reduce the burden of cancer at a population level. The premise of this paper is that the Internet...Full Text Available
BackgroundHealth service databases of administrative type can be a useful tool for the study of progression of a disease, but the data reported in such sources could be affected...Full Text Available
Percutaneous renal biopsy (PRB) is a safe and effective tool in the diagnosis and management of renal disease. It is the gold standard for evaluating renal parenchymal disease. It is both useful for...Full Text Available
In this paper information about monograph construction is provided and some sample nomographs constructed by the author are included to encourage the use of these tools in operational health physics applications.
BACKGROUNDNew diagnostic tools are urgently needed to interrupt the transmission of tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Rapid,...Full Text Available
Mar 2, 2010 ... The NASA/JPL Education Office works with educators -- both classroom teachers and informal educators -- to provide tools, resources and ...
The introduction of numerical control (NC) machine tools has made it possible to automate machining in series and small series production. The organization of automated production sections merged NC machine tools with automated transport systems. However, both the one and the other require the presence of an operative at the machine for low skilled operations. Industrial robots perform a number of auxiliary operations, such as equipment loading-unloading and control, changing cutting and auxiliary tools, controlling workpieces and parts, and cleaning of location surfaces. When used with a group of equipment they perform transfer operations between the machine tools. Industrial robots eliminate the need for workers to form auxiliary operations. This underscores the importance of developing robotized manufacturing centers providing for minimal human participation in production and creating conditions for ...
This paper is a greatly expanded version of a talk I gave in April 2009 at KunenFest. It describes Ken's work in algebra, particularly using automated deduction tools.
Jan 22, 2011 ... dc.description.abstract, The progress in the development of a surface analysis tool based on the excitation of characteristic luminescence ...
Mar 15, 2011 ... The NASA/JPL Education Office works with educators -- both classroom teachers and informal educators -- to provide tools, resources and ...
Sep 18, 2009 ... It is proposed to develop desensitized optimal filtering ... in robust and/or adaptive generalized Kalman and Sigma-Point filters for ...
BackgroundNucleotide sequences and the gene arrangements of mitochondrial genomes are effective tools for resolving phylogenetic problems. Hemipteroid insects are known to possess...Full Text Available
AbstractThe elucidation of the human and mouse genome sequence and developments in high-throughput genome analysis, and in computational tools, have made it possible to profile entire...Full Text Available
INTRODUCTIONInformatics and automation are important tools for the reduction of work, errors and costs in a hospital pharmacy.OBJECTIVESTo describe...Full Text Available
BackgroundAdequate pain assessment is critical for evaluating the efficacy of analgesic treatment in clinical practice and during the development of new therapies. Yet the currently...Full Text Available
This paper presents a new approach to improve the in silico modeling of ultrasound transducer arrays. While current simulation tools accurately predict the theoretical element...Full Text Available
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a diagnostic imaging tool relies on the generation of magnetic fields, whereas the computerized tomography (CT) uses X-radiation. The fundamental principle of MRI is the magnetic resonance of paramagnetic atomic nuclei. These nuclei, as e.g. protons (= hydrogen nuclei), are aligned in required orientation by application of a strong magnetic field. Upon simultaneous application of an electromagnetic high-frequency field perpendicular to the axis of the basic magnetic field, and in response to periodical changing of the electromagnetic field at a given frequency, the originally aligned paramagnetic nuclei are forced into a movement similar to that of a ``whipping top``. When the resonance frequency is shut off, the nuclei return to their former, aligned positions, inducing a weak signal in a coil. The series of signals generated by multiple repetition of this process of excitation of nuclei and their return to aligned rest is used ...
We make a complete analysis of the Yukawa coupling unification in SU(5) extensions of the MSSM in the framework of the radiative symmetry breaking scenario. Both logarithmic and finite threshold corrections of sparticles have been included in the determination of the gauge and Yukawa couplings at M_Z. The effect of the heavy masses of each model in the renormalization group equations is also included. We find that in the minimal SU(5) model b-tau Yukawa unification can be achieved for too large a value of alpha_s. On the other hand the Peccei-Quinn version of the Missing Doublet model, with the effect of the right handed neutrino also included, exhibits b-tau unification in excellent agreement with all low energy experimental data. Unification of all Yukawa couplings is also discussed.
The Systems Analysis Programs for Hands-on Integrated Reliability Evaluations (SAPHIRE) refers to a set of several microcomputer programs that were developed to create and analyze probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs), primarily for nuclear power plants. The Fault Tree, Event Tree, and Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (FEP) editors allow the user to graphically build and edit fault trees, and event trees, and piping and instrumentation diagrams (P and IDs). The software is designed to enable the independent use of the graphical-based editors found in the Integrated Reliability and Risk Assessment System (IRRAS). FEP is comprised of three separate editors (Fault Tree, Event Tree, and Piping and Instrumentation Diagram) and a utility module. This reference manual provides a screen-by-screen guide of the entire FEP System.
The key factors of enzymatic lysis of cells are the interaction between the enzyme and the cell - catalytic and non-catalytic adsorption of enzyme on cell surface. Here, the studies of lysis of intact Escherichia coli cells by chicken egg white lysozyme were performed. It was found that the ionic strength has a dual effect onto the system. On the one hand, the desorption constant of the enzyme increases with the increase of the solution ionic strength, which results in a better enzyme performance. On the other hand, due to the higher osmosis, the cell lysis rate decreases with the increasing of ionic strength of the system. It was found that pH 8.6 and 30mM NaCl are optimal conditions for lysis of E. coli cells by lysozyme.
The program introduced here for determining and describing the multi-axial creep of pipes is based, on the one hand, on the results of the nuclear process heat prototype plant material program and, on the other hand, on the possible load conditions which arise for evaluating accidents or extreme working situations. The basis of a theoretical description of multi-axial creep is the invariant theory in which both the von Mises configuration change hypothesis and the Norton creep law are included. Combined tension and torsion are also considered in detail, the superimposition of cyclic stresses in the tensile threshold area is discussed and cases of partial relaxation are explained. Experimental results for the discussed loads are introduced, which have led to satisfactory agreement between theory and experiment. (orig./MM).
The program introduced here for determining and describing the multi-axial creep of pipes is based, on the one hand, on the results of the nuclear process heat prototype plant material program and, on the other hand, on the possible load conditions which arise for evaluating accidents or extreme working situations. The basis of a theoretical description of multi-axial creep is the invariant theory in which both the von Mises configuration change hypothesis and the Norton creep law are included. Combined tension and torsion are also considered in detail, the superimposition of cyclic stresses in the tensile threshold area is discussed and cases of partial relaxation are explained. Experimental results for the discussed loads are introduced, which have led to satisfactory agreement between theory and experiment. (orig./MM).
Two grades of WC-10wt.%Co cemented carbide with or without addition of Cr3C2/VC grain growth inhibitor during liquid phase sintering were produced with the goal to investigate their reciprocating sliding friction and wear behaviour against WC-6wt.%Co cemented carbide under unlubricated conditions. The tribological characteristics were obtained on a Plint TE77 tribometer using distinctive normal contact loads. The generated wear tracks were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and quantified topographically using surface scanning equipment. The post-mortem obtained wear volumes were compared to the online assessed wear. Correlations between wear volume, wear rate and coefficient of friction on the one hand and sliding distance and microstructural properties on the other hand were determ...
The automotive industry desires to optimize safety and lightweight construction for the production of cars and trucks. The resulting task for steel suppliers is to make steel grades available that can fulfil these requirements. Different projects have shown optimistic outlooks for optimization of safety and reduction of the weight of automobile bodies by using different high strength and ultra high strength steels. In the last group the dual phase steels play the lead. In recent years different steel grades have been developed and optimized for these applications. On one hand developing the mechanical properties as well as joining and forming of dual phase steels is one of the first steps. On the other hand different coated surfaces for various applications of dual phase steels is another step. Starting with characteristic production conditions for cold rolled hot dip galvanised dual phase steels, the mechanical properties for joining and ...
Using EAS data from the EAS-EXC group (EAS plus hadronic calorimeter and nuclear emulsion-X chamber hybrid experiment) on Mount Chacaltaya during the 1990's the fractal properties of the energetic cosmic ray fluxes was investigated. A discrimination in the hadron content of the energetic primaries furnishes two different data samples, the total EAS fluxes and the hadron-less fluxes. The sidereal diurnal variation of the hadron-less EAS time variation shows values of 0.5% with a phase at about 2.29 hr sidereal time. With the help of the Crassberger Procaccia algorithm the fractal dimensions have been investigated of, on the one hand, the differences in arrival times of the hadron-less showers and on the other hand the EAS fluxes time series with an integration time of five min. The obtained fractal dimensions show inconclusive evidence of continuous chaotic component in the data samples investigated.
This evaluation has for object to inform about the levels in carbon 14 in the environment of the factories of La Hague. Two sectors were differentiated on one hand the terrestrial environment, and on the other hand the marine environment. The investigations concerned first and foremost food products stemming as the vegetable culture (vegetables) or individual breeding (milk, eggs) but also foodstuffs stemming from the local agriculture (cereal). In touch with the second sector, the marine environment, the sampling concerned the accessible products of the sea by all and those locally marketed (fishes, molluscs, shellfishes). The different results are presented in tables. (N.C.)
Applied science may once again play a decisive role in changing the face of armed conflict, and the rest of human affairs, by shifting the battlefield to our very brains. The national-security establishment--and particularly the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)--supports research at the intersection of neuroscience and national security that could ultimately enable authorities to do things like enhance (or muddle, or erase) memory, monitor crowds for individuals whose brain patterns correlate with aggressive behaviors, or control weapons from afar merely with thoughts. What are the dangers of such information falling into "the wrong hands," and are there any "right hands" for this kind of knowledge? Is any extension of human abilities justified by the need for government to protect its society? PMID:15986543
Brain CT images were reviewed of 98 schizophrenic patients and 90 healthy persons in relation to handedness and aging. CT images were further reconstructed to examine morphologically subtle changes in each region. Schizophrenic patients had progressive brain atrophy and dilated lateral ventricles, especially on the left side and in the posterior part of the lateral ventricle. These findings were more marked in left-handed than in right-handed schizophrenic patients. According to age groups, there were significant differences between schizophrenic and normal persons over the age of 40. The incidence of left handedness was significantly higher in schizophrenic patients in their fourties than the age-matched normal persons (31.4% vs 15.1%). Morphological abnormality and laterality might be due to the same pathologic consequences. (N.K.).
A new evaluation of the 1% time strain limit for creep strength and the isochronous stress/strain relationship was to be undertaken for the type 800 alloy, based on up to date experimental data. After the evaluation of the 1% time strain limit curves and time fracture curves of individual melts, multilinear regression analyses were made to clear up the relationship between parameters of the creep behaviour such as creep strength, 1% time strain limit and time fracture strain on the one hand and metallurgical parameters such as C, Ti, Al, Ni, Cr contents or grain size and type of manufacture, on the other hand. Based on the knowledge gained from these calculations, new limits were determined for HTR material specifications for variants of the 800 alloy of the Rk, NT, DE, and HT type. (orig./DG).
The main subject of this thesis is the study of the hardronic final state in deep-inelastic electron-proton scattering. Theexperiment described in this thesis is performed with such a high resolution that the substructure of the proton is probed by the electron beam with a resolution of less than 10{sup -15} cm. (orig./HSI).
This is the final Report for the technical ''on-the-job traning'' for the Wolsung CANDU nuclear power plant which is the first Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor setting up in Korea. The technical ''on-the-job traning'' was established to increase the capabi...
This volume is a summary of the results of the final report of the Energy Engineering Analysis Program (EEAP) Study of 30 selected dining facilities at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The longitudinal and transverse dynamics of a heavy ion fusion beam during the drift compression and final focus phase is studied. A lattice design with four time-dependent magnets is described that focuses the entire beam pulse onto a single focal point with the same spot size.
The proactive protection measures and the traditional passive security protection tools are complementarities each other. It also can supply the conventional network security protection system and enhance its capability of the security protection. Based upon sorts of existing network security technologies, this article analyses and summarizes the technologies, functions and the development directions of some key proactive network security protection tools. (authors)
A new commercial cutting tool software package replaced an internally created legacy system. This report describes the issues that surfaced during the migration and installation of the commercial package and the solutions employed. The primary issues discussed are restructuring the data between two drastically different database schemas and the creation of individual component graphics.
This report documents the evaluation of risks associated with environmental restoration activities at Brookhaven National Laboratory using two tools supplied by DOE to provide a consistent set of risk estimates across the DOE complex: Risk Data Sheets (RDS) and Relative Risk Ranking. The tools are described, the process taken characterized, results provided and discussed. The two approaches are compared and recommendations provided for continuing improvement of the process.
A 1000-watt CO/sub 2/ laser has been demonstrated as a reliable production machine tool for cutting of plastics, high strength reinforced composites, and other nonmetals. More than 40 different plastics have been laser cut, and the results are tabulated. Applications for laser cutting described include fiberglass-reinforced laminates, Kevlar/epoxy composites, fiberglass-reinforced phenolics, nylon/epoxy laminates, ceramics, and disposable tooling made from acrylic.
The primary purpose of the Rocky Flats Field Office of the US Department of Energy is to decommission the entire plant. In an effort to improve the basis and the accuracy of the future decommissioning cost, Rocky Flats has developed a powerful but easy-to-use tool to determine budget cost estimates to characterize, decontaminate, and demolish all its buildings. The parametric cost-estimating tool is called the Facilities Disposition Cost Model (FDCM).
The device is made by a tool at the end of a flexible cable, a motor for the rotation of the flexible, a linear drive with a guide for it between the winder and the tube.
While underground power transmission lines have become to use CV cables as the mainstream, existing facilities still use OF cables. Factors of OF cable deterioration include heat cycles during operation and surge intrusion. As a method to diagnose this deterioration in insulation, characteristics tests are performed by collecting insulation oil in a cable connection box. The insulation oil collection work has been done conventionally with the power line stopped to prevent danger from induction voltage. A power uninterruptible oil collection tool was developed recently. The tool consists mainly of an insulator made of epoxy resin, wherein a connection box connector is rotated and loosened by operating an insulating operation rod, with the structure not contacted directly with metallic sheath, so that insulation oil can go through the oil collecting tool and gets collected. Discussions were given on the ...
The mechanisms underlying life machinery are still not completely understood. Something is known, something is ?probably? known, other things are still unknown. Scientists all over the world are working very hard to clarify the processes regulating the cell life cycle and bioinformaticians try to support them by developing specialized automated tools. Within the plethora of applications devoted to the study of life mechanisms, tools for the analysis and comparison of biological networks are catching the attention of many researchers. It is interesting to investigate why.
A model designed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the use of robotics and remote tooling in achieving reduction of occupational exposure at nuclear installations is presented. The operational cost saving of implementing dose reduction action is introduced as a key parameter. Through specific example, a partial demonstration of the model is given. (author).
A progress report is presented on development of the WIPS computer code, a special purpose code for analysis of whip and impact in nuclear power piping. The computer code and final report are expected to be complete in December 1981. This progress report is an incomplete version of the final report, representing approximately 40% of the volume of the final report. Some sections in the report are complete, some are partially complete, and others are omitted. The report is intended to inform prospective WIPS users of the procedures, theories, and documentation standards which will be used for the computer code and the final report.
The GASPAR module utilized in MAXIGASP and POPGASP has been verified by hand calculations. The program operates as documented by the NRC [Eckerman et. al. 1980]. Equations used in the code to calculate downwind deposition rates, concentrations in air, on ground surfaces, and in vegetables, meat, and milk are provided in this report.
A new multigrid algorithm based on the method of self-correction for the solution of elliptic problems is described. The method exploits information contained in the residual to dynamically modify the source term (right-hand side) of the elliptic problem. It is shown that the self-correcting solver is more efficient at damping the short wavelength modes of the algebraic error than its standard equivalent. When used in conjunction with a multigrid method, the resulting solver displays an improved convergence rate with no additional computational work.
The relativistic motion of an electron is numerically analyzed in a tokamak having macroscopic magnetic turbulence. Stochasticity induced by the relativistic motion overwhelms the phase averaging effect, which provides a tokamak with an effective loss mechanism for the avoidance/suppression of runaway electron generation at a major disruption. On the other hand, electrons in the KAM (Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser) region will be observed as a runaway snake. (author)
Only two years ago, plastic film recycling was considered an onerous task. Different resins had to be identified, colors had to be separated, and minute contaminants had to be weeded out almost by hand to produce a quality material. But the tide of plastic film recycling is changing now that new technologies have emerged and more organized collection infrastructure have been developed. Today, plastic film recycling maintains a lucrative market for those with the right combination of equipment and know-how.
The paper abstracted gives a tabular survey of the suppliers and applications of measuring equipment. Equipment is available for the following fields of application: Continuous measuring instruments for stationary operation, laboratory equipment for sampling and hand equipment for mobile measurement, sampling equipment for examining emissions and gases, detectors, storage and evaluation equipment and meteorological instruments. (PW).
Computed radiography (CR) systems use a photostimulable phosphor plate enclosed in a cassette. In CR, image acquisition is a two-stage process wherein image capture and image read out are done separately. Direct digital radiography (DR) systems, on the other hand, use detectors that have a combined image capture and image read out capability. DR systems are also called as DDR or ddR systems by some vendors. This article focuses on DR systems
Climate change is not only dangerous but also expensive. On the other hand, air pollution abatement measures are costly as well. Scientists of the Microeconomics Department investigated how air pollution abatement and cost efficiency can best be combined. (orig.)
This book provides an analysis of pathophysiologic concepts of trauma and reviews the effectiveness of the available imaging modalities in acute trauma of various organ system. Topics covered are chest injuries; abdominal trauma; fractures of long bones; the foot and ankle; the knee; hand and wrist; the elbow; the shoulder; the pelvis hips; the spine; the skull and facial trauma and the clinical assessment of multiple injuries patients. Comparative evaluation of diagnostic techniques of radiography is discussed. Normal anatomy and bone fractures along with soft-tissue injuries are described.
In the framework of a global analysis of the various available sources of energy, Japan has reserved a prominent place to the nuclear energy, and in the long-term view, to the breeder reactor which will be due for commercial deployment in 2010. To achieve these objectives, three stages are envisaged, one of the experimental reactor Joyo (in service), one of the demonstration reactor Monju (its construction has been decided), and one of the pre-commercial reactor (due to be taken in hand at the beginning of the Nineties). Efforts will be made in parallel concerning the fuel cycle.
This book contains nomographs for analysis and design of signalized intersections and thoroughly explains how to use them. The nomographs simplify and reduce the work that otherwise would have to be done by hand. The nomograph method for computing capacity has a significant advantage over computerized methods: it provides insight into the interaction between the various factors in the solution process for design analysis.
The asymptotic functions are a new type of generalized functions. But they are not functionals on some space of test-functions as the distributions of Schwartz. They are mappings of the set denoted by A into A, where A is the set of the asymptotic numbers introduced by Christov. On its part A is a totally-ordered set of generalized numbers including the system of real numbers R as well as infinitesimals and infinitely large numbers. Every two asymptotic functions can be multiplied. On the other hand, the distributions have realizations as asymptotic functions in a certain sense. (author).
This is an account of the initial struggles and subsequently successful career of a young woman growing up in prewar Australia with the overriding desire to become a physicist despite various problems and prejudices. The book provides first-hand accounts of wartime radar research and development in Australia; the immediately post-war era in nuclear physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge; and work in the Nuclear Physics Division at AERE Harwell in the period from the 1950s onwards. (UK).
Carbon monoxide can be produced in severe accidents from interaction of ex-vessel molten core with concrete. Depending on the particular core-melt scenario, the type of concrete and geometric factors affecting the interaction, the quantities of carbon monoxide produced can vary widely, up to several volume percent in the containment. Carbon monoxide is a combustible gas. The carbon monoxide thus produced is in addition to the hydrogen produced by metal-water reactions and by radiolysis, and represents a possibly significant contribution to the combustible gas inventory in the containment. Assessment of possible accident loads to containment thus requires knowledge of the combustion properties of both CO and H_2 in the containment atmosphere. Extensive studies have been carried out and are still continuing in the nuclear industry to assess the threat of hydrogen in a severe reactor accident. However the contribution of carbon monoxide to the combustion threat has received less ...
There are a total of nine operational nuclear plants in Spain totalling 7.350 MWe. These units produced 54.265 x 106 KWh in 1990, 36% of the total generation in Spain. Seven of these plants are of the PWR type. The first plant in operation was Jose Cabrera (ZORITA) in 1968, one loop Westinghouse plant with a model 24 Steam Generator. Due to the design margin and careful operation of the Steam Generator of this plant its performance have been very good, with only 5% tubes plugged after 23 years of operation. This is one of the few units in the world that remains in phosphate chemistry. During the period 1981-1985 a total of four units, two in Almaraz and two in Asco entered in operation. These three loop s Westinghouse units use model D-3 preheater Steam Generators. The poor design and manufacture of the Steam Generators of these units have caused a large number of problems: mechanical (Preheater and AVB's vibration), denting, and primary and secondary stress corrosion cracking. As a ...
Immunoassays are versatile analytical techniques that had a leading role in various clinical applications, during the last four decades. The studies carried out by Rosalyn Yalow, Solomon Berson and Roger Ekins in the 1960s gave a breakthrough in the development of this novel analytical method. Sensitivity up to femtomolar concentrations, high specificity and universal application to different classes of molecular species made immunoassay a very useful tool in analytical investigation. The expertise acquired by immunochemists in producing antibodies against any antigen and the ability of radiochemists in labeling the antigens with "1"2"5I without affecting the active site are the two main factors responsible for the above development. There are concerns about the safety and health of humans due to the high-level contamination of environment by pesticides, industrial compounds and metals, anabolic steroids in milk and meat products, and presence of mycotoxins in food ...
The goal of this program was to increase the high-temperature strength of the H-Series of cast austenitic stainless steels by 50% and upper use temperature by 86 to 140 F (30 to 60 C). Meeting this goal is expected to result in energy savings of 38 trillion Btu/year by 2020 and energy cost savings of $185 million/year. The higher strength H-Series of cast stainless steels (HK and HP type) have applications for the production of ethylene in the chemical industry, for radiant burner tubes and transfer rolls for secondary processing of steel in the steel industry, and for many applications in the heat-treating industry. The project was led by Duraloy Technologies, Inc. with research participation by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and industrial participation by a diverse group of companies. Energy Industries of Ohio (EIO) was also a partner in this project. Each team partner had well-defined roles. Duraloy Technologies led the team by identifying the base alloys that were to be ...
Effect of final temperature and duration of coking on the properties of formed coke from weakly-caking Donetsk and Kuznetsk coals was studied. An increase of the final temperature to 850 C produced significant changes in the mechanical and chemical properties of the coke. Increasing the temperature beyond this point did not affect the mechanical strength significantly, but did increase hardness, real density and electroconductivity of the coke and decrease reactivity. Increasing the period of coking at final temperatures in the 650 and 750 C range, produced insignificant hardening of the formed coke. An objective evaluation of the effect of final temperature can be performed by a series of tests which characterize the resistivity of the formed coke to impact and abrasion and the fine structure of the matter in coke. 9 references.
This report presents the methodology and the results from the modelling of an open repository for spent nuclear fuel in Laxemar. Specifically, the present work analyses the hydrological effects of the planned repository during the construction and operational phases when it is open, i.e. air-filled, and hence may cause a disturbance of the hydrological conditions in the surroundings. The numerical modelling is based on the SDM-Site Laxemar MIKE SHE model. The modelling was divided into three steps. The first step was to update the SDM-Site Laxemar model with a new hydrogeological bedrock model. The other main updates were an increase of the depth of the MIKE SHE model domain, enhanced vertical computational resolution and that the drainage of the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory was included in the model. The resulting model was used to simulate undisturbed natural conditions. The next step was to describe the open repository conditions, using Laxemar layout D2, by implementing the access ...
A start safety apparatus of an engine adapted for a multipurpose power tool is described which consists of: an engine, an exciter coil generating alternate electromotive force in synchronism with rotation of the engine; an ignition coil having primary and secondary windings; a spark plug connected to the secondary winding of the ignition coil; a capacitor connected to the primary winding of the ignition coil the capacitor being charged with a positive half-cycle of the electromotive force; ignition timing control means for controlling discharge of the capacitor; a throttle control latch for setting a throttle valve of the engine in a predetermined throttle angle; a tool driven by the engine; and a centrifugal clutch transferring engine power to the tool when an engine speed exceeds a clutch-in speed.
The new industrial political tools based on the sustainable development of productive activities, and originating at the Rio Conference in 1992, late introduced by the EU, the Government and voluntary organizations (ISO, CEM, UNI) are gradually entering the market, thereby underling their effect in terms of industrial competitiveness. The main tools were examined in the report and mostly refer to the voluntary ones which, in surpassing the 'command and control' logic, increasingly tend to get close to traditional fiscal, tariff and financial ones. Voluntary agreements, environmental management systems (EMAS, norme ISO 14001), the risk prevention systems (UNI 10617), certification (Ecolabel, ISO 14040) and environment communication tools (environment balance sheet, environmental report, environmental statement) are synthetically described.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common cause of cancer death among Canadian non-smokers. Each year about 21,500 Canadians are diagnosed with CRC. Ninety percent of cases occur in people aged 50 years or older. An estimated 4,800 Canadian men and 4,100 Canadian women die each year from the disease. About 75% of all new CRC cases arise in people with no known risk factors. Computed tomography colonography (CTC), a cross-sectional imaging examination that permits complete structural examination of the colon, shows promise as a tool for CRC screening. This article reviews the rationale for CRC screening, currently recommended Canadian and American screening guidelines and screening tools, and current evidence supporting CTC as a CRC screening tool and its advantages over conventional screening methods. (author)
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common cause of cancer death among Canadian non-smokers. Each year about 21,500 Canadians are diagnosed with CRC. Ninety percent of cases occur in people aged 50 years or older. An estimated 4,800 Canadian men and 4,100 Canadian women die each year from the disease. About 75% of all new CRC cases arise in people with no known risk factors. Computed tomography colonography (CTC), a cross-sectional imaging examination that permits complete structural examination of the colon, shows promise as a tool for CRC screening. This article reviews the rationale for CRC screening, currently recommended Canadian and American screening guidelines and screening tools, and current evidence supporting CTC as a CRC screening tool and its advantages over conventional screening methods. (author)
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine potential new uses of return on investment (ROI) in alternative methods for library assessment and valuation. Design/methodology/approach - Uses examples of recent uses of ROI by libraries to identify potential new applications of ROI in library assessment and valuation. Findings - ROI investment has historically been used by libraries for the assessment of past performance of library organizations in a reactive/defensive nature or for assessing the value of customer services. ROI has not been widely used as a proactive assessment tool, to introspectively assess administrative or other internal services, or as an offensive assessment and valuation tool, especially for intangible performance assessment and valuation. Originality/value - New ...
BackgroundA common approach to understanding the genetic basis of complex traits is through identification of associated quantitative trait loci (QTL). Fine mapping QTLs requires...Full Text Available
chipD is a web server that facilitates design of DNA oligonucleotide probes for high-density tiling arrays, which can be used in a number of genomic applications such as ChIP-chip or gene-expression...Full Text Available
Virtually all biomedical research makes use of a relatively small pool of laboratory-adapted, inbred, isogenic stocks of mice. Although the advantages of these models are many, there are a number of...Full Text Available
The development of the Java Programming Language by Sun Microsystems has provided a new tool for the development of Internet based applications. Our preliminary work has shown how Java can be used to...Full Text Available
Transposon-based integration systems have been widely used for genetic manipulation of invertebrate and plant model systems. In the past decade, these powerful tools have begun to be used in...Full Text Available
The interactions between biochemical processes and mechanical signaling play important roles during various cellular processes such as wound healing, embryogenesis, metastasis, and cell migration. While...Full Text Available
In recent years RNA interference (RNAi) has rapidly become the most widely used tool for gene knockdown due to its high specificity and potency. RNAi is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism...Full Text Available
BackgroundTo investigate the feasibility, the ease of implementation, and the extent to which community health workers with little experience of data collection could be trained...Full Text Available
Lists of reportable conditions and case definitions are important tools for epidemiologic surveillance. As part of an initiative to encourage occupational disease surveillance systems linked to intervention...Full Text Available
[3,5-"3H] 4-Azidoclonidine 6 was prepared from [3,5-"3H] 4-aminoclonidine 4 and has emerged as a valuable tool to study the alpha-2-adrenergic receptor. (author)
SummaryAgeing is a complex, challenging phenomenon that will require multiple, interdisciplinary approaches to unravel its puzzles. To assist basic research on ageing, we developed...Full Text Available
The Brain Database is an information tool designed to aid in the integration of clinical and research results in neuroanatomy and regional biochemistry. It can handle a wide range of data types including...Full Text Available
BackgroundAcute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) is a major cause of hospitalization for children in China, while the etiological diagnosis of ALRI remains a challenge. This study...Full Text Available
Peptide toxins with high affinity, divergent pharmacological functions, and isoform-specific selectivity are powerful tools for investigating the structure-function relationships of voltage-gated...Full Text Available
Deuterated lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase derivatives of eicosatetraenoic acid (arachidonic acid) and their metabolites are indispensable tools for organic trace analysis, biomedical studies, and mechanistic investigations on the corresponding endogenous (unlabelled) eicosanoids. Methods for the preparation of deuterated eicosanoids are reviewed.
BackgroundHigh throughput sequencing has become an increasingly important tool for biological research. However, the existing software systems for managing and processing these data...Full Text Available
We have constructed a deletion-mutant rabies virus encoding EGFP and find it to be an excellent tool for studying detailed morphology and physiology of neurons projecting to injection sites...Full Text Available
IntroductionResearch is an essential tool in facing the challenges of scaling up interventions and improving access to services. As in many other countries, the translation of research...Full Text Available
BackgroundEukaryotic DNA replication is regulated at the level of large chromosomal domains (0.5–5 megabases in mammals) within which replicons are activated relatively synchronously....Full Text Available
Previous studies on knowledge of HIV transmission and prevention have used surveys. This study used the question box method to create a safe environment for collecting information on knowledge...Full Text Available
Background In May 2000, AstraZeneca launched a Web service for asthma patients and health-care providers called LinkMedica, which includes an asthma diary for...Full Text Available
BackgroundQuality of Life measurements are necessary tools for effectively evaluating health services. In the population of patients afflicted with war-related blindness in Iran,...Full Text Available
BackgroundLung cancer diagnosis in tissue material with commonly used histological techniques is sometimes inconvenient and in a number of cases leads to ambiguous conclusions. Frequently...Full Text Available
Protein modifications such as phosphorylation are often studied by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis since the perturbation in the protein’s pI value is readily detected by this method....Full Text Available
AbstractGenetic-variant analysis of rabies viruses provides the most sensitive epidemiologic tool for following the spread and persistence of these viruses in their wildlife hosts. Since...Full Text Available
The analysis of individual molecules is evolving into an important tool for biological research, and presents conceptually new ways of approaching experimental design strategies. However, more...Full Text Available
Advanced proteomic research efforts involving areas such as systems biology or biomarker discovery are enabled by the use of high level informatics tools that allow the effective analysis of large quantities of differing types of data originating from various studies. Performing such analyses on a large scale is not feasible without a computational platform that performs data processing and management tasks. Such a platform must be able to provide high-throughput operation while having sufficient flexibility to accommodate evolving data analysis tools and methodologies. The Proteomics Research Information Storage and Management System (PRISM) provides a platform that serves the needs of the accurate mass and time tag approach developed at PNNL. PRISM incorporates a diverse set of analysis tools and allows a wide range of operations to be incorporated by using a state machine that is accessible to independent, distributed ...
The looming potential of deformable alignment tools to play an integral role in adaptive radiotherapy suggests a need for objective assessment of these complex algorithms. Previous studies in this area...Full Text Available
BackgroundThe construction of cDNA libraries is a useful tool to understand gene expression in organisms under different conditions, but random sequencing of unbiased cDNA collections...Full Text Available
Large quantity of reliable protein interaction data are available for model organisms in public depositories (e.g., MINT, DIP, HPRD, INTERACT). Most data correspond to experiments with the proteins...Full Text Available
Accurate and automated methods for measuring the thickness of human cerebral cortex could provide powerful tools for diagnosing and studying a variety of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders....Full Text Available
The objective of this program is to tool-harden and make commercially available an existing wireless MWD tool to reliably operate in an air, air-mist, or air-foam environment during Appalachian Basin oil and gas directional drilling operations in conjunction with downhole motors and/or (other) bottom-hole assemblies. The application of this technology is required for drilling high angle (holes) and horizontal well drilling in low-pressure, water sensitive, tight gas formations that require air, air-mist, and foam drilling fluids. The basic approach to accomplishing this objective was to modify GEC's existing electromagnetic (e-m) CABLELESS''{trademark} MWD tool to improve its reliability in air drilling by increasing its tolerance to higher vibration and shock levels (hardening). Another important aim of the program is to provide for continuing availability of the resultant ...
We investigated the pathophysiological mechanism by proteomic approach as a possible tool to detect the marker proteins to develop lower urinary tract symptoms following bladder outlet obstruction (BOO)....Full Text Available
The development of a computational intelligent tools based on neural network to identify commercial losses or fraud (theft energy), considering information from a database electric utility, is presented.
BackgroundGenome-scale metabolic reconstructions have been recognised as a valuable tool for a variety of applications ranging from metabolic engineering to evolutionary studies....Full Text Available
We present a methodology and database mediator tool for integrating modern knowledge-based systems, such as the Stanford EON architecture for automated guideline-based decision-support, with legacy...Full Text Available
The induction of voltages on pipelines and railroad signal wires can be a problem when high-voltage transmission lines share the right of way. A handbook and two computer programs provide the analytic tools for utilities to avoid the problem.
Somatic cell nuclear transfer or therapeutic cloning has provided great hope for stem cell-based therapies. However therapeutic cloning has been experiencing both ethical and technical difficulties....Full Text Available
The spliced alignment of expressed sequence data to genomic sequence has proven a key tool in the comprehensive annotation of genes in eukaryotic genomes. A novel algorithm was developed to assemble...Full Text Available
In vivo two-photon imaging through the pupil of the primate eye has the potential to become a useful tool for functional imaging of the retina. Two-photon excited fluorescence images...Full Text Available
We address four main areas in which graduate quantum mechanics education in the U.S. can be improved: course content; textbook; teaching methods; and assessment tools. We report on a three year longitudinal study at the Colorado School of Mines using innovations in all four of these areas. In particular, we have modified the content of the course to reflect progress in the field in the last 50 years, use modern textbooks that include such content, incorporate a variety of teaching techniques based on physics education research, and used a variety of assessment tools to study the effectiveness of these reforms. We present a new assessment tool, the Graduate Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey, and further testing of a previously developed assessment tool, the Quantum Mechanics Conceptual Survey (QMCS). We find that graduate students respond well to research-based techniques that have previously been ...
Linking biological samples found at a crime scene with the actual crime event represents the most important aspect of forensic investigation, together with the identification of the sample donor. While...Full Text Available
The programming of cellular networks to achieve new biological functions depends on the development of genetic tools that link the presence of a molecular signal to gene-regulatory activity. Recently,...Full Text Available
MWo = average molecular weight of fuel est. 105 g/mole for gasoline est. 165 g/mole for Jet fuel est. 230 g/mole for diesel fuel MWX = molecular weight of selected chemical...
Short-hairpin RNA (shRNA)–mediated gene knockdown is a powerful tool for targeted gene silencing and an emerging novel therapeutic strategy. Recent publications, however, reported unexpected...Full Text Available
BackgroundThere is an ever increasing rate of data made available on genetic variation, transcriptomes and proteomes. Similarly, a growing variety of bioinformatic programs are becoming...Full Text Available
It is usually very complex to design an Integrated Information System in a hospital that includes both in-patient and out-patient medical care data. The difficulty appears because each department...Full Text Available
BackgroundOsteoporosis affects over 200 million people worldwide, and represents a significant cost burden. Although guidelines are available for best practice in osteoporosis, evidence...Full Text Available
BackgroundInformation on more than 35 000 full-length Oryza sativa cDNAs, together with associated microarray gene expression data collected under various treatment...Full Text Available
The aim of this study is to develop an Automatic Post-processing Tool for four-dimensional (4D) treatment planning (APT4D) that enables the user to perform some necessary procedures related...Full Text Available
BackgroundMicroorganisms display vast diversity, and each one has its own set of genes, cell components and metabolic reactions. To assess their huge unexploited metabolic potential...Full Text Available
DNA barcodes linked to genetic features greatly facilitate screening these features in pooled formats using microarray hybridization, and new tools are needed to design large sets of barcodes to allow...Full Text Available
Cytokinins are hormones that regulate cell division and development. As a result of a lack of specific mutants and biochemical tools, it has not been possible to study the consequences of cytokinin...Full Text Available
The use of spatially referenced data in cancer studies is gaining in prominence, fueled by the development and availability of spatial analytic tools and the broadening recognition of the linkages between...Full Text Available
Motivation: Cell tracking is an important method to quantitatively analyze time-lapse microscopy data. While numerous methods and tools exist for tracking cells in 2D time-lapse images,...Full Text Available
Communication problems have been implicated in many safety and quality issues, but tools to examine communication networks and their impact on patient outcomes are only beginning to become available....Full Text Available
In situ hybridization, a powerful tool for the molecular cytogeneticist, can be used to physically map repetitive, low-copy, and unique DNA sequences in plant chromosomes. With the availability of a...Full Text Available
Various measurement tools that are used in chaos theory were applied to analyze two-phase pressure signals with the objective of identifying and interpreting flow pattern transitions for two-phase flows in a small, horizontal rectangular channel. These me...
Brownfields redevelopment contributes to the revitalization of communities across the U.S. Reuse of these abandoned, contaminated sites spurs economic growth, builds community pride, protects public health, and helps maintain our nation's "greenfields," often at a relatively low ...
This paper describes the development of an interactive internet-based cost-estimating tool for commonly used urban storm runoff best management practices (BMP), including: retention and detention ponds, grassed swales, and constructed wetlands. The paper presents the cost data, c...
Public health activities, especially infectious disease control, depend on effective teamwork. We present the results of a pilot audit questionnaire aimed at assessing the quality of public health services...Full Text Available
Adjuvant therapy aims to prevent outgrowth of residual disease but can induce serious side effects. Weighing conflicting treatment effects and communicating this information with patients is not elementary....Full Text Available
BackgroundThe receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is a fundamental tool to assess the discriminant performance for not only a single marker but also a score function combining...Full Text Available
The identification of MHC class II restricted peptide epitopes is an important goal in immunological research. A number of computational tools have been developed for this purpose, but there is a lack...Full Text Available
Antimalarial drugs will be essential tools at all stages of malaria elimination along the path towards eradication, including the early control or “attack” phase to drive down transmission...Full Text Available
Scheduling is a stochastic process performed by production rules. In .... activated, which causes the available goal queue size to be exceeded, then the first goal to ...... when in doubt turn toward the terminal or when in doubt go ...
br /br /GOLD STARbr /Highly effective power tools, these are some of the ...Tracy is a blueprint for success on the power of self-discipline.A 5 Gold Star ...one of the greatest strengths of all: The power of self-discipline.You'll like the A+
Web portals are nowadays very popular. This type of web sites let users to share information, request advice or help in a particular field, and furthermore allow them to create and extend sites content. Combined with instant messaging systems, used to send messages or files instantaneously to a user or a group of users, and with various kinds of chat programs, which connect two or more individuals simulating a conversation, it is now possible to create "web communities". In this paper we present the opensource tools used to create the "Grid Support Community" of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics in Italy.
Thomson scattering is the process in which a low-energy photon scatters from a free electron. When a laser pulse propagates through a plasma, the spectrum of the scattered light due to the Thomson scattering is proportional to the power spectrum of the electron density fluctuations, i.e., dynamic form factor, from which various plasma parameters can be inferred, such as electron temperature and plasma flow velocity. After years of development. Thomson scattering has now become a powerful diagnostic tool of plasma physics. (authors)
The Regulation 761/2001 EMAS (Environmental Management and Audit Scheme), introduced by the 1836/93 Community regulation, is one of the tools activated by the European Union in order to apply the 5. and 6. Community Environmental Programme, in the field of firm-environment interactions at first (overcoming the old Command and Control logic), then by extending its applicability to ali Organisations. EMAS is a voluntary tool that enables Organisations to evaluate their own interaction with the Environment, to plan and check the yearly improvement of their environmental performance, providing the public documented relevant information. The report illustrates the procedure far applying this regulation, its implementation and new application trends in Italy and the advantages far firms.
Spray forming is an advanced materials processing technology that converts a bulk liquid metal to a near-net-shape solid by depositing atomized droplets onto a suitably shaped substrate. By combining rapid solidification processing with product shape control, spray forming can reduce manufacturing costs while improving product quality. De Laval nozzles offer an alternative method to the more conventional spray nozzle designs. Two applications are described: high-volume production of aluminum alloy strip, and the production of specialized tooling, such as injection molds and dies, for rapid prototyping.
Abstract Over the last decade, the environmental sciences have witnessed an incredible movement towards the utilization of high-throughput molecular tools that are capable of detecting simultaneous changes of hundreds, and even thousands, of molecules and molecular components after exposure of organisms to different environmental stressors. These techniques have received a great deal of attention because they not only offer the potential to unravel novel mechanisms of physiological and toxic action but are also amenable to the discovery of biomarkers of exposure and effects. In this article, we review the state of knowledge of one of these tools in ecotoxicological research: proteomics. We summarize the state of proteomics research in fish, and follow with studies conducted with aquatic in...
For reliable operation and the optimization of production, industrial fermentation processes require appropriate tools for monitoring the process in real time. This work presents the structure and operation of a soft sensor for the on-line monitoring of biomass and product concentration during salinomycin and bacitracin fermentation in an industrial, 80-m^3 batch reactor; moreover it provides a tool for evaluation of batch production verified in industrial application. The process estimation algorithm consists of decoupled growth and product models, which ensures an unbiased convergence of the estimator and the robustness of the model. The production of secondary metabolites is described with a non-structured model upgraded with a variable forgetting factor that demonstrated a successful e...
CERN, DESY, Fermilab and SLAC have joined forces to build INSPIRE, the next-generation HEP information platform offering innovative tools for information discovery and communication. Representing a natural community-based evolution of SPIRES, INSPIRE provides fast access to the entire body of HEP literature. As a subject repository it will host fulltexts of preprints, Open Access journal articles and supplementary material like conference slides and multimedia, enabling novel text- and data mining applications. In the spirit of Web2.0 INSPIRE will also supply tools for collaboration and user-enriched content.
Recent industry advances in formation evaluation measurement-while-drilling (FEMWD) have been achieved in well log data acquisition quality and in geosteering drilling applications. This paper presents new technology as applied by Baker Hughes INTEQ which includes: geosteering techniques which help navigate through horizontally drilled reservoirs including improved quality dual propagation resistivity, neutron-porosity and formation-density measurements; predictive modeling of tool responses in reservoir geosteering applications; environmental computer modeling which aids interpretation, including tool eccentering; and new measurement enhancements.
The tips and tools in Excel Hacks include little known backdoor" adjustments for everything from reducing workbook and worksheet frustration to hacking built-in features such as pivot tables, charts, formulas and functions, and even the macro language. This resourceful, roll-up-your-sleeves guide shows you new ways to make Excel do things--from data analysis to worksheet management to import/export--that you never thought possible. Excel Hacks increases productivity with Excel and gives you hours of "hacking" enjoyment along the way. "
The dynamic response characteristics of the VAWT rotor are important factors governing the safety and fatigue life of VAWT systems. The principal problems are the determination of critical rotor speeds (resonances) and the assessment of forced vibration response amplitudes. The solution to these problems is complicated by centrifugal and coriolis effects which can have substantial influence on rotor resonant frequencies and mode shapes. This paper will describe and discuss the primary tools now in use at Sandia National Laboratories for rotor analysis. These tools include a lumped springmass model (VAWTDYN) and also finite-element based approaches. The discussion will center on the accuracy and completeness of current capabilities and plans for future research.
The dynamic response characteristics of the vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) rotor are important factors governing the safety and fatigue life of VAWT systems. The principal problems are the determination of critical rotor speeds (resonances) and the assessment of forced vibration response amplitudes. The solution to these problems is complicated by centrifugal and Coriolis effects which can have substantial influence on rotor resonant frequencies and mode shapes. The primary tools now in use for rotor analysis are described and discussed. These tools include a lumped spring mass model (VAWTDYN) and also finite-element based approaches. The accuracy and completeness of current capabilities are also discussed.
The Control Rod Drive(CRD) nozzles for PWR nuclear power plants(NPP) house the control rod drives. The number of nozzle penetrations range from the mid-30's to over 100 in each reactor head. The integrity of CRD nozzles is very important, because the primary pressure boundary is established with the J-groove weld joining the nozzle to the head clad surface. The Alloy 600 PWSC CRD nozzle leaks discovered in the fall of 2000 and spring of 2001 in several US plants. Therefore the NRC has recommended a more proactive effort by US utilities to inspect similarly susceptible nozzles in all US plants. The primary safety concern is circumferential cracks that can permit the nozzles to separate from the head at high velocity and produce a large-break leak in the reactor vessel. A secondary concern is head leakage from any through-wall cracks in the nozzle or J-groove weld area. Numerous inspection and repair tools have been developed to address CRD nozzle inspection ...
The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) will be the world's first x-ray free-electron laser (FEL). To ensure the vitality of FEL lasing, a longitudinal feedback system is required together with other diagnostics. In this paper, we study the possibility of using Coherent Synchrotron Radiation (CSR) from the chicane as a diagnostic tool for bunch length feedback. Studies show that CSR is a good candidate, even for a non-Gaussian, double-horn longitudinal charge distribution as in the LCLS. We further check the possibility for detecting possible microbunching.
In light of the recent measurements of the top quark forward-backward asymmetry at the Fermilab Tevatron experiment, which in some regions of the parameter space shows a discrepancy of 3$\\sigma$ compared to the SM prediction, we analyze top quark pair production and asymmetry in the context of left-right models both at the Tevatron and LHC. We use the minimal manifest left-right model and an asymmetric left-right model where gauge couplings and flavor mixing in the right-handed sector are allowed to differ from those in the left-handed sector. We explore the consequences of including effects from $W_R$ and $Z_R$ gauge bosons, consistent with phenomenological constraints from meson mixing and new bounds from ATLAS and CMS, for the $t \\bar{t}$ cross section, invariant mass distribution and forward-backward asymmetry at the Tevatron, and predict their values at the LHC. We show that, varying the parameters of the model while preserving agreement ...
The matter spectrum of the MSSM, including three right-handed neutrino supermultiplets and one pair of Higgs-Higgs conjugate superfields, can be obtained by compactifying the E_{8} x E_{8} heterotic string and M-theory on Calabi-Yau manifolds with specific SU(4) vector bundles. These theories have the standard model gauge group augmented by an additional gauged U(1)_{B-L}. Their minimal content requires that the B-L gauge symmetry be spontaneously broken by a vacuum expectation value of at least one right-handed sneutrino. In previous papers, we presented the results of a quasi-analytic renormalization group analysis showing that B-L gauge symmetry is indeed radiatively broken with an appropriate B-L/electroweak hierarchy. In this paper, we extend these results by 1) enlarging the initial parameter space and 2) explicitly calculating all renormalization group equations numerically, without approximation. The regions of the initial parameter ...
E8 X E8 heterotic string and M-theory, when appropriately compactified, can give rise to realistic, N=1 supersymmetric particle physics. In particular, the exact matter spectrum of the MSSM, including three right-handed neutrino supermultiplets, one per family, and one pair of Higgs-Higgs conjugate superfields is obtained by compactifying on Calabi-Yau manifolds admitting specific SU(4) vector bundles. These "heterotic standard models" have the SU(3)_{C} X SU(2)_{L} X U(1)_{Y} gauge group of the standard model augmented by an additional gauged U(1)_{B-L}. Their minimal content requires that the B-L gauge symmetry be spontaneously broken by a vacuum expectation value of at least one right-handed sneutrino. In a previous paper, we presented the results of a renormalization group analysis showing that B-L gauge symmetry is indeed radiatively broken with a B-L/electroweak hierarchy of O(10) to O(10^{2}). In this paper, we present the details of ...
A new exhaust cleaning system is introduced, aiming to remarkably reduce NOx emission using a type of EGR method (hybrid EGR) of feeding back the exhaust from an exhaust cleaning ternary catalyst provided gasoline engine to the Diesel engine intake on one hand and, on the other hand, aiming to reduce even the emitted particulates using an exhaust supplying gasoline engine driven supercharger for an enhanced Diesel engine supercharging. The hybrid EGR system used here can uniformly reduce the emitted NOx under any load conditions and, as compared with the conventional type, is two to three times more effective, with the EGR rate kept constant. The exhaust concentration is approximately 10%. An sample of the hybrid EGR was simulated, and it was shown, as compared with the original non-supercharged Diesel engine, that the emitted NOx decreased to 1/3 or 1/4, that the exhaust concentration was approximately the same, and that the total fuel ...
A class-V myosin, myosin V, one of 18 known classes of actin-based motor proteins, plays a role in transporting organelles within a cell. Unlike myosin-II, which functions as an assembly in the thick filaments of muscle, myosin V is a two-headed processive motor protein, which functions as a single molecule: myosin V performs many consecutive steps before it detaches from an actin filament accompanied by catalytic cycles of ATP (adenosine 5'-triphosphate) ase. The mechanism of such chemomechanical steps is explained by a 'Hand-over-hand model' in which two heads of myosin V alternately repeat single-headed and double-headed bindings with an actin filament. To investigate the binding state of myosin V at several key nucleotide states during ATP hydrolysis, we measured the mechanical properties of a single myosin V - actin complex by applying an external load with optical trap.
Semiconductor properties of passive films formed on the Fe-18Cr alloy in a borate buffer solution (pH = 8.4) and 0.1 M H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} solution were examined using a photoelectrochemical spectroscopy and an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Photo current reveals two photo action spectra that derived from outer hydroxide and inner oxide layers. A typical n-type semiconductor behaviour is observed by both photo current and impedance for the passive films formed in the borate buffer solution. On the other hand, a negative photo current generated, the absolute value of which decreased as applied potential increased in the sulfuric acid solution. This indicates that the passive film behaves as a p-type semiconductor. However, Mott-Schottky plot revealed the typical n-type semiconductor property. It is concluded that the passive film on the Fe-18Cr alloy formed in the borate buffer solution is composed of both n-type outer hydroxide and inner oxide layers. On the ...
Semiconductor properties of passive films formed on the Fe-18Cr alloy in a borate buffer solution (pH = 8.4) and 0.1 M H_2SO_4 solution were examined using a photoelectrochemical spectroscopy and an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Photo current reveals two photo action spectra that derived from outer hydroxide and inner oxide layers. A typical n-type semiconductor behaviour is observed by both photo current and impedance for the passive films formed in the borate buffer solution. On the other hand, a negative photo current generated, the absolute value of which decreased as applied potential increased in the sulfuric acid solution. This indicates that the passive film behaves as a p-type semiconductor. However, Mott-Schottky plot revealed the typical n-type semiconductor property. It is concluded that the passive film on the Fe-18Cr alloy formed in the borate buffer solution is composed of both n-type outer hydroxide and inner oxide layers. On the other ...
In the context of the research project, the physical basis of the direct decoupling of highly concentrated solar radiation in materials without the detour via absorbing heat exchanger walls was examined. Also, the first chemical processes suitable for the effective long-term storage of solar energy were analysed, relevant experiments were carried out and the necessary receiver techniques for high temperature applications were provided. The principle of direct coupling was examined on fluidized beds on the one hand and on cavity receivers, on the other hand. The contribution shows the results achieved in detail. It is recorded that first processes for storing solar energy in chemical reactions were able to be examined. Alkaline earth hydroxides accommodated in ceramic honeycomb structures seem to be possible as stores for medium temperature ranges around 500deg C. Investigations on receiver structure materials are also making progress. Highly ...
Today`s industrial processes generate many types of waste products that constitute risks to human health and the surrounding environment. While proper waste management procedures can lower this risk, prevention of the waste`s generation will eliminate the risk. For this reason, the United States has established pollution prevention as a national objective, through the passage of its Pollution Prevention Act of 1990. Pollution prevention involves a wide range of approaches, all with the same objective: to reduce or eliminate the creation of waste at its source in other words, within the process that generates it. This objective, so beneficial to the environment, also coincides with industrial economic interests. Pollution prevention measures and greater process efficiency go hand in hand, and typically result in lower operating costs as well as greatly reduced waste management expenses. The US Environmental Protection Agency defines pollution ...
In the Assel'skiy and Sakmarskiy time of the lower Permian epoch, on the territory of the modern Dnieper and Donets, and Pripyatskiy Basins, there was a gulf which stretched in a northwest direction. The latter connected to the open sea in the east through the CisDonets trough. Transverse tectonic elevations divided the gulf into 5 semi-isolated reservoirs. In the Assel'skiy time, in the period of carbonate sedimentation, the development of algae, crinoids, corals and other organisms occurred. They created reef, bioherm and biostroma reconstructions. The most favorable sections for their settlement were the coastal zones of the gulf, consedimentation positive structures and transverse tectonic elevations. It is assumed that the formation of reefs, bioherms and biostromas, on the one hand, and sedimentation of evaporites on the other hand, are interrelated processes. The first after the next marine transgression during their ...
A considerable amount of chemical knowledge of marine sediments has been acquired in recent years but has not yet been utilized by paleomagnetists. On the other hand, geochemists are often unaware of the usefulness of numerous magnetic techniques. In this review we try to bridge this gap, and in particular, we outline many of the chemical and magnetic principles that should allow paleomagnetists to better identify and undertand chemical changes that affect the magnetic properties of marine sediments. The chemical principles include those for distinguishing the four major sources of sediments (continental, biological, authigenic/hydrogenous, volcanic/hydrothermal) from one another by determining elemental abundance distributions, as well as for investigating the stabilities of mineral phases relative to changes in pE and pH. The magnetic principles include the effects of authigenesis and diagenesis on magnetic properties, particularly on the direction and intensity ...
The size of the market for pulverized activated charcoal and particulate activated charcoal prepared by the Association of Inorganic Chemicals of Japan is 55,000t/y (1987) in total. Individually, some fields showed the expansion such as water purification, water treatment and gas treatment on the one hand, but on the other hand, several fields showed the decline such as sugar refining, dextrin sugar and soda glutamate. As a whole, the market showed no marked fluctuations or a very slight increase. Many of the above usages are traditional in the chemical industry and the food industry, etc., and the new usages developed in the past several years have not grown to influence the statistics as yet. Selection of raw material is the key for determining the character of activated charcoal. And the factors of determining the characteristic features are fine pore, surface area and surface activity (catalystic activity). Furthermore, the function ...
The ep{yields}e'p{rho}{sup 0} reaction has been measured using the 5.754 GeV electron beam of Jefferson Lab and the CLAS detector. This represents the largest ever set of data for this reaction in the valence region. Integrated and differential cross-sections are presented. The W, Q{sup 2} and t dependences of the cross-section are compared to theoretical calculations based on the t-channel meson-exchange Regge theory, on the one hand, and on quark handbag diagrams related to Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs) on the other hand. The Regge approach can describe at the {approx}30% level most of the features of the present data while the two GPD calculations that are presented in this article which succesfully reproduce the high-energy data strongly underestimate the present data. The question is then raised whether this discrepancy originates from an incomplete or inexact way of modelling the GPDs or the associated hard scattering ...
The $e p\\to e^\\prime p \\rho^0$ reaction has been measured, using the 5.754 GeV electron beam of Jefferson Lab and the CLAS detector. This represents the largest ever set of data for this reaction in the valence region. Integrated and differential cross sections are presented. The $W$, $Q^2$ and $t$ dependences of the cross section are compared to theoretical calculations based on $t$-channel meson-exchange Regge theory on the one hand and on quark handbag diagrams related to Generalized Parton Distributions (GPDs) on the other hand. The Regge approach can describe at the $\\approx$ 30% level most of the features of the present data while the two GPD calculations that are presented in this article which succesfully reproduce the high energy data strongly underestimate the present data. The question is then raised whether this discrepancy originates from an incomplete or inexact way of modelling the GPDs or the associated hard scattering ...
Although the primary mission of the Southeastern Fish Culture Laboratory is to conduct scientific research on the problems facing the aquaculture industry, other goals are technology transfer and education. Over the past two years, a successful educational outreach program has been established with a local middle school. After a letter extending educational support to the public schools was written to the Superintendent, one teacher with her many science students began making monthly trips to the facility in order to gain hands-on experience in aquaculture science. The county supports the effort by providing the bus transport of thirty miles round trip. Students conduct a long-term experiment in fish growth while also learning about waterfowl, the environment, and the aquaculture industry. They are engaged in projects involving some hands-on experience. This program was judged to be successful doe to: (a) participant number increased from fifty ...
Electron elastic and collisional excitation cross sections from the ground state of potassium are calculated using the noniterative integral-equation method of Henry, Rountree, and Smith [Comput. Phys. Commun. 23, 233 (1981)] in the electron energy range 4#<=#E#<=#200 eV. Configuration-interaction target wave functions that take account of correlation and polarization effects are used to represent the ground state and the six lowest excited states 4p "2P degree, 5s "2S, 3d "2D, 5p "2P degree, 4d "2D, and 6s "2S. Elastic and discrete excitation cross sections are obtained in a seven-state close-coupling (7CC) approximation. The 7CC elastic and excitation cross sections are compared and contrasted. Near threshold the elastic cross section dominates the resonance, 4s "2S#->#4p "2P degree, and the sum of the other remaining excitation cross sections. Comparison of our total cross sections with some available experimental and theoretical data is also effected. The discrepancy ...
Recently the D{\\O} Collaboration reported an observation of like-sign charge asymmetry (CA), which is about $3.2 \\sigma$ deviation from the standard model (SM) prediction. Inspired by the observation we investigate the scalar unparticle effects, under the color charge of $SU(3)_c$ symmetry, in the CP violation in neutral B meson oscillations as well as the dispersive and absorptive parts of $\\bar B_q\\leftrightarrow B_q$ transition, which can be related to the CA directly. In order to illustrate the peculiar properties of unparticle, our analysis is carried out in two scenarios for the right-handed section: (I) $\\lambda_R=\\lambda_L$ and $U_D^R=U_D^L$, where $\\lambda_{L,R}$ and $U_D^{L,R}$ are the couplings and flavor mixing matrix of left- and right-handed section, respectively; (II) $\\lambda_R >> \\lambda_L$ and $U_D^R$ is completely a free parameter. In scenario I we found that the wrong- and like-sign CA cannot be changed ...
Integration of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance (MR) has become a topic of increasing interest to the imaging community over the past two years. In this text, the authors attempt to distinguish facts from fiction concerning such integrated systems. Analysis of existing information of combined imaging on existing brain PET/MR systems and imaging experience with PET-computed tomography (CT) is reviewed. Various types of system integration of PET and MR are discussed with completely independent systems on one hand and completely integrated systems with the possibility of simultaneous data acquisition on the other hand. Furthermore, it is discussed, what simultaneous data acquisition with nuclear imaging systems combined with MR or CT really means, as technical simultaneity may not be relevant in light of the pharmacokinetics of the nuclear tracers used. The authors conclude that combining PET/MR is an interesting research ...
An overview is given of the interest of the Dutch government, several organizations and consumers in the quality of the indoor environment. Main aspects, sub-aspects and indicators for the indoor environment of dwellings are listed: site selection, thermal comfort, air quality, light, view, privacy, noise, safety, and radiation. [Dutch] In het veld wordt onvoldoende aandacht en prioriteit gegeven aan de kwaliteit van het binnenmilieu. Het ligt voor de hand de kennis over de relatie gezondheid en binnenmilieu bij professionele partijen te vergroten. In dit kader is het Binnenmilieuprofiel voor de kantooromgeving geintroduceerd. Aan de hand hiervan kan de discussie worden gevoerd tussen vrager en aanbieder over de kwaliteit van het binnenmilieu. Het zou de basis kunnen zijn voor een keurmerk Gezond Gebouw. Dezelide binnenmilieuproblematiek doet zich natuurlijk ook voor bij woningen. In dit artikel wordt een introductie gegeven van het ...
NuEra Oilfield Services Inc. combines various technologies, including advanced bearing assemblies and compact wireless decoders that interface with downhole directional tools, to engineer unique, purpose-built measurement-while-drilling (MWD) tool string packages. The 9-metre-long MWD tool string is lowered into the drill pipe from the surface. The directional module monitors the position of the drill bit, which the driller can monitor using an electronic drilling recorder at the surface. The directional drillstring uses a mud motor with adjustable bent housing to correct the direction of the well, as the system cannot steer while drilling. At bottomhole, mud circulation continues after the rotation of the drillstring has been stopped, driving the mud motor, which in turn drives the drill bit, permitting a new direction to be taken even though the drillstring is not turning. The operator points the bent housing in a new ...
The refrigerant two-phase flows in a distributor and a simulated plate heat exchanger with a single passage used in a compression-type refrigerator were visualized by real-time neutron radiography. For a distributor, the liquid fraction in the each tube was measured by some image processing method. On the other hand, for a plate heat exchanger, the two-dimensional distribution of void fraction was measured quantitatively by the umbra method. As a result, it was shown that the dynamic behaviors of refrigerant at the inlet of the section strongly affected on the performance, that is, a distribution performance of a distributor and a liquid distribution in a plate heat exchanger. (author)
Summary DNA topoisomerases are the key enzymes involved in carrying out high precision DNA transactions inside the cells. However, they are detrimental to the cell when a wide variety of topoisomerase-targeted drugs generate cytotoxic lesions by trapping the enzymes in covalent complexes on the DNA. The discovery of unusual heterodimeric topoisomerase I in kinetoplastid family added a new twist in topoisomerase research related to evolution, functional conservation and their preferential sensitivity to Camptothecin. On the other hand, structural and mechanistic studies on kinetoplastid topoisomerase II delineate some distinguishing features that differentiate the parasitic enzyme from its prokaryotic and eukaryotic counterparts. This review summarizes the recent advances in research in kin...
We revisit the case of a light neutralino LSP in the framework of the MSSM. We consider a model with eleven free parameters. We show that all scenarios where the annihilation of light neutralinos rely mainly on the exchange of a light pseudoscalar are excluded by direct detection searches and by Fermi measurements of the gamma-flux from dwarf spheroidal galaxies. On the other hand, we find scenarios with light sleptons that satisfy all collider and astroparticle physics constraints. In this case, the lower limit on the LSP mass is 12.6 GeV. We discuss how the parameter space of the model will be further probed by new physics searches at the LHC.
Natural rubber latexes were vulcanized by ..gamma..-rays with two polyfunctional monomers, neopentylglycol diacrylate (A-NPG) and dimethacrylate (NPG). In comparison with A-NPG, NPG was more soluble in rubber particles, but it was less effective as an accelerating agent for the vulcanization because of the smaller rate of polymerization. On the other hand, the colloidal stability of the latex containing A-NPG was low because it was localized on the surface of rubber particles due to its poor solubility to the particles. The solubility of A-NPG was improved by adding A-NPG with solvents. The maximum tensile strength of the irradiated latex film was 350 kg/cm/sup 2/ at 3 Mrad.
Natural rubber latexes were vulcanized by #gamma#-rays with two polyfunctional monomers, neopentylglycol diacrylate (A-NPG) and dimethacrylate (NPG). In comparison with A-NPG, NPG was more soluble in rubber particles, but it was less effective as an accelerating agent for the vulcanization because of the smaller rate of polymerization. On the other hand, the colloidal stability of the latex containing A-NPG was low because it was localized on the surface of rubber particles due to its poor solubility to the particles. The solubility of A-NPG was improved by adding A-NPG with solvents. The maximum tensile strength of the irradiated latex film was 350 kg/cm"2 at 3 Mrad. (author).
Surface doses received by patients and operators were measured during 30 interventional radiological procedures (ten percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainages, ten percutaneous nephrostomies, ten percutaneous transluminal angioplasties). In addition, organ doses to the patient were determined using an Alderson-Rando phantom. These served as a basis for calculating the so-called somatic dose indices. It was found that the somatic radiation risk to the patient is relatively small despite prolonged periods of fluoroscopy. However, exposure of the hands and lenses of the operator could easily reach the limits thought acceptable while carrying out these procedures with additional angiography. (orig).
The theory of spontaneous decay is studied using both quantum electrodynamics (QED) and semiclassical theories of radiation. There are qualitative differences between the theories in the prediction of interference phenomena. In QED, systems which were excited with pulsed laser light do not exhibit quantum interference effects associated with lower state splittings. On the other hand, semiclassical treatments of spontaneous decay do indicate the existence of interference effects not present in QED. In addition to this, differences are found between the predictions of fluorescence intensity in the presence of lower-state level crossings under continuous excitation. (U.S.).
In this paper, the authors use free field techniques in D = 2 string theory t calculate the perturbation of the special state algebras when the cosmological constant is turned on. In particular, the authors find that the 'ground cone' preserved by the ring structure is promoted to a three-dimensional hyperboloid as conjectured by Witten. On the other hand, the perturbed (1,1) current algebra of moduli deformations is computed completely, and no simple geometrical interpretation is found. The authors also quote some facts concerning the Liouville matrix a model dictionary in this class of theories.
Several commercially available capacitors were evaluated at the liquid nitrogen temperature (77 K). Our primary interest was their performance under a bias voltage when used as DC link capacitors in cryogenic power electronics. In general, the performance of polymer capacitors and certain ceramic capacitors is almost independent of the temperature, DC bias, and frequency. On the other hand, ceramic capacitors based on high dielectric constant materials showed a strong dependence on the boundary conditions. Aluminum electrolytic capacitors showed a dramatic decrease of capacitance at 77 K, possibly due to the electrolyte being frozen and therefore losing its conductivity.
Iron alloys and aluminum were nitrogen implanted in a controlled oxygen atmosphere and the role of hydrogen on the surface etching mechanisms studied. The surface composition was analyzed by in situ photoemission electron spectroscopy (XPS). In iron alloys, hydrogen strongly etches oxygen, improving nitrogen retention on the surface. On the other hand, hydrogen removes nitrogen from aluminum surfaces, with a deleterious effect on the nitriding effectiveness. The oxygen removal in iron alloys is associated with the catalytic effect of electrons in d-orbitals and the nitrogen removal in aluminum is associated with a steric effect.
In radiation risk assessment it must be differentiated between somatic and genetic effect on the one hand as well as between stochastic and non-stochastic effect on the other. According to definitions of the ICRP report 26 the limit for the dose equivalent of all tissues prevents non-stochastic radiation effects. With stochastic radiation effects probably exist no threshold doses; therefore the ALARA principle must be applied concerning radiation protection. The individual risk by stochastic radiation effects in its linear, linear-quadratic and quadratic extrapolations, respectively, is discussed in detail. The effective stochastic dose equivalent (H/sub eff/) as well as collective dose and collective damage are outlined.
In this study we consider relations between companies in Poland taking into account common branches they belong to. It is clear that companies belonging to the same branch compete for similar customers, so the market induces correlations between them. On the other hand two branches can be related by companies acting in both of them. To remove weak, accidental links we shall use a concept of threshold filtering for weighted networks where a link weight corresponds to a number of existing connections (common companies or branches) between a pair of nodes.
A nonlinear dynamic transient analysis merging hand calculations and the NASTRAN structural analysis computer code was conducted for a Fast Flux Test Facility in-reactor test assembly during an extremely unlikely design basis accidental event which is considered a Hypothetical Core Disruptive Accident (HCDA). The finite element modeling of the problem took advantage of NASTRAN's versatility to create loads and nonlinear elements not previously found in NASTRAN's library. The structural criteria for the test assembly to withstand an HCDA stipulates that the test assembly and its spoolpiece shall remain integral with the reactor head such that missiles are not generated.
The author investigates the effects of 529 mergers in the European and North American power industries between 1990 and 2002. The focus is on the effects on the capital market and the changes in the utilities' performance in successive years. It is assumed that as a rule mergers resulted in a lower value of the companies concerned. On the other hand, the target businesses appear to have obtained added value in the same period. Apart from the fight for market power, the author identifies especially financial synergies as an important motive. (orig.)
Many analytical chemistry methods normally used at the Savannah River site require repetitive procedures and handling of radioactive and other hazardous solutions. Robotics is being investigated as a method of reducing personnel fatigue and radiation exposure and also increasing product quality. Several applications of various commercially available robot systems are discussed involving cold (nonradioactive) and hot (radioactive) sample preparations and glovebox waste removal. Problems encountered in robot programming, parts fixturing, design of special robot hands and other support equipment, glovebox operation, and operator-system interaction are discussed. A typical robot system cost analysis for one application is given.
The aim of this paper is to survey the potential of knowledge systems for the management and modelling of energy systems. The paper starts with a short introduction to knowledge systems. The essence of knowledge systems is summarized and described in terms of modelling. Additionally the application of knowledge systems is compared with the use of conventional software on the one hand and human reasoning on the other. Next, research topics which are important in connection with technological applications of knowledge systems are reviewed. This paper follows with a review of knowledge system applications in the field of energy systems and ends with conclusions on the state of the art and required research and development.
The ionization, excitation, and radiative recombination rates for highly stripped ions are cal- culated with Maxwellian and non-Maxwellian electron distribution functions of the type Cmexp(-vm/wm) (2<=m<=5) as encountered in laser-heated plasmas and certain types of turbulent plasmas. The direct-radiative-recombination rates are found to decrease by at most 30% as m is increased from 2 to 5. On the other hand, the ionization and excitation rates are found to be strongly reduced if the transition energy ? exceeds twice the local temperature kBTe. The effect of this on the distribution of energy levels and degrees of ionization in laser-produced plasmas could be important.
The total area (s m) of Voronoi-Dirichlet polyhedron faces corresponding to all intermolecular contacts of one molecule in the structure of crystals and the total volume of pyramids (V m) built on such faces and containing the nuclei of atoms participating in intermolecular contacts in their vertices were determined for 19 unsaturated hydrocarbons. The differential molar heat of adsorption of the hydrocarbons on graphitized thermal carbon black was found to be linearly related to the s m or V m integral parameters of their Voronoi-Dirichlet polyhedra. Aromatic hydrocarbons on the one hand and saturated hydrocarbons, olefins, and acetylene on the other are characterized by different dependences because of the special shapes of their molecular Voronoi-Dirichlet polyhedra.
The total area ( s m) of Voronoi-Dirichlet polyhedron faces corresponding to all intermolecular contacts of one molecule in the structure of crystals and the total volume of pyramids ( V m) built on such faces and containing the nuclei of atoms participating in intermolecular contacts in their vertices were determined for 19 unsaturated hydrocarbons. The differential molar heat of adsorption of the hydrocarbons on graphitized thermal carbon black was found to be linearly related to the s m or V m integral parameters of their Voronoi-Dirichlet polyhedra. Aromatic hydrocarbons on the one hand and saturated hydrocarbons, olefins, and acetylene on the other are characterized by different dependences because of the special shapes of their molecular Voronoi-Dirichlet polyhedra.
Equivalent circuit and electrical parameters for H-doped NH_4UO_2PO_4.3H_2O self supported membranes have been determined by impedance spectroscopy. The measurements were carried out with a dry membrane, at different temperatures, and a wet membrane in contact with different electrolyte solutions. Resistance values for the dry membrane decrease with temperature increase, which agrees with the weak protonic character of the H-doped ammonium uranylphosphate. On the other hand, differences in the electrical parameters, depending on the electrolyte considered were also obtained and are attributed to different conduction mechanisms. (Author).
Microcomputers are beginning to be used for energy analysis in many developing countries, and have the potential for making a significant contribution to the resolution of difficult analytical and data problems, and to improving communications between analyst and decision maker. Successful introduction of a microcomputer based on analytical capability, however, requires attention to several important factors in order to avoid the mistakes of the earlier mainframe computer era. This paper reviews the key issues of matching models to staff capabilities, of training, and of the operating environment, based on the author's first-hand experience with microcomputer projects in Uruguay, Haiti and Sri Lanka. 3 figures, 3 tables.
This study compares the effectiveness of potassium chloride with guanidine chlorhydrate in the prevention of clay swelling. The results given on various swelling tests on calcic montmorillonite led to the conclusions that (1) guanidine chlorhydrate is more effective than potassium chloride, especially in low concentrations, and (2) water immersion of samples treated by both solutions shows the permanent feature of the inhibitive action of guanidine chlorhydrate in swelling on one hand and the important increase in swelling of immersed samples treated by potassium chloride on the other. The viscosity measure of montmorillonite suspensions, before and after solution ion elimination by dialysis, confirms these observations.
Direct nuclear reactions are commonly understood in terms of distorted wave (DW) formalisms. In the case of a single nucleon knockout or transfer reaction the DW analysis provides a reasonable understanding of the observed data. On the other hand the predictions based on different available information inputs have been verified with the observations consistently. In the case of direct reactions involving nuclear clusters however, the DW predictions have been found to disagree with the observations in most cases. The outcome of these and other improvements in the intermediate energy nuclear phenomena involving direct reactions are highlighted. (author). 13 refs., 18 figs.
An analytical model is presented which enables the estimation of convective losses from cavity receivers. Evidence from solar experiments is used to test the hypothesized mechanisms. The analytical results and experimental evidence indicate that the convective loss from cavity receivers is appreciable. The model indicates that the influences of the wind on the convective loss at normal operating conditions are minimal. It also shows that the internal thermal resistance, i.e. the ability to heat the air inside the cavity, are of importance. Buoyancy induced flows are, on the other hand, effective in transferring energy across the aperture. 8 refs.
This paper described experiments on the adsorption of radon gas on surfaces of various materials. The experiments were carried out on three kinds of materials: Poly(vinyl chloride), polyethylene and stainless steel. On stainless steel, adsorption was not detectable. On the other hand, there was clearly adsorption on poly(vinyl chloride) and polyethylene. A poly(vinyl chloride) sheet of one square meter surface in a 5.3 L container absorbed approximately 20% of the radon. Radon adsorption has to be taken into account when radon concentration measurements in the air. (author)
In the analysis of the consequences of a hypothetical meltdown accident in an LMFBR, it is important to estimate the final location of the molten fuel pool in the concrete and ground underlying the reactor vessel. The GROWS program and the AYER program have been developed to calculate the final location of the molten fuel pool as the culmination of the transient analysis of this unusual Stefan problem but these programs require extensive computational resources. The solution is provided to the concrete and ground temperatures surrounding the stationary fuel pool and the related heat flux from the pool to the ground surface outside the containment building. This solution can be used to estimate the final location of the fuel pool and to check the end results of the sophisticated programs.
We investigate the interplay between crossed channel final state interactions and the constraints from two-particle unitarity for the reactions J/{psi}{yields}V{pi}{pi} and VK anti K, where V is either {omega} or {phi}. Using a model where the parameters are largely constrained by other sources, we find that, although small, crossed channel final state interaction can influence the amplitudes considerably, in special areas of phase space. These results cast doubt on the inapplicability of unitarity constraints on production amplitudes as recently claimed in the literature. (orig.)
This is the final report covering work performed on research into methods of attaining clean ferrous castings. In this program methods were developed to minimize the formation of inclusions in steel castings by using a variety of techniques which decreased the tendency for inclusions to form during melting, casting and solidification. In a second project, a reaction chamber was built to remove inclusions from molten steel using electromagnetic force. Finally, a thorough investigation of the causes of sand penetration defects in iron castings was completed, and a program developed which predicts the probability of penetration formation and indicates methods for avoiding it.
We propose that a search for extra-terrestrial life can be approached as a Search for Extra-Terrestrial Homochirality{emdash}SETH. Homochirality is probably a pre-condition for life, so a chiral influence may be required to get life started. We explain how the weak force mediated by the {ital Z}{sup 0} boson gives rise to a small parity-violating energy difference (PVED) between enantiomers, and discuss how the resulting small excess of the more stable enantiomer may be amplified to homochirality. Titan and comets are good places to test for emerging pre-biotic homochirality, while on Mars there may be traces of homochirality as a relic of extinct life. Our calculations of the PVED show that the natural L-amino acids are indeed more stable than their enantiomers, as are several key D-sugars and right-hand helical DNA. Thiosubstituted DNA analogues show particularly large PVEDs. L-quartz is also more stable than D-quartz, and we believe that further crystal counts ...
Single-crystalline nanostructures often exhibit gradients of surface (and/or interface) curvature that emerge from fabrication and growth processes or from thermal fluctuations. Thus, the system-inherent capillary force can initiate morphological transformations during further processing steps or during operation at elevated temperature. Therefore and because of the ongoing miniaturization of functional structures which causes a general rise in surface-to-volume ratios, solid-state capillary phenomena will become increasingly important: On the one hand diffusion-mediated capillary processes can be of practical use in view of non-conventional nanostructure fabrication methods based on self-organization mechanisms, on the other hand they can destroy the integrity of nanostructures which can go along with the failure of functionality. Additionally, capillarity-induced shape transformations are effected and can thereby be controlled by applied ...
This Final Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact Report (Final EIS/EIR) has been prepared to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The Proposed Action includes the construction, operation, and decommissioning of a 48 megawatt (gross) geothermal power plant with ancillary facilities (10-12 production well pads and 3-5 injection well pads, production and injection pipelines), access roads, and a 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in the Modoc National Forest in Siskiyou County, California. Alternative locations for the power plant site within a reasonable distance of the middle of the wellfield were determined to be technically feasible. Three power plant site alternatives are evaluated in the Final EIS/EIR.
... flex to LCCK components, to even a rotating hinge knee arthroplasty, and finally, to the segmental system. ... it also allows you to convert to the hinge immediately too, you know, especially in these bigger ...
... as the difference between date of birth and date of ... Final model selections were based on the ... approval by the Naval Submarine Medical Research ...
... Finally, the one dimensional, one phase Stefan problem is well known as a model for the melting of ice (see, eg, [5]). There are many approaches to ...
The fundamental points to be considered in a waste treatment system for a country like Japan, where the final disposal method has not been decided and the wastes have to be stored in the power plants, are volume reduction of the wastes, safe storage of the wastes in the plant, and flexibility regarding the final disposal. A system has been developed that consists of a thin film evaporator for the direct solidification of the liquid waste, a pelletizer for producing hard pellets from the powdered wastes, a pellet storage unit, and a solidification unit for the final disposal. A pilot plant with waste treatment capacity of 200 kg/h was built in 1976 and has proved the system feasibility. This paper reports on pilot plant tests of the thin film evaporator and other components, tests on pellet deterioration during long term storage, and integrity tests on the final disposal of the pellet bitumen package.
The fundamental points to be considered in a waste treatment system for a country like Japan, where the final disposal method has not been decided and the wastes have to be stored in the power plants, are volume reduction of the wastes, safe storage of the wastes in the plant, and flexibility regarding the final disposal. A system has been developed that consists of a thin film evaporator for the direct solidification of the liquid waste, a pelletizer for producing hard pellets from the powdered wastes, a pellet storage unit, and a solidification unit for the final disposal. A pilot plant with waste treatment capacity of 200 kg/h was built in 1976 and has proved the system feasibility. This paper reports on pilot plant tests of the thin film evaporator and other components, tests on pellet deterioration during long term storage, and integrity tests on the final disposal of the pellet bitumen package.
new technologies being evaluated by the ADTT. (d) Prepare the ... (g) Have final approval of the individual nominated for the position of Deputy. ADTT. (4) The ...
... The AAT Z mutation involves a single amino acid substitution (glutamine for lysine) at position 342, resulting in abnormal folding and polymerization of the ...
BackgroundFloating knee injuries are usually associated with other significant injuries. Do these injuries have implications on the management of the floating knee and the final...Full Text Available
Our global impact is finally receiving the scientific attention it deserves. The outcome will largely determine the future course of evolution. Human-modified ecosystems are shaped by our activities...Full Text Available
The following topics are discussed: program goal and objectives, program organization, and program status. Current program projects are described. (MHR)
A sustained increase in pulsatile release of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus is an essential, final event that defines the initiation of mammalian puberty. This...Full Text Available
... A second hydrometeor sampler (MRI Model 1220 ... The cloud particle probe normally installed in ... to the northeast showed no significant movement. ...
was deemed adequate and a cooling system designed utilizing the Melcor CP2-15- 10B thermoelectric module. Wall temperature achieved with this system was - 36 ...
... Abstract : The United States Air Force (USAF) currently operates the Milstar satellite system to provide Military Satellite Communication Systems ...
Report) A Screening Assessment of the Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Mitigation in the Great Lakes and New England Regions (Final Report)...
tions, final noise-power spectral density measurements were made. These measurements of the noise-power spectral density were not the desired phase- noise ...
... Final accounting for extended to include ?mounts applicable ... is verified by the finance or disbursing ... the contractor must claim DLA, contractors must ...
This document provides the detailed design requirements for the Spent Nuclear Fuel Project Cold Vacuum Drying Facility. Process, safety, and quality assurance requirements and interfaces are specified.
The attendees this year included partic- ipants from space agencies, industry, and academia from Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, ...
The authors present here several recent measurements involving associate production of photons and jets at the Tevatron. In particular, inclusive photon + met from D0, and photon + b-jets and photon + b-jet + leptons + MET from CDF are described in some detail. These measurements offer a good test of QCD predictions in rather complex final states.