The traffic flow information guidance can improve the operating efficiency of regional traffic. On the basis of the information guidance model and survey data, this paper takes advantage of the VISSIM software to simulate the traffic in a region within the Southwest Second Ring of Beijing constructed by six roads and six intersections and makes a comparative evaluation on the operation of the regional road traffic flow before and after the implementation of the traffic flow information guidance measures. The analysis of five different guided flow cases shows that if the guided left-turn traffic flows in southbound I.A increases from 10% to 30%, the travel time of the left-turn traffic flow in southbound I.A has a reduction from 18% to 42%, and its delay also reduces from 234 s to 164 s. In...
Objectives1. We will use reduction of lysosomal stability as an indicator of cell injury induced by C-60 fullerenes and carbon nanotubes in the liver analogue or digestive gland (hepatopancreas) of marine mussels. Molluscan hepatopancreatic digestive cells are key to normal function and are a sensitive key interface with the environment. Reduction of lysosomal stability is mechanistically linked with impaired health of the whole animal. 2. We will also test the hepatopancreatic digestive cells for evide [continued...]DescriptionNanotechnology is a major innovative scientific and economic growth area, which may present a variety of hazards for environmental and human health. The surface properties and very small size of nanoparticles and nanotubes provides surfaces that may bind and transport toxic chemical pollutants, as well as possibly being toxic in their own right by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS). There is a wealth of evidence ...
Historically, the bulk production of electricity has been achieved by burning fossil fuels, with unavoidable gaseous emissions, including large quantities of carbon dioxide: an average-sized modern coal-burning power station is responsible for more than 10 Mt of CO{sub 2} each year. This paper details typical emissions from present-day power stations and discusses the options for their reduction. Acknowledging that the cuts achieved in the past decade in the UK CO{sub 2} emissions have been achieved largely by fuel switching, the remaining possibilities offered by this method are discussed. Switching to less-polluting fossil fuels will achieve some measure of reduction, but the basic problem of CO{sub 2} emissions continues. Of the alternatives to fossil fuels, only nuclear power represents a zero-carbon large-scale energy source. Unfortunately, public concerns over safety and radioactive waste have still to be assuaged. Other approaches ...
The authors investigated the harmful effect of compound grease on premium connections. The pressure buildup of compound grease trapped between threads was measured during and after makeup of the connection. The resulting hoop stress in the coupling and the reduction in the seal interference were also measured. Mathematical models were developed to calculate coupling stress and grease pressure. Results indicate that for the conventional API buttress-thread profile, the pressure of trapped compound grease remains permanently high after the connection is made up because of the small thread-clearance area. This high pressure results in a high coupling stress and a large reduction in seal interference diameter, thereby degrading the integrity of the connection. To solve this problem, the thread profile was redesigned with a thread-clearance area larger than that of conventional buttress thread. The connection with the new thread ...
Ionizing radiation has been used to treat poultry to remove harmful microorganisms, mainly Salmonella, which contaminates chicken, goose and other fresh and frozen poultry. This microorganism is sensitive to low dose radiation. Thus, irradiating these foods with doses between 1 to 7 kGy results in a large reduction of bacteria. Since it is necessary to determine whether irradiation has occurred and to what extend, this work studied the signal produced by ionizing radiation within the hard crystalline matrix of chicken`s bone to establish a control method. Chicken`s drumsticks were irradiated and bones separated from flesh were lyophilized and milled. ESR spectrum was then obtained. The ESR signal increased linearly with dose over the range 0.25 to 8.0 kGy. Free radicals evaluated during 30 days after irradiation showed stable in this period. (Author).
This paper presents a systematic study on the stability of a two-dimensional vibration isolation floating raft system with a time-delayed feedback control. Based on the generalized Sturm criterion, the critical control gain for the delay-independent stability region and critical time delays for the stability switches are derived. The critical conditions can provide a theoretical guidance of chaotification design for line spectra reduction. Numerical simulations verify the correctness of the approach. Bifurcation analyses reveal that chaotification is more likely to occur in unstable region defined by these critical conditions, and the stiffness of the floating raft and mass ratio are the sensitive parameters to reduce critical control gain.
The harmful effect of phosphate in yellow cake on the TBP purification process and its removal methods are dealed with. The reason of more uranium loss in residue was analyzed. The harmful effect of phosphate on TBP extraction efficiency and operaton of extraction column was discussed. The limit value of uranium concentration in digestion solution was presented. For TBP purification process, the presence of phosphate in yellow cake does more harm than good. (authors)
We examined whether perceived susceptibility to and severity of two injection-related health conditions (i.e., non-fatal overdose and bacterial infections), and perceived benefits of, barriers to, self-efficacy to, social acceptance of, and recent use of two harm-reduction behaviors (i.e., injecting test shots and pre-injection skin cleaning), predicted injecting drug users' near-term intentions to engage in these two strategies. Recent past use of these two behaviors consistently and positively predicted near-term intentions in each of four drug-use situations (i.e., in withdrawal, not in withdrawal, alone, and with others). Perceived susceptibility to non-fatal overdose predicted intentions to do test shots, but only when participants imagined not being in withdrawal or injecting when alone. Perceived self-efficacy to clean one's skin predicted intentions to engage in this behavior, but only when participants imagined injecting while not in withdrawal. ...
Most environmental policies provide for special emergency measures to be taken during phases of high pollution, such as smog alarm regulations. These measures serve several purposes and can have various impacts. First of all, they act as a warning to those parts of the population immediately threatened by health hazards (Warnfunktion). They may be directed at short-term pollution reduction via pollution abatement measures proscribed during smog alarm situations (unmittelbare Steuerungsfunktion). In addition, the announcement of emergency measures may signal that pollution levels in general have been too high, indicating that the environmental policies normally pursued do not sufficiently or effectively protect human beings and the environment from harm (Signalfunktion). Emergency measures often contain special regulations obliging industrial polluters to switch to costly, less polluting production processes, or to stop production altogether. ...
The Nuclear Safety Commission acknowledged the policy of the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy to cope with these important matters on August 8, 1984. The main contents of the investigation and deliberation were as follows, As to the prevention of the occurrence of fires, the prevention of the leak and spread of inflammable liquid and gas, the installation of protective relays and so on, the use of incombustible materials and aseismatic design and the installation of lightning arresters. As to the detection of fires and fire fighting, the proper selection and arrangement of fire detectors and extinguishers, the extinguishers which do not harm the safety function of structures and equipment, and the extinguishers which are not affected by natural phenomena. As to the reduction of the effect of fires, the proper installation of fire walls and extinguishers, and the high temperature shut off of nuclear reactors which is never hampered by any ...
Axon outgrowth and guidance to the proper target requires the coordination of filamentous (F)-actin and microtubules (MTs), the dynamic cytoskeletal polymers that promote shape change and locomotion....Full Text Available
Prepared to make housing project managers, maintenance engineering staff, and designers and architects of HUD - assisted and HUD - insured housing projects and mobile home parks aware of their responsibilities under the Natural Gas Pipeline Safety Act, this handbook provides technical guidance for the reduction of gas leaks and the handling of gas leak incidents in residential areas. The hazards of natural gas, concern over gas safety in residential areas, applicable codes and standards, and sources of information and help are reviewed, along with maintenance and engineering considerations relating to gas pipe failures, the detection of gas leaks, appliance servicing, and pipe installation, repair, and replacement. Housing management considerations are also examined, with attention to recordkeeping and reporting, emergency contingency planning, tenant education, staff qualifications and training, and the development and use of a maintenance and ...
DescriptionPhytoplankton is the collective name given to the microscopic floating plants in seas and lakes. Under certain conditions, the abundance of phytoplankton as a whole or of one or more species in particular, can reach a magnitude at which it is visible through discolouration of the sea. Some of these blooms because of the colour of the water have been called 'Red Tides'. Blooms of some 300 species of the phytoplankton are known as Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) species in recognition of their poten [continued...
There are several concerns which bring to consider natural gas as a viable alternative to liquid fuels in transport. First, natural gas allows the curbing of global pollution in this steadily growing industry. Indeed, decoupling greenhouse gas emissions from transport growth has become a major issue in tackling climate change. Second, a more extensive use of natural gas would relieve city air quality, which is presently at levels harmful of human health. Nonetheless, this is just one side of the coin. The other side entails building a refuelling station network, and this carries financial requirements. The financing fraction holds a pivotal role in deciding whether natural gas for automotive purposes is an efficient solution. The final aim of this work is, therefore, to compare the natural gas advantages, stemming from avoided global and local emission, with the economic rationale of engaging in supplementary model network investments. A system dynamics model ...
Bangladesh possesses many industrial sites, whereby wastes and effluents are directly discharged into the environment without any treatment. Agricultural areas are contaminated thereby and the food quality is impaired. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to develop simple and cost effective strategies to reduce soil-plant transfer of harmful substances. Three sites were selected in the vicinity of Dhaka city (Tongi pharmaceutical, Tejgaon industrial and Hazaribagh tannery area). Field and pot experiments were carried out with different varieties of field crops (rice, wheat and tomato) and different soil amendments (cowdung, city waste compost, oil cake, waterhyacinth, poultry litter, lime and red mud). At the site Tongi, pollutants mainly consists of organic compounds. The soil of Tejgaon is acidic (pH=5.7), contains high organic matter and elevated concentrations of Zn (685 mg/kg), Pb (136 mg/kg), and Cd (2.6 mg/kg). The Hazaribagh region is polluted by a ...
A new aiming point guidance (APG) law in 3-dimensional space is derived analytically. The guidance law is capable of guiding the missile (interceptor) to a straight collision course with respect to the target. The missile turning rate command proportional to the error angle between the current missile heading and the predicted aim point is calculated based on the predicted target position. Performance of the APG law is numerically evaluated and compared with the proportional navigation guidance (PNG) law. The result of numerical simulation shows that the APG law is superior to the PNG law in terms of miss distance, time of interception and final stage missile turning rate demand.
This chapter is concerned with standards and guidances for limiting radiation exposures. It is divided into three sections, each of which has several parts. Section 1: Ionizing Radiation -- Standards and Guidances Applicable to the Public: Part A, Radiation Protection Standards; Part B, Environmental Radiation Standards; Part C, Exempt Levels of Radioactivity; Part D, Protective Action Guides for Accidents. Section 2: Ionizing Radiation -- Standards Applicable to the Workplace. Section 3: Medical and Other Standards.
A computationally efficient dynamic adaptive chemistry (DAC) scheme is described that permits on-the-fly mechanism reduction during reactive flow calculations. The scheme reduces a globally valid full mechanism to a locally, instantaneously applicable smaller mechanism. Previously we demonstrated its applicability to homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) problems with n-heptane [L. Liang, J.G. Stevens, J.T. Farrell, Proc. Combust. Inst. 32 (2009) 527-534]. In this work we demonstrate the broader utility of the DAC scheme through the simulation of HCCI and shock tube ignition delay times (IDT) for three gasoline surrogates, including two- and three-component blends of primary reference fuels (PRF) and toluene reference fuels (TRF). Both a detailed 1099-species mechanism and a skeletal 150-species mechanism are investigated as the full mechanism to explore the impact of fuel complexity on the DAC scheme. For all conditions studied, pressure and key species ...
Background: In an effort to standardise radiological practices in the Republic of Ireland, current legislation states that 'written protocols for every type of standard radiological practice shall be established'. In order to fulfil this requirement the Irish Medical Council recommends the protocols issued by the Commission of European Communitees (CEC) for adoption in the country. Whilst this document does provide good guidance with regard to various radiographic factors, patient shielding instructions are notably ambiguous. The aim of this study was to remove some of this ambiguity by defining the optimal method of positioning patient shielding in antero-posterior (AP) and lateral lumbar spine radiographic examinations. These projections were chosen on the basis of their area of coverage being in close to and in some cases including the reproductive organs. They also represent the highest source of collective population dose of any conventional ...
Background: In an effort to standardise radiological practices in the Republic of Ireland, current legislation states that 'written protocols for every type of standard radiological practice shall be established'. In order to fulfil this requirement the Irish Medical Council recommends the protocols issued by the Commission of European Communitees (CEC) for adoption in the country. Whilst this document does provide good guidance with regard to various radiographic factors, patient shielding instructions are notably ambiguous. The aim of this study was to remove some of this ambiguity by defining the optimal method of positioning patient shielding in antero-posterior (AP) and lateral lumbar spine radiographic examinations. These projections were chosen on the basis of their area of coverage being in close to and in some cases including the reproductive organs. They also represent the highest source of collective population dose of any conventional radiographic ...
US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5820.2A was promulgated in final form on September 26, 1988. The order requires heads of field organizations to prepare and to submit updates on the waste management plans for all operations under their purview according to the format in Chap. 6, {open_quotes}Waste Management Plan Outline.{close_quotes} These plans are to be submitted by the DOE Oak Ridge Operations Office (DOE-ORO) in December of each year and distributed to the DP-12, ES&H-1, and other appropriate DOE Headquarters (DOE-HQ) organizations for review and comment. This document was prepared in response to this requirement for fiscal year (FY) 1994. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) waste management mission is reduction, collection, storage, treatment, and disposal of DOE wastes, generated primarily in pursuit of ORNL missions, in order to protect human health and safety and the environment. In carrying out this mission, waste management staff in the ...
Background:Smokeless tobacco is found to be as addictive and harmful as smoking but have not been explored into, especially among youth.Objectives:This...Full Text Available
What do we mean when we say that a mental condition is a medical disorder rather than a normal form of human suffering or a problem in living? The status of psychiatry as a medical discipline depends...Full Text Available
Background:Smoking cessation is an important strategy for reducing the harmful effects of tobacco, particularly in the prevention of lung cancer; however, prospective data on the...Full Text Available
I briefly review the process of community organization, education, and advocacy activities that ended the harmful military practices in the island-municipality of Vieques, Puerto Rico, while drawing...Full Text Available
Harmful algal blooms, caused by rapid growth and accumulation of certain microalgae in the ocean, pose considerable impacts on marine environments, aquatic industries and even public health. Here, we...Full Text Available
Understanding foreign speech is difficult, in part because of unusual mappings between sounds and words. It is known that listeners in their native language can use lexical knowledge (about how words...Full Text Available
BackgroundNormal and pathological processes entail the production of oxidative substances that can damage biological molecules and harm physiological functions. Organisms have evolved...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
Death as a criterion (age distribution of occupational death; mean loss of life years due to radiation deaths); accidents at work (incidence of accidents of certain degrees of severity); total loss of working days due to accidents; occupational diseases; somatic and genetic radiation effects; radiation effects during pregnancy (incidence of pregnancies, ristes before implantation, hazards to the embryo, hazards to the foetus, total additional risk due to radiation exposure during pregnancy); age and sex dependence of risk figures; attempted formulation of an index of harm. (HP/orig.).
Objective: To characterize the protocols with low-dose radiation in survey CT scans for localization. Methods: Eighty standard adult patients, head and body phantoms were recruited. Default protocols provided by operator's manual setting were that all the tube voltage for head, chest, abdomen and lumbar was 120 kV; the tube currents were 20,10,20 and 40 mA, respectively. Values of kV and mA in the low-dose experiments were optimized according to the device options. For chest and abdomen, the tube position were compared between default (0 degree) and 180 degree. Phantoms were scanned with above protocols, and the radiation doses were measured respectively. Paired t-test were used for comparisons of standard deviation in CT value, noise and exposure surface dose (ESD) between group with default protocols and group with optimized protocols. Results: The optimized protocols in low-dose CT survey scans were 80 kV, 10 mA for head, 80 kV, 10 mA for chest, 80 kV, 10 mA for abdomen and 100 kV, ...
Background: Contamination of autologous grafts unfortunately occurs in plastic surgery, but the literature provides no guidance for management of such incidents. Methods: American...Full Text Available
[9] Rysdyk, R. T., and Calise, A. J., Fault Tolerant Flight control via Adaptive Neural Augmentation, AIAA. Guidance, Navigation, and Control Conference, Aug. ...
... accidentally released from a Soviet military laboratory (Meselson ... Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur worked to introduce ... species (eg, rat, mouse, dog, monkey) for ...
... operational AUV and Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) ... by Brooks with land-based robots [BROOKS 88 ... system for a mobile land robot called ...
BackgroundThe use of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (fsrt) has evolved with technical advances in noninvasive immobilization, radiation delivery, and image guidance....Full Text Available
... non- emissive guidance and collision alert, automated transport in dynamic environments, and assembly and inspection. Foveal Vision, Autonomous Agents, ...
flow separation occurred at the junction of the tip fin and the fuselage. ...... Systems, presented at the AGARD Guidance and Control and Flight Mechanics ...
The processes of neuronal outgrowth and guidance have typically been studied in classic 2D cell culture systems that do not recapitulate topographical cues present in the in vivo extracellular matrix...Full Text Available
... Thus. thi, characteristic further buggeots, other things unchanging, that the more *multifunction" the ccna ;Ituent devices ari., t~he more efficienit the ...
In this work, thermoluminescent dosimeters have been used to measure entrance surface doses (ESDs) of patients undergoing mammographic screening at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo state. The mean glandular doses (MGDs) were also calculated using the measured ESDs. The results showed that the ESDs ranged from 0.26 mGy to 21.26 mGy for the mediolateral oblique (MLO) views and 0.08 mGy to 5.36 mGy for the craniocaudal (CC) views. The calculated MGD ranged from 0.07 mGy to 3.57 mGy for the MLO views and 0.02 mGy to 0.98 mGy for the CC views. The possible reasons for the large variations in the individual ESD values and MGD values for both views are discussed using patients' data, equipment specific data and the technical parameters used for the examinations. Comparison showed that the mean ESD values and MGD values reported in this work are below published values. The mean of the calculated MGD values is also found to be lower than the recommended ...
In this work, thermoluminescent dosimeters have been used to measure entrance surface doses (ESDs) of patients undergoing mammographic screening at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo state. The mean glandular doses (MGDs) were also calculated using the measured ESDs. The results showed that the ESDs ranged from 0.26 mGy to 21.26 mGy for the mediolateral oblique (MLO) views and 0.08 mGy to 5.36 mGy for the craniocaudal (CC) views. The calculated MGD ranged from 0.07 mGy to 3.57 mGy for the MLO views and 0.02 mGy to 0.98 mGy for the CC views. The possible reasons for the large variations in the individual ESD values and MGD values for both views are discussed using patients' data, equipment specific data and the technical parameters used for the examinations. Comparison showed that the mean ESD values and MGD values reported in this work are below published values. The mean of the calculated MGD values is also found to be lower than the recommended guidance ...
This paper gives a brief review about the state of knowledge on the distributional aspects of climate change impacts. The paper is largely limited to the distribution of impacts between countries (in Section 2). Although there are virtually no estimates reported in the literature, the distribution of impacts within countries is also important. Impact estimates for different sectors (agriculture, health, sea level rise) provides little guidance for estimating differential impacts within countries. It is even harder to find estimates based on social classes. The paper restricts itself to equity about the consequences of climate change. Equity issues about the consequences of emission reduction are ignored here, but should of course be part of a policy analysis. Equity issues about procedures for decision making are also ignored. The paper is organised as follows. Section 2 reviews recent estimates of the regional impacts of climate change. ...
Our goal is to determine an optimized image-guided setup by comparing setup errors determined by two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) image guidance for head and neck cancer (HNC)...Full Text Available
The criterion the study is based on in evaluating environmental risks is the possibility of harmful changes in air, water and soils rather than the harmful environmental impacts these changes are caused by. The two significant criteria, i.e. the evaluated environmental hazards potentials or 'value parameters', and the evaluated damage-to-the-environment probabilities or 'safety parameters', reveal the respective environmental risks or 'risk factors'. These risk factors are classified by 23 environmental risk parameters for differentiation between low-risk and high-aid for pollution abatement measures provided that one fixes acceptance limits for the environmental parameters. As a rule the environmental risks of technical facilities which handle hazardous materials can be evaluated appropriately and the results can be compared. (orig./HSCH).
Put in place to protect the rights of the child, the Convention on the Rights of the Child is a set of non-negotiable standards. A core principle underpinning the Convention is the child's right to participate fully in social arenas and to access sources of social support without excessive interference. Juxtaposing this is the right of the child to be shielded from harm, abuse and exploitation. Over the past several decades the Internet has emerged as a fast and easily accessible medium for people to connect and communicate. While the Internet provides children with a source of support through chat rooms, online communities and social networking sites, just as equally it can expose vulnerable children to predatory and deviant individuals exacerbating the potential for harm. Upholding the Convention in cyberspace is a challenge. The Internet is not owned or regulated by any governing body and accountability is difficult to enforce. This article ...
The MAP model was introduced in information system engineering in order to model processes on a flexible way. The intentional level of this model helps an engineer to execute a process with a strong relationship to the situation of the project at hand. In the literature, attempts for having a practical use of maps are not numerous. Our aim is to enhance the guidance mechanisms of the process execution by reusing graph algorithms. After clarifying the existing relationship between graphs and maps, we improve the MAP model by adding qualitative criteria. We then offer a way to express maps with graphs and propose to use Graph theory algorithms to offer an automatic guidance of the map. We illustrate our proposal by an example and discuss its limitations.
The use of robots in powerplants is an option that can no longer be ignored. Robots can reduce worker exposure to harmful environments and minimize downtime. As a result, electric utilities are using them more than ever. As robots become more widely accepted, more are being developed to handle an expanding variety of applications. This report begins with an overview of the use of robotics in the electric-utility industry; following that are sections detailing applications for nuclear plants, fossil-fired stations, and transmission and distribution facilities.
Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to an ionizing energy to kill harmful bacteria and other organisms and extend shelf-life. It is a safe process and has been approved by some 50 countries worldwide and applied commercially in the USA, Japan, China and several European countries for many years. Trends law regulations and new applications in Europe and another countries has been described. (author)
Governments around the world will soon make decisions on policies that could determine the fate of the ozone layer-the Earth's shield from harmful ultraviolet radiation. The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, signed on March 22, 1985, created a framework for scientific cooperation and information exchange that will form the basis for a protocol for controlling substances thought to threaten the ozone layer. As of mid-1987, 29 countries had signed the Convention, including the major producers and users of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the most important of suspect chemicals.
This 'Issues in Ecology' article from the Ecological Society of America provides information about the consequences of nutrient enrichment along the US coast. It describes problems such as harmful algal blooms (HABs), anoxia, hypoxia, and dead zones. It explains which nutrients are involved and describes implications of excess nutrients in regions such as the Gulf of Mexico/Mississippi River basin. The article features several color photographs, maps, and diagrams.
Exposures from most natural and artificial sources, with the exception of those from medical radiology, are received at average dose rates of only a few microsieverts a day. Such risks as may be caused by these exposures are most unlikely to be determined with precision directly by epidemiological studies of populations exposed at these low rates. They may, however, be reliably inferred from the observed risks of exposure to rather larger doses delivered at higher dose rates in the light of the increasing knowledge of the phenomena involved in the initial cellular damage, the extent to which such damage is incorrectly repaired, and the processes which intervene between the genetic or other harm to cells and the likelihood of its final expression in inherited abnormality, in cancer development, or in defective foetal or embryonic growth. Current studies are of great importance, therefore, in examining the circumstances in which coding sections of the chromosomal DNA ...
DescriptionEnzymes are natural catalysts that are used increasingly to replace environmentally harmful chemicals and to achieve better catalytic selectivity during pulp and paper processing. The main objective of this project is to identify novel plant enzymes for deeper understanding of the process of fibre formation and for future improvement of the quality parameters of wood fibres. Specific modification of the fibre characteristics will facilitate their use as raw materials for the current pulp and pap [continued...
The harmful effects of high-intensity electric fields on human beings are discussed. Formulas for determining the field strength of high voltage transmission lines and track lines and experimental data of these effects on mice are given. Protective measures from these hazards are introduced. 18 references, 7 figures, 5 tables.
Clean Water Act You are here: Water Laws & Regulations Policy & Guidance Clean Water Act Water Quality and 401 Certification Water Quality and 401 Certification Water Quality...
To treat or prevent some of the 795,000 annual strokes in the U.S., self-expanding endo-vascular stents deployed under fluoroscopic image guidance are often used. Neuro-interventionalists need...Full Text Available
A theoretical framework centering on four classes of self-referent constructs is offered as a device for integrating the diverse areas constituting medical sociology. Guidance by this framework...Full Text Available
The mortality in undrained abdominal abscesses is high with a mortality rate ranging between 45 and 100%. The outcome in abdominal abscesses, however, has improved due to advances in image guided percutaneous interventional techniques. The main indications for the catheter drainage include treatment or palliation of sepsis associated with an infected fluid collection, and alleviation of the symptoms that may be caused by fluid collections by virtue of their size, like pancreatic pseudocele or lymphocele. The single liver abscesses may be drained with ultrasound guidance only, whereas the multiple abscesses usually require computed tomography (CT) guidance and placement of multiple catheters. The pancreatic abscesses are generally drained routinely and urgently. Non-infected pancreatic pseudocysts may be simply observed unless they are symptomatic or cause problems such as pain or obstruction of the biliary or the gastrointestinal tract. ...
This chapter provides an overview of the problem of response to a nuclear weapon accident, the fundamentals of response to an accident, and a summary of the NARP Manual. The manual provides a summary of procedural guidance, technical information, and DoD responsibilities, to assist DoD forces in preparing a response to a nuclear weapon accident.
for an Air Force Manufacturing technology program whose aim is the establishment of organic matrix ...... display considerations for advanced energy/flight management sys- ...... Future System - The Roadmap of the System of the Future - ...... data storage units, pilot's guidance indicators, and a quick look ...
BackgroundPlant biologists have long speculated about the mechanisms that guide pollen tubes to ovules. Although there is now evidence that ovules emit a diffusible attractant, little...Full Text Available
Radiation protection programs for workers are based, in the United States, on a hierarchy of limitations stemming from Federal guidance approved by the President. This guidance, which consists of principles, policies, and numerical primary guides, is used by Federal agencies as the basis for developing and implementing their own regulatory standards. The primary guides are usually expressed in terms of limiting doses to workers. The protection of workers against taking radioactive materials into the body, however, is accomplished largely through the use of regulations based on derived guides expressed in terms of quantities or concentrations of radionuclides. The values of these derived guides are chosen so as to assure that workers in work environments that conform to them are unlikely to receive radiation doses that exceed the primary guides. The purpose of the present report is to set forth derived guides that are consistent with current ...
Under a cooperative agreement, the Bureau of Mines, Magma Copper Co., and ASARCO, Inc., tested backfilled ground support systems at two elevations in Magma's San Manuel, AZ, mine. The tests were mainly for guidance in designing the loading crosscuts of th...
Atrial septal defect closure is now routinely performed using a percutaneous approach under echocardiographic guidance. Centrally located, secundum defects are ideal for device closure but there is...Full Text Available
BackgroundChina has had no effective and systematic information system to provide guidance for strengthening PHC (Primary Health Care) or account to citizens on progress. We report...Full Text Available
Catheter ablation is a first line treatment for many cardiac arrhythmias and is generally performed under x-ray fluoroscopy guidance. However, current techniques for ablating complex arrhythmias such...Full Text Available
Stem cell therapies for neurodegenerative disorders require accurate delivery of the transplanted cells to the sites of damage. Numerous studies have established that fluid injections to the hippocampus...Full Text Available
This study investigates the doctrinal guidance available to a corps headquarters if required to serve as ajoint task force headquarters and simultaneously be required to warfight the corps. The study contends that a corps being required to simultaneously ...
During formation of the optic projection in astray/robo2 mutant zebrafish, optic axons exhibit rostro-caudal pathfinding errors, ectopic midline crossing and...Full Text Available
...Own Rules for Success (Hardcover) The authors have rightly identified that there is a growing demand for, trend towards, and interest in guidance for creating flexible working arrangements. However, for $27.99, you can secure more concrete advice on reaching your \\
Five methods of personality assessment are evaluated to provide guidance for the psychological treatment of patients with chronic back pain. Patient pain drawings, pentothal pain studies, stress score...Full Text Available
Adaptive Neural Augmentation , AIAA Guidance, Navigation, and. Control Conference, Aug. 1998. [2] J. T. Kaneshige, J. Bull, and J. J. Totah, Generic Neural ...
The offline adaptive radiotherapy (ART) has been used to effectively correct and compensate the prostate motion and reduce the required margin. The efficacy depends on the characteristics of...Full Text Available
...8Eligibility Criteria: Emotional/Behavioral Disorders Guidance for Paragraph...at-risk for emotional/behavioral disorders and their parents to help...Evaluation Team for Emotional/behavioral Disorders: Psychologist,...
This report presents the results of a study of the Japanese MLU magnetic-levitation (maglev) system. The development of the MLU system is reviewed, and the dynamic circuit model then is introduced and applied to the figure-eight-shaped null-flux coil suspension system. Three different types of figure-eight-shaped null-flux suspension systems are discussed in detail: (1) the figure-eight-shaped null-flux coil suspension system without cross-connection; (2) the combined suspension and guidance system; and (3) the combined propulsion, levitation, and guidance system. The electrodynamic-suspension maglev systems developed in Japan seem to be very promising and could result in a commercial application in the near future.
A major component of the 1990 recommendations of ICRP (ICRP, 1991a) was the revision of the dose limits. But other changes were introduced which necessitated a review of earlier guidance. In particular, ICRP set up a Task Group in 1993 to prepare a report on the principles for the protection of workers. The report was adopted in 1997 and has now been published as ICRP Publication 75 (ICRP, 1997). It is for others to judge the real significance of the guidance provided; what follows are some of the main points. (author)
This Reference Book contains a current copy of the Clean Water Act (Section 404) and the Rivers and Harbors Act (Sections 9 and 10) and those regulations that implement those sections of the statutes and appear to be most relevant to DOE activities. The document is provided to DOE and contractor staff for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal guidance. Updates that include important new requirements will be provided periodically. Questions concerning this Reference Book may be directed to Mark Petts, IH-231 (FTS 896-2609 or Commercial 202/586-2609).
The use of hypothesis which assumes a dose / harmful effect relationship without a limit allows the calculation of risks attributable to doses too small to produce detectable, harmful biological effects. The daughter product of this hypothesis is ALARA concept which requires that the dose received is kept as low as reasonably achievable. This concept of prudent avoidance is generally accepted by international radiation protection organisations and universally applied by radiation health professionals. The acceptance of a hypothesis which assumes that a single nuclear event can cause carcinogenesis, has generated levels of anxiety which may have resulted in significant detriment to those possibly exposed to ionising radiation. The anxiety generated may have caused more detriment and a higher death rate than the worst case ` theoretical` value calculated using the Linear or Quadratic Linear Hypothesis. Information selected from reports and ...
Transplantation has emerged as the therapy of choice for many patients with end organ failure. One of the major goals is to tailor immunosuppressive therapy to the individual needs of every patient to balance the risk for rejection and over-immunosuppression. This will require diagnostic tools that can detect harmful processes in the allograft early, and that can be measured repeatedly. This review will consider recent advances in our understanding of the molecular nature of these processes and how this information is being utilized to design novel diagnostic assays to non-invasively monitor allografts. Highlighted is the need for large-scale prospective multi-centre studies to validate assays that show early promise in single centre studies.
DescriptionBoth wild and aquaculture reared abalone, mussels and other shellfish of commercial importance as a food resource to man can be afflicted by poisoning if they feed on toxic species of small single-celled planktonic marine algae. If humans consume these shellfish that have become intoxicated by HAB's, illness or even death may occur. HAB's occur world-wide, but some regions are more severely affected than others. The incidence of HAB's also appear to be on the increase globally, perhaps because o [continued...
Practitioners who care for pregnant women face dilemmas when their patients use illicit drugs, reject medical recommendations, or cause fetal harm. Many ethics scholars characterize those situations as maternal-fetal conflicts. In conflict-based models, maternal rights are considered to conflict with fetal rights, or moral obligations owed to pregnant women are considered to conflict with those owed to their fetuses. I offer an alternative model of pregnancy ethics by applying relational and equality-based moral theories to situations of fetal harm by pregnant women. In this model, clinicians faced with ethical dilemmas should attempt to understand pregnant women and their decisions within their broad social networks and communities, ask how the clinician's personal standpoint influences outcomes judged to be ethical, and determine whether the clinician's ethical formulations reduce or enhance existing gender, class, or racial inequality. This ...
This paper illustrates how the techniques developed by the authors for capital cost targeting of mass exchange networks can be applied to determination of capital investment targets for reduction in effluent for existing systems involving mass exchange. The results is an impact diagram which shows the relationship between effluent reduction and capital investment, indicating a region of limiting return on investment as well as the maximum possible reduction in effluent. (au)
A ground-breaking study was recently completed as part of the Seabrook Level 2 PRA update. This study updates the post-core damage phenomena to be consistent with the most recent information and includes accident management activities that should be modeled in the Level 2 PRA. Overall, the result is a Level 2 PRA that fully meets the requirements of the ASME PRA Standard with respect to modeling accident management in the LERF assessment and NRC requirements in Regulatory Guide 1.174 for considering late containment failures. This technical paper deals only with the incorporation of operator actions into the Level 2 PRA based on a comprehensive study of the Seabrook Station accident response procedures and guidance. The paper describes the process used to identify the key operator actions that can influence the Level 2 PRA results and the development of success criteria for these key operator actions. This addresses a key requirement of the ASME PRA Standard for ...
A ground-breaking study was recently completed as part of the Seabrook Level 2 PRA update. This study updates the post-core damage phenomena to be consistent with the most recent information and includes accident management activities that should be modeled in the Level 2 PRA. Overall, the result is a Level 2 PRA that fully meets the requirements of the ASME PRA Standard with respect to modeling accident management in the LERF assessment and NRC requirements in Regulatory Guide 1.174 for considering late containment failures. This technical paper deals only with the incorporation of operator actions into the Level 2 PRA based on a comprehensive study of the Seabrook Station accident response procedures and guidance. The paper describes the process used to identify the key operator actions that can influence the Level 2 PRA results and the development of success criteria for these key operator actions. This addresses a key requirement of the ASME PRA Standard for ...
This handbook provides guidance in the application of quality assurance to measurement activities. It is intended to help those persons making measurements in applying quality assurance to their work activities by showing how laboratory practices and quality assurance requirements are integrated to provide control within those activities. The use of the guidance found in this handbook should help provide consistency in the interpretation of quality assurance requirements across all types of measurement laboratories. This handbook also can assist quality assurance personnel in understanding the relationships between laboratory practices and quality assurance requirements. The handbook is composed of three chapters and several appendices. Basic guidance is provided by the three chapters. In Chapter 1, the role of quality assurance in obtaining quality data and the importance of such data are discussed. Chapter 2 presents the ...
The quality assurance requirements in use today for radioactive waste facilities, geologic repositories and hazardous waste projects were developed initially for the nuclear power plant industry, and their intent is being applied by regulations and guidance documents to radioactive and hazardous waste programs. The wording of the NRC quality assurance requirements in Appendix B of 10CFR50, the related guidance documents and the industry's ANSI/ASME NQA-1 were developed over a period of several years to address quality assurance for the design and construction of the complex and interactive systems to produce electrical power using nuclear fuel. Now, those same documents are the basis for the quality assurance requirements and guidance for waste management facilities and repositories. The intent of Appendix B of 10CFR50 and NQA-1 can easily be applied to waste projects, providing one understands and uses the intent of the ...
An adjustment support system using computer for start-up operation of cyclotron is being developed in order to support operators who, using their experiences and intuition, tune up dozens of components to maximize beam efficiency. This paper describes a method of beam pattern diagnosis and adjustment guidance based on fuzzy relation as one function of the adjustment support system. The followings are the basic processes of this method. (1) The computer extracts features of beam pattern which correspond with operators' criteria. (2) The computer calculates causative possibility of each adjustment parameters by inverse operation of fuzzy relational equation, which formulates the relationship between criteria of beam pattern and adjustment parameters. (3) The computer displays those causative probabilities in a graphical manner as a operation guidance. Not only the probabilities but also the criteria of beam pattern and their relationship ...
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS) is decommissioning many of its excess facilities through removal of the facility structures leaving only the concrete-slab foundations in place. Site-specific, risk-based derived concentration guideline levels (DCGLs) for radionuclides have been determined for a future industrial worker potentially exposed to residual contamination on these concrete slabs as described in Jannik. These risk-based DCGLs were estimated for an exposure area of 100 m2. During deactivation and decommissioning (D and D) operations at SRS, the need for area factors for larger and smaller contaminated areas arose. This paper compares the area factors determined for an industrial worker exposed to a concrete slab end-state for several radionuclides of concern at SRS with 1) the illustrative area factors provided in MARSSIM, 2) the area correction factors provided in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Soil Screening ...
The main goal of local drug delivery is to increase the concentration of a specific therapeutic agent in a target tissue with minimal nontarget distribution. Compared to systemic therapy, local drug delivery provides a high level of therapeutic efficacy with minimal systemic effects. The current primary imaging modality for drug delivery has been x-ray angiography, but it has major limitations including anatomical ambiguity and inability to visualize the targeted tissues. Due to these inherent problems, MR guidance has been explored as an alternative imaging modality for guiding and monitoring of drug therapy. Recently, interventional MR (XMR) systems have been implemented that have both dual x-ray and MRI capabilities in a single suite and allow for real-time interventional procedures to ...
This guide is intended to provide the necessary guidance to successfully manage the NAVMED Navy Occupational Health Information Management System (NOHIMS) at NAVMED sites and the NAVSEA Occupational Safety and Health Record Keeping System (OSHRKS) at NAVSEA sites. Outlines procedures to manage system operations, procedures to resolve hardware, software and communications problems, and procedures outside the realm of system operations that are required for a successful system. This guide is intended for the System and Functional Managers use. The System Manager is the individual designated to provide overall ADP management to the entire local configuration. Usually responsible for file backup, daily operations of the CPU, security, supplies, equipment, operating software and technical ADP guidance to the local functional users.
The purpose of this note is to provide guidance to those who have duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act and other relevant legislation. It gives guidance on the practical application of legislation, concerning radiotherapy equipment. Two particular issues arise out of the requirements of Regulation 33 of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 1985 (IRR85) in relation to equipment which is used for medical exposures. These are the requirement to select, install and maintain this type of equipment in such a way that it is capable of restricting, so far as reasonably practicable, the medical exposure of any person where this is compatible with the intended clinical purpose, including the need to ensure that equipment used for radiotherapy is properly calibrated, and the requirement to notify the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) when an incident occurs involving a malfunction or defect in any 'radiation equipment' which ...
This report provide appropriate guidance for addressing the major technical issues associated with the design and installation of a photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) system. Nomographs are presented for developing preliminary sizing and costing, and issues associated with specific components and the overall design of the electrical and mechanical system are discussed. SAND82-7157/2 presents a review of current PV-T technology and operating systems and a study of potential PV-T applications. Detailed PV-T system designs for three selected applications and the results of a trade-off study for these applications are presented in SAND82-7157/4. A summary of the major results of this entire study and conclusions concerning PV-T systems and applications is presented in SAND82-7157/1.
The American National Standard, `Nuclear Criticality Safety in Operations with Fissionable Materials Outside Reactors` ANSI/ANS-8.1- 1983 provides guidance for the nuclides [sup 233]U, [sup 235]U, and [sup 239]Pu These three nuclides are of primary interest in out-of-reactor criticality safety since they are the most commonly encountered in the vast majority of operations. However, some operations can involve nuclides other than `U, `U, and `Pu in sufficient quantities that their effect on criticality safety could be of concern. The American National Standard, `Nuclear Criticality Control of Special Actinide Elements` ANSI/ANS-8.`15-1983 (Ref 2), provides guidance for fifteen such nuclides.
A high-voltage cathode initiates an electron emission, resulting in a reduction in the carbon dioxide concentration in exhaust gas from the burning of hydrocarbon fuel. Assuming that the observed carbon dioxide reduction is originated from the molecular decomposition, the energy needed for the endothermic reaction of this carbon dioxide reduction may stem primarily from the internal energy reduction in the exhaust gas in accordance of the first law of the thermodynamics. An oxygen increase due to the reduction in carbon dioxide in a discharge gas was observed in real time.
Woolfolk, C. A. (University of Washington, Seattle). Reduction of inorganic compounds with molecular hydrogen by Micrococcus lactilyticus. II. Stoichiometry with inorganic...Full Text Available
A decoupled characteristic between the damping of a specific swing mode and the stabilizer gain of the corresponding machine in multimachine power systems is identified. Using this decoupled characteristic a power system stabilizer (PSS) synthesis approach which is based on the phase compensation concept is verified on a 9-machine system and the dynamic performance of this system is significantly improved. This method is proved to be effective, simple and it can provide useful guidance for the PSS field tuning.
A 76-year-old, 148-cm woman was scheduled for right upper lobectomy. A 32 Fr left-sided double lumen tube was placed using a conventional technique. Despite several attempts under fiberoptic bronchoscope-guidance,...Full Text Available
This document summarizes the degree to which State water quality standards include wetlands in their definitions of State waters. The detailed review of other elements of standards, such as uses, criteria and antidegradation, is beyond the scope of this review. The purpose of this review is to provide a baseline of information for the development of EPA guidance and policies related to water quality standards for wetlands.
Recently, under the de-regulation environment, nuclear industry has attempted various approaches to improve the economics of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). One of these efforts is the Risk Informed/Performance-Based Operation (RIPBO). This approach uses the risk and performance information to manage the resources effectively and efficiently that are used in the operation of NPP. In RIPBO, PSA quality is one of the most important things. The nuclear industry and regulatory body of U.S.A have developed a measure to evaluate the quality of PSA. NEI (Nuclear Energy Institute) has developed a guidance called 'NEI PRA Peer Review Guidance,' and NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Committee) and ASME have developed the 'PRA Standard.' In Korea, several projects are on going now, such as the extension of AOT/STI of RPS/ESFAS, Risk-Informed In-Service Inspection (RI-ISI). However, in Korea, there have been no attempts to evaluate the quality of PSA model itself. ...
Recently, under the de-regulation environment, nuclear industry has attempted various approaches to improve the economics of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). One of these efforts is the Risk Informed/Performance-Based Operation (RIPBO). This approach uses the risk and performance information to manage the resources effectively and efficiently that are used in the operation of NPP. In RIPBO, PSA quality is one of the most important things. The nuclear industry and regulatory body of U.S.A have developed a measure to evaluate the quality of PSA. NEI (Nuclear Energy Institute) has developed a guidance called 'NEI PRA Peer Review Guidance,' and NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Committee) and ASME have developed the 'PRA Standard.' In Korea, several projects are on going now, such as the extension of AOT/STI of RPS/ESFAS, Risk-Informed In-Service Inspection (RI-ISI). However, in Korea, there have been no attempts to evaluate ...
This report presents information and analysis to assist BLM in clarifying oil shale research needs. It provides technical guidance on research needs in support of their regulatory responsibilities for onshore mineral activities involving oil shale. It provides an assessment of research needed to support the regulatory and managerial role of the BLM as well as others involved in the development of oil shale resources on public and Indian lands in the western United States.
Requirements and guidance are provided for a quality assurance program for the design of nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities involving structures, systems and components whose satisfactory performance is required to prevent accidents that could cause undue risk to the health and safety of the public, or to mitigate the consequences of such accidents if they were to occur. The standard is to be used in conjunction with ANSI N46.2.
This paper discusses the clean-up of an Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) site utilized for disposal of transuranic contaminated waste from 1954 until 1970. The author presents requirements of the environmental protection statutes that have generated quality assurance requirements in addition to those historically implemented as a part of facility design, construction and operation. A hierarchy of program guidance quality documentation and procedures is discussed. Data qualification and computer database management are identified as requirements.
Papers are presented under the session headings: research in mechanical fragmentation; rock characterization, remote sensing and interface detection; monitoring, data transmission and communications; tunnel boring machines; minewide monitoring and expert systems for ground control; machine guidance; shaft and raise boring; automation of drilling equipment; machine automation and control; new developments in mechanical miners; materials handling; innovative mining systems; general minewide monitoring and expert systems; ground support; human factors; and extraterrestrial mining.
University research group with research areas: * Land based and submersible autonomous robots, (UUVs: AUVs and ROVs); * Controllers, electronics, sensor design and fusion, motion control; * Guidance and navigation of underwater vehicles; * AI, neural networks, fuzzy logic, subsumption control, behaviour based control; * Optical fibre and ultrasonic sensors for proximal object detection; * Robot arm control, visual servoing; * Imaging sonar applications; * Simulator development: UUV simulator; imaging sonar simulator; Aircraft/flight simulator.
ObjectiveWe wanted to assess the usefulness of four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonography (US), i.e., real-time three-dimensional US, as an adjunct for performing various US-guided interventional...Full Text Available
A guidance document on the instrumentation for monitoring and control of cycle chemistry for the steam-water circuits of fossil-fired and combined-cycle power plants was developed within the IAPWS Power Cycle Chemistry Working Group. This technical guidance document has been authorized by the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam (IAPWS) at its meeting in Doorwerth, The Netherlands, 6-11 September, 2009, for issue by its Secretariat. The members of the IAPWS are: Britain and Ireland, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Japan, Russia, and the United States of America, and the associate members Argentina and Brazil, Italy, and Switzerland. In order to achieve suitable chemical conditions in steam-water circuits it is essential to establish reliable monitoring of key parameters on every plant. This enables the demonstration of operation within cycle chemistry targets, and alerts the operators to ...
This manual is a guide to the services provided by the Hanford Internal Dosimetry Program (IDP), which is operated by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.( ) for the U.S. Department of Energy Richland Operations Office, Office of River Protection and their Hanford Site contractors. The manual describes the roles of and relationships between the IDP and the radiation protection programs of the Hanford Site contractors. Recommendations and guidance are also provided for consideration in implementing bioassay monitoring and internal dosimetry elements of radiation protection programs.
A lytic lesion with softtissue extension in the sacrum of a 47-year old man was needle-biopsied under computed tomographic (CT) guidance using an 18-gauge cutting needle. The cytologic appearance of the lesion and immunohistochemical staining were diagnostic of Ewing's sarcoma. Specifically, a new marker (O13) for the presence of glycoprotein p30/32 mic2 in Ewing's sarcoma was utilized. (orig.).
DescriptionThis project continues DEFRA's commitment to the International Programme on Chemical Safety, a joint WHO/ILO/UNEP programme. DEFRA's contribution involves preparing Environmental Health Criteira Documents (EHCs), Concise International Chemical Assessments Documents (CICADS) and input to the OECD test Guidelines Programme and gneral risk assessment guidance. Peer reviews of documents prepared through other research in the IPCS network have also been carried out,as well as attending and hosting ta [continued...
The costs of greenhouse gas emission-reductions vary among countries depending on emission levels, technologies used, past emission-reduction achievements, path of economic development, fuel mix, and initial endowment of hydrocarbon resources. The criterion of cost-effectiveness therefore suggests that the ways should be found to encourage emission reductions in the countries where the required costs of reduction of additional unit of emissions are the lowest. These countries usually face crucial capital constraints and have other development priorities than investing in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Developed countries could invest their resources in the former Soviet Union and the east European countries to achieve the same level of reduction of greenhouse gases with lower costs than they could in their own countries.
How to decide which mine surface tasks may be performed by industrial robots to improve productivity and working conditions is described. Charts are presented of the industrial tasks performed on the surface and how each task may be classified as light, average, difficult or very diffcult according to a defect criteria is explained (defective operations are those which involve, heavy, harmful, stressful or dangerous jobs). The results of these calculations are used to identify which operations are suitable for first introduction of robots since traditional automation methods cannot be used, e.g. various storage, loading and packaging tasks, coal selection, sorting and removal of foreign matter, provision of services such as food preparation, cleaning, etc. Robots may also be used to control automated operations that are monotonous and hazardous for human operators. It is envisaged that in the future computer programmed robots with artificial intelligence will ...
In this paper as a result of the theoretical studies and a numerical simulation we presented the following main conclusions: (i) for humid air at increasing pressure of 1.0133 10"5 Pa until 5.0665 10"5 Pa ozone concentrations during 2 centre dot 10"-"3 s become higher in 22 times. This fact we clear with structure of ozone-production reactions. In this case the harmful NO_x concentrations are 2-3 order lower than ozone one; (ii) it is shown that nitrogen is useful to ozone production in the discharge; (iii) based on ion collection we cleared increasing ignition discharge voltage at growing ozone concentrations even with low ozone concentrations.
A new process for the removal of tar from biosyngas, OLGA (Oil and Gas Washer), is presented. This gas cleaning technology is based on physical principles and is designed to eliminate tar problems that relate to fouling and er pollution. The applied principles are confirmed by experimental validation. OLGA can be operated without suffering from harmful effects on important gasification characteristics as cold gas efficiency, gasifier simplicity, and feedstock flexibility. Some fundamental considerations in the development of OLGA are discussed. Amongst these is a different approach to the tar problem. This approach does not consider the total tar content as decisive in the evaluation of gas cleaning equipment. Instead, evaluation is focussed on whether tar properties as condensation behaviour and water solubility can still occur. A biosyngas free of tar should therefore be synonymous to a biosyngas that is free of tar related problems.
Chlorine is not just one of many chemical feedstocks which is used in a few definitely harmful products like PVC or CFC but is irrelevant in all other respects. Just the opposite is true: There is hardly any product line of the chemical industry that can do without chlorine, from herbicides and pesticides to dyes, plastics, pharmaceuticals, photographic atricles, and cosmetics. Chlorine is not only a key element of chemical production but also an ubiquitous element of everyday life in civilisation. There are even many who would agree that the volume of chlorine production is an indicator of the competitive strength and national wealth of a modern society. By now, however, it has become evident that the unreflected use of chlorine is no longer ecologically acceptable. The consequences of a chlorine phase-out as compared to the continued chlorine production at the present level were investigated scientifically by a PROGNOS team. They are presented in this book. ...
The coastal ecosystem health assessment is a field of increasing importance. In this paper, a preliminary assessment of ecosystem health in Zhejiang coastal water zone was made, mainly based on remote sensing data and GIS technique. Its spatial and quantitative evaluation was facilitated by the progress of remote sensing and GIS technique development. Firstly, human activities, hydrology and ecosystem problems in the study area were discussed and analyzed. Secondly, from 4 aspects of human stress, physical, chemical and biological responses to anthropogenic activities and natural stress, several indicators such as water transparency (Secchi Disk Depth, SDD), suspended substance concentration, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, active phosphate, chlorophyll, harmful algae bloom, as well as distr...
In defining criteria for good protection against ionizing radiation, it is important to assess quantitatively the likely risk of any radiation exposure. The 'somatic' risks to the individual result mainly from induction of cancer in the organs irradiated, and these risks can now be estimated on the basis of numerous detailed epidemiological surveys of exposed human populations. Estimates of the risk of hereditary effects, from genetic changes induced in germ cells, are based largely on the frequency with which such effects are induced in other species. In both cases the risk at very low dose can be inferred using knowledge of the way in which radiation damage is caused in tissues. Coherent systems of radiation protection are based on a restriction of doses to the whole body and to individual organs, such that the induction of cancer and genetic harm is infrequent, and the threshold dose for causing other, 'non-stochastic', effects is not exceeded. (author).
Cellular telephones emit a radiofrequency electromagnetic field, part of which is absorbed in the user's head. Many studies have been conducted to look for their possible health hazard to human, at the experimental, epidemiological or clinical level. After a short recall on dosimetry, the author describes the state-of-the art about harmful and irreversible effects, up to now not confirmed, and about some benign symptoms which look absolutely actual. A causal relationship of the electromagnetic field on these benign symptoms is however not proven; other, studies are running to evaluate their possible long-term consequences. Interferences with cardiac pacemakers can easily be avoided by holding the telephone handset farther than 10 cm. (author)
Radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) are harmful to public health, but the certain anti-irradiation mechanism is not clear yet. The present study was performed to investigate the possible protective effects of green tea polyphenols against electromagnetic radiation-induced injury in the cultured rat cortical neurons. In this study, green tea polyphenols were used in the cultured cortical neurons exposed to 1800?MHz EMFs by the mobile phone. We found that the mobile phone irradiation for 24?h induced marked neuronal cell death in the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazole-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) and TUNEL (TdT mediated biotin-dUTP nicked-end labeling) assay, and protective effects of green tea polyphenols on the injured cortical neurons were demonstrated by testing the content ...
We provide a brief review of our recent results from optically detected magnetic resonance studies of grown-in non-radiative defects in two most important dilute nitride systems-Ga(In)NAs grown on GaAs substrates and Ga(Al,In)NP grown on Si and GaP substrates. These results have led to the identification of defect complexes in the alloys, involving intrinsic defects such as As_G_a antisites and Ga_i self-interstitials. They have also shed light on formation mechanisms of the defects and on their role in non-radiative carrier recombination that is harmful to the performance of potential optoelectronic and photonic devices based on these dilute nitrides.
Photoelectron resonance capture ionization (PERCI) mass spectrometry has been developed for the direct online analysis of organics, including lipids. Analysis is conducted without the need for sample preparation or chemical derivatization such as methylation, foregoing the use of harmful or toxic chemicals. PERCI is currently being adapted towards the analysis of edible oils. Herein, as a proof of principle of the simplicity and potential utility of this method towards the analysis of edible oils, we present the analysis of the prevalent fatty acids (FA) in Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil along with triolein and linolenic acid (LNA) standards. Ionization of olive oil results in little fragmentation of the prevalent FA, which are measured as their molecular ions, [FA-H]-. The relative concent...
Ogden Environmental Services has announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a nation-wide federal permit allowing OES to use its circulating bed combustion (CBC) system for remediation of PCB contaminated soils. The landmark permit confirms the effectiveness of OES' CBC system and its ability to destroy PCBs without releasing harmful quantities of PCBs or other chemicals into the air. EPA headquarters issued the permit following their audit of trial burn operations of OES' CBC unit during September 1988 at the Arco Swanson River oil fields in the Kenai Wildlife Refuge, Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. The Arco project represents the world's first major remediation program using CBC technology and the largest PCB/soil cleanup to date.
The consequences of exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect behavior were examined using retrospective questionnaires (Study 1) and 2 social interaction diary studies (Study 2). Exit and neglect were generally associated with more negative partner responses and reduced feelings of value and closeness, and were reported to be more harmful to the relationship. Voice was associated with more positive partner responses and greater value and intimacy, and was perceived to be most beneficial to the relationship. In contrast, loyalty was perceived to have the same detrimental consequences as destructive behaviors (Study 1) and did not predict more positive outcomes within daily interactions (Study 2). These results indicate that, despite good intentions, loyal intimates are often left feeling ignored a...
The solubility behavior of solid residues from the heat treatment of domestic rubbish was examined by simulated precipitation in laboratory lysimeters. The precipitation corresponded to the average amount of rain in West Germany and was applied at different time periods. Specific soil characteristics, the value of k/sub f/ and the water retention capacity was determined in this way. In parallel with the lysimeter flood ions, extraction (by batch process) was done, in order to find the maximum solubility of the materials used. It was found that for pyrolysis residues from reactor temperatures of 450/sup 0/ to 1000/sup 0/C, a greater solubility was measured than for slag from combustion. The eluates from these residues gave information about the degree of contamination or on the solubility of the measured parameters and materials in organoleptic, physical, organic and inorganic examinations. The concentrations of harmful substances in the eluates pointed to the ...
Rapid administration of stable iodine is essential for the saturation and subsequent protection of the thyroid gland against the potential harm caused by radioiodines. This paper proposes the Dutch risk analysis that uses an atmospheric dispersion model to calculate the size of the zones around nuclear power plants where radiological thyroid doses for children might be sufficiently high to warrant iodine administration. Dose calculations for possible releases from the nuclear power plants of Borssele (The Netherlands), Doel (Belgium) and Emsland (Germany) are based on two scenarios in combination with a 1-y set of authentic, high-resolution meteorological data. The dimensions of the circular zones were defined for each nuclear power plant. In these zones, with a radius up to 50 km, distribution of stable iodine tablets is advised. PMID:20332130
Rapid administration of stable iodine is essential for the saturation and subsequent protection of the thyroid gland against the potential harm caused by radioiodines. This paper proposes the Dutch risk analysis that uses an atmospheric dispersion model to calculate the size of the zones around nuclear power plants where radiological thyroid doses for children might be sufficiently high to warrant iodine administration. Dose calculations for possible releases from the nuclear power plants of Borssele (The Netherlands), Doel (Belgium) and Emsland (Germany) are based on two scenarios in combination with a 1-y set of authentic, high-resolution meteorological data. The dimensions of the circular zones were defined for each nuclear power plant. In these zones, with a radius up to 50 km, distrib...
Waste cooking oil can be recovered and processed into animal feed additives after purification. Unfortunately, the traditional purification processes are insufficient for the removal of the harmful compounds formed during frying, mainly about malondialdehyde and other 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances. In the present paper, firstly, a simple and reliable HPLC method was developed to measure the content of malondialdehyde in purified waste cooking oil. The detection limit and the standard recovery of the analysis method are 1.20x10-5gl-1 and 96.5-99.2%, respectively, which is accurate and valid enough for the detection of malondialdehyde in waste cooking oil. Furthermore, the removal of malondialdehyde and other 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances from waste cooking oil was in...
The activity of tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT) in the liver of mice subjected simultaneously to ionizing radiation and to local inflammatory process showed in the first 24 hours of the experiment statistically significant changes resulting from summation of the harmful effects of both factors. In the second 24-hour period an evident tendency was observed for return of a normal circadian rhythm of the enzyme. This points to presence of an endogenous mechanism of suppression of the manifestations of significant desynchronization of the circadian rhythm. The paper contains also a trial of mathematical analysis of changes in TAT activity in the circadian rhythm, a description and analysis or the suppression process, qualitative and quantitative determination of the phenomenon of cumulation of the effects of powerful stress factors acting on the animal organism. The obtained results were compared with the results of investigations of TAT activity changes obtained in ...
Problems are discussed of heat exchange tubes of Westinghouse type vertical steam generators exhibiting corrosion damage such as point corrosion, planar corrosion, tube denting, corrosion stress cracking, crevice corrosion, fretting corrosion and intergranular corrosion. Attention is also paid to problems of WWER-440 type horizontal steam generators, where the level fluctuation area is critical; noncompact porous deposits of the corrosion products give rise to crevice effects and cause significant concentration of chloride ions and other additions. This problem can be partly resolved by a modification of the collector design at the level variation area. An additional measure is the production of steel 08Kh18N10T with a very low level of harmful elements and inclusions. (Z.M.). 3 figs., 11 refs.
Atrazine is one of the most commonly used herbicides in the United States. While effective on target plants, it has been associated with harmful health effects in non-target organisms such as fish, amphibians and mammals. In this study, growth effects on human liver cells were determined after exposure to increasing concentrations of this herbicide. Growth of immortalized human hepatoma HepG2 cells was inhibited by atrazine concentrations of 625 ppb after 72 h exposure and flow cytometry analysis demonstrated HepG2 cells exposed to 100 ppb atrazine accumulated in S phase after 48 h compared to untreated cells. Expression of cell cycle specific cyclin proteins was altered after atrazine exposure with cyclin E levels significantly decreased after a 24 h exposure and cyclin B levels decreased...
The problems are discussed of using radionuclide X-ray fluorescence analysis (the most frequently used source is "2"4"1Am) and neutron activation analysis for monitoring the chemical quality of the working environment of a welder. Elements determinable by these methods are listed and the advantages of the methods stated with regard to speed, simplicity and appropriate accuracy of measurement together with commercial availability of the instruments. Welding as a source of harmful substances is assessed by determination of the amount of chromium in aerosols generated by welding austenitic chromium-nickel steels. The described methods allow to obtain a complex image of the chemical nature of welding aerosols and to understand the mechanism of their impact on the human organism. (J.C.).
The types of investigations undertaken to test for possible biological effects of extremely low frequency electric fields have been numerous. However, neither animal and plant experimentation nor clinical studies nor experience with operating extremely high voltage transmission lines have to date provided convincing evidence of a harmful effect from exposure to electric fields associated with transmission lines in spite of numerous attempts to find such effects. Analysis of internal fields and currents supports these observations as the levels appear to be too low to affect mammalian cells. Thus, while one can never prove the negative (i.e. that there is no effect), the overwhelming body of evidence indicates that the electric fields associated with high-voltage lines have no deleterious biological effects. (author).
ObjectivesThe development of novel formulations of nanoparticles in the nanotechnology industry and their increasing importance and use in industry means there is certainty of human environmental exposures in both the workplace and the general environment. The pulmonary route of exposure to airborne nanoparticles is a major one, as nanoparticles are handled in industry, escape from workplaces and products containing nanoparticles undergo attrition in the environment. There is a substantial problem for ris [continued...]DescriptionNanoparticles are extremely small particles, each individual particlel being less than one ten millionth of a metre in size. We are exposed to nanoparticles in busy streets as they are present in traffic exhaust produced from combustion of fuel and such nanoparticles are considered to be important in causing the harmful effects associated with exposure to air pollution. There are other situations where nanoparticles are found in the air, ...
This work describes how a general, process-based mass-balance model (CoastMab) for phosphorus for coastal areas may be used as a tool to estimate realistic values of "natural" or preindustrial reference levels of key bioindicators in coastal science, including the Secchi depth, a standard measure of water clarity, the chlorophyll-a concentration, an operational measure of phytoplankton biomass and the concentration of cyanobacteria, a measure of the concentration of harmful algae. The CoastMab-model is an ecosystem model giving monthly predictions to achieve seasonal variations of basin-wide properties. The selected case-study area, the Gulf of Riga, is sensitive to nutrient loading because of its shallowness and low openness towards the Baltic Proper. The morphometry of any coastal area, ...
Abstract: We present a generic scoring system that compares the impact of alien species among members of large taxonomic groups. This scoring can be used to identify the most harmful alien species so that conservation measures to ameliorate their negative effects can be prioritized. For all alien mammals in Europe, we assessed impact reports as completely as possible. Impact was classified as either environmental or economic. We subdivided each of these categories into five subcategories (environmental: impact through competition, predation, hybridization, transmission of disease, and herbivory; economic: impact on agriculture, livestock, forestry, human health, and infrastructure). We assigned all impact reports to one of these 10 categories. All categories had impact scores that ranged f...
LEDF (Large Equipment Dismantling Facility) will be constructed for the purpose of decontaminating the high level {alpha} solid waste generated in oarai engineering center of JNC. And, main processing process of LEDF is incineration and melting system. LEDF will be intended to reduce the secondary waste that occurs along with the operation of the off gas processing equipment of incineration and melting system. It assumed that we are able to eliminate the adsorption tower using silica gel, if the decontamination factor to volatile ruthenium is able to expect in the packed scrubber that is established to remove harmful gas. Thereupon, we carried out this tests that eliminates the adsorption tower and reduces the secondary waste. The decontamination factor (DF) to the volatile ruthenium by the water scrubber is confirmed in the established institution which is in Tokai Works. However, decontamination factor differs and depends on the ruthenium concentration, ...
LEDF (Large Equipment Dismantling Facility) will be constructed for the purpose of decontaminating the high level #alpha# solid waste generated in oarai engineering center of JNC. And, main processing process of LEDF is incineration and melting system. LEDF will be intended to reduce the secondary waste that occurs along with the operation of the off gas processing equipment of incineration and melting system. It assumed that we are able to eliminate the adsorption tower using silica gel, if the decontamination factor to volatile ruthenium is able to expect in the packed scrubber that is established to remove harmful gas. Thereupon, we carried out this tests that eliminates the adsorption tower and reduces the secondary waste. The decontamination factor (DF) to the volatile ruthenium by the water scrubber is confirmed in the established institution which is in Tokai Works. However, decontamination factor differs and depends on the ruthenium concentration, ...
Evidence from twin, adoption, and family studies suggests that there is strong aggregation of suicidal behaviors in some families. By comparison, the role of social modeling through peers has yet to be convincingly established. This paper uses data from four large studies (the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Suicidal Behaviour, the WHO/SUPRE-MISS, the CASE study, and the Queensland Suicide Register) to compare the effects of exposure to fatal and nonfatal suicidal behavior in family members and nonfamilial associates on the subsequent suicidal behavior of male and female respondents of different ages. Across all studies, we found that prior suicidal behaviors among respondents' social groups were more important predictors of suicidal behavior in the respondents themselves than previous research had indicated. Community-based suicide attempters in the WHO SUPRE-MISS had higher rates of exposure to prior suicide in nonfamilial associates than in family members. In an adolescent population, ...
Depletion of stratospheric ozone increases irradiance of terrestrial ultraviolet (UV) radiation at short wavelengths, which may be harmful to the human health. To understand quantitatively the risks caused by increasing UV radiation to the Finnish population, the actual UV exposure of the population has to be assessed. It was shown that the snow reflection increases the UV exposure to the face and eyes particularly in the northern Finland. In 1993 exceptionally low ozone levels persisted up to the end of May, which resulted in a theoretical increase in the annual UV dose ranging from 8 % to 13 % in Finland. The maximal increase in the measured erythemally effective dose rate was 34 % on 23 April, when compared with the theoretical normal value. During this study exposure models have been developed. The models have been combined them with Green`s radiation transfer model to estimate annual facial UV doses received by different groups of Finnish population. Also, an ...
In the medical and occupational exposures, there is a tradition to use the genetically significant dose as an index of harm to the population although it only includes the genetical effects from ionizing radiations. A similar significant dose for somatic effects such as radiation leukemogenesis and carcinogenesis should be added to the genetically significant dose in order to approach an index of total harm to the population from medical and occupational exposures. For this purpose, leukemia and malignant significant factors were determined based on the induction of malignant diseases including leukemia for the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the life expectancy of individuals subject to medical examinations or treatments as well as radiation workers, taking account of the possibility of their deaths due to other diseases or accidents during a latent period of malignant diseases. The resultant significant factors were tabulated as a ...
To investigate the usefulness of a newly developed magnetic resonance (MR) image-guided surgical robotic system for minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery. The system consists of MR image guidance [interactive scan control (ISC) imaging, three-dimensional (3-D) navigation, and preoperative planning], an MR-compatible operating table, and an MR-compatible master-slave surgical manipulator that can enter the MR gantry. Using this system, we performed in vivo experiments with MR image-guided laparoscopic puncture on three pigs. We used a mimic tumor made of agarose gel and with a diameter of approximately 2 cm. All procedures were successfully performed. The operator only advanced the probe along the guidance device of the manipulator, which was adjusted on the basis of the preoperative plan, and punctured the target while maintaining the operative field using robotic forceps. The position of the probe was monitored continuously with 3-D ...
BackgroundEchocardiography has been debated as an adjunct for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The aim of this prospective study was to comparatively evaluate intraprocedural guidance using intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). MethodsFifty high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis scheduled for TAVR were randomized to either guidance using ICE (group 1; n = 25) or monitoring using TEE (group 2; n = 25). ResultsIn contrast to TEE, ICE allowed continuous monitoring. The need for probe repositioning during the procedure was much lower in group 1 (0.1 +- 0.3 vs 5.7 +- 0.7 maneuvers, P P = .003). Both coronary ostia were more frequently visualized in group 1 (18 vs 2 cases, P n = 25, r2 = 0.90, P n = 11, P = .012), but ICE did not (m...
While the methodology used in developing test items can vary significantly, to ensure quality examinations, test items should be developed systematically. Test design and development is discussed in the DOE Guide to Good Practices for Design, Development, and Implementation of Examinations. This guide is intended to be a supplement by providing more detailed guidance on the development of specific test items. This guide addresses the development of written examination test items primarily. However, many of the concepts also apply to oral examinations, both in the classroom and on the job. This guide is intended to be used as guidance for the classroom and laboratory instructor or curriculum developer responsible for the construction of individual test items. This document focuses on written test items, but includes information relative to open-reference (open book) examination test items, as well. These test items have been categorized as ...
This Health and Safety (HSE) document offers technical information on the design of foundations for supports in offshore installations, and relates particularly to the North Sea. It is based largely on guidance offered earlier in Section 20 of the Fourth Edition of the Health and Safety Executive's 'Offshore Installations; Guidance on Design, Construction and Certification', which was withdrawn in 1998. The document contains a general section on foundations and the rest of the document comprises sections on: (a) piled foundations (planning, problems, pile make-up, steel stresses, design of pile foundations, axial pile capacity, factors of safety for piled foundations, load-deflection of piles, and piles for tethered buoyant structures); (b) foundations for gravity structures (foundation types, loads and reactions during installation, operating loads and reactions, foundation problems, cyclic load failure, factors of ...
This Current Year Work Plan presents a detailed description of the activities to be performed by the Joint Integration Office during FY87. It breaks down the activities into two major work areas: Program Management and Program Analysis. Program Management is performed by the JIO by providing technical planning and guidance for the development of advanced TRU waste management capabilities. This includes equipment/facility design, engineering, construction, and operations. These functions are integrated to allow transition from interim storage to final disposition. JIO tasks include program requirements identification, long-range technical planning, budget development, program planning document preparation, task guidance, task monitoring, information gathering and task reporting to DOE, interfacing with other agencies and DOE lead programs, integrating public involvement with program efforts, and preparation of program status reports for DOE. ...
In response to European operating experience regarding Alloy 800 steam generator (SG) tube cracking, New Brunswick Power Nuclear (NBPN) recognized two important shortcomings in the industry SG technical support framework. First, information exchange networks between utilities with Alloy 800 SG tubing should be strengthened. Second and more importantly, there is a need for consistent industry guidance for Alloy 800 SG tubing degradation management, supported by clear technical bases. It is NBPN's perspective that this guidance can be improved immediately using the extensive amount of laboratory and field data that is available for Alloys 600, 690, and 800, and EPRI methodology developed to predict the performance of Alloy 690. NBPN has initiated the development of a performance-based inspection plan. This effort is based on demonstrated improvement factors for Alloy 800, defined by the EPRI approach, and described in this paper. This ...
In response to European operating experience regarding Alloy 800 steam generator (SG) tube cracking, New Brunswick Power Nuclear (NBPN) recognized two important shortcomings in the industry SG technical support framework. First, information exchange networks between utilities with Alloy 800 SG tubing should be strengthened. Second and more importantly, there is a need for consistent industry guidance for Alloy 800 SG tubing degradation management, supported by clear technical bases. It is NBPN's perspective that this guidance can be improved immediately using the extensive amount of laboratory and field data that is available for Alloys 600, 690, and 800, and EPRI methodology developed to predict the performance of Alloy 690. NBPN has initiated the development of a performance-based inspection plan. This effort is based on demonstrated improvement factors for Alloy 800, defined by the EPRI approach, and described in this paper. This approach is ...
This paper is to report a case of multi-ruptured complex pseudoaneurysm confirmed by three-dimensional DSA. Under three-dimensional DSA guidance, the thrombin was injected into lumens in the attempt to cure the pseudoaneurysm. As the result was unsatisfactory, fibrin sealant was used to inject into the lumens again, and good curative effect was obtained. In clinical interventional practice, the incidence of pseudoaneurysm has been steadily increasing and the lesions have become more and more complex. In this paper the authors have discussed the diagnostic and therapeutic methods of complex pseudoaneurysm in order to provide clinical physicians with useful information. (authors)
The survey of radiation protection programmes for transport has been jointly performed by three scientific organisations I.P.S.N. (France), G.R.S. ( Germany), and N.R.P.B. (United kingdom) on behalf of the European Commission and the pertaining documentation summarises the findings and conclusions of the work that was undertaken with the principal objectives to provide guidance on the establishment, implementation and application of radiation protection programmes for the transport of radioactive materials by operators and the assessment and evaluation of such programmes by the competent authority and to review currently existing radiation protection programmes for the transport of radioactive materials. (N.C.)
The objective of the Korean Next Generation Reactor(KNGR) seismic design is to develop a standard design that can cover most of site characteristics in the world with the possible exception of areas of high seismicity. This seismic design was based on the current state-of-the-art as well as the current Nuclear Regulatory guidance. This paper provides a summary on the design parameters used in the KNGR seismic design. In addition, this paper discusses seismic design requirements, selection of generic soil sites, selection of design control motions, and soil-structure interaction(SSI) analyses for the KNGR Nuclear Island(NI) structures. (author). 16 refs., 8 figs.
This Packaging Review Guide (PRG) provides guidance for Department of Energy (DOE) review and approval of packagings to transport fissile and Type B quantities of radioactive material. It fulfills, in part, the requirements of DOE Order 460.1B for the Headquarters Certifying Official to establish standards and to provide guidance for the preparation of Safety Analysis Reports for Packagings (SARPs). This PRG is intended for use by the Headquarters Certifying Official and his or her review staff, DOE Secretarial offices, operations/field offices, and applicants for DOE packaging approval. This PRG is generally organized at the section level in a format similar to that recommended in Regulatory Guide 7.9 (RG 7.9). One notable exception is the addition of Section 9 (Quality Assurance), which is not included as a separate chapter in RG 7.9. Within each section, this PRG addresses the technical and regulatory bases for the review, the manner in ...
This document provides guidance for modeling and inspecting energy-efficient property in commercial buildings for certification of the energy and power cost savings related to Section 179D of the Internal Revenue Code enacted in Section 1331 of the 2005 Energy Policy Act and noted in Internal Revenue Service Notice 2006-52. Specifically, Section 179D provides federal tax deductions for energy-efficient property related to a commercial building's envelope; interior lighting; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning; and service hot water systems.
This document provides guidance for modeling and inspecting energy-efficient property in commercial buildings for certification of the energy and power cost savings related to Section 179D of the Internal Revenue Code enacted in Section 1331 of the 2005 Energy Policy Act and noted in Internal Revenue Service Notice 2006-52. Specifically, Section 179D provides federal tax deductions for energy-efficient property related to a commercial building's envelope; interior lighting; heating, ventilating, and air conditioning; and service hot water systems.
This Reference Book contains a current copy of the Clean Water Act (Section 404) and the Rivers and Harbors Act (Sections 9 and 10) and those regulations that implement those sections of the statutes and appear to be most relevant to DOE activities. The document is provided to DOE and contractor staff for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as legal guidance. Updates that include important new requirements will be provided periodically. Questions concerning this Reference Book may be directed to Mark Petts, IH-231 (FTS 896-2609 or Commercial 202/586-2609).
Safe and economical operations with fissile materials require knowledge of the subcriticality of configurations that arise in material processing, storage, and transportation. Data from critical experiments have been a principal source of information with which to establish safety margins. However, the lower cost and the expediency of performing confirmatory subcritical measurements on the process floor or in the storage vault resulted in much of the early criticality safety guidance being based on subcritical in situ experiments.
Monte Carlo methods have been used to compute k{sub eff} and the fundamental mode eigenfunction of critical systems since the 1950s. While such calculations have become routine using standard codes such as MCNP and SCALE/KENO, there still remain 3 concerns that must be addressed to perform calculations correctly: convergence of k{sub eff} and the fission distribution, bias in k{sub eff} and tally results, and bias in statistics on tally results. This paper provides a review of the fundamental problems inherent in Monte Carlo criticality calculations. To provide guidance to practitioners, suggested best practices for avoiding these problems are discussed and illustrated by examples.
Monte Carlo criticality calculations have been performed for over 50 years for reactor physics and criticality safety applications. With today's faster computers, these calculations are being carried out to greater precision (smaller uncertainties) in keff, and detailed distributions of power and reaction rates are being computed routinely. This paper provides a review of the fundamental theory of Monte Carlo criticality calculations, with guidance on practical methods for: (1) assuring convergence of both keff and the source distribution, (2) minimizing the bias in keff and reaction rate distributions, and (3) dealing with the under-prediction bias in uncertainties for keff and reaction rate distributions. (authors)
The purpose of this study was to determine whether resistance exercise training-induced reductions in inflammation are mediated via melanocortin 3 receptor expression in obese (BMI 32.7 ± 3.7)...Full Text Available
Objectives To evaluate the extent to which intensive care units participating in the initial Keystone ICU project sustained reductions in rates of catheter related bloodstream infections.Design...Full Text Available
BackgroundLung volume reduction surgery is effective at improving lung function, quality of life, and mortality in carefully selected individuals with advanced emphysema. Recently,...Full Text Available
Nitrate reduction was studied as a function of carbohydrate concentration in detached primary leaves of barley (Hordeum vulgare L. cv Numar) seedlings under aerobic conditions in light...Full Text Available
Charge reduction electrospray mass spectrometry (CREMS) reduces the charge states of electrospray-generated ions, which concentrates the ions from a protein into fewer peaks spread over a larger...Full Text Available
Nitrogenase activity was measured by the C2H2reduction method in large soil cores (29 cm in diameter by 20 cm in depth) of maize (Zea mays) and sorghum (Sorghum...Full Text Available
We proposed a faster pedigree-based generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction algorithm, called PedG-MDR II (PII), to detect gene-gene interactions underlying complex traits. Inherited...Full Text Available
The strategy for management of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s (ORNL) radioactively contaminated liquid waste was reviewed in 1991. The latest information available through the end of 1990 on waste characterization, regulations, US Department of Energy (DOE) budget guidance, and research and development programs was evaluated to determine how the strategy should be revised. Few changes are needed to update the strategy to reflect new waste characterization, research, and regulatory information. However, recent budget guidance from DOE indicates that minimum funding will not be sufficient to accomplish original objectives to upgrade the liquid low-level waste (LLLW) system to comply with the Federal Facilities Agreement, provide long-term LLLW treatment capability, and minimize environmental, safety, and health risks. Options are presented that might allow the ORNL LLLW system to continue operations temporarily, but they would significantly ...
The strategy for management of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s (ORNL`s) radioactively contaminated liquid waste was reviewed. The latest information on waste characterization, regulations, US Department of Energy (DOE) budget guidance, and research and development programs was evaluated to determine how the strategy should be revised. Few changes are needed to update the strategy to reflect new waste characterization, research, and regulatory information. However, recent budget guidance from DOE indicates that minimum funding will not be sufficient to accomplish original objectives to upgrade the liquid low-level waste (LLLW) system to be in compliance with the Federal Facilities Agreement compliance, provide long-term LLLW treatment capability, and minimize Environmental Safety & Health risks. Options are presented that might allow the ORNL LLLW system to continue operations temporarily but significantly reduce its capabilities to ...
Recently, under the de-regulation environment, nuclear industry has attempted various approaches to improve the economics of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). One of these efforts is the Risk Informed/Performance-Based operation (RIPBO). This approach uses the risk and performance information to manage the resources effectively and efficiently that are used in the operation of NPP. In RIPBO, PSA quality is one of the most important things. The nuclear industry and regulatory body of U.S.A have developed a measure to evaluate the quality of PSA. NEI (Nuclear Energy Institute) has developed a guidance called 'NEI PRA Peer Review Guidance,' and NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Committee) and ASME have developed the 'PRA Standard.' In Korea, several projects are on going now, such as the extension of AOT/STI of RPS/ESFAS, Risk-Informed In-Service Inspection (RI-ISI). However, in Korea, there have been no attempts to evaluate the quality of PSA model itself. ...
Recently, under the de-regulation environment, nuclear industry has attempted various approaches to improve the economics of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). One of these efforts is the Risk Informed/Performance-Based operation (RIPBO). This approach uses the risk and performance information to manage the resources effectively and efficiently that are used in the operation of NPP. In RIPBO, PSA quality is one of the most important things. The nuclear industry and regulatory body of U.S.A have developed a measure to evaluate the quality of PSA. NEI (Nuclear Energy Institute) has developed a guidance called 'NEI PRA Peer Review Guidance,' and NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Committee) and ASME have developed the 'PRA Standard.' In Korea, several projects are on going now, such as the extension of AOT/STI of RPS/ESFAS, Risk-Informed In-Service Inspection (RI-ISI). However, in Korea, there have been no attempts to evaluate ...
Based on the IAPWS technical guidance on ''Instrumentation for Monitoring and Control of Cycle Chemistry for Steam-Water Circuits of Fossil-Fired and Combined Cycle Power Plants,'' the latest situation regarding instrumentation for nuclear power plants is discussed. As a result of the discussion, it is concluded that: (1) Reliable and safe operation of plants is established by the application of suitable chemical conditions in plant cooling systems, which should be supported by the selection of suitable control targets for monitoring and by the application of reliable instruments. (2) The minimum level of key instrumentation consists of on-line as well as off-line instruments for monitoring the key parameters: - on-line: pH, conductivity, cation conductivity, O{sub 2} and H{sub 2} concentrations, electrochemical corrosion potential; - off-line: radioactive nuclides ({sup 60}Co, {sup 58}Co, {sup 131}I, etc.), and the ...
The Screening Risk Evaluation (SRE) guidance document is a set of guidelines provided for the uniform implementation of SREs performed on decontamination and decommissioning (D&D) facilities. Although this method has been developed for D&D facilities, it can be used for transition (EM-60) facilities as well. The SRE guidance produces screening risk scores reflecting levels of risk through the use of risk ranking indices. Five types of possible risk are calculated from the SRE: current releases, worker exposures, future releases, physical hazards, and criticality. The Current Release Index (CRI) calculates the current risk to human health and the environment, exterior to the building, from ongoing or probable releases within a one-year time period. The Worker Exposure Index (WEI) calculates the current risk to workers, occupants and visitors inside contaminated D&D facilities due to contaminant exposure. The Future Release Index ...
... operation, experimental data reduction, and application of PES results to studies related to estuarine and coastal sediment transport problems are ...
This work deals with kinetic description of carbothermic reduction of iron oxides using microwaves as power source. Previous researches show that it is possible to conduct this kind of process successfully, but real kinetic comparisons between conventional and microwaves procedure have been presented partially. The aim of this work is to describe reduction kinetics, taking into account how the iron oxide is reduced by microwaves compared with conventional energy supply. In this study the authors used iron ore in pellet shape and dust. They found that both, pellet and dust reduction stops when it reaches approximately 40%, even at whole power.
... is to develop a systematic program of energy consumption reductions in compliance with the stated goals of the Army Facilities Energy Plan (AFEP ...
... projects that will result in the reduction of energy consumption in compliance with the objectives set forth in the Army Facilities Energy Plan, without ...
... be easily replaceable, and its compartment or container ... in a simple, efficient manner for storage or disposal. ... and enters the reactor at approximatel ...
A transient flow reduction burnout experiment was conducted with water in a uniformly heated, vertically oriented tube. Test pressures ranged from 0.5 to 3.9 MPa. An analytical method was developed to obtain transient burnout conditions at the exit. A simple correlation to predict the deviation of the transient burnout mass velocity at the tube exit from the steady state mass velocity obtained as a function of steam-water density ratio and flow reduction rate. The correlation was also compared with the other data. (author).
The effects of bivalent cations on cytochrome b5 reduction by NADH:cytochrome b5 reductase and NADPH:cytochrome c reductase were studied with the proteinase-solubilized enzymes. Cytochrome b5 reduction...Full Text Available
DescriptionIn young pigs the post-weaning period is generally characterised by a marked reduction in voluntary feed intake, poor growth and development, and diarrhoea. The associated reduction in digestive and absorptive capacity of the gastrointestinal tract decreases the overall efficiency of nutrient capture and utilisation, thereby causing an increase in nutrient loading to the environment. The reduction in digestive and absorptive efficiency after weaning has implications for lifetime performance be [continued...
The degradation of chlorinated solvents by reduction at the surface of zero-valent metals and bimetallic systems has emerged as an important approach to the in-situ remediation of ground water. Reduction by iron metal was studied in batch and column systems to develop a mechanistic understanding of the reaction chemistry and to determine the factors that affect dechlorination rate and long term performance in field applications.
Ultrafine grained steels with different carbon contents were produced through warm caliber rolling and evaluated for their stress-strain behavior along with the reduction in area. It was found that the reduction in area-tensile strength balance is far better than the conventional ferrite+pearlite steels and even superior to bainitic steels for all materials tested in the present study.
The catalytic properties of molybdena-alumina catalysts reduced in hydrogen were studied in the function of the reduction temperature, i.e. in the function of the extent of reduction. The deuterium exchange reaction of benzene was used as model catalytic reaction. It was concluded that the reaction rate constant and the multiplicity factor decreased with the extent of reduction parallel with the change in the extent of dehydroxylation of the catalysts. (orig.)
In this paper, four different types of pulsed eddy current (PEC) probe are designed and their performance of detecting wall thickness reduction is compared. By using the backward difference method in time and the finite element method in space, PEC signals from various thickness and materials are numerically calculated and three features of the signal are selected. Since PEC signals and features are obtained by various types and sizes of probe, the comparison is made through the normalized features which reflect the sensitivity of the feature to thickness reduction. The normalized features indicate that the shielded reflection probe provides the best sensitivity to wall thickness reduction for all three signal features. Results show that the best sensitivity to thickness reduction is achieved by the peak value, but also suggest that the time to peak can be a good candidate because of its linear ...
Previous studies have documented dissimilatory growth of bacteria on solid Mn{sup 4+} oxide, but Mn{sup 3+} oxides have not been previously studied; here the authors have demonstrated for the first time the bacterial reduction of manganite. Strain MR-4 of Shewanella putrefaciens was able to grow on and rapidly reduce insoluble needle-shaped crystals of synthetic manganite (MnOOH), converting them to soluble Mn{sup 2+} in the process. The rate of Mn{sup 3+} reduction was optimal at pH of 7.0 and 26 C consistent with an enzymatic reaction. In addition the rates of reduction were in proportion to the amount of manganite added, but nearly independent of the cell concentration present (e.g., cell number had only a small effect on the rate of Mn{sup 3+} reduction at early stages of growth) suggesting that surface properties were dictating the rates of metal reduction. This thesis was ...
The study was directed towards determining the usability of clay and fine wastes (CW and FW) of boron from the concentrator plant in Kirka (Turkey) as a fluxing agent in production of red mud (RM) brick. Both laboratory studies on the characterization of materials and industrial-scale tests for production of bricks were carried out. CW and FW, which have similar chemical composition but include different types and amounts of oxides, were added in amounts of 5, 10 and 15wt% to RM, which consists of high amounts of Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3}, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, SiO{sub 2} and alkalies. Six different sets of samples have been produced and fired at 700, 800 and 900{sup o}C. Dry shrinkage of green body, bending and compressive strength, firing shrinkage, water absorption, frost resistance and harmful magnesia and lime tests on heat-treated bodies have been performed. The mineralogical and mechanical tests showed that usability of boron wastes as a fluxing agent in the production ...
Advances in technology are widely regarded as major sources of improvements in the competitive positions of firms and industries as well as of increases in national economic growth rates and standards of living. Because the benefits of such advances obviously depend on the extent to which they are utilized, considerable research has been focused on the diffusion of technological innovations. Most of these studies have sought to measure the dimensions of technological diffusion and to explain differences in diffusion patterns among innovations, industries, and nations as well as changes in such patterns over time. However, the most valuable contributions made so far have been to reveal the need for more-penetrating concepts, better measures, more-comprehensive analytical frameworks, and wider samplings of the variegated phenomena to be encompassed. Shortcomings in the theoretical work have seldom been directly harmful to industrial managements because they rely on ...
There is renewed interest in the +6 oxidation state of iron, ferrate (VI) (FeVIO42-), because of its potential as a benign oxidant for organic synthesis, as a chemical in developing cleaner ('greener') technology for remediation processes, and as an alternative for environment-friendly battery cathodes. This interest has led many researchers to focus their attention on the synthesis of ferrate(VI). Of the three synthesis methods, electrochemical, wet chemical and thermal, electrochemical synthesis has received the most attention due to its ease and the high purity of the product. Moreover, electrochemical processes use an electron as a so-called clean chemical, thus avoiding the use of any harmful chemicals to oxidize iron to the +6 oxidation state. This paper reviews the development of electrochemical methods to synthesize ferrate(VI). The approaches chosen by different laboratories to overcome some of the difficulties associated with the electrochemical synthesis ...
The Executive Body adopted the Protocol on Heavy Metals on 24 June 1998 in Aarhus (Denmark). It targets three particularly harmful metals: cadmium, lead and mercury. According to one of the basic obligations, parties will have to reduce their emissions for these three metals below their levels in 1990. The Protocol aims to cut emissions from industrial sources, combustion process and waste incineration. It lays down strighten limit values for emissions from stationary sources and suggests best available techniques (BAT) for these sources, such as special filters or scrubbers for combustion sources or mercury-free processes. The Protocol requires parties to phase out leaded petrol. It also introduces measures to lower heavy metal emissions from other products, such as mercury in batteries, and proposes the introduciton of management measures for other mercury-containing products, such as electrical componets (thermostats, switches), measuring devices (thermometers, ...
The ruthenium decontamination factor in Purex process falls quickly in successive TBP cycles. So, it is necessary to change the chemical states of RuNO complexes in order to improve DF_R_u in the uranium purification cycle. Hydrazine nitrate is being used to transform RuNO complexes into in-extractable Ru(III)and Ru(IV). However, hydrazine nitrate may be inverted into hydrazoic acid which is dangerous and can bring an unstable factor. Pretreatment using U(IV) solution provides another method to improve the decontamination of ruthenium in Purex process. 0.02 mol/lU(IV) solution can transform RuNO complexes into inextricable species by heating in water bath. The D_R_u can be decreased by a factor of 10-20. U(IV) pretreatment does not bring any harmful chemical in process. The acidity has a very large influence on the effect of pretreatment. The higher the acidity is, the worse the effect will be.
The association of Finnish Plastics Industry examined the possibilities to utilize energy content of plastic wastes in spring 1990. A bark fuelled boiler plant of forest industry was used as test power plant. The power of the plant was 60 Mw. This report discusses shortly the theory of combustion of plastics. About 130 000-15 000 tons of plastic waste, corresponding to 7 % of the solid municipal waste, is dumped annually in Finland. Utilization of the plastic waste recovered from municipal wastes for energy production is technically viable in present power plants among present energy production. The chipping and mixing of the plastic in the other fuel are the only pretreatment required for the plastic waste. In Finland there are several power plants using suitable fuels for plastic mixture combustion. The portion of the plastic of the total fuel power was 10 %. No problems occurred during the tests. The results of the tests are presented in this report. Special attention has been paid ...
This report briefly describes the studies on the mechanism of in vivo DNA repairing by the author in Research Reactor Institute, Kyoto Univ. for the past 30 years. First, the ability of UV radiation to induce transformation was investigated with viral DNA. The formation of thymine-thymine dimer was found harmful to organisms and such dimers were removable by UV-radiation at a low frequency. The mutability was determined in three different E.coli strains with mutator gene, mutT, mutS or mutL. The ability to excise 8-oxoguanin developed in primer DNA was deficient in mutT and miss-pairing left after DNA replication could not be recovered in mutL and mutS strains. Further, DNA repairing mechanism was investigated in other microorganisms; single-strand cleavage caused by exposure to BNCB radiation (boron-neutron-captured beam) could not be repaired in E. coli. Whereas for Deinococcus radiodurans, of which survival rate was not decreased by #gamma#-ray radiation at 5 ...
Industrial facilities offer a wide variety of design challenges to engineers, including the mechanical engineers who design the HVAC, the process, exhaust, and other required mechanical systems; the mechanical contractors who install and maintain the systems (and who also may do design work); and the owners` engineers who are responsible for the day-to-day operation of their facilities. Along with the responsibility to see that all systems function as intended is the responsibility to ensure that all worker health concerns are addressed. These include heat stress avoidance and the proper control of harmful substances. The services of industrial hygienists may be required to ensure this. These may be independent consultants or the staff members of mechanical design firms. In addition, it is not unusual for major corporations that own manufacturing plants to have staff industrial hygienists. The accompanying sidebar presents a checklist of items to be considered when ...
Heavy metals discharged from industries are a major source of pollution which has become a threat to all forms of life. Among the various heavy metals, cadmium is known to be highly toxic even in low concentrations. The harmful effects of cadmium is attributed to its effects on sulfhydryl groups of enzymes, especially dehydrogenases. Various aspects of cadmium pollution on fishes have been extensively reviewed. A survey of the literature reveals that few attempts have been made to study the various aspects of cadmium toxicity in crustaceans and these studies were mainly devoted to marine forms. The freshwater crustaceans, particularly the freshwater field crab, Barytelphusa guerini, has received little attention. The present study reports the influence of cadmium on certain aspects of protein metabolism in the tissues of a freshwater field crab, Barytelphusa guerini, and important component of the paddy field ecosystem, exposed to sublethal concentrations of ...
This review updates a previous review entitled ''Impact of Oil on the Marine Environment''. It covers oil and individual hydrocarbons, used lubricating oils, chemical control agents for oil spills, and wastes from offshore petroleum operations. It considers all major knowledge generated since the mid-1970s. The review covers its topics comprehensively, from a consideration of the composition, sources and inputs of oil to its ecological and human health effects and its effects on man's use of the sea. The review addresses several key questions on the present levels of contamination, the impact of hydrocarbons and related chemicals on marine biota, the recovery potential of marine ecosystems exposed to these contaminants, the degree of protection required for marine ecosystems known to be vulnerable and sensitive, and recommended research and other actions to fill gaps in knowledge. The review describes the hazards of marine oil pollution and associated chemicals and wastes as they are ...
Chlorinated organics are frequently found as harmful soil contaminants and persisted for extended periods of time. A novel approach, named pulsed corona discharge plasma (PCDP), was employed for the degradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in soil. Experimental results showed that 87% of PCP could be smoothly removed in 60 min. Increasing pulse voltage, enhancing soil pH, lowering humic acid (HA) in soil and reducing granular size of the soil were found to be favorable for PCP degradation efficiency. Oxidation and physical processes simultaneously contributed to PCP removal in soil and ozone was the main factor in PCDP treatment. C-Cl bonds in PCP were cleaved during PCDP treatment by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The mineralization of PCP was confirmed by total organic carbon (TOC) and dechlorination analyses. The main intermediate products such as tetrachlorocatechol, tetrachlorohydroquinone, acetic acid, formic acid, and oxalic acid were ...
This article describes the nature of the electromagnetic waves, what they are and how do they affect us. Current concern is focused on exposure to low level power-frequency magnetic fields like microwave radiation from mobile phones and leaking microwave ovens; high power radiation from defence and airport radars; fields close to high voltage transmission lines; radio frequency fields from industrial welders and heaters and DC magnetic fields in aluminium smelters. These fields with frequency less than 300 GHz do not carry sufficient energy to break chemical bonds and it is assumed that they cannot damage cell DNA. The amount of radiation absorbed by a human exposed to far field electromagnetic radiation (EMR) depends on the orientation and size of the person. In the 30-300 MHz range it is possible to excite resonance in the whole or partial body such as the head. It is emphasised that since there are some evidence that electromagnetic fields do harm, a policy of ...
Due to the advantages of the flexibility and economics in exploration and production of offshore liquefied natural gas (LNG), the floating production storage and offloading unit for liquefied natural gas (LNG-FPSO) has attracted wide attentions in recent years. The offloading system for LNG transportation from LNG-FPSO to LNG carrier is one of the most important parts in LNG-FPSO. The influences of the main parameters such as the mass flow rate and the height difference of the pipeline. on the performance of LNG offloading in offshore associated gas fields were investigated. A model based on a typical offshore LNG offloading system was first established and simulations were conducted. The governing equations were then used to evaluate the effects of parameters together with the simulation results. It was found that there was an economic mass flow rate for practical design on balance of the cost in pump head and BOG. The height difference of the pipeline must be considered for the ...
Corrosion in drilling and well stimulation is described in relation to acid corrosion inhibition, acid inhibitors, acetylenic inhibitors, synergistic blends, metallurgy, wellbore tubulars, coiled tubing, and high alloy tubular materials. Acidizing is a procedure for stimulating oil and gas wells. Factors that have an important influence on the reaction rate and the way in which acid reacts with rock include temperature, acid concentration, acid volume, injection velocity, acid viscosity, and fluid loss properties of the formation. The cost of drill pipe failures are $1 per fot of hole drilled, which is a significant fraction of the drilling cost. Steps in a test procedure are listed, as well as factors which determine the extent of acid corrosion in a given situation including acid type and strength, metal type, temperature, contact time; pressure, and volume/surface area ratio. Underbalanced drilling is a method for completing oil and gas wells that minimizes the ...
The purpose of this research is to develop a technically and economically feasible process for biologically producing H(sub 2) from synthesis gas while, at the same time, removing harmful sulfur gas compounds. Six major tasks are being studied: 1. Culture development, where the best cultures are selected and conditions optimized for simultaneous hydrogen production and sulfur gas removal; 2. Mass transfer and kinetic studies in which equations necessary for process design are developed; 3. Bioreactor design studies, where the cultures chosen in Task 1 are utilized in continuous reaction vessels to demonstrate process feasibility and define operating conditions; 4. Evaluation of biological synthetic gas conversion under limiting conditions in preparation for industrial demonstration studies; 5. Process scale-up where laboratory data are scaled to larger-size units in preparation for process demonstration in a pilot-scale unit; and 6. Economic evaluation, where ...
Recent experiments with TFTR, D-III-D and JET involving the injection and trapping of low density beams of high energy large orbit ions indicate that large orbit non-adiabatic ions slow down and diffuse classically in the presence of anomalous fluctuations and transport of adiabatic majority particles. Accordingly, we consider conceptual fusion reactors(N. Rostoker, M.W. Binderbauer and H.J. Monkhorst, Science) 278, 1419 (1997). based on classical confinement of fuel ions and fusion products(M.W. Binderbauer and N. Rostoker, J. Plasma Phys.) 56, 451 (1996).. The magnetic confinement geometry of the proposed designs is a Field Reversed Configuration. A survey of experimental results on instabilities and their characteristics as related to these reactor concepts is presented. Particular focus will be given to long wavelength (as compared to gyro-radius) and low frequency (?<< c/r_o, r_o=3D major radius of annular current ring) instabilities as they are most ...
Following the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand (NZ), the authors participated in counselling local residents, and debriefing and supervising support teams. Indications were that risk for mental health disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), may be elevated in residents, and that this risk may continue for some time. Patients may be de-prioritising their mental health issues when these become normalised throughout the city's population. The authors recommend that primary care patients are assessed using a brief, comprehensive tool (for example, the Case-finding and Help Assessment Tool) that targets many health and behavioural issues identified as increasing in the city following the earthquake. Anxiety and mood disorder symptoms may indicate assessment is appropriate to reduce harm arising from increased risk for PTSD. Concern also is raised for primary health care providers who may have experienced the trauma and ...
The activated charcoal treatment in the field of the water treatment is applied to water supply, sewage, industrial water supply and industrial sewage, etc.. Its main treatment effects are (1) decolorization, (2) removal of odorous substance, (3) removal of organic material which is detected as COD or BOD, (4) removal of harmful substance, (5) removal of substance which could generate muddness and tarnish and (6) removal of organic material which affects the succeeding high degree treatment badly, etc.. Many actual application examples in the above fields have been reported. As the most recent topic, a big amount of the demand of activated charcoal is expected in the treatment of water supply. Chlorine which is used as disinfectant during the water purification process generates organic halogen compounds such as trihalomethane through the reaction with precursor such as humic acid. The countermeasure therefore is being developed in the direction of removing the ...
Studies on the large scale peer-to-peer (P2P) network like Gnutella have shown the presence of large number of free riders. Moreover, the open and decentralized nature of P2P network is exploited by malicious users who distribute unauthentic or harmful contents. Despite the existence of a number of trust management schemes in the literature for combating against free riding and distribution of malicious files, these mechanisms are not scalable due to their high computational, communication and storage overhead. These schemes also do not consider effect of trust management on quality-of-service (QoS) of the search. This paper presents a trust management scheme for P2P networks that minimizes distribution of spurious files by a novel technique called topology adaptation. It also reduces search time since most of the queries are resolved within the community of trustworthy peers. Simulation results indicate that the trust management overhead due to the pr oposed ...
Purpose: Small suspicious breast lesions that are only visible at MR imaging were preoperatively marked with a hook wire under MR-guidance to allow the removal of the lesion with tissue-sparing surgery. Method: In all patients the suspicious lesions were marked preoperatively under MR guidance with a hook wire using a commercially available stereotactic device. Interventions were performed with MR guidance on a 1.0 T and on a 1.5 T system. Results: In 19 patients 22 lesions were localized. One lesion was missed and removed in a second procedure. The mean duration for localization was 66{+-}20 min (range 38-119 min). In two patients two lesions were localized. The mean deviation of the wire tip to the lesion was 2,0{+-}2,6 mm. In this series, 6 of 22 lesions were malignant. The mean diameter of the lesion was 7.6{+-}2.6 mm (range 3-14 mm). Conclusion: Suspicious breast lesions detectable only in MR imaging can be accurately ...
Minimally invasive thermotherapies for focal tissue destruction on the basis of laser-, microwave-, focused ultrasound-, or cryogeninduced changes of tissue temperature represent an alternative to surgical tissue ablation, particularly in the treatment of tumors. The thermotherapy modalities listed necessitate indirect guidance and monitoring, since they often do not lend themselves to immediate visual control. In the brain, in head and neck tumors, in the liver, and in the prostate, MRI reliably and accurately delineates both the positions of interstitial thermotherapy applicators and - in contrast-enhanced, T1-weighted images - the perfusion defects in tissue necrosis induced by thermotherapy. The transfer of results of in-vitro and in-vivo model studies to assess interstitial temperature and lesion development during thermotherapy to the actual treatment of patients, however, is still in an initial phase. Further development of both rapid MRI sequences and MRI ...
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can help organizations manage customer interactions more effectively. Like many new technologies, CRM has been accompanied by vendor hype and stories of implementation failure. Work on critical success factors (CSFs) should encourage more appropriate implementation practice; however many CSF studies conclude with a list of factors but provide little further guidance. In particular, there is a need for stronger theoretical models of the entire CRM innovation process which can be used by managers to understand better the underlying causes of success and failure. This paper adopts a novel approach to this problem by firstly developing a conceptual model of CRM innovation and then converting this model into a dynamic simulation model. Some early s...
The focus of the May-June issue is on training and information technology. Major articles/reports in this issue include: Communicating effectively, by Alain Bucaille, AREVA; Reputation management, by Susan Brisset, Bruce Power; Contol room and HSI modernization guidance, by Joseph Naser, EPRI; How far are we from public acceptance, by Jennifer A. Biedscheid and Murthy Devarakonda, Washington TRU Solutions LLC; Spent fuel management options, by Brent W. Dixon and Steven J. Piet, Idaho National Laboratory; Industry Awards; A secure energy future for America, by George W. Bush, President, United States of America; Vision of the future of nuclear energy, by Anne Lauvergeon, AREVA; and, Plant profile: strategy for transition to digital, TXU Power.
What technical, economic and institutional factors make radioactive and/or hazardous waste management technologies publicly acceptable? The goal of this paper is to initiate an identification of factors likely to render radioactive and hazardous waste management technologies publicly acceptable and to provide guidance on how technological R&D might be revised to enhance the acceptability of alternative waste management technologies. Technology development must attend to the full range of technology characteristics (technical, engineering, physical, economic, health, environmental, and socio-institutional) relevant to diverse stakeholders. ORNL`s efforts in recent years illustrate some attempts to accomplish these objectives or, at least, to build bridges toward the integrated design of waste management technologies.
In order to match the output capacity of a geothermal heat pump system (GHPS) with the actual load requirement, research has been conducted in searching for suitable adjusting methods for the GHPS and on the subsequent effects on the working parameters of the GHPS. Firstly, several methods are compared, and it is found that the method of adjusting the compressor's rotation speed using a transducer is better than the others. Secondly, this method is experimented on a small scale GHPS at frequencies ranging from 30 to 55 Hz. The analysis of the experimental data reveals the relationships between the compressor frequency and other important parameters, such as coefficient of performance, heat capacity, cool capacity and compressor power input. The conclusions in the paper can serve as some guidance to the load adjustment of GHPS. (Author)
AIM: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the percutaneous use of the new nitinol SMARTeR stents in patients with biliary obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four stents were placed in three patients percutaneously under ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance. RESULTS: The deployment of the stents was successful in all three patients. All stents maintained their patency and position after short-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: The nitinol SMARTeR stent is useful in the management of patients with biliary obstruction although accurate placement across the ampulla was found to be technically more difficult than with the Wallstent. Larger, long-term follow-up studies are required to evaluate the long-term patency of these new devices.
An expert system was developed which helps maintenance personnel diagnose the condition of rotor and stator windings and their cores, in motors and generators rated 2300 V and above. The expert system, called MICAA[TM], used an approach which has been found to be effective for diagnosing medical problems. The program required the user to input machine nameplate information, operating status, and any past test data available. In addition, the program would suggest tests that may be useful, as well as provide guidance to maintenance personnel on what to look for in visual inspections of the machine. The expert system stored and correlated all this information, calculated the overall condition of the component in question, and identified the most likely specific causes of any deterioration. The basic methodology of motor and generator condition assessment, and the architecture and processing performed by MICAA to obtain these capabilities were discussed and described. ...
Current medical visualization technology intended for positional guidance in surgical applications may only ever have limited utility in the operating room due to the preexisting visual requirements of surgical practice. Additionally, visual systems impose limits as a result of their high latency, poor image resolution, problems with stereopsis and physical strain upon the user. Audio technology is relatively unexamined in the broad range of available methodologies for medical devices. The potential to translate surgical instrument position into audio feedback presents a novel solution to the human factors and engineering problems faced by visual display technology because audio technology employs a rich and as yet unburdened sensory modality. We describe an experimental system we have developed for investigating this new interface design approach using commercially available hardware. PMID:10173065
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
Planning is an important part of computational model verification and validation (V&V) and the requisite planning document is vital for effectively executing the plan. The document provides a means of communicating intent to the typically large group of people, from program management to analysts to test engineers, who must work together to complete the validation activities. This report provides guidelines for writing a validation plan. It describes the components of such a plan and includes important references and resources. While the initial target audience is the DART Full System Model teams in the nuclear weapons program, the guidelines are generally applicable to other modeling efforts. Our goal in writing this document is to provide a framework for consistency in validation plans across weapon systems, different types of models, and different scenarios. Specific details contained in any given validation plan will vary according to application requirements and available ...
Robotic surgery will give surgeons the ability to perform essentially tremorless microsurgery in tiny spaces with delicate precision and may enable procedures never before possible on children, neonates, and fetuses. Collaboration with radiologists, engineers, and other scientists will permit refinement of image-guided technologies and allow the realization of truly remarkable concepts in minimally invasive surgery. While robotic surgery is now in clinical use in several surgical specialties (heart bypass, prostate removal, and various gastrointestinal procedures), the greatest promise of robotics lies in pediatric surgery. We will briefly review the history and background of robotic technology in surgery, discuss its present benefits and uses and those being explored, and speculate on the future, with attention to the current and potential involvement of imaging modalities and the role of image guidance. (orig.)
This report discusses the topic geothermal resource assessment and its importance to laymen and investors for finding geothermal resources for direct-use applications. These are applications where the heat from lower-temperature geothermal fluids, 120 to 200/sup 0/F, are used directly rather than for generating electricity. The temperatures required for various applications are listed and the various types of geothermal resources are described. Sources of existing resource data are indicated, and the types and suitability of tests to develop more data are described. Potential development problems are indicated and guidance is given on how to decrease technical and financial risk and how to use technical consultants effectively. The objectives of this report are to provide: (1) an introduction low-temperature geothermal resource assessment; (2) experience from a series of recent direct-use projects; and (3) references to additional information.
This report documents the findings of the peer panel constituted by Argonne National Laboratory to review Region A of Westinghouse Electric Corporation's report entitled Waste Package Reference Conceptual Designs for a Repository in Salt. The panel determined that the reviewed report does not provide reasonable assurance that US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requirements for waste packages will be met by the proposed design. It also found that it is premature to call the design a ''reference design,'' or even a ''reference conceptual design.'' This review report provides guidance for the preparation of a more acceptable design document.
The research and development efforts regarding phytoremediation technologies were the main focus of this conference. Phytoremediation is the term for any applied process that uses green plants and their associated microorganisms for remediating contaminated soils and groundwater. The 12 papers presented at this conference provided guidance on recommended requirements for the successful implementation of specific phytoremediation technologies. The mechanisms of phytoremediation for petroleum hydrocarbons were also described. Phytoremediation technologies are divided into two major classes including contaminant removal and contaminant stabilization. Several studies have shown that phytoremediation is effective in degrading, containing and transferring petroleum hydrocarbons in soil and groundwater. Phytoremediation has shown to hold promise for the effective and inexpensive cleanup of various hazardous wastes. refs., tabs., figs.
Before disposing of transuranic radioactive wastes in the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), the United States Department of Energy (DOE) must evaluate compliance with applicable long-term regulations of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Sandia National Laboratories is conducting iterative performance assessments of the WIPP for the DOE to provide interim guidance while preparing for final compliance evaluations. This volume contains an overview of WIPP performance assessment and a preliminary comparison with the long-term requirements of the Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes (40 CFR 191, Subpart B).
Abstract Evaluation of pharmaceutical agents in children is now conducted earlier in the drug development process. An important consideration for this pediatric use is how to assess and support its safety. This article is a collaborative effort of industry toxicologists to review strategies, challenges, and current practice regarding preclinical safety evaluations supporting pediatric drug development with biopharmaceuticals. Biopharmaceuticals include a diverse group of molecular, cell-based or gene therapeutics derived from biological sources or complex biotechnological processes. The principles of preclinical support of pediatric drug development for biopharmaceuticals are similar to those for small molecule pharmaceuticals and in general follow the same regulatory guidances outlined by...
Basic information on photovoltaic conversion technology is provided for those unfamiliar with the field. Various types of photovoltaic products and systems currently available off-the-shelf are described. These include products without batteries, battery chargers, power packages, home electric systems, and partial systems. Procedures are given for designing a photovoltaic system from scratch. A few custom photovoltaic systems are described, and a list is compiled of photovoltaic firms which can provide custom systems. Guidance is offered for deciding whether or not to use photovoltaic products. A variety of installations are described and their performance is appraised by the owners. Information is given on various financial incentives available from state and federal governments. Sources of additional information on photovoltaics are listed. A matrix is provided indicating the sources of various types of photovoltaic products. The addresses of suppliers are ...
In 2009, following approval of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC), the European Commission (EC) created task groups to develop guidance for eleven quality descriptors that form the basis for evaluating ecosystem function. The objective was to provide European countries with practical guidelines for implementing the MSFD, and to produce a Commission Decision that encapsulated key points of the work in a legal framework. This paper presents a review of work carried out by the eutrophication task group, and reports our main findings to the scientific community. On the basis of an operational, management-oriented definition, we discuss the main methodologies that could be used for coastal and marine eutrophication assessment. Emphasis is placed on integrated ap...
The management programs for invasive species have been proposed and implemented in many regions of the world. However, practitioners and scientists have not reached a consensus on how to control them yet. One reason is the presence of various uncertainties associated with the management. To give some guidance on this issue, we characterize the optimal strategy by developing a dynamic model of invasive species management under uncertainties. In particular, focusing on (i) growth uncertainty and (ii) measurement uncertainty, we identify how these uncertainties affect optimal strategies and value functions. Our results suggest that a rise in growth uncertainty causes the optimal strategy to involve more restrained removals and the corresponding value function to shift up. Furthermore, we also...
PURPOSE.- The study aims to clinically validate the defining characteristics (DCs) of the nursing diagnosis (ND) of Activity Intolerance for patients with ischemic heart disease and refractory angina. METHODS.- Cross-sectional study was used, involving 22 patients with ND of Activity Intolerance. The Fehring method was used to validate the ND. FINDINGS.- Most DCs presented reliability indexes between 0.5 and 0.79. Three DCs presented reliability indexes - 0.8. CONCLUSION.- All DCs were validated, and electrocardiographic changes indicating ischemia, verbal report of fatigue, and abnormal rate response to activity were considered as DC major. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE.- This study is relevant in daily nursing practice for guidance in establishing the care plan and describing the ass...
There is a clear incentive, therefore, for early consideration of the measures required to meet noise and vibration standards. The platform or rig owner and the operator are jointly responsible for agreeing a noise and vibration control policy and approach at the conceptual design stage, and for then passing on their requirements to the engineering design teams. The engineering design teams and acoustic and vibration specialists for their part need to use all their skill and judgement to apply that policy to the intensely complex job of designing and fabricating topsides facilities. With these concerns as background, UEG started, and has nearly completed, a two-phase study to provide detailed guidance to project managers and designers to assist them to develop appropriate policy and procedures and to help them put those procedures into practice. This paper describes the development of UEG's study, its application and benefits.
This report, the eighth in a series of annual reports, was prepared in response to congressional inquiries concerning how nuclear regulatory research is used. It summarizes the accomplishments of the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research during FY 1992. A special emphasis on accomplishments in nuclear power plant aging research reflects recognition that a number of plants are entering the final portion of their original 40-year operating licenses and that, in addition to current aging effects, a focus on safety considerations for license renewal becomes timely. The primary purpose of performing regulatory research is to develop and provide the Commission and its staff with the technical bases for regulatory decisions on the safe operation of licensed nuclear reactors and facilities, to find unknown or unexpected safety problems, and to develop data and related information for the purpose of revising the Commission`s rules, regulatory guides, or other guidance.
This report, the eighth in a series of annual reports, was prepared in response to congressional inquiries concerning how nuclear regulatory research is used. It summarizes the accomplishments of the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research during FY 1992. A special emphasis on accomplishments in nuclear power plant aging research reflects recognition that a number of plants are entering the final portion of their original 40-year operating licenses and that, in addition to current aging effects, a focus on safety considerations for license renewal becomes timely. The primary purpose of performing regulatory research is to develop and provide the Commission and its staff with the technical bases for regulatory decisions on the safe operation of licensed nuclear reactors and facilities, to find unknown or unexpected safety problems, and to develop data and related information for the purpose of revising the Commission's rules, regulatory guides, or other ...
In Europe, the use of anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies is restricted to Kirsten RAS (KRAS) wild-type colorectal tumors. Information on the KRAS status of the patients tumor is thus key for clinical practice; however, there is little guidance or definition on which KRAS mutations to assess and how to assess them. To ensure the consistency and the quality of KRAS test results in Europe, an interlaboratory control network needs to be set up. This pilot study aimed to identify the variables that need to be assessed in a quality control scheme and to provide a first assessment in a selected set of laboratories. Fourteen different tumor cases were circulated between 13 laboratories by a central laboratory acting as the referent for the mutation status determination. This study illustrated that of...
Since the fluoroscopic image during nasoenteral tube placements is used for guidance and not for diagnosis, a lower contrast image with increased quantum mottle can be easily tolerated. The three methods to reduce the radiation dose rate investigated consisted of removing camera from the image intensifier output phosphor, and setting the fluoroscopic mA to the minimum value so that the kVp could be maximized. Fluoroscopic frozen video frames of a clinical tube insertion comparing the images with and without the dose-saving techniques are presented. Measurements of the radiation dose rates using a Plexiglas phantom show that the dose for patient and staff during fluoroscopic-guided nasoenteral tube placements can be reduced by over a factor of 10 without significantly adversely affecting the actual placement procedure. (author).
In order to match the output capacity of a geothermal heat pump system (GHPS) with the actual load requirement, research has been carried out in finding the influence of two systematic parameters, the water flow rate inside the condenser and the compressor input frequency on the GHPS operation. Experiments are done on a small-scale GHPS at the water flow rate ranging from 0.054 kg/s to 0.174 kg/s and the frequency from 30 Hz to 55 Hz. The analysis of the experimental data reveals the relationships among the compressor frequency, the water flow rate and other important parameters such as coefficient of performance (COP), heat capacity and compressor power input. The conclusions in the paper can serve as some guidance to the load adjustment of GHPS. (author)
Background An emerging imaging tool, the functional lumen imaging probe (Endoflip; Crospon Ltd, Galway, Ireland), provides a real-time measurement of esophagogastric junction (EGJ) capacity and diameter, which would be of particular interest in functional esophageal surgery such as Heller myotomy and antireflux procedures. This study aimed to demonstrate the intraoperative use of endoflip in the treatment of achalasia and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Methods In the first case, Heller myotomy was performed under endopflip guidance, for persistent dysphagia after failed endoscopic dilatation. In the second case, the endoflip was used to calibrate a Nissen fundoplication. With the patient under general anesthesia, the endoflip catheter was inserted orally and positioned to straddle...
Objective To report the clinical response to image-guided percutaneous cryotherapy (IPC) for the palliative management of localized metastases in patients with gynecologic malignancies. Methods Institutional review board approval and patient consent were obtained. Gynecologic oncology patients were identified from our institution's cryotherapy database from August 2003 to August 2007. Cryotherapy was performed with 2.4?mm diameter probes (Endocare, Irvine, CA) with ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT) guidance under conscious sedation and local anesthesia. Follow-up was conducted by imaging studies and clinical encounters, using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST criteria). Results Twenty-eight ablation sessions were performed for 41 metastatic foci in 15 patients w...
The present Manual provides guidance and illustrative examples for applying a method by which graded quality assurance requirements may be determined and adapted to the items and services of a nuclear power plant in conformance with the requirements of the IAEA Nuclear Safety Standards (NUSS) Code and Safety Guides on quality assurance. The Manual replaces the previous publication IAEA-TECDOC-303 on the same subject. Various methods of grading quality assurance are available in a number of Member States. During the development of the present Manual it was not considered practical to attempt to resolve the differences between those methods and it was preferred to identify and benefit from the good practices available in all the methods. The method presented in this Manual deals with the aspects of management, documentation, control, verification and administration which affect quality. 1 fig., 4 tabs.
The document provides: An overview of CCS technology including what plant equipment is novel and what is currently in use within the CCS or other industries; An in depth guide to carbon dioxide to broaden the readers understanding of the material and its health and safety issues; Key design features of plant and pipelines for carbon dioxide service including experience gained from the industrial gases sector; and Key operational information for plant and pipelines for carbon dioxide service including experience gained from the industrial gases sector to ensure that your operating practices take into account the latest operational experiences from carbon dioxide plant. 45 figs., 18 tabs.
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 ...
This environmental assessment quantifies the water quality-related benefits for Transportation Equipment Cleaning (TEC) facilities based on site-specific analyses of current conditions and the conditions that would be achieved by process changes under proposed BAT (Best Available Technology) and PSES (Pretreatment Standards for Existing Sources) controls. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated instream pollutant concentrations for 157 priority and nonconventional pollutants from three subcategories (barge-chemical and petroleum, rail-chemical, and truck-chemical) of direct and indirect discharges using stream dilution modeling. The potential impacts and benefits to aquatic life are projected by comparing the modeled instream pollutant concentrations to published EPA aquatic life criteria guidance or to toxic effect levels.
The present report describes the study conducted in co-operation with several agencies and organizations from Thailand and covers the energy and electricity requirements and the optimal expansion plans for the power generating system for this country up to year 2011. It is emphasized that the study was carried out by a team of experts from the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB), the National Energy Administration (NEA) and the Office of Atomic Energy for Peace (OAEP), who were fully responsible for all phases of the study, including the production of the present report. The IAEA's responsibility was to provide overall co-ordination and general guidance during the conduct of the study, as well as training and assistance in the implementation and use of the IAEA's computerized planning methodologies on the computer facilities of Thailand. Refs, figs and tabs.
The economic benefits of supplemental fuel injections depend, in part, on the coke replacement ratio. An assessment of the accuracy with which blast furnace coke rate may be measured and a determination of the key drivers of coke rate uncertainty are offered, to provide guidance for experiments in high-rate gas injection. Using statistical analysis tools, an expression for the measurement error associated with the various terms of blast furnace carbon balance is developed. Coke rate calculations based on the material balance are most sensitive to coke carbon content and to proper tracking of hot metal tapping schedule.
This document, which is prepared as directed by the Compliance Order on Consent (COOC) issued by the New Mexico Environment Department, identifies and outlines a process to evaluate remedial alternatives to identify a corrective measure for the Sandia National Laboratories New Mexico Technical Area (TA)-V Groundwater. The COOC provides guidance for implementation of a Corrective Measures Evaluation (CME) for the TA-V Groundwater. This Work Plan documents an initial screening of remedial technologies and presents a list of possible remedial alternatives for those technologies that passed the screening. This Work Plan outlines the methods for evaluating these remedial alternatives and describes possible site-specific evaluation activities necessary to estimate remedy effectiveness and cost. These methods will be reported in the CME Report. This Work Plan outlines the CME Report, including key components and a description of the corrective measures process.
This document, which is prepared as directed by the Compliance Order on Consent (COOC) issued by the New Mexico Environment Department, identifies and outlines a process to evaluate remedial alternatives to identify a corrective measure for the Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico Technical Area (TA)-V Groundwater. The COOC provides guidance for implementation of a Corrective Measures Evaluation (CME) for the TA-V Groundwater. This Work Plan documents an initial screening of remedial technologies and presents a list of possible remedial alternatives for those technologies that passed the screening. This Work Plan outlines the methods for evaluating these remedial alternatives and describes possible site-specific evaluation activities necessary to estimate remedy effectiveness and cost. These methods will be reported in the CME Report. This Work Plan outlines the CME Report, including key components and a description of the corrective measures process.
The author presents a detailed and quantitative description of all of the programs, systems, sensors and experiments associated with the next 30 years of space endeavors by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Derived from the fifth issue of the NASA Space Systems Technology Model, the missions and payloads are categorized by applications area: solar system exploration, astrophysics, earth sciences, communications, space transportation and utilization of the space environment. Far-term missions are described as opportunity missions and landmark missions, for the distant future. Technology requirements are collected by discipline: power, propulsion, materials, structures, information systems, navigation, guidance and control. Payload technology requirements are organized by instrument sensing range. This information defines in quantitative terms, the opportunities and limits for future civilian space system capabilities.
Condensed matter black hole analogues may provide guidance in grappling with difficult questions about the role of short distance physics in the Hawking effect. These questions bear on the very existence of Hawking radiation, the correlations it may or may not carry, the nature of black hole entropy, and the possible loss of information when a black hole evaporates. We describe a model of black hole formation and evaporation and the loss of information to a disconnected universe in a thin film of 3He-A, and we explain why the existence of Hawking radiation has not yet been demonstrated in this model. [We would like this article to be accessible to researchers in both condensed matter and gravitational physics, hence we include more than the usual amount of introductory material.
Adaptive radiation therapy for liver cancer has the potential to reduce normal tissue complications and enable dose escalation, allowing the potential for tumor control in this challenging site. Using adaptive techniques to tailor treatment margins to reflect patient-specific breathing motions and image-guidance techniques can reduce the high dose delivered to surrounding normal tissues while ensuring that the prescription dose is delivered to the tumor. Several treatment planning and delivery techniques have been developed for use in the liver, including a margin to encompass the full breathing motion, mean position techniques, which evaluate the probability of tumor location during breathing, breath hold, gating, and tracking. Patient selection, clinical workflow, and quality assurance m...
Experiences in hazardous materials transportation show that purely strategic or planning approaches have considerable shortcomings and that real-time management must be addressed. The commercialization of advanced location and communications technology provides the basis for real-time guidance. Considering the possibilities this new technology offers, a real-time routing model is proposed. It is based on the premises that a human dispatcher must assess the impacts of sudden events on safety and transportation costs and evaluate safe and cost-effective routing alternatives. Due to high uncertainty and time constraints in this real-time environment, risks and transportation costs are expressed as preferences on an ordinal scale. The model has been integrated into a decision support system and assessed in an experimental setting. This ordinal preference model turned out to be superior to a utility approach due to its robustness in risk assessment and route selection
Various volume-reduction methods are discussed and their capabilities evaluated. The following volume-reduction methods have the greatest potential at this time: forced-circulation evaporator/crystallizer; incinerator (conventional type); compactor; fluidized-bed calciner/incinerator; fluidized-bed dryer/incinerator; thin-film evaporator; extruder/evaporator; drum mixer; ribbon blender; inert-carrier evaporative process; molten-glass incinerator. The first eight system types listed above have been improved to the point of commercial viability.
The authors continued their efforts in studying the mechanism of carbalkoxylation of {sigma}-vinyls bound to platinum(II). In this work, the focus was specifically on the reductive elimination of {alpha},{beta}-unsaturated carboxylic esters form the carbonylated, alkoylated intermediates. Crystal structures of the carbonylated (12) and alkoxylated (13) intermediates were reported. Kinetic and NMR studies indicate that reductive elimination proceeds via a preequilibration involving phosphine dissociation, followed by a rate-determining trans-cis isomerization. 35 refs., 3 figs., 5 tabs.
Data generated in the fields of science, technology, business and in many other fields of research are increasing in an exponential rate. The way to extract knowledge from a huge set of data is a challenging task. This paper aims to propose a hybrid and viable method to deal with an information system in data mining, using topological techniques and the significance of the attributes measured using rough set theory, to compute the reduct, This will reduce the randomness in the process of elimination of redundant attributes, which, in turn, will reduce the complexity of the computation of reducts of an information system where a large amount of data have to be processed.
The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a key installation for the production and research of nuclear materials for national defense and peace time applications and has been operating a full nuclear fuel cycle since the early 1950s. Wastes generated include high level radioactive, transuranic, low level radioactive, hazardous, mixed, sanitary, and aqueous wastes. Much progress has been made during the last several years to reduce these wastes including management systems, characterization, and technology programs. The reduction of wastes generated and the proper handling of the wastes have always been a part of the Site's operation. This paper summarizes the current status and future plans with respect to waste reduction to waste reduction and reviews some specific examples of successful activities.
The Savannah River Site (SRS) is a key installation for the production and research of nuclear materials for national defense and peace time applications and has been operating a full nuclear fuel cycle since the early 1950s. Wastes generated include high level radioactive, transuranic, low level radioactive, hazardous, mixed, sanitary, and aqueous wastes. Much progress has been made during the last several years to reduce these wastes including management systems, characterization, and technology programs. The reduction of wastes generated and the proper handling of the wastes have always been a part of the Site`s operation. This paper summarizes the current status and future plans with respect to waste reduction to waste reduction and reviews some specific examples of successful activities.
The 6n-dimensional phase space of the planetary (1+n)-body problem (after the classical reduction of the total linear momentum) is shown to be foliated by symplectic leaves of dimension (6n?2) invariant for the planetary Hamiltonian Formula Not Shown . Such foliation is described by means of a new global set of Darboux coordinates related to a symplectic (partial) reduction of rotations. On each symplectic leaf Formula Not Shown has the same form and it is shown to preserve classical symmetries. Further sets of Darboux coordinates may be introduced on the symplectic leaves so as to achieve a complete (total) reduction of rotations. Next, by explicit computations, it is shown that, in the reduced settings, certain degeneracies are removed. In particular, full torsion is checked both in the ...
curves are also directly translatable to metal-matrix composites. ..... 4~f4'4 ..... result of learning curve. The most important reduction in cost as a ...
Purpose PR-104, a bioreductive prodrug in clinical trial, is a phosphate ester which is rapidly metabolized to the corresponding alcohol PR-104A. This dinitrobenzamide mustard is activated by reduction to hydroxylamine (PR-104H) and amine (PR-104M) metabolites selectively in hypoxic cells, and also independently of hypoxia by aldo-keto reductase (AKR) 1C3 in some tumors. Here, we evaluate reductive metabolism of PR-104A in mice and its significance for host toxicity. Methods The pharmacokinetics of PR-104, PR-104A and its reduced metabolites were investigated in plasma and tissues of mice (with and without SiHa or H460 tumor xenografts) and effects of potential oxidoreductase inhibitors were evaluated. Results Pharmacokinetic studies identified extensive non-tumor reduction of PR-104A to t...
This paper summarizes the main features of four current REDD proposals: Compensated Reduction, Papua New Guinea et al; Joint Research Center; and Brazil. ... ...
The objective of this project was to develop new photocatalytic or other innovative process chemistry for the treatment of pink water and related contaminated water.
Lifespan can be extended by reduction of dietary intake. This practice is referred to as dietary restriction (DR), and extension of lifespan by DR is evolutionarily conserved in taxonomically diverse...Full Text Available
A modest reduction in body temperature prolongs longevity and possibly retards aging in both poikilotherm and homeotherm animals. Some of the possible mechanisms mediating these effects are...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
New methods for the reduction and remediation of hazardous wastes like carcinogenic organic solvents, toxic materials, and nuclear contamination are vital to environmental health. Procedures for effective...Full Text Available
The study of SO{sub 2} reduction in non-aqueous solvent can help to understand the functioning of Li/SO{sub 2} batteries and to find a simpler way for the synthesis of Li{sub 2}S{sub 2}O{sub 4} dithionite. This paper presents the results of electrochemical studies (cycle volt-amperometry in semi-infinite and thin film diffusion conditions, visible spectro-electrochemistry) and spectroscopic studies (UV, visible and RPE) performed on SO{sub 2} solutions. A mechanism of SO{sub 2} reduction is proposed and discussed. (J.S.) 18 refs.
Feature selection refers to the problem of selecting relevant features which produce the most predictive outcome. In particular, feature selection task is involved in datasets containing huge number of features. Rough set theory has been one of the most successful methods used for feature selection. However, this method is still not able to find optimal subsets. This paper proposes a new feature selection method based on Rough set theory hybrid with Bee Colony Optimization (BCO) in an attempt to combat this. This proposed work is applied in the medical domain to find the minimal reducts and experimentally compared with the Quick Reduct, Entropy Based Reduct, and other hybrid Rough Set methods such as Genetic Algorithm (GA), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO).
... this correction results In only a email error, since the isothoraal tests wore run at roon tomporcturo, -nd simplifies the reduction of isotherme! ...
The amdlib AMBER data reduction software is meant to produce AMBER data products from the raw data files that are sent to the PIs of different proposals or that can be found in the ESO data archive. The way defined by ESO to calibrate the data is to calibrate one science data file with a calibration one, observed as close in time as possible. Therefore, this scheme does not take into account instrumental drifts, atmospheric variations or visibility-loss corrections, in the current AMBER data processing software, amdlib. In this article, we present our approach to complement this default calibration scheme, to perform the final steps of data reduction, and to produce fully calibrated AMBER data products. These additional steps include: an overnight view of the data structure and data quality, the production of night transfer functions from the calibration stars observed during the night, the correction of additional effects not taken into ...
This case study, conducted from an interpretive paradigm, illuminates contextual factors related to the tutor experience when senior undergraduate dental hygiene students served as tutors for beginning undergraduate dental hygiene students, or sophomores, in a 1-semester, 2-hour long problem-based learning (PBL) course in a Baccalaureate Dental Hygiene (BDH) curriculum during the spring semester of 2008. Data were collected using various sources and methods. Six tutors and three administrators were interviewed, tutees completed an anonymous questionnaire, the tutorial process and tutor training sessions were observed, and related documents were examined. Data analysis included open and axial coding, creation of tutor profiles, and identification of patterns. Tutor behaviors varied with respect to the nature of intervention (e.g., telling, asking, clarifying, acknowledging), emphasis (process, content, social), and facilitation style (directive, suggestive, empowering). Patterns in ...
Recently, under the de-regulation environment, nuclear industry has attempted various approaches to improve the economics of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP). One of these efforts is the Risk Informed/Performance-based Operation (RIPBO). This approach uses the risk and performance information to manage the resources effectively and efficiently that are used in the operation of NPP. In RIPBO, PSA quality is one of the most important things. The nuclear industry and regulatory body of U.S.A have developed a measure to evaluate the quality of PSA. NEI (Nuclear Energy Institute) has developed a guidance called 'NEI PRA Peer Review Guidance,' and NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Committee) and ASME have developed the 'PRA Standard.' In Korea, several projects are on going now, such as the extension of AOT/STI of RPS/ESFAS, Risk-informed In-service Inspection (RI-ISI). However, in Korea, there have been no attempts to evaluate ...
The overall objective of this project is to provide research guidance and quantification of research progress in the areas of direct and indirect coal liquefaction, coal/waste coprocessing, refining of coal-derived liquid fuels, and natural gas conversion. Specifically, the work is divided into two subtasks that relate to whether the technology application is direct or indirect. In subtask (a), Direct Coal Liquefaction technology is the subject of the analyses, and in subtask (b), Indirect Liquefaction, technologies will be evaluated in accordance with the priorities of the COR. Mitretek Systems has been developing detailed computer simulation models of direct and indirect coal and natural gas conversion systems for several years. These models are constantly being updated and improved as more data and better cost information becomes available. These models also include detailed refinery models based on bench-scale upgrading data of coal derived liquid fuels to ...
We wanted to assess the usefulness of four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonography (US), i.e., real-time three-dimensional US, as an adjunct for performing various US-guided interventional procedures in superficial lesion. Thirty-three patients were referred for US-guided interventional procedures for superficial lesions, including core biopsy in 19, fine- needle aspriation in eight, therapeutic drug injection in four and needle puncture in two. The procedures were performed under 4D US guidance. We reviewed the pathologic/cytologic results of the core biopsies or needle aspirations, and also the outcomes of drug injection or needle puncture. For all the patients who underwent 4D US-guided core biopsy, the specimens were adequate for making the pathological diagnosis, and specimens were successfully obtained for those patients who underwent 4D US-guided aspiration. The patients treated with 4D US-guided therapeutic drug injection or needle puncture had a good response. No ...
An internal flooding (IF) risk assessment refers to the quantitative probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) treatment of flooding as a result of pipe and tank breaks inside the plants, as well as from other recognized flood sources. The industry consensus standard for Internal Events Probabilistic Risk Assessment (ASME-RA-Sb-2005) includes high-level and supporting technical requirements for developing internal flooding probabilistic risk assessment (IFPRA). This industry standard is endorsed in Regulatory Guide 1.200, Revision 1 as an acceptable approach for addressing the risk contribution from IF events for risk informed applications that require U.S. Nuclear Regulatory commission (NRC) approval. In 2006, EPRI published a draft report for IFPRA that addresses the requirements of the ASME PRA consensus standard and have made efforts to refine and update the final EPRI IFPRA guideline. Westinghouse has performed an IFPRA analysis for several nuclear power plants (NPPs), such as Watts ...
This Current Year Work Plan presents in detail a description of the activities to be performed by the Joint Integration Office/RI during FY86. It breaks down the activities into two major work areas: Program Management and Program Analysis. Program Management is performed by the JIO/RI by providing technical planning and guidance for the development of advanced TRU waste management capabilities. This includes equipment/facility design, engineering, construction, and operations. These functions are integrated to allow transition from interim storage to final disposition. JIO/RI tasks include program requirements identification, long-range technical planning, budget development, program planning document preparation, task guidance development, task monitoring, task progress information gathering and reporting to DOE, interfacing with other agencies and DOE lead programs, integrating public involvement with program efforts, and preparation of ...
High-intensity contact ultrasound (HICU) under MRI guidance may provide minimally invasive treatment of endocavitary digestive tumors in the esophagus, colon or rectum. In this study, a miniature receive-only coil was integrated into an endoscopic ultrasound applicator to offer high-resolution MRI guidance of thermotherapy. A cylindrical plastic support with an incorporated single element flat transducer (9.45 MHz, water cooling tip) was made and equipped with a rectangular RF loop coil surrounding the active element. The integrated coil provided significantly higher sensitivity than a four-element extracorporeal phased array coil, and the standard deviation of the MR thermometry (SDT) improved up to a factor of 7 at 10 mm depth in tissue. High-resolution morphological images (T1w-TFE and IR-T1w-TSE with a voxel size of 0.25 x 0.25 x 3 mm3) and accurate thermometry data (the PRFS method with a voxel size of 0.5 x 0.5 x 5 mm3, 2.2 s/image, 0.3 ...
The NCRP Wound Model, which describes the retention of selected radionuclides at the site of a contaminated wound and their uptake into the transfer compartment, has been combined with the ICRP element-specific systemic models for those radionuclides to derive dose coefficients for intakes via contaminated wounds. These coefficients can be used to generate derived regulatory guidance (i.e., the activity in a wound that would result in an effective dose of 20 or 50 mSv, or in some cases, a organ-equivalent dose of 500 mSv) and clinical decision guidance (i.e., activity levels that would indicate the need for consideration of medical intervention to remove activity from the wound site, administration of decorporation therapy or both). Data are provided for 38 radionuclides commonly encountered in various activities such as nuclear weapons, fuel fabrication or recycling, waste disposal, medicine, research, and nuclear power. These include 3H, 14C, ...
A community greenhouse gas emission and energy inventory is an important tool to help local governments plan, implement and monitor climate change mitigation strategies and sustainable energy systems. Inventories can also facilitate a number of other local priorities such as air quality management; integrated land-use and transportation planning; infrastructure optimization and planning; and community economic development planning. The British Columbia government's community energy and emissions inventory initiative (CEEI) intends to collect and centralize high-quality geocoded data to generate high-value community inventories for the province's 185 local governments. This report presented strategic guidance for a comprehensive community emissions inventory system based on a high level review of international best practices. The report described the project objective and scope; guiding principles; research methodology; and inventory limitations. The report provided ...
The present state of knowledge on the influence of stray radiation on image quality and its physical description and quantification is summarized. Experimental results on the influence of physical parameters on the fraction of scattered radiation and the effect of scatter reduction by air gap technique and secondary radiation grids are committed. Open theoretical and practical problems and the limitations of common methods of scatter reduction are pointed out. (author).
...Site Home About The Project Advisory Board Advisory Board Kenneth Geiser Omar Friella Darryl Young Jennie Curtis Michael Maniates Stuart Baker Beverly Thorpe Erica Priggen Kenneth Geiser is Professor of Work Environment and Director of the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Ken is one of the authors of the landmark Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act and served as Director of the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction ...
The authors study the general features of the dimensional reduction scheme for multi-dimensional spaces of the type M/sup 4/ x S/R, S/R being a symmetric coset space. The properties of the scalar potentials of the reduced theories are investigated and an effective method of explicit calculation of these potentials is elaborated. They consider also a wide class of embeddings of Lie subalgebras into simple Lie algebras resulting in reduced theories of physical interest.
Reduction of wavefunction which transforms as scalar field imaginary mass system has been derived in terms of irreducible representation of proper, orthochronous, inhomogeneous Lorentz group and it has been shown that only transformation properties of wavefunction are needed in the derivation while the reality condition and wave equations only restrict the number of independent representations. The properties of energy and momentum of tachyons have been analysed and it has been shown that the tachyons are unidirectional in space. (author).
The reduction of four-vector and electromagnetic fields produced by spin-1 tachyons has been derived in terms of standard helicity representations of inhomogeneous Lorentz group, and the conditions for these superluminal electromagnetic fields to satisfy the Maxwell's field equations have been derived. 16 refs.
The use of low rank coal leads to a reduction of the coke strength because of the reduction of the caking property of coking coal. The authors have tried to understand this mechanism by extracting and analyzing the caking component of low rank coal and coking coal. It was found that the caking component is decreased by radical attack from the low rank coal, and thus the caking property is reduced. 11 figs., 3 tabs.
The W_3"2 algebra is deduced by the Marsden-Ratiu reduction in the bi-Hamiltonian framework proposed by Magri et al and compared with the usual derivations via the Drinfeld-Sokolov formalism. It is observed that the choice of A in the first Poisson tensor must be different for W_3"2 algebra. (orig.).
An IR spectroscopic study of the reduction of copper-exchanged Linde Na-Y zeolite with hydrogen or carbon monoxide and oxidation with oxygen or oxygen-18 showed that copper(I) and AlO(+1) are formed during reduction, and that oxidation generates copper(II) ions but does not change the aluminum species. Trigonally coordinated aluminum was not detected.
The electrochemical intercalation of non-solvated lithium in different graphited materials has been performed in LiClO{sub 4}-ethylene carbonate (EC) medium. The irreversible capacity observed during the first output is mainly due to the formation of a passivation layer made of electrolyte reduction products. These products have been characterized for different electrode reduction potentials using transmission electron microscopy (image, diffraction) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). EC reduction on the electrode surface in presence of LiClO{sub 4} leads to the formation of Li{sub 2}CO{sub 3} for potentials close to 0.8 V vs Li{sup +}/Li. For lower potentials, the electrolyte reduction reaction goes on with the formation of different lithium alkyl-carbonates. In LiClO{sub 4}-propylene carbonate (PC) medium, the interface phenomena are different. The reduction of a ...
This paper describes a process for the direct production of a superconductive niobium-titanium alloy during reduction of niobium pentoxide. It comprises: mixing at least one of titanium metal powder and titanium dioxide powder with niobium pentoxide powder and aluminum powder; heating the resulting mixture to form a niobium-titanium alloy and a slag consisting essentially of aluminum oxide; and separating the alloy and the slag.
Dengue virus (DENV) infection is a worsening global health problem. The plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) is currently considered to be the “gold standard” to characterize...Full Text Available
Constraining the SL(3) WZW-model we construct a reduced theory which is invariant with respect to the new chiral algebra W_3"2. This symmetry is generated by the stress-energy tensor, two bosonic currents with spins 3/2 and the U(1) current. We conjecture a Kac formula that describes the highly reducible representation for this algebra. We also discuss the quantum Hamiltonian reduction for the general type of constraints that leads to the new extended conformal algebras. (orig.).
Cathodic reduction of non-terminal vinylaxides on Hg cathodes in the presence of electrophiles gives reasonable yields of N-acylated enamines in an electrochemically totally irreversible reaction. In the presence of added H-donors rather high selectivity for formation of saturated amides is achieveable. The influence of reaction conditions on product distribution is discussed.
This report reviews Nova Scotia's initiatives in support of the Canada-Nova Scotia Acid Rain Reduction Agreement. In addition to discussing sodium dioxide emmisions and potential impacts, the report comments on new developments and initiatives to address other emerging air quality issues.
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).
Simple hydroxamic acids have been shown to have useful applications in an Advanced Purex process for the reprocessing of irradiated nuclear fuel. They are especially suited to the separation of neptunium (IV) from uranium (VI) by the selective formation of a hydrophilic complex with Np(IV). U(VI) extraction in to 30% tributyl phosphate is unaffected. However, they have also been shown to be very fast reducing agents for Np(VI). The timescales of the reduction have been defined under a range of typical Purex Process conditions although the accurate determination of the reaction kinetics was not possible due to the rapidity of the reaction. U(VI) was shown not to be reduced. Therefore, Np(VI) can be efficiently reductively stripped when solvent phase (30% tributyl phosphate in odourless kerosene) solutions of Np(VI) and U(VI) are contacted with aqueous phase hydroxamic acid solutions. The slow reduction of plutonium (IV) to ...
A thermal analyzer-differential scanning calorimeter-mass spectrometer (TG-DSC-MS) was used to study oxygen carriers (OC) for their potential use for the application of chemical looping combustion (CLC) to solid fuels. Reaction rates, changes in reaction rates with repeated oxidation-reductions, exothermic heats during oxidation, and the effect of changing reduction gas compositions were studied. Oxidation rates were greater than reduction rates and reaction rates were reproducible through multiple oxidation-reduction cycles except where agglomeration occurred with powders. Iron oxide (Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder) and iron-based catalysts were found suitable for CLC of solid fuels having rapid reduction rates which increased with higher reducing gas concentrations. Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} powder was used to oxidize a high carbon coal char in an inert gas removing 88% of the carbon from the ...
In the 5th year of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Technical Cooperation Project 'Seismic Risk Reduction for Buildings and Structures in Romania', the implementing agency - National Center for Seismic Risk Reduction (NCSRR) and JICA jointly organized the International Symposium on Seismic Risk Reduction (ISSRR-2007) held in Bucharest at the Romanian Academy Library in the period April 26-27, 2007. The present volume contains the Proceedings of the International Symposium on Seismic Risk Reduction, ISSRR-2007. The Proceedings are organized in three parts: (I) keynote lectures, (II) papers on the results of JICA Project in Romania and (III) contributions from authors. Eight keynote lectures by specialists from Japan, USA, France and Greece, and fourteen papers on the results of JICA Project are included. The contributions from authors are divided in five sections: (i) Seismicity, Seismic ...
The design boron concentration of the Boron Injection Tank (BIT) in Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station is 21000 #mu#g/g. The BIT should operate under high temperature to avoid boron crystallization, causing higher evaporation, frequent water makeup, higher deposition and pipe blockage to decrease the operability of the safety injection system. The author proposes to decrease the boron concentration in BIT from 21000 #mu#g/g to 7000 #mu#g/g to solve the existing problem. The safety analyses (core DNBR and containment response) are conducted and other impacts are evaluated for the BIT reduction. The analysis results show that the core DNBR meets the safety criterion and the containment pressure is within the design value for the steam line rupture accident after the BIT reduction. The feasibility study report of Daya bay BIT reduction has been approved by NNSA. The site implementation of BIT reduction has ...
In this study, considering that Hg(2+) in wet flue gas desulfurization (FGD) systems can easily be reduced and then released into atmosphere, causing secondary pollution, the researches about Hg(2+) reduction and Hg(0) re-emission mechanism were carried out. The effects of several experimental parameters on the reduction were studied, including initial pH, temperature, and concentrations of Cl(-) and S(IV). Our experimental results indicated that Cl(-) had a restraining effect on the Hg(2+) reduction and Hg(0) re-emission, after 24h reaction, only 20.5% of Hg(2+) was reduced with 100mM Cl(-) in simulated desulfurization solution. Cl(-) can slow Hg(2+) reduction and Hg(0) re-emissions dramatically through changing reaction mechanism, with formation of new intermediate: ClHgSO(3)(-), which can decompose to Hg(0), but much more slowly than Hg(SO(3))(2)(2-) or HgSO(3). Simulating the conditions of the ...
The technology for flue gas desulfurization (FGD) with seawater is widely adopted by coal-fired power plants in coastal areas. SO2 in the flue gas is absorbed by alkaline seawater and transfered in aqueous phase as sulfite (SO3(2-)), and most SO3(2-) is transformed to sulfate (SO4(2-)) after an aeration process. The remaining SO3(2-) in the seawater discharged to sea area may be harmful to marine organism because of its biological toxicity, thus it is necessary to determine the concentration of SO3(2-) in the seawater for desulfurization. In this study, the method of determination of SO3(2-) in the seawater by ion chromatography was investigated. The separation was achieved on an IonPac AS14A column with 14 mmol/L NaOH-12 mmol/L Na2 CO3 solution as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.2 mL/min, and the detection was performed by a pulsed amperometric detector. Formaldehyde was added as a protective agent when sampling because the SO3(2-) is easy to be oxidized. To ...
Studies have linked cell phone radiation to health problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, cancer and more. There is a latency period for most diseases and it may take years and more studies before the required weight of evidence is established. But the effects are cumulative and precautions should be taken now before it is too late. The aim of the present study was to investigate if supplementation with antioxidants would protect heart and liver tissues from harmful radiation emitted by cell phone. Thirty two male albino rats were randomly divided into four equal groups: I- Control, II- Antioxidants treated group, III- 950 MHz EMR, IV- 950 MHz EMR + antioxidants. A 950 MHz EMR radiation (217-Hz pulse rate, 2-W maximum peak power, SAR Specific Absorption Rate"1.6 W/Kg) was applied to groups III and IV 60 min/day, for 30 days using an experimental exposure device. Antioxidants supplement (Vitamins A, E and C + Se) was administered to rats daily, by gavages, ...
The strategy for building SASOL plants reflects a commitment to long-range planning. The first plant, which represented a large investment for a moderate production capacity, was built to establish a technology for reducing South Africa's dependence on imported motor fuels. After the success of the plant, SASOL made plans for a larger plant, which had to be justified solely on economic grounds. At that time, petroleum crude was cheap and plentiful, and the second plant was cancelled. But when OPEC formed and the price of petroleum crude was increased, the South African government reconsidered the plans for another SASOL plant. Furthermore, because the cost of fuels produced at Sasol I proved to be significantly insensitive to inflation and future OPEC price increases were expected, SASOL projected that a new, larger plant should make a profit within a few years after its initial operation. But OPEC prices and inflation have risen even faster than anticipated, and the products ...
The strategy for building SASOL plants reflects a commitment to long-range planning. The first plant, which represented a large investment for a moderate production capacity, was built to establish a technology for reducing South Africa's dependence on imported motor fuels. After the success of the plant, SASOL made plans for a larger plant, which had to be justified solely on economic grounds. At that time, petroleum crude was cheap and plentiful, and the second plant was cancelled. But when OPEC formed and the price of petroleum crude was increased, the South African government reconsidered the plans for another SASOL plant. Furthermore, because the cost of fuels produced at Sasol I proved to be significantly insensitive to inflation and future OPEC price increases were expected, SASOL projected that a new, larger plant should make a profit within a few years after its initial operation. But OPEC prices and inflation have risen even faster than anticipated, and the products ...
Sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) is a vertebrate pesticide widely used for possum control in New Zealand. Fluoroacetate is also a toxic component of poisonous plants found in Australia, South Africa, South America, and India. Because of its importance and effectiveness in pest control and the highly toxic nature of this compound, its acute sub-lethal and target organ toxicity have been extensively studied. In relation to its use as a pesticide its environmental fate, persistence, non-target impacts and general toxicology have been and continue to be extensively studied. Toxic baits must be prepared and used with extreme care, otherwise humans, livestock, and non-target wildlife will be put at risk. The high risk of secondary poisoning of dogs is a cause for concern. 1080 acts by interfering with cellular energy production. Possums die from heart failure, usually within 6-18 h of eating baits. Long-term exposure to sub-lethal doses can have harmful effects and strict ...
Full text: The general population is daily exposed to chronic, low doses of ionizing radiation (IR) from both natural and artificial sources. The biological consequences of acute, high dose IR exposure can be readily determined; however, the nature and significance of low dose, low dose-rate IR effects are still the subject of debate. Confounding the issue, are the phenomena collectively referred to as the Radiation-induced Bystander Effect (RIBE). The RIBE describes a collection of in vitro observations that suggest the presence of a soluble, transmissible factor(s) released from irradiated cells that can induce a biological response in un-irradiated cells. The induction, nature and magnitude of the RIBE varies between cell culture systems, radiation sources and end-points measured. Efforts to confirm the presence of the RIBE in vivo have been confined to in vivo-like culture systems and limited work with tumour and bone-marrow transplantation models. Validation of the RIBE in vivo ...
A cryogenic separation method of chloromethane (CH{sub 3}Cl) from methyl iodide (CH{sub 3}I) for {delta}{sup 37}Cl measurement with isotope ratio mass spectrometer is described. A cold trap with sealed 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (TMP) as the cryogen is used in this method. CH{sub 3}Cl can be separated from CH{sub 3}I at the TMP melting point (-107 deg. C) based on the difference in the vapor pressure between CH{sub 3}Cl (322.6 Pa) and CH{sub 3}I (lower than 1.3 Pa) at -107 deg. C. After two-step separation processes, the yields of CH{sub 3}Cl purified from CH{sub 3}Cl-CH{sub 3}I mixture are 96-101%, and the difference between the {delta}{sup 37}Cl{sub original} and {delta}{sup 37}Cl{sub Afterseparation} is from -0.06 to +0.06 per mille (0.01 {+-} 0.04 per mille ). These results suggest that CH{sub 3}Cl is completely separated from CH{sub 3}I with no change of {delta}{sup 37}Cl value. This method using the cold trap with sealed TMP is very safe and not harmful, because ...
The subjects, principles and purpose of the atomic energy law and the radiation protection law are set out, and criminal offences under atomic energy law are outlined explaining the legal terminology applied. The peaceful uses of nuclear energy and radioactive materials are briefly discussed, primarily looking at the hazards involved and the protective role of criminal law principles that have been developed in connection with the atomic energy law and its application in practice. The draft version of the 16th criminal law amendment act - Act to combat environmental delinquency - is discussed, which aims at adoption of all criminal offences under atomic energy law by the Criminal Code. The book furthermore presents considerations about basic features of delinquency under atomic energy and radiation protection law, revealing elements and facts of offences defined, and particular problems resulting thereof. The question arises, e.g., whether an incorporation of the provisions into the ...
Carbonyl compounds constitute an important reactive class of non methane volatile organic compounds. They can be emitted directly to the atmosphere from primary sources such as combustion engines, landfills and wastewater surfaces or as secondary products by the photochemical oxidation of hydrocarbons and other volatile organic compounds 1-3. Carbonyls photo-oxidize during the day to produce toxic radicals such as OH, HO_2, RO and RO_2. These species react with nitrogen oxides (NOx) and other VOCs present in the atmosphere to form tropospheric ozone (O_3); a highly reactive oxidizing agent that is harmful to human health, agricultural products and climate 4, 5. Hence identifying the levels and sources of ozone precursors such as low carbonyls, carbon monoxide (CO) and NOx derivatives, and understanding their physical and chemical transformation in the troposphere is an important task due to their atmospheric and adverse health implications. Diurnal variations of ...
The effects of different exposure concentrations of palladium (Pd) on relative metallothionein (MT) response and bioaccumulation were investigated in zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). The mussels were exposed to 0.05, 5, 50, and 500 ?g/L Pd2+ for 10 weeks under controlled temperature and fasting conditions. Relative MT contents were assessed by a modified Ag-saturation method, which allows to discriminate between MT bound to Pd (Pd-MT) and MT bound to unidentified metals (Ag-MT). Determination of metal contents resulted from atomic absorption spectrometry following a microwave digestion. For unexposed mussels and mussels exposed to 0.05 ?g/L Pd no metal accumulation could be detected. All other exposure concentrations resulted in detectable Pd accumulation in mussels with final tissue concentrations of 96 ?g/g (500 ?g/L), 45 ?g/g (50 ?g/L), and 9 ?g/g (5 ?g/L). Compared with initial levels Pd-MT concentrations at the end of the exposure period were 600 (500 ?g/L), 160 (50 ?g/L), ...
The operation and proper handling of equipment for measuring EMR-300 electromagnetic waves are studied and apply that knowledge to determine which areas of the metropolitan area are mostly affected by exposure to the emission of radiation. This team is able to measure magnetic field strength, electric field strength and power density, also can measure the most important parameters in a simple manner. International standards provide maximum values for these parameters that limit human exposure to such radiation. These standards are based on epidemiological several and laboratory that have been carried out in order to determine in which circumstances a biological entity is exposed to a level of radiation that can cause harm to their health. It focuses on measuring the level of radiation in certain areas of interest, which were chosen because are areas with high population density and also in proximity to antennas that emit electromagnetic waves. Before carrying out ...
Vermicomposts as a biofertilizer can be a great option for pond manuring as they never cause any long term harm to the soil like chemical fertilizer. In this study vegetable and horticulture waste was used as an important media for vermiculture. Three separate cemented tanks (6 m{sup 3} each) were used in the system as control tank, vermicompost fertilized tank and inorganic fertilizer manured tank. Monoculture of fish was carried out with cat fish, Clarias batrachus. The produced earthworms were used as fish feed. Regular monitoring of water parameter was conducted in three different ponds. Specifically, the algal biomass variation was quite helpful in analysing the behavior of the ponds. NPK value of soil samples was analyzed intermittently to know the eutrophication level. Despite the hot summer temperature in northern part of India, which is not ideal for fish growth, we have recorded an encouraging growth performance in organic manured pond along with ...
The article presents the comparative bench testing results of a naturally aspirated four stroke, four cylinder, water cooled, direct injection Diesel engine when running on shale oil that has been treated with multi-functional fuel additives. The purpose of the research is to evaluate the effectiveness of the fuel additives Marisol FT (Sweden) and SO-2E (Estonia) as well as to verify their ability to increase energy conversion and reduce brake specific fuel consumption, contamination and smoke opacity of the exhausts when fuelling the Diesel engine with shale oil. Test results show that application of these additives could be a very efficient means to improve diesel engine performance on shale oil, especially when operating at the light load range. The brake specific fuel consumption at light loads and speeds of 1400-2000 min{sup -1} reduces by 18.3-11.0% due to the application of the Marisol FT. The additive SO-2E proves to produce nearly the same effect. The total NO{sub x} emission ...
The space environment consists of a varying field of radiation particles including high-energy ions, with spacecraft shielding material providing the only major protection to astronauts from harmful exposure. Unlike low-linear energy transfer (LET) {gamma} or X-rays, the presence of shielding does not always reduce the radiation risks for energetic charged particle exposure, since the dose delivered by the charged particle increases sharply as the particle approaches the end of its range, a position known as the Bragg peak. The Bragg curve does not necessarily represent the biological damage along the particle traversal, and the 'biological Bragg curve' is dependent on the energy and the type of the primary particle, and may vary for different biological endpoints. Here we used a unique irradiation geometry to measure the biological response across the Bragg curve in human fibroblasts exposed to 577MeV/nucleon incident Fe ions in vitro. ...
Efforts to assess and quantify deleterious effects from toxicants concentrate mainly on single agents whereas real world environmental and occupational exposures to natural and anthropogenic agents entail quite often the concomitant presence of several toxicants. For occupational important exposure situations, combined exposures to physical and chemical agents such as radon and smoking or asbestos and smoking, respectively, were shown to produce over-additive effects at exposure levels typical for earlier workplaces. Already the elucidation of possible health risks from a single agents, its dependence on exposure level, exposure rates, age at exposure and its expression in time is a complex endeavour. Therefore in the past and the present the main emphasis in radiation protection, toxicology, and public health is on the study and assessment of single toxicants. The existing data base on combined effect is rudimentary, mainly descriptive and rarely covers exposure ranges large enough to ...
Alkaline promoted active carbon supported iron catalysts are very active in the oxidative dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene to styrene in the presence of carbon dioxide. The best results were obtained at 550 C for a Li-promoted catalyst with a conversion of ethylbenzene of 75% and a selectivity towards styrene of nearly 95%. These results are better than those obtained with industrial catalysts which perform the dehydrogenation process with an excess of water. The main product of the dehydrogenation reaction with CO{sub 2} was styrene, but the following by-products were detected - benzene and toluene. The selectivity towards toluene was always higher than towards benzene. We observed also the formation of carbon monoxide and water, which were produced with a constant molar ratio of about 0.8. The weight of the catalysts increased up to 20% during the reaction due to deposition of carbon. Using a too large excess of CO{sub 2} (CO{sub 2}/EB>10) was harmful for the ...
Available in abstract form only. Full text of publication follows: The application spectrum of X-ray and Gamma radiation is increasing exponentially in the area of diagnostic, nuclear medicine, food preservation, nuclear power plants and strategic utilities. To prevent the harmful effects of these radiations, shielding materials based on lead metal and its compounds are being used historically, which are toxic in nature. To protect environment it has become necessary to develop non-toxic lead free shielding materials. The use of titanium metal and its compounds as synthetic rock i.e. SYNROC are reported to be very effective non-toxic shielding materials for various applications. Red mud waste generated in aluminum producing industries possesses a unique mineralogical compositions containing fairly high quantity of titanium oxide and iron oxide useful for making non toxic shielding compositions and therefore red mud has been utilized for the first time in the world ...
Fully fluorinated compounds (perfluoro compounds) represent a class of chemicals which include many extremely inert species-inert to both chemical reaction and photodissociation. Well known examples include SF6 and the perfluorocarbons (PFCs) CF_4 and Teflon. SF_6 is used industrially in electrical switch gear and as an atmospheric tracer. CF_4 and C_2F_6 are released into the atmosphere as a by-product of aluminum manufacture. Several perfluoro compounds have been proposed as substitutes for the ozone-destroying Freons and halons; proposed substitutes include SF_6, c-C_4F_8, C_5F_1_2, and C_6F_1_4. These chemicals were chosen in part because they do not harm the stratospheric ozone layer and were therefore considered environmentally friendly. Recently, Ravishankara et al. reported that perfluoro compounds have significant global warming potential (GWP), contributing to the greenhouse effect due to strong infrared absorption. The perfluoro compounds have ...
Shortened excerpt from the head notes: The emission limits laid down in the TA Luft concretize the scope of the measures ordered by the law to provide for protection against harmful effects on the environment. Air pollution abatement measures imposed by the competent authority as post-licensing requirements based on the BImSchG (German Federal Emission Control Act) in general are in compliance with the principle of reasonableness considering the terms allowed by the TA Luft for backfitting measures. With this decision, the court qualified the emission limits defined in the TA Luft to be substantial and legally binding standards, to be applied by the competent authorities in licensing and post-licensing administrative procedures, also in order to fulfill the intended task of concretizing the less definite concepts of law laid down in the relevant legislation. (orig./CB) [Deutsch] Verkuerzte Zitierung aus den Leitsaetzen: Die in der TA Luft aufgestellten ...
Due to depletion of fossil fuel, bio-fuels have generated a significant interest as an alternative fuel for the future. The use of bio-fuels to fuel gas turbine seems a viable solution for the problems of decreasing fossil-fuel reserves and environmental concerns. Bio-fuels are alternative fuels, made from renewable sources and having environmental benefit. In recent years, the desire for energy independence, foreseen depletion of nonrenewable fuel resources, fluctuating petroleum fuel costs, the necessity of stimulating agriculture based economy, and the reality of climate change have created an interest in the development of bio-fuels. The application of bio-fuels in automobiles and heating applications is increasing day by day. Therefore the use of these fuels in gas turbines would extend this application to aviation field. The impact of costly petroleum-based aviation fuel on the environment is harmful. So the development of alternative fuels in aviation is ...
Biomass contains nitrogen that is converted to NOx on combustion. Conversion of biomass into producer gas by thermal gasification offers an opportunity to reduce NOx-emissions by NH3 removal from the producer gas with water. Waste water will have to be treated before it can be drained. Recovered NH3 may have value as base chemical, but usually will have to be disposed off as waste. Recycling within the gasification process is an option to dispose off NH3 waste, provided NH3 is broken down under gasification conditions. We present experimental data on NH3 destruction in a CFB gasifier at temperatures from 780C to 860C, when NH3 is injected into the gasification air. Within that temperature range, the fraction of NH3 that is broken down increases from less than 50% to nearly 100%. Clearly, the presence of O2 at the injection point leads to a much higher rate of NH3 destruction than observed for purely thermal cracking. Although measurement of the NOx concentration in producer gas is ...
Cassava chips (cassava balls, and cassava pellets) are derived cassava products traditionally produced by farmers in sub-Saharan Africa following fermentation, and drying of fresh roots of cassava, and are widely consumed in Cameroon. Once produced, this food commodity can be stored for more than two months and contaminated by a wide array of harmful microbes. In order to assess persistence of toxigenic fungi in cassava chips, aflatoxin-producing fungi (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus nomius, and Aspergillus parasiticus) and aflatoxins were contrasted at regular intervals in home-stored cassava chips collected in two locations of southern Cameroon throughout a two-month monitoring period. Three hundred and forty-six isolates of aflatoxin-producing fungi were found to be associated with all samples. A. flavus contaminated more samples in both types of chips (267 isolates in 53 samples), followed by A. nomius (58 isolates in 15 samples), whereas A. parasiticus was ...
Mobility reduction induced by the growth and metabolism of bacteria in high-permeability layers of heterogeneous reservoirs is an economically attractive technique to improve sweep efficiency. This paper describes an experimental study conducted in sandpacks using an injected bacterium to investigate the strength and stability of microbial plugs in porous media. Successful convective transport of bacteria is important for achieving sufficient initial bacteria distribution. The chemotactic and diffusive fluxes are probably not significant even under static conditions. Mobility reduction depends upon the initial cell concentrations and increase in cell mass. For single or multiple static or dynamic growth techniques, permeability reduction was approximately 70% of the original permeability. The stability of these microbial plugs to increases in pressure gradient and changes in cell physiology in a nutrient-depleted ...
Water chemistry of nuclear power plants has played an important role in reduction of personnel doses, structural materials and fuel integrity assurance, and reduction of radioactive wastes production. Further contributions are requested for advanced utilization of the LWR, advanced fuels and aging management of plants. Since water chemistry has an effect on all structure and materials immersed and at the same time affected by them, the optimum control not sticking to specific issues and covering the whole plant is required for these requests. Taking account of roles and activities of the industry, governmental institutes and academia, road maps on research and development plans for water chemistry were compiled into identified eleven items with targets and counter measures taken, such as common basic technologies, dose reduction, SCC mitigation, fuel cans corrosion/hydrogen absorption mitigation, condition based maintenance ...
Consideration is given to the process of the formation of a titanium sponge alloyed with niobium or tantalum, in the joint metallic reduction of titanium, niobium and tantanum chlorides. A percentage composition of the phases observed and the structure of the alloyed sponge have been studied. It is shown that after one remelting operation of the alloyed sponge the alloys of titanium with niobium and tantalum have a uniform component distribution. At the stage of chloride reduction there appear solid solutions based on titanium and an alloying component. The stage of vacuum separation of the reaction mass is associated with a mutual dissolution of the primary phases and the formation of the solid solutions of the alloyed titanium sponge, which, by their composition, are close to the desired alloy composition. The principal features of the formation of a titanium sponge alloyed with niobium and tantalum are in a perfect agreemet with those ...
This illustrated final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents the results of a project concerning a new, highly active oxygen reduction electrode for PEM fuel cell and zinc/air battery applications. The goal of this project was, according to the authors, to increase the efficiency of the oxygen reduction reaction by lowering the activation polarisation through the right choice of catalyst and by lowering the concentration polarisation. In this work, carbon nanotubes are used as support material. The use of these nanotubes grown on perovskites is discussed. Theoretical considerations regarding activation polarisation are discussed and alternatives to the use of platinum are examined. The results of experiments carried out are presented in graphical and tabular form. The paper is completed with a comprehensive list of references.
This study characterized selected commercial volume reduction technologies as to performance and associated costs. VR facility designs were developed for each of the reference VR technologies. Associated on-site storage requirements and cost were also determined. Eight VR technologies were selected for consideration: improved compactor; high pressure compactor (supercompactor); incinerator; fluid bed dryer and incinerator; evaporator crystallizer; evaporator extruder; mobile incinerator; and mobile thin-film evaporator. A representative facility design was developed for each VR technology and for several combinations of technologies. Thirteen separate cases are noted in the following table when retrofit and new facilities are considered.
In this paper we prove the existence of isomorphisms between certain non-commutative algebras that are interesting from representation theoretic perspective and arise as quantizations of certain Poisson algebras. We show that quantizations of Kleinian resolutions obtained by three different constructions are isomorphic to each other. The constructions are via symplectic reflection algebras, quantum Hamiltonian reduction, and W-algebras. Next, we prove that parabolic W-algebras in type A are isomorphic to quantum Hamiltonian reductions associated to quivers of type A. Finally, we show that the symplectic reflection algebras for wreath-products of the symmetric group and a Kleinian group are isomorphic to certain quantum Hamiltonian reductions. Our results involving W-algebras are new, while for those dealing with symplectic reflection algebras we just give new proofs. A key ingredient in our proofs is the study of ...
Using the method of statistic planning of an experiment, the SrSO_4 desulfurization process has been studied in the case of reductive roasting of celestine with the use blast-furnace coke. The main factors that determine the rate of the SrSO_4 desulfurization are the roasting temperature and charge components dispersity. The desulfurization rate increases proportionally to the increase in the roasting temperature and dispersity of the reaction mixture components. To decrease the SrSO_4 desulfurization and the concentration of sulfur-containing components in gases released at rather a high celestine reduction rate, the roasting is recommended to proceed at the temperature of 1100 to 1150 deg, in this case it is necessary to limit the content of small (less than 3.2 mm) fractions of reagents.
A reduction of the mass of the \\eta'(958) meson may indicate the restoration of the UA(1) symmetry in a hot and dense hadronic matter, corresponding to the return of the 9th, "prodigal" Goldstone boson. We report on an analysis of a combined PHENIX and STAR data set on the intercept parameter of the two-pion Bose-Einstein correlation functions, as measuremed in \\sqrt{s_NN} = 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at RHIC. To describe this combined PHENIX and STAR dataset, an in-medium \\eta' mass reduction of at least 200 MeV is needed, at the 99.9 % confidence level in a broad model class of resonance multiplicities. Energy, system size and centrality dependence of the observed effect is also discussed.
Efforts in industry concerning pollution abatement up to nowadays were aimed at: solid particles contained in gaseous effluents, SO_2 effluent reduction, nitrogen oxide effluent limitation through combustion technology enhancement. Various CO_2 emission scenarios with different energy production means (same or increased nuclear plant number, energy consumption reduction) show that energy conservation schemes for the developed countries are the best solution to CO_2 control. Different solutions for greenhouse gas abatement from industrial plant are reviewed: effluent processing, burner technological enhancement, heat transfer optimization on industrial processes, computer assisted management for industrial processes, plasma technic for refining, substitution of gas to oil in chemistry, etc.
In 1980 through 1982 a Basewide Energy Systems Plan (BESP) was developed under the direction of the Corps of Engineers at Ft. McClellan to assist the installation in meeting the requirements of the Army Facilities Energy Plan and the ten (10) year Energy Use Reduction Goal. Some of the energy saving projects recommended by the BESP have been implemented. In FY 1977, the total base energy consumption was 1,105,221 MBtu (Million British thermal units). By FY 1987, this had been reduced to 870,900 MBtu, a reduction of twenty-one percent (21%). This resulted in a cost avoidance for FY 1987 over base year FY 1977 of $2,960,986, or a thirty-two percent (32%) reduction.
We consider dimensional reduction techniques for the Liouville-von Neumann equation for the evaluation of the expectation values in a mixed quantum system. In applications such as nuclear spin dynamics the main goal for simulations is being able to simulate a system with as many spins as possible, for this reason it is very important to have an efficient method that scales well with respect to particle numbers. We describe several existing methods that have appeared in the literature, pointing out their limitations particularly in the setting of large systems. We introduce a method for direct computation of expectations via Chebyshev polynomials (DEC) based on evaluation of a trace formula combined with expansion in modified Chebyshev polynomials. This reduction is highly efficient and does not destroy any information. We demonstrate the practical application of the scheme for a nuclear spin system and compare with several alternatives, ...
The development of an electrolytic reduction technology for spent fuels in the form of oxide is of essence to introduce LWR SFs to a pyroprocessing. In this research, the technology was investigated to scale a reactor up, the electrochemical behaviors of FPs were studied to understand the process and a reaction rate data by using U{sub 3}O{sub 8} was obtained with a bench scale reactor. In a scale of 20 kgHM/batch reactor, U{sub 3}O{sub 8} and Simfuel were successfully reduced into metals. Electrochemical characteristics of LiBr, LiI and Li{sub 2}Se were measured in a bench scale reactor and an electrolytic reduction cell was modeled by a computational tool.
In this, the last of a series of three papers, we discuss a method of forming iron phosphate ceramics by a reduction process. We report the formation of iron oxide ceramics by reducing hematite with iron in a phosphoric acid solution. The reaction results in a rapid-setting ceramic (at room temperature) with a compressive strength of 3700 psi and a density of 1.7 g/cm{sup 3}. Although the exact mineral form of the binder is difficult to determine because it is mostly amorphous and hence is not amenable to X-ray diffraction analyses, this material is expected to consist of iron hydrophosphates. The reduction process is very useful in recycling several industrial wastes that are rich in hematite, including iron mine tailings, red mud (a caustic waste from the alumina industry), and machining swarfs. Formation of ceramics with red mud and swarfs is also discussed.
We perform a recursive reduction of one-loop n-point rank R tensor Feynman integrals [in short: (n,R)-integrals] for n{<=}6 with R{<=}n by representing (n,R)-integrals in terms of (n,R-1)- and (n-1,R-1)-integrals. We use the known representation of tensor integrals in terms of scalar integrals in higher dimension, which are then reduced by recurrence relations to integrals in generic dimension. With a systematic application of metric tensor representations in terms of chords, and by decomposing and recombining these representations, we find the recursive reduction for the tensors. The procedure represents a compact, sequential algorithm for numerical evaluations of tensor Feynman integrals appearing in next-to-leading order contributions to massless and massive three- and four-particle production at LHC and ILC, as well as at meson factories. (orig.)
Objectives~%~ To quantify the volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions arising from the composting of a range of municipal and~%~ industrial wastes.~%~~%~ To relate the VOC emissions to the material being processed and the process conditions.~%~~%~ To confirm the findings of the above activites by monitoring full-scale composting operations.~%~~%~ To develop predictive models of VOC emissions in relation to waste feedstock and process conditions.~%~~%~ To produce guidance for plant designers, operators a [continued...]DescriptionA recent study of three composting plants undertaken for the Environment Agency has confirmed earlier work suggesting that waste composting can be a source of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. However, these experiments were restricted to garden and kitchen waste composting schemes and it was not possible to measure the effect that the process conditions had ...
AbstractOBJECTIVETo provide an overview of the 2009 edition of the Rourke Baby Record (RBR), which incorporates recent research in the literature relating to preventive health care for children aged 0 to 5 years.QUALITY OF EVIDENCERecommendations are identified as supported by good, fair, or consensus evidence, according to the classification of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care.MAIN MESSAGENew information and recommendations are given for growth monitoring, nutrition, developmental surveillance, physical examination maneuvers, immunization schedules, and advice for parents. Anticipatory guidance updates relate to injury prevention, infant swaddling, literacy facilitation, nonparental child care, parenting skills programs, serum lead levels, over-the-counter cough and cold medications, pacifiers, antipyretics, insect repellents, and dental care and oral health. The 2009 RBR is available in English and French in both National and Ontario versions and ...
Since 1978 the United States Department of Energy`s (DOE) International Safeguards Program has conducted policy analysis, strategies and technology development, international cooperation and training to support the formulation and implementation of international safeguards. The end of the Gulf War (1991), the end of the Cold War (1992), and the trend towards regionalization of safeguards has led to increased US and international attention to the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation and the need for significantly greater support to nonproliferation policy making and implementation activities. As a result, DOE`s International Safeguards Program has undergone substantial growth and has continued to focus its resources on the priority issues which are part of today`s and tomorrow`s world. In order to effectively and efficiently conduct and manage these activities the International Safeguards Program has developed and continues to refine and implement a strategic plan. This plan provides ...
This paper presents the conceptual framework that is being used to define quantification of margins and uncertainties (QMU) for application in the nuclear weapons (NW) work conducted at Sandia National Laboratories. The conceptual framework addresses the margins and uncertainties throughout the NW life cycle and includes the definition of terms related to QMU and to figures of merit. Potential applications of QMU consist of analyses based on physical data and on modeling and simulation. Appendix A provides general guidelines for addressing cases in which significant and relevant physical data are available for QMU analysis. Appendix B gives the specific guidance that was used to conduct QMU analyses in cycle 12 of the annual assessment process. Appendix C offers general guidelines for addressing cases in which appropriate models are available for use in QMU analysis. Appendix D contains an example that highlights the consequences of different treatments of ...
This report documents the results of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Tiger Team Assessment of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) conducted from January 14 through February 15, 1991. The purpose of the assessment was to provide the Secretary of Energy with the status of environment, safety, and health (ES H) programs at LBL. The Tiger Team concluded that curtailment of cessation of any operations at LBL is not warranted. However, the number and breadth of findings and concerns from this assessment reflect a serious condition at this site. In spite of its late start, LBL has recently made progress in increasing ES H awareness at all staff levels and in identifying ES H deficiencies. Corrective action plans are inadequate, however, many compensatory actions are underway. Also, LBL does not have the technical expertise or training programs nor the tracking and followup to effectively direct and control sitewide guidance and oversight by DOE of ...
This report of progress and future objectives timetable is based on an included schematic of goals and objectives and the project abstract which is included as Appendix 1. Five matters are summarized in the order of (1) novel methods of calcified bone confocal microscopy and reconstruction image analysis of decalcified beagle and human cortical bone serial sections, (2) macroscopic cross-correlation of beagle and human cortical and cancellous bone fractions with CT analysis, (3) guidance to the most radiobiologically important skeletal regions of interest with the just completed {sup 90}Sr bone tumor map from life time beagle studies, (4) deposition patterns of radioactive agents that participate in apatite crystal nucleation processes in bone and leave radiation-excited electrons trapped in bone mineral, and (5) the budget period timetable. The discovery that beta particles from {sup 166}Ho (T{sub {1/2}} =26 hr, {beta}{sub max} = 1.8 MeV) phosphonic acid bone ...
This report is an overview of Pacific Northwest Laboratory's (PNL) research on how hydroelectric generation affects aquatic biota and environments. The major accomplishments of this research are described, and additional work needed to permit optimal use of available data is identified. The research goals are to: (1) identify impacts of hydroelectric generation, (2) provide guidance in allocating scarce water resources, and (3) develop techniques to avoid or reduce the impacts on aquatic communities or to compensate for unavoidable impacts. Through laboratory and field experiments, an understanding is being developed of the generic impacts of hydrogeneration. Because PNL is located near the Columbia River, which is extensively developed for hydroelectric generation, it is used as a natural laboratory for studying a large-scale operating system. Although the impacts studied result from a particular system of dams and operating procedures and occur within a ...
Several nuclear power plant sites have been wounded in the crossfire between two distinct corporate cultures. The traditional utility culture lies on one side and that of the nuclear navy on the other. The two corporate cultures lead to different perceptions of open-quotes safety culture.close quotes This clash of safety cultures obscures a very important point about nuclear plant operations: Safety depends on organizational learning. Organizational learning provides the foundation for a perception of safety culture that transcends the conflict between utility and nuclear navy cultures. Corporate culture may be defined as the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs shared by employees of a given company. Safety culture is the part of corporate culture concerning shared attitudes and beliefs affecting individual or public safety. If the safety culture promotes behaviors that lead to greater safety, employees will tend to open-quotes do the right thingclose quotes even when circumstances and ...
This study presents the findings of radiometric analysis carried out to determine the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in raw materials (clay, kaolin, quartz, feldspar, dolomite, alumina, bauxite, zirconium minerals, red mud and frit) and end products (glazed ceramic wall and floor tiles) in the Turkish ceramics industry. Hundred forty-six samples were obtained from various manufacturers and suppliers throughout the country and analyzed using gamma-ray spectrometer with HPGe detectors. Radiological parameters such as radium equivalent activity, activity concentration index and alpha index were calculated to assess the radiological aspects of the use of the ceramic end products as decorative or covering materials in construction sector. Results obtained were examined in the light of the relevant national and international legislation and guidance and compared with the results of similar studies reported in different countries. The results suggest ...
The US Department of Energy (DOE) Defense Waste Management Plan has the objective of final disposal for high-level waste (HLW) generated from defense programs. The DOE sites that generate HLW are located at the Savannah River Operations Office in Aiken, South Carolina, the Hanford site in Richland, Washington, and the Idaho Operations Office in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The purpose in the development of a quality assurance (QA) specification for organizations involved in HLW production is to establish uniform requirements that ensure that radioactive waste is converted to a waste form and canistered in such a way that it is acceptable in a federal repository licensed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). A QA specification has been developed that will be applied to those activities important to certification of the product. The basic requirements are defined in national consensus standards and DOE directives. The supplemental requirements identify the QA criteria associated with HLW ...
A class II atomistic force field with Lennard-Jones 6-9 nonbond interactions is used to investigate equations of state (EOS) for important high explosive detonation products N{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O in the temperature range 700-2500 K and pressure range 0.1-10 GPa. A standard 6th order parameter-mixing scheme is then employed to study a 2:1 (molar) H{sub 2}O:N{sub 2} mixture, to investigate in particular the possibility of phase-separation under detonation conditions. The simulations demonstrate several important results, including: (1) the accuracy of computed EOS for both N{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O over the entire range of temperature and pressure considered; (2) accurate mixing-demixing phase boundary as compared to experimental data; and (3) the departure of mixing free energy from that predicted by ideal mixing law. The results provide comparison and guidance to state-of-the-art chemical kinetic models.
A 308-size hybrid ball bearing, with ceramic balls and steel rings, was tested using a diester oil and gas turbine fuel as lubricants at several speeds and loads. Heat generation data from this test work was then correlated with the heat generation model from a widely used computer code. The ability of this hybrid split inner ring bearing design to endure thrust reversals, which are expected in many turbine applications, was demonstrated. Finally, the bearing was successfully endurance tested in JP-10 fuel for 25 hours at 7560 N axial load and 36,000 rpm. This work has successfully demonstrated the technology necessary to use fuel-lubricated hybrid bearings in limited-life gas turbine engine applications such as missiles, drones, and other unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). In addition, it has provided guidance for use in designing such bearing systems. As a result, the benefits of removing the conventional oil lubricant system, i.e., design simplification and reduced ...
This guide explained the requirements for Off-Road Compression Ignition Engine Emission Regulations established under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The regulations are enforced by Environment Canada, which authorizes and monitors the use of the national emissions mark. The regulations prescribe standards for off-road engines that operate as reciprocating, internal combustion engines, other than those that operate under characteristics similar to the Otto combustion cycle and that use a spark plug or other sparking device. The regulations apply to engines that are typically diesel-fuelled and found in construction, mining, farming and forestry machines such as tractors, excavators and log skidders. Four different types of persons are potentially affected by the regulations: Canadian engine manufacturers; distributors of Canadian engines or machines containing Canadian engines; importers of engines or machines for the purpose of sale; and persons not in companies importing ...
This guide explained the requirements for Off-Road Compression Ignition Engine Emission Regulations established under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The regulations are enforced by Environment Canada, which authorizes and monitors the use of the national emissions mark. The regulations prescribe standards for off-road engines that operate as reciprocating, internal combustion engines, other than those that operate under characteristics similar to the Otto combustion cycle and that use a spark plug or other sparking device. The regulations apply to engines that are typically diesel-fuelled and found in construction, mining, farming and forestry machines such as tractors, excavators and log skidders. Four different types of persons are potentially affected by the regulations: Canadian engine manufacturers; distributors of Canadian engines or machines containing Canadian engines; importers of engines or machines for the purpose of sale; and persons not in companies importing ...
It is generally recognized that the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) process can be time-consuming and costly. To expedite the process, the Environmental Protection Agency, through the National Contingency Plan and Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) Directives, has promoted streamlining'' the RI/FS. The concept of streamlining is directly applicable to Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Remedial Facility Investigation/Corrective Measure Study (RFI/CMS) as well. The US Department of Energy's (DOE's) environmental restoration process promises to be lengthy and expensive: therefore, the Office of Environmental Restoration (EM-40) believes that it is to incorporate streamlining into RI/FS and RFI/CMS efforts across the DOE complex. The Office of Program Support (EM-43) has asked Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to provide presentations and workshops on streamlining concepts, including tenets of the ...
This report, the ORNL Long-Range Environmental and Waste Management Plan, is the annual update in a series begun in fiscal year 1985. Its primary purpose is to provide a thorough and systematic planning document to reflect the continuing process of site assessment, strategy development, and planning for the current and long-term control of environmental issues, waste management practices, and remedial action requirements. The document also provides an estimate of the resources required to implement the current plan. This document is not intended to be a budget document; it is, however, intended to provide guidance to both Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., and the US Department of Energy (DOE) management as to the near order of magnitude of the resources (primarily funding requirements) and the time frame required to execute the strategy in the present revision of the plan. As with any document of this nature, the near-term (one to three years) part of the plan ...
The Mixed Waste Landfill occupies 2.6 acres in the north-central portion of Technical Area 3 at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico. The landfill accepted low-level radioactive and mixed waste from March 1959 to December 1988. This report represents the Corrective Measures Study that has been conducted for the Mixed Waste Landfill. The purpose of the study was to identify, develop, and evaluate corrective measures alternatives and recommend the corrective measure(s) to be taken at the site. Based upon detailed evaluation and risk assessment using guidance provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New Mexico Environment Department, the U.S. Department of Energy and Sandia National Laboratories recommend that a vegetative soil cover be deployed as the preferred corrective measure for the Mixed Waste Landfill. The cover would be of sufficient thickness to store precipitation, minimize infiltration and deep percolation, support a ...
Micropatterned materials were obtained by a controlled laser ablation of a photoimmobilised homogeneous layer of hyaluronic acid (Hyal) and its sulphated derivative (HyalS). The photoimmobilisation was performed by coating the polysaccharide, adequately functionalised with a photoreactive group, on aminosilanised glass substrate and immobilising it on the surface under UV light. Hyal or HyalS photoimmobilised samples were then subjected to laser ablation with wavelengths in the UV regions in order to drill the pattern. Four different patterns with stripes of 100, 50, 25 and 10 {mu}m were generated. A chemical characterisation by attenuated total reflection/Fourier transform infrared (ATR/FT-IR) and time of flight-secondary ions mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) confirmed the success of the laser ablation procedure and the presence of alternating stripes of polysaccharide and native glass. The exact dimensions of the stripes were determined by atomic force microscopy. The analysis of cell ...
The fundamental recommendations of the ICRP issued in its publication of 1990 stipulate the general principle of performance of dose measurements at regular intervals in the field of diagnostic radiology, for the purpose of equipment performance checking and optimization of radiological protection. In response to this requirement, the Federal Ministry, in cooperation with experts and the competent supervising authorities, has issued an order to install dose-area-product meters in angiographic examination systems, imaging systems and fluoroscopic screen devices primarily used for examining infants and children up to the age of 12. This is done in response to reported cases of adverse effects of radiation exposure and the high priority given to radiological protection in the examination of infants and children. In 1992, an expert group was convened to discuss and elaborate instructions for including dose-area product measurement in the dosimetry activities in medical diagnostic ...
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 planning of the examination. With a systematic segmental approach ...
Kawasaki Steel has modernized blast furnace control systems featuring an integrated instrumentation and electrical system for each sub-process, a human-machine interface through a single window, and a distributed process computer system. A furnace diagnosis system, which has been known as 'GO-STOP system', has been developed to a knowledge-based system that enables to provide appropriate action guidance. For the burden distribution control, controllability and flexibility have been improved by the use of a bell-less-top charging device. For hot stove control, the automatic setting of a combustion gas flow rate and improved efficiency have been achieved by a fuzzy control system. Furthermore, the remote operation of cast house equipment has been realized and contributed to improve the working environment and the efficient operation at Chiba Works No. 6 blast furnace. (author)
The purpose of this document is to provide a framework for developing protective strategies in the longer term following an accidental release of radionuclides to the offsite environment. This advice covers all forms and scales of accidental release, including releases from nuclear sites and reactors, weapons accidents, and damaged industrial or medical sealed sources. The countermeasures considered are those intended to protect the public from external irradiation from radionuclides deposited in the environment, from the inhalation of resuspended radionuclides, and from inadvertent ingestion of radionuclides resulting from contact with contaminated surfaces. The Board terms these recovery countermeasures. They can be broadly grouped as either decontamination measures (ie measures that deal directly with the radionuclides, whether by removing them, shielding them or physically or chemically bonding them) or as restricted access measures (ie measures that reduce exposure by restricting ...
In the RIR (Risk-informed Regulation), PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment) plays a major role because it provides overall risk insights for the regulatory body and utility. Therefore, the scope, the level of details and the technical adequacy of PSA, i.e. the quality of PSA is to be ensured for the successful RIR. To improve the quality of Korean PSA, we evaluate the quality of the KSNP (Korean Standard Nuclear Power Plant) internal full-power PSA model based on the 'ASME PRA Standard' and the 'NEI PRA Peer Review Process Guidance.' As a working group, PSA experts of the regulatory body and industry also participated in the evaluation process. It is finally judged that the overall quality of the KSNP PSA is between the ASME Standard Capability Category I and II. We also derive some items to be improved for upgrading the quality of the PSA up to the ASME Standard Capability Category II. In this paper, we show the result of ...
In accordance with the Department of Energy`s National Environmental Policy Act implementing procedures in Volume 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1021,312, the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Implementation Plan has two primary purposes: to provide guidance for the preparation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and to record the issues resulting from the scoping and the extended public participation process. The Implementation Plan identifies and discusses the following: background of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities, the purpose of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, and the relationship of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to other Departmental initiatives (Chapter 1); need and purposes for action (Chapter 2); scoping process and results of the public participation program in defining the scope of the Programmatic ...
The `Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application` is considered to be a single application organized into a General Information Portion (this document, DOE/RL-91-28) and a Unit- Specific Portion. The scope of the General Information Portion includes information that could be used to discuss operating units, units undergoing closure, or units being dispositioned through other options. Documentation included in the General Information Portion is broader in nature and could be used by multiple treatment, storage, and/or disposal units. A checklist indicating where information is contained in the General Information Portion, in relation to the Washington State Department of Ecology guidance documentation, is located in the Contents Section. The intent of the General Information Portion is: (1) to provide an overview of the Hanford Facility; and (2) to assist in streamlining efforts associated with treatment, storage, and/or disposal unit-specific Part B permit ...
US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5400.1 requires the preparation of environmental monitoring plans and implementation of environmental monitoring programs for all DOE facilities. The order identifies two distinct components of environmental monitoring, namely effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance. In general, effluent monitoring has the objectives of characterizing contaminants and demonstrating compliance with applicable standards and permit requirements, whereas environmental surveillance has the broader objective of monitoring the effects of DOE activities on on- and off-site environmental and natural resources. The purpose of this document is to support the Environmental Monitoring Plan for the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) by describing the groundwater component of the environmental surveillance program for the DOE facilities on the ORR. The distinctions between groundwater effluent monitoring and groundwater surveillance have been defined in the Martin Marietta ...
The purpose of this solar energy project was to design, manufacture, install, maintain and evaluate solar heating systems in order to stimulate community acceptance of the practicality of solar applications, reduce non-renewable energy resource consumption, and decrease residential expenditures for energy. The project also provided skill training and experience for CETA employees in the design, manufacture, and installation of solar energy equipment systems. CDC's contract had four separate solar energy projects; namely: Domestic Water Heating Systems for four Single-Family Homes; Domestic Water Heating for an industrial building; Domestic Water Heating for a (4) unit apartment complex (includes (12) supplemental space heating units); and Integral Passive Water Heaters and Energy Conservation Devices for (8) one bedroom homes. CDC staff designed all solar systems and CETA trainees (County and City vocational training program enrollees) under staff guidance ...
This report describes a neutron fluence assessment performed for the Kori Unit 3 pressure vessel beltline region based on the guidance specified in Regulatory Guide 1.190. In this assessment, maximum fast neutron exposures expressed in terms of fast neutron fluence (E>1 MeV) and iron atom displacements (dpa) were established for the beltline region of the pressure vessel. After Cycle 16 of reactor operation, 2nd Ex-Vessel Neutron Dosimetry Program was instituted at Kori Unit 3 to provide continuous monitoring of the beltline region of the reactor vessel. The use of the Ex-Vessel Neutron Dosimetry Program coupled with available surveillance capsule measurements provides a plant specific data base that enables the evaluation of the vessel exposure and the uncertainty associated with that exposure over the service life of the unit. Ex-Vessel Neutron Dosimetry has been evaluated at the conclusion of Cycle 17
Role-limiting approaches support knowledge acquisition (KA) by centering knowledge base construction on common types of tasks or domain-independent problem-solving strategies. Within a particular problem-solving strategy, domain-dependent knowledge plays specific roles. A KA tool then helps a user to fill these roles. Although role-limiting approaches are useful for guiding KA, they are limited because they only support users in filling knowledge roles that have been built in by the designers of the KA system. EXPECT takes a different approach to KA by representing problem-solving knowledge explicitly, and deriving from the current knowledge base the knowledge gaps that must be resolved by the user during KA. This paper contrasts role-limiting approaches and EXPECT`s approach, using the propose-and-revise strategy as an example. EXPECT not only supports users in filling knowledge roles, but also provides support in making other modifications to the knowledge base, including adapting ...
The dosimetric characteristics for a new brachytherapy seed source (I-Plant"T"M model 3600) were measured using LiF thermoluminescent dosimeters and appropriate phantom materials in conformance with the methodology and guidance provided by the AAPM Task Group 43. The I-Plant"T"M model 3600 is the successor to the I-Plant"T"M model 3500. The major difference between these sources is that the model 3600 contains a leaded-glass core to provide radio-opacity (while the model 3500 contains a silver core), which does not produce spectral contamination upon neutron activation. The dose rate constant #LAMBDA# for the model 3600 was determined to be 1.00 Gy h"-"1 U"-"1 (with a 6% overall relative standard deviation), compared to 1.01 cGy h"-"1 U"-"1 reported for the model 3500 in previous studies. The remaining dosimetric characteristics also are similar for both sources.
College students are more at-risk for developing a gambling problem than the general adult U.S. population. Information behavior and information seeking theories, as well as empirical evidence, indicate that one resource that may provide guidance for students dealing with this issue is the college counseling center website (CCW). This study addressed the presence and nature of problem gambling messages on CCWs. As a random sample, 203 CCWs were selected to assess how frequently they provided any information about problem gambling, as well as the specific types of communications CCWs offered on this topic. Results showed that CCWs rarely included any messages about problem gambling. Specifically, only 15% of all CCWs contained information about problem gambling. Furthermore, messages about problem gambling were presented significantly less frequently than messages involving alcohol abuse, substance abuse, depression, anxiety/stress, and psychological struggles with ...
This report documents a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model of the economy of Haiti, emphasizing energy use in agriculture. CGE models compare favorably with econometric models for developing countries in terms of their ability to take advantage of available data. The model of Haiti contains ten production sectors: manufacturing, services, transportation, electricity, rice, coffee, sugar cane, sugar refining, general agriculture, and fuelwood and charcoal. All production functions use functional forms which permit factor substitution. Consumption is specified for three income categories of consumers and a government sector with a linear expenditure system (LES) of demand equations. The economy exports four categories of products and imports six. Balanced trade and capital accounts are required for equilibrium. Total sectoral allocations of land, labor and capital are constrained to equal the quantities of these inputs in the Haitian economy as of the early 1980s. The model can ...
The purpose of this paper is to compare the techniques and results obtained when a general industrial or commercial building power electrical system is prepared using the US National Electrical Code{copyright} (NEC) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standards. The final design offer the reader the possibility of making an initial comparison and analyzation of the two methods based of their overall effectiveness (sizing, protection, co-ordination of protective devices with components etc.), safety and cost. In order to make such a comparison a specific example was developed and limited in detail to avoid complexity in this study. The power source selected will be a delta-wye utility supplied transformer feeding various load groups such as lighting and motor circuits (possibly through associated transformers). Relevant NE Code references, IEC standards, and appropriate justifications will be made at various points. Since this paper is for comparison purpose only, ...
One of the issues identified in the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission`s Nuclear Plant Aging Research program plan is the need to understand the state of ``mothballed`` or other out-of-service equipment to ensure subsequent safe operation. Programs for proper storage and preservation of materials and components are required by NRC regulations (10 CFR 50, Appendix B). However, materials and components have been seriously degraded due to improper storage, protection, or layup, at facilities under construction as well as those with operating licenses. Pacific Northwest Laboratory has evaluated management of aging for unstarted or mothballed nuclear power plants. The investigations revealed that no uniform guidance in the industry addresses reactor layup. In each case investigated, layup was not initiated in a timely manner, primarily because of schedule uncertainty. Hence, it is reasonable to assume that this delay resulted in accelerated aging of some ...
Guangdong Nuclear Power Joint Venture Company, Ltd. first 5-Year Business Plan (hereinafter referred to as 5-Year Business Plan) serves as guidance of both the operations and management of the company. Continuous performance improvement of the nuclear power station has been achieved through the fulfillment of goals and improvement plan defined by the 5-Year Business Plan, and through standard and systematic management. Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station (GNPS) has made great contributions to sustainable economic developments of both Guangdong and Hong Kong since its commercial operation in 1994. As of the end of 1999, the cumulative off-take electricity generated by GNPS had reached 69.9 billion kWh. Of the WANO indicators universally applied by nuclear power industry throughout the world, 6 indicators of Daya Bay performance entered the world top quartile while 9 the medium level
The US Department of Energy (DOE) sponsors an extensive research program to improve the methods, dosimeters, and instruments available to DOE facilities for measuring neutron dose and assessing its effects on the work force. The Total Dose Meter was recently developed for measuring in real time the adsorbed dose of mixed neutron and gamma radiation and for calculating the dose equivalent. The Field Neutron Spectrometer was developed to provide a portable instrument for determining neutron spectra in the workplace for flux-to-dose equivalent conversion and quality factor calculation. The Combination Thermoluminescence/Track Etch Dosimeter (TLD/TED) was developed to extend the effective neutron energy range of the conventional TLDs to improve detection of fast-energy neutrons. An Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dosimeter is presently being developed for application to gamma, neutron, and beta radiation. An Effective Dose Equivalent System is being developed to provide ...
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 optimization of air sparging as remedial action technique.
This study was designed to compare the levels of chromium (Cr) and manganese (Mn) in scalp hair, blood, and urine of night blindness in children age ranged (3-7) and (8-12) years of both genders, comparing them to sex- and age-matched controls. A microwave-assisted wet acid digestion procedure, was developed as a sample pretreatment, for the determination of Cr and Mn in biological samples of night blindness children. The proposed method was validated by using conventional wet digestion and certified reference samples of hair, blood and urine. The digests of all biological samples were analyzed for Cr and Mn by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. The results indicated significantly higher levels of Cr, whilst low level of Mn in the biological samples (blood and scalp hair) of male and female night blindness children, compared with control subjects of both genders. These data present guidance to clinicians and other professional investigating deficiency ...
Micropatterned surfaces with different chemical topographies were synthesised in order to investigate the influence of surface chemistry and topography on cell behaviour. The microstructured materials were synthesised by photoimmobilising natural Hyaluronan (Hyal) and its sulphated derivative (HyalS), both adequately functionalised with a photorective moiety, on glass substrates. Four different grating patterns (10, 25, 50 and 100 {mu}m) were used to pattern the hyaluronan. The micropatterned samples were analysed by Secondary Ions Mass Spectrometry, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy to investigate the chemistry and the topography of the surfaces. The spectroscopic and microscopic analysis of the microstructured surfaces revealed that the photoimmobilisation process was successful, demonstrating that the photomask patterns were well reproduced on the sample surface. The influence of chemical topographies on the cell behaviour was then analysed. Human and ...
This regulatory guide describes methods acceptable to the NRC staff for calculating radon fluxes through earthen covers and for calculating the resulting minimum cover thickness needed to meet NRC and EPA standards. The guide also suggests methods for obtaining the various parameters used in calculating the radon fluxes and earthen cover thicknesses and suggests default values for certain parameters. This regulatory guide is applicable to active uranium tailings sites. The NRC staff is using the methods stated in this guide as a basis for review and concurrence of DOE remedial action plans for inactive sites. The guidance is intended to be used for calculating radon flux attenuation by earthen uranium mill tailings covers. The parameter values and examples presented are limited to earthen cover materials, but the diffusion theory and the methods presented are also applicable to man-made materials. Detailed supporting information for calculating minimum cover ...
This regulatory guide describes methods acceptable to the NRC staff for calculating radon fluxes through earthen covers and for calculating the resulting minimum cover thickness needed to meet NRC and EPA standards. The guide also suggests methods for obtaining the various parameters used in calculating the radon fluxes and earthen cover thicknesses and suggests default values for certain parameters. This regulatory guide is applicable to active uranium tailings sites. The NRC staff is using the methods stated in this guide as a basis for review and concurrence of DOE remedial action plans for inactive sites. The guidance is intended to be used for calculating radon flux attenuation by earthen uranium mill tailings covers. The parameter values and examples presented are limited to earthen cover materials, but the diffusion theory and the methods presented are also applicable to man-made materials. Detailed supporting information for calculating minimum cover ...
CT-Expo is a novel MS Excel application for assessing the radiation doses delivered to patients undergoing CT examinations, based on computational methods that were used to analyze the data collected in the German survey on CT practice in 1999. The program enables the calculation of all dose quantities of practical value, such as axial dose free-in-air, weighted CTDI, dose-length product, effective dose and uterine dose. In contrast to existing programs for CT dose assessment, CT-Expo offers a number of unique features, such as gender-specific dose calculation for all age groups (adults, children, newborns), applicability to all existing scanner models including correction of scanner-specific influences, and the possibility of comparison with the results from the German CT survey on CT practice. Three different application modules offer free and standardized dose calculations as well as a comprehensive benchmarking section including guidance on dose optimization. ...
This richly illustrated toolbook and atlas contains information on all aspects of nmr diagnostic imaging of benign or malignant neoplasms of female and male mammary glands. It offers pinpointed guidance and insight for vocational training and continuing training of radiology assistants, students and medical radiologists. (orig./AJ) [German] Die MRT als hochaufloesendes und schaedigungsfreies Diagnostikum gewinnt gerade in der emotional stark besetzten Mammadiagnostik zunehmend an Bedeutung. Dennoch beherrschen nur wenige Zentren im deutschsprachigen Raum diese Technik, die - eine hohe Reproduzierbarkeit bei fehlender Belastung fuer die Patientin bietet, - invasive Karzinome bereits ab einer Groesse von 5 mm mit hoher Zuverlaessigkeit ausschliessen kann und - gerade bei widerspruechlichen Befunden zwischen klinischer Untersuchung, Roentgenmammographie und perkutaner Biopsie eine wesentliche Entscheidungshilfe bieten kann. Aus einem der fuehrenden Zentren in der ...
The search for alternative fuels and new fuel resources is a top priority for Turkey, as is the case in the majority of countries throughout the world. The fuel policies pursued by governmental or civil authorities are of key importance in the success of alternative fuel use, especially for widespread and efficient use. Following the 1973 petroleum crisis, many users in Turkey, especially in transportation sector, searched for alternative fuels and forms of transportation. Gasoline engines were replaced with diesel engines between the mid-1970s and mid-1980s. In addition, natural gas was introduced to the Turkish market for heating in the early 1990s. Liquid petroleum gas was put into use in the mid-1990s, and bio-diesel was introduced into the market for transportation in 2003. However, after long periods of indifference governmental action, guidance and fuel policies were so weak that they did not make sense. Entrepreneurs and users experienced great economical ...
The authors have led development of a Standard Guide for Residential Green Buildings through the consensus process of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The voluntary guidance document has been processed through two public peer reviews in ASTM`s E-50.06 sub-committee on the environment. The guide`s purpose is to present general criteria for home builders, residential designers and developers on how to systematically approach the creation of a green home--from the design phase on through to eventual de-commissioning of residential structures. This paper briefly reviews the standards process, includes an overview of the Standard Guides` principal criteria, and provides a robust resource listing for further investigation by readers. During development of the Standard Guide, authors emphasized thorough review of the available literature on sustainable residential development. This was then reflected in the technical contents of the Standard Guide to ...
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and the retrievability of a new covered retrievable nitinol tracheobronchial stent. Stents were knitted from 0.2mm nitinol wire, covered with polyurethane, and were 20-22mm in diameter and 2cm in length. Under fluoroscopic guidance, a stent was placed in the normal right bronchus intermedius of ten dogs. Using a retrieval hook, stent retrieval was attempted after 1 month(N=5) or 2 months(N=5). After removal, the dogs were sacrificed and their their tracheobronchial trees were examined grossly and histologically. Eleven stents were successfully placed in ten dogs. Migration and expectoration occurred in four of ten stents in nine dogs(40%). Five stents were successfully removed from six dogs(83%). Without significant difference between the two groups, mild to moderate mucosal hyperplasia was noted at the sites of stents as well as above and below them. On microscopy, three of five dogs showed pneumonia in the ...
Using {gamma}-irradiation-induced reduction in the field of a {sup 60}Co {gamma}-ray source, colloidal silver and gold nanoparticles were prepared from their corresponding metal salts in aqueous solution and compared with those by chemical reduction. The radiation-based method provided silver nanoparticles with higher concentration and narrower size distribution than those obtained by chemical reduction method while there was no significant difference between the two strategies for the preparation of gold nanoparticles. {gamma}-Irradiation of 1.0 x 10{sup -3} M AgNO{sub 3} solution resulted in nearly 100 times more highly concentrated silver colloids than those by citrate reduction. Furthermore, the radiation method could lead to more highly concentrated silver colloids by simply increasing the concentration of AgNO{sub 3} solution up to 2.0 x 10{sup -2} M. The two metal nanoparticles prepared by the ...
...5 kg or less) to less than 10 percent; (c) Reduction of iron deficiency anemia in women by one-third of the 1990 levels; (d) Virtual elimination of iodine deficiency disorders; (e) Virtual elimination of vitamin A deficiency and its consequences, including blindness; (...
This 2-page fact sheet gives statistics on routine waste generation and projected reduction by waste type, and 1994 pollution prevention and recycling accomplishments at ORNL.
It is estimated that approximately a quarter of patients undergoing coronary intervention may have significant post-procedural creatinine (CK)/creatinine kinase myocardial band (CK-MB) elevations and...Full Text Available
Research reported here reveals that the reduction of CO{sub 2} emissions into the atmosphere, is mainly dependent on the decrease of the use of fossil fuels, but also on the development of environment-friendly technology and greening of the environment. 2 refs.
1. An enzyme from Escherichia coli 9723 that reduces adenosine 3′-phosphate 5′-sulphatophosphate to inorganic sulphite is described. Extracts of E. coli...Full Text Available
The cattle industry in Canada has changed greatly over the past several decades. Size of the national dairy herd has reduced steadily but this reduction has been more than offset by an increase in...Full Text Available
The effects of the structure of a carboxylic acid on the processes of oxidation and reduction of iron ions in irradiated aqueous solutions were directly observed during irradiation. The solutions contained the mono- or dicarboxylic acid, H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/, Fe(NH/sub 4/)/sub 2/(SO/sub 4/)/sub 2/ and O/sub 2/. Th e ferrous oxidation was rather independent of the acid and its concentration, but the reduction of ferric was possible in the presence of formic, oxalic, or valeric acid only. The radical formed from the valeric acid acts similar to those formed from hydrocarbons. The G-values of oxidation and reduction of the iron ions were established. The molar extinction coefficients for oxalic and malonic complexes of ferric ions were determined. (auth)
The advanced technologies of Ka-Band systems such as high gain spot .... sometimes used based on link requirements for a specific application. .... received at NASA LeRC from a Ku-band satellite and retransmitted to the USAT at Ka-Band. .... and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project ...
Describes laboratory and industrial tests on the use of lowasash sulphurous petroleum coke during reduction of barite. Shows the potential of substituting blast furnace coke with petroleum/coke fines in this process.
Several dissimilatory, sulfate-reducing bacteria were isolated from the rumen fluid of sheep fed purified diets containing sulfate. One isolate, strain D, was selected for characterization. This organism...Full Text Available
Phenylpropenes, a large group of plant volatile compounds that serve in multiple roles in defense and pollinator attraction, contain a propenyl side chain. Eugenol synthase (EGS) catalyzes the reductive...Full Text Available
The patterns of nitrate reductase activity (NRA) in the leaves (in vivo assay) and root nodule nitrogenase activity (C2H2reduction) were investigated throughout...Full Text Available
Mycobacterium tuberculosis is one of the strongest reducers of nitrate in the genus Mycobacterium. Under microaerobic conditions, whole cells exhibit upregulation of...Full Text Available
Reliable characterization of locomotor dynamics of human walking is vital to understanding the neuromuscular control of human locomotion and disease diagnosis. However, the inherent oscillation and...Full Text Available
Since a Diesel engine can only be operated always in the condition thinner than the theoretical mixing ratio, a catalytic converter rhodium cannot be used, hence it is impossible to oxidate the portion of incomplete combustion and resolve nitrogen oxides using the catalytic converter rhodium as a spark ignition engine. Also since its combustion is mainly diffusion combustion, the amount of generated soot and fine particles is as much as several times to ten times more than that of a spark ignition engine. Also since no after treatment of exhaust has been established for a Diesel engine, it is necessary to cope with the combustion process which is the source of generating pollutant in order to promote reduction of such pollutant. In this article, awaring of the above, the difficulty of achieving both reduction of fine partiicles and reduction of NO {sub x} at the same time is explained in detail, and having done so, the ...
A mild reduction in mitochondrial respiration extends the life span of many species, including C. elegans. We recently showed that hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is required for...Full Text Available
The control of nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}) emissions will become a major challenge in the forthcoming years, in the domain of automotive industry or industrial burners. Pulsed combustion offers an imaginative solution which does not affect the combustion efficiency. In this paper, the efficiency of this method is demonstrated using the burner of a 20 kW domestic boiler. The actuator is simply installed on the air intake. Two types of actuators have been tested successfully: a loudspeaker and a rotative valve. Both can produce 100 to 1000 Hz frequencies and can lead to a reduction of 20% of NO{sub x} emissions. The feasibility of the concept is also demonstrated on a 840 kW liquid fuel-oil burner. The mechanisms involved during an excitation are explained using the CH{sup *} radical imaging. Results show an important reorganization of the flow and of the flame structure. During each excitation cycle, an annular swirl occurs at the leading edge of the flame catching ...
BackgroundPresumptive treatment of all febrile patients with anti-malarials leads to massive over-treatment. The aim was to assess the effect of implementing malaria rapid diagnostic...Full Text Available
Washed cell suspensions of Desulfovibrio desulfuricans subsp. aestuarii were capable of reducing nanomolar levels of selenate to selenide as well as sulfate to sulfide....Full Text Available
The nitrite-reducing activity of the normal susceptible biotype of lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) was strongly inhibited by atrazine in the assay medium, both in the case of the...Full Text Available
The neonatal Fc receptor FcRn provides IgG molecules with their characteristically long half-lives in vivo by protecting them from intracellular catabolism and then returning them to...Full Text Available
Although myo-inositol is included in media for the successful growth of plant tissues, the actual requirement of most tissues, including soybean (Glycine max) callus in suspension culture, for myo-inositol...Full Text Available
OBJECTIVE--To examine the effect of a reduced sodium and increased potassium and magnesium intake on blood pressure. DESIGN--Randomised double blind placebo controlled trial. SETTING--General population...Full Text Available
Exact anatomic knowledge about the location of the gonads and the application of corresponding measures of radiation protection are the preconditions for an efficient reduction of the danger of a possible genetic damage as a result of radiation exposition during X-ray examination of the hip joint of newborns. (VJ).
Hypoxia, or reduced oxygen, occurs in a variety of clinical and environmental situations. Hypoxic exposure is associated with decreased muscle mass and a concomitant reduction in exercise capacity,...Full Text Available
Airborne pollutants can cause failures in switching and computing equipment. This paper focuses on a subset of such pollutants - airborne fine particles (<2.5 [mu]m diameter). It begins by examining the extent to which different improvements in heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems reduce indoor concentrations of fine particles. For each modification, the consequent reduction in soiling rate is derived. The concomitant increase in operating costs is also calculated. These costs are then compared with the costs of failures in telephone switching offices, leading to estimates of failure rate reductions that would make improvements cost-effective. Finally, the reduction in failures required to offset the costs of the improvements are compared with documented differences in failure rates between unimproved and improved environments. This study suggests that, in many telephone switching offices, the added ...
Experience with visual objects leads to later improvements in identification speed and accuracy (“repetition priming”), but generally leads to reductions in neural activity in single-cell...Full Text Available
Nitrogenase-dependent acetylene reduction, nodule function, and nodule regrowth were studied during vegetative regrowth of harvested (detopped) alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seedlings...Full Text Available
The uptake of nitrite into intact pea chloroplasts was observed and its relationship with internal nitrite reduction was assessed. Net nitrite uptake exhibited saturation kinetics and an alkaline pH...Full Text Available
Studies were conducted with 9 to 12 day-old soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr. cv. Williams) seedlings to determine the contribution of roots to whole plant NO3−...Full Text Available
Briefing Note November 2009 The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme: UPDATE ...What is the CRC? ... The CRC is a mandatory emissions trading scheme that aims to deliver energy (and so
Benzidine-based azo dyes are proven mutagens and have been linked to bladder cancer. Previous studies have indicated that their initial reduction is the result of the azo reductase activity of the intestinal...Full Text Available
In this paper, we report a method of precise in situ x-ray scattering measurements on protein solutions using small stationary sample cells. Although reduction in the radiation damage...Full Text Available
The ability of both human and hen egg white lysozymes to lyse Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans Y4 was investigated. Lysis was followed optically at 540 nm by measuring the percent reduction in turbidity...Full Text Available
Protoplasts were isolated from the leaves of nitrate-cultured wheat (Triticum aestivum L. var. Frederick) seedlings. When incubated in the dark, protoplasts accumulated nitrite under...Full Text Available
BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial changes have been described in muscle tissue in acquired hypothyroidism. Among the molecular mechanisms by which thyroid hormones regulate expression of nuclear genes encoding...Full Text Available
Previous studies have documented diagnostic bias and noted that its reduction could eliminate misdiagnosis and improve mental health service delivery. Few studies have investigated clinicians'...Full Text Available
Protected areas (PAs) dominate conservation efforts. They will probably play a role in future climate policies too, as global payments may reward local reductions of loss of natural land cover. We estimate...Full Text Available
BackgroundExpansion of aquaculture is seriously limited by reductions in fish oil (FO) supply for aquafeeds. Terrestrial alternatives such as vegetable oils (VO) have been investigated...Full Text Available
Free radical formation has been implicated in the toxicity of a wide range of xenobiotics. In recent years, particular interest has been paid to compounds which can undergo a one electron reduction...Full Text Available
The mechanism by which mechanical force regulates the kinetics of a chemical reaction is unknown. Here, we use single-molecule force–clamp spectroscopy and protein engineering to study the effect...Full Text Available
The thiadiazinon derivative EMD 57033 has been found previously in cardiac muscle to increase isometric force generation without a proportional increase in fiber ATPase, thus causing a reduction in...Full Text Available
The Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) is a global partnership of business, civil society and government working for sustained reduction of road accidents in developing and transition countries. GRSP, which started operations in 1999, has a global secr...
Phenylpropenes such as chavicol, t-anol, eugenol, and isoeugenol are produced by plants as defense compounds against animals and microorganisms and as floral attractants of pollinators....Full Text Available
This paper summarizes the current scientific and technological knowledge about greenhouse gas emissions from various agricultural practices and the manufacturing of food. The study also provides estimates that compare agriculture-related alternatives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Artifacts in two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) caused by the presence of salts in isoelectric focusing (IEF) have been previously described as a result of increasing conductivity and inducing electroosmosis....Full Text Available
Background: Intramedullary fixation of midclavicular fractures may be a better option than non-operative treatment for high performance/professional athletes because of the potential reduction...Full Text Available
The effect of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) on the chemical looping combustion of coal-derived synthesis gas with bentonite-supported metal oxidesssuch as iron oxide, nickel oxide, manganese oxide, and copper oxideswas investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, mass spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). During the reaction with synthesis gas containing H2S, metal-oxide oxygen carriers were first reduced by carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and then interacted with H2S to form metal sulfide, which resulted in a weight gain during the reduction/sulfidation step. The reduced/sulfurized compounds could be regenerated to form sulfur dioxide and oxides during the oxidation reaction with air. The reduction/oxidation capacities of iron oxide and nickel oxide were not affected by the presence of H2S, but both manganese oxide and copper oxide showed decreased reduction/oxidation capacities. However, the rates of ...
Objective. For the multislice CT (MSCT) systems with a larger number of detector rows, it is essential to employ dose-reduction techniques. As...Full Text Available
Present methods for planning reliability improvement of launch vehicles are reviewed. A theoretical criterion for optimum allocation of resources for reliability improvement exists that requires equal marginal failure reduction for all elements to be impr...
disposal through HC, and the effects of kerbside collection (KC) of recyclable materials, by measuring ...waste equivalent to 12 % could be attributed to HC and KC.Comparisons between the residual weight data for ...Control showed that the contributions of HC and KC to the overall reduction in residual waste were
A paradoxical metabolic imbalance in inorganic phosphate occurs from the early onset of diabetes and may lead to a reduction of high energy phosphates and tissue hypoxia. These changes take place in...Full Text Available
Aquaspirillum magnetotacticum MS-1 grew microaerobically but not anaerobically with NO3− or NH4+ as the sole nitrogen source. Nevertheless,...Full Text Available
Mineral scale formation in water distribution piping impedes flow, resulting in pressure and volume reduction and increasing operational costs. Chemical cleaning is both costly and time consuming, and there are health concerns when chemically cleaning pot...
Reversible protein glutathionylation plays a key role in cellular regulation and cell signaling and protects protein thiols from hyperoxidation. Sulfiredoxin (Srx), an enzyme that catalyzes the reduction...Full Text Available
Recently reported technologies for DNA-directed organic synthesis and for DNA computing rely on routing DNA populations through complex networks. The reduction of these ideas to practice has been limited...Full Text Available
Invasive species pose serious threats to community structure and ecosystem function worldwide. The impacts of invasive species can be more pervasive than simple reduction of species numbers. By using...Full Text Available
Coke consumption may be cut as much as fifty percent using a coal reactor to furnish carbon monoxide for ore reduction in a blast furnace while lowering the sulfur content of pig iron accompanied by a smaller slag volume.
Sphingomonas (formerly Pseudomonas) paucimobilis UT26 utilizes γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (γ-HCH), a halogenated organic insecticide,...Full Text Available
This report documents the operation, maintenance, calibration, data acquisition and data reduction at the Chalk Point Meteorological Station for the period November 15, 1978 through November 15, 1979. Climatological data summaries for each month and calib...
High and volatile natural gas prices have increasingly led to calls for investments in renewable energy. One line of argument is that deployment of these resources may lead to reductions in the demand for and price of natural gas. Many recent US-based modeling studies have demonstrated that this effect could provide significant consumer savings. In this article we evaluate these studies, and benchmark their findings against economic theory, other modeling results, and a limited empirical literature. We find that many uncertainties remain regarding the absolute magnitude of this effect, and that the reduction in natural gas prices may not represent an increase in aggregate economic wealth. Nonetheless, we conclude that many of the studies of the impact of renewable energy on natural gas prices appear to have represented this effect within reason, given current knowledge. These studies specifically suggest that a 1% reduction ...
High and volatile natural gas prices have increasingly led to calls for investments in renewable energy. One line of argument is that deployment of these resources may lead to reductions in the demand for and price of natural gas. Many recent US-based modeling studies have demonstrated that this effect could provide significant consumer savings. In this article we evaluate these studies, and benchmark their findings against economic theory, other modeling results, and a limited empirical literature. We find that many uncertainties remain regarding the absolute magnitude of this effect, and that the reduction in natural gas prices may not represent an increase in aggregate economic wealth. Nonetheless, we conclude that many of the studies of the impact of renewable energy on natural gas prices appear to have represented this effect within reason, given current knowledge. These studies specifically suggest that a 1% reduction ...
Suspensions of denitrifying cells of Pseudomonas perfectomarinus reduced nitrate and nitrate as expected to dinitrogen; but, in the presence of acetylene, nitrous oxide accumulated when nitrate or nitrate...Full Text Available
ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to identify the factors affecting the failure of trials (<50% pain reduction in pain for trial period) to improve success rate of spinal...Full Text Available
US Army casualty deaths in the Republic of Vietnam were analyzed to provide information on wound ballistics that may be used by interested branches of the services on the subjects of casualty reduction, wounding, mechanisms, and evaluation of hostile weap...
and a flyby of the asteroid Ida, the enhanced filter is shown to substantially improve the ... twoway range, and ADOR data points acquired at S-band frequencies. .... The result of this fit and its l-sigma uncertainty ellipse is ...
We apply the group theory to Kadomtsev-Petviashvili-Burgers (KPBII) equation which is a natural model for the propagation of the two-dimensional damped waves. In correspondence with the generators of the symmetry group allowed by the equation, new types of symmetry reductions are performed. Some new exact solutions are obtained, which can be in the form of solitary waves and periodic waves. Specially, our solutions indicate that the equation may have time-dependent nonlinear shears. Such exact explicit solutions and symmetry reductions are important in both applications and the theory of nonlinear science.
Chemical and phase homogeneity of titanium-niobium sponge, produced by a combined magnesium-thermic reduction of niobium pentachloride and titanium tetrachloride mixtures, is investigated. It is ascertained that a sponge consists of spherical shape particles and has a large number of pores. Particle sizes are reduced with niobium being substituted for titanium from 50-500 #mu#m for titanium sponge to 1-40 #mu#m for niobium one, which testifies to the bormation in a titanium-niobium sponge of an alloy and not a mechanical mixture. A number of solid solutions is detected by X-ray phase analysis. Lattice parameters are determined.
In this paper, probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) of the station blackout (SBO) and 5th emergency diesel in Daya Bay NPP has been carried out, the calculation method of non-recover factors of power supplies is given, and sensitivity analysis on the connection duration of 5th emergency diesel has been executed. It is concluded that the core damage frequency (CDF) induced by SBO is relatively large, the addition of 5th emergency diesel is very helpful for the CDF reduction, and the connection duration of this diesel has great effect on the CDF reduction
Partial oxidation of 2-propanol was carried out on AB{sub 1-x}B`{sub x}O{sub 3} (A=Ba, B=Pb, Ce, Ti; B`=Bi, Sb and Cu) type perovskite oxides. Acetone was the major product observed on all the catalysts. All the catalysts underwent partial reduction during the reaction depending on the composition of the reactant, nature of the B site cation and the extent of substitution at B site. The catalytic activity has been correlated with the reducibility of the perovskite oxides determined from Temperature Programmed Reduction (TPR) studies. (orig.)
A few industry-derived and conventional building materials have above acceptable radioactivity. An examination of some materials presently used, or with a potential for use, has shown that in phosphogypsum, fly ash, zircon kyanite tailings, red mud and brickmaking clay, the radium equivalent activities of the finer fractions (<53 #mu#) are higher than those of the larger fractions. Consequently, the radioactivity of these materials could be reduced by dry-sieving and discarding the fines. In blast furnace slag and dissociated zircon, no such reduction would occur since the radioactivity is evenly distributed in all sized fractions.
A low power polychromatic beam of microwaves is used to diagnose the behavior of turbulent fluctuations in the core of the JT-60U tokamak during the evolution of the internal transport barrier. A continuous reduction in the size of turbulent structures is observed concomitant with the reduction of the density scale length during the evolution of the internal transport barrier. The density correlation length decreases to the order of the ion gyroradius, in contrast to the much longer scale lengths observed earlier in the discharge, while the density fluctuation level remain similar to the level before transport barrier formation.
Lithium storage metals and alloys can be suitable high-capacity anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, when the morphology is specifically designed. Here, we compare three different Sn/SnSb multiphase anode materials in powder form, which have been prepared in aqueous and organic solution by chemical precipitation using NaBH{sub 4} or Zn as reductive agents. The obtained morphologies, chemical compositions, and the electrochemical performance will be comparatively discussed. The variety of synthesis parameters which have an effect on the morphology of the obtained anode materials will be particularly highlighted.
Studies on pupal irradiation of Earias vittella Fabricius, were undertaken to determine the optimum dose for sterile and competitive adults. Late pupae were irradiated with gamma radiation doses ranging from 150 to 300 Gy. Emerging adults were normal and without malformation. When males that emerged from irradiated pupae were crossed with normal female, fecundity as well as longevity was comparable to control, but there was drastic reduction in percent egg hatch in all the treatments. However, when females emerging from irradiated pupae were crossed with normal male, there was reduction in the fecundity as well as fertility and this effect was dose dependent. (author).
The geothermal well-cost model developed by Sandia National Laboratories is being used to analyze the sensitivity of well costs to improvements in geothermal drilling technology. Three interim results from this modeling effort are discussed. The sensitivity of well costs to bit parameters, rig parameters, and material costs; an analysis of the cost reduction potential of an advanced bit; and a consideration of breakeven costs for new cementing technology. All three results illustrate that the well-cost savings arising from any new technology will be highly site-dependent but that in specific wells the advances considered can result in significant cost reductions.
The cathodic electrode process of Y(3+) ions on the Mo electrode in the LICl-KCl molten salt with YCl3(3wt%) in the temperature range of 450 - 530 deg. C has been investigated using cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. The convolution technique has been applied to the treatment of cyclic voltammogram. The results show that the reduction mechanism of Y(3+) ion is Y(3+) + 3e = Y, a simple one-step process. The cathodic process is very close to a reversible process under lower scanning rates, and is diffusion-controlled. The cathodic product is an insoluble product.
The mechanistic aspects of electrochemical reductions of U"V"IO_2(acac)_2dmso(acac=acetylacetonate, dmso=dimethyl sulfoxide) complex with bidentate ligand(acac) in DMSO were investigated by using cyclic voltammetry, normal pulse voltammetry, and spectrophotometer equipped with an optical transparent thin layer electrode cell. It is concluded that the uranyl complexes with bidentate ligands at the equatorial plane form stable U(V) complexes by the electrochemical reduction and that their molar extinction coefficients in the visible region are very small. (J.P.N.).
A temperature gradient across a thick ({ge}.1mm) film selective emitter will produce a significant reduction in the spectral emittance from the no temperature gradient case. Thick film selective emitters of rare earth doped host materials such as yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) are examples where temperature gradient effects are important. In this paper a model is developed for the spectral emittance assuming a linear temperature gradient across the film. Results of the model indicate that temperature gradients will result in reductions the order of 20{percent} or more in the spectral emittance. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}
It is known that in size reduction of the granular structure of ferrite and ferrite-pearlite steels the temperature of the transformation from ductile to brittle condition is lowered. This effect can also be caused by an increase in the dispersity of intragrain and intergrain segregations (sulfides, carbonitrides, and segregations of impurity atoms), which accompanies grain size reduction and promotes initiation and propagation of cracks. In order to clarify the mechanism of fracture of steel in the region of the ductile-brittle transition steel 45 with different grain sizes and pearlite morphologies has been investigated.
Uranium has varying degrees of oxidation (+4 and +6) and is responsive to changes in the redox potential of the environment. It is deposited at the reduction barrier with the participation of biota and at the sorption barrier under oxidative conditions. Iron (hydr)oxides are the strongest sorbents of uranium. Uranium, being an element of medium biological absorption, can accumulate (relative to thorium) in the humus horizons of some soils. The high content of uranium in uncontaminated soils is most frequently inherited from the parent rocks in the regions of positive U anomalies: in the soils developed on oil shales and in the marginal zone of bogs at the reduction barrier. The development of nuclear and coal-fired power engineering resulted in the environmental contamination with uranium....
Environmental considerations have led the Italian electric utility, ENEL, to use an advanced compact design for the reconstruction of a 60kV power line on the outskirts of Rome. This solution has achieved the following aims: minimisation of the visual impact by reducing the size of the supports; reduction of the occupation of the area especially during construction; reduction of damage due to the degree of penetration into the soil. The use of one stem tubular supports and bored pile foundations is described. The scheme has been shown to be viable in terms of planning and low environmental impact and also cost-effective and is likely to be adopted by ENEL in other situations. (UK)
We perform a complete analytical reduction of general one-loop Feynman integrals with five and six external legs for tensors up to rank R=3 and 4, respectively. An elegant formalism with extensive use of signed minors is developed for the cancellation of inverse Gram determinants. The 6-point tensor functions of rank R are expressed in terms of 5-point tensor functions of rank R-1, and the latter are reduced to scalar four-, three-, and two-point functions. The resulting compact formulae allow both for a study of analytical properties and for efficient numerical programming. They are implemented in Fortran and Mathematica. (orig.)
The advent of multislice spiral CT (MSCT) technique has led to new aspects of dose reduction, especially for the dedicated use of MSCT in children. Optimizing pediatric MSCT protocols according to the clinical problem allows reduction of radiation exposure to a minimum without loss of diagnostic quality. The different parameters that influence the degree of dose reduction, like tube current-time product (mAs), tube voltage (kV), collimation and pitch, are discussed in context with previously published data and our own experience in nearly 200 pediatric CT examinations. In our department, the effective mAs is calculated for a pediatric chest MSCT by multiplication of the body weight in kilogram with a factor of 1 to 1.5 and for a pediatric abdominal MSCT by multiplication with a factor of 2 to 2.5. To calculate the equivalent effective dose for a contrast media-enhanced 80 kV protocol, the effective mAs of the 120 kV ...
This study presents and applies a coherent methodological framework to compare biomass cascading chains, i.e. the subsequent use of biomass for materials, recycling and energy recovery, considering land use, CO2 emission reduction and economic performance. Example cascading chains of short rotation poplar wood are compared with each other on the basis of literature data. Results for these chains vary strongly, namely, from CO2 mitigation benefits of 200 euro/Mg CO2 to CO2 mitigation costs of 2200 euro/Mg CO2, and from net CO2 emission reductions per hectare of biomass production of 28 Mg CO2/(ha yr) to net CO2 emissions of 8 Mg CO2/(ha yr). Using a present-value approach to determine CO2 emissions and costs affects the performance of long-term cascading chains significantly, i.e. cost and CO2 emission reduction are decreased. In general, cascading has the potential to improve both CO2 emission reduction ...
This paper reviews three key initiatives undertaken in the historical city of Oxford to bring about reductions in energy-related CO_2 emissions on a city-wide scale. The author has been part of all the three initiatives. In 2002, a collaborative partnership between academia, industry and city council started the Oxford Solar Initiative (OSI) which uses a community-based approach to help households and organisations in Oxford, financially and technically, to install solar energy systems and energy efficiency measures in buildings. So far OSI has facilitated the installation of 80 active solar systems, over 450 energy efficiency measures and 3,000 low energy bulbs. The scientific basis of OSI is a GIS-based DECoRuM model which estimates and maps baseline energy use and CO_2 emissions on a house-by house level, identifies 'pollution' hotspots, predicts the potential for reductions in CO_2 emissions and monitors reductions ...
Heat transfer processes use fluids which are generally not pure and can react with transfer surfaces. These surfaces are subject to deposits which can be sediments harmful to heat transfer and to integrity of materials. For nuclear plant steam generators, sludge build-up accelerates secondary side corrosion by concentrating chemical species. A major safety problem involved with such a corrosion is the growing of circumferential cracks which are very difficult to detect and size with eddy current probes. With a view to understand and control this problem, it is necessary to develop a mathematical model for the prediction of sludge behavior in PWR steam generators. Based on fundamental principles, this work intends to use different models available in literature for the prediction of the phenomenon leading to the accumulation of sludge particles at the bottom (the tubesheet) of a PWR. For that, a three-dimensional simulation of magnetite particulate fouling with the ...
Scour around offshore structures is well known. It is caused by the strong eddy formation at the base of the structures protruding from the sea bottom. The strong vortices result in an amplified effective shear stress working on the sea bottom surface adjacent to the structure. When the surrounding sea bottom is lowered the scour protection will end up being a cap on a small hill and when the slopes are getting too steep the scour protection will roll or slide down the sides. It will loose its cohesion and therefore its integrity. This will take place irrespective of the type of scour protection material and the type of scour protection. This report describes scour protections, which can deal with this particular problem. Such a scour protection must be able to sustain the following loads: Be able to follow the lowering of the seabed on its way down; Be resistant to edge scour (scour around the perimeter of the scour protection). The installation of scour protection is not ...
Significant environmental issues and regulatory proceedings in Alberta were discussed. The Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Project was reviewed in relation to the Deh Cho First Nation's advanced actions in the federal court to enjoin the review panel from proceeding with the review process. The Deh Cho First Nation is seeking a declaration that the plan violates their rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Constitution Act. Various regulatory and government agencies have now developed a plan to coordinate their different regulatory processes and approvals in the Cooperation Plan for the Environmental Impact Assessment and Regulatory Review of the Northern Gas Pipeline project. The Deh Cho allege that they were not afforded the opportunity to participate in the development and implementation of the plan. A review panel plans to proceed once the environmental and social impacts are determined, and the consortiums plan to minimize harm has ...
Two electroactive polymeric arylene bisimides, namely poly[(4,7,10-trioxatrideca-1,13-diyl)-(1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic bisimide-N,N'-diyl)] and its perylene analogue - poly[(4,7,10-trioxatrideca-1,13-diyl)-(3,4,9,10-perylenetetracarboxylic bisimide-N,N'-diyl)] have been synthesized and studied by cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis-NIR as well as Raman spectroeletrochemistry. Contrary to low molecular weight arylene bisimides, which show a clear two electron, double-step electrochemical reduction (neutral form to radical anion and from radical anion to dianion), in the synthesized polymers multielectron transfers are observed, accompanied with a strong electrochromic effect. However, as probed by cyclic voltammetry, their first reduction step is retarded and covers a wider potential range. We attribute this effect to macromolecular nature of the compounds being reduced and their structural inhomogeneity caused by ?-stacking induced ...
Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of nitrogen oxides(NO{sub x}) in flue gas or engine exhaust gas with hydrocarbons as the reductant has great potential for less expense, less pollution, and easier operation than SCR with ammonia. Methane is the preferred reducing gas because of its low cost and low toxicity. Stable, low-cost catalysts for SCR with methane are required to demonstrate this technology for controlling NO{sub x} emissions. Several cobalt and nickel catalysts on synthetic clay and uranium oxide supports were investigated for their activities in reducing NO{sub x} with methane in the presence of air. The efficiency of the synthetic clay-supported nickel and cobalt catalysts for nitric oxide (NO) reduction with methane as the reducing gas was poor. The nickel oxide-uranium oxide catalyst, which was chosen for its high stability, was also ineffective. Results from the two-step experiments conducted at ...