Science.gov (United States)

The potential public safety impacts from accidents in conceptual fusion power plants were investigated. Fusion was found to have some potential for accidents, as does any energy generating system. Functions of fusion power plants were identified that possess sufficient potential for an accidental release of toxic materials to the environment. An assessment was made of the impact of the potential accidents and recommendations are included for R and D that will allow incorporation of safety concerns in fusion power plant design. This work was based on a review of information available in conceptual design documents of fusion reactor systems.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calculating work-function modifications for flat-lying conjugated molecules on extended metal surfaces using density functional theory (DFT) is an extremely resource intensive task. This prevents fast screening of new molecules for their potential to optimize metal work functions for good electron or hole injection in organic electronic devices. We present a semi-classical model, which avoids that problem. This is achieved by identifying the dominant processes occurring at the interface between metal and adsorbate in the pinning-regime, which are then parameterizing their description using band-structure DFT calculations for a small training set With the resulting interdependent equations at hand, only simple gas-phase calculations are needed to predict the work-function changes induced by new molecules. The model is tested for ten molecules on three different ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Climex climate-matching and inferential-modelling was used to examine the naturalisation potential of genetically modified and non-transgenic Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum variety hirsutum) in Australia north of latitude 22degreeS. The Climate-Match (CM) function was used to identify locations in north-east Australia where climate matches (CM Index>0.7) the experimental sites of Eastick [Eastick, R., 2002. The Potential Weediness of Transgenic Cotton in Northern Australia. Northern Territory Department of Business, Industry and Resource Development Technical Bulletin No. 305 (Internet resource: http://cotton.pi.csiro.au/Assets/PDFFiles/TB3051.pdf)] in north-west Australia. Most of Australia north of 22degreeS had climate matching one or more of the sites of Eastick (2002), locations wh...

CERN Document Server

Full-Potential Electronic Structure Method

KoreaScience (Korea)

Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

PURPOSE: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly virulent malignancy with no effective treatment thus requiring innovative and effective targeted therapies. The oncogene Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1) plays a seminal role in hepatocarcinogenesis and profoundly downregulates insulin-like growth factor binding protein-7 (IGFBP7). The present study focuses on analyzing potential tumor suppressor functions of IGFBP7 in HCC and the relevance of IGFBP7 downregulation in mediating AEG-1 function.EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: IGFBP7 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in HCC tissue microarray and real-time PCR and ELISA in human HCC cell lines. Dual Fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed to detect loss of heterozygosity at IGFBP7 locus. Stable IGFBP7-overexpressing clones were established in the background of AEG-1-overexpressing human HCC cells and were analyzed for in vitro proliferation and senescence and in ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Human activities in the karst Ozark Plateaus can impact water quality of springs where surface water is rapidly transferred to subsurface conduits. Bennett Spring, in southern Missouri, is the fourth largest spring in the state and supports local tourism activities. Questions regarding poorly functioning on-site wastewater systems (OWS) have raised concerns over the long-term water quality of the spring. This study reports the results of a surface water quality monitoring program in the recharge area where monthly samples were collected at base flow to identify potential pollution sources to the spring. Base flow hydrology of the recharge area was highly variable over the study period, which was drier than normal, causing an incomplete sampling record due to no flow conditions at some site...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Cancers are highly heterogeneous and contain many passenger and driver mutations. To functionally identify tumor suppressor genes relevant to human cancer, we compiled pools of short harpin...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

To express growth-related changes in physiologic or other functions in forms usable for kinetic modeling, we are interested in identifying regular relationships that take the form of simple mathematical...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

The steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1, also known as NR5A1) is a transcription factor belonging to the nuclear receptor superfamily. Whereas most of the members of this family have been extensively characterized, the therapeutic potential and pharmacology of SF-1 still remains elusive. Described here is the identification and characterization of selective inhibitory chemical probes of SF-1 by a rational ultra-high-throughput screening (uHTS) strategy. A set of 64,908 compounds from the National Institute of Health's Molecular Libraries Small Molecule Repository was screened in a transactivation cell-based assay employing a chimeric SF-1 construct. Two analogous isoquinolinones, ethyl 2-[2-[2-(2,3-dihydro-1,4-benzodioxin-7-ylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-1-oxoisoquinolin-5-yl]oxypropanoate (SID7969543) and ethyl 2-[2-[2-(1,3-benzodioxol-5-ylmethylamino)-2-oxoethyl]-1-oxoisoquinolin-5-yl]oxypropanoate and (SID7970631), were identified as potent submicromolar ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A primary goal of noninvasive studies of human vision is to identify and characterize multiple visual areas in the human brain analogous to those identified in studies of nonhuman primates. By combining functional MEG measurements with images of individual anatomy derived from MRI, the authors hope to determine the location and arrangement of multiple visual areas in human cortex and to probe their functional significance. The authors have identified several different visual areas thus far which appear to be topographically organized. This paper focuses on the retinotopic characterization of the primary visual area (V1) in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Throughout their history, Americans have believed that citizens' fulfillment of their individual duties in a participatory democracy is at least partly met through the forming of groups around important societal issues. Given the complex nature of political socialization, this study investigated identifiable determinants of social action that might be used to advantage in educating young people for citizenship in a democracy. This study attempted to differentiate among junior high, high school and college students (N=517) who were inclined and not inclined to act on their concerns about nuclear threat with selected demographic, psychological, political, and educational variables. The results of a discriminant functional analysis indicated that in comparison with the non-action group, students in the action group were characterized by reporting less trust in government, more exposure to sources of nuclear war information, more political ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report describes the 5 tasks to be covered under this project and compiles budget information. Task 1 is to establish a Plutonium Information Resource, which has been established in Amarillo, Texas. Task 2, Advisory Functions, coordinates studies and activities relating to the disposition of excess weapons-grade plutonium. Task 3, Environmental, Public Health, and Safety, supports soil remediation activities. Task 4, Education and Outreach, is supporting four programs: K--12 education improvement in science and math courses; Academic intervention to identify and encourage high ability high school and middle school students with potential to become scientists and engineers; Graduate education evaluation; and Public outreach programs. Task 5, Plutonium and other Materials Studies, is currently funding two projects for the disposition of high explosives: a feasibility study of burning a mixture of high explosives and ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

AbstractObjective To review studies investigating the brain correlates of unawareness of cognitive and behavioural symptoms in people with dementia. Design A detailed search of the literature was conducted to include all the peer-reviewed studies published in English aimed at identifying the structural or functional brain correspondents of unawareness in dementia patients. Their results were interpreted in relation to the methodological differences in terms of type of dementia studied, the protocol adopted to measure lack of awareness, the imaging techniques employed, the experimental designs and statistical analyses performed. Results Eighteen studies undertaken to explore the functional and structural correlates of unawareness of cognitive symptoms in dementia were identified. Although t...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundFunction exertion of specific proteins are key factors in disease progression, thus the systematical identification of those specific proteins is a prerequisite to understand...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The present study was aimed to investigate antimicrobial potential of Glycyrrhiza glabra roots. Antimycobacterial activity of Glycyrrhiza glabra was found at 500mg/mL concentration. Bioactivity guided phytochemical analysis identified glabridin as potentially active against both Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra and H37Rv strains at 29.16mg/mL concentration. It exhibited antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Our results indicate potential use of licorice as antitubercular agent through systemic experiments and sophisticated anti-TB assay.

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Laboratory studies were performed to support field-testing of base injection into the F-Area Seepage Basins groundwater. The general purpose of these experiments is to provide information to guide the test of base injection and to identify potential adverse effects.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Comparative sociogenomics has the potential to provide important insights into how social behaviour evolved. We examined brain gene expression profiles of the primitively eusocial wasp Polistes...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We examined the bacterial aerobic nasal flora of 216 healthy volunteers to identify potential competitive interactions among different species, with special emphasis on the influence of staphylococcal...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finding innovative ways to reduce waste streams generated at US Department of Energy (DOE) sites by 50% by the year 2000 is a challenge for DOE`s waste minimization efforts. A team composed of members from several DOE facilities used the quality tool known as benchmarking to improve waste minimization efforts. First the team examined office waste generation and handling processes at their sites. Then team members developed telephone and written questionnaires to help identify potential ``best-in-class`` industry partners willing to share information about their best waste minimization techniques and technologies. The team identified two benchmarking partners, NIKE, Inc., in Beaverton, Oregon, and Microsoft, Inc., in Redmond, Washington. Both companies have proactive, employee-driven environmental issues programs. Both companies report strong employee involvement, management commitment, and readily available markets for ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

These Appendices describe various technologies that may be applicable to the Mixed Waste Treatment Plant (MWTP) Chemical/Physical Treatment System (CPTS). These technologies were identified by the CPTS Technical Support Group (TSG) as potentially applicable to a variety of separation, volume reduction, and decontamination requirements. The purpose was to identify all available and developing technologies, and their characteristics, for subsequent evaluation for specific requirements identified for the CPTS. However, the technologies described herein are not necessarily all inclusive, nor are they necessarily all applicable.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The fungus Cryptococcus neoformans is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with impaired CD4⁺ T cell function, particularly those with AIDS. To identify...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

We have identified five acyl coenzyme A (CoA) oxidase isozymes (Aox1 through Aox5) in the n-alkane-assimilating yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, encoded by the POX1...Full Text Available

CERN Document Server

Generalized functions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naturally-occurring wetlands perform such functions as flood control, pollution filtration, nutrient recycling, sediment accretion, groundwater recharge and water supply, erosion control, and plant and wildlife preservation. A large concentration of wetlands is located in Eastern Europe. A significant amount of Eastern European wetlands has been converted to agricultural use in the past, and remaining wetlands are subject to agricultural drainage. Drained wetlands are used as prime agriculture lands for a variety of food crops. Other agricultural uses of wetlands range from growing Phragmites australis (common reed) for thatch and livestock feed, to collecting peat for heating and cooking fuel. Altered hydrologic regimes due to global climate change could further exacerbate encroachment of agricultural land use into wetlands. The vulnerability and adaptation studies of the US Country Studies Program are used to analyze where climate change impacts to agriculture ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This article considers the application of simple trial wave functions to calculate the ground state energy of a hydrogen-like center near the interface of two media. Calculations have been performed taking into account the image potential. It has been shown that different kinds of wave functions are optimal at different distances from the interface. A relatively simple wave function has been suggested to represent main features of the dependence of the ground state energy on the distance to the interface. (authors)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

We use a nonsingular-potential model for heavy quarkonia proposed by Gupta, Repko, and Suchyta to calculate the transition amplitudes for the magnetic-dipole ({ital M}1) one-photon radiative decays of the {ital c{bar c}} and {ital b{bar b}} bound systems. The wave functions of the bound systems are calculated by a nonperturbative treatment. The results are in better agreement with the experimental data than those predicted using other potential models.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

'The overall objective of the basic research grant is to characterize the potential of common hydrocarbon contaminants in ecosystems to act as endocrine disruptors. The three major lines of research include (1) a biotechnology based screening system to identify potential hormone mimics and antagonists; (2) an animal screening system to identify biomarkers of endocrine effects. and (3) a literature review to identify compounds at a variety of DOE sites that need to be examined for endocrine disrupting effects. By relating results obtained from this research project to contamination problems at various DOE sites. CBR will provide data and information on endocrine disrupting contaminants to DOE for consideration in risk analyses for determining clean-up levels and priorities needed at the sites.'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Due to the large number of chemicals in commerce without adequate toxicity characterization data, coupled with an ineffective federal policy for chemical management in the United States, many states are grappling with the challenge to identify toxic chemicals that may pose a risk to human health and the environment. Specific populations (e.g., children, elderly) are particularly sensitive to these toxic chemicals. In 2008, the Children's Safe Product Act (CSPA) was passed in Washington State. The CSPA included specific requirements to identify High Priority Chemicals (HPCs) and Chemicals of High Concern to Children (CHCCs). To implement this legislation, a methodology was developed to identify HPCs from authoritative scientific and regulatory sources on the basis of toxicity criteria. Another set of chemicals of concern was then identified from authoritative sources, based on their ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Storage of thermal energy in aquifers has obvious benefits of saving energy and decreasing the consumption of fossil fuels. However, aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES), which involves groundwater aquifers as the storage medium for heat or chill, impinges on the environment. A literature review of pertinent microbiology publications (Hicks and Stewart, 1988) identified the potential for the interaction of ATES systems and microbiological processes to create a source of infectious diseases and the potential for damage to the environment. In addition, the review identified a potential for microbiological processes to develop conditions that would interfere with the operation of an ATES system. As a result of this research effort, investigators from Finland, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States have examined several ATES systems in operation and have observed that the ATES ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purpose of this assessment for this town in the Slovak Republic is to develop information on the building sector energy efficiency and improvement potential for use by town management to support decisions on providing energy services to Handlova citizens. Objectives were to characterize baseline space and water heat energy use and efficiency improvement potential in the residential and nonresidential building sectors. Intention was to identify major areas of efficiency improvement potential and cost-effectiveness. Four levels of energy and fuel prices were used. A significant efficiency resource exists in the space and water heating end uses in these building sectors; it amounts to 42% of the total building sector space and water heat energy consumption.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

I review recent developments in quark-hadron duality in inclusive electron-nucleon scattering. Matrix elements of twist-4 operators extracted from moments of the spin-dependent g1 structure function suggest that duality violating higher twists are small above Q2 {approx} 1 GeV2. The x dependence of local duality is analyzed within a quark model framework, and mechanisms are identified for spin-flavor symmetry breaking which underpin the behavior of structure functions at large x.

CERN Document Server

When one uses the Coleman-Weinberg renormalization condition, the effective potential $V$ in the massless $\\phi_4^4$ theory with O(N) symmetry is completely determined by the renormalization group functions. It has been shown how the $(p+1)$ order renormalization group function fix the N$^{p}$LL order contribution to $V$. We discuss here how, in addition to fixing the N$^{p}$LL contribution to $V$, the $(p+1)$ order renormalization group functions also can be used to determine portions of the N$^{p+n}$LL contributions to $V$. When these contributions are summed to all orders, the singularity structure of \\mcv is altered. An alternate approach to fixing \\mcv in terms of the renormalization group functions is shown to eliminate dependence on the background field if spontaneous symmetry breaking occurs.

Science.gov (United States)

Geometrical structures and energetic properties for different tautomers of adenine are calculated in this study, using multi-configurational wave functions. Both the ground and the lowest singlet excited state potential energy surfaces are studied. Four t...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Splice products of the Kiss1 protein (kisspeptins) have been shown to be involved in a diverse range of functions, including puberty, metastasis and vasoconstriction in large human arteries. Circulating...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Syndecan-2, a transmembrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan, is a critical mediator in the tumorigenesis of colon carcinoma cells. We explored the function of syndecan-2 in melanoma, one of the most invasive...Full Text Available

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A Monte Carlo simulation of the vacuum Bianchi type-IX (mixmaster) cosmology yields a significant correlation between large universe volume and high anisotropy. An analog of the model's chaotic classical behavior is seen in the break up of the universe wave function at large volume into fingers in the corners of the minisuperspace anisotropy potential.

Science.gov (United States)

Aluminium (Al) toxicity, affecting around half of the world¿s arable land, severely hinders the ability of crop plants to utilize moisture and nutrients by restricting root growth and function. Among the cultivated cereals, rye is the most Al-tolerant and represents an important potential source of ...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

To assemble into functional structures, biopolymers search for global minima through their folding potential energy surfaces to find the native conformation. However, this process can be hindered by...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

In vivo two-photon imaging through the pupil of the primate eye has the potential to become a useful tool for functional imaging of the retina. Two-photon excited fluorescence images...Full Text Available

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

BackgroundMicroorganisms display vast diversity, and each one has its own set of genes, cell components and metabolic reactions. To assess their huge unexploited metabolic potential...Full Text Available

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The objective of this project is to eliminate three closely inter-related barriers to oil production in Alaska through the use of a geographic information system (GIS) and other information technology strategies. These barriers involve identification of oil development potential from existing wells, planning projects to efficiently avoid conflicts with other interests, and gaining state approvals for exploration and development projects. Each barrier is the result of either current labor-intensive methods or poorly accessible information. This project brings together three parts of the oil exploration, development, and permitting process to form the foundation for a more fully integrated information technology infrastructure for the State of Alaska. This web-based system will enable the public and other review participants to track permit status, submit and view comments, and obtain important project information online. By automating several ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The objective of this research project is to demonstrate sensing, communication, information and control technologies to achieve a seamless integration of multivendor distributed energy resource (DER) units at aggregation levels that meet individual user requirements for facility operations (residential, commercial, industrial, manufacturing, etc.) and further serve as resource options for electric and natural gas utilities. The fully demonstrated DER aggregation system with embodiment of communication and control technologies will lead to real-time, interactive, customer-managed service networks to achieve greater customer value. Work on this Advanced Communication and Control Project (ACCP) consists of a two-phase approach for an integrated demonstration of communication and control technologies to achieve a seamless integration of DER units to reach progressive levels of aggregated power output. Phase I involved design and proof-of-design, and Phase II involves real-world ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Untreated landfill leachates and wastes from metal plating and mining operations are sources of environmental contamination by heavy metals. Because of their toxicity and potential for accumulation, the discharge of heavy metals must be controlled. Standard physical and chemical treatments used to remove metals from wastes such as concentration by electro-precipitation, ion exchange, solvent extraction, evaporative recovery, and conventional precipitation, are usually expensive and produce high quantities of sludge. Biosorption is the removal of metals from aqueous solutions by microorganisms. It is called biosorption rather than bioadsorption or bioaccumulation because the mechanisms of removal are not restricted to adsorption or metabolic uptake and so the more general term is preferable and has come to be accepted. In this thesis the focus is one two microorganisms and two metals. However, the possible combinations of conditions such as pH, relative metal ...

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The large aggregating proteoglycan aggrecan is a major structural component of the extracellular matrix of articular cartilage. Recent cDNA cloning of the human aggrecan gene (AGC1) reveals a core protein of at least 2316 amino acids characterized by several distinct structural domains. Two globular domains, termed G1 and G2, are present at the amino terminus of the molecule and a third, termed G3, is present at the carboxy terminus. The G1 domain is homologous in structure to the cartilage link protein and accounts for the aggregating potential of aggrecan through its ability to interact with hyaluronic acid. The aggrecan gene is known to consist of 15 exons, with each exon encoding a distinct functional region of the mature protein. However, while the link protein gene is known to reside on chromosome 5 in the human, the location of the aggrecan gene is currently undetermined in any species. The probe (pAGG2) for the aggrecan gene was mapped ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This Maintenance Implementation Plan has been developed for maintenance functions associated with the Waste Sampling and Characterization Facility (WSCF). This plan is developed from the guidelines presented by Department of Energy (DOE) Order 4330.4A, Maintenance Management Program (DOE 1990), Chapter II. The objective of this plan is to provide baseline information for establishing and identifying WHC conformance programs and policies applicable to implementation of DOE order 4330.4A guidelines. In addition, this maintenance plan identifies the actions necessary to develop a cost-effective and efficient maintenance program at WSCF.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wave energy device teams have identified three varieties of air turbine as potentially applicable to wave energy devices. These are: conventional axial turbines; Wells, or self-rectifying, axial turbines and Francis turbines. This report examines the constructional requirements of these devices with regard to mechanical, environmental and manufacturing considerations. It is concluded that the major benefit of optimum material selection will be reduced manufacturing costs rather than enhanced turbine performance. A methodology of material selection has been established and candidate materials have been listed for the major components of each turbine type. Comparative costs for alternative materials are included, from which significant, potential economies have been identified. Recommendations are made aimed at achieving optimum material usage in the proposed turbines.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

There is a need for earlier and more accurate cancer diagnostics as well as new targets for cancer immunotherapy. To this end, it is important to identify sets of tumour antigens specific for different cancer forms. Several methods that identify potential tumour antigens in an arrayed and high-throughput format have been developed during the last years of SEREX (serological identification of antigens by recombinant expression cloning) related research. Such techniques may hold the potential to describe the complete immunogenic part of the cancer proteome, also called the cancer immunoproteome.We have developed a powerful platform for automated serological high-throughput filter screening of tumour cDNA libraries. The screening format of this method is 18,000 single cDNAs clones, which is s...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Objectives: Intra-operative cisplatin-based intra-peritoneal chemotherapy (IPC) may alter renal function in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. The aim of this study was to describe postoperative alteration of renal function after cisplatin-based IPC and to identify risk factors for moderate to severe acute renal failure. Study design: This prospective observational study was carried out on 77 consecutive patients who underwent cisplatin-based IPC procedures, with (n=23) or without (n=54) intra-peritoneal epinephrine, for advanced ovarian cancer. Postoperative renal function was assessed using serial serum creatinine measurements and was based on serum creatinine changes from pre-operative values, according to the risk, injury, failure, loss, end-stage kidney disease (RIFLE) classificat...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

To calculate the energy band structures in semiconductors using the relativistic augmented plane wave method, atomic potential and charge density are needed, which are calculated by self-consistent method. Wave function for one electron is determined by solving the Dirac equation with the Hartree-Fock equation based on the slater's exchange potential. The results of calculation for Cu"+"1 are given. (Author).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The US Department of Energy, Division of Electric Energy Systems, has undertaken to identify the environmental issues and potential impacts associated with the installation of underground electric power transmission systems. This study reports the results of investigations into the advanced cable technologies being considered for future underground applications, as part of the development oriented research program of the Division of Electric Energy Systems. While the technology involves a high level of sophistication, there are relatively few impacts to the environment that are potentially significant, and of these none are inherently non-mitigable. Route planning, system design, and methods of construction and accident response can be pursued in order to minimize impacts where strict constraints are appropriate.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Decay sequences based on the 1/2"+[660] proton orbital have been identified in "1"7"1Ta and "1"7"7Re based on spin, parity, and large alignment. This decay sequence is observed higher in energy than predicted in cranking calculations based on modified oscillator potentials. Similarly known 1/2"-[541] decay sequences in these and other neighbouring isotopes are observed lower in energy than predicted. A reduction in the strength of the spin-orbit potential for protons is suggested as a solution to these problem. (orig.).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Decay sequences based on the 1/2/sup +/(660) proton orbital have been identified in /sup 171/Ta and /sup 177/Re based on spin, parity, and large alignment. This decay sequence is observed higher in energy than predicted in cranking calculations based on modified oscillator potentials. Similarly known 1/2/sup -/(541) decay sequences in these and other neighbouring isotopes are observed lower in energy than predicted. A reduction in the strength of the spin-orbit potential for protons is suggested as a solution to these problem.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

To test the hypothesis that transduction of the channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) gene, a microbial-type rhodopsin gene, into retinal ganglion cells of genetically blind rats will restore functional vision, we recorded visually evoked potentials and tested the experimental rats for the presence of optomotor responses. The N-terminal fragment of the ChR2 gene was fused to the fluorescent protein Venus and inserted into an adeno-associated virus to make AAV2-ChR2V. AAV2-ChR2V was injected intravitreally into the eyes of 6-month-old dystrophic RCS (rdy/rdy) rats. Visual function was evaluated six weeks after the injection by recording visually evoked potentials (VEPs) and testing optomotor responses. The expression of ChR2V in the retina was investigated histologically. We found that VEPs could not b...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The linearized-augmented-plane-wave (LAPW) method for thin films is generalized by removing the remaining shape approximation to the potential inside the atomic spheres. A new technique for solving Poisson's equation for a general charge density and potential is described and implemented in the film LAPW method. In the resulting full-potential LAPW method (FLAPW), all contributions to the potential are completely taken into account in the Hamiltonian matrix elements. The accuracy of the method: already well known for clean metal surfaces: is demonstrated for the case of a nearly free (noninteracting) O_2 molecule which is a severe test case of the method because of its large anisotropic charge distribution. Detailed comparisons show that the accuracy of the FLAPW results for O_2 exceeds that of existing state-of-the-art local-density linear-combination-of-atomic-orbitals (LCAO)-type calculations, and ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vietnam is beginning its industrialization process, and it currently lacks the capital necessary for expensive pollution control and treatment systems. Pollution strategies are critical for the country. This study evaluates the present status of industry and the pollution problems associated with industrial development in Vietnam. The purpose of the study is to identify sectors that may have potential for promoting cleaner production practices. 4 refs.

Environmental Research Database

DescriptionFossil fuels have a detrimental effect on the environment. They lead to the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide which has been documented over the last 150 years. In contrast, some sources of renewable energy are near carbon neutral. Renewable energy produced from biomass constitutes such a type of energy and so has many potential advantages. The Energy White Paper (DTI et al., 2003) identifies bioenergy as an important means of meeting the Government's energy and environment objectives, in [continued...

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

Two clinical strains of Escherichia coli (2138) and Enterobacter cloacae (7506) isolated from the same patient in France and showing resistance to extended-spectrum...Full Text Available

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine potential new uses of return on investment (ROI) in alternative methods for library assessment and valuation. Design/methodology/approach - Uses examples of recent uses of ROI by libraries to identify potential new applications of ROI in library assessment and valuation. Findings - ROI investment has historically been used by libraries for the assessment of past performance of library organizations in a reactive/defensive nature or for assessing the value of customer services. ROI has not been widely used as a proactive assessment tool, to introspectively assess administrative or other internal services, or as an offensive assessment and valuation tool, especially for intangible performance assessment and valuation. Originality/value - New ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper presents a mathematical model for simultaneous heat and moisture transfer under freezing-thawing in porous hygroscopic material. Even below O{sup o}C, unfrozen liquid water exists in the material which plays an important role in the processes. The model takes into account the existence of unfrozen liquid water. The system is treated as a three-(gas, liquid and solid) phase system of water. Moisture chemical potential is used as a moisture potential. Under freezing, moisture chemical potential is a unique function of local temperature. So, during freezing, two unknown variables to be solved are solid water content and moisture potential or temperature. A simple example of simulation for freezing processes is shown. (author)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The nuclear interaction probability of light charged particles in BaF[sub 2] crystals has been studied as a function of the incident particle energy. Light charged particles were identified in charge and mass by measuring their magnetic rigidity and their time-of-flight. The percentage of particles undergoing nuclear interactions has been measured for particles of charge from Z=1 to Z=6 and the experimental data are compared with the results of a model calculation. (orig.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pairing correlations in multi-quasiparticle states in deformed nuclei are expected to be reduced because of blocking. New intrinsic states and their associated rotational bands have been identified allowing comparisons to be made as a function of seniority and between nuclei. The possible effects of the reduced pairing on the collective rotation, and its manifestation in terms of alignment, are discussed. 13 refs., 2 figs.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is the main intermediate filament protein in mature astrocytes, but also an important component of the cytoskeleton in astrocytes during development. Major recent developments in astrocyte biology and the discovery of novel intermediate filament functions enticed the interest in the function of GFAP. The discovery of various GFAP splice variants gave an additional boost to explore this protein in more detail.The structural role of GFAP in astrocytes has been widely accepted for a long time, but over the years, GFAP has been shown to be involved in astrocyte functions, which are important during regeneration, synaptic plasticity and reactive gliosis. Moreover, different subpopulations of astrocytes have been identified, which are likely to have distinc...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The results of an extensive, detailed geologic and geophysical evaluation of the offshore South Florida basin show this area to have considerable hydrocarbon exploration potential. Geophysical mapping on six key horizons identified numerous structural closures at Dollar Bay through Bone Island mapping levels. Geologic evaluation indicated at least four viable potential reservoir horizons, including the Sunniland formation - the main producing unit onshore in what is called the Sunniland trend. Mature, organic rich carbonate source rocks are found in several stratigraphic intervals throughout the basin, and extensively developed seals consisting of micritic limestones and anhydrites are also common in the stratigraphic section. All the critical factors for hydrocarbon accumulation - source, reservoir, trap, and seal - appear to be present in the offshore Pulley ridge area of the South Florida basin. Using high-resolution ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Functionalizing nanoparticle surfaces is essential for achieving homogeneous dispersions of monodisperse particles in polymer nanocomposites for successful utilization in engineering applications. Functionalization reduces the surface energy of the nanoparticles, thereby limiting the tendency to agglomerate. Moreover, reactive groups on the surface can also participate in the polymerization, creating covalent bonds between the inorganic and organic phases. In this paper, a fluidized bed inductively coupled plasma (FB-ICP) reactor is used to break apart the agglomerates and functionalize commercial TiO2 nanoparticle powders in a batch of several grams. The fluidized bed could be implemented into a continuous flow reactor, potentially making this a viable method to treat larger quantities of commercial powders. The particles are treated with acrylic acid (AA) and tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) plasma and ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The antimicrobial peptide scygonadin (Scy) was first isolated from the gonad of Scylla serrata and its gene is predominantly expressed in the ejaculatory duct of adult males. Thus, its function was predicted to be associated with reproductive immunity, but this is still unclear and needs further investigation. In our study, the expression pattern of Scy at different developmental stages of both male and female S. paramamosain was investigated, so that the potential function of this peptide could be examined. Using real-time quantitative PCR, Scy mRNA transcripts were demonstrated obviously in the vulnerable embryos and larvae-zoea I but very weakly detected in the larvae-zoea III, megalops and juveniles. The gene expression pattern showed a decreasing trend during the early developmental s...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isotropic Compton profiles of TaC and TaN have been measured for the first time, at an intermediate resolution, using 662 keV #gamma#-radiation. Energy bands, density of states and Fermi surface topology of TaC and TaN have been computed using linear combination of atomic orbitals with density functional theory and full potential linearised augmented plane wave method. Both band structure calculations predict the metallic character of TaC and TaN. The electron momentum densities calculated using various approaches of density functional theory are compared with the present measurements. On the basis of Mulliken's population, it is also seen that TaC has more covalent bonding than TaN. The optical properties computed using full potential linearised augmented plane wave method are explained in terms of intraband transitions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This study investigates spent fuel cask handling experience at existing nuclear facilities to determine appropriate cask decontamination and maintenance operations at the potential Yucca Mountain repository. These operations are categorized as either routine or nonroutine. Routine cask decontamination and maintenance tasks are performed in the cask preparation area at the repository. Casks are taken offline to a separate cask maintenance area for major nonroutine tasks. The study develops conceptual designs of the cask preparation area and cask maintenance area. The functions, layouts, and major features of these areas are also described.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A method based on path integral formulation is given for obtaining exact solution of the s states for the Bargmann potentialV(r)=1ka"2#beta#(#beta#-1)e"-"2"r"/"a1-e"-"r"/"a"2-Ae"-"r"/"a1-e"-"r"/"a,where #beta# and k are parameters. The exact energy spectrum and the normalised s-state eigenfunctions are obtained from the poles of the Green function and their residues, respectively. The results are compared with their of Schrodinger formalism, special cases are also discussed.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In order to assess whether an oil shale test facility would be of significant use to private sector oil shale developers, the US DOE has studied the past history of oil shale development and its potential for replacing petroleum supplies. A generic test facility's primary function would be to test concepts of mining, retorting, upgrading, and environmental aspects at the engineering scale. This paper summarizes the US oil shale resources, gives a technology analysis, and discusses the potential for a test facility.

Science.gov (United States)

An explanation is given of what a loop heat pipe (LHP) is, and how it works. It is then shown that neutron imaging (both real time neutron radioscopy and single exposure neutron radiography) is an effective experimental tool for the study of LHPs. Specifically, neutron imaging has helped to identify and correct a cooling water distribution problem in the condenser, and has enabled visualization of two-phase flow (liquid and vapor) in various components of the LHP. In addition, partial wick dry-out, a phenomenon of great importance in the effective operation of LHPs, is potentially identifiable with neutron imaging. It is anticipated that neutron radioscopy and radiography will greatly contribute to our understanding of LHP operation, and will lead to improvement of LHP modeling and design. PMID:15246420

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This remedial investigation (RI)/feasibility study (FS) supports the selection of remedial actions for the David Witherspoon, Inc. 901 Maryville Pike Site in Knoxville, Tennessee. Operations at the site, used as a recycling center, have resulted in past, present, and potential future releases of hazardous substances in to the environment. This Site is a Tennessee Superfund site. A phased approach was planned to (1) gather existing data from previous investigations managed by the Tenn. Dept. of Environment and Conservation; (2) perform a preliminary RI, including risk assessments, and an FS with existing data to identify areas where remedial action may be necessary; (3) gather additional field data to adequately define the nature and extent of risk-based contaminants that present identifiable threats to human and/or ecological receptors; and (4) develop remedial action alternatives to reduce risks to acceptable levels.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A historical review of floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) systems for marginal fields is presented. The areas in which such systems are operating, ranges of model tests, and current applicability of mooring systems are reviewed to present capabilities of these concepts. Limitations are reviewed to assess the applicability of these concepts to similar sites. Consideration of processing operations on floating vessels are identified. Particularly, the effects of vessel motion on the processing equipment, gas disposal, and crude offloading are addressed. It will be shown that operations are becoming well understood and routine. Future problem areas and solutions under development are identified. Specific examples are cited and design refinements are noted. While various floating production systems have been in operation for only a few years, their potential for solving the problems of producing small offshore ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Based on the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) of density functional theory (DFT) and the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FLAPW) at the level including all electrons, the lattice parameters of graphite are calculated and optimized. Some elastic wave velocities transmitted in graphite are deduced. Using the methods of elastic wave velocity method and the atomic displacement method, the Debye frequency of graphite is obtained. The standard heat capacity, entropy, sublimation enthalpy of graphite is deduced at 289.5 k and 1 atm. The calculated results are discussed and compared with experimental data. (authors)

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a measure of sensorimotor gating, a pre-attentional inhibitory brain mechanism that filters extraneous stimuli. Prepulse inhibition is correlated with measures of cognition and executive functioning, and is considered an endophenotype of schizophrenia and other psychiatric illnesses in which patients show PPI impairments. As a first step toward identifying genes that regulate PPI, we performed a quantitative trait locus (QTL) screen of PPI phenotypes in a panel of mouse chromosome substitution strains (CSSs). We identified five CSSs with altered PPI compared with the host C57BL/6J strain: CSS-4 exhibited decreased PPI, whereas CSS-10, -11, -16 and -Y exhibited higher PPI compared with C57BL/6J. These data indicate that A/J chromosomes 4, 10, 11, 16 and Y harbor...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A power system stabilizer based on GMV (Generalized Minimum Variance), one of the adaptive control techniques, is developed to enhance the dynamic performances of a power system using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The stabilizer consists of two parts. One part is Inverse Dynamics Neural Networks (IDNN), which is trained to identify the inverse dynamics of controlled plant and used as a one-step ahead controller, or inverse controller. The other part is Adaptive Reference Model (ARM), which prevents excessive controller output. The ARM produces the modified reference value by minimizing a cost function recursively on the assumption that the IDNN perfectly identifies the controlled plant. The IDNN is used in the minimization procedure to calculate the sensitivities. The proposed controller is simulated in a typical one-machine-infinite-bus power system to show its effectiveness to damp sustained low frequency ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The purpose of this assessment is to develop a versatile process that will provide a mechanism for evaluating both present and future risks to this environment. Much of the regulatory and environmental interest in the port has centered around a Ballast Water Treatment facility that treats and discharges up to 30 mgd of oily ballast water brought in by crude oil tankers. However, six point discharges and other potential sources of pollution exist in the area. The authors have delineated eleven subareas in the port in order to identify the potential anthropogenic stressors, as well as the receptors that could be exposed to these stressors. Potential effects were then characterized for each exposure. Each component is ranked and integrated, resulting in a relative risk estimate in each subarea. Both the discernible risks, based on available data, and the data gaps are presented. Uncertainty is expressed as ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Positron emission tomography (PET) is the gold standard for non-invasive assessment of myocardial viability and allows accurate detection of coronary artery disease by assessment of myocardial perfusion. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides high resolution anatomical images that allow accurate evaluation of ventricular structure and function together with detection of myocardial infarction. Potential hybrid PET/MR tomography may potentially facilitate the combination of information from these imaging modalities in cardiology. Furthermore, the combination of anatomical MRI images with the high sensitivity of PET for detecting molecular targets may extent the application of these modalities to the characterization of atherosclerotic plaques and to the evaluation of angiogenetic or stem cell therapies, for example. This article reviews studies using MRI and PET in parallel to compare their performance in cardiac ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A theoretical study of an exciton confined in a quantum ring is presented. The quantum ring is described as a two-dimensional circular quantum dot with a repulsive core, which is modelled with the help of two Gaussian functions. We have applied the variational method and investigated the evolution of the low-energy exciton spectrum with the change of the confinement potential. The calculations have been performed for the recently produced self-assembled ring-shaped InGaAs quantum dots. We have shown that the repulsive core strongly increases the radiative transition probability from the exciton ground state at the expense of the decreasing probability of the transitions from the excited states. This effect results from the orthogonality properties of the exciton wavefunctions, which are specific to the quantum-ring confinement potential. We have studied the characteristic features of the exciton spectrum, which can be used ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Soluble TWEAK is a member of the TNF-alpha family of cytokines that has been shown to predict mortality in patients with heart failure. Pulmonary artery hypertension is a devastating disease, in which right ventricular function has been shown to be the major determinant of prognosis. In this hypothesis-generating study, we sought to evaluate the potential usefulness of sTWEAK in the prediction of disease severity in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension. We therefore conducted a retrospective analysis of sTWEAK serum levels in 95 stable patients with PAH. For all patients data on hemodynamic parameters, biomarkers and functional exercise tests were available. Compared to controls, patients with PAH showed significantly decreased levels of sTWEAK [median 314?pg/ml (interquartile range...

CERN Document Server

In undirected graphical models, learning the graph structure and learning the functions that relate the predictive variables (features) to the responses given the structure are two topics that have been widely investigated in machine learning and statistics. Learning graphical models in two stages will have problems because graph structure may change after considering the features. The main contribution of this paper is the proposed method that learns the graph structure and functions on the graph at the same time. General graphical models with binary outcomes conditioned on predictive variables are proved to be equivalent to multivariate Bernoulli model. The reparameterization of the potential functions in graphical model by conditional log odds ratios in multivariate Bernoulli model offers advantage in the representation of the conditional independence structure in the model. Additionally, we impose a ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The electron-phonon spectral distribution function #alpha#"2(#omega#) F (#omega#) has been calculated for niobium. The electron energy bands and wave functions were obtained from a self-consistent augmented-plane-wave muffin-tin potential, and the electron-phonon matrix elements were evaluated using the so-called rigid-ion approximation. With this approximation it is found that #alpha#"2(#omega#) is constant over the whole energy spectrum. The electron-phonon mass enhancement has also been calculated for local regions of the Fermi surface and found to be anisotropic. The calculated local values of the enhancement do not agree with experimental values available for different orbits from de Haas--van Alphen measurements. The discrepancy seems to arise because the bare-rigid-ion matrix elements are relatively small between states with nearly pure l = 2 character.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Most analyses of the alternative strategies used by utilities to comply with Title IV requirements have focused on factors directly related to controlling sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) emissions. However, utilities must meet a number of additional environmental requirements at the same tune they comply with the acid rain program. To illuminate the potential synergies and conflicts that might exist between the other regulatory mandates and the acid rain program, a thorough examination of all the various programs and their interrelationships must be conducted. This paper reviews the environmental mandates that utilities will have to plan to meet in the next decade concurrently with the acid rain program, and it analyzes the interactions among the various programs to identify potential synergies and conflicts.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been actively exploited as potential anticancer agents. To identify gene targets of HDAC inhibitors, we found that HDAC inhibitors such as sodium butyrate, scriptaid, apicidin and oxamflatin induced the expression of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH), a potential cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) antagonist and tumor suppressor, in a time and concentration dependent manner in A549 and H1435 lung adenocarcinoma cells. Detailed analyses indicated that HDAC inhibitors activated the 15-PGDH promoter-luciferase reporter construct in transfected A549 cells. A representative HDAC inhibitor, scriptaid, and its negative structural analog control, nullscript, were further evaluated at the chromatin level. Scriptaid but not nullscript induced a signific...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An investigation of current dual-fuel natural gas/diesel engine design, performance, and emissions was conducted. The most pressing technological problems associated with dual-fuel engine use were identified along with potential solutions. It was concluded that dual-fuel engines can achieve low NOx and particulate emissions while retaining fuel-efficiency and BMEP levels comparable to those of diesel engines. The investigation also examined the potential economic impact of dual-fuel engines in diesel-electric locomotives, marine vessels, farm equipment, construction, mining, and industrial equipment, and stand-alone electricity generation systems. Recommendations for further additional funding to support research, development, and demonstration in these applications were then presented.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Seven villages in southeastern Kenya surround Mt. Kasigau and depend on the mountain's cloud forest for their water supply. Five of these villages have regularly experienced water shortages, and all village water supplies were contaminated with Escherichia coli bacteria. There is a need to economically find new sources of fresh ground water. Remote sensing offers a relatively quick and cost-effective way of identifying areas with high potential for ground water development. This study used spectral properties of features on Landsat remote sensing imagery to map linear features, soil types, surface moisture, and vegetation. Linear features represented geologic or geomorphologic features indicating either shallow ground water or areas of increased subsurface hydraulic conductivity. Regarding...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The presence of natural fractures in reservoir rock can significantly enhance gas production, especially in tight gas formations. Any general knowledge of the existence, location, orientation, spatial density, and connectivity of natural fractures, as well as general reservoir structure, that can be obtained prior to active seismic acquisition and drilling can be exploited to identify key areas for subsequent higher resolution active seismic imaging. Current practices for estimating fracture properties before the acquisition of surface seismic data are usually based on the assumed geology and tectonics of the region, and empirical or fracture mechanics-based relationships between stratigraphic curvature and fracturing. The objective of this research is to investigate the potential of multicomponent surface sensor arrays, and passive seismic sources in the form of local earthquakes to identify and characterize ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This hazard analysis (HA) has been prepared for the 300 Area N Reactor Fuel Fabrication and Storage Facility (Facility), in compliance with the requirements of Westinghouse Hanford Company (Westinghouse Hanford) controlled manual WHC-CM-4-46, Nonreactor Facility Safety Analysis Manual, and to the direction of WHC-IP-0690, Safety Analysis and Regulation Desk Instructions, (WHC 1992). An HA identifies potentially hazardous conditions in a facility and the associated potential accident scenarios. Unlike the Facility hazard classification documented in WHC-SD-NR-HC-004, Hazard Classification for 300 Area N Reactor Fuel Fabrication and Storage Facility, (Huang 1993), which is based on unmitigated consequences, credit is taken in an HA for administrative controls or engineered safety features planned or in place. The HA is the foundation for the accident analysis. The significant event scenarios identified by ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The real thermodynamic inefficiencies in a thermal system are related to exergy destruction and exergy loss. An exergy analysis identifies the system components with the highest exergy destruction and the processes that cause them. However, only a part of the exergy destruction in a component can be avoided. A minimum exergy destruction rate for each system component is imposed by physical, technological, and economic constraints. The difference between the total and the unavoidable exergy destruction rate represents the avoidable exergy destruction rate, which provides a realistic measure of the potential for improving the thermodynamic efficiency of a component. The calculation of avoidable cost rates associated with both exergy destruction and capital investment is described in the paper and is applied to the exergoeconomic evaluation of an externally fired combined cycle power plant. For each plant component, avoidable and unavoidable ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of virtual colonoscopy (CT colonography) in the identification of colorectal cancer and to define the limitations and the advantages of this imaging modality, as well as indications to the examination. It was examined prospectively 62 symptomatic patients aged 36 to 82 years (28 women and 34 men). All patients underwent both conventional and virtual colonoscopy on the same day; the conventional examination allowed exploration of the entire colon. Conventional colonoscopy identified 89 lesions 3-50 mm in diameter, namely 84 benign and 5 malignant lesions. No lesions were identified in 12 patients. CT colonography identified 52 of the 89 lesions, with 57.1% diagnostic accuracy. They were 11 false positives (82.5% positive predictive value and 52.2% specificity) and 37 false negatives (24.5% negative predictive value and 58.4% sensitivity). Sensitivity was significantly higher ...

Science.gov (United States)

The health politics and policy communities are still struggling with the question of "what went wrong" in the 1993-94 health care reform effort. Here I identify which Americans were politically active and inactive during the health care reform debate to explore the role political participation may have had in determining the outcome of the debate. Using data from a national and California random-sample telephone surveys, and controlling for other demographic attributes, I found that those who engaged in political activity specifically related to health care reform were disproportionately more likely to be self-identified conservatives, less likely to favor an employer mandate plan, more likely to be fifty to sixty-four years old, more likely to be men, and more likely to have greater interest in and knowledge of the health care issue. Even in California, where a single-payer proposal was on the November ballot, ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The exchange of information and experience among Member Sates is an essential component of the IAEA action plan for addressing the Year 2000 problem. The objective is to enable Member States to identify any gaps in their own conversion programmes, benefit form the experience of others in developing remedial actions and establish the basis for future action to solve remaining problems. Experts in Year 2000 issues particularly those related to digital equipment prepared this report dealing with nuclear fuel cycle facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The mine dumps that arise from the gold mining operations in South Africa are a potential source of high concentrations of radon (222"Rn). Studying the diffusion of radon and the emanation from the soil will help to deduce the radon flux from these dumps to identify the problem areas for rehabilitation. This study describes measurements of the emanation coefficient and the modelling of the depth profile of the radon activity concentration, which is compared to a depth profile that was measured on such a mine dump. Emanation coefficients ranging from 0.13 to 0.39 have been obtained.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cesium-137 has contaminated a large area of the wetlands on the Savannah River Site. Remediation of the contaminated wetlands is problematic because current techniques destroy the sensitive ecosystem and generate a higher dose to workers. To address this problem, we proposed a non-trusive, in situ technology to sequester 137Cs in sediments. One intention of this study was to provide information regarding a go/no go decision for future work. Since the proof-of-concept was successful and several minerals were identified as potential candidates for this technology, a go decision was made.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

With the exception of Sand Springs in Williamstown, Massachusetts, there are no identifiable hydrothermal geothermal resources in the New England region. The radioactive plutons of the White Mountains of New Hampshire do not, apparently, contain sufficient stored heat to make them a feasible target for an induced hydrothermal system such as exists at Fenton Hill near Los Alamos, New Mexico. The only potential source of low grade heat is the large volume of ground water contained within the unconsolidated sediments related to the Pleistocene glaciation of the region. During the course of the survey an unusual and unexplained thermal anomaly was discovered in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, which is described.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theoretical description of Raman scattering in disordered alloys of Ti and Zr with transition metals of groups 5-8 of the Mendeleev Periodic System in critical range of concentrations (CRC) is given. Results of Raman scattering experiment in the system Ti_1_-_xF_x at 0.0005identified by previously made Moessbauer measurements for the same samples, are presented. The order of the values of hybridization potential and energy of impurity zone, as well as their concentrational dynamics, are determined. Qualitative adequacy of the hybridization model to the alloys studied near CRC is shown.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This paper describes a novel Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic method that can be used to rapidly screen soil samples from potentially hazardous waste sites. Samples are heated in a thermal desorption unit and the resultant vapors are collected and analyzed in a long-path gas cell mounted in a FTIR. Laboratory analysis of a soil sample by FTIR takes approximately 10 minutes. This method has been developed to identify and quantify microgram concentrations of explosives in soil samples and is directly applicable to the detection of selected volatile organics, semivolatile organics, and pesticides.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The thermodynamic characteristics of adsorption of sulfur-containing amino acids and their derivatives on the surface of graphitized thermal carbon black were calculated by the molecular statistical method. The parameters of the atom-atom potential function of intermolecular interaction between the S atom in amino acids and the graphite C atom were determined. It was shown that an intramolecular H-bond influenced the adsorption of amino acids on the surface of graphitized thermal carbon black.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The electron-phonon coupling constant lambda has been calculated for vanadium. The electron energy bands and wave functions were obtained from a model augmented plane wave muffin-tin potential. The electron-phonon matrix elements were evaluated using the rigid-ion approximation and the measured phonon spectra. The results show that lambda is strongly affected by d-f scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Symplectic integrators designed for simulating soft matter at constant temperature and constant pressure (or constant surface tension) are presented. In addition to the well-known merits of symplectic integrators, such as long time stability, these methods allow the estimation of thermal heat production/absorption and thus entropy differences through a simple function of the time scaling factor ?. The relative entropy estimation around crystal-liquid phase transition is given for systems with soft core repulsive potential.

CERN Document Server

I report on a lattice computation of the energy of a system of two light quarks and two static antiquarks as a function of the separation of the static antiquarks. In terms of hadrons such a system corresponds to a pair of B mesons and its energy to the hadronic potential. I present selected results for different isospin, spin and parity combinations of the individual B mesons mainly focusing on those channels relevant to determine, whether two B mesons may form a bound tetraquark state.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A Monte Carlo simulation of the vacuum Bianchi type-IX (mixmaster) cosmology yields a significant correlation between large universe volume and high anisotropy. An analog of the model's chaotic classical behavior is seen in the break up of the universe wave function at large volume into fingers in the corners of the minisuperspace anisotropy potential.

UK PubMed Central (United Kingdom)

The effects of neuroactive steroids on the function of GABA_A receptors were studied using cell-attached records of single channel activity recorded from HEK293 cells transfected with α1...Full Text Available

Science.gov (United States)

Potential strategic missions for laser weapons, particularly those involving space-based lasers, are discussed. The functions of space-based lasers and the history of their conceptual development are summarized, and the problems of implementing such systems, including the building of a suitable laser and power source, and resolving the problem of optics, are discussed. Ongoing development programs are described, and the contrasting views of the necessity and usefulness of strategic laser systems are set forth.

CERN Document Server

Two-dimensional generalization of the original peak finding algorithm suggested earlier is given. The ideology of the algorithm emerged from the well known quantum mechanical tunneling property which enables small bodies to penetrate through narrow potential barriers. We further merge this ``quantum'' ideology with the philosophy of Particle Swarm Optimization to get the global optimization algorithm which can be called Quantum Swarm Optimization. The functionality of the newborn algorithm is tested on some benchmark optimization problems.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solid state effects are taken into account in an internal conversion coefficients computation by using Wigner-Seitz boundary conditions. Both the bound and free electron wave functions are calculated from an atomic Dirac-Hartree-Fock-Slater self consistent potential. These internal conversion coefficients are compared with those obtained from the usual free atom boundary conditions.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Electro Energy, Inc. conducted a research project to develop an energy efficient and environmentally friendly bipolar Ni-MH battery for distributed energy storage applications. Rechargeable batteries with long life and low cost potentially play a significant role by reducing electricity cost and pollution. A rechargeable battery functions as a reservoir for storage for electrical energy, carries energy for portable applications, or can provide peaking energy when a demand for electrical power exceeds primary generating capabilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Henry constants for the adsorption of o- and p-phenylenediamines on the surface of graphitized thermal carbon black within the temperature range 433-479 K were calculated by the molecular statistical method. The parameters of the atom-atom potential function of intermolecular interaction between the nitrogen atom in aniline and isomeric phenylenediamines and the carbon atom of the basal face of graphite were determined. It was shown that an intramolecular H bond influenced the geometry and adsorption properties of o-phenylenediamine.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The International Atomic Energy Agency has initiated a co-ordinated research programme on implementation of base-isolation for nuclear structures. This paper discusses two areas relevant to modelling elastomeric base-isolators. These are the use of simplified models to predict the response of isolated structures to earthquake inputs and finite element analysis for calculating the stress distributions within the isolators. In the former, a curvilinear hysteretic model of the high damping natural rubber able to accommodate the stiffening of the rubber at large shear deflections is presented. Its predictions of structural accelerations and bearing displacement produced by design earthquakes and those above the design level are compared with those using a linear spring and dashpot model. A comparison has been made between two finite element analyses using MARC and ABAQUS of the force-deformation behaviour of a single disc of rubber bonded on both sides. The disc was loaded both in ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

DFNA5 was first identified as a gene causing autosomal dominant hearing loss (HL). Different mutations have been found, all exerting a highly specific gain-of-function effect, in which skipping of exon 8 causes the HL. Later reports revealed the involvement of the gene in different types of cancer. Epigenetic silencing of DFNA5 in a large percentage of gastric, colorectal and breast tumors and p53-dependent transcriptional activity have been reported, concluding that DFNA5 acts as a tumor suppressor gene in different frequent types of cancer. Despite these data, the molecular function of DFNA5 has not been investigated properly. Previous transfection studies with mutant DFNA5 in yeast and in mammalian cells showed a toxic effect of the mutant protein, which was not seen after transfection ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Immune function is critical in health and disease. The control and regulation of immune reactions is an area of intense investigation that has important implications for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. Immune reactions are regulated in a number of important ways. Compartmentalization of immune responses and the production of both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines play a major role. More recently several populations of T cells that regulate immune responses termed regulatory T cells have been identified. This manuscript will focus on CD4^+CD25^+FoxP3^+ natural regulatory T cells (T"r"e"g) and @a@bTCR^+CD4^+NK1.1^+ natural killer T (NK-T) cells which both suppress graft vs host disease but appear to function by distinct mechanisms.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Medical Science Liaison (MSL) teams are a well-recognized function within the pharmaceutical and medical products industries. While in most organizations, MSLs have focused on the development of relationships with individual Key Opinion Leaders, progressive companies have realized the value that MSLs can also bring to Key Account Management (KAM). This article discusses the five steps that should be followed in order to successfully integrate the support of Key Accounts into an MSL function. These include understanding the business approach to KAM, identifying what MSL resources are available, developing a comprehensive strategic plan, implementing the plan, and evaluating and making any necessary adjustments. Finally, a case example outlining the experience of a small pharmaceutical compa...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The green fluorescent protein (GFP) asFP499 from Anemonia sulcata is a distant homologue of the GFP from Aequorea victoria. We cloned the asFP499 gene into a mammalian expression vector and showed that this protein was expressed in the human lymphoblast cell line Ramos RA1 and in the embryonic kidney 293T cell line (HEK 293T). In HEK 293T cells, asFP499 was localized mainly in the cytoplasm, suggesting that the protein was excluded from the nucleus. We identified _1_9_4LRMEKLNI_2_0_1 as a candidate nuclear export signal in asFP499 and mutated the isoleucine at position 201 to an alanine. Unlike the wildtype form, the mutant protein was distributed throughout the cytoplasm and nucleus. This is First report of a GFP that contains a functional NES.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

It is known that the plant cuticle represents the first barrier that must be overcome by any chemical reaching the plant surface from the atmosphere before entering the plant. Because of the importance of the cuticle as a barrier to penetration of a wide variety of compounds, its morphology, chemistry, and permeability have been extensively studied. However, only limited information is available on the nature of functional chemical groups present and their interaction and role during the penetration process. The usefulness of in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies in identifying functional groups present in isolated cuticles is described and their relationships to the structure of the cuticular membrane are discussed. Applications of infrared spectroscopy on the presence and role of phenolics in the cuticle structure and during the cuticle development, nitrogen oxide binding to isolated cuticles, and the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spiral orbit tribometry friction tests performed on Ni-rich Ni55Ti45 titanium ball bearings indicate that this alloy is a promising candidate for future aerospace bearing applications. Microstructural characterization of the bearing specimens was performed using transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy, with NiTi, Ni4Ti3, Ni3Ti, and Ni2Ti4Ox phases identified within the microstructure of the alloy. Density functional theory was applied to predict the electronic structure of the NixTiy phases, including the band structure and site projected density of states. Ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy was used to verify the density of states results from the density functional theory calculations, with good agreement observed between experiment and theory.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ageing of nuclear power plants means evolution of material or equipment properties on one side, and evolution of personnel skill and procedure adequacy on the other side, both of which, after a certain time, may not be compatible with the required safety provisions, or with an economic operation of the plant. Repair or replacement of components, as well as change in service conditions for a better compatibility with component reduced capabilities can be used to mitigate ageing effects. The paper summarises the results of a study conducted in this field with the support of the European Commission. It presents: the synthesis of the work done under international auspices, and in the European context; the comparison of ageing management approaches used in several European countries with international recommendations; the summary of the various potential phenomena and their governing parameters, the methods of in-service ageing identification and possible mitigation ...

CERN Document Server

Convexity/concavity properties of symbol error rates (SER) of the maximum likelihood detector operating in the AWGN channel (non-fading and fading) are studied. Generic conditions are identified under which the SER is a convex/concave function of the SNR. Universal bounds for the SER 1st and 2nd derivatives are obtained, which hold for arbitrary constellations and are tight for some of them. Applications of the results are discussed, which include optimum power allocation in spatial multiplexing systems, optimum power/time sharing to decrease or increase (jamming problem) error rate, and implication for fading channels.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The value of CT in respect of preoperative determination of tumour status and of tumour classification was studied using 127 histologically identified ovarial tumours as basis in a blind study via mutual image classification by the two participating institutes. The medium accuracy of diagnosis was 82%, but the results were found to be greatly dependent on tumour histology. Quotas of more than 90% were obtained in case of functional cysts, cystomas, cystadeno-carcinomas and dermoids, whereas classification was less successful with the other types of tumours such as germ cell tumours, tumours of the sexually differentiated stroma, metastases and tubo-ovarial abscesses.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Secondary-electron emission (SEE) spectra have been obtained with the Scanning Probe Energy Loss Spectrometer at a tip-sample distance of only 50 nm. Such short working distances are required for the best theoretical spatial resolution (<10 nm). The SEE spectra of graphite, obtained as a function of tip bias voltage, are shown to correspond to unoccupied states in the electronic band structure. The SEE spectra of thin gold films demonstrate the capability of identifying (carbonaceous) surface contamination with this technique.

Science.gov (United States)

This Waste Management Plan functions as a management and planning tool for managing waste streams generated as a result of operations at the Idaho CERCLA Disposal Facility (ICDF) Complex. The waste management activities described in this plan support the selected remedy presented in the Waste Area Group 3, Operable Unit 3-13 Final Record of Decision for the operation of the Idaho CERCLA Disposal Facility Complex. This plan identifies the types of waste that are anticipated during operations at the Idaho CERCLA Disposal Facility Complex. In addition, this plan presents management strategies and disposition for these anticipated waste streams.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

An energy control strategy (10) for a hybrid electric vehicle that controls an electric motor during bleed and charge modes of operation. The control strategy (10) establishes (12) a value of the power level at which the battery is to be charged. The power level is used to calculate (14) the torque to be commanded to the electric motor. The strategy (10) of the present invention identifies a transition region (22) for the electric motor's operation that is bounded by upper and lower speed limits. According to the present invention, the desired torque is calculated by applying equations to the regions before, during and after the transition region (22), the equations being a function of the power level and the predetermined limits and boundaries.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The pitting behavior of Alloy 800 was investigated as a function of temperature and prefilming in high temperature water. The pitting behavior was characterized in terms of the pitting potential and the pit density. The pitting potential decreases with increasing temperature and chloride activity. Prefilming of test coupons over a time period between 100 and 5,000 hours in ammoniated water at 300 C has no apparent influence on the pitting potential at room temperature, 180 C and 300 C. However, the number of pits in prefilmed coupons is much higher than in coupons covered with an air passive layer. The effect of prefilming on pit nucleation was investigated in more detail with regard to a model and test methods developed by Bianchi and co-workers. Density of pits in prefilmed coupons is at least one order of magnitude higher than in air passive coupons. Maximum pit density was measured after a ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fully relativistic full-potential density functional calculations with an all-electron linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbitals method have been performed to investigate the electronic and geometric structures of atomic carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen chemisorption on the (1 0 0) surface of #delta#-Pu. For all chemisorption processes, the center adsorption site is found to be the most preferred site with chemisorption energies of 7.964, 7.665, and 8.335 eV for the C, N, and O adatoms, respectively. The respective optimized distances of the C, N, and O adatoms from the surface were found to be 0.26, 0.35, and 0.48 A. The work functions and the net magnet moments, respectively, increased and decreased in all cases compared with the bare #delta#-Pu (1 0 0) surface. In particular, the work function shift is largest for the least preferred top site and lowest for the most preferred center site. A ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The behaviour of hydrogen adsorption on palladium has been investigated by a.c. impedance measurements in 0.1 M NaOH solution of pH 13 at 298 K. The electrode impedance has been measured by superimposing an a.c. voltage of 5 mV amplitude ranging between 10{sup -1} and 10{sup 4} Hz on a d.c. potential range from -0.76 to 0.44 V (standard hydrogen electrode (SHE)). The equivalent circuit representing the hydrogen adsorption reaction is proposed from the analysis of the frequency dependence of electrode admittance. The capacitance, arising from the adsorbed hydrogen, has been determined as a function of applied potential by complex non-linear least-squares curve fitting method based on the proposed equivalent circuit. As the cathodic applied potential increased from -0.36 to -0.76 V (SHE), the adsorption capacitance considerably increased owing to the enhanced coverage of hydrogen adsorbed on the palladium ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Functionalization of carbon nanotubes is very challenging for their applications. The paper here describes a new method to functionalize multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as specific affinity adsorbents. MWCNTs were acid purified and pretreated with (3-aminopropyl)-triethoxysilane (APTES) in order to introduce abundant amino groups on the surface of MWCNTs. After the conversion of amino groups to carboxyl groups by succinic acid anhydride, MWCNTs were attached to protein A or aminodextran using 1-ethyl-3,3' (dimethylamion)-propylcarbodiimide as a biofunctional crosslinker. The incorporation of aminodextran as a spacer arm noticeably increased the binding capacity of the APTES-modified MWCNTs for protein A. The application of affinity MWCNTs for purification of immunoglobulin G was then evaluated. The affinity of MWCNTs with AMD spacer exhibited a high adsorption capacity of {approx}361 {mu}g IgG/mg MWCNT (wet basis). About 75% of ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Staging bone scans or skeletal surveys were obtained of 97 patients with endometrial carcinoma. Of the 77 patients with Stage I or II disease, no metastases were identified at staging. Three patients in the entire series demonstrated bony metastases; all of these metastases were detectable by radionuclide bone scan and radiographic bone survey. Eighty-nine patients were examined with radionuclide liver/spleen scanning at the time of staging. Four of the 89 initial scans were interpreted as demonstrating hepatocellular disease, and all four patients had abnormal liver function studies. Only one patient demonstrated a possible hepatic metastasis at initial diagnosis. This patient also had abnormal liver function studies. Based on these results, bone surveys and radionuclide bone scans are not indicated as screening procedures in endometrial carcinoma. It is suggested that screening for liver metastases in patients with ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Energy confinement in W7-AS has been analyzed in terms of dimensionally exact form free functions employing Bayesian probability theory. The confinement function was set up as a linear combination of dimensionally exact power law terms as already proposed very early by Connor and Taylor. Generation of this expansion basis is dictated by the basic plasma model which one assumes. Based upon data accumulated in W7-AS, which contains the energy content for a wide variety of variable settings, predictions for single variable scans are made. The scaling functions for density and power scans, respectively, are in quantitative agreement with data collected in W7-AS. The result of a single variable scan is therefore already hidden in the data obtained for arbitrary variable choices and can be extracted from the latter by a proper data analysis. Furthermore, the optimal model for the description of the global transport in W7-AS is ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Prompted by a $10 million Congressional allocation to identify supplemental actions to protect the Columbia River from groundwater contamination beneath the Hanford Reservation, the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) Office of Clean-up Technology identified twenty-three potential technical projects and then down-selected ten of these for further evaluation. An independent expert peer review was conducted for the ten down-selected proposals. The review panel consisted of twenty-three recognized subject matter experts that broadly represented academia, industry, and federal laboratories. Of the initial ten proposals reviewed, one was given unconditional support, six were given conditional support, and three were not supported as proposed. Three additional proposals were then submitted by DOE for review--these proposals were structured, in part, to respond to the initial round of technical peer ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Threat characterization is a key component in evaluating the threat faced by control systems. Without a thorough understanding of the threat faced by critical infrastructure networks, adequate resources cannot be allocated or directed effectively to the defense of these systems. Traditional methods of threat analysis focus on identifying the capabilities and motivations of a specific attacker, assessing the value the adversary would place on targeted systems, and deploying defenses according to the threat posed by the potential adversary. Too many effective exploits and tools exist and are easily accessible to anyone with access to an Internet connection, minimal technical skills, and a significantly reduced motivational threshold to be able to narrow the field of potential adversaries effectively. Understanding how hackers evaluate new IT security research and incorporate significant new ideas into their own tools provides ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The partial pressures of the components (ThCl_4, MCl and MThCl_5) in the saturated vapours of ThCl_4 solutions in molten LiCl, NaCl, KCl, RbCl and CsCl are determined as a function of temperature (900 to 1200 K) and ThCl_4 concentration (2 to 50 mol% ThCl_4) by dynamic method. Thorium tetrachloride volatility is shown to exceed that of alkali chloride from the melts containing less than 98 LiCl or NaCl, 83 KCl, 67 RbCl and 48 mol% CsCl. From experimental observations the decomposition potential of the electrolytes under investigation was estimated in temperature and concentration ranges of our measurements. Under otherwise equal conditions, it increases in the series of alkali chlorides from LiCl to CsCl. (author).

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) represents a powerful technique for the detection of long-lived radionuclides through ultra-low isotope ratio measurements. In many cases, counting atoms rather than decays yields much higher sensitivities. The potential of AMS will be demonstrated on typical radionuclides of interest with half-lives between some tens of years up to a hundred million years. The precise measurement of the 27Al(n,2n)26Al excitation function will be exemplified. Lack of information exists for a list of nuclides as pointed out by nuclear data requests. A brief overview on detection limits and some applications for selected long-lived radionuclides is given.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The electronic structure and optical properties in tetragonal ceramics PbTiO_3, are studied by using full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method in density functional theory with the generalized gradient approximation by WIEN2K package. The theoretical calculated optical properties and energy loss spectrum yield a static refractive index of 2.59 and a plasmon energy of 22.7eV for the tetragonal phase. The effective electron number at low energy saturates near 22-23eV with the value of 50 for the effective electron number. The results show a indirect band gap of 2.2eV at the I' point in the Brillouin zone. The :calculated band structure and density of states of PbTiO_3 agree with previous experimental and theoretical results.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A theoretical study of electron and positron band structures of zinc-blende AlN and InN and their alloy Al_0_._5In_0_._5N is presented using the first-principles full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method. Equilibrium lattices constants are determined from the total-energy minimization method. The results are compared with previous calculations and with experimental measurement. Electron and positron charge densities are computed as function of position in the unit cell. Detailed plots of distributions are along the direction. The ionicity factors are calculated by means of three different approaches. The calculated results of the positron charge density reflect the high insight for the annihilation effect.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modern day accelerator development encompasses a myriad technologies required for their diverse needs. Whereas RF, high voltage, vacuum, cryogenics etc., technologies meet their functional requirements, high finish lapping processes, ceramic-metal joining, oven brazing, spark erosion or wire cutting etc., are a must to meet their fabrication requirements. Electromagnetic (EM) forming technique falls in the latter category and is developed as a special technology. It is currently catering to the development as a nuclear reactor technology, but has the potential to meet accelerator requirements too. This paper highlights the general principle of its working, simple design guidelines, advantages, and suggests some specific areas where this could benefit accelerator technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Full text: Hybrid functionals, containing a fraction of the exact exchange, allow for a rather accurate treatment of e.g. small molecules and band gaps in bulk materials. A plane-wave based algorithm was implemented in VASP (Vienna Ab-initio Simulation Package) to accomplish the calculation of the exact exchange. Two functionals including exact exchange are presently available, i.e. the PBE0 (Perdew-BurKEX-Ernzerhof) and the HSE (Heyd-Scuseria-Ernzerhof). A rigorous assessment of the implementation was performed by geometry optimization and calculation of the atomization energies of the G2-1 quantum chemical test set, containing 55 molecules. Excellent agreement compared to corresponding Gaussian 03 data and good agreement with experiment was achieved. The mean absolute error (theory related to experiment) for the atomization energies calculated with the PBE and the PBE0 is 8.6 and 3.7 kcal/mol, respectively. To investigate the properties of ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The effects of pore curvature and surface heterogeneity on the adsorption of water on a graphitic surface at 298 K were investigated using a Grand Canonical Monte Carlo (GCMC) simulation. Slit and cylindrical pores are used to study the curvature effects. To investigate the surface heterogeneity the functional group and the structural defect on the surface were specifically considered. The hydroxyl group (OH) is used as a model for the functional group and the water potential model proposed by Muller et al. is used to calculate the water interaction. For the homogeneous cylinder, the pore filling occurs at a pressure lower than the saturation pressure of the water model, while it is greater in the case of homogeneous slit pore. The size of hysteresis loop is more sensitive to the length of...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Kundur [Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn.], a member of the family Cucurbitaceae, is one of the famous crops that are grown primarily for its fruits and usually recognized with its nutritional and medicinal properties especially in Asian countries. Kundur fruit has been valued as a nutritious vegetable as it provides a good source for natural sugars, amino acids, organic acids, mineral elements and vitamins. A number of medicinal properties such as anti-diarrheal, anti-obesity, anti-ulcer, and antioxidant and diuretic have been ascribed to this fruit of high economic value. As a rich source of functionally important bioactives and therapeutics such as triterpenes, phenolics, sterols, and glycosides, the fruit has been widely used for the treatment of epilepsy, ulcer, and other nervous disor...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper explores the current trends in development of technology-neutral safety requirements to be used in the regulation of future nuclear power reactors and the role of the quantitative safety goals in the design of reactor safety systems. Establishing the requirements concerning the reliability of safety functions rather than on particular systems employed to achieve the functions, as well as the use of the recommendations of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) on protection against potential exposure could form the basis of a technology-neutral framework for safety requirements on new reactor designs. Also it could contribute to international harmonisation of nuclear safety assessment practices as part of the licensing processes for future nuclear power plants. (author)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

A variable gene delivery system has been developed based on conjugating chitosan to biotin through a functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) spacer, which can be used to further bind different molecules on the outer layer of a polymer/DNA complex by streptavidin (SA)-biotin linkage. In this study, TAT-conjugated SA was used as the model molecule to prove the conjugation function of the prepared complex. In addition, low-molecular-weight poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) was added into the polymer/DNA complex to increase the transfection efficiency. The results of the luciferase assay show that the transfection efficiency of the prepared complex was significantly correlated with the amount of PEI and was further enhanced when TAT was conjugated to the complex by SA-biotin linkage. Considered to have negligible cytotoxic effects, the variable gene delivery complex prepared in this study would be of considerable potential as ...

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Retention or dispersion of larvae from the spawning grounds has been identified as one of the key processes influencing recruitment success in fish stocks. To examine the potential effects of transport on recruitment. numerical simulations were performed utilizing a three-dimensional physical oceanographic model of the Baltic Sea. Cod larvae were represented as Lagrangian drifters released in the deepwater region of the Bornholm Basin, the main spawning ground for Baltic cod. Simulations were performed for the major spawning seasons of 1993 and 1994. when annual and interannual variability of meteorological forcing was large. The principal goals of the modelling exercise were first to identify the physical processes influencing the demersal distribution of the early life stages and second to describe the transport of the pelagic stages in response to variations in windstress, thereby identifying the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

Science.gov (United States)

This report has been prepared in conjunction with an environmental baseline study for a commercial coal conversion facility being conducted by Ashland Synthetic Fuels, Inc. (ASFI) and Airco Energy Company (AECO). This report represents a cultural resource assessment for the proposed plant site and two potential solid waste disposal areas. This assessment presents data collected by Dames and Moore during a recent archaeological reconnaissance of the unsurveyed southeastern portion of the proposed plant site and two potential solid waste disposal areas. Also, results of two previous surveys on the northern and southwestern portion of the plant site for American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO) and Kentucky Utilities are included. The Dames and Moore survey of the southeastern portion of the plant site identified one archaeological site, three standing structures and one historic cemetery. In addition 47 archaeological ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This report describes the selection of candidate surface mining sites for the development of oil shale resources in the western United States. The purpose of this study is to input the various scenarios into an economic mine model developed for underground oil shale mines in an earlier project. Site selection was a three-phase effort. Phase I consisted of a thorough review of available resource data, which resulted in a definition of surface mineable areas. Phase II was a detailed investigation of the regions identified in the initial phase. The end result of this task was a list of potential sites having favorable overburden, grade, shale thickness, and topography values. Phase III identified those sites from which a wide range of site specific parameters can be obtained for mine design and model testing purposes. This report describes the procedures used to obtain the candidate mining scenarios. Section 2.0 discusses the ...

Science.gov (United States)

This article provides an historical look at how programs and practices for students with emotional or behavior disorders (E/BD) have been evaluated since 1964, leading to a codified, although not universally recognized, set of recommendations for evaluating best practices for students with E/BD set out by The Peacock Hill Working Group (1991). The authors contend that, in addition to the programmatic features of best practice, the addition of the quality indicators and standards for research in special education add a critical dimension for examining the quality of the scientific research of identified best practices. Taken together, these set of recommendations and quality indicators represent the state of the art in program evaluation for best practice and programs for students with E/BD. The goal of this article is to outline the current recommendations and apply them to current behavior intervention practices to identify how well the field ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Recognizing the importance of energy as a vital component in economic development, the Taiwanese government has been continuously revising its energy policy, seeking to balance economic development, energy supply, and environmental protection (3E). Some measures, in an attempt to achieve the 3E balance, were previously implemented in Taiwan; nevertheless, some unresolved issues departing from certain core principles of Taiwan's sustainable energy policy and an international initiative for a low carbon society remain. The aim of this paper is to examine the energy supply and demand structure of Taiwan and the present status of individual energy carriers (including coal, petroleum, natural gas and electricity). In addition, it investigates the current energy policy framework and its implementation in Taiwan, identifies unresolved issues regarding sustainable energy development, and formulates key policy solutions for certain identifiable problems ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The human CDC25 tyrosine phosphatases trigger activation of CDC2 by removing inhibitory phosphates; thus the genes encoding these phosphatases may be suspected as potential oncogenes due to their role in promoting cell division. To date, three human CDC25 genes have been identified: CDC25A, B, and C. This communication describes the mapping of CDC25A to chromosome 3p21 and CDC25B to chromosome 20p13 by fluorescence in situ hybridization with confirmation by the polymerase chain reaction of hamster-human somatic cell hybrid DNA. 3p21 is near an area frequently involved in karyotypic abnormalities in renal carcinomas, small cell carcinomas of the lung, and benign tumors of the salivary gland. 20p13 does not seem to be a common area for karyotypic alteration in tumors. Mapping of these genes to their chromosomal loci may help identify tumors with abnormal regulation of CDC25 genes due to genomic alterations. 15 refs., 3 figs.

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muonic-atom energy levels and wave functions are calculated. The results are corrected for nearly all important static effects, including finite nuclear size as produced by a user-specified nuclear charge distribution. Fourth-order Runge-Kutta integration of the radial Dirac equations, with the secant method determining the eigenvalues. Corrections are either included as potentials in the Dirac equations or computed as first-order perturbations. The code assumes spherical symmetry, so that effects of nuclear deformation may be treated only as static first-order perturbations. Dynamic muon-electron and muon-nuclear effects are neglected (the latter are calculated by RURP). (Auth.).

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Critical knowledge is proliferated among different knowledge owners of a corporate system through the individuals lying inside or outside the system. Extraction of such knowledge is a very crucial requirement for all organisations. This paper presents the role of critical knowledge in the proper functioning of a system by representing it in the form of eXtensible Markup Language to develop a corporate memory. In order to demonstrate the role of corporate memory in the organisation, a real-world problem of a global supply chain is considered. The problem utilises the concept of corporate memory for the selection of potential suppliers from a set of available suppliers, and further to select the best route from a set of available alternative routes. The objective deals with the minimisation ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Dyspnea is the most distressing symptom experienced by those suffering from advanced stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Activity-related dyspnea in COPD is multifactorial but is associated with increased central neural drive, impaired dynamic respiratory mechanics and abnormal respiratory muscle function. Each of these components can potentially be targeted for pharmacotherapy. Recent advances in the pharmacotherapy of COPD include the development of new long-acting bronchodilators which, when combined, provide sustained improvements in dyspnea. Additionally, novel applications of older therapies such as opiates, furosemide, helium-oxygen, and statins show early promise as dyspnea-relieving interventions in COPD. Effective pharmacological manipulation of the affective ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are parallel distributed processing machines. The unique characteristics of ANNs are: Fault tolerance, robustness, plasticity and generalization. These offer great potential in many AI applications such as character recognition. Handwritten character recognition is an intrinsically interesting problem, but the difficulties of this task are the many variations in the characters. A robust new incremental learning method, which combines supervised and unsupervised learning paradigms implemented by the Functional Link Net, is illustrated with experimental results. Clustering, based on unsupervised learning, classifies the input data into several categories. The supervised learning paradigm then further classifies the data in the clustered categories.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

This paper deals with dynamical behavior of a nonlinear suspension system. We examine chaotic motion in a vehicle suspension system with hysteretic nonlinearity excited by a road profile. A one degree of freedom quarter-car model with nonsymmetric potential is investigated. The Melnikov criterion is used to study the intersection of stable and unstable manifolds and transition to chaos for the system. The condition for chaotic vibration is found using a Melnikov function. Chaotic motion also is indicated by a bifurcation diagram and Lyapunov exponents.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The subband structure and optical properties of a cylindrical quantum well wire under intense non-resonant laser field are investigated by taking into account the correct dressing effect for the confinement potential. The energy levels and wave functions are calculated within the effective mass- approximation using a finite element method. It is found that the absorption coefficient and the saturation intensity are strongly affected by the laser amplitude and frequency as well as by the incident light polarization. As a key result, a large anisotropy in the linear and nonlinear optical absorptions for very intense laser field is predicted. These effects can be useful for the design of polarization sensitive devices.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

We have measured the frequency-dependent dielectric function of semi-crystalline polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) in the terahertz region between 100?GHz and approximately 2.8?THz. A characteristic band is observed around 2.38?THz. The intensity of this band is a good indicator of the degree of crystallinity of the different samples. A potential assignment of this band is proposed, based on the comparison with spectroscopic data of the structurally very similar polyethylene terephtalate (PET). Furthermore, the frequency-dependent index of refraction of PBT reveals more insight about the morphology and different thermal history of the samples under investigation.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This Maintenance Implementation Plan (MIP) has been developed for maintenance functions associated with the B Plant/WESF (Waste Encapsulation Storage Facility) complex. The objective of this plan is to provide baseline information for establishing and identifying WHC conformance programs and policies applicable to implementation of DOE order 4330.4B guidelines. In addition, this maintenance plan identifies the actions necessary to develop a cost-effective and efficient maintenance program at B Plant/WESF. The B Plant WESF facility complex consists of three main facilities and several support structures located in the 200 East Area of the Hanford site. B Plant is a transition facility that is required to ensure safe storage and management of WESF (operating facility) cesium and strontium capsules. B Plant/WESF also contains substantial radiological inventory from previous campaigns. There are no production activities at B ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The product of the human GRO gene is a cytokine with inflammatory and growth-regulatory properties; GRO is also called MGSA for melanoma growth-stimulatory activity. The authors have identified two additional genes, GRO#beta# and GRO#gamma#, that share 90% and 86% identity at the deduced amino acid level with the original GRO#alpha# isolate. One amino acid substitution of proline in GRO#alpha# by leucine in GRO#beta# and GRO#gamma# leads to a large predicted change in protein conformation. Significant differences also exist in the 3' untranslated region, including different numbers of ATTTA repeats associated with mRNA instability. A 122-base-pair region in the 3' region is conserved among the three GRO genes, and a part of it is also conserved in the Chinese hamster genome, suggesting a role in regulation. DNA hybridization with oligonucleotide probes and partial sequence analysis of the genomic clones confirm that the three forms are derived from related but ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

This Maintenance Improvement Plan has been developed for maintenance functions associated with the 222-S Laboratory. This plan is developed from the guidelines presented by Department of Energy (DOE) Order 4330.4B, Maintenance Management Program (DOE 1994), Chapter 11. The objective of this plan is to provide information for establishing and identifying WMH conformance programs and policies applicable to implementation of DOE Order 4330.4B guidelines. In addition, this maintenance plan identifies the actions necessary to develop a cost effective and efficient maintenance program at 222-S Laboratory. Maintenance activities are mainly going to be performed by existing maintenance organizations within Waste Management Federal Services of Hanford (WMH). Most maintenance performed at 222-S Laboratory is performed by the 222-S Laboratory maintenance organization. This 222-S Laboratory Maintenance Implementation Plan provides the ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The use of standard cementitious material creates pulses of pH in the magnitude of 12-13 in the leachates and release alkalis. Such a high pH is detrimental and also unnecessarily complicates the safety analysis of the repository. As no reliable pH-plume models exist, the use of products giving a pH below 11 in the leachates facilitates the safety analysis. Also, according to current understanding, the use of low-pH cement (pH = 11) will not disturb the functioning of the bentonite, although limiting the amount of low-pH cement is recommended. A result of the project is that there are both low-pH cementitious material for grouting larger fractures (= 100 {mu}m) and non-cementitious material for grouting smaller fractures (< 100 {mu}m) that will, after further optimisation work, be recommended for grouting of deep repositories. This project concentrated on the technical development of properties for the low pH grouts. Long-term safety and environmental ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The prevention of subscriber churn through customer retention is a core issue of Customer Relationship Management (CRM). By minimizing customer churn a company maximizes its profit. This paper proposes a hybridized architecture to deal with customer retention problems. It does so not only through predicting churn probability but also by proposing retention policies. The architecture works in two modes: learning and usage.In the learning mode, the churn model learner seeks potential associations from the subscriber database. This historical information is used to form a churn model. This mode also calls for a policy model constructor to use the attributes identified in the churn model to divide all `churners' into distinct groups. The policy model constructor is also responsible for develop...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Surry low power and shutdown probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) is an ongoing project at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) to identify and quantify potential accident scenarios that may occur in a pressurized water reactor (PWR) during low power and shutdown. It was initiated as a result of various incidents and accidents that have occurred within the United States and overseas. The project involves review and evaluation of PWR experience at shutdown, identification of accident scenarios, determination of methods to mitigate the accidents, and performance a level 1 PRA. An evaluation of accident progression, source terms and consequences has also been initiated. The results will be used to address issues related to shutdown conditions. The objective of this paper is to provide a progress report on the project, and to present the approach used as well as the preliminary results of the ongoing and completed tasks.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The agricultural sector is probably the one that will suffer most directly from the climatic variations expected at the global level. In particular, the analysis of the changes expected in water availability and demand is fundamental in order to correctly establish both the present water resource management and the definition of new strategies. In this paper the time series of some climatic and agro-climatic indices in the Region of Umbria (Central Italy) have been analyzed with the aim of finding signs of climate changes and identifying the potential impacts on the agricultural water balance. The aforesaid indices include the precipitation, the mean maximum and minimum temperatures (Tmin, Tmax), the mean temperature range (DT), the reference evapotranspiration (ET0) and two drought indice...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Serotonin is an important signaling molecule involved in the control of feeding in flies and other animals. In this study, a potential neurohemal release site for serotonin and the effects of exogenous serotonin on protein feeding were examined in the black blow fly, Phormia regina. A dense network of varicose neural processes exhibiting serotonin-like immunoreactivity was identified on the dorsal region of the thoracico-abdominal ganglion in P. regina. This dorsal region of the central nervous system is a likely site for the release of serotonin into the hemolymph. Circulating serotonin may have multiple systemic effects on fly physiology, including modulating or regulating feeding related processes and diuresis. Injections of exogenous serotonin reduced protein meal size in female flies ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Seasonal and habitat calliphorid abundance and distribution were examined weekly for two years (2001-2003) in Santa Clara County, California, using sentinel traps baited with bovine liver. Of the 34,389 flies examined in three defined habitats (rural, urban, and riparian), 38% of the total catch represented Compsomyiops callipes (Bigot) and 23% represented Phormia regina (Meigen). Other flies collected in this survey included Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus), Calliphora latifrons (Hough), Lucilia sericata (Meigen), Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann), and Lucilia mexicana (Macquart), which is a new record for the area. Multivariate MANOVA and ANOVA (P 0.05) analysis indicate significant seasonal habitat preference for all fly species examined. This information may be used to identify potentially fo...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

This paper addresses known limitations and constraints in eddy current nondestructive testing. Incomplete appreciation for eddy current limitations is believed to have contributed to both under-utilization and misapplication of the technique. Neither situation need arise if known limitations are recognized. Some, such as the skin depth effect, are inherent to electromagnetic test methods and define the role of eddy current testing. Others can be overcome with available technology such as surface probes to find circumferential cracks in tubes and magnetic saturation of ferromagnetic alloys to eliminate permeability effects. The variables responsible for limitations in eddy current testing are discussed and where alternative approaches exist, these are presented. Areas with potential for further research and development are also identified.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

In the Carpathian Basin, significant percentage of watershed area and floodplains of rivers are utilised agriculturally. Several potential sources of poisonous metal pollution have been identified in these areas. Because of spills from some of them a few severe accidents have happened especially in the watershed area of Tisza River during the last decades. The motivation of our present work was to produce {sup 62,65}Zn and {sup 203}Pb radioisotopes because they can be used especially as tracers for studying the kinetics of uptake, transport and accumulation of zinc and lead by plants under different circumstances. (orig.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The prospects for the low-aspect-ratio (A) tokamak to fulfill the requirements of viable fusion power plants are considered relative to the present status in data and modeling. Desirable physics and design features for an attractive Blanket Test Facility and power reactors are estimated for low-A tokamaks based on calculations improved with the latest data from small pioneering experiments. While these experiments have confirmed some of the recent predictions for low-A, they also identify the remaining issues that require verification before reliable projections can be made for these deuterium-tritium applications. The results show that the low-A regime of small size, modest field, and high current offers a path complementary to the standard and high A tokamaks in developing the full potential of fusion power.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Metals for potential use in the dissociator and the synthesizer reactors of a distributed solar receiver thermochemical transport loop utilizing SO/sub 3//SO/sub 2//O/sub 2/ molecular chemistry were tested in SO/sub 2//O/sub 2/ mixtures at 500/sup 0/C and 900/sup 0/C, respectively, for times of up to four weeks. They included titanium, aluminum and nickel, and iron-base, nickel-base and cobalt-base superalloys. Weight gain measurements determine the oxidation/sulfidation kinetics. Electron microprobe analysis identifies any possible penetration of oxygen and sulfur into the metal and the formation of internal oxides and sulfides. The most promising candidates as a result of these tests are the cobalt-base superalloys.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A series of branched alkylbenzene ranging from C15 to C19 with several isomers (2?5) at each carbon number were identified in sediments from the Dongsheng sedimentary uranium ore deposits, Ordos Basin, China. The distribution patterns of the branched alkylbenzenes show significant differences in the sample extracts. The branched alkylbenzenes from organic-rich argillites and coals range from C15 to C19 homologues, in which the C17 or C18 dominated. On the other hand, the C19 branched alkylbenzenes dominated in the sandstone/siltstone extracts. The obvious differences of the branched alkylbenzene distributions between the uranium-host sandstones/siltstones and the interbedded barren organic-rich mudstones/coals probably indicate their potential use as biological markers associated with part...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magnetic refrigeration uses the temperature- and field-dependence of the entropy of some magnetic materials to accomplish cooling. Because of the intrinsically high efficiency of the magnetization and demagnetization process and because of the potential for excellent heat transfer between solids and fluids, magnetic refrigerators promise to have higher efficiency than existing gas-cycle refrigerators. Many ground-based and space-based applications could benefit significantly from the cost savings implied by higher efficiency. Other attributes of these devices are high reliability and low volume and mass per unit cooling power. The development of these refrigerators is underway at several places around the world, including the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The progress to date has been encouraging but some problems have been clearly identified. The arguments for high efficiency and the problems that will need to be solved to achieve this goal ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

The potential association between xenotropic murine leukaemia virus-related gammaretrovirus (XMRV) and prostate cancer (PCa) has been documented since 2006. It is important for furthering our understanding of the biological mechanisms of PCa to ascertain whether this association is causal. To summarize the available information on the epidemiological and laboratory findings of the association, we conducted a literature search of the PubMed electronic database (from March 2006 to February 2011) to identify relevant published studies that examined the association between XMRV and PCa. Although several studies showed the positive association between XMRV and PCa, more recent studies did not support this conclusion. The positive findings might be due to contamination of human samples. Further ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

Abstract: The cane toad (Bufo marinus), a large, toxic, American anuran, was introduced to Australia in 1935. Populations of many of Australia's reptiles (snakes, varanid lizards, crocodiles) and carnivorous mammals (dasyurid marsupials) have declined because these predators are killed by the toad's powerful toxins. In contrast to these well-studied species, little is known about the cane toads impacts on Australian birds. We reviewed published and unpublished data on behavioral interactions between Australian avian predators and cane toads and collated distributional and dietary information to identify avian taxa potentially at risk from cane toad invasion. Cane toads are sympatric with 172 frog-eating bird species in Australia, and an additional 8 bird species overlap with the predicted ...

CERN Document Server

We study dipolar bosons in a 1D optical lattice and identify a region in parameter space---strong coupling but relatively weak on-site repulsion---hosting a series of stable CDW states whose low-energy excitations, built from "fractional domain walls", are remarkably similar to those of non-abelian fractional quantum Hall states. Here, a conventional domain wall between translated CDW's may split by inserting strings of degenerate, but inequivalent, CDW states. Outside these insulating regions, we find numerous supersolids as well as a superfluid regime. The mentioned phases should be accessible experimentally, and in particular, the fractional domain walls can be created in the ground state using single-site addressing, i.e. by locally changing the chemical potential.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

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 ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A compact and supersensitive device that can rapidly detect minute trace vapors from concealed explosives has been developed by scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The new explosives sensor can detect and chemically identify organic nitrogen-oxygen compounds which are the building blocks of explosives such as TNT, plastiques, and nitroglycerine. The device could be used to scan persons entering airport terminals, nuclear power plants, defense installations, or other sensitive locations, providing greater security against potential terrorism. This device works on a glow discharge principle, and is more specifically called an ''Atmospheric Sampling Glow Discharge Ionization'' (ASGDI) source. The new detector is a highly automated, miniaturized version of research mass spectrometers widely used to trace constituents of chemical mixtures. Detail of this device's construction and ...

Science.gov (United States)

Phytoremediation has been identified as a potentially environmentally friendly and cost effective technique for the treatment of contaminated soil. However, phytoremediation has an unknown mechanism. In this study, we focus on the effects of the cultivation of Italian ryegrass on the soil microbes collected at oil showings, which were expected to have a variety of crude oil degradable microorganisms. We evaluated the number of crude oil degradable microorganism, microbial activity, microflora using the PCR-DGGE method and the change in the concentration of crude oil in the soil. The results indicated that the microflora was affected by the cultivation of Itarian ryegrass, and that the microbial activity and the number of crude oil degradable microorganisms were also improved by the cultivation. Moreover, the concentration of crude oil in the rhizosphere soil decreased significantly when compared to the uncultivated soil. These results suggested ...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The mass asymmetry of fragments from nuclear fission of heavy nuclei is reviewed. While mass asymmetry is a common and well-known phenomenon for low-energy fission of the lighter actinides, more recent experiments have demonstrated that, for the heaviest actinides, the mass distribution switches to a symmetric one. On the other hand, it has been discovered that, though for fissioning nuclei with mass numbers A< or [approx]225 the mass distribution is basically symmetric, an asymmetric component is clearly to be identified for nuclei down to the Pb-region. In the absence of a generally accepted dynamical theory of fission, the above experimental findings are discussed in terms of static energy considerations. Triggered from the outset by the structure of the potential energy surface at the saddlepoint, the energy balance at the scission point between the available energy (Q-value) of the reaction and the Coulomb and deformation energy of the ...

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

A fragmented fossil bone incised with the figure of a proboscidean was recently found at Vero Beach, Florida near the location where Late Pleistocene fauna and human bones were recovered from 1913 to 1916. This engraving may represent the oldest and only existing example of Terminal Pleistocene art depicting a proboscidean in the Americas. Because of the uniqueness, rarity, and potential antiquity of this specimen, caution demanded that a variety of tests be used in an attempt to verify its authenticity. The mineralized bone was identified as mammoth, mastodon, or giant sloth. Rare earth element analysis was consistent with the fossil bone being ancient and originating at or near the Old Vero site (8-IR-9). Forensic analysis suggests the markings on the bone are not recent. Optical microsc...

Science.gov (United States)

As a US Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory, Sandia Laboratories is developing Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) technology with the objective of encouraging private industry to produce economically feasible, commercially marketable wind energy systems. The first full cycle of development is essentially complete, and resulting current technology designs have been evaluated for cost-effectiveness. Aerodynamic, structural, and system analyses capabilities have evolved during this cycle to support and evaluate the system designs. This report presents some of the more salient recent developments, first generation costs, current activities, and future plans. Potential design improvements identified in the first development cycle are presented along with their cost benefits.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

ObjectivesVaricocele is a common cause of infertility, and varicocele-associated testicular hypotrophy has been described as a potential cause of decreased semen quality. We investigated the relationship between testicular hypotrophy and poor semen quality in infertile men with varicoceles. We hypothesized that bilateral hypotrophy is required before the semen quality is severely impaired.MethodsWe retrospectively identified consecutive patients with palpable varicoceles undergoing an infertility evaluation at a single academic center. Each patient was evaluated by the same clinician with history and physical examination. Testicular hypotrophy was defined as a size discrepancy of greater than 3 mL or an absolute size of less than 14 mL. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to...

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

The major goal of this continuation project is to advance the utilization of heat transfer enhancement techniques in commercial heat exchange equipment. Thirteen heat transfer enhancement techniques have been identified as having potential for improving heat transfer coefficients in full-scale industrial equipment. The following tasks are part of this project, which was originally planned for three years: (1) expansion of technology information base; (2) evaluation of performance of enhanced surfaces and inserts; (3) correlation of data for spirally fluted surfaces; (4) study of structured surfaces in pool boiling; and (5) study of structured surface in spray film evaporation.

British Library Electronic Table of Contents (United Kingdom)

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

CERN Document Server

We present here the effective theory of inflation `a la Ginsburg-Landau in which the inflaton potential is a polynomial. The slow-roll expansion becomes a systematic 1/N expansion where N ~ 60. The spectral index and the ratio of tensor/scalar fluctuations are n_s - 1 = O(1/N), r = O(1/N) while the running turns to be d n_s/d \\ln k = O(1/N^2) and can be neglected. The energy scale of inflation M ~ 0.7 10^{16} GeV is completely determined by the amplitude of the scalar adiabatic fluctuations. A complete analytic study plus the Monte Carlo Markov Chains (MCMC) analysis of the available CMB+LSS data showed: (a) the spontaneous breaking of the phi -> - phi symmetry of the inflaton potential. (b) a lower bound for r: r > 0.023 (95% CL) and r > 0.046 (68% CL). (c) The preferred inflation potential is a double well, even function of the field with a moderate quartic coupling yielding as most probable ...

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

The Schroedinger equation for nuclear quadruple surface vibrations is linearized with the consequence that a new spin degree of freedom appears in the wave function of the linearized equation. This spin is called collective spin and has a value of 3/2. The linearized Schroedinger equation for quadrupole vibrations is used for the description of certain collective aspects of even-odd "1"8"7","1"8"9","1"9"1Ir nuclei which have a spin 3/2 in their ground state. As a potential we use the #gamma#-soft collective potential of the neighboring even-even nuclei, which is inserted into the linearized Schroedinger equation via a scalar coupling. This leads to a collective spin-dependent fine structure splitting of the energy levels governed by a collective SO(5) spin-orbit coupling and a correction to the kinetic energy. Further, we consider explicitly spin-dependent potentials which effectively describe the ...

Science.gov (United States)

The interaction of the globular protein lysozyme with silica nanoparticles of diameter 20 nm was studied in a pH range between the isoelectric points (IEPs) of silica and the protein (pH 3-11). The adsorption affinity and capacity of lysozyme on the silica particles is increasing progressively with pH, and the adsorbed protein induces bridging aggregation of the silica particles. Structural properties of the aggregates were studied as a function of pH at a fixed protein-to-silica concentration ratio which corresponds to a surface concentration of protein well below a complete monolayer in the complete-binding regime at pH > 6. Sedimentation studies indicate the presence of compact aggregates at pH 4-6 and a loose flocculated network at pH 7-9, followed by a sharp decrease of aggregate size near the IEP of lysozyme. The structure of the bridged silica aggregates was studied by cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering. The ...